The Random Thoughts of Laura J. Underwood

The Writer Writes...Stories Out

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:06:34 GMT

THE BOOK OF TENTACLES is available from Sam's Dot Publishing and contains my short story "A Quiet Neighborhood." It's about neighbors and noise and well...tentacles... ;-)

You can order it direct from Sam's Dot Publishing at http://www/samsdotpublishing.com by going to their store link.

MYSTIC SIGNALS 4 is also now available. It combines stories from two online magazines: Lorelei Signal and Sorcerous Signals. But the print edition has a bonus--it contains two stories not seen in the online versions.

One of those stories happens to be mine.

MYSTIC SIGNALS 4 is available from the following location:

http://www.amazon.com/Mystic-Signals-Issue-Carol-Hightshoe/dp/1449976387/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261574281&sr=1-4

Or directly from the Lorelei Signal website:

http://www.loreleisignal.com/LoreleiSignal.html

for a modest $12.00 plus shipping, this contains stories that appeared in both issues plus my never-before-seen story *Death and Need*

Set in the northern reaches above the Mountainous Wastes (which is marshlands south of the Dragon's Maw) a warrior woman seeks vengeance against the sorcerer who killed her father and brother. But the path is not so easy, and she soon finds herself a prisoner of the sorcerer who has a True Healer prisoner as well...

Go buy it. This is one of my pure sword and sorcery tales.

Been Busy

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:19:37 GMT

Merry Christmas To All A Little Early...

My Present to the world is the following:

Egging Nog, a Story by ME!

Just follow the link below.

http://www.sff.net/people/keltora/EggingNog.htm

Enjoy! And Happy Holidays.

Laura J. Underwood

The Writer Writes--And the Beat Goes On...

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:17:05 GMT

There has been a small war brewing in my house. My mother's lack of a van has driven her stir-crazy, and of course, she takes it out on everyone else. For a while, she had a rental, but she hated it. Said the seats were too tight, the fit was wrong, and she didn't feel like she was up high enough to see things.

So today, my stepfather went out and bought her a new van. A Ford Firestar (2004). It's blue, the seats are perfect, there is room for her "box" and other stuff. The last seat folds down so there it a big area in the back. The middle seats are captain chairs.

It has room.

Of course, she couldn't go out and look at it because it was cold and dark by the time he brought it home, and she doesn't see well in the dark and hates the cold.

I went out and looked. I think it's pretty snazzy.

Now, if she will just maintain it...

Other things in the works. I have been writing an Anwyn story that started out a short story and has gradually worked into novelette mode (and I swear it is going to be a novella like The City Under The Bridge). For a time, the story was sort of lurching along in a rather zombie-like state. This lurching was the result of me forcing the words onto the page.

I hate it when stories do that. I kept pushing it aside because I thought it was just dying on me. Stories that do that generally go into the "unfinished" folder where they either fester and rot into oblivion (there's that zombie plotting along at a shambling pace) or they grow new legs.

This story decided to grow new legs, or at least, it kept pestering me, pretending to grow them. I seriously wanted to end its life, but it refused to die.

And then one day it hit me. The problem lie in my neglecting a small but important character trait. There was a character whom I knew would never just sit back and be forgotten. After all, the character took an interest in helping Anwyn. It suddenly occurred to me that this character would not stay behind when Anwyn moved on.

At that point, the plot stopped plodding. New scenes came into existence. The dull dragging thud of its footsteps became a dance of joy and purpose in my head. So of course, I am convinced now it will be a novella, but it will be one I can be proud of and not some disgusting shambling corpse.

Stories are like that. There are times they seem to fade only to come back stronger. It means the writer's brain has finally worked out the details that were previously invisible.

I am much happier now. I think I will get it finished by the end of this week...

Assuming another monkey wrench doesn't come flying out of some dark corner of my brain.

Zombies love brains, but then so do writers. Brains that are working, that is.

All stress aside, mine is getting back into gear.

And finally, for those who are interested, the Wandering Lark Prepay List has 86 signees.

Only 14 more to go!!!

The Writer Writes...It's Another One of THOSE Months

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:12:25 GMT

Seems like One Thing After Another...

My truck went into the shop back at the end of October, and I had to drive my mother's van--which is not in the best of condition. We ended up putting her van in the shop after the craft show in the middle of the month. Apparently her motor is so shot, the mechanic is refusing to fix it at all.

So now my mother is vehicleless, and is whining daily about it, and if I had the money, I would get her another vehicle just to shut her up. My BiL and I are working on it, but searching for a reliable used vehicle takes time. Mom, of course, thinks it should have happened yesterday. She is unable to do any of her holiday stuff, and in her own words, she is a prisoner.

I take her wherever she wants to go, but she insists that is not the same thing. sigh...

There is no pleasing her...

