R.J. Palmer's Blog, page 10
September 11, 2011
In Memoriam
I remember speaking about this in 2010 and as far as all can be concerned, I stand by the statements that I made then as they are no less true now as they were a year ago. They were inflammatory and I got a lot of censure and I'm sure I will again but these words must be said.Like my esteemed and intelligent husband, I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when word reached me of the 9/11 attacks and I remember watching in horror as smoke, fire and debris bellowed from out of the Twin Towers. My two oldest children were just babies then and I was getting ready to make coffee for me and breakfast for them. I turned on the television so the kids could watch "Dragon Tales" and saw the footage on the news. I stopped dead in my tracks because I had felt for sure that what I was seeing was a badly planned airing of a movie or something similar as daytime television shows are wont to do with the release of a new movie. Then I heard the talking in the background and the screen switched to the news anchor who firmly dashed my hopes that what I saw were special effects. The breaking news story of the planes that had been flown into the World Trade Center and the terrorist attacks aired all over the place.
I remember the tears of anger and sympathy as I watched dust covered and shocked victims running from the scene, crying and screaming and so many of them bloodied and injured. I remember that the Pentagon had been attacked and there was a plane that was brought down before its attempted attack on the Capitol by a brave few who knew that that would be the last time they would ever talk to their families or tell their loved ones just how much they cared. I remember that all flights in the United States had been grounded until further notice (which cost me my home at the time because I worked at UPS during the day and so much of our job was air freight; we didn't work for almost a week and with being barely making it as it was I couldn't recover financially from that) and I remember the President saying that the attacks were an act of war, a sentiment with which I agreed wholeheartedly in my youth and arrogance.
I remember the worried and grieving family members talking on the phones with the news stations about how so and so had said this or done that right before the line had gone dead but that that person had died a hero for there was no denying that said person had given their life to save others. I remember the pictures and the fliers that were up all with the same caption, "Have you seen this person?"
I remember that there wasn't a person in this country whose life was not affected by the attacks on 9/11 no matter how nebulous the connection and I remember the cry for blood and vengeance that we as a people cried in the ensuing hours, days, weeks and even months. I remember the influx of proud young men and women who enlisted en masse in the military to "Go fight the good fight against terror."
I remember the steady rise in gas prices since and the horrible and far reaching effects that the attacks had on a wavering economy. Yes, I remember it well.
What I don't feel when I remember the attacks on 9/11 a decade later are bitterness, rage or hate because to put it simply, I learned what it is to forgive and truthfully, it's wonderfully liberating thing. You see, I know from personal experience that we'll never forget what happened on 9/11 because that would be impossible. What we don't have to do is remember with the same poisonous and distasteful emotions that keep us from seeing our own folly. Not to put too fine a point on it, or perhaps because of these things I choose to say now and again; it's time to forgive. Let me explain my point of view if you'll be so kind and indulge me.
The large majority of the citizens of the United States would call themselves religious in one form or another though the finer points vary greatly. Baptist, Lutheran, Apostolic, Protestant, Mormon, Christian, Catholic, Non-Denominational and yes, even Muslim because it is unfair to forego the mention and respect of the many in any particular faith for the mistakes of the few (if I've left any out please overlook my oversight). All have one thing in common and it's a remarkably simple idea; to try everyday in every way to model ourselves after the One who came before us and chose to show The Way. Love and generosity, forgiveness and acceptance, self-sacrifice and long suffering are all the most basic foundations of all belief systems.
Ladies and gentlemen, one continuous idea runs through my mind apace with the clash and clamor of all my thoughts and it's so simple a child could grasp the meaning. There was a man who caught the attention of the world, who inspired faiths and followers and whose words and actions are a cornerstone for our very lives more than two millennia later. He has many names though one stands as the universal identifier among them all, say this name and everyone knows about whom you speak. His name was Jesus Christ and He died a brutal, excruciating, lonely and humiliating death and might I point out that even as He was nailed to a cross and His blood poured out onto the uncaring ground, He begged His father to forgive those who crucified Him. Most everyone knows the Biblical line, "Forgive them Lord for they know not what they do." He was flogged, whipped, dressed in a crown of thorns, mocked and nailed to a monument of wood that He was made to carry to the place of His ultimate end and even as He bore the sins of the world, He cried out for forgiveness for those who took His life. Are we then to call ourselves believers and followers of Christ and still forsake the very ideals on which He stood? What about the beliefs for which He gave His life?
In accordance with all Christ centered faiths, on the third day He rose victorious and sin was forgiven even for those who took His life and for this so many of us rejoice. Is that rejoicing not empty and meaningless if we choose to forsake the very ideas for which we thank Him; namely forgiveness of our own sins or is this only important when it applies to us and everyone else who we choose be damned in line with our own outrage? This is hypocritical and there's no other way to describe it or give it a name.
Has it ever occurred to anyone that we fall into the trap and the game of the Jihadists when we refuse to forgive because the very basis of their "Holy War" is to inspire hate and fear in us and uproot everything that we hold sacred? In refusing to forgive we also choose to lose this "Holy War" by virtue of our own shortsightedness for we may be fighting a "War on Terror" however, the Fundamentalists fight "Jihad" which means "Holy War" and against such there can be no victory without uprooting the ideas for which they fight. In short, to forgive is to win because when we forgive, the Jihadists will no longer inspire hate and fear in anyone and they no longer have that power over us anymore.
