kate rothwell

2008-07-18T19:06:00.001-04:00

I'm over at Samhain today. I seriously had a blog post written about the joys of writing at home, but then, after this afternoon, it seemed like a joke...Much of what I wrote is what James Frey would say is based on Real Life. Let's just say it's condensed.

Joss Whedon is back.

2008-07-17T16:18:00.002-04:00

Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. With Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion. Act III will post in two days. Can we say camp? Yes! We Can!

Hurry! Watch! Because this forty minute musical will go away July 20--or so this page claims.

there are people who haven't seen Matt dance?

2008-07-17T12:25:00.002-04:00

really? anyone here not seen the video? It's a world fave.

I didn't think so. But here it is again.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.
One of the videos I'll watch more than once.

hmmm

2008-07-15T18:32:00.003-04:00

Why do I have to keep commenting over at Shannon's place? What creates this compulsion? The smilies?

I should go haunt ferfe again.

random stuff

2008-07-15T07:25:00.004-04:00

1. There's an article in New York Magazine about Joe Scarborough. and the sub-head is "Where else could a red-meat, right-wing congressman like Joe Scarborough reinvent himself as the liberal’s favorite talk-show host?" whu?

Joe? Liberal? Liberal favorite? Huh? I wonder which liberal they found who said "Morning Joe is my favorite!" so they could write that. I hope he or she actually watches the show. I don't.
Hey but don't get me started on Mika. No, no. Really. Do not.

2. Doug has a good old-fashioned web time waster at his blog: the lol cat translation of the bible.
I thought my discovery of an un-truthy wiki send up page was good.

2a. These are Pinnacles of Civilization. They Are The Best Examples of Art for art's sake. I mean they serve no particular function and required vast amounts of time and effort. Isn't that the basis?

3. Show me more, for I am impressed by this variety of silliness. I will add links to a link repository and maybe start yet another universe of useless knowledge. Acres of 'em anyway. You can't have too many strange and esoteric, or strange and silly, or strange and obscure or just strange pages, apparently.

3a. Why find more? They make one feel better about the future of the human race.

4. My sister is the most popular woman in North America so we won't get to see her this summer.

on hold

2008-07-14T13:46:00.002-04:00

I loathe borders dot com even more than I did before and my hate-level had already gone way past eleven on the hate-dial..

oblivious

2008-07-14T07:22:00.006-04:00

Here's what I don't get. How can I gain and lose the equivalent of a really big bag of dog food and not feel that different?

The changes I've noticed are pretty insignificant: clothes fitting differently (but that's the clothes, not me) a chin or two going away. The reemergence of hip bones is the biggest deal and I only notice them because of my sleeping position. Ow, hey.

I've never been big (well, yes, I have, har har) at paying attention to bodily details, but it seems to me that if you lose what equals 9 packages of sugar (or flour) from your body, it shouldn't just be the details that you'd have to look for.

Other people are far more aware of the difference. Mostly women, or they're the ones who'll exclaim about it. "omiGOD, you look good!" in an astonished voice. I've done that too, in my life, to other people.

Henceforth, I will never do it again. Because what happens if I gain it all back? I will hear the "you used to look so good!" even when they don't say it. Naw, I don't much care about that.

But I am sort of astounded that weight matters so much and the loss of it is such a cause of public celebration. I have defeated an enemy! I am a modern hero! You may carry me on your shoulders in a victory parade! No, wait until I lose another third of a bag of dog food. Don't want to strain yer muscles.

shaking a fist at McAbee

2008-07-13T19:14:00.005-04:00

K. G. McAbee is one of those writers I found by accident. For some reason when I stumble across a writer's work on my own (like Bonnie Dee, and A.M. Riley and Elaine Corvidae**), I turn into a bigger fan girl than when someone sends or recommends great stories. The serendipity is thrilling and that makes me more possessive, I guess. Those are the writers I will google every now and then just because I might have missed something. Don't want to miss anything.

