Oy, the Questions! (Part 1)

One of the fun things about my job is that I get to talk to all sorts of folks about writing. A recent trip to Kennesaw State University and their Entertainment Marketing Class is a great example. Their professor (Tyra Mitchell) is a dear friend and so I get the chance to putter over and explain why marketing and "brand" are essential for an author.

This time around I pulled up other authors' websites, blogs and Wikipedia entries as a means to see who has it all together and who could stand some work. The authors ranged from the very highest and mightiest (J.K. Rowling -- check out her website -- it rocks) to those far less well known. The students were vocal about their thoughts on website design, which was great.

Professor Mitchell also assigned her class the task of penning questions for me. Unfortunately, we ran out of time to answer the majority of them so we hatched the idea of using this blog as a Q&A session. I'll post questions and answers over the next couple weeks. Feel free to demand follow-up questions or post comments. Blogs should be dynamic.

Question from S. McC. -- How did you decide you wanted to become a writer?

I had no choice. You can blame it on two things -- I'm an only child and the "voices". Being an only child I quickly learned it was prudent to entertain myself rather than bugging my parents who always seemed to have an endless supply of 'make work' jobs for the child (if she was underfoot). So besides reading voraciously, I started concocting stories in my head to keep myself occupied. I could out into my little world and no one would know what I was up to, unless I starting muttering to myself or forgot to take the garbage out.

As to the "voices", fortunately they aren't telling me to conquer England or anything. They're my characters, who will start chatting at me at the most inopportune times. Pushing the cart down the grocery aisle "Hey, did you know that X in this scene is really the bad guy who...." Sitting in a doctor's office "and that the bad guy is the one who killed the nun". It's at this point I go "What nun?" and get all sorts of looks from those around me. I've often thought I should buy a Bluetooth headset (but not put in the battery) just so folks don't think I'm talking to myself most of the time.

Question from A.S -- Have you always leaned towards this style of writing, even as a child?

I've always written mysteries from the beginning. I was never one of those to wrote happy and light stories. I've always been fascinated with the complexities of human nature. I added the paranormal or supernatural element to my writing in about 1998 when I become more aware of that aspect of life. Up until that point, I'd had little to do with anything mystical. Now I see it as one more layer of complexity.

Question from R.T. -- Do the relationships of your characters in your novels parallel your own relationships in your life?

I'd love to say no, but that's wrong. Authors often work out some of their inner issues (demons) through their writing. By putting your characters through emotional (and physical) hell, you not only take them on a journey, but pull yourself along as well. If the character is being a sincere jerk, that attitude comes from somewhere. We're all a mixture of dark and light and that's what makes writing so much fun. But every now and then I'll wince because something gets a bit too close to home.

I'm off to a convention this weekend but will continue posting the Q&A on Monday!

Anon...

A Signin' We Go!

Long weekends are always fun, even when they involve driving a goodly distance. Husband and I drove the Gizmo (Honda Hybrid) to Asheville and spent a leisurely day there. Hubby had never been to that fair city so we wandered up and down the streets, ate at the Tupelo Honey Cafe (awesome food) and visited a few bookstores. I usually hand out info about my book, a page of reviews, etc. One store is interested in a booksigning, another's events coordinator wasn't in and the third is, well, a bit more literary and not necessarily a great fit for my genre fiction.

Asheville reminded us a lot of Iowa City (Iowa) during the 70's. Very counter-culture. Lots of eclectic folks and nifty shops. It has great energy (suppsedly situated on a ley line) and the mountains in the distance only make it even more lovely. The trees were just starting to turn. Unfortunately, lots of other people love Asheville and an online search of real estate values tells me that living in/near the town is not going to be in our budget until I make the NY Times list... repeatedly.

Our next stop was Raleigh and a booksigning at the East Six Forks Borders Books. Wow. Talk about being treated like a celebrity. There was even a bouquet of flowers on the signing table and they gave it to me at the end of the signing! That never happens. I was signing with Raleigh resident, J.R. Fisher, the fellow who won a role in SOJOURN during a charity auction last year. (See photo above.) We were all in full Victorian garb and that got some second glances. The local newspaper folks popped in, took pictures and interviewed us. (Read the interview in the News Observer) And lots of J.R.'s friends dropped into buy books. After the signing we adjourned to the Bahama Breeze located next to our hotel for dinner. We really enjoyed ourselves.

I returned to my hotel room and crashed for a LONG nap. Then I was awake until the wee hours (Bah!) Sunday we headed home and took the scenic route southwest of Asheville (which added extra time to the trip) but allowed us to wend our way through some really gorgeous mountain scenery.

Now it's back to the grind until next weekend and another signing (this one here in Atlanta) at the Borders in Kennesaw. Let's hope it goes as well as the one in Asheville for that was one for the record books.

A Citizen's Duty

The elections are in a few weeks and the ad blitz is going full tilt. Lots of full scale propoganda is issuing forth from both the Democratics and Republicans. For the most part is it all b.s. Each side is trying to make points with us voters. "So and so voted against this bill and that means he's siding with the terrorists!" [A note - the citizens of this great nation are smarter than that, guys. They know that terrorists are not, on the whole, very polite. They do not come up their intended victims and ask, "Excuse me... Republican or Democrat? Oh, you're a Democrat? Then please go stand over there so you won't get hurt when I explode this bomb."] It's just ignorant to accuse another lawmaker of helping Osama and his crowd.

So here's what we citizens need to do: study the candidates. I know, that cuts into your time watching Lost and other such things, but this is YOUR government after all. Forgot that, did you? (They prefer you do. It makes it so much easier for them.) In all honesty, we're the reason it's in such a mess. We've let the inmates run the asylum. We've not held their toes to the fire. And in the process They (and by They I mean BOTH Democrats and Republicans) are destroying what's really cool about this country.

It's time to do your homework -- read what the candidates say and then drill down through the 'spin'. Send them an e-mail and ask questions. If you get b.s. back (nine times out of ten you will) then go back after them for a straight answer. You wouldn't tolerate this kind of stupidity from an employee and yet you'll let your elected officials get away with just about everything.

Electing a government is a major life decision. Do your civic duty. VOTE. If not, in twenty-five years the Iraqis might have to help us execute a regime change to restore our democracy.

Now that's a sobering thought.

Welcome to the Gulag

One of the cool things about America, as compared to a number of repressive governments, has been our legal system. You get arrested, you get tried within a reasonable period of time. Coerced testimony (torture) is not allowed as evidence and you get to hear all the evidence against you so your lawyer can offer an informed defense. Not so in other countries where you can be incarcerated for decades and never see the inside of a court room. And should you be 'lucky' enough to be tried, the evidence is what they beat out of you over the course of the preceeding years. Verdict: Guilty. No appeal and a bullet in the brain (if you're lucky).

Please note the 'has been' in the first sentence. America is about to jettison one of the strongest beacons of light in this dark world and take a step closer to becoming like our enemies. Our Congress is in the process of passing a bill that will allow the President to declare any American citizen an "illegal enemy combatant". You can be arrested and held WITHOUT A TRIAL for as long as the government wishes.

If that trial does roll around, they can use evidence even if they pulled it from you or others using torture. They have the right to withhold evidence from your lawyer if they deem it top secret. You'll just be guilty.

But surely I'll have the right to challenge these conditions, you think. No. You will lose your fundamental right to habeas corpus if you're imprisoned in a military prison.

Chillingly, the courts will have NO RIGHT to review this new system, except verdicts made by military tribunals.

So, you ask, what does this mean to you?

This means that some day a bunch of government folks can show up on your doorstep and you, your mother, your teenage son, daughter, whomever, can be handcuffed and thrown into prison because someone lied about you or gave false information under torture. The Feds can just get you confused with someone else (it's happened). You or your loved ones may never get a trial. Basic human rights do not apply. They can be 'coerced' into giving testiomony using techniques that Torquemada would envy. They will simply be GONE because the government has deemed them an 'illegal enemy combatant'. And if they ever get free, the law would prohibit them from "suing the US government for torture or mistreatment."

Am I being overly dramatic? No. This power is breathtaking in its scope. It was bad enough we deny the prisoners in Cuba (and elsewhere) their right to a fair trial.

Now they can come for you. And it's all legal.

Welcome to the New America.

For more information on the scope of this bill:
New York Times Editorial 9/28

Boston.com (for the latest changes to the bill, which only grows worse by the hour)

First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Jew.

Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up,
because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left
to speak up for me.

I Be A Writer

As promised, my take on the writer's conference I recently attended. This event lasted for a week, was located in a very scenic area in North Carolina and was full of writers from all levels. Some had just started their quest for perfect prose and others were multi-published. I was in awe of the newbies. That takes some serious stones to bring your work in front of a group of august editors and a NY agent and say, "Help!" But they did and learned from the experience. My buddy and I had the joy of working with a new writer who, over the course of the week, made monumental leaps in his ability. It was great to watch. He took our comments with good humor and dished critiques back our way. The fellow has a vivid descriptive ability that I sincerely envy. I hope to see his name on the bookshelves in the coming years.

Ah, but what about my experience? It was mixed. Part of that was because I am so caught up in my current manuscript, which is due to my publisher next spring. I'm right in the middle of the manuscript's first draft and have no clear idea of what's supposed to be happening at this point. I know how the book ends, but the middle is a muddle. So a lot of my brain's disk space is being tied up with "What if..." queries. The manuscript I took to the conference was written a couple years ago and wasn't as sharp as my later works. Perfect work to savage, to be honest. Across the board, the editors complimented me on my writing ability. They also saw my lack of heavy-duty world-building and commented on that. I hadn't thought all the elements through and you can see it in the story (or not see, as the case may be.) They were right on. I'm better with dark paranormal mysteries than I am paranormal romance. So we were in agreement that I needed to go back and rework the manuscript from that aspect, deepen the plot, darken the characters and let the story take off.

