S. Evan Townsend's Blog, page 57

My Online Life

I found another 30-day blogging challenge that seems to have different questions than the usual. At least some of them. So once a week I'll do one of the questions (if it's new and if it's not too personal).

Today's question is: "The difference between your personal and internet life."

I discussed that a little bit in this blog post from a few weeks ago.

It sort of depends on what internet life. On my personal Facebook page (sorry not going to link to it) I'm less professional and more cordial. I'll occasionally discuss politics which I don't anywhere else.  (I stopped doing politics on Facebook regularly in March of 2017.) I'll post personal stuff if it's not too personal (I don't post drama). On my Facebook author page, on Twitter, and on this blog, I try to be professional and not too personal and I never blatantly discuss politics as I used to on FB.

In my personal life, most everyone I know knows my politics (I'm not shy about it). I will talk with friends about personal things, depending on how close of friends they are.

What won't you do on the internet? Comment below.

Upset Weekend

It was a weekend of upsets. Unfortunately, the University of Washington Huskies were no exception.

It started Friday when #2 Clemson was beat by Syracuse. And #8 Washington State was demolished by California (the same team the Huskies beat last week). I was getting excited thinking that after the Huskies beat Arizona State, they might move up to #4 in the AP top 25 poll.

(There were other upsets in the AP top 25 but those were the important ones.)

Alas, it was not to be. Maybe it was the second late game in a row (starting at 7:45 PM). Maybe it was curse of Tempe (the Huskies haven't won there since the early 2000s). Maybe it was the 80 degree weather. Maybe it was the kicking game. That didn't help. Had those two FGs been made, the game would have been tied and gone into overtime and we might have still won.

The Huskies went three and out on their first drive, then the Sun Devils scored on their first drive. The Huskies. The Huskies were moving slow and Quarterback Jake Browning was having an off night (his first of this season). Going into the half the score was 13-0 with ASU in the lead.

Three big problems didn't help. A touchdown on a trick play was called back for a holding call. And the Huskies' place kicker missed two (two!) field goals. The defense finally woke up and held ASU scoreless in the second half. But the offense just couldn't connect.

The final score was 13-7. The Huskies go to 6-1 and that probably ends their hopes to return to the CFP playoffs. Maybe if they win every game from now on. But likely not.

Next week the Dawgs have a bye. Then on October 28th they play UCLA at home. That gives them two weeks to fix what went wrong last night. I'm wondering if it's too late to get a new kicker.

Elsewhere in the Pac-12:

USC had a come-from-behind win against Utah last night. That puts USC solidly in control of the Pac-12 South.

In the Pac-12 North, Stanford is technically on top because their in-conference record is 4-1 even though they are 5-2 overall. The Huskies and the Cougars are tied for second at 3-1 in conference and 6-1 overall. No one else is competitive in the North, especially after Stanford demolished Oregon last night. So it's going to come down to who beats Stanford (if anybody) and who wins the Apple Cup. (Stanford plays Notre Dame on the last weekend of the regular season. Go Fighting Irish!)

The Polls:

I suppose it could have been worse. In the AP top 25 poll, Clemson, after their loss, went from #2 to #7. Washington went from #5 to #12. WSU went from #8 to #15. USC went from #13 to #11. And Stanford went from #23 to #22.

The Speculative Fiction Cantina with Tracy Lawson and Natalie Wright

Today on the Speculative Fiction Cantina we are pleased to welcome Tracy Lawson and Natalie Wright.
Tracy LawsonTracy Lawson

Once upon a time, Tracy Lawson was a little girl with a big imagination who loved to tell stories. Her interests in dance, theater, and other forms of make-believe led to a career in the performing arts, where “work” means she gets to tap dance, choreograph musicals, and weave stories. A mid-life career change has so far yielded Counteract, Resist, Ignite, and Revolt, the four volumes in the young adult Resistance Series, plus two nonfiction history books.

