Getting Unstuck

So, I'm feeling a little stuck with my story. I'm taking my roommate's advice and since I can't get past this little block, I'm going to write about writer's block.

I went to a meeting for the Island Writers Network last night. It went fairly well, considering that I am in the middle of a strange flareup with my arthritis.  I feel like I have a lot to offer the group that they have no idea about. I haven't told them that I was a literary agent.

Sometimes I wish Shanti could be right there with me all the time in situations like that. She's always mentioning my writing skills and my work as an agent and generally playing me up. I can't do that myself.

Okay, enough for now. I have to run off and get a table for the apartment.

So, here I am, waiting in front of the Church Mouse for my friend, Zeke, to get here. (His name is actually Zelda, believe it or not.) This is the kind of errand that always keeps me from writing on a schedule. Usually, it's something for my father or another friend in need.  I have to be honest, I do get sucked into the games, too, but in the back of my mind, I'm thinking about networking. My gamer friends buy my novels!

So, it's not a total waste of time. I've sold more novels on the games than I have in any traditional venue.

Hmm, I guess the voice feature is only available online. Oh, well, not sure I ...

Here he is!

... want to broadcast my thoughts, anyway.

(I wrote this last week, just posting now)

Re-Link for "My Mother"

Trying again here, I hope this is the right link...

My Mother

Yahoo Voices

I've been working on a couple of pieces for Yahoo Voices today.  Let me know what you think!

Sarah S. Ray at Yahoo Voices

Skyrocketing Ranking: Dancing at Number 3!

Here it is!  NUMBER 3!  (Wrong genre, but who cares?)

• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #537 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
  • #3 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Romance > Paranormal > Ghosts

For my novel:




Yaaaaaaay!!!!! Love those promo days! Best Sellers!  Best Sellers!  Best Sellers!  Go, Zanalon!!!!

Review: In the Arms of the Dark Elf by Willow Nonea Rae

Three Stars

As a long-time fan of Drizzt Do'Urden and all of the R.A. Salvatore books, I was drawn to the concept of the dark elf romance, but this novel needs a little work. I found it hard to keep reading and I had to keep putting it down. It just didn't draw me in and make me care about the characters.

I do editing professionally so it's work for me to go into detail, just suffice it to say that it's probably a level three edit at the very least. (With 1 being proofreading and 4 being developmental editing). I don't want to discourage this writer; the story has great potential, and I'd love to see her develop it.

Legends, Lies, and the Harsh Truth

I recently found a story making the rounds that purported to show why socialism doesn't work, so I tracked it back to Snopes, where it was found to be simply a legend, not fact:

College Socialism Experiment

Now, I'd like to recreate the second story...

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a very conservative Republican, on her way up the social ladder and beholden to no one.

She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Democrat, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father was foolishly allowing himself to be taken advantage of by lazy people, usually, but of course not always (God forbid anyone would call her racist!) people of color.

One day she was challenging her father on his support of higher taxes on the rich and the addition of more government welfare programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was doing in school.

Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like some of the other students who had wealthier families and careers guaranteed to be waiting for them. She didn't even have time for her boyfriend, Tory, and didn't really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying.

Her father listened and then asked, "How is your boyfriend, Tory, doing?" She frowned and replied, "I haven't seen Tory much this semester. I think he's going to have to drop out. His family is burdened by medical bills because, you know, one of his brothers is severely autistic and the other was born with cerebral palsy because his umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck.  The doctor should have done a Caesarian, but he put the decision on the mother without telling her how critical the baby was, so he was born with severe brain damage. They never were able to prove that the doctor was completely at fault, and... well, it's been really hard on his family. His father got turned down for financial aid, after the banks stopped loaning money, and can't co-sign for him. He's got three years of student loans hanging over him... He's really smart, but he's suffering from some depression because of all this and his grade point is suffering. It's down to 2.0… He won't be able to keep his scholarship. It doesn't look good for him..."

Her wise father asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your GPA and give it to Tory? Then he can keep his scholarship and stay in school, too. You'll both have a 3.0 GPA. That's not so bad, is it, considering how much you love him?"

His daughter bit her lip and bowed her head. "I worked so hard for that 4.0..." Then she looked up at her father and her eyes shone with love. "... but, you know, it would be worth it to see Tory's smile! I wish I really could do that. I probably should spend more time with him and make some friends, actually. Life isn't just about money and career, after all..."

