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Okay, it’s time for FAN ART FRIDAY.

Technically it is a bit past time for FAF, because it’s Saturday and everything. Apologies, but Leaky-Con was rather exhausting. There were many panels and signings and such, and then a trip to Disney World with Maureen Johnson.

I haz proof:

Ah, the fun we had in the hat shop.

Leaky-Con was really great. The Harry Potter fans, especially those at Lit Day, were just incredible. A nicer bunch of people you will never meet.

Here’s proof of that fact, in the form of a pressie that Potter-fan Maya gave me:

See? Even when they’re expressing scary sentiments, it’s all beautifully cross-stitched!

Anyway, thanks to all the volunteers and staff and organizers of Leaky-Con and Lit Day. You were all awesome. Too much fun was had.

Oh, and thanks to Cassie-la for letting me borrow her hipster wizard sign:

It’s the tree that makes it funny.

And now it’s time for Fan Art Friday! Long awaited, but never abated!

We begin with “I Wish I Were a Man,” from Awesome O’clock:

What makes this particularly cool is that it’s based on a real US propaganda poster from 1917:

Nice work, Awesome O’clock. (Or may I just call you Awesome?)

And for some more of Deryn looking soldierly, check out this piece from Delinquent Unicorn:

This picture has what you call directionality!

And now for some Deryn and Alek action, starting with this delightful sketch from Shenli, called “Wandering Hands”:

Awkward moment is awkward. It’s amazing how many people have done fan art based on that one short fencing scene.

Perhaps you would like some kissing? If so, here’s “Airmanship” by teaspoon00:

And for more kissing, how about “Engine Grease” by theprinceofparties?

Some of

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Just when I sat to write today's post, my kids swarmed me asking for things they wanted or needed.

"Mom? Can Jordy and I have the Craft Box down?"

"Mama? Can we have a drink and a snack?"

"MOM! Sophie is bugging me!"

These are just a few. Needless to say I completely lost my train of thought once I sat back down. It happens to me often. But I don't give up. No matter what we have to keep writing, even with life's distractions all around us. I thought of a post I wrote on Dianne Segan's blog a couple of years ago while on my Blog Tour for I'm Not Weird, I Have SPD. She asked me to write a post about how to squeeze writing in around my busy life and kids. And I thought it was appropriate to share it here today. Here it is and feel free to share your own thoughts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One of the questions I get asked most often is, “Where on earth do you find the time for writing with four young children?” Believe me, there are days I wonder the very same thing. But I’ve come to realize that writing isn’t just something I love to do, it’s something I need to do. It helps keep me in touch with that part of myself that isn’t “Mama,” and that’s very important—for all of us. Allow me to explain.

I’m actually a late bloomer as far as getting into writing professionally. It’s not that I never had the time to write I was simply too nervous having my work out there for everyone to read. I mean, who the heck would have been interested in what I had to say? But as time went on, my courage increased with each story or article I’d let the world see until I’d made it almost a full-time gig. Then my Jaimie was born and writing had to stop temporarily.

I knew very early on that my miracle girl struggled with something. None of us knew what it was and she tried telling us in her own ways but we didn’t understand. After two years, we finally got someone—a fantastic occupational therapist (OT) named, Donna—to listen to our pleas. After a few hours with Jaimie she told us Jaimie had Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Now I’m the sort of person who can deal with anything as long as I have the information. I read every book available at that time, read articles, did online research and absorbed myself completely in understanding this mystery “SPD.”

You see there is much debate on whether SPD is a “real” disorder despite the fact that thousands of families are afflicted by it and tons of research backs it up. That made me angry. I lived with Jaimie each and every day watching how the tiniest things in her environment bothered her and caused her pain—things the rest of us take for granted—and yet it’s still considered “invisible.” That’s when I started writing again.

My passion to help my daughter by helping others understand her became my writing goal. Plus writing for me is therapeutic—it helps me re-focus on what’s important, calms me down when I’m not able to turn my mind off and gets rid of any of residue from the day’s stressors. Most importantly, it makes me feel like I’m doing something proactive in helping Jaimie since I can’t change the world so it doesn’t hurt her, cause her confusion or distress. I can, however, help that world accept her for who she is and see things through her eyes. And now you know why squeezing that writing time in each day is so important to everyone in my house.

