Windows 8 Beckons Like A Siren

About 5 or 6 years ago we made the decision to get rid of all desktops and go to netbooks, laptops, and desktop-replacement notebooks. Some time in the next year we will need to replace at least a few of our larger computers, since they are much-loved, but getting outdated. I have a new netbook, an older one, and a dead one I keep meaning to resurrect. But we’re not rushing off to the stores this holiday season because all experts say Windows 8 will launch some time in mid-2012.

I hate updating older computers. I prefer to buy fresh when the new release comes out. I have to say—if Vista was a disappointment, and Windows 7 was an improvement that wasn’t ENOUGH improvement… 8 and 9 are singing me a siren’s song. I may be getting suckered, but 8 looks pretty impressive. Why?

• The pre-release testing says boot time is BLAZING.
• Windows Defender massively expanded to include Virus and anti-spyware.
• The new interface is ideal for touch-screens.
• 128 bit versions (also for W 9).
• The guys at Endgadget claim they got it to run on a Mac and a PC with 128mb of RAM.
• The Tech Labs report a "Windows to Go" feature, allowing users to boot W8 from a USB device.

Like similar features on Linux based systems, this last feature of Windows 8 (called a Live USB) will also let users put programs, settings and files on the bootable.

“The feature is designed to work with both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0, and on both legacy NIOS and UDFI firmware. However, Microsoft says that a user will not be able to “Hibernate” with this feature." -- TechLabs.com

Windows 8

Sources:

PC Mag 1

PC Mag 2

Microsoft's Preview Page

Windows Tablet News

Endgadget Hacking the OS

It’s Sunday, So Let’s Pick On Direct Publishing

Does anyone remember the Cassie Edwards dipshit-athon of not-really-long-ago? You know… that best selling racist idiot who has been objectifying indigenous people for an entire career, but was never called an asshat until everyone discovered she hadn’t just been writing godawful books… she’d been stealing her material.

I can’t make anything that stupid up. For those who missed it… well, I hope you were in a coma, because there really is no excuse. But here you go:

The SBTB Run-Down

What has this got to do with Direct Publishing? Well, since it’s Sunday somebody must be bitching about bad covers, inept editing, and poor quality in books. My issue is that everyone seems to pretend none of these existed before amazon and smashwords caught fire. This is bullshit. My other issue is that everyone seems to pretend that mistakes were rare in NY, and still are. This is also bullshit. And since it’s Sunday, everyone should mark their calendars, because at some point this week Oprah will be announcing another asshat plagiarized something she pimped. Probably by Wednesday or thereabouts.

Let’s just knock that shit off, shall we? I’ve been a 3 to 5 novel a week reader my entire reading life... or, at least since I began with novels in 3rd grade. Until about five years ago that was 100% paperback… and until two years ago it was entirely New York and the bigger online epubs (Samhain, almost entirely, unless I was buying a friend’s book). So I know what I’m talking about. I read a lot. I kept the big guys in postage stamps and paperclips.

I have not read a New York- big-name published book without finding an error… rarely only one. Covers have been the subject of ridicule for ages, and that was LONG before ANYONE was attempting to create his or her own.

This sudden snark directed at independently-or-direct-published authors is fine… but if we are pretending it is exclusive, we are spouting poop. Please—say no to verbal poop. It spreads germs.

While it may very well be true that a larger number of bad authors are putting out poorly written material via the smashwords grinder or amazon's KDP, they also fall to the bottom of the swamp nearly immediately. And they have the excuse of being people who deserve to be at that mushy marsh place. But the NY Times best sellers list is just as crammed with crap. Yes, it is. James Frey. So shut up. And Cassie... let's not forget Cassie!

Because guess what? That nasty old bag published 100 titles, and ripped off everything from a ferret researcher to The Song of Hiawatha to do it. (No, really, 100 books… and she had no repercussions other than a hissy fit and the pointing and laughing that ensued. Check the title list on Wikipedia: HERE.. Most of them have SAVAGE or something equally racist in the title.)

