Pedestrian

pedestrian \puh-DES-tree-uhn\, noun, adjective:

1. a person who gets about on foot; walker
2. going on foot; walking
3. without imagination; dull

I got the above in my email from Dictionary.com's Word of the Day this morning, and the third entry struck me as odd. What does it say about our culture as reflected in our language that self-locomotion is something to be scorned?

When my boys were younger, we used to walk for exercise, to get out, to experience the world, and to talk without distraction. We had wonderful conversations about life, the universe, and everything; we played imagination games as we stalked the deadly Stopasaurus but failed to find anything but the occasional octagonal red prints; and the boys helped me brainstorm my stories, introducing interesting elements or just getting me to think things through.

Pedestrian? Well yes, except for when one of them was in a stroller.

But pedestrian? I can't imagine a description less adequate or more inappropriate than "without imagination; dull." To this day, I remember those times fondly and miss them.

Since moving to Nevada, I have taken up walking again, by myself or with my husband this time as my boys are too busy with their own lives.

As I walk, responsible for nothing but putting one foot in front of the other, I work out story problems, get past programming limitations, muse on my world, and sing along to my MP3 player. And that's not even considering the natural beauty all around me with ducks of more varieties than I knew existed, the ever-present (though migratory ;)) Canada Geese, the two herons who are never seen together, the swooping hawks, occasional eagles, and numerous smaller birds, including the laughable hat bob on the heads of quail.

So then I go to Online Etymology Dictionary (http://www.etymonline.com/) and find this:

pedestrian (adj.)
1716, "prosaic, dull" (of writing), from L. pedester (gen. pedestris) "plain, prosaic" (sense contrasted with equester "on horseback"), from pedes "one who goes on foot," from pes (gen. pedis) "foot" (see foot). Meaning "going on foot" is first attested 1791 in Eng. (it was also a sense of L. pedester). The noun meaning "walker" is 1793, from the adj.

If I'm reading this correctly, the dull meaning, though contrasted with on horseback, predates the walking meaning by some 70+ years. I'd be willing to concede the physical act of walking, the putting one foot in front of the other, has little to recommend it compared to a wild charge across a desert valley on horseback, but I'd question whether a walking pace on a horse would be any more thrilling, any less...umm...pedestrian :).

And if all you're doing when walking is the physical act, might I suggest you're missing a grand opportunity. Now I would not go so far as to recommend my older sister's practice of crossing busy streets with her head in a book, but there's a lot of things you can do when walking that are not recommended for other modes of locomotion. No one is going to pass a "no walking on the cell phone" ban, nor is arguing with a friend (friendly discussion now! ;)) as likely to result in a potentially serious accident.

With all this talk of the pedestrian act, I think I'll leave you now to go out into the sunshine I can see through the window. Perhaps today I will actually catch the two herons at once. It hasn't happened in over two years, but I keep looking while committing a pedestrian act.

Interesting Links

Maybe I'll make this a Friday tradition, a once a month tradition, or maybe never again, but I started collecting some links I thought you all would find interesting. They cover writing, science and free books.

Enjoy:

Writing
Peter Cox on why not to POD your submission manuscript.
http://petercox.info/?p=1083

Dame Kaz on finishing what you start.
http://www.deadlinedames.com/?p=450

Colleen Lindsay on book lengths.
http://theswivet.blogspot.com/2008/03/on-word-counts-and-novel-length.html

Janet Reid on the fallability of rejections (or why not to give up when you're rejected).
http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/2009/02/1399-tax.html

Linnea Sinclair on Point of View.
http://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2009/01/heading-into-danger-choosing-point-of.html

Elizabeth Gilbert on Nurturing Creativity (Note: This is a video and it auto starts so check your volume)
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

Science and Tech
The gene for new teeth discovered (Imagine replacing damaged teeth with new real ones!)http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/genetics/2009-02-26-teeth-genes_N.htm?csp=Tech

Asteroid passed close to the Earth...close on a cosmic scale at least.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2009-03-05-asteroid-near-miss_N.htm?csp=Tech

Miscellaneous:
A chance for a free book each week:
http://www.bkgiveaway.com/

Stay the Night by Lynn Viehl

Stay the Night is a poignant romance about the sacrifices people make for true love. Wait, Stay the Night is an action thriller with lives on the line and no confidence of success. Oh, no, Stay the Night is a tale of betrayal, of a revenge served cold...

Stay the Night really is another of Lynn Viehl's wonderful blends where it is everything I've listed above and more, adding in shifting politics, political machinations, and a little medical science among other aspects. This novel is a fitting end (or waypoint) in the Darkyn tales. It is as strong as the strongest of them, leaves some gateways open but nothing gaping so far that I was dissatisfied, and pulls together the main concerns of the series so that it feels like the right things have reached their conclusions. One of those conclusions is a real emotional kicker, and something I didn't imagine Viehl would manage in such a short time, but she does. I can't say anything more than that without serious spoilage, but I wanted to note that I was impressed.

The main story in this novel belongs to Robin of Locksley, that green tunic'd archer who has been a lifelong love of mine. I openly admit to having a soft spot for Robin, whether as presented by Errol Flynn, in the Disney cartoon, or in various books and comic books. Viehl's incarnation is only the latest in a long line of Robins for me. I have even classified the men in my life as Sherwoodian...or not.

I came away from Evermore just a smidge disappointed in his role, mainly because he didn't get a fair shot. There was a chance at him finding peace and happiness, only to discover that had never been in his cards (yes, a slight spoiler, but if you haven't read Evermore, do. You will never guess why I said that until you read the novel). This time, it's his story that has the center stage, and he deserves everything he gets...both good and bad.

I really enjoyed this novel, but I find myself at a loss in explaining why without going into too much detail or on at too much length. Go back to the beginning of this review and you'll have as much as you need in order to know that it's worth picking up and enjoying, despite the cover coloration that Viehl so detests. I have been lucky in that the color doesn't appear quite so lurid in my yellow study.

I regret that this is the last of the Darkyn series, not because Stay the Night fails to wrap things up, but rather because there are things Viehl didn't get a chance to explore, and new stories that are opened up even in this one that I don't know if she will be able to resolve in the new, related, series that's coming out. Viehl is planning some ebooks on her http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com site that will continue the characters and give me a Darkyn fix for all that they're likely to be shorter. These may also provide the rest of those hinted at tales.

Meanwhile Viehl's already charging off into the shared world series, exploring something that was begun in the Darkyn books and yet did not get the full focus. I look forward to seeing this new step, especially with the teasers snuck into Stay the Night, for all that I'll miss Alex, Michael, and the other Darkyn.

The Darkyn are dead, all hail the Kyndred.

Writers of the Future Volume XIII by Dave Wolverton

Note: This is an older review that I never bothered to post, but I'm trying to post at least once a week, and the contents are still interesting. The reference to Realms of Fantasy however is just sad.

As with any short story collection, there were stories in this anthology that I enjoyed, and ones I thought were not as strong. I was surprised at how many of the ends didn't really resonate with me. I had the same problem with a recent issue of Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction where I enjoyed almost all of the stories with the exception of their ends. I did enjoy some of the stories all the way through, but a surprising number didn't click. Which tells me that the issue might just possibly be me ;).

Every reader has different preferences and apparently mine are for an ending that resonates differently than at least a couple editors. Oddly, I have to wonder if the opening story of this collection, The Scent of Desire by Bo Griffin, wasn't the inspiration for a short story in an issue of Realms of Fantasy called something like Icy Hot I think, but can't remember. In both cases, the stories are about a person whose desire literally burns his partners to dust. It's an interesting little story with a laugh at the end that I won't spoil in case someone looks it up.

I was rather surprised at the level of sensuality in this collection. Several of the stories dealt with people's sex life. I actually have a collection of the Writers of the Future (including one from 1985) that I decided to use as an exercise in market research for my writing group. We're all reading one and coming back with what patterns we had. It's a slightly different focus than I would normally have had and it's affecting how I react to the book.

For example, one of the stories that caught my attention was Wings by Alan Smale. It's an interesting story as much for the content as for the story. Had I been reading just for the story, it still would have stuck in my head, but it's the wide end of the sexual content. The Gods Perspire by Ken Rand on the other hand is pure fun in the old style of fantasy. Nothing has to make sense, you just accept the manifestation of Thor and Zeus in a modern bookie's shop and roll with it.

Recursion by S. Seaport is right up my alley being anthropological SF at least on the surface, but didn't manage to click. I could see where the story was going and yet when it got there it didn't have meaning...this goes to what I was saying above about endings. I want the ending to mean something. It doesn't have to be a big something, but something. And inevitability is not enough of a something to comply.

Altar by Malcolm Twigg on the other hand was wonderful. I really got the characters, and when I thought the ending would leave me hanging, a last little twist made everything fall beautifully into place.

In contrast, both Orange by Sara Backer and Black on Black by Kyle David Jelle frustrated me. I enjoyed the stories, both of them had me reading page after page to see how this would work out (they're very different but both well written), then I got to the end and they ended with a fizzle instead of bang. In the first, the culture is set up with DNA as king. By denying us the true ending, how do I know that that principle was properly eased so the truth could out? In the second, a lot happens at the end and it's just not clear to me whether the end was a heroic sacrifice, an attempt to make good after a betrayal, or a betrayal right then and there. It left me lost, and therefore sour.

