tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29653555414461955132024-02-19T00:13:01.311-05:00Mocha Memoirs PressOffering new flavors in fiction!Laurel Cremanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15843349903450056607noreply@blogger.comBlogger373125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-84674900913396660102017-12-06T18:00:00.000-05:002017-12-06T18:00:01.727-05:00Keeping the faith. Or, not.As writers, we all have to deal with editorial rejection. That's what you sign on for. It can hurt, of course. Sometimes, you can use the criticism you receive from a rejection to improve your work, or if you're extremely lucky, your style as a writer.<br />
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Sometimes, you can't. And, those are the rejections that can make you question yourself as a writer. Even after many acceptances and publications, you can encounter a rejection that makes you question whether you have the ability you thought you did.<br />
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You can labor at developing a character, pour your heart and soul into that character, feel that character's pain, sweat blood at trying to make yourself and your audience feel what that character feels, see the world through his eyes, and then be told by an editor that the characters in that story are more stereotype than flesh and blood.<br />
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That's not easy to recover from. It's one thing to be told you don't know anything about the technical aspects of a topic you're writing about. That can be dealt with through more extensive research, or simply by avoiding the topic. But, how do you react when someone calls the work you labored and struggled over "pulpy and stylized?" You can try to improve as a writer, but there are some insights and abilities that can't be learned. If you doubt you have those basic abilities, what good are you as a writer?<br />
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We write because we have to. At least, I do. All you can do is go on. I know I'm not trying to be "stylized." It might just happen. Sometimes, you re-discover the wheel. I suppose all you can do is stay true to yourself and always ask yourself if you're making a genuine attempt to breathe life into a character - even if it's a blind stab in the dark - or, if you're unconsciously reacting to something you've heard or assumed. Something superficial and empty.<br />
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Mainly, the question is whether you can stay true to the leap of faith you took when you first took up the pen. As I said, you have no choice. You have to set sail. But, the scary part is not really knowing if you're following a true course, or just kidding yourself and steering into the abyss. Oh, the joys of writing.<br />
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On to the next editor...Tom Olberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05816824395647735536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-80737550181389923352017-08-06T18:00:00.000-04:002017-08-06T18:00:19.240-04:00Writer's Threads...A great way to connect with other science fiction writers, to offer and gain critiques of writing style, promote and learn about upcoming projects and venues, is to join a writer's thread.<br />
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A thread in which I've participated for a while now is the monthly Science Fiction Microstory Contest, currently accessible on Goodreads:<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/18769923-august-2017-microstory-contest---stories-only">https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/18769923-august-2017-microstory-contest---stories-only</a><br />
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Each month, participants submit short - short stories of 750 words or less. Critiques and comments can be posted on accompanying sections. At month's end, all participants vote on which story is their favorite. The winner of the contest gets to choose the theme and required elements for the following month. This month's theme is: Alien Invasion.<br />
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It's a fun and constructive way to interact with other writers and sharpen one's own writing skill through critiques and discussion. It's a great and diverse group. <br />
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Though right now, we could use some new participants. Some of the female writers have noted the largely male membership tends to lean towards stories of the "hard", technical variety, seldom voting for the more "fluid", psychological or "unconventional" stories. The thread could definitely benefit from more participants, especially female writers.<br />
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I hope some of you will stop by, time permitting. I think you'd find it an enjoyable and beneficial experience. I have.Tom Olberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05816824395647735536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-25248933310654381172017-06-06T18:00:00.000-04:002017-06-06T18:00:04.553-04:00A heroine for today...The fantasy heroine Wonder Woman has held a deep meaning for audiences since the character's first appearance in comic book form in the dark days of World War II. Over the decades, the character generated controversy, a patriarchal society feeling threatened by what the character represented, finding the need to soften, to weaken and enfeeble the character, stripping her of her powers. Feminists protested outside the offices of comic book publishers, demanding the Amazon princess be restored to her former glory, and they won. But, even after that, the character was largely neglected for years.<br />
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She has been brought to life on the small screen, albeit in the glossy superficial format of the 70's. Now, she's born anew on the big screen, a version of the iconic super heroine who many seem to hope will become a badly needed symbol of feminine empowerment for young girls in an age when they desperately need to be empowered. They were denied the presidency. By a reactionary misogynist, at that. Hope has to come from somewhere.<br />
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The big screen debut of Wonder Woman was quite a visual spectacle. She's been pushed back in time one world war. We've grown accustomed over the years to seeing her fight Nazis, everybody's favorite villains. But now, she's fighting the Kaiser's men. The familiar scene where Steve Trevor's plane crashes near Paradise Island, ancient home of the Amazons, is followed by a spectacular battle scene in which the fierce feminine warriors match superior strength, skill and ferocity against the modern weapons of the male-dominated world. The scene, brutal, visceral, and beautiful in its way, as well as tragic, is easily interpreted as a starkly symbolic depiction of the battle of the sexes in its purest possible form. But, it is marvelously interwoven with the first meeting between the title character and her future lover, the heroic pilot who is the first man she has ever met. He is the source of Princess Diana's rebellion against her mother, the Amazon queen. The queen warns her daughter that men are not worth saving, but Diana, inspired by Trevor's courage and idealism...and, perhaps by her own almost child-like wonder and curiosity, and secret longing for him...insists all she has to do is kill Ares, God of War to free mankind from the tyranny of war.<br />
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Of course, she is proved tragically wrong. Her voyage into the world of men is one that begins with gentle comedy relief, which barely mentions the suffrage movement, as she experiences the tyranny of corsets and dresses, and men who refuse to listen to her opinions. From there, it steers into increasingly dark territory, the horrors of war and slavery becoming increasingly apparent. Diana is morally outraged that the male rulers of this world would sacrifice countless innocent lives in the name of political convenience. The message is one of soul-searching idealism which crosses all the lines. Hardly a feminist message in its purest form, as Diana embarks on a forbidden mission behind enemy lines in the company of a colorful and motley crew of men under Steve Trevor's leadership. Trevor is a quietly tortured young man, unsure of himself and desperate to do some good in a darkened world. His philosophy is simple. "My dad taught me you either do something, or you do nothing. I've already tried nothing." From his ethnically assorted comrades, Diana learns the cruel history of man's inhumanity to man, the scars of racism and slavery reflected in every face she sees.<br />
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In the hellish trenches, innocent victims reach out to her, begging for help for their stricken villages, but she is told by Trevor that the mission must come first. The heroine is best presented here, I thought when she charges headlong into no man's land, her shield and gauntlets her only defense against withering machine gun fire. Her lone stand inspires Trevor and the others and they follow her into battle. The message is one of uncompromising love taking a warrior's shape. The battle scene is followed by an innocent encounter between Diana and Trevor in a hotel room, her warrior's prowess of the scene before parting to reveal an innocence and vulnerability that cries out for love among the carnage.<br />
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The film culminates in the eternal struggle between cosmic forces embodied in Wonder Woman vs. her arch nemesis Ares, God of War, enemy of humanity. Their fierce and titanic battle on its face seems symbolic of the war of the sexes, but there's a wider meaning too. Ares is revealed to be Diana's brother. He tempts her with offerings of despair. "Humanity is not worth saving," he tells her. "I didn't make them like this. They do it to themselves." Shattered and disillusioned, she confronts Trevor, and he stands as the accused representative of all mankind.<br />
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He pretty much pleads guilty, but tells her it doesn't justify giving up. "It's not about what people deserve," he tells her. "It's about what you believe." Trevor's martyrdom is the birth-cry of her awakening. She is tempted to lash out and kill the warmongering humans a part of her wants to destroy, but she resists the temptation, realizing that Trevor was right. It's about what she believes. And, she believes in love.<br />
