REGINA'S UNIVERSE
"Where the universe of writing and reading comes alive!"
Editor: Regina Paul
June 2006
Issue#7
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CONTENTS
o Editor's News
o Article: Using Freeform Collage to Boost Creativity by Regina Paul
o Article: Characters to Remember by Nicola Marshall
o Book Review: Ghost Hunter by Jayne Castle
o Book Review: Memoirs of a Shape-Shifter by Thomas Kaplan-Maxfield
o Thank you to New Subscribers
o Advertisements
o Copyright Info
o Your Subscription Info
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o Editor's News
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Hi Everyone,
First let me apologize for the lateness of this issue, I've had
several deadlines this last month and wasn't able to get to the
newsletter as quickly as I'd hoped. I really appreciate everyone's
patience! :-)
You'll notice this issue is jam packed with new articles and book
reviews, please feel free to let me know what you think of the new,
and longer format. I really appreciate and value your feedback on
this newsletter or any of my other endeavors!
I have some really exciting things to share with you this month, but
first of all I wanted to let you know that a few people have said
they sent me e-mails, and I didn't receive them. I'm not sure what
was going on with Yahoo but I appear to be getting all my mail now.
If you sent me an e-mail between the last newsletter and this one
and didn't receive a response that is why. Please resend your e-mail
and I'll respond to it right away. I apologize for any delayed
responses due to this glitch in yahoo's e-mail system.
One exciting piece of news is that I'm adding another freebie to the
newsletter! That's right, not only will you get my novella The Mark
of the Guardian, and Sarah Mankowski's POD Workbook, but I'm also
adding a new novel called Soul Memories, a reincarnation romance. I
wrote the first version of Soul Memories almost ten years ago, and
put it away while I began working on the next novel. I had always
intended to update it a bit and offer it to my readers when someone
on one of my writer's groups suggested what I thought was a novel
(no pun intended! LOL) idea. He suggested we offer a free e-book in
our files section of our newsletter group. I agree it's a great
idea! So, beginning today you can check out Chapter One of Soul
Memories in the files section of Regina's Universe. My plan is to
post a new chapter either weekly or bi-weekly depending on writing
deadlines.
Another new development is that I've decided to relax the rules a
bit regarding The Mark of the Guardian. In the past I've asked that
you not send copies to your friends so that if someone wanted a copy
they needed to sign up for this newsletter, or purchase it from my
website. However, since I'm going to be offering a new freebie that
rule has now changed. Before you start sending out copies to your
friends I'm asking that you wait, because I have a new updated
version complete with cover art that I'm going to be sending to all
of you by the end of this week! That's right, it will actually have
a cover, woo hoo! I've been learning this really cool 3D art program
called Daz Studio which has now given me the capability to do my own
book covers. You can find out more about Daz Studio at www.daz3d.com
I keep talking about deadlines and I'm sure you're all thinking book
deadlines which of course I have those as well, but what some of you
may not know is that I also create websites for authors, and cover
artists, as well as, write articles for Associated Content and
Content Gurus. Some of the articles are about writing and the
writing life, but many of them are on assigned subjects such as the
safety of diet pills, renter's rights, and all natural pet health
care to name a few. Since October 2005 I've been a full-time
freelance writer and webmaster. Two websites which I created can be
viewed here: www.valeriecjmcgee.bravehost.com and here:
www.infinitespectrum.bravehost.com Want to check out some of my
articles? Please visit my Associated Content page:
www.associatedcontent.com/user/10892/regina_paul.html
While Angel and I have been working hard to keep her blog updated
we've both been kind of busy what with writing deadlines, and
staying ahead of the Greys. However, there are several new postings
on her blog to check out.
www.angelwhitedoveonalienabductions.blogspot.com
There are also a few new postings on my personal blog:
www.reginapaul.bravejournal.com/profile.php
You still have four more days to participate in my current special
which ends June 12, 2006. When you purchase a copy of any of my
works (GETTING OUT ALIVE, THE MARK OF THE GUARDIAN, or DESTINY'S
CHOICES) and provide me with proof of purchase(a copy of your paypal
receipt e-mailed to me if you purchase either of the novellas or a
screen print copy to an e-mail if you purchase from my publisher)
you will receive one extra entry in my current contest. Yes, that
means if you bought all three, you'd get three extra entries, or if
you bought 2 copies of any one you'd get 2 extra entries. I'll be
telling you about the current contest next. See details at:
www.reginapaul.bravehost.com/Specials.html
And there are also four more days to participate in my current
contest for a Bijoux Terner necklace and earring set. It has silver
knots and gold diamonds with rhinestones in the center of the
diamonds. The set is really beautiful! All you have to do to enter
is send me an e-mail at tiwatz@yahoo.com
with the word "jewelry" in the subject line.
Hope you are all having a wonderful June!
Regina Paul
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o Using Freeform Collage to Boost Creativity by Regina Paul
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One way I like to use to boost my creativity is freeform collage.