Now this is an old issue (something I didn't realize when I started reading), so my guess is even the names I don't recognize have gone on to do bigger and better things. The writing skill of these two stories, Orange and Black on Black, make me want to seek them out...but only if they've learned how to end cleanly.

The ending of A Prayer for the Insect Gods by Morgan Burke also got a grimace, but for a completely different reason. I connected with this story almost from the start after an initial confusion over the insects actually being AI robots. But I really wanted the end to go one way when it went the other. However, in this case, the ending is properly supported and understandable in the circumstances. So I like the masterful moment, but I'm kicking my feet that it couldn't have turned the other way :).

The Winds by Heidi Stallman on the other hand is a completely different type of story. It's evocative and more of a mood piece even to the last moments with a few nods toward actual physical events. It's powerful.

The Garden by Cati Coe didn't work for me. It was an interesting setup with a character who was acting rather than sitting passively, which are wonderful things. I was with the MC all the way up until the end when it fizzles. Part of that is story appropriate, but it's also apathetic and counter to the character. Just letting it happen doesn't match her character for all that it matches her world, so it lost me.

Troder by David L. Felts had much the same environment as The Garden, but there the characters take the law into their own hands. They risk themselves to find vengeance and give as is due. But the most powerful moment is the very last one where the MC has a choice...and makes the right one.

And finally, For the Strength of the Hills by Lee Allred. Honestly, I don't know what to make of this story. It's historical fantasy, and yet so plausible and sensible that it should have been predictable. But the blend of characters undercuts that so you never quite know how the answers are going to roll out.

Okay, I take back what I said about the endings. There were a lot of strong stories in this collection, some of them even the ones I thought whose endings fell flat. It's an enjoyable read and I wonder what I'll find in the next Writers of the Future I pick up from my pile.

The Domino Men by Jonathan Barnes

The Domino Men by Jonathan Barnes is a very odd book. I don't say that in a bad way, but just to prepare you for what is to come.

For the first part, I felt much like the man in the Monty Python skit with the dead parrot. If you don't happen to know this skit, the essence of it is that a man comes to a pet store and tries to convince the owner that a parrot is dead. The owner is adamant that this is not the case, coming up with nonsensical counter arguments to everything the man says.

Well, what does this have to do with Domino Men? Remember I said the book was odd.

This novel is told in the form of a journal written mostly by a major player after the grand event has occurred. However, despite that framework, the narrative follows the story (with the exception of snarky asides from a secondary voice) chronologically. It begins with an innocent and ignorant character, Henry Lamb, who is drawn into a situation so bizarre as to be beyond comprehension. Like the man in the parrot skit, he can not understand how these people can state things as true that absolutely must be considered mad by anyone with a reasonable grasp of reality.

Suffice it to say that his perspective changes, and ours along with him.

This is the strangest form of an unreliable narrator that I've ever run across, but at the same time, it's so compelling that I couldn't step away. I had to keep reading, first to discover if he could figure out how to convince them of their insanity, then to learn how he manages now that he realizes the world is indeed flat and the round form (metaphor to avoid spoilers) is just a cultural delusion.

And when I decided the narrative would finally straighten out into a semblance of normality, in comes the crown prince and a second narrator intruding on Henry Lamb's tale with the offer of another ignorant innocent to reveal the other half of this war they're in the middle of. And if you think that constitutes a spoiler, you're out to be surprised, because honestly I can't believe you'd guess the nature of the events from that little word.

But what really gets me about this book is that in a crazy, incredible way, it also supports the complicated narrative I love. Okay, the ending makes sense but wasn't foreshadowed as much as I might have liked, but the proverbial gun on the mantelpiece of supposedly random elements in the book do end up gathering meaning, the plot seeds are there and recognizable if you have a quick eye, but usually require two to three pieces before they come clear, and there's character growth and change.

This is not a pure fluff, toss down, cotton candy book. It's more complex than that. But it definitely offers a tangled, fascinating, crazy, and very Monte Python read for those willing to delve between the covers.

Note: I read this book as part of Eos Books' Early Reader program, but I'll keep my eye out for his first book, The Somnambulist. I think this is, hands down, the strangest book review I've written yet, and that just goes to show you how compelling the book is. It's seeped into my pores.

2009 TBR and Read Books

This is a list of the books I have on hand to read for 2009 and my progress in doing so. This is a small portion of the actual books in my TBR bookcase (no, that is not a typo), but it's the ones currently on the short list :).

Title	Author	From	Date added	Date Read	Read	Blogged
Manhunt in the Wild West	Jessica Anderson	gift	01/12/2009	01/14/2009	x
Texas-Sized Secrets	Elle James	gift	01/15/2009	01/15/2009	x
Silent Guardian	Mallory Kane	gift	01/15/2009	01/15/2009	x
Queen's Bastard	C.E. Murphy	bookstore	04/30/2008	01/20/2009	x	x
Around-the-Clock Protector	Jan Hambright	gift	01/12/2009	01/20/2009	x
The Domino Men	Jonathan Barnes	Eos Books Early Reader	01/06/2009	02/03/2009	x	x
Who's Who in Non-Classical Mythology	Egerton Sykes and Allen Kendall	Xmas present	12/24/2007	*	x
Gotham Writers' Workshop: Writing Fiction	Alexander Steele	gift	04/04/2008	*	x
Dream Man	Linda Howard	Steph Tyler (stephanietyler.com) in exchange for the progress bar	05/15/2005
Field of Dishonor	David Weber	gift	04/25/2007
Son of Thunder	Murray J.D. Leeder	borrowed	05/05/2007
Cold Granite	Stuart MacBride	blog contest on http://www.mercuryranch.org by Jean Schara	07/05/2007
The Skewed Throne	Joshua Palmatier	bookstore	08/04/2007
Memoirs of a Geisha	Arthur Golden	Bookcrossing	11/11/2007
Blood Secrets	Vivi Anna	Bookcrossing	11/11/2007
Sirius: The Dog Star	Martin H. Greenberg and Alexander Potter	Xmas present	12/24/2007
WorldWired	Elizabeth Bear	bookstore	02/02/2008
Judge	Karen Traviss	bookstore	04/30/2008
Breaking Point	Suzanne Brockmann	bookstore	04/30/2008
Tinker	Wen Spencer	bookstore	05/12/2008

The Queen's Bastard by C.E. Murphy

The Queen's Bastard by C.E. Murphy is a new direction for Murphy's writing and an unexpected one. Her compelling characters sucked me in from the very start of her career so that I automatically buy whatever she puts out without even bothering to read the back of the book.

This one, though, startled me in all the right ways.

Where Murphy has previously chosen a character new to the world she finds herself in across the board, Belinda cannot be said to have that characteristic. There are things she definitely doesn't know, but she is anything but innocent. This novel is the first that I don't think my teenagers are old enough to read, but it's not just the mature content that shows a difference in style but rather the complexity of the story, the way all sides are represented and it's not clear exactly who is "right" and who is "wrong" in their beliefs within their world.

Our sympathies are clearly meant to lie with Belinda, but the bigger picture is open to speculation and questioning. I only lost the connection to Belinda once, and that moment did serve a plot aspect, maybe not as much as I needed to reconcile myself to a moment where the main character became unlikeable, but enough for me to understand why what happened happened and to look for answers even as Belinda herself did so.

Without spoilers, I have to say there is one reveal that comes out of left field. In an already complicated, multilevel political situation, Belinda's father offers an answer that makes things much more complicated and opens a whole new aspect that I expect to find fully explored in later novels in the series. It shifts the book in odd ways, but at the same time is neither jarring nor implausible, so I withhold judgment on its impact until I see more than just a teaser.

And speaking of the series, this is not a standalone book. It is a standalone introduction in that the main situation is resolved at the end, but there were threads I had hoped to see concluded just because I'm impatient for the answers, primarily with regards to Javier (you can agree or disagree once you've read the book, but this won't spoil anything :)), but the book did indicate he wasn't going to be neglected in the future, so I'll just have to remember patience is a virtue.

This is a coming of age novel, not for the novel (though it has some of those aspects) but for the writer. Murphy's talents were obvious in the very first novel of hers I read, Urban Shaman, but Queen's Bastard adds depths and complexity her earlier works had not yet attained. The rich pageantry of this novel makes it a step above and beyond, which just makes me more eager to see how she continues to mature as a writer. She's clearly not planning to sit on her already strong laurels but plans to stretch and grow in significant directions.

On a writing side, this novel has many interesting aspects. Murphy plays with tense by having the main character in standard third person past and all the other points of view in present tense. It's a nice way to signal the change, to keep you focused on who is the main character, and I found it easy to get used to.

As a curious coincidence of timing, one of the strengths of this novel is its non-verbal communication. Murphy does a wonderful job conveying information by how people react and changes in their body movement as well as what they think. The coincidence, for those who are unaware, is that I'm currently teaching a class on non-verbal communication in writing.

The only issue I had with the book, besides that I wish the sequel was here already, is what I believe to be a continuity error (mainly because no one really reacts to that fact), and I only noticed it in retrospect, so it didn't interfere with my read. Overall, I'm thrilled with this new direction Murphy has taken and can't wait to see what she does next in the series.

