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Archive for February, 2009

Kindle 2

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

My Kindle 2 arrived today. I’m off from the Evil Day Job this week, and since I wasn’t sure whether or not I’d have to sign for the package, I got up early so I could shower and get dressed before the UPS guy came. The earliest I’ve known them to drop anything off was 11:45, so I figured 9:15 was safe enough to be brushing my teeth. Unfortunately, that’s when I heard the doorbell ring.

I rinsed fast and ran for the door, but the UPS guy was quick and he was gone already. Luckily, my package was sitting next to my door and I welcomed the Kindle 2 into my home.

So what are my impressions? The first thing that struck me after taking it out of the box was how thin it was. This made me nervous every time I handled it because it feels fragile and I’m afraid to press the buttons too hard. I’m sure this will pass once I get used to it. I’m also sure it will help once I have a case for it. The K2 comes naked. I ordered the hot pink M-Edge case, the one that stands up on it’s own, but it won’t arrive for a couple of weeks. (I linked to the case because I had a lot of Googlers found my blog by searching for a hot pink Kindle case. Good to have you here.)

Until the case arrives, I’m thinking of carting it around in the box it came in. Some people have posted that they carry it without a case, but I just can’t do that.

The Whispernet function is nice. I ordered a copy of Virgil’s Aeneid (yes, I am a geek) and I had it in less than a minute! Too cool. There were also free books available in the Kindle store as Harlequin celebrates their anniversary, so I had those delivered as well. These, however, I’d ordered online before my K2 arrived and when I synced, there they were. Cool!

Typing on the keyboard was easy and comfortable, something I didn’t expect since the keys are so tiny. I liked being able to adjust font size. I think I got spoiled by the computer and all the comfort settings I use because of the time I spend writing.

Minuses. As someone on Twitter pointed out, file management is an issue. It is. Even with the few books I have on there now, it’s a pain in the butt to page through them. It would definitely be nice to be able to put them into folders, like Research, Fiction, Classics and whatever.

I also would have liked the screen to be a little brighter. Maybe it seemed dim because it was cloudy here today and there’s no back light on the K2. In sunshine, it might be better or I might have to buy a light for it. Of course, if I was spending a lot of hours reading on it, I might like that grayness.

There were also “ghosts” of previous pages on the screen while I waited for the next one to come up. I don’t know if that’s normal or not since I’ve never used a screen like this before.

These are very general first impressions. I have a book due March 1, so I haven’t had time to play with my new toy much. I will be posting more thoughts when I do get my hands on it.

Tags: kindle
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In the Zone: Do Not Disturb

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009

Today, I hit the zone. Every writer knows what I’m talking about. It’s this place when you’re writing and you don’t want to stop–not for anything. Every interruption is a pain even things like eating, sleeping, and showering. (Don’t worry. I’m showered, but I resented the time away from the book.)

I’ve been working hard all along–the book is due on March 1–but the zone is totally different. I can put in 10 hours and not be in the zone. I can also put 10 hours in when I’m in the zone and have it feel as if 2 minutes has gone by. I love the zone. It is totally the best place to be.

So until I post the dancing Hobbes here, blogs will be short. Maybe non-existent, but I’ll try to post something. And I’ll be answering comments next week.

I should have realized I was slipping into the zone when I couldn’t sleep last night as I fretted over one of my scenes. It was wrong. I knew it was wrong. But how to fix it? I woke up with the answer, and with about four hours of sleep, hit the computer. It’s fixed. But I still didn’t officially hit the zone until late this afternoon, early this evening. Shortly after I ordered the Amazon Kindle 2.

Yes, I caved. I ordered the Kindle. It was the thought of lugging 400 pages with me in hard copy that convinced me to take the plunge. I didn’t order the extended warranty, but the price still makes me wince.

Tags: kindle, the_zone
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Spring Fever

Sunday, February 22nd, 2009

After an awful November – January, February turned out to be a good weather month for Minnesota. And almost all the snow had melted by last Friday. I looked out at my tree ring and my garden and I got spring fever. I imagined my yard full of green grass and bright flowers.

