Fishy Tales

My family’s ‘lack of fresh fish’ problem while living in central Ohio has been solved! No more whining for me … at least about the lack of edible delicacies from the sea. (No promises are being made regarding other subjects.)

Recently I reconnected with an old friend from elementary school through a names database. We graduated from high school together and then lost touch. We’ve exchanged information about our classmates, and I made sure to give him contact info for the committee that puts on the reunions, the ones he’s never made it to.

Anyway, it seems that my long-lost friend Dave resides in Anchorage, AK, and is an avid fisherman. In the course of getting to know one another again, I mentioned (heartily berated, is more like it) the fact that edible (read “fresh”) fish is/was non-existent here. And life as a fish-eater wasn’t any better during the ten years we lived in TN.

Dave offered to send me all of the Alaskan halibut and King salmon he had in his freezer!

Last Saturday our UPS delivery driver didn’t understand why I was so happy to see him, nor why I was nearly dancing while waiting for him to hand me the white box marked “Fresh Seafood—Keep Refrigerated” that had been overnighted by Dave. He just didn’t understand why I was so excited about getting fish.

I hauled the box into the kitchen, announcing from the garage door that the “fish man” had arrived, and began opening the box with the first sharp object that landed in my hand. Hubby and son were a little surprised at the size of the box and began to help me get it and the interior styrofoam open. WooHoo!

I began shoveling package after package of naturally red (no dyes added) King salmon from the box. Then came the thick white slabs of halibut filets! We had no way of weighing it all but there was at least twenty pounds of beautiful, natural, naturally caught, vacuum-packaged, and flash frozen fish! This is as good as it gets in a land-locked state, folks.

As we piled our plates high with the baked wonder and added my home-made tartar sauce, we marveled at the beauty of the solid white flesh of the halibut and the moistness of the salmon.

I’ll bet I could write a pretty good erotic story about this experience and you’d never guess I was talking about Alaskan fish! Sorry to let you down—because I’m not going to do that—at least not here.

An Update and Merry Christmas

It’s been a busy time! I’ve been writing in between taking care of sick kids and grandkids—and myself—after mothering them back to health.

While in Louisville to help out with the kidlets I was able to attend the holiday party for the Jefferson County foster kids. What a great time! Lots of food, lots of gifts, and lots of smiles! There were about 350 smiling and laughing folks packed into the venue and a multitude of volunteers—some of them dressed as elves.

If you’ve been reading this blog, you know I’ve been doing some copywriting for the Jefferson County Foster Care/Adoption Association. There are many, many groups, companies, and individuals to thank for making the holiday party happen. We’ll be getting those “Thank Yous” out ASAP.

I moderated the annual “Get Organized/Set Those Goals!” chat and a delightful interview with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett (www.penonfire.com) at The Writer’s Chatroom (http://writerschatroom.com) this month. An article about setting goals, written by me, will appear in the first-ever newsletter sent out by TWC next week.

On January 7th at 2:00 PM EST I will be interviewing Oscar-winning screenwriter Diana Ossana (Brokeback Mountain) at TWC. Diana will be starting us off in the New Year with our new format and time. I can’t wait to “meet” her. Check out the schedule page for a complete bio and more information about the chat. Y’all are welcome to attend.

May you and yours have a most Merry Christmas and may all your dreams come to fruition in the New Year!

Linda
www.lindajhutchinson.com

Foster Kids, Love, and the Holiday Season

Last year--twenty-five years after first meeting my own beautiful foster child--I got a note from her: "I love you. You have been a huge role model for me and I feel that I would not be where I am today without you. Happy Mother's Day."

I do a lot of writing. Some of it helps pay the bills and some of it comes from the heart. Following is an example of writing from the heart and this is a program I believe in.

Please share this letter, and let this committee know you believe in what they're doing. This is but a small part of what they do, but will have a huge impact on young lives this Holiday Season.

(And, yes, the president of JCFCAA is my daughter. This is one family tradition I'm quite proud of.)

Linda

JEFFERSON COUNTY FOSTER CARE / ADOPTION ASSOCIATION
908 W. Broadway 8W
Louisville, KY 40203



Dear Supporter,

The Holiday Season—a time of merriment and joy for most—will soon be upon us. With your help, approximately 350 local children—children who can’t be with their biological families through no fault of their own—will be able to experience just a little bit of that Holiday Season splendor that most of us take for granted.

With your help, the Jefferson County Foster Care/Adoption Association will host a holiday celebration for the babies, pre-schoolers, adolescents, and teenagers in the foster care system right here in Louisville/Jefferson County.

Some of our children have been abused. Some, merely neglected. Some have been used as ashtrays, punching bags, and worse, often by their own family members. The innocent children in the foster care system come to us in daylight or the middle of the night, scared, alone in the world, sometimes torn from those they love and sometimes abandoned, and most often—terrified that this new place they’ve been taken to by total strangers will be worse than where they just came from. Their scars may or may not be visible.

As foster parents, we open our homes and hearts to these precious children who need us, who need love and nourishment and security. But our individual foster family budgets are already stretched to the limits just taking care of everyday needs. That’s why we’re asking you for your help.

Our special needs at this time are:
• Funds to purchase gifts
• Toys and games for approximately 350 gifts
• Holiday decorations / table center pieces
• Gift bags, bows, ribbon, tape, etc.
• Companies to support “$1 Jean Day” events
• Companies to organize gift collection sites
• Gift certificates and Door Prizes for Parents (on the childrens’ behalf)
• Volunteers

You have the power to bring the magic of the holiday season into these children’s lives. Thank you for letting them know they are special and for giving them something to believe in.

YOUR DONATION IS OUR BUDGET. We are a small organization—one made up of foster and adoptive parents. You can make an impact in a child’s life today!

