Mining the To-Read Pile

The Read ...

Actually, went to the to-read pile for a book to read.  I only have four piles ... at last count.  At least I took care of three dust-catchers.  Two landed on the trade-pile after a few pages because I couldn't sink into them.  The other:  Anne Perry's Long Spoon Lane.  Frankly, I can't believe it was sitting there unread.  The Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series has been one of my favorites since the Cater Street Hangman first appeared.

The book was enjoyable and competently written.  Sounds like faint praise, but when there are so many books in the series, that's a great compliment.  I was disappointed that Charlotte wasn't  featured more and that her family was almost absent.  [I like the dynamics in the juxtaposition of social class in late Victorian England.]  Still, Aunt Vespasia, one of my main ladies, got a decent role in this episode.

The book languishing on a to-read pile bothers me a bit.  I've completely missed a couple mass paperback editions somewhere I think.  Problem:  I think the lapses will continue to a greater degree since B&N has reduced their display space in favor of other peripheral merchandise.

Web Stuff ...

Have you noticed the buzz about censorship lately?  Well, lots of good people are speaking out against it.  I've read several blogs, but I think literary agent Janet Reids' "This I believe With All My Heart" blog gives you a good start with its links.  If you missed it, take the time to read it.  I know I'm a little late with the comment ... but reading is a basic right that needs to be monitored constantly.

Personally, I've always had problems with people who think childhood ... life, actually ... should have no problems.  While mine were mostly economic, others have had more shattering personal experiences.  Bottom Line:  I think books should discuss all the problems that life can present for kids ... if only to present possible solutions and examples that it is possible to survive.

Then there's the possibilities of making money blogging.  It's the secret keystone of building a platform -- you want to sell your book ... someday ... somewhere.  There's another way of making money, ProBlogger.  Along with lots of ads and information, they have a job board of people who want articles for blogs.  Didn't notice much for fantasy writers at the few listings I looked at, but if you're into memoir and personal experience -- you might find a source to increase your exposure and get paid too.  [I got the info from an article on "Buy Like Buffett" about three ways to make freelance money on the web.]

For fiction writers, Rachelle Gardner has another excellent blog; this time on selling your work.  While she's emphasizing crafting your pitch, the advise she gives also applies to writing your magnum opus.  If your story-telling doesn't cover the answers ... maybe you should go back to the revising board.

Progress ...

Wasted my writing time last night formatting Dark Solstice for submission to a small e-publisher.

Still, since I'm doing the website thing, I feel compelled to go back and market.  Ugh!  Still have some Word stuff to clean up.  More Ugh!!  

Someday, I may get the next Half-Elven story written.  In the meantime, I blogged about writing short stories.  Need to get in my noodle that the arc of a short story is like the arc in a chapter.  Anyone want to go back to writing one-oh-one with me?

Trivia ...

Time to praise asters, black-eyed susans, and fall crocus.  Without them, there'd be little color in the garden.  On the other hand, the zucchini aren't dead yet. 

Castle is back.  At first it seems like he was giving the team the brush off, but they made up in the end [no surprise since this is a television series, after all] in the process of solving a nicely complicated murder mystery.  Think it's going to be an enjoyable season if they mine the possibilities indicated in the course of the action.  Love still developing characters.