FIREBORN

   INDEX 

REVIEW: TRAITOR:BOOK ONE OF THE TURNER CHRONICLES by Mark Eller
REVIEW: MAGIC, MENSA, & MAYHEM by Karina Fabian
REVIEW: THE LOOKING GLASS PORTAL by Larriane Wills
TRANSCRIPT OF BARACK OBAMA'S VICTORY SPEECH
LINDA BALLOU:  Wai-nani:High Chiefess of Hawaii  blog tour & interview

LUBBOCK COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION--OR WHAT THE HECK HAPPENS AT ONE OF THESE THINGS? a political blog

HOW I SPENT MY TEXAS TUESDAY  a political blog

GUEST BLOG: JOE DOUGLAS TRENT    reflections on a short story

SIMPLEOLOGY COURSE  evaluation

MAGDALENA BALL: Sleep Before Evening blog tour interview

DARRELL BAIN: Savage Survival blog tour interview

MY WRITING MEMOIRS: FabChat presents Mary Andrews transcript

MY WRITING MEMOIRS: 2007 MuseOnlineConvention DAY 3 CLASS NOTES  
...why,when & how radio interview-Valerie Connelly
...building a can't put it down suspense novel --Diane J. Newton, JDWebb, Pepper Smith
...world building--Karina Fabian...
...strategies for revising your story ornovel--Bob Iles
...protecting yourself & your work--K L Nappier
...putting sizzle in your love scenes--Lynn Crain
...internet talk radio--Lilllian Cauldwell

MY WRITING MEMOIRS: 2007 MuseOnlineConvention DAY 2 CLASS NOTES
...writing mystery that sells--Earl Staggs
...how to self edit your MG novel--Margot Finke
...important tips for nonfiction book proposals--Andrea Campbell
...historical fiction--Florence Weinberg
...using real events in the creation of a story--Nikkie Leigh-Arline Chase, Dorice Nelson
...website essentials & internet marketing for authors--Marshall Turner
...how to get more publicity--Lea Schizas
...writing zero tolerance queries & cover letters-Carolyn Howard Johnson

MY WRITING MEMOIRS: 2007 MuseOnlineConvention: DAY 1 CLASS NOTES
...how to keep your book alive & selling for a long time--Raleigh Pinskey
...world building (sci fi, fantasy & horror) --Kim Richards
...vampires-still hot in publishing after all these years! --Christina Barber
...adding depth to fiction--Marilyn Peake
...the audio divas audio classes--Allyn Evans & Kathe Goglewski

LEA SCHIZA: Doorman's Creek  & The Rock of Realm blog tour interview

LEA SCHIZA: blog tour book reviews

BLOG SURVEY: IS ANYONE OUT THERE?

WRITING MEMOIRS: The Fireborn Chronicles' first rewrite

COLIN HARVEY: next up

COLIN HARVEY: advice

COLIN HARVEY: blogging

COLIN HARVEY: blog part 2

STRAIGHT FROM THE UK: MEET COLIN HARVEY

KARINA FABIAN: Infinite Space, Infinite God virtual book tour & interview

WRITING MEMOIRS: marketing a book

WRITING MEMOIRS: Gorbash 1991

WRITING MEMOIRS: the 2006 Muse Online Convention

SANDY LENDER Doesn't Recommend Quitting Your Day Job Or...the joy and insanity of being a writer.

WRITING MEMOIRS: meeting Ray Bradbury

WRITING MEMOIRS: meeting Frank Herbert

WRITING MEMOIRS: affording conventions

WRITING MEMOIRS: Gorbash Interview CJ Cherryh

WRITING MEMOIRS: what is a Science Fiction convention?

WRITING MEMOIRS: the writing circle

WRITING MEMOIRS: the Loophole Bar

WRITING MEMOIRS: Gorbash!

WRITING MEMOIRS: my first Sci Fi convention

CARS R US

MACROCOSM: THE UNIVERSE CONSIDERED AS A WHOLE--THE BIG PICTURE

Aaron Turner is a meager man with a twisted body and a dangerous assignment. He?s an underachiever in all ways except one; He can teleport to another world in which his body is whole, women to man ratio is 2:1, and the civilization is frontier-like.

A member of a private militia , Aaron is ordered to spy on a people he?s growing attached to as a forerunner to an interdimensional invasion. What new dangers will he face in this backwards civilization and where will his real loyalties lie?

Mr. Eller?s ability to bring characters to life is remarkable. Aaron Turner?s thoughts and actions feel real though he is cast in the role of a bigger than life hero despite himself. For an engaging read, give this one a shot.

When?s book II of the Turner Chronicles due out?

Available at:

SWIMMING KANGAROO PRESS: http://www.swimmingkangaroo.com/books.html

AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Traitor-Mark-Eller/dp/1934041637/ref=sr_1_73?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247354893&sr=1-73

With the opening of the Gap (an interdimensional gateway between Earth and Faerie Earth) everything changes. Earth finally gets the chance to meet real live dwarves, high elves and at least one dragon, while Faerie Earth discovers technology, eBay and junk food. For both worlds, cultural interactions become tricky. This sets an interesting stage for the two main characters.

Grace is a Nun in the order of Our Lady of the Miracles in the Faerie Catholic Church. She partners with Vern, a Faerie dragon bespelled by St George to serve humanity and the Church in penance for his past. Together, they solve fantastic mysteries, with the fate of the earth (both of them) at stake.

In this adventure, it's Sister Grace and Vern vs quantum elves, mundane lookeeloos, bulls and brownies as Karina Fabian brings to life an interdimensional clash of cultures at, of all places, a Mensa World Gathering Convention in Florida.

This thoroughly charming book successfully enmeshes fun, innocence,interdimensional Catholicism, mysterious happenings and truly magical creatures. The tale itself is well thought out and cleverly written in Noir style. I found myself openly laughing at the story's twists and turns and even some of the names.

I very much enjoyed this book and recommend it for all ages.

Available at:

SWIMMING KANGAROO: http://www.swimmingkangaroo.com/books.html

AMAZON:   http://www.amazon.com/Looking-Glass-Portal-Larriane-Wills/dp/1934041181/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247700477&sr=1-1

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ALIENS ABDUCT A COWBOY?..., March 26, 2009

Garrett,a cowboy abducted from Earth,struggles to unravel what's happening, while trying to survive encounters with the other dangerous and diverse inhabitants of his new space faring prison/home. But what are his mysterious captors really looking for?

I very much enjoyed reading this book. The writing was clean and the visuals wonderful. Ms. Wills' characters, be they human or...not, were interesting and when the book ended I missed them all.

So if you're looking for a nice escape from this world's worth of trouble,check this one out and see how Garrett handles things.

Available at:

SWIMMING KANGAROO: http://www.swimmingkangaroo.com/books.html

AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Looking-Glass-Portal-Larriane-Wills/dp/1934041181/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247700477&sr=1-1

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United States of America Election 2008

Transcript Of Barack Obama's Victory Speech

November 4, 2008 · In these prepared remarks provided by his campaign, President-Elect Barack Obama calls himself the unlikeliest presidential candidate. He thanks many members of his campaign,along with his enormous army of volunteers, and he warns supporters about what he calls the enormity of

the tasks at hand that now face the U.S. He concludes by telling an anecdote about a 106-year-old African-American voter from Atlanta. The victory speech was delivered at Grant Park in Chicago.

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled ? Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of red states and blue states; we are, and always will be,the United States of America.

It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Sen. McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Gov.Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the vice-president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

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I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years,the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation's next first lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House. And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my campaign manager, David Plouffe; my chief strategist, David Axelrod; and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics ? you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to ? it belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington ? it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the notso-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this earth. This is your victory.

I know you didn't do this just to win an election, and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime ? two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year, or even one term, but America ? I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you: We as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for 221 years block by block, brick by brick, callused hand by callused hand.

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What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek ? it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers. In this country, we rise or fall as one nation ? as one people.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House ? a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.

As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, "We are not enemies, but friends... Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection." And, to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your president, too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world ? our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight, we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America ? that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election, except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons ? because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

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And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America ? the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes, we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes, we can.

When there was despair in the Dust Bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes, we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes, we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes, we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes, we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves: If our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time ? to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.

Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.

