Catherine Johnson Notes

A World Without Evil

2009-12-13T18:38:00.000-08:00

When President Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize he noted the very real existence of evil in our world. “For make no mistake: Evil does exist in the world. A nonviolent movement could not have halted Hitler’s armies. Negotiations cannot convince Al-Qaida’s leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force is sometimes necessary is not a call to cynicism-it is a recognition of history, the imperfections of man and the limits of reason . . .”

The president, of course, is referring to kind of massive evil that plays out a the world stage, but evil itself can be on a much smaller scale, be far more subtle than the slaughter of millions, yet equally as dangerous. The evil the permeates Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace comes not from a military regime but a single individual bent on destroying a family for her own personal gain.

But there the differences end. Evil, whether the product of one individual or many breeds the same oppression, hatred, and violence and anyone, no matter how morally-grounded can find their principles tested in ways they never imagined.

Yes, evil exists – on the largest of scales and in the most mundane of activities. Our challenge is to recognize what evil is and rise to the challenge to stop it.
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Is This Fun Or Is This Family?

2009-10-12T17:04:00.000-07:00

"Today I'm participating in a mass blogging! WOW! Women on Writing has gathered a group of blogging buddies to write about family relationships. Why family relationships? We're celebrating the release of Therese Walsh's debut novel today. The Last Will of Moira Leahy (Random House, October 13, 2009) is about a mysterious journey that helps a woman learn more about herself and her twin, whom she lost they were teenagers. Visit the Muffin to read what Therese has to say about family relationships and view the list of all my blogging buddies. And make sure you visit www.theresewalsh.com to find out more about the author."

Family relationships are at the center of my own novel, Shade of Darkness, Shades of Grace as well. The Pierson’s are a close-knit family, but they are tested, as we all are, by other people and events. You may not always like members of your family or agree with them, but it’s often our family members who rally around us when things get ugly or tough.

When Paul Pierson realizes his drinking has become a problem, it’s his family who helps him pick up the pieces. No one minces words about what they expect from him, but they support him through treatment and maintaining his sobriety. And when Paul’s marriage to Pamela implodes, it is again his family who stands by him. The emphasis on family leads to one of the book’s main themes – that we will do just about anything to protect those we love.

In many ways I see the same universal themes in Shades of Darkness and The Last Will of Moira Leahy - stories about that bond of family, the deep ties of generations that bind, and the shared blood that’s worth putting everything on the line for. It may not always be fun, but it’s family.

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Read A Banned Book!

2009-09-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

It’s here – Banned Books Week, celebrated from September 26, 2009 through October. The first Banned Books Week organized by the American Library Association (ALA) was celebrated in 1982 when there was an increase in books being challenged is schools, libraries, and stores.

Censorship continues to be a serious problem in the U.S with the ALA reporting an increase in book challenges. In 2008 the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom recorded 517 challenges, up from 420 in 2007. While most challenges are unsuccessful, they are a violation of our right to free speech as guaranteed under the First Amendment and the pursuit of intellectual freedom.

What is intellectual freedom? The freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular, and is the foundation of Banned Books Week. As an author I’m celebrating Banned Books Week by reading a banned book!

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Literacy Promotes Life-long Learning

2009-09-07T12:42:00.000-07:00

In an effort to encourage reading and encourage life-long learning, the Ad Council and Library of Congress and have paired up in the public service ad campaign promoting the idea along with life-long literacy. The ad campaign encourages children to explore new worlds through reading.

Also in September, Literacy Instruction for Texas (LIFT)hosts their 2009 Champions of Literacy Luncheon on Thursday, September 17, 2009. LIFT promotes literacy among adults by offering classes, GED preparation, and family literacy classes.

Why should you care?
• Because we need a productive and growing workforce…
• Because we want our families to thrive…
• Because we want lower health care costs and more efficient health care…
• Because we want to reduce poverty and get people off of welfare…

Literacy changes lives in a very positive way. Learn more at: http://www.loc.gov/literacy/about/

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September Is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

2009-09-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. While ovarian cancer only plays a small part in Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace, its affect on the Pierson family is profound.

Ovarian cancer is very treatable if detected early; however because there is no reliable test, the vast majority of cases are not detected until the cancer has spread beyond the ovaries. For this reason it’s crucial that women must become familiar with the symptoms of ovarian cancer and recognize and understand those symptoms in their own bodies.

Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance and the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition provide detailed information on symptoms, detection, treatment options, etc. Symptoms are subtle but persistent, frequently increasing over time. They include:
Bloating
Pelvic or abdominal pain
Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
A feeling of frequency or urgency to urinate

Other symptoms commonly reported include: fatigue, indigestion, back pain, intercourse pain, constipation, and menstrual irregularities. However, these symptoms are not as useful in identifying ovarian cancer because they are often found in women in the general population who do not have ovarian cancer.

Women should consult their physician if these symptoms persist for more than a few weeks. When ovarian cancer is diagnosed early, the 5-year survival rate is 93% so it’s important that every woman be aware of ovarian cancer and the symptoms.

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More Drunk Women Getting Behind the Wheel

2009-08-14T12:50:00.000-07:00

The horrific car accident in which a woman driving drunk killed eight last week in New York sheds light on a disturbing trend – the increased instances of women getting behind the wheel when legally drunk.

In Westchester County – where Diane Schuler’s fatal crash occurred – the number of women arrested for driving under the influence is up 2 percent in 2009. Across the U.S. a federal study found that the number of women who reported abusing alcohol nearly doubled, rising from 1.5 to 2.6 percent in the 10 year period from 1992-2002.

Men still drink more than women and are responsible for more drunken-driving cases, however their rates continue to decline while DUI’s among women are rising rapidly. In 2007 the number of women arrested for DUI was 28.8 percent higher than in 1998, while the number of men arrested declined by 7.5 percent.

In the 15 years I drank, I was never picked up for DUI. Did I drive drunk? Unfortunately, my answer is yes, worse there was more than one occasion where I did not remember how I got home. In Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace, Kay Scott tells her brother Paul he must stop drinking before he is responsible for something “you can never take back” and certainly driving drunk is at the top of the list.

Ms. Schuler’s family appears to be in denial that she had a drinking problem, a fact which only compounds the tragedy. But the increasing numbers of women driving drunk now has the attention of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The department’s annual crackdown which begins in late August will focus on getting drunk women driver’s off the road.

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You Never Know

2009-08-05T13:55:00.000-07:00

My sister Susan passed on Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace to a friend who is a therapist by training. She (I’ll call her Jane) loved the book but also commented on the dead-on accuracy of Pamela’s sociopath character in her pursuit of the Pierson family.

Jane also imparted a chilling observation – therapists don’t actually see the Pamela’s of this world as they don’t ever believe there anything about them that might be problematic. Who they do see as patients are the persons dealing with the constant fallout from a Pamela. Just as in the book, a Pamela is never at fault, is often a master manipulator, and will not stop until she wears down the opposition. Jane has the clients to prove it.

Like many authors, I wrote what I knew. Readers have come along for the journey for which I am grateful. Some of the details are not pretty, particularly the Pierson family’s battles with alcoholism and drug abuse – the toughest part of the novel for Jane to read. But to hear from a trained professional that the characters, their flaws, and their struggles came alive for her is a great compliment. Honestly you never know who will be reading your book or what new insights you’ll learn from a reader.
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Libraries Appreciate Your Books

2009-07-27T14:28:00.000-07:00

A friend has been helping me get my mother organized and one of those projects is finding a new home for her many books, both hard cover and paperback, all recent titles. Before starting her own business in getting people organized, this freind used to work at the area literacy council and suggested we donate the books to local libraries.

As an author, I thought this was a great idea. In tough economic times, cash-strapped libraries in our area are having to cut hours and the number of books they purchase. So we donated 112 paperbacks and 54 hardcover books, to a most grateful library staff. On our end it helps clean up my parent's house, while providing strapped libraries with an influx of new titles, all in very good to mint condition.

Interested in dontating your own books? Contact your local library and find out where to drop off books. While there, be sure and get a receipt detailing the number of books (split out hard covers and paperbacks) which you can then show as a donation at tax time. It's win-win - you'll have more space and put books to good use and the library will appreciate the donation.

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Lowering Drinking Age Won't Make Binge Drinking Go Away

2009-07-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

Last August over 100 college presidents signed a letter asking legislators across the U.S. to lower the drinking age from 21 to 18 because they believe it’s impossible to stop young people from drinking. Called “The Amethyst Initiative” the coalition includes college presidents from Johns Hopkins, the University of Maryland, Washington and Lee, Colgate, Syracuse, Sweet Briar, Duke, Tufts, Dartmouth, and other schools. The group insists with a higher legal drinking age, binge drinking on college campuses has gotten progressively worse.

