Sarah Ettritch's Blog, page 14

My Coming Out Story

Today is National Coming Out Day, so I figured why not talk about coming out? If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m a lesbian.

I can’t help looking gay.  I put on a dress and people say, “Who’s the dyke in the dress?”  ~Karen Ripley

To me, every gay and lesbian has to come out twice. First, we have to come out to ourselves. For myself, I’d peg that as the moment I acknowledged that it wasn’t a phase. It wasn’t that I hadn’t met the right guy. There was no right guy. I was into women, period. I was seventeen when I came out to myself. I’d already had a serious lesbian relationship at that point, but we weren’t lesbians, you know. We were in love with the inner person. That inner person could just as easily have been male. *snicker*  It actually took me a while to use the word “lesbian.” Back then, it was a dirtier word than “gay”.

If homosexuality is a disease, let’s all call in queer to work:  “Hello. Can’t work today, still queer.” ~Robin Tyler

Second, we have to come out to everyone else. The first person I told, the first one I sat down with, looked at, and screwed up the courage to say, “I’m gay,” to, was my mother. I did so on November 11, 1982. I remember the date because it was Remembrance Day, and I remember watching a show commemorating a WWII battle that Canada had participated in (probably D-Day) and thinking, “Should I? Shouldn’t I?”

You have to understand that the situation for Canadian gays and lesbians was much grimmer in 1982 than it is today. Except for in the province of Quebec (where I happened to live at the time), it was still legal to discriminate against gays and lesbians—fire us and deny us housing, for example. It wasn’t outside the realm of possibility that telling my parents would lead to me being out on the street.

Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?  ~Ernest Gaines

In 1986, I became the lesbian co-coordinator of the LGBT university group. One group regular was thrown out of his house on a frigid night (we’re talking -30 something outside and snow on the ground) in only his pajamas, because his father had found out he was gay. Fortunately he made it to a friend’s house without getting frostbite, but he no longer had a home. We heard terrible stories that I won’t repeat here. If you meet me in person sometime, ask me. I’d also had my share of frightening experiences, from having beer bottles thrown at me, to being chased outside a lesbian bar, to a run-in with the police. Again, if you ever get me in person…

Getting back to 1982, it was still taboo and there were no role models—no sports figures, no celebrities, no authors, no one. Not a soul. Whenever homosexuality came up, it was to say how evil it was. “God didn’t make Adam and Steve!”

“You could move.”  ~Abigail Van Buren, “Dear Abby,” in response to a reader who complained that a gay couple was moving in across the street and wanted to know what he could do to improve the quality of the neighborhood

I started university in 1982. I lived in the burbs, in an area with a small-town attitude, and I couldn’t wait to go to university. Maybe I’d meet other people like me. Believe it or not, I figured we’d all fit into one room. After all, I thought I was the only one. How many gays and lesbians could there be in Montreal? I’d never heard of one. It sounds silly now, but that’s how hidden and taboo it was.

In fact, getting back to coming out to my mother, every time she mentioned homosexuality, it wasn’t good. So why would I risk telling her?

If male homosexuals are called “gay,” then female homosexuals should be called “ecstatic.”  ~Shelly Roberts

For several weeks, I’d lied to my parents about where I was going on Friday nights. I told them I was going to the university library, when I was actually going to a gay and lesbian youth group (I’d just turned nineteen). I was still living at home and didn’t like lying to them, so I decided it was time. As an aside, when I first contacted the gay and lesbian group, I was so afraid that someone would overhear me that I dragged the phone over to the corner of the room and huddled there, whispering into the receiver, even though nobody else was home.

Also, I’d seen a glimmer of light where my mother was concerned. The previous weekend, my mother gone over to a friend’s house to help them pack for a move. When she came home, she told me that the husband had gotten on her nerves. Apparently, a gay couple had bought the house (or at least they suspected it was a gay couple), and the husband kept throwing stuff into boxes and saying, “I don’t really need to take this. If it was anyone else, I’d leave it, but I don’t want them to have it.”

