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Featured Wildcats
Congratulations to our very own Mr. DeJohn Brown for being selected HLPUSD District Teacher of the Year.
The Wilson Wildcat family is very proud of you and grateful for all contributions.
See how Glen A. Wilson Ranks among America's Best High schools.
summer read
While summer presents an opportunity to relax and enjoy the sunshine, we want our students to continue to find ways to learn while away from the classroom.
Boredom is not an option this summer.
About Us
Glen A. Wilson High is rated above average in school quality compared to other schools in the state. Students at Glen A. Wilson perform above average on state tests, have above average college readiness measures, take more advanced courses per student than the state average, and Glen A. Wilson has about average results in how well it's serving disadvantaged students.
Glen A. Wilson High is ranked 132nd within California. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement® coursework and exams. The AP® participation rate at Glen A. Wilson High is 61%. The total minority enrollment is 95%, and 52% of students are economically disadvantaged. Glen A. Wilson High is 1 of 7 high schools in the Hacienda La Puente Unified.*
ACADEMICS* ENrollment* scorecard*
College Readiness
Total Enrollment
AP® Tested
Test Scores
Student-Teacher Ratio
AP® Passed
Advanced Courses
Full Time Teachers
Graduation Rate
*U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools


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New Course: Microsoft Windows Server 2012 70-410
CBT Nuggets trainer Garth Schulte released his Microsoft Windows Server 2012 70-410 course. Garth's new course includes a robust hands-on virtual lab experience, giving IT pros a practical learning experience with Microsoft's popular Windows Server product. The course is part of a complete preparation for the MCSA: Windows Server 2012 certification. His new course features virtual labs, allowing you to follow along as you build Microsoft Windows-based networks, making a dual monitor, or tablet and monitor, the ideal learning experience.
We asked Garth about his new course and how learners can get more out of the CBT Nuggets Learning Experience.
Q: Why should companies train their IT professionals in Windows Server 2012? What value does learning Server 2012 bring to an organization?
Windows Server 2012 R2 is a very stable operating system that will be around for a long time to come. Professionals with these skills have been and will continue to be highly desired and well compensated in Microsoft shops.
Q: From a learner perspective, what did you keep in mind when creating this course?
We wanted it to provide complete coverage of the exam objectives along with virtual labs containing a real network of machines to provide the ultimate learning experience.
Q: Any out-of-the-box tips for learners to get the most out of your course?
I record Nuggets using the exact same virtual machines you have access to in the virtual lab. Use the virtual labs to follow along or practice! It's immersive, and an incredibly efficient way to learn the broad monster that is 70-410.
Q: What's one real-world application someone can expect to use, thanks to this course?
The great thing about 70-410 being so broad is that it covers a lot of tasks and technologies that system administrators perform on a daily basis. You're training for the exam and the real world simultaneously.
Q: What was your favorite Nugget to create?
You're really making me pick one out of the 93 Nuggets in this course? Alright, I'll play your game… pick a number between 1 and 93. 🙂
Q: What's the one thing you hope learners take away from this training?
The skills that pay the bills! Also, confidence that they'll conquer the exam.
Q: What course(s) or certification(s) should learners complete before diving into Microsoft Windows Server 2012 70-410?
CompTIA Network+ is the only true pre-requisite. PowerShell experience is recommended but not required, you'll pick up a good chunk of PowerShell basics along the way in this course.
Q: What course(s) or certification(s) should learners look to jump into after they complete Microsoft Windows Server 2012 70-410?
70-411 and 70-412 to complete the MCSA Windows 2012 certification.
Get started today with Microsoft Windows Server 2012 70-410 on your way to conquering Windows Server 2012!
Not a CBT Nuggets subscriber? Start your free week now.
CBT Nuggets has everything you need to learn new IT skills and advance your career — unlimited video training and Practice Exams, Virtual Labs, validated learning with in-video Quizzes, Accountability Coaching, and access to our exclusive community of IT professionals.
Learn more about the CBT Nuggets Learning Experience.

subset: commoncrawl


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short shrift
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
Related to short shrift: heads up, get short shrift, give short shrift
short shrift
A minimal amount of time, attention, or consideration given to someone. (Typically used in the phrases "give/get short shrift.") Despite the urgency of the problem, the minister's proposed solutions are getting short shrift in parliament. As the middle child with a troublesome older brother and a needy younger sister, I felt like I was given short shrift growing up.
short shrift
a brief period of consideration of a person's ideas or explanations. They gave the reporter short shrift and got him out of the office. My plan got short shrift from the board—a ten-minute presentation; they then voted it down.
short shriftrapid and unsympathetic dismissal; curt treatment.
Shrift literally denotes penance imposed after confession to a priest, and historically short shrift referred to a very brief allowance of time between condemnation and execution or other punishment.
2002 Art in America Edward Strickland's Minimalism: Origins , published in 1993 , gives surprisingly short shrift to the Minimalists of the 1960s.


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Mood: a-ok
It is rather disappointing that many candidates do not use the "Political Courage Test" to explain where they stand on the issues. In fact under thirty percent use this important service to the voters nationwide. If you want to see my view points please check: http://votesmart.org/candidate/political-courage-test/122321/ken-cody/
See you on the campaign trail!!!!!


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Can we reduce your property tax bill?
We have developed a systematic, data-driven approach to the property tax appeal process which gives you a great chance of reducing your property tax bill. About 85% of our clients reduce their property tax bill. We admit these numbers are skewed because we interview every client to make sure they have a decent chance of getting a reduction. This is the reason you can not sign up for an appeal through this website. We conduct these free initial consultations on the phone, via email or in person.
When you appeal your property tax bill, you are appealing the assessed value of your property. In Georgia, property tax bills are calculated based on the assessed value and the millage rate. The millage rate is set at the political level while the County Tax Assessor determines the assessed value of each property. The assessed value is 40% of the fair market value of the property on January 1 of the taxable year.
If your appeal reduces the assessed value of your property, then the property tax bill is re-calculated using the updated assessed value.
What are the scope of your services? We handle the entire appeal process for you.
Evaluate your property tax bill to ensure you are getting all available exemptions.
Check the County records to ensure the information about your property is accurate.
File Appeal with County Tax Assessor.
Research the County Tax Digest to see if tax assessments are uniform and fair.
Prepare a Market Analysis of your property for the taxable year in question.
Negotiate with County Appraisers.
Representation at Board of Equalization Hearing.
Continue the appeal to Superior Court – optional, additional fees apply.
How much does your service cost?
For residential properties, we offer two payment options:
Option 1: Fee of $250 plus 25% of the savings achieved on your property tax bill
Option 2: Flat fee of $500
For commercial properties, we offer two payment options:
Option 1: Flat Fee of $500 plus 25% of the savings achieved on your property tax bill
Option 2: Flat fee of $1,000
Is there a deadline to file a property tax appeal?
Yes. The deadline is 45 days from receipt of the Notice of Assessment. Please keep in mind the deadline may be and probably will be different from County to County.
Georgia law requires the County Tax Assessor to send a Notice of Tax Assessment to each property owner by July 1. O.C.G.A. 48-5-306. This letter contains the fair market value of your property as well as other useful information. These are sent through the mail and are posted online in most counties.
How is my property tax bill calculated?
The County Tax Commissioner calculates the property tax bills based on the fair market value of the property and the millage rate. They are also responsible for applying any exemptions which the owner is claiming.
Georgia law allows for property owners to claim several exemptions which factor into the total bill including but not limited to Homestead Exemptions, Conservation Use Valuation Assessments (CUVA) and Senior Exemptions.
How is the fair market value of each property determined?
The County Tax Assessors use a mass appraisal system to determine the fair market value.
The Official Code of Georgia defines fair market value as the amount a willing buyer would pay a willing seller in an arms length transaction. O.C.G.A. 48-5-6. Each County in Georgia has a Tax Assessor who is responsible for determining the fair market value of each property in their County.
What is the millage rate?
The millage rate is the percentage of the value of your property charged by each entity receiving a portion of the property tax revenues. The millage rates are set by each entity after the notices of Assessment are sent. For example, there might be a millage rate for the city, the county, the public school system and several other entities on your bill.
You can calculate the overall millage rate by dividing the total tax bill by the fair market value of your property.
Who determines the millage rate?
Politicians set the millage rates through specific rules set out in the Official Code of Georgia. The process is thorough and involves public hearings, public notices and possibly even a referendum.
How long will the appeal process take?
The appeal process usually takes 3 to 6 months but can go on for years if you proceed through the Court system. It is unlikely, but property tax appeal cases can go all the way to the Georgia Supreme Court. Masters v. Dekalb County Board of Tax Assessors, 703 S.E. 2d 320 (2010).
Is my property tax bill due while the appeal is pending?
Yes. The County issues a temporary bill while the appeal is pending. The taxpayer has the option of paying this temporary bill in full or paying the lesser of 85% of this year's bill or last year's bill.
After the appeal is resolved, the County will reconcile your account and send you a final statement either asking for more money or giving you a refund.
What is the Board of Equalization?
The Board of Equalization (BOE) is a three-person panel of taxpayers who hear property tax appeal cases. They are appointed by the Grand Jury and they must live in the County where they serve. Their job is to determine the fair market value of the property under appeal.
What counties do you handle?
The appeal process is the same in each County so we can handle a case in any County in Georgia. The majority of our cases are in Fulton, Dekalb, Cobb or Gwinnett.
Do the County Appraisers hate owners who appeal their bill?
No, the appeal process is about data and it is not personal. The County Appraisers work hard to try to get these values correct. They have a huge task with a limited budget and they understand the appeal process is an important part of the system that makes the values more accurate.
If I have already filed an appeal, can you still represent me?
Yes, many of our clients have already filed an appeal. We can take over your appeal at any stage in the process, but we prefer to handle the case from beginning to end because there are opportunities to win, or lose, the appeal at each stage.
Want more information?
