Just Cookin'

Anyone who's known me for more than a couple of years and has invited me to any social event has probably heard me say that I don't cook. Hubby took over the culinary duties about a decade ago, and that's fine with me.

So you'd be very surprised to hear that I just spent over two hours on my feet cooking. Yes, cooking. Me. Morven. The one who stresses at every potluck because "just make what you're comfortable making" is not the answer I like to hear to "What can I bring?"

Earlier this year, though, I started a low-carb way of eating. You notice that I didn't say "diet," right? That's because it doesn't feel like a diet to me. I get to eat high-fat delicacies that I haven't been able to indulge in most of my adult life -- or indulged in along with a hefty serving of guilt -- because I was trying to eat healthy. That is, eat low fat.

Oh, darn. I didn't want to get into a philosophical discussion of my chosen way of eating. Let me just say that I feel more energetic eating this way, and that's really important to me because I just haven't had the energy to write as much as I want to these days.

So now I've recovered some of my energy, which should mean that I have more energy to write, right? Not after standing two frackin' hours on my feet cooking!

Oh, well. Maybe I'll get faster as I go along. I did make a lot this time, and I hear that almond bread and crustless quiche freeze well...

And now I have something I can cook when someone says "just make what you're comfortable making."

The Next Big Thing Meme

In the "Next Big Thing" blogging meme, an author answers ten set interview questions and then tags five more people to do the same. Here's my contribution.

1. What is the working title of your next book?

Book 3. Seriously. I have a few names running around in my head, but I haven’t settled on one yet, so in my mind, I call it Book 3. If I get bored with that name, I could always call it Livre Trois or Libro Tres or something until I settle on a title.

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?

A long time ago I was a computer operator. In those days, it was common to use large magnetic tapes to feed the data into the computers, so they had to have computer operators on site to change tapes and take them down when the job was finished. I would try to keep busy while waiting for jobs to finish, but sometimes, especially towards the end of a shift, I was caught up with everything and had to find something to keep me awake.

If I tried reading or studying at that time of night, I'd start to drowse.  I needed something more active, like writing. Having recently seen the movie Dracula with Frank Langella, I decided to write a vampire story.Book 3 is the third book in the series that evolved from that.

I wanted to do something a little different with the story, and what could be more different than setting it in a computer room? The witches came much later, as I thought about the ending and thought what force could be strong enough to fight the undead. 

3. What genre does your book fall under?

Thriller, paranormal, and horror. I used to think the series was horror, but the way horror has changed over the last five or ten years ago makes this series seem so much tamer, so now I would say it’s more thriller than horror. The series also has elements of mystery and a love triangle, but I don’t think it qualifies as either a true mystery or a paranormal romance.

4. What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

Alicia, the protagonist, would have to be played by a relative unknown, someone with a blank slate in the public eye. In the beginning of the series, she’s a bit of a loner, not very socially adept, and, despite a “can-do” attitude, she’s very insecure about every decision she makes.  She’s not as wimpy as Alyson Hannigan’s Willow, but not as strong and confident as Emma Watson’s Hermione.

Wesley, the main vampire, is a cross between Christopher Lee and James Gandolfini. The actor who plays Wesley would have to be cultured, yet able to do what has to be done, in that lethal, Tony Soprano way. I could also see Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes) play him.

The person I always see in my mind when writing Evan is John Cusak channeling David Carradine (in his Kwai Chang Caine role. Evan has an obsession with T’ai Chi, Kung Fu, and eastern culture in general).  Cusak has the intensity, the inner depth that Evan does. He’s also your go-to guy when the bad guys are attacking.

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Since it’s a series, here’s one sentence per book:
Darksome Thirst – There’s a vampire in the computer room – really -- now what do I do?
The Old Power Returns – Something evil remains; call in the Witches.
Book 3 (placeholder title) – This time Alicia’s had enough -- really.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Since it’s part three of a series, I don’t think I can expect a new publisher to be interested. Would love to find it a wider audience, though.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

I did the first draft during a NaNoWriMo, so I could say that it took one month, but then when I went to edit it, I saw a different direction for it.  Since then, though, it’s been stalled.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Oh, I wouldn’t dare! Okay, if you insist, I’d say they have the mystery/supernatural aspect of Rosemary Edghill’s Bast Mysteries (Speak Daggers to Her, Book of Moons, and The Bowl of Night) and the New England setting of Inanna Arthen’s Mortal Touch and The Longer the Fall.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

As I said earlier, it was a combination of having seen a vampire movie recently and being alone late at night and needing to do something active.  My vampire influences were Christopher Lee’s interpretation of Dracula and Jonathan Frid’s Barnabas Collins. I was a big Dark Shadows fan.