Tracy's Books:


Revolt

Pride of the Valley: Sifting through the History of the Mount Healthy Mill (history, non-fiction)

Ignite

Tracy's Links:

Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Natalie WrightNatalie Wright

Natalie is the author of H.A.L.F., an award-winning science fiction series, and The Akasha Chronicles, a young adult fantasy trilogy. She lives in the high desert of Tucson, Arizona with her husband, teen daughter, and two cat overlords.

A nerd since before it was remotely cool, Natalie spends her non-writing time reading, gaming (ESO, Skyrim, Dragon Age), and hanging out with readers and other fans of geek and nerd culture at comic cons, Sci-Fi/Fantasy literary cons and book festivals throughout the western US. Natalie also geeks out frequently on podcasts, radio shows and guest blogs discussing writing and books. She was raised an Ohio farm girl, lives in the desert Southwest, and dreams of living near the ocean.

Natalie's Books:

H.A.L.F.: The Deep Beneath

H.A.L.F.: The Makers

H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS

Natalie's Links:

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest

From Today's Program: Why the Universe is Accelerating.

Listen to today's program at 6:00 PM ET / 3:00 PM PT, or in archive here.

Paraskevidekatriaphobia

Tomorrow is Friday the 13th in October.

Which means....absolutely nothing. Yes, I know people suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia (fear of Friday the 13th) and for some reason a Friday the 13th in October is worse (because of Halloween?).

But in reality, it's just another day.

There is no scientific basis for thinking Friday the 13th is bad luck. In fact, I used to work with a woman who thought Friday the 13th was a good omen (I think she thought of herself as a witch).

When I wrote my Adept Series of books, just for the fun of it, I decided for the adepts, thirteen was a lucky number and Friday the 13th was especially lucky. But those were fantasy books, not based on science. I gave the Huntington Hotel in San Francisco a thirteenth floor (in reality, it only has twelve) and that was where the adepts worked and lived. All of the books, except one, have thirteen chapters ( Hammer of Thor  has twenty-six),

It's like a full moon. Some people swear a full moon means more people end up in the emergency room or more crimes or more fires. But studies have shown this isn't true. It's a self-confirming bias. If a day with a full moon is extra busy in the ER, the nurses and the doctors remember that. If it's not, they don't remember that because it doesn't confirm their superstitions.

So tomorrow, don't worry. It's just another day with a coincidence on the calendar.

P.S.: the other books in the Adept Series. are Agent of Artifice , Book of Death , Gods of Strife , and The Terror of Tombstone .

Author Interview with Jaleta Clegg.

Today we welcome to the blog writer Jaleta Clegg.

Jaleta has a new story out in an anthology called  Tales From The Underground : Twelve tales of hidden legends. 

Under our feet lie countless realms of possibility. Join twelve writers as they explore those realms - discovering lands of fantasy, lands from our far future, lands of mystery. 

There are places full of wonders, full of terrors, full of visions of what could be. 

Join us, down here, in the dark.

Today we talk to Jaleta.

What do you find most challenging about writing (other than finding the time)?

Keeping my stories from growing out of control, especially the short stories. I keep finding all sorts of interesting sub-plots and avenues to explore. If I'm not careful I end up with a tangled mess that needs to become a novel.

What authors inspire you and/or do you regularly read?

Julie Czerneda is always an inspiration. Her aliens are awesome. I also love the classics: Andre Norton, Isaac Asimov, Larry Niven, Terry Pratchett, and so many others. I've got Mary Stewart's classic Merlin trilogy on my nightstand right now.

Why did you start writing?

To make the voices in my head shut up. Sorry, that was the pat answer. I really started writing as an escape from my kids. Being a stay-at-home mom of young kids can be very isolating. I started writing as a way to stay sane, to do something for me that wasn't on a preschool level.

What do you love about writing?

