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Conestoga Convention Report
2007-07-26 13:16:00
Every year, Tulsa, Ok holds a Science Fiction and Fantasy convention called Conestoga Con. One of my three publishers has always had a huge presence there and since I got included in attendee lists for the publisher two or three times last year when I was NOT going, I figured it was fate giving me a hint I should go. So I did!The con was held on 7/20 thru 7/22/07. Guests of Honor were Laurell K Hamilton and Eric Flint. John Picacio was the Artist Guest of Honor (His stuff rocks!). Elizabeth Moon was the Toastmistress.(She sings!):P The dealer's room is rather small, so no individual tables were being sold to authors. Luckily, Yard Dog Press buys two tables, one which they use to rent space to their authors to show other books by them, so I was able to squeeze a spot. As I understand it, there were less programming tracks than in previous years, but the ones I was part of always had plenty of folks attending and looked to be well received.Got to meet several people I know o...
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Weird Al Yankovik Concert
2007-07-19 13:20:00
For those who may not know, Weird Al Yankovik is a parody song performer. He creates parody lyrics to popular songs as well as creates new songs of his own, all with a comedic slant. (If you've never heard any of his music, he has several free videos on his site, so you can get a taste of his music and showmanship!)I've listened to his music for over twenty years. Never once did I ever think he either toured, or that he would do so in Dallas! (I've gotten to see so many people I never thought I ever would in the last couple of years, it's mind boggling.)As most things tend to happen, where I am concerned, I only learned about the concert by accident. My daughter's fiance had been invited to go as part of a birthday party celebration and she happened to mention it offhand in a wistful tone. She, like my husband and I, really enjoy Weird Al 's music. So I got to work! (Hubby has to coaxed to decide he wants to go out into the world.) And low and behold, Weird Al really w...
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June and July Madness
2007-07-12 13:12:00
2007 has proven so far to possibly be one of the weirdest years ever for me. Between the obsession, unexpected upsets on things that have been pretty straight forward for years, the weird rash of coincidences, and more, it's been pretty odd. And now there is more!Over four weeks ago, the building where I work got hit by lighting at 4:44Pm on Friday. The lightning hit one of the numerous air conditioning units, and the sucker caught on fire. We got sent home about 10 minutes early so the fire department could come do their thing. On that Monday, the units were all off, so it was hotter than hey in there for 1/2 of the day, but there was an extra surprise - someone had come by the building and thrown a couple of raw eggs close to the windows by my boss's office - kind of like insult to injury.Well, then we move on to two weeks later.On this Friday, the credit group picked up the mail from the PO Boxes for out client's mail having to do with their products as they do daily. No...
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Coincidence
2007-07-05 13:11:00
Coincidence - Per Refdesk.com 1) The state or fact of occupying the same relative position or area in space. 2) A sequence of events that although accidental seems to have been planned or arranged.Coincidences have followed me around for a long time. They occur so much in fact, my husband has ceased to be amazed by their frequency. For me, they cover all sorts of things. Seeing the same type of unusual car several times all in a few days. Looking at the clock and the time being all the same digits. 5:55 is my most prevalent, but I see a lot of 2:22, 11:11, 1:11, 3:33, and 4:44 (These are either coincidences or I have some weird innate time sense thing going on.) :P Heck I won't even mention the lightning strike at work 2 weeks ago that did happen at 4:44. Heh heh.Some coincidence chains happen over a very short time, others over months. They don't normally have a rhyme or reason, at least not one I can see anyway. I've been told my great grandmother was somewhat of a...
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Book Review - Black Powder War
2007-07-01 23:55:00
Black Powder Warby Naomi NovikPremise: Now that the troubles with China have been mostly resolved, Laurence and Temeraire will get to go home. However, before they are able to leave, orders arrive that they must retrieve three eggs purchased from the Ottoman Empire. With their ship disabled, they have no choice but to take the more dangerous overland route, as time if of the essence.Review : Deserts, marauders, and war are but a few of the things our intrepid heroes must face on their way to their goal. Not only is their path filled with peril but they find that one of their enemies, the albino dragon, Lien, has followed them from China and thrown her lot in with Napoleon. Things grow worse as when they reach Istanbul, and they are told the eggs will be denied them as payment was never made. As if things weren't complicated enough, Laurence is still having to deal with Temeraire's enthusiasm to find ways to liberate British dragons from servitude and makings things more like...
