tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76092894373457123832024-03-14T02:42:35.799-07:00Confessions of An AuthoressThe life of an aspiring novelist, known as the Authoress.Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.comBlogger267125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-2473247122631662112017-05-18T02:59:00.000-07:002017-05-18T02:59:16.889-07:00A New Blog<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I have
given it a great deal of thought and decided to start a new blog. I dearly love
this old one; I’ve had it since 2008. But I feel I have outgrown it and its
time to have something a bit more professional. I have no intention of closing
this old blog down, but I don’t plan to update this one any more. If you want to hear more about my literary journey, my new blog is where you'll find me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">So,
without further ado, here is my new <a href="http://veronicaleighbooks.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Wordpress blog</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-63765517935147679472017-04-27T03:48:00.002-07:002017-05-17T02:08:01.172-07:00The Sweetest ThingHey All,<br />
<br />
I have published a short story entitled, "The Sweetest Thing," at the online magazine, Page & Spine. So if you like romance or chocolate, or sweet uncomplicated stories, please check it out. Thank you!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9RpCduYtovoCHIk5fdz0VIePlzN5Q3eoCKF77Yl2Xs0_EOytTM4c8T5e3p-xShEjObNpw5CrKCxhUI3z52S6dzEJeTC_hxL3kLywFRpKic4Eo2nQ_Tb2z9W9vwZnwHhKBdDT-Hc_NBvL/s1600/th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9RpCduYtovoCHIk5fdz0VIePlzN5Q3eoCKF77Yl2Xs0_EOytTM4c8T5e3p-xShEjObNpw5CrKCxhUI3z52S6dzEJeTC_hxL3kLywFRpKic4Eo2nQ_Tb2z9W9vwZnwHhKBdDT-Hc_NBvL/s1600/th.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.pagespineficshowcase.com/veronica-leigh.html" target="_blank">Click Here to read the story! </a><br />
<br />Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-47662275097297518852017-04-21T03:45:00.001-07:002017-04-21T03:45:54.531-07:00To Walk Invisible<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I
recently watched the new Masterpiece Theater Drama “To Walk Invisible,” which
features the story of the Bronte family. The only Bronte that I ever liked was
Anne Bronte, who wrote “Agnes Grey” and “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.” But I loved
the idea of a movie depicting the lives of three literary sisters in Victorian
England. I love movies about women writers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I
loved it. It’s very gritty; don’t expect something pristine or wholesome. This
is not Jane Austen or one of her comedy of manners. While the stars of the
Bronte sisters rose, the star of Branwell Bronte – their ne’er do well brother
– fell. He became addicted to alcohol and possibly drugs; the movie shows how
he spiraled out of control and how it affected the lives of his three sisters
and his elderly father. “To Walk Invisible” also implied that the Bronte
sisters incorporated their brother and his troubles into their works, “Jane
Eyre,” “Wuthering Heights,” and “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.” Though the
Bronte sisters achieved success, it was short-lived. The three sisters died
before their time, and their father outlived them all, and faced having to bury
his children. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.cultbox.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/sfaa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.cultbox.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/sfaa.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Unlike
“Becoming Jane” and “Miss Austen Regrets” (biopics on Jane Austen) there are no
manufactured romances in “To Walk Invisible.” This is simply a story of three
women who are determined to pursue happiness no matter what obstacles lie in
their path. The world was against them: society frowned on women who earned a
living; Christians condemned their books; they had to use male pseudonyms to be
taken seriously and then a rumor started that “Currer Bell” (Charlotte Bronte)
was really the author of all of their novels. But they persevered. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.mick-armitage.staff.shef.ac.uk/anne/brontes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.mick-armitage.staff.shef.ac.uk/anne/brontes.jpg" height="400" width="278" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I
read “Jane Eyre” a lifetime ago and didn’t like it. I always considered myself
a Jane Austen girl. But lately I recently re-read it and fell in love with this
passionate book. So, I am going to give “Wuthering Heights” a try and see where
that leads. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-76385541173433753882017-04-07T03:01:00.001-07:002017-04-07T03:01:19.575-07:00Rescuers<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The
movie, “The Zookeeper’s Wife” has finally been released in theaters. I am
ecstatic! I have been waiting at least two years for this movie to debut. It is
the story of Antonina and Jan Zabinski who managed the Warsaw Zoo and during
WWII, they saved approximately 300 Jews from genocide. They were later honored
by the Yad Vashem and considered the Righteous Among the Nations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Those
who rescued Jews were an interesting breed of people. No two were exactly
alike; their motives for risking their lives and the lives of their families
varied. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16px;">Some were like Corrie ten Boom and believed that the Jewish were God’s chosen people and had to be spared.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.biography.com/.image/t_share/MTMwMTk1Mzg5OTI3MTgwMjk4/oscar-schindlerjpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://www.biography.com/.image/t_share/MTMwMTk1Mzg5OTI3MTgwMjk4/oscar-schindlerjpg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Others were like Oskar Schindler, who never
set out to save Jews, yet he fell in love with his Jewish workers. "I knew
the people who worked for me. When you know people, you have to behave towards
