Sally Ember's Blog, page 58

Preorders @50% for #ebook This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, Volume III of The Spanners Series

#Preorders @ 50%, $1.99, for 11/1/15—-12-7/15 on #Smashwords, #Kobo, #iBooks and #nook as well as #Amazon is Sally Ember, Ed.D.’s third #scifi/ #romance/ #paranormal #ebook, This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, Volume III of The Spanners Series, which releases 12/08/15 @$3.99.

Getting 4- and 5-Star #reviews in pre-pub: see snippets from reviews, below and links to reviews on http://www.sallyember.com (look right; scroll down).

Volume III, This Is /Is Not The Way I Want Things to Change

Pre-order and Purchase LINKS HERE

SMASHWORDS (all ebook formats): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/588331

AND

AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0177Z1KRM

Clara, Moran, Espe, Epifanio and the alien Band of holos are back in This Is/Is Not The Way I Want Things to Change of The Spanners Series. The Psi-Defiers launch increasingly violent protests during this five-year Transition, attempting to block Earth’s membership into the Many Worlds Collective. To join, Earth’s nations and borders must dissolve and the Psi-Warriors must prevail in their battles against the rebels.

Clara, continuing as Earth’s first Chief Communicator, also juggles family conflicts and danger while managing and being one of the instructors of the psi skills training Campuses to help Earth through the Psi Wars. Clara timults alternate versions of their futures as the leaders’ duties and consciences force them each to make difficult choices across multiple timelines while continuing to train and fight.

Will the Psi-Warriors’ and other leaders’ increasing psi skills, interspecies collaborations and budding alien alliances be enough for Earth to make it through The Transition intact? If there is no clear path for Clara’s and Epifanio’s love, does she partner with Steve or go it alone?

What do you do with wanted/unwanted changes?

Volume III Book Trailer

REVIEWS of Volume III:

“Because this reads like documentation of actual events, I came away from it feeling like my own little life is petty and trivial and a waste of ‘time.’ Like, I’m not part of The Movement and I ought to run right out and start a victory garden or a recycling program or find an ESP trainer and get started learning how to TK or….

“The entire series is such an astounding creation it amazes me that it’s the production of just one person.”

—Devorah “Dee” Fox, Dee-Scoveries, fantasy/thriller author, journalist, columnist, 9/25/15

http://devorahfox.com

ALSO: Volumes I, II and III are soon available in both PRINT and ebooks versions by 12/8/15!

This Changes Everything, Volume I, The Spanners Series, is Permafree in ebook format and $POD

Volume I, This Changes Everything

PERMAFREE ebook LINKS HERE:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HFELTG8   

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/376197

Dr. Clara Ackerman Branon, 58, begins having secret visits from holographic representations of beings from the Many Worlds Collective, a consortium of planet and star systems in the multiverse. When Earth is invited to join the consortium, the secret visits are made public. Now Earthers must adjust their beliefs and ideas about life, religion, culture, identity and everything they think and are. Clara is selected to be the liaison between Earth and the Many Worlds Collective and she chooses Esperanza Enlaces to be the Media Contact. They team up to provide information to stave off riots and uncertainty. The Many Worlds Collective holos: train Clara and the Psi-Warriors for the Psi Wars with the rebelling Psi-Defiers; communicate effectively with many species on Earth and off-planet; eliminate ordinary, elected governments and political boundaries; convene a new group of Global Leaders; and, help Clara deal with her family’s and friends’ reactions. 

In what multiple timelines of the ever-expanding multiverse do Clara and her long-time love, Epifanio Dang, get to be together and which leave Clara alone and lonely as the leader of Earth? This Changes Everything spans the 30-year story of Clara’s term as Earth’s first Chief Communicator, continuing in nine more Volumes of The Spanners Series.

Are you ready for the changes?

REVIEWS for Volume I:

“[This Changes Everything] is highly-imaginative, but for so many different reasons, and outside of the normal scope. There are times when I felt that I was reading an actual research report of true to life events. Honestly, I’m sitting at my laptop, questioning if Clara has provided this work to Ember, or if the two are one in the same. The experience is mind-altering, and would challenge readers to think beyond the bubble that we live in. I would surely recommend This Changes Everything to anyone that enjoys a a well-written and researched Sci-Fi series. I will point out that it pushes the envelope, and toys with one’s perception. Well done! 5 Stars.”

–Janice G. Ross, author, 11/11/13

http://jgrwriter.wordpress.com/2013/11/11/review-this-changes-everything-by-sally-ember-3/

“This Changes Everything by Sally Ember is a well-written, complex work that is going to add a strong title to a genre that can sometimes become bogged down with the same old, same old. This Changes Everything is a book that I am very happy to have had the chance to read and I would recommend it to any sci-fi/fantasy fan.”

–Zach Tyo, Indie Reviews, 10/4/13

http://indiebookreviewer.blogspot.com/

“You have created your characters very well. I feel for Clara, I imagine her alienating a lot of people because her enthusiasm and drive and ability to push herself makes her someone who doesn’t suffer fools gladly. I would have liked more of the reporter’s life and I didn’t like Epifanio at all. He sounded arrogant and selfish. I loved that the aliens were chosen by lottery. You had so many good touches like that, which made the book a continuing surprise. I…have to say it is one of the most challenging, exciting and original books I’ve read.”

–(Mary) Josephine O’Brien, author, Sharing Skies, 9/14/13

“You have written a wonderfully imaginative and original story with plenty of twists and turns. I really like your multiuniverse setting with different timelines and the concept of the ‘Many Worlds Collective.'”

–Sophekles, author, The Serotonin Transfer, 10/8/13

“I love your sense of humor. I literally laughed out loud when Clara said that she had given him the name ‘Led.’ I also like that this is an alien story where the aliens are helping, rather than trying to take over the world. It’s a refreshing angle.”

–S.M. Koz, author, Pangalax, 9/4/13

[after reading 1st 20 pages only] “…In a lot of ways I’m at a loss to critique this because it’s quite different than what I’m used to encountering. It’s a more immediate version of Stranger in Strange Land by Heinlein. Now, what I say next is strictly speaking off the cuff at 11 PM after a couple of rum and cokes, but as it stands I’d probably rate this either three or four stars, depending on how it develops. Once I got into the ideas behind it all, I found it personally fascinating. I’m not sure how that would translate to a broader readership, but it’s nifty stuff. I like alternate timelines and the like…”

–Alexander Crommich, reviewer @ Crommich Industries

“The writing is complex and done extremely well….There were times when I almost forgot I was reading a work of fiction and not a news account of real events, and I would consider that to be skilled writing indeed….[D]id I enjoy more of it than not? Yes. Four stars. Did I like the overall content? Most of the time. Three stars. Was the writing of good quality? Oh, definitely yes. Five stars. My overall rating: four of five stars.”

–Lynda Dietz, Easy Reader

ilovetoreadyourbooks.blogspot.com, 11/4/13

Volume II, This Changes My Family and My Life Forever, is $3.99 for ebooks and $POD.

