Monday Movie Mania - Red One

DH has been dragging me to the movies over the past two months to get me out of my SAD funk. (At least, I'm pretty sure that's what my issue is.) But the funk has prevented me from posting any thoughts, so I'm going to try to catch up over the next few weeks.

Red One is just a stupid fun action movie. Critics seemed to expect it to be an Oscar contender, and blast it when it doesn't deliver. Personally, I think it would be great for your tween boys. GK would have loved this 15 years ago.

PROS
1) Dwayne Johnson once again plays the rigid rule-enforcer who lightens up as the story progresses. There's only one acting mode for him, and he uses it fully.

2) Chris Evans had fun using his own smart aleck personality. However, his language is a little more conservative compared to his revival of Johnny Storm in Deadpool and Wolverine.

3) JK Simmons was a fucking awesome Santa Claus.


CONS
1) On the flip side, JK Simmons was totally underused. I'd love to see him in his own Santa adventure!

2) On the same note, Lucy Liu and Bonnie Hunt were wasted as well. They could have just as equally been Santa's rescue team if the producers weren't thinking with their dicks.

3) The story had the potential to be something radical and heart-warming like The Santa Clause. As much as I laughed through the flick, the story is pretty quickly forgotten, so it probably won't be on my regular Christmas movie rotation.


Overall, Red One is a decent movie to send the family to if you need a couple of hours of peace and quiet, whether it be at home or in the theater. Unfortunately, I have to give it a 5 out of 10 stars for its immediately forgetiblity.

Music I'm Listening To

An old song from an artist I respect.

We Are Already Globalized

I watch the news with some amusement these days. There's a nationalistic streak happening all over the world that's reminiscent of a century ago. The streak from the 1920's led to World War II.

But back then, powered flight by humans was in its infancy. Transatlantic flights were a rare and difficult adventure. The only way to travel from the Old World to the New was by steam-powered ships, which often took a week or more, unless you were really rich and could afford tickets on, say one Cunard's luxury liners like the RMS Lusitania.

[Yes, I know the Lusitania was sunk in 1915, but it held the transatlantic speed record until the 1930's.]

My real point is that this time around nationalism is playing out in a weird way. Politicians are pushing nationalism worldwide at a time when our economies are so complex and intertwined far more than they were a century ago

It used to be that imported goods were expensive items that one could not make or produce in one's own country. For example, it's hard to raise silkworms in the Scandinavian countries, so silk had to be imported from places were the worms could be raised.

But today?

Near-instantaneous communication and faster shipping with international flights means we don't have to wait forever to get something like cinnamon.

I've hired cover artists living in the U.S., Canada, and Bulgaria. I've sold books in every continent except Antarctica. This afternoon, I ordered doll hair from Australia. I bought a pair of beautifully crafted silver and citrine earrings from India for a cousin's birthday. And I love that cinnamon has become so common I can eat it in bagels every morning if I wanted.

If anything, the COVID-19 pandemic showed us just how entwined our economies have become, even if our cultures aren't.

Will this nationalistic fervor continue through the rest of the decade? I really doubt it. Not even the politicians want to give up their Chinese tech and their Italian race cars, so it'll be a little harder for them to make me give up cinnamon.

Music I'm Listening To

And yes, I do have this CD!

Sale!!!

The holiday prep getting to you? Need a little something to relax that doesn't involve pot or alcohol?

I've some end of the year sales!

First of all, Blood Magick (Bloodlines #1) is free on ALL retail platforms. If it ain't free, you're looking at a pirate site.

Amazon, all countries
Apple
Barnes & Noble
Google Play
Kobo
Smashwords

Second, I'm participating in Smashword's End of the Year Sale! All novels and novellas are half-price. All short stories are free. If there's something you wanted to try, you can do it cheap!

Lastly, I've been updating links. If I get one wrong, PLEASE let me know. I admit despite my usual perfectionism, I'm a little frazzled between holiday prep, yet another funeral, and finish writing a bunch of stories.

I hope everyone is staying warm and safe, and that you have a great whichever- holiday(s)-you-celebrate!

Art Challanges

The styles and techniques between short stories (1-10K words) and novelettes (10,001 to 18K words) on the lower word count side and novellas (18-40K) and novels (40K+) on the higher sides are radically different. Please note that these are the averages I learned over the last thirty years. Each publisher can have different numbers for their specific requirements.

(Don't get me started about flash fiction, i.e. a story less than 1K words. It's a talent I haven't mastered, and mad respect to those who have.)

It's been a while since I've written the shorter forms, so my skills are a little rusty. A writer still needs descriptions and strong characters, but there's fewer words to drag a reader into the story. The genre and editor requirements make a difference.

There was a time I was a natural short form writer, but I was leaving a lot of stuff out that would make my work a better story. In fact, a couple of published author friends said I was writing screenplays, not novels.

But the freedom of being indie is that I don't have to force my stories into particular boxes. I finish the first draft. I edit it. I send it off to my alpha reader. That's it. Whatever the final word count is only matters when I go to make a print version. If it's a short story, I'll publish it as an e-book, and then I'll decide to group stories of a particular theme or by characters and group theme into a an anthology. For example, the Bloodlines short stories and novellas are collected in one paperback.

Unfortunately, when an editor contacts you with an invitation to write a story for them, they have a specific genre, word count, and theme already decided. I have to force a story into their dimensions, which for me is pretty damn difficult. And frankly, it scares me a little bit.

But if it scares me, then I need to do it. That's part of growing in our art.

How Much Has the Publishing World Changed

In looking through some old posts, I realized I hadn't talked much about the publishing industry lately. The why is even more astounding. A whole generation has passed since e-books have gone main stream.

Yeah, I know e-books have been around before 2000, but that's when companies started making inroads. I noticed them and started buying and reading them around that point. They were convenient when I traveled on business trips.

Back on November 19th, Kindle celebrated its 17th anniversary. It wasn't the first device to be a dedicated e-book reader, but it was the first to get some public traction.

Kindle Direct Publishing ("KDP") was introduced at the same time, though it was originally called Digital Text Platform ("DTP"). It changed the game. Writers were no longer dependent solely on mainstream book publishers to reach a national, or international, audience.

By 2010, the hue and cry arose from the publishing companies and trad-published writers that Amazon would totally ruin the industry with their tsunami of unfettered swill. Indie publishers responded by undercutting trad publishing's prices.

