Carrie Fisher passed away this morning.
DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN...
Showing posts with label 2016. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2016. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Carrie Fisher, Princess Leia, Drowned In Moonlight Strangled By Her Own Bra
I have a eulogy over at my other blog, but DAMN YOU 2016 this has been a nasty year for losing generational celebrities and cultural mainstays.
Carrie Fisher passed away this morning.
DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN...
Carrie Fisher passed away this morning.
DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN...
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Witty's Year End Book Review 2016
To the many readers following this awesome blog - okay, eight of you plus the Chinese and Russian Spammers who keep hitting this web address 34 times every 4 hours, what the hell - it's time again for a review of the works I've read and which I want to say Damn THIS is Good Give It A Try.
As always, the rules are 1) It's not what's new that I've read, merely something I've read this year that counts. It could be a book from 1978 of my youth I've revisited for some reason. 2) It's something you ought to get at your local library (SUPPORT ALL LIBRARIES WOOT).
So, that said, here's the list for 2016.
Already a fan of Zahn's work on the Star Wars literary 'Verse (shunted off now that it mostly conflicts with the Disney control of LucasFilm), I picked up this work for ebook reading a few years ago and spent some time here and there perusing it.
Zahn sets up a galaxy-spanning human empire (Pax) in conflict with another race in the Seraph solar system that has developed a bizarre new technology: harvested materials ejected from a Black Hole - yes, it's possible - that are used to create "angels", baubles that compel the wearer to be honest and virtuous. The moral implications alone are staggering, but Zahn's main characters - sent to confirm the science (and to justify Pax sending a warship to destroy the Seraph system) - also have to cope with the truth behind Angelmass, along with the ramifications of a galaxy-wide war that would erupt should their own Pax armada succeed in starting (not finishing) the impending war.
Where Zahn impresses me is with the creative and memorable characters he creates for his works: their interactions throughout most of the stories he writes make his stuff enjoyable reads. This one isn't as good as his Thrawn Trilogy, but as a stand-alone Sci-Fi novel it's a solid work.
While I'm not a fan of -isms (per my political blogging), I still recognize that I have a world-view and that I have to find some way to cope with it all. As such, I'm really getting into reading up on Pragmatism as a philosophy, and I've been reading the works of William James over the last three-four months.
What I'm getting into with James' take on Pragmatism: He argues about Reality in which you have to deal with matters of fact (not so much Truth Of Opinion but Truth of Fact), with ideas that must relate to each other, and that these truths must lead us to useful consequences (that Pragmatism must lead to practical, long-term solutions). As a librarian who performs research into facts, and works on goal-oriented projects, I get the feeling I've been playing by these rules most of my life.
I'm still in the middle of reading this stuff, but if I had to ever go with an -Ism to follow I'm gladly buying into this.
Granted, I'm a fan of Coates' political and historical writings already, but I'm now a fan of his fiction writing in the comic book literary style. (and DAMN, he's living the dream doing it...)
As part of a Marvel Universe reboot, the company granted Coates the chance to start a new series of one of the major African (American) superheroes in their roster. What Coates did was re-establish Black Panther's political and cultural legacy, by questioning the role T'Challa has as both king and guardian of a powerful African nation now beset by uprising and turmoil. Dragging in the real-world problems that Africa has with terrorism, human trafficking and human rights, and political animosities across borders, Coates tweaked a place with a comic-book history (he's notably building off the work done famously by Christopher Priest) by giving it a genuine conflict that can't be easily resolved within six issues of a monthly release. Coates is signed up for twelve issues (of which 8 is out and this graphic novel collecting the first part of the story arc), so it'll be interesting how he wraps this up.
Okay, I'm cheating a bit here by going with another graphic novel, but the rule is "someone I email, tweet, or chat with on a regular basis," and I've kinda tweeted enough times with him - "you did WHAT? With a WHAT?! To a WHAT?!?!" - regarding his other work Sunstone that this qualifies (I kid: I have no problem with (expletive deleted) being used as part of (unusually detailed sexual shenanigans), just as long as it doesn't harm any Presbyterian choirs...!).
Death Vigil, from what I gathered about his working on the project, is more of a personal labor of love for Sejic than anything else. Drawing from his work with Witchblade and on the shared geek concept of Eldritch monsters, Sejic creates a world where death is only part of our problems. Your soul can get used and abused even after you die, and your best chance for your soul to survive is with a team of Knights who work as Reapers/Monster-fighters. Introducing us via a recent cult victim's entry to the ranks of these Knights, we meet a rather lively (pun intended) group of dead people, who are facing a dire threat from humans working with demonic forces to seize the weaponry of these Knights in a mad attempt to cheat death itself.
What makes DV fun amidst the terror is how Sejic creates memorable, interactive characters that we can root for. In particular, he introduces us to Mia an otherwise happy-go-lucky preteen girl who just happens to be a Lovecraftian monster outside of her human form (who's still happy-go-lucky even as she's devouring her enemies).
While Sejic is tied up with other projects - he's capped Sunstone at five volumes but now working on related spin-offs - he's still eager to give Death Vigil one more volume to finish off the ideas he's got in that 'Verse. You ought to give Volume I a serious look.
If you'll recall an earlier submission to Strangely Funny, I wrote a story "I Must Be Your First" about a vampire coping with the problem of Hunters ruining his morning. Coming off from that, building on a 'Verse where I have rules about what vampires really are and about the other supernatural elements they cope with, I submitted this little tidbit "Minette Dances with the Golem of Albany." Sort of a prequel set in 1985 where a vampire (actually a dhampyr, a half-human blood drinker) spends a night dancing (kind of) with a Golem sent to kill her. I had fun messing with the rules of Golems as much as with vampires, and set up how a Golem is actually the perfect opponent against otherwise unstoppable vampires (vamps can't drink from a Golem, and Golems are stronger and more unstoppable than vampires).
I chose having the Golem come from Albany Georgia because 1) Georgia is known for the red clay, and clay is a good material for Golems and 2) that's my birth city. Yay.
I haven't seen as many reviews for my story, nor for the anthology, but I hope my readers here pick up the book and give it good thumbs up, please and thank you.
Shill shill shill. ;-)
So, that said, IO SATURNALIA and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
As always, the rules are 1) It's not what's new that I've read, merely something I've read this year that counts. It could be a book from 1978 of my youth I've revisited for some reason. 2) It's something you ought to get at your local library (SUPPORT ALL LIBRARIES WOOT).
