Mythical Calendar: March 6 : Ireland’s Mythical Races, Family Spirits, and Roman Gods!
Be sure when I say, Rome loved their celebrations. Ancient Rome made it a point to make every day count, at least for something. Let today be no different, for it was all about the God who fathered the founder of Rome, Romulus.
Mars was the god of war and of agriculture. Certain things stand out in ancient times . . . those who governed over war, crops, and fertility. Without these three things, life or cultures rarely advanced. Crops of course, were all about survival . . . fertility was all about making the numbers to protect a civilization, and war was all about staking a claim on more land. So, when we see Gods pop up that govern over such things, it is of no surprise.
Today Rome would hold a grand festival for Mars, all while honoring the Penates and the Lares. Penates guarded over storerooms (where the food is held and kept) and Lares were spirits of the dead. Rome honored their dearly departed because the Lares had power to intervene on a family’s behalf, where the Gods were concerned. Ticking off grandma, when you wanted the Gods to favor your home, was not a good idea.
Over in Ireland, the Goddess Ériu would have her very own observance on this day. She was one of the De Danaan and her name actually comes from Ireland itself–Eire. Ériu actually makes up one of three goddesses, the other two being Banbha and Folta. These three were invoked in the time of great war.
Now you maybe wondering who the heck is the De Danaan. Well, the full name is usually Tuatha Dé Danann, and they were said to be a race of people . . . the fourth group who settled in Ireland.
A quote taken from Wikepedia says this . . . .
The Tuatha Dé Danann were descended from Nemed, leader of a previous wave of inhabitants of Ireland. They came from four cities to the north of Ireland–Falias, Gorias, Murias and Finias–where they acquired their occult skills and attributes. According to Lebor Gabála Érenn, they came to Ireland “in dark clouds” and “landed on the mountains of [the] Conmaicne Rein in Connachta; and they brought a darkness over the sun for three days and three nights”. According to a later version of the story, they arrived in ships on the coast of the Conmaicne Mara’s territory (modern Connemara). They immediately burnt the ships “so that they should not think of retreating to them; and the smoke and the mist that came from the vessels filled the neighboring land and air. Therefore it was conceived that they had arrived in clouds of mist”.
A poem in the Lebor Gabála Érenn says of their arrival:
It is God who suffered them, though He restrained them
they landed with horror, with lofty deed,
in their cloud of mighty combat of spectres,
upon a mountain of Conmaicne of Connacht.
Without distinction to descerning Ireland,
Without ships, a ruthless course
the truth was not known beneath the sky of stars,
whether they were of heaven or of earth.
Go Figure, I’m in the Hot Seat!
Come help me out!
Book: WYNTRESS NYGHT’s SUPERNATURAL CRACK IS RELEASED!!!!!!!
Today is release day and I am JUMPING for joy! My book along with another is available to the public as of 12 midnight eastern!
Wyntress Nyght’s Supernatural Crack by ME ME ME–C.H. Scarlett!!!!!
Paranormal, Humor….
Blurb:
"Good evening my delicious little darklings of darkness. Wyntress Nyght, here, serving up your forbidden dose of supernatural crack. So hook up your IVs, roll up the psychic and toke her, or offer up your shot glass for some ectoplasmic delight. For I have the phantasmal kick you have all been jonzing for. No DTs here, my darklings, only the monster of all dragons for you to chase . . . me! Now, for those readers who are new to my witch-board of communications, allow me to sinfully boast a little about the place I haunt. It’s the Other World, the Underworld, or a label I am rather fond of and prefer, Hell."
*Gasps* Did she say Hell?
CLICK TO READ MORE!!!!!!! AND check out the Excerpt!
Check out the Book Trailer too if you have time!!!!
Scroll to the bottom of the page for Book Trailer!!!!
ALONG WITH Magnolia Heat–A Gay Fiction, Noble Romance by Keta Diablo!!! She has a release tonight as well so don’t forget to check it out too!!!!!!
The Healing Properties of Black & Green Tea
I blogged over at my Blogger account about Black and Green tea , the health benefits and so on. The information might surprise you, so hop on over and check it out!
Click….
The Healing Properties of Black & Green Tea
C.H. Scarlett
Satan Writes Pat Robertson
You know you have REALLY screwed up when not only is the Devil suing you but he is also sending you hate mail. Oh and just so ya know…Lily is channeling the Big Red Guy. I think she nailed it word for word. What do you think?
