R.J. Palmer's Blog, page 2
March 18, 2013
The Case for Cannabis
Last month, Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) introduced legislation, House Resolution 499, which would effectively end the federal prohibition on marijuana and allow states to set their own policies.
House Resolution 499: The Ending Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2013, would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, transfer the Drug Enforcement Administration’s authority to regulate marijuana to a newly renamed Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana and Firearms, require commercial marijuana producers to purchase a permit, and ensure that federal law distinguishes between individuals who grow marijuana for personal use and those involved in commercial sale and distribution.
Go HERE TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT!!!!!
March 14, 2013
Professional Advice
You know, I’ve written about this multiple times in the “advice for aspiring authors” question in author interviews I’ve done. I don’t see the value of my advice any less now than I did each time I wrote about it before. I am going to keep this firmly in mind as I expound with the pearls of wisdom I am now trying to share.
You see, I’m an Independently Published Author and I have been since August of 2010 when I took the chance and put my first novel, titled “Birthright” onto Createspace with the no cost self-publishing platform that they have. As Indie Authors which is what we call ourselves, we have placed our work out there with no backing or support whatsoever from publishing giants or even publishing dwarves. We have risked it all and exposed ourselves openly to the criticism and censure of droves of people in the fragile hope that there are those few out there who will enjoy this glimpse into our souls. We have spent countless hours marketing our own work and networking and learning not just about writing, but also about advertising, self-promotion, active sales and professionalism. I did state the professionalism part deliberately and we’ll examine it more closely here soon.
I’ve also entered another work, titled “Sins of the Father” into the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest and so far, I’ve made it to the Quarter Finals. This is no mean feat. This means right now that I’ve written well enough to be chosen over at least 9,500 other hopefuls who took the same gamble that I did but it didn’t pay off. All of you have my understanding when it comes to the disappointment and feelings of rejection. I can assure you of that.
Every one of you must understand that I didn’t do this alone. I did the writing, that’s true enough but that’s not the whole story. I also paid out of pocket for a very talented (and very diplomatic) editor who edited my work with style and didn’t try to silence my voice as a writer. Felicia, I love you for that. I paid for the cover artist who did such stunning work despite his reservations. He gave me what it was I asked for and Athanasios, I’ve been given effusive compliments on your work. I asked for beta readers and have solicited reviews with the help of my husband whose support for me has been unwavering even when I was. Albert, I know you think of it as an investment in my future and yours but I love you for your honesty anyway. Last but not least, I asked some of my colleagues to give me straight and honest advice about my pitch. They rewrote it and sent it back to me and when I incorporated their opinions into the original pitch I’d written, it worked.
I don’t tell you about these people to give a shout out. I’m telling about them to prove a point. I know that it seems like a tired and clichéd line to say that I didn’t do it alone but it’s no less true for someone like me than it is for the football star who says it right after making the winning touchdown for the Superbowl. I know my name is on the work but I’m one of a team and that deserves respect for them, too.
Now onto another point. I’ve been reading over some of the discussions in the forums for the ABNA entrants on the ‘Zon and I must say, whether or not you made the cut, I’m disappointed in some of you. While some of you didn’t make the cut and you’re angry and I understand that, you still need to be professional. I told you I’d come back to it. Some of you are quibbling about feedback that you got from the experts and trying to voice your interest in the overhaul of the contest and you all need to be professional as well. Bear with me and I’ll explain myself.
Truthfully, some of the feedback I got was less than stellar so don’t just pass over this and give yourself an excuse saying, “She probably doesn’t know what criticism is like.” For those of you who will do this anyway, I’ll provide links and openly invite all of you to go take a look at the reviews of “Birthright” which I haven’t had the money to have edited. They’re not all pretty and most of them are very critical so I’m not just turning a pretty phrase when I say that I’ve dealt with some harsh words.
That doesn’t mean that I gave up. I read the reviews, let go of the most cruel aspects and listened to the constructive criticism, the kernel of truth among the offended outcry because someone didn’t like it and felt the need to warn everyone in a seven hundred mile radius off of my writing.
I also learned how to be professional. Ladies and gentlemen, when you get feedback it doesn’t mean that everyone is going to fall in love with your work. It means that someone is going to give their honest opinion about their feelings and those feelings might not always be easy to hear. Writing is a very subjective industry so it’s not fair to try to say that reviewers and audiences need to be entirely objective in giving feedback. This is completely impossible.
I’ll grant you that you’ve probably already read that I’ve been Independently Published since 2010 so I’ll agree that I have experience in the industry. If you’re going to use that little tidbit to try to blow me off, then I say that you’re not ready to hear what I’m telling you. If that’s the case, I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors and someday I hope this makes sense to you.
To those of you still reading, some of the most valuable experience that I gained was to understand what it is to be professional. When I say this, I’m not talking about how you dress, style your hair or whiten your smile; I’m talking about how you’re acting. When you get feedback that you deem critical or rough, don’t go announcing your affront to the world on a public forum. That’s a rookie and unprofessional mistake.
My advice from someone who has been there? Grab a beer or a bottle of wine, a box of tissues, some comfort food, a good movie and a friend to listen to you whine. A shouting match with my husband and some chocolate is usually tremendously cathartic for me and does the trick. Do whatever it is you do to blow off some steam and rant and rave in the privacy of your own home and then get over it and move on. Don’t tell everyone within hearing distance or on the internet just how displeased you are with the unfairness of the horribly inept judges who are just doing their job.
Then, pick yourself up by your bootstraps, paste a smile on your face, put on your big kid pants and take the bad with the good with dignity, grace and style. That’s what being professional’s about. Your hurt feelings are not anyone else’s problem, they’re yours. They are not there to coddle you and tell you that you’re going to be a star. That’s the job of your very supportive friends and family. Their job is to keep it real and tell you what you need to hear, not the pretty little lie you want. Their job is to give you the help you need to improve your craft, even if it is a bitter pill for you to swallow. Grow up and realize that even if you know that your work is worth it and has merit, not everyone is going to agree and you have to respect their opinion as much as you respect your own.
