Charlene Raddon's Chatterblog

A Sweet Valentine Poem

2012-02-09T10:07:00.000-08:00

Here is a lovely little Valentine poem my friend sent me. Check out her website at http://www.downhomepoems.com

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY

February 7th, 2012 | Author: ~ Wilma Rich ~

Roses are red
Against a white picket fence
In the courtyardOf a small mid-western town.
.
Violets are blue
Blossoms tied in clusters
And sold on street corners
At the base of towering skyscrapers

A calloused hand
Twists a single stem
Till its resisting fiber
Yields a haughty rose.

Furtive fingers
Snatch a clump
Of crimson sprigs,
And a penniless waif
Makes his getaway.

Sugar is sweet
To maidens in cities and towns
Who clasp these tokens
To their hearts,

Blissfully assured
That they are cherished.

And so are you.

Theme Film

2012-02-05T16:26:00.000-08:00

This could be my theme movie. It certainly fits. Watch it, it's hilarious, especially if you're over forty and can really relate. http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=HzSaoN2LdfU

Kudos for Brenda Jackson

2012-02-01T15:50:00.000-08:00

Romance Novel Nominated for NAACP Image Award
Congratulations to best-selling romance author Brenda Jackson, whose novel A Silken Thread is nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction category. Award winners will be announced on Feb. 17.

Book Review: THE PREACHER'S WIFE, by Cheryl St. John

2012-02-01T14:45:00.000-08:00

    Josie Randolph does her best to fill her lonely hours acting as housekeeper for the vicarage while Reverend Martin recovers from injuries received falling from the roof. It's worthy labor she is certain God wants her to do, and that she's happy to do. After all, she has nothing at home to occupy her. No husband, since Bram Randolph died three years ago. If only she'd had children, but that obviously was not meant to be. Josie is barren, a failing her shrewish mother-in-law chides her for bitterly every chance the woman finds.
    Then Reverend Samuel Hart arrives to fill in for Reverend Martin, a temporary assignment since Samuel has a position awaiting him in Colorado. Both the reverend and his three daughters are grieving for the girl's mother, Sam's wife, who drowned on the journey to Nebraska. It doesn't take long for Samuel to notice what a good, religious woman Josie Randolph is, and how good she is with his daughters. She would make the perfect step-mother for three girls desperately in need of a woman in their young lives. For her part, Josie has seen what a fine man the new minister is and she cares instantly about his daughters. With them in the vicarage, Josie's life seems more meaningful. She enjoys Samuel's company. When he asks her to marry him and continue on with him and his family to Colorado, she immediately accepts. But will the eldest daughter, Elizabeth, ever accept her? And will marriage to a man who is still in love with his dead wife truly be enough for Josie?
    The Preacher's Wife is a touching story of loss, faith and hope. The characters are wonderfully developed, St. John's writing is vivid and full of emotion, as always. The journey of the new Hart family to Colorado is not an easy one. Nor is settling into their new home. More and more Josie comes to fear they will never be the united and loving family she'd hoped to become a part of.
    This Love Inspired historical romance will definitely please fans of inspirational romance novels. I highly recommend it. Once more, Cheryl St. John as penned a wonderful tale.

Truly See and Appreciate Color in Your Life

2012-01-29T09:47:00.000-08:00

Enjoy this little video on seeing and appreciating color. It will open your eyes. http://www.greatdanepro.com/Just%20Colors/index.htm

Quote of the Day

2012-01-17T10:53:00.001-08:00

You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

Bookstore Sales Dropped 8.6% in November

2012-01-17T10:42:00.000-08:00

Bookstore sales had their steepest decline in the year in November, falling 8.6%, to $941 million, according to preliminary estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The November drop followed a 6.6% decline in October and reflects the absence of Borders. The defunct chain closed its last stores in September and its going-out-of business sales helped to boost sales in August and September. Sales at college stores also helped to lift overall sales numbers in the late summer. With the drop in October and November, bookstore sales for the first 11 months of 2011 were up 1.2%. At the end of September sales were running 2.8% ahead of 2010.

For the entire retail segment, sales rose 7.0% in November and were up 7.9% in the year to date.

(Copied from Publishers Weekly)

Book Review: AUDREY AND THE MAVERICK by Elaine Levine

2012-01-16T10:57:00.000-08:00

I found Audrey and the Maverick on Amazon.com. This western historical romance had an excellent rating so I bought it. It was a good decision. Mixed breed Julian McCaid has big plans for the future. He wants to marry wealth, not because he needs money - he's rich enough already - but because he wants to prove he's as good as the people who used to look down on him. He buys a sheep ranch in Dakota Territory to turn into a rich man's hunting lodge, but receives a report of serious problems there, so he goes to investigate. He wasn't prepared to have his pockets picked in this small western town, especially not by a woman.

Audrey Sheridan and the orphans she cares for don't have the money to leave the town of Defiance, which is becoming rougher by the moment and is no place for children. But the sheriff blackmails her into doing his bidding, which includes going to McCaid's ranch to keep him distracted until the sheriff and his gang of gunmen can carry out their nefarious plans. They don't like sheep in ranch country and don't intend to allow McCaid's flock to pollute the land. Audrey is caught in the middle. As she struggles to protect her kids and keep both the sheriff and McCaid happy, she finds the situation becoming more and more tangled. She doesn't know how to deal with a rancher who is not only handsome, but passionate and caring as well. McCaid doesn't want an ordinary girl like her, he wants a society debutant. At least he thought he did, until he met Audrey. Trouble is, he's stubborn and intent on carrying out his plans.
I enjoyed this story very much. Levine's writing is vivid, exciting and full of emotion. Considering the constant threats from the sheriff and his gunmen, I expected to see more trouble strike the ranch than actually occurs, and there doesn't seem to be much reason for this. Still the story is well-paced, the characters likable and the writing excellent. I fell in love with McCaid, and Audrey and her orphans are truly charming. I'd give it four stars. It's a wonderful read.

Another Cinderella Story, The Kind Authors Like Most to Hear

2012-01-16T10:23:00.000-08:00

A Self-Published Author's $2 Million Cinderella Story, by NPR Staff

January 8, 2012

Best-selling e-author Amanda Hocking grew up in the small town of Austin, Minn., which, she says, is known for Spam — as in the food, not the email kind.
"We invented Spam," the 27-year-old novelist tells weekends on All Things Considered host Guy Raz.
Hocking's dad was a truck driver. Her mom was a waitress. Even as a very young child, she was kind of a natural storyteller — especially when it came to fantasy stories — stories about dragons, unicorns, pirates and more.
"My mom has a tape from when I was, like, 2 years old, talking with my grandma, telling her a story that's really elaborate about werewolves and wolves," she says.
Hocking has no formal training as a writer, which makes her story even more incredible.
She went to a local community college for two semesters. In her early 20s, she started to write novels at night. In the daytime, she worked at a group home for disabled people.

"I loved my job, but I really wasn't making very much money doing it," she says. "I'd always written, I always wanted to be published, but I think at that point, I was like, 'I need to focus in and do this. I want to make this happen.' "
So she quit to pursue her dream. That was in 2008, and Hocking had almost a dozen novels on her computer. She sent manuscripts to more than 50 literary agents. She got a lot of form-letter rejections back, one after another. Sorry, they'd say, it's not the right kind of thing for us.
She started to wonder whether the problem was the kind of fiction she was writing. Maybe, she thought, it was too dark, too intense.
"I kind of re-evaluated myself and what was popular and what I really felt were my strengths," Hocking says. "I went to Walmart and I was looking at all the best-selling titles they had."
She knew she couldn't write thrillers like James Patterson's, but there was another genre she thought she could handle — paranormal romance.
Those are fantasy stories — witches, vampires and the like — combined with a love story. "This genre really stuck out to me. And I'd read the books, and I enjoyed them and thought it was something I should try," she says.
Hocking went home and wrote her first paranormal romance — in 15 days.
She wrote and rewrote, edited and re-edited, but still no one was interested in publishing her work. On a whim, she decided to self-publish a few of her books online for anyone to download. She waited.
Some of her books began selling. She'd sell one or two books a day, and that went on for a while. Then, in June, it exploded. Bloggers began asking for interviews. Reviews began to appear on Amazon.com.
"I think I sold, like, 6,000 books that month or something," she says. "It was a pretty dramatic jump."
By August, she was making about $9,000 a month. The year before, she'd made less than $18,000 for the entire year.
"It's still totally unreal when I think about it," she says. "It feels so weird to be able to just kind of buy things when I want them or need them." Like a life-size replica of Han Solo encased in carbonite. It cost $7,000 and sits in her "movie room" — otherwise known as the basement.
Finally, last fall, Hocking joined an elite literary club that includes only 11 other authors, including James Patterson, Stieg Larsson and Nora Roberts: She sold her 1 millionth book for the Amazon Kindle.
And she has made $2 million doing it. Movie rights for her work have been optioned, and the publishing companies that once rejected her came back around. She signed a multimillion-dollar deal with St. Martin's Press, and her first print book, Switched, is out now.
Before we leave her story, however, Hocking has some advice to share. She says she got it from a video by Mark Hoppus of the band Blink-182.
"He said that it's not enough to have a passion — you have to have a work ethic," she says. "That's been the most life-changing advice that I got, because I had a passion for writing — and I know a lot of other people do, too — but it's not enough to just want something. You have to be able to work for it, too, and put in the hours and the time."

Book Review: City of Ash, by Megan Chance

2012-01-14T14:07:00.000-08:00

Having read Megan Chance's work before, I was eager to read City of Ash. I knew I could expect a great read from her. The book surprised me. It was a little different from what I'd read of her work before. For one thing, it was historical fiction, not romance. But it definitely did not disappoint. City of Ash is a beautiful story of two women who start out as total opposites and discover that once money and status no longer matter, they're really very much alike. Ginny Langley comes from high society and wealth, Bea Wilkes from the opposite side of life. When they end up vying for the same leading role in a play, animosity is unavoidable. Then life pulls a dirty trick and they wind up depending on each other for their very lives. Both women make for great characters, not to mention Ginny's husband Nathan and the Shakespeare-like playwright who affects the lives of both women. Chance did a wonderful job portraying them all. The story also gives the reader a fascinating peek into nineteenth century theater life. That plus the vivid scenes Chance creates in describing the fire that turned Seattle into ashes, and the excellent characterization, make City of Ash an unusual and outstanding read.

Quote of the Day

2011-12-26T12:08:00.000-08:00

Write even when you don’t want to, don’t much like what you are writing, and aren’t writing particularly well.
Agatha Christie

How To Find Out If Your Man Truly Loves You

2011-12-20T13:41:00.000-08:00

    How can you know if your man truly loves you?
    Break your neck!
    Okay, I admit that sounds a bit drastic, and I'm not recommending you do it on purpose. But take it from me, it works.
    Last October I went out to get the mail one day, tripped on the sidewalk, fell flat on my face and broke my neck. A week in the hospital, another week and a half in rehab, then finally home. Of course I'm wearing a Halo that feels like it weighs 20 pounds, though it's probably more like 7. Very cumbersome. It's attached to a stiff plastic vest lined with sheep skin that pretty much covers my entire upper torso. Itch city. Sometimes the itching is worse than the pain. And there's very little I can do about it.
    It's been over two months now that I've been wearing this contraption; only a few more weeks to go before I might be able to get the Halo removed and switch to a more conventional neck brace.
    Since that fateful fall, I haven't been able to do much of anything. When I first came home, my husband had to help me in and out of bed and on and off the toilet. Our marriage has reached new heights of intimacy, but, sadly, not the sexual kind. Still, he's there every time I need him. He monitors my daily medicine and makes sure I take it. He cooks, cleans, does laundry and, during the summer, also did all the yard work. That's not counting all he does for me, or taking care of the cat. Sometimes I wonder what happened to the husband I'd lived with for thirty years and who this new guy is.
    I should explain that for most of the year, before I broke my neck, I was very ill. It started in January when my colon ruptured, then abscessed over. Four hospital stays, a couple of ER visits, countless visits to hospitals for countless CT scans, the insertion of several drainage tubes into my body to clean out abscesses and infections, two surgeries, and lots of complications later, I was finally getting well. In October, when I fell, I was driving again and had resumed my normal life, though I still didn't have all my strength back.
So I began the year ill and will end it unwell.
But my point is that, through it all, my husband was there. He spent most of every day in my hospital room, held my hand while they stuffed tubes down my nose into my stomach, held the basin while I emptied my stomach over and over, and attended to problems and little accidents I had that no husband should have to attend to. He's pampered me with special foods, continual hand-holding, lots of hugs, lots of kisses, and lots of I love yous. He also keeps my favorite vase filled with red roses.
    We were both thrilled when I was well enough, after my colon problems, to resume the cleaning, cooking and other wifely duties he'd been having to perform. Imagine how he felt to suddenly have a wife with a broken neck on his hands.
    Not once has he complained.Well, maybe once or twice. He's not perfect, after all. But he's the closest I've ever come to having a Prince Charming. And any uncertainty I may have felt about how he feels about me have vanished completely.
    So that, my friends, is how you know, without a doubt, that your man loves you.
    However, I recommend you find an easier, less painful method.

I Believe

2011-12-20T13:05:00.000-08:00

I love this Christmas poem written by my friend, Wilma Rich. For more of her Down Home Poetry, check out her site: http://downhomepoems.com/

I BELIEVE

It seemed a long, long way to go,
Moonlit path o’er crusted snow
Past metal gate and pile of wood
To where the old two-holer stood.

Especially on a night like this,
A night of long-awaited bliss,
With fires banked and stockings hung.
Stories read and carols sung.

There at last it loomed ahead,
My one last stop before my bed.
With icy fingers, frozen feet,
Bottom bare on icy seat

I sat and listened for the sound
Of trampling hooves upon the ground,
Of bells a-tinkle on a sleigh,
Of harness creak and reindeers’ neigh.

I held my breath like quiet snow
In hopes of hearing: “Ho! Ho! Ho!”
But all was silent, all was still
Outside that outhouse on the hill.

Now, scrolling back through life I see
The magic in that night for me.
When memories were etched in gold
Forever more to have and hold.

I scarce recall what Santa brought,
What gifts received when just a tot.
But I recall how I believed
In Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.

And through the years I’ve kept alive
These feelings of a child of five.

The Last of How to Use Microsoft Word's Find and Replace Feature

2011-10-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

Search by using codes

Use codes to find and replace

On the Edit menu, click Find or Replace.
If you don't see the Special button, click More.
Enter a code in the Find What box. Do one of the following:

To choose a code from a list, click Special, click a character, and then type any additional text in the Find what box.
Type a code directly in the Find what box.

For example, type ^p to find a paragraph mark.

If you want to replace the item, enter what you want to use as a replacement in the Replace with box.
Click Find Next, Replace, or Replace All.

To cancel a search in progress, press ESC.

Codes for items you want to find and replace

As specified, some codes work only if the Use wildcards option is on or off.

Codes that work in the Find what or Replace with box

To specify:

Paragraph mark ( )

Type ^p (doesn’t work in the Find what box when wildcards are on) or type ^13

Tab character ( )

Type ^t or type ^9

ASCII character

Type ^nnn, where nnn is the character code

ANSI character

Type ^0nnn, where 0 is zero and nnn is the character code

Em dash ( — )

Type ^+

En dash ( – )

Type ^=

Caret character

Type ^^

Manual line break ( )

Type ^l or type ^11

Column break

Type ^n or type ^14

Page or section break

Type ^12 (when replacing, inserts a page break)

Manual page break

Type ^m (also finds or replaces section breaks when wildcards are on)

Nonbreaking space ( )

Type ^s

Nonbreaking hyphen ( )

Type ^~

Optional hyphen ( )

Type ^-

Code that works in the Find what box only (when wildcards are on)

Picture or graphic (inline only)

Type ^g

Codes that work in the Find what box only (when wildcards are off)

Any character

Type ^?

Any digit

Type ^#

Any letter

Type ^$

Unicode character

Type ^Unnnn where nnnn is the character code

Picture or graphic (inline only)

Type ^1

Footnote mark

Type ^f or type ^2

Endnote mark

Type ^e

Field

Type ^d

Opening field brace (when field codes are visible)

Type ^19

Closing field brace (when field codes are visible)

Type ^21

Comment

Type ^a or type ^5

Section break

Type ^b

Em space (Unicode)

Type ^u8195

En space (Unicode)

Type ^u8194

White space

Type ^w (any combination of regular and nonbreaking spaces, and tab characters)

Codes that work in the Replace with box only

Windows Clipboard contents

Type ^c

Contents of the Find what box

Type ^&

Notes

If you include the optional hyphen code, Word finds only text with optional hyphens in the position you specified. If you omit the optional hyphen code, Word finds all matching text, including text with optional hyphens.
If you're searching for fields, you must display field codes (field code: Placeholder text that shows where specified information from your data source will appear; the elements in a field that generate a field's result. The field code includes the field characters, field type, and instructions.). To switch between displaying field codes and field results (field results: Text or graphics inserted in a document when Microsoft Word carries out a field's instructions. When you print the document or hide field codes, the field results replace the field codes.), click the field, and press SHIFT+F9. To show or hide field codes for all fields in the document, press ALT+F9.
If you're searching for graphics, Word finds only inline graphics; Word does not find floating graphics. By default, Word inserts imported graphics as inline graphics, but you can change a floating graphic to an inline graphic.
To find a character using the Unicode value, select the Match Case check box. If you clear the Match Case check box, Word searches all instances of uppercase and lowercase characters specified by the value.

