Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things

by Marsha Ward

I frequently get books on tape from the library, since the tape player in my car functions while the CD player doesn't. I like audio books. They help me while away the time that I have to spend in my car to reach civilization. I also "read" them at bedtime.

Sometimes, though, the cassettes can jam, or stall, and necessitate winding from one mini-reel to the other by hand. This process is slow using a little finger. It goes a bit faster using the handle of a spoon or fork, but it's not really fast. I've longed for a manual audio cassette rewinder to tuck away for these occasions.

Last night was such an occasion. I'm "reading" Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, the unabridged version read by Martin Jarvis. It's a masterwork, but it comes on 120-minute tapes, and they are notorious for causing problems. If your tape player is underpowered, it can chug slowly along when it gets past the midpoint--slowing and distorting the reproduction, or lose power entirely. If you need to rewind the tape, forget it!

The tape stalled and needed to be rewound. I decided it was time to find my desired manual audio cassette rewinder, so went to my computer and googled the term.

The search came up with plenty of DVD cassette rewinders, and several for small video recorder cassettes, but the only options showing for audio cassettes were commercial products for up to six cassettes, running between $330 and $550.

Not exactly what I had in mind.

However, on page three was a reference and link to a book, Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things, which promised that a manual audio cassette rewinder was within my budget. I clicked on the link and arrived at Google Books.









Complete instructions--with illustrations--ensued about how to turn a large paperclip into the device I longed for. I immediately got up, found a paperclip and a pair of pliers, and made the item. It works GREAT! (Notice the turned ends? That's MY innovation to prevent pokes!)



Then I clicked on the Amazon link to the book, by Cy Tymony, and put it on my wish list. The volume has two follow-ups: Sneakier and Sneakiest Uses, etc. I highly recommend these books for interesting reading and for following your inner MacGyver.

Killing my Villain

By Tamra Norton

Sorry I'm not writing my blog today, but I've been busy killing my villain. And I'm having a blast doing it! I've never written a fantasy before so I've never had the pleasure of eliminating the evil villain. In a word, SUPERFUNILICOUSNESS! :) Such is the life of a writer.

I know what you;re thinking (aside from the Tami-is-a-nut-case thought). Yes, I've been saying for quite some time now that I'm ALMOST DONE with this manuscript. These words have escaped my lips (and fingers) several times over the past few weeks now. And honestly, I always think I can finish faster than I do. But in my defense, my second-to-the-last, big, climactic, super-whammy-of-a-chapter ended up being three separate chapters. And each chapter was a little longer than my average chapter in this manuscript. What can I say? Stuff just kept popping out of me (which sounds completely wrong, but it's the truth. I swear. Pop. Pop. Pop...)

So I'm FINALLY in the middle of the honest-to-goodness, second-to-the-last, big, climactic, super-whammy-of-a-chapter, and I'm tempted to not go to bed tonight until it's done.

Oops! Looks like I wrote a blog...sort of.

Stay tuned...

I Have Finished Trail of Storms!

by Marsha Ward

I don't know for sure how it is with other writers when they finish a project, but for me, completing Trail of Storms this evening brought elation, tears, and a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of creativity, in that order.

Thank you, all you readers and critiquers who have put your souls into giving me advice. It is well and truly appreciated.

I already have a one-sentence summary written. I will write the one-page synopsis tomorrow, and then I WILL SEND IT OFF!

Now I've got to let the emotions drain out of my fingertips. I feel very weak, and very humbled.