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Thursday, June 28, 2007
Welcome to the Cyber-Launch Book Party for Lisa Shearin's debut novel, MAGIC LOST, TROUBLE FOUND. I hope you've all sharpened your elven blades and put on your steel-tipped party boots. To kick off the party, I'll run a previously recorded interview with the esteemed author.
Kimber Asked: Can you share the journey you took in creating MAGIC LOST, TROUBLEFOUND? What first inspired you? Did it flesh out right away or did thedetails come later? How did the characters reveal themselves to you?
Let's see if I can remember that far back. What eventually became MLTF started in my college days as a result of wanting something to read, but not being able to find anything in the bookstore that I thought I'd like. My roommate got tired of my complaining and said, "Why don't you just write something yourself?"
So I did.
And it sucked.
But I kept going. I finished that one and wrote another book, a sequel to the first one. It sucked only marginally less, which meant (at least in my own mind) that I was getting better. Hmmm, maybe being delusional is a big part of finally getting published.
Those two books formed the base for what eventually became MLTF. Raine, Mychael, Chigaru and Phaelan were in those first two books (though vastly different than they are now). Piaras didn't come into being until I was on the second draft of MLTF. (What can I say, the kid's a late bloomer.) Piaras was just supposed to be a "fetch & carry" character—there for window dressing, maybe say a line or two, etc. Then in the scene around Chapter 6, when Raine comes home and is talking to Tarsilia, and Piaras goes to open the shop. . .suddenly one day when I'm working on that scene, Raine hears Piaras singing from the next room. The kid had a magnificent voice. That got Raine's attention (and mine). A few days (or maybe weeks) later, when I was writing the scene where Raine is meeting Ocnus Rancil close to The Ruins. . .suddenly Piaras is there getting himself yanked into a dark alley. What the hell?? I've since learned that if a character gets yanked into an alley or thrown out of a bar, that character is worth paying attention to.
Kimber An asked: Some of our guests are writers. Can you share your process fortaking a story from rough draft to submission-ready manuscript? What's yourbest advice on how they can improve the craft of writing to meet publication standards?
For me, the first draft is for getting the story down, the second draft is for filling in the blanks, third draft is for buffing, polishing and making it pretty. Though most of the time there ends up being five drafts—each one adding more detail and texture to the one before. Later drafts are the real fun. Then I basically keep doing it until my gut tells me I've finally got it right. Between drafts, I like to let it sit and simmer for a week or two, then when I come back to it, it's fresh to me, and more details reveal themselves. That's the annoying part for me. I'm ultra-organized and methodical. My writing brain apparently is not. When I was doing the final draft of MLTF (Book 1), the first two pages for Book 4 came at me out of left field. Boom. There they were. So I stop and write them down. I've got notebooks full of scenes and dialogue that come to me like that. I write them down, knowing that somehow they'll fit into a story somewhere at some time. My brain doles out ideas like puzzle pieces. It's up to me to figure out where they go. Frustrating as hell, yet fun at the same time.
Kimber An asked: What experience do you hope readers will take away from reading MAGICLOST, TROUBLE FOUND?
I hope they have fun. That's all. Just fun. There's too much depressing crap going on in the world to have to put up with that in a book. I just want to give my readers a couple of days or hours (some of you have plowed right through it), of pure escapist fun. I cut my fantasy-writing teeth on David Eddings, Raymond Feist and Terry Brooks. I LOVED their characters. These were people you wanted to hang out with, and couldn't wait to visit again in the next book. I've had people tell me they felt that way about the characters in MLTF. That is the highest praise anyone could give me. That's my purpose right there.
Kimber An asked: Can you tell us a little bit about your next novel, ARMED ANDMAGICAL? When is it due out?
Armed & Magical is due out in May of next year. It picks up a couple of days after MLTF ends. Needless to say, Raine isn't going to catch up on her sleep anytime soon. Let's see. . .by the end of page three, Raine's already got big problems—an assassination attempt on the archmagus, an encounter with an enemy from her past, and an entirely too public display of her Saghred-enhanced powers. Later. . .Tam has not one, but two, deep dark secrets from his past that he'd rather keep buried. (Of course they don't stay that way.) Piaras is now a Conclave college student studying spellsinging, and that voice of his attracts way too much of the wrong kind of attention. Mychael has his hands full with Raine, and with trying to keep her from falling prey to the darkest side of the Saghred. Let the fun continue!
Thank you for sharing all that, Lisa! To read my review of MAGIC LOST, TROUBLE FOUND, just scroll down this page to June 19th's column. The party will run through tomorrow night, at which time a drawing will be held of all the people who leave comments to this entry. Winner gets a signed copy of the book! Now, let the festivities begin!
WARNING: The normal laws of space and time do not apply to the Party Room. Watch your step!
SECOND WARNING: I write Young Adult, as well as Adult fiction. Please be respectful of my younger friends. Thank you!
122 comments:
- Kimber An said...
Kimber An dives behind the bar just as a row of plates shoots over her head and smashes into the wall. She covers her head with a wok as shards rain on her. Once they settle, she pulls off the wok and sighs. "I'm never going to get this place cleaned up before Lisa Shearin gets here." She peers over the bar to see a young teenager swinging an Irish Gallowglass sword at an ugly bad guy alien. "Junior!"
"Not now! I've got my daddy's sword and I'm beating the crap out of this bad guy to save my mother!" Junior kicks the bad guy in the kidney and slams her sword into a table, narrowly missing his head. "I want my mommy, you stupid son of glitch!"
Kimber walks around the bar and approaches. She sticks out her foot so the bad guy trips over it as he runs screaming away.
Junior shakes her sword at the bad guy unconscious in a pile of wrecked chairs. "Hey! I'm the heroine! I'm the one who gets to whoop butkis!"
"I know, I know. I'm sorry." Kimber settles a hand on her shoulder and it's a reach because the girl's much taller. "It's just that I really need to get this place cleaned up before Lisa Shearin gets here."
"Lisa Shearin? Oh, I love her holographic novels." Junior smacks a hand to her chest. "I always play Raine." She pulls a necklace out of her shirt. "See? Mom gave me the amulet for Christmas. She had a booger of a time programming the matter re-sequencer to spit it out."
"Well, that's great. Now, would you mind too terribly chasing your bad guy back into the Interdimensional Transport Chamber?"
"Okay." Junior re-sheathes her daddy's sword and strides over to the bad guy. She grabs him by the back of his collar and pants and tosses him into the Chamber. Whipping out her sword, she gives chase. "Aiiiieeeee!"
Kimber watches the chamber flash as the two vanish. She rubs her chin in contemplation. "Hmmm, maybe I should've offered her a cup of Ritilin first." But, then, a deep, dark voice stops her sigh.
"Luke, I am your father."
Kimber spins around to see Darth Vader towering over Luke Skywalker. "What the…"
"Come, D'Targnon! We're saving the King!"
Kimber wheels the other way to see Porthos the Pirate leading the Musketeers to save the King of France. She hears other crashing and shouting too, the clashing of blades rattling her spine. Before she can respond, mummies run past wield battleaxes and a gorgeously handsome brown-haired man wildly fights them off.
"I hate mummies!"
"Mummies?" Kimber cries. "Aw, crap! There must be a malfunction in the Climactic Sword Battle circuitry!" She dodges Zorro, drops down and snakes over to the Chamber's control panel just as Jack Sparrow slices tentacles off a sea monster crashing through the ceiling. Pulling off the panel, she makes a terrible discovery. "The switching mechanism is missing! Who could have taken it?"
Wicked cackling is heard.
Kimber looks up to see her muse, the Old Hag, leap onto the bar, waving the switching mechanism over her head. "Ooooh, noooo…"
The Old Hag leaps onto Darth Vader's back and starts pummeling him over the helmut with the switch, cackling all the way.
Kimber lowers her face into her folded arms, body shaking in cries. "I knew I should have gotten into chicken farming instead."
- June 28, 2007 at 5:48 AM
- Gwyneth Bolton said...
Congrats, on the new release, Lisa!
Wonderful party as always, Kimber An!
- June 28, 2007 at 6:12 AM
- Kimber An said...
Kimber An hides behind Gwyneth. "Thanks for coming. Uh, you wouldn't happen to have a spare switching mechanism for a Type-6 Interdimensional Transport Chamber, would you?" She eyes the Old Hag. "Or, maybe a tiger net?
- June 28, 2007 at 6:19 AM
Diana appeared behind Kimber in a rush of smoke and wind. She dusts off her long black traveling cloak and looks around at the chaos ensuing. She takes in the scene, mostly the Old Hag cackling, and sighs. "Why is it that every party I go to has to be up and running before I get there?" she mutters, drawing her Neutrino 2000 from her belt holster. Calmly she raised it and fired two quick bursts, one connecting with the Old Hag's head and the other with Dark Vader's chest.
The switching mechanism flies out of the Old Hag's hand and skids across the floor to rest in front of Diana's feet. She reaches down and scoops the tiny part up. Abruptly she turns to Kimber and hands her the piece of machinery. "Is this what you were talking about?"
- June 28, 2007 at 6:55 AM
This is my first cyber-launch book party, but could not resist cheering for Lisa Shearin!! So here I am -- I love the word pictures that Lisa paints. It is like being in the middle of the action. I am going to try to find a quiet corner somewhere and observe. Just do not mistake me for the Old Hag. Judith
- June 28, 2007 at 7:00 AM
- Kimber An said...
"Hi, Judith! Just keep your back to the wall and you'll be fine." Kimber studies the switching mechanism. "Thanks, Diana. Looks undamaged. I'll just..."
"Ahhaaahahh!" The Old Hag leaps back to life, grabs her broom, and charges for Kimber An.
"Gotta run!" Kimber dashes behind the Chamber. "Yanno, Linnea Sinclair, Patricia Wood..." dodges vase hurled at her head by the Old Hag as she jumps over a flaming tar pit, narrowly dodging Obi Wan Kenobi taking a swing at Anakin Skywalker "...and Lisa Shearin all have nice, fluffy kitty-cats for muses! This isn't fair! This just isn't fair!"
"Oh, stop your whining!" Obi Wan shouts. "It's bad enough I have to deal with this brat!" He blocks Anakin and shoves him back over a table.
Kimber stops to cinch her brows at the Jedi Master, but sees the Old Hag leaping the pit and takes off running again.
- June 28, 2007 at 7:26 AM
No one could EVER mistake you for an old hag, Judith. ; ) So glad you could make it!
I'm here! Thank you everyone for the well wishes!!! Raine will be along shortly, and she'll be bringing Tam with her (Mychael isn't much of a party animal -- and we all know that Tam is). : )
Kimber An, could you lower the lights a little? Goblin eyes are sensitive to bright lights.
- June 28, 2007 at 7:29 AM
Diana straightened at the mention of the goblin pirimu. "Tam's coming? Why didn't anyone mention this earlier!?!" She scuttles over to where Lisa is standing and whispers, "Do you think I can get his picture?"
- June 28, 2007 at 7:34 AM
- Kimber An said...
"Oh, Lisa! I am so sorry about this mess!" Kimber An dodges the Old Hag and shoves her into a closet. Bracing the door with her shoulder, she slides all the locks into place. "There! Now, stay in there, you Old Hag."