Letter of the day: Haiti suffers, and Robertson sees the hand of Satan
For Full Article, Please See Here
Dear Pat Robertson,
I know that you know that all press is good press, so I appreciate the shout-out. And you make God look like a big mean bully who kicks people when they are down, so I’m all over that action. But when you say that Haiti has made a pact with me, it is totally humiliating. I may be evil incarnate, but I’m no welcher. The way you put it, making a deal with me leaves folks desperate and impoverished. Sure, in the afterlife, but when I strike bargains with people, they first get something here on earth — glamour, beauty, talent, wealth, fame, glory, a golden fiddle. Those Haitians have nothing, and I mean nothing. And that was before the earthquake. Haven’t you seen "Crossroads"? Or "Damn Yankees"? If I had a thing going with Haiti, there’d be lots of banks, skyscrapers, SUVs, exclusive night clubs, Botox — that kind of thing. An 80 percent poverty rate is so not my style. Nothing against it — I’m just saying: Not how I roll. You’re doing great work, Pat, and I don’t want to clip your wings — just, come on, you’re making me look bad. And not the good kind of bad. Keep blaming God. That’s working. But leave me out of it, please. Or we may need to renegotiate your own contract.
Best, Satan
LILY COYLE, MINNEAPOLIS
The Devil Sues Pat Robertson
I found a ‘news’ source that I am a new fan of. Check em out….
EP: Virginia Beach – The devil filed a lawsuit in the Virginia Beach district court on Thursday suing Pat Robertson for breach of contract. “Pat Robertson has broken the terms of our agreement with him” said Arthur B. Ellzebub, an attorney for satan, “His public comments regarding various pacts we may or may not be involved in is in clear violation of the non-disclosure agreement we signed with him 36 years ago.”
Pat Robertson Can Suck it!
God needed to rain duct tape that day and hopefully smite Pat Robertson’s mouth with it. I’m not a Christian—first of all—and most certainly not Pat’s type…but I can’t imagine how embarrassed REAL Christians were on this day or any other when that man started spewing off at the mouth.
To tell a group of people who has lost damn near everything….children, loved ones, homes, EVERYTHING and have no water, food, or a place to go… that they are CURSED? And this is why this happened?
I’d say someone would have to have huge balls to say that but judging by the moron supposedly possessing them….no…more like a huge head full of utter ignorance.
When that whole ‘pact with the devil’ BS came up, I just thought….if I was of Pat the moron’s faith, I would have crawled under a rock that day or jumped the rock and stapled his hateful, judgmental, mouth shut.
I’d get the biggest damn laugh if one day ‘Pat’s god’ arrived and pointed a finger at him saying….
“That’s it, you’re cursed because you spent an entire lifetime being a total ass."
Pat Robertson….You Can SUCK it.
And I apologize to the Haitians and want you to know that not all Americans (of whatever faith)…AND not all Christians are as big of a clueless moron & ass like Pat Robertson.
No matter what your faith Haiti, you did not deserve this…it was a freak of nature (no ones fault) and something wonderful will come out of it. You will rebuild and you will be stronger.
Pat….do everyone a favor and just stop talking. You are making your God look like an ass. Remember, you were made in his image…HE WAS NOT MADE IN YOURS.
Now, if anyone would like to make a donation that DOES not discriminate to those of Haiti…
A quote:
Was the ceremony at Bois Caiman a "pact with the devil"?
We can safely reject that idea on the basis alone that "the Devil" does not even exist in most African religions. Remember that most of the adults at Bois Caiman had been born in Africa, not Haiti, and came from many different ethnic groups and religious traditions. The ceremony was led by two people – Boukman Dutty, an African who had also been in slavery in Jamaica, and Mambo Marinette (NOT Cecile Fatima as some revisionists with axes to grind have claimed). She became possessed by the lwa Erzulie Dantor, sacrificed a black pig, and all present took their oath.
Or you can contact your local red cross or fire departments etc. I know that many people are spreading around on the net that money will be the only thing that will do any good but that’s not true. We are in a recession and many of you are barely eating as is….so if you have extra blankets, children clothing, extra canned food, bottle water, personal hygiene items, whatever….you CAN donate those and make a difference.
Good-bye Farmers & Meat! Hello steak brewed from a test-tube! What?
Recently while being in a group, a link got passed on that literally made me take a double-take. As if our farmers didn’t have it bad before, now they are facing their own extinction. Not to mention live-stock altogether. I suppose there will be no more use for them, not unless you would like a pet cow or chicken.
It seems that Science is about to take us on a whole new level—no joke. In an article called : Eight Ways In-Vitro Meat will Change Our Lives we see exactly how.