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Wai-nani: High Chiefess of Hawai?i ? Her   Epic Journey is an historical novel couched in magical realism set in pre-contact Hawai?i. Wai-nani?s character is inspired by the personage of Ka?ahumanu, the favorite wife of Kamehameha the Great, who was responsible for ending the 2,000-year-old Polynesian ?kapu system.?

   The turbulent romance of these Hawaiian icons is set against the backdrop of Hawai?i?s most dynamic period between 1740 and 1820. Captain James Cook arrived in 1778. Cook?s visit triggered change that facilitated forces already set in play by Kamehameha (Makaha), the warrior prophesied at birth to bring the splintered Island people under one rule. Precocious Ka?ahumanu, always the center of controversy, is revered by some as the loving ?Mother of the people? and by others as the ?flaw that brought down chiefdom.?

This time, I attend as a delegate to carry the previous votes to the next step. I didn't get chosen as a delegate to the State Convention so this is as far as it goes.

Saturday, March 29

10:30 Doors open for convention registration at Lubbock High School.  The actual convention is scheduled to start at 1:00 pm and a multitude of emails, phone calls, and post cards have been sent to everyone to suggest arriving at 10:30.

My husband and I both attended the convention, I as a delegate, and Jeff as an alternate. 

10:45. We drove up to the parking lot. Already lines up to three people deep wound outside the front of the building.  Parking wasn?t too bad, but it didn?t matter since the walk to the end of the line spanned the entire building.  A nice young man directed people to the entrance closest to the end of the line.  It snaked slowly, but surely, through the hallways.  People were patient and pleasant. A fireman passed out red, white and blue leis or Marti Gras beads to Obama supporters?really dressed the place up and looked more festive.

About 12:45 we reached the tables at the line?s front and got registered.  Just as in the District vote, we listed our names, candidate choice, precinct, voter registration number, ethnicity, email address, phone number, age range, and whether or not we were disabled, gay, transsexual.  We were required to show at least a driver?s license and the attendees at each table cross checked each name with an existing list.  Then we were given a delegate or alternate card to wear around out necks and sent into the auditorium.

People at the door directed us to where our precincts were to be seated.  (Each seat had a precinct number to it?one for each delegate.)  As our group gathered, I was told that there had been a last minute change.  Hmmm.  It seems that our district 114 had been combined with district 4 so all of our delegate numbers shifted drastically.  Nobody can tell us why and we realize that the regrouping will drastically change our candidate?s delegate count.  Our district had 3 Obama delegates and 2 Clinton delegates.  District 4 was allotted 10 delegates total. 9 of them were for Hillary and 1 for Obama. When we arrived, we were guaranteed to have one Obama delegate and alternate.  but now we would be lucky to provide an Obama alternate from our combined group and our alternate would be backing up a Clinton delegate.  (Huh??)

The 114 delegates opted to try to find the Rules committee and make sure this was legal.  Cell phones turned out to be quite handy in this scenario because once you got the right name and number; it was possible to reach these people/committees sooner or later.  So we did what we could and then got to know the folk in precinct 4.  It turned out that though they had been allotted 10 delegates, only 4 of their Clinton delegates actually showed up and their Obama delegate was a no-show too.  Also, they had not been able to get enough people to volunteer to even fill their 10 delegate positions so they had only 9 and no alternates at all.  (I was told there was some confusion about having to travel out of town to this convention and their people would not participate.)

This unexpected turn of events is why we were able to elect an Obama alternate for the June State Democratic Convention to be held in Austin.  But prior to that, the question of whether other precincts? Clinton alternates could be used to fill their delegate positions.  Again, the phone calls and searching for the right official ensued, but we quickly determined that Alternates could not be shared among other precincts.

1:15 VERY loud music accompanied colorfully dressed children of the Ballet Folklorico (My ears still ring at the thought.)  and eventually a little girl from the Cactus Cuties sang the national anthem.  A very energetic, alleluia-type prayer was presented, and the pledge of allegiance got us started.

1:45 There is a call for delegates.  Each precinct is allowed to call for alternates to fill empty seats of missing delegates, but only from their own precinct.

2:10 Each precinct Chair (spokesman) is handed a packet containing instructions and materials needed when they vote for delegate(s) and alternate(s) to send to the Democratic State Convention in June.  Our precinct?s chair person was nowhere to be found because she was also a member of the Resolutions Committee which met through most of the day to deal with Democratic propositions that have been turned into the convention for consideration.  So we did not receive a packet and could not locate her and Precinct 4 would not acknowledge that we were supposed to be grouped up with them for any precinct votes.  (Sigh)

 2:15 Meeting is called to order. An overall chairwoman is nominated and elected to run the meeting.  Legalities are stated that include informing us that the presidential poll was performed at the door.  There are speeches and introductions?.

2:35 The instructions for delegate/alternate elections are explained: one person, one vote for delegate.  Whoever receives the most votes is the delegate; the next up is the alternate.  For a tie the delegation chair decides.  Then white cards are filled out with the winners? info and anyone who wants to apply to be a delegate at large need to fill out colored cards that will be handed into the credentials committee to be considered.  At large delegates and alternates fill in positions that are needed to properly represent the overall percentages/demographic.

2:50 The regrouping of the precincts is explained.  It seems that the Democratic Party utilizes the number of votes for Chris Bell to determine that it will take 180 voters to be represented by one delegate at the State Convention.    Some precincts did not have enough to merit a delegate so parings were reordered by demand of the Democratic Party if we wanted to be allowed to participate. (Extra people will be represented by At Large delegates

The precincts that had enough voters without having to be combined were:

1, 3, 7, 12, 15, 20, 30, 36, 41, 46, 47, 52, 66, 11.

Precinct groupings (as best as I could catch most of them) included: (5+35+92),  (8+120),  (10+54),  (13+112),  (14+129),  (16+40),  (17+126),  (18+38),  (19+104),  (21+57),  (22+50),   (23+58),   (24+33),    (25+45),  (26+117),  (29+34),  (31+121),  (39+44), (43+65+72),   (49+63+123),     (51+119),  (53+75),  (59+113),   (60+123), (62+102),  (67+110),       (76+128(?)),      (78+118),  (109+124),  (125+134),  (4+114).  

3:07 Credential meeting report is presented.

The floor is opened for challenges. 

Precinct 59 had a problem regarding their last delegate from their district convention.  It seemed that they had 27 votes for Obama and 27 votes for Clinton so they went 5 delegates for each candidate but decided to do a legal coin flip for the odd delegate.  The Obama camp won and was agreed upon but the paper work that was turned in did not properly document the process so the committee had to make a decision to determine the last delegate.  They were presented with witnesses and decided to let the Obama delegate choice stand.

An elevated Alternate (an alternate who was called upon to take a delegate position) states that he wasn?t told to go back to the sign in table and register his presidential preference.  He is told that he will have to do that.  He worries that this could be used by another to skew a vote through deception.  The Committee states that the delegates within each precinct caucus should be  aware of their own positions so the matter is settled.

The chair states that of the 728 delegate votes, Obama has 318 and Clinton has 410. 

The percentages to determine the delegate distribution will be 56.32% for Clinton and 43.68% for Obama.

It costs $128.00 per hour to use the High School. (A collection taken up later will provide over $1,000.00 from those who attended.)

3:30 Permanent Chair is elected.  Permanent Secretary is elected.

Meeting rules and committees explained.  Resolution process allows debate of proposed resolutions being proffered.  Debate time is limited from 5-15 minutes per side. Delegates are provided with a pro microphone and a con microphone where they may come up to the front and present their case for 1 minute each.

4:25 the resolution committee members consists of 5 Clinton supporters and 5 Obama supporters.  They have examined and decided on resolutions to be sent on to the State Democratic Convention to be considered for Party promotion.  They have organized them into categories and read them from a list.

The proposed resolutions include: health insurance for children?.some solar and energy legislation?privatization of health?disability changes?a bid to oppose caucuses?opposition to super precincts?support for super precincts?a proposal to include Florida/Michigan votes as they were or can be?abolition of death penalty?support nondiscrimination of illegal alien who have been established here....repeal the Right To Work Act in Texas?provide state employee pay raise?.state employment health and pension change?taxation on land?eliminate No Child Left Behind?promote education excellence in classroom?Social Security should not vary for public employees?reduce national debt?oppose immunity for contractors?prohibit torture?and many more items I couldn?t scrawl fast enough to  catch as they raced through the list.