Unfortunately, my time with the NY agent was also mixed. I was under the impression that he would read the entire 50 pages I'd submitted as the other editors only rec'd 5 to 10 pages for critique. I was wrong. The agent made it to about page 22 and stopped reading. This is where he'd stop if the work was submitted to his office. I understood that, but I paid some serious $$ to attend this workshop so I expected a full read and critique. It appears other attendees were also unamused and there will be changes to that in future. (In the past the agent did read the full submission.) I'm pleased the workshop organizers recognize the need for the change and are serious about making this as best an experience as possible.

What stopped the reading at page 22? "Low Tension". The fact that nothing dramatic occurs on every page. The agent spent an entire evening explaining exactly how to layer in more tension and I will try to do that in certain portions of the book. I disagree that it has to be on every page.

What I did come away with was a comprehensive toolbox of techniques to improve my prose and a solid sense of what I'm good at and what I need to improve. (Not many surprises there, actually, which means I'm pretty much in touch with my writing ability.)

Everyone at the workshop had something that plagued them: opening lines, too much backstory, boring dialog, confusing point-of-view shifts. No one was perfect. And that's the key. None of us are. When you start thinking you've reached that lofty heaven of pure prose, you're on the way out and the new fellow with the dynamite descriptions will be there to take your place.

In retrospect, I should have submitted my current work for critique if it had been further along. The brainstorming sessions would have been more useful. However, I have extensive notes on what changes need to be made to the workshopped manuscript and someday I'll get back to it.

Now I have to put that knowledge to use and figure out what the heck my heroine is doing in the back alleys of Rotherhithe besides stumbling over dead rats.

Working the Craft

Friends often lead you astray in curious ways. So it is with my friend Sharon who, with patient coaching, encouraged me to attend a week-long writer's intensive. This is the total immersion sort where they work your little gray cells (and typing fingers) into a fine powder. She's attended the workshop and loved it. Led by Donald Maas, one of the lead NY agents, and his editorial team, this isn't for the faint of heart.

So next week I'm going to cast my ego aside (or at least stuff it in my luggage for the time being) and learn how to do things even better. I'm workshopping a dark urban fantasy I wrote a couple years back. It's set in L.A., does have a wee bit of romance to it and sets the groundwork for a three-book series. Two years ago I thought it was brilliant. Now I think the prose is pretty decent. The story doesn't have the punch of my latest work. So that's my goal -- learn how to put even more ZING! into my stories so my readers will say, "that rocked!"

I'll give you an update at the end of the week (providing I still have enough brain cells to type a sentence). One thing can be said -- it ain't gonna be dull.

Dragon*Con 2006

Whew! (wipes brow) Dragon*Con is over. Talk about a heavy-duty weekend. Now for those of you who've never trekked to Atlanta over Labor Day Weekend and attended the "Mother of All Conventions" -- you're sensible, people. Just kiddin'. I'm sure those who came but didn't pre-reg and stood in the line for 3-1/2 HOURS to buy their bades won't soon forget how big Dragon has become. Or forget to pre-register again.

Dragon*Con's four-day cummulative attendance is usually in the 40K range. That means an average of 10,000 folks per day. Rumors said that it was closer to 20K per day (including guests & vendors) for 2006. Those 20K folks cluster between 3 hotels (Grand Hyatt, Marriott Marquis and Hilton). Usually the Hyatt lobby is a zoo in the evening. Let me give you an analogy -- if you've ever seen photos of the thousands of pilgrims slowing circling the holiest place in Mecca -- that's sorta like Dragon*Con at the Hyatt. Though the reason for the huge population is nowhere as holy, it's the same crush of humans. They swarm up the escalator, around the center tower and then back down another escalator, almost all in some sort of costume. Incredible. That usually happens in the evening. This time it was happening during the day. Which meant getting to one's panels on time involved a bit of creative genius.

Speaking of panels -- did three this year: Two in the SF Literature track and one in the podcasting track. Both of these programming tracks were new this year and they were really good. I got to sit in on a panel with Claire Eddy (Senior Tor editor) and Stephen Eley (editor of Escape Pod) and chat about the Business of Writing. Then I was on a Women in Podcasting panel (hint-- there's a lot of us!) And the final panel was about romance in SF&F and included with such fun folks as MaryJanice Davidson and Rosemary Laurey. We were in a feisty mood by 4 in the afternoon Sunday, so we had the audience howling their heads off.

Reconnecting with friends is always a blast and this year wasn't any different. I did my best to diminish the amount of my spouse's homemade wine selection and my single malt scotch collection. Neither gave me a hangover, but the lack of sleep does add a few years to my face (groan). Mage & I wore our full Victorian outfits Saturday and that was fun. The significant other looks quite tasty in tails, waistcoat and cravat.

Of the whole weekend, one moment stands out even more than all the others. I'm sitting at a dealer's room table and this fellow stops, stares at my book, points and says, "That's it!" Apparently, his wife had been hunting for Sojourn since last August. I verified that "my" Sojourn was the one she was looking for (there are others!) and he promptly bought her a copy. Boy, was he going to win lots of brownie points!!!

So Dragon has come and gone. It was my 9th Dragon*Con as an attendee and my 5th as a guest. As always, it was a combination of overwhelming and thrilling. And now the 'con 'lag' will set in.... need more chocolate...

From Amateur to Pro

In my mind, I'm now considered 'pro'. What triggered that change? My first royalty check. It ended up a bit bigger than I expected, even with the distribution hassles. It arrived via PayPal and so though I don't have a genuine check to fondle or photocopy and frame, it's still a FIRST.

Firsts, as I call them, should be savored. For most of you it's that first time with a lover, your first job, child, car, house, etc. Besides those (minus the child) for me it was my first book, my first contract, and now my very first check.

Validation comes in many forms. A stellar review, a reader who says, "I can't wait for the next book!" or a fellow author who remarks, "That book rocks, babe." And, of course, the $$.

I've always treated writing like a career. I love what I do, even though I can bitch like crazy when a story is playing hell with me. But at the bottom of it all, this is what I want to do with my life.

Now I have proof that others agree with that opinon. It's a strangely humbling experience.

RWA Conference 2006 - A View from the Other Side

I promised to pen my thoughts abut the Romance Writers of American annual conference and so here they are:

RWA presents a dilemma for me. They are a strong and growing organization. They also are very inclusive. They have set certain standards that designate who is and isn't considered a published author. This is not unique. SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) and MWA (Mystery Writers of America) do the same. RWA certifies publishers based on a number of criteria, including copies sold, etc. The upshot of this is that even though I have 4 published books to my name, I'm considered unpubbed because self-pub doesn't count and my current publisher isn't an "RWA Approved Publisher." (The time and expense required to achieve this status is not necessarily worth the effot for a small press. Better to be focusing on this year's book launches than doing tons of paperwork.)

Because of this arbitrary line, certain parts of the conference are off limits to me because of my status. I can't attend the meet-and-greet session with the booksellers or the librarians (an ideal way to increase book sales and my chance of moving 'up the ladder'.) I'm not allowed into some of the panels nor can I enter all of the contests. Of course, my dues and conference fees (nearly $400/year) pay for all this.

Which leads to the obvious question -- why am I a member of RWA and why do I attend their conference? The truth is, I'm stubborn. I am the odd duck -- a self-pubbed author who has won awards and now has moved 'up the ladder' to a tradional publisher. I want to be a reminder that not successful authors come from NY. (I've had a role model -- a good friend of mine came up through small press and now she's published by three NY houses.) My publishing path is no less viable than someone who took five years of rejections before they got their first 'call' from NY. Each result in a published book.

There are signs that the wall is cracking. 2 years ago the 'newbies' were told that if you self-pubbed your career was over, that no one would touch you. Fortunately, I wasn't in the same room with the agent who said this or there would been a heated discussion. Now they're saying that NY publishers are cherry-picking authors from small press (and self-pub). All of a sudden it's no longer the death knoll for your career. For those of us who work the SF&F convention circuit, we recognized this trend at least three years ago. RWA is just now catching up.

So the conference was mixed for me. I saw more small press authors win awards and evidence that the growth of the e-book industry continues. I also experienced some of the inclusiveness. Nowadays it doesn't get me as riled as it used to.

When I finally make the NY Times Bestseller list, I'll point to my unique career path and ask, "Hey guys, isn't it time to change the rules?"

The Course of True Publishing Never Doth Run Smooth

For those of you in the real world, the inner machinations of publishing are most likely not on your radar. For those who work in the field, the oddities can be extremely annoying and distracting. Such has been the case lately as my publisher (Dragon Moon Press) struggles to get my books to my readers.

Peace of cake, you say? In an ideal world it would be. You roam into your favorite bookstore, order a copy of my book and viola!, in about a week the tome is in your hands. What you don't see is how book orders are fulfilled. Your bookstore (let's call it Al's Books) does not contact my publisher directly. They go through a book wholesaler or distributor (the distinction between the two is minor) who collects all the orders for Sojourn for a week and then forwards them on to Dragon Moon Press. DMP boxes up the order and ships it to one of a number warehouses located around the country. Those warehouses break out the books according to the order and ship them to the appropriate bookstore in bulk lots. So not only would Al's Books receive a copy of my book, he'll also get a DiVinci Code, a How to Train Your Ferret Not to Bite Your Toes and Why Acid Rain is Good For You. The wholesaler/distributor is the ultimate middleman and gets a cut of the $$ for such services. The benefit to Al's Books is that he doesn't have to order directly from a squillion different publishers and all the books are on one bill. So far so good, providing all the above steps are in place.

The whole system comes to a grinding halt if the wholesaler doesn't show the book as in stock at their warehouse. The longer this shows on their database, the bookstores' own databases may flag the book as Not Available or worse yet, Out of Print even though books are piling up at the publisher. Such has been the case with my book. There are copies available. They're selling briskly on Amazon. But our wholesaler has shown the book as not in stock since the moment it was published. Why, you ask? Wouldn't it make sense to show a copy or two lying around their warehouse to stimulate orders? Ah, this is where it gets weird.

