Patti O'Shea's Blog, page 170
March 1, 2012
FREE! Dark Awakening is Free!
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For a limited time, Dark Awakening (my novella set in the Crimson City world) is available for free! Please pick up a copy and share this news with any other book lovers you know.
Dark Awakening for Kindle
Dark Awakening in EPUB format
Dark Awakening in other formats
Just an FYI, Dark Awakening was first published in 2007 as part of the Shards of Crimson anthology.
About Dark Awakening:
Kimi Noguchi is working as an intern for an advertising agency in Crimson City and she's discovered that she's a kijo or witch. She thinks having talent is cool, but her magic attracts the attention of a power-hungry Bak-Faru demon and she's forced to call on another demon, Nicodemus, for help.
Nic made a promise to stay away from Kimi for her own good, but now that she's summoned him, all bets are off. She's his vishtau mate, a bond held in reverence by all demons, and he's not about to let this opportunity pass him by. Nic plans to protect, woo and win his woman.
For a limited time, Dark Awakening (my novella set in the Crimson City world) is available for free! Please pick up a copy and share this news with any other book lovers you know.
Dark Awakening for Kindle
Dark Awakening in EPUB format
Dark Awakening in other formats
Just an FYI, Dark Awakening was first published in 2007 as part of the Shards of Crimson anthology.
About Dark Awakening:
Kimi Noguchi is working as an intern for an advertising agency in Crimson City and she's discovered that she's a kijo or witch. She thinks having talent is cool, but her magic attracts the attention of a power-hungry Bak-Faru demon and she's forced to call on another demon, Nicodemus, for help.
Nic made a promise to stay away from Kimi for her own good, but now that she's summoned him, all bets are off. She's his vishtau mate, a bond held in reverence by all demons, and he's not about to let this opportunity pass him by. Nic plans to protect, woo and win his woman.
February 28, 2012
Picture Board for IN THE DARKEST NIGHT
I collect pictures as I write. Characters, places, rooms, things--whatever I think will help me. I've forever wanted to share these pictures and now, thanks to Pinterest, I can. I'm working on putting together a board for each book. Some, like In the Darkest Night, have pretty full boards. Others are sparser. It's pretty easy to pick out which books I was writing after I got high speed internet and which ones I was writing while I still had nothing except dial up.
I'm going to highlight one board at a time on my blog and I'll start with In the Darkest Night.
[image error] IN THE DARKEST NIGHT Picture BoardThis book has probably the most extensive collection of pictures. Not only do I have all the characters, I have Kel's brand, the knife Farran conjured during a battle, and lots of pictures of Kel's house from the opening of the book. His house isn't my style, but it's beautiful so I couldn't resist pinning so many pictures.
I hope you enjoy a chance to see how I envisioned things and people as I wrote.
I'm going to highlight one board at a time on my blog and I'll start with In the Darkest Night.
[image error] IN THE DARKEST NIGHT Picture BoardThis book has probably the most extensive collection of pictures. Not only do I have all the characters, I have Kel's brand, the knife Farran conjured during a battle, and lots of pictures of Kel's house from the opening of the book. His house isn't my style, but it's beautiful so I couldn't resist pinning so many pictures.
I hope you enjoy a chance to see how I envisioned things and people as I wrote.
February 26, 2012
The Known Universe
This is an awe-inspiring video and it makes me think of that Calvin & Hobbes cartoon, where Calvin hollers, "I'm significant, said the dust speck." It's awesome in full screen mode.
February 23, 2012
Just Call Me Handy Andi
While my parents were still in Atlanta, my dad (with some help from me) assembled a night stand, a TV stand, and a coffee table. I didn't think I needed anything else. That soon proved to be a wrong assumption.
I had a chair next to the recliner that I put the phone on, the TV remote, my box of Puffs tissues, and assorted other things as the situation dictated. The top of the folding chair was far too small for everything I wanted at hand and there was much grumbling from me as I shifted things around. I finally admitted I needed an end table and it arrived today. Some assembly required.