Please make checks payable to Jefferson County Foster / Adoption Association and send to the attention of Chela Miller at the address listed above. We will need to receive your gift of love prior to November 25th.

Please call and let us know how you can help. Our contact information is below:

Chela Miller, VP and Co-chair chela@insightbb.com 502.333.0450
Wanda Holt, Co-chair wandah@pcclouisville.com 502.584.0201 ext 125
Raylene Browne, President raylenebrowne@yahoo.com 502.295.5026

All donations are greatly appreciated! Thank you for taking the time to touch a child’s life today.


Sincerely,

Raylene Browne
President, JCFCAA

I'm Not Usually Envious ...

I’m not usually prone to envy or jealousy. However, my friend Lee (Alys Leann—pronounced A-leece’—which is why she doesn’t use that name because people then call her Alice) sent me an email last week …

She told me all about her new digs and that she was getting settled in, and then happened to mention she’d be out of town for about four days because she and her daughter were headed to Lincoln City, OR. She lives in Tacoma, WA. It’s a nice drive.

For those lucky enough to live in God’s country—which is the rainy side of Washington (where I’m from) and Oregon—I don’t need to explain anything.

Okay, I was a little envious at that point, knowing she’d be doing some very neat stuff in a very neat place for four days, in the company of her very entertaining, highly intelligent, and enlightened daughter.

Yesterday, as I sat at my computer, here in land-locked Columbus, OH—Ohio has NO natural lakes within it (or any hope of the smell of saltwater)—while pounding out a re-write/update for one of my editors with a 1:00 drop-dead deadline, and while eating a canned salmon/cream cheese spread on snack crackers, I glanced at my email and saw that I’d received another email from Lee:

“We’re back. Did some whale watching at Depoe Bay. Slept late, ate, did some shopping in neat places, bought some interesting items. Lincoln City hasn’t spread out as much as I thought it would. Had a good time.”

Thankfully she didn’t give me details about the quaint little shops they'd visited; the ones with all the “beachy” stuff and magnificent artwork. She didn't describe how the pod of whales played as the waves splashed and crashed upon the rocks, spraying a fine mist upon them as they stood in the sunshine watching. And she didn’t mention WHAT they ate!

Did I mention what I was eating at the time—me, someone who grew up on fresh salmon, halibut and trout, sturgeon, ling cod, crab, clams, and shrimp? ("No, thank you" on the haddock, pollock, whiting, or ((UGH!)) muddy catfish available here!)

I looked sadly upon my little bowl of canned salmon spread. Even with the fake liquid smoke added, it suddenly wasn’t very appealing.

I yearn for fresh fish and seafood! I’m green with envy that Lee and Kristen ate at those “on the dock” restaurants! I just know they had Pacific Northwest-style fish and chips (probably halibut), with tartar sauce made with dill pickles—and NO anchovy paste as filler. I just know they did.

Okay, it’s a good thing my favorite color is green.

Some changes!

For several reasons, I've decided I don't need two "writer's" blogs. Besides I also have the review blog, and the blog and forum at The Writer's Chatroom.

So, from now on, this blog will be devoted to more personal "stuff".

Thank you for visiting!

Linda J. Hutchinson
www.lindajhutchinson.com
http://writerschatroom.com
http://reviewhutch.blogspot.com

Sometimes We're Right About Something

The following is from my friend and member of The Writer’s Chatroom, Ed Easley, who is also a writer. Ed spent many years in the newspaper business before dropping out to write and edit fiction. Being somewhat of a dinosaur about marketing—he still thought he had to send press releases and books for review through snail mail …

Well, we at The Writer’s Chatroom had heard enough of his whining about lack of responses to all of his hard work, not to mention the expense. We’d talked to him repeatedly about a Web presence. He didn’t believe it was worth the effort at first. So, during an International chat one Friday I typed in, “Be right back”.

I bounced back into the chat from time to time for the next 10 to 15 minutes and then went back in to tell Ed he had been ambushed and now had his own blog. http://edeasley.blogspot.com I told him to give it about three weeks before he’d see any real responses. Who knew he had a lovely Webpage on his publisher’s site? I did—which is where I zapped that cute picture of him and his beard. Very few others did, it seems.

Anyhow, Ed started adding his publisher’s web addy and his new blog addy to every email he sent out—and every snail mail letter. Three weeks later, again at a chat, Ed reported that Audrey, Renee, and I had been right all along and he should have listened to us. We love hearing that we’re right about something once in awhile!

Web presence is something we preach religiously to all writers. I received the following from Ed today.

Please bear in mind that he writes humor (and has a girlfriend—just thought I’d throw that in):

August 16, 2006

Some time has passed. I’d poked my head into the site regularly, hoping comments to magically appear. They hadn’t. I figured I’d been right all along -- Web publishing was a worthless form of marketing.

I mean think about it; the Web is a really big place. Here I was, sitting in Washington state, expecting to have folks from all over the world magically find me over search engines. Right.

I’ve been to Reno. I’ve played the lottery. I live in Spokane, Wash., and still can’t drop a perfectly good house on my second ex-wife. Not even a used RV. The odds just plain suck. (Sorry to all you folks in Mississippi. Yep, all those trailers sitting on the Delta were mine. Target practice.)

So I whined to Linda. She showed me how to update the page. It turns out that lots of people wrote. They opened up the nuthouse gates, and well, I guess I run the lemonade stand.

You can read some of them at http://edeasley.blogspot.com/ . The best stuff has been the material about the two ex-cons who have been writing me. You meet all kinds of people in cyberspace. These guys just look at the pictures in my book. Pretty as I am, I had trouble getting a date for the prom.

They’d have taken me, if they’d been able to get work release. I’ll let you know when the wedding is, and where we are registered. I suspect it will be on a Sunday, that’s usually when they have visiting day up at Walla Walla’s state prison. (Yes, one of them is from Walla Walla -- just down the road from Spokane. He's the one due for parole in six months.)

