Old Things

Have you ever walked through a swapmeet or yard sale and noticed things from way back when, or other unidentifiable objects that are obviously not from your time?

Recently, I've noticed quite a few old things cross my path lately. For one, an old coffee maker, which - get this - has no buttons! This amused me to no end, and still does. I've no idea how old it actually is, I'm guessing it may be a 1960-80 model, but it still works quite well. I couldn't figure out how to make it work, but I've seen it in action. It has a switch on it, and a little mini-clock to set the timer.

Today, I noticed wall clocks, and I realized oddly, that there are a lot of inventions created in the 1900s that we don't really need anymore. Who needs wall clocks to tell the time when we have cell phones constantly at our side with the correct time? The same with digital clocks. It seems every piece of electronic device now has a clock, and I don't remember the last time I had to search around just to find out what time it was.

Rendering clocks, unnecessary.

I was watching my brother shread cheese today as well, and something about that made it seem incredibly old fashioned. Cheese is preshreaded now. We but it in bags, not blocks... well, unless you enjoy slaving away in the kitchen. I almost rendered blocks of cheese unnecessary, then I thought of my favored encheladas and marked that off my list of "Too Old". Shreaders/graters could be made invalid though, as we have all those nifty electronic gadgets to shread and gunk for us. So I added them to the list.

I had a laugh about those old dial-phones earlier with a friend of mine. Here's my post from Facebook - "Oh no, don't start on the old phones! I look at my shiny, touchscreen phone now and can't even begin to comtemplate how slow texting would be on one of them dial things!" Who, in the 1930s, would have thought there would be a such thing as a "Smartphone"?

How about the days when a TV was a TV, no HD (High Definition) or SD (Standard Definition) labling? SD TVs - and the SD movies that rode in with them are on the "Too Old" list.

Cameras that have film in them - like the kind my grandmother still uses (how amazed she must have been when she found out it was a waterproof camera!) - has also been added to my list. We use digital cameras now...

What's next? I'm quite eager to get rid of snail mail. The world isn't quite ready for that yet, but we recieve all our letters from family and friends, our bills, everything really, via email - for free nonetheless. I'll be happy to get rid of this form of communication from the castle ages. Get rid of the USPS blue boxes on the street corners. It's weird.

No books in print. This does bring a touch of sadness to me. But this is something that definitely will happen, and is fast approaching. It is in the interest to the environment - and saves on the bookshelf space issues as well. eReaders are here, and they're not leaving, the creation from B.C. is - print books.

What is ready to go now?

What can't you wait to see go extinct in the future?

Meet Tom Grace!

Meet Tom Grace the wonderful author of the bestselling novel Bird of Prey along with many other novels including his most recent release The Secret Cardinal. I got the chance of interviewing Tom, and during the process I was convinced that he was some type of super-human author, but when he said he liked to write in silence, I realized he was indeed human. Anyways, here are the results -

Heather: To start off, tell us a little bit about your background:

Tom: I was born and raised in Michigan, where I reside with my wife and five children. Professionally, I am an architect in private practice, and the focus of most of my work has been high technology research facilities. I have run in several marathons and enjoy scuba diving and the martial arts. As a child, my primary forms of entertainment were reading and drawings, and to have woven these interests into a profession is something that continues to amaze me.

Heather: How long have you been writing?

Tom: I've been writing for fun since I was a teenager. I wrote for and was an editor on my high school yearbook and newspaper. In college, I focussed on architecture but received a nudge from a professor who was so impressed with a paper I'd written in grad school that he said I could have a career in architectural writing if I wanted it. That planted the seed in my head that I could actually get paid to write.

Heather: What started you writing for publication?

Tom: Its second nature for an architect to think of a project as an activity that lasts months or years, so I'm very long-term goal oriented. When planing out the things I wanted to accomplish in life, I listed "Write a novel" just to see if I could hold a coherent thought in something longer than a term paper. The opportunity to take on this goal arose in the early 1990s when, over a year's worth of lunch hours, I wrote the first draft of debut thriller Spyder Web. In writing that 300,000 word slab of prose, I discovered that writing thrillers is very entertaining. At this point, I was still writing for my own amusement and few people knew about this hobby of mine. After a few major edits, one of which involved a sex change for a major character, I let my father and brothers read that version of the book. The response I received was: "I've paid money for books worse than this," which is high praise in my family. That's what got me thinking that perhaps I could get my book published. I sold Spyder Web in 1997 and have been writing professionally ever since.

Heather: Do you have a set time when you write, or just whenever you get the urge?

