Monday, March 31, 2014

To die and die again: a dream story

Another interesting dream strikes again. I've pieced it together from the mostly-coherent flashes, a tale of the unconscious mind rounded out with any missing details filled in. Last night, it seems, I had vampires and aliens on my mind.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Immortality wasn't what I expected. It involves a lot more dying, for one thing.

I didn't ask to be made a vampire. Didn't want it, and waking up in a private military clinic with five other victims--all attacked the same night by the same rogue--to be told I could never be free to wander was, in a way, the first time I died.

Three women, three men; we lived in a secluded old ranch-turned-holding-facility out in the middle of nowhere, Alaska, with a few scores of military, scientist, and caretaker staff. We weren't even the main event, more of a sideshow to the paranormal investigation and study unit. Although they offered us blood at regular intervals, to a one we refused. It was a doldrums life, a two-year of idleness broken by moments of bonding with the others and the occasional poke of a labwork needle. We wanted to be cured; we had hopes. The staff weren't unkind, either; we might have been metaphorically leashed, but we were still people and we were lonely to find friends where we could. And besides, I suspect they thought even then the government had more in mind for us if we couldn't be cured.

To be sure, we were a little faster and stronger, and those of us who'd been bound by glasses now enjoyed good vision. The sun didn't bother us, and we neither wanted nor needed blood; food we still enjoyed, but sleep became more a recreation than a necessity. So the staff were more amiable coworkers than friends; the only people who really got it were the other five. Even though we argued and on occasion hated each other, we became a family to replace the one we'd all lost, over countless games of Parcheesi, Mariokart, Monopoly, and marathon Chess.

Then came the war. Contrary to what you'd think, we weren't made into soldiers. Nobody knew how we'd react to battle, not even us; and of the six only three really had a military mindset. Me? I was peaceful; I still sometimes rescued drowning worms from the patio after rainstorms. Our friendly staff surrendered when the soldiers knocked, and the most senior were carted off to become bargaining chips to the incoming soldiers. In their place came the enemy, who were content to leave us as resources for investigation. We weren't soldiers; and Mike and me and Kinsey were so soft I think the other three were afraid we'd break if anyone made trouble.

Even in the beginning it was all about protecting the gentle ones.

But enemy were human; they were people and people just want to be people, at the end of the day. The angry watchdog occupation force learned to work with the remaining staff, and the remaining staff learned that if they were captive, they could still perform experiments and collect data and try to concoct new cures; and if the data went to someone else at least it was still available to the world, and they even got paid for it, albeit in a different kind of currency. So even our new bosses became bearable.

The seven months of occupation, though, led to a deficit of supply. When winter set in it became evident there wouldn't be enough food to go around for everyone. At first we were afraid to cut back on food, but we found starvation didn't affect us. We got hungry, yes, but after a week it stopped hurting. They still fed us once a week, a single hearty meal each, but otherwise we stopped eating to make more for the others.

After a while even that became a struggle to provide. The six of us volunteered to hibernate, because we'd discovered we could, and by then we were tired. I think all of us hoped we'd just not wake up. So we lay down on slabs of marble, in a place like mausoleum but inside the house proper. And we slept without intending to wake up.

Except we did. They woke us six months later. The occupation was gone and it was mostly our original staff again; but this was terrible, not wonderful, because the invasion was coming, the enemy were coming back and they were bringing the invaders. While we'd slept we'd been transferred to a brick building in the closest town, where our staff could help defend the town, and the town help defend them. Because the invaders were death.

The machines came the third day. Spheres with a single round eye, walking by three tentacle-like metal arms, they continually scanned for human life, and when they found it, they destroyed it with a laser. But these wouldn't fire until life was confirmed, because the shots drained batteries, and so even swarms with plans to eradicate populations didn't waste shots.

Which is why they woke us, the undead. Those of us for whom heartbeats and breathing were optional.

I encountered them first--you might say I was the only one to even see them, this time around, but I'm not sure how it works, really. What I know is that I was alone in the building, sitting on a slab of marble and watching, when the machine crawled up the building on its three prehensile arms. At first the eye staring at me glowed red, the color of a negative life scan, but then I moved and it turned green--and relaxed and it became red again. That was how I discovered that every time we moved our hearts beat just a little.

When it stayed red for full ten seconds, it turned away, and I moved closer. When it turned back my way I let myself fall to the floor, feigning death, and it stayed red. We played cat-and-mouse until I worked up the courage to hit it from behind, chopping it bare-handed and discovering, to my surprise, I'd grown stronger in my sleep, because my hand when right through the metal shell and into the circuitry. Luckily I'd avoided the power source, the gyroscope, and the most charged parts, and landed in the controlling wires; holding on by the hole I made I dug through the wires as it spun and spun, trying to focus to fire on the on its head. Tearing out first one wire, I discovered the green one took out the lasers, and the blue one stopped it moving, and yellow powered it off. I'm not sure what the black or the white or the red did, but one must have communicated something to the troops.

I heard the boots coming and decided to play dead again, because why not. My luck wasn't so bad that any of them recognized me, and my unblinking eyes and lack of pulse convinced them I was a full casualty. Ten, twenty, forty of them crowded in to the building, up to the room, to talk strategy and regroup in a discreet, reinforced location with a good view of the town.

When one stepped over me, grenades hanging heavy from his belt, it occurred to me that strategy-talkers were probably leaders, and an army without leaders could be repelled.

They were surprised when the dead woman sat up and grabbed a grenade. But they weren't surprised for long.

I, on the other hand, welcomed death. Because surely even I wouldn't survive this. And I didn't.

But I did.

To find myself crossing the courtyard in a warless Alaska, newly turned, escorted by old friends who'd long since passed. To find myself sitting for my very first breakfast with five other newly turned vampires, who'd never seen me before, and who had no memory of the life that was to come.

What was I to do? They were so innocent. And none of them would believe me--I didn't believe it happened, not fully. A trick of my psyche, perhaps. But three years, the arguments, the sensations, the faces and the tragedies and the guilt of watching people starve--my mind quailed to think such things were unreal, not with the detail I'd lived them in. So I lived and waited and watched the news, and stockpiled perishables when I could convince the staff to take me to town or buy me some.

The others watched me, and came to know me differently; as the so-sad woman who might have been driven just a bit mad by it all, harmless but always stockpiling food she didn't particularly need to eat. This time I showed them immediately that food was mostly optional, and worked on learning my limitations, my capabilities. I bounced off trees and punched dummies; I broke brick walls until I broke my hand and roped the scientists into helping me measure things, in the name of science.

And when the war hit, and people began to starve, I showed them the supplies. But only half remained, because we had a thief. He was caught; he had been smuggling my supplies away, and now they were half-gone.

It was still more than our friends had had last time. And from the beginning we didn't eat. That was Mike asked, and I told him: I told him we'd lived it all before. We decided to tell the others I'd had a vision after being turned, because he didn't really believe me, I could tell.

But my information on the eyes was correct, and it made a difference when the war became the invasion. It helped the troops confirm what had been suspected the first time, that the machines weren't human technology, although heaven knows why the enemy thought their new allies wouldn't turn on them one day, after the continent had been cleared of us to make room for others.

