Friday, October 29, 2010

Excuse me, I'M speaking right now.

This is what my friend Bridget used to say whenever someone tried to interrupt her during a story.   It cracked me up every time (even if I was usually the culprit trying to interrupt).  And also reminded me of some of the fundamental differences between Americans and the French.

I figured the phrase would be appropriate today since I’m going to *ahem* tell a story.  Wednesday’s post prompted a couple questions about

1-      1.  how I came to live in France and
2-      2. what’s it like to live there?

Answer to #1-  I studied abroad my junior year of college.  It’s really not as complicated as it sounds.  Basically I took one semester of French my sophomore year- decided I wanted to be bilingual and applied to the program.  I got accepted and a couple loan applications later- was on my way!

I didn’t really grow fluent until eight months into the program when I left (okay, fine.  I was kicked out of ) the apartment with my American friends and started dating the drummer of my French rock group.   Three months later we flew back to the U.S. as a ‘party of three’ – me, my hubby, and our first daughter who was already in the works.  Hubby and I eloped so he could stay in the country.  He studied at the English program for foreign students while I tried to wrap up my senior year of college.   When our daughter was born in February, I realized trying to finish a 21 credit semester with a newborn was damn near impossible.  School work piled up along with hours of missed sleep and I finally decided ‘this isn’t working’.  We moved back to France in May 2004 and have been living here ever since.

Answer to #2-  Living in France did take some getting used to.  I honesty could take up pages and pages (I would write a book if it hadn’t been done a million times before) on how the French live.   So, I guess I’ll just give the BIG differences:

Culture: 
Americans like to entertain each other through every means imaginable.  It’s not just music, movies and television.  Americans like to entertain with their every word, story, or mannerism.  It becomes ingrained in how we move, act, and speak.  Honestly, I miss this.  I miss our humor.
The French don’t feel the need to entertain.  They don’t talk just to hear themselves.  When they communicate it’s for one simple reason- communication.  They don’t try and be funny (which doesn’t mean they never are- but it’s a different kind of humor).  A great example of this is French film.  There are no just plain funny French movies.  It’s all ‘dark comedy’ or ‘dramatic comedy’.  The French are all about interpretation.

Food:
American’s don’t have time to cook like most other countries cook.  Canned soup recipes have held on from their post world war glory days and Americans love savory stews and casseroles that are reminiscent of the calories we used to need when we were all frontiersmen or farmers that we really don’t need now that most of us are behind a desk all day.  The desire for the big meat and potato meals has stayed- but the time to prepare them has waned.  So in comes the crock pots, or the prepared frozen breaded chicken breasts, hamburger helper, frozen veggies, etc…

In France- health care is free (or paid for, rather, by the government) which means they WANT their citizens as healthy as possible.  French are prompted by their national news to eat by the seasons.  We always know what’s being harvested, where, and when to expect it in our grocery store.  We know what wines and cheeses have hit their aging date and what meats they should be consumed with.  While there are plenty of old time recipes (most often prepared in a pressure cooker rather than a crock pot to save on time and electricity) that have a crème or butter base- there’s a large preference for Mediterranean style cooking with olive oil and fresh produce.

Other tid bits:  
While French don’t like to entertain, they are fabulous at throwing temper tantrums.  From strikes out on the street, to creating a scandal at the post office- throwing a tantrum is how to get what you want in France.  Things not going your way?  Get loud.  Either that or a sob story.  French love a good sob story.  Again…it’s all about interpretation.

The French have a road rage that rivals almost any other country.  It’s like driving does something to their brains that turns even the most gentle and level headed individual into a raving, angry lunatic that spews obscenities with every breath.