So, that said, here's the list for 2016.
BEST FICTION
Angelmass, Timothy ZahnAlready a fan of Zahn's work on the Star Wars literary 'Verse (shunted off now that it mostly conflicts with the Disney control of LucasFilm), I picked up this work for ebook reading a few years ago and spent some time here and there perusing it.
Zahn sets up a galaxy-spanning human empire (Pax) in conflict with another race in the Seraph solar system that has developed a bizarre new technology: harvested materials ejected from a Black Hole - yes, it's possible - that are used to create "angels", baubles that compel the wearer to be honest and virtuous. The moral implications alone are staggering, but Zahn's main characters - sent to confirm the science (and to justify Pax sending a warship to destroy the Seraph system) - also have to cope with the truth behind Angelmass, along with the ramifications of a galaxy-wide war that would erupt should their own Pax armada succeed in starting (not finishing) the impending war.
Where Zahn impresses me is with the creative and memorable characters he creates for his works: their interactions throughout most of the stories he writes make his stuff enjoyable reads. This one isn't as good as his Thrawn Trilogy, but as a stand-alone Sci-Fi novel it's a solid work.
BEST NON-FICTION
Pragmatism, William JamesWhile I'm not a fan of -isms (per my political blogging), I still recognize that I have a world-view and that I have to find some way to cope with it all. As such, I'm really getting into reading up on Pragmatism as a philosophy, and I've been reading the works of William James over the last three-four months.
What I'm getting into with James' take on Pragmatism: He argues about Reality in which you have to deal with matters of fact (not so much Truth Of Opinion but Truth of Fact), with ideas that must relate to each other, and that these truths must lead us to useful consequences (that Pragmatism must lead to practical, long-term solutions). As a librarian who performs research into facts, and works on goal-oriented projects, I get the feeling I've been playing by these rules most of my life.
I'm still in the middle of reading this stuff, but if I had to ever go with an -Ism to follow I'm gladly buying into this.
BEST GRAPHIC NOVEL
Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet, Ta-Nehisi CoatesGranted, I'm a fan of Coates' political and historical writings already, but I'm now a fan of his fiction writing in the comic book literary style. (and DAMN, he's living the dream doing it...)
As part of a Marvel Universe reboot, the company granted Coates the chance to start a new series of one of the major African (American) superheroes in their roster. What Coates did was re-establish Black Panther's political and cultural legacy, by questioning the role T'Challa has as both king and guardian of a powerful African nation now beset by uprising and turmoil. Dragging in the real-world problems that Africa has with terrorism, human trafficking and human rights, and political animosities across borders, Coates tweaked a place with a comic-book history (he's notably building off the work done famously by Christopher Priest) by giving it a genuine conflict that can't be easily resolved within six issues of a monthly release. Coates is signed up for twelve issues (of which 8 is out and this graphic novel collecting the first part of the story arc), so it'll be interesting how he wraps this up.
BEST WORK BY SOMEONE I EMAIL, TWEET, or CHAT WITH ON A REGULAR BASIS
Death Vigil Volume I, Stjepan SejicOkay, I'm cheating a bit here by going with another graphic novel, but the rule is "someone I email, tweet, or chat with on a regular basis," and I've kinda tweeted enough times with him - "you did WHAT? With a WHAT?! To a WHAT?!?!" - regarding his other work Sunstone that this qualifies (I kid: I have no problem with (expletive deleted) being used as part of (unusually detailed sexual shenanigans), just as long as it doesn't harm any Presbyterian choirs...!).
Death Vigil, from what I gathered about his working on the project, is more of a personal labor of love for Sejic than anything else. Drawing from his work with Witchblade and on the shared geek concept of Eldritch monsters, Sejic creates a world where death is only part of our problems. Your soul can get used and abused even after you die, and your best chance for your soul to survive is with a team of Knights who work as Reapers/Monster-fighters. Introducing us via a recent cult victim's entry to the ranks of these Knights, we meet a rather lively (pun intended) group of dead people, who are facing a dire threat from humans working with demonic forces to seize the weaponry of these Knights in a mad attempt to cheat death itself.
What makes DV fun amidst the terror is how Sejic creates memorable, interactive characters that we can root for. In particular, he introduces us to Mia an otherwise happy-go-lucky preteen girl who just happens to be a Lovecraftian monster outside of her human form (who's still happy-go-lucky even as she's devouring her enemies).
While Sejic is tied up with other projects - he's capped Sunstone at five volumes but now working on related spin-offs - he's still eager to give Death Vigil one more volume to finish off the ideas he's got in that 'Verse. You ought to give Volume I a serious look.
BEST ANTHOLOGY THAT CONTAINS A STORY I WROTE
Strangely Funny III, Mystery & Horror LLCIf you'll recall an earlier submission to Strangely Funny, I wrote a story "I Must Be Your First" about a vampire coping with the problem of Hunters ruining his morning. Coming off from that, building on a 'Verse where I have rules about what vampires really are and about the other supernatural elements they cope with, I submitted this little tidbit "Minette Dances with the Golem of Albany." Sort of a prequel set in 1985 where a vampire (actually a dhampyr, a half-human blood drinker) spends a night dancing (kind of) with a Golem sent to kill her. I had fun messing with the rules of Golems as much as with vampires, and set up how a Golem is actually the perfect opponent against otherwise unstoppable vampires (vamps can't drink from a Golem, and Golems are stronger and more unstoppable than vampires).
I chose having the Golem come from Albany Georgia because 1) Georgia is known for the red clay, and clay is a good material for Golems and 2) that's my birth city. Yay.
I haven't seen as many reviews for my story, nor for the anthology, but I hope my readers here pick up the book and give it good thumbs up, please and thank you.
Shill shill shill. ;-)
So, that said, IO SATURNALIA and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Friday, December 9, 2016
All I Want This Saturnalia
Just these three things:
1) Sanity in my life
2) Focus on my writing projects
3) 50 million readers
That's not too much to ask, right?
Io Saturnalia!!!
1) Sanity in my life
2) Focus on my writing projects
3) 50 million readers
That's not too much to ask, right?
Io Saturnalia!!!
Friday, December 2, 2016
Keep Hitting Me With a Trout Until I Publish My NaNo Novel, Okay?