I died earlier this time around, out on the front lines, tracking down an eyeball, when another caught me from behind. Turns out holes in the chest didn't kill us, although those took a week or two to heal; but beheadings did.

I swore, just before I died, that if I woke up again, I'd start sooner and find a way to stop the enemy.

This time when I sat down to my first breakfast with the others in Alaska, Mike said he believed me. That he'd lived a whole life, and that I had told them the very first night I'd had visions of the future. None of them had believed me at first. I had watched the news and listened to politics, and tried to keep up with what was going on. And that eventually, when the war started, they listened to me. I'd tried to fight but it was Mike, this time, who'd gotten caught out in front. Who had died.

I remembered none of this.

We told the scientists we'd had a vision, that we had a purpose for existence. That we'd seen a glimpse of the future and we intended to stop it, if only they'd help us. But Mike and I agreed--we should keep the others safe. Give them their innocence and their happiness, as much as possible. So we taught them to avoid eating, and told them our limits, and shared the vulnerabilities of the machines, and made them stockpile.

And then Mike and I went to Washington and tried to stop things from happening, listened in on politics and offered advice. There was one senator who pushed for war, and the others became fevered, and fell into his sway.

I died being caught spying in his office.

As soon as I sat down, Mike told me he believed me. For him, it was the first time he'd told me so.

We didn't know how many lives we had. We didn't know how many chances we got. Perhaps we all six had to die at once to stay dead? Maybe we were alive for the purpose of saving the world. Maybe we all had to die at least once, or we had a number of lives shared between us. We didn't know. Mike died twice more, and me three times, neither remembering the lives of the others, and never managing to save the world. But it always started the same, and the others always reacted the same unless we did something different.

Then time I died, and it was Sarah the next morning at the table who beat Mike to the punch. Three times, actually, because I died first that life, too, and then it was Mike who died. With three people it was easier, and we reported, each first morning after dying, what had happened in the previous life, with three clueless friends who didn't know us sitting at our table and watching us with frightened, wide eyes.

Once we made it six years. Jack, when he joined us, said we made it eight under one of his lives. Every time we woke up, the one who had died was a little stronger than before.

Kinsey was the last. We did everything we could to spare her. The theory that we had to each die once to all be dead was still on the table, and we were approaching a total death count of twenty-five, which seemed an ominous number. Mike said we'd all agreed to share our death count to figure out whose death had come most recently; that person would recount the latest strategy and lead in revising it, having had the most recent experience.

We stopped the war on life twenty-four, when Mike to me had gone from nine to twelve and Jack from four to six. That time, invasion came from the sky; and while we were prepared for the machines, the aliens were better armed than the enemy ever had been. I died under a gun I'd never seen before. It hurt, though.

We passed twenty-five without problem, and Kinsey was still safe. But then we started focusing on preparing for the aliens, and the war happened again, and this time we were careless and they discovered us and our plots, thanks to my food thief whom I'd decided to outwit instead of reveal, and took her. We tried to save her but it was a trap. We died, all six of us, at once. The last thing I heard was Sara saying, "How about the courtyard this time, guys?"

I stood awkwardly in the courtyard until Mike showed up, looking embarrassed until he saw me. "I guess I'm not the only one who heard her?" he asked. Apparently, all of us had.

The thought that we might all need to die exactly five times meant we kept sending Kinsey to safety, until I died and found she'd gone from two to seven without anyone else gaining. "Turns out Brazil isn't safe," was all she said. Since Sara's grudge against Jack refusing to talk about death number seven, and her suspicion that had wracked up our total death count by five before I got him to admit the end of that life (a undercover ending that had gone wrong, and was in fact quite embarrassing, not some secret betrayal as Sara expected), we'd all agreed that confidentiality was okay.

Still the question of "Why" and "when" plagued us, and we all spend a lifetime in research, investigating our turner and letting the war and invasion happen, a one-life sacrifice in a search for answers so at least one of us would know. He'd been a war hero, living peacefully outside town, enjoying life. Seventy-eight years later, he'd gone crazy and bitten the six of us all in a single night, gorging on blood. They'd beheaded him and collected us.

We passed fifty, and a hundred. Jack tried for a while to make us all celebrate one Christmas every time together, so we'd have some kind of shared memory. Apparently we'd had one Christmas in his life that had been happy, pure joy. No one else remembered it. Sara never remembered the time I gave her a rescued puppy, and it grew strong and healthy, always made her smile, and saved her life from the fire that killed me. I understood.

That ended after Tom said he didn't want to see us fight again, after our plans took us far and wide. I got it going again, though, "when it'll not interfere too much, or make us fight." So occasionally, instead of every life, we would get together and have one good Christmas, and one good shared memory.

On death count total one-hundred-and-twenty seven, with all six of us running around 24-7 on an intricate schedule, with Kinsey running away to the other capital and befriending their VP, and Jack and me in Washington assassinating the warmonger, and Sara getting us out and pinning the blame on the food-thief, and Tom and Mike feeding info on the alien technology to the war department, we stopped the invasion and prevented the war.

And all lived.

What do you do, when your purpose is over? We'd lived and died so many times, and watched our friends die over and over, only to have to befriend them again. So many heartbreaks. So many years in battles.

They asked us what we wanted in reward.

I asked to die. We'd all lived and we could do it again, I figured. But maybe, maybe this time it would be over.

Sara dittoed me. So did Tom, and Jack, and Mike. Because we all wanted the same thing: for it to all be over.

Kinsey wasn't sure. She wasn't eager to live, but she wasn't ready to die; she'd only wracked up a death count of twenty-two, which was the least of all of us.

Why had we all been turned? What was the purpose of vampires? Kinsey, even knowing how our maker had died, volunteered to live. As she said, "you never know when we'll need more."

They asked us if we were sure, over and over and over. Then they asked us how. Kinsey will get a medal of honor tomorrow, straight from the hands of the president. This time they've made our hibernation slabs in a circle, so we lay on our stomachs and see each other, close enough to hold hands as the morphine kicks in, with the guillotines rigged to all go off as the same time.

And if the world ever needs more vampires, if someone has to go mad and make a bunch of new ones, they'll have the information we left to guide them. Kinsey will write it up.

Until that day, if you read this, you'll find a mausoleum room in a ranch in the middle of nowhere in Alaska, with six slabs and five bodies, or maybe six if Kinsey has come home to us, if the world needs vampires again. They'll seal it up when she's gone, they promised us that.

It's a bit selfish of the five of us to ask this. But if there's one thing we all agree on, it's that we never want to die alone again.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Writer Friday: TurboTax vs Tax-Act

Tax time. April 15th is, in America, the deadline for taxes. So if you haven't already done them, you're about to do them. Here's my experience with taxes and which program I'd recommend. (Note: I am in no way a tax or legal professional.)

Hint: if you're writing your taxes sideways or
upside down, you're probably doing them wrong.
(Image by Dave Dugdale from Superior, USA )
Historically I've used TurboTax to do my taxes. It's a good program; easy to use and free for federal 1040 EZs. But if you need to file additional forms, it ceases to be free. Last year I payed $20 for the federal form and figured it was worth it, because I had a few, er, "complicated" additions in the name things I was writing off due to starting a career as an author. Not terrible. On the whole the site is fairly easy to use, and it's well-designed. Questions and answers are usually easy to find, and explanations are easy enough to understand.

