London Day 2: Of Fires and Jews

The picture to the left is a painting of a cabman's shelter in the middle of the winter 1888 by John Charles Dollman (London Museum). I think it's so evocative of the time. They'd take shelter from the weather, swap tales and eat their meals. Unfortunately the horses had to remain outside. There's an still one of the original shelters at Russell Square (Bloomsbury). Nothing fancy, nothing huge. Just respite from the weather and a bit of companionship. Can you imagine the tales they'd tell?

Luckily, we didn't get rain until this evening so today was gorgeous (again). Upper sixties, a little breeze. Perfect for hiking your bum off. Which I did. First thing, I popped into a Starbucks for coffee (£1.60 = $3.20 for a small cup). To their credit Starbucks have public loos and those can be hard to find. If you're about to indulge in a two-hour tour of the East End, find a Starbucks first.

So after fortifying myself with caffeine I began the day with a London Walks entitled The Old Jewish Quarter ("a shtetl called Whitechapel.") Jean, the guide who showed us around the Victorian walk last October, gave us a tour of the "Hebrew" side of the East End. We visited Bevis Marks Synagogue (built 1701) and the interior was stunning. Marble, English oak benches (the original ones) and candles. Lots of candelabras. They have electric lights, but use the candles for weddings. Neat. This is a Orthodox shul (shool = synagogue) which means the woman sit separate from the men. In this case they sit up in a gallery overlooking the main floor. I've attended Orthodox services in Hong Kong and found the women got bored and tended to chat during the service because they had nothing to do. Reform and Conservative Judaism include women in the services. Each to his own.

There was a nice fellow at who gave us an overview of the Jewish community during the past three hundred years. Of course, there's always one in your tour group who likes to stir things up. A lady, a Jew, announced she wouldn't attend an Orthodox shul as they made the women sit separately. I saw no reason for her grumbling about this. You choose which synagogue you attend. Griping at the Orthodox folks about their traditions is like bitching at the Reform Jews because women can conduct a service. The Orthodox are keepers of the tradition. Without them Judaism would be lessened. To be honest, I doubt the Almighty really cares either way.

After the walk I went to the Museum of London for their London's Burning: Great Fire of 1666 exhibit. I was really psyched about this. Alas, it was just okay. Not earthshaking in my mind, but then I've done a LOT of research into this event as it plays into the third book in my series. That makes me a hard sell. What was cool was that I got to hold artifacts from the fire (342 years old folks), including two pieces of pottery that had fused together. To achieve that, according to the museum folks, you'd need at least 1700 degrees Fahrenheit. Steel melts at 1370 degrees. That might explain why the stones of St. Paul's Cathedral actually exploded from the heat.

One of the more touching exhibits, not related to the Great Fire, was the memorial book dedicated to those folks who lost their lives on the July 7, 2005 bombing. There are pictures of the those who died, including testimonials from friends and family. It's heart wrenching. As a frequent traveler to London I know fate could have easily put me on one of those trains or on that bus. I've traveled in and out of those stations on a regular basis. Ironically, the bombers targeted Aldgate Station. A sizeable number of Muslims live in that area and travel by the Tube. They were killing their own. Hate is always blind.

After the museum, I wandered a bit more. I visited St. Sepulchre's Church just down the street from where Newgate Prison used to be located (now the Old Bailey) and also the Central Criminal Courts which always seemed to have the requisite TV cameras across the street. I'll be attending a trial on Monday to experience firsthand the differences between the US and the UK court systems. More wandering took me to St. Paul's Cathedral, but not inside, and then back to the hotel.

Besides all the historical research, something else I noted -- guys. There are some drop dead hunky guys in this city. Of course there's a lot of older English fellows, but some of the younger ones are just so yummy. Don't know what it is, but I noted a LOT of them today (a few in Starbucks). Some in jeans, some in pinstripe suits. All worth a second look. Damn. The Brits have been holding out on us.

Off to the Royal Gunpowder Museum tomorrow in Waltham Abbey, a brief train ride north of London. Should be educational. Tomorrow night is the Whitechapel Society Meeting in, of course, Whitechapel. This time I get to listen to someone else give the talk. It'll be a later night than usual but I'm not anticipating any trouble getting back to the hotel.

And for those of you who do keep track of UK news -- the bomb is still not defused. What bomb, you ask? A WWII Blitz bomb, to be precise. Some workers unearthed it near the Bromley-by-Bow Underground Station, which is also close to the water treatment works. It is sitting on top of a gas main. So the brave folks who disarm things that go boom are working on disarming this one. Can you imagine messing with a bomb that is over 60 years old? Not enough money in the universe for that sorta job. To be safe they've closed some of the Underground east of Whitechapel. Sensible.

Will continue to update you on my various trudgings. Now it's time for editing and some of that Burt's Bees Peppermint Foot Cream. For some reason my feet are very unhappy.

London Town

It seemed as if there was a conspiracy to keep us in Atlanta. The plane arrived late and a mechanical delay held it up even further. Then as we’re taxiing out to the take-off runway there was a hold as a previous landing had issues and they needed to check the runway for any stray bits o’plane. Finally we were off and sailing away. I had a delightful seat mate from the Caribbean who was on her first trip to London so it made the trip quite pleasant.

The weather here is gorgeous. 70 plus degrees and sunny. There were only two other people ahead of me in the Immigration line (unreal) and the trip to Lodnon on the Gatwick Express went swiftly. Somehow I remember when it used to £18 for a Roundtrip, not one way. That's $36 each way in our Silly American Pesos. Youch. I'm going to check into the bus on the return trip as I'll have plenty of time to spare that day.

Today is primarily a reconnoiter sort of day. I’m staying in a hotel south of Victoria Station this time as the husband is not with me and I’m not keen to truck around the back streets of some of London’s suburbs alone. By some wonder of fate I was able to check into my room at 11:15. Wow. The wi-fi is up (obviously) and a quick trip to the St. George Tavern earned me a pint of real ale (Timothy Taylor Landlord Ale) --- note this is real ale of which I'll write more about down the line -- and some fish and chips. The fish was so-so. The ale was very nice. Not surprisingly after that load there was a LONG nap due to the half hour of sleep I got on the plane (can't sleep on them no matter how many drugs I take) and now I'm up and freshed with a cuppa (tea) and about to do some serious wandering. To Hyde Park, me thinks. Need to stretch the legs and see the sights. Tonight it's back to the editorial work on Madman's Dance. I'll issue reports and photos as time progresses. Hopefully you folks will enjoy the trip to England, at least vicariously.

Update: Ah the joys of a Tesco nearby. Tesco is a supermarket chain and that means if you have one near your hotel you can buy: crusty bread, thin sliced ham, cheddar cheese (the real stuff) some yogurt, apples and a bit of Single Malt to keep you going. All for a lot less than dining out. The yogurt is an experiment. I read an article that said you should eat the local yogurt as it imparts the local bugs to your gut and might help you avoid intestinal disruptions. Interesting idea. The Scottish Raspberry stuff I ate tonight was fab.

I did achieve Hyde Park and took the air along with a fairly large number of Londoners. Nice weather so they were out in force. (See photo above -- Achilles about to do battle with the evil building monster. The thing had so many antennas on it you'd swear it was part of NASA).

I've rewired my brain to remember to watch for vehicles coming from odd directions, that you walk on the left, not the right and that pubs fill up the moment the work day is over. Thursday evening and the pubs are packed and overflowing onto the street. The Brits are worried about the level of binge drinking. I suspect they might have legitimate worries.

Tomorrow I'm off to the Museum of London to see the Great Fire (1666) exhibit. Sure to please any pyromaniac in your household. More later. Must edit book.

A-Kon

I usually post convention reports within a day or two of the convention. Right now I’m writing this post at 33,001 feet. Yup, I’m in a plane bound for England. But that’s the next post.

