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 |  Life, Adventure, Family, Writing what else is there? Random thoughts. |
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WELCOME TO: GEMINI RISING   UPDATED INTRO 28 MAY 2024: Just a little about me. I've been married for 32 years this past NOV and currently live in Southern California, but I grew up in New Hampshire. I've got 2 boys who are young adults. I work as a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. I enjoy my job a lot. Still. If you can believe that. I love to write. Thankfully both of my boys achieved Eagle Scout. My Scouting days are over and I'm back to focusing on my writing. I like to get out in nature, drink coffee and watch football. Here's a little bio about my zodiac. GEMINI: Gemini, the sign of the Twins, is dual-natured, elusive, complex and contradictory. On the one hand it produces the virtue of versatility, and on the other the vices of two-facedness and flightiness. The sign is linked with Mercury, the planet of childhood and youth, and its subjects tend to have the graces and faults of the young. When they are good, they are very attractive; when they are bad they are more the worse for being the charmers they are. Like children they are lively, and happy, if circumstances are right for them, or egocentric, imaginative and restless. Their good qualities are attractive and come easily to them. They are affectionate, courteous, kind, generous, and thoughtful towards the poor and suffering - provided none of the activities resulting from expressing these traits interferes too greatly with their own lives and comforts. Geminians can be successful in many walks of life though their general characteristics tend to make them unreliable. They are often skilled manipulators of language, in speech and writing, and may be: debaters, diplomats (though in politics they are more interested in theory than practice), orators, preachers (brilliant rather than profound), teachers, authors, poets, journalists, or lawyers. This is me. I am a Gemini. Pure, Raw, passionate. The NEW focus of this blog is to share my adventures, travels, random thoughts, book reviews, thoughts, opinions, and writing adventures from actual writing, writing/editing tips, marketing, research. I'll get there. BLOG ACCOMPLISHMENTS: SEPTEMBER 2024: I participated in the
![Merit Badge in Nonfiction
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Congrats on your Honorable Mention in Blog Week Birthday Bastion 2024](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/type-Nonfiction.gif) Big thanks to WakeUpAndLive~doingNaNo'24   for hosting the contest! OCTOBER 2024: I participated in the
![Merit Badge in Halloween
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Congratulations on completing the 13 Poetic Days of Halloween.](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-Halloween-2026567.gif) Big Thanks to Lyn's a Witchy Woman  for hosting the contest!Find me at: WEBSITE: http://www.stephanieburkhart.com FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor GOOD READS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart YOU TUBE CHANNEL: http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee Previous GRATITIOUS Warning, that I decided to keep in case I post about something that might offend.  WARNING I intend to be open, honest, and forthright. No topic is off limits from religion to you name it, I'm going there. If you think you might be offended...back up now - this blog isn't for you. For those who "dare"  check out the "Gemini Rising..." 
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| I have all kinds of ideas for blog posts, but I never have enough time to really work on them, so I thought I’d give it my best shot this week. My busy schedule could probably be a topic in and of itself, and maybe tomorrow I’ll do a blog on my “to do” list. Don’t laugh  Just some quick thoughts on researching. I have 2 more stories left from my Victory Tales Press days that I’d like to publish: Gifts & Feast of Candles. Both are Christmas stories. I’m working on Gifts right now, but I don’t know if I’ll be done in time for Christmas. This story takes place in Amsterdam. I used to go to Amsterdam semi-often when I was stationed overseas. Back then in the late 80’s, early 90’s, Amsterdam was something that I’d never seen before. I loved the canals and buildings. Didn’t know what to think of the topless ladies in the windows, but I wasn’t judgmental. I’ve been to the Keukenhof when the tulips were in bloom, and I’ve been to Enschede 5 times to take the driver’s test – passing on the 5th time. I’ve been to Enschede more than that, but it took me five times to pass that driver’s test. Yes, the land was flat, but the people were very nice and spoke better English than I spoke Dutch. So, when it came time to write for the Victory Tales Press anthologies, and they were looking for seasonal short stories 10-20K word count, I decided to go international if I could. Gifts would be set in Amsterdam during Christmas time. At the time, the Olympics were in the air and I’m a sucker for Ice Skating, so I made my main characters Pairs figure skaters who are trying to earn a spot on the Netherlands Olympic team. Gifts was originally published in 2012 for the Christmas season. The plot was simple, two people (Christian Jenssen and Famke deVries) who know each other and are friendly, must quickly become a pairs figure skating team. They grow close and fall in love while dealing with the external pressure of side spins, death spirals and lifts. Honestly, the original story is pretty solid and comes in around with an 11K word count, but as I read it, I thought I’d do a bit of content edit, adding some more personal moments and reflecting more on the internal conflict. That said, I needed to research a little about Pairs figure skating and what they go through. The best place to start? Gordeeva and Grinkov, IMHO, the BEST Pairs Figure skaters in the modern century. So I’ve been watching some YouTube videos of the pair and I thought I’d reread “My Sergei” written by Gordeeva in 1996. I’m definitely taking away some inspiration. The writing is not as fast as I’d like it to be, but I’m having a blast watching old performances. Here’s one of my favorites: Sometimes researching can be sooo fun! Who would I cast as Chris and Famke? Chris is definitely Charlie White the Ice Dancer. Sasha Cohen, a female ice skater, comes to mind for Famke. Who are your Ice Skating Favorites? |
| Goooood afternoon to all!! Updated: 10/15 -- Wicked excited to share that this ballad earned a Poetry MB! Big Thank you Lyn's a Witchy Woman !!![Merit Badge in Poetry
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You rocked the Ballad challenge on Day 2 for Frankenstein, way to go!](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/type-Poetry-2180.gif) Here is my Day #2 entry for the following contest:
Ballad -- The night was dark and oh, so weary He worked through the hours, oh, so dreary Sweat poured off his brow, In the midnight hours oh, so eerie Why did he slave so hard? Why was his soul so scarred? Lighting coils and high voltage displays Rain thundering, mists sprays The air is foul with stench The stitches weak with frays Why did he slave so hard? Why was his soul so scarred? Flesh all around Skin on the ground He sews with a storm in his heart Ready for the final stitch, ready to astound Why did he slave so hard? Why was his soul so scarred? Lightning rods in the air Channeled into the lair A bolt hits a pound of flesh to come alive He stands stunned by the glare Why did he slave so hard? Why was his soul so scarred? Hideous legs stand afoot Sausage fingers flex, cardiac output Beats an erratic tattoo. It stands before him, naked and flatfoot. Why did he slave so hard? Why was his soul so scarred? What will his creation do? It lumbers awkwardly in the stew Then destroys the equipment of life Before leaving in the morning dew Why did he slave so hard? Why was his soul so scarred? The creator stands shocked Surrounded by stench, unable to walk What part of his soul has he given away To a monster that can’t be stopped? **Author's Note: Daily happenings and musings will be a separate post. |
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