My point? These books sold millions. They were not just bad—they were racist, incredibly exploitive, and BAD in the baddest possible way bad can be freaking BAD. The covers were bad, the stories were bad, the prose was bad, and the stolen bits were massive slabs of bad info-dumpy badness.

She was published by several New York biggies—ALL New York biggies, in fact, and not a single editor caught her theft. Not a single publisher said “this crap is incredibly offensive.” Nobody twitched for many, many years.

She is not the first romance author or popular Oprah-pimped asshole to be caught. Nobody walks into Barnes and Noble and says “wow… AVON? Not sure about that. Weren’t they the jackasses who put an anorexic model on the Eloisa James book with the plus-sized heroine readers had been waiting to read for ages? Oh, and Signet? Didn’t they publish Cassie Edwards, who ripped off the entire universe and got away with it?”

Nobody says “I don’t know if I can trust New York publishers, what with James Frey and Kaavya Viswanathan and Q. R. Markham and Janet Dailey… and, and, and…” But they should.

I have no problem with ANY author being held to standards, as long as ALL authors are held to the same standards.

Give Hope

The holidays are coming, and this year there are more families struggling with hunger than at any time since the Great Depression.  We are hearing a lot about corporate greed, about excess, about need in the shadow of decadence.  So if our nation really IS embarking on a new wave of intolerance toward gluttony, let’s mean it.

If you are cutting back yourself, how about digging through the cabinets to find some canned goods you don’t plan to use any time soon?  Pick up a third box of Mac N Cheese and drop it in the food pantry box as you exit the shopping center.  Turn in bottles and cans or cash in your coins and turn over the profit to your area shelter.

Don’t know where to start?  Ample Harvest can point you toward a food pantry in your area.

Another site where you can even find free ways to “click” or “tweet” help is Feeding America.  And check out Food to Donate.

Sometimes it’s easy.  Even when it isn’t, we should try.

Happy Holidays!

Penguin, You’re A Dirty Bird

Are you kidding me?

Just in case the ridiculous vitriol coming out of the publishing industry these days isn’t quite nasty enough, Penguin just took a big ole bird poop on its own reputation. This is embarrassing. This is absurd.

This is Book Country, where you can chitty-chat about books, share fiction with others, and for a mere $549, you can publish your own title!

I'm not making it up. Check me HERE.

No, really! And if you are daring enough to format it yourself by… say, running it through Epub Converter for free, or downloading the Open Office add-on that puts an actual MAKE-THIS-AN-EBOOK BUTTON right on your word processor, you can make a sweet deal for $299! And if you ONLY want an EBOOK it’s ONLY $99!

In one sense I feel as though any author who is foolish enough to do this math, google this process, and still fork over the cash deserves to be screwed. But this preys on the stupid. And it’s inelegant. It’s tacky. It exploits dumb writers. Isn’t pointing and laughing enough? Writers—good ones, bad ones, all of us—get enough bitch-slapping from critics, forums, and family members. Do we really need one of the NY Sacred Circle acting like this?

Others have weighed in:

David Gaughran

Joe Konrath

I dislike the whole “direct / indie vs. NY” thing that has emerged this past year. I’m happy to be independently published and publishing. I did not come to this place in my career because my work wasn’t offered other homes. I passed on two deals offered by epubs because I wanted print, and in both instances didn’t think the publishers who were kind enough to extend me an offer looked like places I’d be comfortable. I wanted control and speed. And time was a big factor. Every rejection I’ve had over the past five years has been incredibly encouraging and positive. There are good people out there who simply didn’t want my story for their agency or house.

But this? This is disgusting. This makes me sad. This really, really doesn’t help anyone or anything.

And Penguin should be very, very ashamed.

Gratitude On A Hard Day

Halfway through November, I have fallen a wee bit behind on my NaNoWriMo goal, but it’s cool.  Since my novel is probably going to be short of 50K I’m probably still on target.