I also thought, hmm, I could use one of those garden grabber rakes where you can lift stuff out of the garden without actually having to touch it. You see, my tree ring was filled with dead leaves from the tree and they have to come out.

Friday night, I happened to stay up late enough to get the QVC Today’s Special Value (TSV) email and the Woot.com notice for Saturday. Woot had a no-crank hose storage unit and since I was so tired last year of seeing that hose lying alongside my house on the mulch, I thought this would be perfect. So I ordered one. But I absolutely was not, I repeat not going to buy the QVC TSV even if it was three tree peonies.

And then I woke up on Saturday morning and we’d had almost 3 inches of snow. ::cry:: If that wasn’t enough, QVC sent me a reminder email about the garden show that was starting in minutes. I flipped over. I was only going to watch. I wasn’t going to buy anything–even if I was so ready for spring that I could hardly stand it.

The first thing I saw was the TSV. Three beautiful tree peonies. The price was good–I could get three for just slightly over what I’d normally pay for one–and peonies are one of my favorite flowers. I totally covet my mom’s herbaceous peonies, and if they hadn’t been so impossibly huge, my dad and I would have divided them last fall. But I digress. So the price for the tree peonies was good, they’re one of my favorite flowers, but I was still holding strong because I hate that they send you a little stick and it takes forever for it to grow.

They got me when they held up the three-year-old peonies they were sending. Four branches instead of one stick. I caved and ordered them. I don’t know where I’m going to put them, but I now have white, pink, and purple peonies scheduled to be delivered in May. Sigh.

If I’d been smart, I would have turned the channel then. I knew I was in a garden-ready mood. Somehow, though, I made it through the rest of the flower show without buying any more plants. And then the equipment portion started. I was still doing good–until the garden grabber rake appeared. And here I’d just been thinking how much I could use one of those. I ordered that, too.

And a little later it was gardening gloves. I really didn’t need them. I have a pair. But these fit tighter so that dirt doesn’t fall down the wrists and I thought, wow, that really is annoying in my current pair. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a set where that didn’t happen? And they came in pink, my favorite color. I dithered and then finally I ordered those, too.

And then I did flip away because I clearly could not be trusted around garden tools or plants in my current mood and I’d already done enough damage. Spring, please hurry!

Tags: garden, spring
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Wooting!

Thursday, February 19th, 2009

Welcome to the new look for my blog. It matches my new website and I think it turned out great! And I can say that because I’m not the person who did it.

This week, there was a Woot-off on Woot.com. I can’t remember how I found out about this site, but usually they do one deal a day. Every couple of months, though, they hold a Woot-off and then it’s item after item until whatever they put up sells out. Woot-offs normally last two days, but occasionally go three.

Some of it takes a long time to go because it’s, well, junk. The used DVDs of three incredibly lame comedies are one item that came up today that I thought were never going to sell out! Other items are just things most people will never need. There’s a lot of tech stuff, like HD video cards. Great if you’re someone who likes to assemble your own system, not so great for those of us who aren’t. There’s a lot of refurbished stuff and then there are some really good deals.

Today, I wooted and bought coffee! Five 1 pound bags. It was actually a good deal if you happen to like the expensive coffee, and thanks to a friend of mine, I’m now hooked on the stuff.

But the highlight of every Woot-off is the Bag of Crap. Yep, Bag of Crap.

When I first got on Woot, I ignored them. I imagined that it would be some pretty lame stuff that they couldn’t sell. Like the mini kites or the bag of charades game. Then I was told, no, it’s not always junk. Sometimes it includes good things like televisions or other electronics.

Well, heck, if there was a chance to get something that might actually be useful, I had to try, right? It’s like buying the occasional lottery ticket–you just might get lucky.

So I tried and tried on earlier Woot-offs to get a Bag of Crap, but I had no luck. One time, they put it up while I was driving home from work. The others? Well, I just couldn’t get through. The server would crash and by the time I got back on Woot, some other item would be up.

