Take Time to Stop and Smell the Roses

Life this past week has been incredibly hectic.  Between final rehearsals for Shakespeare’s The Tempest and the final edits needed to make The Promise ready for publication, I haven’t really had a chance to look around at life much.  Oh, bad news penetrates the bubble and you hear about the Israeli-Hamas conflict as well as more fallout from the very public shoot down of MH17 over the skies of Donetsk in Ukraine.  But not much more outside those things within the bubble – cast members, family and the book.

But when something pierces that bubble that is beautiful and good in nature, I like to take time to look at it.

Fifteen years ago, NASA Shuttle Orbiter Columbia let loose the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, an orbital observational platform capable of detecting x-rays 100 times better than any other telescope at the time.  “It’s five year mission” was to observe and record x-ray hotspots such as novae, galaxy clusters, nebulae...you name it.  Because of the valuable data this magnificent tool has been sending back, NASA has extended its service life and tomorrow begins the 16^th year of Chandra. 

When x-ray images from Chandra are combined with the visible spectrum images of Hubble (another brilliant piece of work that needed corrective lenses, like yours truly); the infrared images from the Spitzer Space Telescope; and the gamma ray shots from Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, unrivalled mosaic images are made that bring the beauty of deep space down to earth.  We can see things that prehistoric and ancient man only dreamed of when he first peered into the blackness of night to take account of the stars above and name them and their constellations. 

How absolutely wonderful we live in a time when technology allows us to view the wonders of the universe that are thousands upon thousands of light years away.  We are peering into the history of the universe around us to such an extent that now scientists have pinpointed what they believe are some of the earliest galaxies to have formed after the Big Bang – 13.1 billion years into the past and 700 million years after “there was light.” 

So, take a little time to stop and “smell the roses” today.  Soak in the beauty of Chandra and Friends and remember that there is far more going on around us than what happens in the bubbles of our lives.

http://www.iflscience.com/space/chandra-x-ray-observatory-turns-15

http://www.space.com/23306-ancient-galaxy-farthest-ever-seen.html

ThrillWriting for Writers

One of the difficulties writers have when creating characters who are LEOs (law enforcement officers), be they patrol officers or detectives, is understanding the both the mindset of these men as well as the procedures that they employ in their line of work.  I’ve been fortunate, while working as security guard, to have met several and watched them first-hand while they work.  But, that by no means make me (or any other writer, except those who have worked as LEOs) expert on them.

To fill the gaps in the knowledge base that is so critical to understanding their line work, writers often turn to books, blogs, or interviews with police and detectives in order to gain an insight into these things.  As I write the first Mike Guidry novels, I’ve had to find some of these resources and I am grateful that they are out there. 

One of the best, “ThrillWriting,” is published by Fiona Quinn, who describes herself as “[having] degrees out the yin-yang,” and is author of the Lynx thriller series featuring Lexi Sobadao.  In it, she features interviews with LEOs at all levels about the intricacies of their job as well as provides voluminous information about criminal mindset; securing crime scenes; processing of evidence; and the legal ins-and-outs that affect criminal investigations. 

The major sections of the “ThrillWriting” are dedicated to thriller writing techniques; expert witnesses; applied psychology; and, quite importantly, “Saving Your Heroine,” all those little things that are important to creatively getting your main character out of the pickles you can write them into.  Readably presented, Fiona Quinn has created a resource where she has gathered in one place all those things that thriller and mystery writers will find useful.  I highly recommend it for the wealth of information it contains.

http://thrillwriting.blogspot.com/

Gain and Loss

This past week Melissa and I suffered what can only be termed “a loss.”  I use the word “loss” because to us that is what it is.  I’ll try to explain.

We have been sponsoring children through Compassion, International for over a decade now.  The first little boy we sponsored was from Mexico and his details, along with his picture, got our attention right away.  His father was in prison.  He was living with his mother.  The clothes he wore in his picture (at the time he was 4 going on 5) were obvious hand-me downs: big, baggy t-shirt; baggy, belted jeans; and over-sized, pink tennis shoes that had clearly belonged to an older sister.  We picked him up right away.

Over the years, though letters back and forth (written by my wife though with a little input now and then from me), we got to know Salvador.  He was a typical little boy who grew up over time into a typical teenage boy.  Sharp and self-assured, his dream as to play professional soccer like his hero, Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid.   He played on the team at his project and they even advanced to the big tournament in Mexico City.  He ate, slept, and breathed everything soccer. 

But our understanding of who he was grew exponentially when we visited him and his family at their home in a town east of Mexico City.  Growing up I had known people who were poor.  Salvador and his family – his mother, two older sisters and one younger brother – were beyond poor.  They lived in two-room outbuilding at a relative’s house.  In one room they had a TV and beds, all arranged to make maximum use of the small space.  The other room was a dining room/kitchen/living room space.  Altogether, the total space couldn’t have been more than 250 square feet.  Behind their home was a canal, channeled between levees, that would make the Love Canal of the 1970’s look swimmable.

