tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72976281720316775292024-03-13T22:47:57.452-05:00Weirding OutFollow Your Weird.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger182125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-77698670152373686382012-10-07T17:38:00.001-05:002012-10-07T17:38:50.436-05:00Blog MusingsThis blog will be on hiatus this month as I consider how best to manage it and what it will be about. It needs to be reinvented. As you can tell, I've had many ideas, but few of those have I stuck with. I need to decide what this blog is about, and that will take time, especially as I take on other tasks during this last quarter of the year. So, please bear with me while I do some blog musing.<br />
<br />
Thanks,<br />
JodiUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-51815287583127796632012-09-27T07:45:00.000-05:002012-09-27T07:48:07.700-05:00Creativity and the Circadian RhythmAre you a night owl or a morning person? If you are a night person, you may want to try coming up with new fiction ideas and solving old ones in the morning. If you are a day person, the best time is in the afternoon. This data comes from Mareike Wieth and Rose Zacks as found in the article <a href="http://whywereason.com/2012/02/10/to-speed-up-the-creative-process-slow-down/">"To Speed Up The Creative Process, Slow Down"</a> by Sam McNerney. According to the research, it turns out you are better at creative thinking at non-peak times.<br />
<br />
I found this information through a long and tangled path whose trail head began with Sue Shellenbarger's article <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-peak-time-for-everything.html">"The Peak Time for Everything"</a> and ended with Sam McNerny's. But it was intriguing enough to make me wonder how true this is and which person I am. I feel that I am a natural night owl, but because of my career, I have been forced into a day-time rhythm. As for as creative ideas go, I generally record date and time for many writing-related things, but not always. I'll report back in if I have enough data to figure out how true any of this is for me.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Cite:</i> McNerney, Sam. <a href="http://whywereason.com/2012/02/10/to-speed-up-the-creative-process-slow-down/">"To Speed Up the Creative Process, Slow Down."</a> <i>Why We Reason.</i> N.p., 10 Feb. 2012. Web. 27 Sept. 2012.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-39838312963123811882012-09-26T10:47:00.001-05:002012-09-26T10:47:21.299-05:00Getting to Know Your Blog Neighbors: Two Regency Blog Posts<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/475122996/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Swallowtail by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="Swallowtail" height="79" src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/179/475122996_fdc16ed543_t.jpg" width="100" /></a> I've never been a social butterfly, but as the Internet cuts out the scary face-to-face aspect of socializing, I have no excuse to be a Net recluse. So I decided to launch a campaign to spread my wings a little by reading, commenting, and linking to some blog posts. I'm starting with my Regency blog neighbors. Two of them.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li> <b>Author:</b> <a href="http://www.regencyhistory.net/p/about-author-rachel-%20%20knowles.html">Rachel Knowles</a>. <b>Blog:</b> <a href="http://www.regencyhistory.net/">Regency History</a>. <b>Blog Post Read:</b> <a href="http://www.regencyhistory.net/2012/09/when-is-regency-era.html">When Is the Regency Era?</a> <b>Post Date: </b> September 25, 2012. <b>My Summary:</b> Useful information on the official and unofficial time span of the Regency.</li>
<li><b>Author: </b><a href="http://regencyredingote.wordpress.com/about/">Kathryn Kane</a>. <b>Blog: </b> <a href="http://regencyredingote.wordpress.com/">The Regency Redingote</a><b>. Blog Post Read:</b> <a href="http://regencyredingote.wordpress.com/2012/08/31/boy-to-man-the-breeching-ceremony/">Boy to Man: The Breeching Ceremony</a><b> Post Date: </b>August 31, 2012. <b>My Summary: </b>There's more to "breeching" than just putting the young Regency boy in a pair of pants.</li>
</ul>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-27857796200397871262012-09-25T08:19:00.001-05:002012-09-25T08:19:29.438-05:00New Paths, New BlogI haven't been writing fiction much lately because I have been working some things out. As my writing-related dreams go down different paths, so too must my blogs. I will be working on separating out my fiction from this blog. The new home is <a href="http://weirdingoutfiction.blogspot.com/">Weirding Out Fiction</a>. Once I get both blogs tweaked, I'll let you know my thoughts about my fiction and other things. For now, bear with me, please, as some things get moved about. Thanks!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-80591520627678302242012-09-24T07:00:00.000-05:002012-09-24T07:00:02.788-05:00More Book BuysI've been trying to keep better track of my books buys, so this is likely to become a regular feature. Anyway, I was busy Friday and Saturday. I got 50 books for $12.90--or an average of approximately $0.26 each. They are listed below.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<b>Date;Title;Author/Editor/Translator/Publisher;Genre;Place;Price
</b><br />
<ol>
<li>9/21/12; The Hidden Family; Charles Stross; Fiction-Novel-Fantasy; Library Sale; $0.10</li>
<li>9/21/12; The Sun Witch; Linda Winstead Jones; Fiction-Novel-Fantasy; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/21/12; Upon the Midnight Clear; Sherrilyn Kenyon; Fiction-Novel-Fantasy; Library Sale; $0.10</li>
<li>9/21/12; In the Company of the Courtesan; Sarah Durant; Fiction-Novel-History; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/21/12; Miranda's Mistake; Jenna Mindel; Fiction-Novel-History; Library Sale; $0.10</li>
<li>9/21/12; Sweet's Folly; Fiona Hill; Fiction-Novel-History; Library Sale; $0.10</li>
<li>9/21/12; The Nightingale's Song; Jo-Ann Power; Fiction-Novel-History; Library Sale; $0.10</li>
<li>9/21/12; The Protector; Carla Capshaw; Fiction-Novel-History; Library Sale; $0.10</li>
<li>9/21/12; The Silk Vendetta; Victoria Holt; Fiction-Novel-History; Library Sale; $0.10</li>
<li>9/21/12; The Witch of Cologne; Tobsha Learner; Fiction-Novel-History; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/21/12; The Smoke Thief; Shana Abe; Fiction-Novel-History/Fantasy; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/21/12; Artifact; Gregory Bendford; Fiction-Novel-Specfic; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/21/12; A Short History of English Literature; B. Ifor Evans; Nonfiction; Library Sale; $0.10</li>
<li>9/21/12; How to Grow Vegetables and Fruits by the Organic Method; J. I. Rodale and Staff; Nonfiction; Yardsale; $0.50</li>
<li>9/21/12; Knight One for the Kids; Sedgewood Press; Nonfiction; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/21/12; Spiritwalker; Hank Wesselman; Nonfiction; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/21/12; The Gift of Language; Margaret Schlauch; Nonfiction; Library Sale; $0.10</li>
<li>9/21/12; The Rodale Herb Book; William H. Hylton; Nonfiction; Yardsale; $0.50</li>
<li>9/21/12; Antique Roadshow Primer; Carol Prisant; Nonfiction-History; Yardsale; $0.50</li>
<li>9/21/12; World of Mythology and Legend - Vol I: A-L; Anthony S. Mercatante and James R. Dow; Nonfiction-History; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/21/12; World of Mythology and Legend - Vol II: M-Z; Anthony S. Mercatante and James R. Dow; Nonfiction-History; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; I Am the Cheese; Robert Cormier; Fiction-Novel; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; Let It All Bleed Out; Alfred Hitchcock; Fiction-Novel; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; Mary Poppins in the Park; P. L. Travers; Fiction-Novel; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; Mary Poppins Opens the Door; P. L. Travers; Fiction-Novel; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; Confessor; Terry Goodkind; Fiction-Novel-Fantasy; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; Dragonflight; Anne McCaffrey; Fiction-Novel-Fantasy; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger; Stephen King; Fiction-Novel-Fantasy; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; The Forest House; Marion Zimmer Bradley; Fiction-Novel-Fantasy; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; Blackmaddie; Jean Innes; Fiction-Novel-History; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; Forever in Your Embrace; Kathleene Woodiwiss; Fiction-Novel-History; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; The Devil Who Tamed Her; Johanna Lindsey; Fiction-Novel-History; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; Cut Your Bills in Half; Editors of Rodale Press; Nonfiction; Yardsale; $0.50</li>
<li>9/22/12; Elementary German - 2nd edition; Fred L. Fehling and Wolfgang Paulsen; Nonfiction; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; Going Within; Shirley MacLaine; Nonfiction; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; HealthWise Handbook: A Self-Care Manual for You and Your Family; Donald W. Kemper; Nonfiction; Yardsale; $0.50</li>
<li>9/22/12; Life's Little Handbook of Wisdom; Bruce and Cheryl Bickel AND Stan and Karin Jantz; Nonfiction; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; Oddball Ointments, Powerful Potions, & Fabulous Folk Remedies; Jean Karen Thomas; Nonfiction; Yardsale; $0.50</li>