A phaser slides across the floor, knocked out of Captain Picard's hand by an evil Borg. She grabs it. "Hey, there weren't any Climactic Sword Battles in Star Trek First Contact." She shrugs her shoulders and blasts two of the lights, dimming the overall lumination of the party. "How's that, Lisa?" She starts for the Interdimensional Transport Chamber.
- June 28, 2007 at 7:46 AM
- Marva said...
Marva steps up to the bar and says, "Mix me a margarita, blended, light on the salt."
Congrats to Lisa on the book. It sounds like tremendous fun.
- June 28, 2007 at 8:31 AM
- Linnea Sinclair said...
I totally fell in love with this book when Lisa's editor asked me to read and possibly blurb it. I think it appealed to me also because I'm a retired PI. So I can really relate to the foul-ups (see, I kept it clean) that Raine runs into in her 'investigations.'
Kudos, Lisa, and so glad to hear the series will continue! Hugs, ~Linnea
- June 28, 2007 at 8:45 AM
- Kimber An said...
"Hi, Marva! Enjoy your margarita, but steer clear of the troll waiter over there."
Kimber An kneels down to replace the switching mechanism on the Chamber. "There." She stands up and opens the control panel. "Oh, hi, Linnea! Glad you could stop in. I think I have some Romulan Ale behind the counter, if you're thirsty." She's about to tap a button when her eyes shift to the side. "Wait. There's something I've gotta do first."
She jogs away, leaps the flaming tar-pit and comes up beside Obi Wan.
"You were my brother! I..." Obi Wan starts to shout down at Anakin frying in the lava.
Kimber taps Obi Wan's shoulder. "Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt, but...would you mind too terribly if I kicked him the rest of the way in?"
"That's not in the script!"
"Oh, come on. Live a little. George Lucus will never know."
Obi Wan props one hand on his hip. "You must be Kimber An. Your husband warned me about you. He also asked me to tell you no more coffee today."
"What?" Kimber props both hands on her hips.
"You've already had your caffeine quota."
"Oh, he is so in the bantha house tonight!" Kimber hurrumphs, shooting a glare at the shrieking Anakin. "Very well then. Carry on." She slumps her shoulders and trudges back to the Chamber.
Obi Wan gets back to work. "You were my brother! I..."
Kimber tosses him a glare over her shoulder.
- June 28, 2007 at 9:05 AM
Thanks for the kudos, Linnea! And especially for all of the author advice for the newbie. ; )
(Tam comes in and looks around with a slow, wicked grin.)
He completely approves of the lighting--and especially all the female company. He'd like a booth in the corner, a bottle of Caesolian red and two glasses.
Would anyone care to join him?
- June 28, 2007 at 9:25 AM
- Imalshen said...
heyo people, sorry I'm fashionably late; I had a physical for college, but I'm here now! Muahahah!
- June 28, 2007 at 9:49 AM
Imalshen, I'm so glad you could make it!! Come over to the bar and order yourself a drink. : )
- June 28, 2007 at 10:06 AM
- Kimber An said...
Kimber An glares at the troll lying spread-eagle on the floor. She sighs. "I knew somebody would slug him." She steps over the body. "Hey, Lisa, do you think I could hire some of those hobgoblins for bouncers?" She walks behind the bar and pulls out a fresh tray of clean glasses. "Hey, Tam! You made it! You know, you're such a twisted character." She pours some Romulan Ale into his glass. "Why do you think that is?" She waves the bottle at Lisa. "I mean, besides your official transcriber, what shaped you into the goblin you are today? Do you think?"
- June 28, 2007 at 10:13 AM
- Kimber An said...
Hey, imalshen, what's your poisen? I try to get a shipment from Linnea's Intergalactic Bar & Grill whenever I can, but this week's supply isn't in yet. Want some Romulan Ale?
- June 28, 2007 at 10:21 AM
- Imalshen said...
I'll take a Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper with rum please. ;) *whispers* Er-they don't card here, do they?
*stares curiously at troll*....
- June 28, 2007 at 10:21 AM
- Imalshen said...
oh, romulan ale double now that you mention it. ;)
- June 28, 2007 at 10:22 AM
- Anissa said...
Sounds like a fun book. I LOVE the title! :) Congratulations, Lisa.
- June 28, 2007 at 10:26 AM
- Imalshen said...
I'm reading it right now. :D I'd normally have a book finished in 3 days but all hell broke loose over here. lol
- June 28, 2007 at 10:27 AM
- Kimber An said...
Kimber An pours the Romulan Ale. "Nope. No cardding here. This is a cyber-party. The intoxicating effects vanish when you leave and your blood alcohol level goes back down to zero. Besides, we get a lot of aliens in here and, yanno, they mature at different rates than humans. The Menelaens are adults at 14 while the Freyans over..." she waves the bottle at a group of tall women in the corner, pale-faced and with pale purple spots on their foreheads "...there don't come of age until 25. Those ones are 27, by the way, but I should warn you their society is matriarchal."
- June 28, 2007 at 10:27 AM
- Kimber An said...
Kimber slides a shot-glass with Ale in it down't to Anissa. "Hey! Thanks for stopping in!"
- June 28, 2007 at 10:28 AM
I'll keep it that in mind *nods to Freyans who stare at strange human suspiciously* So how is everyone today? My place is totally flooded in and the tornado sirens keep going off but the sky doesn't look right for them.
- June 28, 2007 at 10:31 AM
- Imalshen said...
Oh, and I am most curious to meet this Piaras. He sounds very much like a certain Josh Groban...lol
- June 28, 2007 at 10:37 AM
Thanks Anissa!! Imalshen, be sure to let me know what you think when you finish reading. : )
Tam turns his smoky gaze on Kimber An.
"I wanted my past to stay where I buried it." He glares at Lisa. "But this one made me tell her. Now everyone will know."
- June 28, 2007 at 10:40 AM
- Imalshen said...
*to Tam* I'm most certainly interested. *evil grin* I've barely been introduced to you yet.
- June 28, 2007 at 10:43 AM
- Tia Nevitt said...
This looks fun but unfortunately, I won't be able to join in until late tonight! My evening is booked!
- June 28, 2007 at 10:50 AM
- Imalshen said...
we look forward to your return!
- June 28, 2007 at 10:51 AM
- Kimber An said...
"See you later, Tia!" Kimber waves after her. She turns to Tam. "Oh, now, don't be too hard on Lisa. She's just doing her job, you know. Besides, it's not like you characters don't create moments of sheer terror for us official transcribers."
- June 28, 2007 at 10:57 AM
- Imalshen said...
or us readers! ;)
- June 28, 2007 at 11:02 AM
Lisa glares back at Tam. "Or refuse to speak to us at all. He's next to impossible to get anything out of. I ask questions, he leans back and grins."
LOL! Imalshen, you're right. But I knew Piaras about a year before I heard Josh. And then I got a look at his first CD cover. I was stunned. Curly dark hair, brown eyes, gorgeous voice. Check, check, check. I was like, "Dang, it's Piaras!"
- June 28, 2007 at 11:15 AM
- Imalshen said...
hehehe, subconsious love, right? lol
- June 28, 2007 at 11:21 AM
- Michelle Moran said...
Congratulations, Lisa! On Kimberley's recommendation, I read Magic Lost, Trouble Found and am looking forward to Book 2 in May, which is only... oh....11 months away!!! Michelle realizes she has a book due in 3 weeks that will have to be edited and completely polished by May. At least she'll get to read Lisa's sequel by then. And that thought will certainly keep her going!
- June 28, 2007 at 11:28 AM
- Imalshen said...
my compy is getting hot so i'm going to let it rest for a bit, until the joshie boards come back on too. bbl!
- June 28, 2007 at 11:28 AM
Piaras is a great character. I just love that kid (and so does Raine). There will be plenty of Piaras (and Phaelan as well) in the next book ARMED & MAGICAL. BTW -- I'll be doing a final read-thru of the manuscript and then it'll be ready to go to the copy editor for proofreading, etc. No edits were needed!
(Grins and hops up on a barstool.) That's cause for celebration! A round for everyone -- on me!!
- June 28, 2007 at 11:31 AM
Thank you, Michelle! I should have sample chapters from ARMED & MAGICAL up on my website in the next few months (or maybe sooner).
- June 28, 2007 at 11:33 AM
- Imalshen said...
that is a cause for celebration! *hands cyber cookies out* Muahah!
- June 28, 2007 at 12:07 PM
Anonymous crawls in from the world of too much technology and paper (something that it turns out was extremely expensive (along with canvas, the latter's why some "lost" paintings have been found underneath other paintings by the same artists, because the materials to apply the paint to were more expensive than the overpainted painting was worth to the artist!) and into the cyberlaunch party. I think this is the first virtual book launch I've been to (there is no way the audio quality could be worse than at First Avenue in Minneapolis for the book launch party of Emma Bull's War for the Oaks. The (concrete) facility had started off life as a vehicle garage and the acoustics were the worst of any nightclub I can recall ever having been in.
Meanwhile, is are there any more glasses and more of that Caesolian red (I hope it's not oaky/loaded with tannin...) (refraining from uncouthness of e.g. drinking straight from the bottle).
And are Piaras and Mychael going to sing (or would that be a bad idea...) as performers?
- June 28, 2007 at 12:48 PM
- Kimber An said...
"I just can't believe it. I can't believe Darth Vader's my father." Luke Skywalker shakes his head as Kimber An guides him into the Intradimensional Transport Chamber.
"Yeah, I mean, what do you get a dad who only wants galactic domination for Father's Day? Here, have a chocolate brownie." Kimber tosses him a brownie and steps back. The Chamber flashes and she sighs. "Well, that's the last of them." She looks around the debris field and groans. "Oooh, this looks almost as bad as my house the day after Christmas!"
Kimber strides over to the bar and grabs the tray of drinks. "All right, enough of that." She pushes a button and a large cylinder rises out of the floor. "Time for my secret weapon."
The Freyans rush over. "What's that?"
"This little bad boy's a meta-phasic, plasma-shielded, Type-9, multi-vector, dinarian-fueled Coffee Maker!"
"What's coffee?" Asks the lead Freyan.
Kimber's jaw drops almost to her kneecaps and she rolls her eyes over to Lisa and back. "You come from a female-dominated society and you don't know what coffee is?" She shakes her head. "Yanno, this is why I'm not polishing up your novel right now. You need a lot more work!"
Kimber throws the switch and steps back, gesturing for her guests to do the same. "We'll feed this to the Freyans. They're caffeine-tolerance is low. Once it gets pumping through their veins, all we have to do is toss them some cleaning equipment and they'll have this place cleaned up in no time."
Kimber notices Michelle. "Hi, Michelle! Better step back a little more. This is Altarian coffee. It really kicks. Hey, everybody, Michelle's Cyber-Launch Book party is next week!"
- June 28, 2007 at 12:53 PM
- Kimber An said...
"Hey, anon, you can have whatever you want to drink, but, uh, why not take a sip of this coffee I'm making here?" Kimber leans over and whispers to Lisa. "It's a lot cheaper than hiring a cleaning crew."
"Singing?" Kimber eyes the Chamber. "Hmm, we're going to need a band to accompany." She wonders over to the control panel. "Hmmm, where could I find a good band?"
