Deborah J. Martin's Blog, page 5
September 20, 2018
Transformation!
After four long years, Transformation! Ogre’s Assistant Book Three is finally done! I had to find a new cover designer: the old one disappeared. But boy, am I happy with the change!
I think Fiona did a fantastic job!
Release date is 4th October but the Kindle version is up for pre-order now! (Paperback is going to take a wee bit longer but there will be one.) You can find it on Amazon US and Amazon UK as well as other Amazon sites. It’s in Kindle Unlimited so if you subscribe to that, it’ll...
August 8, 2018
On Copyright Theft
/begin rant
Pirated books are nothing new. When I was younger, photocopies of books were passed around until the pages were torn, worn, and almost illegible. Another photocopy would appear and continue making the rounds. The digital age just makes it easier.
Most authors, especially indies, spend an inordinate amount of time protecting our ownership of our books. This involves tracking down the owner(s) of a site (sometimes an exercise in futility because they’re well hidden) and sending a DM...
July 23, 2018
Coming Up with Characters
I’ve heard it said that fiction writers base some or all of their characters on people they’ve met. In my case, it’s true. Well, the personalities, anyways. Probably not the species. Mostly. I thought I’d give you a glimpse into how I came up with some of my main characters.
June 13, 2018
Cheap Proofreading
I read. A lot. And one thing that irritates the snot out of me is poor (or non-existent) proofreading. Surprise, surprise. I already complained about it six years ago. And in those six years, it’s gotten worse. I’m currently slogging my way through the last book in a series because they’re cute stories, but Oh. Em. Gee. The errors. Missing open- or close-quotation marks. (Especially the open-quote – makes it difficult to figure out what the hell is going on.) Wrong word usage. (You wear a...
June 8, 2018
City Mouse Builds a Country Garden, Part Trois
Lack of forethought means a lot more work…
Almost three years ago, I gave up on the cypress mulch in the garden paths and put rock down. I was tired of re-mulching the paths every year ($$) and the mulch washing away when we had a hard rain. I failed to think before doing so…
The reason I had to re-mulch every year is because as an organic substance, it degrades over time. A long-term composting, if you will. I put the rock down right on top of the mulch. I should’ve done the hard work of t...
March 12, 2018
Do the Mundane!
/rant
“Magic is the solution to all problems.” Not. If that were the case, every experienced witch would have won the lottery; they and all their family and friends would be in perfect health (and probably immortal because who wants to lose a loved one?); there would never be any disagreements (world peace, anyone?); etc., etc., ad nauseum.
I see this so much in new witches, especially young ones who are looking for a quick fix to all their woes, but where I find myself explaining and educati...
February 9, 2018
Belize
As most of you know, we went to Belize for our vacation this year. It was …enh. And not the fault of anyone, really. I chose the wrong time of year to go for fishing (my husband’s hobby), and the weather was unusually rainy, making it unpleasant to go for walks on the beach. But there were bright spots!
The place we stayed was wonderful. After a rough start (our flight was almost an hour late leaving Atlanta, making us miss our connection from Belize City to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, and t...
December 20, 2017
Yuletide* Ruminations
I know, I know. I’ve been terrible about blogging. 2017 has had its ups and downs, most of which I don’t care to share with the public.
Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice here in the northern hemisphere. Because I celebrate a solar year, that means Friday is New Year’s Day for me. This is the time of year I reflect on what has happened and plan for what (hopefully) will come to pass.
The reflections: it’s been a tough year for both not-straight-white-Christian-and-rich humans and the Earth. Bet...
August 23, 2017
2017 Solar Eclipse Thoughts
Pick any superlative adjective … it was all that and more.
We were lucky enough to be in the path of totality so invited friends who weren’t to join us on the deck for a day of fun and a (probably) once-in-a-lifetime experience. At the time I issued the invitation, no one knew what the weather was going to be like. Summer afternoons in Georgia can be anywhere from perfectly clear, to partly cloudy, to popup showers/thunderstorms, to completely covered up. Even the morning of, the “local” (Atl...
August 14, 2017
The Wheel of the Year – A Rant
/begin rant
August first was Lugnasadh, Lammas, First Harvest, whatever you want to call it. A friend who also lives in the Southeastern United States posted on Facebook that he wasn’t celebrating … it was still summer. And I agreed. We were both called on the carpet (somewhat) for saying such.
FYI, the “Cross Quarter” holidays aren’t celebrated by all, and sometimes not on the same date. Lughnasadh/Lammas and the other three cross-quarters holidays were started in climes much more northerly...