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Book Review - Throne of Jade
2007-07-01 23:36:00
Throne of Jade by Naomi NovakPremise: The Chinese have come to demand their stolen dragon back. And the British Empire seems inclined to kowtow to their demands. Laurence defies them when he refuses to lie to Temeraire just to make his kidnapping back to China any easier. In the end, there is no choice but to take him along as well.Review : Still in the midst of the war with France, Laurence and Temeraire are forced to leave their friends and embark on a long ship voyage to China. Yet within days, there are problems, their ship is unexpectedly attacked, series of seeming accidents. And when they reach China itself, there is the issue of the totally unexpected and different treatment of dragon kind in the Asian country - here, dragons can own property, shop, walk the streets. They even are allowed to mature for a time before choosing their human companion. With Temeraire's exposure to the slave trade on the way there and then his education of how dragons are treated in Chin...
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Book Review - Summerworld
2007-07-01 23:15:00
Summerworldby Serdar YegulalpPremise: Dr. Hirofumi Gô received a postcard from a patient who has been dead over three years. In the card, Masuda invites Gô to join him for a couple of days at a resort in Echino. Though totally impossible, Gô recognized the hand writing as legitimate. Masuda - Gô's one truly heartfelt failure as a psychiatrist. He feels he has no choice but to go find out what's going on.Review : This is a fun psychological and action packed tale. When Gô goes to the resort, he finds that somehow he has managed to enter an unexpected world, one which can be shaped by the survivors into amalgamations of past and present. Gô gets pulled deeper into the mysteries, embroiled into politics and maneuverings for power as he seeks to find his friend and also learn more about what is happening to the world he knew now that the veil between realities has broken. Mr. Yegulalp does a wonderful job with descriptions and giving you a real sense of this new Japan. ...
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Back to my roots - For the love of Writing
2007-06-28 13:05:00
With my recent obsession with the TV Show Supernatural, my *ahem* current project got shoved to the side as an undeniable need to write some fan fiction came over me.My roots go back to fan fiction. My first 100 to 200K words were fan fiction after I wrote the novel that shall not be named. Fan fiction, and the wonderful input of some very well versed fans, was where I cut my teeth on this whole writing thing. Where I had epiphanies, and gained understanding. Everything I am as a writer sprang from there first. And while I still dabble in it once a year or so to that first fan fic love Kagaku Ninjatai Gatchaman, it wasn't something I had ever planned to pursue again. I was trying to make a name for myself out in the "get paid for your writing" world, right?I tried to fight it. I really did! I had some short stories that needed work. I was slowly but surely plodding forward on my latest fantasy novel. The last thing I needed was to be distracted by other things! Soon, how...
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The Dark side of Fandom or A Fan's Responsibility
2007-06-21 13:07:00
This topic has been on my mind for several weeks. Been fighting with how to broach it and haven't had much success figuring out the best way. So I figured I'd just jump in with both feet and see where it took me.Before I became a published author, I was fan. Still am a fan. Will probably always be a fan of something or other till the end of my days. Being a fan is an exilirating thing. Full of posibilities, excitement, drama, and agnst. Depending on how deeply something touches your heart, it can even make dreary days pass faster, giving you something to look forward to seeing or hearing when you get off work.In our generation, the possibilities have never been so ripe for fandom. Shows, books, music, movies can touch people in the millions. All those people can then share with you the same thrill for the particular thing. The internet and email have opened up the virtual world so that no matter where you live, you can find people who love the same things as you. In mer...
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A Fangirl's Day Out - Casa Mañana's "A Few Good Men"
2007-06-14 13:13:00
Earlier this year, once I realized I had an "obsession" with the CW's Supernatural, I joined a Yahoo group. On the very first day, they posted news that had my fangirl heart racing. The main actors in Superntarual are Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles. Both are Texas boys! Booyah! One from San Antonio and the other from Richardson, my own backyard. Well, the news the group had to share was the fact that Casa Mañana, a small theater in the Fort Worth area, was putting on the play "A Few Good Men" and was staring Texan actors who made it big -- mainly Lou Diamond Phillips and Jensen Ackles!!! The play would run from 6/5 to 6/10/07. Now, like I have stated before, I've never had an obsession before. I've had stuff I liked, stuff I've been excited about, but NEVER like this. The day I found out about Jensen Ackles playing here and that I would have the chance to see his work live, I was pretty much a total freak. I wouldn't have been surprised if I'd had a heart attack....