Quote of the Day

2011-10-14T15:45:00.001-07:00

First spread the sentence out on a clean, flat surface, such as an ironing board. Then, using a sharp pencil or X-Acto knife, locate the “predicate,” which indicates where the action has taken place and is usually located directly behind the gills. For example, in the sentence: “LaMont never would of bit a forest ranger,” the action probably took place in a forest. Thus your diagram would be shaped like a little tree with branches sticking out of it to indicate the locations of the various particles of speech, such as your gerunds, proverbs, adjutants, etc.

Dave Barry

More Ways to Use Microsoft Word's Find and Replace

2011-10-14T15:29:00.000-07:00

Search by using wildcards

Use wildcards to find and replace

For example, use the asterisk (*) wildcard to search for a string of characters ("s*d" finds "sad" and "started").

On the Edit menu, click Find or Replace.
If you don't see the Use wildcards check box, click More.
Select the Use wildcards check box.
Enter a wildcard character in the Find What box. Do one of the following:

To choose a wildcard character from a list, click Special, click a wildcard character, and then type any additional text in the Find what box.
Type a wildcard character directly in the Find what box.

If you want to replace the item, enter what you want to use as a replacement in the Replace with box.
Click Find Next, Replace, or Replace All.

To cancel a search in progress, press ESC.

Notes

When the Use wildcards check box is selected, Word finds only the exact text you specify. (Notice that the Match case and Find whole words only check boxes are unavailable (dimmed) to indicate that these options are automatically on; you can’t turn off these options.)
To search for a character that's defined as a wildcard, type a backslash (\) before the character. For example, type \? to find a question mark.

Wildcards for items you want to find and replace

To find:

Any single character

Type ?

For example, s?t finds "sat" and "set".

Any string of characters

Type *

For example, s*d finds "sad" and "started".

The beginning of a word

Type <

For example, <(inter) finds "interesting" and "intercept", but not "splintered".

The end of a word

Type >

For example, (in)> finds "in" and "within", but not "interesting".

One of the specified characters

Type [ ]

For example, w[io]n finds "win" and "won".

Any single character in this range

Type [-]

For example, [r-t]ight finds "right" and "sight". Ranges must be in ascending order.

Any single character except the characters in the range inside the brackets

Type [!x-z]

For example, t[!a-m]ck finds "tock" and "tuck", but not "tack" or "tick".

Exactly n occurrences of the previous character or expression

Type {n}

For example, fe{2}d finds "feed" but not "fed".

At least n occurrences of the previous character or expression

Type {n,}

For example, fe{1,}d finds "fed" and "feed".

From n to m occurrences of the previous character or expression

Type {n,m}

For example, 10{1,3} finds "10", "100", and "1000".

One or more occurrences of the previous character or expression

Type @

For example, lo@t finds "lot" and "loot".

Notes

You can use parentheses to group the wildcard characters and text and to indicate the order of evaluation. For example, type <(pre)*(ed)> to find "presorted" and "prevented".
You can use the \n wildcard to search for an expression and then replace it with the rearranged expression. For example, type (Ashton) (Chris) in the Find what box and \2 \1 in the Replace with box. Word will find "Ashton Chris" and replace it with "Chris Ashton".

True Irony

2011-10-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I received the perfect example of the word irony. You might know that I was very ill most of this year, beginning with January and, well, I'm still getting my strength back. Two ER visits, one I almost didn't survive, two surgeries, and more CT scans than I could count, not to mention having at least six drains installed in my body--not all at the same time, thank God--all thanks to a ruptured colon. My first surgery was on March 14. Here's the irony: During all those months while I was wondering if I would ever recover, the one thing that kept me going was the hope that the publisher who'd had my latest book since last October would want to publish it. It wasn't until August, after my second surgery in July, when I knew I was going to live after all, that I finally emailed the editor of this publishing house who had asked to see my book and inquired as to the status of my submission. Yesterday I received word that they had emailed me a rejection on March 14th. Now, I don't know what happened to that lovely email, but I never received it. I've gone back over my deleted messages and my spam. No such message. Doesn't matter. The point is that all those months of hanging onto the hope of getting published, I had already been rejected and just didn't know it. If that doesn't exemplify irony, I don't know what does.

July Sales Figures From the AAOP

2011-10-14T15:02:00.000-07:00

The July sales report from the American Association of Publishers carried the cheery news that hardcover sales rose 33% in July, but this year looks terrible for print books:

All the Ways to Use Microsoft Word's Find and Replace Feature

2011-10-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

I found this on the Microsoft Office website and thought it was too valuable not to be shared.
Use Microsoft Word to find and replace text, formatting, paragraph marks, page breaks (page break: The point at which one page ends and another begins. Microsoft Word inserts an "automatic" (or soft) page break for you, or you can force a page break at a specific location by inserting a "manual" (or hard) page break.), and other items. You can extend your search by using wildcards and codes.
Find text
You can quickly search for every occurrence of a specific word or phrase.

On the Edit menu, click Find.
In the Find what box, enter the text that you want to search for.
Select any other options that you want.

To select all instances of a specific word or phrase at once, select the Highlight all items found in check box, and then select which portion of the document you want to search in by clicking in the Highlight all items found in list.

Click Find Next or Find All.

To cancel a search in progress, press ESC.

Replace text
You can automatically replace text — for example, you can replace "Acme" with "Apex."

On the Edit menu, click Replace.
In the Find what box, enter the text that you want to search for.
In the Replace with box, enter the replacement text.
Select any other options that you want.
Click Find Next, Replace, or Replace All.

To cancel a search in progress, press ESC.

Find and replace specific formatting
You can search for and replace or remove character formatting. For example, find a specific word or phrase and change the font color, or find specific formatting such as bold and remove or change it.

On the Edit menu, click Find.
If you don't see the Format button, click More.
In the Find what box, do one of the following:

To search for text without specific formatting, enter the text.
To search for text with specific formatting, enter the text, click Format, and then select the formats you want.
To search for specific formatting only, delete any text, click Format, and then select the formats you want.

Select the Highlight all items found in check box to find all instances of the word or phrase, and then select which portion of the document you want to search in by clicking in the Highlight all items found in list.
Click Find All.

All instances of the word or phrase are highlighted.

Click Close.
On the Formatting toolbar (toolbar: A bar with buttons and options that you use to carry out commands. To display a toolbar, press ALT and then SHIFT+F10.), click buttons to make changes. For example, select a different font color, click Bold , and then click Italic .

The changes you make are applied to all the highlighted text.

Click anywhere in the document to remove highlighting from the text.

Find and replace paragraph marks, page breaks, and other items
You can easily search for and replace special characters and document elements such as page breaks and tabs.

On the Edit menu, click Find or Replace.
If you don't see the Special button, click More.
In the Find what box, do one of the following:

To choose the item from a list, click Special, and then click the item you want.
Type a code for the item directly in the Find what box.

If you want to replace the item, enter what you want to use as a replacement in the Replace with box.
Click Find Next, Replace, or Replace All.

To cancel a search in progress, press ESC.

Tip

For a quick way to find items such as graphics or comments (comment: A note or annotation that an author or reviewer adds to a document. Microsoft Word displays the comment in a balloon in the margin of the document or in the Reviewing Pane.), click Select Browse Object on the vertical scroll bar, and then click the item you want. You can click Next or Previous to find the next or previous item of the same type.

Find and replace noun or adjective forms or verb tenses
You can search for:
Singular and plural noun forms
For example, replace "apple" with "orange" at the same time that you replace "apples" with "oranges".
All adjective forms
For example, replace "worse" with "better" at the same time that you replace "worst" with "best".
All tenses of a root verb
For example, replace "sit" with "stand" at the same time that you replace "sat" with "stood".

On the Edit menu, click Find or Replace.
If you don't see the Find all word forms check box, click More.
Select the Find all word forms check box.
In the Find what box, enter the text you want to find.
If you want to replace the text, enter the replacement text in the Replace with box.
Click Find Next, Replace, or Replace All.
If the replacement text is ambiguous, click the word that best matches the meaning you want.

For example, "saw" can be both a noun and a verb; click "saws" to replace nouns, or click "sawing" to replace verbs.

To cancel a search in progress, press ESC.

Notes

If you're replacing text, it's a good idea to click Replace instead of Replace All; that way, you can confirm each replacement to make sure it's correct.
Use the same part of speech and tense for both the search and replacement text. For example, search for "see" and replace it with "observe" (both are verbs in the present tense).

Tune in tomorrow for more ways to use Find and Replace.

Chuckwagon Favorites & The Life of a Range Cook

2011-10-11T13:59:00.000-07:00

    What cowboys in the old west looked forward to most when out on the trail--other than whiskey and women, when they hit town--was the food that Cookie (Bean Master, Belly Cheater, Belly Robber, Biscuit Roller, Biscuit Shooter, Dough-belly, Dough-puncher, Grub-worm, Lizard Scorcher, Mulligan Mixer, Old Woman, Sourdough, Pot Rustler, or any one of a dozen other names) would have ready for them when they returned to camp. If they were lucky, it might be marrow gut, made from fresh unwashed entrails of a cow, cut in 4" pieces and flavored with sage, salt and pepper. On branding and castrating day, it might be prairie or mountain oysters; i.e. fried bull testicles. Another favorite was Sonofabitch Stew, made with 2 pounds of beef, half a calf heart, 1-1/2 calf livers, a set of sweetbreads (throat, heart, stomach or belly from a cow, preferably a calf), 1 set of brains, and 1 set of marrow gut, seasoned with salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Yum.
    Not just anybody could be a range cook, at least not for a half-successful outfit. The biscuit roller on a cattle roundup was almost as much the boss as the range boss himself. Besides being a good cook, he had to be versatile and resourceful. Each day he had to have three hot meals ready, rain or shine, in sufficient quantities to feed all the hands as well as any visitors who might happen to stop by. Some days cooking meant standing over a fire in the rain, waving away the smoke that came from using wet wood, while he stirred the pot. If he wasn't fighting rain, he was fighting wind that put out his fire, blew the heat away from his pots, and blew dirt and grime into whatever he was trying to cook. All without complaining? Heck no! He complained, all right, continually. To the boys, that was just part of being the bean master.
    Cooking wasn't his only duty. He held the stakes whenever bets were placed, arbitrated quarrels, doctored both men and animals, and acted as banker for hands who had loose change they didn't want slipping out of their pockets during cow work. He might be called upon to launder a shirt or mend a torn garment. He was often responsible for choosing an appropriate camp for that night, since he was driving the chuck wagon out ahead of the herd and had time to pay attention to something other than a cantankerous steer. Of course, every time camp moved, he had to efficiently pack all his gear into the wagon and see to any repairs that might be needed to keep his rig rolling.
    The hands were bound to kid him and cuss his grouchiness, but as long as he was clean, meals were on time, and there was always a good pot of Arbuckle coffee ready on the coals for a man to help himself to, they tolerated whatever food he served, and gave him the respect he was due. While they were hunkered down eating their chow, they listened to good old Cookie orate on the weather, women, politics, whatever entered the man's head, and they didn't interrupt him.
    Oh, yeah, he was also usually first to reach for a shovel when there was burying to be done.

New Erotica e-Book to be Released Soon

2011-10-08T16:10:00.000-07:00

Check this new erotica, Awakening, by Scarlett Valentine to be released October 31. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94916
http://scarlettvalentineauthor.blogspot.com/?zx=c822f2ae7d9b7d1c

Ysbail of Ellesmere is a pawn in her guardian's war. For decades there has been unrest between the marcher lords and Owain Gwynedd ap Gruffydd, King of Gwynedd. The most recent war had been the bloodiest she could remember in her eighteen years. Madog ap Maredudd, Prince of Powys, and his allies lost untold numbers of men at the hands of Owain's soldiers. When a settlement of truce is presented to Madog, it's at Ysbail's expense. She is to marry Bedwyr ap Owain, one of King Owain’s bastard sons, and his most notorious henchman. If all the rumors and stories she's heard are true, she knows her marriage will be rife with horror and fear.

Since proving himself worthy with his sword, Bedwyr fights at his king's side. He's shed oceans of blood and sent untold numbers of men to their graves. He's become what his name foretold—the grave-knower. He's afraid of nothing, least of all death. All men fear him, including those who fight at his side, and sometimes even his own king. Terror of him lives within women's hearts; only the bravest of whores accept him into their beds. And children weave their own tales of the monster they hear him to be, embellishing the details to their own gruesome degrees.

When King Owain informs Bedwyr that he's to marry Ysbail of Ellesmere as part of a peace settlement with Madog, Bedwyr is furious. A man such as Bedwyr can only survive on the battlefield. For without love, hatred will send a man like him to the edge of insanity. Then push him over. But when Bedwyr sees Ysbail for the first time, blood-thirst turns to blood-lust, and he vows to show her that she should have no fear of him.

Excellent Blog for Writers

2011-09-27T08:59:00.000-07:00

Anyone who isn't following K. M. Weiland's blog Wordplay http://www.wordplay-kmweiland.blogspot.com/ is missing out on something worth investing some time in. Tons of writing advice and even free prizes. Just by signing up for Weiland's email list you get a free ebook, Crafting Unforgettable Characters: A Hands-On Introduction to Bringing Your Characters to Life. I already have my copy and it looks great. And Wordplay isn't Weiland's only blog. She also participates in Author Culture http://www.authorculture.blogspot.com/ also worth following. I found the blog through an update of The Passive Voice, which gave a link to Weiland's blog, 5 Elements of a Riveting First Line, just one of Weiland's helpful posts.Check these out for your own benefit.

How Do You Turn Your Manuscript into an Ebook?

2011-09-18T13:12:00.000-07:00

This article was posted 18 Sep 2011 08:00 AM PDT on the Passive Voice. I thought it was such excellent information, I should share it:

You’ve finally finished the definitive hillbilly steampunk vampire cross-dressing genre-buster.
Your mother loves it. Your critique group loves it except for Jennifer who hates everything except Jane Austen and Stephen King. Your cousin Louie finished a wicked cover the night before they took him back to rehab.
You are so ready to start cashing big checks from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
You upload your Word file to Amazon and it doesn’t work. You don’t know what to do. Spellcheck says the file is fine, but you’re not the technical type. You never turn your computer off because you’re not sure you know how to turn it back on again.
You need a little help with your Word-to-Big-Checks transition.
One of the many helpful things author Elizabeth Spann Craig does is to maintain an ebook services directory.

This directory is intended as a starting point for writers to connect with cover designers, formatters, file converters, freelance editors, and other ebook professionals.

Elizabeth explains she doesn’t have the time to check backgrounds, reputations, etc., leaving that job for the indie author.
Book designer Joel Friedlander maintains a directory of ebook conversion services:

It’s a simple alphabetical listing with information from each responding company. Here are the questions we asked on our Request for Information:
Which ebook file formats do you convert to
Acceptable file formats to convert from
Which type of file is best to convert from
Turnaround time for standard book conversion
Provide basic pricing information
Are there discounts for multiple file formats or multiple books converted at the same time
Estimate of the cost to convert a sample book

Joel also warns that he hasn’t done background checks and authors need to do those themselves.
Elizabeth and Joel will take care of you. You don’t need an agent after all which is good because they write such mean emails after you send them your book.
Link to Elizabeth Craig Spann’s Ebook Services Directory and link to Joel Friedlander’s Ebook Conversion Directory.

Quote of the Day

2011-09-17T16:59:00.001-07:00

The phrase "working mother" is redundant.

-Jane Sellman-

Book Review, From A Distance by Tamera Alexander

2011-09-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

Now I must confess I haven't read a slew of inspirational novels, but a friend loaned me this one and suggested I read it and I'm glad I did. Tamera Alexander is an excellent writer. Her language and descriptions are rich and evocative, her characters sympathetic and fascinating. From A Distance has more to offer than many romance novels, let alone inspirationals. I was expecting a lot of praying and sermonizing, such as I've found in other inspirational romance novels I've read. But From A Distance is more of what I would expect a true "inspirational" to be. It's about trust, which is really what faith is all about, isn't it? Elizabeth Westbrook travels to the Colorado Rockies under false pretenses to achieve a goal she must eventually come to question in her own mind. As a photographer in a day when few women dared to enter into what was then considered a man's profession, Elizabeth is both brave and intriguing. Daniel Ranslett turns out to be more than what he seems at first as well. Both of these characters take on a life through Alexander's writing that sticks with the reader long after the last page is read. They are real, the kind of characters that immediately engender sympathy, respect and admiration. And Josiah Birch is the perfect minor character, fun, interesting and so lovable you want to scoop him up and take him home. Yet he doesn't take over the story. Alexander has written her tale with great finesse and skill. I, for one, will be looking forward to reading more of her work.

Quote of the Day

2011-09-05T14:18:00.001-07:00

Most writers can write books faster than publishers can write checks.

Richard Curtis

Quote of the Day

2011-09-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

Here it is, shamelessly borrowed from The Passive Voice, on the quality of life while writing a novel:

When writing a novel, that’s pretty much entirely what life turns into: ‘House burned down. Car stolen. Cat exploded. Did 1500 easy words, so all in all it was a pretty good day.’