The Georgia Department of Revenue has an excellent website with great resources: https://dor.georgia.gov/property-taxes-georgia
Or call us at 404-419-3574 or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com


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New marketing – new definition
I just returned from a two-day conference appropriately titled "The New Marketing Summit" because it brought together thought leaders in social media such as Chris Brogan and David Meerman Scott and Paul Gillin so they could share their ideas and insight into the current wave of marketing strategy that encompasses blogging, Twitter and PodCasts. What I found interesting was an opening segment from Mike Lewis, President of the Boston Marketing Association who was trying to define "new marketing" – it brought me back to mid to late 2007 when we were trying to define social media monitoring in a way that CMO's and especially PR executives could understand. How do you define or explain the need to discover the relevant thoughts, opinions and themes floating around about your company in an endless universe of noise? How do you define the need to monitor and often interact with influencers that can change the mindset of your customers if you weren't even aware those influencers existed? While Mike was sharing his definition of what "new marketing" could be, I realized I wasn't as excited about what the definition had become – because I still think we are at the beginning stages of this new marketing age – what I was pleased to discover was that there were close to 400 attendees who are thinking, dissecting and engaged in using these new methods of marketing to help further their businesses and brands. Just as text analytics was a concept few knew how to incorporate into their workplace until recently, social media monitoring solutions have been forming all around us to support the new marketing methods and it is nice to see some of those solutions now being recognized at events like this and put to good use!


text: Small business owners know they need a website that looks professional and will reassure visitors that they are credible and reliable. Many Cary business owners turn to developers to build a website but then struggle with the back-and-forth required to get the project done. Or, they launch the website quickly but only realize later it's full of problems.


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In a decade from now, going by guarantees, travelling the a hundred and fifty kilometre distance between mumbai and pune could take just as long as getting food delivered to one's doorstep at the moment. Its development would damage mangrove cultivation within the 20.four square kilometres (5,000 acres), moreover the diversion of gadhi and ulwe rivers, which in keeping with the union environment and forests ministry is a very serious difficulty considering the destruction mumbai faced throughout the 26 july 2005 floods as a result of these new developments different locations had been thought of. It is usually the house floor for the indian tremendous league football crew mumbai city fc fr. Agnel stadium in vashi is the training floor of the group. To roam across the city, public buses within the city and its suburbs are operated by the pune mahanagar parivahan mahamandal limited (pmpml). Mumbai and pune look to be the first in line to obtain hyperloop connectivity in maharashtra. If u have usb 1.0 then you definitely cannot leap straight to usb 4.zero. Paradoxically, one of many foremost explanation why actual property costs in mumbai have gone by way of the roof within the first place is extreme investor exercise. The airport is positioned at a distance of about 12 kms away from the town with a number of domestic airways that operate regular flights to and from pune in addition to connecting flights.
To handle the air visitors, the home and international terminals are situated in several areas within the western suburbs of mumbai. So ebook mumbai to pune cab from the day you wish to take your journey and overlook about confirmations and restrictions! Mumbai rail vikas corporation (mrvc) beneath the mumbai urban transport venture -ii is extending the harbour line as much as goregaon the work is expected to be completed by november, 2017. Folks of all classes also can afford Pune Mumbai Car Rental price with us. Sudama prides itself on abundantly reasonably priced mumbai to pune cab rental basis. We additionally provide 24/7 a method drop service for pune to mumbai airport and mumbai airport to pune. There are lots of outstation taxi providers which you could e book both offline or on-line. Being touted by policymakers to have the potential for the fast movement of palletised freight and light cargo between the port of mumbai and pune, the hyperloop project is envisioned to create a strong spine for on-demand deliveries, provide chains, and subsequent-era logistics. First let the federal government and rail ministry replace the age outdated british raj tracks between mumbai and pune and reduce the present time of the rail journey from four hours to 1.5 hours rather than dreaming of 20 mins. The mumbai – pune freeway is without doubt one of the greatest within the nation and you will cowl the distance in 4 hours max.
When you're in search of low-cost flights from Cab From Mumbai To Pune take a look at our flight scheduler and avail particular discounts in your journey. Probably the most irritating facet of those bus companies is their fixed stoppages at n variety of smaller agencies who kill your time to fill the seats and earn commission. Nevertheless, it dominated that if a brand new settlement, which allows the panel's examination of witnesses, is reached, the prosecution could make an application for sending the panel to mumbai. Although the idea of journey by diminished stress tubes has been in existence for more than two centuries, with the first tube journey patent claimed by british inventor george medhurst in 1799, the fashionable hyperloop transport system would transport people (and goods) by way of a prepare travelling by means of a vacuum tunnel – an open supply design for which was released together by elon musk's tesla and spacex in 2013. Navi mumbai is dwelling to varied instructional institutions offering programs in several streams including engineering, medical sciences, inside designing, and resort management. Mumbai is perfect in its geographical placement on the western shoreline of mainland india; it is only expected that be known as the gateway of india. Taking a proper flip at the dehu road junction will take you on the pune bypass from where you'll be able to enter pune at a number of factors depending on the place you're headed.


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|Toyota, Lexus, Scion, Daihatsu, Hino
Toyota City,
Assembly plants in Japan: mostly in Toyota City
Overseas main plants:
- Australia: Camry
- Canada: Corolla, Matrix, RX, Rav4
- Tianjin, China (JV with FAW): Vios, Corolla, Crown, Reiz, Rav4
- Guangzhou, China: Camry, Yaris, Highlander
- Czech (JV with PSA): Aygo
- France: Yaris
- India: Corolla, Etios
- South Africa: Corolla, Hilux
- Kuozui, Taiwan: Corolla, Camry, Yaris, Vios, Wish
- Thailand: Corolla, Camry, Vios, Yaris, Prius, Hilux
- Turkey: Corolla, Verso
- Burnaston, UK: Auris, Avensis
- Kentucky, USA: Camry, Avalon
- Indiana, USA: Highlander, Sequoia, Sienna
- Texas, USA: Tundra, Tacoma
- Mississippi, USA: Corolla
Main R&D centers: Toyota City (head office), Higashi-Fuji, Ann Arbor (Michigan, USA)
Main proving grounds: Shibetsu City
Main design studios: Tokyo, Nice (France), Calty (California, USA)
|Sales figures
|Group sales:
FY2017/18: 10,441,000 units
FY2016/17: 10,251,000 units
FY2015/16: 10,094,000 units
FY2014/15: 10,168,000 units
FY2013/14: 10,133,000 units
FY2012/13: 9,692,000 units
FY2011/12: 8,334,000 units
FY2010/11: 8,423,000 units
FY2009/10: 8,139,000 units
FY2008/09: 8,327,000 units
FY2007/08: 9,430,000 units
FY2006/07: 9,005,000 units
FY2005/06: 8,252,000 units
FY2004/05: 7,637,000 units
FY2003/04: 7,016,000 units
FY2002/03: 6,360,000 units
FY2001/02: 5,909,000 units
FY2000/01: 5,817,000 units
FY2017/18 sales by division:
Toyota: approx. 9,210,373 units (including Lexus)
Daihatsu: 1,043,684 units
Hino: 186,943 units
Lexus global sales:
CY2017: 637,000 units
CY2016: 677,615 units
CY2015: 652,000 units
CY2014: 582,000 units
CY2013: 523,000 units
CY2012: 476,566 units
CY2011: 404,000 units
CY2007: 518,300 units
|Being the most powerful car maker in the world, Toyota holds
many number one titles: No. 1 sales worldwide, No. 1 sales in Japan,
best selling car in the world (Corolla), best selling car in USA
(Camry), most factories all over the world, the widest range of
vehicles, highest profitability...
Toyota is a typical example of how Japanese industry succeeded. Although it is often conservative in design and not very creative in bringing new ideas, its special attention to build quality and reliability wins customer confidence gradually. Its emphasis on technology development and production efficiency results in up-to-date products and good value for money. That's why its cars capture a lot of brains if not hearts. Nevertheless, in recent years Toyota starts getting more creative no matter in design and technology. Examples are Pruis and iQ. Hopefully it will be even stronger in the future.
Toyota does not have many brands and subsidiaries. Most cars are sold under its own brand, while Daihatsu takes care of mini cars (especially Kei-cars) and Lexus concentrates on premium and luxury cars. Scion is a youthful brand created by its US marketing division and is still rather insignificant. Heavy trucks and commercial vehicles are produced by its subsidiary Hino. Toyota did not invest into foreign marques, as it believes more in its own effort.
|Brief History
|Kiichiro Toyoda was born in a family of industrialist. His
father Sakichi Toyoda got rich by inventing automatic
loom and established Toyoda Automatic Loom Works. In the late 1920s,
motor cars were scarce in Japan, but Kiichiro believed it would be a
big business in the future, so he devoted all his energy into
researching cars as well as visiting car factories in the United States
and Europe. Having opened a motor car division in his family business,
he developed the first car, AA, in 1936, with styling copied from
Chrysler Airflow and a straight-six engine copied from Chevrolet. A
year later, the car division spun off from the automatic loom company
and becomes Toyota Motor Co. Ltd.
Toyota struggled during the wartime. After the war, its damaged factory was rebuilt, but now the whole country was facing difficult economy. Materials were scarce and inflation was sky rocketing. The company nearly bankrupted in 1950. Eventually Kiichiro Toyoda resigned and 25 percent workers were dismissed.
1955 Toyota Crown
Eiji Toyoda, the cousin of Kiichiro, took over the managing post of the company. Under his leadership, Toyota improved its production system upon American system. The so-called "Toyota Production System" encouraged workers at every stage to suggest for improvement. Faults are fixed at each stage to prevent from costly rework at the final quality check. This improved quality as well as overall efficiency. Besides, the Toyota system introduced "just-in-time" parts delivery to the supply chain so to eliminate the need of large warehouses for storing completed parts. This saved costs and reduced risks of over supply.
Apart from production process, Toyota also devoted high percentage of its earnings into the latest production equipment in order to raise efficiency. In the product side, it concentrated on developing small and medium cars in order to avoid direct competition with the dominating American large cars. These works paid off in the late 1950s when Japanese economy took off. From 1955 to 1965, Toyota's output rocketed from 8,400 to 600,000 cars ! During this period, notable models include the 1955 Crown (first car developed entirely by itself), the 1964 Corona (first successful export to USA) and the 1966 Corolla (Toyota's best seller in Japan and worldwide). Like other Japanese cars, Toyota cars were renowned for good value for money, offering competitive performance and features at lower prices than their Western rivals. Their frequent updates - around 4 years each generation - kept them fresh in the eyes of consumers.
1966 Toyota Corolla
The business of Toyota was increasingly driven by export, especially to the USA market. Oil crisis did not hurt it, but actually drove more customers to its small cars. In 1972, its annual production exceeded 1 million units for the first time. Just 4 years later, it surpassed the 2-million mark. By 1980, Japan overtook USA as the biggest car production country in the world. Toyota accounted for about 40 percent of the Japanese production.