10. What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?

The series is set in Framingham, Boston, and Brighton, Massachusetts in the late 1970s. It’s different back then. When you’re alone, you’re really alone; no logging on to Facebook to crowd-source a solution to your vampire problem. No answering machine to take a message if your friend isn’t home when you call. No cell phones. There’s a sense of isolation you don’t really have these days, something that I couldn’t have conveyed if I set the story in the current time.

Darksome Thirst begins around 1978. The Old Power Returns picks up about two years later, but it’s still that isolated world where, with just a few friends, you need to fight your own battles. Alicia is fortunate enough that a co-worker just happens to be a witch who can help.



Here are the excellent writers who you’ll hear from next. Hope you enjoy their writing as much as I do.

Scott Thomas is the author of 8 short story collections, which include Urn and Willow, Quill and Candle, Midnight in New England, Westermead, The Garden of Ghosts, and Over the Darkening Fields. He is also the author of the fantasy novel Fellengrey. He has seen print in numerous anthologies, such as The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror #15, The Year’s Best Horror #22, The Ghost in the Gazebo, Leviathan #3, Otherworldly Maine, and The Solaris Book of New Fantasy. His work appears with that of his brother Jeffrey Thomas in Punktown: Shades of Grey and The Sea of Flesh and Ash. Scott and his girlfriend Peggy live in coastal Maine. Scott's blog can be found at http://scottthomasotherworldlyfiction.blogspot.com

Phoebe Wray is a long-time nonfiction writer now writing in the specfic field. Her two novels, JEMMA7729 and J2, are in print and ebook. A thriller novel, IN ADAM’S FALL, is forth-coming from WolfSinger Productions. She has stories in Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Mag, Farthing, Fables.org, chizine, The Garden, and in the anthologies “No Man’s Land” (2011), “All About Eve” (2010) and “Backless, Strapless and Slit to the Throat” (2009). She's the past president of Broad Universe, lives in a small town outside of Boston, and teaches in the Theatre Division of The Boston Conservatory. Her blog is at http://phoebewray.livejournal.com

Jennifer Allis Provost is a native New Englander who lives in a sprawling colonial along with her beautiful and precocious twins, a dog, a parrot, two cats, and a wonderful husband who never forgets to buy ice cream. As a child, she read anything and everything she could get her hands on, including a set of encyclopedias, but fantasy was always her favorite. She spends her days drinking vast amounts of coffee, arguing with her computer, and avoiding any and all domestic behavior. Her blog is at http://jenniferallisprovost.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-next-big-thing-blog-hop.html

Hal Bodner, author of the novels Bite Club, The Trouble with Hairy (both WeHo Vampire novels), In Flesh and Stone, and For Love of the Dead (Ravenous Romance), has been an entertainment lawyer, a scheduler for a 976 sex telephone line, and the personal assistant to a television star. He now owns Heavy Petting, an over-the-top pet boutique in West Hollywood. Hal has a Bachelors degree in Playwriting from Rutgers University and a juris doctorate from Rutgers University School of Law. He has other degrees which he is still trying to find a use for. He is a former HWA Trustee and lives in West Hollywood. His blog is at http://www.wehovampire.com, but you can find his contribution to the Next Big Thing meme at http://morvenwestfield.blogspot.com/2012/12/guest-blogger-hal-bodner.html

Theresa Crater has published two novels, Beneath the Hallowed Hill and Under the Stone Paw and several short stories, most recently “White Moon” in Riding the Moon and “Bringing the Waters” in The Aether Age: Helios. She has published one metaphysical novel, God in a Box, under the pen name Louise Ryder. Theresa has also published poetry and a baker’s dozen of literary criticism. Currently, she teaches writing and British lit in Denver. Visit her blog at http://theresacrater.com

Guest Blogger: Hal Bodner

For a pleasant change, I'm pleased to host a guest blogger, writer and bon vivant Hal Bodner. This is my first time hosting a guest blogger, and I may be doing it more in the future.

Hal is participating in the "Next Big Thing" blogging meme where an author answers ten set interview questions.

1. What is the working title of your next book?

Which one? I’m almost always working on more than one book at a time.

Currently I’m doing a massive re-write on the third installment in the Chris and Troy series. It’s called Mummy Dearest and is the sequel to Bite Club and The Trouble with Hairy. I was never satisfied with the way the villains came out in Mummy Dearest. I started with one distinct idea in mind and the characters kept trying to move in a different direction. I tried forcing them to do what I wanted – which is always a mistake – and the result was a disaster.

