Be a Dork Day

 By Maureen Bonatch 

 

July 15th? Where has this month gone already? I, for one, have no idea. For a moment in a conversation with my husband I realized that I didn’t even know what month it was. I blame it on too much time spent on the computer working at the day job, or escaping into the fiction worlds of my characters. 

Even though often the days rush by in a blur, I try to take a moment to cherish each day and consider it special on its own. 

I raised my head up out of the fog to wonder just what might be significant about July 15th? Although it seems that often when I seek out those quirky holiday calendars, the day in question has is represented in an unusual, or dorky, way. 

 Yes. July 15th is Be a Dork Day. 

Dork is a word I might’ve tossed around some in my youth, but not one that I can recall using anytime recently. Adjectives said to be associated with being a dork are odd, clumsy, ridiculous, awkward, silly, etc. 

But, in my opinion, there is someone for everyone. One person’s dork, is another’s prince charming. Or at least someone who makes you laugh, or if you’re the dork, then perhaps you can laugh at yourself. 

 Because Who Doesn’t Love to Laugh

I’ve always felt that laughter is the best medicine. I try to include humor into my everyday by watching humorous television shows or movies. You know the ones that you can watch again and again and still laugh. A few old favorites include: 

Television Shows 

• Seinfeld 
• King of Queens 
• Mike and Molly 
• Mama’s Family 
• My Name is Earl 
• Martin 

Movies 

• Dodgeball 
• Folks 
• Her Alibi 
• Stepbrothers 
• Bridesmaids 
• My Big Fat Greek Wedding 

I do love my comedy, so I kept the list short or I could go on for quite some time. I also enjoy reading and writing characters that make me laugh. Because what would life be if we were all serious all the time? Boring, if you ask me. 

 Embrace your inner dork today and be a little silly, or figure out what’s to love about those that you feel are awkward, clumsy or ridiculous. If someone asks you what’s going on, tell them it’s Be a Dork Day and invite them to join in on the silliness. 

 Guess what? July 15th is Also Give Something Away Day. 

 I have a few contests for you below where you can win something that’s being given away 

Enter Here for a chance to win Amazon Gift Cards.

Enter here for a chance to win the Charmed Cocktail Cozy Mystery Giveaway.

 Enter here for a chance to win the Peach Plains Paranormal Giveaway.

 Share Your Favorite Funny/Dorky Shows in The Comments

Just a small-town girl, Maureen Bonatch leads a double life. She lives in a magical world as a novelist, and as a nurse leader in reality. Maureen’s first novella was a paranormal romance published when blogs were a new-fangled thing. She’s since changed her focus to writing paranormal cozy mysteries as 

M.L. Bonatch and urban fantasy as Maureen Bonatch. 

While she’s not busy writing or doing nurse-things, she’s a mom to her twin daughters, bicycling in the beautiful woods of PA with her hubby, doing the bidding of a feisty Shih Tzu, and dancing as much as possible. She believes music can be paired with every mood, laughter is contagious, and that caffeine and wine are essential for survival. 

Follow M.L. Bonatch all through cyberspace- she's new in town and can use some friends!

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New! CALL TO ME, a Contemporary Sci-Fi Romance by Linda Mooney

New!

CALL TO ME
Contemporary SciFi/Fantasy Romance
by Linda Mooney
Word Count: 29.7K
$2.99 e / $9.99 p

Now in the Tennessee National Guard after serving in the military, Brix Rhodes and his team are called to assist the sheriff’s department and highway patrol after a sinkhole appears at the Kentucky-Tennessee border. Since losing his wife, Samra, in a car accident four months ago, he’s been left to raise their baby girl alone, but fortunately his dad is always there to help care for her while he’s away. Brix promises to return soon from this deployment, but he discovers that’s a promise he may not be able to keep.

After another cave-in, Brix is sent down into the sinkhole to attempt a rescue, and soon finds himself being rescued by…himself. There’s another Brix Rhodes. A Brix who is similar, and yet different from himself. What’s more, his beloved Samra exists here as well. She’s not dead, but she belongs to the other Brix. Is he in a parallel universe or some alternate reality? What is happening? Is he dreaming or delusional?

