Sally Ember's Blog, page 93

November 26, 2014

Thanksgiving dinner with Aunt Bertha: A quick way to find free holiday meals

Sally Ember, Ed.D.:

Share! RT! Meals for people without family or a place to have Thanksgiving, nationwide, “Aunt Bertha” site, here.


Originally posted on TED Blog:


Aunt-Bertha-ThanksgivingNo, Aunt Bertha will not pinch your cheeks. That’s because she is not actually a person. Aunt Bertha is a service, created by TED Fellow Erine Gray, that connects people in need of food, healthcare and housing with the wide variety of programs available in their area.



This week, Aunt Bertha is aiming to connect as many people as possible with a free and hearty Thanksgiving meal. To do so, Aunt Bertha created a database of more than 1,000 places in the United States that are serving free meals—complete with turkey—over the course of this week. At AuntBertha.com/Thanksgiving2014, you’ll find a searchable map of free meals available in your city, along with details about how to get more information.



Aunt Bertha has also cracked open the data to look at when the most free meals are taking place (hint: on November, 27 at 11am) and what kind of organizations…


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Published on November 26, 2014 05:26

‘Birdman’ leads Independent Spirit Awards Nominations

Sally Ember, Ed.D.:

#FilmsImightactuallylike #independentspiritawards I want to see #Boyhood Mazel Tov to all winners! http://goo.gl/MoY9Rp


Originally posted on Inside Movies:


[ew_image url=”http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/i/2014/06/...” credit=”Alison Rosa” align=”left”]



Birdman scored six Independent Spirit Award nominations, the most of any film, when the nods were announced today, but for the most part the Spirit Awards spread the love around.



BoyhoodNightcrawler, and Selma each got five nominations, while Whiplash, a source of buzz since its debut at Sundance, received four. Though most of these films have Oscar hopes, the Spirit Awards have also honor films that haven’t made much headway in the awards conversation, despite critical praise. For instance, the John Lithgow-Alfred Molina film Love Is Strange was nominated for Best Feature, and received four other nominations, while A Girl Walks Home Alone atNight, a film described as the “first Iranian Vampire Western, has three nominations to its name.



See the full list below.  


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Published on November 26, 2014 05:25

What Time Of The Year Should You Publish Your Novel?

Sally Ember, Ed.D.:

Thanks for gathering data and posting. #booksales #season


Originally posted on Tara Sparling writes:


#186397925 / gettyimages.com

I’ve been getting quite a few hits lately from search terms such as “when do I self-publish my novel?” and “when does a book need to be published for the Christmas market?



I already pontificated on the issue of self-publishing for Christmas in this post, but that only dealt with one time of year. Now I’d like to talk in more general terms about seasonal trends in book sales. I have inhaled oodles of data on the subject. And so, in this post, and more to follow*, I’m going to take a look at questions like these:




Which month of the year sees the most sales?
Which month sees the least sales?
How many sales do you need to make it into the Top Ten Bestseller list? Are there times of the year when the target is lower and this might be easier?
Are there particular weeks in the year…

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Published on November 26, 2014 05:21

50 Reasons Why The Human Race Is Too Stupid To Survive

Sally Ember, Ed.D.:

Chilling. Pun intended. My misanthropic nature is in high alert this time of year, anyway. Sigh


Originally posted on Auxiliary Memory:


By James Wallace Harris, Tuesday, November 25, 2014



Do not read this if you are depressed or are easily depressed. I’m not kidding. I hope I’m proven wrong. I really do.



I write this on the day I turn 63, while thinking about the future. Usually I’m extremely positive about the future, probably because I love science fiction. However, if I wrote a science fiction novel today I’m afraid it would be a pessimistic apocalyptic novel. Normally I hate being cynical, but I thought for this essay I’d let it all hang out. I’ve spent my whole life assuming we were getting smarter and we’d become a rational species before we made ourselves extinct. I now think I’m wrong. We’re going to cross the finish line before we can get our shit together. Up until a century ago, the world was safe because there wasn’t enough of us, and the…


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Published on November 26, 2014 05:11

And none could say they were surprised: on #Ferguson

Sally Ember, Ed.D.:

Very well researched and compiled. Thanks for sharing and posting. I live in St. Louis and I’m horrified by this miscarriage of “justice.”


Originally posted on Infinitefreetime.com:


SeasonsGreetings_FergusonMO_GrandJuryAnnouncement_Cops_112414I keep needing to remind myself of something: I have liked every cop I’ve ever known.  The number’s not large, mind you; four, perhaps five people,  one of whom’s faces I can remember clearly but whose name has escaped me.  At least one is a Facebook friend who may read this.  Alternate universe me actually is a police officer; if you Google search my real name most of the results you’ll get are for the other guy since I’m as diligent as I can be about keeping my name off the Web.



But as much as I want to generalize, I keep having to remind myself: I know cops.  I am friends, or at least cordial acquaintances, with two of them.  They aren’t all bad people, as much as it frequently seems like they are.  They’re just embedded in a system that encourages them to be bad people, and if…


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Published on November 26, 2014 05:09

November 25, 2014

Publisher Call For Submissions

Sally Ember, Ed.D.:

For my #CR4U peeps!


Originally posted on Writing and Illustrating:


hp_follow



ANNOUNCING NEW INSPIRATIONAL/FAMILY LINE!



HIGHLAND PRESS PUBLISHING
Actively seeking Inspirational and/or Sweet themed manuscripts. Think Hallmark Hall of Fame, Janette Oke, Little House on the Prairie, etc. Accepting full manuscripts for adults or young adult lines.