Grow a thick skin and remember that it is through failure that you learn the most, not through success. If you’re not willing to fail with flair and keep on trying, you’re not ready to handle success in any form whether on a relatively small scale or on an enormous one. Listen to the criticism and discover the little truth and let the meltdowns happen in front of those who know you best and know that you’ll come through it on the other side and be more educated for it.
I’ve gained from hard bitten experience and I know that it’s not easy. Nothing that was worth it was ever easy to begin with and you should’ve known this from the start. Keep that in mind while you degenerate in a very public fashion because it reflects on you as a person and a professional. You might not have thought of this, but could there be any possibility that someone of note might be watching and be highly entertained but might also be losing professional respect for you the more you complain? It’s just some food for thought.
Now as promised, follow this link here to find "Birthright" on Amazon. This is not a self-promotion ploy. Read the reviews and then judge for yourself if I know what I'm talking about.
You see, I’m an Independently Published Author and I have been since August of 2010 when I took the chance and put my first novel, titled “Birthright” onto Createspace with the no cost self-publishing platform that they have. As Indie Authors which is what we call ourselves, we have placed our work out there with no backing or support whatsoever from publishing giants or even publishing dwarves. We have risked it all and exposed ourselves openly to the criticism and censure of droves of people in the fragile hope that there are those few out there who will enjoy this glimpse into our souls. We have spent countless hours marketing our own work and networking and learning not just about writing, but also about advertising, self-promotion, active sales and professionalism. I did state the professionalism part deliberately and we’ll examine it more closely here soon.
I’ve also entered another work, titled “Sins of the Father” into the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest and so far, I’ve made it to the Quarter Finals. This is no mean feat. This means right now that I’ve written well enough to be chosen over at least 9,500 other hopefuls who took the same gamble that I did but it didn’t pay off. All of you have my understanding when it comes to the disappointment and feelings of rejection. I can assure you of that.
Every one of you must understand that I didn’t do this alone. I did the writing, that’s true enough but that’s not the whole story. I also paid out of pocket for a very talented (and very diplomatic) editor who edited my work with style and didn’t try to silence my voice as a writer. Felicia, I love you for that. I paid for the cover artist who did such stunning work despite his reservations. He gave me what it was I asked for and Athanasios, I’ve been given effusive compliments on your work. I asked for beta readers and have solicited reviews with the help of my husband whose support for me has been unwavering even when I was. Albert, I know you think of it as an investment in my future and yours but I love you for your honesty anyway. Last but not least, I asked some of my colleagues to give me straight and honest advice about my pitch. They rewrote it and sent it back to me and when I incorporated their opinions into the original pitch I’d written, it worked.
I don’t tell you about these people to give a shout out. I’m telling about them to prove a point. I know that it seems like a tired and clichéd line to say that I didn’t do it alone but it’s no less true for someone like me than it is for the football star who says it right after making the winning touchdown for the Superbowl. I know my name is on the work but I’m one of a team and that deserves respect for them, too.
Now onto another point. I’ve been reading over some of the discussions in the forums for the ABNA entrants on the ‘Zon and I must say, whether or not you made the cut, I’m disappointed in some of you. While some of you didn’t make the cut and you’re angry and I understand that, you still need to be professional. I told you I’d come back to it. Some of you are quibbling about feedback that you got from the experts and trying to voice your interest in the overhaul of the contest and you all need to be professional as well. Bear with me and I’ll explain myself.
Truthfully, some of the feedback I got was less than stellar so don’t just pass over this and give yourself an excuse saying, “She probably doesn’t know what criticism is like.” For those of you who will do this anyway, I’ll provide links and openly invite all of you to go take a look at the reviews of “Birthright” which I haven’t had the money to have edited. They’re not all pretty and most of them are very critical so I’m not just turning a pretty phrase when I say that I’ve dealt with some harsh words.
That doesn’t mean that I gave up. I read the reviews, let go of the most cruel aspects and listened to the constructive criticism, the kernel of truth among the offended outcry because someone didn’t like it and felt the need to warn everyone in a seven hundred mile radius off of my writing.
I also learned how to be professional. Ladies and gentlemen, when you get feedback it doesn’t mean that everyone is going to fall in love with your work. It means that someone is going to give their honest opinion about their feelings and those feelings might not always be easy to hear. Writing is a very subjective industry so it’s not fair to try to say that reviewers and audiences need to be entirely objective in giving feedback. This is completely impossible.
I’ll grant you that you’ve probably already read that I’ve been Independently Published since 2010 so I’ll agree that I have experience in the industry. If you’re going to use that little tidbit to try to blow me off, then I say that you’re not ready to hear what I’m telling you. If that’s the case, I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors and someday I hope this makes sense to you.
To those of you still reading, some of the most valuable experience that I gained was to understand what it is to be professional. When I say this, I’m not talking about how you dress, style your hair or whiten your smile; I’m talking about how you’re acting. When you get feedback that you deem critical or rough, don’t go announcing your affront to the world on a public forum. That’s a rookie and unprofessional mistake.
My advice from someone who has been there? Grab a beer or a bottle of wine, a box of tissues, some comfort food, a good movie and a friend to listen to you whine. A shouting match with my husband and some chocolate is usually tremendously cathartic for me and does the trick. Do whatever it is you do to blow off some steam and rant and rave in the privacy of your own home and then get over it and move on. Don’t tell everyone within hearing distance or on the internet just how displeased you are with the unfairness of the horribly inept judges who are just doing their job.
Then, pick yourself up by your bootstraps, paste a smile on your face, put on your big kid pants and take the bad with the good with dignity, grace and style. That’s what being professional’s about. Your hurt feelings are not anyone else’s problem, they’re yours. They are not there to coddle you and tell you that you’re going to be a star. That’s the job of your very supportive friends and family. Their job is to keep it real and tell you what you need to hear, not the pretty little lie you want. Their job is to give you the help you need to improve your craft, even if it is a bitter pill for you to swallow. Grow up and realize that even if you know that your work is worth it and has merit, not everyone is going to agree and you have to respect their opinion as much as you respect your own.