I quote:
In-Vitro Meat — aka tank steak, sci fi sausage, petri pork, beaker bacon, Frankenburger, vat-grown veal, laboratory lamb, synthetic shmeat, trans-ham, factory filet, test tube tuna, cultured chicken, or any other moniker that can seduce the shopper’s stomach — will appear in 3-10 years as a cheaper, healthier, "greener" protein that’s easily manufactured in a metropolis. Its entree will be enormous; not just food-huge like curry rippling through London in the 1970′s or colonized tomatoes teaming up with pasta in early 1800′s Italy. No. Bigger. In-Vitro Meat will be socially transformative, like automobiles, cinema, vaccines.
3-10 years folks—that’s not that long away. Can Farmers find another use for their land in that short of a time? Can they have all of their equipment paid off, find something else to grow, get a degree in what-the-hell-ever by then? What does Willie Nelson and Farm-aid think about this?
It may sound funny but I assure you it’s no laughing matter.
I quote:
1. Bye-Bye Ranches.
When In-Vitro Meat (IVM) is cheaper than meat-on-the-hoof-or-claw, no one will buy the undercut opponent. Slow-grown red meat & poultry will vanish from the marketplace, similar to whale oil’s flame out when kerosene outshone it in the 1870′s. Predictors believe that IVM will sell for half the cost of its murdered rivals.
I can’t imagine anything grown in a ‘tube’ as being ‘nutritious’ and ‘fresh’. But tons of people are pushing for this. They could care less about the Farmer, about people who eat meat, and whatever small business gets crushed by this. In fact, the article alone makes sure to throw in a few hysteria’s itself:
Quoting again:
Special Note: IVM sales will be aided by continued outbreaks of filthy over-crowded farm animal diseases like swine flu, Mad Cow, avian flu, tuberculosis, brucellosis, and other animal-to-human plagues. Public hysteria will demand pre-emptive annihilation of the enormous herds and flocks where deadly pathogens form, after safe IVM protein is available.
My own special note: I don’t know of one overcrowded filthy farm that mistreats or has spread diseases in my area. If people want to stop this sort of thing, then start supporting local farmers. Visit their spread and see how their beefs roam, are well fed, and how none of their animals are treated horribly. To find local farmers in your area– Local farmers, Produce, & more
That will also help the environment to by the way and it is better to eat from a farmer then buy the junk in stores that have been pumped up with hormones and whatever other yucky stuff.
back to the article–
The article states all the grand outcomes—healthier planet, healthier humans, real estate rising. Maybe all that is true BUT I can’t help but wonder, how do we know? I mean, how many times has a product been tossed out there claiming it is safe for consuming and then a few years later, suddenly people are dying from it?
Well one thing is for certain, we will soon find out because sure enough, its coming.
What do you think?
The FTC Can Suck it
lol Sorry FTC. Do you know how much trouble you are causing? And well, after watching The Land of the Lost—a DVD I bought with my own money—where Dr. Rick Marshal (Will Ferrell) yells “Matt Lauer can suck it!” I couldn’t resist.
Anyway, for those who have no idea what I’m talking about concerning the FTC—read HERE.
Basically what the FTC is trying to do is bring transparency to the table. Now, hearing both sides of the argument, I think it has something to do with celebrities being paid to push products or others being paid to praise stuff that they were given—possibly giving them means to say good things.
You know I am sure we have all wondered if Oprah has really tried all those crazy diets. And I mean for more than a day mind you. Yeah, Oprah, just because you swallowed a spoonful of berries once or twice doesn’t mean you actually did the diet and had success.
And what about all those people raving about penis enlargers on their blogs? Did their penis really grow ten feet just by swallowing one pill?
But here’s the problem—book reviews. All over Blog-averse people (book reviewers) are throwing up disclaimers just so they are not wrongfully sued or made an example of by the FTC. Now that’s what I want to talk about and explain because writers have it hard as it is. AND I do not want readers thinking that just because they read a Review (a good Review) of a book on the internet, that, that suddenly means the Reviewer was paid to say those things. Not so…
You have, out there, thousands and thousands of writers who are literally struggling. They can barely make the rent much less pay ten or more reviewers to read their books. I mean if you saw some of them dig in the sofa for coins just to send off a submission, you would grab the Kleenex.
If and when a writer has a book published, they are still a very small bleeding fish trying to survive in a gigantic pool of piranha. Not everyone receives advances and those who do aren’t running off to Macys to spend millions in diamond studded gowns. With that being said, every writer tries to advertise their work as many ways they can and as FREE as possible. The problem with that is, most writers are forced to do the same thing as all the other writers– only in an attempt to do something as different as they can. They use Blog, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Contests, Youtube when creating Book Trailers, Interviews, podcasts, and most importantly…have their book reviewed.
