Kara Leonardo has been a wonderful fan and friend to many of us in the lesbian publishing industry. She’s come upon some horrific hard times and needs our help. I’ll let Roselle Graskey tell you what the deal is:

On February 11, 2012, Kara and her partner, Stephanie Marvel, were involved in a motor vehicle accident. Stephanie was driving and their car was hit head-on by another driver. Stephanie was killed on impact and Kara sustained a fractured arm, multiple fractures of her leg and pelvis along with internal injuries. Kara was in and out of the ICU a few times before landing in a regular room and ultimately transferring to a rehabilitation facility at the end of March. She is learning to walk again with the use of a walker and will soon be ready for discharge from rehab. This is where her situation becomes even more difficult… Kara relocated from Illinois to Delaware to be with Stephanie… When she is discharged from rehab, she will have no place to go.

Continue Reading…

Okay…maybe not yet.

But I do have my hotel reservations, plane tickets and convention registration for Golden Crown Literary Society in June!

Do you?

I’ve never been to one of these before, so I’m pretty excited! There’s going to be lots to do in Minneapolis (haven’t been there before, either!), so my to-do list is getting longer and longer.

What To Do?

First on the list, of course, is hang out with both new and old friends! I haven’t seen most of you up close and in person since the last Orlando Bardcon!

Next up is basking in the excellence of wonderful people who enjoy romance novels. Nothing beats that kind of vibe, right? Lesbian romance-fests are da bomb!

I’m rooming with my BFF, too. She’s kind of crazy. I expect she’ll be embarrassing the bejaysus out of me—she is the one who coined the phrase “Tapioca” for Tiopa Ki Lakota, after all.

The Mall of America is on the top of my Out-And-About list. I’ve always seen it on travel shows, and it will be a hoot to actually see it for real. I realize it’s just a mall on steroids, so I don’t expect to be razzle-dazzled. Still, it’ll be one of those Bucket List items to strike off.

Suggestions?

Anybody know of other places to visit, things to do in the area? I won’t have a rental car, so it’ll have to be cheap and easy to get to.

If you like what you’ve read here, let me know! The comment form below is lonely and needs dire attention!

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Shaking off the dust here for something very important!

Friends, fans, and fellow authors/editors are putting together an auction (details to follow) for Nene Adams, one of the first and the most gifted of the bards in the Xenaverse. Scheduled for surgery in the Netherlands tomorrow due to a life-threatening infection, she has no health insurance.

If you have items or services that you’d be interested in contributing to the auction, email [email protected]

What an annoyance!  I opened up Broken Trails today only to discover the two scenes I’d edited weren’t saved properly.  I think they might have gone into the back up file, which I overrode with the current version of my project file upon opening.  * head palm *

Ah, well. I’d made the mistake last time of editing the wrong scene, but decided to go with it since I didn’t want to change the entire thing back again.  Now I was able to do the scene I’d wanted to do in the first place, and finish the other three.  (I also made absolutely sure that the project was saved in both the desktop project folder and the backup project folder in my documents.)

Watched the latest Stargate – Universe this morning.  Can I just say that Lou Diamond Phillips’ character is a BASTEHD!  He’s playing it well, lemme tell ya!  LOL!  I wanted to smack him on that last scene.

I think I’ll spend the next hour or so pulling data and stories from all over the place to compile in my Cyberpunk project.  After I message the twisted-sister-in-law on Facebook.  Then it’s World of Warcraft time!  WOOT!

Three chapters of Broken Trail completed for a total of 6601 words edited.  Now that the majority of the technical race details have been passed over, I was able to throw in a few thoughts and angst.  Lainey’s decided if she can finish the Iditarod, she can do anything—to include admitting her alcoholism to Ben Strauss and Scotch.  It terrifies and sickens her, but it’s something she has to get through.

The story is mostly from Lainey’s POV, but I’ve had requests to get more of Scotch’s POV into it.  At the very least, there are readers who’ve requested to see Scotch’s win at Nome.  That means at least two more scenes to write from scratch, one when Scotch wins the Iditarod, and one while she reflects and waits for Lainey’s arrival.

