Books

Friday, May 14, 2021

Person Behind the Pen - Poll


Please comment here, on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube... basically, wherever you can @ me, I want to know what you'd like to see, alright.

Also, don't forgot to check out the video I posted earlier today! It's another Let's Play!

Friday, May 7, 2021

A Fun DST Gameplay Video

If you've ever wondered what I'm like when I'm not talking your ear off about writing, today will be a fun treat for you. I decided it was time to do a fun little gameplay video. If that isn't to your liking, you can check out my Hunter's Gambit read-along video that I released earier this week. 
Either way, have a great weekend!


Saturday, May 1, 2021

Welcome (belatedly) to Goblinization Day

Sorry Everyone, I tried to get this in before April 30th was over... but between editing issues, rendering times and simply how the video itself is, it took me a bit longer than I hoped to get out. That said, it was Goblinization day when I recorded this so I hope you'll join me in saying that it still counts Chummers. I hope you all stayed inside!

All joking and Shadowrun references aside, I put together an interesting and educational video for you about the differences between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation. It's a bit of a long discussion but it was wonderful to take part in and I hope you'll like it, too!
Joining me today are: - Maxine, a yoga teacher from Wales, UK - Carrie Besko Garn a tarot reader and teacher from BC, Canada - Sheena, a yoga teacher from Colorado Springs, USA Sometimes, the hardest thing to do can be to stop talking and listen to those in the cultures you may be appropriating while trying to appreciate them. Come and watch the whole thing on the new channel.

Sunday, April 25, 2021

I've got a YouTube channel now

Well, guys, I'm sorry that this is coming in so very late, but I finally got it all working the way I wanted it to. Which means that I finally have a YouTube channel!!! Woot! 

My first video will be going up at midnight tonight (MDT -06 hours, I believe). I will update this page with the video link once it goes live, but until then, if you're interested in subscribing here's the link to the page!

I can't wait to hear what you guys think of it!

https://bit.ly/3dMAUSl




And here's the link to my video! Please, don't forget to like, share and subscribe!

https://youtu.be/SqaOQVz7yqY







Saturday, March 27, 2021

PoOTing along

 I am so sorry that it took me so long to get back to you! It's that time of year when my tendinitis acts up and I've had more than a few days when my wrist has been way too swollen to write. Fortunately for me, a new video game came out which lets me use those muscles in a way that's easier on them than writing (and forces me to rest when the battery runs out). 

Of course, I'm talking about Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town (SOS:PoOT. I'm not that far into the game but I am loving it so far. Then again, I got into the series back in the early 2000's When it was still known as Harvest Moon. Still, the series didn't hit its stride until they became Story of Seasons a few years back.

So, what do you in this game? Well, it's a farming sim, so on the surface, you're raising crops and animals. Generally, there is some helping of the nearby towns and some sort of spiritual connection to the land, usually through a Harvest Goddess, sometimes through a Witch, and once through the God, Inari. Still, this barely touches the surface. I love this game for the people you meet in the games, for clearing the land, raising the crops, befriending your animals... there's so much more that you'll never see if you just dismiss it as a farming sim. In this game there are multiple little islands of land for you to care for, wild animals to tame (like cows and chickens left running around from when your grandfather died years before) and a mystery to solve (so far shown in the guise of a young-looking woman in a torn black dress and a skull mask, decorated like the Día de Los Muertos masks. Also, in a new "twist", partially seen in Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town (released last year), you can choose your pronouns (male or female) and wear any outfit/hairstyle in the game, allowing you to really customize a character to be your avatar. All of the marriage candidates are bisexual, meaning that whatever you choose, they are romanceable so long as you spent the time hanging out with them. 

Which doesn't mean that they made a perfect game, no matter how much I am adoring the gameplay. There are a few noticeable bugs and the loading screens can run a bit too long, but there is only one item where they really dropped the ball (the dozens of maker machines need too much micromanaging to be fun). Also, the townsfolk really need more comments. So far, everyone has maybe three things to say in everyday conversation, plus the extra two dialog pieces that they use around the festivals, one for before the event and one for after. Still, the conversations in the cut scenes are fun, if a bit contrived. Now, the company has already addressed all of these concerns, promising that they already have the team working on fixing bugs, adding new dialog, and such. Right now, it means that I would give the game a solid 7/10 stars right now, most likely raising that higher when the updates start fixing these issues. 