Neil Gaiman

I Can See!!!

2011-09-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

A year ago I never would have believed how something as simple as clean windows could be so exciting. But after eight months of being unable to do anything except sit around or sleep, while watching the house get dirtier and dirtier, finding the energy to wash windows was a thrill. To further improve matters, my husband took the chore one step farther. You see, I'd only done the insides of the windows in our kitchen, dining room and living room. Except for the sliding glass door, the windows are too high up for me to clean them on the outside. That's where DH came in. He washed the outsides. Probably felt almost as good to him as it did to me. During my long illness, he had all he could handle just taking care of me, making sure I got my meds, cooking, doing laundry, and dishes, not to mention yard work. During each of my three visits to the hospital, he was there with me every day, nearly all day. Didn't leave him much time to wash windows.

Besides doing the windows, I also cleaned my baker's rack and the table in the living room where I keep my houseplants. Leaves had fallen from some of the plants, accumulating to the glorious depth of about an inch. Now they're gone. Yippee!

And on top of all this, I've been writing. No, darn it, not writing something new. I'm doing one more polish on my book I finished last year, Divine Gamble. Since I haven't heard anything from the publisher who asked to see it, and who has had it since October, I decided to check it over in preparation for submitting elsewhere. But at least I'm writing! That's major, folks.

So what have you all been up to?

Quote of the Day

2011-08-31T15:54:00.001-07:00

I try to create sympathy for my characters, then turn the monsters loose.

Stephen King

Free Storyboard

2011-08-21T17:05:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I have found storyboards to be very useful in keeping track of plot elements and so forth in a book I'm working on. I created my own storyboard, but I recently found a program that provides one already created (you just fill in the necessary info) and a good deal more. It's a free download so give it a look see. Maybe it will help you. Here's the URL. http://storybook.intertec.ch/joomla/

Good luck. Let me know what you think and what experiences you have with the program.

Insomnia Can Be Useful

2011-08-21T14:09:00.000-07:00

The last few days I've had trouble getting to sleep at night. No idea why. Maybe it has to do with being off anti-biotics and pain pills at last, or getting stronger, which seems to be awakening my brain. All the time I was ill, my brain functioned like it had been put on ice. Not very conducive to writing romance, or doing much of anything else. But last night, as I lay awake, I plotted an entire book. Amazing! Not a completely thorough plot as far as the ending goes, but pretty darn good, I'd say. Whether or not I ever write the book, I can't predict. But thinking such as this gets my motor running and that's necessary in order to accomplish anything.

E-book Buyers Expect Discounts from Print Prices and Spend More Money on Books

2011-08-17T15:56:00.000-07:00

Posted: 16 Aug 2011 08:00 AM PDT on The Passive Voice

From The Bookseller:

UK e-book buyers are expecting heavier discounting on digital titles than their counterparts across the Atlantic, a new survey has found.
The survey, undertaken in April by consultants Simon-Kucher and Partners among 250 book buyers from the US, UK and Germany, concluded an e-book without additional features should cost around 65% to 70% of the print price . . . .
. . . .
The survey also found current e-book users spend more on books than book buyers in general. According to the survey, 48% of book buyers in the US used e-books as well as audio and print, 45% in the UK, but just 15% in Germany.
On pricing among current e-book buyers and those who plan to buy e-books in the future, UK respondents expected a price reduction of 36% on the equivalent print version, while in the US they expected a 30% reduction. The survey said: “It’s not about the absolute price level, but the ratio between print and digital.”
. . . .
The survey showed US book readers currently spend a greater proportion of their book expenditure on e-books, higher than either their UK or German counterparts. Out of $21.09 spent monthly, $6.33 was spent on digital content, while in the UK out of £20.99 spent, £2.42 was spent on e-books. In Germany just €0.52 was spent on e-books out of a total book expenditure of €22.08. Regular e-book buyers spent more on books, with e-books taking an even greater proportion of that expenditure. In the UK e-book users spent £5.20 a month on e-books, out of a total book spend of £29.
The study also found in the UK and US even among non e-book users the majority, 61% and 74% respectively, plan to use e-books in the future, while e-book users plan to use e-books “significantly more often”.

Link to the rest at The Bookseller
The article doesn’t say if any of Simon-Kucher’s clients paid for the study or not. Simon-Kucher & Partners describes itself as “the world’s leading pricing advisor and thought leader.”
Passive Guy describes himself as someone other than the world’s leading pricing advisor and thought leader, but he disagrees with the survey’s conclusion that, “It’s not about the absolute price level, but the ratio between print and digital.”
In PG’s non-world-leading opinion, most print books are priced too high. Since traditional publishers have been vacuumed up by large media conglomerates, the prices of print books have increased faster than the rate of inflation.
PG suggests that, for many consumers, ebook prices are in a more comfortable range on an absolute basis, regardless of their relationship to print prices. If he or she is going to spend $26 for a hardcover (about the average price for fiction these days), an average reader wants to know for certain that this will be a terrific book and is less likely to buy an unknown author. A trip to the library may look like a reasonable alternative to $26.
One other factor that applies to an ebook purchaser is they quit paying as much attention to the prices of the print versions after awhile. In a survey sample of 1, PG doesn’t plan to buy any more fiction in print, so he doesn’t care what the print price is. First, he prefers ebooks and second, Mrs. PG makes him haul boxes of books to the local library when they start accumulating in stacks around the house. PG is also done buying bookcases.
A $2.99 or $4.99 ebook is an entirely different purchase proposition. With current gas prices, you may spend more money driving to and from the library than the book costs. Besides, it’s 1:00 AM and you’re wearing your jammies.

Quote of the Day

2011-08-17T15:53:00.001-07:00

Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.

Anton Chekhov

10 Ways Writing is Like the Rubik’s Cube

2011-08-17T12:55:00.000-07:00

10 Ways Writing is Like the Rubik’s Cube

Posted: 17 Aug 2011 09:00 AM PDT on The Passive Voice blog.

From writer of fiction and solver of puzzles, Jason Runnels:

1. Everyone thinks they can do it, but few do it really well.
2. There is more than one way to do it.
3. It’s harder than you originally thought.
. . . .
8. The trickiest part can be in the final stages.
9. You can spend countless hours and feel like you never accomplished anything.

Link to the rest at The Puzzling Mind of Jason Runnels

Silence is Golden

2011-08-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

Silence is golden. I truly believe that. But I fear I've been a little too silent on my blog recently. The reason is ill health. But after a very long haul, three hospital stays, and two surgeries, I'm almost back to normal now. That means I need to get busy and post more often in future. Not that I have a lot to say these days. Haven't been anywhere in eight months, except doctors' offices and hospitals. Haven't done much either, except nap and read. At least I can post some book reviews, right? One possible drawback is that I've been doing a lot of rereading of books from my keeper shelves. Kristin Hannah, Susan Wiggs, Catherine Anderson, Susan Elizabeth Phillips. But in case I have followers who haven't read these fabulous authors, especially their early books, a review or two might just be in order.

Quote of the Day

2011-03-28T11:46:00.001-07:00

Never allow someone to be your priority when you are never more than their option.

Quote of the Day

2011-02-28T08:28:00.001-08:00

"Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush" ~Doug Larson

Book Review: HIS DAKOTA CAPTIVE, by Jenna Kernan

2011-02-23T13:50:00.000-08:00

I loved this book. A white woman, stolen by the Indians, married to a warrior when she was barely a teen, then rescued and returned to her family, where she was judged and reviled by others. That part of the story is similar to my current WIP, Storm's Passion, but there the similarity ends. Lucie West belongs to neither the white world or the Indian world and is horribly torn between the two. Sky Fox is a white man with no memory of his white family. In his heart he is totally Dakota Sioux, yet he is not allowed on the reservation because of his pale skin. Kernan does a masterful job of putting the reader into the minds and hearts of these two conflicted people. I felt their angst, their fear, their lonliness. In some ways, Lucie and Sky have so much in common, and yet they stand so very far apart, each yearning for acceptance, forgiveness for past wrongs, and a love neither feels is deserved. Grab this Harlequin historical quick before it disappears from the book shelves. His Dakota Captive is a stand-out book.

Quote of the Day

2011-02-19T12:11:00.001-08:00

Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write.

Super Bowl Commercial That Didn't Make the Grade

2011-02-17T16:54:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I enjoyed this a lot more than any of the commercials that did appear during the Super Bowl

How Apple Saved Barnes & Noble. Probably.

2011-02-16T10:13:00.000-08:00

Another excellent article from The Author's Guild, printed in the RWA e-newsletter:

How Apple Saved Barnes & Noble. Probably.

    February 2, 2011. Happy blackout anniversary! Where were you when the lights went out? We're sending out a series of alerts this week and next that look at the state of e-books, authorship and publishing to mark the one-year anniversary of the Great Blackout, when Amazon attempted to protect its near complete dominance of the rapidly growing e-book market through a stunning, punitive act against a publisher that dared to challenge its terms. (To see our account of this showdown as it happened -- posted last Groundhog Day -- go to "The Right Battle at the Right Time.")
    It was one year ago last Saturday that Amazon turned out the lights on nearly all of Macmillan's books, removing the "buy buttons" from the print and electronic editions of thousands of titles. Macmillan authors, many of whom had linked their websites to Amazon pages that were suddenly disabled and useless, found themselves cut off from readers who frequented the dominant online bookstore.
    Amazon's stunning move was a preemptive strike, an attempt to keep Macmillan from going through with its plan to shift to an "agency model" for selling e-books. Macmillan, which immediately saw its online sales plummet, stood firm and prevailed: Amazon ended the blackout after a week.
    The story of the blackout and its aftermath reveals much about the high-stakes device and format war that's reshaping the publishing industry. Last year's Amazon-Macmillan showdown was a critical battle in that war.
One Year Ago: Amazon's 90% E-Book Market Share
    By last January, Amazon seemed destined to retain an overwhelming share of the e-book market. It then, by most accounts, commanded about 90% of the U.S. trade e-book market. Barnes & Noble had entered the game just two months before, launching the Nook in time, barely, for the critical holiday season. Few in the industry were optimistic about Barnes & Noble's e-book efforts, however.
    Amazon's strategy, it seemed clear, was to leverage its formidable advantages -- including its dominance of the online print book market -- to all but lock up the e-book market. If it was successful, Amazon would control the equivalent of a vast online book club. Any publisher wanting to sell to the club would have to agree to Amazon's terms. This was an ugly prospect: book clubs tend to be resilient, but ultra low-margin enterprises for all involved, except the proprietor.
Amazon went all-in with the Kindle and its proprietary e-reading software. This commitment was most evident on Amazon's home page -- surely the most valuable retail space on the Internet -- on which it featured the Kindle nearly every day since its launch.
    Amazon's most potent weapon in the e-book format and device war, however, was the strategy it deployed so effectively in its conquest of online bookselling: using its seemingly limitless financial resources to discount books at rates no competitor could long sustain. Amazon now pushed this tactic to a new level, routinely buying e-books at wholesale prices of $13 and $14 and immediately selling them at a loss, for $9.99. This not only built customer enthusiasm for the Kindle and e-books, but helped crush online and offline competitors that were selling physical books. Amazon could win the future as it finished off the past.
    The prospects for Barnes & Noble in this environment were decidedly grim. Its net income had plummeted during the recession, falling 65% in two years. For Amazon, however, it was as if the Great Recession hadn't happened. Its revenues had grown 65% and its net income increased 72% over the prior two years. Its market capitalization, which had climbed past $55 billion (it stands at $77 billion today), towered over Barnes & Noble's $1 billion.
    The e-book market, by all appearances, was for sale to the highest bidder -- the retailer willing and able to sell the most digital books at a loss. Barnes & Noble was in no shape to compete against Amazon in that game.
Then the game shifted.
Enter Apple
    On Wednesday, January 27, 2010, Steve Jobs announced the launch of the iPad and the iBookstore.
Apple wouldn't sell e-books under the reseller model that Amazon had been using to lock down the market. (Under that model, the publisher sells e-books to a reseller at a discount of about 50%. The reseller can then sell the e-book at any price, constrained only by antitrust law and the reseller's ability to absorb losses.) Instead, Apple would sell e-books under the same "agency model" it used for iPhone apps. Under the agency model, Apple acts as the publisher's agent, selling e-books at the price established by the publisher and taking a 30% commission on each sale. To participate, a publisher would have to agree to a set of ceilings on e-book prices, generally $12.99 or $13.99 for new books. A publisher would also have to agree not to sell to others under more favorable terms.
    If the agency model took hold, unfettered discounting of e-books would be out. Amazon would lose its ability to buy market share in a nascent, booming industry.
    Five of the big six trade publishers (not Random House) allowed their logos to be displayed at Apple's iPad announcement. The next day, Thursday, Macmillan CEO John Sargent informed Amazon that it would be shifting to the agency model when the iPad was released. It appears that he was the first publisher to do so.
    If there were any doubts about the stakes in this battle, they were erased the following day, when Amazon retaliated by removing the buy buttons from all Macmillan titles (with exceptions for textbooks and scholarly books, where Amazon faced stiff online competition). It removed the buy buttons from all editions -- not just the electronic version -- in an attempt to use its clout in the print book industry to enforce its preferred business model in the e-book industry.
    Though the e-book market was growing fast, cutting off Macmillan and its authors from Amazon's print book market -- Amazon controlled an estimated 75% of online trade book print sales in the U.S. at the time -- was far more punitive than just severing Macmillan's ties to the e-book market. Amazon had used this buy button removal tactic before to punish publishers in the U.S. and the U.K. who fail to fall in line with Amazon's business plans, but it had never done so as boldly or comprehensively.
    Amazon blinked, perhaps after consulting with antitrust counsel. After a one-week blackout, Amazon and Macmillan came to terms, and Macmillan could sell e-books through Amazon using the agency model. Four of the other big six would come to terms with Amazon on the agency model. Random House, the largest trade publisher, has chosen not to use the agency model, for reasons we will describe in the future (hint: Stieg Larsson).
One Year Later
    Barnes & Noble is, unexpectedly, the biggest beneficiary of Apple's entry into the e-book market. With five of the big six trade book publishers using the agency model, Barnes & Noble was able to enter the e-book market based largely on its customer relationships and on technological innovation, rather than on its willingness to burn through capital to subsidize book sales. Its share of the e-book market has grown rapidly over the past year, approaching 20% of trade sales. Its introduction of the Nook Color reportedly gave it a substantial lift over the holidays.
    Barnes & Noble still finds itself subsidizing sales of Random House e-books -- it generally matches Amazon's price on those titles -- but those costs appear manageable. Barnes & Noble faces substantial challenges, as do all physical bookstores, as publishing moves to its partly digital future, but it appears to have regained its footing. Should the agency model ever collapse, however, Barnes & Noble could quickly find itself at Amazon's mercy. Amazon's growth and profitability continue to soar, and its appetite for out-discounting competitors at any cost appears undiminished.
In the meantime, Apple is not standing still. According to numerous, but conflicting, reports Apple may be revising the terms for booksellers using iPhone and iPad apps as e-readers. We will be watching these developments closely.

For more information go to http://www.authorsguild.org/advocacy/articles/how-apple-saved-barnes--noble.html

E-Book Royalty Math: The House Always Wins

2011-02-16T10:02:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting article from The Author's Guild. Note that this is about publishers publishing e-books, not authors publishing e-books via Amazon.

February 3, 2011. To mark the one-year anniversary of the Great Blackout, Amazon's weeklong shut down of e-commerce for nearly all of Macmillan's titles, we’re sending out a series of alerts this week and next on the state of e-books, authorship, and publishing. The first installment (“How Apple Saved Barnes & Noble. Probably.”) discussed the outcome, one year later, of that battle. Today, we look at the e-royalty debate, which has been simmering for a while, but is likely to soon heat up as the e-book market grows.

E-book royalty rates for major trade publishers have coalesced, for the moment, at 25% of the publisher’s receipts. As we’ve pointed out previously, this is contrary to longstanding tradition in trade book publishing, in which authors and publishers effectively split the net proceeds of book sales (that's how the industry arrived at the standard hardcover royalty rate of 15% of list price). Among the ills of this radical pay cut is the distorting effect it has on publishers’ incentives: publishers generally do significantly better on e-book sales than they do on hardcover sales. Authors, on the other hand, always do worse.

How much better for the publisher and how much worse for the author? Here are examples of author’s royalties compared to publisher’s gross profit (income per copy minus expenses per copy), calculated using industry-standard contract terms:
“The Help,” by Kathryn Stockett
Author’s Standard Royalty: $3.75 hardcover; $2.28 e-book.
Author’s E-Loss = -39%
Publisher’s Margin: $4.75 hardcover; $6.32 e-book.
Publisher’s E-Gain = +33%
“Hell’s Corner,” by David Baldacci
Author's Standard Royalty: $4.20 hardcover; $2.63 e-book.
Author’s E-Loss = -37%
Publisher’s Margin: $5.80 hardcover; $7.37 e-book.
Publisher’s E-Gain = +27%
“Unbroken,” by Laura Hillenbrand
Author’s Standard Royalty: $4.05 hardcover; $3.38 e-book.
Author’s E-Loss = -17%
Publisher’s Margin: $5.45 hardcover; $9.62 e-book.
Publisher’s E-Gain = +77%
So, everything else being equal, publishers will naturally have a strong bias toward e-book sales. It certainly does wonders for cash flow: not only does the publisher net more, but the reduced royalty means that every time an e-book purchase displaces a hardcover purchase, the odds that the author’s advance will earn out -- and the publisher will have to cut a check for royalties -- diminishes. In more ways than one, the author’s e-loss is the publisher’s e-gain.

