And, The Lawyers Win!

They usually do. Even when the verdict is for $100,000.00, a sum that was once a princely annual salary. Those six figures are the amount awarded to Vicki Stewart by a jury in the State Court of Hall County, Georgia. Instead of the usual auto accident, business fraud, or divorce case, the award was made in a defamation of character suit, wherein a “friend” sought legal damages against another friend, who just happened to be a best-selling author.

The plaintiff (Stewart) claimed that the former friend/author, Haywood Smith, based a character, Su Su, on her life. Indeed, the plaintiff claimed some 30 similarities between her life, and the “fictional slut” in Smith’s novel, The Red Hat Club. Apparently, the jury agreed, hence the award to Stewart.

A professor of English testified in Smith’s defense, telling the jury that it is common for authors to base characters on real people, citing great writers from the past, including Ernest Hemingway and Flannery O’Connor. While writers should be a bit careful, it is not only common to base fiction on real life, it is impossible to write without it. If a character is a young woman with dark hair and eyes, then any dark haired, dark eyed female reader might identify with that character. (I did, when reading The Last of the Mohicans, but I did not sue James Fennimore Cooper for killing her off. Of course, he was long dead when I read it.)

To build a character, an author must choose characteristics, and the palette of character traits comes from the author’s own experiences with fellow humans. The strong, yet self-sacrificial Venice Dylenski, the main character in Trinity on Tylos, owes some of her stamina to a certain Irene Blackstock Dodd, who had more grace under pressure than most folks. I know, because she was also my mother. When I was writing The Gift Horse, I gave Angie a mane of beautiful auburn hair, and one of my former students, a tall, rather athletic high school junior, had such a mane of hair. Angie's captor, Billie, is former military and ridiculously loyal; so was an authority figure from my own early life, when I was a student at Piedmont College. Now Angie and Billie have other characteristics, drawn from other images in my brain, but these very human characteristics are based upon people, and I do not see how to write fiction without so doing.

One fellow local author, who writes fictional mystery and nonfiction true crime, tells a rather funny story about having written a book, another in her true crime portfolio, but explains that she is waiting for the main player to die before she publishes it. Even though this person is serving life in prison, for the very crimes that are recounted in the manuscript and is presumably guilty of them, this author is so concerned about possible legal action that she has decided to just wait it out.

Sometimes folks have urged me to tackle nonfiction, but thus far I have resisted. Knowing the vindictive nature of folks in northeastern Georgia, coupled with the fact that anyone can sue anyone else over just about anything, has kept me a fiction writer. There is plenty of “inspiration” available, for fiction and for nonfiction, but wth the current crop of lawyers and juries, being any sort of writer is frought with danger. Sadly, the case of The Red Hat Club is one of losers. Stewart and Smith lost their friendship. Smith lost both the award and her own attorney’s fees. There is little doubt that Ms. Stewart, who did not win attorney's fees, will take the six figures she “won” in Hall County and pay off her legal bills, which are estimated to be more than the entire award.

Sometimes a book takes off and garners good royalties, and sometimes it doesn’t. But, lawyers charge by the hour, so they always win.

Biblical Inspiration

When I parked at church, someone said to me, "What is the meaning of that HOMERS on your car?" This is question I hear from time to time, because my license plate reads HOMERS, so I explained why it is a bit of an English teacher joke to drive Homer's Odyssey. Sometimes people chuckle at the explanation, but more often, they are baffled. Perhaps that is because in modern society, even in the south, folks no longer know the old stories.

During our discussion at the Maysville Library, Caine Campbell brought up the subject of the Bible as an influence on southern literature. Georgia's most famous writer of short stories, Flannery O'Connor, is purported to have said that any southern writer has two great disadvantages— a knowledge of the Bible, and a sense of history. As for the Bible, Miss O’ Connor asserts that it is still a great power in the South and that it continues to influence the Southern writers. "For one thing, it conditions him to think in concrete terms, 'we don’t discuss problems, we tell stories'." William Faulkner's title, Absalom, Absalom, is an obvious nod to Biblical themes and names in southern fiction.

The Bible is indeed a great source of inspiration, and by that, I do not necessarily refer to religion. One of my favorite writers, science fiction grand master Robert A. Heinlein, used Biblical phrases or characters for many titles, including Methuselah's Children, I Will Fear No Evil, Stranger in a Strange Land, The Number of the Beast, and Job, A Comedy of Justice. Although most of his work, whether short fiction or novels, stands alone; he did write series fiction, including yarns which feature the character Lazarus Long. A study of Heinlein's work yields many themes, and readers swiftly discern his thorough knowledge of the Bible, yet his work clearly shows that he examined the stories and themes of the Bible without being religious.

