[Writing Post] Galley HO!
It’s Wednesday and I should get back on track with blog posts.
There’s been a lot of “should” in my brain this past week. Things I “Should” be doing, and with reason. I’ve had to take a few days to deal with “book brain” – that time where you flush the book you just finished out of your mind before starting the next project.
Unfortunately, when I looked at the next project on deck, I let myself get a bit overwhelmed – it’s a rewrite and there are a lot of notes. So looking at it, trying to figure out where to start on it just made my brain run and hide and find any reason to procrastinate on starting the project -including other writing-related work. Such as going over the galleys for an anthology I’m going to be in soon called Dirty Magick: New Orleans.
This is a small press anthology put out by Charlie Brown of Lucky Mojo Press. It’s an alternate universe series of anthologies where the world is the same except there’s now magic – and the problems that going along with mystical power being let loose upon the world. The anthologies each focus on a specific city – this one was New Orleans. I’ll admit I’ve never been there (and now I really want to go). Brown put some points in his guidelines to steer those of us who’ve only seen New Orleans on TV away from some misconceptions. I kinda took that as a challenge. This is what I do… you tell me what the clichés are, or what most people will do with a theme, and I’ll find a way to incorporate those “creatively”.
And thanks to Julia Mandala’s help (she used to live in NOLA) and is a good friend and beta reader/editor. Not only did I sell the story, I’m honored and astonished to have the first story in the anthology. I can’t wait for it to come out, because when I was reading through the story to check for any last minutes typos, I almost forgot to be that specific I was just reading the story. That’s huge for me – and it’s something I also noticed with the novel when I was inputting the last of the edits – there were chunks where there were no notes during the read aloud – which meant I was just reading the story and not being super critical of my own work. HUGE step.
So, I’ll let you know when things start coming out. I’m hoping the anthology will be out before my next show. The novel still has some other factors beyond my control. I hope you find these next stories entertaining, too.
[Pen/Pencil Review] Light Up Shamrock Ballpoint Pen
Happy St. Patrick’s Day… and now for a day-late novelty pen review, the light up shamrock blue ballpoint pen.
So I like the fact that this pen is also a “fine†point ball point – not more than 1.0mm. It’s about 7.5†long, which makes it long enough to be comfortable, and almost too long. It’s fairly comfortable, but top heavy with the large, squishy shamrock topper with LED lights inside.
The light mechanism is a big finicky – sometimes it’s hard to get it to go off, and yet other times, you simply set it down and it starts flashing. The green plastic barrel has a curved grip to give a wider diameter at the grip, making it somewhat ergonomic. The matching cap is SNUG when on (of course it doesn’t post). The ink is decent and doesn’t skip. It writes well.
I picked this up as an impulse buy at a Hallmark store when I was picking up a birthday card for my Grandmother. It was $2.99 – which isn’t horrible for a novelty like this, and I think I’ll be able to keep track of it until next year. It’s a fun addition to the novelty collection.
To the numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 It’s decent. It doesn’t smear. It doesn’t have much drying time. For the actual pen part…yes. It’s good
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – It’s an inexpensive, plastic pen. It tries to have some ergonomics. The barrel is smooth. But it’s top heavy with the shamrock.
3. Material – 0.5 It’s a novelty pen. It’s plastic with flashy lights that will wow some and annoy others. It is what it is.
4. Overall Design – 1 -I’m giving it a high mark because it’s a fun little, not overly expensive novelty pen. It’s designed to be silly and St. Patrick’s Day oriented. It does that. It’s also functional. So bonus.
5. Price Point – 1 – It’s mid-line for what I’ll pay for novelty pens. It’s cheaper than some but more expensive than others. I do want to say it was $2.99. So for grins and giggles… okay. And it didn’t hurt to give away knowing I wasn’t going to use it. And now it has a good home.
4 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
Pen blog tomorrow
Sorry y’all “grown up” stuff got in the way today. Taxes and Galley proofs for an anthology I’ll be in. Whee!