Submission Guidelines



If you are interested in submitting your manuscript to Highland Press Publishing, please take a few minutes to review the following and acquaint yourself with our guidelines:



Highland Press is at the present particularly interested in expanding our Christian/Inspirational/family line—both historical and contemporary stories.



We’re looking for outstanding manuscripts of all genres and timeframes—with the exception of erotica. (Absolutely no graphic sex scenes, please!) We want love and romance. A HEA. Emotion. Not just sex.



While some swearing is understood, it is preferable that you use swear words as little as possible. One thing we are firm on is not using the Lord’s name in vain.



We want historicals similar to what…


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Published on November 25, 2014 05:05

Homage to @ SoVeryBritish

Sally Ember, Ed.D.:

For all my UK peeps and relations: What do you think? Funny or derogatory or both?


Originally posted on Barb Taub:


jpegFriends and I were talking about the new book, Very British Problems: Making Life Awkward for Ourselves, One Rainy Day at a Time and its related BuzzFeed and @SoVeryBritish twitter posts.



I’ve been in the UK for several years now, but I’m only starting to get the hang of the language. Still, for those who are struggling with some of the differences between American and British English, I’ve developed an all-purpose conversation.



Your’re welcome. [@soverybritish translation: Punishing people who don’t say thank you by saying “you’re welcome” as quietly as possible.]





HOW TO SAY IT IN BRITISH
HOW TO SAY IT IN AMERICAN



I’m sorry.
You just bumped my arm and spilled my overpriced beverage down my favorite cashmere sweater. I’m going to sue you.


I’m sorry.
Then you tried to wipe it up and ended up groping my private bits. I may file charges.


I’m sorry.
And now, you…



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Published on November 25, 2014 04:56

Author Interview – Sally Ember – The Spanners Series

Sally Ember, Ed.D.:

Thanks, Ch’Kara Silverwolf, for featuring me, “The Spanners Series” ebooks and my *CHANGES* G+ HOA talk show on your blog today!

I hope to hear from your followers Down Under and everywhere else! http://sheerak.wordpress.com/2014/11/25/author-interview-sally-ember-the-spanners-series/ goes to the interview.


Originally posted on Ch'kara SilverWolf:


Toady’s interview is with author Sally Ember for her books The Spanners Series.



Sally Ember picture005 Short author bio:



Sally Ember, Ed.D., has been passionate about writing since 3rd grade. Now, she blurs the lines between fact and fiction in the space opera, The Spanners Series, utopian sci-fi. She meditates, writes, swims, blogs, reads and hosts her Google+ Hangout On Air (HOA) *CHANGES*, broadcast from St. Louis, MO, USA. Sally has worked as an educator and upper-level, nonprofit manager and has a BA, Master’s & doctorate in education.



Archived *CHANGES* shows: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPbfKicwk4dFdeVSAY1tfhtjaEY_clmfq



Authors: learn more about and get yourself scheduled on as a guest:  http://sallyember.com/changes-videocasts-by-sally-ember-ed-d/



Check out her books’ trailers, author readings, more:



https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqnZuobf0YTCiP6silDDL2w/videos?view_as=public



Sally Ember cover print



Book Synopses:



Volume I,This Changes Everything, The Spanners Series, by Sally Ember, Ed.D.



Dr. Clara Ackerman Branon, 58, begins having secret visits from holographic representations of  beings from the Many Worlds Collective, a consortium…


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Published on November 25, 2014 03:29

November 24, 2014

SciFi4Me 3.0 Has Launched!

Sally Ember, Ed.D.:

Mazel Tov to SciFi4Me, which has launched its new-ish online news and entertainment journal covering the science fiction and fantasy genres. http://scifi4me.com/2014/11/23/scifi4me-3-0-has-launched/


Originally posted on SciFi4Me.com:


BANNER_FromTheEditor2013



To your planet, welcome!



It’s finally here! SciFi4Me 3.0 is live and ready to take us into 2015 and beyond. (not quite to infinity yet…). And we’re eager for you to check it out. Kick the tires, test the navigation, see all the new bells and whistles.



For me, it’s been a project that’s taken a couple of months, mostly with me sitting idle and wishing I could do more while Blaise Lapinski did yeoman’s work pulling it all together. He’s definitely earned his Orkin merit badge with all the debugging he had to do. I want to publicly thank him for all of the time he put into the upgrade. If we didn’t have someone on the team who knew things about things, I’d still be looking at a blank dashboard afraid to push any buttons and break it.



We’ve come a long way from my sitting in a…


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Published on November 24, 2014 05:57

To The PTA Moms at My Son’s School

Sally Ember, Ed.D.:

Dear Ms. Duron: I AM SO IMPRESSED! Your articulate, sensitive, persistent, accurate, clear, honest, emotionally authentic, relevant and informative post makes me want to go read your book even though I don’t work in this field anymore and my “child” is 34!

Mazel Tov to you! Your community and the online world are lucky to have you. I hope they/we realize that soon, @RaisingRainbow!

Best to you and your family and all of your activism.

WE NEED MORE LIKE YOU!


Originally posted on Raising My Rainbow:


Last week I published a blog post about things said during a PTA meeting I attended at my youngest son’s school. I wanted to shine a light on the homophobic, transphobic, insensitive, hateful and hurtful things that some moms said during the meeting and show that as far as we have come in LGBTQ acceptance and equality, there is still much work to be done. And sometimes that work needs to be done in heavy doses at places much closer to home than we’d like.



Almost immediately, PTA moms from our school started commenting, messaging and reacting viscerally on social media.



As they did, I stared at the PTA tagline: Every child, One voice. I’m not convinced that our PTA as a whole cares about every child and some of the voices I heard that night are not voices I want speaking on behalf of my child. That being said…


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Published on November 24, 2014 04:36