Silke Juppenlatz's Blog, page 10

Carbon Neutralize Your Blog

I've never really thought about the carbon footprint of a blog.

I'm going to bet, neither did you.

Theoretically it's environmentally friendly – after all, there's no paper involved.

But there are the mainframes it lives on to be considered.

While I was cruising blogs, I came across an initiative in Germany, which aims to plant trees to neutralize the carbon footprint of a blog.

Any blog.

Anywhere.

For free.

Yes, for free.

I think that's such a phantastic idea, I'll join in.

Kaufda.de is a shopping site, but frankly, I honestly don't mind promoting it a little, as they are doing something good.

The more people join in, the more trees are planted.

Kaufda are aiming for 1 million trees planted – so what are you waiting for?

Now, theoretically my blog is already carbon neutral — I'm growing an oak tree in my window basket. (Courtesy of a forgetful squirrel.)

My oak is currently about 7 years old, about 20cm tall, with more leaves every year. I like my oak tree. If we move, it'll come with me, until it's too big to live in a window box. Then I'll plant it properly.

However, you can never have too many trees, right?

However, if you aren't plagued by acorn-burying squirrels, and would like a tree planted – why not join this initiative?

Go for it!

Click the logo to find out more, read about what you can do, and to join in.

(The site is in English and German.)

Do you write to publish, or do you write to write?

I've often wondered.

There are many, many writers out there. Lots of them.

Some are published authors, a lot more aren't.

Some work hard to become published, for some being published is everything, and if it doesn't happen in a certain timeframe, they get frustrated and in some cases, give up.

Others…just don't care.

Yes, you read that right. They don't care.

In a way, although I have my second book coming out in June, I'm in the latter category.

I find joy in spinning tales, working out the details, chasing after the strangest "What if's" I can find, getting to know my characters…and writing it all down.

That's what turns me on.

Yes, selling a book is a great feeling, don't get me wrong.

Hearing back from a complete stranger who tells you they enjoyed your book — priceless.

It's not why I do it. It's not why I write.

I think when writing becomes your day job, things change. The pressure is on.

Not only to produce more books, but to produce stories that sell.

Often you get niched, as well. Your publisher wants stories from you which will fit the particular drawer you've written yourself into.

I'm leery of that. I don't want to write one genre and become known as "writes paranormal", because that means I have to write paranormal.

But I like to write Fantasy, too. And Futuristic. And sometimes historical, contemporary, and yes, comedy.

That's why I don't care about whether what I write is published or not.

It's a goal, certainly, but it definitely isn't the reason I write.

These days it's very easy to become published. Self publishing is accessible to anyone, and there are virtually no restrictions on what you can put out there.

Unfortunately, this also means there are no in-built controls, and a lot of what is out there is complete and utter tripe, and should never have seen the light of day.

Let alone be available for people to buy.

For many years, and in some respects even now, electronic publishing holds the same stigma.

But it has controls, some better than others, but the companies aren't likely putting money into developing an author if they're no good.

Every time NaNo comes around, editors cringe.

I cringe right along with them.

Some books written during NaNo are very, very good.

Most aren't, but they are still being sent off to editors, and sometimes, failing acceptance, self published.

As is. With every punctuation mark error still there, with no editing whatsoever.

While it's okay for me to have stuff like that sitting on my hard drive, it's another thing entirely to put it out there for general consumption.

Those are the ones I mean when I say "Must be published at all cost".

I'm definitely not in that category. If it's no good, it stays safely on my drive.

Recognizing what is, and what isn't publishable is sometimes difficult, but if you're not sure, err on the side of caution.

Seek advice. There are places out there where you can find critique partners, or groups. There are editing services too, but be sure you research them carefully.

Whatever you do, put in some controls yourself, before you go down the route of self publishing.

Take advice, even if you don't like what you're told.

But most of all, write because you want to write. Write because you want to tell a great story.

Not because you want to be published.

Royal Wedding Day

If you don't know whose wedding day it is today, then you've been living under a rock.

I've escaped most of it, and haven't really paid much attention to all the madness, but although I wasn't going to watch…well.

I watched. And it was beautiful.

London is heaving. My other half is somewhere in the middle of it all, I haven't called him because he's likely very, very busy. I'll find out tonight when he gets home.

It showed me a few things, watching today.

Romance isn't dead. The sight inside Westminster Abbey, with the trees lining part of it, was wonderful. Loved the lush and very romantic decoration of the altar as well, and it was magical, rather than pompous.

Her dress was fit for a princess. Not overdone, very demure in a way, but classical and flattering. Lovely. Seeing Prince Harry lean over to whisper to his brother after he saw the first glimpse of her coming down the aisle… I bet he said "Wait until you see this, you lucky devil."

It was nice to see the couple whispering together during the service.

There were masses of people. Maybe not as many as at his mother's wedding, but still a heck of a lot.

The atmosphere looked like it was fun, people enjoying themselves, and — dare I say it — proud to be British.