Grow a thick skin and remember that it is through failure that you learn the most, not through success. If you’re not willing to fail with flair and keep on trying, you’re not ready to handle success in any form whether on a relatively small scale or on an enormous one. Listen to the criticism and discover the little truth and let the meltdowns happen in front of those who know you best and know that you’ll come through it on the other side and be more educated for it.
I’ve gained from hard bitten experience and I know that it’s not easy. Nothing that was worth it was ever easy to begin with and you should’ve known this from the start. Keep that in mind while you degenerate in a very public fashion because it reflects on you as a person and a professional. You might not have thought of this, but could there be any possibility that someone of note might be watching and be highly entertained but might also be losing professional respect for you the more you complain? It’s just some food for thought.
Now as promised, follow this link here to find "Birthright" on Amazon. This is not a self-promotion ploy. Read the reviews and then judge for yourself if I know what I'm talking about.
March 12, 2013
The Quarter Finalists Were Announced...And I'm One of 'Em!!!
Okay all my wonderful wingnuts. I'm floating on cloud nine, jumping up and down for joy and doing the happy dance and all that crazy stuff. Believe me, you should see me trying to type and hop around doing the happy dance. It's funny and you'd get a real kick out of it.
If you follow this link here, you'll see why...
I can hardly contain myself and for anyone who knows me, that's getting pretty serious there.
Okay, okay...Now I'll get off the crazy horse and into more stable territory if that's something I can manage. I seriously doubt it because...And hey, gimme a drum roll here...
I'm a QUARTER FINALIST IN THE AMAZON BREAKTHROUGH NOVEL AWARD CONTEST!!!!!
And did I mention the happy dance that I'm doing right now?
For those who don't know or don't care or anything else, this is a HUGE chance for a starving artist like moi. It's like the job promotion of a lifetime. I win this, and I've just been validated, congratulated and well paid for my efforts all in one fell swoop.
Picture this all you of the upwardly mobile:
You've been working your tail off to try to get off the bottom rung of the ladder...Nights, weekends, holidays...The whole nine or even ten because you've really been giving the extra effort.
Then one day your boss calls you in to his or her corner office, the one with all the windows and the stellar view of the city lights, and you go trudging in with all the enthusiasm of a person facing a firing squad.
He or she looks stern and you cringe, certain that you've just been canned and you start searching your memory trying to discover what mistake you could've made to get the sack. Then they look at you from over the rim of their edgy and ultra chic glasses, smile slightly and inform you that you've just been handed the opportunity of your life. Someone noticed your work and was floored and impressed by it and you've just been given the chance to skip several rungs of the ladder.
That would've been years of grueling work and sacrifice and you've just been given the chance to have your talents and hard work recognized. Wouldn't you be screaming like an idiot and doing a jig, too?
Even if you wouldn't, I would be and I AM!!! Soooo, follow the link that I've placed at both the top and bottom of this post for your convenience...Like that? Smooth transition, huh? You can feel free to be wowed and impressed by it, too. :D
Follow this here to find the excerpt for "Sins of the Father" on Amazon and enjoy the ride with me!
If you follow this link here, you'll see why...
I can hardly contain myself and for anyone who knows me, that's getting pretty serious there.
Okay, okay...Now I'll get off the crazy horse and into more stable territory if that's something I can manage. I seriously doubt it because...And hey, gimme a drum roll here...
I'm a QUARTER FINALIST IN THE AMAZON BREAKTHROUGH NOVEL AWARD CONTEST!!!!!
And did I mention the happy dance that I'm doing right now?
For those who don't know or don't care or anything else, this is a HUGE chance for a starving artist like moi. It's like the job promotion of a lifetime. I win this, and I've just been validated, congratulated and well paid for my efforts all in one fell swoop.
Picture this all you of the upwardly mobile:
You've been working your tail off to try to get off the bottom rung of the ladder...Nights, weekends, holidays...The whole nine or even ten because you've really been giving the extra effort.
Then one day your boss calls you in to his or her corner office, the one with all the windows and the stellar view of the city lights, and you go trudging in with all the enthusiasm of a person facing a firing squad.
He or she looks stern and you cringe, certain that you've just been canned and you start searching your memory trying to discover what mistake you could've made to get the sack. Then they look at you from over the rim of their edgy and ultra chic glasses, smile slightly and inform you that you've just been handed the opportunity of your life. Someone noticed your work and was floored and impressed by it and you've just been given the chance to skip several rungs of the ladder.
That would've been years of grueling work and sacrifice and you've just been given the chance to have your talents and hard work recognized. Wouldn't you be screaming like an idiot and doing a jig, too?
Even if you wouldn't, I would be and I AM!!! Soooo, follow the link that I've placed at both the top and bottom of this post for your convenience...Like that? Smooth transition, huh? You can feel free to be wowed and impressed by it, too. :D
Follow this here to find the excerpt for "Sins of the Father" on Amazon and enjoy the ride with me!
March 9, 2013
Freebie Alert!!!
Come see, come see!! Smashwords is doing a promotion and I'm in on the action! Of course, it might've helped for me to know about this BEFORE today, but who's counting?
Anyway, I know about it now and since I can't resist the best price of all...Ahem! FREE...I'll invite you all to join in on the fun.
Follow this link here to go to Smashwords and give 'em coupon code RW100 to get your digital copy of "Sins of the Father" for FREE, FREE, FREE, FREE!
Don't waste time though, because it's only for today 03/09/13 and I'd hate to see you guys lose out on a good thing because you missed the memo until tomorrow.
Well? What are you waiting for? Go now!!!
Anyway, I know about it now and since I can't resist the best price of all...Ahem! FREE...I'll invite you all to join in on the fun.
Follow this link here to go to Smashwords and give 'em coupon code RW100 to get your digital copy of "Sins of the Father" for FREE, FREE, FREE, FREE!
Don't waste time though, because it's only for today 03/09/13 and I'd hate to see you guys lose out on a good thing because you missed the memo until tomorrow.
