Our interview today is with Kathy Porter, author of Earth's Ultimate Conflict
FQ: You say in the Author's Note that you are a true believer in aliens. When did you first begin to think that there are aliens visiting our solar system?
I began to think about the possibility that aliens exist when I was a child. My father enjoyed taking his seven children out to the backyard and teaching us the constellations on summer nights when the clouds gave us an unencumbered view. We were thrilled when he brought home a telescope and showed us the craters on the moon and the Sea of Tranquility. As a science teacher, my dad was a seeker of truth. He never said, “they (the aliens) were out there”, and if we asked if aliens were real, he would shrug his shoulders and say, “I don’t know, but some people say there is proof that they are here.”
My dad and I shared a love for all things science fiction and watched late night movies likeInvaders From Mars together. Dad also enjoyed reading Ray Bradbury’s books, which he passed on to me.
In high school I read, Chariots of the Gods by Erich von Däniken and discussed with my dad what seemed to be undeniable proof that aliens were here in ancient times. He again never quite committed to the fact they were here, but my continued discoveries in reading, including the still-controversial Roswell Incident and the Betty and Barney Hill abduction, were hot topics between us.
Aliens, in my belief, have been part of our history and continue to investigate or intrude into our lives, depending on your beliefs. I don’t believe aliens would be so covert in their methods if their reason for human contact were completely innocent. The aliens of today may not be the same species as the seemingly benevolent ancient astronauts.
FQ: I thought it was interesting that you made the president a woman and one who had been divorced. How did you come up with Barbara Unger, who is so different from the presidents we know today?
Some of the strongest people I have known in my life were women. Strong women have a place in politics and outshine many of their male counterparts in history. Although she was not a divorced woman, Prime Minister of England Margaret Thatcher was a force to be reckoned with during her three terms in office. She earned the title “Iron Lady” by being a staunch conservative who couldn’t be bullied by any foreign leader anymore than by her own Parliament. I found her strong and fascinating. Barbara Unger was born from a creative hybrid of Margaret Thatcher and Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Star Trek Voyager series.
Captain Janeway, separated from her husband by millions of light years, was on a quest to return to her home sector of space and Earth. She had great intuitive skills, made friends of enemies and never wavered or depended on others to lead her crew home. She was a skillful, capable woman like President Barbara Unger.
FQ: It seems like you have read a lot of science fiction. Which science fiction novels and films have influenced your writing and thinking?
The first science fiction novel I read was in grade school, The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury. I was hooked from that point on. That chapter, that to this day plays through my mind and encourages me to let my imagination soar, was the one where Mr. Benjamin Driscoll spreads seeds from Earth across Mars. While Driscoll slept, there was a downpour of rain and a lush forest grew. He watched buds turn to blossoms and leaves unfurl before his eyes. Because Mars soil was so rich, a genesis took place before his eyes. Ray Bradbury put his incredible imagination on paper– I was hooked.
Ray Bradbury continues to be an inspiration to me. I have listened to him speak many times and he encourages writers to read and watch movies, and to “write with love.” I was honored to receive his endorsement for my book.
There are many writers I also enjoy reading, Jules Vern, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Robert Sawyer, and James Patterson to name a few. As for movies, some of the most inspiring were the original The Day The Earth Stood Still, War of the Worlds, Invaders From Mars, and Forbidden Planet. Of course, I also enjoy the Star Wars and the Star Trek movies, as well as one of my most recent favorites Independence Day.
FQ: Where did you get the idea for SEAS? Is it based on an actual medical condition?
Many threatening pandemics have headlined our news and newspapers in recent history. Most have only been potential threats (over-publicized) and slowly fell out of the media’s attention. However, a threat that is getting quietly worse and is under-reported is that of allergies. In some cases, allergies have become life threatening. What if millions of humans became allergic to their own environment? What if allergies became the pandemic? It seemed to me that SEAS or Severe Environmental Allergy Syndrome was a viable threat.