The domestic factories in Toyota City reached their peak in 1990, with over 4 million cars produced that year. However, this export-driven economy cannot last forever. Protectionism rose in the United States as well as in Europe. Toyota relieved such pressure by moving the production of its Camry to USA and Carina to UK so that local people would feel comfortable with these cars. Production localization also allowed it to tailor-make its cars to suit the taste of different markets. In addition to its superior quality control and fuel economy, no wonder Camry could become America's best selling car since 1997, beating its Detroit rivals in their home soil !
1989 Lexus LS400
Another problem Toyota faced from the late 1980s was the rising yen and labour costs which made its cars less bargain, especially against Korean cars. The Japanese giant dealt with this problem by moving production overseas on the one hand (while retaining the high-value R&D works in Japan) and moving its cars upmarket on the other hand. It started invading high-end segment with Lexus LS400. It also produced a trio of sports coupes - MR2, Celica and Supra - to boost its image. In this way, the comany reached its first peak in the early 1990s.
However, following the burst of "bubble economy", Japan went into a decade-long recession. Inevitably, Toyota had its domestic sales suffered, but fortunately its overseas business continued growing. Entering 2000s, it resumed rapid growth and overtook General Motors as the world's best selling car maker in 2007 (although in terms of profitability it had been the world's No. 1 much earlier).
1997 Toyota Prius
Toyota's cars were usually criticized as conservative and lack of innovations compared with local rival Honda. In recent years there seemed to be some changes. In 1997 it introduced the world's first production electric-petrol hybrid technology into Prius. This was followed by the funky designs of WiLL series and bB, the innovative packaging of Yaris and iQ and the sophisticated styling theme ("L-finesse") of Lexus. Its unrivaled financial strength allowed it to explore areas no rivals could afford.


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Jacqueline Scafidi
Jacqueline Scafidi was born in Waltham, Massachusetts on March 27, 1959. As a 1977 Waltham high school graduate, Jacqueline attended Boston College for three years. Because she was unsure of what she wanted to do, she dropped out and decided to travel to California with a friend to try and find herself at the age of 24. When she returned she went to the Center for Computer Education in Newton, Massachusetts and got certified in programming. From there she got a job freelancing as a consultant doing junior programming, and was later offered a job in 1986 with FM Global, the company she is still with today. Jacqueline started as a policy writer trainee and is now a senior consultant. Going in with absolutely no qualifications for the job and no college degree, Jacqueline slowly made her way up the ladder in the company getting much training and experience over the years. Now a Worcester, Massachusetts resident, Jacqueline enjoys spending her time with family and friends, working, and traveling. Although she has experienced some tough times in her life, Jacqueline lives life as an optimist and emphasizes the positives of every situation. ______________________________________________________________________________


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The Rocktown Wine & Dine Festival was not phased by the rain or wind. People nestled under the Turner Pavilion, guarding their stemless wine glasses so the only thing inside was a perfectly poured one-ounce tasting of the wine of their choosing. With ten booths showcasing over 80 wines, it wasn't hard to find something that could spark your interest.
In particular, I took to two main tables, the World Premier Wine table that featured South African wines and, of course, the Small Vineyards table that featured Italian wines. The South African wines surprised me with their crisp tones in the whites and the depth of flavor hidden in the reds. The label of their wines read "the hands that work the soil feed the soul," which connected for me the importance of wine in so many different cultures and what it can mean to different people.
Other guests of the festival were enjoying the wines and atmosphere for many other reasons. As I stood at a round table in the middle of the festival, I spoke with two local business owners. Dennis and Janice Fitzgerald are the owners of By the Side of the Road Bed & Breakfast. They not only have an appreciation for fine wines but they were also enticed by the great opportunity to buy a variety of wines all in one place. The couple is dedicated to Virginia wines, but intrigued by the vast selection of international wines which they have found also appeal to their guests at the B&B.
"People are discovering how much a small town like Harrisonburg has to offer," Janice told me. She had been promoting the event to her guests and was thrilled at the opportunities it provided her as a business owner. They particularly loved the selections of sparkling wines. When a guest arrives at By the Side of the Road, they are greeted with a glass of sparkling wine. Dennis and Janice are happy to have found Tre Donne "La Perlina" Moscato D'Asti 2010 and Bluestone Vineyard's Estate-Grown Moscato 2011, which was released at the festival. "It is so awesome to be able to find out what your neighbors are doing at a festival like this one," Janice shared as she sipped her glass of wine.
Samuel Mclaughlin, a senior at James Madison University and a volunteer for the Rocktown Wine & Dine Festival, had an enriching experience pouring wine for guests. Sam studied abroad in Florence, Italy in Fall 2010. He was not always a wine drinker but he started having wine with dinner at his Italian family's home. While in Italy, he too had the fortunate opportunity to study in the wine culture class under Diletta Frescobaldi (though during a different semester than I). It was this class that acclimated him to wine in Italy. As he recently turned 21, Sam says, "The wine festival was a great way to get back into the wine scene."
Sam wishes that every student could have the opportunity to experience this particular class because of how much it exposed him to the world of wines. He is now realizing how accessible Italian wines are becoming in the U.S. Even though Sam wishes more of his friends would appreciate wine, he says that, "When I get a bottle of wine, I know no one else is going to take it; they can drink their Natural Light and I will drink my wine."
The Rocktown Wine & Dine Festival was an intimate environment that gave event attendees an opportunity to learn, question, and let their taste buds be tantalized! We look forward to more festivals to come in the future!
And please check out the following posts on ilovemyburg.com for more coverage of the event and additional photos:
free spirits: rocktown wine and dine festival.
uncorked: rocktown wine and dine festival.
intertWINEd: rocktown wine and dine festival.
barreling along: rocktown wine and dine festival.
glass half full: rocktown wine and dine festival.
Kari Owens is the HDR Promotions Intern for Summer and Fall 2012. She is a senior Media Arts & Design major and Creative Writing minor at James Madison University.


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We are a lively, family church with a passion for Jesus and real desire to make a difference in the world. Our Sunday meetings are fun and informal, and include people of all ages. We aim to be Bible-based, Jesus-centred and Holy Spirit led, to be 'missional' in our approach to life, and to love others as Jesus has loved us. We want to reach Bangor and Anglesey with the transforming hope of the Good News about Jesus. Whether you feel the same as us, or are just exploring the possibility of Christian faith, we would love to have you along for the ride!
On Sunday mornings we meet all together to worship God, hear teaching from the Bible and celebrate all that Jesus has done for us. Even if you don't normally go to church, you're very welcome to come along and see what it's like.
Learn more about what goes on in a Sunday meeting...
Our Sunday morning meetings take place at Ysgol Friars
We start with refreshments at 10.30, with the meeting beginning at 10.45
Every Sunday
10:45am Hope Gathers!
(Coffee and refreshments from 10:30am)
Latest talk from Hope Church:
We have recently launched 20+ Strands (Missional Communities) which meet at various times during the week! These woven strands are braided together through Hope Gathers, Acts Church, and Discipleship. Our vision = mission. All of our "Strands" are inclusive... open to all!
For more information see our Facebook page (or click on the link opposite)
Alpha Course
Information on your nearest Alpha course.
Christian Enquiry Agency
If you don't know about the remarkable life of Jesus Christ and would like free info, look here.
We're always delighted to welcome new people to Hope Church.
If you're new to the church and want to keep in touch, or get involved, you can
give us your details here
Students are seen as an integral part of the church, not an add-on. We are all participants, there are no spectators! Many students play an active role in the life of the church, so please speak to us about how you'd like to get involved.


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text:
I Am The Voice That Cries in The Desert
How many times do I have to say it? If you're going to write something, research it.
Sure if it's historical or science and even if you are an expert on both or either, you're going to make mistakes. Partly you're going to make mistakes because you're human. Even say, about Elizabethan England, where I know tons of things, there are things I don't know, and I'll come across it and go "Uh, they did WHAT?"
Or take when I was writing the Musketeers mysteries. This mind you was when the internet was but a toddler, just learning to walk, and not able to say "Dada". I found nothing about how laundry was done in the time of the musketeers in Paris. I needed that for Death of a Musketeer. So I assumed it was done the same way it was done in the rest of Europe and put that in the book and I'm not going to revise it.
Except… it wasn't. Not only it wasn't, but h*ll it wasn't. It was done more like in Portugal in my childhood. If you gave your laundry out to wash, women would take it to the river and wash heck out of it, including beating it with stones, or sun-bleaching it.
Well, in Paris in the time of the musketeers, it was the same except that there were laundry boats anchored on the Seine, and you had to pay rent to use them. So professional laundresses rented their facilities from boatmen.
I found this out while reading a travelogue of the time that I didn't come across till I was on the fourth book.
Anyway…. No matter how much you try to make it right, you'll get some things wrong.
But seriously — not even trying?
Look, I'm going to be blunt here: whatever you learned in school about a time period is not enough. Those cute little Writers' Digest "life in" are not enough, not unless what you're writing is a short story or a book where only a short bit pertains to the historical period, but for the whole thing? Too many pitfalls.
Those Writer's Digest manuals are like one of those cheap booklets that tell you how to ask where the bathroom is, or what the cost of something is. They're good for the basics, and even then the grammar will be bad, and a word might not be quite what a native would use. If you're moving to the other country — and when writing you're moving to the other country for a while — you need to know more.
Yes, I've been reading regencies again. I do this when I have the flu, because they're predictable and low effort, being a highly formulaic format. Thing is, though, all the ones I read had thousands upon thousands of positive reviews. And yet I rarely found one without an error.
I was okay with minor errors, like having women attend funerals (they didn't, not in the regency.) It's the ones that think the regency was Victorian England, or worse Elizabethan England that get on my nerves. It's like people watched a movie, sometime, and that's the extent of their research.
I'll even roll my eyes and let it go when they have debutantes wearing bright green satin (seriously, guys, they wore muslin and usually pale colors.) or walking alone with their family's compliant consent.
What gets me is more stuff where, you know, England is not … the way we expect. Like, during the regency, Elizabeth will be on the throne. Or the city of London is divided into two sections, Good Ton and Bad Ton (I SWEAR I'm not making this up) or a girl up from the country and walking alone gets picked up by the queen in her carriage (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) because "you looked sad." Or….
I'll be honest with you, maybe this was the ONLY mistake in the whole book, but when I trip on it three pages in, I'm not going to read anymore.
Maybe I'm a minority. As I said, all these books have hundreds of good reviews (then again, Amazon never was very good at getting rid of all the automated reviews, and there are clubs for this, too) but I will throw them against the wall.
