Reflections
Posts where I'm reflecting on and posting about things I love...or hate.
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Book Cop & Independence Day
Happy Independence Day, American readers! In honor of this day, may I present Book Cop, from a hysterical webcomic Axe Cop.
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Garrison Keillor
It’s about time I started expanding my Book Byte entries to talking about writers and storytellers who spin tales in mediums other than just the printed word. Garrison Keillor Although Mr. Keillor has written some printed books, I think he’s best known for his radio show “A Prairie Home Companion” on PBS Radio. His tales of awkward, dysfunctional, humorous, and down-to-earth life in the made-up Midwestern town of Lake Wobegon have captured the hearts of anyone who has heard his show. The movie “A Prairie Home Companion” (the last movie in the illustrious career of Robert Altman, one of my favorite directors) really captures the feel of Keillor’s stories, his…
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VEDA – Day 24: Recommendations
Werv gives some sci-fi authors and series recommendations. Lois McMaster Bujold’s site : www.dendarii.com —- download the entire Vorkosigan (Miles) saga for FREE! Really, it’s totally legal and Bujold-endorsed! baencd.thefifthimperium.com Orson Scott Card’s site : www.hatrack.com Neal Stephenson’s site : www.nealstephenson.com
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VEDA – Day 18: Radio
World Amateur Radio Day!!!! I talk about being a DJ for a semester in college on JMU’s indie radio station.
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VEDA – Day 17: Carmen
I saw the opera Carmen yesterday evening, and I give a Christina cliff notes version of the story, and comment on how dysfunctional the characters are. ^_^
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Things I Learned From British Folk Ballads
As a folk song nerd, you notice certain patterns you find throughout British Isles folksongs and folk tales. Mainly, there’s a lot of death, which isn’t so great, but you’ll notice similar death tropes, or if nothing else, character tropes. I’ve known about the list, “Things I Learned from British Folk Balads” for a nice long while, as its been bopping around the internet for a good many years, and I’m sure a lot of you have heard of it, but I wanted to share some of my favorites! (My comments in bold.) ———————————— Don’t ignore warnings. If someone tells you to beware of Long Lankin, friggin’ beware of him.…
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VEDA – Day 11: Inspired
I remind myself that even if people don’t like my book, it’s okay. And okay is wonderful.
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The Twa Sisters Folk Song
(11/2/2021 – Wow, it’s been over 10 years since I wrote this! As I was reading through again, I’ve included more hyperlinks for reference, updated the link list notes at the bottom, fixed typos I found and added a parenthetical comment that is marked, but otherwise I’ve left it unchanged!) In Story Nerd entries, I’ll be discussing classic mythologies and folktales, themes, yarns, characters and tropes and follow their histories–and alterations through history–sociological impact, and the general weirdness of storytelling. Basically, the oft-sprawling Science of Story. This can get very broad and very nerdy, so please bear with me 🙂 I’ve been looking for an excuse to get started with…
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Etsy.com
Old Stories Written – Typewriter Fine Art Photography (8″ x 8″) Oh, crafts and handmade and vintage things, you make me so happy. And what better place to find some of the most unusual/original art on the internet than to jaunt over to the indie sensation Etsy.com. Since I’m in a bit of a writing slump and feeling burned out (I blame all the editing frustration, the usual grind of life and the frenzied social life of being engaged), looking at other people’s creative stuff is a great way to replenish and my stores of ideas and feel chill. In a bout of craft nerdity, I made a list of…
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Huck Finn Controversy
Hi, everyone! I realize this topic is a little old, and that last month (February is Black History Month) would have probably been a more fitting time to post this, but seeing as I’ve been insanely busy with barely enough time to WANT to write an entry of this kind, now that I’m feeling it, I’m gonna write it 🙂 Months ago, the writing world was up in arms about a publishing company that decided to put out a censored version of Mark Twain’s famous Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, where all the “n” words were to be replaced with “slave” and other non-P.C. words replaced likewise. Without much stretch of…
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The Real Deal
There are so many stories of dysfunction in the world, and we see it everywhere. Not only is it in real life, it’s in the stories we see told on TV or movies, read in books, it’s all over. I never realize I get as worn out watching stuff like that, until I see videos like this: That’s what it’s all about, guys. That is true love. I’ve been saving this video for Valentine’s Day because it’s so perfect! It’s a beautiful story, and it’s all true! The people who made this video, Story Corps, specialize in collecting and relating real stories from real people. They’re like a mass electronic…
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The Late November Author Birthday Cavalcade!!!