Her father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, "I don't think I've ever been more proud to see your grade point drop. Welcome to the Democratic party."

The part of this story that is true is the description of Tory. That's his real name. He's my son. Unfortunately, the happy ending is a fiction.  We can't share GPAs, even if he had someone in his life who loved him enough to help that way, and had the resources. He did have to drop out, and now he's stuck with three years of student loans, no degree, and no job.

This happened to him in January, 2009 -- remember the banks stopped loaning money in October, 2008, under Bush's watch?

Sorry to be a kill joy. This is the truth, in corporate America, where money rules and love …

Love? What's that, again?

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat, and was very much in favor of the redistribution of wealth.

She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the addition of more government welfare programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was doing in school.

Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was
taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying.

Her father listened and then asked, "How is your friend Audrey doing ?" She replied, "Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties, and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too hung over."

Her wise father asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA." The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, "That wouldn't be fair! I have worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!"

The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, " Welcome to the Republican party."
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/college/exam/socialism.asp#wh3GbtJIcaOZV6p9.99

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat, and was very much in favor of the redistribution of wealth.

She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the addition of more government welfare programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was doing in school.

Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was
taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying.

Her father listened and then asked, "How is your friend Audrey doing ?" She replied, "Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties, and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too hung over."

Her wise father asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA." The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, "That wouldn't be fair! I have worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!"

The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, " Welcome to the Republican party."
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/college/exam/socialism.asp#wh3GbtJIcaOZV6p9.99

CLASSROOM SOCIALISM

Is this man truly a genius?

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before but had recently failed an entire class. That class had insisted that Obama's socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on Obama's plan". All grades will be averaged and everyone will receive the same grade so no one will fail and no one will receive an “A”.... (substituting grades for dollars - something closer to home and more readily understood by all).

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a “B”. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy.

As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little. The second test average was a “D”! No one was happy.

When the 3rd test rolled around, the new average was an “F”.

As the tests proceeded, the scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.

To their great surprise, ALL FAILED and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great, but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.

Human nature will always cause socialism's style of government to fail because the world has producers and non-producers (makers and takers).

It could not be any simpler than that.
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/college/exam/socialism.asp#zcqWQWRTT6KicIjg.99

CLASSROOM SOCIALISM

Is this man truly a genius?

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before but had recently failed an entire class. That class had insisted that Obama's socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on Obama's plan". All grades will be averaged and everyone will receive the same grade so no one will fail and no one will receive an “A”.... (substituting grades for dollars - something closer to home and more readily understood by all).

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a “B”. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy.

As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little. The second test average was a “D”! No one was happy.

When the 3rd test rolled around, the new average was an “F”.

As the tests proceeded, the scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.

To their great surprise, ALL FAILED and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great, but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.

Human nature will always cause socialism's style of government to fail because the world has producers and non-producers (makers and takers).

It could not be any simpler than that.
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/college/exam/socialism.asp#zcqWQWRTT6KicIjg.99

Testing, testing... Oh, FU!

7:39 a.m. and I'm going to sit down and write an article about writing for Freelancer sites and bidding on them. I need to know how long it takes to write an article about a subject I am familiar with, and what I would actually be getting paid per hour to write 500 word articles for $1 to $3, which seems to be the going rate. So, this is basically a test as well as an information article. This is... let's see … 82 words so far.

So, the problem I'm having with the freelancer sites is that, as I've told many people, talented, English-speaking writers are being forced to bid against ESL (English Second Language) writers who run into the room and yell, "I'll do that for $2 and a scrap of bread!" on a $2,000 project. Not good.

I feel for these people, usually from third world countries where they are practically starving, but this is bringing everyone down to the level of pay of the most desperate. I've been thinking about starting a global writer's guild. That's the only way to get the rates up for everyone.

OK, this is now, let's see...196 words.

So, I've worked on Freelancer dot com and I've made a total of $660 after fees. I think that was after fees? Anyway, that was doing work at a tenth of the recommended fee schedule of the Editorial Association of America. I've checked out other writing sites, like DoNanza and Elance, and they seem to be pretty much the same – projects are going out on budgets of $250 tops which should be paying $2500. Sad, but there it is.

