The next mind style I want to address is Abstract Random.

Flakes: In layman's terms this one word sums up the Abstract Random personality type. Gregore says when they are at their best they are like beautiful snow flakes, each one incredibly unique and together they cover the world with a dazzling art display. they are the emotional, heart centered, sensitive point that establishes rapport with other points in a spirit of good will.

Priorities include:
Emotional, Personal, Empathy, Flexible, Sensitive, Sociable, Vivid Imagination, Go with the flow, Bright and colorful.

Favorite Sayings:
"If it feels good, do it." "Take time to smell the roses." "The heart has reasons, that rason has no knowledge of." (In a strange way I understand that)

Partial List of strengths:
Establishes quality relationships
Accurate "gut feelings"
Celebrate music, art, nature and literature
Enthusiasm and passion
Warm fuzzy people

Partial List of Annoyances to other mind types;
Can be an off the wall flake
Operates on "ish" time when others don't
Extreme moodiness due to an inability to balance the extremes of their emotions
Overly sensitive to correction

Personal Preferences:
Must have freedom of movement, expression of thought, and emotional exercise
Need a place to which they can retreat to recollect, recharge, and reorganize
Want to work and share with others
"all for one and one for all" non-competitive.

New Review: Dakota's Bride


Dakota’s Bride is a remarkable story. I love the description of Dakota; he is a man who oozes charm and lots of chemistry, especially when he and Emma are bonded together. This incredible romance is one I positively fell in love with and is good enough to read again and again. Christine Young sketches characters and landscapes that this reader could visualize. I particularly enjoyed sharing the journey that Dakota and Emma endured. The supporting cast blended well in this unforgettable read that I loved.

Cherokee Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

To read the complete review: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/dakotasbridechristineyoung.html

Mind Styles to help build character profiles:

How well do you know your character? How can you develop conflict just with a character profile? Dr. Anthony Gregore published The Style Delineator in 1982 culminating twelve years of study and research.

This resource guide can give writers a way to enhance conflict and humor as well as bring the hero and heroine to a deeper understanding of each others personality. We all understand that characters must undergo change and growth if they are to find true happiness. We understand too that the conflicts must be resolved before the end of the manuscript. Conflicts are not always on the physical level. Sometimes the problems that separate the characters are on a psychological level.

Gregore defines four personality types: Concrete Sequential, Abstract Random, Concrete Random, and Abstract Sequential.

One mind style at a time:
Concrete Sequential--These are the "recipe kids." They want to know the who, what, when, where, and why of every task encountered, with the what receiving the major emphasis. Being Concrete and Sequential the view is always so clear…to them. They wonder "will the rest of the world ever be so precise and to the point?
Favorite sayings--"If it's worth doing do it well." "I'm from Missouri, show me." "If it isn't in writing, it doesn't exist." "What you start, you finish." "As it is written, so shall it be."

Priorities:
Orderly, Persistent, Structured, Diligent, Direct, Organized, Detailed, Practical, Concrete, Product Oriented, Realist, and Conscientious.

Partial list of strengths:
1. Solid as the "Rock of Gibraltar"
2. Makes, gathers, appropriates, names, and labels
3. Honest and straightforward
4. Reliabel and trustworthy
5. Excellent at providing structure
6. Accurate, precise, and particular

Partial list of annoyances - to other points:
1. Perfectionistic, one way demands
2. Can be inflexible and rigid
3. Do not like change
4. Viewpoint of an external materialistic world
5. Sometimes they lack sympathy and compassion
6. No nonsense approach to work

Personal Preferences:
1. Quiet with minimal activity
2. Informed on the correct way to do things
3. Quiet, stable, ordered, and predictable
4. Dependable, trustworthy, co-workers
5. High qualitative and quantitative standard
6. Concrete rewards for meritous service

More mind styles coming...
Are you a Concrete Sequential or CS? Do you write characters who seem to have these traits?

Book Tasting:

I just ran across a promotional tool that actually makes some sense. The idea is based on the concept of Wine Tasting or Food Tasting. The author gives the reader a taste of his/her book without ramming it down their throat.

Tastes: free reads, a chapter excerpt, a taste of the dialogue, or an exciting taste of a scene.

When I was able to write every day, I would post a taste of whatever I was working on or post a quesiton about several different ways the scene would/could play out.

With so many authors crying out "read my book!" new, different, and creative ways for promos are always necesarry.

Always looking for ideas.

I actually wrote last week, well kind of sort of, I plotted and I read my part of the anthology. It was fun to get back to my characters and the detailed scenes which I was able to outline will creat a quick write. I also discovered that I was in need of plotting the fae folk scenes. I knew they had become a bit redundant. So quadruple scene plotting for each chapter is just what the writing doctor ordered.