Raven Oak's Blog, page 53

Typical Writer Afternoon

So amidst the chaos of moving before they gut the condo to repair the flood damage, I’m trying oh-so-hard to get work done. I thought it was time that I share with you the typical writer afternoon…with cats.

I want to write. I need to write. Which is really hard when this happens:

Yo, Imma let you finish, but first I gotta stop this writing thing.

I thought maybe he’d settle down to sleep so I could work without his head and tail in the way. Of course not.

Instead, he decided I wasn’t paying enou...

Dead Gardens are Dead

I’ve never liked the phrase green thumb in regards to gardening.

It reminds me of fungal infections gone wrong, of which I could post some gruesome photos. In an effort to keep your vomit from your keyboard, I’ll post the picture to the left instead.

You get the idea.

I’m not a green thumb by ANY means. If it’s green, I kill it through neglect or I’m allergic to it and am wishing it dead anyways. Since I know this about myself, I’ve always hired folks with the touch to do what I cannot–garden.

I...

Sinking like the Titanic

This week’s plans have been sinking like the Titanic…or my floors (more on that momentarily).

I’m supposed to have a Flashback or Flashforward Friday today, but I’m still swimming in contractor and insurance hell while juggling too many other things (like writing deadlines, the approaching WorldCon, and ya know–that huge task of selling the condo, buying a home, and moving). Since I’m a bit overwhelmed, I’ll give you a wrap up of my week so you can pity me. Yes, pity me, because dammit, I dese...

Book Cover Throwback: Animal Farm

This week’s Book Cover Throwback: Animal Farm by George Orwell.

What I Love about This Cover: These two are harboring some serious animosity. It’s not good for the soul.

Joy to the Worlds Cover Reveal

I’m pretty excited about this mysterious speculative fiction collection. I’ve got two stories in it: “The Ringers” and “Ol’ St. Nick.” Beyond my two, there are six other fabulous stories.

Excited though I am, I’m even more excited to share the cover by Andrea Orlic. Make sure you click on it to see it larger. Once you read “Ol’ St. Nick,” you’ll understand the cover better.

Pre-orders coming soon.

The post Joy to the Worlds Cover Reveal appeared first on Raven Oak.

Monday Night Gaming: Rhino Hero

This week’s Monday Night Gaming: Rhino Hero

Publisher: HABA

# of Players: 2-5 players

Best with: 3 players

Playing Time: 10-20 minutes

# of Expansions: 0

# of Parts: Rule book, 31 roof cards, 28 walls, 1 foundation card, 1 Super Rhino.

This was another of those “need a quick playing game” games that we picked up to play. It’s definitely a game for a younger audience or parents playing with their children, but it was fun enough.

General Mechanics:
The game has a similar mechanic to Jenga, in that you...

Podcast appearances

With the release of Class-M Exile in June, there have been a few podcast appearances to note–

If you’re a listener of the SFFAudio Podcast, they briefly discussed Class-M Exile‘s release on episode #322. They called it military sci-fi…which is briefly off-the-mark, but it’s all good. After all, there is a military conspiracy in the plot.

Flashback Friday: Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed

This week’s Flashback Friday: Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed aka The Naming of Names by Ray Bradbury.

When I first read this short story, it was titled “Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed,” rather than its original name “The Naming of Names.” I read it as part of The Martian Chronicles, which has many excellent stories about Mars. They’re a bit dated now, but when I read them back in the ’90’s, I could picture the red planet, breath in the dust of red clay, and watch my eyes change from green to...

Book Cover Throwback: The Martian Chronicles

This week’s Book Cover Throwback: The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury.

Click to view much larger.

What I Love about This Cover: It’s a beautifully envisioned Mars. I love everything about it: the architectural curves, the Marsians, all of it.

What I Don’t Love about This Cover: Nothing.

Click here to view other Book Cover Throwbacks.

The post Book Cover Throwback: The Martian Chronicles appeared first on Raven Oak.

Water, water everywhere

Water, water everywhere and nary a drop to drink…

I mean that literally because our kitchen is currently inaccessible. While I was away at Cascade Writers’ Workshop this past weekend, the condo unit above us had a hot water heater failure. Since no one was home all day, the water flooded 5 rooms of our condo–walls, ceilings, and hard wood floors. Most of what was damaged was photos, memorabilia from my teaching days, and files as the closet in my office took the hardest hit. The kitchen was th...