But in spite of this, he and his family lived.  He and his brother “raced” toy cars one chalk-drawn tracks.  They would play soccer with one of his sisters using a balled up piece of paper trash for the soccer ball.  Goals were marked by stones or bricks in the middle of the street.  They would go for walks.  Reading was another past time they engaged in.  This family had each other in much the same way that the Cratchets of A Christmas Carol had each other. 

So, when we visited them, and brought them gifts (including a 2010 World Cup style soccer ball, which was a huge hit), it had a great impact on them.  We were the special guests in their home.  The two boys were thoroughly enthralled by Angry Birds on my iPod.  We played a pick-up game of two-on-two soccer in the street that reminded me of the many pick-up games of American football in the street in front of my grandmother’s house.  Melissa raced cars with the boys.  And we talked at length with all of them. 

The highlight of the trip for all of us was a restaurant outing.  Melissa and I dropped what seemed like a fortune to them on food and desserts for all us.  Laughter at the table of 10 people brought smiles to the faces of the wait staff who were there.  We were just about the only business they had at the time.  The two boys ate so much sweets that I commented to their mom that they were going to be on another planet.  She laughed.  One of the girls loved the cherries on her cheesecake so much that she playfully snicked one from her mom. 

All in all it was an extraordinary day. 

Melissa and I learned so much about them and carried away so much that we planned to go back.

In the interim between then and the time we planned to go Salvador’s mom got ill.  Cancer.  She was receiving treatment and then one day she disappeared from his information.  Salvador didn’t say anything but we suspected.  For a year he never said anything about it and then he admitted his mother had died.  He just didn’t want to talk about it.  It felt like a losing a family member to us.

We planned to go back to Mexico this coming October, primarily to check in with Salvador and see how things were going.  That was until Monday of last week.

The church that operated the Compassion Project which Salvador attended quit running the project.  They just got tired of dealing with it. 

I cannot tell you how angry I was; how hurt I was; how greatly saddened I was.

And not just for myself and our loss but all the kids and all the other sponsors who were losing kids so abruptly.  No contact; a final letter could be sent; and then silence.  We will have no idea what becomes of Salvador unless he reaches out to us via the Internet.

The purpose of this is two-fold:  To write about it and get it out.  But also to encourage anyone who reads this to consider sponsoring a children through Compassion or World Vision.  And if you do, it will leave a lasting marking upon you.  Make no mistake.  It will.  And if you can, make the time to go visit your child.  It will mean so much more to them and you than could ever be imagined.  It is well worth the time and money invested.  I won’t say how many children we sponsor or how much it costs, just know that we sponsor several and for the past four years or so it accounted for a little over 10% of our income.  We didn’t attend church regularly because of Melissa’s med school and residency, so that was our tithe. 

But take the time to consider sponsoring a child through Compassion.  Look at the ones who have hearts by their names.  They’ve been waiting more than six months for a sponsor.  And consider even older children.  The little ones go quick at times because cute sells.  An early teenager is just at that age where a kind word from a caring person can nudge the path of their life noticeably. 

Believe me.  You’ll be glad you did and you’ll never be the same after you do.

http://www.compassion.com/

http://www.worldvision.org/

Playing the Nostalgia Card

I own a Remington portable typewriter that was manufactured sometime in the 1920’s.  I picked it up for about $25 bucks at an antique mall years ago as a prop for a production of Shadowlands.  It’s in beautiful, working condition but the ribbon needs regular replacement.  As an historical re-enactor, I’ve thought about doing a WWII-era war correspondent impression since I do have the typewriter and the knack for writing.

Just opening it up gives me a waft of the smell of grease and ink that remains capped underneath the cover.  Putting the keys into position and then tapping away on them to produce a letter or document creates a stir of nostalgia for the way writing was done back in the early 20^th Century.  There is something satisfying to hear the “whack” of the key and see the inky, imprinted letter on the paper that you just don’t get when you type on a modern computer, laptop, or tablet.  There are times when I can type fast enough and hard enough that I can create some serious noise but nothing like the sound that comes with that grand old typing machine.

To that end, I present to you the Qwerkywriter.  It’s a tablet compatible, 84-key keyboard that designed to look and act like an old typewriter keyboard.  While you don’t get the key striking the paper, you do get the mechanical sound of the keys as they are pressed and it’s a sound that warms this writer’s heart.  If I had a tablet, I’d be buying a Qwerkywriter keyboard right now. 

Something deep inside us longs for the days when things were simpler or different.  This nice invention plays to that sense of nostalgia quite well.

To read more about the Qwerkywriter and see a video of it in operation, click the link below.

http://gizmodo.com/this-vintage-typewriter-is-actually-a-keyboard-for-your-1599446847/+alissawalker

The Cowboy Mystique

I grew up on westerns.  I absorbed the ethos that is exuded by 20^th Century depictions of the American cowboy:  hard working; hard drinking; tough as rawhide; independent.  And yet under that sun-baked, leathery exterior, cowboys were poetic and moving in their own right.  Growing up in the country you learn what beats at the heart of a cowboy’s life: honor; integrity; courage; country; and, most importantly, family.  That’s what makes the cowboys so intriguing a character in American folklore.  That is not to say that they are simple.  By no means.  They are as complex a character as you’ll come across in all your travels.  Their passions often conflict with their character to create some of the most interesting men you’ll ever know.