SIX! Yes, there are 6 authors with birthdays on the 29th and 30th of November! So what am I waiting for??? C.S. Lewis November 29, 1898 – November 22, 1963 Most Famous Work: The Chronicles of Narnia series Fun Facts (thanks, Wikipedia): He was born in Belfast, Ireland His full name is Clive Staples Lewis, but his friends and family called him Jack. Why Jack, you ask? “At the age of four, shortly after his dog Jacksie was killed by a car, Lewis announced that his name was now Jacksie. At first he would answer to no other name, but later accepted Jack, the name by which he was known to…
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Thanksgiving (in a series of soundbytes)
Well, it’s that wonderful time of year again where we look back and reflect on all the things we’re thankful for! I’m definitely thankful that I have this blog, and that technology has evolved to the point where this was possible </nerd> Of course I’m thankful for the world’s rich history of storytelling in all its forms, but more importantly (and more corporeally) I’m thankful for friends, family and a loyal readership like you (thaaank yoooou!) who encourage me so much in my writing endeavors! Today I wanted to tell you about my favorite Thanksgiving book, Squanto and The First Thanksgiving. This has been a family favorite in my house…
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Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
Happy Veteran’s Day, and the lesser-known Origami Day! The origami is ready to salute! Among the many random things I do to pass the time or divert myself, I’ve always loved crafts, and paper art is no exception! The tradition of paper art is found in many different cultures around the world, but the best known is probably Japanese origami, the art of paper folding. Anything that old with mysterious origins has legends surrounding it, and with origami the most famous legend centers on the paper crane. They say that if someone folds 1000 paper cranes they will be granted one wish. I’ve tried it, but never succeeded. You need a dedicated…
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Bram Stoker
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRAM STOKER! Most Famous Work: Dracula November 8, 1847 – April 20, 1912 Fun Facts about Bram Stoker & Dracula: He was friends with Oscar Wilde in school, and married a girl who Oscar had once been interested in! He’s distantly related to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes He was manager of the Lyceum Theatre, and joined his boss and famous actor Henry Irving in traveling the world, including the United States, where he met presidents McKinley and Teddy Roosevelt On his travels, he also met one of his literary heroes, Walt Witman Dracula‘s original title was “The Un-Dead” “Stoker had a strong interest in…
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Join the Jamboree!
Take a ride through the Disney Haunted Mansion in honor of this ghoulishly delightful day! Happy Halloween! Hope everyone has an awesome time tonight! Be safe, and hope you gather lots of candy and books!
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Halloweek 2010: 4 More Classic Spooky Stories (Guest Post)
I hope you guys don’t mind a 5th guest post in one month! My dear friend Rosie is somewhat of an expert on the creepy genre, particularly for teens and young adults, and she always adds a wonderful dash of librarian knowledge to all of her reviews, so I asked if she’d do a little follow up on my post earlier this week on books of her choice (though I gave a few suggestions). Hope you like! ~CAN At the behest of my former roommate and very talented, dear friend, the authoress Christina Nelson, I bring to you a few reviews of my favorite scary stories in time for Halloween.…
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Halloweek 2010: 6 Classic Spooky Stories
This is the promised blog post! Wooo! In six days it shall be Halloween! Other than Christmas, Halloween is probably my favorite holiday, because of the costumes and the candy, but also because there’s so much to DO and have fun with! I love a good story, and Halloween is FULL of them! Just look at the old ghost stories and creepy tales you find tacked on houses or buildings in old historic towns: they all talk about people who used to be alive, and there’s something dramatic about the idea of spirits hanging on. How many stories have focused on ghosts over the years? But I digress. As you know,…
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(Comic)Book Byte: Quack Quack Quack, 4:4 (Guest Post)
While on hiatus, I have guests doing a few posts for me. Enjoy, and see you when I get back! ~CAN ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Executive mandate from the Disney corporate offices came down that a comic book work would be made detailing Scrooge McDuck’s life and backstory. The editors at Egmont (the company who licensed the Disney comics) quickly volunteered Rosa for the job, knowing his love for the character would serve their needs well. And Rosa did what is perhaps the most obsessive, crazy, fanboyish thing I had ever seen. He read every Barks comic and took notes on every mention Scrooge made of his past, whether it was a plot point…
