Rebecca Enzor's Blog, page 4

One Month to SPEAK THE OCEAN!

Happy Monday Aledan Merfolk! The last few weeks have been full of exciting news, and so many of you have told me you can’t wait to read StO. Well guess what? YOU HAVE LESS THAN A MONTH TO WAIT!

[image error]

That’s right! SPEAK THE OCEAN will be out in e-book and trade paperback on July 9th! In fact, you can pre-order the Kindle book right now! If you prefer another e-book source or trade paperback, those will be available on the ninth

Sooooooon!

Happy Friday Aledan Merfolk! I have SO MANY fun things to share with you soon, but I’m still waiting for a couple links to do so. But I can tell you that you’ll get to see the cover for SPEAK THE OCEAN soon! And you’ll be able to preorder it soon too! And it comes out this summer! And if you sign up for my newsletter you’ll get a sneak peek at the stickers I made for StO, which includes a sneak peek at part of the cover

So…It’s Been A While

Happy Monday, Aledan Merfolk! It’s been a while since I’ve posted, mostly because my website keeps crashing and I don’t want to deal with it this year. But, if you haven’t been here in a while, take a look around (assuming the website doesn’t crash). I’ve changed a few things, and added a Books page where you can find the Goodreads link to Speak The Ocean (still waiting on a publishing date, although it looks like it’ll probably be sometime in July next year?) and buy links for Putting The Science In Fiction!

Last time I updated you, I told you about all the exciting things that were going to happen this fall, and guess what? They’ve all happened! And I have more exciting things on the way! Ok, one exciting thing on the way. Assuming the editors at the City Paper accept it, my short story set in StO’s world will be appearing in the Literary Edition on December 26th! I’ll try to remember to post on the blog to remind you, but I guarantee I’ll post to remind you on Twitter and Facebook, so maybe add me on one of those platforms so you don’t miss it

Let’s Put Some SCIENCE In Your FICTION!

Happy Wednesday, Aledan Merfolk! If you saw me online at all yesterday, I’m sure you know that PUTTING THE SCIENCE IN FICTION is finally out in the world! PSIF is an awesome resource for authors, covering topics from basic lab practices, to how the ocean can kill you (I’m excited for that one!), to the science of Star Wars. Have an official description:

[image error]This book brings together scientists, physicians, engineers, and other experts to help you:

Understand the basic principles of science, technology, and medicine that are frequently featured in fiction.
Avoid common pitfalls and misconceptions to ensure technical accuracy.
Write realistic and compelling scientific elements that will captivate readers.
Brainstorm and develop new science- and technology-based story ideas.

  Whether writing about mutant monsters, rogue viruses, giant spaceships, or even murders and espionage, Putting the Science in Fiction will have something to help every writer craft better fiction.

 

Pretty cool, huh? And today we’re going to focus on that last bullet point: brainstorming new science-based story ideas. NaNoWriMo is next month, and I’m here to help you put some science in your fiction.

My essay in PSIF focuses on Proper Lab Technique, so let’s start there. What do you think of when you think of a laboratory? White lab coats, check (actually mine is dark blue because spills don’t show as well). Safety glasses to protect your eyes, check. Latex and/or nitrile gloves, check. Vials of fun colored liquid….

Probably not. While I have worked in a lab with lots of fun colored liquids (let’s hear it for Radium-228!), most labs these days are full of instrumentation instead.

 

What type(s) of research are your characters doing? What types of instrumentation or equipment will you find in their lab? (Not a complete list)

Wet chemistry will involve some of those pretty colored liquids everyone’s so fond of. Usually this type of chemistry is done to extract a certain compound.
Analytical chemistry uses instrumentation like Mass Spectrometers to test for the amounts of certain chemicals in a sample of water, soil, vegetation or tissue.
Genetics research uses gel electrophoresis and thermal cyclers.
Medical research uses a variety of wet and dry chemistry.

 

What dangers do your characters have to be aware of in their lab? (Not a complete list)

Strong acids and bases.
Explosions.
Neurotoxins.
Broken glassware/cuts.
Syringes.
Dry ice.