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Gestures and Body Language - the unspoken dialog
2007-06-07 13:26:00
There are many critical pieces to writing. Some are immediately obvious - dialog, using the senses, good grammar and sentence structure. Other are more subtle, but as badly needed - pacing, the flow (or music) of the words themselves, and character gestures/body language.In a visual medium, gestures and body language tend to be subconscious clues we see as part of the whole picture, which if the actor is worth anything, will convey or emphasize emotions and relationships. They can add flavor and meaning to dialog, or even impart dialog without a word ever needing to be said. The actors Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, from the show Supernatural (oh yeah, plug the obsession why don't you?), are masters at this. You can pick up just about any episode and watch these two communicate with gestures and glances, or see their body postures add to whatever is going on whether things are being said or not. One beautiful example is at the end of the second season episode called "Pla...
More About: Body , Language , Dialog , The U , Spoken

Youtube - the new time sink
2007-05-31 13:32:00
Over the years we've all gotten links forwarded to us by friends to funny videos or homemade music videos and such. I always enjoyed these things when sent to me, but to be totally honest, I never much paid attention to the hosting site of Youtube ...that is until recently...About a month ago, some friends online, also infected by my very first obsession EVER, Supernatural, sent a link to a music video up on Youtube. Awesome work in integrating scenes of the show to angsty music. I enjoyed it so much, that for once, I actually looked at what else was on the page. And guess what! There were listings to the side of other videos on the same subject. So I clicked one. Ooooo! Another gorgeous video on the boys! And another! And another! There were hundreds of the things, on just this one show! I forced myself to close the browser. (Checked again today, search brings up 21,100 approximate matches. Eek.)On another day, I went back to Youtube. I figured, how much stuff could t...
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Book Reviewing Course at The Long Short Story Schoo of Writing
2007-05-26 22:29:00
One of my writer buds, Mayra Calvari, will be teaching a course on book reviewing at the Long Story Short School of Writing .The course begins in September. Below is a description of the course taken from the site:THE ART OF BOOK REVIEWINGCourse IntroductionAre you passionate about books? Do you have a talent for easily capturing the essence of a book after having read it? Do you often feel the desire to share your thoughts about a book with readers? If you’ve answered "Yes" to these questions, then book reviewing can be one of the most satisfying, rewarding activities you’ll ever undertake. In fact, book reviewing can become addictive.In this course you will learn how to write a well-written, honest, objective and professional book review, the different types of reviews, how to rate books, the signs of an amateur, what to do with terrible books, the legalities and ethics of reviews, how to publish your reviews and even make money while you’re at it. In sum, everything you’l...
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To Outline or Not to Outline
2007-05-24 13:22:00
This is a question that seems to come up all the time at panels and in general writing discussions. There are people on both sides of the camp and never a lot of agreement as to what to do.To me though, Writing, like art, is one of those things were you can take lessons, read books, practice techniques, but in the end, you have to find the way to do it that feels the most comfortable to YOU. No one formula will work for everyone, no matter how much you try to force it. And sadly a lot of the classes out there try to fit the square peg into a round hole, even though it's not necessary.Asking whether you should outline or not is like asking if you should write in the mornings or in the afternoons. Do whichever one feels right for you. If you have no idea, try each of them out and see which one gives you the best results.If you're the type of person who likes to have a road map before beginning on a journey, outline. If you are more of a drive by the seat of your pants type of ...
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First Class
2007-05-17 13:14:00
In many many many things I am a self acknowledged n00b (newbie - greenhorn - clueless! Online speak). And there are also many things in life I've yet to experience. Well, I can strike one of those off the list - going First Class on an airplane.Honestly though, I avoided doing it for years, only because I had a horrible feeling I would like it and flying would never be the same again. And I wasn't wrong! (Those of you who've had the opportunity to fly first class know what I'm talking about. Booyah!)By now, those of you who've never flown first class, are asking yourselves - "okay yeah, bigger seats, more space. So what?" So what?! Let me tell you! There is so much more to it than just those things! More than I thought there would be, that's for sure...1) You board first. (Okay yeah, this might not be that big a perk, some might say, but if the plane boards past the first class area, you get more... see #2)2) Pre-flight drinks! Yeppers, while everyone else is fig...