The wholesaler will not stock books unless there is demand. That's their bottom line. However, to generate demand it would be ideal that at least ONE copy of the book be shown as "In Stock". No books in stock, less likely it will be in demand. 'round and round we go. No demand. No stock. A self-fulfilling prophecy. Meanwhile, the book is not shown as available on B&N.com (and other online retailers) because--you got it-- it's not in stock at my wholesaler. (Amazon stocks seperately). This not a new problem for me; I fought this mindset when I was self-pubbed. Fortunately, there are only a couple of DMP titles with this stocking issue. Unfortunately, one of them is mine.

So folks have been trudging into their local bookstore to order my book only to be told "Sorry, not available." Despite the awesome reviews, all the work my publicist and my publisher have been putting into make the book a success, it all hinges on the policies of the 'gatekeeper'. Until we crack that open and get 'through put', Sojourn will continue to fight an uphill battle. We continue to offer the book at other venues, but a goodly number of folks want to order at a bookstore. I respect that. I just wish my wholesaler understood that, as well.

I'm eagerly awaiting the day when you can walk into your local bookstore, peruse a sample tome, punch a code into a printing machine and it prints your book while you wait. (Yes, such technology exists. They're working out the bugs.) The upside? No middleman, less environmental damage for returned/pulped books, and no hassles for the reader. You get the book you want when you want it. The downside? I'm still working on that one (other than a lot of wholesalers' employees out of a job).

So we will continue our jousting with the monolith that is our wholesaler. I have faith my publisher will prevail, though I deeply regret the lost time and lost sales. However, once the book is in stock, we'll have to watch the levels very carefully. If it goes out of stock, we may have to start the whole process over again.

A Fan Girl Confession

I'm usually pretty cool around the big name authors. I rub elbows with them on a regular basis and for the most part, they're just like the rest of us except their royalty checks have infinitely more zeroes. They're free with good advice and have lots of war stories. I view the majority of them with respect.

Then there are those rare few authors to which I fall into 'fan girl' status. The three are: Terry Pratchett, Ian Rankin and Kim Harrison. Authors come and go off this list, but these three have remained in place for a long time. I'm damned fussy about what I read as I have so little time to spend in that glorious pursuit. So when I pick up a book, it better rock. All three of these authors deliver the goods.

So it was with great joy I got to meet one of the trio at RWA this week -- Ms. Harrison. Her Rachel Morgan series manages to blend witches, vampires, werewolves, pixies and elves in a modern Cincinnati setting and hold my interest from page to page.

We met for a 'Decompression Coffee' (open to those attending the conference) and just b.s.'d for an hour. The group talked about everything, including how Kim creates her books (she's an detailed outline sort) and what's coming up in her next book (For a Few Demons More). It was a very pleasant hour.

Usually I'm fine around other authors, but I was just too much of a fan girl to relax. So instead I tried very hard not to blurt anything stupid. I think I did okay. At least no one tossed me over the railing to the floor below to shut me up (always a clue).

Kim's a classy lady and her "Guy-in-the-Leather-Jacket" is quite a cutie. All in all, it was a great hour and one of the highlights of the conference.

And now the fan girl moves on to World Con in L.A. where Mr. Pratchett is to be found. All I need to do is make a trip to Scotland and see Rankin and I'll have had the summer of a lifetime.

For those who want to sample Kim's works: www.kimharrison.net

Fair warning -- they're highly addictive.

Trinoc*Con 2006

Just back from my ten day 'sojourn' to Raleigh and Atlanta. But before I jump into reporting the RWA Conference, let's do Trinoc*Con justice.

I like going to this con because it's like a family reunion, only better because family isn't involved. I shared table space in the dealer's room with the ever-sauve Tony Ruggerio, magical Laura J. Underwood and that amazing bard, Lee Martindale. As Lee would say, we play nice together. I spent some time b.s.'ing with J.R. Fisher (the fellow who is my Scotland Yard chief inspector in SOJOURN) and had the pleasure of sitting on some amazing panels. One, in particular, was very cool as we discussed (at the early hour of 10 a.m.) the cause and effect of time travel. If you could go back in time and change something, what would it be? What would be the consequences? Or would you care? Lots of deep conversation for such an early hour.

Alan Wold introduced me to the wonders of Laphroaig (singularly awesome single malt scotch) and dinner at the Bahama Breeze was really good. I'm still astounded we got a table within 5 minutes.

I was particularly pleased to see the fine folks at Edge Books at the convention. Zane & Jo live in Louisiana and last year was a outright b*tch in their neck of the woods. They're still dealing with the aftermath.

And one last note -- the hotel. It was a Hilton. The rooms were newly remodeled, the coffee was LaVazza (Italian and expensive) and the bed oh-so wonderful. Yeah, I admit it, I'm becoming a hotel snob. I stayed in a Microtel the night before and I like them, as well. Free Wi-Fi, free long distance, continental breakfast. But every now and then you like to live in luxury. Trinoc*Con's hotel was that and more.

Another year under my belt. It's always a pleasure. Looking forward to 2007.

A July Two-Fer

The brief respite off the road is about to end with a two-fer, two conventions in a row. The weekend of July 21-23 will find me in Raleigh, NC at Trinoc*Con (also a Deep South Con this year) followed by the Romance Writers of America annual convention (this year in Atlanta).

This will be my third year at Trinoc*Con and it's always a pleasure to return as a guest to the Raleigh-Durham area. This year won't be an exception. Lee Martindale, Laura Underwood and Tony Ruggerio will be there, so there will be fun to be had on all accounts. Also, I'll be catching up with J.R. Fisher, the fellow who so graciously donated $$ during the literacy fund auction last year to become a character in SOJOURN. And what a character he became. Chief Inspector J.R. Fisher took on a life of his own and is one of my favorite characters. He's in the second book, as well, carving a path through the plot. The real life J.R. Fisher is no less fun, I can tell you.

The Romance Writer's Convention is the opposite of a SF&F con. Think pantyhose, 'adult clothes' and formal gowns. It's the one time a year I brush off the really ritzy gowns (providing I can still get into them) and pack all the fancy jewelry. Since SOJOURN just came out this year, I'm doing more schmoozing than anything. If the fates are with me, the book will be up for a few awards next year, but this year I'm reconnecting with my writer buddies, listening to panels and having a good time.

Once I get home from Trinoc*Con I'll post a report as I have about a day downtime between before RWA conference starts. And I'll be sure to post a blog about the RWA Pre-Conference trip to the shooting range where I'll get the joy of trying out a number of firearms. I know, what we writers do for research....

Lady Liberty -- Religion Gone Awry

Of all the silly Constitutional amendment ideas floating around, perhaps we should have one that prevents desecration to The Statue of Liberty.

So what have folks been doing? Perhaps piddling on the base of the statue or dressing Lady Liberty in scandolous clothes? Worse. A church in Memphis, TN remade the statue in their own image. You can see the results at this link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/05/us/05liberty.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

Yup, Lady Liberty is now holding a cross, the Ten Commandments and has the name Jehovah on her crown. For a moment I thought it was a joke. Then I realized it was for real.

This is so wrong on so many levels. Lady Liberty represents all of us, not just those of one particular religious group. Replace the cross with the star and crescent and put a Koran in herleft hand. Now what you do think of it? I can predict the reaction -- there would be hell to pay.

The pastor who commissioned this work stated, "This statue proves that Jesus Christ is Lord over America, he is Lord over Tennessee, he is Lord over Memphis." Jesus may indeed be lord of your heart and I respect that, but when you begin to assert he is my lord, you have gone across the line. Each of us makes this spiritual journey of our own volition. We all make the choices and accept the consequences. Some choose to follow Jesus' path, others follow in Muhammad or Buddha's footsteps. My religious forebears stood at the base of Sinai and received those stone tablets. I have no desire to see them exploited in such a way.

To alter a national symbol to raise your faith above all the others is unfathomable. And yet, here it is. So what do they have in mind for their next stunt?

Happy Independence Day!

To me, the 4th of July is more than just cookouts, fireworks and sunburns. As is my habit, I spent a few moments pondering what led our Founding Fathers to take the risk of doing the 'hemp fandago' (as Terry Pratchett would put it) to secure our liberty. It was a bold and dangerous move, one that had every chance of failure. Yet, they took the rise. In their hearts, our forefathers (and mothers) knew that a democracy is only as vital as its citizens. I fear there aren't many of their kind in 2006.

Sojourn Goes E-Serial

I've been quite amazed at the many ways my current book is reaching my readers. So it is with a great amount of pride that I can announce that my book is now available as an e-series in a new partnership arrangement with Virtual Tales and my publisher, Dragon Moon Press.

Just how does this work? Virtual Tales (www.virtualtales.com) has taken SOJOURN and broken it into 'bite-sized bits' that are sent to your email account twice per week. 5-7 pages at a time, just enough to enjoy on your lunch break or while waiting for a large file to transfer. It's a new concept and I love it. I've been busy penning mini summaries that lead into the next issue (to bring you back into the story). Those have been a bit of a challenge. It's best that they're not "Meanwhile, back at the ranch..."

So if you'd like to try a new way of enjoying a book, visit Virtual Tales and check out SOJOURN (and their other titles). The first four issues are free. And be sure to sign up for the Freedom from Paper Promotion!

That's the latest. Happy 4th of July!

Nashville Notes

As promised, my HyperiCon report. But first, there was the drive to Nashville. A confession: I dislike interstates, especially crowded ones. Drivers tend to take their brains somewhere else but on their driving and I'm not fond of being the guy who pays for that inattention... at 75-80 miles per hour. So I tend to take scenic routes if I-75 North out of Atlanta is involved. For some reason that stretch of concrete to Chattanooga never thins out, unlike I-85 to Greenville. Unfortunately, that adds time to the trip. So what would have been about 4 to 4-1/2 hours to Nashville via the slab (3 hours if you're Toni S) became 6 hours. Yuck. That would have been tolerable if it hadn't been for the thunderstorms. High winds, driving rain, hail while driving a perfectly flat stretch of interstate with virtually no overpasses to shelter underneath. Hail means upper level turbulence, the kind you often see right before this dark shape descends to the earth and makes life really dicey. I pressed on through two hideous rainstorms after a brief stop during the first. The hail did it to me. If you get a ton of hail on hot pavement it melts, creating a dense fog (been there, done that). So I kept moving.