them like human beings." Schindler said, when asked why he did what he
did. Though not a “good” man by the standards of most, when others looked away,
Schindler helped.</span></div>
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<a href="http://yadmedia.yadvashem.org/yadvashem/Righteous_Among_The_Nations/lexicon/Poland/1379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://yadmedia.yadvashem.org/yadvashem/Righteous_Among_The_Nations/lexicon/Poland/1379.JPG" height="320" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Leopold
Socha, a former thief turned sewer worker, stumbled upon several Jewish people hiding
in the sewers of Lvov. He promised to help them for a price, and then
influenced by his Catholic faith and the friendship that developed, he
continued to hide them when they could no longer afford to pay him. After the
war, he died saving his own daughter’s life and the ones he hid returned to
honor his memory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.ldf3sIjnQzH8mWq8MgG3XwDLEs&pid=15.1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.ldf3sIjnQzH8mWq8MgG3XwDLEs&pid=15.1" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Miep
Gies knew the Frank and van Pels families and Fritz Pfeffer personally and
insisted that she never did anything heroic. She simply did what many other
Dutch countrymen and women did. That she saved Anne Frank’s diary was by sheer
happenstance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Stefania Podgorska also knew two of the thirteen people she
rescued, and after the war she married one of them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.Fa2aQ_p0fNt3Ap9A3GHFWAD2Es&pid=15.1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.Fa2aQ_p0fNt3Ap9A3GHFWAD2Es&pid=15.1" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Irena
Sendler’s father had been a physician and died treating poor Jewish people who
had typhus. He had always taught her that, “If you see a man drowning, you must
jump in and save him, even if you cannot swim.” That belief led her to become a
social worker and then become involved with Zegota; in turn she and numerous
others saved 2500 lives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The
rescuers were simply ordinary people who were given the chance to do the right
thing. That was the one thing they all had in common. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I’m
going to end this post with one of my favorite prayers</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">: “<span style="background: white; color: #333333;">Lord,
make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is
despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.</span>”</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-22422862455596660812017-03-08T09:19:00.000-08:002017-03-08T09:19:36.304-08:00Writing is Hard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://newstoriesoldbook.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/writing-is-hard.gif?w=604" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://newstoriesoldbook.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/writing-is-hard.gif?w=604" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">I’m
sure some of you have seen this meme bouncing around the internet. And it’s true:
writing is hard. But publication is harder. </span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">I’ve
recently had another story accepted for publication. I was on the verge of
tearing my hair out, fretting that I would never be published again. You never
know, really. Writing/Publishing is a subjective business. What works for one
magazine or publication won’t work for another. I’ve had editors tell me that
they really liked and enjoyed my stories, but that they just didn’t cut the
mustard. They loved it, but they weren’t “in love” with it. It’s not personal;
it’s never personal. Yet we always take it personally. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">I
should know by now that there is no exact time frame for submission to
acceptance/publication. My latest story was written back in September of 2016
and was only accepted in March of 2017. I had to do a revision on it too.
Though it was good, it needed polishing. Many stories do. Take it as a sign of
encouragement if an editor responds and asks you for a rewrite. They are
investing their time in you and giving you a second chance. It’s a complement,
really. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.tlshreffler.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/writing-cycle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.tlshreffler.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/writing-cycle.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">One
story I wrote, “Saving Grace” was originally written way back in 2013 and
didn’t appear in print until 2015. That’s two years. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“A
Grave Discovery,” my little murder mystery, had been written in October of 2015
and was accepted by New Zenith Magazine in June 2016. Eight months and I was
just about to throw in the towel. Sadly, that magazine has since ceased
publication. (I am determined to get this one published again though.)</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“An
Agoraphobic in Europe,” was written in September of 2015 and wasn’t published
until over a year later. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Another
interesting fact: 90% of what I write, I write with one publication in mind.
However, rarely does that publication ever accept or publish what I have
written. I can’t tell you how many times I have submitted stories to
Guideposts, Highlights, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and Reader’s Digest, only to
have my stories accepted elsewhere. </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.chicagonow.com/going-for-gusto/files/2013/07/stop-writing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.chicagonow.com/going-for-gusto/files/2013/07/stop-writing.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Manic
obsession and perseverance is the only real advice I can give about writing or
publication. You receive twenty rejections for a story, submit it again.