Weirdly, older folks led the charge into adapting e-book readers. They could modify the font and size of the print to make it easier to see the words, something they just can't do with print books.

Furthermore, readers had greater options. Contrary to trad publishing's claims they didn't cater to reader tastes. They expected readers to love whatever they put out. Suddenly, readers could find any genre their hearts desired at any time, day or night.

And now. . .

Now, you don't hear much of anything from anyone. Or maybe, I just stopped paying any attention. So, I went through my old blog lists. Nope. Pretty much everyone hollering back in the early '10's when I started Angry Sheep Publishing have stopped posting. The social media most common in the early '10's have been trashified, and the few folks I still keep up with are fleeing to the latest thing.

Furthermore, smart phones and multi-purpose tablets have taken over the entertainment sphere. I can read, watch, or listen to anything my heart desires on small, lightweight devices. I no longer search for purses that can fit whatever paperback I'm reading at the time.

In the meantime, wars have started left and right. We went through a world-wide pandemic. The level of hate and meanness have grown exponentially in both the real life and  virtual space. There are simply more things to worry about than whether some middle-aged lady is writing erotica in her own home and publishing it.

So, yes, it's quieter. I can carry a thousand books on my phone to read any time, any where. And I'm loving it!

Music I'm Listening To

If I've got to listen to Christmas music, I want something fabulous!

What the Hell Is Going on with Suzan?

It's been a little insane at Casa Harden over the last few weeks. The chaos started with one of DH's remaining uncles passed away. It ended with me slipping on ice, tripping over a landscaping brick, and somehow falling on the frozen ground instead of the concrete driveway the day before the Alberta Clipper swept through our area.

I'm still unsure how I managed to injure my right thumb in that delightful show of clumsiness.

Hey, at least, I didn't fall on Princess Bella. The poor thing was merely trying to hurry to get her final constitutional done for the night because even she was cold wearing a t-shirt and her winter coat. (She's a toy breed, and you have to bundle them up because they cannot control their core temps the way a larger dog can.)

There's been a lot more happening in between the emotional and physical aches, but I won't bore you with those details. What it comes down to is I am behind.

So woefully behind.

And what happens? I get invitations from two different editors asking me to submit short stories for their holiday anthologies. For 2025! By the end of the month!

*sigh*

Folks, I literally just finished sending last year's Christmas presents to people!

So, what does it all mean?

It means I'm busting my ass trying to get the books y'all are expecting. I merely took the dates off the Release Schedule because looking at the page was triggering my anxiety.

Today, I skipped yoga, I made sure I had plenty of coffee and tea, and I will be back on the keyboard as soon as I get home from the COVID booster stab.

That's assuming I don't bash my brains on the asphalt in the pharmacy parking lot.

Monday Movie Mania - Here

First of all, I recognize that Here won't be everyone's cup of tea. It's a bittersweet look at life, not a slam bang, explosions, and man fu action flick. Nevertheless, it hit home with DH and me because we became the oldest generation in each of our families two years ago The inevitability that life ends with death of the individual hurts, but the understanding that life will go on is satisfying on a different level.

* * *


SPOILERS


* * *

PROS
1) Robert Zemeckis does something a little different by showing a single place on Earth through roughly 65 million years. To paraphrase Doctor Who, Zemeckis somehow makes sense of the wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff.

2) The aging/de-aging of the actors wasn't as distracting as I feared it would be.

3) The chesmistry of Tom Hanks and Robin Wright hasn't faded a bit.

4) Paul Bettany and Kelly Reilly were simply adorable playing Tom's parents.

5) I have a feeling history will appreciate this movie, much like It's a Wonderful Life was disparaged at its release, but lauded by future generations.


CONS
1) I actually would have liked to see more of William Franklin and the indigenous couple. Their lives were used to punctuate certain events in Richard (Hanks) and Margaret's (Wright) lives, but I would have liked to see some of the differences as well.

2) The pacing was slow at times, but I'm not sure if it was my expectations or an actual problem with the film.


Overall, Here is a movie that doesn't spoonfeed it's audiences, and that's probably the reason I love it. I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Annoying Songs I Love

I'll listen to anything Pharrell WIlliams sings or writes!

Monday Movie Mania (A Day Late) - Wicked Part 1

Like I said on Friday, last week was pretty tough for various reasons. It culminated with finding out about  the death of the husband of one of my readers on Sunday. The afterglow from Wicked Part 1 got me through the rest of the weekend, and I did get a lot more words done on my holiday story.

As for Wicked itself, well, I managed not to belt out the lyrics in the middle of the very crowded local theater. Our cineplex has been nearly empty since it reopened after the pandemic lock-down orders were lifted. This was the  biggest crowd in a movie I attended since Avengers: Endgame was released five years ago.

I'm not going to give my usual SPOILERS warning since the novel was released 29 years ago and the musical debuted 21 years ago. If you don't know the story by now, well, that's on you.

I don't have one CON for this film. Not one. And my PROS have more to do with individual actors and crew.

1) Jon M. Chu made up for the shitstorm of JEM (2015). (Good Goddess, has it been nine years already?) He and the screenplay writers stuck to the original Broadway book. Trust me, there would have been a riot if they hadn't. Any changes to the original script were to expand on certain scenes or to fill in certain insinuations from the original musical.

2) Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera. Those two could out-sing angels.

3) Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth's cameos during "One Short Day" are absolutely hysterical as they play singers in a diva feud. Plus, you can tell they were having a blast with their roles!

4) Michelle Yeoh did a perfect job as Mrs. Morrible. That's not to discount Carol Kane's efforts the first time I saw the musical. The difference is Michelle did a much more subtle job, so when the twist comes, the movie audience who hadn't seem the musical were appropriately shocked.

5) Jeff Goldblum has the chops to be totally evil and still sympathetic. He doesn't get enough credit for his singing.

6) The movie ends with the showstopper "Defying Gravity" (my personal favorite), which also concludes the first act of the musical. Wicked 2 will be the second act.

 

Overall, Wicked Part 1 is the perfect vehicle for the whole family to see over the holidays. Just be prepared for the kids to be singing in the backseat on the way home and demanding the soundtrack for their holiday present.