A motion is made to approve sending all these resolutions as a packet to the State Convention.  There is dissension among the delegates.  Many of them do not want to include all of the committee?s resolutions in the packet. Discussion includes fear of illegal alien proposal and the fact that Obama?s name was not on the ballot when Michigan held their primary.  The committee agreed to change the wording of the Florida/Michigan resolution so that it did not state ?as is? but only to allow their right to be allowed to vote.

The chair calls for a vote, but does not clearly state what is being voted on.  (681 votes are cast: 474 ayes and 207 nays)  Many people claim to have been confused as to wording of the vote so another is held.  (This time: 449 voted, 268 ayes and 183 voted nay but by this time, people are wearing down and leaving and the chair cannot seem to speak clearly. She is saying things like ?the chair stands,? instead of stating things simply.  It was the reason for the repetitious voting and eventually wore the crowd down.

5:00 the Nomination Committee (consisting of 5 Clinton supporters and 5 Obama supporters) returns with the final word on the delegate count.  There are 64 delegates.  It is determined that 65% of the vote be given to Clinton and 35% to Obama (part of which included all 10 of the At Large delegates to Obama).  So Clinton got 41 delegates and 23 delegates for Obama.

many delegates protest this.  Clinton people complain about Obama getting all 10 At Large votes.   Obama people question the huge percentages.

Committee explains procedure and states that relevant rule pole results are used for delegates at large and that they confirmed their decision with the state party. 

Someone asked who they spoke with but no one could remember so it was motioned that the at large vote be sent to the Democratic headquarters for resolution.  This motion was refused as all rules had been followed.

Delegate substitution requests were opened.  A few were made.

6:45 Alternate?s list is read

7:05 Resolutions submitted during the convention are presented.

--create a task force to executive committee to help resolve voting problems especial for university students?approved.

--Affirm both primary and caucus and improve caucus?approved.

--Farm bill counter cyclic safety net to support farm income during periods of low commodity prices indexed to cost of production?approved.

--Fair trade agreement with foreign countries should not be ratified til human rights are addressed?approved.

--Establish national election budget to reimburse to state the cost of primary election (amended to say ?for primary and caucus voting)?approved.

--Permanent disaster relief in congress?mandatory funding?approved.

There was a move to pass all the rest of the resolutions as a packet.

 It was requested that the last 10 at least be listed first.

They are:

--Teacher retirement system needs to be made transparent.

--opposition to voter ID bill.

--Resolution to promote positive human rights to protect undocumented immigrants.

--Abolish federal Real ID act of 2005.

--Add national voting machines to Democratic Party (standardizing).

--Bank and Credit card changes to reduce interest charges, remove unreasonable charges and penalties. Modify bankruptcy laws to relax restrictions and limits for individuals and business.

--Against tolling of existing roadways in Texas.

--call for a vote on the Trans Texas corridor.

--Resolution condemning all forms of torture.

--Resolve to support college, rescind 6 draw clause.

Motion to vote as a package excluding immigration resolution-- failed.

Motion to pass packet of last 10 motions-- passed

7:47 Gavel was passed to new County Chair.  Meeting adjourned.

Things I learned from this experience:

 It is most important to choose someone who understands how to communicate clearly and simply both as your precinct chair and as your convention chair.  If these people cannot handle stress and think on their feet, efficiency will/did crumble.

I think it was a major mistake/oversight that the convention leaders did not come prepared to deal with people with varying degrees of understanding and language skills.  All votes and explanations should have been kept clear and concisely short to prevent confusion and minimize frustration.  This alone could have cut as much as 3 hours from this meeting.   

Organization also could have saved quite a bit of time.  Everybody that I spoke to did not know that all the proposed resolutions we would be asked to approve or vote on were posted on the front walls and along a table by the entrance.  Hence the ensuing confusion and wasted time. 

This convention did not allow food or drinks other than water, and it did not allow any form of break or relief.  Fortunately for me, around 4:00pm another group in full violation of the ?no food and drink other than water? mandate snuck in a stack of Pizzas and offered everyone nearby a piece.  Good thing since I?m diabetic and was starting to feel a little shaky by then.   

My precinct was seated up near the front, but my husband as an Obama alternate, was asked to remain in the back or go upstairs.  Since he is disabled, he stayed in the back rows.

 On one occasion he was accosted by a woman who decided he needed to change his support to the Clinton camp.  A nearby police man had to cuff her and remove her from the building. 

From what he said most of these problems were brought on by a single group of Clinton alternates who were trying to stir things up. He tells me there were at least 3 incidents where people came to blows because of their harassments.   They were not supposed to be involved in the voting.  He says they did whoop and holler their yeas and mostly nays during the verbal resolutions votes and nothing was done about it.

 I would suggest in the future that the convention at least place a few officials to run herd on this situation so that they could be warned or removed if need be.  There was a contingency of police officers present but they had no idea what was legal or not for the convention.  An official could have determined and deterred this behavior.

In conclusion, I?d like to state that, though I was an Obama delegate, the Clinton supporters I met and dealt with were a very considerate lot. So I suspect this is just the nature of large gatherings.  I think it was very inspiring to see how so many different types of people cared enough to spend almost 10 hours on a Saturday in a school auditorium to participate in the electoral process. 

Though the quick and easy push of a button does not inconvenience me as much, these caucuses really do provide a chance for everyone to participate, to voice their opinions and champion their causes and maybe even make a difference.  It was a good experience.  I?m glad I went.

 --originally posted at Marquel White's Political Pulse website.http://www.freewebs.com/politicalpulse/

With all the political whoo ha   going on lately, I decided to attend my first Democratic Primary this year because I finally felt the need to do so and I wanted to see how it worked for myself.  This is what I saw: 

I'm evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they're letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.

Magdalena Ball is author of The Art of Assessment and Quark Soup.  She runs the popular Compulsive Reader website at www.compulsivereader.com .  Her short stories, editorials, poetry, reviews and articles have appeared in many printed anthologies and journals and have won several awards.  Sleep Before Evening is her debut novel.

 Tell us a little something about yourself Magdalena.  Where do you hail from? Have you traveled much?

I?m a New Yorker by birth but I now live in Australia.  So yes, I?ve traveled a fair amount.  I lived in the US until I was about 21 or so and then went off to England to do a post-graduate degree at Oxford.  There I met my husband and, after a brief return to the US, we migrated to Australia where we?ve been ever since.  We?ve now got roots in the Australian soil (and three children with Aussie accents) so traveling isn?t that easy anymore, but I still have a fondness for Europe, and family in the US, so traveling is definitely on the horizon once the kids are a little older if I?m not completely broke by then!  I might be at the Virginia Festival of the Book next March, hopefully with family in tow.
 

I understand you have a husband, three children, and at least one part time job.  I have trouble getting my cat to let me write.  How do you fend off interruptions?

I don?t really fend off the interruptions.  I just work with them.  You kind of have to get used to working in conditions that are often chaotic.  A Zen like ability to keep calm and keep writing even while dinner is burning, the kids are fighting, the boss wants his measures, and hubby is due home from the office in 10 minutes and the house looks like twin cyclones just passed through, really helps.  If that fails, a fair amount of screaming helps release the pressure! Honestly, you just have to a) commit to doing a little each day and b) accept that you will never get a quiet house or a big block of time to write in, so you just have to get to it quickly ? here, now and whatever else is going on.  A clear idea of what writing I want to accomplish each day helps me focus and go directly to it without wasting time.   If all else fails, I?ll make use of the chaos to write a poem about chaos.  When my kids are fighting a lot, I?ll put fighting kids into a scene I?m writing.  Writers have a definite edge!

Where did you get the title for your book Sleep Before Evening?  And, who is M,D,O,G from your dedication page?

Sleep Before Evening is from a line out of Walter Pater?s The Renaissance written in 1873.  The full line, which sums up the theme of the book, is: ?Not to discriminate every moment some passionate attitude in those about us, and in the very brilliancy of their gifts some tragic dividing of forces on their ways, is, on this short day of frost and sun, to sleep before evening.? It?s about creating secular meaning in our lives by recognizing the beauty in each moment, in those we love, or even in the most mundane details of our existence ? about keeping that sense of wonder which is the crucible of art.

M is Martin, my dear husband.  D is Dominic, my first born son ? now 10.  O is Oliver my second son ? who is 8 next week.  G is Genevieve, my daughter who is 4.  I suspect I?ll be dedicating everything I write to them as they form the nucleus of my life and are the main source of my inspiration.


