It's time to take back the American brand

I have been thinking about marketing a lot lately. what constitutes a "brand" and what makes that brand worthwhile.
So when this whole "free speech" flap blew up over theA&E reality star's homophobic rant, I looked at it from a marketing perspective. First of all, I wondered how it has come to pass that a cable channel branding itself the "Arts & Entertainment" channel even has a series like Duck Dynasty. It doesn't seem to go with their brand.  I guess "art" wasn't paying the bills and like everyone else, A&E has to keep the lights on.
Then I thought about the way people are trying to "brand" this as a matter of free speech. As Inigo Montoya says to Fezzini--the phrase does not mean what they think it means. When we learn about "free speech" in civics class, the first thing we learn is that "free speech" does not mean you can yell "fire" in a crowded theater. Because that would be dangerous and irresponsible and could get people killed. Those who support the patriarch--and as of this morning, there were more than 100,000 people who'd signed a petition to have him reinstated--argue that A&E is stifling the man's God-given right to express his opinion. And apparently some of those supporters are willing to back up their support with death threats. Because by God, nothing expresses commitment to free speech like a death threat.
This is not about free speech; it's about hate speech. This is not about political correctness, it's about basic human decency. There have always been haters.
There will always be haters.
But that doesn't mean that a company that employs a hater has to give that person a public forum to continue to spread a message of hate.
Look what happened to Paula Deen when she uttered "the n-word" in what she thought was a private, protected legal setting, a word she would never have uttered in a more public way because it's shameful.
And yet, not so long ago, it was accepted.
Do we have to elect a gay president before it's clear that gay-bashing is just as shameful?
Being a hater runs counter to the American brand.
I'm an American.
And I'm tired of yahoos hijacking my brand.

Nerds Giving Back--Patrick Rothfuss' World Builders charity

I caught an interview with writer Patrick Rothfuss on NerdNighters recently and he was talking about his charity WorldBuilders. I went to the sight and found his blog and a store with all sorts of goodies for sale, from autographed copies of his books (what fantasy lover wouldn't like an autographed copy of The Name of the Wind?) Rothfuss supports Heifer International, one of the best organizations out there for empowering individuals and communities.

Best Overheard Comment Ever!

I eavesdrop.
I do.
I'm not just talking about listening in to the phone conversation someone's having while in line at the bank/supermarket/drug store/ movie theater. I mean I will unabashedly and unapologetically listen in on conversations while I'm riding the bus, or eating lunch by myself, or grabbing a quick caffeine fix at Starbucks. I get some great ideas from overheard conversations.
Today while shopping at Trader Joe's I heard a 20-something guy comment to his friend, "I don't like water. It tastes like mouth." I'm not sure how. I'm not sure when. But one of these days I'm going to work that line into a story.

Free fiction--L.A. Nocturne II

I'll be publishing MISBEGOTTEN early in the new year and I'm giving away my collection of short stories, L.A. NOCTURNE II to get in the mood. You can get it here. There are ten stories of urban fiction inside, some of them first published on A Twist of Noir and Eaten Alive. Cover by the talented Joy Sillesen of Indie Author Services.

Snow on the Sphinx

I love this photograph.

Going Beyond Etsy

Yes, it's getting down to the wire on ordering Christmas gifts online, but I just stumbled across a couple of great sites where artists are marketing their wares directly to buyers. I found the sites through Artsy Shark, and this handy listing of more than a hundred places where artists are selling their work worldwide.

Who doesn't like some fantasy fiction freebies?  Now's your chance to explore new books, meet new uthors and fill your need for read.

Among the participants is friend of the blog Christine Pope, who'll be giving away a copy of Ashes of Roses, her newest book in her "Tales of the Latter Kingdoms" series. 

You can join the blog tour here.

And don't forget to sign up for the rafflecopter giveaway.  You can win some books and an Amazon or B&N gift card (your choice).  Sign up here.
 

 

Coming Wednesday!

The Christmas Stocking Tradition

When I was three years old and my brother one, we lived in Germany where they now how to do Christmas. My mother had special Christmas stockings made for us out of red and white felt with our names and designs embroidered and appliqued on. Mine had an angel. I still have that stocking and every year, i put it out. I love the tradition of stockings, and one of the things I often give my Christmas-loving friends is a gift wrapped in a stocking. You can find gorgeous ones all over the place and in all price ranges.

