Lydia Kang's Blog, page 17

A Way to Help in the Face of Tragedy

I'm still in shock from the terrible killings in Newton, Connecticut. The media is on fire with details of the events, some of which are burned into my psyche now. Social media is pouring out discussions on gun control and the state of mental health treatment in our country. And all the while, it's still incomprehensible to me.

With all my heart, I wish I knew with absolute certainty that my family will be safe every time they step out into the world. Only a little while ago, there was a shooting at the Von Maur minutes away from my home. I saw the towers fall on 9/11. No place is truly safe. I know there are no guarantees in life. But to be reminded of this by the slaughter of innocents -- it's too much.

Why, why did this have to happen?

I wish I had answers and solutions.

I can do a little something, as little as it is. And something is better than wallowing in despair.

Shelli Johannes and Miral Sattar have put together an auction to help.

I've donated a query critique and a first-five pages critique. All the proceeds go to benefit Newtown Youth and Family Services.

For details on the Auction, please click here at Publishing Hearts Connecticut. 

In the meantime, love your loved ones. Appreciate every day you have. Even in the face of these unconscionable events, I have hope for this complicated, precious, and sometimes heart-breaking world we live in.

Be brave, and live.

Deja Vu Blogfest: The Wishbone Theory

Hey guys. This blogfest come courtesy of DL Hammons, who puts the AWESOME in RECYCLE. (Did you just go, "Uh, that makes no sense. There is no such word as REAWSOMECYCLE." Well, there is now.)
The purpose of this blogfest is to repost an old post that you think deserve another shot in the spotlight. So here you go! 
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December 1, 2010
After Thanksgiving, we dissected out the wishbone and dutifully gave it to our two eldest kids to snap.
You know the deal. Whoever gets the bigger half is gifted with a wish that will come true. (Which I have other issues with, by the way. I mean, thirty years later, I still can't fly like Superman. What's up with that?)
I digress. Anyway, I steeled myself for comforting the loser. After all, life is about all kinds of losses, right? In the words of large-mouthed English rockers, you can't always get what you want.
Anywho, they gritted their teeth and pulled. And this is what happened:


One of the "arms" got broken after the fact, but in essence, the two sides were equal. I was thrilled. And then I had a wishbone epiphany.
Why would our dream come at the cost of another's?
It shouldn't.
Which brings me back to writing and the machine that is the publishing world. We hear weekly about our writing friends' good fortune. A book sold, an agent snagged, a new novel e-pubbed with the masses downloading quickly in the nanoseconds of a mouse click.
But. This shouldn't take away from our own hopes and aspirations. Because I think the Wishbone Theory sucks.

Our own hopes shouldn't be lessened by the success of others.
Maybe we should have a "Wishbone Chucking" ceremony after Thanksgiving, to toast to hopes and wishes.
All in favor, say, "Chuck away!"

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Thanks for stopping by. It's not every day that a wishbone breaks like that and teaches me a lesson!
Click here for the list of all the blogfest participants.

Angela's Hurricane Sandy Relief

Hey guys. Angela Felsted is doing a very generous thing.


She is going to donate the proceeds made from her new novel, CHASTE, from Dec. 12th - 15th to benefit those who are recovering from Sandy by giving that money to the ELCA. They have local people who can determine where the funds are most needed, and 100% of the money donated to them will go to helping those affected by the hurricane.
Link to their page: https://community.elca.org/HurricaneSandy
She's committing to match the proceeds dollar for dollar up to $1000.
From Angela: "As much as money and manpower is needed now, I'm sure it will continue to be needed then. I have friends going up this weekend to help with cleanup and I'm sad that I cannot go without neglecting my other responsibilities. This is my way of contributing to the cause. Merry Christmas everyone!"
Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=chaste%2C+angela+felsted
Link to B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chaste-angela-felsted/1113843271?ean=9781480210608

Medical Mondays: Cinnamon and the Dangers of the Cinnamon Challenge

Hey guys. I had so much fun writing the wintergreen post last week that I thought I'd blog about a favorite spice of mine, cinnamon. It's one of my favorite candy flavors of all time. Give me some Red Hots or Hot Tamales or cinnamon gum, and I'm a happy girl. Mmmm.

