Just when I thought I had exhausted all the small independent publishers who accept unagented novels, a new one is mentioned today on DorothyL. Google it. Looks promising. They're not looking for mysteries, but World of Mirrors, as psychological suspense, might be up their alley. I tailor the query and the synopsis and print out the first 30 pages. If nothing transpires, I can still send the book to McMillian which I had been holding off on for some reason.
I'm reading World of Mirrors to my writing group who are now rather keen on it, rather than the first time I read it aeons ago. Of course it has been tweaked and buffed and polished and shorted and all those things which happen when you do about a gazillion rewrites. The main thing about World of Mirrors is that it is fun. I wish I knew how to convey that to a publisher. How often do you get an exciting fun read with all kinds of crazy stuff that makes sense in the end? I don't have this in the query to this particular publisher, but these are some of the things I like about the book.
World of Mirrors is more than your standard suspense novel.
Boogie with The West Sea Pirates, a cool East German Rock Band
Welcome aboard Painted Cow, a classic Baltic Sea sailboat
Jump over a bonfire at the Nordic Midsummer Festival
Befriend a former “Wall Dog” who won’t stay dead
When was the last time you went skinny-dipping with the KGB?
Moi? I've never been skinning dipping with the KGB? Have you? Wouldn't you like to?
Grapeshot
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Who Is Eating The Thistle Seed and Other Mysteries
Late this summer, I put some thistle seed up for the goldfinches who inhabit the neighborhood. The first location wasn't good and I finally found a spot in the woods down by the slough where I figured they could find it. And then of course, I forgot it.
A few weeks ago, it occured to me to hike down the hill and bring in the seed, except that 2/3 of it is gone. Something, a bird undoubtedly, is eating it. Very cool, except I haven't seen anything on the thistle feeder. Hmmmm. We have lots of bird activity back there, because we have a suet feeder which is VERY popular, and another bird (and squirrel) feeder, and water that's kept above freezing. It's a birdie paradise. Another feeder in front is popular with cardinals, chickadees,nuthatches,tufted titmice and their ilk.
Thisbe the younger more sensitive cat is really interested in the birds in front and bawls to go out all the time. Of course if the UPS man comes, she has hysterics.
I am not a true "birder" , but I have observed that the birds of winter are much more polite and get along better than the birds of summer. Many's the time I seen a chickadee take one seed and fly off, then come back and get one more seed. Nothing greedy like the sparrows who perch on the feeder from morning to night.
We have a very cute little red squirrel who can climb all the way down into the feeder and help himself. Of course, squirrels would never ever take just one seed.
I have 6 short stories to write, one taken from life and the others from newspaper clippings. Several of them are from the point of view of an animal. Easy to get away with in a short story, although Watership Down and several later novels had animal points of view. I wrote a series of poems once, about creatures living in the Sonora Desert. Of all the poems I wrote, those were the easiest to publish.
I've been accepted into the "Amazon shorts" program, and hope to put some of the weirder animal stuff out there for $.49 a pop. Web page languishing. Me languishing. Puzzling over who is eating the thistle seed and other stuff.
Onward,
Grapeshot
A few weeks ago, it occured to me to hike down the hill and bring in the seed, except that 2/3 of it is gone. Something, a bird undoubtedly, is eating it. Very cool, except I haven't seen anything on the thistle feeder. Hmmmm. We have lots of bird activity back there, because we have a suet feeder which is VERY popular, and another bird (and squirrel) feeder, and water that's kept above freezing. It's a birdie paradise. Another feeder in front is popular with cardinals, chickadees,nuthatches,tufted titmice and their ilk.
Thisbe the younger more sensitive cat is really interested in the birds in front and bawls to go out all the time. Of course if the UPS man comes, she has hysterics.
I am not a true "birder" , but I have observed that the birds of winter are much more polite and get along better than the birds of summer. Many's the time I seen a chickadee take one seed and fly off, then come back and get one more seed. Nothing greedy like the sparrows who perch on the feeder from morning to night.
We have a very cute little red squirrel who can climb all the way down into the feeder and help himself. Of course, squirrels would never ever take just one seed.
I have 6 short stories to write, one taken from life and the others from newspaper clippings. Several of them are from the point of view of an animal. Easy to get away with in a short story, although Watership Down and several later novels had animal points of view. I wrote a series of poems once, about creatures living in the Sonora Desert. Of all the poems I wrote, those were the easiest to publish.
I've been accepted into the "Amazon shorts" program, and hope to put some of the weirder animal stuff out there for $.49 a pop. Web page languishing. Me languishing. Puzzling over who is eating the thistle seed and other stuff.
Onward,
Grapeshot
Sunday, January 28, 2007
At the End of the Day It's a Dreadful Cliche
The next time someone states, "At the end of the day," I am going to scream. It's up there on my list with the overuse of the work "icon." Every chickenshit actress is now an icon for cryin out loud. No. No. No. At the end of the day, let's get rid of the icons. When all is said and done, let's ban "at the end of the day."
This evening I made a dish for which I've been looking for the recipe since I was a freshman in college. Chicken with dressing under the skin. I ate it at Alfred's Deli in the Village near the Rice campus in Houston. Apparently this is a Jewish-Hungarian recipe. Had to made a trip to Shaw's for some Challah bread. Can hardly wait for breakfast tomorrow to eat the rest. It would have been better if a) I had put more salt in the stuffing and b) I had remembered to salt the chicken. Duh! The quartered and stuff ed chicken was roasted on a medley of onions, carrots and grean beans. Yum!
Big article in the NY Times magazine today about "Nutrionism," which basically summarized how the hapless consumer has been led down the primrose path of all the latest food fads and advice for the last twenty years. The advice is: eat what your grandparents and great grandparents ate. Subtext: get rid of the processed garbage.
My grandparents had a wonderful garden. I can still remember anticipating the first strawberries, the new potatoes, and when the fruit peddlar came by with peaches, apricots, and all the fruits my grandma canned. Summer was not a season of leisure. Imagine a Kansas summer spent over the stove in an un-air-conditioned kitchen. No one complained. In the evening, friends, neighbors and relatives would come by to set a spell on the front porch. My grandpa listened to baseball on the radio. The front porch had a swing. People "visited." Such a quaint thought now, but in Maryland I think they still do this.
My grandma sang hymns as she washed the dishes, The Old Rugged Cross, and The Garden. Made pies and baked bread without a recipe. French-Canadian lineage with some Indian (native American) blood. The French and the Indians didn't make war on each other. Odd to have native American blood on both sides of the family and me so white-bread waspy looking. Well, you never can tell.
Ban "at the end of the day" and "icon" from your vocabulary. O.K., you can use "icon" but only with extreme irony. Got it? Good.
Here's a link for you: http://www.lssu.edu/banished/current.php
I'm not the only curmudgeon on the block.
I am so grumpy because I didn't get anything done all day. Well, dinner and a walk and some paperwork. No web stuff.
Grrrrapeshot.
This evening I made a dish for which I've been looking for the recipe since I was a freshman in college. Chicken with dressing under the skin. I ate it at Alfred's Deli in the Village near the Rice campus in Houston. Apparently this is a Jewish-Hungarian recipe. Had to made a trip to Shaw's for some Challah bread. Can hardly wait for breakfast tomorrow to eat the rest. It would have been better if a) I had put more salt in the stuffing and b) I had remembered to salt the chicken. Duh! The quartered and stuff ed chicken was roasted on a medley of onions, carrots and grean beans. Yum!
Big article in the NY Times magazine today about "Nutrionism," which basically summarized how the hapless consumer has been led down the primrose path of all the latest food fads and advice for the last twenty years. The advice is: eat what your grandparents and great grandparents ate. Subtext: get rid of the processed garbage.
My grandparents had a wonderful garden. I can still remember anticipating the first strawberries, the new potatoes, and when the fruit peddlar came by with peaches, apricots, and all the fruits my grandma canned. Summer was not a season of leisure. Imagine a Kansas summer spent over the stove in an un-air-conditioned kitchen. No one complained. In the evening, friends, neighbors and relatives would come by to set a spell on the front porch. My grandpa listened to baseball on the radio. The front porch had a swing. People "visited." Such a quaint thought now, but in Maryland I think they still do this.
My grandma sang hymns as she washed the dishes, The Old Rugged Cross, and The Garden. Made pies and baked bread without a recipe. French-Canadian lineage with some Indian (native American) blood. The French and the Indians didn't make war on each other. Odd to have native American blood on both sides of the family and me so white-bread waspy looking. Well, you never can tell.
Ban "at the end of the day" and "icon" from your vocabulary. O.K., you can use "icon" but only with extreme irony. Got it? Good.
Here's a link for you: http://www.lssu.edu/banished/current.php
I'm not the only curmudgeon on the block.
I am so grumpy because I didn't get anything done all day. Well, dinner and a walk and some paperwork. No web stuff.
Grrrrapeshot.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Webmaster To Be
One of my new year's resolutions is to update my website, which has been languishing without any updates whatsoever for two years, and has been updated, shall we say, desultorily, since it's inception. I took a course in HTML at a junior college and a few weeks later, voila, a web site. Fun and easy.
It's on AOL which had its own software for pushing things out, but it was mostly my own sloth which prevented frequent updates. As a former computer programmer, I am a hands on person when I know what I'm doing. HTML was easy, and very hands on, but the problem was, I updated the web site so seldom that I forgot it between updates and had to relearn everything each time.
Nonetheless, I was prepared to relearn again, but I ran into issues with the new release of IE (7), which I couldn't figure out how to use to view the web pages. Googled around and still didn't find anything. In the meantime, I discovered good old WORD would show me the web page, and that I could even update from WORD. That caused a huge diarrhea-like mass of HTML to be produced. Then someone put me on to something call N-Vu, which was freeware (too poor to buy Frontpage or Dreamweaver).
So things were humming along, but of course I wanted to add a bunch of pages and rearrange some stuff and this was beginning to look like work, plus it seemed a little too much swapping around for seat-of-the-pants, so last night I bit the bullet and dug out my old flowchart template and did the design, then created a word table with what was on each page, links, jpegs, gifs, all that stuff.
Next came more re-arranging and swapping around but still on paper. Work skills and habits are still with me, and I have a good road map, so bring on N-Vu and we'll see what happens. Should I finish up this project in this lifetime, I'll post a link. Right now, it would be too embarrassing, especially since the current photo is a little blowsy looking, and really not me at all. You are looking at Grapeshot in HongKong on the blog and that looks soberer, more like a solid citizen, a writer, even. Well, you get the idea.
I just love technie projects and can't wait to roll up my digital sleeves and get to work.