I don't write this to try to preach though my faith based references are fundamental to my point and I hope that I'm not the only one that sees through the religion to the idea that I'm trying to convey. I do not agree with or condone the burning of the Qu'ran for it was a mockery of the Muslim faith as a whole and it was childish and arrogant however, neither do I condone or agree with the attacks a decade ago today or the subsequent attacks by the Jihadists since. I do not agree with or condone the hate or the rage or the distrust or the cries for blood or vengeance from either side of this bloody conflict and I do not condone the unwillingness to forgive for it is by this and nothing more that we all lose in the end. Let go of your hate and find yourselves free and just for what it's worth, the first person that says to anyone or themselves that they only hate the Jihadists because the Jihadists hated them first is a liar and only wants to justify their own petulance and arrogance. Let's grow up as a nation and give what was first given to us. It's time to forgive.
Related articles9/11: Remembrance, Forgiveness, and Faith (insightscoop.typepad.com)
24th Sunday of Ordinary Time (deaconcast.com)
9/11 is No Excuse for Bashing Muslims (kansasmediocrity.wordpress.com)
9/11/2011 Forgive from Your Heart (richbrownforewords.wordpress.com)
Ten Years Later: Thoughts on Christianity in America (dovetailedlife.wordpress.com)
The World Trade Center will always be with us - our friends and family, never forgotten (erickbrockway.com)
9/11 + 10 (bpdt.wordpress.com)
What I Wrote After 9/11 (bigcircumstance.com)
Infamy (americandefenseleague.wordpress.com)
Forgiveness Has Implications in This Life, the Next (onecatholicnews.wordpress.com)
September 9, 2011
Author Interview: M. Edward McNally author of The Sable City
M. Edward McNally is a North Carolinian of Irish/Mexican extraction. Grew up mostly in the Midwest along the I35 corridor (Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota), and now resides in the scrub brush surrounding Phoenix, AZ, where the scorpions and the javelinas play. Masters in English Lit from ISU and Russian/East European History from ASU, though both date from an earlier era when there was a lot of Grunge on the radio and Eddie wore entirely too much flannel, even in the summer.
Deus impeditio esuritori nullus.
Author Name M. Edward McNally
Name of Book The Sable City
Description of Book
Book I of the Norothian Cycle, an epic Msuket & Magic fantasy concerning the exploits of a moxie-laden Island Guilder named Tilda Lanai.
The Trade Houses of the Miilark Islands control the shipping lanes linking four diverse continents across the blue vastness of the Interminable Ocean. The Houses are represented abroad by the Guilders; men and women skilled in business and burglary, salesmanship and swordplay, merchandising and musketry. Tilda Lanai has trained for years to take her place among them, but now the House she is to serve is imperiled by the sudden death of the House Lord. Scenting blood in the water, rival Houses begin to circle. The desperate search for an exiled heir takes Tilda across a war-torn continent and to the gates of the Sable City, where centuries ago dark magic almost destroyed the world. Along with a sinister sorceress, a broken-hearted samurai, and a miscreant mercenary long on charm but lousy with a crossbow, Tilda must brave the demon-infested ruins to find the heir who may yet save her House.
Where to Find
Amazon
Smashwords
Author's Website http://sablecity.wordpress
And now for the in depth questions :)
RJ Palmer
Is there a work of your own of which you are particularly fond? Why?
M. Edward McNally
The fantasy series I am doing now basically brought me back to writing fiction after an absence of about 10 years. In the time between, I had "built a world" almost as a sort of hobby, writing a history of a place where magic worked and the Usual Suspects of the genre (dragons, elves, orcs, etc.) dwelled. Though my interest in doing so was mainly to theorize how such a society, or series of societies, would have developed in an historical context.
Then some of the people who "lived" there, led by Tilda, started pestering me. So here I am three books later. :-)
RJ Palmer
What is your favorite part of the writing process? Your least favorite?
M. Edward McNally
My favorite is when it doesn't seem like writing at all, but like talking dictation from somewhere else. I'm a "Pantser," meaning I don't always where the story is going until I get there, so I write very much like I read: Eager to see what happens.
Editing blows. It is penance for the enjoyable parts. :-)
RJ Palmer
Describe in your own words (for there can be no other way) what direction it is to which you aspire when it comes to your work. Where do you want your work to take you?
M. Edward McNally
I like escapism as much as the next Firefly, LOTR, Farscape, Fritz Lieber fan, but I feel that when it is done very well, there are levels beneath it. I aspire to have those in my own work, while not losing sight of the story, and wanting it to be enjoyable.
RJ Palmer
Most writers have a favorite genre when it comes to reading that is not necessarily the genre in which they write, do you write in your favorite genre? If so, why? If not, why not?
M. Edward McNally
Honestly, I read history more than anything else, and it's not even close. 10 to 1 with any fiction. I'm sure that informs my "world-building," which if anything I strive to "keep in check" in my books. The books are about the characters, all else is set dressing.
RJ Palmer
Do you have a favorite quote from a writer that you use for inspiration? What is it and why?
M. Edward McNally
Actually dropped it in my brief bio already, it is an old Roman maxim: Deus impeditio esuritori nullus. "No god can stop a hungry man."
RJ Palmer
Some writers tend to have a unique step in their writing process that has nothing whatsoever to do with the actual writing but has everything to do with inspiration or balance. Most people would call it a little bit OCD. Do you have such a step? Would you care to share what it is?
M. Edward McNally
First draft, all long-hand. And as none of the books of my series is less than 100K yet, it is a huge, clawing pain in the wrist. But I've found I can't gin up the same emotional connection when I am typing at a screen, not for a first draft. For me, I guess it has to hurt a little.
