Kristin Janz has reissued her short story, Looking-Glass Milk, on Kindle. I originally published this story in the Crystal Codices line which are now all out of print. If you missed it the first time, now is your chance to get it from Amazon. You can find it here.
The blurb:
On a hostile planet far from home, two scientists stand on the verge of a discovery that could alter humankind's understanding of the origins of life itself. But more than science is at stake, as Tanais and Xichen wrestle with questions of politics and identity, and race against time to redeem captive crew members from a terrible fate.
Go! Buy it now! It's only 99 cents!
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Bumble Bindlegrim
Check out The Holiday World of Mr. Bumble Bimblegrim. It comes from the imagination of my amazingly talented cousin, Robert Aaron Wiley. His blog Bindlegrim also has some amazing stuff on it.
I snagged this from his about page on his website:
Hello! My name is Robert Aaron Wiley, and welcome to the holiday world of Mr. Bindlegrim! An alter ego, if you will, for myself who never had much restraint when it came to holidays - always starting too soon, or too late (as evidenced by my parents confiscating that obnoxious 70s Halloween vinyl, I was playing over and over well after the holiday was done). Later in life, 2004 to be exact, I rediscovered my interests in these traditions, exploring them through art, writing, and music, and most recently novelty objects like bobble heads.Please look around, enjoy, and contact me if you have any questions:
This is the book trailer for his halloween book:
Check it out!
I snagged this from his about page on his website:
Hello! My name is Robert Aaron Wiley, and welcome to the holiday world of Mr. Bindlegrim! An alter ego, if you will, for myself who never had much restraint when it came to holidays - always starting too soon, or too late (as evidenced by my parents confiscating that obnoxious 70s Halloween vinyl, I was playing over and over well after the holiday was done). Later in life, 2004 to be exact, I rediscovered my interests in these traditions, exploring them through art, writing, and music, and most recently novelty objects like bobble heads.Please look around, enjoy, and contact me if you have any questions:
This is the book trailer for his halloween book:
Check it out!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
New Market: Rollicking Tales
Thomas H. Pugh, a forum friend, is starting up a new publication called Rollicking Tales. This will be a themed anthology.
The first theme is Farmer's Almanac and the deadline is December 31, 2012. Submission details can be found here.
My only involvement with this publication is that I tried to rain on his parade of starting up a new publication. (It's A LOT of WORK.) Fortunately for you, he had an umbrella of enthusiasm and passion for publishing.
Check it out! Rollicking Tales!
The first theme is Farmer's Almanac and the deadline is December 31, 2012. Submission details can be found here.
My only involvement with this publication is that I tried to rain on his parade of starting up a new publication. (It's A LOT of WORK.) Fortunately for you, he had an umbrella of enthusiasm and passion for publishing.
Check it out! Rollicking Tales!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Serious and Silliness
First the serious. I was beta-reading a short story which had a fantasy being based on bears, eg a bearlike humanoid. Which I think is pretty cool. The problem I had with it was the description of their nails. The author used talons, so I imagined bird type feet because talons are what birds of prey (eagles, hawks, falcons, etc.) have. Bears have paws and claws.
While nails, talons, claws, and hoofs are the same anatomical structure in vertebrates they really aren't synonyms. Primates have nails. Birds specifically birds of prey have talons. Bears, wolves, cats, dogs, etc. have paws and claws. Horses, cows, goats, sheep, camels, etc. have hooves.
If you're going to base a sentient fantasy creature on a known species, then take some time to look up that species anatomy. Otherwise your friend with a zoology degree is going to get confused.
Now for some silliness.
Giant Pandas playing in the snow
Even funnier
Red Pandas playing in the snow
While nails, talons, claws, and hoofs are the same anatomical structure in vertebrates they really aren't synonyms. Primates have nails. Birds specifically birds of prey have talons. Bears, wolves, cats, dogs, etc. have paws and claws. Horses, cows, goats, sheep, camels, etc. have hooves.
If you're going to base a sentient fantasy creature on a known species, then take some time to look up that species anatomy. Otherwise your friend with a zoology degree is going to get confused.
Now for some silliness.
