Maria Hammarblad's Blog, page 24

This weekend, don't miss the Bradenton Reading Festival!

The reading festival is a two day event hosted by the Florida Writer's Association. There will be some great opportunity to meet and talk to talented writers from the area, snag autographs, and listen to authors read. 

I will be there, sharing a table with the lovely Elinor Rogosin who has written a book about her life-long search for her son, who traveled to India and disappeared. She is a fascinating person, and if you have the opportunity, I recommend stopping by to talk to her.

The reading festival is also combined with a FWA mini conference. I haven't looked into the workshops since I will be manning my table

Where is it?

The 1st Baptist Church in Bradenton have kindly opened its doors for the event. It is located at 1306 Manatee Avenue W in Bradenton FL, 34205.

When is it?

Friday and Saturday - January 10 to 11 2014 - from 9 AM to 4:30 both days.

Is there a cost?

No. The reading festival is free to visit.

I anticipate a well visited and fun event, and hope to see you there! =)

Stop by the festival and get some swag. Besides books
I will bring postcards to autograph, pens, and candy.

It's research. Just research...

Every now and then there's talk about Big Brother going through people's e-mails and browser histories. Some people say authorities - whichever they might be - show interest in people searching for certain key words.

As a writer, this would pose a problem. We tell funny stories about it, but I have to admit that I expect the men in black to knock on my door after doing research for certain books.

Inspiration is what it is, and it goes wherever it wants to. Whether you're writing a story about a spy, a war hero in the middle east, or a criminal biker gang, Internet is the source of information. Like, point number four on the funny image below.

Lately, I've been researching climate change and the planet Venus, artificial limbs suitable for a soldier returning home after close encounter with a land mine, ways to break into the Smithsonian, hotels in Sebring, painkillers suitable for broken ribs, and what kind of weapons a criminal biker gang might use.

It would be possible to construe all sorts of scenarios from that, but it's just research. I promise!

Excerpt from "Flashback"

It's Friday, and I normally share a snippet from one of my science fiction books through the SFR Brigade presents. That feature hasn't started for the year yet, so I would love to share a few lines from my book Flashback instead. This book is about a war veteran suffering from PTSD, and his struggle to return to society.


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When they came home, Steve sank down in the sofa without even taking off his jacket. Life outside could sure be exhausting. Anna went into the kitchen, and he rested his head back and closed his eyes. Listening to her hum a song, just a little out of tune as she loaded the coffee maker soothed his nerves.

A hard rattling sound made him open his eyes again. Gunshots, and they were close. Anna still sang, and she would be an easy target.

He ran through the apartment, making sure to stay away from the windows. Peeking around the corner, his beautiful fiancée was oblivious to the danger.

Women.

How did they survive?

He sprung out from his hiding place behind the wall, shoved her down on the floor, and threw himself over her. After all she did for him, protecting her with his own body was the least he could do.

Anna wheezed, clearly trying to draw a breath.

"Sssh, they're coming."

She lay on her back, and the question in her eyes was clear. Have you lost your mind? Of course he had, a long time ago. She should know. When she opened her mouth, he covered it with his hand so she couldn't draw attention to them.

"Don't you hear them? The shots?"

She shook her head and closed her fingers around his wrist, attempting to pull his hand away.

"I think we're safe, but be very quiet."

Anna nodded, and as soon as he removed the hand, she whispered, "Please get off me. I can't breathe."

He obeyed, she endeavored to sit up, and he pulled her back down.

"Don't make yourself a target."

Why did she look so exhausted?

"Sweetheart, there's nothing there."

"But..." He had heard them.

"That noise? Remember the crazy people upstairs? I don't know what they're doing, but it's definitely them."

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Making books accessible

I've been talking about goals for 2014 this week, and one of my goals is to make my books more accessible. That means putting them on more platforms and stores than I currently have, but also finding new ways to reach people.