There are tons of sites out there that will review a book. In the circles of writers, some are very well known. Every site has its own guidelines concerning submissions but I can promise you this, every site has one thing in common—they Read and Review our work for FREE. And what do Writers silently agree on? We agree to take a chance.
There is a chance that someone will yell, “Hey Writer!!!Your Book Can Suck it!!!”
There is a chance that we will receive what we consider a great review only with some minor things the reviewer didn’t like, and that will in turn cause readers to X out the page and not buy our books.
There is a chance that 3 reviewers will rave our books and a chance that 1 big reviewer will crush us to dust.
There is a chance that offering our books up for reviews will kill us and a chance that we might sell one book out of 100 readers looking at the Review. (See small rewards for big chances taken)
Whatever our chance, I can promise you this…
Tomorrow, we will still be a bleeding fish in a pool of blood thirsty piranhas.
And I can promise you something else…
We, the writers, the true hard core, trying our damnedest to succeed in this business, don’t mind the slightly awful reviews. We want to better ourselves and in order to do that, we need the opinion of obsessed readers—and those are the reviewers.
However the point is this…just because a review site receives a book for free, does not mean that they are promising a dishonest and awesome review. If they like it, they say so. If they hate it…unfortunately they say so.
But how does a reader know whether or not to take a review seriously, especially when you are searching for new or not so well known writers? I mean the reader wants something fresh, right? They don’t want the New York Times telling them what a Best Seller is…*winks*
That’s easy.
A book will receive more than one review. Google it or check the author or publishers web site. They will list them. If you are worried that they are only listing great reviews…again…Google. Every book will have a mix of both or you will find critical sites that make a point to give you both. Search the archives of those sites. Are they madly in love with EVERY FREAKIN BOOK THEY READ?????? No? Yes?
The thing is, while the FTC may have a specific problem they are going after, some very small bleeding fish are going to get a new one ripped open from this…
That is, unless readers and people in general understand the in’s and out’s and why’s of all this.
And there you have it…hopefully you understand now…if not…
C.H. Scarlett can SUCK IT!!!! lol
Check it out! The Dawn of a Copper Age
Quote:
The Dawn of the Copper Age
I’m not referring to ancient history here! Today the Copper Age webcomic launches at www.itisacircle.com – kicking off with a story called ‘The Blind Fisherman’ – a mix of art and pictures, but not exactly traditional comics stuff (and no men in spandex thumping each other!)
This is a project I’ve been working on with Tom Brown for some years. I interviewed Tom on this blog a bit back, so you might want to hunt that out. I’ll be here today, with assorted posts about what we do, and why, and how.
Below is something to set the mood, giving you a flavour for the landscape in which our characters are trying to survive. (For more insight, have a look at www.hopelessvendetta.wordpress.com )
_______________________________
I don’t know the artist personally but I do know the writer. I can say, my mind lingers in the world and art that they have created. Rarely will I recommend something so pay attention. This is the new Gothic-ly fab-u-liscious crack. If you have a taste for the bitter-sweet then you have to bite a chunk out of this. The art and world is absolutely amazing…and I honestly can’t say enough about it. I can say that for those who can appreciate such decadent tastes, you will be dreaming of a whole new world when you lay your head to rest. Now, I am off to find out how I can score a ticket to Hopeless. I am ready to sell the house, box up the kids, and fuel up the broomstick to get me there.
The Latest Headline: Vampire Skull Found!
People are hopping crazy over this one and I will admit, I got a little excited to. I thought, WOW!!!! They found a skull with a pair of FANGERS!!!!
Nope.
Needless to say I was crushed lol and not surprised. I mean Vampires are just waaaaaaaaaaay to smart to go from undead to dead right? lol…
Still an interesting article. If you would like to read about how Vampires got the blame for EVERYTHING under the moon (not sun)—even the latest Medieval Plague…
Have a read.
Article found HERE
Science supporting Psychic Gifts
The world is waking up and everyday there is an article to prove it. Time Magazine posted an article concerning Science and the Psychic Phenomena. Its a very interesting read. What i liked most was that the person they are interviewing says:
You write that it’s likely everybody possesses psychic abilities, but some people are simply more successful at it? Why is that?
Genetics are likely behind it. One of the things we know is that it runs in families. If you talk to psychics, they’ll tell you there’s a family history of it. Though we haven’t found it, there’s likely a gene for it.