As a writer, I needed to file a Schedule C (basically the "self-employed income" form) this year, plus I had an IRA rollover into a new IRA account. When I started, TurboTax automatically recommended I choose the $75 option due to my Schedule C, but I decided to start with the free edition and find out if I really needed the upgrade.

I got to the IRA rollover form and found I'd need to pay $50 to do that. It's required, stuff I have to report, unlike the deductions for investing in writing as a business (last year I was pre-published and had no income, but several expenditures as I was getting the novel ready for publication).

I decided to try another piece of software and see if I couldn't find anything cheaper. A quick look at some commonly used programs revealed TaxAct, which seemed to include all the federal forms for free. I switched over.

Compared to TurboTax, the platform wasn't quite as intuitive, and the explanations were less clear. There was more financial-ese, and I had to look up about 3 or 4 terms (for example, cash vs accrual methods of accounting*). However, all the forms I needed were included for free, and filling them out wasn't much harder than through TurboTax. Free vs $50 or $75; for me that's an easy choice. I finished up with TaxAct.

(*Note: Cash means you note expenses/sales when they're paid. Accrual accounting means you note them when the sale/order occurs, not when payment is made. For most authors, cash is the method you'll probably use. [As explained by this Inc. post])

After entering all the data it let me through, there were a couple of miscellaneous expenses I hadn't entered. So I did have to use the review feature to go back through and enter the extra data. Plus, there were a couple of boxes I had to take my best guess on, because not all the paperwork I'd received had every box filled as the tax software seemed to want them to be.

Technically my refund through TaxAct was a bit larger this year than in the past through TurboTax, but that would have happened anyway because of the expenses I paid for putting together my book, plus the professional development and career-building expenses I occurred (such as website and taking online courses with the RWA to learn about various aspects of publishing, including cover design and a self-publishing course). Without a control I can't actually compare which program gives me a better refund. It's entirely possible I would have gotten the same from either, or more from TurboTax.

It took me a little longer to file using TaxAct, but with all the federal forms included it was worth it. If you're not a tax expert expect to Google a couple of terms when filling out your taxes. However, it's not so much more hassle than TurboTax as to not be worth the savings. Both sites charge for state returns (at least for NC), but the price for that is comparable. 

For pre-published authors who want to file a Schedule C, or any other miscellaneous forms needed, I'd personally suggest TaxAct. Everything you need without the extra fees, at the cost of only a little extra time and head-scratching. 

If you're only filling out a 1040EZ, I'd go with TurboTax, which offers that form free, with its streamlined and just slightly easier-to-use platform. 

As far as which published authors should use, I'll have to get back to you on that one next year. 

How do you do your taxes, online or in person? What or who do you use, and would you recommend them for others?

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Into the Tides Book Bonus: Music Powers

Today is a little book-bonus! In posts such as these, I'll give you extra information from my novel that you won't find in the book itself.

In Into the Tides, people who have magic are called "Powers." Each type of magic has a different set of capabilities, which is based on genetics. And for each Power type, there are 6 different levels of ability, called classes, with 6th class being the weakest and 1st class having the most magic. How a person's class is determined is based on what they can do.

I've been working on creating descriptions that explain what each Power type can do, by class. If you're reading the book and wondering what the characters are capable of, and what they would be capable of if they were higher in class, you can find out!

Today's post is on music Powers. The protagonist, Kelly, should have been a music Power--had she not been born tone-deaf, that is! Here's what she should be able to do, what her father can do, and what other music Powers can do.



A non-exhaustive list of some

Magic Types

Power

Class

Capabilities/Limitations

Music 6-
  • Passive: hear most nuances in speech; perfect pitch
  • Active: minor alterations to moods of 1-2 willing listeners (within 15 feet); help 1-2 willing subjects sleep (ignoring pain or illness)
5
  • Passive: perfect pitch; hear full nuance in speech within normal talking distance (apprx. 10 ft; with training can be used to detect lies vs truth with moderate accuracy--about as well as a polygraph; not effective through electronic media such as phones or television [which may alter sound] but fully effective through records); hear most nuances in sounds within 20 feet; hear most unimpeded sounds (no barriers between sound and person) within 100 feet with concentration (words in speech not be discernible, although tone of voice may be)
  • Active: moderate alterations to moods of up to 6 willing listeners within discernible hearing distance (able to make out words of songs); minor mood alterations of up to 12 willing listeners; able to help 4-6 willing subjects sleep; help up to 2 listeners ignore moderate pain while listening
4
  • Passive: hear most nuances in sounds within 40 feet; hear full nuance in speech within 20 feet (unimpeded); hear most sounds sounds within 300 feet with concentration (impeded included); perfect pitch 
  • Active: help up to 4 listeners ignore moderate pain when listening to music (lasts 20 minutes after cessation of music; lingering effect with humming x2); strongly alter moods of 10-15 willing listeners (60 min post-music duration; lingering effect may be extended up to double by listener humming tune)
3
  • Passive: hear most nuances in sounds within 40 feet; hear full nuance in speech within 30 feet (unimpeded); hear most sounds sounds within 500 feet with concentration (impeded included; words not discernible); perfect pitch
  • Active: help up to 10 listeners ignore moderate pain when listening to music (lasts 40 minutes after cessation of music; lingering effect with humming x2); strongly alter moods of 10-15 willing listeners (120 min post-music duration; lingering effect x3 by listener humming tune); moderately alter moods of up to 30 willing listeners (120 min duration; x2 lingering); help up to 30 willing listeners sleep; project voice up to 20 feet away (voice is heard as if emanating from position of that distance away; magic cannot be worked through projected voice)
2
  • Passive: hear most nuances in sounds within 60 feet; hear full nuance in speech within 40 feet (unimpeded or impeded); hear most sounds sounds within 750 feet with concentration (impeded included; words not discernible); perfect pitch
  • Active: help up to 30 listeners ignore moderate pain when listening to music (lasts 40 minutes after cessation of music; lingering effect with humming x3); strongly alter moods of up to 30 willing listeners (120 min post-music duration; lingering effect x3 by listener thinking about tune); moderately alter moods of up to 60 willing listeners (120 min duration; x3 lingering); cause moderate alterations in moods of up to 1 unwilling listener (takes 3-4 minutes to take effect; lasts only as long as music Power continues channeling magic and singing; affects mood only and not reasoning--does not force unwilling listener to take any particular action; subject may choose to pass out [will automatically do so if magic would cause medical danger]); help up to 30 willing listeners sleep; project voice up to 20 feet away (magic can work at 1/10th efficiency)
1+
  • Passive: hear most nuances in sounds within 80 feet; hear full nuance in speech within 50 feet (unimpeded or impeded); hear most sounds sounds within 1000 feet with concentration (impeded included; words not discernible); perfect pitch
  • Active: help up to 45 listeners ignore moderate pain when listening to music (lasts 60 minutes after cessation of music; lingering effect by thinking about song x3); may cause addiction by mood alteration or pain relief by overriding biofeedback; may cause "overdose" death by numbing too much pain or altering moods too strongly for brain to handle; strongly alter moods of up to 40 willing listeners (120 min post-music duration; lingering effect x3 by listener thinking about tune); moderately alter moods of up to 100 willing listeners (120 min duration; x3 lingering); cause major alterations in moods of up to 2 unwilling listeners (takes 3-4 minutes to take effect; lasts only as long as music Power continues channeling magic and singing; may cause brain damage or even death if done too long); help up to 60 willing listeners sleep; project voice up to 40 feet away (magic can work at 1/5th efficiency) or 160 feet (without magic)


Willing listeners:

A person is considered a willing listener if they consciously choose to respond to the effect of the music, or if they are not consciously opposed to the effect of the music (such as being willing to no longer be angry.) The latter is half as effective; thus a music Power who could affect 4 conscious-choice listeners would only effect 2 subconscious choice listeners.