This was my first time assembling anything on my own. I counted out my parts and ensured everything was present and accounted for. I checked the wood to make sure it was in good condition and then I began putting legs on the table.
The directions failed to mention I needed a Phillips screwdriver. They provided an Allen wrench and I thought that was all I needed. Luckily, my dad left some tools here or I would have had to run out and bought one today.
Other than that, things went relatively smoothly last night. Except for one thing. The end table wobbles. It's not too bad and it'll have to be good enough until my dad comes down again and can fix my assembly.
I had a chair next to the recliner that I put the phone on, the TV remote, my box of Puffs tissues, and assorted other things as the situation dictated. The top of the folding chair was far too small for everything I wanted at hand and there was much grumbling from me as I shifted things around. I finally admitted I needed an end table and it arrived today. Some assembly required.
This was my first time assembling anything on my own. I counted out my parts and ensured everything was present and accounted for. I checked the wood to make sure it was in good condition and then I began putting legs on the table.
The directions failed to mention I needed a Phillips screwdriver. They provided an Allen wrench and I thought that was all I needed. Luckily, my dad left some tools here or I would have had to run out and bought one today.
Other than that, things went relatively smoothly last night. Except for one thing. The end table wobbles. It's not too bad and it'll have to be good enough until my dad comes down again and can fix my assembly.
February 21, 2012
It's Alive!
I was reading an article about 20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes and found myself nodding my head at some of them. Lie/Lay/Lain/Laid/Etc. Yeah. I get so confused with that. I try my best, but I count on editing to catch when I slip.
My other huge, huge issue is Affect and Effect. Gah! No matter how many times I read over the rule and study examples, it doesn't sink in. I've actually rewritten sentences to avoid using either word or I substitute something like impact which I'm sure makes all grammarians everywhere grimace with disgust, but hey, at least I don't have to chose between affect and effect and that's always a win.
But there was one entry, that made me go, uh, no. That was the definition of the word moot. The article says:
English is a living language, that means it changes over time. I submit that the definition of the word moot has made the shift and it's time for the dictionary to be updated. I'm sure I've made the hardcore English gurus gasp in horror, but tough. If you want a language that is unchanging, become a Latin guru. It's a dead language, it will stay the same forever.
As far as English speakers (at least in the US) are concerned, moot means there's no point in arguing over something because it doesn't matter.
Words shift all the time. Look at decimate. I had a judge in a writing contest a long time ago correct my use of it. I used it to mean destroy, she insisted that it means take a tenth of or destroy a tenth of. Look it up on Dictionary.com. The meaning the judge told me was the correct one? It's marked obsolete!
The people have spoken...and as we've spoken, we've redefined words. Just try and read Shakespeare now without the little footnotes at the bottom of the page explaining what a word meant back in his day. I'm a huge Shakespeare fan and I can mostly understand what he's saying from the context, but the meaning of words has definitely changed.
They're still changing. I'd argue some more, but why bother? It's a moot point. ;-)
My other huge, huge issue is Affect and Effect. Gah! No matter how many times I read over the rule and study examples, it doesn't sink in. I've actually rewritten sentences to avoid using either word or I substitute something like impact which I'm sure makes all grammarians everywhere grimace with disgust, but hey, at least I don't have to chose between affect and effect and that's always a win.
But there was one entry, that made me go, uh, no. That was the definition of the word moot. The article says:
Contrary to common misuse, "moot" doesn't imply something is superfluous. It means a subject is disputable or open to discussion.I hang around with writers online. A lot of them. I went to school with some really smart people, both high school and college. There are lots of smart people that I work with and have worked with over the years. I have never, ever in all this time heard anyone use the word moot in this way.
English is a living language, that means it changes over time. I submit that the definition of the word moot has made the shift and it's time for the dictionary to be updated. I'm sure I've made the hardcore English gurus gasp in horror, but tough. If you want a language that is unchanging, become a Latin guru. It's a dead language, it will stay the same forever.