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A century later, when she returns to the world of mankind she had long ago forsaken, she looks back with sorrow and wisdom at that turning point in her life and renews her mission to save the world, whether it deserves it or not. She is indeed a heroine for us all. Not so much consumed in egocentric self-pity (as Batman and Superman nowadays seem to be) but turning her pain outward to try to help others. In some ways, the plight of women through the centuries, perhaps. But, she embodies courage as well as love. And, God knows we all need both right now. Tom Olberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05816824395647735536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-13363569210223902882017-05-01T20:31:00.000-04:002017-05-01T20:31:42.953-04:00It's the First of May....<i>It's May, it's May...the lusty month of May...</i><br />
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It isn't May Day without Guinevere singing "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg4YrOlAkds" target="">The Lusty Month of May</a>." (Of course, the Tysche side of me likes the NSFW tribute by Jonathon Coulton "First of May." And I DO mean NSFW. If you have small children around or an aversion to the word f**k DO NOT click <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCbD8nsxcd8" target="">this link</a>. You have been warned.)<br />
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But what is it about May Day that inspires all these "wicked little thoughts"?<br />
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It is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day" target="">time of celebration</a>, that originally had a pagan significance as the First Day of Summer. It was celebrated by such festivities as the crowning of the May Queen and dancing around the Maypole.<br />
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Now most often relegated to the grounds of a Renaissance festival in the States, it is still actively celebrated in many European countries.<br />
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May Day was chosen as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Workers%27_Day" target="">International Workers' Day</a> in 1886, to commemorate the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haymarket_affair">Haymarket Affair</a> in Chicago.<br />
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It's a great time get down to business and be a little naughty -- read some of the great stories in Mocha's store, like <a href="http://mochamemoirspress.com/beauty-the-geek-princess-and-the-professor/">Beauty and the Geek: The Princess and the Professor</a> or <a href="http://mochamemoirspress.com/c-a-k-e-the-complete-series/">C.A.K.E. The Complete Series</a>.<br />
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And that's it for me this month. Happy May Day!Rie Sheridan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03991263697418287223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-39795056580866565392017-04-06T18:00:00.000-04:002017-04-06T18:00:21.241-04:00The Challenge of Allegory<br />
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A writer always wants to put himself or herself into a story; writing is, after all, an expression of oneself. One's fantasies, demons, dreams, or opinions. Sometimes, that means a story will reflect your emotional or moral reaction to the real world around you, whether intentionally or not.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS14P1hrA7wdSB9-pTWnf0NAaO8YuAaKpKmznXXV9Ka_eA0gBpb_bY8GjDPYiBu3e51mUZQO1QgNzeNidy5VIzNN2LbzSFYEf6qYyHh6SaHCzMAxi16j3HQYr9KFsBWO-IlKyalPV5Ngem/s1600/BlackGoddess_72dpi+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS14P1hrA7wdSB9-pTWnf0NAaO8YuAaKpKmznXXV9Ka_eA0gBpb_bY8GjDPYiBu3e51mUZQO1QgNzeNidy5VIzNN2LbzSFYEf6qYyHh6SaHCzMAxi16j3HQYr9KFsBWO-IlKyalPV5Ngem/s400/BlackGoddess_72dpi+%25281%2529.jpg" width="266" /></a>Sometimes, allegorical representations of current events and people in fiction is blatantly obvious to the reader. Take Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" for example. Though now a classic in childhood fantasy adventure, its original allegorical meaning lost to time, Carroll's contemporary audience had no trouble seeing through his allegorical references and all-too-obvious symbolism. That didn't make his work any less enjoyable, though.<br />
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We all know the challenge of allegory: not to sound preachy or self-righteous. Above all, not to sacrifice literary quality or entertainment value for the sake of getting your point across. The best allegory is the kind that slips under the reader's defenses, delivering a message without letting the reader know it. Until its too late for the reader to shut it out. That's the game between writer and reader.<br />
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Sometimes, if a story is exceptionally good, a reader might even forgive the most blatantly obvious political or social metaphor. Everyone knew exactly what the writers had in mind when the classic "Star Trek" episode "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" aired about a year after the Watts riots. Two men, one a policeman, the other a radical, who despised each other with a flaming passion, simply because their half-white, half-black skin coloring was reversed. A stark and obvious symbolic representation of the absurdity of racism. It worked because it was so obvious, and so direct, building through passionate hatred and all-too-familiar scenes to its inevitable and tragic end. Sometimes honesty can work more effectively than cleverness in reaching an audience.<br />
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The most important thing, I believe is to be honest with yourself. If you've got something inside you that's screaming to get out, then let it out, no matter what. Then, find a way to tame the beast so it can reach an audience. I've approached issues that I felt strongly about through fiction. Sometimes an editor will reject such a story, saying it "drowns in the politics." And, others will accept it, focusing on the texture of the story itself. As with anything else, it pretty much depends on what the reader wants to see.<br />
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Odds are you're not going to convert anybody to your way of thinking. But, if you can effectively convey your opinion ... more importantly, your passion about an issue... and keep the reader entertained at the same time, even if he disagrees with you, then you've beat the challenge.Tom Olberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05816824395647735536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-2201301513992479662017-02-06T18:00:00.000-05:002017-02-06T18:00:07.529-05:00The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes"Curious Incidents: More Improbable Adventures", Mocha's long awaited second volume of Sherlock Holmes paranormal fiction has arrived, and I'm proud to say I am one of the contributing authors.<br />
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The theme of this volume places Holmes in environments other than his native Victorian England. The authors approached this from a number of angles. I've only had the pleasure of reading the first three stories of the anthology so far:<br />
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"The Case of the Tainted Blood" by Liese Sherwood-Fabre<br />
"The Case of the Burning Man" by Lucy Blue<br />
"He-Who-Knows" by Derrick Belanger<br />
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I enjoyed them all immensely and look forward to reading the rest of the anthology. The three authors used very different and extremely imaginative visions of alternate reality to depict alternate versions of Holmes and Watson in different time periods or historically alternate versions of their own time period.<br />
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Liese Sherwood-Fabre depicts Holmes and Watson as vampires in an alternate 19th century in which the world suffers a vampire apocalypse. I loved it. Vampiric Holmes was still Holmes, bored out of his wits and contemplating suicide for lack of crimes to solve. In a world of the undead, murder and robbery are things of the past. Holmes finds a challenge to test his razor sharp investigative skill in a plot involving humans killing vampires. Holmes, that paragon of goodness now finds himself on the side of darkness, working against the cause of humanity. But, his characteristic attention to detail remains undiminished by his altered circumstances. A problem is a problem, and Holmes finds the chase as addictive as he now finds blood. A mixture of an intriguing case with a supremely bizarre premise and delightfully quirky characters makes this one a gem.<br />
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Lucy Blue takes it a bit further by introducing Holmes and Watson to each other in another sort of alternate reality: a 1950's Micky Spillane-type urban noir involving a brutal murder, a knock-out of a doll spilling her guts (literally and figuratively) on a dark, rainy night. A case involving a WWII mystery from Holmes' past, an old enemy with apparently dark mystical powers, a secret coven of white witches and a mystery surrounding a rich dame with plenty to hide. Watson is black. Holmes has a secret of his own. Bigotry in all its forms and evil in its purest form are dealt with in a fast paced, tightly plotted mystery which pits Holmes' intellect against a supernatural menace the existence of which his stubbornly rational mind refuses to accept. It was an incredibly enjoyable ride.<br />
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Derrick Belanger's approach was the least conventional of all. Holmes is not Holmes and Watson is not Watson, at least not by name. They are rather wise men, shamans of sorts in an aboriginal stone-age world which is afflicted by a mysterious monster that no one understands. No one but the wise man He-Who-Knows. His name doesn't have to be Holmes for us to know who he is. His keen logic and deductive wit is his calling card. It seems every era needs a Sherlock Holmes. He takes whatever form is needed.<br />
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I rather took the easier route. I used the original, unmodified Holmes and Watson and simply transplanted them bodily from the familiar surroundings of 221 B Baker street into a wild ride through future time periods in the company of a time traveler. Rather than creating a modified Holmes who was at home in his alternate universe, I wanted to see the old familiar Sherlock trying to cope with unfamiliar surroundings and adapting his deductive methodology to alien worlds. I had fun with it because it had the spirit of adventure to it; like Jules Verne, a ride into the otherworldly and unfamiliar. Watson provided the wide-eyed wonder and child-like curiosity, while Holmes, as always, coolly and unerringly mapped his path through his new world.<br />
