By BodieP posted on the Blood Red Pencil, but seems to have disappeared! I am reposting the entire article because I feel it is important. Why? Because our (English) language is a moving, breathing entity that is NOT under the law and auspices of the powers that be. Excellent article and I'd like to hear from Bodie about it.
"In the common words we use every day, souls of past races, the thoughts and feelings of individual men stand around us, not dead, but frozen into their attitudes like the courtiers in the garden of the Sleeping Beauty." --Owen Barfield
It is a fact that conquerors write the history books--and determine the language in which they will be written. This is as true today as it was in 1066, when William the Bastard (so called because he was an illegitimate son—a “bastard”—and not because he was a mean, underhanded character) crossed the English Channel and defeated England’s King Harold at the Battle of Hastings to become William the Conqueror. Like the Norman nobles to whom he awarded England’s castles, fiefdoms, and plum government positions, William spoke Norman French.
For England’s commoners, the change was profound. Climbing from the ranks of field laborer or peasant to a more secure, less physically taxing job in the castle had always meant learning a skill of some kind--cooking, cleaning, child-minding, or, if one was of a clerkish turn, sums or, in rare instances, reading. When William stormed through, he left a new criterion in his wake. Economic and social advancement now required learning not only a skill, but the language of culture, of status, of the law, and of the new ruling class--Norman French.
And that’s why my mother once washed my mouth out with soap for saying “shit.” It was Lava, with a harsh topnote and a chalky undernote paired with a gritty texture, if anyone wants to know. I was what is commonly known as a “potty mouth,” and quite the connoisseur of soaps by that point. My mother justified her actions by saying it was “swearing”—which is wasn’t, my word of choice was a vulgarity, not a swear word. What neither of us knew was that my mother was doing what mothers have been doing for nearly a thousand years—reinforcing an old prejudice dating from the day that William decided to change his last name from Bastard to Conqueror. Here’s the story.
The Norman triumph in 1066 meant not only that England had a new king and ruling class, but that little children who had previously been praised for saying, "Gotta shit, ma," shortly before soiling their breech clothes rather than shortly after suddenly found themselves receiving slaps, and the stern injunction to use the French or Latin word for the function, rather than the "vulgar" word, the word used by the "common" people. The very words "vulgar" and "common," which had referred collectively to the vast majority of the people, became insults.
Previously widely-accepted Anglo-Saxon words became markers for lack of achievement, for stupidity, for dirt under one's fingernails, for, in the words of the auto manufacturers, those who must shower after work, as opposed to those who choose to shower before work.
The story might have ended there, except for a remarkable fact about the Anglo-Saxon heritage. Consider these facts:
• William the Bastard came from Normandy. He spoke Norman French.
• His nobles also came from Normandy, and spoke Norman French.
• The Anglo-Saxon mothers interested in advancing their children socially and politically forced their children to learn Norman French.
• For quite some little time, everyone who was anyone in England--spoke Norman French.
• So why don't we speak Norman French?
The answer is one of the interesting anomalies of history--we speak English for the same reason that we have Congress, and England has Parliament. We speak English because the Anglo Saxons had a long tradition of according certain rights to common folks--the people who throughout most of the world were seen as little more than cattle, and sometimes as less. That tradition filtered up the food chain in those castles, and the smarter nobles realized that there were very few of "us" and an awful lot of "them," and wouldn't it be great if "we" knew what "they" were saying? Many of the Norman nobles married Anglo-Saxon wives. For such couples, learning each other’s language was more or less a necessity. It wasn’t long after the conquest that an Anglo-Saxon noble wife was warning her Norman French husband of impending trouble—in English.
And so the nobles began what is arguably one of the great linguistic reversals in history. The winners might have written the history books--but the losers chose the language in which they wrote. In a triumph of practicality and humanism, Medieval England decided that language and communication was more important than making a point about who was in charge. English became the language of the land. But by then it was too late; some of the “word courtiers” had been frozen into decidedly uncourtly attitudes.
But that was all right. When English re-established itself as the language of power, it didn’t do it by defeating French so much as by absorbing it—a characteristic it has retained to the present day. Because English absorbed so many words from Norman French—experts estimate that the average non-French-speaking English speaker knows around 15,000 French words—we can express shades and nuances that simply aren’t possible in other languages. When English re-established itself as the language of power in England it did so with a drastically simplified grammar and a far richer vocabulary.
For example, we can refer to a rose’s “aroma,” as the Norman French did, its fragrance, its smell, its odor, or its “stench,” as the Old English did. In more common parlance, consider how the many words we have for foods made from ground grain and then cooked—we have bread, pancakes, tortillas, all of the pastas, baguettes, croissants, and that’s not even the tip of the iceberg. Our language reveals an important fact about our society—we conquer through syncretism and inclusion, rather than by subjection and exclusion.
We speak English because we are the fortunate heirs to an ancient tradition in which the words of everyone--not just those in power, are important. We speak English because in the Anglo-American tradition not only are we all subject to the same law, but we all have a right to be heard and understood. We speak English because common people matter.
But that doesn’t change the fact that our linguistic history has marked our perceptions. We still regard “common” and “vulgar” things as low-class, not middle-class. And, as my own experience bears out, mothers are still punishing their children for using good old Anglo-Saxon words not because the words themselves are “bad” (though that is often the justification) but because using the words frozen in “low” attitudes often brands us in public opinion, as well.
Which isn’t to say that we don’t need those words. Those vulgarities add a bass note to our linguistic choir. They carry their own nuance. English doesn’t just absorb words willy-nilly, but because it needs those words to reflect experience. As a wise scholar once said, “Shit happens.” As writer, nice lady, and reluctant chicken farmer Betty MacDonald says in her book The Egg and I, “Sometimes a ‘son of a bitch rolls trippingly off the tongue’.” If the day ever comes when shit no longer happens and Mrs. MacDonald is proven wrong about what rolls off the tongue, perhaps the words will fade away.
Note: This discussion applies only to vulgarities and in some cases obscenities, which refer to bodily functions, and not to curses and swearing, which generally involve the name of a religious figure or concept. Those words follow a different path altogether.
The Cellophane Queen: 'Cause you can look right through me, Walk right by me and never know I'm there...
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Meet Rebecca Ryals Russell - Part 1
This is the first part of a three-part interview with author Rebecca Ryals Russell. Watch for the next segments over the next week.
Where did the concept for your current book come from?
The concept for Seraphym Wars Series, Odessa has been brewing for twenty-five years. I started it several times but finally sat down and let it pour into the computer about three years ago.
How long have you been working on your latest book (concept to editing)?
Book 1 Odessa took about two and a half years from start to finish of actual writing, rewriting, editing, submission. The next book hasn’t taken nearly as long. I guess I was pretty much learning my way through the process.
How many books do you have published?
Odessa is my debut novel. I currently have three contracts, however. Odessa comes out April 2011, Zarena comes out July 2011 and Don’t Make Marty Mad comes out Oct 2011, but it’s a horror story and not intended for teens or children.
What interferes with your muse and what do you do about that?
I have discovered the more I write the more active my Muse has become. I see stories everywhere and in most conversations I have or overhear. I try to write during the morning, while everyone is at work or school or very late at night and they all know if they get the ‘stare’ it means I’m concentrating and to wait their turn. If I do find my Muse wandering, however, I turn to a different work in progress and the change of project helps.
Where do you perform your best writing? Why?
I have an awesome desk set-up in the living room. It allows me to be with the family but write or plan or answer emails. I write daily, finding time where I can.
Who was your greatest influence on your writing? Do they know it?
My father should have been a published writer but never had the gumption to pursue it. He was always writing poems and stories for occasions and I found one he’d begun after he died. It was he who introduced me to classic literature where my love of writing really grew. I like to think he’s watching me and is proud that I’ve succeeded where he didn’t.
But I’d have the say my greatest influence has been and continues to be my husband. He supports me daily by reading and commenting or editing, by putting up with late dinner or ‘do it yourself’ dinner.
Did you grow up in a ‘reading’ household? Do you believe that had anything to do with your becoming an author?
My father was a teacher while I grew up then a principal. My mother was a school head secretary. So our home was always full of reading material. It was Daddy who showed me what good literature looked like. We discussed Lord of the Rings and Ray Bradbury and Lord of the Flies after I read each of them. He was responsible for instilling my love of a good story.
My own children have grown up in a reading household because my husband is a voracious reader (bought an iPad soon after their release) and we have a pretty good sized library of books.
What was your favorite childhood activity and why?
I sat on the grass under our grape arbor, where it was shady, and watched the critters in the South Florida canal that ran behind my house while I wrote poetry, stories, songs for my guitar and day dreamed. I have a box full of these early literary creations.
As a youngster, what did you want to be when you grew up? When did this change, if it did.
I planned on being a teacher from the time I started school. I even held ‘school’ in our utility room with my best friend and younger sister. Daddy would bring home old mimeograph papers that I would ‘assign’. And I had a stand-up chalkboard as well. We even had a little school desk for my ‘student’. I taught for nearly fifteen years with a break to raise my family and only quit when I came back after twelve years and found the system so changed I no longer enjoyed teaching. That’s when I began writing.
Do you think people who are especially good at something, writers, singers, musicians, artists, etc, were born with talent or can it be fostered throughout a lifetime?
I believe people are born with certain abilities and interests. Whether these are fostered or not can sometimes make a difference in what they achieve in life. But there have been people born in dire circumstances who overcame them in order to succeed on their own.
 |
| The Yellow Hat Author |
The concept for Seraphym Wars Series, Odessa has been brewing for twenty-five years. I started it several times but finally sat down and let it pour into the computer about three years ago.
How long have you been working on your latest book (concept to editing)?
Book 1 Odessa took about two and a half years from start to finish of actual writing, rewriting, editing, submission. The next book hasn’t taken nearly as long. I guess I was pretty much learning my way through the process.
Odessa is my debut novel. I currently have three contracts, however. Odessa comes out April 2011, Zarena comes out July 2011 and Don’t Make Marty Mad comes out Oct 2011, but it’s a horror story and not intended for teens or children.
What interferes with your muse and what do you do about that?
I have discovered the more I write the more active my Muse has become. I see stories everywhere and in most conversations I have or overhear. I try to write during the morning, while everyone is at work or school or very late at night and they all know if they get the ‘stare’ it means I’m concentrating and to wait their turn. If I do find my Muse wandering, however, I turn to a different work in progress and the change of project helps.
Where do you perform your best writing? Why?