Did you hear about the Scottish drag queen?  He wore pants.  ~Lynn Lavner

His attitude upset my mother, and I thought, “Maybe, just maybe, there’s hope.” I decided to tell her before I lost my nerve. If you look at a 1982 calendar, you’ll see that November 11 was a Thursday. I remember that too, because my mother always went to choir practice that night. Before she left, I told her I wanted to talk to her when she got home.

I found out later that she spent the entire choir practice wondering what I wanted to tell her, and she concluded that I must be pregnant. Talk about being wrong! She had no clue that I was a lesbian. I’m glad I didn’t know that, because it might have dissuaded me from coming out to her.

The Bible contains six admonishments to homosexuals and 362 admonishments to heterosexuals.  That doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love heterosexuals.  It’s just that they need more supervision.  ~Lynn Lavner

When I told her, she was fantastic. I could tell from her face that she was surprised and shocked, but she’s a practical woman. She asked me two questions: Are you sure? and Are you happy? When I said yes to both questions, she said, “That’s all that counts.”

The next day she told my father while I was attending classes. He took it the same way she did. My sisters were next. My younger sister was all, “Tell me something I don’t already know.” My older sister took it the hardest. She was worried that I’d have a terrible life (remember, this was 1982 when being lesbian was pretty much equated with being morally bankrupt and a mutant). I told her that I’d have a terrible life if I tried to be someone I wasn’t and was forced to live a life I didn’t want. She saw my point.

I was lucky. My family essentially said, “If you’re happy, that’s all that matters,” which was quite incredible for 1982.

The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere.  ~Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I’m glad I came out to my family and that I’m open about it now. I know people who hid it from those they love (some still do), but the truth is that you can’t have a sincere and meaningful relationship with someone when you’re hiding such an important part of yourself. By hiding it, you aren’t protecting a relationship. You’re protecting a lie.

Happy Thanksgiving to Canadians! I’m thankful for my loving and supportive family.

My Coming Out Story is a post from: Sarah Ettritch

The Cult (Deiform Fellowship Two) is Out!

The Cult, the second book in the Deiform Fellowship Series, is finally available. You can pick it up from Amazon, Smashwords, and kobo. The print book should be available within the next month or so.

 

Book Description

When ex-members of a cult die under suspicious circumstances, the Fellowship sends in Jillian to investigate. Still adjusting to her new life, Jillian becomes a dedicated member of the Association of the Sacred Souls, commonly known as the soul healers. As her contact with the outside world dwindles and she grows closer to the cult’s leadership, Jillian plays a dangerous game. If the cult discovers her true purpose, she could become its next victim.

Each Deiform Fellowship book is a standalone story. You can read and follow the second one without having read the first, but you’ll get more out of it if you’ve read Book One. Both books feature the same characters.

Have a great weekend!

The Cult (Deiform Fellowship Two) is Out! is a post from: Sarah Ettritch

Read, Read, Read, Damn it!

Earlier this week, I thought, “Hell, yeah!” as I read You Need to Read Books to Write Them, a post on SmallPressWorld.com. Here’s my take on the article’s two points.

Writers Must Read

A few years ago, I was listening to a fiction podcast when the interviewer asked the guest author what sort of books she liked to read. Her answer: “I don’t have time to read.”

My jaw hit the floor. Whaaaaat? Good writers read. No exceptions. If you truly don’t have time to read, then cut back on your writing time to give yourself time to read.  There’s very little one can say that applies to all writers. “Writers must read” might be the only statement that does.

Also, I’m sure this author was on the podcast so that she could promote her books. Why should anyone buy books written by someone who doesn’t spend a penny on books? Just sayin’.

Research and the Internet

Unless you just want to quickly check a fact, the Internet is only a starting point for research. Sites like Wikipedia can introduce you to the basics, nothing more. If you want to learn about or gain insight into a topic, interviewing an expert or someone who’s experienced whatever you want to write about will take you much further than the Internet ever will. So will reading books on the subject by authors qualified to write those books. There are exceptions, but they’re just that—exceptions.

The Cult will be released next week. As the title suggests and the description tells you, Jillian infiltrates a cult. To get some insight into the minds of cult members and what goes on inside cults, I read two books.