What do you think is the most important thing for a new writer learn?  Do you think these things are best learned on the job, or not?

Writing is like any craft in that you have to learn mainly by doing. That is an answer to both questions ? it?s probably the most important thing for a new writer to learn.  You can certainly learn by reading, by exploring others work, by attending classes, conferences and workshops.  But all of those are adjunct activities.  Without working at it by ?doing? or by writing, it?s all theoretical.  We all have a voice but it only becomes polished and beautiful with use.  Otherwise inspiration is meaningless and all the advice and lessons in the world are wasted.  So the key lesson is that in order to become a good writer you have to write, every day if possible.  The ability to write well isn?t handed down to us by a bountiful, detached muse.  It comes, like any other talent, by working hard at your craft, writing badly, copiously, and frequently, until you begin to develop a skill; an ear; a capability and a confidence. 


You have so many wonderful reviews and they all praise your writing style.  You have a beautiful, almost musical style.  How do you do that?

Thank you!  I have a tendency to think and write in metaphor, even when it isn?t entirely appropriate.  Poetry is certainly my most natural medium, so the style is simply one which comes naturally to me.  What?s harder for me is to work against that in structuring, plotting, ensuring that cause and effect follow in the world around my character, not just within my character ? to pull those submerged voices into a world that works.  But I am a poet first I think, and hence my prose style tends to be rich in imagery and fairly poetic.  
 

Your book really illustrates/illuminates the artist mentality.  You seem pretty well versed in both visual and audio art forms.  Do you dabble in other arts yourself?

I dabble, badly, in music and art, but really as a very minor kind of hobby.  My sons both play music though and Dominic, my older boy, is a gifted pianist.  I drew on what he was doing for some of the music sections, and in fact, he was practicing Dvorak?s Largo while I was writing, so I just used it (?Dom, what notes did you just play??).  But there was an awful lot of research that I had to do for this book!  I spent a lot of time visiting galleries, sometimes scribbling furiously while staring at a painting to try and capture the visual image in words (a good exercise which I recommend to other writers).  I spent a lot of time listening to music and trying to translate that sound ? holding my fingers a certain way over the piano and watching them move.  And my family is filled with artistic people ? my aunt is a painter.  My uncle is a composer.  My parents are both musicians. I have writers, musicians and artists throughout the family (Don Katz, who now runs Audible, actually wrote a book, Home Fires, about my mother?s side of the family).  I was able to draw on that artistic vein, and where I still got it wrong (and I sometimes did, in early drafts), was given lots of advice on correcting things.  My mom was my best proofreader and editor ? she was fantastic (correcting my appalling American accents too ? it has been 20 years since I?ve lived in the US!).  
 

Do you have a favorite scene in Sleep Before Evening? Why or why not?

Being something of a romantic, I like the first time Miles and Marianne meet under the arch at Washington Square Park ? the fleeing from The Figaro and the trip to the Statue of Liberty (helps me deal with my homesickness too!).  But maybe the most important scene is when Marianne takes the phone call from Miles in the last chapter, and then composes her piece.  I think it synthesizes much of what went on before. Also the paragraph that follows, about Wittgenstein.   

Would you like to post a teaser from Sleep Before Evening (a few paragraphs) to give the readers a taste of what to expect?

 Sure, I?ll give you an exclusive.  This hasn?t been posted anywhere, nor have I read it publicly. 

************************************************

?The music book?s paper was thicker than the Chinese diary Eric had given her as a child, but she felt the same connection with the young self that once wrote in the Chinese book.

          Marianne sketched notes on the staff, testing them on the piano and then returning to the book to write them out. The motion was almost effortless, her head full of the loss of Grandpa, Julia?s red plaits, the hunger she still felt for drugs, Miles and their trip to the Statue of Liberty, to the Planetarium, and her father, writing and playing and writing again until her shoulders and arms ached and the music score paper was full of black dots, circles and lines; a secret code that her mother wouldn?t be able to crack. The music book was a diary that allowed her to skip the commas and conjunctions that undermined her attempts to explain how she felt and went straight to the heart of sensation.

          Her grandfather used to quote Wittgenstein to her: ?Describe the aroma of coffee. Why can?t it be done? Do we lack the words? And for what are words lacking?? He was trying to improve her English. ?What can be said, can be said with clarity: What can?t be said, must remain unsaid. The language defines the limit, beyond that limit is nonsense.?

          But Eric was wrong. She leaned back on the piano, her fingers stained  with ink. Wittgenstein was wrong too. Emotions and feelings couldn?t always be expressed in words but they could be expressed with a clarity of  

their own in other ways.

          She had always thought of herself as cerebral. A left brain thinker, like Eric, struggling with her linguistic limits and unable to say what she felt. Playing the first movement of her piece, she felt herself moving beyond the limits of her language. She was creating meaning where words couldn?t go. She banged her hand against the piano, whispering: ?yes.?

          Then she closed the cover, laid her head on the piano, closed her eyes and slept dreamlessly.? (313, 314)

***************************************************************

Do you have any new projects in the works?

          Always.  I?m writing a full length poetry book which I?ve provisionally titled Impact Enigma.  I?m also working on my next novel Black Cow, which is about a tree-change, set in Australia this time.  Then Evie?s Song ? a novel about my grandmother set in the Catskill Mountains of NY State during World War II (that?s an ambitious book with 3 points of view and 3 time frames).  Then probably Goethe?s Daughters, about Goethe?s favourite grandson who traveled to NZ, met a Maori priestess named Puhiwahine, fell in love and spent the rest of his days as a NZ farmer.  It?s a true story and I just found out, with great delight, that my son?s friends mother is his great great great great granddaughter.  The story has never been told and I might just do it as nonfiction if she lets me, as it?s quite a story.  There will probably be a few poetry books between the other novels as well ? just for a break.  I do try to keep open to serendipity though, so if some tremendously exciting project looms on the horizon, everything might change as I make way for it. 

Darrell is the author of three dozen books and as many short stories, in many genres, running the gamut from humor to mystery and science fiction to non-fiction and a few humorous works that are sort of fictional non-fiction, if that makes any sense. He has even written for children. For the last several years he has concentrated on humor and science fiction, both short fiction, non-fiction (sort of) and novels. He is currently writing the fourth novel in the series begun with ?Medics Wild.?

Mail to Darrell Bain can be addressed to him from his web site, www.darrellbain.com

Hi Darrell, It?s very nice to meet you. How did you get started writing? 

*I've liked to write since I was twelve or so but I didn't get really serious about it until buying my first computer in 1989. The word processing program made writing and correcting mistakes seem like magic, so easy that the first thing I did was write a novel.

I understand you are a multi-genre writer. How did that happen? Do you find this advantageous or have you run into problems doing this?

*I've always been an eclectic reader so I suppose it was more or less inevitable that I'd wind up writing in multiple genres, but my favorites are science fiction, thrillers and humor. I have no difficulty writing in other genres, though. I believe it widens an author's grasp of plotting and dialog.

 In your author?s notes you mention ?the guys at Winnfield who contributed to the prison vocabulary,? there has to be a story behind that.  Tell us more.

*Yes, unfortunately. My youngest son is serving a long prison sentence because of getting mixed up in drugs. He likes to read and introduced my books to the guys incarcerated there. When I needed to do some research on prison patois for Savage Survival, it was the natural source to go to. And I have a number of fans there, including the warden.

 How would you describe your new Sci Fi novel, Savage Survival?  It doesn?t sound very upbeat. Your bio said you?ve been concentrating on humor and science fiction. Is there any humor in this one?  Why did you write it?

*There's not much humor here. Just as the title suggests, it is a story of survival, following an eleven year old girl as she grow into a young woman under a succession of horrible environments. She is mixed with millions of other humans who have been kidnapped by invulnerable aliens and placed into situations that are extremely difficult to survive. Why are the aliens doing this? That's one thing she wants to live to find out, but she is alone, with no parents or guardians to guide her and only her innate sense of honor, her bravery and her unwavering belief that there is goodness in most humans if properly led sustains her through the long struggle. Actually, the novel is upbeat. It shows just how much pressure a growing young person can survive and still remain sane and retain their moral sense.

I'm not sure why I wrote it. Perhaps it was a result of seeing orphans in Vietnam struggling to survive on the streets and even care for younger siblings. I admired their bravery.