I’m also working on the third installment – this is my years for writing the sequels to sequels, I guess – of my gay superhero series, featuring Alex Archer a.k.a. The Whirlwind. It’s called A Study in Spandex.

And finally, I’ve gone BACK to working on a space opera that’s been giving me so much trouble for the past couple of years.

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?

Since Fabulous in Tights, the first Whirlwind book, is probably going to come out before any of the others, I guess that’s the one to talk about.

I had been toying with an idea for a mystery novel where the “detective” was a male prostitute. However, I very rapidly discovered that I completely lack the skill for intricate plotting that a good mystery requires. Nevertheless, there was something about the prostitute character that intrigued me. I had read both Perry Moore’s Hero and Austin Grossman’s Soon I Will Be Invincible, both of which are super hero books, and I realized that a lot of the elements that I wanted to tackle in a mystery novel could also be dealt with effectively in an adventure/fantasy book. Even better, l could spare myself the difficulties of plotting as I am definitely NOT Agatha Christie!

3. What genre does your book fall under?

It’s definitely a fantasy with a lot of action/adventure thrown in. I had a blast going over-the-top with my villains again. There’s also a fair amount of satire (which is a dirty word in publishing!) thrown in. Though on the surface, my stuff is just good clean campy fun, I tend to write sub-textually and thematically, though many people don’t realize that.

And, of course, being a gay author whose work deals with a lot of elements of LGBT culture, I often get labeled by that alone – which is a shame. I don’t write merely “gay fiction” any more than Bram Stoker wrote “Irish” fiction. An author’s background colors his or her work, but it shouldn’t limit it.

Finally, I think I’m best known as a comedy writer in spite of the fact that most of my work has been in the horror and fantasy genres. I have no idea why that is. Perhaps I’m funny?

4. What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

If it were up to me as the writer – which it would NOT be in the movie industry as writers are considered the lowest of the low – I can think of a couple of actors I’d love to work with. Ryan Reynolds, Zac Efron, Taylor Lautner, Chris Evans or any of the guys from “The Avengers” movie.

In all honesty, they might very well be completely wrong for the role but, as long as I could write lots of scenes where they run around with their shirts off and be on-set when they shoot them, who cares?

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

An male ex-prostitute becomes a super hero and battles his arch nemesis to a surprising and heart-breaking finish… with lots of laughs and zany situations along the way.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I’ve never had much luck with agents, frankly. I did one book as a self-published work and it didn’t sell as well as anything I’ve published with even the smaller publishers. So, the Whirlwind series will definitely be coming out from a “real” publisher.

Self-publishing is all very well and good but it takes a huge amount of time to do the P.R. that even the lousiest of publisher’s marketing departments can do.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

I can’t remember exactly but, generally, it takes me between two and four months to do a first draft IF I’m writing full time. Since the economy went south, and since the advent of self-publishing and e-books, publishers have stopped paying the kinds of large advances that some of us used to get. So it’s even more difficult to make a living writing full time. I own a small business and, for the past year or so, I’ve been actively working in it to save money rather than hiring people. It takes up a lot of time.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I don’t know that there ARE any comparisons! I tend to do things that are innovative. Bite Club was the first gay vampire comedy. For Love of the Dead was the first erotic zombie paranormal romance. And Fabulous in Tights is pretty much unique. It’s comedic, for one thing. Neither Moore’s book nor Grossman’s book was written to be funny even though both are within the super hero genre (if there even is such a thing).

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

It’s nothing that “meaningful” that inspires me. I generally get an idea and think, “Wouldn’t it be cool if…?” or “Maybe it would be fun to take a whack at…” I jot it down somewhere and think about it for a bit. If the idea still resonates with me a few months later when I’m pawing through my desk drawer and I re-discover the slip of paper I wrote it on, I’ll generally start writing it.

Often, of course, I AM inspired by something specific but that’s rare. I wrote In Flesh and Stone because I had agreed to do a paranormal romance for an editor I knew. But the inspiration was having recently finished Katherine Kurtz’s St. Patrick’s Gargoyle. I enjoyed it but found it to be a trifle too political and church-y for my taste. Nevertheless, the gargoyle was a monster I hadn’t yet explored and which interested me. I set out to combine the romance I was committed to writing with the gargoyle concept and, as often happens, the result was something completely different than anything I’d intended! But that’s the way it works sometimes.

