Susanne Saville - Caffeinated Natter

How Do You GoodReads?

2012-01-25T15:30:00.000-05:00

How many of you are on GoodReads? Or any of the few other sites that allow you to keep track of what you've read and share your reviews with friends?

I'm on GoodReads and I've got a question for ya: Do you only rate books you've read recently? Or within the last, say, 10 years? Or do you not have a cut-off point, and rate even books you read as a little kid?

I ask because I rate everything - and it has been brought to my attention that some books I loved as a teenager might not stand the test of time, and some books I hated at one point I might actually enjoy today -- so my star ratings might not be an accurate snapshot of my current reading tastes.

Does that matter? I suppose it would if you were interested in GoodReads' new if you like such-n-such, you'll like that-n-this matching program. I might miss out on a book I'd like based on an opinion I formed back when I thought boys had cooties.

I have a To Be Read pile taller than my dresser, though, so getting more reading material really isn't a problem for me.

But I'm curious how other people approach this conundrum. How far back do you rate?

Tree Canopy of the United States of America

2012-01-24T15:30:00.000-05:00

From Hardwood Floors News

This is a NASA map of the Tree Canopy of the United States.

It took six years to create, and lead to the determination that about one third of the US is currently forested.

First thing that struck me - Wisconsin. Only the far northern part, next to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is heavily forested.

Well, of course, you say. Wisconsin is dairyland. Farmland.

It is NOW. But if you'll remember, Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House in the Big Woods is set in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin used to be massively forested, which led to a booming lumber industry and "lumber barons" who became rich off it and built mansions like these below:

After the trees were gone, then agriculture was promoted.

For more about Wisconsin's logging history click here.

How about your state? Are you surprised by its canopy, or lack thereof?

Zaftig is Sexy Too

2012-01-22T10:30:00.000-05:00

Here I am, in my long underwear because winter is chilly, waiting for my coffee to awaken me of a morning.

Well, no, obviously this isn't really me. It's Hilda, the recurring character drawn by artist Duane Bryers.

I found these images on tumblr but I'm pretty certain they came from HERE and I recommend you check that website out.

What I particularly like about Hilda is the fact that she is plump and yet presented as a pinup girl.

Maybe it's only me, being as I'm ~~fat errr I mean~~ zaftig myself, but I think this image is sexy. Wish there was more art of plump women in popular culture today. What do y'all think?

Kitty Eyes Are Watching You

2012-01-19T17:00:00.000-05:00

Kitty eyes are watching you they see your ev-'ry move...

- to the tune of Hall & Oates' Private Eyes.

What is it about cats and drawers? You guys have cats that like to nestle in drawers, too, right?

My Theory on How Sherlock Survived Spoilers

2012-01-18T15:30:00.000-05:00

If you haven't seen season 2 of the BBC's Sherlock, don't read this. Unless you like spoilers.

*spoilers*

*spoilers*

*spoilers*

Okay, this is my theory of how Sherlock survived the fall from the building in The Reichenbach Fall:

He never jumped.

We see John get out of the taxi, and Sherlock directs him to stand in a certain place and look up and says he's on the roof. So when John looks up, he would assume the figure on the roof is the one he's talking to on the phone.

Sherlock also tells John specifically to keep his eyes on him. Which means there is something elsewhere that John cannot see for the trick to work.

I'm guessing Sherlock is on the roof of a building nearby, perhaps behind John. That is where the confrontation with Moriarty took place.

The other rooftop is where Sherlock arranged with Molly - when he asked her for help earlier - to have Molly standing with a body from the morgue of Sherlock's approximate height and weight (it wouldn't have to be perfect, the angle from ground to rooftop would skew perspective) and dressed in Sherlock's clothing.

On Sherlock's signal (he could do an arm wave, since John can't see him), Molly would drop/push the body off the ledge and splat.

Then that bike-rider (part of Sherlock's network) knocks into John as he runs to the corpse, not only delaying him so a crowd has gathered and he can't actually touch the corpse, but the rider has injected him with project H.O.U.N.D stuff (borrowed from Mycroft? since he owes Sherlock) so John is bleary and disoriented when he gets to his feet. And then sees precisely what he expects to see, what he most fears when he catches a glimpse of the corpse.

And then Molly can do the paperwork to say it's Sherlock in the morgue now, sign him officially dead.

That's how I think Moffat & Gatiss did it.

Canon Shippiness with Sherlock and John

2012-01-17T15:30:00.000-05:00

Review Etiquette

2012-01-16T14:13:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while, you hear about an author who responded nastily to a negative review. This is generally regarded as a good time to get popcorn and lurk for the lulz, because those situations never end well for the author.

Never.

So my advice to authors is ignore bad reviews. Even if it's a totally unfair opinion or you just want to correct this one little thing ----

NO. Let it go.

Because, however sweet you think you are being, telling someone their opinion is wrong only makes you look like a jerk.

What about the other side of the coin, though? What if you get a really fantastic review that warmed your heart and made your day/week/year?

Is it okay to thank the reviewer? Tell them how much you appreciate it?

Or will that look smarmy, like you're trying to ingratiate yourself with them for future good reviews?

Would it freak the reviewer out, to hear from you, and make them self-conscious about their writing? That could lead to resentment.

What do you think?

Books, Scotland & More in Chicago April 2012

2012-01-08T13:00:00.000-05:00

Online registration for the RT BookLovers' Convention in Chicago, April 11 - 15, 2012 is open!

Are you going?

There's tons of panels and chats and parties for writers, readers, booksellers and librarians, YA fans, everyone!

And of course, book-signings, like the one pictured here.

The hotel is the Hyatt Regency O'Hare, which looks beautiful - and convenient for the airport.

As always, I am on the Faery Court, hosting the Faery Ball. This year we're doing a Magical Scottish Fling and encouraging our guests to attend in a Scots-themed costume. Something out of Scottish myth and legend, a character from your favorite Scottish historical or person from Scottish history, or even the embodiment of your favorite Scottish song or poem!

You love Robert Burns' Red, Red Rose? Come in a gown of red rose blossoms and petals!

There will be a costume contest, of course, and - new this year - a drawing for three mega-baskets of gifts. Not just promo stuff. Actual cool gifts.

It's going to be fantastic.

This year I am also hosting a readers' panel and, as you can see, I have awesome company (panel info below). Please join us for the Naked Truth about Scotland!

Hope I see y'all at the Convention!

UNDER THE KILT — THE NAKED TRUTH ABOUT SCOTLAND

Everything you ever wanted to know about Scotland. Not only what a gentleman wears under his kilt, but also: If the rebels supported Bonnie Prince Charlie, why are they called Jacobites? Are Bloody Mary and Mary, Queen of Scots the same person? What is a Burns supper and is haggis really as disgusting as it sounds? If you love Scotland, join us for an interactive chat about this unique land.

Hosts: Loretta Chase, Donna Grant, Sahara Kelly, Kimberly Killion, Cathy Maxwell, Susanne Saville, Veronica Wolff

Dance Macabre - 99 cent SALE

2012-01-03T12:06:00.000-05:00

TEMPORARY SALE!!

Dance Macabre is only 99 cents at Amazon!!

Check it out:
http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Macabre-Lords-Pendragon-ebook/dp/B005XO2INU

Interview with Chris Avellone

2011-12-20T14:20:00.001-05:00

This is an excellent interview with Chris Avellone, wherein he discusses how Fallout: New Vegas and its DLCs were created - the steps designers go through, etc., things he's learned in the industry - such as not to foreshadow future games as they did in Knights of the Old Republic 2 since 3 was never made, and how to break into the industry - example: being a modder with an extremely popular download rank is a plus.

You also learn some cool trivia, like Chris A. wrote Lanius and Rose of Sharon Cassidy, and he attended William & Mary and Virginia Tech.

Sexy Marks & Sparks Commercial

2011-12-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

Instantaneous Chocolate

2011-12-13T13:00:00.000-05:00

I love old advertisements. It's inevitable that when I'm researching one thing, I go off on tangents because I've discovered something else. This time it's: INSTANTANEOUS CHOCOLATE - THE GREATEST INVENTION OF THE AGE.

Yes, I'd support instant cocoa as one of the wonders of the modern age, especially the "add water" kind. Warming up milk can be annoyingly difficult compared to putting the kettle on for hot water.

Sliced bread is pretty nifty, too. You know the expression "greatest thing since sliced bread"? Before you had to slice your own loaf, which can be problematic if you can't cut in a straight line both across and down.

What are some other food inventions you'd like to nominate?

Roman Intaglios

2011-12-12T12:00:00.000-05:00

Aren't these gorgeous? They are ancient Roman intaglios -- tiny gemstones for rings or other jewelry. A person hand carved these figures into the stone. No laser. No sophisticated magnifying device.

See how tiny?

I love these. The craftsmanship amazes me.

You can see many of these intaglios at the Roman Legion Museum in Caerleon, Wales.

