Come to the party on Facebook! Lots and I mean lots of Avon authors! The party doesn’t end until midnight (EST). Lots of goodies being given away. Winners will be announced tomorrow there. I’m giving away my 3 books and swag. My post will be there at 7 p.m. (CST). Check it out. Click here.
Author: Carla Swafford, Author
Carla Swafford loves romance novels, action/adventure movies, and men, and her books reflect that. And that’s not all, she’s crazy about hockey. She’s married to her high school sweetheart and lives in the Southeastern U.S.
Accents: How Do Ya’ll Say . . .
Have you ever read a story where the author used accents? I see it on occasion, and thankfully, nowadays most authors use it sparingly. In CIRCLE OF DANGER, Liam is a secondary character who’s Irish. He’d lived in the U.S. for about ten years, and his accent mostly showed up when he was emotional. So he may say “bloody” when mad or use “me” instead “I” when he’s in a teasing mood. As you can see, I used colloquialism as a way to convey the accent.
No need for abbreviating like people do with Southern accents. Ya’ll un’erstan? That’s just it. Using too many abbreviated words or even slang, can become confusing to the reader and slow down the story. Let them hear the accents in their own mind. One of the tricks to remember is that many accents have rhythms. Sometimes movies can be helpful to get the hang of that.
Everyone in the world has accents. Californians, Oregonians, and Washingtonians claim they don’t. Sorry, but you do. Mostly it’s just the accepted accent for the media. But in the South, we often think some of you sound like a Yankee. HA!
And not all Southerners are hillbillies.
OMG! Watch Too Much TV or What?
When I was younger (note the “er” – HA!), we use to have only one season of new TV shows. Nowadays, with so many channels and original programming available, we have a lot to choose from.
At the same time, you’ll start watching a show and before you know it, it’s cancelled or the end of the “season” is over. So I struggle to remember the programs I fell in love with the year before. So I thought I would try to make a list here and add or delete it as time goes along. I can be fickle about what show I’ll be faithful to (good-bye Two and Half Men).
CAN’T MISS SHOWS (When on air)
- Sleepy Hollow (Fox)
- Twisted (ABC Family – ironic)
- Almost Human (Fox)
- Longmire (A&E)
- Walking Dead (AMC)
- Elementary (CBS)
- The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
- The Black List (NBC)
- Reign (CW)
- NCIS (CBS)
- Games of Thrones (HBO)
- Hemlock Grove (Only on Netflix)
- The Originals (CW)
B-LIST TO WATCH ON-DEMAND
- Mom (CBS)
- Arrow (CW)
- Dads (Fox)
- The Crazy Ones (CBS)
- Dracula (NBC)
WHEN THE MOOD STRIKES ME
- Pawn Stars (History)
- House Hunters (HGTV)
- Bones (Fox)
- Supernatural (CW)
- Storage Wars (A&E)
WANTING TO CHECK OUT – NEW
- Black Sails (Starz)
How do you keep up with shows to watch throughout the year?
HUGE HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY!
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Eight Answers to Crazy Car Questions
Here are some answers to the crazy questions people have asked me over the years about cars and driving.
1) If your garage or carport is filled with junk and you park your car in the weather and never wax it, yes, your paint job will fade away and show the metal underneath.
2) If your car is filled with every empty fast food bag and carton known to man along with the dirty diaper you tossed in the backseat, yes, people will know your house looks the same.
3) If a car coming toward you flashes its lights, it’s warning you of a wreck ahead or a cop ahead or both, or if a car flashes its lights behind you, it’s telling it’s okay to pull in front of them (most likely you have your blinker on — a few of them do work in automobiles).
4) Yes, if the Interstate is I-65 North, the same interstate goes South and is called I-65 South. That’s the other side of the road going the opposite way.
5) Yes, you need to keep up with the mileage, so you know when to get your oil changed. Yes, it is important. Same for tire rotation.
6) Don’t push your window up to test your electric windows to see if they’re really close. Bring it down and then press up. Otherwise, if you keep testing it while up, the motor will burn out, and you’ll be getting your bacon, egg and cheese biscuit by opening the driver’s door.
7) Yes, when you squeal your tires (older model cars or customized ones can still do it), you leave rubber on the road and that means your tires will wear out faster. A woman I knew would say each time she heard it, “Music to my ears.” Her husband owned a tire company.
8) Big trucks cannot see you if you pull over in front of them. Really. So make sure you can see the driver’s face in the rearview mirror when you pull over. If you can see the driver, he/she can see you. If all you see is grille, then they can’t. And they can’t stop as fast as you can, empty or full.
I’m sure I’ll think of more later.
Carla Swafford, Author 