Here is another of my go-to pens, the Hero 616 in black plastic and chrome metal is a Chinese-manufactured fountain pen that pays homage to the great Parker 51 model fountain pen. The pen is well copied in detail even down to the Parker arrow clip and the steel "jewel" crowned cap. The thin metal cap is etched with separated groupings of 7 pinstripes and has the Chinese characters for "Hero" and the model number "616". Once the slip cap is removed, the clutch ring at the join of the barrel and hood is displayed. However, unlike the all-metal ring of the original 51, the Hero ring serves as a small ink-view window, enabling one to see if there's ink left in the reservoir (a feature that would have been convenient on the Parker 51). Unscrewing the barrel reveals the pump-style filler similar to the aerometric filler of the original Parker 51 for use with bottled ink. The pen holds a surprising amount of ink and is a smooth writer for such an inexpensive pen. It's lighter than my Parker 51, yet both pens are comfortable writers. I regularly have the Hero 616 filled with Sheaffer Purple fountain pen ink for general writing. I would like to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment in the Comment Box at the bottom of the page. Dale Thele Bestselling Fiction Author Stories with an LGBTQ+ Twist corrupting readers since 2008 Don't miss another blog post! Get new blog post notifications and new book/story releases sent directly to you by email. Click here to subscribe .

Waterman " Carene " fountain pen is an elegant and classy pen making me feel as if I'm composing an epic tome. The  Carene  is a deep black luminescent lacquer finish barrel with electroplated palladium trim with a shape inspired by the streamlined symmetry of the world's finest yachts. The French translation of “ carène ” is “hull”. This quality fountain pen features a highly lacquered barrel and extremely smooth in-laid rhodium-plated 18k solid gold extra fine nib. Heavyweight (brass base), yet ergonomically balanced for writing comfort. The pen can be fitted with a Waterman cartridge or a Waterman converter for use with bottled ink. The timeless design of the Waterman " Carene " fountain pen is made in France. Note: I'm currently hand-writing the first draft of Clipped Wings with my Carene , filled with Waterman Mysterious Blue bottled fountain pen ink on 8.5 x 11.75 canary yellow legal pads. I would like to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment in the Comment Box at the bottom of the page. Dale Thele Bestselling Fiction Author Stories with an LGBTQ+ Twist corrupting readers since 2008 Don't miss another blog post! Get new blog post notifications and new book/story releases sent directly to you by email. Click here to subscribe .

Entire First Draft of CLIPPED WINGS Who handwrites anymore? That's so old school. Well, just call me old fashion. Back in December, I completed the rough draft of CLIPPED WINGS , entirely handwritten in cursive with a fountain pen in a total of eight college-ruled composition books. Why would I put myself through such cruel torture? Well, I love writing with fountain pens, there's nothing that can compare with the feel and sensation of watching liquid ink form words on a piece of paper. In 2012 I ran across a YouTube video made by Brian Goulet about how to use fountain pens. Until that point in my boring life, I'd not paid any mind to fountain pens, after all, I grew up in the Bic pen generation. I was so captivated by his videos I watched everything Brian posted online. I searched out other fountain pen vids. It was as if I'd been put in a trance, I couldn't get enough information about fountain pens. In 2013, I entered an online contest and won a genuine fountain pen as my prize. I excitedly filled that sucker with ink from a small glass bottle. As soon as the nib connected with the paper, I was hooked. I had fallen head over heels into the allusive fountain pen rabbit hole. Since that fateful day, I seek out any opportunity to write with pen and ink. Sometimes when I can't find something useful to write I simply scribble one phrase over and over on any paper I have handy. “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” . Call me crazy and order a tailor to fit me for a straight jacket. I am a fountain pen addict, and I publicly admit it. There, I said it. With my love of fountain pens, it was just a natural desire to handwrite the first draft of my inaugural novel in 2017. Sure I'd written and published a couple of short stories and three novellas in 2010, but they were composed entirely on a laptop. That was years before I became mesmerized by the fantastical world of fountain pens. I began my new adventure into handwriting a fictional novel rough draft. Not just any novel, but an epic-length Southern literary novel. To prepare for the journey, I inked up anywhere from 6 – 8 fountain pens with different brands and colors of fountain pen ink. I also acquired a bunch of cheap college-ruled composition books for fifty cents each – I'm kind of a cheapskate. From Amazon, I purchased a SMUDGEGUARD spandex glove. It's a two-finger glove that fits on the pinky and ring fingers and prevents the transfer of body oil onto the paper as you write. Fountain pens can be persnickety boogers when they come into contact with body oil, it may skip or not lay a proper amount of ink on paper. Smudgeguard also protects the hand from getting all inky by accidentally dragging it across wet ink. Of course, for the fountain pen enthusiast, it's considered a badge of courage to brandish inky hands and fingers, it just comes with the territory. To prepare for my new task I needed some writing background music, something that would tug at my emotions. I returned to YouTube again where I found and downloaded a large collection of emotional piano and violin music tracks. I don't think I broke any laws in doing so -- if I did -- oopsie. So, I began handwriting the rough draft in cursive, you know what that