I really wonder if there is a way to correct this situation. I see people with degrees from Universities and years of experience bidding on these pitifully paid projects. Say that three times fast. No, don't.

So, here I am writing on a subject that I am knowledgeable about – writing. And it's taken me, let's see, until 7:50 am to get this far. This far is: 342 words.

My son refuses to work on these sites because of the low bidder factor. He has no experience, so he'd be working for pennies just to build his reputation. I'm trying to get him some projects, but I really have to push. I even put up a work project especially for him. And he wouldn't take it, at the time. So, what next?

How do I start a writer's union? I was thinking of starting one, a little tongue-in-cheek, called Freelancer's Union (note the acronym FU) Yes, I meant that. FU. Something for those people who want to make writers into slaves to think about.

And this is, what...? 453 words, 7:56 am.

So, fifty words to go... Let's see, what else can I throw in here, just to fill the page and get my timing test done? See, normally, writing an article would include some research, so this is an optimistic estimate of my work value. I can't normally write this fast, off the top of my head.

And this is... 516 words. 7:58 am.

58

-39

19 minutes

Which means, if I slam three articles off an hour (really?) I'd make from $3 to $9 an hour. Yes, we need an FU. A rousing FU!

Reaching

I haven't done a blog here in a while, but I feel like I should get some things out of my heart and off my chest. Maybe it will help me get past this dry streak.

I've been fighting some depression, isolating. I like to call it a "chrysalis time" when I'm giving myself a break, but it doesn't really feel like it this time. I'm not sure I'm going to come out of this a butterfly.

My favorite DJ, on my favorite radio station, is Brant Hanson. Whenever I feel down, I can always count on him and Sherry to make me laugh, or just get my mind off my problems and on to caring for others. He is so incredibly honest about his perceived shortcomings – I say "perceived" because he always manages to give them to God, and God makes them a strength. And he can make fun of himself.

The down side of going to Brant for a lift, is then I compare myself to him. He has a beautiful, supportive wife, a great job fulfilling a wonderful purpose, helping millions of people. I've managed to help a few people here and there, but …

But...

I'm just feeling like I have a long way to go, and I'm going to have to do it alone. I know God is with me, but I want Him with me in form. I'm tired of being alone. All the "successful" people seem to have a mate standing by them, supporting them, encouraging them. I'm tired. And I know saying this makes me even less attractive as a mate. My sister mentioned recently that a lot of men "don't think about what they're bringing to the table," in a relationship. So I guess I'm realizing that I don't have much to offer when I'm in this place, emotionally, physically, spiritually.

I've already given everything I have to help others. What I didn't give, was taken from me.

Do I have anything to offer? I think I'm a talented writer, but... I've been watching Supernatural, and The Vampire Diaries, and Arrow, and Revolution... I would LOVE to be on one of those writing teams.

I ask myself: could I come up with stories like that? Not by myself, probably. But that's the point: they have a writing TEAM.

I don't even want to think about what this next year is going to hold for me. I've actually found myself holding back from getting too involved in story lines for my characters because I don't want to let my roleplay partners down AGAIN when I lose... if I lose... I can't even say it.

So, I want to be like Brant, here. I want to be honest. I'm having a hard time. I can't do this alone. I'm tired. I can't help anyone when I'm needing help myself.

Brant is a DJ on a Christian station, so he always leads everything back to the love of God. I know that love, but there are times when I feel so far from Him. So tired I can't even reach up to Him. Today is one of those days. Or maybe, it was, because I guess I'm reaching now.

Smoting Fox News

Not all Democrats are Godless liberals.  Take this true story as testament to that.

A certain minister, whose greatest desire was to be like Christ and travel the world doing healing work, was in a little town in Georgia, just outside of Savannah, back in the early months of 2012.  She was a staunch Democrat, believing that our "government of, by, and for the people" should also demonstrate Christ's love by caring for the poor and the sick.

Since she had joined in a boycott on Fox News, the mouthpiece of the GOP, when she went into a certain McDonald's and saw that there were two TV sets on Fox News and Fox Business, she asked the woman behind the counter to either turn the station or turn them off.

"They only get two stations, and I ain't touching them!" the woman responded, horrified that she would lose her job for this.

