My old computer was compromised by some hacker(s) and I finally had to smash it to tiny bits. (And God did that feel good.) Yes, I could have taken it to be cleansed of the viruses and such, but it would have nearly cost me as much as this nice new computer. But now I find all of my favorite links list has vanished. I've lost all my links. Slowly I'm finding the sites, but it's been a bit of a pain.
I'm a lot more careful now as to what emails I open. If I don't know you, your email is deleted. I don't open links in emails except from a very few friends. My new security program lets me know if there is a problem with a Web site before it will let me either enter or not enter the site. I'm going to trust the secruity program and not open those sites. I've created a new email for agents and editors only. No one else will have this email address. All my passwords are no shorter than 15 letters/numbers now. They are not real words, or phrases. Just a jumble of letters and numbers. Shoot, even I had to make a list so I could remember the passwords.
Isn't it sad when we have to go to such lengths to enjoy the Web? And we're supposed to feel sorry for this guy who has hacked Government computers and is blasting our "secrets" to our enemies? And his supporters caused a day or two of problems for Master Card because MC decided not to support him? Oh, yeah. That's a way to our hearts. We need stronger laws and penelties for hackers. It's time they are actually punished for what they are doing. Slaps on the wrists is an insult to those of us who have been victimized.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
Fortune Cookie
My hubby and I went out for Chinese yesterday. Yes, we do this nearly every week, so, why am I writing about yesterday's lunch? When the fortune cookies came I picked up one, then for some reason I set it back down and grabbed the other one. No idea why. Anyway, I cracked it open and popped a piece in my mouth while I withdrew the fortune. Hey! There are two, I said.
The first one said, You will be unusually successful in an enteratinment career.
The second one said, Your present plans are going to succeed within the year.
Usually I get fortunes with proverbs or Chinese saying. Not too many "fortunes."
Now, does that mean I'll finally start to see some success from my writing? LOL And what are my present plans? To finish Fire Dance and start and hopefully finish Visions or Knight Midman Dark. Will I do either? Well, I kinda have to finish Fire Dance. I promised Maria at SBP, I would. And both Visions and Midman are driving me nuts to be written. So, maybe, I'll see the second fortune come true. The first one, I can hope.
The first one said, You will be unusually successful in an enteratinment career.
The second one said, Your present plans are going to succeed within the year.
Usually I get fortunes with proverbs or Chinese saying. Not too many "fortunes."
Now, does that mean I'll finally start to see some success from my writing? LOL And what are my present plans? To finish Fire Dance and start and hopefully finish Visions or Knight Midman Dark. Will I do either? Well, I kinda have to finish Fire Dance. I promised Maria at SBP, I would. And both Visions and Midman are driving me nuts to be written. So, maybe, I'll see the second fortune come true. The first one, I can hope.
Friday, July 16, 2010
In Print Soon
The publisher of my Fugue Macabre trilogy, Sapphire Blue Publishing, is going print. Yes! Fugue Macabre: Ghost Dance, Fugue Macabre: Bone Dance and Fugue Macabre: Fire Dance will be available in print in the near future. To say I'm excited is an understatement.
http://www.sapphirebluepublishing.com/
http://www.sapphirebluepublishing.com/
Friday, July 9, 2010
Good Day
We all have days where we feel less, not as good at something as the next person. I don't usually talk to my husband about such things. He wouldn't understand, I say. But last night I mutttered under my breath to myself. "I'm never going to be a successful writer. Everyone is better than me."
Hubby:
Forget about that person at the workshop, writers' group or the author on the NY Times best selling list. I bet at one time or the other they have told themselves the same thing.
Forget about what the market says. Didn't you say that by the time you write something for the market, the market has changed?
Forget about that editor or agent you dream of working with. Worry about the next word, the next sentence, and that editor and agent will one day read your work.
Now, clear you mind. Relax. Write for the sheer love it it. Write from your heart. Find the joy you discovered when you first started writing. Do your best. If you are happy then you are a success. In my eyes you already are a success.
Okay, by this time I was in tears. Okay, so he quoted all the things I've told other writer friends when they were feeling down on themselves. The point is he's been listening!
I'm a damned lucky woman.
Hubby:
Forget about that person at the workshop, writers' group or the author on the NY Times best selling list. I bet at one time or the other they have told themselves the same thing.
Forget about what the market says. Didn't you say that by the time you write something for the market, the market has changed?
Forget about that editor or agent you dream of working with. Worry about the next word, the next sentence, and that editor and agent will one day read your work.
Now, clear you mind. Relax. Write for the sheer love it it. Write from your heart. Find the joy you discovered when you first started writing. Do your best. If you are happy then you are a success. In my eyes you already are a success.
Okay, by this time I was in tears. Okay, so he quoted all the things I've told other writer friends when they were feeling down on themselves. The point is he's been listening!
I'm a damned lucky woman.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Judges Needed
EPIC's competitions are gearing up for judging and it's time to sign up if you wish to take part. I tend to support contests I enter with judging. If you have the interest and the time, please consider doing so as well.
Who is eligible to judge?
eBook Awards-
Published Authors (at least contracted with their first book)
Editors
Publishers
Agents
New Voices will additionally take-
Librarians
Teachers
No offense meant to readers and reviewers, but these are peer judged/professional ly judged awards.
When is judging?
First round judging for eBooks would start by August 15th and end 5 or 6 weeks later. Final round judging (if you choose to do so) starts in the last two weeks of October and be done before the holidays.
What would I be judging?
EBook Awards gives you the chance to choose divisions (poetry, non-fiction, anthology, children's/YA, genre fiction, romance, erotic romance, and erotica) of judging but not individual categories. If you don't want to handle erotic content or GLBT, we will make every effort to avoid it for you. If you like romance, but will be entering the contemp romance and historical romance categories, just note that. All entries are sent to judges as unsecured PDF.
