C.J. Shane's Blog: My Two Hats: Art and Writing, page 4
September 1, 2018
war and more
Those of you who have read my first Letty Valdez Mystery, Desert Jade know that Letty served as a medic in the Iraq War. During the day, she's a tough, smart, and trustworthy private investigator. But the nights are different. She came home with PTSD in form of nightmares. I'm reading several books now about Iraq and Afghanistan. My sincere hope is that we will do our best to provide good care for our vets. And my deep and abiding hope is that these conflicts end peacefully and soon. Beyond that, no more wars!
The next Letty mystery will be out in November. The title is Dragon's Revenge.
The next Letty mystery will be out in November. The title is Dragon's Revenge.
August 19, 2018
Crowdfunding
For those of you interested in crowdfunding your next indie book, take a look at this.
https://kpalana.com/2016/03/ignore-th...
https://kpalana.com/2016/03/ignore-th...
August 17, 2018
Letty Valdez Interview
We have a new interview with private investigator Letty Valdez on Anastasia Pollack's blog. You first met Letty in Desert Jade. Letty's next adventure, Dragon's Revenge, is coming in November. Blogger Anastasia (the creation of author Lois Winston) bills herself as a crafts editor and reluctant amateur sleuth.
https://anastasiapollack.blogspot.com...
Feel free to ask Letty a question on the blog interview. Now's your chance to find out what it's like to be a Tucson private investigator who loves her family, her friends, and her dogs Millie and Teddy.
https://anastasiapollack.blogspot.com...
Feel free to ask Letty a question on the blog interview. Now's your chance to find out what it's like to be a Tucson private investigator who loves her family, her friends, and her dogs Millie and Teddy.
July 23, 2018
Acceptable Language
I'm working on my second Letty Valdez mystery. The title of the new book is Dragon's Revenge.
I've been thinking about language and how fraught it is with controversy these days.
Some people seem to think that telling a falsehood is perfectly okay. If called on the lie, they double down and tell a bigger lie. As a former news reporter, I am convinced that facts matter and that telling lies can undermine everything, from personal relationships to a democracy.
On the other hand, there are those who think one should never use certain terms because those terms are not socially accepted anymore or they are not politically correct or maybe they just plain rude. These folks are willing to censor others to see their view of correct language prevail.
So what about writers who want to express a thought or words said by a character that doesn't speak in a politically-correct way.
Here's an example. In the 1960s, women were often called "girls" or if you were a hipster, you called them "chicks." So if I write a book about women in the 60s and 70s, it seems right to me to use the language of those times - girls and chicks - even though if someone called me a chick today, they'd get an earful from me (I'm a Second Wave feminist!).
Back to Dragon's Revenge: A substantial portion of this book is a memoir written in the 1970s by an old man who was a boy in the 1890s in Tucson. His stepfather was a Chinese immigrant. At that time, they called this man a "Chinaman." Today that term is no longer used and is considered derogatory and offensive. In my book, he will be called a Chinaman in the memoir because that's what he was called in 1890.
Accuracy and facts are more important to me than changing definitions of what is "correct" or "polite."
What are your ideas about language?
I've been thinking about language and how fraught it is with controversy these days.
Some people seem to think that telling a falsehood is perfectly okay. If called on the lie, they double down and tell a bigger lie. As a former news reporter, I am convinced that facts matter and that telling lies can undermine everything, from personal relationships to a democracy.
On the other hand, there are those who think one should never use certain terms because those terms are not socially accepted anymore or they are not politically correct or maybe they just plain rude. These folks are willing to censor others to see their view of correct language prevail.
So what about writers who want to express a thought or words said by a character that doesn't speak in a politically-correct way.
Here's an example. In the 1960s, women were often called "girls" or if you were a hipster, you called them "chicks." So if I write a book about women in the 60s and 70s, it seems right to me to use the language of those times - girls and chicks - even though if someone called me a chick today, they'd get an earful from me (I'm a Second Wave feminist!).
Back to Dragon's Revenge: A substantial portion of this book is a memoir written in the 1970s by an old man who was a boy in the 1890s in Tucson. His stepfather was a Chinese immigrant. At that time, they called this man a "Chinaman." Today that term is no longer used and is considered derogatory and offensive. In my book, he will be called a Chinaman in the memoir because that's what he was called in 1890.
Accuracy and facts are more important to me than changing definitions of what is "correct" or "polite."
What are your ideas about language?
Acceptable Language
I'm working on my second Letty Valdez mystery. The title of the new book is Dragon's Revenge.
I've been thinking about language and how fraught it is with controversy these days.
Some people seem to think that telling a falsehood is perfectly okay. If called on the lie, they double down and tell a bigger lie. As a former news reporter, I am convinced that facts matter and that telling lies can undermine everything, from personal relationships to a democracy.
On the other hand, there are those who think one should never use certain terms because those terms are not socially accepted anymore or they are not politically correct or maybe they just plain rude. These folks are willing to censor others to see their view of correct language prevail.
