Tag Archives: internet

Mixed Bag w/a Snippet

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I’m feeling all free form today. I’ve got a lot of shit to do. Although I am ever grateful that I’ve gotten a lot of shit done. I seem to write and be productive in cycles. Whatever. i was going to do my usual snippet today seeing as it’s Saturday. But I thought I do a few different things today. So in no particular order…

1. Scrivener is working out well so far. I’ve got no cause for complaints. I think the more I get into it, the more I’ll like it.

2. Began writing the first full length book in Steel and Stilettos. It’s been kinda cool working on two different interweaving storylines. It should be fun. And it looks like I will meet my end of the year deadline for getting my writing goals finished.

3. Edits. The bane of my existence. I would rather poke my own eye out than edit. Some people are naturally handy at this skill. I am not one of them. It is excruciatingly painful for me. So of course, I am currently editing Hat Trick and still awaiting edits on Driven and Homecoming. I do not like the current edit to writing ratio. 3-1 the other way would be okay, but this way… not so much.

4. Here is a small snippet from something I am currently working on. Don’t tell anybody. Shh… keep it between us.

They both looked up, their faces only separated by inches. She couldn’t resist. Not anymore. She closed the distance between them slowly. Giving him time to move if this wasn’t what he wanted.

He didn’t move.

She licked his lower lip then took it between her teeth, gently sucking it into her mouth. He tasted divine. She could feel his breath as he exhaled softly. She licked along the seam of his mouth, asking to be allowed entrance. He opened slightly.

She could have moved her tongue in fast and hard. It was what she wanted to do. She was greedy for a more complete taste of him. But she held herself back and went gently, moving slowly in. Sipping when she wanted to gulp.

 

5. I got a new chest of drawers. And now I must rearrange my clothes. It’s a task. I’ve been assigned it. There isn’t any escape.

6. Two more blog hops planned before the end of the year. One for Halloween to support my Wanton Witches Collection story, FarSeen. The other to bump up Home Run as well as hype the next book in that series, Hat Trick.

7. Did I mention, TEB contracted Night Blind? It’s being released next year. There is a lot of excitement going on over there. It should be a fun ride. We’ll see. They are looking at two more books in that universe. Got my fingers crossed.

8. Geez, I didn’t know I had so much crap all jumbled together to make up a writing life. Who knew? If I remember more crap, I will edit it in.

 

Music Monday 10/7/13

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Thought I’d do a throwback day with some disco. Fall is my favorite season, the weather makes me wanna dance. But not as much as disco makes me want to dance. So in honor of disco, I am doing a BeeGees tribute.

You know, I don’t think disco gets enough credit. It’s often overlooked. But I think it’s an important bridge from then to now.

First up is Grease. Need I say more?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxEtwtib7MM

Next up is Stayin Alive. See, the second iconic disco movie after Grease is Saturday Night Fever. Seriously.

And last is Jive Talking. It’s not least. There are a ton more I wanted to include, but I only have so much room, ya know? Normally three is that limit. So this ultimately cool song is the third to be featured.

Random Thoughts- Author Comment on Reviews

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So much talk about this subject. So many words flying around the internet and swirling around the inside of people’s minds. Jesus, you’d think this was something serious and shit.

Look authors write. Readers read and, sometimes, review. That’s just the way it is. People get butt hurt about a lot of things. So is it any wonder that authors get butt hurt about less than stellar reviews? No. Is it any wonder that readers get butt hurt about being called to the carpet over their less than stellar reviews? No. It is what it is.

The debate flying around is whether authors should reply to reviews- at all. Some take this even further and say authors shouldn’t even look at reviews. La-di-fucking-da.  Are you frickin’ kidding me? Really? This is akin to telling teens to just say no -or- to wait until marriage to have sex. Not. Fucking. Gonna. Happen. EVER. If you are of the opinion that it could/should/would… I have some swamp land in Alaska to sell you. No, no, I really do.