I would like to thank M. Edward McNally for participating and encourage readers and viewers alike to please check M. Edward McNally out, his story may be just what you were looking for.
Related articlesMy Interview on Kindle Author (rjpalmer.blogspot.com)
Scott Kelby and Joe McNally (nikonusa.com)
Carson Palmer: Bengals Making Huge Mistake Not Realizing Palmer's Value (bleacherreport.com)
My Interview on Indie Book Lounge (rjpalmer.blogspot.com)
Six Steps to Lighting Magic with Joe McNally (nikonusa.com)
Crave Worthy: Sablés Bookends (casasugar.com)
NFL Trade Speculation: Carson Palmer Could Solve Washington Redskins QB Issues (bleacherreport.com)
Glenwood Springs, Colorado, Named Most Fun Town in America by Rand McNally and USA Today (prweb.com)
Michael Bialas: Shannon McNally Celebrates Her Spirit of Independence Days (huffingtonpost.com)
This 'n' That: Girlz 'N' Games, Depp 'n' Tonto, Kevin 'n' Tilda (thefilmexperience.net)
London Film Festival 2011 (hamiltonhodell.wordpress.com)
Tilda Swinton: Our New Favorite Androgynous Alien [Sci Fashion] (io9.com)
Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly Bring Something Big to Talk About to Cannes (popsugar.com)
Tilda Androgyne (thefilmexperience.net)
Tilda Swinton Has A Bad Egg In We Need To Talk About Kevin (perezhilton.com)
Tilda Swinton's Oscar 'Sat On The Kitchen Table For Two Weeks" (huffingtonpost.com)
10th Anniversary Redheads: Tilda & Nicole (thefilmexperience.net)
Flick lit coming to TIFF (arts.nationalpost.com)
Lanai Doors™ Receives Miani-Dade Approval for DP-70 Rated Folding Doors - Lanai Doors™ Is First to Obtain NOA's Using Centor's E3 Top-Hung Hardware (prweb.com)
Getting from Maui to Lanai (hawaiilogue.com)
7-16-2011 Dream Fragment Tilda Swinton Licking My Arm? (goodjohnjr.wordpress.com)
Turtle Whisperer? (wildwahinepaddler.com)
Tilda Swinton Has a Sociopathic Son in 'We Need to Talk About Kevin' Trailer (moviefone.com)
North Carolinians 'Weigh-In' on the Effectiveness of the TrekDesk Treadmill Desk (prweb.com)
Suit Challenges North Carolina's 'Choose Life' License Plate (blogs.wsj.com)
ISU campaign generates record $867 million (thegazette.com)
ISU, UI and UNI tout diversity (thegazette.com)
North Carolinians Cutting Back on Needed Medical Services During Down Economy, BCBSNC Survey Finds (prweb.com)
Gov. Perdue declares 'weekend of service' to honor lives lost on 9/11 (charlotte.news14.com)
Other Big 12 schools to join Baylor in legal action? (collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com)
Aborted Historical Reenactments (pinkbananaworld.com)
ISU research: Corn yields with perennial cover crop are equal to traditional farming (eurekalert.org)
Straight Sets: Isner Wins in Four Sets (straightsets.blogs.nytimes.com)
Deus impeditio esuritori nullus.
Author Name M. Edward McNally
Name of Book The Sable City
Description of Book
Book I of the Norothian Cycle, an epic Msuket & Magic fantasy concerning the exploits of a moxie-laden Island Guilder named Tilda Lanai.
The Trade Houses of the Miilark Islands control the shipping lanes linking four diverse continents across the blue vastness of the Interminable Ocean. The Houses are represented abroad by the Guilders; men and women skilled in business and burglary, salesmanship and swordplay, merchandising and musketry. Tilda Lanai has trained for years to take her place among them, but now the House she is to serve is imperiled by the sudden death of the House Lord. Scenting blood in the water, rival Houses begin to circle. The desperate search for an exiled heir takes Tilda across a war-torn continent and to the gates of the Sable City, where centuries ago dark magic almost destroyed the world. Along with a sinister sorceress, a broken-hearted samurai, and a miscreant mercenary long on charm but lousy with a crossbow, Tilda must brave the demon-infested ruins to find the heir who may yet save her House.
Where to Find
Amazon
Smashwords
Author's Website http://sablecity.wordpress
And now for the in depth questions :)
RJ Palmer
Is there a work of your own of which you are particularly fond? Why?
M. Edward McNally
The fantasy series I am doing now basically brought me back to writing fiction after an absence of about 10 years. In the time between, I had "built a world" almost as a sort of hobby, writing a history of a place where magic worked and the Usual Suspects of the genre (dragons, elves, orcs, etc.) dwelled. Though my interest in doing so was mainly to theorize how such a society, or series of societies, would have developed in an historical context.
Then some of the people who "lived" there, led by Tilda, started pestering me. So here I am three books later. :-)
RJ Palmer
What is your favorite part of the writing process? Your least favorite?
M. Edward McNally
My favorite is when it doesn't seem like writing at all, but like talking dictation from somewhere else. I'm a "Pantser," meaning I don't always where the story is going until I get there, so I write very much like I read: Eager to see what happens.
Editing blows. It is penance for the enjoyable parts. :-)
RJ Palmer
Describe in your own words (for there can be no other way) what direction it is to which you aspire when it comes to your work. Where do you want your work to take you?