Well? What are you waiting for? Go now!!!
March 2, 2013
I am so Lazy!
You know, it's occurred to me that in the last months that I haven't had much in the way of internet access and have therefore not done much here on the oddest blog on the planet. You have my apologies...Sort of.
You see, I'm a writer, blogger, mom and wife and not all necessarily in that order so life is pretty full right now. That doesn't mean that my little pearls and tidbits (not that there are a whole lot, but you get the idea) are any less valued.
Right now, I'm working on a new novel and writing is slow going when there are several kids hollering at a video game or a movie or whatever else tickles their fancy at which to shout during any particular moment in time. Kids are not helpful for the concentration. They also can't seem to figure out that the TV doesn't listen so when they're yelling and arguing, it's not going to fight back. I think I might've squeezed out about three thousand words yesterday and gotten a page break done today. I'm really on a roll, I tell ya.
All excuses aside though, I've missed blogging, too. I've missed writing out whatever silly something comes into my head because trust me, there are times to be serious. Then there are times when you've just got to let your hair down and be as crazy and goofy as is your pleasure.
I've done a lot of stuff so I can't necessarily say that I'm in the mood to be particularly flat insane but I did figure that I'd let the world know I'm still here. And you can stop jumping up and down for joy now, you're shaking the whole house.
There, now that I've given a quick check in and a little tidbit with absolutely no point whatsoever, I'll bid you all adieu and go back to writing...Something else. See you all later, my ultra awesome fellow Wingnuts!
You see, I'm a writer, blogger, mom and wife and not all necessarily in that order so life is pretty full right now. That doesn't mean that my little pearls and tidbits (not that there are a whole lot, but you get the idea) are any less valued.
Right now, I'm working on a new novel and writing is slow going when there are several kids hollering at a video game or a movie or whatever else tickles their fancy at which to shout during any particular moment in time. Kids are not helpful for the concentration. They also can't seem to figure out that the TV doesn't listen so when they're yelling and arguing, it's not going to fight back. I think I might've squeezed out about three thousand words yesterday and gotten a page break done today. I'm really on a roll, I tell ya.
All excuses aside though, I've missed blogging, too. I've missed writing out whatever silly something comes into my head because trust me, there are times to be serious. Then there are times when you've just got to let your hair down and be as crazy and goofy as is your pleasure.
I've done a lot of stuff so I can't necessarily say that I'm in the mood to be particularly flat insane but I did figure that I'd let the world know I'm still here. And you can stop jumping up and down for joy now, you're shaking the whole house.
There, now that I've given a quick check in and a little tidbit with absolutely no point whatsoever, I'll bid you all adieu and go back to writing...Something else. See you all later, my ultra awesome fellow Wingnuts!
February 21, 2013
Sins of the Father is Getting Awesome Reviews!!
Okay, this is where I get to brag a bit and show off that I'm not the only one in the world who thinks I've got some mad writing skills. If you'll pardon my little moment when I get to toot my own horn...I tend to agree with these folks. They rock! Here's what they're saying about Sins of the Father...
Magnum Opus says:
An amazing book!
Full of twists and turns. Gripping and edging. You won't be able to out it down. God knows I didn't.
ReadersFavorite:
Reviewed by Trisha Dawn Daffon for Readers' Favorite
"Sins of the Father" tells the story of two people who are from different worlds. There is Bowen, a child who has had misfortune of the worst kind and there is Aaron who has lived a saintly life but is miserable over his own questionable belief of the Higher Power. Both of them eventually cross each other's paths and each has played an important role in both of their lives. However, what holds them connected is a darkness so poisonous that it has also the potential to destroy humankind. The situation that they have gotten themselves into needed a deeper understanding which did not come for a while. In this journey that Bowen and Aaron undertook, they found themselves in a race against time and evil. It is only a matter of realization with which they would find the most powerful tool that could be used to end this as soon as possible.
I absolutely love this book. The details of the story are written very well. I can actually see the story unfold as I read each word. I admit though that there were a few moments where I had difficulties in understanding the tale but as I read further, I would just pick up an idea or two and everything would be clear right away. Then, the matter about the characters. I like the fact that they are realistic and a great representation of human beings and one of their greatest weaknesses. In general, I love how dark and mysterious the story is and in the end, light is valued greatly. I am very much satisfied about how the story ends. The book really deserves that kind of ending. Along with that, I have also picked some life lessons and realizations. For a dark-themed book, it is actually a light that can guide those who are at war with their human flaws.
On a more serious note, I'm not going to post ALL nineteen reviews on Amazon but I'll show you some of what readers are saying...
From Nadz 2012-
Very interesting, imaginative and poignant story.
From Sheri A. Wilkinson-
Kept me up way past my bed time!
From Cheryl Bradshaw-
It's the kind of novel that keeps the reader glued to the page while taking them on a journey at the same time.
And yes, I can be honest with you (Yours Truly here) that not all the reviews have been four and five star. There are a few people who haven't liked the tale that I tell but I'll also be honest with you when I say...This is a post for bragging a bit soooo if you want to read all the reviews on Amazon AND perhaps...Maybe and this is just a suggestion and a side comment here...BUY the book, go here.
Magnum Opus says:
An amazing book!
Full of twists and turns. Gripping and edging. You won't be able to out it down. God knows I didn't.
ReadersFavorite:
Reviewed by Trisha Dawn Daffon for Readers' Favorite
"Sins of the Father" tells the story of two people who are from different worlds. There is Bowen, a child who has had misfortune of the worst kind and there is Aaron who has lived a saintly life but is miserable over his own questionable belief of the Higher Power. Both of them eventually cross each other's paths and each has played an important role in both of their lives. However, what holds them connected is a darkness so poisonous that it has also the potential to destroy humankind. The situation that they have gotten themselves into needed a deeper understanding which did not come for a while. In this journey that Bowen and Aaron undertook, they found themselves in a race against time and evil. It is only a matter of realization with which they would find the most powerful tool that could be used to end this as soon as possible.