So do I suggest you run out and buy it now or should you wait for those fixes first? Honestly, I'd suggest running out to get it. Right now, it is very playable and the core fun of the game is obviously there. I can easily see myself spending a few hundred hours playing this game. Right now, I'm romancing two of the marriage candidates, the young traditionally Japanese lord, Iori, and the tourist information girl, Laura. One is clearly more carefree and fun than the other, but despite that Iori is definitely holding his own by having a storyline that includes ninja who seem to want him dead. Clearly, that is something that I'm looking forward to finding more about later. 

And that's all I have for you today. Will you be picking up the game? Would you be interested in seeing a bit of a Let's Play for it? If you're playing, who are you romancing and what is your biggest project on the go in your game? I'm still trying desperately to clear my second island. See you next week. 

Friday, March 12, 2021

When Moving Ahead Doesn't Feel Like It

 Well, my first editing program was a bust, but I do have editing programs that I'm trying to learn. The first one I tried has a killer learning curve, but fortunately, I have other programs I'm working with. In addition to that, I've bought myself a few new toys to help record. Mainly, a new light, which is surprisingly important, even if you're never showing your face on the video, and a new microphone. Honestly, while the light is snazzy, I am much more excited by the microphone. I've never owned a real one that wasn't found at a garage sale and broken within days of getting it. 

In addition, I've been accepted into a beta program for Animaze using my character which is the thing I am super excited about! Why, you ask? Well, I originally wanted to use Animaze to put out these videos. I had used them in the past under the name Facerig and knew that they were adding the ability to add your characters into it with the upgrade, which was originally what I was planning to use. Unfortunately, when they came out, while you could add characters to the system, you couldn't do it with a character from VRoid, where I'd made created my character. What does this mean for you guys? Well, it means that I am definitely planning on having a video up on Monday, even if its just a quick one using their system. It may end up just being me playing with the system and introducing myself. 

Essentially, I do have an introduction to the channel recorded on a different program, but if the Animaze works, then I will be using that one. The most difficult thing right now has actually been the editing programs. I was hoping for an easy introduction since what I'm really looking for is a simple cut and paste program that I can add pictures onto. Not a very difficult list you'd think, but it still means that I have to go through the programs I can afford, spending hours trying to learn how to use the programs, to see if I can use them at all or if they're just far beyond my skill level. I'm not afraid of hard work, but at this point, I really want to get stuff out to you and I'll do what I need to get that going. 

Of course, I'm still working on my novel. I'm about 75% of the way through this edit, which means that as soon as I can spend all my time on it again, I should have it finished soon. I'm hoping that at this point, I don't have a lot that's going to need to be rewritten from scratch again. 

And that's what's been keeping me busy this week. It doesn't feel like I've done a lot of work, even if I can look back and defend every choice with reasons it was important. Meh. Sometimes, you just have to keep moving, trusting that you are making headway, even if it doesn't feel that way. 

Oh! Also, I'm not going to talk about it here, but if you haven't already seen WandaVision on Disney+, my quick review is "Amazing, 5 stars, go see it." For more, keep your eyes peeled. I'm planning on writing a longer, more in-depth review later. 

Sunday, March 7, 2021

Name Redacted

Sorry for the delay everyone! 

I have been super busy getting everything ready for the Youtube show I've been planning. I have been working on finding the right technology to run the avatar, which also required finding myself a recording program that wasn't attached to anything else. That said, I am exceptionally excited to finally give the update that I am going to be starting the recording process later today. To make sure that you get a good weekly experience, I'm going to be recording a few episodes in advance to make sure that I always have something ready for you!

That said, it has been a ride figuring all this out. When I started this last year, I honestly thought that learning to use the program to create an avatar would be the hardest part of the deal. Instead, my natural art skill made that part fun and games compared to researching all of the programs I could use, testing all of them out and figuring out the pros and cons of using each would be. As it is, I'm still getting comfortable using it, but at least that is simply using now, rather than constantly looking for "how-to" and tutorial videos every time I open one of the programs up.

Name Redacted is obviously not going to be the name. Anyone want to guess what name I have in mind instead?

I’m hoping to have a full introduction video loaded and ready to go by next Monday, but I should be able to tell you Friday if that’s going to be feasible or not. As always, keep an eye here and on my social media accounts for the latest updates!