Photo Credits: The top image is from @RomanCaerleon and the bottom image is from http://www.antique-rings.co.uk/roman.htm

Roman Dice Tower

2011-12-11T11:17:00.001-05:00

"You can just see the dice tower on the table, it has a little set of stairs for the dice to roll down." - @RomanCaerleon, http://twitpic.com/7rxa04

This device prevented cheating by providing a uniform way by which the dice were thrown.

Coffee vs Tea

2011-12-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

Weird Uses for Coffee

2011-11-30T10:00:00.001-05:00

So, wanna do other things with your coffee besides drink it? Me neither. But here are some theoretical uses for your coffee, from Yahoo Shine:

Reduce cellulite Pricey cellulite creams almost always have one major ingredient in common: caffeine, which supposedly enhances fat metabolism, reducing the appearance of these fatty pockets under the skin. To make your own coffee cellulite treatment at home, mix warm used coffee grounds with coconut oil and rub it onto your skin in circular motions for a few minutes before rinsing.

Erase smells on your hands Garlic, salmon, cilantro - there are some things that smell delicious when cooking, but aren't so pleasant hours later when they linger on your hands. Get rid of them by rubbing a handful of used coffee grounds on your hands and rinsing with warm water.

Get shiny hair Who doesn't want shiny, healthy-looking hair? Coffee is often recommended as a simple, natural treatment to make hair extra-glossy. Brew up an extra-strong pot, let it cool and apply it to your dry, clean hair. Leave it on for at least twenty minutes, then rinse. Keep it up once a week or so for best results.

Secret recipe ingredient Just a little hint of coffee can be the ingredient that becomes your undisclosed "magic touch" in foods like chili, ice cream and chocolate cake. Use a little bit as a marinade for steaks and not only will it make them unbelievably tender, it'll also provide a hint of deep, smoky flavor.

Natural dye The natural pigments in coffee make it a great natural dye for fabric, paper, Easter eggs - even your hair. Brush paper with strong brew and let it dry, or soak fabric items in hot coffee. The results won't be color-fast, and may bleed out onto other items, so it's best to use this on items that won't be washed very often if at all. Using coffee as a hair shine treatment, as previously mentioned, may temporarily lend a rich, dark tint to your hair.

[This is my new excuse for when I spill coffee on myself. I'm just using it as a natural clothing dye.]

Fertilize plants Acid-loving plants will thank you for sprinkling your used coffee grounds around their roots. Azaleas, blueberry shrubs and rhododendrons are just a few of the plants that flourish when treated with coffee thanks to all those nutrients. You can also dilute the leftover coffee in your mug and pour it right into your potted plants (as long as you don't use cream and sugar, of course!)

Keep cats out of your garden To you, that little garden in your yard is a beautiful source of fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables, but to seemingly every cat in a five-mile radius, it's a giant, irresistible litter box. Just use the trick mentioned above, sprinkling used coffee grounds on the soil, and cats will want nothing to do with it.

[One of my cats is happy to lie in ground coffee - if it spills, he'll roll over in it - so I'm not sure if that would actually work.]

For more "unusual uses" for coffee, click the Yahoo link at the start of this article.

Pointing Out the Emperor's (lack of) Clothes

2011-11-29T11:00:00.000-05:00

Say you're reading a new non-fiction book. Say you've met the author. Say the topic is a special subject of yours. Not that you, like, obsess over it.

Much.

Not enough to make your relatives worried.

You've just read every single piece of primary source material that you can find. Sat long hours in archives. Bothered librarians to fetch out dusty tomes that cannot leave the room and you really should be using gloves to handle.

Anyway.

You Know about this subject. And in reading this book, you realize that it's...umm.... Not Entirely Free of Errors. Yes. Let's put it like that.

Now, say you have been thinking about writing something on this very same topic. Because you have knowledge to share.

Should you address these errors in your work? In case anyone has read the other book and thinks they're true? Or should you ignore the other book's existence?

In academia, it's fine to politely disprove other people's theories, etc. Or point out sloppy research. But with popular (non-scholarly) non-fiction, would doing so seem like sour grapes?

What do you think?

Kitty Comic

2011-11-28T10:00:00.001-05:00

History vs Historical Fiction

2011-11-25T14:30:00.000-05:00

I've got a book idea that could be written as straight true crime historical non-fiction or mystery/romance historical fiction.

Between those two genres, which would you be more likely to read: history (non-fiction) or historical fiction?

World of Coffee

2011-11-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

Thoughts on Skyrim and Dragon Age

2011-11-22T14:11:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Skyrim. This place probably needs no introduction amongst my readers, right? We're all bleary-eyed from having stayed up too late playing the latest in the Elder Scrolls franchise.

My fella asked if I was riding a draft horse and I proceeded to tell him about how Skyrim horses are sturdy and built for endurance because of the local terrain etc etc. He asked how I knew all this. I told him I'd been living in Skyrim for a while now.

So you can take it as read that I love Skyrim. Even though the giant Frostbite Spiders are entirely too realistic.

You do not want to see that thing charging at you - first person point of view, mind!

Of course, it's worse when they sneak up on you. Turn around and WHAM there's a giant spider IN YOUR FACE.

I hear there's a No-Spiders mod for PC players. I'm a PS3 player, so I'm stuck with 'em. Solution? Temporarily turn gameplay to "Novice" and hit 'em with a Dwarven Battle Axe. Results in minimum amount of spider face-time.

As realistic as Skyrim is, I must admit I felt more You Are There in Rage.

Rage feels like you're holding a video camera in front of your face. You're literally right there.

So glad that game didn't have spiders.

Some of my friends criticized Rage's role-playing aspect. I was lenient on that because it's listed as a First Person Shooter, and that's really what it is. A First Person Shooter with Talking.

Because my friends are correct, the role-playing aspect is weak - you don't get to know anyone very well considering what they want you to do for them; you risk your life on the slimmest acquaintance and you choose sides without much inquiry on your part. One of my friends diagnosed the player character as "pants-on-head-stupid."

I was reminded of this when playing one of the quests in Skyrim. My only option to get the quest moving forward again was... well, I said to my screen, "What? Am I pants-on-head-stupid?"

And it struck me that many of the criticisms that were leveled at Rage are valid against Skyrim as well. You risk your life on the slimmest acquaintance. You're asked to choose sides before knowing much about either.

But what really gets me is the lack of dialogue options. I know things. And yet there are no options to tell anyone. I know the identity of a secret Thalmor agent. Obviously I must be able to tell someone at some point. But why wouldn't I tell them now?

That's a small frustration, though. I think my biggest criticism of Skyrim is that we don't get to know anyone very well. And this is important, because Skyrim IS a Role-Playing Game.

I want to know - and like - the characters I'm fighting for. For me, what differentiates a Role-Playing Game from other genres is the emotional investment. I expect there to be a story and I want to feel something because of my role in that story.

This was something Dragon Age 2 did spectacularly. I care about all the people in my party. I feel for them, and I want them to like me. Especially Fenris and Anders. (cough, cough)

Which brings up ROMANCE. Nobody does romance like the Dragon Age team. There's flirting and witty dialogue and it's genuinely fun.

Sidebar - have you seen the sexy cutscenes in Dragon Age Origins? Those were awesome!! Why don't other games do this? Why didn't Dragon Age 2 do this? I expect sexy cutscenes in Dragon Age 3!! Developers, take note!!

Back to romance in Dragon Age 2: However you feel about romancing Anders and how that complicates your response to Anders' actions - the point is that you do feel it. Your emotions are invested in this game.

I don't feel anything about anyone in Skyrim. (Except my horse. Anyone kills my horse, I hit reload save.)

Currently there is nothing stopping this Dragonborn from saying, y'know, y'all are about as inviting as this place, which is unrelentingly snowy and cold, and Alduin actually sounded pretty intelligent so I'm having a moral crisis over slaying all these rare beasts, therefore I'm riding south in search of a beach. Good luck with whatever.

After all, I've got plenty of reading material - Cats of Skyrim, Thief of Virtue. Maybe I'll stop in Cyrodiil and see if they can find a copy of Hard in Hightown for me.

First Massachusetts Coffee License

2011-11-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

Look! It's a piece of coffee history, one of my favorite kinds of history.

And the honor of possessing the first coffee & chocolate license in Massachusetts - possibly in the colonies - goes to a woman: Dorothy Jones in 1670.

Yay for enterprising colonial women who know the value of providing coffee and chocolate!

Caffeine Poster

2011-11-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

Fun Coffee Facts

2011-11-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

While I disagree with Seattle being the best coffee city solely because Starbucks started there, the rest of this graphic is pretty cool.

Young Nurse Review

2011-11-18T11:00:00.000-05:00

How to tell your Latte from your Cafe Breve

2011-11-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

Bored at the Library? Don't Ruin the Floors

2011-11-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, do please go home and masturbate if you are bored. Or over-excited by the University of St. Andrews Library collection.

