Rhobin Lee Courtright's Blog, page 24
May 9, 2011
Hope Pins
Some Guys spiffy in Georgian Vests and Neckties.
A 20's Flapper for HopeFor her birthday my sister Pat is having a fund raiser for Relay for Life. I want to help her and made a few "Hope Pins" to be sold for the effort, that is clothespin dolls. Something for a cancer patient to hang nearby and know others are there for him or her. Afterward, the pin becomes a Christmas tree ornament.So Happy Birthday, Pat! Here is a preview and there are ten of them on their way to you. Hope all of them sell!
April 24, 2011
Review for Crewkin!
Whoo-Hoo! Found a review for Crewkin that I didn't know about. A Top PIck!
5 STARS +
This is a highly original story with a likable, if misfit, cast of characters. The story follows the adventures of Renna, a long-haul spacer, who was actually bred and nurtured (if you want to call it that) to be a part of an efficient team of enhanced humans, called Crewkin. Often referred to as Podders, a slang term of disparagement, by others in the space industry, Crewkin are bred and owned by Markham Corporation – an enormous and highly shady operation.
I thought the descriptions of this future society were just brilliant – strange, sweeping in scope, and yet, still, utterly believable. The author deftly, and seemingly without effort, created personalities and situations that were so unique but that still easily captured my imagination and held it in thrall. This is a wonderfully powerful novel that is populated with odd-ball characters I came to care deeply for, as they traveled through space, facing uncertainty and adversity. A journey during which each of them faced some ugly truths that could have easily destroyed them all but which, instead, forged them into a solid, formidable unit.
Science Fiction fans rejoice, for this novel is a solid masterpiece, sure to fire up your imagination and send it hurtling through space on a wondrous ride. Outstanding, Science Fiction as it is meant to be! Read Full Review
Laurie-J
Reviewer for Night Owl Reviews
5 STARS +
This is a highly original story with a likable, if misfit, cast of characters. The story follows the adventures of Renna, a long-haul spacer, who was actually bred and nurtured (if you want to call it that) to be a part of an efficient team of enhanced humans, called Crewkin. Often referred to as Podders, a slang term of disparagement, by others in the space industry, Crewkin are bred and owned by Markham Corporation – an enormous and highly shady operation. I thought the descriptions of this future society were just brilliant – strange, sweeping in scope, and yet, still, utterly believable. The author deftly, and seemingly without effort, created personalities and situations that were so unique but that still easily captured my imagination and held it in thrall. This is a wonderfully powerful novel that is populated with odd-ball characters I came to care deeply for, as they traveled through space, facing uncertainty and adversity. A journey during which each of them faced some ugly truths that could have easily destroyed them all but which, instead, forged them into a solid, formidable unit.
Science Fiction fans rejoice, for this novel is a solid masterpiece, sure to fire up your imagination and send it hurtling through space on a wondrous ride. Outstanding, Science Fiction as it is meant to be! Read Full Review
Laurie-J
Reviewer for Night Owl Reviews
April 12, 2011
A Question for You
Today at school Father John Staudenmaier, Professor of History and Assistant to the President for Mission and Identity at the University of Detroit Mercy, spoke as part of this year's Big Question Talk series. His topic was 'Hospitality or Suspicion: the Nature of Borders.' The first question he asked was 'Where are you?' There was much more to the lecture as the title indicates, but my mind kept returning to this question.
Think about that and take a moment to answer the question.
Did you answer with your current location or another answer, such as where you are in your life's journey, or how far you are from something or someone you desire? There is no right or wrong answer, but there is the opportunity to take a step back from what seems to be everyone's extremely busy lifestyle and just contemplate a simple question.
I've often heard this question asked, but the change in context intrigued me. Since my initial answer, the question has come back to me several times, and my answer has changed with each answer. Yet, I still agree with all my responses. Where am I right now? Where I want to be.
So where are you?
Think about that and take a moment to answer the question.
Did you answer with your current location or another answer, such as where you are in your life's journey, or how far you are from something or someone you desire? There is no right or wrong answer, but there is the opportunity to take a step back from what seems to be everyone's extremely busy lifestyle and just contemplate a simple question.
I've often heard this question asked, but the change in context intrigued me. Since my initial answer, the question has come back to me several times, and my answer has changed with each answer. Yet, I still agree with all my responses. Where am I right now? Where I want to be.
So where are you?
March 22, 2011
An Alien Wakeup Call
It's time we all woke up to the fact that aliens walk among us. It seems recently that everyone is coming forward with reports of abduction by aliens at some point in their lives, but not me. I caught on to that alien game early on. You see, I have cats.
Maybe many of you other cat owners know what I'm talking about. Cats are inventive tricksters. They love playing with our minds, and that characteristic combined with a very demanding ego can create havoc. One of their eccentricities is at some early morning hour, they boldly go where others would fear to tread. Mine usually approach just before dawn. Sometimes they let you know they're coming, but often they just magically appear standing on your chest, their nose nearly touching yours. Their message is clear: "I'm hungry and the food bowl is empty," or "I want out. Now."
So far it's not too bad. Anyone with kids or dogs knows about early morning demands. Cats take it a step further. When you come awake from the weight on your chest, perhaps the touch of a cold, damp nose, or the tickle of a whisker against your cheek, the first thing you see upon opening your eyes is ... an alien! Sometimes, just for fun, they play this game in the middle of the night, waking you from REM state. All you perceive is eyes and nose, not recognizable being. Don't believe me? Check out these comparison photos of cat in action versus police suspect drawing.
This is your cat playing with your brain while you remain in some hallucinatory dream state. I wonder how many of those reporting alien abductions owned a cat?