"Well, if you can't turn off Fox, then I can't buy anything here," the minister responded calmly.

For several months after that, she would come in when the little local coffee shop was closed and use the Wi-Fi there, but she faithfully refused to purchase anything.  She was always friendly and polite to everyone, sharing what enlightenment she could. Beside her on the table was a picture of Christ -- the one where He is walking through the door after his resurrection with white and red light shining from His heart -- displayed on the table beside her.

Occasionally she would mention to the employees why she was not buying anything there, until one day she had to talk to the manager when the wi-fi wasn't working.  She told him that she was boycotting Fox News and asked him to change the channel, which had never been on anything but Fox and Fox Business for the entire time she had been frequenting the restaurant.

"Oh, I think it gets MSNBC and CNN and several channels," he lied.  And then he hemmed and hawed and the channel being changed was not an option, somehow.  "My boss owns twelve stores," he explained, as if that would impress her and convince her to break her boycott.  She just stood there smiling and nodding, and walked away.

The next day, when she came in, she was surprised to find that the TVs were off.  "Oh, you did it!" she said to one of the counter staff, "You turned off Fox!"

"Oh, no -- the satellite was struck by lightning," the man responded.

The minister laughed out loud and sat down to write the manager a note.  On the back of the now worn picture of Christ (she carried several, to give away when directed by Spirit) she wrote this message:

"Your boss may own 12 stores, but MY boss owns the Universe, and HE said, 'Turn off Fox!'"

And just so Snopes will know this story can actually be verified, I will tell you how she signed the message:

Reverend Sarah S. Ray

Stripping

It seems that there are times in life when "things" are stripped away.  I haven't lost anyone in my family to death, thank God -- I mention this because one of my posts on another blog was about my father having a diabetic seizure, and he's fine now -- I've just lost a little thing in my life when it comes to my writing and reviewing routine.  I haven't been reading new novels on my Kindle, because it's been destroyed.

Very strange, how it happened.  I knew I saw it on the table last, and I thought for several days that I had lost it.  So I pulled a little family joke on my roommate.  I said, "Whenever someone loses something in my family, we know the sure way to find it again is to accuse someone of stealing it.  So ...  Why in the world did you steal my Kindle, Danny?"

We both laughed, and sure enough it worked, but in a weird way.  The next day, she walked out the door and found my Kindle outside on the concrete.

Someone actually HAD stolen it.  It was beaten up and frozen, so they returned it, useless.  How nice.

So, although I CAN read the novels I download on my computer, it's really just not as comfortable, so I just haven't been doing it.  My reviewer ranking is suffering, although once I quit reviewing for several months and my ranking went UP several thousand ranks.  Who knew?

I didn't want this post to be too depressing, but since it's about accepting loss, even though I was only talking about material loss, which is trivial, I have to add a prayer for a friend who made her transition last week.  Yes, I didn't lose a family member, but I did say goodbye to a sister in Christ. Rest In Peace, Patty.  You lived like the little sign on the bar wall that goes something like this: "Life isn't about making it to the grave in a nice, well-kept, shiny body. It's about skidding in sideways, totally worn-out, whooping, "Yeah!  What a ride!"

And for those of you out there who are disappointed that this blog isn't actually about doing strip-tease, well, here, I'll give you a little feather boa tickle.  Surprise!  I used to be a stripper in my 20's -- you missed it!  It was a classy place, kind of like the good place in "Flashdance," and I didn't do sleaze.  It actually had some spiritual value for me.

But no more, that part of my life has long since been stripped away, and the Spirit remains.  I'm looking forward to the next surprise Life has in store, and remembering fondly friends who have left us behind, to sneak behind the veil ...

The Meaning of Life

I was just browsing over at Wordpress and saw a funny little intro to one of the blogs.

Writer: seeks meaning of life and possibly cheese. Will settle for baby bell, cheddar and moments of minor epiphany.

 Cute.

So I thought I'd share a little story I made up -- kind of a metaphysical joke.

Once there was a wealthy man who had lived his life so far quite well, had all his material needs satisfied, his health, a beautiful wife and successful kids, and yet he began to feel restless and empty.  He found himself staring at the ceiling at night, wondering, "Is this all there is?"