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(Comic)Book Byte: Quack Quack Quack, 3:4 (Guest Post)
While on hiatus, I have guests doing a few posts for me. Enjoy, and see you when I get back! ~CAN ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Carl Barks created Donald Duck as I know him. He created an entire universe around this character, who was smarter, more goodhearted, and didn’t even look completely like the original version, a character people still write today. As his identity was not known for the first 18 years of his career as a comic book writer/artist, he was nicknamed “The Good Duck Artist” or “The Duck Man” for his high-quality drawings and inventive plots which captivated so many children, which are reprinted to this day. The 1954 tale…
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(Comic)Book Byte: Quack Quack Quack, 2:4 (Guest Post)
While on hiatus, I have guests doing a few posts for me. Enjoy, and see you when I get back! ~CAN ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Carl Barks never directed any Disney shorts, but he wrote, penciled, shaded inked and lettered over 6,000 pages of work over the course of his 25 year career as a comic book writer/artist. The average artist today releases about 220 pages per year, penciled, and I can assure you that the majority of them are not Disney trained professionals. During this time he was responsible for the creation of Scrooge McDuck, Gyro Gearloose, Gladstone Gander, Flintheart Glomgold, the Beagle Boys, Magica DeSpell, Duckburg and the Money Bin… and…
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(Comic)Book Byte: Quack Quack Quack, 1:4 (Guest Post)
While on hiatus, I have guests doing a few posts for me. Enjoy, and see you when I get back! ~CAN ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Carl Barks is the most important man in the world to Donald Duck. Sure, he didn’t create him, that was a joint effort between Walt Disney and Dick Lundy (the character designer). And he wasn’t the voice actor, that was Clarence Nash, whose impression of a family of ducks inspired Walt to create the character. Barks didn’t even direct any shorts, though he was a capable gag-man. His biggest claim to fame in the cartoons was pitching the idea where Donald gets his butt-feathers combed and trimmed by…
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Book Byte: Painless Learning!
Happy school year, guys! It’s the weekend and I’m posting an entry about SCHOOL! YAAAY! It’s just that the past few weeks I’ve been getting nostalgic flashbacks of buying school supplies and books, and the morning bustle of my dad, me and my sister getting ready for work and school as my mom rushed around helping all of us out get out the door on time. I remember on very rainy days the house seemed so cozy, and everything about our morning ritual just seemed…strangely perfect. There was a homey bustle to the start of school that I loved then and now. *happy sigh* Okay, so I haven’t been in…
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The Spectacular J.R.R. Tolkien & C.S. Lewis
“Tollers, there is too little of what we really like in stories. I am afraid we shall have to try and write some ourselves.” – Lewis to Tolkien If you asked me to name the two authors whose written works made the biggest impact on my younger years, they would be John Ronald Reuel and Clive Staples, better known as J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. C.S. Lewis grabbed my attention as a kid with the Chronicles of Narnia, and Tolkien was there for me in middle and high school with The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, which is my favorite book and film series of all time. I’ve been…
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Internet Picture Serials
The internet has really given people a new lease on their creative life. They can create blogs, make their own videos, podcasts, Twitter characters and stories (EDITED years later: not to mention trans-media storytelling), anything, really! Storytelling has really evolved, and people have been taking advantage of it! For those of you who love blogging, I’m sure some of you like me have dreamed about creating a made-up story in installments on a blog. It’s like a serial story in a magazine without the subscription fee ^_^ Many people have gone out and done just that, and it makes it even more fun when they include pictures. As they say,…
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The Secret of Kells