I believe that. I am not one of these people who believe its a him or her and certainly not HIM kind of deal.
To read more on this article and it is a VERY good article, click:
The Science Behind Psychic Phenomena
By M.J. Stephey
Another quote and teaser for the article is:
In her new book The ESP Enigma: The Scientific Case for Psychic Phenomena, former Harvard professor Diane Hennacy combines philosophy, physics, and empirical data to examine supernatural traits like telepathy (the ability to access someone else’s consciousness), psychokinesis (the ability to use one’s consciousness to affect external objects), clairvoyance (the ability to broaden one’s consciousness to remote time and space) and precognition (the ability to see into the future). She spoke to TIME about Abraham Lincoln’s eerie dreams, Einstein’s theories of time-travel and the idea that anybody can be a psychic.
Enjoy!
Giant simulation could help solve “dark matter” mystery
Yep more stuff on Dark Matter—I can’t get enough.
~~~~
A giant computer simulation could help bring a successful end to the search for a mysterious substance which makes up most of the Universe, according to new research.
Astronomers believe the enigmatic “dark matter” accounts for 85 per cent of the material in the universe. But the stuff has remained invisible, its makeup unknown, since scientists inferred its existence from its gravitational effects more than 75 years ago.
Now a team of scientists has used a massive computer simulation showing the evolution of a galaxy like the Milky Way to “see” high-energy radiation released by dark matter.
They say their findings, published in the research journal Nature Nov. 6, could help NASA’s Fermi Telescope in its search for the dark matter and open a new chapter in our understanding of the universe.
“The search for dark matter has dominated cosmology for many decades. It may soon come to an end,” said cosmologist Carlos Frenk of Durham University, U.K., a member of the research team, which also involves scientists from Germany, The Netherlands and the United States.
The group, known as the Virgo Consortium, studied dark matter halos, blob-like structures that surround galaxies and contain a trillion times the mass of the Sun.
The team’s simulations, called The Aquarius Project, showed how the galaxy’s halo would have been expected to grow through a series of violent collisions and mergers between much smaller clumps of dark matter earlier in cosmic history.
The group found that gamma-rays, a form of energetic radiation, produced when particles collide in areas of high dark matter concentration should be most detectable near the Sun in the general direction of the galaxy’s centre. They suggest the Fermi Telescope should search in this part of the galaxy where they predict gamma-rays from dark matter should glow in “a smoothly varying and characteristic pattern.”
If Fermi does detect the predicted emission from the Milky Way’s smooth inner halo, the Virgo team believes it might be able to see otherwise invisible clumps of dark matter lying very close to the Sun.
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081119_darkmatter.htm
The above link is responsible for this article.
Rhiannon Rhodes & Dark Roast Press
I guess this article is long overdo. After all I promised to say things as I learned them hopefully to help other writers who were just getting their foot in the door, etc.
Over the summer after a car accident and then my house burning down, I took a real clear look at my life and my writing. Not to bore you with details but I made the decision to back off from submitting my novel Bound By Blood: The Awakening to anymore publishers and decide what was really best for me and the book. Basically, I needed a break. Too much was going on at the time and I wanted to research more into my options as a writer and so forth.
A friend of mine and published author contacted me about a publisher he had been working with called Dark Roast Press. Since my book has romantic elements but does not revolve around it, has a strong story line which does revolve around Fantasy and Paranormal and a very active imagination, he suggested that I send it in to DPR.
I did my research on DPR (Dark Roast Press) but I was really weary. It wasn’t about them, my weariness, but was focused more on where I was in life. I was going through physical therapy, trying to move, dealing with lawyers (which I normally avoid as much as doctors) and everything else that comes from basically trying to live and breathe. Chris wouldn’t take no for an answer. He believed that my novel was ready to be read and despite the bumps I was trying to drag myself over, bugged me until I submitted it.
So I did and I really didn’t expect much to come out of it. I went on with the things that were going on in life, lost my Internet service for awhile because of the move and things went on as normal. Then one night while I was cooking supper for my family, I get a phone call. Its Rhiannon Rhodes, owner of Dark Roast Press. She explained that her publishing house usually published erotica (of no discrimination) but she was expanding into other types of fiction. Now during this phone call I realized a few things….
1. She had read the book in great detail. I know this is probably what all publishers do but to me, it showed she was legit. I mean can you imagine how many books these people have submitted in a day? Well its a lot. So for her to know actual details, small and large impressed me greatly. And the fact that she never confused my story with any other submission, impressed me even more. She also knew my characters in great detail as if she was intimate with each and every one. Now that saying something since my book is rather thick with plenty of characters…each complex or on their way in becoming so.