In the long run I would like to turn at least my self-published works into audio books, but that's a bigger project than I can take on right now. I am handy with audio software, and being an old musician I have a lot of equipment sitting around the house, but making a good audio book requires more than technology.
For now, I intend to ignore my Swedish accent (LOL) and read chapters to be put on my website. At first I was going to just make audio files, but then I thought, "Why not put the text up too, in a video?" 
This is my first effort, let's call it a prototype. Funny detail: there's one portion that says, "...the captain a big, pink, furry bunny." I don't know where my head was when I read it, but I say, "...a big, punk, furry bunny."
I might go back and edit it... Or maybe I'll leave it be and act surprised if anyone comments on it. ;-) If you don't believe me about the accent, here it is!

Book plans for 2014

The start of this year is different from 2011, 2012, and 2013. Up until now I've had a backlog of books, and I've been able to plan a few releases each year. Working full time, finishing my Bachelor's degree, editing last year's releases, and marketing made me fall behind. I don't have even one completed book waiting in my computer. Panic!

I have a lot of works in progress, and my mind bounces from project to project. The downside is that even though I've written tens of thousands of words during my Christmas break, it looks like I haven't accomplished all that much. The upside is that working on several fronts keeps my imagination entertained, and I will have a number of things finished at the same time.

One of the projects is a novella for an anthology scheduled for release this spring, so that one needs to be prioritized. After that I don't know. I seem to have developed the attention span of a guppy. Shiny object! I want them all, and I want them right now. LOL!

How do you work best? Do you like to do one thing at a time, or to keep many things going?

Plans for the new year?

The first day of a new year. A clean slate almost as exciting as a brand new notebook with a brand new set of pens. The possibilities are endless!

During the year it's easy to forget that every day presents endless possibilities. I can only speak for myself, but I get so caught up in everyday life and duties I forget that I can choose who I want to be, where my life is going, and what I want to do. To some extent we're all influenced brother people and circumstances, of course, but if change doesn't start with me it will never be.

A new year gives a great opportunity for reflection, because everyone stops and looks both backwards and forward.

My family never made new years promises, and I don't really do that either. There are many things I should do. Eat better, exercise more, take the doggies for more walks, clean the house better, wash my car on a regular basis... I can promise to do all those things until my face turns blue and it still won't happen. Changes in daily routines won't happen over night, not if they are to last. I think changes like those happen gradually, over time, as we learn new ways of doing things and new ways of living.

That said, I do have a goal for 2014: to spend less time at the daytime job working with things I don't want to do for other people, and to spend more time with my writing.

It's not an easy goal, because the daytime job gives the means to pay the bills and buy food. It's still my goal, and time will tell if I pull it off or not.

I believe there are alternate streams of revenue I could tap into if I ever got the time and inner peace to try. Like, writing competitions. They're everywhere. I've been wanting to write articles and submit to magazines, paid and unpaid, and if I could get my head in the right place there might even be grants.

And, there's the obvious; selling my books. I'm much more interested in writing them than in marketing them, but to get the time and means to do one I will need to engage more in the other. I have signed up for a fair amount of book fairs and author events for 2014, and I intend to fill in the calendar. Meeting people, talking to them face to face, has proven to give good results. Thus, it's something I need to do more.

Taking things one step further, for 2015, I wish to be independent. Whether I manage to sell a screenplay, or do jobs for other companies on a contract basis, I have to try for a lifestyle where I'm not stuck in an office without windows nine hours a day.

I don't think my demands on a place of employment are all that high. I need air that doesn't filter through an industry and smells like exhaust before it reaches me. I need light. I can no longer work at a place with saws and punch presses mere feet away from me - all the noise is driving me crazy. I can't take restrooms filled with bugs, and spiders hanging from the ceiling anymore. I can't stand that the floor sways under my feet because it's riddled with termites, or that the carpet smells like mold. This year, that insanity stops, one way or another.

During 2013, I attempted to find places of employment that would have the self-evident necessities for employees - like light and air - but I'm sort of picky, and the list of jobs I really want is short with a long line of hopeful applicants. Thus, the journey to independence starts now. (Saying that in public might be a mistake, but I'm so tired of it I don't care anymore.)

What are your goals for 2014?

Happy New Year!

May 2014 be a good one!

An alien on my street?