 

How can your antagonist take advantage of the equipment and the dangers in the lab? Acids are always a fun option. A centrifuge tube of dry ice and methanol will make a nice, loud explosion. Nearly everything in the lab is flammable. And muffle furnaces are a nice way to get rid of evidence.

 

How can your protagonist use the equipment and chemicals to stop your antagonist? Did your antagonist leave behind a chemical that can be analyzed and traced to the source? Find some DNA? Will they turn full-on anti-hero and use the same chemicals/equipment as the antagonist?

 

Leave your ideas in the comments below, and don’t forget to sign up below to win a copy of PUTTING THE SCIENCE IN FICTION!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

PitchWars Wishlist!

Who I am:

Hey Everyone! I’m Rebecca Enzor, an analytical chemist and fantasy author from Charleston, SC, and this year I’m mentoring adult SFF. Since you’re here, you probably know I’m a huge fan of mermaids. I’m also a fan of science, and went to school for fisheries biology. I took these two loves and turned them into a book called SPEAK THE OCEAN, which is basically a mashup of BLACKFISH and THE LITTLE MERMAID. Mermaids at Sea World. It’s full of sciencey goodness, but also a good ol’ heaping of fantasy, which explains the things I love most pretty well. I’m also part of the PUTTING THE SCIENCE IN FICTION anthology by fellow PitchWars mentor Dan Koboldt, which means I can help you get your science right (or your pseudo-science right-ish, because I love making up pseudo-science).

 

[image error]

What I’m looking for:

My favorite is low fantasy, bordering on magical realism. If you have just one magical element in an otherwise normal world, I’m your girl (like I said, I like science, so realistic fantasy is my jam). I also like the feel of big, epic stories (THE LIGHT BEARER by Donna Gillespie is my favorite book and does this so well. FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK is another example). Low fantasy + epic stories = definitely send it to me!

I love historical fantasy, because it takes the real and adds magic/mythology (for instance: FROM UNSEEN FIRE by Cass Morris). Same with contemporary fantasy or paranormal fantasy (although I’m not your gal for vampires/werewolves/angels/zombies – see below).

I love dark fantasy and light fantasy and humorous fantasy. If you have an anti-heroine like Lada from AND I DARKEN? Send her to me! If you have something that’ll make me feel light and fuzzy like a fantasy version of WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI? Send it to me! If you have something that’ll make me laugh out loud like KILL THE FARM BOY? PLEASE send it to me! The same goes for Sci-fi. Funny Sci-Fi is the best. (MECHANICAL FAILURE by Joe Zieja is my favorite funny sci-fi)

For Sci-Fi I’m looking for all the pseudo-science! It needs to make sense, but if you can come up with something that doesn’t obviously break the universe, send it to me. The more character-centered the better (think A LONG WAY TO A SMALL, ANGRY PLANET, SEVENEVES, or THE BOBIVERSE trilogy). I love to read hard sci-fi, but I’m no astrophysicist, so if you don’t know the numbers for re-entry to the atmosphere, neither do I. If your book is about nuclear or analytical chemistry, though? I KNOW THOSE NUMBERS. Send it

It’s going to be an exciting fall!

Happy Monday, Aledan Merfolk! I am rolling in exciting news for the second half of the year, so strap in and let’s do this.

First up: I’m going to be a PitchWars mentor! If you aren’t familiar with PitchWars, it’s a mentoring program for aspiring authors to get their books ready for querying/submissions, with an agent showcase at the end. If you’re an author with a finished manuscript, check it out and see if you might be interested. Even if you aren’t picked as a mentee, the community surrounding PitchWars is super helpful and definitely helped me get StO ready for querying.

[image error]I also have an auction up for a query/synopsis critique at Authors For Families. All proceeds go to helping reunite immigrant families, and there are books, critiques, even a website design package up for grabs! Head over before July 31st to bid

Updates and Author Headshots!

Happy Friday, Aledan Merfolk!

If you follow me on Twitter, I promised yesterday that I’d show off my author headshots today! If that’s what you’re here for, feel free to skip the update and scroll down for the photos

Science Tuesday: March’s Science News 2018

Happy Tuesday, Aledan Merfolk! I have updates for you later this week or early next week, but since today is the first Tuesday of the month, it’s time for all of last month’s science news! (Yes, I missed February, but I’ll tell you why in my update post) Let’s go!