So what about writers who want to express a thought or words said by a character that doesn't speak in a politically-correct way.
Here's an example. In the 1960s, women were often called "girls" or if you were a hipster, you called them "chicks." So if I write a book about women in the 60s and 70s, it seems right to me to use the language of those times - girls and chicks - even though if someone called me a chick today, they'd get an earful from me (I'm a Second Wave feminist!).
Back to Dragon's Revenge: A substantial portion of this book is a memoir written in the 1970s by an old man who was a boy in the 1890s in Tucson. His stepfather was a Chinese immigrant. At that time, they called this man a "Chinaman." Today that term is no longer used and is considered derogatory and offensive. In my book, he will be called a Chinaman in the memoir because that's what he was called in 1890.
Accuracy and facts are more important to me than changing definitions of what is "correct" or "polite."
What are your ideas about language?
I've been thinking about language and how fraught it is with controversy these days.
Some people seem to think that telling a falsehood is perfectly okay. If called on the lie, they double down and tell a bigger lie. As a former news reporter, I am convinced that facts matter and that telling lies can undermine everything, from personal relationships to a democracy.
On the other hand, there are those who think one should never use certain terms because those terms are not socially accepted anymore or they are not politically correct or maybe they just plain rude. These folks are willing to censor others to see their view of correct language prevail.
So what about writers who want to express a thought or words said by a character that doesn't speak in a politically-correct way.
Here's an example. In the 1960s, women were often called "girls" or if you were a hipster, you called them "chicks." So if I write a book about women in the 60s and 70s, it seems right to me to use the language of those times - girls and chicks - even though if someone called me a chick today, they'd get an earful from me (I'm a Second Wave feminist!).
Back to Dragon's Revenge: A substantial portion of this book is a memoir written in the 1970s by an old man who was a boy in the 1890s in Tucson. His stepfather was a Chinese immigrant. At that time, they called this man a "Chinaman." Today that term is no longer used and is considered derogatory and offensive. In my book, he will be called a Chinaman in the memoir because that's what he was called in 1890.
Accuracy and facts are more important to me than changing definitions of what is "correct" or "polite."
What are your ideas about language?
Acceptable Language
I'm working on my second Letty Valdez mystery. The title of the new book is Dragon's Revenge.
I've been thinking about language and how fraught it is with controversy these days.
Some people seem to think that telling a falsehood is perfectly okay. If called on the lie, they double down and tell a bigger lie. As a former news reporter, I am convinced that facts matter and that telling lies can undermine everything, from personal relationships to a democracy.
On the other hand, there are those who think one should never use certain terms because those terms are not socially accepted anymore or they are not politically correct or maybe they just plain rude. These folks are willing to censor others to see their view of correct language prevail.
So what about writers who want to express a thought or words said by a character that doesn't speak in a politically-correct way.
Here's an example. In the 1960s, women were often called "girls" or if you were a hipster, you called them "chicks." So if I write a book about women in the 60s and 70s, it seems right to me to use the language of those times - girls and chicks - even though if someone called me a chick, they'd get an earful from me (I'm a Second Wave feminist!).
Back to Dragon's Revenge>: A substantial portion of this book is a memoir written in the 1970s by an old man who was a boy in the 1890s in Tucson. His stepfather was a Chinese immigrant. At that time, they called this man a "Chinaman." Today that term is no longer used and is considered derogatory and offensive. In my book, he will be called a Chinaman in the memoir because that's what he was called in 1890.
Accuracy and facts are more important to me than changing definitions of what is "correct" or "polite."
What are your ideas about language?
I've been thinking about language and how fraught it is with controversy these days.
Some people seem to think that telling a falsehood is perfectly okay. If called on the lie, they double down and tell a bigger lie. As a former news reporter, I am convinced that facts matter and that telling lies can undermine everything, from personal relationships to a democracy.
On the other hand, there are those who think one should never use certain terms because those terms are not socially accepted anymore or they are not politically correct or maybe they just plain rude. These folks are willing to censor others to see their view of correct language prevail.
So what about writers who want to express a thought or words said by a character that doesn't speak in a politically-correct way.
Here's an example. In the 1960s, women were often called "girls" or if you were a hipster, you called them "chicks." So if I write a book about women in the 60s and 70s, it seems right to me to use the language of those times - girls and chicks - even though if someone called me a chick, they'd get an earful from me (I'm a Second Wave feminist!).
Back to Dragon's Revenge>: A substantial portion of this book is a memoir written in the 1970s by an old man who was a boy in the 1890s in Tucson. His stepfather was a Chinese immigrant. At that time, they called this man a "Chinaman." Today that term is no longer used and is considered derogatory and offensive. In my book, he will be called a Chinaman in the memoir because that's what he was called in 1890.
Accuracy and facts are more important to me than changing definitions of what is "correct" or "polite."
What are your ideas about language?