He has to get back to his own world and his baby daughter, but can he survive losing Samra a second time? His questions are answered when the other Brix makes that decision for him, and puts everyone’s lives at risk.

Warning! Contains pain medication, a loose helmet, gale-force winds, grief, lying by omission, a change of clothes, and two people getting a chance to correct their past in order to have a future together.

Excerpt and Buy Links

Bring It Back(list) - UNDERSILVER, a Sci-Fi Romance by Linda Mooney

UNDERSILVER

Sci-Fi Romance
by Linda Mooney

Word Count: 56.7K

$3.99 e / $9.99 p / $19.95 a
Narrated by Guy Veryzer
Length: 6 hrs, 20 min
Hear a Sample 

The planet had secrets it never revealed, until it was too late.

Centuries ago, mankind's only hope for survival were the seven vessels specially fitted to send the last survivors of Earth to a planet named New Earth. Seven space ships that became floating cities once they landed on the water-only world teeming with edible seafood, as well as dangerous creatures.

Lt. Jace Novick, of the ship UnderPlatinum, is sent to sister ship UnderSilver to see if he can help find a possible solution to their growing problem. Food is beginning to run low, catches are scarcer, and the tension between ships is increasing as starvation becomes imminent.

Lt. Commander Rhone Derth has created a security device called wrap shields to protect Silver from repeated attacks by the planet's hostile monsters. But it seems the shields are also keeping the fish away as well. Jace believes he has an answer, but it means he and Rhone must work together despite Rhone's antagonism toward him, and the short time he's been allotted before he must return to his own ship.

Together, they try to discover a way to survive as the other vessels turn on each other in a desperate battle for the last of the dwindling food supply, not knowing that another, more malevolent being is watching them from the depths.

Warning! Contains loss of oxygen, vicious sea creatures, massive destruction, scientific theories, near-drowning, subsonic bursts, questionable seafood, alien artifacts, and two people trying to survive what could be the complete annihilation of their species.

Excerpt and Buy Links

Tropes, Five Man Band & Smurfette

 Last night my daughter and I were talking about tropes, specifically the Five Man Band, which I'd never heard of before

(If you're not familiar with tropes, they are just recurring story ideas/patterns. For  example in the romance genre you have the Secret Baby trope, Fake Relationship, Enemies to Lovers, etc. In Fantasy you have the Chosen One or Artifact of Power trope. Everyone generally has favourite tropes and tropes they're bored with. I am a sucker for the Amnesia trope for instance.) There's a site tvtropes.org that lists many of them and provides  examples if you ever want to spend a fun hour clicking links.

The Five Man Band is based on a rock band team structure and consists of the Hero, The Lancer (a foil to the hero), The Smart Guy, the Big Guy, and the Chick (also known as the Heart). An example would be Star Wars with Luke as the Hero, Han Solo as the Lancer, Chewie as the Big Guy, Leia as the Chick and the Droids together as The Smart Guy. Whenever you're dealing with a group or team then it's easier for storytelling purposes to slot characters in a specific role. I get that, I do. What bothers me is the gender dynamics.

While there is no reason why you can't gender flip any of the above roles say to Heroine or Smart Girl or have a Heart that's a guy, all too often the default is to male. Somehow it's perfectly okay to have a ratio of four guys to one girl. As if women are all so identical that one can stand for all, but men are allowed to have personality.

There is another trope called Smurfette, which describes this, too. One lone female with a bunch of guys. If you're think, Oh, that was the 80s, it's still  quite prevalent today.

I especially hate to see it in children's movie such as Rise of the Guardians or Madagascar.

And because I have seen this on TV in movies and in books for my entire life, I have sometimes caught myself doing this, too. Right now I have a fantasy book about a queen in a patriarchal society. She has four male regents and they each have a male candidate that they want her to marry. When I went to revise this after a long hiatus (eight years LOL) I was appalled to discover how few female characters I had. I managed to shoehorn in a few more, but it still skews heavily male.

Since then, for every book I write, I make a list of female and male characters and try to make it 50/50 representation. This means a lot of not automatically making walk-on roles such as a cop or a guard or a lawyer male, as well as balancing larger roles.

Now if we could just convince Hollywood to do it, too...