Onward,
Grapeshot
It's on AOL which had its own software for pushing things out, but it was mostly my own sloth which prevented frequent updates. As a former computer programmer, I am a hands on person when I know what I'm doing. HTML was easy, and very hands on, but the problem was, I updated the web site so seldom that I forgot it between updates and had to relearn everything each time.
Nonetheless, I was prepared to relearn again, but I ran into issues with the new release of IE (7), which I couldn't figure out how to use to view the web pages. Googled around and still didn't find anything. In the meantime, I discovered good old WORD would show me the web page, and that I could even update from WORD. That caused a huge diarrhea-like mass of HTML to be produced. Then someone put me on to something call N-Vu, which was freeware (too poor to buy Frontpage or Dreamweaver).
So things were humming along, but of course I wanted to add a bunch of pages and rearrange some stuff and this was beginning to look like work, plus it seemed a little too much swapping around for seat-of-the-pants, so last night I bit the bullet and dug out my old flowchart template and did the design, then created a word table with what was on each page, links, jpegs, gifs, all that stuff.
Next came more re-arranging and swapping around but still on paper. Work skills and habits are still with me, and I have a good road map, so bring on N-Vu and we'll see what happens. Should I finish up this project in this lifetime, I'll post a link. Right now, it would be too embarrassing, especially since the current photo is a little blowsy looking, and really not me at all. You are looking at Grapeshot in HongKong on the blog and that looks soberer, more like a solid citizen, a writer, even. Well, you get the idea.
I just love technie projects and can't wait to roll up my digital sleeves and get to work.
Onward,
Grapeshot
Friday, January 26, 2007
Flaneurs
I love to be out and about somewhere, whether riding the MBTA into Boston, gaping at the crowd at Symphony Hall, scarfing down dessert afterward at Brasserie Jo, or strolling up Newbury Street or along Charles, rubbing elbows with the shoppers at Copley Place. Out and about. Observing life and people. There is a word for this person, a flaneur, a detached observer of contemporary life. A good thing for a writer to be.
We observe big time when out of town. Actually, forget the Louvre, just sit me down at a sidewalk cafe in Paris and I can spend the day there, watching the world go by. The Kurfurstendamm in Berlin used to be a good spot. Now you probably have to go east, young man.
Baudelaire coined the word "flaneur" and it used to refer exclusively to gentlemen, which I hope is no longer the case since I have co-opted it.
Two absolutely disseparate restaurants that had good people watching and good food. The first is in Hagerstown, MD, which is VERY different from Boston and has a great park and a somewhat odd downtown, which is where the
Schmankerl Stube is. It's a real German restaurant, the kind you can hardly find anymore even in Germany, never mind New York or Boston. Even the Berghoff closed in Chicago.
The second is Playa Azul on Missison Street in San Francisco. We ate a wonderful inexpensive lunch there, three people with wine and lots of food for $41.00. Good seafood. Nice staff. I like to go to laundromats and watch people. There was a great laundromat in the Playa Azul neighborhood.
Go out into the world and look around.
Here are some oddball links I found while Googling "flaneur." Go out into the web and look around.
http://www.montrealfilmgroup.com/The%20Flaneurs%20Lexicon.htm
http://www.antiquecanes.co.uk/
http://www.theflaneur.co.uk/opium.html#3
Grapeshot
We observe big time when out of town. Actually, forget the Louvre, just sit me down at a sidewalk cafe in Paris and I can spend the day there, watching the world go by. The Kurfurstendamm in Berlin used to be a good spot. Now you probably have to go east, young man.
Baudelaire coined the word "flaneur" and it used to refer exclusively to gentlemen, which I hope is no longer the case since I have co-opted it.
Two absolutely disseparate restaurants that had good people watching and good food. The first is in Hagerstown, MD, which is VERY different from Boston and has a great park and a somewhat odd downtown, which is where the
Schmankerl Stube is. It's a real German restaurant, the kind you can hardly find anymore even in Germany, never mind New York or Boston. Even the Berghoff closed in Chicago.
The second is Playa Azul on Missison Street in San Francisco. We ate a wonderful inexpensive lunch there, three people with wine and lots of food for $41.00. Good seafood. Nice staff. I like to go to laundromats and watch people. There was a great laundromat in the Playa Azul neighborhood.
Go out into the world and look around.
Here are some oddball links I found while Googling "flaneur." Go out into the web and look around.
http://www.montrealfilmgroup.com/The%20Flaneurs%20Lexicon.htm
http://www.antiquecanes.co.uk/
http://www.theflaneur.co.uk/opium.html#3
Grapeshot
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Of Handbags and Tee Shirts and Chronometers
Page 2 and 3 of today’s NY Times. Gucci bag, $1730. Cartier watch (from $3200). Chanel watch no price. If you have to ask. . . .
Movado gold and diamond pendant: $2795. Coach bag $378. TagHauer watch, or more properly, Chronograph, $3495. Saks Fifth Avenue dress, no price. Kind of ugly, too. Tiffany sterling silver “links” by Frank Gehry, $3800. Dennis Basso furs having a sale, no prices listed. An ordinary day for pages 2 and 3.
I must confess I’ve no idea who buys this stuff.
In the Globe South section today, a different take on things. Jim and Terry Orcutt founded My Brother’s Keeper 20 years ago. He says he’s happy when he gets up and the heat comes on, there’s food in the fridge and they have electricity. The Orcutts live more modestly than most of us would like, and founded an organization that delivers food and furniture to those who have nothing.
Such a contrast. I know whose side I’m on.
Something else in today’s Times caught my eye, again about clothing and being green. The paper had statistics about cotton vs. polyester, and said that over time, due to laundering methods, polyester, although requiring more energy in production, actually took less over the life of the garment. Then came some statements that made me wonder what planet I live on. The article said folks wash t-shirts in hot water with plenty of bleach and dry them on high—all this because they’re cotton.
Hmmmm. I wash mine on the delicate cycle and normally dry on low heat or hang to dry or dry flat. And only once in a very cobalt-colored moon would I ever iron a t-shirt. Who the hell irons t-shirts?
The other thing: apparently it’s terribly déclassé to wear clothes year after year. I have to confess I do. Have some really old stuff. Shoes, jackets, t-shirts, sweater. Some of my stuff would be even older if I hadn’t gained a bit of weight. Even when I weighed 98 pounds soaking wet and wore cool clothes I never discarded them after a season or two. If you like stuff, why would you get rid of it?
Maybe that’s why there are so many watch ads in the Times. Do consumers get tired of their $3500 watches and replace them? Obviously, that happens with the handbags.
Hmmm. Some of my handbags are so old that I could probably sell them at the fancy stores in Hudson, NY as vintage. I am starting to feel “vintage.” That sounds better than “old fart.”
Nobody ever replaced vintage wine with bottles of nouveau Beaujolais. Did they?
Wondering,
Grapeshot
Movado gold and diamond pendant: $2795. Coach bag $378. TagHauer watch, or more properly, Chronograph, $3495. Saks Fifth Avenue dress, no price. Kind of ugly, too. Tiffany sterling silver “links” by Frank Gehry, $3800. Dennis Basso furs having a sale, no prices listed. An ordinary day for pages 2 and 3.
I must confess I’ve no idea who buys this stuff.
In the Globe South section today, a different take on things. Jim and Terry Orcutt founded My Brother’s Keeper 20 years ago. He says he’s happy when he gets up and the heat comes on, there’s food in the fridge and they have electricity. The Orcutts live more modestly than most of us would like, and founded an organization that delivers food and furniture to those who have nothing.
Such a contrast. I know whose side I’m on.
Something else in today’s Times caught my eye, again about clothing and being green. The paper had statistics about cotton vs. polyester, and said that over time, due to laundering methods, polyester, although requiring more energy in production, actually took less over the life of the garment. Then came some statements that made me wonder what planet I live on. The article said folks wash t-shirts in hot water with plenty of bleach and dry them on high—all this because they’re cotton.
Hmmmm. I wash mine on the delicate cycle and normally dry on low heat or hang to dry or dry flat. And only once in a very cobalt-colored moon would I ever iron a t-shirt. Who the hell irons t-shirts?
The other thing: apparently it’s terribly déclassé to wear clothes year after year. I have to confess I do. Have some really old stuff. Shoes, jackets, t-shirts, sweater. Some of my stuff would be even older if I hadn’t gained a bit of weight. Even when I weighed 98 pounds soaking wet and wore cool clothes I never discarded them after a season or two. If you like stuff, why would you get rid of it?
Maybe that’s why there are so many watch ads in the Times. Do consumers get tired of their $3500 watches and replace them? Obviously, that happens with the handbags.
Hmmm. Some of my handbags are so old that I could probably sell them at the fancy stores in Hudson, NY as vintage. I am starting to feel “vintage.” That sounds better than “old fart.”
Nobody ever replaced vintage wine with bottles of nouveau Beaujolais. Did they?
Wondering,
Grapeshot
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
A One-armed Paper Hanger
That's how busy I am. A good thing. What you don't want to be is a one-legged man in an ass kicking contest. I love that saying. The image it call forth.
Two new expressions found today: 1) a swiss army knife for web developers. A Swiss army knife is obviously something with a lot of features. Good for anything. "I"m stoked!" Another good expression. I am constantly on the lookout for these to add color to my writing. A writer is never too proud to borrow.
Giving speeches at Toastmasters. Answering emails. Arranging a jail tour. Helping on a mystery conference. Updating my web site. Busy.
An idea file is, to quote Martha, a "good thing." Went through mine. I have gleaned the short story ideas. Three deal with animals and of those two would be children's stories. Nothing wrong with that except I've never written one. Good idea for crack house short story. One of these days I want to write a novel about a meth house that explodes. I have a BIG Meth House file. The weird things we writers have filed away. The even stranger searches we do online. Festival Madness has a transgenered character. A minor character, but I wanted to get it right. All of a sudden Transgendered is a big thing. Two television programs last week. The things you learn about that you never expected to. Good stuff.
Web site, short stories, clean house, cook, and so forth. Who wants to sit around and yak on the phone or watch TV. Life is passing. Grab some.
I am reading a bit of Proust and noticing the humor for the first time. One should read the classics at least 3 times. Youth, middle age and yet later. Each time, the reader finds something new. How cool is that?
Onward,
Grapeshot
Two new expressions found today: 1) a swiss army knife for web developers. A Swiss army knife is obviously something with a lot of features. Good for anything. "I"m stoked!" Another good expression. I am constantly on the lookout for these to add color to my writing. A writer is never too proud to borrow.
Giving speeches at Toastmasters. Answering emails. Arranging a jail tour. Helping on a mystery conference. Updating my web site. Busy.
