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Steve Jobs: iVisionary

October 9, 2011 by in category Archives

I have a confession. I don’t have an iPod. I don’t have a Mac. I don’t have an iPhone. I do have an iPad, bought in the rush of excitement the week of its launch…but I seldom use it. I’ve managed to buy a couple of things on iTunes, but I’m a mass of insecurity about what happens if I want to transfer them to other devices. It seems easier not to try. I looked at buying a MacBook when I needed a new PC recently, but decided the Mac was too expensive and would cut me off from some nice PC-only applications.

All up, I’m not much use to Apple. But I suspect Apple is of use to me in ways I don’t even know about. Whether it’s keeping other companies on their toes, or developing technologies that influence innovation in products I do use, or even changing the way I think about how markets (including publishing) work, Apple has snuck in there.

But the fact is, I don’t think of Apple as Apple. Mostly, I think of it as Steve Jobs.

So even though I never knew him, and even though his company has many flaws (reports of atrocious conditions in iPad factories in China cannot be glossed over) Steve Jobs’ death seems significant, and a loss. A loss to global innovation , and a loss to Apple. Few of us can expect our lives to be celebrated or our passing to be mourned on such a scale.

But above all, Steve Job’s death is a tragic loss to his family. Which is something, hopefully, we all can expect. And while that’s what hurts most, it’s also what matters most.

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What OCC Means to Me …

October 4, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as ,
OCC/RWA acts as my supportive writing family. It keeps me sane, provides inspiration and lets me know that when things get crazy … I’m not the only crazy writer out there. (Notice how the first and last cancel out?)
Usually, I use this blogging date to post reminders about the upcoming meeting … but since we’re headed toward our 30th Birthday bash, and we all should know about it, right? – I’m going to share what this wonderful community means to me, and why I’ve gotten more involved.
Honestly, I don’t want to remember how on ago I joined OCC/RWA with the hope of writing and publishing a romance. I’ve blocked so many of those non-productive years, but it has to be at least eight. Yes, eight years …
At my very first meeting, I met the wonderful Mary Castillo, and Jackie Diamond was ever so gracious, as she still is with new writers. The members were warm and inviting, and then I didn’t go back for a long time. Why?
·      Guilt – I wasn’t writing as much as I wanted.
·      Work – Several of the colleges I work at require teaching on Saturdays, and they always seemed to conflict with the OCC/RWA schedule.
·      Children – I had one infant, and started infertility for a second. For those who haven’t gone through it, the drugs mess with your hormones and it’s not pretty.
·      Bedrest – When I was pregnant, I was relegated to bed for five straight months. That meant I couldn’t even really sit up. I bought an AlphaSmart and wrote laying on my side, and forgot to charge it … and lost everything.
·      Second master’s degree – With my first master’s degree in communications, journalism, I went back to school for a second in English.
·      Too busy – For so long, everything else took priority. And with two small children (who are still only 4 & 8), that’s the priority. I didn’t possess mental room to finish my writing.
·      And did I mention guilt?
Still, I continued to be a member of RWA, paid my dues for OCC and became involved in a variety of Online chapters, including Chick Lit Writers of America, Passionate Ink, FF&P and YAWRA.
My first book, Sex University: Physical Education, published in June 2010. At that time, I told myself that I would attend my first RWA National conference. I signed with my agent Saritza Hernandez of the L. Perkins Agency. This past weekend, I turned in my fourth novel, an erotic paranormal, Chains of Silver, which is a sequel to The Vampire, The Witch & The Werewolf: A New Orleans Threesome.
And, I became active within the OCC/RWA family. The group has been supportive and encouraging. If time gets tough, another member is there to offer help and most often, someone else has been there. Being part of the board the past year has been unforgettable, whether it’s simply knowing that Eve Ortega still balances work, family life and her writing, or that strength of character that comes from Debra Holland. The expertise of our published authors Kathleen, Pat Wright and Jackie. Or knowing that our unpublished, Liz, Jaimee, Val, Ottilia and Jann, will have their moment. And, we’ll be there to support them the entire way.
But that’s only the board members. Within our chapter, we have such a wealth and diversity of experience, and so many dreams. Thank you to Brenda, Laura, Erin & Erin, Beth, Debra, Charity, Joyce & Cora, Karen, Julia, Nancy, Susan & Harry, Lex, Tara, Marianne, Mary, Kitty, Vicki, Charlotte, Alexis, Jenny, Jennifer, Charlene, Shannon, Shauna, Bobbie, Linda O., Verna, Judy, Maureen, Roberta, Marilee, Stacy, and so many more. It’s impossible to name everyone, but I appreciate every smile, and hopefully I can be there to help and encourage others, too. 
Thank you for being there, and know that you are not alone in your journey either.
This weekend, I’m looking forward to spending more time with my writing family through the 30 Birthday Bash. Hopefully, you’ll be coming! If not, I’ll see you online and at the next meeting. For more information, you should know where to go … OCC/RWA.org.   
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It’s All About Men — Calls for Submissions