I have an awesome desk set-up in the living room. It allows me to be with the family but write or plan or answer emails. I write daily, finding time where I can.
Who was your greatest influence on your writing? Do they know it?
My father should have been a published writer but never had the gumption to pursue it. He was always writing poems and stories for occasions and I found one he’d begun after he died. It was he who introduced me to classic literature where my love of writing really grew. I like to think he’s watching me and is proud that I’ve succeeded where he didn’t.
But I’d have the say my greatest influence has been and continues to be my husband. He supports me daily by reading and commenting or editing, by putting up with late dinner or ‘do it yourself’ dinner.
Did you grow up in a ‘reading’ household? Do you believe that had anything to do with your becoming an author?
My father was a teacher while I grew up then a principal. My mother was a school head secretary. So our home was always full of reading material. It was Daddy who showed me what good literature looked like. We discussed Lord of the Rings and Ray Bradbury and Lord of the Flies after I read each of them. He was responsible for instilling my love of a good story.
My own children have grown up in a reading household because my husband is a voracious reader (bought an iPad soon after their release) and we have a pretty good sized library of books.
What was your favorite childhood activity and why?
I sat on the grass under our grape arbor, where it was shady, and watched the critters in the South Florida canal that ran behind my house while I wrote poetry, stories, songs for my guitar and day dreamed. I have a box full of these early literary creations.
As a youngster, what did you want to be when you grew up? When did this change, if it did.
I planned on being a teacher from the time I started school. I even held ‘school’ in our utility room with my best friend and younger sister. Daddy would bring home old mimeograph papers that I would ‘assign’. And I had a stand-up chalkboard as well. We even had a little school desk for my ‘student’. I taught for nearly fifteen years with a break to raise my family and only quit when I came back after twelve years and found the system so changed I no longer enjoyed teaching. That’s when I began writing.
Do you think people who are especially good at something, writers, singers, musicians, artists, etc, were born with talent or can it be fostered throughout a lifetime?
I believe people are born with certain abilities and interests. Whether these are fostered or not can sometimes make a difference in what they achieve in life. But there have been people born in dire circumstances who overcame them in order to succeed on their own.
Monday, September 06, 2010
Reblog: What the Heck is a Simurgh?
What is a Simurgh?
A recent review of "Quest for the Simurgh" by Clayton Bye asked the question. Now, I was definitely under the impression that everybody in the world knows what a simurgh is, but I guess I was wrong.
Anyway, if you’ve read the 1001 Arabian Nights or even saw the movie with John Leguizamo, you’ll be familiar with the intelligent Big Bird. From the Encyclopedia Mythica (my favorite source for all things mythic):
In Persian legend Simurgh is a gigantic, winged monster in the shape of a bird; a kind of peacock with the head of a dog and the claws of a lion. Its natural habitat is a place with plenty of water. According to legend, the creature is so old that it has seen the world destroyed three times over. In all that time, Simurgh has learned so much that it is thought to possess the knowledge of all ages.
My Mashup
I pretty much stick to the traditional description here except for that dog head and lion claws thing. Considering that the Simurgh know everything (really, not like that annoying guy at work who just thinks he knows everything), then it seemed logical to me and my heroine Faiza to ask them where to find the missing magician.
The boys in the little band of rescuers scoff at her, but it all works out anyway. The search for the bird does get them into the mountains where they need to be to save the world from Armageddon. You’ll have to admit that is just a teensy bit more important then finding an old magician. It’s all good, though. The magician finds the kids and the birds.
A note on the cover of the book: At the top of this post is a real page on the Simurgh from a real Arabic text dating back to circa 900 AD. I don’t see any dog’s head or lion claws. Do you?
Friday, September 03, 2010
An Invitation from My Publisher
One of my publishers, MuseItUp, is opening a shiny new on-line bookstore on October 1st. The celebratory housewarming includes free book giveaways and lots of fun author appearance which includes costumes, videos, fun facts, and lots of goodies.
Read the details on the MuseItUp blog.
The other thing you want to do is join the Yahoo group for MIU readers. That's where you'll get the chance to win the free stuff.
I'm champing at the bit to join in the fun myself, attend MIU's humongous on-line writers' conference October 11-17, and have my own book, "Missing, Presumed Dead," released. Alas, the latter won't be until July, 2011. Will I still be alive? Can I hold my breath that long?
Fortunately, I have a book release in November, which I'll bruit about widely and invite my friends and fellow authors to help me advertise. "Ultimate Duty," a scifi romance will be released by Eternal Press on November 7th.
Read the details on the MuseItUp blog.
The other thing you want to do is join the Yahoo group for MIU readers. That's where you'll get the chance to win the free stuff.
I'm champing at the bit to join in the fun myself, attend MIU's humongous on-line writers' conference October 11-17, and have my own book, "Missing, Presumed Dead," released. Alas, the latter won't be until July, 2011. Will I still be alive? Can I hold my breath that long?
Fortunately, I have a book release in November, which I'll bruit about widely and invite my friends and fellow authors to help me advertise. "Ultimate Duty," a scifi romance will be released by Eternal Press on November 7th.
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Seek the Truth and Ye Shall Find
It disturbs me that I get various and sundry emails from my less enlightened relatives claiming all sorts of right-wing blather about liberals, Obama, Democrats (not the same thing as liberals), immigration, Ground Zero mosques (there aren't any planned), etc. etc. etc.
I would like to remind people that there is an excellent source of TRUTHFUL information covering just about all those no-nothing, small-minded lies from people who just pass along crap when they get it in their in-box.
Try Snopes to find out the truth of the matter before you send me an email. I WILL look at Snopes and, if you're wrong, I will consider you to be a Neanderthalic ignoramous. Would you care what I think of you? Probably not since you seem completely unable to bend yourself away from your neo-con, Tea Party mindset.
Hey! Try it out. You might just find you're right. Unlikely, but there's always a snowball's chance in hell.
Check for the truth at Snopes.com.
I would like to remind people that there is an excellent source of TRUTHFUL information covering just about all those no-nothing, small-minded lies from people who just pass along crap when they get it in their in-box.
Try Snopes to find out the truth of the matter before you send me an email. I WILL look at Snopes and, if you're wrong, I will consider you to be a Neanderthalic ignoramous. Would you care what I think of you? Probably not since you seem completely unable to bend yourself away from your neo-con, Tea Party mindset.
Hey! Try it out. You might just find you're right. Unlikely, but there's always a snowball's chance in hell.
Check for the truth at Snopes.com.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Who is Your Space Hero?
Call me crazy, but I said Tom Hanks because he's done such great work in making the real space program accessible, exciting, and interesting to people who think Star Wars is real. Apollo 13 is a great movie for starters. I was on the edge of my seat wondering whether the astronauts would make it. And reminding myself every few minutes that, yes, they did.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Buck a Book Sales
On Smashwords (unlike Amazon), I can issue coupons for discounts. I'm selling for a buck a book through September 27, 2010. Click the link and buy, then enter the coupon code at checkout.
First Duty: Coupon BL38V
Nyra chooses between her duty to the military to which she's sworn an oath or her family when long-held secrets are revealed.
Quest for the Simurgh: Coupon KX55D
Four students search for their kidnapped teacher and find themselves in a battle between good and evil.
Eagle Quest: Coupon LL53A
A Native American boy searches for his roots through a vision quest.
Tales of a Texas Boy: Coupon XD25R
Little Eddie spins his tales about growing up in West Texas during the Depression, but he always has a humorous take on life.
First Duty: Coupon BL38V
Nyra chooses between her duty to the military to which she's sworn an oath or her family when long-held secrets are revealed.
Quest for the Simurgh: Coupon KX55D
Four students search for their kidnapped teacher and find themselves in a battle between good and evil.
Eagle Quest: Coupon LL53A
A Native American boy searches for his roots through a vision quest.
Tales of a Texas Boy: Coupon XD25R
Little Eddie spins his tales about growing up in West Texas during the Depression, but he always has a humorous take on life.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Guys Doing Gals
I'm going to focus on an author whose work I've loved for years: John Varley. He's one of the few male writers that does women right. Matter of fact, he's so versatile, in some of his books his main characters switch between genders depending on their mood. No, they're human, but technology has advanced in the Varley future so folks can do that if they've a mind to.
Varley's last couple of books are more near future and situated on Mars. No gender bending, but a terrific concept of Mars colonization.
I'm eagerly, hopefully waiting for him to come out with another book. Any book! John, if you're googling yourself and happen to see this, tell me what's coming out next.
From his website, I glean that he's moving away from Los Angeles, but I don't see any new releases on the near horizon.
If you haven't read John Varley, hie thee to the nearest book outlet and pick up any of his books, but the ones I have on my bookshelf which I will read multiple times is the Gaean Trilogy. His portrayal of Captain Cirocco "Rocky" Jones is spot on. You'll recognize the kick-ass, tough-as-nails Rocky in recent SFR, but Varley did it first (1979) and he did it best in my humble opinion. Pop over to Mr. Varley's site to read movie reviews if nothing else. I was just there and was saddened to learn of the death of Jeanne Robinson, Spider Robinson's wife last May.
Check out Titan on Amazon. Mouse down and click the Buy All Three Books thing. You'll definitely want Wizard and Demon on hand since these are all can't put it down books. Also check out the rest of Varley's books.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
SciFi Romance and Series
Having just finished the SFR blog tour (fun times!), I'm thinking about continuing Remy's story. I don't want to give away the ending, but more than one reader has asked for a sequel.
I kind of want to, but also hesitate because of MBS (multiple book syndrome). Some writers are madly successful with continuations of not only one, but even several series. Linnea Sinclair is an excellent, and recent, example of that. She has more than one SFR series going. I'm sure you can look them up.
Another successful series in the news is the continuation (finale?) of The Hunger Games series with publication of "Mockingjay."
What do you say? Are you a series writer? What's the genre? How did you decide to continue with same characters?
My inquiring mind wants to know.
I kind of want to, but also hesitate because of MBS (multiple book syndrome). Some writers are madly successful with continuations of not only one, but even several series. Linnea Sinclair is an excellent, and recent, example of that. She has more than one SFR series going. I'm sure you can look them up.
Another successful series in the news is the continuation (finale?) of The Hunger Games series with publication of "Mockingjay."
What do you say? Are you a series writer? What's the genre? How did you decide to continue with same characters?