In contrast to the above (because the French are often walking talking contradictions) -the French are much more polite than we give them credit for.  Actually, I’m convinced that the stereotype of them being ‘rude’ is due to this over politeness.  When you walk into any commerce in France, the common protocol is to say ‘hello’ to the person behind the counter and ‘goodbye’ when you leave.  When you ask someone for help you begin with ‘Hello, I’m sorry to bother you but…’-  You probably aren’t really bothering them, it’s their job.  But if you don’t say your sorry about it, they’ll act like you are bothering them.  If you don’t say hello when you enter, they won’t speak to you the whole time you’re there or will be crisp and cold because you are the ‘rude’ American who didn’t say ‘hello’ or just burst out their question without the proper introduction.  In the French’s eyes- we’re the rude ones and they’re just reacting to it.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Coming Home

Two weeks.  Yes, it most definitely takes at least two weeks for me to get back in the flow whenever I come home to the U.S. 

I only go back every two or three years and I’ve been living here in France for almost eight years over all. 

After two weeks of hanging out with loved ones, I finally get my Yankee accent back and stop pausing between words with a very french ‘eeehhhhh’. 

In two weeks, the commercials every five minutes don’t wig me out or make me feel like they’re intentionally enhancing attention deficit disorder.

In two weeks, I can handle the food.  The smell of greasy pizza that permeates most shopping centers and highways becomes second nature to me once again.  Eating meals that have so much flavoring, cheeses, spices, salts or batters that it becomes hard to identify the base ingredients doesn’t phase me in. the. least.

After two weeks, I’m able to go into a grocery store without having a panic attack.  The boxes and bottles and pre-prepared everyfreakingthing doesn’t creep me out as much.  So what if it takes me twenty minutes to find plain couscous or I have to drive forty minutes to find fish fresh enough to make sushi?  No big deal!

In two weeks time, I stop being ‘french’ and find my way back to my roots.  However, this time around, I only went back to the United States for...

Four days.

Thank God it was four days of whirlwind activity.  My cousin was getting married.  I was a bridesmaid.  I went straight from Boston airport to the rehearsal dinner and just kept going from there.   In four days I managed to go to the wedding rehearsal, go shopping, get out to my favorite restaurant for some New England baked stuffed lobster, and (more importantly) out to the old town bar for a drink.  

Then there was the wedding, the reception, and the after party.   Monday I went back to my highschool and spoke with all the french classes about how I ended up in France and the differences in culture and language.  My first french teacher was still there and she was ecstatic to have me.  I have to say lots have changed since I was in highschool.  My old school was torn down and they built a beautiful modern school over it.  I was so jealous of the neat morning announcements with the principle saying the pledge of allegience on screen and an honest-to-goodness student news program like something out of 90210.  I’m pretty sure I was the only one in the whole class who listened to the program though…

But again, like I said, it was only four days.  I had no time to watch television (thank god).  No one expected me to go food shopping (if I had, they probably would have found me eight days later looking like Tom Hanks in ‘castaway’).

 Due to the time difference, fatigue, and my cold, I could barely manage to speak english normally and everyone kept commenting on my ‘accent’ which really just, in my opinion,  sounded like I had woken up from a coma with brain damage.

It was peak weekend for the colored Connecticut leaves and the weather was uncharactaristicaly warm at around 75 degrees tuesday!  All in all I had an amazing trip!  Thank you all for your well wishes last week and I look forward to catching up with you!

To start- how was everyone’s weekend?:)

*CQG*

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Oh Query Day! Oooohh Query Daaayy...

First off, I wanna give a special birthday shout out to a child blogger who never fails to add a smile to the blogosphere.  Lenny Lee is turning 11 today!  He’s been through a lot and we’re so happy he’s with us to share his sunny comments, dreams and writing!  

Happy Birthday / Joyeux Anniversaire Lenny!! 

Other news:  It’s query day.  Duh duh duh!!   Last beta feedback has been incorporated and I’ve received the ‘thumbs up’  so I’ve decided to grow a pair #hitsend and test the waters... just to see.  I guess I probably shouldn’t have querried my top choice agents first but what can I say?  I’m a glutton for punishment.   Thanks for sticking with me these last six weeks while I’ve talked about my own Creepy Revision Process and Killing Time Between Revisions…Productively If you missed it and want a recap- we talked about:




And READING BOOKS  Yes- you guessed it!  The last way to kill time between revisions productively is to read!  I got through Dan Brown’s ‘The Last Symbol’- which reminded me that books containing long winded detail, description, and explications still exist in the adult world (I’d almost forgotten while hybernating in my YA cave) and these books are still just as good!  I also read ‘Wicked Lovely’ and ‘Personal Demons’.  Which leaves ‘Wintergirls’ and ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ for the plane ride to the U.S. and back this weekend!  Whoohoo!