is? It's that curlicue style of handwriting that just about anyone born after 1970 can't read. It's a private hieroglyphic type of writing that the Baby Boomer generation and generations before used to compose secret messages to one another. One of the rough draft notebooks I found that handwriting was much more convenient than lugging a bulky laptop around everywhere. I could take my composition book and a couple of fountain pens along wherever I went. I wrote in coffee shops, on public transit, and waiting in lobbies between appointments, and I could even write when I was in the toilet if I wanted. The downside, fountain pens do not hold an indefinite amount of ink. It was not uncommon to be writing happily along and run out of ink in mid-sentence when I'd simply grab a replacement inked pen. I'd go through from 6 -8 inked pens each week. Every Sunday I'd clean and refill the next week's supply of pens. So, that's a quick overview of how the rough draft of CLIPPED WINGS was written – by hand, in cursive, with fountain pens, in college-ruled composition books. Could I get much more old-school than that? A sampling of pens and inks I used to write the rough draft: Sheaffer 1960's vintage “School Pen” …............Pelikan 4001 Dunkelgrun Ink Fountain Pen Revolution “Himalaya” …............ Chesterfield Amethyst Platinum “Plaisir” …...................................................... Sheaffer Peacock Blue Levenger “True Writer” ….......................................... Waterman Mysterious Blue Lamy “Safari” …............................................................. Diamine Eclipse Sailor “1911” …............................................................... Levenger Cocoa Esterbrook “J-Series” (vintage) …..........................Monteverde Moonstone Parker “Sonnet” (60's vintage) …...........................Cross Violet (limited edition) Waterman “Carene” …...............................................Waterman Serenity Blue Pilot “Metropolitan” …..................................................Parker Blue/Black Happy Writing! My desk I would like to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment in the Comment Box at the bottom of the page. Dale Thele Bestselling Fiction Author Stories with an LGBTQ+ Twist corrupting readers since 2008 Don't miss another blog post! Get new blog post notifications and new book/story releases sent directly to you by email. Click here to subscribe .

Photo by A Dude Abikes Had an amazing afternoon with A Dude Abikes . A budding new author to watch for. Take a look at his blog and make sure you LIKE his posts and don't forget to Follow A Dude Abikes . He's an awesome dude. Dale Thele Bestselling Fiction Author Stories with an LGBTQ+ Twist corrupting readers since 2008 Don't miss another blog post! Get new blog post notifications and new book/story releases sent directly to you by email. Click here to subscribe .

Photo by Pixabay There’s an old saying “write what you know” a popular expression among writers. So what happens when you write a story of “what you know” but you don’t have all the factors to conclude the story? Over four decades ago, when I was a high school student, there were some unconventional incidents that took place in my teens. Years later, I considered writing an autobiography that would have revealed a real and intimate part of my life, but I was missing a key component, the “why did those events take place?” Without answers to that question, an autobiographical account was out of the question. Who’d want to read a book with no conclusion? Those events were real, and they changed not only my life but the lives of others. Yet I didn’t have the details to wrap up the story all tidy and neat. On a personal note, I had struggled with the “why?” for years. I had kept that part of my life private because I worried to tell my story due to possible retaliation. For years, I wanted to put those memories behind me. I craved and needed closure. Finally, the solution came to me. Couldn’t I write the “what I know” part and fill in the unknown “why” with fictional content? I wrote the rough draft and everything fell into place. The completed draft was a blend of fact and fiction. It answered every one of the unknown factors which eluded me for years. I had a complete story. And most of all, I found the closure I so desperately desired. The result was a coming-of-age story composed in the grey expanse between established facts and pure made-up fiction. No loose ends, no unanswered questions, and a story wrapped up with a big shiny bow. I entitled it CLIPPED WINGS . I completed the epic-length rough draft in four months. Handwritten with fountain pens and liquid bottled ink in eight cheap college-ruled composition notebooks. An additional three months to transpose the manuscript into digital format along with considerable first-round editing. There are several further rounds of self-editing to do. Then, I will release the manuscript to hungry beta readers. At which time, they will rip and shred my manuscript apart with their scathing remarks. From the beta readers' comments, I’ll have a plethora of editing options before me. However, I will have the last word as I wrap up the final edit before the manuscript goes to a third-party editor to polish the final manuscript for publishing. CLIPPED WINGS may be a Southern coming-of-age novel to its readers, but for me, I found closure to a dark part of my earlier life. The question remains, is the book fact or fiction? You and I know the actual answer, the story takes shape in that grey expanse that exists between fact and fiction yet is inspired by actual events. I would like to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment in the Comment Box at the bottom of the page. Dale Thele Bestselling Fiction Author Stories with an LGBTQ+ Twist corrupting readers since 2008 Don't miss another blog post! Get new blog post notifications and new book/story releases sent directly to you by email. Click here to subscribe .

