S.L. Viehl's Blog, page 99
February 11, 2014
Writer by Word Choice
Take this short online quiz at Oxford Dictionaries blog and they'll decide what kind of writer you are based on your word choices.
My results:
Eh. I wouldn't mind winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, but I don't hate women or gay people, and I can metabolize iron. Just not on Tuesdays.
If you take the test, post your results in comments. Added: Test link now works!
My results:
Eh. I wouldn't mind winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, but I don't hate women or gay people, and I can metabolize iron. Just not on Tuesdays.
If you take the test, post your results in comments. Added: Test link now works!
February 10, 2014
Shiloh's Ten
Ten Things That Happened When I Went to See Shiloh Walker
With zero prior warning I crashed the Coastal Magic Conference and they did not kick me out. On the contrary; Jennifer and her ladies were very welcoming, and helped me sneak up on Shiloh, and let me sit with her for their charity booksigning with no fuss whatsoever.
Before I shanghaied Shi I met up with wonderful steampunk jewelry-maker Leslie from Aunt Matilda's Jewelry Box to do some personal shopping. While I was depriving her of inventory I bought another of Kit's pendants to give away to one of my readers (this week ~ stayed tuned to the blog for details.)
I met and chatted with the lovely and charming USA Today bestselling author Carrie Ann Ryan, who can be described by many other words; the next that comes to my mind should be awesome as she gave me this gorgeous tote to hold all the books I bought. Her assistant Charity was so sweet and helpful, too, and I think somehow moved at the speed of light.
Author Gini Koch may have as many pseudonyms as me and was giving away e-book freebies, which was way cool (she is a rather amazing powerhouse when it comes to presentation, too; she should be teaching classes in how to promote your books in person.)
Author Sarah M. Ross was a delight to talk to and quite gorgeous in person; among other things she has that perfect hair I will never attain (sigh.)
Author James R. Tuck is a handsome devil with a wonderful voice and a neat sense of humor, too; I think every gal at the conference was falling in love with him.
I did not get around to all the tables, but I bought books from every one I visited, so it was probably good for the bank account that I didn't make it around the room.
Some people asked me and Shiloh to pose for pics and we did for two, I think; Tori from Smexy Books has one of them. Please note if you happen to see it that I am not dead, a man, or Stephen Leigh.
After the booksigning I dragged Shiloh out to dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, where I made a complete pig of myself over the delicious spicy fish and rice dish I ordered. We also talked shop, families, ordnance, explosives and plotted the overthrow of the online writing community. Kidding. We really didn't talk shop that much.
After many, many years of being cyber colleagues and blog pals I finally met Shiloh Walker, who is just as wonderful in person as she is online. Of all the people I've wanted to meet in the biz, she was the one I drove 500 miles (much of that in the pouring rain) to see, which should give you some idea of how much I care for her.
With zero prior warning I crashed the Coastal Magic Conference and they did not kick me out. On the contrary; Jennifer and her ladies were very welcoming, and helped me sneak up on Shiloh, and let me sit with her for their charity booksigning with no fuss whatsoever.
Before I shanghaied Shi I met up with wonderful steampunk jewelry-maker Leslie from Aunt Matilda's Jewelry Box to do some personal shopping. While I was depriving her of inventory I bought another of Kit's pendants to give away to one of my readers (this week ~ stayed tuned to the blog for details.)
I met and chatted with the lovely and charming USA Today bestselling author Carrie Ann Ryan, who can be described by many other words; the next that comes to my mind should be awesome as she gave me this gorgeous tote to hold all the books I bought. Her assistant Charity was so sweet and helpful, too, and I think somehow moved at the speed of light.Author Gini Koch may have as many pseudonyms as me and was giving away e-book freebies, which was way cool (she is a rather amazing powerhouse when it comes to presentation, too; she should be teaching classes in how to promote your books in person.)
Author Sarah M. Ross was a delight to talk to and quite gorgeous in person; among other things she has that perfect hair I will never attain (sigh.)
Author James R. Tuck is a handsome devil with a wonderful voice and a neat sense of humor, too; I think every gal at the conference was falling in love with him.