“I have seen the book. The book that turned darkness into light.” When I was in Dublin a few years ago, I had a chance to visit Trinity College and tour its library and museums. It’s famous for being the home of the Book of Kells, which was illuminated by Irish monks and survived the Viking attacks in the late 700s and early 800s A.D. Considering the content of my novel having a lot to do with illuminated manuscripts and monks, it’s always been an area of interest for me. When the 2010 Oscars aired, I first heard of a movie listed in the Best Animated Film category called “The Secret…
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The Origins of Automata and the Uncanny in “Edison’s Eve”
All moveables of wonder, from all parts,/Are here–Albinos, painted Indians, Dwarfs,/The Horse of Knowledge, and the learned Pig,/The Stone-eater, the man that swallows fire,/Giants, Ventriloquists, the Invisible Girl,/The Bust that speaks and moves it goggling eyes,/The Wax-work, Clock-work, and all the marvelous craft/Of modern Merlins, Wild Beasts, Puppet-shows,/All out-o’-the-way, far-fetched, perverted things,/All freaks of nature, all Promethean thoughts/Of man, his dullness, madness, and their feats/All jumbled up together, to compose/A Parliament of Monsters. – William Wordsworth, The Prelude While doing some research for my webcomic a few months ago, I read a remarkable book called “Edison’s Eve” by Gaby Wood. It discusses the historical significance of automata from their initial…
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Whisper of the Heart
Mr. Nishi: It’s a special kind of rock called a geode. Hold it close to your eye and look inside…Those crystals are called beryl. There are pieces of raw emeralds deep inside them. Shizuku: Aren’t emeralds worth a lot of money? Mr. Nishi: Sure, but they need to be cut and polished first. When you first become an artist, you’re like that rock. You’re in a raw, natural state, with hidden gems inside. You need to dig down deep and find the emeralds tucked away inside you. And that’s just the beginning. Once you’ve found your gems, you have to polish them. It takes a lot of hard work. Oh,…
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Hey, Oscar Wilde! It’s Clobberin’ Time!
Interesting title. Thank you. I cannot take credit for it. Not quite a writing charity or an author dinner raising money for illiteracy, but it’s so noteworthy and creative and…well, authory, that I knew I had to write a little bit about it’s existance. “Hey, Oscar Wilde! It’s Clobberin’ Time” is a website where, as they say themselves (capslock and all): NOW IN ITS TENTH INCARNATION SINCE BEING LAUNCHED IN 06.1998, IS AN EXTENSION OF A PERSONAL ART COLLECTION OF VARIOUS ARTISTS INTERPRETING THEIR FAVOURITE LITERARY FIGURE/AUTHOR/CHARACTER THAT HAS BEEN ACCUMULATED SINCE 03.1998. Basically, it’s a website where illustrators and artists do up pieces involving their favorite books or authors…
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The Far Side of the World
I knew I would collect some exciting writing fodder on my far-off trip to South Africa (yes! That’s where I went!), and I did! Not only did I get a taste of a different country and different culture, but I had a surfing lesson, did other daring things like jump 14 feet into a pool below, ride in the open back of a pickup truck, and went on a safari drive where I saw many animals I had only seen in zoos, like giraffes and tigers, as well as a gentle, kingly white lion (we dubbed “Aslan”) and four 22-day-old lion cubs! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it…
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In Praise of Miyazaki-San or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Anime
<< Edited May 12, 2010 >> What defines inspiration to a writer? I’ve spent a good deal of time reading, and have found some favorite authors, but there’s always more to it than just BOOKS, isn’t there? Stimuli is all around us. An artist’s source of inspiration is the very world around them, and they can step into worlds of another’s creation to find inspiration for their own. I have a deep and abiding love for music and brilliant composers, and amusingly enough, I’ve spent more academic class hours studying films and scripts than actual creative novel writing, so I have many things that have shaped my personal creative style.…
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The Bird and the Baby: A Recollection
Once upon a time in the summer of 2006…We were given a weekend off from our month-long program in London, so our house of American university students scattered to different corners of Europe. Most went in groups to other countries, but I stayed in Mother England with my feet firmly planted. In the early afternoon, after mostly everyone had departed, with a messenger bag packed for a day trip, I set off alone. I rode the tube to Paddington Station, ate some Yo Sushi, and boarded a train bound for Oxford. The Eagle and Child Pub has been a thing of myth for me ever since middle school, when one…
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"I was trying to feel some kind of a good-by."