Volume II: This Changes My Family and My Life Forever [released 6/9/14, Smashwords, Amazon and elsewhere]

Ebook LINKS HERE:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KU5Q7KC

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/424969  

Intrigued by multiple timelines, aliens, psi skills, multiverse romances and planetary changes? Clara and the alien Band of holos are back. As Earth’s first Chief Communicator, Clara leads the way for interspecies communication on- and off-planet and for figuring out how to deal with simultaneous time and multiple timelines in the ever-changing multiverse.

Fighting to support these changes are the Psi-Warriors, led by its reluctant leader, Chief OverSeer Rabbi Moran Ackerman, against the Psi-Defiers, led by one of the oldest friends of the Chief. Moran reveals his struggles and successes with his Excellent Skills Program training experiences on the new Campus and at home.

Stories in This Changes My Family and My Life Forever come from younger Spanners as well as Clara via “Snapshots” of her earlier life with anecdotes from Epifanio Dang, her on/off lover, and Esperanza Enlaces, Earth’s Chief Media Contact, and others about the first five years of The Transition.

What would you do with the changes?

REVIEWS for Volume II:

5 Stars for This Changes My Family and My Life Forever, Volume II, The Spanners Series

“One thing I like very much about The Spanners Series is the message that we can all live together in peace, learn from each other, be there for each other. All differences (religious, racial, gender, and even between species and inhabitants of other planets) are overcome. I mean, how cool would that be to be able to communicate with animals – and not in a jokey, Eddie Murphy-Dr. Dolittle-kind of way, but accept them and their needs / interests as equal to humans? And those people who resist change (yes, there will always be those, even if it is clear that the change is for the better) will not be eliminated, but gently persuaded to recognise what is best for them.”

–Peggy Farooqi, The Pegster Reads, 5/31/14

http://thepegsterreads.blogspot.co.uk

About the Author

Sally Ember, Ed.D., has been passionate about writing since she was nine years old. She’s won prizes for her poetry, stories, songs and plays. She began meditating (right after The Beatles) in 1972.

Now, Sally delights fans of paranormal and romance by blurring the lines between fact and fiction in a multiverse of multiple timelines, often including exciting elements of utopian, multiverse, science fiction and Buddhism. Her sci-fi /romance/ speculative fiction/ paranormal ebooks for New Adult/adult/YA audiences, The Spanners Series, are unique, exciting, thought-provoking and amusing.

Visit her Youtube Channel for book trailers, author readings, and a live Q & A with Sally plus more: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqnZuobf0YTCiP6silDDL2w

Born Jewish on the cusp of Leo and Virgo, Sally’s life has been infused with change. She is a long-time Buddhist meditator who writes, swims, reads and hosts her Google+ Hangout On Air (HOA) CHANGES conversations with authors, LIVE almost every Wednesday (but on hiatus for November & December, 2015), 10 – 11 AM Eastern time, USA. Join in the fun by commenting and asking questions during the live show on G+ or Youtube, or visit archived CHANGES shows: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPbfKicwk4dFdeVSAY1tfhtjaEY_clmfq

If you are an author or know one, learn more about and get yourself scheduled on or recommend someone as a CHANGES guest: http://sallyember.com/changes-videocasts-by-sally-ember-ed-d / 

Sally blogs regularly on wide-ranging topics and includes reviews, interviews, guest blog posts, and excerpts from her ebooks. Visit and comment, follow, “like,” and share! http://www.sallyember.com/blog

In her “other” professional life, Sally has worked as an educator and upper-level, nonprofit manager in colleges, universities and private nonprofits for over thirty-five years in New England (every state), New Mexico and the San Francisco Bay Area before returning to live in St. Louis, MO, in August, 2014. Sally has a BA in Elementary Education, a Master’s (M.Ed.) and a doctorate in education (Ed.D.).

Interacting With and Finding Sally Online

Please write a review and give Volumes I and II and then this one, III, a rating on SMASHWORDS, iBooks, Kobo, nook, Amazon, whatever retailer you use for ebooks, as well as many other sites that bring readers to this book: Library Thing, Wattpad, Indiebooks, Goodreads, Booklikes, Shelfari, and her blog, http://www.sallyember.com/blog. Help bring people to The Spanners Series via any other website that invites readers to post comments and reviews of Sci-Fi novels, especially if you LOVE it!

Thank you for reading and considering the implications of The Spanners Series. Talk it up! Tweet! Post! Write to Sally! Blog your opinions and responses!

Sally wants her readers to know: ‘”I change my books based on readers’ suggestions! Also, I would be delighted to visit your Book Club or class if you are using one or more of the books in The Spanners Series. Ask me to co-develop curricula, projects and activities for your group/class members!”

You will want to visit on Facebook, where she is known as “Sally Sue Fleischmann Ember,” and has a Spanners Series page: https://www.facebook.com/TheSpannersSeriesbySallyEmber

or her website to find out when the next Volumes will be available.

She is also very active on Google+ as “Sally Sue Ember” and on her Spanners Series page: https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/115730970500394047116/115730970500394047116/about

Follow Sally on Twitter @sallyemberedd and please Tweet about this book and The Spanners Series!

For photos, images, music, bios and other memes relevant to Sally as an author and directly to The Spanners Series, please visit her boards on Pinterest: “The Spanners Series includes…”; “Inspirations for the Earth locations in The Spanners Series“; “Music of The Spanners Series“; “Space Shots I like”; “Books that changed my life”; “TV shows and movies I actually like”; “Writers I Love”;”Resonating Pins” (from others’ boards); “Blog Posts”; CHANGES Episodes; and, “Flora and Fauna that amaze me.” She also puts up promos for her own and other authors’ books on occasion via “Book Billboards ” and other sites favoring Indie Authors. Please follow her Boards on http://www.pinterest.com/sallyember.

News and Other Information

Sally is experimenting with CROWDCREATING sections or upcoming Volumes VIII (for and seeking youth and New Adults) and IX (for and seeking adults) of The Spanners Series. If you’d like to participate by making story or character suggestions, writing a portion or an entire chapter, or collaborating in other ways, please email sallyember at yahoo or ssfember at gmail and tell her a little about what Volume or portion you’d like to help create! Put “CROWDCREATOR” in the subject line.

Must contact Sally by January 1, 2017, for Volume VIII and July 1, 2017, for Volume IX to be considered for inclusion in the CROWDCREATION.