Diary of a Determined to Be Morning Person

I know...two posts in two days. Shocking :).

About 16 years ago, I was converted to a night person by around the clock feedings and my most productive time is between 10pm and 12pm. But my family has to leave the house early in the morning, my hubby first and then the boys. I'm tired of dragging myself out of bed to emote a goodbye through sleep-closed throat and squinty eyes. Hence my plan to convert.

So... Here's how the start of this grand adventure begins:

Day 1:
5:05 - Woken up by husband following express wishes. Awake and focused.
5:15 - Hop in the shower...hot water has not recovered from husband's bath :p.
6:15 - Done with shower, getting dressed, and morning calisthenics
6:45 - Done with breakfast (just cereal as normal). Decide to wait until house is empty to write.
7:22 - Have done some email, installed critical patch, started two loads of laundry through the process, and said goodbye to everyone else. Time to Write!
7:45 - Switched laundry, finished up what I was doing, ready to WRITE!
8:15 - Turned on writing music, played a game of Lose Your Marbles, read back a bit on the outline since I haven't touched this book in ~4 weeks, and read the last chapter. Time to...fall asleep.
9:10 - Woke up out of nightmare about confused kid time deadlines. Out on the beach in wet swimsuit when I'm supposed to be driving oldest (who's MUCH younger) to sleepover birthday party some 8 hours away. Was it supposed to be there at 2pm, or leave for there at 2pm? Freezing. Go put on robe and push the heater up to 68 degrees from 65.
9:45 - Oh look! First fiction words of 2009. All 494 of them!
Around 11:01 - This time my dream was as punishment for insolence in Harry Potter type boarding school but not, sent to spend the night in the falconry tower with all the loose raptors who are each about my size. Upset about the charge but not the punishment, I get along with the birds fine, but... There's a huge feast scheduled at the tower. I'm in charge of helping the cook but I can't remember the instructions. I'm trying hard but... I know I'm supposed to cut the onions. After chopping them into little squares, I half remember I'm supposed to be doing circles. Sigh. Someone comes and raps on the back glass doors. I open the door careful not to use my hand, but as they come in, the rain splatters me. Cook tells me to go wash up. Phone rings to wake me out of the second nap. It's a recorded sales pitch. We're on the do not call list.

So...hmmm. Up at 5:05? Check. Two naps totaling about 2 hours before noon? Not so check.

Maybe I shouldn't have started this after two almost sleepless nights in a row? At least the dreams were colorful...if nightmares.

And now you know why this is labeled a canary post?

In the Name of Good... and Announcements

I believe there's a lot of cross over between my blog readers and the community of writers, so I thought you might be interested in the following announcements:

First of all, I edit the review section and write a couple columns for Vision: A Resource for Writers. This is a wonderful online magazine that provides articles on markets, writing techniques, resources useful to writers, and interviews among other elements. It is also a market for beginning non-fiction writers, and pulls on a wide variety of experienced writers for articles and interviews. Most of the content focuses on fiction writing of any genre, but articles on non-fiction topics do appear and are welcome. If you haven't checked it out before, please do. And if you have, you'll be happy to hear the new issue has been posted.

www.lazette.net/vision

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The second item is primarily for fiction writers. I am teaching an online workshop on non-verbal communication: how to become conscious of its influence and how to use it in your writing. The course does require membership in Forward Motion (a wonderful writing community), but membership is free. This requirement is to preserve rights for any work you might complete during the class.

I give fair warning that my workshops are intensive, but the more work you put in, the more you get out of the workshops.

Please come and check it out at fmwriters.com. After you log in, click on the Learning Center 2009 link in the header and then go to the Workshops 2009 folder.

The workshop begins on January 5th and the class will run 6 weeks.

Hope to see you there.

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For the stray thought, I give you this...how many social restrictions do we pass on to our kids in the effort to protect their childhood?

This question struck me when reading an article in a 2003 Smithsonian (yes, I'm behind, but they're still as good now as then, and sometimes more interesting with what's happened since). It was an article about the Blackfoot language, and efforts to recover the language and the cultural aspects it contains through an immersion school. While that, in itself, is interesting, what really caught my eye was how the language dwindled in the first place.

The article explains that the tribe's children two generations back were shipped to English-only schools where the penalty for speaking anything other than English was harsh. These children came back to their reservations with the understanding that speaking Blackfoot meant being beaten, so they made sure their children wouldn't suffer the same fate by discouraging any use of their own language. In one generation, the number of native speakers was reduced to almost nothing first by the treatment in the schools and then by honest efforts to protect children.

Okay, that's horrible, but has no direct impact on me seeing as English is my native language, except...

The day before, I went with my husband to Home Depot to pick up some plastic zip ties to attach a mile counter to my son's bike (his Christmas present was missing some key, but easily obtainable, pieces). We had to ask for help to find the zip ties, and the Home Depot employee tagged along.

We turned the corner to see a bag of zip ties in the delightful colors of neon yellow, green, and of course, pink. I pointed them out to the man and my husband, laughing at the unexpected colors. The man commented that black plastic holds up best outdoors, a handy little tip I now pass to you.

It was a slow night and so he hung about as we contemplated the extensive display. My husband had hoped to pick up a bulk pack with a variety of sizes, but the options were white, and of course, the neon collection. After the man's comment about black, neither were suitable, but I jokingly said that we should get the neon pink for our teenager as this would go over very well. We all laughed at the shared cultural joke, then we picked up straight black both for the longer duration and the social safety.

All well and good so far, but now that article has me thinking.

In as late as a 1918 Ladies Home Journal, mothers were advised to dress their boys in pink to be in fashion, presumably because it was a bright, dramatic color. It's not until the 1940s that the modern gender association became common. And yet, a boy who wears pink in most modern US cultures will be subject to ridicule or worse.

That attitude is clear enough in the joke I myself made even though I normally scoff at the biased linking of specific colors to gender. In the case of my kids though, I do what's necessary to reduce the chance of them getting bullied, something they've been at risk for since the beginning because, frankly, their parents are out of step culturally. What I hadn't realized was how much I'd absorbed those cues in the context of my kids.

And now I have to rethink my position.

Not that pink being lost as boys' wear is a big cultural failure, not that a people's history will vanish because of this bias against pink, but even such a small thing makes me wonder.

I don't want my kids to be subject to ridicule, isolated by their peers, or beaten up after school as I was myself. I know that governs my choices not just of clothing but in other aspects of their lives. I give them a good foundation, or try, and then point out where they need to be cautious and protect themselves.

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to raise kids to be aware and respectful of people who are different than themselves while at the same time encouraging them to act like everyone else to protect them? When what makes them unique also makes them vulnerable, how do you balance sheltering them and encouraging them to be themselves.

When my mother-in-law got the boys wind cheaters ages ago, she was startled to see them choose hot pink. Why did they? Probably because my wind cheater was hot pink (a color I happen to adore for its ability to be bright and cheery when we were living in a place that rarely got real sun) and they hadn't yet picked up on that being a no-no color for boys.

My youngest doesn't care about pink. Sometimes he even likes to wear it. When I caution against, he says he doesn't care what people think. Part of me is proud of him. The rest is worried.

This is the same son that I joked about getting the pink zip ties and then chose not to.

So what other social conventions that I don't believe in have I unwittingly supported in the interests of my children? What haven't I told them to make sure they didn't say it in other company where such attitudes would be greeted with a harsh response, whether by the authorities or their peers? In what ways have I helped the destruction of what makes our culture and my kids unique by avoiding or actively squashing things?

I don't know whether it's comforting that I can't think of any big example, or terrifying. By pure luck have I only had to compromise on the little things, or has compromise in this context become so common that even something big slips my notice? I know something important to me would not have, but there are a lot of things outside my radar that, when given notice, are clearly making a statement I don't intend. When that does happen I correct the impression, but who's there to give notice if each generation aids and abets the whitewashing of culture for purely good reasons?

Scary thoughts, don't you think?

Ruins by Lazette Gifford

So, today I finished my very first eBook novel.

That sounds silly and archaic I suppose, but I do have an excuse. I got my first Palm from work in the mid-90s. For me, it was a work object, and when I got a new one years later, I used it for editing and critiquing. That little screen had a purpose. I've read some great novels and short stories, but always in their raw form. I could see what they would become but I approached them with an editor's perspective.

However, a while back, a very talented writer I know let me critique one of her novels. I enjoyed the story a lot and could see what I'd always suspected was true...that she has an incredible way with words.

So, though I have yet to read any of the other eBooks I've been carrying around in my palm, when I needed something to test Holly's store (I do dev work for her), I took the opportunity to help a friend and bought Ruins even though it hadn't yet become available in paperback (which I'd been waiting for). I always figured if it turned out that I couldn't read an eBook, I could give it to my sister who reads eBooks like nothing else and go back to waiting for the hardback.

Well, at first it looked like that's what would happen.

But the day came that I didn't have anything to work on when I was stuck in a line. I had the choice of a number of Baen novels by authors I really wanted to check out. Instead, I opened Ruins.

Now I wasn't an instant convert. I only read Ruins in bits and pieces when I didn't have the brain to crit or edit. And honestly, it was hard to turn off my editor brain. Like most books nowadays, Ruins in the version I bought could have used another pass through the copyeditor, something that didn't help my instinct to work as opposed to enjoying.

