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[Marie]

First time using Createspace. Never self published before so this is going to be interesting. The 24 hr wait period while they review my book of poetry is going to kill me. Bring on the vodka!

[Garrison]

It all goes back to the old adage "Hurry up and wait". It's a lovely phrase, but not one of my favorites.

[Angie]

Guys, I need some help please! I know that there's a type of electronic currency used on the internet, but I can't for the life of me remember what it's called and I don't know enough about it to find it on Google. Does anyone know what it's called?

[Kymela]

Bitcoin.

[Angie]

Thank you, Saira! It's been bothering me for hours.

[Guy]

Yes. I incorporated a discussion about bitcoin in the course I wrote called 'Economics Debunked.'

[[deleted user]]

Hey Pirates, here's a question from Bill. Your thoughts are appreciated, thank you :)

****

I'd like to get some feedback on how other authors review books. What criteria do you follow? What are the dos and don'ts? How do grammatical mistakes factor in? I'm about to give my first review and want to make sure i'm on the same page as everyone else.

When I first joined Goodreads, I was prompted to rate 20 books that I'd read previously, which I did. Almost all of the titles I rated are very well known, a lot of them are considered "classics." Even so, I only gave 5 stars to my absolute favorites. One book in particular is making me question my reviewing criteria: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Obviously, it's a great book; it's read in most high schools for Christ's sake. But I never really got into it, and if asked for my thoughts, would say, "Meh, it was OK." I gave it 3 stars.

My last question (or series of questions) is this: If I gave a "classic" 3 stars...then where does that leave Billy-Joe Crunkenstein and his book about were-raccoons? Are those 20 book ratings of mine flawed? Too harsh? Should I rate indie books on a different scale than well-known, traditionally published titles?

Criteria may vary from author to author; so please comment if you feel you have something to add...for Billy-Joe's sake.

[Connie]

Leslie wrote: "Hey Pirates, here's a question from Bill. Your thoughts are appreciated, thank you :)

****

I'd like to get some feedback on how other authors review books. What criteria do you follow? What are t..."
I don't think it's possible to have a standardized way to rate books, because there are so many personal reasons why they do or don't appeal to different people.

I rate mine based on my own personal enjoyment.If the grammar is poor enough to have interfered with my reading enjoyment, I'll note it in my comments.

I don't care if a book is obscure, a classic, or a current best seller. I've given good and bad rating to all three.

[Garrison]

I'm not sure if this will answer all of Bill's questions, but this is my own personal way of judging books, movies, and TV shows.



1. Extra Credit (5 Stars): This is an extremely rare grade that I give to a medium that I not only liked, but thought it exceeded expectations. Whenever I watch something, I usually expect that it will be likeable. When I give something an EC grade, it really blew me away and changed me forever. The only movie to get this grade so far is The Lego Movie, because it gave me the creative fuel I needed to get out of a slump of depression.

2. Pass (4 stars): This is the most common grade I’ve given any movie, TV show, match, or book. When I watch something, I want to enjoy it, so I don’t intentionally pick out flaws or even dig very deep to find them. An example of a UFC match with a passing grade is the 2013 Fight of the Year, Gilbert Melendez vs. Diego Sanchez. It was exciting, just like a UFC match should be.

3. Mixed (3 stars): This is exactly how it sounds. I liked whatever I was watching or reading, but not enough to give it a passing grade. I liked it despite the overwhelming number of flaws in the medium, and these are things that are obvious enough to even the most brain-dead viewers. The only movie to receive this grade so far is Dead Man Down, where the lack of screen time for Bad News Barrett and the unresolved and overwhelming bullying storyline prevent it from being a favorite.

4. Fail (2 stars): I’ve watched the show or read the book all the way through and I hated it. Very rarely will I finish a book or show that I hate, but it does happen, more often with TV and movies than with books. The last time I gave a failing grade was when I was reviewing a UFC lightweight bout between Clay Guida and Gray Maynard. While Gray was swinging away, Clay was evasive and timid, which made a brutal brawl an impossibility between these two. Clay Guida almost got points taken away by referee Dan Miragliotta for being a cowardly fighter. Almost is not enough.

