Cassandra DenHartog
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    • About Me
    • Blog
    • Buy Me A Coffee
  • Books
  • Cover Art By Cassy
    • Romance
    • Sci-Fi
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    • Mystery/Crime
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My Blog Of Random 

Who Is Leigha Glaux

5/31/2020

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Who is Leigha Glaux
 
Well, you might have guessed, Leigha is me. I really tried to show some key things I’ve experienced in my life within this novel, that I’m thinking of calling Vampires and Viruses. No, it has nothing to do with Corona. I was working on this virus idea early 2018 before this came about.
Anyway, Leigha suffers from anxiety, just like me, with a weak heart… just like me. Sadly. She often gets overwhelmed or thinks about everything that could possibly go wrong which sends her into a panic. I think anyone who has anxiety will understand.

Leigha is also getting a new job because she cannot stand working at hospice after losing her mom and sisters. This is pretty close to my own life. In college I lost both my mom and younger sister in a matter of months. Then, a few years later, my older sister, leaving just me and my dad. I also did work for hospice for a year, and like Leigha, had to get a different job because I needed full time hours. That’s when I got a job at small rural hospital, which is the inspiration for Leigha’s new job.
So, maybe spoiler alert, her name Leigha Glaux has a special meaning. Leigha came about because my middle name is Leigh (pronounced lee) although many pronounce it (lee-ah) so I spelled it to make more sense. Glaux is more special.
My husband nicknamed me Little Owl, partially due to my love of owls. Well here is something I discovered when doing research for this book.
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Owls were commonly reproduced by Athenians in vases, weights and prize amphoras for the Panathenaic Games.[9] The owl of Athena even became the common obverse of the Athenian tetradrachms after 510 BC and according to Philochorus,[12] the Athenian tetradrachm was known as glaux (γλαύξ, little owl)[13] throughout the ancient world and "owl" in present-day numismatics.[14][15] 
 
LITTLE OWL! It is perfect. And this just may be a tidbit you’ll only know from reading my blog, unless I get famous or something. Anyway, this will play a huge part in my character’s development.
Spoiler!!!!
 
 
She’ll find out she has a connection to Athena and that the Greek Gods did really exist!
 
Yay!
Anyway, I’ll post more about my characters. Can’t wait for this book to come out. Over 20,000 words in and she’s about to go on her first date (first in the book)!
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10 days of Blog posts

1/13/2018

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1. What is keeping you from being fully honest in your person blog?
  • Spill your guts. Hook your reader. Be up front and honest. Afterwards make a promise to always be honest and your posts will soon become much more exciting.
2. What would you do if you won the lottery?
  • Don’t be boring. Open up to your deepest, darkest, and most unique desires.
3. What was the strangest sex dream you ever had?
  • Sex sells. Be open and honesty. Go into nitty gritty detail. Loop into your real life. Add some humor. Maybe say sorry to your husband for having naughty dream of Hugh Jackman.
4. Write a letter to your 5-year-old self.
  • Again, honestly counts. With this one get emotional. Make your readers feels your message.
5. What book most influenced your life?
  • You’re an author. Bring your books and other books into your blog. Start with this one and the go ahead and do some name dropping. But, don’t forget to name drop your own books as well here.
6. If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
  • Give your readers a better view into yourself. Unless it’s absolutely important, try and skirt around religion and politics (unless you’re a Christian author). The reason being is you want to hook a big audience and promote your books, not lose potential readers due to your views that may not play at all in your books. Try using hot phrases in this blog. Bring in current events. Make it current and promote the hell out of it.
7. Saddest and Happiest moment of your life was?
  • Again, get emotional. Start with the worst so that way you can give your readers a happy ending. Tell every gritty detail no matter how it hurt. Add visuals. Images hook readers far quicker than words.
8. Favorite character you’ve ever written was?
  • This is a big time name dropping chance, for yourself. Pick your favorite character and compare him/her/it to others you have written. Add in book titles as reference. Name drop a couple of other authors. Try to make them more local and add links to their websites to help promote them.
9. What super power would you like to have and why? What real world powers do you have?
  • Be honest, but don’t brag.
10. Things you are most grateful for?
  • Open up about yourself. Name drop your favorite book you wrote. 
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10 tips to a great novel

11/22/2017

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​1.      Fit a Genre

Mystery? Romance? Books written on the edge of two genres tend to fall between the cracks. Pick a genre and stick with it.

2.      Think Bigger

High drama. High plot. High concept idea. Know your extreme. You can always mellow it as your write.
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3.      Love your Lead

Make a character your reader will identify with and love. Make them real with real flaws and real things to overcome that is relatable.
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4.     Hate your Villain

Make them real. Make them an opponent that fits and will push your main character to overcome their flaws and/or achieve their goals.

5.      Target Length

Find the right word count for your genre and hit it.

6.      Get Complicated

Throw a wrench into your main characters plan. Add subplot. Add depth.

7.      Surprises

Have at least three surprises for your reader. Don’t just leave one grand on for the very end..

8.     Best for Last

Resolve your minor subplots first, your most important subplots towards the end, and save the main plot for last.

9.     Point of View

Stay in a viewpoint that best fits your character or genre. Don’t get creative. Readers know what they like.

10.      Lights, Camera, Action

Live in the action light. Push your story along as if there is a director always screaming over your shoulder. Don’t get boring.   
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Interview With Your Character

10/24/2017

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Sit down and pretend you’re interviewing a character from your novel. Document the best answers you think they would give in their voice and then write it out as if it really happened. 
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So Imagine, you and your character are sitting down for a personal one on one interview. Chairs are comfy. The door is closed. You have a pad of paper, pen, and a list of questions. Some nice and some very naughty. 
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Questions:
  1. Who was the last person you hugged?
  2. Are you easy to get along with?
  3. If you were drunk would the person you like take care of you?
  4. Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable?
  5. Do you have trust issues?
  6. Do you like your neighborhood?
  7. What are your bad habits?
  8. Do you like bubble baths?
  9. What part of your body would you change?
  10. Would you rather live without TV or Music?
  11. What do you do when you wake up?
  12. Do you still think about your first crush?
  13. What was your worst relationship?
  14. Where was your best date?
  15. The nicest thing you’ve done?
  16. Do you play sports?
  17. What celebrities would you have a three-some with?
  18. What do you say during awkward silences?
  19. Would you rather go to outer space or deep in the ocean?
  20. What place would you want to travel to?
  21. If you were locked up with someone for the rest of your life, who would it be?
  22. What is your favorite food?
  23. What are your paranoid about?
  24. Worst way to die?
  25. One person you’d bring back from the dead?
Now go ahead and write. Don't forgot to add a link to this article or comment below with your own blog. Lets share the stories of our characters!
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  • Home
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    • Romance
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  • Paranormal Hospital
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