PrickleForrestChronicles By Chrissy Hartmann

Tag: geese

  • PRICKLE FORREST CHRONICLES

    PRICKLE FORREST CHRONICLES SEPTEMBER 2020 NEWSLETTER

    Prickle Forrest Chronicles 

    By Chrissy Hartmann

    September 2020

    It’s fall. The leaves are changing. Wood smoke is in the air. Cider is pressed. And pumpkins are on the rise.

    Mother Nature is following her plans as usual. The nights are getting colder. Too cold for some. And the daylight is fading faster. Sweaters and light weight jackets are worn while our t-shirts and shorts are stowed away for another summer with the hopes we won’t over indulge these next few months and can where them next June.

    Pumpkin spice seems to have found the taste buds of everyone. As the flavor brings excitement to the fall with a soothing aroma and a warmth to the belly as we drink it in lattes, cappuccinos, and coffees. Plus not to forget muffins, doughnuts, cookies, and pies. Oh Boy, Yum!

    So pull out your sweaters, slide into some jeans, and lace up your boots. Fall is here. And while you’re at it… sit by a roaring fire and read a book. Better yet, write one!

    Happy autumn!

    THE TOP FIVE

    1.  Fall weather… Love the hoodies and cowboy boots. Woohoo!
    2. Pro football season is back… now we just need the Big 10 to play.
    3. Fair food… French fries and better yet pumpkin spice.   funnel cakes. Oh boy!
    4. CiderBoys apple pineapple hard cider. Delicious!
    5. Vinyl records. Newest one to collection…Alabama Shakes. Love it!

    WIP IT… WIP IT GOOD…

    Not too much progress with the book this month. Did start to learn more on how screenwriters formulate their manuscripts. This info should be very helpful for Book 2 of Rescuing Whiskey’s Salvation series. Unfortunately, got side tracked by roof repair, which led into cleaning out the spare bedroom, which in turn caused the distraction of getting all the clutter out of the house. It’s not all out yet, but back to writing again. Did come up with a great idea for those who like to pitch their books. Looking into creating an app for this. Wrote out all the ideas for it. Ever have one of those days when nothing gets done because focusing on one thing is a complete distraction. No? Yeah, me neither. Hahaha!

    QUERYING…

    Wanted to send out a query letter or two, even found a few agencies and a few publishers but realized they were requesting books different from RESCUING WHISKEY’S SALVATION is written in. What a bummer! But still looking for others to submit too.

    THE CRAFT

    This month’s writing tip…

    Use the MICE quotient to help write conflict into your story. The MICE quotient stands for

    M… milieu

    I… Inquiry

    C… Character

    E… Events

    Check out the explanation on the June 20, 2020 podcast Writing Excuses (Season 15)

    https://writingexcuses.com/2020/06/21/15-25-using-the-mice-quotient-for-conflict/

    THE HOLIDAYS:

    Not many this month. Maybe a few National days like #NationalHugAHoundogDay or something like that. Pretty tame month, but then again it is fair season around these parts and school is back in session even though it may only be for two or three days a week. Labor Day came and went with much ado about nothing. Did drink some wine with friends a couple of nights this month, but not to celebrate a holiday. Hoping next month will be better though.

    MY BOOKSHELF:

    1. The Screen Writer’s Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script by David Trottier
    2. Revelations From The Dead: Chronicles of the Night Waster by Max Willi Fischer
    3. Making Description Work Hard For You; Crafting Unforgettable Fiction Book 1 by Beth Yarnall

    SEASONAL FAVORITES:

    SEASON: Fall

    SPORTS TEAM: Indians, Buckeyes, Browns… Oh my!

    COLOR: Dark Brown

    CAUSE: The Seeing Eye

    SONG: Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden

    FOOD: Sweetbread…Yummy!

    HOT DRINK: French Vanilla cappuccino

    FLOWER: Daisies and roses…better yet…both!

    DID YOU KNOW…

    Dexcom G6 is a fabulous continuous glucose monitor. No more finger pricks. This is almost like having the pancreas working on its own again. Provides a lot of freedom. One quick look at the iPhone app to see the blood sugars and you’re good to go. And if you want to dress your CGM up why not try an overlay patch from Expression Med?

    Lots of great designs. Puppy paws, flowers, flags, shamrocks, etc. Check them out with the link below and get $5 off your firsts order. Hopefully you’ll love them too.