Researchers discover hydrogen signature of universe’s first stars

Moss in concrete parking lot home to new species of tardigrade

Ancient skull among artifacts found in North Sea

Makeup of gut microbiome is most influenced by environment

Synthetic molecule can light up TB bacteria for easier detection

Scientists create device for tumor-specific extracellular vesicle capture

7,000-year-old Native American burial ground found submerged near Fla.

Huge family tree gives researchers clues about human movements, relationships (there’s a couple partial graphics of the family tree in the article and it looks really cool)

Mummies show ancient Egyptians had tattoos earlier than thought

Second powerful weather-tracking satellite launched

Researchers seek new ways to limit when CRISPR editing goes off-target

and…

Researchers develop technique for more precise CRISPR targeting

and…

Follow-up study reverses controversial CRISPR-Cas9 findings

Science Tuesday: All of January’s Science News

Ok, so Science Tuesday is coming to you on a Thursday because I couldn’t get into my blog for two days (I’m not sure why, but it’s letting me today, so I’m just going to shrug and go with it). I know we’re all VERY EXCITED (or bafflingly pissed off) about the car in space, but there’s a ton of other cool science stuff that’s been going on, so let’s get to it!

Ancient writings in mummy cases seen via new scanning technique

Snakes’ venom can be used to learn more about pain

Research projects focus on artificial ovaries to help cancer survivors conceive

Disoriented sea turtle hatchlings exhibit a lot of stamina

Pacific Northwest’s mountains may have been shaped with help from salmon

New egg for long-lived albatross Wisdom (Ok, someone needs to rewrite this headline because it’s worded so poorly, so here we go: Wisdom, a 67-year-old albatross, laid her 36th egg, which is pretty damn impressive)

Metalens uses nanofins to focus almost all of visible light spectrum

Jazz musicians’ improvisation gives their brains a creative edge

UK’s new AI system could help find heart, lung diseases sooner

Jellyfish collagen promising in wound treatment (Yes! I want to be part-jellyfish!)

Ancient baby’s DNA reveals previously unknown Native American ancestors

Massive bubbles observed on surface of distant red-giant star

Male Australian peacock spiders court females with abdominal rainbow

Bacteria genetically modified to create ultrasound-detectable noise

Ancient clay stamp found in Jerusalem hints at city’s government structure

Bleaching events in world’s coral reefs accelerating

Genes linked to exploration in birds may help them adapt to climate change

Bonobos seem to prefer hinderers over helpers

New prime number record holder more than 23M digits long

Mice treated with gene therapy see temporary relief from type 1 diabetes

Device may offer long-sought relief for tinnitus sufferers

Astronomers use new technique to spot alien planets

Adventure book fragments found in wreckage of Blackbeard’s ship

Story of Earth’s creation seen in ancient Mexico stone structure

Cooling drool may help blowflies regulate their temperatures (I LOVE Scientists. They want to know everything, including how flies keep cool in summer)