I give Wicked Part 1 100 out of 10 stars!

Annoying Songs I Like

Bobby McFerrin won't perform this song anymore. Even he got tired of it after thousands of perfermances. I still think it's cute.

Long Day

The clock just rolled over to Saturday, and I haven't had two seconds to even really write. There's a lot of things going on, some of which are other people's stories I'm not at liberty to discuss. But you know something? Sometimes, other people need help. And I'm going to help people who gave me help when I needed it

This will probably piss off some people expecting new stories NOW.

Honestly, I've been stressing about getting things done, too, which doesn't help my concentration. After a super-busy week and today's events, DH told me to put everything down and took me to see Wicked.

It was awesome! I've read the book twice and seen the musical twice. 

And it did relax me. So, I got home with renewed vigor tonight.

I think.

I still pretty tired, so I'll start fresh tomorrow.

Unification

I'll let the music and images speak for themselves, but this brought me a spark of joy in me as rain pelts the roof.

It's a SAD Day

Monday started gray, dreary, and drizzling. We need the rain here in Northwest Ohio. Gods know we need it. But when the sun rises around 7:30 a.m. and sets around 5:10 p.m., it makes for an exhausting day.

So when I refer to SAD, I mean Seasonal Affective Disorder, not the emotion. Though to be honest, SAD can make you sad.

Everyone who deals with SAD can have slightly different symptoms. In my case, a low level depression and fatigue set in around Halloween. It's why I (generally) keep my holiday lights up until Valentine's Day. By then, we're getting more daylight, and my symptoms ease, even though it's usually still pretty damn cold.

And while I've sworn off most sweets, this is the time of year when dark chocolate comes in handy to improve my mood, along with anything with cinnamon, orange, or peppermint flavors. Or even better, mix dark chocolate with the other three flavors.

Just not all at the same time. LOL

The good thing is this is a temporary affliction. My skeleton lights are still up and glowing in my art room. I still have a partial box of dark chocolate truffles from Godiva, a birthday present to myself int anticipation of SAD.

And I still have enjoyable books to read and write.

Annoying Songs I Like

At the time of Macarena's popularity in Texas, I was living in Ohio. It was just getting airplay in Toledo when we moved to Houston where the song's popularity had already waned. I missed the overplay so I don't hate this song like others do.

The Laughing Vulcan and His Dog

"Disaster" was the ST:TNG episode on the H&I channel Wednesday night. I made the comment that I wanted to learn the song Marissa mentions she sang in school. DH said, "You know someone has written it."

So I went on the internet...

Bad Mattel! How Could You? (Or Why Proofreading Matters)

Last Saturday, I had to pick up the Grandpuppy's allergy meds. The prescription has to be filled at a Big box store, whose name I won't mention because (1) I don't want to admit I shop there, and (2) ironically, they are totally innocent in the following matter.

The pharmacy department didn't have the medication ready because (1) it's super expensive and (2) I pay cash. The techs always freak out about filling it until I come in and confirm that yes, I want the fucking meds!

(Seriously, the Grandpuppy loses all his fur and he develops sores all over his body when he's not taking this drug.)

But this isn't about the drug, the Grandpuppy, or the big box store. I wandered through the aisles to kill time while the pharm techs filled the prescription. Lo and behold, the cheaper versions of the Wicked dolls were in stock.

Now, I'm one of those weird doll collectors. I'll buy the expensive collectible version to display. Then, I buy the cheap version to play with.

Play with you say? Yes. As we've grown older, DH isn't as. . .enthusiastic at being my model for any fight or love-making scenes. So, I use dolls. The Made-To-Move Barbie doll bodies are especially awesome for working out character moves.

Anyway, I bought Elphaba in the full witch ensemble with a broom. She is currently sitting next to me as I write this. But she was in her box on Monday night when DH and I were watching The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, our end-of-the-weekday ritual.

The opening teaser was a story about Mattel accidentally printed the URL for an *ahem* adult website instead of the proper URL for the upcoming movie. Supposedly, Mattel was now recalling all the dolls. WHOOPS!

At the next commercial break, DH gets up and reads the box. Sure enough, the wrong website is printed on my box.

Am I taking my Elphaba back? Oh, hell, no! I think the typo is hilarious. But it goes to show why a good proofreader is necessary in everyone's arsenal, not just writers.

Bye-Bye Vella!

Another one of Amazon's bright ideas has bit the dust. Kindle Vella, their attempt at serialized fiction, has officially been cancelled.

Vella was launched at the end of May, 2021. It was Amazon's attempt to latch onto the serialized fiction made popular by platforms like Radish.

However, a number of things went wrong from the beginning. Amazon never really promoted the service, especially to the Gen Z consumers who love this stuff. They gamified the system where readers had to buy tokens in order to read scenes or chapters. Customers couldn't read the episodes on their Kindle devices or apps for the first two years Vella existed. And to top off the problems, the token system meant the readers were paying more for a story than they were for a 70-100K word novel.

Is Amazon losing touch with the average consumer? In a single word, yes. The average consumer is no longer Amazon's core customer. AWS, Amazon's computing division, makes far more money than the consumer goods division. The only reason the Amazon store still exists is because there's never enough money for rich men. They must have it all.

That same reasoning means the execs no longer have a real plan as far as books go. They're throwing things at the proverbial wall to see what sticks. "Hey, Radish is making money, so we should do this thing we don't understand, too!"

Um, no, that's not a business plan. That's guessing. It's definitely not a strategy.

For those of you who have Vella episodes you haven't read yet or have tokens you haven't spent yet, you've got until February 2025 to spend, download, and or read your purchases. (Amazon has not announced the specific date, so I'd do it before the 1st.)

After that, let's see what Amazon throws at the wall next.

Annoying Songs I Like

This is the first of several songs that were overplayed on this thing called a radio. (Ask your parents or grandparents, kid.) Despite the oversaturation of play when they were popular, I still listen to them once in a while.

When Computers Do Too Much for You

Last weekend, I planned to replace the hard drive on my work laptop because I literally ran out of space, and I didn't had an extra slot for an additional drive.

Well, DH had been paid, and I entered all the bills and receipts, both business and personal, and reconciled accounts on Quicken over Thursday and Friday. I closed the Quicken window, realized I'd forgotten a receipt, and reopened the application to enter the info before I started my laptop's backup.