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His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik Premise: W...
2007-05-13 17:30:00
His Majesty 's Drag onby Naomi NovikPremise: Will Laurence is a Captain in His Majesty's Navy. When he and his crew take over a French frigate, they find an unexpected prize - an unhatched dragon egg. Unfortunately, it looks like it is about to hatch, and so must be bound to a partner immediately. This spells doom for one of the officers of the crew, a lot effort Laurence includes himself in. And despite his not having drawn the lot, he still ends up being the one the dragon chooses. Life as he's known it is no more.Review: While I had some issues with her heavy use of semi colons in the very beginning, once the egg shows up, I was caught and never looked back. Novik totally catches the wonderful flavor of the era she is covering and beautifully integrates the concept of dragons into the woven tapestry of the world. Prized by the government and at the same time shunned by society, Laurence gets immersed into the life of an aviator and learns why they are as they are first ...
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Cat in a Red Hot Rage by Carole Nelson Douglas P...
2007-05-13 17:02:00
Cat in a Red Hot Rage by Carol e Nelson Doug lasPremise: This the 19th book in the Midnight Louie Mystery series. This volume brings into play the Red Hat Sisterhood - an organization for women over 50 that encourages freedom, fun, and that life is not lost once that benchmark is reached. For PR wiz Temple Barr, this gig should have been a piece of cake - that is until murder enters the scene and Electra Lark, Temple's fun loving landlady becomes the prime suspect.Review: For those of you still screaming from the cliff hanger in book 18, you will still be screaming. Aside from some very subtle hints, we still don't know what exactly has happened to Max after the piece of sabotage at the Neon Nightmare club. But there is still plenty going on to keep our minds occupied and away from the happenings with Mr. Max Kinsela. Things continue to heat up between Temple and Matt. Lines have been drawn and crossed! We get info on Electra Lark's past and even get to meet her ex (or is he...
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Book Review - Hannibal Rising
2007-05-13 16:29:00
Hannibal Risingby Thomas HarrisPremise: Taking you back to World War 2, we meet Hannibal Lecter as an eight year old and walk with him through the paths of memory to a childhood destroyed by war, as so many were in that time. Losing partial memory due to the trauma of one specific event, Hannibal is eventually found by his uncle and taken in. But though the war is over, tragedy still strikes his life, and the horrid pall of those moments not remembered still haunt him, wanting resolution.Review : Though this book is about Hannibal Lecter, the terror and horrors portrayed within are different from those covered in the others books - so if you are looking for the same as the previous ones, you might be disappointed. But keeping that in mind, it is well worth reading! Most of the atrocities are not perpetrated by Hannibal, which only makes them even more gruesome because things like this truly happened during the war. The book is imbued throughout with the wonderful flavors of Eu...
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Madten’s Mother’s Day Contest – Still time to win!
2007-05-10 13:26:00
I am giving you all an extra chance since info posted around had bad dates. Here's my excerpt for the week. Just answer the questions at the bottom of my entry at MADTEN. Feel free to look at the excerpts from the others for a chance to win their books as well!Vassal of Elby Gloria Oliver Now they would whisk her away. Her days of toil and trouble were over. Homespun clothes would be replaced forever with fine robes. If she continued tripping over everything in sight, there would always be those there to catch her before she hit the floor. Her every need would be attended to. The girl he’d traveled with this while would soon be nothing more than a memory. All three councilors stood up. “So, tell us, Aen,” Valerian prompted. “How is it you’ve been returned to us?” The eyes in the chiseled, handsome face stared into her own as he towered over her. “Sir,” she said meekly. “It was my friend’s doing. He knew what the marking...