And of course, my truck is making an odd noise now that has me a little worried that something else is about to happen, and I won't have the money to deal with it.

I am trying to think positive... Really.

In other news, I notice that tomorrow is the last day of the NaNoWriMo. I have never participated, but I know a lot of other people who are doing it. There was even an article in the local papers about a local chapter of folks who get together like a support group to encourage one another to write their masterpieces.

Now I am not going to knock NaNoWriMo. Actually, I think it is a good thing. Writing is a discipline, and groups like this are good for keeping people on track. I am a firm believer in the "butt in the chair, set a goal" form of writing. Production is something many beginners (and even some pros) have problems with.

On the other hand, I can write a novel in a month--a longer one than most NaNoWriMo folk aspire to completing. Their goal is 50,000 words. Now that means on average, one should be writing about 1,666 words a day. Not a bad amount of wordage.

I generally produce 2000 to 5000 words a day, depending on the project and my time. Which means in 30 days, were I so committed, I could ideally write a 60,000 to 150,000 word novel in a month.

I don't, however, because there are usually several projects in the works, and part of the writing production involves editing, so as a rule I run off a couple of short stories a month, and maybe a novella and part of a novel while editing other things.

So I don't bother with NaNoWriMo. I work that way nearly every month of the year.

But I am pleased to see so many people achieving their goals with this.

Of course, writing a novel is just a SMALL part of what has to be done. It has to be rewritten, edited, submitted, rejected, resubmitted, rejected and on and on...

Most people who achieve the NaNoWriMo goal write unpublishable crap. About 4-5%might be lucky enough to really produce an intelligible enough product to submit, and about 1% might actually make a sale. I am not being mean, but those are realistic numbers.

So, if you are a NaNoWriMo contestant who made your goal, congratulations. You have taken the first step.

There are only 99 more to go to become 100% Genuine Author Material.

Good luck with the rest of the stairs (though please keep in mind the only people who REALLY profit from the NaNoWriMo are those who are selling the kits, the signs, the books, etc...they found a niche that rather reminds me of that old Shoe Cartoon where the bird is looking at a book titled "How to Get Rich As An Author" and noticing that the book is $29.95, which means the author who wrote the how-to gets rich just because everyone WANTS to be a writer...).

Just be warned. The path is steep and narrow and only those with the stamina, the courage and the gumption are going to make their way to the top and actually get published. Really published.

PublishAmerica and Vanity Presses don't count.

Busy Week

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:16:02 GMT

So, a couple more stories are on their way into the wilds of the submission process. One, I shot off on a lark. One, I did because I was asked for a story. And one, because I spotted an set of guidelines that sounded like a challenge to my writer brain, requiring me to "write short."

Or "Flash Fiction," as they call it. A magazine had a couple of "guest editors" that I happen to know professionally, so I decided to send them something.

Of course, first I had to write it. Flash stories are something I rarely do unless I am actually asked for them. And in this case, I had an image in my head that seemed appropriate.

So I quickly wrote and polished "Mermaid Songs" and shot it off just a few days ago.

In the mean time, I have also been playing with "miniature books," and I got it in my head it would be fun to make some that could actually be opened up and read.

My first is a small piece called "She Was A Lass," and it is actually the stanza of a ballad that Conor heard a lass singing in my novella Shadow Lord (available from Yard Dog Press, in case you haven't read or seen it). Of course, all I ever wrote was the stanza. It was mere worldbuilding on my part.

I do that. Write snatches of imaginary ballads for my stories. Occasionally, I write the whole ballad (such as "Oh Maiden Standing By the Stone," and "Gin Ye'll Be My Lassie"). Occasionally, I even compose the music (as I did in both the aforementioned pieces).

Can't help it. Music is in me. Music is one of the reasons I like to write because music is my muse.

At any rate, in addition to mini books, I have been doing a tad of art (the carpal still protests, but I am learning ways to work around it).

Below is a new portrait of Anwyn.

Enjoy...

I call it "Anwyn Walking," and at the moment, I am not certain what he is looking so worridly at.

I'll figure it out. Just like I figured out a couple of things after I loaded Window 7 to Ace the Acer Extensa.

I am really liking Windows 7.

I'm BACK...

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:29:29 GMT

Did anyone actually miss me?

Been a long week. Mom had a craft show, and her van is shot, so I was transport and gorilla (though she insisted on hauling stuff in her van).

I just finished loading Windows 7 to Ace the Acer Laptop. Nice to be rid of that nasty Vista crap.

Of course, time will tell if 7 if going to live up to its reputation.

I finished a short story and a flash fiction story.

I uploaded a novelette to my website.

So life is moving along. Still need to edit the short stories for submission.

And later today, I have to take Mom over to the mechanics so they can tear down her engine and fix the leaks. We hope.

If not, Mom is gonna need a new vehicle.

The Writer Writes...Photo Fun

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:01:36 GMT

I am writing, but I am also playing around to take a break from time to time.