The convention itself was fun. The folks running it are great, the programming was well attended and I had a blast. If I had any problem, it was that the hotel did not have a restaurant and the area around the hotel was not conducive to just trudging out and foraging. I'd barely settled into the bar on Friday night to try to get some bar food when they started the Karaoke. If I dislike interstates, I HATE karaoke. It's a learned dislike from Hong Kong. I'll write about that sometime down the line.

So Friday night's dinner was out of the vending machines (the consuite's P&J sandwiches didn't sound that intriguing) but Sat & Sun perked up. The consuite folks shoveled food in my direction and we braved Nashville traffic Sat evening to make a food and booze run. Life got better.

All in all, the con was a great time. I had a few moments to talk to Sherrilyn Kenyon, who is a very nice lady. Met some new folks, connected with friends and sold books. I'm hoping that the convention continues to grow so they can move into a better hotel with a restaurant. Oh, and other bright note to the weekend -- they had an antique car show in the hotel parking lot. There was this 'Vette..... (sigh)

The Life of Writer or Writer Reality 101

Writer Reality 101 -- It's not the glamorous job you see in the movies (none of my writer buddies look like Johnny Depp) and 99.9% of us barely make enough to buy the odd ink cartridge and ream of paper. Sounds depressing, doesn't it?

It really isn't. It's an obsession up there with most other life-changing addictions. But there are days when even the rush of ordering nouns and verbs into coherent sentences doesn't sound the least bit fun. The sort of day you hope the aliens will land and declare that writing is forbidden from that moment on, on the pain of death. Such was yesterday. A normal day by all accounts, but only a day or so removed from my last convention. I was tired, dog tired (why don't they ever say 'cat tired'?) and the last damned thing I wanted to do was write.

So I escaped the house and the lure of the Electronic Vampire (the Internet) and took up residence at my local coffee house. (Yes, they have Wi-Fi, but I feel guilty if I surf there when I should be working.) I put butt in chair and typed on the keyboard for 4.5 out of the 5 hours I was there. My butt got sore (despite the chair pads I tote along) and I longed for a nap so I finally decamped and headed home. My word count for the day wasn't stellar, but I fleshed out some scenes and realized that Alastair (the alturistic physician in my series) just wouldn't go for the orgy scene, no matter how hard I tried.

That's what it's like to be a writer. Yes, there are the really cool moments, but mostly it's work like anything else. Of course, you can pick your venue (like the coffee house) and your hours (unless you have a real job). It doesn't matter if you're Stephen King, J.K. Rowling or Ima Newbie Writer, the process is the same. Well, actually it would be different for the first two; they'd never get any work done in a public venue as folks would constantly ask for their autograph. Luckily, I do not have that affliction.

In the end, the love of the story becomes manifest and you hit that sweet spot. The book outgrows and transcends you, winging its way out of the nest. Left behind is another tiny egg that needs nurturing, your next book. It's fragile and needs constant attention to grow to fruition.

Time to park your butt, warm up those digits and get to hatching...

Sci-Fi Summer Con

As noted in my previous blog, SFSC is a much smaller, more intimate con. And it was. The hotel was so-so (but to be fair, after the Adam's Mark in Dallas, almost every hotel will be so-so) but it was still a good time. The panels were a bit eclectic, but it was a nice change from the rigid structure at most conventions. I got to meet new people (Chesya Burke, Christina Barber, D. Lee Hatchett) and b.s. with friends of which there were a fair number. I sold a few books, tried both 12 and 15 yr. Glenfiddich (still taste-testing my merry way through single malt scotch whiskeys) and had a good time. There is something rather cool about wandering down a hallway and finding someone nose deep into your book, oblivious to the world. A very pleasant writer moment.

And now it's time to pack and gas up the Gizmo (the Honda Hybrid) for the road trip to Nashville and HyperiCon. Sherrilyn Kenyon will be there and I'm in awe of her marketing. It'll be a kick to watch her interact with her numerous (okay, squillons) of readers.

Later folks...

A-Kon XVII

There are times in a writer's life that everything goes just perfectly. This last weekend was one of them. I spent four days in Dallas, doing my writer thing at A-Kon (www.a-kon.com) This is a very large Anime convention with 12K+ attendees. The last time I was at an A-Kon it was held at the Hyatt at DFW Airport and had about 6.5K attendees. The con's nearly doubled in three years.

Most conventions are polite to their guests. A-Kon treats me like I just landed a $4 million book contract, appeared on Oprah, won a Hugo and a Nebula and just spent the night with George Clooney. Of course, I have a better chance at all of those but the last (sigh). Now I always try to do my best for a con, even if they're not really busting their cookies for me. I go over the top for A-Kon because I know if they're treating me that well, they're doing the same to the fen. And the fen are what makes a convention (and my books) successful.

I met up with some writer buddies (Melanie "Hoosier Red" Fletcher, Thomas Knowles (and son), Helen McCarthy, P.N. Elrod and Gloria Oliver (no relation). We b.s.'s about life and times, sold some books and put on some good panels.

Melanie, Thomas and I also had the opportunity to work over some new writers during our workshop. The two gentlemen who girded their loins and faced our criticism earn my utmost respect. They had no idea if we were going to be pricks or not. We weren't. We've been there and know that nasty comments do not a writer make. We got good input while we were learning the trade (and still are learning, by the way) and it's only fair we do the same to the newer ones in our midst. Both gentlemen have talent and their ability to take our remarks without losing their cool shows they've got what it takes to make it in this business. I wish them all the best and hope someday to hear they've received their first book contract.

Now that I've overcome my 'con lag' (amazingly short recovery time, by the way) I'm gearing up for Sci-Fi SummerCon here in Atlanta. Much smaller convention, more intimate. And no hassles with security at the airport. Always a plus. I'll post a report next week.

Overhead at A-Kon: "Don't leave! I'll make pudding!"

Gearing Up for 3 in a Row

I'm the bozo who sets my schedule (at least at present) so I'm the one who blithely set up three conventions in a row. I should know better, but there's part of me that loves conventions. I get to meet new people, catch up with friends and yes, sell a few books. Hopefully, a lot of the latter now that I no longer work for myself. Need to make my publisher proud.

The buzz on the new book has been unreal. This one's a winner. I hope to introduce more folks to Jacynda, Alastair & Keats. They're a great crew to write about. And I'd love them even more if they'd make up their minds what they'd like to happen in the second book. "Hey, what if aliens landed on top of Buckingham Palace and..." Not happening, guys. Get with program.

I'll post reports after each con (A-Kon, Sci Fi SummerCon & HyperiCon). Dallas, Atlanta, Nashville. I sound like an announcer in a Greyhound Bus Station...

Many Miles Shall Ye Travel

And so we did. It was a movin' sort of weekend from Thurs at 4:30 a.m. until last night at 9:00 p.m. We started our tour in the fair city of Richmond at Creatures n Crooks for a book signing Thurs night. It'd been a long drive (over 8 hrs.) but we caught some food, a nap and had a brain by the time we reached the book store. Got to meet Leila and Hamilton, the store cat. Hamilton wasn't too interested in us, he was waiting for Tony Ruggerio. Tony is his favorite even though Tony isn't that fond of cats. Once a cat knows that, you're doomed.

Tony was dressed in a sharp-looking tux, Tee in his pirate garb. Hubby and I were in full Victorian (hot). (Mental note -- write characters who wear less clothes). I finally got to meet Tony's daugher, Alex. She has a dry sense of humor I can appreciate (like her dad). Tee (Morris) was in his usual fine form and taped a podcast during the signing. We had about 10 folks present, did an impromptu 'panel' and then signed books. Lots of fun!

Tony's newest book (Alien Deception) debuted at the signing and it's a beaut. Aliens in the White House... hummm... After the signing the gents (and Alex) were off to Balticon. Hubby and I headed south so that we could be in Columbia, SC by Saturday afternoon.

Aliens & Alibis have two stores cats -- Serena and Bertie. Welcomed by Deb and Gary (the owners) we opted not to put on full Victorian garb as the day had turned downright blistering. Again we had about ten folks in, chit-chatted about books, life and the universe and had a good time. Aliens & Alibis was about to pack their books into boxes and move into a new space, so I was the last signing at their old location.

All in all, a grand weekend. Since we got home on Sat evening, we plan on spending the rest of the holiday weekend doing little odd jobs around the house, grilling a few pieces of dead bovine and kicking back. I'm hoping I get to return to both cities sometime down the line and visit Leila, Deb & Gary again. They treated this author very well.

Fiddling While Rome Burns

You gotta love your elected officials. It's either that or you'll be reduced to tears.

Two burning issues were addressed this week in Washington --

A Senate vote to ensure that English is the official language of the USA

Taking the first steps to amend the Constitution to ensure that marriage is a union between a man and a woman

Riveting stuff, that. I was really worried that foreign gay folks were going to run out and get hitched in their native language. Definitely a threat to our democracy and the 'sanctity of marriage.'

You folks are pandering again. The only danger to the sanctity of marriage is divorce. But since some of you are really troubled by a same sex couples marrying, give those folks the right to a civil union. If it's a sin, it'll get sorted out by the Head Office. If not, it's none of your business.

English the official language of the country? That's a no-brainer. It is. Yes, there are pockets of this country that speak another language. But the language of commerce is English. I expect those who come here from somewhere else to learn the language. That doesn't mean I expect you to be fluent or forget yours. Being bilingual is a leg-up in the world. I've never achieved that what with my smattering of French and Russian. If I had intended to stay longer in Hong Kong, I would have fried my brain trying to learn Cantonese.

