Ryan Field's Blog, page 529
October 2, 2011
My Backlisted Titles, For Those Who "Glom"
According to the free online dictionary, to "glom" means to: To steal, to seize; grab, or to look or stare at. It's slang, and I think pronounced the same way you'd pronounce calm.
The reason I'm posting about the word glom is because I read an interesting article about whether or not people read one book by an author and then glom for others. Although I'd never heard the term used before, I do, in fact, glom. When I read one book I love I go back, almost obessed, and read every other book the author has ever written. I search them out and try to find out everything I can about them. If you check "My Books" on goodreads, you'll see I just finished glomming Fannie Flagg.
I also read in this article that other readers glom author web sites to see what their backlisted books are. And I realized I don't have a comprehensive list posted anywhere here on the blog. I've been thinking about doing a web site. But that's still in the planning stages due to lack of time. So here's a link to my amazon page where you can get a full list of most of my backlisted titles and a description.
You can also do a search right here on the blog for anything. I think I've always posted about a book when it's been released. And if I didn't, you can e-mail me.
The reason I'm posting about the word glom is because I read an interesting article about whether or not people read one book by an author and then glom for others. Although I'd never heard the term used before, I do, in fact, glom. When I read one book I love I go back, almost obessed, and read every other book the author has ever written. I search them out and try to find out everything I can about them. If you check "My Books" on goodreads, you'll see I just finished glomming Fannie Flagg.
I also read in this article that other readers glom author web sites to see what their backlisted books are. And I realized I don't have a comprehensive list posted anywhere here on the blog. I've been thinking about doing a web site. But that's still in the planning stages due to lack of time. So here's a link to my amazon page where you can get a full list of most of my backlisted titles and a description.
You can also do a search right here on the blog for anything. I think I've always posted about a book when it's been released. And if I didn't, you can e-mail me.
Drugs known As "Bath Salts"
Didn't even know there was such a thing.
Delaware bans drugs known as "bath salts"
Bath salts are commonly smoked, snorted or injected. Users experience an intense high, euphoria, extreme energy, hallucinations, insomnia and are easily provoked to anger, according to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.
Sounds like half the people driving down the road these days.
Delaware bans drugs known as "bath salts"
Bath salts are commonly smoked, snorted or injected. Users experience an intense high, euphoria, extreme energy, hallucinations, insomnia and are easily provoked to anger, according to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.
Sounds like half the people driving down the road these days.
October 1, 2011
Historical Romance Update: A Young Widow's Promise
I'm posting about all this for a reason. I hear a lot of people talking about the quality of e-books and they usually aren't very happy. I'm not talking about content...in this respect you can never please everyone. I'm talking about errors and edits and mistakes that either go unnoticed or simply aren't recognized before digital books are released.
We're now on the fifth round of edits for A Young Widow's Promise, a historical, m/f, romance I've been working on for a long, long time, which will be released by Loveyoudivine.com very shortly. And before these five rounds of edits, I did about one hundred rounds on my own before the manuscript was submitted to the publisher.
I can't speak for anyone else. But I can speak for the publisher loveyoudivine.com as far as my personal experience goes. I'm never rushed, which is important with a historical. They care more about quality than quantity and authors are never stressed out. And even though the editing process is arduous at best, it's always pleasant, too.
We still have a few more rounds to go with A Young Widow's Promise. And then I'll receive the final version to look over myself. By that time, the book is usually ready to be launched. But I have found a few mistakes even when we reach this point. And the editors are always more than happy to fix them.
We're now on the fifth round of edits for A Young Widow's Promise, a historical, m/f, romance I've been working on for a long, long time, which will be released by Loveyoudivine.com very shortly. And before these five rounds of edits, I did about one hundred rounds on my own before the manuscript was submitted to the publisher.
I can't speak for anyone else. But I can speak for the publisher loveyoudivine.com as far as my personal experience goes. I'm never rushed, which is important with a historical. They care more about quality than quantity and authors are never stressed out. And even though the editing process is arduous at best, it's always pleasant, too.
