Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 330
August 5, 2011
Vampires vs. Zombies by Caroline Bernard-Smith
Vampires were everywhere just a couple of short years ago. They were the hottest monster on the block, strutting their alabaster abs and mesmerizing eyes all over town as if they owned the place. Vampires are still everywhere of course, but now they have some competition. The zombies have awakened, clawing their way out of their shallow graves and slapping back in what's left of their teeth to groan and shuffle their way into the pages of the latest bestsellers. The war to decide the coolest monster is on. We'd already had Max Brooks's World War Z and the numerous works of horror aficionado Brian Keene, but when the festering undead stumbled into Jane Austen's universe in Seth Grahame-Smith's regency romance and zombies mash-up, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, it was obvious they were here to stay (as long as their rotting bodies held out, anyway). One of the latest offerings, and what really brought my attention to the genre due to its ridiculously beautiful cover, is Diana Rowland's My Life as a White Trash Zombie, a pretty little tale of undead rednecks in the swamps of southern Louisiana.
So what do zombies have that vampires don't? They're fun to smash up, certainly. So fun to smash up in fact that that's one of the reasons they've remained popular in horror movies for decades. But a good novel needs more than just blood and gore. Perhaps that's why zombie writers have somewhat copied their vampire-loving counterparts and shifted the point of view from the hapless victims on the run from the marauding undead, to the zombies themselves. This is a tactic I tried myself in my novella, The Undead Alliance. It tells the story of Gabriel, a normal nine-to-five guy who has the misfortune to meet the wrong kind of woman on a night out and subsequently wakes up dead. It even has romantic elements, which I thought was kind of edgy at the time but which I've since discovered is becoming pretty standard fare (just check out Isaac Marion's Warm Bodies if you don't believe me!) The problem I came up against was the 'grossness factor'. In the end I couldn't bring myself to make my characters go through with their bedroom scene. Human Daisy discovers the nest of maggots busily eating their way through a good portion of Gabriel's back and sensibly pushes him away in disgust. This 'grossness factor' is why I prefer me a good vampire. Both monsters can be exceptionally fun to write, causing mayhem and tearing through the world with little more than a casual regard for human life, but only vampires can kiss you without making you want to throw up in your mouth (unless you have a real aversion to the imbibing of human blood...)
They're both dead(er) in the water anyway, I have it on good authority that mummies are the next top monster.
Book blurb: JINN NATIONOnce, the vampire Dylan had feared nothing and no one. He'd rampaged throughout the world on a seemingly never ending quest to fill his eternal years with the finest, most outrageous extravagances; with exquisite, soft-limbed young women and copious amounts of rich, vibrating blood. But life, however full of joy, inevitably changes.
Finding himself alone for the first time in his long unlife, Dylan turns to the preternatural race of savage creatures called the jinn - a path that inevitably leads him to Christa, a strangely childlike woman with the power to control minds and read thoughts. Mutually intrigued by each other, they set out on a blood-soaked road trip that crosses the United States and the Atlantic Ocean, finally leading them beyond the world itself to the mysterious fae kingdoms of the Inbetween.
Author Bio:Caroline Barnard-Smith has been writing stories since she was five years old. Having graduated from the University of Portsmouth with a bachelor's degree in English Literature, she now lives in Devon, England with her husband and baby daughter where she writes about ruthless vampires, lovelorn zombies and heinous blood cults. Her short stories have been published in numerous small press magazines, including Ballista, Hungur and Night to Dawn, and on the web at Dark Fire Fiction.
Caroline's debut dark fantasy novel, Dunraven Road, was published by Immanion Press in June 2009. For various exciting reasons she's since turned her hand to indie publishing. Jinn Nation is her first full-length independently published novel. When she's not writing, Caroline is busy running her handmade craft business, CazzCraft, selling both online and at craft fairs.
Links:Website:http://www.carolinebarnardsmith.co.ukBlog:http://barnardsmith.wordpress.comFacebook:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Caroline-Barnard-Smith/83412182938Twitter:http://twitter.com/CazzySmithWhere to buy Jinn Nation: Paperback - https://www.createspace.com/3565931Amazon Kindle USA - http://www.amazon.com/Jinn-Nation-ebook/dp/B0058OE3JC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309947539&sr=8-1Amazon Kindle UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jinn-Nation-ebook/dp/B0058OE3JC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1309947612&sr=8-1Smashwords - http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/70355
August 4, 2011
Washington, D.C. Vacation Pics
Lincoln Memorial
Last week we took a few days for vacation and headed down to Washington, D.C. It's a fabulous city to visit. The monuments and museums are magnificent. Here's a few pics. They don't do the originals justice, but you can imagine how awesome they really are in person.