To learn more about Earth's Ultimate Conflict, please read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Book Bloggers Take Manhattan
Book Bloggers Take Manhattan
By: Charlotte Abbott - Reprinted with permission of Publishers Weekly.
A swarm of book bloggers converged on Javits Center in their first convention last Friday, which drew 250 people to a day-long lineup of speakers and panels following Book Expo America. The presence of online marketing specialists from most of the major houses – and sponsorships by HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Hachette and the Crown Publishing Group, as well as smaller publishers like Peachtree and Unbridled Books - showed the industry’s embrace of the bloggers, most of whom are unpaid enthusiasts who revel in spreading the word about books they love. “The best people in the industry are getting to know the best bloggers,” declared Ron Hogan, former director of online marketing strategy at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
After an energetic keynote by young adult author Maureen Johnson punctuated by much laughter and applause, five panels stimulated impassioned discussion of ethics and professionalism in book reviewing, using blogs to advance social and political causes, and success stories about writing and marketing blogs. The gathering offered no definitive answers for perennial questions as whether or not bloggers can fill the gap left by shrinking print publications that review books. But several bloggers observed that their cause was advanced by having been admitted to BookExpo with a media pass equivalent to that for print media.
The issue of publishers downplaying or obscuring African-American and lesbian and gay content in their books drew some outrage and calls to action, but otherwise there was little disagreement or controversy. Primarily, the atmosphere was one of intense excitement at the chance for bloggers to meet face to face, often for the first time after several years of reading and posting to each other’s blogs, or communicating via Twitter. In fact, that was the original inspiration and overriding mission of the conference, according to Natasha Maw (Maw Books Blog), who organized the event with fellow bloggers Trish Collins (Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin’?), Amy Reads (My Friend Amy) and Rebecca Schinsky (The Book Lady’s Blog). “Our idea was to start small, with a social event, but there was so much excitement, it just kept growing,” she said.
By: Charlotte Abbott - Reprinted with permission of Publishers Weekly.
A swarm of book bloggers converged on Javits Center in their first convention last Friday, which drew 250 people to a day-long lineup of speakers and panels following Book Expo America. The presence of online marketing specialists from most of the major houses – and sponsorships by HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Hachette and the Crown Publishing Group, as well as smaller publishers like Peachtree and Unbridled Books - showed the industry’s embrace of the bloggers, most of whom are unpaid enthusiasts who revel in spreading the word about books they love. “The best people in the industry are getting to know the best bloggers,” declared Ron Hogan, former director of online marketing strategy at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
After an energetic keynote by young adult author Maureen Johnson punctuated by much laughter and applause, five panels stimulated impassioned discussion of ethics and professionalism in book reviewing, using blogs to advance social and political causes, and success stories about writing and marketing blogs. The gathering offered no definitive answers for perennial questions as whether or not bloggers can fill the gap left by shrinking print publications that review books. But several bloggers observed that their cause was advanced by having been admitted to BookExpo with a media pass equivalent to that for print media.
The issue of publishers downplaying or obscuring African-American and lesbian and gay content in their books drew some outrage and calls to action, but otherwise there was little disagreement or controversy. Primarily, the atmosphere was one of intense excitement at the chance for bloggers to meet face to face, often for the first time after several years of reading and posting to each other’s blogs, or communicating via Twitter. In fact, that was the original inspiration and overriding mission of the conference, according to Natasha Maw (Maw Books Blog), who organized the event with fellow bloggers Trish Collins (Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin’?), Amy Reads (My Friend Amy) and Rebecca Schinsky (The Book Lady’s Blog). “Our idea was to start small, with a social event, but there was so much excitement, it just kept growing,” she said.
BookExpo America 2010: 21,919 'Verified' Attendees at This Year's Event
BookExpo America 2010: 21,919 'Verified' Attendees at This Year's Event
By: Jim Milliot - Reprinted with permission of Publisher's Weekly
Explaining that it has a new way a measuring participants at the show, BookExpo America executives reported that total attendance at this year’s event was 21,919. The “verified” figure includes all those who attended BEA; in the past BEA had verified attendees, but not exhibitors. In 2010 the number of verified exhibitors was 8,047 and the number of attendees was 13,872. In previous years, total attendance was gauged using the number of registered exhibitors plus a verified count of attendees. In 2009 that figure was 29,923 compared to 27,211 in 2010, a decline BEA said was due to the shortened show.