I did not get around to all the tables, but I bought books from every one I visited, so it was probably good for the bank account that I didn't make it around the room.
Some people asked me and Shiloh to pose for pics and we did for two, I think; Tori from Smexy Books has one of them. Please note if you happen to see it that I am not dead, a man, or Stephen Leigh.
After the booksigning I dragged Shiloh out to dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, where I made a complete pig of myself over the delicious spicy fish and rice dish I ordered. We also talked shop, families, ordnance, explosives and plotted the overthrow of the online writing community. Kidding. We really didn't talk shop that much.
After many, many years of being cyber colleagues and blog pals I finally met Shiloh Walker, who is just as wonderful in person as she is online. Of all the people I've wanted to meet in the biz, she was the one I drove 500 miles (much of that in the pouring rain) to see, which should give you some idea of how much I care for her.
February 9, 2014
Strangely Funny Sub Op
Mystery and Horror LLC has an open call for their upcoming Strangely Funny II antho, and describe the project as: "An anthology of humorous paranormal/supernatural stories. All stories must contain paranormal or supernatural elements (ghosts, witchcraft, vampires, etc.) and be funny. Think Addams Family, Zombieland, or Love at First Bite. These stories should not contain gratuitous violence, gratuitous sex, or excessive foul language." Length: 2-6K; Payment: Ralan says "shared 25% net royalty ($5 advance) +print copy." Query on reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Reading period opens February 10th, 2014; do not submit before that date. Deadline: May 1st, 2014 or when filled.
February 8, 2014
Out of Here
I'm off on a business trip this weekend, so new comments will not post until I return. So your stop here was not entirely wasted, here's an interesting freeware that may come in handy with tax season upon us:
The designer of Ace Money Lite touts it as an easy and free alternative to Microsoft Money or Quicken: "It makes managing multiple accounts a breeze. You can manage your budgets, track multi-currency finances, analyze your spending habits, make transfers between accounts, and do on-line banking. You can start instantly without any prior accounting experience. Features: Track your spending habits and see where the money goes; create and manage budgets; track performance of investments; do your financial math in multiple currencies; enjoy the convenience of on-line banking Download and import information from on-line banks in QIF and OFX formats. If you run a small business, export to HTML, Text, or CSV; Don´t miss the next deadline for bills; Double check - Enjoy the security of password protection of every file, scheduled backups and many other features; Plan debts and mortgage payments" (OS: Win 9x/ME/NT/2K/XP/2K3/Vista/7/8)
Remember the usual PBW freeware caution, too: always scan free downloads of anything for bugs and other threats before dumping the programs into your hard drive.
The designer of Ace Money Lite touts it as an easy and free alternative to Microsoft Money or Quicken: "It makes managing multiple accounts a breeze. You can manage your budgets, track multi-currency finances, analyze your spending habits, make transfers between accounts, and do on-line banking. You can start instantly without any prior accounting experience. Features: Track your spending habits and see where the money goes; create and manage budgets; track performance of investments; do your financial math in multiple currencies; enjoy the convenience of on-line banking Download and import information from on-line banks in QIF and OFX formats. If you run a small business, export to HTML, Text, or CSV; Don´t miss the next deadline for bills; Double check - Enjoy the security of password protection of every file, scheduled backups and many other features; Plan debts and mortgage payments" (OS: Win 9x/ME/NT/2K/XP/2K3/Vista/7/8)
Remember the usual PBW freeware caution, too: always scan free downloads of anything for bugs and other threats before dumping the programs into your hard drive.
February 7, 2014
Light Show
Sometimes we forget we have an immense theater that perpetually plays light shows for us each night. Randy Halverson's Huelux gives us a long and lovely reason to remember this -- and look up (contains background music, for those of you at work):
Huelux from Randy Halverson on Vimeo.
February 6, 2014
February 5, 2014
Library Thing Heads Up
The good folks over at Library Thing sent out this notice yesterday:
During a security review, we found that LibraryThing suffered a data breach in June 2011. While no book data or financial information was taken, lost or changed, the hackers did take email addresses and encrypted password hashes for some accounts created prior to that date.