Submission twenty-one could be it. Don’t take “no” for an answer.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Until
next time! </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-77266035049416487622017-02-06T03:40:00.000-08:002017-02-06T03:40:02.490-08:00My Internet Publications<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "IM Fell Great Primer"; font-size: 17.82px;">To organize this blog a little better, I have moved the promotion of my internet publications to this page. So here they are, all of my little darlings. Hopefully there will be more to come!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMCTiSOoBwXlQjzfTAuD-maWcmPUqg8Wmy5CTLV14UG4Kb0pwxxyACo6Gc4SofLToYzN8xd9lys0-6nTKtZ2TRf1v-B7M3YahHLhSRT3zRCLMSG6u3uIZ0IiXNeP7XD7UAed2lp8kAuDb/s1600/the+artist+unleashed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMCTiSOoBwXlQjzfTAuD-maWcmPUqg8Wmy5CTLV14UG4Kb0pwxxyACo6Gc4SofLToYzN8xd9lys0-6nTKtZ2TRf1v-B7M3YahHLhSRT3zRCLMSG6u3uIZ0IiXNeP7XD7UAed2lp8kAuDb/s1600/the+artist+unleashed.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "IM Fell Great Primer"; font-size: 17.82px;">I guest blogged on the Artist Unleashed in January of 2017. To read my article, click <a href="http://www.theartistunleashed.com/blog/i-will-not-let-rejection-get-the-better-of-me-by-veronica-l-asay" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.goworldtravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/20150623_163551-2-e1478826339870.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.goworldtravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/20150623_163551-2-e1478826339870.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "IM Fell Great Primer"; font-size: 17.82px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: IM Fell Great Primer;"><span style="font-size: 17.82px;">GoWorldTravel.com published my essay, "An Agoraphobic in Europe." You may read it <a href="http://www.goworldtravel.com/travel-in-poland/" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzT0Dsi-nDIyZF7hn2kgS0R_TTKhotb0fZUQbV_efH21b4z7eerplQDewQfUYo0HNYo0Mm2fKNNc8k8Wd6DKo0QVghzmIcIZGIpnXssPiXRyqCCS4T2aEMejP1kWcZpGH-kY1SV91ymIhx/s1600/new+zenith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzT0Dsi-nDIyZF7hn2kgS0R_TTKhotb0fZUQbV_efH21b4z7eerplQDewQfUYo0HNYo0Mm2fKNNc8k8Wd6DKo0QVghzmIcIZGIpnXssPiXRyqCCS4T2aEMejP1kWcZpGH-kY1SV91ymIhx/s320/new+zenith.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "IM Fell Great Primer"; font-size: 17.82px;">New Zenith Magazine (ceased publication), Summer 2016 Issue. Features my story, "A Grave Discovery." You may purchase it <a href="http://newzenithmagazine.com/shop/" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "IM Fell Great Primer"; font-size: 17.82px;">I am a regular contributor to the blog, Femnista. To read my articles, click <a href="https://femnista.wordpress.com/tag/veronica-leigh/" target="_blank">here</a>. </span>Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-85986871690588210702017-02-02T03:33:00.000-08:002017-02-02T03:33:07.093-08:00Fun Facts<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Below
are a number of fun facts about my new WIP that takes place in Poland during
and after WWII. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">One
of the main characters is named Lidia. She was named after the tour guide of
the group I was in. This woman was extraordinary; she was a walking
encyclopedia. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCNXvDtkcoRfMQ-VHrDmcLAuDYYnolAyGxBuP3j6q7T0Bk8EMA3DWYsYfxLmq9g6mEwLcURApexgTSmXpJY2uZJrOyATrYlD02wN2B0D9_y1QQnYRRONz4mTfYH_YXdfnul-1_diwFOez/s1600/DSCN8945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCNXvDtkcoRfMQ-VHrDmcLAuDYYnolAyGxBuP3j6q7T0Bk8EMA3DWYsYfxLmq9g6mEwLcURApexgTSmXpJY2uZJrOyATrYlD02wN2B0D9_y1QQnYRRONz4mTfYH_YXdfnul-1_diwFOez/s400/DSCN8945.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Another
character is named Ewa. She was named after Eva Mozes Kor; she was a Mengele
Twin, she survived the war and started the C.A.N.D.L.E.S. Museum. Eva is a
remarkable woman, who has publically forgiven the Nazis and encourages others
to forgive, as a way of sowing seeds of peace. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The
C.A.N.D.L.E.S. Museum hosts an annual tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau and Krakow. I
went on their 2015 tour, because it had been a dream of mine and I was doing
research for my WIP. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUF0on2msnqnZRbuPiCpXtZR2izvKCEudx-BVKbw3nT6U4_IUcqMbYcoDH3aSF79yLulVzw3BLBVpN0I7JboxNqtl6F4IQpm8oCGtUbAec562EmMFDjTaugxJ803VzoJHdoS5gKF9pR1q/s1600/photostudio_1467140117081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUF0on2msnqnZRbuPiCpXtZR2izvKCEudx-BVKbw3nT6U4_IUcqMbYcoDH3aSF79yLulVzw3BLBVpN0I7JboxNqtl6F4IQpm8oCGtUbAec562EmMFDjTaugxJ803VzoJHdoS5gKF9pR1q/s320/photostudio_1467140117081.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image made by my sister, Seanna Acey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The
