FlashForward Book and TV Series

Thanks to Tor Books I won a copy of the novel FlashForward through a contest on Twitter. I’ve also been watching the series on TV (actually on the ABC site as Thursday nights have way too much on at the same time! I’m a week behind everyone else to boot! Hopefully nothing happened this past week that was too important. Heh heh).

I thought it might be fun to discuss the book and also do a comparison to the TV show.

The novel is by Robert J Sawyer and has won the Aurora Award for Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy.

I’m not entirely sure how to categorize the novel. It is definitely science fiction, but seems to tread the line into Hard SF, though the emotional and social aspects might not make it seem that way.

On a personal level, I had a lot of fun with this book because it was like an evening of discussions in an old gaming group. The book ends up covering two of the most discussed and still debated topics in science in the past and still today.

But before I get to that, let’s do a quick “what is it about?” bit. The FlashForward novel deals with an ‘event’ where everyone in the world loses consciousness for 2 minutes and 17 seconds. When they came back to themselves and the pieces start getting put together, people realize that they viewed events 20 years in the future. The book follows the fallout from the FlashForward, and how these visions have impacted several key individuals who believe they might just be the cause of the event in the first place.

So two main topics discussed by individuals, which also throw in actual current scientific theories, are:

1)How time works – is it static, can the future be changed, are all moments in time ‘now’, freewill vs. predestination. (People can go hours and hours on this one! Been there, done that! Lol)

2)And the power of the observer. Does the consciousness of a scientist doing an experiment actually affect the experiment’s result? (Another big topic button in the gaming group! Lol.) This also leads to discussions on humanity and its consciousness as a whole and what effect it might have on our universe.

Much brain fodder to chew on.

There’s also the emotional questions that tie back to these two issues as our principals have seen futures they both do not like. I loved that Mr. Sawyer brings in stories from the Old World into it, tales and fables of the ancient Greeks, as they felt and dealt with some of the issues brought up by this event. And of course all the repercussions of people/countries knowing what has been seen in this future and how they decide to deal or not deal with what was seen.

Mr. Sawyer takes us through all of that. As a writer, I was especially thrilled to see where he saw the future of bookstores going. Hopefully some of them will take the hint and push in that direction. Heh heh. I think it would be cool and we’re headed in that way anyway.

I also learned some stuff, too. Somehow I had missed hearing about Brown Holes before. So I found the topic totally fascinating. And in a total clash of coincidence, I had a friend tell me about Felicia Day’s “Behind The Scenes: When Galaxies Collide” and had just watched it Thursday morning right before I got to the part of the book that mentioned the phenomenon as well. (Video is a lot of fun by the way, and quite educational to boot! Go Felicia!)

The book was definitely an interesting read on many levels and I enthusiastically give it a 4 out of 5 stars!

Now for fun, let’s do a comparison to the TV series.

****POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT!!!!! YOU’VE BEEN WARNED*****

In the book, the ‘event’ occurs on 4/21/09 and gives (those who get one) a FlashForward glimpse of the year 2030 lasting for 2 minutes and 17 seconds. The TV series has the ‘event’ happen in 2009 for six months later showing them a glimpse of 4/29/10.

A neat split about the visions between the two versions is that in Mr. Sawyer’s book, those catching a glimpse had no context of what their future selves were feeling, while in the TV version, those who piggy backed into their futures knew the emotional states of their other selves thus getting additional clues from their feelings at those times. Both sets had no control over their future bodies, and only saw and heard whatever their other selves were paying attention to or where around at the time.

The principals of the book are located in Geneva at CERN, a scientific center housing a Large Hadron Collider. The TV series has our principals centered in LA.
Interestingly, Lloyd Simcoe, a main character in the book and physicist, who also is inadvertently responsible for the ‘event’, is played in the series again as a catalyst, but seemingly a knowing one. In the book the FlashForward occurred due to a number of circumstances coming together in a focal point, which produced the event – a miraculous happenstance not foreseen by anyone. But in the TV series, it is an actual feat that has been done on purpose! And not for the first time!
With the new twist, Agent Mark Benford is introduced, so we have a spear for the action adventure we expect from our TV offerings. His wife’s FlashForward actually very much resembles the one had by Simcoe in the book. (Or so it seems!) Shoe on the other foot type of thing. So it tickled me a lot because in the TV show Simcoe is the one having the affair there as well.

Another cute twist sits with Agent Demetri Noh. In the TV show he becomes the duplicate for Lloyd Simcoe’s scientific partner Theo Procopides. Theo, like, Demetri, also had no FlashForward vision and also comes to find out that he was murdered, with three gun shots to the chest. Unlike the FBI agent, he has no idea why anyone would ever want to murder him. Theo has a brother, Dimitri, who takes matters into his own hands to force others to find out if the future is changeable or not, so could be possible Agent Noh’s first name might be another indirect plug at the book with Demetri/Dimitri. (That or I’m just reaching!)

Agent Benford has a young daughter, and Simcoe’s fiancé had one at the time of the event as well. Except Michiko’s daughter was one of the casualties of the event, while Benford’s daughter lives.

Mosaic exists in both places for the same purpose, but one was created and maintained by the CERN folks and the other by the FBI.

I’m very much looking to see how the show explains the event to compare against how Mr. Sawyer set his up.

Reading the book has definitely enhanced the TV show for me. Giving me more angles to look at things and comparing how the TV writers and the SF author do different takes on the same concept. Should be a blast to see how it all continues to develop! Looking forward to it!

Aion MMO

I've been playing MMO's for about 6 or 7 years now. Got my start on Star Wars Galaxies way back in the day. Have done many beta's and spent plenty of time online. The newest the family is trying is called Aion. It was developed in Korea and has now been opened to the states.

Totally gorgeous game. And has been proving a lot of fun so far. Well, as I tend to do when I go anywhere with a camera, I play tourist and takes tons of photos. Most MMO's let you do the same with screen prints. So I've taken a few over the last few weeks and thought I would share.

I'll put one or two up in the blog, but the full Album (only a few pics, I promise!) is on Flikr.



This is my main - Tarrah. Gladiator by profession. Also an armor smith.










A peek at Sanctum, one of the cities in the game.














One of the many cool vistas I've seen so far in the game.














It's amazing the gorgeous vistas here. Some of the creatures too are way neat to look at.

Will leave you with my hunky alt, Jarren.


If you play the game, come by and say 'howdy'! I am in the Blades of Ariel guild in the Ariel server.

Good gaming ya'll!

#FridayFlash - Harbinger

(My second contribution to #FridayFlash! Amazing how many times I went and edited something this short. lol. Probably still missed something as usual. Heh. Enjoy!)

When my gaze came across the man-sized raven I thought my heart would stop. It walked through the death shrouded streets as if the Grim Reaper could not touch it. A wide brimmed black hat adorned its head, the ensemble filled out with black cloak, black leggings, a touch of white at the cuffs and a ruffle around his neck. Its glassy, oversized eyes stared at everything around it, its long beak as dark as night. There were no wings that I could see. But it didn’t need them. It walked the streets easily, like everyone else, except for all the sick and dying.

The year 1665 had brought with it the Great Plague. Death danced amongst us. It dispensed its evil vapors to invade the unwary and add them to its ranks. It ripped families asunder without rhyme or reason. Its mark upon those chosen distinct and unassailable -- black blossoms at the neck, armpits, or groin. Raging fevers and headaches served as teasers of worse to come. Torturous pain twisted through the guts so those afflicted couldn’t forget their coming fate. Then, eventually, mercifully, the End.

And here was a raven, walking among us, its mere presence foretelling more would fall.

I watched it move from house to house. Those that still held life and hadn’t been boarded up to try to hold in the contagion or the ones belonging to those who’d fled the city hoping for fresher air. Its beak was closed tight though there were plenty of bodies it could have chosen to eat from. They were stacked on the cobbled streets waiting to be picked up for burial, the men burdened with the task coming later and later each day as the numbers needed to be disposed of rose.

The smell of rotting flesh, waste, fear and sweat rolled and coiled along the buildings clogging my nostrils, yet it didn’t bother me. There’d been too much of it for too long for me to truly notice it anymore.

My parents were gone, my sisters dead. Rank and privilege had meant nothing in the end. Perhaps this time the messenger had come for me. Or, if I was careful, I could follow it to its master. Perchance it’d show me mercy and take me swiftly rather than leave me to die in agony alone.

The raven’s circuitous route eventually took it to a small cottage beside a church. Once the door was closed I hurried forward to peek inside through a partially shaded window.

The wide brimmed hat came off revealing a head of white curling hair. A strap, previously hidden beneath it, was unbuckled. As I watched, the raven removed its beak and became a man. I recognize him. It was the local priest. His name tickled the edge of my memory, but I couldn’t quite recall it. I did remember it’d been said he was a doctor as well.

