Terrifying research out of Austria that dogs automatically imitate their owners. I say terrifying because -- hell, have you seen how dogs behave? Believe me, Toby has not learned *that* from watching me.
It's interesting, though, to consider how imitative behaviours cement social (pack--thank you werewolf novels for the term) bonds.
31 July 2010
How twitter is too fast for brain to check for embarrassment factor
140 characters. Click. Just told the world I'm a fool.
Actually, I haven't -- yet. But I'm aware of the potential.
I've had a whiney couple of days on twitter (conference envy -- I'm a putrid green, the colour of mushy peas). I don't think I've wildly embarrassed myself, but I'm definitely "sa-ad" in teenager speak. Or am I so out of date "sa-ad" dates me?
Ah dear. Twitter does have great potential to reveal character. All those off the cuff remarks recorded forever (thank you, Library of Congress).
I'm waiting for the character analysis algorithm that targets tweets and will reveal all. I'll probably end up being a teddy bear with one ear missing, a chewed nose and a mad smile.
Actually, I haven't -- yet. But I'm aware of the potential.
I've had a whiney couple of days on twitter (conference envy -- I'm a putrid green, the colour of mushy peas). I don't think I've wildly embarrassed myself, but I'm definitely "sa-ad" in teenager speak. Or am I so out of date "sa-ad" dates me?
Ah dear. Twitter does have great potential to reveal character. All those off the cuff remarks recorded forever (thank you, Library of Congress).
I'm waiting for the character analysis algorithm that targets tweets and will reveal all. I'll probably end up being a teddy bear with one ear missing, a chewed nose and a mad smile.
30 July 2010
Forestiere Gardens, Fresno
Stumbled on Forestiere Gardens when looking for English garden photos. Yeah, my use of Flickr is suspect. I'm easy distracted. But isn't this place incredible? Carved out of the rock.
Go on, have a look around, http://www.undergroundgardens.com/summary.html
Promo and authors
There's lots of advice out there for authors who, like me, are starting out. We have books written, contracted, even published, but now we have to promote them. The big talk 'round the Net is social media.
Get yourself a website, blog, Twitter and Facebook accounts and get out there. Don't forget book trailers, Yahoo loops and review sites.
Some authors take to the promo trail with such enthusiasm and success they're like the most popular boy/girl in high school. Other authors become the cool sardonic kid with their own following.
Other authors kick, scream and sulk. They believe the author's job is to write a great novel, and then, write the next great novel. Promo is mere distraction. Actually, I think some of them even consider promo demeaning. Surely the greatness of their novel speaks for itself?
Being involved in Carina Press's launch got me involved in social media. I set up a Facebook account (which, to be honest doesn't really suit me--maybe I'm still learning my way around), a Twitter account (now this is fun), a Goodreads account (why did I wait so long?) and deepened my commitment to this blog. I've also joined ARRA and am waiting to hear back from RWA (the Australian version). And in this flurry of activity, I discovered something important: I'm a writer.
I'm a writer. For me that's a richer identity than "author". It means I write anything and everything. I write poetry, birthday cards, slogans (I'm not saying any of these sell), short stories, novels, non-fiction articles. But I also write blog posts, book reviews, comments and tweets.
By engaging in social media, my writing encounters shifting constraints of structure and audience. It also moves from monologue to dialogue. Writing becomes a means of conversing. I get instant feedback (even if that feedback is that people ignore me--must write funnier!)
Promo is important to authors for a range of reasons discussed 'round the Net. But the surprising joy for those who engage in it is that it widens who they are as writers and hones their skills.
Not to mention the amazing people you get to meet :)
Get yourself a website, blog, Twitter and Facebook accounts and get out there. Don't forget book trailers, Yahoo loops and review sites.
Some authors take to the promo trail with such enthusiasm and success they're like the most popular boy/girl in high school. Other authors become the cool sardonic kid with their own following.
Other authors kick, scream and sulk. They believe the author's job is to write a great novel, and then, write the next great novel. Promo is mere distraction. Actually, I think some of them even consider promo demeaning. Surely the greatness of their novel speaks for itself?
Being involved in Carina Press's launch got me involved in social media. I set up a Facebook account (which, to be honest doesn't really suit me--maybe I'm still learning my way around), a Twitter account (now this is fun), a Goodreads account (why did I wait so long?) and deepened my commitment to this blog. I've also joined ARRA and am waiting to hear back from RWA (the Australian version). And in this flurry of activity, I discovered something important: I'm a writer.
I'm a writer. For me that's a richer identity than "author". It means I write anything and everything. I write poetry, birthday cards, slogans (I'm not saying any of these sell), short stories, novels, non-fiction articles. But I also write blog posts, book reviews, comments and tweets.
By engaging in social media, my writing encounters shifting constraints of structure and audience. It also moves from monologue to dialogue. Writing becomes a means of conversing. I get instant feedback (even if that feedback is that people ignore me--must write funnier!)
Promo is important to authors for a range of reasons discussed 'round the Net. But the surprising joy for those who engage in it is that it widens who they are as writers and hones their skills.
Not to mention the amazing people you get to meet :)
29 July 2010
Random snap
Chinese tallow, last leaves. I'm not an inspired photographer (obviously) but I love this colour combination.
Your Health Spa = Your Car
I couldn't believe it either, but according to this article Nissan is designing a new car that makes you healthier (or at least, pretends to). Want to be sprayed with Vitamin C? (No, me neither) But birthday and anniversary reminders could turn the family car into a marriage savior. Anti-collision technology sounds like something that would actually influence my buying decision.
Happy discoveries in researching a novel
Actually, it's not just researching a novel. Looking for stuff to feed this blog (ie stuff that'll make interesting posts) I've stumbled over some fantastic sites.
Obviously Tumblr remains my favourite find-a-smile place. I love the images people share. Talk about travelling the world--and all without jetlag.
Other great sites are listed in the right sidebar.
But this garden and landscape design blog deserves a post all to itself. Fascinating. Thank goodness I decided to write a gardening hero and research led me here.
Obviously Tumblr remains my favourite find-a-smile place. I love the images people share. Talk about travelling the world--and all without jetlag.
Other great sites are listed in the right sidebar.
But this garden and landscape design blog deserves a post all to itself. Fascinating. Thank goodness I decided to write a gardening hero and research led me here.
28 July 2010
Angel of Mons and why there's no improbable idea this week
[Jacek Malczewski, Wikimedia]
I'm enjoying posting the improbable ideas I have but haven't gotten around to developing into full stories. Today's a bit different.
The Angel of Mons is a famous story from the First World War with British soldiers reporting phantom cavalry/bowmen/angels coming to their aid or simply being with them in the horrors of trench warfare. Yet the article that sparked the publication of these reports (and possibly the reports themselves?) was repeatedly stated as fiction by its author, Arthur Machen.
In a living nightmare, people want to believe the supernatural is with them (God, angels, ghosts, it varies). This means writers/creative artists can tap a deep vein of emotion with a story that adds a supernatural element to a disaster. It's what people want to believe, a reassurance of survival and comfort that we enjoy in our entertainment.
But I'm simply too much a coward to take this idea and run with it. I have a superstitious horror of jinxing reality. Yes, I know I'm not powerful enough to change the world. But what if I imagined a disaster that came true? I'd never forgive myself. I've tangled with this theme of the supernatural intervening to help in a disaster once in a children's story, using the London Underground. It creates a powerful tension. But taking this to an adult story, letting the grief and suffering stand ... No, I think I'll let this post stand as a discussion of a theme, rather than imagine a disaster or exploit an existing one. Although that raises a whole different issue -- is it exploitative to explore people's experience of disaster through fiction? Surely it's really a long term human strategy of understanding via storytelling?
27 July 2010
Cranky with the BBC
I love the BBC -- or at least those BBC shows that make it onto Australian TV. I trust their news and even follow it on Twitter. So I never thought the day would come when I wanted to kick them.
It's not anything major, only they've stolen my words. Too bad I hadn't written the words. I was rehearsing them in my head. Then I went looking for 1950s retro/style sites and the BBC had one, and they'd said exactly what I planned to in my book. All about small rooms, furniture to fit, the post war world. If I used the phrases I'd been planning, my sweet contemporary would look like I ripped that para off the BBC. Ugh. Even the appearance of plagiarism irks me, so it's back to the drawingboard.
