It’s often the small moments that make the most surprising impact. A graduation or a wedding, the birth of a child…all these moments are huge and you expect them to create huge emotions.
But sometimes a small thing can generate feelings out of proportion with its apparent importance. Such a moment came to me today, and although I was expecting it due to a conversation with my co-writer, it was no less sweet.
I go to the page titled “Meet Our Authors” at Venus Press, and there I am. And about two inches above me is Piers Anthony.
It takes an awful lot to make me quote Ashton Kutcher, but still…
“DUDE! That is sweeeeeeeet!”
Friday, June 30, 2006
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Who Wants To Dance?
Alessia and I got news on Monday evening that Amichu, the next adventure in the lives of Bruce and Mandy, was selected by Phaze to be a part of their upcoming Samba line of HeatSheets.
The Samba line is a series of affordable novellas tied together by being set in South America. Alessia and I really wanted to be part of this line, but at first we were coming up empty on what to do with it. When the idea of Easter Island and its disputed connections to South American civilizations came up, our block evaporated very quickly.
Not only did we come up with what we believe is our best work to date, we also ended up with one of our biggest challenges; keeping it below the 12,000 word limit on the HeatSheet format. If every scene we had originally envisioned been included, this story could have easily reached 20,000 words.
Even just including the words we actually wrote would have put us near 15,000. The editing process was very painful at points, requiring both of us to let go of things we wanted to keep. However, the result is a story that reads like it is half of its actual length, a real page-turner. Action packed in more ways then one; it races to its conclusion.
The storyline introduces two new characters and gives us a glimpse into the past behind the creation of Erotique and the colorful life of its founder, Mandy’s mysterious aunt. It also introduces a new twist to the erotic magic that Bruce and Mandy are beginning to discover running through all of human history. Not only does Amichu give you more of Bruce and Mandy, it sets the scene for many possible adventures to follow.
Amichu will be released towards the end of July and will be available through Phaze.com at the low HeatSheet price of $2.00. I will certainly let you know when it is available for download.
The Samba line is a series of affordable novellas tied together by being set in South America. Alessia and I really wanted to be part of this line, but at first we were coming up empty on what to do with it. When the idea of Easter Island and its disputed connections to South American civilizations came up, our block evaporated very quickly.
Not only did we come up with what we believe is our best work to date, we also ended up with one of our biggest challenges; keeping it below the 12,000 word limit on the HeatSheet format. If every scene we had originally envisioned been included, this story could have easily reached 20,000 words.
Even just including the words we actually wrote would have put us near 15,000. The editing process was very painful at points, requiring both of us to let go of things we wanted to keep. However, the result is a story that reads like it is half of its actual length, a real page-turner. Action packed in more ways then one; it races to its conclusion.
The storyline introduces two new characters and gives us a glimpse into the past behind the creation of Erotique and the colorful life of its founder, Mandy’s mysterious aunt. It also introduces a new twist to the erotic magic that Bruce and Mandy are beginning to discover running through all of human history. Not only does Amichu give you more of Bruce and Mandy, it sets the scene for many possible adventures to follow.
Amichu will be released towards the end of July and will be available through Phaze.com at the low HeatSheet price of $2.00. I will certainly let you know when it is available for download.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Muse Re-Awakened?
So, after a dry spell of way too long, I am finally starting to find something when I sit down at my keyboard again...WORDS!
Since taking on my new day-job, which I am enjoying greatly, I had been pretty dry. However, my non-fiction was still flowing all right, so I did not worry too much. I've gone through this before and always come out the other side intact.
Then Colleen died. All of a sudden I couldn't write anything. Except apologies for not writing and internet posts. It scared me a little...
Sure, it was only like two weeks. But it was the longest time I had gone without writing since I rediscovered my "voice" a few years back. So I started to wonder.
Well, in the last three days I have finished a short piece of about 1800 words and put 1000 words down on another.
Whew!
Since taking on my new day-job, which I am enjoying greatly, I had been pretty dry. However, my non-fiction was still flowing all right, so I did not worry too much. I've gone through this before and always come out the other side intact.
Then Colleen died. All of a sudden I couldn't write anything. Except apologies for not writing and internet posts. It scared me a little...
Sure, it was only like two weeks. But it was the longest time I had gone without writing since I rediscovered my "voice" a few years back. So I started to wonder.
Well, in the last three days I have finished a short piece of about 1800 words and put 1000 words down on another.