[image error] sourceCinnamon has been around for millennia. It was a sought-after spice that comes from the soft, inner bark of the Cinnamomum species. Most cinnamon found in grocery stores is from Cinammomum Cassia, which originates from China. Ceylon cinnamon, or Cinnamomum Verum ("true cinnamon") can be find in specialty stores and is sweeter, milder, and more aromatic than its stronger, harsher, and less expensive counterpart.

Cassia cinnamon also contains a chemical called coumarin*, which if taken in high quantities can cause liver toxicity. For this reason, Cassia cinnamon importation is banned in Germany.

*coumarin, which is a fragrant, organic compound also found in sweet grass and sweet clover, can be converted to the anticoagulant dicoumarol by certain fungi. It caused the spontaneous bleeding death of cows when they ate moldy sweet clover. Coumarin is also the precursor to making warfarin, or Coumadin, which many people take to prevent their blood from clotting and causing strokes or deep vein thrombosis (DVT or pulmonary embolism). Coumarin smells like freshly cut hay, and is used sometimes in cosmetics. Like the lotion I used yesterday that covered my hands in a rash. YUCK!
[image error] sourceTraditional Medicinal uses of cinnamon (Chinese and Aryuvedic)
helps with nausea, indigestion, menstrual cramps, colds, diabetes, increases energy, circulation(source)

Some interesting cinnamon research:
cinnamon has been shown to kill mosquito larvaeit's been found in some studies to work against HIV and HSV (herpes virus), and found to have general anti-viral propertiesmay inhibit Alzheimer's in micemay prevent colon cancerscinnamon supplements have helped treat type 2 Diabetes in some patients(source)
A few words on the Cinnamon Challenge . It's been making the rounds on YouTube and the internet. Apparently, the challenge is to swallow a spoonful of ground cinnamon in a minute, without water or food. People find the videos entertaining, because within a few seconds, the cinnamon dries out the mouth of the person, and some crazy coughing and spewing of brown cinnamon clouds ensues.

(I wanted to insert a YouTube video of someone doing the Cinnamon Challenge, but every single one has serious profanity, for obvious reasons. So here's a picture instead.) I didn't actually do the challenge. Cinnamon aspiration is NOT on my To-Do list.Maybe it's funny, but there is a serious risk to doing this challenge. Inhaling cinnamon can cause serious inflammation of the lungs, gagging, and can lead to infection. Also, most commercial cinnamon in the U.S. is made of Cassia, which means a tablespoon of ingested cinnamon has moderately toxic levels of coumarin in it.
So yeah, leave this challenge to the YouTube fame-mongers. Please!

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If you've got a fictional medical question, let me know! 

   All I ask is that you become a follower and post a link on your blog when I post your answer. This is for fictional scenarios, only. Please check out the boring but necessary disclaimer on my sidebar. :)

How not to kill a fish

A little over a year ago in September of 2011, my hubs bought me a betaa fish. I named him Finney. He was my first betta, so I asked the pet store person for advice.
"Don't overfeed him! Only one pellet of food a day. And skip a day a week! They can go a long time without food."

She said this rather forcefully. I don't know about you, but when a person speaks with a strong conviction, I tend to second guess myself. I tend to think they are right, and I am wrong.

I'd read up on the internet where several websites said to feed my fish more that that. And yet, there was that voice.

"ONLY ONE PELLET OF FOOD A DAY! AND SKIP A DAY A WEEK!"
So I ignored the internet, fed Finney one teeny, weeny nugget a day, and dutifully skipped Sundays.

Finney's fins started to shrink.  They got stumpy, as if something was mysteriously chomping chunks out of it every week. When I got him, he had lush fins and brilliant iridescent blue scales with a black face. Finney's face turned a dusky gray and the blue became muted and paler.

So one day, after Finney gave me fishy-eye-glare of pathetic hunger, I said, "Eff it, I'm feeding him more. If he's going to die, he'll die with a full stomach." So I put in three nuggets a day. And he didn't die. In fact, his fins started to regenerate and his color came back after only two weeks.

The moral of the story? And what does this have to do with writing? Or life for that matter?

The loudest, most insistent voice isn't always right.

It's not a volume contest, after all.

Bad book reviews come to mind in this scenario. Those can scream pretty loudly! Or maybe it's bad writing advice, or querying advice, or career advice. But if your instinct and other, quieter sources say otherwise, maybe, just maybe you should ignore that loud voice.

Remember this old adage?

Feed a person a fish, you keep them alive for a day. Teach a person to fish, you feed them for the rest of their lives.