A-Kon 19 (they’ve had some practice) went very well. As usual there were somewhere over 15-16K Japanese animation fans. They just love the stuff and A-Kon is very good at ensuring they get the sort of experience they’re looking for.

We all survived the writers' workshop, of which I was one of the critiquers. I’m hoping those brave souls who partook of our input found it of value, despite the sea of red ink we poured all over their creations. The actual writers’ panels were very well attended. I had a total of eight with two stints of three in a row. That takes a bit of a toll and by Sunday afternoon I was feeling the fact that I’d not been drinking enough water to remain hydrated. I made sure to consume a lot of H20 and I stopped feeling like I was going to die. I got to spend time with Lee Martindale (lee_martindale), Melanie Fletcher, Tom Knowles and Heidi B (heidi2524). Also got to be on a couple of panels with David Drake. Both went over quite nicely with the fen.

I got home at about 8:30 Monday evening and then was back on a plane Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. It was a hectic two days, but almost everything managed to get done. What didn’t will be there when I get back.

Next post – London. I’m up to my usual research hijinks so I’ll keep you informed of what’s new in the heart of Britain.

TimeGate

Whilst other folks were out honoring our fallen warriors or grilling their favorite piece of dead livestock, I was at TimeGate. Originally a one-day convention in Atlanta, they got brave and expanded it to four days. The plan worked. The hotel (a HI Select) was the perfect venue with lots of restaurants nearby and at a price that we all could afford. They even came up with special drinks for the con at $5 a pop. That's cool. As a guest I was given the VIP treatment (literally) including an awesome gift basket. Wow!

The programming was laid out in three tracks -- StarGate, Dr. Who and a Time Travel/Science track. I was part of the latter so that meant panels discussing the mechanics of time travel as well as the ethics of slinging yourself back four centuries. Very informative. I met all sorts of new folks (Louis Robinson, David Harmer) and hung with friends from the Atlanta Science Fiction Society. I didn't get an opportunity to talk to John Levene (Dr. Who) or Tony Amendola (StarGate) but they were both quite gracious whenever I saw them hurrying past. I am a Dr. Who fan so I didn't feel completely lost when folks chatted about the current Doctor (David Tennant). Since we'd recently succumbed to Netflix we've been catching up on the Doc's adventures. Love those Daleks!

Retail (book sales) was quite brisk (smile) and I got to talk to all sorts of folks about time travel, writing and about anything else on our minds. A smaller convention allows that kind of time, unlike the big mega-cons. As usual, I toted a camera to the con and never took a pix. Like a pix of the stainless steel Delorean. Very nifty car.

Consider TimeGate for a nice weekend break next year. Laid back intelligent conversation and lots of fun things going on. Just the right mix. They get a definite THUMBS UP!

Getting WICKED

WICKED GAME is the most recent addition to the Jeri Smith-Ready universe. Today is the Launch Day. This is a big thing to an author. Their "baby" is now out in the world for all to see. It's a time of joy and anxiety. Will the readers like it? Will it sell enough copies to make the editor/publisher happy? Etc. Etc.

Because I'm in the midst of editorial right now , I recommend jmward14's excellent review of the book. To which I add an "Amen, Sister."

Jeri has created a very believable heroine you root for while wondering if she's going to end up ruining all the good she's done. Ciara's "blessed" with just as much of a compulsion as the undead. Luckily Jeri doesn't go for the usual morose, tortured vampires. Vamps so angsty you just PRAY someone will stake them sometime during the course of the book. Hers are real, if that makes sense. I LOVED the fact the vamps are OCD. Hey, I've got a touch of that myself (she says while hastily rearranging the paper clips by color order). Makes them more "human" which means you care about every one of them as much as you do the heroine.

So wander out to your local bookstore, be it an indy, a chain or an online place and order a copy of WICKED GAME today. Then settle into your favorite chair, bubble bath, beach or (sorry) airplane seat and immerse yourself in the story. It's just WICKED.

Woot #2

Earlier this year VIRTUAL EVIL was named a finalist for the ForeWord Award (Science Fiction). Today VE was announced as a finalist for the Independent Publisher Book Award (Science Fiction). I was a finalist for both of these last year so apparently I'm doing something right.

HUZZAH!

Dictating Characters

One of the best things you can do as a writer is to listen to your characters. [Not to worry - no spoilers here.] I'm working on a particular part of Madman's Dance that seemed to work okay. Jacynda, the heroine, kept muttering "Too easy." I ignored her. Then she got the other Time Rover (Johns Hopkins) saying the same thing. Then he asked, "So why aren't the bad guys stopping us, huh? This is too easy." Sigh...

So today I caved in and rewrote that scene to make it less easy for both of them. They're happy now (for the moment) and the story is better for it. I know there are authors who say they'd never let their characters dictate to them like that. I will if they're persistent. They know their story. I'm just their scribe (another point of contention with some authors). Jacynda's been right all along. Why muss with that success?

Tomorrow I'm back to the editing now that this scene is in place. I'm about 100 pages from the end and then the second half goes to the editor. We still have lots of clean up, but things are sorting themselves out. I always love how that happens right at the very end (NOT!) I think the characters do that on purpose -- make the author sweat. It always works.

And So It Begins...

Editorial-- that magic time when my editor looks at my hard work on Madman's Dance and goes "meh" (at least for certain parts) and then proceeds to help me fix my prose. She has the first half of the book in her hot hands while I'm straightening out some plot problems in the second half. Yes folks, this is a LONG book. I should have that second portion to her by the 8th or so.

I actually like this part of the book creation. Some authors dread it, but I'm blessed with an editor who knows my series intimately and will thump me on the head (electronically) when I send a character off in an inappropriate direction without good reason. You gotta have someone willing to take you to the woodshed.

In between the second half clean-up, I'm reading and critiquing submissions for the A-Kon Workshop. Some of them remind me of where I used to be. In a few years I'm hoping those newbie writers will look back and realize how much they're grown in the craft. It's what makes the journey worthwhile.

High Tech RavenCon

I'm a tech junkie. I LOVE new stuff. So when Gail Martin was so kind as to share these video blogs with me, I just had to post them. Snippets o'RavenCon without all the travel expense. Day Two features our Wicked Games Launch Party!

Be sure to check out her Ghost in the Machine podcast, as well.

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3:

RavenCon

Just returned from Richmond after a five-day stint in that fair city. I had a hectic schedule which is probably why my brains are AWOL today. I flew up on Wednesday and settled into our hotel suite. I had two other roomies this trip: Jean Marie Ward and Jeri Smith-Ready. I've roomed with both of them before and since neither of them felt the need to place a pillow on my face and hold it down, I figured things were good. And they were. All three of us played nicely with each other. It's heaven to have considerate roomies. We understood our individual idiosyncrasies and respected each others.

Jean Marie is a Certified Night Owl (she's got the papers and everything) and Jeri usually goes to bed roughly when I do (11- midnight). Jean Marie does not rise at o'dark thirty in the morning, though she was up at eight a couple mornings in a row. (No, she was not happy about that). Both of the ladies are so quiet you'd never know they were in the room. They probably didn't think the same of me.

Wednesday evening Jean Marie and I headed into downtown Richmond and to Croaker's, a soul food kinda place with excellent fish. Since neither of us had eaten much, we had a feast. That area of Richmond is really cool. The next day I paid for the fact I didn't ask for a feather pillow when I checked in. Massive headache courtesy of the foam pillow. Happens every time. I ate Advil like candy. Didn't do a thing. So I powered through the day as we shopped for booze, munchies, ordered a custom-decorated cake for Jeri's launch party, etc. It was supposed to be a surprise, but when we had to prove that the WVMP logo was not copyrighted or that if it was that we had permission to use it, we had no option but to contact Jeri. Bah... Then we went downtown to the Poe Museum and to dinner at a fine Italian restaurant called Zuppa. Alas, I hurt so much it was hard to enjoy the food. Once I'd completed a particular project (that just had to be out Thurs noc) I drugged myself down and went to sleep about 11:30.