Maybe many of you other cat owners know what I'm talking about. Cats are inventive tricksters. They love playing with our minds, and that characteristic combined with a very demanding ego can create havoc. One of their eccentricities is at some early morning hour, they boldly go where others would fear to tread. Mine usually approach just before dawn. Sometimes they let you know they're coming, but often they just magically appear standing on your chest, their nose nearly touching yours. Their message is clear: "I'm hungry and the food bowl is empty," or "I want out. Now."
So far it's not too bad. Anyone with kids or dogs knows about early morning demands. Cats take it a step further. When you come awake from the weight on your chest, perhaps the touch of a cold, damp nose, or the tickle of a whisker against your cheek, the first thing you see upon opening your eyes is ... an alien! Sometimes, just for fun, they play this game in the middle of the night, waking you from REM state. All you perceive is eyes and nose, not recognizable being. Don't believe me? Check out these comparison photos of cat in action versus police suspect drawing.
This is your cat playing with your brain while you remain in some hallucinatory dream state. I wonder how many of those reporting alien abductions owned a cat?
March 19, 2011
The Leaf Magician
I've written a brief garden post on gardening at Night Writers. Please take a look at The Leaf Magician.
March 13, 2011
More Illud Tempus
My e-book reader doesn't include the cover for the book. Not sure why, probably some techno-glitch I made myself since I used to get them, but now I feel positively deprived and dissatisfied. This made me wonder about covers and the importance of the illud tempus.
The illud tempus is simply a device telling listener to suspend their disbelief-- that sense that what they are about to hear could never really happen. I say listeners because this all began with the oral folk lore traditions of 'once upon a time.' That short phrase translates into 'just go along with this without asking too many questions about how and why.' The illud tempus told the listeners they were about to visit another realm, another time, even another dimension: a place of fairies, trolls, dragons, and now super heroes, impossibly beautiful characters, space travel and all sorts of bizarre settings and plots.
The best examples today are TV show trailers. We all know our favorite show's music. It calls us from loading the dishwasher, or balancing the bank account. Those beginning images and sounds are the show's illud tempus, asking us to suspend our disbelief for another thirty to sixty minutes. We know the hero or heroine will again surmount terrible odds, or find themselves once more in some implausible situation.
As a reader, I want to suspend my disbelief, that's what getting into a story is all about. However, few novels or short stories today begin with 'in a kingdom far, far away.' Reading a story where I just cannot identify with the characters, or they behave in unbelievable manners shows I have not suspended disbelief. Stories like this dissatisfy me, the reader. I want to become each character, and participate in his or her every success and failure. I want to share the characters' emotions, feel their physical word, and sense their inner selves. It is escapism at its best. This involves the art of writing.
But what makes me chose a story? What is the illud tempus of written fiction? The illud tempus only takes seconds, so perhaps the book cover best draws me into suspending disbelief. Covers give hints about characters, setting, genre, historical era, and plot. Certainly looking at another six-pack abs forces most women familiar with men's physics to suspend their disbelief (or, like me, question why they can't). Quite frankly covers seem to make me want to believe whatever the author says. Covers are in themselves fantasy images, but images often convey an impression of reality, so if I buy the cover, am I not more open to buying the story? I think so.
[image error] So an illud tempus? "Once upon a time?"
My reader is so old it's out of production. If I want covers to draw me into a story, maybe I better invest in a newer reader.
The illud tempus is simply a device telling listener to suspend their disbelief-- that sense that what they are about to hear could never really happen. I say listeners because this all began with the oral folk lore traditions of 'once upon a time.' That short phrase translates into 'just go along with this without asking too many questions about how and why.' The illud tempus told the listeners they were about to visit another realm, another time, even another dimension: a place of fairies, trolls, dragons, and now super heroes, impossibly beautiful characters, space travel and all sorts of bizarre settings and plots.
The best examples today are TV show trailers. We all know our favorite show's music. It calls us from loading the dishwasher, or balancing the bank account. Those beginning images and sounds are the show's illud tempus, asking us to suspend our disbelief for another thirty to sixty minutes. We know the hero or heroine will again surmount terrible odds, or find themselves once more in some implausible situation.
As a reader, I want to suspend my disbelief, that's what getting into a story is all about. However, few novels or short stories today begin with 'in a kingdom far, far away.' Reading a story where I just cannot identify with the characters, or they behave in unbelievable manners shows I have not suspended disbelief. Stories like this dissatisfy me, the reader. I want to become each character, and participate in his or her every success and failure. I want to share the characters' emotions, feel their physical word, and sense their inner selves. It is escapism at its best. This involves the art of writing.
But what makes me chose a story? What is the illud tempus of written fiction? The illud tempus only takes seconds, so perhaps the book cover best draws me into suspending disbelief. Covers give hints about characters, setting, genre, historical era, and plot. Certainly looking at another six-pack abs forces most women familiar with men's physics to suspend their disbelief (or, like me, question why they can't). Quite frankly covers seem to make me want to believe whatever the author says. Covers are in themselves fantasy images, but images often convey an impression of reality, so if I buy the cover, am I not more open to buying the story? I think so.
[image error] So an illud tempus? "Once upon a time?"
My reader is so old it's out of production. If I want covers to draw me into a story, maybe I better invest in a newer reader.
March 12, 2011
March 5, 2011
Time Capsules
More garden blogging with a touch of fantasy, science, and writing at Night Writers.
February 26, 2011
Considering Aliens... Like Trees
Blogging at Night Writers on native intelligence. Take a look.
February 20, 2011
Garden Blog on Winter
Hope you can take time to read my blog on Winter posted today.
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