Fiona L. Woods's Blog, page 211
October 18, 2021
A New Panzerism
Panzer on cat spirituality:
Very groggy. Must take a short prayer.
Naps are like little prayers.
They're both sort of like out-of-body moments.
This proves that cats are very spiritual beings.

Naps are like little prayers.
They're both sort of like out-of-body moments.
This proves that cats are very spiritual beings.
Published on October 18, 2021 12:19
October 15, 2021
Contest Alert: Bardsy's "The Short and Long of It" NaNoWriMo Prep Contest - Writer Beware
Panzer had just settled down for his evening nap when he heard booing and hissing coming from the Catosphere. Jumping into the Panzermobile he headed out. The trail of angst lead him to the Writer Beware site. There he found a Contest Alert post.
The post by Victoria Strauss discusses the Bardsy "The Short and Long of it" NaNoWriMo Prep Contest. According to the post authors need to read the contest rules very carefully. Some of the rules are very unfair to authors. For one, just by entering the contest authors are giving Bardsy first publication rights. For another, Bardsy keeps the rights in perpetuity. The post points out other problems with the rules as well and explains why they are bad for authors.
My job is done for the day.
Panzer says, "Always. Always. Always. Read. The. Rules."
Note: This is a long post. Bring a cup of tea and a muffin for today's reading selection.
To read the post tootle over to contest alert
The post by Victoria Strauss discusses the Bardsy "The Short and Long of it" NaNoWriMo Prep Contest. According to the post authors need to read the contest rules very carefully. Some of the rules are very unfair to authors. For one, just by entering the contest authors are giving Bardsy first publication rights. For another, Bardsy keeps the rights in perpetuity. The post points out other problems with the rules as well and explains why they are bad for authors.

Panzer says, "Always. Always. Always. Read. The. Rules."
Note: This is a long post. Bring a cup of tea and a muffin for today's reading selection.
To read the post tootle over to contest alert
Published on October 15, 2021 22:41
Third Times' the Charm: The Clafouti That Almost Killed Me - Smart Girls Read Romance
Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere when the Panzermobile was buffeted by laughing and chortling outside. Following all the jocularity, took our traveling kitty pilot to the Smart Girls Read Romance site. There he discovered a post about baking and missteps.
In the post Bea Tilton documents her tribulations when baking Clafouti.
I warned you.
Panzer says, "Mom made the recipe for Clafouti and said it's really good."
Note: This is a short-medium length post. Don't bring anything to eat or drink when you read the post. Panzer isn't responsible for anything you spit or spill on your keyboard.
To read the post tootle over to Clafouti
In the post Bea Tilton documents her tribulations when baking Clafouti.

Panzer says, "Mom made the recipe for Clafouti and said it's really good."
Note: This is a short-medium length post. Don't bring anything to eat or drink when you read the post. Panzer isn't responsible for anything you spit or spill on your keyboard.
To read the post tootle over to Clafouti
Published on October 15, 2021 22:08
October 14, 2021
OverDrive Education Acquires TeachingBooks.net - Publishers Weekly
Today Panzer made a trip to the Publishers Weekly site. With a little digging in the posts, he found one about OverDrive Education.
According to the post, TeachingBooks.net has merged with OverDrive Education. Currently, 55,000 schools and libraries worldwide have access to 265,000 "curated materials" through TeachingBooks.net. The post quotes OverDrive officials who call it an acquisition, but the TeachingBooks.net founder calls it a merger. Included in the post is a link to OverDrive's home page, one to TeachingBooks.net's home page and one to OverDrive's Sora reading app home page.
Merger? Acquisition? Which is it?
Panzer says, "This little kitty didn't know there was an OverDrive Education platform."
Note: This is a short-medium length post. Bring a cup of tea for today's reading news. If you plan to follow all the links in the post, bring a thermos of tea, four muffins and brownie.
To read the post tootle over to OverDrive Education
According to the post, TeachingBooks.net has merged with OverDrive Education. Currently, 55,000 schools and libraries worldwide have access to 265,000 "curated materials" through TeachingBooks.net. The post quotes OverDrive officials who call it an acquisition, but the TeachingBooks.net founder calls it a merger. Included in the post is a link to OverDrive's home page, one to TeachingBooks.net's home page and one to OverDrive's Sora reading app home page.