I didn’t think today would be any different. For one thing, I was on my laptop which is four years old and is hooked to the internet via a wireless router. Not exactly as fast as if I were on my newish desktop hooked directly into the cable modem. And then the item that was up sold out and I kept pressing F5. And I saw the picture for a Bag of Crap!

Immediately, I hit the “I want one” button, and while it was slow, I actually got to the order screen. Nervously, sure that it would sell out before I could get through, I typed my password. Wrong. I had to backup and retype it. I’m going to be too late now, I knew it. I hit the button that all my information was right. And waited.

And waited.

I was getting more nervous. Bags of Crap sell out in less than a minute. I didn’t want to be sitting on this screen while it sold out. Then the order button screen showed up. My hands were nearly shaking as I clicked to submit my order. Again, I waited.

Would I be thwarted this close to my goal?

Then I got it, the screen that said they’d reserved my Bag of Crap and were processing my order. If I wanted to make sure it went through, I could wait till the confirmation screen came up. Like I was going to click away without that! So I waited, but my email came through first–I had successfully wooted my first ever Bag of Crap!

Whoo hooo!!!

Like a hunter bringing down the woolly mammoth, I had succeeded in bagging the prize!

So now I wait for my Bag of Crap to arrive and hope that I get something I can use and not three used DVDs of some lame comedies or a mini kite.

Tags: internet, shopping, woot
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Kindle 2, I Covet You

Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

I’ve been drooling over the Kindle since the original edition was released, but I talked myself out of it. Not easily. I waffled over and over for weeks and just when I thought I’d for certain talked myself out of it, someone at my (necessary) Evil Day Job bought one and the coveting began again. The only thing that finally ended my indecision was when I read the Kindle 2 was coming out and it would be in colors like the iPod Nano was. I totally love color and the idea of having a hot pink Kindle if I only waited was enough to convince me. Yes, shallow, but there you have it. I can be bought for fuchsia.

To my great disappointment, when the Kindle 2 was released, only Stephen King got a pink version. This breaks my heart. Hey, Amazon, I want a pink one, too! I’ll even take purple or tangerine or red. Don’t they know how many of us are waiting for bright exciting colors? Sigh.

But it doesn’t seem to matter. I’m lusting after the Kindle 2 anyway. I keep opening Amazon in my browser and looking at the thing. I’ve already found a hot pink case to make up for the lack of a hot pink Kindle 2. The price is off-putting. Talk about a big ouch! I was hoping the price would come down with second gen, but that didn’t happen.

As you’ve probably guessed, I’m waffling again. I want one. It would be great for research because if I needed information and found a good book on the subject that was Kindle-ized, I could order it immediately and have it in minutes. I could also highlight and bookmark and snip the parts that pertain to what I need. Much, much easier for relocating information months later. I can’t tell you how many books I had to dig out and go through a couple of years ago to find one fact. I knew I had read it. I knew I owned the book. It took me hours to locate the right one. This, alone, makes the Kindle attractive.

On the other hand, that price still stops me cold. Plus, I’d have to get the extended warranty–just in case. It would freak me out if I didn’t at the price point it’s selling at.

In the pro side of the column, some of the books are cheaper in Kindle format and I could take dozens of titles with me in one small gadget. That’s one of the things I totally love about my iPod–no matter what mood I’m in, I can find the right music because it’s all there. When I used to bring CDs to the EDJ, I would guess the night before what I would be interested in listening to, and if I was wrong, I was out of luck. The Kindle would be the same thing for books. No matter what I felt like reading, I could have it with me.

On the other hand, that price still stops me cold. Seriously. $359. Plus $65 for the extended warranty, plus $45 for the hot pink cover.

The iPod has more than one use. There’s music, there’s podcasts, there’s iTunes U (which I love with all my heart), there’s television shows which I also love because I never have time to watch TV. But I bring my car in to be serviced, bring the iPod with me, and catch up on some programs. The iPod also lets me load my contacts list so I can have that all with me, it has a calender function, an alarm feature, it shows me the time in London or Sydney.