And maybe you think I'm being crotchetty, but I tell you, I am the voice that cries in the desert: get off my lawn.
Before you write something in a time period not our own, in a country not our own, in a discipline you only read about, research.
I do it in three phases, first I get a bunch of general books on the time period (this will often involve one of those Writer's Digest books.
Then those books, in their biliography will suggest others "for further reading." I'll explore a few of those, then read some biographies set in the time. AND after I write the book, I try to find a beta reader who is an expert in the field, and I run it by him.
Perhaps I'm fussy, I don't know. But I know I wouldn't go on about the plight of moors in Regency England.
It might not be much, but we must each be proud of what we can.
Reblogged this on Miller's Tales and commented:
From the good folks at MadGeniusClub:February 15, 2017
I am the terror that quacks in the night…February 15, 2017
I am the Walrus!February 15, 2017
Goo-goo- achoo!February 15, 2017
Paul is dead.February 15, 2017
The walrus was Paul.February 15, 2017
I Am Not Dead!!!!
(Yes, I know what you're talking about. :wink:)February 15, 2017
I am the soup stain that you can't get out of your tie…February 15, 2017
I am the hair on the back of your head that just will not lie down…February 15, 2017
sounds like someone finally got it …February 15, 2017
More like I'm the terror that flaps in the night… but yes.February 15, 2017
😛February 15, 2017
Laurie #
Darkwing! I LOVE Darkwing!February 15, 2017
the plight of moors in Regency England
Yep, the idiocy of putting a black man in a Robin Hood movie. 😦
Oh, there was one tongue-in-check Robin Hood movie where the black was there to make a "white men can't jump" joke.
(Either Robin or one of his Merry Men tried jumping onto his horse and "had an accident"). 😆February 15, 2017
That seems to have started with Robin of Sherwood. Nasir wasn't meant to be a regular, but the producers liked him so much they added him to the Merry Men at the last moment. And many of the subsequent versions of the story have added their own variant on him.February 15, 2017
Chrismouse #
That would be "Robin Hood: Men in Tights". Who roam around the forest looking for fights. Manly men in tights. (TIGHT tights.) In "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves", Morgan Freeman was there because he'd incurred a life-debt of sorts to Robin of Lockesley, who had been fighting in the Crusades. I could see returning Crusaders bringing home servants or a physician or similar. Random dudes, probably not.February 15, 2017
You've got to be a man to wear tights!
That said, Morgan Freeman was in Prince of Thieves with Kevin Costner.February 15, 2017
True but I find it "interesting" that the person brought back by the Crusader is always "Black" not a "Middle-Eastern Type".
In Poul Anderson's "Three Hearts and Three Lions", the main character meets a Saracen in an area that's a counter-part to Eastern Europe.
The Saracen isn't described as a Black but apparently is a Middle-Easterner.
Of course, the Saracen, while out of place, is there for a good reason in story-terms.February 15, 2017
A lot of the "King Arthur and his Saracens/converts" knight stories from the Middle Ages featured handsome Moorish black men. Not all, but a lot.
And then there was the popular military saint, St. Maurice, the Moorish Roman legionary officer. Artists loved to draw him.
So yeah, Robin would probably have been thrilled to make a black African Saracen friend. That is full value stuff for a medieval guy traveling the world.
Of course, beautiful Saracen girls in medieval romances are usually blonde. And this was pretty accurate for Spain, where the Saracens had overwhelmingly bred families with Visigothic captives made into sex slaves.February 15, 2017
Couldn't you have found some blondes elsewhere in the Islamic world at the time? Slavery was pretty popular, and I remember reading that a lot of the Circassians (whose women often went into concubinage) were blondes or redheads.February 15, 2017
Yup, lots of blondes and redheads elsewhere, courtesy of the enslaved Circassians, African Visigoths, and Slavs, those captured by Mediterranean pirates, and the Viking slave trade routes bringing whoever else they had captured besides Slavs.
But Spain was probably the only place in the Islamic world where blondes became the rule.February 16, 2017
Thank you. Have you ever checked out a book titled 'Myth of the Andalusian Paradise' by Dario Fernandez-Morera? He blasts a lot of 'common knowledge' stories about Islamic Spain in that one.February 16, 2017
EXCELLENT book.February 16, 2017
Second!February 17, 2017
But this was not a time of much racial mixing, and you get some weird ideas.
I still remember the illumination of the Song of Songs where the "black but beautiful" woman is black — as in, ink — and has gold leaf hair and blue eyes, and completely European features (I particularly noted the narrow nose). She looked like an anime extraterrestrial.
And in King Arthur, Percival has a half-brother whose mother is black. He's — piebald.February 15, 2017
You have to wonder about whether the storyteller had seen someone with vitiligo. Medievals would have known that horse colors do not work that way.
But yeah, ditto on the weird depictions.February 16, 2017
Martin L. Shoemaker #
One more reason I set my stories primarily in the future. I may have only a hazy idea of what Belize is like today, but I am the leading expert on Belize in the year 2040 in my universe!February 15, 2017
But even so, you need some research. As I found out with Montevideo in 3500ish on a parallel world. Monte. Video. Umm, isn't this something like mountain view? Where's the mountain?
Google Earth is one of the writer's best resources.February 15, 2017
Martin L. Shoemaker #
Also Wikipedia, and other online references. I like to watch locally-produced videos when I can, because they give me an idea of what locals think is worthy of attention. Plus they give me voice and mannerisms. Those are hard to get if I restrict myself to just reading.
To my dismay, it's really hard to find much video about Belize. The culture seems to be very British colonial in some ways, Mestizo in others. They celebrate their independence from Britain for almost the entire month of September.
Fortunately I only have a couple of chapters set there. And fortunately, it's in 2040 (though Belize seems to be a country in no hurry to change).February 15, 2017
or like the movie Dan watched the other day that thought that Azores was a "tropical island." AND spoke Spanish.February 15, 2017
That would be Ciudad de San Felipe y Santiago de Montevideo.
Anyway, you can blame the Portuguese, for naming their local fort "Montevieu." That is where the name came from.February 15, 2017
I don't think so. that means nothing in Portuguese. You sure not French? It would mean old Mount. For Portuguese it would be Monte Velho, which could end up prnounced like that, but…February 15, 2017
Going by Wikipedia, nobody seems to know what was going on there. Monte vide eu, Monte Bidi, Monte Vidi, Montevieu…. Nothing like Spanish research on Portuguese expeditions.
Anyway, it is all a Magallanes/Magellan thing. I blame society.February 16, 2017
Portuguese Wikipedia says it is "monte vi eu." Maybe.February 16, 2017
That would be QUITE the dumbest name ever. Mountain I See?February 16, 2017
I blame Spaniards. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy and my dad approves.February 16, 2017
Anachronda #
Monte. Video. Umm, isn't this something like mountain view? Where's the mountain?
I live in a town named Ridgecrest. It sits on the floor of a valley.February 15, 2017
Many descriptive place names lie. Names were often bestowed in tribute to another place of the same name, or because the namer liked the name, without reference to appropriateness.February 15, 2017
A book on home design from the Fifties referred to the genius of real estate developers, who will buy a flat, treeless piece of land and name the result "Willowdale Heights," thus departing from reality in three directions at once.February 16, 2017
In the "Planetes" anime, they have a couple of episodes set in the future Lae, PNG. And even accounting for possible future development, they're still quite a bit off.February 15, 2017
Sad to say, I wonder if today's audience would do anything but violently reject historically accurate versions of things like gender relations. A few years ago I remember reading a GoodReads review of Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon that did nothing but criticize the book for all the back-breaking drudgery the female characters were (apparently) forced to endure, how this presentation was anti-woman, anti-feminist and brimming with misogyny. I'm not quite sure how this reviewer expected life to be in early Middle Ages England, but apparently she expected washing machines and vacuum cleaners, or maybe live-in maids, it was not quite clear. And this was one of the top reviews via GoodReads's upvoting system. Because of course it was.
I say "apparently" in the above because I've not read the book. Meaning I guess it is possible this reviewer was exaggerating things. I had planned on doing so, but never did for one reason or another before what a horrible person Bradley was was made public. Since then it has kind of fallen out of my TBR list, to put it mildly.February 15, 2017
My personal review of Mists of Avalon is that if you eliminated all of the whining and anti-Christian preaching, you'd have a pretty solid 250 page novel. Alas, as far as I can tell, they only sell the 900 page extended version.
As far as this reviewer's specific complaint, however, I must admit I don't remember anything like it. All of the main characters were queens and/or high priestesses, so for the most part, they DID have live-in servants to take care of most of the domestic work. Granted, it's been about 20 years since I read it, but the worst I remember the women having to do was spin and weave (which Morgause whined about being drudgery, but then Morgause whined about everything, so I don't think we were supposed to take her seriously).February 15, 2017
SheSellsSeashells #
My fastest turnoff in a fantasy or historical work is She Who Is Oppressed By Textile Work. It was _damned important_ at the time, thankyouverymuch, and just because hordes of fluffyheaded ficwriters think it's a good idea to have their sword-swinging maiden allergic to embroidery doesn't mean it didn't matter.
One of my favorite heroines ever is Lois McMaster Bujold's Fawn, who is domestically concerned, good at it, and coincidentally quite brilliant. So glad Bujold didn't go with the "only useless/oppressed women ever give a damn about food and clothing" cliche.February 15, 2017
Does this mean you don't like hearing about safety hazards of a mechanical loom in a mill?February 15, 2017
Confutus #
"Mirror Sight", by Kristen Britain. A sword-swinging maiden time-travels to a future with mechanical looms in mills.February 16, 2017
SheSellsSeashells #
Naaah, means I'm tired of Rebellious Maiden who is well-fed, suspiciously well-educated, and not dead of cold-related ailments going "But I don't WANT to do embroidereeeeeee!" Though I'm more a fan of the stillroom myself… 🙂February 16, 2017
So I can get away with a spoiled rebellious princess who escapes her family being deposed, and travels from fairyland to (insert name of New England mill town), if she willingly works and eventually comes to prefer the life, due to greater creature comforts? (This fairyland probably has bronze age standards of living for nobility, not enlightenment.)
Good to know, even if my muse is insisting that this is backstory for something inspired by pandering Japanese light novels.February 16, 2017
*grin* The thing I really, really like about Japanese fiction is they seriously will write about anything. I read a one-shot manga about an elf who loves the modern human world so much because FRENCH FRIES.