Now, keep in mind that the internet is full of rude, obnoxious people who are able to hide their identity. So… starting from the premise that not only are there assholes in the world, but there are relatively anonymous assholes that inhabit this world and you begin to see the dilemma before us. Being faceless on the web seems to give people the courage and/or stupidity they would not have or exercise otherwise. Because these people allow an endless amount of drivel and shit to spew from their fingertips.

Look, just because we can’t see each other–can’t see the hurt on the faces of people as we cause pain with our words– doesn’t mean the normal rules of polite discourse should be ignored. It shouldn’t. Childish rhymes notwithstanding, words can hurt and wound. Plus, you never know, the person you are directing your vitriolic garbage to might be unhinged and hunt you down like Predator did Alien.

That’s not to say that honesty shouldn’t be part of the internet opinion exchange. It should. If you think a book sucked. Say so. If it was great. Say so. Just don’t say it like a dick. And maybe focus on the book or the cover or that the moons didn’t align, and not the author. And if a reviewer is being dick and not focusing on the book or dim chakras or the use/non-use of a word, then I actually think it’s okay to call that reviewer out. But don’t be a dick back. A few non-dickish words to point out the focus of the the review wasn’t the book under review might be appropriate, or a hey sorry you didn’t like the book. Again, emphasis on not being a dick. By authors, readers or reviewers.  On the other hand, sometimes, it just spools up the dickish behavior even more. It’s a judgment call. On the part of the people involved in the book and the review. The rest of us can have an opinion on what’s happening, but really we should stay out of the fray and just watch the train wreck as it happens. Rubbernecking is a spectator sport, not a participant activity. Plus, when the spectators jump in, well, we become the de facto dicks. Don’t be a dick.

It should be the guiding principle on both sides of this debate- DON’T BE A DICK. And if you can’t figure out who the dickish asshole is in the melee… well, it’s probably you.

 

Websites for Writers

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So every once in a while I’ve been throwing out some websites for the writerly type. Whether your goal is to write that one book to meet some bucket list type idea or you want to be a career writer, checking out other writers’ sites isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it is a brilliant thing.

One of the best sites is Kristine Kathryn Rusch‘s webpage. I discovered Rusch as a newb reader back in the day when I devoured sci-fi/fantasy books by the dozen. I LOVE her works. Her ability to create worlds rich in three dimensional characters is amazing. Her books are some of the few I have carted from place to place as I move. Even when I have thrown out/given away/traded  other works to make room and save poundage. However, I didn’t figure out how great she truly is until I began reading her blog. See, she CAN get multi-book deals and have the corner office agent. But she chooses not to. And she tells you why. And then she tells you how to get multi book deals or self-pub for maximum benefit ON YOUR OWN, just like she does now. That’s right, she fired her agent and cuts her own deals and pubs her own books. All the while giving pointers to the rest of us. Even if you don’t like her genre and have been reluctant to pick up her books, go read her blog. You’ll be glad you did. Information and education is THE most important tool in a writer’s toolbox. Seriously.

Along the vein of trying to help out, Brian Grove has compiled a list of over 100 publishers in various genres accepting submissions. It’s a good place to start compiling YOUR list of who you want to sub to, with or without an agent. Not that your agent won’t know about some of these houses, they probably will. But on the off chance they don’t, it’s a good thing for you to know so that if you start running out of houses, you can gently suggest one off this list. The list is invaluable, however, if you are subbing works yourself. Start here as the base for a subbing list. You won’t be sorry.

Last but not least, go read the Pub(lishing) Crawl. It is a blog written by publishers, writers and other in the industry. There is some insider info, some announcements and some good writerly advice from people who live, eat and breathe books and writing and publishing. Insightful. Funny. Sometimes, brilliant. It gives a voice to the thoughts of some industry professional from whom us peons would never get to hear. The list of contributors is a virtual who’s who in publishing.

Websites for Self- Publishers

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There are lot of choices in publishing today. The landscape is changing. One of the myriad of options is self-publishing your work. But don’t cut corners. Can’t stress this enough. If you self-publish, please hire an editor to edit your work. There is nothing worse than reading a good story and tripping over misspelled words and improper syntax. Just because you are doing it yourself doesn’t mean that you should do it sloppy. Like my dad always said, if you’re gonna do something, do it right the first time. Hire an editor. You’ll be glad you did. But more importantly, your readers will be glad you did.