Let the query wars begin!  Wish me luck!

**Okay I swear I really am UNPLUGGING now until I get back from my U.S. trip next Wednesday!  I’ll miss you all!!**

*CQG*

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Das Right- Alex J. Cavanaugh's CASSASTAR is heah!

Aaaaaand I’m back.   LOL.  I guess I could’ve waited a few more days to announce my unpluggedness since I have two announcements going up this week (that I didn’t intentionally forget about.  Then again who ever forgets anything intentionally?)  Anywhoo-  Today’s big news?

CassaStar- Fellow blogger and friend Alex J. Cavanaugh’s book comes out TODAY!!  I’m so excited for him!-  Congrats Alex!  You must be over the moon!  Here’s a quick blurb:

CassaStar by Alex J. Cavanaugh
Science fiction/adventure/space opera
ISBN 9780981621067 Dancing Lemur Press LLC

To pilot the fleet’s finest ship…

Few options remain for Byron. A talented but stubborn young man with a troubled past and rebellious attitude, his cockpit skills are his only hope. Slated to train as a Cosbolt fighter pilot, Byron is determined to prove his worth and begin a new life as he sets off for the moon base of Guaard.

Much to Byron’s chagrin, the toughest instructor in the fleet takes notice of the young pilot. Haunted by a past tragedy, Bassa eventually sees through Byron's tough exterior and insolence. When a secret talent is revealed during training, Bassa feels compelled to help Byron achieve his full potential.

As war brews on the edge of space, time is running short. Byron requires a navigator of exceptional quality to survive, and Bassa must make a decision that could well decide the fate of both men. Will their skills be enough as they embark on a mission that may stretch their abilities to the limit?

It’s always so exciting when one of our own has their big release date!  Please support Alex by checking out his site- and of course, if you like what you saw here- buy the book!

*CQG*

Monday, October 18, 2010

Unplugged

 So, I don’t know if many noticed but I’ve been almost MIA this last week.  Why, you ask?  Well, because I started this great activity where people give you money if you show up at a certain time and do what they ask.  Yes.  A job.

I’m back to work teaching english to primary school french children.  Between my new schedule, my kids schedules, doctors appointments, ballet and gym classes and trying, desperately, to get through critique material and prepare my own MS for submission-  the blogging is taking an offical backseat.  I’m sorry blogger, you cute little thing you.  I love stroking your pink and white checkered backdrop and gushing over all the comments that light up my day.  But alas, I must unplug until Wednesday.   And then I’ll be unplugged from then until NEXT Wednsday.

I’m leaving (on a jet plane)—really, who can resist?)  Friday –and going HOME (well, my old home- that is CONNECTICUT!) for FOUR WHOLE DAYS!!!  ALL BY MYSELF!!!  No kids.  No husband (though I love them dearly.)  I’m heading home for my cousin’s wedding (I’m a bridesmaid- always wanted to be one.  I know that’s lame but it’s true.)  Words can’t express how excited I am.  I will take pictures- even though I’m not sure how excited ya’ll will get over the inside of CT Walmarts and shopping centers.

I’ll miss my blogging pals!

*CQG*

Thursday, October 14, 2010

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

In the last few weeks, I’ve been going over ways of ‘Killing Time Between Revisions…Productively.
So far I’ve used this time to :


And today I wanted to talk about an absolutely fabulous way of helping time go by:

Critiquing.

First of all, I’m always honored whenever someone asks me to take a look at their work.  It means they trust me and value my opinion, and in some way- think I know what the hell I’m doing.  Which is a plus.
Also- Critiquing other people’s writing is the gift that keeps on giving because it’s a great way to hone your own critical eye and make it easier to see common mistakes in your work.
A few tips I try to use-

 I make sure I know exactly what kind of feeback the writer is looking for.  