I watched him remove moss and herbs from within what I now knew to be a mask. He put them away in a sealed tin, adding bits of this and that before closing it. Then he made notes on an already handwriting filled paper.

A cure? Had he perhaps found a cure? Mayhap the priest had found a way to clear the air to stave off infection. Surely a man of the cloth wouldn’t be like the many who walked the streets claiming they’d been successful, dispensing their supposed wisdom for a fee. Hope rose in my breast, though since the cold had meant little to me this day, I had a feeling it might already be too late for me. Yet to think there might be a way to save those still here, to save brave London from Death’s siege! It made me optimistic that spring might yet come after all.

But as I continued to watch him busily scrawling away, I realized the hope was futile. Whatever method he was trying didn’t work. For there, on his neck, was a red circle which grew darker as I stared.

The priest was doomed.

The man-like raven had been a harbinger, but the message it carried this day hadn’t been for me.

Gloria Oliver

Unveiling the Fantastic

www.gloriaoliver.com

Vassal of El Book Trailer

I'm working on these slow but sure! Finally got the second of the four/five book trailers I need to work up. Ugh! Hopefully it's not too lame. You'd be surprised at just how long it takes to find images to fit fantasy novels! Oi!

Enjoy!

Saturday of EVIL!

Evil! eVil! evIl! eviL!
Dum dum DUM!!!

(Okay, yeah, I know it's a little early for so much melodrama, but I figured what the hey!) :P

Was an outright ugly weird day yesterday. I'd caught hubby's virus on Friday and have been running mad fever since then. Kinda scary when the Tylenol doesn't even make it hesitate. Reason I went home from work!

So Saturday I still have my fever hanging around. But have a huge To Do List as I normally do on Saturdays - crit for writers' group, edit for hubby's boss' latest chapter on his mystery novel (doing the guy a favor), burn promo CD's for FenCon next week, check out widgets for possibly adding to the website, check the new Html/Xhtml/CSS book we bought to learn new trick, do marketing, and catch up one email. Oh and still need to make another book trailer video. Argh! Full plate as you can see.

Hacking away at what I could only to figure out I can't stand being in the office room/library as the pressure from all the rain and whatever bug I have keep giving me a pounding headache. All's good in the living room though. So I sit and catch up one some Hojo Tsukasa and some other items I've let fall behind on the reading front and even take a crack at the html book to check it out.

Keep taking meds as as soon as the stuff runs out I feel it all come back. Sucker wants to stay! Dang.

Try to work on the computer again as my hands are itching to try some of the exercises in the book. Still get a pounding headache just sitting there for 5 minutes. Grrrr.

Finally get the brilliant idea of moving the files I need to crit/edit to the laptop! Heck will move the exercise pages there too! If I can hold out maybe I can play with that as well.

Finally, some productivity! Booyah! Ah, but if I'd only know. The EVIL was about to pounce...

Couple of hours and finished the crit. One down! Went on to the edit for 2.5 hours. Smelled a weird burning smell, so moved the laptop bag out from underneath it, just in case, but figure it is most probably cat hair that's swung up into the lamp. (Don't ask - cat hair seems to get into EVERYTHING when it's in the mood! :P) Been saving as I went along as I usually do. Sigh with satisfaction as I finished and hit the button...

Weird messages pop up on the screen. Can't communicate with network drive. Like, what network drive? This sucker isn't in a network! Cannot write to file w5689 or some such. Wait a minute! That's not the name of my file!

Word goes belly up. My worry quotient skyrockets! Reopen Word. Click for the file to open. Can't find the file. What????

Time to open Explorer. Do multiple searches, the last for any files changed on 9/12. Nothing with the name on either drive. There is one recovered.txt file. Open it, loads and loads of ??? on the pages. Occasional words, enough to let me know this is Jerry's file. OH MY LORD! 99.8% Garbage.

No temp files nowhere. Getting desperate. Call for hubby, who's home, hoping for some miracle insight.

Walk through everything I've already tried. Make sure I didn't save it to the removable drive. No, nothing. It's gone. 2.5 hours of work down the toilet.

But, weirdly enough, I actually handle it well! Much to my shock, to be honest. Was sure I was going to start bawling or pitch the laptop or something. Had to be the fever. Who knew those things could keep you calm! lol.

Beaten and defeated, but keeping it together...sent Jerry a Good News/Bad News email and then crashed.

Oh the humanity! Not looking forward to having to recreate all those edits again. But did give me something for this post! Bwahahahahaha. Still need to get the promo stuff done. We'll see.

So that was my Saturday of EVIL. :P

#FridayFlash - Achievement

(I heard about a cool Twitter experiment/experience called #FridayFlash where authors put out samples of their writing by giving away free flash fiction once a week. Don't know if I can do it that often, but I have a flash story or two I thought I could share. So here's this week's contribution - Achievement. Enjoy!)

(Also if you want, join me at Twitter @GloriaOliver or come see what else I have at the website www.gloriaolivercom)


It was finished.

After years of toil, of making sure every part was perfect and whole – his opus was complete.

A moment of indiscretion had led Taltus to his doom but also to his supreme achievement. Here, in this five by five cell, the greatest written masterpiece of his generation had been born and refined to perfection.

Yet no one would hear or read it. It would die in this dismal place with him.

He stared at the blank walls surrounding him, fighting welling despair. Yet as he stared, their very essence changed in his mind, sparking hope.

The walls would be his parchment. Blood his ink.

His story would be told.

The Power of Fans!

Marketing being a constant looming concern over my head for years now, I've slowly come to notice something weird - fans don't seem aware of their POWER over authors/musicians/actors/TV/Movies!

That's right...POWER. You all (we all - since I am a fan as well as an author) have POWER! Mighty POWER! Bwahahahahahaha.

What am I talking about? Glad you asked!

As consumers we generate an opinion on the products we read/hear/watch/consume. Most people though, don't necessarily share these opinions with others. These are the folks allowing their power to go unspent, trickled away into the ether...

With the advent of webpages, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon and more, everyone has a voice. A voice unlike any they've held before. With the right tags, searches, what have you, other fans/consumers can come across your opinions on whatever subject you choose to talk about in an instant for years and years to come.

Word of mouth, now through the information superhighway, can zoom at speeds never imagined. You loved that book or movie? You can tell the world! And as pieces of that world run across your Tweet, review, newspage, or post, you've made a difference. You've used your power! If you included a link to said object in your insight, the clout and effect rise higher as people will tend to click to check something out, especially if it sounds intriguing. And once they've clicked so is increased the chance they might be hooked!

(So totally evil, isn't it? Power corrupts!)

Loved the book of a local author who's book you just bought at the last convention you saw them at? Hated it? Let the world know! Exercise your strength and conviction to sway others to buy it or suggest they ignore it (though sometimes bad press is actually the way to get people to buy - don't ask me, can't explain - we humans just love train wrecks).

If you truly hate something, though, the way to cause the most damage is not to tell anyone about it - good or bad. Unfortunately the same applies to things you like. So exercise your POWER. If you think the cheesecake from the bakery across the street is the Best Thing Ever - tell people! Link to their website! Let others discover this loveliness for themselves!

Electronic word of mouth will work on anything. You can infect others. Been doing it a lot myself with the TV show Supernatural (You must watch it! You must watch it!). Other TV shows worth viewing that have me eager for more every week are: Defying Gravity (OMG actual real science not fake BS like some other supposed SF show!), Castle, Bones, Dollhouse, The Mentalist, Burn Notice. (I watch too much TV!)

Also have been trying to push authors I totally enjoy as I read their stuff. Rachel Caine, Carole Nelson Douglas, Tanya Huff, Terry Pratchett, Martha Wells, A Lee Martinez, Shanna Swendson, and the latest addition Rosemary Clement-Moore.

Background music is a side love so here's some for Christopher Lennertz, Jay Gruska, John Williams, Danny Elfman!

(What's truly sad is I am sure I left off some awesome people in all these categories and will be kicking myself later!)

So see, every little squeak and link helps, folks! So support you fave shows/authors/movies/actors/food! You can do it! Use your POWER oh mighty ones. Let us know what you like. And we will love you for it!

Power to the People!

Books and Audio Books

(Haven't posted in a while, but here goes - lame blog attempt!)

Audio Books are becoming all the rage of late. But there’s one thing about them I do not understand. The pricing!

My husband started looking into them because he has a long commute to work plus he doesn’t have a lot of free time to read. He picked some up from Half Price Books to check them out to see if they were something he might like. And he did. Then I started looking at what he was paying for the things even devalued and almost had a heart attack.

The pricing on these things is insane! And I just can’t wrap my head around why that might be. Maybe someone out there can help me understand. Anyway, let’s break this down on a hypothetical case and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Fantasy Trade Paperback $15

Gets picked up as movie $9 to see it at theaters $20 to buy copy

Audiobook $45 – OUCH!