Blowing stuff up. No mess to clean up.
I love to dream up places I want to visit, and some I never want to visit. There are no limits on the imagination. I can go anytime, anyplace, as anyone or anything.

What do you hate about writing?

My brain goes at least ten times faster than my fingers can type. I can't keep up with the flow of ideas and stories. I also hate it when I dream up the perfect dialogue and scene in my head at night, then when I go to write it down, it never comes out as good as it sounded in my head.

Where do you write? A set-aside place or just anywhere?

Anywhere I can get my laptop. I've written on camping trips, at stores, at schools, in the car, every room in the house including the bathroom and coat closet, in the backyard, everywhere. Except the swimming pool or the bathtub. Water and computers just don't mix well. It isn't pretty.

What is your writing process? Plotter, Pantser?

I pants the first few chapters or scenes, then have to back off and write a loose outline. If I don't know where I'm headed, I tend to wander all over the place. Pratchett can get away with that because he's very entertaining. I can't. I know I'm not that entertaining to read when I'm wandering.

What do you have planned in the future/what's in the works?

I'm working on a whole pile of short stories and the sequel to Dark Dancer - The Winterqueen's War. That book's been in the works for several years now off and on. I really need to get it finished up. Then on to a whole lot of new novels and short stories.

Do you have a writing ritual?  Have to wear the same shirt, listen to the same music?

If I had to do that kind of thing, I'd never get anything written. Mostly, I just have to close down all my online games, find some great mood music on YouTube, put on my headphones, then ignore everyone and everything while I get words out. Sometimes I just open up the file and write snatches as I can, but that's usually not very productive for me. I need a good half hour at a time.

How do you overcome writers' block?

I've never had writers' block. I've had burnout - the ideas are there but I just can't make myself sit down and write them out. I've been stuck in a story but that was because I hadn't figured out the character's motivations all the way. As soon as I got that sorted out, the story flowed again. Ideas are everywhere. It's the process of turning them into coherent stories that's hard.

Do you have a favorite place to relax?

On the couch in front of the TV with my crocheting in my lap and the dogs snoring in the corners. Mostly because I can't afford my own private tropical paradise.

Any hobbies, interests (other than writing)?

Reading, cooking weird foods, costuming, piecing quilts, crocheting all sorts of things out of yarn (hedgehogs and tiny cthulhus lately), making pickles, and playing the piano. I'm attempting to learn the organ but that's slow going.

Why should anyone buy your book?

Tales of the Underground should be in your library because it isn't just me in there. It's twelve fabulous authors with very different stories. You get to sample a full dozen authors that you've probably never heard of. But the stories are good. Trust me.

What motivates and inspires you?


Chocolate. And doughnuts. Pretty much food in general.

About Jaleta:

Jaleta Clegg enjoys spinning tales that range from the creepy and serious to the strange and silly. She writes epic space opera with her Fall of the Altairan Empire series (www.altairanempire.com), steampunk fairies with Dark Dancer, silly horror with her Brain Candy collection, and a whole lot of other stories all across the speculative fiction genres. She lives in Washington state with two elderly dogs, a massive stink-beast cat, a diminishing horde of children, and a very patient husband.

The Huskies are 6-0 (and so are the Cougars)

We're half-way through the NCAA FBS regular season after playing six games. As of now, there are only two undefeated teams in the Pac-12 Conference: the University of Washington Huskies and the Washington State University Cougars. That's because yesterday Stanford beat Utah yesterday.

Last night the Huskies played the California Golden Bears. And it was, like so many of their games this year, a blow out. Ten minutes left in the fourth quarter coach Chris Petersen, as is his habit, put in back-up players. The Bears only scored once, on a fumble scoop-up and ran it in for a touchdown. The Bears had no offensive points. The final score was 38-7.

The one weak area for the Dawgs is the kicking game.  The starting kicker missed a field goal he should have made. The back up kicker did make a field goal. And all the kickoffs tend to be short, meaning there's always a run-back and usually past the 25-yard mark. This needs to be fixed before we face Stanford, USC, or go to a bowl game.