My inquiring mind wants to know.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Muse On-line Conference in October
I received a very warm welcome from the MuseItUp Publishing team of staff, authors, and readers on the MIU Yahoo groups. Although my book "Missing, Assumed Dead" won't be out until WAAAYYYY next July, I'm really looking forward to working with what I believe will be one of the major e-publishers.
I guarantee they're a wild and crazy bunch, but also hard workers producing quality products.
You can still join in the Muse on-line conference starting October 11th.
I guarantee they're a wild and crazy bunch, but also hard workers producing quality products.
You can still join in the Muse on-line conference starting October 11th.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Best for Last?
Today's the last day of the fabulous Out of this World Blog Tour. Of course, all the fine posts are still available on the blogs, so I encourage you to visit them. See the links at the top of this blog.
I'm spouting off today on Backward Momentum.
I'm spouting off today on Backward Momentum.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Blog Tour Continues
8/14 Sandra Stixrude at Dasef Central
8/15 Linnea Sinclair at The Cerebral Writer
8/16 Pauline Jones at J. C Hay
8/17 D.L. Jackson at Forbidden Love
8/18 Lisa Lane at Writer's Habitat
8/19 J. C. Hay at Perils of Pauline
8/20 Kaye Manro at The New Sensuality
8/21 Marva Dasef at Backward Momemtum
8/15 Linnea Sinclair at The Cerebral Writer
8/16 Pauline Jones at J. C Hay
8/17 D.L. Jackson at Forbidden Love
8/18 Lisa Lane at Writer's Habitat
8/19 J. C. Hay at Perils of Pauline
8/20 Kaye Manro at The New Sensuality
8/21 Marva Dasef at Backward Momemtum
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Sandra Stixrude: Guest Blogger!
I love to watch the birds in my backyard. Stay with me for a second, here. I’m going somewhere with this. The stately crow couples pacing the grass, the flash and bravado of Papa cardinal protecting his family, the here-I-am-nope-gone-again flitting of wrens at their baths, the sudden breath-held silence as a red shouldered hawk settles atop the swing set. Birds, in all their abundance and variety, fascinate me. But there’s something more…
A shiver of delight runs through me every time I recall this astounding fact—my garden is overrun with dinosaurs. Perhaps one can’t say it’s proven beyond any doubt, but enough evidence now stares us in the face, (fossilized plumage on certain oviraptor species, similarities in skeletal structure, and so on) daring us to say otherwise. The dinosaurs did not suddenly vanish in one fell swoop. Some of them evolved into birds.
The fact that life sparked and caught on this planet, once a ball of molten rock and slag, is nothing short of astounding. That life, over Earth’s history, has taken such a multitude of forms, each building upon its predecessors in an ever-flowing symphony of DNA, is breathtaking. Very early on, I found a fascination in the patterns of biology. There is as much poetry in the evolution of bird and man as there is in any Stravinsky piece. The dinosaurs, now birds, share an important common factor with hominids: our history is driven by an amazing ability to adapt. We, like birds, occupy every possible niche in the planet’s ecosystems. With puffins and gyrfalcons, we’ve shared the frozen North. With roadrunners and burrow owls, we’ve stalked the deserts. We’ve fished in the sea like cormorants and paddled the marshes with the egrets.
The hominid’s greatest asset lies in the ability to adapt, that strange gift some humans have that allows them to embrace and absorb the new. This very ability, I’ve always thought, is what permits us to suspend disbelief regarding human exploration of space. Yes, our instincts say, yes, we could adapt to living in a self-contained space station. Yes, we could find a way to understand an alien culture. Yes, we could be inventive and resourceful enough to adapt to alien environments.
(I realize this becomes harder to imagine when you glance over at Uncle Ralph snoring on the sofa, beer can still clutched in his hand, but I refer to the human race as a whole. Certain individuals are unable to adapt to a change in dinnertimes, let alone planets. We must assume that spacefarers, by definition, would not include many of these.)
Adapt-or-die lies at the root of so many of my favorite SF stories (Dune, The Faded Sun, Ender’s Game, the Pern novels) and, not surprisingly, serves as the foundation for my own stories. The refugees who colonized Anchorage believed they found a perfect, Earth-class planet to settle. But alien biology took an unexpected toll. The humans had to find ways to become part of the planet’s ecology. Adapt or die. Like the dinosaurs perched in my pine trees. If my cats only knew…
**
Romenel: Voyage Into Twilight – Book Two
Romenel: Obligations of Blood – Book Three
For Sandra’s Writer’s Habitat blog, release news, contests, and other fun tidbits, visit:
Sandra Stixrude: Cold Facts Meet Flights of Fancy
Sandra C. Stixrude is the author of the Anchorage Series. The third book, Romenel: Obligations of Blood, releases August 19, 2010 at Red Rose Publishing.
Blurb:
Voices out of the past reveal a terrible secret: the kresnas, devourers of life and sanity, were created by human scientists. Not only created, but used in terrible, torturous experiments that turned them against their creators.
Romenel's dilemmas pile one on the other until he's no longer able to see his way through them. How can he destroy all the hordes of kresnas at once and, knowing what he does, is it morally defensible to do so? And what other solution is there if humans are to survive? And what should he do about the beautiful warrior, Kyliki, since he has no place in her world and she has none in his?
And, hang it all, if he can resolve any of these things, what in blazes is he going to do about the mess of a succession war going on back home?
A shiver of delight runs through me every time I recall this astounding fact—my garden is overrun with dinosaurs. Perhaps one can’t say it’s proven beyond any doubt, but enough evidence now stares us in the face, (fossilized plumage on certain oviraptor species, similarities in skeletal structure, and so on) daring us to say otherwise. The dinosaurs did not suddenly vanish in one fell swoop. Some of them evolved into birds.
The fact that life sparked and caught on this planet, once a ball of molten rock and slag, is nothing short of astounding. That life, over Earth’s history, has taken such a multitude of forms, each building upon its predecessors in an ever-flowing symphony of DNA, is breathtaking. Very early on, I found a fascination in the patterns of biology. There is as much poetry in the evolution of bird and man as there is in any Stravinsky piece. The dinosaurs, now birds, share an important common factor with hominids: our history is driven by an amazing ability to adapt. We, like birds, occupy every possible niche in the planet’s ecosystems. With puffins and gyrfalcons, we’ve shared the frozen North. With roadrunners and burrow owls, we’ve stalked the deserts. We’ve fished in the sea like cormorants and paddled the marshes with the egrets.
The hominid’s greatest asset lies in the ability to adapt, that strange gift some humans have that allows them to embrace and absorb the new. This very ability, I’ve always thought, is what permits us to suspend disbelief regarding human exploration of space. Yes, our instincts say, yes, we could adapt to living in a self-contained space station. Yes, we could find a way to understand an alien culture. Yes, we could be inventive and resourceful enough to adapt to alien environments.
(I realize this becomes harder to imagine when you glance over at Uncle Ralph snoring on the sofa, beer can still clutched in his hand, but I refer to the human race as a whole. Certain individuals are unable to adapt to a change in dinnertimes, let alone planets. We must assume that spacefarers, by definition, would not include many of these.)
Adapt-or-die lies at the root of so many of my favorite SF stories (Dune, The Faded Sun, Ender’s Game, the Pern novels) and, not surprisingly, serves as the foundation for my own stories. The refugees who colonized Anchorage believed they found a perfect, Earth-class planet to settle. But alien biology took an unexpected toll. The humans had to find ways to become part of the planet’s ecology. Adapt or die. Like the dinosaurs perched in my pine trees. If my cats only knew…
**
Romenel: Voyage Into Twilight – Book Two
Romenel: Obligations of Blood – Book ThreeFor Sandra’s Writer’s Habitat blog, release news, contests, and other fun tidbits, visit:
Sandra Stixrude: Cold Facts Meet Flights of Fancy
Sandra C. Stixrude is the author of the Anchorage Series. The third book, Romenel: Obligations of Blood, releases August 19, 2010 at Red Rose Publishing.
Blurb:
Voices out of the past reveal a terrible secret: the kresnas, devourers of life and sanity, were created by human scientists. Not only created, but used in terrible, torturous experiments that turned them against their creators.
Romenel's dilemmas pile one on the other until he's no longer able to see his way through them. How can he destroy all the hordes of kresnas at once and, knowing what he does, is it morally defensible to do so? And what other solution is there if humans are to survive? And what should he do about the beautiful warrior, Kyliki, since he has no place in her world and she has none in his?
And, hang it all, if he can resolve any of these things, what in blazes is he going to do about the mess of a succession war going on back home?
The Anchorage Series - One Planet, Seven Books 
Come Join the Adventure
Friday, August 13, 2010
August 14th-21st Blog tour
THE GREAT SFR BLOG TOUR begins tomorrow!
8/14 Sandra Stixrude on Dasef Central (right here)!
8/15 Linnea Sinclair on The Cerebral Writer Lisa Lane
8/16 Pauline Jones on Behind the Pallid Mask J.C. Hay
8/17 D. L. Jackson on Forbidden Love Kay Manroe
8/18 Lisa Lane on Writers Habitat Sandra Sixtrude
8/19 J. C Hay on Perilous Pauline Pauline Jones
8/20 Kaye Monro on The New Sensuality Lisa Lane
8/21 Marva Dasef on Backward Momentum D.L Jackson
8/14 Sandra Stixrude on Dasef Central (right here)!
8/15 Linnea Sinclair on The Cerebral Writer Lisa Lane
8/16 Pauline Jones on Behind the Pallid Mask J.C. Hay
8/17 D. L. Jackson on Forbidden Love Kay Manroe
8/18 Lisa Lane on Writers Habitat Sandra Sixtrude
8/19 J. C Hay on Perilous Pauline Pauline Jones
8/20 Kaye Monro on The New Sensuality Lisa Lane
8/21 Marva Dasef on Backward Momentum D.L Jackson
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Starting Saturday 8/14
The blog tour begins right here on my blog when Sandra Sixtrude will present all the dope on her SFR series "Anchorage." That ain't in Alaska, folks. See the full schedule on my blog.
Monday, August 09, 2010
Mystic Signals #7
Mystic Signals contains the best stories from the fantasy ezines Lorelei Signal and Sorcerous Signals for the past quarter PLUS some never before read stories are now available in the print Mystic Signals #7.
See my name >>>> at the top of the list? The issue has my story "Poor Little Rich Girl."
Buy Mystic Signals at Create Space (best deal for the authors for royalties).
Or at Amazon.com.
The on-line ezines are free reads.