Up at 4 a.m. Yuck. Couldn't sleep any longer. Since I had to get up at 5 a.m. I just took my shower, checked my emails and vegged until I met a number of other zombies in the hotel lobby at 6 a.m. Jean Marie was not one of these. She was sensible. She slept in and did the canal tour of Richmond. I (and many others) went to Monacon High School to talk to the students courtesy of Tee Morris, a Monacon alumni. I did this last year and had a blast. This year was no different. I did a presentation (for two classes) on Jack the Ripper Fiction. The kids were cool and so were the teachers. I wish more conventions arranged this sort of foray into the high schools.

Then it was RavenCon - Friday afternoon I got back to the hotel at 2 p.m., got my con badge, a fifteen minute nap and then moderated a panel on Alternate History. It took full octane Mountain Dew to get through it as I was so toasted. Another panel at 4, opening ceremonies at 8, another panel at nine. I fell into bed at about midnight. We were on the Party Floor. Noise happens on a Party Floor. At least it stopped at one in the morning.

Saturday was full of things to do and Jeri's launch party for Wicked Games (see book cover above). It was also a launch party for Madman's Dance, but my book isn't out until October. So we celebrated Jeri's latest book (an Urban Fantasy with vampires as DJ's at a radio station). I started reading it on the plane to Atlanta and love it. Go buy a copy. We also had promo literature out for Jean Marie's book, With Nine You Get Vanyr.
The party was a blast. Jeri put together a track of classic rock 'n' roll, we had drinkables, munchables and cake. Gotta have cake. It had the WVMP "The Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll" logo on it. Really cool. Even better -- Chocolate cake. White frosting. YUM. No one got excessively drunk so the conversation was intelligent and entertaining. The suite was packed.

9 a.m. Sunday -- a panel on Urban Fantasy. How appropriate. Though we didn't get to bed until late, we were amazingly bright. Since Jana failed to get a late checkout time (dumb) we had to hustle to vacate the premises at 11. We did it.

Jeri continues her whirlwind promotion of the new book. Jean Marie is back to work on her latest project and I'm due to hand in the first half of Madman's Dance on Thursday. Thursday, like THIS Thursday. Humm.... Time to go. Thanks for checking in. Put RavenCon on your list of cons to do next April. It's an incredible convention.

Madman's Dance Cover Art

I'm on the downhill slope for the next Time Rovers book - Madman's Dance. Here's the gorgeous cover. The gent and the fiery background are courtesy of L.W. "Lynn" Perkins and the cover design is by Christina Yoder. These are the ladies who designed the other two covers in the series.

I gave Lynn an idea of what the gent looks like (for those who have read the series this is the Genius himself, T.E. Morrisey, the software wizard who created the Time Immersion industry along with Harter Defoe, who was on the cover of Virtual Evil). Theo is a babe.

Lynn and I examined potential backgrounds and finally settled on St. Martin-in-the Fields and the National Portrait Gallery (Trafalgar Square, London) engulfed in flames. When Christina asked the theme of the book, I said "Armageddon". She took it from there. As always, these artists have a talent that leaves me breathless.

Madman's Dance is going to be a long book. Sojourn was 367 pages and this one will be way over 400+ as there is a lot hitting the fan in this story. It's conveniently divided into two sections, not surprisingly entitled Part One and Part Two. Clever huh? So much needs to be resolved, both in 1888 and 2057. Those resolutions will involve not only some of the machinations of the Transitives (shape-shifters) but some personal resolutions, as well.

The manuscript will be sent to the editor May 1. It goes on press mid-July and should be available by October 30th, its launch date. I'm hoping that this one proves even better than Sojourn and Virtual Evil.

And now back to my rewrites. Thanks for sharing my adoration of the cover. I think it's way cool.

Amazon - The Five Hundred Pound Gorilla

Oh dear, it's a sad day when I find myself agreeing with PublishAmerica.

"PublishAmerica will not comply with Amazon's ultimatum, and will not allow that company to dictate who will print PublishAmerica's books, and at what conditions."

The fuss is over Amazon's decision to require their POD (print-on-demand) publishers to produce their books through Amazon's own POD supplier, BookSurge. You don't print through them, Amazon will disable the BUY button on your book's page. Lovely. So if you decide you wish to have Lightning Source, Lulu.com, etal., print your books, Amazon will cut you off at the knees. You still can be part of their Amazon Marketplace ($29.95 per year and 55% discount on retail price plus cost of shipping to Amazon). Trust me, you don't make money that way.

If you print through BookSurge, Amazon will assess a printing fee for the book, a set-up charge ($55) and still lop 48% off the top. At present they're waiving the $55 set-up fee to encourage folks to take part in their generous offer. To add insult and annoyance, BookSurge's specs are different than Lightning Source and some of the others, so not only do you have to set up the book twice (and yes, this does take some time) but you have to maintain two different file configurations lest you need to make changes down the line. What a freakin' bite.

An excellent, though long, article on the changes can be found at Writer's Weekly.

I've seen a few of BookSurge's creations. Other POD publishers do a better job. Lightning Source's work used to be so-so. They've improved and Lulu.com's is very good. I know Amazon wants to ensure their investment in BookSurge was a sound decision. Pissing off your existing customers to make a few more bucks is never a bright move.

I'll be writing their investment department, letting them know I think this is a bone-headed stunt. And if they proceed, I will vote with my dollars. There are other places I can purchase my books. Respect goes both ways.

StellarCon

The weekend in High Point, NC went well except for one minor glitch (explained later). The hotel (a Radisson) had a Sleep Comfort bed so I could adjust it to the proper degree of "ahhhh". I was on a quiet floor (no room parties) and that allowed me to get my sleep which I needed after the acrobatic couple from Thurs. night. The hotel's restaurant didn't do well Fri eve (45 min to get our meal) but switched to buffets from that point on and did just fine. The food was tasty and inexpensive by con standards ($8.95 for a supper buffet). That never happens.

The programming went pretty well. Some panels were better than others, but all had value. We had an interesting discussion during one panel about how long one should wait until throwing a hissy fit if your royalties aren't paid on time and your emails about those royalties are being ignored. Since most publishers only pay every six months and then they try to drag the actual check writing another three to four months, it can get annoying. Most of the authors said 4-6 mos. I said 2 beyond when they're contractually required to issue the check, especially if they're blowing you off. My recommendation to the fellow was to assess his downside risk and go from there. If the problem continues, take your work to a new publisher. The contract says that I do "X" and they do "Y". That's why you have a contract. If one party is not living up to the contract, that's a problem. Fortunately, my publisher is very good at issuing those checks. Not all of them are.

I also had the opportunity to share a dealer's room table with Tony Ruggiero, fellow DMP author, and dear Mary who always has some knitting project in hand. At Dragon*Con last year she was making (of course) a dragon scarf. This weekend she was making a baby sweater for a friend. I had a lot of fun razzing her about that. Tony's next book in the Team of Darkness Series (Operation Save the Innocent) is due out in April. We're all looking forward to it.

I also got to spend some time with Lee Martindale and commiserate with her (in her smoking room) with a cigar and some Aberlour A'bunadh single malt scotch. (If you're going to have vices, have good ones.) And I introduced Alan Wold to the Aberlour, as well, which was only fair as he'd gotten me hooked on Laphroaig a few cons back. I also got to talk to author Kristy Tallman. She was at RavenCon last year, but I didn't get a chance to officially meet her.

And now for the slight wrinkle in my weekend: 12:30 Sunday I pack the car, hop in, turn the key. Nothing. Zip. Da nada. Someone had left the map light on since Friday noon. Now I couldn't possibly be THAT stupid so someone had to have broken into the car, turned on the map light and then relocked the vehicle so no one would know. Yeah, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. Any other possibility to is to embarrassing to consider. I called Honda's Roadside Assistance and they sent a very nice fellow to get the car started and I was out of High Point like a shot. Oh, and just to be annoying: the Gizmo (as we call it) got 49.7 mpg during the trip. It's a Honda Civic Hybrid. Fine car. The highest gas price for regular I saw was $3.40. Youch.