Look, I got to 60,000 words on my novel but I really need to actually FINISH THIS BABY for once, so I need the motivational.
And that motivational should take the form of a copy editor with a shotgun and an egg timer. 'Cause apparently I only really work well with deadlines.
So keep hitting me every day, will ya? Just remind me I got a novel to finish, and I'll get it finished.
And that motivational should take the form of a copy editor with a shotgun and an egg timer. 'Cause apparently I only really work well with deadlines.
So keep hitting me every day, will ya? Just remind me I got a novel to finish, and I'll get it finished.
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Thanksgiving 2016: Writing, Pokemon Dittos, and Kamikaze Turkeys
Getting the winner banner is one thing.
Getting a novel truly finished and published is the one goal I haven't crossed yet.
Gotta catch 'em all!
No, wait, that's the Pokemon Go game. They're running a special Double XP this Pagan Turkey Sacrifice Day, and unleashed a rare Pokemon called Ditto:
Ditto hides disguised as low-value Pokemon, so that Rattata you've been ignoring could actually be a Ditto. So you kinda have to catch everything you can now to add up the Dittos.
And, as this is a Pagan Turkey Sacrifice Day, let us honor the greatest ritual of mass kamikaze turkey genocide we ever saw:
AS GOD IS MY WITNESS I THOUGHT TURKEYS COULD FLY.
Getting a novel truly finished and published is the one goal I haven't crossed yet.
Gotta catch 'em all!
No, wait, that's the Pokemon Go game. They're running a special Double XP this Pagan Turkey Sacrifice Day, and unleashed a rare Pokemon called Ditto:
Ditto hides disguised as low-value Pokemon, so that Rattata you've been ignoring could actually be a Ditto. So you kinda have to catch everything you can now to add up the Dittos.
And, as this is a Pagan Turkey Sacrifice Day, let us honor the greatest ritual of mass kamikaze turkey genocide we ever saw:
AS GOD IS MY WITNESS I THOUGHT TURKEYS COULD FLY.
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
NaNoWriMo 2016: Getting to 50000 Words And More to Go
Getting to the 50,000 word marker is relatively easy if you've gotten things plotted out, you've gotten the characters lined up, and you avoid the pitfalls of painting yourself into corners that you didn't expect.
I'm hitting the 50,000 finish line a lot earlier than usual as well. Got a full week left of the NaNo campaign to get more of the bits and pieces I've got floating around here.
Next thing up is actually finishing the NOVEL ITSELF - something I haven't done in any previous effort. If I can focus on THAT...
Then I can worry about hiring somebody for the cover art. ;-)
I'm hitting the 50,000 finish line a lot earlier than usual as well. Got a full week left of the NaNo campaign to get more of the bits and pieces I've got floating around here.
Next thing up is actually finishing the NOVEL ITSELF - something I haven't done in any previous effort. If I can focus on THAT...
Then I can worry about hiring somebody for the cover art. ;-)
Friday, November 11, 2016
Another Problem About NaNoWriMo? It Makes Me Think
If anybody else writing NaNo ever runs into this as a problem...
See, writers have ideas. Ideas we want to express as either stories or essays.
Once I start writing on something - a story or a blog article or other project - a plot idea or some form of insight suddenly pops up that I can incorporate into what I'm working on.
Unless the idea doesn't fit. Then all of a sudden I have a plot idea or a topic worth discussing that I can't put aside lest I forget about it.
So I find myself going off on tangents, dancing away from the novel/story project I'm on and typing away on an unrelated project.
For example, I'm supposed to be working on my superhero origins novel for NaNo right now. However, I've suddenly got myself thinking about Pragmatism as an American philosophy and musing over the need to write up some amateur proto-philosophical chapters/articles before I lose track of THAT thought.
This is one of the reasons why I've never really finished a full book. Hell, there's an idea on writing up a History of 20th Century Jamaica still sitting in a box in my closet.
Get me back on track, fellow writers. Remind me I gotta finish this NaNo first and foremost.
I can just tag the journal articles and books on James, Pierce and Dewey for later.
See, writers have ideas. Ideas we want to express as either stories or essays.
Once I start writing on something - a story or a blog article or other project - a plot idea or some form of insight suddenly pops up that I can incorporate into what I'm working on.
Unless the idea doesn't fit. Then all of a sudden I have a plot idea or a topic worth discussing that I can't put aside lest I forget about it.
So I find myself going off on tangents, dancing away from the novel/story project I'm on and typing away on an unrelated project.
For example, I'm supposed to be working on my superhero origins novel for NaNo right now. However, I've suddenly got myself thinking about Pragmatism as an American philosophy and musing over the need to write up some amateur proto-philosophical chapters/articles before I lose track of THAT thought.
This is one of the reasons why I've never really finished a full book. Hell, there's an idea on writing up a History of 20th Century Jamaica still sitting in a box in my closet.
Get me back on track, fellow writers. Remind me I gotta finish this NaNo first and foremost.
I can just tag the journal articles and books on James, Pierce and Dewey for later.
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Friday, November 4, 2016
Heading Into the Weekend NaNo 2016
The weekend is usually where you can find extra time to get some writing done on your NaNo draft.
Just don't forget to ignore some of the real-world necessities like:
1) Feed your cats
2) Clean up after your cats
3) Do laundry
4) Fold laundry before cats get into it
5) Feed cats again
6) Call parents to let them know you haven't disappeared into the swamps
8) Feed yourself
9) Don't lose track of anything you might forget
10) Feed cats one more time
You can still fit in a few hours of writing in all that. Somewhere.
;-)
Just don't forget to ignore some of the real-world necessities like:
1) Feed your cats
2) Clean up after your cats
3) Do laundry
4) Fold laundry before cats get into it
5) Feed cats again
6) Call parents to let them know you haven't disappeared into the swamps
8) Feed yourself
9) Don't lose track of anything you might forget
10) Feed cats one more time
You can still fit in a few hours of writing in all that. Somewhere.
;-)
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
NANOWRIMO ME BABY ONE MORE TIME!
Start writing 50,000 words, people, it'll be a novel you can love and respect once you finish the editing process!
Join me here at the forums for more, and follow us on Twitter at #LakelandNaNo
PEACE OUT!
Join me here at the forums for more, and follow us on Twitter at #LakelandNaNo
PEACE OUT!