If I ever settle in a foreign country, I will learn the language. That's the way it should be. However, that country does not need to waste time and money passing a law that tells me that Outer Googlesnap's Official Language is Marzipan. Unlike our elected officials, I suspect the Gogglesnappians will have more sense.

We, the People...

The average American is not a happy camper. I won't relate the litany of reasons why, but deep in their hearts they know things need to change. No, this isn't a diatribe against Washington.

This is one citizen's list of suggestions to make America a strong and decent country.

1) No one should be able to skirt our laws and not be in jail. Doesn't matter if you live in the White House or a third-floor walkup in Manhattan. The laws are there for a purpose. Use them.

2) Stop wrapping yourself in your religion. The more you tout your piety, the more you prove yourself a hypocrite. If you want to be a moral and decent person, walk the walk. Everything else is just sound bites and photo ops.

2) To the Democrats -- grow some balls, people. Ditto for some of you Republicans. I hold all of you as responsible as the people at the top. You let them have their merry way because you were too afraid you'd not get re-elected next time. Well, that's likely to happen anyway. So get with the program...

And the program is?

WE, the people, are you employers. WE pay your salaries and WE expect competent, caring leadership. If you accept bribes, you're gone. If you pay fast and loose with our nation's laws, you're gone. If we wanted leaders like you, we'd move to Iraq. We have a Constitution for a reason. Let's use it. It worked great for the first 200+ years. Nothing in the world is different (yes, there were terrorists even then) so there is no reason to tinker with the system.

And now to my neighbors -- get involved, people. Pay attention to who is running for office. Ask questions and demand answers. These officials will be holding your life and that of your children in their hands for years to come. Think that's a bit dramatic? Just remember the folks in New Orleans or the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Two final steps -- vote and then keep an eye on these turkeys. American can't handle any more governments like the one we've had over the past 6 years. We need to get back on track and that's not going to happen if WE, the people, don't kick some ass.

Once More Dear Friends...

into the breach. Yes, it's that time again... time to start another book. So begins the round of lip gnawing, butt aching, hair pulling and ego bashing work that is creating a novel. There are moments of triumph and moments of depression. It's what I do. A part of me loves that brief interval between novels as there are no characters tugging on my pants legs, nattering in my ear or waking me up in the middle of the night. But that bliss doesn't last. The voices in my head are a bit too strong for that.

Next book is due Feb 1. That sounds like a very long time away. It isn't. If I get it done before that, I'll rejoice. That's very unlikely with the Con(vention) Schedule from Hell I have this year. The cons aren't hell, just the schedule. 11 total and that's not counting the booksignings. I did it to myself. In fact, just to add to the horror, I booked a convention in Seattle (Left Coast Crime (http://www.lcc2007.com/)) for Feb. 1, the day the book's due. Nothing like pushing the envelope.

So for those of you currently reading Sojourn (www.janaoliver.com/sojourn.htm) take heart. The adventures of Jacynda, Alastair and Jonathon will continue. After all, by my count, I left some five or six things unresolved at the end of the last book.

Bad, bad author :)

Later

Sojourn Comes to Fruition

A year-long effort paid off this last weekend --

It was with great fanfare (and a bustle) that I launched SOJOURN at the Ripper Convention in Baltimore. The books arrived on my doorstep (courtesy of the efforts of my publisher Gwen Gades) on Tuesday. We left for the convention on Wednesday. I grew a few more gray hairs over this one.

If you've never been to a Ripper gathering, they're great fun, always packed with intelligent folks, good booze and some interesting discussions. Speaking of greats, two premiere Ripperologists (as they're called) were there -- Robin Odell and Don Rumbelow. Others included Alan Sharp (who did wonders for a kilt,) Andy & Claudia Aliffe, Judy & Leroy Stock, Christopher-Michael DiGrazia (who did wonders for a white tux and lilac vest,) Stephen Ryder (founder of Casebook: Jack the Ripper)and the so-called Queen of Mean herself, Ally R.

The husband and I donned our Victorian garb for Saturday evening's banquet and blended right in. I bought bunches of books and stayed up way later than was prudent. But hey, it only happens every two years in the US. In 2007, it's the Brits' turn and I can't wait to make that one.

Who knows, maybe I'll have another book done by then.

Please, Not Again

Despite claims from our government, there is a slow and frightening move toward a confrontation (war) with Iran. We're treading the exact same ground, using the same rhetoric, playing all the games we did right before we entered Iraq.

Yes, Iran has their hands in various unsavory pies and will, most likely, have nuclear weapon capability in the next two years or so. Korea is a bigger threat, but no one in Washington seems too worried about them. The cynic in me is sure this has something to do with oil.

Invading (yes, folks, that's what we did) Iraq was the equivalent of kicking over a 4-story beehive. Lots of very angry bees. Iran will be nothing like Iraq. For the most part, they are a unified country, a DEMOCRACY, and if we attack, all hell will break loose. Do you expect that other Arab countries are going to stand by while we invade another of their neighbors? Won't they be wondering, "When's our turn?" We are already seen as the aggressors -- we'll become a rogue state.

Perhaps the Christians are right and Armageddon is just around the door, courtesy of Geo. Bush and his buddies. If we go into Iran, we'll have the opportunity to see just how bad things can get.

Now's the time to stop this nonsense. Contact your elected officials and demand we use diplomacy, not bunker busters. We don't have the money, the soldiers or the moral high ground to bomb or otherwise harass Iran. If we think we can win this one, we are beyond delusional.

The Slippery Road

This from today's NY Times:

"Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales suggested on Thursday for the first time that the president might have the legal authority to order wiretapping without a warrant on communications between Americans that occur exclusively within the United States."

During the meeting, Rep. Adam Schiff stated that Mr. Gonzales' refusal to rule out domestic interceptions with a warrant, "represents a wholly unprecedented assertion of executive power. No one in Congress would deny the need to tap certain calls under court order, but if the administration believes it can tap purely domestic phone calls between Americans without court approval, there is no limit to executive power. This is contrary to settled law and the most basic constitutional principles of the separation of powers."

No matter the intentions of our president and his people, whether they honestly believe they are trying to keep us safe or they have a maniacal bent, the slow erosion of personal liberties scares the hell out of me. We are attempting to build a democracy in Iraq while we are dismanteling our own.

Our safety can be assured by using the framework of the Constitution. Our just laws are our beacon of light into an otherwise murky world. That light is being dimmed.

"Hey, children, what's that sound? Everybody look what's goin' down."

Can It Get Any Sillier?

Couldn't resist making a few comments about two subjects that rubbed me the wrong way --

First up -- Cynthia McKinney's run-in with a Capitol cop. If you didn't hear about this, members of Congress are allowed to go around the security check point and metal detector at the Capitol. They're supposed to be wearing a little pin that identifies them as PTB (Powers That Be). Cynthia doesn't wear hers and when a cop asked her stop (three times) she just kept on moving. He grabbed onto her and she hit him. End of story.

Here's a hint, hun. Wear your damned button. Striking a cop just isn't cool. He was doing his job. Do yours and help the poor schmuck. It's not his responsibility to recognize you out of the 500+ other members of Congress. His job is security. Your job is not to act like a spoiled brat. And please, drop the race card thing, will you? Yes, there is serious descrimination out there. But everytime you whine about something like this, it takes away from the real work that needs to be done.

Rant #2: Paris Hilton. Will this woman never go away? Why does her 15 minutes of fame feel like 10 centuries? So what's the latest, you ask? Some person wants to have Paris star in a movie. As you can see, we already have a problem here. But worse yet, he wants her to have the role of (are you ready for this?) Mother Theresa. Yup, the nun who spent her life working in the slums of Calcutta. The nun who owned two saris and damned little else.

You see why I'm annoyed. This is so asinine as to be offensive and I'm not even Catholic. Give me a break, will you? Paris Hilton should be embarrassed enough to say, "Uh, no thanks. That's not right."

Don't hold your breath waiting for that line. I'm still trying to figure out how they're going to work the teacup chihuahua into this one.

And now back to your regularly scheduled life. Thanks for allowing me to vent. It's cheaper than medication.

Chillin' in Chattanooga

This was FantaSciCon's first year, but you'd never know it. That's because the folks behind it (Dutch & Mikey, etal) have done a few conventions before. Having had such a blast at HallowCon last October, I tooled up to Chattanooga last weekend all set for a good time.

And a good time was had. The food, the conversation and alcohol were a nice way for this writer to relax. Met all sorts of new and intriguing folks: Ernie Saylor (editor of Aberrant Dreams Magazine), Rob Shelsky (writer of SF and time travel romances), his friend George, Pauline Griffin (Literary Special Guest) and R.D. Hammond, who goes by many names. I also reconnected with Walter Rice (he of the paranormal bent). I also got to meet Chris & Melissa Jones (SciFiSummerCon) and break bread with them. Since I'll be at their convention in June, it worked out great to do some strategic planning.

Now I'm home, unwinding and try to muck out the house before a friend arrives on my doorstep Wed. Since the house is a bit of a pit, that might take some doing. But still... maybe I can afford a quick nap to overcome the 'con lag'. Besides, I have to unearth my sweeper.

Later folks....

Gearing Up

Sojourn's manuscript has made it through the typesetter's capable fingers, proofed by both myself and a sharp-eyed proofreader (my buddy Nanette) and now it's back for revisions and then off to the printer. It's weird to see what you wrote all nicely set out on a page. It seems more 'official' or worthy of consideration than when it was a 'mere' MS Word file.

There is, also, the realization that once it's in print, I have to live with it. As it was, I made a number of tweaks to the galley (bad, bad author). Very soon the 'baby' will arrive, warts and all.

Not that this one has warts, of course. :) It's a cool story, one I'm VERY proud of. But just to keep me grounded, friend Nanette invited me over to her place to sample various teas to go with her marvelous gourmet brownies. (www.dolcielo.com) Chocolate and fine tea. A needed respite from the labor pains of a book.

