Hello everyone!

I am thrilled to announce the release of Blood Money, the first novel by attorney and prolific law textbook author Neal Bevans. This thrilling mystery is informed by Neal’s own work as an Assistant District Attorney (ADA) in Atlanta and follows Sean Turlow, a hardworking and honest ADA who finds himself wondering who he can trust as the body count in his latest case gets higher and higher. Can Sean find the killer before he himself becomes the next victim? You’ll have to read Neal’s gripping story to find out!

Blood Money is available now in softcover and ebook versions on Amazon and in a bookstore near you. You can also visit Neal’s website at www.nealbevans.com for more information.

Take advantage of the holidays to cuddle up with some good books–starting with Blood Money!

~Sarah

Hello!

Fresh off of a year spent living in England, I thought it appropriate to share over the next several posts many of the differences in language used between America and our neighbor across the pond. Instead of focusing on spelling differences (honor vs. honour; donut vs. doughnut; realize vs. realise), I thought I would inform you about colloquialisms and words that hold entirely different meanings once you’re in the land of Queen Lizzy. So whether you’re trying to provide authenticity to a British character in a novel, or in correspondence with someone from Britain, trying to decipher this language that looks a lot like English, but surely can’t be, I hope this will be useful information.

Today we tackle the most important–and often challenging–word, “cheers.”

Cheers, as used in America, is a word you say when you clink glasses before taking a drink. It’s limited. It’s weak.

In Britain, however, they took ‘cheers’ and turned it into the fulcrum of their lingual identity. It’s really the perfect British word—just polite enough to be socially acceptable, but not strong enough to constitute a meaningful social engagement. In fact, legend has it that every time you use the word you get bumped up a spot on the list of heir to the throne. And have you ever tried to say “cheers” in a posh London accent? It just sounds right.

While its more formal use is to replace “thank you” or “congratulations,” the British also use “cheers” to greet people, say goodbye, and even just to acknowledge someone else. While hearing cheers in those circumstances in America might take you off-guard—as it did me—knowing this information really makes the word quite easy to use.

Just in case anyone is still unsure, here are some examples of when and when not to use the word:

Appropriate times to use the word, “cheers”:

-When somebody holds a door open for you.

-When your friend offers you free Taco Bell.

-When your wife finally gets that raise she was working so hard for.

Inappropriate times to use the word, “cheers”:

-When somebody insults you.

-When your friend offers you free Del Taco–they clearly have horrible taste in food and you should seriously consider re-evaluating your friendship with this person.

-In response to someone who just said “cheers” to you. This is very bad and awkward, please never ever do this.

Stay tuned for more British-isms. Until next time!

~Lucas

Hello all!

I am thrilled today to introduce WordPlay’s newest editor: Lucas Abegglen. Just back from a year spent in Bristol, England, Lucas is well versed in both American and British English and is ready to tackle any editing projects that come his way. You can read more about him and his background in our About section, but a few of his specialties include academic writing, music-related writing, and items in British English. His skilled editorial eye is a welcome addition to WordPlay, and I hope you will take advantage of all the ways he can improve your writing!

Lucas is going to take over the blog for a bit so that you can get to know him and his style better, so until my next post, I know I’m leaving you in good hands!

Until next time!

~Sarah

Hello everyone!

Since 2015 is drawing to a close, I thought I’d do a slightly different Which Word? segment this week and bring your attention to the 2015 Words of the Year, as decided by the Oxford English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, and dictionary.com. I find all three particularly interesting this year…you can decide which word is your favorite!

Dictionary.com’s word is identity, which seems a highly relevant selection in light of the many aspects of identity and their significance that appeared in the news this year. As a word that has been widely debated and largely redefined in both the popular and political spheres, identity was the subject of many dictionary.com searches–and dictionary.com actually rewrote their definition of it (and related terms, such as identify) to remain in line with current events. Interestingly, identity is the only Word of the Year that is actually a word.

Merriam-Webster’s word is not a full word, but instead a suffix: -ism. Merriam-Webster selected this suffix to represent the many words ending in -ism that spiked in lookups this year. In a year full of so many charged political conversations, it’s not surprising that many people were curious about the exact meanings of many -isms.