Combatting Cult Mind Control - Steve Hassan used to be a Moonie. If not for an accident, he might still be inside the cult. One night he was driving alone (unusual) after not sleeping for two days (sleep deprivation is common in cults). He dozed off. His van smashed into the back of an eighteen-wheeler and he ended up in hospital. His family was able to get to him, and that led to him leaving the cult.

Seductive Poison – Deborah Layton  belonged to Jim Jones’ cult and lived in Jonestown, but she managed to break free and return to the US. Her brother went to jail for shooting a congressman and some of his delegation after they’d visited Jonestown, the catalyst that led to the mass-suicide that claimed over 900 lives, including 303 children and Layton’s mother.

Both books are terrific reads. Layton’s account of how she escaped from the cult is a real nail-biter.

Reading a substantial amount of material written by former cult members gave me much more insight into the mindsets of cult members and how cults operate than a couple of articles and interviews on the Internet would have done.

I know what the Fellowship will investigate in Deiform Three, and I’m already reading my second book on the subject.

Conclusion

Seriously, why would any writer believe that reading isn’t important? If that’s what they think…if reading isn’t a priority…then why are they writing? It doesn’t make sense.

As for The Cult, the eBook versions will be available next week. You can read the opening of The Cult here.

Later.

Read, Read, Read, Damn it! is a post from: Sarah Ettritch

TIFF 2013 Roundup

My partner and I usually attend the Toronto Film Festival and take in five movies. Some people watch 40+ movies over the 10 days. I don’t know how they do it. One year, we had three movies on the same day, and I had trouble concentrating during the third one. This year we were behind someone in line who’d gone to four movies the day before, and she said they were all blurring together and she wouldn’t do it again.

Anyway, here are my thoughts about the movies we saw, in the order we saw them:

Philomena

Philomena is about an Irish woman who was forced by nuns to give up her baby for adoption. The really cruel thing is that her son was already two years old. The mothers had to take care of their children while they lived and worked at the convent, and it turned out that the nuns were essentially selling the children to wealthy families in the US. In the movie, Philomena works with former BBC journalist Martin Sixsmith to find her son. This is all based on a true story. It’s a heartbreaking story, especially given where her search led.

It stars Judi Dench, so that’s a plus right away. It’s one of those movies that’s both humorous and poignant. It was the runner up for the People’s Choice award, and my partner’s pick for her favourite.

I enjoyed it. I’ll probably read the book that Martin Sixsmith wrote about the experience of helping Philomena find her son. My only niggle is that some of the dialogue didn’t seem realistic to me, in the sense that I felt some of the conversations wouldn’t have taken place between two people who hardly knew each other and didn’t seem comfortable with each other. Later on when they were friends, maybe, but not as early as they did in the movie.

Recommended.

Mary, Queen of Scots

This was essentially a biography of Mary, Queen of Scots. She was a first cousin once removed of England’s Elizabeth I, and she always wanted to meet Elizabeth, but never did. In the end, Elizabeth had her beheaded. I won’t go into the “story” because you can get the basics on Wikipedia or read a book. The movie was interesting and fairly true to the historical account.

There was a Q&A with the director after the movie. Someone pointed out that the historical record suggests that Mary was an astute strategist, but in the movie, she came across as a bit of a naive dimwit. The director seemed surprised and said that he didn’t mean to show her that way. I agreed with the person who asked the question. In the movie, she did come across as a flighty person who made decisions based on her desires, rather than on what was best for Scotland, and she didn’t seem to grasp the obvious political consequences of her actions.

If you’re a history buff, it’s worth seeing.

The Dark Matter of Love

The Dark Matter of Love was about an American family that adopted three children from Russia. One would be a challenge, so talk about jumping into the fire! Fortunately for them, experts on how children learn to love helped them to bring the three children into the family fold, but it wasn’t easy.

The documentary follows the family from when they get the news that there are three children for them, to going to Russia and meeting the children, to bringing them home and watching what happens when the bubble bursts and they have to face reality. In fact, they come down to earth with a thud while they’re still in Russia.

If you get a chance, I’d see it.

Ida

Ida is a Polish movie about a novitiate who’s about to take her vows, but the convent insists that she first meet her aunt, her only surviving relative. Ida doesn’t know much about her background, because she was left at the convent as a baby during WW2, and when the war was over, her aunt refused to take her. In fact, her aunt had refused to even see her up to that point.