Off to Fantasicon this weekend in scenic Chattanooga. Always a good time. A report will be in the offing...

Con Central

I managed to survive two conventions, back to back, on top of finishing the edits to my manuscript. And I didn't kill anyone, myself included. StellarCon was the first convention of what promises to be a busy year. Held in High Point, it pulled together a number of intriguing writer guests (ghosts as I call them) including the inevitable Tee Morris, Tony Ruggerio and a new acquaintance, Anthony Karnowski. I chatted with Anthony and his brother-in-law until the week hours of the morning on Saturday about a variety of topics. Very pleasant fellows. I finally got to meet the amazing Mur Lafferty and actually did a few panels.

Weekend #2 was in Roanoke (about a 7 and some hour drive from Atlanta) and SheVaCon. A bit quieter gig than StellarCon, it underwent some reorganization programming-wise in the last year. Some of panels didn't quite fit my capabilities, but I'm always willing to give stuff a try. Got to catch up with Laura Underwood & Stephe Pagel (Meisha Merlin Publishing) and hear what's new in their lives. Tony Ruggerio was kind enough to allow me to share his table in the dealer's room, so I hung there, with our mutual buddy Patrick, for much of the con. The trip home was LONG as I really don't like to drive more than about 5 hours at a stretch.

The convention isn't for a couple of weeks (Fantasicon in Chattanooga) so I get to muck out the house, plan the advertising campaign for the new book and generally try to find my brains. I have 12 cons on the books this year--I have to be a lunatic. The trick is finding the time to write the new book...

And We're in the Home Stretch

Yes, I'm writing about "The Book" again. Actually "the manuscript" at this point. Working with the editor was absolutely painless. I can hear some of my fellow writers muttering "And what drugs are you taking, babe?" Nope, the process was fabulous. Adrienne, She of the Red Pencil (more like red typeface since we do this electronically) was awesome. She got right into the story, understood my characters and asked the tough questions. All her ideas led to scene changes/dialog that enhanced the final product. That's what an editor does. Besides, she had a great sense of humor, which is cool, especially we were doing this edit at an accelerated pace.

Next stop? Typesetter. Then I look at the 'galley' as it's called, pencil in corrections and then off to the printer. If you want to see the cover design, go here:

http://www.janaoliver.com/picts/sojourncvrmockup.pdf

There'll be another blog about how such designs come to fruition.

Gee, you know, this feels good. Now I have to pack for SheVaCon.

Late Term Pregnancy -- Bookwise

Nope, never was brave enough to have a baby. But I've given birth to three books (skip the visual, please) and currently working on the fourth. This one is an assisted labor as the folks doing the heavy pushing are my publishers, Dragon Moon Press. It's such a new concept for me since all my other work was self-pubbed. Somewhere an editor is beetling away on my manuscript, the publisher is hiring a typesetter and the cover is being created by a very talent artist. Wow. Of course, I'll be involved in the editing process when 'she of the red pencil' comes back and asks, "So why did you decide to have the heroine change sexes on page 323?" and such like that.

Still, it's a unique experience so I'm savoring it. First times and all that. There are only a few times you get to be a virgin in the publishing industry...

Night & Fog

I still remember the movie though it was a short one by modern standards -- only about a half hour long. It was called "Night and Fog" and it was a chilling tale of how the Third Reich 'disappeared' its political enemies.

In 1941 Hitler issued the "Nacht und Nebel Erlass" (Night and Fog decree) to insure that political enemies, Soviet prisoners and other unwanted folks just vanished without a trace.

To quote the Wikipedia entry on the outcome of the decree:

"First, distinct actions against the German government were made far more difficult, because the exact cause of interment or death, indeed whether or not the event had even occurred; was obscured. It kept the Nazis from being held accountable.

The decree and hidden events afforded the Nazis the ability to act cruelly and unjustly without public decry.

It allowed an across-the-board Silent Veto of International Treaties and Conventions: one cannot apply the limits and terms of humane treatment in war if one cannot locate the victim or discern his destiny."

You folks know where I'm going with this. Our beloved democracy is being razed to the ground by those who swear they are trying to keep us safe. In so doing, they have caused irreperable harm to our way of life and have 'disappeared' both the innocent and the guilty. Are all those who were subject to 'rendition' innocent? Probably not. But if they are guilty, then put them on trial in a legal court of law, not behind closed doors. That has always been America's hallmark, our system of justice. To hold someone in custody for over three years without charges being filed and, in the case of Padilla (an American citizen), without being able to see a lawyer for a good portion of that time, is what I'd expect of a dictatorship. Hitler did it, so did Stalin. Our Rule of Law has always been the standard. Now it's being swept aside for 'our protection.'

Warrantless wiretapping was just one of the by-products of this regime. They're not worried if the wiretapping is legal. The prisoners aren't likely to see the inside of a court room. They just disappear into the night and fog.

It is time to clean house and put elected representatives in our government who understand what it means to be an American. Personally, I don't care if they're Republican, Democrat or whatever. It is time for "We the People" to take back our freedoms and keep ourselves safe from the fanatics both within and without.

If we don't save our democracy, the bad guys will win. And we allowed it to happen.

Back from the Land of the Verbs

I note I've not posted in a very long time. My apologies. I plead writer insanity. The book mentioned in the previous post has zinged its way to the publisher and now I'm regrouping and trying to deal with writer withdrawal. I see heads nodding out there. You guys know what I mean, at least those of you who do this writing thing with some frequently. You new guys will learn quick enough. Writing is a virus. It gets in your blood and replicates. It must be fed.

Right after you hit "Send" or drop the tome into the mailbox, that euphoric flush of victory flows through you. A few doubts linger; maybe you should have removed that cigar-smoking clown in scene four and made him a lawyer instead. You get the picture. The euphoria lasts a couple of days in my case and then cold, hard withdrawal sets in. What to work on next? Mind you, I've just spent 8 months on this book, creating the work in 2/3's of the time I usually spend. I'm emotionally, physically and mentally tired. And I'm already spinning plots for Book 2.

I've forced myself to stay away from 'the work' this last week. It's been penance. I mucked out my office (lots of garbage bags full of stuff), organized my reference materials for the Victorian books and even brought my business finances up to date to file the taxes. And yet, my mind is still screaming like a toddler who spies a big jar of M&M's just out of arm's reach. "Wanna write!" it shouts, kicking its legs and pounding its fists onto the carpet.

Sigh....

I took refuge in Terry Prachett and his Diskworld Series. The books are always sharp, satirical and outright funny. Mr. P. is one of the rare authors I don't feel the need to mentally edit. I'm too engrossed in the story to bitch about how the book opened or why he chose to make a point-of-view shift at that moment in the story. Other authors drive me nuts. Mr. Pratchett entertains me. He keeps me sane and that's saying a great deal. May his life be long, fruitful and full of endless creative wit. Maybe someday I'll have the opportunity to thank him in person.

Next week I will begin work on the rewrite of my first fantasy book and start the "noodling process" on the second book in the Victorian Time Travel/Shapeshifter series. The characters are muttering amongst themselves and I suppose I should sit in on a couple of their strategy sessions before they get too far ahead of me and create a nightmare of a plot.

I've had my rest. It's time to get back to work. I can only stand the screaming toddler for so long.

Later...

And The Words Go On

Between all the natural disasters and political upheavals, this writer has kept her nose to the keyboard. Impossible position, by the way. I'm "on deadline" as we writer types like to say, to finish the latest tome. This being the 7th or 8th book I've written (3 in print) I can see the pattern now. I know I've reached a certain stage by my emotional state and my degree of confidence in my writing. For those out there who are writers or are considering joining the craft, here's my timeline:

1) Initial flush of an idea.
2) More fleshing out of original idea.
3) Begin book with worry this isn't going anywhere.
4) Book takes off. The euphoria/rush is unlike anything else except for really excellent chocolate or sex. (Yes, I've run tests on this).
5) Middle of book -- Is this going some place?
6) This so SUCKS! The heroine is lame, the hero is a wimp and where is the bad guy?
7) Okay, maybe this isn't so bad.
8) First draft completed. Sigh, print out manuscript. Geez this thing is long!
9) First edit. Boy does this thing have gaps. Lots of gaps.
9) Nerves set in -- honest concern this thing might stink.
10) More nerves -- really worried this thing might stink.
11) End of first edit. Okay, this is better. Still got some plot holes -- okay, LOTS of plot holes, but parts of this thing are freakin' brilliant.
12) Repeat from #9 through #11 for the next two edits.
13) Send out to critique partners and gnaw fingernails to the knuckles.
13) Manuscript returns. Fix the bad stuff, beam over the good stuff.

Another book done.

However this time there is another step in the mix -- send book to editor. Yes, this time I'm being traditionally published and hence there is an editor (Gwen) in the mix. I'm hoping we can find common ground and make this work fabulous.

Writers live with their own personal demons. We veer from pole to pole in a matter of minutes -- this is the worst thing I've written, this is the best I've ever written. Or as Steven King's wife once put it, "Stop being so *#$@#$ needy!"

We're needy because our characters are. THEY, at least in my world, run the show. They take the story in the direction they want and heaven help you if you fight them. It is their story after all. I'm just the scribe.

And now back to the first edit and the indecision. I like to think that I'm always striving for perfection. No doubt others think all we writers need is really effective prescription medication.

Invoking the Other "I" Word

A previous post mentioned Impeachment, a word I'm still very fond of. This one is about Incompetence. There's been so much of that particular "I" word that even I am astounded. I expect politics to house a few incompetents -- where else would they get jobs? Even revelations about Mr. Brown's resume and lack of disaster planning experience didn't come as a shock. I could be head of FEMA with his qualifications. At least I've participated in disaster training and, at one time, was an EMT.

He wasn't just a Republican problem, either. Democrats gave this guy a rubber stamp when he came up for the job. Apparently, no one asked, "Hey, are we missing a page of your resume? I don't see anything resembling emergency management experience here" or better yet let the guy tell you how he intends to supply an entire city with food/water/security for a week or longer.