Despite my mini tantrum, I thoroughly recommend clicking on the BBC link for changing styles through the decades. It's a great site.
It's not anything major, only they've stolen my words. Too bad I hadn't written the words. I was rehearsing them in my head. Then I went looking for 1950s retro/style sites and the BBC had one, and they'd said exactly what I planned to in my book. All about small rooms, furniture to fit, the post war world. If I used the phrases I'd been planning, my sweet contemporary would look like I ripped that para off the BBC. Ugh. Even the appearance of plagiarism irks me, so it's back to the drawingboard.
Despite my mini tantrum, I thoroughly recommend clicking on the BBC link for changing styles through the decades. It's a great site.
New Look Harlequin Site
eHarlequin has revamped their site, and it's beautiful. It feels less cluttered and that lets the gorgeous covers shine. From a quick look, it's easy to navigate, allowing you to get to the books you like in a number of different ways -- author, line, new release, print and ebooks. Really nice, and they're celebrating with a sale!
eHarlequin.com Makeover Sale - Save 25% on all new releases! Print and eBook. Click here and use coupon code MAKEOVER 7/26-8/2 only.
eHarlequin.com Makeover Sale - Save 25% on all new releases! Print and eBook. Click here and use coupon code MAKEOVER 7/26-8/2 only.
26 July 2010
Cameo Turtle Bowl: Helen Millard
Art glass is one of the housewares I'm imagining in my sweet contemporary romance heroine's (hereafter called Clare, cause that's who she is!) collectibles shop. I got sidetracked in my search for 1960s stuff by this beautiful photo. Thanks to Reciprocity for posting to Flicker (click the link, there's background text). Gorgeous.
Sidenote: Pratchett's Discworld has made me a real fan of turtles and the it's-turtles-the-whole-way-down story.
Need a second cup of coffee
I have Monday-itis.
A couple of housekeeping notes (just to warm up my fingers for serious writing in a few minutes). First, I've added Access Romance and The Book Pushers to the right sidebar under "Great Sites, Wonderful People". I keep finding more and more sites that I want to follow. It would be helpful if I also found the time to follow them! How come what I want to do expands, but the time available to do it in doesn't? If I were God, time would work differently. Busy people would get the time lazy people were wasting. [Note: reading is not being lazy. Readers would get all the time they wanted -- of course, this is also my definition of heaven. Read forever, no eye strain!]
Second, I have a really exciting post I want to write, but it's for Improbability Wednesday, not start-the-week Monday. *pout* Don't want to write this post. Want to write about angels!
Third, I forgot that Australia is half a day ahead of America. Well, damn. The exciting Monday news hasn't happened yet because New York still thinks it's Sunday. Drat, drat, drat. (Hint: the eHarlequin site isn't available because it's "under construction").
Fourth--do I have a fourth point? Oh, yeah. My sweet contemporary heroine now runs a retro collectibles shop. Stay turned for my new obsession -- 1950s/60s/70s housewares. And mini skirts. Love mini skirts. [Looked at my writing outfit of thick sweater and sweatpants -- oh, yeah, miniskirts -- as if! Dressed for writing I can scare away any stranger knocking at the door ;)]
Fifth, recognise I'm now rambling. *going to get that second cup of coffee*
A couple of housekeeping notes (just to warm up my fingers for serious writing in a few minutes). First, I've added Access Romance and The Book Pushers to the right sidebar under "Great Sites, Wonderful People". I keep finding more and more sites that I want to follow. It would be helpful if I also found the time to follow them! How come what I want to do expands, but the time available to do it in doesn't? If I were God, time would work differently. Busy people would get the time lazy people were wasting. [Note: reading is not being lazy. Readers would get all the time they wanted -- of course, this is also my definition of heaven. Read forever, no eye strain!]
Second, I have a really exciting post I want to write, but it's for Improbability Wednesday, not start-the-week Monday. *pout* Don't want to write this post. Want to write about angels!
Third, I forgot that Australia is half a day ahead of America. Well, damn. The exciting Monday news hasn't happened yet because New York still thinks it's Sunday. Drat, drat, drat. (Hint: the eHarlequin site isn't available because it's "under construction").
Fourth--do I have a fourth point? Oh, yeah. My sweet contemporary heroine now runs a retro collectibles shop. Stay turned for my new obsession -- 1950s/60s/70s housewares. And mini skirts. Love mini skirts. [Looked at my writing outfit of thick sweater and sweatpants -- oh, yeah, miniskirts -- as if! Dressed for writing I can scare away any stranger knocking at the door ;)]
Fifth, recognise I'm now rambling. *going to get that second cup of coffee*
24 July 2010
Happiness is a book review!
Julie at The Book Pushers has just reviewed The Price of Freedom. Like me, she loved the cover. She also offered a great crit and ... 4 stars! Happiness :)
Stop to smell the tension
When I'm writing I have a tendency to rush my scenes. Instead of exploring and developing the tension between characters, I want to hurry on to the next bit of action. Strangely, I don't think the cause is eagerness to get the book written. Instead, I think it's cowardice. Exploring the tension between two characters is hard work. It's about identifying emotional complexity and revealing it in a way that brings the reader in. It's about balancing external and internal conflicts, getting the pace of the book right and allowing the drama of quiet moments to have its time.
Looking over the first chapter of the sweet contemporary I'm writing I can see that I've rushed the moment when heroine and hero encounter each other. Sure I stay with the scene, but I rush over the details of their awareness of each other. I move on to the action when the story needs to stay with the character revelation a moment longer. So that's my challenge for this morning. Be brave. Begin to reveal the emotional vulnerabilities of my characters.
Looking over the first chapter of the sweet contemporary I'm writing I can see that I've rushed the moment when heroine and hero encounter each other. Sure I stay with the scene, but I rush over the details of their awareness of each other. I move on to the action when the story needs to stay with the character revelation a moment longer. So that's my challenge for this morning. Be brave. Begin to reveal the emotional vulnerabilities of my characters.
Peppery flowers
Yum. I love nasturtiums. They're easy to grow, cheerful and edible! Best of all, they self-seed, springing up the following year all by themselves -- bless their sunny faces.
Indonesia invades America
I can't resist a great headline ;)
Actually the article over at PhysOrg is really interesting. It's the ever-recurring question of humanity's history and who settled America first. Scientists have "reconstructed" the remains of an ancient body found in Mexico, and the result is an elderly woman who looks Indonesian.
Of course nothing is simple and there's all sorts of caveats and arguments. But still the impression is of ancient humans moving around far more adventurously than we, their descendants, imagine.
Actually the article over at PhysOrg is really interesting. It's the ever-recurring question of humanity's history and who settled America first. Scientists have "reconstructed" the remains of an ancient body found in Mexico, and the result is an elderly woman who looks Indonesian.
Of course nothing is simple and there's all sorts of caveats and arguments. But still the impression is of ancient humans moving around far more adventurously than we, their descendants, imagine.
Free Romance eBooks
Over at eHarlequin I just noticed their new sister site tryHarlequin.com 16 free ebooks are on offer from a range of categories and great authors. Happy reading, everyone :)
23 July 2010
Attn Brain Researchers
No, I don't need you to find my brain. I know it's that grey flabby stuff too seldom used that fills my skull.
I need an answer to why it is so much easier to write negative poetry than celebratory stuff. If you don't believe me, just look at how few joyous love songs there are compared to the cheating/breaking heart ballads.
Why is negative self-expression easier than positive? Is it self-indulgence, a lack of discipline, a sad old world?
I swear I am not a negative person (cynical at times, yeah, okay, but not depressed or anarchistic). So why are my poems serious verging on dark? And why do I see the same tendency in so many other people's work?
Maybe I should only write limericks.
I need an answer to why it is so much easier to write negative poetry than celebratory stuff. If you don't believe me, just look at how few joyous love songs there are compared to the cheating/breaking heart ballads.
Why is negative self-expression easier than positive? Is it self-indulgence, a lack of discipline, a sad old world?
I swear I am not a negative person (cynical at times, yeah, okay, but not depressed or anarchistic). So why are my poems serious verging on dark? And why do I see the same tendency in so many other people's work?