Additional Scene from STONE, an Urban Fantasy Romance by Linda Mooney

This month, I'm offering up a FREE additional scene from STONE, an Urban Fantasy Romance!

Brielle awakens to find Garenth has returned to the underground dig where he was first discovered in his gargoyle form by her uncle. He is on a personal mission, and only her love will allow him to succeed.

HERE BE NEWS for Monday June 28, 2021

 

                            

Monday June 28, 2021 

Welcome to HERE BE NEWS, where each monday we bring you all the latest from the fantasy romance authors at Here Be Magic:

Tuesday June 22, 2021: Deborah A Bailey discusses what she likes about fairy tale re-tellings.

Thursday June 24, 2021: PG talks about revisiting an older series.

Sometimes You Can Go Home Again.

 There was a reason I was scheduled to post today. I had a post in mind, a plan, a holiday connection--it's all gone in the whirlwind of overwhelm that has been June 2021.

So, instead you get this post: a peek into part of what has made the second half of June so profoundly  discombobulated--well, besides the specter of possibly having to move again, but let's not get into that. 

I've spent the last two weeks revisiting Oberon--my very first series--which I unpublished a few years back and am now in the process of readying for re-release. Specifically, I've been writing one of two new Christmas stories to be set in Oberon, and carving a new Halloween short story from my existing Halloween-set novel. 

There's nothing really new about the Halloween story, other than some deeper insights into Cara's character and motivation, but I'm hoping it will entice readers into checking out Visions Before Midnight when it becomes available (hopefully) later this year.

It's been so much fun to return to this series. For me, it really is like going home again. So here's a sneak peek at the two stories releasing this year, and a couple of other freebies, that you can access right now.

Only the Lonely 

An Oberon Halloween Story 

 Cara Matthews is trouble—with a capital T. That's one thing that pretty much everyone in Oberon can agree on—parents, teachers, other students, her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Seth Cavanaugh. 

 Well, if you give a dog a bad name he—or she—will probably live up to it, right? 

 This Halloween, after one insult too many, Cara's hellbent on wreaking revenge—no matter who gets hurt in the process, or even killed.

I'll Be Home for Christmas

An Oberon Christmas Story

All Scout wants this holiday season is to get home in time for Christmas. But when your home is in quirky little Oberon, California, nothing is ever that simple. 

It’s the night before Christmas and Scout Patterson is flying home to Oberon after a business trip to LA when a chance, mid-air meeting with an angel has her dreaming of a weird Christmas—one in which she sees exactly how life might have gone on without her. 

Scout has A Wonderful Life in Oberon. She has people who love her, but no one who actually needs her. Or so she thinks, until a chance encounter shows her what life in Oberon could have been like had she never come home.

Such Fleeting Pleasures

 An Oberon Prequel Novella 

 Lucy and Dan Cavanaugh have one of Oberon's hottest marriages. But it wasn't all strawberries and cream for the pair...or was it?  

In this Oberon series prequel, we travel back in time to see how their love story began. 

 Such Fleeting Pleasures will ONLY be available as a free download to members of my readers group. Get it NOW when you sign up:

  https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheCronesNest

Going Back To Oberon 

A Very Short Story 

This story started out as a feature on Cabin Goddess’s “Fourth Wall Friday” blog; in which authors were invited to put themselves into a scene were they interacted with their characters. 

I had a great deal of fun imagining myself returning to the scene of my very first series. It started me thinking about all the stories I hadn't told yet. And it really motivated me to start getting some of those ideas out there.

You can download your free copy here:https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/tFfHiT3M

And now, for something completely unrelated:

I just wanted to remind everyone that there's still time to sign up for Love's Curse--but not very much. It disappears at the end of the month. Ya snooze, ya lose....

Love's Curse 

A Paranormal Romance Collection 

The heart is treacherous. Love is cursed. Dive into this collection of paranormal romance to find loves strong enough to break the veil between realms. 

 NOTE: by downloading this collection you are agreeing to sign up for the mailing lists of the participating authors: Mandy Melanson, Elle Ryan, Lisa Wood, Helena Novak, PG Forte, Angelique Jordonna, Mira Kane, Dusty Grein, AJ Mullican, Rhetoric Askew, LLC ​

 Get your FREE copy HERE!