    PRICKLERS OF THE MONTH…

    • Mail in ballots. Get out and vote people!
    • Anonymous writers. Makes the children’s lyric of “Liar, liar, pants on fire” come to mind.
    • Mask, shutdowns, social distancing… and let’s not forget the reason for it… COVID-19.
    • Mosquitoes. Help! Send dragonflies and mint!
    • Socialists and communists. American Patriots and Capitalism is the only way to go!

    THEY SAID…

    “You can fix anything, but a blank page.”

    –              Nora Roberts

    HOMETOWN UPDATE:

    • Walmart is open until 10 pm now. But not much else. Most businesses are closing around 7 pm maybe 8 pm, but bars can serve until 10 pm and then lights out at 11 pm. It’s a blast from the past when nothing was open on Sundays and offices and shops closed up at 5 pm.
    • Woosterfest has already been cancelled.
    • Wooster High School football is only playing conference teams, which leaves us with six for the year. Only one played at home though…and we are kicking butt! Go Woo!
    • The renovations to Wooster’s square downtown are complete. More space to sit outside some of the businesses, like at Tulipan’s Hungarian Bakery and Coffee Shop, etc. The Farmer’s Market is still open, but only for a few more Saturdays.

    INQUISITIVE MINDS…

    The Muses want to know… Do you prefer reading books where the antagonist looks to rule the universe or ones who just want to rule the office? And why?

    Please comment below…

    GOOSING OFF…

    Goosie & Gander

    Busy month, believe it or not. First it started out with dressing up for the Kentucky Derby. Yes, that’s right. Kentucky Derby. No it’s not May, its September but due to the whole virus thing it got pushed back. So they dressed up for the roses. Gander took it a little too far, but he’s adorable as usual.

    Plenty of apple picking this month too.

    Even a romp with their pups.

    And even though college football might not start until October they felt the need to get into the spirit of it all. And of course they are going to watch the Browns and they are continuing to cheer on the Indians too.

    And don’t forget about National Teddy Bear Day. Gander had a blast showing off his Teddy Bear. Maybe someday they’ll get a Winnie the pooh outfit.

    But for now, they are happy with the results of the local fair. Ribbons won for Gander cow, Goosie Pumpkin …

    All while enjoying French Fries and lemonade with placement with some square dancing to top off the week.

    Boy Howdy!

    FIND ME…

    Twitter: Chrissy Hartmann @USAWriter355

    Facebook:

    https://www.facebook.com/USAWriter355

     

     

    WEBSITES:

    Expression Med $5 off Coupon for patches

    http://expressionmed.refr.cc/christinabenchoff

    Dexcom G6 CGM (Continuous glucose monitor)

    https://dexcom.com/g6

    Goose Outfits by Terri Fredericks

    https://www.facebook.com/gooseoutfitsbyterri

    The Seeing Eye

    http://www.theseeingeye.org/

    Instacart Refer a friend $10 off coupon

    https://inst.cr/t/cTlEVXBRMWN1

    Walmart Refer A Friend $10 off Coupon

    https://i5.walmartimages.com/dfw/4ff9c6c9-6e21/k2-_154d214f-c74f-4ee2-a20d-843fe28a8b61.v1.png

  • Prickle Forrest ChroniclesJuly 2020 Newsletter

    PRICKLE FORREST CHRONICLES

    July 2020 (Posted 07/29/2020

    By Chrissy Hartmann

     

    No Fourth of July celebration. No community celebration of Independence Day. The city not festive at all. The town sits stagnate in the presence of this pandemic. But is it truly a pandemic? Or is it the figment of fear?

    The hot humid days of summer have arrived. Unfortunately, with this pandemic it makes it difficult to cool down. No fun filled days going to the local pool unless of course you call ahead for a reservation for a quick dip. Needless to say, the air conditioner is getting a workout and will be happy to see the fall come sooner rather than later.

    The flowers look beautiful and the grass is quite green, but unless it doesn’t rain soon the possibility of gazing out onto a brown patchy yard is inevitable.

    Hope runs abundant for the autumn that this turmoil will exit our beautiful lands and the days of peace return. God bless America!

     

     

     

    THE TOP FIVE

    1. Rescuing Whiskey’s Salvation finished and sent to publisher.
    2. Hand-dipped ice cream.
    3. Baseball is back! Go Tribe!
    4. Lemonade.
    5. That Blind Tech Show.