I love how they add to enquire at the Library Help Desk if you have any questions. Being a librarian myself, I can imagine the Help Desk actually being prepared for such enquiries - having a binder of Places Where It Is Acceptable To Masturbate and Masturbation Etiquette and so forth.

And, of course, now I'm wondering if this is a SECRET, UNRECOGNIZED PROBLEM at American universities. Is this why tuition fees are going up? Professional cleaning for the excessive amount of semen stain on university library floors?

15 Things About Caffeine

2011-11-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

Ziggy's Pumpkin Pie

2011-11-14T10:30:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things about Autumn is pumpkin pie. Does this look delicious or what? This was the pie we bought last year from Ziggy's. (Seconds before it was devoured.) We're buying two this year. Nom nom nom...

Most Unique Use of Figural Cat Ceramic Ever

2011-11-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

Chinese
urinal
1830-1850
Container; Medical
ceramic: hard paste porcelain, underglaze cobalt enamel, overglaze black enamel, iron slip
Historical Deerfield

What Happens In Freeside Available as PDF or Mobi

2011-11-12T12:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, I have converted What Happens In Freeside Stays (the first story in the What Happens In Freeside fanfic universe) to pdf and mobi (for Kindle readers). Just scroll to the bottom of the Books page on my website and there it is. Enjoy!

For those of you who don't know, this is a male/male romance between Vulpes Inculta and Arcade Gannon of Fallout: New Vegas. It is fan fiction. It is full of derp. And fanged fluffiness. And is sorta kinky because it was inspired from a prompt on the Fallout kinkmeme. This isn't everyone's cup of tea, and I definitely recommend you avoid it if it doesn't sound fun to you.

Remembrance Day 11-11-11-11

2011-11-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

I originally published this Veteran's Day/Remembrance Day post 2 years ago. Figure it could use a re-run, especially as this Remembrance Day is 11-11-11-11.

---------------------

The Red Poppy is the symbol of Remembrance Day, 11 November. Remembrance Day was started in 1919 as Armistice Day, to honor the end of The Great War. The War to End Wars.

Which came to be known as World War I.

After World War II, the name was changed to Remembrance Day to honor the dead of all wars.

This year is the 91st (2011 = 93rd) anniversary of the end of World War I. Did you realize that? I only know because last year - the 90th anniversary - was covered extensively by the BBC. They put up amazing content on the BBC website. Why don't US news organizations have similar content?

Possibly because in the US this is known as Veterans' Day, when we honor living veterans of war. The US has Memorial Day to honor its war dead.

Personally, I think we should nominate another day as Veterans' Day and return November 11 to Remembrance Day. Why? I am so glad you asked.....

We are traveling back in time to the final days of The Great War (this is "great" as in BIG HUGE GINORMOUS, not great as in cool). No one is winning and the cost in human lives has been enormous. It is agreed between the warring nations that an armistice should be called. An armistice is when countries just stop fighting. No one is the winner. No one is the loser. They just stop. This cease-fire is signed at 5:00am on the 11th day of November, 1918.

But the war didn't end.

Because this had been The War To End All Wars. Millions of people had died.

Quoting from the Imperial War Museum:

"One in three families in Britain had a loved one killed, wounded or taken prisoner. In other warring nations, the figures were even higher; France lost nearly a million and a half men – double that of Britain – while nearly two million Germans and a similar number of Russians died."

They couldn't just end the war and walk away - not with all those dead. Their deaths had to mean something. There had to be something, something memorable, that people could point to and say, "This is when the last war ended."

They chose 11-11-11. War would end at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month

So they KEPT THE WAR GOING until 11:00 am. MEN DIED so that we would have the symbol 11-11-11

Of course, we all know war didn't end. But what is even more tragic is the fact that soldiers died for a symbol that is no longer remembered in the US.

Quoting from the BBC

"The respected American author Joseph E Persico has calculated a shocking figure that the final day of WWI would produce nearly 11,000 casualties, more than those killed, wounded or missing on D-Day, when Allied forces landed en masse on the shores of occupied France almost 27 years later."

Wrap your mind around that, if you can.

And if that didn't blow your mind, this will: Again quoting the same BBC article

"What is worse is that hundreds of these soldiers would lose their lives thrown into action by generals who knew that the Armistice had already been signed."

Yup.

For example, the 89th American Division was sent to take the town of Stenay by a general who knew the Armistice had been signed, but he'd heard that Stenay had bathing facilities. And apparently he couldn't wait until 11am.

"That lunatic decision cost something like 300 casualties, many of them battle deaths, for an inconceivable reason," says Mr Persico.

Those were American casualties, did you notice? They died because of a "lunatic decision" and for a symbol of which most Americans aren't even aware.

In fact, the last soldier killed in action in World War I was an American boy from Baltimore. He was shot at 10:59am. His name was Henry Gunther.

Does he get a mention over here? Not that I'm aware of. We don't even have a moment of silence at 11:00am. Because it isn't Remembrance Day for us. It's Veteran's Day.

"No man surely has so short a memory as the American." - Rebecca H. Davis

Prove her wrong. Today, remember poor Henry and all the others who died for 11-11-11.

Dick's Swell Coffee

2011-11-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

From: http://gogd.Tjs-labs' Dick's Swell Coffee

Eight O'Clock Coffee is still sold in grocery stores in the US, I think. I am going to have to go buy some JUST BECAUSE of this ad. In fact, I want to believe that men secretly gather together and drink coffee from full china/silver serving sets and the one who pours gets to wear the apron. I WANT TO BELIEVE.

Urban Dictionary Definition of Susanne

2011-11-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

Whoever wrote this, you clearly have perfectly correct insight into the Susannes of the world and, on our behalf, I would like to offer you a bouquet of virtual cupcakes.

Divert Your Course

2011-11-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

found on RambleGamble's tumblr.

Song from The Coffee House

2011-11-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

Who hasn't wanted to sing a song about coffee?

The original scan was blurry, so this is the best I could do, but those of you who can read sheet music can at least hum or play the melody even if the words are difficult to decipher.

Perspiration Is Serious Business

2011-11-06T13:00:00.000-05:00

From: http://gogd.tjs-labs.com

Remember the Fifth of November

2011-11-05T10:00:00.000-04:00

If you think of Guy Fawkes, you probably think of this mask.

You might think of a man "who died for what he believed in." (per Fawkes from Fallout 3)

You might not realize his fame comes from, as Wikipedia puts it, "a failed conspiracy by a group of provincial English Catholics to assassinate the Protestant King James I of England (James VI of Scotland) and replace him with a Catholic head of state."

This scheme, known as the Gunpowder Plot, was discovered 5 November 1605 when Guy Fawkes was caught with explosives underneath the House of Lords.

In celebration of the Plot's failure, the citizenry lit bonfires, leading to the popular name of this British holiday - Bonfire Night. Fireworks are also on prominent display.

It used to be that Bonfire Night was Britain's big autumn celebration. Halloween was not an important holiday in the UK until very recently, when Americanization finally conquered the indigenous customs. (But hey, who can hold out long against the idea of free candy, right?)

Of course, if you participated in Bonfire Night, you could get free money. Children would build effigies of Guy Fawkes (to burn on November 5th) and, in the days running up to the holiday, ask for donations toward funding their firework purchases. The traditional phrase to employ for this is: "Penny for the Guy?"

By paddy patterson from Ayr, Scotland (penny for the guy) [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Back when Britain was the one doing the conquering, the American colonies celebrated Bonfire Night, too. In fact, it was celebrated in Salem Massachusetts as late as 1817. That's after two wars against the British, mind. Salem likes its parties.

Hugh Laurie and Pug

2011-11-04T10:30:00.000-04:00

I don't know where this is from, but it's Hugh Laurie and a PUG.

What could be better?

Using Nuclear Power to Sell Tobacco

2011-11-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

From: Tjs-labs' SMASHING THE INVISIBLE

Two questionable products that go great together!

Dogs of Fallout: New Vegas' Playing Cards

2011-11-02T10:00:00.000-04:00

I love how Lupa gets her own card.

Queen, no less!

Although since women aren't allowed to have positions of power in the legion, I guess it's pretty telling that they have to go to a dog for the Queen card. Gives you some insight into that faction.

Also - Rex!

All Hallows and Halloween

2011-11-01T10:00:00.000-04:00

Okay. You may or may not be aware of this movement to replace Halloween with JesusWeen.

What is particularly laughable about this campaign, other than the rather unfortunate-sounding name, is the fact that clearly the organizers have no idea what the Hallo in Halloween means: It's from hallows. As in saints.

Because today, November 1st, is All Saints' Day.

All Saints' Day is a religious feast day in honor of all saints, "known and unknown." All Souls' Day follows it on November 2nd and, just like it sounds, is a commemoration of those who have departed. This is a very spiritually positive series of days.

So why do we associate the night before All Hallows' (Saints')---which would be All Hallows' Eve (Hallow'een)---with tricks and the devil and whatnot?