Sally is also running a CROWDFUNDING campaign to get her ebooks into print, improve the audio quality of her talk show, fund the next books covers and cover other expenses on Patreon. Donate $4 or more and get Rewards: a free ebook, discounts on her editing/proofreading/writing tutoring services and more: http://www.patreon.com/sallyember

The Spanners Series‘ covers and logo #art by WillowRaven: willowraven-illustration.blogspot.com

All published by

Filed under: Indie or Self-Publishing, Marketing, Reviews, Science Fiction and Fantasy, The Spanners, This Changes Everything, This Changes My Family and My Life Forever, This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, Timult Books, Volume I of The Spanners, Volume II of The Spanners, Volume III Tagged: aliens, Buddhist, Clara Branon, ebooks, Epifanio Dang, free, half-price, Jewish, multiverse, new release, pre-orders, print books, Print-On-Demand, Psi, romance, Sally Ember, science fiction, The Spanners Series, This Changes Everything, This Changes My Family and My Life Forever, This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, Timult Books, utopian, Volume I, Volume II, Volume III

“The Friday TV Report” 5 from Sally Ember, Ed.D., and her mom

“The Friday TV Report” 5 from Sally Ember, Ed.D., and her mom

Every week or two for 2015-2016, or when there are new shows or returning shows’ first episodes, I (Sally) plan to update this with our opinions. Check on Fridays! This is the fifth post, for two weeks ending 10/30/15.

BACKGROUND

My mom, 83, and I (61) are probably not the “target demographic” for almost any show on television or any movie being produced currently. We live in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, USA (Midwest, for those of you unfamiliar: think of that huge “Gateway Arch”? That’s here). I grew up here but then didn’t live here for 42 years; I’ve been back for about one year, now. We were both raised Jewish, but I have been a meditator since 1972 and a practicing Buddhist since 1996. We are both Caucasian women-born-women. We are considered “middle class” although we have almost zero dollars of “disposable income.” My mom is hetero; I am bisexual. We are both partly disabled. I am highly educated (doctoral degree plus other training); my mom has extensive work-experience, with a high school diploma.

My mom has been a TV watcher for over 60 years. I watched a lot as a kid, but from about 1972 – 2002, I didn’t have a TV and hardly watched it elsewhere, either. I usually didn’t have a TV between 2005 – 2014 as well, but I watched some shows online (Hulu, usually) or Netflix.

We think we should be part of a group that at least some producers are aiming to please, because we (especially Mom) now watch a lot of television. We also get movies regularly from DVD borrowing through our local library. We even occasionally go to a theatre to see a movie. We eagerly await the “new season” of television every one of the four times it seems to occur every year: “Fall Sweeps” happen, but so do Mid-season Sweeps, Mid-year New Seasons, and channels with an entirely different set of “seasons.”

However, we are consistently disappointed that many shows we do like are cancelled and some shows we despise seem to go on forever.

Yet, here we are once again (“hope springs eternal”), beginning with the so-called “Fall Sweeps” for the major network channels and a few others, with new episodes (and sometimes characters, sets, directors, producers, plot lines, actors) for those shows that survived last year’s axes and the ever-present Pilots for new shows, bright and shiny with all their best bells and whistles. I plan to continue through the year with this Report.

image from http://www.tophdgallery.com

We don’t watch: most “sit-coms,” any zombies or vampires, reality shows (except one on BBC), extremely violent shows, premium channels (HBO, Showtime, Starz), “teen” shows.

We often like shows on TNT and USA cable channels, but this is not the start of their “season.” We liked Hindsight on VH1, but it was cancelled after one season. We watch Chasing Life on ABC Family, but that’s the only show we watch from that channel. We both loved The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and my mom plans to give Trevor Noah a try (I might), but we don’t watch other Comedy Central shows. My mom watches several news shows, including Rachel Maddow, Hardball with Chris Matthews, and others, but I do not.

Fall TV, 2015

Our planned evening viewing line-up for shows (updated frequently) is as follows, sort of in calendar order, BUT, those I’ve already reviewed get “bumped” to the bottom of this post.

Scroll down if you don’t see a show “on top” that you want to read my review of.

NOTE: Our viewing “schedule” includes a lot of recording-and-watching-later, due to simultaneous broadcasts and my early bedtime.

**usually only Mom watches

*usually only I watch

NEW SHOWS

Week ending 10/30/15

Supergirl

So, we have Melissa Benoist from Glee, Jeremy Jordan from Smash, Calista Flockhart from Ally McBeal and Brothers and Sisters, Laura Benanti from Nashville, and who knows who else on this show who can SING: when do they, please?

image from http://smj12.com

Wishes for singing aside, my mom and I both liked the pilot enough to keep watching, but there was TOO MUCH FIGHTING. That is SO BORING (thank goodness for fast-forward), even though we liked seeing Owain Yeoman from The Mentalist out of his “good-guy” guise and all villained out.

How adorable to have Dean Cain, who played Clark Kent/Superman on Lois & Clark, as Supergirl’s adoptive father. Also totally fun to see an African-American Jimmy (James) Olsen, played superbly by Mehcad Brooks, whom we liked a lot in a very different role on Necessary Roughness.

Keeping

*Wicked City

Ed Westick (known to me from Gossip Girl), plays the bad guy on this show and also a complicated, screwed up kid/young adult on GG very well. He creeps me out easily, but that is not the reason I watch TV.

I guess I should have researched this better because after the first 5 minutes, I shut it off, erased the recording and the entire series from our DVR. Not interested in gratuitous violence against women or unloving sex acts in cars.

GONE FOREVER and good riddance.

*Chicago Med

*Angel from Hell

The Catch

**Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders

The Family

The Frankenstein Code

Game of Silence

*Heartbreaker

*Shades of Blue

*Superstore

*You, Me and the End of the World

Childhood’s End

The Expanse

The X-Files

RETURNING SHOWS (tried and liked, up until now… Won’t comment on them all, but a few are worth mentioning.)

Stitchers

The new season hasn’t started, yet, but my mom and I found Stitchers last year late into the season, so we’re very glad we have the DVR set to record re-runs. ABC-Family is showing last season’s Episodes (some of them, anyway) in preparation for the mid-season return of this great show.

Because it’s on ABC-Family, all the violence is low-key and mostly off-camera (yeah!), while the characters and plot are much better than on “adult” stations.

Take a hint, “adult” stations: this is what TV should be like!

Keeping and excited to have it return with new Episodes in November.

Elementary

The Librarians

Major Crimes

BBC

*Downton Abbey

*Call the Midwife

New Tricks

*Sherlock

“Mid-Season” Returners

Galavant

Marvel’s Agent Carter

Person of Interest

Unforgettable

From Previous Weeks’ Reports

The Great British Bake Off

It’s on again with new contestants and it’s excellent! This is only reality show we watch because the baking concoctions and watching the bakers create them are fascinating, always unusual and new to us, informationally. Many funny moments, but not at any baker’s expense, usually, which we like.

Plus, none of the competitors is actually a professional baker: a student; one makes satellites; a retired teacher; one also paints. So interesting that these individuals chose to compete in this way.

RECOMMENDED HIGHLY. Wish we could taste the entries!

**The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

I am not a fan of this format, regardless of who is doing the hosting. I was a huge fan of The Colbert Report, so I gave his new show a try…several tries.

I do not like this show and won’t watch most episodes.

Mom is becoming a faithful viewer. She likes The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon as well.

image from http://www.greenvilleonline.com

Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris

We didn’t really know what this show was about, but we both adore Neil Patrick Harris from his awards-shows’ hosting (but neither of us watched How I Met Your Mother). We couldn’t even get through the intros because we thought this show’s premise and tone were so bad.