Inertia, unfortunately, is embedded in the contractual landscape. If the publisher were to offer more equitable e-royalties in new contracts, it would ripple through much of the publisher’s catalog: most major trade publishers have thousands of contracts that require an automatic adjustment or renegotiation of e-book royalties if the publisher starts offering better terms. (Some publishers finesse this issue when they amend older contracts, many of which allow e-royalty rates to quickly escalate to 40% of the publisher’s receipts. Amending old contracts to grant the publisher digital rights doesn’t trigger the automatic adjustment, in the publisher's view.) Given these substantial collateral costs, publishers will continue to strongly resist changes to their e-book royalties for new books.

Resistance, in the long run, will be futile. As the e-book market continues to grow, competitive pressures will almost certainly force publishers to share e-book proceeds fairly. Authors with clout simply won’t put up with junior partner status in an increasingly important market. New publishers are already willing to share fairly. Once one of those publishers has the capital to pay even a handful of authors meaningful advances, or a major trade publisher decides to take the plunge, the tipping point will likely be at hand.

In the meantime, what’s to be done? We’ll address that in our next installment in this series, on Monday.

Our assumptions and calculations for the figures above follow.

--------------------------------------------------------
Doing the Numbers: Hardcover

To keep things as simple as possible, we assumed that for hardcovers: (1) the publisher sells at an average 50% discount to the wholesaler or retailer (2) the royalty rate is 15% of list price (as it is for most hardcover books, after 10,000 units are sold), (3) the average marginal cost to manufacture the book and get it to the store is $3, and (4) the return rate is 25% (a handy number -- if one of four books produced is returned, then the $3 marginal cost of producing the book is spread over three other books, giving us a return cost of $1 per book). We also rounded up retail list price a few pennies to give us easy figures to work with.

“The Help,” by Kathryn Stockett has a hardcover retail list price of $25. The standard royalty (15% of list) would be $3.75. The publisher grosses $12.50 per book at a 50% discount. Subtract from that the author's royalty ($3.75), cost of production ($3), and cost of returns ($1), and the publisher nets $4.75 on the sale of a hardcover book.

“Hell’s Corner” by David Baldacci, has a retail list price is $28. The standard royalty is $4.20; the publisher's gross is $14. Subtract royalties ($4.20), production and return costs ($4), and the publisher nets $5.80.

“Unbroken,” by Laura Hillenbrand has a hardcover list price of $27. Standard royalties are $4.05. The publisher's gross is $13.50. Subtract royalties of $4.05 and production and return costs of $4, and the publisher nets $5.45.

Doing the Numbers: E-Book

E-book royalty rates are uniform among the major trade publishers, but pricing and discounting formulas fall into two camps: the reseller model favored by Amazon (Random House is the only large trade publisher using this model) and the agency model introduced by Apple a year ago. (See yesterday’s alert for more information on these models.)

Under the reseller model, the online bookseller pays 50% of the retail list price of the book to the publisher and sells the book at whatever price the bookseller chooses (for bestsellers, Amazon typically sells Random House e-books at a significant loss). Random House frequently prices the e-book at the same price as the hardcover until a paperback edition is available.

Under the agency model, the online bookseller pays 70% of the retail list price of the e-book to the publisher. The bookseller, acting as the publisher’s agent, sells the e-book at the price established by the publisher, but the publisher is constrained by agreement with Apple and others to set a price significantly below that for the hardcover version.

The unit costs to the publisher, under either model, are simply the author’s royalty and the encryption fee, for which we’ll use a generous 50 cents per unit.

Here’s the math:

“The Help” has an e-book list price of $13 and is sold under the agency model. Publisher grosses 70% of retail price, or $9.10. Author's royalty is 25% of publisher receipts, or $2.28. Publisher nets $6.32. ($9.10 minus $2.28 royalties and $0.50 encryption fee.)

“Hell’s Corner” is also sold under the agency model at a retail list price of $15 list price. Publisher grosses 70% of retail price, $10.50. Author's royalty is 25% of publisher receipts, or $2.63. Publisher nets $7.37. ($10.50 minus $2.63 royalties and $0.50 encryption fee.)

“Unbroken” is sold by Random House under the reseller model at a retail list price of $27. Publisher grosses $13.50 on the sale. Author’s royalty, at 25%, is $3.38. Random House nets $9.62. ($13.50 minus $3.38 royalties and $0.50 encryption fee.)

For more information visit The Author's Guild http://authorsguild.org/advocacy/articles/e-book-royalty-math-the-big.html
(article reprinted here with permission from The Author's Guild)

Book Review: The Widowed Bride by Elizabeth Lane

2011-02-12T13:41:00.000-08:00

You've probably gotten the idea by now that Elizabeth Lane is a favorite author of mine. I was thrilled to see that she had a new book out, The Widowed Bride, and read it in practically one sitting. Elizabeth never fails to deliver a good story. This one is about Ruby Denby Rumford, a woman with deep secrets, who has come to Dutchman's Creek, Colorado to start a new life with her two daughters after being acquitted of murdering her abusive husband. Coming from wealth and luxury she knows virtually nothing about running a boarding house. She doesn't even know how to cook. But she's determined to succeed and provide a good life for her little girls. Unexpected help comes in the form of gorgeous Ethan Beaudry, a man with secrets of his own. Beaudry claims he's a schoolteacher, but Ruby's not sure she buys it, and with good reason. Beaudry is actually a U. S. Marshal working undercover to catch bootleggers who are using Ruby's boarding house for storing their illegal liquor. What he doesn't know is whether Ruby is involved. The instant attraction between them is undeniable, but with secrets to hide and an uncertain future, can they beat the odds stacked against them and survive the danger lurking in the shadows? What a great read! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's well written, fast paced and ripe with sexual tension. If you liked The Borrowed Bride, you'll love its sequel, The Widowed Bride.

Quote of the Day

2011-02-10T14:38:00.001-08:00

Seatbelts are not as confining as wheelchairs

Digital Book World: Where do libraries and ebooks meet?

2011-02-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

Is there a place for ebooks in libraries? To start things off Wednesday at the Digital Book World panel "The eBook Ecosystem: Where Do Libraries Fit?," moderator Josh Hadro of Library Journal referenced an ebook feasibility study for public libraries. It included quotes from librarians and library administrators, including "I worry that we don't have a seat at the table," and "the boat left without us."
    But this panel, like so many at the conference being held in New York City this week, wanted to stay positive. The panelists were Christopher Platt of the New York Public Library, Ruth Liebmann of Random House, George Coe from the book distributor Baker and Taylor and Steve Potash from Overdrive, a software company that provides ebooks to vendors and libraries, including the Los Angeles Public Library.
    Libraries have adopted a model referred to in this session as one-book, one-lend. Under this model, a book is licensed by the library; a patron comes in and downloads that book for a set circulation period. When the period is over, the file is no longer accessible. Readers who want to read a popular book get into a queue and wait until the previous patron's checkout time has finished.
Platt noted that librarians are already immersed in reading communities, something publishers are trying to figure out how to build. And library patrons are rapidly adopting ebooks: The New York Public Library had a record-breaking 36,000 ebook checkouts in December, particularly in the week after Christmas.
   Random House's Liebmann countered a misperception: "A library book does not compete with a sale," she said. "A library book is a sale."
    "Public library sales total $850 million," said Coe of Baker and Taylor. Although libraries are often thought of as a place to find a book that's been around for a while, Coe explained, "98% of budgets are spent within 18 months of a book's publication." He thinks libraries will learn more about their patrons who check out ebooks, and may change their acquisition patterns.
    The idea that libraries can provide both outreach and publicity for publishers came up more than once. "Public libraries are more important than some blogger," said Potash from Overdrive. "The library is the best way to elevate your sales. The data is starting to prove it."
    Although most publishers have made ebooks available to libraries, some have not. Platt noted that two recent bestsellers -- Keith Richards' "Life" and Jonathan Franzen's "Freedom" -- were not available, although the New York Public Library's patrons wanted them.
    Potash said this won't last. The goal, he said, is for "the consumer to have too much road rash trying to get at the book."
    And the panel ended on a positive note: Go to the next American Library Assn. meeting and share as much enthusiasm for ebooks as was shared here.
-- Carolyn Kellogg
Photo: Christopher Platt from the New York Public Library and the other panelists of "The Ebook Ecosystem: Where Do Libraries Fit?" panel at Digital Book World. Credit: Carolyn Kellogg / Los Angeles Times
Note: Article taken from Los Angeles Times 1/26/2011 online edition

Book Review: Christmas Moon by Elizabeth Lane, Plus Author Interview

2011-02-01T17:02:00.000-08:00

I think CHRISTMAS MOON is one of my favorites of Elizabeth Lane's books. Partly, I suppose, because I've always loved time travel novels. And of course, it's a romance, my favorite genre. But there's more to my enjoyment of CHRISTMAS MOON than that. The writing is first rate, for one thing, which is something you can always expect from Elizabeth. In this particular story, you immediately identify with Emma Carlyle, not because you can relate to her being pregnant and unmarried, but because she's thoroughly likable and we all know what it feels like to be in trouble. Emma travels to Wyoming to research a man gunned down in an Old West town in 1872, a man she's fascinated with. But a snowstorm waylays her and she's practically catapulted onto J. D. McNulty's door step, the very man she wanted to learn more about.

I fell in love with J. D. McNulty the moment I met him. He's my favorite kind of hero--tough, a little irascible, even ornery, but pudding inside that you just want to eat up. How could you not love a man who takes in a strange woman who immediately gives birth in his bed and, instead of kicking her out, he takes care of her? There are no wasted words in this novel, the pacing is rapid and tight. The few minor characters are lovable from the start. I especially liked the cat.

I've heard that publishers are losing interest in time travels because once the protagonist is in the past, they say, the story becomes just another historical. I disagree. To me the fun is seeing how a modern person deals with something as impossible as traveling to the past, as well as the problems she encounters once she's there. The author should never let the reader forget that the protagonist is out of her realm. Then there's the fun of seeing how the author handles the tricky bits, such as getting her character to the past, the disbelief of all concerned, and the ending. Does the character stay in the past or return to the future? Does her venture into the past change the future? Elizabeth Lane handles these points beautifully. I loved her ending, especially the epilogue. This is a fast and engrossing read. I'm betting you will love it, too. Look for it at Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble online.

Below is my interview with Elizabeth Lane:

1. How long have you been writing, Elizabeth?

Professionally, about 30 years. I’ve always enjoyed writing but never planned on it as a career until it happened.

2. Where do you get your ideas?

Everywhere. Typically, I keep my eyes, ears and mind open. When something catches my attention, I extend the idea, asking “What if....?” Getting ideas is easy. Choosing the one that will make a good story is the hard part.

3. How did you first get published and how many books do you have out?

In the late 1970’s, after selling several childrens stories to a magazine, I decided to try a novel. My first adult book, MISTRESS OF THE MORNING STAR was sold by an agent I found and published in 1980. After publishing five more novels and ghost-writing two others (and having two publishers shut down), I sold a proposal to Harlequin’s then-new historical line. Since then I’ve written about 30 books for that publisher and currently have four more under contract.

4. What is your writing routine? Do you have a specified writing time each day and how do you fit in your family obligations?

For years, when I was working full time and raising a family, I’d get up at 4:00 in the morning to write. Now that I’m living alone and writing full time, I just weave the writing in with the rest of my day, whatever it brings. I’ve reached the point where I can’t let my writing rule my life. Other things, family, friends, my physical and mental health, etc., have become more important. Even so, I manage to do at least two novels a year, plus proposals and promotion – no small accomplishment.

5. Do you have a critique partner or someone you brainstorm plots with?

I started out writing in isolation because there were no other writers around, and I got used to working that way. I love sharing ups and downs with my writer friends, but when it comes to my own craft, I’m pretty much a loner.

6. Do you write by the seat of your pants, or work from an outline including ending and major plot points?

I have to write a synopsis to sell most books. But I’m definitely a pantser. CHRISTMAS MOON, which I wrote without a contract, was written in a single edited draft with no advance plotting. Aside from some initial cutting, it just flowed from my head onto the page. I love working that way and would do it always if I could.

7. What are your thoughts on self-promotion and getting involved in writing organizations?

I try to limit myself to what really works for me. Otherwise I’d spend more time in writing-related activities than in actually writing. Some self promotion is necessary. I blog monthly on Petticoats & Pistols and Unusual Historicals and have guest blogged on a few other sites. I send out review copies of new releases and usually buy some paid promotion. I belong to RWA but limit my involvement in the organization. I admire those successful writers who do a lot more. But for me, that’s all I can handle and still be productive.

8. Is writing a blessing or a curse? A vocation or an addiction?

Let’s call it a blessed addiction. Some of the best things in my life have come to me through writing. I can’t imagine what I’d do or who I’d be without it.

9. Do you ever run into writer’s block and if so, how do you overcome it?

As a professional writer with deadlines to meet, writer’s block is a luxury I can’t afford. When I get stuck it’s usually because I’ve lost track of where the story is going. Some scene planning usually takes care of the problem. For minor blocks, I like to keep a really well written book handy. Reading a few pages of wonderful prose helps get me back in the flow.

10. What do you feel is the most important thing for a beginning writer to learn?

It’s a tough business. You need to be tough, too, and very disciplined. Don’t be afraid to put your best work (and nothing less) out there. It has to be seen to be published. If you get rejections, learn from them and keep trying. The one sure way to fail is to quit.

11. How can readers contact you?

I love hearing from readers and writers. You can contact me and learn more about my books through my web site: http://www.elizabethlaneauthor.com .

BUY HERE:
http://www.amazon.com

Book Review: MARRY ME by Jo Goodman

2011-01-27T13:59:00.000-08:00

     Since I've been laid up with a serious illness with little to do but read, I've decided to post a couple of book reviews to make up for the lack of other posts.
     Not long ago I read Jo Goodman's Never Marry a Lawman and enjoyed it so much, I ordered her new book, Marry Me. Both tales take place in the small mining town Reidsville, Colorado. The characters are genuine, sympathetic and strong, the stories entertaining and engrossing.
     In Marry Me you re-meet the intriguing lawman, Sheriff Wyatt Cooper, from Never Marry a Lawman and his charming wife Rachel, as well as some of the other very likable characters from the first book, but the hero of Marry Me is Doctor Cole Monroe, who stands our from the crowd. Instead of the typical tough and dangerous western hero, he's gentle and steady, a man who thinks with his brain but also with his heart. He's the only man who could win the love of Rhyne Abbot whose life has been anything but typical. Until Cole arrives on the scene, Rhyne is known as a wild and masculine termagant called Runt. She's the one who's tough and dangerous. But in Doc Monroe she's met her match.
     Marry Me might be considered a sequel to Never Marry a Lawman, but it definitely stands alone. Goodman doesn't waste the reader's time by retelling her original story about Sheriff Cooper and Rachel Bailey or of Reidsville, Colorado, but skillfully blends in all the background the reader needs to enjoy both stories.     Rhyne Abbot is a great character, unique and lovable in her toughness. And Cole is the perfect man for her, a man easy to fall in love with. Together they battle to save the townspeople from an epidemic with a mysterious cause, and the twists and turns as everything plays out keeps the reader on the edge of her seat. I thoroughly enjoyed Marry Me and highly recommend it, as well as Never Marry a Lawman.

Neologism Contest Results

2011-01-12T09:05:00.000-08:00

Once again, The Washington Post has published the winning submissions to its yearly neologism contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.. The winners are:

1. Coffee (n.), the person upon whom one coughs.

2. Flabbergasted (adj.), appalled over how much weight you have gained.

3. Abdicate (v.), to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

4. Esplanade (v.), to attempt an explanation while drunk.

5. Willy-nilly (adj.), impotent.

6. Negligent (adj.), describes a condition in which you absentmindedly answer the door in your nightgown.

7. Lymph (v.), to walk with a lisp.

8. Gargoyle (n.), olive-flavored mouthwash.

9. Flatulance (n.) emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.

10. Balderdash (n.), a rapidly receding hairline.

11. Testicle (n.), a humorous question on an exam.

12. Rectitude (n.), the formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.

13. Pokemon (n), a Rastafarian proctologist.

14. Oyster (n.), a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.

15. Frisbeetarianism (n.), (back by popular demand): The belief that when you die, your Soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

16. Circumvent (n.), an opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men..

The Washington Post's Style Invitational also asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are this year's winners:

1. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

2. Foreploy (v): Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

3. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.

4. Giraffiti (n): Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

5. Sarchasm (n): The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

6. Inoculatte (v): To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

7. Hipatitis (n): Terminal coolness.

8. Osteopornosis (n): A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

9. Karmageddon (n): its like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

10. Decafalon (n..): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

11. Glibido (v): All talk and no action.

12. Dopeler effect (n): The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

13. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

14. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

15. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a grub in the fruit you're eating.

PLOTTING A BOOK IS LIKE PLANTING A GARDEN

2011-01-10T15:31:00.000-08:00

Huh?