Traditionally this night was regarded as the best time for divination games, possibly as hold-over from the pagan holiday of Samhain, when the veil between this and the Otherworld was thinnest. These games often revolved around predicting the occupation of your future husband, something of vital importance to girls in the past, when they could not hold occupations themselves and their status in life would rely upon their husband's. (Such divination games led to the witch hysteria in Salem, by the way.)

It was also thought that spirits roamed the land during Samhain---not bad spirits, all spirits. But since the day was for saints, it is easy to see how the night might come to be associated with bad spirits.

In 20th century America, children would take the role of bad spirits and get up to mischief (Mischief Night) by playing tricks and pranks on their neighbors. The whole "bribe those children with candy" idea wasn't a nation-wide movement until the 1950s, when the night's emphasis was deliberately shifted from tricks to treats to make Halloween a more family-friendly (and less destructive) event.

So it's kinda funny that now there are people who think Halloween isn't family-friendly at all.

But what could be more wholesome than the traditional Halloween game of bobbing for apples, right?

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Witches of Salem

2011-10-30T10:30:00.000-04:00

Witches have become an intrinsic part of Salem, Massachusetts.

You don't see ads like the above anymore, of course. Although that sort of positive, Witches Can Help philosophy is much present. Very unlike the ad I describe in HIDDEN HISTORY OF SALEM (an ad that uses the hanging of Salem witches to sell a product and can be found if you search my website - it's hidden).

You can't find the famous Witch Spoon at Daniel Low anymore (the building currently houses Rockafella's) but you can find all sorts of authentic experiences, such as at the Witch House

where witch trials' Judge Jonathan Corwin lived.

Or you can sit in the Salem Witch Trials Memorial and commune with the spirits of those who died.

Each of the stones jutting from the walls represents a person, and is inscribed with their name and the date they were hanged (or in one case, crushed). We don't know where their actual bodies are, or even where they were executed (something I address in HIDDEN HISTORY).

You can also learn to be a witch from the Official Witch of Salem herself.

No, not like that.

Witchcraft involves studying and classes and workshops. Not near Salem? Check out Laurie Cabot, our Official Witch on YouTube.

Of course, some would rather Salem not focus on the witch aspect so much, but when your local police department's official patch looks like this:

You should really just accept that witches and Salem go together and are here to stay.

Note: Interested in more Salem Police Witch stuff? Click here.

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Solving Bioshock Cats on National Cat Day

2011-10-29T10:00:00.000-04:00

Today, October 29, is National Cat Day and to celebrate I shall share with you a partial SOLUTION to the BIOSHOCK Cats Mystery.

Including cats for the player to discover actually IS a game-within-the-game.

While it is still unknown who originally designed the black-and-white cat and put him/her in the original Bioshock, all the level designers of Bioshock 2 participated in finding fun places to stash kitties. And...

We have Steve Gaynor to thank for putting NAMED cats in Minerva's Cave.
All Hail Steve!!

There are THREE cats - one for each level of Minerva's Cave. The names of each feline honor someone important to the development of computing - which is of course very important in the Cave storyline. I found Babbage and Turing, you may remember.

Armed with this information, I set about to find the third kitty on my second playthrough - and discovered:

Lovelace

According to Wikipedia, Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace is recognized as the World’s First Computer Programmer, having written the first algorithm intended to be processed by a machine.

For whose computer did she write this? Charles Babbage’s.

Babbage called her the Enchantress of Numbers and wrote of her in his Passages from the Life of a Philosopher (1864):

I then suggested that she add some notes to Menabrea's memoir, an idea which was immediately adopted. We discussed together the various illustrations that might be introduced: I suggested several but the selection was entirely her own. So also was the algebraic working out of the different problems, except, indeed, that relating to the numbers of Bernoulli, which I had offered to do to save Lady Lovelace the trouble. This she sent back to me for an amendment, having detected a grave mistake which I had made in the process.

Fun facts:
- Ada was the only legitimate child of the poet Lord Byron.
- The computer language Ada created by the US Department of Defense is named after her.
- The British Computer Society awards a medal in her name.
- There is a movement to have an Ada Lovelace Day (which this year was October 7).

I didn't know any of that, so I am now a better informed person because of Bioshock's dead cats. :)

Many thanks and virtual cupcakes to Steve for allowing me to interview him on the subject of virtual kitties. He's a wonderful fellow and you can follow his tumblr and his twitter.

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Vulpes + Veronica = ?

2011-10-28T10:00:00.000-04:00

A while back I saw a prompt on the Fallout kmeme to write Vulpes/Veronica and took it as a challenge to see if it could be done and still stay true to the characters' motives and persuasions.

The result was THIS.

In the ensuing discussion of the fic on the kmeme, I hypothesized how the child of a union between Vulpes and Veronica would look.

And a gloriously wonderful anonymous artist drew me this.

I shared it elsewhere already, and - as part of my realization that I've missed posting a bunch of Fallout artwork - I'm posting it here too.

If the artist would like to identify him/herself, I would be more than glad to post credits and links.

Set Sail For Horror

2011-10-27T10:00:00.000-04:00

I commissioned Francesco Francavilla for something Lovecraftian with cats

and this is the fabulous, wickedly brilliant picture he created for me!!!

So I thought I'd share it with you, since it is Halloween-time.

You can commission him, too, by the way.

And follow him on Twitter.

The Taliesin Murders

2011-10-26T10:00:00.000-04:00

This is the story of how an ACTUAL CRAZY AXE MURDERER killed seven people - Wisconsin's worst act of mass murder until 2005, inspired a Thomas Wolfe story - as well as many an urban legend, and completely changed a style of architecture - yet most of us have probably never even heard of it.

In fact, parts of what happened that day are still clouded with uncertainties. The author does a wonderful job of sifting through the various accounts, coming up with what seems to be the most reasonable reconstruction, and presenting you with all the evidence for you to make up your own mind.

I'm giving five stars because I actually cried at the end. Whatever your opinions about Frank Lloyd Wright, this book will make you feel for him.

As an aside, just because I think this is interesting, the murderer would not be subject to the death penalty through the justice system even back then. According to the author, "Wisconsin enjoys the nation's longest uninterrupted history of an out-right ban on capital punishment."

Abducting Heiresses

2011-10-25T10:00:00.001-04:00

Abduction is a popular storytelling device when it comes to historical romance, which isn't surprising since you can trace its place in romance literature right back to the Abduction of Persephone.

When you're talking historical romance set in England or Wales, abductors - and elopers, for that matter - are usually racing to Gretna Green in Scotland to take their vows.

Gretna Green was the Vegas of its day, in terms of quickie marriages. The marriage laws of England and Wales, requiring amongst other things parental consent for marriages of those under 21 years of age, did not apply in Scotland and Gretna Green was right across the border.

Photo by Niki Odolphie from Frome, England

But things that can seem romantic in fiction are often far from it in real life.

Edward Gibbon Wakefield, who is apparently something of a hero to New Zealand, tried his hand at heiress abduction in 1826.

He happened to hear of Ellen Turner, a beautiful 16 year old heiress, from an acquaintance who mentioned her as being a neighbor. So Wakefield moved to her neighborhood, learned the family's circumstances and habits, and then appeared at Ellen's school with a letter informing the headmistress that Ellen's ill father had taken a turn for the worse and the girl must accompany him at once.

This was entirely plausible - her father was sick, in an age of primitive medicine sudden deterioration was not uncommon, and a friend or servant would often be asked to carry an important letter (there being no FedEx service or the like).

So Ellen was packed off in Wakefield's carriage.

Which headed north to Scotland.

Now alone with her, Wakefield told the teen her father's business had collapsed, sheriff's officers were in pursuit of her family (for debt), and only through marrying him could she hope to save her father from jail and her family from the poor house. He said he would use his (nonexistent) fortune to save them, but only once he and she were wed.

Remembering that she was a sheltered 16 year old, in an age when women of her class were not taught anything about business and economics, trapped in a small space with a stranger - and Wakefield was known for being a smooth talker, it's pretty easy to see how she would come to believe him over the many hours to Gretna Green.

This is Wakefield & Ellen's marriage license:

Successfully married, Wakefield informed the Turners where to send his checks and promptly took his new wife off to France, where he thought he would be safe from any repercussions. He was wrong. Ellen's family contacted the French police.

Extradited, Wakefield stood trial at Lancaster Assizes, was convicted of abduction and sentenced to three years imprisonment.

This had no affect on his marriage, which was still valid.

An Act of Parliament was obtained to annul the marriage, so Ellen finally could be free.

(Yes, an Act of Parliament. You couldn't get out of a marriage without one. So those Regency romances you read with divorce treated as if it were nothing? Yeah. Not happening.)

Just so you know, some time after his release from prison, Wakefield relocated to the Australian colonies and did something more honorable with his life.

So why is today's post about heiress abductions?

Because today in Salem Massachusetts history: October 25 1736 a Mr. McIntosh is bound at Salem court for trial, charged with attempting to abduct his two nieces, who are heiresses, and carry them off to England.

Heiress abductions happened in America, too.