This year has been good for my writing.  I put out a novella at the beginning of 2011 and switched from a pen name to my own name.  In May I made the decision, after a lot of reflection, to switch genres, focus, and direction.  By June I had written the first draft of my debut novel, which I delayed releasing to get it JUST RIGHT (or just write, as it were).  That decision proved to be a good one, since it plunged me back into an active participation with South Shore MA Fiction Writers.  It also spawned a new, solid, structured process that works.

By early December (possibly sooner, NaNoWriMo gods willing) I’ll have finished the second Maggie Gallagher novel.  My young adult trilogy, which has been languishing for years, will also be done soon.  The current schedule will be a staggered release calendar of a book every three months between now and January of 2013… alternating between adult books (the Maggie Gallagher Mystery titles) and young adult fantasy (my Echo the Minstrel series).

What is different about 2011?  I actually did the things I’d planned to do.  I put out a novella exactly when I planned.  I finished a novel in a new genre and it will be out soon.  I’ve nearly finished book two, and releasing it should be no problemo.

I’ve also realized that I owe a great deal of thanks to good friends.  The 35 members of SSMAW have been amazing… and being able to offer my own cheering section, beta-reading, and anything else I’ve got in my arsenal to these amazing men and women has been incredibly rewarding.  Every success they achieved drove me harder.  Every accolade they were awarded made me proud.  And each goal I crossed off my list was as much their accomplishment as my own.

I’ve also learned, when I was sick or had mad scheduling issues… or just had life jump up and down on me as it tends to do… my non-writing friends were just as supportive.  I was struck by this today, in a moment of amazing grace and clarity, as I made the fourth trip to Jordan Hospital in Plymouth in 24 hours to take care of my mom.  Things are often a struggle for me because of my own health.  I do have more on my plate.  And I guess I am asked more often than most “how do you do it?”

Ahmed. Roxy. Petie. Timmy. Allie. Aemon. Damiano. Gayle. Bill. Dennis. Angie. Dee.

And Ahmed.  Yeah, I know, I mentioned him twice.  He’s that good.

I am incredibly lucky.  On good days it’s easy to remember how lucky.  But it’s too easy to forget on the tough days.  I don’t want to be the kind of woman who forgets on the tough days.  So as this long, rainy, tiring day comes to a close, I am still grateful.  I hope I remember to remain grateful.  Because the people in my life who make it bearable also make it joyous, funny, and worth the long days.

In the words of Mr. Dickens, “God bless you, every one.”

Occupy Amazon! Help Me Make It FREE!

Yesterday My Boyfriend’s Back went FREE on Smashwords.  If you’d like to download it, you can get it HERE.

Amazon does price-matching, but the novella is still .99 on their site.  WHAT???  Facists!!

Only, nope… they just haven’t gotten the info that somebody else has it free so that they can price-match it.

Here’s what YOU, concerned citizen, who is mad as hell and not going to take it any more!  Revolt! Take charge! HABO!

Go to amazon’s page for My Boyfriend’s Back, here:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004NIFNM0

Underneath the blurb, in the product description, you’ll see a link that says “tell us about a lower price.”  Click that link, and you’ll get a pop-up box into which you can report the price as “0.00” and the link for that price in the address.  Here’s the link to paste in:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/104729

Stop corporate greed, books costing stuff, and non-free-ification NOW!  You can make a difference, dude!

POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!!!  (Also thanks.)

Bailey's Irish Cream Fudge

At the request of my dear friend, Lisa.

CHRISSY'S FAMOUS IRISH CREAM FUDGE

3 (12 oz.) pkg. semisweet chocolate chips
2 jars marshmallow Fluff, 7 oz. EACH
2 t. vanilla
2/3 c. Bailey's Irish Cream
2 c. chopped nuts -- optional
Set aside.

Butter a 10x15 pan.

In a saucepan, combine:
4 1/2 c. sugar
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) butter

Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook slowly, stirring constantly for 11 minutes.
Pour milk mixture over the chocolate chip mixture. Stir slowly BY HAND to blend.

Pour into prepared pan. Chill until set.

Night, and Her Train of Plot Bunnies...

