Angela Brown, Unicorn Bell, and Facebook Security

Every now and again, posts and blogs catch my eye and shout out is in order.

Angela Brown caused me to consider the lack of diversity in books.

On the one hand, I agree. More variety is a good thing. There is a market for different takes on life, rationales, and opinions. But I question whether someone such as I—farm girl, introvert, and fantasy aficionado—could deliver a true picture of life in New York City of a Broadway show cast member who loves to party. Or life as a transgender girl in Spain. I don’t think I have it in me. The amount of research blows my mind even if I kept my derriere home and Googled it all. I have no doubt traveling to these spots would be a living and breathing stranger in a strange land experience.

Summary: I fall back on write what you know.

I like twisting my set-in-her-ways mind in different directions. It’s creates flexibility by encouraging the synapses to branch out. But I can’t go down the path of forcing writers to be diverse when the experiences aren’t there.

Compelling works only so far. After a line is crossed, the story becomes awkward, fake, and unbelievable. 
I'd rather read it than write it. But that doesn't help the diversity problem, huh?

UnicornBell lost a fantastic moderator this week. E.J. Roberts is the force behind A Drop of Ink Reviews, a book review site in demand from readers and publishers. Even Random Books wants her reviews. How cool is that?

Our critique site will miss her, but we wish her well and hope to hear many more great things.

Facebook and security. When I edited my profile of FB, I made of point of NOT listing my birthday. IMHO, it gives too easy access to sensitive information. How many sites ask for your birth date as a security measure?

But I have relatives who know when I was born oh-so-many years ago and post happy birthdays galore. Oh well.

Do you stretch you writerly mind with diversity? Enjoy concise, fair book reviews?

Think relatives need to mind their own...er, do you believe posting your birthday is a security concern?

Marcy, Humans, and Isaac Asimov

The talented and prolific writer, Marcy of Mainewords blog honored me with an award that I'm not sure I deserve.

But try to take it away. Go on. Just try.

The rules:

1. Thank and post the link of the person who nominated you.
2. Share 5 facts about yourself to your readers.
3. Nominate 5-10 blogs and notify them.
4. Pass on the rules.

Five Facts:

1. In high school I always made a straight A in English class...at least until the grammar course came along. My grades always dropped to a B after that. It took professional writing forty years after formal education for me to learn what an adverb was.

2. I have cats. Two inside critters and multiple barn cats outside.

3. German Shepherd dogs are my one special love.

4. SuperMassive Blackhole by Muse is one of my favorite songs

5. Have Spacesuit - Will Travel by Robert Heinlein changed my adolescence love of animal books—Bambi, The Black Stallion—to Sci-Fi.


My nominations - and for those listed, please feel free to accept or decline as time and/or interest permits!

1. Michael Offutt, who apparently shares my taste in TV shows.

2. Angela Brown. I want to be her when I grow up.

3. Julie Flanders, author of the most excellent Polar Day. Love the cover, btw.
4. A Daft Lass. I hope to visit her native Scotland next year.
5. Ian S. Bott, author of the soon-to-be released, Tiamat's Nest.

Movies, TV, and Books. Finding one TV show that justifies paying my Directv bill each month is rare. To find four such programs is jaw dropping. I've posted about Dominion (an intriguing concept with meh writing), Mr. Robot (great first episode, disturbing second), and the premiere of Fear The Walking Dead in August. Now I have a new AMC show, Humans.

Synths—robotic humans—are in every facet of life. Medical,

construction, and households. Some people see them as inevitable. Others hate and distrust everything about them. A third type see them as brothers. 

The synths are programmed with the Asmovian Law, the three tenets of robotics:

• A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
• A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
• A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

But some of the synths are more human than they first appear. They feel anger, betrayal, and love. They have family ties and go to any lengths to protect each other.

One might note a pattern in shows I favor. All deal with a dystopia world. Reality shows or sitcoms? Uh...no. Just no.

Go to Why Asimov's Three Laws Can't Protect Us for an analysis of the modern robot and artificial intelligence.

Charity's Birth of a Novel. Every Friday you post a quick update on how you're doing on your writing projects. It can be combined with Camp Nano or whatever personal goals you've set.

All you need is a line or two added to the beginning or end of whatever post you already had planned for the day.Then visit the others in the list to encourage them to keep moving forward.

Added to my wordcount on Chimera and had major progress on first edits of The Adamant. 

