NO KINGS & CHILI SKILLET

Some of my favorite No Kings pics:

  

New Haven, CT

New Haven, CT

****

Chiricahua National Monument, AZ

 

Willcox, AZ

  

Everything But the Kitchen Sink

 The secret to successfully negotiating a recipe with umpteen ingredients is to do all the chopping and cheese-shredding ahead of time. I.e., in late afternoon I chopped the onion and green pepper, minced the garlic, and shredded the cheese. The first three can all go in one bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed. I have a grater with its own lidded catch-basket, which makes it very easy to store the shredded cheese until ready. No catch-basket? Dump the shredded cheese into a baggie before refrigerating. Or if chemical preservatives don't bother you, you can go with a bag of store-shredded cheese. 

This recipe—a meal in one pan—is from Taste of Home's Cast Iron Cookbook, 2022. (This is a stove-top recipe. A cast iron skillet is not necessary, just a large, high-sided frying pan.) Great for a big family and freezes well for households of only one or two.

 

CHILI SKILLET

 

 

1 lb. ground beef 

1 cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped green pepper 

1 garlic clove, minced

 

1 16-oz. can kidney beans, drained & rinsed

1 cup tomato juice

½ cup water

4 teaspoons chili powder*

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt*

½ cup uncooked long grain rice

 

1 cup canned or frozen corn

½ cup sliced ripe olives

1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

Thinly sliced green onions (optional) 

*I used 2 tspns. chili & Mrs. Dash garlic herb in place of salt.

 In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook the beef, onion, pepper, and garlic until the meat is no longer pink.* Add the next seven ingredients; simmer, covered, until rice is tender, about 25 minutes.

Stir in corn and olives; cover and cook 5 more minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; cook, covered, until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. If desired, top with green onions.

*I start the beef before the other ingredients. 

ENJOY!

 

This week's featured books—my only two Contemporaries I consider more Romance than Mystery/Adventure

My father's first job out of Harvard Graduate School was in the small outer Cape Cod town of Wellfleet. Even after moving away, we returned every year to the place my family had grown to love. So no surprise when I compressed my scope from Regency Historical Romance to writing for Kensington, I chose Cape Cod as the setting. (I was living in a suburb of New Haven, CT, when I wrote it, so I believe I can say the background is truly authentic—including the skunk.)

Following a tough trial, all defense attorney Vicki Kent wants is a few days of peace and quiet at her parents' cottage on Cape Cod. Instead, she finds a man challenging her with a 9mm in his hand. John Paollilo is an angry, burned-out homicide detective from New Haven, exiled by his boss to an enforced vacation on the Cape. Needless to say, conflicts abound—from a clash of professional viewpoints to the odoriferous retaliations of a family of skunks—as Vicki and John reluctantly share the cottage, exploring the Cape and each other, and in the end discovering that opposites really do attract. 

 

For most of the twenty-five years I lived on Florida's Gulf Coast, I was a member of The Society for Creative Anachronism, giving my hand-crafted costumes away only when I moved to Orlando in 2007. Therefore, the background in this one is also truly authentic, from the Joust on the grounds of the Ringling Museum to the traffic jam on I-75, and Medieval life in the 21st-century-Florida woods. Also, authentic—tho' not suffered by me, I hasten to say—is the abuse this heroine suffered. 

 Kate Knight fights memories of a former abusive relationship by armed combat with male members of a Medieval re-enactment group. To Kate, men are anathema, yet somehow she finds herself sharing a postage-stamp-size tent with a Florida Highway Patrol officer who is attempting to discover who almost killed his brother in a tournament at a Medieval Fair. For Kate, trust comes hard as they deal with obsessive enthusiasts, quirky personalities, and a ruthless killer.

Author's Note: My thanks to the Florida Gulf Coast shires of the Society for Creative Anachronism for providing so much colorful detail for this story. And to the John & Mable Ringling Museum for all the years it hosted truly grand Medieval Fairs.

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For a link to Blair's website & editing info, click here. 

For Archives, see the menu on the right. 

 For recent blogs, scroll down. 