Also yesterday, the WSU Cougars beat the Oregon Ducks, keeping the Cougars at 6-0 for the season (and the Ducks at 4-2, 1-2 in conference). And it would be easy to say that they have had a harder schedule than UW, having played USC (and won) and not having such a wimpy non-conference schedule. UW doesn't play USC in the regular season this year.

The Pac-12 South is in turmoil. USC is on top with a 5-1 record (2-1 in conference) with that loss to WSU last week. Utah is in second with a 4-1 overall record and 1-1 in conference (they had a bye last week).

The Polls

Oklahoma lost yesterday to Iowa State (!). Why do we care? Because Oklahoma was ranked at #3. They are now ranked at #12. That means a lot of teams moved up one, including the Huskies, now at #5 in the AP Top 25 poll, their highest ranking this year. Also, they are for the second week in a row, the highest-ranked Pac-12 team.

Washington State is at #8 having moved up from #11 (Michigan, which was at #7, also lost, so more teams moved up). WSU is at their highest ranking this year (and probably in a long time). USC is at #13, having moved up one slot. And Stanford is back in the top 25 at #23. Utah dropped off from #20 after their loss to Stanford.

Next Week

Next week the Huskies face the Arizona State Sun Devils at Tempe (or Tuscon, I always get those mixed up). ASU is at 2-3 overall so the Huskies shouldn't have any problem with them.

The Cougars play California on Friday. Again, the Cougars shouldn't have any trouble with the Bears.

The Future

Looking at the Huskies' and the Cougars' schedules, I don't see where either team is going to have any huge problems until they meet each other in the Apple Cup. Stanford is the only team that could be a spoiler. The Huskies play them at Stanford on November 10th (a Friday) and the Cougars host Stanford on November 4th.

Author Appearance

Today from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM I will be at the Moses Lake Business Association's Art and Wine Walk in downtown Moses Lake, WA. I don't know where I'll be on the walk, so I guess you'll have to do the entire thing to find me.

I will be with fellow authors Judith Ann McDowell, TR Goodman, and J.M. Scheirer. Genres represented include:

Science FictionFantasySteampunkIndian RomanceHorrorWerewolvesWesternsCome check it out, try some fine wines, and pick up a good book (or three) to read on the upcoming long winter nights.

The Speculative Fiction Cantina with Jon Mollison and Anthony R. Howard

Today on the Speculative Fiction Cantina we are pleased to welcome Jon Mollison and Anthony R. Howard.
Jon MollisonJon Mollison

One of the Twelve Champions of the Pulp Revolution, Jon grew weary of searching for works that captured the adventure, romance, and heroism of the early pulp stories so he set out to make his own.  Inspired by the likes of Burroughs, Dunsany, Haggard, and Howard, his novels breathe new life into speculative fiction by focusing on the freewheeling fun of stories where anything can happen, virtue leads to victory, and nothing can thwart the love shared between a good man and woman.

Jon's Books:


Space Princess (Pre-Release)

Adventure Constant

A Moon Full of Stars

Jon's Links:

Website
Twitter
Gab

Anthony R. HowardAnthony R. Howard

Bestselling, Award-Winning author Anthony R. Howard has studied Christianity for over 15 years, as well as secret societies, basic theology and angelology (the study of angels).  Howard has won several awards, appeared on many national media outlets and is also the bestselling author of The Invisible Enemy: Black Fox , The Invisible Enemy II: Vendetta ,  Devil's Diary: The Coming . Howard also has a passion for Christianity, prophecy and spirituality.  Howard has served on ministry teams and religious leadership groups, each which give astounding insight into many of the characters developed in Devils Diary. Presently in Atlanta, he is a leading Technology Specialist for one of the world’s largest Information Technology firms where he was Named #1 IT Super Hero by InfoWorld and ComputerWorld , was the winner of the National Federal Office Systems Award (FOSE - Nation’s Largest Information Technology Exposition Serving the Government Marketplace), and the winner of Government Computer News Best New Technology Award. Several case studies have been published on Howard’s solutions across the Information Technology industry. Currently he provides enterprise technology solutions and advisement for America’s most distinguished clients including a sizeable amount of work for the U.S. Defense Sector, Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security.

