Kae Cheatham's Blog: Whoa! Another Author?, page 10

Wheeler Book Listed as A Best

Congratulations to Richard S. Wheeler. His newest title, The Richest Hill On Earth, is one of Kirkus Review's Top Fiction Picks for 2011. Read reviews of this title and other Wheeler books on Wheeler's blog.

Poetry Sunday 3

This Isn't a Sierra Club Poem

Civilization scours the plains like the rush
of storms through dry creek beds
and they still shoot Wolf
from planes.
Sanctioned hunts. Government-planned
with Browning rifles
and official badges of statistics
about downed calves.
The natural herds Wolf used to cull
(taking the slow dull weak)
are few. The most prey now--
               the parceled counted pampered.

The Cessna whines like a devil wind, driving
tumbleweed and those with fat tails
toward the mountains. Granite
wears down slowly and resists change.
Wolf runs through shifting sights
eager for stone shadows and brief moments
to drag into lungs dusty air.
It burns with power-plant smog.
Golden eyes smart.

But not just Wolf run ragged.
That hot metal persistent drone of progress
dogs me insistent that I live in somber places
or pass away. I am not a domestic
creature obedient to current command.
I will not become a Lamb of God
a cow of category parceled
and counted into paddocks.
I nip at the edges and flit from quaint obscurity
to bright proof that some rocks won't erode.
They shoot.
                (sanctioned hunts
               Government planned)
I run through shifting light.

© Kae Cheatham

Kindergarten Delinquent

I have changed out my photo on my GoodReads author page to the image you see here. Me--age four--reading a book. I don't know if I was really reading that book (it looks a bit hefty and adult), but I could read at that age. This fact led to my getting kicked out of kindergarten the next year.

Well, I suppose getting kicked out wasn't so much because I could read, but that I was bratty/braggy about it. I read out loud whatever Teacher was writing on the blackboard; recited the alphabet noisily when others were just learning, and more. Too much for Teacher to deal with. The class picture was taken before I was permanently sent home, and in it I am standing in the back next to Teacher, with a sour look on my face. Behind the folds of my plaid skirt, I think she had a firm grip on my wrist--I probably got caught doing something showoffy, and she corralled me to her side for the picture.

My family was pretty upset about no kindergarten; they probably didn't want to deal with me either! They petitioned the school board and, even though my sixth birthday was five months off, they managed to get me into first grade. Pretty cool, considering this was in the 1940s and things like that were Wa-ay out of the norm.

I don't actually recall my snotty little outbursts--those are family lore. What I do remember from my brief stint in kindergarten was lying by a mirror on my mat at nap time and trying to figure out how to see myself with my eyes closed. There was also a story Teacher read aloud to the class, and I never heard the end of it. That bothered me, until I found the book in the library the next summer and read it for myself.

Getting Serious

This is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo); I have participated a few times (completed it once); I won't this year. NaNoWriMo rules say you start with a fresh slate; I'm currently slaving over a Work-In-Progress (WIP) I don't want to put aside. Working title--Dead Heroes.

I intend to complete the many revisions needed on Dead Heroes before the month is out. I'm pushing myself, just as I would if I were going for a NaNoWriMo certificate, and expect the [Kindle] ebook edition to be available by the December 15th.

Poetry Sunday 2

A Lesson From Lizards

An affectionate chameleon
might promise variety,

but after a while
every piece of tail
looks the same.

© Kae Cheatham

Blood Country - Review

I downloaded the electronic edition of Blood Country when I found it as a freebie (a short-lived occurrence) on an e-book site. The printed edition had been published by Walker Publishing Company, Inc. in 1999, and I might have enjoyed the book a bit more if I'd read that version.

Story: Claire Watkins is living in a small Wisconsin town with her daughter, Meg, after her husband's death--an unsolved murder. She works for the county sheriff's department and enjoys small town police work after having been a detective in the Twin Cities. But life changes on two fronts when her elderly neighbor is murdered in his yard; then her daughter admits she saw the man who drove the truck that ran over her father. Claire calls her ex-partner to help her with the new evidence about her husband's murder while she works on solving the small town killing.