I’m way past the halfway point now. YAY!

Saw the next ep of Heroes this morning.  Convoluted, as always. Love it! Can’t wait for V to start next month! I think I saw that ABC.com has another Flash Forward ep available.  I’ll see that tonight after work.

Speaking of work…  Urgh.

Finished Broken Trails, Chapter Twenty-Nine. I backtracked to chapter twenty-seven to start, scanning over it.  From here on out, the novel’s mostly about the mechanics of the race—it’ll be difficult to toss in the foreshadowing of Lainey’s emotional issues.  I’ll probably have to read it from start to finish one more time, just to be sure I’m keeping the feel of the novel cohesive. Total wordcount today is 2602.

I also edited chapter thirty, and set up thirty-one for the next round.  I’m not counting it for today’s total for the reason listed above.  I need to have a go over it again, just to be sure.

Saw the season premiere of Heroes on NBC.com last night.  Ah, a carnival of real freaks!  Of course!  Funny how the guy running it – Robert Knepper – also acted in the Showtime series, Carnivale, huh?  LOL!

There’s an auction for Kim Pritekel on AUSXIP.com (click here.) I’ve added a signed copy of Warlord Metal and On Azrael’s Wings.  Go.  Bid.  The woman’s a good writer, and losing her eyesight would interfere with that talent.

3847 words written and edited on Broken Trails.  Chapter Twenty-Seven is complete.  Queuing up Chapter Twenty-Eight for tomorrow.  It’s now February at the Fuller Kennels, with lots of work to do for the race coming in March.  Lainey’s also beginning to come to terms with the idea that she’s an alcoholic.  I think I’ll add a new scene next, one where she speaks with the kennel’s handler, Miguel.  He’s a supporting character that hasn’t had a lot of weight throughout the novel, but I’ve made him a recovering alcoholic—time for Lainey to approach someone who understands what’s going on with her.

Working on the last of the Blood Books by Tanya Huff, Blood Debt.  I like the series, but I can put the book down pretty easy.  Not sure why.  It’s not boring, and the writing’s good.  The verbal play between the characters is hilarious… Yet I find myself needing to take a break from the book.  Weird.

Finished watching the third season of ‘Deadwood.’  It ended rather abruptly.  I guess they’d hoped to continue on, and it got canceled.  Too bad. I’d love to follow along more, though they’d lose some of the rough and tumble of the place with the coming of government into the territory.  (And Bullock losing the sheriff’s seat opens up a whole ‘nother can o’ worms…)  It could be similar to the reasons I don’t write a sequel to Tiopa Ki Lakota – I don’t want to see my characters on a reservation, or the sickness and oppression they’ll receive from growing contact with the whites.

I watched ‘Flash Forward’ on ABC.go.com yesterday.  Now I have to get the book! I’ll be following this one for sure.

Saw the season premiere of ‘Mercy’ this morning on NBC.com. Kate Mulgrew as the drunken mother was fun.  (Gods, I love that woman’s voice!  LOL!  “Gin Ricky!”)  She’s a supporting character, so I’m debating whether or not to watch the show on a regular basis.  I like the set up and all, and the characters are interesting as hel, but I’ve never been much for the medical dramas. I guess if I remember to watch it next week, that’ll be an indicator of interest, huh?

Well, off to feed cats, make lunch, and do chores before work. Have a great day, y’all!

More convention goodness…  Notes follow the panel descriptions.

We Don’t Need Another Hero

From Kimball Kinnison to Dylan Hunt, strong-thewed heroes have strode the spaceways, protecting the galaxy from evildoers.  But the trend in contemporary literature is shifting from “heroes” to “protagonists” to “viewpoint characters”.  What are the ways that main characters can be used in science fiction?  How can ensembles and event-based plots build great story lines and lovable groups?