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The other entries I mentioned delved more into the inner space of the mystery that is Holmes himself. His human weaknesses, his flaws, his hidden vulnerabilities. Mine was more a straight-forward adventure story. It may have lacked the daring of the others, as I was focusing more on concept than character, I'll admit. In my own defense, I may feel inclined to treat another author's character (especially one as immortal as Holmes) with kid gloves, hesitant to speculate about or tamper with the familiar defining features of the character. Mainly, I was just enjoying myself immensely. I only hope I've provided as much reading pleasure for others as I found in the other stories I've mentioned here.Tom Olberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05816824395647735536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-43466780038091617722017-02-06T13:26:00.000-05:002017-02-06T13:26:10.850-05:00Support Your Small Presses!Most of us here at Mocha Memoirs write for multiple small presses. There are many reasons to choose the quirky, independent atmosphere of a small press where the author is treated like a member of a family rather than a number on a ledger sheet, but it is also harder to make a living here.<br />
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And it can be disheartening -- I received royalty notification from one publisher of a penny for six months sales.<br />
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Or scary -- another publisher I know received word over the weekend that Amazon was closing their Kindle account and would not pay out anything for the last quarter of 2016. After some tense hours, it was resolved as an error on Amazon's part, but, as you can imagine, the authors were very worried.<br />
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Why am I telling you all this? So you can see that this business is a very fragile one. One of the biggest third-party sales sites went under in December with little warning and very little recompense.<br />
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Two days after I released my latest self-publishing project I had to send two DMCA letters to pirate sites. TWO DAYS. I wonder if they had more downloads than the two I've sold on Kindle...well, three, if you count the one I bought myself.<br />
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My point here is this. If you love the work of your favorite small press author, show them. Buy our books from the small presses who take the chance to publish them. We will all appreciate your support.Rie Sheridan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03991263697418287223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-33815897812651371852016-12-07T13:17:00.000-05:002016-12-07T13:19:44.326-05:00Revisiting the Making of a Goal SandwichLast December, I did a <a href="https://www.toastmasters.org/">Toastmasters</a> speech about setting goals, and I thought, as the year winds down to a conclusion--and won't we be glad to see the back of it?--that I would reprise <a href="http://mochamemoirspress.blogspot.com/2015/12/its-december-lets-talk-about-goals.html">this entry</a> from last year and expand upon it a little.<br />
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To recap that post, a goal has three parts, and those parts can be equated to the making a sandwich.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">First, you set a goal</span></b>. This is equivalent to deciding you are hungry and NEED a sandwich.<br />
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Now, you may not NEED to set a goal, but if you WANT to focus your efforts, it is where you start. You can see from that earlier post that my goal in 2015 was to submit something everyday for the year. In 2016, it was to make $5000.<br />
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Your goal can be simpler: write 100 words a day; submit to 5 new markets; find a writing group.<br />
Or, it can be even more ambitious: get a New York publishing contract; land an agent; write 5000 words a day.<br />
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The important thing is to set a goal in the first place.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Secondly, you work to make that goal happen</span></b>. Make the sandwich.<br />
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It was hard work to make that submission a day goal a reality--but I did it. In fact, I actually made over 400 submissions that year. Some days, it was a tiny submission--like a haiku sent to <a href="http://www.haikuniverse.com/">Haikuniverse</a>. Some days it was a novel. The important thing was to submit something.<br />
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Getting to $5000 this year...didn't happen. But I got to over $2700...which was over a thousand more than my best year since I started keeping track.<br />
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Pushing for a goal helps you focus. It can increase your output. It gives you an amazing sense of accomplishment as you hit milestones. And, even if you don't reach the goal--working toward it makes you feel in control of your work.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">The third section of the process is to reward success</span></b>--eat the sandwich.<br />
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This is not a step you can skip. If you don't reward a successful goal's completion, you have given yourself no incentive to set another goal. However, make sure that your reward doesn't sabotage your NEXT goal.<br />
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For example, when I completed the submission a day goal, my reward was a few days off...and that really destroyed the goal to submit one thing a week that I made this year.<br />
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And, don't beat yourself up if you don't complete a goal. No, I didn't make my goals this year. However, I worked probably harder than ever to sell more books at conventions, to find new shows to sell at, to submit to higher paying markets. And next year, I will try again.<br />
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If you don't make your goals, adjust the next year. Build on what works. Re-evaluate what doesn't. Next year, I will be trying to write a piece a day--this is building on the submission a day goal of 2015. I will be shooting for $3500 in revenue. Still more than I made this year, but a more realistic advance on 2016's figures.<br />
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What are your goals? How will you accomplish them? I'd love to hear from you. :)Rie Sheridan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03991263697418287223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-22949863561089222572016-12-06T18:00:00.000-05:002016-12-06T18:00:19.187-05:00Movie Review -- "Arrival"The science fiction film "Arrival" has been promoted as "a movie about alien visitors for people who don't like movies about alien visitors." Put another way, it's a science fiction movie which connects on a human level (or, at least aspires to.)<br />
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Speaking as a writer of the paranormal genre, I hope for a time when science fiction gains not only the respect of the general public but a means of connection with people who may not be science-minded or given to flights of fancy. Science fiction is largely dismissed as the realm of the outsider, the "geek," the "nerd", the "loser." Largely because it offers no connection with human life and drama; only with dreams and speculations which connect mainly with our child-like wonder. Something which (sadly) we're expected to grow out of.<br />
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But, "Arrival" is a science fiction film for adults. (In fact, speaking as a Boston resident, it was the only science fiction film I can recall being run at Kendall Square, a cinema that generally runs only art films.) The point of view character is a linguist named Louise Banks, played with a marvelously human combination of strength and vulnerability by Amy Adams. She is a mother raising a daughter. Years slip by in a heartbeat. We see glimpses of the child telling her mother she loves her. The teenager yelling at her mother that she hates her. And, the heart-rending tragedy of the mother at her daughter's deathbed. Life presented as a misty, dream-like vignette which introduces us to a character we care about.<br />
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And then, the familiar, the tragic, the human comes into direct contact with something outside human experience. Extraterrestrial visitation. Huge, enigmatic objects from space set down all over the world. No one can guess at their intentions, but of course the world is on hair-trigger alert. Each nation sets up a team of translators to approach the seemingly impossible task of learning to communicate with a non-human intelligence. And, ironically, at the very time when the nations of humanity should be talking to each other and comparing notes, the nations instead stop talking to each other altogether. Instead of a collaboration that unites the world, the first alien encounter becomes a race to see which nations can get the aliens to cough up superior weapons technology first. Meanwhile, the radio and TV shock jocks are criticizing the American president for not making a show of military strength. It's all sadly familiar. A dark look at human nature. The theme is of course communication, or the lack thereof. And, finding a common point of reference.<br />
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But, the protagonist, Banks, is the redeeming face of humanity. Her quiet strength and gentle but determined hunger for knowledge drives her to try to understand the incomprehensible. She has an academic intellect combined with a mother's patience. It seems almost with love that she tries to make herself understood by beings who are as opaque as they are fearsome. Banks peers out with her big, questing eyes through a viewport at towering, dark beings who, shrouded in white mist resemble a cross between giant squid and uprooted tree trunks. Their language looks like circular squiggles of the type a child would make with finger paints and a mother would pin to a refrigerator. But, Banks must find a deeper meaning in them, all while managing her budding romance with a man on her linguistics team.<br />
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The action is slow, testing the audience's patience and attention, but it is the quiet melancholy of the human drama intermingling with the unknown and the looming threat of Armageddon that holds the audience. The film is about understanding, patience and compassion overcoming fear and animal instinct, but it's also about learning to look at life from a completely unfamiliar perspective. The alien concept of time, it turns out, is circular, rather than linear, as ours is. Reminiscent of Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse Five," this tale offers a holistic, circular view of life that not only manages to endure the tragedy of death and separation, but even to embrace it as a cosmic force that shapes us into who we are. The ending (or, beginning?) is sad and sweet and brings the circle round in a strange and beautiful way. Not a conventional happy ending, to be sure, but one that makes you think, which is what science fiction (good science fiction, that is) is supposed to do. But, this one also makes you feel.<br />