Removed this from our recording list. DO NOT LIKE.

*Life in Pieces

I appreciated the cast (especially Colin Hanks, James Brolin, Dianne Weist) and a few of the jokes, but if the pilot episode is supposedly the best of the best and it’s all downhill from here, this show won’t last 4 Episodes. I probably won’t watch again. It just was not that interesting.

Side note: more than a few many sexual references and anatomically correct labels were applied to genitalia (and not applied) in fewer than 23 minutes. How necessary was that?

Removed this from our recording list.NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

Blindspot

Very unnecessary gratuitious violence and nudity in the opening scenes: trigger warnings for sexual and child-abuse violence as well. I say “unnecessary” because the opening scene for getting a message to the FBI Agent could have happened ANYWHERE. He didn’t even have to be on duty to get a message, right? So, right away, my mom and I are not liking this show’s choices.

Second, it’s unnecessarily confusing, which seems to be what passes for art and mystery these days in both TV and film scripts. Guess what, writers and directors: making the scene so dark the audience can’t see what’s going on, making the audio so muddy no one can understand what’s being said or overlaying the music so loudly the dialogue gets lost is not “cinema verite.” It’s “cinema awful.”

Third: how about dispensing all together with the growing popularity of conveying important information to the audience by attempting to put a text message to a character on screen? Between the terribly small text sizes, poor resolution on the cell phones’ screens and bad camera angles, WE CAN’T READ THE MESSAGES! Duh!

Fourth, the story for this pilot was also extremely cliched and not very interesting, except for the sub-plot (which should have been the main plot, given the hype for this show) regarding the identity of this amnesiac protagonist. We find her interesting. The crimes she’s supposed to help solve: not so much.

We may keep watching, but we bet we won’t like it much and we also bet it’s cancelled soon.

Minority Report

We both saw the original film that this TV series’ story is supposedly continuing, but if you haven’t, go read about it. Otherwise, you will be hopelessly confused.

The storyline of this show is suspiciously like The Listener, The Mentalist, Forever, and so many other crime dramas in which the crime-solvers get to collaborate (inadvertently and/or reluctantly, to start) with a non-law-enforcement character who has special “powers” or access to information, like in The Blacklist. Blindspot is actually in this “plot family” as well. We usually like those types of shows, but now that there have been so many, what new twists can there actually be?

Complaint: why, in this fascinating look into a not-so-distant future, are the tech aspects all new-ish but the crimes are not? Why is advertising so annoying and pervasive? Can’t ayone envision anything about a future that isn’t awful?

We’ll probably keep watching, but we also bet this one is cancelled. AND it is CANCELLED after 10 Episodes.

Rosewood

Refreshingly NOT CAUCASIAN, not all heterosexual (but not “camp,” either), not too serious version of “non-cop with special abilities working with police” dramedy.

Strange casting for Anthony Michael Hall as grumpy detective, great to see him, again. Liked Lorraine Toussaint in her somewhat minor but obviously recurring role. Liked the main character and his sister’s banter a lot.

Definitely keeping this one.

The Player

There is not one likable character still alive after the Pilot show ends. Spoiler: that character dies in the first 10 minutes, anyway. The premise is awful, the characters are worse. If you’re into high-tech and rich-people conspiracy fantasies along with a lot of violence, chases and meaningless macho posturing, you’ll love this show.

We liked seeing Wesley Snipes, until we saw what he was being/doing.

HATED IT. Off our list AND CANCELLED after 9 Episodes.

Quantico

My mom and I liked Quantico for the first half or so. Then, it devolved, as so many do, into chases and violence and not much (else?) to commend it.

The premise was supposed to be that this is a show about a new cohort of recruits at the FBI federal training academy (Quantico) in the USA. Why didn’t they stick with that? Why did they think they needed a terrorist bombing/ “moles”/ multiple deceptions-based plot?

We know it’s an FBI show and we did expect some of the above. But, really, when more than a few minutes of every show is devoted to pursuit chases and macho posturing/inappropriate blame and shaming, we look at each other and say: “Not enough plot, eh?”

We’ll probably watch one or two more episodes, but we bet it’s cancelled.

*Heroes Reborn

Dear Mr. Kring:

What happened to you? Heroes was somewhat vile and bloody (who can forget what a despicable character Zachary Quinto portrayed? So glad he redeemed himself by playing a young Spock in Star Trek films right after that), but at least it had interesting characters, a set of authentic storylines and more than a few minutes in each episode free of violence.

You are a very disturbed person. From the last few shows I’ve watched that you produced and created, I conclude that you unfortunately seem to enjoy a lot of violence, perhaps because you endured bullying yourself, and generally appear to view humans from a dark and deadly perspective. This newest show is the worst (or best) example of your dysfunctions to date.

I thought I could stomach it because I like the “Evos” premise; people with special powers are an interest of mine. But, I cannot.

I watched the entire two-hour blood-fest with increasing boredom mixed with disgust. Is it really necessary to kill people every five minutes or so for an entire two hours in order to generate “excitement”?

Try having a comprehensible story line that doesn’t include putting humans into video games. That segment is a 1980’s snoozefest. Ever heard of Tron?

I feel very sorry for you and everyone close to you. Get some therapy.

OFF MY LIST. WILL NOT WATCH.

Blood and Oil

We couldn’t even finish watching the pilot episode of this, it was that bad. Boring, predictable, with stock characters and situations, too much violence and not enough of anyone or anything we could possibly care about, except the great scenery.

Huge waste of Chace Crawford, Don Johnson, and Scott Michael Foster (these are the ones we recognized) and all the other cast and crew. In fact, why is Scott Michael Foster playing almost exactly the same role he already played (and was killed off in, apparently to take this role) in Chasing Life? At least in that plot his character had a somewhat legitimate excuse for acting like a spoiled, selfish, drunken lout of an heir to the fortune and political status of his father: brain tumor.

What is this character’s excuse on Blood & Oil? Terminal boredom?

We can relate to that. I actually went back to finish the episode on my own: totally not worthwhile.

Off our list for good AND CANCELLED after 10 Episodes.

**The Daily Show with Trevor Noah

We turned this on with great trepidation, having both been big fans of Jon Stewart‘s show and of him and having already been disappointed at Stephen Colbert‘s new show, but we were very pleasantly surprised by the opener. The same great writing, an endearing host in Trevor, and the same tropes, music, and stories we have come to like and appreciate from The Daily Show were all there.

Neither of us is a fan of Kevin Hart and we couldn’t understand how he rated the honor of being the first guest, but otherwise, good show and we’re hooked.

Plan to keep this one.

*The Grinder

Kind of sweet, very silly and improbable. Good cast, acceptable writing.

May continue watching just for seeing Rob Lowe’s and Fred Savage’s characters as unlikely siblings (who supposedly wear the same size suits???), sons of William DeVane’s character.

My mom doesn’t usually watch sit coms, but she is going to watch the pilot to see if she can stand it.