I absolutely love this book. The details of the story are written very well. I can actually see the story unfold as I read each word. I admit though that there were a few moments where I had difficulties in understanding the tale but as I read further, I would just pick up an idea or two and everything would be clear right away. Then, the matter about the characters. I like the fact that they are realistic and a great representation of human beings and one of their greatest weaknesses. In general, I love how dark and mysterious the story is and in the end, light is valued greatly. I am very much satisfied about how the story ends. The book really deserves that kind of ending. Along with that, I have also picked some life lessons and realizations. For a dark-themed book, it is actually a light that can guide those who are at war with their human flaws.
On a more serious note, I'm not going to post ALL nineteen reviews on Amazon but I'll show you some of what readers are saying...
From Nadz 2012-
Very interesting, imaginative and poignant story.
From Sheri A. Wilkinson-
Kept me up way past my bed time!
From Cheryl Bradshaw-
It's the kind of novel that keeps the reader glued to the page while taking them on a journey at the same time.
And yes, I can be honest with you (Yours Truly here) that not all the reviews have been four and five star. There are a few people who haven't liked the tale that I tell but I'll also be honest with you when I say...This is a post for bragging a bit soooo if you want to read all the reviews on Amazon AND perhaps...Maybe and this is just a suggestion and a side comment here...BUY the book, go here.
February 13, 2013
Round TWO!!!
I made it past the pitch and got myself into the second round with the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest...YAY!!!!! And can I get an AMEN!!
January 15, 2013
Got A Little Crazy With Athanasios...
Okay all my fellow Wingnuts...Here's the skinny, the 411, the...Okay, you get the idea.I had agreed to do a blog hop for a friend of mine, you've seen him on my blog before and his name is wicked difficult to pronounce and spell. His name is Athanasios Galanis AND if you have a little trouble with that...Just do what I do, call him Ath when he's not around to bristle and get upset. Considering that Athanasios has a certain melodic quality to it, I still don't know if I actually pronounce it right.
But I digress. You see, I had agreed to do this blog hop thingy for him and then my kids' winter break interfered with everything (two weeks with no school....ARGHHHHHH!) and before I knew it, the blog hop was way overdue and I felt about one inch high. That's not to say that I don't stand at an imposing and giantish two and a half inches or anything, but you get my point.
So this is what I came up with. Since I was lax enough to drop the ball so thoroughly with the blog hop, I decided to put the spotlight on Athanasios for a little bit of fun and as it turns out, it's a blog post without too much work on my part...YAY!!!
Before I get to the really fun part, I want to first thank Athanasios for being such a good sport because I managed to break his nose, have him conversing with a purcupine, put the Force in the bathroom with him and just generally screwed up his whole world with my antics. He handled it well...Read for yourself.
And now my wonderful Wingnuts, without further adieu and all that happy...Athanasios Galanis!
RJ Palmer: You’re sitting on the bus on your way to work in the morning and having a lively conversation with the porcupine sitting next to you. Then you get bored and open your new book to page 193 to begin reading. What’s the book about and why did you start reading at page 193?
Athanasios: It’s not my book. I start reading at pg 193 because I found this book on the bus and that’s the first page. The porcupine starts looking at me like I’m a moron, or deviant because nobody else had picked up the book because the cover is a mass of disgusting, hand-drawn depictions of torture, death and destruction.
RJ Palmer: What were you talking about with the porcupine?
Athanasios: He was telling me not to pick up the book.
RJ Palmer: Imagine that you’re walking along the beach admiring the sunset in the east. Tell me what’s wrong with that sentence and why.
Athanasios: The sun sets in the west and rises in the east, though in this case it’s ok because there’s a second son that’s rising in the west, so as far as doing things opposite of what we’re used to this one is doubling the impossibilities.
RJ Palmer: Put these four words together in an intelligent and coherent sentence: banter, lavender, partridge and butter.
Athanasios: I bantered with my wife about our respective days and covered four partridges with butter and lavender before putting them into the oven for our dinner.
RJ Palmer: Where has the time gone?
Athanasios: The time is always gone, it goes where it wills and will never answer that question.
RJ Palmer: Here is a simple set of words. Come up with a sentence to associate each word with the next. Associate number five with number one and explain what the sentence means to you…
Athanasios:
1. Blarney
• The blarney flowed the thickest and was the most difficult to believe every December.
2. December
• This December we’d run out of toothpaste because Colgate was a firm believer that the world would’ve ended on the 21st.
3. Toothpaste
• My toothpaste seems to last forever, to be limitless because I never use it: I use my wife’s just to mess with her head.
4. Limitless
• Limitless cannot be used with our stratosphere because it ends just before it becomes space.
5. Stratosphere
• Two stones fell out of the stratosphere in the dim past, the Stone of Destiny, which is now directly beneath the English Throne and the Blarney Stone, which is kissed by every tourist who visits Cork, Ireland.
• The last sentence gives me an interesting blend of history and irreverence by juxtaposing the Blarney Stone with The Stone of Destiny.
RJ Palmer: Okay, now we’ll play a word association game. I’ll give you five words and you give me the first sentence that pops into your head…
Athanasios:
1. Bring
• Bring the Kraken!
2. Artichoke
• Artichoke hearts were broken when Paul McCartney married Linda.
3. Buffalo
• Buffalo nickels were thicker than most others and some weren’t even round they were facetted.
4. Nostril
• I can fit my thumb into my nostril.
5. Gargoyle
• Every gargoyle story I’ve read or have seen in a movie was compelling if not interesting.
RJ Palmer: What is your favorite color and why are you thinking of the color blue right now?
Athanasios: My favorite color is black, or red if you don’t consider black a color, and I only thought of blue because you brought it up.
RJ Palmer: Why didn’t the Grinch steal Valentine’s Day? Did he eat the chocolate?
Athanasios: The Grinch didn’t steal Valentine’s Day because he had a teeny-tiny heart, he didn’t’ have the equipment. He might steal it in the sequel, now that his heart has grown. No he didn’t steal the chocolate, it’s too dangerous to keep around his little dog.