In a completely desperate move, I knocked myself out with sleeping pills last night. I hate them, so the scrip usually expires before I use them all. But in my drug-induced sleep, I had one of those really weird dreams that's part memory, and woke up remembering this novella I'd written on a retreat weekend back in my college days. My memory is vague on the process. I believe I tapped out most of it on an Alphasmart under a flowering chestnut tree in Scotland... but it would have been around 1992-1994, so that seems unlikely.

Crawling out of bed, I took a wild shot.

I'll be damned.

Crammed between some old term papers I refuse to throw away was a red folder with a label too worn to read. Opening it, I found the story I'd dreamed about. The title is ESCAPING HOME. I had no memory of it prior to the dream last night, and only a sketchy memory of it even as I opened the folder. Basically I knew it was a young adult novella about an abused girl who leaves home, lives on her own, but is forced from one place to the next through a series of tragedies. The only constant in her life is a desire to escape poverty and cruelty and to somehow attain an education.

But there it was... complete an nearly pristine inside a ratty red folder. Since I am trying very hard to get back on track with NaNoWriMo I have no time to give this story. Still... it has earned some love. So next year, when I get a small gap, I'll be paying some sucker to type it into a word file, and will give it a home via CreateSpace. Survivors should always stick together.

P.S. Art nerds got the title. :)

Just for Shits and Giggles...

Just for fun, and because I am having fun editing, I am sharing this snippet from CRY UNCLE...

It made my beta-team laugh.

Here ya go!

From CRY UNCLE by Chrissy Olinger

     The sound of mad giggling, frantic footfalls, and something hissing drew my eyes from the newspaper. Glancing up, I saw my two year old nephew, Colum, careening past wearing nothing but sparkling eyes and a wild grin. No-- strike that-- and a thumb-sized turd wedged firmly between his dimpled ass cheeks. Ok, "wearing" may not be the correct word. Behind him, closing fast, was my brother. He zoned in on his son wearing a hooded sweatshirt pulled up over his nose. His hands were adorned with bright yellow cleaning gloves, and he was spraying disinfectant room freshener in wide, generous sweeps, like a mosquito fogger in July. A muttered curse escaped the confines of his hoodie. Colum banked off mom's hutch, set the china rattling, and headed for the doors to the terrace.
      Jackie grabbed him on the fly. It was an amazing feat of reflexes and speed, but had not so much as a drop of dignity clinging to any part of it. And-- oh, dear-- speaking of clinging.
     Jackie tucked Colum under one arm and stared at the hardwood floors, tossing the disinfectant to one side with a defeated groan. Collum gave a heroic kick, but his dad held on. The offending turd had escaped.
      My feet tucked up underneath me on the couch of their own accord. Jackie glanced up, wriggling his chin against the hoodie fabric to release his mouth from its makeshift mask. “Nobody will be eating fudge around here for a good while, anyway."
     Yeah. I can't unsee that.

© Chrissy Olinger

NaNoWriMo Slooow

After going great guns at the start of NaNoWriMo, I've slowed down a weenie bit. Yesterday I took the day off. Friday I did squeeze a little bit of writing in, but that was before I had a doctor's appointment.

The results are pictured here. Once again, PF has conspired against me, and I have a very itchy line in my carotid artery. They promised me only a week of shoving meds-- literally-- down my tube.

I WILL MAKE MY WORDCOUNT TODAY... but I'll do it late, and I'll do it sloooowly.

Like the clocks on Daylight Savings, I fall back, but also spring foward! I get knocked down... but I get up again...

I’m Excited!

OK… ok, yeah… it’s getting exciting.  I just got my promo cards ordered from the fabulously cheapo and yet reliably neato VISTAPRINT.  I was at a signing where the author used them for ebook readers who wanted a signed cover.  Anyone who came with a reader that had her book on it got one, with a message and signature,  just like the paper-book owners.

Plus they are incredibly cool to give out.

Here are my postcards, front and back design (the images are the same as the front and back book covers, with slight tweaking to the back to keep it from being too busy).

FRONT

BACK