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Amazon Roulette
Setting a retail price on Amazon for your Kindle books is kind of fun since it takes you off to a Vegas-style mindset. It's like roulette. Round and round it goes, where it stops....
Anyway, Amazon has decided in its infinite wisdom to require ebook book sellers to set the minimum price to $2.99 if said seller wishes to take advantage of the 70% royalty. It's a some-do, some-don't thing.
What I've found is that $2.99 isn't always $2.99. What does 'is' mean? I reset my prices to be in line with the big dudes (publishers), but at the minimum possible price. Would I like to make a 70% royalty or a 35% royalty? Duh. What would you say?
However, the $2.99 is only a suggested retail price. Amazon decides some discount or other over which the author has zippity-doo-dah say.
Here are my prices after the Amazon roulette wheel has spun. I've set all these prices to $2.99.
Eagle Quest $.99: Huge discount! What do they know? Definitely a loss leader.
Quest for the Simurgh $1.79. This price is probably based on the B&N price.
Tales of a Texas Boy $1.99. Generous of Amazon. Is this a price that'll sell?
First Duty $2.99 Must have them confused here. No discount!?!?! Hey, Amazon! Discount this book! Maybe it's just too damned good to discount. Better buy it before I raise the price to $9.99. That's what you'll pay for the BIG PUBLISHER books.
Anyway, Amazon has decided in its infinite wisdom to require ebook book sellers to set the minimum price to $2.99 if said seller wishes to take advantage of the 70% royalty. It's a some-do, some-don't thing.
What I've found is that $2.99 isn't always $2.99. What does 'is' mean? I reset my prices to be in line with the big dudes (publishers), but at the minimum possible price. Would I like to make a 70% royalty or a 35% royalty? Duh. What would you say?
However, the $2.99 is only a suggested retail price. Amazon decides some discount or other over which the author has zippity-doo-dah say.
Here are my prices after the Amazon roulette wheel has spun. I've set all these prices to $2.99.
Eagle Quest $.99: Huge discount! What do they know? Definitely a loss leader.
Quest for the Simurgh $1.79. This price is probably based on the B&N price.
Tales of a Texas Boy $1.99. Generous of Amazon. Is this a price that'll sell?
First Duty $2.99 Must have them confused here. No discount!?!?! Hey, Amazon! Discount this book! Maybe it's just too damned good to discount. Better buy it before I raise the price to $9.99. That's what you'll pay for the BIG PUBLISHER books.
Friday, August 06, 2010
Camden, NJ Closing Libraries
This is a sad state of affairs. The city is closing its libraries for what reason? Right! Lack of funds. Have they asked for volunteers? Probably some goofy city code prevents it. Who cares about literacy anyway?
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Amazon Ebook Prices
In case you weren't aware, Amazon has changed its royalty method for ebooks. Previously, the minimum book price was 99 cents. I set my ebook prices at that point to encourage folks to at least get the sample (a handy feature if you're not sure you want to waste a buck).
Author/publishers can still set a 99 cent price point, but the royalty rate continues to be the miserly 35%.
If the author/publisher sets the price between $2.99 and $9.99, the royalty goes up to 70%. Hoorah, you might say, for the authors. However, what Amazon is doing is legal price fixing. What sane author wouldn't prefer the 70% royalty. Most authors are raising their price to that minimum $2.99. Me included.
Today is the last day to buy my ebooks for 99 cents each. Get 'em while they're cheap!
YA SciFi First Duty http://tinyurl.com/2dqbp9c
YA Fantasy Quest for the Simurgh http://tinyurl.com/2945r4f
MG Adventure Eagle Quest http://tinyurl.com/26oag9v
Humorous Texiana Tales of a Texas Boy http://tinyurl.com/29nebsb
I will reset the prices on 8/1 to $2.99. The 99 cents price will continue for a day or two after while Amazon updates its database.
Author/publishers can still set a 99 cent price point, but the royalty rate continues to be the miserly 35%.
If the author/publisher sets the price between $2.99 and $9.99, the royalty goes up to 70%. Hoorah, you might say, for the authors. However, what Amazon is doing is legal price fixing. What sane author wouldn't prefer the 70% royalty. Most authors are raising their price to that minimum $2.99. Me included.
Today is the last day to buy my ebooks for 99 cents each. Get 'em while they're cheap!
YA SciFi First Duty http://tinyurl.com/2dqbp9c
YA Fantasy Quest for the Simurgh http://tinyurl.com/2945r4f
MG Adventure Eagle Quest http://tinyurl.com/26oag9v
Humorous Texiana Tales of a Texas Boy http://tinyurl.com/29nebsb
I will reset the prices on 8/1 to $2.99. The 99 cents price will continue for a day or two after while Amazon updates its database.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Obligatory Blog Post
I'm not sure how many of the writers I know manage to post a daily blog. I tend to forget about blogging entirely unless I have news to report.
I'm supposed to give tips on writing, encouragement to perservere, and funny things that happen in my writing life. Oh, and I absolutely must have a picture of my cute cat, dog, child, or whatever every couple of weeks.
Every once in a great while, I'll post something like that, and I duck my head and wince. Nobody should care what I think about writing unless I have some credentials to prove I know what I'm talking about. Yes, I've published a bunch of stories and a couple of books, but that hardly makes me expert.
Still, it is expected, so here I go.
1. Use all the adverbs and adjectives you want. They are perfectly good words in the dictionary. Go ahead. Look them up. Nowhere does the dictionary mention that words are on a scale of 1 to 10 in worthiness.
2. If your book doesn't attract an agent, it's not your query or synopsis; it's your writing.
3. Money flows from the writer to the writing/publishing world. How many blogs tell you to take classes, go to conferences, join certain professional organizations. All of that costs money. In the long run and on the average you will spend more than you receive in royalties. Writing is NOT a money making proposition.
4. Write if you must, but don't expect the world to give any notice to you.
5. Writing is a hobby. Treat it as such, and you'll be happier in the long run.
6. "Its" is the possessive form. "It's" is the contraction of "it is."
There. I've done my bloggerly duty and given you a bunch of stupid advice. Use it wisely, grasshopper.
I'm supposed to give tips on writing, encouragement to perservere, and funny things that happen in my writing life. Oh, and I absolutely must have a picture of my cute cat, dog, child, or whatever every couple of weeks.
Every once in a great while, I'll post something like that, and I duck my head and wince. Nobody should care what I think about writing unless I have some credentials to prove I know what I'm talking about. Yes, I've published a bunch of stories and a couple of books, but that hardly makes me expert.
Still, it is expected, so here I go.
1. Use all the adverbs and adjectives you want. They are perfectly good words in the dictionary. Go ahead. Look them up. Nowhere does the dictionary mention that words are on a scale of 1 to 10 in worthiness.
2. If your book doesn't attract an agent, it's not your query or synopsis; it's your writing.
3. Money flows from the writer to the writing/publishing world. How many blogs tell you to take classes, go to conferences, join certain professional organizations. All of that costs money. In the long run and on the average you will spend more than you receive in royalties. Writing is NOT a money making proposition.
4. Write if you must, but don't expect the world to give any notice to you.
5. Writing is a hobby. Treat it as such, and you'll be happier in the long run.
6. "Its" is the possessive form. "It's" is the contraction of "it is."
There. I've done my bloggerly duty and given you a bunch of stupid advice. Use it wisely, grasshopper.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Smashwords Coupons
Alas, the Smashwords' storewide half-off coupon SWS50 ended up giving a smaller discount on my books.
I'm not blaming Smashwords because the coupon generator captured the price at the time it was generated. I'd set my prices to $2.99 to match the new Amazon price paradigm (70% royalty on books priced between $2.99 and $9.99).
Then, I thought why not keep my books priced at .99 until the end of July? Give people a last chance sale price?
So, I trotted back over to Smashwords and reset my book prices to $1.99, so that the 50% coupon would give the same .99 on both sites.
Oops. The Smashwords coupon price was set in stone. 50% off $2.99 made the sale price $1.50.
I apologize to those fine folk who used the SWS50 coupon in good faith and didn't get the promised discount. I'm relatively certain I a few folks tried the coupon and, upon seeing the incorrect price, cancelled their purchase. To those people I also apologize.
To make up for it, the coupon codes for FREE copies until 8/23/2010 (my birthday) are as follows:
First Duty Coupon VA49Y
Eagle Quest Coupon FV46X
Quest for the Simurgh Coupon YH59B
Tales of a Texas Boy Coupon MV32C
Again, my apologies for the screwup.
I'm not blaming Smashwords because the coupon generator captured the price at the time it was generated. I'd set my prices to $2.99 to match the new Amazon price paradigm (70% royalty on books priced between $2.99 and $9.99).
Then, I thought why not keep my books priced at .99 until the end of July? Give people a last chance sale price?
So, I trotted back over to Smashwords and reset my book prices to $1.99, so that the 50% coupon would give the same .99 on both sites.
Oops. The Smashwords coupon price was set in stone. 50% off $2.99 made the sale price $1.50.
I apologize to those fine folk who used the SWS50 coupon in good faith and didn't get the promised discount. I'm relatively certain I a few folks tried the coupon and, upon seeing the incorrect price, cancelled their purchase. To those people I also apologize.
To make up for it, the coupon codes for FREE copies until 8/23/2010 (my birthday) are as follows:
First Duty Coupon VA49Y
Eagle Quest Coupon FV46X
Quest for the Simurgh Coupon YH59B
Tales of a Texas Boy Coupon MV32C
Again, my apologies for the screwup.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
I've Got Cover Art!
Ultimate Duty is rockin' n rollin' it's way to publication with Eternal Press. We just finalized the cover art. Isn't Remy totally cool?
Remy Belieux, a woman born into a life of servitude on a repressive factory planet, is desperate for a different life. When she's accepted into the Space Service Academy, run by the organization that enslaves her planet, she discovers the truth behind generations of rebellion. Now, she must decide what to believe, where her ultimate duty lies, and fight for more than her life against impossible odds
More info as it becomes available. Like release date, price, etc. Should go out in ebook first, but (hopefully) will get in print as well.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Ebook Sale Still On
You've got until 7/31 to get my ebooks for only 99 cents. You can buy them at Amazon or from Smashwords using coupon code SWS50 (makes the price .99). Here are the links:
First Duty: YA Science fiction. Kindle Smashwords
Eagle Quest: MG adventures. Kindle Smashwords
Quest for the Simurgh: Middle-eastern fantasy. Kindle Smashwords
Tales of a Texas Boy: Humorous tales set in West Texas. Kindle Smashwords
I hope I got all those links in the right place.