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Pokemon Go Busts Out the Ghosts for Halloween
A lot of online games will post a special update to their code to have Halloween-themed special events. City of Heroes did Trick-Or-Treating door events and special Monster spawns, and man do I miss those...
Anyway, Pokemon Go with their first year of existence is hosting a themed event where they upped the spawn rate of the Ghost, Night, and Memserizing-type Pokemon for capturing. This means a high uptick in Ghastlys, Haunters, Zubats, Drowsees, and Pidgeys. Yes. There will ALWAYS BE PIDGEYS. Get used to it.
They're also doubling the Candy drops per capture so that you get six candies instead of three, which helps towards evolving or training the Pokemon you're capturing. Sadly, they are not dropping enough Lapras or Squirtle candies along with it. :(
So... just a reminder kiddos. GOTTA CATCH ALL THEM GHOSTS.
Just DON'T CROSS THE STREAMS... wait, wrong ghost-themed gaming...
Anyway, Pokemon Go with their first year of existence is hosting a themed event where they upped the spawn rate of the Ghost, Night, and Memserizing-type Pokemon for capturing. This means a high uptick in Ghastlys, Haunters, Zubats, Drowsees, and Pidgeys. Yes. There will ALWAYS BE PIDGEYS. Get used to it.
They're also doubling the Candy drops per capture so that you get six candies instead of three, which helps towards evolving or training the Pokemon you're capturing. Sadly, they are not dropping enough Lapras or Squirtle candies along with it. :(
So... just a reminder kiddos. GOTTA CATCH ALL THEM GHOSTS.
Just DON'T CROSS THE STREAMS... wait, wrong ghost-themed gaming...
Saturday, October 22, 2016
I Love It When Libraries Offer to be NaNo Write-In Locales
Just a huge shout-out to
Lakeland Public Library
Winter Haven Public Library
Lake Wales Public Library
Haines City Public Library
and my own Bartow Public Library
for hosting various Write-Ins throughout the month of November for my fellow NaNoWriMo authors for the USA:Florida:Lakeland region.
Just wanna note the Lake Wales Library was very helpful in some background research about the local citrus industry when I wrote my story "Snipe Hunt" for my anthology Last of the Grapefruit Wars!
Lakeland Public Library
Winter Haven Public Library
Lake Wales Public Library
Haines City Public Library
and my own Bartow Public Library
for hosting various Write-Ins throughout the month of November for my fellow NaNoWriMo authors for the USA:Florida:Lakeland region.
Just wanna note the Lake Wales Library was very helpful in some background research about the local citrus industry when I wrote my story "Snipe Hunt" for my anthology Last of the Grapefruit Wars!
Thursday, October 13, 2016
I've Decided To Write Again in my Superhero 'Verse for NaNoWriMo 2016
Gonna try it again, maybe this year I'll get something pieced together for my Talents superhero 'verse that will be coherent and readable.
So, here we go again kids for NANOWRIMO!
Join me at the Lakeland region! The link is at http://nanowrimo.org/regions/usa-florida-lakeland
Calendar of Write-Ins:
Tuesday, November 1
NaNoWriMo First Day
7:00pm
KickOff Write-In @ Books A Million
Wednesday, November 2
7:00pm
Write-In @ Lakeland Public Library
Thursday, November 3
5:00pm
Write-in @ Winter Haven Library
6:00pm
Writing Group @ Just Costumes Rentals and Sales
Saturday, November 5
9:00am
Write-in @ Panera Bread Winter Haven
Sunday, November 6
7:00pm
Write-In @ Books A Million Lakeland
Monday, November 7
10:00am
Write-In @ Lake Wales Public Library
Thursday, November 10
6:00pm
Writing Group @ Just Costumes Rentals and Sales
Sunday, November 13
7:00pm
Write-In @ Books A Million Lakeland
Tuesday, November 15
5:00pm
NaNo Write-In @ Bartow Public Library
Wednesday, November 16
6:30pm
NaNo Write-In @ Lakeland Writers meeting
Thursday, November 17
5:00pm
Write-in @ Winter Haven Library
6:00pm
Writing Group @ Just Costumes Rentals and Sales
Saturday, November 19
9:00am
Write-In @ Haines City Library
Sunday, November 20
7:00pm
Write-In @ Books A Million Lakeland
Tuesday, November 22
3:00pm
Write-In @ Lake Wales Public Library
Saturday, November 26
9:00am
Write-in @ Winter Haven Library
Sunday, November 27
7:00pm
Write-In @ Books A Million Lakeland
Wednesday, November 30
5:00pm
NaNo Write-In @ Bartow Public Library
Hope to see some of you writing away this November!
So, here we go again kids for NANOWRIMO!
Join me at the Lakeland region! The link is at http://nanowrimo.org/regions/usa-florida-lakeland
Calendar of Write-Ins:
Tuesday, November 1
NaNoWriMo First Day
7:00pm
KickOff Write-In @ Books A Million
Wednesday, November 2
7:00pm
Write-In @ Lakeland Public Library
Thursday, November 3
5:00pm
Write-in @ Winter Haven Library
6:00pm
Writing Group @ Just Costumes Rentals and Sales
Saturday, November 5
9:00am
Write-in @ Panera Bread Winter Haven
Sunday, November 6
7:00pm
Write-In @ Books A Million Lakeland
Monday, November 7
10:00am
Write-In @ Lake Wales Public Library
Thursday, November 10
6:00pm
Writing Group @ Just Costumes Rentals and Sales
Sunday, November 13
7:00pm
Write-In @ Books A Million Lakeland
Tuesday, November 15
5:00pm
NaNo Write-In @ Bartow Public Library
Wednesday, November 16
6:30pm
NaNo Write-In @ Lakeland Writers meeting
Thursday, November 17
5:00pm
Write-in @ Winter Haven Library
6:00pm
Writing Group @ Just Costumes Rentals and Sales
Saturday, November 19
9:00am
Write-In @ Haines City Library
Sunday, November 20
7:00pm
Write-In @ Books A Million Lakeland
Tuesday, November 22
3:00pm
Write-In @ Lake Wales Public Library
Saturday, November 26
9:00am
Write-in @ Winter Haven Library
Sunday, November 27
7:00pm
Write-In @ Books A Million Lakeland
Wednesday, November 30
5:00pm
NaNo Write-In @ Bartow Public Library
Hope to see some of you writing away this November!
