We live in a globalized world, but mobility is nothing new. Set on a huge continental stage, By Steppe, Desert and Ocean tells the story how human society evolved across the Eurasian continent from Europe to China.
The post A history of firsts [slideshow] appeared first on OUPblog.
Grace
What firsts and lasts come to mind today?
Behind the question
Can I just tell you how proud I am of Heather? This is her first published book to hit the shelves and what an awesome cover! Who wouldn't pick this up?
I remember the first time I met Heather at the Chick Lit Writers party. And then, I remember when Heather won the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart award. She looked fabulous and gave an eloquent speech. I knew that gal was going places.
And look at her now. If this book isn't already in your TBR pile, then go out and get it now.
Since we're talking about firsts, I thought I'd share a first experience of mine that I just had. As you all know, I'm going through a big life change and have been living a bit more of an adventurous life. Our readers know that I learned to SCUBA dive (and recently encountered about sixty or so dogfish sharks on a dive in New England), but I also did something that I've wanted to do foooooooooooooooooorever!
I went parasailing!
You know, I'm a writer...but I find it hard to form the exact words to explain what an amazing experience this was. For lack of a better description, it's like you're ascending into heaven. It's so ridonkulously peaceful, I can't even begin to tell you. The wind is quiet and serene and there's nothing but the soft flap of the sail behind you and your own thoughts.
First, you get strapped into the life jacket and then put in the harness at the back of the boat. You sit on your bottom and grip the bar over head. The shoot is fully inflated and then the boat takes off.
As the boat gets up speed, the rope is released little by little until you are about five hundred feet in the air. NOT even kidding! We were up there for about 12 minutes before they started reeling us in. At the very end, before you get back to the boat, they stop so that you plunge into the water up to your waist. Very refreshing. Our guy even dunked us twice upon our yelled request.
Then, they reel you back in and you're done. All in a matter of moments. And you realize...I did it!
It truly is breathtaking!
And as you know, Heather's giving away books this week, so if you'd like to be entered in today's drawing, please leave a comment in the trail and let us know if you've ever been parasailing. Have you ever wanted to? Do you think I'm insane? LOL!! Feel free to leave as many comments as you'd like.
Again...major congrats to Heather!!!
Hugs and love,
Marley = )
GHOST HUNTRESS: THE GUIDANCE
THE OTHER SIDE: A TEEN'S GUIDE TO GHOST HUNTING AND THE PARANORMAL
Both available now!
For no particular reason, my post today is about famous firsts. (Okay, so there is a particular reason, but you'll have to read to the end to find out.)
Famous First Lines:
- It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. ~ Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
- It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. ~ 1984 by George Orwell
- It was about eleven o'clock in the morning, mid October, with the sun not shining and a look of hard wet rain in the clearness of the foothills. ~ The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
- It was a pleasure to burn. ~ Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
- "Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on the rug. ~ Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Television Firsts:
- First couple to share a bed? Mary Kay and John Stearns on the 1940s sitcom, Mary Kay and Johnny.
- First openly gay character? Peter Panama on 1972's The Corner Bar.
- First interracial kiss? Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura on a 1968 episode of Star Trek.
- First commercial? Bulova Watch Company in 1941.
- First televised tour of the White House? Jackie Kennedy in 1962.
American Firsts:
- Anne Bradstreet — first published American woman writer (1650)
- George Washington — first President of the United States (1789)
- Elizabeth Blackwell — first American woman to receive a medical degree (1849)
- Hiram Revels — first African-American senator (ironically, he took over the term of Jefferson Davis, who had resigned to become president of the Confederacy)
- Victoria Woodhall — first woman to run for President of the United States (1872)
- Annie Moore — first immigrant to pass through Ellis Island (1892)
- Teddy Roosevelt — first American to win the Nobel peace prize (1906)
- Alan Shepard — first American in space (1961)
- Thurgood Marshall — first African-America supreme court justice (1967)
And now for the timely event that has me posting about firsts today ...
first African-American president of the United States
BARACK OBAMA
What a momentous day.
Hugs,
TLC
OH. MY. GODS. (available now!)
GODDESS BOOT CAMP (coming June 2009)
teralynnchilds.com
It's not everyday that you get to build a library.