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A story like "Arrival" proves science fiction can come of age as a respectable medium which bridges the gap between the child-like dreamer in all of us with the adult issues of daily life. A story that directly connects the larger philosophical questions with life's accessible texture. Here's hoping we see more of its kind.Tom Olberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05816824395647735536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-54846469365988737422016-11-07T11:36:00.000-05:002016-11-07T11:36:54.966-05:00The Importance of AnthologiesAs I said in my last post, Mocha Memoirs newest anthology release is <a href="http://amzn.to/2eFx6E0">Ghosts, Gears, and Grimoires</a>, a Steampunk horror collection. The new Sherlock Holmes anthology is currently in production. Last year, we produced <a href="http://amzn.to/2ewdJd3">Avast, Ye Airships!</a> and <a href="http://amzn.to/2fvk8tL">An Improbable Truth: The Paranormal Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</a>. Past anthology offerings included <a href="http://amzn.to/2fs9u4m">In the Bloodstream</a> and <a href="http://amzn.to/2ewcz1l">The Grotesquerie</a>.<br />
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Why should you care?<br />
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Many reasons. First of all, an anthology is a brilliant way to see the work of many different authors for a substantially cheaper price than if you bought their longer works without knowing anything about them. Of course, we hope that you will want to see more of their writing, but if someone's style doesn't resonate with you, you have other stories to read.<br />
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Tying in with that, it is a great way to find new favorites. An anthology usually has a mix of authors--some you may follow regularly, and others you may never have heard of. With a small press, you are even more likely to find some unfamiliar names.<br />
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Anthologies usually have a unifying theme or subject matter, which means that you are going to be getting stories that all relate to something you are interested in. Like Airship pirates, or Sherlock Holmes. :)<br />
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It can be a lot of fun to collect the authors' autographs too--though sometimes a challenge, as we have many foreign contributors. Which is another benefit: you get to see varying perspectives when you have authors from around the world.<br />
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Finally, you don't have to invest a great deal of time all at once to reading it. With short stories from different authors, you can pick and choose the order to savor them depending on the time you have to devote to reading at the moment. Anthologies are great for Kindles and other readers when you might be stuck in a waiting room or a long line.<br />
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Search for anthologies on Amazon, and you will be amazed at the variety of offerings. Of course, some may be higher quality than others. In these fast-shifting days of publishing revision, there are many anthologies that have been cobbled together quickly--but even the worst that I have seen have a gem or two in them, and for a reasonable investment.<br />
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And Mocha Memoirs has treasure chests full of carefully-chosen gems for you to enjoy!<br />
<br />Rie Sheridan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03991263697418287223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-66674282621264209162016-11-06T18:00:00.000-05:002016-11-06T18:00:00.932-05:00The Substance of Good and EvilThe substance and nature of good and evil...how to define and recognize each...is a question as old as time. To a writer, especially in the genres of fantasy and larger-than-life melodrama, the question manifests in the design of heroes and villains. What are their core motivations? What drives them? What do they stand for?<br />
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The hero's mission is usually a direct reaction to what the villain does. As in classic mystery, the detective's job is to maintain the status quo of society, which the villain would disrupt. So it was with Sherlock Holmes vs. Professor Moriarty. As it was all the way back to Dante's Inferno. Lucifer, the first villain, was the rebel, the one who rejected authority. His adversary Michael was the loyalist, the one blindly adhering to the established order. Lucifer was driven primarily by selfishness, pride, envy, ambition and perhaps a feeling of abandonment by a father who no longer considered him his favorite son. Michael represented good because he was apparently selfless, blindly following the commands of a higher power. Hmmmm....good offers a blank check, it seems.<br />
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And while I'm still on Dante's Inferno...anyone see "Inferno", the latest film adaptation of the works of "DaVinci Code" author Dan Brown? Tom Hanks is back as another great intellectual investigator, Professor Robert Langdon, racing the apocalyptic clock as he travels through exotic locales, deciphering ancient clues, this time to save the world from an Armageddon virus which would substantially reduce overpopulation on a global scale, killing billions, turning Earth into a real-life Dante's Inferno. The virus is the brainchild of an old familiar type of villain: The mad scientist. The villain who creates the virus is not some mustache-twirling fiend in a black cape, obviously motivated solely by power-lust or cruelty. He is, like Langdon, a brilliant academic who has perceived (not without justification) that humanity is over-populating, polluting and destroying a fragile eco-system. A modern-day plague of biblical proportions is necessary, he reasons, to cull the herd and usher in a bright new day, as the Black Death ushered in the Renaissance. His reasoning seems perfectly sound (as members of the audience jokingly declare as they leave the theater), albeit cold, reducing humanity to a bacterial culture on a microscope slide. False promises the villain uses to deceive his followers? Or, a truth too terrible for most of us in our short-sighted selfishness to face? In fighting to save the world from the pure-hearted fanatical zealots who would kill half the human race, Professor Langdon makes an emotional appeal which is, frankly, less than inspiring. "Kill half the world to save the other half? These are the promises of tyrants." Okay, so humanity is destroying the world? "So, scream, lead, effect change." He says this, but after saving our sorry, polluted world, he goes back to his safe university gig, his life unchanged. Good lacks imagination and commitment, it seems. Evil takes decisive action. To be good is to accept mediocrity.<br />
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As in another contemporary fantasy adventure film, "Dr. Strange." Benedict Cumberbatch (who looks like he was born to play the role) brings the Marvel mystical hero to life in another battle to save the world (such as it is.) This particular hero is interesting in that, unlike many heroes, he isn't static; he changes and grows. From a selfish fop who uses his medical genius to advance his own wealth and glory rather than out of any genuine sense of caring for his patients. An accident leaves his manual dexterity impaired, taking away the source of his fame and glory, destroying his life. He seeks magic only out of a selfish desire to restore what he has lost. His great awakening comes only through learning that there are dangers out there. Great evils. That which would...you guessed it...change the world. This time, the villain, the wizard Kaecilius (played by Mads Mikkelson of Hannibal Lecter fame) seeks not to destroy half the world. Just the opposite. He wants everybody to live forever. The price, however, is free will. To achieve immortality, we must blindly submit to a dark god who would bind us to his uncompromising will. (I guess Kaecilius is Michael, then.)<br />
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Heroes don't always reject change, though. Some heroes are rebels, like Luke Skywalker, making the decision to change the dark status quo of a repressive galactic empire and fighting to overthrow a dictatorial regime. In trying to tempt him, the villain Darth Vader offers him a chance to "restore order to the galaxy." "<em>Your</em> kind of order," Luke scoffs. But then, Darth Vader started out as a rebel, too. He rejected the status quo that required his loved ones die at the hands of common savages. He raged against that status quo, ruthlessly slaughtering his enemies. He craved a stable universe under a strong leader (two days to election time, folks) and his longing for swift, easy answers was his path to darkness. Luke is really trying to restore the old order that the empire had previously supplanted through its own earlier rebellion.<br />
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Every villain starts out by rejecting the status quo, it seems. The villain, in his genesis, rejects what is, insisting he can do better. He may be motivated by envy, arrogance, grief, perhaps even compassion for the suffering of others. He believes, perhaps with the arrogance of a child believing he knows more than his forbears that he can do better than the established order, so he takes what he wants. The American Revolutionaries did that. Women and oppressed minorities have had their own rebellions, from chaining themselves to fences, starving themselves, even blowing things up. At the time, they were (and, are) denounced by advocates of the status quo as the villains of the piece. Later generations recognized them as heroes.<br />
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So, what is the defining criterion? What distinguishes the good rebel from the bad rebel? The stage coach robber in the western, we see as the villain. Robin Hood stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, we see as the hero. It all depends on whether we see the status quo as good or evil, how good or evil, and what lengths we are willing to go to effect change.<br />
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In real life, many may think our world is heading "in the wrong" direction and we may long for change. Even to the point of bombing the s**t out of half the world. I suppose defining our heroes and villains should come down to defining their core values. More often than not, it comes down to perceiving their outward selves in whatever form we need to satisfy our own ill-defined values and desires. Life is a story we're all still writing. But, it's always the later generations who decide who were the villains, and who the heroes. Tom Olberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05816824395647735536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-89853713661115051642016-10-03T11:28:00.000-04:002016-10-03T11:28:55.623-04:00Has It Really Been a Month Already?! -- Endings and BeginningsTime flies when you are having fun...<br />