Another reason I wrote it is because the idea, theme, the plot and the central character, Lyda Brightner, popped almost full blown into my head one day, a rare event for an author. The novel practically wrote itself.

Do you have a favorite character?  Why?

*Oh, yes. Lyda in Savage Survival is by far my favorite. I love her and think my readers will too. She represents everything that is good and brave and admirable in our species.

Would you like to post a teaser (few paragraphs from your book) here to give the readers a taste of what to expect?

*Sure. Here's a few paragraphs from the second chapter. 

**********************************************************************

        ?Ma?am, do you know where I can find some water?? Lyda asked the old woman politely.

NOTE ON TRANSCRIPT:  This is a live chat transcript.  I have cut the side comments and computer prompts, corrected spelling, and done some work on grammar.  However, it is by no means perfect--merely readable.  If you wish to use portions of this, please contact me--and please do what editing is needed to make it conversational as opposed to chat room-phrased--  www.fabianspace.com (click on FabChat)

(Additional note: I have left this transcript in chat room form for those of you who are still hesitant to attend a chat room. This is exactly the way that it shows on the screen except that the screen is smaller and scrolls the conversation as it takes place.  The rules listed at the beginning are pretty well standard too.--M.A.)

Wednesday I attended 7 one hour long live chats. Here are some more of the notes I took.  They are my best attempt at paraphrasing but sometimes I have ended up typing verbatum. 

This convention  lasted one week and there were many,many more live chats as well as individule forums.  Lea Shizas is compiling an eBook containing their transcripts and information for sale to those of you who missed the Muse Convention.  I will post when it becomes available. (And yes, I posted my notes with her consent.)

WHY, WHEN AND HOW RADIO INTERVIEW ?Valerie Connelly

www.valeieconnelly.com    www.globaltalkradio.com/shows/callingallauthors

We are looking for people with more to talk about besides the book. That?s important too.  As soon as you have a galley copy or a proof you can talk about it.  I can be reached by email we?re booked through April 2008 but I will often double and triple book the show to fill it out each week. publisher@nightengalepress.biz or info@callingallauthors.org

Send a synopsis a request to appear and then we send you an interactive form to fill out and return.   We then confirm the booking. On the form we ask you to provide ten talking points. These are my guide for talking with you. but we often digress and the conversation will lead where it wants to go. The Calling All Authors listening audience is typically writers, readers and industry experts.

Think of book promotion as a target starting where you stand in the bulls eye, then you move outward from there to state, regional, national, global.  Google ?national radios stations? and go to their websites for contact info. Send a query with a book synopsis and bio. (Katherine Gogolewski?s forum workshop has list of places to find radio stations.)

Global talk Radio gets over 100 000 unique visitors per month. Calling all authors is in the top three of their 40 shows. Shows are available in archives too.  All genres of authors are welcome.

10 talking points vary from author to author: how they came to write the book, why, what market hurdles they faced, overview of the book in about 5 sentences?no giving away the plot.

There is a wonderful book by Francine Silverman called?talk radio for authors. Getting interviews across the US and Canada.

I have an article about getting psyched up on my website www.valerieconnelly.com

Top 3 mistakes interviewees make on the radio: trying to multi task, they come late to the show, they read their answers, or they talk too much and don?t allow for conversation.

Focus on the show, be on time, never read, just make an outline so you can?t, and breathe so the host can interact with you. the most effective thing a writer can do is be cheerful and up beat?no sad sounds in your voice?smile as you talk, it will come through your voice.

Talk clearly, don?t rush, and smile.

On my show each segment is 16 minutes and sometimes I give 2 segments to an author depends on the bookings and time.  No don?t read ANYTHING from the book.

You should prepare a list of 10 items you?d like to talk about tin relation to your book and send t hem to the host.  Even live, having items planned to talk about doesn?t make it sound like a script.

(Karina Fabian) If interviewer is going too far off track that is when you need to keep a firmer hand on the flow of the conversation. Make your own points and draw back to them.

We don?t do excerpts it really doesn?t come across on radio?The Prairie Home Companion aside there isn?t time in an interview for reading.

Talk about your book?fill people in?but really, reading things is dullsville.

Our listeners like the lively conversation, variety of topics and all the fun it is to listen.

Poetry is a little different. A short verse might be ok but again the audience will be more interest in how you wrote the book how you marketed the book of poetry etc.

Be a happy camper and ready to tell it like it is?be prepared and all goes pretty well.

The audience prefers to hear about the book and how the author wrote, published, and marketed it.

Internet radio is the bomb ?will take over I feel confident. 

BUILDING A CAN?T PUT IT DOWN SUSPENSE NOVEL

?Diane J. Newton, J D Webb, Pepper Smith

There can never be too many subplots in a suspense/thriller unless they get away from you and it doesn?t make sense.   You?ll probably have as many subplots as primary characters.  If it takes away from the main one its too many.  They need to be woven into a whole that makes sense. Subplots revolve around the main. It?s a path that a character other than your main character is following and it weaves in with the main plotline.

Psychological thriller the POV can be from both the antagonist and victims head depends on the plot. Plot dictates everything in suspense.

All your sentences should be attention getters but the first-- the very, very best.  Your main c should be used as your POV. Change only when necessary.  If there?s a prolog it has to get the attention of the reader.

You can have suspense/thriller without a villain?

Sure I?ve used dead people, tornado tsunami, whatever. There has to be conflict of some sort that?s all.  Along as its threatening go for it

Multiple POV should never be in the same scene. Works if your careful to id POV changes if you can?t pull that off don?t try.

Anything that slows the story is too much.

(a double drop is an empty line)read Christopher Gortner. He?s master IMHO. And a friend.

Mystery should be solved even if it?s not completely dealt with. Pd James will sometimes have a murder solved but not have the killer arrested and tried.  Leaves the reader dangling and he?ll hate you forever.

Too complex plot?? In suspense, not possible. Write the dang book, but have it critiqued or work shopped for good measure.

If a prolog is necessary for the story I do it. Again plot dictates everything in suspense.

?Can she? will work but obstacles are better.  Without the who-done-it, you have a thriller.  Enemies are better yet. Eventually you have to reveal who done it because your readers will feel cheated. If there is another hidden villain, make him mean and there will have to be hints that someone else is involved.  Character does drive suspense. There?s no more important element than character development   get good at it.

Yes a story can have an epilog and no prolog.

I write each chapter as a short story beg mid and end?personally I have very short chapters they?re more useful when writing multiple POV story than when you stick primarily with one character?depends on action. Scene and structure dictate chapter length.

Your chapters should end while in action or with a burning question in the readers head. Never give them a chance to put your book down.

You can bog down in detail, but a certain amount is needed fo are your reader to see the story   it takes practice to get it just right.  It can slow the action, but there are places to put in bits of detail. Do enough to establish the scene and mood.

Besides conflict in a suspense novel show feelings and senses (as in all writing) continuation, the effects that the conflict is having on your characters. If it doesn?t affect your characters your readers won?t much care. It also becomes a thriller rather than suspense.

Suspense is something that is present in writing.  A thriller is more action driven (James Bond) suspense is more character oriented and deals more with how things affect the character.  Horror can be suspense (Dean Koontz is a master)

Any genre can be suspenseful or mystery. Or romance for that matter.

Readership is down. Novellas are hot because they don?t take a lot of time to get through.  People are busy.

Often your title may be changed by the publisher. Don?t worry about your working title. As long as it fits your story I don?t see it ass a problem.

A villain must seem human and believable with motivations that seem compelling and reasonable-to the villain.  Usually these reasons are transparent, no need to belabor them they are motive. But reader will feel cheated if they have no reason why villain commits the crime.  Think of 7 deadly sins?villain is one of them.

A novella is shorter than 40 000 words usually or whatever the publisher guidelines say.  EBook publishers do a lot of novellas. Lots are serialized.   Google it.

When you have conflicting opinions about your book, your editor?s is the most important.

Suspense is breathless so I use shorter sentences. Sometimes one word. Also show don?t tell. If it s scary, describe the fear in the characters eyes or shaky hands

WORLD BUILDING --Karina Fabian

Capitalize proper nouns, italicize only if its being used as a foreign word.  Like in Magic Mensa and Mayhem.  Vern calls a draf a gherk which is an insult  I italicized it cus it?s a swear word.