Here is a list of several editors that you can hire to edit your work. The cost varies depending on the level of editing you wish to contract. Fade into Fantasy is editing services by Teresa, an Entangled editor. Between the Line Edits has three editors of varying levels of experience. Alphabet Editing is owned by Sarah Frantz, a Riptide editor. There are many more good editors out there. Search for them. Ask for references. Ask which other books they’ve edited. Ask your questions before you  hire them. Going the independent route necessarily costs more upfront. However, there is no reason that the cost outlay should be worthless. Due diligence on your part should help ferret out the worthless editors. Cause there’s nothing worse than spending good money on shitty service.

Lillie’s Literary Services offers proofreading services. Which is slightly different than editing services and the cost level is different as well. Erin Lark Designs offers stock and custom book cover designs to help round out the professional look and feel of your book. Take the time to search out a variety of different service to make your book the best it can be. Seriously. Google is your friend. Word of mouth is your friend.

Writerly Web Sites

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So the last time, I focused on sites that helped with the craft of writing, namely editing. Today, I am going to give you a few sites to help with some other things.

First up is David P. Vandagriff‘s Contract Counsel page. He also writes the Passive Voice blog and tweets as Passive guy. Passive guy has breaking news on the business and legal aspects of the writerly life. Both pages that he maintains has a wealth of information about the business of writing. Because, like me, I am assuming that writing is not something being done for the fun of it or as a when I think about it kind of hobby. But rather, because writing AND making some money is the goal. So while I know that it might be more pleasant to focus on the art aspect of writing, don’t do that at the expense of the business of writing. Stay abreast of current happenings. You’ll be glad you did. Plus, if you are unagented and get a big 6 5 publishing contract, he has rates for having a professional look it over for you. Always a good thing.

Next up is Stephie Smith‘s contest chart. Yes, that’s right- contests. At some point, you will need or want or be encouraged to enter your writing in a contest to pitch it in battle against other writerly types. Seriously. Even if you don’t like competition, writing as a business is ALL about competing. When you submit to an agent, you are competing. When an agent or you submits to a publisher, you are competing. When your books get released into the world wide marketplace, you are competing. So take this shit seriously. And along the way, enter a few contests. Not only does this help develop you as a writer- it really does, it also gets your writing much needed exposure. Maybe a few of the judges in the competition see your work. Never hurts. Especially if you are unagented and the judge is from a house that only accepts agented work. This gets your writing which would have never crossed their desk in front of them. And if you win? Sheesh, accolades are never a bad thing.

Last but not least, boys and girls, are writer conferences, retreats and workshops. Stacey O’Neale has a list on her site. It is by no means a comprehensive list. Locus has a conference list and there are several other sites that list lots of these go and learn some crap events. Going to these events serves several purposes. First, there is the networking aspect. You get to meet a lot of people you normally wouldn’t have ever met if you’d stayed in your writing bat cave. Second, you might actually learn some new shit about writing. No one knows everything about how to be a great writer. No one. You can always learn something whether it is an advanced class or a beginners class. Even if you think you already do it correctly, go take an entry level class to reaffirm you are the shit. Or it might show you a new way of doing old shit. And last, writing is about what’s happening IN THE WORLD. Get out from behind your computer and/or desk and go experience some shit so you can incorporate that shit into some new writing. Seriously.

Plagiarism

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So there was a big brouhaha this past weekend when Lorelei James found out that @AlisonGilmore had ripped off her entire book and put it up as her fanfic and then to a blog. AlisonGilmore claimed she was writing the book chapter by chapter. She wasn’t. She was and is a thief of the highest order. She ripped off someone else’s work and claimed it as her own. There was a huge internet smack down. HUGE. Like by several people all getting into the act and it brought her blog pages down and she ended up shutting off her twitter account. She now has a new twitter account and has made it private. Only the internet isn’t “private.” Not at all. The internet is very public and is forever.