I’m serious. Before you begin a story—I mean a garden—you must have a setting. This means the property on which the garden will be planted. The soil of this property must be carefully prepared. It must be cultivated and enriched with nutrients. I’ll add a building as a focal point. This—the property, building, and soil—make up the foundation upon which your story (oops, garden) will grow and flourish.

For my setting I’ve chosen a Montana mountain range. My building is a two-room log cabin with one room in back of the other. A roofed porch runs the length of the building out front, and fireplaces flank each side of the cabin, like bookends. The entrance, a strong plank door, stands a third of the way over from the left side of the house. To the right is a window overlooking the garden I’m about to create.

Next I need a second focal point (protagonist/heroine) for the landscaping. For this, I’ll plant a lovely Quaking Aspen tree near the left corner of the house to lend color, shape, texture and style to the picture with its slender, swaying branches and quaking, clattering leaves. But the tree looks lonely, slightly vulnerable. I’ll add a large, strong Noble Fir (hero) just behind and a little to the side to shelter and protect the quakie, add contrast and spice. Beneath the quakie I’ll put a Red-osier Dogwood (the heroine’s child), creating a small family grouping. This is part of creating the background of a story.

At the far side of the house I’ll plant a Hemlock (a bit of competition for the spruce). For added texture and movement, I’ll tie some feathers to the branches to flutter in the wind, almost in answer to the quaking of the aspen leaves. Around the sides and rear of the house are more aspen, fir and spruce trees, scrub oak, and dogwood. In the shade provided by all this growth, I’ll plant thimbleberries, deer brush, elderberry, serviceberry, mountain-mahogany and squawbush. For groundcover I’ll add kinnikinnick, Oregon grape, and ferns. Of course there’ll be lichened rocks in various sizes for texture, contrast, and shape. Down along the creek will be willows, monkeyflower, marsh marigolds, twisted stalk orchids, and shooting star. All these are my minor characters.

Now for a more delicate touch, I’ll plant scattered beds of columbine, violets, Western trillium, Richardson’s geranium, vase flower, paintbrush, Calypso fairy slippers, larkspur, mountain bluebell, and penstemon. These are the many small actions, twists, and turns found in every story. Er, I mean garden. Through all this winds a mossy, flagstone path, a theme to bind all the elements together.

But I’m missing something. Oh, yes, in every garden there has to be a snake, right? Mine’s a rattler, deadly if you aren’t careful, but harmless enough if you’re clever and wary as my protagonist will be.

So, I began with background and structure, populated my scene with characters—including a snake for conflict—created pathways, distractions, and obstacles to guide the viewer through the middle of my story, and finished with…

Wait! What is my finish?

Well, that is the storm of passions and problems that gradually envelops the mountain and my characters. The hero and heroine’s strengths and weaknesses are exposed. They battle the elements, each other, find common ground, and finally gain purchase in the damp soil which they share. Together they sink deep, entwined roots no villain can disrupt, and remain side by side forever.

Storm's Passion Mock Book Cover

2011-01-09T13:21:00.000-08:00

You all know how I love to create. Today I selected photos from my "character" photo collection, which I accumulated over the years from magazines and clothing catalogs, to represent my protagonists for my new book, tentatively entitled Storm's Passion. Finding photos to suit my image of my characters is fun and having specific images in my head of my hero and heroine always gives my writing a boost. So, with photos scanned into my computer, I bring up PSE 8 and proceed to play and create. This is what I came up with:

What do you think? The image of the Indian in the background represents Storm's Crow brother-in-law who does his best to give Brock some competition for "Storm's Passion".

Okay, I Cheated

2011-01-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

So I posted articles taken from another online source? So what? You learned from then, didn't you? Well, I hope so, because I have a good excuse for cheating on my blogs. I've been sick for a week with some sort of bug. Getting better though. I promise to post something more original next week.

RWA Encourages Members to Support Senate Bill

2011-01-08T15:13:00.000-08:00

RWA Encourages Members to Support Senate Bill Designed to Fight Piracy and Copyright Infringement

Senate Bill 3804 seeks to hold legally accountable all entities responsible for the dissemination and infringement of copyrighted materials on the Internet. RWA has recently been notified that the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the bill by a vote of 19 - 0. The legislation will now be put in front of the entire senate. Information will be posted in the RWA magazine, The RWR, as it becomes available.
RWA members interested in showing support for the legislation are encouraged to:
• Write your local newspaper
• Contact your senators
Members interested in reading the full text of the bill should go to: http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-s3804/text
Romance Writers of America is dedicated to advocating for authors in the fight against piracy of copyrighted materials. To that end, the association would like to provide members with information on Senate Bill 3804, commonly known as the “Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act”.

FYI: Christmas Gifts May Help E-Books Take Root

2011-01-08T14:52:00.000-08:00

Christmas Gifts May Help E-Books Take Root
by Julie Bosman
Published Dec 23, 2010, New York Times

     The publishing industry used to be afraid of e-books. In 2010 it embraced them.
     Publishers expanded their digital divisions, experimented with video-enhanced e-books, worked on digitizing their older titles and made sure that new books were available simultaneously in e-book and hardcover editions. Now, having laid the tracks for digital growth, they are waiting to see what their efforts will bring in 2011.
    E-books now make up 9 to 10% of trade-book sales, a rate that grew hugely this year, after accounting for less than half that percentage by the end of last year. Publishers are predicting that digital sales will be 50 percent higher or even double in 2011 what they were in 2010. January could be the biggest month ever for e-book sales, as possibly hundreds of thousands of people are expected to download books on the e-readers that they receive as Christmas gifts. The anticipation of that jump in sales, and a feeling that the recession may have loosened its grip, has dissipated some of the death-of-print malaise that has lingered in the book publishing industry for years — and helped soften the blow of a significant drop in hardcover sales this year.
     “There’s definitely less doom and gloom,” said Peter Ginna, the publisher and editorial director for Bloomsbury Press, an imprint of Bloomsbury USA. “Most of us publishers have seen big gains from electronic books this year. We’ve seen some tailing off of the print sales, but for most companies, the growth of e-books has been so great that there’s a lot of revenue coming from that side... So we’re all feeling pretty good.”
     In a year-end letter to employees Markus Dohle, chairman and chief executive of Random House, cited the company’s growth in e-book sales among its “remarkable accomplishments.”
     “For some of our U.S. fall publication titles, nearly half of the overall first-week sales have been in the e-book format,” Mr. Dohle wrote. “Led by this upsurge, our worldwide digital sales for 2010 are projected to grow by 250 percent over 2009’s.” For example, David Drake, Spokesperson for Crown Publishing Group, reports that George W. Bush's memoir, “Decision Points,” has sold more than 1.8 million hardcover copies and 200,000 e-books since it was published last month.
     David Shanks, the chief executive of Penguin Group USA, said when e-books first began to take off two years ago, “the state of publishing at the time was getting rather grim.” In 2010 “the picture is dramatically better. For the first time in a long time, there are many more places for people to buy books. Some of the limitations of the great brick-and-mortar bookstore is that they only have space to display X amount of books. Now if you find an author you love, you can find all of their books immediately at your fingertips.”
     Last year the e-book marketplace was overwhelmingly dominated by Amazon and its Kindle device. Since then, competitors like Barnes & Noble, Apple and Google have jumped in. But even with widespread access to e-books, publishers have not yet figured out how to sell them more effectively to consumers. Debut fiction and so-called midlist titles — books that are not large commercial successes — are particularly tough sells in digital form, said Peter Hildick-Smith, president of the Codex Group, a book market research company. “You can have all the availability in the world, but if people don’t know the book exists, it doesn’t matter,” Mr. Hildick-Smith said.
     A look at the Kindle best-seller list on Amazon shows it is typically stocked with titles also on the print best-seller list. Early next year The New York Times will begin publishing e-book best-seller lists in its book review section.
     “We’ve certainly learned the technology of creating e-books and distributing them,” said Laurence J. Kirshbaum, a literary agent. “But the marketing side is still the Wild West. There’s a lot of digital availability now, but we still haven’t turned the key and opened the lock on how to sell e-books. Digital books have at least put publishing back into a sense of momentum. I think we’re going to come out of Christmas stronger than we did a year ago.”
     Some surveys have indicated that people who purchase e-reading devices subsequently increase the number of books they buy. And the tastes of e-book buyers has broadened, said David Young, the chief executive of the Hachette Book Group. Nonfiction books like “Life,” the Keith Richards memoir, and “Cleopatra,” a biography by Stacy Schiff, have sold rapidly in digital form. “I’m excited by the fact that we’re seeing quality nonfiction selling through in e-books,” Mr. Young said. “Clearly there are buyers of all persuasions now in that market. That’s really good news.”
     Even as the spread of e-reading could expand the universe of book buyers, hardcover sales have suffered — perhaps in part cannibalized by the e-book sales. According to the Association of American Publishers, adult hardcover sales were down nearly 8% in the first 10 months of 2010, compared to the same period in 2009. Since e-books are typically closer in price to a paperback edition than a hardcover (Amazon now sells a hardcover edition of a new Stephen King novel for $14.64, but $12.99 for e-book version), they could eat away at profits in the long run.
     And there remain urgent concerns about the health of the brick-and-mortar retail environment. Many independent booksellers around the country are still struggling in the face of Amazon, big-box retail rivals and e-books. Borders, the chain bookseller, has suffered from declining sales and a dismal earnings report in early December sent alarm through the industry.
     “My #1 concern is the survival of the physical bookstore,” said Carolyn Reidy, chief executive of Simon & Schuster. “We need that physical environment, because it’s still the place of discovery. People need to see books that they didn’t know they wanted.”
     Mr. Shanks of Penguin said that even as his company builds its digital business, he is still focused on old-fashioned print publishing. “People are so caught up in e, e, e,” he said, using the industry shorthand for e-books. “But no company can afford to look askance at 90 percent of its revenues.”

Quote for the Day

2011-01-03T14:35:00.000-08:00

Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains un-awakened.

New Book Begun

2011-01-03T13:42:00.000-08:00

    Today is a banner day.
    It's often difficult to begin a new book once you've finished one you've worked on for some time. But today, I broke through that block and started a new western historical romance. For now I'm calling it Storm's Passion, but that will likely change before I'm done.
     Storm McCree was stolen from her parent's home at the age of thirteen by a Sioux raiding party. Before they reached their village, they were attacked by Crow warriors who took Storm from them. Years later, after a whiteman's illness kills her husband, Storm and her daughter reluctantly return to her father's home. But what awaits her there is rejection and intolerance. Even some of her family are hesitant about accepting a "squaw" and half-breed child among them.
   Now, Storm has returned to the beautiful country of her adopted people, the Crow. With the help of her daughter and Crow brother-in-law, she manages to put up a crude cabin on the land she intends to homestead. But even here, she is not entirely welcome. Harmon Rigsby sees her as a squatter on what he considers part of his ranch and will stop at nothing to see her gone. Just when it appears Rigsby may get his way, Brock Hollister rides into Storm Valley straight--out of the morning sun--with a bullet in his shoulder and a broken leg.
    Storm takes Brock in and tends his wounds, though he isn't too happy about having to lodge with a white squaw and half-breed child. He's just spent eighteen months tracking down and killing most of the renegades who'd killed his wife and son.
    Can Brock open his wounded heart to Storm and her daughter and give them the love and acceptance they crave? Can Storm learn to trust again enough to give herself to another man?
     Won't it be interesting to see how this story unfolds? It will be to me. All the pre-plotting in the world can't prevent characters in a story from turning matters the direction they want them to go. At least that's how it's always been for me. What about you? Anyone else have this predicament with their characters?

New Year Resolution

2010-12-31T15:48:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, everyone. My wish for 2011 is that all of us enjoy better health, much love, and prosperity. As for a resolution, I intend to become more organized (did I say that last year?), and get a new book in the works, maybe even finish it. Who knows?

What's your new year's resolution? Waste of time, you say? You may be right, but I believe it's good to set goals for ourselves. It gets us moving, acting, producing, whatever it is we want to do. And that can't be bad.

So have a glass of champagne, or wine, or nonalcoholic cider, whatever is your preference, on me and remember all the good things about 2010. Set some goals for 2011 and celebrate the turning of a new year. I, myself, will be at home as usual, doing needlepoint, watching TV, or maybe reading. But I've done plenty of celebrating in the past and feel no need to be out and about on a night as cold as this one is predicted to be (a low of 6 degrees in Salt Lake City), with a bunch of inebriated drivers trying to maneuver snowy roads. If I'm still awake at midnight I'll lift my glass to each and every one of you and hope you're having a great time. And that you have an even better new year.

Nineteenth Century Gambling

2010-12-31T15:11:00.000-08:00

     Since the book I finished recently is about a woman who deals faro for a living, I needed to do some research on nineteenth century gambling. Thanks to movies, most people believe poker was the game of the day, but it was actually faro, partly because back then they hadn't figured out yet how to cheat at the game and the players (called punters) had about as much chance of winning as the dealer did. The chips used were called checks or markers and might be oblong or round. Chips varied in value from "two bits" (25 cents) to $5, the most common being "four bits" (50 cents) or a dollar. A green cloth or board with a faro layout painted on it was placed on a table. Players placed chips on the picture of the card on which they desired to bet. The dealer then drew a card from a spring-box (the first card was called the Soda, the last, "in hock") and players betting on that card won. An assistant kept track of the cards played with an abacus type contraption. This is a simplified description of the way the game was played. There was actually more to the process.
     By the end of the century, dealers had learned how to weigh the odds in their favor. Cheating became so prevalent in the U.S. that American editions of Hoyle's Rules began their faro section with a warning that an honest faro bank could no longer be found. That's not to say dealers were the only ones cheating. New types of spring boxes were invented for cheating. One, called a "tell" box, conveniently indicated to the dealer but not the players what cards were coming up. That allowed the dealer or an accomplice to discreetly shift a player's bet off the winning card before it was drawn. Using another type (a "seconds" or "skin" box), the dealer could put two cards through the box at a time. Such "gaffed" dealing boxes are prized collectibles today. But players had their own methods for hedging their bets, such as sleight of hand and devices such as the "horsehair copper" or "silk (thread) copper" which was a simple tool for drawing the copper marker from a bet if that card was not pulled.
     By the time the moving picture era came along, poker had become popular and movie producers had little understanding of the proper way to play faro. Movies such as The Shootist, staring John Wayne and showing faro being played typically got the game wrong. Later westerns--Tombstone, with Wyatt Earp played by Kurt Russell, and Wyatt Earp with Kevin Costner playing Earp--didn't do much better.
     Many sources believe faro originated in France in the early 18th Century as a revised form of the popular British pub game, basset, which goes back to the game of landsquenet, played by Teutonic foot soldiers in the 1400s. The term "bucking the tiger"--used to describe the playing of faro--may have come from the depiction of Bengal tigers on the backs of early card (called pasteboards). "Twisting the tiger's tail" is another euphemism for playing faro.

The popular saloon poker game of the time was actually brag (a 3-card game that became 5-card brag). This later evolved into 5-card draw poker. Draw ("bluff" or "bluff poker") was actually a rarity on the frontier until the late 1870s. The poker game you assume you're seeing in images and paintings from the era is actually brag. Other card games played were Beat the Dealer, Under & Over, Chuck-a-Luck, Grand Hazard (not to be confused with Hazard), and Craps.
Here are a few gambling terms from the period:
gut puller - a faro dealer, likely because pulling cards from the dealer's box suggests the act of gutting a crayfish or other crustacean.
big natural - in dice, a throw of eleven.
bet the top - to make a bet of the same number of chips or amount of money as the pot holds.
ice - a gambler's term for a stacked deck (also "cold deck").
redskin - a gambler's term for a court card.
skin the deck - to palm cards from the deck.
velvet - the banker's money.
bullet - an ace.
brace game - crooked faro game.
drive the hearse - in faro, to keep a record of the cards played.
colors - in faro, a system of betting by which the player bets all black cards to win and all red cards to lose, or vice versa.
close to the belly - in stud poker, cautious play in which the player bets only on a wired pair or when he has the best had showing.
cathop - in faro, the last turn if the dealing box contains a pair and a case card. Two cards of the same denomination in the last turn are called a cat.
California prayer book - a gambler's name for a deck of cards.
hangman's turn - in faro, a jack and king showing in one turn.
glass work - cheating with a mirror.
from soda to hock - from beginning to end, or the whole thing (from faro).
fee bee - in dice, five as a point.
stuck - a gambler who has gone broke trying to "beat the tiger" (play faro).
plumbing the bones - what the gambler calls loading dice.

Russian Versions Now in Paperback

2010-12-29T13:59:00.000-08:00

Kensington Books gave me a lovely Christmas surprise---an unexpected box of new books. No, not books that haven't been published before. These are my books, Forever Mine, Tender Touch, and Taming Jenna, which were sold to a Russian publisher and released there in that language in hardback. Now they have been released in paperback. These are the new covers. Blue is Taming Jenna, green is Tender Touch, and red is Forever Mine. Very exciting.

Similarities Between Researching a Trip & Researching a Book

2010-12-08T13:26:00.000-08:00

A friend suggested I blog on this subject, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that there are similarities between researching for a trip you plan to take yourself and researching a trip your characters need to take in a story. What route to take. What method to get there, air, road, train... well, naturally, if you're researching a historical, you won't need to check air fares. But you do need to know the mileage between locations and the best routes to get there. The season could also be important.
Travel certainly is more expensive these days.