We still have a few more rounds to go with A Young Widow's Promise. And then I'll receive the final version to look over myself. By that time, the book is usually ready to be launched. But I have found a few mistakes even when we reach this point. And the editors are always more than happy to fix them.
September 30, 2011
Valiant One, by Jay E. Hughes
I wrote a blurb for another one of Jay's books a while back. One of the reasons why I liked that particular book was because it really reminded me of people I know in real life. That doesn't happen very often. And the way Jay hit each character spot on, without even knowing there are actually gay men like this, surprised me.
And Jay has another book out now. I haven't read it yet, but I will. It's titled, VALIANT ONE, and you can find it here, at Ellora's Cave. And I'm sure it will be available on other large retail sites where e-books are sold.
Fred Karger: Openly Gay and Running for President
Until I received an e-mail from Fred Karger's campaign, I didn't know there was an openly gay man running for President. And he's a Republican, too, shock of shocks.
Here's a story from e-mail I received from him:
"I'm living in KY and I'm 20 years old. When I go to work each day, I fear that my employer may find out that I am gay and will fire me. In this state, it would be completely within his "legal right."
Growing up knowing I was gay and living in such a socially narrow-minded society, I fell into deep depression and attempted suicide many times.
Since coming out in 2010, it has been a struggle to find my "place" in this world, but I am so blessed to have good people in my life who support me and build me up. I stumbled upon your page while researching candidates for the 2011 presidential election, and I am over joyed for your running.
As Harvey Milk said, we have to elect gay people. For all the teens out there who will be watching the news, wondering if this world will ever except them or not...
Thanks for giving me a little more hope today! "
- "Jonathan"
I've posted about the fact that there are, indeed, many gay people who aren't liberal Democrats. I've just never given any solid examples...until right now.
I'm basically an independent, and truly bipartisan. When I write blog posts like this, I remain objective. And I'm curious to find out what Fred Krager has to say. I do know that all the hope and change we were promised in the last election...and I'm speaking collectively when I say we, not just about gays...didn't work out very well so far for most Americans.
I also think it's important to spread this information around the Interwebs about gay Presidential condidates like Fred Karger.
Here's the link to Fred Karger's web site.
I borrowed the article below, from here.
Welcome to the 2012 election where on the GOP side alone, we have an openly gay man, a woman and a Mormon running for President. Of course, a candidate's sexuality, gender or religion shouldn't matter. But it does, even in this day and age. However, I think because all these different types of people are running, it proves the country is making some progress. Win or lose, at least they ran and they're shaking up the field.
We interviewed Fred Karger, who is the first openly gay candidate looking to take over the Oval Office. He doesn't take himself too seriously, with a campaign that jokes, "Fred Who?!". But he says he is serious about fixing the country and making President Obama a one-term leader. Karger knows he's not a household name and he believes in this concept that many thought was dead and gone in Washington: bipartisanship.
September 29, 2011
Another Sad Bullying Story...
This is almost too painful to read. But being that I've been posting about bullying so often these days, I had to post this, too. Here's the link.
Mitchell Wilson Suicide: Disabled Boy's Death Raises Bullying Concerns
The Huffington Post Canada Ron Nurwisah First Posted: 9/29/11 12:47 PM ET Updated: 9/29/11 07:18 PM ET
The death of an 11-year-old boy with muscular dystrophy months after his assault by a bully has shined a spotlight on bullying in Canada's schools.
Muscular dystrophy left Mitchell Wilson struggling to do simple things like walking around the block or climbing stairs. He also had to use a walker at school. Doctors had urged him to exercise regularly to stave off the disease's effects, something that was growing increasingly difficult for the boy.
Wilson was mugged last November by a 12-year-old boy from his school. The assailant was after the iPhone Wilson borrowed from his dad. The bully was arrested and removed from the Pickering, Ont. school they both attended.
"He was never the same," said Craig Wilson to the Toronto Star, the boy's father and the one who found the boy's body in his room with a plastic bag tied around his head earlier this month.
Things didn't get any better for the young Mitchell as the court date loomed. And the bullying didn't stop.