In this case, I have been staring at a "scene" over on one of the shelves. Tucked in among various things is a grouping of "wizards" and today, I realized it looked like they were having a discussion.

So of course, I grabbed the camera and took a couple of pictures.

Here is the result of one shot.

I call it "The Pen Wizard's Book Discussion Group"

Yes, you will note there are miniature copies of MY books in this tableau. They have actually been there as I removed them from another location where one of them got wet and ruined when the roof chose to start leaking. Harry Potter and the Beanie Baby bear wizard have been holding their books for some time. (And the book Harry is holding actually has half the first chapter and a miniature bookmark in it--yeah, sometimes I have moments of ego that result in miniatures).

Okay, so I have silly moments. ;-)

New Story Up On My Web Page

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:56:13 GMT

Go to my webpage at http://www.sff.net/people/keltora and scroll down to New Story for the link to The Last Jest and enjoy...

Or if you prefer, the link is:

http://www.sff.net/people/keltora/lastjest.html

This is one of my "dark fairytale" stories that I tried for so long to market--I even read part of it at a WorldCon ages ago and was unable to finish reading it to the group that came to listen to me in the sff.net suite.

So here it is in all its glory.

And if you want to show a little appreciation, I do have a paypal account, and if you email me, I will send you the email for the account. Small donations would be appreciated.

Eventually, I will get a button put up, but for now...

When It Rains

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:33:51 GMT

The old saying is, "It generally pours..."

We've had a lot of rain, but that is not the rain of which I speak.

A little over a week ago, I noticed the distinctive odor of coolant when I was in The Black Beauty (my 2000 Ford Ranger XLT), and I knew--though I hoped otherwise--that it was probably the heater core. Even though I only have 126,000 miles on my little truck, the Ford tendency towards heater core troubles was apparently not willing to wait.

Further examination showed me coolant was leaking out of the condensator hole in the firewall of the engine, so naturally, I knew I was not getting out easy.

Ended up to the tune of $681.36 and that is because of labor more than parts.

But I have my truck back, and even though I discovered they forgot to reconnect the stereo system (I am assuming I can just pull the stereo out and reconnect it back behind the panel without removing the whole dash), they tuned my engine a bit and it now purrs.

At any rate, I had hoped that was the end of troubles in my house, but no. My stepfather's truck needed the bearings replaced, and now as if that was not enough, my mother's broken down van has done just that. She apparently has broken seals because oil is leaking out everywhere. I'm just hoping it's not a cracked engine because the seals can be replaced...

Mom really needs a new van and if I was one of those legendary rich authors, I would see to it she had one. But of course, I am in the category of poor garden variety writer who make a little money on the side from her writing, and never gets a real glimpse of fame.

I'm not complaining. I can, at least, hold up my head and say all my early stories were professionally published, and I got paid for the publication of my first novel rather than vice versa. And I have a fair bit of a bibliography going for me too.

But I am not rich (and no writer from the midlist ever is--the best we can hope for is to not get ripped off by our publishers when it comes to royalties, and other than a certain incident I have mentioned before concerning a publishing house with the initials MM, I have been fortunate).

Speaking of books, though, we now have 83 Prepayers for Wandering Lark and it this keeps up, we should have the 100 by the end of the year--we hope.

In other news, The Book of Tentacles has a website here: http://tentaclepower.com and it has some fun stuff. Release date is November 15th.

And I am sketching again, and at the momet, I am doing some coloring of older sketches. For your viewing pleasure, here is an illustration I did in the 90s representing the story Shadow Wraith, which can be found in my collection Song of Silver from Dark Regions Press.

This is a preliminary coloring phase. As I work on it, the colors will get more body and brilliance.

But for me, it is a fun picture.

I like fun.

Playing Catch Up

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:22:12 GMT

No fries with that...

Been a weird couple of weeks. I went through some mental brain drain. I tried to get focused but it wasn't happening. Part of the problem was external stress, part of it my own rabbit-brained mental meanderings.

Didn't help that Black Beauty, my faithful Ford Ranger, chose THIS time of all times to puke coolant through the heater core and send me into fits because I have a long drive to work daily and NEED my wheels. At the moment, I am driving the Van--Mom's van, to be precise, the floating boat with the weird seats and the steering that wanders a little.

Have to keep reminding myself NOT to put on the clutch when I brake since there isn't one.

The dilemma was not helped by the fact that the replacement of a heater core is an expensive repair, and there goes a whole paycheck. It's not the part, it's the labor that stabs my purse. More than I paid for four tires and a tuneup a couple of years ago.

But it must be done. I don't want to have to keep driving the Van...

Although I have gotten some amusement watching my boss trying to scramble into the seat because she is very short and the Van sits higher than my Ranger.