Yessiree, It's the found-on-my-own factor that makes me more possessive because it holds true for the bigger names too. My Layton, Farr and MacAvoy. My precioussess. I will find you all when you publish. I will track you down. [crazed cackling goes here]

So I found McAbee a few years ago and promptly did a glom. I think I even wrote a fan-letter--I think a real letter, not an email--and she wrote back. That's how long ago it was. Then I waited for her new book(s). And waited. And googled. Nothing.

Anyway. I gave up. Some people, like that pesky Emma Jensen, just stop writing. That's that.

AND THEN this morning in one of my writer yahoo groups, there were a bunch of emails about a contest and how people are finaling. I hit delete, delete, delete because it's a noisy group, I don't know the contest and I don't much care. I was poised on the delete button on an announcement from some finalist named Gail McAbee. Huh, coincidence about the name but still....I googled and HEY, that's KG! HEY! HEEEEEEYYEEEEE.

Not only that, she's published with the publishing company associated with Sam Winston's real persona, a publisher called Calderwood.

Well, fine, then. I'm buying the book, and I'm going to buy another finalist from the same contest and same publisher-- A CHARM FOR A UNICORN by some chick named Jennifer Macaire.

But for the next release, KGM, I expect an engraved invitation or at least an email. Get yourself a promo-machine, woman.

OH and let me just say I'm glad I own a copy of this McAbee book **** because even though I like it, a lot, I wouldn't want to pay $214 for it. Jeepers. I see another one of hers is going for only $42.
________
** Who is also a finalist in the contest. Small world.

**** my 2003 anonymous Amazon review of the book (why anonymous? I dunno. Maybe because I was even more pompous than the hero of the book? and somehow I knew it? )

The narrator is pompous, funny, but above all appealing. Think of the best secondary characters/clowns (even Falstaff perhaps?) in Shakespeare -- the "prince" is nearly as asinine and clever as they are. And even as you roll your eyes at him, you have to root for the guy and you certainly care what happens to him.
The heroine is not quite as well developed (I suppose it's inevidable in a first person narrative), but she's still intriguing and a refreshing change from the usual. The secondary characters are all fun. The scenes from another world are also very vivid.
I had planned to take my time but ended up reading it all in one sitting. Very well done -- only complaint: it wasn't longer.

my life.

2008-07-11T21:47:00.004-04:00

Yay! I have revisions for my October 7 book.
Boo! My stomach hurts.

Yay! It's a Monk marathon.
Boo! My stomach hurts so I keep missing big chunks

Yay! The boyz are being funny and silly together.
B...um....nope, nothing bad about that.

Yay! the recording of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is excellent. FUN book.
Boo! Damn, that thing is long. On the other hand, that's hours of entertainment, eh?

Yay! Boy3 is Honk in the play in Honk Jr
Boo! He's having trouble thinking or talking about anything else. Ever. Nervous and excited. And nervous. He's singing a lot.

Yay! Honk be over in a couple of weeks.
Boo! It'll be over in a couple of weeks and then what?

Yay! Boy2 is in a play, too. Laugh-In.
Boo! Do you have any clue how out-dated that thing is? Jokes about LBJ and hippies and Ann-Margret.

Boo! My stomach hurts. I'm boring when my stomach hurts. Life is boring then.

Now I will do revisions and I will like it.

Also

2008-07-10T19:13:00.002-04:00

This is a good site . I like today's featured picture. I could use a serving of that flavor.

FYI

2008-07-10T11:16:00.002-04:00

The person who doctors taglines and blurbs for Samhain? She's very, very good. A genius and I wish I could have a few of her neurons. I'd just borrow them now and then, seriously.

You'd think someone who can recognize the difference between effective and lame taglines would be capable of writing the first kind. You'd be wrong.

the day after I loved writing.

2008-07-10T10:21:00.011-04:00

I chugged along on a story. 60 pages in five days, moving along beautifully. The story, the characters poured out of my fingers.

And then I got a rejection. It's a great rejection, considerate, thoughtful--complimentary even. But still, when I sit down today, the steam for the other story is gone.