If area is important to story I map it out. Some writers love maps and use them to make it a richer world.

Some people organize info  in files with cut out magazine photos , snippets from articles, handrwritten notes. There?s this very cool software ?Writer?s Café?that will do it for you on the computer: anthemion through google?s  writer?s café and you should find it. They have a free trial and the file program is  $50.00.

Ebooks are a growing market but they do have their own challenges.  Twilight times  (whch published ISIG) does both ebook and print. TTB has one dbook author who sells hundred a month?however, he has worked hard to create a following.  Many readers still prefer the convenience of paper, so it depends on what you want from your book and how much you?ll market.

Sim world computer game(?) have incredible detail it?s a part of the appeal but in a story or noel you are looking at the story:plot characters what happens in the world. Very few authors cansuccessfully write a book that has a fantastic world but on dimensional character.  Build as much of your world as the story needs then a little more. Becusse that will give you ideas for your story, but if we don?t need to know the history of that dagger wand where the metal for the  blade came from yadayada?.leave it out.  For m your story first, in fact, character, then story, then world.  My Faerie/Mundane universe of Dragon Eye Pi is growing and I?m having to go back and re-think where and whwn things fit (don?t know if that?s a recommendation or a warning)

Planning multi volumes: rule of thumb: make sure each book stands alone, even if they can all tie together.

How much input did you get from TTB?  Their standare is ebook for a few months (6 or so) then print.  The time in ebook lets Lida gauge the interest , the author?s willingess to promote, etc  every publisher is different, but I think the generally know how they wan to handle books   they don?t usually advise on a book by book bases.  That?s twilight times books.  Lida quillen  check her out on the foum. Shes a great lady and a good publisher to get with.

My favorite research resource is Google.  I also ask my husband rob. He?s an incredible font of info.

STRATEGIES  FOR  REVISING  YOUR  STORY OR  NOVEL --Bob Iles

Use voice built into Microsoft for finding mistakes.

What kinds of revisions do authors commonly forget or don?t know they?d benefit from?

Impatience with a task, failure to set the work aside for a while and come back to it with a hard eye.

Many word processing programs allow you to save as PDF (including the free Open Office).

I urge writers to try to see their work as readers would without letting typos and punctuation get in your way. Judge whether you have a story going.  And whether it has pull. Do the line editing last also I think in terms of scene not chapters or paragraphs.  Unfortunately I submit a story thinking its done then a week later?

Folks recommend revising a story tear it apart and rearrange it, flow charts, outlines? I like to lay scenes or chapter out on the ping pong table where I can nearly see everything and decide works well for novels.

I try leaving it in a drawer for at least a week and then geit it out and read it aloud?hopefully to someone.  Problems stand out this way.

Join writers groups that benefit your writing and career too. Quit those that don?t

You can possibly find writer groups by talking to sales people at bookstores or library staff.

Best Book You Can Read: Revising Fiction: a Handbook for Writers by David Madden. Get it at Barnes & Noble maybe other places.

When you get tired of revising, stop or at least pause because you won?t do good work.  You should enjoy revising when you don?t give yoyourself a break.

PROTECTING YOURSELF AND YOUR WORK

--K L Nappier  KINAPPIERDDP@YAHOO.COM

When sending out a work , send one to yourself so postmark would indicate when I wrote the work if it was ?stolen.? Do this each time.  The easiest way is to research the publisher thoroughly first to help ease your mind. By far most publications are on the up and up.  You can also, if you prefer, send the book with an old fashioned return receipt however many publications frown on that because it costs them time. 

If you are entirely self contained, not using   POD or self publishing company you?ll need to do copyright yourself. It?s a lengthy process so give yourself plenty of time to get the paperwork filed.

Any suggestions for dealing with sites like articles.com lexis/Nexis et al that resell works from magazines that the writer holds rights to?

Never had to deal with that and to be honest I?d seek the advice of Authors Guild or another reputable org

(seisa2 said ?a postmark will not hold up in court as proof of copyright.?)

Proof of copyright is confirmation that you are the original writer. That gives you weight to that claim.  However not having a copyright doesn?t give the public cart blanch to steal work.  The good news is that in reality getting your work stolen is a very rare thing.  It?s the sensational tales that grab media attention which inflates the problem.  Your best defense is to research the agent or publication that you?re submitting your work to.

Query publication if you?re not certain about whether they do copyright or you do.

If your work is stolen or copyrighted by someone else, you can prove copyright through computer records, witnesses too, putting the copy right symbol on your work is enough. There are many watch dog groups on the internet that are very helpful. Predators and Editors is one of the most popular. Also troll the online forums at places like Absolute Write.  Their forum is the Water Cooler and you can get the word directly from other writers.

To get a copyright yourself, go to  http://www.copyright.gov/ it is a paperwork thing. Plus they want money once upon a time it was $10 in US (probably not any more)

:

 Canadian site: http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_main-e.thml

Manuscript should be dolled up and ready for prime time before it is copyrighted.

Seisa 2(?) said: ?According to the copy right website the postmark method would not stand up in court. Someone could steal your work register it and you?d lose the case they call it ?the poor man?s copyright.?

Writer?s Digest teaches the mail to yourself trick?.either way an abundance of cumulative evidence documenting when you wrote the work as opposed to when someone else claims to have written it would surely help your case.  Registered mail is the safest because you have to sign for it..

You always register in your real name there?s a place on the form to indicate your pen. Likewise when you work directly with a publisher or agent, always use your real name.

If you copyright an article and rewrite it do you need to re-copyright?      Yes.

If a teacher makes an informal book of a students work for the class can they later publish it?  Check with a site like Author?s Guide?

Should you copy right a newsletter?    Don?t know.

PUTTING  SIZZLE  IN  YOUR  LOVE  SCENES

?Lynn Crain

Romance, and erotic romance is all in the words. A touch or a look can bring just as much sizzle when done right as a grope.  It all depends upon your perspective and just what you want to accomplish.

First you have to know your audience.  You write for your targeted audience.

How do you sustain interest in a real relationship?  You must think of your characters as real.   There should be something they have to get over. Erotica is not porn. It?s a real story.  It?s all about the love story first and then the sex comes in, but many stories now seem plotless.  I don?t do that.  Morgan Hawke is a better author.  She?s all about plot.

(Most erotica writers use a pen name)

Lea suggests using the real word, not ?his thing? in the stories.  Lynn agrees. There are some definite no no?s in this business?purple prose is one of them.  His thing is a penis. If your gonna write erotica you need to use the words.  If you're writing romance you can't say the words, and if you are writing sensual, you can allude to it.

There are 3 distinct genres with 3 distinct wording patterns. 

For non erotic romance, I went out and found me some phrase books that were great.  If you?re doing a straight romance you keep words simple.   He kissed, caressed, he touched.  You might put a few descriptive words there but they are basic types.  From The Millennium Phrase Book by Rebecca Andrews?take a normal smile? there are ten ways to say it: a do-me smile, a broad grin split his face, angelic smile, devil-bedamned grin, flashed a sweet smile, a sexy half smile, sheepish grin, grinning down at her, slow sexy smile, smile like a saint?they go from tame to wild?it?s all in the words.  You have to study words and get to know them intimately?different words for everything involving a romance.

Romance Writers of America in 1983 taught me my technique. They have wonderful hands-on writing classes and conferences.  I learned how to plan a book and what the words were. How to do the research on what I wanted to write about?tons of great books out there also will teach you the craft however there that sticks with you most is actually sitting down and writing one. Then have it critiqued at a group.  You?ll learn what works what doesn?t and how to make it great.

Erotic romance has the elements of romance and has to have them.  In order to work the scope is broadened?not just sex for sex sake.  There is a definite separation between the two.

There are all kinds of sexual tension regardless of if they actually have sex or not.  They can sleep together on page one and yet on page 75 the tension has built up so much you just want them to do it.

No matter what the genre, rape is never good, especially if to the heroine.  If you must have it, it is best to do so off screen.

GMC (goal motivation, conflict) by Deb Dixon   The Writer?s Journey by Christopher Vogeler and one by Angela Knight from Loose 1 (about erotic romance)11

INTERNET TALK RADIO--Lillian Cauldwell

Owns and runs talk radio station called passionate internet voices talk radio inc.  http.//interneTVoicesradio.com  

Good way to give a good interview is to listen to other guest authors give interviews.  Click on any one of the talk show hosts names and it will take you to their archive page.  There you?ll find thirty min interviews done by themselves about their expertise or interviewing a guest author or business person

First thing to remember is that radio /internet talk radio the audience can?t see you.   Your voice becomes your body language.  How you speak loud or soft how your phrase your words and sentences, how well you know your subject matter depend on how well you're prepared.   