WIP is tentatively titled, “The Judgement of Solomon.” It was inspired by the
passage in the Bible: 1 Kings 3:16-28. Two women approach King Solomon, each
claiming that a boy as their own. King Solomon offers to cut the child into two
that way they will each have him. The real mother backs off, hoping that the
boy will be spared. This is a running theme in my story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">My
WIP primarily takes place in Krakow. Although they are not featured in my
story, historical people such as Oskar Schindler, Amon Goethe, Dr. Mengele,
Cardinal Hlond, Hans Frank are mentioned. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvtzt_9pPf3smNDtYMeL2GIncu5MAGFWFRrrIguXrm-x02qUer_mImaLyEd_6nPOYf4GkP8IxjJ82QS48YUn99XO16K7ePn11bqmLcEsncUaHM9IsUB6wzIKKU7K0w2v5nAw7tiOLAheM/s1600/DSCN9173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvtzt_9pPf3smNDtYMeL2GIncu5MAGFWFRrrIguXrm-x02qUer_mImaLyEd_6nPOYf4GkP8IxjJ82QS48YUn99XO16K7ePn11bqmLcEsncUaHM9IsUB6wzIKKU7K0w2v5nAw7tiOLAheM/s400/DSCN9173.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Some
of the places shown in the story are St. Mary’s Basilica, Main Market Square,
Podgorze Ghetto, Wawel Castle, Gestapo Headquarters, Kazimierz District, and
Auschwitz-Birkenau. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The
story spans from 1941 to 1946.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The
first draft took nearly four months to write. And then when I revised it, I had
to rewrite a lot of Part Three. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-8882602785280975992017-01-22T08:41:00.000-08:002017-01-22T08:41:13.086-08:00My Jan/Feb Femnista Article is Up!This issue's theme is "Playing Second Fiddle," which features couples who play "second-fiddle" in a story or a movie or a TV show. I chose Levin and Kitty from "Anna Karenina." Leo Tolstoy's magnum opus is one of the greatest novels ever written, but I feel that the secondary couple in the story, Levin and Kitty, are often overlooked.<br />
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<a href="https://femnista.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/levinkitty1.jpg?w=816" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://femnista.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/levinkitty1.jpg?w=816" width="640" /></a></div>
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So check it out and let me know what you think.<br />
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<a href="https://femnista.wordpress.com/2017/01/13/anna-karenina-levin-kitty/" target="_blank">Click here</a> to read it!<br />
<br />Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-561220602468259632017-01-19T02:19:00.000-08:002017-01-19T02:19:39.311-08:00The Artist UnleasedAn update: I have guest post on the blog "<a href="http://www.theartistunleashed.com/" target="_blank">The Artist Unleashed</a>" and invite you all to read it. It covers a period in 2012 when I thought I had secured a literary agent and was sadly mistaken. Though it was a painful experience, it taught me to persevere.<br />
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To read the blog post, <a href="http://www.theartistunleashed.com/blog/i-will-not-let-rejection-get-the-better-of-me-by-veronica-l-asay" target="_blank">click here</a>! Thank you and I hope you enjoy it!Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-49912402485887300722017-01-06T03:02:00.000-08:002017-01-06T03:02:12.953-08:00WIP #2<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">One
of the many, many lessons I have learned in my years of writing is never to put
all your hopes into one story. As great and wonderful as a novel can be, to not
have a second story waiting is naïve. Trust me, know from personal experience.
For years I placed all of my hopes into one Epic Novel that was to be my “be
all and end all” in my literary career. Needless to say that story was never
picked up. So as much faith as I have in my Great Depression novel, it would be
foolish of me not to have another WIP. After all, something had to keep me
occupied in 2016 while I fretted away on my various submissions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Some
of you may know that I was very blessed a year and a half ago to go to Poland
with the CANDLES Museum and tour Krakow and Auschwitz- Birkenau. It really was
a life changing experience that I will never forget for as long as I live.