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It looks like October will be a month of endings and beginnings here at Mocha Memoirs. First of all, if you haven't gotten your story in to Alexandra Christian for the latest <a href="http://mochamemoirspress.com/about/">Sherlock Holmes anthology call</a>, submissions END on October 14th. Time is running out--so if you have been procrastinating...get a move on!<br />
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It will also be the BEGINNING of availability for Ghosts, Gears, and Grimoires, the Steampunk Horror anthology that debuts on October 27th. I can't wait to see the book in print. There are some wickedly awesome stories in it.<br />
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Of course, Halloween is also coming--that is the END of October (and my personal favorite holiday) and marks the BEGINNING of <a href="https://nanowrimo.org/sign_up">National Novel Writing Month</a>. If you have never participated in NaNoWriMo, give it a shot! What have you got to lose? Even if you don't finish, you will have more words than you started with. :)<br />
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The goal is 50,000 words in a month, which is a bit daunting, I know--but that works out to only 1667 words a day to make the goal. That isn't so bad. After all, this post has over 200 words, and look how short it is... It is a lot of fun, and I've gotten at least five or six completed manuscripts from the rough first drafts of November. Who knows? You might be the next discovery for us!Rie Sheridan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03991263697418287223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-54142223157398008242016-09-06T18:00:00.000-04:002016-09-06T18:00:20.651-04:00Being your own editorAccepting a submission call for a story of limited length forces you to be your own editor. You have to discipline yourself in telling the story you want to tell in as few words as possible.<br />
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For me, writing has a purely instinctive stage. I start by just getting out what I want to get out and worry about whittling it down and cleaning it up later. I like to turn the characters loose and let the scenes take on a life of their own.<br />
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But, as you keep one eye on the word count, you realize you have to go back and decide what to sacrifice. How can you convey the same information in fewer words? Which information or character expression is unnecessary? What's the best way to streamline each scene effectively? And, which scenes are completely unnecessary? You start to feel like you're deciding who to push out of the lifeboat. But, then you remind yourself that you'll never improve as a writer unless you learn to cut the flab from your own work and let the story become an instrument to get the point across as effectively as possible.<br />
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You write for yourself, but learning to develop an editorial facility means you're writing for the reader as well. That means getting to the heart of it without sacrificing the soul. Hard sometimes, especially when you're having fun with a story. But, it's like dieting; learn to internalize a regimen and you'll be pleased with the result.Tom Olberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05816824395647735536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-44418856228752532642016-09-05T22:36:00.000-04:002016-09-05T22:36:29.013-04:00Why Do My Posts Always Seem to Land on Holidays?Because the first Monday of the month often is, I suppose...<br />
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It's been a busy time for me this month, and part of that was getting <i>Ghosts, Gears, and Grimoires</i> ready for bed. The manuscript is currently in production's hands. Can't wait to see the final package!<br />
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Putting together an anthology is a labor of love. It is a very fine balance making sure all the stories work together, make the page count, show variety--a thousand other considerations. As both an anthology editor and frequent contributor, I just wanted to remind all our writers out there that an anthology rejection is not always because your story needed more work than we could realistically give it...sometimes, the story is PERFECT--for another anthology. I got so many submissions that were well-written but without a speck of Steampunk. Couldn't use them. They didn't fit the theme of the anthology.<br />
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As a writer, it is your job to read the requirements carefully and make sure that your story meets them. The Pac-Man story wasn't even Victorian...I might have been able to stretch a little, but not that far.<br />
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As an editor, it is my job to think outside the box if there is a quirky story that fits the requirements but might need a little work to polish it up. It is NOT my job to make your story fit the guidelines.<br />
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I love editing anthologies, but I don't see how someone does it all the time. It is exhausting! My hat's off to those who do nothing but anthologies--or even more extraordinary--still manage to make time for their own work as well. I'm a once-a-year anthology editor. At least for the time being. ;)Rie Sheridan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03991263697418287223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-67473506339596856772016-08-06T18:00:00.000-04:002016-08-06T18:00:04.931-04:00He's baaaack...And, here comes the anticipated second volume in Mocha's paranormal exploits of the great Sherlock Holmes: "Curious Incidents: More Improbable Adventures."<br />
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I was very happy to hear about this one and have eagerly started work on my submission, which is about half written. I did find the idea of putting Holmes into alien realms distant from his familiar Victorian environment a bit of a challenge. The atmosphere of 19th century London in many ways seems part of the appeal and workings of Conan Doyle's immortal sleuth. But, as the saying goes, you can take the man out of the fog but you can't...well, you know.<br />
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As a science fiction writer, I have to design characters whose personal qualities, psychology and backstory justify the way they act and react in the hypothetical world in which they exist. But, they're a part of that world, and it a part of them. Transplanting someone else's character into worlds of your own creation is much more of a stretch.<br />
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Especially a character like Holmes, who everyone knows, who has familiar characteristics and personal qualities that are well established and must be honored. So, determining how Sherlock (and, Watson, for that matter) would react to being ripped from their familiar surroundings and thrust into not only unfamiliar but largely incomprehensible events and environments requires careful analysis of the characters. Like any characters, they are shaped by the culture and conditions of their native era and once displaced from it would have to adapt not only to alien viewpoints and mindsets, but to knowledge that might upset their self-defining world views.<br />
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As the POV character, Watson provides the emotional appeal of confusion and distress, his limited 19th century scientific knowledge and Victorian sensibilities placed hopelessly out of their depth. Holmes is always the anchor point because his defining strength has always lain in his ability to extrapolate the truth through logical deduction based on the available facts. In theory, a truth, no matter how outlandish can so be determined through pure intellect. In practice, of course, it's not usually that easy, since the cultural prejudices and assumptions of the observer can cloud his interpretations of the facts in ways even he doesn't suspect. But, the investigative prowess of Sherlock Holmes has in many ways always depended on his cold, purely detached outlook on life. Since he has little or no visible emotional attachment to the world around him, he can more easily adapt to new and unfamiliar landscapes, since the rules of logical deduction are universal.<br />
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The one thing that seems to get Sherlock Holmes fired up is the intellectual challenge of an unusual and intriguing case. For the writer, coming up with appropriate challenges for him in which he can survive worlds of limitless boundaries and yet remain the one and only Sherlock Holmes is the puzzle that needs solving.Tom Olberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05816824395647735536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-43701375476518199722016-08-01T12:45:00.000-04:002016-08-01T12:45:39.780-04:00Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines!One of the hardest parts of being a writer is sticking to the deadlines. And, when they are stretched out before you, several months out, it is easy to ignore them.<br />
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"I'll get to that tomorrow...I have time."<br />
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Until tomorrow IS the deadline, and you still are no where near the Finish Line.<br />
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Procrastination is one of a writer's biggest foes. It is so easy to put things off, and so hard to focus on getting them done now. That is why I am struggling with three books to finish by the end of August...<br />
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That old saying "Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today" is really good advice. But you can't do everything in one day either. Make a list of everything you need to do and prioritize it to get the big stuff done first. And it is best to write this list down, as checking things off or crossing them out is a great incentive.<br />
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Mix in a few quick and easy tasks here and there so you don't get completely discouraged, but keep your eye on the Big Picture so you don't run short of time.<br />
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It is okay to focus on one project at a time, but it is equally okay to do something from several projects in a day, as long as they all get completed on time.<br />
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Give yourself a workday. "I will write/edit/promote/clean house/etc. from 9 AM to 5PM" (if it is your entire job...) or "I will write two hours a day." (if that is all you have available.) And limit distractions for that time-frame. But don't work straight through on one project for eight hours without a break, because you stop seeing what you are editing, or miss things in your proofreading, etc, if you don't get up and at least circle the living room now and then.<br />
