Barbara G. Tarn's Blog, page 160

Random Friday

Here’s the annual WordPress report! And there’s even the 2011 report at the bottom, in case you’re new and would like to know where I come from! So here you go – see if you’re in it and Happy 2013!   jump to the end of the post for this! And as the snow seems to have stopped, I’m going back to the “old” theme now! (It’s the last edit on this post, I promise!)

Speaking of blog stats (I know, it’s total randomness today, LOL!), December 2012 came third for number of visits, behind January 2011 and May 2011. Let me think, what did I do in those months… January 2011 I published my first title on Smashwords, Jessamine, and I was regularly doing Six Sentence Sunday. May 2011… I don’t know. BoI – Air came out in March and BoI – Fire in June… who knows who stopped by in May and for what reason, LOL! Anyway, thanks to the almost 30.000 views in 3 years – not much compared to other authors or bloggers, but I’m not complaining, LOL!

On another random topic – I had to buy a new graphic tablet for my laptop. The Bamboo tablet worked on the old Desktop, but I discovered it wouldn’t install on Laptop. Techie Bro said maybe it was an old driver (it’s from 2008 – obsolete in technology, I’m afraid! ), so he tried to download a new version from the internet, but it still wouldn’t install.

So I bought a cheap one or I wouldn’t be able to color things with Photoshop. I mean, I tried one, and it was like having a normal mouse instead of a pressure sensitive pen! So far I had done only lettering on Laptop, but when I tried to color a new drawing, I discovered the Bamboo tablet wasn’t actually working. Now this one has a heavier pen, but it seems to work… results will be shown ASAP.

I also bought a new cell phone that is a non-smart phone. Another Nokia where I can put my MP3 mini-card and use it as MP3 reader as well. That’s the only fancy thing it does! Oh, yes, it can go online if I really wanted it to, but no, I don’t want it to. I access e-mail and social networks from Laptop, I don’t need them on the phone. I’ll keep the tri-band Motorola for my trips to the US, of course.

I’ve set my reading goals for 2013 on Goodreads – 65 books, hoping to take down that TBR list/pile a little. Although I know there will be more titles coming out this year and the wishlist will not stay static (well, the printed books might not grow, but the e-books…. whine! I love my Kindle, but it sucks time out of writing! ).

I spent New Year’s eve watching movies (or trying to, I have 2 DVD readers and one get overheated after a couple of hours – read “long Bollywood movies need to be watched in 2 parts or the end would be a pain” – and the other is so cheap it usually reads everything, but not always). I stopped trying re-watching Namastey London and struggled to watch the end of Kabul Express, but then… at least midnight arrived without me falling asleed, LOL! Oh, and I spent it on Facebook, in case you were wondering… I even updated my author status, LOL!

So… HAPPY NEW YEAR and have a great weekend!

EDIT – after Shafali’s comment, I’m trying to copy/paste the “shared” version of the annual report. I didn’t want it to come out on its own, as it would upset my post-count. Here goes:

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 8,400 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 14 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

Writer Wednesday

Happy New Year!

Or, like my friend Laxmi says: “Naya Saal Mubarak ” – thank you Laxmi, you were faster than Shafali this time! New Year Resolution: start learning Hindi, so I won’t bother my Hindi-speaking friends with translation requests anymore, LOL!

Please enjoy the last two posts with Holiday theme because the snow will soon stop to fall on WP blogs – so I’ll go back to the “old” look. The one that sticks 11 months a year, LOL!

So, have you done your New Year Resolutions’ list? Need help? Check Joe Konrath’s resolutions for writers (since 2006, you can see how his resolutions changed through the years) but mostly Dean Wesley Smith’s post on how to keep producing all year long. Either you think it’s NaNoWriMo every month, or you try to follow his advice.

Me? I’m married to Mr Writing and it’s a happy relationship – he always comes first, although I need to cheat on him from time to time to do cover or formatting or hit that “publish” button. Still 70% time dedicated to writing and 30% dedicated to other stuff (mostly publishing-related, but also art-related, LOL).

As for me, I’ve done my schedule for next year. Silvery Earth will see a bunch of Amazon stories, so go grab Jessamine if you haven’t already. It’s free, and will probably always be, as I don’t plan to rewrite it, and will work around it with the new titles. The first will be The Death of Queen Amazonia, founder of the Queendom of Maadre, also known (abroad) as Amazons Country.