Of course, while I was gone downtown Atlanta had urban renewal courtesy of a tornado. Nasty. I can only imagine what it would be like in the middle of Dragon*Con (shudders.)

An Author's Life

Lest you believe that an author's life is all glitz and glamor, with the occasional period of writing, it's not quite that Hollywood. I'm currently ensconced in a Microtel, an overnight on the way to High Point, NC and StellarCon. It's not that long of a drive from Atlanta to High Point, but I had no desire to get on the road at O'Dark Thirty so I popped up here yesterday afternoon. After a nutritious yet uninspiring dinner at IHOP, I settled in for some writing time. By eleven or so, my brain seized up so I went to bed in my room near the front desk (as requested).

To give you a sense of my night:
11:30 -- curl up in bed
12:15 -- brain finally shuts down
1:00 -- awake to the sounds of a couple (either next door or upstairs) in the throes of sexual congress. She was clearly enjoying herself and wants the world to know it.
1:30 -- someone at the front desk decides to print a report on the World's Noisiest Receipt Printer that goes on a very long time.
1:45 -- blissful oblivion
3:00 -- knocking on a door somewhere nearby until someone finally gets their ass out of bed to answer it.
5:00 -- The Couple fire up for Round #2. This guy must be awesome is all I can say.
5:30 -- Jana crams in her earplugs and goes back to sleep.

While I was awake I did work out a key portion of the Save London From Destruction Scene so maybe there was some good in this after all. Ironically, in the last book Sergeant Keats had to listen to his neighbors at the boarding house in Rotherhithe doing the same thing. I resisted the temptation to pound on the wall and yell, "Give a rest, ya lecherous sod!"

Today I (hopefully) zip in the remaining hour or so to High Point, unpack and GET A NAP. That way I'll be a bit more human at 3 p.m. when the con starts.

I know -- all of this is book fodder. Problem is, some of it I've already used.

For Better or Worse... But Not For the Press Conferences

I'm a lengthily married person so I know about temptation. I attend a lot of conventions and there are some rather nice fellows at some of these. Since it is a convention I could probably get a little on the side and my spouse would never know. Unfortunately, I would. Guilt plays havoc with me. Hubby and I agree that every now and then one's eyes roam, but as long as the rest of you doesn't, we're in good shape. For us, crossing that line is not worth it. If it was, we'd have an open marriage, which seems a bit of an oxymoron to me. Maybe I'm just a bit old-fashioned.

The point of this post is the Spitzer fiasco. Yet again we have the power broker at the podium telling the world how he let them and his family down while his loyal wife is by his side. After the event, they're holding hands as they leave. Now I don't know the family dynamics there, but this always chafes me. The guy gets caught with his pants down and the faithful wife is there for him.

Just once I would love to see the following happen:
Guy Who Got Caught: "I admit I had a relationship with that woman, man, prostitute, sorority, football team. This is a deep blow to my career and, oh yeah, my family. As you can see, my beloved wife is up here with me so you know she'll forgive me. You should do the same because, hey, it's a guy thing."

When I Got Caught is through with his spiel, the wife leans over to the mic and says, "I have a few words on this subject." This will, of course, be a surprise to Lover Boy as he figures she's supposed to just stand there and look supportive.

Wife continues, "While I'm here being publicly humiliated because you can't keep your dick in your pants, the locks are being changed and your crap is being thrown out on the lawn. " She slaps down a sheaf of papers in front of him. "The divorce papers. Trust me, jerk, I'm taking half of everything. Then I'm going to write a tell-all book about what an ass you are and donate the proceeds to a battered women's shelter. Oh, and one final thing. You know those penis enhancing ads you get in the email? Try reading them."

Then wife walks off. I figure she'd get a standing ovation, at least from the women in the audience. Just once I'd love to see the woman in this horrendous tale nail the bastard during the press conference. Then I can die happy.*

Now a question -- does anyone remember a press conference where a female high roller admits to getting horizontal outside of her marriage and her husband stands up there with her looking supportive? If it's happened, I regret not seeing it. I would have felt for the guy, big time.

*Now that I think of it, there was recently an incident in China where a lady lit into her hubby on national TV for screwing around on her. It was a real shocker over there. If I remember it right, they put her in jail.

Update: Here's an article about why wives take the heat with their husbands. The video is very interesting in that former Mrs. McGreevey says that for three days her hubby was cloistered with the political and lawyer types trying to determine his future, she was trying to work out what to do on her own. That says it all. Maybe it is easy for some of us to ask "Why are you up there with him?" but it's a legitimate question. Yes, it's a personal decision. Still, the question should be asked.

And finally, a nice piece in Newsweek that asks the same question.

Okay, one last post on this subject. I got it all wrong: it's the wife's fault. I shoulda known.

A Bit of Good News

At some point in every book there is the tendency to whine "Am I done yet?" I hit that on Tuesday. Editing is sorta fun in the same way that cleaning the cat's litter box is entertaining. It's not great while you're doing it, but the end result is satisfyingly tidy.

Whilst I was in the middle of my doldrums (now is when new projects have a particularly strong pull) I received some good news. VIRTUAL EVIL is a finalist for a ForeWord Magazine Award for Science Fiction. I was a finalist for this award last year as well as Book of the Year. I won Book of the Year and, very rightly, you cannot win both. The chances of winning Book of the Year two years in a row is astronomical, so that's not something I have to worry about. I'm quite pleased I'm a finalist in SF, however. Another Dragon Moon book The Complete Guide to Writing Science Fiction - Vol. 1 - First Contact is also a finalist (in the Career category).

So that pulled me out of my funk and spurred me on to finish the third book. A nice incentive. If they liked VIRTUAL EVIL, wait 'til they read MADMAN'S DANCE.

Step Away From The Book!

I have noted that I've been a very political animal recently and since my blog does mention the word Writing in its description, I figured I'd best add a few electrons in that area.

This is the "Step Away From The Book!" week. Most folks recommend that once you have a workable first draft you get away from it for 4-6 weeks. That way when you return to the work the brilliant stuff is easily seen as well as the sections that really suck. There are always more of the latter than the former. I don't have 4-6 weeks. In fact, the book is technically due March 1, but my editor can't get to the actual chainsawing of my prose until the third week of April. This is very good.

Despite the fact that I wrote the first draft of MADMAN'S DANCE in Nov. 2006 just so I could tell where the story arc was headed, that was only about 75K words. My novels are usually 115-125K words long. So we were missing some bits. Lots of bits actually. After I finished VIRTUAL EVIL, lots of stuff changed that impacted the third book's draft. So I've been playing Victorian housewife with the manuscript. Victorians did not like to waste stuff so women would remove collars, cuffs and other edgings from their gowns and sew on different ones to fit the occasion. Voila! A new gown. So I'm ripping out the old stuff and sewing in new stuff. Not much fun, especially since I hadn't quite figured out the mechanism for the Everything Goes to Hell Moment in the book. Now I have a better idea. Hubby has been quite helpful with that.

So this week I'm stepping away from the work, telling the VIMH (voices in my head) to shut up and trying to work on a paranormal mystery/urban fantasy/romance that I wrote a few years back. It's had more reincarnations than Elizabeth Taylor. It needs to get cleaned up, darkened up and sent off to an agent. That won't happen this week, of course, but it will keep my mind off the other book.

Then there's the business finances. Last year we changed computer programs and some items just didn't cross over and changed banks. I've been lax about keeping up with the numbers. Then NetBank went under and we had to move our personal accounts as well. So this week is the tidy up the numbers so hubby can do the taxes thing. Whee.... As a friend put it this morning when e-mailing about her taxes, "Just shoot me now."