Actually she loved all sorts of vegetable based snacks and food, because, according to her, all the food back in her home realm was really bland. Unfortunately because she doesn't have as active a lifestyle in the human world, she gets rather pudgy around the middle and needs help from a dietician to lose weight, claiming it's because she needs to be as she was when she first came through the portal in order to go back.
She loses the weight but a few months later the dietician sees her again in a local fast food, with a massive pile of french fries in front of her. Now that she knows she can work on losing weight, it's not so bad!February 17, 2017
foxfirefancies #
That? Would be awesome. 😀February 17, 2017
I got a crit from an online writing group about the way Charity saved the day in The Wolf and the Ward because it involved sewing, on feminist grounds that she shouldn't save the day by sewing.
I ignored it, thank you very much.February 15, 2017
I have started *cheering* when I come across a woman in any remotely fantasy and/or historical work that–at the very least–has no issues with textile work and is decent at it. It's an outright party when you find one that LIKES it and is GOOD at it. (Fawn being one of those.)
I really wonder when the whole "the fantasy heroine HATES NEEDLEWORK" thing came in. I mean, come on. It was extremely useful, and it staves off freaking boredom.
I'm just glad to finally be finding books where this isn't the case, and the heroine is perfectly okay with picking up knitting or her embroidery, or something similar. One of my favorite throwaway scenes in the Paksenarrion saga was the famous paladin sitting down and showing a young (male) soldier how to turn a heel. When he expressed surprise at her being able to do this, she shrugged and said "I thought I hated it when I was back on the farm, but when I joined up with the mercenary company, we all had to learn how to knit our own socks. It's better than not having any, and it's something to do with your hands." (Or something to that effect, anyway.)February 15, 2017
Eowyn did not like it (at least when she was champing at the bit to save the Mark), and a fair number of US and UK heroines of regular novels were impatient with darning stockings.February 16, 2017
Pariya from Young Brides Stories preferred making beautifully decorated bread over embroidery but is told she must learn. She eventually gains the patience and desire to make proper cloth and embroidery once she figures out a trick to getting over her mental block.February 16, 2017
I had a minor plot thread in Daughter of Texas – the heroine's mother was a weaver, and set up her loom and worked at it, every chance she had. One of the very subtle things in the plot was the blankets that the mother re-wove, after buying some local Texas export blankets, picking them apart and re-weaving them. (A local industry back in the 1830s – local sheep wool dyed with cochineal and woven into horse blankets and such. Good wool, excellent dye … barely adequate weaving.) A friend of my mothers was a hobbyist weaver – and she took me to the local industrial museum the last time I was in California, and gave me all kinds of good 'gen about looms and weaving that I used in that book.February 16, 2017
If you get a chance watch Makoto Shinkai's film Your Name (Kimi no Na) – There is quite a bit about traditions and traditional methods of doing things. The braided cord detail I particularly enjoyed. I think you would like it. ^^February 16, 2017
Or read Mori's The Brides's Tale. SwoonworthyFebruary 17, 2017
I read the fan translations (because I like the random tidbits some of them put at the end) and buy the physical books. I recently got all of her Emma omnibus work. I seriously would buy anything that woman puts out, her attention to detail is amazing!
Sad I missed out on Shirley though. That was a cute little story.February 17, 2017
She really does recreate these places, lost to time, for her readers, doesn't she?February 24, 2017
Bujold seems to have a solid read on what people are actually like. Well—I think she might have trouble depicting someone who isn't actually bright. Even Ivan comes off not too badly after a while, despite the whole drumbeat of "Ivan, you idiot." He's just thoughtful in a different direction.February 16, 2017
I proposed in a review I wrote for [i]Captain Vorpatril's Alliance[/i] that the only reason the rest of his family thought Ivan was an idiot was a.) he WAS an idiot as a very young man, in a far more traditional manner than, say, Miles, and b.) unlike his Vorkosigan relatives, he values planning, organization, and logical flow. So while he can–if desperate–come up with an off-the-cuff plan made of insanity, he prefers to plan things out in advance. (And he likes peace and quiet, also unlike his Vorkosigan relatives…)
That one ended up being one of my favorites of the series, up there with [i]A Civil Campaign[/i] 😀February 24, 2017
The other thing about Ivan is that we see him in contrast to Aral, Miles, Cordelia, and Simon Ilyan, who are, frankly, geniuses and the very best at what they do. Anyone who is merely reasonably intelligent and highly competent will come off looking worse in comparison.February 24, 2017
Ok, I'm slightly baffled. We are talking about the Regency of George III, when the fat prince assumed the rulers duties, end of the Napoleonic Wars? Or did I miss something?February 15, 2017
Regency romances, set in that period are "a thing." Only they don't… research.February 15, 2017
kaflick #
I have found that doing the research makes a huge difference in how you feel about the characters in your book. A character that you initially design as an intolerant or hard person may actually be quite a permissive softy by actual historical standards. This allows you to write them in real depth as an actual person of the time might have been. Although this might be wasted effort, the average reader's cognitive abilities being what they are.
At least you get the satisfaction of doing a good job of it, even if no one else notices.February 15, 2017
My most wall-banging book-review was one that I wished I had checked out the "look inside" feature before I committed to review it. A family saga novel set in just post-civil war mid west, which featured a woman married to a prosperous man who owned and ran a fashionable dressmaking salon (or maybe it was a women's boutique) and had a rebellious teenage daughter who ran off to New York City with a slightly older girlfriend – where the two girls checked into a hotel and went out on the town, drinking and dancing with men ,,, sigh. The whole book was basically Dynasty, only in 19th century costume.I have no notion of where the writer did her research on mid-Victorian social mores, but someone who had an issue with my review insisted that the writer had done said research and called me a big ignorant meanie for pointing out everything that I found wrong about the book.February 15, 2017
A novel featuring tobacco in medieval England is mine.February 15, 2017
Or hot chocolate. Or potatoes. Or tomatoes.February 15, 2017
You can find Hill's Manual online. It's a book on "social and business forms and correct writing" that is an accidental survey of Victorian-era America. There are even cheap paperback reprints available, though I'm holding out for an original leather-bound printing. (It was widespread enough that you can get one for $50-$80 in pretty decent condition.) There are some great observations in there, including the foreword to the section on how to write a letter declining a proposal of marriage.
Marrying For a Home
Let nobody commence and continue a correspondence with a view to marriage, for fear that they may never have another opportunity. It is the mark of judgement and rare good sense to go through life without wedlock, if she cannot marry from love. Somewhere in eternity, the poet tells us, our true mate will be found. Do not be afraid of being an "old maid." The disgrace attached to that term has long since passed away. Unmarried ladies of mature years are proverbially among the most intelligent, accomplished and independent to be found in society. The sphere of woman's action and work is so widening that she can today, if she desires, handsomely and independently support herself. She need not, therefore, marry for a home.February 15, 2017
Then, of course, there are the people who hate it when you do do your research and allow your heroine to support herself. Or worse, to support herself without being a flaming feminist of a later era, or at least at the bleeding edge of what women's movement was pushing.February 15, 2017
I have featured several characters in my own books – women of the mid-19th century or so – who did very well with their own various enterprises: Sally Skull, Lizzie Williams, Angelina Eberly, Mary Ellen Pleasant … they all had a sense of enterprise, skills and some small property … and did very well out with that.February 15, 2017
Heh. When someone starts screaming about 'oppression' in 19th century America, I always want to point them in particular to the women during the various gold and silver rushes. Sure, a few staked mining claims, but the REALLY smart ones did things like…run laundries. Or mending services. Or restaurants. Or similar, feminist-despised domestic type things. And because they were frequently the only ones offering such services, they could–and did–charge a freaking FORTUNE, and there were many who walked away with a good deal more wealth than the vast majority of the miners.February 15, 2017
My relative Elizabeth "Lib" Richter Hedges originally worked as a housemaid, which was how she saved enough money to become a tavern owner, madam, real estate owner and landlady, multiple business owner (including a movie house), and investor. And that was in Dayton, Ohio, which was not the frontier. (And the tavern came after she became a wedded and abandoned mother. Thus the "Hedges" name.)
She actually was just mentioned in a local TV show about the history of the Victoria Theatre. I knew she had a reserved box and marched a selection of her women employees to the theater to see plays, but I did not realize that she did it on Mondays not just because that was the logical day off for brothels, or as advertising.
Mondays were Ladies' Night, when all women were admitted half price.
She always had an angle…. And she had charm, too, which is how she got away with it all.
That German/Swiss side of the family has a scary amount of practicality always. She just did stuff with the brakes off, because she had no respectability to worry about. But I have no doubt that someone like her could be successful in any age, at any kind of business. It would not take them as long today, that's all.February 16, 2017
She sounds AWESOME.February 16, 2017
Now there's a lady who deserves to have her biography written up. I know I'd read it.February 16, 2017
I would too!February 18, 2017
There's a show called "Adam Ruins Everything." They put up little teaser bits online. One of the bits they put up on the Wild West talked about how prostitutes and madams were a major entrepreneurial and civilization force, because when you're fulfilling a market need, you suddenly have a LOT of influence. And hey, if you're going to put your hard-earned money into schools, churches, and theaters, you probably won't be despised forever, no matter what the moralists say.February 16, 2017
This always puzzled me. Even in the Philippines of old women were perfectly capable of running a business out of their home without being flaming feminists of the burn-bra stripe. The social stigma of kicking out an elder female relative could be crippling as it wasn't considered the thing a good Christian would do.
(One of the points of view of an elder female relative entering a convent was so she could be around women her own age, not have to worry about her younger kin, and relax and pray, as well as be looked after.)February 17, 2017
how shocking! next thing you know, you will be saying that women were not all passive victims until feminists appeared to liberate them!February 17, 2017
A great many women in Renaissance era Venice got shoved into convents (because the Venetians were particularly weird about rank/marriage/dowries–there's a reason their nobility pretty much vanished). But there were plenty of those same women who then acquired a LARGE amount of power, wealth and influence from within the convent walls. (Also many who threw huge parties and generally ignored the 'rules' and since most everyone knew they weren't there because they actually had a calling, a blind eye was turned until it got impossible to ignore, heh.)
Not unusual for women in the convents in general. It was a distinct avenue to power and influence.February 18, 2017
True for there. Not so much from the perspective I was told about, but that was in my grandmother's and great-grandmother's era.February 18, 2017
You ought to read Regine Pernoud's "Women In The Age Of The Cathedrals" to see how much power and influence women in both the religious and secular worlds could wield in Medieval Europe. It wasn't unusual for a woman to be in charge of both monks and nuns.February 18, 2017
I am lazy. I dodged the entire issue by siting the story in places I've lived. I know every damn thing about Hamilton Ontario, from culture (how much beer does one bring to a party?) to the best places for a true maniac to drift a long box crew cab around a corner. (Clairmont access, down the mountain. You'd have to be crazy.)