No. This is not just any ol’ rag. It’s a fountain pen enthusiast’s ink rag. This swatch of cotton fabric represents the colors of bottled inks I’ve used over the past four years. Each time a fountain pen is re-inked, the pen and or the nib are wiped of excessive ink. Over time, the ink rag has grown into a story of inks used by this fountain pen enthusiast. This particular rag represents ink blots from various inks like the highly sought-after vintage Script Peacock Blue, traditional inks, limited edition inks, and contemporary boutique inks. Eventually, this rag will be mounted in a glass frame and hung on the wall as a trophy. Until that time, this rag will continue to amass a record of bottled inks which grace my fountain pens. Each blot represents countless hours of fascination observing the flow of ink from a fountain pen nib onto paper. There’s a sense of tranquility and nostalgia as the wrist and fingers guide the nib across the paper, leaving a trail of liquid ink in its wake. Countless grocery lists, notes, and articles written with the many inks have tinted this fabric swatch. This rag chronicles my pilgrimage through the use of fountain pens. Call me old-fashioned, call me a nerd, a weirdo, it doesn’t alter my love of fountain pens and inks. Maybe you call it an “obsession”, I prefer the word: fascination. Until one experiences the sensation of a superbly balanced fountain pen becoming one with the hand; effortlessly guiding a smooth nib across the paper, leaving behind a trail of pigmented liquid in its path; then, you too will realize the allure of the wonderfully fabulous fountain pen. I would like to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment in the Comment Box at the bottom of the page. Dale Thele Bestselling Fiction Author Stories with an LGBTQ+ Twist corrupting readers since 2008 Don't miss another blog post! Get new blog post notifications and new book/story releases sent directly to you by email. Click here to subscribe .

There’s way too much information to cram into one post, so here’s a quick overview of the history of GAY PRIDE and where it all began. Pride Commemorates the Stonewall Riots The history of the gay rights movement in this country is usually dated to 1969 when the patrons of a New York City bar fought back against a discriminatory police raid. At the time, homosexuality — or “sodomy,” as it was referred to in the legal books — was still a crime. Men could be arrested for wearing drag, and women faced the same punishment if they were found wearing less than three pieces of “feminine clothing.” The harassment continued for years, infuriating the gay community. On June 28, 1969, the police arrived at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village. However, the 200 patrons inside didn’t just sit down and wait to be arrested — they resisted, then rioted, sending the police a loud and clear message about their frustration with the status quo for LGBT individuals. If you ever wondered why Pride month takes place in June, now you know that it’s not just because of the generally pleasant weather. It’s historically relevant, too! “Gay Pride” Was Coined in 1970 Gay communities around the country immediately latched on to the Stonewall riots as an event that brought attention to their cause. Just a year later, in 1970, a committee was formed to commemorate the riots. The problem? The committee didn’t have a name for the series of events it wanted to hold in honor of LGBTQ rights. It tossed around the slogan “gay power” for a bit, but when committee member L. Craig Schoonmaker suggested “gay pride,” everyone else agreed on the phrase right away. Rainbow Flag & Creator Gilbert Baker Origin of the Gay Pride “Rainbow” Flag The first Rainbow Flag was designed in 1978 by Gilbert Baker, a San Francisco artist, who created the flag in response to a local activist’s call for the need for a community symbol. (This was before the pink triangle was popularly used as a symbol of pride.) Using the five-striped “Flag of the Race” as his inspiration, Baker designed a flag with eight stripes. Baker dyed and sewed the material for the first flag himself — in the true spirit of Betsy Ross. The design may have been influenced by flags with multicolored stripes used by various left-wing causes and organizations in the San Francisco area in the 1960s. The Rainbow Flag originally had eight stripes (from top to bottom): hot pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for the sun, green for serenity with nature, turquoise for art, indigo for harmony, and violet for spirit. Handmade versions of this flag were flown in the 1978 Gay Freedom Day Parade. Use of the rainbow flag by the gay community began in 1978 when it first appeared in the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day Parade. Borrowing symbolism from the hippie movement and black civil rights groups, San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker designed the rainbow flag in response to a need for a symbol that could be used year after year. Baker and thirty volunteers hand-stitched and hand-dyed two huge prototype flags for the parade. The flags had eight stripes, each color representing a component of the community. After the November 1978 assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and openly gay Supervisor Harvey Milk and the subsequent lenient sentence given to their