I suspect there will be more interesting people who stop by my site. Linda gets all the nice folks. Folks you'd take home to Mom. All the weirdos write me. Go figure.

Y’all are welcome at my place. In fact, there’s a button you can push and write my publisher. How do you think he found me? You can find him to complain at http://www.cloonfadpress.com . I’ll keep you posted. I have a wedding to plan. --Ed

Lifestyle Changes and Writing

A few simple changes to your lifestyle and writing is the first thing to get swept from your schedule.

Take my recent hospitalization—seven days of being waited on hand and foot, with round the clock care and food to die for (literally)—and they objected to my switching the oxygen meter from my index finger to my toe so I could type on my laptop. Who can type without using their index finger? “They” also didn’t want me to keep the laptop in my room overnight for fear it might be stolen. Hmmm. No writing got done. A total waste of that wonderful wireless internet system they provided. (Of course, this was after the fifth day there because I don’t remember much about the first four days.)

A little over a week after my vacation at Riverside Medical Center, we closed on our new home and started moving. With three men in the house it was imperative we find the kitchen first. Then, and if you’ve ever raised boys you know, the next rooms to settle were the bathrooms. Find the deodorant! Find the shavers! Find the towels!

And THEN it was time to set up the desks and computers. Obviously, no writing got done. But then the “new” dial-up we’re now stuck with—at least in the short term—is so unpredictable I’m still not sure if what I send ever “goes” anywhere anyway. Can’t wait to attempt to send or receive large graphics files … My editors are going to love this!

Life isn’t so bad though. Hubby spent this past weekend building a new work/office center in our den. He started with maple doors removed from a house soon to be demolished on his new building site. We now have these fabulous new workstations that are not only so kitschy and clever they’ve transformed the space into total "chic”, but several issues which had been bothering me have been solved.

Wire management is in place—and hidden from view. My desk clutter—as soon as I find my desktop again—will be hidden from view from anywhere else in the house. We’ve removed all the old mis-matched office furniture and installed two thirteen-foot long bookshelves above the new space to hold my beloved books and other writerly "stuff".

“HE” has a separated space on the other side of the room—facing the other direction—where he can work to his heart’s content while I write.

Hmmm. But it seems the only writing I’ve gotten done so far is this blog entry …

We're moving!

We're in the process of moving out of an apartment and into our new home. After living on a 10-acre gentleman's farm for ten years it's been tough living in an apartment for the past two years, and we're thrilled to be moving into a house again.

Our extended family (including our son, my "little" brother, and our one-eyed cat) will have plenty of room to roam.

Online service will be sketchy for the next few days, but we will check our emails when we can.

Free Writing Classes through Barnes & Noble

Free writing classes are now available through http://university.barnesandnoble.com/index.asp?z=y"Barnes & Noble University® is home to some of the best and most varied educational content on the Internet. Dozens of courses and reading groups are offered every month, each taught by an expert in the field, often a bestselling author.Our courses and reading groups operate on the easy-to-use Barnes & Noble University Message Boards, which offer around-the-clock learning and exploration. And they're FREE! Browse our latest offering, and enroll today."Choose a signin, choose your course(s), start learning!

Chat With Author J. Thomas Callahan

On Wednesday, July 12th, 2006 at 10 PM Eastern US, I will be interviewing author J. Thomas Callahan:

Where: http://writerschatroom.com

J. Thomas Callahan is a probation officer in Arizona and a former police officer and corporate security manager. With a career spanning more than twenty-five years in the criminal justice field, he has extensive training and experience in dealing with almost every type of crime and offender. He has a Bachelor’s of Science in Criminal Justice from Georgia State University and a Master’s of Public Administration from Arizona State University.

He is the author of three novels; psychosexual crime dramas Vengeance by Proxy and Reflection of Justice of the Clint Wells Detective Series penned under the nom de plume of J. Thomas Callahan, and one science fiction novel, A Different World: 1961, penned under Jerome T. Callahan, Jr.

Back from the Brink & Home from the Hospital

I got home from the hospital today, after a seven-day stay. I’m better, but still have a ways to go in the ‘getting well’ department.

It all started with a couple of months of complaining to my Ear/Nose/Throat doctor about headaches and dizziness following an ear infection. He finally ordered an MRI of my head and put me on antibiotics.

The MRI showed I had mastoiditis, which is an infection in a part of the temporal bone, which is a bone in the skull—a left-over from the ear infection. After taking the antibiotics for a week I was twice as ill as I had been the week before. When my temperature shot to 102.7 we headed for the emergency room.

After 20 minutes in the ER we were advised I wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon, and besides the mastoiditis I was already being treated for viral meningitis and most likely had pneumonia too. I definitely had the meningitis headache.

Over the course of the last week my fever has spiked to over 103 twice, over 104 twice, and over 105 twice. I discovered one can experience a heady out-of-body experience during a 105.4 fever spike. I especially liked being packed in ice and used for a pin cusion. I’ve had so many IV’s my veins will now open on request and insert that little plastic tube for you if you show the right medical credentials.

We had a couple of other scares when, first, I “lost” oxygen. I “awoke” at one point to find six nurses standing over me calling my name. Seems my oxygen level had reached “0”. They managed to get my O2 level up to a reasonable 93% about the time my blood pressure started falling. Fortunately, my blood pressure is normally very low, so the climb back to what is normal for me didn’t take much. Yeah, that’s easy to say now!

I’m still facing surgery for the mastoid problem, but that will have to wait until all of the pneumonia is out of my system. Needless to say, I’ve found a new ENT.

I’ll be back to writing in the next couple of days, hopefully. Until then, please say a prayer for us, if you’re so inclined.

