Kae Cheatham's Blog: Whoa! Another Author?, page 17

Black History Month Author #4

Octavia Butler (1947 - 2006) has been an inspiration for me to try new things, to follow my own path. I'd always hoped to meet her. In 1995 she said, "I'm a 48-year-old writer who can remember being a 10-year-old writer and who expects someday to be an 80-year-old writer...." Unfortunately, that didn't come to be.

Her writing has always been considered "cutting edge". Along with winning Hugo and Nebula awards, she was given a McAurthur Foundation "Genius Grant" in 1995—the first science fiction author to receive this. She was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in June, 2010. Learn more about her at Answers and see her titles here.

Frustrating Moments

Aggravation

My great planning for this season's art shows include offering credit card sales. Last year I discovered a great product for doing so called Square Up: no annual or monthly fee, no start up except to buy the device (less than $80). Just what I needed. The device (a dongle) worked in the audio jack of a laptop, or various sophisticated phones, and, of course, an iPod or iPad. I had none of those.

Now I have a laptop and it whisked over to the Square Up site to get my new merchandising tool. I was surprised and amazed that the site was giving away the device upon sign up. Then all I had to do was download the app. Too good to be true? Yes. The apps available at the site were for iPad, iPod, and android phones. I still have none of those. I floated around the site and information still read that the device worked through audio jacks, but the FAQ states "Keep in mind that while Square may work on an iOS or Android phone or tablet that is not mentioned above, please remember that we cannot provide support for any devices not listed here. We're always looking to expand this list in the future though!"; I also realized Square Up was now being handled by—ta tah—Apple.

I mentioned this to my son in an email and he responded that good ideas are bought up by the bigger players...mostly because they are scared that the other big players will do it. He said, "I bet Apple thought, 'we better buy them before Google does and then development switches to Android first instead of iPhone first like it is now.'" So true. In this case, I don't think it's an actual buy-out, but Apple is certainly controlling how the device is used.

Meanwhile, my free Square is probably in the mail. I've questioned about PC apps through the site support page, but haven't yet heard back. It's an aggravation that this might end up being only an new decoration for a potted plant.

Alarmist Response not Appreciated

Research is high on my list of fun things to do. I flit around the Internet, take notes, order books through IL at my library. On an Internet trip a few days ago I clicked into a site and, Bam!, Firefox immediately closed the page. By the time I blinked, my AntiVirus popped up saying it had blocked an intrusion, and then...A large popup from Microsoft declared (These aren't the exact words, but something close) "Your computer has been infected. All your files are compromised! Click here to get an immediate cleanup."

ka-THUMP goes me ol' ticker, but I didn't click the Microsoft buttons. I ran a full scan with antivirus, and it found no unresolved issues. Yes, there had been attempts, but they were neatly taken care of with the software I had in place. That alarmist response from Microsoft, along with other frustrating things from that company, has me thinking again about changing my OS.

News from Elsewhere

These are some of the tidbits from my other blog,Get It Together Productions.

Here's another innovative use of social networking from TOR: Torchat begins today, 4-5 PM (EST).

This interesting article from Shelf Awareness, gives possible reasons why BORDERS has fallen onto disastrous times. Borders Missteps Go Back 20 Years

Black History Month Author #3

For clarification: the numbers on these posts do not indicate any type of ranking system. Most blogs don't respect posts with the same name, and would probably give numbers anyway. Proof forthwith that this, #3 contains info on two authors. Two authors from antiquity: Lokman and Aesop.

Lokman lived 3000 years ago (1100 B,C,); he was a slave, but his prestige is still highly regarded in Arab countries. One of the best reknown fabulists, many of his stories and proverbs endure today. One of my favorites:

A fly buzzing around full of its own importance finally lit on the horn of a bull and said, "Let me know if I am too heavy for you and I will take myself off."
To which the bull replied,"Who are you? I did not know you came, nor shall I know when you leave."

In volume one of J.A. Rogers World's Great Men of Color, Aesop is said to have lived in the fifth century B.C., and the scant physical descriptions very much match those of Lokman (a coal-black Ethiopian with wooly hair). Some of the fables attributed to Aesop were originally written by Lokman. More is known about Aesop, however, because of the modern era in which he lived, and the profound influence he had on many Western philosophers. Rogers says, "Socrates spent his last days putting his [Aesop's] fables into verse."

Apple of Love

In the 1500s, when Europeans discovered the tomato in South America, they believed it to have aphrodisiac qualities; the fruit was quickly given the French name pomme d'amour; in 16th century literature it was considered the "apple of love."

The word "tomato" is derived from the Mexican word tomatl). In the wild, the tomato is part of the nightshade family of narcotics and mild poisons. Those properties are found mostly in the leaves and stems.

Other fruits have symbolic amorous meanings, deserved or fictionalized.

An orange was a symbol of fecundity and the blossoms were used in ancient times as brides' wreaths.A mulberry was revered in ancient China, while a classical Western legend claims that the berries acquired their red color only after the Babylonian lovers, Pyramus and Thisbe, bled and died under the white-berried mulberry tree. The Pryamus and Thisbe legend is the basis for the story Romeo and Juliet.A pomegranate is a fertility symbol from ancient times, and in the Bible is compared to the joys of winning a lover (King James version Song of Solomon 4:3, 13; 6:11 ).

A book I recently read gave some theories on the meaning of flower colors and types. But times are changing. Ascribing meanings to agricultural items is probably taking a hit in today's cultures. Blackberry, and Apple will need new notations in the lexicons.