Like other writers, especially southern ones, I turned to the Bible for inspiration when I wrote Trinity on Tylos. Apart from the word trinity in the title, I chose an obscure character from the Old Testament, Azareel, as an exotic, yet forceful name for my villain. The key to writing a fascinating story is not creating an engaging protagonist, but in writing a well-motivated villain. In the Bible, Azareel appears in 1 Chronicles 12, as one of the foreign kings who is in diplomatic discussions with the Hebrew king, David. In my novel, he is Captain Azareel aboard his ship, and he is Lord Azareel on the fourth planet in the Tylos star system. Like the namesake character in the Bible, he travels from afar to negotiate for what he needs. My villain is thoughtful and bold leader, unafraid to make hard choices. My knowledge of history, at least the history of story telling, also came into play when I was searching for an appropriate ending for Trinity on Tylos. The last fourth of the novel owes quite a lot to Homer's Odyssey, a favorite tale written almost 3000 years ago.

Inspiration comes from a variety of sources, but as O'Connor stated, the southern writer always has history and the Bible.

Weekend Road Trip

My education began in the northeast Georgia mountains, in Demorest, which is on the old U.S. Highway 441. Mom went there for a couple of years on a basketball scholarship, some sixty years ago, and I followed her to Piedmont College. Each of my undergraduate years began in September, as the temperatures began to cool down, and before long, Mother Nature put on a heck of a good show. When I lived at Piedmont, my 64 Chevy took me to Clarkesville, to shop at Reeves' Hardware and Batson's supermarket, and I loved an occasional treat at the Dairy Queen. Helen is an easy drive from Demorest, as is Tallulah Falls, so I know many of the local roads in northern Habersham and southern Rabun counties.

On Sunday, hubby and I rode up the new 441, a wide four lane with a median, which takes away the curves and grades of the old road, but does provide some panoramic views of the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the trees were displaying a few remaining red leaves, along with yellow and golden brown. Leaf watchers would probably describe it as "just past peak" but it was still a good show. When we reached our destination, Tallulah Gorge, we turned right off the main road, onto a section of old 441, which goes past the old entrance to the private school at Tallulah Falls, where I began my teaching career, to view one of the largest canyons in the eastern United States, two miles long and a thousand feet deep, a magnificent combination of foliage, sheer rock faces, and water moving over falls and rapids. There was only one tourist filled shop open on Sunday, but there were four of them when I taught English at Tallulah Falls School. When we left the Gorge, we rejoined the old road, which is now called "Historic 441," and I remembered the road well because I drove along it daily, from my rental home in Demorest to Tallulah Falls School, some thirty years ago. We passed some businesses, now wrapped in weeds and kudzo vines, which did not survive the loss of tourists after the new road was built, but many of the landmarks I remember are still in place. We came through Clarkesville, with its quaint square, by the Charm House, and while the Adam's Rib Restaurant has a new name, the old DQ is in the same spot. U.S. 441 is now three lanes wide in front of Piedmont College, taking away some of the grassy area I remember, and an elevated crosswalk now links the main campus with buildings and parking across 441. We rejoined the new road just south of Demorest, but once we reached Baldwin, we were able to get back on the old road just south of there, where it is called the "Historic Homer Highway" and it goes right through the county seat of Banks County. Before the old road rejoins the newer one, we turned right to travel to Maysville, noting a big crowd at Sarah's restaurant, and from there, back to our home in Jefferson.

The day turned cloudy as the afternoon waned, but the leaves were still vivid, signaling the change of seasons once more. While the entire road trip only lasted an afternoon, I enjoyed seeing the foothills of mountains once again.

Epitaph, Elegy, and Eulogy

My neighbor loves holidays, and the Halloween decorations have been up for a couple of weeks. There are more tombstones, ghosts and goblins than I can count across the road. My own children are inordinately fond of Halloween, and their favorite way to celebrate is to find a really good "haunted house" or see a movie with a horror theme. They recently asked hubby to order something about zombies from Netflix for this year's celebration.

The tombstones of Halloween are phony, and literature, by definition, is fictional. Still, some of the greatest lines in all of western literature are from eulogies, elegies, and epitaphs.