When Ida visits her aunt, she discovers that she’s Jewish and her parents were killed by a family who at first hid them from the Nazis. But then I guess greed got in the way. Guess who ended up with the Jewish family’s farm?

Of course, the question is, does Ida take her vows and become a nun? I won’t spoil it for you!

It was a powerful movie and my favourite. It won the Special Presentations Prize. If you’re into story and character, definitely see this one, if you can.

Gravity

Gravity is a blockbuster movie that will be released in early October, and it was shown in 3D. The effects are fantastic. Debris comes spinning toward you, and you really believe that the characters are in space. The director has said that they didn’t even have the technology required to make the movie a few years ago.  So as a movie experience, this one shines.

But…it’s really thin on story, and the story is aggravating in places. Sandra Bullock’s character is supposed to be a very smart woman who’s on the mission to install some system she’s developed. It was a space shuttle mission (I guess before the shuttle program was cancelled). I’m sure the space shuttle crew trains together for months before they go on a mission, but the mission commander asks her basic questions, like “Is there a Mr. Stone?” Come on, he’d already know that. There had to be a better way to convey the information to the audience. Usually my story critic doesn’t stir when it comes to movies, but that was just too jarring to overlook.

Also, there’s the usual problem of the smart woman having to be bailed out by a man. I don’t want to spoil anything here, but it was especially aggravating this time because of how it happened. I don’t know why smart women aren’t allowed to actually be smart in movies. Early on, the movie made a point of telling the audience how intelligent Dr. Stone is, but apparently she wasn’t intelligent enough to save her own skin.

I’m torn about this one. Despite the story and the same old crap when it came to the supposed smart woman, I enjoyed it, because the 3D and the special effects kept me on the edge of my seat.

Conclusion

That’s my quick TIFF 2013 roundup. All the movies were entertaining, and so we enjoyed our time at the festival.

Have a great weekend!

(Deiform Two: I’m currently proofing the eBooks, so the book will definitely be available in early October, probably during the first week.)

TIFF 2013 Roundup is a post from: Sarah Ettritch

Deiform Two Final Excerpt

We’re getting close to the release of Deiform Two, so here’s an excerpt from the opening scene. Enjoy, and have a wonderful weekend!




Excerpt from The Deiform Fellowship Two: The Cult

Copyright © 2013 Sarah Ettritch. All rights reserved.

With a satchel slung over her shoulder, Jillian strode along the sidewalk toward the courthouse, her skin crawling. She scanned her surroundings, searching for a Beguiler, even though she knew it was nerves. With a gaggle of reporters standing on the courthouse steps, smiling into cameras as they breathlessly delivered live reports to their newsrooms, she wasn’t about to be kidnapped or killed. If they came for her, it would be on a quiet country road, in a dark alley, or someplace to which they’d lured her. Not here, though she wouldn’t be surprised if they were watching her. For the past three weeks, she’d spent her weekdays at the same location.

One of the newspaper columnists waiting on the steps smiled at Jillian. “It’s going to seem weird, not showing up here tomorrow.” She grimaced. “Unfortunately, I think the bastard’s going to walk.”

“You think the jury will return the verdict today?” Jillian asked, resisting the urge to duck her head so she wouldn’t be caught on camera. Wearing a blonde wig because she’d only been “dead” for four months, and being over a thousand kilometres away from the city she’d called home, it was unlikely she’d be recognized. Over a thousand kilometres away from Mom and Danny. She was suddenly aware of the phone on her belt. Would the compulsion to call subside, or would she still be fighting it in twenty years?

“They’ve been at it for two days. Damn, I wish that cop had done his job correctly. You’d think they—” The columnist’s phone rang. She peered at it. “Sorry, I have to take this.”

Jillian nodded, pulled out her own phone, and pretended to read while she listened to the reporters chattering around her.

“. . . tried for the rape and murder of five girls. The jury is entering its third day of deliberations . . .”

“. . . maintained his innocence from the moment of his arrest, and legal experts are predicting that the jury will agree with him. What the jury doesn’t know, Carol, is that journals, photographs, and video were ruled inadmissible by the judge due to an improperly executed warrant.”