Debris from asteroid indicates impact in Southeast Asia

Fungus behind deadly white nose syndrome in bats sensitive to UV light

Hole in ozone layer is healing

Researchers learning how El Nino affects Antarctica’s melting ice shelves

Ancient shark species possibly megalodon ancestor

Scientists concerned about dolphins dying in Brazil

Longer brain rhythms could be seizure indicator

Ingestible capsule examines gastrointestinal system

Amazon home to rare hybrid bird species

Shipwrecks, lighthouse found off coast of Mexico

Huge endangered water lily pads bounce back in Paraguay

Working human muscle created using skin cells

Immune reactions may make CRISPR-Cas9 ineffective in humans

Self-healing muscle could be used in prostheses

New clues about fast radio bursts emerge

Dolphins seem to recognize themselves in mirrors at early age

Walruses, flying foxes prefer to keep their young on their left sides

Oldest butterfly-scale fossils found in Germany

Ointment shows promise in treating drug-resistant bacteria

Areas of subsurface water ice on Mars revealed by erosion

Distant supermassive black hole observed burping twice

Astronomers to use Hubble observations to learn about Europa water plumes

Fossils of 113-million-year-old dinosaur found in Australia

Study finds evidence that world’s freshwater is acidifying

Space travel can hurt astronauts’ eye nerves

Ancient desert farmers may have used Silk Road travelers’ irrigation advice

Banquet hall find reveals clues about ancient Moche civilization in Peru

Scientists identify new lemur species

Genome size may have played role in flowering plants’ global dominance

New model sheds light on eyes of hurricanes

Fleas, lice on humans, rather than rats, spread medieval plague (the rats have been absolved of blame!)

161-million-year-old dinosaur boasted iridescent plumage

Illegal pot farms may be exposing Calif. owls to rat poison, researchers say

Private genetic testing for potential baby characteristics raises concerns

Creative thinking driven by key brain connections

Speed of stars at Milky Way’s center may help answer questions about bulge

Salmonella likely caused mystery 16th-century epidemic

Scientists chase elusive measurement of universe’s expansion speed

Scythian royals may be interred at ancient Siberian burial site

Tomb of Tut’s wife may be hidden in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings

Necropsy shows how dolphin was suffocated by octopus it was trying to eat

Gene encodes virus-like protein to transfer information between neurons

Prostate cancer’s spread may be spurred by high-fat diet

Small version of gamma ray burst created in lab

Pair of flooded cave systems join to create world’s largest underwater cavern

Images of DNA in action may lead to new cancer drugs

Periodic table created for 2D metals

Fluorescing bones discovered in chameleons

Environmental factors may have triggered antelopes’ mass die-off

NASA, NOAA scientists put 2017 in top 3 of world’s hottest years

Genetically modified yeasts engineered to not breed with natural plants

Distant stars may help spacecraft navigate in deep space

Hunter-gatherers can identify smells better

New swift moving robotic arm is composed of DNA

Changing weather in Arctic may threaten musk oxen

Researchers exploring use of self-healing fungi in concrete

Ancient Viking comb could hold clues to language evolution

Team works to re-create face of ancient woman (she looks familiar…)

Ancient underwater volcanoes revealed in 3D seismic reflection-produced map

Global sea level may be feature of Saturn moon Titan

West Nile virus lingers longer in sparrows exposed to light pollution

Microplastics pollution found on Scottish archipelago’s beaches

8 types of cancer found with CancerSeek (this is amazing! It can even detect cancers that currently have no screening test)

508-million-year-old worm fossil discovered

Eliminating dark matter DNA could solve scientific puzzle

Dust storms causing loss of water on Mars

Pair of research teams create ultra-thin mirrors with excitons

Rare blind golden-line barbel fish discovered in Chinese cavern

Device uses metamaterial to carry sound from underwater to air

Stars with extra lithium baffle astronomers

“Hot Jupiter” exoplanet’s winds blow in unusual direction

Scientists debate existence of pheromones

Scientists express concern that CWD will jump the gap from deer to people (cooking doesn’t destroy the prion)

Researchers clone monkeys for first time

Scientists rebuild rare mummified woolly rhino

Shape of human brains got more rounded over time

Battle between Irish fighters, Vikings described in medieval text

Researchers encouraged to look beyond oxygen for signs of alien life. “What’s exciting is that our suggestion is doable and may lead to the historic discovery of an extraterrestrial biosphere in the not-too-distant future,” said David Catling, a co-author of the study. (ALIENS YOU GUYS)

Distant dwarf planet Haumea boasts a super-fast spin

Ancient jawbone suggests earlier exit from Africa for modern humans

Plastics found on one-third of Asia-Pacific’s coral reefs

New population of rare red handfish found off Tasmania coast

Study finds hepatitis C drug sofosbuvir effectively treats Zika infections

Canadian study to use repurposed cancer drugs to treat cerebral malaria

Crystals within volcanoes may aid in eruption predictions

Storms may be exacerbated by airborne pollution particles

South Africa researchers concerned about city’s worsening water crisis

Book outlines benefits of swearing (Fuck Yeah!)

