The stars say, “I was.” /
Their light a flowing echo /
of distant moments.
Filed under Haiku to You Thursday, poetry by author
Whitley Abell
Whitley is primarily interested in Young Adult, Middle Grade, and select Upmarket Women’s fiction. She likes characters who are relatable yet flawed, hooks that offer new points of view and exciting adventures, vibrant settings that become active characters in their own right, and a story that sticks with the reader long after turning the last page, be it contemporary or historical, realistic or supernatural, tragic or quirky.
Details and how to contact at: http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/new-literary-agent-alert-whitley-abell-of-inklings-literary?et_mid=680502&rid=239626420
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Alexander Slater
Alexander is interested in children’s, middle grade, and young adult fiction and nonfiction, from new and established authors. As he says, “I’m looking for projects that will rise above the rest…characters you’ll remember well past childhood…books that translate well to film because within them contain incredible stories, not because they’re the latest trend.” He particularly loves authors like Frank Portman, Jim Shepard, Jenny Han, and Rainbow Rowell.
Details and how to contact at: http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/new-literary-agent-alert-alexander-slater-of-trident-media-group?et_mid=680502&rid=239626420
Filed under writing tip, Writing Tip Wednesday, writing tips
The Daily Epic » NASA Probes Record Sounds In Space – And It’s Terrifying..
Despite what you’ve heard, there are actual sounds in space.
Due to the virtual vacuum in space, it’s not sound like you and I experience it (that being waves pulsing through the air), but there are electromagnetic waves that pulsate at the same wavelength as the sound waves we can hear.
Instruments on several NASA probes including Voyager have recorded these waves and translated them into a sound that we can hear, and they are all kinds of spooky. This is the kind of thing you hear in a movie just before someone opens a door in a dark hallway.
So, take a listen to the true nature of the solar system. And sleep tight.
Video at: http://www.thedailyepic.com/nasa-probes-record-sounds-in-space-and-its-terrifying/
Filed under NASA
There is a draft — stoked by the flames of indignation.
Filed under cartoon by author, CarToonsday
Q.: What did the French zombie waiter say to his customers?
A.: “Brain appetite.”
A zombie went to a zombie doctor for his yearly checkup. The doctor asked him what he had been eating lately.
The zombie said, “Writer’s brains.”
The zombie doctor told him to quit before he got “Clogged authories.”
Filed under Monday morning writing joke
Big Publishing is the Problem | Hugh Howey.
A few weeks ago, I speculated that Hachette might be fighting Amazon for the power to price e-books where they saw fit, or what is known as Agency pricing. That speculation was confirmed this week in a slide from Hachette’s presentation to investors:
So, no more need to speculate over what this kerfuffle is about. Hachette is strong-arming Amazon and harming its authors because they want to dictate price to a retailer, something not done practically anywhere else in the goods market. It’s something US publishers don’t even do to brick and mortar booksellers. It’s just something they want to be able to do to Amazon.
The biggest problem with Hachette’s strategy is that Hachette knows absolutely nothing about retail pricing. That’s not their job. It’s not their area of expertise. They don’t sell enough product direct to consumers to understand what price will maximize their earnings. Amazon, B&N, Kobo, and Apple have that data, not Hachette.
Beyond their ignorance of pricing strategy, Hachette also has a strong bias toward print books. Their existing relationships with major brick and mortar retailers gets in the way of their e-book pricing. This has been confirmed by my own publishers, who have admitted privately that they would like to experiment with digital pricing but don’t want to upset print book retailers. This puts their pricing strategy at odds with their investors’ needs, their authors’ needs, even their own profitability. In sum, they are making irrational decisions with their pricing philosophy. Hachette is making the same mistake that many publishers make, which is to think that harming Amazon somehow helps themselves.
The same presentation by Hachette to investors stressed the importance of DRM and
The rest of the article at: http://www.hughhowey.com/big-publishing-is-the-problem/
Filed under publishers, publishing, publishing news
The blathering idiot opened his front door. On the other side was Lydia and … and the consultant. The consultant was in front.
“May we come in?” the consultant asked, but was inside before he finished the question.
Lydia followed him in.
“Is your child home today?” the consultant asked.
“Child?”
“Your daughter?”
“I don’t have a daughter.”
“Xenia,” Lydia said.
“She is not my daughter,” the blathering idiot said. “It would be nice if she were, but she is my ex-girlfriend’s daughter.”
Pro-Accordion Party strikes again.
“Oh … that’s most unfortunate,” the consultant said.
“I agree,” the blathering idiot said. He missed Xenia very much. Maybe even more than his ex-girlfriend.
“Can you get another?”
“Another?”
“Daughter.”
“I guess. But I might have to get another girlfriend first. That might take some time.” The blathering idiot had not had a date in … he couldn’t remember. It had been even longer since he had had any intimacy.
“We don’t have time.” The consultant’s high forehead was covered in sweat.
The blathering idiot wondered if it had started raining. He glanced up at his ceiling: no leak.
“Let me try,” Lydia said, stepping forward.
They were all still standing inside the blathering idiot’s front door.
Lydia was as blond and as pretty as the blathering idiot remembered.
“It’s like this,” Lydia said. “The Pro-Accordion Party is gearing up for another run at the highest office in the land. We realized from the last time that one of our biggest mistakes was not starting early enough. My friend here did some polling and he found that a candidate with a daughter polled better than one without a daughter. So we were hoping you would still be interested in running and that your ex-girlfriend’s daughter would be interested in accompanying you.”
“You have a daughter,” the blathering idiot said.
“Yes she does,” the consultant said. “And she could loan her to you for the campaign.”
“My daughter is not fodder for this campaign!” Lydia said.
“We all must make sacrifices,” the consultant said.
“I sacrifice enough for Pro-Accordion Party.”
“My wife told me it was either my career or my marriage … and here I am.” He threw his arms open wide.
“Not my daughter,” Lydia said again. A tear trickled down her cheek.
The consultant put his arm around her. “We’ll talk.” He looked over at the blathering idiot. “If, you’ll excuse us for now.”
The blathering idiot opened the front door and they left.
As they walked down the steps from his porch, the blathering idiot signed and hoped it meant he would see Lydia again. Maybe even for a date.
Filed under blathering idiot, Story by author
Introducing … the Pistol Pump.
The Pistol Pump. For the gal on the go. For the gam on the lamb.
Ladies, make ’em turn their heads.
Ladies, make him ask himself: “Is she really packing heat, or is she just aiming to see me?”
Kneel in church and the guy behind you will be all fired up.
Ladies, watch the sparks fly when you take to the dance floor in these pumps.
Safety straps extra.
Repeating models not available available in all states. Check your local laws.
A new product brought to you by: Heel fire and dance nation.
Filed under Photo Finish Friday
Each raindrop touches /
one moment of forgotten /
pain on the window.
Filed under Haiku to You Thursday, poetry by author
Glimmer Train’s Very Short Fiction Award
Glimmer Train
Deadline: July 31, 2014
2nd place wins $500, or, if chosen for publication, $700.
3rd place wins $300, or, if chosen for publication, $700.
Details at: http://www.glimmertrainpress.com/writer/html/index2.asp
Filed under writing tip, Writing Tip Wednesday, writing tips
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