An idea file is, to quote Martha, a "good thing." Went through mine. I have gleaned the short story ideas. Three deal with animals and of those two would be children's stories. Nothing wrong with that except I've never written one. Good idea for crack house short story. One of these days I want to write a novel about a meth house that explodes. I have a BIG Meth House file. The weird things we writers have filed away. The even stranger searches we do online. Festival Madness has a transgenered character. A minor character, but I wanted to get it right. All of a sudden Transgendered is a big thing. Two television programs last week. The things you learn about that you never expected to. Good stuff.
Web site, short stories, clean house, cook, and so forth. Who wants to sit around and yak on the phone or watch TV. Life is passing. Grab some.
I am reading a bit of Proust and noticing the humor for the first time. One should read the classics at least 3 times. Youth, middle age and yet later. Each time, the reader finds something new. How cool is that?
Onward,
Grapeshot
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Dieting
Our so-called health club (the word "wellness" is a no-no in this household) has all the treadmills in use these days, as post holiday dieters try to take off the seasonal six pounds. Last year it took about six months for me to do so, and this year I resolved not to gain over the holiday, and somehow I didn't.
This dieting business isn't as tricky as it would seem. On my diet, there are NO forbidden foods, although there are foods such as French fries where portion control is the word of the day. On my diet, there is only one requirement. Eat less. No other rules. If I don't feel like eating breakfast, I don't. Keep at least two meals small.
Smaller portions, eat less. Stay active.
This is so liberating. No more counting #%^* points, no banned foods, no really sucky non-fat half and half or any disgusting "diet foods." I eat anything I like, only less.
We always try to eat so-called healthy, with plenty of veggies, fruits and whole grains, and meat as flavoring (not always, but sometimes).
So liberating. Want to throw things in the air and click my heels. Last year's winter coat is looser. Just eat less.
Zowie! And I'm not starving!
This dieting business isn't as tricky as it would seem. On my diet, there are NO forbidden foods, although there are foods such as French fries where portion control is the word of the day. On my diet, there is only one requirement. Eat less. No other rules. If I don't feel like eating breakfast, I don't. Keep at least two meals small.
Smaller portions, eat less. Stay active.
This is so liberating. No more counting #%^* points, no banned foods, no really sucky non-fat half and half or any disgusting "diet foods." I eat anything I like, only less.
We always try to eat so-called healthy, with plenty of veggies, fruits and whole grains, and meat as flavoring (not always, but sometimes).
So liberating. Want to throw things in the air and click my heels. Last year's winter coat is looser. Just eat less.
Zowie! And I'm not starving!
Monday, January 22, 2007
Puerto Rican Rice and Beans
The beans (black) are cooking on the stovetop. Rice (brown) is cooked already. I've cooked a mess of peppers, onion, jalapenos, carrots, and garlic with seasonings to add once the beans are cooked. Hmmmm. Think I'll stick in a tomato as well. This was a vegetarian recipe so instead of lightly spraying the skillet with olive oil flavored spray (sheesh!) I put a couple nice tablespoons of bacon grease into the skillet to cook the veggies.
Did you know that bacon fat has less cholesterol than butter? Read that somewhere. No idea if true.
This will be a high-fiber nutricious dish for the winter day we are having.
The Patriots lost. I felt bad for them and good for Indianapolis, but I think I'll be for Chicago in the superbowl. I liked ALL the teams in the playoffs, unusual for me, a tepid fan at best.
While we are on the subject of food, not football: Delicious easy salad.
Peel a cucumber and use your slicing attachment of the food processor to thinly slice or however you want to thinly slice. Remove the sliced cucumber and put the blade into the food processor. (or whatever). Add a little chopped onion (I use scallion tops) plenty of fresh dill, a heaping tablespoon each of sour cream and mayo (low fat acceptable), some salt and pepper and a little milk or cream just to thin. Turn on processor and mix well. Spoon it over the cucumbers until well mixed. The watchword here is obviously "well mixed." Yogurt can be substituted for sour cream. A bit of garlic is not amiss. We ate this with barbeque and baked beans last night and it can't be beat. I had the fresh dill left over from another recipe.
Baked beans. We always used B & M and they never disappoint. I dumped a big can into a casserole (they were vegetarian but any will do). Poked 6-7 grape tomatoes into the beans. On top I put some lightly sauteed (bacon grease again but any fat will do) onion and decorated the top with 1 1/2 inch pieces of lightly fried bacon. Put in a 400 degree oven until bubbling. A spoon or two of barbeque sauce can be used in the beans but this is not necessary. They are so pretty, too. Eye appeal counts big. The cucumbers have that in spades.
Time to check the black beans. Today everything is from scratch.
Eat well; enjoy life; make soup.
Grapeshot
Did you know that bacon fat has less cholesterol than butter? Read that somewhere. No idea if true.
This will be a high-fiber nutricious dish for the winter day we are having.
The Patriots lost. I felt bad for them and good for Indianapolis, but I think I'll be for Chicago in the superbowl. I liked ALL the teams in the playoffs, unusual for me, a tepid fan at best.
While we are on the subject of food, not football: Delicious easy salad.
Peel a cucumber and use your slicing attachment of the food processor to thinly slice or however you want to thinly slice. Remove the sliced cucumber and put the blade into the food processor. (or whatever). Add a little chopped onion (I use scallion tops) plenty of fresh dill, a heaping tablespoon each of sour cream and mayo (low fat acceptable), some salt and pepper and a little milk or cream just to thin. Turn on processor and mix well. Spoon it over the cucumbers until well mixed. The watchword here is obviously "well mixed." Yogurt can be substituted for sour cream. A bit of garlic is not amiss. We ate this with barbeque and baked beans last night and it can't be beat. I had the fresh dill left over from another recipe.
Baked beans. We always used B & M and they never disappoint. I dumped a big can into a casserole (they were vegetarian but any will do). Poked 6-7 grape tomatoes into the beans. On top I put some lightly sauteed (bacon grease again but any fat will do) onion and decorated the top with 1 1/2 inch pieces of lightly fried bacon. Put in a 400 degree oven until bubbling. A spoon or two of barbeque sauce can be used in the beans but this is not necessary. They are so pretty, too. Eye appeal counts big. The cucumbers have that in spades.
Time to check the black beans. Today everything is from scratch.
Eat well; enjoy life; make soup.
Grapeshot
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Nowhere But In New England
Nowhere but in New England,
Have I seen the whole front yard paved to provide parking.
Have I seen 4-6 pickups parked in a driveway. Don't big boys ever leave home?
Have I seen more houses, even nice houses without garages.
Have I seen so many Canadian geese.
Have I seen Christmas wreaths up in March
Have I seen hats hung on the door around Easter
Have I seen so many big fancy plant nurseries
Have I seen so many black labs
Have I seen so many pizza joints
Have I seen so many people who panicked when their company announced casual day. They had wear to work clothes and wash the car clothes, and not much in between.
Have I seen so little German food.
Thoughts on a cold Sunday. This week I actually picked fresh parsley in the garden. This morning I picked (frozen) chives that thought it was spring and sprouted. Boy, were they mistaken.
Afraid I have to break the sabbath and do laundry today. When I was a kid visiting my grandma in Hesston, Kansas, I had to be very quiet when I went outside. The Mennonites didn't like noise on the sabbath, or so my grandma, an evangelical, said. I can't even imagine the scandal of laundry on the line on Sunday. Ye gods!
Everyplace has its own eccentricies. A good thing.
Grapeshot
Have I seen the whole front yard paved to provide parking.
Have I seen 4-6 pickups parked in a driveway. Don't big boys ever leave home?
Have I seen more houses, even nice houses without garages.
Have I seen so many Canadian geese.
Have I seen Christmas wreaths up in March
Have I seen hats hung on the door around Easter
Have I seen so many big fancy plant nurseries
Have I seen so many black labs
Have I seen so many pizza joints
Have I seen so many people who panicked when their company announced casual day. They had wear to work clothes and wash the car clothes, and not much in between.
Have I seen so little German food.
Thoughts on a cold Sunday. This week I actually picked fresh parsley in the garden. This morning I picked (frozen) chives that thought it was spring and sprouted. Boy, were they mistaken.
Afraid I have to break the sabbath and do laundry today. When I was a kid visiting my grandma in Hesston, Kansas, I had to be very quiet when I went outside. The Mennonites didn't like noise on the sabbath, or so my grandma, an evangelical, said. I can't even imagine the scandal of laundry on the line on Sunday. Ye gods!
Everyplace has its own eccentricies. A good thing.
Grapeshot
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Prepare for compliments!
I have a couple recipes to share today, although they are really more like techniques.
This will work for any tender piece of boneless beef, pork, chicken, even (with slight modification fish). It takes only minutes, is really really yummy and doesn't break the bank. Go to Penzey's spices (www.penzeys.com) or even your local supermarket and buy an assortment of rubs or look on the web or in any recent cookbook and make your own. If you have a well-stocked spice cabinent, making your own is a cinch. You will need rubs that work for fish, chicken, pork, beef. I have been using the Penzey's Barbeque of the Americas and Cajun with good results. Also Ozark and Florida.
You will need members of the onion family: onion, green onions, garlic, shallots, whatever. Use several varieties or just plain onion. Chop finely. Slice a few mushrooms up if you have them (omit for fish).
Technique: rub the meat/fish/chicken with the chosen rub. Saute in canola or oliva oil until nicely browned. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove the meat and toss the onions, garlic, and mushrooms (if using) into the skillet. A few chopped pieces of tomato will also add color and flavor. Saute the veggies, and then return the meat to the skillet. Add a bit of chopped parsley, sage, or whatever herbs you have on hand. Add 1/2 cup or so or white wine and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the meat is cooked.
Serve with Pillsbury mashed potatoes (plenty of butter and half and half ), and any fresh vegetable of your choice. We do carrots, broccoli and green beans a lot. There will be enough sauce to lightly nap the potatoes. If you like, use dry white vermouth, although I prefer a Pino Grigio. The wine can be inexpensive. If you feel energetic, make a salad, too.
This dessert takes no time, tastes good and looks elegant.
Unroll a Pillsbury pie crust (the whole crust that is rolled up and comes in a box in the dairy section) on a cookie sheet. Peel and core and slice 3 apples, or several plums or pears. Whatever is in season and won't fall apart in cooking. Season with a little sugar and nutmeg or cinnamon. Put the fruit in the middle of the crust and fold the crust up around it. Some fruit will still be visible. Dot with a little butter. If you feel energetic, brush the with some beaten egg or egg yolk. Put into a 425 oven until crust is nice and brown and fruit is tender. Serve with whipped cream. Serves about 4. Minimum time, minimum trouble and quite tasty, and no, I am not on the Pillsbury payroll, but some prepared products are worth mentioning.