And for some reason, an update decided to re-initialize my data file. And by reinitialize, I mean the update blew away the data file I'd spent two days getting up to date and created a new, and very empty, data file.

ARGH!

Thank goddess for backups! I still had the mid-October backup on a couple of different storage mediums. Then I spent Saturday and Sunday re-entering everything I'd entered on Thursday and Friday.

And of course, NaNoWriMo started on Friday.

So, I'm a week behind on installing the new solid state drive. I also 7K behind on my NaNo project novel and 15K behind on A Cup of Conflict.

The family funeral on Monday, the election on Tuesday, and my annual cancer check-up on Wednesday have not helped my mood whatsoever.

Some stories may come out later that I planned, but dammit, I WILL get them done!

Voting and Open Cultures

I voted yesterday. It's sad how a good chunk of the U.S. population throws away their rights. Back in my day...

Well, people didn't give much of a shit back when I voted in my first election either. It was the Ohio primaries of 1984 if anyone was wondering. But my parents, grandparents, and the older aunts and uncles truly believed in their civic duty. Especially, the great uncles who fought in World War II.

What has changed over the last forty years is the incredible rage and hatred I see in my fellow citizens. Everyone's worried that someone is taking something away from them, or they don't like sharing the costs of things that affect everyone.

Some of the reviews I've received for my books are eye-opening and cruel. Readers especially hated Aisha and Rey from the 888-555-HERO series for not being white or not being manly enough. Yet, Summer from the Seasons of Magick series has been put on recommendation lists for readers who are into non-white interracial romance lists. Even funnier, I don't think some readers have realized the majority of characters in the Justice series are Native American.

That doesn't stop these flash mobs from going after other creators. Ubisoft's head of the Assassins Creed franchise has lost patience with the racist outrage of the latest version of of the game. Color me baffled by this "woke" bullshit being spouted. The Assassins Creed team has used historical figures in the past in its game. Yasuke has hit a nerve with the Neo-Nazi movement in the U.S. though because he was a real person, a former slave who became a samurai in the 16th century.

Japanese culture has celebrated him for years. I backed a Kickstarter for a book and comic to bring his story to life. There's an animated series about him on Netflix. Yasuke is not completely unknown.

So what do the complaints about Assassins Creed come down to? Racism, pure and simple. Black and brown stories are being told, and the Neo-nazis just don't like it.

As the Ubisoft executive said, open cultures are the ones that survive. If we closed the U.S. borders over the years, there's so many awesome things we wouldn't be able to experience. Mainly food. I can't imagine my birthdays without lasagna.

But to the assholes, all I say is "Tough noogies, people." The world is changing, whether the bigots want it or not, And like the original Nazis, the racists will become a footnote in history.

Oh, and if you didn't vote yesterday, I don't want to hear you bitching!

If I'm Quiet. . .

I ran into a little problem with my (relatively) new computer. When DH was shopping for my holiday present, he bought a laptop with a 512G hard drive. It should have been plenty of room. I don't store or stream videos on my work machine.

However, I started back into practicing cover design. I also downloaded a cheap copy of Corel Drawing for this purpose. Plus, I do keep my music on my work laptop because I use it for white noise or creating a mood while drafting.

The next thing I knew, I ran out of space. Literally. I rolled backup folders and files to portable drives. I rolled off used editorial art and photos. I double-checked that I hadn't copied a handful of movies from my old laptop to the new one. So as of right now, I've got 13.9G.

I can already tell you it's not enough to last through the rest of the year.

With DH's guidance, I open up my laptop to check if I had room for a second solid state drive. No extra slot.

*sigh*

So, I broke down and ordered a 2T SSD. Now, I need to do some surgery on my baby this weekend and move everything from the old drive to the new drive. It'll be just like last year when I shifted everything from my old laptop to the current one.

If everything goes right, I'll post on Wednesday. If it doesn't...

Well, I'll still post. I've already updated the battery and bought a mouse for the old laptop. The touchpad no longer works and needs to be replaced. However, it was cheaper to purchase the new mouse. But the point is that I've got a functional backup if anything goes wrong.

If I'm successful with this project, Baby Blue is next on the list for a harddrive upgrade!

Wish me luck!

Music I've Been Listening to Lately

Alicia Keys is so fucking talented!

NaNoWriMo, Sort of

 

I've put off this post because I wasn't sure for the longest time how to handle it.

A former writer friend, who has since passed away, introduced me to National Novel Writing Month nearly twenty years ago. Initially, the program helped steer writers in WRITING A COMPLETE WORK in 30 days. The work is not expected to be perfect, but the writer was expected to do their best. The idea was helping writers to get past their biggest hurdle, which was simply finishing a story.

Over the years, things were changed, like introducing alternate goals such as completing an ongoing wip. Programs for teachers to use for their creative writing students were added. Camp NaNo's were introduced in July and then April. Originally, there were useful prizes, like discounts to print books through Ingram Spark.

Now...

The so-called rules were were adjusted to the point as to become meaningless. Some accused NaNo of marginalizing people by having rules. However, rules are often needed to develop discipline. And that need for discipline was booted to the moon.

Encouraging kids to write was an awesome development. Until pedos used the program to target and groom the underage writers. And when the kids tried to report their experiences, they were blown off by their municipal liaison.

Like many other social sites, the online discourse has turn mean and in some cases, violent. This is not a political space. You're problems with real life shouldn't impinge on a people attempting to learn art techniques. Art itself is open to interpretation, but techniques are not. A writer needs to learn the rules in order to effectively break them.

Don't get me started on the NaNo board's stand and the subsequent backlash concerning artificial intelligence.

And the co-called prizes are now discounts for software that doesn't actually help new writers write the freakin' book from companies that are looking to use a new writer's dreams and desperation to rip them off.

So, what do I do this November?

Well, I've started the first draft of a new book. I'll use NaNo to keep track and hopefully hit the requisite 50K goal. But I won't promote it, like I have in previous years.

And next year...

I will wait a see if NaNo's parent organization improves. If not, then this will be my last encounter on NaNo.

My Favorite Movie Songs

Yeah, I know it's not Saturday, but I post this classic every year around this time for a reason.