J. D. Salinger, author of “Catcher in the Rye” died yesterday (Jan. 27th) of natural causes, at the ripe ol’ age of 91. {read the article} The funny thing is that I thought he died long ago. That’s how reclusive he’s been. His only published novel is “Catcher in the Rye,” and a few short stories, including “Franny and Zooey.” I first read “Catcher in the Rye” in high school, with our grade divided into different period English classes, and in my small group I was surprisingly one of the few who expressed enjoyment reading it. I never fancied myself having teenage angst at the time, though looking back, I…
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The Fantastic Tom Siddel (Gunnerkrigg Court)
Webcomics count as books! Oh, do they ever! That is, if they’re good and seem more like a mini series than a bunch of random strips. One of my favorites is a gem of visual storytelling in both art and writing: the incredible tale of Gunnerkrigg Court but Tom Siddel. Within the first week of my attendance [at Gunnerkrigg Court], I began noticing a number of strange occurrences. The most prevalent of these oddities being the fact that I seemed to have obtained a second shadow… It tells the story of Antimony Carver, and her journey to discover the mysteries of her sprawling, industrial school–Gunnerkrigg Court–which is so much more…
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A Little Bit of Everything
Oh man, I’ve been meaning to post this entry last month! I’ve been thinking about/doing a lot of things lately, so I hope you’ll forgive the discombobulatedness of this entry! Blogging really is my favorite way to keep the writing alive when I’m not actually “writing,” but doing more “editing.” It makes me feel more productive when I have something published on my blog, or when I’m making plans for it ^_^ My story has been keeping me busy, but lately I’ve been doing much more job hunting, so I’ve made less time for it than I’d like. Speaking of blogging, one of my writer friends, Morgan Riley, mentioned to…
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2009 Year in Review
A new decade. Funny how those things creep up on you. This time last decade I was barely out of middle school. The dream of becoming an author was a warm flicker in my heart, and I’m not sure if I’d thought up my novel at that point yet. But in the subsequent ten years, I have carried that novel series with me, through the highs and lows of school life, and after college graduation I set out for the trip of a lifetime: the journey to authorhood. I’ve grown. So has my novel and its series, and we’ll continue to. So many wonderful things have happened in 2009, including…
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The Delightful Maud Hart Lovelace
Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! I have a special Book Byte for you. On this wonderful night, my heart is warmed by thoughts of Christmases during my childhood, and all the happy memories I have of days gone by. So, I felt it only fitting to talk about one of my favorite heartwarming book series. I’m only sad that it took me so long to finally hear about it, but I’m so happy that I can read it as an adult. It’s even more of a pleasure. Maud Hart Lovelace is not an author many recognize by name, but those who do, it’s safe to say they are fierce fans of…
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826 Valencia
Another new little posting series: The Write Stuff, *groan* where I post interesting, quick morsels of info involving the grooming of the next generation of writers, anything from awesome teachers or inspiring stories, to non-profits, to anything else I think counts. What do you get when you cross learning to write with an abiding love for all things piratey? Why, 826 Valencia, of course! As one of the locations of the 826 National centers, they tutor kids in writing. Here’s a bit about 826 Valencia in their own words. From their website: Founded in 2002 by author Dave Eggers and educator Nínive Calegari, 826 Valencia is dedicated to supporting students ages…
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In the Realms of the Unreal
Sometimes, authors and artists fantasize about being hermits. It’s a romantic notion: cast off worldly things like cell phones, the internet, acquaintances and jobs, and run away where there is no one to bother you, and you’re blessedly detached from the looming, ugly world that threatens to come between you and your creativity. I still get nostalgic for that strange place of creative bliss that I’ve only found a few times in my own mind, yet, I’d never really thought about the flipside of this coin until I heard the unusual story of Henry Darger. I’ve just finished watching “The Realms of the Unreal” documentary about the life of Henry…
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The Illustrious Terry Pratchett
This is the first Book Byte-featured author so far that is already published, and has considerable notoriety and very devoted fans. I started reading Terry Pratchett (or I should probably say Sir Terry Pratchett!) in high school, and I’ve been on a quest to read all of his Discworld series since! (Quite an endeavor, as there are over 20 books and he keeps adding more.) With an infectious, comical writing style that reads like a witty, British comedy, Pratchett creates a fantastic, magical world that is alive and thriving (if not a bit grubby and smelly at times, but it does its best ^_^), and engages the reader so much…