Jefferson Memorial
Thomas Jefferson
Capitol Building
Some of the most beautiful paintings in the world from the National Gallery of Art.
Marie Murer: Renoir, 1877
Breezing Up by Winslow
Homer, 1873-1876
Napolean Bonaparte
St. Martin, El Greco
And finally, there's no place like home; there's no place like home:
Dorothy's Ruby Red Slippers, Wizard of Oz
August 3, 2011
Interview with Anthony Balducci
Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book?Life, Liberty. . . and all the rest involves robotic clones of the U.S. Presidents that escape from an amusement park exhibit and find themselves being hunted down by an unorthodox team of security agents.
Briefly describe your journey in writing your first or latest book.It has been a long journey. I first got the idea for this book in 1973 after seeing a news story on television about a pastor condemning the Hall of Presidents exhibit at Disney World. He thought that, by creating humanoid robots, Disney was trying to play God.
Did you query agents and traditional publishers? I did query agents. More than one agent told me that, although they liked the book, they found it too hard to categorize. It has robots so it must be a science fiction book, but the robots are more human than machine and the science in the book is really beside the point. The agents thought this mash-up of genres would prevent a publisher from building an effective marketing strategy around the book. I try to compare the book Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It could just as easily be called Patriotism and Capitalism and Robots.
What lessons have you learned being an indie author vs. being traditionally published?It is a lot less pressure to hand a book to a publisher and let them take charge of the project. Honestly, I have never felt more stressed than working as an indie author. It has taken all of the courage and drive that I have inside of me to push forward every day and sell books on my own.
Did you design your cover art? I came up with the basic idea for the cover design. I wanted to keep the cover simple and to the point. I remembered a white cover that had as, its only graphic image, a blue glass marble. It was a cover that got my attention without having to do much work. So, I came up with idea of a robot hand holding a little American flag. My son, Griffin, volunteered to actually create the cover. I am really happy with how it came out.
What kinds of social media [twitter, facebook, webpage, blog, writing forums] are you involved with trying to garner publicity for your book(s)?I started out my promotional campaign by creating a blog. I have been a blogger for 11 years. I was blogging before they called it blogging. The book blog treats the book's escaped robots as if they really exist. It features news stories, an amusement park brochure, and photographic evidence of robot sightings. A few days ago, I set up a Facebook page for the George Washington robot.
Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?The book is only available in print format on Amazon and Amazon's CreateSpace. The ebook version of book is more widely available. It can be found on the Barnes & Noble site at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/life-liberty-and-all-the-rest-anthony-balducci/1031436106 and the Smashwords site at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/63918.
What is the best advice you can offer new authors?Be brave and believe in yourself. Forget who likes the book and who doesn't like the book. That's all subjective. The one undeniable fact is that not many people have the creativity and determination to write a book.
What's next for you?I have a film comedy book that will be released in the near future by a traditional publisher, McFarland. I am especially excited about this book because I believe that it will appeal to a wide range of readers. I have three other books in the pipeline. The first is a humorous science fiction story about a nervous expectant father who finds himself having a break from reality and imagines himself to be a futuristic intergalactic warrior known as Slaughterhouse Frome (which is also the title of the book). The second book will be my third and final book on the subject of film comedy. I guess, that makes it an epic trilogy. The last book is a tragicomic novel about a man suffering from a severe anxiety disorder.
Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?I love writing and I hate marketing. Whenever I am writing, I feel guilty that I am having too much fun and should be marketing. Whenever I am marketing, I get depressed and wish I was writing. I wish that I could build a robot to market the book for me. Some big giant Gort could show up at book signings and zap people with its laser-beam eyes if they don't buy a copy of the book.
August 2, 2011
Review: RELEASING GILLIAN'S WOLVES by Tara Woolpy
4 of 5 starsGillian Sachs is your typical stand-by-your-man political wife. Her husband, Jack, is handsome, charismatic and a real hound dog. He's had numerous affairs during his 30-year marriage, but his campaign manager, Mark, works diligently to cover them up. Gillian prefers to ignore them all and instead drowns her sorrow in cooking. She's a whiz in the kitchen; her cooking is legendary, and she caters all of Jack's events. That is, until the night she comes face-to-face with Jack's latest conquest, a young 20-something campaign worker. Time stands still for Gillian and her carefully crafted house of cards comes tumbling down. For the first time in 30 years, Gillian starts thinking and doing what's best for her.