As a book it took the author (depending on who they are) months or years to write the thing. Six months to years for the publisher to put it out involving an editor, cover artist, possibly some marketing people. Finally gets wide distribution and in the bigger format $15 for the consumer.

As a movie, it takes hundreds of people to make, tens of thousands if not millions of dollars to film, goes through editing, marketing, etc and then to go see it after wide distribution about $9 then six months later it comes out on DVD for $20.
If the author sells the audio rights, an actor will read the text, it will involve one or two sound people, get burned on CD’s which are super cheap, get packaging, then widely distributed, but they want $45.

In all the previous instances they had to go through a similar process the books and the film making costing as much if not more to produce than the audio. So why is the audio version three times as costly for the consumer?

I just don’t get it. Blank CD’s are super cheap so the cost isn’t coming from there. Is it just that they don’t make as many or distribution is not present that jacks up the price?

I listened to a reading of THUD by Terry Pratchett hubby picked up and it was a fabulous piece of work by the actor who read it. Looking it up at Audible.com it sells for $27. That’s twice the trade paperback size. Why would I want to buy the book then pay twice as much for the audio medium?

Just went and searched at audible for the same book that originally made me have a heart attack and there you can download it for $13.99. The mass paperback book is going for $6.99. And this is just for a download not physical CD’s as far as I can tell. Ah, looks like Amazon has the CD’s for $15.59, list price $19.99 so it’s getting better. Maybe someone is getting a clue after all…

I hope so! (Now can I keep hubby from finding out. Heh heh heh.)

Aaron Allston Donation Fund

While writers do a lot of their work alone, we do belong to a community that includes those others out there sitting before their notebooks, typewriters, and keyboards, grinding out the fantastic for the enjoyment of others. We may not know them all and we may not see them, but we know they are there.

Our fans are also another community that do a lot to support us out there as well.

In times of adversity, whether we know the person or not, authors and fans come together. So I figured I would take some time and do my small bit as well.

FACT - the Fandom Association of Central Texas is having a Fundraiser Auction on 7/19 on behalf of science fiction author Aaron Allston for a medical fund. Donations of books have been taken from authors all over to hold an auction to help with the bills. There are also means to make direct donations to the fund if you can't make it out to Georgetown, TX.

All the info you might need can be found directly at the FACT website for location, time, and other means to help.

Let's show Aaron an overwhelming flood of support for all the years of fun he's given fandom!

Here's hoping for a super fast recovery as well!

Cross-eyed Dragon Troubles is a 2008 Dream Realm Awards Finalist!

It is now official!

Cross-eyed Dragon Troubles is a 2008 Dream Realm Awards Finalist in the Young Adult Category.

Woohoo!!!




"Harry Potter meets Dragon Riders of Pern"

"....this is a story that is sheet magic..." - Eternal Night Review



Talia didn’t want to be apprenticed, not even to the prestigious Dragon Knight’s Guild. She is taken to the school by a cross-eyed dragon and his partner, Kel. A dizzying, madcap ride leaves her less than eager to be a knight, but soon she finds out the guild has need of many types of people. Running into the dragon and squire again and again, she comes to realize the unlikely pair are outsiders in their own school—participants of the dragon-human pairing ritual, which in the end didn’t work quite as intended. They are stubborn loners who are determined to overcome the obstacles in their path and make a true pair. Or are they?

As Talia’s first year at the guild evolves, she must deal with the quirks of the Administrator, her lessons, the odd rules of the school, the students, the mystery of Clarence and Kel, and somewhere in there, possibly decide what it is she wants for her own future.

Gloria Oliver

Unveiling The Fantastic

www.gloriaoliver.com

The Monster Plant

A few years ago I read a manga (Japanese comics) that involved the spirit of a dead woman. In the story, the spirit hung around/was tied to a Wisteria plant. The plant she was attached to was part of a whole public garden of them. It was the type of Wisteria that’s vine like and can be grown on a trellis. I thought they were super beautiful and decided a trellis plant would be a neat thing to put in the side of the backyard.

Mind you, our back yard is like a win funnel so the very back tends to get hard breezes so we have plants that have lived and some that have died, including trees. The side yard though, for whatever reason, has killed off everything we’ve ever tried to put over there. Still, hubby and I are nothing if not stubborn. So we went and hunted down some Wisteria and a trellis and gave it a go.

With the large amount of shade that tended to shadow that side of the house, the Wisteria was happy and grew and grew. Ended up growing so much it started destroying the trellis it was on. So since our swing had bit the dust, we brought the frame on over and gave it that to play with and even strung wire from the roof to the fence for it to work along. It went nuts.
We had to replace our fence this year though. So the sucker got cut back a bunch so the work could be done and also as it was working its way on the roof, so it would not muck that up and create leaks. I wasn’t sure how it would take to this punishment. I shouldn’t have worried. The Monster Plant LIVES!

Here are some pics of the beast! Now if I could just catch it at the right time when it’s blooming.

Espresso Book Machine Pilot Progran

One of my publishers - Zumaya Publications - has now become a part of the Espresso Book Machine Pilot program! (Which means my books are too!) Here's some info on the project sent for us to spread around. Sounds cool!

Late in April, Zumaya Publications completed the paperwork that places all our titles currently being printed at Lightning Source into their pilot program with On-Demand Books, makers of the Espresso Book Machine. Other participating publishers are John Wiley & Sons, Hachette Book Group, McGraw-Hill, Simon & Schuster, Clements Publishing, Cosimo, E-Reads, Bibliolife, Information Age Publishing, Macmillan, University of California Press and W.W. Norton.

Through this program, our books will be available for printing at all facilities that have an Espresso. There are currently 12 EBMs operational worldwide, and my understanding is that this pilot program is the first phase of a marketing plan to place more of them in the next few years. The ones already in operation are located at:

World Bank InfoShop, Washington D.C. 
New York Public Library, New York, NY 
New Orleans Public Library, New Orleans, LA 
Internet Archive, San Francisco, CA 
University of Michigan Library, Ann Arbor, MI 
Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, VT 
University of Alberta Bookstore, Edmonton, AB, Canada 
McMaster University Bookstore, Hamilton, ON, Canada 
Newsstand UK, London, England 
Library of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt 
Angus & Robertson Bookstore, Melbourne, Australia 
University of Waterloo Bookstore, ON, Canada 
Blackwell’s Bookstore, London, United Kingdom

Just about a decade ago, the first on-demand book printer came into being. The quality of the product, compared to the traditional printing methods, left a good deal to be desired; and the cost to print each copy was much too high for most book publishing uses. However, where only a limited number of copies—or a single one—was wanted, those early machines were both economical and sensible.

It was then that Random House editor Jason Epstein wrote Book Business, in which he stated that on-demand printing was the future of the industry. Epstein was one of the founders of On-Demand Books.

Since those early days, the quality of on-demand printing has grown exponentially, and today a digitally printed book is indistinguishable from its offset-printed counterpart with one exception: it will always have a glossy cover for technical reasons. By utilizing the improvements in digital printing technology, On-Demand was able to complete development of a compact machine that could revolutionize the way books are printed and sold.

The EBM, which costs $95,000 in its current incarnation, prints and binds a trade paperback book while you wait. Literally. In Blackwell’s bookstore, they’ve replaced the metal frame with glass so the buyer can watch as their book goes from digital file to finished product. You can view the process yourself at http://www.ondemandbooks.com/video2.htm.

The capability to print a book on-site in a bookstore or library means that shipping costs, both financial and environmental, are eliminated. Although no one has, as far as I know, calculated the environmental impact of the machine itself, it has to be borne in mind that the book would still need to be printed, yet that the now-standard print runs wouldn’t be necessary. Given 25-50% of those runs are returned and discarded, logic would suggest the EBM is a much more environmentally sound way of producing print books than any of the alternatives.

The benefits to independent booksellers in particular are clear. One of the biggest obstacles they currently experience trying to compete with superchain and online booksellers is their inability to offer a large range of titles. With an EBM, this would no longer be the case. They will be able to store the files for thousands of books and print off a copy when it’s wanted—and without paying fees to wholesalers and distributors.

In addition, they could, if provided with the proper files, print books for local people who may, for example, only want five or ten copies of a family history for personal use, thus providing an additional revenue stream.

The advantage for authors is that overseas sales will no longer be plagued by expensive shipping costs. This opens the whole world to the exchange of ideas through printed books in the way it has so far only been managed via ebooks.

We’re very excited about being part of this project, for all of these reasons. There’s something particularly exciting about being part of the future of an entire industry.