But here's the thing. I didn't give up and give the book away. My sister had to buy her own copy :).

Every time I had a spare moment, I opened Ruins.

Every time I opened Ruins, I knew exactly where I was and what was going on no matter how much time had passed. That to me is the sign of a strong novel--when your mind puts you back into that space as soon as you open the page...or in this case, click the button.

Last night, I couldn't sleep.

I didn't want to keep my husband up, so out came my Palm and I started reading. Wonderful invention the eBook. I feel stupid for waiting this long to really *grok* it.

There were moments when I felt tired, but I wasn't at the end of the chapter, so kept going. And when I got to the end of a chapter, I just wasn't tired enough to stop.

I did eventually, but I'd gotten to the point where everything that had been building through the book was coming to a head and I didn't want to stop at all.

Morning came without that changing significantly and I managed to find time to finish the story off.

This is a long tale, but it's an important one for me. There are two key elements:

First, I have successfully read and enjoyed an eBook novel. Maybe this will start a transition for me to be less dependent on paper for long works. I've read many short stories, and even whole magazines, electronically, but never before something that takes a lot of time to consume and digest.

Second, Ruins is a wonderful story. It's strong enough to keep my interest despite long breaks and strong enough to hold my interest despite a form that is alien to me. The story focuses primarily on two characters, Lee and Chev. They both start at somewhat of a transition point, and by the end, through violence, mystery, and wonder, they manage to move to the next stage of their lives. It's a wild ride to get there, but if you like archeology, if you like mystery, if you like thrillers all wrapped up in serious people stories, Ruins is definitely worth the run.

Oh, and this is the same Lazette Gifford who will benefit from any sales made from the page accessed through the Pssst... icon on the left sidebar. So, if you want to check out her writing for yourself, just click the button. It'll be worth your time.

Omega Games by S.L. Viehl

Omega Games is a continuation of her StarDoc series, only two books after she made the main character undergo a major change. Personally, I'd recommend reading the series from the beginning if you haven't because it's pure space opera candy, with some medical science tossed in. And the things that make you question the handwavium? They're actually resolved within the text of the later books. StarDoc is fun with the focus being on Cherijo, a headstrong medical doctor who manages to get mixed up in absolutely everything and is being chased across the galaxy for somewhat valid reasons. (Can you tell I like them? ;))

Anyway, specific to Omega Games, besides being a wonderful read, the way she's changed Cherijo's character really comes through in this novel. It opens a new dimension to her nature that I enjoyed experiencing. She's a bit less head strong, but just as stubborn, and her priorities are shifted so that it keeps the reader...and poor Duncan, her husband...on less firm ground. With Cherijo old style, I'd come to the point that I could predict what she would do and how she would react. This didn't mean she was predictable in a negative sense because there's a world of ways she could use the triggers, but more that her characterization was solid, consistent, and reliable. With the new Cherijo, there are unexplored depths based on her experiences when suffering from full amnesia and her experiences now when faced with people who expect her to be someone she doesn't completely remember being. It's a fascinating counter play that leaves me just a bit off-balance, right there alongside all the other characters that had come to know Cherijo very well.

Which makes it sound like this is a huge character fest without the tumultuous disasters that characterize the series, an impression as false as expecting the new Cherijo to be a carbon copy of the old. There are spaceship fights, divided loyalties, kidnappings, and more to round out the character experiences, making Omega Games a wonderful combination of the space opera candy I've grown to love and something with a little more to chew on. As usual, there's something going on that isn't what it seems, so talking specifics will lead to spoilers. It's enough to say that I really enjoyed reading this novel and it bodes well for the continuation of the series.

Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie

The pile of books on my desk has finally reached a height that is threatening my view of my monitor, a desperate state indeed. This means I need to make some comments and get them safely off into a shelf of books I've actually finished. However, this state is a good sign, not a bad one. It means I have been reading a lot. When I read very slowly, the odds of time to slip in a review grows higher with every day. When I'm reading a lot, it's the pile of to be reviewed that grows while the backlog of to be read shrinks a bit (though not much since I keep adding to it.

Anyway, I think I'll write about the book on the top, simply because it is there, in closest view. This is not to say that this book doesn't deserve a review though.

There are few books that I read before college that linger in my memory, and often when I've reread those, I've ended up learning more about myself at that point in my life than about an excellent novel. The one exception I knew of was Pride and Prejudice. And now I add another to that list, one that isn't even a novel.

Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie is an interesting book for me. I read it as part of a summer reading list along with James Michener's The Source, and fell in love with the book. It influenced my understanding of European history more than any other text, and as I discovered while rereading it, is most likely responsible for some of my oddest traits, like the way I taught my boys to respond to a whistle as a more effective/less intrusive way of getting their attention in public. (Not the police whistle type call, but a melodic one.)

So, imagine my surprise when I started in to this influential novel only to discover it's not a novel at all. This is a biographical account complete with scholarly asides, quotes from papers and diaries, and even quotes from later-day interviews of those present in these momentous times. I remembered the story it told, the loving detail of how these people lived and what were their struggles. I knew it was "based" in real history, but believed it to be a fictionalized account simply because of the strength of that story.

Kudos to Robert K. Massie. This isn't a narrative retelling. This isn't a fictionalized account. It's a scholarly text complete with speculations, primary sources, time jumps, and everything else one would expect in trying to piece together one of the greater tragedies of the European world. This book is a strong education in the political, societal, and religious influences of the time; in the interaction between the remaining monarchies and those countries struggling with new political structures; in the push and pull of a ruling class that were pretty much all related by blood; and the deadly impact of that little known disease, hemophilia.

I can't say enough about this book. Really, I can't. If all history were written/taught in this manner, more would thrill to the moment history turned up on their schedules. This book has the same appeal as the narrative retellings offered by the History Channel in an effort to educate a public trained to think of history as dull.

Nicholas and Alexandra has all the romance of a romance novel, the tragedy of a tear-jerker, the politics of a political thriller, and more. But when it comes down to the end, when you understand the path of unrelated circumstances that led to their final moments, it hurts to remember that these aren't just fascinating characters composed of ink on a page, but that these people lived, loved, ate, slept, and died just as any of us...well, except for the last part. There's a reason the myth of Anastasia (recently put to rest by DNA evidence) persisted despite all evidence to the contrary, why those few relatives of the Tsar felt compelled to meet pretenders and why young women convinced themselves they could have been one of that tragic family. Massie brings that feeling to life in a compelling historical document. The book moved me, captivated me, in my early teens, and it has no less power now.

Psst! Help Zette Out

Folks, I've been trying to come up with a blog post to put around this offer that Holly Lisle, and others, is making on behalf of another friend, Lazette Gifford, but anything I say sounds stiff and formal.

Suffice it to say that Zette has given of her energy, time, and limited resources to make sure that writers like me could continue to have a home at Forward Motion. She's an incredible woman (at a time when I'm feeling surrounded by incredible women :)), and puts others first even when she can't afford to.

Right now is one of those times. She's in need of a little help, and Holly has come up with a way to get her that help. My part, and yours if you choose to accept it, is to make everyone aware of the offer Holly has put together to get Zette what she needs.

Zette has released a number of wonderful non-fiction and fiction titles through Holly's shop, and others have donated the proceeds from their sales as well to help Zette out. Please, take a moment to check out what you can get there and pass the word on to others who might benefit from these titles as well. Just click on the Psst button below:

Suzanne Brockmann's novels

Suzanne Brockmann's series of Navy Seal romance adventure novels follow usually 2-3 couples through life threatening circumstances that manage to be unique despite the tight theme. By the end of the book, one couple will have found their happily ever after, another couple will be on the road to theirs (to be resolved in a later book), and the third, when present, is often torn apart in such a way that you can't imagine them ever getting back together again. Being an avid romance reader, I've read many series centered around a town, a business, a high school graduating class, or whatever holds them together. Suzanne Brockmann is imminently skilled at working the series so that rather than being able to see into the future and determine who is up next, rather than being able to rely on the fact that those who seem connected will end up together, everything is up for grabs. Though the story revolves around the Seal group, people come and go from the team, form separate companies that continue to appear in the book series, pull in other groups such as an FBI negotiating team... Her books do not stagnate, nor do they toe the line of traditional romance. They're both realistic and befitting the romantic fantasy while providing a solid thriller/adventure story for the reader. She's a great writer. My husband is hooked on her books as well, so if you want a non-romance reader's recommendation, he definitely thinks she's worth the pretty penny :).

I have a bit of a history with these novels as I received my first as a barter exchange for a program I wrote. What you'll see in this post is my notes on not one but several of her novels in this series, mainly because I never got around to posting them. The latest, a post-surgery gift from my husband, I'll talk about first just to be contrary.

Force of Nature by Suzanne Brockmann (Acquired: gift)


This spinoff of the SEALs novels breaks with all traditional romance and focuses as much on the love life of one of her reoccurring characters who happens to be gay as it does on the heterosexual romance between the two main characters (though who exactly is the main couple is sort of up for grabs). At this point, Brockmann's made enough of a name for herself that such a radical deviation from the traditional isn't as dangerous, but considering the current political climate with gay marriage, I was fascinated by how she tackled this.