Friday, February 26, 2021

Character Motivations

 I am sorry. I don't normally miss doing my weekly blog. I've been having worse than normal headaches hitting, so I decided to take last week off. I feel so much better for the time spent off. 

However, I'm not here to dwell on that. So this week, I want to talk about something near and dear to my heart that I haven't talked about in a while.

Motivations.

In my estimation, as an author, there is nothing quite as important to the construction of a novel as your character motivations. If the reason your character is doing something isn't well thought out or the answer comes down to some version of "they have to for plot reasons", then that isn't a good motivation. Think about changing your plot if you can't make the motivations work, or changing the character if you really need one who will work in your plot better. Why? Well, I find that it is usually incorrectly motivated characters that end up seeming to not fit in their worlds or they end up coming across as stupid, which is a faster way to kill any connection your character even when compared with a character kicking a dog after stealing candy from a baby. 

So, how do you figure out the motivations? Look for reasons why your character is doing something. Talk to your friends about it. If at any point one of them tells you, "that's dumb, why would they do that", look long and hard at your characters and figure out what they really want and whether you have inserted the wrong character into this draft. 

Personally, I take it a bit far, making sure that even my "mindless" monsters have a reason and motivation for their actions, even if the readers never end up seeing it. You don't need to go to this level for your book, but I can guarantee that taking it that far will only improve how realistic your characters seem. 


Friday, February 12, 2021

Gong Hei Fat Choi!


Gong Hei Fat Choi!!!

Happy Lunar New Year! 

As a pagan who has an appreciation for other cultures and a love of holidays, I tend to end up celebrating a lot of things multiple times. For instance, today is the first day of the 2021 lunar new year. Being that I'm Pagan and put a lot of emphasis on the lunar/solar calendar, I celebrate it, usually by starting my spring cleaning (I swear, one day I will hear about it more than 2 hours before the date and will finish the cleaning beforehand like you're supposed to) and buying something red or something jade. When I have money, I'll treat friends to dinner or pick them up a little gift if I see something for them. I also celebrate the regular western new year, usually celebrated by reading for the evening and maybe going out for dinner with my husband and friends. I also celebrate the pagan new years on October 31st. While most of that day is filled with preparation for the upcoming Nanowrimo and maybe giving away Halloween candy to the local kids, my hubby and I usually end up going out for dinner if we can. If we find a stranger in need of food or a meal, we do our best to give them cash and buy them a meal. 

Basically, what this is saying is that I just love celebrating holidays. That probably comes with me being an Earth Goat in the Chinese zodiac. According to my horoscopes for this year (which as with any astrology thing, I follow till I forget about it in a few week's time) its going to be a year of improvement for me, which if nothing else means that I will be better equipped for the year afterward. While its a dim year for me, in almost every way but in the health department (which is amazing, but migraines will be a continuous issue if I read it right), it will be a better year than last business-wise, so long as I'm not trying to branch out into things I have no skill in. 

Do you celebrate the Lunar New Year? If so, how? And what is your Asian Astrology animal? 

Saturday, February 6, 2021

Schrödinger's Christmas Tree

 Sorry guys. I have had migraines for days... the sort that makes you unable to think of your own name when asked. Apparently, the polar vortex hit and my brain was having none of it. Despite that, I managed to finish writing the two new chapters I needed to replace this week and, wonderfully, I got another order from Fiverr. I'm happy to say that was before the migraine hit (thank the gods I hadn't decided to put it off for a day) and now I have another satisfied customer. So even if the last few days have been kicking my ass, I can call this week a win still. 

However, my brain has gotten silly what with it either hurting to the point of making me dizzy or a pressure build-up making me feel like my brain is soft and slowly turning to goo. How does this come out in my day to day life? 


Well, this time it happened when I looked at the remains of our Christmas tree. I took off all of the ornaments earlier this week, but we haven't taken it down and boxed it up yet. Today, I have decided that it is a Schrodinger's Christmas Tree. It exists as both a Christmas tree and not until it is either redecorated or it is boxed up and put away. 

So, do you have a Schrodinger's tree up in your house? Let me know.