New Photo for the Website

As we've been house-hunting for the past several weeks while living in temporary quarters here in Columbus, OH, I'm reminded of certain elements at our little farm in TN. One of the things I miss the most, aside from not having neighbors over my head, is the hot tub room.

During one of our more lucid remodeling moments, we designed and built a room that resembles being at the ocean. We cut a hole in the middle of the floor and plopped the hot tub in, sheetrocked the rafters--leaving the joists exposed as an arbor--and put a mural of a tropical beach scene on one wall. I painted the ceiling to appear as a stormy sunset or a serene sunrise, depending on which lighting was used.

This picture takes me back there.

We're getting closer to finding our next dream digs. We've actually put an offer in on a house about 9 miles from where we're living now. We'll know next week if the offer has been accepted.

Our son and my brother, who both reside at our "bed and breakfast" when they're not out in their big rigs, went with us to take another look at the property last night. They're already dreaming of 4-wheeling at the back of the property. Michael has already built his 20 x 40 "workshop" in his head. I'm dreaming about cream colored walls and custom crown mould. (It sure will be nice to dig out my table saw, compound mitre radial arm saw, compressor, and nail guns again.)

My thoughts run to sitting on the covered back patio with my laptop; very conducive to finally finishing my novel.

A "Link Share" Chat For Writers

Are you a writer--or have you thought about becoming a writer?

Join us at The Writer's Chatroom Sunday, June 18th, at 8 PM Eastern USA time to share helpful links. Renee' Barnes of The Trailer Park Gazette fame will be our moderator.

Link Share Chat:

Bring your favorite tasty chocolate treat (writers thrive on chocolate), a good notepad & pencil, and your favorite writing links. Join us as we learn what sites have been most helpful to others.

Anything writing related is acceptable. Remember, if you find it helpful, others probably will too.

Examples:
Dictionary/Thesaurus
Research sites
Online libraries
Prompt sites
News sites
Free or inexpensive courses and classes
Grammar check Sites
Auto critique Sites
Contests or Markets
Inspirational Blogs
E-zines
and more....(anything you've found helpful in your writing career).

Bring your best! Prepare to be surprised! Expect to find something that blows your mind!

Guests for chats in the near future will be: Mary Roach, Stephen Spignesi, Hope Clark, J. Thomas Callahan, Tim Bete, and The Renegade Writer (Linda Formichelli and Diana Burrell). Check out the schedule page at http://writerschatroom.com for a complete listing.

Chat With Author Patrick Ryan Tonight

Join us for a regularly scheduled chat with guest author Patrick Ryan tonight at The Writer's Chatroom.

Patrick Ryan's first book, Send Me, was published in February by the Dial Press, and was chosen by Barnes & Noble for their "Discover New Writers" series.

His work will be included in the upcoming Best American Short Stories 2006. He is the recipient of a 2006 Literary Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Smart Family Foundation Prize for Fiction.

His stories have appeared in The Iowa Review, The Yale Review, One Story, Ontario Review, and elsewhere. He lives in New York City.

The place: The Writer's Chatroom
The time: 10 PM Eastern US

Select "enter chatroom" and choose a sign-on name. The case-sensitive password for tonight's chat is: sendme

I will be interviewing Patrick and also taking questions from the room.

Patrick has donated an autographed copy of Send Me to be awarded to one lucky chatter midway through tonight's chat. You must be present to win.

My Article as Teaching Aid

In late March I wrote an article for Construction Equipment Guide about the AK Steel Strike in Middletown, OH. It had been assigned by my editor.

If you’ve been reading my blog you know I’m a regular correspondent for CEG. You also know the story was written while I was in Louisville, KY, attending to the birth of our newest granddaughter.

Teacher Chad Murphy is using my article to teach students how to get involved, negotiate, work as a committee, and solve problems.

You may view his teaching model at my writer's blog.

Sleep Apnea and Congestive Heart Failure

Denise Hartman is a web designer in Michigan. I would never have known that if I hadn’t blogged for SeniorWeblogs last year.

Yesterday, I received an unsolicited email from her. The email ended up in my bulk folder and was nearly deleted as spam. It would have been IF the subject line hadn’t been so carefully crafted to appeal to me.

Denise lost her mother last month. Her mother died from congestive heart failure, recovery impeded by a condition known as sleep apnea.

She wrote to me in response to the following blog entry:

Friday, November 04, 2005
Sleep Apnea Comments? Please!...
Posted at 7:44 AM
Category: Health
The doctors have told me I have obstructive sleep apnea and that I'm not getting enough oxygen because of it. My husband has told me I stop breathing when I'm sleeping. Week before last while in Nashville with my son he said "Mom, do you know you stop breathing, and then cough, and then start breathing again when you're sleeping?". I get it! Nothing new here. I was born with allergies.

I have great respect for my doctor, which is why as we travel around Ohio while hubby builds Walgreen’s stores, I continue to drive to Troy to see the same one. I still see the same allergist/surgeon this doctor recommended. For a couple of weeks I saw a local doctor—only for allergy shots—with the serum provided by the Troy allergist. My arm hurt for a week after the shots and I had welts and bruising. I’m no longer trusting her to give me the shots. It IS about trust.

And now, this most trusted and respected doctor has informed me that if I don’t use the C-PAP breathing machine (note that it only blows room air, not oxygen) I not only may, but probably will, be facing congestive heart failure. He explained all of this thoroughly on Wednesday, stressing that a lack of oxygen doesn’t do much damage to the lungs, but affects the heart in terrible ways.

Still, I can't make myself believe I will sleep any better by wearing a fighter pilot's mask that shoves air in my face, while trying to sleep on my stomach--which is the only way I can sleep. And I’ve been told (duh!) it is the lack of sleep that makes me feel tired all the time. Oy!