Though I have been interested in the Holocaust since I was twelve, dreamt of
visiting Auschwitz, and wanted to learn from Eva Mozes Kor – I must admit that
I had ulterior motives in going. I was there partly to do research for a
prospective story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The
novel is based in Krakow and Auschwitz-Birkenau; it spans most of the war and
some of 1946. And it is told from two perspectives: a Catholic woman and a
Jewish man. Unbeknownst to them they are connected and must come to terms with
their prejudices to find a way to co-exist. It is almost finished and I hope to
speak more about it in the coming months, especially now that the movie “The
Zookeeper’s Wife” is to be released, which is based in Nazi Occupied Poland. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Until
next time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-80070011263556719652016-12-19T02:14:00.001-08:002016-12-19T02:14:45.512-08:00Life in Indiana in 1930s<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn.onlyinyourstate.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/8a01851v-700x512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.onlyinyourstate.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/8a01851v-700x512.jpg" height="291" width="400" /></a></div>
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In my research, I stumbled upon this interesting website called <a href="http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/" target="_blank">Only in Your State</a> and one of its pages shows what life was like in Indiana in the 1930's. Of course that grabbed my attention because of my Great Depression novel. So if you're curious as to what life was like for my heroine, or perhaps you want to know what life was like for your grandparents and great-grandparents, check it out!<br />
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<a href="http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/indiana/in-life-1930s/" target="_blank">Click here.</a>Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-84343950261898323492016-12-15T04:34:00.003-08:002016-12-15T04:35:56.168-08:00Dear Lucky Agent!!!For those interested in having the first few pages of your novel read and critiqued by a literary agent, please check out the Dear Lucky Agent Contest. Keep in mind though, it is for Historical Fiction only.<br />
<br />
Check it out <a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/29th-free-dear-lucky-agent-contest-historical-fiction?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=wds-csa-nl-161130&utm_content=901736_GLA161130&utm_medium=email" target="_blank">here</a>!<br />
<br />
Good luck!Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-24856718603311739462016-12-06T05:00:00.002-08:002016-12-06T05:00:33.083-08:00Home Fires: Season 1 <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">This
time I want to blog about one of my new favorite shows, which by now isn’t so
new. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Last
autumn a new debuted on PBS called “Home Fires” which features a group of women
living in England prior to and during WWII. Though they were fictional, I was
blown away by the strength of these ladies. I grew up hearing about America’s
home front and how the women were the ones to hold down the fort while the men
were away. Living in England, though, being in such close proximity of Europe,
the bombings, the constant terror…I couldn’t really imagine until I watched
this show. The music, the cinematography, the acting, the characterization –
just perfect. I was sad to learn that after season 2, Home Fires was not
renewed and well not be returning. It did well in the ratings, but for whatever
cockamamie reason, it will not be back. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/gyubsVFdreDqqgpCP0BUonJ3y5f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/gyubsVFdreDqqgpCP0BUonJ3y5f.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">(From
this point on there are spoilers for Season 1.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">There
are two characters that really struck a chord with me: Steph Farrow and Pat
Simms. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.juliesummers.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/HOME_FIRES_EPISODE3_40-1024x681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.juliesummers.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/HOME_FIRES_EPISODE3_40-1024x681.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Steph is a no-nonsense, farmer’s wife who has a son to raise, and who is
her husband’s equal in every sense of the word. When her husband feels called
to go to war, she encourages him to do so, and then she and their son run the
farm while he is away. She is strong, intelligent, and capable. Her only
stumbling block is that she can’t read. But with the help of a new teacher in
town, she overcomes that as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Now
Pat Simms, she too is a strong woman, but her strength is channeled in a
different way. Pat is married to Bob Simms, a one-hit wonder novelist who is
physically, verbally, and emotionally abusive. He thinks he is some kind of
English Ernest Hemingway. Bob might be mentally ill (it is alluded to when he
is drugged with lithium salts by a well-meaning friend of Pat’s and he suddenly
becomes docile - seriously, you have got to watch this show) and I feel sorry
that he can’t receive the proper treatment, but whatever his reason, he has no
right to be abusive to Pat. Pat is one of the sweetest, kindest, giving
characters on the show, and she continues to be so, despite her circumstances.
Through some quick thinking, the two of her friends manage to send Bob off to
be a war correspondent, freeing Pat of him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Though
I love Steph, it is Pat who has become my favorite. She is in a similar
situation that the heroine of my Great Depression novel is. Divorce was looked
down upon, society couldn’t intervene, and Pat had no place to turn to for help.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://cartermatt.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Home-Fires.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cartermatt.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Home-Fires.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Though
Home Fires was only a two season show, I look forward to watching the second
season. I hear there is a cliff-hanger ending that will no doubt frustrate me