Sheila Simonson, Mary Robinette Kowal, phyllis irene radford, Jean Lamb, Michael A. Martin

– a tragic, dramatic departure from the norm is what creates a hero.

– Jo Clayton, author – look her up. – in order to have a Hero (with a capital H,) there must be a villain – who’s the villain in Iditarod, Tiopa?  Circumstances, at the very least.  Thereby assuming that none of those characters are truly heroines. – is a heroine simply a female hero?  Or is she something more?  Not so much a difference as a different dynamic created between a heroine and villain… – writing an ensemble piece ain’t easy – Freya’s Tears, when completed will result in the loss of at least two crew members – will the next book (assuming there is one) focus on a different protagonist? – it’s not enough for a heroine to decide to take control of a situation. She must choose to END it.  (Azrael, Dusky, Els, Kathleen.) – a woman’s heroic journey follows a similar path as the hero except she gets to a point where she must decide between two paths, nurturer or warrior.  The journey continues until both paths merge again, and she finds herself doing both.

Orycon and the Future

The Death of OSFCI and what you can do to keep Orycon alive after Orycon 30.

Andrew Nisbet, Patty Wells, Linda Pilcher

Considering how much I enjoy Orycon, I had to attend this panel to see what was going on.  Apparently there’s a dearth of people willing to fill the long term, committed openings that are required to put together a convention.  Things have been in flux with Orycon for the last four years and don’t appear to be letting up.  This was a panel to drum up fannish support.

I dunno, man.  I’m interested, truly, but …  I do enjoy attending the panels.  If I worked a convention from planning stages to culmination, it’d have to be in a position that wouldn’t deter me from attending the panels.  I’ve worked Dealer’s Room as assistant, and that takes a lot of time out of the day.  Same goes for several other positions in a large con.

We’ll see.

Role-playing Game Design and Publication 101

How writing for the role-playing market differs from writing for the fiction market, what is involved in designing and publishing a role-playing game, and how much reward one is likely to get for all one’s work.  A beginning writer’s guide to the RPG market.

Greg Gorden, Gwendolyn Kestrel, Joseph D. Karriker, Jr., William B. McDermott, Riannon Louve, Anthony Pryor

Not that I’m particularly interested in writing a RPG.  I like gaming, and my primary reason for attending this panel was to consider another potential money-maker.  (Anything to get out of my current job, doncha know?  LOL!)

– contact the game developer, ask what he or she needs, and give them EXACTLY that. – gaming articles are good for background and resumes. – prove comprehension of the material when writing a module. – website, website, website!  If a particular game inspires artwork, be sure to give credit (‘based on’...) – Note to self – business card. – write novels based on a gaming system as a sideline for money making (‘based on’...) – keep up on the comings and goings within the company.  Not much different than the regular or small publishing world, really.  In fact, the gaming industry is just as political and incestuous as any other.  Be professional, and don’t quit your day job until you have a year’s salary in the bank. – the more complete the module, the better.  Don’t just write up the specifics.  Create the characters needed, the maps, artwork, tech data, the whole shebang.

THEN I was going to go to another panel or two.  Instead, I got sidetracked by work (the dangers of attending a convention in your workplace.)  So I ended up leaving property for a quick lunch downtown and returning for a trip through the art show.

Bought two prints from my current favorite local artist, Alan M. Clarke.  He’s got some great stuff, morbid as hel, and a very smartass sense of humor. Also made note of Sarah Clemens.  She’s got some great pieces with Magnus and Loki—a cat and a small dragon who get into various troubles.

How to Make a Living as an Artist

How do artists make a living? Can you break the starving artist traditions and really make some money?