Gillian moves into her cabin studio on their property and begins to dissect her life. She relies on her childhood friend, Edward and his partner, Sam to begin to understand what her next steps are; it's essentially a 30-year coming-of-age journey. The author does an excellent job of bringing Edward and Sam to life. They are as important to the story as Gillian is and I found myself laughing out loud at some of their conversations. Gillian is a broken woman and Ms. Woolpy helps the reader feel every emotion that Gillian feels as she begins to rebuild her life. The writing pulls you in—one moment light and breezy and the next, anguished suffering.
My only complaint with the story is all the passages describing in great detail every step of preparing some of the meals and the cooking process. While I understand that cooking is Gillian's passion, along with her painting, I would have preferred less description in the kitchen and more passages about her thought process while painting. It is her passion as an artist that finally saves Gillian and sends her on the path to a new life.
RELEASING GILLIAN'S WOLVES is an excellent story of one woman's path to personal salvation. Ms. Woolpy pulls you into the morass of Jack and Gillian in the opening pages and I happily turned page after page to find out what happened next. Recommended.
Review copy provided by the author.
August 1, 2011
My own NEW Release: ZIA'S PATH
YA post-apocalyptic novelette.
In this second novelette about crippled teenager, Abraham "Ham" Jones, and his tomboy partner, Zia Slate, the stakes are even higher. They have agreed to accept the memory weapons from their new guardian, Henry Lloyd, but with the power of the weapons comes the responsibility to follow "the right path." It's suppose to be simple: help one person at a time, but nothing in this harsh world is ever simple. It's a dog-eat-dog world where food is scarce and gangs rule the street.
When Ham decides to go into the worst gang-ridden area of the city to save a little girl, Zia doesn't think it's a good idea. It's too dangerous, but eventually she agrees and the two set off in search of the girl. When Zia goes off to scout ahead, Ham's worst nightmare comes true. Zia is snatched by slavers. Can Ham find out where she has been taken and mount a defense to save her in two days before she is sold as a sex slave?
Novelette is ~ 16,600 words
Buy links - .99:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Zias-Apocalyptic-Novelette-Future-ebook/dp/B005ESF7OC
BN:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/zias-path-debra-l-martin/1104530121?ean=2940013118843
SEQUEL to The Right Path, currently FREE on both Amazon and BN.
If you want to read about the creation of the "memory weapons," check out the PATH TO DESTRUCTION.
About us:
Debra L Martin writes SF/fantasy with her co-author, David W Small. They have been writing together since 2006 and have written two novels in the RULE OF OTHARIA series and three novelettes in the DARK FUTURE series. Debra lives on the East Coast with her husband and 3 cats. David lives on the West Coast with his wife and daughter. They are currently working on a fantasy they hope to finish in 2011.
July 31, 2011
#SampleSunday - ZIA'S PATH (Dystopian fiction)
I'm thrilled to share a sample from our newest release: ZIA'S PATH. This story is our third in our Dark Future series and is the sequel to THE RIGHT PATH (currently FREE on amazon and B&N).
Book blurb:
In this second novelette about crippled teenager, Abraham "Ham" Jones, and his tomboy partner, Zia Slate, the stakes are even higher. They have agreed to accept the memory weapons from their new guardian, Henry Lloyd, but with the power of the weapons comes the responsibility to follow "the right path." It's supposed to be simple: help one person at a time, but nothing in this harsh world is ever simple. It's a dog-eat-dog world where food is scarce and gangs rule the streets.
When Ham decides to go into the worst gang-ridden area of the city to save a little girl, Zia doesn't think it's a good idea. It's too dangerous, but eventually she agrees and the two set off in search of the girl. When Zia goes off to scout ahead, Ham's worst nightmare comes true. Zia is snatched by slavers. Can Ham find out where she has been taken and mount a defense to save her in two days before she is sold as a sex slave?
Excerpt:
Damn. It happened so fast! I didn't think anyone could sneak up on me like that. 'Course I was lookin' for that kid, the one Ham wanted to save, but I heard that goon one second too late. He grabbed my arm, threw me to the ground and put a knee in my back while he tied my hands together with a rough rope.