What's even more amazing, and a clear sign of her excellent character development, she'd received a significant enough number of requests from readers to give Jules, the gay character, a happy ending of his own that she felt it a reasonable extension. Of all of hers I've read so far, this is the first one where both the romances resolve in one book, her only concession to making sure the more traditional readers had a relationship to glom onto as well as Jules' HEA (happily ever after). And don't worry if you get squeamish :). The gay romance is just that, a romance. Not graphic detail about body parts, the physical details act to emphasize the emotional connection.

However, like her other novels, neither couple has it easy. There are several points in the book when I was sure that things wouldn't work out. Especially with Brockmann's history of leaving one couple hanging, I didn't have the guarantee that both would resolve tidily by the end even with the implicit promise of the author notes in the beginning. This is a fast-paced action novel where the characters, through no fault of their own, but as a logical extension of their circumstances, end up in the middle of an international incident where no one, not the private detective nor the FBI investigator, know who exactly is the bad guy (okay, who is the bad guy they're looking for). If you enjoy strong characters, emotional situations that will pull at you, and an action-adventure to rival James Bond...though without the easy out of his fancy gadgets ;)...give Force of Nature and Suzanne Brockmann a try :).




Over the Edge by Suzanne Brockmann (Acquired: Steph Tyler (stephanietyler.com) in exchange for the progress bar)


Steph gave me these books a long time ago in return for a copy of my progress bar program. They sat on my tbr pile not because I didn't want to read them but because I wasn't in the mood for that type of book. When my husband got addicted to another thriller/romance writer, I offered him these to try. He said they were wonderful and picked up Suzanne Brockmann's back list too. When he gave my copies back, they never quite managed to get on my shelf so when I needed to grab a book, I took one from the pile. Now I'm kicking myself for waiting so long. Over the Edge is the fifth book in a series, but Steph had promised they could be read stand alone so instead of getting the earliest, I started with the one she'd suggested...finally :). Though the very beginning was a little confusing with the huge cast, clearly people profiled in earlier novels that should have been familiar but of course were not, the very wonderful writing just kept pulling me along. Usually with thriller/romances, one of those threads gets the shorter end of the stick. Suzanne Brockmann manages not only to offer a good military thriller plot with terrorists and SEALs and tension and terror, but two full romance plots. Sure, both threads referred to earlier events, either in the series or just mentioned as back story (I can't tell the difference), but there was enough of the developing relationships to keep me grounded and involved. Then, on top of that, she layered in a story about a Holocaust survivor that not only tied into the characters but into the overarching plots (ALL OF THEM) as well. Really, I don't care whether you've never read a thriller, never read a romance, never read anything about the Holocaust before. There's something in this book for a wide variety of readers and the writing itself is strong and approachable. I'm jealous :). And you better bet I'll be reading the rest of them. It might take me a bit, but it'll take a string of sour books to pull me from adopting this author, something I already know won't happen cause my hubby's already read and enjoyed them :D.



Out of Control by Suzanne Brockmann (Acquired: Steph Tyler (stephanietyler.com) in exchange for the progress bar)



Brockmann didn't disappoint with this novel either and I have requested the ones my husband purchased (sadly he wasn't able to find everything) so that I can continue enjoying her writing and the lives of her characters. The stories begun or continued in Over the Edge show up again in Out of Control, some to find happy resolution and some that fail to, despite my hopes. The main story involves a character we know from the previous but only peripherally, and then an unknown woman and unknown couple. Considering how big the known cast is already, adding more seems overkill, or should. But nothing is weak about this novel or her writing style. She manages to keep ongoing threads that cross several books alive as well as offering multiples of new stories and reminding us of the sweet resolutions of previous stories. It's a complex blend that pulls me along as a reader on the edge of my seat watching disaster after disaster push the characters around until they all manage to come together for a tangled end that works and is a logical extension of everything that ever came before even though my mind says that isn't possible. It's an orchestration I've rarely seen outside of a Russian novel, but there is no question that she's joined my list of favorites. Actually, the very fact that I read another one so quickly shows that because I've still got tons of novels to read and giving the same author two spaces in that order is really saying something :).


The Defiant Hero by Suzanne Brockmann (Acquired: bookstore)



Suzanne Brockmann has become one of my favorite writers. I have a soft spot for SEALs, and she gives complex story along with believable romance. Even better, she manages to blend in a romance from an earlier point of critical history. This particular story is an early one in the series and contains the start of a relationship that I've already seen an end to but the beginning is only hinted at. It's a twisted pleasure to see those events play out, but it's a sign of her skill that I could enjoy even knowing the end, assuming that I do. And the piece of history for this book is Dunkirk, the evacuation of the British out of France with an armada of tiny boats, anything they could get into the water, while the Germans strafed those waiting evacuation. She made it personal, connected that moment of sad victory to the characters and paralleled the situation with the courage necessary to survive and succeed in their current troubles. Brockmann offers interwoven stories twisting through the lives and loves of a group of SEALs. Each book contains at least two relationships, one of which resolves and another that's carried on until later books. If ever there was a blueprint for how to keep a series interesting, The Troubleshooters (currently on book 12) is it.

The Last Lecture and Life Lessons

Sorry for the long silence, though this may actually explain some of it :).

As some of you may know, I spent the past year under a knife, figurative, but possibly literal, with a severe medical condition that no one could explain. It's made me think about things a lot, though most of that pondering got swallowed up by the pain/pain med-induced amnesia :p.

Now with that context, you might think the fact that both my sisters recommended The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch to be particularly ominous, but it's actually a coincidence. I had heard about the last lecture and stuck it in my head under physicists saying fascinating things. Yes, I know now that Randy Pausch is not a physicist, nor is he talking much about science. But that was enough to make me interested when, at a family reunion, I noticed my older sister was reading this book. She'd borrowed it from my younger sister, who then both recommended I read The Last Lecture and allowed me to borrow her copy as well.

So I got back from the reunion to discover that what we'd thought had resolved (in three wonderful, mostly symptom-free weeks) was back. The upshot of it was that I now faced a surgery to cure me instead of either being already cured or under a death sentence. Still, my frame of mind over the course of this past year had certain similarities to Randy Pausch.

Anyway, between preparing for the surgery and after, a small book with little chapters seemed the perfect read. I knew my focus could be measured in minutes, not hours, so a normal book would take too long. Except that I didn't read just a page at a time.

The Last Lecture is neither about physics (or virtual reality, his actual area of expertise ;)) nor so much about dying. It's a collection of thoughts and stories about how Randy Pausch lived his life, what he learned about people along the way, and what lessons he wants to pass on to his children, along with anyone else interested enough to listen. The book is surprisingly optimistic while being very grounded in the reality of his timeline. He focuses on the people whom he's met in his life, not to be maudlin, but to celebrate the wonderful things these people are doing, and to appreciate the chance to be part of their lives, to help them achieve what they truly wanted.

This is a book about childhood dreams. About striving toward them and about what you can gain whether or not you end up achieving those goals. It's a book about being aware of your life and how you interact with others.

And now that I've made it sound like a boring, Hallmark moment, let me tell you Randy Pausch is incredibly articulate and talented at choosing the right illustrations from his own life or from those around him to prove his point. For example, he talks about how he initiated the "First Penguin" award in his labs, not for the group that succeeded, but for the group that fails spectacularly. This example really speaks to me because I'm a largely self-taught programmer, database analyst, systems analyst, and process analyst. Okay, anything logical I'll tackle and enjoy ;). Sure, in the end I'll get things to work, but the way I come to the understanding is by first putting together something that does not. It might not produce any result, might be the wrong result, or maybe it's just a resource hog. The reality is that with each attempt to accomplish something that fails, I've gained a better understanding of the process and how I need to go forward. Each time I think I know the answer and the path leads me to a dead end, I learn about that section of the process and get clues about the overall process so I can set off on another path.

Okay, before I go too far on this tangent, I'll get to the point. I once worked with a project manager who I enjoyed talking to because he was an interesting man. Out of all our discussions though, the thing that stuck with me so many years later was one time when he mentioned that early in his career he'd been the system administrator for a Novell server. His comment? He'd been responsible for that system for something like five years and still knew little to nothing about it.

At the time, I was hip deep in an aging system that had been pushed well beyond its limits, was leaking data from every crack, and which my team was plastering together with duct tape in the hopes of keeping production rolling long enough for the new system to come into being (which would of course be 10 times better ;)). What I realized was, rather than cursing the old system under my breath, I should be hugging it. I came out of supporting that system with a clear understanding and direct experience with Unix, Oracle, Unix-Novell bridge solutions, and half a dozen other things. I became a successful programmer and data analyst because of that old system. And when the new one started dribbling data, I didn't have to learn everything from scratch because those skills I'd honed on the old system were globally applicable. Heck, I still use them in the systems I work with today.

To get back to the book though, that's only one of the many life lessons he offers that really clicked with me. Randy Pausch's analysis, in his final months on this Earth, made me sit back and appreciate some of the things I hadn't given much thought to, people things, computer things, life things. As it turned out, I wasn't under a death sentence this time at least, and I have more than four months to enjoy the world he's reminding me of, time he wasn't given. A lot of what he said wasn't new to me. I'm prone to self-analysis and so had already come to many of the same conclusions. But this book is a good reminder of things, of making choices and decisions, of not accepting the easy road when your heart craves the harder one, of being there for other people and making their way a bit smoother, and most of all, of seeing the brick walls we face in life not as barriers but as challenges to be conquered.