10. What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?

It’s funny as hell. My main character is a really sweet guy in street clothes. But when he’s forced to don the costume and becomes the super hero, he kind of resents the heck out of having to save people from what too often ends up being their own stupidity. He’s also got the MOST caustic tongue of any character I’ve ever written and he has no compunction about slinging a couple of very cutting zingers at people he’s trying to save.

There’s also a pretty damned touching and tragic love story that runs throughout Fabulous in Tights which may also appeal to people. I know that almost every time I have to re-read it for editing purposes (you probably do that about a dozen times with every book you write), I end getting all weepy at the end even though I’m the one who wrote it!

You can find out more about Hal at his website, http://www.wehovampire.com.

And now for the Next Big Thing bloggers that Hal chose:

Michaelbrent Collings is a bestselling novelist, produced screenwriter and WGA member, martial artist, and has a killer backhand on the badminton court ('cause he's macho like that). He has written numerous bestselling novels, including Apparition, The Haunted, Billy: Messenger of Powers, RUN, The Loon, and Rising Fears. In addition, he has also written dozens of non-fiction articles which have appeared in periodicals on several continents. His blog is at http://michaelbrentcollings.com/blog2.html

Ray Garton is the author of over 60 books and scores of short stories. He is a passionate lover of movies and books, and along with his wife Dawn, he is owned by several cats. Sometimes he has the urge to write but really don't have anything to say, so he blogs at http://preposteroustwaddlecock.blogspot.com/

Karen E. Taylor is a horror/paranormal author, with eight published novels to date and an eclectic assortment of short fiction which ranges from vampires to ghosts to telepathic, romantic dinosaurs. I'm working on a few new projects, but I'm superstitious enough to not want to talk about them yet. Her web site is at http://www.karenetaylor.com

New York Times best-selling author Cherry Adair, always an adventurer in life as well as writing, moved halfway across the globe from Cape Town, South Africa to the United States in her early years to become a interior designer. Now a resident of the Pacific Northwest she shares the award- winning adventures of her fictional T-FLAC counter terrorism operatives with her readers. Her blog is at http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/55474.Cherry_Adair/blog

Ryan Field is the author of over 100 published works of LGBT fiction, the best selling Virgin Billionaire series, a PG rated hetero romance that was featured on The Home Shopping Network titled, "Loving Daylight," and a few more works of full length fiction with a pen name. He's worked in publishing for twenty years as a writer, editor, and associate editor. His work has been in Lambda Award winning anthologies and he's self-published a few novels with Ryan Field Press. His blog is at http://ryan-field.blogspot.com

More Vampire Goodness

Recently I brought my podcast back from the dead with interviews from this year's Necon. Consistent with the theme of the series, I conducted short interviews with established writers at Necon, asking about their vampire fiction. Many of them had written vampire fiction that I hadn't heard about because I was busy with work, night school, or life at the time of publication. The series began with Jeff Strand, followed by Heather Graham, and just a few days ago, I added Necon frequenter F. Paul Wilson. You can listen to the podcasts directly at www.vampireswitchesandgeeks.com or download them from iTunes. Next up should be Hal Bodner, of WeHo vampire fame.

Book Review: Magick without Mirrors

Magic Without Mirrors by David Conway
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you are a student of the Occult, especially the history of the revival of the occult, you'll love this book.

This man was a fortunate man who met some of the big names of the day (Crowley) and other unknowns who aided him on the path to the unknown.

The book is chock full of rememberances, philosophy, and anecdotes.

The only thing that kept me from giving it five stars was that there was so much information that it could have been two or three books. It would have benefited from an organizational edit and a proofread.

Still, this is an important book in occult studies. Recommended.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've read some of the reviews of this audiobook, and though I agree with some of them, I still can't stop myself from saying I really enjoyed the book.

Yes, you can figure out the villain and the plot long before the highly educated protagonist, but the way that author Howe wove the tale was just delicious. Yes, at first I was irked by the Brahmin Boston accents that sound like nothing I'd ever heard, and yes, at first I was impatient with the the deeply descriptive writing, but the world Howe drew was rich -- and believable.

I'm a patient reader, and I'm glad I didn't put the book down when I first realized that someone might be related to a real Salem witch from Witch Trial days, because the slight spin on the worn and dismal story of the Trials that Howe did was worth the wait.

Am I not giving you enough detail? It's because I don't want to spoil it. Yes, you'll probably guess much of it early on if you know anything about the trials, but it's fun to watch what she does with it, and her guess on how it could have happened. Okay, here's a mini-spoiler: the heroines are very cunning.