The amount of media was shocking.

The BBC had their own compound, but according to my other half (who just got home), it was dwarved by what the Americans put there. On top of it, every name they could drag there, was there. Even Martha Stewart, apparently.

All in all, I wish them happiness, above everything else.

Congratulations, Kate and Wills.

(Or Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as they are now known.)

EDIT

I just got some more piccies of when they drove out, which gave everyone a good chuckle.

The "decorated" car.

The front of the car.

I particularly chuckled about the "L" plate.

In the UK, an "L" plate signifies a learner driver.

I'm going to guess the hearts around it… well.

The back.

LOL

Nice going, whoever did it.

(My guess is that this is Harry's handiwork. Along with Charles.)

Oh Joy. No Java!

So, those who know me, also know I like my coffee.

I mean, I really like my coffee. I'm an addict.

A few weeks ago, I sat at work, after oh…two? three? cups of strong coffee, and my heart thundered in my chest. Thump-thump-thump. I don't mean it was beating fast, but it was slamming into my breastbone.

Well, I'd *blush* stopped taking blood pressure meds for a while "to see how it goes".

To say I was slightly worried is a bit of an understatement.

I raced home, took my tablet, went back to work.

And had another coffee.

It calmed down, went away even, but I repeatedly had those really hard thumps for the next couple weeks.

I cut down smoking (Sorry, I'm working on the quitting thing, not there yet.). No change.

I started to drink the occasional cup of decaf.

It became less frequent.

The past week I've had only decaf — and so far, no thump-thump-thump.

But damn, I really miss the caffeine! I'm practically comatose.

It got me to thinking about giving my characters some odd intolerances.

Well, I'm writing a cheetah shifter at the moment… and the heroine, trying to make him laugh, asks if anyone wants coffee, tea…a saucer of milk?

He tells her he doesn't drink milk.

He's a cat. Cats aren't doing so well with milk. A bit like dogs and chocolate. (Think about that, next time you offer your werewolf some chocolate cake.)

But there's another quirk.

Because he's a cat, he can't taste anything sweet. (Cats lack the taste buds for sweet things.)

So yeah, here's a guy who will drink his coffee black, unsweetened, and who will only eat cake to be polite, not because he likes it.

But really, all he wants is water. And he is probably fond of catnip.

I think writers (of shifters) need to look at the animal side of their characters a little more closely. It stands to reason that the character would exhibit some animal traits, physical or otherwise, while in human form, and vice versa.

Now don't make your werewolf talk while in wolf form, that's just nuts. But you could have him like to watch TV. Or maybe he has hayfever?

What would you like to see in a shifter?

Personal Choice

Personal Choice is important.

If I know someone can't abide shifters, then I don't ask them to read books containing shifters.

If I know someone likes sweet, I won't ask them to read erotica.

Each to their own. I enjoy what I read, others enjoy what they read.

If you ask me to recommend a paranormal romance, then I will.

If you ask me to recommend a YA, then I'll tell you to ask someone else. Because I don't read it.

So why is it that people I know keep trying to shove "inspirational" stuff at me?

I don't read it, don't want to read it, will never read it.

Ever.

Never ever.

I find it deeply offensive to be preached at, be it in person, or via a book.

I don't want to offend anyone, beliefs are a sensitive thing, but apparently it doesn't go the other way.

People are quite happily trying to "convert" me.

I was brought up Catholic. That's why I have a deep-seated hatred for religion. Ramming it down my throat isn't going to change it, it'll only make it worse.

I'm not an atheist, but I'm most definitely agnostic. I don't believe in religion. Any religion. At all. Ever.

And if I were forced to choose one, it absolutely positively wouldn't be Christianity.

I can talk to whatever spirit may be out there, on my own terms. I neither need a church, nor a "Rulebook" for it.

If I want to sit under a tree and converse with God, or whatever you choose to call it, I can.

What's wrong with that?

Why this need to try and make me go to church? I don't want to, it makes me uncomfortable, and brings back a lot of bad memories.

You might find that a strange thing, from someone who wrote about a Guardian Angel.

Well, I never said I didn't have a bible. I do. It's over 150 years old, and yes, I pick it up on occasion.

Just like I pick up Wiccan books, Hindu scripture, grimoires, or the Qur'an. To me, they are books, like any other. There are good and bad things in them, but I will never use them as a rule book.

So that's my stance on "Inspirational / Sweet" books. No thanks.

Next we have people shoving Young Adult at me.

Guess what?

I've never read Harry Potter. Nor have I ever read Twilight.

I have absolutely zero interest in them, or the entire genre.

I don't doubt there are great writers out there, great books, too, but they don't do it for me. Apparently that makes me a narrow minded person.

My personal choice doesn't matter. "You should read YA, it's great. They're so cool." "You don't like YA? What's wrong with you?" (Or words to that effect.)