Margaret Organ-Kean, John R. Gray III, Jeff Fennel, Jeff Sturgeon, Alan M. Clarke, Vincent DiFate

– “Diversify!” Clarke

– Pinging off that comment, I can go digital (sell prints at conventions, sell online, pick up work via gaming companies.) In Second Life (virtual world), I can design and build virtual clothings, behaviors, items, buildings for sale.  I can possibly offer services as book cover illustrator with my current contacts with authors and publishers. – I need a high quality Epson printer and a scanner. – Create book covers for books I’ve read (‘inspired by’,) and put them on my website – use the web as a portfolio of digital artwork. – “Art is about making pictures. The tools you use are irrelevant.” Vincent DiFate

A’ight… end of day two (Saturday.)  I went home to take a nap, with every intention of returning that evening for a concert by Heather Alexander.  Yep… you guessed it.  I stayed home.  I REALLY have to stay in the hotel next year!

Weeeee!  Guess what I’m doing this weekend?

Yesterday I spent the morning helping the guys finish the room sets.  Then I spent a good portion of the afternoon attending panels.  I’m going to note the panels and some odds and ends notes here to keep them on file for future reference…  Prepare to be bored… or not…

The Effects of Space Travel on Earth Religions

Will a Christian, Jew, Muslim or other Earth religious believer, have trouble tolerating the religions of Aliens?  Will Earthlings need to reevaluate how they believe about “being created in God’s image” if the other beings look differently than they do?  What hapens if Earth was seeded and we run into the society responsible?  What about those aliens that display powers that some fundamentalists consider to be evil?

Mick Shepherd Moscoe, Judy Lazar, Elton Elliott, Richard A. Lovett

About the only direct quote, per se, I recieved from this panel was from Judy Lazar.  She said there’s a direct correlation between lifestyle and religious development.  Those societies that have chaotic lifestyles, fraught with uncertainties, tend to develop deeper and stronger mythos and dieties to explain their world.  Those with milder lifestyles have no use for such trappings, and their mythos tend to reflect that.

Notes, Ideas, Questions:

– created in ‘God’s Image’ (future title?) – aliens = angels? – theology = alien method of control? – aliens also have theology of being in ‘God’s image’ – which is right / true? – could result it war? – tie the rapture into alien visitation – disappearances of true Christians are actually abductions… – an UNbenevolent diety responsible for creation – no God, but a devil responsible – God an King, a monarchy – what about using a different political system to base a religion upon?

Law and Social Order in World Building

How can a writer design the basic legal structure of an alien, futuristic, or fantasy civilization? How do laws, courts, and government organizations arise from the basic legal structures and concepts, the constitution (formal or informal), common law, and other sources of justice? What are some of the options a writer has in making their civilization unique?

Rory Miller, Richard A. Lovett, Sara A. Mueller, phyllis irene radford, Andrew Nisbet

Again, no quotes from the panelists were interesting enough for me.  I took what they said and let my mind wander here and there, scribbling down things that came to me.

– dichotomy between law and societal taboos – illegal to beat and harass, yet acceptable for children to thump and terrorize one another through school. – some taboos aren’t truly taboo unless they’re witnessed in other cultures – some things are only illegal if witnessed. – laws exist because of criminal definitions – DEFINE THE CRIME! – defining the crime will determine the society’s view on it, and reveal deeper issues and taboos involved in it.

How to Reproduce Your Artwork

You have finished your masterpiece, now how do you make the prints? What reproduction options are out there and what works best?

Jeff Sturgeon, John R. Gray III

Unbeknownst to most of you, I used to be an airbrush artist.  My first year in ‘business,’ I was only a hundred bucks in the red.  I airbrushed SF & F type people and sold it at conventions like this one.  I began writing when I had to pack up my airbrush study from lack of space.

My arthritis has made returning to airbrush an impossibility, but I’ve decided to learn digital artwork, using a tablet and pen connected to the computer.  Hence the reason I attended this panel.

– Jeff Sturgeon highly recommended Epson printers and high quality Epson archival paper for prints. – John Gray uses Canon printers. – both use small labs to print larger than 11×14.  Both use Pro-lab in Seattle.  (Research for Portland area!) – CYA not RGB – Keep in mind there’s a difference between what’s on the screen and what prints up.  Do a print proof first to compare your idea and the reality.  Tweak artwork to match. – Research print proof types. – small booklet of artwork? Cafe Press?