Many people, especially those who are disinclined to hold grudges, dislike the feeling of being angry or having heavy negative emotions. This is considered "not consciously opposed to the effect."

Someone who is drugged but who would prefer the effect of the music and would consciously choose to allow the effect if fully coherent is also considered "not consciously opposed."

Someone who is unaware of a music Power's presence, and who would not welcome the effect of a change in emotion (such as a shopper on a budget for whom a spending spree would be financially uncomfortable, but who enjoys spending sprees), would be considered "opposed" to the effect of the music magic. Knowing an effect might be disadvantageous is usually enough to cause a person to be opposed, unless the person consciously chooses to be affected (such as someone with anxiety asking a music Power to help them not feel guilty about making a specific, budgeted-for indulgence purchase. This effect may naturally trigger a long-term lack of guilt, but may not, depending on person).

Those who are opposed to having their mood influenced, consciously or subconsciously, are completely unaffected by music magic below second class. Those who are asleep or unconscious cannot be affected by mood-altering music, willing or not, except that which was cast before they went to sleep.

Extended duration:

Music Powers at fifth class and higher may have an extended duration effect. While a minute or two of an altered mood may have a much longer effect (such as a moment of happiness after an unhappy morning may cause a person's outlook to improve over the rest of the day), lingering is a magic effect. Because music magic stimulates the emotional centers of the brain, a non-magical person who recalls the music may continue the stimulation of the same emotional center for a duration in which the music has at least a minimal presence, even if that presence is not enough to normally cause an effect.

For effects that help willing patients sleep, falling asleep becomes easier, and the patient stays asleep longer unless interrupted. The effect typically lasts much longer than it technically should based on science's understanding of magic lingering--the exact reason for this phenomena is still being studied, but it is believed to be related to the natural processes of the sleeping mind. Waking is no harder than normal; in fact patients often wake up more quickly to negative stimuli (such as unknown, unexpected intruders) from a magically-enhanced sleep than normal sleep, while still being able to sleep through neutral stimuli (such as a nurse coming in to check on vitals). Blinking may occur during unexpected stimuli of any kind, allowing patient's subconscious to identify possible threats without waking them.

Addiction and magic:

Because the body cannot be affected beyond its normal capacity for Powers below first, the effect of music magic is non-addictive, regardless of cumulative use. Because it responds to the individual's biological pathways, it is also impossible to under or overdose, and is effective for those who (due to substance abuse) have an altered natural state. Some people who already have addictions to certain mood-altering substances may find a music Power's abilities an adequate substitute for the drug, which makes them invaluable to rehabilitation, but may also make music Powers above sixth class (who typically do not produce effects strong enough to affect addiction-altered brains) targets for addicts, dealers, and criminal organizations.


Monday, March 24, 2014

Tea review: Majestic Mango Black Tea



Island Essence: Majestic Mango


Reviewed by: Rebekkah
Type of tea

Black, loose-leaf
Aroma

Fruity (mango); smooth black tea 
underneath mango 
Where I got it

A gift from my brother, but you can find it here.
The company's website is here.
Cost

8 oz for $16 or 1 lb for $30 
How I brewed it

Water brought up to 196 F with an electric kettle (with a temperature gauge). Poured over 2 tsp tea leaves in a strainer in a 6 cup teapot. Steeped apprx. 3 min (no timer). 
Rebrewing notes

Rebrews well for a second brew. The teapot is large enough that I've never made it to a 3rd brew, but the second brew is as smooth and full of flavor as the first. I did use slightly hotter water (200 F) for the second brew. 
Review

This is now one of my favorite teas. It's an incredibly smooth black tea, mellow and sweet. The mango enhances the flavor, and while this tea didn't seem have any bitterness in it when we brewed it, I'm pretty sure that even if it did brew bitter the mango would mask it. But the mango also wasn't overwhelming; I could still taste the black tea. 

On the whole I'd just call it a high-quality, delicious black tea. On top of that, price-wise it's cheaper than most similar quality Teavana teas (most Teavana black teas $4-$12 for 2 oz; this tea is about $3.75 for 2 oz if you buy the large size--and if you like mango and you like black tea, that will go quickly). I definitely recommend this one.


(picture from the company website)






(Learning to Like Tea Part 1Part 2Part 3, Guest Post: Types of Tea, Guest post: Getting the Best Cup of Tea)

Friday, March 21, 2014

Publishing Industry News

This week's publishing news and industry blogs covers 3/7-3/21.

Publishing News

Amazon Prime raises the price to $99 for yearly membership. Also, Amazon begins publishing books written in German with a new office opening in Munich.

Meanwhile, Barnes and Noble's Nook Press opens in UK and other European countries.

The U.S. House committee on "Exploring Alternative Solutions on the Internet Sales Tax" begins meeting. One of the initial speaking groups, the Retail Industry Leaders Association, calls for implementing the tax to help level the playing field between local and online retailers.

HarperCollins imprint It Books renames itself to Dey Street.

In a test of the Safe Harbor provision, Viacom sued Google for content users uploaded, implying that Google should proactively screen data. Google offered evidence that the DMCA take-down notices worked, but Viacom offered that Google knew specific examples of violating material that it did nothing about until forms were sent. The companies have now reached a settlement.

In an interesting copyright case, HarperCollins sued OpenRoad for publishing the Julie of the Wolves e-book, claiming that digital rights (despite e-books not having been invented at publication of the original contract) were covered in the contract. The judge rules in HarperCollins' favor, differentiating that the peculiar language in this particular contract made it distinct from the Rosetta Case, where language about electronic storage had not been included.

In a further continuation of the Apple vs the state and consumers trial drama, the plaintiffs say Apple shouldn't get a separate damages trial, since Judge Cote should already have enough information from the original trial to rule on damages, and since Apple consented either explicitly or by its behavior to have Judge Cote make such a ruling. Apple declares it never consented so. In either case, the damages trial is likely to be delayed.

A platform may open up later this year, called Laugh Riot Press, for indie authors of humor books.


Industry Blogs

QueryTracker's Publishing Pulse for 3/7 and 3/14 and 3/21.

Nathan Bransford's The Past Few Weeks in Books.

Also on QueryTracker, Sarah Pinneo talks about including all your buy-links for books. Stina Lindenblatt talks about 5 ways to land an agent.

What do readers want from an author website? On author Darcy Pattison's blog, she shares the results of a survey on what readers want.

Agent Janet Reid answers questions and offers advice. Some agents require potential clients have a web presence during the query stage; is this common? (Not universal; it has nothing to do with quality of writing, and she for one laughs at agents who do.) If a book is set for 2016, is it okay to wait until 2015 to query it, to get the editing done? (No. Agents are looking for 2016 books right now.) Should you reveal the entire plot of your story in the query? (No. That's not what queries are for.) Should you use block formatting/what kind of formatting should you use for e-mails or queries? (Spaces between paragraphs.)