Sample Costs, 1872

Fare by railroad from Chicago to San Francisco, $218

Return (San Francisco to Chicago), $118

To Salt Lake City and back, $6

To Yosemite, and back, $38

For sleeping cars, about $3 a day

Hotel accommodations, $3.50 per day; for horses and guides on the Yosemite, $5 per day; for meals on the railroad, $2 per day.

To see Lake Tahoe, Donner Lake, and Virginia City, an additional $20.

(from Charles Nordhoff, California, How To Get There, 1872).

Of course, traveling to Europe is a different story. Today, a trip to Ireland would run $1,500-2,500 for air fare per person, plus luggage charges. By 1840, several shipping lines operated between America and Europe providing accommodation for three classes of passengers. Steerage, such as Irish immigrants took on clipper ships to reach America, housed from 800 to 1,000, and the amenities were zilch. The Britannia carried ninety cabin passengers on her maiden voyage to Boston in 1840. Including a detour to Halifax and a 12-hour delay there, the journey took 14 days, 8 hours. Passengers had the run of the ship, but accommodations were little, if any, better than on clipper ships. No smoking-rooms, libraries, sitting-rooms, electric lights, or toilets. And no baths, unless you showed up, dressed appropriately, on deck when it was being washing in early morning, at which time the boatswain or his mate would vigorously hose you down. The rooms had just enough room for a stool between the two-feet-wide berth and the wallmere closets. Each contained two berths, one above the other. The Great Western advertised private rooms at a cost of slightly less than double fare.

To get back to railroad travel, transcontinental trips across America became possible in 1869 when the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific railroads met at Promontory Summit, Utah. Those who could afford it might sleep in a Pullman, tucked between fresh sheets on berths that folded by day into shelves or transformed into easy chairs and sofas. Most people traveled in bare-bones emigrant cars, sleeping on hard seats wherever they could find room among other passengers. Dining cars were available only to Omaha. Beyond that, traveling west, even the more well-to-do traveler had to provide his own fare or disembark at stations along the way where--if they were lucky--they might get hot soup, broiled trout and fresh vegetables. Or they might get boiled beef, salt beef, roast beef or bacon. Along the Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe line they could eat at restaurants established by Fred Harvey, served by his favorite Harvey Girls.
If railroad travel was beyond your budget, or unavailable, you either took a wooden Concord stage, rode horseback, or went by Shank's pony. A coach housed nine passengers inside, with an extra seat next to the driver up top, if he didn't have a shotgun rider along. The fare averaged about five cents a mile. Mark Twain in Roughing It described the Concord stage as a "cradle on wheels". In coaches with three benches, as was common, passengers had 15" of space, and their knees dovetailed with those opposite them. Along with the misery of being jolted about in such tight quarters, constantly breathing dust raised by wheels, and putting up with companions who might be uncouth and unclean, there was the frequent danger of being robbed or attacked by Indians. On an early line traveling through New Mexico Territory, passengers were advised to carry a Sharps rifle with 100 rounds, a Colt revolver, two pounds of lead, and a knife.

As for Shank's pony, well, that of course was your feet, which is exactly how thousands of people made it from the east to the west in the "good old days". Even on a wagon train, people rarely actually rode on a wagon unless they were ill or a small child. Drivers walked alongside the oxen, whip in hand. But we'll get more deeply into this subject in a separate article on The Oregon Trail, and later, I'll write about the use of horses in the American West.
There are plenty of books for researching travel in the nineteenth century. Some of my favorites are the Time-Life series, The Old West, The Wild West on 5 Bits a Day, by Joan Tapper, The Look of the Old West, by Foster-Harris, The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in the 1800s, by Marc McCutcheon, The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in the Wild West, by Candy Moulton, Home on The Range, by Cathy Luchetti, Bacon, Beans and Galantines, by Joseph R. Conlin, and many, many more.

A Bad Girl

2010-12-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

That's me, a very bad girl. Lazy. Not one post yet for December, let alone the end of November. I have no excuse really, although I'll admit I simply haven't thought of anything to blog about. Most of my time lately has been given over to research for the trip I'm planning for this summer. I'm taking my granddaughter to Ireland and Scotland, and her mom is coming along. It should be fabulous, but it takes a lot of planning. I'm thinking of flying into Shannon Airport, spending a couple of days on the coast. Maybe show my granddaughter Bunratty Castle and the Cliffs of Moher. Then we'll head toward Dublin, stopping along the way to spend a few days with my friend Kem Shortland. Next we'll take a train tour up to Belfast and the Giant's Causeway (thanks, Kem, for keeping me straight on names). From there, we may take the ferry to Stranrear, Scotland, get a car and drive to Edinburgh, stopping to see some great sights along the way, like Melrose Abbey and Abbotsford House, the home of Sir Walter Scott. Once we reach Edinburgh, we'll explore the city and make a few side trips to places like Sterling Castle, maybe take a three-day tour to Eilean Donan Castle. I love that place. So romantic. Ok, I'd better get back to work now.

Quote of the Day

2010-11-21T09:09:00.001-08:00

A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.
--- Thomas Mann

Amazing but Terrifying Photo

2010-11-11T09:29:00.000-08:00

Here is what the man who bagged this elk had to say about his photo. Please excuse the language:

"This is freaking scary. As you know I was alone when I downed this elk in ND. I was using my camera’s timer attached to my shooting stick to give me enough time to get into the picture. I knew there were a lot of cats in the area but had no idea they would come in this close to people. He had to be within 10 feet of me and I didn’t even know it. I about crapped my pants when I looked at the pictures the next morning and saw he was there."

Native American Medicines

2010-11-07T17:28:00.000-08:00

Pasque flower (gogeda'djibug) - dry & pulverize leaves to sniff as a headache cure.
Dogbane (ma'kwona'gle obji'blk)- very weak decoction of root taken internally for colds in an infant.
Goldenrod (gi'ziso'mucki'ki)- decoction made from 1 root & a quart of water, taken internally for lung hemmorhage or pain.
Wild onion (muckode'cigaga'wunj) - decoction, sweetened, taken internally for cold in a child.
Ladyslipper (ago'bisowin)- dry & powder root, moisten, put on decayed tooth.
Wild ginger (name'pin) - grind and add to food of person suffering indigestion.
Bush honeysuckle (ande'gopin) - decoction of leaves taken internally for stomach pain.
Cow parsnip (bi'bigwe'wunuck)- decoction of root to gargle, or dry & chew for sore throat.
Wild geranium (be'cigodji'biguk)- dry & power root, put in mouth for mouth pain, used especially for children.
Aspen (asda'di)- steep root in 1 qt. water, drink hourly to stem excessive menstral flow or prevent premature birth. Bark used for cuts.
Goldenrod (odji'bikens) - steep root 1 pint water, take in 3 doses about 2 hours apart for difficult labor, back pain, lung trouble, sprain and remedies for the hair.
Balsam fir (a'ninandak')- decoction of root, sprinkle on hot stones to steam rheumatic joints. Also for headache.
Wormwood (muse'odji'blk) - boil entire top of plant, use as warm compress for sprain or strained muscles.
Yellow dock (ginoje'wukun)- grind root to make into a poultice to cure swelling.
Sage (bi'jikiwin'guck)- dry, crumble & put leaves on hot stone to create fumes for disinfectant.
Dogwood (muj'omlj) - scrape & steep root, let cool, strain well, for bathing a sore eye.
Twisted stalk (agwin'gunsibug)- steep root for poultice to cure sty.
Mugwort (jin'gwakwan'dug)- fresh or dried flowers and leaves chewed and used in a poultice for a wound.
Wild lettuce (odjiel'gomin)- gather white liquid that oozes out when stalk broken, rub on unwanted wart.

More Cowboy Lingo

2010-11-07T16:21:00.000-08:00

all horns and rattles - said of someone displaying a fit of temper. A man in this mood, as one cowboy said "maybe don't say nothing', but it ain't safe to ask questions."
airin' the paunch - vomiting.
air tights - canned goods.
Arizona tenor - A coughing tubercular.
barkin' at a knot - trying to accomplish the impossible, "like tryin' to scratch your ear with your elbow."
bean master - cook. Also dough-belly, dough roller, cookie, grease ball, grub spoiler, hasher, pot walloper.
beef plumb to the hocks - said of a fat or heavy person.
belly wash - weak coffee.
between hay and grass - between winter and spring. Also difficult times, and between boyhood and manhood.
bone orchard - cemetery. Aso bone yard, boot hill, grave patch and still lot.
chew it finer - a request for a simpler explanation.
never got past the flyleaf of a primer - uneducated.
clothesline - cowboy's rope.
cow grease - butter.
curl his tail - to get a man or an animal on the run.
curly wolf - tough character.
doughgods - biscuits.
flag his kite - leave in a hurry. Also "to jump up dust."
flat-heeled puncher - amateur cowboy or a farmer turned cowboy.
gelding smacker - saddle.
gravel in his gizzard - said of a brave man. Also "gritty as fish eggs rolled in sand."
kack biscuit - saddle sore.
more lip than a muley cow - someone who talks too much.
mountain canary - burro.
mud hook - a foot.

Fable of the Porcupine

2010-11-07T15:44:00.000-08:00

Fable of the porcupine

It was the coldest winter ever. Many animals died because of the cold. The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together. This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions even though they gave off heat to each other. After awhile they decided to distance themselves one from the other and they began to die, alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth. Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. This way they learned to live with the little wounds that were caused by the close relationship with their companion, but the most important part of it, was the heat that came from the others. This way they were able to survive.

Moral of the story:The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people, but the best is when each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others and can admire the other person's good qualities.

Joke of the Day

2010-11-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

The Mayonaise Jar

2010-10-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

The Mayonnaise Jar
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough, remember this story of the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and started to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else -- The small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, You will never have room for the things that are important to you.

So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.

'Take care of the golf balls first --
The things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. 'I'm glad you asked'.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

The Power of Advertising

2010-10-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

Autumn is Definitely Here

2010-10-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

Autumn is here but I greatly fear that winter isn't far off. Rain in the valley yesterday, but there's new snow on the mountains. It's raining today, too, so there'll be more snow in the high elevations. I love the rain, but pity the women and children with their hunter-husbands and fathers up on the mountains. I sure wouldn't want to be up there in that mess. I had hoped to go for one more ride to see the fall colors before the rain and snow knocks all the leaves off the trees, but no such luck. At least I got a few nice pictures on our previous ride, which I have scrapbooked, of course.

Writing Description That Moves

2010-10-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

In the days of Jane Austen, readers loved long, descriptive passages that read like a travelogue. They lived isolated lives for the most part, in small rural towns and isolated farms. There was no television and what few books were available, and affordable, were not lavishly illustrated, and rarely in color. No coffee-table books with page after page of photographs to show what the world was like. So readers enjoyed reading about what the countryside in France, Italy, or Spain looked like, how the sky and the hills and the trees compared to their own. Today, readers become quickly impatient with such lengthy descriptions.

What? You still need to give some description? Well, certainly, but do it right. Give it motion.

There are two ways to do this. The simplest is to use active verbs and create images of movement. The second way is to scatter the description throughout the scene to provide some action.

For an example, I searched through my own WIP. The first, rough draft version of the scene I chose went like this:

The mare Maisy rode was a palomino called Honeybee that Coyote had saddled for her. The weather had warmed after the past week's storm, but was still cool. The air was clear. She could see the Oquirrh and Stansbury Mountain ranges. There were few clouds. It was pleasant, after the miserable, cold wet weather they'd been having. Today was the first chance she'd had in a week to leave the ranch and go riding and she was excited, mostly because of where she was going.

A ridge rose up where Eagle Creek emerged from the Stansbury foothills, telling her she'd soon be at her dream house.

Here's the final version:

The air had a definite snap to it as Maisy gently bounced along on the back of a palomino mare called Honeybee which Coyote had saddled for her. The weather had warmed after the past week's storm, but remained cool. The sky was so clear she could see every rift and riffle of the Oquirrh and Stansbury Mountain ranges. Few clouds marred the azure expanse overhead. It was heavenly, after the miserable, cold wet weather they'd been having. Today was her first chance in a week to leave the ranch and go riding.Excitement shimmied in her veins, due more to her destination than the freedom of being outdoors. She forced herself to ride at a sedate pace and enjoy the day.

Where Eagle Creek emerged from the Stansbury foothills, she spotted the jagged ridge that jutted up from the earth, as if an angry giant had slammed his broken-toothed blade deep in the mud and left it there to petrify. The image always made her smile.

Soon she'd be at her dream house.

See how a bit of forward motion helps the action flow? Here's another example, showing how sprinkling action and dialogue throughout a scene can bring it to life and give it forward motion. Again, this is from my current WIP, which I call Divine Gamble.

Nothing had changed inside the house since her last visit. A fireplace occupied one side of the main room, a battered old iron cook stove the other side. Shelves lined the walls above a metal sink furnished with a pump. A round table and chairs took up the center of the room and a settee with a side table and reading lamp faced the hearth. Upstairs, in one of the two smaller rooms, she pictured yellow roses on the walls, lace curtains, a yellow rag rug, and a cradle.

And here is the rewrite, adding characters, dialogue and motion to give it more action:

She sensed Brose behind her as she entered the house.
"Have you always been a faro dealer?” he asked.

Nothing had changed since her last visit. A fireplace occupied one side of the main room, a battered old iron cook stove the other. “It’s the only way I’ve ever earned any money, if that’s what you’re asking,” was her terse answer.

Shelves lined the walls above a metal sink furnished with a pump. In her imagination a round table and chairs took up the center of the room and a settee with a side table and reading lamp faced the hearth. Moving to the narrow staircase she ascended to the second floor, painfully aware of him following her still, and the question marks evident in his eyes.

“When I was young, I performed on the stage with my parents’ theatrical troupe,” she said, answering that unvoiced question. “But I was never paid for that.”

In the smallest of the three rooms the floor held, she pictured yellow roses on the walls, lace curtains, a yellow rag rug, and a cradle.

            Brose frowned, reminded of her mother’s cruelty toward her the first time he’d seen her. Her life hadn't been easy. The way she touched things, a papered wall here, a glass knob there, led him to believe the place mattered to her. When she turned abruptly to a window, he realized with alarm that she was close to tears. It eroded away the last of his anger over her treatment of him after he’d saved her life. Studying the proud tilt of her head and the straight line of her slender back, he felt moved by her effort to hide her emotions. The woman had strengths he hadn’t suspected.
   Now let's play a "Put Description in Motion" game, provided by Gary Provost in his book, Make Every Word Count.
   I'll give you a list of environments and some of the details you can use for description. First, try first to make the descriptions move by using active verbs and making the things do something. Then try to make the description move before the reader's eyes by adding a character into the scene and revealing the objects through him.
1. A funeral home containing silence, a casket, and stained glass windows.
2. A poker game containing cigarettes, chips, and cards.
3. A library containing silence, books, and phonographs.
4. A hotel lobby containing puddles, a counter, and an elevator.
5. A house on Halloween containing recorded screams, candle glow, and spider webs.
6. A writer's study containing a computer, book shelves, and a cell phone.
7. An airport containing gift shops, a loudspeaker, and rows of seats.
    To give you a little guidance, I'll do the first one. I started by asking myself what the descriptive objects do. Silence can deafen or comfort. Caskets stand and can be opened or shut. Stained glass windows let in light, cast colored reflections, and display peaceful or holy images. To move my descriptive objects past the reader's eyes, I wrote "A deafening silence hovered over the still pine casket. Only the colorful reflections cast by the stained glass windows of Jesus overlooking the scene gave it any color or life." When I put a person into the scene it came out, "Her spiked heels sank into the thick carpeting that hid her approach to the open, pine casket. The silence screamed accusations in her head, magnifying her guilt for the years she'd let pass since her last visit. Inside the coffin, rainbow-hued sparkles from the stained glass windows freckled her father's sallow, wrinkled face, giving it unexpected and startling life and color."
    Okay, now you do the rest. Think of the descriptions as a motion picture instead of a photograph.

Caboodle Ranch

2010-10-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, I admit it, I love cats. When I was much younger, more idealistic and less realistic, I dreamed of having a big place where I could take in all the unwanted cats of the world. A man in Florida has done exactly that. Craig Grant didn't even like cats, until his son got one and Craig discovered how much personality each furry feline has. He began taking in cats and soon needed more room for them all, so he bought some acreage near Jacksonville, Florida, and opened a cat sanctuary he calls Caboodle Ranch.

The ranch is now home to dozens of animals. All are spayed and neutered. Craig seems to know all their names and love each and every one. Being unemployed, he depends on donations to feed and house his special brood, and to build the many playful and colorful cat houses his critters inhabit. One is a church, another a city hall. Craig lives in an over-sized shed.

"Cats should be able to roam free," he says, and that's exactly what they do at Caboodle Ranch.

Go to http://www.caboodleranch.org to learn more about Craig Grant and his cat sanctuary. Visitors are welcome there. The website has several small videos that allow you to experience this unique place. I applaud Craig and his wonderful crew of volunteers, and gladly took advantage of the opportunity the website provides for donating to his noble cause "Where cats aren't treated like animals."
Kudos to you Craig Grant..

Have You Found Your Voice?