     

     

    WIP IT… WIP IT GOOD…

    Working on book 2 to the Rescuing Whiskey’s Salvation series. As of right now, only going to write it as a 2-book series. Reworked the outline so it better fits the romance beats that Gwen Hayes teaches. Much stronger storyline and character arcs. About six chapters written with a few edits. Loving it!

     

     

    QUERYING…

    Made the changes EP suggested and sent it back to them as of July 13th. Hoping to hear back from them within 60 days with some positive news and maybe an offer. Had lots of help from the Wayne Novelist Guild, RedPen, two literary agents, and a number of others are on the page of acknowledgments of the book.

    Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

     

     

    THE CRAFT

    This month’s writing tip…

    If you are writing a romance, please read Romancing the Beat, Story Structure for Romance Novels. How to write kissing book 1 by Gwen Hayes. It’s a short book — very short, but does a fantastic job of explaining how romance beats are different from other genres. It’s a tremendous help for creating your outline.

     

     

    THE HOLIDAYS:

    Fourth of July or Independence Day arrived and unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 status our stupid state government officials made it very hard to celebrate the holiday. Surreal! And with all the riots, the thought of what country this actually is crossed the brain waves a number of times. Going to a cookout at the end of the month down in the hollar. Should be fun with lots of good food. Hopefully, no one will put the 4-wheeler into the pond this time. Oops! But it will be fabulous to hang out with everyone.

     

     

    MY BOOKSHELF:

    1. Romancing the Beat, Story Structure for Romance Novels. How to write kissing book 1 by Gwen Hayes
    2. Five Secrets of Story Structure; How to write a novel that stands out by K.M. Weiland
    3. The Bachelor; Duke Dynasty #2 by Sabrina Jeffries
    4. The Bromance Book Club #1 by Lyssa K. Adams

     

     

    SEASONAL FAVORITES:

    SEASON: Summer

    SPORTS TEAM: Cleveland Indians. Go Tribe!

    COLOR: Dark Brown

    CAUSE: The Seeing Eye

    SONG: Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden

    FOOD: Crisps Sweet Peas… Yummy!

    HOT DRINK: Iced French vanilla cappuccino.

    FLOWER: Daisies and roses…better yet…both!

     

     

    DID YOU KNOW…

    Dexcom G6 is a fabulous continuous glucose monitor. No more finger pricks. This is almost like having the pancreas working on its own again. Provides much freedom. One quick look at their app to monitor the blood sugars and one is good to go. And if you want to dress your CGM up why not try an overlay patch from Expression Med? Lots of great designs. Puppy paws, black cats, flowers, flags, shamrocks, etc. Check them out with the link below and get $5 off your firsts order. Hopefully you’ll love them as much as I do.

    http://expressionmed.refr.cc/christinabenchoff

     

     

    PRICKLERS OF THE MONTH..

    • Cancellation of 4th of July fireworks.
    • Rioters!
    • Rain storms that cause wind damage to the roof and inexperienced insurance adjusters.
    • The phrase “the new normal.”
    • Fascists, Socialists, Communists, Liberals.
    • COVID-19 mask bullies.

     

     

    THEY SAID…

    “The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do. ”

    – Thomas Jefferson

     

     

    HOMETOWN UPDATE:

    • Unfortunately, due to this rotten Rona Walmart, Kohl’s, CVS, etc. are now requiring masks to enter their stores.
    • The Wayne Novelist Guild is using Facebook meet to hold their bimonthly meetings until the Wayne County Public Library can open back up to the public.
    • Wooster downtown Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA), which establishes boundaries for patrons to walk around with open containers of alcoholic beverages during specified times or events is now allowed.

     

     

    INQUISITIVE MINDS…

    The Muses want to know…

    Should everyone wear a mask or should just those vulnerable be the ones to wear them?

     

    Please comment below.

     

     

    GOOSING OFF…

    Goosie & Gander

    The geese are trying to do their best to lighten the mood, and celebrate each day with merriment with bright colors, patriotic themes, and traditions of summer. They started the month out rocking the patriotic colors of red, white, and blue. Then they wanted to remind everyone not to forget about their pink friends, the flamingos and another , a delicious, favorite, the plump strawberry season. And let’s not forget the blooms of the summer. Last but not least, they are thrilled to head to the pool with the sunny days. Enjoy!