Participants in the attendee group this year include book buyers (including librarians), press, licensing and rights professionals, non-editorial media, authors, film and TV production personnel. Given the way the show has evolved to include more than publishers selling their fall books to booksellers, spokesperson Roger Bilheimer said BEA will not be breaking out the book buyer numbers as it has in the past. “We feel it is an outdated standard of measurement,” Bilheimer said, emphasizing that people now use the show in a number of ways to leverage their content.
“Moving forward, I think it is in the best interest of everyone who participates in BEA to have an attendance number that accurately reflects the activity at the show,” said Steven Rosato, show manager for BEA in a statement. “Of course, we do realize that this makes it difficult to compare this year’s show with previous years, but this would have been the case under any circumstance since this year’s show was a day shorter. For instance, we were tracking ahead of last year until our final day when we suddenly had to make up for the shortfall of not having a third day to count attendance. That said, next year we will continue to release an overall ‘verified’ attendance number and this will be our new standard of measurement for the future.” The 2011 show will also return to a three day event.
By: Jim Milliot - Reprinted with permission of Publisher's Weekly
Explaining that it has a new way a measuring participants at the show, BookExpo America executives reported that total attendance at this year’s event was 21,919. The “verified” figure includes all those who attended BEA; in the past BEA had verified attendees, but not exhibitors. In 2010 the number of verified exhibitors was 8,047 and the number of attendees was 13,872. In previous years, total attendance was gauged using the number of registered exhibitors plus a verified count of attendees. In 2009 that figure was 29,923 compared to 27,211 in 2010, a decline BEA said was due to the shortened show.
Participants in the attendee group this year include book buyers (including librarians), press, licensing and rights professionals, non-editorial media, authors, film and TV production personnel. Given the way the show has evolved to include more than publishers selling their fall books to booksellers, spokesperson Roger Bilheimer said BEA will not be breaking out the book buyer numbers as it has in the past. “We feel it is an outdated standard of measurement,” Bilheimer said, emphasizing that people now use the show in a number of ways to leverage their content.
“Moving forward, I think it is in the best interest of everyone who participates in BEA to have an attendance number that accurately reflects the activity at the show,” said Steven Rosato, show manager for BEA in a statement. “Of course, we do realize that this makes it difficult to compare this year’s show with previous years, but this would have been the case under any circumstance since this year’s show was a day shorter. For instance, we were tracking ahead of last year until our final day when we suddenly had to make up for the shortfall of not having a third day to count attendance. That said, next year we will continue to release an overall ‘verified’ attendance number and this will be our new standard of measurement for the future.” The 2011 show will also return to a three day event.
Leads From Linda - Writing Contests
This site offers information about writing contests.
http://www.writers-editors.com/Writers/Contests/contests.htm
Leads from Linda is written by Linda F. Radke of Five Star Publications. Please visit Five Star to learn more about their services for authors, plus view all the wonderful books they have for sale.
http://www.writers-editors.com/Writers/Contests/contests.htm
Leads from Linda is written by Linda F. Radke of Five Star Publications. Please visit Five Star to learn more about their services for authors, plus view all the wonderful books they have for sale.
Meeting Deadlines - Part 2
Here's part 2 of Barbara's Ardinger's article on "Meeting Deadlines." Part 1 was posted on Tuesday, June 1.
At the same time, I was also talking to another author about deadlines. He’s a lawyer who took my novel-writing class at a local university three years ago, then hired me to edit his novel—which I love—about angels and demons in Brooklyn. He had deadlines to meet in his legal practice and was putting off work on the novel. I want him to rewrite the last several chapters to a more satisfactory ending, so I send him noodges from time to time. He’s promising me now that he’s going to reset his deadlines.