RJ Palmer: If the Force is always with you, does it let you go to the bathroom all by yourself?
Athanasios: The Force doesn’t let me go to the bathroom all by myself because the Force wipes me clean whenever I go to the bathroom.
RJ Palmer: Do you deny that you were the one who cut the cheese and what kind of cheese was it?
Athanasios: I never deny cutting the cheese because I can’t stop laughing whenever the cheese is cut. It was a moldy, dry feta, what else would it be?
RJ Palmer: Are you still thinking of the color blue?
Athanasios: I was never thinking of the color blue, you keep bringing it into the conversation and should seek further psychiatric help. I say further because I’m sure you’re already in therapy because you can’t stop thinking or talking about the friggin’ color blue!
RJ Palmer: Why were you talking with a porcupine on your way to work?
Athanasios: He talked to me.
RJ Palmer: Explain how these two phrases go together… “The Three Billy Goats Gruff” and “Wendell the Wonder Pig”…And did you realize that this question is numbered 12?
Athanasios: Those two phrases don’t go together, they just sound like the titles of two different children’s books. I don’t care that this question is numbered 12 and is therefore wrong and should be numbered 14 thereby restoring the proper sequence to, what until now, was following some form of logic: NOT!
(Wendell the Wonder Pig is NOT a children's story...Get your fables straight!!)
RJ Palmer: You were walking along reading the morning paper and ran into a wall. Explain yourself and what was the morning headline in the newspaper? Did you spill your coffee?
Athanasios: Ouch, my nose is now bleeding onto the newspaper and therefore I can’t read the headline, because I’ve also broken my glasses from running into the friggin’ wall!! I’m too busy cursing up a blue storm to explain myself, you meddling wench! If I had been paying attention to where I was going instead of following your scenario I wouldn’t have hit this wall! Ouch, Goddamn it hurts! My nose is broken!
On a further note right now from Yours Truly...I didn't manage to run him into the wall hard enough to break his nose. He came up with that all on his own and blamed me. :)
But there you have it, Wingnuts! From the blog of the Head Wingnut in Charge...We stepped out of the normal, got a little left of center and had some fun!
Then, Athanasios told me a little bit about himself. It was probably because I politely demanded a short bio, but here it is nonetheless.
About Athanasios:
Athanasios spends his time working at his job in dvd production and online promoting his indie books. He uses his skills at the regular job to make pretty and striking covers for other indie authors. He hopes to one day do the indie book writing and indie cover making full time from home.
Contrary to whatever his name might evoke, he’s Canadian and watches television, though no sports, lots of movies, and a lot of documentaries.
Is it interesting to anyone else or just to me (RJ Palmer) that he narrated a short bio in the third person? Hmmmm...And he says I'm a therapy case??!
Sooooo...If you like his acid wit and you want to know more about Athanasios Galanis, go and AHEM...BUY his books! "I Am Eternal" can be found here on Amazon and just for fun, we'll let him post a description...
I AM ETERNAL
Simeon Magus has been alive... undead nearly two millennia.
He has watched the undead go from myth to adored celebrity and he exists, hiding from a determined and lethal group of hunters who do not listen to reason and won't stop until he's destroyed.
Simeon witnessed and lived history and he doesn't know if he wants any more of it. He wants to connect with someone again, to feel close to another, but when he meets somebody on a train who knows too much about him, Simeon cannot trust that he isn't another of the Slayers. Is his new friend sent to eliminate him or the hoped for salvation from the tedium of eternity.
January 10, 2013
Gun Control...A Necessary Mistake
As I write this, I’m trying to place respect for the children and adults in Newtown, Connecticut who lost their lives in December 2012 above all things. They deserve that if nothing else from me and everyone else so please remember that I’m not denying what happened or the atrocity therein. I am, in fact making every effort to use it to prove a point. I give my shout out now to them and will in my own way do my best to honor and respect their memory and not defame or profane them in any way. That being said, to the families of those who lost their lives, both children and adults, you have my condolences and my assurances that I grieve and rejoice with you. I grieve because there is a time and a place for all things and all purposes. I rejoice because there are those of us for whom the race was run and they are now in a place where they feel no pain, only joy. Perhaps we could all be so lucky and one day, we will be. Thank you, Jesus for Your infinite and unconditional love and for bringing home those for whom the mission was accomplished. Well done, young ladies and young gentlemen, well done and a race well run.Each time something like this happens, all of us humans as a people are taken by surprise. It’s as if we don’t understand or can’t fathom that something this tragic could possibly happen. It probably has something to do with the idea that we can’t find it within ourselves to believe that something like this could happen because we don’t have it cross our minds that anyone in the human race could have those kinds of dark or gory and unappealing thoughts. A generally balanced individual does not have or will not give those thoughts sway so it does not occur to them that someone else might have those thoughts or listen to that lie. I can assure you, I have seen some of the darkest aspects of life, even American life and some of the blackest reaches of the human heart and I can promise you unequivocally, humans as a general rule are fairly good. Even though not one person among us does not make a mistake and have to suffer all the consequences and rewards of our choices, there are inevitably loose canons that will go off the deep end. It is both undeniable fact and unvarnished truth. It won’t be avoided so we might as well accept it. With a population as large as the world has now, there will be that percentage that will be crazy or dysfunctional. We can’t stick that in a dark corner and forget about it and we can’t just write it off as another statistic. It happens; deal with it.
Each time we have a tragedy of this magnitude there is also a greater outcry about gun control. I know my stance on gun control might be contradictory to my opinion but I believe in the idea of gun control for a time and if you’ll be so kind as to indulge me for a few moments, I’ll tell you why. I believe that both history and statistics have shown that increased gun control is largely ineffective but I believe that we as a people need to learn that the hard way. We are not looking at historical examples to show us what we should do and why. Remember, ladies and gentlemen, that history repeats itself because we weren’t listening the first time.