Sunday, October 2, 2016
Prepping for NaNoWriMo 2016
Okay, so National Novel Writing Month is officially every November, which is now NEXT MONTH.
That means a few things:
1) the NaNoWriMo website resets itself.
2) I need to submit a proposed book idea and proposed cover (optional, but fun to have).
3) The Lakeland FL Region will reset, which means I got to start managing the threads and the notes and the Calendar again!
4) I really need to come up with a good book idea this time.
Sigh.
For all the times I've NaNo'ed, I've yet to complete a "finished" work past the 50,000 word count. The remainders that follow in my wake are - upon re-evaluation - a bit messy even before the need for actual revisions to where I'm almost embarrassed by them.
I need to - NEED TO - come up with an idea I know I can follow up to its conclusion. I'd REALLY like to get one of these things honest-to-God done.
So, a quick poll to anybody willing to leave a comment. Should I write:
1) A fiction novel, focusing on the Talents superhero 'verse I've been working on?
2) A non-fiction novel of political ranting - which I kinda do anyway - during what will be the most anxiety-riddled election month in recent memory?
Please let me know what you think.
And get ready to NANO people! Word Sprints start in 27 days!
That means a few things:
1) the NaNoWriMo website resets itself.
2) I need to submit a proposed book idea and proposed cover (optional, but fun to have).
3) The Lakeland FL Region will reset, which means I got to start managing the threads and the notes and the Calendar again!
4) I really need to come up with a good book idea this time.
Sigh.
For all the times I've NaNo'ed, I've yet to complete a "finished" work past the 50,000 word count. The remainders that follow in my wake are - upon re-evaluation - a bit messy even before the need for actual revisions to where I'm almost embarrassed by them.
I need to - NEED TO - come up with an idea I know I can follow up to its conclusion. I'd REALLY like to get one of these things honest-to-God done.
So, a quick poll to anybody willing to leave a comment. Should I write:
1) A fiction novel, focusing on the Talents superhero 'verse I've been working on?
2) A non-fiction novel of political ranting - which I kinda do anyway - during what will be the most anxiety-riddled election month in recent memory?
Please let me know what you think.
And get ready to NANO people! Word Sprints start in 27 days!
Thursday, September 8, 2016
These Are the Voyages of the Starship Lollipop
It's a Good Ship...
Actually, this should be a moment of incredible geek-out, but also a signal of DAMN WE'RE GETTING OLD:
This is the 50th anniversary of the first broadcast of Star Trek (aka The Original Series).
TO BOLDLY SPLIT INFINITIVES THAT NO MAN HAS SPLIT BEFORE!
...no, no, that's sexist.
TO BOLDLY SPLIT INFINITIVES THAT NO ONE HAS SPLIT BEFORE!
Damn, that's discriminatory towards hive-mind races.
Anyway.
I think I've explained before how Trek has been not only a major force within the genre of Science Fiction - not just film and television but also literature, and some of the best writers have been part of it - but the series is one of the great American cultural milestones.
When most Americans think Sci-Fi they will think of Star Trek (or Star Wars, or hell mix up the two). Everyone knows who Vulcans are (SPACE ELVES). We just shifted from our phones looking like the Original Series comm units (flip phones) to our phones looking like Next Generation PADD tablets (there are apps to make your smartphones look at act like TNG screens!). When we joke about breaking speed limits on the highway, we measure it by Warp Speed ("Musta been doing Warp 90 back there on the goat road, Junior.")
Looking back 50 years ago, it seems quaint how a TV show that struggled in the ratings could turn into such a massive influence (WKRP, outside of references to turkey genocide, never did). But Trek was ground-breaking: It shook off the more hoary SciFi cliches and tried stories that delved into social and political debates.
It cast African-Americans in prominent starring and guest roles: Just having Uhura - despite the seeming meaningless task of "hailing" calls - on the bridge of a starship alongside White men (mostly) in a genuine attempt at ethnic and gender sharing was shocking for the 1960s television market. Would it stun you to find out that Southern television stations back in the day would insist on cutting out any black characters on shows as much as possible? Having Uhura in nearly every bridge shot made that impossible. No less a figure than Martin Luther King spoke to actress Nichelle Nichols to convince her to stay on after she wanted to move on: She was that important a role model.
The show routinely called into question the human condition: What is racism? Can Logic as a belief structure control the emotional impulses that divided our lives with conflict, passion, and despair? Are we superior beings, our bipedal humanoid selves, or can sentient rocks like the Horta be our equals (and share the universe with us)? The best episodes questioned the duality of human nature, that things did not divide "equally" between good and evil, that sometimes we humans (or sometimes we Americans/Starfleet) were in the wrong... but that we had chances to do better.
Religion and faith were part of the debate. What is spiritual purity? Gods would appear on the show only to be revealed as petulant children or uncaring beasts or soulless computers (and yet the show retained a vague Judeo-Christian value system that a benign distant Providence kept things ticking).
Trek would argue the virtues of Socialism one episode (the United Federation of Planets had replicators, advanced agricultural tech, a "wantless society" that couldn't comprehend gold or trinkets of value) and push the Libertarian virtues of self-reliance and need for deregulation the next, but somehow pulled off the trick of making BOTH -isms co-existing and balanced (it did so by arguing that in a socialist-wantless society the human drive to achieve will still seek challenges and life purpose).
The show also dropped a ton of Tribbles on William Shatner's head.
It downplayed the then Cold War between the Soviets and Americans, by providing alternate Earth scenarios of bad ends for those Earths that couldn't resolve the East-West conflicts. By Season Two they included a Russian character - partly for comic relief and mostly to answer the legitimate complaint from the Soviets that they too were space explorers. Thus Chekov (who spoke with a Polish accent than Russian, go figure)
Why did Star Trek influence us, influence not just American culture but the global community?
It spoke of the future: At a time humanity was threatened with nuclear war, environmental disaster, or worse, Trek suggested we would outgrow our worst demons and answer to the better angels of our nature, that we would achieve space flight and do so in ways that would let us explore the cosmos. That we would meet races like Vulcans and Klingons and myriad others, and that despite the differences we could blend, co-exist, share our wonder of the universe.
Star Trek is a reflection of the whole Earth: that we are a diverse species us humans, clinging to this small blue/green rock covered with air and water, facing daily challenges to survive but still looking upward and outward, dreaming up warp drives and seeking out exoplanets that might share other lifeforms. The drive to improve ourselves and improve our futures.