- June 28, 2007 at 12:57 PM
- Henny said...
[i]I've got notebooks full of scenes and dialogue that come to me like that. I write them down, knowing that somehow they'll fit into a story somewhere at some time. My brain doles out ideas like puzzle pieces. It's up to me to figure out where they go. Frustrating as hell, yet fun at the same time.[i]
Lol Lisa, I could have written that myself. Congratualtions - it's nice to meet you. I have put you on my blog, www.hennyshouse.blogspot.com as per Kimber's request. :)
Well, as usual because of the time difference, I find out about these parties at the most crazy time of my day, find the time to make a brief appearance, and then have to go to bed.:( (I'm in the UK)
* Henny nearly ducks as anon's empty coffee mug flies by, but then remembers the portable shield emitter she pinned to her cuff before arriving. Clearly this is not the first of Kimber's parties she's attended. She turns before leaving
'You me to call the decorators now, or in the morning? *
- June 28, 2007 at 1:42 PM
Anonymous again...
Cawffee, pah.
Cheyenne Mountain and Thule Greenland on midshifts couldn't get me to drink coffee.... meetings at TRW and Hughes Electron Dynamics Division where it was the only potable in the room and the only way to stay awake though, and the local Market Basket supermarkets...
"Coffee is a dark brown liquid that [non-approbationary words]" --Zelazny story with Door and Lamps and Eyes in the title.
Question, is having Darth Vader for a daddy worse than a 900 year old-gobbled-by-an-Artifact elven mage?
On second thought, the elven mage didn't whine (I've never seen Star Wars #1 the fourth film made, I saw number two. I would like to see #1 with an alternate audio track, particularly, alternate script and voice actors. I haven't seen #3...
Next may is way too far away.
- June 28, 2007 at 2:02 PM
Shoot, I wanted to talk to Henny before she left -- my son, daughter-in law and 4 grandchildren are in London right now. I have been sitting very quietly in my corner, sipping my drink, and eyeing all the good looking guys. I have a list that I want Lisa to introduce me to. Can't decide whether to leave now or stay put! Judith
- June 28, 2007 at 2:03 PM
- Kimber An said...
Kimber An shares the mike with Weird Al up on a hastily built stage for his band. Together, they belt out 'Livin' in the Fridge.' She waves to Henny, knowing the fine English lady will be back in the morning. The song ends.
"Hi, Anon! Hi, Judith! This next song is dedicated to Patricia Wood whose debut novel, LOTTERY, comes out August."
Kimber and Weird proceed to belt it out, especially relishing the part "I'm highest bidder!"
- June 28, 2007 at 3:46 PM
- Kimber An said...
"I found it on eBay..." Kimber keeps singing, while keeping an eye on the Freyans runnning around cleaning up.
- June 28, 2007 at 3:48 PM
- Merc said...
Merc steps in for a brief moment, on her best behavior (fangs in, claws sheathed, wings furled, no zombies following her, etc), and waves.
"Hey all! Sorry I can't stay--just wanted to pop in and say congrats (again) to you, Lisa!"
Merc displays the tray of cookies she brought and offers them to everyone.
"Okay, have fun! Looks like a great party--will stop in later if time permits. Looking forward to more of your work, Lisa! Cheers!"
Merc waves and disappears in a cloud of smoke.
- June 28, 2007 at 3:56 PM
- Kimber An said...
"Hi, Merc!" Kimber grabs a cookie. "Thanks!" She also grabs her elbow and whispers, "Hey, do you think people will freak out if Weird Al and I sing the 'Weasal Stomping Day song? We're planning on using water balloons, not real weasals."
- June 28, 2007 at 4:14 PM
David peeks in the doorway, then steps inside, a twenty-four ounce bag of milk chocolate kisses dangling from his right hand.
"Hi, Lisa! Congratulations on your first book! Hi, Kimber An!" David waves at the stage. "Sorry I'm so late getting here. I had to work today. Nice floor treatment," he says, briefly eyeing the still prostrate troll. "This is my first cyber-launch book party," he says, smiling nervously at the honoree. "I didn't know what to bring, but I figured chocolate would be acceptable in any event. I'll just put these on the bar, okay?" David excuses himself and goes over behind the bar, fetches a pretzel bowl from the shelves underneath and sets it topside. He spots Linnea down at one end of the bar and waves to her. "Hi, Linn!" Linnea smiles and waves back, raising her Mango Mojito in reply. David empties the bag of kisses into the bowl and comes back over to visit some more. "Nice questions from Kimber An. And I loved your answers, Lisa. You've no idea how comforting it was to hear you say that scenes and dialog come to you randomly the way they do. Same happens to me, too. All the time."
"Oh, no!" David smacks his forehead with his hand as he looks at the doorway. Headed his way is Daie Fahr, accompanied by the Mushari Jhee-Fhal, who, thank goodness, has deigned to wear something less revealing than her usual, around-the-house togs. "Didn't I leave you two on the ship? With instructions not to leave it?" David gives Daie a significant look.
"Well, yeah," Daie says, "but then we'd have missed the party." Daie's mischievous grin is contageous as Jhee-Fhal gazes about the room in wide-eyed wonder.
"See, this is why I always end up having to pull your bacon out of the fire, Daie."
"Is not."
Jhee-Fhal snickers in amusement.
"Don't laugh. You're no better, Jhee-Fhal."
Jhee-Fhal clutches her hands to to her chest, her black almond eyes wide and her mouth open in mock astonishment. The next instant, she spots Tam, over in the corner. "Ooh! He's cute!" she says, quickly tucking long, silky black locks behind her delicately pointed Jothan ears. Her eyes are agleam with anticipation and and she giggles with delight as she slips effortlessly past David's desperate grasp. She sashays barefooted toward the corner booth.
"You," David says, poking Daie in the chest, "go keep her from making a nuisance of herself. And for God sake, don't let her near the chocolate! We don't need an intoxicated Mushari on our hands. Now, go."
David turns back to Lisa. "You know, I know it's a cliche and all that, but I really do have a bad feeling about this. I think I need some chocolate. Or maybe a diet Coke." He turns toward the bar just in time to see Jhee-Fhal snatching a handful of kisses from the bowl, her eyes sparkling with glee. "Oh, lordy. This is gonna be a long evening, I can just tell." David begs pardon and heads over to head off the wayward Mushari.
- June 28, 2007 at 4:32 PM
Great party. And I didn't know Junior would be here too. I miss her. It's been awhile since I've been privy to her adventures.
Congrats to Lisa! I bought the book today and can't wait to start it. Sounds like a blast.
- June 28, 2007 at 4:43 PM
- LadyBronco said...
*Stepping over the troll laying in front of the doorwy*
"Hellooo party room!"
LadyB suanters over to the bar and plops down on a stool. It's been a long day.
"Hey Madame Kimber - got any herbal tea back there?"
- June 28, 2007 at 5:00 PM
- Imalshen said...
Wow *takes a shot* I can't go anywhere alone, can I?
There I was, at the Wal-Mart, smelling like cigarettes from my grandma's house, my hair mussy because I rolled down my car windows to kill the smell, in my wet frumy sweatshirt and jeans, so waterlogged any makeup I could have had on was gone...a total mess and I couldn't be bothered.
And this gangsta guy and this asian guy get in line behind me, the gangsta guy all the while whispering tips into the asian guy's ear on how to pick me up...
I'm still not seeing the attraction here. Even on my good days.
Er, yes, back from grandma's, voice lessons and shopping. How is the party going on? I brought more cookies!
- June 28, 2007 at 5:03 PM
I'm baaack! Hola, David!! I haven't forgotten about what I owe you. Guess my rickety laptop choked on the attachments. ; ) Hey Judy! So glad you could make it back!
Kimber An, could you please bring my distinguished "anonymous" guest all the Caesolian red he can drink. *grin*
- June 28, 2007 at 5:38 PM
- Kimber An said...
Still singing with Weird Al, Kimber An tosses a teabag to Lady Bronco and eyes the chocolate and cookies enviously. "'Don't go makin' phony calls...'"
Just then, the Chamber flashes and Junior (age 16 this time) comes bouncing out, all smiles. "Did someone scream for me?"
Piaras notices her and walks over. "Hi. I'm Piaras. Can you introduce me to those spotted girls over there?"
"Sure! Come on." Junior grabs his arm.
The Chamber flashes again and a towering Irishman bearing a striking resemblance to Liam Neeson bounds through, sword drawn. "Get your hands off my little girl!" He charges towards Piaras. Sheathing his sword, he grabs Piaras by the neck and pins him against the wall.
"Daaaad!" Junior grabs her father's elbow. "He just wanted me to introduce him to those Freyan girls over there."
Delano looks at his daughter. "He did?"
"Yes. Can you put him down and let him breathe now please?" Junior props her hands upon hips.
Delano sets Piaras down, letting him know with a look that he'd better keep his hormones away from his little girl.
Piaras edges away.
"Sorry about that," Junior calls after him, patting her father's arm. "He's kind of new to this dad thing and gets a little carried away sometimes."
Delano notices Kimber An stomping on water balloons with Weird Al. "All right, let's go. This is definitely not a good place for children."
"Dad, I'm sixteen!" Junior protests, but is dragged back to the Chamber nonetheless. She waves over her shoulder, clearly used to being dragged around by her parents. "Bye! I'll be back just as soon as we get home." She shoots a glare at her father and grumbles, "Mom lets me come here all the time."
- June 28, 2007 at 5:40 PM
- Kimber An said...
Kimber An pelts a Borg with a water balloon, shorting out its circuitry.
"You...will be...assimulated..."
"Get over it already, will you?" Kimber An shoves the teetering and sparking Borg out of the way and fetches a drink for Lisa's anonymous friend.
- June 28, 2007 at 5:42 PM
Thanks Merc! Come back when you can stay awhile.
Hope you love MLTF, Shelb!!
- June 28, 2007 at 5:43 PM
- Tia Nevitt said...
Tia walks in.
"Did I miss the party? I brought some guests; they'll be along in a few minutes. I'm afraid that I ripped them out of the space-story continuum, so they're a bit dazed. My muse is briefing them now. Be gentle."
- June 28, 2007 at 6:18 PM
Hola, Tia! MORE guests? Just when I think it can't get any better. ; )
(Looks around to make sure everyone is watching Tia and her dazed minions make their entrance, then sneaks her laptop out from behind the bar.)
Workaholic author alert: Never miss the opportunity to jot down the good lines.
- June 28, 2007 at 6:29 PM
"I vote we make Kimber An the official/perpetual/permanent host and bartender for each and every Raine Benares cyber book launch party! All in favor, raise your glasses, mugs, cups, or whatever!"
(Glances around.)
The pair of trolls passed out on the floor and a trio of hobgoblins face down on a table in a big puddle of ale weren't in any condition to vote on anything.
But everywhere else in Kimber An's party room glasses were raised, drinks were sloshed, and the cheers were deafening.
"Looks like you're stuck with the job, Kimber An." ; )
- June 28, 2007 at 6:45 PM
- Tia Nevitt said...