Plus, Reid talks about how she feels about queriers sending in revisions--okay until she's read them, and usually even revise and resend stories only get one second chance. Also, if you have a request from a small publisher, how do you survive if you can't get an agent? (Hire literary attorneys, research them, etc.) If it's been a large span of time between a request from an agent and when you are ready to submit to the agent, is it okay to submit? (Might as well try.) If an agent asks for a business plan, what to do? (The term business plan doesn't really apply to authors; sounds like someone either is trying to intimidate you with jargon or doesn't know they should be saying marketing plan.) And if you've had a couple of agents in the past, should you mention that at the query point? (No; that would be a turn-off to agents. Also, a month without hearing from your agent isn't nearly enough time to start panicking.)

You've probably already heard that Amtrak is offering writers free residencies, right? Many writers are concerned about the terms of applications, which grant the publishers full rights to publish all applications in full. Victoria Strauss pulls out the contentious phrasing and dissects why it may be problematic for some writers.

Are you an indie author looking to get into bookstores? Author Dean Wesley Smith explains how you can make it happen.

Write for, or want to write for, a magazine? The Renegade Writer talks about how to build and maintain a good relationship with your editor to help you net further assignments.

Kristine Kathryn Rusch continues her Discoverability series with Part 12 (Samples) and Part 13 (Why you might start your own publishing company and how to do so).

Agent Nephele Tempest offers some tax advice as we warm up for tax season.

On the FF&P blog, author Karina Fabian discusses 5 essentials for book trailers. Also, Lynn Cahoon explains what a story bible is, and what should go into it--it's a great way to keep track of your own series to prevent inconsistency between books.

Editor Beth Hill offers advice on keeping the plot moving and making readers unable to put a book down.

If you write fiction, you know you need to finish the whole book before querying. Rachelle Gardner suggests you do the same if you're writing nonfiction.

Publishers Weekly looks at the book printing supply chain and how it's affected by recent technology.

Americans still use libraries. Pew Research Center releases their research.

Have you ever thought it would be nice to have an assistant? Some authors are hiring part-time assistants. It might be right for you.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Into the Tides Book Bonus: Earth Powers

Today is a little book-bonus! In posts such as these, I'll give you extra information from my novel that you won't find in the book itself.

In Into the Tides, people who have magic are called "Powers." Each type of magic has a different set of capabilities, which is based on genetics. And for each Power type, there are 6 different levels of ability, called classes, with 6th class being the weakest and 1st class having the most magic. How a person's class is determined is based on what they can do.

I've been working on creating descriptions that explain what each Power type can do, by class. If you're reading the book and wondering what the characters are capable of, and what they would be capable of if they were higher in class, you can find out!

Here's more about earth Powers. Owen, one of the characters in the book, is a fifth class earth Power looking for a job after having recently moved to Wisconsin. Only, seems he may not have had the best luck in finding an employer...
A non-exhaustive list of some

Magic Types

Power

 Class

 Capabilities/Limitations

Earth 6-
  • Passive: Sense presence of metals contained within touched nonliving surface (such as ground, pipes, wooden furniture; cannot identify type of metal; range 2 feet from touch)
  • Active: Sense presence of metals within 10 feet of touch; sense flaws in touched metal object within 2 feet (such as bubbles/internal cracks/etc)
5
  • Passive: Sense presence of metals contained within touched solid surface (4 feet from touch)
  • Active: Sense presence of metals within 20 feet of touch; identify metals within 1 foot (with training); sense flaws in touched metal object within 10 feet; sense density of touched object within 3 feet; send minor vibration into touched object to depth of 10 feet
Character note: Owen, at fifth class, seeks employment in the construction industry, a common industry for earth Powers.
4
  • Passive: Sense presence of metals contained within touched solid surface (10 feet from touch); identify metals within 1 foot
  • Active: Sense presence of metals within 60 feet of touch; identify metals within 5 feet (with training); sense flaws in touched metal object within 60 feet; sense density of touched object within 10 feet; precisely locate flaws in touched metal object within 10 from touch; send minor vibrations into touched surface up to 60 feet deep
 3
  • Passive: Sense presence of metals contained within touched solid surface (30 feet from touch); identify metals within 4 feet
  • Active: Sense presence of metals within 90 feet of touch; identify metals within 10 feet (with training); sense presence of flaws in contiguous touched metal object within 300 feet; sense density of touched object within 30 feet; precisely locate flaws in touched metal object within 30 from touch; sense presence of metals in surface without touching within 20 feet; send moderate vibrations into touched surface depth of 2 feet and minor depth of 90 feet
2
  • Passive: Precisely locate metals contained within touched solid surface (30 feet from touch); identify metals within 10 feet
  • Active: Sense presence of metals within 120 feet of touch; identify metals within 30 feet (with training); sense flaws in contiguous touched metal object within .25 mile; sense density of touched object within 60 feet; precisely locate flaws in touched metal object within 30 from touch; sense presence of metals in surface without touching within 30 feet; send moderate vibrations into touched surface depth of 10 feet and minor depth of 120 feet; cause a minor vibration located within 30 feet from an untouched object/area
1+
  • Passive: Precisely locate metals contained within touched solid surface (30 feet from touch); identify metals within 30 feet; sense origins of vibrations in ground within 60 feet
  • Active: Sense presence of metals within 150 feet of touch; identify metals within 60 feet (with training); sense flaws in contiguous touched metal object within 3 miles; sense density of touched object within 90 feet; precisely locate flaws in touched metal object within 60 from touch; sense presence of metals in surface without touching within 60 feet; moderate vibrations into touched surface depth of 30 feet and minor depth of 150 feet; cause a moderate vibration located within 30 feet from an untouched object/area; cause a 9 square foot area centered around self (1 inch x 1 inch point of contact is the center) to vibrate moderately (equivalent of standing in a magnitude 4 earthquake; vibrations travel minor 10 feet past moderate area), cause a 3 square foot area to vibrate strongly (equivalent of a magnitude 6 earthquake; travels 5 feet as moderate and 9 feet as minor)

Earth Powers frequently take jobs involving pipelines or metalwork. While earth Powers have been documented since Minoan Crete, it is believed the first documented cases were actually telekinetic Powers, as the ability to sense flaws in metal was never included in descriptions. By mid-Roman times, however, the link between metalworking and earth Powers was clearly established, and this is considered to signify the birth of the actual earth Power. Until the Industrial Revolution earth Powers had special status as craftsman and weapon makers.

Their ability to sense contiguous metals is also of much use in exploring for valuable resources, as it can aid in establishing the depth of metal deposits. As such, earth Powers were often sent as members of exploration parties, and the gene therefore became particularly widespread. Exactly which nationality originally produced the earth Power gene is unknown, although most theories point towards Egypt. However, a second school of thought has the Egyptian history taking second place to nomadic Sarmatians, later acquired as prisoners of war by Egypt as slaves via the Mongols; genetic tests tracing mitochondrial DNA so far support this theory, but whether the common ancestor of the earth Powers was an earth Power, or simply a telekinetic Power, is unclear.