Not sure about this one.

**The Muppets

My mom watched a few minutes of the first show and said: “NOPE.”

Off her list. Never on mine.

*Code Black

This show was so bad I had to fast-forward through most of it. Whose idea is it to have such detailed procedural medical dramas with almost no cast/character information and almost no dialogue except for “pass the scalpel” type announcements? I guess if I had known what “Code Black” meant before watching it, I could have saved myself the trouble (BTW: it means that the ER is overloaded and always in crisis mode).

There was literally no one I could care about in this entire episode.

Even Marcia Gay Harden can’t save this bomb. Too bad Kevin Dunn also had almost nothing to say or do, either.

I also spent the entire show thinking that Bonnie Sommerville was Kellie Martin. LOL

OFF MY LIST

*Grandfathered

This was so horrible I could only watch about 15 minutes.

OFF MY LIST

*Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Not sure about this.

Love that it’s a musical-comedy/magical realism. The “This is the Sexy Getting-Ready Song” was hilarious and on-the-mark.

Very talented, feminist-oriented writers and cast, but the original premise (Rebecca Bunch [how is this a “Jewish” family name?], a mid-twenties attorney, played by Rachel Bloom, is so personally unhappy that she has a kind of mental breakdown, leaving her lucrative junior partnership offer to “follow” her summer camp boyfriend,Josh, played by Vincent Rodriguez III—the one who unceremoniously dumped her as they’re leaving camp to go home—to California after running into him for five minutes in NYC) is very dicey and not appealing to me.

“West Covina” song’s opening bars rip off “Dulcinea” from Man of La Mancha, BTW.

Can imagine this obsessive-stalkerish girlfriend story (ironically sexist, since if the genders were reversed, not sure anyone would find it “funny”) is quite appealing to a younger crowd.

Best surprise is Paula, played by Donna Lynn Champlin: great voice and excellent acting, almost succeeding in making a completely silly character believable.

Worst is Darryl (Rebecca’s new boss, played horribly by Pete Gardner and written even worse). Guest what, writers? Anti-Semitic ignorance isn’t funny.

Santino Fontana is wasted as the bartender who immediately gets exploited by Rebecca to aid in her stalking Josh. At least the writers don’t make him a total ass; he doesn’t take sexual advantage of her.

It’s kind of fun, but it’s also completely unrealistic and inane, plot- and topic-wise, and more than vaguely insulting to Jews, Chinese, women, the mentally ill and many other groups, and that’s just Episode 1.

This isn’t Glee, not by a long shot. But, could be better if the writing improves.

Probably keep watching.

RETURNING SHOWS

*Modern Family

Glad to see them all back and the kids keep growing up, don’t they? Still caught in a lot of stereotypes and quick characterizations, but how not to do that in 23 minutes of mostly one-liners? When Modern Family first aired, the “normalization” of the gay couple’s life and family interactions were ground-breaking. Now, with many shows’ having copied MF and the legalization of marriage equality in the USA and many other countries, where does this show go to be edgy?

It’s not sure.

Enjoying and keeping, but very much not a priority to watch.

Scorpion

Could be that this show, like so many, is becoming a bit too formulaic, a caricature of itself. This season’s opener had a few too many “Oh, one of the bizarre genius’ amazing ideas, number four, didn’t work, so we’re going to die” moments. It was good to see the lead from Forever (Alana De La Garza) showing up as a recurring character in this show, since Forever was unfortunately cancelled and she was great in that.

However, like Mysteries of Laura, why do writers believe that they have to introduce a class-A horrible person as a new character to create tension or conflict? Can there really be no other way to bring in a new collaborator or boss than to have that character be a grouchy idiot or plain stupid or both?

Please, also, tell us: why does Katherine McPhee almost never sing in this show? She has a spectacular voice. What a waste.

Probably keep watching, but not as excited about this show as we were last year.

Mysteries of Laura

Writing is tighter, which we appreciate (less silliness, more story). Not all the first year’s characters are “back,” but most are. There is a new addition who has so far been given a very trite role, but we liked Callie Thorne a lot in Necessary Roughness, so we’ll see how it goes.

Someone should tell Debra Messing’s hair stylist to tone down her dye job. Number one: what police detective could afford to keep that up? Number two: it looks awful on her.

What happened to the chef/love interest for Messing’s character? It is not credible and is a slap to feminists everywhere that the writers would be reuniting her romantically with her cheating ex just because he got shot. We really hope that is not where this season’s plot is heading.

Keeping this one on our watch list, but skeptical.

New Orleans

Good start to the new season. Like the new character (female, African-American, kind of snarky and good at her job).

Shalita Grant, on her own Instagram account.

Plot was so forgettable, though, that it’s hard to remember it even one day later. Not a good sign.

Speaking of not a good sign: since when does anyone go undercover into a very tight-knit, paranoid network with less than one day’s preparation and no experienced handler? Ridiculous.

Also, why do so many of these law enforcement shows involve one or more characters who come into some money and then use some of it to purchase a bar/restaurant? Why do they all drink so much alcohol?

Prediction: drinking is going to go the way of smoking in media. Remember: EVERYONE used to smoke, good guys, bad guys, women, kids; since about 1985, only bad guys or historical figures smoke on screen and very few public places allow it anymore, either, because IT KILLS PEOPLE. So does alcohol. Drinking will disappear from all but the most ritualistic, celebratory or heinous occasions and characters’ habits, and no one who drinks will drive, unless the storyline dictates that they die or kill others. Life will soon follow.

My mom plans to keep watching. I probably won’t.

Nashville

C’mon, Nashville: Need to have more singing, less soap opera.

My mom only watches for the music and fast-forwards through the stories because they’re so tedious and boring. I’m fast approaching her point of view. Most of these characters and their lives are horribly dysfunctional.

The coming-out storyline, though, is important. I’m glad they’re not showing it all to be too easy or comfortable for anyone.

Could do more in the future with the former mayor/father of the girls being in prison and the impact that has on his daughters, especially the younger one.

Cheesy not to show right away the outcome of last season’s cliff-hanger surgery, for example, and deliberately misleading the audience for the first 10 minutes or so was largely a waste of time.

Missed the boat on informing people more significantly about post-partum depression, which is too bad because the characters’ alcohol and drug abuse continue unabated and mostly undiscussed.

Glad we can record it and skip a lot of the sturm-und-drang.

**Grey’s Anatomy

I am a long-time fan of this show, especially, Ellen Pompeo, so glad this opener featured a lot of her. Like her shorter hair, also. Good to have a strong story featuring Miranda Bailey’s character; she’s creator/producer Shonda Rhimes’ counterpart, for sure.

Loved the anti-homophobia storyline and the actions/discussions this inspired, especially for parents of LGBT kids and for everyone about bullying. Excellent PSAs built right into the show.

Not sure where they’re going with the marriage of Jackson and April or why they’re making Arizona such a ditz. Need to fix all that.

Do not miss Patrick Dempsey at all.

Glad Grey’s is back.

