HEARTICLES: Articles with Heart

Kemberlee Shortland, Copyright December 2011 "Dear Editor, I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so." Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus? ~ Virginia O'Hanlon " Have you ever wondered if there really was a Saint Nicholas? And if he existed, what happened to him? He really did exist you know, and I can tell you what happened to him. Nicholas was born in Patara of Lycia, Turkey, sometime in the middle of the 3rd century. His birth date is disputed as being somewhere between 245-271AD. He was the only child born to wealthy parents who provided him with a very Christian upbringing. Unfortunately, Nicholas was orphaned at an early age when his parents died of the Plague and was sent to live in the monastery in Myra. Under the guidance of the bishop there, Nicholas was educated and became ordained in his 20s. At the age of 30, on the death of the bishop, Nicholas was elected...

I am impelled, not to squeak like a grateful and apologetic mouse, but to roar like a lion out of pride in my profession. ~ John Steinbeck John Steinbeck's acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize 10 December 1962 -- I thank the Swedish Academy for finding my work worthy of this highest honor. In my heart there may be doubt that I deserve the Nobel award over other men of letters whom I hold in respect and reverence - but there is no question of my pleasure and pride in having it for myself. It is customary for the recipient of this award to offer personal or scholarly comment on the nature and the direction of literature. At this particular time, however, I think it would be well to consider the high duties and the responsibilities of the makers of literature. Such is the prestige of the Nobel award and of this place where I stand that I am impelled, not to squeak like a grateful and apologetic mouse, but to roar like a lion out of pride in my profession and in the great and good men...

Etymology Simply put, etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time. Etymology is an early 14th century word derived from Greek word etumologíā -- from étumon , meaning 'true sense', and logía , meaning 'study'. Effectively, etymology is a study of the true sense of words. Etymology is pronounced et-uh-mol-uh-jee . In this new series, I'm looking at some common, everyday words and discuss their etymology . . . where they came from, their development, and how they're used today. This exercise is an effort to help you learn about the words we take for granted today, and how using the proper word will help enhance your writing, as well as your reading. Today's word is CUPBOARD -- The term cupboard comes from the original cup board -- literally a board for storing cups. This term goes back to the 12th century as cuppebord when cups and mugs were stored on boards, often stacked on top of ea...

Sometimes when we have too much going at one time, we run the risk of dropping a ball or three. And no matter how many to-do lists we have, regardless of scheduling, and even with the best of intentions, the ball can drop. And it did. But . . . like the old adage goes about getting back on the horse, we're back in the saddle, balls in hand, and ready to bring you some amazing pieces we hope you will enjoy. Here's a glimpse of what's up for the rest of the year -- The Story -- This is a three-piece series to help you plot your story . . . the beginning, the middle, and the end. Tightening Your Writing -- This is another three-piece series to help you get rid of passive writing, show you how to get the most out of word usage, and how to avoid overwriting. Keys to Writing Erotica -- This series will help you write a great erotica by effective use of emotion, making sure you have a good story, and creating engaging characters. Yes, even erotica stories need likeable characte...

January is the first month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The first day of the month is known as New Year's Day. And, on average, it's the coldest month of the year within most of the Northern Hemisphere. The name January has its beginnings in Roman mythology, coming from the Latin word for door (ianua) – January is the door to the year. January is named after Janus, the god of the doorway. Although March was originally the first month in the old Roman Calendar, January became the first month of the calendar year under Numa about 450 BC. Historical names for January include its original Roman designation, Ianuarius, the Saxon term Wulf-monath (wolf month) and Charlemagne's designation Wintarmanoth (winter/cold month). The first of January is not only the door to the new year, it's also a time when people make resolutions. Resolutions are new commitments an individual makes to a personal goal, project, the reforming of a habit, or a lifestyle ch...