Thursday, January 28, 2021

Setbacks are the Mind-Killer

Bleh. Okay, I have an update now, which is better than what I had before. The first program I grabbed had gotten really good reviews but seemed to show more and more problems as I tried to use it. I couldn't get the background to go transparent, which would have been fine since I'm actually drawing up a background for it. The more major issue was that I couldn't get the program to record audio at all. It took a lot of work to make sure that the problem wasn't actually in my headset. Once we did, I found another program, one that I'll have to pay for, but that actually tracks my movement better than the other one. On the other hand, from what I can tell it doesn't actually have a recording function. This means that I'll be downloading a separate recording program tonight and trying to learn it. 

So, what does this mean overall? It means that while I may have a steep learning curve to overcome, I should have a proper introduction up for next Friday. It took way longer than I wanted it to, but I can't wait to finally have it up and working for you guys. 

Now for the other part of the update. I came down with a cold this month. Nothing serious, but it came with migraines, which means I'm a bit behind on my goal. The most recent specific update is that I realized that I had two chapters that I had rewritten, before deciding that the scenes just weren't working. Both needed to be rewritten from scratch. In Frank Herbert's Dune, his characters say, "Fear is the mind-killer." As a writer, I would like to make a personal clarification to that. For me, Setbacks are the mind-killer. 


I can deal with my own minor issues but setbacks make me exceptionally aware that it isn't me I'm letting down, but you, my readers. So, be aware, I'm trying to kick my own ass into gear to get this novel out to your as quickly as I can! 

Friday, January 22, 2021

"Excuse my rudeness, but please RIP"

Hello! First, for this week, I'm having a bit of a week over here. I still can not figure out why computer audio isn't working... Hopefully fixed next week. 

Instead of dwelling on all of that, I'm going to introduce you to one of the Hololive stars that I follow. What is Hololive, you ask? Hololive is one of the main VTuber enterprises. A Japanese business, they're basically in the business of making virtual idols. Some are just really fun to watch while they're gaming or hanging out, some are great singers or they have a great character theme. They all have individual "history" and character stories that they stick to completely. Essentially, when they are performing, that is who they are. And its wonderful. 

The one I particularly want to introduce you to is one of the latest batch. She speaks mostly English, though she does flip into Japanese every once in a while. Her name is Calliope Mori. Her schtick is that she's a reaper of death on vacation in the mortal world. A fun enough premise regardless, but the reason I really like her, aside from her kickass tsundere personality and her on-screen "romance" (as far as any tsundere has a romance storyline) with one of the other characters (a phoenix named Kiara, one of my other favorites to check out), is her music. I tend to enjoy pop music, but this girl raps, mixed with a bubblegum sound and I love it. Here's my favorite song of hers below, though I wholly suggest you listen to all five of her current songs. 



Now, aside from the fun of watching fun people having a great time (let's face it, you watch Vtubers for the same reason you watch any of these people, because they have fun personalities), one fringe benefit I'm noticing is that you will get more used to hearing Japanese spoken more easily, so long as you're listening for it and trying not to rely on the subtitles you can put up. It's fun to be listening and realize that I was able to translate a sentence with my minor knowledge of the language. 

Do you watch any Vtubers? Which ones? Let me know, as always, in the comments below or on Facebook. 

Saturday, January 16, 2021

Avatar Reveal & Technical Difficulties

So frustrating! I was hoping to have this out for you yesterday, but the programs that I'm using are giving me problems. I played around with it a week or so ago and got it to work just fine. Now of course, audio issues as well as other technical drama. I can say that the YouTube channel has already been set up, though there isn't anything on it yet. I'll share a link as soon as I start posting. I may eventually add a Twitch stream to it, but since none of you seem to use it currently, creating it and content for it has fallen by the wayside. 

So, what am I going to do today? Well, I may not be able to show you the video I was hoping to, but that doesn't mean that I can't have an avatar reveal. Are you ready to see her?

The background is just a painting of mine from last year, though I'm working
on drawing an actual library shelf for her to hang out in front of. 

Isn't she awesome? 

Here's what the base character you're given looks like.

I created her out of a program called VRoid. They give you a very basic system to create a character and then let you go wild. I created every bit of her from scratch, except for the ears. Trying to make them proved too difficult for my current skill set. I found these offered by a VTuber known as @CakeCatBoy on Twitter. 