I live in a neighborhood where I fit in really well. Considering me and my eccentric habits, this is nothing less than a miracle, and it has never happened before.

In the mornings, whether I go to work or can sleep in a little, my first priority is to take the doggies out. They've been waiting all night. They can't choose to go to the restroom at three in the morning if they need to - they just have to wait. Thus, they're first on my list.

I pull on a robe and take them out, usually in two groups since Bonnie and Ellie don't get along. Our house sits in the middle of a corner lot, and I walk around the house with them, because I want to make sure they get to do their stuff, and not just stare at squirrels or something.

I'm proud of my dogs. They're all rescues, and they've come a long way since they arrived. Boo didn't know what a toy was. The first time he got a chewie he just looked at it, and it took months before he dared try to hold it in his mouth. Then, when he realized that it was his and he was allowed to play and chew on it, joy!

EllieEllie didn't know anything when she first came. She tried to jump up on the counters and on the stove, and acted as if she had never been in a house before. She had spent a long, long time in shelters and boarding, and if she had been in a home, I don't think she remembered.

Bonnie had good manners when she came, my friend Jill who runs Ewenity Farms worked a lot with teaching her. Topper is generally a good boy, but he's had his moments, like when he chewed up the remote controls and ate my headphones... (He has grown out of that now.)

Anyway, now they're happy, well-adjusted, and spoiled rotten. They're not exactly obedience champions, but they're good family dogs.

So, back to my story. Today, I moseyed around with Bonnie and Topper. One of the neighbors was going out with his boat, and he stopped on the road to say hi over the fence. He has someone coming over to take down a tree, and wanted to tell me that if I need anything trimmed I could probably get a good price.

Bonnie and Topper were out, doing their best imitation of guard dogs. I don't think they were barking at the neighbor, I talk to him all the time and they recognize him, but that boat was a big foreign object that had to be scared away. (They also think the UPS and mail trucks are fire-breathing dragons.)

That's when I saw the alien.

Okay, he looked like a human, but he was definitely out of place.

We're in Florida. Even in winter it's not exactly cold. I was out barefoot in my nightie with an old blue robe over it, unbrushed hair, unbrushed teeth... (Early morning in my world might not coincide with early in other people's lives.) The neighbor had shorts and a short-sleeve shirt.

The stranger could have stepped out of a movie where he played a commanding officer of some futuristic army.

He wore a black turtleneck, black pants without a trace of dog hair, and black shoes. A jacket would have made it a perfect black alien uniform. His hair was perfect. I've never seen anyone look that perfect in real life. Next to him sat a large brown dog that completely ignored the commotion in my yard. I think the dog would have made back-flips if the man had waved a finger.

They were clearly waiting for the boat, me, and my dogs to go away, so they wouldn't cause any further chaos.

I said goodbye to the neighbor, called Bonnie and Topper, and hurried inside. Luckily, both dogs obeyed and came with me on the first try. I really wanted them to appear better trained than they are, and they complied and ran in through the door as if they're always do exactly what I tell them to. My good babies!

I wanted to go to the window and spy on the stranger and his dog, but that would have been a too blatant show of curiosity. Now, this guy is going into a book. I'm not sure yet if he'll be a good guy or a bad guy, but he has my imagination churning!

Biometrics adventures

I like the word "Biometrics." It sounds really cool, and I associate it with androids and artificial body parts. However, when I say, "I went to have my biometrics taken" it's nothing that interesting. More along the lines of fingerprints and a photo. 

My green card requires renewal, and I guess they want to check that I'm still me.

The USCIS provides an appointment. It comes in form of a physical letter with time, date, and location. If someone needs to reschedule, this happens through a written letter and a new written notice. This means that they decide how many people will appear at a certain immigrations center at a certain time.

Reasonably, they would also know how many people work at said center, and how long it takes to process each visitor.

This sounds like the easiest logistics in the world; there are few unknown parameters. Whoever plans it has full control over everything except unexpected disease or death amongst the employees.

I still had to wait an hour and a half.