First Duty: YA Science fiction. Kindle Smashwords
Eagle Quest: MG adventures. Kindle Smashwords
Quest for the Simurgh: Middle-eastern fantasy. Kindle Smashwords
Tales of a Texas Boy: Humorous tales set in West Texas. Kindle Smashwords
I hope I got all those links in the right place.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Not the Only Place to Buy a Book
I use CreateSpace as my printer. To clarify, they're not my publisher, although I've used their free ISBN a couple of times to broaden distribution. I self-publish, but I'm totally DIY. I only pay CS for my own copies. They supply distributors when a book sells, mostly on Amazon.
However, my books are also for sale ON CreateSpace. Each book has its own page. I've set 40% discounts for those major bookstore sales (LOL!), but there's no reason you all can't get the same deal. True, I lose money on every sale, but I make it up in VOLUME, VOLUME, VOLUME (old joke about used car dealers).
So, here are the direct links and the coupon codes so you can buy like a major bookstore:
Use coupon code GP6AJ4SD at check out for these books:
First Duty: YA scifi space opera.
Eagle Quest: Mid-grade adventure.
Quest for the Simurgh: YA fantasy set in the mythical middle-east.
Quest Large Print here.
Use code 9Z94TUUZ for:
Tales of a Texas Boy: Homespun humor set in 1930s West Texas. 7x10" Large Print
Tales alternate edition here. 6x9" Large Print
The more you buy, the better the deal on shipping.
Thank you for your support.
However, my books are also for sale ON CreateSpace. Each book has its own page. I've set 40% discounts for those major bookstore sales (LOL!), but there's no reason you all can't get the same deal. True, I lose money on every sale, but I make it up in VOLUME, VOLUME, VOLUME (old joke about used car dealers).
So, here are the direct links and the coupon codes so you can buy like a major bookstore:
Use coupon code GP6AJ4SD at check out for these books:
First Duty: YA scifi space opera.
Eagle Quest: Mid-grade adventure.
Quest for the Simurgh: YA fantasy set in the mythical middle-east.
Quest Large Print here.
Use code 9Z94TUUZ for:
Tales of a Texas Boy: Homespun humor set in 1930s West Texas. 7x10" Large Print
Tales alternate edition here. 6x9" Large Print
The more you buy, the better the deal on shipping.
Thank you for your support.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Invisible Gang Update
We now have several members. Note that I have forced every one of them into the gang with dire threats, or by simply telling them they are part of it whether they wanted to or not.
Bamika has suggested we need a gang tattoo, invisible of course. Since Richard is the Official Gang Artist, maybe he could supply one.
What say you gang members? What should our official tattoo look like? Since it'll be invisible, only other gang members will be able to see it, so go crazy!
Join me and other gang members on Facebook!
Bamika has suggested we need a gang tattoo, invisible of course. Since Richard is the Official Gang Artist, maybe he could supply one.
What say you gang members? What should our official tattoo look like? Since it'll be invisible, only other gang members will be able to see it, so go crazy!
Join me and other gang members on Facebook!
Friday, July 09, 2010
Invisibility
Having determined by empirical research that I am, for the most part, invisible to others, I have decided to plan a bank robbery or some other dastardly deed to make myself slightly more opaque.
There are a few discerning people in the world (you are one if you're reading this) to whom I'm not invisible.
In order to gather my gang, would all of you to whom I'm not invisible leave a comment and a list of your skills in cat burglary, larceny, mayhem, or other criminal behavior.
I'll be getting back to you via this invisible blog to make our evil plans to take over the universe.
There are a few discerning people in the world (you are one if you're reading this) to whom I'm not invisible.
In order to gather my gang, would all of you to whom I'm not invisible leave a comment and a list of your skills in cat burglary, larceny, mayhem, or other criminal behavior.
I'll be getting back to you via this invisible blog to make our evil plans to take over the universe.
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Rah Rah Sis Boom Bah!
I read lots of writer, agent, and author group blogs. One theme I notice, particularly in the writer and group blogs, is the GO FOR YOUR DREAM! YOU'LL SUCCEED IF YOU STICK TO IT. Rah rah rah.
Here's the fact of the matter. Your chances of realizing your dream via the agent to major publisher route is about the same as winning the lottery. Not so hot.
This is not to say you should quit writing or give up on being published. Not at all. But I just hate to see young writers (in their 20s or 30s) getting the mistaken impression that they will get an agent if they persist.
You've probably watched at least a couple of episodes of American Idol, particularly the auditions. What do you see?
1 - Really horrible 'singers' who think they're absolutely great and get totally hysterical when Simon tells them they suck (and they do suck).
2 - People who say "I want this more than anybody, so I should get it." Every other person in that stadium wants it just as bad as you do, so get over yourself.
3 - Some pretty good singers who might get some gigs in a bar or bar mitzvah. Hey, it's a living.
4 - A tiny teeny percentage of singers who actually have a shot at success. Good on you!
Writers are no different than American Idol hopefuls who sign up at those mass auditions. The percentages are probably about the same for writers who "audition" by sending their queries to agents: Way less than 1%.
The bloggers who cheerlead you into believing if you just stick to it you'll get yourself an agent and a big contract are lying to you. They're lying, not because they're mean people, but because they believe they should encourage others. That's nice of them, but they really ought to go serve meals to the homeless and leave writers alone. The odds are simply against you gaining success in the traditional way.
The other side of the story is the trash-talkers against self-publishing. "All self-published books are crap." Yeah, sure. Read some of the major publisher books, and you'll find an equal amount of crap.
Follow your dream, but don't put your hopes on mainstream publishing. Be creative. Look for small publishers, epublishers, POD publishers. Hell, do it yourself, then you won't depend on anybody else to validate you.
Just never believe the Rah Rah Sis Boom Bah crowd. The last syllable is the operative part: Bah. It ain't going to happen except for 1 out of 1000 cases. Can you wait for it to happen? If you're comfortable with that, then, by all means, keep churning out those queries to the agents.
For the record, I have nothing against agents. I'd love to have one myself. However, I'm at a certain age and experience level to understand that the odds are against me. I suppose I could adopt a child and raise her to become an agent, then I'd have an inside track. But, the sad news is, I should have adopted them twenty years ago. Too late now.
Here's the fact of the matter. Your chances of realizing your dream via the agent to major publisher route is about the same as winning the lottery. Not so hot.
This is not to say you should quit writing or give up on being published. Not at all. But I just hate to see young writers (in their 20s or 30s) getting the mistaken impression that they will get an agent if they persist.
You've probably watched at least a couple of episodes of American Idol, particularly the auditions. What do you see?
1 - Really horrible 'singers' who think they're absolutely great and get totally hysterical when Simon tells them they suck (and they do suck).
2 - People who say "I want this more than anybody, so I should get it." Every other person in that stadium wants it just as bad as you do, so get over yourself.
3 - Some pretty good singers who might get some gigs in a bar or bar mitzvah. Hey, it's a living.
4 - A tiny teeny percentage of singers who actually have a shot at success. Good on you!
Writers are no different than American Idol hopefuls who sign up at those mass auditions. The percentages are probably about the same for writers who "audition" by sending their queries to agents: Way less than 1%.
The bloggers who cheerlead you into believing if you just stick to it you'll get yourself an agent and a big contract are lying to you. They're lying, not because they're mean people, but because they believe they should encourage others. That's nice of them, but they really ought to go serve meals to the homeless and leave writers alone. The odds are simply against you gaining success in the traditional way.
The other side of the story is the trash-talkers against self-publishing. "All self-published books are crap." Yeah, sure. Read some of the major publisher books, and you'll find an equal amount of crap.
Follow your dream, but don't put your hopes on mainstream publishing. Be creative. Look for small publishers, epublishers, POD publishers. Hell, do it yourself, then you won't depend on anybody else to validate you.
Just never believe the Rah Rah Sis Boom Bah crowd. The last syllable is the operative part: Bah. It ain't going to happen except for 1 out of 1000 cases. Can you wait for it to happen? If you're comfortable with that, then, by all means, keep churning out those queries to the agents.
For the record, I have nothing against agents. I'd love to have one myself. However, I'm at a certain age and experience level to understand that the odds are against me. I suppose I could adopt a child and raise her to become an agent, then I'd have an inside track. But, the sad news is, I should have adopted them twenty years ago. Too late now.
Monday, July 05, 2010
Book Prices Going Up
I'm appalled to see the price of trade paperback books (let's not even talk about hardbacks). They cost too much in my opinion, so I don't buy books with a $15.95 price tag. I'll look for the ebook version and, if it's set to the mainstream publisher $9.99 favorite price, I won't buy that either.
Amazon recently instituted a new pricing structure for ebooks. Books priced from $2.99 and up have a 70% royalty for the writer. Books $2.98 and lower are 35%.
I've priced my books, both paper and ebook, at the lowest amount I could and still cover the costs of printing and the cut the publisher takes for their profit, plus a tiny amount for me. Good for them. Profit is fine. My cut per year on sales will buy me a nice dinner out.
My ebooks have always been less than $1.99 and, for some months now, I've set the price to 99 cents. Did that increase my sales? Only to the extent that I beat people over the head with it. I think most of my sales are guilty tit-for-tat by authors whose ebooks I purchased.
But my generosity of setting my book prices to approximately one-half of what it costs to buy most other books of the same length and genre appears to be for nothing. That is, the lower price doesn't encourage sales at all.
So, if I'm not selling books at my terrifically low prices, then there's no reason to keep those prices low. If you want to buy my book, then you'll have to pay the same for mine as any other book of a similar length and quality.
On August 1st, the price of my ebooks (Kindle and others) will be raised to $2.99. My paperback books's prices will increase depending on the factors I mention above: length, similar book price, genre. I haven't set all those prices yet, but I doubt you'll get one for less than ten bucks.
So, if you want any of my books you'd better buy damned quick.
For you few readers of my blog who know me personally, you know how to get my books really cheap. Ask me directly. You have my email address.
Amazon recently instituted a new pricing structure for ebooks. Books priced from $2.99 and up have a 70% royalty for the writer. Books $2.98 and lower are 35%.
I've priced my books, both paper and ebook, at the lowest amount I could and still cover the costs of printing and the cut the publisher takes for their profit, plus a tiny amount for me. Good for them. Profit is fine. My cut per year on sales will buy me a nice dinner out.