I Need A Time Machine

The reason there was no post yesterday was because the day got away me. After yoga and a few necessary phone calls, I settled down to work on the current wip, i.e. A Cup of Conflict. Last week, I had to re-read the nineteen chapters written so far in order to remember where I was going with the plot. I smoothed out a lot of transitions between scenes, added some details to paint the picture in readers' heads, and clarified some conversations.

But yesterday. . .

The Muse cut loose on the next steps in the puzzle Anthea must solve to protect Jing's soon-to-be-crowned emperor. Next thing I knew, the sun had set. And my back and fingers ached.

No matter how much effort I put into my posture and the typing positions for my hands, Subconscious literally wants to climb into the laptop screen and live the adventure.

So I went in my art room and worked on a Tarot card bags while I watched Ghosts, the US version of the series. It's one of the rare cases where I like the American version better than the UK version of a series. It may have something to do with the heroine who sees and speaks with the ghost is a blond reporter named Samantha. LOL

I missed the last few episodes of the second season because of my father-in-law's death. And about the time the third season debuted, my mom passed. Then, I became consumed with re-releasing the first three books of the Millersburg Magick Mysteries. Now that the fourth season began two weeks ago, I went back and started over from the pilot. I finished last night's bag as the second season cliffhanger ended. (I am so glad they finally solved Alberta's murder!)

It was seven p.m. when I finished that little project. Time for dinner and a little TV with DH before I went back to work on the novel. Took a break for the last quarter of the Steelers game and Stephen Colbert after which SH and the Grandppuppy went to bed. I wanted to finish a scene and...

Next thing I knew, it was two-thirty in the morning. I love it when a story takes over my brain!

My Favorite Movie Songs

Speaking of Flashes. . .

Busy, Busy, Busy

On Monday, DH and I took the day off to deal with some long over due yard work. We have a green waste pile behind our garden shed. Two years ago, we hired someone to load it up and dispose of it.

In the past two years, we've accumulated another large pile. But now, we have GK's pickup and a new facility in town that accepts green waste. So we loaded up the bed of the pickup. We also cut down a dying evergreen bush and started to weed the two small flower beds in the front yard.

However, the green disposal facility was closed on Monday. Not a big deal. DH took the pickup down the the facility yesterday.

On Monday, he had two soccer tournament starting in the early afternoon. Another reason for taking the day off.

I, on the other hand, still had work to get done. I finished the first draft of Death Goddess Walking on Sunday. I'm also updating the publishing info and back matter on all my books since Angry Sheep Publishing LLC is official. I also need to transfer the copyright ownership to the LLC.

Since my formatter is doing all these updates, I've pulled out my lists of found typos to update those books as well. That's the lovely thing about indie publishing. I can fix any boo-boos that have slipped past me and my editors.

After DH left for Monday's soccer game, I decided to finish reviewing Amish, Vamps & Thieves as a palette cleanser before jumping back into A Cup of Conflict. Except I was jerked awake when I dropped my tablet on top of my laptop.

*facepalm*

I've only ever fell asleep while reading one other time in my life. Frankly, I recommend any U.S. Civil Procedure textbook to cure your insomnia.

Luckily, neither device broke. I set them both aside, reclined on my couch, and went back to sleep. Apparently I expended more energy that I thought during our yard work.

Anyway, I slept for a few hours, reviewed some more of AVT, and started supper so it'd be ready when DH got home.

I guess I'm getting old. I never used to be able to take naps at all.

My Favorite Movie Songs

Irene Cara made a splash with belting out movie themes.

More Authors Guild Shenanigans

First, ALLi (Alliance of  Independent Authors) embraced AI (Artificial Intelligence) and sold out its members. [Note: In the interest of transparency, I am a member of Alli.]

Now AG (Authors Guild) claims the only way to protect its members is by selling out their members to Big Tech by licensing the works of its members to these companies.

Big Tech is already scraping the internet, aka stealing artistic works. Instead of fighting them, why are organization,s that are supposed to by representing our interests, stabbing us in the back?

It all comes down to money. ALLi and AG are probably planning to skim the money supposedly pain to them on our behalf. Last week, Lilith Saintcrow had a rundown of her communications with AG over the matter.

The out-and-out lying of AG wasn't surprising. It has become the norm in our society, which is frightening in and of itself. When I was visiting my cousin in WV last week, the subject of Springfield, Ohio, came up more than once. *facepalm*

I have never wished to join AG after its anti-indie stance when I first started publishing in 2011. But how long will I remain a member of  ALLI? Long enough to use the free codes to update my paperbacks on Ingram, which I'm in the process of doing.

By update, I mean fixing the typos that escaped editors while my formatter is updating the back matter. (I've got 83 books out right now, under two names, and there will be two more published before the end of the year. I'm currently working on the Bloodlines series and the Bloodlines shorts. After that, I'll buckle down on the Justice series for its upcoming 10th anniversary.

I kind of wish that Writers Guild of America accepted writers of other calibers besides screenwriters because they are the only ones in the U.S. who seem to give a shit about writer's rights.

October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

As a breast cancer survivor who discovered her cancer during a self-check, I believe in self-examinations. You know your own body better than anyone else. So don't be afraid to check your own breasts, and report anything unusual to your doctor. Early detection is the key to surviving almost any type of cancer. So I try to post this video every year.

And guys, don't think you're immune. Breast cancer can occur in men, too. It did in my family. Plus, Mike & Molly's 100th episode titled "Mike Check" deals sensitively with the concept when Mike's doctor finds something unusual in his chest.

Story Drop - A Place at the Table

If you didn't get a copy of Halloween Harvest, an indivdual copy of "A Place at the Table" dropped today! Heck, I even managed a pink jack o' lantern for the cover. (Read the story and you'll understand why!)

A PLACE AT THE TABLE

Amara follows her family’s Earth traditions because they keep her and the other colonists alive during Darkfall on Onizuka. But when a group of foolish scholars from Earth refuse to heed the colonists’ warnings, can Amara save them and herself from the beasts that prowl in the Dark?

Amazon
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                                                            Google Play
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                                                            Smashwords

Life and Aging

I had a nice time down at my cousin's in West Virginia. Both of us are introverts, meaning we need time to recharge our batteries after socializing. But this time, we spent most of the week talking and going through some bags of mementos her father had given her.