<li>9/22/12; SuperFoods HealthStyle; Steven G. Pratt and Kathy Matthews; Nonfiction; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; Wise Guy; Nicholas Pileggi; Nonfiction; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; Wolves; Betty Polisar Reigot; Nonfiction; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; Words of Wisdom; Thomas C. Jones; Nonfiction; Yardsale; $0.50</li>
<li>9/22/12; Cure for the Common Life; Max Lucado; Nonfiction-Christian; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; Time to Get Serious; Tony Evans; Nonfiction-Christian; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; Bulfinch's Mythology: The Age of Mythology and Legends of Charlemagne; Guild America Books; Nonfiction-History; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; Past and Present; Meyer Reinhold; Nonfiction-History; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; The War Path; David Irving; Nonfiction-History; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; Plain English Handbook - 5th revised edition; J. Martyn Walsh and Anna Kathleen Walsh; Nonfiction-Writing; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; Simon & Schuster Handbook for Writers - 6th Ed; Lynn Quitman Troyka; Nonfiction-Writing; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
<li>9/22/12; The Writer's Craft; "McDougal; Little & Company"; Nonfiction-Writing; Yardsale; $0.25</li>
</ol>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-46558884769347007262012-09-21T07:00:00.000-05:002012-09-21T07:00:04.226-05:00History Tidbit: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Herschel?Turns out, the planet Uranus could have been . . . Herschel or Georgium Sidus. When I was first reading this in the article "On Astronomy: The Solar System Explained, &c.," I couldn't figure out what planet the magazine and the original source, Mrs. Bryan, meant. So I turned to Wikipedia article "William Herschel," and it had the answer. Sir Frederick William Herschel discovered Uranus. To curry favor with King George III, he named it the Georgian star. Later, the name became Herschel. Then, finally, Uranus.<br />
<br />
So I guess the mnemonic could have been very different: <i>My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Him . . . . </i><br />
Which would have tied nicely into the male-centric view espoused in this line: "In the center of the solar system is placed the sun, like the father of the family, surrounded by bodies dependent on his emanations, called planets . . . " (Bryan 88).<br />
<br />
But hey, I'm just surprised by the fact they have articles on astronomy in a lady's magazine anyway. Or that they think astronomy is "elegant and useful" knowledge for female readers (Bryan 88). Especially considering that the original lecture came from a woman no less! Huh, go figure.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Cites:</i></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bryan. "Lectures on Natural Philosophy: The Result of Many Years' Experience of the Facts Elucidated" [Excerpt]. Rpt. in "On Astronomy: The Solar System Explained, &c." <i>La Belle Assemblee</i> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">3 June 1807: 88-91. Google Book Edition.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">"William Herschel." <i>Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.</i> Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 12 Sept. 2012. </span></li>
</ul>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-56846714431416452672012-09-18T09:00:00.001-05:002012-09-18T09:00:59.825-05:00Writing Tidbit: Suspenseful Delight, Not TortureIn <i>The New York Times</i>, author Alex Stone explains the psychology behind <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/opinion/sunday/why-waiting-in-line-is-torture.html?_r=4&pagewanted=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1345551988-jsYjEq/S/P/IG2Qy/guRLw&pagewanted=print">why waiting is torture</a>. The article has some excellent points that I would like to highlight here and relate to writing. In particular, I want to relate to how writers open up a question but delay when they answer it. Sometimes the sense of suspense works, sometimes it doesn't. Perhaps this article gives some hints as to why.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />According to Stone's article:<br /><br /><ul>
<li>It is non-occupation that creates the strong psychological sense that one is waiting longer than they are. </li>
<li>Final moments are key; if one's wait ends with a positive emotion, one will look back on the wait in a more positive light. If negative, the reflection will be negative.</li>
<li>The perceived value of the end result affects how long one is willing to wait. The greater the value, the longer one's willingness.</li>
</ul>
<br />What does Stone's article mean for writers creating a sense of suspense? Well, the first thing to look at is what is happening between the question raised and the question answered. How well is the author occupying the reader's time? The better the intervening entertainment, the more likely the reader will perceive the wait time as minimal.<br /><br />Finally, writers must not only set up a great question, they need to deliver a great answer, and they need to maintain that pattern. This will hit two psychological points at once: the positive end note and the perception of great value. If the author cannot create both of these consistently, then perhaps he or she needs to use some other technique than suspense to hook readers' attention.<br /><br />So there it is, a few psychological tips to make suspense delight not torture the reader.<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><i>Cites:</i> Stone, Alex. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/opinion/sunday/why-waiting-in-line-is-torture.html?_r=4&pagewanted=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1345551988-jsYjEq/S/P/IG2Qy/guRLw&pagewanted=print">"Why Waiting Is Torture."</a> <i>New York Times</i>, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2012. Web. 18 Sept. 2012.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-21987188355671031862012-09-13T10:04:00.002-05:002012-09-13T10:04:53.981-05:00Got Books? Free Books Found!Tuesday, Mom ran across a person with a table full of free books. That's right, free books. It seems like she wasn't the only one who checked them out, for while she was there, someone came back for a second helping. But she managed to wrest these away:<br />
<br />
<b>Format: Title; author/editor/publisher; genre </b><br />
<ol>
<li>Are You Normal About Money; Bernice Kanner; Nonfiction</li>
<br />
<li>FUBAR; Sam Seder and Stephen Sherrill; Nonfiction</li>
<br />
<li>If Aristotle Ran General Motors; Tom Morris; Nonfiction</li>
<br />
<li>The Care of Fine Books; Jane Greenfield; Nonfiction</li>
<br />
<li>Your Soul's Compass; Joan Borysenko and Gordon Dveirin; Nonfiction</li>
<br />
<li>Sharing the Wealth: My Story; Alex Spanos; Nonfiction-Business</li>
<br />
<li>The Millionaire Next Door; Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko; Nonfiction-Business</li>
<br />
<li>Man of His Word; Promise Keepers (NIV); Nonfiction-Christian</li>
<br />
<li>The Social Fabric Vol 1: American Life from 1607 to 1877; Thomas L. Hartshorne and Robert A. Wheeler and John H. Cary and Julius Weinberg; Nonfiction-History</li>
<br />
<li>The Spiritual Awakeners; Keith J. Hardman; Nonfiction-History</li>
<br />
<li>Beginning Writer's Answer Book; Jane Friedman; Nonfiction-Writing</li>
</ol>
<br />
<br />
And now, they found a new home with me :-DUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-59244439212585127302012-09-13T07:00:00.000-05:002012-09-13T07:00:07.235-05:00Business Tidbit: Two to Five Percent Advertising<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599183870/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1599183870&linkCode=as2&tag=hubpages0645-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1599183870&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=hubpages0645-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hubpages0645-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1599183870" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
I've been looking into the process of starting up a business, and I came across an interesting fact about advertising. <i>Start Your Own Business</i> suggests devoting "2 to 5 percent of anticipated gross sales" to advertising (Lesonsky and Entrepreneur Media 493). And this is annually. <br />
<br />