Sometimes I'm tempted to grab a hardcore porn book and hand it to someone who tells me "You don't like/what's wrong" and turn right around "You should read porn, it's great. It's so cool."

People like what they like. They read what they want to read.

I read a hugely broad range of genres. Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Crime, Thriller, General Fiction, Biographies, Humor, Non Fiction, the back of cereal boxes. (And yes, the odd religious text too.)

I think by now I have figured out what I like and don't like. I realize people mean well, but frankly, if I tell someone politely to back off and not give me books I will never read, then they should take the hint.

It's only a few people I know who do this, the rest tend to know better.

I had an instance sprung on me where I was more or less told to write sweet, and the writer saw nothing wrong with demanding it, because it upset her beliefs if things were explicit. Which is fine — for her.

I don't write that way, and balked, which in turn caused a ruckus.

I would never dream of telling someone who was uncomfortable with explicit, to turn up the heat. So why is it okay the other way around? It's still yanking one writer out of their comfort zone, regardless. If you collaborate on something, better sort out heat levels beforehand, or you might be in for a nasty shock.

Each to their own.

Respect people's personal choices.

Friday Five – Dishes I miss

I'm German. I was born and raised in Germany, or to be more precise, in Swabia. (That's the area around Stuttgart. Mercedes Benz country.)

Naturally we have local dishes, and much I can't get / make because the ingredients are either not available, or the similar ingredients I can get will distort the flavor.

So here are my top five:

1.
Linsen und Spätzle mit Saitenwürstle.

Linsen (Lentils) are a common food where I come from. Spätzle are home made egg noodles, scraped from a board into boiling hot water. I can do both of those here, no problem.

The trouble starts with the Saitenwürstle. I can't get them. They are also known as "Wienerle" or "Wiener Würstle", and while they look like Frankfurters, they're not quite the same.

Wiener Würstle contain pork, Frankfurters don't. (Or shouldn't.)

Anyway, I can't get them here.

Linsen und Spätzle mit Saitenwürstle

2.
Maultaschen

This is very likely not something you've ever encountered. They are made using a thin layer of pasta dough, filled with spinach, bread crumbs, onion, parsley, and other spices. (There are many variations of fillings, but the traditional is spinach.)

They are eaten either fried (with onions), or in a vegetable broth. Maultaschen look a bit like Ravioli, but are much bigger.

In Germany you can get the dough premade, which you really do want, unless you have a pasta maker where you can wheel the dough through until you can read a newspaper through it. (That's how I was taught. If you can't read through the dough — then it's too thick. And believe me, my grandmother's Maultaschen were legendary.)

With Easter coming up, I miss them more than ever, because they are the traditional Maundy Thursday and Good Friday meal. (No meat in them.)

Maultaschen

3.
Spinat Kartoffeln mit Spiegelei

Yeah, I can make it here. It's mashed spinach with cream, boiled salt potatoes and fried eggs.

Don't knock it 'till you try it. Seriously.

My only problem is the spinach… I just can't get the consistency right. Nor can I find the right potatoes.

Again, this is another dish we used to have on Fridays. My family wasn't terribly religious (aside from my gran), but the area is mostly catholic, and you just kinda go with the flow. Which means no meat on Fridays.

Spinat Kartoffeln mit Spiegelei

4.
Erbsensuppe mit Saitenwürstle und Rauchfleisch

Again, this is something I can't really get over here – at least not the sausages. I'm sure if I put my mind to it I could make the pea soup from scratch. I could possibly even get the right type of smoked pork belly (It adds zing to it, but is mostly added for flavor, rather than eating.)

But yeah, the sausages let me down, and I can't get the pea soup the way I can get it at home (it's still home, even after all these years) and what takes 20 minutes to make in Germany, takes me ages here.

 

Erbsensuppe mit Saitenwürstle und Rauchfleisch

5.
Gaisburger Marsch

(Kartoffelschnitz und Spätzle, Böckinger Feldg'schrei, Verheierte)

It has many names.

It's a Swabian beef stew, with potatoes, noodles (Spätzle) and onions.

The meat, cooked in a strong beef broth, is cut into cubes and served with cooked potatoes and Spätzle. The broth is poured over the dish before topping with golden-brown onions fried in butter.

Yummy. And filling.

Gaisburger Marsch

Those are the top five I miss.

There are others, lots of them. Mostly the bread and sausages, the "Bretzeln" (Nothing like a Pretzel.), "Laugenweckle", "Mürbe Hörnle", "Heiße Rote", "Fleischsalat", "Geggele"… I have to stop. I'm salivating.

None of the above will make sense to anyone not from my area, some I can get.

"Fleischsalat" – Meat Salad, hard to explain.

"Geggele" – It's roasted chicken. But not like any you would know.

"Heiße Rote" – It's a type of Bratwurst, but a very specific one.

Gawd… I really am hungry now!

I think I'll make Linsen & Spätzle this weekend. And maybe some Sauerbraten…