 

Thanks for stopping by,

Grace (Blair Bancroft) 

 

Editing Methods Are Not Set in Stone

 

Title of recent pic below:  "Texas Skies." Poster swears it is not photo-shopped. 

by Colin Myers

 

As I searched my files for the above photo, I discovered I had another pic from Texas (not nearly as pretty) Title:  "Texas Snakes."

 ~ * ~

 

EDITING METHODS ARE NOT SET IN STONE 

Over the many years of this blog, I have come back to this topic over and over again. This week seems like a good time to bring it up for the umpteenth time. Rather than re-post previous articles, I'm starting from scratch, hoping that some new angle will crop up, drawing in a few more authors to reconsider the so-called "rules" of editing their manuscripts. Most of all, I want to assure newbie and wannabe authors that not every method fits all. It is important that you don't feel you have to "follow the rules" and that it is all right to work out an editing method that works for you.

Drawing from my own experience . . .

Back in my early days as an author—not long after I joined RWA (Romance Writers of America)—I began to hear the so-called "Rules of Writing," which included the STRONG admonition to plow through the draft as fast as possible, and then go back and edit. I recall sitting in a workshop where this was being pounded into attendees and going, "Huh?" My problem? I'd already written a 140,000-word Historical Romance, The Sometime Bride (clearly, I had no concept of the rule—"not more than 100,000 words"— either), and had lots of time to work out my own editing method, which was about as far from finishing the draft before editing as one could get. 

Surely RWA had to be kidding! When I attempted to analyze my negative reaction to the concept of "plow through the draft before editing," I realized I believed that one scene builds upon another, and, frequently, in an author's haste to tell the basic concept of the chapter, both "meat" and "color" are left behind. Therefore, I felt it only logical to stop after every chapter and read it over to see what I had missed:  descriptions of Setting, Main Characters, Secondary Characters of importance. Sometimes dialogue that was "pedestrian" instead of having the necessary "sparkle."  And countless other tweaks, from a single, more colorful word to adding entire new paragraphs.

It is also possible you may discover you have written too many words, obscured your point in convoluted verbiage, wandered off on a tangent that detracts from the plot. In which case, you need to delete words, phrases, sentences, perhaps whole paragraphs to keep your story on message. Yes, it's okay to give brief backgrounds on Great-aunt Betty or Uncle Peter if they have a bearing on your story, but don't get carried away.

My personal editing method:

I edit after every chapter, again after every group of five chapters. When I find something that needs to be changed in earlier chapters, I scribble a note so I will be sure to add that point when I finally do the top-to-bottom edit. In recent years—I don't know whether I've grown fussier or merely older (sigh), but I have added a second top-to-bottom edit. Then, and only then, do I feel I have done my best. 

Summary: 

You do not have to follow the "Finish the Draft first" rule unless it works for you. (I understand there are some who fear if they stop to edit, they won't get started again.) Do not be afraid to work out your own editing rules. Whatever works for you. Just as I did for The Sometime Bride.

Whatever editing method you use, here are some of the things to look for:

 1.  DESCRIPTIONS.

Have you made the setting clear, adding interesting or colorful details? Have you given adequate descriptions of your hero and heroine?  Secondary characters of importance to the story? Example:  if your story is a classic, light-hearted Regency Romance set in London during the Season, did you provide good descriptions of household furnishings, gowns, shops, etc.? And on and on.

Grace note:   I am one of those who tend to keep my eye on Plot, Character, and Dialogue, ignoring descriptions, so I know how easy it is to do. This is one of the reasons I edit after every chapter, adding hopefully more colorful descriptions and recording such details as hair and eye color so I don't mess up later in the book. 

2.  DIALOGUE.

Does your dialogue sparkle or just plod along (alas, the way most of us speak)? The written word (unheard) must convey what tone of voice does in reality. And, of course, our characters are expected to come up with those bon mots that in real life we only think of later. All too often the dialogue first off our fingers is mundane. Do not let it lie there, hampering your main characters while you move doggedly on in the same vein. Put more thought into your characters and their words. Get to know them better before you move on.