A week of tidying, getting things in order and living in contemporary L.A. instead of 1888 London. Next week I'll leap back in time to finish off the final book in Jacynda Lassiter's story arc. Even in rough draft stage, this thing has legs. That's reassuring, especially this late in the game.

The Shredding of the First Amendment

Being a bit cynical, I was wondering when this was going to happen:

Judge Orders Website Taken Down Wikileaks

The government has been merrily altering reports so we citizens won't be worried about Black Water, illegal contracts, the environment, etc. Now we have the dubious claim of be no better than China's puppet masters as a judge orders Wikileaks to close because of their expose about money laundering. Wikileaks brings us the dirt that big boys want hidden under the carpet. It is the ultimate expression of free speech.

So what the hell happened our Constitution? It used to be a bright light to the rest of the word, the first bulwark against tyranny. Freedom of speech is being eroded day by day. If we don't fight that now, in time we won't have that option.

I highly recommend the Electronic Freedom Foundation, folks. They've been fighting the good fight all along. They were the ones who worked hard to ensure Congress we didn't give the telecom giants a pass on their violation of U.S. wiretapping laws. As Mike McConnell, Director National Intelligence, admitted in a recent NPR interview, it was all about giving those big companies a break, not keeping the country safe from the bad guys.

"The issue is liability protection for the private sector. We can't do this mission without their help."

Bush and his cronies lied again. Why are we surprised?

Firearms & The Common Citizen

It's been a week for shootings, the one on the Illinois campus just yesterday. I wince every time I see something like this happen. Those kids had no chance to defend themselves. None whatsoever.

I have not said too much about firearms on this blog for good reason. It's usually a very hot topic, especially to those who have lost family and friends in that way. I respect those who would prefer that no one owns a gun. Unfortunately, that's not realistic. Despite England's strong anti-gun laws, they still have gun crime. The bad guys don't worry about the rules. England has outlawed knives of a certain length and is now after samurai swords because of a few incidents involving those. Humans will always find way to kill each other, though a AR-15 assault rifle is infinitely more speedy than a knife or a sword.

For those of you who've read my blog for some time, you know I don't particularly trust our government, especially over the last few years. Still, I have submitted to a full FBI background check, been fingerprinted and been granted a concealed carry permit. I'm not tickled the government has all that data, but that's what it takes if I wish to carry a firearm in this manner. Given that I travel alone on occasion, it was a logical choice. (Note, I'm speaking of concealed carry, which means you won't know I have a weapon on me, as compared to open carry, which I won't do. That just spooks people.)

Now, lest you think that means I'm totin' my gun just about anywhere I please, you would be wrong. Not in Georgia.

Let's see -- go into my favorite restaurant? Nope, they serve booze. That takes care of my favorite pub and the coffee house (they serve wine). How about the mall? Nope, not if there's a special event going on like a book signing or Santa meeting the kiddies. Everywhere I go, I have to triple think if I can have my firearm on my person or not. So why not leave it in the car? Great. So if my car gets stolen, they score a really fine handgun in the process. As a wise person put it, the firearm is safest on your person.

State laws vary so much that when I drive across a state line, I have to be aware of what that state allows in terms of possession of a firearm. Can it be within reaching distance in the car or does it have to be moved to the trunk? Can I carry it into the rest area bathroom or not? What if I stop for gas and there's a school across the street? Am I one thousand feet from that school, that church, that Federal building?

The problem with these laws is that the crazies don't care. They don't spend time reading through the mound of Georgia statutes (some 20+ pages worth) I rec'd when I applied for my concealed carry permit. They do not care if they tote their gun into a school, a church or a college campus. All they know there is little risk of someone shooting back.

I don't know if having just one armed individual in a classroom or at a shopping mall might make a difference. I do know that if no one is armed, the slaughter is horrific. I think we should open up the campuses, the public locations to those who have passed the full background checks and are permitted concealed carry. The crazies will still try to kill. At least someone might be able to stop them.

Since I've put my foot in it -- here's my notion on how it all outta work:

1) In addition to the standard background check to purchase a firearm, the purchaser must show proof of having completed a firearms safety course that includes operation of a firearm, legal responsibility for firing that weapon and how to store the weapon safely and securely. The course does not need to be weapon-specific, meaning you don't have to go through these each time you purchase a new gun. Consider this a lot like driver's education. You gotta know the basics.

2) Assault weapons (AR-15, etc) are not for hunting anything but people. These should be confined to the military. I know this will cause a howl amongst those worried about the government seizing our weapons. That is a remote possibility. I think in the short term, assault weapons have no place in our society.

3) If someone has satisfied the requirements for concealed carry, then they should be allowed to carry that firearm anywhere in the the country, no matter the state or the location. Right now there is a jumble of laws that vary from state to state. These need to be ironed out.

4) All public places, malls, etc., should have armed and adequately trained security personnel. The mall in Omaha didn't allow their security staff to have firearms. Unreal. These folks should coordinate with their local law enforcement agencies in test drills to deal with these kinds of events rather than feeling their way through them and making mistakes that cost lives.

And finally, something that is just coming on the horizon: microstamping. I need to do more research into this, but at first blush it looks promising.

That's my firearms spiel. I'm hoping in years to come that we won't have to have this discussion, but knowing human behavior, I suspect we will.

Thoughts?

Of Burqas and Headscarves

I've been watching this issue for a very long time. First in France, now in the Netherlands. At issue is whether wearing a headscarf or a head-to-toe burqa should be banned. The theory is that this will make Muslims integrate into society. My guess it will do just the opposite.

I have a litmus test for this kind of emotionally sensitive issue. If I was an Orthodox Jewish male and someone told me I could not wear a kippah (skullcap) to work, to school, on public transportation, how would I feel? The kippah represents more than just a piece of cloth. It's a connection between me and The Eternal. It reminds me that G*d is above all mankind and is part of my acceptance of the 613 mitzvot (commandments).*

So back to the original question. If I feel compelled by my religious beliefs to wear a kippah and someone said, "Can't do that," how would I feel? I'd be angry. If the decision could not be reversed, I've got a nasty choice in front of me. Some may abandon their kippah, scarves, burqas. A good many won't. If I was truly committed, I'd go somewhere where I could wear my kippah, amongst other like-minded folks. Which means the "we'll make them integrate into our society one way or another" strategy won't work. As we've learned, isolation breeds fanaticism.

I admit that trying to see the face of a woman in a full burqa is very difficult and the full covering is rather unsettling. If I was around women wearing burqas more often, that unease would disappear over time. Is it possible that one of them is toting a belt of bombs on a bus? Sure. Is it possible the guy across the aisle on the bus with the REI backpack has a bomb? Sure. Welcome to the 21st century, folks. It's not much different than the 19th when the anarchists were Irish and suitcases and parcels were exploding across London.

Most of this phobia is push-back at the high Muslim immigration levels. It's hard to see the landscape change in ways you can't understand. Which is the root problem: going out of our way to understand the other folks. My rabbi in Iowa was a very wise fellow. He frequently talked to high school classes and other civic groups. His theory was that once they'd met a Jew it would be harder for them to hate one. Stereotypes only exist in a vacuum.

Let the ladies wear their religious garb, whether that be a cross, a kippah, a headscarf or a burqa. Let the men wear their particular garb, be they Jew, Sikh, Muslim or Christian. Bring them together in community groups to talk to one another. Learn why they want to wear that headscarf, that burqa, why Orthodox Jewish women always wear a wig when they're in public. Find out what's behind the external religious symbols. The answers may surprise you.

As the rabbi said, it's harder to hate once you've shared your story with other person.

*Source - Wikipedia

Love is Murder - Chicago Style

Gotta love Chicago -- they know how to welcome a gal. Lots of snow. It was pretty. It tied up traffic to the extent that some friends driving down from Wisconsin required 4 hours to get to the hotel. They live 60 miles away. We had a grand dinner, b.s.'d and then they headed home late last night. By then the traffic was gone and the roads were being cleared. Chicago knows how to handle a bit of snow (somewhere over 6" the last I heard).