Disaster planning requires an inventive mind willing to break the rules -- take the worst case scenario and then find a way to make it more horrific. Then do it again and then yet again. Never assume someone is riding to your rescue. Never assume everything is going to work like you think it is. Assume the very worst and if you're lucky, it won't get that bad.

Sadly, in the case of New Orleans, it did.

Did we learn anything? Hurricane Rita will be the test of that. Let's hope it all works right this time. We've lost too many Americans to that other "I" word as it is.

American Crossroads

In 2000 Bush took the presidency from Al Gore. Most of those who have studied the election believe that Gore won. If he'd pressed his case, America would have gone in another direction and I can't help but wonder how that would have played out.

9/11 most likely would have happened. Gore might have taken us into Afghanistan. But he wouldn't have taken us into Iraq and a war that has cost us so much. Wonder how much? Go to www.costofwar.com and see how much the war is costing America and where that money could have been spent on a state by state basis. It's like watching a train wreck.

Gore understood the problems in New Orleans and I believe he would have kept the money in the Corps' budget. Would that have mitigated the disaster? Somewhat. Would the response have been better? I willing to bet it would have. Gore would not have put incompetant buddies in such positions of authority nor would FEMA been solely geared toward terrorist attacks.

Instead America has Mr. Bush who will go down in history as having fundamentally altered the country in ways too sad to contemplate.

But for a moment, let's look to the future.

The recovery of the dead in the south continues. And from our 'leaders' were advised not to play the 'blame game'. And they intend to have hearings (some closed door) to determine what went wrong.

I suggest that the best people to judge what went wrong are American's citizens. WE should hear the facts and make the judgment calls. We should not trust the whitewash and politics that will flow out of Washington. It's obvious there was failure on ALL levels. However, no matter how bad a state or local emergency response plays out, the Feds damn well better know what they're doing.

And so, folks, 2006 & 2008 are looming. I tend to vote Democratic, but have jumped the fence more than once if I felt the candidate on the Republican (or Libertarian) side had more savvy. It's time to set partisan lines aside and vote for candidates who is compentant, intelligent, honest and willing to weigh dissenting views. No more cowboys, no more cronyism.

Use the Bush administration as your benchmark of how bad it can get. Remember the war dead in Iraq and the bodies floating in New Orleans. Demand answers from your legislators and vote for the best person.

America can't handle many more years of stupid government. It's time to show the bums the door.

Please Don't Die in Front of the Cameras - It Ruins the Photo Op

There's been plenty of ink spilled on the Katrina disaster and I would be remiss in not adding mine. It beggered belief to watch it all go wrong from the start. In the wake of the horrors, America is diminished because we let our fellow citizens down. Despite the heroic efforts of the police, fire and EMS, they never had a chance.

I have an 86-year-old mom-in-law. I absolutely adore her. While the disaster was playing out, all I could think of was what it would have been like for her if she couldn't have left New Orleans, too poor to get out when there was time. Though a survivor by nature, I know she would have died. The thought haunts me because others have lost their beloved relatives for reasons that make little sense.

If Homeland Security can't handle a disaster that took days to unfold, one they knew was coming, how in the hell can they handle another 9/11?

The lesson out of this mess? Platitudes and photo ops, news conferences and sound bites don't cut it. If you're incompetent, people die, whether that be in the sands of Iraq or the fetid flood waters in New Orleans.

Or as The New Orleans Times-Picayune wrote:

"We're angry, Mr President, and we'll be angry long after our beloved city and surrounding parishes have been pumped dry.

"Our people deserved rescuing. Many who could have been, were not. That's to the government's shame."


Can I get an "Amen"?

Reno & The War

Just returned from the annual Romance Writers of America conference. Always a big deal. 2500+ women all in one hotel. It's something to experience. The conference was good in many ways. I had the opportunity to sell all the fantasy books I brought with me at the charity booksigning. $60K was raised for literacy. That's cool. And I had the opportunity to reconnect with friends, meet and greet agents and editors and learn a few new tricks.

A couple telling moments during the trip. The first was during the RWA's 25th anniversary awards ceremony. Someone had put together a video montage of images from the 1980's, '90's and 2000's. The crowd would react as they saw fit when an image appeared. When President Clinton's face appeared, the crowd cheered and clapped. Someone behind me shouted "Bring him back!" Shortly thereafter, Pres. Bush II's video clip appeared. The reaction was totally different. Nobody booed, at least no one near me. It was the near silence that caught my notice. No clapping, no cheering. Given that many of the women in that room have children or grandchildren serving in the Middle East and some of those will not come home alive, I'm not surprised.

As a counterpoint to that moment, I was sitting the Reno airport waiting for my flight to board when a group of folks assembled with signs and balloons to welcome a couple of the local boys home from Afghanistan. When the soldiers marched out the jetway, passengers rose to their feet, cheered and clapped. The two soldiers looked embarrased, to say the least. A few folks shouted, "Well done!" and the crowd kept clapping until they disappeared into the airport.

We're stuck in a ugly war we had no reason to fight. At least this time we're not blaming the troops thought somehow I suspect that will be cold comfort for the families who have lost their sons and daughters.

New York, Madrid, London....

I am a frequent visitor to London and at one time or another I've been through most of the tube stations that were devasted in the bombings, especially the Aldgate-Liverpool area because of my research in the East End. During most of my trips it was the IRA that was the concern. But when I was there in 2001 and 2002, I had the other guys in mind, as well. Now, to show their utter contempt for their co-religionists, they bomb a train near the predominantly Muslim East End. Repeatedly they've shown the only god they worship is that of death. That is not what the Koran teaches no matter how they twist the scriptures.

Thomas Friedman's article "If It's a Muslim Problem, It Needs a Muslim Solution" presents a solid argument that until the average Muslim says "enough!" and shuts down the radical fringe elements, the world will view Islam with suspicion. Innocent people will be targeted as potential terrorists, rights will be trampled, all in the name of fear. All our work in Iraq and elsewhere is for naught until the madmen are cut adrift.

As Friedman says, "Only the Muslim world can root out that death cult. It takes a village. What do I mean? I mean that the greatest restraint on human behavior is never a policeman or a border guard. The greatest restraint on human behavior is what a culture and a religion deem shameful. It is what the village and its religious and political elders say is wrong or not allowed. Many people said Palestinian suicide bombing was the spontaneous reaction of frustrated Palestinian youth. But when Palestinians decided that it was in their interest to have a cease-fire with Israel, those bombings stopped cold. The village said enough was enough."

The link to the full article is here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/08/opinion/08friedman.html?incamp=article_popular)

With true grit the British picked up the pieces and went back to their lives. Of all people, they know how to survive horrors we Americans have never faced. Where our New York tragedy was unimaginable, the Brits survived nightly bombings by the Luftwaffe for months. As one told me, "If you woke up in the morning, it was a good day."

The killers will fail because eventually the world will say, "Enough." We need our fellow citizens, the Muslims, to take the lead.

War? No Way!

I figured it was only a matter of time before those who opposed the war would take the blame for the recruiting shortage. Now a number of Republican senators are blaming the media and other lawmakers for the fact the armed forces aren't meeting their recruitment numbers. It is, they say, because of the "negative media out there," according to Senator Inhofe. Inhofe went on to add that other senator's criticism of the war has contributed to the propoganda of our enemies.

It's the old, "If you ain't with us, you're against us," diatribe.

If I'd been born male, I would have been in Vietnam as my number was pulled. That's always given me much thought. But for a small chromosonal change, I could have been wading hip deep in the rice paddies trying to kill Charlie.

War is a brutish, ugly hell that either kills you or scars you for life. Some wars are necessary, some aren't. Iraq is an unnecessary war costing us valuable men and women, crippling our economy and teaching our foes how best to kill us. Iraq is now an incubator for terrorists and we're paying for the training, just as they learned from the Soviets in Afghanistan.

Perhaps the reason the enlistment numbers are down is because people don't believe it's worth sacrificing their kids in the sands of Iraq. Maybe it's because they see this isn't making us safer, isn't what we should be doing at this critical juncture in American history.

The lack of keen recruits willing to expose their bodies to IED's in Iraq is not because of negative media or subversion lawmakers. It's because people are wising up and saying, "No way."

I'm willing to make a prediction, one that will probably come back to haunt me. If an attack occurs on US soil, the enlistment numbers will rise again. Why hasn't there been an attack? Partly because of our law enforcement folks and partly because I believe the bad guys know not to go there, at least until Iraq is settled. They have the better edge right now. So if an attack occurs, keep an eye on the dynamics of the moment. A true cynic would say that an attack would benefit us more than them...

Bring the troops home, folks, as soon as humanly possible. We're losing too many good people and ruining too many lives.

Invoking the "I" Word

"I" as in impeachment. It is an impeachable offense to lie to Congress. A couple former presidents have stumbled over that law in the past. And now the buzz surrounds our current president and whether he misled Congress in to a war based on falsehood.

The fact that there is a call to have hearings regarding the 'Downing Street Memos' by both congress, and by the public, is heartening. When military families get involved (many of which who have lost sons and daughters in the conflict) then matters are becoming serious.

If the decision to go to war was made lightly and under false pretenses (and I believe it was) and the public and our elected representatives were deliberately misled, then heads should roll. America is strong enough to handle that. We survived Nixon's scandal and that didn't involve body count. This war has bred the horrors of Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo Bay, damaging our image as a fair and humane country. It has served as the ultimate recruiting poster for Bin Laden and his ilk. It has tumbled over the hive, sending a torrent of enraged bees swarming throughout the world. If we were sent into that war based on a lie, we need to know that and insure that sort of travesty never happens again. Too many soldiers and Iraqis have died to hide the truth.

I recently read an article that made a number of things very clear to me. Unfortuntately it received little notice when it was published last October. The article discusses Mr. Bush's biographer and what the president told him during their interviews in 1999. The biographer, Mickey Herskowitz, was eventually replaced as the prez's handlers didn't feel he was shading the book in a way that made Mr. Bush look good.