killer, former Supervisor Dan White, the Rainbow Flag began to be used in San Francisco as a general symbol of the gay community. San Francisco-based Paramount Flag Co. began selling seven-striped (top to bottom: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet) flags from its Polk Street retail store, which was located in a largely gay neighborhood. These flags were a surplus stock that had originally been made for the International Order of Rainbow for Girls, a Masonic organization for young women. When Baker approached Paramount to make flags for the 1979 Gay Freedom Day Parade, Paramount informed Baker that fabric for hot pink was not available for mass production, and Baker dropped the hot pink stripe. Harvey Milk and Cleve Jones After Harvey Milk Supervisor Harvey Milk’s untimely death struck a major blow to the momentum of the Gay Rights Movement. However, a young man by the name of Cleve Jones, who had worked tirelessly on Milk’s campaign for Supervisor, stepped up to fight for Milk’s dream. Jones went on to establish several Gay organizations and was instrumental in keeping Milk’s dream alive still today. Greater detail of the Stonewall riots, Harvey Milk, Cleve Jones, Gilbert Baker, and schedules of PRIDE events around the world, can be found online. Please, take some time to research and read more about PRIDE. Let us celebrate DIVERSITY and PRIDE. Suggested Movies: Stonewall Digital Before & After Stonewall: 25th Anniversary Edition American Experience: Stonewall Uprising Milk (Harvey Milk Story) I would like to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment in the Comment Box at the bottom of the page. Dale Thele Bestselling Fiction Author Stories with an LGBTQ+ Twist corrupting readers since 2008 Don't miss another blog post! Get new blog post notifications and new book/story releases sent directly to you by email. Click here to subscribe .

Pamela and I initially met online through LinkedIn, from there we connected on Facebook and then moved onto communication through email. In this crazy world of social media and online networks, occasionally a real one-on-one friendship evolves. I was fortunate to have discovered a genuine friend in Pamela, a colleague to share ideas, inspiration, and encouragement. The following is a text from a recent interview I conducted with her. Pamela Lee Interview with Pamela Lee Dale : How and when did you get into writing? Pamela : Writing came to me at age 7—my pencil poised above my ‘fancy paper.’ In the middle of a patch of Mayflowers, I had tramped down into a perfect circle. My own first created writing sanctuary. How blissful to be close to the earth, with the sound of bees buzzing around me, and the sun shining on my skin. I could almost TOUCH the air, nibble on it. The scents, sounds. That was the day my senses were truly awakened. The day I became AWARE… and was reborn. As I write now, the image of blonde little tomboy [me] appears and I remember being so proud and careful each time I took a sheet of that floral-scented paper from the box of stationery my Gramma gave me for Christmas. Each sheet I carefully titled with my word of the day—starting with the very first one. SPECTACULAR! I loved using exclamation marks. From there I added goals, wishes, and observations. I was intense and passionate about life, even at 7. We MUST have passion in our hearts to be writers, oui? For, what more lonely existence is there than that of a writer when we drift into that place? After all, with no passion—how can we writers persistently and consistently go on..and on.. and on. Life ensued from there. Writing is a thing I did here and there through school, through several careers where I did ad copy, business plans, and letters to editors. Etcetera. I began WRITING, seriously, on October 1, 2006 — 50 years later. There is a long and involved story about why THAT date but suffice to say it involved invasive breast cancer, a follow-up heart attack to put a period on the end of that sentence, mother murder, a need to honour that mother—and a sense of my own mortality. Dale : Which genre(s) do you prefer to write, and why? Pamela : You could have knocked me over with a feather when I discovered I had poems within me—in 2012. Again, over the age of 60. Much to my astonishment, I have won awards with  my poems . Go figure! I always assumed poetry was beyond my education and ability (I have grade 10) and was only for egg-heads. The smart people. Little did I know until these alien things (poems) started rushing out of me that you can say SO much in 600 words! Taught me yet another life lesson. NEVER assume. F.Y.I, dear reader, poetry is the polar OPPOSITE to my writing style where I use many words and love to spin imagery with my prose… as you may have picked up here… lolol Bored yet? I wonder if I should add that I am currently working on a lit erotica novel and yes, I do love writing in that genre. It’s all about commercial when it comes to writing about that subject. Wouldn’t we all love to make a living with our writing? Dale : Who is your favorite character from your own writing, and why? Pamela : Louise Kovats. Beloved Sister and best friend of protagonist Annie. An intensely complicated and endearing character in my Holy Snappin’ series , introduced in Book 1, Call Me J . Louise appears firstly as a simple, sweet incredibly humble, and giving female child whose only wish