Isn’t it cool when truth and fiction converge?

Roman Chariot Pug

2011-10-24T13:30:00.000-04:00

This wonderful Roman chariot pug was part of Portland Oregon's PUGLANDIA event, which was held May 22, 2011 and raised funds for the Oregon Humane Society.

Click here for more of ClaireLynn's adorable Puglandia photos.

Vulpes and Arcade Art Additional

2011-10-23T10:00:00.000-04:00

you can't rock legion clothes by *Mikkynga on deviantART

Let me try it on by ~Sa-Di-Ka on deviantART

Somehow I missed posting these earlier. Are they fantastically awesomesauce or what?

Much love to the artists!!!

Excerpt from Dance Macabre

2011-10-22T14:42:00.000-04:00

London 1897

Lily Rafferty would never become accustomed to unfamiliar men embracing her in public. She stiffened involuntarily, but if he noticed her reluctance, it did not dampen her partner’s enthusiasm. Seizing her body, he pulled her away from the relative safety of the shadowed wall. His careless speed gave her an excuse to keep her eyes riveted to the pointed tips of her black satin slippers as they appeared and disappeared under the swishing accordion gores of her yoke skirt. It fit snug and sleek down to her knees before flaring out like a bell, and moving quickly was a dangerous proposition on the slick wooden floorboards. The last thing she wanted was to fall. Not here.

Elegant music soared above the crowded dancehall floor as the shop-soiled quartet on stage launched into a waltz. He flung her into position. Lily felt one of her little puff sleeves slip farther down her shoulder and gave it a quick tug. Her décolletage was quite low enough, thank you. For a moment he looked disappointed she hadn’t popped out of her bodice, then he started to dance. She found her steps and followed his lead.

His hand pressed against the back of her corset. Not for the first time, she wished her undergarments were fashioned from solid steel. She glanced at his other hand, at the stubby bare fingers. At least her hands were protected from his rude skin by her long white gloves.

She risked a look at his face. Flushed cheeks. Watery eyes. A high forehead from which heavily macassar-oiled hair lay slicked back. Her gaze traveled down, past his fierce moustache, to his neck. He wore a diamond tie pin. No need to look further. Decidedly a gentleman. Yet another toff come to enjoy the pursuits of the lower orders. As if being poor were an exhibit in Regent’s Park Zoological Garden.

He noticed her attention and smiled. “Like what you see, m’dear?” He leaned down. His face was close to hers now. Too close. He panted against her cheek, his breath hot and reeking of liquor. “I like what I see. And I’ve got streamers of tickets to give to a welcoming sort of wench.”

Stomach churning, she struggled to hide her distaste. If she wrinkled her nose he surely would not dance with her again, and she needed every ticket she could collect.

“Thank you, sir.” She fixed her lips in a smile.

“Nice, ripe partridge, you are.” He removed his arm from her back and suddenly his bare hand was roaming the low neckline of her gown, where the tight lacing of her corset had affected an impressive cleavage.

As she started to object, he abruptly switched from waltzing to walking. She stumbled. Before she could completely recover, he had maneuvered her past a screen of potted aspidistras and into one of the dance hall’s dark corners. Inwardly she groaned. The management of the Barbary Coast Dance Hall arranged these corners deliberately—and for one reason. Any man without a Malthus sheath to contain his effluxion could release his seed upon the floor in the semi-privacy of such a corner.

Her French heels slipped and she clutched her partner’s sleeve. While the night’s fluids had been tracked around much of the dance hall, the floor was still slicker at the scene of the unmentionable deeds. She tried to wipe all such details from her mind. Thinking about it made her feel unwell.

“Eager, are you?” He chuckled. “Excellent. Excellent.” With drink-clumsy fingers, he stroked the skin of her breasts.

The effrontery of his actions was compounded by his bare hands. Gentlemen were supposed to wear gloves. Such crude undress would not have got him past the door of any other place but here. Here, where men with money could throw away their manners.

Closing her eyes, she choked back the protests raging to escape her lips. Kitty had warned her there would be men who wished for services beyond dancing. Touching him would earn her extra tickets and, since the girls were paid for every ticket they turned in, it meant her wages for the evening might grow considerably.

But her stomach threatened to rid itself of her meager dinner at the prospect of seeing his unmentionables.

She hadn’t wanted to be a Cyprian—in fact, she’d been fired from her last job for refusing her employer’s advances. But times were so hard, especially for orphan girls without references, and a doss house charged tuppence just to sleep standing up. She needed money.

Kitty didn’t mind the unspeakable work. Less tiring than a dance but just as quick, she said. Plus you got better paid. Getting pulled into a corner was an unparalleled opportunity in Kitty’s opinion.

His sloppy kiss upon her neck jerked Lily’s thoughts back to the present. An unparalleled opportunity, I don’t think. She’d gain more coin but lose her self-respect.

“Sir….” Politely, she tried to extricate herself from his embrace. “Sir! Sir, the music will end soon….” She turned her face away, hoping if she concentrated fixedly upon the dance floor she could get back out to it.

He mumbled something, his lips pressed against the curve of her jawbone, and continued to fondle the tops of her breasts. Her skin crawled at his touch. Not that he was behaving any worse than the other dancehall customers. Small wonder a steady trickle of girls walked out without notice each week.

“Do you not wish to finish our dance?” She attempted to pull away again, but he jerked her close.

“No, I’d much rather you finish off this.” His hand fumbled with the opening to his trousers as his hips furtively thrust against her. Not on my lovely dress! She shuddered to think what his abrasion, let alone his eventual wetness, would do to the fabric…. And she still owed money on it.

“Truthfully, sir, I am not…I don’t…I would really rather not….”

Laughter trickled through his sneering mouth. “That’s what you’re meant to say, I know. But you strumpets are never in earnest with your protests and false modesty.”

“Oh, I can assure you I am in earnest.” She endeavored to pull away once more.

He grabbed hold of her by her neck. “No, you don’t. I can’t stop now.” His voice sounded strained, and she didn’t like the look in his eyes.

“If you please,” she whispered, attempting a smile so as not to betray her growing horror, “I’ll just take the one ticket, sir. For the dance.”

“You’ll take what I give you and like it.”

Panic clutched at her heart. She couldn’t escape. She did not wish to do this—and he didn’t care. Flailing her fists, she pummeled him about the head and shoulders. His hand tightened about her throat. Changing tactics, she tried to pry his fingers loose, to no avail.

His grip hurt. She felt her lungs struggling for air as if they were battering against her corset’s constraints. No air. She couldn’t breathe. Her heart pounded wildly. She had to get out of here. Get…run….

“No!” She had meant it to be a scream. Instead she produced a breathless whisper the music easily drowned. No one would have paid her cries the least bit of attention anyway. A woman’s willingness did not matter. Most customers assumed this was what she was paid to do.

She kept scuffling despite the increasing heaviness of her limbs, despite the pointlessness. He was going to spend himself right here, in public, on her, and there was nothing she could do to stop him. With a biting stab of terror, she realized he might even kill her. And she would die in a stained dress. That relatively inconsequential concern almost made her smile at herself as dark spots obstructed her vision. What a ridiculous last thought to have.

“Hartengate.” It was a male voice, a stranger’s, rich, raspy and aloof, slicing like flint across the scuffle to pierce the haze in her brain.

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Decadent Publishing Releases Dance Macabre

2011-10-21T10:00:00.000-04:00

Please enjoy this Book Video
advertising my newly re-released
historical paranormal romance short story

DANCE MACABRE

available wherever ebooks are sold

from Decadent Publishing.

While it is cheapest to purchase from the publisher (above),
you can also purchase:

From Smashwords - all file types

From All Romance eBooks - most popular file types

From Amazon (for Kindle) US

From Amazon UK (for Kindle)

From Amazon FR (France) for Kindle

From Amazon Germany (for Kindle)

Stale Coffee Makes You Listless & Un-sexy

2011-10-20T10:00:00.000-04:00

From: http://www.kitchen-retro.com/2011/09/beware-of-stale-coffee.html

Fried Dough in Salem

2011-10-19T10:00:00.000-04:00

Haunted Happenings time in Salem and that means FRIED DOUGH!

I love fried dough. I also love the Yankee plain-speaking brevity that makes a person call it as they see it. While elsewhere in the United States these delicious treats are known by fantastically romantic names like Dragon Ears or Elephant Ears, here in Massachusetts they're just ... Fried Dough.

'Cause...y'know...that's what it is.

Death Stalks the Common

2011-10-18T10:00:00.000-04:00

Last weekend the music video cast and crew for the song based on my book HIDDEN HISTORY OF SALEM was in Salem filming. Apparently someone called the police about the man who was playing Death in the video, telling the cops a "scary man" with "a real axe" was on Salem Common.

Here he is, relocated to the wharf, the scary dude and his real axe:

I feel your fear.

I know if I assure you he's the sweetest fella in the world, you wouldn't believe me, right?