By the time I’m getting a draft of someone’s work, they probably are more worried about the big picture- plot, characterization, and pacing issues.  If I see something that worded awkwardly or a misused or mis-spelled word, I will point it out, of course- but I never pick apart a piece in a line-editing sort of way unless the person is concerned about a certain passage and asks me to do just that.  Nothing is more discouraging than having every sentence questioned and picked apart all while the big issues are mearly skimmed over-   (its like, when I tried to wash my dad’s guitar with toilet paper.  The good intentions were there, but in the end, the guitar definitely didn’t shine. )

I set aside time where I can truly focus on the piece. 

I don’t like trying to critique while working on my own stuff or reading a different book.  I treat each project like I’m a consumer- sitting down to read a new book all the while keeping in mind everything I’ve learned about how agents work, and the craft of writing to help make the project better.

 I record any thoughts or comments in the side bar but also give an ‘overall’ review of the project.  

The overall focuses on the biggest things mentioned above while the notes are a great way to relate back to the writer what bits we enjoyed, what parts were confusing or awkwardly worded, where the voice was off, or where the pacing lagged.  Personally, I devour the comments in the side bar as soon as someone sends me my work back and they really help me get a feel for how they liked (or didn’t like) the book.

There are tons of great sites with advice on how to be a better beta.  Agent Mary Kole wrote a great article on what a great critique group or parner means.  And writer’s social networks are a great way to meet other writers and find beta readers.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Revising in a 'Creepy' Way

This week, as promised, I’m going to share my revision process.  As most of you know, I am chairman and spokesperson for the ‘Revision Haters Club’ so you can imagine it took some honest determination to follow the steps below. - Kind of an experiment of sorts.

 I finished my rough draft September 14th and my goal was to have it query ready by the end of October.

I used a variant of Elana J’s method for ‘Editing Your Manuscript In Thirty Days’ along with some other great tips and advice I’ve picked up along the way.

Step One- I readied my manuscript for print out by rereading and fixing any obvious problems. 

Step Two- I went shopping.  Who doesn’t get excited about new office supplies?  In any case, they pumped me up for the process.

Step Three-  I printed out my manuscript, stuck it in a box and let it marinate for a while. 



Step Four-  I played 52 pick-up.  Basically I mixed up ALL the pages of my manuscript.  No, I didn’t throw them around the room and then spend an hour picking them up- that’s way too much physical activity for my taste.  But I did divide the manuscript into several piles and then took a page from each randomly until the entire thing was mixed up. 


Step Five-  I took my hustry trusty red pen and line edited each page- checking for misused or over-used words,  too much or too little description, tension, grammar and punctuation.  (I’ve got to say- this method ROCKS!  I picked up on so much more than I ever have when doing a beginning-to-end edit.)

Step Six- Once I finished all the pages, I put them back in order and recorded the first round edits on Draft 2.


Step Seven-  I left the draft alone for a few more days before taking out the green pen.  With the green pen and sticky notes, I went through it looking for things like pacing and plot discrepancies.  I decided to put some flashbacks into chronological order and change their placements for better pacing.  I also took a good look at each chapter, making sure there was a mini-conflict to create tension and an ending that entices.

Step Eight- Once this was done, I sent Draft  3 out to a couple beta readers and anxiously awaited their feedback.  See-  ‘Killing Time Between Revisions…Productively.’
Thankfully, my beta readers were awesome (and worked fast) and ten days later I had a whole new outlook on my MS.  My betas helped me figure out what was working, and what needed work- where my MC’s voice was off, and any confusing or unclear plot points that needed to be ironed out. 


By now, my MS is starting to look like there’s a second book written in the side bar- there are so many corrections, deletions, replacements, and commentaries.  But ALL of them have worked to polish things up.


Step Nine- integrate my beta’s feedback.

Step Ten-  Send it out to another batch of beta’s.  If I get the ‘thumbs up’ from them, I think I’ll be about ready to query!