Giant Pandas playing in the snow
Even funnier
Red Pandas playing in the snow
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Happy Holidays!
Happy Channukah!
Happy Solstice!
Happy Yule!
Happy Christmas!
Happy Kwanza!
Happy! Happy! Happy! New Year!
May all your goals and dreams come true.
Happy Solstice!
Happy Yule!
Happy Christmas!
Happy Kwanza!
Happy! Happy! Happy! New Year!
May all your goals and dreams come true.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Maintaining The Momentum
My son recommended a fantasy trilogy to me. With some misgivings as I haven't had a lot of luck finding enjoyable books in the fantasy section of the bookstore, I bought the boxed set.
The first book was great. I stayed up all night reading it until I finished it. I was all set to come on here and rave about the great new author that I found, then I read the second book. And it didn't hold my interest the way the first one did; I kept putting it down for awhile and then going back to it. Then I started reading the third book; I'm halfway through and I haven't picked it up in several days.
Being the analytical person that I am, I analyzed my experience.
The reason I had trouble sitting and reading the second book was because one plotline was too intense. The main character of that plotline was in mortal danger with no hope of rescue or getting himself out of the situation. The one who was going to rescue him was mucking around totally oblivious to the danger his friend is in. So the story flipped back and forth between him in mortal danger and his friend skipping around having a jolly good time. I felt like shouting "Would someone in this story please go tell him to rescue his friend!" He finally does, but jeez Louise until he does the tension was more than I could stand.
Tension in a story is good. It keeps the reader reading the book, but too much tension and they will put the book down. But how much tension is too much tension is going to vary with the reader. For me, it is too much when there is no hope or hint of rescue.
The bad guy was defeated in the second book. So in the third book, the major players in that conflict are heading off in different directions. There are seven plotlines in the book and I have no idea what the overall story is. It looks to me like they are unrelated. I have no idea where the story is going or how it all fits together.
But what made me set the book down the last time is that one of the characters that I really sympathize with is going to die. It's a character that really doesn't deserve to die. The injustice of that on top of not knowing where the story is going is what made me set the book down. I could handle an innocent dieing if I could see that it made sense in the big picture of the story, but since I can't see the big picture it doesn't make sense for her to die.
I don't know if I'll finish reading the book. And I don't know if I'll buy another one of this author's books. I'll probably borrow it from the library.
If you're wondering, it's Brent Weeks' Night Angel Trilogy.
The first book was great. I stayed up all night reading it until I finished it. I was all set to come on here and rave about the great new author that I found, then I read the second book. And it didn't hold my interest the way the first one did; I kept putting it down for awhile and then going back to it. Then I started reading the third book; I'm halfway through and I haven't picked it up in several days.
Being the analytical person that I am, I analyzed my experience.
The reason I had trouble sitting and reading the second book was because one plotline was too intense. The main character of that plotline was in mortal danger with no hope of rescue or getting himself out of the situation. The one who was going to rescue him was mucking around totally oblivious to the danger his friend is in. So the story flipped back and forth between him in mortal danger and his friend skipping around having a jolly good time. I felt like shouting "Would someone in this story please go tell him to rescue his friend!" He finally does, but jeez Louise until he does the tension was more than I could stand.
Tension in a story is good. It keeps the reader reading the book, but too much tension and they will put the book down. But how much tension is too much tension is going to vary with the reader. For me, it is too much when there is no hope or hint of rescue.
The bad guy was defeated in the second book. So in the third book, the major players in that conflict are heading off in different directions. There are seven plotlines in the book and I have no idea what the overall story is. It looks to me like they are unrelated. I have no idea where the story is going or how it all fits together.
But what made me set the book down the last time is that one of the characters that I really sympathize with is going to die. It's a character that really doesn't deserve to die. The injustice of that on top of not knowing where the story is going is what made me set the book down. I could handle an innocent dieing if I could see that it made sense in the big picture of the story, but since I can't see the big picture it doesn't make sense for her to die.
I don't know if I'll finish reading the book. And I don't know if I'll buy another one of this author's books. I'll probably borrow it from the library.
If you're wondering, it's Brent Weeks' Night Angel Trilogy.
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