because the questions will never be answered, but it will be worth watching it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-72052648538552606732016-11-18T03:50:00.000-08:002016-11-18T03:50:08.046-08:00The Zookeeper's WifeOkay, I have been waiting for this movie for two years and finally, the trailer has been released and it is coming out in March 2017!!!! Check it out!<br />
<br />
For those who don't know, it is based on the bestseller "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Zookeeper%27s_Wife" target="_blank">The Zookeeper's Wife</a>." It is the story of Jan and Antonia Zabinski, who ran the Warsaw Zoo. During the Nazi Occupation of Poland, the Zabinski's hid Jews in the Zoo.<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eiEfrA6MWs4/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eiEfrA6MWs4?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-19924273086782318072016-11-16T02:53:00.000-08:002016-12-01T04:06:15.377-08:00An Agoraphobic in Europe!Hey All,<br />
<br />
My article entitled, "An Agoraphobic in Europe" is up on GoWorldTravel.com! So psyched about it. Please go check it out and let me know what you think!<br />
<br />
Click the following link to read it: <a href="http://www.goworldtravel.com/travel-in-poland/">http://www.goworldtravel.com/travel-in-poland/</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-17726282373945513352016-11-10T03:47:00.000-08:002016-11-10T03:47:22.752-08:00Alone in Berlin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/S0mPmu6cTIo/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S0mPmu6cTIo?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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“<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3026488/" target="_blank">Alone in Berlin</a>” is based on the book, “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Every_Man_Dies_Alone" target="_blank">Every Man Dies Alone</a>,” by Hans Fallada, which in turn was based on the true story of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_and_Elise_Hampel" target="_blank">Otto and Else Hampel</a>. This looks great!Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-91903635470703796852016-10-29T09:02:00.001-07:002016-12-01T04:06:59.698-08:00A Quick Note...To say that one of my stories was accepted by GoWorldTravel.com. Haven't heard when it will be up on the website, but I'm excited. Anyway, it was about my trip to Poland and my tour of Auschwitz and Krakow.<br />
<br />
Will let you know more later!Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-7289797716958277622016-10-03T04:07:00.001-07:002016-10-03T04:07:35.549-07:00The Plunge<span style="font-size: 12pt;">God
help me, but I did it. I started the querying process on my Great Depression
novel. I had procrastinated for months, using one excuse after another. That it
wasn’t ready, or the subject matter was too taboo, or that the prose was
crappy. All of which may still be true, but how will I know that for a fact if
I don’t test the waters? I had to start somewhere. Some literary agents give
feedback when they reject a project, so one of them may help me without
realizing it.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYwOdgZ08yCvVlwvBzCsFmqY4QMRRM1VU-rJO_w8zJzeLi1dSR4pXKa0R9Cqg4cgcXyFN3EQ_K0FY5OGDWL-4a5Denskmd3cKFPrZiPnEUcu3RCWmjn7uZa1yEfhZRETJmkTxwUu4_eeT/s1600/literary+agent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYwOdgZ08yCvVlwvBzCsFmqY4QMRRM1VU-rJO_w8zJzeLi1dSR4pXKa0R9Cqg4cgcXyFN3EQ_K0FY5OGDWL-4a5Denskmd3cKFPrZiPnEUcu3RCWmjn7uZa1yEfhZRETJmkTxwUu4_eeT/s1600/literary+agent.jpg" height="320" width="262" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I’ve
been in this boat before, so I know the routine. You send off your query letter
and- depending on the agent – a proposal and then you have to wait for a
response. Sometimes it is a couple of hours, a couple of days, or a couple of
weeks to hear back. Others never reply. I think the record for longest wait was
about eight months, which by that time I had forgotten that I had even
contacted them. Then there are a few agents who have rejected me twice. As if
getting one rejection from said agent wasn’t enough, they decided to send that
rejection to me again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://indieheroblog.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/agent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289" src="https://indieheroblog.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/agent.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I’ve
certainly made my share of mistakes in the querying process. I’ve mistaken a
man for a woman; misspelled a last name; got the date wrong; forgot to attach
the proposal; used the wrong words; misread the guidelines…Been there, done
that. I’d like to think I’ve learned from my mistakes, but no one is perfect.
Inevitably I will embarrass myself. I’m sure if I am ever land a literary
agent, I’ll continue to do silly things. It’s just the way I am. After all,
nobody’s perfect. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://creativeconstruction.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/john_cleese_meme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://creativeconstruction.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/john_cleese_meme.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Well,
I’m curious to see what will happen. In the meantime I’ve written a number of
short stories that need to be sent off too, and have many others in the works. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Until
next time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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(BTW- Its my 250th post! Whoopee!)</div>
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Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-25356550225769061692016-09-20T04:46:00.000-07:002016-09-20T04:46:22.644-07:00Book Review: Women Heroes of World War II—the Pacific Theater<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/9781613731680_p0_v1_s192x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/9781613731680_p0_v1_s192x300.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Book
Description:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Glamorous
American singer Claire Phillips opened a nightclub in manila, using the
earnings to secretly feed starving American POWs. She also began working as a
spy, chatting up Japanese military men and passing their secrets along to local
guerrilla resistance fighters. Australian Army nurse Vivian Bullwinkel,
stationed in Singapore, then shipwrecked in the the Dutch East Indies, became
the sole survivor of a horrible massacre by Japanese soliders. She hid for
days, tending to a seriously wounded British soldier while wounded herself.