IF ANY OF YOU DEAR READERS have sleep apnea and/or use a breathing machine at night, please leave a comment here or contact me at Linda@lindajhutchinson.com and let me know if you think it helps or not.. Obviously, my decision on this issue could mean the difference between life and death.

This is what Denise wrote in her email:

Linda,

I read your health blog and thought you would be interested in my story. You requested information on your site. I am a designer living in Michigan. I just went through the experience with my mother in Florida about a month ago. It disturbs me that the health care professionals at the hospital she was in were not aware of the link between sleep apnea in congestive heart failure patients. After my mother's death I found many articles online stating that this was a problem, that 50% of congestive heart failure patients have sleep apnea, but only 5% are ever diagnosed or treated for it and many doctors think that CPAP lowers the morbidity rate in CHF patients.

I am trying to get the info out, for the next person who has this problem.

I have created a web page chronicling the events of her death. I did this because I watched her die and it seemed to me that undiagnosed and untreated central sleep apnea played a role. Please visit -- Denise's Sleep Apnea Site for the whole story.

Thanks,
Denise

No, Denise. Thank you! This was a wake-up call for me and I am re-considering my stance on that breathing machine only because you took the time to contact me, a complete stranger. I have a doctor’s appointment today.

My "Single" Son Now Blogs!

My son, the father of two of my grandsons, has decided it's time to be online. Take a look at JT's New Blog!

He got a new Harley motorcycle last week. I've been thinking about changing my website photo...



Here's the one I've been using...



What do you think?

Welcome E.D. Easley to the Internet!

How do you drag one snarky Pulitzer Prize-nominated author and editor, one with decades of old-school marketing experience, into today's Internet-ruled world? You ambush him!

That's what Audrey Shaffer, Renee' Barnes, and I did at last week's International Chat at The Writer's Chatroom.

Why? Because we like him. That, and he's a decent writer.

Check out Ed's new online presence at E.D. Easley's World! (You'll discover why he's a likeable guy--eventually.)

Set Up Your Own RSS Feed to This Blog!

The topic at The Writer's Chatroom last night, moderated by our own Audrey Shaffer, was "Blogs and RSS feeds".

Links for setting up your very own blogs and RSS Readers are at The Writer's Chatroom Blog.

Granted it was very late here in Ohio when the chat was over and I presumed to know what I was doing when I set up my RSS feed, and I've been fighting an ear infection, and hubby was milling about rather than sleeping peacefully, and my mind was on setting up our financial records... I really hosed it up.

So now there are funny characters showing up everywhere an apostrophe or a hyphen should be. And I don't yet know how to fix it, so please bear with me.

I've asked the kind folks at blogger.com for their assistance. As usual, they've already wasted their time and mine by sending me the usual "cookie-cutter" response rather than looking at the real problem. I do so wish IT folks in call centers would throw away the scripts and actually look at the problem. End of rant for now.

But...if you would like to set up an RSS feed on your computer so you can receive updates as they happen, the easiest one to use (so I've been told) is www.rssreader.com.

Set up your RSS reader on your computer, following their directions.

The feeds to this blog and my website blog, and of course, The Review Hutch are:

http://www.lindajhutchinson.blogspot.com./atom.xml and http://lindajhutchinson.tripod.com/blog/rss.xml
http://www.reviewhutch.blogspot.com./atom.xml

And drop me a note to let me know you're much smarter than I am. :)

To Write For Free--or Not

This article may be published freely so long as the complete author bio box is included. This article is copyrighted 2006 by author.

TO WRITE FOR FREE—OR NOT
by Linda J. Hutchinson
Word count: 495

Put a bunch of writers in a room, virtual or real, and it won’t be long before at least two heated discussions ensue, typically: traditional publishing vs self-publishing, and whether or not to write for free.

I like to be paid for my work. I imagine that you do, too. There are times, however, when writing for free can have huge paybacks, whether that was the intended purpose or not.

Consider this:

You have a favorite charity. They need a letter written for the annual fundraiser. You volunteer to write it. Even though your name may not go on the bottom of the letter, the committee knows who wrote it and your name will go on their list of volunteers—which does go out to the masses on a regular basis. The committee is usually made up of local business people who may hire you to write copy for their sales campaigns. You’ve just gotten your foot in the door with them. Or, if they can’t hire you, they just might float your name around the lunch table to their friends who can. Or, the charity itself may hire you for upcoming fundraising campaigns.

You are an aspiring writer. You know you could be successful but you have no published clips. You can’t get any published clips because you have none. We’ve all been there. Consider writing an article for one of the many free article mills on the net. The first one I put out there a couple of years ago is still being picked up and re-published! Lately it’s been flying under the CarFax banner. Voila! Your first clip! Here’s a short list to try:


www.articlecity.com
www.goarticles.com
www.web-source.net
www.isnare.com
www.ezinearticles.com
www.articlesfactory.com


You have a product you’d like to test market. That product could be copywriting, or letters from Santa, or a school play. Target your market with your article and put it out there using the free article services. Track the responses.

Blogging: Either you love to blog, hate to blog, or just don’t get what all the fuss is about, but blogging is here to stay. It is the newest form of free expression and it is everywhere! Corporate America “gets” it and has hired bloggers to push their products.

Those search engine ‘crawlers' and ‘bots’ pick up comments in blogs quickly, so be careful what you say. (Some immodest souls have lost corporate jobs due to their rants in blogs.) And by all means, leave a courteous comment on someone’s blog! With your name and website address, of course.

Writing for your own website can be the most satisfying of all the writing you will do for free. At least it will be for free in the beginning. After you’ve shown what you can do with your website, you can then get paid to write all that copy for someone else’s website!

It’s all called marketing. Unfortunately, sometimes as writers, we must do it for free. Sometimes. Pick your times carefully.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Linda J. Hutchinson is a multi-published freelance writer and photojournalist who lives in TN and OH. Her articles and features have appeared in magazines, trade journals, newspapers, newsletters, on websites and in e-zines. Her first novel is in process. http://www.lindajhutchinson.com

New Review Site

I will be publishing all future book reviews at The Review Hutch.