I'm 13,000 words into this dreck, and there' s no sex, not even tension. Yo, you write smut, get to work on something that'll sell. This is barely a romance and it's nothing else, either. Who cares about these people? It starts out with such a whiner. Jeeeez louise, It's never going to sell. What's the point. Omigod, just go get another job.

Today I hate writing.

Tomorrow I think I'll go back to the standard operating middle and just work.

Back to the formerly rapidly-arriving story. It's one I started about two years ago. Starts out with a self pitying passive heroine--kind of like me today--but she does improve after this bit which I posted once upon a time:

“She is pathetic. At least fifty pounds overweight.”

More like sixty, but she didn’t interrupt because Jeff was going full tilt. “The really sad thing is she has no ambition. All these years and the only thing she wants is a clean kitchen. Remember that ancient sitcom . . .what’s it called -- Mary Hartman Mary Hartman? Dirty kitchen floor does the woman in. It’s not like we don’t have a maid to take care of that shit. Like that’s what I want to hear about at the end of the day.”

She nodded. It made for boring conversation all right.

“It’s not like I dislike her. But after nine years--” more like ten, actually, but again she didn’t interrupt-- “I want more. Life is too short for boring shit.” He gave a thick, deep “ha,” his familiar sound of disgust. “I don’t want her money. God knows she might as well have that since I’m doing okay in work.”

That was decent of him, really, because God also knew he was right about the rest of it.

She stifled a sigh as he continued. “She’s good to Martin. Marg’s a good step-mom though she really lets him walk all over her. Otherwise? I’d say her main quality is boring. Maybe stupid, even, I don’t know. I mean she doesn’t have a clue about us.” He laughed--a real one this time. “I wish I could think of nice things to say, but the woman is empty, a big balloon.”

A soft woman’s voice cooed, “Oh, honey, that’s all so aw—“
Jeff was apparently finished his diatribe, so she interrupted at last. “You forgot one biggie. She’s an eavesdropper.”

“Oh, Shit,” Jeff shouted.

Scrabbling noises. The other woman gave a familiar squeak and hung up. The phone clicked went to the dial tone.

The woman on the phone was Nancy Warden, Margaret realized. The neighbor three doors down. At last summer’s block party, she’d told Margaret all about her club and had offered to take her on a tour and show her the workout room. Margaret hadn’t mentioned that she’d belonged to that club since she was fifteen. She’d avoided the place lately.

Heavy footsteps thumped up the stairs. Margaret hung up, got off the bed and went over to lock the bedroom door. She’d have to think about this.

For years she’d been waiting for the moment she’d magically start dropping pounds, which would naturally transform her life. The before and after photo in the ads. The lightning strike that began the process: “I saw the picture of myself at the company Christmas party and knew I had to change.” In the after photo a man smiles at her ecstatically.

Oops, she must have missed her moment. The time to change her life had come and gone and she’d somehow lost everything. Damn.

pruning face book

2008-07-09T15:58:00.006-04:00

Apparently you're not supposed to use Facebook as a promo tool. No pictures of book covers as profile pictures---or that's the yahoo writer groups rumor that's zipping around. I'm too lazy to read the actual posting agreement so I put up my standard promo picture.

Other face book activity?

The Boy Who Won't let his mother be his facebook friend.

The Boy Who Will.

In other news, Happy Birthday Brian Dennehy. (He's my facebook friend, too.)

The Fame continues

2008-07-08T12:20:00.006-04:00

Mike's moment of noteriety isn't over yet.

He showed up in the New York Times, or so someone told him. I can't find him and, to avoid work, I've looked hard. Oh, here's a reference to it, maybe. And what is this? A detractor? Tchah. Not that anyone asked me--and he'd roll his eyes (If he read the blog)--but Mike picked something fairly benign to work on because he's got a couple of dozen kids wandering around his lab so he doesn't want anything too horrible smeared on those petri dishes. He used to do Shigella.

Back to his fame: someone from CosmoGIRL! interviewed him on Monday. Now that's pimply stardom. He protests that I can't possibly want to blog about this, but little does he know that I have absolutely nothing else to say. And really--CosmoGIRL!. But nothing might come of it, he warns. He suspects they won't quote him at all. Yet still--CosmoGIRL!.