Kindle 2 doesn’t do that many things which makes the money harder to spend. And now I’m wondering about Kindle 3. Will that come in hot pink?

Tags: kindle
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Facebook "Advertising"

Sunday, February 15th, 2009

I have a problem with the so-called advertising on Facebook. I, BTW, think it more closely resembles spam than real ads, but that’s not my issue. Although why FB is willing to take anyone’s money and let their site look like the inside of my spam folder is something I’ll never understand.

What are my issues then?

How about the ads where you can make $5,000 a month by working from home? Yeah, right. If this is like the scam that used to go around a few years ago, the only way to make this is money is by rooking others into paying you for your information on how to work at home. These ads are a pyramid scheme, which are basically illegal in a lot of states from what I understand.

Then there’s the ads where I can “get my share of Obama’s stimulus package.” The great part about this ad is that it was appearing on FB weeks before the stimulus package passed. Do people really think the federal government is handing average citizens checks for hundreds of thousands of dollars? But then, why do they need this money when they can make $5,000 a month working from home?

I also get ads where I’m being offered a chance to self-publish. Um, no thanks. See, the Publisher pays the author not the other way around. When I think of all the teenagers or young adults on FB who have a dream to be a writer one day, I hope to heaven they’re smart enough not to get taken in by a vanity press. You want to self-publish your family history? Great! Or have a non-fiction niche subject with a built-in audience that’s too small for a publisher? That’s a good option for self-publishing, too. Fiction? Nope. Don’t do it.

The FB ads also show pictures of celebrities–implying an endorsement that I guarantee you they do not have–and FB has done nothing to rein in this misleading and probably illegal tactic. I swear if I could find some way to email Oprah, I would let her people know that her name and image have been used without her permission. So have images of Rachel Ray, Angelina Jolie, Cheryl Tiegs, and so many other famous people that even I recognize them.

They’ve had their images and names associated with wrinkle removers (Does anyone really believe a Hollywood celebrity is wrinkle-free because of cream? I immediately think plastic surgery, but then I’m cynical when it comes to “miracle creams.”) and a gazillion weight loss products of various kinds, including the magic berry.

Lately I’ve noticed a new ad with Katie Couric’s picture–As seen on 60 Minutes. Here’s their magic product that will make you live forever. Um, sorry, I watched that episode of 60 Minutes and they talked about a chemical found in red wine. Researchers are investigating whether or not they can make it into a pill form that will work. I’m supposed to believe that your doctors out-trumped the doctors interviewed on the show and beat them to the punch? Call me a cynic, but I’ll wait until someone reputable bottles this.

I’ve also been challenged to compare my IQ to Bush, Obama, and Manny Ramirez of all people. (Baseball player formerly with the Boston Red Sox who finished the 2008 season on the Los Angeles Dodgers.) I’ve been offered a free hot pink MacBook just so I can use it and tell them what I think about it. Somehow I don’t think Apple is just giving those things away in exchange for opinions. There are similar ads for pink iPhones–guess you’re not supposed to wonder who’s going to pay that monthly phone bill.

The thing that bugs me the most about these ads is that they are hugely misleading and designed to rook kids who don’t know any better. If Facebook previewed the ads and just cut out the illegal stuff like the pyramid schemes and the bait ones that would help. What they should be doing is not allowing the ads that are using celebrity pictures and names without permission. If that isn’t illegal, it’s sure as heck immoral, but I believe celebrities have a right over their images for the purpose of advertising. Being a public figure does not give anyone the right to stick your face on an ad for miracle wrinkle cream or anything else.

Grrr! I wish I could tune these ads out the way others do, but I can’t. I’ve reported the offenders on the celebrity front over and over and over, but Facebook does nothing. Anyone have Oprah’s email?

Tags: advertising
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Facebook “Advertising”

Sunday, February 15th, 2009

What are my issues then?