5. Did Not Finish (1 star): In other words, the medium was so bad that I couldn’t stand to see it all the way through without having my brain explode. Normally when I can’t finish a book, I put it down and that’s the last you’ll ever hear from me. No reviews, just a brief show of frustration in a few characters or less. An example of a book I would give a DNF grade to is “Fifty Shades Darker” by EL James. Christian Grey is an unbearable asshole who doesn’t deserve to have a girlfriend in the first place, and yet, Anastasia Steele is so love sick that she’ll shack up with anybody at this point whether they’re nice or mean.

[Guy]

Hey Leslie.
A book review is one's own personal reaction to a book, with or without explanation. Although elaboration, when done well, is helpful. That a book is held in esteem by anyone or any group does not factor in on my personal reaction to the book, although I may question my own reaction to a 'popular' book to better understand both who I am and the context of the society within which I find myself.

For example, I have rated the EXTREMELY popular and critically acclaimed books The Lord of the Flies and The Lion and the Witch and the Wardrobe only 1 star. But perhaps I am not a good example of what to do in the writing world. But, for better or for worse, this is my opinion.

[Angie]

I'm not sure if any of you guys already know this, but I learned it today and thought it might be useful for fantasy writers who are looking for an alternative fuel or light source for their stories besides wood, candles, or oil.

Calcium carbide reacts with water to produce a type of flammable gas that can give off light when ignited. It is how miners powered the lamps on their helmets and certain types of vintage lamps are powered this way.

For you more violent types, this gas is also used to propel projectiles from certain types of cannons.

I hope this was helpful :)

[Garrison]

Since I qualify as one of the violent types, I could probably use that gas to shoot off a spiked cannonball. I repeat, a SPIKED cannonball. (Laughs evilly)

[Ryan]

Hi All,

This morning I received the message below from Melissa Andres. She has left the WSS and Goodreads for a time in order to deal with life's craziness. I've always been amazed by the consistency and quality of poems and stories that Melissa has submitted in her time with us. Her comments, feedback, friendly conversation and company will be missed.

From Melissa:
I just wanted to let everyone in the group know that I am, regretfully, having to drop out of GoodReads for a while. I have been unable to participate as of late because I have so many things going on. I wasn't sure how to send this to everyone in our group so if you could pass this information on for me I would greatly appreciate it. When things slow down (hopefully soon!) I will definitely be back. I sure miss the weekly contests and feel as if I have made many good friends.

Thanks so much!

Melissa :(

[C. J., Cool yet firm like ice]

Angie wrote: "I'm not sure if any of you guys already know this, but I learned it today and thought it might be useful for fantasy writers who are looking for an alternative fuel or light source for their storie..."

Awesome! It's funny you say about this because I was coming up with little ideas for a fantasy story that would hopefully make up a series over time. Thanks for the facts, Angie!

Update: Oh... I feel dumb. The current story contest is "Light in the Dark." Hey I might work on part of this story and post a chapter for this week's contest!!

[C. J., Cool yet firm like ice]

Ryan wrote: "Hi All,

This morning I received the message below from Melissa Andres. She has left the WSS and Goodreads for a time in order to deal with life's craziness. I've always been amazed by the consiste..."

Oh no! Hope things work out. I'll pray for the best!

[Garrison]

Ryan wrote: "Hi All,

This morning I received the message below from Melissa Andres. She has left the WSS and Goodreads for a time in order to deal with life's craziness. I've always been amazed by the consiste..."

She's an amazing storyteller and an awesome human being. If anybody has the strength to get through life's obstacles, it's her. We'll miss you, Melissa-Pie! :(

[Edward]

Anyone interesting in the Shannara television show adaptation (and terrified by who's doing it)?