This might be a good guideline for indie/self-publishers who spend money on advertising. Actually, it is probably is helpful for any writer with a book out. I suppose if you use free versions of advertising, figuring out the equivalent value would work too. Two to five percent. That's Entrepreneur Media's guideline.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Cite</i>: Lesonsky, Rieva, and Entrepreneur Media. <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004SNPSU2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004SNPSU2&linkCode=as2&tag=hubpages0645-20">Start your Own Business: The Only Start-Up Book You'll Ever Need</a>.</i> 3rd ed. Entrepreneur Press, 2004. Print.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-14253648076415712402012-09-12T08:04:00.000-05:002012-09-12T10:52:14.358-05:00History Tidbit: Regency Era Tooth WhitenerCrest White Strips? Why not try Prince's Cherry Paste. Apparently, Regency era people wanted white teeth, too. According to an advertisement in <i>La Belle Assemblee</i>, besides cleansing and preserving teeth, Prince's Cherry Paste whitened them (47). I guess no matter the era or diet, a person had difficulties keeping teeth nice and bright and white.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Cite</i>: Prince's Cherry Paste. Advertisement. <i>La Belle Assemblee</i> 3 June 1807: 47 [Bell's Monthly Compendium of Advertisements for July, 1807 Section]. Google Book Edition. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-17904003997431071122012-09-01T21:02:00.000-05:002012-09-13T10:05:16.120-05:0061 Mile Yardsale Goal: 100 Books for Less than $100Well, I've been inactive thanks to a three-day yardsale called <a href="http://www.61yardsale.com/">The 61 Mile Yardsale</a>. This started Thursday and ended today, Saturday, Sept. 1, and it runs along Missouri Highway 61. I bought a lot of stuff, but the main thing I look for at yardsales is books. I set a goal to buy a 100 books for less than $100. I reached that goal, easily. I bought a 140 books at a grand total of $42.80. This averages out to about $0.31 each. Can't beat that! Anyway, there were more fiction books than nonfiction, about 79 compare to 54. And most of that fiction was historical, 69 of them.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Here is the actual list of books, broken down by <b>Title; Author/Editor/Translator/Publisher; Genre; Price </b>and organized by genre:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>The Programmed Classics: The Odyssey; Robert Fitzgerald; Poetry; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>The Programmed Classics: Selected Poems of Byron, Keats, and Shelley; Elliot Coleman; Poetry; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>The Programmed Classics: The Iliad; Richmond Lattimore; Poetry; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>The Programmed Classics: Divine Comedy; Dante Alighieri; Poetry; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>The Programmed Classics: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare #1; Clark/Wright; Play/Poetry; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>The Programmed Classics: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare #2; Clark/Wright; Play/Poetry; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>Writer Mamma; Christina Katz; Nonfiction-Writing; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>On Writing Well; William Zinsser; Nonfiction-Writing; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>Merriam Webster's Vocabulary Builder; Merriam Webster; Nonfiction-Writing; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Napolean; Felix Markham; Nonfiction-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Don't Know Much About History; Kenneth C. Davis; Nonfiction-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Chouteau; Rhoda Wooldridge; Nonfiction-History; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>A Love Affair with India; Martha Gansalus Chamberlain; Nonfiction-History; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>Elizabeth and Catherine; Robert Coughlan; Nonfiction-History; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>The Story of the Bahamas; Paul Albury; Nonfiction-History; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>A Field Guide to American Houses; Virginia and Lee McAlester; Nonfiction-History; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>Country Antiques and Collectibles; Carter Smith; Nonfiction-History; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>The Golden Book of America; Golden Book; Nonfiction-History; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>Is It Genuine; W. Crawley; Nonfiction-History; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>Historic Homes of America; James Tackach; Nonfiction-History; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>Thoreau: Walden and Other Writings; Joseph Wood Krutch; Nonfiction-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>A History of Missouri Volume II; Perry McCandless; Nonfiction-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>American Antiques; Norman Hudson; Nonfiction-History; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>The Programmed Classics: Essays and Journals; Ralph Waldo Emerson; Nonfiction-History; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>The Programmed Classics: Seven Pillars of Wisdom; T. E. Lawrence; Nonfiction-History; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>The Programmed Classics: Bulfinch's Mythology; Thomas Bulfinch; Nonfiction-History; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>The Programmed Classics: Travels of Marco Polo; Marsden/Wright; Nonfiction-History; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>The Programmed Classics: The Auto-Biography of Benjamin Franklin; Benjamin Franklin; Nonfiction-History; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>God's Word for Women; Barbour Pub.; Nonfiction-Christian; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>The Letter to the Romans; William Barclay; Nonfiction-Christian; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>Student New Testament; Tyndale Pub.; Nonfiction-Christian; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>30 Life Principles; Charles F. Stanley; Nonfiction-Christian; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>1 Corinthians; Navpress; Nonfiction-Christian; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>Prosperity and the Coming Apocalypse; Jim Bakker; Nonfiction-Christian; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>Better Together; Rick Warren; Nonfiction-Christian; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>ABC's of the Bible; Reader's Digest; Nonfiction-Christian; $0.10</li>
<br />
<li>Nuts!; Kevin Freiburg and Jackie Freiburg; Nonfiction-Business; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>Missouri Reader; Frank Luther Mott; Nonfiction/Fiction; $0.10</li>
<br />
<li>Speed Reading Made Easy; Nila Banton Smith; Nonfiction; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Using Plants for Healing; Nelson Coon; Nonfiction; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>Self-Hypnosis; Leslie M. Lecron; Nonfiction; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>You Just Don't Understand; Deborah Tannen; Nonfiction; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>Presidential Wives; Paul F. Boller Jr.; Nonfiction; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>Queen Anne's Lace Blooms Again; Mary Jane Hartman; Nonfiction; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>99 Ways to a Simple Lifestyle; Center for Science in the Public Interest; Nonfiction; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>Positive Imaging; Norman Vincent Peale; Nonfiction; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>Developing Psychic Abilities; Apryl J. Douglas; Nonfiction; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>Psychic Self-Defense and Well-Being; Melita Denning and Osborne Phillips; Nonfiction; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>Animal Miracles; Brad Steiger and Sherry Hansen Steiger; Nonfiction; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>Lessons for Life; Sylvia Browne; Nonfiction; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>Legends of Blood; Wayne Bartlett and Flavia Idiceanu; Nonfiction; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Back to Eden; Jethro Kloss; Nonfiction; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region; Elbert L. Little; Nonfiction; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>The Little Book of Medical Breakthroughs; Dr. Naomi Craft; Nonfiction; $0.05</li>
<br />
<li>As a Man Thinketh; James Allen; Nonfiction; $0.10</li>
<br />
<li>The Coming Aristocracy; Oliver DeMille; Nonfiction; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>And How Are We Feeling Today?; Kathryn Hammer; Nonfiction; $1.00</li>
<br />
<li>The Essence of Vedanta; Brian Hodgkinson; Nonfiction; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>American Swamps and Wetlands; William K. Smithey; Nonfiction; $0.10</li>
<br />
<li>Roughing It Easy; Dian Thomas; Nonfiction; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>The Life of Birds; Joel Carl Welty; Nonfiction; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>The Giver; Lois Lowry; Fiction-Novel-Specfic; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>The Probable Future; Alice Hoffman; Fiction-Novel-Specfic; $1.00</li>
<br />
<li>The Renegades of Pern; Anne McCaffrey; Fiction-Novel-Science Fiction; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Deathbringer; Bryan Smith; Fiction-Novel-Horror; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>The Stout-Hearted Seven; Neta Lohnes Frazier; Fiction-Novel-History; $1.00</li>
<br />
<li>Margaret's Story; Eugenia Price; Fiction-Novel-History; $1.00</li>
<br />
<li>Maria; Eugenia Price; Fiction-Novel-History; $1.00</li>
<br />