Who knew there was something to be learned about feeding the darned fish?


Finnegan the Fish. Doing well. Swimmingly, in fact.

Medical Mondays: Wintergreen Party tricks, Poison, and Ben Gay!

I've been fascinated by wintergreen ever since I read this passage in Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder. 
“Under the snow on the south slopes the bright red berries were ripe among their thick green leaves. Almanzo took off his mittens and pawed away the snow with his bare hands. He found the red clusters and filled his mouth full. The cold berries crunched between his teeth, gushing out their aromatic juice.“Nothing else was ever so good as wintergreen berries dug out of the snow.”Later on, they'd collect the glossy wintergreen leaves and cram them into a jar, filling it with whisky. The liquid would be then be used as wintergreen flavoring, for cakes and cookies. 

Source Wintergreen is the plant  Gaultheria procumbens. You guys know it as a flavoring in candy, gum, chewing tobacco, confections, drinks, and toothpaste and mouthwash. Hello BenGay. (That's why achy people smell like that!)
Historically, it's been used as a topical medicine, to treat joint pain, fevers, headaches, and other symptoms. When the wintergreen oil was rubbed into the skin, it provided an immediate cooling sensation. 
The main ingredient in oil of wintergreen is methyl salicylate. Which I made in high school organic chemistry class! It was so fun. First, you take some methanol (wood alcohol--ooh, I made that in eighth grade. Set it on fire, too!) and add it to crushed aspirin tablets (acetyl salicylic acid) and then add some sulfuric acid. You cook it a while, and then...
Are you with me? Yes? No?
Well, it was fun, I tell you. At the end of it all, you get methyl salicylate. It smelled so good! Want to try? (DON'T do this at home. But DO suggest to your organic chemistry teacher that this be your next lab project when you study esters. Here's the method on making it in orgo class. Esters are THE funnest part of organic chemistry. Almost as fun as making nylon. Try making the Juicy Fruit ester! Isoamyl acetate, I love you. Okay, I'll shut up now.)
Methyl salicylate, like aspirin, can be poisonous in high doses. One single teaspoon (5ml) of methyl salicylate is the equivalent of 23 tablets of aspirin! People, particularly children, have overdosed and died from rubbing too much of a methyl salicylate muscle-pain relief cream into their bodies. 
Other factoids:
Apparently, oil of wintergreen is really useful for rust removal and degreasing machinery. Good to know, sort of.
And, the best of all, wintergreen is triboluminescent, which means it lights up when crushed. Remember this party trick? Take a Wint-o-green Lifesaver, go into the bathroom, turn out the light, and aggressively chew the Lifesaver with your mouth open (messy and not attractive. Good thing the lights are out.) And this is what you'll see: 

Neat, right? 

If you've got a fictional medical question, let me know! Post below or email me at
  All I ask is that you become a follower and post a link on your blog when I post your answer. This is for fictional scenarios, only. Please check out the boring but necessary disclaimer on my sidebar. :)

Photo Shoot Photos! And some advice.

They're here!

So the photo shoot was in September. After tossing out, oh, maybe a thousand of bad shots where I looked either drunk (I wasn't drinking), like the Joker from the first Batman movie (me + Jack Nicholson + makeup = scary), or just plain bizarre (oh god, THAT is what I really look like when I smirk?), I have the leftovers.

Which I'm pretty happy about. So here they are!