September 30, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as ,

It’s about men this month, whether the theme is the new line from Ellora’s Cave, EC for Men, about sexy, strong hunks in uniform, or the strength of a king or lord.  
Men in Uniform Anthology

Silver Publishing has started a new line, Men in Uniform, and are seeking submissions for 2012. Here’s the breakdown:
•    15K to 20K word count per short story/novella. 4 books per Anthology.
•    Seriously sexy stories about firemen, policemen, soldiers and sailors – we want to read some hot MM stories about men in…and out of uniform.
•    Any combination of M/F, M/F/M, M/M/F, M/M.
•    Heat Rating: 3+ Flames only!
When submitting, please enter “Men in Uniform.” Visit https://spsilverpublishing.com/pages-title-page-24 for due dates. For instance, to be eligible for the January 2012, submissions should be sent in by Oct. 31, 2011.
EC for Men
Ellora’s Cave is now accepting submissions for their new line EC for Men.
·      7,000 to 30,000 words
·      May contain relationships, but should focus more on the sex than the romance; Romantica is fine, Exotika is also encouraged
·      Realistic wording and dialogue for male characters (not the language women WISH men spoke); this extends to the male narrative
·      Written from male POV preferred
·      Should be aimed at male sexual fantasies (what men think of when they get off)
~ More of what men want or need from women: sex, love, acceptance, admiration, dirty talk; less of what they don’t need (judgment, drama, expectation of anticipating woman’s needs)
* Examples include, but are in no way limited to:
– Women taking the initiative during sex
– Female pursuit of the man
– Voyeurism of female/female sex (as well as F/M/F and F/F/M themes)
– Risky sexual situations or locations; a sense of the forbidden (e.g. the boss’s mistress, the maid, the college professor, sex in public, etc.)
For more information, visit http://www.jasminejade.com and click on Submissions.

Honor Guard
Decadent Publishing is looking for stories for their new Honor Guard line, which is composed of contemporary, multi-national romance stories. Heat level of 3-5 and word count between 10k-25k.

Setting: Countries around the world. The hero can be any alpha male. Military or covert ops: Marines, MP, CIA, Homeland Security, NSA, etc.

Heroine can be an American or foreign national. Her age should be 25+. Wherever your setting, we need local flavor. Tap your travel experiences! Give us fun, adventure, romance, interesting settings, strong characters and hot lovin’, cultural insights.

Kingdoms of Desire: Erotic Tales of Fantasy
Kingdoms of Desire: Erotic Tales of Fantasy is a place where lust and legend abound, and adventure, passion and danger entwine. Think mystical lands and creatures, kings and queens, knights and renegades, heroes and villains, warlords, maidens and princesses. Think battles and danger, honor and dishonor, good and evil. Most of all think hearts filled with passion and secret desire. This is a place where romantic chivalry is alive and well, but so too is romantic wickedness. This is a place where the good do not always win, and the bad are often more captivating and desirable than their altruistic counterparts. In these lush and timeless landscapes, the battle for flesh can be as important as the battle for power. Intrigue, sorcery, revenge, lawlessness, dark secrets and mysterious elixirs; entanglements with supernatural beings – everything is possible in these magical mythical landscapes. Think Game of Thrones and you get the picture!
Word count: 3,000 to 6,000 words. No reprints (be it print, digital, or online). Original fiction only. To be published by Cleis Press in autumn 2012. One-time payment in the range of USD $50-70 (payable on publication) and 2 copies of the anthology. Due by December 15, 2011. Visit http://mitziszereto.com for technical submission information.