Now you may be asking "What the heck is freeform collage?" Freeform
collage is where you take images and use them to generate ideas for
your writing, painting, beading and other forms of artwork. The
reason I've termed it freeform is you don't actually glue the images
to the paper. Unlike traditional collage, the idea is not to come up
with one set of images, but to play with the images like a puzzle to
give your mind new fuel with which to be creative.
Here's what you need to do freeform collage, and some ideas for how
you can use it to boost your creativity. You'll need:
1. Pictures, either from magazines, the internet, or even copies of
family photos.
2. A piece of cardboard or heavy paper such as card stock. I prefer
8 ½ x 11, but you can pick any size paper you choose.
Once you've got a good collection of images, then the idea is to
randomly pick images and lay them on the paper. Continue to choose
images an layer them however you want to until your paper is
completely covered. Once you feel your collage is complete allow the
images to speak to you. What do they remind you of? Maybe the lines
of a poem will come to your mind, or maybe the flowers in the corner
will give you an idea of an article you can write on gardening. If
no ideas come to you, you can remove that set of images and try
again. Even if nothing comes to you the second time around, you can
also leave the collage for a day or so and see if later on it
inspires you once your subconscious has had a chance to observe it
for a bit. Another way to nudge our creativity is to write a journal
entry about the collage, or if you draw well, you could try
reproducing the collage in a drawing. The ideas are endless.
Another benefit of using freeform collage is you can use the same
images over and over again, just be sure to replenish your stack
with new ones every so often so you aren't using the same ones over
and over again. Otherwise the brain will get used to them and start
losing interest in paying attention.
The idea for this article actually came to me while I was playing
with images I'd cut out from magazines. I hope you find freeform
collage just as useful in boosting your creativity!
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o Characters to Remember by Nicola Marshall
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Characters to Remember
By Nikola Marshall
The five "C's" of fiction: convincing characters caught in a
compelling conflict. ~Brandy Collins
Do you have a problem when it comes to fleshing out your characters?
Do you know who they are? Their likes and dislikes?? There are
tricks and tools to help!
One tool I use is a character sketch form I've made and saved on my
computer. It has evolved over time and will continue to do so as my
growth in writing continues. You can easily make a form to fit your
own style. I'll use mine for an example. I begin with the basics;
name, age, height, weight, eye and hair color and even a birthdate
if it strikes me to do so.
Now take a step and get a little more in depth. What kind of speech
patterns do they have? Are they from a part of the world that has a
unique accent? Do they use slang? Do they tend to use certain words
or phrases? These kinds of things are what makes your characters
stand out.
How does your character dress? Blue jeans or designer labels? Do
they wear a certain article of clothing that is their trademark?
Jewelry? Tattoos? What are their quirks? We all have them. I know a
man who tugs at his eyebrows when deep in thought. As writers, we
should utilize these traits to our advantage.
What kind of background does he/she have? I do this whether I plan
to use it in my work or not. I cover their parents, and siblings,
schooling, career, and marital status.
What is your character's economic status?
Then I move on to their preferences. What color, food and drink do
they like? Dislike? Do they drink or smoke? If so, what type or
brand? What kind of music turns them on? What kind of vehicle do
they drive?
Now let us look even deeper. I mentioned quirks, how about flaws?
What do they fear? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Habits?
Do they have a soft spot for something or someone? Cover any
prejudices, hobbies, skills, attitudes and outlooks they may have.
I finish off my sketch with a few specific questions such as, what
would my character be found doing on a rainy day.
You may add or delete questions as you feel the need. As previously
mentioned, my own list has evolved. This tool is fun to use and
helps to develop deeper and more believable characters. It assists a
writer in becoming acquainted with those he/she will be writing
about and, in turn, allows the writer to put forth a stronger piece
of work.
Nikola lives and writes in Oklahoma. She is secretery for the
Citizen's Police Academy Alumni and active in Volunteers in
Policing. She enjoys reading, scrapbooking and spending time with
her two dogs. Nikola is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/
which is a site for Fiction Writing.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nikola_Marshall
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o FEATURED BOOK REVIEW: Ghost Hunter by Jayne Castle
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GHOST HUNTER
JAYNE CASTLE
June 2006
ISBN#: 0-515-14140-2
Jove Books
Paperback
Paranormal Romance
340 Pages
$7.99
Rating: 5 Worlds
Elly St. Clair has had it with men. It is bad enough she is engaged
to a Guild boss when all she wanted was a librarian. However, when
she discovers her fiance Cooper Boone fought a ghost duel with a
former date she goes ballistic and ends their engagement.
Cooper Boone is not your average Ghost Hunter or Guild boss for that
matter. Unlike most of his contemporaries he was not raised with a
fine family tradition in the Guilds, but rather by two history
professors, so he is something of an anomaly. When Elly walks into
the Guild library one afternoon looking for her father he is
instantly attracted to her and does everything he can including
asking her father for his permission to pursue a covenant marriage
in order to keep her.
After Elly breaks their engagement and moves to Cadence City, Cooper
figures he will just wait it out. Both he and her family decide that
once she sees how hard it is to get along on her own in the big city
she will return home and Cooper will be able to convince her to
reinstate their engagement. The only thing is Elly thrives in
Cadence City. She opens her own botanical business and begins
settling into city life. When one of her friends goes missing in the
alien ruins beneath Cadence City she calls on Cooper for help.