“The city’s Catholic community was relieved and gratified when police arrested Taylor, but now it might be plunged into terror again. If Taylor is acquitted, students, parents, and teachers will once again live in fear. They’ll know for sure that the psychopath who’s raped and killed five Catholic schoolchildren is still out there . . .”

“. . . psychiatrists say that Taylor will likely offend again . . . Yes, Don, that’s true. Some are speculating that Taylor will leave the city . . .”

“We can go in,” someone shouted.

Jillian lowered her phone and joined the line shuffling into the courthouse. At the security checkpoint, she flashed her Press ID that identified her as a reporter for an online Catholic publication. As her satchel passed through the x-ray machine, she walked through the metal detector, then lifted her arms when a guard approached to swipe her with a handheld detector. Yep, they were checking everyone twice. Too many people were out for Taylor’s blood.

She claimed a seat in the press room and settled in for what could potentially be a long day. Within ten minutes, every chair was occupied. Any reporter who missed the verdict would probably be fired. Only the TV reporters who had to deliver live updates to their newsrooms remained outside. They’d have arranged to have seats in the gallery reserved for them.

Jillian pulled a tablet from her satchel and killed time by watching a whodunit movie, aware of two reporters peering over her shoulder, and not minding at all. Fortunately for them, the movie finished before the jury reached a verdict. Jillian checked her watch and inwardly sighed. Another hour before lunch, when she’d take her chances and visit the washroom. Should she start another movie? Maybe an hour-long documentary?

“The jury is coming back!” someone yelled from the doorway, to electrifying effect. Everyone was on their feet and hastily gathering their things. Jillian grabbed her satchel and joined the queue to leave the room. “When?” a reporter barked to the guard in the corridor.

“Half an hour,” the guard growled.

His answer didn’t discourage anyone from grabbing a seat in the press gallery. “Finally,” the TV reporter who plunked down next to Jillian murmured. Spectators from the general public streamed into the courtroom. Several women set her teeth on edge. Taylor’s fan club. She’d never understand women who were attracted to monsters. Everyone—except the freaking jury—knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Taylor had raped and murdered those children. Jesus, were they that desperate?

The first of the families arrived. To strengthen her resolve, Jillian made a point of watching them as they shambled down the aisle and went to the places they’d occupied for the entire horrific trial. The pale parents, so fragile and exhausted, still bewildered and lost, as if they couldn’t believe it had actually happened. The older brother, who always sat with his head down and rocked. The single mother who’d lost her only child entered the courtroom next; she’d often wept while listening to the testimonies. On her heels was the grandmother. The judge had cautioned her twice not to shout during the trial. How would she react if Taylor was found not guilty? How would the rest of the families now entering the courtroom react?

The lawyers took their positions. The jury filed in. Everyone looked to where Taylor would make his entrance. The door swung open. A frisson of excitement competed with an undercurrent of disgust and loathing. The arrogant bastard swaggered in and nodded to his defence team. The psychiatrists were right. If the prick got off, he’d leave town, lie low for a while, then begin a new reign of terror. And the families here in the courtroom? No justice. No closure. Just relentless pain.

“All rise.”

Judge Connelly entered, probably wishing that, just this once, he could have thrown the law book out the window and allowed Taylor’s meticulous chronicles of his crimes to stand. What had run through his mind when he’d instructed the jury that they must acquit if they had a reasonable doubt about Taylor’s guilt?

Connelly rapped his gavel. “This court is in session. I remind those present to refrain from using your phones within the courtroom.” He turned to the jury. “Have you reached your verdicts?”

“Yes, your honour,” the jury forewoman said.

“For the charge of the first degree murder of Elizabeth Mary Clark, how do you find the defendant? Guilty or not guilty?”

“Not guilty.”

A collective gasp rose from the courtroom. “You animal!” the grandmother shouted. From the other side of the courtroom rose a heart-wrenching sob. Jillian’s stomach knotted.

“I would remind those present that outbursts will not be tolerated.” Connelly said, gazing in the direction of the grandmother. “For the charge of the first degree murder of Cynthia Rose Matthews, how do you find the defendant? Guilty or not guilty?”