2. Her honesty and straight forwardness. There was no sugar coating with her which made any praise she gave me seem golden and priceless. She also understood and took a interest into what was going on in my life…she wasn’t demanding. Meaning, she didn’t tell me, Ok if you want to published with me, I want three complete manuscripts of the next in line of this series. She seemed to know me and my style of writing better than I knew myself. She had vision AND she was professional about it which reflected her experience concerning her field.
3. By recognizing my books potential and mine, she saw ahead as far as my novel went and the series that would follow. You know as a writer it is very important for someone to ‘get’ you and your skill and that’s what I got from Rhiannon. She got me and she didn’t seem to mind the length of my novel either which is a big problem with many first time writers being published. My story supported the length and the plots and characters carried it, in her eyes. (And believe me, she lets you know how keen of an eye she has when you talk to her, not by telling you or bragging but by showing you with facts and experience– she knows what makes a successful book and career)
I could list more but those were the top three that impressed me the most. So by the end of that conversation, I decided to go with Dark Roast Press and so far I haven’t regretted it.
I get one on one attention there which I think is very important. Meaning, if I have a question and I email her, she is right on it with an answer. She demands quality, not quantity. She knows what her writers are capable of and she won’t let us sell ourselves short of anything less than the full potential of our talent. I never got brushed under the rug because I was the new kid on the block. She treats me fair and equal never allowing me to become lost in favoritism or numbers.
My editor, Helgaleena is also that way. Now this lady blew my mind when it came to my first edits. She could have focused on grammar, punctuation and format alone but instead she went a mountain or two further. She saw that I wasn’t pushing myself as far as my talent goes which is a very active imagination lol. So, she demanded that I take everything a step further . She worked out my genre’s and challenged me. She is kind of a mother hen who runs a tight house who basically says, “Ok this is good but I know you can do better.” Or “Your selling yourself short Kido, now you know you are capable of more.”
If it doesn’t make sense then she challenges me to rethink and rewrite it. THAT’s what I needed. I needed someone who could recognize in me what I didn’t in myself. So I consider myself VERY lucky there. She isn’t the kind of editor who says, “This won’t work.” and it ends there. She lets me explain why I wrote it in the first place and then she says, “Ok well if this is going to work, we need to do this, this or this.” Or she throws the whole, “Ok this is good but I know that imagination of yours can do better.” at me.
I have a trust and a respect for her because I know she has my best interest at heart. She also doesn’t spend her time trying to make me write like the next Nora Roberts or Steven King. She wants me to write like C.H. Scarlett and zero in on what makes me different as a story teller.
That’s a true gift. Period.
It should also be noted that Dark Roast Press isn’t the typical publisher. They aren’t into the commercial aspect of writing. Meaning, they want a strong story and plot and not the next Harry Potter. That worked for me because even though my book has romance in it, the story does not focus on just two characters hooking up. It revolves around a world filled with characters which is made of Fantasy and Paranormal. A ‘High Epic’ Fantasy as my editor calls it.
My publisher puts out E-books but sometime this year she is going to do print as well. That was VERY important to me. Let’s face it, as a writer I have to think ahead concerning my future so it meant a lot to me that my publisher was thinking ahead as well. It didn’t matter to me that they were small and starting out because so am I. I needed someone to believe in my work so it wouldn’t kill me to believe in their determination for success as a publisher.
They do not discriminate either which I discovered to be a big deal in trying to get published. I had an agent refuse to read my manuscript because it had characters which were something like vampires in it. It was against her religion to read something like that. I had a publisher refuse me because it was too much of a story, too much magic and too much imagination and not enough sex. She flat out told me that the only works she published were quick reads that focused on the relationship between two characters. That’s great if it works for her but was a problem since my book didn’t fit that cliche.
Dark Roast Press doesn’t seem to care if your writing about gay love, erotica, romance, fantasy, horror or whatever else. They have an open mind concerning submissions. As long as the writing is of its own style and flare and the story stands out. They want stories that shine on its own. They do not want another version of Lord of the Rings simply because that’s the latest craze. They want something NEW—told in a way that blows the other out of the water. They want a NEW story even if it is something daring. They really give their writers a chance to be different.
Anyway, I am very happy with them and am thankful that they took a chance on me and my work. They are fairly new but the owner and staff have plenty of experience. They are still working out the kinks but given time, I am sure they will be a name everyone will recognize.
Don’t take my word for it though…go hunt down their writers and ask them. (they would know better than anyone) That’s how I got started.