Cooper is in Cadence City to both check on Elly and for a "Guild
matter." When both the disappearance of Elly's friend and Cooper's
Guild business collide they team up to solve a series of drug
related crimes. In the process Cooper begins to realize he had read
Elly wrong from the start.
I love Jayne Castle's paranormal romances! Set on the colony planet
of Harmony, her world building is incredible. The characters are
realistic and well drawn as well as being easy to relate to. I also
enjoy how she leaves a little mystery in the books in this series,
so that you want to come back and read them over and over to see if
you can figure it out. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy
paranormal romances with a twist!
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o FEATURED BOOK REVIEW: Memoirs of a Shape-Shifter by Thomas Kaplan-
Maxfield
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"Memoirs of a Shape-Shifter" author Thomas Kaplan-Maxfield: BOOK
REVIEW
By Paige Lovitt
Memoirs of a Shape-Shifter
By Thomas Kaplan-Maxfield
Kepler Press (2005)
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (3/06)
I thoroughly enjoyed "Memoirs of a Shape-shifter." Most gothic type
stories tend to be to short for me, just as I am getting into the
story, it is over. Not so with "Memoirs." The story takes you from
modern times, through early America, then back into ancient Ireland.
The journey follows a modern woman, Nikki, on her journey of self-
discovery as a woman and as a Druidic priestess, down the path of
her ancestor Anne Cleves.
At 40 years of age, Nikki starts exploring her past and how
experiences in her childhood, especially with her abusive father
have affected her emotionally. These experiences have especially
affected her ability to love. As Nikki explores her past she learns
about the women in her family's involvement with witchcraft and
druidism. She begins to follow this path and is able to heal
herself.
This story is very suspenseful and the characters are well
developed. I highly recommend this book to people who enjoy
suspenseful novels that have a touch of magic in them. The way
that the author is able to intertwine the past with the present
really allows for some rich reading. His descriptivetext makes the
reader feel more like they are enjoying a movie instead of reading
printed material.
Paige Lovitt is a Reviewer for Reader Views.
http://www.readerviews.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paige_Lovitt
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Do you have a review you'd like to submit for the next issue? Send
it to me at tiwatz@yahoo.com two weeks before the next monthly issue
is out to be included.
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o Thank you to Subscribers
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Thank you so much for subscribing to Regina's Universe! That means a
lot to me, and for those of you who signed up recently, I hope you
enjoyed your free e-books. Please feel free to pass this newsletter
along to anyone you feel might be interested. The only thing I ask
is that you pass it along in its entirety rather than just pieces of
it.
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Ancient traditions, love, secrets, and betrayal-DESTINY'S CHOICES
DESTINY'S CHOICES by Regina Paul is a fast paced romantic suspense!
The author creates a tale of young love lost and found again,
traditions older than time, and the true test of keeping a family
secret at a high cost with great ease.
Secrets are something Tiana Slickpoo knows all about for she is the
holder of a great secret, one she is unable to share with any save a
few within her tribe. When sacred tribal objects, and artwork begin
disappearing from the tribal museum, and Tiana's gallery, she thinks
she knows what the thieves might be looking for. The "indian
grapevine" soon brings her word that James Waters is home and going
to be investigating the thefts. James is the one person in the
universe she does not want to see. Still bitter over their break up
six years before, she wants nothing to do with him. However, the
tribe, and the Spirits have other ideas.
See http://www.reginapaul.bravehost.com/Specials.html or
http://www.reginanpaul.bravehost.com/DC.html to find out how to get
your copy!
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Forbidden love, danger, and an eons old conspiracy-GETTING OUT ALIVE
GETTING OUT ALIVE by Regina Paul is a fast paced, fly-by-the-seat-of-
your-pants science fiction romance. The author weaves a tale of
other worlds, theories about the alien abduction phenomena, the
consequences of bigotry, and the beauty of love that overcomes all
obstacles with great success.
Secrets...everyone has them, but Angel Whitedove alien abductee and
researcher is about to discover one she hadn't bargained for
involving her missing father, and the special work she does.
Darek of Laren has one mission: retrieve the outlaw Laaen and return
him to his home planet for trial. Only he doesn't find Laaen as
expected, but Laaen's daughter Angel, and an ancient evil the people
of Laren thought had long since gone extinct.
Forbidden love, danger, and an eons old conspiracy follow these two
as they race to save themselves, humanity, and their worlds!
http://www.lulu.com/reginapaul or to order! Or if you would like to
save money, go to http://www.reginapaul.bravehost.com/GOA.html and
purchase the e-book for $4.00 directly from the author, that's
$1.00 off of the publisher's price!
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Check out Karen's Korner a wonderful newsletter chock full of news
about her novels, and the writer's life by fellow author Karen
Magill! You can join by going to Karen's website
http://www.karenmagill.com and signing up to be on her mailing list.
It's that easy!
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o Copyright Information
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Copyright 2006 by Regina Paul, All Rights Reserved.
Visit us online at:
http://www.reginapaul.bravehost.com/ReginasUniverse.html
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