So, why did I make a girl with cat ears? Well first, they're fox ears, not cat ears. Second, when I was making an avatar there were certain things I needed to make sure she had. The first was a design that I found kawaii to the extreme without being chibi. I needed her to have colorful hair, mimicking the shades I turn my own hair. I settled on purple because I love the color and it works really well with the orange shirt. The last thing I needed was something to take her from reality to fantasy. I decided that while mermaid may be fun as heck, I'd much rather be a kitsune. One day, I hope to give her a tail as well, though I expect that will have to wait until I'm better at making characters. 

So, what do you think of her design? 

Friday, January 8, 2021

Resolutions... and a surprise!

So... 2021 didn't explode in its first week? I'm willing to call that a win.

So, what am I hoping to talk about today? Well, I think I'll talk about my resolutions for one more week. 

Normally, I would have a general idea of what I want to do for my resolutions by the first of January, even if I haven't set anything in stone. This year... it almost felt like I didn't want to jinx it by planning too far ahead. And while I think I still won't be planning the entire year with any exactness, I do like having an idea of where I'm going. 

First, while I love staying home and writing, I think I need to get back out in the world. Last year I stopped looking for a job around February... a mix of pandemic and no jobs miring me at home. Now, it looks as though some of the job market might be returning, so I'm going to go back to setting one day a week and doing nothing but sending out dozens of resumes and looking over the job market in general.  Personally, I'd love to see some sort of universal basic income but I'm not holding my breath for one. 

Second, I will still be writing, even if I get a job. So, my writing goals for the first quarter are to finish editing Fox's Facade and send the book on to my editor and betas. I want to publish Fox's Facade tentatively during the summer, so I'll play with that and see where it goes with an update at the end of the first quarter. 

Third, I am moving the "get healthier" option from last year to this year. Most of it will be a mix of RingFit and the Switch boxing game. Maybe not every day, but almost every day. I will be looking for healthier food options as well, but changing everything all at once doesn't work, so it will be little bits at a time, hopefully leading to a healthier me at the end of the year. 

Finally, I will be starting a Youtube channel and maybe a Twitch channel... though I'm not sure about Twitch just yet. I am going to be reading my novel, Hunter's Gambit, chapter by chapter for you guys, hopefully, one chapter each week. And because I've always wanted an online avatar, I've created one to use! I will definitely be posting my novel reading to Youtube, but let me know if you would like me to start a Twitch channel, as well. I could easily read the novel out and then have a question and answer period, if that would interest anyone, and then put out better-edited audio on Youtube later. Then again, I think Youtube has a live function as well, so really just let me know. I'm not sure exactly what week it will begin, but it will be soon! I'm just testing out programs right now and seeing whether my current equipment will work for this purpose before I put it out. I should have pictures to show you of my character by next week!

Let me know what you think about the Youtube vs Twitch debate and I'll keep you all informed. 

Friday, January 1, 2021

It's The First Post of 2021

*Pokes 2021 with a stick*

"Is it safe to come out yet?"

Normally, I would say that another year has come and gone, but, well, this year has been horrible. As a Canadian, I was saved from most of the trouble. However, at the end of the year, everything started to snowball, even here. That said, I'm making this week a time of reflection, which includes looking back at what I wanted to accomplish last year.

So, last year the tasks I wanted to finish were publishing Lord’s Curse, writing Noble’s Choice, Improving my health, open an account on Fiverr, open an Etsy shop, read 75 books, study Japanese and Spanish, clean my house, and editing Fox’s Façade.

Of that list, I did okay, I suppose. First, my successes.

I did publish Lord’s Curse during the warm summertime.  Working with my editor was awesome and I can’t wait to do it again. Though my release was overshadowed by riots and rampant disease, it was still published and that was a win. I also finished writing Noble’s Choice. And all in all, I’m really pleased with how it turned out so far. I can't wait to start editing it after Fox's Facade is done. While I decided against opening an Etsy shop, I’m counting it as a win, since I made a firm decision on it. When I open a web store I will probably create an account then and put the necklaces and prints up there at the same time. I also opened a Fiverr account. I got hired a few times, but things slowed down as the year imploded, which I understand. I’ll be promoting it a bit more in the new year, so if you have a bit of writing you need developmental editing on, consider using me!