M. Edward McNally
I like escapism as much as the next Firefly, LOTR, Farscape, Fritz Lieber fan, but I feel that when it is done very well, there are levels beneath it. I aspire to have those in my own work, while not losing sight of the story, and wanting it to be enjoyable.
RJ Palmer
Most writers have a favorite genre when it comes to reading that is not necessarily the genre in which they write, do you write in your favorite genre? If so, why? If not, why not?
M. Edward McNally
Honestly, I read history more than anything else, and it's not even close. 10 to 1 with any fiction. I'm sure that informs my "world-building," which if anything I strive to "keep in check" in my books. The books are about the characters, all else is set dressing.
RJ Palmer
Do you have a favorite quote from a writer that you use for inspiration? What is it and why?
M. Edward McNally
Actually dropped it in my brief bio already, it is an old Roman maxim: Deus impeditio esuritori nullus. "No god can stop a hungry man."
RJ Palmer
Some writers tend to have a unique step in their writing process that has nothing whatsoever to do with the actual writing but has everything to do with inspiration or balance. Most people would call it a little bit OCD. Do you have such a step? Would you care to share what it is?
M. Edward McNally
First draft, all long-hand. And as none of the books of my series is less than 100K yet, it is a huge, clawing pain in the wrist. But I've found I can't gin up the same emotional connection when I am typing at a screen, not for a first draft. For me, I guess it has to hurt a little.
I would like to thank M. Edward McNally for participating and encourage readers and viewers alike to please check M. Edward McNally out, his story may be just what you were looking for.
Related articlesMy Interview on Kindle Author (rjpalmer.blogspot.com)
Scott Kelby and Joe McNally (nikonusa.com)
Carson Palmer: Bengals Making Huge Mistake Not Realizing Palmer's Value (bleacherreport.com)
My Interview on Indie Book Lounge (rjpalmer.blogspot.com)
Six Steps to Lighting Magic with Joe McNally (nikonusa.com)
Crave Worthy: Sablés Bookends (casasugar.com)
NFL Trade Speculation: Carson Palmer Could Solve Washington Redskins QB Issues (bleacherreport.com)
Glenwood Springs, Colorado, Named Most Fun Town in America by Rand McNally and USA Today (prweb.com)
Michael Bialas: Shannon McNally Celebrates Her Spirit of Independence Days (huffingtonpost.com)
This 'n' That: Girlz 'N' Games, Depp 'n' Tonto, Kevin 'n' Tilda (thefilmexperience.net)
London Film Festival 2011 (hamiltonhodell.wordpress.com)
Tilda Swinton: Our New Favorite Androgynous Alien [Sci Fashion] (io9.com)
Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly Bring Something Big to Talk About to Cannes (popsugar.com)
Tilda Androgyne (thefilmexperience.net)
Tilda Swinton Has A Bad Egg In We Need To Talk About Kevin (perezhilton.com)
Tilda Swinton's Oscar 'Sat On The Kitchen Table For Two Weeks" (huffingtonpost.com)
10th Anniversary Redheads: Tilda & Nicole (thefilmexperience.net)
Flick lit coming to TIFF (arts.nationalpost.com)
Lanai Doors™ Receives Miani-Dade Approval for DP-70 Rated Folding Doors - Lanai Doors™ Is First to Obtain NOA's Using Centor's E3 Top-Hung Hardware (prweb.com)
Getting from Maui to Lanai (hawaiilogue.com)
7-16-2011 Dream Fragment Tilda Swinton Licking My Arm? (goodjohnjr.wordpress.com)
Turtle Whisperer? (wildwahinepaddler.com)
Tilda Swinton Has a Sociopathic Son in 'We Need to Talk About Kevin' Trailer (moviefone.com)
North Carolinians 'Weigh-In' on the Effectiveness of the TrekDesk Treadmill Desk (prweb.com)
Suit Challenges North Carolina's 'Choose Life' License Plate (blogs.wsj.com)
ISU campaign generates record $867 million (thegazette.com)
ISU, UI and UNI tout diversity (thegazette.com)
North Carolinians Cutting Back on Needed Medical Services During Down Economy, BCBSNC Survey Finds (prweb.com)
Gov. Perdue declares 'weekend of service' to honor lives lost on 9/11 (charlotte.news14.com)
Other Big 12 schools to join Baylor in legal action? (collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com)
Aborted Historical Reenactments (pinkbananaworld.com)
ISU research: Corn yields with perennial cover crop are equal to traditional farming (eurekalert.org)
Straight Sets: Isner Wins in Four Sets (straightsets.blogs.nytimes.com)
September 7, 2011
The Beautiful People Book One: The Proposal written by Danielle Blanchard Benson
Okay, first and foremost let me issue my most abject and heartfelt apologies to the author. Ms. Benson, I judged a book by its cover and you can take me to task for it later for I was sure that this was going to be erotica and since I'm not a fan of erotica or romance either one, I was gearing myself up to work pretty seriously at finding some positive points about The Beautiful People. I stand corrected and I have found myself most pleasantly surprised that the story line was not all lurid sex scenes and shameless hook ups.The Beautiful People was more a storyline about celebrity in a dog eat dog world where nothing is as it seems and no one is genuine. One consistent thread jumped out at me continuously from the story and it's quite simple: Fame comes at a price and the cost is high. With few exceptions, the characters were largely spoiled, selfish and vain and used others to further their own ends. At least they tended to be honest about it with themselves and everyone else. One lament from one character was that he couldn't trust anyone and to me that must be terribly desolate.