2010-10-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

   Yesterday I read an article in the RWR Magazine regarding voice, what it is, and how to find it. It got me thinking about when I first started writing. I had no idea what I was doing then, I just sat down and wrote. I believe that first book (still in a box under my desk) was my natural voice. But then I suspect I lost it for a bit. I'd read Nora Roberts and think I want to write just like her. Then I'd read Lucia St. Clair and think I want to write just like her. You get the picture. Every author who impressed me spawned this desire in me to write like them. Of course, I couldn't, because I wasn't them. I was me, and I needed to write like me. Eventually, I rediscovered my own natural voice, although I didn't recognize it for a while as what people in the industry call "voice."
    What you say, and how you say it--that's voice. It's what makes you--and your writing style--you. Gender, education, life experiences, age, and environment, all play a part in how you speak and write. The unique voice--that is what publishers look for. You hear it at every conference, see it in numerous articles on writing.
    What if you don't have a unique voice?
    You may not, but that doesn't mean you can't find or develop one. Look inside yourself for what truly makes you You. Your speech patterns, favorite sayings or way of putting things. Often your natural voice comes out when telling an oral story. Get together with friends and have one of them record you as you tell a story. Make it a good story, the longer the better, to give your true voice a better chance of showing itself. Listen to the tape for the small nuances in voice and speech pattern that make up your style, One thing to keep in mind is that you can't force voice. It must be natural to work well.
    My husband likes to mime voices when he tells a story. That's his style, his voice. I have a friend who writes in a very formal but flowing, almost poetical style. She's well educated and speaks with perfect grammar. All this is reflected in her "voice." Another writer I know has a way of making you feel you're right there with her when you read her writing, as if you were sitting at the kitchen table chatting with her. She's young, laid back and open. This gives her a very immediate style that draws readers into her tale. That's her voice. Recently, a acquaintance was commenting on one of my blogs and the word "unsophisticated" came up. At first I was offended. Then I realized that yes, my style is unsophisticated. But it works well for what I write. There wasn't much about the Old West that was sophisticated. Even highly educated, upper class people who came west eventually relaxed and loosened up. They spoke what was on their minds, openly and without apology. I suspect that's one of the things that drew me to this sub-genre in the first place. I feel at home there. I wouldn't feel at home at a New York, high society bash, and I'm okay with that. It's part of what makes my "voice."
    How can you develop voice? Read, read, read. Lots of variety. Write, write, write. Don't think of how other authors write, just let the words flow out of your deepest being. To heck with style and the do's and don'ts you hear and read about, regarding how to write. Just write. Live, live, live. Travel, get out in the world, expose yourself to as many life styles and experiences as you can. Make a list of all the things about you that make up your personal landscape, what you care about, what rouses your passions, what frightens you, what inspires you. All these things are reflected in your personal voice, making it richer and more unique.
Donald Maass says, "To set your voice free, set your words free. Set your characters free. Most important, set your heart free."

Is This a Fantastic Library or What?

2010-10-19T10:41:00.001-07:00

I would love to visit this library in Kansas City. How much more appropriate could you get?

Amazing Flowers

2010-10-15T11:58:00.000-07:00

Look closely at these "blossoms," they're very unique. Do you see what I mean? They're very "personable."

Autumn is Here

2010-10-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

Autumn is here, and to be perfectly honest, I'm glad. I love seeing the yard come to life each spring. Each morning I go out to see what new has popped up out of the ground, what survived the winter and what didn't. But then summer comes, and with it the heat. Heat and I do not do well together. Yes, it's lovely not to have to wear coats to go out, or snow boots. I certainly enjoy not having to worry about driving in snow (something I simply no longer do). Traveling is fantastic, too. For my husband that means camping. I enjoy that, but even more, I love to travel to new places and see new sights. Next summer I'm scheduled to take my granddaughter Lexi (she'll be 13), to Scotland, accompanied by her mom. I took her brother Cody to Ireland and Wales when he was 15. Now it's Lexi's turn. Should be fun. And I truly do love Scotland, especially those charming Scotsmen.
But now it's autumn. My husband and I took a ride the other day into the mountains to see the colors, which were stunning. I love the fact that it's growing cooler. But mostly I like knowing life will be a little less hectic. There'll be more time to write and no feeling guilty for not being outdoors weeding. What a blessing that is. I will miss the flowers, of course, when winter hits. And fresh tomatoes and corn on the cob. Still, am I truly insane for being glad fall has arrived? Maybe, if we're lucky, it will be a long one.

Secret Lake, Big Cottonwood Canyon

Speaking of Lexi, here's her new school picture. Gorgeous, isn't she?

The History of the American West Saloon

2010-10-04T12:52:00.000-07:00

Man's use of alcoholic beverages can actually be traced to the dawn of recorded history. Fermentation methods for various grains and vegetables is a very ancient knowledge. Genesis IX: 20,21 reads:

And Noah began to be a husbandman,

and he planted a vineyard;

And he drank of the wine,

and was drunken and he was uncovered within his tent.

Alcohol consumption was common in 19th Century America. Wine, spirits and fiery punches were acceptable and even expected on most supper tables. This may be a carry-over from our European heritage, where local water supplies were unfit for human consumption. For three centuries, even in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607, saloons have flourished in America.

Rum making began about 1700, with the use of molasses from the West Indies. Poor people made beer out of molasses and bran, persimmons, potatoes, corn stalks, pumpkins or any other vegetables that could be fermented. Farmers in New England made sassafras, spruce or birch beer, and hard cider. The terms "tavern" and "ordinary" were used in Colonial America for drinking establishments. Glasses and steins were often numbered to connote their 6 to 18-ounce sizes. A glass of beer sold for a nickel. Twelve-quart bottles with a take-home basket sold for a dollar. Rye whiskey was preferred in Eastern saloons, bourbon in the West and South. Both were considered effective in warding off effeminacy.

The bar usually ran along the wall of the saloon's longest dimension, usually on the left side. Many were made of dark hardwood, some ornately hand-carved from oak or mahogany, occasionally walnut. Behind the bar and in back of the shelves of bottles, most saloons had a large plate-glass mirror. Slot machines could often be found in a corner. Gambling equipment dominated the floor space. Generally, there was at least one back door and several side doors. Adjacent to one of the rear exits was the "bull pen," a fenced-in area where drunks were tossed by bouncers for sobering up. Floors were usually puncheon and covered with sawdust to catch drips, plus any gold dust falling from a miner's poke. Small boys were hired to pan out the gold from the sawdust once a week. By running his hand through his hair after pinching out gold dust, barmen could recover a tidy sum simply by shampooing. Swinging doors date back to early days. They provided easy passage for unsteady customers, screened the activities inside from passerby's on the boardwalk, while at the same time, allowing for alluring glimpses inside by means of the open space above and below. Some saloons had special side doors to private rooms where ladies could be served unseen.

All sorts of entertainments were provided in saloons to entice customers inside. Keno, roulette, klondike, faro, blackjack and poker outnumbered all other games of chance. But betting was popular no matter what was being bet upon: footraces, frog races, wrestling matches, bare-knuckle boxing, etc. Music and dancing also brought in clientele. The piano was most common, but there were also bands, Mexican guitarists, Ethiopian serenaders, plays, comedians, and female singers and dancers performing on a stage. Other entertainments were cock and dog fighting. One saloon offered fights between bulldogs and wildcats. And, of course there were the "cribs" out back where men could be "entertained" by women. Often bars and brothels were combined in the same building and run by a husband and wife. The husband tended the bar and his wife acted as the madam.

The name "Hurdy-Gurdy Girl" was a misnomer. Hurdy-gurdies were street pianos played by turning a crank, often with a monkey attached by a chain who passed a tin cup among the crowd. Saloons called hurdy-gurdies combined the bar and a dime-a-dance hall, but without gambling. Rather than collecting a dance fee, dancers were expected to buy themselves and the "lady" a drink after each toe-crushing turn around the floor. His was usually red eye at a dollar a glass. Hers was more likely cold tea or coffee, which cost the same. In some, a man bought a metal token before the dance and redeemed it at the bar for drinks later. The "boss hurdy" frequently imported his girls from Europe, bound as indentured servants (illegally). In larger saloons, traveling theatrical or variety groups were hired to entertain on elaborate stages. Indoor winter activities in large saloons sometimes included bowling and shuffleboard.

Where hard money was rare, it was common for saloons to mint their own tokens to be given out as small change. Some were worth only a penny. The custom upon entering a saloon was to lay a two-bit piece (25 cents) on the bar, which bought two beers. If the customer could only drink one, change was required amounting to 12-1/2 cents, and so a token was given. Earliest of all the saloon era tokens were those worth a mere 2-1/2 cents. Tokens were called merchant's money, hard-times tokens, seco, trade checks or trade tokens, and were also issued by livery stables, card rooms, lumber camps, restaurants, cigar stores, dancehalls, poolhalls, trading posts, sutlers, prisons, company mining camps, and other businesses. Saloons used a variety of token called bar chit, beer chip or check for a short beer. These tokens came in all shapes and sizes, some with holes bored in the center. Materials included wood, copper, nickel, brass, zinc, aluminum, German or Mexican silver, alloys, tin, bronze and lead. Each bore the name of the saloon, often the address, and a message such as "Good for a glass of beer," "Good for 5 cents at the bar," and "Good for one shot of Red Eye." The short-beer check was known as a "bit" token, and the term "two bits" became popular for 25-cent pieces. A shot of whiskey cost 15 cents or two drinks for 25-cents. Tokens were also issued for partaking of the "free" lunch common at many saloons. Tokens were the trading stamps of the day and also functioned as advertising media, souvenirs, house checks, patriotic items, and gifts. Eventually they became collectibles, today worth hundreds of dollars. I'd love to own a few myself.

Cowboy Lingo

2010-10-04T10:18:00.000-07:00

I love to use cowboy lingo in my western stories. It adds flavor and authenticity. Much of the lingo began in Texas and the Southwest, but was brought north with the trail herds. The following hardware terms came from Western Words, by Ramon F. Adams. Note: Adams often used "pistol" when what he meant was a revolver (six-gun).

Belly gun = a gun carried in a man's waistband.
Big fifty = .50 caliber Sharps buffalo rifle.
Blue whistler = a bullet.
Buscadero belt = gun belt 4-6" wide with slotted flap on each hip for holding a six-gun.
Cowboy change = in the early West paper money was virtually unknown, gold and silver coins being most commonly used. If someone needed change for a fifty-cent piece--the smallest coin available--cartridges were used.
Cowboy terms for a six-gun: one-eyed scribe, lead pusher, lead chucker, iron, black-eyed Susan, blue lightning, dewey, equalizer, smoke pole, smoke wagon, talking iron,
Credit = notch carved in a gun grip for each killing.
Cutter = pistol used in cutting cattle out of a herd.
Dewey = six-shooter.
Forty-five = .45 caliber revolver.
Lead plum = bullet.
Meat in the pot = rifle used by a hunter to provide food for cattle drive.
Needle gun = frontier rifle.
No beans in the wheel = no cartridges in a gun barrel.
Old cedar = six-gun with a cedar stock.
Old reliable = Sharps rifle
Parrot bill = pistol with semi-round butt.
Pepperbox = early revolver having five or six barrels revolving upon a central axis. Also called a coffee mill.
Prairie belt = cartridge belt introduced by the Army in 1870 with loops holding about 50 cartridges.
Saddle gun = rifle or Winchester carried in a saddle scabbard.
Sleeve gun = derringer a gambler carried up his sleeve.
Slip gun = pistol altered to be fired by slipping the thumb off the hammer.
Stingy gun = derringer or bulldog pistol of light weight.
Thumb buster = single action six-gun.
Worcestershire = Winchester rifle.
Yager = short-barreled rifle with large bore popular in early days in the South and SW.

Bighorns on Buffalo Bill Dam

2010-09-28T16:05:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Shanique for the information she provided regarding these photos I posted. This is a case of not following my own advice to always check snopes before sharing something sent in an email. Still, these are amazing photos whether they're of ibex in Italy or bighorns in Wyoming. There are some great videos of the ibex on the snopes site as well.

Bighorns on Buffalo Bill Dam, Shoshoni River, Cody, Wyoming

2010-09-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

For those who aren't familiar with the view - it's the downstream face of the dam and those dots are bighorns WALKING ACROSS IT. They're licking the surface - salt, maybe?

The Buffalo Bill Dam on the Shoshoni River at Cody , Wyoming ....

Thanks go to my cousin David Atherton for the photos

Theatrical Entertainment on the American Frontier

2010-09-20T14:45:00.000-07:00

Before movies, TV, and national sporting events, the American West relied upon theatrical touring companies for its entertainment. From 1850 to 1852, a Swedish soprano named Jenny Lind became the American rage. Historian Lawrence Levine attributes Lind's success to the perception in 19th century America that "the spirit of equality not only prevailed but was no threat to the nurturing of distinction in all endeavors." Rural America relied upon traveling theatrical troupes, circuses, minstrel shows, or stock resident companies to provide cheap and comprehensible entrainment, acceptable both morally and religiously. John Philip Sousa suggested that popular entertainment had to touch the public heart; it had to inspire, and it had to have the stamp of genius.

As towns sprang up all across the new American frontier, opera houses were being built before schools, before churches, even before streets. Traveling companies brought plays, operas, and melodramas down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers into the remote hamlets of the frontier. Live performances were welcomed in towns small and large.

The life of a 19th century actor or performer was hard. They were subject to the whims of managers and audiences, as well as weather and primitive travel. In addition to a grueling performance schedule, actors must withstand stagecoach and early riverboat travel in addition to makeshift lodgings. Actors would often rehearse as many as three plays during a day and then would have to prepare for the night's performance. By the Civil War, the season was varied and demanding. A season could consist of 40 to 130 plays, changing nightly. Utility actors in a company might be expected to know over 100 parts. The famous actress Charlotte Cushman would offer 200 different lead roles. Actors were usually expected to learn a new part within two days, sometimes overnight. Edwin Forrest, considered by his contemporaries as the greatest native-born American actor, bemoaned his "hateful, vagabond life." Still, they came, to perform in opera houses, theaters schools, churches, town halls, barns, saloons, and tents. And what they performed varied from sentimental melodrama to Shakespeare, from minstrel shows to Uncle Tom's Cabin, from circus acts to opera.
After the Civil War, beginning actors earned from $3 to $6 per week. Utility players from $7-15 per week, "walking" players $15-30, and lead actors were paid from $35 to $100. Traveling stars could earn $150-500 for a 7-10 day engagement. Women were generally paid less than men in comparable roles. Both sexes were expected to furnish their own costumes.

Shakespeare's plays enjoyed great popularity among a broad segment of the population. It was not unusual to see Shakespeare billed along with comedies, minstrel shows, jugglers, and gymnastics. On the frontier, he was by far the favorite with an overwhelmingly uneducated public that knew large segments of his works by heart. Nearly every home, dugout, or sod house contained a copy of his plays alongside the family Bible.

The minstrel show was unique in American entertainment and dates back to 1828. These were short skits by white comedians, singers, and dancers who performed in cork blackface. The shows treated the Negro as an object of amusement, with rowdy humor. After the publication in 1851 of Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, the Negro became an object of sympathy. A new picture of the Negro was presented, which touched the hearts of Americans and made the novel a bestseller.

Touring companies provided accessible entertainment on serious issues and subjects such as race, gender, and morality. Even Buffalo Bill's Wild West shows presented the cultural complexity of life in America at the brink of a new century. The East brought performances to the West by European stage stars, while the West brought rodeo, ghost dancers, and cowboys and Indians to the East. The historian George Lipsitz asserts that the 19th century theatre "helped mold a diverse population into a unified working and consuming force."

Women performing on the frontier, singers, dancers, actresses, had a head start on the road to success simply being women in a female-starved world of men. The novelty of a female entertainer overshadowed the often primitive quality of entertainment in makeshift surroundings. Some troupers performed on the street for stray dimes, or a saloon keeper might sponsor the talent, allowing the use of his bar as a stage. Antoinette Adams discovered that singing for miners in Virginia City, Nevada, could be as much an embarrassment as a reward. She was plain-looking and couldn't croak a note, but the miners listened politely to her, then united to endow "Aunty" with enough money for an immediate retirement. Lotta Crabtree first appeared on stage at the age of eight in Rabbit Creek, California. An uninhibited performer, she was loved by all who saw her. As a teenager in the 1860s she was baring her legs and smoking on stage, unladylike conduct that could be expected to drive decent women from the theater. But they stayed to see Lotta. Lillie Langtry, a British actress also popular in America, became the darling of the famous Arizona judge, Roy Bean, the famous "hanging judge," who named his saloon after her and reportedly shot a customer who maligned her.

Lillie Langtry

Actors and actresses commonly came from theatrical families and backgrounds, and got their start in the theater as children. More children appeared in live theatrical events in the mid-1800s than in any other period. Unlike now, they often drew recognition by playing adult roles.

Thanks to the remarkably free-thinking attitude in theater, women in the profession have been more or less equal to males. Unethical managers absconded with their salaries equally. Both were booed by audiences. Both starved between engagements. Women's roles in theater during the 19th century were somewhat ambiguous. Traditions of the time required them to be delicate, fragile, and dependent. But the rigors of the acting profession necessitated that they be resilient, independent, strong-willed and determined. In many ways they were true heroines, in their own right.