Scandal

Glad this opener was a lot less violent than many of the Episodes last year. Hated those. Had to fast-forward through much of those B6-13-ish scenes. Since Olivia’s father’s character is absent and the actor playing him took a new job (as medical chief on Proof), who will the new villain be?

While it is fun to see the Prez finally get with Olivia right in the West Wing, her character is correct when she says that they can’t just waltz into a new relationship as if everything is fine when the President takes a mistress while still not divorced.

Please explain to us, though, why the obviously psychotic and possibly amnesiac ex-Vice-President, Sally, gets to mouth off as if she is occupying some moral high ground when she murdered her own husband? Did everyone else forget that, too?

The Princess Diana storyline seemed oddly placed and very out-of-synch with everything else. Why have that?

The writers may have painted themselves into quite a few corners at this point, it seems.

Plan to keep watching, but where is this going?

How to Get Away with Murder

Glad Viola Davis won the Emmy. She deserved it. Good acting by her and many on this show is not enough to save it, though.

The writers of this show are a weird bunch, for sure.

Not liking the incestuous undertones and physicalization between her character and Wes’ (Alfred Enoch; yes, from Harry Potter films!).

Not liking the very late-in-the-storyline and oddly placed introduction to her character’s being bisexual, although we don’t mind that she is at all.

The writers seem to enjoy making almost every character psychotic and murderous. How many are they planning to kill or frame?

May not keep watching. Getting too dark without much to redeem it at this point.

Blue Bloods

My mom LOVES this show and watches re-runs for fun, mostly because she loves Tom Selleck as the family patriarch and Chief of Police. So, with great anticipation, we started watching the season opener.

What a disappointment. Why, oh writers, do you think Blue Bloods and your fictional NYC should continually deal with Islamic terrorists and terrorist threats? Not only does it fan the flames of anti-Islam sentiment in this country (the last thing we need), but it’s BORING, predictable and flat.

This episode made Danny’s character (played somewhat woodenly by Donnie Wahlberg this week) even more of a jerk than usual. Then, it had the hilariously unlikely premise that somehow, out of thousands of police detectives and officers, only the Reagan family’s detective, Danny, and his brother, Jamie (Will Estes), on patrol could possibly be involved in the same terrorist plot.

Once again, Erin (Bridget Moynahan) was put in a terrible position regarding a conflict between her job and her dad’s job’s wishes. BTW: Whatever would they do without Erin in the DA’s office? Whom else could her male police relatives trust and manipulate?

The writers then gave Grandpa, Danny’s family, Erin’s daughter and the supporting cast members almost nothing to do. They succeeded in making what can be and often is a great ensemble show with intricate, non-overlapping but thematically-linked storylines into nothing more than a bombing plot/chase fiasco.

My mom is very pissed and comments almost very week, that she doesn’t understand why Jamie Reagan hasn’t been promoted to detective.They made him into an excellent patrol officer and show that he is interested in being a detective, but he apparently has never applied, sat for the exam, or been promoted in five years.

That is unlikely and bizarre, but I just shrug and say: “The writers only want one Reagan in each job.”

VERY BAD CHOICES for this opener. I may not keep watching, but my mom is faithful.

Castle

Watched Part I Sunday night, in preparation for Monday’s Part II. Have to say: we were both disappointed and underwhelmed by the storyline and characters depicted in Part I.

Beckett gets promoted to Captain and immediately disappears. What is the point of that? Then, every time she reappears, she explains NOTHING to Castle. Unacceptable and completely out of character, especially after all she went through last year when Castle disappeared.

Good to see Alexis Castle all grown up (and Molly C. Quinn!) and given more to do. However, none of the others did much more than bicker and chase people around while dodging kicking feet or bullets.

We both love Castle and will undoubtedly keep watching, but the opener was bad and we both hate 2-parters, anyway.

NCIS

Watched the season opener a week late so we could also watch Part II right away, but we don’t understand how there can be a “Part II” to this episode. Aside from that, good to see everyone back and glad that Gibbs is better than okay after seemingly dead and dying several times at the end of last season and in this episode.

Way too much of the medical parts, though, so we fast-forwarded through them all. Using the operating table and its vagaries to provide flashbacks and “back story” is such a overused convention that we were not clear on the reasons for it in this episode, unless it’s to pave the way for Gibbs’ having some kind of retirement crisis.

Tony’s character is developing some complexity, which we like. But, they’ve given very little to the others to do and we miss Ziva.

Keeping this one.

Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Why did they choose not to do a “re-cap,” and then have a few characters “catch us up” by talking about what we all “missed,” which turns out to be way more than where we last left off.

Also, why is Ming-Na Wen gone (plays Melinda May, or May AWOL)? She’s one of our favorite characters.

News Flash: having a bum knee doesn’t turn an agent into a scientist, even if it sidelines her. Since Gemma is “gone,” why not introduce a new character instead of not credibly repurposing Bobbi, since the show is a few short, now, anyway?

The whole “Fitz is trying to find/save Gemma” storyline is leading to…what, exactly?

Also not liking the new can’t-stop-it/him villain/monster.

The “spread” of powers is interesting, but these writers must be talking to Heroes, Reborn‘s writers, or be the same people, because now they have a similar storyline and why is that?

My mom and I both kind of like this show and Agent Carter, but the “inhuman” characters go beyond our interest scope (for us) when they don’t even look human.

Glad to see Rosalind Price in this show, and wondering where her character is going to take things. We really like Skye/Daisy’s character and glad that Lincoln and she may team up, again.

Not sure we’ll keep watching, but giving it another few episodes.

Bones

Season opener did a good job of catching us up on last year’s drop-off points, but we weren’t happy with the plot at all. Very gruesome (ALERT); even more than usual.

Note to TV writers: Why does almost every returning show believe it has to introduce a new boss or investigator as a horrible, somewhat stupid and irrationally mean-spirited person with some hidden agenda or ax to grind (Scorpion, Mysteries of Laura, Nashville, Scandal), particularly when they’re female? We are so tired of this trope.

Second note: Why do you writers think it’s “interesting” to have one of the main characters disappear or seem to be dead within minutes of the opening credits (Castle, Nashville, Heroes Reborn)? We don’t agree. That does not create “tension”; it generates frustration for your returning viewers. We come back to see these characters! Don’t remove one right off! STUPID MOVE.

Probably keep watching but not pleased, yet.

The Blacklist

Not sure where this show can go after the way it left off last season, and the opener seems to have painted it even more into the proverbial corner. How can there be a “Blacklist” story if Reddington doesn’t work with/for his FBI contact any longer because she’s been framed and they’re on the run together?

The whole “she is secretly a Russian spy because her mother was” is so dumb we barely gave it a glance last spring, but now the writers have put some of the loyal to Elizabeth into hysteria. Whatever could be the point of this?

Not liking it much, but probably keep watching if only to find out how they get out of the way they ended the episode: very weird choices.

Keeping, for now.