We find our amusement where we can... ;-)

In the mean time, the writing was making getting ingloriously hostile. I had a story I wanted to write because I have a deadline, but the darned thing just would NOT come out. In the end, I abandoned it. Of course, another came along to replace it, so I am back on track. And in the mean time, yet another story for a later deadline is moving swimmingly.

I have been reading more lately. Finished a mystery novel in a day.

Yes, I read Mystery Novels from time to time. At one time I had a grand design to BE a mystery writer, but I had better luck with the Fantasy Stories, so I changed courses. Didn't stop me from reading mysteries.

The novel in question is The Double-Jack Murders by Patrick McManus. I have long been a fan of McManus' nonfiction. His tales of his youth during the depression have erupted loads of laughter from me, and when I discovered he was writing mystery novels, I was most pleased.

The Double-Jack Murders is his third Bo Tully mystery. Bo is sheriff of the fictional town of Blight, where things are generally done "the Blight Way." There are characters galore, all lively and humorous by nature, and yet--it's a fairly serious mystery. In this one, Bo is dodging the bullets of an escaped murder who has sworn to get his revenge. Meanwhile, he is helping a couple of nice old ladies by attempting to solve a mysterious disappearence from the 20s. Mix that with Bo's cantankerous father (a former sheriff with a "reputation"), various women either attracted to Bo (who has a soft spot for all women) and a host of other lively events, and you get a lot of fun.

If you like a fun but serious mystery (and don't mind a lot of typical male antics), give the Bo Tully mysteries a try. McManus is the author of such essay collections as They Shoot Canoes, Don't They and The Night The Bear Ate Goomba, as well as a regular columnist for Outdoor Life Magazine.

The other book I am reading is This Crooked Way by James Enge. The sequel to Blood of Ambrose has Morlock traveling alone, seeking an enemy that is determined to lead him into many varied adventures. Once again, Enge proves himself a masterful and witty teller of tales. Or maybe I have a soft spot for curmudgeonly characters who get the better of everyone else. Whatever the case, add This Crooked Way to your reading list. You won't be disappointed.

In other news, we now have 82 prepayers who have signed on agreeing to pay $12.50 in advance to help get my novel Wandering Lark, Book 2 of "The Demon-Bound" duology into print. Just need 18 more. No money is asked for at this time. The publisher will contact you when they are ready to go to press to collect your preorder payment. The rest will be due at publication, along with postage.

Finally, I am proof in many ways that persistence pays. A romantic ghost story I have been marketing for ages FINALLY found a market that is willing to pay me for the right to print it (digital printing, but hey--in this day and age, that is still publication).

It just proves that sometimes you might have to take a lot of rejection before there is acceptance. This story made the rounds for nearly 10 years.

I'm pleased.

The Writer Writes...Walking Down Memory Lane

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:00:10 GMT

Years ago, I was at a convention here in my home town (yes, we used to have them). I wish I could recall the year. I keep thinking it was in the 80s but it may have been later...

In the dealers room, there was a young woman named Julie Collins. She was hawking a comic she had illustrated, and if you bought the comic, for some ridiculously low additional sum ($1.00, as I recall) she would do a character sketch for you.

Most people were into D&D and so she was doing a lot of those. I, however, asked her to do a picture of Anwyn Baldomyre and Glynnanis. Why, when I can draw them myself? I had a fascination with wondering how anyone would portray my characters. I had done a few sketches, but I wanted to see what someone else would do.

The young lady took the challenge and did a lovely bit of art showing Anwyn sitting, looking to one side, holding a rather interesting version of Glynnanis.

I came across the picture not long ago. For a long time, it hung on my walls, but time and space forced it to go away for a time.

It is rather interesting to see. There is a touch of "manga" to it. Anwyn looks rather elfin.

It's rather fun to see things like that. And I think it would be nice to find out if the artist was still out there. If it was Satyricon or another con. And if she is still doing art.

One wonders.

The Writer Writes...Who Will Stop The Rain

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:03:28 GMT

It just hit me that's a song title--Clearance Creekwater as I recall...

At any rate, it has rained and rained and rained and rained for nearly a week now, and even though I love the sound of a light rain falling and think of this as "good Keltoran weather," I am getting a little tired of it.

It almost makes me wish I had weather control powers.

It was raining when I took Mom to the mountains in early celebration of her 74th birthday. It was raining when I went to work all week. It was raining and raining and raining, and everything is getting that musty smell of dampness.

Gakkkk!

All that aside, I have been working on getting the final edits done on Shadow of the Faolan so I can drop it on the editor's desk/lap/screen/whatever and get it out of my way. There are some projects I want to get into that I am debating. Writing the final part of the Rhys series. Getting a couple of stories written and polished for a couple of future anthologies. Editing a couple of completed novels into final format. Finishing several unfinished projects that I have allowed to lanquish...