Law Enforcement in the Old West

2010-09-20T13:33:00.000-07:00

In the Old West, the law was enforced by marshals and sheriffs, but their employers, jurisdictions and duties differed. Novels and TV shows often use the terms interchangeably. This is incorrect.

U. S. Marshals have been appointed by the U.S. Marshals Service since 1789, and are not elected. As federal employees, their jurisdiction extends beyond county lines. Their authority covers everything within their assigned territory. They generally disburse and account for monies used in running the courts. In 1896 they were put on an annual salary. Before that, they worked on a fee system, collecting set amounts for performing certain tasks. Between 1790 and 1870, they were responsible for taking the census every ten years. Until 1861, when Congress created the Department of Justice, they reported directly to the Secretary of State. They appointed deputy U. S. marshals as well as field deputy U. S. marshals when needed. Until around 1970, there were no official headquarters for U. S. Marshals.

Sheriffs date back to medieval Europe, and continued into Colonial America. Social misfits of all sorts, some evading the law or unwanted families, were drawn to the western frontiers. The potentially violent and lawless West, with its heterogeneous population, required powerful and unique personalities to deal with the complex issues of turbulence and crime. This resulted in colorful and dramatic personalities who assumed the roles of law enforcers--characters like "Wild Bill" Hickok, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Pat Garrett, William “Bill” Tilghman, William Brenkenridge, Commodore Perry Owens and John Slaughter. Sheriffs were elected officials. Their jurisdiction was limited to the county in which they served, their primary duties being to keep the peace, uphold the law, and maintain the jail. They acted in conjunction with U. S. Marshals but with limited authority. They hired deputies, formed posses when needed, and served as county tax collectors. The privileges awarded sheriffs by the States varied widely. Wyoming allowed sheriffs to use a residence for law enforcement purposes at county expense. New Mexico extended jurisdictional limits of the sheriff to permit him or his deputies to enter all counties in the state to affect an arrest and to have concurrent rights to form posses. While the duties of sheriffs and their deputies were multitudinous, the primary law enforcement functions were virtually identical throughout the early West. Often the sheriff carried out death sentences, usually by hanging. They erected gallows or simply threw a rope over a stout tree limb.

Town marshals might be either elected or appointed and worked strictly within town limits. Often they functioned almost as arms of the county sheriff in carrying out duties such as collecting taxes and maintaining jails. In Arizona, cities, towns, and villages decide whether to appoint or elect a Marshal, or have the board/council/city manager hire a Chief of Police as the top criminal law enforcement for their jurisdiction (like in the Town of Tombstone). Marshals are elected by the trustees to serve a fixed term, and chiefs of police can be fired at will by whoever hired them just like any other employee.

Texas and Arizona Rangers still perform untold services in their respective states. Some of their duties include protecting life and property, handling special criminal investigations, quelling disturbances, serving as officers of the court at a judge's request, and suppressing criminal activity in any area where local officials are unable or unwilling to maintain law and order. Their authority extends through their entire state and is not curtailed by city or county boundaries. Directly under the governor, they sometimes act as an army, while at others, more like a police force. The Texas Rangers were organized in 1823 by Stephen Austin and a group of men eager to see the frontier protected. Each ranger furnished his own horse and firearm. For $1.25 a day they handled the toughest of assignments, often in conflicts where they were severely outnumbered. The Arizona Rangers were formed in 1882 under the territorial governor, an exact counterpart to the Texas Rangers. The Arizona State Congress abolished them in 1909, but they were reformed years later.

Bounty hunters were often considered more bad guys than good, probably because of a few rogues known for killing men wanted dead or alive and collecting the bounties on them. But they began as law enforcers. Many served as deputy U. S. marshals. Others worked with sheriffs in apprehending criminals, which freed the marshal's or sheriff so they could focus on normal duties. Nowadays they track down bail jumpers.

Pinkerton Agents were detectives who worked for Allen Pinkerton in his agency formed in 1850. They operated nationwide, working for railroad and stage companies. Their logo was the image of an eye, their motto, "We Never Sleep," which is where the term "private eye" originated. Pinkertons performed some of the work now handled by the FBI, CIA, and Secret Service. In 1861, while investigating a railroad case, the agency uncovered and foiled a plot to kill Abraham Lincoln. They sometimes used heavy-handed methods, such as when quelling mining strikes, which sullied their reputation, but the agency continued as a family-owned operation until 1967.

Vigilance vs. vigilantism. Citizens did not always rely on a lawman but took the initiative themselves, banding together in the form of vigilance committees. Too often vigilance committees are confused with lynch mobs. The two were very distinct and separate entities, and the lynch mob was actually rare in the Old West. Lynch mobs represented wild outbursts of passion--emotion trumping reason--that were expended in a matter of hours. Where Lynch mobs were unruly and unorganized, vigilance committees displayed military-style organization, including a chain of command, and proceeded in a quiet, orderly, and deliberate fashion. Most committees were supported by a majority of the residents of the local community, including the leading citizens. Well regulated, they dealt quickly and effectively with criminal problems, leaving towns in more stable and orderly condition. Moreover, vigilance committees were organized not because there was no established law enforcement, but because that law enforcement could not always be relied upon to pursue, apprehend, and punish the guilty. Long-range pursuits were time consuming, expensive, and often in vain. Vigilantes were members of a vigilance committee formed to enforce law and order before a regularly constituted government could be established or have real authority. They provided towns with a relatively just method of dealing with criminals in a time and place where little other organized justice existed.

Feline Renal Failure

2010-09-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

Our cat Kasha no longer suffers from her failing kidneys. Once she decided not to eat anymore, she went downhill fast. When she became too weak to walk, we made the difficult decision to have her put down. We've lost several cats over the years, but somehow Kasha has gotten to us more than the others. She was special. We still have Toby but he, too, is showing signs of missing his old playmate.
    Feline renal failure is more common than I ever knew. Our last cat, before we got Toby and Kasha, also died of renal failure. I thought he was too young for such a disease. He was thirteen. Kasha was only eight. It's possible the Humane Society gave us the wrong age for her when we adopted her. Who knows? She was three then, so we only had her five years. Not nearly long enough.
    There's no cure for renal failure. We could have gotten her a kidney transplant but the operation isn't much cheaper for a cat than for a human. Keeping her hydrated was the most important thing to do for her, and practically all we could do. We had water bowls all over the house and I regularly had at least three cans of cat food of various flavors in the fridge. I would give her one, she'd reject it, I'd try the next, and so on. Her appetite was finicky and fickle. The special cat food from the vet was expensive and she swiftly tired of it.
    The thought of adopting another kitty is very tempting. We probably wouldn't find one with as much personality as Kasha had, though. She spoiled us, I'm afraid. I've never had an adult cat as playful as her. In fact, she played more than Toby who was three years younger. She loved mice, real or fake, and would hunt them down, play with them, and call non-existent babies to come and share her treasure. Each morning she woke us up by climbing on top of us and, if she could reach our noses, rubbing her cold, wet one against ours. A lap cat, she would come to my office in the evening to let me know it was time for me to go sit in my recliner and watch TV so she could sleep in my lap. To the end she was mule-stubborn. Outdoors, when Darrell tried to get her to come in, she would race around the house and climb a maple tree that gave her access to the roof. Then she'd dash across and get down on the opposite side before Darrell could get there. I've never seen a cat climb like Kasha. She particularly liked my clematis trellis . In winter she generally slept in the curve of my body where it was warm. She hated being cold. It was not uncommon to find her and Toby curled up together somewhere, asleep.
    Since her death I've found comfort in scrapbooking photos I took of her. She was a gray mackerel tabby, but I called her my Bengal tabby because the stripes on her sides were really more like spots.

Good-bye, Kasha. We will always miss you.

A "Show Character" Game

2010-08-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

   Ok, let's play a new game. This time we're going to "show character." On the right side of your paper (or computer screen), make a list of one-word characters: golfer, painter, secretary, lover, teenager, teacher. Make up your own. Then forget about that list and, on the left side of the same page, make a new list of personal adjectives, i.e.: blissful, furious, thankful, frightened, pessimistic, pushy. All right, you now have a list that looks something like blissful golfer, furious painter, thankful secretary, frightened lover (that one might be interesting), etc. Write a sentence or two that shows what each character is without telling the reader. In other words, show your blissful golfer without using golfer or blissful. Maybe "Beaming at the crowd, she lifted her 5 iron in one hand and her new St. Andrew's trophy in the other."
    Showing your characters instead of telling about them always makes for better writing. Remember, what we do comes from what we are. Our actions result from some trait within us. It does not need to be profound or intense. A child might run because he's frightened. A boss might shout because he's frustrated. A teen may shoplift because she's rebellious. Every deliberate action results from something about the character. Just ask yourself what your character would do because he is a certain way, and you will find winning methods to show his traits.
   This is not only a fun and beneficial game, it can also arouse your brain to come up with new, exciting characters to write about. I'm going to make my own lists. I'm still intrigued with that frightened lover. How about, "Her hands trembled as Jenny looked down at the broken condom Brandon had just used when they made love, and a flash flood of nausea washed into her stomach." Or "Jeremy's hands tightened around Tiffany's throat, part of his new idea for heightening their sexual pleasure. Ecstasy glazed his eyes, but all Tiffany felt as darkness overtook her was sheer terror."
   If you come up with something that enthuses you, share it with the rest of us.

Sometimes A Man Can Only Take So Much

2010-08-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

What happens when a man's had enough.

Story vs. Plot

2010-08-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, just what is the difference between story and plot? A lot of people would say "None". According to Karl Iglesias, in his book, Writing For Emotional Impact, they'd be wrong.
    This reminds me of something I heard an editor say at an RWA conference years ago. She said that, thanks to all the RWA chapter contests, with their similar if not identical scoresheets, a great many of the manuscripts they were seeing were almost formulaic. She wanted to know what happened to all the storytellers. This really resonated with me, and I'll get back to it in a bit.
   I think what that editor meant is basically the same as what Iglesias is saying in his book. Plot is the vehicle for telling your story. Story is the deeper understanding of the human condition your reader will (hopefully) gain as a result of reading your book. Lillian Hellman put it this way: Story is what the characters want to do. Plot is what the writer wants the characters to do.
    Writers, beginning writers in particular, often search for magic keys, formulas, and story templates to make writing easier. I've been guilty of this myself. And for some genres (romance is one) they just might find what they're looking for. But this puts all the focus on plot construction, which doesn't always translate into a great story. What it does is produce are copy-cat, cookie-cutter storylines. That's not to say plot isn't important, just that there is a difference between plot and story and a serious writer should know what it is. Iglesias believes that story is your creation, your art. Plot is the progression of events related in a story. He uses Citizen Kane as an example. The story of Charles Foster Kane is his lifelong attempt to get love without being able to love back. The plot is the reporter's search for the meaning of "Rosebud," and the way the writer arranges the scenes to reveal Kane's story.
Plot answers the basic questions--who, what, where, when, how, and why. It's a series of dramatic situations logically connected. The key element to plotting a story is its intended effect upon the reader. Plot is designed to make your story emotionally satisfying, not to create the story. Once you know what your protagonist wants, what's blocking his way, and how his quest changes him, you need to create a dramatic journey that will keep the reader reading until the story reaches a satisfying and fulfilling resolution. Iglesias contends that creating the story is the easy part; it's in choosing how to tell the story on the page in a way that will captivate, mesmerize, and fascinate the reader that you find the real challenge---that's what craft is all about. In his book, Iglesias goes on to tell you how to accomplish this.
    Now, to get back to that editor at the RWA conference--here's my interpretation of what she was talking about. Simply put, a storyteller's main concern is telling a story. Not worrying about how many times "was" is used on a page, or if the POV has gone out of bounds with sentences like He didn't see the car coming, when the aim is to create or build suspense. I'm not saying rules aren't valid or important; they are. I'm just saying that a true storyteller concentrates on telling the story, not fretting over every word on the page. By forcing our stories to fit the requirements of a contest score sheet, or to please our critique partners, we risk losing the attributes that make our story unique. Not entering contests might be one solution, but is that the best answer? We're always being told to write "what we know'. I don't think this means to write only about how you live your life. It means to write your story with every emotion locked within your being. It means to put your guts into it. It means creating magic on the page, dazzling, mystifying, even shocking your reader. A simple storyline can be entertaining if it's told with emotion and a unique viewpoint. Naturally, it needs good sentence structure, good grammar, good spelling, and good punctuation. But when you're in creating mode, you put these concerns on the sideline and devote all your being to telling your story. Once the words are on paper (or a computer screen), that's the time to go back and edit and polish until your work glows like a full moon at midnight. That's when you worry about strong verbs, overuse of adverbs and adjectives, clarity, and wordiness. That's what polishing is all about. But first, you tell your story.

What Gender is "Computer"?

2010-08-26T11:30:00.000-07:00

A SPANISH Teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine.

'House' for instance, is feminine: 'la casa.' 'Pencil,' however, is masculine: 'el lapiz.'
A student asked, 'What gender is 'computer'?'
Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether computer' should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons for its
recommendation.
The men's group decided that 'computer' should definitely be of the feminine gender ('la computadora' ), because:
1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;
3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for
it.
The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine ('el computador') , because:
1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;
2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;
3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and
4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model..
The women won.

Catching the Moon

2010-08-26T11:12:00.000-07:00

I don't know who took these photos, but they're fabulous.

2010-08-12T11:19:00.000-07:00

Six Ways to Reveal Character on the Pages of Your Manuscript -- Methods #3, 4 & 5

2010-08-11T16:49:00.000-07:00

A very effective way to reveal character in your novel is through other characters - how they talk about him and how they're affected by him. In Silence of the Lambs, Crawford establishes Hannibal Lecter's character by warning Clarice before she meets him. In Casablanca, Renault talks about Laszlo and his mysterious lady before they come on screen, and he reveals Rick's backstory when he says, "My dear Ricky, I suspect that under that cynical shell, you're at heart a sentimentalist...," then mentions how Rick ran guns in Ethiopia, and fought in Spain for the Loyalists. Showing character by how others are affected by a protagonist is more indirect, but no less useful. Remember in As Good As It Gets, how the old lady changes from happy to disgusted just by the sight of Melvin in the hallway? Subtle, but effective. Each character in your story is an opportunity to reveal something about your protagonist.
    Method #4 is Dialogue. This is probably the most effective means for revealing character, although the least used. It shows rather than tells through description or gossip. Background, education, occupation, attitude, etc., can all be shown through dialogue. I don't mean one character telling another about himself. Revealing character through dialogue works best when it comes from another character in the story. Do use the protagonist's own dialogue though. Individualize him by giving him a specific voice. Is he a Southerner, Northerner, educated, uneducated? Does he speak a local dialect? The simple way a character forms his sentences tells a great deal about him.
   Method #5. Actions, reactions, and decisions allow an author to reveal character by what is said, not said, done, not done. Characters react differently to the same circumstance. What if your character discovered someone wanted to kill him? He could react like Joe and Jerry in Some Like It Hot and disguise himself as the opposite sex to hide an all girl band. Or he could just kill his enemy first, like The Godfather would do. This method requires you to really know your character. Thinking about how he would act or react in certain situations is actually a good way to get to know your protagonist. According to Robert McKee, deep character is shown by how an individual reacts under pressure. Placing your character in an intense, emotional conflict and showing how he reacts is one of the most effective methods for revealing character. It's true that actions speak louder than words. Action gives insight into a character and his state of mind. An angry man puts his fist through a wall. A loving woman cooks her husband's favorite meal. These moments come from within and are driven by the character's motivations, attitudes and emotions. The decisions a person makes show character, rather than tell. Secrets also define a character by the choices he makes. Does he hide the secret or find the courage to reveal it?
   Method #6. Mannerisms, symbols and props - little details that can reveal a lot about a character. Think how Kramer enters Seinfeld's apartment, the way Don Corleone strokes the cat in The Godfather's opening. Hobbies and interests are also useful. Columbo's raincoat, Kojak's lollypop, Indiana Jones's whip. Such objects have meaning for those particular characters and set them apart from others in the story. Does your character chew her lip every time she lies? Drag out a key chain to play with when nervous? Lastly, symbols and images also offer power ways to reveal character. How about the white and black hats on old westerns to show who is the bad guy and who is the good guy?
    Okay, you've crafted your characters and shown their uniqueness, but will the reader like or dislike them, care about them, connect with them? Emotional neutrality is not an option for the protagonist and antagonist of your story. Does your character display attitudes, motivations, flaws, and desires your reader can identify with, or have you made him so unique no one can relate to him? Universal emotions are the pathways to connecting readers to characters in your tale. But show these emotions, don't tell them. All we have to see is a tear running down a woman's face to feel sorrow for her because we've all shed tears when we're hurt, disappointed, lost, or alone. Where uniqueness comes into play is in creating a character who is effectively fascinating in a way that will help maintain reader interest. Don't forget to use values, attitudes, passions, and small details to help accomplish this goal. Does your protagonist only eat brown M&M's;Ms because chocolate is already brown so those candies have the least artificial additives? Does he have Braveheart's passion and dedication? Does he strain pasta with a tennis racket like Baxter in The Apartment? Is he mysterious? Does he have conflicting traits readers can find interesting? Do you reveal your character like an onion, one layer at a time, showing contrasts and conflicts within self? Never make your character perfect. Flaws can be the best way to show character and maintain reader interest.
   So, now we're armed with all the best methods for showing character. Let's get to work, and write.