Hey! You can do it too. Really. I used to get frustrated when I wasn’t able to sit for a writing session for a specified amount of time until I realized I still could. I just needed

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This Saturday is a day to do odd chores around the house, stuff like: washing the car, doing laundry (well, we do that every day actually), weeding the garden, pulling out things that have bloomed, fruited or leafed and are now done, planting new things in their place, sorting papers in the studio, paying bills...all that sort of thing. I just discovered that the new hose has quite a bit of water pressure and washed the house. I've never washed a house before. Very satisfying.

Last night Tristam was presented with an award for his continued efforts in dance class. We were proud parents for sure. Fred and I started him in dance in the last part of his kindergarten year and his first classes were spent mostly staring at himself in the mirror making faces with his tireless dance teacher trying to coax some dance moves out of him. Now he is on the boys hip hop team (which he has to audition for) and has some seriously cool moves and lots of confidence and is having a blast. Good stuff.

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Submissions are invited between Aug. 1 and Oct. 15, 2011 for the literary contest sponsored by Dogwood: A Journal of Poetry and Prose. Dogwood, the national annual literary magazine of Fairfield University, is resuming publication and its annual contest, now with $500 prizes in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction and with new editor Sonya Huber. Dogwood has published poets such as Elton Glaser, Allison Joseph, Virgil Suarez, and Joshua Mehigan, and fiction writers such as Eric Gabriel Lehman, Nalini Jones, Tom Hazuka, and Gina Ochsner. Judges for the competition have included former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, NEA Chairman Dana Gioia, and Oprah book club author A. Manette Ansay. Work from Dogwood has been selected for The Pushcart Prize Anthology and has been featured on Verse Daily.


The judges for this year's contest will be Ira Sukrungruang in prose and Katherine Riegel in poetry. Katherine Riegel’s first book of poetry is Castaway (FutureCycle Press 2010). Her poems and essays have appeared in numerous journals, including Crazyhorse, the Cream City Review, and Terrain.org. She is co-founder and poetry editor for the independent online journal Sweet: A Literary Confection. She teaches at the University of South Florida and lives in Brandon. Visit her website.

Ira Sukrungruang is the author of Talk Thai: The Adventures of Buddhist Boy. His work has appeared in many literary journals, including North American Review, Creative Nonfiction, and The Sun. He teaches in the MFA program at the University of South Florida. Visit his website.

Submissions will be accepted for the annual contest between August 1 and October 15, 2011, using the online submission manager. The contest entry fee of $10 will include a free copy of Dogwood with the winning entries and finalists.

Submission Guidelines:
Submit fiction or nonfiction up to 25 pages or three poems (max ten pages) using the online submission manager. Please double space and use 12-point font.
Include a brief bio in the cover letter field on the submission manager, but no name should appear on the mss.
If you choose not to enter the contest, please include “non-contest” in your document title in the online submission manager.
Simultaneous submissions allowed if Dogwood is notified of acceptance elsewhere.
Previously published work is not eligible.
Deadline: October 15, 2011
If you choose to enter the contest, please send in a $10 check per prose entry or group of three poems. Make check payable to Fairfield University, write the name of your entry and the genre on the memo line of the check, and mail to:

Sonya Huber, Editor
Dogwood, English Dept.
Fairfield University
North Benson Rd.
Fairfield, CT 06824-5195

All contest entries meeting these requirements will be considered for publication in Spring 2012 Issue of Dogwood along with selected non-contest submissions.
For more information, please go here. Or email:

dogwoodliterary(at)gmail.com
replace (at) with @ in sending e-mail

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 Every day I'm better. Every day I feel fully myself for a little longer. I'm sleeping less—though  I still took two short naps and one long one yesterday, felt depleted much of the day regardless, and then slept soundly through the night. On the other hand, friends were here from 9 in the morning till 1:30 in the afternoon, helping in the house, bringing delightful food, and sharing their healing energy with me.
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The Tenth Glass Woman Prize reading period is now in effect, from March 22, 2011 through September 21, 2011.

GUIDELINES FOR The tenth Glass Woman Prize:

The Tenth Glass Woman Prize will be awarded for a work of short fiction or creative non-fiction (prose) written by a woman. Length: between 50 and 5,000 words. The top prize for the tenth Glass Woman Prize award is US $500 and possible (but not obligatory) online publication; there will also be one runner up prize of $100 and one runner up prize of $50, together with possible (but not obligatory) online publication.