How do these authors meet deadlines? How do I help them? We start by adapting a technique I learned when I was a secretary to five psychologists: learning by successive approximations. That means you take your best shot at something and get a little bit done. Then you take another best shot and get a little bit more done. You keep pecking at it (to change the metaphor) until you’ve eaten the whole thing. You can’t take one giant bite and finish it. You go at it a bite at a time. As a writer facing a deadline, you write a sentence at a time. Two sentences. Three. A paragraph. Two paragraphs. It’s not a new concept, of course. There’s a wonderful, hilarious movie, What About Bob? (1991), starring Richard Dreyfus and Bill Murray, that illustrates the process of learning by successive approximations: they call it taking baby steps. And of course the twelve-step programs tell us to take it one day or one step at a time. It also helps if you have a daily planner and write a goal—one paragraph, one chapter—to meet every day. Or you do what my author did an set preliminary (self-imposed) deadlines that impel you step by step toward the big deadline. That’s how you finish your book in time to drive across three states to deliver it to the publisher at eight o’clock on a Monday morning. (My author did it! I was glad to hear that she took someone with her to keep her awake on the freeways.)
And me? I edit one sentence at a time. Sometimes one word, one misplaced (or missing) comma, one well-turned phrase, one misused semicolon or cliché at a time. And when I have a deadline of my own—hey, is this blog late??—I also do it one step at a time. My first step is composing the first couple paragraphs in my head in the middle of the night and remembering my golden words long enough to get to my computer and get them out through my fingers. At which time I see that they’re merely brass. I rewrite them. Edit my own work. Rewrite a lot. (Which is what I’m doing right now.) So far, I have never missed a deadline.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Meeting Deadlines - Part 1
Here's another great article by Barbara Ardinger, freelance editor. If you're looking for somebody to edit your book, please consider Barbara. She does a fantastic job and she's a lot of fun to work with (and professional too!) Visit her website to learn more: Barbaraardinger.com
Part 2 will be posted on Thursday.
Meeting Deadlines
I sold my life to one of my authors a couple weeks ago. She had a deadline, and it was my job to help her meet it: she had to deliver a hard copy and a CD of her book to her publisher on Monday, May 17. Like nearly all of my authors, she’s really smart, but she’s not a good writer. In fact, toward the end, she was copying her old PowerPoint presentations into the book and turning her bulleted lists into paragraphs and charts. Her topic was a good one—no matter whether it’s our personal or professional life, it’s our relationships with our family, friends, and colleagues that make our worlds work. I don’t remember if she used the word “networking” in her book, but that’s what I learned thirty years ago when I was a member of women’s networking groups and met people who are friends to this day. In her book, my author gives guidelines for establishing, building, and nourishing relationships that will lead to success.
I develop relationships with nearly all of my authors, so when this author asked me to be available to her that week, I said, “Sure. You’ll get top priority.” She’s on the east coast and I’m on the west coast. I checked my email more often than usual, and she sent chapters as soon as she finished them. If I was working on another project, I clocked out of that one and clocked in to this author’s. (My timesheets always show when I begin and end work on any given day on any given book I’m editing.) A couple nights that week, I didn’t turn my computer off until nearly eight o’clock … which was eleven o’clock for her. That’s proof that authors work hard.
What did we do to meet her deadline? First, she set a self-imposed deadline. She told me she was planning to leave her home at two o’clock Monday morning and drive up the coast with her manuscript and CD to arrive at the publisher’s front door at the start of business. During the week, facing her self-imposed deadline, she emailed chapters, parts of chapters, and front matter and back matter to me. For a couple days, the same chapters went back and forth several times as I edited and she rewrote and I edited again. Since I know something about her topic, I asked questions, made suggestions, and added sentences that clarified her examples. This was in addition to making sure her subjects agreed with her verbs, her introductory clauses and phrases agreed with the subjects of the sentences, her punctuation was correct, and her paragraphs and ideas flowed logically from one to the next.
Stop by Thursday for the rest of this helpful article!
Win A Book! - June Contest
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)