Never good to let things lie about unfinished. Of course, there is a theory that if you abandon something, it might not have been ready to be written. At the moment, I have abandoned finishing The Hob of Cooley Glen, Songs of the Magister, and several others. Maybe too many to list here.

Gakkk!

A writer writes. I write a lot, but even I backslide and lose track and interest in ongoing projects.

Of course, I would like to blame it on the weather, but as the weather keeps me indoors, I think it is no real excuse.

I'm just being a lazy writer, and that is plain wrong...

The Writer Writes...Wandering Lark Update and Other Stuffin's

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:45:32 GMT

I've been busy. First there was Charleston, then there was Archon 33, and now the boss is taking time off, leaving me in charge.

So far THAT has been uneventful. Granted, I was once the boss, and once had to deal with all the stuff, but I think being the second in command has spoiled me a little...

At any rate, we now have 79 prepayers signed up for Wandering Lark, and as soon as we get 21 more, we will get the ball rolling. In anticipating, I have uploaded The Demon of Mallow to Lulu, and am waiting for my test copy before making the product a final copy. Mind you, it will not be released until after Wandering Lark comes out, but I want to be ready. The first 100 prepayers get a free copy of the novella (signed even), which is to say yes, it will be "in print."

In the mean time, I am putting the finishing touches on Shadow of the Faolan for the small-press publisher who expressed interest in doing a novel by me. It may not pay much, but that is becoming irrelevant to me anymore. As long as I get paid something and get into print (and can get copies to sell for myself), I will keep plodding along at this profession.

It's what I do best.

Oh, and if you're ever in the Pigeon Forge area (I said Gatlingburg, but it is really Pigeon Forge) there is a place called The Old Mill that has a wonderful downhome restaurant next to an authentic old grist mill, and the food is quite reasonable and quite tasty. Of course, you have to watch out for the Dollywood Traffic (but I know the back way in...). I took Mom there for her birthday on Saturday. Today is her official birthday, but Saturday was the only free day I had. We had a blast listening to gospel/bluegrass played by an elderly trio with talent, eating, exploring the mill and watching a duck nearly go over the falls more than once because it was so preoccupied with preening its feathers.

Should have filmed it. Bet it would have gotten on AFV...

The Writer Writes--Back From Archon 33 and Wandering Lark Update

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:43:07 GMT

It was a good con, and even though people didn't seem to be buying as many books, there was a small profit for Yard Dog Press.

Still, I had fun. I did manage to sell some of my own stock. I did manage to entertain and possibly gain a few new fans. I have been asked for some art for a magazine and a couple of stories for magazines...

I only added one name to the Wandering Lark Prepay List, but that brings us up to 76 names...

Speaking of which, I spoke to my editor. Yesterday was the deadline I set for prepayers to get on the list. My editor has encouraged me NOT to stop adding names to the list. They will go ahead and do the book with the list I have, but they really want 100 prepayers.

So PLEASE!!! If you read Dragon's Tongue and want to know what happens next, you need to get on the list for Wandering Lark. If you didn't read Dragon's Tongue and are curious as to what this is all about, copies ARE available from SRM Publishing, Inc.'s website (it may not say so, but write Steve Miller and tell him you want a copy and he will let you know what's available). And trust me, if you read Dragon's Tongue, you will want Wandering Lark.

And remember, we still have 24 spaces for the Free Novella The Demon of Mallow.

If you are a librarian who blogs to other librarians, please get this information out on your groups. I know that nearly 2000 copies of the book sold to libraries. You gotta know that there are library patrons dying to know what happens in Book 2.

And no, I wrote Book 1 as a stand alone. Book 2 is just the next adventure...

I am depending on all my fans.

The Writer Writes...Archon Bound

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 01:48:14 GMT

There are thinks I was hoping to do that I am not doing--like burning more of my freebie cds or printing more cards advertising my cafe'press store and my free downloadable sampler on lulu.com.

However, I am taking my little "movie" that advertises my books and shows my art, (which I will play on my netbook while I am autographing stuff) and if I ever get the time and gumptions, I may pop it up on Youtube...

Maybe.

Not really sure those things attract enough attention.

But seriously, I am as read for Archon as I'll ever be, and I am hoping to make enough sales to cover the trip. Hoping people are in a generous enough mood to sign up for Wandering Lark. That would be great, to leave there with the final 25 signatures of folks willing to prepay.

I do have flyers to that end...

But the printers are running out of ink.

Bummer.

And I am tight with the cash for the trip because I cannot remember how many gas stops I made the last time. I'm thinking two after the initial purchase when I leave home, but not swearing to that at all...

Wish me luck.

And if you're there, please stop and say hello, buy a book, pretend like you admire me... Anything to make my heart sing.

The Writer Writes...Thoughts on Reading

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:30:54 GMT

A writer of my acquaintance brought up the matter of a young wannabe writer who said they didn't understand why writers should be passionate readers. Or readers at all.