Hope to see you there!

Linda

Update of Published Clips

If you've been reading the blog at my website, you already know my life has been running ahead at warp speed lately.

It's time to update the list of recently published clips on my writer's website, but I just haven't had time. Here's an updated list:

Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine, review of Wolves Eat Dogs by Martin Cruz Smith

Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine, review of Killing Neptune's Daughter by Randall Peffer

My Reviews at Amazon.com

Neither a Wisher Nor a Flinger Be, article about writing published in Inkwell Newswatch, a Rowdy Rhodes pub

Charity Guide article Volunteer to Cuddle Babies

Cleveland Replacing Troubled Fulton Road Bridge, Construction Equipment Guide Magazine

Mosser Construction feature, Construction Equipment Guide Magazine

Most Expensive ODOT Project Being Built in Toledo, Construction Equipment Guide Magazine

Overpass To Provide Safe Crossing in Bellevue, OH, Construction Equipment Guide Magazine

Volunteer to Cuddle Babies, Charity Guide website

AND on March 29th I had the pleasure of interviewing author, book coach, newsletter owner/editor Sophfronia Scott. She's written some nice words about The Writer's Chatroom in her latest newsletter. View what she had to say in her blog about "When the Writing Gets Tough".

Press Release from Earl Emerson

Earl Emerson is one of my all-time favorite mystery writers. He's also a hunky Seattle fireman.

I received the following press release while out of town and wanted to share it with everyone who happens by my blog:

Dear Friends,

On April 25, 2006, my novel FIRETRAP will be published by Ballantine Books.

The story revolves around the investigation of a fire that burned a black social club to the ground in Seattle. Trey Brown, who has been commissioned by a community group to unravel the secrets of the fire, is soon pitted against his estranged brother, who not only comes from a wealthy white family but is now the mayor and headed for higher political office. As the investigation gets under way, nineteen years of hidden family history begin to come to the surface for Trey as he is forced to confront his cloudy past.

I'll be doing talks and signings in Washington for FIRETRAP as well as for the paperback edition of THE SMOKE ROOM, which will also be released in April.

Hope this finds you well.

Earl Emerson

Please help support The Writer's Chatroom by purchasing your copies of Earl's books at our site: The Writer's Chatroom. You'll find a shortcut to Earl's books on the "Previous Guests" page. Thank you for your support!

An Update

Please see my website blog for a complete rundown of what I've been up to the past 3 weeks. It's been a very busy and exciting time.

I've been doing some traveling, writing about the AK Steel strike for Construction Equipment Guide, got published in INkwell Newswatch for the first time, posted another review at Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine, interviewed Sophfronia Scott for The Writer's Chatroom, became "Grandma" again, and haven't murdered anyone--at least in real life.

Take a look and leave a comment. I always enjoy hearing from readers!

Linda

Review: Crimes Against Commerce

E.D. Easley is a snarky guy who's written a very funny book. I'll admit that Ed and I belong to the same writer's group, but that isn't why I chose to review his newest book. I chose to read it--and yes, I even bought and paid for my own copy--because I enjoy his humor and his rantings about the establishment and his exes (yes, plural), and his knack for viewing his world in his own way and verbalizing so much of what the rest of us would like to say, but don't.

Ed has a propensity for saying "Shit happens--it just does", and embraces grandiose use of the "F" word.

In past lives, Ed's titles have included newspaper editor and publisher, Pulitzer-prize nominee, and life drop-out.

And so, read on for my review of "Crimes Against Commerce" by E.D. Easley, available at www.bn.com, www.amazon.com, and www.cloonfadpress.com.

Title: Crimes Against Commerce
Author: E.D. Easley
Publisher: Cloonfad Press
ISBN: 0-9769404-3-4
Pages: 243


A fun, freaky, frolicking ride all the way through this farce! “Life is stranger than fiction”…this one is so off the wall that it could happen in real life. It just could! And sometimes…it just does.

If you’ve never been to hell and back, climb aboard for a round trip in hilarious fashion. Hate your ex? These characters can take care of that matter for you. Ever been audited by the IRS? Just ask for redemption here.

Written in everyman’s everyday language, this one is a fun read. Go ahead—get lost in the world of E.D. Easley’s characters. Build your world around them. They’ll take you for a ride in theirs.

From Mafia hitmen to Sho Rin Ku master Kow Pi, you’ll savor each personna Stretch meets on his way through life. Life—the way it should be.

Reviewer: Linda J. Hutchinson
www.lindajhutchinson.com
03/09/06

Book Reviews

I've recently been accepted as a book reviewer at Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine. My first review for them, of Killing Neptune's Daughter by Randall Peffer, is now available on their site: FMAM

Reviews for Blue Valor by Illona Haus, Wolves Eat Dogs by Martin Cruz Smith, and Philippene Fever, will be on the FMAM website in the near future.

Scroll down on this blog for a review of Ladies: A Conjecture of Personalities by Feather Schwarz Foster. I don't remember history lessons ever being this much fun!

I'll also be reviewing the following books in the near future: Crimes Against Commerce by fellow Writer's Chatroom member E.D. Easley, and A Red Dark Night by A.P. Fuchs. These reviews will be on my website blog, as well as, at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble in the near future.

The latest articles penned by yours truly and appearing in Construction Equipment Guide magazine can be found at Cleveland Replacing Troubled Fulton Road Bridge and Award-Winning Mosser Construction Welcomes a Challenge.

Happy reading!