<li>Victoria and the Rogue; Meg Cabot; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>The Weaver's Daughter; Elizabeth Jeffrey; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>The Regency Trio; Clare Darcy; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>A Gathering of Days; Joan w. Blos; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>Warwyck's Woman; Rosalind Laker; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>Embers of Love; Tracie Peterson; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>The French Passion; Diane du Pont; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>Gwendolen; Clare Darcy; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>The Axe of Bronze; Kurt Schmeltzer; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>Three Complete Fiction-Novel-s:; Barbara Cartland; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>The Landower Legacy; Victoria Holt; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>"The Passion and the Flower; Love; Lords; and Lady-Birds"; Barbara Cartland; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>Adam Bede; George Eliot; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>The Pride of the Peacock; Victoria Holt; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>The Incorrigible Lady Catherine; Elena Greene; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>The Sea Eagles; John Jennings; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Lord of the Far Island; Victoria Holt; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Destiny's Women; Willo Davis Roberts; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Captured by the Mohawks; Sterling North; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>The Return of Sherlock Holmes; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>Temple's Prize; Linda Castle; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Young Hornblower; C. S. Forester; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>The Complete Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes; Arthur Conan Doyle; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>The Programmed Classics: Crime and Punishment; Ffyodor Dostoevsky; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>The Programmed Classics: War and Peace; Leo Tolstoy; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>The Programmed Classics: Last Days of Pompeii; Edward Bulwer Lytton; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>Red Bird; Stephanie Grace Whitson; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.10</li>
<br />
<li>Sooner or Later; Vickie McDonough; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Impetuous Innocent; Stephanie Laurens; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Thomasina; Marianne Willman; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.10</li>
<br />
<li>King's Man; Caryn Cameron; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.10</li>
<br />
<li>The Governess Wears Scarlet; Sari Robins; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>Proper Conduct; Shannon Donnelly; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>Cupid's Dart; Maggie MacKeever; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>The Rose and the Shield; Elaine Barbieri; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>The Love Knot; Rebecca Brandewyne; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>Much Obliged; Jessica Benson; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>The Finer Things; Brenda Joyce; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>For My Lady's Heart; Laura Kinsale; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Nevada Nights; Georgina Gentry; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>All I Desire; Rosemary Rogers; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.17</li>
<br />
<li>The Secret Duchess; Gayle Wilson; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.17</li>
<br />
<li>Angel in a Red Dress; Judith Ivory; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.17</li>
<br />
<li>Autumn Lover; Elizabeth Lowell; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.17</li>
<br />
<li>Skylark; Jo Beverley; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.17</li>
<br />
<li>Dream of Me AND Believe in Me; Josie Litton; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.17</li>
<br />
<li>Never Again; Jo-Ann Power; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.16</li>
<br />
<li>Kissed by Shadows; Jane Feather; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.16</li>
<br />
<li>A Season for Scandal; Stephanie Laurens; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.16</li>
<br />
<li>The Wedding Gamble; Julia Justiss; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Robber Bride; Deborah Simmons; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>The Marriage Knot; Mary McBride; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Taming the Lion; Suzanne Barclay; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Love, Forever More; Patricia Matthews; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>The Penniless Peer; Barbara Cartland; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>A Rose for Danger; Marguerite Bell; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Fool's Paradise; Tori Phillips; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Beauty and the Beast; Taylor Ryan; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Tempted; Laurel Ames; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Tea and Scandal; Joan Smith; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>The Unromantic Lady; Penelope Stratton; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>The Pearl Stallion; Rae Muir; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Dare to Love; Jennifer Wilde; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Wicked Loving Lies; Rosemary Rogers; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Rules of Attraction; Christina Dodd; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>Lord Ramsay's Return; Elizabeth Fairchild; Fiction-Novel-History; $0.25</li>
<br />
<li>The Last Apprentice; Joseph Delaney; Fiction-Novel-Fantasy; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>The Gate of the Gods; Martha Wells; Fiction-Novel-Fantasy; $0.20</li>
<br />
<li>The King; David Feintuch; Fiction-Novel-Fantasy; $0.10</li>
<br />
<li>The Shadow Theives; Anne Ursu; Fiction-Novel-Fantasy; $0.75</li>
<br />
<li>The Programmed Classics: Cantebury Tales; Geoffry Chaucer; Fiction-History; $0.50</li>
<br />
<li>The Programmed Classics: Selections from Arabian Nights; Richard Burton; Fiction-History; $0.50</li>
</ol>
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-70075381587350995542012-08-28T07:31:00.001-05:002012-08-28T07:37:47.045-05:00A Study in Samples: Gunmetal Magic: Information<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0072NWKP6/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0072NWKP6&linkCode=as2&tag=hubpages0645-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0072NWKP6&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=hubpages0645-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hubpages0645-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0072NWKP6" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><b>Information in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0072NWKP6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0072NWKP6&linkCode=as2&tag=hubpages0645-20"><i>Gunmetal Magic</i></a> by Ilona Andrews</b></div>
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One of the marks of a professional writer is the deft handling of information, and there are some nice examples of this in this sample by Ilona Andrews. The first nice handling comes in a character introduction. If you recall in the last post, I mentioned that in Chapter 1 the sound in the MC's dream had a mirror in reality. It was someone knocking on the door: Mrs. Haffey. At Kindle Locations 193-200, the MC (Andrea Nash) describes the disheveled and worried appearance of her neighbor a floor below. She has come pounding on Nash's door in her nightgown. Just after this description and reveal of relationship, Andrews writes, "Normally Mrs. Haffey viewed her appearance as serious business. In terms of battle readiness, she was my hero--I've never seen her without her makeup and hair perfectly done. Something was really wrong" (Kindle Locations 193-200). Andrews ties physical description reveal into the plot, into what is happening now. She makes the description relevant. After all, Monica Wood in her book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0898799082/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0898799082&linkCode=as2&tag=hubpages0645-20"><i>Description</i></a>, declares that good description is not only accurate but relevant (4). Andrew's use of description here is not only relevant, it adds to story. It adds tension. Great job there.<br />
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A bit later, it is Mrs. Haffrey's turn to reveal something about the MC. Mrs. Haffrey's husband disappeared, and she reveals her reason for seeking Nash's help in this: "I thought since you were with the Order..." (Andrews Kindle Location 220). This opens up the chance for the MC to reveal, in thoughts, that she <i>used</i> to be with the Order. This gives the chance for a little backstory on the MC and this particular bit of worldbuilding.<br />
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Further down, around Kindle Locations 226-233, Nash prepares to find the missing Mr. Haffrey, and in doing so, she opens up her gun closet and catalogues her weapons according to what power they would have, to what she needs to bring along with her. Not only does it reveal bits of personality but it sets up gun information before she needs to use the guns in the actual action.<br />
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Then while in the midst of her hunt, around Kindle Location 258, Nash is entering an apartment. She describes the common place, yarn, then very next thing described is a "severed human arm." This stands out sharply because it is unexpected and because of humanizing the victim right before with the yarn. So, it is a shock, but a good shock. And it gets the point across well. This is a bad situation. Tension goes up.<br />