Here's a whole set of stockings I found on Etsy. They're not cheap--the whole set is $190, but these are not disposable items that get tossed after one use, but something that could become a cherished Christmas tradition, brought out every year as mine is.I also love that they're hand-made. While I embrace the present in many ways, I also value the past when everything was not mass-produced and one-size-fits all. My grandmothers, aunts and mothers all sewed and kitted and crocheted, and I have the afghans and crocheted mufflers to prove it. Not everyone was as lucky and for them, there's Etsy! Find these stockings here.

For more traditional designs of red, green, and white wollen stockings, try Garnet Hill, where they are currently having a sale.  Right now these stockings are half-price, or around $45.  Monogramming is asvailable and if you order by December 16 (Sunday), they guarantee delivery by Christamas.  they also have plaid designs and printed canvas options.

the Unicef catalogue offers a choice of two fabulous stockings created from Neaplese wool. The cuffs feature either an appliqued poinsettia or holly leaves and berries. I bought these stockings for friends last year and they were lovely. They only cost $20 each. And while you're on the website, you might want to check out their full range of holiday ornaments and such. It's getting a little late to order Christmas cards, but their cards are absolutely lovely and each box sold means more money in the Unicef coffers to help children around the world. Talk about a gift that keeps on giving. You can find the stockings here.

And finally, for those whose favorite holiday is actually Halloween, there's a whole new segment of Christmas ornaments and decorations created just for you!  Type in "gothic Christmas" on any Etsy. Because really, what says Christmas better than bats and spiders?
craft/art site and take your pick. This lime green stocking decorated with bats and spiders ($30) caught my eye on

The idea factory

Did yu ever see the movie Night Shift? Michael Keaton's character carries around a tape recorder so he can keep a record of all the ideas he has during the day. (He is definitely an idea man.) I k now a lot of people like that. Once they're on the hunt for an idea, they seem to come at them from all angles and directions. For me, the most reliable source of story ideas is the news. I read a lot of news, and not just on the usual sites. I always consult the Drudge Report because it consistently offers the strangest headlines and wackiest stories this site of Fark.

If you write dark fiction and you're not regularly cheching in with Drudge, you're missing out. Here's just a sampling of today's headlines:

Teen injects flesh-eating drug into vagina!  One of the first things you're taught about writing a news story is that it has to tell the Who, what, where, and when of an incident.  Nowhere is WHY important. But I always want to know the WHY. Here though, my first question is... how does a 17-year-old girl even get her hands on the flesh-eating drug, much less be addicted to it?

Here's another:  Satanic Temple Monument may Include Interactive display for kids. This is a story ABC reported out of Oklahoma that the news aggregator picked up and gave a tabloidish new spin. Turns out there's not actually a monument yet...but the implication of the unholy interactivity is just too evocative to pass up. I see holograms of the devil offering to buy souls in return for Jay-Z tickets or smething.

Man wielding sword steals several tacos.  Now this  is a headline that doesn't even faze someone who lives in Los Angeles, where sword-brandishing nutballs seem to be fairly common.  The story takes place in Texas, so the alleged perp apparently never heard the old saying about "never bring a blade to a gunfight." And also, if he had a sword, why didn't he demand a steak or something?

Three hurt in hatchet attack at Wal-Mart.  Another story from mTexas. Question I had--did the alleged perp bring the hatchet into the store, or was it something he picked up and decided he needed to test out? And wouldn't that make a great story for volume 2 of Discount Noir?

Scientists close to developing the world's first invisibility cloak.  So there's something for science fiction writers as well as noiristas.

All of this great stuff in just one day!!  Call it creative alchemy, spinning news into gold.

Another great place to buy original art...Society6

Photo by "Steelback"

I was searching for images to help kick-start a story I'm writing and I ran across Society6.  I am, as you know, all about the Etsy and I'm also fond of Red Bubble and Zazzle too, but Society6 was new to me. I spent a very happy hour (or so) browsing their selection of photographs and art and by the end of that time I had a dozen (well,, really, a few dozen) items on my wish list. If you're still shopping for Christmas, and you know someone who appreciates art, this is a place to look. The only thing I don't like is that the item listings don't include information on the art beyond the basics. The works are priced to sell.

Free Book! L.A. Nocturne

I'm running a free promotion on my book of urban fantasy short stories--L.A. Nocturne--Tales of the Misbegotten--in advance of the release of the novel set in that universe, Misbegotten.  You can get it free for the next five days. I hope you enjoy it. And if you do, I'd love a review. (Well, I'd love a good review. As my grandmother used to say, "If you can't say something nice, maybe you shouldn't say anything at all.") Find the link here.