My hotel overlooks a parking lot near a big Target store. Last night there were six or seven snowplows working on the lot closest to the hotel. For a time, they got into one big circle and just went round and round like Indians circling the settlers' wagon train. Looked like fun.

The flight cancellations, etc. have caused some guest arrival delays here at Love is Murder (a mystery conference). Hopefully everyone gets in eventually. It looks to be a grand weekend. I'll do updates as time permits.

FRIDAY -- Today went well. I attended a Master Class by author Lee Child that was more Q&A than class. Then I had lunch with Barbara Vey of Publishers Weekly's Beyond Her Book Blog. We met at Moonlight & Magnolias last year and have been emailing off and on ever since. Her blog featured a blurb about Sojourn just about a week ago and so we talked about the series, about what other authors are writing and such. It was a couple hours' worth of interesting conversation, which was good as the service was rather slow in the restaurant and it took a long time to get the food and the check.

In the evening I reconnected with Robert Walker & his lovely wife, Miranda. Rob writes historical mysteries set in 1893 Chicago during the time of the Columbian Exposition. I also met Stacey Klemstein (we're doing a panel together tomorrow) and Kelle Z. Riley. Lots of new faces.

I have three panels tomorrow and a signing, plus the SINGLE MALT SCOTCH TASTING. Yeah, I've got my priorities right. And now to get a few more lines on the book before bed....

Saturday -- Three panels, one book signing, banquet and the single malt scotch tasting. All the panels went very well. Even managed to catch a wee nap this afternoon in between all the stuff going on. Barry Eisler (and others) conducted a martial arts, personal safety one-hour workshop that was very educational. After the banquet (and the piper) we tasted 6 Scottish single malts (Glenkinchie 12 y/o, Singleton, Dalwhinnie, Oban, Talisker and Lagavulin. The first three were a little light for my taste. I drink Oban already. I quite enjoyed the Talisker and found the Lagavulin to be a milder version of Laphroaig. Learned a lot. Now I just have to make to Scotland and do a distillery tour (or three). Tomorrow starts early(9 a.m. panel!) so I'm off to bed once I get the luggage packed. Met lots of new folks and that's what counts.

Sunday -- the final panel of the con started at 9 a.m. Before that we had breakfast while J.A. Konrath interviewed Tess Gerritsen on stage. Tess does great anecdotes. The panel allowed me one last opportunity to chat with Rebecca Kohles who writes unique books blending the supernatural and all things equestrian. Into a thriller. She's had good success with her first two books and is moving steadily toward that day she receives a contract from a traditional publisher. I'm wishing her all sorts of good luck and fat contracts.

Once at the airport, I popped into the Delta Crown Room (nice one), set up my computer and got another ninety-minutes of work done on Madman's Dance. I usually wouldn't spend $$ for such "luxury" but being out of the ebb and flow of humanity allows me to get words on page. I'm traveling a LOT this year so the membership will prove worth it over the long run. Unfortunately, I remember when TWA's club was $150 year. That might explain why they're no longer in business.

Home without a hassle, nice dinner (courtesy of the spouse who is thrilled I can take over cat fawning duties) and I spiraled into bed by 8:15. Totally knackered (as the Brits would say). Tomorrow is the day I'll officially start fretting about the next book. The deadline loometh. Those icy fingers of doubt are starting to flex. Well, nothing that dramatic. It's just going to be a day filled with lots of work.

"Repaid with Abandonment!"

Apparently, a few of the sisters in New York are peeved at Senator Edward Kennedy's endorsement of Barack Obama. (The national chapter promptly hedged on this harsh statement, by the way.)

From CNN:

"Sen. Kennedy’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton’s opponent in the Democratic presidential primary campaign has really hit women hard," said the statement. "Women have forgiven Kennedy, stuck up for him, stood by him, hushed the fact that he was late in his support of Title IX, the ERA, the Family Leave and Medical Act to name a few."

"And now the greatest betrayal! We are repaid with his abandonment!" the statement continues. "He’s picked the new guy over us. He’s joined the list of progressive white men who can’t or won’t handle the prospect of a woman president who is Hillary Clinton."

Repaid? This is quid pro quo? That sounds like the Old Boy Network they're always railing about. Ah, but the real issue is buried inside that rant: someone who can't or won't handle the prospect of a woman president who is Hillary Clinton. My guess is that Kennedy could give a damn if the next prez wears a skirt or not. It's Hillary that bugs him.

HRC falls firmly into the "business as usual" camp. She part of the Old Boy Network despite her sex. Bill also is an issue for me. What is he going to do for four or eight years while his wife runs the country? He's not going to play lots of golf and keep his mouth shut, that's for sure. During that entire time the Repubs are going to spend every waking minute trying to scuttle the boat. The truth is, it'd be a lot harder with Obama.

The endorsement I found more compelling was Carolyn Kennedy's Op Ed piece in the NYT yesterday. I can't remember her endorsing a candidate before. Her elegant article lays out its case simply -- to her Obama is the man who offers a new vision for those of us tired of the politics of the Washington elite, the man whose vision most reminds her of her father's.

If elected, would he be able to fight the good fight? I'm not sure. But at best he offers a glimpse of someone before DC ruins them.

The Snowing of Atlanta

Atlanta has this thing about snow. It fears it. No, that's not too strong a word for its apprehension about anything resembling white stuff falling out of the sky. As an Iowan, unless it gets 5 or more inches deep and is blowing around in a blizzard, I ignore it. I do take note of driving conditions, but that's about it. Since I've moved South I've changed my thoughts about snow. Well, not snow per se, but my fellow Atlantans when the white stuff starts falling. They panic. Yesterday was a case in point.

Friend Pam (she who comments on this blog every now and then) flew into Atlanta to set up for a trade show. That's what her company does. Her morning flight was canceled because of the weather. Mind you, it wasn't doing much of anything here at 9:15 in the morning, but Delta decided it would be better to cancel the day before than the day of service. I don't fault the airlines. They're screwed no matter what they do. By ten in the morning it's snowing. It's light fluffy snow, enough to coat the ground and the cars. Pretty, especially since I know it will be gone in a day or two. No wind, temps are in the mid-thirties.

Friend Pam arrives later in the afternoon, her flight delayed due to the bad weather in Atlanta. Well, unless the airport had completely different weather than we were experiencing, the weather didn't suck. She found that quite amusing. We meet, go to dinner at a Mexican restaurant. It is at this point we note the Lack of People. Midtown Atlanta Saturday evening is like the Vegas Strip on the weekend. You can hardly drive anywhere without sitting in traffic for ages. Last night -- no traffic. Popped right into the restaurant, got a seat, ate a great meal. That never happens.

Then we adjourned to the Borders so we could sit, sip coffee and b.s. Borders closed at 8 p.m. due to the severe weather. Okay, at this point there is no snow, the streets are DRY and the temp at 35 degrees. So we went to a Cariboo Coffee. Ditto. Off to a Barnes & Noble. Closed. Starbucks? They remained open until ten and then booted us out due to the inclement weather. It's now 34 degrees, still no precipitation and no ice on the streets.

So we retreat to Pam's hotel and order (what we found out after the fact) were the World's Most Excellent Glasses of Wine(TM) The flat screen TV in the bar is turned to CNN and they're taking about the ONE THOUSAND (1,000) flights canceled because of the bad weather. We're looking at each other wondering what the hell is going on here.

Pam had an excellent laugh out of all this. Compared to the 5 inches of snow and sub-zero temps Iowa's been enduring the last few days, Atlanta is a weekend at the beach. The evening was fun, if nothing more than for the Twilight Zone-ness of it all.

General Sherman went about sacking Atlanta the hard way. He didn't need to bombard the city and burn it to the ground. All he needed was to walk up to one to Atlantan, peer quizzically at the sky and ask, "Is that snow?"

*The snowman is in our neighbor's yard. It's all decked out in Braves regalia, of course.