People like me who were members at the time of the breach were advised to change our passwords, which I did (and if this affects you, you should receive an e-mail with the password reset link. If you haven't received it, you might check your account.) LT is also doing something quite classy in response to the breach:
The entire LibraryThing team and I deeply regret and apologize that this happened on our watch. Since 2011, we have significantly improved our security measures, which have been further tightened across the board since we discovered this breach. As a further apology, we are upgrading you and all LibraryThing members who joined prior to June 19th, 2011 to full lifetime accounts.
To read more details about the breach, see this post on the Library Thing blog.
During a security review, we found that LibraryThing suffered a data breach in June 2011. While no book data or financial information was taken, lost or changed, the hackers did take email addresses and encrypted password hashes for some accounts created prior to that date.
People like me who were members at the time of the breach were advised to change our passwords, which I did (and if this affects you, you should receive an e-mail with the password reset link. If you haven't received it, you might check your account.) LT is also doing something quite classy in response to the breach:
The entire LibraryThing team and I deeply regret and apologize that this happened on our watch. Since 2011, we have significantly improved our security measures, which have been further tightened across the board since we discovered this breach. As a further apology, we are upgrading you and all LibraryThing members who joined prior to June 19th, 2011 to full lifetime accounts.
To read more details about the breach, see this post on the Library Thing blog.
February 4, 2014
Split Seconds
One of my favorite art and video sites, Kuriositas, has an amazing collection of photos here taken of events that happened in a split second. If you have a chance to go visit it's definitely worth it (my favorite is the one with the pigeons, naturally.)
I also admire the quick skill of every shooter behind these pics; as an amateur photographer I know how hard it is to capture an exciting moment that only lasts for a blink or two. Only by pure dumb luck do I ever get a split-second shot, and oddly enough it always seems to happen for me at RenFaires:
My technique? I don't have one; I simply point, shoot and pray. My favorite of all my split second lucky shots is this one, with cropped enlargements following to show why:
(Link swiped from Gerard over at The Presurfer)
I also admire the quick skill of every shooter behind these pics; as an amateur photographer I know how hard it is to capture an exciting moment that only lasts for a blink or two. Only by pure dumb luck do I ever get a split-second shot, and oddly enough it always seems to happen for me at RenFaires:
My technique? I don't have one; I simply point, shoot and pray. My favorite of all my split second lucky shots is this one, with cropped enlargements following to show why:
(Link swiped from Gerard over at The Presurfer)
February 3, 2014
Argh Ten
Ten Things That Always Seem to Happen The Week Your Book is Released
Appliance Fail: a major or integral appliance in your home that has never once given you a second of trouble will stop working, start leaking or emit a stream of dark oily smoke when you turn it on.
Comrade in Harm: In the process of congratulating you a colleague will artfully mention that they're not buying your new release because they're too busy to read it, they prefer another author in that genre, or the whole idea really wasn't their cup of tea.
E-mail Gainer: Your incoming e-mail will quadruple, and about a third of it will be from people who have never before contacted you but bought your book the second it hit the shelf, hated it, and now want to tell you in excruciating detail why.
Gaming Glom: To stop from thinking about your release on Monday you'll find an online version of Candy Crush and decide to try playing it for the first time. By Wednesday you'll be competing in tournaments. By Friday you will be the highest-ranked Candy Crush player on that site.
Gone Data Gone: Your editor, publicist or video producer will need a vital bit of information from you asap, which is part of a file you discover you can't open, you can't remember what you named, or that you deleted last month while cleaning up your hard drive.
Honey Huh: About halfway through the week your honey will call home to see if you performed some time-sensitively and extremely vital task s/he needed you to do, which you haven't. Worse, you will have zero recollection of agreeing to do it.
Match Game: You won't understand why all the book store managers keep giving you such odd looks until you get home from a long day of making the rounds and realize as you undress that your shoes don't match, you're wearing your shirt inside-out, and/or the bright red lipstick that still gleams on your mouth is all over your front teeth, too.
Pet Pouting: The well-behaved, healthy, house-trained furry friends who are always content to slumber away most of the day suddenly become crazed demons of destruction with severe tummy troubles who sit at your hip and whine to go outside. Every. Five. Minutes.