The Trek universe itself allowed for a range of literary themes to play out, and gave us heroic characters - Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Sulu, Scotty, Chekov as our original cast - that defined themselves as Archetype. Spock in particular would become a character that reached the level of legend, akin to Robin Hood or Sherlock Holmes or Superman (RIP Leonard Nimoy).
And someday, we'll get this:
Granted there's a ton of comic book heroes here, and the setting is Doctor Who's TARDIS, but Trek is there with Picard and other characters standing just behind the Doctor. Someday, there'll be a story that encompasses all our modern heroes, a tale of epic scale where all the heroes are summoned, and you can be certain that the USS Enterprise - all of them - will answer that call.
We won't.
Actually, this should be a moment of incredible geek-out, but also a signal of DAMN WE'RE GETTING OLD:
This is the 50th anniversary of the first broadcast of Star Trek (aka The Original Series).
TO BOLDLY SPLIT INFINITIVES THAT NO MAN HAS SPLIT BEFORE!
...no, no, that's sexist.
TO BOLDLY SPLIT INFINITIVES THAT NO ONE HAS SPLIT BEFORE!
Damn, that's discriminatory towards hive-mind races.
Anyway.
I think I've explained before how Trek has been not only a major force within the genre of Science Fiction - not just film and television but also literature, and some of the best writers have been part of it - but the series is one of the great American cultural milestones.
When most Americans think Sci-Fi they will think of Star Trek (or Star Wars, or hell mix up the two). Everyone knows who Vulcans are (SPACE ELVES). We just shifted from our phones looking like the Original Series comm units (flip phones) to our phones looking like Next Generation PADD tablets (there are apps to make your smartphones look at act like TNG screens!). When we joke about breaking speed limits on the highway, we measure it by Warp Speed ("Musta been doing Warp 90 back there on the goat road, Junior.")
Looking back 50 years ago, it seems quaint how a TV show that struggled in the ratings could turn into such a massive influence (WKRP, outside of references to turkey genocide, never did). But Trek was ground-breaking: It shook off the more hoary SciFi cliches and tried stories that delved into social and political debates.
It cast African-Americans in prominent starring and guest roles: Just having Uhura - despite the seeming meaningless task of "hailing" calls - on the bridge of a starship alongside White men (mostly) in a genuine attempt at ethnic and gender sharing was shocking for the 1960s television market. Would it stun you to find out that Southern television stations back in the day would insist on cutting out any black characters on shows as much as possible? Having Uhura in nearly every bridge shot made that impossible. No less a figure than Martin Luther King spoke to actress Nichelle Nichols to convince her to stay on after she wanted to move on: She was that important a role model.
The show routinely called into question the human condition: What is racism? Can Logic as a belief structure control the emotional impulses that divided our lives with conflict, passion, and despair? Are we superior beings, our bipedal humanoid selves, or can sentient rocks like the Horta be our equals (and share the universe with us)? The best episodes questioned the duality of human nature, that things did not divide "equally" between good and evil, that sometimes we humans (or sometimes we Americans/Starfleet) were in the wrong... but that we had chances to do better.
 |
| The Horta was the first non-humanoid creature on Trek that showed intelligence and ability to adapt/learn/communicate with us. The fans still love them as one of the best aliens the show ever created. |
Religion and faith were part of the debate. What is spiritual purity? Gods would appear on the show only to be revealed as petulant children or uncaring beasts or soulless computers (and yet the show retained a vague Judeo-Christian value system that a benign distant Providence kept things ticking).
Trek would argue the virtues of Socialism one episode (the United Federation of Planets had replicators, advanced agricultural tech, a "wantless society" that couldn't comprehend gold or trinkets of value) and push the Libertarian virtues of self-reliance and need for deregulation the next, but somehow pulled off the trick of making BOTH -isms co-existing and balanced (it did so by arguing that in a socialist-wantless society the human drive to achieve will still seek challenges and life purpose).
The show also dropped a ton of Tribbles on William Shatner's head.
It downplayed the then Cold War between the Soviets and Americans, by providing alternate Earth scenarios of bad ends for those Earths that couldn't resolve the East-West conflicts. By Season Two they included a Russian character - partly for comic relief and mostly to answer the legitimate complaint from the Soviets that they too were space explorers. Thus Chekov (who spoke with a Polish accent than Russian, go figure)
Why did Star Trek influence us, influence not just American culture but the global community?
It spoke of the future: At a time humanity was threatened with nuclear war, environmental disaster, or worse, Trek suggested we would outgrow our worst demons and answer to the better angels of our nature, that we would achieve space flight and do so in ways that would let us explore the cosmos. That we would meet races like Vulcans and Klingons and myriad others, and that despite the differences we could blend, co-exist, share our wonder of the universe.
Star Trek is a reflection of the whole Earth: that we are a diverse species us humans, clinging to this small blue/green rock covered with air and water, facing daily challenges to survive but still looking upward and outward, dreaming up warp drives and seeking out exoplanets that might share other lifeforms. The drive to improve ourselves and improve our futures.
The Trek universe itself allowed for a range of literary themes to play out, and gave us heroic characters - Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Sulu, Scotty, Chekov as our original cast - that defined themselves as Archetype. Spock in particular would become a character that reached the level of legend, akin to Robin Hood or Sherlock Holmes or Superman (RIP Leonard Nimoy).
And someday, we'll get this:
 |
| "You'll Be Safe Here" by Dean Trippe |
Let's make sure history never forgets the name Enterprise.
We won't.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
July CampNaNo Results
Well, I got my designated word count over 50,000... so that means
Of course the novel itself is still a mess and needs heavy revision.
And there's about 52 other things I need to get done before this month is even over.
Still and all, I feel the need to get something published soon. Just not this rough draft. Gotta keep writing...
Of course the novel itself is still a mess and needs heavy revision.
And there's about 52 other things I need to get done before this month is even over.
Still and all, I feel the need to get something published soon. Just not this rough draft. Gotta keep writing...
Sunday, July 17, 2016
There Are Pidgeottos At The Library: Pokemon GO and Outreach
So last week a new online game designed as a smartphone App - Pokemon GO - came out, and pretty much dominated the news and gaming fervor since then. It's outpacing social media apps and turning into a kaiju-sized monster. Busy week...