Movie Review - 17 Again

17 Again

Starring: Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon, Matthew Perry, Tyler Steelman, Allison Miller, Sterling Knight, Michelle Trachtenberg, and more…

Premise: Mike O’Donnell’s life is falling apart at the seams. He’s passed over for a promotion at work, his wife has kicked him out of the house and is pursuing a divorce, his kids don’t want to be around him. The only time he remembers being in control was high school. So he goes back and thinks of his glory days. A janitor at the school notices him and asks him if he had it to do all over again, would he? Not paying much attention to what he’s saying, he says yes. After trying to rescue the same old man at a bridge during a rain storm, Mike falls into a seeming vortex. When he gets home to his friend Ned’s house, he finds himself transformed back to 17.

Review: This movie looked like it would be an incredibly cute, feel good film and it delivered that and more. Zac Efron was adorable as the late 30 something man in a 17 year old body. The times when his adult brain and father tendencies shoot out to interfere with his 17 year old persona are hilarious. The comparisons between his high school life then and high school life now were way too fun. And the reactions of his children and soon to be ex-wife as he interacts with them are a total riot.

Yet what made this film so much more for me, was a totally unexpected side angle. While I was expecting the cuteness and feel good and life clashes, what I was not expecting was the fabulous use of Ned Gold, Mike’s best friend. Buddies since high school and possibly before, I’d seen the scenes where Ned, Mike’s geek friend, was forced to get involved to get him back into school. Ned’s house ROCKED! For all the Sci-Fi and gamin geeks out there, this man’s place was beyond awesome. Close to our geeky dream homes if we could ever afford such a thing. But there was more!

What I did not expect was the total awesomeness that followed Ned meeting the school principal and falling head over geek in love with her. Then all his hilarious attempts to woo the woman. But it all reached new heights of outrageous fun for me when he finally gets her to go out with him and we got the scene at the restaurant. I thought I was going to die! Lol. And the things which ensue after were total amounts of fun. (My inner geek was singing! Lol!)

So overall, this was an incredibly cute, “see what’s before your eyes and appreciate it” movie, with a side of mucho fun for geeks/gamers/Sci-Fi lovers everywhere. Definitely recommend it for a fun movie watching experience.

Movie Review - Dragonball: Evolution

Dragonball: Evolution

Staring - Justin Chatwin, Yun Chow Fat, James Masters, Emmy Rossum, Jamie Chung and more...

Premise: Based on the famous Japanese manga and anime series by Akira Toriyama, this live action rendition centers around Goku, a young martial artist, an ancient legend about an evil destructive alien named Piccolo, and seven Dragonballs that if gathered together would summon the dragon Shanglong (sp?) and grant the summoner one wish.

Review: I've followed Akira Toriyama's works for twenty plus years and have read/looked at all the Dragonball manga as well as watched the 200+ episodes of Dragonball and the 200+ episodes of Dragonball Z, even watched a chunk of Dragonball GT. I've also seen many anime turned into Live Action films and I've seen the mutations they go through and those not always pretty.

That being said, this wasn't half bad! While all the characters from the early Dragonball days did not make an appearance (basically all the non-humans except Piccolo and one other (which I won't mention as it would be a spoiler), they kept pretty much everyone else and even left them their names intact. No Pilaf, but we got his ship and Mai (dang she kicked ass!). Got the Dragonball Radar, though it looked more like PDA, even got Capsule Corp and a capsule or two, though these worked more like Transformers than encapsulated dimensional spaces.

The fight at the beginning between Goku and his grandfather Gohan was a blast. And the Dragonballs themselves were utterly wicked looking! Legends got tweaked, Piccolo's way of making minions altered (and sadly they made that part so dark you never could get a good look at those guys! and they were tall! lol), but the essence of everything was still there, which was fab.

Goku was way less naive and clueless than I was used to, which was a shock, but then he wasn't quite as isolated in the movie as in the series. Yun Chow Fat was awesome as Master Roshi though I wished they'd given him at least the glasses if not the turtle shell, but he did have the bright shirts and the lecherous attitude, so that was something.

The special effects and martial arts were decent. Some of the basic elements on the chi powers seemed to shift, but again nothing major. The Kamehame Ha was in there and that's the most important thing! :P And we do see Shanlong summoned - though theirs does not compare to the anime/manga's in scope or flashy theatrics.

Still, overall, it was a cute, fun little film. Lots of little details and bits from the characters and series the fans love, even the cities being made a little more futuristic to fit the manga Dragonball world. If you've not been exposed to DB at all, there's less to get in the way as all items are explained and explored sufficiently for the non-initiated.

There's even a nice Japanese song in the end credits. And make sure to sit through them as there's a little extra something at the very end.

Movie Review - My Name Is Bruce

My Name Is Bruce
Staring Bruce Campbell, Grace Thorsen, Taylor Sharpe, Ted Raimi and more!

Premise: A Chinese god, Guan-Di, has been released in the small town of Goldlick, and it is set on revenge for the death of some Chinese miners back in the 1800's. Not knowing what to do, the town kidnaps the down on his luck actor Bruce Campbell, hoping he will come and save the day. Except Bruce believes this is just a set up by his agent for his birthday. Things get ugly.

Review: Bruce Campbell is a hoot! He's always been a hoot and will probably always be a hoot! (Have much enjoyed following his career and he's a blast in person!) This is a film about making fun. And a lot of fun making does ensue. It pokes at the fans, it pokes at the industry, it pokes at Bruce, but most of all it pokes fun at itself.

A low budget film that makes the money go quite far. The years of experience from the crew and cast (a family affair of sorts as a lot of the old guard are friends of Bruce's from way way back or picked up along his career, while others are actual family (he get to shoot them!), and others up and coming local talent) shines forth in every frame, so you get the expected campiness we've come to love and expect from Bruce but in high form. The acting, especially from the townspeople and support is spot on, giving the film the right touch of reality/unreality for a story breaching the 4th wall in story telling. And Bruce is Bruce. Need I say more? (He's a hoot!)

Kudos to Guan-Di, which looked rather creepy. But mega kudos to the FX team as the lightning and sounds really added a lot to the atmosphere. And so much more for the super campiness of Cavealiens 2 (pronounce Kah-veliens per the tre-chic director - bit of fun in the extras on the DVD) Oh and major kudos to Ted Raimi as well. Poor thing had to play three characters in the film, and he was great! Loved his Mr. Wing. Heh heh.

There's even a catchy tune to haunt you in your sleep as well, with the lovely chorus of "Guan-you, Guan-me, Guan-Di."

Loads of extra stuff on the DVD like the "Heart of Dorkness" (no it's not a typo) a behind the scenes documentary on the filming of the film, love rumors, Kif, Bruce philosophies, and more. Some beautiful slices on the process of film making and what those poor people had to go through.

If you meet any of those who had anything to do with the film, just mention poison oak, or bees, and watch the reactions. Heh heh heh.

So if you enjoy Bruce Campbell and are looking for something light to laugh at and fill your evening, give "My Name is Bruce" a try. I think you'll be quite satisfied.

IWOFA Spring Contest!

The Infinite World of Fantasy Authors is currently holding their Spring Contest!

Infinite Worlds is a group of writers in the speculative fiction genres of science fiction, fantasy, horror fiction, supernatural fiction, alternate history, paranormal romance, dark romance, dark fantasy, or magic realism. We build dreams. Come journey with us!

Prizes include free e-books and a gift certificate. To play, you pick authors from the list depending on taste of content, troll the author's website for the answer to the question, the email the answer back to the email on the contest rules page.

Great way to check out new authors and maybe win some free books plus!

See you there!

March is Small Press Month

March is Small Press Month!

Being as all my books and most of the anthologies I have been lucky enough to be in are from Independent and Small Presses I figured I would do my bit to push for a little awareness!

SmallPress.org has a site full of events happening all across the country to promote small press and small press authors.

With so much of the content coming from the big publisher becoming so cookie cutter, small presses are great as an alternative or supplemental reading source. New voices, new concepts, expanding choices for readers everywhere.

How about supporting a local press this month?

Don't know any small presses? Here's a few you might like to give a look see:

Zumaya Publications

Yard Dog Press

HardShell Word Factory

They all have something for everyone. Enjoy!

Have a great Small Press Month!

Wall of Weird - Coincidences

Started work on this in January and am only now getting this post done. 2009 seems to be keeping me busy! Dang!

Anyway, I had an idea back early in the year for a neat webpage I could add to my main site. You see, for the longest time ever, I've always had runs of weird coincidences. Nothing meaningful or life changing, but just enough of something to make themselves noticed. I've had no many in fact that my husband doesn't even bat an eye at them anymore and if anything seems to look forward to what is going to pop up next.

I'm hopping to update the Wall of Weird - Coincidences at least once a month, but I just started and am already slacking. lol. Sadly, I know I had one or two bits written down somewhere and can't find them at the moment to add for the last month. Grrrr.