An Exclusive Interview with Kris Kringle by Kemberlee Shortland copyright December 2010 I caught up with Kris Kringle over the summer and had the chance to chat with him about his life as Father Christmas and the goings-on at the North Pole. Grab a mug of eggnog and take a moment to learn a few secrets about auld St. Nick! The truth might amaze you . . . or shock you! Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with us, Kris. We understand how busy you must be this time of year. {Santa laughs} What can you tell us a bit about yourself, your family, and your job? {thinking, eyes rolling toward ceiling briefly} I was born in Patara of Lycia, now Turkey, sometime in the middle of the 3rd century {winks}. When you're my age, the exact date doesn't seem to matter. Ho, ho, ho! {belly jiggles like a bowl of jelly} I was raised in a monastery in Myra when my folks passed away. When I was 30 I became the Bishop of Lycia. Of course, back then I was called Nicholas. I'...

When we think about the holidays, it's usually the time around Christmas. But really, and especially in America, it's the last three months of the year. Halloween begins with kids wanting the perfect costume for school events, and maybe a different costume for trick or treating with their friends. And while we might have a short lull before Thanksgiving, we're still consciously thinking about all the dishes needing preparation before the big day. Never mind the decorating! Come Black Friday — that day after Thanksgiving Day when we all realize there's just four weeks until Christmas — utter panic sets in. We have to shop for gifts, post holiday cards, put up decorations, make sure the dinner invites have been sent, and we can't forget to order The Bird, shop for food, then start cooking. There's no time to sit on our laurels, as the after-Christmas sales start on the 26th. Then comes New Years Eve and Day — another day of too much food and drink, and if you like...

{please note, this article is aimed at writer's not participating in this month's NaNoWriMo} "OMG! I haven't written anything — anything — in a month! Where has the time gone? What's wrong with me? I'll never get this book published if I can't hunker down and write!" Have you said this? I bet you have, at least to some degree. But let's look back over your last month, or number of weeks, since you've written. Have you been concentrating on submissions of a previous story? If you're previously published, are you submitting to reviewers or doing guest blog spots to promote your latest book? Are you a member of a critique group or have a partner you critique with? Do you write a blog? Have you got buried yourself in research? There are a number of reasons why you're not working on your story, but that doesn't mean you're not writing. If you're submitting to agents and publishers, that's important if you want your story pub...

I was recently asked what age I thought was too young for reading romance novels. My first inclination was to say at least 16. But then I got to thinking, what was the first romance novel I read and how old was I? I started reading romance when I was 13 but really, it was probably earlier. I distinctly remember buying my first romance novel and knowing it was romance. That was in 1981 when I was 16; the book was Highland Velvet by Jude Deveraux. I was an early reader though and thought romances were adventure stories. I can't remember titles or authors prior to Deveraux, but I do remember being captivated by tales set on the high seas, wagons crossing the prairie, or epics taking place in far off places. I was a young woman on the brink of adulthood and where I'd previously ignored the intimate scenes of the characters, I was now intrigued by them. The question of how old a girl should be before being allowed to read romances has long been asked. Friends who started readi...

So, you have a blog and you're wondering why you also need a website. The biggest difference between a blog and a website is that blogs are generally about current, up-to-date information. The most current of that information always comes up immediately when visitors log in. Websites are generally more static, offering semi-permanent landing points for visitors who want to learn more about you and your work. Traditionally, the homepage is the only page that frequently changes. And for people like me who have a blog and a website, it's easy to use the blog as the homepage to the website, then use the website itself for the semi-static information. More about this later. First off, here are the top ten reasons why you need a website — 1) Compartmentalization - By setting up dedicated areas for specific things, visitors to your site can click into that section and find everything they're looking for in that topic in the one place, such as all of your books or to learn more ab...

Blogging is the 'in' thing at the moment. Everyone seems to be doing it. But why? What makes it so popular? Before we can go into the reasons why one should blog, let's look at what a blog is. The word blog is the combination of the words web and log. A web log is essentially an online diary. The forerunner of the blog was the online journal or online diary. Claudio Pinhanez's "Open Diary" is thought to be the first web page in an online diary format. He published his diary at the MIT Media Lab at Cambridge, Massachusetts's website from 14 November 1994 to sometime in 1996. In 1994, "Carolyn's Diary" was published by Carolyn Burke. In subsequent years, several other online diaries were started, and by 1998, the word blog first appeared on the scene. Since that time, the word blog has been entered into most English dictionaries and has also become part of our everyday language — "Are you going to blog today?" or "Are you working...