Based on the popular Pokemon trading/training/battle game, Pokemon GO is an update of the original game from the early 1990s. This time, the game's draw is that it can be played in a real-world environs. GO overlaps onto existing map locations (called "augmented reality") and places the cartoon battle animals - currently the original 150 creatures - into these locations for people to "catch" them for powering up, evolving, and fighting other players' Pokemon.
Meanwhile, real-world public areas - parks, churches, malls, libraries - are set up to serve as either PokeStops - places for players to resupply themselves with needed gear - or Gyms - places for players to battle their Pokemon to control that Gym as a Trainer.
This means that people playing the game HAVE to go to these real-world locales to do what they do to level up and win.
And I mentioned libraries.
The library where I work is a PokeStop: that is, we can be a place for players to recharge (there are two Gyms nearby). PokeStops can also have Lures running in half-hour intervals that summon Pokemon into range for capture, which means every so often players - kids, teens AND adults (those who played in the 1990s with nostalgia and whimsy) - will gather at our library primarily to restock and reload.
This all came as a sudden shock: although news about GO had been out for a year or more, nobody really understood the real-world applications of this game until it got the huge response from millions of players suddenly swarming about in places that didn't realize they were PokeStops/Gyms.
The question is, how can libraries benefit from this real-world development?
There's a couple of resources librarians can read up on to gain understanding of Pokemon GO, and also get tips on how to market/outreach to the kids/adults/families coming in to snare themselves a PsyDuck. School Library Journal has a link, ALA has a blog page on their Library Services to Children site, and the Public Library Association is diving into the mania while the going's good.
The best suggestions are to advertise locally - and early and often - that the library is a game location. I've been doing that with City of Bartow Library's Facebook page, and am looking to create a few more online tags for people to hear the news. Creating signs and banners is an easy step to take. One idea would be to host events: As a PokeStop, I can plan ahead and announce a Lure running on a specific day and time to draw in those who'll want to benefit from an increase in Pokemon to capture (a test run showed me the Lure draws in about TRIPLE the amount of Pokemon, sweet).
A wonderful suggestion by a library group promoting GO: using a 3D printer if you got one (WE DO) and creating Pokemon badges (WE COULD) that kids can pick up if they show that they're on the game and winning certain things. Along with the badge we'd give them a library bookmark promoting our hours and library events.
One other thing libraries have to do: Remind people playing the game to stay safe. There is a risk to playing GO because of the requirement to play in the real world. It involves walking outdoors, near major traffic areas sometimes or in public parks with dangers involving remote spots or late-night activities. There are a lot of serious safety concerns. We've got to make sure people in our libraries - in our communities - stay safe as best as possible.
Meanwhile, the biggest problem: Keeping up with Pokeballs. It's gonna take a lot of balls to play Pokemon GO.
Based on the popular Pokemon trading/training/battle game, Pokemon GO is an update of the original game from the early 1990s. This time, the game's draw is that it can be played in a real-world environs. GO overlaps onto existing map locations (called "augmented reality") and places the cartoon battle animals - currently the original 150 creatures - into these locations for people to "catch" them for powering up, evolving, and fighting other players' Pokemon.
Meanwhile, real-world public areas - parks, churches, malls, libraries - are set up to serve as either PokeStops - places for players to resupply themselves with needed gear - or Gyms - places for players to battle their Pokemon to control that Gym as a Trainer.
This means that people playing the game HAVE to go to these real-world locales to do what they do to level up and win.
And I mentioned libraries.
 |
| POKESTOP |
The library where I work is a PokeStop: that is, we can be a place for players to recharge (there are two Gyms nearby). PokeStops can also have Lures running in half-hour intervals that summon Pokemon into range for capture, which means every so often players - kids, teens AND adults (those who played in the 1990s with nostalgia and whimsy) - will gather at our library primarily to restock and reload.
This all came as a sudden shock: although news about GO had been out for a year or more, nobody really understood the real-world applications of this game until it got the huge response from millions of players suddenly swarming about in places that didn't realize they were PokeStops/Gyms.
The question is, how can libraries benefit from this real-world development?
There's a couple of resources librarians can read up on to gain understanding of Pokemon GO, and also get tips on how to market/outreach to the kids/adults/families coming in to snare themselves a PsyDuck. School Library Journal has a link, ALA has a blog page on their Library Services to Children site, and the Public Library Association is diving into the mania while the going's good.
The best suggestions are to advertise locally - and early and often - that the library is a game location. I've been doing that with City of Bartow Library's Facebook page, and am looking to create a few more online tags for people to hear the news. Creating signs and banners is an easy step to take. One idea would be to host events: As a PokeStop, I can plan ahead and announce a Lure running on a specific day and time to draw in those who'll want to benefit from an increase in Pokemon to capture (a test run showed me the Lure draws in about TRIPLE the amount of Pokemon, sweet).
A wonderful suggestion by a library group promoting GO: using a 3D printer if you got one (WE DO) and creating Pokemon badges (WE COULD) that kids can pick up if they show that they're on the game and winning certain things. Along with the badge we'd give them a library bookmark promoting our hours and library events.
One other thing libraries have to do: Remind people playing the game to stay safe. There is a risk to playing GO because of the requirement to play in the real world. It involves walking outdoors, near major traffic areas sometimes or in public parks with dangers involving remote spots or late-night activities. There are a lot of serious safety concerns. We've got to make sure people in our libraries - in our communities - stay safe as best as possible.
Meanwhile, the biggest problem: Keeping up with Pokeballs. It's gonna take a lot of balls to play Pokemon GO.
Saturday, July 2, 2016
NEW Book Published - Surviving the Age of Obstruction
I may have mentioned from time to time that I had purchased a publication deal with Xlibris a few years ago. Well, ten eleven years ago, actually.
Long story short, I decided to just get the contract done with, take a sampling of essays/articles I write on my political blog You Might Notice a Trend, and put it into book form. It's doable: many a newspaper or media columnist collect their works in such a way - Molly Ivins for example - to have available as a collection. Sort of like a Greatest Hits album.
So, I went and put my political rants into something I can show to my friends and enemies. Surviving the Age of Obstruction: Notes on the Obama years.
It's a look back at eight years of political madness, a pro-Obama, anti-Republican work that delves into my apostasy and my observations on how Obama - and the nation - endured it all.
I submitted the final proofing two weeks ago. The book has been available on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble's websites since last week. I just got a copy from the publisher this weekend.