Tags: advertising, annoyances, facebook
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World Building

Thursday, February 12th, 2009

Someone asked me a while back to blog about how I world build. I haven’t until now because my world building has a lot to do with what the characters for that story tell me. Almost everything I know comes from my hero and/or heroine. I’ve told this story before, but when Ryne came in from In the Midnight Hour she wouldn’t tell me anything about herself–not even her name–until she filled me in about her people and their society. That’s usually how I world build.

I actually really like doing it this way because then I don’t have to do anything. It’s just like when I used to complain that I never got to name my characters, they’d just come in and tell me who they were and that was it. I’d lament how some authors get to choose their characters names and why couldn’t I ever do that? And then I had a heroine who refused to tell me who she was. She was, in fact, letting me pick. I hated it! I literally spent weeks searching and searching and searching for the right name. I began pleading with her: could you just tell me the first letter? C’mon, don’t leave this up to meeee. I finally did come up with a name for her, although she never did bail me out, and I actually think it’s the right one because I can’t imagine her going by anything else, but the misery of the experience taught me one thing. I will never, ever complain again about my characters choosing their own names.

And I’m putting the same theory to work on the world building. If my characters are happy to tell me what the world they live in is like, I am happy to go with it. That doesn’t mean I don’t end up with some influence over the information I get. It happens like this–they’ll be telling me about their world and I’ll ask a question about something and then they’ll talk about that. Otherwise it might be something they don’t consider worth mentioning, but once I know it, I can use it to add depth even if I never say anything about that area in the book.

See, this is the key to world building as far as I’m concerned: Just because you know it, does not mean the reader needs to know it.

When I used to judge contests, that was one of the big things I saw–info dump world building. I’m not a big fan of description anyway, but when I’m getting non-stop world information, my eyes glaze over. Bor-ing! World building needs to be threaded in, dribbled in. If you’ve read In the Midnight Hour, the first chapter has an incredible amount of world building going on, but it’s woven in with all the action happening. There is no long stretch of nothing but world building paragraphs. I’m also doing a lot of character building in this first chapter. These two scenes show the essence of who Ryne is at her core.

That’s a lot going on for one chapter.

My guidelines (hate the word “rules”): Dribble in the information in small doses. Don’t give information that no one needs to know. Don’t tell the world building stuff, show it. There’s a big difference between saying that Ryne is a magical troubleshooter whose job is to fight the dark-force beings bent on hurting humans and showing Ryne fighting a dark-force creature to protect humans.

I think that’s it. Pretend your world building is an ice berg–only 10% is above the water line. The rest is hidden, but supporting the part that’s above the surface.

Tags: worlds
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I’ve Redecorated!

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

My newly redesigned website is live! I think it turned out great, so please come over and take a look around. www.pattioshea.com

Confession time–it’s been really tough for me to give up control of my site. I didn’t think I’d have a problem, or at least not too much of one, but I am. Maybe because it’s been 7 years of being completely my baby. As soon as I sold my first book, I signed up for HTML classes, learned CSS (another web program), and worked to pick up other skills as I went along. But I knew it was time to stand back. I’d exhausted my meager skills as a web person and I needed someone who was beyond what I was capable of creating. Time is also a factor–I just don’t have enough of it any more to keep up with the site. This is where the real letting go is going to be tough–not doing my own updates any longer. Ouch! I’m sure once I get over the emotional issues of letting go, I’ll be fine and the site is beautiful!

It’s not completely done yet. I’m going to add an actual blog there. I’m still going to keep my Blogger and MySpace pages, too, but I’ll be mirroring the posts rather than posting live. I’m excited about this because it was something I wanted to do from the start, but 4 years ago when I started blogging, I didn’t know how to put it on my site and so I just went over to Blogspot because it was easier. I added MySpace when I joined, but having the blog on my site will give visitors one-stop shopping.

The other news is that my Blogger page will be getting redone to match my cool new website! Yea! It’s time for a new look there, too. No changes on MySpace, but I already have a cool look there.

So come on over to my newly redecorated home, take a look around, have a cocktail. We’ll consider this a cyberspace open house.