I hope these ten steps will help all Revision Haters Club members who have a hard time getting motivated!  I have to say, revision time went by a lot faster and felt a lot more productive this time around than it ever has before!  Thanks to everyone who offered support and advice!

*CQG*


Friday, October 8, 2010

No Panic Attacks While Writing

That’s not to say that being a writer and dealing with the world of publishing isn’t stressful.  It is-  But in that low key, long term way that usually leads to ulcers instead of  flat out panic attacks.

In truth, I’d take an ulcer over anxiety freak-out any day.   I could never be an ambulance driver, for example.  Or any type of driver for that matter.

Apparently  getting my driver’s license in France means I have to drive everywhere now.  I’m what I like to call ‘directionally impaired’ and the tiny little swirvy French roads that are two lanes even though they should (logically, in width alone) be only one do nothing to help me overcome my handicap.  Not to mention the angry drivers who honk if I take too long to search for a road sign.

I had my first rendez-vous with my new boss this week.  I got lost.  Called my husband up who informed me ‘he is not a human gps’ but was kind enough to look up where I was on the internet and help me find my way.

I was late.  I couldn’t find a place to park.  Of course.   One way roads + tiny French cars that love to park bumper to bumper= never a fricking parking place anywhere.  While traveling the wrong way down a one way street, I saw a spot.  I had to back into it, over a small curb… at an angle.  And my car kept sputtering out (welcome to the world of the clutch system).

Restart

Reverse (btw the steering wheel is manual so I’m moving the two front tires by brute strength alone while sweating like a pig)

Car dies.

Restart the car (start to hyperventilate)

Reverse

Car dies.  (people are starting to pile up, waiting for me to move my ass)

By this time I was feeling like one of those rabbits who have heart attacks from stress.  Or those lizards whose tails fall off.  In any case, I’m pretty sure once I managed to park, I left a part of my ass in the seat.   I ran to the building, met my boss and we decided to walk together to the schools I’ll be working at this year.

As we pass by a car double parked in emergency parking space with the headlights, blinkers and windshield wipers still on she says “ what kind of an idiot parked here?”.

“Pfft.” I roll my eyes.  “Tell me about it. Those French.”

A second look at the car in question and I realized it was mine.

*sigh* 

What are your ‘never-no-way-in-hell’ jobs?

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Your Agent List

From now until the end of October, I’d like to to dedicate Wednesday posts to different ways of ‘Killing Time Between Revisions…Productively’.

Last week’s focus was perfecting the query letter. 

This week I’m going to tackle another daunting piece of the querying process:  Composing my agent list.

When I first started querying, I had no idea what I was doing.  I ordered ‘The Writer’s and Artist’s Yearbook 2009’ and figured I’d have to query in the UK because...it’s closer to France.  Unfortunately most agents in the UK don’t accept email queries and prefer posted packages that contain a query letter, synopsis, and first three chapters along with a self addressed envelope for those nifty little rejection cards they like to mail back.   Although, in many cases they EMAILED me their rejection, after all that.  Lazy bums.

Anyway, I spent about six months querying that way - waiting weeks and weeks for a response (not to mention the euros spent in postage)…before I realized that there was no reason not to query the American market.  At the time, I was using ‘Litmatch.com’ which has now become ‘AuthorAdvance.com’.  Their search engines were alright.  I made up a list of ten American agents, sent off the email on a Friday morning.  By Friday afternoon I had my first full request!  It ended in rejection, but from that moment on, I never sent out another hard copy query.

QueryTracker.net is probably the best resource I’ve ever seen for finding agents that represent the genre and age group you write in.   However, I’ve heard that the Guide to Literary Agents is a great resource and they’re editor’s blog is awesome for new agent updates and success stories.  But even with this resource, it’s best to take the time to check out the agency’s website, read the bios of all the agents on their team and really think about who sounds like the best fit for your work.  It’s time-consuming and let’s face it-  boring.  But if you can only submit to one agent at a certain agency, you better make sure it’s the right one.

With experience, I’ve learned to compile a list in fits and starts between revisions or while waiting for feedback.  