In support of this point, I believe that the Prohibition Era is a prime example and one we should all look to for a greater understanding of the outcome of stricter gun control laws. Did the Prohibition Era laws actually stop the distribution and sale of alcohol? Quite simply put, the answer is no. The Prohibition Era gave rise to things like moonshine as well as moonshine runners and speakeasy’s. It was in a way, among our first examples of the black market, historically speaking. The Prohibition Era did not effectively stop alcohol consumption or distribution. Instead, it effectively gave money into the hands of people to whom money was more important than respect for the law.Let me also point to a more modern example and one that affects the lives of Americans on a daily basis; the War on Drugs. Narcotics are a part of everyday life for so many people and the criminalization of recreational use has not stopped the distribution or sale. Let’s examine the most prominent example shall we? Marijuana. Put quite simply, the law provides for regulation and criminal punishment for the distribution, possession, cultivation, transportation and sale of marijuana and the associated paraphernalia. Has that stopped not just the use, but the steady violation of all aspects of the law regarding marijuana possession? No. Has expanding the definition and meaning of law to include terrorism stopped it? Again, the answer is no. It has instead, fueled the black market and placed a drain on our currently struggling economy with respect to the criminal prosecution of possession and sale. Succinctly stated, people who are determined to get stoned will find a way to possess marijuana and use it regardless of the letter of the law. They will also pay the prices demanded by the person or persons who have what it is they seek.
Don’t mistake me; I’m not advocating use and possession of illicit drugs or alcohol in disregard to the law. I use these examples to show and prove a point, which is simple. To increase gun control laws is roughly to the same end or the same point and purpose as the regulation or criminalization of illicit drug or alcohol use. To be perfectly blunt, it won’t work. It is impossible to write laws to impose a code of conduct on the lawless. It’s unreasonable and unrealistic to assume that imposing written moral boundaries or laws on those for whom those boundaries and laws are either secondary or don’t exist will be the solution to the problem. Those people will instead go to other people who will supply what it is they seek and will pay the prices demanded. They will effectively disregard the law and the consequences involved and also will pour money into the black market which is not the solution. It is, in fact, the problem.
It’s at this point I’ll ask the same questions everyone else is asking. What then is the solution? Where does the line get drawn between an effective solution and an exacerbation of the problem? What can we do to stop tragedies like the Newtown, Connecticut shootings? The simple answer is that there is no solution and no real way to stop these things from happening because gun control must be the choice of the person wielding the gun. Does a gun choose where the barrel is pointed or have a say in the direction of the bullet? Does a gun have to bear the consequences of the actions of the person who pulled the trigger? The question keeps revolving in my head: Should anyone even have to ask these questions or bring up these points? Last but not least, when did it become acceptable for the many to make the choices for the few?
These questions are not truly as difficult to ask as they are to answer and I’ll be the first person to admit that I don’t have all the answers. I do however believe that the only way to prove that gun control won’t work is to actually write the laws to impose the gun control. Perhaps then the ultimate truth of the matter will be revealed and that truth is simple, the only effective gun control is solely at the behest of the person holding the gun. It is at that point that they have a choice to make and if they’re determined to pull the trigger with or without regard to the consequences or repercussions of their actions, they will pull the trigger and fire the weapon. That’s the choice they’ve made. They will have already crossed that moral boundary and written laws will have no effect whatsoever on them because one must first be willing to recognize moral boundaries for written or ethical boundaries to be of any consequence or weight. They will have already listened to the lie in their conscious and recognized and related to it. They will have agreed with the lie and to them, it will have become truth. Then that truth will have become their reality and their choice will fall in line with their reality and their truth.
Innocent blood has been spilled and for that, I’m sure that Christ mourns with the rest of us. I’m also sure that His rejoicing is for those who went home. I’m equally sure that His love for the one who pulled the trigger and spilled the blood is no less unconditional than it is for those of us who wouldn’t ever, in a million years, think of having that blood on our hands. He is no respecter of persons.We might also ask ourselves, what lesson is it that we should learn from this? On a personal level, that lesson is that I should rejoice and trust the decisions of One who is greater than I. I was also brought about to the conclusion that gun control is necessary for a time to prove a point and better enable all of us to arrive at the same reasonable conclusion, that it’s simply a way to grant comfort and hope. It’s not that it’ll work effectively or that it will help fix anything. In fact, the opposite is true but I do know that we need to learn this for ourselves. We need to make the mistake in order to learn from it.
We are an imperfect nation of people trying to make a perfect society but we need to learn the difference between trying to hammer into others our own definition of perfection and instead concentrate on making ourselves the examples of the maturity and perfection that we seek to impose on anyone else. We must first seek to remove the plank from our own eye, each one of us respectively, so that we might remove the mote from the eye of our family members in this human condition. We must recognize our own faults before we seek to point out the faults in others and we must carefully consider the ramifications of our actions before making any rash maneuvers.
So it is with the greatest grief and a heavy heart that I choose to agree with gun control for all the reasons I have already stated. Even on a temporary or experimental level, perhaps it will teach us to acknowledge the facts and open our eyes to that which we choose not to see. We have no other choice. We must learn a lesson and we must pay the price for our own shortsightedness. Our rash actions and uninformed decision making will cause greater consequences than that which we are prepared to fathom but it is what must be done. Increased gun control will not stop rampage killings like that of Newtown, Connecticut but if it’s what makes the advocates feel better for a time, then that is a necessary evil.
Just remember that when the rampage killings don’t stop, don’t blame the weapon. Place the blame and accountability on the person who made the choice to use it because that person will get a weapon in accordance with their choice and they will use it in a manner that they see fit. You can write laws that will impose a code of conduct on those who choose to obey the laws but you can’t stop a person from thinking and if a person thinks to disobey the law, they will act on it. I would think that history would have taught us that at the very least.
January 3, 2013
Sometimes The Colors Are Dark
I don’t know what to write about. I don’t know what’s changed and I don’t know what’s different, but I do know that words have never been difficult for me and now they are. It’s not like this is exactly strange, not being able to articulate because I’ve been through writer’s block before and it’s something akin to hell, I can tell you that much. I’ve just never had such a hard time churning out even a simple blog post. Ever since I did NaNoWriMo, I’ve been having a hard time.