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The final information reveal that I want to mention comes in Chapter Two. It is a small one, around Kindle Location 469. It involves what exactly the MC is and is not, something that Andrews teases the reader with from time to time to increase reader interest. Nash is on the way to a job, and she comes across some other shapeshifters. The fact that she is different is snuck in easily with how these beings act and how they react to their environment. When she gets close enough, the "jackal's nose wrinkled," and the MC thinks in response: "That's right, I don't smell like a normal bouda" (Andrews Kindle Location 469).<br />
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These are just a few examples Andrews handling information reveal, but this is a good point to close out this review of this sample. There are other areas that I could have discussed, especially worldbuilding, because it is very different and interesting, but I'll save that for a piece where I don't have so much lag time between reading and reviewing.<br />
<br />
So that's it for <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0072NWKP6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0072NWKP6&linkCode=as2&tag=hubpages0645-20">Gunmetal Magic</a></i> by Ilona Andrews. It was well worth reviewing and learning from.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Cites</i>: </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Andrews, Ilona. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0072NWKP6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0072NWKP6&linkCode=as2&tag=hubpages0645-20"><i>Gunmetal Magic.</i></a> New York: Ace Books, 2012. Kindle Edition.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Wood, Monica. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0898799082/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0898799082&linkCode=as2&tag=hubpages0645-20"><i>Description.</i></a> Cincinnati: Writer's Digest Books, 1995. Print.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-68791451824310839462012-08-25T20:38:00.000-05:002012-08-25T20:47:57.716-05:00A Study in Samples: Gunmetal Magic: Openings<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425256138/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0425256138&linkCode=as2&tag=hubpages0645-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0425256138&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=hubpages0645-20" /></a><img align="left" alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hubpages0645-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0425256138" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><b>Openings of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425256138/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0425256138&linkCode=as2&tag=hubpages0645-20"><i>Gunmetal Magic</i></a> by Ilona Andrews</b></div>
<br />
Gunmetal actually has two openings. One is an untitled prologue, and the other is the proper chapter 1. I'll cover them both.<br />
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<b>Untitled Prologue</b><br />
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This world needs setup, because it is our world, modern times, but it isn't. Or rather, it is, but with a major, interesting twist. The world has suffered an apocalypse by magic, but it is recovering well. Andrews does an excellent job of setting this fact up right away through a faux document that explains that magic hit the world hard, but the people are still persevering. Besides giving some basic facts about magic waves and magic powers, this document gives a hint of time frame. This magic attack happened 40 years ago. This information is told in an engaging writing style, and it is brief and quick. It gets the simplest facts across, it gets emotion across, it hints at cool stuff, and then it moves on. And this all within four paragraphs and one set of attributions.<br />
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<b>Chapter 1</b><br />
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Shortly after the untitled prologue, Chapter 1 starts with a bang. Or rather, a thud. That is the sound of the protagonist being beat up, something that instantly brings on conflict and brings about the reader's sense of compassion. This is rather hard to do, but it works, because the untitled prologue grounded the reader well. The reader doesn't expect or need more world setup but is ready for the story to begin, and the author doesn't disappoint.<br />
<br />
Nor does the author disappoint in delivering other important bits of information right away, without slowing down the conflict and reader sympathy. For instance, this novel is written in a first person pov, but within a few short paragraphs, two of which are only one word a piece, the reader knows the protagonist's gender as female and that this is a dream. That's not easy to get across that fast in first person pov novel.<br />
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Then, at Kindle Location 164, the reader learns that the ones beating up the protagonist are not human. Andrews <i>shows</i> us what they are by active description tied to the moment: a character shifts into a were-hyena. The transformation uses a combination of expected words and a particular strong, unusual one: "The flesh on her body boiled." She starts out with that description, then moves into more expected ones. This way that line pops without being drowned out by a bunch of equally unusual ones. <br />
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Moving on further, by Kindle Location 171, the reader is told it is a combination of dream and memory. But to add punch, the next few lines are not of her helplessness, but of the MC's revenge upon her attackers later on. This is told in strong, efficient language: "I came back and put two bullets through Sarah's eyes. I had emptied a clip into Candy's left ear." These are strong details because they are precise. Sarah's eyes. Candy's left ear. They speak of particular character, one who is not helpless in her waking life, and they evince a strong reaction in the reader. In fact, even in her dreams, she can turn things around, for as it ends, the MC gains control over it. The MC knows she is waking up and tells off the attackers in a succinct way. I won't reproduce it here, because I don't want to use strong curse words in this blog without censoring them a little. One last thing worth noting is that, when the character is waking up, the reader will notice a tie-in to the dream. The "thudding" sound that started the dream-memory is also in the real world. This is a great technique, because this is how real dreams work, too. You hear something and incorporate it into the dream. That little bit of realism draws readers in, connecting to them, and it makes something supernatural real.<br />
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<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
<br />
This novel does two noteworthy things. First, it quickly grounds the reader in an interesting world, choosing interesting facts to relate. But it does more. It ties in emotion. It's not a dry factual piece. Because successful fiction openings do more than relate facts, they engage emotions. Otherwise, one might as well read nonfiction. Second, the other opening dives into character, conflict, and reader sympathy. It doesn't try to redo what the first opening does; rather it has already moved on, knowing it is best not to try reader patience with an elaboration. So, this sample is well worth studying for those who have a world that is difficult to explain. <b><br /></b><br />
<b> </b> <br />
<i>Note: This novel sample was read on my new Kindle Keyboard. When I downloaded the sample of </i>Gunmetal Magic<i> by Ilona Andrews on 8/13/12, this book
was ranked #15 on Amazon's Fantasy book list, sorted by popularity.</i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Cites</i>: Andrews, Ilona. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425256138/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0425256138&linkCode=as2&tag=hubpages0645-20"><i>Gunmetal Magic.</i></a> New York: Ace Books, 2012. Kindle Edition.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-31864427542043458732012-08-20T07:41:00.000-05:002012-08-20T07:41:01.548-05:00My Other Jour De Fete Purchases: U-Dog-UMy mom and I saw a cute white dog walking around with a hat on, so we decided to ask if they got that at the Jour De Fete. They had! They got them at booth held by U-Dog-U. So, we decided to go down and claim at least one of our own for our newest doggy.<br />
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<center>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763057606/" title="Dog with Hat and Harness by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="Dog with Hat and Harness" height="70" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8283/7763057606_bcde7e3b31_t.jpg" width="100" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763053282/" title="Dog Hat by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="Dog Hat" height="75" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8448/7763053282_07b9628278_t.jpg" width="100" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763054942/" title="Dog Hat by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="Dog Hat" height="75" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8440/7763054942_d32c795b69_t.jpg" width="100" /></a></center>
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You can see how much he loves it. Lol.<br />
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<center>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763056438/" title="Chin Hat by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="Chin Hat" height="180" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8435/7763056438_265d5d0b45_m.jpg" width="240" /></a></center>