Obama Quiz

Barack Obama is:
A) An atheist
B) A Muslim
C) A Christian
D) All of the above

Apparently at least 80% of Americans have no clue that the correct answer is "C". Whether being an "A" or a "B" is worse is up for grabs. After all, he has a foreign name, doesn't he? That can't be good.

Now the Constitution states that there is no religious test for office, but that doesn't stop us from judging someone by which church/synagogue/temple/mosque they attend (if they even do). So the rumors that Obama is a closet Muslim who is running as president in a sneaky attempt to take over America is pretty tinfoil hat. Why would the Muslims want America? Do they want to take on our debt, our crumbling infrastructure, our aging health care system? Of course the real nuts wouldn't look at all that. We are the Great Satan and worthy of destruction. Frankly, if Satan does exist, I think he'd be doing a much better job than we are, but that's personal opinion.

I remember the same hoopla about Kennedy and his allegiance to the Pope. I'm not troubled if the president is a Mormon, a Jew, a Christian, a Muslim or even a Hindu or a Buddhist. If he/she truly knows his/her religion's core teachings and FOLLOWS THEM, we're in good shape.

Unfortunately, we have a tendency to warp those holy scriptures as time passes. You're not a real Christian if you're dunked rather than sprinkled or if your church has an organ rather than no instruments at all. Ridiculous. We love to muss with the good stuff in an attempt to feel superior to everyone else. I've never understood this human desire, but it causes more grief that we're worth. Thank goodness the Supreme Being appears to have endless patience.

Voltaire said it best -"God created man in his own image, and man promptly returned the favor."

Iowa

Land Where the Tall Corn Grows. For most non-Iowans, the Hawkeye State is either Idaho, chock full of pigs and farmers or is known for its butter cow at the Iowa State Fair. Of course, like any other state in the Union, it is a bit more than that.

With just under 3 million inhabitants, most are of German, Irish or English descent. (Contrast that with Atlanta who has 4 million folks and growing). Iowa has a 90% high school graduation rate. Besides some excellent farm ground (in the middle of the state at least) Iowa is also surprisingly metropolitan. Des Moines is a delightful town with sky walks, a Triple A baseball team, an opera, ballet... all the goodies you find in the "Big City" minus the grueling commute. I used to joke that Des Moines had a "rush minute". I've been gone a decade now and I know the commute is probably worse, but not that much.

Iowa City, home of the University of Iowa, is an amalgam of old buildings and the dubious effects of urban renewal (which took out a lot of the head shops in the 1970's.) Bright-eyed young students swarm all over the campus and, depending on my mood, can make me feel VERY old.

Most Iowans are pretty solid folks. Yes, we have our crazies. Every state does. Still, there's something about Iowans that say "No pretense here. Take us or leave us, it's your choice." That's rather refreshing in our faux world.

I do admit (with shame) that I never participated in the Caucuses when I lived there. I wasn't a political animal at that point in my life. Now I am and Georgia doesn't offer the same opportunity. So I wish my fellow Iowans a good night of caucusing and hope a lot more than usual turn out for the events. Grass roots participation. We need more of that. Gee, maybe we need more Iowans....

The Big Bad Wolf

You... yeah, you know who you are. You just read a book and thought it was so cool you LOANED to a friend or a family member or passed it around your office. Book sharing isn't illegal. Is it? Lucky for you, the publishing industry isn't quite as stupid as RIAA who wants to dictate what you do with your purchased CD's...

From an article in the Washington Post by Marc Fisher:

Now, in an unusual case in which an Arizona recipient of an RIAA letter has fought back in court rather than write a check to avoid hefty legal fees, the industry is taking its argument against music sharing one step further: In legal documents in its federal case against Jeffrey Howell, a Scottsdale, Ariz., man who kept a collection of about 2,000 music recordings on his personal computer, the industry maintains that it is illegal for someone who has legally purchased a CD to transfer that music into his computer.

The industry's lawyer in the case, Ira Schwartz, argues in a brief filed earlier this month that the MP3 files Howell made on his computer from legally bought CDs are "unauthorized copies" of copyrighted recordings.

Technically, they're right. They are unauthorized copies. But come on guys -- note that the plaintiff didn't share them with his buddies or sell them, he copied the songs to his home computer. The songs in question are still within his control. This is like a publisher dictating that you can only read their books in your den, not in your kitchen.

I know that piracy is a big deal, but coming from the publishing world where used books are sold in the millions and the authors do no receive any royalties off those sales, I'm pretty jaded about the "kick the customer in the balls" approach.

If you make it "Us vs. Them" the piracy rates will only go up.

Going Nowhere Fast

All was going splendidly yesterday as we prepared to wing our way to snowy Iowa. Dropped the car off at the off-airport parking place, took the shuttle in, checked in with Delta, "popped" through security in twenty minutes. Hubby went to get us a sandwich while I double checked our flight was departing from C30. (Disclaimer -- I travel a lot and I used to be a travel agent. Trust yet verify). No, not out of C30, but C36. Except it's not shown as departing from there either. So I check The Really Big Board. Canceled.

Quel bite. I round up hubby and the sandwich, stand in line and we hear the verdict: fog in Moline, Illinois (the closest airport to where my mum-in-law lives). The next flight to Moline is on Sunday. We'd have to come home on Monday or Christmas, if they could cram us in. We decline and decide the best thing to do is just drive. 12 hours. So hubby gets on the mobile with the sis-in-law while I call Delta using one of their nifty black phones. Report from sis-in-law: do not come up. Nasty winter storm due in Sunday with high winds. We cancel the hotel and rental car pronto.

So I tell the nice Delta lady on the phone we'd like to have a credit issued against future travel. To my shock, she refunds both tickets. Blew me away. I'll rebook this weekend and we'll go see the mum-in-law in January. Situation under control, though our dear mum is quite bummed.

I figured we'd zip down, claim our luggage and be in the hot tub faster than you can say "Kalamazoo." No way. It seems that Delta, in a zeal to get the luggage out of Atlanta has been trying to book it (not us) on other flights even though we'd canceled our reservation. This made me chuckle. Gee, aren't bags checked against passenger manifests? No Jana, no Jana luggage. Right? I always knew that was pretty amazing b.s. (except on international flights, that is.)

So we are told someone will trudge down into the bowels of Hartsfield and retrieve them. May take forty-five minutes to an hour. An hour and a half later, hubby finds someone else to talk to. This lady was brilliant. Bags are on the way to Detroit on US Air (oh, they have such a good track record with luggage, don't they?) She's baffled why they were even put on a plane.

We came home, faxed my mum-in-law the news (she's really deaf and it's the only way to communicate) and broke out a beer and some homemade chili. Then we settled in with our respective books and unwound.

My bag has been found. Supposedly it will arrive on my doorstep this morning, no doubt with many a tale to tell. The husband's is AWOL. "All my favorite shirts and my most favorite sweater!" he grumbled.

I sense a shopping trip in our future....

Of Hookers & Politics

Judging a presidential candidate is a lot like assessing the hookers who stand on street corners, displaying their wares. You see only what they want you to see. They don't tell you if they're likely to give you a terminal disease or of their $200/day coke habit. They don't mention that their pimp who just out of stir for aggravated assault. Instead, they put on their best smile, pose themselves seductively and hope you'll buy the goods.

You are only allowed to see a politician's best side. That's why I've never appreciated sound bites. I like context. I like to look at the candidates' personal history. What have they done, how have they grown over the years? Are they petty, malicious, have a tendency to lie when then truth would work just as well? Are they there for themselves or for us? At the core, I'm looking for a decent human with a sharp mind who understands that this isn't all about them.

So what those Democrats? For Hillary Clinton, it's business as usual. She would probably make a fairly decent president. She knows how Washington works and she has Bill to soften her sharp edges. Still, she is part of the problem and right now we don't need any more insiders. Sorry, Hillary, I'm not there for ya, though I do respect your achievements.