In this book Ms. Benson paints a vivid picture of what goes on in Hollywood and I must say that it doesn't cast celebrities in a terribly flattering light. With parties and substance abuse and the casting couch leading the way, this illustrates the cutthroat world that is the lives of the famous and fabulously wealthy and that beneath it all are a whole plethora of insecure and lonely individuals who are judged solely based on looks, money and connections. It also shows the less illustrious side of Hollywood glitz and glamour; the dark and naughty secrets and the juicy little tidbits that fuel the gossip mill in a world where a person would sell their soul or their body for their big break.
Were I to have to give The Beautiful People a star rating (because I know I will at some point) I'd have to give four stars because there are numerous examples of crude language and colorful metaphors aplenty. There were a few misused words though they didn't take anything away from the storyline. I must also applaud Ms. Benson because she wrote a novel that keenly illustrates a largely superficial world where fortune and fame are not just a religion, but a way of life and she did so in a way that took a two dimensional world and turned it into a three dimensional work with no apologies to anyone. Well done, Ms. Benson, well done!
Intrigued by this review? Just gotta have this book? Well good news! You can buy it at the following places:
Amazon
Smashwords
Createspace
Barnes & Noble
Or you can hop on over to Ms. Blanchard's blog (TheBeautifulPeople-A Writer's Journey)
September 6, 2011
On A More Serious Note
What do Mark Twain, William Shakespeare, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson all have in common aside from the idea that they were writers in another era set far apart from the modern and assumed definition of author? The answer is simple: They were all Independent Authors. None of them had an agent, a publicist or an editor. None of them submitted written works to be rejected and yet all of them are considered writers of note and wisdom. Where did we as a modern society forget this? When did the modern standard become so elitist that it's no longer a matter of whether or not a person truly has talent but whether or not it's possible to stroke the ego of a representative or agent enough to get them to give a rookie a chance? I've sent out queries, written synopsis and pitches and several rejection letters later and a few failures where a reply is concerned, I decided to be stubborn, scrap the idea that someone else said I couldn't and walk the long road down Indie Authorship. I've not regretted the idea even once.
Don't get me wrong, there are pros and cons to being an Indie Author. On the upside, I enjoy a higher royalty rate than a traditionally published author and I have sole creative control over my own work and how it's presented. On the downside, there is no buffer between me and the nay-sayers that would insist on making it their personal objective in life to beat down my work. All the marketing falls on the shoulders of the Indie Author and we all hear fairly consistently that our work is rubbish and unsalable from all kinds of people from all walks of life. Namely speaking, the traditional publishing houses to whom I'll refer in here as the "Big Six" probably because they're so full of themselves that they're failing to see the bigger picture which is markedly simple; the world of authorship is evolving and they must evolve apace. And yes, on a bit of a side note I'll be referring to the Big Six continuously in the manner of a proper name because they have taken on the quality of a nemesis and a nemesis must have a proper name. Therefore I name you the Big Six. Let me explain, if you'll be so kind as to indulge me a moment.
The modern ebook costs nothing to publish as for this idea I'll exclude the costs of an editor and book cover art because these are both expenditures that come part and parcel with a book whether it's published traditionally or independently. What bothers me the most is that I've purchased an ebook by one of my favorite authors (whose name I will forego mentioning here simply because I don't want said author to feel like I scorn their work) and paid the same price as I would have had that ebook come off the shelves in a brick and mortar store. Don't get me wrong, ladies and gentlemen, for I don't begrudge paying for the book, I simply think that the price of the work should've been set proportionately to the cost of publishing the work. I don't feel that the book should've been free because I whole heartedly believe that the author should be paid for their work however, I don't believe that I should've had to spend a clean twenty dollar bill for a work that realistically could've made a tidy paycheck for the author and a tidy profit for the publisher at less than half that price. The publisher didn't pay for ink or paper or really pay a hefty cost in the producing of the ebook, so why should I pay for costs that they did not? It seems a little bit like price gouging to me.
The advent of the ebook and the ebook reader have made it much easier for extremely talented writers who may or may not be writing in the style of the latest fad to get their material out there. I might add that it's far more cost effective as well. While I'm going to say honestly that I don't expect to set the world on fire and be the next Christopher Paolini or J.K. Rowling, I know that I am more than able to generate a following, speak my piece, tell my story and find a faithful following who will at some point consider their lives duly enriched for having read my work. If the Big Six can't recognize this, I pity them for their short sightedness. I'm not the only one, either so here and now, I'm going to shout out to my fellow Indie Authors and say, "Well done and well written. We're more courageous by half and we know it."
The Big Six have maintained a monopoly and control for so long that from my point of view, their vanity will not let them believe that anyone could succeed where they have stated that person will not. I have met so many talented writers as an Indie Author that it's left me faintly flabbergasted when I stop to reflect that their work is not getting the attention it deserves. Are we as a society letting someone else dictate to us what we are or are not allowed to enjoy when it comes to reading? And are so many as a collective audience so biased against Independent Authorship that this has become an inability to recognize talent that constitutes failure and close-mindedness? I believe it does.
Really in all of this, my point is simple. To the Big Six, I understand you're busy and you want to make money but is your disdain really fair? Your guiding star is your profit margin, mine is my love of the written word. I as an Indie Author know that I have the talent to pursue a career as a writer and I'm saying right now; I'm here, I'm talented and I'm aware that you don't like me. Get used to me anyway and understand that I want nothing more from you than professional courtesy, respect and recognition. I am a colleague and I expect to be treated as one for I want nothing from you that I will not give to you and I give you professional courtesy, respect and recognition. Is that so much to ask? Is a modicum of professionalism so difficult for you that you would sooner insult and degrade me than admit that my writing may have merit?