For a castle in the French Dolomite area, I put it in a different universe and had the bad guy kill everybody three hundred years ago. So convenient! ~:DFebruary 15, 2017
Oh yes. Part of it is because of having a bad research bug ("Just one more book/monograph/article and I'll be ready!") and part is because of being OCD about things, I ended up reading far more than I'd ever planned about warfare in Early Modern Europe, and about WWI on the Eastern Front and the interwar years (especially the latter. I really do not like reading about the 1920s-30s in Europe.) Did it help things with the books? Well, no one has called out any massive burps in Book One. And it gives you details that really help nail down scenes and places – like the fine sand in Galicia that fouled weapons so terribly. Came from an autobiography.February 15, 2017
I have to ask, because I'm the sort who starts researching, then ends up doing nothing but reading and researching and lost the story. (Also, again, the main reason why I don't write science fiction or historical fiction is the fear of that – throwing the reader out of the story because I mucked up some little detail.)
But how much research is ENOUGH research? When does one decide that the researching is getting in the way of the story you want to tell, and when should you discard the story because it no longer fits thanks to the research?February 15, 2017
Hey shadowdancer, I need to reach you by email or somethingFebruary 16, 2017
Email is the easiest. My username with a dot between the two parts at affsdiary.com is my public email address.February 16, 2017
I dropped you a note on DAFebruary 16, 2017
"…why I don't write science fiction or historical fiction is the fear of that – throwing the reader out of the story because I mucked up some little detail."
Um, may I just say, screw that guy.
Given the odious crap I see in the bookstore, printed and pushed by Big 5 publishers and written by Name authors, some little detail you may have missed is not going to be a thing.
I have seen plenty of SciFi where they forget you have to feed troops. Or where you time travel backwards by going faster than light. I myself am pretending that nanotechnology can make a whole robot that looks like a human, out of whatever happens to be lying around. In twenty minutes.
Yes, there is some guy out there who knows that ain't so, and he's going to be all mad. Everybody else is going to want to know what the robot is going to say.
It's fiction. We make stuff up. ~:D Go make up something cool.
And pay attention to Sarah, she's smrt. The Phantom is just some guy who lives in a hay field. What do I know, I have zero published works so far.February 16, 2017
Well its more the folks I respect who I would like not to wall their tablet because of my work…February 16, 2017
That's not going to happen, m'dear. Did you wall yours while reading my scribbles yet? Don't think so, you'd have yelled at me by now. ~:DFebruary 16, 2017
You could always pull a Ringo and run with something so obviously wrong as to be awesome.
Irish vikings in Georgia who practice selective breeding and make the best beer in the world? Eh, why not?February 15, 2017
Uncle Lar #
Of course John said so up front. Entire series is based on flights of his fancy with absolutely no intent to mirror reality. Were that not the case, the main character would have died in the first third of the first book.February 15, 2017
Of course. The whole series is an exercise in "go big or go home"
The point being that if you're going to break with reality, break hard and be absolutely unapologetic about it.February 15, 2017
Kind of like the "Christopher Walken/ Brian Blessed" rule in acting. If you're cast in film to make a buck, the script sucks, and there's a miasma of incompetence in the air, go big. Order up a LARGE HAM, and chew the scenery like an army of starving termites on meth.February 15, 2017
Robin Munn #
A.k.a. what Jeremy Irons decided to do in the Dungeons & Dragons movie, singlehandedly moving it from "Blech" territory right into "So Bad It's
GoodHilarious".February 15, 2017
Oh my, he was the only good thing about that movie. (Although it's sequel–Wrath of the Dragon God–is actually a semi-decent fantasy film. Not great, and not really even good, but definitely 'decent and watchable.' No Jeremy Irons, alas.)
He was also the only good thing about the Eragon film, and looks amazing in leather. 😀
And with other large hams…I'm fairly certain people wouldn't have liked Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves half so well as they did were it not for Alan Rickman pretty much chewing up all the scenery and enjoying it hugely. (Not to mention the woman playing The Witch. She and Alan Rickman in the same scene is an utter delight in a two-way hamfest–especially if you watch the version with the extended scenes, most of them involving those two.)February 15, 2017
Eh, there's some poetic license allowed. I have myself read someone having vapors that depictions of the French Revolution often have as many executions as were typical at the height of the Reign of Terror at any earlier period.February 15, 2017
hey, itworks fine as long
as you grab the axe before the dancing starts.February 15, 2017
Umm . . . there was an editor of either The Atlanta Constitution or The Atlanta Journal who claimed evidence that Vikings had traveled as far south as Georgia and Northern Florida. Then there's that bearded Indian Hernando de Soto met in the same region.
If I were to try it, it would be an revenge story. A group of Vikings who were wiped out traveling up river to see what they could find, the survivors held captive at a major Indian town, with the sole survivor escaping and returning with a band to destroy the town. Set it around 1200 AD. That's roughly when the Mound Builder culture in Georgia collapsed.February 15, 2017
There was a historical I read — about the Welsh Prince Madoc and his family who came to America about that period … and inadvertently did all sorts of damage, because one of their cohort had syphilis. The novel was all tied up with the Mandan tribe … kind of complicated, and I think that the historical record was probably pretty tortured in service to the plot … but still an interesting read.February 15, 2017
For your consideration: not sure about torturing the historical record. I have a memory (admittedly vague, and thirty years old) of a book on language (possibly written by a scion of the Berlitz family) where a British military unit (pre-Revolutionary War) which recruited from Wales, was stationed in Mandan territory, and some of the troops who spoke Welsh as a first language were able to converse freely with the locals in their respective "native" languages.February 16, 2017
I think one of my favorite semi-obscure historical tidbits about that is that the Vikings showed up, and the (much more populous at that time) Indians were Not Impressed. Had to have been a heckuva wake up call to the Vikings, who were awfully used to everyone on their side of the pond being terrified of them… (And that the New World the European settlers came to much later was, essentially, a post-apocalyptic wasteland with as much as 90% of the population there wiped out a few generations back…)
And there's a Viking runestone in western Arkansas. They definitely got around, those Vikings.February 15, 2017
Ringo's whole problem with that started when he used one word: Varangian.
As in Varangian Guard.
1. That was a real-world organization, proven to exist.
2. It was formed from Vikings. From all over the Viking world. Rus (Swedish Vikings), Danes, Normans, Norsemen. The last Norwegian Viking King, Harold Haardrada, joined it and made his well-chronicled reputation as a fighting Viking leader in it. He used that reputation to go home and take back Norway's throne and rule until he ran into King Harold Godwinson of Wessex, who ruled Saxon Britain, at a little place called Stamford Bridge in 1066. The casualties and exhaustion from marching to, fighting, and rushing back South led to King Harold's defeat at Hastings by William the Conqueror. All real world events.
3. It was formed under the Byzantine Emperors, who at the time counted Georgia on the Black Sea as part of their empire, and were also known to send units of Varangians out to fight on various frontiers; the aforementioned Haarald made his reputation when sent as commander to re-conquer Sicily. Also well documented.
All of this fit quite nicely into the plot of Kildar and subsequent books, and it's why every fan believes more of Kildar is real than is warranted. Be careful how big a dose of reality you use.February 16, 2017
This applies to building your own world, too. You have to make it *work*. If you have a society that is somewhere with scarce resources, that's going to affect a lot—and the same with a place of abundant resources. There are, for example, charts out there that will tell you how much land it takes to support a family and how much extra land it takes to support a soldier.
I'll give a fun example: the Disney movie Tangled. (I love that movie.) Were it not for the obvious cues that this movie is told by an unreliable narrator*, the whole setup would be even more absurd than most Disney movies. Tons of guards standing around to protect a piece of *jewelry*? Guards pouring out of the castle doors by the dozen? You'd have to have an empire like the Romans to support that level of palace guards, and one heck of an enemy to feel you had the need. (The Tower Guard has a grand total of fourteen members, for comparison's sake. The Tower is still listed as a royal residence.)
Anyway. If your world is not internally consistent, it will show to those folk who know enough about how things work to see the flaws. Your best bet is to base your world on a previously-defined set of circumstances so that you can just steal details as needed.
*If you watch the movie as though it's told by Flynn Rider at a bar, everything makes total and complete sense.February 15, 2017
Or the skyscraper towers in the Dungeons and Dragons movie. I know they have wizards, but still . . .February 15, 2017
Yes. I love D&D style fantasy and games, but I boggled when I saw one gamebook state confidently that even the smallest communities would be as well-lit and clean as modern cities.February 15, 2017
Huh? Only a fifth-level cleric, and you have all the continual light spells you could wish for. Light is no problem.February 15, 2017
And a 0 level cantrip does a lot of cleaning.February 16, 2017
I have sitting on my shelves the Encyclopedia Magica a set of four books that details magic items.
A few of them involve magical nappies for babies and milk bottles.February 17, 2017
Randy Wilde #
Flashback to a cleric of Lathander (god of the dawn, spring, beginnings, etc.) who would cast Continual Light on wooden holy symbols and hand them out like candy…February 16, 2017
This is the new fracking crazy thing of the left. People always lived this long, were this healthy, things were this clean. Brother. I was born in the second world and I can tell you, they INSULT the benefits of civilization.February 15, 2017
One walk with actual *looking* through an old cemetery should (should, not will) correct that illusion.February 16, 2017
I did such a walk through the old Catholic cemetery in Fredericksburg, Texas, a couple of years ago. It was only in use for about fifteen years between 1855-1970. About fifty marked graves, and all but about ten were children and babies. Two young to mid-adults killed by Indians, and one couple who lived to their seventies and eighties. Quite an eye-opener; the babies who only lived for days or weeks after birth, and the children with the same surname, and dates of death three or four days apart.February 16, 2017
This, and what Ox said. This is more than a difference in left-right opinion. How can they think people have always lived this long and as healthy? This goes way beyond sheltered.February 16, 2017
Or not even a very old cemetery. I live in Pennsylvania, and it can be chilling to walk through local cemeteries and see just how many deaths are recorded for the years 1919-1923 or so, especially of children. Or to see how many kids died in the mid-50's or so, I once asked my mother about it and she said, 'Because that was the last big summertime polio epidemic, that's why.'February 16, 2017
And that, right there, is the reason why I want to strangle all those parents who are anti-vaccine. We only eliminated polio in the 90s, in the Philippines. DO THEY REALLY WANT THAT SHIT BACK?!February 17, 2017
My mother worked as a candystriper/nursing assistant in a hospital nursery in the late 40's, and she saw what happened to children whose parents couldn't avoid getting Rubella and the like. She wanted to arrest people who didn't vaccinate their kids.