[Guy]

Congratulations to Ajay! His beautiful poem has been shortlisted in Amy King's poetry competition. Get out and vote for our long time pirate! :-)

[Guy]

Here's link to read the poems:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

And link to the poll:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...

[Garrison]

Congratulations, Ajay! We're all rooting for you! :)

[Ryan]

What a perfect birthday present! Well done, Ajay and Happy Birthday too, mate :)

[Ajay]

Thank you, Guy!
Thank you, Garrison!
Thank you, R!

I'm on cloud nine. And yes, it's the perfect birthday present I could have hoped for! :)

[Guy]

And happy birthday! :-)

[Garrison]

Several weeks ago, the two stray kitties who visited me and my family every night, Luna and Nacho, were taken to the Humane Society to be given better homes than the streets (they were too shy to live in our house). Here’s the update on them.

Luna, the brown seal-point kitty with icy blue eyes, was dying from feline cancer and irritable bowel syndrome. The Humane Society did everything they could to keep her alive, but ultimately, she had to be euthanized due to being in constant pain. This made me sad when Mom talked about it.

Nacho, the yellowish-orange kitty, is FIV+ and could only be adopted either as the only cat in the home or with another FIV+ cat. Nacho was successfully adopted alongside another FIV+ cat and is living in a happy and loving home.

I have pictures of both cats in my Animal Family folders on Face Book and Deviant Art if you want to see them. There’s even one where Luna and Nacho are in the same shot and have been dubbed the feline super couple LuNacho.

I also have a synopsis in my private creative writing folder of a story idea where Luna and Nacho are the main characters. In this case, they’re living in a land of magic and mysticism known as Orchardville. Luna is a wizard kitty and Nacho is the stud muffin warrior who rescues her.

Rest in peace, Luna-Tuna. Live well, Macho-Nacho.

[Guy]

Thank you for the update, Garrison.

[Garrison]

You're welcome, Guy. I'll always remember the cool comments people made about my animal-themed short stories, so I figured I owed everyone here an update on them.

[Ajay]

Hi, guys. I just wanted to drop in and share one of my favorite poems ( from six grade). I know, it would have been a solid contender for this week's topic : 'Flea Market'.


In The Bazaars Of Hyderabad

What do you sell O ye merchants ?
Richly your wares are displayed.
Turbans of crimson and silver,
Tunics of purple brocade,
Mirrors with panels of amber,
Daggers with handles of jade.

What do you weigh, O ye vendors?
Saffron and lentil and rice.
What do you grind, O ye maidens?
Sandalwood, henna, and spice.
What do you call , O ye pedlars?
Chessmen and ivory dice.

What do you make,O ye goldsmiths?
Wristlet and anklet and ring,
Bells for the feet of blue pigeons
Frail as a dragon-fly’s wing,
Girdles of gold for dancers,
Scabbards of gold for the king.

What do you cry,O ye fruitmen?
Citron, pomegranate, and plum.
What do you play ,O musicians?
Cithar, sarangi and drum.
what do you chant, O magicians?
Spells for aeons to come.

What do you weave, O ye flower-girls
With tassels of azure and red?
Crowns for the brow of a bridegroom,
Chaplets to garland his bed.
Sheets of white blossoms new-garnered
To perfume the sleep of the dead.

-Sarojini Naidu

[[deleted user]]

HI!

[Angie]

Thanks for the update, Garrison! It's good to hear that both of them are in better situations now; though it's always sad to have to put an animal down, sometimes it's the best we can do for them. It's also fortunate that Nacho found a home. I spent weeks looking for a home for a friend's 8 year old tuxedo cat after they found out she couldn't live with their new baby.

[Garrison]

Thank you for your condolences for Luna-Tuna, Angie. She was a sweet kitty even though she was too shy to come in the house. She gave my family lots of good memories. As far as Nacho goes, maybe he could roll around and play with your friend's tuxedo kitty. They'd probably be sweet together! ^_^

[Guy]

Ajay, what a delightful and wonder-filled poem! Love it! Thank you for sharing.