I for one refuse to believe that my work is not salable or worth anyone's time based on your sole opinion. I also believe that there are several Indie Authors that deserve your respect and recognition and I would like to go out on a limb and speak for all of us when I say, "We're here and we're not going anywhere, be adult and professional and give us our due."
Perhaps the battle lines have been drawn and we've all been called to arms. I agree with my fellow Indie Authors that the Big Six are trying to hold their power amid and by way of a media blitz and their efforts to make themselves over and become "lean, fighting machines" which is completely asinine. On the one end, my brain is saying that the Big Six should give over and be professional and the idea of lean fighting machines is anything but. On the other end, this kind of self description makes me want to throw my hands in the air with a big, "YIPPEE!!" For why else would the Big Six be taking this kind of unilateral action if they did not indeed feel threatened? Perhaps they can all be likened in ways to the tiger whose aggression becomes greater when he senses the end is near. Perhaps in the not too distant future because the idea of authorship is evolving, so will the Big Six. Perhaps they'll lay their pride aside and begin to step outside of their megalomania and give Indie Authors what we deserve however, if they don't the Big Six will have to face their own decline in popularity and respect. In my honest opinion, they will either adapt or go the way of the dinosaurs. Empires fall, there are no exceptions.
Don't get me wrong, there are pros and cons to being an Indie Author. On the upside, I enjoy a higher royalty rate than a traditionally published author and I have sole creative control over my own work and how it's presented. On the downside, there is no buffer between me and the nay-sayers that would insist on making it their personal objective in life to beat down my work. All the marketing falls on the shoulders of the Indie Author and we all hear fairly consistently that our work is rubbish and unsalable from all kinds of people from all walks of life. Namely speaking, the traditional publishing houses to whom I'll refer in here as the "Big Six" probably because they're so full of themselves that they're failing to see the bigger picture which is markedly simple; the world of authorship is evolving and they must evolve apace. And yes, on a bit of a side note I'll be referring to the Big Six continuously in the manner of a proper name because they have taken on the quality of a nemesis and a nemesis must have a proper name. Therefore I name you the Big Six. Let me explain, if you'll be so kind as to indulge me a moment.
The modern ebook costs nothing to publish as for this idea I'll exclude the costs of an editor and book cover art because these are both expenditures that come part and parcel with a book whether it's published traditionally or independently. What bothers me the most is that I've purchased an ebook by one of my favorite authors (whose name I will forego mentioning here simply because I don't want said author to feel like I scorn their work) and paid the same price as I would have had that ebook come off the shelves in a brick and mortar store. Don't get me wrong, ladies and gentlemen, for I don't begrudge paying for the book, I simply think that the price of the work should've been set proportionately to the cost of publishing the work. I don't feel that the book should've been free because I whole heartedly believe that the author should be paid for their work however, I don't believe that I should've had to spend a clean twenty dollar bill for a work that realistically could've made a tidy paycheck for the author and a tidy profit for the publisher at less than half that price. The publisher didn't pay for ink or paper or really pay a hefty cost in the producing of the ebook, so why should I pay for costs that they did not? It seems a little bit like price gouging to me.
The advent of the ebook and the ebook reader have made it much easier for extremely talented writers who may or may not be writing in the style of the latest fad to get their material out there. I might add that it's far more cost effective as well. While I'm going to say honestly that I don't expect to set the world on fire and be the next Christopher Paolini or J.K. Rowling, I know that I am more than able to generate a following, speak my piece, tell my story and find a faithful following who will at some point consider their lives duly enriched for having read my work. If the Big Six can't recognize this, I pity them for their short sightedness. I'm not the only one, either so here and now, I'm going to shout out to my fellow Indie Authors and say, "Well done and well written. We're more courageous by half and we know it."
The Big Six have maintained a monopoly and control for so long that from my point of view, their vanity will not let them believe that anyone could succeed where they have stated that person will not. I have met so many talented writers as an Indie Author that it's left me faintly flabbergasted when I stop to reflect that their work is not getting the attention it deserves. Are we as a society letting someone else dictate to us what we are or are not allowed to enjoy when it comes to reading? And are so many as a collective audience so biased against Independent Authorship that this has become an inability to recognize talent that constitutes failure and close-mindedness? I believe it does.
Really in all of this, my point is simple. To the Big Six, I understand you're busy and you want to make money but is your disdain really fair? Your guiding star is your profit margin, mine is my love of the written word. I as an Indie Author know that I have the talent to pursue a career as a writer and I'm saying right now; I'm here, I'm talented and I'm aware that you don't like me. Get used to me anyway and understand that I want nothing more from you than professional courtesy, respect and recognition. I am a colleague and I expect to be treated as one for I want nothing from you that I will not give to you and I give you professional courtesy, respect and recognition. Is that so much to ask? Is a modicum of professionalism so difficult for you that you would sooner insult and degrade me than admit that my writing may have merit?
I for one refuse to believe that my work is not salable or worth anyone's time based on your sole opinion. I also believe that there are several Indie Authors that deserve your respect and recognition and I would like to go out on a limb and speak for all of us when I say, "We're here and we're not going anywhere, be adult and professional and give us our due."