The door opened again and every eye turned to stare as another woman entered the room. She had to duck under the 6'6" doorframe and once she was in the room, she took care to look up before she straightened to her full, 6'9" height. However, she didn't attract stares merely because of her height. She wore a muscle cuirass of beaten steel that gleamed in the torchlight. She wore a sword at her hip and small shield-like braciers strapped to each arm. Her skin was the color of creamy hot chocolate; her eyes were even browner, and her wavy brown hair vanished under a crowned helm.
Behind her, a slight young woman in a high-waisted gown of mourning black slipped in. She eyed the amazon with askance and darted over to the bar. The look in her eyes were slightly too merry, casting doubt on the validity of her widow attire. At her heals, a good-looking young man with a harp case strode in. He was an obvious minstrel "Pardon me, madam," he said to the amazon. He doffed his cap, eyed the room, then took up residence in a corner, tuning his harp.
The amazon strode to the bar, ignoring the stares. "Agnar, please." Her voice as soft-spoken and gentle, entirely at odds with her fierce appearance.
"We don't serve that here, whatever that is."
"Etha, then."
"Nope. No etha, either."
"It's beer," said the widow. "You want beer."
"Beer will be fine."
Once served, the amazon took a sip, grimaced slightly and then let her gaze settle on the room.
"You some kind of queen?" the bartender asked.
Her gaze turned abstract. "I was, but I'm not so sure anymore."
"You will be again," the widow said.
"You speak with such confidence."
"You haven't been trunked; you're just on hold."
"Unlike me," the minstrel put in. He began to sing. "I've been trunked, I've been skunked, I've been irrevocably dumped. . . ."
- June 28, 2007 at 6:47 PM
- LadyBronco said...
"Thanks for the teabag, Madame Kimber!"
LadyB reaches behind the bar for a mug and the carafe of hot water.
"Great party, by the way. Lisa, I am greatly looking forward to reading your book."
As the teabag is steeping in her mug, LadyB screeches as something hairy lands right in front of her on the bar and spills her tea.
"What the heck is that! It looks like a mutated Tribble!"
LadyB gets up from the bar and plops don in an overstuffed char in the corner to listen to Kimber An and Weird Al belt out "Albuquerque."
- June 28, 2007 at 6:59 PM
- Imalshen said...
*Jealous that Piaras didn't ask to be introduced to her, Imalshen strides over to the karaoke machine.*
Let me have a try!
*puts in Celine Dion and attempts to seduce every man in the room*
- June 28, 2007 at 7:34 PM
- Kimber An said...
Following a romantic crooning of 'You don't love me anymore' with Weird Al, Kimber An concedes to Alaska Time and falls asleep behind Jabba the Hut's furry twin brother, Yabba.
"Wa-ha-ha!" Yabba grabs a Lady B's mutated Tribble and pops it into his mouth. He has no idea Kimber An's asleep behind him.
A hobgoblin chases Weird Al back into the Chamber.
- June 28, 2007 at 7:44 PM
ymous returning, and gratefully accepting the wine, toasts the party host Kimber An (avoiding the soused hobgoblins and being thankful that that puddle of liquid is beer even though spilled beer stinks after a while [not a "he" though...]).
Those hobgoblins have no head for alcohol, do they (only for the table they're conked out heads onto.... hmm, are they really hobgoblins, they didn't slide under the table? (By that way, that actually does happen, someone stood up, managed it for a second, and then slid under the table he'd been sitting at!
Meanwhile... are those Conclave Guardians over there? And--uh-oh, those blasted mages who really can't hold their liquor. What do they think they are, dragons, shooting flames out of their mouths (as opposed to taking a mouthful of butane, holding a match or lighter in front of one's face, and blowing... there are some things I wasn't stupid/adventurous enough to try in college, that was one of them! Mages, however, think they're invulnerable, even when they're not....
* snarling at "cookies" [peepholes, and I don't like being spied on through 2038! The Cookie Monster program had NOTHING to do with spyhing on end users, and was inimical but either self-inflicted or inflicted on careless users who went away leaving the terminal unlocked to be hacked by their associates....] which were causing trouble for me to post here at home]
- June 28, 2007 at 8:25 PM
- ORION said...
Hey I'm late but I have an orchid lei for the--
ARGGHHHH. What is that slimy stuff all over the floor? I just fell on my butt!
Oh man.
Is that a tentacle in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?
- June 28, 2007 at 11:12 PM
- Tia Nevitt said...
The bartender says to the three newcomers, "See that blonde elf babe over there?" He gestures to Raine, with her bevy of elves and goblins around her "She's REAL! She has actual readers!"
The amazon looks thoughtful as she eyes the goblins. "He," she gestures to Tam. "Reminds me of someone." She walks over to him.
The bartender looks at the minstrel and gestures to Piaras. "He's a musician, too."
A gleam enters the minstrel's eye. "Really? We'll see about that." He heads over to the group as well.
The young fraudulent widow, who by now has doffed her veil, eyes Raine. "She looks like a sneaky type."
She doesn't wait for the bartender's reply before she walks over to her.
- June 29, 2007 at 3:10 AM
- Henny said...
Shoot, I wanted to talk to Henny before she left -- my son, daughter-in law and 4 grandchildren are in London right now.
Hi Judith... *whispers so as not to waken the unconscious revellers. Heck - where'd the old hag and the troll go? Better be extra quiet*
- what can I say? It's raining... and it's going to continue raining over the weekend. Many places not already under floodwater are likely to suffer over the weekend. But I think London will be okay. :) We're on the east coast so have hardly seen any rain at all.
- June 29, 2007 at 3:57 AM
- Kimber An said...
Kimber An crawls out from behind Yabba the Hut, who's snoring, and pulls out her earplugs. She stands up and staggers, bleary-eyed, to the super-turbo coffee maker. "Gotta have at least one cup before I make those muffins." She looks around at all her passed-out guests. "They're gonna be hungry when they wake up." She notices Henny sipping her morning tea at the end of the bar. "Hey! I figured only Alaskans and fine English ladies would be awake around here. Top of the morning to ya." She heard that last sentence in an English movie once and wonders if its authentic Englishness.
- June 29, 2007 at 5:06 AM
- Kimber An said...
Tia, Pat, Anon, good morning! Oh, they're asleep now. I don't want anyone to wake up until the coffee's ready anyway."
- June 29, 2007 at 5:08 AM
*snork* david jolts awake, snatches out his cell phone and checks the time. (machinists don't wear watches, you know. Safety issue.)
"Omigod, I gotta get to work!" Looks around frantically and spots Jhee-Fhal, chatting amiably with Raine. "Wow, she really is real."
David navigates his way around Yabba and over to the corner booth. "Hi, Raine. Nice to meet you at last. I hate to greet and go, but I'm a working stiff. Bills and all that. I'm sure you can relate." Raine nods, her lips quirked into a sly grin. "Jhee-Fhal, have you seen Daie Fahr?" Jhee-Fhal, never one to miss learning something new, mimics Raine's expression and points to the seat next to her. Slumped down and nearly slid under is Daie, sleeping off the effects of a bit too much Caesolian red. David shakes his head and heaves a sigh. "Ah, to be young and irresponsible. Jhee-Fhal? I've got to go. Can you keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't get lost? Or worse?"
"Of course," she says, looking just a tiny bit glassy-eyed herself.
"Have you been up this whole time?"
Jhee-Fhal nods, smiling serenely.
"I should've known. Aliens! Raine, it was a pleasure meeting you. I'll stop in again later. Say good morning to the others for me, when they revive, that is."
Raine gives him a wiggly-fingered wave and Jhee-Fhal follows suit. David weaves his way back over to the door, slipping only a couple of times on the unidentified stuff on the floor. At least it's not terribly sticky. Yet. He pauses at the door and waves at the corner booth. The girls are oblivious, lost once more in conversation. David steps carefully over a snoring hobgoblin propped up against the doorjamb, takes one more quick look inside and heads off to work.
- June 29, 2007 at 5:32 AM
David pokes his head back in.
"Psst. Kimber An, great party!" He gives her a hearty thumbs up and slips out the door once more.
- June 29, 2007 at 5:36 AM
In the corner booth, Raine disentangles herself from Tam and walks unsteadily over to the bar. She yawns long and loud, and takes an even louder sniff of the aroma of brewing coffee.
"Starbucks Kimodo Dragon blend." Raine smiles. "Kimber An, how ever did you know? Lisa said you were the perfect host. She was right."
"Did I hear Mistress Kimber An say something about muffins?" Tam's voice was husky from sleep and carried the warmth of the bed. "I keep Sirens open until four in the morning." He grinned slowly until just a peek of fang was visible. "My patrons might stay at my gambling tables longer if I could offer them breakfast."
Tam stands, stretches languidly, his black eyes shining. "Mistress Kimber An, could you be persuaded to accept employment from me?"
- June 29, 2007 at 5:44 AM
Thanks, Henny, for the whispered comments, although with all the other noise in the room, I don't think anyone else heard you. By the way, heard there was some trouble in London. No place on earth (or even off it) seems safe anymore. Evidently, my cloak of invisibility works better than I had hoped for. At this time of the morning, however, no one except Raine notices new people (and that is because she has had her coffee). Did I tell you I enjoy your parties Kimber An. I have trouble finding you through the haze that seems to penetrate the whole room. Lisa will fill me in on what I missed (I hope).
- June 29, 2007 at 6:51 AM
- Kimber An said...
"Muffins!" Kimber comes out of the kitchen with a large tray and sets it on the bar. "Coffee's over there. Just follow your nose." She notices mutated Tribbles gathering to lick up the slimy floor coverings. She notices waking and passing-through guests. "Good morning, David. Hi, Tam, Lisa, Judith. Have a cup of jo."
- June 29, 2007 at 7:45 AM
[Anonymous back again]
Hey, this stuff is close to 24 carat, where did that half-elven half-goblin get those items he was using for stakes from, anyway? On second thought, I don't want Raine to notice, it might be something someone hired her to find (not to mention those Conclave Guardians.
Someone really should have warned me about the fire suppression wards before I tried that bar trick, though. It let the flaming brandy alone (what, you'd never seen anyone drink a flaming drink before?), so why did the wards have to object to the Polish Rocket?!
- June 29, 2007 at 8:06 AM
- Kimber An said...
Kimber steps carefully over a flock of mutated Tribbles to fill Anon's coffee cup. "I don't understand any of that magic stuff. I usually stick to warp drive and phasers, yanno..." Her voice trails off as she notices some mutated Tribbles nibbling on some gold coins littering the floor around Anon's feet. "Hey, they're eating your winnings."
Suddenly, one mutated Tribble teeters back and starts to spark. It rolls over it own back and stands up on its hind legs. Wings fold out and its eyes glow yello.
"Oooh, crap." Kimber backs away.
All the other mutated Tribbles teeter back and stand up too, eyes glowing.
A cackling rattles Kimber's spine and she looks to see the Old Hag ripping cables out of the Chamber.
The coffee pot flies out of Kimber's hand. "Noooooo!!!"
- June 29, 2007 at 9:02 AM
- Henny said...
Did somebody say muffins? I'll definitely have one with my morning Earl Grey. (Only it's now 17:02 with me). What the heck I'm up for tea and muffins anytime. Tiffin.
- June 29, 2007 at 9:03 AM
(Anonymous here again)
What's with the uncleanliness in here, anyway, I thought that the Former Primaru had both magic and wealth with which to keep this joint spotless.