in life is to be a good mother and wife. Her wishes are realized as she builds a home and a family of four beautiful children, circa mid-century set in South Western Ontario, Canada. Her world falls apart when she suffers postpartum depression with child #3 and then unravels completely with postpartum psychosis with child number 4. It was a huge challenge to define the level of care for severely compromised mentally ill patients in that era—or lack thereof, and their families. The paragraphs involving this character are graphic and upsetting with such images as the description of her obsession with cutting off her own lips with scissors. But, sadly, many parts of Louse are irrefutably relatable for those who do not have someone in their family dealing with this debilitating malady. Louise’s struggles were hard to write for this book is grounded on a true story close to my heart. Louise will eventually commit suicide in Book 3 of the series after YEARS of a truly handicapped lifestyle, losing her family and suffering greatly with this debilitating disease. Dale : What do you hope to get across in your writing? Pamela : That no one is immune to horrific pain—that everyone has a story that no screenplay could outdo-—that we are never alone–and that we must NEVER give up. My family saga Call me J and the ensuing books in the series is a story of faith, love, unrelenting hurt, AND joy. And that there IS a ‘’6 degree of separation.” Dale : Are there any genres you would never consider writing, and why? Pamela : Sci-fi/fantasy The genre does not move or engage me—So, even if someone said to me “Here’s a cool million. Create a sci-fi novel”—I’d have to rip up the cheque (not that anyone pays with cheques anymore—lol) Also—horror—I find it difficult to read some of Stephen King’s stuff. SOME I can do, but others? NOT! Even at close to 70, my mind is still too fertile and susceptible to seeing what he is writing. Freaks me the heck out! Example- The Mist . But loved the Green Mile . Dale : What is your favorite book you have read, and why? Pamela : When asked this question I made myself zone out, avoid overthinking and just let the answers come. Oh and here’s something interesting. Once I had gathered my notes, I noticed that all of these books have a movie adaptation. How fascinating! Historical Fiction- #1- Hawaii— James Michener. Why? Like my aha moment at age 7, reading this novel was a life-changing experience. 12-year-old tackles her first big fat read. And falls in LOVE with reading. Every Michener novel hence evoked the same emotions. #2- Clan of the Cave Bear— Jean Auel. Who WASN’T fascinated with Ayla and her story? Crime/Fiction- #1-True Crime— In Cold Blood— Truman Capote. Edgar Award winner but failed to haul in the Pulitzer. I would SAY, considering it wasn’t exactly fiction! I read a piece somewhere that Harper Lee, a buddy of Capote’s, helped him collect 6000 pages of data on the crime. The Why? Riveting. Sickening. Massively gobsmacking at how base humans can be against their species. I couldn’t put it down. #2- The Lovely Bones —Alice Sebold. The most memorable first lines, ever!!! “My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973.” I wanted to ROOT for her sooo bad—like we do for the heroine…but how could I? Breathtaking. Drama/Romance #1- The Notebook —Nicholas Sparks. Oh, come ON… Of COURSE, this had to top my list. I (and every heterosexual woman) wants to be Allie. I want my man to be Noah. #2- Where The Heart Is —Billie Letts. Oprah’s Book Club choice. Fabulous movie adaptation to a NEVER GIVE UP novel. Autobiography— Why Not? —Shania Twain. I felt like her SISTER! Great job done by Shania and her (assumed) ghostwriter!! Non-fiction. On Writing —Stephen King. FINALLY, short and sweet and oh so authentically real. I did not feel alone in this crazy thing we do once I read On Writing . From the very first bite into this book, I was transported. I found myself nodding and nodding again. It was like I myself was sharing all the nuances of the art. Sooo much like my experience. Yours’ too, I’m sure. Nooo, I am, not holding myself up beside the writer, Stephen King—but instead beside the man who understands and lies it all out on the table. Just because books— To Kill A Mockingbird , and Gone With The Wind . Dale : Which authors have inspired you, and why? Pamela : I cannot deny it. I am in awe of the prolific writer. Like—how do they DO that? The research. The art of chaining it all together without losing theme or character progression, storylines and depth—page one to the last word. Book after book after book. It still stops me up when I browse through my local library and see an entire row of novels—from the same author. I am particularly keen on series with the same characters—Example: The J.D. Robb In Death Series . Ohhh, Eve, Darling. There are too many to list. Dale : What genres do you most enjoy reading? Pamela : Family sagas. Historical fiction. Murder mystery. Dale : Many writers/artists/content creators adopt habits in dress, writing paraphernalia, and location. Tell us about your typical day. Pamela : When I accidentally fell into writing at 58 years old, I quickly realized I had to look at it like a business. Writing, untrained writing with trial and error strategies and an end goal, must be taken seriously. If I was going to look at this new discovery as a career, then I must