Of course, a eulogy is the talk given at a funeral, which differs from a funeral sermon, in that it is a remembering rather than a message for the audience. Shakespeare's famous tragedy has Mark Antony eulogizing Caesar with these words, "The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones." In a more humorous vein, George Carlin supposedly said, "I'm always relieved when someone is delivering a eulogy and I realize I'm listening to it." Despite the growing popularity of all hallows eve, most folks do not want to dwell upon death. Indeed one of my husband's friends says, "As long as you are not in the headlines or the obituaries of your local paper, you are doing okay." Hubby heartily agrees. A guy at my church quips, "It is better to be seen than viewed." Most of us feel that way.

The elegy is rare these days, since there are fewer poets, and fewer still who actually have talent. When I was in high school, I was struggling with my homework, and while standing at the counter in her kitchen, my mother proceeded to explicate Thomas Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard." Only after she patiently led me through that poem did I realize the awe inspiring capacity of the educated mind. Mom did not finish college, but she was there to learn, and the knowledge she gained she used. Her explanation, done with no research at all, was superior to what most high school instructors could do. No one wrote an elegy for Irene, but when I remember all she did for me and for countless others, I covet the skill of someone who can write verse.

My parents are buried in one of those modern cemeteries, where the grave markers are so low that a bushhog can travel, unimpeded, across the graves. While efficient, such graveyards lack character. Older cemeteries have stones, large and small, marking the graves with sayings known as epitaphs. My sister enjoys visiting graves of famous and not so famous souls, reading the words of remembrance. Regardless of how the individuals lived their lives, the words used after death are usually flattering. As Thoreau stated, "The rarest quality in an epitaph is truth."

Others have said something similar, but Billy Sunday said, "Live so that when the final summons comes you will leave something more behind you than an epitaph on a tombstone or an obituary in a newspaper."

Old Books = New Treasures

Somewhere along the way I went from being a reader to being a collector. Oh, I still read rather a lot, but much of my pleasure reading is from electronic sources— online articles and news, posts on internet forums, even eBooks downloaded to my aging Palm Tungsten E. But, I still enjoy books, and I especially love prowling used books at some of the vendors in my area. A couple of weeks ago, I took some books that didn't win a spot on my keeper shelf to The Bookstand of Northeast Georgia, which is located at Banks Crossing. This store is bright and looks more like a "new book" retailer; there are no musty smells or books which look like they came from great-grandma's attic. The shelves are well stocked and the merchandising is similar to a chain bookstore, with sections for the Oprah bookclub, and most big name authors have their own section. Indeed, there are plenty of new and very recent items there, including my own books, which are part of the local authors display. I used part of my trade-in credit on books by my current favorite authors, including paperbacks by Christine Feehan and Merline Lovelace. Both of those ladies turn out suspenseful yarns.

On Saturday, while my son was at a martial arts lesson, hubby and I spent an hour perusing titles at The Corner Bookstore in Winder. Located in an historic building on a side street, this large bookstore has a vast inventory. In some ways, it is diametrically opposed to The Bookstand; it is old and while it is fairly neat, the books are jammed together due to excess inventory. There is an isle over 20 feet long devoted to "classics." Organization is far more broad at the Corner Bookstore, with science fiction and fantasy shelved together, and new books will be displayed beside books which are decades old. I found some current titles which I just bought for general reading, but I also scored some wonderful collector items: a hard cover copy of Heinlein's Friday, a paperback Modesty Blaise title, and a copy of the long out of print Shakespeare Alive. For those who are not teachers, that last title is the best book I have seen for teaching about how Shakespeare's England figures into his work, and it is a keeper for any English teacher.

To say that one person's junk is another person's treasure is a cliché, but in a used bookstore, that is certainly true. For less than the price of a really good dinner, I came home with both current reading and some book collector treasure.

Local Authors at the Maysville Public Library

Maysville, Georgia, is a quaint little town, sitting astride a railroad and the Banks County, Jackson County line. I know a few folks there, and I've dined at The Fat Finch and The Burns-Telford House. From time to time, I have traveled through, the town on my way to Homer, Lula, and Commerce, and the Victorian architecture stands out. Like many small towns, it has a library branch, and I am going to join fellow authors Caine Campbell, Jaclyn Weldon White, and Malcolm Campbell at an event there, on Saturday, November 7, at 11:00 in the morning. Our connection, other than living in Jackson County, is that each of us has been reviewed in Living Jackson Magazine, published by Roxane Rose. We are all going to speak a bit about our writing, and we will sell autographed copies of our books. Last year, I met Ms. White at an event in my hometown, and she is a multi-published author. I've known Caine Campbell since we hawked copies of our books at the holiday market in Jefferson, back in '05, and I met Malcolm (no relation) the previous year. They are both highly intelligent and genial fellows, and I look forward to the event.