I have no doubt why this book is a national bestseller, and though it needs no help from me, I suggest you go out and get a copy, whether you buy one, borrow from a friend, or get it from the library. Me? I read my sister's copy, and there's a high probability that, when I return it to her, my own copy will nestle in my shelves.

Muse Online Conference 2008

Some of you might remember me mentioning this before, and some of you may even have gone the previous year, but it's time to set aside a week in October (October 13 - 19, 2008) for the Muse Online Conference. This is a free conference with no cover charge, no transportation costs, and you can participate in live panels in your jammies :). The conference signup deadline is September 1st so you don't want to delay too long if you're planning on attending.

I will be teaching a forum workshop on telling details this year, those elements that a writer needs to highlight in a scene so the reader is right there with the characters. The difference, in my head at least ;), between a workshop and a class is that in a workshop, the participants get to do all the work. If you've joined in on any of the Forward Motion workshops, you already know what I mean. If you haven't, this is your grand opportunity to discover the difference.

There are dozens of other lectures, classes, workshops, chat sessions, and probably some variations I can't think of on offer from authors around the world and in pretty much every area of writing possible. Whatever your particular interest or weakness, odds are you'll find something, or more likely twice as many somethings as you have time for. Some, like mine, are 100% forum to allow participants to join in no matter what the time zone. The chat presentations though are at specific times dependent on where the instructors live.

Register here:
Muse Online

Working For as Opposed to Working With

Why are so many revolutions started by intellectuals who impose the belief that life is horrible on people who might not think that way on their own? Is that why so many of the "ground-swell" revolutions don't live up to their initial beliefs and philosophies? Is that why intellectuals who have such grand ideas at the start transform into dictators of the worst sort?

After all, the core group begins with this wonderful idea, one of utopia where all are equal and work together to make a better whole, and then spends years pushing it at people who are satisfied (rightly or wrongly) with their lot. By the time the revolution succeeds, if it does, the intellectuals are so used to shoving the "proper" thoughts into the heads of people who are reluctant, or as often styled, too ignorant, to think these thoughts themselves that they continue to "dictate" what everyone is to think or believe, something that almost always violates the principles those self-same intellectuals were attempting to realize.

I find this connection especially odd when so much of the "intellectual class" believes in pastoralism, returning to the land, to the roots of humanity before we became so wrapped up in technology and workaholicism.

Offhand, the revolutions that come to my mind are the Russian revolution and Marxism realized in ways Marx would not have approved. The Iranian Revolution was started by college students, many of whom probably had some experience in other countries and definitely benefitted from the liberal aspects of Iranian culture. Did they really intend to bring about a restrictive religious regime? What other revolutions came about because of imposed ideals that turned into dictatorships? I know there are others, even though I can't name them at the moment, that demonstrate this same type of pattern.

So, I hope you enjoyed your stray thought for the month, brought to you by the unlikely combination of something Holly Lisle wrote in one of her classes about indoctrinating people into the belief they are victims combined with having reached the portion of Nicholas and Alexandra which recounts the roots of Russian Marxism through the early life of Lenin.

P.S. Yes, I've violated title capitalization rules. But I tried and I just can't decap the two most important words in the title ;).

An Interview with Maria Zannini, author of Touch of Fire

I don't usually post author interviews, but Maria Zannini's Touch of Fire is somewhat of a special case. Touch of Fire is the first book I have critiqued all the way through that has made it to publication. Though I haven't had a chance to read the polished version yet, I enjoyed the early version and am sure the polished one will be even better with her edits. I can tell you that Maria has talent in droves as well as the drive to get things accomplished, as shown from her book now available as an ebook and as a paperbound in Winter 2009. I will post a review when I get my hard copy, or maybe sooner depending. (I'm getting a new Palm that makes reading ebooks easier.) It will be worth your while to wander over to Samhain Publishing and check out this fantasy romance novel. Maria also offers marketing information, interviews, and fun anecdotes on her blog, experience that led her to take over the newsletter for Online Writers Workshop. (Links to the novel and Maria's site are at the end of the post.)

The other reason for the interview is as an extension of one of the panels I was on at BayCon (a science fiction reading, watching, writing, costuming, filking, and what have you convention in the Bay Area, CA, that I've gone to for years). I was asked to talk about small press, something I have some experience with since I copyedit for Dragon Tooth Fantasy Ebooks, and my short stories were all published by small presses. However, I have no novel experience as an author. With that in mind, I asked Maria to tell us a little about her recent encounter with a small press that led to the start of her career as a novelist.

How did you find your publisher? What led you to submit to Samhain?
It was a complete fluke! A friend of mine told me about a hook contest Samhain Publishing was running. I had five whole lines, but that's all I needed. Once my submission was chosen as a finalist, I offered the editor a partial. Well, wouldn't you know it, she wanted the whole thing! I burned up my keyboard getting her a full manuscript in five weeks.

What would you say is the highlight of your experience working with your publisher?
It's definitely been the editing. My initial fear was that an e-publisher might not have the same diligence in editing as a traditional publisher, but that was far from the truth. My editor was no soft sell. The book went through two full edit passes with her and then it went on to a line editor who made sure my threads were complete and I made no silly mistakes.

What would you say has been the hardest part?
LOL! For me, that would have to be the cover art. I loved it, but I was on pins and needles while waiting for the cover concept. Since I'm also an artist, I tried to be very specific on what I wanted to see. The artist, Anne Caine was terrific and she tolerated me like a saint. I was very happy with the final version.

Can you describe some of the marketing plans for Touch of Fire?
The marketing director at Samhain constantly updates the authors on promotional opportunities, advertising specials, book tours and conferences. Having spoken to a few of my friends who are published through traditional publishers, I know that's not always the case. Many times the author is on his own. With Samhain, it's still up to the author to do the legwork, but I appreciate having someone on the inside telling me what's available.

My personal marketing plans for TOUCH OF FIRE include blog tours, business cards, workshop presentations, and a little advertising. I look specifically at the quality of the marketing as opposed to the quantity. As I get closer to the print release of the book, I will probably boost my web presence and increase my appearances.

What are your plans going forward with this publisher?
I don't like to plan too far ahead because publishing is in such enormous flux. Traditional publishing houses are now including very specific contract clauses for ebook versions of their print books, so I suspect there might be more competition with the smaller presses in years to come. But there will definitely be other books through Samhain. They've treated me very well.

Making the choice to go small press vs. large press is a difficult one for many writers because they don't understand the difference and the pluses and minuses. What advice would you offer a writer on the verge of making this call?
A lot depends on your comfort level. Small press can be pretty beneficial, especially to new writers. Not only do they take more interest in your welfare, but they're more hands on. In my case, TOUCH OF FIRE not only comes out in ebook, but it will go to print in Winter 2009, selling in traditional brick and mortar stores.

While some authors with big presses have the luxury of PR and extra ARCs, it's almost always for established authors or those with power agents. So in the end, I think most of us are still in the same boat. We have the same obstacles and opportunities as anyone else in that store. A lot depends on how much effort the individual author puts in.

Anything else you want to share?
I had my reservations in the beginning about small presses, but it's been a good experience for me. When you're brand new and that amniotic fluid is dripping all around your feet, it's nice to know there's someone there to show you the ropes. I feel protected and more importantly to me, I feel in control. I like that.

Links:
Buying information: http://www.mybookstoreandmore.com/product_info.php?products_id=973
Publisher information: http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/touch-of-fire
Blog: http://mariazannini.blogspot.com/
Website: http://mariazannini.com/
MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/mariazannini
OWW newsletter: http://sff.onlinewritingworkshop.com/index_newsletter.html

The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction - July 2008

This is not the first issue of F&SF that I have read, nor will it be the last. I'm an on-and-off-again subscriber who often picks up a stray issue when my subscription lapses. Like any magazine, I rarely find that all the stories chosen speak to me. This goes in waves where sometimes more do, and I subscribe, and sometimes less do, and I wander away. I've been in the wander away (though I have a stack of singles to prove I didn't wander far) mode for a bit now.

The July issue is really making me rethink that position. If you last all the way to the end of this post, there's a relevant treat from the F&S F folks, who hope that my analysis will arouse your interest as well.

It's been said that Gordon Van Gelder prefers idea stories, and that trend is definitely reflected in the stories offered between these covers. This issue contains a broad range of topics: cloning in The Roberts, the search for an ultimate answer in Fullbrim's Finding, an interesting answer to precocious children in Enfant Terrible, the changing of the guard in The Dinosaur Train, the infinite library in Reader's Guide, and moral standing in the military in Poison Victory.

Of all of the titles, only "Poison Victory" didn't bring the story immediately to mind, and that's only a title issue in my opinion and not a reflection on the story at all. A good 10 days passed between when I finished reading the magazine and wrote up this review, time in which I've read a number of other stories, published and not, to cloud my memory. That all but one of the stories is memorable based on title alone and the one that wasn't is memorable after a quick glance at the first page (the equivalent of "do you remember the story in which...") supports my belief in how strong this issue is.