Maybe I should only write limericks.
Lost Soul
Tired to tears
I've travelled beyond sleep.
This landscape of burned emotion
stains grey.
Stone grows through me
crystal sharp in veins.
Pain to force me home.
I've travelled beyond sleep.
This landscape of burned emotion
stains grey.
Stone grows through me
crystal sharp in veins.
Pain to force me home.
22 July 2010
Just a bit scattered
Half of me is thinking about the novel I'm writing, most of the rest of me is thinking about blogs it wants to check out and the fact Tumblr is calling. A smidgin of me insists on checking Twitter (all the time) and have I mentioned Goodreads and Facebook?
Then there are the articles I've read jostling around trying to settle down and make sense (about science blogs and their networked future, about "foreign" accents and distrust, about talking dirty -- Inez Kelley and Ginny Glass and the fact they can work on a book hundreds of miles apart -- about Japanese politics -- blame The Economist -- and on it goes).
And it's not just reading. There's commenting. There's tweets. There's posting here. There's posting at eHarlequin (yep, I try to blog once a week over there). There's guilt that I haven't linked the places I've mentioned in this post.
I think it's time for cold turkey. Unplug the internet and single mindedly focus on writing. It'll be a relief.
Then there are the articles I've read jostling around trying to settle down and make sense (about science blogs and their networked future, about "foreign" accents and distrust, about talking dirty -- Inez Kelley and Ginny Glass and the fact they can work on a book hundreds of miles apart -- about Japanese politics -- blame The Economist -- and on it goes).
And it's not just reading. There's commenting. There's tweets. There's posting here. There's posting at eHarlequin (yep, I try to blog once a week over there). There's guilt that I haven't linked the places I've mentioned in this post.
I think it's time for cold turkey. Unplug the internet and single mindedly focus on writing. It'll be a relief.
The cutest big baby horse
People share the most joyous photos on Flickr. Photo copyright to Mark J Barrett.
Tranforming the eBook
It's a sad thing to be an author and admit you lack imagination. But I guess I have to since people are creating amazing blurrings of book and video and who-knew-you-could-do-that which I simply couldn't have imagined before they became reality. I guess by the time I get around to buying an iPad, vooks will be old news and early adopters will have moved on to something even more incredible.
Imagine the day when a computer can look at my novel and treat it as a script, generating exactly-human animations that turn the novel into a movie, and with the added functionality that the reader/viewer can alter how the characters look with a few clicks of the keyboard.
Books = interactive media.
Imagine the day when a computer can look at my novel and treat it as a script, generating exactly-human animations that turn the novel into a movie, and with the added functionality that the reader/viewer can alter how the characters look with a few clicks of the keyboard.
Books = interactive media.
21 July 2010
Four boys riding goats, ca. 1918
I came across this photo and couldn't resist sharing. Australia has a feral goat population, and now I know where it started! They bucked off their little riders and headed for the hills.
The Martian Curtain
I'll admit upfront that I've never read, watched or listened to War of the Worlds by H G Wells. However, the ideas in it have drifted out into pop culture and I suspect influence my following improbabillity. Certainly the idea of canals on Mars does.
Talking about canals on Mars (those lines seen through telescopes here on Earth). What if the early human astronomers did see canals?
Initially, Martians pretty much ignored humans. What we did on Earth hardly mattered to them. We were planet-bound. But as we built rockets and started prying into space, our near neighbours had to think again. And what they thought was -- "Neighbours from hell. Let's draw the curtains."
So when the robots were sent to Mars to check out the "uninhabited" planet, the Martians were ready. They intercepted the devices and replaced the reality of what the robots encountered with feedback mimicking a dead planet. The virtual reality being fed to the watching scientists back on Earth is of a planet not worth venturing to. If we try to do so in person, then the Martians will have to do more than draw a curtain.
Talking about canals on Mars (those lines seen through telescopes here on Earth). What if the early human astronomers did see canals?
Initially, Martians pretty much ignored humans. What we did on Earth hardly mattered to them. We were planet-bound. But as we built rockets and started prying into space, our near neighbours had to think again. And what they thought was -- "Neighbours from hell. Let's draw the curtains."
So when the robots were sent to Mars to check out the "uninhabited" planet, the Martians were ready. They intercepted the devices and replaced the reality of what the robots encountered with feedback mimicking a dead planet. The virtual reality being fed to the watching scientists back on Earth is of a planet not worth venturing to. If we try to do so in person, then the Martians will have to do more than draw a curtain.
20 July 2010
ARRA membership
ARRA membership has halfway paid for itself already. The latest newsletter included an ad for Girrlits Books that offered a discount of $5 (after you've spent over $20) for ARRA members. Lovely, since a quick search found a couple of Penny Jordan reprints which I don't think I've read and three books by Cait London. The Tallchief series made me a London fan.
And awesome discovery -- my website is included in ARRA's member author list. *waves hi to Cathryn Brunet*
And awesome discovery -- my website is included in ARRA's member author list. *waves hi to Cathryn Brunet*
ARRA Book Signing Event
The details are on the banner. I've only recently joined ARRA and read about this book signing. An awesome list of authors. And has anyone else noted the notable date? Friday 13!!! Hope y'all wear black and smackdown those superstitions.
19 July 2010
Waiting to read...
Dark and Stormy Knights is in the mail. I pre-ordered because of the Kate Daniels story but I'm looking forward to reading the other authors, too. You never know when you're going to encounter a new series addiction. Besides, how can anyone resist the pun in the title?
I've been reading a lot of category romances at the moment, so this will be a good balance.
I've been reading a lot of category romances at the moment, so this will be a good balance.
Romance is not dead
Harlequin Mills and Boon will be actively looking for new writers in September 2010. The website Romance Is Not Dead is more or less a watch-this-space place at the moment, but heads up for all new romance writers. It'll be interesting to see how it works, and I'll definitely be one of "the public" reading the first chapter entries :) Exciting times!
eBooks via your local library
I'm not sure if any Australian libraries are issuing ebooks, but Dear Author has a truly informative post (remember, the comments section discussion is always great over there) on borrowing and reading ebooks from US libraries.
17 July 2010
Asking the Question
Over at the Frontal Cortex there's a brief article on the power of questioning ourselves. It seems asking yourself if you can/will do something is more motivating than jumping straight into the "I will do it!" mode. The article talks about intrinsic motivation.
It was interesting reading the article today after spending yesterday interrogating myself. Basically I've been hitting enormous speed bumps as I've tried to write my sweet contemporary. So yesterday was all about WHY???
I didn't have to increase my motivation to write (that is and was high). What I had to do was re-focus. Asking questions allowed my brain to make new connections.
In short, the self-questioning wasn't simply about intrinsic motivation. It was about creativity. The questions re-engaged me in the task. I literally asked more of myself.
I'm not sure this post gets across the point I'm tentatively exploring. But I think creativity is an important aspect of every person and self-questioning enables us to tap it. That freedom to be creative is part of the article's finding that intrinsic motivation is stimulated. I just think the article (and the study it reported) skipped this element.
It was interesting reading the article today after spending yesterday interrogating myself. Basically I've been hitting enormous speed bumps as I've tried to write my sweet contemporary. So yesterday was all about WHY???
I didn't have to increase my motivation to write (that is and was high). What I had to do was re-focus. Asking questions allowed my brain to make new connections.
In short, the self-questioning wasn't simply about intrinsic motivation. It was about creativity. The questions re-engaged me in the task. I literally asked more of myself.
I'm not sure this post gets across the point I'm tentatively exploring. But I think creativity is an important aspect of every person and self-questioning enables us to tap it. That freedom to be creative is part of the article's finding that intrinsic motivation is stimulated. I just think the article (and the study it reported) skipped this element.
16 July 2010
Bribery and blogs
Contests drive traffic to a blog. People love the chance to win something. Is it bribery, the dangling carrot that most donkeys will never get to eat? Who cares! The post title "bribery and blogs" isn't about bribing readers to drop in--it's about bloggers bribing themselves to come up with a creative post!
I've just made a deal with myself. No Twitter until I have a post up for today. Immediately, my posting persona sprang up and said, "hey, that makes a neat post. A couple of paras on bribing/rewarding yourself as a blogger and then you can tap Twitter."