“Not guilty,” the forewoman said, over the sounds of weeping.

The grandmother leaped to her feet. “This isn’t justice! This is a travesty! That animal shouldn’t be allowed to live.”

Connelly nodded to two guards. As they approached the grandmother, she marched into the aisle and pointed at Taylor. “Hell isn’t good enough for you, you piece of shit! You’re a goddamned waste of space!” The guards grasped her arms. Having said her piece, she didn’t protest when they escorted her from the courtroom.

Connelly waited for the whispers to die, then asked the forewoman for the verdict on the next first degree murder charge. Not guilty. The same verdict was delivered for every first degree murder, sexual assault, and lesser charge.

The moment the judge said to Taylor, “You’re free to go,” guards formed a protective barrier around him and everyone in the press gallery practically climbed over each other to get outside and deliver the news. Jillian followed the crowd, and wasn’t surprised to see that a podium had already been set up on the courthouse steps. Taylor wouldn’t pass up the chance to rub everyone’s noses in it.

At the base of the steps, she sucked down a deep breath, then pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

“Yes,” a voice barked.

“Not guilty, on all charges,” Jillian said.

“Repeat.”

“Not guilty. It’s a go.”

“Understood.” The line went dead.

She slipped the phone back into its holder and waited for the triumphant defence team and its client to emerge.

“. . . found Taylor not guilty of all charges. One has to wonder, Carol, how the jury will feel when they find out about what they weren’t allowed to see.”

“. . . will probably lie low for a while. Police can try to keep an eye on him, but they could be accused of harassment if they crowd him too much, and many are questioning whether the police can do anything at all. With overstretched budgets . . .”

“. . . spoke to a mother earlier today who said she’ll consider homeschooling her children if Taylor is exonerated. But two of the victims were snatched from the mall. Nowhere is safe. The principal of Holy—here come Taylor and his defence team.”

Cameras swung in the direction of the podium; reporters crowded around it and held out their microphones and recorders. Jillian hung back, not so far that she’d draw attention to herself, but enough that she wouldn’t have to elbow through too many people to make it to the sidewalk. She pulled out her phone. The defence team and Taylor clustered behind the podium. As the lead defence attorney said the usual—great day for justice; Mr. Taylor, who’d always proclaimed his innocence, vindicated—Jillian watched Taylor, who couldn’t contain his smirk. She pretended to tap notes into her phone and focused on breathing evenly.

When the attorney finished speaking, a few reporters asked questions, but most called for Taylor to say a few words. Jillian’s muscles were so tight, she could hardly breathe. Any moment now . . .

The Cult is the second book in the Deiform Fellowship Series and will be available in October, 2013.

Deiform Two Final Excerpt is a post from: Sarah Ettritch

Deiform Two Excerpts #4

Time for a few more Deiform Two excerpts. Next week (or the week after at the latest) I hope to post a good chunk of the book’s opening scene.

Two quick notes before that: I’ve added a new Deiform One trailer to the Deiform Fellowship page. Check it out!

Also, I received Identity Crisis back from my editor and everything looks good, so the story is on track for an early December release. Identity Crisis is a new Rymellan story that picks up exactly one year after Rymellan 3 left off.

Okay, excerpts:

You’re exactly the type of person cults try to recruit. – Sam, to Jillian
Let the sons of bitches come after her. If they thought she’d lose her cool and cower in their presence, they had one hell of a surprise coming. – Jillian
You know, the day will come when you’ll use ‘we,’ instead of, ‘you,’ when referring to the Fellowship. – Roberta, to Jillian
If someone had told her this time last year that she’d be trying to infiltrate a cult because she belonged to a religious fellowship that investigated such matters, she’d have asked them if they were also seeing psychedelic bunny rabbits and rainbow unicorns. – Jillian

Enjoy your weekend!

Deiform Two Excerpts #4 is a post from: Sarah Ettritch

Quick News Roundup

Just a quick news roundup for today:

Deiform Two Status

I received Deiform Two back from my editor and there are no major issues, so I’m on track to release the eBook version in early October. The print version will arrive sometime later.