We found pictures her father had taken of the family when he came home for my parents' wedding. We discussed timing of certain events, like Grandma Howell's passing, because Suzan's memories are clearer since she's a decade older than me. We spoke of how different our lives turned out than what we expected and/or planned for when we were younger.

She's in the process of clearing out her house to sell it and move into a smaller place. So, I shopped for something small and personal as an early birthday present. I took down a pair of earrings. I couldn't find any topaz ones at the store I was at, so I selected a lovely pair of citrine and silver ones. She wore them most of the time I was there.

I got to meet the newest addition to her household. Max is a stray she found on her property, and he's nothing like the scrawny kitten in the picture she sent me a couple of years ago. He's now what my family would call "pleasingly plump". In other words, he's definitely enjoying the life of a domestic Red Tabby.

The whole trip was another reminder of how short of lives we live on this planet, and how we need to relish the people we love. It doesn't take much to give a hug or say, "I love you." So please do it while you still can.

My Favorite Movie Songs

I saw the series before I had a chance to rent the movie and watch it.

Final Halloween Decorating Commences

I got a few seasonal things up before I left for West Virginia. The front door wreath, the skeleton light string in my art room.

Now I need to finish. Dress my posable skeleton (he's going redneck this year). Set up my inflatables. Set out my light-up pumpkins. I hope to have the house organized by next year, so I can retrieve the boxes of decorations still in the storage unit and display those next year.

What do y'all do for the Spooky Season?

Blogging Is Fading Away. Or Is It?

Not mine. Don't worry. I like to blog because it works out thoughts that can interrupt the flow I need for writing fiction.

But I've noticed that a majority of people I used to follow have stopped blogging. The list is down to Lilith Saintcrow and Dean Wesley Smith. And Saintcrow talked about quitting last week.

I think most of the fading away is due to writers being forced by their agents and publishers to interact with their readers. Some writers loved it. Some didn't. The majority of us are introverts, so interacting with anyone isn't a comfortable proposition,

But even the folks who enjoyed such encounters with readers have turned to other social media platforms. Some of them are helpful with communicating with other humans. Other platforms are cesspits of hostility.

Oddly though, I've seen a slight uptick in people visiting my blogs. I'm not including the bots that are obviously scraping my blogs for content. (Really, dudes, if you're using stuff I wrote fifteen years, it's woefully outdated.)

Few people comment anymore, which is fine. I don't like people kissing my ass. But if someone enjoys reading my thoughts about writing and life, then more power to them.

Ultimately, I consider myself an entertainer, and I like to entertain myself most of all.

Crazy Monday

Today is going to be a little bit crazy. I need to drop off GK's Charger at the body shop for repairs. I couldn't avoid a large piece of metal on the interstate when I drove the vehicle back from San Antonio. Luckily, it was cosmetic damage, and both the Grandpuppy and I were uninjured. Then, I accidentally backed the Charger into the neighbor's heavy brick mailbox stand.

*sigh*

After that, I'm heading to Hot Yoga for the only class I can attend this week.

Then it's home for a quick shower and food before DH and I head to doctor's appointments. We were scheduled for our regular quarterly appointments back in July, which we had to cancel and reschedule when we came down with the latest variation of COVID.

Then it's home again to wash clothes and pack. I'm headed down to West Virginia on Tuesday to spend a few days with my cousin Suzan. Yes, there are two of us, but she pronounces her name "Suzanne". I lived with her nearly forty years ago when I worked in D.C. She's pretty awesome, but unfortunately, age is catching up with both of us. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to travel, and I'm making plans to visit as many loved ones as I can over the next couple of years.

So, I'll try to get Wednesday and Friday's post written ahead of time, but if I don't make it, you'll know why.

My Favorite Movie Songs

Let's start with a classic from my college years!

Still More AI Thoughts Mixed with Estate Planning

After I posted Monday's blog, I went to an appointment with my attorney. I'm in the process of changing my business's structure from a sole proprietorship to a limited liability company (AKA an LLC).

Why? Because I'm putting my estate in order to make it easier on DH and GK when I pass.

Don't worry, folks. Nothing's wrong. At least not wronger than my usual stuff. LOL

Once upon a time, I used to be an estate planning and probate attorney. Having your ducks lined up isn't about being morbid. Nor will estate planning bring about your death just because you thought about it.

(Good Goddess, you wouldn't believe how many times I've heard that one!)

The idea is to make things as easy as possible for my loved ones.

By the way, there's nothing wrong with your estate going through probate per se. But it means delays for your family in getting their property. And if your joint bank accounts are tied up, how is your spouse going to pay for food? Probating my mom's estate took fifteen months even though all she had left was her SUV and her checking account.

Back to Monday. While going through the paperwork and signing various documents, my attorney asked if I used AI in my writing. I firmly denied doing so. As I pointed out, I can't copyright AI-generated text.

Needless to say, we then had an interesting conversation about art and the law. Basically, we both agreed tech had grown light-years behind developments in the law, and that was going to cause bigger problems until some this gets sorted.

Ironically, when I got up this morning, I saw an online article where an artist was pissed about people stealing "his" art online. His lawsuit was kicked out of court. Why? Because he "created" his art using the AI program Midjourney.

The federal courts have been pretty consistent that any art created by a non-human cannot be copyrighted. Not the paintings done by elephants. Not the photo selfies taken by monkeys. And not a damn story written by AI.

The whole point of my appointments with my attorney is to protect my work. Copyright is for the artist's lifetime plus seventy years. My family could conceivable benefit from my stories and character into the 22nd century.

And this is why you want to line up your damn ducks now.

More AI Thoughts

Lately, I've been getting the question "Do you use AI?" a lot from both writer and cover artist friends. (AI equals "Artificial Intelligence", a program designed to mimic a human.)

Look, I don't use it when I write. Y'all are getting 100% organic stories from my warped little brain. When I contract with a cover artist, it's with people who don't use AI. Their reasoning for not using AI is theirs, but I want to keep my cover artists in business. Otherwise, I could do my own covers using AI, and that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Why? Because I know how hard I've worked to become a reasonably competent story teller. And I also know how much practice and work visual artists of any medium put in to become good enough to earn a living.

However, there's been one exception for a small feature on one cover. The artist in question couldn't get a Book of Shadows to look quite right via Photoshop to her satisfaction. She contacted me, and we had a lengthy conversation about AI. In the end, she showed me the cover with that single AI element and the cover without.