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Lisa Patton
Lisa Patton and I met by random chance at a car repair shop as I was leaving and she was entering. After a mere minute-long conversation, we found out we were both authors, and we’ve been friends ever since! FIRST LINES: “Memphis is my home. It always will be no matter where I live. In the South we have a tendency to be possessive of our hometowns.” It’s about a Southern belle and her tales of moving up to Vermont and running an inn with her family. Lisa has also been an innkeeper in Vermont, so I think it’s safe to say that this book has a lot of truth…
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Jeanette Bennett (and Wendell Howe)
Jeanette Bennett received a new lease on life when she took a pause from a “real” job and began pursuing her passion as a writer. She’s been gaining notoriety on the web for less than a year now, which is a testament to her popular writing experiment! She’s been seeing how well she can write a story on twitter though the eyes of one of her characters, and it’s safe to say that she’s been wildly successful! A bit befuddled? Well, if you’ve never heard of Dr. Wendell Howe, the time traveler from the 27th century, then I pity your loss. But weep no more! It just so happens that…
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Chris Carlton Brown
I’m going to start a new little series here on me blog: the Book Byte, where I briefly showcase writers or books I really like. I’ll cover my favorite mainstream ones, but especially ones published by personal author friends, because I believe we writer types should help each other out! So, in the words of Strong Bad: “Let’s take a look. A book-look.” Chris Carlton Brown is a dear friend of my family. “Hoppergrass” is his debut book, and I was lucky enough to read it earlier this year. FIRST LINE: “It’s always a clean, white car—this time a Ford.” It’s a story about a teen juvie and his stint…
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Southern Book Festival
Despite how unprepared I was for the chillier-than-expected weather, my two friends and I descended on the festival with high spirits! I came away with a few new books, accessories, and new contacts that I hope will pan out in the future! It really reminded me of all the work that is ahead of me. Getting published is no easy thing, yet, like an ever-optimistic character from an anime cartoon (glittery eyes and all) I whisper, “I can do it! I will do it!” before the title credits roll. I’ll just have to see how the next episode pans out. Vive les livres!
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National Novel Writing Month
I’ve been so excited to post this entry, and now that it’s October the time has come! Behold, the amazing wonder that is National Novel Writing Month (better known as NaNoWriMo!) The premise: come up with an idea for a novel, and write all of it in the span of one month, specifically November! I won’t be participating this year, but I’ve thrown my hat in the ring in years past! I used it mostly to write back-story, though. My main problem was that I always had a novel I was working on (the one I just finished), and according to their rules you need to start a brand new…
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Writing My Heart Out (with the cunning use of smoke screens!)
The one thing I love about writing fantasy is this: I can write about whatever I want. Literally. I create my own world, my own rules, and populate it with creatures and peoples, and it’s all done to my taste. Sometimes it’s just a creative idea that comes out of nowhere, nagging at me, demanding to be put onto paper. Sometimes it’s wish fulfillment, sometimes it’s getting out emotions. But to me, it’s the greatest gift I could possess. It fulfills me like little else can. Writing is my life experience put on the page, and I pour out my heart through my characters. Still, whatever I put in, I…
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Blogs du jour avec hollandaise
I love to blog, and honestly, watching “Julie and Julia” yesterday just fueled the fire. It was about good food, book publishing AND blogging, among other things! Needless to say, I love it when favorite things come together. ^_^ On that note, I just wanted to share a few blog entries I ran across recently. Of course, I’m always on the lookout for seasoned writers on the web; people who have been around the block a few times and know the world and know the life, and this is a great opportunity to introduce one of the ones I follow: Cures for Writer’s Block & some Preventatives. ~ I first…
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Traveling is an education
I get ideas from all sorts of unexpected places, especially since I work with people from so many different backgrounds with varied histories and experiences, including many who were born in other parts of the world. I found myself in the middle of a wonderful conversation yesterday, listening to two foreign-born coworkers talking about the fun, creative things they would think up to entertain themselves as kids, all involving some sort of mischief and lots of wonderful local color. My inner anthropologist was absolutely delighted, and my inner author was equally pleased with the influx of new mind-expanding ideas. And this was not the first conversation I’ve had/heard like this.…