"Get the hell off me," I said, grunting through the pain of being slammed onto the concrete."Shut your stinking mouth," the big a-hole replied. He threw a bag over my head and dragged me to my feet.I tried to scream, but he smacked me upside my head."That's your last warning, sweet cheeks. Another sound outta you and I'll slice yer throat. Leave ya dead in the streets. Maybe your boyfriend can find you then."Boyfriend? Does he mean Ham? This goon must have seen him. Ham, are you close? I need you.The guy threw me in the back of some kind of van. I heard others inside, but I was too scared to say anything. That threat was too fresh in my mind. The thought of ending up dead in the gutter was something I didn't want to think about. I've seen the bodies, dead in the streets. They get puffy and smell like rotten meat. After a couple days, you can't even recognize them anymore. I didn't want to end up like that, so I just shut my mouth. Ham would find me; I just knew it.That's when the van started moving. I was so scared I thought I was gonna pee myself. The only thing that stopped me was that when Ham rescued me, he would laugh. I know exactly what he would say."You were so scared, you peed yourself." He would laugh and laugh and never let it go. I held on to the sound of his laughter. I wouldn't let this get to me, but who'd grabbed me? I had a couple ideas, but each one was worse than the one before. Another gang? Was someone after my knives? I'm nobody. Why bother with me? I heard another girl crying beside me, so I scooted over until I bumped into her. She jumped and squeaked like a mouse, but no one came back and hit us so I figured we must be alone. "Who got us?" I whispered.The stupid girl started crying louder and harder, and I just knew someone would hear her soon. "Hey, shut the hell up before they come and beat us."That did it; she quieted right down. She must have already got her share of being smacked around, so I asked her again: "Who got us?""Slavers…" was the only word that escaped between sobs."Crap!" I inhaled sharply. Slavers took girls off the street to sell as sex slaves. I was in deep shit. Why me? I looked like a thirteen-year-old boy, for God's sake. I had no soft curves or even boobs, yet. I didn't even have my hair down today. Maybe they would realize when they looked me over that they'd made a mistake. Maybe they would just let me go. Yeah, right. That's about the time I really started to worry. Ham wouldn't have any idea who snatched me or where I was taken. Who was left to save me?The ride didn't take long and, before I knew it, I was being dragged out of the van. Being blindfolded was the worst part. I had to wait until they took the hood off before I could see where I was or who had grabbed me. "Oh, look what we have here," the first voice said. I felt my knife being pulled out of my waistband. "You won't need this where you're going.""Let me see that knife," a second voice said. "Hey, I found it first. It's mine."Then I heard a smack and a muffled cry."It's mine now, a-hole; get these girls inside."I wisely kept my mouth shut during that little scuffle. I didn't want them to see what kind of knife it really was or what it could do. Old Henry said memory weapons were rare and real expensive. Maybe if I could escape, I could get the knife back. Crap! Henry is going to be mad that I've lost it already. Today is definitely not turning out as we planned.I silently cursed, knowing I should have waited for Ham to catch up to me. I shouldn't have gone so far ahead looking for that little girl. I still don't understand why she is so important to him. There are lots of lost kids out there that we could have helped today. Rough hands grabbed my arm and yanked me forward. I heard a door creak open and I was pulled through. That's when I heard it--crying, and lots of it. This new place smelled like old sweat and piss. It was so disgusting that I had to breathe through my mouth so I wouldn't smell it. Last thing I wanted was to gag and puke inside this hood on my head.The bag was finally pulled off. I was smashed up against a steel cage while my jailer took the opportunity to feel me up. I couldn't help it; I flinched when he lifted up my shirt. His calloused hands were rough against my skin, and when he pinched my nipples hard, I cried out. I felt the tears come and I blinked furiously trying to clear my eyes."Well, well, well, looks like we got ourselves a virgie, boys," he laughed, speaking to the other two men standing by the door. "This one is gonna require special handling. Go tell the boss what we got."Holy crap, I'm screwed.
Book blurb:
In this second novelette about crippled teenager, Abraham "Ham" Jones, and his tomboy partner, Zia Slate, the stakes are even higher. They have agreed to accept the memory weapons from their new guardian, Henry Lloyd, but with the power of the weapons comes the responsibility to follow "the right path." It's supposed to be simple: help one person at a time, but nothing in this harsh world is ever simple. It's a dog-eat-dog world where food is scarce and gangs rule the streets.