My ebooks have always been less than $1.99 and, for some months now, I've set the price to 99 cents. Did that increase my sales? Only to the extent that I beat people over the head with it. I think most of my sales are guilty tit-for-tat by authors whose ebooks I purchased.
But my generosity of setting my book prices to approximately one-half of what it costs to buy most other books of the same length and genre appears to be for nothing. That is, the lower price doesn't encourage sales at all.
So, if I'm not selling books at my terrifically low prices, then there's no reason to keep those prices low. If you want to buy my book, then you'll have to pay the same for mine as any other book of a similar length and quality.
On August 1st, the price of my ebooks (Kindle and others) will be raised to $2.99. My paperback books's prices will increase depending on the factors I mention above: length, similar book price, genre. I haven't set all those prices yet, but I doubt you'll get one for less than ten bucks.
So, if you want any of my books you'd better buy damned quick.
For you few readers of my blog who know me personally, you know how to get my books really cheap. Ask me directly. You have my email address.
Sunday, July 04, 2010
Art and the VIneyard
Arts, crafts, books (like mine), and WINE! Stay for the fireworks after dark.
Full details at Art and the Vineyard.
When: Today. I'll be at the author table from 11:30-5:30.
Where: Alton Baker Park, Eugene, OR
Full details at Art and the Vineyard.
When: Today. I'll be at the author table from 11:30-5:30.
Where: Alton Baker Park, Eugene, OR
Saturday, July 03, 2010
First Duty Print With Look Inside
The Look Inside (formerly Search Inside) feature is now available on the print edition of First Duty on Amazon.
146 pages for only $7.95. A bargain price for print books these days. Most big publishers charge more than that for the Kindle edition!
If you were hesitating because you'd like to read some before buying, go for it.
Hey! I need a print sale! Pretty please.
Friday, July 02, 2010
A Review of Eagle Quest
The fabulous Gina Salerni posted her review of "Eagle Quest" on the fabulous Dianne Salerni's blog today. Thank you, Gina for a great review.
Book Buy Links:
Eagle Quest Kindle Edition Only .99
Eagle Quest Print Edition Only $7.95
Thursday, July 01, 2010
July Issue of Lorelei Signal On-Line
I've had a long and wonderful relationship with Lorelei Signal and its sister 'zine Sorcerous Signals.
The July-September issue just came on-line. Enjoy "Poor Little Rich Girl" along with a whole raft of other great fantasy stories.
Art by Holly Eddy.
Read and vote for your favorites (say, my story?).
The July-September issue just came on-line. Enjoy "Poor Little Rich Girl" along with a whole raft of other great fantasy stories.
Art by Holly Eddy.
Read and vote for your favorites (say, my story?).
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Rebate!
For those who bought the Kindle edition of First Duty (only 99 cents), I give my deepest thanks.
For those of you who want a print edition instead, I ask, "Well, what's stopping you?"
Just a reminder that the snazzy print edition of First Duty is available on Amazon. Toss it in your cart to make up the $25 minimum for free shipping when you buy something else.
Just click this link, then click Buy. It's really easy! I need the ranking!
As an incentive, I'll give you 50% off the cover price. Send me a copy of your receipt from Amazon and your PayPal email address and I'll send you $4.00. Think of it as an electronic rebate form.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Review: The Sorcerer's Key by Clayton Bye
The Sorcerer's Keyby Clayton Bye
Buy the book in either:
Print or
Ebook
Also available through Amazon and other on-line stores.
Jack Lightfoot's parents were on the run from their homeworld of Eden. The nasty sorcerer, Morgan, wanted what the Lightfoot family had: the ability to cross over into Earth to take advantage of the technology that Earth has, something that Eden does not.
When Morgan finds a way to send an assassin after the Lightfoot family to find the key to opening the door between worlds, Jack is thrown into a battle between sorcerers. Only problem is, Jack has lived on Earth his entire life and all the magic he knows is entirely theoretical.
With only the training his father has given him, Jack has to jump worlds and learn to use his magic ... fast. Morgan is out to kill Jack for the key to move between worlds.
The Sorcerer's Key is a fast action tale of magic and action. It's fast moving from the first page onward. I knew I'd like this book from the beginning.
It's modern, rather than medieval, setting makes Jack a young man who might be the teenager down the street. Very modern Jack has to cope with the 19th C. non-technological, yet highly magical, world of Eden.
Clayton Bye's writing is smooth and exciting. He keeps the reader on their toes, or at least propped up in bed reading into the wee hours.
I'd definitely recommend this book for all fantasy fans.
Rating: ***** for fantasy action and goodness.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
First Duty on Amazon
Here's the link to the print edition. At this time, it just has the product page holder, but you can tag, add reviews, and sign up to be notified when the book is available.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
First Duty Now in Kindle
I recently got back my rights to "First Duty." Rather than re-up for additional print-only from my publisher, I chose to publish this YA space opera on my own. It's now available on Kindle for only .99. Did you know you can get the Kindle reader for PC for free? If not, then avail yourself of the opportunity and buy my YA scifi, First Duty. If you've been considering getting an e-reader, price wars are on! A refurbished Kindle reader can now be purchased for a mere $139.
Nyra Hutchings, a young woman born into a life of servitude on a repressive factory planet, is desperate for a different life. When she's accepted into the Space Service Academy, run by the organization that enslaves her planet, she discovers the truth behind generations of rebellion. Now, she must decide what to believe, where her first duty lies, and fight for more than her life against impossible odds.
Thanks!
Responses from Publishers and Agents
Just change "Replies" for "Suggestions" and you've got it. I also wouldn't mind any negative feedback. At least it wouldn't be just a form response.
Monday, June 21, 2010
First Duty Now on Smashwords
Finally! The YA science fiction saga of Nyra Hutchings, a woman torn between family and duty, is now available as an ebook. It's on Smashwords in a variety of e-formats. Kindle setup is complete and in the last stages of Amazon approval. The print edition is working its way through the system. I've ordered copies from CreateSpace so I'll have them for:
Art and the Vineyard, July 2-4. I'll be at the Author Table on 7/4 between 11:30 and 5:30.
Print is already available at CreateSpace. I'm going to make one last little change to the copyright page. I want to make sure proper credit is given for the portion of space I'm using created by Burning Liquid at Deviant Art. Very cool space art available for screen savers. I'm using the art under Creative Commons licensing. I sure hope I'm doing it right (credits and website applied) since I have no intention of stepping on anybody's copyright. If I'm out of line :( I'll have to find new cover art. I hope I'm good with my credits because I LOVE the cover!
NOTE: The adult version of First Duty, Ultimate Duty, will be released from Eternal Press in the near future.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Picturing Your MC
When you write, you've got a picture in your mind for your characters. It's fun to find something on the Internet to match, give your people a face. I've found that hunting down look-alikes isn't easy when your MC is not a gorgeous person. She's so-so in looks. Attractive, but not signing up for Top Model. For my latest book, I found lots of good stuff for my other characters. I have a folder full of physical scenes and bad-ass other characters.
My MC? Not so easy to find a 30-something, shoulder-length brown haired woman with hazel eyes who thinks she looks like a tall lawn gnome.
Why do the MCs have to be knock-out gorgeous. No, I don't subscribe to the theory that putting your hair in a bun and wearing glasses can make the heroine homely until she lets down that hair and takes off the horn-rims.
My MC? Not so easy to find a 30-something, shoulder-length brown haired woman with hazel eyes who thinks she looks like a tall lawn gnome.
Why do the MCs have to be knock-out gorgeous. No, I don't subscribe to the theory that putting your hair in a bun and wearing glasses can make the heroine homely until she lets down that hair and takes off the horn-rims.
As I shopped Google images for somebody who looks like the person I had in mind, it struck me (whap!) that she looked like Glenda Jackson as a young woman. If you don't know Glenda, then hie thee to Google and educate yourself. She exudes strength and confidence. She played Elizabeth R with a semi-bald head and it worked.
Meet Kameron McBride, my not-so-gorgeous, but seriously intelligent and wonderful MC. Okay, so I look just a teensy bit like Glenda Jackson.
She's got that inner Right Stuff that makes her beautiful. So, my MC officially looks like Glenda Jackson. So there.
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Christmas in June
Giving out free ebooks is a popular means of engendering notice. If somebody gets a freebie, they'll read it and write a review, right? I'm not so sure that the postulate is true. Sometimes, the author just gives away a free book and the recipient is never heard from again.
Nevertheless, Let me give it a shot. Comment here (on my blog) or on Facebook or the other places my blog shows up and I'll do some sort of magical selection process and give away a book or two.
I'll offer up the ebook flavor of your choice on any of my three ebooks. Whatever way you have to read ebooks, I'll provide it.
So, post away and let me know which book you have a yen to read for free. I'll have my cat, Dusty, place his paw upon the winning entries as my method of random selection.
Tales of a Texas Boy: Little Eddie tells some almost true Tall Tales set in West Texas of the 1930s. Guess what's true and what Eddie fudged on. Was it about the bear? Cage McNatt's prize sow? The skunk in the cornpatch? Guaranteed for a chuckle.
Quest for the Simurgh: When the village magician goes missing, his students set out on a dangerous trip into the mountains and run into a big trouble from demons and gods set for a war to end the world.
Eagle Quest: Take four teens, an old Ranger, and a couple of eagle feather poachers. What have you got? Adventure! Set in the Klamath Wildlife Preserves of southern Oregon.
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
Monday, June 07, 2010
Guest Post
I'm the guest today on Dianne Salerni's terrific blog, In High Spirits. Dianne's book, We Hear the Dead, was recently released through Sourcebooks. This talented teacher and author is going places (did a spirit hear the word Script?).
I've provided a tongue-in-cheek rundown on an old friend: Mr. Sasquatch.
NOTE: Misspelled Dianne's last name! Shame on me. Corrected at 10:25 AM.
I've provided a tongue-in-cheek rundown on an old friend: Mr. Sasquatch.
NOTE: Misspelled Dianne's last name! Shame on me. Corrected at 10:25 AM.
Thursday, June 03, 2010
SFR Accepted at Eternal Press
Exciting news! For me, anyhow. Eternal Press accepted for publication my science fiction novel with romantic elements (and some relatively hot sex scenes.
A couple of my writer friends are with Eternal Press, and I consulted them before submitting. EP was recently purchased by Kim Richards, the publisher of Damnation Press (for the dark side of SF/F/H). She's working at digging EP out of a publicity hole dug by the former owner. I certainly hope Kim works hard on making DP and EP top of the line epublishers. Oh, and print, too!