Wait a minute, who let the those necromancers and the detritus with them in, is that why this place is getting so filthy?
(And no, that tinfoil hat isn't going to help anything!)
- June 29, 2007 at 9:56 AM
- LadyBronco said...
"Good morning! Glad to see the troll gone from the doorway...whoa!"
*slipping on the goo on the floor*
"Uh, Madame Kimber, are there any muffins and coffee left?"
- June 29, 2007 at 10:17 AM
- Kimber An said...
"Ahhhh! Lady B!" Kimber lets go of the Old Hag, whips out her plasma-pistol and blasts a mutated Tribble flying at Lady B's head with its fangs and claws fully extended.
The guts blast all over poor Lady B.
Kimber looks around as the other mutated Tribbles start closing in her guests. "Arm yourselves!"
- June 29, 2007 at 10:24 AM
Somebody get one of those thumb-in-rump magic users to translocate the banned Chinese pet food and shove it over there for the tribbles to feed on.
(Remember how the tribbles were gotten away with in the original show!)
- June 29, 2007 at 11:22 AM
- Imalshen said...
Since I'm stuck outside the door here, do you need me to get any special food these mutated Tribbles like so I can draw them away?
- June 29, 2007 at 11:23 AM
- Imalshen said...
hey, we're thinking on the same brainwave *starts feeding banned food to Tribbles*
- June 29, 2007 at 11:24 AM
- Mystery Robin said...
YAY! A launch party!!! Lisa - I was just reading your query letter on Kristen Nelson's site. Nicely done!! It sounds like a great series and a lot of fun to write and read. :)
- June 29, 2007 at 11:51 AM
[Anon again]
Hey, nobody mentioned the decor--the velvet Elvis, the chili pepper lightstrands, the pink plastic flamingoes, the flush toilet (there don't seem to be any in Mermeia...), Viagra ads, kudzu and Oriental bittersweet (and some fascinated magic users watching them grow, some of them seem to be discussing the use of Oriental bittersweet as restraints (lawful sorts) or for defense (unlawful sorts), some bubble blowing machines, a couple flamethrowers, a picture of dogs playing poker, and a dozen Hello Kitty posters....
- June 29, 2007 at 11:55 AM
- Imalshen said...
don't forget the disco ball!
- June 29, 2007 at 12:08 PM
- Henny said...
*Henny activates portable sheild once more as tribble start ricocheting around what was formerly the sunken lounge, and is now a death trap of roiling, unearthly-coloured ooze - the tribbles new lavatory*
'Okay, who's the Smart Alec who thought feeding banned food to mutated tribbles would be a good idea?'
- June 29, 2007 at 12:32 PM
- Kimber An said...
"Well, I'm a Wild West kind of girl," says Kimber, tossing a plasma-pistol to Henny. "I say we just blast 'em." She leans back on her barstool and blasts one flying over Anon's head, splattering guts all over him and sending fur into Imalshen's face. "Sorry about that. We'll just turn on the sprinklers to wash everything away." She elbows Lisa. "Hey, do any of your characters command water, like Arwen and her daddy in Lord of the Rings? You could just send a river right through here to clean up afterwards." She blasts another Tribble flying over Mystery Robin's head. "Hi! Do you think people will freak out about this? I mean, this is cyber-space and they're not real Tribbles, after all." Spinning her pistol, she shoves it back in her holster and takes another sip of coffee.
- June 29, 2007 at 12:41 PM
[Anon again]
Would you rather have them alive and attacking your or being off in a contained area gorging themselves and expiring?!
Oh, and watch out for that rock down there in the middle of them that they're disappearing off into....
- June 29, 2007 at 12:42 PM
kimber an, do you realize how silly you look covered with tribble guts, Mardi Gras plstic bead necklaces, and a vinyl-sided firearm?!
- June 29, 2007 at 12:47 PM
- Kimber An said...
Kimber digs a Tribble intestine out of her ear. "Huh?"
- June 29, 2007 at 1:09 PM
- Henny said...
Kimber look silly covered in Tribble gut, Anon? You didn't see her when she realised the bad guy at the Red Lion Inn had an alien insect species inside his head. The blue gunge spattered around the pub when she was finished with her blaster... we were all covered, Kimber included. Took me weeks to get the stuff out of my hair.
*Henny adjusts blaster settings to 'fry' and zaps five Tribbles in quick succession before yawning and looking at Darrynian diamonte timepiece on wrist*
Almost time for me to go...
- June 29, 2007 at 1:24 PM
- LadyBronco said...
*Whips out the double-sided fuschia light saber*
"I can't stand those smelly, mutated Tribbles!"
LadyB starts taking out mutated Tribbles left and right, watching their furry little heads start to roll.
Stopping suddenly to wave her hands in front of her face, LadyB yells "Awwww, they stink worse, now!"
- June 29, 2007 at 1:38 PM
- Kimber An said...
"Hey, that Tribble had something inside it!" Kimber sifts through Tribble guts and lifts up a device dangling from a chain. "Hey, Lisa! Did one of your characters lose another amulet?"
- June 29, 2007 at 1:48 PM
Not that I know of. Don't show that to Raine; she just got rid of one necklace. I think she's sworn off jewelry for life.
Thank you, mystery robin! The query letter for MLTF was a lot of fun to write -- 20 years in advertising and marking finally paid off. ; )
Kimber An, do you think we could spray the floor down to get rid of all the tribble poop? (It must be that banned Chinese pet food.) Mychael just came off of duty and wanted to drop in for a pint.
- June 29, 2007 at 2:03 PM
- Kimber An said...
"Got it covered." Kimber walks around the bar and comes out with a firehouse. "Everyone, get out of the way!" With a flip of the switch, water shoots out with hurricane force. The Tribbles and their guts and the dead trolls all get swept away, out the hole left by the Kraken whose tentacles Jack Sparrow sliced off.
A few minutes of hosing has the guests hanging onto the bar for dear life, screaming and legs flailing. Kimber doesn't notice, her head falling back in wicked laughter as all the gunk shoots out the back of her party room.
Finally, she switches off, tosses the hose aside, and grabs another cup of coffee. "Ah, that was good." She waves her cup around. "Bet your mama never taught you to clean house like that."
- June 29, 2007 at 2:23 PM
"Huh." David walks in and takes a look a round. "Hi Lisa, Kimber An, LadyB. Looks like I made out like a blister -- showed up after the work got done. *grins like a dern fool, albeit a clever dern fool* "Jhee-Fhal called me at work from the ship. She says Daie's got a heck of a hang-over, but he'll live. Poor kid. *shakes his head and tsks a couple of times* "So, got any cookies left?" *perks right up and heads over to the bar*
- June 29, 2007 at 2:36 PM
"Say, Lisa, did I read that right in your interview? You've got some bits and pieces for Book 4? Dude!" *gives big thumbs-up* "Which book are you actually scribing upon at present?"
- June 29, 2007 at 2:40 PM
- Lisa Shearin said...
Lisa opens the bar door and cautiously looks in.
"Now that's what I call cleaning house! Firehose, leaf blower -- who needs a vacuum cleaner?"
She turns to someone outside. "All clean and clear, sweetie. Just the way you like it."
Mychael comes in and inclines his head graciously to the barkeep.
"Mistress Kimber An, I've been told you serve an incomparable Romulan ale. I'd very much like a pint."
He sits at the bar with a wince and a sigh. "Not only would I like a pint, I need a pint. It's been a long week, and I'm ready to unwind."
- June 29, 2007 at 2:44 PM
- Lisa Shearin said...
Yep, David, books come in bits and pieces for me. Frustrating, but you work with what you're given, even if it's one piece at a time. I've actually got the first two pages of Book 4 written. I'm doing the final read-thru of Armed & Magical (aka Book 2) now, then I'm off to do the the plot summaries for 3 and 4. Let Raine's adventures continue!
And let me have one of those Romulan ales, Kimber An. Mychael here's not the only one who wants a drink. ; )
- June 29, 2007 at 2:49 PM
"Cool! Sorry about asking that question before you actually arrived. Jump gate relativity hazard, don't you know. Got any tentative working titles in mind yet, or do those come to you as the story fleshes out?"
Takes a swig of rootbeer. (Designated ship driver as Daie seems a bit under the weather for the moment.)
- June 29, 2007 at 2:57 PM
Lisa takes a big ole swig of ale.
"Titles take a lot of thought. MLTF was originally called THIEF OF SOULS, but that made it sound like it was a serious book, and MLTF definitely isn't a serious book. And I love the font my publisher picked for the cover. Very fun. My web guru said it looked like the font they used back in the 60s for the show "Bewitched". ; ) I had the title for ARMED & MAGICAL, before I started writing it."
- June 29, 2007 at 3:16 PM
- Kimber An said...
***FYI: Party closes at 7 p.m. Alaska time. Ya'll can party 'til dawn, but that's when I stop taking names for the drawing. I may or may not pop back in, depending on what's going on in my Real Life.***
Donning her Guinan costume from Star Trek The Next Generation, Kimber lifts her last bottle of Romulan Ale and gives the blue liquid a shake. "Almost gone. And I never did get a shipment from the Intergalactic Bar & Grill. I think they drank up their stores toasting Linnea's imminent success with ZOMBIE." She rations out the last of the ale. "I do have more root beer and vanilla ice cream, but the goblins over there fed all the vodka to Yabba the Hut so they could listen to him belch."
She tosses the empty bottle over her shoulder, paying no mind to it shattering on the back wall. "So, Mychael, how did you end up with Lisa for an official transcriber?"
- June 29, 2007 at 3:18 PM
Nods and takes another swig of rootbeer.
"Speaking of MLTF, I love that cover. Raine has an almost smug grin going on there. And it's nice to see the amulet."
- June 29, 2007 at 3:21 PM
I decided that using "weapons of mass destruction" was Inappropriate to get rid of tribble messes (I did think about it, but decided it was way overkill (sort of like using a certain stone. Hmm, for that matter, if anyone here has never read The Rescue of Ranor by Wilanne Belden Schneider or is that Schneider Belden, it's a humorous YA fantasy novel and the heroine is a white witch with a goblin-demon familiar named ordure for his favorite food, and she doesn't want any visitors. Unfortunately for her, someone shows up on her doorstep with a Quest and she's honor-bound to accept it, to rescue his brother Ranor who through every fault of Ranor's own has gotten himself in a nasty bind... anyway, there is a tie between the start of this wandering post, and the goblin-demon familiar, and the book is hilarious.)
- June 29, 2007 at 3:23 PM
What about the loss of the diamonds though... I mean, she is a Benares.
(For that matter, are there other Benares magic users, ones persuaded that Tribble excreta is valuable Stuff to collect?!)
(see e.g. "The Great Pat Boom.")
- June 29, 2007 at 3:25 PM
Mychael looks over at Lisa with a crooked grin.
"We've known each other for years. I was in the first two books she ever wrote (the ones she has hidden in her office closet). I didn't think they were half bad, but since Lisa is the author, she gets her way -- as usual. My name was Arlyn back then."
- June 29, 2007 at 3:29 PM
Lisa looks over at Raine, who's in the corner booth with Tam. She's seems to be ticked off and is staring a hole in Mychael's back. He's smiling, enjoying the reaction he's getting by ignoring her.
