The best description for the Family Treez of the USA Series: 

Imagine...

The short version:

Indiana Jones + Goonies + Steve Berry books + Warehouse 13 + National Treasure + John Jakes 
+ Herman Wouk + Jeff Shaara + Tracie Peterson (historical fiction) + Newt Gingrich (fiction) 
+ Marylu Tyndall + Philippa Gregory = Family Treez of the USA Series. 

Or... The long version: 

Indiana Jones + Goonies + Steve Berry books + Warehouse 13 + National Treasure + John
Jakes + Herman Wouk + Jeff Shaara + Tracie Peterson (historical fiction) + Newt Gingrich
(fiction) + Marylu Tyndall + Philippa Gregory + ancestry/real-life family tree + + Roanoke 
+ Jamestown + Yorktown + American Revolutionary War + War of 1812 + Civil War
+ Plantagenet Family + The Tudors + Nero + the Tower of London = Family Treez of the
USA Series. 

Stacy Duplease

A writing hazard

I just wrote a scene where they eating Chinese food--so now I am craving it terrible!

The hazards of being a writer... (Hate it when that happens.) 

I know what I am doing tomorrow! Lol. 

Stacy Duplease
Thriller Historical Fiction Writer

Roanoke 1584-1590: The Family Treez of the USA Series, Book 1

Email: familytreezusa@gmail.com

NaNoWriMo: http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/familytreezetc

Bookstore: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction

dba Remembering Your Present, LLC & Family Treez USA

Tired but Pleased

Warning: Political talk in this blog post.  

So, last night, my husband and I stayed up much too late--watching the presidential debates. They took place in our home state of Colorado--and man, we wish we could have been there.

We finally turned the light off at 1:30 a.m. Ugh! I am the type who, in an idea world, would go to bed at 9:00 and wake up at 5:00. However, I do the 10 to 6 thing instead usually. Well... Maybe 11 to 6:30--depending on how much I read and how many times we hit the snooze button. 

I am quite pleased with the presidential debate. Quite. Quite, quite, quite. 

I never dreamed Romney would do so well. But, I did debate in high school. I should have known better. Romney knows his stuff. He knows his subject well and knows where he stands on the issues. So, of course, he would do well. He was able to show what he knows last night--along with his plans. He emerged a leader--not a manager. I was impressed. 

Wow. (Well done, Romney.)

(Image Credit: Microsoft Images Online.) 

Stacy Duplease

American Citizen 

Writing Help--or Obstacles?

Here it is 10:24 a.m. and I am still in my pj's. (Gotta love the full-time writing thing!) I am trying to get a lot of writing done and do not want to stop for a bit to change. I am not even getting up for coffee--and that is saying something! 

Evidently, someone (Sinan the Terrible. Cat. Lol.) thought I was working too hard and decided to be cute (he's good at that!). 

"Whatcha doin?" Sinan asked as he hung from the back on desk chair--with me sitting in it (see the pink pj's). 

Me: "You're--not--helping!" I say in a high and cute voice he seems to like.

In the meanwhile... Zack Beagle is bored with my writing--as usual.

And you can see the shelf that needs organizing and the rice sock I threw to the floor when I got too hot (sore back). 

And, how do I get writing done with this handful? 

So, is he a helper or an obstacle? I think I am going to take his cue that I need to go get dressed and get coffee and then try another round of intense writing.

So, what do you do with writing obstacles? Do you allow them to be an obstacle--or do you turn it into a benefit and something positive? 

Stacy Duplease
Thriller Historical Fiction Writer

Roanoke 1584-1590: The Family Treez of the USA Series, Book 1

Email: familytreezusa@gmail.com

NaNoWriMo: http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/familytreezetc

Bookstore: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction

dba Remembering Your Present, LLC & Family Treez USA

Psalm 63:3

Psalm 63:3

New Living Translation (NLT)

^{3 Your unfailing love is better than life itself;}     how I praise you!

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

(Image Credit: Microsoft Images Online.)

NaNoWriMo is in 28 days: Writing Tips and Hints

NaNoWriMo is in 28 days.

Re-read that first sentence one more time.

Do you feel your heart race? I know I sure do. Is it nerves, excitement, fear of failure, or (YES!) all of the above? 

I ask again. Have you written 1667 words today? This is the first step to preparing for NaNoWriMo. You might as well get in the habit now. 

A writing tip I want to share with you is this:

DO NOT EDIT.

Allow massive amounts of typo's and spelling errors. Do not use spell check until you reach your goal. Then, do it all at once and use the "change all" option to save yourself time. The chances are if you repeat a typo and repeat the same word, you will repeat the typo. "Change all" will save you time in the end. 