Panzer says, "This little kitty didn't know there was an OverDrive Education platform."
Note: This is a short-medium length post. Bring a cup of tea for today's reading news. If you plan to follow all the links in the post, bring a thermos of tea, four muffins and brownie.
To read the post tootle over to OverDrive Education
Published on October 14, 2021 20:58
October 13, 2021
Online Gathering Poised to Reimage Bookselling - Press Release
Panzer didn't get a chance to fall back asleep before he heard more noises in the Catosphere. Following it this time took him to the Publishers Weekly press room. There he found a news release about an upcoming online event.
According to the press release Publishers Weekly is sponsoring a free online gathering about bookselling open to everyone: publishers, booksellers, bookstores, writers and readers. The gathering will run October 18 and 19. There's a registration link included in the post. If you follow the link, there's a lot more information available.
Now about that nap.
Panzer says, "This looks like it will be interesting."
To read the news release tootle over to bookselling
According to the press release Publishers Weekly is sponsoring a free online gathering about bookselling open to everyone: publishers, booksellers, bookstores, writers and readers. The gathering will run October 18 and 19. There's a registration link included in the post. If you follow the link, there's a lot more information available.

Panzer says, "This looks like it will be interesting."
To read the news release tootle over to bookselling
Published on October 13, 2021 12:31
William Shatner rockets to space and back with Blue Origin - Cnet
Panzer was shaken from his kitty nap by clapping and cheering coming from the Catosphere. A quick trip to the Cnet site showed our traveling kitty pilot William Shatner was the cause of all the noise.
Yeah, it was worth waking up for.
According to the post by Eric Mack, William Shatner (aka Captain Kirk) made his delayed trip to space and successful return today. The trip was planned for yesterday, but bad weather moved it to today. Today, he officially became the oldest person to go to space.
Panzer says, "Does he get his astronaut wings for his trip to space now?"
Note: This is a short medium post. Bring a cup of tea for today's exciting news.
To read the post tootle over to William Shatner

According to the post by Eric Mack, William Shatner (aka Captain Kirk) made his delayed trip to space and successful return today. The trip was planned for yesterday, but bad weather moved it to today. Today, he officially became the oldest person to go to space.
Panzer says, "Does he get his astronaut wings for his trip to space now?"
Note: This is a short medium post. Bring a cup of tea for today's exciting news.
To read the post tootle over to William Shatner
Published on October 13, 2021 12:02
October 12, 2021
The great book shortage of 2021, explained - Vox
Today Panzer made a trip to the Vox site. There he found some information about the ongoing supply chain problems and books. Panzer has been telling you for months about these problems.
According to the post by Constance Grady, supply chain problems for books can be broken down into four major parts. The first is people are reading more as a hobby and for pleasure now. The second is it's costing more to print books, if the printer can even get the paper and ink to print them. The third is it's costing more to ship the books, if drivers can be found. The fourth is it's costing more for labor, if the employees can be found. Ultimately, it looks like the supply chain problems for books are here to stay until some time in 2022.
There are ways around everything.
Panzer says, "Can't find a printed book? Buy ebooks. Electrons are everywhere."
Note: This is a long, long post. Bring a pitcher of tea, two muffins, a cupcake, and a brownie for today's reading selection.
To read the post tootle over to book shortageTo read Panzer's previous post tootle over to book supply chain woes
According to the post by Constance Grady, supply chain problems for books can be broken down into four major parts. The first is people are reading more as a hobby and for pleasure now. The second is it's costing more to print books, if the printer can even get the paper and ink to print them. The third is it's costing more to ship the books, if drivers can be found. The fourth is it's costing more for labor, if the employees can be found. Ultimately, it looks like the supply chain problems for books are here to stay until some time in 2022.