"Yeah, Raine hated losing those diamonds. And she's the ONLY magic user in the Benares family. Raine has all that power at her beck and call, and certain members of her family (who you all haven't met yet) want to find a way to make a profit from it -- and from Raine."
Lisa takes another swig, finishing off her ale. "Maybe I should warn her about that."
- June 29, 2007 at 3:35 PM
"Aw, now why bother the girl with trivial, little details like that? Besides, it's a difficult thing avoiding the fate one's transcriber has decreed. Ask Daie about that, some time."
- June 29, 2007 at 3:43 PM
(evil chuckle)
"Poor girl has no idea what she's about to go through. I hope she's not too terribly fond of sleep. And Piaras needs to work with Phaelan some more on how to fight dirty. The kid's gonna need it."
- June 29, 2007 at 4:16 PM
- Tia Nevitt said...
Sleep? Characters don't need no stinkin' sleep! Keep their brain fuzzy and you get to have them make stupid mistakes, which of course only makes things worse for themselves.
- June 29, 2007 at 5:23 PM
Or. . . maybe authors are getting back at their characters for all the sleep they make us lose -- they wake you up at 3:30, tell you something you already knew about them, then they leave. Can the poor author go back to sleep? Nope.
- June 29, 2007 at 6:20 PM
"Now, who would do a rotten thing like that? I mean, besides Raine, or Phaelan, or Tam, or...?" David ticks of characters, mumbling rather conveniently when he reaches the name of a certain large and formidible looking Conclave Guardian sitting on the bar stool next to him.
- June 29, 2007 at 6:31 PM
- Kimber An said...
Kimber An staggers by in a necklock with her muse, the Old Hag, on her back. "You..." strangling sound "...actually get to..." more strangling sounds "...tell your cchhharacters...what to...do?" Losing consciousness, she falls down.
The Old Hag leaps up. "Now to re-write MANIC KNIGHT!" She runs away, her eeeevil scientst laughter shaking the rafters above.
Coming to, hand to heaving chest, Kimber sits up. She grimaces and sinks into a sigh. "Well...if she's busy rewriting MANIC KNIGHT, that'll give her a hobby while I finish polishing the HOLY BENNU. Yeah, yeah! Distraction! That just might work." She pulls herself up into a barstool. "At least..." she watches her muse race by waving a Celtic sword "...until I can trade her in for a cat."
"Sir Belvidere was really a woman and she had King Arthur's love children!" The Old Hag dances on a table.
Kimber buries her face in her hands. "I am so toasted and fried."
- June 29, 2007 at 6:38 PM
"All are guilty as charged. Though sometimes they actually hang around after they wake me up. I keep a notepad and flashlight in my bedside table. I've been known to scribble pages and pages. And then not be able to go back to sleep."
(Shoots a glare at Tam, who smiles and goes back to flirting with a certain Amazon.)
"Yep, I've got notepads all over the house . . and my Jeep, and my office at work. You never know when or where someone's gonna get chatty."
- June 29, 2007 at 6:39 PM
"Kimber An, do you have everybody's name in a hat, mug, cauldron, whatever?"
- June 29, 2007 at 6:49 PM
- Kimber An said...
"Not yet. Ya'll got 50 minutes to make a comment and get a chance to win an autographed copy of Lisa's book!"
- June 29, 2007 at 7:12 PM
- Kimber An said...
That's it! Party's over. Get out or I'll unleash the velociraptors! (kidding!)
Seriously though, I'm writing down names for the drawing now. No more names will be considered. Party 'til dawn if you want, but there will be no muffins forthcoming.
Thank you to all who visited. We set records with this event. Lisa had over 100 comments and about 500 visiters altogether. Congratulations!
- June 29, 2007 at 8:03 PM
Does Kimber An know how to throw a party, or what!
Let's hear it for the barkeep!!!
Thank you, Kimber An! And thanks to everyone who came through the bar doors and risked getting hit with a mutant tribble!
And the winner is . . . .?
- June 29, 2007 at 8:07 PM
"Hear, hear! Lisa, Kimber An, this was one great party! Thanks for the invite. This was a wonderful experience for my first cyber-launch book party. I'm sure it won't be my last."
- June 29, 2007 at 8:16 PM
sorry i was kinda out today. Had fun though!
- June 29, 2007 at 9:16 PM
- LadyBronco said...
LadyB survey the remains of the party ~ balloons hanging limply, mutant Tribble remains here and there in the corners, various folks still milling about ~ in Madame Kimber's Party Rooom.
"That was the best party ever."
- June 29, 2007 at 9:51 PM


text:
For college administrators, an NCAA investigator roaming around campus might not be the most comforting sight.
So Jon Duncan, the NCAA's vice president of enforcement, was not expecting a slew of positive reactions from membership when he proposed a program that would send members of the enforcement staff to member schools for days or even weeks at a time. The program is designed to foster a better understanding of the day-to-day life in athletics departments, while supporting the broader Association goal of restoring confidence in the enforcement process.
"This is not an investigation," Duncan said. "This is not fact-gathering. This is not kicking tires and rifling through files. This is truly a good will visit to understand your world and help you understand ours."
Last year when he became the enforcement department's newest leader, Duncan sought feedback from presidents, chancellors and athletics department administrators. He learned that many believed his staff "didn't have a good understanding of what it's like to be on campus." To address the issue, Duncan created the Campus Placement Program.
Maryland was among the first of many members to express interest. "It appeared to be a really good initiative that Jon was coming up with," said Marcus Wilson, a senior associate athletics director in charge of compliance at Maryland and a former NCAA staff member. The two parties designed a jam-packed, six-day schedule that would introduce Nate Leffler, the selected enforcement staff member, to all aspects of the Terrapins athletics department.
The first visit of the pilot program began April 28. Leffler sat in on Maryland's compliance meetings and met with coaches. He attended a marketing meeting and watched the staff's strategy take effect at a baseball game later that day. He learned about administrative decision-making and academic counseling, fundraising and facilities management.
Leffler, who has never worked on a college campus, said the experience achieved its intended goals. Back at the NCAA's headquarters in Indianapolis, he shared what he learned with the rest of the enforcement department.
Wilson said the visit helped reinforce the culture of compliance that Maryland strives to create, and he has since recommended the program to other schools. "It gave the athletics department an opportunity to speak one-on-one with an NCAA enforcement representative to find out what they do on a daily basis," he said. "On the same token, Nate was able to get a better understanding of how we work on campus. I think it was eye-opening for him.
"It was a great way to enhance our relationship with the national office and the enforcement staff, in particular."
Soliciting Feedback
As part of its recent professional development and campus connection efforts, the enforcement department in June hosted a panel of former NCAA staff members who later worked on college campuses. Armed with unique perspectives, the panelists shared some insights:
"I suggest the enforcement staff approach each case with the presumption that compliance officer(s) are working under a great deal of pressure from multiple sources, and the overwhelming majority of compliance officers are as committed to rules compliance as the enforcement staff; therefore, delays in responding to requests should not cause the enforcement staff to automatically assume the compliance officer is attempting to undermine the investigation."
– Lori Williams, senior counsel at Buckner Sports Law
"The way your staff serves our member schools is vitally important; your expertise helps us do our jobs. Superior customer service and maintaining excellent relationships must remain at the forefront of each interaction."
– Vanessa Fuchs, senior associate athletics director/senior woman administrator at Florida State
"The pace of life on campus is incredibly fast; it doesn't end at 5 o'clock, and it doesn't observe weekends. It can be incredibly stressful for campus personnel, coaches and student-athletes when a call isn't returned quickly, a decision isn't rendered for a few days or you have to wait until Monday morning to speak to someone. I'm not sure I fully comprehended that during my time at the NCAA."
– Mike Ward, senior associate athletics director at Tennessee

subset: commoncrawl


text:
If you are going to paste to an IRC channel other than #lisp (or don't want a channel announcement): use the link http://paste.lisp.org/new and select the right channel instead of #lisp.
Lisppaste is a pastebin aka nopaste service with syntax colorization, annotations, XML-RPC support, and more.
The lisppaste Application which powers it is an IRC bot (Lisp IRC Bots) designed to eliminate lengthly flooding pastes by providing each with a URL and an announcement to the channel it runs on. Lisppaste 2.2 features persistent pastes, paste annotation, a web interface to the list of all pastes in the system, multiple channel support, RSS support, and XML-RPC support. It's built on SBCL, cl-irc, and araneida.
New in lisppaste 2.3 over 2.2 is a whole bunch of stuff. (Really. I don't even remember all the changes I made.) New in lisppaste 2.2 over 2.1 is enhanced RSS, specified URLs for specific channels, faster serialization, and XML-RPC. New in lisppaste 2.1 over 2.0 is RSS support and support for linking to meme logs.
There is a lisppaste which runs on irc.freenode.net in a few channels. See the list of pastes in that bot. You can syndicate this list too.
Repository at https://gitlab.common-lisp.net/groups/lisppaste.


text:
Basic Statistics: A Primer for the Biomedical Sciences, 4th Edition
Basic Statistics: A Primer for the Biomedical Sciences, 4th Edition
ISBN: 978-0-470-24879-9 July 2009 272 Pages
In Stock
DescriptionNew Edition of a Classic Guide to Statistical Applications in the Biomedical Sciences
In the last decade, there have been significant changes in the way statistics is incorporated into biostatistical, medical, and public health research. Addressing the need for a modernized treatment of these statistical applications, Basic Statistics, Fourth Edition presents relevant, up-to-date coverage of research methodology using careful explanations of basic statistics and how they are used to address practical problems that arise in the medical and public health settings. Through concise and easy-to-follow presentations, readers will learn to interpret and examine data by applying common statistical tools, such as sampling, random assignment, and survival analysis.
Continuing the tradition of its predecessor, this new edition outlines a thorough discussion of different kinds of studies and guides readers through the important, related decision-making processes such as determining what information is needed and planning the collections process. The book equips readers with the knowledge to carry out these practices by explaining the various types of studies that are commonly conducted in the fields of medical and public health, and how the level of evidence varies depending on the area of research. Data screening and data entry into statistical programs is explained and accompanied by illustrations of statistical analyses and graphs. Additional features of the Fourth Edition include:
- A new chapter on data collection that outlines the initial steps in planning biomedical and public health studies
- A new chapter on nonparametric statistics that includes a discussion and application of the Sign test, the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, and the Wilcoxon Rank Sum test and its relationship to the Mann-Whitney U test
- An updated introduction to survival analysis that includes the Kaplan Meier method for graphing the survival function and a brief introduction to tests for comparing survival functions
- Incorporation of modern statistical software, such as SAS, Stata, SPSS, and Minitab into the presented discussion of data analysis
- Updated references at the end of each chapter
Basic Statistics, Fourth Edition is an ideal book for courses on biostatistics, medicine, and public health at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also appropriate as a reference for researchers and practitioners who would like to refresh their fundamental understanding of statistical techniques.
Buy Both and Save 25%!
This item: Basic Statistics: A Primer for the Biomedical Sciences, 4th Edition
Biostatistics: A Methodology For the Health Sciences, 2nd Edition (Hardcover $200.95)
Original Price:$337.95
Purchased together:$253.46
save $84.49
Cannot be combined with any other offers.