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Book Review - The Prodigal Troll
2007-05-06 23:41:00
The Prod i gal Trollby Charles Coleman FinlayPremise: This is the story of Maggot, a human child raised by Trolls, and his journey to understand his past, where he came from, and where he should go for his future.Review : Think Tarzan of the Apes, except replace it as Maggot of the Trolls. Told from different points of view, the reader gets a full sense of where Maggot came from, even if he doesn't know the details himself. The world Mr. Finlay grabs your interest and it is fascinating to see how the different cultures and races are affecting each other, Maggot caught somewhere in between. And amidst lies, deceit, and concepts Maggot has never encountered, he tries his best figure out how he can fit into the world of man - especially after he has found the woman that both excites and tortures his spirit. ***1/2!Tags: Book Review ; Gloria Oliver; The Prodigal Troll; Charles Coleman Finlay

Mother's Day Contest at the Madten Blog
2007-05-05 17:56:00
WIN A FREE AUTOGRAPHED NOVEL...VISIT OUR AUTHOR'S BLOG!In honor of Mother's Day, The Ten Mad Authors Blog is giving awayfree autographed copies of the authors' most recently published books.Simply visit the blog at:madten.wordpress.com The contest will run from May 14th until May 19th with winnersannounced on Mother's Day.Books range in genre from mystery to fantasy to alternate realityto young adult-fantasy. Titles include: Arturo el Rey, by Joan UptonHall, Lady of the Lake, by J.C. Hall, Death Game, by Cheryl Swanson,and Vassal of El, by Gloria Oliver.Moms, we're doing this to honor you, but you don't have to be amother (or even a father) to win. Don't miss the chance to discover agreat new author and get a free autographed copy of their latest novel. Tags: Contes t s; Gloria Oliver; free books; Madten
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Jensen Ackles in Dallas! A Few Good Men at Casa Mañana
2007-05-05 17:39:00
I thought it would behoove me to spread the good news. Jensen Ackles, the actor who portrays Dean Winchester in the CW's show Supernatural, will be at the Casa Mañana theater June 5th through 10th with Lou Diamond Phillips! They both will be staring in the play "A Few Good Men". Saying I am psyched is an understatement. Heh.Tags: Jensen Ackles; Dallas ; Casa Mañana; Supernatural
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Sanitize ME!
2007-05-03 13:22:00
Greetings!Did you miss me? After a week of taking in the sea air and sun, I am BACK! For those not yet privy to the info, hubby and I were off on a Disney Cruise for out 25th wedding anniversary. We had a blast! And fortunately, I think it also gave me a few topics to milk, errr, share with you all now that I have returned.First things first though... If you wish to be tortured by pictures of our trip - click here! As of today, I still haven't uploaded all of them. I'm at 250+ right now at the website and adding more daily. Gotta love those Sony Disc Cameras! Booyah! (Since I took over 2 disks worth of pics, should amount to over 500 photos when I am done. Bwahahahahaha) Oh, and no, I am not in any of the pictures, except maybe one as a reflection. I know a lot of people feel they must put themselves in pictures to prove they were there, but personally, why would I want to taint the subject of the photo with my presence? I know I was there -- I took the darn things!...

The One Way Street
2007-04-19 13:20:00
Communicating with others is something we do on a daily basis in one form or another. Yet though we practice this art all of our lives, at times it is one of the most neglected aspects of it.Lack of communication is normally cited as one of the major causes of issues at work, at home, at play. It is so easy to do and yet so taken for granted, that often it gets totally forgotten or ignored. Yet without it, misunderstandings and more can ensue. Sometimes with devastating results.As an author, communicating is a very important part of the process of writing. Books are a definite form of communication -- with them we impart knowledge, feelings, locales, situations, reactions. And the more apt we get at showing these things, the better we get at communicating with our readers. So in some ways it has been a hobby of mine to keep an eye on communicating and communication and how these relate to everyday life and therefore hopefully teaching me things to better improve my writing. ...
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Movie of the Week - Firehouse Dog
2007-04-15 23:46:00
Firehouse DogStaring: Josh Hutcherson, Bruce Greenwood, Bill Nunn, Scotch Ellis Loring, Mayte Garcia, Teddy Sears, Arwen/Frodo/Stryder/RohanPremise: This is the story of Rexxx and Shane. Rexxx is a super pampered dog star who is believed dead after an airplane accident. Shane is the son of a fireman, who is still trying to deal with the loss of his uncle, also a fireman.Review: This is an incredibly cute story. The facial expressions they put on the dogs and the scenes they steal for them out of James Bond, 10, and other places were just too cute! There are some heavy issues that are dealt with, which are handled pretty well. Josh Hutcherson does not disappoint, doing a very good job as Shane. There's action, adventure, some very heartfelt moments, and a mystery to boot. Fun film! ***1/2!!! (Hubby Rating: Worth the Price of Admission.)Tags: Movie Review; Gloria Oliver; Firehouse Dog
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Movie of the Week - Meet the Robinsons
2007-04-15 23:32:00
Meet the Robin sonsStaring: Daniel Hansen, Jordan Fry, Matthew Josten, Angela Bassett, Laureie Metcalf, Stephen J Anderson, Adam West, Wesley Singerman.Premise: All Lewis has ever wanted is a family. However, somehow, no matter what he tries, he is never picked by any of the couples who come to the orphanage looking for a boy. His time is almost up. So he decides the only thing he can do is find his original parents and that they will now be in a position to take him, unlike when they left him at the top of the orphanage stairs. To do this, he invents a Mental Recall machine. He takes it to the science fair, where he will use it for the first time and see his mother. However, he meets a strange boy called Wilbur, who says a man in a bowler hat will be after Lewis. And that is when everything starts going terribly, terribly wrong.Review: There are two versions of the film out. One in regular format, the other in Disney 3D. If you can, definitely go see it in the 3D. This m...