Remember: www.penzeys.com They have stores, too. I got a free sample (an advantage of being a regular customer) of the apple pie spice and it was great on the apples. Feed your family good stuff. Make it yourself. Make soup every week. Mexican abondigas soup was nourishing, delicious and cheap and it made 6 servings. Sometimes you can spend an hour to have something to eat for days. I served it with tortillas (corn, of course).
Tomorrow we're having rice and bean soup. Life is good.
Grapeshot
This will work for any tender piece of boneless beef, pork, chicken, even (with slight modification fish). It takes only minutes, is really really yummy and doesn't break the bank. Go to Penzey's spices (www.penzeys.com) or even your local supermarket and buy an assortment of rubs or look on the web or in any recent cookbook and make your own. If you have a well-stocked spice cabinent, making your own is a cinch. You will need rubs that work for fish, chicken, pork, beef. I have been using the Penzey's Barbeque of the Americas and Cajun with good results. Also Ozark and Florida.
You will need members of the onion family: onion, green onions, garlic, shallots, whatever. Use several varieties or just plain onion. Chop finely. Slice a few mushrooms up if you have them (omit for fish).
Technique: rub the meat/fish/chicken with the chosen rub. Saute in canola or oliva oil until nicely browned. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove the meat and toss the onions, garlic, and mushrooms (if using) into the skillet. A few chopped pieces of tomato will also add color and flavor. Saute the veggies, and then return the meat to the skillet. Add a bit of chopped parsley, sage, or whatever herbs you have on hand. Add 1/2 cup or so or white wine and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the meat is cooked.
Serve with Pillsbury mashed potatoes (plenty of butter and half and half ), and any fresh vegetable of your choice. We do carrots, broccoli and green beans a lot. There will be enough sauce to lightly nap the potatoes. If you like, use dry white vermouth, although I prefer a Pino Grigio. The wine can be inexpensive. If you feel energetic, make a salad, too.
This dessert takes no time, tastes good and looks elegant.
Unroll a Pillsbury pie crust (the whole crust that is rolled up and comes in a box in the dairy section) on a cookie sheet. Peel and core and slice 3 apples, or several plums or pears. Whatever is in season and won't fall apart in cooking. Season with a little sugar and nutmeg or cinnamon. Put the fruit in the middle of the crust and fold the crust up around it. Some fruit will still be visible. Dot with a little butter. If you feel energetic, brush the with some beaten egg or egg yolk. Put into a 425 oven until crust is nice and brown and fruit is tender. Serve with whipped cream. Serves about 4. Minimum time, minimum trouble and quite tasty, and no, I am not on the Pillsbury payroll, but some prepared products are worth mentioning.
Remember: www.penzeys.com They have stores, too. I got a free sample (an advantage of being a regular customer) of the apple pie spice and it was great on the apples. Feed your family good stuff. Make it yourself. Make soup every week. Mexican abondigas soup was nourishing, delicious and cheap and it made 6 servings. Sometimes you can spend an hour to have something to eat for days. I served it with tortillas (corn, of course).
Tomorrow we're having rice and bean soup. Life is good.
Grapeshot
Friday, January 19, 2007
MWA Edgar Nominees
The Edgars are the Oscars of the mystery/suspense writing universe, given out each year by Mystery Writer's of America. Congratulations to a host of deserving hard-working talented writers who are being honored for their accomplishments. I only listed the books, but there are also plays, screenwriting, etc. awards. If you want to buy a good book, pick one of these. At the bottom of the list are kids and young adult books. I'll bet you know a kid who would love one of these.
BEST NOVEL
The Pale Blue Eye by Louis Bayard (HarperCollins)
The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Gentleman and Players by Joanne Harris (HarperCollins – William Morrow)
The Dead Hour by Denise Mina (Hachette Book Group - Little, Brown and Company)
The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard (Random House – Ballantine Books)
The Liberation Movements by Olen Steinhauer (St. Martin's Minotaur)
BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR
The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson (Random House)
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn (Crown - Shaye Areheart Books)
King of Lies by John Hart (St. Martin's Minotaur – Thomas Dunne Books)
Holmes on the Range by Steve Hockensmith (St. Martin's Minotaur)
A Field of Darkness by Cornelia Read (Warner Books – Mysterious Press)
BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
The Goodbye Kiss by Massimo Carlotto (Europa Editions)
The Open Curtain by Brian Evenson (Coffee House Press)
Snakeskin Shamisen by Naomi Hirahara (Bantam Dell Publishing – Delta Books)
The Deep Blue Alibi by Paul Levine (Bantam Dell Publishing – Bantam Books)
City of Tiny Lights by Patrick Neate (Penguin Group – Riverhead
BEST FACT CRIMES
trange Piece of Paradise by Terri Jentz (Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
A Death in Belmont by Sebastian Junger (W.W. Norton and Co.)
Finding Amy: A True Story of Murder in Maine by Capt. Joseph K. Loughlin & Kate Clark Flora (University Press of New England)
Ripperology: A Study of the World's First Serial Killer by Robin Odell (The Kent State University Press)
The Beautiful Cigar Girl: Mary Rogers, Edgar Allan Poe and the Invention of Murder by Daniel Stashower (Dutton)Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson (HarperCollins – William Morrow)
BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL
Unless the Threat of Death is Behind Them: Hard-Boiled Fiction and Film Noir by John T. Irwin (Johns Hopkins University Press)
The Science of Sherlock Holmes: From Baskerville Hall to the Valley of Fear by E.J. Wagner (John Wiley & Sons)
BEST SHORT STORY
"The Home Front" – Death Do Us Part by Charles Ardai (Hachette Book Group – Little, Brown and Company)
"Rain" – Manhattan Noir by Thomas H. Cook (Akashic Books)
"Cranked" – Damn Near Dead by Bill Crider (Busted Flush Press)
"White Trash Noir" – Murder at the Foul Line by Michael Malone (Hachette Book Group – Mysterious Press)
"Building" – Manhattan Noir by S.J. Rozan (Akashic Books)
BEST JUVENILE
Gilda Joyce: The Ladies of the Lake by Jennifer Allison (Penguin Young Readers – Sleuth/Dutton)
The Stolen Sapphire: A Samantha Mystery by Sarah Masters Buckey (American Girl Publishing)
Room One: A Mystery or Two by Andrew Clements (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
The Bloodwater Mysteries: Snatched by Pete Hautman & Mary Logue (Penguin Young Readers – Sleuth/Putnam)
The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery by Nancy Springer (Penguin Young Readers – Philomel/Sleuth)
BEST YOUNG ADULT
The Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks (Scholastic – The Chicken House)
The Christopher Killer by Alane Ferguson (Penguin YR – Sleuth/Viking)
Crunch Time by Mariah Fredericks (Simon & Schuster – Richard Jackson Books/
Buried by Robin Merrow MacCready (Penguin YR – Dutton Children's Books)
The Night My Sister Went Missing by Carol Plum-Ucci (Harcourt Children's Books)
BEST NOVEL
The Pale Blue Eye by Louis Bayard (HarperCollins)
The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Gentleman and Players by Joanne Harris (HarperCollins – William Morrow)
The Dead Hour by Denise Mina (Hachette Book Group - Little, Brown and Company)
The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard (Random House – Ballantine Books)
The Liberation Movements by Olen Steinhauer (St. Martin's Minotaur)
BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR
The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson (Random House)
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn (Crown - Shaye Areheart Books)
King of Lies by John Hart (St. Martin's Minotaur – Thomas Dunne Books)
Holmes on the Range by Steve Hockensmith (St. Martin's Minotaur)
A Field of Darkness by Cornelia Read (Warner Books – Mysterious Press)
BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
The Goodbye Kiss by Massimo Carlotto (Europa Editions)
The Open Curtain by Brian Evenson (Coffee House Press)
Snakeskin Shamisen by Naomi Hirahara (Bantam Dell Publishing – Delta Books)
The Deep Blue Alibi by Paul Levine (Bantam Dell Publishing – Bantam Books)
City of Tiny Lights by Patrick Neate (Penguin Group – Riverhead
BEST FACT CRIMES
trange Piece of Paradise by Terri Jentz (Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
A Death in Belmont by Sebastian Junger (W.W. Norton and Co.)
Finding Amy: A True Story of Murder in Maine by Capt. Joseph K. Loughlin & Kate Clark Flora (University Press of New England)
Ripperology: A Study of the World's First Serial Killer by Robin Odell (The Kent State University Press)
The Beautiful Cigar Girl: Mary Rogers, Edgar Allan Poe and the Invention of Murder by Daniel Stashower (Dutton)Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson (HarperCollins – William Morrow)
BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL
Unless the Threat of Death is Behind Them: Hard-Boiled Fiction and Film Noir by John T. Irwin (Johns Hopkins University Press)
The Science of Sherlock Holmes: From Baskerville Hall to the Valley of Fear by E.J. Wagner (John Wiley & Sons)
BEST SHORT STORY
"The Home Front" – Death Do Us Part by Charles Ardai (Hachette Book Group – Little, Brown and Company)
"Rain" – Manhattan Noir by Thomas H. Cook (Akashic Books)
"Cranked" – Damn Near Dead by Bill Crider (Busted Flush Press)
"White Trash Noir" – Murder at the Foul Line by Michael Malone (Hachette Book Group – Mysterious Press)
"Building" – Manhattan Noir by S.J. Rozan (Akashic Books)
BEST JUVENILE
Gilda Joyce: The Ladies of the Lake by Jennifer Allison (Penguin Young Readers – Sleuth/Dutton)
The Stolen Sapphire: A Samantha Mystery by Sarah Masters Buckey (American Girl Publishing)
Room One: A Mystery or Two by Andrew Clements (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
The Bloodwater Mysteries: Snatched by Pete Hautman & Mary Logue (Penguin Young Readers – Sleuth/Putnam)
The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery by Nancy Springer (Penguin Young Readers – Philomel/Sleuth)
BEST YOUNG ADULT
The Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks (Scholastic – The Chicken House)
The Christopher Killer by Alane Ferguson (Penguin YR – Sleuth/Viking)
Crunch Time by Mariah Fredericks (Simon & Schuster – Richard Jackson Books/
Buried by Robin Merrow MacCready (Penguin YR – Dutton Children's Books)
The Night My Sister Went Missing by Carol Plum-Ucci (Harcourt Children's Books)
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Swedish Meatballs for Lunch
We finally made the trip to the (almost) new IKEA store in Stoughton. The kitchen chairs are about to give up the ghost and also break on whomever has hits butt planted on them. Ugly. I've never been in such a big store. With so much cool stuff.
Let me confess I'm a "Euro-style" person. Lace curtains, traditional furniture and all that old-fashioned scene has never been my thing. We bought Danish and Swedish furniture in the midwest, hunting in town like it was vanished bison. Love those oiled woods, clean lines, good design home goods. Loved IKEA.