Limecello posted a blog about the internet takedown.  As did Rilzy on her blog. They both have several pictures of the images capturing the twitter logs and the blog and the subsequent takedown. They have a, forever on the internet for all time and for anyone to see and read,  blog entry about the blatant plagiarism AlisonGilmore engaged in when she ripped off Lorelei’s book. The book was ALL JACKED UP.

Plagiarist aren’t new. They are the necessary evil when you are an award winning author. Only the internet makes it so much easier to find them and ferret them out. Like ridiculously easy. Almost as easy as it makes for someone to do the ripping off. So the internet is both a sword and a shield. It cuts and protects all at the same time.

What it can’t do is make stupid people smarter. Or people who can’t write, write. And that’s what it boils down to. Plagiarist are inherently lazy, stupid and weak. No talent is involved when you steal someone’s ideas and storylines. Word for frickin’ word.

AlisonGilmore sent a tweet that said in effect- writing romance, erotic romance and erotica is for talentless dweebs. I won’t go into why writing GOOD smex is hard- almost as hard as writing comedy. But what I will go into is my response to AlisonGilmore’s talentless dweeb comments. My tweet is below. I bolded what I wrote in response to her tweet. What I wrote is true. And it was a kick-ass response to her assertions.

 

D.R. Slaten ‏@DRSlaten 14 Jun

Plagiarism is for people who can’t think. @laurahunsaker @megantgrimm @loreleijames smut is for people who can’t write.

Random Thoughts Part 6

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Why is it when you have guests in your home, your home doesn’t feel like your home anymore? It feels like you are the one on vacation and you’re in a strange location. Don’t get me wrong, I like having guests. It brings out the whole hostess in me thing. But the invasion of my home feels odd. It really feels like I am in another location if the people in my house are staying longer than an evening. Weird, right? Even weirder is that I WANT them to come and visit. But then I want them to LEAVE. It is a serious issue. A condition for which I have no cure. Damn it. I am a walking contradiction. lol

I don’t like the whole hurry up and wait thing we have going on in various parts of our lives. We speed on the roads only to have to come to an abrupt stop for traffic or lights or something. We hurry up to get to an arena for viewing- concerts, lectures, shows, etc., only to have to wait until it comes on. And then it is usually late. But we hurried to get there. Hurried to get seats. And in some cases, hurried to buy the damn tickets in the first place. We hurry to doctor’s appointments, dentist’s appointments, hair appointments, only to have to wait. Some of it is on us. We want to be first, on time, whatever. But some of it is just shitty traffic engineering. Bad light timing. Or shitty venue timing. Or just plain shitty doctors, dentists, hairdressers, etc. And don’t get me started on the hurry up and wait that goes on in airports when- god forbid, you have to fly somewhere. Jaysus.

When did it become okay to be misogynistic tools? Has the anonymity of the internet made the haters hate harder? I don’t think so. It as just allowed the cowardly bastard to express their hate using a wall to hide behind. Cowardly fucktards. Dude, if you are so sure of what you’re saying, so proud of who you are- BE YOU. Without hiding. Without shame. Without the sad stupid ass barrier of anonymity that internet use affords you. Because it also affords you the CHOICE of being all in by being ALL THE WAY OUT. Anything less is the pussification of your views and viewpoints. Stop being juvenile. If you can’t say it with your identity known by all and asundry, then you don’t have worthwhile viewpoints. At ALL. And just so we are clear, even if you do come out in the open with your vitriolic hate messages- against women, minorities, the moon in retrograde, it doesn’t mean you are any less of a fucktard. It just means you aren’t a hide behind the anonymity of the internet kinda of fucktard. Unfortunately, for you, your fucktardness isn’t something you change. Like losing weight, getting hair plugs, going under the knife to change your visage. No, your fucktardness is way past skin deep all the way into the marrow of your bones. For you, you will languish in the land of fucktardary until you draw your last breath. Yes, you asshat who belongs to the sfwa… this message is specifically about you and generally about all asshats.