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And one of the things of extreme importance is reward yourself for milestones. (Even if it is something as simple as watching a rerun of America's Next Top Model...or catching Pokemon.)<br />
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If you can't tell, I am codifying this for myself as much as you, Gentle Reader! ;)<br />
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<br />Rie Sheridan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03991263697418287223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-22199308904827903422016-07-19T14:08:00.000-04:002016-07-19T14:10:59.309-04:00SUBMISSION CALL!!! Curious Incidents: More Improbable AdventuresMocha Memoirs Press is pleased to announce that they will be publishing another Sherlock Holmes anthology with editor A.C. Thompson! So sharpen those pencils and get ready to write. <br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“The game is afoot!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Welcome back to
Baker Street! Holmes and Watson are there to greet you once more with amazing
tales of murder, mayhem, and mystery with a supernatural twist. This time the
great detective and his stalwart companion will venture into alternate
universes, histories, and futures to solve puzzling cases of the paranormal
beyond the bounds of imagination.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">In <u>Curious
Incidents: More Improbable Adventures</u>, I am looking for stories that
diverge from the original canon setting of Victorian England. The adventures
should be paranormal in nature, but the universe is completely open. In fact,
stories set in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">traditional</i>
Victorian <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">will not</b> be considered.
Some examples of alternate settings might be: steampunk, weird west, distant
future, space, ancient world (ok, so I’d just really like to see if someone
could do it…), dystopian, American noir, or even modern times (BE CAREFUL WITH
THIS. I CAN’T PUBLISH SHERLOCK BBC FANFICTION!). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Word of warning:
Sherlock is a beloved character with a very distinct voice and manner. We
want to be sure that we keep and/ or expand on those attributes that have made him
a literary icon. However, I am very interested in seeing diverse
characters in starring roles (gender, ethnicity, etc.). The entire original
canon is available on Kindle for FREE. Take advantage. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">This time, I’m a
little more flexible with genre. I am looking for stories that will fall into
the speculative fiction genre and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">all</b>
its subspecies (horror, sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk, magical realism, gothic
horror, etc.). I’m even being adventurous this time and allowing for a romantic
element as long as you stay true to the character, but NO EROTICA (it’s not
that kind of book). The important thing is--- it has to have a paranormal
thread. These are CURIOUS INCIDENTS, not everyday occurrences. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Let your
imaginations run wild and give me something I haven’t seen before!</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Publication of CURIOUS
INCIDENTS: MORE IMPROBABLE ADVENTURES will again be handled through Mocha
Memoirs Press and therefore, all submissions are subject to their general
guidelines which include, but are not limited to: no bestiality,
glorified rape, necrophilia, hate language, etc. We are not seeking
erotic stories for this anthology. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><strong>DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: October 14, 2016<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Minimum word count: 4,000 not to
exceed 8,000 <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Payment: split royalties + 1
contributor copy. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">General Mocha Memoirs Press Submission
Guidelines: <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Submit your work to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">animprobabletruth.mmp@gmail.com</b> with “CURIOUS INCIDENTS” Sub: [Your
Story Title]; [Your Name] in the subject line. Attach your story as a DOC or
DOCX file. Submissions sent in the body of the email will not be read.
Stories should be in 12pt, Times New Roman font. Please double space.
Don’t forget to include a title page that includes all contact
information. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Include a brief cover letter in the body of
your email stating your name, pen name (if using one), story title with word
count, a brief (1 paragraph) synopsis, and bio. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">No simultaneous submissions, please. We ask
that you do not submit a story to us and to another market at the same time. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Multiple submissions—sending more than one
story for consideration—are okay. If sending more than one story, please send
them in separate emails. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
Alexandra Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13086388665022071253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-67134910913711132692016-06-06T18:00:00.000-04:002016-06-06T18:19:52.339-04:00Heroic InspirationAnd, in a time when we sorely need heroes, our nation mourns the passing of one of our most famous: Mohammad Ali.<br />
<br />
His story was an inspirational one. His rise from humble beginnings, the skill and courage of a warrior forming in the soul of an angry young man growing up in angry times when the struggle against injustice demanded courage and willingness to sacrifice. And, he displayed both. When he threw his gold medal into the river rather than accept an award from a nation that denied equality to his people. When he discarded an athletic career rather than submit to conscription into a war he did not believe in. When he fought to get that career back, and won. Truly an inspirational figure to all Americans. To the world, perhaps.<br />
<br />
And, of course, to writers. Especially writers of dramatic fiction who wish we could create characters formed from the stuff of reality, characters who touch the hearts of our readers and inspire them half as much as the real-life heroes of the real world. It's the real-world heroes who seem larger than life who seem to inspire us the most.<br />
<br />
Perhaps even more remarkable is what those heroes reveal of the soul of the nation that embraces them. Mohammad Ali perhaps most of all. Admired for his courage, his spirit and his showmanship (the three things Americans value above all else) he represented the American soul in many ways. The irony...and, the wonder of his rise to iconic fame...was that he embodied many things that Americans have trained themselves to loathe and revile. He defied his government in time of war. "The true enemy of my people is here, not in Vietnam," he dared to say. He embraced Islam and called his Christian name a "slave name." He seemed to brazenly spit in the face of American chauvinism and blind, jingoistic nationalism. In short, he forced Americans to question and analyze the short-comings of our society, of our failure to live up to our national creed of justice. We are not a nation that readily accepts criticism, least of all from our own citizens. We consider ourselves too great, too wonderful for such rebuke. Yet, we embraced a man like Mohammad Ali as a true American icon. He changed our collective way of thinking, shattered our national complacency. At least, he embodied a wave of history that did that. And, that's what a truly inspirational figure does.<br />
<br />
As writers, we try to create such larger-than-life characters. Characters our target audience can not only care about, but draw inspiration from. Hopefully in a way that challenges their presumptions instead of reinforcing them. Not easy, but we go on trying. And, we remember those who inspired us along the way.Tom Olberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05816824395647735536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-24009579337313754122016-06-06T12:51:00.000-04:002016-06-06T12:51:51.422-04:00Steaming Along....Well, I got so busy I totally forgot to write a May post until far too late to matter. I apologize for that. Especially since I promised the Table of Contents for <i>Ghosts, Gears, and Grimoires</i>. You may recognize many of the pirates from <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1Yb7DlR">Avast Ye, Airships</a></i> on the list, but we have some new writers to welcome to <a href="http://mochamemoirspress.com/about/">MMP</a> as well.<br />
<br />
The stories are set in several continents, and various time periods, but they all have elements of Steampunk horror that resonated with me. :)<br />
<br />
The order hasn't been finalized, but, in alphabetical order, the stories are as follows:<br />
<br />
<br />
A Few Days in Kansas 1881 -- <a href="http://jimreader.net/">Jim Reader</a><br />
Better Left Dead -- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8103478.T_C_Phillips">TC Phillips</a><br />
Death in the Witch House -- <a href="http://www.johnmlance.com/">John Lance</a><br />
Engineered Deceit -- <a href="http://literarybraun.blogspot.com/">Amy Braun</a><br />
Footloose -- <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ross-Baxter/e/B0041DO99U">Ross Baxter</a> (Title may change)<br />
Honeymoon in a Jar -- <a href="http://www.robertperret.com/p/home.html">Robert Perret</a><br />
Here, Where Our Blood Spilt -- Eric Del Carlo*<br />
Last Dance with Mary Jane -- <a href="https://wynwords.wordpress.com/">Wynelda Deaver</a> (Title may change)<br />
Light Over Birmingham -- <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Krokgard?&ab_channel=The_Bookchemist">Mattia Ravasi</a><br />
Muzzle the Monster -- <a href="https://leighswordsmithery.wordpress.com/">Leigh Ward-Smith</a><br />
Purchase & Possess -- <a href="https://stephenblakeblog.wordpress.com/">Steven Blake</a><br />
Restless Spirit -- <a href="http://www.riewriter.com/">Rie Sheridan Rose</a><br />
Steel and Steam -- <a href="http://andrewknighton.com/">Andrew Knighton</a><br />
The Express -- <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JasonGilbertAuthor/">Jason Gilbert</a><br />
The Horrors of War -- Stephen Sanders*<br />
Through the Darkness of the Opera House -- <a href="http://djtyrer.blogspot.com/p/welcome.html">DJ Tyrer</a><br />
<br />
*will update with links when I find them. :)<br />
<br />
I am very proud of the lineup, and I think that the resulting anthology is going to be awesome.Rie Sheridan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03991263697418287223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-79879303560637162522016-05-06T18:00:00.000-04:002016-05-06T18:53:12.921-04:00Too Many Voices?