I did not dislike a single one of the fiction offerings, a rarity in short story collections. And though I read for the stories, I also found the columns interesting, partially in how they supported the general idea focus. One column, for example, explored the "new weird" in a way so true to the topic that my head spun afterwards, while another looked at the portrayal and expectations behind the superhero designation.

The issue as a whole was a thinking issue, as is the focus of F&SF in general, but I've rarely seen it upheld quite so thoroughly. Or quite so well.

The stories ranged from science fiction to magical realism to alternate history. I didn't feel fantasy was represented much in this issue, though The Dinosaur Train is possibly classified as borderline fantasy depending on how you look at it. I think, however, that none of the stories "felt" like fantasy, which is of course a completely subjective presentation, but one that I'll have to stand by as I can't give a better explanation.

It's hard to say which is my favorite story because they all appeal in different ways. In fact, I cannot. My least favorite was Poison Victory, though not because of the title, but that's a "least" in the sense of an 8 on a scale of 0-10 being least. It's so rare that every story in a magazine has something to offer me that I find it hard to articulate. Having failed to come up with a ranking, I'll offer some description of the stories so you can judge for yourself, trying to avoid spoilers as much as possible beyond general statements. Also, the order is that of the table of contents and has no significance beyond that fact. It's not even the order in which the stories appear in the magazine.

The Roberts is the novella offered. Michael Blumlein addresses the issue of dating and the time one must commit to a successful relationship through the odd window of cloning. And no, it's not as weird as it sounds. To be honest, it takes a little time for the story to move beyond a sort of male perspective on Sex in the City. This isn't a reach out and grab you story, but neither does it fail to catch the reader. It's more the type that piques the interest and slowly pulls the reader in until you're caught.

A minor segue, but I was talking with a neighbor about her husband's book that featured clones. This is of little significance except that two stories (one on my edit pile that I wrote a while back and never polished) and The Roberts came immediately to mind. The significance here is the 10 day that lapsed between finishing the magazine and that conversation. For the story to sit in my brain crystal clear despite editing, critiquing, going to a convention, and half a dozen other things that interfered, is unusual. And yet I was able to recount specifics in this conversation as though I'd just reached "the end," or had the magazine in front of me, which I didn't.

I wouldn't have expected this to be a story that appealed, but I'm glad I stuck with it and read all the way through because it raises some interesting questions and offers some...unique...solutions. Okay, maybe the solutions aren't relevant to our lives. The questions, however, resonate with me, and I'd be surprised if they didn't touch most readers on some level.

Fullbrim's Finding by Matthew Hughes is an odd cross between a philosophical story and a hard-boiled detective one. I wasn't really sure what to make of this at the beginning, and still am not sure after I came to the end. That isn't to say it wasn't compelling in its very contradiction. The result is somewhat of a shaggy dog tale, and yet it completely isn't. It plays on the concept of obsession, and offers an answer to the quest for meaning that makes just a little too much sense, and yet the importance is the way of it and the exploration of the various personalities involved much more than the actuality of the plot. This is not the story I was thinking of when I mentioned magical realism above, but now faced with encapsulating Fullbrim's Finding in some pithy summary, I wonder if it's an example of magical realism in an science fictional rather than modern context. Judging from a recent definition I read, this story clearly falls into the category of interstitial. It's almost a mood piece and yet offers too much sense to be limited by that definition either. It is definitely a story that would not appeal to me all the time, but which filled a hole in my reading pile nicely when I came upon it.

Poison Victory by Albert E. Cowdrey is the one I mentioned above as the story that connected with me the least. This is not because it is alternate history, nor even because it's an alternate look at World War II, exploring what the world would look like if Hitler won. I am actually an avid reader of alternate history, and though Hitler stories are common, I fully admit this is a unique take on it. I guess the weakness that made me weigh it more lightly was simply that a lot happened which served little purpose beyond setting the scene. It involved the main character, but that involvement was conveyed at one step distant. This is, in part, because the story is written in diary format, an interesting approach, and largely a successful one. There is no question that both the events bringing the main character to the point of writing a treasonous journal and the actions he then takes come through clearly. Nor does the format limit what the reader sees as the main character is quite dedicated in his setting down of both current and past events. The story builds, piece upon piece, until the choices are limited to capitulation or revolt. He must choose whether to lay his ghosts to rest, or embrace what he has become and deny his moral failure.

Oddly, it's only now, in analyzing my thoughts about the story that the title's meaning comes clear. I withdraw my earlier statement. It's the perfect title, as I probably noticed at the moment of completing the read. I guess it's only that it didn't toss me back into the story 10 days later that made me doubt it. But a weakness of distance and titling is still minor when you're reading the actual text and reliving these moments with the main character. Whatever his lack of reaction to some matters, it's hard not to react for him. The reader has the facts of the case, and can see the burden he bears clearly.

Reader's Guide by Lisa Goldstein is the novelette I was referring to when I mentioned magical realism. In the tradition of Garcia Marquez, I believe, though Google is failing me at the moment, this story brings the reader to an infinite library filled with every book not just written, but imagined. It's the catalog of ideas awaiting nurturing to bring them to life. Through the style of a reader's guide, and the ruminations of a Shelver, one who is responsible for organizing these ideas, we get to see not just the library but the sometimes pathetic writers who roam its shelves in the hopes of uncovering the perfect, unique idea that would bring their writing to its pinnacle. In this odd manner, we witness the transformation of a Shelver as he/she gives up smug superiority in favor of a new purpose.

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On a side note, the stories break down by point of view as follows: one straight first person, the detective styled one; two narrative first person, though one is through the reader's guide and the other a diary; two third person, the novella and The Dinosaur Train; and one actual second person. A rather broad range that indicates POV is not a defining characteristic for F&SF's choices. The reader may find anything within these covers.
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Enfant Terrible by Scott Dalrymple is a second person story where you as the reader, despite being the protagonist, come to understand a series of oddities gradually. It is a trick in that information that should be known is hidden, and the assumptions you're led to make are red herrings, but it doesn't feel like a cheat. I'm highly sensitive to the author withholding information for the sole purpose of creating false suspense. That's not the case here. Rather, it's second person omniscient in the sense that you experience only what is in front of the character and make your own judgments about the material. Nothing is revealed, but neither is it hidden. The only way to know is to have access to the main character's thoughts, and that information isn't available. It makes the story into somewhat of a mood piece, and the ending left me a mite bit uncomfortable, but in a good way. Like some of the others, this story is hard to classify, and even harder to summarize without upsetting the balance of the information reveal. I'm just going to say it's worth the ride should you choose to take it.

The Dinosaur Train by James L. Cambias closes the magazine at least as far as stories are concerned. This is an appropriate end point because Cambias offers us a story about the moment of change, when old traditions are fading and new ones have to take their place, where the will and the way are not always clear, or free of obstacles. Stubborn human nature combined with a lifetime of experiences that taught hard lessons meets willingness and a pure heart that is still open to change and taking chances. This story is not a grand statement; it doesn't offer to change the world, save humanity from itself, or save the universe from humanity. It's a little story with a big heart, one young man having to face that his own choices will lead him away from what he's always wanted, and yet at the same time, those choices may be the only way to preserve what he longs for. As much as Fullbrim's Finding is about how obsessions define people, The Dinosaur Train offers the same look at people but through the filter of loyalty, loyalty to family, to tradition, and to the ideal even when it sets a person against those who should have first claim on allegiance. What can I say? I enjoyed the push-pull represented here. It touched my heart as well as my head.

Which brings me to the end of the magazine, and the urge to take advantage of the offer given to all who read this review (though for a limited time only). I hope my thoughts entertain and give some sense of what the July issue, and the general editorial focus of F&SF, can offer. They've got an interesting line-up planned, and if Gordon Van Gelder keeps purchasing stories like these, it'll be an enjoyable one. The magazine has been around for 59 years now. That says something, especially in this market.

Because I reviewed this issue for them, an obvious delight :), F&SF is offering me, and extending the offer to anyone who reads this review, a special discount on a 1- or 2-year magazine subscription. You can pay by either credit card or PayPal, and do a gift subscription at the same rate if you pay by PayPal. The offer is only available through this link: http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog-subscribe.htm

Sharpe's Battle by Bernard Cornwell

(Acquired: bookstore)

I read my first Bernard Cornwell as part of an Advanced Reader program (or at least the first I remember reading) and enjoyed how he brought me into the action. I'd been looking for Nicholas and Alexandra on my shelf this time, in the mood for some historical fiction, but when I couldn't find it, I noticed Sharpe's Battle. I do not regret the substitution at all. This novel surprised me in many ways because it is much more mature than the first one I read, The Last Kingdom, in both language and horrific detail, but still shows all that captivated me before. Sharpe is a soldier in the British Army in 1811 (at least for this book), and while reading, you can feel the grit beneath his boots and the dry gunpowder in his mouth from biting off the cartridges. Cornwell does not pull punches or in any way ""prettify"" war. People die, and die brutally, horrible things happen, people you come to admire are threatened and killed, while people you despise seem sure to walk away clean. There's tactics, strategy, politics, diplomacy, all mushed in together to form a cohesive, gritty whole that makes it a hard book to put down.