Print books on sale at Amazon.com (as much as 50% off)

If you’re a print reader, a few of my books are currently heavily discounted at Amazon.com.  You can pick up the print version of The Missing Comatose Woman for cheaper than the Kindle version, Rymellan 1 and Threaded Through Time (contains both books) are going for half price, and Rymellan 3 is 43% off (unfortunately, Rymellan 2 is still full price). This only applies to the .com site and Amazon can change the prices at any time, so grab them while you can.

Tooth Status

In my Show, Don’t Tell… post, I’d mentioned that I had a tooth abscess and was doing salt water rinses. Well, the rinses did their job and took the abscess way down, but they couldn’t get rid of it and I was still experiencing some discomfort. With the abscess much improved, my dentist was able to get a better idea of what was going on. It turns out that I had a root fracture, meaning that the root underneath the gum had broken. That’s how the bacteria were getting in. I considered all my options (all two of them) and decided to extract the tooth, which happened last week. Exciting, I know.

Blog Posting

As of next week, I’ll be doing my best to post again every Friday.

Video

I’ll end this post with a sweet video I watched earlier in the week. Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

Quick News Roundup is a post from: Sarah Ettritch

Lesbian Gamers: Gone Home Review

I usually don’t write game reviews here, but I’m going to make an exception for Gone Home, an adventure game from the Fullbright Company. It’s an indie game, and like many indie projects, it’s trying something new and interesting. It focuses on story and exploration. You might be thinking, “Well, so do other games.” Not like this one. Read on…

I enjoy good combat and puzzles in games, but I also love exploration, one of the reasons sandbox games like those in the Elder Scrolls series amuse me for years. In games like System Shock and BioShock, I always love stumbling across audio diaries and journal entries, and anything else that gives me a glimpse into the lives of the people who used to inhabit the world.

Sometimes when I’m poking around, combat and puzzles can be irritating interruptions. I just want to get from point A to B, or explore a building or cave. I’m not in the mood to fight monsters or solve a puzzle that’s there just for the sake of it. I’ve wondered whether I’d enjoy a game that did away with combat and puzzles and just gave me an interesting area to explore and an intriguing story to discover. Would a game like that hold my interest, or would the absence of combat and puzzles make it boring?

Playing Gone Home has answered the question for me: yes, I do enjoy a game that lets me explore without throwing mobs and puzzles at me.

In Gone Home, you play Katie, a young woman who returns from a year away in Europe to find the family home empty. Everyone is gone. You explore the house to figure out what’s happened to everyone. The focus is on your younger sister Sam, who recorded journal entries for you while you were away (the voice acting is great). Through notes, letters, journal entries, and other clues, you piece together the last year of your parents and Sam’s lives.

From the Steam description:

No Combat, No Puzzles: Gone Home is a nonviolent and puzzle-free experience, inviting you to play at your own pace without getting attacked, stuck, or frustrated. This house wants you to explore it.

I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say that Gone Home is definitely worth checking out. If you like a good story, you’ll enjoy Gone Home. Going in, I knew nothing about the story except for what I wrote above. I was very pleasantly surprised. Lesbian gamers, in particular, might want to give it a shot.

One caveat: the game is short (around 2 hours long). Not surprising, since it consists of exploring a house, so how long can it be? I’m only mentioning the length because the game costs $20 ($18 on sale). I think it’s worth the money, but that’ll be your decision.

Gone Home is currently on sale (ends August 21st). You can pick it up on Steam and from the Fullbright Company site: Buy Gone Home

Let me know what you think of the game!

Lesbian Gamers: Gone Home Review is a post from: Sarah Ettritch

Show, Don’t Tell…

While my editor is working on two stories, I’m taking it easy as far as writing goes. Here’s some of what I’ve been up to over the past couple of weeks.

In the spirit of showing, rather than telling…

Celebration!

(Not mine, my partner’s. This time next year, she could be retired. I’m not freaking out about that, though. Not really.)

Catering to My Left Brain

(Feeding my analytical side. Lynda.com is a bargain at $25/month. If you’re into web development, Tuts Premium is also a good place to pick up skills.)

Cause and Effect

This, at 3am early Saturday morning (July 27th): Make it stop!