*sigh*

Caller, you waste police time. Salem, don't let me down like this again.

An Arachnophobe's Nightmare

2011-10-18T03:00:00.000-04:00

More Halloween decorations in Salem Massachusetts.

Houston Says, We Have a Problem

2011-10-17T15:00:00.001-04:00

Should Texas - a state intimately associated with space exploration - get none of the available Space Shuttles for its museum while New York City, a place with no NASA connections and no museum in which to place it yet, gets one? What do you think?

Fallout and Assassin's Creed (ish) Halloween Decor

2011-10-17T10:00:00.000-04:00

Halloween decorations in Salem, MA.

The biohazard reminds me of Fallout.

And yes, that is a plague doctor in black behind the guy in the hazmat suit.

Salem Halloween Ferris Wheel

2011-10-16T10:30:00.000-04:00

The carnival has returned to Salem Massachusetts. I love the witch on the ferris wheel.
It's all part of Salem's Haunted Happenings, which run the entire length of October.

Dance Macabre Banner

2011-10-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

Historical Paranormal Romance set in London.

Coming October 21st from Decadent Publishing.

You know you want it. ;)

For Neither Girls Nor Women

2011-10-14T10:30:00.000-04:00

Have you seen this new Dr. Pepper advertisement?

There has been some shock expressed at the perceived misogynistic content.

Good thing those American consumers don't know about the Yorkie chocolate bar wrapper - it's been this way for years:

What do you think?

Amusing or sexist?

Caption Writer Goes Rogue

2011-10-13T13:00:00.000-04:00

All images from nationally distributed Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail's online site
The captions are unchanged - this is how they appeared. Click the link above - there are more.

Hidden History of Salem Video with New Soundtrack

2011-10-12T10:00:00.000-04:00

I have re-done my HIDDEN HISTORY OF SALEM book-teaser

because MY BOOK INSPIRED A SONG

and that is just too cool not to share:

Buy the book! You'll like it. Click here

There's real history plus cool obscure facts plus ghost cats and candy and coffee and romance and a horrible murder - all sorts of interesting things. And we haven't even gotten to the witches.

Buy the single, too! It should be coming out in the next month or so. I'll keep you posted.

I love Shaun Dingwall

2011-10-11T19:00:00.000-04:00

Shaun Dingwall.

This man:

Is following me. OMG

I am preserving this brief, shining moment, because I'm certain he will unfollow soon -

once he realizes how utterly boring I really am.

That's a new type of anxiety, isn't it? Someone you like and respect follows you on Twitter or Tumblr and immediately you worry that whatever you post is unworthy and will result in unfollows.

Does that happen to you guys?

Pug Prop Spotted in Movie

2011-10-11T10:00:00.000-04:00

This pic is from the classic movie Gone With The Wind. It's the scene where Scarlett has taken over the lumber yard and her current husband Frank is scolding her about how she runs the business.

Notice the pug head prop.

This is an example of excellent scene dressing - pugs were exceptionally popular during the Victorian age and you can find pugs adorning all sorts of items, from pickle jars to inkwells.

This was not solely because of pug-loving people. Pugs were seen as a symbolic shorthand for status.

Anyone who had pretensions to being rich and classy would definitely have a pug on their office desk.

Salem's Peabody Essex and Me

2011-10-10T10:00:00.000-04:00

This is the lobby of the Peabody Essex Museum.

And in their Gift Shop:

Seeing my book on a shelf always makes me happy.

That book to the right is really good, too.

You should read all of them. All the books!

LOL

Vulcade Rules

2011-10-09T11:00:00.000-04:00

I love Chris Avellone. Seriously. He is the coolest dude.

And I shall now believe in my heart of hearts that Vulpes/Arcade is canon.

(FYI: The link in the above tweet I sent goes to THIS post)

Everything is Vulcade and nothing hurts!! You would not believe the squeee-ing and flailing of fan-girl arms that accompanied receiving this tweet. I was super-euphoric for the rest of the night. *dancing*

New Vulpes and Arcade Artwork!

2011-10-08T13:30:00.000-04:00

This splendiferous, fabulous, totally awesome piece of What Happens In Freeside Stays Vulpes/Arcade art was created by ROUTA.

Go watch her tumblr because she ROCKS!!

Uncle Sam's American Coffee

2011-10-06T13:30:00.000-04:00

American coffee from Uncle Sam's own possessions.

You don't see "buy American" in regards to coffee these days, do you?

Pugs Spotted in Ad

2011-10-04T10:30:00.000-04:00

Borg Motel

2011-09-30T10:30:00.000-04:00

Because even the Borg need to stay somewhere, right?

Pug Spotted in Ad

2011-09-29T15:00:00.000-04:00

Life's Too Short For the Wrong Job

2011-09-27T10:30:00.000-04:00

The Increase in Typos in Today's Books

2011-09-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

If over the past few years you've noticed an increase in typos in published books, you're not alone. And we're not talking small presses here, either. Big New York publishing houses have released their full share of glaring, embarrassing errors.

Well, prepare to be enlightened. These quotes are from an article by The New York Times' Virginia Heffernan on the subject:

Before digital technology unsettled both the economics and the routines of book publishing, they explained, most publishers employed battalions of full-time copy editors and proofreaders to filter out an author’s mistakes. Now, they are gone.

There is also “pressure to publish more books more quickly than ever,” an editor at a major publishing house explained. Many publishers now skip steps.

There ya go. Precisely what you suspected, right?
Then came this quote:

But on the Web, typos sometimes come with a price. “Spelling mistakes ‘cost millions’ in lost online sales,” said a BBC headline last week. The article cited an analysis of British Web figures that suggested that a single spelling mistake on an e-commerce site can hurt credibility so much that online revenues fall by half.

So that got me wondering... which leads to today's question for you ebook readers:

Do you apply this sentiment to ebooks? Do you find you judge ebooks more harshly than print books when it comes to typos?

Jake Gyllenhaal of Brokeback Mountain

2011-09-16T10:00:00.000-04:00

Schrodinger the Cat

2011-09-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

I stand corrected - there IS a named cat in Bioshock 2.

I was scavenging in the frozen Imago gallery, melting things - as you will when you're scavenging, and I melted a pile of ice to discover another Bioshock cat.

This one was upright, not tipped over. Like a living cat would be, except he's frozen. I moved my reticle to see if any word would come up for this kitty.

And laughed. I found Schrodinger the cat!

He's an Easter egg I'd heard about and forgotten, so I was very pleased to have stumbled upon him. (Being frozen, he is both alive and dead at the same time = Schrodinger's cat.)

If the upcoming Bioshock Infinite doesn't have this cat in it, I shall be highly disappointed.

Cats in Minerva’s Den

2011-09-09T10:00:00.000-04:00

The mystery of Bioshock’s cats deepens….

Okay, if you follow this blog, you know that there is one specific dead cat populating both the original Bioshock and Bioshock 2.

No dogs, no other cats. Just one black & white kitty who can be discovered in corners all over Rapture. And who wears solely the designation “corpse” – if anything at all.

Well.

I was playing the Bioshock 2 DLC Minerva’s Den and I found the cat again.

AND THIS TIME IT HAS A NAME:

His name is Babbage!

Much later in the adventure, I found another cat.

I had already jumped through this hole in the floor before I noticed him, so you don't have a good view of the cat's body. But you can see that he, too, has a name.

A DIFFERENT name!

This cat is named Turing!

Now, I immediately recognized that as a reference to famous British codebreaker, computer scientist, mathematician, and father of artificial intelligence Alan Turing.

So I looked up Babbage and - as you may already know - Charles Babbage was a British "mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer who originated the concept of a programmable computer," according to Wikipedia.

So now we know the theme of the cat names in Minerva's Den. But...

HOW MANY CATS ARE THERE?

If you have spotted a named cat in Bioshock, please comment here with the name. It would be interesting to collect them all.

And we still don't know whose idea these cats were.

Yes, the Bioshock cat mystery deepens….

Bioshock Cats UPDATE

2011-09-06T10:00:00.000-04:00

For all of you who have wondered about the prevalence of dead cats – or rather, one dead cat in particular – in Bioshock, the mystery continues….

Remember my blog post about this cat in original Bioshock? Well, the same cat appears in Bioshock 2. And this time, I have photos. (It’s like the Loch Ness Monster! Pictorial proof!)

Okay, here is your typical Bioshock cat:

See how it looks like it just tipped over? Not like the icky corpses of people.

That circle you see over its front paws is my PS3 reticle. You’ll notice no descriptive word has come up to identify the being.

Now here is a Bioshock cat you can uncover if you melt a specific pile of ice. This cat appears to have been frozen with some fish and a fisherman (perhaps its owner?).

This time, when the reticle is placed on the kitty, it is labeled “Corpse.” Same as the person.

And here is a kitty in a baby buggy. It is also merely labeled "Corpse."

In case you’re wondering, there are some models of dogs in Bioshock 2. They’re statues (possibly broken animatronics) located on this museum/ride thing that teaches children why Rapture was necessary. But no real dog bodies. Only real cats.