Amazons Country – map by Federico Distefano

And before you tell me “Amazons” need a possessive apostrophe, I’m not putting it because the Chicago Manual of Style says it’s not compulsory. http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/CMS … ves06.html

Possessives and Attributives

Q. What is the correct punctuation for an event or location for a group? I have the following examples: delegates’ reception, members’ forum, speakers’ room. Is it correct to always use the apostrophe in this way? Thanks.

A. Always? It’s always correct to form the plural possessive with an apostrophe in that way, but it is not always necessary to use the plural possessive in writing about an event or location for a group. An attributive will often do just as well (VIP lounge), in which case you don’t need the apostrophe.

“country” being a location, I thought I’d drop the apostrophe…

Then Star Minds will see its completion as a trilogy, with added bonuses of short stories that will function as prequels – one of which might actually be FREE as loss leader to the trilogy. It will tell the story of Kol-ian’s arrival and stay on Earth from 1933 to 1982. Next year I hope to tell the story of the next generation (meaning Shan-leo and Dadina grown up – wait and see what Shan-leo decides to do ten years after Star Minds, when he’s 22! ) and something about the previous generation as well.

B.G.Hope will have a few titles out as well, a couple longer (novella-length seems to be her preferred format) and a few more shorts. Barbara Sangiorgio will publish some short stories when I don’t have time to write something new and then Star Minds will come out in Italian as well at the end of the year. So yeah, I’m all set.

I plan on attending the Paris Book Fair, but no idea of the rest. No Worldcon as it’s in Texas, so I’ll wait for Loncon 2014 – hoping to find other authors willing to do a panel with me in the meantime, LOL! Krish Rusch has a post on cathering to fans… except where are my fans? I know, 4998 more to go. Hopefully by 2014 I’ll have them – all of 5000 True Fans. One can dream, right? It’s not a goal, so I won’t be disappointed if it doesn’t happen! It’s nothing I can control – how many fans I have – so I just imagine. Maybe the universe will listen (see Om Shanti Om to understand the reference…)!

I have cleaned the sidebar during December, taking off dead links and not very used blogs. After three years I feel like I’m an old blogger and many of the friends I met during my first year have stopped blogging altogether. Meh. Glad there’s still Joleene, Shafali and Viv – keep blogging, girls! Hopefully I’ll find new blogs to follow this year (I have already a couple in mind, but since I decided to cut on blog-reading to concentrate on (e)books, I try very hard not to add blogs on my sidebar, LOL).

One last thing – WRITERS, stop trying to sell your books to other writers! Especially you, the one-book-wonder marketing to death your only baby. Get back to writing your next book, for Christ’s sake! I’m a writer, and I support indie writers. So if you’re indie, no need to invite me to your giveaway or offer me a free copy of your book. If I want to read it, I’ll pay for my copy. If I don’t want to read it, I won’t enter the giveaway and I won’t read it.

I know, I’m mean, but the past year I got a few of those recommendations or requests, especially on Goodreads (and I’m a Goodreads Author, why would anyone offer me books to review? I review what I read, but I don’t have time to go looking for more books! I’d rather be writing, LOL).

Also, the “like for like” doesn’t sell any book, my dear writer. Don’t “like” my FB page telling me I should like yours. I haven’t sold any books through Facebook, so it’s a useless waste of time. I’ll “like” only authors or friends I genuinely like – and might discontinue my private profile as well. A few friends closed their FB account – can’t blame them, it keeps changing for the worst! The Author page will stay up until I have a real web page for Barbara G.Tarn or maybe Unicorn Productions or who knows. I’ve been procrastinating the web page thing for two years now. Well, maybe in 2013 I’ll make up my mind, who knows!

Oh, and about giveaways – I’ve stopped doing them on this blog and Goodreads because either nobody entered or nobody claimed their prizes. I am now very close to my 1000th post… should I do a giveaway? Anyone interested? If you are, please say so in comments. But then please claim your prizes. If you don’t like fantasy or sci-fi, you can try B.G.Hope’s titles. If you’re not really interested, don’t enter. Thank you!

So, this is Writer Wednesday – that’s all from the writer’s front. Stay tuned for Random Friday and new feature Sunday Surprise. Happy New Year, everybody!

Happiness is…

Star Minds Sunday

In order of appearance the last members of Kol-ian’s team when he sets off to destroy his powerful family in Technological Angel. You can imagine that Cosmopolitan Star Minds issue with three articles featuring the following people.