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But I am determined to train him bit by bit to accept it. <br />
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We also got some practical supplies. Dog harnesses:<br />
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<center>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763034528/" title="Harness by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="Harness" height="218" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8427/7763034528_b2bcd8dc26_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763059640/" title="Harness by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="Harness" height="180" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7247/7763059640_6c816e06cd_m.jpg" width="240" /></a></center>
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Kerchiefs:<br />
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<center>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763027508/" title="Kerchief by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="Kerchief" height="180" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8283/7763027508_2c9df2ea56_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763029848/" title="Kerchief by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="Kerchief" height="186" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8428/7763029848_9d327bbb98_m.jpg" width="240" /></a></center>
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Not entirely practical, but we like the look. And besides, on both the harnesses and the kerchiefs, we sprinkle the other product we bought from him. Flea repellent. Cedar oil and lavender, I think, the owner said it was. And after smelling it, I can see why the fleas would be repelled. But I do think we found fewer fleas near the neck regions after this.<br />
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Anyway, these items came from <a href="http://www.udogu.com/">U-Dog-U</a>, whose owners are Sherry and Bill Merrill. You can also find them on <a href="http://facebook.com/udogunews">Facebook</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-946639895224602522012-08-20T07:22:00.001-05:002012-08-20T07:22:52.493-05:00My other Jour De Fete purchases: Wood!<center>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763141004/" title="Wooden Bowls and More by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="Wooden Bowls and More" height="125" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8294/7763141004_b33640f315_m.jpg" width="240" /></a></center>
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These are something I always buy, every fair I see 'em (though just usually not this many). Homemade wooden cups and bowls and now candleholders. There they are all in a row, nearly $60 worth of 'em.<br />
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Once I dig up more information on who made each one of these, I'll update this post. (Mostly involves flipping the individual items over, but they are not at hand.) But for now, I separate them out by type.<br />
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Here is a close up on the rings of the wooden bowl. The rings are what fascinated me, and the maker knew what each one was. I just wish I wrote them down.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763148830/" title="Wooden Bowl by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="Wooden Bowl" height="180" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7270/7763148830_d6503f4481_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763147556/" title="Wooden Bowl by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="Wooden Bowl" height="152" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8442/7763147556_c463da1258_m.jpg" width="240" /></a></center>
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Next is the vase. I never bought a vase before, but it is supposed to hold either buds or fake flowers. I may have to get into fake flowers now to just try it out.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763161478/" title="Wooden Vase by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="Wooden Vase" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8430/7763161478_10f779d883_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763163258/" title="Wooden Vase by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="Wooden Vase" height="233" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8287/7763163258_694f8863ec_m.jpg" width="240" /></a></center>
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Finally, there are the candleholders. Although the maker, R. J. Rebecchi, gave me a card warning that it is best to use dripless candles or candles with a base to catch the dripping wax because hot wax could ruin the finish. Those fakes tealights might work better in them, I bet.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763153346/" title="Wooden Candle Holders by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="Wooden Candle Holders" height="75" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8285/7763153346_0197ac6519_t.jpg" width="100" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763154722/" title="Wooden Candle Holders by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="Wooden Candle Holders" height="75" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7114/7763154722_9b3b1125f8_t.jpg" width="100" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763155870/" title="Wooden Candle Holders by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="Wooden Candle Holders" height="75" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7110/7763155870_cb3009f2bd_t.jpg" width="100" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763157084/" title="Wooden Candle Holders by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="Wooden Candle Holders" height="75" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8436/7763157084_6063d06bab_t.jpg" width="100" /></a></center>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-91451988250083273182012-08-18T10:23:00.001-05:002012-08-18T10:23:12.674-05:00Coming SoonI'm a little behind on many intended blog posts. I hope to post the rest of the Jour De Fete purchases this weekend. Then, I want to start on my first in a new series, A Study in Samples. Besides that, I have other ideas for blog posts--writing articles, research articles, business-related articles (remember Weird Wednesday?). I also want to post details about my own fiction. <br />
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Lotsa plans, yes, but little time. My vacation is ending, and I am feeling the pressure (from myself) of getting another novel ready for eventual publication. <br />
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So, I'll do my best by this blog, but "tomorrow" might actually mean "next week," sometimes. Well, maybe a lot of times ;-) But at least this blog will be active and fun again. Delays are worth that. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-60506754217595829342012-08-18T10:16:00.003-05:002012-08-18T10:16:29.430-05:00A Study in Samples: A New SeriesI recently found a writing ebook recommended on the <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/oww-sff-writing">OWW SFF mailing list</a>. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007O272ZI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007O272ZI&linkCode=as2&tag=hubpages0645-20"><i>How to Improve Your Speculative Fiction Openings</i></a> by Robert Qualkinbush. Qualkinbush's book was a good, informative read about spec fic short story openings. Thought-provoking. So much so that I decided to apply similar analysis to novels--not just beginnings, but on what makes them tick, on what makes them purr. Since I got a new ereader (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004HZYA6E/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004HZYA6E&linkCode=as2&tag=hubpages0645-20">Amazon's Kindle Keyboard</a>), I decided I'd use Amazon lists. (Mostly because this ereader has 3G, a must-have for someone who has no access to WiFi.) Amazon has a Book list broken down by genre. I picked Fantasy, and on my Kindle, it's automatically sorted by popularity. From there, I downloaded samples. <br />
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At first thought, a sample may not seem like enough to analyze. But as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0033ZAVV2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0033ZAVV2&linkCode=as2&tag=hubpages0645-20">Hooked</a> author Les Edgerton writes, "A good, quality story beginning is a microcosm of the work entire. If you capture the right beginning, you've written a small version of the whole" (7). Edgerton is mostly concerned with material far less than a chapter in length. Ebook samples often give more than that. So if he can get so much out of a few pages, I feel much can be learned from a chapter or so. <br />