C.H. Scarlett
Lay Offs in the Publishing
I found this interesting site that listed some lay offs in the publishing business.
~~
For complete article click HERE
~~~
Now this article only lists the highlights and was published December 16th. So for those who, like me, have a career in writing or publishing, it seems it is being affected in the same way as every other business.
Times like these, I am even more thankful that I went with a smaller press. This doesn’t mean my publisher can’t fold but thankfully I have a smart one who knows how the economy is and thinks wisely before every step she plans to take. My publisher is Dark Roast Press, owned by Rhiannon Rhodes. I feel for those losing their jobs. I feel for the writers who are being affected by this. Its hard enough to make it in this business and once you get there, it doesn’t get any easier.
I hear writers asking all the time, “what is going to happen with the publishing world?”
Hang in there…I am trying to. I am also hopeful. I believe that something great always comes from something bad. DON’T give up! We knew the odds of us striking it rich in this business was zero to none. We would have had better luck hitting the lottery right? So the money was obviously NOT the reason we worked so hard for our careers. Keep writing. Keep at it. Someone, somewhere NEEDS your book right now…they need an escape!
The Future of Publishing
I would have embedded this video but sometimes the screens ends up so big that it bleeds over into my menus.
I thought it very important to post this though and I think you will agree, reader or writer because it explains what will be come of the publishing industries that are crumbling.
Its a positive video though so you will be very surprised I am sure. The Agent explains the importance of BLOGS, Ereaders, Ebooks and how buying a book from your local book stores will change.
So for readers, I say watch it so that you have some idea of how things will change (for the better) for you.
For writers, I say watch it so you know where your profession is heading and that you are given some hope this Christmas…from me to you.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
‘If the fat lady sings then we will just stuff a cork in her cuz it ain’t over until we are damn good and ready!’
C.H. Scarlett
What we will do to make ‘Christmas’
Does anyone remember the Little House on the Prairie episode where Charles hocks his fiddle in order to buy his wife some sort of hair clips and she cuts her hair and sells it in order to buy him something for his fiddle? Maybe that’s how the story went, if not, you get the point and in case you don’t I am pretty sure it borders on sacrificing so that you can make someone else’s Christmas. The season of giving and all of that.
Despite the TV show, it seems that, that very spirit still exists. Today in the news I found an article which touched me greatly and reminded me how very hard people are struggling not only in the economy but for Christmas as well.
~~~~
CNN:
Unusual — and legal — ways to make money
Desiré Henriksen feared that there would be no Christmas for her two boys. She had lost her job at Denny’s, where she worked the graveyard shift. Her fiancé, who works as a glazier, was having a hard time finding regular work. And the couple fell behind on the mortgage last month.
So Henriksen, of Phoenix, Arizona, cut her hair and sold it on the Internet to a hair trader in the Netherlands.
“Everyone was telling me how beautiful my hair was,” the 27-year-old said. Her friends suggested that she sell it.
“I thought, ‘Why not? I’ll check it out,’ ” she said.
“We’re trying to keep our place here,” she said. “We don’t want to become like people right now who are losing their homes.”
With the economy squeezing the budgets of more Americans, some people are looking for creative ways to pay their monthly bills. Selling hair on the Internet is just one of those unusual methods.
“We’ve seen about a 20 percent increase in the last four months,” said Jacalyn Elise, co-founder of TheHairTrader.com, referring to the number of ads offering hair for sale posted on her site. “These days, some people are just in need of money.”
Henriksen was paid $1,200 for 27 inches of her tresses. But most hair is sold for about $300 to $900, says Marlys Fladeland of Hairwork.com. The hair is used to make wigs or hair extensions or is used in artwork.
The longer the hair, the more it is worth. Untreated hair is also likely to fetch a higher price, Elise says.
For Henriksen, cutting her hair was always in the cards. But she had planned to give it to a nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces for children who lost their hair after cancer treatments.
“Initially, I had grown my hair out to donate to Locks of Love in memory of my mother, who passed away from cancer last year. I was going to try to give back to people who didn’t have any hair. But it didn’t work out that way. Instead, I got my kids Christmas [gifts],” she said.
In addition to buying presents for her 10-year-old son and 3-year-old stepson, Henriksen paid off the overdue mortgage bill.
She was so pleased with how easy her hairy business deal was, she says she’s planning on growing her hair out again and selling it on TheHairTrader.com to help pay for her wedding.
A professional lab rat
Others are taking more drastic measures, becoming medical guinea pigs.
Paul Clough, 30, fell on hard times five years ago. A homeless man suggested that Clough take part in medical clinical trials, and now it’s his full-time gig.