Anthony's Books:


Devil’s Diary: The Coming

The Invisible Enemy: Black Fox

The Invisible Enemy: Vendetta 

Anthony's Links:

Website
Blog
Facebook
Goodreads

From Today's Program: Snow on Mars at Night.

Listen to today's program at 6:00 PM ET / 3:00 PM PT or in archive here.

Self Censoring

Years and years and years ago (okay, 1994) I took a community education class on the internet. It concentrated on Usenet (is that still a thing?) as back then that was the most active part of the internet. They also talked a bit about the World Wide Web (www) and introduced the Internet Movie Database (yes, it existed way back then, it was one of the very early parts of the World Wide Web).

But the instructors said something that has stuck with me. They said, "Don't put anything on the internet that you wouldn't put on a public bulletin board." (They meant the flat board made of wood or cork that you would tack papers on and people read as they walk by.) What they didn't say, probably because no one realized it at the time, is that what you put on the Internet is there forever. Even if you manage to delete it.

This is why on all social media, I self-censor. I don't post very personal things such as personal drama. Because who needs to do that? And who needs to read that. I have friends to talk to (or in one case, text to) about that.

Some of the stuff I see on Facebook and Twitter just amazes me. Don't these people realize what they post is forever? And on this blog I censor myself. I never get too personal. I hope. And I don't discuss politics on this blog (but if you read between the lines, you might figure out where my loyalties lie).

Do you censor what you post online? Or do you let it "all hang out"? Let me know in the comments.

The Huskies are 5-0 (And so are the Cougars)

Editors note: This is late because I was travelling all weekend. I watched the game last night on DVR.

The University of Washington Huskies are still undefeated after beating the Oregon State Beavers 7-42. There was little doubt as the Beavers are the worst team in the Pac-12.

But, it wasn't the blow-out it could have been. On their first series, the Huskies marched down the field and scored. But then they never scored again in the first half, with miscues and missed opportunities, they never reached the end zone.

After halftime they looked like the team they are supposed to be, and scored 35 points before late in the fourth quarter, coach Chris Petersen did his usual thing in blow-out games, and put in back up players. The Beavers then managed to get a touchdown against our second stringers.

The Huskies are 5-0 overall, 2-0 in conference. No one is surprised at this. Next week the Huskies play the California Golden Bears at home. The game will be on ESPN at 7:45 PM PDT. Which is an awful time.

Upset!

But, elsewhere in the Pac-12, the Washington State Cougars defeated #5-ranked USC. So the Cougars
are 5-0, also, and 2-0 in conference. That was not a game USC was supposed to lose. In fact, USC wasn't supposed to lose any games on their way to a Pac-12 South championship and then play the Pac-12 North winner (probably Washington) for the Pac-12 championship on December 1st. But right now the Utah Utes are the only undefeated team in the Pac-12 South at 4-0 overall, 1-0 in conference (they had a bye this week). USC is 4-1 overall, 2-1 in conference.

The Pac-12 North Division championship might come down to the Apple Cup, the annual cross-state rivalry game between UW and WSU. Could be interesting.

Now the Pac-12 South Division championship will probably be between USC and Utah.

The Polls

As you can imagine, USC's defeat dropped them in the AP top 25 poll, from #5 to #14. WSU jumped from #16 to #11. I was hoping that since USC dropped out of #5, Washington would slip into that spot. But Georgia is now #5 and Washington stayed at #6. Washington is now the highest ranked team in the Pac-12.

Utah stayed at #20.