"Subsequent to the beating that he took, he just lost that spark you see in a kid's eye. He had huge anxiety attacks about going outside and going for his walks and going to school by himself," Craig Wilson told CTV's Canada AM.
"At the cottage in July, he said, 'If I have to go back to that school, I'll kill myself,'" the boy's grandmother, Pam Wilson, told the National Post.
"He was very afraid, very fearful that he was going to run into this kid again," Mitchell's father told the CBC.
Wilson's death has raised fears that justice will not be served. The Crown initially feared that their case would have to be dropped because Wilson was unable to testify against his accused. But now the Crown has sought to delay a case while they prepare a written affidavit of a statement the boy made before his death. The case is now set for Nov. 21.
The alleged assailant cannot be identified due to his age but the Wilson family hopes that the alleged bully can atone for his crimes.
"He's a lost kid. He hasn't been loved, hasn't been cared for. We don't want to be a lynch squad. We want him to do community work with disabled people. All we are trying to do is help this kid understand that his life is going to be zip if he keeps on the road he is on," Mitchell's grandmother told the National Post.
Wilson's father hopes that his son's death can save some lives in the long run. "I can't do anything for my child anymore," he said to the Toronto Sun. "So let's hopefully save some other people's children so they don't have to go through this mess."
Are you in crisis? Need help? Find links and numbers to 24-hour suicide crisis lines in your province here.
In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or visit stopbullying.gov.
Mitchell Wilson Suicide: Disabled Boy's Death Raises Bullying Concerns
The Huffington Post Canada Ron Nurwisah First Posted: 9/29/11 12:47 PM ET Updated: 9/29/11 07:18 PM ET
The death of an 11-year-old boy with muscular dystrophy months after his assault by a bully has shined a spotlight on bullying in Canada's schools.
Muscular dystrophy left Mitchell Wilson struggling to do simple things like walking around the block or climbing stairs. He also had to use a walker at school. Doctors had urged him to exercise regularly to stave off the disease's effects, something that was growing increasingly difficult for the boy.
Wilson was mugged last November by a 12-year-old boy from his school. The assailant was after the iPhone Wilson borrowed from his dad. The bully was arrested and removed from the Pickering, Ont. school they both attended.
"He was never the same," said Craig Wilson to the Toronto Star, the boy's father and the one who found the boy's body in his room with a plastic bag tied around his head earlier this month.
Things didn't get any better for the young Mitchell as the court date loomed. And the bullying didn't stop.
"Subsequent to the beating that he took, he just lost that spark you see in a kid's eye. He had huge anxiety attacks about going outside and going for his walks and going to school by himself," Craig Wilson told CTV's Canada AM.
"At the cottage in July, he said, 'If I have to go back to that school, I'll kill myself,'" the boy's grandmother, Pam Wilson, told the National Post.
"He was very afraid, very fearful that he was going to run into this kid again," Mitchell's father told the CBC.
Wilson's death has raised fears that justice will not be served. The Crown initially feared that their case would have to be dropped because Wilson was unable to testify against his accused. But now the Crown has sought to delay a case while they prepare a written affidavit of a statement the boy made before his death. The case is now set for Nov. 21.
The alleged assailant cannot be identified due to his age but the Wilson family hopes that the alleged bully can atone for his crimes.
"He's a lost kid. He hasn't been loved, hasn't been cared for. We don't want to be a lynch squad. We want him to do community work with disabled people. All we are trying to do is help this kid understand that his life is going to be zip if he keeps on the road he is on," Mitchell's grandmother told the National Post.
Wilson's father hopes that his son's death can save some lives in the long run. "I can't do anything for my child anymore," he said to the Toronto Sun. "So let's hopefully save some other people's children so they don't have to go through this mess."
Are you in crisis? Need help? Find links and numbers to 24-hour suicide crisis lines in your province here.
In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or visit stopbullying.gov.
September 28, 2011
Something Scary About Facebook...