So what can I say about rewarding yourself? Make it things that you know brighten your life. A new song, pretty pictures, a fresh cup of coffee, connecting with friends online. Don't make it things that make it easy to walk away from your computer.
I've just made a deal with myself. No Twitter until I have a post up for today. Immediately, my posting persona sprang up and said, "hey, that makes a neat post. A couple of paras on bribing/rewarding yourself as a blogger and then you can tap Twitter."
So what can I say about rewarding yourself? Make it things that you know brighten your life. A new song, pretty pictures, a fresh cup of coffee, connecting with friends online. Don't make it things that make it easy to walk away from your computer.
15 July 2010
It's not a secret
Every novelist's family knows and their friends forgive ... novelists are control freaks. They create and people whole worlds just for the joy of playing God.
It gives us a totally new appreciation of God (whether we believe in him or not). It's a tough job.
Characters ... they run amok. We tell them to do something, and they insist on free will. We give them little warnings, like volcanoes and rivers of mud. They ignore them. You just can't trust a character to behave sensibly. I'm dreading the day one of my heroines decides to fall in love with the villain. Then what do I do with the hero? "Sorry, fella, you're superfluous now. Into the volcano with you." ?
And then there's the critics. God has his priests and pray-ers telling him what to do. Novelists have reviewers and readers. Like God, we appreciate their interest, but it soon becomes clear you can't please everyone. Nor can we throw the really annoying ones into a volcano (the ones who insist on being right! No one likes a smarty pants, especially not the novelist who receives the 1287th email telling her the hero had three left hands in the major sex scene).
Actually, the more I think about it, writing is an incredibly frustrating job for a control freak. Why do we do it?
It gives us a totally new appreciation of God (whether we believe in him or not). It's a tough job.
Characters ... they run amok. We tell them to do something, and they insist on free will. We give them little warnings, like volcanoes and rivers of mud. They ignore them. You just can't trust a character to behave sensibly. I'm dreading the day one of my heroines decides to fall in love with the villain. Then what do I do with the hero? "Sorry, fella, you're superfluous now. Into the volcano with you." ?
And then there's the critics. God has his priests and pray-ers telling him what to do. Novelists have reviewers and readers. Like God, we appreciate their interest, but it soon becomes clear you can't please everyone. Nor can we throw the really annoying ones into a volcano (the ones who insist on being right! No one likes a smarty pants, especially not the novelist who receives the 1287th email telling her the hero had three left hands in the major sex scene).
Actually, the more I think about it, writing is an incredibly frustrating job for a control freak. Why do we do it?
14 July 2010
Britain Chooses Slavery
The Global Financial Crisis is still biting, but what if it had bit harder earlier? Even before the credit crunch a lot of people were feeling they'd missed out on what wealth was going around. But more than that, they felt disempowered and disconnected from society. The whole situation started me thinking. What if people didn't want to be citizens or even to be responsible for themselves? What if they could choose to relinquish all that and become slaves?
So I set up a situation where people contracted to be slaves for seven year terms (Jubilee Year the contracts are paid out), giving their labour for a defined purpose and in return being cared for--food, clothes, health, and relinquishing their vote, jury duty, most civil duties.
The idea still intrigues me. What sort of society would we have where some people choose to be slaves and others choose to "own" them?
Over at Goodreads I've posted a short story that begins to explore this situation.
So I set up a situation where people contracted to be slaves for seven year terms (Jubilee Year the contracts are paid out), giving their labour for a defined purpose and in return being cared for--food, clothes, health, and relinquishing their vote, jury duty, most civil duties.
The idea still intrigues me. What sort of society would we have where some people choose to be slaves and others choose to "own" them?
Over at Goodreads I've posted a short story that begins to explore this situation.
13 July 2010
Sunken Garden by Walter de la Mare
I was looking to post a copy of "Sunken Garden" (in the theme of English country gardens that I've got going as I write my sweet contemp romance), but I've found another blogger's beaten me to it.
Thanks, Pattypan (stranger but another poetry person!)
Thanks, Pattypan (stranger but another poetry person!)
Book reviews via video?
Librarians! They'll do anything to get a person to read :)
Over at GalleyCat I just read about In the Stacks, librarians reviewing books in 60 second video snips. I wonder if they get their Kickstarter funding? Hope so.
I've yet to get into the YouTube era, but for those who love their video snips, this ought to prove irresistible.
It reinforces the idea that started bubbling up yesterday as I thought about RomCon -- reviewers are the new heroes/personalities of the book industry. In the Stacks might create a celebrity librarian reviewer.
Over at GalleyCat I just read about In the Stacks, librarians reviewing books in 60 second video snips. I wonder if they get their Kickstarter funding? Hope so.
I've yet to get into the YouTube era, but for those who love their video snips, this ought to prove irresistible.
It reinforces the idea that started bubbling up yesterday as I thought about RomCon -- reviewers are the new heroes/personalities of the book industry. In the Stacks might create a celebrity librarian reviewer.
Palladian Bridge
Speaking of Capability Brown, how can we resist Prior Park, designed by him and Alexander Pope? Thank you Oxonian for sharing this gem.
Blenheim Park Lake, Queens Island
2007-11-04-446_1 Oxford Woodstock Blenheim Park Lake Queens Island Capability Brown Autumn November 2007, originally uploaded by Martin-James.
Thank you to all the generous photographers who make "touring" the world so easy!
12 July 2010
I'm a Blogging Old Lady
Yep. Just looked at my blog--having added the lovely ARRA member logo--and thought ****!! it's friggin' cluttered. I have stuff both sides of the ephemeral posts. Two sidebars stuffed full of stuff, none of which I'm willing to part with. I'm one of those old ladies so surrounded by bricabrac that nobody dare move in their lounge room. And it's all treasured. On the bright side--at least stuff on a blog doesn't need dusting :)
weeping for the days when I could at least pretend to minimalist pretensions.
weeping for the days when I could at least pretend to minimalist pretensions.
Cover art fact sheets
I love cover art fact sheets. I get to talk (okay, filling in a form is technically writing/typing) about my book and then I get a lovely gift of an artist's vision of it. Joyful.
My art fact sheet for Angel Thief (second novella in the Out of the Bottle series) is due this week. I'm enjoying writing about Sara and Filip's story and the romance of a djinni in the Australian outback.
Less pleasantly, and rambling off topic. I've discovered the heroine in my sweet contemporary has to be recast. My old bugbear of insufficient conflict has reappeared. Damn and blast. So Claire's story is going to have to change from one of a girl finding her identity and confidence, to a woman driven by her passion (caring for people) who has to stop and acknowledge that she, too, needs to be cared for. The story will be stronger, but more complicated to write, and I think it's a case of starting from scratch.
You'd think at this point I could start a novel without having to commit myself, write, scream, grit my teeth and start all over again. It must be that the actual act of writing clears my mind and switches on the internal editor, as opposed to the internal dreamer (who always wants life to be hearts and roses for characters at all times).
My art fact sheet for Angel Thief (second novella in the Out of the Bottle series) is due this week. I'm enjoying writing about Sara and Filip's story and the romance of a djinni in the Australian outback.
Less pleasantly, and rambling off topic. I've discovered the heroine in my sweet contemporary has to be recast. My old bugbear of insufficient conflict has reappeared. Damn and blast. So Claire's story is going to have to change from one of a girl finding her identity and confidence, to a woman driven by her passion (caring for people) who has to stop and acknowledge that she, too, needs to be cared for. The story will be stronger, but more complicated to write, and I think it's a case of starting from scratch.
You'd think at this point I could start a novel without having to commit myself, write, scream, grit my teeth and start all over again. It must be that the actual act of writing clears my mind and switches on the internal editor, as opposed to the internal dreamer (who always wants life to be hearts and roses for characters at all times).
Need some facts? First decide your opinion
And from the ever-interesting MindHack, links to an article on how we judge the verity of "facts" according to our political opinions. Well, duh. Everyone knows that anyone who thinks differently to me is just plain wrong and their facts, too!
Am I RomCon obsessed?
