The Blue Goose - a favorite neon sign cowboys would try to ride back in the Yellowstone glory days

January has always been a time for me to clean out my desk and my brain as I turn the calendar and make plans for a new year. How timely that the Denver Woman’s Press Club invited Cynthia Morris to coach a group of us through the process of focusing on plans and writing notes to hold ourselves accountable for ideas which will make 2012 Our Best Writing Year Ever. The regrouping, re-evaluating, and re-purposing continues as the calendar begins to fill, and I begin to feel the creative juices flowing once again. Watch for magazine articles, presentations, and inclusion in a history compilation coming up very soon.

In the meantime, the search for fun continues during my quest for ways to reach out and touch Western history. The Western National Stock Show provided a step back into cowboy and cowgirl culture and an up close visit with some of the most beautiful livestock around. It was the perfect time to duck into Denver’s Buckhorn Exchange, established in 1893, for a truly decadent meal and a cold beer. Our heads swiveled to take in all of the artifacts surrounding us from the days when Buffalo Bill elbowed his way to the bar, which, by the way, boasts the #1 liquor license in Colorado. Vegetarians be warned. Animal heads of all sorts cover the walls, gazing with glassy eyes upon diners enjoying carnivorous delicacies from the menu. The third element of historic fun in the dead of Colorado winter can be found at the annual Post Card Show at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. The search is on for new images for future projects and re-purposed old ones, specifically an e-book from my original self-published book, A Yellowstone Savage. As my mental batteries recharge, everything is reevaluated. Useless baggage be gone as I move forward unencumbered with a new outlook and a clean(er) desk.

Joyce B. Lohse, 1/20/12
www.LohseWorks.com

Christmas Cactus

As the holidays dwindle down to a few days until Christmas, in the midst of a beautiful Colorado snowstorm, I am enjoying the many ways in which the season surprises and gladdens me. This photo of a Christmas cactus is a perfect example. It is not just any Christmas cactus. It belonged to my mother, and was adopted by a caring friend, who gave it a good home. It is obviously growing and prospering in her care. Links to the past appear in the most amazing ways, whether they be photos from the past or new blossoms on an old plant.

If Santa’s visit is part of your seasonal itinerary, I hope he delivers everything your heart desires. This is a good time to mention my writing bookshelf, those precious resources I consider mandatory to have within easy reach of my desk chair during my working days as a writer.

1. The Associated Press Stylebook -- which lets me know I’m not crazy. All of those rules I learned way back when in Journalism school are still intact. Many of those rules are dead wrong according to the Chicago Book of Style, which sits next to it. But, by golly, I feel affirmed with my trusty AP guide close at hand.

2. Stephen King On Writing — As I told him, I’m not a big fan of his tales of horror, but he sure knows how to live the writer’s life. Furthermore, he passes on his philosophies in a most instructive and educational manner. It is a truly fascinating story about the evolution of a master storyteller.

3. Strunk & White’s Elements of Style — Don’t leave home, or sit at your desk, without it! Small but mighty.

4. Absolutely No Manners: On Having the Audacity to Write Biography, by Susanne George-Bloomfield — a small jewel of a booklet based on a speech by Susanne in Chadron, Nebraska. When my biography pals and I met her at a conference, we surrounded her as if she was a rock star, complete with chants of, “We’re not worthy!” Within this tidy little thome is everything you need to know about writing biography.

5. Biography: The Craft and the Calling, by Catherine Drinker Bowen — If you want to learn more after reading #4, this is your next step. It will fill in any gaps and lead you down the right path toward creating righteous biographical work.

6. Writing and Selling Non-Fiction, by Hayes B. Jacobs — An oldie, but a darn goody.

7. Writer’s Market — Of course. A critical resource for all writers. Acquire an update at least every three years. Just got my new one, Santa, so you don’t need to carry that heavy brick down the chimney for me this year.

Now, if you don’t get the books your heart desires for Christmas, go down to your local bookstore, hold books in your hands, sit down and browse, and buy. Help support your indie bookstores AND writers AND publishers. You’ll be glad you did when we’re all still here a few years down the road.