By the Roman theory, the modern form of earth Power, with the ability to sense surroundings, evolved approximately concurrently with the Roman line of travel Powers. The Native American line of travel Powers is thought to have emerged after contact with the Norse peoples, and the earth power re-emerged within a few generations, where they were revered similar to the (now thought to be extinct) sense Powers.

(Sense Powers could enhance perceptions, such as scent, sight, or taste, for themselves and others. However, as far as the public knows, the last known sense Powers died out after interactions with--and depredations by--colonizing Europeans.)

Monday, March 17, 2014

Tea Party at Straw Valley Cafe

This past weekend we had a bridal shower for one of my good friends. She's Scottish, so I wanted to do something tea. Only problem? Finding a venue to host. I tried a couple of places. The first place I looked had a reputation for poor service, and when I called I had the impression they couldn't (wouldn't) work with our budget of less than $500 for 15-20 people. The second place I checked with wanted to have  a headcount before they'd reserve the date (which, if you've ever tried planning an event, is the exact opposite of how people do things--it's hard to say for sure "I'll be there" when you don't know when it is!)

Then it occurred to me to try an old favorite, Straw Valley Cafe and Wine Bar. I've raved about them before; it's the same beautiful location our SciFi/Fantasy Meetup group used to meet (before we got too large to fit!).
Photo taken by one of the other bridesmaids--
The teacups were rather amazing!

Straw Valley just opened up a new restaurant facility. As in, last weekend. When I was booking, they were still in the planning stages to open, and I suspect we may have been the first outside event to book with, definitely the first tea party. They made sure to work with our budget and gave us some options on what we do with what we had. The rates were good; the base room fee was the same as the other venues I tried and the snack/drink costs reasonable.

And it was lovely. The tea was fantastic, loose-leaf Darjeeling with milk and honey. We had lemon-rosemary scones, and vanilla and lemon cupcakes with the most fantastic homemade whipped frosting, plenty for our 15 guests. The location is lovely, and the staff friendly, too.

 They put a lot of nice touches into getting the area ready, and I think the restaurant is going to be a success. They were fine with me starting to set up as soon as I arrived (admittedly it was only 15 minutes early).

View from the room where the bride opened her gifts.
I won't say the event went without hitch. It's a brand-new restaurant and they're clearly still figuring things out. We ran out of tea fairly quickly, and discovered they'd forgotten spoons for mixing with the milk and honey. Hunting someone to ask about this took a little effort, since everyone disappeared soon after we started serving ourselves tea from the cast-iron teapots. That said, as soon as I found someone they got right on it and we didn't run out of tea again, and someone was always nearby after that. Seemed like the sort of mistakes people make the first couple of events, and ones that didn't seem likely to be repeated at future events, given how courteous and helpful the staff has been in the past.
There was a fountain in the gift room.

You're best off scheduling late lunch hours for an event of this time, since they like to close around 4 to get ready for dinner. I would also recommend that anyone choosing to go with them come with signs prepared ahead of time--the venue is an oasis of calmness and beauty in the middle of downtown Durham, but to optimize this effect it's laid out in a manner that makes it seem larger than it is--with the unfortunate side effect that people can get lost wandering around.

On the whole I'd give the Cafe a 4 out of 5 stars, although I expect that will actually get higher as they gain experience hosting events. The baked goods were top-notch, the tea fantastic, the location beautiful, and staff helpful and eager to make sure things went well. There are a couple of kinks to work out, but I'd be surprised if the place isn't well-oiled by May.

Given the other options in the area, I'd definitely call it your #1 option for a tea party in the Triangle right now. Not bad for any other kind of bridal shower or party, either!

Friday, March 14, 2014

Book Extras: Sandra's interview



Sandra is one of the characters in Into the Tides, a middle-aged journalist who joins Kelly and her friends on their journey to rescue the people lost in the magic. Here's an article of hers that takes place a few weeks before Into the Tides begins.


Sandra
From The Daily News, out of Madison, WI:

You may have heard the recent news that Lorren's Oil plans to begin drilling in Lake Mendota. But what does that mean for the local environment? After all the recent efforts to clean the lake, will the drilling pollute the waters?

Lorren's Oil representative Marsha Annister sat down with The Daily News' Sandra Collins for an interview with the paper and explained how they plan to prevent such disasters.

ANNISTER: Keeping the lake clean is our top priority. You know that oil companies have worked in recent years to improve safety and cleanliness. Lorren's stands out and above even the best-known giants. Our CEO, Aaron Surry, demands we implement every new technology. In addition, we incorporate high numbers of earth Powers into our staff, employing their magic to seek for structural weaknesses in our pipelines.

COLLINS: What led you to drill in Lake Mendota? Wisconsin's not known as a major oil-producing state.

ANNISTER:  With the loss of the Gulf of Mexico production, it's essential to utilize all our possibilities for production. The Michigan Basin is actually quite significant. While the larger corporations are focusing their efforts east and out west, we're tapping into the rich middle-US fields. Doing so is challenging, in part due to the fact that the Michigan Basin overlaps into Canadian territory, but we've worked out mutually beneficial agreements with their government.

COLLINS: What other benefits will Madison see thanks to the drilling platform opening?

ANNISTER: Cheaper gas, obviously. But also an economic boost. We're bringing hundreds, potentially thousands of jobs to the area, and as Madison's population expands exponentially, unemployment is a major threat. So anything that can get people working is a good thing.

COLLINS: Thanks, Marsha. We appreciate you bringing some light on these issues for us.

ANNISTER: You're quite welcome. That's what I'm here for, to help all the citizens of Madison know that Lorren's Oil is looking out for them.

COLLINS: Sandra Collins with The Daily News

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Into the Tides Book Bonus: Heat and Cold Powers

Today is a little book-bonus! In posts such as these, I'll give you extra information from my novel that you won't find in the book itself.

Elizabeth
and a squirrel
In Into the Tides, people who have magic are called "Powers." Each type of magic has a different set of capabilities, which is based on genetics. And for each Power type, there are 6 different levels of ability, called classes, with 6th class being the weakest and 1st class having the most magic. How a person's class is determined is based on what they can do.

I've been working on creating descriptions that explain what each Power type can do, by class. If you're reading the book and wondering what the characters are capable of, and what they would be capable of if they were higher in class, you can find out!

Here's more about heat and cold Powers. One of the main characters in the book is Elizabeth, a fifth class heat Power. Despite often being called "fire" and "ice" Powers, most heat and cold Powers can't create fire or ice; their truly impressive abilities come from being able to maintain and share core body temperature in lower temperatures. By third level it's possible to create active sparks or ice, but in this world, generally cold and heat Powers are considered more healing or utilitarian magics than direct attack magics.