From the writer's perspective, there are two things Cornwell does exceptionally well: omniscient (which has been the subject of much discussion recently), and recap of the series. I hadn't been aware that I choose a late-stage book in the series since I picked it up on author name alone, but I'm not one who has to read things in order to enjoy them. On the other hand, the recap of previous events was subtle, touching only on the highlights, and served as a way to give Sharpe a well-rounded background. These events made him the person he was, and whether they'd been covered in detail in a previous book or not was irrelevant. Even better, since no detail beyond the fact was offered, I'm sure the original books that covered those moments will be just as wonderful.

On the omniscient, this is true omniscient, none of the "camera-view" people have started to call omniscient despite the oxymoron in that designation. The POV goes from up close and personal including internal contemplation, to hanging overhead as one army attempts to decimate another. He even managed to pull off a trick that would have driven me nuts in another book, which is he hid a crucial bit of information by temporarily sliding to someone else's close view, someone who could see, but not hear, the main character and another talking. Part of the reason it worked though is that he held the reader in suspense for a very short time. Within the next few pages, we had the answer to that odd confrontation.

Ultimately, reader or writer, I'd recommend Bernard Cornwell as a way to touch history and wallow in the enjoyment of a skilled author.

Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews

(Acquired: bookstore)

Ilona Andrews did not disappoint with her second book, Magic Burns. Kate Daniels continues to be a compelling character, and the story is fast-paced, action-filled, and full of fun things to quote to my family and pique their interest. This book is actually one I had a hand in, though whether she took any of my suggestions I don't know seeing as I don't even remember what they were ;). Still, it's fascinating to read the final version and recognize some of the big changes she's made. Even more so, it's wonderful to finally get to read the end :), a downside of critting when the whole novel doesn't make it to the crit site.

Like Magic Bites, Magic Burns is set up as a mystery in framework, but most of the information we need to figure things out doesn't come into play until the character discovers it. That could be considered a weakness, but it hardly detracts from the fun read , and I'm a stickler for that sort of thing. There is one well-seeded item that I can't describe without spoilers, but I did enjoy having figured out one bit before the character, though Kate ran a close second. I did feel the reason for another aspect of the book ended up on the cutting room floor, but it was not a key element, and I can posit a reasonable enough explanation as much as I'd prefer a provided one, so this little hiccup didn't spoil my enjoyment.

There is no question about whether I'll be buying the next one in this series, or whatever else she decides to write. The only real question is when the next comes out :).

Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold

(Acquired: bookshelf)

My husband introduced me to Lois McMaster Bujold through the Vorkosigan series a few years back. He gave me a stack of books that I was blissfully working my way through, enjoying the political trickery and sheer inventiveness of the characters. Then we moved and the pile vanished. Out of sight, out of mind, sad to say. With a ""to be read"" (tbr) pile like mine, there's rarely the urge to go seek out something that got mislaid :). My youngest started in on the series though, and loved it. Right up until he reached this gap where a book was missing. Some searching found it tucked in a corner of my tbr pile, overlooked because it wasn't in a big stack. I had a bunch of newer books to read and so didn't pick it up until this week, when I couldn't quite figure out what mood I was in.

Now I'm kicking myself. I love the Vorkosigan series. It has what I favor in military, political, and diplomatic fiction combined with a self-aware, sometimes ridiculously so, character leading a cast of interesting people through amazing chaos that could collapse at any moment but somehow manages to stay afloat. This book is one of those that makes me wish I could take a year off just to read, give myself time to enjoy other people's worlds and inventions.

I read a wide variety of genres, though not as wide as some, and I've been lucky to find some fabulous authors. It means sometimes an older book falls through the cracks. You can bet though, I'm getting my stack back on the shelf, because I now have (again) someone to fill that "I don't know what I want to read" slot. Of course I also have to take the leap and try her fantasy as well. Though SF is my first love, if authors I enjoy take the plunge, I usually find myself pleased with the results.

Twilight Fall by Lynn Viehl

(Acquired: ARC my hubby won :).)

Lynn Viehl makes it very hard to choose a favorite in the Darkyn series. Anyone who has been reading the series so far will love this book. Though it doesn't really stand on its own, this is the culmination (though not an endpoint by any means ;)) of the questions raised throughout the series. While the other books had teasers and small advances, this novel gives actual answers...okay, really the start of answers, but Alex moves her investigation of the Darkyn light years beyond where she'd been. That much I can say without spoilers, because she makes some advancement each time, but any hint to the how or exactly what she learns would give too much away.

While Evermore still stands as my favorite romance in the series, the craftwork in Twilight Fall is incredible. When I first discovered I liked Viehl's writing, I went back and bought as much of her backlist as I could find (I still haven't found the Rebecca Kelly novels, but give me time :)). Her first romance was a bit confusing to me because of the large casts and the myriad threads running through them. Even by the second, her ability to control such complexity in so small a space had improved radically. None of them remotely compare to the rich storytelling offered by Twilight Fall.

As usual, there's an Alex and Michael thread, and a separate romantic thread between Valentin and Liling. However, this book adds in at least four others that I can think of (which I'm not going to list so I guess you'll just have to read it on your own ;)), and while they appear separate and distinct, piece by piece, scene by scene, they start to twist and combine until they stand united into a stunning whole.

The ARC came with a request not to spoil a critical reveal right at the end. This isn't a problem for me since I provide reader reaction (with a bit of the writer tossed in on occasion) rather than a summary of the actual text. However, the request stayed in the back of my mind so I was on the lookout for this spoiler. Now that I've read the whole thing, though, while I think I know what Viehl meant, I'm not sure. There are at least three big reveals in this novel. Even more so, the reveals are beautifully seeded to the point that none of them jumped out at me. With the subtle clues she'd laid (and seeing them is my specialty), I expected all but one, and the one I hadn't was a matter of not putting the specific pieces in place though I knew the shape of what was probably coming.

I have enjoyed Viehl's writing for years now. Part of that enjoyment is her characters; part is the unlikely pairing of medical skills and training with fantasy or science fiction; and part is how she likes to push the envelope, to put me in situations that I'm not used to finding interesting or entertaining. The last is a love/hate thing at times, but overall the compelling characters make me accept the circumstances. Twilight Fall has one of these bleeding edge aspects, but that was not my point. My point is simple: there are a number of aspects that keep me coming back to Viehl's writing, but having started (okay with reading the backlist) at the beginning and following throughout, her growth in writing skill is just incredible.

She started the Darkyn series when already a "mature" writer so it doesn't show the weaknesses in some of her earlier works, but Twilight Fall proves she hasn't reached an end-point. Not even close. Those same skills she used in the first romance are still being fine-tuned and perfected. Some writers stagnate once they find the successful pattern. Lynn Viehl is not one of those writers. She might push me, but she's pushing herself as well. And we all benefit from the effort.

So mark your calendars. July 1, 2008. That's the publication date for Twilight Fall, just long enough for those of you who have been lagging to buy the rest of the series and catch up :D.



Note: The reading list has been updated as well.

Heart of Stone by C.E. Murphy

(Acquired: bookstore)

This is the first of C.E. Murphy's other series, and I was forewarned it was quite different from the Walker Papers. However, everything I love about her writing, her worlds, her characters? Still in there and going strong. Seriously, there is no question that C.E. Murphy has joined my list of "I will read anything she puts out." This means that I'm behind the times on many series just because I'm a slow reader and I've found an amazing number of great authors, but she's right up there.

A very long time ago, probably in a Forward Motion chatroom, I read a snippet from Heart of Stone. I hadn't realized that until the moment that Margrit (with the absolutely lovely and telling nickname of Grit :D) learns what Alban really is. It was intriguing then, and just as intriguing now.

Heart of Stone introduces a possible world in which our legends, our haunting nightmares, are members of earlier sapient species that, while they didn't quite die out, lost the race to dominance and now hide in plain sight...sometimes literally. The story builds upon itself in such a way that just when you make one connection, you learn it's much more complicated than you could have imagined, but at the same time the clues that you've learned still work, if not in the way you expected.

I'm limited by my prohibition against spoilers...I don't know what I can say at this point without revealing something out of order just because it all clicks into place now. I've lost the innocence of that first page. I've been tainted with foreknowledge of the significance and how things come together. This book isn't simple. It's got Murphy's straightforward, clear voice--though this time in third person with multiple POVs unlike the Walker Papers--but that very clarity allows her to take you on a twisted, thorn-blocked path where things have more than one meaning and significance. It's a strong book, a strong story, and a strong world. I'd be amazed if anyone reading this book walked away disappointed. Me? I'm waiting for a shipment of books from Barnes and Noble that just so happens to have book 2 in it :).

Oh, and for those writer readers, deliberate or not, there are some lovely discussions or word usages that form inside jokes. Offhand I can remember a mention of "forward motion" that knowing Murphy's background seemed to have a layered meaning, but what really caught me was the discussion of race. Oh, did I forget to mention that? In the midst of this mystery, adventure, paranormal discovery trail, there's also a social message, or more like a social exploration of the concept of race. But mixed in there is a fascinating argument/discussion between Alban and Margrit about the meaning of the word and how it's been warped until it has almost no meaning left. It's not heavy handed in any way as to disrupt the story; it just adds another layer to Margrit's character and the crossovers between Alban's world and ours while offering up some things to think about if you are so inclined.