Okay, five is enough. That last one, my sister thinks is hilarious because she says I'm channeling a flamenco dancer (not my goal). Mostly, I like it because the field we were shooting in was so pretty! It really was that dreamy-gorgeous.
My author photo will likely be plucked from one of the middle three pictures. 
So what did I learn about doing author photos? (Much of which was given as advice to me in September--thank you!)
Timing. Never aim to do photos during a midwest heat wave (had to reschedule that one). Fall and Spring are great times if you're aiming for outdoors (which is when photographers often get booked, so book ahead.) We also did a late afternoon shoot--the lighting was very forgiving.Bring sturdy shoes in case you have to walk in rough areas (that pretty dell we photographed in? It was steep, rocky, and I had to walk around it in heels. Felt like some dystopian fashion nightmare. I am amazed I didn't break an ankle.)A hair stylist is not a bad idea. I am SO glad someone else did my hair that day. It never looks that good!Makeup. Wow, does the camera wash out color! If I could do it over again, I'd wear a tiny bit more eye makeup and mascara. I thought I caked it on. I was wrong. I did, however, have fun playing with makeup the week before the shoot.Clothes. White tops wash you out if you're in your 30's or older age set and have pale skin. None of my white shirt photos looked good. It's no coincidence that my top three author photo contenders all feature the same, simple dark top. Know what works well for you (particularly as far as necklines go) and stick to it. Bring a few changes of clothes. More than three, and you'll spend a lot of time seeking on-site bathrooms or flashing too many passer-bys in your car. Many photographers will have a limit on how many clothing changes, as it is a time-suck for the actual shoot.Do a combo of big smiles, no smiles, and small smiles. My big smiles looked horrendous--wrinkles and psychotic happiness, check! And my no-smiles made me resemble a murderess. Glad I had plenty to choose from. Sleep well and eat healthily the few days before. Go easy on the salt and stay well hydrated. Diet reasonably. The shoot was surprisingly tiring. I would have officially entered Bilbo Baggins territory if I'd been sleep deprived. Some people like to lose weight before a shoot,  but it's not wise to crash diet or you might resemble a dried mushroom that day. Gradual weight loss is better (and healthier!).Pricing/rights. My photographer was affordable for me and most importantly, she and I own dual rights to all image reproduction. I also got a copy of all the proofs and got a set of thirty edited photos. All are high resolution. Ask if you will have digital (web use) AND print rights (book jackets, promotional material), and how much it will cost. Most photographers will charge a sitting fee (for the actual shoot) but if you forget to ask, you might not realize that the actual image use is extra (sometimes in the hundreds to thousands of dollars per image, and sometimes only for a specified period of time).Don't freak out about the zits. I have one word of balm for this stress: Photoshop. Yay!Phew. I am so glad that is over! Big hugs to Chelsea Donoho Photography for doing such a fabulous job! 
And thank you, my dear readers and Twitter friends, for all your advice back in September! 

Medical Mondays: Argyria and Smurfs, or "Why is that dude BLUE?"

Hey guys! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and thanks again for joining in the Ally Condie MATCHED giveaway. The winner is...J.E. Fritz! *applause*



So today, I thought I'd talk about blue people. No, not the Na'vi, or the Smurfs. But I'm think I know what the secret ingredient in Chef Smurf's delicious cakes were:

Silver. 

So there's this disease called Argyria that is caused by chronic ingestion of silver (or application of silver to the skin) that causes the skin to turn blue. In the past, people who worked in factories with silver compounds or silver dust sometimes had Argyria.

This is from Wikipedia. Sorry for freaking you out on an early Monday morning:

From WikipediaWhy does this happen? Silver is a natural antimicrobial, and has been used for skin salves, eyedrops, and oral medication to treat a variety of ailments besides infections. To this day, silver is often used to impregnate certain objects, like intravenous lines or endotracheal tubes to prevent infections. When too much silver is absorbed by the body (usually chronically ingested or taken) the silver compound reacts with sunlight to cause the bluish hue. This photo-reactivity of silver compounds was the reasons why it was originally used in photography and daguerreotypes. 

Generally, silver is thought to be of low toxicity, but few, rare people have died from chronic over ingestion of silver.

So. In case you were ever interested in looking like the Silver Surfer, be advised that eating your mom's fancy, sterling silver spoons won't really work. At all. 

Also, Smurfs are weird. Just thought I'd say that for the record.


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If you've got a fictional medical question, let me know! Post below or email me at
  All I ask is that you become a follower and post a link on your blog when I post your answer. This is for fictional scenarios, only. Please check out the boring but necessary disclaimer on my sidebar --> Also, don't forget to stop by Laura Diamond's Mental Health Mondays and Sarah Fine's The Strangest Situation for great psychiatric and psychological viewpoints on all things literary. :)

Happy Thanksgiving Ally Condie REACHED Giveaway!!

Hey guys!

So last week I went to my first book signing by a YA author. Ally Condie came by my local indie bookstore, The Bookworm.

Look!


See that book she's holding? It is the third in her Matched trilogy. I'm excited to read it because I hear she did a fantastic job of finishing up the series. At the signing, she talked about how she picked the poems highlighted in each book (All dead white guys! No copyright issues!) and how to become an author (write every day). It was a great signing, and I also got to meet some fantastic book lovers and bookstore people too. :)

So in honor of Thanksgiving, I'm giving away a signed copy for you guys! 
Because I'm thankful for so many writing-related things--for young adult novels, for my writing, for authors, for my writing friends, for bloggers, for my blog readers...for so much!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
The giveaway ends Sunday night, November 25th.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone! 