The problem was, we found too many kitchen chairs and had to come home and think on it. This is not a bad thing. We bought jars and jars of ligonberries (you haven't lived until you've had delicate Swedish pancakes with ligonberry sauce) and even one of those big round things that WE call knackebrot. It's like rye-crisp, but a foot in diameter and round, of course. Bought a cool tray for my desk and a receptable for stuff in the bathroom. The prices couldn't be beat. We'll go back.
Lunch for two was under $12.00. The "small" portion of meatballs gives you 10. With potatoes, gravy and ligonberries. Yum! No hot smocked eel on the menu.
Last night I spent a marathon session looking for publishers and found 2-3 likely ones. Man, this is work. And then the requirements. Yikes! Everyone wants something different. But we persevere.
Onward to the ligonberry patch!
Grapeshot
Let me confess I'm a "Euro-style" person. Lace curtains, traditional furniture and all that old-fashioned scene has never been my thing. We bought Danish and Swedish furniture in the midwest, hunting in town like it was vanished bison. Love those oiled woods, clean lines, good design home goods. Loved IKEA.
The problem was, we found too many kitchen chairs and had to come home and think on it. This is not a bad thing. We bought jars and jars of ligonberries (you haven't lived until you've had delicate Swedish pancakes with ligonberry sauce) and even one of those big round things that WE call knackebrot. It's like rye-crisp, but a foot in diameter and round, of course. Bought a cool tray for my desk and a receptable for stuff in the bathroom. The prices couldn't be beat. We'll go back.
Lunch for two was under $12.00. The "small" portion of meatballs gives you 10. With potatoes, gravy and ligonberries. Yum! No hot smocked eel on the menu.
Last night I spent a marathon session looking for publishers and found 2-3 likely ones. Man, this is work. And then the requirements. Yikes! Everyone wants something different. But we persevere.
Onward to the ligonberry patch!
Grapeshot
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Just About Average Cat Blog
Annie in her rocking chair, hind feet and paws neatly crossed. Big white tummy in view. A vain kitty, she knows she's pretty and makes up to guests shamelessly.
This old teak rocking chair has been thru the wars, and it belongs to the cat. She's in it approximately 20 hours per day. Living the life of Riley.
What she would really like to do is venture outside and teach the cheeky chipmunks some respect. She only eats cat food, cat grass and the occasional house plant. We could leave a platter of shrimp and crab on the floor and she wouldn't even sniff it. Weird cat, huh?
She was adopted 7 years ago this month from the Buddy Dog shelter in Sudbury. Even in the car, she knew she was coming to a new home. Dogs have masters, cats have "staff." Annie has staff. She still wishes she was an only cat, but a housemate is a cross she must bear. I would like to be reincarnated as one of my cats.
Meow!
Grapeshot
Another Review
http://www.calendarlive.com/books/bookreview/cl-bk-winslow14jan14,0,4955662.htmlstory?coll=cl-bookreview
The LA times liked Exit A, which the NY Times panned. Different Strokes. Makes me happy for the author.
I'm making Abondigas tonight, a Mexican (maybe Spanish roots) meatball soup. We finished up the Russian cabbage soup at noon today. It's cold now, and soup is the favored entree. Not smocked eel. Why don't English-as-a-seccond-language businesses have someone proofread their menus? Well, then we wouldn't have so many chuckles. Of course I was the one who asked, "Is there much fornication here?" instead of "are there many birds in this forest?" Ah the pitfalls of another language.
Tomorrow I'm giving a speech on crime fiction: A Man With A Gun Comes In. Public speaking does not come, shall we say naturally, to me. I don't use gestures easily. Don't walk around but cower behind the lecturn. But anything can be learned. George Williams, a long ago creative writing teacher, said, "I can teach you to write not badly, but not well." Fair bargain, I guess.
Now I need to go check on the meatballs simmering in the soup. A new recipe is always exciting. Long live ethnic cuisine!
Grapeshot
The LA times liked Exit A, which the NY Times panned. Different Strokes. Makes me happy for the author.
I'm making Abondigas tonight, a Mexican (maybe Spanish roots) meatball soup. We finished up the Russian cabbage soup at noon today. It's cold now, and soup is the favored entree. Not smocked eel. Why don't English-as-a-seccond-language businesses have someone proofread their menus? Well, then we wouldn't have so many chuckles. Of course I was the one who asked, "Is there much fornication here?" instead of "are there many birds in this forest?" Ah the pitfalls of another language.
Tomorrow I'm giving a speech on crime fiction: A Man With A Gun Comes In. Public speaking does not come, shall we say naturally, to me. I don't use gestures easily. Don't walk around but cower behind the lecturn. But anything can be learned. George Williams, a long ago creative writing teacher, said, "I can teach you to write not badly, but not well." Fair bargain, I guess.
Now I need to go check on the meatballs simmering in the soup. A new recipe is always exciting. Long live ethnic cuisine!
Grapeshot
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Finally the First Draft
Festival Madness is now a completed manuscript. I finished writing the first draft at 12:30 this morning. And finally, the exciting climax is actually exciting. Almost anything can be fixed. Almost.
The manuscript is 534 pages of Courier New 12, with a birthweight of a hefty 104,419 words, of which I will need to cut about 4419 or 8.275 words per page if you are into numbers. Cutting 8 words a page is not such a fearsome challenge. Now cutting 40,000 or 50,000 words is a feat. I cut great swathes through The Shadow Warriors and World of Mirrors, so a small swath does not intimidate.
One of my old writing instructors, Michael Levin, once said to put everything into your first draft because it is easier to cut than to think up scenes to add.
There is some polite controversy about word count in my writing group. A traditional Agatha Christie type mystery may only have 65,000 - 85,000 words, whereas a mainstream mystery (which is what I write) can easily have 125,000. But I like to keep them slimmer. A so-called mainstream mystery is one that people who don't ordinary read mysteries would read, and of course one hopes that the dyed in the wool mystery readers will read it, too.
Actually, what one hopes is that the book will be published. And reviewed. Reviewed well. And that readers will buy it and like it and ask when the next one will be out.
So now I turn to Proust, to Southern California in the late twenties, to working on my web page and writing a few short stories. My first task, on Thursday is to give a speech about writing crime fiction. The title of the speech is "A Man with a Gun Comes Through the Door." Cool, yes?
Onward,
Grapeshot
When did I start liking numbers? When I latched onto computers.
The manuscript is 534 pages of Courier New 12, with a birthweight of a hefty 104,419 words, of which I will need to cut about 4419 or 8.275 words per page if you are into numbers. Cutting 8 words a page is not such a fearsome challenge. Now cutting 40,000 or 50,000 words is a feat. I cut great swathes through The Shadow Warriors and World of Mirrors, so a small swath does not intimidate.
One of my old writing instructors, Michael Levin, once said to put everything into your first draft because it is easier to cut than to think up scenes to add.
There is some polite controversy about word count in my writing group. A traditional Agatha Christie type mystery may only have 65,000 - 85,000 words, whereas a mainstream mystery (which is what I write) can easily have 125,000. But I like to keep them slimmer. A so-called mainstream mystery is one that people who don't ordinary read mysteries would read, and of course one hopes that the dyed in the wool mystery readers will read it, too.
Actually, what one hopes is that the book will be published. And reviewed. Reviewed well. And that readers will buy it and like it and ask when the next one will be out.
So now I turn to Proust, to Southern California in the late twenties, to working on my web page and writing a few short stories. My first task, on Thursday is to give a speech about writing crime fiction. The title of the speech is "A Man with a Gun Comes Through the Door." Cool, yes?
Onward,
Grapeshot
When did I start liking numbers? When I latched onto computers.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
The Not So Exciting Climax
Being productive has not been an issue in the writing game the last two months. I've blasted thru 70 pages along with the holidays, house guests, walks and workouts, and all the minutiae of life. Just couldn't wait to get to the final exciting pages, but guess what? They aren't that exciting. They sag and droop like an old bra with the elastic shot. Alas. Of course, anything can be fixed, but I don't recall having this issue before. I'm thinking it is because the main character doesn't confront the bad guy directly. Now I could change that, but right now I don't have any ideas how. A plot follows its own logic and there's no logic taking me there.
Anything can be fixed, and I'm sure something will come. After all this is still first draft, and after the long fallow lie, surely something will occur to me. Because all the possibilities are there. Maybe I have two many characters in the ending, but it seemed like they would be needed. World of Mirrors had a lot of characters in the grand climax, too, but the heroine prevailed.
Of course I got into a terrible funk, thinking well, this is so typical, the books are going downhill from book one and I've lost all the passion and the enthusiasm and am now just grinding them out rather formulaicly and it shows and this not finding a publisher or an agent really sucks by now, and probably the writing sucks, too, and I haven't learned jack shit and well. . . you get the idea. Really get down on myself because I don't like the ending. The dialogue seemed flatter than a 28 bra now that we are in bra metaphor mode. I like that. Bra metaphor mode.
Finally some winter weather due tomorrow. I have been sleeping 9, 10, 11 hours a night, as if the great sleeping sickness was upon me. Dreams, too, but not bad ones. Two nights ago I had a steak eating dream, eating leftovers, nice medium rare steak with lots of fat and I was chowing down on piece after piece. It tasted fantastic, and in my dream I could really taste the nice steaky flavor. A true dream. Last night I dreamt I found tons of cash in my handbag, the result of some good fortune, and I thought, ooooh, I'll go to a nice store and buy some new clothes. Not all dreams are nightmares.
Today I made Scshi, a Russian cabbage soup. Made with short ribs, saurkraut and a whole head of cabbage, tomatoes, garlic, broth, onions, all the good stuff. Served it with chopped dill and parsley and a dab of sour cream on top. Yum! Peasant food can be so delicious. Later in the week we're having Abondigas, a Mexican meatball soup, and after that a vegetarian rice and beans soup. This is soup week, in case you hadn't figured that out. I spent $40 on vegetables at the supermarket. How is such a thing possible? I wasn't buying artichokes or avocados or out of season blueberries, either.
Enough blather. Back to fixing the ending. Such a bummer. Another reason to suck it up and push onward.
Grapeshot
Anything can be fixed, and I'm sure something will come. After all this is still first draft, and after the long fallow lie, surely something will occur to me. Because all the possibilities are there. Maybe I have two many characters in the ending, but it seemed like they would be needed. World of Mirrors had a lot of characters in the grand climax, too, but the heroine prevailed.
Of course I got into a terrible funk, thinking well, this is so typical, the books are going downhill from book one and I've lost all the passion and the enthusiasm and am now just grinding them out rather formulaicly and it shows and this not finding a publisher or an agent really sucks by now, and probably the writing sucks, too, and I haven't learned jack shit and well. . . you get the idea. Really get down on myself because I don't like the ending. The dialogue seemed flatter than a 28 bra now that we are in bra metaphor mode. I like that. Bra metaphor mode.