No, but I do want to hear the goss. Over at Dear Author, Jane doesn't get gossipy, but she does cover some of what's happened at RomCon, including the debate over the role of reviewers. I like EC Sheedy's comment about reviews/ers being more interesting for readers than authors--my words. And here is Jane's sum up on RomCon.
Given that my previous post was about joining ARRA (Australian Romance Readers Assoc) I'm interested in RomCon and the suggestion it was tipped more to authors driving the event than readers -- though that could just be my cursory reading of feedback from attendees. I'm an old sociology student (read Foucault) so I can't resist the question "When readers and authors gather, where does the power lie?" Readers by buying the books enable authors to be published, but without authors, what would readers read?
Given that my previous post was about joining ARRA (Australian Romance Readers Assoc) I'm interested in RomCon and the suggestion it was tipped more to authors driving the event than readers -- though that could just be my cursory reading of feedback from attendees. I'm an old sociology student (read Foucault) so I can't resist the question "When readers and authors gather, where does the power lie?" Readers by buying the books enable authors to be published, but without authors, what would readers read?
I've joined ARRA
Which is lovely. Nothing nicer than readers and writers who love happy endings. Once I get access to the members only section (technically, I have access. ARRA are organised--its Wordpress and my tech jinx that are giving me grief) I'll have a look if there are widgets or badges or whatever. Otherwise I'll add a link to the right sidebar under Great Sites, Wonderful People. Lovely to belong to a community of common interest.
10 July 2010
Therapy Gardens
I was going to post on therapy gardens, but honestly, if you're interested the Uni of Minnesota has put together a stunning package on healing gardens. As a starting point it is beyond brilliant. Check it out here.
I know I posted about this a while back, but I'm fascinated by research that one of the reasons being in a garden and gardening calms humans is that we breathe in a soil microbe that has positive effects in our brains.
I know I posted about this a while back, but I'm fascinated by research that one of the reasons being in a garden and gardening calms humans is that we breathe in a soil microbe that has positive effects in our brains.
Enjoying Romcon via Twitter
Since I clearly haven't driven across to Denver (living in Australia and all) I'm casually following #romcon on Twitter. Who knew you could live vicariously through 140 characters?
The current issue I'm following is whether book reviewers can be negative about a book. Well, while I'd personally hate (and cry and generally be a pathetic individual for 24 hours) to get an horrendous review of one of my books, I do respect a reviewer who draws a line in the sand and says, "over this is just plain bad".
The current issue I'm following is whether book reviewers can be negative about a book. Well, while I'd personally hate (and cry and generally be a pathetic individual for 24 hours) to get an horrendous review of one of my books, I do respect a reviewer who draws a line in the sand and says, "over this is just plain bad".
Building the Novella Market
Panverse is looking for venture capital (article at BoingBoing) to publish SF and fantasy novellas.
It's no secret that I like this length. It's a bit longer than a short story but not requiring the commitment that a mammoth novel demands of readers. In short, novellas pack a punch.
Something that can be read in a lunch hour seems a natural product development for the genre market. It's readers know what they want. Now they also want to be able to snack on it. The full course meal (the novel) is for weekends and holidays -- not sure this is true, but couldn't resist the meal analogy :)
It's no secret that I like this length. It's a bit longer than a short story but not requiring the commitment that a mammoth novel demands of readers. In short, novellas pack a punch.
Something that can be read in a lunch hour seems a natural product development for the genre market. It's readers know what they want. Now they also want to be able to snack on it. The full course meal (the novel) is for weekends and holidays -- not sure this is true, but couldn't resist the meal analogy :)
09 July 2010
Just tried to set up a blog ring
Got it totally wrong. Does anyone know how to cancel a blog ring? Or does it just vanish ghost fashion if I don't give the world a way to sign up to it? I %$#@#* named it after me, thinking that space on the form was for account creation, establishing me as administrator. Damnation but I'm dumb. The blog ring Jenny Schwartz is not meant to exist!!! I'm not that egocentric. I used alt-webring, btw.
Architectural design
If you could have any weirdness incorporated into your dream house, what would it be? Gargoyles, a helipad, a library (not weird at all, but dreamy), a water fountain? I've been thinking about this and surprisingly decided--
I'd like an iron ladder inside the chimney so that I could ascend this secret passage and emerge onto a tiny square patch of flat roof just big enough to lie down and look at the stars on summer nights.
I'd like an iron ladder inside the chimney so that I could ascend this secret passage and emerge onto a tiny square patch of flat roof just big enough to lie down and look at the stars on summer nights.
I'm a versatile blogger
I have proof. I have an award! Thanks, Kaz!
I think the rules are to pass it on to 15 people and share 7 unknown facts about myself. Maybe I'm a natural born rule-breaker because that's not going to happen. I talk too much to have 7 secrets left to share. I mean, do you really want to know I eat my toast crust first?
I think the rules are to pass it on to 15 people and share 7 unknown facts about myself. Maybe I'm a natural born rule-breaker because that's not going to happen. I talk too much to have 7 secrets left to share. I mean, do you really want to know I eat my toast crust first?
08 July 2010
Claire Robyns, author of Betrayed
Thanks for having me over today, Jenny. I read one of your previous posts about the steep learning curve of social media and I’m with you all the way. Betrayed is my debut novel and this is the first time I’ve had to think beyond simply writing to my heart’s delight. I will now admit that I’m totally hooked on twitter, I don’t post much, yet, but I’m constantly distracted by all the variety of tweets popping up.
I’m very excited to announce my debut release with Carina Press. Betrayed is a historical romance set in medieval Scotland around 1465. I had a lot of fun with those men in skirts… um, I mean kilts.
Two Feuding Families
Amber Jardin has no taste for the bitter feud started before her father’s banishment. But now that he’s passed, she’s had to return to Scotland and his barbaric people. After her bloodthirsty uncle kidnaps one of the family’s rivals, Amber is in turn captured by Krayne Johnstone, the enemy laird. Despite their enmity, their attraction is immediate—and unfortunate, as Amber has sworn to escape.
One Lusty Temptation
Krayne is amazed at the wildcat’s repeated attempts to flee. He should steel himself against her beguiling ways—yet with time, he is driven more witless with lust. When the ransom exchange fails and Krayne is left with Amber, he finds he cannot tolerate the thought of her with another man—and she cannot tolerate the thought of returning to her uncle’s home.
Will passion and love win out over mistrust and betrayal in time to prevent an all-out war?
Here’s a few short snippets…
My hero and heroine…
“’Tis the way of the world,” Krayne said, his voice brittle in an unguarded moment of too many unwanted memories. “A woman acts thoughtlessly with no regard fer consequence and somewhere a man suffers.”
“And yet you have the power to prevent it.” Her mouth turned down in scorn. “All you need do is call Hob back.”
“Did God not leave be when Eve corrupted Adam?”
“Eve?” The floorboards quivered as she stamped a booted foot. “You would compare me to the woman responsible for the original downfall of mankind?”
Krayne shrugged. Adam’s Eve would have a hard time keeping up with Amber and his mother.
Green eyes flared just before Amber swirled about and stormed from the galley. His breath of relief stuck halfway down his throat when she poked her head back inside to glare at him. “Don’t for one moment consider yourself to be the benevolent God in this scenario. You, Krayne Johnstone, are the slithering snake that lured Eve to that miserable Maxwell dungeon and I hate you.”
Graham Douglas… a young Scottish lad with every intention of making his fortune on the high seas as the Phantom of the Atlantic. Nothing much gets him down, but that was before he met Amber!
Women were the devil’s reward for being a good, honest Christian.
Ladies were his little helpers sent to see the punishment well executed.
High-born English vixens were the red horns that pricked and festered the bloody wounds.
And Krayne Johnstone was welcome to the lot!
Graham hauled himself onto the deck and strode across the length, booming to each man as he passed their station, “Furl the sails. We go ta beach. Furl the sails and take us in.”
The unruly Scottish nobles summoned to Stirling castle by King James I
Krayne Johnstone set one foot inside the vaulted hall of Stirling Castle and came to an abrupt halt. “The air reeks foul in this place.”
“’Tis no wonder, with all the maggot-infested rats swarming aboot,” retorted his cousin Adam, referring to the Littils, Armstrongs and Maxwells amongst the barons summoned to Stirling.