John Edwards continues to show his commitment to the have-nots in this country, whose numbers grow with each passing week. That earns him brownie points in my world. Still, I don't really get a sense of the man. However, if it came down to Edwards vs. Clinton, I'd go with John.

As to Mr. Obama, his lack of experience in Washington's shark pool would be a detriment. Still, it might not be a fatal flaw. Washington would probably try to isolate him to prevent "contagion" from new ideas, but Obama has overcome others of that ilk. He would be a fresh voice willing to sit down and talk rather than charging off like a half-cocked cowboy. Whether he would be capable of making progress with the sharks, I'm not sure. If it comes down to Edwards vs. Obama, it would be a tough choice for me.

Or perhaps an Edwards/Obama ticket. Possible, but I don't know if Barack would go for second fiddle. Frankly, I think it would be a smart move on his part. On the job training that might lead to him securing the presidency down the line. For America, having two young(er) and open-minded males might make a helluva difference. They'd have the energy to take on the Old Guard.

I'll continue to ponder the options. Much like making that choice at the street corner, you never know what you'll get until they take that oath of office.

Roaring!

Well, it has been a year for awards and this one is very special. Stephen Wylder, a frequent commentator on this blog, has tapped me for the Shameless Lions Writing Circle's A Roar for Powerful Words Award. Wow. Steve has also won this award, which is only fitting.

You see, he's a deep thinker. Always has been. That didn't necessarily play well with some of our high school classmates, but hey, it was *cough* the late sixties and early seventies. A time of vibrant and often disturbing change. RFK and King's assassinations. Vietnam War. Nixon. Lots of political and international upheaval. Like today.

So it is only fitting that Steve received the award and passes it on to others. My writings are nowhere as deep as Steve's but they do cut to the core of the issues we face on a daily basis. This blog is a means for me to examine what's going on and reveal my thoughts on various subjects. Not unlike thousands of other blogs. A collective weighing and measuring, if you will.

So it really cool to have someone give me a thumbs up for my postings. Thanks, Steve. You're an inspiration to the rest of us.

Holiday Irony

Just in case you missed this report:
Muslim Helps Jews Attacked on NY Subway

The irony is rich. The ignorance on behalf of the attackers, breathtaking. Instead of charging them for a hate crime, send the idiots to a comparative religion class where they'll learn about Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Maybe then they'll now why we celebrate Hanukkah and why they're an embarrassment to their fellow Christians.

Let There Be Questions - The End

A few more questions as I wrap up my session with the Kennesaw State University marketing students. I wasn't able to answer all the questions-there were tons-but I hit the high points.

Nikki R. asks, "Have you ever had problems with copyrights?"

No, not yet. I'm not a big enough fish to attract sharks. I'm sure that will change in time. I do register my books so I hold the copyrights thereto and I will vigorously protect those copyrights since the books are my livelihood. So if you rip off my characters, copy my book and put it on the internet with your name as the author, things get ugly.

I do, however, take a mellow line on FanFic (Fan Fiction). FanFic is where a writer pens stories based on someone else's characters/universe. Like writing an episode of Star Trek, LOTR, etc. but with your own plot. Some authors and publishers go ballistic over this. I don't. If you want to dabble in my universe, I'm okay with that as long as you do not sell your work or represent that universe as your creation. If I find someone has written a Time Rovers story and tried to sell it online, at a convention or to a publisher, all Hell(TM) will break loose.

I began in FanFic, writing Babylon 5 stories, with an eye toward publication Of course, I did exquisite research into the world, put the duology (two books) during a period of time that worked for the real series, etc. I'm like that. It was at this point I learned that only one publisher (I think at that time it was DelRey) pubbed B5 stories. My two query letters were ignored. I got irritated and decided I write in my own world from that point. The story lines were good. I think that someday I'll go back, strip out the B5 references and make them a nice two-book set. I never put them online (too much of a perfectionist for that) but they did "goose" me toward writing in my own world.

Paula DeL - "What are the most ineffective things you have done to market yourself?" and "What are the most effective things...."

Your professor would be proud of these questions. It's hard to judge "ineffective." At my stage in the game, any exposure is good even if it doesn't result in a lot of book sales. Of course, some kinds of exposure wouldn't be great "Author Runs Into a Busload of Nuns While Drunk". That wouldn't necessarily create new book sales. So it comes down to degrees of effective.

I haven't found chats (where a website invites readers to come chat with you at a specific time) to be very helpful. I'm not big enough yet and most of the chatters have not read my books. So the chats are not particularly meaningful. Guest blogging helps, as does being a member of a social network (Crimespace.ning.com). But those are also time sinks so you have to weigh benefit vs. time spent.

I've found one of my strongest assets (besides my books) is my personality. I'm pretty decent to be around. So I make sure I'm "out there" for folks to meet and talk to. If they find out you're not a jerk, they might check out the books. Because of that I do a LOT of conventions each year, sitting on panels, etc.

I also like to giveaway small things -- bookmarks, pens, postcards, etc. It allows a potential reader to take something home with them where they can surf the Net at their leisure and decide if my work is what they want to read.

One thing that has proven effective is my SOJOURN samplers. These are three-chapter samplers (or chapbooks) of my first book. They are really nice, with a gorgeous color cover. Readers can sample my work and if they get hooked, they'll buy into the series. I call these a 'gateway' drug into the Time Rovers. They've proven very effective for the cost.

Religion & Politics

I know it's the current fad to spend a lot of time talking about your religion while on the campaign trail. It lets you use certain "buzzwords" that resonate with members of the voting block. I, for one, don't want to hear it. The Constitution specifically states that no religious test should be applied for the office of president. So you can be Christian, Pagan, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish or Seventh Day Adventist and I really don't care. That being said, I have my own test.

"Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."(Matthew 7:30)

I don't quote from the New Testament very often, but the statement is apt. Telling me you're a devout Christian (etc). is not like SHOWING me. Heavy-handed tactics do not impress me. Demanding that the 10 Commandments be displayed in courthouses doesn't rock my boat. I'm Jewish. My people received the commandants at the foot of Mt. Sinai, but I don't expect my Hindu or Muslim neighbors to be impressed by that. They have their own religious texts which are just as meaningful as the Bible or the Old Testament. What? How can that be? Read 'em, folks. The underlying beliefs are the same -- Love Thy neighbor. And what about the Atheists? Not everyone believes in a Higher Power. Who am I to tell them that belief is invalid? Despite all the promises, none of us will truly know until we're no longer here.

America was founded on the principal of religious tolerance. Choosing staff members at the Justice Department based on political loyalty and religious preference is anti-American. Spreading rumors that Barack Obama is a closet Muslim on a holy crusade to destroy America from within is just stupid. If a Muslim was the best man/woman for the job, you'd pass them over for some idiot who is of the "real" faith? Apparently so.

Jimmy Carter had it right. He is a decent man who has quietly led by example. He kept his faith private for the most part. He's built homes for the poor, monitored elections around the globe and earned his keep while in retirement from the Oval Office. Mr. Bush, on the other hand, will slink off to Crawford and cut brush. Period.

We've only got one country, folks. We need the best person for the CEO position. We've done a lot of damage to ourselves, our reputation, our economy over the last eight years. We HAVE to get it right this time. Deciding who should be the next president based on his/her religious qualifications is destructive. It's a sad thing to watch candidates preening for their religious constituency while the country swirls around the drain.

Mike Huckabee's Skeleton

I'm a great believer in parsing politicians' words against how they behave. Most of them fall short. Right now Mike Huckabee is gaining ground in the primaries. But even the former Baptist minister has a skeleton in his closet, and it's a disturbing one.

What Was This Guy Thinking?

Huffington Post Article re: Huckabee's Pardon of a Serial Rapist

If you have women begging you not to let this pervert go, why in God's name would you pressure the parole board to do just that? I don't know how Huckabee lives with himself. We all make mistakes, but this one is just too disturbing to ignore.