I was prepared to wait for a little while, even though I didn't anticipating sitting perched on a hard chair for ninety minutes. I knew cell phones weren't allowed, so I brought my Kindle, wanting to re-read Unchanged by Christy Elkins.

So, I'm sitting there surrounded by signs saying "No Cellphones" and people playing with their cellphones. One guy seems to be texting, one is listening to music, and a couple of girls are playing with iPhones.

I have my Kindle touch and I am reading a book. The woman behind the counter calls out, "Ma'am, no cellphones."

It's clearly not for me, so I ignore her and read on.

"Ma'am. No cellphones!"

This time I looked up, and found her staring right at me.

"I'm sorry, are you talking to me?"

"Yes. No cellphones."

"This isn't a phone, it's a Kindle."

I look down at the book.

"Ma'am! No Cellphones!"

What the hell? 

"This is a Kindle. It's not a phone, it doesn't make calls, and it doesn't take photos. It's an electronic book."

"No Cellphones."

She looks about to call the numerous and armed guards on me, so I roll my eyes, turn off the Kindle, and tuck it into my purse.

A guy in the next row is reading a thick paper book. He snickers, "Next time, bring one of these."

I grumble, "It's a friggin' e-book reader."

After a long, long, long wait I start talking to the girl next to me. Once it's my turn, the procedure takes a grand two minutes and I can leave. Hopefully, their computers will determine that I'm still me.  Definitely a worthy way to waste a day's vacation...

I want my own Smaug!

I have been a bit quiet online lately, and I have a bad conscience for not keeping up with the blog. The holidays gave a reprieve from the daytime job, and I am writing, writing, and writing. Yay! It's so great to finally get some time in peace to put words down, but the days are disappearing with an alarming rate.
I'm currently typing away at a prequel to the Embarkment 2577 books, a random science fiction story that popped into my head, and a sci-fi novella for an anthology that will be released next year. The imaginary people living in my mind are talking, and I'd better type before they give up and fall silent.
Smaug - the dragon of dragons!That said, I did pay a visit to real life yesterday. I am blessed with friends who love me even though I disappear off into my own world, and who take the time to shake me out of it. Yesterday we went to see the new Hobbit movie. The desolation of Smaug... 
I have a weak spot for dragons, and now I totally want my own Smaug! I know I'm not supposed to root for the dragon, and I know what happens to him, but I'm still cheering him on, because he's so cool.
Spolier alerts: The movie shows more of what happens to Gandalf during his time away from the group than the book reveals. I personally like it; it fills out the back story in a way I've missed before. I love his attitude. He walks into a super-creepy place knowing well it's a trap, and faces evil straight on, for the common good.
Legolas was in the movie too. He has been one of my favorite characters in the books since I learned to read as a little girl, and I am delighted to see him play a part in the Hobbit even though he isn't really in Bilbo the book. He is a hero, of course. Anything besides a hero would be unacceptable.
Legolas and TaurielThe king of the wood elves was in the film. I never liked him in the book, but now I'm definitely a Thranduil fan. He's just as aloof as I imagined, but much more likable than he comes across in Bilbo.
There was a new character too, to put a twist on things. Tauriel is a female warrior elf played by Evangeline Lilly, more known as Kate from Lost. 
There's some interesting chemistry going on between the characters, and not just in the ways that seem self-evident. I like that they embellish the story. Once the third movie is done I'll have to have a marathon and watch all six movies in a row. That will take a while. LOL!
What else...?
Kili, brother of FiliThorin and Kili can really make mythological dwarves seem like an attractive species, even though some of their buddies in the movie look like Obelix. The dwarves' story has been embellished as well from the book. In Bilbo many of them come across as comic side kicks who mostly complain. Now they have personalities. 
I guess the changes might disturb die-hard textbook Tolkien fans, but I like it. I think it's necessary to give the movies substance.
Funny enough, I never really liked Bilbo in the books. I didn't like him in the book Bilbo, and I didn't like him in the trilogy. I've loved most of the other characters, but Bilbo always came across as a bit... petty. Martin Freeman does a fantastic job bringing Bilbo to life, and now I adore him. He's clever, unselfish, and brave.
Have you seen the film? What did you think?