Clough estimates that he brought in $28,000 this year by participating in seven medical trials, having his blood taken 500 times and ingesting about a dozen medications.
The Austin, Texas, resident has tested everything from cholesterol-lowering drugs to hepatitis C and HIV treatments. He even set up a Web site, Just Another Lab Rat, which explains how and where to volunteer.
Clinical research requires testing drugs on volunteers to determine whether the drug is appropriate for the market. The test subjects may be required to stay at a clinic or may have to visit the clinic a few times. Depending on the clinic and the trials they participate in, they may be paid $50 to $5,000 each time. Trials can last 10 days to a month.
Safety concerns include side effects or drug reactions, but for many volunteers, the payout outweighs the risks.
“Some people live study-to-study,” Clough said. “They have immediate bills to take care of. And a lot of times, when people don’t get into the study, they are concerned about how to pay those bills. They don’t know what they’re going to do.”
“Five years ago, it was mostly students,” he said. But today, he sees “Realtors, taxi drivers. … It’s any walk of life you can think of.”
Your personal gold mine
Jeweler Les Harrell of Littleton, Colorado, struck gold when he had the idea to give people cash for their gold — at parties.
It started out as a fundraising event. But seven months later, he has a Web site, Gold Exchange. He’s hired three employees, and he’s throwing gold parties seven days a week.
Friends and neighbors assemble to swap gossip, have drinks and get their jewelry appraised. Harrell pays cash on the spot for folks willing to hand over their gold. Later, he sells it on the market. He has operations in Colorado, New York and California.
Deanna Molinaro was skeptical when she was invited to one of Harrell’s gold parties this summer. But the Denver, Colorado, resident changed her mind after walking away with $700 for a wad of tangled gold bracelets, a herringbone necklace and some mismatched earrings.
“I was floored,” she said, when she first heard about the cash. “I made a lot of money on things that were lying around in my jewelry box for 20 years.”
Harrell says he typically pays $5,000 per party, not including the cut the hostess makes and the referral fee. And it’s not always jewelry he’s appraising.
“I’ve seen it all,” he said. “Grandma’s old dinosaur ring, gold teeth. I buy a lot of gold teeth, class rings.”
One item he remembers fondly: Uncle Louie’s bridge. “It weighed almost 2 ounces,” he said with a hint of amusement.
People have, on average, about $300 worth of gold just lying around, Harrell says, and liquidating that hidden treasure can help them balance the family budget.
Harrell’s parties were initially geared toward the upper class, but his clientele is changing. “What was fun money becomes, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is a big help,’ ” he said.
In reality, a drawer full of costume jewelry, broken chains, errant earring backs and muddled memories may turn out to be next month’s heating bill.
One woman, living alone on Social Security, recently turned over a shoebox full of jewelry to Harrell to see what, if anything, she could get for it.
“She really didn’t know what was real or not,” related Molinaro, who helped with the transaction. But she cleaned out everything she had. In the end, her shoebox was worth $350.
“She was so excited to get it,” Molinaro said. “I got a big hug out of her for it, too.”
~~~
You have to admire personal sacrifice and possibly, if your sentimental like me, go for the Kleenex. You also have to admire the spirit these people have and determination to survive.
C.H. Scarlett
Behind Publishing’s Wednesday of the Long Knives
As the publishing industry reels the day after announcements of layoffs by major publishers, you can expect lots of ink to be spilled about the underlying reasons. I doubt if they will drill down to what’s really at the heart of these upheavals.
I’m going to ask you to read my comments twice. When you get to the end you’ll understand why.
Richard Curtis
********************
The American trade book industry is undergoing the most serious recession in its history, and though it has rebounded from other down cycles in the past, anyone who thinks it will return to boom times is living in a fool’s paradise.
Trade book publishing has been in decline since the end of World War II. Industry boosters cite increased sales volume over that period to support the view that all is well, but much of the growth can be attributed to normal population increases and inflation. For the real story, one has but to look at the long roll call of publishers that have been forced to sell themselves to conglomerates, merge with larger publishing houses, or go out of business entirely. I am not speaking about mom-and-pop publishers operating on a shoestring; I’m referring to giants like Simon and Schuster, Doubleday, Bantam, Putnam, Macmillan, Scribner, Penguin, St. Martin’s Press, and Harper and Row. Today, we are left with only seven or eight major trade book combines. Presumably, in this publisher-eat-publisher jungle, these survivors are the fittest. But are they any healthier than the weaklings they acquired?
To read more of this article
Recent Comments