Please join my fellow authors and me at the Maysville Public Library on the first Saturday in November.

Destinations

Fall is festival time in Georgia, and Hoschton, once again decorated with scarecrows, is welcoming guests this weekend. Since we are experiencing some unusual bouts with rain, I am not sure we'll head out this weekend, but the list of events over in Hoschton looks like fun. There are plenty of things to do in our area, including the corn maze at Jaemor Farms, the upcoming Gold Rush Days in Dahlonega, Oktoberfest in Helen, and the Apple Festival in Ellijay.

We're recently back from a trip to Myrtle Beach, SC. Hubby, Son, and I stayed at the Dunes Village Resort, which is a good place for families with children. This hotel is right on the beach, so we were entertained by beautiful sunrises and sunsets on the water, 30,000 square feet of indoor water park, and the usual attractions of a tourist saturated area.

Last weekend, we traveled a far shorter distance in the opposite direction, to Japanfest, in the Gwinnett Arena. There were many booths, martial arts and folk art presentations, and some interesting food choices. Green tea snowcones, anyone?

A couple of weeks' ago, we were on Peachtree Street, our destination being Atlanta's Shakespeare Tavern, for a play, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged. If you haven't heard of it, TCW is a comedy, performed by three actors, with some audience participation. The four of us laughed a lot, and the intimate nature of the Tavern makes it the perfect place to get involved. While we didn't get called up to the stage, we did get showered with silly string and artificial flowers, which is all part of the fun.

The Commonplace Book

One of my friends, a long time instructor of high school English and an avid reader, has her students replicate an idea from the past, the Commonplace Book. For her class, the assignment is to copy, in longhand, a quote from daily reading that the student wishes to remember, or some brief excerpt which is worthy of further contemplation. As illustrated by the link associated with the title, the keeping of such a book was typical in times past.

My daughter kept her Commonplace Book when assigned to do so, since she was in my friend's class during her high school years, but now that she is a college sophomore, she tells me that she has returned to the practice. Recently, she shared this entry from her notebook— a brief, comedic poem by one of my favorite favorite authors, a skillful poet and a true cynic, Dorothy Parker. Some of the best writing is produced by unhappy people, as a study of Parker's bio reveals. Reading her verse reminds me that times may change, but the nature of humanity does not.

The Leal

The friends I made have slipped and strayed.
And who's the one that cares
A trifling lot and best forgot—
And that's my tale, and theirs.

Then if my friendships break and bend
There's little need to cry
The while I know that every foe
Is faithful till I die.

Friendship

Gotta be very careful here. After all, this is a blog, which means "web log," and it is online. Lest this seem like a diatribe against the internet or any one online community, let me offer some reasons I like the internet. I buy books online, both eBooks and print books. Online, I check the weather, read the news, and I am one of the few folks who still likes email. Well, most of the time, I like email. My classes at my tech school job have an online component, which means I don't have to grade tests, which is a wonderful thing. I found my publishers online, my avenue to follow other authors' careers is mostly online, I even see how much I will or will not be paid online. However, as I spend time online and mostly offline, I see that the internet can and often does screw up relationships. Cases in point: Folks have actually sent some of my posts (some deleted, some still around) as evidence of my wicked character. My daughter has been the victim of cyberstalking by so-called friends, and she continues to have problems with long-distance venom. My son has also been lead astray by an online pal. Certainly, I have seen the dark side of online communications. Recently, the Wall Street Journal published an article entitled "How Facebook Ruins Friendships" and the premise behind it is sound.

Some years ago, I was at a store and someone I know came up and we chatted for about five minutes. My daughter was about ten at the time and she posed the question, "Is that lady your friend?" After we got out of hearing distance, I told her that the lady was an acquaintance. To further illustrate, I mentioned that someone who visits your house or you visit their house, someone you have lunch with, or someone you talk to regularly on the phone would be classified as a "friend;" but that someone I knew from a previous job, such as the lady I had conversed with, would be classified as an "acquaintance."