Another book for fantasy lovers--The Familiars

If you were a fan of Lloyd Alexander's books about Taran and his oracular pig, or have been looking for something in the vein of Terry Ptratchett's Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents (a wonderful book), then you might want to pick up The Familiars. The story of dark magic in a peaceful kingdom, three kidnapped apprentice wizards and the three familiars--a cat, a bluejay, and a tree frog--who go on a quest to save them.

The story is told from the point of view of Aldwyn, the cat and while he's no ordinary cat, he takes a while to grow int his destiny. There's genuine emotion here, and a fair amount of magical action. The writers have done a good job of creating a place that goes beyond the borders of the book, and there's a lot of backstory we don't see and the promise of more adventures. This is a book that young readers will enjoy, but so will their parents.

Olive Oil Pretzels with Ouzo Mustard

courtesy of Olive Oil Times

Sometimes you stumble across yummy recipes without even trying. This one, for olive oil pretzels with ouzo mustard comes from OLIVE OIL TIMES. I cannot wait to make them. I'm up for a job writing for the site, so I look forward to sharing a lot more delicious recipes.

Muppet Christmas Carol

Yes, it's that time of year when the off-network channels are running Christmas movies non-stop. (Somewhere A Christmas Story is playing.)  I like A Christmas Story. I also like Miracle on 34th Street and Shop Around the Corner, which was the inspiration for the Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks romantic comedy You've Got Mail. (And for the record, I absolutely hate It's a Wonderful Life, but that's just me.) I always look forward to How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original, with Boris Karloff narrating) and I'm also a sucker for The Canterville Ghost, which is not strictly a Christmas movie, but somehow gets re-run at this time of year. My absolute favorite Christmas movie, however, has to be the Muppet Christmas Carol with Michael Caine as Scrooge.  It is funny. It's touching. It's creative and easily the very best of the very good Muppet movies. If you've never seen it, do yourself a favor, and watch it this year. It will make you very happy.

The next book you read should be...Gil's All-Fright Diner

I am a big fan of A. Lee Martinez' loopy brand of urban fantasy. I really enjoyed his book Monster, but somehow I'd never read Gil's All-Fright Diner (published in 2006).  ASll I can say is that now I've read it I hope you don't wait seven years to read it because it is a treat.

It begins with a vapire named Earl and a werewolf who likes to be called Duke, pulling off a road in the middle of nowhere to grab a bite to eat. the next thing they know, there are zombies crashing down the front door and Earl's met a lonely ghost and the teenage hottie determined to open a portal to the old gods has targeted Earl as someone who would make a dandy supernatural sacrifice. By the time a malevolent soul snarls, "I'll kill you and your little dog too" at Cathy, the aforementioned lonely ghost, the reader will be having a rollicking good time.

Part of the pleasure of reading the book is that Martinez has an eye for the absurd reality of paranormal and normal creatures interacting in the same space. The people in the small town where all hell is about to break loose are familiar iwth weird stuff happening (it's kind of like Haven in the show of the same name), and they roll with the weird.  He's also got a sharp eye for cultural detail and throws out offhand comments about  teenage girls and vampires that toss familiar horror tropes on thier heads.

It's not always easy to pull off a hybrid of horror and humor, but Martinez does it better than anyone since Christopher Moore and Practical Demonkeeping.

Whipping Boy--My Mystery Novella debuts next month

I write short stories.
In fact, I write SHORT short stories.
Up until last month, the longest story I'd ever written was my entry in Paul D. Brazill's Drunk on the Moon compilation of stories set in his Roman Dalton world. I think it topped out at a little ore than 5K. I am in awe of my friends who find it easy to whip out 70 or 80K in a month or two, and think nothing of writing a novel every few months or so.
For me, writing at length is hard. (Well, I suppose if it were easy, everyone would be doing it.)
But Whipping Boy is a story that's been percolating for a long time. The protagonist is an L.A. criminalist named Lark Riordan, whose father Jack is an actor who has recently been nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in a "come-back" role. Lark's low-key love interest is a homicide detective named Max Siwek, who is also her stepbrother. Yes, it's complicated, but the book isn't a romance, it's a mystery. It's also a longish novella, coming in around 45K right now as I begin my final edit before handing it over to beta readers. I'm rather pleased with the book, and now that I know I can actually write something that's longer than 1200 words, I am back to working n Misbegotten, my long-in-development novel about paranormal L.A. and the crime reorter who chronicles illegal doings in the city.
i have a few thousand words to go before it's a novel, but it's getting there. the cover is by Joy Sillesen of Indie Author Services.