With that in mind, I've decided to list out five of my favorite cinematic cowboys in particular order.

Gus McCrae (Lonesome Dove):  Robert Duvall’s character was, without a doubt, the prime example of the passions of the American cowboy best portrayed on film.  He embodied that independence and adventurous, go-get-‘em attitude that shaped the American west, which is why he conflicted often with the down-to-earth, pragmatic Puritan work ethic of Woodrow Call.  Between them the whole mini-series explores the nature of the American cowboy and how it shaped that ethos we've come to know.

Wil Andersen (The Cowboys):  Hardscrabble, tough, and at times unforgiving, John Wayne’s character embodied not only the cowboy but the very environment that made cowboys as he rode herd on a group of kids who ran his cattle while all the grown-ups were off of a fool’s errand panning for gold in Montana.  Part of the film shows him shaping and molding the boys into the men that they will become by the end of the movie; men who plan to “finish the job” in spite of rustlers led by Bruce Dern.

Josey Wales (The Outlaw Josey Wales):  Clint Eastwood’s Reconstruction Era classic follows as an ex-Missouri Raider and Quantrill Rider as he looks to escape the violent past, which began with the murder of his family at the hands of Kansas Redlegs.  After all the killing and fighting, Josey wants to find some sliver of peace so he heads south to Texas.  He’s rough and ready for anything, but he wants no part of killing anymore.  His sense of honor and courage is best shown in his confrontation and subsequent peace with Comanche Chief Ten Bears. 

Dan Evans (3:10 to Yuma):  A small-rancher, Van Heflin’s character is a devoted family man who believes that the only way the American frontier can be tamed is through devotion to what was right.  For him, that was honor, courage, and the belief that no man was above the law, no matter how frightening that man was.  To that end, Evans puts his money where his mouth is and escorts notorious outlaw Ben Wade (one of Glenn Ford’s most incredible performances) to the railhead at Contention City to put him on the eponymous train.  This puts Evans at odds with his wife; with stage line own Butterfield; and even with his own fears.  The outcome is both inspiring and surprising at the same time.

Steve Judd (Ride the High Country):  Joel McCrae’s aging, ex-lawman takes a job to escort a shipment of gold down from the Sierra Nevadas.  He enlists the help of old friend Gil Westrum (Randolph Scott) who winds up challenging the integrity of Judd at every turn.  Along with a young man named Heck Longtree, the three of them get up the mountain and get more than they bargained for.  When they rescue a young woman from her abusive father only to have to rescue her from her abusive would-be husband and in-laws, the four head down the mountain.  Judd, who has resisted the intrigues of Westrum, confronts his old friend later when Gil tries to make off with the gold.  Judd never wavers and even, in the end, brings his wayward friend back to the straight-and-narrow in what is one of the most elegiac and beautiful westerns ever made.

Choices, Choices, Choices

In all my time thinking about how to get a book published, I never knew there were so many movie parts then went into the whole process.  For me, the biggest hurdle to overcome hasn’t been the dearth of information but the voluminous mountain of it that is out there. 

The ways to get your book published are far more than “two roads diverged,” but more like “two roads diverged”...and started splitting off into back trails, rabbit trails, and pig trails the like of which you had no clue existed in “the yellow wood.”  The first option you face is traditional- or self-publishing.  And then after that it’s print vs. e-publishing.  If you want to go for print and have the sheer satisfaction of that book sitting on your shelf with your name on it, then more power to you as you look at print-on-demand (POD) options; cover design (DIY or farm it out for cost?); editorial revision (which costs “beaucoup” money, as they say where I grew up) and what kind of editorial revision.  I had no idea there were more than just the simple correct-that-error editorial revision.  And then there’s how to get your book into the hands of publisher: cold query or agent?  Which is better?  Do you need an agent?  Ugh.

But if you want to e-publish, then costs do go down (unless you get editorial services) because you’re not looking at printing costs.  Oh, there are some things you still need and there are sites out there that offer package deals that put your book together and include cover art; formatting the e-book and creating a navigable Table of Contents; and farming it out to the different e-book sellers (“For a price, Ugarte;  For a price.”) 

It’s not just the sheer number of options and routes that one can take to get their little volume into the hands of the reader that can swamp your little boat quickly, but the other things you don’t realize are lurking out there.  Did you know that if you plan to publish a very few books you can create your own publishing house by buying an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) and obtaining your own bar codes.  Again, “For a price.”

So as you see...

I’m swamped in options.  But I’m slowly whittling down my options and making choices because it’s high-time that I get this done. 

God bless CNET for providing the following articles for a poor beginner like me.

http://www.cnet.com/news/self-publishing-a-book-25-things-you-need-to-know/

http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-self-publish-an-ebook/

http://www.cnet.com/how-to/convert-ms-word-docs-to-e-books-for-free/

So, now that I know, anyone else crazy ambitious enough to attempt this has some tools in their tool box.