Here's the stuff I compiled for December. Visit the webpage for the new Jan/Feb stuff. :P


December 2008 - Dawnson's Creek. I bought season 6 of Dawson's Creek to see Jensen Ackles as he was one of the recurring guest stars that last season. (I discovered his work during Smallville and Supernatural and have been slowly digging out other things he's been in - he's VERY good.) As I watched the season, suddenly there were Dawson Creek people and things popping out of the woodwork for me.

First one happened when we were flipping channels and stopped on South Park (which we hardly ever watch) and the episode revolved around a Dawson's Creek Trapper Keeper and how it would evolve into a giant computer and take over the world ala Terminator. Then I finally got to see the movie Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (long story on how I missed it years ago - and man do they cuss a bucket in this sucker), and freaked when James Van Der Beek (Dawson) shows up in it and pokes fun of the show. Then, My Bloody Valentine, which at the time was going to be a new release for Jensen Ackles, ends up also staring Kerr Smith, who was one of the principals of Dawson's Creek! (I'd already been watching Joshua Jackson on Fringe, so he doesn't count.)

Funnier still was when I did get to watch MBV, poor Jensen gets punched in the face by Kerr Smith. Something which also happened to him by Joshua Jackson in Dawnson's Creek. Now he just needs to be punched by Van Der Beek and he will have a hat trick. heh heh.

Details, details, details – they do a lot more than you think

A few weeks ago I went to one of our favorite family owned restaurants. After we’d ordered and got our food, I noticed that unlike the norm, this time they’d not added the colorful bit of garnish they usually placed on the dishes they served. While the food was as good as ever, the missing bit still, weirdly enough, detracted from our dining experience. Now that the garnish was missing, I understood how much such a simple thing had actually added to the enjoyment of the meal. So while something that on its own may not be all that important, in the big picture of things, for the whole, the minor detail had added more than anyone would have thought.

Following this realization, I decided to mentally take it further as it drove home an old writing point.

One of the lessons writers have to learn, and sometimes have trouble with is to make sure to expand and include some of the other senses aside from just sight to their descriptions of scenes, locations, actions, people. The added details and dimensions in and of themselves do not seem to mean a lot, but when combined with the whole, the ambiance, the mental picture being related to the reader is richer, deeper, gives them more to work with and gives many times its weight to bring the situation home and make people more involved. Thus enhancing their overall experience.

Think of it as taking a two dimensional picture and making it 3D. Of giving something just that needed touch, or extra bit of garnish to take it from the mundane into the exceptional – to make it vivid and full of life.
Hmmm, an example would be nice, wouldn’t it? *wracks brain wracks brain wracks brain*

2D---Jake strolled down the busy street, the sound of vendors filling the air as they attempted to entice the passersby into looking at their wares.---

Okay think about the image in your mind at this point from the bare bones description. Now read the next one.

3D---Jake strolled down the street, dodging the other pedestrians who streamed to a fro in the busy street. The scent of baked bread and freshly cut flowers swirled through the morning breeze with the voice of vendors as they called out to the passersby trying to entice them to look at their wares. The awnings for the store fronts swept a wide cascade of colors, making the manmade street a garden in its own right.---

See the difference? Like going from plain black and white to Technicolor.

Yes, like in all things, you can get carried away or you can numb or bore the reader by using too much of it. But a nice sprinkling here and there can make a world of difference in the visions you’re trying to create and how successful you are at it.

Don’t take away my garnish, less it spoil the scrumptious meal and leave me wanting. Just the right touch or detail can mean ever so much more than what you had to start with.

In the Service of Samurai Book Video!

Well, after way too many months of avoidance and procrastination, I was finally able to carve out a chunk of time to get all the pieces together and finish the first of my much needed four book videos!

Woot!!!! The Book Video for In the Service of Samurai is COMPLETE!

If you care to take a peek, you can find the bugger here.

It's not going to win any Academy Awards, but hopefully it will get the point across. Heh heh.

Now to get my eyes to quit twitching from strain. Whee!

Heh heh. See ya!

Gloria

As you know, Bob...

Going on a major splurge of absorbing 10 years worth of SG-1 in about 1.5 years makes a few things stand out in the watching. One of the items that kept popping up over and over is a big no-no in writing, so I was quite saddened to see poor Captain/Colonel Carter stuck with it over and over and over again - the old dreaded "As you know, Bob..."

Handling of information already known to the characters but which the reader might not know and needs to be told is a tricky item to handle in writing. There are right ways of dealing with such a situation and a wrong way - and the use of "As you know" being a bad one should always be one avoided like the plague. (Just heard the phrase again a few days ago while watching the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still - sigh...) It's a crutch, and not a good one, which can be avoided with a little effort or difused enough that the reader won't realize it's information being offered for their benefit and not one the characters would actually bring up and voice otherwise.

In TV regurgitating info for the audience's benefit is a little more restricting than for writing, but doable all the same. Let me see if I can work up an example.

Not so good way: "As you know, General, the enemy is at the border. We may have to use the gamma weapon sooner than anticipated."

Better way: "With the enemy at the border, General, we may have no choice but to use the gamma weapon sooner than anticipated."

In a written medium, you have the added option of the information never actually being said out loud but the character imparting the information instead by their thoughts or reactions.

Another way: As the colonel hurried down the hallway to the breifing, he realized that with the enemy already at the border, they might not have any choice but to use the gamma weapon sooner than anticipated.

You can mix dialogue with character thoughts/reactions to break up info dumps or add data that again would be known to those speaking and not the reader and do it in such a way that it does not disrupt the story but enhances it.

For example: "We may have to deplay the gamma weapon." Colonel Barns felt his stomach clench as he made the suggestion, only too aware of the weapon's theorized capabilities. With a range of up to two miles, once fired, it would create an ever widening zone of destruction unlike any other weapon ever used up to this point in the history of man.

Okay, I went a little over the top with the melodrama, but you get the point. Heh. While everyone at the briefing is probably already aware of the weapon's potential for destruction, and would not therefore mention it, I still got that information across to the reader. There are many ways to forward information yet not detract from the writing and characters themselves, you just need to get creative. Crutches may be quick fixes but won't satisfy anywhere near as much if you take the extra time and effort.

Keep your ears open and see how many time you can catch or stumble over the dreaded "As you know, Bob..." Steer clear of it in your own efforts! For all our sakes! Heh heh.

Good luck!

Willing Sacrifice is a Finalist in the 2009 EPPIES!

My YA book, Willing Sacrifice seems to be on a roll!

It finaled earlier this year for the Dream Realm Awards (didn't win though - I suffer from one of those "always a bridesmaid never a bride" type things, but I am NOT complaining! Better to final and not win than never final at all! That's my story and I am sticking to it! Bwahahahaha.) and it has now also landed on the finalist list under the Fantasy Category for the 2009 EPPIES!

Will find out if it wins in March 2009 at EPICON. Fun con for authors too! Always lots of stuff to learn on promo and the awards ceremonies is always a blast, especially when Jeff Strand is the MC! Looks like the convention will be at Lake Las Vegas, NV in early March.

Wish me luck! And if you want a taste of what all the excitement might be about (hey, who knows what the judges were thinking?) you can check out some sample chapters at the website.

Here's a quick blurb in case you're curious...

To save the world she must die! Or does she?

For as long as she can remember, La'tiera has known her purpose, her destiny. As the Bearer of the Eye, she will wait until the appointed time then sacrifice herself to the demons so the lands will be safe.
Yet as the time approaches, she is snatched from her home by strangers and is told it is for her protection. These strangers tell her she is not to be a sacrifice, but must fight to live in order for the world to be saved.
La'tiera will not be swayed, however, her duty clear. Despite their clever lies, she will follow through on her destiny and do what is required. Her every effort will be put to freeing herself from her kidnappers and meeting her fate as planned.

Books as Gifts and MORE!

A couple of my publishers and other organizations I am connected with are having either sales or charity events so I figured I would list them here in case anyone was interested.


ARE - All Romance eBooks is taking donations for Conservation International. Only $5 in donations will qualify you to select a free gift of either 2009 Wallpapers or a 2009 Wall Calendar. Click on the graphic below to get more info...

Zumaya Publications is having a Holiday Book Sale! Titles will be rotated everyweek so feel free to check more than once. Sale begins 11/21/08. Info below. And click on the graphic to go to the store site.

'TIS THE SEASON! And with books being one of the greatest gift ideas anywhere, anytime, there's plenty of reason to be jolly.
Books, compared to other forms of entertainment, are relatively inexpensive. They last a long time, and you can enjoy them more than once. You can trade them for other books, or share them with friends. Most important, they take you to places you might never have been before, where you'll meet fascinating people and enjoy fabulous adventures on this world and others far more economically than a Prius.