MYA: My name is Mya Lylestar, from Gweltaz, and I was a Galaxy Police officer until I crossed path with the Falstelo. They were outlaws – mercenaries, smugglers, bounty hunters, hackers, assassins – and I tried to arrest them. I caught Gaurishankar and had an unpleasant meeting with the man who turned him into a were-panther. Then his friends freed Gaurishankar, and came after me and the mad scientist. I was surprised to find Kol-ian on the Falstelo and it didn’t take him long to convince me to be on his side. I’m amazed the rest of his crew couldn’t figure out who he really was until it was too late. Anyway, that’s my story.

C’ELL’ANDY: I’m Kol-ian’s bodyguard. I’ve been protecting him since birth. An accident took the lower part of my body when Kol-ian was six, so I had a prosthetic – a horse body. I’m a cyborg like Maela, and a technological centaur, which might have given Kol-ian the idea to get artificial wings. I lost track of him when he ran away from Marc’harid, but as soon as he was brought back, I was by his side again. My daughter N’ell’onera is the bodyguard of Shan-leo, Kol-ian’s nephew. She is still wholly human, thank C’est’aran.

TYRO: I’m Tyro Megnaghy, doctor, specialist, scientist – of the good kind. I’m from Serenaide and I’ve worked with and for the Sire since I graduated from the Galactic University. They tell me I’m a genius and the Vaurabi wanted me in their mind control program. So my first invention was a mind shield for myself – you don’t move to a planet of telepaths without some kind of mental shield if you want to keep some of your thoughts private. And I tried very hard to keep my soft spot for Kol-ian hidden, although he probably suspected my real feelings. Anyway, I’m the one who gave him his wings. I did my best to repair the damages, but at some point it became impossible for him to keep them. I also disabled Ker-ris mind-controlling device that had gone crazy and was killing him. I’m the doctor and expert they turn to – except when dealing with mind links. I’m not a telepath, and I can’t help them with that.

Star Minds book 1 and 2 are out. Wait for book 3 around next March. Wishing you a wonderful 2013!

Star Minds book 1 – Technological Angel out now on Smashwords, Kindle, Kobo, DriveThruFiction and XinXii.

Star Minds book 2 – Mind Link out now on Smashwords, Kindle, Kobo, DriveThruFiction and XinXii.

Random Friday

I’ll get the movies out of the way first. I found two gread deals (3euro each), so I took a chance. Akeelah and the Bee was already sort of on the to watch list (meaning I had heard of it, mostly because it was shot while I was still attending screenwriting expos and reading screenwriting magazines, LOL) and it’s indeed an uplifting story that brought some tears to my eyes. I still don’t get the spelling frenzy, but whatever, LOL! And Lawrence Fishbourne is always a pleasure to watch, haha. BTW this DVD had even Hindi subtitles among others – of course I can’t read them, but I thought it would be fun to mention. I’ve never seen a Hollywood movie DVD with Hindi subtitles!

The other movie was chosen without even reading the back of the DVD – just because. Yeah, I mentioned the most often used method to chose movies for me is “who’s in it”. Not Da Muse in this case, but gorgeous Cillian Murphy, hehe. I thought “for 3euro I don’t care what it’s about” so I just bought it. It’s a comedy, and it’s fun. The stupid Italian title (not so Italian after all, that’s why I wonder why they change it if they don’t translate it) is “I Heart Movies”, but the original is Watching the Detectives – much better actually. I might have missed some jokes as there were only Italian subtitles on this one, so I turned them off, but I’ll watch it again.

Now, to the reading year! Ta-daan! I read almost 60 titles from short stories to novels and a few non-fiction (+ my own titles, which is quite a lot of reading, LOL). 9 dead-tree books, 6 PDF or ARCs, 5 manuscripts (none got published yet, but I hope they will) and 30+ titles on Kindle. Recommended reading (in no particular order, I picked the ones that had more stars – link is to the Goodreads page).

Away with the Fairies by Vivienne Tuffnell (women’s fiction)

The Other Slipper by Kenechi Udogu (fairy tale revisited)

The Boyfriend by R.Raj Rao (gay literature)

Curio by Cara McKenna (author guest on this blog – romance/erotica)

Still Taking Chances by Roz Lee (author guest on this blog – romance/erotica)

Follow the Dream by Heidi M. Thomas (western/historical)

Jungle Heat by Bonnie Dee (m/m romance/erotica)

Bonded by Michelle Davidson Argyle (author guest on this blog – fairy tale revisited)

Different genres and different “heat” levels, but I like to explore new genres – as long as there’s a good story behind!