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fiction writing, like anything else, has its basics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Define your characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Show, don’t tell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make the reader not just know, but see, feel
and smell.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But, knowing the basics isn’t enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the first things every writer is
advised to do is seek the critiques of other writers or editors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve benefitted, as I’m sure all writers
have, from the feedback of editors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
clear editorial voice can help develop a writer's sense of focus and clarity, and an
internal protocol for refining one’s own work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But, what is of dubious value is when a whole team of
editors are all working on the same submitted story at the same time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re all doing their best, but it does go
to prove just how subjective the process really is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This may be especially true if you’re a
science fiction writer like me, creating a new world that the audience has
never seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had one editor on a team
who told me to take a breather in the middle of an action scene (and, the POV
character is being chased and fighting for his life here, you understand) and slip
in some expository on certain gadgets and futuristic references.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m like: “I don’t think so.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, three paragraphs later, the chase scene
is over and I do take a breather to drop in some narrative explanation about
how this world is put together, and another editor on the team makes the
opposite complaint, telling me to scrap the expository “author dump” and break
the information down and spread it through the story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Every critical observation does have value; it trains you to
be on the lookout for weaknesses and avoid repeating past mistakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, the conflicting viewpoints and
priorities of different editors proves another basic truth of writing:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every writer has to find his or her own
individual voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just make sure the
reader can hear it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One strong solitary editorial voice, I think, is the best
way to put a themed anthology together in such a way that effectively combines
the individual vision of the author with the editor’s vision of what the
anthology is supposed to be about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
especially true when the star of the themed anthology is an established,
popular character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In assembling the
anthology “An Improbable Truth:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Paranormal Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” we contributing authors had the
benefit of a strong and consistent editorial voice in refining our individual
stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was beneficial not only to
the anthology but to sharpening my own skill as a writer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure we all benefited from the experience
and hope for more such projects, even as we work on our own individual projects.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Tom Olberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05816824395647735536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-6289975947728889572016-04-04T13:30:00.000-04:002016-04-04T13:30:28.632-04:00Last Chance!This is it. The deadline was extended a week, but this is your final opportunity to be part of the <a href="http://mochamemoirspress.blogspot.com/2016/01/attention-all-steampunkers-announcing.html">Ghosts, Gears, and Grimoires</a> Steampunk horror anthology. We have some really great reads for you, but there is still room for a few more. If you've been hesitating or procrastinating, this is the time to put pen to paper! (And I am in the same boat...)<br />
<br />
So far, I am really pleased with the Table of Contents. I'll be revealing it soon. ;)<br />
<br />
Mocha Memoirs is beginning to have quite a nice collection of Steampunk:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://mochamemoirspress.com/heliodor/">Heliodor by Shannon Wendtland</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://mochamemoirspress.com/avast-ye-airships/">Avast Ye, Airships edited by Rie Sheridan Rose</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://mochamemoirspress.com/rietales-collected-short-stories/">"The Head Above the Gate" in RieTales</a>...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
But we can always use more, and that is where you come in. Get me a story by Friday! I want to see what YOU have to add to the genre. :)<br />
<br />Rie Sheridan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03991263697418287223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-26337791220323849542016-03-21T09:51:00.001-04:002016-03-21T09:51:39.899-04:00NEW RELEASE: Heliodor by Shannon Wendtland<span style="font-size: large;">Happy springtime! We have a brand new steampunk adventure coming on March 22nd from Shannon Wendtland. So to celebrate, we thought we'd give you a little taste with an excerpt!</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://mochamemoirspress.com/heliodor/" target="_blank"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mochamemoirspress.com/heliodor/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGTWiHuKTot70eD4MrlXV7KBthb4YtH1Qv1GRWMI5OLCUkBK54jGkYW6P6YEzw7MyKiNfEEK70dkbJ1D6nDjHd8z2XeCfx6rm1OY5DRaDbnIxzbDe4DkcALoPiROexsiM8QGF0e9PsGPc/s320/Heliodor.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mochamemoirspress.com/heliodor/" target="_blank">AVAILABLE 3/22/16!!</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://mochamemoirspress.com/heliodor/" target="_blank"></a>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">The captain placed a kid-gloved hand over Malfric’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Walk a bit with me while I fill you in.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Malfric got to his feet, leaving the barrel-stool behind and
looped his left hand through the crook of the captain’s arm. As the captain led
him towards the bow of the ship, Malfric tasted currant jam and warm biscuits
on the salty sea air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His favorite. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He stopped the
captain before he could take another step.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“There’s no point in buttering me up, Finch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just give me the details.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I agree, we can proceed straight to the
repast you have set up in your quarters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Otherwise, just hand me your purse and we’ll call it even.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Finch muttered beneath his breath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Your infernal nose ruins everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fine then, have it your way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A job has come up ― not our usual fare, but
the bounty was too good to resist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I
booked it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I need a voyeur to get it
done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naturally, I thought of you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Naturally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“What’s the catch?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No catch.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shifting
floorboards belied the captain’s response. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Malfric frowned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You
wouldn’t have laid out my favorite tea if it were an easy job with no
strings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, you wouldn’t have sent
for me at all...any novice voyeur would have done.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A snicker came from
his right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ah, Quantex had followed
them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The captain’s arm tensed beneath Malfric’s hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though he said nothing, Malfric detected the