Led to…

This on that Saturday afternoon: If you can help me, I’ll give you my firstborn child (if I had one…)

Led to… seeing my own dentist on Monday and being diagnosed with: Yuck!

(Dentists frown on giving whole-body antibiotics these days. Because only my gum is involved, and not any of my teeth, my dentist suggested using salt water rinsing to drain the abscess naturally. It’s slow going, but the abscess is shrinking, I’m able to eat on that side of my mouth more comfortably each day, and I’m not in any pain.

I also learned that one of the most disappointing things you can hear is, “We can’t do anything for you today,” from an emergency dentist…)

Play Time

(Probably my tenth playthrough of Dragon Age 2, which is currently in my top 5 favourite games. I’ve also dabbled in Skyrim a bit, and I recently bought the GOTY version of Two Worlds II, so I’ll start that soon.)

(Just because.)

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a salt water rinse to do…

Enjoy your weekend!

Show, Don’t Tell… is a post from: Sarah Ettritch

Mid-Year (sort of) Writing Roundup

It’s the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer where I am, but that doesn’t mean I’ve been slacking off. Here’s a brief news roundup:

Last chance to get Rymellan 1 and Deiform One at 75% off

The Smashwords summer sale ends on July 31st at midnight Pacific Time. As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve raised the prices of the Rymellan books, so snagging Rymellan 1 for 75% off is a great deal that won’t be available again anytime soon. If you’ve already read it and you enjoy the series, now would be a fantastic time to let a friend know about it, so they can try the first book at a great price. The same goes for Deiform One.

On the other hand, if you haven’t read Rymellan 1 or Deiform One because you’re not sure they’ll be your cup of tea, you can try them for less than the price of a cup of coffee (or tea!). You can’t beat that.

Grab the books here:

Rymellan 1

Deiform One

Use coupon code SSW75 at checkout.

Deiform Fellowship Page Updated

I’ve made a couple of important updates to the Deiform Fellowship book page. I’ve added the Deiform Two cover and book description, to give you a taste of what the book will be about. I might tinker with the blurb between now and when I publish the book, but the substance will remain the same.

I’ve also linked to where you can buy the Deiform One print book with the new cover. I haven’t updated the cover with my usual printer, for the same reason I haven’t updated the Rymellan 1 print cover. Namely, the printer charges update fees. Given the number of print books I sell, it doesn’t make sense for me to pay the fees. Instead, I’ve set up the book with CreateSpace, Amazon’s print on demand outfit. The catch: you have to buy the book through the CreateSpace store, and for some strange reason, that means creating an account with CreateSpace, even though it’s Amazon.

I suppose that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Authors have to create Author Central accounts with every Amazon site (.com, .ca, .co.uk, etc.) separately, and you have to post reviews at every Amazon site separately. Maybe Amazon will eventually centralize everything.

WIP News

Deiform Two and Identity Crisis (Rymellan story) are with my editor. I’ve asked her to edit Deiform Two first, since I’ll release it first. She’ll probably return it to me in late August or early September, and I hope to release it in October.

What’s Next

I’m taking August off as far as writing is concerned. I’ll use the time to review my story ideas file and choose my next 2 to 3 projects. I suspect I’ll write Deiform Three next. I enjoy writing the Deiform Fellowship series very much, and I want to start the next book.

I usually write two projects in parallel, so the question is, what else will I start? Probably nothing else for the rest of the year. I’d like to write at a leisurely pace for a few months, and I’ll have two stories to publish on top of that. Come January 2014, I’ll start another project. It could be another Rymellan story, another Salbine book, or something new. I’ll let you know when I get there.

Back in January, I said that I might write another Salbine book this year. It turns out that I won’t. I’ll only write another Salbine book if I feel that I have a great Salbine story to tell. I’ve had the experience of reading a disappointing follow-on book and figuring that the author mainly wrote it because they (or their publisher) figured it would sell, and that they would have been better off leaving things as they were. I don’t want to make the same mistake. Having said that, I might decide during August that I do have a wonderful Salbine story to tell, but even if that’s the case, I won’t start it until next year.

Enjoy your weekend!

Mid-Year (sort of) Writing Roundup is a post from: Sarah Ettritch