I wrote a letter to my father yesterday. No one really knows as much as my husband, Albert does, but there is bad blood between my father and I. Truthfully, I would’ve expected that even if it was in the interest of settling the past, I wouldn’t have had such a hard time writing a simple one page letter. I’ve never had a hard time and that one time words were so difficult for me, I almost scrapped the blasted thing and left it alone. To give myself a little credit, I was careful not to be condemning or angry or even accusatory when in truth I would’ve had every right. There are true horrors there that have nothing whatsoever to do with an angry child seeing what it was she wanted to see and the extent of it is no one’s business except for those to whom I choose to divulge.
All that aside, right now I miss words. I miss seeing an image in my head and being able to put it onto paper. I miss feeling the emotion, immersing myself in it, climbing to the highest point of it and letting it sweep me away while trying to translate that onto paper. I miss the descriptions that have always come so easily to me and I wonder right now, where did they go, my precious words? Could I have discovered something so black about my past that it put a stopper on it pending my understanding and acceptance? I understand the necessity of my settling the past, but did it take my words away, even if it was just temporarily? My heart breaks with this thought even as I know that I’ve been given a powerful gift that would not be taken away so arbitrarily. My God uses my words and I know this in my heart, but my memories are taking their toll even if I don’t completely understand them or why my Heavenly Father has chosen this time to pull out of me things that, for all intents and purposes, could probably be best left in a dark and troubled childhood where they belong.
The past can’t hurt a person, at least that’s what I’ve been told. But if that’s true, where is all this hurt coming from? Where have my words gone? Why is it that I feel compelled to write and have nothing about which to write? I understand to a certain point that the things that I feel surpass words, but it’s my place to try to place words on them. It’s my need and compulsion to name the things that elude description or won’t be named. I understand that sometimes, when an artist paints a masterpiece, the glory of the picture cannot be revealed until completed and occasionally, the colors are dark. I’ve written about dark things; pain and abuse and bloodshed and I have the entire time tried with everything I am to give the proper respect and diligence due whether or not anyone realized it except me.
Perhaps it’s time I scrapped with the respect and diligence and just wrote what’s in my heart. Perhaps in order to uplift, one must first be brought low. I’m not sure I know what’s going on or why, but I do hope for something better. I hope that in being brought low, in having my words taken away and in letting them go, I will in turn be repaid with better words. I have to hope because that’s what I have.
So I will thank You, Heavenly Father, for the pain that comes out that I had ceased to feel. I thank You for giving me this gift and I give it back in the hope that my offering will be rewarded. I thank You for letting me sleep and I thank You for waking me again. I thank You for the dark colors that make the masterpiece the work of art that it is. I thank You for the grief that in due course, makes it possible for me to see and understand the beautiful mess that I am and cherish the dawn which comes right after it’s darkest. Thank You for letting me mourn and grieve and thank You for teaching me what it is to smile again. I don’t understand the purpose, but I do understand that I can wait and who knows, perhaps in the waiting, I’ll be repaid in kind.
Thank You any way it goes.
I wrote a letter to my father yesterday. No one really knows as much as my husband, Albert does, but there is bad blood between my father and I. Truthfully, I would’ve expected that even if it was in the interest of settling the past, I wouldn’t have had such a hard time writing a simple one page letter. I’ve never had a hard time and that one time words were so difficult for me, I almost scrapped the blasted thing and left it alone. To give myself a little credit, I was careful not to be condemning or angry or even accusatory when in truth I would’ve had every right. There are true horrors there that have nothing whatsoever to do with an angry child seeing what it was she wanted to see and the extent of it is no one’s business except for those to whom I choose to divulge.
All that aside, right now I miss words. I miss seeing an image in my head and being able to put it onto paper. I miss feeling the emotion, immersing myself in it, climbing to the highest point of it and letting it sweep me away while trying to translate that onto paper. I miss the descriptions that have always come so easily to me and I wonder right now, where did they go, my precious words? Could I have discovered something so black about my past that it put a stopper on it pending my understanding and acceptance? I understand the necessity of my settling the past, but did it take my words away, even if it was just temporarily? My heart breaks with this thought even as I know that I’ve been given a powerful gift that would not be taken away so arbitrarily. My God uses my words and I know this in my heart, but my memories are taking their toll even if I don’t completely understand them or why my Heavenly Father has chosen this time to pull out of me things that, for all intents and purposes, could probably be best left in a dark and troubled childhood where they belong.
The past can’t hurt a person, at least that’s what I’ve been told. But if that’s true, where is all this hurt coming from? Where have my words gone? Why is it that I feel compelled to write and have nothing about which to write? I understand to a certain point that the things that I feel surpass words, but it’s my place to try to place words on them. It’s my need and compulsion to name the things that elude description or won’t be named. I understand that sometimes, when an artist paints a masterpiece, the glory of the picture cannot be revealed until completed and occasionally, the colors are dark. I’ve written about dark things; pain and abuse and bloodshed and I have the entire time tried with everything I am to give the proper respect and diligence due whether or not anyone realized it except me.
Perhaps it’s time I scrapped with the respect and diligence and just wrote what’s in my heart. Perhaps in order to uplift, one must first be brought low. I’m not sure I know what’s going on or why, but I do hope for something better. I hope that in being brought low, in having my words taken away and in letting them go, I will in turn be repaid with better words. I have to hope because that’s what I have.
So I will thank You, Heavenly Father, for the pain that comes out that I had ceased to feel. I thank You for giving me this gift and I give it back in the hope that my offering will be rewarded. I thank You for letting me sleep and I thank You for waking me again. I thank You for the dark colors that make the masterpiece the work of art that it is. I thank You for the grief that in due course, makes it possible for me to see and understand the beautiful mess that I am and cherish the dawn which comes right after it’s darkest. Thank You for letting me mourn and grieve and thank You for teaching me what it is to smile again. I don’t understand the purpose, but I do understand that I can wait and who knows, perhaps in the waiting, I’ll be repaid in kind.
Thank You any way it goes.