On TV interviews the big thing to remember is read your book the night before so you can answer the host?s questions.

Don?t wear dangling earrings, loud patterns, or colors.  Don?t cross your legs.  Keep your hands clasped in your lap. Speak clearly.  Don?t hurry through your answers.  Don?t wave your hands about.  Have your hands rest palms down in your lap-- you don?t want to look nervous in front of the cameras. 

You look at the host when they talk to you.  You don?t look directly into the camera.  You think your answers before replying.  Some hosts have already given you questions before the interview.  Some don?t.  

I don?t have a list when I interview.  I shoot from the hip.  On radio internet or on TV make sure you have a glass of water by your side.  It lubricates your throat.  

Don?t use ?you know,? like, uh , ah, or, and.  I once counted 45 ?you knows? in one five minute interview.  The trick is to be asked back because you have given answers that your audience can benefit from immediately.  ?Instant gratification.??  The interview is suppose to help the author market and promote your book. 

Your book and you are the product being sold to the audience ?Bring your book with you always.  Have a brief excerpt ready to read aloud.  Practice reading it out loud so that the words come clear and precise. Put emotion in your voice when you read.  

I go by PIVTR??s ratings. The increased downloads that we receive are from the guests who become emotionally involved with their book when they?re reading from it. Over 1,000,000 podcast downloads, 117 foreign countries daily and weekly, 15 fortune 500 co. daily and weekly for 18 mos. How many podcast per month?     I have 16 talk show hosts  each does a 30 min program per week in a 4 or5 week   I mean 4or5 weeks in one month   no ads or marketing just word of mouth.  Call it 4.3 in the average month.  I receive 200 to 400 podcast downloads per day.  I got 1000 to 3000 per day hits.  Also I offer many other benefits to my talk show hosts that aren?t in the 4 month contact.  That?s renewable every quarter.

For TV no bright lipstick suits best?beiges purples soft colors nothing bright no jewelry.

Most of my listeners come to the website after work to listen. Numbers fluctuated.  Biggest time slot for listeners is from 11 am to 2pm during the day.

Always use land telephone. It sounds better.  A lot depends on the recording. Audio acrobat records pod casts  I use digital recording equipment just like the Tigg Terristal(?) radio stations do

Best topics to engage the listeners to during an interview:  religion audio blogs from romance authors all things music   spiritual, authors who know their topics inside out?

It takes 7 times to hear something before someone buys it.

Land line for internet radio and land radio is the number one piece of equipment. Prepare notes on 3x5 card don?t read speak.

We make our money from talk show hosts paying us a fee. I?m preparing proposals to secure money from corporations you can do talk show free with blog talk radio

 But remember this; to make money, you must spend money.  Everyone who appears on radio and TV has a sponsor who pays.

Most good talk show hosts will ask you for your contact info to end the interview. Name, email, URL of website, where to buy the book. Thank the host for their time and that you enjoyed speaking on their show.  Always write a thank you letter and address to the producer after wards never close a door. Never!

No such thing as a free lunch everyone has a sponsor your competing with a lot of authors out there.

Consider doing internet talk radio but ask a lot of questions before you get booked by these stations. Some guests even have to pay for their interviews. It depends on what?s out there and what you get as a new author you?ve got to put in at least 5 hours of marketing each day other wise you wont get heard.   Squeaky wheel gets attention. 

Tuesday I attended 8 one hour long live chats. Here are some more of the notes I took.  They are my best attempt at paraphrasing and sometimes quoting the speakers.

Monday I attended  5 one hour long live chats.  Here are a select few of the ten pages of notes I took--some are direct quotes, some are paraphrased.   I decided to leave the vampire transcript excerpt in it's original format--for those of you who have never seen how a chat room operates.

HOW TO KEEP YOUR BOOK ALIVE AND SELLING FOR ALONG, TIME

--Raleigh Pinskey.

Interviews?home readings for specialty audiences?libraries?use newspaper community page to locate clubs to approach to speak or teach at?at conferences approach the locals to sponsor a reading?post all events at all calendars available? www.PromoteYourself.com radio shows?For conventions, find out who is on the committee and send all your data to them, network with people who have been guests before?thre are blog directories or distribution sites, Google  them and locate all channels to list your blog on.

A teleseminar is a seminar over the phone.  You call in to a common phone number and talk on your subject matter to many people at once.  You invite all your friends/blog readers etc to join.  Google ?teleseminar? to find out more.

Visit children in hospitals or old folk homes?treat your product like arts & crafts?dress up in costume to hospital, use as a media op?check into internet radio?remember that if you get your name and website listed on another site it remains and is archived and stays in Google and Yahoo and AOL forever.

WORLD BUILDING (sci fi, fantasy & horror) 

--Kim Richards

Objective is to make the world make sense to the reader whether it is a screenplay, comic role-playing setting or computer game.  Sci fi needs explanation for things to make sense?historical piece needs those things about where the story takes place which are historically accurate.

?Sci fi is not harder. It comes with an automatic willingness by readers to embrace the unusual and unique?.  They are open minded and accepting of things only imagined?sci fi comes with a freedom unique to the fantastical genres (fantasy, surrealism and horror). 

The real world is our reference point, you wan t to spend more time on the aspects which are different. 

Google Savage?s linear focus method ie origin, ecology, etc

Knowing details does not mean you have to tell them?depends on your stories.

 Karina suggested that Google Earth has Google Space now, too. I just found the star system for my planet.?

For naming things on another planet: rules of thumb, if it?s got an earth equivalent, use the earth name. Call a shoe a shoe. If it?s unique to the planet give it a new name.

VAMPIRES-STILL HOT IN PUBLISHING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! --Christina Barber

Ms. Barber cut &pasted her info so fast that I had to copy the script instead of take notes.  In general, she outlined how different the vampire of  legends were  from now.  She believes that sex and blood are the main attraction of the current vampire.

ChrisBarber: So where do we get this - mythology or thoughts 

                         about a  vampire?

ChrisBarber: Primarily from Bram Stoker, and other fiction

                        along the way.

ChrisBarber: However, it wasnt' always this way, as this is

                        NOT the vampire of legend.

KristinJ-moderator: Great point, Chris

ChrisBarber:  I think we need to understand the vampire

                         legends in order to draw conclusions as to why

                        we still love to read about or watch shows based

                        upon these creatures of the night. 

ChrisBarber: Vampires have appeared in literature and film ?

                        horror, fantasy and sci-fi have all been blended to

                        include the mythical creature of the vampire.   

                       Vampires of literature and film depict a thin, pale

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ChrisBarber: This description is based on fictional works and

                       not folklore.  Most folklore vampires have a

                       flushed complexion or sometimes ruddy ? which is

                       explained because of the main source of food ?

                       blood.

ChrisBarber: Their bodies are not lanky but instead rather

                        plump or gorged from all the blood.  And there is

                        no evidence through histories myths about

                        extended teeth.  Many of these vampires took the

                        blood while t

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ChrisBarber: okay, so we have the truncated messages. I'll try

                         to be more limited. Damn.

ChrisBarber: Did you know there are tales about the vampire

                        throughout all areas of the world?  Some myths

                        call the vampire something different, but the

                        concept of a blood sucking fiend is still the premise

ChrisBarber: Here are some of the names and different

                        regions:  India ? Kali, a major Deity who had an

                        insatiable thirst for blood.  Rakshasis ? demons or

                        ogres who lived in cemeteries.

ChrisBarber: Ancient Mesopotamia ? the seven evil spirits ? if

                       the body wasn?t given proper burial it would rise

                       again as vampire and ghost.

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ChrisBarber: Eastern Europe ? (Rumania, Slovakia, Poland,

                       Czechoslovakia, Russia, Austria, Germany,

                       Hungary, Transylvania)  - Modern vampire or

                       vampir also called the Slavic Vampire.  Brought to

                       the USA through bo

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ChrisBarber: China- Chaing-Shi (or Jaing Shi)? if not given

                       proper burial or someone died violent death. 

                       They?d come back as a vampire.