Takeout Tonight: While worrying about your release's debut, how it will be received, if it will sell, how many copies are hitting the stores and why in God's name you every thought this was a wonderful job, you will finally remember you have to make dinner. This will happen no earlier than thirty seconds before dinner time.
Writer's Blech: As you begin to perform a reading, chat up a reader, introduce yourself over a microphone or pitch your release to an important industry entity over the phone, your nervous digest system will surge to produce audible flatulence, a generous amount of bile going the wrong way or an involuntary burp that not only escapes but can be measured on the Richter scale.
Appliance Fail: a major or integral appliance in your home that has never once given you a second of trouble will stop working, start leaking or emit a stream of dark oily smoke when you turn it on.
Comrade in Harm: In the process of congratulating you a colleague will artfully mention that they're not buying your new release because they're too busy to read it, they prefer another author in that genre, or the whole idea really wasn't their cup of tea.
E-mail Gainer: Your incoming e-mail will quadruple, and about a third of it will be from people who have never before contacted you but bought your book the second it hit the shelf, hated it, and now want to tell you in excruciating detail why.
Gaming Glom: To stop from thinking about your release on Monday you'll find an online version of Candy Crush and decide to try playing it for the first time. By Wednesday you'll be competing in tournaments. By Friday you will be the highest-ranked Candy Crush player on that site.
Gone Data Gone: Your editor, publicist or video producer will need a vital bit of information from you asap, which is part of a file you discover you can't open, you can't remember what you named, or that you deleted last month while cleaning up your hard drive.
Honey Huh: About halfway through the week your honey will call home to see if you performed some time-sensitively and extremely vital task s/he needed you to do, which you haven't. Worse, you will have zero recollection of agreeing to do it.
Match Game: You won't understand why all the book store managers keep giving you such odd looks until you get home from a long day of making the rounds and realize as you undress that your shoes don't match, you're wearing your shirt inside-out, and/or the bright red lipstick that still gleams on your mouth is all over your front teeth, too.
Pet Pouting: The well-behaved, healthy, house-trained furry friends who are always content to slumber away most of the day suddenly become crazed demons of destruction with severe tummy troubles who sit at your hip and whine to go outside. Every. Five. Minutes.
Takeout Tonight: While worrying about your release's debut, how it will be received, if it will sell, how many copies are hitting the stores and why in God's name you every thought this was a wonderful job, you will finally remember you have to make dinner. This will happen no earlier than thirty seconds before dinner time.
Writer's Blech: As you begin to perform a reading, chat up a reader, introduce yourself over a microphone or pitch your release to an important industry entity over the phone, your nervous digest system will surge to produce audible flatulence, a generous amount of bile going the wrong way or an involuntary burp that not only escapes but can be measured on the Richter scale.
February 2, 2014
Interesting Sub Op
To continue the spin on breaking out of bounds from yesterday, The Dreadful Cafe has an open call for their upcoming anthology Thresholds: "We cross boundaries every day--the door to a room, a crack in a sidewalk, the border of a city. "Thresholds" is not so much a theme as a sign to the reader that we want to take them somewhere fantastic: to another time, into the dark, into the arms of a lover, to another world, or to the dark recesses of the mind. All genres of fiction and all sizes/colors of art are eligible. Just show us something fantastic, something adventurous, something far out, something fun." Length: "Manuscripts must be between 1,000 and 25,000 words and not previously published by anyone but the author. Self-published works are accepted and encouraged!" [PBW notes: that's why it's so interesting] Payment: "Short Stories (1,000-7,000 words) — $125; Novelettes (7,001-13,000 words) — $250; Novellas (13,001-25,000 words) — Negotiable" Also noted: "The Dreadful Cafe is committed to socially responsible publishing. All after-cost proceeds from Thresholds and Membrane go to support St. Jude's Children's Hospital, because life is too short not to have fun and too precious not to do good." Query on reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: Website says "TBD" which I'll assume means to be decided; Ralan.com says "Until filled." Either way if you're interested I'd get your submission in asap.
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