A non-exhaustive list of some

Magic Types

Heat 6-
  • Passive: Is less susceptible to cold (comfortable down to 40 degrees F)
  • Active: Raise air temperature in 1 cubic yard by up to 5 degrees
5
  • Passive: Is less susceptible to cold (comfortable down to 10 degrees F)
  • Active: Raise air temperature in 10 cubic yards by up to 5 degrees (if area unoccupied by unwilling living organisms); raise air temperature in 1 cubic yard up to 10 degrees; radiate core body-temperature warmth (usually 96.8 degrees F) at touch (warmth extends onto surface of touched object/willing person 2 inches beyond point of contact)
4
  • Passive: Is less susceptible to cold (comfortable down to -10 degrees F)
  • Active: Raise air temperature in 20 cubic yards by up to 5 degrees; raise air temperature in 1 cubic yard up to 20 degrees; raise air temperature 1 cubic foot up to 40 degrees; raise water temperature 1 cubic yard up to 5 degrees; radiate body-temperature warmth at touch to envelop willing person of equivalent size (pocket of warmth is 1/2 inch deep from surface of skin outward)
 3
  • Passive: Is less susceptible to cold (comfortable down to -15 degrees F); radiates body-temperature warmth at touch (1/2" past point of physical contact)
  • Active: Raise air temperature in 40 cubic yards by up to 5 degrees; raise air temperature in 1 cubic yard up to 40 degrees; raise air temperature 1 cubic foot up to 80 degrees; raise water temperature 1 cubic yard up to 20 degrees; radiate body-temperature warmth at touch to envelop 3 willing people of equivalent size (pocket of warmth is 1/2 inch deep from surface of skin outward); create a spark
2
  • Passive: Is less susceptible to cold (comfortable down to -15 degrees F); radiates body-temperature warmth at touch (2 inches past point of physical contact)
  • Active: Raise air temperature in 100 cubic yards by up to 10 degrees; raise air temperature in 1 cubic yard up to 80 degrees; raise air temperature 1 cubic foot up to 160 degrees; raise water temperature 1 cubic yard up to 20 degrees; radiate body-temperature warmth at touch-chain (people may be touching each other and not the heat Power directly) to envelop 10 willing people of equivalent size (pocket of warmth is 1/2 inch deep from surface of skin outward); create a fire (2 cubic feet of seasoned wood/material or 2 cubic inches green wood); raise body temperature of willing person by 3 degrees per minute until normal healthy temp is reached (apprx 98.6 F)
1+
  • Passive: Is less susceptible to cold (comfortable down to -15 degrees F); radiates body-temperature warmth at touch (envelop 1 same-size person); raise body temperature of willing person to body temperature or up to 5 degrees above normal
  • Active: Raise air temperature in 100 cubic yards by up to 25 degrees; raise air temperature in 1 cubic yard up to 160 degrees; raise air temperature 1 cubic foot up to 320 degrees; raise water temperature 1 cubic yard up to 80 degrees; boil 3 gallons water; radiate body-temperature warmth via touch-chain for up to 30 people; start fire (10 cubic feet of material); raise the body temperature of another willing person within 20 feet to normal; raise body temperature of a touched person (willing or unwilling) at a rate of 1 degree per minute 
Cold 6-
  • Passive: Is less susceptible to heat (comfortable up to 100 degrees F)
  • Active: Lower air temperature in 1 cubic yard by up to 5 degrees
5
  • Passive: Is less susceptible to heat (comfortable up to 130 degrees F)
  • Active: lower air temperature in 10 cubic yards by up to 5 degrees (if area unoccupied by unwilling living organisms); lower air temperature in 1 cubic yard up to 10 degrees; radiate body-comfortable coolness (usually 65-75 F, depending on person; only when ambient temperature is above this temperature) at touch (air pocket extends onto surface of touched object/willing person 2 inches beyond point of contact) 
4
  • Passive: Is less susceptible to heat (comfortable up to 150 degrees F)
  • Active: Lower air temperature in 20 cubic yards by up to 5 degrees; lower air temperature in 1 cubic yard up to 20 degrees; lower air temperature 1 cubic foot up to 40 degrees; lower water temperature 1 cubic yard up to 5 degrees; radiate body-comfortable temperature at touch to envelop willing person of equivalent size (pocket of warmth is 1/2 inch deep from surface of skin outward)
 3
  • Passive: Is less susceptible to heat (comfortable up to 155 degrees F); radiates body-comfortable temperature at touch (1/2" past point of physical contact)
  • Active: Lower air temperature in 40 cubic yards by up to 5 degrees; lower air temperature in 1 cubic yard up to 40 degrees; lower air temperature 1 cubic foot up to 80 degrees; lower water temperature 1 cubic yard up to 20 degrees; radiate body-comfortable temperature at touch to envelop 3 willing people of equivalent size (pocket of warmth is 1/2 inch deep from surface of skin outward); freeze a 1/4 cubic inch cube of water 
2
  • Passive: Is less susceptible to heat (comfortable up to 155 degrees F); radiates body-comfortable temperature at touch (2 inches past point of physical contact)
  • Active: lower air temperature in 100 cubic yards by up to 10 degrees; lower air temperature in 1 cubic yard up to 80 degrees; lower air temperature 1 cubic foot up to 160 degrees; lower water temperature 1 cubic yard up to 20 degrees; radiate body-comfortable temperature at touch-chain (people may be touching each other and not the cold Power directly) to envelop 10 willing people of equivalent size (pocket of coolness is 1/2 inch deep from surface of skin outward); freeze water (2 cubic feet); lower human body temperature of willing person by 3 degrees per minute until normal healthy temp is reached (apprx 98.6 F) 
1+
  • Passive: Is less susceptible to heat (comfortable up to 155 degrees F); radiates body-comfortable temperature at touch (envelop 1 same-size person); lower body temperature of willing person at touch to normal or up to 5 degrees below normal
  • Active: Lower air temperature in 100 cubic yards by up to 25 degrees; lower air temperature in 1 cubic yard as much as to 160 degrees; lower air temperature 1 cubic foot up to 320 degrees; lower water temperature 1 cubic yard up to 80 degrees; freeze 20 gallons water per ten minutes; radiate body-comfortable temperature via touch-chain for up to 30 people; lower the body temperature of another willing person within 20 feet to normal; lower body temperature of a touched person (willing or unwilling) at a rate of 1 degree per minute  


Specific heat and Power application

 Affecting living tissue is exponentially harder magically than affecting non-living tissue; in non-living substances, the lower a substance's specific heat is, the less magic is required to raise or lower that substance's temperature.

For example, while causing burns directly to skin would require a second or first class, a third class could cause a spark to clothing, which could then burn the skin. A fourth class could raise the heat of a piece of metal the target was touching if it was already near, but not quite at, skin-burning temperature. A cold Power touching pipes running across a ceiling could lower the ambient temperature of a room at a higher level than by magic alone. And it would be easier to lower the temperature of a metal pot until the water in it froze, or the air at the surface of the water, than to freeze the water directly; dropping a nickel in the water and freezing the nickel would be more efficient than creating ice cubes for cooling a drink on a hot summer day. 

Because of this, most heat or cold Powers typically apply the rules of thermodynamics to achieve their desired results.


Living, willing & unwilling:

 In order to be "willing" or "unwilling" to accept heat loss or acquisition, a living creature's instincts must be able to recognize a desirable temperature. When raising or lowering temperature of air or water, an unwilling target in the area affected will not have its temperature directly changed; however it will make raising the task more difficult depending on the amount of will it possesses.

Particularly simple or minute organisms (below 1/4 cubic inch in size) do not typically have enough will to affect casting of magic. Normal levels of micro organisms in water (such as in most areas of the ocean) would usually not make it more difficult to lower the temperature of the water. However, water filled with algae and other micro-organisms (such as from near the shore of a still pond) would take noticeably more energy to affect.