Now, for 2013 reading… I still have 14 dead-tree books to read. On my Kindle I have 10 fiction books, 5 classics (includes 16 volumes of 1001 nights downloaded from Project Guttenberg, dunno when I’ll ever get to those, LOL!) and 8 non-fiction (and I’m still reading Kris Rusch’s freelancer’s guide… in bits and pieces between fiction). And then there’s my Smashwords library/wishlist with 40 books (including book 4 of Amaranthine series) with lots of new authors I’d love to try – sigh. I better set my goal on Goodreads on Jan.1st and see if I can do it!

I guess that’s all for this year… the rest of the posts are scheduled, so see you in 2013!

Writer Wednesday

Last Writer Wednesday of the year – I’ll use it to sum up 2012. New Year’s resolutions on Jan.2!

So, last title of the year is up – Mind Link is out now on Smashwords, Kindle, Kobo, DriveThruFiction and XinXii. The Kobo file is a calibre-generated e-pub, so in January I hope to upload a new one. But apparently everybody was uploading like crazy before Dec.21 and the servers couldn’t do the conversion from word.doc to e-pub, so I uploaded the e-pub or would have to send Mind Link to Kobo via Smashwords.

Speaking of which, here are Mark Coker’s predictions for 2013. Personally I hope they manage to simplify a couple of things – mostly the letter for the IRS for anyone needing an ITIN. If I didn’t have Lulu’s letter, I wouldn’t have been able to apply for an ITIN, as Smashwords totally failed to provide me with the said letter – they didn’t even reply to my last e-mail. I gave up on trying to get it from them and in three years’ time, when I’ll need to renew the ITIN request, I’ll write directly to Mark – or maybe I’ll have Amazon’s letter as well, LOL! Here’s to getting that ITIN by next March, in the meantime… and thanks to whoever bought one calendar from Lulu. Not that they’re going to pay me anytime soon (haven’t reached the minimum yet), but this year I doubled whatever I made there since 2009, so I’m not complaining!

To a more expanded calculation of numbers – sales, counted as units sold with a price on (i.e. not counting free downloads – either for sales, review copies, complimentary copies or free titles). This year I counted every unit that brought in some form of payment (usually cents, not dollars, but whatever). As of end of November I had 49 sales on Smashwords, 47 on Kindle and 8 on other retailers. The best seller is Johnny&Marian on Kindle. December started with 9 sales on Kindle and none anywhere else (except the calendar on Lulu) at least until before Christmas.

I’m quite happy with how the year went – I published 20+ new titles (I have now 40 books in My Books folder on my Kindle, but I don’t add the comics to my Kindle, still there’s also the whole of SKYBAND on DriveThruComics that came out this year), and I’m still working on next year’s schedule. Let’s say I kept up with my schedule until June this year, then the second half of the year I improvised and published less prose titles (but then, many were short stories, and as I’m not selling many shorts, I didn’t see the rush to put more shorts out). Next year I’ll try to keep the publishing schedule to the end, but it’s not easy when you don’t know in January which vacations you’ll have and when, LOL!

Anyway, I’m still writing the stories I want, not the ones I think will sell. It’s not an easy balance to find, so again, I’ll point you to a much better post than mine, Kris Rusch’s Where Art Meets Commerce. And please check the comments as well. I’m writing as fast as I can the short stories I want to publish in January, so I can go back to Star Minds and write book 3 – which might end up being a trilogy, because, like Kris, I like to improvise. I outline, but then the story takes me somewhere else entirely, that’s why I never liked querying. It would have meant writing the synopsis when the book was done – and by the time I got a reply I might have changed things anyway. So maybe book 3&4 will be one, but I won’t know until I start writing it, LOL!

Looking forward to working with old and new beta (B-Abby, Kelly, Steph, Chelsea, Camila…) in 2013, and sticking to my favorite editors Cassie McCown, Tricia Kristufek and Katy Soazeva – all wonderful members (the editors, not the betas – at least not all the betas, LOL) of Creative Reviews. Friday is reading year in review… and then last Star Minds Sunday! By the way, in January Sundays will be open again. Either I participate in Six Sentence Sunday again, or I’d love to have guests chatting off. So if you’d like to do a guest post, please contact me so we can decide what to do with it! As long as it has something to do with what I rant… ahem, blog about (movies, books, writing), feel free to shoot me an e-mail, thanks!

Wishing you all a happy end of the year and see you in 2013! Happy writing!

Happiness is…

And you get a video this year as well! Merry Christmas!

Star Minds Sunday

This week you’ll meet two previously secondary characters of Star Minds who slowly earned a spotlight. They entered the story at the end of Technological Angel, but will be more prominent from now on – almost co-protagonists with Kol-ian and his crew.