For the next three weeks, beginning Friday, November 21 through December 12, our best-selling books will be on sale for 30% off, and shipping is absolutely free in the US.

And last but not least - Yard Dog Press is also having a Sale~!

It's our first ever
GIANT MEGA CASH FLOW SALE!

That's right we aren't even trying to make an actual profit we're just trying to get some cash flow heading in our direction.
And we have books for adults and children, role-playing games and the card game. There is something at YDP for everyone on your gift list and at these prices you can't help but save yourself some money and still give a great gift.
We all know the holidays are coming up and that the economy is in the toilet. We have bills to pay just like you do and right now our cash flow problem can help you with your holiday shopping needs. Now I know you can just go to Wal-Mart and buy a bunch of cheap crap to fill those bags and boxes but you know what Wal-Mart is rich! They don't need you money and we do!
Look, I'm going to make buying books from us for the holidays easier than ever.

From now till January 15th (so you can use any holiday money you get to buy the books at these prices) we will be holding our first ever GIANT MEGA CASH FLOW SALE!!!

What's on sale? All perfect-bound books for the time period mentioned above will be $2.00 off the already unbelievably low YDP price. My Meisha Merlin Titles—Strange Robby, Recycled, Chains of Freedom and Chains of Destruction—will be on sale for $10.00. How's this for a deal—if you buy all three Chains books you can get the brand new Chains of Redemption for the same $10.00 price tag. In other words you can get all three Chains books for $2.00 less than you'd normally pay for two of the books. Such a deal!
Also on sale for the same $10.00 price tag, Best of the Bubbas of the Apocalypse. That's right. This book has all the best stuff from the other four BOTA books. What a great gift for that friend or family member you want to introduce to the BOTA universe.
Chap books, murder games, and the card games aren't on sale, but would make great holiday gifts and are already priced to move.
Here's the big deal…

…buy more than $50.00 of any merchandise and we'll throw in free shipping!

That's right buy sales items, buy things that aren't on sale; it doesn't matter because the minute your ticket goes over just $50.00 you get free shipping and handling.
And how's this for a deal? You have a friend or family member you want to send a gift to but you don't want to deal with it?

Then for an extra $6.00 we will wrap your book and ship it to that person on your gift list by priority mail.

Think about it, you can do all of your shopping on line, you don't have to leave the house and fight your way through the stores, you'll save money, you'll give the best gifts they'll get, and you'll make me happy and after all that's what's important to me. You just go to http://www.yarddogpress.com/, go through the catalogue, make your selections, and then either e-mail Lynn (lynnstran@cox.net) or me (selinarosen@cox.net) and we'll get your order rolling. You may pay via PayPal after contacting us, or you can give us your credit card info. If you prefer, you can just send us your order and a check made out to YARD DOG PRESS. Mail it to 710 West Redbud, Alma, AR, 72921-7247.
Either way, we’d be as happy as elves if you’ll let us fill your order.

Have a happy holiday!
Selina

So if you'd like to give a book to someone you love, this is the perfect time!

Happy reading, ya'll!

Gloria

Christmas Cottage

Do to life, time constraints, what have you, I haven't done any movie or book reviews for a while. But, I will be doing one today as this little movie is unusual enough and off the beaten path enough it needs all the help it can get. Besides, it stars Jared Padalecki and since he is in part responsible for my OBSESSION with the TV show Supernatural, I want to do my part. And I wouldn't do it if it wasn't worth watching anyway. :P

Premise: (Based on a True Story) Thomas Kinkade goes home with his brother for Christmas to find out all is not well in the town or at home. Already dealing with some dissatisfaction at the lack of direction his art is going in, Tom must now also deal with the failing health of his mentor and the coming unknown foreclosure on his mother's home and more.

Stars: Jared Padalecki, Peter O'Toole, Aaron Ashmore, Ed Asner, Richard Burgi, Marcia Gay Harden (Loads and loads of familiar faces in this one!)

Review: As I stated above, this film is based on the real life experiences of famed artist Thomas Kinkade. While you may not recognize his name, you will definitely recognize his art. For years it has embodied winter, Christmas, and all other sorts of life settings always imbued with the soft tones of light.

The movie deals with a pivotal point of Mr. Kinkade's life. One he wanted to share with us. This is not a young children's family Christmas movie. This is more a slice of real life Christmas (though even real life can at times appear over the top) and so it is for a more mature audience. A great family film for teenagers and adults. There is some language and adult themes, so beware, just basically think of it as PG-13 and choose accordingly.

This story is about Mr. Kinkade, but also about his family, his mentor, his town. About the things we forget and shouldn't, about those we can rely on, about making amends, making choices, but most of all remembering what is important -- community, family, love.

If you have ever cried during a film, I suggest you keep some hankies handy. I was teary eyed about 90% of the time and even my hubby succumbed toward the end. A lot of acting gems in this film. Many totally unexpected and some very very subtle.

Jared does a great job, though I think if they'd given him a little more of Kinkade to work with, it could have been even better. (Found out later that they did!! Those scenes were all deleted. *sigh* Should have kept them in... Go Jared!)Peter O'Toole was fabulous. Richard Burgi had some utterly amazing moments, the best I've ever seen from him. Even the cliched roles, the types of people you normally expect to meet in large group setting/dynamics were done well, and some again with flaring moments that added a lot but if you blinked you might miss them. Many subtle little touches, giving the whole a depth you'd not expect from a first look.

This is a journey of discovery, not only for Mr. Kinkade but for all others involved. And though the road was hard and some were lost, the light found in the end and the people touched by it would carry them forward for the rest of their days. Sometimes it is the little things that change the world.

A truly touching film and an intimate revelation of what shaped Mr. Kinkade into the wondrous artist he becomes. A definite soon to be Christmas Classic.

Auto Killer Aura

I've owned a lot of cars in my time. Of our household, my car is normally the least used, its main function to ferry me to and from school/work. And most cars I've owned have actually performed marvellously with very little problems. However...

When they go, they go BIG! It's almost as if in order to serve me and give me the least amount of problems, they save up all those little bits and let them grow and grow until one day - WHAM! Major issue, kaput, done, gone, money-pit-if-you're-crazy-and-really-want-to-keep-it bad.

My first car was a used Mustang I drove back and forth to UTA. One day on the way back home I hear this gigantic BAM sound and was forced to pull over to the side of the freeway as the car would not go anymore. I'd thrown a rod. It was but the first Auto Death I would suffer.

I've destroyed transmissions, engines, assemblies, if its big I've done it in. And every time it has been totally out of the blue. No warnings, no little hints, just utter and total death.

Friday found the latest victim. My poor Black Ion... Halfway to work I went to shift gears and got nothing. Tried again, got only engine reving noises. Pulled into a parking lot on momentum realizing something was totally amiss. Got a little freaky when I parked and could move the stick shift without using the clutch in any direction I wanted. Oh dear!

Over three hours later, hubby and I had the car at the Saturn dealership. Knowing my killer aura and the fact the car was now paid for and out of warranty despite the low miles, we're having to weigh how much cost we want to absorb before just giving in and getting another car. Already we know the damage is related to the transmission, never a good sign. They have to do diagnostics on it and will take a while -- just to look at it is $100. So starving by this point, we go have lunch and run errands, the day pretty much shot by this point. In comes the call - the gear shift assembly casing fell apart. At least it wasn't the transmission. The price to fix it is below the threshold we'd calculated so we give the go ahead. Should be Monday/Tuesday before they get the part and can fix it. Awesome! Curse averted!

Or so I thought...

Saturday we're scrambling to get to a rental place and get a car before they close at noon so I have wheels to go to work in Monday. Got that settled and the car home and are about to go to lunch when in comes a call from the dealership. They got the part early, fixed the problem, took it out on a test drive and shifting into first and second gear is a little difficult. Did we have a problem with those two gears before? Uhm, no? Could be a piece of the assembly went into the second chamber of the transmission, but to find out would be a whole lot more cash and that's just to take a look. Or you could just take the car as is now. Could drive fine forever or could have the same problem again tomorrow -- no way to tell. Ever get that horrible sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach? Sigh...

So off we went to look at cars! (Hubby gets very paranoid about me being out and about so no way was he going to let me drive a possible breakdown tomorrow car - I wasn't feeling too great about it myself. And of course we'd already spent over $1k so far. Grrrr) I'd actually spent a couple of hours the day before doing some research on cars I'd been wanting to do trying, thinking of possibly getting a hybrid and looking for some cheap wheels. Hybrids are cool and depending on the one you're looking at, quite fuel efficient, but the price tags are not on the cheap and that's just for the basic model. One thing we learned yesterday was that the basic price is never one you will find when you go to buy. As multiple places get a hold of the car after it leaves the factory, they do stuff to it, and every time they do something, the sticker goes up. I wanted to check out the Toyota Yaris which starts at $12K. (Would have loved to check out a Smart Car, but with their waiting lists, I knew there was no way I could get one that DAY, so that was out.) All the Yaris's in the lot had been souped to $17K minimum. Dang! And since I needed a car NOW it wasn't like I could order the base model and wait for delivery. Grrr.