While Merriam-Webster leaned toward the political side in its Word of the Year selection, Oxford English Dictionary’s word is firmly in the popular realm. I use the word “word” here loosely, as the OED Word of the Year is not a word at all, but rather an emoji (one of the highly popular face icons used to express emotion in typed text). It is the “face with tears of joy” emoji, seen as . While dictionary.com’s and Merriam-Webster’s words both indicate society’s wrestling with core ideological issues, the OED’s choice of an emoji for its word illustrates how the nature of language itself is changing. As today’s world becomes increasingly united and blended, overcoming geographical separations through technological advances, so language and art are coming together to form a new (and more thorough) form of expression–and categorizing an emoji as a Word of the Year brings home just how pervasive that change is.

So which word is your favorite? Which word best expresses your year?

Happy New Year! Until next time!

Hello everyone!

I’ll be resuming the Which Word? series next time, but with Thanksgiving being tomorrow, I wanted to take a moment today to reflect on thankfulness.

There seems to be a growing trend in the USA where we move straight from Halloween to Christmas. It’s long since been the case that stores start carrying Christmas items as early as August, but I’ve noticed that in the past few years, more and more signs of Christmas have started emerging on November 1. This year in particular, I saw many declarations of “The Christmas season has arrived!” the day after Halloween. And while I certainly understand the desire to jump into what is one of my personal favorite times of year, it makes me a bit sad to think of how that sort of leaves Thanksgiving by the wayside. We end up jumping from candy and costumes to presents and carols without leaving any space for gratitude in between.

And we have so much to be thankful for. Any of us with a safe place to sleep tonight can be thankful for that, particularly in light of the recent terrorist attacks across the world and the thousands of refugees currently without a home. Any of us with a job that allows us to meet our basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter can be thankful for that. Any of us with families or friends to share in our joys and divide our sorrows can be thankful for that. Any of us with generally good health can be thankful for that. Any of us able to indulge in leisure activities, travel, and the latest electronic gadgets can be thankful for that. Any of us who live somewhere with the freedom to practice any religion we choose; to speak our minds; to vote; to associate with any political party we choose; to protest peacefully without fear for our lives; to be tried by a fair court for any crimes of which we are accused; to marry whomever we choose; to receive an education regardless of our race, socioeconomic status, or gender; to work at any job we choose; and to own property–we can be thankful for that.

I hope that you will join me in taking a moment to pause tomorrow to give thanks for all the blessings in your life. We all have something to be thankful for.

Until next time!

Hello everyone!

Did the title of today’s post grab your attention? I hope so, because I’m really excited about two incredible opportunities being offered to you by two of the wonderful authors with whom I work.

First, to improve your life as an author…

The fabulous Kitty Bucholtz (author of Little Miss Lovesick and Unexpected Superhero) is teaching an online, ongoing class about self-publishing books. More than just a few words of advice, this in-depth course will take you through absolutely everything you need to know to successfully self-publish–all presented with Kitty’s delightful sense of humor. As an author who has self-published many times over, she has so much knowledge to share with her students. And the best part is that for the next 10 days, she’s opened registration for her course at a hugely discounted rate! Be sure to sign up by October 12 to take advantage of this amazing opportunity.

And now that your needs as an author are met, why not take the time to improve your life in general?

Dr. Roddy Carter, a world-renowned physician and scientist, is taking health and happiness to a whole new level with BodyWHealth. So much more than a diet or exercise program, BodyWHealth is a lifelong journey that will bring you physical, mental, and emotional health and prosperity. Roddy has already introduced this journey to his many followers through his blog, and I’m currently working with him on a book that will hopefully spread the message about this revolutionary, rewarding lifestyle to many more people. What I’ve learned from Roddy has already changed my outlook on life and made me a happier, healthier person. I hope you will take a few moments to look at his site; I’m sure that if you do, you will be as excited as I am about embarking on the BodyWHealth journey. And I’ll be sure to let you know when his book is being released!

That’s it for now. I do hope that you’ll take the time to check out the amazing benefits Kitty and Roddy have to offer you. If you have any questions, be sure to leave them for me in the comments. Otherwise, see you next time!

This is one for the biographers, both current and aspiring…

Today, May 16, is Biographer’s Day. Why May 16? Because that is the anniversary of the day biographer James Boswell met for the first time with author Samuel Johnson to begin composing what is widely considered to be the greatest biography ever written. In fact, it wasn’t until Boswell published his Life of Samuel Johnson in 1791 that the modern biographical genre even came into existence. Prior to Boswell’s 1763 meeting with Johnson in a London bookshop, biographical conventions were quite different, and biographies held little of the popularity they have today. Boswell’s work, with its extensive detail and almost conversational style, served as a major stepping stone in developing modern biographical conventions.