ChrisBarber: The oldest legends of vampire figures were

                       females ? the Greek Lamiai, Jewish Lilith among

                       others.  These female vampires came about to

                       explain problems in childbirth and would haunt

                       pregnant mothers.

KristinJ-moderator: A lot of these stories seem to center

                        around the need to make sense of death. What do 

                        you think, Chris?

ChrisBarber: Of course protection from these creatures was

                       devised ? certain magical spells were created to

                        keep the vampires at bay.  Other female vampires

                       of note come from the Caribbean ? where they

                       have a seem

ChrisBarber: Dracula? the most common vampire was taken

                       from the novel by Bram Stoker (Abraham).  

ChrisBarber: Most (if not all) vampire myths indicate that

                       garlic and holy symbols (water, crucifixes,

                       Eucharist, hawthorn) are what repel vampires.

ChrisBarber: Killing a vampire ? decapitation, stake through

                       heart and burning are the most prevalent in

                       vampire myths.

ChrisBarber: In the traditional sense of mythology there is no

                        indication that sunlight killed the vampire.   It

                        wasn?t until the film Mark of a Vampire with Bela

                       Lugosi where the vampire disintegrated in the sun

Christina Barber?s lecture was just chocked full of research and she offered a very informational handout containing even more.

ADDING DEPTH TO FICTION -- Marilyn Peake

NASA is great for the real world background in science fiction ...

marilynpeake: When I write about Roswell, New Mexico, I take an actual online virtual tour of the International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell ...

THE AUDIO DIVAS AUDIO CLASSES 

-- Allyn Evans & Kathe Gogolewski

Capture the attention of the person/producer who puts on the show.  Don?t be afraid to keep contacting them?but just enough for them to remember your name.

Decide what about your book would entertain and audience.   Use media releases to the radio stations, media kits, queries, send cd?s, stories photos create news yourself. Don?t waste time calling the station.  If they are interested, they will call u.

For example: a book about tolerance can be pitched every time something happens that involves an application of tolerance?.

It takes understanding and persistence.  You can act as publicists for each other.

Podcasts of an excerpt for your book?a book trailer?audio ads?interviews?audio serieses 

You can Google for links to sources for radio stations both internet and traditional in your area.

When speaking?show passion in your voice?it is good to have CONTENT?don?t drop sentences, eliminate the fluff words

Evil and untimely technical problems not withstanding, I am at last posting Lea's interview.  Sorry for the delays.  (be sure to check out her article on  my writing page too.) 

  Tell me about yourself.  

  Where do I begin? I suppose like every writer I knew 
  right off the passion I felt for this craft. I?ve joked in 
  other interviews that my first spark to writing came 
  within my mother?s womb when I mistook the 
  umbilical cord for a writing implement.   But your 
  question said, ??about yourself.?  

  I was born in Montreal, Quebec, and my parents are 
  both Greek. Being the eldest of three kids I was always 
  the guinea pig for rules and regulations as many ?older?  
  kids can relate to. Mom was the strict one who never 
swayed from her ?NO!? and dad, well, he was always the 
sweetheart but we never tried to ?anger? him, either. 

I married my high school sweetheart at 18, had all four kids by the time I hit 25, 
and then ten years later had my final rose petal, another little girl. So that makes 
it four thongs and one boxer. 

Greetings.  At last I?m back from rewrites and a three day long SCA event.  So to get back into the swing of things again, I?m going to start by hosting Lea Schizas as part of her September quest.

Throughout September, Lea is launching a blog tour to help promote both her young adult fantasy adventure The rock of Realm and the paranormal suspense Doorman?s Creek.  Tomorrow she will be here for an interview and will field questions throughout the day from readers/writers on the craft of writing.  So post your questions in the comment section.

I?ve read both her books and here?s what I think of them:

Book Review by Mary Andrews: 

The Rock of Realm                    

by Lea Schizas

In her young adult fantasy adventure book, The Rock of Realm, Lea Schizas magically captures the spirit and nature of youth and adolescence through her unique cast of characters. Pops, the wisecracking squirrel, and Jinx, the six legged hamster, comically embody the unlimited abandon that only a child can embrace.

Meanwhile, Butch, the German Sheppard, remains an ever vigilant and responsible guiding force to the group helping 14 year old Alex and her best friend, Sarah. Together they work together to cross a dangerous land where birds don?t sing and noxious skeleton-like creatures rise from the ground to capture them?and Dread (the antagonist) is always in hot pursuit.

In the tradition of The Lion, The Witch, and The  Wardrobe, Lea Schizas? The Rock of Realm creates a vivid alternate universe engulfed in magic, mystery, and mayhem.

If you?re looking for an adventure, this young adult book, The Rock of Realm is a keeper. 

      For excerpt and more reviews: http://rockofrealmnovel.tripod.com/id12.html

    Doorman?s Creek 
    by Lea Schizas

  Lea?s new paranormal mystery         is effectively paced and interesting.   There are strange visions, a mysterious serial killer on the loose, a string of dead girls with bites on their necks, a skeleton, a ghost, and a trail of clues well hidden along the way.

The story revolves around a group of boys (Kyle, Shawn, and Bradley) who decide to check out the cave at Doorman?s Creek.  They are well rounded and believable characters, as are Kyle?s parents and their circumstances are realistic.

Lea spins a believable tale with paranormal twists and turns.  It is a fast read, but great fun.

For excerpt and more reviews http://www.etreasurespublishing.com/Lea_Schizas/doormans-creek.htm

Upcoming Book Tour Schedule:
http://leaschizaseditor.tripod.com/id12.html

SEPTEMBER 4: Stop by Beverly Stowe McClure's Live Journal blog:           http://beverlyjean.livejournal.com/

SEPTEMBER 4 & 5 & 6: I'll be the guest author on Karina Fabian's    "www.virtualbooktourdenet.blogspot.com.

SEPTEMBER 6 & 7: I'll be the guest author on Mary Andrews "Macrocosm" blog at: http://www.freewebs.com/mary-andrews/macrocosm.htm

SEPTEMBER 10th: I'll be live on Janet Elaine's internet radio program.

MORE INFO TO COME

SEPTEMBER 13: My next stop will be at Pauline P. Jones Live Journal blog:

http://paulinebjones.livejournal.com/

SEPTEMBER 17: Betty Jo Tucker will be hosting me all day on her Memosaic blog: http://memosaic.blogspot.com/

SEPTEMBER 27: I'll be stopping by for the day at Cheryl Malandrinos' blog, The Adventures of a Wife, Mother, and Writer:

http://aspiringauthor.blogspot.com/

In Betty Dobson's Inkspotter newsletter, I'll be her guest author for the September issue.

Well, since I can't seem to place a counter on this blog page, I thought I'd put a shout out to my readers.  So what do you think about my blog?  Is it interesting?  Would you like to see more or less about anything I've done so far?  In hopes of making this a better read, what should I do next?  Any suggestions?

      Well, my first edits for THE FIREBORN CHRONICLES came in last week, so I am very grateful to Colin for being my guest Blogger.  It took me about a day to clean up the book manuscript, but the editor wanted more length, so I went back and pulled out the intro stories to the three main characters at the beginning of the story.

     My biggest worry is that the styles of two of the stories might clash with what I have already done.  Two of them were originally written back in the 90?s.  At that time, I was patterning my style towards a blend of Roger Zelazny and Ray Bradbury.

     The stories about The Wall Master and Laynald, at some point, was submitted The Science Fiction Writers of Earth competition, and I received a note from a member of the screening committee telling me how much he had liked both my stories.  He said that Laynald?s story would have made it into the top ten if the ending had been stronger.  Drat!  Each story had been designed to lead the character up to the point where they become a member of the Nemesis Team.

     At one of my conventions, Jack Williamson critiqued the Laynald story and told me it was clean enough to publish, but he didn?t know what market.  I tend to write cross-genre.  I never did follow through on marketing them, but they have been written and rewritten throughout the ages.  In this last rewrite, I had to change some of the original concepts because of the way things worked out in the book.

     I had originally intended to do an anthology of stories about the origins of many of the characters from the book.  I may still do this, and I already have a second book started.  It involves psychic vampires, a closer look at how the new and old guards operate, and maybe a visit to The Hive Planet.  We?ll see.

     So now I?m haunting the email box and sweating out the October deadline I really want to hit.  We?re shooting for the week of the Muse Online Convention.

                                                                  To be continued?