Drove a couple of used models as they were pushing those pretty heavily and the warranty for the POT is 7yrs 100K miles which is a lot longer than the standard warranty. Also with my aura of death, sounded like a smart thing to have. Still we looked at new and used - the used ones he was showing were low mileage 2008's. Didn't feel comfortable in the Yaris so the guy had me try out a Scion. Oooo pretty pretty metallic red! Felt strange, but I liked. (I kept trying to shift. Have been driving manual transmission for 20 plus years, so automatic is taking some getting used to.) So...many hours later, I ended up with a car. Didn't get lunch till about 4:30PM eek! (Surprised I didn't eat someone's arm. But then I was freaking enough as it was.) And I have wheels again! Woot!

Now to find where all the buttons are... Ugh... :)

Real Life - ARGH!

As an author, the last thing I want is Real Life intruding while I struggle to create Fantasy Life in a novel. But, that's the thing about Real Life...it's real and you have little control of it sometimes and it tends to intrude when you least expect it.

Back at the beginning of the year I mentioned how 2008 was the Year of the Fire Rat. That chaos, both good and bad, would reign supreme. And it has! In spades! With two plus months to go before the end of the year, it doesn't seem to be slowing down one bit either.

Same week I found out my good friend Vaunda was gone, I had to make a very tough decision on a personal level regarding where I work. Despite years of being there, getting rather close to a number of individuals there, and knowing the mess which would occur if I left, (our numbers dwindled down so far there was very little coverage in duties) I had no choice but to resign.

In a five week period the introduction of one person caused such utter chaos and madness, I had to bail. It is a very sad thing to have a place where you have enjoyed working and have good rappor and where every one worked very hard and the atmosphere was good and then have to watch it all go down the toilet, and there not being a darn thing you can do about it. (Well, I tried to do something but it backfired - naive fool that I can be - but I at least tried.)

We all have stressful moments in our lives where we are shoved into corners and forced to make tough decisions. I've gotten to watch a handful of people have to try to deal with the same situation and due to circumstances or who they are all take different routes to deal and/or put up with it. Mine may have been one of the more extreme ones, but it was on my terms not the troublemaker's. It was probably one of the hardest days of my life. Yet weirdo that I am, I didn't let anyone in on what I was about to do, and worked my buns off to get as much of my work done as possible before I left. The emotional rollercoaster I was on trying to decide on whether to go ahead and take that final step was hard enough to make without letting anyone know I was thinking about it. Not that, in the end, I believe anyone was surprised by the decision. Yet it was a very very hard one to make.

My family supported me 100% though, ragardless of whichever way I decided to go. And trying to be smart for once, we did budgets and calculations to make sure we could survive doing without the income for the duration it would take to find another job. The situation was way over the top to even consider looking while still working. In 20+ years out in the work force I'd never run across a situation like this. Not all my friends had the support or means to get out though.

I switched stressing about work to stressing about getting a job, but still the load lightened so much it was bliss in comparison. I slept 12 plus hours everyday for the first week. For me, sleeping more than 8 when I have no time I have to be up by is a miracle. That's how emotionally and physically messed up the situation had made me. I wouldn't wish this type of thing on anyone.

Of course a couple of weeks after I'd gone, some of the more aloof powers that be got a clue that a lot of stuff was not being covered with me not there. They tried to woo me back to work as a consultant but the first time I flat out refused. No way was I going to go back there and work with the individual at fault for the misery of so many people. Just the thought of it had wrung me out. It's amazing how much damage something can cause to one's phyche. (Only good thing about it is that as a writer, any experience can be used and milked later - once you can push it to the side that is. :P) Second time they called, they pretty much made me an offer I couldn't refuse and put it in writing I would not have to deal with my main issue for leaving in the first place. Still feeling guilty about the position I left everyone else in, I said yes.

Though I am now an outsider, I can't help but still care about all the people I know there. Things have not improved. Moral is at an all time low. Lots of stuff fell through the cracks and people are at their wits end in some cases. Yet those in power still have no clue. Currently working like mad to catch up and find out all that has been dropped and fill in holes on processes for another job there that was crushed before they figured out what the person did. (It's amazing how some people can come into a place with their minds already made up on what you do, and truly have no idea at all. Then they act surprised when stuff is not getting then when you're not there. Well duh!)

I got lucky and have a new job lined up for when the contract is over at the end of the month. Some of my friends are not so lucky, still stuck in their corner with no place to go. I'll be praying for them and hooking them up however I can. Worse, I've made a couple of new friends, poor unsuspecting people thrust into this mess with minimal information. Busting buns to give them as much info as I can so they can fill the vacuum which will once more appear when I am gone, but it's a crap shoot. Will be praying for them too!

I'm a paranoid, pessimistic, worrier, but I hope to hey this works out for them all. I really do! If you are a believer of any kind, please send some good thoughts and rays of sunshine their way. I would really appreciate it!

Vaunda Perry - I miss you!

On 9/1/08 I received some terrible news. Just the final touch to an utterly nasty month. My long time friend, Vaunda Perry, had passed away on Wednesday 8/27.

I'd know she'd had some troubles back in 2007, but from all reports she'd recovered from those and life was good. Came to find out that in actuality when she had a cyst removed from her abdomen, the doctors found cancer growth in the lower bowel section. Though she went through treatments and the bad section was removed, it was not enough. Vaunda was told she'd have about a year to live, in which she planed to move to a hospice and then slowly inform those close to her as to what was going on. Fate had other intentions. The cancer spread very quickly and led to organ failure. She was gone.

Though I'd only met Vaunda face to face back in 1996 when I broke down and after much prodding by my friend Wendy, went to Japan, she and I had been friends for years before that. Vaunda, Wendy, and Dee, had moved out to Japan a number of years before and had made what came to be known as the House of Three Gaijin. The three had gone off to the Land of the Rising Sun as English tutors. Vaunda eventually found work at an Engineering Firm and even had a side business with some partners to bring more choices of dog food and care products to the people of Japan.

I met Vaunda and Wendy through the oddest of places - an Amateur Press Association aka APA. Back before the days of what the internet has become, quarterly zines or APA's were the easiest ways for fans of particular shows to get together and share stories, ideas, art, etc. The one we met up in is called Bird Scramble (still active to this day) and is for those fans of the Kagaku Ninjatai Gatchaman (Battle of the Planets in the late 70's, Eagle Riders, G-Force, and a couple of other incarnations since have been shown in the states).

I began corresponding with Vaunda in Japan (first by *gasp* letters then later email), even making care packages for her and the others of Sunday Newspaper Comics of all things, which I would send by seamail every few months. In turn, Vaunda sent me manga (Japanese Comics) and got me hooked on all manner of authors/artists. Even sent anime BGM's (Back Ground Music), which I am a total junkie for.

In '96, after caving in the year before and resigning myself to the fact I was going to Japan (I honestly tried to get people to talk me out of it (the money and all) and instead they pushed me to it!) the first person I met upon my arrival was Vaunda. She was there for many firsts for me - first ticket for trains, first train ride, first car ride on the left side of the street, first genuine Japanese home (cool two story garden home, with tatami rooms and modern rooms, and heated toilet seats!!!!), first super narrow set of stairs, first time sleeping on Japanese bedding, first time eating home cooked Japanese food, first time in a Japanese style bath, and many others!

Over the next couple of days she shared her home, her town, and what delights she had discovered in Japan with me. These included the nice little town of Sakura (not named after the flower but rather the fact it was an old Samurai warehouse/depot), roadside shrines, and a couple of preserved country samurai houses called Sakura Buke-Yashiki, as well as the National Museum of Japanese History, which had some awesome small scale models of towns, shopping districts, and other things. Narita-yama was another location she took me to - way tons of temples and shrines. Utterly fab. She made my first chunk of my trip to Japan totally unforgetable. I've been grateful to her (and Wendy and Dee!) for those experiences ever since.

Vaunda had a fun heart, had a truly unique art style, and was a good friend through and through. She'd worked for NASA back in the early days of the Space Shuttle program rigging electronics in the cockpits. She often remarked how from the moment she'd first set foot in Japan, she felt like she'd come home. She adored the food, the people, the enviroment and the history of the place. Her dogs were her happiness. Goro, and later, Sena, totally filled her life and made her very happy. (She spoiled them rotten!) I've been assured her two kids are being well taken care of.

I'm going to miss you, my friend!

The Goober Factor

I've been horribly remiss on posting the last few months aside from Promo stuff. Very sorry! Life has taken some unexpected directions and something always has to pay. Ugh. At times we don't get to choose what, however...