ULTIMATE DUTY
Remy Belieux, a woman born into a life of servitude on a repressive factory planet, is desperate for a different life. When she's accepted into the Space Service Academy, run by the organization that enslaves her planet, she discovers the truth behind generations of rebellion. Now, she must decide what to believe, where her ultimate duty lies, and fight for more than her life against impossible odds
A couple of my writer friends are with Eternal Press, and I consulted them before submitting. EP was recently purchased by Kim Richards, the publisher of Damnation Press (for the dark side of SF/F/H). She's working at digging EP out of a publicity hole dug by the former owner. I certainly hope Kim works hard on making DP and EP top of the line epublishers. Oh, and print, too!
ULTIMATE DUTY
Remy Belieux, a woman born into a life of servitude on a repressive factory planet, is desperate for a different life. When she's accepted into the Space Service Academy, run by the organization that enslaves her planet, she discovers the truth behind generations of rebellion. Now, she must decide what to believe, where her ultimate duty lies, and fight for more than her life against impossible odds
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
New Edition Ebook
I added a story to Tales of a Texas Boy (see below) for ebooks. I just received notice from Amazon that the Kindle editions are now available with the new story included.
If you previously bought (or got a freebie) of Tales of a Texas Boy, send me a note and I'll provide you a coupon to receive the new ebook in the e-flavor of your choice:
MOBI: Loads to Kindle
EPUB: Kind of a universal format for many readers.
Sony
PDF
LRF
The Smashwords link is here.
If you previously bought (or got a freebie) of Tales of a Texas Boy, send me a note and I'll provide you a coupon to receive the new ebook in the e-flavor of your choice:
MOBI: Loads to Kindle
EPUB: Kind of a universal format for many readers.
Sony
LRF
The Smashwords link is here.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
A Legend in His Own Mind
You've heard the phrase "A Legend in His Own Time." That's when somebody does something so extraordinary they create a legend around themselves. As time moves on, the legendary aspect grows and morphs into something bigger and, well, more legendary.
Then there's the phrase at the top of this post. That's when a person's ego grows beyond reality. They believe themselves to be so wonderful, they're a legend. Of course, they are the only ones who think so.
Then there's another type of legend. It's when an author bases a book on a real person, but exaggerates the person's feats to make for good reading; the writer creates the legend. Can you think of a case where this has occurred? I imagine there are many, considering possible biographers who hero-worship their subject past the point of reality.
Then I come to my own mini-legendary person: Little Eddie from Tales of a Texas Boy. The stories are mostly based on some brief vignette passed to me from my father. Those of you who have read the print edition might have slowed down enough to peruse the Foreword where I lay out that Eddie is my father and some additional background on his life. Nothing too exciting there. He just happened to have a few incidents in his life that I could turn from a passing comment into a short story.
I made my father a legend. The stories I wrote about his experiences are so enhanced, they have become the stuff of legends. Yes, a very small part of the population know the stories. However, how long will the Tales books be out in the world? I published the first edition in June, 2007. Coming up on the 3rd anniversary next month. In three years, more than 2000 people have had possession of the book in some form. They may have even read it. If I keep the book in print, how many people will get to know Eddie in ten years? I should mention that the majority of those potential readers picked up the book in the last year.
What's my point here? Not sure other than to state my realization that even not so famous people can become legendary to some extent from some author deciding to write about them.
By the way, I just finished a new Eddie story, which I'm including in the ebook editions. Already available at Smashwords and will percolate out to B&N, Amazon, Kobo, Sony, and Apple over the next few weeks.
The added story is titled "Ma Yote and Her Cubs." The new edition at Smashwords is available free til the end of May using coupon code XZ59M.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Cue Jeopardy Theme
While I'm waiting for a certain publisher to send a contract, I'm in a pins and needles wait state. Will the publisher change her mind? Decide my space opera romantic action adventure is not right after all?
Writers spend a huge amount of time waiting. Yeah, we're doing other things to fill that space between query, request for ms, rejection or acceptance. However, we're still churning our CPUs in that idle state. A virtual head popping up on occasion to see if the various zines, publishers, and agents have not passed on to the great publishing heaven in the sky or tend to ignore anything in which they have no interest.
Despite the "6-12 (or more) weeks to reply" often stated in guidelines, I'm an impatient sort. I'll give them their stated minimum plus one week, then they're marked as non-responsive. After that length, I've learned that if they answer at all, it will be a rejection. Positive answers always come more quickly, except when they don't.
Writers develop their own version of casting chicken bones or crystal gazing to determine the future of a particular query or submission. Those writers who wait and wait and wait . . . well, they're more patient than me. I have my own formula for wait time, and it is based on past performance.
Bless Query Tracker and Duotrope. We've got STATS! So, publishers and agents: know that we know. You can play hard to get, but writers are learning and have may have already gone courting a new beau for their work. 99% of the time it's no big deal. But that 1% you've ignored or put off might mean a big payday missed.
Writers spend a huge amount of time waiting. Yeah, we're doing other things to fill that space between query, request for ms, rejection or acceptance. However, we're still churning our CPUs in that idle state. A virtual head popping up on occasion to see if the various zines, publishers, and agents have not passed on to the great publishing heaven in the sky or tend to ignore anything in which they have no interest.
Despite the "6-12 (or more) weeks to reply" often stated in guidelines, I'm an impatient sort. I'll give them their stated minimum plus one week, then they're marked as non-responsive. After that length, I've learned that if they answer at all, it will be a rejection. Positive answers always come more quickly, except when they don't.
Writers develop their own version of casting chicken bones or crystal gazing to determine the future of a particular query or submission. Those writers who wait and wait and wait . . . well, they're more patient than me. I have my own formula for wait time, and it is based on past performance.
Bless Query Tracker and Duotrope. We've got STATS! So, publishers and agents: know that we know. You can play hard to get, but writers are learning and have may have already gone courting a new beau for their work. 99% of the time it's no big deal. But that 1% you've ignored or put off might mean a big payday missed.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Chirping
You've all heard of Tweeting. Most likely, you're a tweeter. I enjoy reading tweets as long as they are substantive. That is, I am interested if you've got publishing industry news, your books has just come out, someone posted a great review, or even how you're progressing on your WIP.
However, I don't care if you just got a skinny mocha supreme at Starbuck's or your cat has just hacked up a hairball on your bed.
Then there's chirping. Not heard of it? That's 'cause I just made it up (probably others have, too, but I haven't seen it). It takes the form of unremitting cheerfulness. I could blog every day if I had a yen to show the sunny side up constantly. If I write blogs about how I feel, then they are not going to be chirpy. I'll leave that to the bloggers who can keep that smile up like a Miss America contestant.
I'll just stick to the boring news, review, and any other 'ews. Mostly, the latter I suppose.
However, I don't care if you just got a skinny mocha supreme at Starbuck's or your cat has just hacked up a hairball on your bed.
Then there's chirping. Not heard of it? That's 'cause I just made it up (probably others have, too, but I haven't seen it). It takes the form of unremitting cheerfulness. I could blog every day if I had a yen to show the sunny side up constantly. If I write blogs about how I feel, then they are not going to be chirpy. I'll leave that to the bloggers who can keep that smile up like a Miss America contestant.
I'll just stick to the boring news, review, and any other 'ews. Mostly, the latter I suppose.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Review: The Twain Shall Meet
Since I got my Kindle, I'm working through the 50+ books I already have queued up. This is gonna take awhile! Nevertheless, j's book is one of the first I've finished (many are in various stages of reading). I'll post my reviews as I finish the books. Note that I will only be reviewing books by independent authors in this blog. Those other people don't need my help, nor will they give a rat's heinie whether I review or not.
The Twain Shall Meet
j guevara
I recommend j guevara's novelization of Mark Twain's return to the world of the living as he's carried to earth riding Halley's Comet.
Set in 1986 Key West, I'll take j's word for the Key scene (never been there).
His interpretation of what Samuel Clemen's would be like if he did return to the world was spot on. I'm a Mark Twain fan and have read most (all?) of his books.
Using direct quotes from Twain and well-interpreted extrapolations on what Twain might say if he came back, j created an entertaining and interesting 'what if'.
j has an easy, very readable style. His narrator, Reid, is a "t-shirt" salesman (note: drug dealer) who becomes a Twain fan through direct association with the great American author over a month while Reid introduces Twain to such modern concepts as strip clubs, Disney World, modern politics and events.
Well done!
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Native American Mythology
It would take hundreds of pages and a lot of researach to even scratch the surface of Native American mythology. No way would I even attempt that. But I did learn a lot for my middle-grade adventure, Eagle Quest (available at Amazon in Print and Kindle editions).
I wanted a half-breed Native American boy searching for his roots. Mitchell, who calls himself Black Crow, believes that a Vision Quest will help him discover his true self. He and his friends decide to visit the Bear Valley Wildlife Preserve, which is one of the several preserve areas in the Klamath region in southern Oregon. This particular preserve is a nesting place for bald eagles. Mitchell would also like to collect an eagle feather for his medicine bag. He didn't know that collecting any eagle parts is illegal. Enough about the story (please read it if you'd like to learn more).
Native American mythology sets great store by the animals around them. The stories imbued each animal with certain spiritual traits. The following information was derived from the Encyclopedia Mythica.
Wakan: Wakan or Wakan Tanka is the name the Lakhota Sioux use to specify the general spirit of god. Every creature and object has its own wakan, a spirit without limitation. Wakan tanka kin, the wakan of the sun, is the most important in the Sioux tradition.
Bear: Bear plays a major role in many Native American narratives. The animal represents the west and thoughtfulness. Many tribes tell narratives with Bear as the central figure.
Crow: Crow is one of the most prevalent mythological trickster characters, particularly for the northwest and Alaskan tribes.
Coyote: Coyote is the trickster character in southwest cultures, but is also sometimes portrayed as the creator, but he may at the same time be the messenger, the culture hero, the trickster, or the fool. He is also a power transforming character. In some stories he is a handsome young man, in others he is an animal, and others present him as a sacred power.
Eagle: Eagles are a powerful medicine. Elaborate headdresses of chiefs and leaders often feature eagle feathers. Sometimes equated to the Thunderbird, eagles are a symbol of strength.
Inktomi (Spider): The Spider, although most tales involve the trickster nature of the spider and center on morality lessons for the young, Inktomi also created Lakhota culture. Interestingly, the Spider has almost identical role in the myths of African cultures (Anansi).