Subject is open, but must be of significance to women. The criterion is passion, excellence, and authenticity in the woman's writing voice. Previously published work and simultaneous submissions are OK. Authors retain all copyright is retained by the author.

There is no reading fee.

Previous winners are welcome to submit again for any subsequent prize.

Submission deadline: September 21, 2011 (receipt date). Notification date: on or before December 21, 2011.

The winners will be announced on this web page. Submissions will not be returned, rejected, or otherwise acknowledged except for the winner and results announcement on this web page. I promise that every submission will be read with respect and with commitment to the voices of women in this world.

Only one submission per person per submission period, by email, with "Glass Woman Prize Submission" in the subject line and the text pasted in the body of the email (no attachments!*) to:

glasswomanprize(AT)gmail(DOT)com

IMPORTANT:

- "Glass Woman Prize Submission" in subject line
- Text in body of email
- Please put your email address in the body of the email as well

I will regretfully ignore and delete submissions of anything other than specified above, for example: submissions with any kind of attachment*, more than one piece of writing in a given prize reading period, more than 5,000 words, poetry, plays, or submissions without "Glass Woman Prize Submission" in the subject line of the email.

*Please note that some fancy email stationery comes across as attachment; almost all illustrations come across as attachments; please do not use them in connection with the Glass Woman Prize.

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Because I studied Economics at University, I would expect myself to be more educated on this topic. Instead, I find that I am lying awake worrying at night instead of reading up. Like others, I signed a bunch of petitions and hoped that my representatives in Congress would find a way out of this gridlock. I even refused to sign the last few haranguing President Obama on the subject of Social Security -- even though that is the majority of what I live on these days -- because I'm willing to give a little just to end this stalemate.
I am dismayed that our country has come to this, and I blame RACISM. I fear and believe that the Republicans were so shocked and outraged that we elected President Obama that they are doing everything they can to ensure his is a one term presidency. And within a very short time of his taking the reins, Democrats too began to lose patience. Apparently they thought they had elected a savior rather than a politician. And so, we failed him. Had all of us who elected him stood behind him from the outset, really backed him all the way, we would not be in this mess. But we didn't. And now he is having to try to steer his way, almost completely alone.
We will blame him for this default.
And when that happens, or whatever happens -- because what miracle could happen now to overturn these past few years? Even finding and killing Osama bin Laden didn't make much difference. Whatever happens, we will be a long time waiting for our next president of color.
So, if you are like me, worrying what will happen if our government chooses default over compromise, think about why we are making that choice. Why the two parties can't reach a compromise. Why our President is up there in his shirt sleeves mucking out the stalls all alone.

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Independent Publishing News: Book Business News! 7-16-11: "SPECIAL: AMAZON and Lightning Source: What NEXT? an Article from Aaron Shepard’s Publishing Blog ~ The End of an Era, or Moving to plan B" byAaron Shepard

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Why does a drawing appeal so differently to our minds than a photograph? Do we feel a kinship because we know that reality has been filtered through the human eye and the human hand?

From Freehand Perspective and Sketching, by Dora Norton, 1914.

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The new novel by Geraldine Brooks, CALEB'S CROSSING, is set primarily on Martha’s Vineyard and in Cambridge, MA., during the 17th century.

Bethia Mayfield, the protagonist, is an intelligent, thoughtful, restless spirit. She and a native Indian boy defy society’s norms by secretly becoming close friends.

The first portion of the book takes place in 1660. When Bethia’s mother dies in childbirth, she must raise the infant, Solace, in addition to the usual household chores. But she escapes the household drudgery occasionally to enjoy the beauty of the island she loves with its “briny air, its ever changing light . . . the clean and glassy breakers breaking on the sands, the clay cliffs flaring russet and purple each sunset.”

The second section of the book begins in 1661, only one year later, but the reader is immediately dismayed at the change in Bethia’s life. What happened? Where is her sister Solace? Her father?

She’s living in Cambridge, with the “flat fens and dung-strewn pastures” surrounding an “unlovely town” with houses “pressed tight together on narrow lots that have formed a barrier to the drainage of the land behind, so that in foul weather all turns swamp and mire.”
“Since the townsfolk do not trouble where they tip their slops, the air reeks, and everywhere the middens rise, rotting in steaming piles of clutter and muck. The creek is brackish . . . since the town uses it as a drain.”