I have a Facebook account that I seldom use, and when I do access it, my purpose is to view my own children's public pages. Yet, I have "friend" requests from people I could not count as acquaintances, much less friends. To call folks whom I talk to only online as friends is to cheapen the term.

My circle of friends is not large, but they are real people, who call to have lunch, sit with me in church, or send cards when I am having a difficult time in life. I love my friends, for they are quite real.

This post is not to trash online sites, but to remind readers to get off of the computer, get out of the house, and invite a friend to lunch.

For the motherless

Recently, I pulled my copy of Emily Post’s Etiquette off the shelf and thumbed through it. Having grown up in the South, mama taught me quite a few rules and customs covered under the broad topic of etiquette. When I was just entering my teens, Mama helped me with invitations, thank you notes, and even guided me through giving a shower for a cousin. As a young woman, I just picked up the telephone whenever I need a little guidance on good manners, and Irene would tell me what to do and why. Alas, Mama is now just pleasant memories, so there I was, consulting the most recognized authority on manners, via the book. Although I just needed to confirm minor detail about appropriate wedding shower etiquette, afterward, I sat for quite a while, enjoying my perusal of this rather lengthy tome on good behavior.

Now, why would anyone have a whole book on etiquette? How else do you know when to use "esquire"? Or how to address correspondence to a federal judge? Or how much to tip a washroom attendant who does not hand you a towel?

Although each edition of Etiquette covers traditional topics such as correspondence, mealtime manners, table settings, and weddings, this later edition, authored by Peggy Post, includes business matters. No, I will never use all of it, but the modern, casual manner of society sometimes makes me realize that there is some need for protocol and decorum. Really, the book deals with basic courtesy and respect, and those go a long way toward improving human relationships. Mama seemed to know just how to handle the most awkward situations, no doubt through training as well as instinct, but there are times when the rest of us need a little help.

I bought this 16th edition some time ago, but I think the new 17th edition would be a great gift for graduates and/or newly weds, because sometimes mama isn't available to help with wording the invitation, choosing the gift, or other mannerly matters.

Amusing— College students can rent Trinity on Tylos

Yes, the newest thing in college textbooks is Chegg.com, and it is modeled on the wildly popular video rental service, Netflix. Basically, for a quarter or a semester, you can rent a textbook. If you like it, you can pay a bit more and keep it, but if you don't want it, just return it. This is easier than fighting for a used book in the local bookstore, and with college texts being ridiculously expensive, many students should be glad to rent rather than buy books. As a post secondary instructor, I have seen students who thought the HOPE scholarship would pay for books be sorely disappointed. And as the mom of a college student, I've plunked $500 in her account to cover a semester's worth of textbooks.

Now I see that my science fiction thriller is available at Chegg.com for $12.84, and that's a good deal. Unfortunately, I can't see any college instructor listing it as required reading. Or even as a book report option. So, why is it there? I have no idea, and I don't really know why it makes me smile, but it does. I guess I am just amused by the very thought of my book being discussed by a professor of literature.

Terminators

Recently, hubby and I saw the fourth film in the Terminator series, and I was reminded that the original film was more horror than science fiction. We both agree that the second film, a/k/a Judgment Day is the best of the series, and that the third movie was forgettable. So much so, that we did not plan to see Terminator, Salvation, until daughter recommended it. When this action packed, tense, dark dystopia came to a close, I laughed and asked, "Why do all of these futuristic films feature folks in ragged motorcycle clothes?" Really, I do believe the costumers for such films just rob the trash from behind biker bars and make darned sure everything fits skin tight.

That said, the entire Terminator series exemplifies the concept of man vs. machine as it evolves from an attempt to make the world better, resulting in a monumental screw-up. That theme, one of the core themes in science fiction, is known as Utopia/Dystopia. The Mad Max films are dystopias, as are classic science fiction yarns such as Brave New World and 1984. Despite warnings from these more literary authors, as well as lesser known script writers, we still have folks believing that the way to make the world better is to change everything. Of course, that observation is belongs in the realm of social commentary, so I'll leave it to political pundits and get back to Terminator, Salvation.

In the latter, the special effects are top notch, and Christian Bale brings a brooding strength and determination to John Conner that has been lacking in previous films and television iterations of the character. Daughter said that she missed Linda Hamilton, but Hamilton's voice is used to help frame the character, as Bale's John Connor hovers over an old fashioned cassette player, listening to words of maternal wisdom.