The New Voices Young Writers Competition covers only middle and high school entrants, and their word limit is very short. The longest entries in that contest will be no more than 2000 words long and covers poetry, essay, and fiction stories for each age level division. Entries are typically sent to judges as DOC or RTF.
We do our absolute best to give you the divisions you ask for in both contests, but we may ask you to judge elsewhere, if necessary.
Are there limits on judging?
We prefer a minimum of 5 books/stories judged over the period for the eBook Awards and 3 pieces for the New Voices Award. Both contests are set to a maximum no more than 25 books/stories/ poems per judge. (Believe it or not, we have people ask for more.) You choose the number you are willing to judge.
Will I own the books I judge?
Our agreement with the entrants is that judges will delete the eBook after judging, but you still get free reads and the chance to discover new-to-you authors.
How do I get in on this great opportunity?
Sign up to judge the contest/s at http://bit.ly/ JudgesApplicatio n
Who is eligible to judge?
eBook Awards-
Published Authors (at least contracted with their first book)
Editors
Publishers
Agents
New Voices will additionally take-
Librarians
Teachers
No offense meant to readers and reviewers, but these are peer judged/professional ly judged awards.
When is judging?
First round judging for eBooks would start by August 15th and end 5 or 6 weeks later. Final round judging (if you choose to do so) starts in the last two weeks of October and be done before the holidays.
What would I be judging?
EBook Awards gives you the chance to choose divisions (poetry, non-fiction, anthology, children's/YA, genre fiction, romance, erotic romance, and erotica) of judging but not individual categories. If you don't want to handle erotic content or GLBT, we will make every effort to avoid it for you. If you like romance, but will be entering the contemp romance and historical romance categories, just note that. All entries are sent to judges as unsecured PDF.
The New Voices Young Writers Competition covers only middle and high school entrants, and their word limit is very short. The longest entries in that contest will be no more than 2000 words long and covers poetry, essay, and fiction stories for each age level division. Entries are typically sent to judges as DOC or RTF.
We do our absolute best to give you the divisions you ask for in both contests, but we may ask you to judge elsewhere, if necessary.
Are there limits on judging?
We prefer a minimum of 5 books/stories judged over the period for the eBook Awards and 3 pieces for the New Voices Award. Both contests are set to a maximum no more than 25 books/stories/ poems per judge. (Believe it or not, we have people ask for more.) You choose the number you are willing to judge.
Will I own the books I judge?
Our agreement with the entrants is that judges will delete the eBook after judging, but you still get free reads and the chance to discover new-to-you authors.
How do I get in on this great opportunity?
Sign up to judge the contest/s at http://bit.ly/ JudgesApplicatio n
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
EPIC Awards 2011
Did you release a book in eBook formats between June 1, 2009 and May 30,
2010? Want to know how to enter the longest-standing and most-inclusive
eBook contest around? Have questions about the rules that aren't covered by
the FAQ? Want to see what has changed this year? It's all in one convenient
place!
A Q&A period about entering the EPIC eBook Competition (formerly called
EPPIE) will be held on the eWorkshop group from June 29th through July 10th,
2010. The sessions will be hosted by members of the competition committee.
Everyone is welcome (member and not). Just sign onto the list at this
link
before
the Q&A period starts.
The contest will be open for entries from July 15th-August 15th this year,
so start thinking about what you want to enter, and may we all have a
prosperous year.
Permission to pass this message along granted.
2010? Want to know how to enter the longest-standing and most-inclusive
eBook contest around? Have questions about the rules that aren't covered by
the FAQ? Want to see what has changed this year? It's all in one convenient
place!
A Q&A period about entering the EPIC eBook Competition (formerly called
EPPIE) will be held on the eWorkshop group from June 29th through July 10th,
2010. The sessions will be hosted by members of the competition committee.
Everyone is welcome (member and not). Just sign onto the list at this
link
before
the Q&A period starts.
The contest will be open for entries from July 15th-August 15th this year,
so start thinking about what you want to enter, and may we all have a
prosperous year.
Permission to pass this message along granted.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Say what?
My horoscope says: The movie 'City of Angels' posits a whole legion of angels surrounding us at all times, right there by our sides every time a difficult or taxing situation comes up. They (invisibly) hold our hands, (silently) offer us words of comfort and help us make decisions that would be too tough for us to handle alone. Don't be too surprised if you feel the tingly presence of a benevolent guardian today.
I don't believe in horoscopes, but I found this one a bit funny. That benevolent guardian is probably trying to cover my mouth with his/her hand. My moods haven't been light and airy lately. I've been cursing BP for over 40 days and nights, I'm been cursing the muse longer than that. Even my doc says I need to calm down or else. What else what, I'm not sure.
But I've deicided I can't do a thing about the oil spill, so I'm giving it over to those who can and praying a lot. If the muse wants to run away from me, bye bye, I can write without her. The doc can go on with his business, I'll calm down as quickly as I can.
Now if the dang heat would let up, I'd be good to go.
I don't believe in horoscopes, but I found this one a bit funny. That benevolent guardian is probably trying to cover my mouth with his/her hand. My moods haven't been light and airy lately. I've been cursing BP for over 40 days and nights, I'm been cursing the muse longer than that. Even my doc says I need to calm down or else. What else what, I'm not sure.
But I've deicided I can't do a thing about the oil spill, so I'm giving it over to those who can and praying a lot. If the muse wants to run away from me, bye bye, I can write without her. The doc can go on with his business, I'll calm down as quickly as I can.
Now if the dang heat would let up, I'd be good to go.
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