Hey, I found this one though. Old news.

In other news, I'm 8K words into a new story while I wait for feedback on old ones. The way I figure it, if I stop writing, I'll never start again.

ten books to read before you.....

2008-07-04T08:26:00.007-04:00

here's the AOL list of ten books to read before you die:

10) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
9) Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
8) Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
7) Angels & Demons by Dan Brown
6) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
5) The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown
4) The Stand by Stephen King
3) Harry Potter (the series) by JK Rowling
2) Lord of the Rings (the series) by JRR Tolkien
1) Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Dan Brown? ...and twice???? Why, why, WHY these books?

I don't like their list, but I can't seem to compose my own. For one thing, the"before you die" gets me, like a kid that recites the "if I should die before I wake" prayer and gets stuck on that bit instead of the message of "god bless me."

But really, if I'm dying, I think I'd reach for a certain type of book. When other people in my life commence dying, I go for escapism and romance. I can't imagine that when I get my sentence I'm going to go look for deep thick books about the essential meaning of life or death or Eternity. I'm going for PG Wodehouse as usual. God, please, if I on my way out I'll take that little black capsule before trying to read through the pages and pages of "dialog" that is Ayn Rand preaching at us.

So, okay, so skip the dying. What kind of list do they really mean? Ten books that mean something? Ten books that influenced Western culture? Ten books that actually made people talk a lot back when they were published? Ten books that changed me and therefore I bet will change you? Ten books that hit the bestseller list and so other people talk about them and you'll feel like a jackass if you go to cocktail parties (do people still have cocktail parties) without having read them? Ten books you have to recognize in order to pass as a high school graduate in the early 21st century?

How about ten books that I picked out randomly from past and present bestseller lists because I have a deadline to meet and I can't be arsed to really think and reach through centuries of literature? Because that's the one that seems to fit best.

Although come to think of it...did Douglas Adams hit bestseller lists?

And if I were making a list, I suppose I'd put that book or Pratchett on a list--and I'd cheat the way those AOL people did: Discworld (the series)

The only one I'd include with confidence is To Kill a Mockingbird. Maybe not Catcher, although when I was in high school, I read Franny and Zooey and would have included that one. Now I'm scared to reread it because I don't think it or I aged right.

The rest, no. In fact, Urgh. Harry Potter is fun but the most significant, interesting thing about those books is the cultish response as each book came out and that magic is gone. Sigh. Tolkein? Good stuff, but not on my list.

In fact, for all my pshawing at the AOLers, I can't seem to make a list. What titles are on your list? And what would you call the list? I can't manage that either.

Thursday Thirteen -- getting specific in your romance preferences

2008-07-03T21:30:00.008-04:00

.....VERY specific.

Thirteen special interest group romance blogs. For some reason a lot of group blogs with writers fail to flourish. Any theories why that is? (Mine: I suspect people think writers only use them for promo-type articles and that gets dull fast. I expect the ones like romancing the blog--which have readers as well as writers and that don't shy away from controversial topics-- do better.)

I don't read all of the blogs I listed. I comment on the ones I know, or sorta know.

1. Slip Into Something Victorian Blog: 12 Writers Unmask Victorian Romance and Adventure Definitely not just the promo. Some good stuff here.

2. Animal lovers: A group blog for romance authors who love animals and incorporate them as characters in their own right or use them as inspiration for male protagonists (or antagonists) in their book .... Seriously, that is the full name.

3. Seekerville. A group of contest junkies. Not exactly about romance reading, but definitely a niche and a fun blog.

4. Interracial romance Not really a blog. It's a board.

5. Alien romances No, not the guys looking for green card brides. (and it's almost always the dudes with green skin.) Oh, oops. I didn't grab the whole title. Here's the rest: A by-invitation group blog for busy authors of SFR, Futuristic, or Paranormal romances in which at least one protagonist is an alien, or of alien ancestry.