Finally some winter weather due tomorrow. I have been sleeping 9, 10, 11 hours a night, as if the great sleeping sickness was upon me. Dreams, too, but not bad ones. Two nights ago I had a steak eating dream, eating leftovers, nice medium rare steak with lots of fat and I was chowing down on piece after piece. It tasted fantastic, and in my dream I could really taste the nice steaky flavor. A true dream. Last night I dreamt I found tons of cash in my handbag, the result of some good fortune, and I thought, ooooh, I'll go to a nice store and buy some new clothes. Not all dreams are nightmares.
Today I made Scshi, a Russian cabbage soup. Made with short ribs, saurkraut and a whole head of cabbage, tomatoes, garlic, broth, onions, all the good stuff. Served it with chopped dill and parsley and a dab of sour cream on top. Yum! Peasant food can be so delicious. Later in the week we're having Abondigas, a Mexican meatball soup, and after that a vegetarian rice and beans soup. This is soup week, in case you hadn't figured that out. I spent $40 on vegetables at the supermarket. How is such a thing possible? I wasn't buying artichokes or avocados or out of season blueberries, either.
Enough blather. Back to fixing the ending. Such a bummer. Another reason to suck it up and push onward.
Grapeshot
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Haydn and Mozart
Into town last night for a Handel & Haydn Society concert at Symphony Hall. Get the third work out of the day going up and down the MBTA stairways. Sir Roger Norrington is conducting for the first time. I notice that as the instrumentalists take their places, some are sitting in different areas of the circle than formerly. Sir Roger comes out to a full house. He's wearing an Asaian-looking shirt and black pants, while the orchestra is in tails (gents) or basic black evening (ladies). Sir Roger looks like a tall aging pixie. He conducts three pieces, all new to me. Haydn's Symphony No. 49 in F Minor, "La passione." Starts out with a long lugubrious Adagio, and becomes peppier as it goes along. Ends well, so all's well.
Robert Levin and Ya-Fei Chuang play the Concerto for Two Pianos in E-Flat Major, K. 365 (Mozart). Lots of humor in the piece and they ham it up a little, but the music, which is Mozart at his most charming, is easy on the ears. Sir Roger hams it up a bit, too. Altogether very satisfying.
The last piece is another new Haydn, the so-called "Drum Roll" symphone No. 103 in E-Flat Major, a key I've always been partial to since my piano playing days of yore. Very spirited and again, somehow typically Haydn, which the first piece wasn't. Standing ovation. Sir Roger seems pleased. Audience definitely pleased. Tympani player takes bow.
The Friday night crowd at symphony hall is more stylish than the Sunday afternoon crowd, and definitely better dressed than the ART bunch, but they still look very Boston. Intermission gives me a chance to actually look at what people are wearing. I'm still in shock that I thought tailored blazers were a wardrobe staple. Most people in sweaters, lambswool from the look of them. A few, mostly older (eeek) women in blazers. Unstructured jackets for the most part, a few dresses, a few hideousities, but a decently dressed crowd, without sartorial splendor, shall we say? Warm evening, so the sweaters aren't heavy. I am wearing my stylish new Nordstrom jacket (not tailored) and high-heeled boots which make a clunk-clunk-clunk sound as I descend into the subway.
We high-tail it to Brasserie Jo along with a crowd of others. More good people watching, up close. In the corner, a French woman, obviously knowledgeable about wine and unafraid to intimidate her American date with all this wine lore. For some reason, he is drinking a beer and a glass a wine. I didn't listen, but I suspect she insisted he drink the wine. Think this relationship isn't going anywhere.
Next to us, two women having a light post-concert meal. I gape at the chic way one of them has tied her scarf. She also has one a really cool metal belt. Belting down a salad, too, wouldn't you know?
The most interesting table is three men, two middle-aged and one young. Look a little foreign. I guess Russian and never know for sure. Red wine all around, although the young one really looks too young to drink. Leather jackets over the chair backs. They eat the carrot stick appetizers with forks, which confirms their foreignness. One eats his meal like a peasant, and his son is going after the chicken bones with his fingers. Very interesting. Pick up the meat in your hands but not the carrot sticks. I tell myself little stories.
S.O. has bread pudding and my crepes suzettes are too thick and not tender enough. All right, but I wouldn't order them again. Should have had the lemon tart with the fruit compote.
As usual, the T going to Park Street is full of young folks on their way into town for music and dancing. When we exit at Quincy Adams we are the only ones in the car.
Welcome to Boston, Sir Roger.
Robert Levin and Ya-Fei Chuang play the Concerto for Two Pianos in E-Flat Major, K. 365 (Mozart). Lots of humor in the piece and they ham it up a little, but the music, which is Mozart at his most charming, is easy on the ears. Sir Roger hams it up a bit, too. Altogether very satisfying.
The last piece is another new Haydn, the so-called "Drum Roll" symphone No. 103 in E-Flat Major, a key I've always been partial to since my piano playing days of yore. Very spirited and again, somehow typically Haydn, which the first piece wasn't. Standing ovation. Sir Roger seems pleased. Audience definitely pleased. Tympani player takes bow.
The Friday night crowd at symphony hall is more stylish than the Sunday afternoon crowd, and definitely better dressed than the ART bunch, but they still look very Boston. Intermission gives me a chance to actually look at what people are wearing. I'm still in shock that I thought tailored blazers were a wardrobe staple. Most people in sweaters, lambswool from the look of them. A few, mostly older (eeek) women in blazers. Unstructured jackets for the most part, a few dresses, a few hideousities, but a decently dressed crowd, without sartorial splendor, shall we say? Warm evening, so the sweaters aren't heavy. I am wearing my stylish new Nordstrom jacket (not tailored) and high-heeled boots which make a clunk-clunk-clunk sound as I descend into the subway.
We high-tail it to Brasserie Jo along with a crowd of others. More good people watching, up close. In the corner, a French woman, obviously knowledgeable about wine and unafraid to intimidate her American date with all this wine lore. For some reason, he is drinking a beer and a glass a wine. I didn't listen, but I suspect she insisted he drink the wine. Think this relationship isn't going anywhere.
Next to us, two women having a light post-concert meal. I gape at the chic way one of them has tied her scarf. She also has one a really cool metal belt. Belting down a salad, too, wouldn't you know?
The most interesting table is three men, two middle-aged and one young. Look a little foreign. I guess Russian and never know for sure. Red wine all around, although the young one really looks too young to drink. Leather jackets over the chair backs. They eat the carrot stick appetizers with forks, which confirms their foreignness. One eats his meal like a peasant, and his son is going after the chicken bones with his fingers. Very interesting. Pick up the meat in your hands but not the carrot sticks. I tell myself little stories.
S.O. has bread pudding and my crepes suzettes are too thick and not tender enough. All right, but I wouldn't order them again. Should have had the lemon tart with the fruit compote.
As usual, the T going to Park Street is full of young folks on their way into town for music and dancing. When we exit at Quincy Adams we are the only ones in the car.
Welcome to Boston, Sir Roger.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Our friend the beaver
This is an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Quality, State of Pennsylvania
.-------------------------------------------------SUBJECT: DEQ File No.97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Lycoming County
Dear Mr. DeVries:
It has come to the attention of the Department of Environmental Quality that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the above referenced parcel of property. You have been certified as the legal landowner and/or contractor who did the following unauthorized activity:Construction and maintenance of two wood debris dams across the outlet stream of Spring Pond.A permit must be issued prior to the start of this type of activity.A review of the Department's files shows that no permits have been issued. Therefore, the Department has determined that this activity is in violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated.The Department has been informed that one or both of the dams partially failed during a recent rain event, causing debris and flooding at downstream locations. We find that dams of this nature are inherently hazardous and cannot be permitted. The Department therefore orders you to cease and desist all activities at this location, and to restore the stream to a free-flow condition by removing all wood and brush forming the dams from the stream channel. All restoration work shall be completed no later than January 31, 2006.Please notify this office when the restoration has been completed so that a follow-up site inspection may be scheduled by our staff.Failure to comply with this request or any further unauthorized activity on the site may result in this case being referred for elevated enforcement action..We anticipate and would appreciate your full cooperation in this matter. Please fe! el free to contact me at this office if you have any questions.Sincerely,David L. PriceDistrict Representative and Water Management Division.----------------------------------------------Here is the actual response sent back by Mr. DeVries:Re: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20;Lycoming
CountyDear Mr. Price,
Your certified letter dated 12/17/02 has been handed to me to respond to. I am the legal landowner but not the Contractor at 2088 Dagget Lane , Trout Run,Pennsylvania A couple of beavers are in the (State unauthorized) process of constructing and maintaining two wood "debris" dams across the outlet stream of my Spring Pond. While I did not pay for, authorize, nor supervise their dam project, I think they would be highly offended that you call their skillful use of natures building materials "debris." I would like to challenge your department to attempt to emulate their dam project any time and/or any place you choose. I believe I can safely state there is no way you could ever match their dam skills, their dam resourcefulness, their dam ingenuity, their dam persistence, their dam determination and/or their dam work ethic.As to your request, I do not think the beavers are aware that they must first fill out a dam permit prior to the start of this type of dam activity.My first dam question to you is:(1) Are you trying to discriminate against my Spring Pond Beavers, or(2) do you require all beavers throughout this State to conform to said dam request?If you are not discriminating against these particular beavers, through the Freedom of Information Act, I request completed copies of all those other applicable beaver dam permits that have been issued. Perhaps we will see if there really is a dam violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated.I have several concerns. My first concern is, aren't the beavers entitled to legal representation? The Spring Pond Beavers are financially destitute and are unable to pay for said representation -- so the State will have to provide them with a dam lawyer. The Department's dam concern that either one or both of the dams failed during a recent rain event, causing flooding, is proof that this is a natural occurrence, which the Department is required to protect. In other words, we should leave the Spring Pond Beavers alone rather than harassing them and calling their dam names.If you want the stream "restored" to a dam free-flow condition please contact the beavers -- but if you are going to arrest them, they obviously did not pay any attention to your dam letter, they being unable to read English.In my humble opinion, the Spring Pond Beavers have a right to build their unauthorized dams as long as the sky is blue, the grass is green and water flows downstream. They have more dam rights than I do to live and enjoy Spring Pond. If the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection lives up to its name, it should protect the natural resources (Beavers) and the environment (Beavers' Dams).So, as far as the beavers and I are concerned, this dam case can be referred for more elevated enforcement action right now. Why wait until 1/31/2006? The Spring Pond Beavers may be under the dam ice then and there will be no way for you or your dam staff to contact/harass them then.In conclusion, I would like to bring to your attention to a real environmental quality, health, problem in the area. It is the bears! Bears are actually defecating in our woods. I definitely believe you should be persecuting the defecating bears and leave the beavers alone.If you are going to investigate the beaver dam, watch your step! The bears are not careful where they dump!Being unable to comply with your dam request, and being unable to contact you on your dam answering machine, I am sending this response to your dam office.THANK YOU.RYAN DEVRIES &THE DAM BEAVERS
Festival Madness: 510 pages and 100,000 words
Festival Madness is loping down the home stretch. Last night I planted butt in chair and wrote a synopsis of the last few scenes. I began writing it in the fall (October-November) of 2004. So it will take about 27 months to write, an average I need to improve. Of course, right now it's too long, but I'll peel the words off later, once I've finished. Right now I'm seized by eurphoria. It's my fifth book. I don't know if they're getting better or even easier, but they sure are piling up. Now all we need are enthusiastic editors and agents. Wait! Come back here! Wait a minute, dammit!