attack it as I had done in my past careers. I write from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. I dress comfortably, often in loose PJs. a baseball cap. I do not answer the phone but have a local favorite classic rock radio station playing softly in the background. I like to sit where I can look outside toward nature. I make NO other plans for the day. It is my J.O.B. for the day. Dale : Any final words? Pamela : Yes. Before I became a writer, I had NO idea how it would take over my life when I wrote. I had no idea how my work would, on occasion, be regarded as frivolous and selfish. And that loved ones would be jealous of the time I took to pursue this thing that had taken over me over the four-odd years it took me to write my debut novel and two additional books in the series. As writers, poets, and content creators, all too often, we have to FIGHT to be recognized that we DO have a job in our writing. See. You are not alone. Our chances of being successful and recognized are about the same as winning the lottery. It is all about timing, luck, patience, tenacity, and faith. With a big ole jigger of self-love to bring us through day after day. NEVER, ever give in. Or give up. If you believe you will fail in completing your work, living that dream, you will fail. If you believe you will succeed in finishing that work, you will. Pamela Lee is a mother, grandmother, teacher, entrepreneur, Internet TV personality, survivor, friend, poet, author, and writer. To learn more about Pamela visit her author website . Purchase Pamela’s books at these fine  retailers . Contact Pamela through her contact page . I would like to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment in the Comment Box at the bottom of the page. Dale Thele Bestselling Fiction Author Stories with an LGBTQ+ Twist corrupting readers since 2008 Don't miss another blog post! Get new blog post notifications and new book/story releases sent directly to you by email. Click here to subscribe .

Why do writers fall in love (or become infatuated) with one or more of his/her fictional characters? It’s an easy trap for a writer to fall into since the writer must fully understand his/her characters to write a story of substance. A writer literally goes inside the head of his/her characters to explore what makes them tick, what they feel, think, and so on and so forth. In my situation, one of my characters has taken on a near “human” form. Case in point: Shane Davison is not only the lead character, but he’s also the narrator and voice of CLIPPED WINGS . He can be a real twat, but I’ve got a deep inner connection with him. He’s part me, part Holden Caulfield, part Scout Finch, and many other teenage characters from well-read and loved coming-of-age novels. Shane is a cocky (oops, I can’t use that word, it’s copyrighted — that’s another story altogether: see here ) teenager who lounges on my sofa as I write. He knows he’s the central figure of the fictional novel I’m writing, so he has no fear of NOT being featured in any (all) scene(s). But, he gets testy when I cut scenes or chapters in the editing process. He doesn’t throw a hissy fit or anything along those lines; instead, he pouts and won’t speak to me. Okay, I admit; I enjoy the silence when he’s pissed off, it beats those endless wild tangents he so enjoys to torture me. When I ask him to be quiet, his feathers get ruffled and he won’t talk even when I need his input or opinion. I hate when he goes into one of his teenage mood swings. Whatever possessed me to write a coming-of-age novel of a spoiled, self-centered, egotistical teenage boy? Why couldn’t I’ve drafted a charming little story filled with lollipops, unicorns, and rainbows? I hate to say it, but I wrote about a subject I knew. CLIPPED WINGS is a personal story, one that has been with me for nearly five decades. A story I knew needed to be told, but I didn’t have the guts to pursue it. I suppose I wasn’t willing to put my feelings, my fears, and most of all, I didn’t want to expose myself in such a public manner. I suppose a vulnerability can empower or destruct, depending on how one approaches a situation. Through Shane’s character, I found a voice to tell my story, an autobiographical/memoir sprinkled generously with huge chunks of fiction. By creating Shane, I distanced myself from a past that had haunted me for a long time. In the narrative, Shane becomes the vulnerable one, not me. He takes the heat, not me. He takes the fall, not me. Okay, possibly I’m hiding behind Shane, but I’m finally exposing an injustice that should never have happened, but it did. I can’t say with a clear conscience that I’m in love with Shane's character, but I do admire the way he tells his (our) story. We share an unspoken bond with a tale inspired by actual events. Maybe Shane didn’t exist in the actual series of events that unfold in the novel, but as a team, he and I tell one hell of a story. Currently, CLIPPED WINGS , the novel, is being edited and is scheduled for release in spring 2021. I would like to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment in the Comment Box at the bottom of the page. Dale Thele Bestselling Fiction Author Stories with an LGBTQ+ Twist corrupting readers since 2008 Don't miss another blog post! Get new blog post notifications and new book/story releases sent directly to you by email. Click here to subscribe .