Linda J. Hutchinson
Freelance Writer/Copywriter
http://www.lindajhutchinson.com/
http://www.lindajhutchinson.com/blog
http://writerschatroom.com/

This article is free to publish so long as the author is notified and the complete article and bio box are also published, with no alterations:

Response to Congress and Condi Rice, “Stop Meddling!”
By Linda J. Hutchinson
Word count: 844


I'm just one person and my views will most likely seem naive to some, but: It seems to me that when Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, or Atheism is publicly rebuked or ridiculed anywhere in the world, the followers of that faith or belief generally pray for the offender—or not—and get back to what they need to be doing to make life the best it can be for themselves and their families and friends, including protecting themselves by whatever means necessary.

When Islam has been publicly rebuked or ridiculed, as in the recent publication of cartoons depicting Muhammad, there is rioting in the streets, death threats are issued, violence is assured. Extremists and zealots run amok wreaking as much havoc as possible, in very public showings.

My point is not to slander the personal walks of faith or beliefs of others, but to point out the differences in the actions of those believers and their practices, at least those differences that manifest publicly.

Why is it that mostly peace-loving Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindis, and Atheists will “turn the other cheek”, while so many Muslims seem willing to murder anyone who does not agree with them?

For the most part, non-Muslims are “free” to accept or not accept the teachings of their faith.

Muslims in Muslim-controlled countries are often murdered if they do not publicly bestow all to Muhammad. These Muslims are not allowed the freedom to choose, and do not accept the fact that non-Muslims are. If they do believe it, they also believe that it shouldn’t be so. From what I’ve read, listened to, and seen in the media, I’ve come to believe that many Muslims seem to believe that every person who does not believe exactly as they do, should die.

However, how many of us in the non-Muslim world hide our heads in the sand when it comes to what our own governments are doing? Our government here in America is working to erode the tenets of our belief systems by banning public displays of The Ten Commandments and banning “Under God” from our pledge of allegiance and on our legal tender.

Our President is currently overriding the rights and freedoms of our citizenry by using illegal wiretaps in the name of national security. And now our Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, is asking Congress for funds to provoke change in countries that don’t believe the same things that we believe in, to disrupt their governments and to pay for more extremism and violence—all in the name of promoting peace by fox-trotting in a new regime through insurgency and insurrection.

Our government has no more right to provide millions of dollars in aid and support to factions, political dissidents and human rights activists in Iran, than it would to give aid to the Nazi groups and home-grown terrorists within America’s borders. Let the people in Iran govern themselves, love or hate one another, and blow themselves up if that’s what they choose to do.

If Iran wants to provide an atmosphere where its citizenry kills one another off, why should we stop them? Stop them from doing it on our turf, of course, but why stop them from cleaning out their own waste system of extremists?

Why do we allow ourselves to be pulled into the bully ring? Attempting to choose a religion or government for Iran, or for Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Jordan, Albania, Afghanistan, and yes—even Iraq—or any other country, is not our business.

Why do we allow them to bully us? We know they will bring in the suicide bombers. We know they will create havoc. Why not let them do that to their own on their own sand lots, and with their own money?

Rather than attempting to change their religion or government, why not wait until they have—as North Korea, Russia, China, India, and Pakistan have most likely already done—enriched their uranium with the help of Russia and other so-called friends of the US, and then send in a highly trained multi-nation team of like-minded covert military personnel to ensure the product is decimated, again on the host countries’ own turf?

Seventy-five million dollars would go a long way in covering the costs of monitoring uranium enrichment, if the United Nations did the job it was designed to do. It is the United Nations that should be monitoring the nations of planet Earth, especially those who show ill-will towards its neighbors.

If the United States would cut off funding to rogue nations, would develop other sources and replacements for foreign oil, would use its military might to protect itself, and to educate every citizen within its borders, then other countries just might look at us as great examples of how it should be done.

Let the peoples of other countries want to be like us, rather than encumbering our grandchildren’s grandchildren with our huge military debt that we incurred while showing them our way is better.

We should never let our guard down, but we don’t have to meet the bully on his terms.

Bio:
Linda J. Hutchinson is a freelance writer and copywriter living in central Ohio. She has written for magazines, trade journals, newspapers, newsletters, websites and e-zines. As at-home on a construction site as in an art gallery, she’s been told she “cleans up real good”. Her first novel is in process.

Website: http://www.lindajhutchinson.com/

Email: Linda@lindajhutchinson.com

I'm Not Looking at the Pictures, Lord, but Please Help Us

I spent at least a part of this week questioning my political beliefs—and writing about them. Probably not one of the more sane things I’ve done lately, but there is a freedom in writing about my feelings, at least that’s what I’m told.

All of my deadlines were met for the week—except one. I’m still chasing that last interview. He’s in my sights. I’ll have that story completed by Monday.

Am I upset that the Vice President of the United States of America accidently shot his friend while bird hunting? Or, more to the point, that he didn’t report it to the media immediately? I’m sorry his friend is hurt. I’m certain VP Cheney is not only remorseful about the accident, but embarrassed by it.

Do I think he did anything wrong? No. Mr. Cheney hauls with him the best medical team one could have because of his own health issues. If he had called in the media it would have become a circus and stolen every ounce of dignity his well-respected friend had, all so the man could have been photographed and interviewed while he lay in a field, his upper body full of bird shot.

I think Mr. Cheney and his hunting party, including the owner of the ranch where they were hunting, made the correct call. We, as Americans, don’t need to see everything as it happens.

The looting, rioting, and killing in the Muslim world over some cartoons of their prophet has been in the news all week. Newspapers in the US chose not to print the cartoons—so why are we being hated anew over something other countries did, that we didn’t?

Christians have the same commandment: Those shalt not make any graven images.

Just what constitutes a “graven image”? My handy paperback dictionary is fine most of the time, but when I need a real dictionary I reach for The American College Dictionary, published by Random House circa 1947. The definition of “graven”: adj. Deeply impressed, firmly fixed. Archaic. Carved; engraved.