Another writing tip:

Do you hit the delete key to go back and fix something and re-type what you just wrote. Instead, keep typing. You can fix it later. 

Start getting in these habits today--and it will help you with NaNoWriMo. 

Stacy Duplease
Thriller Historical Fiction Writer

Roanoke 1584-1590: The Family Treez of the USA Series, Book 1

Email: familytreezusa@gmail.com

NaNoWriMo: http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/familytreezetc

Bookstore: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction

dba Remembering Your Present, LLC & Family Treez USA

BC

My head is still swimming--after tracing my family back to 85 BC. 

Who would have thought? No one in my family had any idea. 

It humbles me and boggles my mind.

But, talk about writing material! I have always said I will write until the day I die. Now I think I have enough material to draw from I can.

What history. How amazing.

History has come alive to me in a whole new way. 

(Image Credit: Microsoft Images Online.)

-- Stacy Duplease
Thriller Historical Fiction Writer
Sent from my cell.

Download at Smashwords Bookstore

It's that time again. It's time to download the latest FREE copy of ROANOKE 1584-1590: THE FAMILY TREEZ OF THE USA SERIES, BOOK 1 from my store linked below.

Again, it's rough. It's the 1st rough draft. Therefore, there are many errors and the writing is not as tight as it could be. Also, it's 24,000 words of 210,000. That's why it is free. 

Download it and enjoy! There are multiple formats available. 

Stacy Duplease
Thriller Historical Fiction Writer

Roanoke 1584-1590: The Family Treez of the USA Series, Book 1

Email: familytreezusa@gmail.com

NaNoWriMo: http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/familytreezetc

Bookstore: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction

dba Remembering Your Present, LLC & Family Treez USA

Writing Status and Progress

ROANOKE 1584-1590: THE FAMILY TREEZ OF THE USA SERIES, BOOK 1

Status: Writing

24,666 words of 210,000 (I am 3,000 words behind at the moment.)

BOOK 2: JAMESTOWN PART 1 

Status: Planning

BOOK 3: JAMESTOWN PART 2

Status: Planning

Stacy Duplease
Thriller Historical Fiction Writer

Roanoke 1584-1590: The Family Treez of the USA Series, Book 1

Family Treez Blog and Website: http://familytreezusa.blogspot.com

Email: familytreezusa@gmail.com

NaNoWriMo: http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/familytreezetc

Bookstore: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction

dba Remembering Your Present, LLC & Family Treez USA

The greatest book of all time: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

I think the greatest book of all-time, apart from the bible of course, is "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand.

In fact, I think it should be a requirement ALL Americans read the book.

I am getting excited for the movie, Part 2 to come out here in the next couple of weeks. 

There are problems of the book: The size appears massive. The book is terrible for about the 1st hundred pages.

However, the 1st 100 pages are necessary. Sou see that later. 

As to the size of the book, I can finish it in three days of intense reading. I read fast, though. 

The book is about life. It's a book about a woman who wants to succeed and gives her all to her work. It's a mystery  It's philosophical. It shares how it is okay to make money. (I add that it depends on what you do with your money that counts!) It's a love story. It's a wonderful, fabulous read (after the 1st 100 pages.) It is addictive. I get obsessed with reading it every time I read it again. It's suspenseful. It's chocking--in a good way. It will make you laugh and cry. It will make you furious and shout with joy. Ayn Rand is a wonderful writer and is my writing inspiration. 

I try to re-read it every 2 years tops--and have since I was 18. So, it's been a couple decades. 

Have you read this book?

(Image Credit: Microsoft Images Online.) 

Stacy Duplease
Thriller Historical Fiction Writer

Roanoke 1584-1590: The Family Treez of the USA Series, Book 1

Email: familytreezusa@gmail.com

NaNoWriMo: http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/familytreezetc

Bookstore: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction

dba Remembering Your Present, LLC & Family Treez USA

Genre Change

I have always loved adventure stories... Let alone myth, conspiracy theories, secret organizations, treasure hunting, etc. The myths and legends that I love to learn about are: King Arthur, Camelot, Avalon, Merlin, Atlantis, the Knights Templar, the Magi, the Masons, the Illuminati, the Holy Grail, the Ark of the Covenant, Noah's Ark, the Library of Alexandria, etc. Never mind: Indiana Jones, the Mummy, National Treasure, etc.

What about the real truths of history? The stuff that may or may not have been recorded? And what really happened? And what could have happened?

And, what about family secrets? 

And, what about spies?!? I love them! 