I began the book in the middle because I wanted to write the Burning Man section while it was fresh in my mind. We visited the Adirondacks in October, because that's where the exciting climax takes place. In the meantime, I've been back to Reno, visited the Chicken Bone Saloon, the Norwood airport, Kendall Square, even Harvest restaurant and almost all the scenes where the book takes place. It's been a long slog.
"They" say you aren't a writer until you've written half a million words. Folks, I've done that and then some. So raise a glass, and toast the future words and the stories we write by stringing them together.
Cheers!
Grapeshot
I began the book in the middle because I wanted to write the Burning Man section while it was fresh in my mind. We visited the Adirondacks in October, because that's where the exciting climax takes place. In the meantime, I've been back to Reno, visited the Chicken Bone Saloon, the Norwood airport, Kendall Square, even Harvest restaurant and almost all the scenes where the book takes place. It's been a long slog.
"They" say you aren't a writer until you've written half a million words. Folks, I've done that and then some. So raise a glass, and toast the future words and the stories we write by stringing them together.
Cheers!
Grapeshot
Monday, January 08, 2007
What does a rifle shot sound like?
Writing along last night, on the next to last chapter. As every mystery writer knows, when nothing much is happening, have a man with a gun come in the door. I was pulling that, except we don't see the man, but a shot is heard. Not round the world, just in the woods. My protagonist thinks its a rifle. What does a rifle sound like? Cripes, I used to know but I've forgotten.
Go to the web. Google 'sound of a rifle.' Right away you get a bunch of hits. Most sites require registration and downloading. I don't need the sound of a rifle on my computer to terrorize the cats with. I just want to hear it. Finally I find the right site and click the .wav button. Bam! Sound of a rifle firing. And I had had it all wrong. How cool is that?
There are sites with anything from bazookas to bombs. Sounds of combat, sounds of helicopters, sounds of anything but silence. I describe the sound of the rifle shot and write further. I am psyched!
Grapeshot
Go to the web. Google 'sound of a rifle.' Right away you get a bunch of hits. Most sites require registration and downloading. I don't need the sound of a rifle on my computer to terrorize the cats with. I just want to hear it. Finally I find the right site and click the .wav button. Bam! Sound of a rifle firing. And I had had it all wrong. How cool is that?
There are sites with anything from bazookas to bombs. Sounds of combat, sounds of helicopters, sounds of anything but silence. I describe the sound of the rifle shot and write further. I am psyched!
Grapeshot
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Dog Breath
Driving home on 93 south last night, fender bender ahead. Cop on the scene, Boston drivers wanting to hurry by, not let the other car into their lanes to merge out of the way of the accident. S.O. comes to a halt too close to the cop directing traffic, so close the cop (a big hefty Boston-type cop) may be afraid we are going to run him over. He screams at us, cars honk not to block their way, typical scene except the cop is really exercised.
The words of one of my old managers came into my head, "well, you didn't handle that very well, did you?" Of course wild horses wouldn't have made me utter those words. That manager had the responsibility for reporting sales for a retail operation with far flung stores. We were the IT department. The system that processed the polling from the stores every night was a complicated mess, needlessly complicated mess, and when it crapped out it did so at 3:00 a.m. Whoever had the beeper slept in dread of a middle of the night crisis. New IT employees were put on call almost immediately, and it was a nightmare when the system went down. The manager's favorite expression, said it a tone of hostility, was "Well, you didn't handle that very well, did you?"
Then I thought of another ill-conceived, poorly designed, stupid-ass system that used to crap out in the middle of the night, too. At another job. It processed purchase orders. If all else failed, I just deleted the P.O. from the file. Don't know if anyone ever realized this. The system was not accurate or even used that much, and it never seemed to make any difference. I called the system "Dogbreath" which annoyed my manager because he had given it to a consultant to design and code, a consultant who hadn't a clue as to how our systems worked, especially VSAM files. I won't bore you with old technology, but the phrase needlessly complex can be used again. God, it was a mess. I always got demerits on my review for not showing proper respect for shitty computer systems. Water over the dam. Do I miss IT? Not much. Do I miss getting phone calls and beeps at 3:00 a.m. ? Ha ha. Do I miss technology? Yes, somewhat. Technology could be fun, and challenging and even empowering but I saw so much total crap systems, and design and management that I became blase and cynical, never a good mix in a loyal employee.
So raise a glass to Dogbreath. I had other nicknames which I have forgotten. Just as well. Writing is more fun. Especially when a man with a gun comes through the door.
Grapeshot
The words of one of my old managers came into my head, "well, you didn't handle that very well, did you?" Of course wild horses wouldn't have made me utter those words. That manager had the responsibility for reporting sales for a retail operation with far flung stores. We were the IT department. The system that processed the polling from the stores every night was a complicated mess, needlessly complicated mess, and when it crapped out it did so at 3:00 a.m. Whoever had the beeper slept in dread of a middle of the night crisis. New IT employees were put on call almost immediately, and it was a nightmare when the system went down. The manager's favorite expression, said it a tone of hostility, was "Well, you didn't handle that very well, did you?"
Then I thought of another ill-conceived, poorly designed, stupid-ass system that used to crap out in the middle of the night, too. At another job. It processed purchase orders. If all else failed, I just deleted the P.O. from the file. Don't know if anyone ever realized this. The system was not accurate or even used that much, and it never seemed to make any difference. I called the system "Dogbreath" which annoyed my manager because he had given it to a consultant to design and code, a consultant who hadn't a clue as to how our systems worked, especially VSAM files. I won't bore you with old technology, but the phrase needlessly complex can be used again. God, it was a mess. I always got demerits on my review for not showing proper respect for shitty computer systems. Water over the dam. Do I miss IT? Not much. Do I miss getting phone calls and beeps at 3:00 a.m. ? Ha ha. Do I miss technology? Yes, somewhat. Technology could be fun, and challenging and even empowering but I saw so much total crap systems, and design and management that I became blase and cynical, never a good mix in a loyal employee.
So raise a glass to Dogbreath. I had other nicknames which I have forgotten. Just as well. Writing is more fun. Especially when a man with a gun comes through the door.
Grapeshot
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Spring Has Sprung - On Jan 5th
The garlic chives are up- parsley still being harvested. Looks like regular chives may sprout. Spring bulbs also coming up. Wild Ginger still green. Eeek! What hath nature wrought? I finally pulled my begonia tuber out of the ground yesterday, wondering was this necessary? If I look I can find dill and cilantro sprouting.
Taking down the Christmas ornaments in shirt sleeves. Some tasks for next spring done early. I don't like this at all.
Festival Madness hit 508 pages. Working my way quickly to 100,000 words. Ah the cruel cuts, then, always necessary. Inching ever closer to the denoument as we used to say in English Lit. It's so excitin when a first draft is finally finished. I'll let it lie fallow for as long as I can, at least three months.
Lots to do and a plan of attack is ready. No agents involved. I've decided to try publishers for a while. What the hell?
Onward,
Grapeshot
If you haven't seen it, go rent the movie, "Crash."
Taking down the Christmas ornaments in shirt sleeves. Some tasks for next spring done early. I don't like this at all.
Festival Madness hit 508 pages. Working my way quickly to 100,000 words. Ah the cruel cuts, then, always necessary. Inching ever closer to the denoument as we used to say in English Lit. It's so excitin when a first draft is finally finished. I'll let it lie fallow for as long as I can, at least three months.
Lots to do and a plan of attack is ready. No agents involved. I've decided to try publishers for a while. What the hell?
Onward,
Grapeshot
If you haven't seen it, go rent the movie, "Crash."
Friday, January 05, 2007
Short Story Contest
If you live in or write short fiction about New England, here is a contest for you. The Crimebake is a fun event, and the winner is treated well.
In memory of Al Blanchard, co-chair of the first three New England Crime Bake Conferences, NEMWA President and member of Sisters in Crime, the New England Crime Bake Committee is sponsoring the third annual short crime fiction contest. The prize is $100 plus publication in Level Best Books' fifth anthology of short crime fiction. The story must be a crime story by a New England author OR with a New England setting, previously unpublished (in print or electronically), no more than 5,000 words in length, and may include the following genres: mystery, thriller, suspense, caper, and horror, with no torture/killing of children or animals. This is a blind contest with NO entry fee. The winner will be a guest of the Crime Bake Committee at the New England Crime Bake, held in November, where the award will be presented in person.The deadline for submissions is April 30, 2007. For specific submission guidelines, visit the Crime Bake website: www.crimebake.org
In memory of Al Blanchard, co-chair of the first three New England Crime Bake Conferences, NEMWA President and member of Sisters in Crime, the New England Crime Bake Committee is sponsoring the third annual short crime fiction contest. The prize is $100 plus publication in Level Best Books' fifth anthology of short crime fiction. The story must be a crime story by a New England author OR with a New England setting, previously unpublished (in print or electronically), no more than 5,000 words in length, and may include the following genres: mystery, thriller, suspense, caper, and horror, with no torture/killing of children or animals. This is a blind contest with NO entry fee. The winner will be a guest of the Crime Bake Committee at the New England Crime Bake, held in November, where the award will be presented in person.The deadline for submissions is April 30, 2007. For specific submission guidelines, visit the Crime Bake website: www.crimebake.org
Thursday, January 04, 2007
2007's First Rejection
This blog isn't called "suck it up" for nothing. First rejection came in- another one for World of Mirrors. I still have a handful of old queries outstanding, but they are so old I am beginning to think that I can write them off. Amazing how often that happens. You do your best three paragraphs, put in your 39 cent SASE and nine months later, you don't have a response, even a negative. Once I graphed these, and discovered at least 10 per cent of agents send no response whatsoever. They steam off the stamps and use them to pay their bills. I am not making this up.