When the Heroine Isn’t 18, Blonde, and a Size 3

Why do some authors and filmmakers think a lab coat and glasses on a young blonde heroine can convey the same level of expertise as a grey-haired male scientist? Is it credible for the young post-doctorate researcher to also be a martial arts black belt in her spare time? Writers will talk abouth the why and how of writing female protagonists who break the mold.

Madeleine E. Robins, Alma Alexander, phyllis irene radford, Judith R. Conly, Dianna Rodgers

– give the heroine only what she needs to do what she has to do.

– Azrael – too beautiful, too much like Xena in abilities? Create more scarring? – flaw the character! – look into Alma Alexander’s books

And that was that!

Started to sit in on another panel, but it wasn’t going where I was interested, so I bailed early.  Today’s panels include artwork and writing oriented stuff.  Tonight is a concert by Heather Alexander…  I’m debating whether or not to stay for it.  I hear she’s good, but it’ll be way past my bedtime…  LOL!

Oh, yeah!  I picked up a sword in the Dealer’s room, too!  WOOT!

Found this on Lee Goldberg’s blog (link below.) I would LOVE to see this Trek universe! Too damned bad the idea’s been dropped. It would be killer!

I highly suggest you hit Bryce Zabel’s blog to get the story. But really read the treatment .pdf! If you’re a Trek fan, you’ll love it!

A Writer’s Life: Star Trek Rebooted
Friday, June 16, 2006

Star Trek Rebooted

What would STAR TREK be like if J. Michael Straczynski (BABYLON 5) and Bryce Zabel (DARK SKIES, MANTIS) got their hands on the franchise? My friend Bryce has posted on his blog an unsolicited STAR TREK treatment that he and Joe wrote back in 2004. You can read it here.

It has come to my attention that one of my blog posts has been sent to a mailing list without my permission. That person has been chewed out by me, (and virtually strangled,) but the damage has been done with someone I consider a friend.

1) I do not believe Cindy Cresap is out to rip off the authors.

2) My blog entry about the Fortitude Inventory Sale was public and I won’t apologize for trying to clarify things for my readers. But I will state that I did not have all the facts at the time.

3) Cindy did contact me before she posted announcements about the sale.

4) Legally speaking, the books are abandoned property. Cindy’s actions are legit, and she wouldn’t have done this if they weren’t.

5) I would much rather have found some other way to relieve her of the hassle, but them’s the breaks.

6) See number one above.

7) Any questions of morals and ethics were never raised by me, only the legalities. Which, if you see number four, you’ll realize I have my answer.

8) My assumption that she was an officer of Fortitude was wrong. She never was.

and, most importantly,

8) I will hire Cindy Cresap in a hot minute for any book I write even after this fiasco. She’s one of the best damned editors I’ve worked with and I would work with her again if she’ll have anything to do with me after this.

Take that to the bank.

ORLANDO BARDCON IN A NUTSHELL
(A breakdown of all the events planned for a fun-filled weekend in Orlando)

Website: http://www.bardcon.com/

WHAT: Orlando BardCon
WHERE: Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort – Orlando, Florida
WHEN: October 21-23, 2005
COST: $75 (includes Friday Meet & Greet; Saturday Con; Saturday Lunch; and Saturday Night Talent Show)
A LA CART EVENTS: Sunday Brunch with the Bards ($30)—Sunday Evening Epcot IllumiNations Show & Dessert Party ($25+)

Read Continue Reading…

Interesting blog entry from Lazette Gifford. If you’re an aspiring writer, go read!

To quote:

“Just remember two things:

“Not everyone can work in the same way and if something doesn’t work for you, it doesn’t matter who presented it—published author or not.

“And don’t lie to yourself about what you’re doing. Don’t suddenly pretend that you are writing near perfect first drafts just because it will be less work for you. If the story is worth writing, than it is worth making certain it’s right. That will often include editing. That’s all right. Editing is part of the writer’s tool kit, and throwing it aside is not a good answer.”

Amen, sistah!