Buy Both and Save 25%!
This item: Basic Statistics: A Primer for the Biomedical Sciences, 4th Edition
Biostatistics: A Bayesian Introduction (Hardcover $175.00)
Original Price:$312.00
Purchased together:$234.00
save $78.00
Cannot be combined with any other offers.
1 Initial Steps.
1.1 Reasons for Studying Biostatistics.
1.2 Initial Steps in Designing a Biomedical Study.
1.3 Common Types of Biomedical Studies.
2 Populations and Samples.
2.1 Basic Concepts.
2.2 Definitions of Types of Samples.
2.3 Methods of Selecting Simple Random Samples.
2.4 Application of Sampling Methods in Biomedical Studies.
3 Collecting and Entering Data.
3.1 Initial Steps.
3.2 Data Entry.
3.3 Screening the Data.
3.4 Code Book.
4 Frequency Tables and Their Graphs.
4.1 Numerical Methods of Organizing Data.
4.2 Graphs.
5 Measures of Location and Variability.
5.1 Measures of Location.
5.2 Measures of Variability.
5.3 Sampling Properties of the Mean and Variance.
5.4 Considerations in Selecting Appropriate Statistics.
5.5 A Common Graphical Method for Displaying Statistics.
6 The Normal Distribution.
6.1 Properties of the Normal Distribution.
6.2 Areas Under the Normal Curve.
6.3 Importance of the Normal Distribution.
6.4 Examining Data for Normality.
6.5 Transformations.
7 Estimation of Population Means: Confidence Intervals.
7.1 Confidence Intervals.
7.2 Sample Size Needed for a Desired Confidence Interval.
7.3 The t Distribution.
7.4 Confidence Interval for the Mean, Using the t Distribution.
7.5 Estimating the Difference Between Two Means: Unpaired Data.
7.6 Estimating the Difference Between Two Means: Paired Comparison.
8 Tests of Hypotheses on Population Means.
8.1 Tests of Hypotheses for a Single Mean.
8.2 Tests for Equality of two Means: Unpaired Data.
8.3 Testing for Equality of Means: Paired Data.
8.4 Concepts Used in Statistical Testing.
8.5 Sample Size.
8.6 Confidence Intervals Versus Tests.
8.7 Correcting for Multiple Testing.
8.8 Reporting the Results.
9 Variances: Estimation and Tests.
9.1 Point Estimates for Variances and Standard Deviations.
9.2 Testing Whether Two Variances Are Equal: F Test.
9.3 Approximate t Test.
9.4 Other Tests.
10 Categorical Data: Proportions.
10.1 Single Population Proportion.
10.2 Samples from Categorical Data.
10.3 The Normal Approximation to the Binomial.
10.4 Confidence Intervals for a Single Population Proportion.
10.5 Confidence Intervals for the Difference in Two Proportions.
10.6 Tests of Hypothesis for Population Proportions.
10.7 Sample Size for Testing Two Proportions.
10.8 Data Entry and Analysis Using Statistical Programs.
11 Categorical Data: Analysis of Two-Way Frequency Tables.
11.1 Different Types of Tables.
11.2 Relative Risk and Odds Ratio.
11.3 Chi-Square Tests for Frequency Tables: two-by-two Tables.
11.4 Chi-Square Tests for Larger Tables.
11.5 Remarks.
12 Regression and Correlation.
12.1 The Scatter Diagram: Single Sample.
12.2 Linear Regression: Single Sample.
12.3 The Correlation Coefficient for two Variables from a Single Sample.
12.4 Linear Regression Assuming the Fixed-X Model.
12.5 Other Topics in Linear Regression.
13 Nonparametric Statistics.
13.1 The Sign Test.
13.2 The Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test.
13.3 The Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney Test.
13.4 Spearman's Rank Correlation.
14 Introduction to Survival Analysis.
14.1 Survival Analysis Data.
14.2 Survival Functions.
14.3 Computing Estimates of f(t), S(t), and h(t).
14.4 Comparison of Clinical Life Tables and the Kaplan-Meier Method.
14.5 Additional Analyses Using Survival Data.
Appendix A: Statistical Tables.
Appendix B: Answers to Selected Problems.
Appendix C: Computer Statistical Program Resources.
C.1 Computer Systems for Biomedical Education and Research.
C.2 A Brief Indication of Statistics Computer Program Advances and Some Relevant Publications Since 2000.
C.3 Choices of Computer Statistical Software.
- Describes major types of biomedical studies and how to design them
- Presents the samples used in different types of biomedical studies
- Emphasizes the use of confidence intervals in data analysis
- Substantiates with examples some of the major statistical theorems
"The book is ideal for courses on biostatistics, medicine, and public health at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also appropriate as a reference for researchers and practitioners who would like to refresh their fundamental understanding of statistical techniques." (Zentralblatt MATH, 1 August 2013)"This fourth edition has retained all the appeal of its predecessors." (Journal of Tropical pediatrics, 1 March 2011)
- Offers a new introduction to survival analysis, including clinical
life tables; data collection; nonparametric tests; and multiple regression
- Discusses using statistical computer programs (such as SAS, Stata, Minitab, and R) in data analysis
- Adds new graphs, figures, problem sets, and bibliographic references


text:
Get your Family Trading Cards. Learn cool facts. See what your ancestors looked like. Fun for the whole family. Collect them all!
I thought to myself, what would be better to teach my kids about their family history than to turn it into a game.
Kids love playing card games and I love talking about genealogy. I created a game called BlackSheep. The game consists of a deck of cards that represents six generations of direct line ancestors and their siblings. Each card has a photo (if I had one), the family surname in large letters, birth and death info and a mini family tree.
I designed scoring hands that would help everyone understand relationships. You would get 8 points if you played a son, father and grandfather or 16 points for a daughter, mother, grandmother and g-grandmother - those are called a Patriarchy or Matriarchy. You could get 7 points for a child and both parents or 25 points for a child, both parents and all 4 grandparents - those hands are the Little Tree and Big Tree. By now you get the picture.
I'd like to say that they loved playing the game. I think I got a little too complex with the rules and the hands. We did enjoy laying out all the cards on the table and arranging them into family units. We talked about this uncle or that grandmother and all the places that our relatives came from.
So the game (for now) was a bust. Sitting down with your kids and talking about family history - priceless.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Family Trading Cards: Displaying Your Genealogy
2 comments:
Michael, I found your post while searching for ways to make a family tree-type card game, and I really like your idea for scoring different family groups. I think it will help me as I try to come up with a fun way to play. I agree, sitting down with your kids and talking about family history is priceless!ReplyDelete
Sorry to post again, I just realized you may be interested in my family memories game. http://sisterical.blogspot.com/2011/12/family-memories-game.htmlReplyDelete
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text:
Stronghold: Crusader Summary
Stronghold: Crusader Review
About a year ago Firefly Studios, Stronghold hit the store shelves. With very little anticipation and not a great deal of press, Stronghold managed to soar into the RTS limelight and gather in a great following.
Latest news
Stronghold HD and Stronghold Crusader HD now available on Steam
Firefly has announced that Stronghold HD and Stronghold Crusader HD are both now available for purchase from Steam. Gamers who purchase before the 28th October 2013 will get it for 30% off. Those who already own The Stronghold Collection can get it free.
Stronghold HD and Stronghold Crusader HD out November 1st
Firefly Studios has announced that the HD re-releases of Stronghold and Stronghold Crusader will be launching the first of next month. They have been remastered to support 2560x1600 resolutions.
High definition visuals compliment the ability to see "an entire battlefield on a single screen." Stronghold Crusader HD includes Warchest and Extreme content with an increased 10k unit cap.


text:
Naturalization records relate to citizenship. They represent a change in allegiance from the country of previous residence to the United States Government. For the most part, naturalization records held by Special Collections and Archives consist of Declarations of Intention ("first papers"), and Petitions for Naturalization ("second papers" or the final Record of Naturalization).
Naturalization records in Ohio are found in the Clerk of Court or Probate Court records in the county where the Naturalization request was filed. Special Collections and Archives has the naturalization records and indexes for all the counties in its eleven-county area as part of our local government records. The naturalization records begin when the county was formed and end in 1906. After 1906, naturalization records became federal-level records and are held at the regional Federal District Courts of Ohio.
Naturalization records prior to 1906 contain minimal information about the person's immigration journey to the United States. Generally, the records contain the country of origin, the date of application, and, in some cases, the names of witnesses. The records do not contain information about the ship the person arrived on, the date or place of arrival in the United States, or the names of family members who may have accompanied the person. Researchers should also understand that family members of the applicant (wife and children) automatically became United State citizens when the husband/father became a United States citizen and are not listed in the record.
To begin your research, please enter a last name in the search box or use one of our browse options to find the record you want within the naturalization indexes. If you would like to request a copy of a naturalization record from the indexes, please review our research request page for information on submitting your request.


text:
In the Mexican cinema of the Fifties and Sixties, monster movies and comedies were good box-office, and combining the two genres was common practice. This week (October 15, to be exact) marked the fiftieth anniversary of the release of El Castillo de los monstruos, one of the more satisfying of the Monster Rally comedies in the Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein mold.
Headlining is Antonio "Clavillazo" Espino, a popular comic decked out in a baggy suit and upturned hat. The plot is straightforward: Clavillazo must rescue his sweetheart from the title's fog-shrouded Castle of Monsters, occupied by a Who's Who of classic menaces. There's a hypnotic Mad Scientist and his scar-faced assistant. There's a Werewolf, a Beast Man in a cage, a Mummy, and a Black Lagoon creature that turns into a tuna when defeated. The Frankenstein Monster, with stitched forehead and neck bolts, serves as a Lurch-like butler. The standout is the Dracula character, played by the great German Robles, fresh off his two Count Lavud films, El Vampiro (1957) and El Ataúd del Vampiro (1958).
There are no real scares here. These are Halloween Monsters, arms raised in Boo position, shambling along at a leisurely pace. Clavillazo's forte is the ability to energetically argue himself out of a tight situation, but he's also comfortable with slapstick, notably in a scene where he tethers dangerously on the edge of an alligator pit, and a nice trick momentarily rattling Robles' dignified Vampire by making a monster face of his own.
El Castillo de los monstruos is a Monster Kid era Valentine, a kind-hearted comedy where the spirit of the Universal classics echoes in the production values, the shadowy sets, the solemn soundtrack orchestrations and the venerable crew of assembled Bogeymen.
Unseen in North America for nearly half a century, the film is now freely available in its entirety on YouTube, in nine parts.
Check out the opening sequence, in Part One, to get a feel for this one. If you want to get to the monsters, go directly to Part 7.
Frankenstein Gets Knocked Off
Frankenstein 1958


text:
Moving powerpoint from Windows to Mac OS latest MS Office 16
Presupuesto $10-30 USD
I have powerpoint with arabic Urdu text in windows.
Now when I try to open the same powerpoint file on my MacBook 13 pro, with latest ms office the arabic text doesn't open correct. I sent the same file to my friends who use Mac OS and they are using older version of office, for them it opens fine.
I need a fix so when I open the pp file on my latest office the text of arabic doesn't get cluttered.