“I’d sooner skewer the lot than share a pot of ale.” Krayne knew he was not alone in sentiment. All clans present were tried and sworn enemies.
Adam shoved an elbow in his side. “Keep yerself ta me and shut off that hot temper. I dinna like this anymore than ye, but I’ll nae ignore our King Jamie and have his wrath scatter the Johnstones ta the wind with nae name nor land nor goods ta call their own.”
Jamie’s fancy tables and polished silver flagons were more likely to be scattered, thought Krayne as a ruckus broke out between Johnnie Armstrong of Kilnockie and Sir Alexander Irvine. Fists came out and clans bounded together. No one dared to draw their sword.
Pristine stewards drew up tight against the wall, clutching ledger books to their chests and gaping in horror. Jamie’s court was overrun with English, relics from his days in captivity and tagalongs that had followed his queen, Joan of Beaumont. They were a dour lot and unappreciative of the jolly Scottish ways.
Krayne folded his arms and put his back to the wall, settling in to watch the brawl.
King James I chose that moment to grace them with his presence. His flowing robes of crimson and ermine put shame to the travel-worn plaids of his hastily summoned barons. Tawny eyes, glowing a tiger’s fierce gold, appraised the scene and came to rest on the blood trickling from the Littil chief’s mouth. The fighting men froze mid-action.
You can read an excerpt at http://www.clairerobyns.com/Betrayed.html
You can connect with Claire Robyns on
Website: http://www.clairerobyns.com/
Blog: http://www.clairerobyns.blogspot.com/
I’m very excited to announce my debut release with Carina Press. Betrayed is a historical romance set in medieval Scotland around 1465. I had a lot of fun with those men in skirts… um, I mean kilts.
Two Feuding Families
Amber Jardin has no taste for the bitter feud started before her father’s banishment. But now that he’s passed, she’s had to return to Scotland and his barbaric people. After her bloodthirsty uncle kidnaps one of the family’s rivals, Amber is in turn captured by Krayne Johnstone, the enemy laird. Despite their enmity, their attraction is immediate—and unfortunate, as Amber has sworn to escape.
One Lusty Temptation
Krayne is amazed at the wildcat’s repeated attempts to flee. He should steel himself against her beguiling ways—yet with time, he is driven more witless with lust. When the ransom exchange fails and Krayne is left with Amber, he finds he cannot tolerate the thought of her with another man—and she cannot tolerate the thought of returning to her uncle’s home.
Will passion and love win out over mistrust and betrayal in time to prevent an all-out war?
Here’s a few short snippets…
My hero and heroine…
“’Tis the way of the world,” Krayne said, his voice brittle in an unguarded moment of too many unwanted memories. “A woman acts thoughtlessly with no regard fer consequence and somewhere a man suffers.”
“And yet you have the power to prevent it.” Her mouth turned down in scorn. “All you need do is call Hob back.”
“Did God not leave be when Eve corrupted Adam?”
“Eve?” The floorboards quivered as she stamped a booted foot. “You would compare me to the woman responsible for the original downfall of mankind?”
Krayne shrugged. Adam’s Eve would have a hard time keeping up with Amber and his mother.
Green eyes flared just before Amber swirled about and stormed from the galley. His breath of relief stuck halfway down his throat when she poked her head back inside to glare at him. “Don’t for one moment consider yourself to be the benevolent God in this scenario. You, Krayne Johnstone, are the slithering snake that lured Eve to that miserable Maxwell dungeon and I hate you.”
Graham Douglas… a young Scottish lad with every intention of making his fortune on the high seas as the Phantom of the Atlantic. Nothing much gets him down, but that was before he met Amber!
Women were the devil’s reward for being a good, honest Christian.
Ladies were his little helpers sent to see the punishment well executed.
High-born English vixens were the red horns that pricked and festered the bloody wounds.
And Krayne Johnstone was welcome to the lot!
Graham hauled himself onto the deck and strode across the length, booming to each man as he passed their station, “Furl the sails. We go ta beach. Furl the sails and take us in.”
The unruly Scottish nobles summoned to Stirling castle by King James I
Krayne Johnstone set one foot inside the vaulted hall of Stirling Castle and came to an abrupt halt. “The air reeks foul in this place.”
“’Tis no wonder, with all the maggot-infested rats swarming aboot,” retorted his cousin Adam, referring to the Littils, Armstrongs and Maxwells amongst the barons summoned to Stirling.
“I’d sooner skewer the lot than share a pot of ale.” Krayne knew he was not alone in sentiment. All clans present were tried and sworn enemies.
Adam shoved an elbow in his side. “Keep yerself ta me and shut off that hot temper. I dinna like this anymore than ye, but I’ll nae ignore our King Jamie and have his wrath scatter the Johnstones ta the wind with nae name nor land nor goods ta call their own.”
Jamie’s fancy tables and polished silver flagons were more likely to be scattered, thought Krayne as a ruckus broke out between Johnnie Armstrong of Kilnockie and Sir Alexander Irvine. Fists came out and clans bounded together. No one dared to draw their sword.
Pristine stewards drew up tight against the wall, clutching ledger books to their chests and gaping in horror. Jamie’s court was overrun with English, relics from his days in captivity and tagalongs that had followed his queen, Joan of Beaumont. They were a dour lot and unappreciative of the jolly Scottish ways.
Krayne folded his arms and put his back to the wall, settling in to watch the brawl.
King James I chose that moment to grace them with his presence. His flowing robes of crimson and ermine put shame to the travel-worn plaids of his hastily summoned barons. Tawny eyes, glowing a tiger’s fierce gold, appraised the scene and came to rest on the blood trickling from the Littil chief’s mouth. The fighting men froze mid-action.
You can read an excerpt at http://www.clairerobyns.com/Betrayed.html
You can connect with Claire Robyns on
Website: http://www.clairerobyns.com/
Blog: http://www.clairerobyns.blogspot.com/
Claire's been continent hopping
Claire Robyns, debut author of a sexy Scottish historical romance called Betrayed, is another globe trotter. All the way from England to visit this blog! Thanks Claire :) When she arrives in a few minutes I don't want any Pommie jokes--Claire's originally from South Africa, so Pommie jokes will only make you look silly (sillier?). But you can ask questions. Over at Kaz's blog I asked Claire about castles...and oh dear, it's true. They really are cold, damp and (un)romantic--but we love them anyway!
07 July 2010
ePublishing is Changing the Nature of Romance Books
As a writer one of the biggest changes brought about by electronic publishing is the speed from signing the contract to being published. It was 4 months for my PNR novella released with Carina Press--and that was with everything Carina had to do to get up and running. That's lightning fast.
And lightning fast means an electronically published novel can tackle current affairs. It's not a case of tea leaves and reading readers' preferences for two years down the track. It's about writing around an issue that will be alive in people's hearts and minds this year.
This means writers can bring their passion about an issue/subject into their novel and it will resonate with their readers. In effect, the writer reclaims the traditional role of storyteller--one who offers a way of understanding a confusing situation. The result is the connection of writers with online self-organising communities. They may even be prime movers in that community.
Fiction allows us to try on other people's lives. The shorter timeframe of electronic publishing means this "trying on" can be part of a broader community engagement with an issue. I think what my tea leaves are showing me is the space for an indie romance niche akin to indie movie festivals.
And lightning fast means an electronically published novel can tackle current affairs. It's not a case of tea leaves and reading readers' preferences for two years down the track. It's about writing around an issue that will be alive in people's hearts and minds this year.
This means writers can bring their passion about an issue/subject into their novel and it will resonate with their readers. In effect, the writer reclaims the traditional role of storyteller--one who offers a way of understanding a confusing situation. The result is the connection of writers with online self-organising communities. They may even be prime movers in that community.
Fiction allows us to try on other people's lives. The shorter timeframe of electronic publishing means this "trying on" can be part of a broader community engagement with an issue. I think what my tea leaves are showing me is the space for an indie romance niche akin to indie movie festivals.
Civilisation began with a Cat
[Bastet statue, bronze. Photo by John Bodworth from http://www.egyptarchive.co.uk/html/british_museum_42.html via Wikimedia]
I guess you've all heard that Toxoplasma is the powerful microbe that alters infected rats' behaviour so that they're attracted to cat pee, thereby becoming easy prey for the cats and -- here's where Toxoplasma is sneaky -- being transferred cross species because the microbe needs to be in a cat to sexually reproduce itself (and although I'm using the language, I don't think the microbes are sentient and planning to take over the world).