Will historians enjoy it? I don't know. Her "interludes" sounded authentic to me, but I'm not a historian.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Lilith's Love by Dan Shaurette

Lilith's Love by Dan Shaurette
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Author Dan Shaurette wrote the manuscript for this novel while earning a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science at Arizona State University, which was enough to pique my interest -- I wrote my first vampire novel while working third shift as a computer operator.

That's not where the similarities end, though. Lilith's Love features old-school vampires: Lilith sleeps on an earth mattress with soil from her grave), my lead vampire keeps soil from his grave. My protagonist meets up with a coven of witches. Dan's protagonist's best friend is, you guessed it, a Wiccan.

With those disclosures, you know I started his novel with a bias toward liking it. I was not disappointed.

The love story between Lilith and Donovan is real and ethereal. The danger from her master and a blast from Donovan's friend Christian's past is palpable.

Recommended, especially for those fans of old-school vampires.

I listened to the podiobook version from http://www.podiobooks.com/title/lilit....

View all my reviews

Interview with Writer Jeff Strand

I've restarted my podcast Vampires, Witches, and Geeks with an enticing series of interviews recorded live at a small gathering of horror writers in Bristol, Rhode Island. Officially named the Northeastern Writers' Conference, most people know it as Necon, and those who know it intimately sometimes call it Camp Necon.

My first interviewee is Necon Guest of Honor Jeff Strand. Jeff Strand is a really nice guy – and funny as hell. You’d notice the funny bit, even if you never had the pleasure of meeting him in person. Just look at the titles of his books: Graverobbers Wanted (No Experience Necessary), Single White Psychopath Seeks Same, Lost Homicidal Maniac (Answers to "Shirley"), and Casket for Sale (Only Used Once). What I wanted to interview him about, though, was the novel Draculas, a collaboration with authors F. Paul Wilson (who I also interview in this series), Jack Kilborn (J. A. Konrath), and Blake Crouch.

So, here's the first in the series, my Interview with Writer Jeff Strand. As always, I try to keep the podcasts short and sweet. Hope this brief introduction is enough to entice you to sample Jeff's works.

Book Review: Heart of Evil

Heart of Evil by Heather Graham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was the first time I read (well, listened to) a novel by Heather Graham and I must say I was impressed. It's a damn good ghost story, mystery, and crime novel rolled into one. The romance is there, but not overstated, which is exactly what I enjoy.

The book is set in Louisiana, and the setting was well-laid. I felt that it was indeed the South, and not a caricature.

I hadn't read the first book in the series, but I was able to follow along easily. The version I listened to was abridged, but I never noticed what was left out, so there was some skillful cutting there.

The Brilliance Audio version was well-performed, but I had a hard time recognizing Ashley's voice. The actor was male, and maybe he didn't want to overdo things and sound too "girlie", but it just didn't sound like Ashley to me. The other characters were well-voiced, though, and I enjoyed the performance.

Finally, I love paranormal, and the paranormal here was both believable and scary. I really enjoyed this book.

View all my reviews

Join me at Worcester’s Last Independent Bookstore

Update 6/22/12 I will be unable to attend, but urge you to go anyway. This is a great group of Broads and you'll enjoy their readings and their company - Morven

On Friday, June 22, 2012 from 5-9 pm, members of Broad Universe will be reading selections from their writings, signing books, and discussing writing adventures and publishing. The event will run from 5PM until 9PM, with a rotating schedule – something new every hour! 

Listen to selections of fantasy, science fiction, and horror from writers Elaine Isaak, Rachel Kenley, Jennifer Pelland, Jennifer Allis Provost, Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert, Morven Westfield, and Phoebe Wray.

Broad Universe is an international non-profit dedicated to celebrating, honoring, and promoting women who write speculative fiction.

NEHW at Foxboro Craft Fair Saturday

Foxboro Craft Fair
May 19, 2012
9:30-3:00
On the Common
Foxboro, MA 02035
Web site

On Saturday, May 19, 2012, join me and Tracy Carbone, Scott Goudsward, Stacey Longo Harris, K. Allen Wood, David Price, and Rob Watts at the New England Horror Writers' table. 

We'll be enjoying the outdoors at this fundraiser for the Foxboro Jaycees, which is free and open to the public. Current weather predictions are for a sunny day with temperatures in the mid-70s. If you're in the area, stop by. We'll have books for sale, and plenty of smiles for everyone. 