Author Spotlight: Jessica Bell Interview and Show And Tell in a Nutshell

Click to add me to Goodreads!Hey guys! Jessica Bell is hanging out at my blog today to discuss her new writing book, Show & Tell in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Transitions from Telling to Showing. 

But first...a few interview questions!

When in your writing career did the "show vs tell" nirvana happen?I never truly understood the difference until I’d accomplished it by accident one day, very early on in my career. During the fourth draft of my debut novel actually. My motivation was that I needed to increase the word count in one of my manuscripts. It was 60,000 words and I needed 80,000–100,000 before I could submit it to agents. So I combed through my manuscript, marking scenes I thought I could expand. By the time I’d finished reworking the first scene, the concept clicked. I finally understood what all the fuss was about because I was forced to be more detailed (even though my motive was purely cosmetic!). My writing had become cinematic, it had movement, my characters were three dimensional and I didn’t even have to mention their personality traits because I was showing them. But above all, my writing evoked emotion. This is what successful showing does. It uses the five senses (and sixth) to evoke an emotional response from your reader without telling them how you want them to feel.
What are you working on now, writing wise?I'm working on my third novel, called White Lady. It's set in Melbourne Australia and is about a young woman named Mia who is fighting fat with white ladies. (Yep, I'll leave that to your own interpretation for now! Hint: don't think literally.)
Make us a little jealous of your new hometown, Greece. (what you had for breakfast, a view, etc.)Well, it's not really new. I've been here for eleven years! What did I have for breakfast? Thick Greek yogurt with banana and honey, on my balcony in 20 degree Celcius heat (It's supposed to be winter). I'm six stories high, and today the air was so crisp, and the sun just the right heat to sit in. Bliss. My view isn't too bad either. Though I'm in the center of town, I have mountain views!

Um. Okay. I'm jealous!
And now...about her book!

Have you been told there's a little too much telling in your novel? Want to remedy it? Then this is the book for you!

In Show & Tell in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Transitions from Telling to Showing you will find sixteen real scenes depicting a variety of situations, emotions, and characteristics which clearly demonstrate how to turn telling into showing. Dispersed throughout, and at the back of the book, are blank pages to take notes as you read. A few short writing prompts are also provided.

Not only is this pocket guide an excellent learning tool for aspiring writers, but it is a light, convenient, and easy solution to honing your craft no matter how broad your writing experience. Keep it in the side pocket of your school bag, throw it in your purse, or even carry it around in the pocket of your jeans or jacket, to enhance your skills, keep notes, and jot down story ideas, anywhere, anytime.

If you purchase the e-book, you will be armed with the convenient hyper-linked Contents Page, where you can toggle backward and forward from different scenes with ease. Use your e-reader's highlighting and note-taking tools to keep notes instead.

The author, Jessica Bell, also welcomes questions via email, concerning the content of this book, or about showing vs. telling in general, at showandtellinanutshell@gmail.com

Reviews:

“Jessica Bell addresses one of the most common yet elusive pieces of writing advice—show, don't tell—in a uniquely user-friendly and effective way: by example. By studying the sixteen scenes she converts from “telling” into “showing,” not only will you clearly understand the difference; you will be inspired by her vivid imagery and dialogue to pour through your drafts and do the same.” ~Jenny Baranick, College English Teacher, Author of Missed Periods and Other Grammar Scares

“A practical, no-nonsense resource that will help new and experienced writers alike deal with that dreaded piece of advice: show, don’t tell. I wish Bell’s book had been around when I started writing!” ~Talli Roland, bestselling author

Purchase the paperback:
$4.40 on Amazon US
£3.99 on Amazon UK

Purchase the e-book:
$1.99 on Amazon US
£1.99 on Amazon UK
$1.99 on Kobo

About the Author:
The Australian-native contemporary fiction author and poet, Jessica Bell, also makes a living as an editor and writer for global ELT publishers (English Language Teaching), such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, Macmillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.

She is the Co-Publishing Editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal , and co-hosts the Homeric Writers’ Retreat & Workshop on the Greek Isle of Ithaca, with Chuck Sambuchino of Writer’s Digest.

For more information about Jessica Bell, please visit: 
Website
Blog
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