From the article:
"He was thinking about invading Iraq in 1999," said author and journalist Mickey Herskowitz. "It was on his mind. He said to me: 'One of the keys to being seen as a great leader is to be seen as a commander-in-chief.' And he said, 'My father had all this political capital built up when he drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait and he wasted it.' He said, 'If I have a chance to invade·.if I had that much capital, I'm not going to waste it. I'm going to get everything passed that I want to get passed and I'm going to have a successful presidency." Herskowitz said that Bush expressed frustration at a lifetime as an underachiever in the shadow of an accomplished father. In aggressive military action, he saw the opportunity to emerge from his father's shadow. The moment, Herskowitz said, came in the wake of the September 11 attacks. "Suddenly, he's at 91 percent in the polls, and he'd barely crawled out of the bunker."

If you're up for more, the link is below. It's worth the read if nothing more than to send a cold shiver up your spine.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/1028-01.htm

Do I believe this? Actually, I do in light of other unrelated incidents involving Mr. Bush. When the word came that our forces were moving into Iraq, according to reporters present, the president pumped his hands in the air and cheered. It so unnerved the reporters given the solemnity of the moment, they didn't tell the public, feeling it was highly inappropirate as our soldiers would be dying in battle. I can't imagine Lincoln or even Bush I being so callous. But then, according to Rev. Pat Robertson, Bush II honestly believed there wouldn't be any casualties in the war. That is indicative of a man who is dangerously out of touch, solely focused on his own agenda.

In another blog down the line I'll chat about the conspiracy theories around 9/11, including the one that believes that certain key members of our government knew about the terrorists plans before that day and chose not to intervene. When the terrorists got 'lucky' and the towers fell, the imagery was even more graphic. Now even I don't want to contemplate that a president of the United States would allow such a horrific thing to happen solely to insure his presidency was a raving success. Is it impossible? No. Johnson made sure to engineer the Gulf of Tonkin incident to get us into Vietnam. It's been done before. I just hope 9/11 wasn't one of them.

That sort of revelation would do incalculable damage to our trust as a nation. I prefer to think that fate handed Mr. Bush a moment of glory and he milked it. Yet, he should be careful. Those who claim they want to create a legacy invariably do, but not in the way they intend.

For further info on the Downing Street Memos and how the Brits saw the Iraqi disaster coming and that Washington wasn't listening, please visit: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/

Losers? I think Not....

According to an interview with Newsweek, Paris Hilton plans on hanging up her 'career' in a couple of years for motherhood and the quiet life. To be honest, that's not soon enough for me. Paris (and her ilk) are a constant embarassment and the sooner she's out of the limelight, the better. (And no, the cynic in me doesn't believe she'll just melt away.)

But I digress...

From the Newsweek article due out on June 20th (and according to CNN.com)

"I don't enjoy going out anymore... It's such a pain. It's everyone saying, 'Let's do a deal! Can I have a picture?' I'm just, like, 'These people are such losers. I can't believe I used to love doing this.' " she is quoted as saying.

Losers? Oh, honey, where do I start? Are you truly that clueless or is that just P.R.? You're sitting on a pile of cash you didn't earn and don't use for the common good and you think other folks are losers? Sigh...

And now on to my rant. I don't do these very often, but certain spoiled types have been chafing my behind for a very long time. Being rich and famous comes with responsibility. Bill Gates & spouse understand that, even if you can't stand his software. Paul Newman gets it. George Soros gets it. So why not Paris and Britney and J.Lo? Another recent example; Jennifer just rec'd a cool $1 million dollar engagement ring from her hubby even though they've been married a year. Romantic? Yes. Socially responsible? Not close.

What I want to see is a celeb who takes that $1 million and donates it (anonymously) to food pantries, endows an inner city school or underwrites the budget of a homeless shelter for a year. Then you'll have my respect. Oprah frequently whips out her check book and helps out. That's what money and fame are for, folks.

Is this sour grapes? Not at all. The gap between wealthy and poor is widening, the food pantries and homeless shelters are pushed to the max. If the rich set the standard, others will follow.

Clunk... off my soapbox. And now back to the writing while wishing Paris' two years will seem like 2 days...

The Agony & The Ecstasy of Words

Most folks, at least those who aren't writers, believe an author's life to be pretty exciting. You drop a few words into the computer, send them to the Big Apple and lo, you're sitting next to Mr. Cruise on Oprah comparing notes about pharmecuticals. Alas, it's pretty much not that way. The average writer has two jobs; the one that pays the bills and keeps them from eating the household pets and the other one; writing. If you're really fortunate, the latter will generate enough cash to pay for the paper and ink cartridges you will blow through in a year.

At present I'm enjoying the aforementioned Agony & Ecstasy of mushing verbs around the page. Three projects are in the works, two of which have a contract attached to them so there are deadlines to be made. Project #3 is in quest of another contract. It's been a particularly remarkable year for this author, to say the least.

But now I have to deliver. Previously self-published, I wrote for my husband's company and set my own deadlines. Now those due dates are set by someone else, for the most part. Welcome to the real world. I also see the work more as a job now than before. The actual work hasn't changed, only my perception of it. Since I have a high boredom factor, change is good. Writing a new story is like a new love affair. Thrilling at first, but eventually you decide it's done and let your beau go and begin the hunt for another frog prince to flirt with.

The struggle is to constantly better your prose, find the perfect word for the sentence, create a scene that leaves your reader breathless. T'aint easy, folks. But then bending steel and racing into burning buildings isn't either.

That's my job. Some days the words are magical, some days they are moldy and stale. I call it 'pushing the boulder up the hill.' Fortunately, the view at the top makes it all worth it.

Evolution or Intelligent Design?

Oy. Just when I thought this had been put to bed, back we come with the question of evolution and just what constitutes 'science'.

G*d gave us brains for a reason, people, and to not use them is a sin in my mind. The Almighty puts information in front of us and expects us to decide what's right for us. Ideally, what's right for us won't harm our fellow humans, but that's a notion we mortals are still having issues with.

To discount the theory of evolution because it supposedly leaves a Divine Source out of the equation doesn't wash with me. Dinosaur bones are infinitely older than 6 or 10K years. To say it's all wrong because it doesn't fit your 'calendar' is amazingly arrogant.

I, personally, have no trouble reconciling evolution with G*d's creation. I've seen the muscles and bones and arteries working inside a human body and am awed by the complexities of life. I find it inconceivable to discount evolution as a process simply because it supposedly leaves G*d out of the picture. Just how long was one of the Almighty's 'work days' in Genesis? Is it not possible that The Eternal Source has a hand in the evolutionary process?

The solution is simple -- teach evolution in the science classes, teach Intelligent Design in comparative religion classes where it belongs. And while you're at it, show how other religions view the Creation. Then the students can form their own opinions and use those brains that G*d so lovingly fashioned. Redefining science is not the answer to life's most intriguing question.

Balance of Power

For those of us who are students of history, watching the events playing out in America is much like a train wreck. Frightening, but fascinating nonetheless. When you have the House majority leader (Tom DeLay) advocating the impeachment of judges because their rulings weren't what he and his ilk required, you are seeing one of the final strengths of democracy washing away in the tide.

As per an article in the NYT April 8th -- (DeLay Says Federal Judiciary Has 'Run Amok,' Adding Congress Is Partly to Blame) --

"Mr. DeLay alluded to Congressional authority to "set the parameters" of courts' jurisdictions and its obligation "to make sure the judges administer their responsibilities."

The organizers of the conference and Congressional staff members who spoke there called for several specific steps: impeaching judges deemed to have ignored the will of Congress or to have followed foreign laws; passing bills to remove court jurisdiction from certain social issues or the place of God in public life; changing Senate rules that allow the Democratic minority to filibuster Mr. Bush's appeals court nominees; and using Congress's authority over court budgets to punish judges whom it considers to have overstepped their authority.

"I am in favor of impeachment," Michael Schwartz, chief of staff to Senator Tom Coburn, Republican of Oklahoma, said in a panel discussion on abortion, suggesting "mass impeachment" might be needed."

Senator Cornyn from Texas took it a step further as cited here in the Washington Post.

"Sen. John Cornyn said yesterday that recent examples of courthouse violence may be linked to public anger over judges who make politically charged decisions without being held accountable.

In a Senate floor speech in which he sharply criticized a recent Supreme Court ruling on the death penalty, Cornyn (R-Tex.) -- a former Texas Supreme Court justice and member of the Judiciary Committee -- said Americans are growing increasingly frustrated by what he describes as activist jurists.

"It causes a lot of people, including me, great distress to see judges use the authority that they have been given to make raw political or ideological decisions," he said. Sometimes, he said, "the Supreme Court has taken on this role as a policymaker rather than an enforcer of political decisions made by elected representatives of the people."

Cornyn continued: "I don't know if there is a cause-and-effect connection, but we have seen some recent episodes of courthouse violence in this country. . . . And I wonder whether there may be some connection between the perception in some quarters, on some occasions, where judges are making political decisions yet are unaccountable to the public, that it builds up and builds up and builds up to the point where some people engage in, engage in violence. Certainly without any justification, but a concern that I have."


The prisoner in Atlanta who killed a judge, a court reporter, a deputy and a civilian wasn't pissed about the judge's political 'decisions.' He wanted to escape, pure and simple. To attribute a higher cause to his actions is an insult to the dead and to their families as if in some way they deserved their fate.

It's time for the Republicans to clean house, starting with DeLay. The man has no ethics and would castrate our Constitution and the protections embodied therein just to curry favor with a few fantatics. If you think this isn't such a big deal, time to polish off your history books and study the rise of totalitarian regimes in Germany and Russia. The overthrow of basic freedoms was a gradual one, not an overnight coup.

Hopefully the Republicans will "Newt Gingerich" this guy and send him back to Texas along with Cornyn. Compared to these two guys, Bush II is looking pretty harmless.

Later....