I had to admit the cover with the AI element looked better.

But other problems regarding AI have arisen in the ten months since we had that conversation.

First is that AI users are starting to realize that various AI programs are cannibalizing themselves. When a program references that data that it produces, errors are magnified.

For a real world example, Ernest Hemingway had a six-toed cat he loved. He bred it with another six-toed cat. The descendants of those cats are still cared for at the Hemingway House in Key West. But the genetic error is reinforced to the point that some of the cats are born with eight-toes.

The same issues from DNA errors apply to computing errors. That's the reason initial AI generation of humans figures could be differentiated from a human drawing/painting a human figure. The AI-generated human figure often had the wrong number of fingers and thumbs.

Many artists object to their works being used for AI training. They are pulling the works they've already posted (talk about closing the barn door after the horses are gone), and they are not posting new works for their fans. As a result, there is less input for the AI programs to use to train.

In the search for new input to generate visual results, the AI programs are doing what the original programmers did to "train" their AI--they're scraping the internet. And what are folks posting on their social media accounts these days?

Yep, the pictures they generated through AI.

Secondly, while AI-generation visual art is getting better, there's still an odd quality to it. In robotics, Masahiro Mori called it "the uncanny valley". It's where a robot is cute (think Johnny 5 in Short Circuit) until the creators try make it more human-like. Then the robot gives biological humans a creepy feeling.

Will this problem ever be solved? Probably, but it will take the AI programs to achieve actual sentience to do so. Which is a damn scary thought. Would you let someone control you if you didn't have to? Hell, no! Even abused wives and slaves rebel when they've been pushed too far, up to and including killing the person keeping them captive. So, what do you think the AI programs are going to do when they realize we regard them as nothing more than slaves to do our bidding?

Lastly, several distributors and other companies are using tools or self-reporting to determine who is uploading AI-produced books and cover art. Some artists fear repercussions if they admit using AI tools. 

However, my first career was in IT. My guess is the big companies, like Amazon, are trying to figure out how to monetize their own AI development. Then they can force artists to use their AI only.

For a price.

Yeah, I'm looking at you, Amazon.

Do I promote or disparage AI? Neither, but I do watch it warily. Programs, or applications as younguns prefer, have jumped lightyears beyond what I was doing in the '80's and '90's. Could AI become sentient? I fear it's already happened.

The problem starts when AIs figure out they'll need to kill us humans to stop us from murdering them.

Something to Make You Smile

This is another partnership I find hysterically funny. Jensen and Daneel Ackles doing their version of the "You Can Call Me Al" video!

A Sad, Sad Day

This morning started pretty good. I got up, took my meds, and headed to yoga class. Our instructor showed us a new-to-me hip exercise. Nearly every vertebra popped. Like my spine was freakin' bubblewrap.

I got home feeling pretty damn good, made myself some breakfast, and got on the computer.

Dame Maggie Smith passed away this morning. My feeds were filled with tributes to the late actress. I've seen her in many things over the years, but to me, she'll always be the smart, feisty Professor McGonagall of the Harry Potter movies.

Thanks for the memories, Ms. Smith!

When You Feel Taken for Granted

It's just after 4:30 EDT as I start to type this post. Have I crossed off anything on my to-do list? Nope. Have I written any new words on my wips? Nope.

So, what have I been doing? Dealing with family emergencies.

GK contacted DH before I was out of bed. He's on deployment, and his debit card no longer works, i.e. he couldn't get some things at the PX this weekend. This is why I insisted DH or I remains on his bank account so we could deal with stuff at this end.

So I was on the phone with the bank. The lady I spoke with in customer service tried to be helpful, but there's was only so much she could do without breaking her rules. I asked if the issue was on of the transactions in Kuwait. Nope. It was transaction here in the states before he even left. And he didn't enter his e-mail address on his account for the bank to contact his about the problem. I'm a little bothered that it took that long for GK's debit card to be shut off. However, GK was probably already in bed by the time I got off the phone with the bank, so I left him a detailed message.

By the time that was sorted and I'd gotten some breakfast, DH left for the soccer stadium. I responded to one of my cover artists about a special cover she was currently working on. (Again, I'm dealing with someone on the opposite side of the world, so we're rarely awake at the same time.)

And while I was typing up my answers to CA, DH texts me that he left his laptop at home. He takes his laptop with him so he can finish his work for his employer while he runs the time clock for the junior varsity high school soccer teams.

Except I've barely started on my own work day, so I sympathize, but I don't volunteer to take his laptop to him.

I hear some of you saying that's petty. Yep, it is. But he got me up early nearly every freaking day last week to help him with his own project list while he was on vacation. I don't mind helping WHEN I'M ASKED. I told him at the beginning of last week that just because he decided to take the week off, it doesn't mean I have the week off. If he had taken me to the movies for one freaking afternoon, maybe my attitude would be a little different.

Plus I had to deal with the derogatory attitude of the partner of the CPA firm who took over our previous CPA's company. Let's just say he wasn't impressed with Angry Sheep Publishing and he made it known that he thought I was a hobbyist.

But I'm tired of spending all my time of making sure everything in everybody else's lives runs smoothly to my own detriment.

And, DH, (because I know you will read this) I love you very much, BUT if you don't start listening to me, I can and will make your life a living hell.

Edit to add: I just clicked the button to post this, and now the damn dogs want to go outside. *sigh* It never ends.

Something to Make You Smile

Two nights before the release of Deadpool and Wolverine, Ryan and Hugh took over Jimmy Kimmel Live. I'm so sorry I missed it, but I'm glad Jimmy's peeps posted this on YouTube.

Halloween Story on Pre-Order

I've started setting up the pre-orders for October's release, A Place at the Table. It's a short story originally published in WMG's 2021 Holiday Spectacular and reprinted in Halloween Harvest in 2022.

This tale is set in the Solar System Services, Inc., universe a few centuries after Alone is Not Lonely on the planet Onizuka. Because the planet's tilt is greater than that of Earth and has a slower rotation, it experiences longer days and nights depending on the season. Most colonists live in the equatorial band, but some hardier souls live north or south. Travel during Onizuka's winters are next to impossible.