At least I think this is scary, especially the part about who I've "friended" and "unfriended." Although, come to think of it, I don't think I have anything to be ashamed of. I'd probably "unfriend" the same people in person, and politely explain why I did it. It's almost always been because they posted too much about either politics or religion. In one case, and one case alone, it's because another author dissed me on a comment thread. (I'd be happy to tell her to her face, too :)
I've seen a lot of people getting excited about facebook changes. And don't get me wrong, because I do enjoy social media, I can't complain too much. I'm usually right there in the middle of it. But I also think social media leaves a lot to be desired. You. Can't. Be. Too. Careful.
And it's why I'm always telling people to watch out what they put on facebook...and all social media...because once it's out there on the interwebs it's there forever!! When you read the part below about private messages and chats, you'll see what I mean. Once again, I've always been careful in this regard. I turned off private chats years ago, and I'd be happy to show my personal messages to the Pope. I know the power of the written word and I know the meaning of the word privacy.
I just wonder if everyone understands the magnitude of this. I've seen a few things on social networks I wouldn't have put out there in public.
A List of Creepy Things Facebook Will Remember Forever
Delete all you want, but Facebook never forgets. At least when it comes to your defriendings, pokes, and RSVPS, it doesn't. And it also has a keen memory for what computers you've used, and who you were sharing those computers with. Your Facebook dossier can easily run to hundreds of pages, as some European citizens have learned.
Across the pond, where regulators have teeth and where corporations don't get to rewrite the legal definition of "privacy," citizens can force Facebook to send them a dossier of everything it knows about them. Two anonymous Europeans have shared their database dumps publicly, Forbes reports. One of them ran to 880 pages.
For a user who joined the site in 2007, dubbed "LB" by Forbes, Facebook's data included the following:
Records of all friend requests LB rejected.
Records of the 12+ friends LB has unfriended over the years.
A list of devices from which LB logged in to Facebook, plus a list of other users on those machines. Meaning Facebook knows who spent the night at your place last night.
Records of more than 50 incoming "pokes" since 2008, including most often by a friend named "T.V."
Some 75 event invites, along with 38 RSVPs.
A history of messages and chats.
Facebook really does have us all by the nuts. Which is why it's comforting that the company routinely acts in the best interest of its users and their privacy, even when it means sacrificing revenue. Yay Facebook!
I've seen a lot of people getting excited about facebook changes. And don't get me wrong, because I do enjoy social media, I can't complain too much. I'm usually right there in the middle of it. But I also think social media leaves a lot to be desired. You. Can't. Be. Too. Careful.
And it's why I'm always telling people to watch out what they put on facebook...and all social media...because once it's out there on the interwebs it's there forever!! When you read the part below about private messages and chats, you'll see what I mean. Once again, I've always been careful in this regard. I turned off private chats years ago, and I'd be happy to show my personal messages to the Pope. I know the power of the written word and I know the meaning of the word privacy.
I just wonder if everyone understands the magnitude of this. I've seen a few things on social networks I wouldn't have put out there in public.
A List of Creepy Things Facebook Will Remember Forever
Delete all you want, but Facebook never forgets. At least when it comes to your defriendings, pokes, and RSVPS, it doesn't. And it also has a keen memory for what computers you've used, and who you were sharing those computers with. Your Facebook dossier can easily run to hundreds of pages, as some European citizens have learned.
Across the pond, where regulators have teeth and where corporations don't get to rewrite the legal definition of "privacy," citizens can force Facebook to send them a dossier of everything it knows about them. Two anonymous Europeans have shared their database dumps publicly, Forbes reports. One of them ran to 880 pages.
For a user who joined the site in 2007, dubbed "LB" by Forbes, Facebook's data included the following:
Records of all friend requests LB rejected.
Records of the 12+ friends LB has unfriended over the years.
A list of devices from which LB logged in to Facebook, plus a list of other users on those machines. Meaning Facebook knows who spent the night at your place last night.
Records of more than 50 incoming "pokes" since 2008, including most often by a friend named "T.V."
Some 75 event invites, along with 38 RSVPs.
A history of messages and chats.
Facebook really does have us all by the nuts. Which is why it's comforting that the company routinely acts in the best interest of its users and their privacy, even when it means sacrificing revenue. Yay Facebook!