Perhaps the battle lines have been drawn and we've all been called to arms. I agree with my fellow Indie Authors that the Big Six are trying to hold their power amid and by way of a media blitz and their efforts to make themselves over and become "lean, fighting machines" which is completely asinine. On the one end, my brain is saying that the Big Six should give over and be professional and the idea of lean fighting machines is anything but. On the other end, this kind of self description makes me want to throw my hands in the air with a big, "YIPPEE!!" For why else would the Big Six be taking this kind of unilateral action if they did not indeed feel threatened? Perhaps they can all be likened in ways to the tiger whose aggression becomes greater when he senses the end is near. Perhaps in the not too distant future because the idea of authorship is evolving, so will the Big Six. Perhaps they'll lay their pride aside and begin to step outside of their megalomania and give Indie Authors what we deserve however, if they don't the Big Six will have to face their own decline in popularity and respect. In my honest opinion, they will either adapt or go the way of the dinosaurs. Empires fall, there are no exceptions.
September 5, 2011
My Interview on Indie Book Lounge
What was the first book you read that inspired you to become a writer?
There was not any particular book that inspired me to become a writer, I simply spent a lot of my childhood with my nose stuck in a book. So it seemed only natural that I become a writer therefore it seems that many books contributed to my choice.
Did you try the traditional publishing route before going indie and if so, what was that experience like?
Yes and the experience was something akin to a fate worse than death. Denials based on nothing more than a simple lack of time without looking at what I might have to offer.
Besides the genre you currently write in, what other genre would you like to try?
I would like to try Faith Based Fiction or Space Opera. Maybe in my next release...hint hint.
What will readers find most interesting about your books?
That I have a unique writing style and I try to find humor in any situation.
What discipline do you impose on yourself regarding schedules, goals, etc.?
I have children so during the summer months my writing schedule is hopeless at best. However, during the winter months I try to write daily and in my mind I am composing more stories than there is time to write.
Dogs or cats?
Dogs - not as likely to demand your undivided attention and they like all your stories
Read More at Indie Book Lounge
There was not any particular book that inspired me to become a writer, I simply spent a lot of my childhood with my nose stuck in a book. So it seemed only natural that I become a writer therefore it seems that many books contributed to my choice.
Did you try the traditional publishing route before going indie and if so, what was that experience like?
Yes and the experience was something akin to a fate worse than death. Denials based on nothing more than a simple lack of time without looking at what I might have to offer.
Besides the genre you currently write in, what other genre would you like to try?
I would like to try Faith Based Fiction or Space Opera. Maybe in my next release...hint hint.
What will readers find most interesting about your books?
That I have a unique writing style and I try to find humor in any situation.
What discipline do you impose on yourself regarding schedules, goals, etc.?
I have children so during the summer months my writing schedule is hopeless at best. However, during the winter months I try to write daily and in my mind I am composing more stories than there is time to write.
Dogs or cats?
Dogs - not as likely to demand your undivided attention and they like all your stories
Read More at Indie Book Lounge
September 2, 2011
As Autumn Nears
I keep thinking of the Dr. Seuss book about Octember (titled Please Try to Remember the First of Octember!) during the autumn months and waiting because then I can have everything I want. Dr. Seuss said so.
August 26, 2011
YIPPEE!!!!!
Praise Jesus! My son's cardiologist appointment went swimmingly yesterday, he was given a clean bill of health from the heart doctor and all the years of working with him have been paying off because his father informed me that my boy was a perfect gentleman at the doctor's office! You'll all have to pardon me for a few minutes while I'm a busting at the seams proud mother...That's MY BOY!!!
And yes, when the kids are well behaved, they're MINE and when they're ill behaved, they came from DAD!! That's mom's perogative.Related articlesGreatest Day In History (pinkforpeace.wordpress.com)
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Update on Gastroenterologist and Other Things... (caregiving.com)
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Human Body Might Adapt to Radiation Exposure (livescience.com)
A test I desperately wanted to pass! (ilifejourney.wordpress.com)
The American Heart Association Announces New Digital Tools To Extend Access Of Journal Circulation For Cardiologists (medicalnewstoday.com)
Little Triumphs (waynenf.wordpress.com)
Language Barrier At The Doctor's Office (saturdaypersimmon.wordpress.com)
Wondering Why I Feel Like Hell (still...) (onthevergeoftears.wordpress.com)
And yes, when the kids are well behaved, they're MINE and when they're ill behaved, they came from DAD!! That's mom's perogative.Related articlesGreatest Day In History (pinkforpeace.wordpress.com)
A Bible in the Doctor's Office (patheos.com)
Update on Gastroenterologist and Other Things... (caregiving.com)
Old Fishing Holes (again) (revelation217.wordpress.com)
Human Body Might Adapt to Radiation Exposure (livescience.com)
A test I desperately wanted to pass! (ilifejourney.wordpress.com)
The American Heart Association Announces New Digital Tools To Extend Access Of Journal Circulation For Cardiologists (medicalnewstoday.com)
Little Triumphs (waynenf.wordpress.com)
Language Barrier At The Doctor's Office (saturdaypersimmon.wordpress.com)
Wondering Why I Feel Like Hell (still...) (onthevergeoftears.wordpress.com)
August 21, 2011
Random Thought
In the movie "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" I laughed until I cried when they got to the planet that gave them a swat with a flyswatter every time they had a thought. That was beyond funny.Related articlesFinally! New App Will Turn Your iPad or iPhone Into a Real-Life, Interactive Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy [Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy] (kotaku.com)
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Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy app coming to the iPad, Don't Panic decal not included (engadget.com)
Hitchhiker's Guide iPad App of the Day (geeks.thedailywh.at)
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Coming to iPhone, iPad (mashable.com)
Hothead's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy app coming this fall (joystiq.com)
Interactive Galactic Apps - Hothead's 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' iPhone Application (TrendHunter.com) (trendhunter.com)
Currently Reading: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (waitingforupdates.wordpress.com)
News: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy app coming to iOS this fall (ilounge.com)
'Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy' Free on iPad and iPhone This Fall (multiplayerblog.mtv.com)
New app turns your iPad into the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy [Books] (io9.com)
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy app coming to the iPad, Don't Panic decal not included (engadget.com)
Hitchhiker's Guide iPad App of the Day (geeks.thedailywh.at)
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Coming to iPhone, iPad (mashable.com)
Hothead's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy app coming this fall (joystiq.com)
Interactive Galactic Apps - Hothead's 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' iPhone Application (TrendHunter.com) (trendhunter.com)
Currently Reading: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (waitingforupdates.wordpress.com)
News: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy app coming to iOS this fall (ilounge.com)
'Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy' Free on iPad and iPhone This Fall (multiplayerblog.mtv.com)
August 18, 2011
My Interview on Jess C Scott's blog
Come check out my interview on Author Jess C Scott's Blog
Hi RJ! Describe yourself in 5 words:
Wife and mother of three.