I’ll have a pen review for you tomorrow.
One appropriate to the day.
[Bonus Post] Jasper Coal – Album Review
This was originally posted on Celtic Music Magazine.
I have to admit, when I went to high school in Homewood, Alabama, I had NO idea there was a Celtic presence in the Birmingham, AL area. Maybe there wasn’t in 19…mumblety mumble, or maybe I was a clueless and sheltered teenager (nah, couldn’t be that). But apparently Birmingham does, indeed, have a thriving Celtic music community including Jasper Coal. Jasper Coal has been around since 2004 (long after I left the area) and has settled into a six-piece band.
Jasper Coal’s Just the One has ten tracks of traditional Irish music with a bit of rock to it. They claim Dropkick Murphys as an influence, so that’s to be expected. Six of the tracks are two- and three-song medleys. The first track, “Tell Me Ma” is a medley with polkas book-ending the title song. I don’t think I’ve ever heard an Irish Polka, but it works musically (it would kill me to try to dance to, though). The last medley track is something I’ve come to take as a “standard” for more rockin’ Irish music, it’s called “Copperhead” and it’s a combo of “Copperhead Road” and “Thunderhead”, which gives the Steve Earl classic a bit more zip.
But it’s not all dance worthy music. “Sniper’s Promise” is a haunting ballad. “Oro Se” is a classic tune in Irish, which is not something I expect to come out of Birmingham. This is a lovely and very skilled album. If you’re a dancer, you’ll find the toes tapping. If you just like listening, you still have your toes tapping. The harmonies are tight and the musicianship is top notch. This is just good, quality music with lively tempos and traditional instruments. I’ve enjoyed just letting it flow over me before settling down and listening to it for this review.
There is or will be a physical CD for sale. It has a limited edition art sleeve with art by John Pleasant. Check the website for more information, or down load the album from CD Baby.
Artist: http://www.jaspercoal.com/
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Buy Album: On CD Baby
[Spotlight Post] Sir Terry Pratchett – Leaving Early to Avoid the Rush
I’m tired of memorial posts. I really am. The losses are piling up even in the midst of seasons turning to Spring and new life. Two weeks ago we bid farewell to Leonard Nimoy with Harve Bennett following close on his heels. Very early this week, the DFW area lost Terry Dorsey, a long-time radio personality with whom my father worked when we first moved here. Now…now we’ve lost Terry Pratchett. We knew it was coming, just not when.
Me with Terry Pratchett – AggieCon 2000.
We hear a lot about Cancer and the “F… Cancer” campaigns, but what’s also needed are “F… Alzheimer’s”. This is an insidious disease that robs its victims of their minds, their memories, and their personalities. That Sir Pratchett suffered from early-onset made it that much more vile. He is gone much too soon. There will be no more Discworld, no more Omens, just no more stories. Sir Pratchett was a master of humor and storytelling. He was an inspiration to all of us.
I met him once in 2000 at AggieCon working with my friend, Nicole and our friend, Lori, came along for the ride. I did my ONE AND ONLY foray into costuming by inexpertly sewing together an interpretation of a Rincewind costume that I was afraid to do more than walk around one evening. I chickened out of the costume contest (there were MUCH, MUCH better costumes).
I did get Sir Pratchett to sign a couple of books at the time. And fortunately, that was a time when I was actually doing some scrapbooking – so the pictures were findable. I remember him being charming and personable. I wish I’d had the opportunity to have gotten to know him better than that one meeting, but at least there was that.
Also met Myhr (aka Jamie Murray).
That AggieCon was the stepping off point for a lot of my career – it’s where I met (I think) Jamie Murray as Myhr, got sucked into convention running, eventually got my butt kicked to write ORIGINAL fiction and not fan fiction (though I had quite a bit of fan fiction out at that point through Nicole’s Fanzines). The rest is history – a history that Terry Pratchett will always be a part of. And though he may have forgotten much of what made him special through this awful, awful disease – we won’t forget. He will live in our memories and through his stories.