So he set off to find that "something more."  Years went by as he traveled the world, never finding anything that completely satisfied that emptiness inside, until he came to a little village in the wilds of Tibet.  There, he mentioned his quest to a shopkeeper, and was told that there was a wise man who lived up on the mountain who could help him.  But, he was cautioned, the wise man valued his silence and his solitude, and would only speak once. 

So the wealthy seeker set off up the mountain, struggling through wind and snow, and after several days trek, he made it to the summit.  There the air was still and clear and the wise man sat in silence.

The wealthy man bowed before the wise man and posed his question.  "What is the meaning of life?"

The wise man looked at him and smiled. 

"Mine or yours?" he said, and turned back to his contemplation.

Blogging Day -- My Fan Fic Fixation

Today's my blogging day.

I have a blog over at Wordpress, too.  I like it there because it gives me more flexibility on my graphics than I've been able to manage here.  See what YOU think...

Runaway Rakhanar

I"m keeping my fingers crossed that SOE will sell their license to Kindle Worlds to publish fan fiction!

In keeping with my "First Times" theme, this post is actually about a first time for Rakhanar, my young runaway berserker.

Review: Walker by Michael Langlois

I enjoyed this novel very much! The concept was intriguing from the very beginning, the characters unique and interesting, the world settings nicely detailed. This writer knows how to grab his reader by the lapels from the first page, too!

The main character is a likeable man, wonderfully blunt, with hard-core integrity. He loves his mother! I love this man. We need more men like this in real life.

One thing I'd like to have seen a little more of was a bit more romance. I know it's a science fiction novel, but I've seen other authors go there, so why not? I think there was room for it, and there seems to be some set up for it. Maybe in the next book?

No spoilers, but some of the scenes that set up the danger that he was facing were so intense I felt them in my gut. Ugh. I liked that the author did come to a resolution, yet still left room for a series with this character.
Good story! I want to see more from this author.

I gave it four stars.

Embracing Zero: First Time Author Tips

I'm accepting that my sales rank has fallen into the death zone at the moment, but I'm alright with that.  I'm in the middle of a rewrite, and I've learned a lot from this first fumbling flight and gooney bird landing.  I didn't do so bad, so I'm sure the rewrite of my first novel and completed trilogy will be a success.  So, it's back to writing.  All good.

The other authors on the Amazon forums have given me the necessary perspective and some wonderful advice. They say 13 reviews is good, the cover looks great, and they've helped me perfect my teaser.  I also learned that I have to fill out my author page FOR EACH COUNTRY.  Big tip, there.

I've learned a lot from this first time experience as an author so far, and I'll happily pass along any new info along the way.

First, the DON'Ts:

• Don't get sick.

• Don't get sick and disappear for years from public view.  People are busy.  They WILL forget you. So ...

• Don't expect people to come hunting for you to find out if you're alright, especially if the only contact info you have that has remained constant is your e-mail.  Only the most loyal will do that.

• Don't get distracted by inappropriate relationships with men (or women). (Ha.  Yeah, I've REALLY learned that one. I'm being sarcastic.  I'll probably do that one again. But I hope not, the key word is "inappropriate.") 

• Don't take advice from people you don't want to be like.  For example, the guy next to you in the soup kitchen isn't the best choice for financial advisor. He may be very wise and a great mentor for the School of Hard Knocks, but the best advice he can give you when it comes to manifesting abundance is probably a rehash of  "sour grapes" that you've heard before. 

• Don't let those same people drag you down.

• Don't get discouraged at every downturn.  It will pass.  Stay centered.  Enjoy the highs, learn from and remedy the lows on your rankings and reviews.  

I'll share some DO's next time.  A final DON'T - don't forget to take care of yourself!  Go ride your bike, walk, go swimming, go hiking.  Like I'm about to do!

New Clothes for my Blog!

I got bored with my old look, so I went underwater!  I might not be able to get a new wardrobe, but who says my blog can't get a makeover?

Marketing is Hilarious! Who Knew?

I just had to pass this on -- laughing like a maniac and scaring my neighbors from this!

The Bloggess

OK, that's just her general link, and now I can't find the particular post that had me in stitches, so here's another link that has tears rolling down my face because I'm laughing so hard!

There’s probably a typo in here. Possibly several.

 I found it!