I will attach the powerpoint file so u can see if u are on macOS and using latest office version.
Since its a little thing, I am willing to pay up to 10US for its fix.
PLEASE see the attached PP file. open it in MACOS in latest office 16.
if u can get it to open with urdu arabic text not being cluttered ONLY then msg me.
i dont want to waste time with people who dont even read the job.
11 freelancers están ofertando el promedio de $22 para este trabajo
I just checked the description you have provided regarding the project and would be a pleasure to assist you on your project. Relevant Skills and Experience I just checked the description you have provided regarding t Más
. just try to send the PPT in PDF format... some tools which are there in windows wont be there in mac.. Relevant Skills and Experience PP Proposed Milestones $15 USD - PP
Hello i can do this . I have already solved this problem. Relevant Skills and Experience content writing,excel,power point,ms word Proposed Milestones $15 USD - excel,power point,ms word
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hi sir/mam good day I would like to help you. if you let me. thank you good day
Hello! I can opened attached file on Mac Os with MS PowerPoint 2016 (v.15.23) and text ia ok! Relevant Skills and Experience Microsoft Powerpoint Proposed Milestones $20 USD - All worked fine


text: Not to pat myself on the back too much but it's my birthday, so indulge me. :-) Besides, I am proud our team and our client has been recognized for the innovate social media work we're doing. It's been a good week. Last night, my Tunheim Partners colleagues Lou Ann Olson, Natalie Wires & I attended the awards ceremonies for the Minnesota chapter of the International … [Read more...]


text:
Rone (Fan Who Ripped On Charles Hamilton) vs Elagle (Charles Hamilton Boy) Rap Battle [Grind Time New York]
Drect reports "Battle from GTNY 8 at Fat Beats in NYC"
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
Staff Selection Commission of India Will is conducted on Constable GD in Assam Rifiles, SSB, ITBP, CRPF, CISF Various Type of Recruitment Form in Every Year This Session 2013|2014 Recruitment of Various Type Jobs Opportunity Will be Available at SSC Schedule of Examination Will be Available at SSC Official Website 2013. Candidate Are Download the All Details Regarding the Recruitment of Constable GD Will be See Online.
SSC Constable GD Admit Card 2013 – SSC Conducted Constable GD Examination Are Available on Regional Website Who Candidates Are Enrolled for the Choose Centre are Download the Admit Card the Selected Region Centre of SSC. SSC Will be Also Send the Admit Card to Candidates Address or Providing the Online Download Facility to Download Easily Admit Card, Call Letter, Nomination, Status, Physical Exam Admit Card, Medical Exam Admit Card, PET, PST, Rejected Form, Incomplete Form, Examination and Some Other Examination Who Will be Conducted By SSC.
To conduct examinations and/or interviews, whenever required for recruitment to the posts within its purview. The examinations of Constable GD would be held as far as possible at different centres and successful candidates posted, to the extent possible, to their home State/Region.
SSC Constable GD Results 2013 – SSC All Examination of Constable GD Recruitment Paper 1, 2, Constable GD Final Results, Constable GD Cutoff, Merit List, Constable GD Marks of General, OBC, SC, ST, PH Candidates Will be Declared by SSC Official Website ssc.nic.in.
SSC Constable GD Other Material – SSC Will be Also Providing Constable GD Exam, Written / Physical Examination Constable GD Syllabus , Exam Pattern, Structure, Form Opening Closing Dates, How to Fill the Form, Constable GD Model Paper, Sample Paper, Guess paper, Constable GD Attestation Form, Bio Data Form, Constable GD Answer Key, Solution, Constable GD Old year / Previous Year Question Papers, Exam Dates, Constable GD Notification Dates, Age Information, Blank OMR Sheet and Other Various Types of Related Contents Will be Available at SSC Official Website www.ssc.nic.in
SSC Websites:
- For SSC Constable GD Online Form Link 1 – www.ssconline.nic.in
- For SSC Constable GD Online Form Link 2- www.ssconline2.gov.in
- For SSC Constable GD Main Website of All Region – www.ssc.nic.in
Staff Selection Commission Conducted Examination – Combined Higher Secondary Level Examination 2012 10+2 Examination of Data Entry Operator and Lower Division Clerk LDC |DEO, FCI Examination 2013, Jr. Hindi Translators (CSOLS) Examination 2012, Constable GD (Non-Technical) Staff Exam, 2013, Recruitment of Constable(GD) in CAPFs & Rifleman in Assam Rifles, 2013, Combined Graduate Level (Tier-I) Examination, 2013, Junior Engineer (Civil & Electrical) Exam, 2013, SI in CAPFs, ASI in CISF Exam, 2013, Jr. Hindi Translators in Subordinate & Other Offices Examination 2013, Stenographer (Grade `C' & `D') Exam, 2013, Combined Graduate Level (Tier-II) Examination, 2013, Combined Higher Secondary Level (10+2) (for Data Entry Operators, LDCs, etc.) Exam, 2013,Prasar Bharti, Junior Translator (CSOLs) / Junior Hindi Translators Examination, 2013. & Some SSC Departmental Examination 2013.
SSC Regional Centres – SSC Are Total 9 Regional Centre Who Will be Conducted on the Constable GD & Various Examination List and Contact Details, Email ID & Mention Belows
|SSC(NR), New Delhi Constable GD
|01164715222, 01165570666, 01165021888
|SSC(CR), Allahabad Constable GD
|0532-2250372, 0532-6541021
|SSC(SR), Chennai Constable GD
|09445195946, 04428251139
|SSC(WR), Mumbai Constable GD
|09869730700, 07738422705
|SSC(ER), Kolkata Constable GD
|09477461228, 09477461229
|SSC(MPR) Raipur Constable GD
|09407921504, 09407921505
|SSC(KKR), Bangalore Constable GD
|09483862010, 09483862020
|SSC(NWR), Chandigarh Constable GD
|09915509331, 09915509204
|SSC(NER), Guwahati Constable GD
|09207053500, 09707679564
Candidates Are Extremely Advised to Check the Her Recruitment of Constable GD Notification on Rozgar Samachar and SSC Official Website / Region Website to then Apply or Check Your Query Online.


text:
All that to say that I was in such shock that I couldn't get back to the two abstracts I was preparing. This morning I finally was able to do that.
I want to thank our two daughters Rebecca and Sarah for the encouragement they gave me to complete the task as well as the insight Rebecca gave me in preparing the abstracts. Rebecca and Sarah were the light at what seemed like a very dark tunnel Friday night after receiving that first estimate. Anyhow, I picked myself up, dusted myself off and got going to clean up some of the mess. Today is the deadline to submit the abstracts to NERGC and I was able to get that done a few minutes ago. Woohoo!!!
So once again, I have been reminded that 1. God was good to us when those trees fell as they just missed our home; 2. we must live one day at a time and at times it is just one moment at a time; 3. life goes on whether we get onboard or not and 4. sooner or later the sun does shine.
There has been a great deal of damage in all of our area. Some tens of thousands are still without power but fortunately we never lost ours. So good spared us in many ways.
The wind during the storm was near hurricane force and kept me awake all night. It sounded like a train that couldn't stop - that is the only way I can describe it. When our two big trees went down, one of my neighbors said it sounded like a huge pop so loud that she thought a tree had hit her house - it wasn't until daylight that she saw it was our trees. I looked out at 1:30 and was very concerned with how the trees were swaying back and forth. I looked out again at 2:30 and the trees were down. Until daylight I didn't know if it was one or two trees and it turned out to be two. A most frightening experience let me assure you!
If anyone reading this survived this unbelievable storm take heart - we made it! After this winter we need a break. Last winter we all suffered damage from an ice storm and that was a costly cleanup too.. spare us oh Lord! ;o)


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Forum Post: Ted Cruz: Republicans repealing Obamacare to help African-Americans and Hispanics
Posted 5 years ago on Aug. 25, 2013, 12:45 p.m. EST by GirlFriday
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) says that Republicans are working to defund and repeal President Barack Obama's health care reform law in order to help African-Americans and Hispanics.
Yep. Read the rest here: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/25/ted-cruz-republicans-repealing-obamacare-to-help-african-americans-and-hispanics/


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KCM necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 14 diseños de 3 diseñadores freelance.
We need a logo and site design for a site built on the reddit.com engine.
Please read the brief.
We need a logo and site design for a site built on the reddit.com engine. Reddit is a rather no-frills site and we would like something a bit more imaginative. This will be a site focusing on videogame news. The name, Graviga, is a play on the word gravity and is meant to illustrate the fact that links move up and down the list on the front page.
The prize for this is $430 with CSS, $330 for just the logo, any custom graphics, and a screenshot of the layout.
References:- http://www.reddit.com/ -- basic layout.- http://code.reddit.com/wiki/PoweredByReddit -- Here are some other sites running the reddit code.- http://www.reddit.com/static/reddit.css -- The default Reddit CSS.- http://code.reddit.com/wiki/CSS -- Small Reddit CSS styling reference
Feel free to be creative!
- A streamlined, attractive logo.- CSS for new link colors and layout -- $330 will be awarded for the design without the CSS included.- Creativity!
- Nothing boring -- this needs to grab the eye of the everage gamer.


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Setting Up Belkin F6D4050 Wireless USB Dongles
You may find that your Belkin F6D4050 (v1 or v2) wireless usb dongle just won't work! Well here's the solution.
The Solution
First, use lsusb to check that the device ID number is 050d:935a or 050d:935b (v1 or v2, respectively):
[sdenne@marsrover ~]$ lsusb Bus 002 Device 003: ID 050d:935b Belkin Components
Now create these two files:
/etc/udev/rules.d/network_drivers.rules /etc/modprobe.d/network_drivers.conf
Now add the following to /etc/udev/rules.d/network_drivers.rules (that first file you just created):
ACTION=="add", SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="050d", ATTR{idProduct}=="935a", RUN+="/sbin/modprobe -qba rt2870sta"
Then add the following to /etc/modprobe.d/network_drivers.conf (the second file you created):
install rt2870sta /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install rt2870sta $CMDLINE_OPTS; /bin/echo "050d 935a" > /sys/bus/usb/drivers/rt2870/new_id
Pay close attention to any occurrence of 935a in the lines you've just added. If your device ID is F6D4050 v1, leave occurrences of 935a as-is with the letter a at the end. If your device ID is F6D4050 v2, change the last letter of 935a to b. The letter must match with the output that you see when you use lsusb.
That's it! Now reboot and you'll have wireless capabilities! woo hoo!
The Belkin F6D4050 V1(000) device supports 802.11n (I'm not sure about the V2 device), however using the rt2870sta driver I was only able to connect using 802.11g. The solution to get this working is that you need the RT3572STA driver. As of 2.6.36 this isn't included in the Arch kernel distribution, but you can download it from Ralink's website and compile it yourself.
Before compiling, you need to set some options in os/linux/config.h:
HAS_WPA_SUPPLICANT=y HAS_NATIVE_WPA_SUPPLICANT_SUPPORT=y
Then compile as usual:
make && sudo make install
To set it up just follow the instructions about, but substitute rt2870sta for rt3572sta. I was able to use exactly the same netcfg configuration, just replacing wlan0 with ra0.