[Garrison]

That was a damn good poem, Ajay! Thanks for sharing that with us! Not only would it be a strong contender this week, but it'd probably win the whole thing! :)

[Garrison]

I posted this journal entry on Deviant Art and thought it applied to this place as well:


This coming Wednesday (September 9th), I’m headed to the airport to begin my family vacation in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. I come home from vacation on the 14th of that same month. That means I’ll spend five days in a place that has been described as “beautiful” and “dog friendly” by my mother. I’ve been in lots of places that were beautiful and dog friendly from Monterey Bay, California to Long Beach, Washington to Seaside, Oregon to Victoria, BC, Canada. If Steamboat Springs promises the same thing as those places, I’m in for a relaxing and stress-free vacation, which is the only kind of vacation I’ll do these days.

For all of you internet folk, it means the same thing as every other time I go on vacation: limited internet access and an inability to create new pieces of art whether it’s writing, photography, or drawing. For Deviant Art and Face Book, this means the most activity you’ll get out of me is replying to messages and nothing more. For Good Reads, particularly the WSS Contest, it means I won’t be able to participate in that week’s competition. For Read Together, Blog Together, don’t worry about a thing, because as soon as I get back from vacation, the first thing I’m going to do is read and review “So…I Met a Vampire” by Paul McAvoy. Last and sure as hell not least, Mr. Andy Peloquin, you don’t need to worry about a thing either, because your September 8th guest blog post about music and creativity will go live at midnight that day. Blogger.com allows for delayed posting, so I’m not scrambling to put things together at the last minute.

Just like with all vacations past, present, and future, I will return to the internet and I will get settled back into my daily routine. Try not to laugh when I say “daily routine”. I may be jobless, but that doesn’t mean I sit around with my thumbs in my ass all day long. Hehe! We’ve got ears, say cheers!

[Guy]

Have a great vacation Garrison. A break from the internet is just what the body likely wants and perhaps needs. :-)

[Garrison]

There's a lot of truth to that, Guy. Thanks, man! :)

[Garrison]

There’s been a change of plans regarding the vacation to Steamboat Springs. When my mom, step-dad, and I had dinner together, I just then found out that the vacation would involve many hours of car travel since Steamboat Springs isn’t the only destination. Wyoming and Denver were the other two places we were planning to go since there’s family in Wyoming and Denver is where the actual airport is. I can tolerate long airplane and car rides as long as they’re few and far between. This vacation in particular means I have to go for five or six hour car rides almost every day. I can’t sit on my ass for that long since I would get insanely bored, irritably impatient, and physically sore. I don’t care how loudly Phil Anselmo is growling in my ears or how many kick-ass matches Daniel Bryan talks about in his book, because books and music only make lengthy travel a LITTLE bit better. I’ve been on many vacations with my parents where long distance car travel plagued what was supposed to be a good time. Therefore, at dinner, I told my parents that it would be best if they went on vacation without me while I stay home and babysit the animals with my brother. The best part about making that decision was that my mom was very understanding about it and didn’t put up any resistance to it. I can even quote her as saying the exact words, “I often forget that what’s fun for me can be a trial to you.” She’s right. It’s the price of being an extroverted mother with an introverted son. But she accepts that and is okay with my decision to stay home.

[Guy]

Welcome back before you were gone! :-)

[Garrison]

It's good to be back...even though I never left. :)

[Nicky]

Ajay wrote: "Hi, guys. I just wanted to drop in and share one of my favorite poems ( from six grade). I know, it would have been a solid contender for this week's topic : 'Flea Market'.


In The Bazaars Of Hyd..."

What a lovely poem, Ajay - I've never read it before. I can see why you loved it as a child. I think I will read it to my girls later, I've a feeling that it will spark their imaginations. Thankyou for posting it.