Milky Way’s dark matter could be forming in smaller clumps

Site of ancient temple found in China

Poor childhood sleep may increase obesity, cancer risk later

Food scientist to develop hypoallergenic peanut with $275,000 in grants

Rare dinosaur fossil uncovered in Egypt

Cats’ paw preference likely determined by sex

Birds conjure image of predator when they hear certain sounds

Small device used for human-genome sequencing

Proteins help cells pack chromosomes prior to division

Living in bat-filled caves may be spurring change of species in crocodiles

Killer whale displays ability to mimic human sounds (now get them out of the tiny pools and back into the wild, yes?)

Archaeopteryx fossil may be oldest of its kind ever found

New temperate conifer species found on Korean island

Rare super blue blood moon occurs

Brain-stimulation device may help slow progress of Alzheimer’s

Prenatal low-carb diet may increase neural tube defect risk, study finds

~~~~~

If you want to receive the same daily science emails I do, you can sign up for the Sigma Xi SmartBrief .

Happy New Year (on day 10…)

Hi Aledan Merfolk *sheepishly waves* It’s been a while, yeah?

[image error] YAllFest Friends!

I have to admit, that compared to the first half of the year (baby niece, NYC, book contract, my mom’s new kidney), the second half of the year was not quite as exciting, with the huge exceptions of Nebo Retreat and YAllFest (any time a bunch of authors get together it’s exciting and memorable!). I met a bunch of new friends at YAllFest, and hung out with a bunch of old friends I only see once a year, so that weekend was a blast. The weekend before YAllFest, Hubs met his author idol, so November was a huge literary awesomeness month for us.

Most of October and November I spent working the late shift at the lab, so I listened to lots of books, but didn’t have the brain power for much else. I listened to and/or read AGE OF MYTH by Michael J Sullivan (CHOCK FULL OF AWESOME WOMEN), NOW I RISE by Kiersten White (oh Radu, I just want to give him a hug), COMMUNICATION FAILURE by Joe Zieja (which I’ve now listened to three times because it’s hilarious), THE BOOK OF SWORDS Anthology, PARADOX BOUND by Peter Clines (I love Clines, and I will literally listen to anything Ray Porter narrates), THE LAST WISH by Andrzej Sapkowski (it’s the first Witcher book – Hubs is obsessed with the game and now the book series so I tried it), DEAR MARTIN by Nic Stone (this was the most intense book I’ve ever read, and written in such a strange, stand-offish way that I have no idea how she pulled the intensity off. It’s amazing), ARTEMIS by Andy Weir (even better than The Martian), A PLAGUE OF GIANTS by Kevin Hearne (I was worried I wouldn’t like this one, because it’s so different from The Iron Druid Chronicles, but I think it was my second favorite fantasy of the year, behind The Stone Sky), and STRANGE THE DREAMER by Liana Taylor (which left me with a lot of conflicting emotions that I haven’t untangled yet).

Now I’m re-listening to the Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown and reading EMPRESS OF A THOUSAND SKIES by Rhoda Belleza (who I met at YAllFest and had nails to match her book!)

[image error]

Whew. Told you I did nothing but read this fall! Well, read and play WoW. I got my fellow author and pony fanatic, Courtney Moulton, into my guild and we’ve been playing almost every night. I even started doing raids *gasp* My hunter’s a badass now (her name is Kindra, duh), and I finally learned how to play feral druid! My baby druid, Karigan, is blowing through Northrend *sniffles* They grow so fast *wipes away tear*

As for 2018, it started with a snowstorm that shut down Charleston for FOUR DAYS. So instead of a week off between Christmas and New Years, I ended up with a second week off as well…and a horrible cold from playing in the snow without proper winter boots (they don’t even sell proper winter boots here). My cold is finally abating, and I plan to be around the blog a lot more this year, especially since I’ll be posting interviews with my fellow 2018 debut authors! I also plan to get a newsletter started, to keep you all updated on Speak the Ocean’s journey to publication! This is going to be an exciting year of edit letters and cover reveals and book birthdays ^_^

Until then, I’m working on Regina, my revenge-murder sci-fi that’s so much fun!

Have a wonderful week, Aledans! I’ll see you all soon