Panzer says, "Can't find a printed book? Buy ebooks. Electrons are everywhere."
Note: This is a long, long post. Bring a pitcher of tea, two muffins, a cupcake, and a brownie for today's reading selection.
To read the post tootle over to book shortageTo read Panzer's previous post tootle over to book supply chain woes
Published on October 12, 2021 21:45
October 11, 2021
Sue Grafton Sold Out - The Rap Sheet
Panzer was shaken from his afternoon nap by booing and hissing coming from the Catosphere. Hopping in the Panzermobile, our intrepid kitty followed all the ballyhoo to The Rap Sheet site. There he discovered some news about Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone was causing all the angst.
Money over wishes.
According to a post by Linda L. Richards, the rights to the Kinsey Millhone books have been granted to A&E . Sue Grafton had said she never wanted the Kinsey novels to be sold to Hollywood. She was fierce about her wishes. She had even gone so far as to make her children swear to never go against her wishes. Apparently, her husband didn't agree with her wishes because he's the one who signed the contract.
Panzer says, "NOOOOO!"
Note: This is a short-medium length post. Bring a cup of tea for today's reading selection.
To read the post tootle over to Sue Grafton

According to a post by Linda L. Richards, the rights to the Kinsey Millhone books have been granted to A&E . Sue Grafton had said she never wanted the Kinsey novels to be sold to Hollywood. She was fierce about her wishes. She had even gone so far as to make her children swear to never go against her wishes. Apparently, her husband didn't agree with her wishes because he's the one who signed the contract.
Panzer says, "NOOOOO!"
Note: This is a short-medium length post. Bring a cup of tea for today's reading selection.
To read the post tootle over to Sue Grafton
Published on October 11, 2021 16:05
Panzer on humans' belief of their infallability:
Mom and What's His Name were watching a TV show about a dog tracking down a bad guy.
On the TV they showed the dog a shirt ...
And ...
He went off after the guy.
Mom told What's His Name dogs smell real good.
Phssst.
Mom says women are never wrong. Well ...
Do I have to explain it to you?
I disagree.
She's wrong this time. Dogs really stink!
That makes her wrong twice.
On the TV they showed the dog a shirt ...
And ...
He went off after the guy.
Mom told What's His Name dogs smell real good.
Phssst.
Mom says women are never wrong. Well ...

I disagree.
She's wrong this time. Dogs really stink!
That makes her wrong twice.
Published on October 11, 2021 15:35
October 9, 2021
11 Reasons Why You Should Submit Your Short Stories to Anthologies - Fiction University
Today when Panzer was washing the windshield of the Panzermobile he found something stuck under the wiper blade. Flattening it out, our fastidious kitty boy discovered it was a post from the Fiction University site about short stories.
In her post Rayne Hall lists 11 reasons why an indie author should submit their short stories to anthologies. The reasons are based on the assumption your story is accepted for inclusion in the anthology. These reasons include: you earn validation as a writer, you earn royalties, you earn name recognition and eight more reasons.
Had you heard of them?
Panzer says, "This little kitty never heard about cat anthologies before."
Note: This is a short-medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and a muffin for today's reading selection.
To read the post tootle over to Short Story Anthologies
In her post Rayne Hall lists 11 reasons why an indie author should submit their short stories to anthologies. The reasons are based on the assumption your story is accepted for inclusion in the anthology. These reasons include: you earn validation as a writer, you earn royalties, you earn name recognition and eight more reasons.

Panzer says, "This little kitty never heard about cat anthologies before."
Note: This is a short-medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and a muffin for today's reading selection.
To read the post tootle over to Short Story Anthologies
Published on October 09, 2021 22:09