So the cat mystery continues.

We all live in a … underwater city that’s not actually yellow

2011-09-03T07:30:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Rapture, the underwater city where Bioshock and Bioshock 2 are set.

Although this is one of those Utopias Gone Very, Very Wrong, let’s pretend for a moment that Rapture actually turned out okay.

It’s beautiful, little bathyspheres float you around to different areas, there’s lots of lights and glass – lots of views of the sea life.

Of course, you’re always inside/enclosed (otherwise you’d drown) and there is no sunlight this deep.

So my question for you is this:

Could you live in an underwater city?

Ever Wonder About Coffee Roasts?

2011-08-26T10:30:00.000-04:00

A quality coffee post by enderrr:

Yes, folks, this is a coffee post. At least once a day someone comes in and asks me which different roasts we have, or tells me they’d like a cup of the dark roast because they ‘like strong coffee’. I politely tell them we have ‘medium’ roasted coffees exclusively. Why? Unlike many shops, we buy our coffee from a roaster who cares about quality, flavor, and integrity. This is not true with all shops, for many reasons (some valid, some not). However, we are lucky enough to work with truly specialty coffee. So, what exactly are the differences between roasts?

A light roast is characterized by a 426-435 degree rumble tumble in a roasting drum, and can last as short as 3 minutes. Roasters will listen for what’s called “first crack”; when the bean itself reaches about 405 degrees internally, it makes a soft cracking sound similar to popping corn (but softer in volume). These coffees mostly accurately present their origin flavors, and are put to excellent use in cuppings.

From 435-440 degrees, the beans will be classified as a medium roast. Roasted this way, a coffee will still be able to show off many individual characteristics of origin, as well as process and method of roasting chosen by the roastmaster. For this reason, most true artisan coffees are medium roast. They are sweeter, smoother and more balanced in acid, aroma, and complexity than any other roast. ...

* * *

For the rest of this fascinating article CLICK HERE

Roman Sweet Cheese Cake

2011-08-24T07:30:00.000-04:00

This blog post is from: http://bathsbloggers.blogspot.com/2011/08/sweet-cheese-cake-but-not-as-we-know-it.html

Sweet Cheese Cake but not as we know it....

You will need:

130 grams plain flour

250 grams ricotta cheese

1 egg

4 bay leaves

4 tablespoons of clear honey

Serves 4

Libum to be made as follows: 2 lb cheese well crushed in a mortar; when it is well crushed, add 1lb bread-wheat flour or, if you want it to be lighter, just half a pound, to be mixed well with the cheese. Add one egg and mix all together well. Make a loaf of this with leaves under it, and cook slowly in a hot fire under a brick

Cato on Agriculture 75

Cheese was generally salty in Roman times and while the recipe above does not state it, other sources for libum contain honey. The combination of a salty cheese and a honey finish would not go down too well; as such, a soft-cheese substitute has been chosen to make a ‘sweet’ cheese cake based on the recipe above.

Instructions

• Sift the flour into a bowl. Beat the cheese until smooth.

• Combine the flour, cheese and egg into a soft dough. It will be quite sticky.

• Split the dough into 4 and place on a grease-proof papered baking tray.

• Place them in the oven for 30 minutes, oven setting 220 degrees Celsius, until golden brown on top.

• Score and pour warmed honey over them.

• Leave to cool for 10 minutes and serve.

Recipe formed part of Bel's Tuesday Timetable event - What did they eat?

Original Fallout

2011-08-23T10:00:00.001-04:00

PC gaming is a completely different beast when you’re used to PS3 gaming.

I am currently playing the original Fallout on Steam. And I must admit, I was lost at the beginning. The concept of Taking Turns during battle eluded me. (“Why can’t I just kill this rat?”)

I also didn’t understand how to explore the map. I went directly to Vault 15, couldn’t find a rope, got ganged up on by five radscorpions and died without having saved. At all.

This turned out to be good, though, because the next time around I found Shady Sands, which led me to Junktown and The Hub. And I haven’t even been near Vault 15 yet. I also picked up Ian as a companion, which has saved my hide several times.

The pace of this game is…well…sedate when compared to Fallout 3 or Fallout New Vegas. It’s mental rather than physical.

For something more action-oriented on Steam, I tried Team Fortress 2.

You’d think someone who types all the time would easily adapt to using the keyboard as the game controller.

You’d be wrong.

I am laughably inept at remembering which keys move me and which change my weapon. I’m going to get a mouse and see if I do any better.

Technorati Tags: Fallout,PS3,PC,gaming,TF2,Team Fortress 2

Why Het Romance Is Boring

2011-08-19T00:30:00.000-04:00

I've got a theory about this.

I know a lot of female readers who have switched to male/male romance, not just because two hot men are better than one, but because they're finding het (male/female) romance boring. Not that the plots are slow or the same or whatnot, just that they don't care that much if the couple get together.

This is my theory: Sex ruins suspense.

Back in the day, love really was a battlefield for a female. Examine Jane Austen's stories carefully - there's a lot of quiet desperation there. If a woman couldn't find a husband, she was doomed to a life of dependency on the kindness of others--family, friends--and that often meant poverty.

She couldn't introduce herself to a man (a mutual acquaintance was required) and if she tried seducing a suitor not only her reputation but the reputation of her entire extended family could be ruined. She might be shunned socially, cast out of her family, and end up dying on the streets.

Single-motherhood was practically a fate worse than death, right up to the last few decades of the 20th century. Families that could, hushed it up by sending the woman away - saying she "went west for her health" or some other months-long, far-out-of-town vacation where, by the virtue of distance and anonymity in a new area, she could secretly give birth and give up her child.

Love, romance, marriage - these were life and death decisions for a woman. There was danger involved.

This isn't the case any more. Women need men like a fish needs a bicycle, right? ;)

A single woman can have everything on her own--a career, a child, her own place in society, success, happiness. She can have sex with whomever, whenever.

And since sex sells, the heroine is often required to have glorious sex every other chapter.

However, if you have a romance book where the conflict is: The sex is fantastic but do I really love him? You don't have any urgency. It's mundane. There's no danger anymore.

With male/male romance, the love itself is the danger.

Just by existing, it could threaten the welfare and future of the men involved, and their families - and extended families if the book is historical. In fact, the mere love itself could lead to jail time or death--right up to the last few decades of the 20th century (and even later).

So with m/m romance, the reader is actively engaged in cheering for the couple to succeed, hoping that, against all odds, despite all the blocks society placed in their way, they find their Happily Ever After.

There can still be hot sex, but many readers like the Forbidden Love aspect best. The longing looks. Breathless meetings. Fleeting touches.

The way het romance used to be written.

So anyway. That's my theory.

And the fact that two hot men are hot. :)

Bioshock Dead Cats

2011-08-16T10:27:00.000-04:00

I'm playing Bioshock (the first one) on my PS3. I'm trotting around. Shooting stuff. Evolving. Y'know how it is.

And I notice there are a lot of dead cats strewn about the place.

Not in piles or anything. And not gory, either. In fact, unlike the people, they look completely fine. Like they just tipped over and fell asleep. There's generally one per floor/section of each area, so if you scavenge--and I scavenge like a boss thanks to Fallout New Vegas--you're going to find a bunch of them.

They're never labelled "cat." If any word comes up at all when you put your reticle thing on them, it just says "corpse."

So I started to think, I wonder if one of the game's developers likes cats. Maybe has a cat like that. Because it's one specific black & white cat.

I can totally see someone sticking their own cat in a game. Probably because it's the sort of thing I'd do. (I did put my pug in a book, after all.)

So as I was sitting through the credits--yes, I sit through all credits, film ones, game ones. What? They're cool.

Anyway, I was sitting through the credits and I saw one fellow thanked his wife and his cats.

The quotes weren't attributed, but I totally want to ask this person if they are responsible for the prevalence of cats in Bioshock.

And thank him for a job well done. :)

Gobeur Strikes Again

2011-08-14T10:30:00.000-04:00

It’s like someone - Cass? - snuck up on them with a camera. Luv Arcade’s surprised look! XD

Kindlegraph - Kindle Autographs for All

2011-08-08T13:00:00.000-04:00

Yes, thanks to Kindlegraph, I can now personally autograph your Kindle copies of my books!

To request a personal signing, go here:

http://kindlegraph.com/authors/SusanneSaville

More Gobeur Arcade/Vulpes

2011-08-05T10:00:00.000-04:00

I just love these two together (obviously). :) Gobeur clearly has a window into my brain....

I should start wearing my tinfoil hat more often!

All About Me or Coffee Questions

2011-08-02T10:00:00.000-04:00

A friend on Tumblr asked me to share my coffee opinions (being the coffee minx that I am), and I thought y'all might be interested, too. So. Let's talk coffee:

Favorite roast: I’m a breakfast roast (light/medium) gal.