I think we all understand what an image is, regardless of the year.

There are likenesses of what people think look like Jesus everywhere. In the Bible, in Christian homes, in churches, in books. So have we all broken a commandment by viewing a “graven image” of Christ? Or was the commandment written to prevent the caricaturization ie; a picture, description, etc., ludicrously exaggerating the peculiarities or defects of persons or things?

Can anyone ludicrously exaggerate the likeness of a person or being no one has seen?

I’ve written about this, too, and shot it off to the New York Times. I’ll know by next Friday if it is printed on the op-ed page. If they don’t print it, I’ll post it here.

I’m off for the weekend to enjoy some time with my daughter, son-in-law, their son and foster children, and to attend daughter’s baby shower. The prospect of becoming “grandma” again next month is fulfilling—and may keep me out of political hot water for a short time.

A BOOK REVIEW

Ladies: A Conjecture of Personalities
by Feather Schwartz Foster

ISBN: 1-59286-361-2
PublishAmerica, LLLP
http://www.featherfoster.com
http://www.amazon.com


Never before have I enjoyed a romp through history so thoroughly. From the introduction by Lucy Hayes to the author’s epilogue claiming fictional, yet plausible, conjecture on the part of the “voices” who wrote their stories, a full and satisfying story is told. The reader feels what our First Ladies are re-living as they tell about their place in history—or lack thereof, about their husbands and about the times in which they lived.

I got the distinct feeling several of our First Ladies knew they would have made better Presidents than did their husbands, if the times had allowed. In reality, only the times have changed; we humans are as raw or refined, as wild or as tame, as selfish or as giving, regardless of the century we inhabit.

Through the many friendships and rivalries, the politics, and the “place” each woman was expected to inhabit, we learn how they lived and loved. To fully appreciate these women who were our First Ladies, we must allow them to live in our minds, to breathe and function, to grieve and rejoice. Feather Schwartz Foster brings the stage and the characters to us. All we need to do is sit back and enjoy the ride!

Reviewer:
Linda J. Hutchinson
Freelance Writer, Reporter/Photographer, Copywriter
Linda@lindajhutchinson.com
http://www.lindajhutchinson.com
http://www.lindajhutchinson.com/blog
http://writerschatroom.com

Oprah Winfrey's Book Club--Conned?

In case you missed my post at www.lindajhutchinson.com/blog, I've posted a vignette here. See my website blog for full details.

I have two articles to write for two other publications. I have plenty on my plate at the moment and I’m always seeking more work to keep me busy when present works have been delivered.
So why did I spend an hour and a half reading http://www.thesmokinggun.com/, a very long investigative report into whether the Oprah Book Club endorsed best seller “A Million Little Pieces” is fact or fiction?

TSG’s article is entitled “A Million Little Lies”. That’s why.

Not only did TSG give compelling reports of police interviews, arrest record searches, and fact-finding missions, but they have also interviewed author James Frey, and they are now being threatened with a lawsuit by him. Why?

It seems he may not have told the whole truth, as he promised he had done. His story has touched millions of lives. We believed him.

Will his second book, the one that takes off where this one ended be more truthful?

His website at http://www.bigjimindustries.com has been shut down; the message: “as the controversy and resulting traffic dies down, I’m sure the site will go back up.” I’m suspecting the host site crashed when controversy-caused hits to his site sucked up all the bandwidth. (My son does that to me when he’s home, so I know how disruptive it can be.)

What Mr. Frey is being accused of is claiming to write a non-fiction autobiographical story, while incorporating too much “artistic—or creative license”. In other words, his “true account” may not have much truth in it at all.

I’m wondering how the very classy Oprah will deal with this. Especially since this book touched her so deeply that she altered her book club “rules” to include contemporary authors again, rather than only endorsing the classics. TSG’s report calls Frey the author who “conned Oprah”. This story is far from over!

I'm suffering a bit of "deadline overload" this week. I'd thought it would be an easy writing week and I'd finally be able to write some fiction. Ha!

My truck-driving son and brother left here on New Year's day. No interruptions and no firm deadlines on the horizon until January 20th. Ha!

I completed the requested revisions on a Charity Guide article pre-deadline and started going through my stack of submission calls. Then BOOM! My January 20th deadline for Construction Equipment Guide got moved up to January 6th.

Deadlines--I love 'em! In truth, I was ready for it. My plan? To meet the deadline like our Buckeyes met Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl!

I love my writing life!

My website blog has been updated, too. Today's entry is a bit controversial. I've forwarded it to Andy Rooney for comment. We'll see what happens.

Ending it Right/Beginning Anew

The end of 2005 started 2006 off just right:

Both my son and my little brother--who is nearly young enough to be my son and six feet tall--were home. They both drive big rigs, they're both owner-operators, and they both officially live here with us. Unofficially, our place is "the bed and breakfast". They aren't here often. Not nearly often enough. But, they both made it home for New Year's Eve!

On December 28th I moderated the chat at The Writer's Chatroom. Our guest for the evening was one of my favorite authors, Mr. Earl Emerson. His mystery/suspense novels will keep you turning the pages while trying not to chew your fingernails right down to the nubs. Not falling off the edge of your chair is a bonus. This Seattle Fire Department lieutenant is a superb writer! I was allowed to moderate the chat because he's from my beloved Washington state, and I'm such a fan of his. What an honor! You may purchase his books at The Writer's Chatroom.

I've had the time lately to catch up on some much needed housekeeping; to include updating my website and my resume. My website is now outfitted with hot links to some of my favorite sites. I'm hoping some of my writer friends don't take offense at some of the tags tied to their sites; like Audrey Shaffer's..."Audrey's attempts to get a life"...

I have my calendar updated for January, my task list firmly planted in an Excel spreadsheet, and my last writing paycheck of the year in the bank. Life doesn't get much better than that.