Somehow, thanks to my Library School™ one of my focuses was Collection building. And thanks to my degree, and a lovely woman with fashionably bobbed white hair in Columbus Ohio Library Administration, I popped out of my first phase of librarianhood with a few gold stars on my chart.
My first library was an image collection. Upon being hired,
In a recent post on query statistics (which I will try to do more of), I mentioned that I would let you know some of the reasons I was rejecting books, and word count was something that came into play regularly. When does a book get rejected for word count? When it’s much, much too short or much, much too long.
Here is a rough guide of what agents and editors expect when it comes to word count. And yes, there are exceptions to every rule.
- Most novels are roughly 80,000 to 100,000 words. Anything I don’t mention here should be within that range, give or take 5,000 words. And by the way, when I think word count I think 250 words per double-spaced page with one-inch margins. That’s the way most publishers look at word count. Using Microsoft Word’s count could mess you up since three words of dialogue technically takes up a full line, and word count is about production costs.
- Cozy mysteries: 70,000 to 90,000 words. Usually on the short end of that.
- Category romance: Anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 (note this is Harlequin/Silhouette only)
- Fantasy: Can run longer, up to 120,000 words
Anything too far above or below these figures will often get an automatic rejection from people unless your query is unbelievably compelling.
While I do frequently reject based on word count, it’s not even the most common reason I reject something. I would suspect that the biggest reason something gets rejected from me is because it just doesn’t sound that different or interesting. Your writing might be great, but the story sounds ho-hum. Nothing really stands out or, even worse, you tell me about the issues your book addresses. Trust me. No one cares whether or not your book discusses love and forgiveness or is a social satire. In the end we all just want a really great book—great plot, great characters, great writing.
When going through rejections I often see queries that sound like good ideas. The concept was interesting, but the plot description was so horrible that I passed. If that’s the same writing that I can expect to see in the book, then I don’t want to read any further.
At other times the plot was too slight. The query was very well written and I didn’t doubt that the author could write, but the plot sounded so boring and linear that I had to pass. In other words, if you couldn’t make the book sound different or interesting it wouldn’t matter to me, to editors, or eventually to readers how well it was written. No one would get past the first few chapters.
Any time an author mentions that the book probably still needs an edit, I run. If you don’t feel your book is as near to perfect as you’re going to get it, then I don’t feel it’s ready for me to send around yet.
Essentially, though, your query has to have two things to make me ask to see more. It has to have an interesting and different concept and it has to be well written. It has to give me a sense that when I get the book I already know the writing is going to be solid.
Jessica
I've never been parasailing but I think that it would be a cool thing to do. It's awesome that you had that adventure, Marley! :)
I never have--but I really want to!!
I've never been parasailing. I'd like to do it, but it's something that would terrify mu husband. But maybe it's something I would do solo.
That's an adventure I'd love to take! It must feel like being bird.
I've never been parasailing, but the view looks gorgeous!
Oh parasailing sounds like so much fun! I've seen people do it, and I want to do it too!
And I have to agree, the cover of never cry werewolf is gorgeous!
sara
Insane, no? Brave and utterly cool? Totally! Wow, Marley, I am way too chicken so you can live that dream for both of us!
I've never went parasailing, but my mom has.... But of course, she' the crazy one in our family! : ) Not that you're crazy or anything.... :o)
~GirlforChrist
Yes, I have gone parasailing before. It was in Kenora, Ontario and it was incredible!! I want to do it again!
wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com
I've never been parasailing but I've seen people do it and I've wanted to so much!!
wow, parasailing! never did that, dont have the guts for it, too high brr! But you are really a power girl to take the dare to do it! thumbs up! : )
Marley -- I am so proud of all these cool things you are doing! Wow! It's awesome watching you bloom. ;)
I definitely don't think you're insane! I SO wanna go parasailing! And seeing your pics and hearing your story makes me wanna go even more! My sis, her friend and I are supposed to go sky diving at the end of this month for my b-day. Can't wait! Parasailing is next.
Parasailing sounds really cool! I want to try it at least once before I become too old LOL. =]
kate.readthisbook [at] gmail [dot] com