Picture this- you’re finally ready to query.  You’ve got your letter and a pretty polished manuscript.  So you pick a day, spend the morning researching agents, finally narrow it down to five or six after HOURS of scroll and click.  When it comes time to preparing the submission email- you’re tired, and cranky, and impatient and…MUCH MORE LIKELY TO MAKE A MISTAKE!!!  Trust me.

This time around, I’m playing it smart.  It took me two weeks to make up a list of ten agents- each of them from prominent agencies and agents who:

1.        1. Represent work that I enjoy and admire.  (I always flip to the acknowledgment pages to see if the author sited their agents, which in most cases, they have)

2.        2.  Represent my genre

I’m keeping the list on my computer and will probably draft all of my letters a week in advance- making sure they all respect the submission guidelines for each agency.  And while waiting for those rejections to come in, I’ll repeat the process.

What are some of your tips for composing an agent list?  Do you query hunt when the mood strikes?  Prepare in advance?  Send several out at once?  Or send one out every time a rejection rolls in?

Monday, October 4, 2010

Swearing in Your Query

As promised, I’m going to post my new query for FOSSEGRIM, after Matt Rush was kind enough to post it up last week for a three day critiquing session.  I got TONS of fabulous feedback, the key points being:

1.        1.  Your query should encompass the voice of your character and the tone of the story as much as possible.

2.       2.  The ‘hook’ should be within the first paragraph and offered in a way that really grabs the agent’s attention.

3.        3.There’s no need to be too specific.  Make sure you have your main conflict and the consequences if your MC doesn’t reach his/her goal.  (what’s at stake)

4.        4. Finally, the ending paragraph should be short and sweet and give very little information about the writer unless you have credentials.

You can see the original query letter here.  I’ve posted the new and improved version below followed by a question ...

*     *     *
Dear (specified agent)


Teen delinquent Sage Reynolds has been looking forward to his eighteenth birthday ever since he was dropped into ‘the system’.   Now, just six months away from freedom, his foster parents are sending him away to military school after one (okay, maybe two) run-ins with the law.  Sage was pretty sure he’d covered all his bases in the ‘screwed department'…that is, until he woke up on the bottom of the ocean with a freaking fish tail.


In this 70,000 word YA urban fantasy, Sage deals with the realities of turning ‘Fossegrim’- a mermaid race living off an enchanted island in the North Sea.  Truth is, Sage never asked to sprout a man-tail and shoot through the waves like a Disney character on ‘roids.  He’d do anything to get his old imperfect life back.  His one chance at becoming human again lies with the Fossegrim mermaid who threw the changing stone down on human land seventy years ago.  If Sage can find her and convince her to go back to the ocean, he can reclaim his humanity.  If he doesn’t, he’ll have to give up everything he loves and resign himself to life as a sushi-eating Fossefreak.


In addition to novels, I also write articles about publishing, the craft of writing, and the querying process which are featured on my blog- Creepy Query Girl. I am twenty eight years old, a married mother of three, and have been residing in France for the last six years.


I have included the first chapter below and the complete manuscript of FOSSEGRIM is available upon request.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
*     *     *

*CQG*

Now, I’ve tried rewriting the ‘screwed’ line a few times to tone it down.  The reason I put it in to begin with is because it’s very much a tone and language that Sage, the MC, would use.  But I’m wondering if it’s too harsh and might deter some agent’s interest in the story?  I've read about some agents accepting querries with far worse language, so it could be a matter of taste.

What do YOU think?  Keep the ‘screwed’?  Or screw the ‘screwed’?

Friday, October 1, 2010

Some Funny Sh*t

As a lover of analogies and a long time sufferer of ‘writing analogy addiction’, I had to share this with you guys.

" These analogies are the winning entries in a 1999 Washington Post humor contest"

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a ThighMaster.

2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife’s infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.

9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.

10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you’re on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.

12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.

14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan’s teeth.

16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.

18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long it had rusted shut.

19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.

20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.”

I found this post here. 
Have a great weekend everyone!
*CQG*

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