Stop using your social media to turn yourself into spammers. You could be interesting. You could have sparking conversation, witty dialogue and kick ass discourse. I will never know because I unfollowed your ass, blocked your access and created a spam filter just for you. Cause that shit is just annoying. Seriously. STOP THAT SHIT. A shout out occasionally to promo your shit is cool. I get that. I do that. But if every tweet, every FB comment, every email is about your product- no matter what that product is, then you ARE A SPAMMER. A hated, reviled member of our electronic interaction community. You have just made yourself the red-headed stepchild.

That is all.

 

Cool Places on the Interwebz

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When I first wake up on a Saturday morning, I have the house to myself. It is bliss. Quiet, peaceful and devoid of distractions. It’s almost like a scene out of a movie. You know, where the film makers pan to the breaking dawn, glorious waves or something else that symbolizes how wonderful a quiet, beautiful day can start.

Then, the rest of my household awakens and chaos reigns for the rest of the day. Taking my zen with it.

So, instead of trying to get words on a page, I cruise the internet. I have some go to sites.

Steep and Cheap and Woot are the first places I look. Hey, I like to shop and I like bargains. What can I say?

Then I check out writer websites. First up is the Grinder to check dates on the manuscripts I’ve submitted. Savvy Author is next to see if there are any interesting announcements, upcoming pitch contests and seminars that sound good. I keep a window to Absolute Write Water Cooler open pretty much all day. It’s an awesome community of peeps who write, edit and publish.

I also have other areas of the internet that interest me. Like Mark’s Daily Apple. It’s a primal living site and Mark talks about all things primal. From clothes to food to exercises. It’s cool and informative. Another gem, a jewel really, is Dr. Davis’s website and blog called Track your Plaque. If you or someone you love is serious about heart health, or needs more information on how to reverse, or at least stop the progression of heart disease, Dr. Davis’s blog is a must see. MUST. SEE.

At some in the future, I will list more blogs, sites and interesting places to visit on the interwebz. But for now, this is it. Enjoy.

Shut the Fuck Up

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So I was on twitter the other day, yeah, I was on twitter. So sue me. And a published author is ragging on self-pubbed authors that can’t afford to get professional editing before self-pubbing. The thought was that the self-pubbed author shouldn’t publish if she can’t afford an editor. To which I say, Shut the Fuck Up. You bigoted bigotty bitch.

See, not everyone has an agent. And not everyone has a publisher. And not everyone has money. But those very same people have good story ideas. Which do I want more? A good story with some shitty editing or a shitty story pumped out by flashy editors and publishers? Take a wild guess. Good stories win every goddamn time. Can’t tell you how many books suck big fat donkey dicks coming out of the Big 5 publishing houses all polished up and pretty. No amount of spit shine can put a good spin on a shitty story. A old boring-assed safe story.

Don’t think that I think all stories coming from the Big 5 are shitty. They are not. But neither are all stories coming from self-pubbed authors all shitty. They don’t have the money or the connections to get their first stories edited. Maybe if they make something on their self-pubbed work, they’ll be able to afford an editor. My fingers are crossed. Cause some of the worst edited works I have read in the last year come from self-pubbed authors with good stories and shitty connections. And some of the shittiest stories I have read in the last year come from well-connected highly edited authors with money.

But the elitest asshole, who said the shitty edited self-pubbed authors should take their stories and go home, needs to sit down and shut the fuck up. We don’t tell bands not to cut shitty demo records cause they can’t afford better equipment or a decent recording studio. We make allowances for them. We don’t tell artists they should work in expensive mediums cause otherwise their art isn’t good enough. We make allowances for them. Why is it so hard to understand that a writer, just starting out, self-pubbing their work, might not be able to afford all the bells and whistles that a more connected writer can? Where is the allowance for them?

So that’s my rant. It’s hard enough to put yourself and your work out there for public consumption. But when we get assholes who talk about you to your face or behind your back, well, something is not right in Whoville, yeah? And it makes it hard for an insecure artist, musician, writer to want to put themselves out there. Our world is poorer place for it. Way poorer.