Photo by Pixabay What happens when you have goals mapped out and are on track to completion? Then, out of the blue, LIFE circumstances get in the way. Completing your goals comes to a screeching halt. You put your goals on the back burner so you can deal with whatever annoying crap LIFE has pitched at you. LIFE can be a real bummer. That’s what happened to me recently. I had my goals set to wrap up a manuscript by a specific date. Each step was finely detailed, and I had carefully calculated the time allocated for each. The completion date was within my sights. Everything was going smoothly, I had convinced myself the manuscript would be completed on time — then Whammo! LIFE unexpectedly dumped a poop pile of crap on my well-oiled plans. I received notification of an available apartment I wanted. I’d waited over a year for a vacancy. Not only was it a location I wanted to live in, but the apartment was for an immediate move-in. I was confronted with making a hasty decision to either accept the apartment and put my goals on hold for a month or better. Or pass on the apartment to complete my manuscript and wait an additional year for another vacancy. I signed the lease and wrote a check for the security deposit and the first month's rent. Five weeks later, I’m writing this post from my desk in the new apartment. I’m back on schedule with my manuscript; however, I had to revise my initial goals. The past five weeks taught me a valuable lesson. Life didn’t whack me up the side of the head with an obstacle; it was a blessing in disguise. First, I got a new apartment. Second, I had time away from the manuscript to realize the needed revisions. Third, I arrived at the conclusion that life isn’t all that bad. Take what life throws at you, deal with it the best you can, then move on to living. I suppose how we approach LIFE all boils down to attitude and perception. Our attitude is how we react to LIFE’s setbacks; perception is how we view those unexpected bumps in the road. No matter how we respond to LIFE’s little challenges, either meeting them head-on or choosing to ignore them, eventually, we have to deal with the consequences of our actions. I try to maintain a positive attitude; sometimes I deviate, but for the most part, I like to think I’m a positive individual. As for my perception, I prefer an optimistic approach — though sometimes, I neglect to remove my rose-colored glasses. So that’s how LIFE threw a wrench into the works, and I came out unscathed. I hope and wish you the best if LIFE dumps on you. Remember, without LIFE, there’s no LIVING. I would like to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment in the Comment Box at the bottom of the page. Dale Thele Bestselling Fiction Author Stories with an LGBTQ+ Twist corrupting readers since 2008 Don't miss another blog post! Get new blog post notifications and new book/story releases sent directly to you by email. Click here to subscribe .

Photo by Pixabay You’ve plotted your historical fiction short story. You’ve performed the research to the minutest detail, so the story is historically correct. The words of your story unfold in your editor and suddenly your initial story and your research meld together to reveal your story isn’t fictional at all. Has your muse tricked you or are history (reality) and fiction (make-believe) related in some way? Mark Twain said, “The only difference between reality and fiction is that fiction needs to be credible.” In my current fictional novella, WIP: MASKED IDENTITIES , a historical fiction short story is interwoven within a contemporary storyline. The interior story takes place in 1890 London and focuses on a developing relationship between two young men from opposite sides of the tracks—so to speak. Their relationship is prohibited by Victorian law because they are of a homosexual persuasion. I selected springtime, initially the second week of April, for the interior story because spring is generally the season associated with romance. A note: the Victorian story is not a full-on gay romance but a budding attraction. In the story, two men meet by accident at a public place. I researched popular establishments where young London gentlemen could accidentally meet, yet be believable. I narrowed my options to three popular locations doing business in April 1890. Since I’ve never set foot in London nor did I live in the Victorian era. I reconstructed a map of London out of 15 pages of typing paper which I taped onto the wall behind my desk. (Google Search and I became quite good friends during the four months spent on online research.) I marked each potential location on my crude map to comprehend their proximity. The marked locations included where each young man resided, possible meeting sites, etc. I decided on the locations for each scene. First was a trendy pub frequented by young Londoners after an evening performance at a nearby theater. My research turned up playbills for the theatrical productions at the chosen theater during April. I further discovered actual images of the production reviews in archived newspapers of the period and an original menu from the pub where the first meeting occurred. The second meeting was at Hyde Park, and later, the young men crossed the street to the Queen’s Horse Guard Barracks. While in the barracks, the young men are rounded