I had a few things I worked on but didn’t succeed to a level of “success” as well, of course. For instance, I cleaned my house (office) and actually came really close to finishing… Before I ran into a month and a half of rush and had to stop. My office is a complete mess again now, but that’s usually how the year goes. The real difference for me here is that I actually have a place for most things now, which solves a lot of the cleaning problem. For my yearly reading challenge, I decided to try reading 75 books for the year. However, I found out that extreme stress makes it so I can’t concentrate on writing, which meant that I spent a lot more time listening to music than reading. Despite that, I did completely finish 65 books. While that total is low for me, I find reading speed very subjective, so I know that while some of you will give me shade for “only” finishing 65, the other half will be wondering when I find the time. It's not a win, but 65 books is nothing to scoff at either. My language studies are in here because while I think I’ve done rather well at identifying issues with my learning and have figured out better ways to learn in Japanese, I wrote at the beginning of the year that I wanted to work on Spanish as well. Since I dropped Spanish entirely, I have to count it as a partial win. The last thing in this list is my novel Fox's Facade. Even at the beginning of the year, I wasn't sure if I would have it done by December and the near-total rewrites did not help things. Despite that, I am halfway through my last edit before it goes out to beta readers and my editor, so we're on time for hopefully a summer release. 

The one thing that I did not keep up is my goal to improve my health. I am still overweight and want better stamina, flexibility, and balance. This goal is getting moved onto 2021's wholesale. With the Switchfit game as my Yule gift from my husband and the Boxing game (perhaps updating to the new one when I have a bit more cash), I'm hoping to have a better response to this next year. 

So, that's it. This is the beginning of a new year! Let's move forward bravely, but also carry a big stick to beat 2021 down if we need to. 💪

PenPen the Penguin rocking away listening to New Year's Tunes. 


Friday, December 25, 2020

From my Family to Yours,

Go, spend your day with your family, and I'll be back next week, hopefully with some news.



Friday, December 18, 2020

Happy Holidays... Mostly

I have complicated emotions around the holidays. Not all holidays, of course. For instance, I love Valentine's, no holds barred and White Day (a Japanese semi-equivalent of Valentine’s Day, more on that in a future post) is a high favorite on my list. No, the ones I have issues with tend to be Christian holidays. Specifically, because I'm not Christian anymore, which means that most of my feelings on them are more complex than whether or not I enjoy it or believe in it.

I won't be getting into why I changed religions here. I didn't change my beliefs because paganism is better or because there was anything wrong with Christianity. For me, asking why someone follows a specific religion is like asking why someone chose blue as their favorite color instead of yellow. One clearly fits better on a personal level. My experience doesn't invalidate yours, any more than your experiences would invalidate mine. They’re different and that’s okay.


So, why do I bring this up? Well because Christmas is the one holiday that I feel invested in, regardless of the fact that I'm not Christian anymore. It was a part of me, ever since I was a child. Being born only three days before Christmas essentially meant that as I grew up, that was simply part of my holidays. The two were connected. Add to that my inherent love of pageantry and you can see where I lost everything.

Still, for a few years after changing my religion, I was adamant. My tree was a Solstice tree, gifts were Solstice gifts. We celebrate Solstice, not Christmas. Despite that dedication, there were some things I just couldn’t seem to shake the habit on and therefore kept or adapted and traditions from other places that I’ve stolen to add to our own celebrations. So, what does this end up meaning?

Well, it means that my winter holidays tend to end up a bit muddy.

I love Christmas songs, even if I’m more fond of the modern songs than I am of the classics. They get added to my music list usually on December 1st. I set up a Christmas tree every year (since I never remember to call it a solstice tree), crowned by a blue/silver angel that my husband and I found and loved, despite my preferences towards wanting a star (to stand in for the Sun). I give gifts throughout the season to friends and all of my family gifts on the 24th. After that, things start getting odder.

I love Santa Claus but prefer to go with the ‘history’ as coined by L. Frank Baum in the Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (where he’s a human raised by fey who gives gifts to children) and he delivers gifts whatever and whenever your winter celebration is. December 25th is a dedicated non-work day, usually devoted to reading and playing video games. We will usually order Chinese food for dinner. I say Happy Holidays, rather than Merry Christmas, to people and I support service staff not being forced to say Merry Christmas to everyone (happy holidays will suffice if the company insists). I give all of my friends and family books and snacks for Jolabokaflod rather than giving Christmas gifts, unless I have no money and then I make art for them. We honor the Jólakötturinn (the Yule Cat) and make certain that every year both my husband and I receive something made of cloth (blankets, socks, and scarfs are common gifts). We celebrate the Solstice (this year on the 21st) and the return of the sun on the twelfth day after that (usually celebrated on the first of January because we’re more likely to have it off) as the first day you really notice the longer days.