KER-RIS: I’m Kol-ian’s brother-in-law. I saw him change from brooding teenager to scarred but wonderful young man, and I admire him for his courage. He hurt me on behalf of his family but he also freed me from their mind control.

SHAN-LEO: Uncle Kol-ian is the best! I knew he was our only hope!

KER-RIS: You what? Pardon this ten-year-old chatterbox, my son doesn’t know how to behave properly.

SHAN-LEO: You were supposed to teach me, Father! If you weren’t in that dazed, mind-controlled state for most of my life, you’d have noticed!

KER-RIS: Yeah, well, I’m wide awake now, so stop that! And whose hope was Kol-ian anyway?

SHAN-LEO: I told Grandfather Uwe-yuri you were mind-controlled and he should look for Kol-ian to free you. Pity Gaurishankar killed him, but then Kol-ian freed you anyway.

KER-RIS: Uhm… I’ll let that pass. Stop being so wise, though, I need a son, not a snarky little brother!

SHAN-LEO: *giggle* Yes, Father!

KER-RIS: Ahem… so! I married Lin-sun eleven years ago and had a mind-controlling device injected in my veins on my wedding night. And I loved her. But the Vaurabi were real control freaks – except Kol-ian, of course. I’m glad Shan-leo is more like his uncle than his mother.

SHAN-LEO: Thank you, Father. Glad to have you with me at last!

KER-RIS: You’re welcome. Anyway, our story and our involvement with Kol-ian starts in Technological Angel and continues in Mind Link where you’ll be introduced to a special gift of my family that obviously passed on to my son or he wouldn’t be that smart. Yes, all the Sire are telepaths, but not all the Sire can create mind links. Something wonderful but deadly if used the wrong way – a lesson I shall learn the hard way. Next week you’ll meet the last batch of characters from this series that will take you to 2013 and beyond.

SHAN-LEO: We’re relentless with our author. She must write down our story.

KER-RIS: That’s right. I know on your planet it’s the Holiday Season, so I wish you the best for whatever your religion is.

Ker-ris & Kol-ian by Barb

You can find Ker-ris’s interview on Joleene Naylor’s blog.

Star Minds books 1&2 are now out.

Technological Angel on Smashwords, Kindle, Kobo, DriveThruFiction and XinXii.

Mind Link on Smashwords & Kindle. For more retailers, check back later.

LIMITED TIME SALE: Technological Angel 50%off only on Smashwords and only until Christmas, so hurry! Promotional price: $2.50 Coupon Code: SS94Y  Expires: December 25, 2012. Get both with a great deal!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Random Friday

Bollywood movies for your Christmas escape – 2012 edition! Last year I had suggested Jodhaa Akbar. This year we have an exhibition about Akbar in Rome, and my mum gifted me with the catalog of the exhibition, saying some of those things look better in the catalog (might save me 10euro entrance fee, LOL) and that the catalog mentions also the Bollywood movies about Akbar (I’m seeing now they were also showing Bollywood movies, pity I missed them all because it was until Dec.9). So I jumped to the chapter about Bollywood first – out of curiosity, and found a list or Bollywood movies depicting the emperor, with more in-depths reviews of Mughal-E-Azam (anyone who has seen it, feel free to quip in) and Jodhaa Akbar (or I wouldn’t have mentioned it in this post, LOL!).

They say the movie is historically correct, as the director was helped by various Hindustani universities to rebuilt Akbar’s time and the only creative license is the fact that in the movie it looks like Akbar had only one wife – I took it as “Jodhaa was his first beloved wife but then he married more” (because I read the Wikipedia entry), but whatever! And I still recommend it, if you like historical movies and haven’t seen it – it’s an epic movie with no dance numbers if that’s what irks you Westerner watcher… But it has battles and conflict and it’s a great love story and it has tolerance between religions and… I don’t care if it’s three hours, you won’t even notice, I promise!

Now, to this year’s list. Period pieces The Dirty Picture and Om Shanti Om that are set in old (and new) Bollywood. Both have great songs and, yes, dance numbers, because that’s what Bollywood is about! I’ll throw Luck By Chance in the lot as well – although it’s supposed to be contemporary Bollywood. So if you want to know more about it all, check any of those three. The Dirty Picture has actually a heroine – with a tummy by the end of the movie, so it’s not your usual anorexic beauty (thank you, ). Unfortunately the English subtitles are sometimes missing… see why I need that basic Hindi?