Well, if you don't read, you don't learn nothing...

But seriously, how can one expect to become a writer if one does not read? I admit that in my advancing years, I tend to be more selective of what I read. There was a time I could go through a book a day (or thereabouts--I actually remember reading three books in one day when I was flat on my back sick). Now I usually have four or five books going at a time, and can spend up to a week reading a single one.

Of course, for me, that is a matter of time. I am a writer. I write. I spend time writing, and then I read as my "dessert." In fact, I try to read a few chapters of something every night, even when I am under deadline. The reading helps me let go. It also helps my depleted brain to fill up with words again.

No, I do not find that reading while I write influences what I am writing--unless I am reading something really good and well written, and then I am just influenced to write better. There have been times when the book I am reading gives me a high, and I get all caught up in it, and then when I go back to what I am writing, I think to myself, "What can I do to make MY novel as exciting, compelling,etc. as the one So-in-So wrote?"

It is very important to understand why we must read. The very act of reading gives the very tiny part of our brain involved in language comprehension something to fill it. This only occurs when one reads the written word off an actual physical page of print. Reading off a computer screen or a Kindle actually stimulates an entirely different part of the brain. Yes, you gain word knowledge, but that vital part of your language comprehension center in your brain "won't learn nothing..."

This is why I know the book--the actual print book--will never truly fall out of fashion. Oh, audio books are all the rage. And listening to someone else read to you gets the mental juices flowing.

It still cannot surpass the learning experience one gains from the tactile feel of a book, or the printed word on a page.

So I would suggest if you are not doing anything really important on the web (unless it involves reading what I am writing now) or there is nothing really good on television (and frankly, there never is anymore), that you pick up a book (preferrably one of mine, but I will forgive you if it is someone else's book because your reading taste may not be what I write), settle down in a comfortable chair with some good lighting, and read.

Because if you don't, you won't learn nothing... ;-)

The Writer Writes...Arrrrrrrrrrhhhhhh!!!!!!

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:33:22 GMT

Saturday, September 19th was the official "Talk Like A Pirate Day," and the branch where I work decided to do a children's program (my idea) to celebrate.

To our surprise, we got a call from the local papers. They wanted to come in and do a story about our program.

How could we refuse. Publicity for the library is always a good thing.

And so the reporter came and stayed through the whole program, asked questions, got names and then left...

Today, I got a call from one of the folks down in the communications department telling me that she absolutely LOVED the article, the picture and could not stop laughing it was so cute and funny.

I had not seen the article, but I made haste to snag our copy of the daily and took a look and Lo, there I was in my full pirate glory facing down a four-year-old scallywag determined to inviscerate me with a foam sabre. ;-)

Yeah, it was cute and funny.

The article--sans picture--is online:

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/sep/23/carter-library-plays-host-to-bands-of-pirates/

I was rather pleased. And I thought it was a good article, and I got home to find all the neighbors had saved me their copies so I could have extras.

It was clear that everyone had an Arrrrrghing good time. ;-)

Yes, I get to do a lot of fun stuff as a librarian.

Wandering Lark Update

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:37:00 GMT

As of today, we have 74 prepayers signed up.

We're getting there, slowly but surely. But there are only 13 days left to take advantage of this deal.

Just need 26 more...

Two a day, and we'll make it...

Wandering Lark Update

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:58:36 GMT

We have 72 willing to prepay my publisher $12.50 for their copy of Wandering Lark. That means we need just 28 more before October 5th...

Yes, that deadline is firm. I started asking for a 100 willing souls almost a year ago, and I know that part of the problem was the economic sinkhole that the country fell into, people lost their jobs, no one has extra money to spare...

I am grateful for the 72 I have.

And remember THE FIRST 100 WILL RECEIVE A FREE NOVELLA TITLED THE DEMON OF MALLOW after Wandering Lark comes out. Only the First 100 will get this deal.

Demon of Mallow is a novella that follows the events of Wandering Lark a few years later, and while it is a standalone tale, it will give some insight into the future of events that will take place in Ard-Taebh.

So get 'em while their hot. Remember, after October 5th, no more prepayers will be accepted on the list.

So sign up now. Blog about it to your friends (or tweet or whatever you do out there to share information).

Send me your name, address and email addy to either keltora at sff dot net or keltora at yahoo dot com (sorry, you'll have to set up the email in proper format--I get too much spam as it is...) to make sure you get your copy of Wandering Lark and your free novella.

My thanks...

The Writer Writes...Something Old

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 02:11:41 GMT

Now and again, I run across things I have not seen in a while, like art.