— Compiled by Louisa Bacio

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SURF’S UP

September 13, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as , ,

by Bobbie Cimo
With the end of summer near, I realize two things; One, I hate to see the summer end and two; I grew up loving those teen beach movies. Don’t know why, since I couldn’t swim or surf. However, I did manage to learn how to float on my back in case of an emergency, like if I were lost at sea and had to wait it out to be rescued. Luckily, I never had too.
I guess the real draw about those movies for me, were the cute guys who played in them–because it certainly wasn’t the plot or storyline, since most of them didn’t have one.
Like all people, who didn’t grow up near an ocean, the first thing I wanted to see when I moved out to California was Malibu. And with all the enthusiasm of a seasoned swimmer, when I did see it, I ran out to sea. I got about knee high into the water, when I felt my lips turn blue (okay you can’t actually feel your lips turn a color), but if one could… Nobody told me that the Pacific Ocean was freezing, even in July.
If I couldn’t enjoy the ocean, I could at least enjoy the sunrays and work on my tan, by basking in the California sunshine. Well, I could if it wasn’t for the fact that with every initial sunbathing session, I tend to break out with a zillion red dots on my legs (maybe a zillion is a little bit of an exaggeration). But enough red dots to make my legs look like I went stomping in a vat filled with purple grapes. The doctors call it sun poisoning. I call it annoying. Once the purple fades away, I usually end up with a pretty good tan.

Ah, then there’s all that lovely beachy air–unfortunately, I have a problem with that too. It seems whenever I’m near anything that has to do with humidity or dampness, my hair comes down with a terminal case of the frizzies. In other words, if I had red hair, I could easily be mistaken for “Little Orphan Annie”
So just because I couldn’t be a surfer, didn’t mean I couldn’t like those silly beach movies or have my picture taken with a teen idol, like Frankie Avalon, who played in them. And I could do it, without the blue lips, blotchy skin, and frizzy hair.

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Reading Just Might Be My Favorite Routine

September 9, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as , , ,

We’ve talked about a lot of routines at Routines for Writers in the last few years. Things to routinely do, things to routinely avoid, things that break up your routines. But I don’t know that we’ve talked much about a routine many writers say they have no time for – reading!

Available for your reading pleasure end of September. 

I am amazed by the number of times I hear writers say they don’t have time to read. But I also understand the dilemma. There are only so many hours in a day, a week, a year. Many of us complain that we don’t have enough time. Many of us worry we aren’t using our time wisely. How does the value of one hour of reading compare with one hour of writing, or sleeping, or time with family?

When taken out of context, it’s difficult to compare these things. But I think most things in life fall into cycles. For me, that cycle is most notably one day. I do certain things at certain times of the day and, when it comes to reading, I can almost always count on having 15-60 minutes at night.

I find I sleep better if my mind relaxes around a story, something I don’t have to think about but can just float on. When I read non-fiction at night, I usually dream about the topic – not great for a good night’s sleep, but I used to solve math problems this way in college!
Like my own target audience, I am a reader who sometimes craves an escape from my everyday life. When I’m really stressed out, I need to read romances. In fact, high stress situations are almost the only thing that make me return to a book more than once. When I’m calm and relaxed and nothing interesting is happening in my life, I crave excitement and danger in my reading life.

But I’m finding those reading cycles incredibly helpful to my writing. Because I read at least a little of so many genres, and because it might take me a year or more (or as little as a month) to cycle through romance, YA, suspense, fantasy, and more, my story brain is constantly being fed new and different ideas. Those all combine like eggs and flour and cocoa make brownies – to help me create some sweet treats of my own!

I love reading and my guess is you do, too. I encourage you to make – and keep – reading one of your writing routines. When you need a break from life, from work, from writer’s block, or you just have a few minutes to relax, reading is the perfect routine.

Kitty Bucholtz is a writer and speaker, and a member of Romance Writers of America and Romance Writers of Australia. She co-founded Routines for Writers, a web site dedicated to helping writers write more, and she recently completed her M.A. in Creative Writing. You can follow Kitty on her web site or on Twitter at @KittyBucholtz.

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