Tom: I primarily write at night, and with my children's activities becoming more complicated, that pushes late into the night. I still noodle out ideas at lunch and whenever I can spare a few moments on the computer.

Heather: Who is your favorite author?

Tom: Mark Twain holds a special place in my library, if I have to pick one. There are many authors whose skill with the language I greatly admire.

Heather: Have you ever had writer's block, and if so how do you get rid of it?

Tom: I don't believe in writer's block. I never get it. My problem is turning it off.

Heather: What do you recommend to aspiring authors?

Tom: I have one college level english course in my background. What I know about crafting a story, I learned from the masters. I heartily recommend that any aspiring writer read everything they can get their hands on. Some writers are great with dialog, others with setting or mood. In my own mind, I'd read enough thrillers that my brain reached critical mass and I believed I could actually write a novel. Had I know it would be so much fun, I would have started sooner.

Heather: How do you invent your characters?

Tom: When creating the plot, I begin to see what types of people I need to make the story work. I base my characters on experience--people I know or aspects of characters I've encountered in other books.

Heather: I know a few authors who keep records (almost like police records) of height, weight, background, etc., of their characters, do you keep tabs on your characters, and if so, what do you usually make note of?

Tom: I do keep cheat sheets on my characters, just to keep the details straight in my head. It's embarrassing to have your copy editor remark that so-and-so was a blond in chapter 2 and a red-head in chapter 38.

Heather: Some authors say that they feel as though his or her characters are real, do you feel this way, and what do you think about this?

Tom: The hero and heroine of my novels are based on my wife and me, so there is some level of reality at work here. Thriller writers often project something of themselves onto their protagonists, and I admit to a bit of Walter Mitty syndrome. My characters don't tell me things, but I know them well enough that I can tell when a bit of dialog or an action seems out of character for them.

Heather: Do you have anything in the works?

Tom: I'm working on a few ideas.

Heather: What would you say is the neatest thing you know?

Tom: That when children are born, they look all gray and lifeless, but then they take those first breaths and their skin glows with life. I've seen this happen five times and it just amazes me.

Heather: What was your favorite part about writing your book?

Tom: Seeing how different the finished story is from the original concept. I love the happy accidents, those little nuances you discover along the way that make the story better than you imagined.

Heather: Has music ever inspired your writing?

Tom: I wouldn't say inspired, but I do listed to music when I'm writing. Always instrumental, because I can't have words flying around when I'm writing. The soundtrack to Henry V was very motivating in writing The Secret Cardinal.

Heather: Do you like to write in complete silence or does it have to be noisy?

Tom: I prefer the quiet when I'm writing. I can have noise when I'm plotting or storyboarding, but I need the quiet for prose.

Heather: What made you put your characters in the setting that you did?

Tom: The story determines where my characters end up. My last book, The Secret Cardinal deals with the real conflict between China and the Vatican, so my characters spend a lot of time in China and Rome.

Heather: Keyboard or pen?

Tom: Both. I sketch scenes and write notes longhand (legal pads and sketch books). My manuscripts are all on my computer.

Heather: What do you think is the hardest part about being an author?

Tom: Getting paid. Budgeting is very tricky if you don't know when a paycheck will. Or if a paycheck won't come. I've been fortunate to have sold foreign rights to all of my novels. It's not a lot of money, but neat to see my books in Bulgarian or Spanish. About 16 months after El Cardenal (the Spanish edition of The Secret Cardinal) was published I received an email from a reader looking for a Spanish language version of my book. I did a quick Google search to find a link for the guy and discovered the El Cardenal was on AP's best seller list for Venezuela and Uruguay. I did a little more digging and learned that my novel had been #1 in Venezuela for over 70 weeks and had been in Uruguay's top ten for 16 weeks. A few weeks ago, El Cardenal hit it's 100th week in Venezuela's top ten, and I have not received a dime in royalties. Venezuela is notorious for book piracy and it appears that my novel was bootlegged early on and even exported to other Latin American countries. On the plus side, thanks to AP's reports, I can officially say that I am an international #1 best selling author.

Heather: What do you usually do while writing?

Tom: I write, research, and storyboard. It's an iterative process. My first draft is nothing but keystrokes with no editing or spell check. I try to get this fleshed out quickly to keep the pace of the story moving. It's in the second a third passes that I take the rough diamond and polish it into a gem.

Heather: What were the circumstances surrounding your decisions to become an author?

Tom: Opportunity met desire. I knew that I wanted to write a book someday when I had the time, and the time suddenly appeared.

Heather: Some people say that you need to live life before you write a book, do you think that its experience that writes a book or imagination?