When Ham decides to go into the worst gang-ridden area of the city to save a little girl, Zia doesn't think it's a good idea. It's too dangerous, but eventually she agrees and the two set off in search of the girl. When Zia goes off to scout ahead, Ham's worst nightmare comes true. Zia is snatched by slavers. Can Ham find out where she has been taken and mount a defense to save her in two days before she is sold as a sex slave?
Excerpt:
Damn. It happened so fast! I didn't think anyone could sneak up on me like that. 'Course I was lookin' for that kid, the one Ham wanted to save, but I heard that goon one second too late. He grabbed my arm, threw me to the ground and put a knee in my back while he tied my hands together with a rough rope.
"Get the hell off me," I said, grunting through the pain of being slammed onto the concrete."Shut your stinking mouth," the big a-hole replied. He threw a bag over my head and dragged me to my feet.I tried to scream, but he smacked me upside my head."That's your last warning, sweet cheeks. Another sound outta you and I'll slice yer throat. Leave ya dead in the streets. Maybe your boyfriend can find you then."Boyfriend? Does he mean Ham? This goon must have seen him. Ham, are you close? I need you.The guy threw me in the back of some kind of van. I heard others inside, but I was too scared to say anything. That threat was too fresh in my mind. The thought of ending up dead in the gutter was something I didn't want to think about. I've seen the bodies, dead in the streets. They get puffy and smell like rotten meat. After a couple days, you can't even recognize them anymore. I didn't want to end up like that, so I just shut my mouth. Ham would find me; I just knew it.That's when the van started moving. I was so scared I thought I was gonna pee myself. The only thing that stopped me was that when Ham rescued me, he would laugh. I know exactly what he would say."You were so scared, you peed yourself." He would laugh and laugh and never let it go. I held on to the sound of his laughter. I wouldn't let this get to me, but who'd grabbed me? I had a couple ideas, but each one was worse than the one before. Another gang? Was someone after my knives? I'm nobody. Why bother with me? I heard another girl crying beside me, so I scooted over until I bumped into her. She jumped and squeaked like a mouse, but no one came back and hit us so I figured we must be alone. "Who got us?" I whispered.The stupid girl started crying louder and harder, and I just knew someone would hear her soon. "Hey, shut the hell up before they come and beat us."That did it; she quieted right down. She must have already got her share of being smacked around, so I asked her again: "Who got us?""Slavers…" was the only word that escaped between sobs."Crap!" I inhaled sharply. Slavers took girls off the street to sell as sex slaves. I was in deep shit. Why me? I looked like a thirteen-year-old boy, for God's sake. I had no soft curves or even boobs, yet. I didn't even have my hair down today. Maybe they would realize when they looked me over that they'd made a mistake. Maybe they would just let me go. Yeah, right. That's about the time I really started to worry. Ham wouldn't have any idea who snatched me or where I was taken. Who was left to save me?The ride didn't take long and, before I knew it, I was being dragged out of the van. Being blindfolded was the worst part. I had to wait until they took the hood off before I could see where I was or who had grabbed me. "Oh, look what we have here," the first voice said. I felt my knife being pulled out of my waistband. "You won't need this where you're going.""Let me see that knife," a second voice said. "Hey, I found it first. It's mine."Then I heard a smack and a muffled cry."It's mine now, a-hole; get these girls inside."I wisely kept my mouth shut during that little scuffle. I didn't want them to see what kind of knife it really was or what it could do. Old Henry said memory weapons were rare and real expensive. Maybe if I could escape, I could get the knife back. Crap! Henry is going to be mad that I've lost it already. Today is definitely not turning out as we planned.I silently cursed, knowing I should have waited for Ham to catch up to me. I shouldn't have gone so far ahead looking for that little girl. I still don't understand why she is so important to him. There are lots of lost kids out there that we could have helped today. Rough hands grabbed my arm and yanked me forward. I heard a door creak open and I was pulled through. That's when I heard it--crying, and lots of it. This new place smelled like old sweat and piss. It was so disgusting that I had to breathe through my mouth so I wouldn't smell it. Last thing I wanted was to gag and puke inside this hood on my head.The bag was finally pulled off. I was smashed up against a steel cage while my jailer took the opportunity to feel me up. I couldn't help it; I flinched when he lifted up my shirt. His calloused hands were rough against my skin, and when he pinched my nipples hard, I cried out. I felt the tears come and I blinked furiously trying to clear my eyes."Well, well, well, looks like we got ourselves a virgie, boys," he laughed, speaking to the other two men standing by the door. "This one is gonna require special handling. Go tell the boss what we got."Holy crap, I'm screwed.