6. Shapeshifter Romance Just what it says. I was mentioned there once--or rather Summer was--so I love this blog.

7. Something wicked.. . . this way comes ** Paranormals, I think. Yeah, definitely.

8. Vampire Wire For people who love their blood-suckers.

9. Vampire Mystery blog. ~~Not a group blog~~ Oops, sorry Jill, protected static and carnacki. Not a romance blog, but it's so very specific, I had to include it. The title is precise but the blog is just fun, scary shit. The name of the blog reminds me of the neighbor's kid who used to pick something distinctive every Halloween: a princess monster kitty cat fairy child. No mistaking her for just a princess or cat or fairy.

10. The Midnight Hour More paranormal writers. There's Kathy Love. (Hi, KL! How're you?)

11. Passionate Prose. A fine group of erotic romance writers. Summer Devon is over there too. (uh..I think the lazy hussy forgot to post last time.)

12. Murder She Writes. I suppose it's not all romance, but I know a few of those writers' names from romance groups. Does that count?

13. Bestiality Blogs Okay, not sure it qualifies as typical romance, but it is very niche.

_________
** Here, I'll save you the googling trouble because I knew it was more than just the title of a Bradbury novel but couldn't remember more. It's Macbeth's witches: by the pricking of my thumbs/something wicked this way comes.

counter-intuitive

2008-07-03T17:46:00.002-04:00

I'm a better writer when I'm happy.

I went looking for a particular blog entry in my old blog and the entries I wrote during my high times were more fun to read. Although maybe I'm not a particularly good judge. no doubt I'm not the person to decide what constitutes good in that case because I'm not just reading about my life, I'm reliving it.

Never did find the entry. Bummer. It was so full of good advice, too.

Aww

2008-07-02T18:16:00.006-04:00

I just got a nice note about Somebody Wonderful. The writer said it was one of the best books she's read this year (she added that she meant from July to July, not the year 2008 so far.) Thanks, J.E.

The note made my day and reminded me I should keep writing drooly fan-girl letters to other rioters.

Maybe Bettie Sharpe would git off her butt and write another book if I did.

P.S. what he said

2008-07-02T13:19:00.002-04:00

the last bits apply to any particular internet subject, and not just web-comic.

Don't watch if you don't like bad language or references to wanking. (I don't remember if there is any wankage mentioned in this one, but with yahtzee there usually is.)

time for some real life

2008-07-02T10:59:00.005-04:00

shorter comments on political** blogs everywhere:

OMG, did you hear what he just said?!?

Wait, listen. You're quoting it outta context.

I've been watching X for X years and know that this is exactly the sort of thing he always says. If you were as wise as I am, you would have known he'd go there. I'll spend a day researching, and dig up this old statement..

What he said was just wrong! And now, infuriated and frustrated, I'm going to say something even more outrageous and stupid.

OMG! Did you just say that? Did you go there? I'm never reading this blog again.

Now everyone, just take a deep breath and --

SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP

FUCK YOU

............ten minutes pass. Nothing actually happens. However, someone somewhere says something stupid.

OMG, did you hear what she just said?!?
etc

_____
** or gossip blogs, or writer blogs, or fan blogs or . . . . It's just that political blogs are so very serious because they do run the world, or close enough.

PS I hate borders dot com

2008-07-01T12:22:00.004-04:00

I spent way too long trying entering the gift card numbers and getting a "buzz off" message. And then way too long on hold to find out the system is down. The site was down a couple of weeks ago right after the new independent site went up. Makes one wish for the return of the amazon/borders connection, or for a life, whichever is easier to acquire.

Hi. I'm Kate and I DO pay attention to reviews

2008-07-01T10:10:00.006-04:00

God knows I try not to. As a writer, I usually manage to almost ignore the reviews of my own books. It takes effort, but I've learned to just skim and see if there's anything I can use as a quote.

But as a reader?

It's just one person's opinion, I tell myself. Don't base choices on someone's disappointment in a wimpy heroine. I sometimes LIKE wimpy heroines.

Despite the self-talk, it seems like I'm avoiding books that get bad reviews and am buying books that get good ones.

I realized this just now as I was about to check out of an online store.