In this detestable atmosphere, Bethia’s now both cook and housekeeper to Master Corlett’s boy students. I read faster and faster to find out why. I had to wait thirty-two pages to find out about her sister Solace. And forty-four pages to find out what happened to her father and why she's now an indentured servant.

Geraldine Brooks played with my curiosity, but I kept reading. Does the author risk losing readers by withholding information too long? When does this trick work? When does it fail?

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WOW, guys, WOW. You have GOT to watch this. This is freaking AWESOME.

3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing technology where a three dimensional object is created by laying down successive layers of material. 3D printers are generally faster, more affordable and easier to use than other additive manufacturing technologies. 3D printers offer product developers the ability to print parts and assemblies made of several materials with different mechanical and physical properties in a single build process. Advanced 3D printing technologies yield models that can serve as product prototypes.

Since 2003 there has been large growth in the sale of 3D printers. Additionally, the cost of 3D printers has declined. The technology also finds use in the jewelry, footwear, industrial design, architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), automotive, aerospace, dental and medical industries, education, GIS, civil engineers, etc.

Source

I had no idea this technology even existed.

Then again, I’m pretty much clueless all the time, so what else is new, right?

Filed under: random stuff

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Melissa Walker is adorable.  She's the author of five YA books, a sometimes guest on big TV shows, a name you'll find in the Times Style section, a magazine writer, and an observer of our times.  She is also out there on a daily basis telling the stories of how other writers' novels came to be, how they settled in with their jacket art.  A few years ago, when I knew few souls out here in the Land of Blog, Melissa made a video log after she read my second young adult book, House of Dance.  It made me cry.  Later, she gave me room to tell the cover art stories of several of my novels.  Melissa, moreover, is part of the reason that I had the good fortune to serve as the Readergirlz inaugural author in residence.  Melissa reaches out, is what I'm saying.  She reaches out all the time, even as her own career and fame and family grow.

For many reasons, then, I am here today celebrating Melissa's debut in the pages of the New York Times Book Review—a Carlene Bauer review of Small Town Sinners, Melissa's fifth book, debuting Tuesday.  It's a glowing review, noting, among other things:

Walker has written a credible and tender evocation of the moment when a young person’s beliefs begin to emerge and potentially diverge from the teachings of a family’s religion. Lacey’s blind faith may not be entirely understandable to those who have never believed as she does. But for teenagers raised in more evangelical homes, as I was, the character’s spiritual life will ring absolutely true. 

"YOU SO ROCK!!!!!" I wrote to Melissa, when I saw the review at 4:30 this morning.  And that's because she does.  A big blue ribbon to Melissa, then, on this happy day.

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THE STORYBOOK PROJECT AT NORTH CENTRAL UNIT PRISON/CALICO ROCK

A man is reading Pinocchio to his son. The boy is miles away, and the man is reading into a digital recorder. He is an inmate in a state prison. The Storybook Project will mail the book and the recording to the child. The goal is “to keep families connected through reading.”

Warden David White has invited The Storybook Project to the North Central Unit in Calico Rock. He predicts about 200 inmates will want to participate each year.

The Storybook Project/North Central Unit will hold its first meeting
Thursday, July 21, 6:00 p.m.
Calico Rock Cumberland Presbyterian Church
692 Highway 56E

Pat Oplinger of Cherokee Village will discuss the program her group has run at the Newport Correctional Facility for the past thirteen years. Warden White and Accreditation Specialist Gary Teague will discuss how the program will be implemented at the North Central Unit.

Susan Varno has volunteered to start this new program. “The Storybook Project is a way for people in Izard, Baxter and Stone Counties to thank the prisoners for the work they have done in our communities: cleaning up after the ice storm and floods, repairing city streets, helping rebuild the Wolf House and more.”

If The Storybook Project completes 100 recordings twice a year, the Project must raise about $2000 annually. Initially they will have to raise an extra $1500 to buy digital recorders and at least 300 books.

At the meeting, committees will be set up for fundraising, book buying, making the recordings at the prison and mailing the books and recordings. Anyone from Baxter, Izard or Stone County interested in this project should attend the meeting or contact Susan Varno at [email protected] or 870-297-4223.

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