Humanitarian Elizabeth Choy lived the rest of her life hating war, though not
her tormentors, after enduring six months of starvation and torture by the
Japanese military police. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">In
these pages, readers will meet these and other courageous women and girls who
risked their lives through their involvement in the Pacific Theater of
Operations during World War II. Fifteen suspense-filled stories unfold across
China, Japan, Malaya, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies, and the Philippines,
providing an inspiring reminder of womens' and girls' refusal to sit on the
sidelines around the world and throughout history. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">These
women—whose stories span 1932 to 1945, the last year of the war—served in
dangerous roles as spies, medics, journalists, resisters, and saboteurs. Seven
of them were captured and imprisoned by the Japanese, enduring brutal
conditions. Author Kathryn J. Atwood provides appropriate context and framing
for teens 14 and up to grapple with these harsh realities of war. Discussion
questions and a guide for further study assist readers and educators in
learning about this important and often neglected period of history.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.M55f41678d04b46e2015a3c827a31e285o2&pid=15.1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.M55f41678d04b46e2015a3c827a31e285o2&pid=15.1" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">About
the Author:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Kathryn
J. Atwood is the author of Women Heroes of World War I and Women Heroes of
World War II and the editor of Code Name Pauline: Memoirs of a World War II
Special Agent. She has contributed to The Historian; War, Literature, and the
Arts; and the collections Des Plaines River Anthology and Holocaust Heroes:
Fierce Females. Visit her online at www.kathrynatwood.com.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">My
Thoughts: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The
author arranged to have a copy of her book sent to me to review (Thank you,
Kathryn!) and I can’t begin to tell you how much I learned. My knowledge of
Japan, China, and the Pacific Theater was limited. I read “Sadako and the Thousand
Paper Cranes” when I was eight, studied Japan in the third grade, and heard of
the bombing of Pearl Harbor – aside from that I was clueless about Japanese
history and how their fascism developed. “Women Heroes of WWII – the Pacific
Theater” not only gives a short history lesson, it delves into how Japan went
astray and how after the war they were given a pass, unlike Germany. There are
fifteen different biographies of women, from journalists to spies to children
who were witnesses. Many risked their lives to do what was right. One of the
more heart wrenching stories was of a young teenager who was forced to become a
“comfort woman” and how years later she came forward to speak of her
experiences. While the accounts of some of the ladies in the book are
harrowing, girls of all ages need to read this. It is a part of history that we
have forgotten and must remember. So I highly recommend this book, and once
more thank the author for sending it to me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-73202401667056671302016-09-13T03:05:00.002-07:002016-09-13T03:07:23.375-07:00Femnista Article Is Live!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://femnista.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/valkarie1.jpg?w=700" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://femnista.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/valkarie1.jpg?w=700" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
My September/October article for Femnista is available! The theme was "Derringers & Fedoras: Spies, Assassins, and Private Eyes" and I chose to write about Count von Stauffenberg. He was the man who attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler and orchestrated a coup against the Nazis. To learn more about Stauffenberg, <a href="https://femnista.wordpress.com/2016/09/06/exemplary-courage-count-von-stauffenberg/" target="_blank">click here</a>!<br />
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Thanks for reading! </div>
Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-59359712563185617722016-08-29T03:17:00.001-07:002016-08-29T03:17:40.822-07:00New Zenith's First Issue is Available!A quick note to let you all know that the magazine who published my, "A Grave Discovery," is available! So for those interested in purchasing it, <a href="http://newzenithmagazine.com/shop/" target="_blank">click here</a>!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwp7PO7FlNAkzM1PY8TgLhGUHeOBpKM4P2V_lGzrf5AamZ7swPmnTkWx31EvjJ6JxjVFFYMwzrV1Hw598gFYTlzeWwG2w1AYN2rPxYyJ8DZeLjWgzkOUHdSf2_Ifj91szKs6wHNkHm4i9/s1600/new+zenith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwp7PO7FlNAkzM1PY8TgLhGUHeOBpKM4P2V_lGzrf5AamZ7swPmnTkWx31EvjJ6JxjVFFYMwzrV1Hw598gFYTlzeWwG2w1AYN2rPxYyJ8DZeLjWgzkOUHdSf2_Ifj91szKs6wHNkHm4i9/s320/new+zenith.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
<br />Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-81859890155326342652016-08-18T03:54:00.000-07:002016-08-18T03:54:22.038-07:00Rejection<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Rejection
just plain sucks. No matter who you are, putting yourself out there is hard,
and then to hear, “No, not interested” can be heart wrenching. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://smalltalkbigresults.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/rejection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://smalltalkbigresults.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/rejection.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Rejection
plays a big factor in the pursuit of a literary career. You pour your heart and
soul into a story or a novel; perhaps you’ve spent years on it, perfecting
every detail. You know it’s good; you know you have something special. You’re
certain of it. You’re not mistaken; this time it will work out. You know you
shouldn’t view your creation as your baby, but you do. In a sense you gave
birth to it, nurtured it, groomed it, coddled it and now it is time to send it
out into the world, for it to spread its wings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">You
jump through all of the hoops, pay special attention to the guidelines, whisper
a prayer and you send it off. You send it to multiple places. You try to
distract yourself with a new project, because that’s what a writer does. They
write. The second you finish one story, you start on another. There is no “The
End” for us. But that’s fine, because it’s all part of the process. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Weeks