3. INTROSPECTION (what your characters are thinking).

See Dialogue. Introspection is just another way of revealing your characters to your readers. (Most romance novels reveal only the Point of View of the Hero and Heroine. In Historical Romance and other genres multiple Points of View are more common.

4.  CONFLICT.

Have you introduced at least a hint of the book's main conflict fairly early in the story? (The hero or heroine must rescue the family by marrying money; the rake about to meet his fate; an inheritance issue, etc., etc.)

*****

 There are, of course, many other things to look for as you edit, including the utter nonsense our fingers sometimes type! I can only repeat, I strongly believe it is much easier to discover and fix these problems as you go along, rather than rush through to the end and be faced with the daunting prospect of editing the whole thing at once. For example, what if you want to make an important change in Chapter 2, but it will force changes in nearly every chapter after that? Groan. 

Final Note: Whatever you do, DO NOT SKIP EDITING! If you truly feel you cannot see the mistakes you have made, then it may be necessary to hire an editor. (Blair Bancroft Editing will be glad to help. Grin.) 

~ * ~ 

Featured Book of the Week:

I chose Orange Blossoms & Mayhem for the simple reason I have a personal connection to revealing the existence of the Inca Trail to the outside world, resulting in the great rush (in the late 20th c.) to hike the trail that once ran all the way from Cuzco to Machu Picchu. Sadly, the trail soon became far too crowded, and much too "civilized." I can only hope, now that the craze has died down, that serious hikers can once again enjoy this isolated mountain-top route in the beauty and solitude, as it was when it was used by Incan messengers. In any event, if you go to Machu Picchu, climb up all those steps to the trail that runs between the ancient city and the terraced planting fields above, hang a left, go through an arch, and you're on the famous Inca Trail. (Do NOT sit on the grass to enjoy the spectacular view. I picked up some nasty little parasites!)

 

Weddings and murder do not mix well. When things begin to go wrong for her family's Fantasy Wedding & Vacation business, trouble-shooter Laine Halliday gets more of a challenge than she bargained for, even with the aid of a mystery man she finds on the Inca Trail in Peru.

Author's Note: Only a few of my Golden Beach books have cross-over characters, but all share the idyllic setting of an actual Gulf Coast community, whose residents would prefer to keep its real name a secret.                                  

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For a link to Blair's website & editing info, click here. 

For Archives, see the menu on the right. 

 For recent blogs, scroll down. 

 

Thanks for stopping by,

Grace (Blair Bancroft) 

 

  

 

The "Cancel" Scam

 

Another great deer photo by Susan Coventry

 

 

 

Picture the amount of time and effort involved in setting up

 & waiting  for just the right moment . . .

Solar Halo, Stonehenge. Hannah Cole Photography

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THE "CANCEL" SCAM

Over the last few years I have heard about supposedly reputable companies making it difficult for people to cancel their subscriptions, but I was still surprised, then frustrated, then truly shocked when I ran into that brick wall myself. I am going to attempt to disguise the name of the company involved, rewriting where necessary, as this blog is intended as a warning, an exposé of cancel scams, not a vindictive blow at a particular company. Changes are indicated by asterisks and [ ]. Sadly, the original letter was more dramatic, but . . .

The saddest part of my tale is that when I wrote the following letter to the Chief Honcho of the company involved, it was returned to me as "Undeliverable." So here is my letter (edited). Take heed, readers. Sometimes drastic measures are needed. 

[Managing Director]

Re: [Your company's] “cancel” system is a scam.

Dear ****:

[In the first paragraph I introduce myself, mention my many years as a faithful subscriber & explain why I felt it was time to drop the company's services. Below, the edited remainder of the letter.]
 

    I intended to cancel last spring but to my horror, when the six-month “renewal” postcard arrived, it was already a week past the time $292.11 was charged to my account. (At least that was the impression given by the notice of a renewal date of 7/17/25 arriving on 7/23/25.) So I let it go, making a mental note to cancel the next payment well in advance.

    And then my tale of horror began. When I called the number on the postcard, all I got was succeedingly lower “bargain offers” from the agent. I kept saying “No and No and No!” finally demanding “Cancel, that’s it!” 