I’m still friends with Nicole and Lori…can’t remember the other lady.
In a way, Sir Pratchett will never die – because his ripples will never fade – and for that, I will be eternally grateful.
[Pen/Pencil Review] Pilot Birdy Switch Pen/Pencil Combo
Today’s blog is a new thing for me. The phrase, “Good things come in small packages” definitely applies to this mini pen and pencil combo from Pilot. This is the Pilot Birdy Switch Pen and Pencil combo. This is a super thin, mini that you almost need to see to believe.
This combo pen is double-ended. The black ballpoint end fits into the metal barrel – and is refillable. The refill is tiny but has to be in order to accommodate the .05mm leads for the pencil end. The ball point is a 0.7mm (I was wrong in the writing sample), but feels finer. The cap fits both the pen end and the pencil end to protect your hand when switching. The pen end also serves as the clicker for the lead. The compact size does not leave room for an eraser, though.
This pen/pencil combo is only 4.7″ long and about 5.5mm in diameter. That’s a delicate pen, but the metal body makes it feel solid. This combo has a long, open metal clip that holds the pen firmly, but it’s the one thing that gets in the way. There’s no way to avoid the clip in the grip, but for a small pen for a tablet or notebook it’s an amazing piece of pen/pencil engineering.
The Pilot Acroball is a standard retractable ball point – for comparison
It’s a mid-range price point. JetPens sells this combo for $8.25 – but the pen refills are less than $2 which makes it an inexpensive long-term investment pen and pencil that doesn’t take up any space at all.
The Numbers.
1. How does it work? – 1 – This is a solid mechanical pencil and ball point pen combo instrument. The ink is dark. The pencil is solid. The lines are good.
2. Look and feel – 0.5 – The pen is hot – it’s metal and solid for a delicate instrument. There is no eraser and only one cap for one end, make sure you have it on the pen end.
3. Material – 1 – It’s metal. It’s solid. The pen reservoir is small but easily refillable. The pencil is well-made.
4. Overall Design – 0.5 – It’s a beautiful and solid pen and pencil combo. Even without an eraser. But the long clip can’t be avoided – so there’s some discomfort even with the narrow barrel.
5. Price Point – 1 – This combo piece runs $8.25 from JetPens. It’s not a bad price for a good double-ended pen and pencil. Being refillable makes it a long-term investment and even more economical. It’s a good thing.
4.0 out of 5 bronze pencils.
[Writing Post] In Which I Totally Forgot Yesterday was Wednesday….
Yeah, that’s right. I totally forgot yesterday was Wednesday. I totally forgot to do a post.
I’ve been reading my novel out loud for the last edit round. I’m doing my darnedest to get this done by next week and back to Yard Dog.
However… I did get a Guest Post done for Cat Rambo. You can read that here…
[Pen/Pencil Review] The Platinum OLEeNU Mechanical Pencil – 0.5mm
Today’s blog is a mechanical pencil from Platinum. The last thing I reviewed from Platinum was the Preppy Fountain Pen, so I thought it was time to try something else. This is the Platinum OLEeNU Mechanical Pencil.
At first blush, this is a typical mechanical pencil. It has a clear barrel with a frosted rubber grip and accents. It’s 11mm diameter is a comfortable size for long-term writing. The grip gives it a slight squish for added comfort. It’s about 5.75″ long, which makes it long enough to be comfortable. The metal tip retracts into the barrel completely to protect the lead in a pocket or purse. The eraser is the typical white rubber eraser under a clear plastic cap.
It comes with a good 0.5mm lead. It’s a standard lead point, but where this differs is the in the clutch mechanism. With most mechanical pencils, when the lead gets down to a certain length, the clutch stops working and you end up wasting part of the lead. This one claims to let you clutch all the way down to the last millimeter, which lets you get more use out of the lead. I haven’t used it down that far, but I like that idea. The literature says in order to use that much of each lead, there has to be one extra piece of lead, I would take that to mean this comes with four leads instead of the standard three.