Madam Secretary

So far, this wins, hands DOWN, for the best returning show premier! Exciting, unexpected twists and turns and some of the best nonverbal but highly emotional scene and acting I’ve seen on TV in a long time. Kudos to Barbara Hall (writer/producer), to Morgan Freeman (who had a cameo role and directed!), and most especially to both Téa Leoni and Tim Daly. Amazing conveyances of mixed and intense emotions with body language, facial expressions and tightly coiled energies.

Liking the subplots, except for the President’s son-Secretary’s daughter’s romance and his being a junkie. Snooze.

Glad to see Jill Hennesey back on TV. Hope she keeps coming around.

Elizabeth’s interactions with her husbands, kids and colleagues, especially the President’s Chief of Staff, played villainously by Željko Ivanek, were on point every time.

LOVED the musical number at the end! Especially enjoyed Bebe Neuwirth’s new tenor voice, backed up by Patina Miller and Erich Bergen, both excellent as well, with a more-than-passable demo by Geoffrey Arend.

Definite keeper.

The Good Wife

Strong season opener for one of our favorite series. Liked seeing returning cast members and enjoyed the new ones, especially Cush Jumbo (who reminds us strongly of Archie Panjabi: MISS YOU, Archie!), Margo Martindale (know her from The Americans before that horrible sit-com we won’t mention), and a guest appearances by the wonderful Jane Curtin (yes, the Coneheads, 3rd Rock and The Librarian(s)) and Bridget Regan, with very long, curly hair (from another of our faves, Agent Carter).

Glad to see Alicia “growing up” and becoming more assertive. Ditto for the maturation (overnight, it seems) of her on-screen daughter, played admirably by MacKenzie Vega.

Fun fact: I accompanied (played the piano) for Eurhythmy (Waldorf/Rudolph Steiner education dance/movement classes) at the Monadnock Waldorf School in Keene, New Hampshire, USA, in 1986-87, for Julianna Margulies’ mother, who taught the classes!

Can’t wait to see what Cary Agos (played with excellent angst by Matt Czuchry) stirs up since he’s obviously bored and angry in the new configuration of his law firm. Need: more of Diane (Christine Baranski), please; less of Chris Noth’s obnoxiously narcissistic Peter Florrick; more of Alan Cumming, especially as evil Eli Gold!

Another definite keeper.

CSI: Cyber

We were already getting somewhat dissatisfied with this show last year, but we kept watching because we like Patricia Arquette and the premise of it. However, the directing was awful, the dialogue was wooden and obvious, and the situations were repetitive.

They seemed to have improved only one aspect: the dialogue is slightly less wooden and obvious, some of the time. Otherwise, all the same problems plague it and we were BORED.

Even bringing in Ted Danson and some cool gadgets made us look at each other and say: “Not enough plot, huh?” Want to know why Peter McNichol left…? HE WAS BORED, too.

Probably not keep watching.

**Hawaii 5-0

Mom is keeping this on her list for sure.

**Chicago P.D.

Mom is keeping this on her list for sure.

**NCIS Los Angeles

Mom is keeping this on her list for sure.

**Law and Order—SVU

Mom is keeping this on her list for sure.

**Criminal Minds

Mom is keeping this on her list for sure.

**Chicago Fire

Mom continues to love this. One of my CHANGES conversations between authors‘ guests, poet performer, James Gordon, has recurring minor roles on this and Chicago PD!)

Stays on Mom’s list

Filed under: TV and online Series Reviews, Writing Tagged: demographics, fall 2015, network TV, opinions, reviews, Television, Television shows

Check out Tonya R. Moore‘s site today, 10-29-15… featuring my new release in The Spanners Series!

Check out Tonya R. Moore‘s site today, 10-29-15… featuring my new release in The Spanners Series!

http://tonyarmoore.com/2015/10/this-isis-not-the-way-i-want-things-to-change-by-sally-ember/

Filed under: Blogging and others' content, Indie or Self-Publishing, Marketing, Science Fiction and Fantasy, The Spanners, This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, Timult Books, Volume III Tagged: Genre Love, new release, pre-orders, The Spanners Series, This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, Tonya R Moore, Volume III

Last *#CHANGES* Episode (46) of 2015 is TODAY, 10/28/15, 10 AM Eastern time USA

Last CHANGES Episode (46) of 2015 is TODAY, 10/28/15, 10 AM Eastern time USA, a live videocast on Google+ Hangouts On Air (#HOA) and #YouTube, with guest, author of Ageless, Paul Inman, and host, Sally Ember, Ed.D., blogger and author of The Spanners Series (about to release Volume III for pre-orders 11/1/15): http://www.sallyember.com for more info, links, book trailers, interviews, excerpts, blurbs.

Tune in for a great, free-flowing, hour-long conversation between authors about science-fiction #scifi, #education/ #teaching, #films and #filmmaking, #music/ #musicians, #photography, #writing #contests and much more, especially if YOU bring up a topic!

Join in on: https://plus.google.com/…/events/caksv6ap8v0ci6tsm55cm0lbg44 while we’re live, in advance, or afterwards, if you “ping” us. Looking forward to your questions and comments.

OPENINGS for CHANGES in mid-January, 2016, and beyond! CHANGES conversations between authors is a LIVE G+HOA/Youtube talk show (not an “author interview”!) almost weekly, Wed., 10 – 11 AM Eastern USA time, that seeks guests! Welcoming new/seasoned authors of any age, genre, publication method!

Watch conversations with previous CHANGES guests any time: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPbfKicwk4dFdeVSAY1tfhtjaEY_clmfq  

Learn more about and get yourself on or recommend someone to be scheduled as a guest for CHANGES: http://sallyember.com/changes-videocasts-by-sally-ember-ed-d/

Filed under: CHANGES Episodes Tagged: *CHANGES*, *CHANGES* conversations between authors, Ageless, Paul Inman, Sally Ember Ed.D Author, The Spanners Series

Sally Ember is NOT on Dr. Afshan Hashmi’s Radio Show, 10-27-15

Dr. Afshan Hashmi hosts a Blog Talk Radio show at

3 PM Eastern time, USA, and I was NOT able to be on as a GUEST due to technical difficulties.

Also had technical difficulties with Blog Talk Radio had to reschedule from 10/19/15, so

now giving up!

Filed under: Interviews with Sally as Author, Themes from The Spanners, This Changes Everything, This Changes My Family and My Life Forever, This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, Writing Tagged: Author Interview, Blog Talk Radio, Sally Ember Ed.D Author, The Spanners Series

Sally Ember is on Dr. Afshan Hashmi’s Radio Show, 10-27-15, 3 PM Eastern time, USA!