As far as English speakers (at least in the US) are concerned, moot means there's no point in arguing over something because it doesn't matter.
Words shift all the time. Look at decimate. I had a judge in a writing contest a long time ago correct my use of it. I used it to mean destroy, she insisted that it means take a tenth of or destroy a tenth of. Look it up on Dictionary.com. The meaning the judge told me was the correct one? It's marked obsolete!
The people have spoken...and as we've spoken, we've redefined words. Just try and read Shakespeare now without the little footnotes at the bottom of the page explaining what a word meant back in his day. I'm a huge Shakespeare fan and I can mostly understand what he's saying from the context, but the meaning of words has definitely changed.
They're still changing. I'd argue some more, but why bother? It's a moot point. ;-)
February 19, 2012
Advertising Win
I've lamented for a while how unexciting and uncreative most advertising has become. This has even reached Super Bowl advertising which used to be Clio Award worthy once upon a time. (For those who are unfamiliar with it, the Clio Awards are advertising's version of the Oscars.) The last five or six years of Super Bowl ads has left me disappointed and sad. I graduated from college with a major in advertising. I love well-done ads and I'm happy to sit and watch great ads for hours. However, aside from a few bright spots now and then, there hasn't been much worth my time.
This year, though, there was a huge bright spot on the advertising radar. Honda CR-V did a Ferris Bueller commercial that I thought was brilliant. Why I thought this ad was awesome: 1. who hasn't seen Ferris Bueller's Day Off? 2. It's a largely well-liked movie and it's become iconic in many ways. Even if someone hasn't seen the movie in years, we all can remember the teacher saying, "Bueller. Bueller. Bueller." The film is filled with moments like this that people remember. 3. We don't forget it's a Honda ad, but at the same time, the sell isn't pounded out over and over. Honda allows us to enjoy the spot. 4. People are talking about this ad. Honda is getting a lot of free press, including here, I guess, as I discuss their ad. You can't buy buzz and if someone specifically goes to YouTube to watch the commercial, Honda is getting more rapt attention to the spot than they would have with a media buy.
How true was Honda to the movie? I found a video where someone put the commercial side by side with the movie. You be the judge:
If you want to enjoy the ad on its own merits, here's the extended version of Honda's homage to Ferris:
This year, though, there was a huge bright spot on the advertising radar. Honda CR-V did a Ferris Bueller commercial that I thought was brilliant. Why I thought this ad was awesome: 1. who hasn't seen Ferris Bueller's Day Off? 2. It's a largely well-liked movie and it's become iconic in many ways. Even if someone hasn't seen the movie in years, we all can remember the teacher saying, "Bueller. Bueller. Bueller." The film is filled with moments like this that people remember. 3. We don't forget it's a Honda ad, but at the same time, the sell isn't pounded out over and over. Honda allows us to enjoy the spot. 4. People are talking about this ad. Honda is getting a lot of free press, including here, I guess, as I discuss their ad. You can't buy buzz and if someone specifically goes to YouTube to watch the commercial, Honda is getting more rapt attention to the spot than they would have with a media buy.
How true was Honda to the movie? I found a video where someone put the commercial side by side with the movie. You be the judge:
If you want to enjoy the ad on its own merits, here's the extended version of Honda's homage to Ferris:
February 16, 2012
Getting Back To It
One of the reasons why I don't like taking a break from writing is how excruciatingly difficult it is to get back into the habit. But my move to Atlanta from Minneapolis necessitated a break. Now that I'm sort of settled in Georgia, I'm trying to kick-start myself. So far, it's not going so well.
I began by reading and rereading one of my projects, hoping that would help get me in the right frame of mind. That didn't really work. In the past, it has, but in the past it's usually that 1) I've been writing other things and now I need to get back to an earlier project or 2) I've had a break of a week or two.
This break in writing? More like five months, maybe more.