July 28, 2011
ON HIATUS...
Hi All,
I'm going to be taking a short break from blogging to recharge my batteries. I will be back blogging again on or around, Wednesday, August 3, 2011.
In the meantime, there are plenty of guest posts, interviews, panel discussions and book reviews to read while I'm gone.
Here's a few funnies to pass the time:
I'm going to be taking a short break from blogging to recharge my batteries. I will be back blogging again on or around, Wednesday, August 3, 2011.
In the meantime, there are plenty of guest posts, interviews, panel discussions and book reviews to read while I'm gone.
Here's a few funnies to pass the time:
July 27, 2011
Lay vs. Lie - Do you get confused?
Do you get confused sometimes? Here's a post from the Grammar Girl. You can find other tips at her site: http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/
Lay Versus LieFirst, we'll do the easy part, which is the present tense...If you exclude the meaning "to tell an untruth" and just focus on the setting/reclining meaning of lay and lie, then the important distinction is that lay requires a direct object and lie does not. So you lie down on the sofa (no direct object), but you lay the book down on the table (the book is the direct object).
This is in the present tense, where you are talking about doing something now: you liedown on the sofa, and you lay down a book.
There are a bunch of ways to remember this part.How to Remember the DifferenceThe way I remember is to think of the phrase lay it on me. You're laying something (it, the direct object) on me. It's a catchy, dorky, 1970s kind of phrase, so I can remember it and remember that it is correct.
What's that I hear, music in the background? I know I don't normally play music, but I love Eric Clapton, and his song Lay Down Sally can actually help you remember the difference between lay and lie... [record screeching sound] because he's wrong.
To say "lay down Sally" would imply that someone should grab Sally and lay her down. If he wanted Sally to rest in his arms on her own, the correct line would be "lie down Sally."It's pretty easy; you laysomething down, and people lie down by themselves.We don't have to judge Clapton on his grammar; we can still love his music and at the same time know that it's grammatically incorrect! In fact, that helps us remember, and we can love him more.
If you're more of a Bob Dylan fan, you can remember that "Lay Lady Lay" is also wrong. The lyrics should be "Lie lady lie, lie across my big brass bed."
OK, so that was the present tense. It's pretty easy; you lay something down, people lie down by themselves, and Eric Clapton can help us remember. Lay Versus Lie in the Past TenseBut then everything goes all haywire, because lay is the past tense of lie. It's a total nightmare! I tried and tried to come up with a mnemonic for this, but I couldn't do it. Instead, I've made a table that you can print out from the website and tape up over your desk or in your notebook, because you just have to memorize this or look it up every time.
[image error]How to Conjugate Lay and LieHere's how to conjugate these two verbs:
The past tense of lie is lay, so
Last week, Steve lay down on the floor.
The cat lay in the mud after it rained yesterday.
The past tense of lay is laid, so
Last week, I laid the TPS report on your desk.
Mary forcefully laid her ring on the table.
The past participle of lie is lain, so
Steve has lain on the floor for days.
The cat has lain in the mud for hours.
The past participle of lay is laid, so
I have laid the TPS report on your desk.
Mary has forcefully laid her ring on the table.
Don't feel bad if you can't remember these right away. Practice will help, and truthfully, I still have to look them up every time I use them. It's just important to know what you know, and what you don't know, and to go to the trouble to look it up and get it right because these are hard-and-fast rules.
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/
July 26, 2011
Dale Chihuly Glass Exhibit
I had the privilege recently to go see the Dale Chihuly glass exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts. It was absolutely spectacular. He has had exhibits all over the world to great acclaim. I have seen quite a few of his pieces in different venues, but this is the first time I've seen so many all together. The pictures I took just don't do the pieces justice, but I wanted to share anyway. Enjoy!!