My favorites as a child that were read to me by my Mum were:
Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelly, The Tyger by William Blake, The Listeners by Walter de la Mare and Sea Fever by John Masefield - I can't think how many times we must have got Mum to read those over the years and I read them to mine two now.

[Guy]

Nicky, your comment got me to think about poems my parents read to is, and I don't remember them reading any! Which is odd, because we were read to all the time. Other than Dr. Seuss, perhaps the greatest children's poet of all time, the first 'real' poem I remember is Casey at the Bat. And I'm not sure if that counts.

[Guy]

us*

[M]

I just read “In the Bazaars of Hyderabad.” What a beautiful poem! I had never heard of Sarojini Naidu.

[Kayleigh]

Can someone help? I have so many books I'm dying to read, but I have 250 pages left of this book (A song for the dying) and I just can't get through it, it's not that it's not good, and I want to finish it, I just cant get myself motivated to actually read. Please help? D:

[Angie]

Maybe just come back to the book later?

[Guy]

Hello Kayleigh. I don't have a cure for you. And I am not sure that there is one. I too have gone through phases of not being able to read, which on the surface would seem to be as likely to have happened to me as my getting the hair on my head back. Yet it did happen. I would suggest letting it go. The 'requirement' you have put on yourself to read. A curious thing about pushing is that it automatically makes manifest the push back -- otherwise you aren't pushing. Relax. reading is a joy and pleasure and for learning, and like all thing sometimes you and your body and spirit need a break from any activity regardless the joy it brings. And when the time is right you will easily and joyfully read again. See, I was no help at all. ;-) Be well and enjoy the reading sabatical. :-)

[Kayleigh]

Thank you both, I've only got another 100 pages, I bought a new book and my excitement to read it has pushed me to finishing this one. Thanks again. :)

[Guy]

Hey you guys! High five and congratulations to Jim and M for making the short list in Amy King's poetry competition! Great entries in a very good finale. :-)

[Garrison]

Next Friday, as in October 30th, the day before Halloween, Mom, Dale, and I are getting on an airplane to New Orleans for a vacation on Bourbon Street. I’ve been to New Orleans before and that was in 2011. The necromantic party animal culture of that city is very appealing despite me being a hardcore introvert. I’ll fit right in when I put on my navy blue jumpsuit and Slipknot mask for a night of Halloween fun. I’ve been meaning to take a selfie of me in my Slipknot costume, but I don’t have a smart phone and I haven’t been able to get anybody to take the picture using my regular camera. Don’t worry, the picture will come in due time. Plus, since I’m wearing a creepy mask, it won’t matter if I smile or not. Hehe!

Just like with any vacation I take, my time in a new city will mean time away from the internet. For Deviant Art, that means no new pieces of art will be uploaded during that time. For the WSS group on Good Reads, it means I’ll take a one-week sabbatical from the contests (though I still plan on competing in the “Patterns” prompt). For Face Book, it means my “heavy metal for the day” and “Ungrateful Mind Rewired” posts will be nonexistent (sorry, Jamie!).

But just like all good things, my vacation in New Orleans will eventually end and I’ll be back home to get the creative juices flowing yet again. I leave on Friday, October 30th and I return home on Wednesday, November 4th. As much as I love spending time with my online family, a break from the everyday grind is just what the doctor ordered. I opted out of the Steamboat Springs vacation back in September, though that was the right choice because sitting on my ass during long car rides would have driven me nuts. New Orleans will be a better choice for me, so I’m definitely getting on that plane.

If you’re planning on robbing my house while I’m away, there are two things you need to know. One, you’ll never find it in a million years. Two, even if you do, you’ll have a pissed off older brother and a spitfire niece to contend with. I don’t like your odds. Hehe! We’ve got ears, say cheers!

[Guy]

Sounds like you will have a great time Garrison. Be well.

[Garrison]

Thanks, Guy. It'll be tons of fun. :)