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And much can be learned about what works and doesn't work from such a sample. You see, I'm not one of those people who believe commercially published writings are free from flaws. No writing is perfect. But that doesn't matter in this blog series, for the parts I want to tell are the parts that work well, because errors did not shoot a particular novel up the ranks, its excellencies did. And a lot can be learned from the good stuff.<br /><br />That being said, I have finished my first sample: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0072NWKP6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0072NWKP6&linkCode=as2&tag=hubpages0645-20">Gunmetal Magic</a> by Ilona Andrews.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Cites: </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Edgerton, Les. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0033ZAVV2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0033ZAVV2&linkCode=as2&tag=hubpages0645-20"><i>Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One and Never Lets Them Go.</i></a> Cincinnati: Writer's Digest Books, 2007. Kindle Edition.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-57129461949720289212012-08-18T09:29:00.000-05:002012-08-18T09:29:02.606-05:00A Few Good Men: Friday's Child by Georgette HeyerI wish this was <i>A Few</i> review, but it's not. It's been too long since I read Georgette Heyer's novel to do it justice. But even so, I'm still left with a strong, good impression of the manly goodness of not only the main male character but that of the three secondary males. So in the end, all I can say is this: the men were excellent in this novel, and it was well worth the read. Definitely one of my faves of Heyer's.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-56183997517656956122012-08-11T23:31:00.003-05:002012-08-11T23:31:37.813-05:00More Jour De Fete Purchases - Coming TomorrowI have some more <a href="http://saintegenevievejourdefete.com/">Jour De Fete</a> purchases to post about, but it is getting late, so I will do so tomorrow. These include cute dog purchases (sadly, not dogs, but dog products, but still cute), some more lotions and oils, some handcrafted wooden bowls and like, and one of those cool neckcloths you see people wearing at hot events like fairs. If my aunt returns to the fair tomorrow and picks it up for me, I may have one more item to post about, homemade deodorant. Until then!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-45135535722171977782012-08-11T23:24:00.000-05:002012-08-11T23:24:15.896-05:00More Bug Off Products<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763079882/" title="Repel Inspect Spray by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img align="left" alt="Repel Inspect Spray" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8432/7763079882_5b37cb03b9_m.jpg" width="180" /></a> Because I am regularly sought out by tiny, flying bloodsuckers, I'm really into bug repellants. The commercial products just don't cut it, and I don't like constantly dousing myself in their inefficiency. So, at the Jour De Fete, I keep an eye out for pest-offs, and we found another homemade product. This one is Grandma Bea's Repel Insect Spray. <br />
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I like the fact that this one is a spray. Mom tried this one out today and liked it. I haven't had a chance to yet, but I am looking forward to using it so I can keep my blood to myself. <br />
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The creator of this product has several links you can look at, including a <a href="http://www.gmabeas.com/">website under construction</a>, an <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/grandmabeas">etsy page</a>, and a <a href="http://facebook.com/gmabeas">facebook page</a>. Her email address is gmabeas@hotmail.com.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-40594939079336086942012-08-11T23:08:00.003-05:002012-08-11T23:08:41.432-05:00Emu Products<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763099286/" title="twoemu1 by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img align="left" alt="twoemu1" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8286/7763099286_7271fd85ba_m.jpg" width="216" /></a>Something else I purchased at the Jour De Fete was some Emu products from <a href="http://www.grannylou.net/">Granny Lou's Emu Oil Products</a>. Rarely does a year go by that we don't purchase something from her, because we love her products. This year, as my wallet was getting a little light, I only got two items: lipbalm and wound cream.<br />
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The main reason why I purchased the wound cream was because it is also capable of keeping off the insects. I make up the mosquitoes' main course, so anything helps. And because I could drown myself in commercial bug spray and still be carried off by the little buzzers, I am looking forward to natural products, especially a creamy one. That way repeat applications won't be a toxic problem.<br />
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<center>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763100400/" title="twoemu2 by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="twoemu2" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8423/7763100400_83de766698_m.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763101566/" title="lipbalm1 by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="lipbalm1" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7269/7763101566_db03d01f4d_m.jpg" width="180" /></a></center>
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The lip balm I purchased because my lips are perpetually dry. I believe Dr. Oz claimed beeswax products are great for protecting and locking moisture into lips. And this one smells great.<br />
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So, good purchases all around. And pretty containers too. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-17171667780765890942012-08-11T22:53:00.001-05:002012-08-11T23:12:45.018-05:00Birdhouse and Wind chimeWe went to the Jour De Fete today. This is a two-day craft fair. We made a lot of purchases, including having Mom pick out two presents, one for her birthday and one item for her Christmas present. Here is the early Christmas present.<br />
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<center>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763133546/" title="Bird house made from recycled items by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="Bird house made from recycled items" height="180" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8434/7763133546_e77393fac3_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763134736/" title="Bird house made from recycled items by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="Bird house made from recycled items" height="180" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8421/7763134736_53b577f345_m.jpg" width="240" /></a></center>
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We were tickled by the fact this product reused items. The actual house part is made out of a plastic flowerpot, for instance. We also liked the bottom. Many times pretty birdhouses found at fairs do not have an easy way to access the insides of the birdhouse (for cleaning out old materials). This one looks like it will be easy. Besides that, it had an interesting, bird-related scripture on it. According to the King James 2000 Bible on <a href="http://bible.cc/psalms/84-3.htm">Biblos.com site</a>, the Psalm is "Yea,
the sparrow has found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young, even your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King,
and my God."<br />
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<br />
<a name='more'></a>Now, for Mom's early birthday present, she picked out a wind chime from the same people. Again, they recycled items. For the knocker (the part in red) or whatever it is called, some have a doorknob, though this one doesn't. The seller also said each tube was tuned according to a piano.<br />
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<center>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763120582/" title="Windchime made from recycled items. by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="Windchime made from recycled items." height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8302/7763120582_f5e39f6c22_m.jpg" width="97" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuccocc/7763122904/" title="Windchime made from recycled items. by cicerocat, on Flickr"><img alt="Windchime made from recycled items." height="180" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8448/7763122904_bd886dec83_m.jpg" width="240" /></a></center>
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I love all the details of both of these items, and I really like the idea of reusing items most people discard. Anyway, these cool items came <a href="http://tirebirdfeeders.blogspot.com/">Tire Bird Feeders</a>. (Email address: tirebirdfeeders@live.com)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-26718838579661015932012-08-02T07:48:00.000-05:002012-08-02T07:54:25.397-05:00A Few Good Men: Upcoming ReviewsI did have to dip back into Heyer to find a testrogenic work. In fact, I think it is my new favorite of hers, <i>Friday's Child.</i> But it will be a busy week, so though I am finished with it, it won't be till Friday or the weekend before I get the chance to review it.<br />
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Concerning Gail Dayton's works, I have read the first and made it page 164 in the sequel, <i>The Barbed Rose, </i>and I don't think I can read any further<i>. </i>This work appeals only to a certain sect of people of which I am not one. If you like to read about women having sex with multiple males, sometimes simultaneously, and the males liking it and being superfocused on her, this novel is for you. For that is the main plot. In the first novel, <i>The Compass Rose, </i>the demon killing plot doesn't really occur until say the last 50 pages of the 400-odd work. (Can't remember exactly, it's in my to-trade-in bin.) I don't expect this one to be any different.<br />