Back in the 80s, I wrote a novel titled The Quest of the Golden Horse. The horse in question was actually a sorcerer who had the misfortune of being turned into a horse during a battle with another sorcerer over a powerful stone. The latter was turned into a black unicorn, and the "golden horse" sorcerer got himself captured and put up for sale. Knowing he as bound for the "knackers," he convinced a warrior woman who had just lot her horse to buy him and help him in his quest to retrieve the stone of power from the "black unicorn" sorcerer.

It was a convoluted plot full of youthful silliness. The sort of book one writes for practice (even if one does not consider it practice at the time--in fact, I think I actually submitted it somewhere, but could not begin to say where).

At any rate, I did some art based on the story, including one pastel picture of the golden horse and the warrior woman riding him (put your dirty minds away, please). I have no clue where that piece of art is at the moment, but as I was poking some files to create a skin for BiggiEEE (long story, the short of which is I bought a skin designed for Eee PCs of BiggiEEE's size, and in spite of saying it was repositionable and left no residue, it wouldn't come off when I put it on wrong, and after much cussing and patient peeling, I got it off, but it left a TON of residue that I am still trying to get off...), I came across a badly scanned bit of art from and old scanner I had ages ago and a not so good photo...

Which prompted me to go looking for the painting. I found it, digitalized it, and now am going to share it with you.

The painting is acrylics on illustration board.

The woman's costume--I used to have that very one (made it myself). Of course, there was a time when I could wear it and look good... ;-)

Enjoy...

The Writer Writes...Back from the Dead...And Charleston

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:34:23 GMT

I finally got over the flu.   Lost a whole week, fell behind on a project, became annoyed and a little depressed...

But by the last weekend I was up and able to go to Charleston with Mom. This is something we did last year, and she wanted to do it again, and I wanted to stay in a better hotel. So we did both.

Charleston is always a lovely place to go. It has an old world feel in many parts of the city. We walked the Market, stood on the Battery, visited Isle of Palms and Edisto Beach. And ate way too much good food.

The She Crab Soup at the Fleet Landing (off East Bay Street) is to die for. In fact, we tried She Crab Soup at more than one place this time, and still decided the Fleet Landing had the best.

But of course, all good things must come to an end.  Vacation is over and it is back to the grind.

The problem is, I don't want to grind...

I did get the last edits done on Master of Far Reach, though what I will do with a book with a gay warrior mage is still up in the air.

So now I am looking at working once more on Thunder Hammer. But today as I poked the first three chapters, I decided the writing was not as active as it should have been. Too much infoump going on. Will have to kick that out and get it back in shape.

I also need to rewrite Shadow of the Faolan since I have someone interested in looking at it.

And of course, I need to gear up for Archon. I have a couple of panels and an autograph session, and I will be hawking books.

Which reminds me.

Wandering Lark: We have 71 willing to prepay $12.50 to help my publisher get the book into print. Need 29 more. Deadline is October 5th right after Archon, and if I don't get the names, then there will be another delay in getting the book into print. So come on and get it in gear, people. I just need names and email addies and mailing addresses--no money at this time.

The publishers will ask for that when they are ready to go to press.

So if you want to see this book in print, kick your friends. Recommend Dragon's Tongue in your blogs, your twitter, whatever. Get folks wanting Wandering Lark as well.

Make it so...

The Writer Writes...One More Step...

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:24:50 GMT

So today was a holiday, and I was on my feet, and actually feeling okay. Not perfect, mind you, but I realized when I got up I had to be feeling better because suddenly I could not stand how my hair felt and wanted to wash it about twenty times...

Of course, I only washed it two, but now it is soft and full again and my head no longers feels uncomfortable.

I even got online and made the hotel reservation for the trip with Mom. When I showed her where the hotel was and what amenities it had, she was thrilled. She had figured we would stay in the same place as before, but that puts us way down the road, and frankly, the place was not so great (one of the beds had a rib in the middle of the mattress, and both beds were packed so close together, I got the impression if either of us rolled off, we'd end up on the other person's bed...) And of course there was the woman with all the kids and dogs in the room next to us (and my comedianne of a mother cannot resist barking at the dogs through the connecting door--though I think she did it in hopes that the management would toss them out for making so much noise...didn't work...)

Fortunately, we didn't spend that much time in the room.

But this time, we're staying in a more upscale hotel on the waterfront, and we will be able to see boats docking and be much closer to the beach and have a nice pool and a free breakfast.

Yes, I am footing the bill for this trip. Mom is bringing money for food and gas, but I am essentially "treating her" to this trip. And we did have fun the last time.

Since her eye surgery, she cannot drive long distance. She cannot drive at night. So she cannot travel. And since she and I have always gotten along well and have like minds in some ways--though not politically--I rather like being able to do this for her.

So yes, I am getting better. Tomorrow, I will be back at work.

Not looking forward to that, but hey. It's just because I've gotten a little off schedule mentally and physically and need to get back into the groove, and with the branch closed for the holiday, the workload is gonna be murder...