Yes, smiles. Just because we write some terrifying stuff now and then doesn't mean we don't smile!

Book Review: Deadlocked, by Charlaine Harris

Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second-to-last book in the Sookie Stackhouse series and many of the Goodreads, Amazon, and Audible reviews are not very glowing.

A common complaint is that there's not enough action and sex, and too much uninteresting detail. (One person complained that Sookie spent so much time cooking that she now knows how to make sweet potato pie.)

Another complaint is that Harris spends too much time on minor characters. Admist chaos, we're learning that characters from the previous books are getting married or having children or working through tough couple times. Some reviewers thought that detracted from the mystery and thriller aspects.

In Harris's defense, one reviewer pointed out that this *is* the penultimate book, and that Harris has a lot of tying up of loose ends.

And that, I think, is the key to reading this book: Harris is tying up loose ends. She's also, as other readers complained, moving certain things in a different direction. To do that, she has to spend a lot of time on things that may seem trivial.

If you're a fan of the series, and you keep in mind that Harris is doing clean-up and setting the stage for the grand finale, you'll appreciate it more than if you're hoping for a sex romp or some of the humor of earlier books.

Johanna Parker's voice work on the Recorded Books audiobook version adeptly conveys the atmosphere of the anticipated end. I've loved listening to her narrate the series and hope she reads the final book.

View all my reviews

Women's History Month

There are still a few days left in March, which is Women's History Month. If you love genre fiction by women writers, use these last few days to help them make a place in history. Help others find their work through blogging, reviewing, and rating.

If you find writing a blog or a full review daunting, how about logging on to Amazon or Goodreads or a similar site and giving a rating to books you've read by women? Every little bit helps women writers get noticed and stay in the minds of agents, editors, and publishers. That, in turn, increases the chance that more women writers will be published in the future.

Appearing at Heritage Craft Fair in Framingham

On Saturday, March 24, 2012, I'll be at the New England Horror Writers' table at the 39th Heritage Craft Fair in Framingham, MA. Along with me will be other NEHW writers including Stacey Longo, David Price, Kristi Petersen Schoonover, Rob Watts, and K. Allen Wood.

This is pretty exciting for me. I know where it is (no GPS needed this time!) and I know where it is because not only did I grow up in Framingham, but the town, which I renamed Danforth, figures highly in both my novels.

The first novel, Darksome Thirst, starts in Framingham when a lone second-shift computer operator, Alicia Anderson, meets a vampire in the computer room. Yes, the witches who sense the vampire at the same time are in Bristleton (Brighton) and some later are in Fenmore (Boston), but the heart and soul of both Darksome Thirst and the standalone sequel, The Old Power Returns, is in Framingham.

Stop by if you can. It's a fundraiser for the Heritage Chorale, admission is cheap, there will be food for sale, and parking is free.

Saturday, March 24, 2012
10 AM to 4 PM

Keefe Technical School
750 Winter Street
Framingham, MA
Admission:  
   Adults $3.00
   Seniors $2.50
   Under 12 free

Other links for this Saturday's event:

http://www.heritagefair.org/


http://nehwnews.wordpress.com/2012/03/19/the-nehw-will-be-at-the-39th-heritage-craft-fair-this-saturday/

I'd Rather Read this on my Kindle

Writers often read other writer's works in draft form. We critique, proofread, review, and blurb.

In the old days, the other writer would send you a printout by postal mail. You'd carry around a sheaf of paper, scribbling furiously in the margins. When finished, you'd package the marked-up copy and take it to the post office for mailing back to the author.

Things got even easier when it became possible to email versions one could review. Microsoft Word, for example, has a review feature that tracks comments. Starting with version 10 of the free reader, Adobe Acrobat allows you to highlight and make simple comments.

When I got my Kindle, though, I wanted to be able to read copies there. My Kindle is much more transportable than a laptop or even my netbook, and the screen is much easier to read than that of a smartphone.

Kindles can read PDF, but it doesn't read well; typically the font is too small and when you resize it, the text doesn't reflow. I wanted something that would behave like a regular Kindle book, with all the features.

Kindles can read something called the Mobipocket format. (See the WikiPedia entry "Comparison of e-book formats.") Without too much pain, you can download a free copy of the Mobipocket Creator, create a .mobi version of your Word, PDF, text, or HTML document, and then put it on your Kindle.

How? If you're adventurous, go to the Mobipocket software page, download the Creator (on the right side of the page), and give it a go. (Import, optionally enter metadata, and then build.) If you need a little more assistance, check back later and I'll post the full instructions.