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But I don't want to seem like I am disparaging this work just because I don't enjoy orgies and super-doting men. Because the major appeal of this story is interesting worldbuilding--though, the first few chapters make it a little hard to get through. Later on it gets less infodumpy. However, I'd take an infodump any day if the works would explain what the heck men do. Almost every position from military on down to bakers are filled by women 90% of the time. They are admitted into some positions, like bodyguards of the magicians and some other military positions--mostly to channel some of their aggressive traits, the novels say, but still that cannot account for the lack of men in working positions. Do they stay home and take care of the children from their group marriages? Given the main female's background, I don't think so. For it sounds like a second mother raised her. So what the heck do the men do?<br />
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Besides worldbuilding, I enjoyed the strong female character in the first chapters of the first novel, which is saying a lot. I don't generally like female MCs. But she lost that strength steadily throughout the novel. She has yet to regain it in <i>The Barbed Rose. </i>In fact, the main female character has an almost fanficy feel to her (nothing wrong with that, for that's why I read the <i>Twilight</i> series), and the males definitely do. They are almost all instantly supportive of the female MC, despite the fact that I find it hard to believe men like to share a single woman or that misogynistic males can change colors that fast or care to lose their nationality that fast through forced marriage. The men generally also get along really well with each other fast, too.<br />
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I dunno. I just can't get into it or don't get it. Now if the demon-killing plots had been predominate, that would be another story. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-9524665485150027442012-07-25T07:45:00.000-05:002012-07-25T07:54:13.576-05:00A Few Good Men: MusingsJust a couple things of note. I mentioned considering a Reverse Bechdel a post or two back, but upon further reflection, I'm not sure it's worth the effort.<br />
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Also, I'm currently working on reading Gail Dayton's <i>The Compass Rose</i>. Wow, this novel has a lot of estrogen in it (in an interesting way), but I'm up to page 182, and the males aren't really . . . I dunno. Things are happening to them that is interesting, but I'm not seeing much of them, their personalities, what makes them tick. Quite frankly, I don't know what to say about the men, because there isn't too much to say about them. It's mostly about the main character, the female, after all.<br />
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So, I'm not sure if this one will work for <i>A Few Good Men</i>. The problem is, after I read this one, I intend to read the other yardsale find that looks like it was set in this same world. So, I'm thinking I'm going to have to find a short Regency romance and read that simultaneously or something. Because if I get out of the habit of reviewing, I'll probably stop permanently. Me and my attention span, you know--it's no bigger than a flea's, one with ADHD to boot. <br />
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Well, we'll see. I may need to just read something else simultaneously anyway to get my man-candy fix.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297628172031677529.post-44149721141709420072012-07-24T10:50:00.000-05:002012-07-24T10:51:36.791-05:00A Few Good Men: Cherry Ripe by Claudette Williams<i>Gold Stars: </i> None<br />
<i>Squee Hearts: </i> None<br />
<i>Black Marks: </i> <img alt="one" src="data:image/png;base64,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" title="one black mark" /> <br />
<i>Testrogen: </i> Low<br />
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The blurb was what interested me in Claudette William's Regency romance, <i>Cherry Ripe</i>. Shauna Elton is being forced into an arranged marriage by her step-mother Lady Elton. Before she can learn Lord Damien Drummond is the intended, Shauna runs away, and she is rescued by none other than Lord Drummond, who has never met or seen his intended either. By a sequence of events, Shauna ends up being the governess to Drummond's half-siblings, twins, a boy and girl Bromley. Good fun, that. Too bad lines like the following occur quite frequently throughout the novel: "Why had he let her get away without bedding her? What had happened?" (Williams 23). Why indeed! Needless to say, such lines don't earn Drummond any points in my book--any good points, that is.<br />
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Needless to say, Drummond comes across as a bit of a cad or rake. When he rescues Shauna, he is a little drunk, and he bestows upon her quite a few heated looks and heated kisses; though, given his behavior throughout the novel, I'm not sure the first's condition necessarily predicates the second's behavior. However, his behavior was not entirely deplorable, as Shauna admits: "You were, even in your [. . .] fuzzy state of mind, most gallant, for you did manage to leave me . . . very nearly untouched. I trusted you . . . and you were a gentleman" (Williams 67). Very nearly untouched. How kind of him, and what a resounding endorsement for a testrogenic character. But to give him his due, he did restrain himself while escorting her, and he did go out of his way, even in a drunken state, to take her some miles to her destination. So hints of a gentleman and testrogen do exist in there, but one might need a quizzing glass to the see them.<br />
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The problem is that some of his good traits (his familial concerns) are spoken of, not so much shown. The beginning, though, does show some action: he makes the decision to marry a woman he never met because he wants someone to help take care of his half-siblings, someone who would understand their loss of parents. Nice consideration! However, its effect is a little diminished when he comments on her high spirits and how these won't matter because he intends on bringing her "in tow" (Williams 1). This all contrasts to his ungentlemanly qualities, which get quite a bit of face time. He likes to whisper sweet nothings like "perhaps I have regretted leaving you . . . untouched," "I want you, sweetheart. . . . Come upstairs . . . ," and "Shauna . . . there is so much we could have together . . . and I would always see to it that you are protected. You would be under my protection. . . . Do you understand?" (67, 99, 100-1). What an offer! I mean, really, how can one resist? It is, after all, a woman's highest ambition in life to be set up as a mistress to a man intending to make a better marriage elsewhere. <br />
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All right, to be fair, one can't quite say his heart is in it--yet. Not till the end. Something a little further south, yes, and speaking of which, Williams deserves a nod and more for this realistic characterization: "He was testy. He wanted her. It was all he prepared to understand at the moment" (Williams 100). After all, she can't be both his mistress and his half-sibs' governess, and to give him credit, he does realize this dilemma once he can get off his single-minded focus. And eventually, he does start feeling love and forgets that Shauna "was a governess, beneath his station" (124), and he does realize he has to take care of the Elton mess before he makes any promises of a future to Shauna.<br />
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So, if you have read to this point, you might be wondering why I reviewed this novel when the only thing Drummond has earned is a black mark for intended infidelity (against wife, with his mistress). Well, the saving grace of the novel and review, besides the interesting plot point, came in the form of a peripheral character, Kit Dartford. He is Shauna's lifelong friend, and when he hears of what happened (that she ran away and why), he intends to find her, restore her, and make sure she is not forced into a marriage. He finds her, but he doesn't try to force her home. Instead, he makes himself at home at the Bromley house, and when he learns the identity secrets neither protagonist has yet learned, he tries to find a way to tell her in a way that it won't make everything awkward. Finally, when Shauna is ready to hatch her plot to force Drummond into proposing (how nice of her!), he reveals he had a vehicle waiting all this time to carry her away when she was ready. He's a good guy and not woman-crazy. He helps her out not because he loves or lusts after her, but because he cares about her and wants to do the right thing by her (for if she stays away much longer, society will get wind of the scandal and she will lose her reputation and more). But just like Drummond's good traits don't have enough face time, neither does Kit's screen time amount to enough to earn him any marks. But he does get an honorable mention. And yet, he's the main reason why I decided to post this review of <i>Cherry Ripe</i> anyway.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Cites: </i>Williams, Claudette. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0449212793/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0449212793&linkCode=as2&tag=hubpages0645-20"><i>Cherry Ripe</i></a>. New York: Fawcett Crest, 1988. Print.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0