The Writer Writes...Slowly Crawling Back Into the World of the Living

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:52:32 GMT

It's never fun to lose three days of your life laying flat on your back, staring at the stains on the ceiling (really gotta get that roof replaced). I did watch some really bad tv. If you ever want to rot your fantasy brain, either go see Rebecca De Mornay in Beauty and the Beast (1987) or Morgan Fairchild and Tanhee Welch (Yes, Rachel's lovely daughter) in a musical version of Sleeping Beauty. It is enough to make you want to puke. Because you are laughing...of course, and your body is not in laughter mode because it hurts too much to laugh.

I am trying to get back into writer mode. Today, I am taking things one step at a time. Doing laundry (including my bedding). Poking at the web.

I am not well. I can feel that I am not well. But I still have today and tomorrow (holiday) to recover before going back to work. Then I work two days and head for the beach with Mom.

I have been too sick to make the reservations, so I am going blind, hoping we can find a hotel without a problem. If worse, we can stay in the dive Mom likes again, but I would rather be somewhere a little more trustworthy.

Which reminds me. I have not received my AARP stickers yet. I renewed my membership last month. It gets me a discount on the hotels.

I hope I renewed...no, I am sure I did.

Gad, what a lack of memory.

It is one of the reasons I hate being sick. My head goes screwy for a time. My body is still pretending its broken. I have aches and pains from lying on my back for so long. There's a kink on one side.

I am really hoping Mom doesn't come down with this. She ran out and got her flu shot the day I went to bed and didn't get up. So far, she seems fine, but this hit me pretty fast, so I know it can be sneaky.

Just hoping it doesn't spoil the trip.

The Writer Coughs: Get Your Flu Shots!!!

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:41:57 GMT

As of Wednesday morning, I had a dry cough, and by the time I got home from work, I was chilling and feverish.

I spent all day Thursday just lying in bed, unable to stand, much less go to work. This morning, I called in sick because I knew if I felt this way today, I would not be up to working tomorrow.

I had planned to go get a flu shot today, but it's too late. I will get one later just to reduce the chances of further infections.

At the moment, I am still dry coughing, chilling from time to time and unable to stand for more than 10-15 minutes without collapsing.

Not fun.

I hate being sick.

So heed the writer. Go get your flu shots.

Be well, be wise, and preorder more copies of Wandering Lark as we are up to 69 prepayers on the list.

Come on, people, just 30 more and we're there.

If I get one a day for the next 30 days, that will take care of it.

PLEASE...I'm sick. Make me feel better. ;-)

The Writer Writes...Wandering Lark and Other Stuff

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 14:21:29 GMT

We are currently sitting on 63-64 (sorry, don't have the list handy) folks wanting to see Wandering Lark get into print.

We need 36 to 38 more.

And I am now setting a deadline. Archon 2009 has me on the guest list, and that will be your last chance. If you don't sign up by then, I will have to tell my publisher the deal is off because I cannot generate enough interest. And I do not want to force them into publishing a book they cannot afford to publish.

This does not mean Wandering Lark will not see print. It just means I will have to take matters into my own hands, which means a bit of a delay, but I will keep my promise, and I will see to it that the book gets published (even if I am forced to resort to self-publishing, something I am loathed to do because it attaches such a stigma to my career choices) and the 63-64 faithful will get to purchase the book from elsewhere, an will still receive their bonus copy of The Demon of Mallow for being so kind and patient.

What annoys me is I know there are more than 100 people who want this book in print, but there are apparently some folks who either don't know about the situation or who just figure they will wait for it to get published and THEN purchase a copy.

Fine and dandy, but it's very annoying when people harass me all the time about getting the book into print, but are not willing to be added to the list.

So I am putting my foot down and letting you know THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE.

Those of you who have already signed up. Don't worry.

You will see Wandering Lark in print.

In the Department of Other Things, I have been finishing the editorial changes to Master of Far Reach, which is the story of Rhystar of Far Reach (Anwyn's mentor and lover) and how he went from infatuated youth who lost his first love to terrifying War Captain of the Nine Stars (kill all humans was his motto), and finally magical prisoner of a woman who pretended to want to help him learn about his power but instead was using him for her own power--and under whose oppression, he finally found the strength to become the greatest mage ever known in the history of Thuathynboria.

Of course, I will warn anyone interested in this book that where Anwyn was never sure of himself until he met Rhystar, old Rhystar knew his gender preference. So the book would probably get a PG-18 rating if it was a movie.

What do I plan to do with it? I have no clue. As a straight person, I am less likely to be able to sell it to a gay press, and the non-gay presses might find the book a "little too gay" for their taste. Granted, I keep hoping we are living in an age where it doesn't matter what your preferences are, so long as your heart and love is true, but I ain't holding my breath that everyone in the world is going to finally learn to be that open minded.

At any rate, that is what I am doing at the moment.

Take care, True Believers.