Vision Quests: The Vision Quest is a rite of passage tradition for many North American tribes. Vision quest preparations involve a time of fasting, the guidance of a tribal Medicine Man and sometimes natural hallucinogens. The quest is undertaken for the first time in the early teenage years. The quest itself is usually a journey alone into the wilderness seeking personal growth and spiritual guidance from the spirit Wakan Tanka.
Traditionally, the seeker finds a place that they feel is special, and sits in a 10 foot circle and brings nothing in from society with the exception of water. Occasionally the seeker will urinate in the water as a means to purify it. A normal Vision Quest usually lasts two to four days within this circle, in which time the seeker is forced to look into his soul. It is said that a strong urge to leave the Quest area will come to the seeker and a feeling of insanity may set in. However, the seeker normally overcomes this by reminding him or herself of the overall outcome of the quest, causing the mind to stop wandering on random thoughts. The individual can generally find solace in the fact that he or she will not die in just two to four days. It is noted that few have claimed grand visions on their first Vision Quest. Native American spirits or wakan are said to be capable of speaking through all things, including messages or instructions in the form of an animal or bird. Generally a physical representation of the vision or message such as a feather, fur or a rock is collected and placed in the seeker's medicine bag to ensure the power of the vision will stay with the individual to remind, protect or guide him.
Medicine Bags: Medicine items attributed with various supernatural abilities for the bag would often be procured in a tribal custom known as a vision quest. This ceremony includes personal sacrifice: fasting and prayer over several days in a location isolated from the rest of the community, often involving hallucinogens. The purpose was to make contact with natural spiritual forces that help or guide people to reach their potential. The spirits, or totems would aid the individual to gather magical items, increase knowledge and aid personal growth.
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Coyote Con
May is virtual conference month. Drollerie Press is hosting Coyote Con. I attended a few sessions yesterday, and I'll have to say that conferencing on-line works pretty well. You also save a bunch of money by not having to travel somewhere.
You can still sign up (it's free!) and jump into the open courses. There might still be some openings for sessions that you have to reserve.
This conference fits into the Myths and Legends category for this blog because that's what Drollerie is all about. A small, mostly ebook, press, they have been around for a few years. They have several imprints to fit just about anything that touches on mythology, folk stories, legends, etc. Here's a short note on their imprints:
Drollerie Press: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy.
Chrysography: Literary, Experimental, Non-Fiction, and Special Projects.
Expressions: World/Multicultural Speculative Fiction written by or about one or more persons of color and/or from a non-western and/or non-caucasian perspective.
Flyleaf: GLBTQ Speculative Fiction.
Gauffer Press: Suspense, Thriller, and Mystery.
Grotesqueries: Horror and Dark Fantasy.
Illuminated Press: Inspirational/Spiritual Fiction.
Kettlestitch: Young Adult.
Pen Flourish: Romance, Erotic Romance, and Erotica.
Quadrivium: Science Fiction and Science Fantasy.
Hope to see you at the Con!
You can still sign up (it's free!) and jump into the open courses. There might still be some openings for sessions that you have to reserve.
This conference fits into the Myths and Legends category for this blog because that's what Drollerie is all about. A small, mostly ebook, press, they have been around for a few years. They have several imprints to fit just about anything that touches on mythology, folk stories, legends, etc. Here's a short note on their imprints:
Drollerie Press: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy.
Chrysography: Literary, Experimental, Non-Fiction, and Special Projects.
Expressions: World/Multicultural Speculative Fiction written by or about one or more persons of color and/or from a non-western and/or non-caucasian perspective.
Flyleaf: GLBTQ Speculative Fiction.
Gauffer Press: Suspense, Thriller, and Mystery.
Grotesqueries: Horror and Dark Fantasy.
Illuminated Press: Inspirational/Spiritual Fiction.
Kettlestitch: Young Adult.
Pen Flourish: Romance, Erotic Romance, and Erotica.
Quadrivium: Science Fiction and Science Fantasy.
Hope to see you at the Con!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Eagle Quest - Search Inside Now Available
A good selling technique on Amazon is the Search Inside feature. Eagle Quest's SI is now available. Go take a look.
If you like what you see, you'll feel better about putting out $7.99 for the print version. Still not sure? Maybe try the Kindle edition for only 99 cents.
Don't have a Kindle? Did you know you can get the Kindle for PC reader free from Amazon?
Hey, I'm going to tempt you in any way I can.
If you've been following my blog (or just look down a couple of posts), you know where to get the ebook free in multiple formats. Sheesh, people, don't make me lead you by the hand!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
How Maui Created the Hawaiian Islands
Guest poster Rick Kirkam (Sensei J. Richard Kirkam) provided this Hawaiian legend for the Myths and Legends series. Thanks, Rick!
Maui was a demigod in Hawaiian folklore. His father was a god and his mother human. Maui had three brothers though not much is mentioned about them as individuals. Though Maui was a trickster he was also always trying to help humankind.....
Maui went to his father and came back with a fishing hook. He told his brothers to take the canoe and paddle out to sea. They went out so far they became nervous and wanted to turn back. Maui told them to continue to paddle. When it seemed they would never stop Maui finally had them halt.
He took a fishing pole and line, attaching the magic hook to it he's gotten from his father. It was the longest fishing line Maui's brothers had ever seen. Maui threw the hook into the sea and told his brothers to begin paddle and not to turn around.
Paddling was hard on the brothers and they could hear Maui grunting as though he'd caught a huge fish. Finally one of the brothers couldn't fight his curiosity any longer. He turned to see what his brother had caught on the fishing pole. The line went slack and broke.
Maui scolded his brothers. Telling them he wanted to raise a continent and all he pulled up were these islands.
About the Author
Sensei J. Richard Kirkham is an in home tutor for poor grads, behavioral problems, self-defense and computers in Honolulu Hawaii. Recently he updated a backup program he wrote based on the needs of his very basic computer students to preserve their precious digital photos and important work files. Please support his efforts by visiting his web page http://inhometutoringhi.com/DontLoseIt/ and even subscribing to his free study and computer tips
Sensei J. Richard Kirkham is an in home tutor for poor grads, behavioral problems, self-defense and computers in Honolulu Hawaii. Recently he updated a backup program he wrote based on the needs of his very basic computer students to preserve their precious digital photos and important work files. Please support his efforts by visiting his web page http://inhometutoringhi.com/DontLoseIt/ and even subscribing to his free study and computer tips
You may post this article in its entirety including the About The Author Section
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Eagle Quest Now on Amazon
Now released at Amazon.com. Click on over and tag it, please.
Set in the Klamath Wildlife Preserves of southern Oregon. Appendix has information on the Preserves, the annual bald eagle nesting, and Native American lore.
Fiona, Hap, Billy, and Mitch make an odd set of friends, as different from the usual junior high school crowd as they are from each other.
Mitch, the oldest of the four, is a half-breed Native American, adopted by white parents. Troubled that he doesn't know his tribe, he avidly studies Native American history and lore. Learning the nearby Bear Valley Wildlife Refuge is a bald eagle nesting site, he wants to add an eagle feather to his medicine bag and explore the refuge as a site for his Vision Quest, a Native American rite of passage.
Review for "Quest for the Simurgh" in Tales of the Talisman
Volume 5, Issue 4 of Tales of the Talisman
Hadrosaur Productions
Ed. David Lee Summers
Rating: Four talismans
Set in the pre-Islamic Middle East, Quest for the Simurgh opens with a kindly village magician named Wafa teaching a group of teenage students about magical beasts. However, when the students arrive for the next day’s lesson, they find Wafa missing and his house ransacked. In the house, a book called Magicalis Bestialis is open to a page about mythical birds called Simurgh who possess all the knowledge of the universe. Marked with a chalk X, the students think their teacher has left a clue. Wafa’s star pupil Faiza believes their teacher was trying to tell them to seek out the Simurgh for help.
Faiza along with the three boys that are her classmates set out on a journey into the mountains in search of the birds and Master Wafa. The students soon meet a strange little man who becomes their guide. As they travel, Faiza and the boys encounter demons and gods and it soon becomes apparent they are being pulled into aconflict of cosmic proportions. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel the climactic battle quite lived up to my expectations based on the solid character and storydevelopment before that point. Even so, it was well worth continuing on to learn the quest’s penultimate conclusion.
Quest for the Simurgh gives us a glimpse of life and mythology in the Middle East beyond that of The Arabian Nights. The characters were engaging and I enjoyed following them on their journey. I would recommend Quest for the Simurgh to readers of all ages seeking new and exciting fantasy realms.
-- David Lee Summers, Ed. Tales of the Talisman
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Boo!
Ghosts fall into the area of legends. I asked friends if they had a ghost story where they actually felt the presence of or met the ghost in question. My good friend, Liz, sent me this one.
True: There's an old school house built around 1890 in Papillion, Nebraska where I grew up/went to high school. It still stands today and is known as "Hatchet House" to locals.
Story: The story goes (never verified) that way back in the early 1900's, there was a school teacher named Mary who couldn't have children of her own. Everyone in town knew she didn't quite have all her marbles, but she was harmless. Or so they thought. This was back when Omaha, Papillion, etc...were only farm houses and a main street here and there.
One winter, there was a surprise blizzard during the day while the kids were in school. This particular school house that year had 22 students of all ages, and Mary the school teacher. The blizzard was so bad they all got snowed in. They couldn't leave for days and no one could get to them for days. The boys would venture out just a few hundred yards for firewood for the woodburning stove, and they survived on what lunches the kids had brought for school that day.
At some point, Mary started to lose it, commanding all the kids to pray at first, finally scratching her own face up and beating the kids, screaming for no reason. Some think the claustrophobia got to her, others think she just went nuts. In any case, she took the wood hatchet out to the outhouse, called the children out one at a time, and hacked them to pieces. When she'd killed the last child, she posed their bodies and body parts around the desk, then curled up in a ball at the front of the room, which is where they found her.
True: "Hatchet House" still sits empty (as of the time I left Omaha, 2000). It's way out in what little is left of the farm country around Papillion.
Teenagers drive out there and get drunk in the house. Stories have been circulating since my Grandparents were teenagers that if you're in Hatchet House at night, you can hear the faint screams of the children, the sound of the hatchet chopping something, and Mary's sobs.
Friends and I stayed there overnight when I was 16 (on a dare). I awoke in the middle of the night to what I would swear was the sound of a child crying. That's all I experienced firsthand, though.
You can find Liz on Facebook if you want to be friends (do you dare!?)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)