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Category: Jann Rowland

Funny Friday – Samuel Johnson Edition

Funny Friday – Samuel Johnson Edition

While the name Samuel Johnson might not be a household name in today’s world, he was a prolific and well-known writer in 18th century England. Johnson lived from 1709 to 1784, and wrote in many genres, including plays, poetry, essays, sermons, and literary criticism. His works were so popular that the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography refers to him as “arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history.” I’ve used quotes from him in my own writing. Today I thought…

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Enemies and Friends

Enemies and Friends

No, this post is not what you might think it is! As a writer of historical fiction, I often have occasion to look up various sayings, idioms, and proverbs, which has led me to learn some interesting things about our language. I thought it would be interesting to dissect some of these saying occasionally to learn where they come from. The first I thought I would tackle is “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” As a definition, this…

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Only Exceedingly Shy – New Release Announcement

Only Exceedingly Shy – New Release Announcement

As you read in the title, I have a new book that will be available for sale on Thursday, November 16. The book is entitled Only Exceedingly Shy, and will be available on Amazon Kindle, Paperback, and Hardcover, with an audiobook to follow in about March of next year. I would also like to announce a change, as Only Exceedingly Shy will be narrated by the talented Harry Frost! I wish I had a cover to show you, but as usual, I…

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My Ten Years in Publishing

My Ten Years in Publishing

Isn’t it funny how time flies? It doesn’t seem like ten years since I published my first book, but I recently passed that milestone. September 1, 2013, was when I published Acting on Faith, my first novel. I’ve come a long way since then, now with more than 50 books published. That journey, and the one in which I am still engaged, has taken my life in a different direction from anything I might have expected. This past summer, I knew…

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Miscellaneous Monday – Happy Halloween!

Miscellaneous Monday – Happy Halloween!

Just a quick note to wish everyone a happy ghouls and goblins day tomorrow! In honor of the day, I give you the greatest Halloween song ever written: The Monster Mash! I found this little gem of a video on YouTube where it’s performed live. I must say, Bobby Pickett’s facial contortions are as entertaining as the song. “Whatever happened to my Transylvania Twist?”

Tuesday Tunes – Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

Tuesday Tunes – Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik is one of Mozart’s most beloved and enduring pieces of music. Though the origins are not known, it was likely a commissioned work, completed in about August of 1787. It is a serenade, and was written for a small ensemble, though today we usually hear it performed by a full orchestra. The name comes from Mozart’s own notation in the music, in which he almost certainly was not giving it a special name, but had only noted…

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What’s Up Wednesday – The Wonders of AI

What’s Up Wednesday – The Wonders of AI

I’ve seen lots of movies about AI run amuck. The Terminator was an early one, and those movies were good for about the first three, then there was The Matrix, where the first was good while the rest (haven’t seen the fourth) were pretty much abominations. I tend to like dystopian, disaster, thriller movies, as they tell stories about the human spirit and people rising to the challenge, even if the scripts are not often the best and some of…

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Funny Friday – Writing

Funny Friday – Writing

In this episode of Funny Friday, I thought I’d talk about funny as in “weird” rather than funny as in haha. I’ve often spoken about the different parts of the writing process and how I do in the various parts. I do pretty well in outlining, but it’s fairly hot and cold. If I get an idea, I can run with it, but it will sometimes take me a while to get into outlining a story. Editing, proofing, grammar checking…

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Tuesday Tunes – Going Home

Tuesday Tunes – Going Home

I’ve been thinking a lot about life and mortality of late. If you read Colin’s tribute post you will know that our mother passed away at the beginning of the month. In the latter years of her life, she began to struggle with immobility and problems with her legs that left her walking with a walker, and then later essentially confined to a wheelchair when she wanted to get around. Even worse, she was diagnosed with dementia, which became so…

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