Whew!
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
We Must Always Be Vigilant
One of the greatest challenges of a democratic society is to provide for protection against what John Stuart Mill called the "Tyranny of the Majority".
As with free speech, this is most difficult when you are in opposition to the will of the individual or the minority. It is always easy to defend the rights of those with whom you are in agreement. To defend against the enforcement of a position you yourself endorse requires a greater morality then that taught in water cooler discussions, family experience or under the auspices of a religious institution.
Our legally elected President has endorsed the proposal of a constitutional amendment whose ultimate goal is no less then the disengagement of a portion of the population he is charged to protect from the basic rights asserted in the very formation of the nation he now leads.
This nation was formed around the idea of certain unalienable rights. To quote a document with which the President of the United States should be greatly familiar, "Among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
It is the solemn duty of the government of this nation to protect it's citizens against the power and despotism of it's own population. Regardless of the intent or moral stance of the largest portion of the people, to actively pursue the limitation of a section of this countries citizens from their right to pursue happiness in a manner that does not harm the person or livelihood of another citizen is no less than the greatest possible dereliction of duty and can be characterized at worst as treasonous.
To legistate against a single person in a manner to restrict his or her liberty due to a belief that you know better then he what is good, right or moral for him is an affront against the Constitution of this great nation and an encroachment upon the claim which drove us to cast off the yoke of English monarchy. That claim being that we are free men.
It is a betrayal to be elected to the office of the highest single position of power over a nation of free men and then to wilt in the face of public outcry and endorse a limitation of the liberty of the populace with whom you are charged with protecting. Were it but a single person standing against us all, if his claim did no harm to another individual it would be the duty of the President to champion his cause and rally to his defense. Instead, our President has consulted the polls and decided to throw the christians to the lions for the entertainment of the masses.
I will end by once again quoting On Liberty by John Stuart Mill.
"the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinions of others, to do so would be wise, or even right. These are good reasons for remonstrating with him, or reasoning with him, or persuading him, or entreating him, but not for compelling him, or visiting him with any evil, in case he do otherwise. To justify that, the conduct from which it is desired to deter him must be calculated to produce evil to someone else. "
Mr. President, I call upon you to rethink your position and assume the true duties of the office to which you were elected. Show me the truth of your morality.
As with free speech, this is most difficult when you are in opposition to the will of the individual or the minority. It is always easy to defend the rights of those with whom you are in agreement. To defend against the enforcement of a position you yourself endorse requires a greater morality then that taught in water cooler discussions, family experience or under the auspices of a religious institution.
Our legally elected President has endorsed the proposal of a constitutional amendment whose ultimate goal is no less then the disengagement of a portion of the population he is charged to protect from the basic rights asserted in the very formation of the nation he now leads.
This nation was formed around the idea of certain unalienable rights. To quote a document with which the President of the United States should be greatly familiar, "Among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
It is the solemn duty of the government of this nation to protect it's citizens against the power and despotism of it's own population. Regardless of the intent or moral stance of the largest portion of the people, to actively pursue the limitation of a section of this countries citizens from their right to pursue happiness in a manner that does not harm the person or livelihood of another citizen is no less than the greatest possible dereliction of duty and can be characterized at worst as treasonous.
To legistate against a single person in a manner to restrict his or her liberty due to a belief that you know better then he what is good, right or moral for him is an affront against the Constitution of this great nation and an encroachment upon the claim which drove us to cast off the yoke of English monarchy. That claim being that we are free men.
It is a betrayal to be elected to the office of the highest single position of power over a nation of free men and then to wilt in the face of public outcry and endorse a limitation of the liberty of the populace with whom you are charged with protecting. Were it but a single person standing against us all, if his claim did no harm to another individual it would be the duty of the President to champion his cause and rally to his defense. Instead, our President has consulted the polls and decided to throw the christians to the lions for the entertainment of the masses.
I will end by once again quoting On Liberty by John Stuart Mill.
"the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinions of others, to do so would be wise, or even right. These are good reasons for remonstrating with him, or reasoning with him, or persuading him, or entreating him, but not for compelling him, or visiting him with any evil, in case he do otherwise. To justify that, the conduct from which it is desired to deter him must be calculated to produce evil to someone else. "
Mr. President, I call upon you to rethink your position and assume the true duties of the office to which you were elected. Show me the truth of your morality.
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