Marketing done right.

Review: A Stranger's Touch

I stuck this in my post about my son, but the preview looked kind of odd.  Here I am talking about my son visiting and this sexy cover art pops up in the post, titled "A Stranger's Touch."  Yeah.  Too weird.

So here's the link to my Goodreads review, and to Amazon.



A Stranger's Touch by Roxy Boroughs

My rating: 4 of 5 stars






View all my reviews

Review: Jackaroo by Cynthia Voigt

This book was recommended by a friend who is starting a local book club with me.  I read it in hardback, unlike most of the books I read lately, on my Kindle.

My impression of it was definitely thrown off by the cover and the name.  My edition is the old cover, and I thought it might be a story about a Puritan-like community.  I was far from the mark.

It does have a somewhat slow start as it builds the weight of this world, the poverty and despair of the people who so desperately need a flicker of hope.  I never would have guessed that hope would come in the form it did.  The plot builds slowly like a steady drumbeat until the actions of the main character are inexorably set by her character and heart for the people, a quiet, unconditional love that sacrifices without recognition or return. 

The author’s voice is strong and memorable.  One phrase sticks out in my memory, so concise yet holding so much, describing Burl. “He was nineteen, and his heart, which broke for Rose, seemed to be healing. Burl could never have spoken for Rose.”  Just that simple, “his heart, which broke for Rose,” spoke volumes that other writers might struggle for pages to say as well.

In spite of this captivating start in her description of Burl, he seemed to fade into the background.  That was appropriate for his quiet, strong character, I suppose.  Still, I would have thought that the main character, Gwyn, would have been a little more aware of him.  I caught the one clue, the standard that she set for herself that she apparently missed, but because she missed it, I actually dropped that line of thought as an option.  I was not aware that I was reading a young adult’s novel, and I made some assumptions about her from that point that probably would not occur in this imprint.  I can’t be more specific without dropping spoilers.  The ending was a definite surprise.

I caught a couple of typos, “too” for “to,” a dropped letter or two, disappointing in a hardback from an imprint of Simon & Schuster, but too minor to distract from the story.

I really enjoyed this story, though my own writing leans to a faster style and break-from-the-gate beginnings.  Well written and engaging, once you get past that slow start.  And I definitely recommend you get past that!

Offering a link here, but this is not the same cover I have with my older version.

Kindle Lover!

Some of my friends are die-hard book lovers, but others have fallen in love with e-book readers, as I have.  There's nothing like having an entire library at my fingertips at the push of a button.  I have the old style Kindle, not the Kindle Fire, which is backlit. I have to read with a light on and I fall asleep that way sometimes, so really I think I'd love to get a Kindle Fire someday.

This is what I have:



And this is what I have on my Wish List!



So, yes, I am actively trying to convert my paper book addicted friends to Kindle.  Hey, I grew up downwind from a paper mill -- not a pleasant experience!  I'd say "let's save trees," but I'm aware that's not really what happens. Reducing the need for virgin timber just means tree farm owners go out of business and sell their land to developers, unless you allow the government to step in and usher the sale over to a conservatory group.

But, I digress ...

 In spite of the fact that it doesn't really save trees the way things are now, I still think cutting down the need for stinky paper mills is a winner, don't you?

Some of my friends are waiting for me to print out my manuscript before they will read it, or go into print with CreateSpace.  I'm planning to go with the second plan, as it is actually much cheaper to print a book on CreateSpace than it is to go to Staples and print out my manuscript in loose leaf, but I'd still like to see my friends get Kindles.  I've been an e-book reader fan since the Bookman had its inglorious debut and death. So, c'mon!  Get with it!  Light a fire under your ... um... well, I mean, get a Kindle!

Kindle Lights a Creative Fire for Fan Fiction!

Wow!  I just got an e-mail from Amazon about Kindle Worlds -- they are now licensing and promoting fan fiction!

I don't see anything for Everquest 2, yet, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed!  See, I knew all that fan fiction writing I did would pay off someday!  In the meantime, it was a fun way to keep my pen sharp and offer free sample work.  As I often say, you're only wasting your time if you aren't having fun!

Kindle Worlds

Now I'm going to run over and talk to my friends on Everquest 2 and The Raven, Mythic.  It's time to celebrate!