I have recently traced my family back to NERO. The worst persecutor of Christians--ever. He is a direct ancestor of mine. How's that for a skeleton in the closet? That's one side of the family. The other has Charlemagne and other bishops and people of faith. So, the enemies in this series will be my own family. And so will the good guys! (Just a little foreshadowing.)

And, just as books in the 80's and 90's had the Russians as the enemy. Mine will be the fanatical jihadists/terrorists.

I decided the only thing to do was to try my hand at Thriller Historical Fiction. I think this might be a genre I made up, but I am not sure. I know Steve Berry and Dan brown can fit here. The only difference is I will use the mysteries that could surround my family to support Jesus Christ and the Holy Bible. 

Yes. I have read Dan Brown and Steve Berry. I LOVE these authors. And, I am a Christian. Did their books make me question my faith? No. Did I think them heresy? No. They are fiction. As a matter of fact, their books made my faith even more solid because I can see how people can be imaginative, but I know the truth--and I know that I know that I know. (I also read JK Rowling and watch TV shows.) 

BOTTOM-LINE

I want to write a Christian-based, solidly based on the absolute truth of Scripture, treasure hunt, secret organization, spy adventure novel--with historical fiction as the backdrop where answers are found and where life back then is made alive today. It will be a series very loosely based on my family--with a whole lot of what-if questions asked to make it exciting and an adventure.

(Image Credit: Microsoft Images Online.) 

Stacy Duplease
Thriller Historical Fiction Writer

Roanoke 1584-1590: The Family Treez of the USA Series, Book 1

Email: familytreezusa@gmail.com

NaNoWriMo: http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/familytreezetc

Bookstore: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction

dba Remembering Your Present, LLC & Family Treez USA

World Without End by Ken Follett Miniseries on Reelz

Has anyone else seen this?!?

It's a miniseries on the Reelz Channel starting 17 October 2012. (Count me in!)

http://www.reelz.com/worldwithoutend/

Stacy Duplease
Thriller Historical Fiction Writer

Roanoke 1584-1590: The Family Treez of the USA Series, Book 1

NaNoWriMo Practice

NaNoWriMo Writers,

For those who do not write 1667 words per day on a normal basis, have you been practicing and doing precisely that? If you start to establish the habit now, NaNoWriMo will be a great deal easier and more enjoyable for you.

Just a thought.

I talked about this in an earlier blog post. How is this practice going for you? 

Stacy Duplease
Thriller Historical Fiction Writer

Roanoke 1584-1590: The Family Treez of the USA Series, Book 1

Email: familytreezusa@gmail.com

NaNoWriMo: http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/familytreezetc

Bookstore: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction

dba Remembering Your Present, LLC & Family Treez USA

Writing Etc. Etc. Etc.

One of the things I love most about writing is how it is something that can unite people--across the world--no matter the background, ethnicity, beliefs, shape, color, nation, etc. It is a great unifier. It is where one writer supports another and has the integrity to not steal one another's work (please!), but learn from one another. 

Writing unites us.

While we might disagree with one another, we can respect one another's craft.

That's pretty amazing.

(Photo Credit: Microsoft Images Online.)

Stacy Duplease
Thriller Historical Fiction Writer

Roanoke 1584-1590: The Family Treez of the USA Series, Book 1

NaNoWriMo Preparation and Peptalk

NaNoWriMo Writers,

How is everyone's preparation going? Is this a first for you and something you've always wanted to do? Are you starting a new novel? Or are you adding word count to a novel you are already writing? 

I've participated in NaNoWriMo three years before now and look forward to this year. I'm writing in a new genre to me and am looking forward to see what adding 50,000 words to my current writing project will bring me this year. 

There is nothing like writing at mach-10, with my hair on fire, not carinnngggg (Oops. I mean--caring) about editing. It's magical. It's definitely an adventure. I think NaNoWriMo separates those serious about their writing and those who are too serious. If we cannot have fun writing, why write? If we are too busy trying to do everything perfect, it makes our writing a labor and not really worth doing. 

Here is a hint for any newbies in NaNoWriMo. I do not have much of a plan at all. I have a minor outline of half a page for my entire book, which will be 210,000 words when I am finished. So, I am a pantser, but know where I need to go. The rest is--allowing the muse (or God) to lead me wherever it takes me--as long as it fits in the outline. I don't have to come to NaNoWriMo with a plan--other than 1667 words per day for November 2012. I can allow my muse to make one for me. And, I refuse to stress. How does that help?

It's the editing that will make the novel great.