Mary Logue is a very good wordsmith; the descriptions and sense of place were well crafted. Character differences made all the people in the story easy to recognize. For me, however, there were too many points of view; some where internal thoughts that could have been better served to come out in dialog with the principal character. Because of this, the story bogged down in many places, and the tension and action didn't live up to the title Blood Country.

Most aggravating were the many errors in the text. It was obvious the e-book layout hadn't been vetted. face most times came out as fece; missing punctuation was jarring as well as sections of dialogue that weren't separated into paragraphs. I find it very disappointing when a publishing company (in this case, Tyrus Books – F+W Media, Inc, Adams Media [all the same, I guess]) sloughs the work of creating a good final product. And they have the nerve to charge more than $7.00 for it! Hopefully, they'll go in and make the corrections--an advantage to e-books that more publishers should utilize.

Understanding Exposure - Review

I purchased Understanding Exposure from a book catalog to which I subscribe. I have a small collection of photography books, mostly information-related, and this seemed like a good one to add to the shelves.

This is Bryan Peterson's Revised Edition, with the subtitle of "How to Shoot Great Photographs with A Film of Digital Camera." I shot film for many decades, and switched to digital just a few years ago; I was ready for some more tips on how to get the best from my pixelated (maybe pixilated :-)) pictures.

The book didn't disappoint. Peterson presents fine examples with well-written text. I also liked that he stressed how to get the picture right when you take it, and not rely on photo-manipulation programs to make corrections. Although some of the information seemed very basic, I appreciated getting the information I already knew (or thought I did) from a new perspective--part of the learning process that I crave.

Recommended for both photographic newbies and experienced shutterbugs.

My Photo Art

Poetry Sunday

Encore

The Flute
does not play
itself
nor choose
the notes.
You
gulled us both
to think it does.


At first your air
was just a subtle
tune
wrapped in chords
of friendship,
good wishes.
When
at last
I heard
the melody
you
were gone.

Play the song
again
and I shall
know it.
Play
the song again
and I
am yours.

© Kae Cheatham

A Day of Treats

The 28th Annual Autumn Art and Craft Show last weekend was full of visitors. It was held at the Civic Center (pic), and for me it's the penultimate show of the season. I feel a bit blue about that. For all the worries and risks (with outdoor shows) and hassles of packing, travel and setup, I get a special oomph from meeting new people. Saturday was no different, with the extra bonus of connecting with people I'd met at other shows.

At the Civic Center, I was treated to unexpected compliments when several people stopped to show friends my work and tell about the art piece of mine they owned. No matter that another purchase didn't immediately follow (I'm so easy). I forced myself not to grin and gave out business cards, which now have information about my online gallery.

The topper was when a woman stopped by who had read both of my science fiction books. On several other occasions she had complimented me and touted the books to friends. This time, she perused the book display, came to me with a frown, and grabbed my arm; shaking it, she said, "I want another Sci Fi! You have to write more about those people!" She was mollified when I told her one was in the works.

The autumn and winter most often increase my creative fiction output, but with even one eager fan waiting, I think I'd better get busy!

The Only Witness - Review

I purchased the electronic edition of Pamela Beason's book after reading an online interview by the author.

Story: A young mother, Brittany Morgan, leaves her sleeping infant in a locked car, only to return a few moments later to find the baby gone. Most of the town thinks Brittany killed little Ivy. Detective Matthew Finn sets out to discover the truth, but evidence to charge Brittany is nonexistent, clues are slim, and there were no witnesses. He expects this will become another Cold Case. Then he hears from Dr. Grace McKenna who claims her charge, Neema, saw what happened. Neema? A gorilla with the mind of a five-year-old and adept at sign language. Could this truly be the breakthrough he needs to solve the case?

When the opening of The Only Witness was told from Neema's point of view, I was concerned there would be too much animal "thought," but that wasn't the case. The action picked up and I was totally caught in the agony of the grieving, beleaguered mother. McKenna's interaction with her sign-language-speaking animals was believable. By the time McKenna decided to tell Detective Finn what she knew, the well-crafted story had me reading straight through to the end.

The end was the only place I felt let down, and I know this is because of my personal preferences. Nearly everything was wrapped up with neat solutions. I won't give spoilers, but for those who like rosy ending where you say, "aww" with a smile; you won't be disappointed.

Recommended.