So now, the language world sets aside May 16 to celebrate both James Boswell and all the biographers who have come since. Today is a wonderful day to start reading a biography (perhaps Life of Samuel Johnson?) or, better yet, to start writing one. And if you have a biography, autobiography, or memoir in need of editing, let me know today and I’ll edit the first chapter free!

Happy Biographer’s Day!

Hello fellow lovers of language!

Today begins the month of May, which is, incidentally, Get Caught Reading Month. Now, I know the Get Caught Reading program was designed to encourage K-12 students to read, but I contend that everyone, regardless of age, should make a point to read as much as possible. I admit that my position on this issue is somewhat biased. As a former librarian and current editor, books have long been a central part of my life. Libraries and bookstores are my happy places. Reading has always been my favorite hobby. I carry my Kindle with me everywhere I go. And yet it’s still so easy to get distracted with other activities and not read as much as I would like to, and probably not as much as I should.

Now, if you’re anything like me, you’ve got a list a mile long of books you’d like to read someday when you’ve got the time. Even being as blessed as I am to read as part of my job, I still cannot find enough hours to explore all the literary worlds I’d like to. There are classics I have still not read, ones I’m ashamed to admit I’ve made it this far in life without experiencing (Great Expectations and The Catcher in the Rye come to mind). I have yet to crack open John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars or Helen Oyeyemi’s Boy, Snow, Bird or any other great new book this year (except for those I’ve edited, of course). And every time I choose something else over reading, I’m cheating myself.

Because books teach us how to be human. Or, at least, the ones worth reading do. A book doesn’t have to be great literature to help us learn something about ourselves and our humanity; it just has to communicate its message to its reader. Books serve as our practice for the real world. They model examples of human interaction and show us how different approaches to all manner of scenarios can play out. They inform and even create our shared experience as people living on this planet. Why do we need to read books? Because they give meaning to everything else we do and make us better people in the process.

And if that’s not enough to convince you of the value of reading, here’s a little secret for all you writers out there: Reading is the single best way to become a better writer. Today’s best authors are the ones who have read extensively themselves. The writers of those classics we still read today, hundreds of years after their initial publication, read the works of authors who came before them. Pick up almost any good book and you’ll find at least one allusion to another good book. Perhaps those great authors are onto something. Perhaps we should all read to inspire ourselves, to be better at whatever it is we’re doing.

I hope you’ll join me this month in recommitting yourself to getting caught reading. I promise you won’t be sorry!

In which I take a trip out of Paris to Italy…

Ciao all!

I didn’t know until I spent my week in Italy that “ciao” means both hello and goodbye. I got so confused; I didn’t understand why shopkeepers kept telling me goodbye before I’d said anything to them!

I got home late yesterday night from a fantastic week in Rome and Assisi. It was a welcome break after my midterms last week. I traveled on my own, which meant that, although it was scary trying to figure out how to get places (since I have no sense of direction), I got the chance to meet so many fascinating people from all over the world. I started my journey last Saturday morning, when I flew from Paris to Rome. In the airport, I met another American girl studying abroad (her name was Ginger) who was on her way to Rome to meet some friends for her spring break. After landing in Rome and finding my hostel, I went to the bistro next door for dinner. I ordered grilled sea bass, but I didn’t realize when I ordered that I would be getting an entire fish: scales, head, bones, and all. As it turns out, that’s how fish is served in Europe. Once I figured out how to get the meat out, it was fantastic. But what a shock to look down and see a whole fish on my plate!

The next day (Palm Sunday), I took a tour of the major sites in Rome. It was amazing to see things that pre-date Christ, especially since so many of them are still standing! The tour I took was run by the hostel, so it was geared toward people my age, which made it one of the best tours I’ve ever taken. There were only four of us taking the tour, all study-abroad girls on spring break. I really connected with two of them, a pair of friends who are studying in London. We exchanged contact info and hugs at the end of the tour (which the four of us extended by going inside the Colosseum and visiting the Trevi fountain). I’m hoping to meet up with them when I go back to London in May. We’ll see if it works out.