Stacy Duplease
Thriller Historical Fiction Writer

Roanoke 1584-1590: The Family Treez of the USA Series, Book 1

Email: familytreezusa@gmail.com

NaNoWriMo: http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/familytreezetc

Bookstore: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction

dba Remembering Your Present, LLC & Family Treez USA

Time Away: A Break

I just wanted to let you know that over the next month, I am going to take a break and play from time to time.

Those dates are: 10/10-10/25.

I might do a quick check-in, but nothing official or lengthy.

One of the things I am going to do is go to a lot of historical sites: Jamestown, Yorktown, Hogg Island, Buckroe Beach, Bacon's Castle, etc. Each is associated to the history of the United States and to my family treez.

(Photo Credit: Stacy Duplease. 2011. Yorktown.)

Stacy Duplease

Thriller Historical Fiction Writer

Roanoke 1584-1590: The Family Treez of the USA Series, Book 1

Family Treez Blog and Website: http://familytreezusa.blogspot.com

Email: familytreezusa@gmail.com

NaNoWriMo: http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/familytreezetc

Bookstore: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction

dba Remembering Your Present, LLC & Family Treez USA

Where to find me for NaNoWriMo

You can track my progress at this link during the month of November:

http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/familytreezetc

Stacy Duplease
Thriller Historical Fiction Writer

Roanoke 1584-1590: The Family Treez of the USA Series, Book 1

Family Treez Blog and Website: http://familytreezusa.blogspot.com

Email: familytreezusa@gmail.com

NaNoWriMo: http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/familytreezetc

Bookstore: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction

dba Remembering Your Present, LLC & Family Treez USA

NaNoWriMo 2012 Participant

For the month of November 2012, I am joining people all across the world to:

Write a novel of 50,000 words

In 30 days.

Actually, in my case, I will be adding 50,000 words to the book I am already writing. So, that means, I will keep 2 files of my book: ROANOKE 1584-1590: THE FAMILY TREEZ OF THE USA SERIES, BOOK 1.

~ I will keep one file of my entire book.

~ I will keep 1 file of just what I write in November 2012. 

Stacy Duplease
Thriller Historical Fiction Writer

The Family Treez of the USA Series

dba Remembering Your Present, LLC & Family Treez USA

Family Treez Blog and Website: http://familytreezusa.blogspot.com

Email: familytreezusa@gmail.com

Bookstore: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction

Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" News

A couple of weeks ago, I shared how my husband bought me the Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" (for Christmas) and how I am thrilled about it. I am hoping to get it the last week of November or the first week of December--and am quite impatient.

I have the Amazon Kindle Fire 7", the 1st generation of the Fire and have LOVED it. I would recommend it to everyone. I give it 9 stars out of 10. 

Well... I decided I am even more impatient for a keyboard to go with it. So, I bought one on Amazon today. It will show up well before the Fire HD 8.9" does, but I can use it with the Fire I have now and with my cell phone! (How cool is that?!?) 

So, now, I am even more excited to have portable writing stuff I can take around the world at any time. It will make my writing easier and I will be able to get more done. This is why I am excited.

The Fire has already changed how I write. Preparing to get the latest Fire, I have changed even more--and am now a paperless writer. (That still boggles my mind.) Technology is pretty amazing. What a blessing.

(Photo of my Amazon Kindle Fire 2011 Model 7"--1st generation Fire. Photo Credit: Me. Stacy Duplease.)

Stacy Duplease
Thriller Historical Fiction Writer

The Family Treez of the USA Series

dba Remembering Your Present, LLC & Family Treez USA

Email: familytreezusa@gmail.com

Bookstore: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction

NaNoWriMo Preparation

Writers,

Have you decided if you are going to participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month aka NaNo) this year? If so, grab your writing notebook and/or journal and answer the following questions:

~ What book of fiction, 50,000 words, are you going to write?

~ What genre?

~ Do you have all of November marked off your calendar so you can fulfill this dream/goal? 

~ Write a 1-sentence summary of your book.

~ Write a 2-sentence summary of your book.

~ Write a 3-sentence summary of your book.

~ Write a 4-sentence summary of your book.

~ Write a paragraph summary of your book.

~ Write a 2-paragraph summary of your book.

~ Write a 2-paragraph summary of your book.

~ Write a 1-page summary of your book.

~ Write a 2-page summary of your book.

~ Write a 3-page summary of your book.

Stacy Duplease
Thriller Historical Fiction Writer

The Family Treez of the USA Series

dba Remembering Your Present, LLC & Family Treez USA

Family Treez Blog and Website: http://familytreezusa.blogspot.com

Email: familytreezusa@gmail.com

Bookstore: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction