I get approached by advertisers more than than I expected, for a blog that has too many words, not enough pictures, and a very low (but loyal!) readership. So far, none of those advertisers have made a compelling case for value-added vs annoyance factor…so, no ads on Blue Night. I’ll happily review products and works…
Read More Now on Ko-fi.com!That’s right folks, the madness that is Phoenix Comicon starts in just a few hours! I probably won’t attend this year because of schedule conflicts with other work and art stuff. If you’re brave enough to deal with the heat and crowds, I can promise there will be lots of insane, wonderful, awe-inspiring moments for…
Read More Phoenix Comicon 2017It’s May 2017, and America (and the world, really) is still reeling from perhaps the greatest case of affinity fraud ever perpetrated: the election of Donald J. Trump to the American Presidency. Let’s look back at Tate Publishing, as a company deeply interlocked with some of the mindsets enabling Trump’s election: nominally ‘Christian’ worldviews…
Read More The rise and fall of Tate PublishingI both love and hate Pinterest. On the plus side, it’s an incredible resource for worldwide inspiration in every visual art field, curated to various levels of research and granularity. On the minus side(s), it’s a hot mess. The app is pushy as hell, and locks down random scrolling unless you log it. Which I…
Read More The dark side of PinterestIf you’re in the Phoenix, AZ area this weekend, check out the Tempe Festival of the Arts, running March 31 to April 2. It’s a sprawling wonderful circus occupying Tempe’s Mill Avenue and the surrounding side streets: plenty of art, food, live music, and people-watching. This festival’s Featured Artist is Hannie Goldgewicht, known for her…
Read More Tempe Festival of the Arts, Spring 2017Other than sheer masochism? They offer a slight shortcut to the usually long query process, they let you meet fellow writers and industry professionals, and they offer the chance to get agent offers and free feedback. I’ve blogged before about some dangers and darker sides of online pitch contests. Now for a spotlight on the…
Read More Why enter pitch contests?A brief but long overdue update, on erotic romance publisher Samhain. After announcing their closure late in 2015, they regrouped in a flurry of activity over 2016. But they’re closing for real at the end of February 2017, only a few days after releasing a last round of contracted books. Those first rights are burned,…
Read More Shame on SamhainMy friend A. G. Carpenter and the great people at Falstaff Books have released ‘Of Shade and Soul’, the second novella in her Southern gothic ‘Touch’ trilogy. Delaney Green might be dead, but she don’t mean to stay that way. As she searches for a way back to the realm of the living, and the…
Read More Of Shade and Soul: A Touch Trilogy NovellaWhile we’re looking at the economic and social issues coalescing around the Ghost Ship fire, we need to accept that exploitation of creatives is so common it’s basically a tenet of American culture. The vanity publishers I talk about in the ‘Filigree’s Rule’ section of this blog? They’re only one of the more-blatant tips of…
Read More White Walls, Ghost Ship, and the arts in AmericaThis is a long shot, for actually doing anything…but you can sign a petition to the US Electoral College to recast or overturn their votes for Trump. They have a little over a month. Try this site, for more information. Clinton won the popular vote, but not the Electoral. Hmm. When have we seen this…
Read More How Electors can redeem their honorIt’s one thing when a publisher circles the drain, and nearly everyone has known or suspected it would happen for months or years. It’s another, when a *good* small press fails. One that was, by most accounts, doing everything right: lasting for longer than two years, choosing great books and authors, designing excellent covers, marketing…
Read More Well, shucks…This was going to be just a section in Filigree’s Rule, but I thought it deserved its own post. (Added info, as of 10/4/2016.) I have begged literary agents before: please clarify your stance on negotiating publishing offers for querying authors. We authors need to know beforehand, if you never do this and would rather…
Read More Agents, offers, assumptions, and bad behaviorA month or so ago I posted a progress report on a scarf project. It’s finally finished. I may or may not sell it, but I’d like to wear-test it first. Materials: natural gray-tan linen, bias-cut cotton, cotton-polyester thread, rectangular mother of pearl beads. It not only came out close to my initial sketch, it’s even…
Read More Linen Pearl Scarf – Done!Nobody’s perfect. That we all make mistakes is no excuse for not trying to prevent them, or fixing them afterward. It’s certainly not a reason to go on the offensive and try to deny there was ever a mistake in the first place. Own up, early and completely: most sane people will probably forgive you,…
Read More The importance of proofreadingBecause sometimes, simple is good. Materials: Champagne SoftFlex heavy duty beading wire, sterling silver lobster clasp, heavy jump ring, crimp tubes, crimp covers, and wire guards from Plazko.com. Orange carnelian nugget beads from the Tucson Rock & Gem Show 2016. Length: 18″ I do have an ulterior motive for making this piece, which you’ll see…
Read More Orange Carnelian NecklaceThis will be an elitist rant about metal wire. First, soothe your eyes by looking at this piece: (Lisa Barth: ‘The Perfect Marriage’ bracelet, photo courtesy of Lisa Barth and Bead & Button Magazine. Link: http://www.firemountaingems.com/resources/gallery-of-designs/f761) Now that I have your attention, let’s talk about wirework jewelry. Sometimes known as wire-wrapping, wire-weaving, or tension…
Read More Etsy Showcase: some twisted wiresFaith and Freedom Coalition Survey, Part 2 of 2. Question 8: What is your opinion of the fact that Hillary Clinton says she wants to use the full force of the government to change the beliefs of Christians to conform with support of same-sex gay marriage and support for abortion-on-demand? I’m given, predictably, the choice…
Read More Faith and Freedom Coalition Survey Part 2 (political rant)Part 1 of 2. Summary and warning: I get harsh with certain evangelical Christians. Why did Dr. Ralph Reed and his evangelical Christian Faith and Freedom Coalition send me an advertising pitch disguised as a voter survey? Maybe because I was a registered Republican for many years? I’m a 50ish female Independent voter in Arizona, which…
Read More Faith and Freedom Coalition Survey, Part 1 (political rant)I’ve entered a manuscript into the 2016 Pitch Wars. I’m one of about 2000 writers vying for 128 slots, to be mentored for two months while I revise the mms. In early November, the mentee authors get a chance to have their work considered by a large group of agents and publishers. I have a…
Read More Writer’s Dilemma: 2016 edition(And a bonus Craft Credo rant!) I had forgotten how much fun wire wrapping can be. After a clunky start, I’m picking up on skills I left dormant a decade or more ago. Ear cuffs (aka ear jackets, ear couplings, etc) are a fun but ambitious way to jump back into this technique. 1) Here’s…
Read More Silver Ear Cuffs, revisited