Years of Reading #2

Yesterday I completed listing my 2003 and 2004 books-I've-read titles into my GoodReads data bank. While doing so, I've added a lot more authors to my "check at the library" list—auathors whose first book I read, but I can see on Good Reads that they published quite a few more that look interesting.

I also realize I have dozens of books on my at-home bookshelves that aren't on the lists. Most are nonfiction. Some I read decades ago. The prospects of cataloging those doesn't seem as much fun. Probably won't do it.

Avoid Head Hopping

I'm always happy to see articles and comments from other editors/writers about one of my pet peeves—head hopping. Blood Read Pencil gives good info on this all-too-frequent occurrence in today's fiction. Authors, read and heed.

Black History Month Author #2

Zora Neale Hurston (1891 - 1960) is one of my favorite authors. The San Francisco Chronicle once e wrote about her, "One of the best prose writers of this century." I've read most of her works at least twice. One book I have is a 1948 collector's edition of Seraph on the Suwanee. I lucked into that when the indy bookstore I frequented called me that they had the edition someone else had ordered and then didn't want. I got it at cost.

I have her other titles, too, including a volume of short stories. The title of that is Spunk that could be a moniker for Hurston.

More than two dozen works have been written about her, most heralding her as one of the founding voices in the Harlem Renaissance. She is a graduate of Howard University and published her first story in 1921. At various times she was part of the Federal Writing Project, and was also a Guggenheim Fellow (1936-1938).

Much more can be told, but reading her work is the best way to know this great American author.

Hypothermia - Review

On a friend's recommendation, I borrowed Hypothermia by Arnaldur Indriðason from my Public Library. I was hesitant, as it has the word "thriller" on the front cover, and I don't like thrillers. But this had none of the mayhem and ghastly details I have usually found in thrillers. (Thank goodness!)

The reclusive and dogged Inspector Erlendur becomes interested in the reasons why a woman committed suicide. He also begins looking into two cold missing-person cases from thirty years passed--each suspected as suicides--although the bodies were never found. The way his information builds on all three cases is very well told. He is a methodical man and would be quite boring if the stories he pursued weren't so intricate. Add to this the recriminations of his daughter and ex-wife, and his own obsessive brooding over a brother who went missing during a blizzard when they were both boys, and Inspector E. becomes a very complex character.

The novel was well written, and descriptions of the Icelandic weather chilled me. Appropriately so, since the various stories all relate to the title, Hypothermia. I did think that some of the inserted stories from the POV of the suicide victim gave away too much.

Near the end, I felt there were too many ghosts, and too many coincidences. The memories of people interviewed by the inspector seemed way too crisp and convenient for the thirty-year distance from events.

Inspector Erlendur is a series character. I'm not sure if I'll try the other books. Only the subject matter would draw me, since I wasn't really taken with the main character.

Naked Heat – Review

I first became interested in this title after reading a forum thread about the TV series "Castle." Comments were made about the new book release by Richard Castle (the character in the TV show)—book two of the Nikki Heat series. ABC had released some of the early chapters online as a promotional tool. The first book (Heat Wave) by this fictional author was on the NYT Top Ten list for several weeks, and this title was steadily working upward.

I checked the title online and downloaded a sample. (Nathan Fillion, who plays the role of Richard Castle in the TV show is also the face of Richard Castle on the book jackets and online book sites), and ho hO! It was really interesting! I borrowed a copy from my Public Library.

In Naked Heat, homicide detective Nikki Heat is called to a crime scene and finds not only the dead body of the infamous gossip columnist Cassidy Townes, but also the sometimes-ride-along-with-the-cops journalist Jameson Rook. (Rook – Castle -chuckle-). Who dunnuit? The suspects are numerous. Rook, who was writing an article about the dead columnist, officially wangles his way into the investigation and is again riding along with Heat. The story is grim. The delivery is witty and well written. It's easy to stay with the main characters since they're are straight out of the TV show, including interactions that were depicted in the first episode of 2011 (yes, I'm a "Castle" fan). The sub characters are all unique and well developed.

Among the realistic interviews and interactions with the suspects are some fun things: the Castle/Rook bit; a publishing company named Epimetheus, an editor named M. Perkins. There are probably more of these little giggle-squiggles that I missed since I only occasionally read Publisher's Weekly and never read People. Many of the story's suspects are movers and shakers in the entertainment world and might be caricatures of real people.

Whatever, the story moved well, with good insight into all the characters and the workings of a homicide investigation. In an interview on Today Online, Andrew W. Marlow, the writer/creator of the Castle TV series, says "...Where we start is to try and find a compelling story and a compelling crime..." Naked Heat is just that. I will check out the first HEAT book from the library soon, and I do hope there's a third in this series.

And now the real mystery. Who wrote this book?

The front matter of the book lists the copyright to ABC. The cover jacket has a copyright to Hyperion Books. The Acknowledgments....Now here's a clue. The acknowledgments are Richard Castle thanking everyone, including all the TV show characters as if they were real. Lots of other names, too, and I don't know how many were real. One of the real-people names I did recognize was Andrew W. Marlow, the above-named writer/creator of the show; and Castle also gave a special thanks to "co-conspirator" Terry E. Miller. Hmm. Miller is also a screenwriter and is married to Andrew W. Marlow.

Well, this is just circumstantial evidence. Until the perp comes forward and fesses up, it's still an open file.