What next? Tweak the beginning one more time, and send off to McMillan's first novel entry thingy.
Go over Promiscuous Mode one more time, cutting words, and send to another likely publisher. Finish Festival Madness and start the rewrites. In the meantime, I have 3 short stories to write, a website to redo, and a new novel to start. That should keep 2007 interesting. Tear hair, maybe set it on fire, that would be another task. Immolate self on pyre of old burned manuscripts. Go for a swim in the slough. Plaster body with leeches.
Enough self-pity.
Back to the manuscript. Actually, upstairs to finish the West Indian Bean Dip. It is hard to cook for company two weeks in a row. One really wants to open a can of spam, a can of peas and whip up some macaroni and cheese out of the freezer carton.
Onward, as usual, but not upward.
Grapeshot
What next? Tweak the beginning one more time, and send off to McMillan's first novel entry thingy.
Go over Promiscuous Mode one more time, cutting words, and send to another likely publisher. Finish Festival Madness and start the rewrites. In the meantime, I have 3 short stories to write, a website to redo, and a new novel to start. That should keep 2007 interesting. Tear hair, maybe set it on fire, that would be another task. Immolate self on pyre of old burned manuscripts. Go for a swim in the slough. Plaster body with leeches.
Enough self-pity.
Back to the manuscript. Actually, upstairs to finish the West Indian Bean Dip. It is hard to cook for company two weeks in a row. One really wants to open a can of spam, a can of peas and whip up some macaroni and cheese out of the freezer carton.
Onward, as usual, but not upward.
Grapeshot
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
We Hope This Does Not Inconvenience You
Today's blog title is a phrase the adminisphere of my university formerly used when they sent out announcements that were very likely to inconvenience someone.
For one who lives and mostly dies by peering into the mailbox to see if someone, finally, is going to glom onto one of my books, three days without mail is terrible. Couldn't the Day of Mourning have been tomorrow? What of all the business closed since early on the 29th? Jan. 2 and still no mail? Arrrgh! Well, there's always email and voice mail and banging your head against the desk.
In July, I sent out a bunch of World of Mirror queries which apparently went into the Great Void of Agentry. These were part of a New Query Initiative. Nary a response. I'm always meticulous about sending an SASE, and most of these agents don't have a published email address or a web site (Luddites all). So I can suck it up and waste another 74 cents, or I can call them (which they hate) or I can requery, with the new and improved Query Inititative #49. It just doesn't seem right to leave all those things hanging. Grapeshot is Not a leave things hanging kind of person. Want answers. Closure.
You know. Precise. Anal. I don't even like the press talking about Eastern Colorado like it is Outer Mongolia. Towns and counties, dammit, there are really people living out there. Ft. Morgan, Brush, Akron, Sterling, Snyder and Nick's Cafe. Places. Cows. God.
So there are agent decisions. I just hate this.
Grrrrrrrrapeshot.
For one who lives and mostly dies by peering into the mailbox to see if someone, finally, is going to glom onto one of my books, three days without mail is terrible. Couldn't the Day of Mourning have been tomorrow? What of all the business closed since early on the 29th? Jan. 2 and still no mail? Arrrgh! Well, there's always email and voice mail and banging your head against the desk.
In July, I sent out a bunch of World of Mirror queries which apparently went into the Great Void of Agentry. These were part of a New Query Initiative. Nary a response. I'm always meticulous about sending an SASE, and most of these agents don't have a published email address or a web site (Luddites all). So I can suck it up and waste another 74 cents, or I can call them (which they hate) or I can requery, with the new and improved Query Inititative #49. It just doesn't seem right to leave all those things hanging. Grapeshot is Not a leave things hanging kind of person. Want answers. Closure.
You know. Precise. Anal. I don't even like the press talking about Eastern Colorado like it is Outer Mongolia. Towns and counties, dammit, there are really people living out there. Ft. Morgan, Brush, Akron, Sterling, Snyder and Nick's Cafe. Places. Cows. God.
So there are agent decisions. I just hate this.
Grrrrrrrrapeshot.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Western Kansas
Repeat after me: St. Francis, Goodland, Colby, Oakley,Wakeeny, Hays, Russell, Salina.
Wheat fields , grain elevaors, water towers, Catholic Churches, flat, snowy prairies.
In the old days, there wasn't a decent restaurant between the Pepper Pot (Pod?) outside Denver and my uncle's restaurant in Hesston, Kansas. These people grow the wheat that makes our bread. Nonetheless, if you make the drive, pack a lunch. I'm partial to cold fried chicken, home grown tomatoes and Lays potato chips. Maybe a nice brownie.
The Great Plains! Unfold a map. Study. There will be a pop quiz tomorrow. Where is Kanopolis reservoir?
Onward
Wheat fields , grain elevaors, water towers, Catholic Churches, flat, snowy prairies.
In the old days, there wasn't a decent restaurant between the Pepper Pot (Pod?) outside Denver and my uncle's restaurant in Hesston, Kansas. These people grow the wheat that makes our bread. Nonetheless, if you make the drive, pack a lunch. I'm partial to cold fried chicken, home grown tomatoes and Lays potato chips. Maybe a nice brownie.
The Great Plains! Unfold a map. Study. There will be a pop quiz tomorrow. Where is Kanopolis reservoir?
Onward
Everywhere is Somewhere
Back in the Middle Ages, when I was 7 years old someone gave me a diary for Christmas, brown leather (or leatherette) with a lock and a tiny key, the kind that is always lost.
I lived in Northeastern Colorado, that vast anonymous space that just received a sh__load of snow. That year we had a New Year's blizzard as well, but the most terrible thing was that our neighbor's twenty-something son was killed at a railroad grade crossing in the country. My first entry was "Bruce L. Hxxxxxx killed last night."
Poor Mrs. Hxxxxx who lived next door had nothing but bad luck. Her husband had been killed by lightning several years before. Her youngest daughter, my playmate had had a (fortunately mild) case of polio. Deedee had an older sister who became a "bad" girl, as we said back then, the word slut not being in vogue. Mrs. Hxxxxx worked at a dry cleaners. I think she rented out an apartment in her house. Who knows how she survived to raise those daughters?
My mom thought the house smelled bad and was dirty and wouldn't let me eat there.
There was a dog, Teddy, an amiable mutt who mated with the neighbor's cocker spaniel in front of a large group of children. The adults came out and tried to console poor Deedee who was screaming because the dogs were "stuck together."
The blizzard was so bad that the road between our town and the next was a canyon with ten feet of snow on either side. The temperature went below zero and my dad drove me to school, only three blocks away, a first, last and only
time. And better yet, school was cancelled for a few days, because the town couldn't bus the farm kids to school yet.
The newspaper dateline is always Denver, and there's never any mention of the little towns that are buried. Finally today I saw "Salina, Kansas," but no mention of the specific places between Denver and Salina which must be at least 500 miles of high plaines and wheat farming. The middle of nowhere. But at my young friend likes to say, "everywhere is somewhere." How cool is that for six year old wisdom?
For the first time ever I watched television and saw the ball drop in Times Square in New York. How do people get so worked up over such a made up non-event? New Year's Eve is perhaps the most overrated evening of the year. I do recall a few good parties over the years. That's really all you need. A few good parties, a few memories, of which watching the ball drop will not be one.
Resolutions:
The perrenial one, i.e. lose 15 pounds. Last year I lost five, kept them off, and did not gain over the holidays. But I have a big high school reunion in August. Those folks remember a 100 pound Grapeshot. Zowie!
Redo my websit myself
Finish Festival Madness
Find a publisher/agent for World of Mirrors and Promiscuous Mode
Start new 1928 California book
The 15 pounds and the agent/publisher will be the hardest. The weight is under my control. Nice to know something is. Here's to salad and small portions. Less cheese, and more veggies. Good lord, this will involve sucking it up some more.
By the way, some of those little buried in snow towns are Hudson, Wiggins, Weldona, Fort Morgan, Brush, Akron, Sterling, Yuma, Russell, Oakley and Great Bend and Hayes, the boyhood home of Walter P. Chrysler.
Happy New Year
Grapeshot
I lived in Northeastern Colorado, that vast anonymous space that just received a sh__load of snow. That year we had a New Year's blizzard as well, but the most terrible thing was that our neighbor's twenty-something son was killed at a railroad grade crossing in the country. My first entry was "Bruce L. Hxxxxxx killed last night."
Poor Mrs. Hxxxxx who lived next door had nothing but bad luck. Her husband had been killed by lightning several years before. Her youngest daughter, my playmate had had a (fortunately mild) case of polio. Deedee had an older sister who became a "bad" girl, as we said back then, the word slut not being in vogue. Mrs. Hxxxxx worked at a dry cleaners. I think she rented out an apartment in her house. Who knows how she survived to raise those daughters?
My mom thought the house smelled bad and was dirty and wouldn't let me eat there.
There was a dog, Teddy, an amiable mutt who mated with the neighbor's cocker spaniel in front of a large group of children. The adults came out and tried to console poor Deedee who was screaming because the dogs were "stuck together."
The blizzard was so bad that the road between our town and the next was a canyon with ten feet of snow on either side. The temperature went below zero and my dad drove me to school, only three blocks away, a first, last and only
time. And better yet, school was cancelled for a few days, because the town couldn't bus the farm kids to school yet.
The newspaper dateline is always Denver, and there's never any mention of the little towns that are buried. Finally today I saw "Salina, Kansas," but no mention of the specific places between Denver and Salina which must be at least 500 miles of high plaines and wheat farming. The middle of nowhere. But at my young friend likes to say, "everywhere is somewhere." How cool is that for six year old wisdom?
For the first time ever I watched television and saw the ball drop in Times Square in New York. How do people get so worked up over such a made up non-event? New Year's Eve is perhaps the most overrated evening of the year. I do recall a few good parties over the years. That's really all you need. A few good parties, a few memories, of which watching the ball drop will not be one.
Resolutions:
The perrenial one, i.e. lose 15 pounds. Last year I lost five, kept them off, and did not gain over the holidays. But I have a big high school reunion in August. Those folks remember a 100 pound Grapeshot. Zowie!
Redo my websit myself
Finish Festival Madness
Find a publisher/agent for World of Mirrors and Promiscuous Mode
Start new 1928 California book
The 15 pounds and the agent/publisher will be the hardest. The weight is under my control. Nice to know something is. Here's to salad and small portions. Less cheese, and more veggies. Good lord, this will involve sucking it up some more.
By the way, some of those little buried in snow towns are Hudson, Wiggins, Weldona, Fort Morgan, Brush, Akron, Sterling, Yuma, Russell, Oakley and Great Bend and Hayes, the boyhood home of Walter P. Chrysler.
Happy New Year
Grapeshot
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