     

     

     

    FIND ME…

    Twitter: Chrissy Hartmann @USAWriter355

     

    Facebook:

    www.facebook.com/usawriter355

     

     

    http://www.facebook.com/AuthorChrissyHartmann

     

    WEBSITES:

    Expression Med $5 off Coupon for patches

    Dexcom G6 CGM (Continuous glucose monitor)

    https://dexcom.com/g6

     

    Goose Outfits by Terri Fredericks

    https://www.facebook.com/gooseoutfitsbyterri

    Prickle Forrest Creations goose shoes

    Order via E-mail pfcreations@gmail.com

     

    The Seeing Eye

    http://www.theseeingeye.org/

     

     

    Instacart Refer a friend $10 off coupon

    https://inst.cr/t/cTlEVXBRMWN1

     

    Walmart Refer A Friend $10 off Coupon

  • Prickle Forrest Chronicles May 2020 Newsletter

    PRICKLE FORREST CHRONICLES

    May 2020 (Posted 05/17/2020

    By Chrissy Hartmann

     

     

    Spring’s arrived! Easter’s passed. Normally a celebration of rebirth. But not this year. Sure blooming flowers fill the landscapes, Blue Skye’s hang overhead, but life itself casts a shadow over the splendors of Mother Nature.

    Death invades the land. Liberal instability longs for conquest. Concepts of destruction feed our fears.

    But always remember, Good trumps evil. The Darkness fades from light. Strength, resilience, and patience create survivors. Learn from it. Keep faith. The good shall win. And once again, the colors of happiness will bloom and this evil will fade into a distant memory. Stay strong. Stay Safe. Never give up. This is a time of rebirth. A time to show the doubters we will endure. Step out of the darkness and do what’s right. Celebrate! Live! Love! Never give up!

    And for goodness sake, KEEP WASHING THOSE HANDS!

     

     

    THE TOP 5

    1. Happy Mother’s Day!
    2. Unlock America begins. Greatness here we come again!
    3. Major League Baseball returns July 1st!
    4. Hydroxychloroquine, the destroyer of COVID-19.
    5. Faithful Little Cupcake… local bakery. Latest 2 flavors Peach and Elvis Presley… YUMMY!

     

    * 

     

    WIP (Work In Progress):

    Book 2 for the Whiskey series plods along. Now that edits are finished will have the time to write more. Hoping to get it finished by the end of the year. Love writing this one, so it won’t take forever…especially since will be following an actual outline this time. Woohoo! Woohoo!

     

     

    QUERYING:

    Starting June 1st. Sending the requested changes to EP first. Will give them a week’s advance, then submitting the manuscript to a list of 10 literary agents/publishers. Plan to continue its query until one sticks or book 2 of the series is completed. Already have 5 chapters written out of the 30 proposed. Woohoo!

     

     

    THE CRAFT

    This month’s writing tip…

    Check out the following posts for help with cutting out the distance in your writing…

     

    Narrative Distance by Jennifer Ellis

    https://www.jenniferellis.ca/narrative-distance/

     

     

    How to eliminate distance using Deep POV by Lisa Hall-Wilson

    How To Eliminate Distance In Deep Point of View

     

     

    THE HOLIDAYS:

    Celebrated Mother’s Day…started the day out with a call from Mom, AKA RedPen. She’s reading over the edits to the novel. So far, she likes the changes. That’s good news. She can be brutal sometimes.

    In college, she returned letters corrected. No reply. Just corrected. Yes, corrected. Yikes!

    Slept until 2 pm, but did wake for breakfast in bed with mimosas. Yummy! Then spent a couple of hours out in the sunshine watching two of the three kiddos play in the yard. Punkin discovered she could slip under the fence and explore the neighbor’s flower garden. Obviously, she’s not noticed their new puppy, Rudy, an 11-year-old retired greyhound. He’s very gentle. Just hope she realizes this. Actually, not sure if Winnie’s seen him yet either. He’s a very mild guy who appreciates his naptime.

    A storm blew in, so the deck emptied for the safety of the house…and Coccia House pizza and anti-pasta salad. Unfortunately no more mimosas.

    Received a beautiful handmade card and a bouquet of red-red roses from #1 kiddo and hubby. No baby’s breath in them, thank goodness, because otherwise you’d find Punkin’s picture plastered all over this page with her climbing into the vase attacking them. What is it with kittens and baby’s breath? Sheesh!