Share a short excerpt and blurb of your work (10-100 words):
Birthright is a science fiction and psychological thriller with surreal overtones.
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…" intoned the soft, sonorous voice of the preacher reciting the timeless last prayer, jerking her abruptly from her sweet memories of a bright and happy past and depositing her unceremoniously back into the present and the bleak, lonely future that yawned before her.
Dragging her eyes down again to the cold marble headstone that stood stark reminder at the foot of the grave she whispered, "Goodbye, Raine," and turned away, burying her girlhood dreams with the love of her life.
Share an excerpt of your favorite author's work (10-100 words):
My absolute favorite, most respected author is Dean Koontz bar none. The following is from a series of his about Odd Thomas and is among my favorite of his collections:
"MY NAME IS ODD THOMAS, THOUGH IN THIS AGE WHEN fame is the altar at which most people worship, I am not sure why you should care who I am or that I exist.
I am not a celebrity. I am not the child of a celebrity. I have never been married to, never been abused by, and never provided a kidney for transplantation into any celebrity. Furthermore, I have no desire to be a celebrity."
Read more here: Author Interview, RJ Palmer By Jess C Scott
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Hi RJ! Describe yourself in 5 words:
Wife and mother of three.
Share a short excerpt and blurb of your work (10-100 words):
Birthright is a science fiction and psychological thriller with surreal overtones.
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…" intoned the soft, sonorous voice of the preacher reciting the timeless last prayer, jerking her abruptly from her sweet memories of a bright and happy past and depositing her unceremoniously back into the present and the bleak, lonely future that yawned before her.
Dragging her eyes down again to the cold marble headstone that stood stark reminder at the foot of the grave she whispered, "Goodbye, Raine," and turned away, burying her girlhood dreams with the love of her life.
Share an excerpt of your favorite author's work (10-100 words):
My absolute favorite, most respected author is Dean Koontz bar none. The following is from a series of his about Odd Thomas and is among my favorite of his collections:
"MY NAME IS ODD THOMAS, THOUGH IN THIS AGE WHEN fame is the altar at which most people worship, I am not sure why you should care who I am or that I exist.
I am not a celebrity. I am not the child of a celebrity. I have never been married to, never been abused by, and never provided a kidney for transplantation into any celebrity. Furthermore, I have no desire to be a celebrity."
Read more here: Author Interview, RJ Palmer By Jess C Scott
Related articlesBook Review: Seize the Night by Dean Koontz (readerjots.wordpress.com)
Strangers - Dean Koontz (bridgetsbooks.wordpress.com)
An Odd Series (tomrippon.wordpress.com)
Book Series Review: Frankenstein by Dean Koontz (readerjots.wordpress.com)
I love Books about Dogs & Dean Koontz (lucyslegacy.wordpress.com)
Dean Koontz and Dead People: The Odd Thomas Series (amog.com)
Top Eleven Favorite Books (jenowenby.wordpress.com)
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer: A well-crafted scare (elizabethwillse.com)
Bill Reddish of WICO AM 1320 Radio Interviews Author David Hearne (prweb.com)
Whispers - Dean Koontz (bridgetsbooks.wordpress.com)
Back to School!
The mother and the writer in me are both exultant because "Mom" is ready for the peace and quiet and "RJ Palmer" is ready to get to writing out some of the things I haven't gotten to write out over the summer. Does that sound like an identity crisis?Related articlesMy Interview on Kindle Author (rjpalmer.blogspot.com)
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branding (ricochetroux.wordpress.com)
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Books of The Times: Brooklyn Takes a Bow as a Town of Writers (nytimes.com)
It's just not the right book (zoramc.wordpress.com)
Deaf and Blind (madgeniusclub.com)
Deaf and Blind (accordingtohoyt.com)
Being A Writer: Finding Motivation (gabrielletheauthoress.wordpress.com)
Ready, set, write... (rakstagemom.wordpress.com)
Writers Tip #72: Don't Worry About What Others Think (worddreams.wordpress.com)
branding (ricochetroux.wordpress.com)
Dipping Into A River Of Creative Ideas (pittsburghflashfictiongazette.com)
Books of The Times: Brooklyn Takes a Bow as a Town of Writers (nytimes.com)
It's just not the right book (zoramc.wordpress.com)
Deaf and Blind (madgeniusclub.com)
Deaf and Blind (accordingtohoyt.com)