Sci-fi: both Ra.One and Love Story 2050 have things I like and things I hate. I love the songs for both. I don’t like the geeky protagonist in the first (glad he dies almost immediately – he is too stupid to live, LOL! And robotic G-one is better than him, haha) and I HATE the pink, talking teddy bear in the second. Stories are both fine.

Comedies: Dil To Pagal Hai (great music, and great dance numbers by

Sequels I look forward to in 2013 (because I loved the previous one(s) for various reasons):

Dhoom 3 (can’t wait to see Jai Dixit and Ali back in action! And it was shot in Chicago!)

Krrish 2 or 3 (technically 2, but the first one wasn’t called Krrish, so they call it 3 and it’s a trilogy. First one forgettable, but I actually love Krrish, and sure hope Wonder Boy Krishna gets smarter in the sequel, that supposedly explores his darker side – he was too much of an innocent in the first movie, and I think it picked up when he became Krrish, LOL. Aaaand… he’s clean-shaven! No more stubble, yeah!)

Rock on!! 2

Dostana 2 (because the first one was so hilarious and I wonder what else they can do with that couple!)

And after watching Intouchables on DVD (which includes a short documentary on real-life Philippe), I decided to put on the list also Guzaarish after watching the trailer. No, I don’t want to count how many Bollywood DVDs are now on the list, LOL!

Enjoy your movies! I’ll close this with my favorite Agneepath song (not the most obvious, but maybe the best for the upcoming Holiday season?).

One last thing – back in 2007 I ordered a U Star Novel with me and my Muse… I’ve seen they expanded (and have US and AUS sites now) to include paranormal, and even classics, so if you want to gift someone with a classic revisited, that’s the site to go to! Have fun trying the excerpts… and remember it’s romance/erotica – unless you choose a classic revisited, that is! I might try the m/m title some time… I loved the personalized story I bought back in 2007! Have fun and happy Holidays!

Writer Wednesday

Small announcement: B.G. Hope now has her own web page. And Six Months is out on Smashwords, Kindle and Kobo. From now on all her news will be given there and not here – I kicked out the bestseller pseudonym from this blog, LOL! I’m jealous of myself!

About this month’s flavor – Star Minds. I toyed with Cosmopolitan’s widget again, and did the Star Minds issue! Here’s the cover (commissioned art by Phoenixlu that will be used for the omnibus and print versions next year).

Now, if you’d like to read the contents: the main feature you can find both on this blog and on Joleene Naylor’s blog, as we both let Kol-ian speak and tell his story. About the others… the last Star Minds Sunday will give you a glimpse about the other three articles, so stay tuned!

Now I shall point you to Kris Rusch’s post on writing like it’s 2009 – and go through the comments as well. I’m not one of those mid-list indies that makes a living from publishing yet, but it’s a 5 years plan – it might become 10 years like Kris said, and it’s fine with me. As long as I can keep writing and publishing, I’ll be all right!

Doomsayers are saying my Kindle is obsolete or something. Personally, I bought my it last year – Kindle Keyboard, no touch screen, before it was available on Amazon Italia – and it’s still my only e-reader. I like the e-ink and the text-to-speech. And I’m not a fan of i-anything, although I’ll probably have to buy a new phone eventually (I doubt I’ll get the i-phone anyway)… Anyway, link to ebook readers becoming dinosaurs – I’m not an early adapter, quite the contrary, but still… I love my Kindle!

Dean Wesley Smith on goals and dreams again. Be realistic. Make your goals for the new year – I’m already working on my schedule for next year, trying to keep in mind vacations and other life rolls (and darn DayJob, sigh). Goes very well with Kris Rusch’s post – but then, they are married for a reason! I wish they adopted me, as younger sister, LOL!

More links: Writer Beware on avoiding international writing scams. The internet gets you everywhere and Google is your friend. Don’t  fall for any of those. Passive Guy posted a link on monetizing piracy – did I mention I’m not Neil Gaiman, but I have his same attitute towards piracy? Yes, the content of this blog is copyrighted as is all my writing, so what?

You’re writing only to sell books? You’ve chosen the wrong career. Check SPAL’s post on Wasting Your Time Until You Sell a Book? (Aka. Making a Living at Your Writing isn’t all a Bed of Roses). And like Scott William Carter says, WIBBOW (read Kris’s post for explanation) – see, SPAL is saying the same thing about blogging, social networking etc.

Also, a guest on Joe Konrath’s blog – haven’t read the book, but might be worth checking… Now, back to writing! Have a great week!