    Finished the holiday with some social media perusing and the search for new reading material. Will check the LOC BARD first then Kindle. Hopefully something will inspire its selection. Recommendations welcomed for entertaining literature. Please Post title suggestions below in the comment section.

    As for Memorial Day…Wondering if Ohio plans to cancel this next? Hmm? I doubt any parades will take place…not with these ridiculous rules of social distancing. Obviously, our governor and his team of health experts need to be educated on the concept of “Herd Immunity.”

     

     

    MY BOOKSHELF:

    1. Unfreedom of the Press by Mark R. Levin
    2. The Writer Magazine
    3. George Washington’s Secret Six: The Spies Who Saved America by Brian Kilmeade
    4. Writing Deep Scenes; Plotting Your Story through Action, Emotion, and Theme by Martha Alderson

     

     

    SPRINGTIME SEASONAL FAVORITES:

    SPORTS TEAM: The Cleveland Indians. MLB starting up July 1st… Woohoo! Go Tribe!

    COLOR: Dark Brown, white, and pink.

    CHARITY: The Seeing Eye

    SONG: Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden

    FOOD: Homemade Buffalo cauliflower wings. Yummy!

    HOT DRINK: French vanilla cappuccino.

    FLOWER: Tulips, daisies, and roses…better yet…all of them!

     

     

    DID YOU KNOW…

    Dexcom G6 is a fabulous continuous glucose monitor. No more finger pricks. This is almost like having my pancreas working on its own again. Gives me a lot of freedom. One quick look at my iPhone app to see my blood sugars and I’m good to go.

    And if you want to dress your CGM up why not try an overlay patch from Expression Med? Many great designs. Puppy paws, flowers, flags, shamrocks, etc. Check them out with the link below and get $5 off your firsts order. Hopefully you’ll love them too!

     

     

    PRICKLES OF THE MONTH…

    • Coronavirus, COVID, COVID-19 — whatever you call it, it sucks!
    • Obama Administration — Liars! Liars! Liars!
    • Face masks — Really? You think that’s going to work? How about “herd immunity?”
    • Social distancing — 4th of July fireworks cancelled. What? It’s only May!

     

     

    THEY SAID…

    “I conceive a knowledge of books is the basis upon which other knowledge is to be built.”

    By George Washington

     

     

    HOMETOWN UPDATE:

    • Wooster’s Walmart started their online shopping and curbside pickup. Started May 15th. Already had the app downloaded and the shopping cart is full. Pickup scheduled for Tuesday May 19th at 6 pm. No shopper fees or tipping. No extra charges like Instacart. Hoping to do most grocery shopping via Walmart but plan to use Instacart on rare occasions for deliveries, but if they decide to ever do the pickup service in my town, then will definitely shop with them on a regular basis. Too bad Aldiss and other stores don’t do what Walmart’s doing.
    • Wooster City Schools still trying to figure out what they plan to do for our graduating class. Why they can’t have it outside in the stadium with a limited group of spectators is puzzling. Do half the class one day then the other half the next day. Makes one wonder what they plan for next school year if they can’t even figure this out. Hmm?
    • Pretty much all social entertainment whether it be music, sports, or any community based activity canceled for the summer. Wayne County Fair still on the calendar so keep the fingers crossed it survives.

     

     

    INQUISITIVE MINDS WANT TO KNOW….

    The Muses wonder…Should masks be required or should it be the individual’s choice?

     

     

    GOOSING OFF>…

    Goosie & Gander

    The Geese have celebrated a birthday, played in the rain, jumped around like frogs, and are patiently waiting to honor our Vets for memorial day. They do plan to show off a couple of new outfits they purchased with their share of the stimulus check. And if you’re looking for that fabulous modiste to make your own geese fashionable check out one of their favorite designers, Terri Fredericks. Contact info below. Check her out!

    But until the new haute couture arrives, enjoy their current spring collection…

     

     

    FIND ME…

    Twitter: Chrissy Hartmann @USAWriter355

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USAWriter355/

     

     

    WEBSITES:

    Expression Med $5 off Coupon for patches

    http://expressionmed.refr.cc/christinabenchoff

     

     

    Dexcom G6 CGM (Continuous glucose monitor)

    https://dexcom.com/g6

     

     

    Goose Outfits by Terri Fredericks

    https://www.facebook.com/gooseoutfitsbyterri

     

     

    The Seeing Eye

    http://www.theseeingeye.org/

     

     

    Instacart

    https://inst.cr/t/cTlEVXBRMWN1