Although Star Trek and Terminator fall into the same general genre, that of science fiction, they present opposite views of the future. In Trek, man's future is not without problems, but a certain amount of optimism is in order. In any of the Terminator films, the march toward the future is mostly a downward spiral. However, in each series, conflict abounds, and watching characters solve conflicts is the reason we keep coming back to the theatre, or renting those DVD's.

By Christmas, these futuristic tales will be available in stores or via Netflix, if you missed these summer sci fi films.

Trinity on Tylos available at Barnes and Noble.com

As the title (and link) state, my science fiction adventure, Trinity on Tylos, is now at available at Barnes and Noble online. This is not really "news" in my mind, because BN bought eBook vendor Fictionwise a while back. For the moment, both are still operating independently, but I have noticed that Fictionwise now gets eBook versions of the good stuff early on, and that has to be due to the partnership with BN. Now, a few months after, BN.com customers can purchase eBooks from small presses. My publisher sent out a notice, which is what prompted me to look at the listing. Alas, it is barebones, with no editorial reviews and only one customer rating.

Will an additional outlet increase sales for small presses? I suspect that it won't, especially with minimal information in the listings, but I hope that I am wrong. Many good books are only available via small presses, and I enjoy reading offbeat works, so I have been a good customer at Fictionwise. As FW adds titles from the big six, I don't know if small presses will continue to use it as a sales vehicle.

Regarding sales of my own titles, I have noticed an upward trend for The Gift Horse, via Amazon and via a local retailer. I'm pleased by those sales, of course. I've done absolutely nothing to promote it in quite a while, so such sales are due to product placement and word of mouth.

I'm glad that readers continue to find The Gift Horse an entertaining read. And, I wish more readers would discover Trinity on Tylos, for it, too, deserves an audience.

A Book by the Same Name

Google Alerts let me know that another writer has recently published a book entitled The Gift Horse. When I chose the title, I looked at Amazon and a few online used bookstores to see if the title was in print, and I noted that an autobiography by Hildegard Knef was the only use of the title in works intended for an adult audience, and even that had a subtitle, "A Report on a Life." The book had been in print for more than thirty years and was not fiction, so I decided to keep using it. Since its publication, I have had a few folks ask me if I chose the title because it had been used before, and that wasn't a reason to use it, but a reason to consider changing it. After some consideration, I realized that I really did not want to dump a good idea for a title, yet I certainly did not want to confuse readers, either. As I was pulling the manuscript together for publication, my cover artist suggested that I not picture a carousel horse, because that might make readers think the book was about a horse, or that it was intended for a young audience. The artist suggested the dark green cover, and I do like it, but I don't know if it helps people figure out that I am referring to the old saying, "don't look a gift horse in the mouth."

A couple of years ago, I created a YouTube video, A Brief History of Science Fiction, and that time I did play off Steven Hawking's famous title, A Brief History of Time. This video has served me well, garnering more than 1500 hits. Recently, someone posted a video with the same exact title, and I watched it a couple of times before deciding that mine really is better.

Back to that Google Alert. I had to surf a bit to see that a romance author, Jami Davenport, has used "my" title, The Gift Horse, for adult fiction— a romance. I wish her well with it. I might even read it sometime! When I began writing Angela Donalson's story, I had in mind to write a romance. Alas, it just wasn't in me. While I love and respect my hubby, I know that there are many pitfalls in life, and I threw a whole bunch of them at Angie, plus a few that I hope no one ever face, just to see what would happen. My version of The Gift Horse has plenty of suspense and conflict, but it certainly isn't a romance.

“Imitation is the sincerest flattery” according to Charles Caleb Colton, and rather than be miffed, I've decided to be glad that others thought my titles worthy enough to use them.

Say What?

I'm used to having my words used against me. (You guessed it; I have a family.)

But the link above will take readers of Pam's Pages to something called "Cyberpunk Review" and a blog entry which is based upon my brief review of Elizabeth Bear's Hammered. I enjoyed Hammered, but I am not certain that anyone reading this blog would know that.

The internet can be weird.

Really, really, weird.

Hammered— a quick review

One of the eBooks I purchased recently is a debut novel by Elizabeth Bear. She isn't related to Greg Bear, but I wasn't sure when I chose to put this science fiction action/thriller on my TBR stack. (One doesn't actually stack eBooks, of course.) After I read a couple of mediocre novels by writers who used to be favorites, I turned to Hammered.