Tom: Experience is nice, and imagination is absolutely critical. I don't write what I know, but what I can research, so I get some of my experience vicariously from people who've actually done what I'm writing about. I do try to see the locale I use in my books, and actually managed to reach the North Pole as part of a science team while doing research for my third novel (Twisted Web). Don't let a lack of experience deter you from a great story idea, just go out and talk to the people who do what you want to write about. Most people are thrilled to talk about what they do. I once communicated with the Russian flight controllers who deorbitted the Mir space station, which was very helpful is writing Bird of Prey. Research is experience.


I like the colors of: dawn.
The sky is most beautiful when it's: summer.
My favorite feature of a computer is: speed.
Thing I love most in the world is: lasagna.
Thing I hate most in the world is: asparagus.
My favorite type of electronic device is: massager
My favorite thing that has been available before the year 1900: telescope.
My favorite thing that has been available since the year 1960: internet.
The oddest thing you have ever written on (hand, wall, etc.) is: eggshell.

If you would like to learn more about Tom Grace you can drop by his website - http://www.tomgrace.net

Meet R.L.Sloan!

Meet R.L.Sloan the blissful author of Embellish, a delightly fantasy novel about a young girl with a gloomy past and a future full of vampires, voodoo, and passion.

I was lucky enough to catch R.L. for a moment to get a quick interview with her, and here's what came of it -

Heather: To start off, tell us a little bit about your background:

R.L.: Hello, I'm R. L. Sloan, author of the paranormal vampire romance novel Embellish. I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor, Anger Resolution therapist, a wife, a mom, and Oatmeal and Raisin cookie monster.

Heather: How long have you been writing?

R.L.: I've been off and on over the years writing skits. Within the last year, I recently sat down and committed myself to finishing Embellish.

Heather: what started you writing for publication?

R.L.: As humans, we are usually motivated after there is some life altering event in our lives. That life altering event for me was the passing of my father. So I decided to find something that would keep me busy and focused. I was able to complete my novel, and I feel that it would have been something my dad would have been proud of.

Heather: Do you have a set time when you write, or just whenever you get the urge?

R.L.:Whenever the urge hits me, I will sit down and write. If that urge hits me when I'm away from my computer, I have a handy little purse-sized notebook to jot down thoughts as I go through the day.

Heather: Who is your favorite author?

R.L.: One of my favorite authors is P. C. Cast. I like the way she keeps all of her characters real. It makes you think you actually know someone like them.

Heather: Have you ever had writer's block, and if so how do you get rid of it?

R.L.: I have experienced writers block, but luckily it has never lasted over a week. When this happens, I try to give myself some kind of adventure or experience that would shake me up, like riding a roller coaster, meditating, or exercising, or watching a program in a foreign language and imagining what the characters are saying.

Heather: What do you recommend to aspiring authors?

R.L.: I would recommend to aspiring authors to live their life to the fullest and write about any and everything that they can, good or bad.

Heather: How do you invent your characters?

R.L.: I invent characters that are the opposite of what people expect for them to be. In other words, if a character is good then he or she will be good in everything they do or say. If the character is bad, he or she will be bad or evil to the extreme without remorse. For good characters, I try to give them characteristics that would make them worthy of Heaven. For bad characters I give them traits or actions that would send them straight to Hell.

Heather: I know a few authors who keep records (almost like police records) of height, weight, background, etc. of their characters, do you keep tabs on your cahracters, and if so, what do you usually make note of?

R.L.: I keep mental tabs on my characters yes. The things I usually make note of are their physical and mental health. If they are criminals they usually stick to their criminal elements of their personalities.

Heather: Some authors say that they feel as though his or her characters are real, do you feel this way, and what do you think about this?

R.L.: Indeed I do feel my characters are real. In fact, before I sit down to write I will tell my husband, "Well honey, it's time to go and visit with Solis and Nacio (Heroine and Vampire in Embellish) or with the Treemounts (villains). Once I have a "mental visit" with them, then I'm able to continue writing the story.

Heather: Do you have anything in the works?

R.L: I'm currently working on Embellish II: Justice Served. This story picks up right where readers left off. People that have read Embellish keep prompting me to hurry up and finish. They want to read the galley copy when it's ready.
A portion of Embellish was done as a stage production and it was awesome. Several actors enjoyed portraying the characters on stage.

Heather: What would you say is the neatest thing you know?

R.L.: The neatest thing I know is that when you fall down, the only way you can go is up. When you know this, it helps you stay focused and keep your eye on what's important.

Heather: What was your favorite part about writing your book?

R.L: The favorite part of writing Embellish was giving the readers twists and turns in a plot that they totally did not expect. I also enjoyed creating characters that were diverse, had accents, and each had some special aspect to bring to the text.