Favorite at-home brewing method: KEURIG keurig keurig keurig (this should be said like “GARY”* - one word to rule them all). I used to have an industrial one but since then I’ve had to make due with the home versions and I wear them out in 1 year. On my third machine now. You might think this means I drink too much coffee. You would, of course, be wrong. ;)

Coffee partners: Cream and sugar. Always take my coffee with cream -if I can get it, otherwise milk - and sugar. When I was dieting (bwahahahaha) I tried sugar-substitutes but they make the coffee taste funny.

What Fancy-schmancy Espresso Drink Would You Be?: Hmmm…. Latte Macchiato with caramel or cinnamon. Hot, sweet, and frothy. :) Or a Mochaccino with a strong chocolate-y flavor, as that is the best mochaccino to be.

Favorite store coffee: Dunkin Donuts. And not just because I can give you directions to my house from three different Dunkins in my neighborhood. Dunkin Donuts. They’re EVERYWHERE.

So - what would YOUR answers to these questions be?

*It's a Fallout thing. Sorry. Into almost every post a little Fallout must...fall.

Wait...Does This Mean...?

2011-07-31T06:48:00.000-04:00

Just finished watching an old (1951) mystery movie on Netflix - typical innocent man framed for crime, on the run, etc. Only two people will help him, and older man and a (loose) woman.

I like these sorts of old movies, so it was fun. And then at the end, when the crime is solved and his innocence proven and we're ready for the big Happily Ever After...

HE GIVES THE WOMAN A WRISTWATCH AND GOES OFF WITH THE OLDER MAN.

And I'm like: Wait... Wait.... Did that just happen? The woman got a practical gift ... and he's going off to live on the isolated desert ranch with the older man? What year... 1951?! I didn't know you were allowed to end a movie like that in 1951.

I'm still amused.

Litter Shark Alert

2011-07-02T15:15:00.000-04:00

I bought an automatic-cleaning litter box the other day. The cats loved it.

Then one of them happened to catch sight of it doing its auto-clean. He has refused to use it since.

I closed him in the bathroom (where the litter box is) with me to show him it was harmless....

Cat: “I saw it move. I saw that thing rise up and open it’s maw like a shark.”

Me: “Okay, no more you watching tv with me. It’s giving you wrong ideas. There are no litter sharks.”

Cat: “I know what I saw.”

Me: (picks up litter scoop, runs it across pan) “Look. See? Nothing happens.”

Cat: “Just wait. It won’t STAY dormant if you keep POKING IT WITH A STICK.”

Me: “Honestly. It’s on a timer. It will never touch you.”

Cat: “See how my nose is pressed to the crack between the door and jamb? That means I want OUT.”

Me: “But it’s perfectly safe.”

Cat: “Yeah, right. You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”

Redcoats in Salem

2011-06-19T14:36:00.000-04:00

Skylarking Uteri

2011-05-31T10:00:00.032-04:00

This snippet is from a late Victorian medical book written by a (male) doctor.

I just love the line:

"... I am afraid the poor little uterus would be constantly skylarking from one part of the pelvis to the other."

My first thought upon reading this was that Aristotle's theory of hysteria certainly took a looonng time to die. (This was the theory that a roaming uterus was what caused women to become over-emotional (hysterical). Thus by definition only women could be hysterical. Men had no uteri to make them behave so emotionally.)

My second thought was, no wonder so many women died in childbirth, if that was the state of their gynecological knowledge.

Although, it would make for a great call-in-sick excuse:
"I'm sorry, I can't come in to work today. My uterus has gone skylarking."

Fallout New Vegas Fan Art

2011-05-25T12:25:00.002-04:00

Okay, so y'all know I'm a big Fallout New Vegas fangirl, right?
For the uninitiated, it's this game here:

I write derpy little fanfictions about it. (And by fanfic I mean fluff and pr0n.)

Ahem. Moving on....

Some absolutely fantastically talented artists have honored my non-canonical little 'verse and the pair I ship with some radically awesome pieces of art.

You cannot imagine how touched and humbled I felt when I first saw these. Most of them are on dA here. But as a few aren't, I thought I'd post them here so everyone could see them and pet them and bask in the light from their general awesomeness.

First let's get you acquainted with the pair I ship. The above masterpiece is by GOBEUR

This next one is by GOBEUR as well.

Vulpes doesn't actually have a tail, of course. But isn't it adorable? :)

These next ones are on deviantArt:

Vulpes in Vegas by ~MissLadyVenom on deviant ART

A Scarred Frumentarii by ~MissLadyVenom on deviant ART

Fallout NV - I cannot hate you by *lilibombe on deviant ART

weight of the world. by *DrowVisionary on deviant ART

Aren't they wonderful? If you're on dA, you should watch these folks. They are total awesomesauce with a side of brilliance.

Jealous Hearts

2011-05-19T09:19:00.020-04:00

Still waiting for the Fallout New Vegas DLC Honest Hearts.
(Hi, I'm a PS3 owner.)

Reeaaally want to see how Zion looks. I've been to Zion IRL. And Bryce Canyon. Have to admit, after Bryce, Zion seemed a bit of a let down. Which isn't it's fault. Let me show you.

This is Bryce.

This is Zion.

The approach to Zion, as you can see, is on the floor of the canyon.

The approach to Bryce is on the top, like it is for the Grand Canyon.

Being on the top rim makes it easier to see the magnificence of the place immediately. With Zion, you just can't appreciate the full scope. You have to go do the trails and get to an overlook. Which we didn't have time to do. So I'll definitely have to go back some day.

In any case, it should be a cool setting for Honest Hearts.

For all in a twenty mile radius...

2011-05-14T11:11:00.001-04:00

In case you haven't seen this:

And now, the Fallout New Vegas version:

Many thanks to Hark A Vagrant and the Fallout KinkMeme.

Letters From The Past

2011-05-02T09:00:00.001-04:00

I'm a research fiend. I admit it. I love the hunt for obscure facts, the thrill of discovery... far more than the tedium of actually writing the stuff down. So I spend ages sorting through ephemera on tangential subjects that will never actually imbed themselves anywhere but inside my brain JUST BECAUSE that's my idea of a fun weekend.

So, I'm researching along on another book about Salem (no, there can never be too many, shut up) and I come across this. And I must share.

These are real, actual letters written by a third grade class in Salem as part of a school exercise, asking what they would like to be when they grew up. The first is fanciful, something you might expect from an 8 year-old:

This next one is from a boy with a startling grasp of the reality of being a soldier:

"Then I will come home if I am alive." That's sort of chilling to hear from a little kid.

But this last one, this one... for the consummate expression of bleak existentialist crisis, look no further:

I think this is worthy of an OMG.

Can you imagine being 8 years old and knowing the individuality of your life is meaningless? This is 1912. Women can't vote. They aren't expected to have a career - many jobs are simply not open to them. Their property is generally controlled by a father or husband. Elinor is in third grade and she already knows her future:

"I want to be married because there is nothing else to do."

Wilde and Uncensored

2011-04-27T12:45:00.000-04:00

Have you read this yet?
A new uncensored edition of Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray has been released.

What I find particularly amusing is the reasoning behind the censoring in the first place - the editor "Decid[ed] that the novel as it stood contained "a number of things which an innocent woman would make an exception to"..."

While it really annoys me that women are being used as an excuse by men, it also makes me laugh. Because I imagine if anyone had actually asked a woman about it, the conversation would have gone something like this:

Male Editor: Would you be willing to read this piece of slash fiction?

Woman: Slash? I love slash! Gimme!

Male Editor: Dammit. You're supposed to be repulsed. The homoerotic subtext is right out in the open.

Woman: Yes! Yes, yes, yes! Hand it over NOW!

Male Editor: Well, no, I'm sorry. You'll have to wait until something called The Internet removes the editor-as-gatekeeper model and makes slash available to all.

Woman: Dammit.

Pigs Take Main Street

2011-04-22T02:55:00.000-04:00

I honestly love our local news:

Police responded to five large pigs stopping traffic on Main Street. Two cruisers and Lt. Bob Hazelwood joined the effort to return the pigs to their pen. It wasn't easy. "One of those pigs is over 400 pounds," Hazelwood noted. Nor are pigs easily cowed. They don't move even when confronted or coaxed. Police eventually resolved the problem by shaking containers of grain, which the hungry pigs were unable to resist and happy to follow.

Giant Book Fair Coming to Los Angeles

2011-04-02T14:22:00.015-04:00

When:
Saturday April 9 2011 from 11am to 2pm

Who:
Over 300 authors (including me) will be signing books from all genres.
$5 at the door.
You can bring your own books to be signed or buy books there.

Where:
Westin Bonaventure Hotel
404 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles California

More Info and a List of Authors Attending:
[link]

School Funding - Listen up, Idaho!

2011-02-22T14:22:00.001-05:00

For a well-reasoned, well-written essay on the reality of teaching in today's public schools, please read:

Thoughts on Policy Changes:

"I teach elementary school. My students hug me at the end of the day. At the start of vacations, they tell me ..."