    And what do I get? “You’ll have to wait until the next card arrives in January.” !!!

    I went online, attempting to get into Customer Service on both AOL and Microsoft Edge. Every time I went near anything like the word Cancel—NOTHING. After multiple times over a period of about ten days, a chat box finally popped up. I’m too old to like chat boxes, but I was desperate. I am enclosing a copy of yet another roundabout conversation, ending—unbelievably—with an offer to send me instructions on how to cancel AFTER FILLING OUT A FORM AND PAYING FIVE DOLLARS. 

    Nothing left but snail mail, I thought. Should have tried it earlier. Then I re-read the postcard. I quote: “We do not accept correspondence sent by U. S. Mail or otherwise.” !!!  By this time, it’s a wonder I didn’t have a stroke on the spot. In addition to the aggravation, I should note that I am the author of 50+ books, and this was an enormous waste of my time.

    The next day, I went to my bank and asked them to stop payment on any further money to ****. 

    [I am aware of the current hardships of the survival of this type of service, but] I am horrified by [a business known for its] integrity resorting to the use of a Cancellation Service that can only be termed a Scam. I can only hope that upper management was not aware of how low Customer Service has fallen. Please, for the sake of other elderly subscribers forced to give up [this service], FIX THIS ISSUE. And for the sake of [your business] being able to hold up its head with pride in all aspects of its service to the public.                                                        

[Signature lines removed for brevity]                                                        

Enc: copy of postcard & my “Chat” 

****** 

END OF LETTER to Managing Director, which, may I remind you, was returned to me, marked UNDELIVERABLE. Sigh. 

~ * ~ 

This week's featured book:

I have had a penchant for Science Fiction since high school, but not the technical know-how to write it. BUT Sci Fi Fantasy? I am so glad I took a plunge in that direction. What a great contrast to writing Regency. (Or maybe not.) Rebel Princess was supposed to be a one-off but turned into Book 1 of the 4-book Blue Moon Rising series. Plus the spin-off, The Crucible Kingdom. It portrays a world in a universe "far, far away," that I truly enjoyed creating. I hope you take a peek.

 The Princess Royal of a pacifist planet, whose people have spent a thousand years developing their powers of the mind, stages a personal rebellion, joining the space academy of a planet that has spent a millennium developing its military might. This odd pairing goes well until her senior year when her new "friends" turn on her. Only the swift action of an honorable huntership captain saves her from rape and possible medical experimentation. As a very special prisoner of war, she spends four years in solitary confinement, where she dreams of her rescuer but has no idea she has inadvertently sparked a rebellion against the military planet's vast Empire.

When the princess-in-disguise is finally freed and tossed into the middle of the Rebellion, she discovers there is a sharp contrast between her fantasy version of the man who rescued her and the flesh and blood starship captain leading the rebellion. She must also cope with his followers who fear her psychic powers, a fey younger brother who speaks only through illusions, royal parents with strict belief in non-violence, and a fiancé who happens to be a sorcerer. It would appear the hope of toppling the Empire is a dim light at the end of a very long tunnel.

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For a link to Blair's website & editing info, click here. 

For Archives, see the menu on the right. 

 For recent blogs, scroll down. 

 

Thanks for stopping by,

Grace (Blair Bancroft) 

 

How NOT to End a Series

 Since I began this blog in 2011, I have made it a habit to include pics of the granddaughters. Some readers may recall they were featured in my first two blogs—that horrendous tale of what happened when I attempted to drive them home from a Christmas concert in their mother's car (with three girls, six and under, in carseats and no gas). Now, even the middle grand has turned 21! How time flies. Below, Hailey on the cover of a student magazine at the University of Central Florida (Orlando) and Riley playing the euphonium in a band concert at Stetson University in Deland, FL.

 

 

Riley (redhead) in the middle

Not surprisingly, entitled "Amazing Tree"

 

 

From Cattitude, Facebook

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 HOW NOT TO END A SERIES

Although I have edited many a manuscript, I almost never criticize published writing.  But this week I am going to do just that. (Hopefully, without giving a hint of which series I'm critiquing.) 