And a friend of mine in California told me that the immigrant parents are VERY big on vaccination. It's apparently the upper class yuppie puppies who hate the evils of modern medicine.February 17, 2017
People have always . . .
What the blazes? Haven't they've seen the dates in cemeteries here?February 16, 2017
They, for whatever reason, but mostly I think to immiserate the vast majority of people without protest, want to minimize the benefits of civilization, so they'll say things like "if you survived childhood, you lived about the same time." It's more "if you survived childhood and had a decent enough diet and a non-dangerous occupation." So, yeah, it tracks for the wealthier people in the more recent centuries. BUT it still didn't track. When I was a kid in the village (and yes, we were poor as Job, but in my time no one was starving or eating the weeds from the side of the road) when people died in their sixties the reaction was "He/she was old." Now when people die at seventy, we get "So young?" And my son who is in Health Care tells me it's not unusual for people to live to their 100s, which, when I was a kid, was a mythical age no one lived to.February 16, 2017
That, and wouldn't it be patently obvious that having more children survive is a benefit of civilization?February 16, 2017
yes.February 16, 2017
I'm involved in a Gilbert & Sullivan group. Whenever ages are pointed out, I make sure the younger actors involved have some idea of the relative age decrepitudes, health issues, and so on. Ruth, in Pirates of Penzance, is considered positively ancient at 47, so I tell them why. I make sure to mention things like the effects of childhood illnesses on quality of life (if not longevity), chronic conditions, the type of health care available, and so on. A lot of them have never had it pointed out to them, and it makes them understand a bit better what's going on.
We'll be doing Patience this year. (Speaking of chewing scenery…) I'm going to try for Lady Jane, but the irony is that at the age of 40, I may not look old enough to pull it off… even though she's probably all of 25 or 30 in the text.February 16, 2017
And they've always had the same sexual morality they do right now. No matter what society they lived in.February 16, 2017
I think that may be why they targeted the Scouts. Even camping would give these people some level of reality.February 16, 2017
"even the smallest communities would be as well-lit and clean as modern cities."
Sarah, what you and Eric are forgetting here is the effect of working AND reliable magic both divine and arcane. Especially if there are whole orders of people devoted to deities of healing, agriculture, etc., and combining their efforts with "mundane" medicine, etc.
Will it be perfect? No. Will it be orders of magnitude better than the "real world" prior to 1850. Absolutely. And when writing fantasy, the availability of magic needs to be on your world building checklist right after "Does the Sun rise in the East".February 17, 2017
Oh, and let's not forget the presence of manifesting deities on motivations. You may not believe that the gods care about you or your people (see Weber's hradani) but the number of atheists will be zero.February 17, 2017
Actually, the main fantasy tabletop RPG I know of (Paizo) has both active gods in the setting and at least three nations with atheism as the 'state religion'. Though it's more a case of 'allowing worship causes more problems than it's worth' then actively denying that gods exist.February 17, 2017
OTOH, they don't think it through. Sure, there's magic enough that it's feasible for women to adventure, showing low maternal and infant mortality rates, but everyone still fights with medieval weapons. You still have castles, too. A lot of medieval/modern mash-ups in the silliest ways.
My favorite D&D webcomics, Order of the Stick and Rusty & Co. are comic and make a lot of fun of this, because, really, there's no realistic way to treat it.February 17, 2017
Joel Rosenberg's *Guardians of the Flame* series includes a major city with no sewage problem. They bought a baby dragon from a hunter, and when it got to a certain size, chained it in a deep pit and routed all their sewers into it. The dragon incinerates everything or it drowns in offal.
The heroes' decision to free the enslaved dragon basically defines the whole series.February 19, 2017
What gets me is more stuff where, you know, England is not … the way we expect. Like, during the regency, Elizabeth will be on the throne.
Now that is a book I'd like to read. Is she a lich, a vampire, or a zombie?February 15, 2017
She was so shocked at the incompetence of George III that she dug herself out of her grave and said, "Okay, everyone, I'm in charge again. Let me show you how this is done!"February 15, 2017
Just reread G.K.Chesterton on Mary, Queen of Scots – it would seem that *Mary* would have been the more likely queen to dig herself out of the grave and *really* straighten things out. Which is why they killed her in the first place.
But I digress…February 15, 2017
See, that would be an amazing story right there.February 17, 2017
Revenant possessing Charlotte of Wales?
There's the British royalty are secretly dragons model.
If you wanna do Irish as deep ones, she could be something mythosy.
Part of the answer is probably what you decide to do with Nappy.February 15, 2017
I thought David Icke told us they were all serpent people?February 15, 2017
I think dragons are a) neater b) less overlap with the crazies c) insert bullshit arguments based on cherrypicking legends.February 15, 2017
"I'll even roll my eyes and let it go when they have debutantes … walking alone with their family's compliant consent."
I'm not a reader of Regencies for the most part, but that is the Jane Austen period, isn't it? Elizabeth Bennet spending quite a bit of time walking alone without receiving any more disapproval than mildly scandalizing the Bingley sisters when she showed up with a dirty petticoat–and even that was mostly excused on the grounds that she wanted to see her ill sister. Was Elizabeth simply not high-class enough to be considered a "debutante" and thus the rule didn't apply to her and her and her circle?February 15, 2017
NOT a debutante in LONDON.February 15, 2017
Ah. I can see how that would make a difference…February 15, 2017
Uncle Lar #
Been watching a new TV show, Taboo, set in 1814 England. A bit reminiscent of Penny Dreadful, though public cable so slightly less risque.
Major subplot is efforts by the lead character to obtain a large amount of gunpowder. He enlists the help of a chemist and they set up shop on a rural farm and start collecting urine and dung. Process is going far too slowly so they steal a wagonload of refined saltpeter from the East India Company, but then proceed to mix it into their caldrons of witch's brew.
Leaving for the moment that what is obviously desired is commercial quantities of gunpowder, which a wagonload of material would not make a dent in, the formula for black powder is 75% saltpeter, 15% wood charcoal, and 10% sulfur. Grind fine, mix wet, then grind the resulting cake into powder grains, at all times being ever so careful not to strike a spark.
So, much hand wavium over the alchemy of the process and wagon load quantities when shiploads are the goal. Almost at the point of figuratively throwing the show against the wall.February 15, 2017
freddiemacblog #
Just got cable, and the only shows I can tolerate are: local news, Food Network (Chopped & Cooks vs Cons), and reruns of old sitcoms.February 15, 2017
"Cutthroat Kitchen" is my fave.February 15, 2017
I haven't watched Food Network since they ran ads lobbying the electoral college not to vote for Trump.February 16, 2017
Show I was modestly interested in until I heard the premise: Into the Badlands. Takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where they use martial arts because . . . guns are banned. Yeah, and how do they enforce this? You can tell this was written by a liberal.February 15, 2017
Yep, I heard about that show.
Unfortunately, it's up for a second season.February 15, 2017
Oh, what's funny is this "The wars were so long ago nobody even remembers. Darkness and fear ruled until the time of the barons, seven men and women who forged order out of chaos. People flocked to them for protection. That protection became servitude. They banished guns and trained armies of lethal fighters they called Clippers. This world is built on blood. Nobody is innocent here. Welcome to the Badlands."
IE The Barons (the bad guys) were the people who somehow "banished" guns. 👿 👿 👿 👿February 15, 2017
If they were smart, they'd outlaw guns for everyone but themselves. But that wouldn't last forever.February 15, 2017
Of course Japan outlawed guns for a while which worked as long as the outsiders "stayed out".
Of course Edgar Pangborn had a apocalyptic future where one country banned gunpowder but another one IIRC "just south" of the first didn't ban gunpowder.
How long would the first country last if the second country decided that they wanted the first country's territory? 😈February 15, 2017
Actually, as Princess Mononoke pointed out, there were Japanese gunsmiths, and not all of them worked for the shogun. The trick was to have guns without bringing the whole shogunate down on your head.February 15, 2017
It is Darkover! Seven domains, guns banned….. Any telepathy?
(Cracking up.)February 15, 2017
From what I've heard, the only "special powers" in it is the "special power" that prevents guns from "coming back". 👿February 15, 2017
Doesn't that show also show the Barons having all sorts of advanced tech goodies while the entire population is seemingly reduced to peasant dirt farmers? How does that even work?February 15, 2017
Infrastructure? We don't need no stinking *infrastructure!*February 16, 2017
I've learned more about the show. Apparently the Barons (who rule everything) have working automobiles, but weaponry is limited to things like spears and swords (and a few crossbows). This despite the fact that the only engineers left are all slaves. And having another culture around (the Nomads) who hate the Barons and fight them constantly.February 16, 2017
Hey, do your research: There are no lawns in the desert!
(Ducking)February 15, 2017
Tell that to the homeowners in Phoenix!February 15, 2017
Yes! I had a lawn in Phoenix, and it was quite a pain. Imagine its 110 out, and you have to cut the grass.
I had to -vacuum- the lawn once. Seems there's these weeds that have seeds of a perfect size to go up between the dog's toenails and his skin. They are expensive to remove, vets cost a fortune.
The seeds are persistent after you cut all the weeds down. So you have to vacuum all the crap out of the decorative river stones that make up one side of the driveway. Also fallen leaves from the non-native trees go in the stones. If you get a leaf blower, you instantly create a dust storm. So, they have massive vacuums for the lawn. For rent.
Interesting side note, in the desert, dog poo is forever. The dog leaves an offering, if you go look six months later, it will still be there. Unless the red ants get it. Then there will be a ton of red ants.
Feeding the red ants is -bad-. Don't do it.February 16, 2017
Bad research is one of the reasons that I dislike reading most books written about the South during the Civil War time period. Most authors just don't seem to care about getting the culture correct. But then again, I understand. If I'd only read from my history books and not from writings actually written at the time, I wouldn't know half the stuff I do.February 15, 2017
My own pet peeve is the Sword-and-Sandal movies that have Roman legionaries riding horses with stirrups.February 15, 2017
Well, Roman Legionaries on horseback can be a problem depending on when the story/movie is set. 😉February 15, 2017
My biggest problem is that stirrups weren't invented until the 4th century (in China) and did not come to Europe until the Middle Ages.February 15, 2017
I'm aware of that, but Roman Legions were normally Infantry.