Anyway, I'd been thinking about this topic for months since my writer's group had a party over the summer and now I will finally share it with you -- The Goober Factor.

What is the Goober Factor, you ask? Well, first you have to look at the word Goober. According to Wikipedia, it is a derogatory word from contemporary American English similar in meaning to idiot or "scatterbrain". (On a side note, it was actually a little fascinating to find out it is also a slang term in Australian for things I cannot mention here...) In my own definition, I take it a little farther than that. It is a state where one is foolish, silly, leaning toward fun stuff. Like the shedding of the normal serious skin.

The Goober Factor then is a hidden strain which sleeps in all of us, with it being buried deeper in some more than others, which when combined with the right person or people, activates to the amazement of others and themselves. Those of normally serious or shy persuasion will suddenly become totally less so. These usually reserved individuals will be seen cracking jokes, laughing like loons, and generally adding to the silliness perpetrated at the scene.

Like calls to like. So the secret ingredient for the Goober Factor to activate is an active Goober. Active Goobers will cause the Goober Factor to resonate when in proximity to those they are compatible with. The resonance increases the longer the subject is exposed to the tuned Goober until synchronized Goobering ensues, leading to tons of silliness, laughter, and fun.

With the right synchronization, people you would never have suspected of being capable of silliness or open mirth will be laughing, poking fun, and basically be not be their usual selves.

You should keep track of any resonance you encounter, and keep track of what Goobers set off whose Goober Factor. Then try to get those people together as often as possible so a fun time can be had by all.

The Factor is out there~! Beware! (And milk it for all it's worth! You won't be sorry!) :P

Gloria Oliver
Unveiling the Fantastic
www.gloriaoliver.com

Dream Realm Finalist and New Release!

Big news this weekend!!!!

First -

Willing Sacrifice, one of my YA Fantasy novels, has been chosen as a finalist in the 2007 Dream Realm Awards! Winners will be announced in August at Armadillo Con.

Second -

Ripple Effect, a charity anthology from Tears of the Phoenix is now available for purchase! Stories are based on suggestions by Louisiana Librarians. Foreword is by Rachel Caine. She also has a cool science fiction story in there as well. My story that was included is called "Serving the Public". A lot of sweat and love has gone into this puppy of a book, so purchasing will help get people books to read and yourself a nice time as well. Woohoo!

My First Video!

I tried to avoid this as long as I could, figuring I already had way too much to do (not counting writing!) but this year I saw it was inevitable so...

Here is my first book video!

Since branding is in, I made the first one of myself and quick flashes of the books.

Had to wait till my logo was finished and have gone through much technological agony. (I swear it's like I am cursed!) But stubborness has persevered and so -- voila! Video! (Now I have to dry my eyes out looking for stock pics for the four more I need to make - one per book - ugh)(Try finding stuff for Fantasy too - double ugh)

If you have time, please take a look!

Gloria Oliver Video

Gloria Oliver's New Logo

Well, in the last few years a lot of the talk has moved toward the importance of branding. Nowadays you need to push your name, a tag line, and even a logo just like any other product out there on the market.

Thanks to friends, I was able to get a tag line that fits me and what I do - Unveiling the Fantastic. Now thanks fo more friends, I have a logo that fits me as well.

So for your viewing pleasure, I'd like to introduce my new permanent logo!




Woot! Now to spread it everywhere. Heh heh heh

Linda Ballou – Wai-nani: High Chiefess of Hawai’i – Her Epic Journey - Interview

Hi all!
This week I'm posting an interview with Linda Ballou and her book based on Hawaiian history called Wai-nani: High Chiefess of Hawai'i.

What brought you to this story?

While I was living on the north shore of Kauai a special issue in the local paper about Captain James Cook caught my attention. The fact that Captain Cook was killed in the Islands intrigued me. I wanted to know why. I was curious about what was happening in the Islands when Cook arrived. I wanted to know the Hawaiians side of the story. Most accounts depict the Hawaiians as blood- thirsty savages who ganged up on the world’s greatest explorer. I learned this was not an accurate picture and felt that the Hawaiians had gotten a bum rap.

Cook made a lot of mistakes that eventually led to his demise. I wanted to show the dynamics of the Hawaiian society and tell the story from the Hawaiian point of view. This brought me to Kamehameha the Great/ and his favorite wife Ka’ahumanu.

Kamehameha was one of the warriors that greeted Cook. I found his story fascinating. The day he was born a comet lit the heavens marking the birth of a great chief. It was prophesied that this chief would unite the Hawaiian Islands. This story reminded me of the story of the star burning bright over the manger leading the wise men to baby Jesus. It was also said that the warrior who lifted the Naha Stone, a huge volcanic boulder, would be a great chief. Kamehameha, an athletic warrior lifted the stone when he was a teen. This seemed akin to King Arthur pulling the sword lodged in stone.

Joseph Campbell was alive at the time. I read his books and became fascinated by universal myths and legends. I felt this story was every bit as powerful as any in western annals and warranted re-telling.



What are people going to learn from this book?

Bare minimum they will come away with a better understanding of the Hawaiian point of view and a greater sensitivity to the nuances of the culture. They will be able to decide whether Ka`ahumanu should be revered s the Mother of the People, or whether she should be remembered as the “flaw that brought down the chiefdom.” I have tried to capture the poetry and sensual beauty of the Islands as well as the deeply spiritual aspects of the Hawaiian people. Hopefully, the reader will feel that they have been on an epic journey in a time and place that they can’t get to any other way.



Was there a pivotal event in your life that brought you to writing?

Yes, when I was thirteen my parents took me to Alaska. I left sunny Southern Cal an honor student trying out to be a cheerleader. When I arrived in Haines, population 2,000, with twelve kids in my class and only 60 kids in the entire high school, it was a shock to my psyche. Even though I had fun being the new girl in town and was into the extreme beauty of the place, I was lonely. I turned to books for companionship. People who read often become writers.


What was your greatest opportunity in life?

I was able to take a year off in Kauai to think about things before committing myself to a career pattern. I graduated with a B.A. in English Lit. I wanted to find out for myself if I was a writer, so I gave myself a year of unfettered, lazy time to contemplate my life plan. After putting myself through school selling real estate in California, I felt I deserved it!

This wonderful year was a turning point for me in many ways. I had a spiritual awakening, got my priorities straight and have been a more centered human being ever since. The seed was planted on Kauai for Wai-nani. I decided that, yes, I am a writer, but that I would support my eating habit selling real estate. This would allow me to be an artist free to write about what is important to me. Of course, it also meant it would take me ten times longer to get anything done in the writing world. I believe that money is a corrupting element in art. I did not want it to tear myself apart trying to fit into a commercial mold.


Why Ka’ahumanu?

I identified with her spirit of adventure and rebellion. During the sixties and seventies women were breaking out. I am athletic outdoorsy and independent and childless by choice. She was childless not by choice, but she found other meaning in her life.
She questioned authority and the established ways of her time.
She insisted on having sexual freedom
She stood shoulder to shoulder with her warrior husband and was a source of strength for him.
She was strong brave, athletic, sensuous and deeply spiritual. In short, I saw her as the forerunner of the modern woman.
I learned after writing my first draft and sharing it with a Hawaiian scholar that even though she was loved by the common people, she was a controversial figure. She was perceived by male power figures, namely priests, as a threat. Some people even believe she was part of a conspiracy to kill Kamehameha the Great and remember her as “the flaw that brought down the chiefdom.”



I thought Michner pretty much covered Hawaii. What does your book offer that his didn’t?

His story begins where mine ends. He touches lightly on the pre-contact days and dwells on the impact of the missionaries who arrived in 1820.



What was the biggest challenge for you in writing this story?

It was difficult to write the story without using modern words that would jar the reader back into the 21st century. Keeping Wai-nani’s voice consistent over a 40-year time frame in which European contact brought huge changes to the Hawaiian point of view was difficult.



What was the hardest thing about writing this book?

Trying to represent the ancient Hawaiians who were filled with contradictions in an honest, even handed way. Even though they lived under a harsh and extreme caste system that included slaves and called for human sacrifice, as a whole they were nurturing to one another. They shared the fruits of their labors in a communal, caring way. The Ohana, or extended family, was the most important unit and no child went unloved. When troubles came there was a time for talking things out. “No job is too hard if it is done all together” is a basic Hawaiian precept. Even though the high chiefs siphoned off the riches of the commoners they were also the first conservationists. They placed kapus, or restrictions, on fishing during spawning seasons to ensure enough for all.



What has given you the most pleasure in the last year?

Getting Wai-nani out of my drawer and into the streets. She deserves it, and I need to move on to my travel collection Lost Angel Walkabout.


How can someone buy your book?
Go to www.LindaBallouAuthor.com and click on books.