I have been following a certain series for some time now, eagerly awaiting each new book. The characters were well drawn, the plots remarkably imaginative. So I quickly downloaded what was billed as the last book of the series and began to read.

I was less than ten pages into the book when I frowned and went, "Huh? What's happened?This is just plain BORING." I kept reading, of course, assuring myself the author wouldn't let me down, but . . .

Too much repetition, too little inspiration. It took a number of chapters for the book to cease reminisicing and move into the plot. But as the final "wind up" plot proceeded, it seemed to substitute overblown action scenes for creativity. Relationships were given lip service—words but with no feeling of genuine emotion. All characters—the good guys and the bad—had faded from vivid color to sepia, into caricatures of their previous selves.

And then, just when I was expecting a big final chapter, the book simply stopped. I flipped my Kindle page, looking for more. Nothing. No reminders of the pain and sorrow, the joys and wonder that had gone before. The book simply petered out into nothing. It was as if the author, obviously bored with series, said, "That's enough. I'm done. Sayonara. Farewell. Time for something else."

Moral of this tale:

Authors, if you start a series, you need to finish it in the style in which it began. The only other case I can cite of such an egregious kick in the teeth to faithful followers is the lack of a final book in the Game of Thrones series, allowing the TV production to turn out one of the most dissatisfiying finales in the history of television. Please, have respect for your readers. Don't toss us a bone without meat, then have the nerve to write, "The End."

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Featured Books of the Week:

My first book was published in 1999, so some of the many to follow are really old, and yet two of my early books keep appearing on my Amazon sales list despite their age— Lady Silence and The Temporary Earl. I have frequently wondered if this was because of their titles. Perhaps readers find the idea of a silent lady intriguing. And whoever heard of a temporary earl? In any event, I chose them both for this week's featured books.

 

 A snowy night; a waif on the doorstep, who doesn't talk. After agreeing to grant her shelter, Damon Farr goes off to six years of war, returning determined to be a recluse, only to discover the girl is still there. And still not talking. Is "the girl the cat dragged in" destined to be Damon Farr's Sinful Temptation or his Salvation? The odd pair walk a rocky road before the answer becomes clear.

Reviews:

"Blair Bancroft can always be counted on to deliver exceptional characters and/or settings, historical accuracy, unusual plots, and flawless writing. LADY SILENCE is one more sterling example." Jane Bowers, Romance Reviews Today

"LADY SILENCE by Blair Bancroft is a splendid Regency romance! The creative intrigue and alluring characters make this novel a must have." Nadine St. Denis, Romance Junkies

 

Former army engineer, Major Charles Tyrone, is catapulted to acting head of the family when his distant cousin, the elderly Earl of Wyvern, suffers a stroke at the news his only son has been killed in an accident and his grandson, age fifteen, lies in a coma. The major must also cope with the earl's ward, Lady Vanessa Rayne, who is a bit too aware of her status as daughter of an duke. Major Tyrone's efforts are also considerably hampered by a plethora of relatives (and prospective heirs), with hints of murder and attempted murder soon rearing their ugly heads. Yet despite being caught in the midst of these dire events, Charles and Vanessa begin to suspect it is possible for the daughter of a duke and lowly engineer to fall in love. If, that is, they live that long.

Reviews:

"The very talented Blair Bancroft has added another diamond to the Regency treasure chest with the tightly plotted and delightfully executed The Major Meets His Match."* Teresa Roebuck, Romantic Times
*now titled The Temporary Earl

"It's a vibrant and fun-filled glimpse into a time long ago, and I highly recommend it to . . . any fan of romance. It has all the qualities that we look for, regardless of the time period. Don't miss it. It's a keeper!" Celia Merenyi, A Romance Review

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BLAIR BANCROFT EDITING

Developmental Editing

for new and would-be authors

For link to details, please click here. 

  *****************

~ * ~

For a link to Blair's website & editing info, click here. 

For Archives, see the menu on the right. 

 For recent blogs, scroll down. 

 

Thanks for stopping by,

Grace (Blair Bancroft)