Dr. Afshan Hashmi hosts a Blog Talk Radio show at

3 PM Eastern time, USA, and I am on as a GUEST! SHARE, please!

Technical difficulties with Blog Talk Radio: had to reschedule from 10/19/15, so

now on 10/27, Tuesday, (3:00 PM Eastern USA time)

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/drafshanhashmi

Call in to speak with the host: 347-843-4479

Tune in, comment and ask questions LIVE or listen later.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/drafshanhashmi/2015/10/27/drafshan-hashmi-in-conversation-with-author-sally-ember

Filed under: Interviews with Sally as Author, Themes from The Spanners, This Changes Everything, This Changes My Family and My Life Forever, This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, Writing Tagged: Author Interview, Blog Talk Radio, Sally Ember Ed.D Author, The Spanners Series

#COVER #REVEAL on Alesha Escobar’s site for The Spanners Series’ ebook of Vol III

#COVER #REVEAL on Alesha Escobar‘s site for The Spanners Series’ ebook of Vol III, This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, by Sally Ember, Ed.D., TODAY! 10/26/15, part of the 10-Volume science-fiction/ romance/ multiverse/ utopian series from !

Thanks, Alesha!

http://www.aleshaescobar.com

Cover art and logo by WillowRaven.

Volume III goes into pre-orders on 11/1/15 at half-price, @$1.99.

Full release of Volume III’s ebook on 12/8/15 @$3.99, with print books for that and Volumes I and II available late this fall as well.

Watch this space: http://www.sallyember.com for announcements, links, book trailers and more.

Filed under: Science Fiction and Fantasy, The Spanners, This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, Volume III Tagged: Cover Reveal, Sally Ember Ed.D Author, The Spanners Series, Volume III

Announcing: Timult Books!

Announcing the formation of my own small press:

For now, Timult Books (pronounced with the long “i” as it “eye”) publishes print and ebook versions of The Spanners Series, which are science-fiction/ romance/ multiverse/ psi-infused/ utopian stories for adults, Young and New Adults about our alternative present(s) and near future(s).

Soon, I may accept others’ publications or write some of my own that are not part of that series. All publications are somehow to be related to the science-fiction/ speculative fiction themes of timultaneity, timulting, timult (these are terms invented by my actual son, Merlyn Ember, for and Clara Branon’s son, Zephyr Branon in The Spanners Series).

The terms refer to the simultaneous nature of all time and the multiple timelines in our multiverse (timultaneity) which some people have the special skill to be able to be perceiving/”seeing” and “knowing” (which is timulting). When they use their skills to look into various possible and actual “presents,” “pasts” and “futures,” that person is said to timult their own and/or others’ events, circumstances and lives.

These URLs, below, are now mine. For a while, they all redirect to THIS site (http://www.sallyember.com) and are not developed at all, until I decide to put in the time to have a separate website for the publication company. When I am ready, I’ll be using the first one only, timultbooks.com .

http://timultbooks.com

http://timultbooks.net

http://timultbooks.org

http://timultbooks.info

(I purchased the other three so no one can use them and confuse anyone by having anything that is not published by MY company on those sites.)

If you are an indie author who would like to have your writing, either fiction of the speculative / science-fiction genre, such as short stories, novellas, novelettes, novels, graphic novels, or poetry, screenplays, nonfiction or essays that utilize these themes or topics to be developed under this imprint and wear the banner of , contact me at sallyember AT yahoo DOT com .

I provide the services of editing, formatting, proofreading, writing tutoring for variable and negotiable hourly rates.

I also offer marketing and other types of support and assistance for a small fee or barter, regardless of how your books are published.

If your writing fits into the Timult Books‘ themes and you want to “join” my small press, let’s talk!

If you’re feeling congratulatory, supportive, and are somewhat “flush” and/or want to celebrate my writing, videocasts and publishing accomplishments and hope for more, please consider a contribution to my #crowdfunding campaign (which entitles you to “rewards” ranging from a free ebook to discounts on my services to writers), at http://www.patreon.com/sallyember

OR use the PayPal donation button on my site (look to the right sidebar) for a non-reward contribution opportunity.

Filed under: All Volumes, Indie or Self-Publishing, Marketing, The Spanners, Timult Books Tagged: independent publishing, Indie Publishing, POD, Print-On-Demand, Sally Ember Ed.D Author, self-publishing, The Spanners Series, timult, Timult Books, timultaneity, timulting

I am putting The Spanners Series’ ebooks into print!

I am putting The Spanners Series’ first three Volumes of ebooks into print-on-demand!

Announcement: NEED FUNDING HELP!

image from http://www.kevinsmithukip.com

As soon as I can raise the money to purchase my 10 ISBNs, I can put my print editions up for sale on Amazon via CreateSpace! Turns out it is important for series authors to have their own International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs) and for indie authors to retain the publisher’s rights by owning their ISBNs rather than allowing the original purchaser of the ISBN to be listed as the “publisher.” Therefore, I have to forego the free and discounted ISBNs provided everywhere and buy my own.

If you’d like to support putting my books into print, please use either my #Crowdfunding Campaign site: http://www.patreon.com/sallyember, which entitles you to “rewards,” such as a free ebook ($4.00 donation) and/or discounted proofreading, editing or writing tutoring, depending upon the size of your donation and how many get there before you, or

the PayPal Donate button here on my site http://www.sallyember.com allows you to contribute any amount to my effort.

10 ISBNs cost $295 if purchased together, which is a great deal because buying a single ISBN costs $125, if purchased separately.

So, I hope I am finally doing it! Got my formatting gloves on, cracking my knuckles and biting all bullets.

My original cover art will carry over (THANKS, WillowRaven!), and all other aspects will be faithful to the ebook versions, with a few surprise additions.

Special thanks to Annie Douglas Lima for posting a guide to doing this so that I can use the Print on Demand feature of CreateSpace on Amazon, and to Madeline Duffy for providing a template I could revise and use.

Volume I is ready as of 10/20/15!… just need the cash for ISBNs

I plan to have each Volume of the three published so far ready for sale as print books no later than December 12, 2015.

Wish me luck! Contribute! Tell your friends!

image from http://powerthruconsulting.com

Watch this space for release dates and purchase links.

Filed under: Indie or Self-Publishing, Marketing, Science Fiction and Fantasy, The Spanners, This Changes Everything, This Changes My Family and My Life Forever, This Is/Is Not the Way I Thought Things Would Change, Volume I of The Spanners, Volume II of The Spanners, Volume III, Writing Tagged: Amazon, cover art, CreateSpace, crowdfunding, donate, Donations, fundraising, Indie Publishing, print formatting, Print-On-Demand, Sally Ember Ed.D Author, self-publishing, The Spanners Series, Volume I, Volume II, Volume III, WillowRaven

Sally Ember is on Dr. Afshan Hashmi’s Radio Show, 10-19-15, 3 PM Eastern time, USA!

Dr. Afshan Hashmi

2 PM Central time, USA, I am on as a GUEST!

Tune in, comment and ask questions LIVE or listen later. SHARE, please!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/drafshanhashmi/2015/10/19/dr-afshan-hashmi-in-conversation-with-author-sally-ember

Filed under: Interviews with Sally as Author, Themes from The Spanners, This Changes Everything, This Changes My Family and My Life Forever, This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, Writing Tagged: Author Interview, Blog Talk Radio, Sally Ember Ed.D Author, The Spanners Series