Yes, it is kinda weird to say "Merry Book Exchange" but I've been
using it in holiday cards for too long to change now.

So yeah, that is my muddy, nostalgia-filled holidays. Do you celebrate any holidays this time of year? If so, what and how do you celebrate it? Do you take traditions from multiple sources or are you still doing things the exact same way your parents did it? I know we have a lot of readers from the southern hemisphere, so I’ll be excited to hear what differences there are among us.


Friday, December 11, 2020

Just a Quick Editing Update

 It's been a good week, even if I have been more on the anti-social end of things. I've been working away on my novel and have finished editing the first eleven chapters. That puts me 25% of the way through already. And while the new chapters are definitely better written, I have to admit that for the most part, the editing hasn't been too bad. I think I've only had a really tough time with one or two of the chapters so far and the new direction for the book is making my original story pop a lot more than it was originally. I have very high hopes that this book will be out to you all soon. 

That said, it isn't all easy. I live in Canada and I have to admit that the stress of the new lockdown is starting to get to me. I've taken a few more days off than I should be doing things other than writing; usually still things that I need to get done, so at least I'm still being productive. In the end, it's slowing me down, but I'm not letting it stop me. I don't let anything stop me. 

And I think that's where I'm going to end it today. I'll be jumping back into my editing as soon as this goes up, so wish me luck! :)

Friday, December 4, 2020

Gifts for the Writers on Your List

 The season of giving has returned to us. While I usually hard push for presence, rather than presents, this year, our unique circumstances suggest that if you do have money to buy gifts for your friends and loved ones, this is the time to take that route. 

With that in mind, if you're looking at that reader/writer in your life and just not sure what to get them (and you don't want to stoop down to buying them the holidays' newest savior), here's a list of things they are almost guaranteed to enjoy. 

  1. Author Swag
    Most writers and readers love books more than anything. However, most buy their books themselves, so buying actual books can be difficult. Instead, I suggest swag from their favorite author. A mug with the catchphrase of her favorite series, a t-shirt with the cover of his favorite novel on it, a notebook with art directly from the books... all of it will go over insanely well. In particular, most of your favorite writers will have a store where you can buy said swag. Buying direct from the author when possible is a great way to support that author while making your writers really happy. 
  2. Books
    Does your writer love science fiction? Find out if they're already rocking the new favorites that were just released this year like Network Effect by Martha Wells or To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini; both of which were nominated for Best Science Fiction book of the year on Goodreads. They love Fantasy? There are, of course, my books, but if they've already read those, you could look at Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson, 4th book of the Stormlight Archives series and just released in November so still very new. Looking for a graphic novel to expand their reading experiences? I suggest Monstress. Start with Volume 1 unless they're already following it though. If you want my suggestions for favorite books, I absolutely loved The Woman in the White Kimono by Ana Johns and The Good Brother by E.L. Chen. I also finally had a chance to read the first book in the Wolf and Parchment light novel series and it rocks as well, though my preference stays with Holo and Lawrence from Spice & Wolf.
  3. Stationary
    Most writers and readers love pens and other stationery. While I'm not sure why, I can easily suggest colored pens, colored paper, pretty notebooks, pencil cases, washi tape (not only good for crafts but for using in school for personal things as well), and any pen that writes in metallic inks.
  4. Subscriptions
    Believe it or not, there are book subscription boxes out there. You can get a new book each month, with tea, cookies, candles or bookmarks. These boxes are generally cheap, are usually separated into genres so you can get them good books delivered monthly to their door. And let's be honest here, new books delivered to your door in a pandemic when you can't go to a bookstore is awesome. Even if you can't afford a big gift, even just one month for them to try the system out will almost certainly make your reader/writer friends smile. There are even a few subscription boxes for authors, specializing in improving craft, new stationery and other writing supplies and other authorly goodies. 
  5.  Cash
    It's 2020 and we need to move past the idea that giving money is gauche. There are a lot of things that are too personal for me to suggest for readers and writers, but they still need. Writing software, subscriptions, e-readers, tablets for e-readers... these are very expensive or exceptionally personal items that we need, but we would never expect someone to buy for us. A donation from multiple people means we can afford big-ticket items that we will absolutely love.
And that's it for this list. Let me know if you think of any other good ideas to add to this list and let me know if you want me to look into making writerly swag. I don't know if that's something you'd be interested in, but if it is, let me know and I'll put it on the planning lists for next year. 