June 18, 2018
looking for reviewers
I have five free ebooks (mobi for Kindle) of my mystery/suspense book Desert Jade to trade for a review on Amazon and Goodreads. The book will come as a gift from Amazon and I will have to pay for it so please agree to write a view in exchange. Your review will show up on Amazon as a "verified purchase." Five copies available now! Send me a personal message here with your email address.
Thanks!
Thanks!
June 11, 2018
June 10 newsletter
My latest illustrated newsletter (June 10, 2018) has news about artwork, books, and the natural world.
This includes:
1. a new triptych I'm working on titled La Frontera.
2. news of a sale of my novel Desert Jade ebook from now through August. Summer reading!
3. a recommendation for a new book I just read. Andrew Yang's The War on Normal People
4. The Natural World: 102 days without rain in Tucson. Dreaming of the monsoon!
You can receive my occasional email newsletter by signing up here:
https://madmimi.com/signups/120087/join
This includes:
1. a new triptych I'm working on titled La Frontera.
2. news of a sale of my novel Desert Jade ebook from now through August. Summer reading!
3. a recommendation for a new book I just read. Andrew Yang's The War on Normal People
4. The Natural World: 102 days without rain in Tucson. Dreaming of the monsoon!
You can receive my occasional email newsletter by signing up here:
https://madmimi.com/signups/120087/join
June 3, 2018
journal review now available
I'm pleased to announce that Dr. Nara Martirosyan reviewed my book American Community Colleges: The International Student's Guide in the May 2018 issue (vol.8,issue 2) of Journal of International Students. You can read the review here: https://jistudents.org/8-2/ (scroll down to #30).
Dr. Martirosyan wrote: "American Community Colleges: The International Student's Guide is a great educational resource for any prospective international student interested in obtaining undergraduate education in the United States. Moreover, this book, particularly chapters 6-8, is a very helpful resource for newly arrived international students who are in the process of registering for classes and settling in the new community. Web links of supplementary resources are provided at the end of each chapter with additional information on specific topics that are covered, which is another notable feature of this book. Finally, this book could also be used by community college recruiters who are interested in recruiting international students. The information provided in the book could be used to make a case for a community college being a first choice for international students. "
Dr. Martirosyan wrote: "American Community Colleges: The International Student's Guide is a great educational resource for any prospective international student interested in obtaining undergraduate education in the United States. Moreover, this book, particularly chapters 6-8, is a very helpful resource for newly arrived international students who are in the process of registering for classes and settling in the new community. Web links of supplementary resources are provided at the end of each chapter with additional information on specific topics that are covered, which is another notable feature of this book. Finally, this book could also be used by community college recruiters who are interested in recruiting international students. The information provided in the book could be used to make a case for a community college being a first choice for international students. "
May 25, 2018
Dragon's Revenge:A Letty Valdez Mystery
I've been busy writing the next Letty Valdez Mystery that comes after Desert Jade. Remember Letty's friend Seri who is a librarian? Here's an excerpt from Chapter 1 of Dragon's Revenge
The phone rang.
“Hi Letty, this is Seri.”
“Hey Seri. What’s up?”
“Did you hear about the murder here at the Institute?”
“Just saw something very brief on the news,” Letty responded. “One of your coworkers was found dead. Are you sure it was murder?”
“If getting stabbed in the chest and lying in a pool of blood means murder, then yes, she was murdered. Her name is, was I mean, Stacey Fredericks. The police set up a crime scene in the closed stacks of the Institute, and they aren’t letting much news out about this. They think they know who killed her. Her boyfriend. They questioned him not long after Stacey’s body was found. He’s on the run now. Stupid move on his part.”
“Why are you calling me?”
“I just don’t think that the boyfriend is the one who did this. Is there any chance you can come by the Institute this morning? I’d like to talk to you and share some info that the cops seem to be overlooking. You can consider this a potential job, too. I’ll pay you for investigating this. I want this done right.”
The phone rang.
“Hi Letty, this is Seri.”
“Hey Seri. What’s up?”
“Did you hear about the murder here at the Institute?”
“Just saw something very brief on the news,” Letty responded. “One of your coworkers was found dead. Are you sure it was murder?”
“If getting stabbed in the chest and lying in a pool of blood means murder, then yes, she was murdered. Her name is, was I mean, Stacey Fredericks. The police set up a crime scene in the closed stacks of the Institute, and they aren’t letting much news out about this. They think they know who killed her. Her boyfriend. They questioned him not long after Stacey’s body was found. He’s on the run now. Stupid move on his part.”
“Why are you calling me?”
“I just don’t think that the boyfriend is the one who did this. Is there any chance you can come by the Institute this morning? I’d like to talk to you and share some info that the cops seem to be overlooking. You can consider this a potential job, too. I’ll pay you for investigating this. I want this done right.”
My Two Hats: Art and Writing
I'm a visual artist and a writer of mystery and suspense. Blame my first-grade teacher. She told me to write a poem and illustrate it. So I've been painting and writing since age six. I don't know whi
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