Heather: Has music ever inspired your writing?

R.L.: Yes indeed! Music has inspired my writing! I am a HUGE Smooth Jazz fan. I love Boney James (Jazz Saxophonist). During book signings my theme music is his song "The Total Experience". If I ever get a chance to meet him, I want him to play it for me at a book signing, so if you know him tell him I said whenever he can get to San Antonio, Texas I'll be the first in line with that request.

Heather: Do you like to write in complete silence or does it have to be noisy?

R.L.: I can write anywhere as long as no one is asking me questions, "Where are my socks? Have you seen my glasses? What are we eating? Can I go skating? What's wrong with your hair? Can you come and pick me up?" That sort of thing.

Heather: What made you put your characters in the setting that you did?

R.L.: I put my characters in San Antonio, Texas because it is truly a romantic city. Anyone can fall in love or have an intimate moment along the San Antonio Riverwalk. The city truly holds a lot of our country's history, and for those that have come here, they know exactly what I mean.

Heather: Keyboard or pen?

R.L.: I absolutely have to have a keyboard. There is no way I could write a book with my "Chicken Scrawl" and then expect for someone to decipher it. No way.

Heather: What do you think is the hardest part about being an author?

R.L.: The hardest thing about being an author is not knowing whether or not your fans will like everything you write. It's a chance you have to take as an author.

Heather: What do you usually do while writing?

R.L.: If I'm listening to music when I write and my favorite song is playing I usually break out in a dance during the chorus of the song.

Heather: What were the circumstances surrounding your decisions to become an author?

R.L.: I mentioned earlier, my father passed away, but also I really wanted to see if I could actually write a book. After I accomplished this goal, I looked back and thought "Okay, I realize not everyone can make the commitment to do this." Publishing a novel gives me a whole new respect for authors.

Heather: Some people say that you need to live life before you write a book, do you think that it’s experience that writes a book or imagination?

R.L.: I truly believe experience is the foundation for your imagination to build up on for you to write a book. I know it works like that for me.

I like the colors of: Diamonds
The sky is most beautiful when it’s: Dark
My favorite feature of a computer is: Shift
I think inventors should invent a/an: Robot
Thing I love most in the world is: Freedom
Things I hate most in the world is: Racism
My favorite type of electronic device is: MP3
My favorite thing that has been available before the year 1900: Soap
My favorite thing that has been available since the year 1960: Plumbing
The oddest thing you have ever written on (hand, wall, etc.) is: Leg

If you would like to read more about R.L.Sloan or check out Embellish you can head on over to Amazon.com - http://www.amazon.com/Embellish-R-L-Sloan/dp/1432740334 - R.L. is also on Facebook and Myspace!

Character Wednesday4

Well, after a very long, two weeks without Character Wednesday, it's back again! And today I have a real treat for you. Drum roll please... We are going to be taking a look at Tommy Hanson today! Tommy was a very hard character to write about, there is so much about him that I wanted to write, but couldn't find the space. I mean, he could have very well been the main character in the book. But, anyways, let's move right along now -

Thomas Witton Hanson was born in Molen, Utah. His family was never so rich, his father (Jacob Lawerence Hanson) worked as a plumber, and his mother (Virgina Delia Standfored) waitress at a local restaurant just to keep up with the bills. Tommy had an older sibling, Marc Brian Hanson, he was 12 years old when Tommy was born. When Tommy turned 2 Lily Ann Hanson was born. At the age of 5 Tommy attended a public preschool, Marc drove Tommy to school most of the time on his way to work. Christopher David Hanson, Tommy's new little brother was born.

At the age of 6, Tommy's father managed to get a good job as a Neclear Physist, and as a result they moved to Monroe, Utah. Tommy's mother quit her waitressing job and they sent Tommy to an all boys school. When Tommy turned 7 another sibling was added to the shuffle: Sofia Lee Hanson. By this time Tommy was nearly a pro at caring for his silbings. Most of the time Marc was gone at college, so Tommy was dubbed THE "big brother" and head honcho of the young siblings, he broke up the fights, just as he as seen his mother do, and helped his mother in anyway he could. That year he also became friends with Celia Meyers and they found the tree house in the woods.

Things were on a steady path from there, and continued in routine, Tommy went to school, helped with his siblings, etc. But when Tommy turned 16 his parents began fighting much more than they ever had. By the age of 17 Tommy's parents planned to seperate. Tommy went off to college and that is that.

***

That is what has happened so far. See you next Wednesday!

~Life is like a breeze, some blow harder than others, but all of them eventually fade out.~