Friday, November 27, 2020

Of Writing and Ruin

     This week is not about distractions, although, I am conceding defeat in this Nanowrimo. Yes, for the first November since I started taking part in 2007. Why? Well, I've mentioned that book 5 was just not coming together and while I've gotten nearly 20k on it, I hit a point where I need to have that plot figured out prior to writing it. Normally, if I was having this problem, I would just write through it and fix all of those issues later. Here though, I noticed a particular theme. All of my decisions to make kept returning to prior ones made in books 3 and 4. That was when I realized that I really need Fox's Facade and Noble's Choice solid before I continue writing book 5. 

     This doesn't mean that I won't be working on it... it means that I'll probably finish the next draft for it next year, when I'm more prepared to write it and have those issues worked out and a great plot to keep you guys interested. 

     Fortunately, it isn't as if I have nothing else to work on right now and I'm not just talking about Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin on the Switch. For right now, I am back to editing Fox's Facade and planning out what changes here will lead to in Noble's Choice. Also, while it's still a little hush-hush, I'm currently making a few plans for the new year. If all goes to plan, I should have more information on those big plans a little further into December. 

     All that said, I do want to talk about Sakuna. I've been playing for six or seven hours now and feel that I can make an educated review on it. 

     Firstly, know that my review is good. This game is fun as hell. Sakuna is a bit of an unsympathetic bitch when you start, but even just six hours in, I can tell that she's improving. Its part of her growth as a character; something that I can really appreciate. She starts off as a Goddess that has always had the world held out to her on a silver plate. She's never had to work for it. And while her parents have gone missing, its clear that she doesn't let it bother her. The game starts when a group of humans find the bridge to the celestial realm and sneak into Sakuna's donation of rice and sake to the head Goddess looking for food. Upon catching them, she attacks and accidentally lights the sake and rice on fire. In punishment, she and the humans are sent to the Isle of Demons and charged with clearing it of evil. 

     The gameplay is really fun, a mix of rice farming sim and sidescrolling combat. I will say that the first year of growing rice, you feel out of your element and wish they would just tell you how to be a master like they do in other games. This, like Sakura's maturity and growth, is deliberate. When you first arrive on the isle, Sakuna has never had to grow rice before, she's just always had it done for her. Learning how to grow rice in minute detail isn't easy and I applaud the game for not making it feel like it is. The combat is very cool and despite being side-scrolling is difficult without being impossible. I'm playing on average, because I don't generally do combat in games, but I am enjoying this one. I just met my first real boss fight and am losing horribly. But with every failed attempt, I learn more about the bad guys and plot how to destroy him and thus, I get farther each time. Because there are multiple levels, you don't need to be forever fighting the same battle. If this one is too tough right now, choose other levels and improve your gear before going back. 

     I will say that if the idea of growing rice, day by day, doesn't interest you, then this may not be the game for you. A lot of this game is growing rice. You need to pick weeds daily, check on how much water is in your paddy each day, fertilize your stalks, and even chaff and hull your rice yourself. I am finding it impossible to put down, even with its difficulty though. It's a different type of game and I for one am here for it.

     The game is entirely voice-acted and I have to say, they didn't skimp here either. The cast really comes through, making you feel like you're personally getting to know all of the characters. Also, the art is incredibly gorgeous and the character design is beautiful. If you're looking for a game to pick up this holiday season, I can heartily suggest this game. 

5 out of 5 stars 



     Offhand, the Divine edition is amazing. It comes with an omomori charm showing Sakuna, a three-disc soundtrack, and a 128-page artbook in addition to the game. Totally worth the additional $20 or bucks.

CD Case Front Cover

Inner CD's contain different pictures on each album

Artbook; and the art is amazing

Omomori charm with a picture of Sakuna

Back of the omomori charm