There is something incredibly satisfying about holding a physical copy of your book. A tangible sensation of completion, of getting past a finish line. It's different than publishing an ebook, as there's a lack of a trophy of sorts - the printed book - to make that completion feel real.
Just to note, the process from submitting the rough draft to completed physical copy has sped up the last time I did this. Last of the Grapefruit Wars - my short story collection - took a few weeks to go through the editing and proofing process, and then took another two months for print availability (the point of Print-on-Demand is that the book is saved on file and physically printed on an order-by-order basis).
I know some of the people reading this blog may not know about my political ranting blog, but you can check that out, I have the link available above and over on the right menu lists.
Now all I need to do is ask about oh 500,000 people to buy my book. That shouldn't be too hard...
Long story short, I decided to just get the contract done with, take a sampling of essays/articles I write on my political blog You Might Notice a Trend, and put it into book form. It's doable: many a newspaper or media columnist collect their works in such a way - Molly Ivins for example - to have available as a collection. Sort of like a Greatest Hits album.
So, I went and put my political rants into something I can show to my friends and enemies. Surviving the Age of Obstruction: Notes on the Obama years.
It's a look back at eight years of political madness, a pro-Obama, anti-Republican work that delves into my apostasy and my observations on how Obama - and the nation - endured it all.
I submitted the final proofing two weeks ago. The book has been available on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble's websites since last week. I just got a copy from the publisher this weekend.
There is something incredibly satisfying about holding a physical copy of your book. A tangible sensation of completion, of getting past a finish line. It's different than publishing an ebook, as there's a lack of a trophy of sorts - the printed book - to make that completion feel real.
Just to note, the process from submitting the rough draft to completed physical copy has sped up the last time I did this. Last of the Grapefruit Wars - my short story collection - took a few weeks to go through the editing and proofing process, and then took another two months for print availability (the point of Print-on-Demand is that the book is saved on file and physically printed on an order-by-order basis).
I know some of the people reading this blog may not know about my political ranting blog, but you can check that out, I have the link available above and over on the right menu lists.
Now all I need to do is ask about oh 500,000 people to buy my book. That shouldn't be too hard...
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Camp NaNoWriMo July 2016
So, while I've got a bunch of projects floating out there, MIGHT AS WELL START ONE MORE!
ow, stop hitting me! Just go visit http://www.campnanowrimo.org and find out what I'm shilling!
Actually, I'm going to be using this upcoming July Camp NaNo to re-start that Ocean Dancers plot idea I had two years ago and take it into a different direction. I like the idea, and I wanna mess with it, but I've looked at how I've painted myself into a corner (again) on the first run and I'm thinking I need to try an alternate path.
So, now. It's going to be How to Invade Earth And Get Away With It.
I worry the book title's already been done, although WorldCat is telling me I'm in the clear on this.
If anyone in Central Florida area wants in on the Camp NaNo Cabin I'm in, leave a comment here or contact me at the CampNaNo site (under the name of "Witty").
ow, stop hitting me! Just go visit http://www.campnanowrimo.org and find out what I'm shilling!
Actually, I'm going to be using this upcoming July Camp NaNo to re-start that Ocean Dancers plot idea I had two years ago and take it into a different direction. I like the idea, and I wanna mess with it, but I've looked at how I've painted myself into a corner (again) on the first run and I'm thinking I need to try an alternate path.
So, now. It's going to be How to Invade Earth And Get Away With It.
 |
| this won't be the final cover, this is just a placeholder/ motivator to get er done. |
I worry the book title's already been done, although WorldCat is telling me I'm in the clear on this.
If anyone in Central Florida area wants in on the Camp NaNo Cabin I'm in, leave a comment here or contact me at the CampNaNo site (under the name of "Witty").
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Indie eBook Award Via Library Journal
Just to be fair aboot it, I want to let everyone else who's self-publishing their eBooks to know that Library Journal - as part of the American Library Association - is hosting an Indie eBook Award for 2016.
The rules are simple. Two eBooks enter, one eBook leaves.
So you have until July 31st to get your eBook copyright-protected, perform a summer solstice pagan ritual (gotta get that done by June 21, you heathens), and submit at least one of your eBooks.
I will. I'm tempted to submit two: Body Armor Blues and A Serious Tank on a Clockwork World. I'm more curious to see what the response will be like rather than considering I'll win anything. What makes it worthwhile is even the honorable mentions will get a review published of their works, which means a lot of public and college libraries will see those reviews in Library Journal (and libraries are good markets for books AND eBooks)...
Such is life, c'est la vie.
The rules are simple. Two eBooks enter, one eBook leaves.
Okay, actually, it's this:
The competition is open to all English-language self-published ebooks for which the author is the copyright holder of the Work, and holds the rights to digital distribution. Entries will be evaluated on content, writing quality, and overall quality of production and appearance. There are no restrictions on date of publication. (Library Journal may demand proof of eligibility of semifinalists.) Review our full terms & conditions before submitting your entries.
Library Journal (“LJ”) honors the best self-published ebooks in the following genres: Romance, Mystery, Science Fiction, Fantasy and Young Adult.
ATTENTION: If your book in not in one of these genres, you can still submit to SELF-e using our standard submission form.
Judging committees will be comprised of Library Journal editors and public library collection development & acquisition librarians, who are responsible for selecting content suitable for their libraries. Some winners of the 2015 contest will also be participating as judges. They will select one winner and designate two honorable mentions in each category. We are accepting contest submissions through July 31, 2016.
Each genre prize Winner shall receive $1,000.00. All winners and honorable mentions shall also receive:
- A full LJ review, in print and online
- A promotional ad in LJ’s December “Best of Books” issue, displaying all award winners honor books
- Recognition at LJ Self-Published Ebook Awards reception at the 2017 American Library Association Midwinter Meeting in Atlanta
So you have until July 31st to get your eBook copyright-protected, perform a summer solstice pagan ritual (gotta get that done by June 21, you heathens), and submit at least one of your eBooks.
I will. I'm tempted to submit two: Body Armor Blues and A Serious Tank on a Clockwork World. I'm more curious to see what the response will be like rather than considering I'll win anything. What makes it worthwhile is even the honorable mentions will get a review published of their works, which means a lot of public and college libraries will see those reviews in Library Journal (and libraries are good markets for books AND eBooks)...
Such is life, c'est la vie.
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