Edith Layton has been an autobuy for me forever. But was her latest in my virtual shopping cart? No. It got a couple of meh reviews. However I was buying Stephanie Rowe (mrs giggles likes her latest book. And what do we say about mrsgiggles? hmmm. . . . mrsgiggles.com hates Balogh because of wimpy heroines----see above. I love Balogh.) Karen loves Pamela Clare's latest (I tried a Clare and wasn't crazy about it)

So what's in my shopping basket? No Layton. But there's the Rowe and the Clare. Gack.

Enough kvetching and meta-whining. I'll compromise. I'll tab back to my cart and buy all of the above AND the Layton. OH! And Loretta Chase's latest. Good thing it's not real money. I'm using a gift certificate I found in a boy's drawer left over from Christmas. Eventually I'll give him cash. No really, I will.

Hey, there're no Corvidaes at Borders online. They have publishamerica books and no Mundania? That sucks.

SBD--go read Elaine Corvidae

2008-06-30T07:20:00.004-04:00

see post below.

Exile's Burn**has echoes of Firefly but there is absolutely nothing wrong with that in my book. (heh, book).

I need coffee.

UPDATE: I wrote to EC after I started the book and she wrote back:

To answer your questions on your blog (and I should do this in the comments section, but I can't for the life of me remember my blogger account name and password right now), I had a very specific set of reasons for making EB free. The initial idea came to me in a dream (which is incredibly unusual for me--I never dream about stories), grabbed me, and wouldn't let go. Unfortunately at the time, I had too many deadlines for paying work to even contemplate taking on a project I didn't have a contract for. What to do?

The answer that came to me was to serialize it by posting a chapter a month for free. Even I could find time to write a chapter a month, and since I read a lot of excellent free stuff on the web (particularly web comics), this was my chance to give something back to the community. On the other hand, the idea of working without a net, and not being able to go back and significantly change something I'd already put out there scared the crap out of me. Which ultimately was an even better reason to do it; how can I grow as an artist without taking scary risks? After a span of almost four years, posting a chapter a month the whole time, I was done; I collected the chapters, had it edited, and set the whole thing free on the net.

My other reason was and is simply that it's a marketing tool like any other. People read it, they like it, they go find seek out my non- free works. Serializing Exile's Burn (and now Fire in the Void, the sequel) also gives me a way of reminding people I'm out there every month, especially when there may be a long gap between book releases.

So, a lot of reasons for putting it out as a freebie, none of which require guilt on the part of the reader. ;-) Although if you really want to buy something, I do have plenty of books for sale!

A sequel? Yowza. I'm going to have to wait a day or so. I read it straight through and now I'm exhausted from all that adventure.
________

**That poser cover, though. Those things never fail to give me the pip.

the free read neurotic response

2008-06-29T21:05:00.004-04:00

I'm trying to be like PBW, but when I read really GOOD free reads, all I can think is

1. damn, damn, damn, I should be paying for this.
2. if something this good is free, then what chance do I have with the stuff I'm writing and I want people to pay for.
3. what's wrong with this that it's free.
4. there's nothing wrong with this and it shouldn't be free.
5. at least charge me a dollar or two. Let me assuage the guilt that you put so much work into something I'm getting for FREE.

....and all of this takes away from my pleasure at finding a great read that I didn't pay for. Right now I'm reading Exiles Burn and I was only a few pages in when I started doing my list from 1-5. I saw the poser cover and had great hopes the book would suck and I could avoid the guilt and fretting, but no. So far, it's excellent. Damn.

some planets must have aligned because

2008-06-28T11:49:00.004-04:00

Whoa, dude. All three boyz want to go see WALL*E.

They have never, all three of them at the same time, wanted to see a G rated movie. In fact for the past decade or so, the older two have rejected movies based on a squeaky-clean rating.

Rotten Tomatoes has a firm grip on their world and it says 98% approval. That's good enough to overrule the horrible stigma of a G rating? That's what it takes? This power must be used for good and I wish it would expand into other parts of life. ["broccoli gets 89% approval rating! And George Bush Sr hates it! that's good 'nuff for me"]. I hope the movie's worth the hype.