But what if cats carry other microbes that alter human behaviour? What if the microbe requires the human gut to sexually reproduce? What if it needs to be part of a large human carrier pool to survive? See where I'm going?
What if a microbe carried by cats altered human behaviour (toxins in brain) to encourage sociability? So instead of small groups isolated and rarely meeting, humans wanted to be together (carrying the happy microbes). Hence the rise of civilisations. Ta da, Ancient Egypt where they worshiped the (microbe carrying) cat and built a civilisation.
What if all our great cities are simply the result of a microbe twisting humans to be hugely social thereby supporting the microbe's chances of sexual reproduction and survival? No cats=No city.
But the serious thought under all this meandering is whether traits that we consider human are sparked by microbes--and if they are--what this means for how we define out humanity (in a sense we'd each be a city of microbes) and perceive our self-determination.
***
Stay tuned. Next week I re-imagine Britain's response to the financial crisis, and it involves slavery.
Blogger must be hungry
Blogger is chewing some comments. They do seem to be turning up later--and I swear to you, I have changed no settings--must be a technical glitch. If this continues I'll bend someone's ear over at the help forum.
06 July 2010
Liz Fichera, author of Captive Spirit
G’day, mates!
Okay, I always wanted to say that for real and since I am guest blogging with Jenny, I finally get my chance. Hope I said it right!
Hi, all. My name is Liz Fichera and I come to you all the way from the American Southwest. Phoenix, Arizona, is my home, although I was born and raised in a small town just outside of Chicago, Illinois. When I first moved to the desert, I never expected to last more than a year because, really, how can people live without snow and ice hockey?? And Chicago-style deep-dish pizza? But survive, I did. And I love everything about the Southwest so it should come as no surprise that many of my short stories and novels take place in my adopted state, oftentimes against the backdrop of Native American legends.
CAPTIVE SPIRIT, my historical romance debut with Carina Press, is such a story.
Here’s the book cover summary:
Sonoran Desert. Dawn of the sixteenth century.
Aiyana isn’t like the other girls of the White Ant Clan. Instead of keeping house, she longs to compete on the Ball Court with her best friend Honovi and the other boys. Instead of marriage, she daydreams of traveling beyond the mountains that surround her small village. Only Honovi knows and shares her forbidden wish, though Aiyana doesn’t realize her friend has a secret wish of his own…
When Aiyana’s father arranges her marriage to a man she hardly knows, she takes the advice of a tribal elder: Run! In fleeing, she falls into the hands of Spanish raiders and finds herself being taken over the mountains against her will. Now Aiyana’s on a quest to return to the very place she once dreamed of escaping. And she’ll do whatever it takes to survive and find her way back to the people she loves.
Aiyana is a Hohokam Indian. The Hohokam Indians were the original inhabitants of the Sonoran Desert. In fact, their villages were pretty much right where my neighborhood in Phoenix is located. Interestingly, the Hohokam vanished mysteriously around 1500 AD after living in the desert since 300 BC and no one really knows why. There are all sorts of theories—war, drought, famine, migration—but no one really knows why a thriving community of approximately 50,000 people at its peak would simply up and vanish. The Pima Indians were the ones who called them Hohokam which means “Those Who Have Gone.” This is also the piece of little-known history that inspired me to write CAPTIVE SPIRIT.
I keep all sorts of goodies on my web site for CAPTIVE SPIRIT, including the first chapter and a book trailer. The book trailer contains photos taken not far from my house where the Hohokam once lived and where many of their petroglyphs still remain.
If you’re a social media nut like me, I’d love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter where I like to hang out and talk about books, writing, and the best brands of dark chocolate, when I’m not plotting my next novel.
Thanks for inviting me to blog with you today, Jenny!
Okay, I always wanted to say that for real and since I am guest blogging with Jenny, I finally get my chance. Hope I said it right!
Hi, all. My name is Liz Fichera and I come to you all the way from the American Southwest. Phoenix, Arizona, is my home, although I was born and raised in a small town just outside of Chicago, Illinois. When I first moved to the desert, I never expected to last more than a year because, really, how can people live without snow and ice hockey?? And Chicago-style deep-dish pizza? But survive, I did. And I love everything about the Southwest so it should come as no surprise that many of my short stories and novels take place in my adopted state, oftentimes against the backdrop of Native American legends.
CAPTIVE SPIRIT, my historical romance debut with Carina Press, is such a story.
Here’s the book cover summary:
Sonoran Desert. Dawn of the sixteenth century.
Aiyana isn’t like the other girls of the White Ant Clan. Instead of keeping house, she longs to compete on the Ball Court with her best friend Honovi and the other boys. Instead of marriage, she daydreams of traveling beyond the mountains that surround her small village. Only Honovi knows and shares her forbidden wish, though Aiyana doesn’t realize her friend has a secret wish of his own…
When Aiyana’s father arranges her marriage to a man she hardly knows, she takes the advice of a tribal elder: Run! In fleeing, she falls into the hands of Spanish raiders and finds herself being taken over the mountains against her will. Now Aiyana’s on a quest to return to the very place she once dreamed of escaping. And she’ll do whatever it takes to survive and find her way back to the people she loves.
Aiyana is a Hohokam Indian. The Hohokam Indians were the original inhabitants of the Sonoran Desert. In fact, their villages were pretty much right where my neighborhood in Phoenix is located. Interestingly, the Hohokam vanished mysteriously around 1500 AD after living in the desert since 300 BC and no one really knows why. There are all sorts of theories—war, drought, famine, migration—but no one really knows why a thriving community of approximately 50,000 people at its peak would simply up and vanish. The Pima Indians were the ones who called them Hohokam which means “Those Who Have Gone.” This is also the piece of little-known history that inspired me to write CAPTIVE SPIRIT.
I keep all sorts of goodies on my web site for CAPTIVE SPIRIT, including the first chapter and a book trailer. The book trailer contains photos taken not far from my house where the Hohokam once lived and where many of their petroglyphs still remain.
If you’re a social media nut like me, I’d love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter where I like to hang out and talk about books, writing, and the best brands of dark chocolate, when I’m not plotting my next novel.
Thanks for inviting me to blog with you today, Jenny!
Liz Fichera is ballooning in
Liz is on a fast-paced around the world in 80 days celebration of the release of her historical romance, Captive Spirit. She'll be here in a few minutes. I'll have the coffee out and lamingtons (just so she kknows she's in Australia--nothing says Australia like sponge cake covered in chocolate icing and shredded coconut--well, Vegemite does, but that's an aquired taste).
Captive Spirit from Carina Press is winning fantastic reviews (check out RT Book Reviews for starters). And in case you missed it, Liz shared her favourite books over at Dear Author.
Captive Spirit from Carina Press is winning fantastic reviews (check out RT Book Reviews for starters). And in case you missed it, Liz shared her favourite books over at Dear Author.
05 July 2010
I'm looking forward to this week
Firstly because the lovely Liz Fichera and Claire Robyns are guest blogging on Tuesday and Thursday. That makes this week officially historic--since Liz and Claire both have wonderful historical romances with Carina Press.
My second reason for loving this week is that I'm starting my sweet contemporary romance, working title, "Bridesmaid. Secretary. Bride?". I've been going on a bit about how Evan (the hero) is a landscape gardener. Believe me, I've only just begun to babble about this. It's a wonderful excuse to research gardens, especially therapy gardens, and I'll be sharing some of what I find here through the next few weeks. I love how whatever your passion is, it can become healing for someone else (I'm thinking of therapy gardens).
And since good things come in threes...I survived Carina Press's launch month. It was totally enjoyable, but a massive learning curve as I've come to grips with social media. Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo loops, Wordpress, Tumblr, creating (and re-creating) a website, tweaking this blog, guest blogging (this was fun!), keeping up with Carina Press authors careening through the Net. It's been exhausting, exhilirating, a once in a lifetime-so glad I was part of it experience. But part of me is jumping up and down with glee that it can (almost) single-mindedly focus on writing.