While later Roman Forces were Heavy Cavalry (sans stirrups), I'm not sure if they were called Legions.
I've seen "history channel" shows that have Romans vs Gauls with Romans on horseback.February 15, 2017
Roman cavalry were organized into squadrons called 'alae,' IIRC. and treated as auxilia to the serious fighters in the legions.February 15, 2017
Cheaper than finding stunt men who can ride without while keeping their manly bits intact in that armored skirt.February 15, 2017
Like the movie Riders of Rohan, who rode into battle *with their shields still hanging from their saddles*? Because (someone told me, so I can't swear to it) they couldn't find that many stuntmen they trusted to ride at a gallop with a shield strapped to their arms?February 16, 2017
Don't get my wife started on the abysmal state of horsemanship in Hollywood.February 16, 2017
The Byzantines appear to have had stirrups in the 7th century.February 15, 2017
MOORISH LIVES MATTER! NO JUSTICE, NO PEERS! NO JUSTICE, NO PEERS! *reaches for Guy Fawkes mask, realizes it is out of period.* Dammit.February 15, 2017
There were Regency English black people (including a famous boxer), and there was a lot of stuff going on with Islamic people in the developing British Empire. But rarely did the two combine.
Marguerite Henry's book King of the Wind, about the Godolphin Arabian, one of the famous foundation sires of Thoroughbreds, features a pre-Regency Arab kid in England.February 15, 2017
Precisely.February 15, 2017
I remember that book – it was pretty goodFebruary 15, 2017
Robin Munn #
"And maybe you think I'm being crotchetty, but I tell you, I am the voice that cries in the desert: get off my lawn."
I am SO going to steal that, though since I'm not yet old enough for the word "crotchetty" to make sense applied to me, I'm going to have to substitute "curmudgeonly" or "a curmudgeon" when I use the line.February 15, 2017
I'm 54. I'm not exactly old yet. BUT I was born crotchetty.February 15, 2017
It was a dark and stormy moor. Wasn't that a Sherlock Holmes tale?February 15, 2017
moors in England. Don't they appear in Jane Eyre, a novel I found totally incomprehensible when we read it in iirc eighth grade?
George, being unreasonable.February 15, 2017
England be H8in', man! They made the moors live in SWAMPS!February 16, 2017
Your post came at an opportune time for me. I want to write a book about 19th century London–actually about a character at that location in that period of time. Like you, I already have a lot of general information. How could it be different when there are so many movies about that era? Still, I want street names, businesses, and so forth. I want my readers to be able to actually put themselves into the story walking on those roads and visiting those businesses.February 16, 2017
Look at gaming sites for maps, and indications of where the shops are, etc. Seriously. Table top gamers do RESEARCHFebruary 16, 2017
On the topic of "research", as there will be a Sad Puppies VI next year, I offer a bit of a reading list, the SF novels (novel = 100,000+ words) published by Smashwords this January.
rom The National Fantasy Fan, February 2017 (Volume LXXVI, Number2), the newsletter of the National Fantasy Fan Federation (founded 1941).
Science Fiction and Fantasy novels published in January 2017 by Smashwords (smashwords.com) and available in many electronic formats. Note that I adhere to a rigorous definition of "novel"; the work must be over 100,000 words. Some of these are over 300,000 or 400,000 words.
Science Fiction
The Two Worlds of Geratica – The Women of Geratica by Anne Hampton
Another Girl, Another Planet by Lou Antonelli
Pandemic by Terrence Aubrey
Lélekcsapda by Soma Csátvák
The Year of the Dragon, 5-8 by James Calbraith
Beyond Saturn by Stephen Brandon
Surviving The Evacuation, Book 9: Ireland by Frank Tayell
A Wintering of Evil Book Two The Pandora Affair by Lee Earlywine
A Wintering of Evil Book One The Pandora Affair by Lee Earlywine
Zombie Fallout 10: Those Left Behind by Mark Tufo
Animus Intercept by Lawrence Ambrose
The Solar Alliance by Ray McCarthy
Daniel by Dennis Adkins
Connor's Gambit by Z Gottlieb
Avalon by Rusty Coats
Science Fiction & Fantasy Collection by Den Warren
Haven: The Legacy of Madonast by Jonathan D. Lindley
Today's Stars for Dinosaurus by Dominic Green
Bad Fate: A Science Fantasy by M.A. Leibfritz
The Path of Duty by Eric Thomson
Fractured Mind The Complete Series by Odette C. Bell
Dark Voyage: Prossia Book 4 by Raphyel M. Jordan
The Portal by Rodd Dana
Future of the Earth: The Derelict by J.G. Contor
Iceland: An International Technothriller (Book 2 of THE FLENSE) by Saul Tanpepper
The Maskless Trilogy by K. Weikel
Scorpius by John Wegener
The Sabre-Toothed Cat Trilogy by James Paddock
Time-Travel Duo by James Paddock
Gandrine Book 1 by Agneta Nord
Jadde – The Fragile Sanctuary by Clive Ousley
Breaking Interstellar: Cosmic Lives Matter by Michael Tobin
Harbingers of the Dawn: Book 2 of the Dawn Saga by Zachariah Wahrer
We're All Working Together by Curtis Leon Fee
Science-Faction by TS Caladan
The Man Who Found Birds among the Stars, Part One: Eagle Ascendant by Lorinda J Taylor
Sea's Turn by J. E. Andrews
The Trapped Trilogy by K. Weikel
The Last Reptilian War: Part 4 – The League in Peril by Joseph Gabrieli
No Honor in Death by Eric Thomson
Super Powers of Mass Destruction by Jaron Lee Knuth
Beastslayer : Rise of the Rgnadon by Chris Turner
Shapeling Trilogy Collection by Verna Clay
Kryolia – The Quest for the Medallion by Zara Valli
Devastation by Daniel D. Longdon
The Dwelling of Ekhidna by Lauren Jankowski
Storms in Amethir Books 1-3 Omnibus by Stephanie A. Cain
Chronicles of the Last Days by Amelia Smith
Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 101,630. Language: English. Published: January 31, 2017. Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Epic
Halendor: Bad Divinity by Lloydd Marshall
The Zombie Knight Saga – Volume Four – Encounter with Supremity by George M. Frost
Awakener by J.C. Staudt
Curse of the Jenri by Stephanie Barr
rcadia's Children by Andrew R. Williams
La Leyenda de Okster: El viaje de Akuain (Parte 1) by jordi, Sr
Price: Free! Words: 117,540. Language: Spanish. Published: January 28, 2017. Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » General
Dragon Legends 2: Dragon Queen by Paul Green
Lélekcsapda by Soma Csátvák
The Year of the Dragon, 5-8 by James Calbraith
The Shadow of the High King by Frank Dorrian
She Dies at the End by A.M. Manay
Steel Wolves of Craedia (Realm of Arkon, Book 3) by G. Akella
The Cursed Princedom (Realm of Arkon, Book 2) by G. Akella
Cheating Death by April White
Delver Magic Book XI: Emptiness Filled by Jeff Inlo
She Lights Up the Dark by A.M. Manay
The Ruling Mask by Daniel Ravipinto
The Crimson Claymore by Craig A. Price, Jr
Trials by Jesse McMinn
Science Fiction & Fantasy Collection by Den Warren
The Memory Spell by Jennifer Flath
People of Dirt by CC Hogan
Bad Fate: A Science Fantasy by M.A. Leibfritz
Our Young Guardians: Seven & Two by Rodi Szoke
Sadgi by Shaun Jooste
DragonRider by Shaun Jooste
Windfarer by Shaun Jooste
Harbingers (The World of Lasniniar Book 6) by Jacquelyn Smith
Patch 17 (Realm of Arkon, Book 1) by G. Akella
The Odette C. Bell Fantasy Bundle by Odette C. Bell
The Immortal Lover by A. White
Deanna Oscar Box Set Books 1-3 by CC Dragon
The Thread Frays – Book 2 of the Path to Chaos by Howard Gurney
Dragons of the Ice by C. L. Kraemer
Belvedor and the King's Curse (Belvedor Saga, Book 2) by Ashleigh Bello
Frostborn: Excalibur by Jonathan Moeller
Dragons of Dirt by CC Hogan
Rising Empire Trilogy by C. S. Woolley
The River Throne by Gregory Ashe
The Brittened Crown by Gregory Ashe
The Drowning Mask by Gregory Ashe
Calhei No More – Wycaan Master Book 6 by Alon Shalev
From Ashes They Rose – Wycaan Master Book 5 by Alon Shalev
Sacrificial Flame – Wycaan Master Book 4 by Alon Shalev
Belvedor and the Four Corners (Belvedor Saga, Book 1) by Ashleigh Bello
Lucid Nightmares by Sam Knight
The Gauntlet of Feona by Kel Writer
The Apprentice and the Vortex by Alister Laurence
Nightsong (Volume I of the Dragonsouled Chronicles) by D.C. Trevett
S. T. (Since tempore) Авантюрный роман. Сборник Собачья жизнь. Рассказы. Заметки на полях бытия. by Sergey Marchuk
Price: $5.00 USD. Words: 205,400. Language: Russian. Published: January 5, 2017. Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Contemporary, Fiction » Humor & comedy » Parody
Авантюрный роман "S.t. (Since tempore)" приведёт вас в современную Москву, где вы встретитесь с таинственным посланником потусторонних миров человеком в смокинге с говорящим котом Маней. бродячим монахом-философом блаженным Филей, врачом Иваном и остальными участниками тех необыкновенных событий.
Innkeeper's Husband by Gordon A. Long
On a Crooked Track by Karen Myers
Fatespinner by S. K. Aetherphoxx
Lost in Time by J.D. Rogers
Wizardlings by Lea Sheldan
Sebastian Quest and the Telling of Omen's End by David Bone
Angel on My Shoulder (Angels and Seers: Book Two) by Stephanie Woods
Halcyon's Dream (Tales of Ashkar Book Two) by Kayl Karadjian
Nurion Starbringer – Jornada a Elluria by R.L. Gomide
Ruins of Winter – Book 2 The War of the Power by Michael Arneson
The Howling God by Paul Batteiger
Song of Princes by Janell Rhiannon
Symphony Of War by Ros Jackson
Mesonia by Gerildean Pennycook
Naya by Ashley AbbissFebruary 18, 2017
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