pass, maybe even months. You haven’t heard a peep out of the literary agent or
the publisher. You check your e-mail every five seconds and you stalk their
twitter feeds and blogs. One part of you fears that the submission never
reached them, that it was lost in cyberspace. The other part of you holds out
hope that perhaps they haven’t read your submission. Or they have and they are
so mesmerized, so in awe of your masterpiece. Hope springs within you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">And
then an e-mail is delivered. Either it says “No, not interested” or “Thank you
for sending ------- but we do not feel enthusiastic enough to represent your
novel. Best wishes, etc.” Authors must bend over backwards to pique the
interest of a literary agent or a publisher, but the professionals can get by
with form rejections. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://lynettenoni.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/rejection-letter1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://lynettenoni.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/rejection-letter1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">It’s
tempting to throw in the towel, especially after you’ve received a couple
hundred of these. But at this point, can you quit? Can you stop creating? This
Magnificent Obsession has become so ingrained into who you are. You don’t know
where it ends and you begin. If you quit now, you would be denying part of who
you are. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">So
tomorrow, get up and try again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-79587190521332940252016-07-30T06:48:00.000-07:002016-07-30T06:48:26.744-07:00A Grave Discovery<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Hey,
all, I meant to write sooner about my upcoming published story, but have had
limited access to the internet the last couple weeks. So, here are a few more
details. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">As
I mentioned in my previous post, the story is called “A Grave Discovery,” and it
will be available to read on <a href="http://newzenithmagazine.com/" target="_blank">New Zenith Magazine</a>. New Zenith will release
print editions of their magazine four times a year. I will let you know when it
is live. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“A Grave Discovery” is a small murder mystery based in 19<sup>th</sup>
century England. And um, well, it’s inspired by an incident that occurred a few
years ago. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I
was up in northern Indiana, visiting my cousins for a few days. Since I had
missed the funeral of their parents, one of my cousins took me to the graveyard
where her parents were buried that way I could pay my respects. When we
arrived, the graveyard’s gates were up, blocking all of the entrances. Police
swarmed the area; German Shepherds were sniffing the ground. My cousin got out
of the car to ask what was going on, only to learn that a woman had been
murdered and dumped in the graveyard. We got out of there fast. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">While
the incident inspired the story, “A Grave Discovery” is 98% fictional.
Hopefully it will be entertaining and enjoyable, and will be perhaps the first
of many published fictional stories to come. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">More
later!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-56273449249820423072016-07-05T03:38:00.001-07:002016-07-05T03:38:09.796-07:00Never Give Up<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span id="goog_472141894"></span><span id="goog_472141895"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I
have sold my first fictional story! I’ve been published before, but those were
autobiographical pieces. I generally write longer fictional pieces (novellas
and novels) but have recently tried my hand at writing short fiction and this
time I lucked out. <a href="http://newzenithmagazine.com/" target="_blank">New Zenith</a> has bought my mini-murder mystery entitled, “A
Grave Discovery.” It will debut in an upcoming issue of this new magazine! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">It
was inspired by an incident in my own life, which I will talk more about in the
coming months. Don’t want to give too much away. I was trying something new and
wrote it in a few settings. I ended up sending it to several different
magazines and anthology publishers and had received a number of rejections. I
figured it would be yet another story thrown on top of that stack of failed
pieces. Then the editor of <a href="http://newzenithmagazine.com/" target="_blank">New Zenith</a> contacted me, showing interest in it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">My
point of this post – other than to begin promotion for “A Grave Discovery” and the magazine – is
to say: never give up. Just when I had started to have my doubts on this story
and my ambitions, it was picked up. You never know what is around the corner. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">So, please, check out <a href="http://newzenithmagazine.com/" target="_blank">New Zenith magazine</a>. </span></div>
Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7609289437345712383.post-17794470709694399372016-06-30T03:44:00.001-07:002016-06-30T03:44:39.048-07:00A collage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPeJsfgdjv5KQceqQ_dZMWlXGaHF6VNAXRFTtOeeYR8eFBt1io_3x9k7PL4s7W4LUlJcksA9Mm3BlLEASW15c_h1pyVO09L6v3brMhZCLZtiXRvAOgvLfGSlvpQQ3MNfKXIFpPZd7rkNc2/s1600/photostudio_1467200641865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPeJsfgdjv5KQceqQ_dZMWlXGaHF6VNAXRFTtOeeYR8eFBt1io_3x9k7PL4s7W4LUlJcksA9Mm3BlLEASW15c_h1pyVO09L6v3brMhZCLZtiXRvAOgvLfGSlvpQQ3MNfKXIFpPZd7rkNc2/s640/photostudio_1467200641865.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My sister, <a href="https://seannaacey.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Seanna </a> made this for me in honor of my Great Depression novel. The actress I am using as inspiration for my heroine is Holliday Grainger. She has been in a variety of period dramas, including the recent miniseries of "Bonnie and Clyde." This very English actress was able to don on a convincing Texas drawl! Anyway, my sister created this; it really ties into the themes of my book. Isn't it gorgeous?<br />
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Thanks, sis!<br />
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You really ought to check out my sister's <a href="https://seannaacey.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>! Not only is Seanna a genius at graphics, she is a fantastic author who writes contemporary and historical dramas!Veronica Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05230731631410241496noreply@blogger.com0