By default, if a temperature rise/lowering is healthy for a healthy organism, then will be "willing" to undergo the transformation; if the temperature change would be damaging to the organism when healthy, it would be considered "unwilling." Living plant matter of at least 1/4 cubic inch is generally capable of creating resistance to magic (approximately 5x nonliving). Animal matter for non-sentient creatures generates more (12.5x nonliving), for creatures capable of self-identifying (such as some insects, rats, dogs, cats) yet more (62.5x), and sapient creatures--humans--more (312.5x). 

A cat, dog, rat, gorilla, dolphin, octopus, or other high-order animal might choose to be willing if, for some reason, it found the increased/lowered temperature appealing or soothing (such as numbing an injury or soothing a sore muscle with minor warmth). If the temperature caused discomfort, it is unlikely the animal would be willing, except in cases of extreme trust (such as a dog allowing its master to warm it up a few degrees before a swim in a cold lake). Once health became seriously threatened, or pain extreme, the animal's instincts would override its decision to trust. Heavy sedation can lower an animal's resistance slightly.

Monday, March 10, 2014

What's your interest?

I'd like to make regular features on the blog besides the publishing news (That one I'm keeping!) Here's what I'm thinking. Which of these would you most like to see? Should I rotate? Days are flexible, too, if you'd prefer one be every week and another pair switch off.


Tea Mondays: Mondays specifically related to tea, such as a tea review or a great tea pairing.
Memory-lane Mondays: I share a memory, event, or other reflection from my own life (such as treasure boxes or the State Fair).


Book Wednesdays: Wednesdays would be for extras related to Into the Tides, such as excerpts, character interviews, or news snippets from Kelly's workplace, The Daily News.
Geekery: Wednesdays would be for posts on geek subjects, such as D&D and Firefly and video games.

Friday Writers: Every other Friday would be a post related to the craft of writing, such as grammar, how I make and develop worlds, etc.
OR
Random Friday: Every non-news Friday would be a random ramble.
OR
Smorgasbord: Random topics that don't fit anything in particular, or fit into one of the above that doesn't get chosen!


Today's Random Ramble:

Lucios used to sell cars before the cars sold him. Now he's the steed for a small rabbit named Hairless Cat, who rides him to the state fair every week. They're scheming to steal the dragonfruit from the dragon who controls the fair, but it's an arduous task since talking animals are always held in suspicion by dragonfruit hoarding dragons.

Lucios has therefore agreed to be the mole who'll retrieve the dragonfruit while Hairless Cat distracts the dragon. Hairless will be delivering knight pies (cooked in armor pie tins, because using aluminum is such an environmental waste when the armor can be re-used and is readily available), which will of course be considered suspicious. Meanwhile, Lucios will be hanging out with the other steeds in back, probably discussing his former life as a cars salesman (since such a large percentage of steeds used to be salesmen of some sort).

When the inevitable discovery of Hairless's treachery causes an uproar (did I forget to mention the knight meat is spiced with dragonsbane?), Lucios will sneak into the back as if trying to hide from the angry dragon and retrieve the dragonfruit. Hairless will, after ditching pursuit, meet him by the garbage bin out of town, and they'll bring the goods back here.

Any questions about the plan? Good. Now let's get cooking. Those knight pies won't bake themselves.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Publishing Industry News (Part 2)

The second half of this week's publishing news covers interesting industry blogs for 2/15-3/7.

Industry Blogs

QueryTracker's Publishing News for 2/14, 2/21, 2/28, and 3/7.

Also on QueryTracker: 5 Easy Steps to (not) survive your release day (hint: obsession is good for you, right?). Do you need to interview someone for research purposes, but they're really nervous? Jane Lebak explains that "off the record" can get them comfortable. And Stinda Lindenblatt talks about where to get feedback.

Agent Rachelle Gardner reminds us that although in many ways the e-publishing revolution resembles the changes in the music industry, the two aren't identical. She lists some key differences to keep in mind when making comparisons. She also describes her "typical day" and her daily priorities as an agent (Hint: getting new clients comes after taking care of existing ones). And she looks at how the industry has changed since 2008, when she first began blogging.

Agent Janet Reid answers more questions: If you want to shelve a project that's not selling it, is it damaging to ask your agent to withdraw it from submission? (No; be polite, but it happens often.) Trying to contact your old publisher to fulfill "first rights," but they won't answer? (Keep track of what you've done and send a registered letter--after a certain amount of effort, you've fulfilled your legal requirement and may move on without hearing back.) How do you handle evidence that your memoir happened as said in a post-Frey false memoir-querying world? (Mention extensive records, etc). If you break an "iron-clad rule" of writing [like having the opening scene involve waking up], are you out of luck and never salable? (You can do anything if you do it well enough.)

Agent Janet Reid also advises: Make sure to use effective comparison titles. Sending an e-mail? Use an effective and specific subject title. Update your schedule of appearances. If you've written a book one genre but plan long-term to write a different genre, should you even bother querying the first work? (Do you think it's publishable and do you want to sell it? If so, yes.) Your agent has gone incommunicado for months, and you suspect she may be dead or crazy. What now? (Breathe. Then check if you're in contract with the agency instead of the agent, and if another agent there can help you. If needed, dissolve the contract.)

And Reid answers more questions: If other agents have requested pages, should I mention it in my query? (No. If there's a request for more, maybe then.) If an agent requests 30 pages or 3 chapters, which should you send? (Unless specified, whichever is more.) You have a prologue, and it's good, but agents hate prologues. How should this be handled? (Maybe send the sample requested sans prologue, or call it chapter 0 until later.) Should you mention that you once had an agent as a way of getting "street cred" in your query for a revised version of the manuscript? (No. Now it's this-thing-has-history-baggage, not a sign of awesomeness.) You've written the first book of a trilogy. Should you write the next one before getting an offer on the first, or wait to see if it sells? (Yes, write the second. Now get writing.) You're not getting responses on the query. Is it the query, the manuscript, or the agents? (Complicated. Reid suggests going to an authors' conference pitch session--but not actually pitching--to find out.)

Aerogramme Studio assembles assorted opportunities for writers (contests; literary submission dates) for March and April.

Kristine Kathryn Rusch continues her Discoverability for Authors series with Part 10 (Social media, young people actively run away from ads, and the generational gap on what works), Part 10-2 (People still see your stuff on FB; don't do things you dislike), and Part 11 (networking).

And a very interesting article looking at Amazon by the New Yorker (link found by Connie Keller--Thanks!)

On Publishing Perspectives, Dennis Abrams asks if binge reading--reading an entire series at time--is the new "binge watching" fad.

Theresa Ragan offers a way to estimate your sales based on your author rank.

Nathan Bransford disputes the "you must write every day" myth.

On the Futuristic, Fantasy, and Paranormal Romance Writers blog, Veronica Scott talks about using actual mythology to enhance your fiction.

Writer Peter Salomon evaluates whether or not Facebook ads are worth it before and after the new algorithms, sharing his results on how much he spent, how many new likes he got, and how he things it paid off (or didn't).

Humble Bundle's looking to get into e-books with a more regular e-book feature.

What countries spend the most time reading?