Monday, I visited the Vatican, the most religious country in the world (yes, the Vatican is its own country!). I saw the part of the museum and the Sistine Chapel. The Chapel ceiling was amazing, and I am glad to have seen it. That afternoon, I took a train to Assisi, arriving late in the evening, so I didn’t go up into the town (which is on a high hill) until Tuesday morning. Oh my goodness! It was so beautiful, and the countless viewpoints in Assisi were breathtaking. I spent most of the day walking around, visiting the many churches and souvenir shops (really, I think there were more in Assisi than in Rome). At the hostel that night, I met some more really nice people, including a former school librarian from Michigan, on his retirement trip. I also spent some time speaking with a man from Belgium who has lived in Assisi for four months and one of the women who works at the hostel. The three of us spoke French, and they both told me that I spoke it well, so I must be making some progress!

Wednesday morning, two of my new friends and I shared a taxi up to the hermitage where St. Francis and some other monks secluded themselves. I was so glad we didn’t try to walk up, especially considering that it took us an hour to walk back down! It was so beautiful and peaceful up in those mountains, and again, the views were incredible. It was a wonderful place to go during Holy Week. Assisi as a whole was a wonderful place to be during Holy Week, because it has so many beautiful churches and general areas to sit and reflect and pray.

Anyway, on Friday (Good Friday), I met three Italian people at dinner. We spoke in a mixture of French, English, and Italian, which was a fun experience for me. I felt very cosmopolitan! After we ate, the four of us went together to see the procession, which takes place every Good Friday at dusk. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, with all the nuns and monks of Assisi walking, interspersed with hooded men carrying crosses for penance (for the whole three hours of the procession). They were followed by the rest of the town’s population and anyone else who felt like joining in. The city was only lit by torchlight, which created a truly amazing atmosphere. It was as though we were back several hundred years ago, with the architecture being the same as it was and no signs of technology for that night.

Yesterday (Easter) was my travel-back-to-Paris day, which involved a whopping 14 hours of travel time. I left the hostel in the morning, then went bus to train station, train to Rome, bus to airport, airplane to Paris, bus to Paris city proper, metro to home. Whew! It was quite a day! I arrived back home late Easter night. It was nice to be the only one in the room after spending a week sleeping with strangers. And it’s good to be home. I realized as the plane was landing yesterday that Paris has become “home” for me. After three months (I left San Diego three months ago today, actually), that was nice to know!

Classes start again tomorrow, and then on Sunday, my grandparents are coming to visit for 10 days! It should be fun!

Until then, Happy Easter (a day late) and have a wonderful week!

In which the sun consents to appear…

Well, I can now officially attest that Paris is completely different in the spring. Last Sunday was the first warm day we’ve had, followed by another one on Monday. The sun was shining, flowers were blooming, I heard birds chirping, and everyone was much happier. Amazing how the weather affects people’s moods! Anyway, while it hasn’t stayed as warm as it was those two days, it has definitely been much nicer weather. I’ve finally been able to shed my winter coat and boots and start moving into (gasp) sweaters and “spring shoes.” That may not seem like such a big deal, but it’s huge for a Californian girl who isn’t used to having winter for more than a week. It’s a joyous occasion indeed to see the sun!

Most of my time since I last wrote has been spent doing schoolwork or going to class. I’ve had more classes than usual (to make up for holidays that we’re going to have in the second half of the semester) and more work than usual, because midterms have started. This past weekend, however, I did manage to squeeze out some time to go to the Louvre and the Musée de la Vie Romantique. At the Louvre, I finally got to see the Mona Lisa (that was my third visit, and I still hadn’t seen it!) and I also got an annual pass to the museum, so I can now go whenever I want! The Musée de la Vie Romantique houses artifacts from the lives of Romantic-era French figures. I was particularly interested in Georges Sand, a 19^th-century French woman who left her husband and moved with her children to Paris. She was a feminist before the feminist movement really started, dressing like a man and going out unescorted with the great male philosophers and artists of the time. The museum visits were a really nice way to break up my studying.

Next week is my spring break (a nice reward for getting through midterms). I’m going to Italy for the week. I’m flying to Rome on Saturday, staying there through Monday, and then taking a train to Assisi where I’ll spend the rest of the week. I take a train back to Rome and fly from Rome back to Paris the following Sunday (Easter). Then I have a day to recover before classes start again, because, in France, Easter Monday is a holiday. I won’t have my computer with me over the break, so I’ll tell you about Italy next time I write!