At first, it seemed to gritty and urban, the dystopian version of the future which serious science fiction authors all seem to have. But there was enough freshness in the narrative, along with a main character who is former military, approaching fifty, and not without some physical damage. If the protagonist had been young and trying to find herself, I would have bailed, but a realistic and interesting main character was the reason that I stayed with it. All in all, I enjoyed the novel, and I will read the next story in the arc, because I was intrigued and do want to see how Jenny Casey gets through her next set of challenges.

If you like science fiction set on this planet, with overtones of cyberpunk, you should like Hammered. I don't like those things, and I liked it anyway.

Click on the title of this post, or the book title for links to more detailed reviews.

Summer— Time for a Conference

The Harriette Austin Writer's Conference in Athens, Georgia, is a great place to seek information and inspiration, and it is coming up next weekend. I've attended it a couple of times, and I really enjoyed the sessions and speakers. Writers and wannabe writers in the area should put this one at the top of their "to do" list.

A Reflection Upon a Talented Writer

As a bored student in a high school Spanish class, I remember looking at anything and everything other than my classwork and/or my teacher. One day my eyes strayed to a glossy bound library book on a desk in front of me. The cover was standard issue gothic romance, but the title didn’t sound particularly romantic or suspenseful. Still, Michael’s Wife, by Marlys Millhiser, seemed much more interesting than my classes at Jefferson High School. When the bell rang, I asked my friend about it, and she told me enough that I knew I just had to read it. Mom, who was ever encouraging of my reading habit, made sure that I soon had that library book in my hand.

Nowadays, writers must have a great “hook” or a novel doesn’t make it to publication, but in those days, most readers had more patience. However, Millhiser’s debut novel grabbed me from the first pages, and I absolutely loved it. In fact, it was one of the books that I read and re-read during the summer break from school. I think I wore out “copy 1” at the Piedmont Regional Library; but if that first edition hardcover is still there, it is worth hundreds of dollars, and the reader rating at Amazon is a perfect five stars. Millhiser’s second novel, Nella Waits, didn’t do much for me, but I read the library’s copy of her third novel, Willing Hostage several times, until I finally found a paperback copy to purchase. Her next novel, The Mirror, was a bookclub selection, so I purchased a hardcover when it came out. While it is said to be her best known work, I remember it because it was the first time-travel romance that I ever read.

I read a few of Millhiser’s later novels, but none of them held my interest the way those earlier works did. Although I enjoyed The Mirror, the contemporary stories, Michael’s Wife and Willing Hostage, remain my favorites. Of course, the problem with any “modern” story is that times change and many details from the story invariably become out of date. Still, I fondly remember the Siamese cat named Goodyear, and it has been more than thirty years since I first read Willing Hostage. That’s talent.

For any of you who want to check out the gifted Ms. Millhiser, use the links within this entry to visit Fantastic Fiction’s website.

A Grand Guy is Gone

A few years ago, one of my dad's good friends called, wanting some advice about getting a book published. At the time, he was wanting to get it done quickly, because he had lymphoma and the future was uncertain.

Frank Gilbert's Chasing the Wind was the book, and not only did he get it published in a hurry, he gave it away. When we originally talked, he said he might want as many as a hundred copies. Instead, he gave away well over a thousand, and my hubby and I were among those who got an invitation to his book party. The room was filled with memorabilia and there was even film running of one of the civil war reenactments that he had participated in. Once, I was invited to speak at a local civic event, and Frank was as well. His talk, which was about the way that people dealt with WWII in our small town, was heart warming and inspiring. Just like Frank himself was.

The title link takes you to a photo and article in Living Jackson, and I am standing next to Frank in the truck.

One of my good friends let me know that Mr. Frank passed this morning. He was a wonderful man, filled with great stories and good humor.

Many people around here will miss Frank Gilbert.

Trinity on Tylos available at the Palm eBook store

As an eBook fan, and as the owner of a Palm devise, I was doubly pleased when a "Google Alert" let me know that my science fiction novel, Trinity on Tylos is now available at the Palm eBook store. The book is formatted for Palm's eReader software, which is one of the programs I use on my own pda.

Readers of Pam's Pages no doubt realize that this novel has garnered several good reviews from sources as varied as the Midwest Book Review, Living Jackson magazine, and is a Fallen Angels Reviews recommended read, and the novel is still available in print via the internet and at the Bookstand of Northeast Georgia in Commerce.