About the Artist:
Born in 1941 in Tacoma, Washington, Dale Chihuly was introduced to glass while studying interior design at the University of Washington. After graduating in 1965, Chihuly enrolled in the first glass program in the country, at the University of Wisconsin. He continued his studies at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he later established the glass program and taught for more than a decade.In 1968, after receiving a Fulbright Fellowship, he went to work at the Venini glass factory in Venice. There he observed the team approach to blowing glass, which is critical to the way he works today. In 1971, Chihuly cofounded Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State. With this international glass center, Chihuly has led the avant-garde in the development of glass as a fine art.His work is included in more than 200 hundred museum collections worldwide. He has been the recipient of many awards, including ten honorary doctorates and two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts.Chihuly has created more than a dozen well-known series of works, among them Cylinders and Baskets in the 1970s; Seaforms, Macchia, Venetians, and Persians in the 1980s; Niijima Floats and Chandeliers in the 1990s; and Fiori in the 2000s. He is also celebrated for large architectural installations. In 1986, he was honored with a solo exhibition, Dale Chihuly objets de verre, at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Palais du Louvre, in Paris. In 1995, he began Chihuly Over Venice, for which he created sculptures at glass factories in Finland, Ireland, and Mexico, then installed them over the canals and piazzas of Venice.In 1999, Chihuly mounted a challenging exhibition, Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem; more than 1 million visitors attended the Tower of David Museum to view his installations. In 2001, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London curated the exhibition Chihuly at the V&A. Chihuly's lifelong affinity for glasshouses has grown into a series of exhibitions within botanical settings. His Garden Cycle began in 2001 at the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago. Chihuly exhibited at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, near London, in 2005. Other major exhibition venues include the de Young Museum in San Francisco, in 2008, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in 2011.
About the Artist:
Born in 1941 in Tacoma, Washington, Dale Chihuly was introduced to glass while studying interior design at the University of Washington. After graduating in 1965, Chihuly enrolled in the first glass program in the country, at the University of Wisconsin. He continued his studies at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he later established the glass program and taught for more than a decade.In 1968, after receiving a Fulbright Fellowship, he went to work at the Venini glass factory in Venice. There he observed the team approach to blowing glass, which is critical to the way he works today. In 1971, Chihuly cofounded Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State. With this international glass center, Chihuly has led the avant-garde in the development of glass as a fine art.His work is included in more than 200 hundred museum collections worldwide. He has been the recipient of many awards, including ten honorary doctorates and two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts.Chihuly has created more than a dozen well-known series of works, among them Cylinders and Baskets in the 1970s; Seaforms, Macchia, Venetians, and Persians in the 1980s; Niijima Floats and Chandeliers in the 1990s; and Fiori in the 2000s. He is also celebrated for large architectural installations. In 1986, he was honored with a solo exhibition, Dale Chihuly objets de verre, at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Palais du Louvre, in Paris. In 1995, he began Chihuly Over Venice, for which he created sculptures at glass factories in Finland, Ireland, and Mexico, then installed them over the canals and piazzas of Venice.In 1999, Chihuly mounted a challenging exhibition, Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem; more than 1 million visitors attended the Tower of David Museum to view his installations. In 2001, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London curated the exhibition Chihuly at the V&A. Chihuly's lifelong affinity for glasshouses has grown into a series of exhibitions within botanical settings. His Garden Cycle began in 2001 at the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago. Chihuly exhibited at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, near London, in 2005. Other major exhibition venues include the de Young Museum in San Francisco, in 2008, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in 2011.
July 25, 2011
Interview with J.A. Paul
Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? My latest book Gladius and the Bartlett Trial is a fantasy adventure novel for Middle Grade readers on up.
When fifteen year-old Gladius Oldmont is thrust from his peaceful home into the dangerous Longwood Forest he finds himself pitted against a tyrant who has been terrorizing the lands in search of answers to an ancient secret that could unlock absolute power.
From the shadows of Longwood Forest to the Hills of the Moon, Gladius must survive encounters with a near extinct scimitar cat, an ornery dragon, a horde of death bats and a tumultuous underground river which leads to a subterranean labyrinth of tunnels. Along the way, he makes new acquaintances and discovers the true meaning of friendship, including Elle – a girl who captivates his heart.
Can Gladius and friends solve the riddle of the ancient secret before the evil Mulhurt does? If they can, will they be able to do anything about it?
Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?No, I have never tried to go the traditional route. No reason, I just did not go that route.
Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?Not really. However I did have several beta readers, but most of my improvement came from working directly with an editor.
What factors influenced your decision to self-publish to Amazon? Do you like having total control?Amazon makes it do-able for the do it yourself-type writers and that appealed to me. It's not really a 'being in total control thing' for me as I will listen to anyone's ideas. If they improve my writing, the story or the book, I will use the ideas if I can.
Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?Yes, I worked with an editor for three months with Gladius and it was the best money/time I spent on this process. Just above hiring a professional cover artist as I feel that is crucial as well.
What have you learned during your self-publishing journey?Writing the book is the easy part. Marketing, selling and getting it out to my target audience is the hardest part. My target audience is the preteen and teenage readers and most of them are not really into viewing author blogs or checking out author websites. My own 11yo son said, 'great website, Dad, but I don't know any friends of mine who check out author websites'. Still, you have to have one just in case that one reader decides to look you up!
Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?Yes, Barnes and Noble and Goodreads. I also have a signed print version for sale on my website www.authorJAP.com as well as a PDF file using PayPal.I have also seen Gladius available at stores like Abebooks and Booktopia.
What kinds of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for promoting your book(s)?I am on Twitter and I do some Facebook stuff on my JA Paul author page. I do try to interact with readers through these social platforms and love it when I see a review on Twitter or Facebook.
Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?I write every morning so my writing comes first. I will then go online and interact with people throughout the day. For instance, the other night I received an email from a Boy Scout troop who told me they read my book while at camp by lantern light and loved it! I thought that was awesome!
What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?Read as much as you can. Write as much as you can, then write some more. Learn the craft and practice it by writing. Find a good editor. Get your 10,000 hours or your first million words in as fast as you can. 1,000 words a day for 3 years! It's do-able if you really want to be a writer.
What's next for you?I am currently just over 60,000 words in book II of the Gladius series, which will come out in the fall of 2011. Then I hope to sneak in a couple short stories that have been screaming to get out before I move on to writing book III, the final chapter of the Gladius adventure series.
When fifteen year-old Gladius Oldmont is thrust from his peaceful home into the dangerous Longwood Forest he finds himself pitted against a tyrant who has been terrorizing the lands in search of answers to an ancient secret that could unlock absolute power.
From the shadows of Longwood Forest to the Hills of the Moon, Gladius must survive encounters with a near extinct scimitar cat, an ornery dragon, a horde of death bats and a tumultuous underground river which leads to a subterranean labyrinth of tunnels. Along the way, he makes new acquaintances and discovers the true meaning of friendship, including Elle – a girl who captivates his heart.
Can Gladius and friends solve the riddle of the ancient secret before the evil Mulhurt does? If they can, will they be able to do anything about it?
Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?No, I have never tried to go the traditional route. No reason, I just did not go that route.
Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?Not really. However I did have several beta readers, but most of my improvement came from working directly with an editor.
What factors influenced your decision to self-publish to Amazon? Do you like having total control?Amazon makes it do-able for the do it yourself-type writers and that appealed to me. It's not really a 'being in total control thing' for me as I will listen to anyone's ideas. If they improve my writing, the story or the book, I will use the ideas if I can.
Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?Yes, I worked with an editor for three months with Gladius and it was the best money/time I spent on this process. Just above hiring a professional cover artist as I feel that is crucial as well.
What have you learned during your self-publishing journey?Writing the book is the easy part. Marketing, selling and getting it out to my target audience is the hardest part. My target audience is the preteen and teenage readers and most of them are not really into viewing author blogs or checking out author websites. My own 11yo son said, 'great website, Dad, but I don't know any friends of mine who check out author websites'. Still, you have to have one just in case that one reader decides to look you up!
Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?Yes, Barnes and Noble and Goodreads. I also have a signed print version for sale on my website www.authorJAP.com as well as a PDF file using PayPal.I have also seen Gladius available at stores like Abebooks and Booktopia.
What kinds of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for promoting your book(s)?I am on Twitter and I do some Facebook stuff on my JA Paul author page. I do try to interact with readers through these social platforms and love it when I see a review on Twitter or Facebook.
Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?I write every morning so my writing comes first. I will then go online and interact with people throughout the day. For instance, the other night I received an email from a Boy Scout troop who told me they read my book while at camp by lantern light and loved it! I thought that was awesome!
What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?Read as much as you can. Write as much as you can, then write some more. Learn the craft and practice it by writing. Find a good editor. Get your 10,000 hours or your first million words in as fast as you can. 1,000 words a day for 3 years! It's do-able if you really want to be a writer.
What's next for you?I am currently just over 60,000 words in book II of the Gladius series, which will come out in the fall of 2011. Then I hope to sneak in a couple short stories that have been screaming to get out before I move on to writing book III, the final chapter of the Gladius adventure series.