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Movie of the Week - TMNT
2007-04-15 23:15:00
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turles - TMNTStaring: Chris Evans, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mako, Patrick Stewart, Mitchell Whitfield, Ziyi Zhang, James Arnold Taylor, Mikey Kelley, Nolan NorthPremise: The ninja turtles are back! Leonardo has been gone a year on some solitary training to become a better leader. Meanwhile, the other three brothers have been trying to cope as best they can, taking up part time jobs. All this changes, when a planetary alignment which occurred over three thousand years ago, comes upon the world once more. Working through some internal issues, the turtles are once more thrown into having to save the world.Review: This movie is a must for any fans of TMNT. The CGI work is utterly AWESOME! The one scene where the rain falls on the back of Rafael's armor was amazing. Comedy and angst, action and combat, way too much fun. Shredder is even mentioned and a couple of hints of possible things to come. This, unfortunately is also Mako's last film. He died during...
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A problem for Authors - The Impostor Syndrome
2007-04-12 13:20:00
Some friends were talking recently and a subject came up that is near and dear to most of us authors (and others) out there, but is rarely talked about - The Impostor Syndrome .This is the feeling deep inside that you aren't at all good, that you have no right to be up there on that panel talking to fledgling writers, that your publisher is crazy for ever having agreed to publish your book. No matter how much actual success you gain, you just can't reconcile yourself to the fact your talents did that! It must be luck, or a coincidence, or someone helping you out - no way could it actually be you.At home, safe and sound, this feeling of being a fraud is not so strong. It mostly rears its ugly head when you are out there, in front of con goers, other writers (especially if you admire their work), or anyone else who approaches you that has heard you are a writer. For some, the feelings of being a fake and the guilt at daring to put themselves out there as something they know they...
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Book Review - Shaman's Crossing
2007-04-08 03:49:00
Shaman's Cross ingbyRobin HobbPremise: Nevare is a second son. And as such, his future has been decided since birth - he will be a soldier. But when his well meaning father gives him over to an old enemy to learn their ways, Nevare's path takes an unexpected turn that will work at destroying that expected future. As grows older and joins the academy, not only will he find that the structured world he has been led to believe exists, is not as black and white as he'd been told, but that he could be used as a weapon to destroy all he holds dear.Review : Wonderfully detailed world, with well constructed societies, politics, etc. The prose was smooth as silk and a delight to read. I was totally fascinated by the differing cultures and social structures as well as the hazing and other difficulties at the academy. Only difficulty I had was that the main problem was often subdued and was minimally hinted as ever getting to have an impact. When it does, it does it BIG, but it took ...
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By Hook or By Crook
2007-04-05 18:40:00
One of the most important components of a short story is the hook. In a story, the hook serves the same purpose as it does on a fishing pole. It is where you put a mental worm to entice the reader and get them to bite, hopefully reeling them all the way in so they will go ahead and read the story.In short stories, the hook normally is the first line or second line, definitely in the first paragraph. It’s just enough of a tidbit that it will entice the reader’s mind and make it hungry to find out what this is about. Just like many components of writing, it can be its own art form. And sometimes can be difficult as heck to come up with.With the changing times and faster pace brought on by TV, music videos, cell phones, PDA’s, IM’s, PC games, game consoles (basically springing up concepts of instant gratification or fulfillment) hooks (short and fast ones that is - for there is always a hook somewhere) are becoming more and more of a necessity in novels as well.The concept is v...
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