up in a raid organized by Scotland Yard. This is where research (history) and story (fiction) head for a collision course. There was an actual raid on the barracks, substantiated by newspaper accounts and (old) Scotland Yard records. The raid occurred one week before the date I had arbitrarily selected for my story. I checked the playbills for the theatrical production at the Queen’s Palace Theater and discovered one of the most successful theatrical productions of 1890 played at the theater during the same week of the barracks raid. I moved the story setting up one week to correspond with the historical data. Other than the fictional characters in the interior story, the short story depicts actual events and business establishments per historical records. I thought my story was something I’d concocted in my imagination until my research data proved otherwise. The remaining research fleshed out terminology and slang phrases and recreated a similar writing voice of that used in under-the-counter “smut” stories sold during the Victorian era. After completing the first rewrite, I submitted the manuscript (through an author friend via her ex-boyfriend) to the Royal Historical Society, London, England. After several emails back and forth with the Society, my manuscript was verified as being historically and technically accurate.  Was it a coincidence that my made-up story paralleled events in history? Or, are there no more original stories to tell, only the art of retelling? Or, in a past life, did I live in Victorian London? Or maybe, “It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area called the Twilight Zone.” — Rod Serling , introduction to the 1959-1964 TV Series. MASKED IDENTITIES (fictional novella) Brooke thought she had read every book in Grandad’s extensive collection of fiction until she stumbled upon an unfamiliar title. Curious, she delves into the book, to realize her own relationship with her boyfriend of four years parallels the Victorian short story she is reading Ezra and Christian. Can a story of infatuation between two men provide the answers to salvage her floundering relationship? Beta Readers are currently evaluating the manuscript. Anticipated to be released later in the year. I would like to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment in the Comment Box at the bottom of the page. Dale Thele Bestselling Fiction Author Stories with an LGBTQ+ Twist corrupting readers since 2008 Don't miss another blog post! Get new blog post notifications and new book/story releases sent directly to you by email. Click here to subscribe .

Photo by Pixabay Took the big plunge and moved my blog and web pages from WordPress to Wix . Why? I have nothing against WordPress; they are a huge blogging host, and they’ve been around for a very long time. Previously, I was hosted on WordPress; before that, I was with GoDaddy . Both had service options I liked, but neither had all the options I wanted in a web host. Was it too much to ask for: 1. a host that offers a clean design without all the sidebars found on WordPress 2. web pages along with a seamless integrated blog 3. easy to update on the fly 4. mobile friendly 5. MailChimp integration 6. Event scheduling and guest registration 7. SEO options 8. Google Webmaster Tools 9. Google Analytics 10. Affordable web hosting 11. All the service options I need in one place - one hosting company Yup, I want my cake and eat it too. Searching articles written by authors of hosting suggestions led me back to WordPress. Do all those authors get kickbacks for recommending WordPress? However, I ran across several mentions of Wix, so I checked it out. Wix offers paid and free hosting options. What impressed me most about Wix are the broad variety of template choices. I’m not a big fan of templates. I tried templates years ago and spent hours toiling over and tweaking the scripts to get them to work accurately. So, It impressed me when I discovered Wix's easy-to-use templates - select and drop the application options into the template. Then, if I wished to customize the applications or the template, it too was a snap. I played with a template for nearly a day; I paid nothing upfront to customize a complete website from a template. The process was so easy I was sold on Wix and I signed up for a premium account. No long-term agreements: I opted for a month-to-month basis to give Wix a spin. So far, I’m more than pleased with Wix. I have everything I want and more from one hosting company at an affordable rate. When it comes to hosting needs, everyone has different requirements and needs. For me, Wix has far exceeded my expectations. I may have just found my ideal hosting company with Wix. For the time being, I will continue a mirror blog on WordPress ; however, that blog will eventually be discontinued. I would like to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment in the Comment Box at the bottom of the page. Note: This is not a paid endorsement for Wix . UPDATE: the WordPress mirror blog has been deleted. This Wix blog is my only blog. Updated on March 18. 2023. Dale Thele Bestselling Fiction Author Stories with an LGBTQ+ Twist corrupting readers since 2008 Don't miss another blog post! Get new blog post notifications and new book/story releases sent directly to you by email. Click here to subscribe .