I was contemplating tactics for another attempt when I caught a cold. I don't know about anyone else, but when I'm sick, I get so fuzzy headed that writing (or anything else that requires brain power) is impossible.
Now I'm feeling almost normal again and my second plan of attack is to start a completely new project, something I haven't done anything with before now. Only I've discovered my imagination has atrophied along with my ability to string together sentences. I'm thinking I simply need some quiet, daydreaming time to get back into practice, but that time is hard to come by. I'll have to figure out something, though.
I began by reading and rereading one of my projects, hoping that would help get me in the right frame of mind. That didn't really work. In the past, it has, but in the past it's usually that 1) I've been writing other things and now I need to get back to an earlier project or 2) I've had a break of a week or two.
This break in writing? More like five months, maybe more.
I was contemplating tactics for another attempt when I caught a cold. I don't know about anyone else, but when I'm sick, I get so fuzzy headed that writing (or anything else that requires brain power) is impossible.
Now I'm feeling almost normal again and my second plan of attack is to start a completely new project, something I haven't done anything with before now. Only I've discovered my imagination has atrophied along with my ability to string together sentences. I'm thinking I simply need some quiet, daydreaming time to get back into practice, but that time is hard to come by. I'll have to figure out something, though.
February 14, 2012
There's a Sale!
For a limited time, Through a Crimson Veil is on sale for $2.99! (The regular price is $4.99.) You can pick it up for Kindle at Amazon
For the Nook and Barnes & Noble
And for other ereaders (as well as Nook/Kindle formats) at All Romance eBooks
or Smashwords
Please spread the word, and if you've read my books, please consider leaving an honest review at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads.
Happy Valentine's Day!
February 12, 2012
A Trip Around the World
This makes me wish I was an astronaut. I'd love to have a view like this this firsthand.
February 9, 2012
Pinned!
I'm on Pinterest now! For those of you unfamiliar with it, Pinterest is like a cyber bulletin board where you can pin pictures you find online and share them with others.
I'd heard about Pinterest shortly after they started, but I didn't sign up then. I suspected that I might find it addicting, and as it turns out, I was right. Sharing pictures is fun, but it's also so much fun to see what other people are sharing. It's allowed me to discover things I might not have stumbled across on my own.
One of the reasons why I decided I wanted to join Pinterest was so that I could share the pictures I use while I write my stories. I started out just finding pictures for the hero and heroine, but as time went on (and after I got high speed internet) I started using more and more pictures. I've always wanted to post them somewhere so that readers who were interested could see what I was envisioning as I wrote, but I didn't think I could do it without violating copyright. Pinterest finally allows me to share and it links back to the original site.
The first thing I did was put up a board with all my characters.Then I started adding other things I liked. Right now I'm doing a board for each book so (if you're interested) you can see not just the characters, but their furniture and homes and other settings or clothes or whatever. This is a work in progress and I'm only about halfway.
If you're on Pinterest, feel free to friend me over there, and everyone is welcome to come on over and check out my boards.
I'd heard about Pinterest shortly after they started, but I didn't sign up then. I suspected that I might find it addicting, and as it turns out, I was right. Sharing pictures is fun, but it's also so much fun to see what other people are sharing. It's allowed me to discover things I might not have stumbled across on my own.
One of the reasons why I decided I wanted to join Pinterest was so that I could share the pictures I use while I write my stories. I started out just finding pictures for the hero and heroine, but as time went on (and after I got high speed internet) I started using more and more pictures. I've always wanted to post them somewhere so that readers who were interested could see what I was envisioning as I wrote, but I didn't think I could do it without violating copyright. Pinterest finally allows me to share and it links back to the original site.
The first thing I did was put up a board with all my characters.Then I started adding other things I liked. Right now I'm doing a board for each book so (if you're interested) you can see not just the characters, but their furniture and homes and other settings or clothes or whatever. This is a work in progress and I'm only about halfway.
If you're on Pinterest, feel free to friend me over there, and everyone is welcome to come on over and check out my boards.
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