The literature also says the metal tip has a dual structure that protects the lead from breakage. This I can attest. I thought the pencil felt more secure, that it was harder to break the lead. I had a friend borrow the pencil, and she said how much she liked it because the lead didn’t break as much. It’s also got a spring to absorb shock – for those like me who tend to put a lot of pressure on a tip. The lead advances through the typical pusher through the eraser, as well as with an automatic advance mechanism.
This is a “go to” mechanical pencil. I like it a lot. I picked it up from JetPens. It’s not overly expensive, but it’s not dirt cheap either, but if the mechanisms work the way advertised, then this will pay for itself in longevity.
The Numbers.
1. How does it work? – 1 – This is a solid mechanical pencil. It has two ways to advance lead. It does protect from breakage as much as possible. It seems to let you use much more lead than typical mechanical pencils.
2. Look and feel – 1 – I like that it’s transparent plastic. But it’s also long enough and wide enough to be comfortable without being blocky.
3. Material – 1 – It’s plastic. The innovative stuff is in the mechanics where you can’t see.
4. Overall Design – 0.5 – The only knock? When I was erasing some samples, I ended up advancing the lead quite a bit and had to put that back before I snapped off a significant length of lead. But other than that, it’s awesome.
5. Price Point – 1 – This pencil runs $3.30 on JetPens.com. That’s more than some everyday mechanical pencils, but with the mechanics totally makes it worth it.
4.5 out of 5 bronze pencils.
[Spotlight Post] Leonard Nimoy – The Final Farewell
I always have been, and always shall be, your friend.
Today has been a challenge. Dallas/Fort Worth has endured Winter Weather conditions all week, making commutes a…challenge. Today we ended up with several inches of snow (which is a lot for us) during the work day. While watching the beauty (and danger) of the deteriorating weather, the news hit of the passing of Leonard Nimoy.
From Gawker Newsfeed
Leonard Nimoy is, was, and always will be a Science Fiction Icon. He embodied one of the most recognizable characters ever created. I challenge you to find someone who doesn’t know where “Live Long and Prosper” came from. He brought Spock to life – an alien who co-existed with Humans, worked with them, and didn’t (necessarily) want to kill all the Humans he came into contact with. He brought us the idea of a race of beings who embrace logic, try to subsume emotion – which provided hours of entertainment by creating the Ultimate Comedic Straight Man.
I’ve always loved the love/hate bickering relationship between Spock and McCoy. It’s a type of chemistry-laden, dynamic character relationship that I’ve always wanted to create. I know part of that was the chemistry between Nimoy and DeForest Kelly (which I hope Dee met Nimoy at the gates with some witty line like: “It’s about time you got here, you green-blooded hobgoblin”). I get why he rebelled against the part for awhile – Nimoy really was so much more than Spock – but Spock is why so many of us are who we are now. The kids that went into science that are now changing the world because a weird dude with pointy ears did science, so they could to. The writers who, like me, wanted to be worthy of creating stories and characters that resonated like these did.
Found on the Internet.
These passings are always inevitable. But Star Trek and Spock were so part of not only my life – but also the lives of everyone I consider part of my “tribe”, my Community – that Nimoy’s passing hit hard. My Social Media feeds today – with INCHES OF SNOW IN OUR AREA – was 90% Nimoy’s passing. I lost count of how many times the Wrath of Kahn funeral scene was linked on my Facebook Feed. I can’t watch that. Not today. Because today, it’s not the farewell to a character that can find a way back – it’s the FINAL Farewell to the man who brought life to the character.
Mr. Nimoy, I never got to meet you, but you were so important to me, to people I know and care about. We will miss you. We will toast your parting at our conventions. You will go to the stars with every astronaut, every daydream, and every future discovery. We want your family and close friends to know that we mourn with them – to paraphrase the Mind Meld – their grief is our grief, their mourning is our mourning. And though it’s not an exact paraphrase… The Grief of the Many Joins the Grief of the One or the Few.
Boldly Go, Mr. Nimoy, your Final Frontier awaits.