shift and rustle of his silk coat as he turned to glare at his first mate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“There’s an artifact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We were not the only ones hired to find it,” Finch said with a
disgruntled sigh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The other crew has a
day’s head start.” His voice softened to a conspiratorial whisper, “but we have
an advantage they do not.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Oh?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“And what, pray
tell, is that?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A sharp intake of breath, a faint whistle through his nose,
and the captain answered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“A body.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">*********************************************</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I don't know about you guys, but I can't wait to curl up in the garden with this action-packed novella!</span> </span></span></div>
Mocha Memoirs Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849054556586388237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-5384474193321548002016-03-15T09:42:00.001-04:002016-03-15T09:42:25.590-04:00COVER REVEAL: Heliodor by Shannon WendtlandHappy Springtime! We here at MMP are so excited to announce that this month we've got a new release blooming! It's a novella by a brand new author that I know you're going to be itching to read more of. Her new novella, Heliodor is releasing on March 22, 2016. Check out this blurb!<br />
<br />
<em><strong>Malfric sees through the eyes of the dead – literally reliving their last moments as if they were his own. This ability is highly sought and highly priced, which is why the unscrupulous Captain Finch hires him to find the murderer of a nobleman and the whereabouts of a valuable artifact.</strong></em><br />
<em><strong></strong></em><br />
<em><strong>Quantex, the able-bodied first mate of Captain Finch, quickly becomes Malfric’s foil as he demonstrates uncommon intelligence during the investigation. Together the two uncover several clues that lead them to the killer, the artifact, and the frayed end of a mysterious plot that begins to unravel the moment Malfric takes it in hand and gives it a good yank.</strong></em><br />
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Sounds pretty amazing huh? I love a good adventure story! So without further ado......<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcrGTdlcuZINnHXIxE99xhPTZ8mw1vVFSQ6rNyxp2Du5cm8fXxV22XjW142s9I9NO62x8B0aAHGxY4RDNPOoOGW2SIlX4xYsU-GhxD8-hbYwSMJR1aDV7yZpm0weTEO64kkUZi2co03Cv/s1600/Heliodor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcrGTdlcuZINnHXIxE99xhPTZ8mw1vVFSQ6rNyxp2Du5cm8fXxV22XjW142s9I9NO62x8B0aAHGxY4RDNPOoOGW2SIlX4xYsU-GhxD8-hbYwSMJR1aDV7yZpm0weTEO64kkUZi2co03Cv/s400/Heliodor.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AVAILABLE MARCH 22!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Check back here for more about Shannon, excerpts from the book, and MORE! <br />
Mocha Memoirs Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849054556586388237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-20074463484212131232016-03-07T12:56:00.003-05:002016-03-07T12:58:10.251-05:00We Haven't Finished Yet......there is still time for you to be a part of Ghosts, Gears, and Grimoires! Submissions have been a bit slow, which is odd, because Steampunk and Horror are made for each other. The Victorians had a fine sense of the macabre. After all, remember, the practice of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-mortem_photography">Post-Mortem Photography</a> began with the Victorians.<br />
<br />
They believed quite strongly in the supernatural. Spiritualism as we know it, with mediums contacting the dead, also had its roots in the Victorian Era, providing a lucrative living for many.<br />
<br />
Remember, there were no radios, no televisions, and no movies to distract people. Books and shared tales were the most common forms of entertainment. Fairy tales and ghost stories were passed from generation to generation.<br />
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These are just a few suggestions for inspirational material. I've got a couple of ideas just writing this post!<br />
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If you need a refresher on the guidelines, <a href="http://mochamemoirspress.blogspot.com/2016/01/attention-all-steampunkers-announcing.html">look here</a>. And for a little more detail on the information above, as well as further links, check out these posts:<br />
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<a href="http://mochamemoirspress.blogspot.com/2016/02/spooky-victorian-sensibilities.html">http://mochamemoirspress.blogspot.com/2016/02/spooky-victorian-sensibilities.html</a><br />
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<a href="http://theconnmannchronicles.com/2016/02/22/moving-on/">http://theconnmannchronicles.com/2016/02/22/moving-on/</a><br />
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Now, go write me stories -- deadline is the 31st!<br />
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<br />Rie Sheridan Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03991263697418287223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965355541446195513.post-12298723678165840782016-03-06T18:00:00.000-05:002016-03-06T21:33:18.468-05:00Horror's perspectives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUu40XyEN0A4IglZadyjxICUedvQuAoUoSUPU12d0NSWUmSgPEmupk8JlYMTgtPDwHFL0naGwsiOLGO6HmoTWHPMN_BU0u1kw1jswQga323juPvGiJX0rfxHRkS6-F2cZfFHzZ67sphWhY/s1600/HolmesCover.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUu40XyEN0A4IglZadyjxICUedvQuAoUoSUPU12d0NSWUmSgPEmupk8JlYMTgtPDwHFL0naGwsiOLGO6HmoTWHPMN_BU0u1kw1jswQga323juPvGiJX0rfxHRkS6-F2cZfFHzZ67sphWhY/s320/HolmesCover.png" width="219" /></a></div>
As we bid farewell to Women in Horror month, it warrants mentioning the essence of horror. What is it about a good horror story that strikes deep, like an icy cold skewer to the marrow?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6zEGOXLTPXsb9I3JGPd5z-tPslO4CsNbSj8Djo2jTJiad7UPT_UMkymzjTQ0L7iAEBWoOqs8HLMFfE-p4NMCJ5Q_Ike92UkkY35EqVWebmsFEuadsi84s9GSC2qXWMiRnYmF9lWnQVg5/s1600/BlackGoddess_72dpi+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6zEGOXLTPXsb9I3JGPd5z-tPslO4CsNbSj8Djo2jTJiad7UPT_UMkymzjTQ0L7iAEBWoOqs8HLMFfE-p4NMCJ5Q_Ike92UkkY35EqVWebmsFEuadsi84s9GSC2qXWMiRnYmF9lWnQVg5/s320/BlackGoddess_72dpi+%25281%2529.jpg" width="213" /></a>Like anything else in fiction, it's largely point of view. One kind of horror - the most visceral kind - strikes at the primal POV of the hunted fleeing the relentless pursuit of the predator. The reader in the victim's shoes feels every pulse-pounding moment, every stifled breath in the pitch dark, every bead of sweat. Whether it's group of people being picked off one by one in a dark, haunted forest, as in the "Blair Witch Project" or a woman fighting for her life in the dark, claustrophobic passageways of a futuristic spaceship as in "Alien."<br />
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The female perspective may sometimes seem more primal, more intense and therefore more powerful in such horror, and it sometimes makes it that much more effective if and when she turns the tables on her adversary in the end. Other times, though, things aren't so primitive or clearly defined. Sometimes a more subtle kind of horror can lie in the mystery of not knowing what's going on. You don't always need a body count to project an effective sense of dread or menace. Sometimes that unseen presence that may or may not be real as you hear a floorboard creaking in the next room is all it takes to get the reader's blood racing.<br />
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And sometimes, the final moment can be the most effective when there's a twist in the plot. Usually a twist based on POV. Sometimes, the protagonist we assumed was the victim turns out to be the predator, or the one different from ourselves whom we instinctively fear. It's been said a nightmare's power lies in its ability to rip the world we think we know out from under us. The shattering of preconceptions can be the biggest jolt of all.<br />
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Our own point of view is the place we call home, where we feel safe. Shake that foundation, and horror rises from the pit of the unknown.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6KaIL6fmuVNVgEUJp-PlGcNmO83tJF-mrqwkpQGh9VscaBzG5XdF00sJXzFtk_cYRJJML2wQisz1M0g5BfCqDgISlpM9xXaNZq8UszOSwML3N3j8l4OGoRgmA_GDUcz7o4khSOs72ucT/s1600/Hellshift72dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6KaIL6fmuVNVgEUJp-PlGcNmO83tJF-mrqwkpQGh9VscaBzG5XdF00sJXzFtk_cYRJJML2wQisz1M0g5BfCqDgISlpM9xXaNZq8UszOSwML3N3j8l4OGoRgmA_GDUcz7o4khSOs72ucT/s320/Hellshift72dpi.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
Tom Olberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05816824395647735536noreply@blogger.com0