To be honest, I started this blog because I want your money. That’s not the only reason, but it’s definitely in the mix.
As a writer, I want people (i.e., you) to read my books. I’ve worked hard writing them, I’m proud of them, and I want folks to read them and enjoy them. I think my books are worth something, though, so I (generally) don’t give them away for free, which means readers must part with some of their money.
Ergo, I want your money. Continue Reading »
Posted in Writing | Tagged books, creative writing, Delilah Dawson, Fallen Cloud Saga, novel writing, publishing, self-promotion, self-publishing, whimsydark, Writing, writing tips | 8 Comments »
The USA is beginning another of its quadrennial conversations.
Whassat? You weren’t aware that we had regular national conversations? Not to worry; most folks aren’t aware of it either, but we do have them. You probably know them better by their more common name, the General Election, where every four years we have this big national discussion in which we ask questions, listen to opinions, and (in theory) provide answers in the form of votes.
The problem: We’re not all asking the same questions, and in my opinion, we’re not asking the correct questions, either. Continue Reading »
Posted in Politics | Tagged general election, politics, society, society's role in daily life | 3 Comments »
The last time I was in Britain there was a flap over the use of the phrase “Jaffa Cake.” McVities, the biscuit company who introduced the original Jaffa Cakes in 1927, neglected to trademark the name and thus it was open for others to use.
I adore Jaffa Cakes–small disks of sponge cake topped with orange jelly and a cover of chocolate–so when a friend asked me to bring a dessert for Easter dinner, I had an inspiration for a super-sized version of my little favorites. But don’t call it a “Jaffa” cake…I don’t want an infringement lawsuit slapped on me!
For those with celiac disease, this is a gluten-free cake. Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Recipes | Tagged almond polenta cake, cooking, gluten-free cake, jaffa cake, McVities, Recipe | Leave a Comment »
While I’m taking a hiatus from writing (and if you didn’t realize I’m on hiatus, you haven’t been paying attention), I’ve been reconnecting with the musical avocation I put down when I picked up the author’s pen.
David T Stone and company did an excellent job repairing my instruments, including fixing the divots left in my viola when a mic boom fell on us during a performance. Natalia (my viola) looks wonderful, and my violin is once again in playing condition.
I, however, am not. Continue Reading »
Posted in Music | Tagged classical music, Music, relearning old skills, viola, violin | 5 Comments »
I’ve been on vacation/sick as a dog for the past week, and a ton of topics have stacked up, but this Indiana…thing…has taken up all my thinking time and must be addressed first.
If you’re not aware, this week, Indiana’s governor Mike Pence signed a law that will allow businesses to turn away anyone if serving that customer would place a “significant burden” on the business owner’s religious beliefs. Setting aside its incredibly vague and non-quantifiable language, the context and timing of this bill–as well as that of similar laws/bills in nineteen other states–is squarely aimed at allowing businesses to discriminate against members of the LGBT community. In the wake of the SCOTUS Hobby Lobby decision, so-called “religious freedom” is being used as a holy cudgel with which to beat secular society over the head, and give religious zealots carte blanche to foist their particular beliefs on non-believers.
Here’s the thing: You have a right to your religious beliefs–undoubtedly and without question–but you do not have a right to run a business in any way you see fit. Your faith is your own, but your business is a secular enterprise, and if it is open to the public, that’s with whom it must treat: the public.
All of the public. Not just the part of the public you like. Continue Reading »
Posted in Culture, Politics | Tagged discrimination, Indiana, LGBT, Mike Pence, Religious Freedom | 1 Comment »
There once was a young man from Limerick
Who had no idea that short, usually humorous poems often bore the same name as his hometown.
k
Posted in Writing | Tagged Limerick, St Patrick's Day | 1 Comment »
I
n time, he knew, his transgression would be forgiven (though not forgotten, for during their thirty tumultuous years, his wife had proven the tenacious nature of her memory when it came to remembered wrongs), but oh, in those first raw moments when his sleeping, animal mind awoke to action, its raging mouth spewing vowel-filled vomit and its sharp-clawed arms flailing the air with a strength that quite overwhelmed his usually reasonable demeanor, while his shrieking brain was infused by a single thought–Damn you!–and his only goal was to win, to beat down any who had the stupefying arrogance to question his authority, he was transformed by the heat of his frustration and anger from his normal self into a god–not the loving God of Creation, possessed of boundless serenity and knowledge, but one of the ancient gods, in whom everything human was magnified and every act saturated with earthly emotion–and though the rational part of his mind recoiled at the anguish he sculpted, his chiseled words striking her features with cold, steely precision, he could not suppress (and in truth, actually reveled in) the pounding exultation he felt as each tear tracked down her wizened cheek, a flood of salt water pressed from a frozen stone.
k
Posted in Writing | Tagged character study, creative writing, vignettes, Writing | 3 Comments »
Kurt R.A. Giambastiani 