Book Trailer! The Shells of Mersing

 

"Reckless" the English Springer Spaniel

Courtesy of Wikipedia. Public Domain

For me, it's hard to write without including at least one animal in a story. Until moving to a fence-less yard in 2014, I have always had a pet. In The Shells of Mersing, you will find monkeys, an intrusive parrot, a screeching cat, a large bull with horns, frogs that moo, a noisy gecko, and one very adorable brown and white English Springer Spaniel named "Reckless."

It was easy choosing a Springer Spaniel as my lead pet, the male dog that sails with Callie and Lucas to Hawaii. Those dark brooding eyes and floppy ears just melt the heart. Springer Spaniels are extremely affectionate and bright. They also adore the water and love a good hunt. It's how "Reckless" ends up overboard in the water. In fact, both "Reckless" and his master (Clancy) end up in the water, but I won't tell you what happens here. You will have to read the book!




 

[Love the oil-on-canvas painting above,
"English Springer Spaniel on a Cushion."
It's painted by English artist, illustrator and
etcher, Sawney Gilpin (1733-1807). His
specialty was painting dogs and horses.]

Sharon M. Himsl, Writer / Author

          Published: Evernight Teen

The Shells of Mersing

         

Pearl Trees - A Useful Research Tool

Hi, some thoughts on researching a novel and other writing.....

Research methods and tools are all over the internet, and if you want you can purchase these ideas and tools for large and small sums of money. I have only invested in one: Pearl Trees. 

Below is an example page (from my Pearl Trees site) on how I am researching my latest novel, Finding Juliah (sequel to Shells ...). I show two categories, but you can create as many categories as you like. You'll notice I am also researching 'church history' for my genealogy blog. My grandmother had a jail ministry, I've been told, so I'm learning about early Tacoma ministries.

For 'Finding Juliah' I have a lot to learn about Thai culture. Pretty daunting to  be honest, because I want to be as authentic as possible in my writing. Pearl Trees helps a lot and is easy to use. If you find a website of interest, just copy the link into Pearl Trees. Easy-peasy. There is a yearly fee (can't remember exactly how much), but it doesn't break the bank. Worth it from my perspective. So, to sum up, Pearl Trees is reasonably priced (or try a free version), easy to use, stores your research, and is a tremendous help with organization.

Sharon M. Himsl, Writer / Author

          Published: Evernight Teen

The Shells of Mersing