Joyce Lohse, 12/22/2011
www.LohseWorks.com

Road Runner Motel

Some time ago, I figured out it was great fun to shoot photos of neon signs at night. The advent of digital photography makes this hobby even more tantalizing, due to immediate results in case a do-over is in order. When attached to motels, neon signs usually indicate some sort of funky retro-decor or history related to the structure. One of my favorite signs is in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Since one must drive over Rabbit Ears Pass to enter the town, the significance of this neon art is readily apparent.

Rabbit Ears Motel

I’m not sure what I will do with these photos, if anything, However, it is a fun challenge to photograph them. I plan to take advantage of the long hours of winter darkness to shoot a few more in Denver this winter. I’ve had my eye on an especially attractive Cheshire Cat sign at a veterinary office nearby, which must look dandy at night.

Keep in mind that neon signs can look good in lighted areas as well. Notice the “Lowell’s” sign at Pike Place Market in the previous article about Seattle.

Joyce Lohse, 11/18/11
www.LohseWorks.com

Fresh Fish at Pike Market in Seattle

Once, again, the annual Women Writing the West Conference has come and gone. This year, the conference entitled “West by Northwest” took us to the Seattle area, one of my favorite parts of the country. We spent our first day seeing the local sites, such as the fabulous flying fish at Pike Public Market, and eating a memorable bowl of clam chowder for lunch at Lowell’s, while we watched the ships and ferries in Puget Sound. It was a great way to relax before beginning the conference, which was a lot of work, but also a great networking and learning experience with many talented writer friends in WWW. This conference is always top notch, and a splendid western adventure to boot.

Ferries -- a common sight in Puget Sound

I often receive questions that remind me that writing conferences take a certain amount of preparation. Some participants do not know what to expect and benefit from a little direction. As manager of personal appointments with agents and editors for registrants, I was asked by two people on the same day about how they should prepare for their appointments, and for networking in general at a writer’s conference. In case others have pondered the same question, here is my response:

“There is no standard for this. A professional writer has their thoughts in order. Introduce yourself and show any books or publications indicative of your talent and background. Then, present a strong case for the project you have in mind, including a succinct description of it along with marketing platform. Mention how this fits into the publisher/agent’s library of works and customers. Ask appropriate questions. Be friendly and business-like. My experience has been that they don’t like to take proposals and papers with them. Instead, they might ask you to send something specific to them. Do it promptly.

“Would it be a good idea to send a thank you note once you return home? I think so. ALSO, bring plenty of business cards or bookmarks, whatever you have with contact information. (I just printed up 100 bookmarks on my inkjet printer). Hand one to your appointment person as you introduce yourself. Also, if you don’t have books, bring cover art, or a special photo or image as a ‘visual aid’, to focus attention on your work and your project. Relax, and have fun.”

I hope this helps — Joyce Lohse
www.LohseWorks.com

Savage Shadows

There is nothing like a weekend in Yellowstone National Park to clear the brain and boost the soul. For me, time spent with friends from Savage Days, when we lived and worked together long ago in Yellowstone Park, made the journey more meaningful and enriching. After this summer, punctuated by loss and sadness, my soul was elevated by time spent with friends in a place where stunning natural beauty and abundant wildlife speaks volumes to my heart and spirit.

As time goes on, solid long-lasting friendships grow in importance and increase in scope. During years accumulated since spending a season working together in Yellowstone Park, my posse of pals has shared more wonderful memories and adventures than you can imagine. While our group has grown through families and extended lives, we’ve found new ways to enjoy our explorations and learn from sharing and seeking new paths. In this way, the place has been augmented by assorted people and new experiences. Pioneers exploring the American West, past and present, learned more from shared experiences, especially as seen them through different eyes.

Old Faithful

I hoped to return to Yellowstone with a new electronic version of my book, A Yellowstone Savage, ready for market. Somehow, the summer slipped away, and that task was sidetracked by more important matters. However, a revised Savage is in the works, and will be coming soon. Watch for its arrival while I relish revisiting the story of my Savage friends, and find new avenues to enrich the text while we continue to add to our ongoing story.

Author Mara Purl on Writing

– Tell us about the importance of thin flip cell phones and Jimmy Choo shoes. I Googled the shoes … WOW, they are HOT!! [You could wear them, I could NOT!!!]

Oh, these are such fun stories! First, the shoes. I have a “hot” character named Cynthia. She’s social climber, a blond bombshell, and is convinced she can get anything she wants by wiggling her hips and batting her eyelashes. And most of the time, she’s right! Of course I think carefully about Cynthia’s wardrobe, and she has to have some “major” shoes.

To create the Cynthia character I draw on observation, imagination, and also some personal experience. When I was performing on Days Of Our Lives, all we women cast members had glamorous moments in the story. That’s part of the soap opera world. And part of that world is being photographed, both at events and in the studio. I’d bought some gloriously wicked black patent leather shoes with spike heels. I was about 6 foot 2 in these shoes, and they looked great in photos. Well, one year I was going to the Emmy Awards and decided to wear them. I only realized when we arrived at the auditorium and were faced by a huge staircase, that I really couldn’t walk in these things. My date had to help me “hop” up to the entrance. From then on, I labeled these my “shoes of death.”

Of course, some similar event will come up in Cynthia’s storyline. Meanwhile, I’ve established that she has a wonderful shoe collection. And I just kept seeing her in high-styled, colorful Jimmy Choo shoes. The thing is, he’s a huge name in fashion now, but my first novel is set in 1996. So I researched Jimmy Choo’s career. I was intrigued to discover he comes from a multi-generation lineage of cobblers in China, so you could say he was born with an innate knowledge of the foot and how to dress it. Imagine my delight when I discovered Jimmy’s first major success came when he was featured in Vogue Magazine in 1996! It’s just so perfect. Cynthia becomes one of the first glam-gals to own a pair of his shoes.

The cell phone story is similar, in that I have a wealthy young male character, Zack, and needed for him to have a cell phone. But unlike today, in 1996 most people didn’t yet have cell phones. Turns out, the first razor-thin flip phone hit the market in 1996, just in time for Zack to own one. They cost a small fortune at the time—and that, too, was perfect for this character.

– What goals and challenges do you see for yourself in the future?

The Milford-Haven Novels will include twelve books, so I’ll be busy for a while! I’m also writing a short story as a prequel to each novel. So my goal is to write these novels, and to continue working with my new publishers and marketing team.

So that’s the “head” goal. But the “heart” goal is what’s really important. The real purpose in writing and marketing these books is to enroll women readers in a whole new realm of possibility for themselves. On one level, my novels are pure escapism. But on a deeper level, that “fiction lens” gives them a tool for looking into their own hearts. What, in our heart of hearts, do we want to create in our lives? Are we carving out time to fulfill our desires? If not now, when?

At my book events, we have such fun engaging in these conversations. We also have fun donating a percentage of sales to charities, because generosity is one of the keys to living a happy life. I’d like to create more and more opportunities for generosity and transformation. And to think, all this can begin with buying a book, taking it home and reading it! When a reader tells me my books have made a difference in her life—that’s when I know I’m fulfilling my purpose.

Thank you, Mara, for sharing your thoughts with us during an interesting and informative interview. Best of luck to you for much future success with your Milford-Haven novels, and beyond! — Joyce

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PLEASE NOTE: As a thank you for your visit today, Mara would like to offer her new short-story “When Hummers Dream.” Her charming story, which has become a best-seller in the Kindle store, is a prequel to her upcoming novel “What the Heart Knows.” You may download it for your Kindle from amazon.com for free until September 1. But in case you don’t have a Kindle, you may still download it for free from Mara’s publisher! Visit www.BellekeepBooks.com/Bonus, then enter the password BKbonus. Enjoy!

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About Author Mara Purl:

• Mara Purl was a performer on-camera and on-stage, with her regular character on Days Of Our Lives having been her starting point for soap opera.
• Purl began her writing career as a journalist for the Associated Press, Rolling Stone, The Financial Times of London, Working Woman Magazine, and The Christian Science Monitor. A prolific fiction author, she also has written a play and several non-fiction books including Act Right: A Manual for the On-Camera Actor with actress Erin Gray.
• Other Awards include: for radio, the New York Festivals Award; for her play Mary Shelley: In Her Own Words, the Peak Award; and for public service, Woman of the Year 2002 by the Los Angeles County Commission for Women.
• Mara Purl is also an accomplished musician. Her instrument is the koto and she recorded and has played on the international stage with many noteworthy musicians including the works Sumahama recorded with Mike Love and the Beach Boys, Pathless Path recorded with Charles Lloyd, Koto Keys with Marilyn Harris, and Teiji Ito’s Watermill recorded with Grammy-winning musician Steve Gorn.
• The hit song “Jet Laggin” she co-wrote with Marilyn Harris is in current release on the new CD Orphans.

Mara Purl
Author – Actress – Motivational Speaker
www.MaraPurl.com

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– How did it come about that your book series was picked up by a large publishing house, and in what ways has that changed your work and your outlook?

The new publishing contract came about as a direct result of developing a following for my books. I write a novel series, the first four of which were published over the last five years with a small independent press. Like most small indie presses, it had no major distribution. But this period of time was tremendously useful because they gave me a lot of focus, and we all learned so much about my readers and how to connect with them. And of course, my writing kept improving.

The larger New York publishers are looking now not only for good writers, but for authors who know their audience, know how to connect with them, and are willing and able to market their own books. Some authors resent this, and feel they should be focusing only their writing. I feel, however, that the publishers today are acknowledging that we authors are the experts when it comes to our books and our readers. So now, working with this fantastic team of very experienced publishers, who do have major distribution, is a grand experience. I feel I’m with the publishers of my dreams. They “get” me, and they appreciate that I “get” how important it is for me to do effective marketing. Though much of what I’m doing now is along the same lines as what I’d been doing, there are two major differences. First, my books are entering the main stream of publishing, and everything about the books is in compliance with the many layers of industry standards. I love that sense of quality control. Second, it’s as though I’ve switched from piloting a tiny rowboat and rowing hard mostly on my own, to being on board a sleek, spacious sailing vessel with an experienced crew and plenty of wind in my sails.

– What is your philosophy about research? Tell us about some of your research experiences, and how they have panned out and added new dimension to your stories. What surprises and serendipitous moments have you experienced?

For me, research is foundational to all my story-telling. I’ve often said that non-fiction is about facts, while fiction is about truth. By that I mean that fiction is a lens we can place over life’s issues to look more deeply into the layers and influences that make up human behavior. The situations in which characters find themselves and their particular personalities come from imagination. But the background against which they’re moving—world events, geography, topography, discovery, transportation, communication—the more accurately portrayed these elements are, the more “truth” we can actually see about how people respond.

As journalist, probably sixty or seventy percent of one’s work is research, before you get around to structuring and writing a piece. I was trained by experienced journalists and editors, especially when I worked for the Financial Times and the A.P. Then later, Louis L’Amour became one of my mentors, and I still love his stories and novels. If Louis says there’s a water hole twenty-two miles west of Sonora, either he saw it himself, or he spoke to the man who did. He was a voracious readers and a great lover of history. So he certainly encouraged my interest in research, and encourage me to use it in my fiction.

Quite often when I’m plotting a story segment, I read extensively about the region, or the type of situation I’ll be including. I did several months of research on seismology before writing about a fictitious earthquake. But my “fictitious” earthquake turned out to be prophetic, as a short time later the exact magnitude and location I’d written about did happen. Why? Because my research was detailed and gave me an accurate foundation.

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Milford-Haven Books

Mara Purl has spent the month of August on a virtual book tour to promote her recent work on her Milford-Haven novel series. Her piece entitled, When Hummers Dream, is currently available as an e-book for 99 cents from Amazon.com. Her novel, What the Heart Knows, will be published in hardcover next month in September by BelleKeep Books in association with Midpoint Trade Books. If you just caught up with Mara’s virtual travels, or her work is new to you, Mara is a talented award-winning author/actress/musician who divides her time between her Los Angeles and Colorado Springs homes. You might know her for her role in the TV show, Days Of Our Lives, or playing a Japanese stringed instrument, the koto, on stage, or her series of novels. I have enjoyed many encounters with Mara through mutual involvement in Women Writing the West, and I have benefited from her valuable advice and warm friendship when our paths cross. Her insights about writing and the West are the result of solid experience and a passion for her craft. She will share some of those perspectives here in a series of three posts during the next three days.

PLEASE NOTE: As a thank you for your visit today, Mara would like to offer her new short-story “When Hummers Dream.” Her charming story, which has become a best-seller in the Kindle store, is a prequel to her upcoming novel “What the Heart Knows.” You may download it for your Kindle from amazon.com for free until September 1. But in case you don’t have a Kindle, you may still download it for free from Mara’s publisher! Visit www.BellekeepBooks.com/Bonus, then enter the password BKbonus. Enjoy!

I proudly present to you Mara Purl’s thoughts on writing.

Joyce & Mara at UCLA 2009

THE INTERVIEW — Segment #1 –

– You have a wide and varied background in the arts. You’ve been an actress on TV and otherwise, a musical performer at Lincoln Center, and you’ve learned the tango in South America! Tell us a little more about all that, other interesting endeavors, and how you became a writer.

Though I was born in the States—in New Haven, near Milford (more on that later)—I grew up in Tokyo, Japan and attended a school with students from forty countries. There’s no question this experience had a profound impact on me. For example, my favorite film is “Rashomon” not only because it’s a classic but because the story is presented from multiple points of view. I now write a novel-series told from the perspective of multiple characters.

Back in my school days, I was walking across the campus one day and was called into the Principal’s office. Worried about what I must’ve done wrong, I was surprised to learn I’d actually been scouted by NHK-TV, the national network. I auditioned and landed the part in a drama-series called “Teach Me English.” From then on for the next few years, twice a week I performed in this show, playing the part of a young girl who lived in Japan with her American family. I had to have the script memorized letter-perfect, because students were following along in workbooks at home. So it was both a drama and a teaching program.

The legacy of growing up in Japan, and also in a family of actors (my dad also grew up in the theatre, and attended Yale Drama School; my mom was a ballerina and performed on Broadway and in film; my sister became a well-known actress)—for me, lead to two specific things in my adult professional life. One is being a story-teller and performer comfortable with media like television, radio and theatre; the other is that I learned to play the classical Japanese harp, called the koto. Though this has never been the central focus of my career, it continues to be a golden thread that has woven its way through many years. I’ve recorded several CDs and have performed at Lincoln Center intermittently for thirty years.

Meanwhile, the writing has always been the focus in one form or another. I was a professional journalist for several years, and loved it. I was on staff in the New York bureau of the Financial Times of London, another multi-national experience. I worked on special assignment for the Associated Press, and freelanced for Rolling Stone and many other publications.

Much as I loved that chapter of my career, I felt compelled to return to creative writing and to performing, so I left New York and headed to Los Angeles, where I plunged into a challenging and wonderful time of acting on stage and television, and writing screenplays and teleplays. I felt excited, and very clear this was where I was supposed to be, and what I was meant to be doing. I think that sense of intuition is a very key part of being an artist.

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The story of the Routts and Colorado's Statehood

Not so long ago, every August 1st, Colorado celebrated “Colorado Day” in a big way. In the late 70s and early 80s, we closed our typography and graphics business mid-morning to watch a long parade full of horses and pioneers along Nevada Avenue in Colorado Springs. Crowds and decorations abounded for the celebration. Why? This excerpt from “First Governor, First Lady” offers an explanation.

“Undaunted by heavy criticism from the East, people of Colorado voted by a margin of 11,000 to ratify the constitution on July 1, 1876. Governor Routt certified the results and notified President Grant of the outcome. Statehood for Colorado was nearly complete.

“On July 4, 1876, Routt acted as master of ceremonies at a grand Independence Day celebration in Denver that went on for two days. After a parade through the city, the celebratory gathering of city officials and exuberant citizens assembled in a grove on the banks of the Platte River near the Colfax viaduct. As he addressed the crowd, Routt was handed a telegram from Representative Stephen Decatur, who was attending the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Carefully adjusting his wire-rimmed glasses, Routt read the words, ‘Are we a state?’ from the telegram.

“‘We are!’ was John Routt’s immediate and emphatic, booming reply to the throng, who sent up a great, deafening cheer. He continued to read aloud his reply as sent to the Exposition. ‘The Centennial State and the twenty thousand here assembled send joyful greetings to the sister States of the American Union represented at Philadelphia on this glorious Fourth. (signed) John L. Routt.’ With that response, Colorado achieved the pride and dignity of statehood.

“While Colorado was celebrating its status as the country’s newest state in 1876, it was also celebrating the centennial birthday of the country. The coincidence inspired Colorado’s nickname — the ‘Centennial State.’ On August 1, 1876, President Grant issued his proclamation of statehood officially making Colorado the nation’s thirty-eighth state. That day is known as Colorado Day and is celebrated as the state’s official birthday.”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, to the great state of Colorado, and all gathered therein!

Joyce B. Lohse
www.LohseWorks.com