My second reason for loving this week is that I'm starting my sweet contemporary romance, working title, "Bridesmaid. Secretary. Bride?". I've been going on a bit about how Evan (the hero) is a landscape gardener. Believe me, I've only just begun to babble about this. It's a wonderful excuse to research gardens, especially therapy gardens, and I'll be sharing some of what I find here through the next few weeks. I love how whatever your passion is, it can become healing for someone else (I'm thinking of therapy gardens).
And since good things come in threes...I survived Carina Press's launch month. It was totally enjoyable, but a massive learning curve as I've come to grips with social media. Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo loops, Wordpress, Tumblr, creating (and re-creating) a website, tweaking this blog, guest blogging (this was fun!), keeping up with Carina Press authors careening through the Net. It's been exhausting, exhilirating, a once in a lifetime-so glad I was part of it experience. But part of me is jumping up and down with glee that it can (almost) single-mindedly focus on writing.
Lavender & Bench: The Walled Garden
I was thinking about park benches and what makes them such a popular photo subject. Is it the promise of sociability? Two strangers, random conversation?
Regretful but Resigned
When I started this blog I intended a major part of it to be book reviews. But the reviews have slowed to a trickle. I'm still reading a lot, but much of it is re-reads and I don't want to be re-reviewing :) But the biggest killer of reviews here is Goodreads. I'm increasingly comfy over there and that's where I'm sharing my reviews. So if you want to check out what I'm reading and liking/loathing, visit me at Goodreads (the link is also in the right sidebar). I hate change, but it's past time I acknowledged this reality.
Mice Plagues
If you can deal with the ick factor of mice in their millions, you may find the following interesting (links at bottom). After the ten year drought in Australia there was a bumper harvest. That encouraged an explosion of mice. Their natural predators are theorised to have decreased in number during the drought years. Apparently the only solution is poison.
I watched part of a tv program (Landline) on the issue yesterday. It was interesting that one farmer found the mice riddled the paddock which last year had the bumper barley crop. But the paddock next door, the one that had held livestock, was green and unriddled by mice. But after so many years of drought and struggle, could anyone give up the chance of a bumper crop because the next year would hold mice?
ABC article, the company that produces the mouse poison, Adelaide Now, and you can find video coverage here--although I haven't watched it so not sure of the ick factor.
And then there are the locusts...
I watched part of a tv program (Landline) on the issue yesterday. It was interesting that one farmer found the mice riddled the paddock which last year had the bumper barley crop. But the paddock next door, the one that had held livestock, was green and unriddled by mice. But after so many years of drought and struggle, could anyone give up the chance of a bumper crop because the next year would hold mice?
ABC article, the company that produces the mouse poison, Adelaide Now, and you can find video coverage here--although I haven't watched it so not sure of the ick factor.
And then there are the locusts...
03 July 2010
Improbabilities
I'm thinking of starting a regular Wednesday post where I share an improbable explanation.
One of the side effects of being a writer is the brain starts creating weird connections between facts. Sometimes these ideas can be developed into a story, but in one lifetime I couldn't develop all of them. So I thought I'd start sharing some of my alternative explanations and predictions. They'll be thoughts rather than stories.
Tune in Wednesday for the massive impact of kitty cats in ancient Egypt.
One of the side effects of being a writer is the brain starts creating weird connections between facts. Sometimes these ideas can be developed into a story, but in one lifetime I couldn't develop all of them. So I thought I'd start sharing some of my alternative explanations and predictions. They'll be thoughts rather than stories.
Tune in Wednesday for the massive impact of kitty cats in ancient Egypt.
A book is part of an author's life
Even though I write, as a reader I tend to forget that a book emerges from a writer's life. Not in the sense of being autobiographical, but that stuff is happening to the writer as they write and edit and send the book off with their dreams and hopes.
I have Cara Colter's How to Win a Groom in 10 Dates on order. RT has given it a great review and I'm really looking forward to reading it. However, pop over to eHarlequin and read Cara's letter to her readers. The book is a comedy but she wrote it while her friend died. It takes courage to believe, write and share laughter and love while living with grief. But perhaps it also makes the message of love's power all the stronger.
I have Cara Colter's How to Win a Groom in 10 Dates on order. RT has given it a great review and I'm really looking forward to reading it. However, pop over to eHarlequin and read Cara's letter to her readers. The book is a comedy but she wrote it while her friend died. It takes courage to believe, write and share laughter and love while living with grief. But perhaps it also makes the message of love's power all the stronger.
Secondary characters demand their rights!
Over at RT Book Reviews, Elise Warner (author of Scene Stealer from Carina Press), has blogged in the voices of her secondary characters and invited others to comment in the same manner. This sounded like great fun. I've added a quick comment from Sara, Mischa's angel archivist cousin in The Price of Freedom. It's lovely to think Sara does get her chance to fight for her happy ending in Angel Thief (tentatively scheduled for November release from Carina Press).
02 July 2010
Sharing is Sweet - Puffins in Love
I've fallen in love with puffins. I never knew they were so cute.
Being foolish
The challenges with online conversations are immense. There is the fact that others can't see your body language or hear your tone of voice, so those subtle but important cues are MIA. Then there's the fact you can't read theirs. Nor do you know where they're at, ie are they cranky and commuting or mellow sipping wine on their veranda? Will they "get" the joke or take offence? And then there's the fact these conversations are public--who knows how other people will read them? Finally, the conversations are never, ever lost. They may be buried under a ton of other stuff and general disinterest, but even Twitter is being saved by the Library of Congress.
All of which is the long intro into a sentence I wanted to share on Tumblr, but hesitated because it was just so foolish. Someone was talking about skiing and I wanted to say...
I love skiing. It's the snow I hate.
Which is a total lie because the one time I went to the snow I took a look at the skis, the chaos outside and hid in the chalet. But the comment still strikes me as funny. One of those things no one else would laugh at, so hidden here at my blog and surrounded by self-defensive chat.
All of which is the long intro into a sentence I wanted to share on Tumblr, but hesitated because it was just so foolish. Someone was talking about skiing and I wanted to say...
I love skiing. It's the snow I hate.
Which is a total lie because the one time I went to the snow I took a look at the skis, the chaos outside and hid in the chalet. But the comment still strikes me as funny. One of those things no one else would laugh at, so hidden here at my blog and surrounded by self-defensive chat.
01 July 2010
Did I say I was happy before?
My happiness just doubled. I found Hope C at We Write Romance just reviewed "The Price of Freedom". She gave it four stars and the sort of review I dreamed of -- dreams coming true...awesome :) Thanks, Hope!
And the hugest thanks to editor Deb Nemeth who is magic.
And the hugest thanks to editor Deb Nemeth who is magic.
Syria, Palmyra
Who can look at this and not feel their fingers itch for a trowel and an Indiana Jones hat? Archaeology dreaming :)
Old Damascus
Gorgeous colours. Great photo. Wish I read Arabic to read the description under it in Flickr. Thank you, Google, for your translating services!
Happiness
I'm having a brilliant week. Lovely blog guests--thank you Alice and Vanessa!--reading great news and reviews of Carina Press authors around the Net and finishing the first draft of my unnamed third angel and djinni novella ahead of schedule. Yep. Early! I'd hoped for Saturday, but finished yesterday. Sure it still needs work, but it's going to have a few weeks of deflation first.
"Deflation?" It's the time a story spends in the depths of the computer while my brain cools from white hot "this is awesomeness" to an objective state of "oh dear, I need to fix this, this and this". But the first draft is done! and I'm celebrating.
I'll pop up some of the flickr photos of Syria that I found last weekend and love--and then I'm off to do a few real life chores and indulge in some research. My next story is a sweet contemporary romance set in England with a landscape gardener hero. So I'm brushing up on landscape gardening terms and challenges as well as English gardens.
"Deflation?" It's the time a story spends in the depths of the computer while my brain cools from white hot "this is awesomeness" to an objective state of "oh dear, I need to fix this, this and this". But the first draft is done! and I'm celebrating.
I'll pop up some of the flickr photos of Syria that I found last weekend and love--and then I'm off to do a few real life chores and indulge in some research. My next story is a sweet contemporary romance set in England with a landscape gardener hero. So I'm brushing up on landscape gardening terms and challenges as well as English gardens.
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