Chimera Mage-28,667
The Adamant-First Edits, first chapter
Of Oak and Dragons-102,000, re-write
Diamond Black-8834 

I'm looking forward to Dark Matter next and hope I can add it to my list of good ones. Any more suggestions?

I Do It

When my little brother was three or so, his favorite phrase was “I do it.” 

Our parents would try to help him set up a game and he’d brush them off with I do it. Someone would put a

plate of food in front of him and start to cut up his sandwich into smaller bites. “I do it” and he’d push their helping hands away. Or hold him going down a slide, guide him around a ditch, follow him out the door. I do it, I do it, I do it.

In other words, he hated asking for help.

In that trait, we are very similar. I cringe from asking for assistance. It’s not that I don’t need it on occasion but it goes against my willful nature, I reckon.

• And so I use an axe to chop the ice from a blocked sewer on my own without asking for help. (hey, after tentatively hitting the stinky stuff trying not to get the crud on me, one splat in the face made me say, “Oh well,” and swing mightily to get the job done)
• Plaster and tape 20 by 30 foot room alone.
• Face down a charging bull.

Yes, I am the independent sort. Sometimes stupid but definitely independent.

This leads me to today and my release of Mage Revealed. I swallowed my reluctant nature and asked several of my highly valued blogger friends to assist me in the announcement. Their response made my “allergies” kick in. 

At least that’s the excuse I give when confronted while holding a tissue.

Thank you:

Alex, my uber blogger, who told me the stress never gets even better after the second book. He should know since his fourth novel is in edits and he can’t stop writing.

Marcy – an amazing and humbling post. Truly my rock and friend, beyond priceless

Angela Brown, author of Neverlove and has one of the coolest pen names, Rayven Godchild for her self-pub series. I blush even looking at the covers.

Ellie. One of my all-time, most favorite humans on Earth. I mean she met Shaun (of the Dead) aka Scotty for Goodness sake.

Christine Rains – one of the most delightful (and talented) authors I know, author of The Thirteenth Floor series.

Heather, author of Maguire’s Corner. Her next book in the series, One Good Catch is humming along and should be out next year.

Thank you one and all. My appreciation knows no bounds.

Lucky Seven Meme

Chandara tagged me with the Lucky Seven.

• Go to page 77 of your current MS
• Go to line 7
• Copy down the next 7 lines - sentences or paragraphs - and post them as they're written. 
• No cheating

"Like the credit card."

I wasn't the only one startled when Faelan's words cut through the tension. His hooded eyes gleamed from under dark brows.

"Priceless," he said with a wry smile.

June sputtered then stalked toward him. "Looking for a sugar momma are you youngster?" Her face twisted in malice. "You need to stay out of this and keep..."

Her voice died. She came to a quivering stop.

Faelan hadn't moved.

 What is the title of your current WIP? Tell us about it.  

THE ADAMANT is about blacksmith Shamira Kelley a woman possessed by a pendant made from a unicorn’s horn that seeks payback from mankind for its millenniums-old death.

When did you start blogging and why?  

Two years last month. Blogging is a much better solution than a website, easier to keep fresh and update.

If you could do anything tomorrow, what would you do? 

I’d love to see the Northern Lights.

Describe your happy place. 

Sitting in my front yard, warm sun on my face and a dog under my hand.

What was your first happy memory?  

After coming home from work, my tired dad drove me ten miles to see the Christmas lights in town.

What was the scariest thing you've ever done? 
After I toured a wax museum in Hannibal, Mo, I was shaking. I don’t know why, but those wax figures totally freaked me out. I was about to go Hattie Hysterical on ‘em and use my fingernails to claw my way out.

Where is the strangest place you ever had an idea for a story?  

Driving seventy down a busy interstate. The idea for a climatic ending smacked me upside the head and I nearly lost control of my pickup.

Where do you write? 

Messy, paper-strewn computer table in the living room. Try writing with the spouse yelling, “Hey, come see this. ESPN’s top plays are on.”

If you just won a ticket to anywhere in the world and you had to take me, where would you take me and why?  

Scotland. The British Isles fascinates me. I love me some castles and ancient history.

The five Lucky Seven recipients that I admire most are:

Jenn (Substitute photography for writing)

1000^th Monkey

David Powers King

Tara

Magan

Clarissa

Honorable Mention goes to

Angela since *drat* someone beat me to her.