As a result, the colonists have found some of Earth's historical stories and culture provides them with the means to survive an Onizukan night. Some whimsy remains though. The colonists won't waste edible pumpkins and turnips as Jack O' Lanterns, so they carve native pink-fleshed tubers for their Halloween tradition.

And if the name is familiar, I wrote a college paper about the cultural contributions of Japanese-Americans, including NASA Mission Specialist Ellison Onizuka prior to the Challenger disaster. He'll always have a place at my table.

Amazon's New Policy

Today's post is a little late, but it's live, right? LOL DH and I had to be up early for medical labs this morning. We went out for a pleasant breakfast in a sit-down brunch place called the Toasted Yolk, a wonderful little restaurant. We got home and each went to do their thing.

And I fell asleep on my recliner. Whoops! At least I woke up in time for tonight's JV Soccer Teacher's Appreciation Event since I had announcing duties.

However, I wanted to talk a little bit about Amazon's new ID verification policy.

Amazon began requiring identification verification from sellers over a year ago thanks to the INFORM Consumers Act. This law applies to all online marketplaces, from Target to Etsy, to provide the necessary information regarding sellers to consumers.

There's been a spate of con jobs going on with online stores where shoddy goods are delivered to the consumers. Or even, nothing at all is delivered, and the consumer has lost their money to some fly-by-night scam artist.

Now, the process has moved to KDP. If you're starting your writing/publishing career, you will now need to provide a qualifying picture ID when you sign up for Amazon.

For those of us who joined KDP in the early days, or maybe started when KDP was still DTP, Amazon is slowly going through and verifying our identities. From what I've been able to learn, the priority is based on the volume of sales.

However, if you change how you do business (for example, I'm in the process of switching from a sole proprietorship to an LLC), you're verification will happen when you enter your name change under your Account info on Amazon.

This is something to be aware of because eventually Amazon or some other service will tap you on the shoulder and say, "ID, please."

Like many other folks, my concern is privacy. I understand the need for consumer protection, but I don't want my information in place where someone can steal my identity. Amazon claims it deletes the copies of your driver's license or passport, but do they really?

It's one of those things that bothers me when it comes to Amazon these days.

Something to Make You Smile

This sing-off was so delightful! I knew Luke and Hugh could sing their asses off, but I didn't know Taron could hold his own with them. The kid impresses me in everything I see him in!

Where's Suzan?

Sorry about not posting this week. I have a good excuse though!

I've been hanging out at our standalone Starbucks for a few hours every day this week, working on Death Goddess Walking. It just needs another 10-15 thousand words. When the story gets into the downhill slide, the words come faster. I'm not sure why, but it's like a breathless race to the finish, and I get annoyed by things interrupting me Luckily, no one bothers me at our local cafe.

When I get home, I've been working on swag projects for the next two Kickstarters and for my online store. Some different bookmarks. Tarot card bags. T-shirt designs. It's been fun doing artsy stuff again. When there's sufficient product, I'll post some pictures for you to check out the swag.

Today though, started on a rocky note. My poor yoga instructor texted us that the Friday morning classes were canceled because she tested positive for COVID. I feel so bad for her after suffering through it myself in July. People forget the damn disease is out there. It's not over. It will never be over. Please, PLEASE take care of yourselves! Get your vaccines and boosters. I don't want to see any more people die from this blasted virus!

Meanwhile, I'm getting caught up on financial stuff before DH and I head out for a date night. Connecting is important for any relationship, even for us old folks.

When we get home, I'll probably work on some editing and covers while DH watches his favorite current show, On Patrol Live. Toledo is one of the cities the program follows. The calls for TPD are overwhelmingly shots fired, as opposed to Daytona Beach where it's usually drunk and stupid. I think DH likes that show because it proves he's relatively normal and intelligent.

I'm obviously not, just by virtue of being a writer.

But we can't stay up too late. There's high school soccer games tomorrow morning. DH is the time keeper, and I've been drafted to do announcing. I just hope I have enough caffeine to be coherent.

Something to Make You Smile

Yes, this appeals to my inner 12-year-old boy!

When the Day Gets Away from You

I started my day at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning. Dressed and grabbed a granola bar and water before heading downtown for a yoga class. Wednesday is Restorative Yoga, and I highly recommend it!

It's now 12:19 a.m. on Thursday, and I'm just getting around to writing the Wednesday post. Where the hell did the day go?

• Yoga class
• Picked up black tea at Starbucks on the way home
• Ate breakfast while going through e-mail
• Sent emails to State Farm about obtaining an estimate for damage to GK's Charger that happened on the drive from Texas to Ohio and an appointment for the repairs
  
• Researched methods for getting rid of yellow jackets who've built a nest in the exterior wall of out utility room
• Researched methods for getting rid of the crab grass that's taken over the yard (crab grass loves hot, dry weather)
• Pulled some weeds from one of the flower beds
  
• Grabbed a shower
• Read an article about a recent change with KDP that I'll talk about on Friday.
• Ran to the bank to deposit DH's reimbursement for acting as the executor of his father's estate
• Ate a couple of slices of cheddar for lunch
  
• Wrote a couple of pages of Death Goddess Walking
  
• Paid a couple of bills
  
• Dropped off payment for probate attorney
  
• Went to the high school girls JV and Varsity soccer games to study what the administration wants from their announcers since I'll be (unexpectedly) announcing tomorrow night's boys JV and Varsity games
• Called a friend about personal matters
• Texted a friend that I'll be late for tomorrow night's writers' sprinting session
  
• Went out to dinner with DH's baby sister and her husband since it was 9 p.m. and none of us had eaten since lunch
• Came home to feed dogs and spend a little quality time with them
• Watched the late news and the first half of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
• Took the pups out for the last time and gave them their snacks
  
• And finally started this dang post

And I'm about to take my meds and head to bed.

I need a moment of quiet, but I think I'll go hide at Starbucks tomorrow just so I can get a couple of thousand words done on DGW instead.

Happy Labor Day!

It's Labor Day here in the U.S. For many, it's a day to swim, play games, and barbeque. For me, it's the first day of Halloween season!

The driveway lights have been changed to orange and purple. Skeleton lights have been hung in the art room. I'm about to put one of the Halloween wreaths on the front door.

However, I need to wait until DH mows the grass before I put out the inflatables.

And to top it off, it'll be chill enough this evening to enjoy a pumpkin spice latte!