Fast-forward 11 months to the July 12 editorial in The Washington Post that maintained a lower drinking age won’t stop binge drinking. As a recent study published in the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry noted, the higher drinking age has led to a decrease in binge drinking nationwide, with the exception of college campuses.

Lowering the drinking age won’t make binge drinking disappear, on college campuses or otherwise, a fact The Amethyst Initiative appears to ignore. They also disregard that binge drinking typically results in acute intoxication which can be detrimental to a person’s health in a number of ways:
• Brain function is impaired, resulting in poor judgment, reduced reaction time, loss of balance and motor skills, or slurred speech.
• Blood vessels dilute causing a feeling of warmth but resulting in rapid loss of body heat.
• Alcohol intoxication increases the risk of certain cancers, stroke, and liver disease (such as cirrhosis) when excessive amounts of alcohol are consumed over an extended period of time.
• Alcohol consumption also poses risks to pregnant women and their developing fetus.
• Alcohol consumption increases the risk of motor-vehicle traffic crashes, violence, and other injuries.
• Binge drinking can also result in death.
As illustrated by the Pierson family in my novel, Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace, binge drinking as an adolescent can lead to deeper alcohol problems as an adult. So instead of complaining about the higher drinking age, college administrators might do well to put more thought and effort into enforcing it.

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Times Are Tough All Over

2009-07-10T18:32:00.000-07:00

We have just come back from our annual trip to the Red Wing Pottery Convention. Every year there is an auction for members only and this year tough economic dishes drastically affected prices.

I especially noticed this with the lily pitcher and basin that has a key role in my novel, Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace. In the novel, Kay describes the set as a stunning example of Red Wing craftsmanship and mentioned an asking price of nearly $1,500.

True for the late 1990s and early 21st century, but the auction demonstrates how prices have cooled with the economy, housing market, etc. At the Thursday auction, two sets of the lily pitcher and bowl sold for $475 and $650 respectively. The prices will eventually come back, but like everything else in the current economic climate antique and pottery markets have taken a huge hit.

Can a Story Save Your Life?

2009-06-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

I read just such an intriguing post today by LuAnn Schindler. She recounts a friend asking, “Have you ever read a story that saved your life?” Schindler notes she’s read many books that resonated with her and believes the answer to her friend’s question may lie in how you define the word “save”.

To Kill a Mockingbird Schindler argues saved her from spreading prejudice and injustice; The Great Gatsby from greed and misplaced love; Macbeth from using ambition in the wrong way. Still, she’s unsure whether those works saved her rather than simply relating to the ideas within a book’s pages and applying them to our lives.

As an author and recovering alcoholic, I thought about Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace. I do think it’s possible for a book to at least begin the process of saving an individual from something such as alcoholism if the reader is willing to acknowledge the existence of the problem. And quite frankly, I hope that story within the novel does save someone from the ravages of chemical dependency.

So in response to Schindler’s musings, I believe a story at least has the potential to save someone, but as she notes in her examples, a person must be open to a story’s message.
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LIFTing People Out of Illiteracy

2009-06-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

The statistics are staggering:
• 42 million American adults cannot read at all; another 50 million read at the level of a fourth or fifth grader.
• The number of functionally illiterate adults increases by 2.25 million every year.
• 20% of high school seniors are functionally illiterate at graduation.
• 70% of prisoners in both the federal and state systems are classified as illiterate.
• 85% of all juvenile offenders rate as functionally or marginally illiterate.
• 43% of those who literacy skills are lowest live in poverty.

As an author such statistics cannot be ignored. For that reason when Literacy Instruction for Texas (LIFT) contacted me about promoting the importance of literacy I was more than happy to oblige. Leslie Clay, Director of Community Development says, “We are very proud of the fact that more than 7,000 adults learned to read at LIFT this year. When you factor in children whose parents learned how to read to them through our Family Literacy program, the number of lives LIFT touched is closer to 10,000. It is both an amazing and sad fact that 49% of Dallas county cannot read better than a 4th grader and Texas now holds the distinction of being the #1 state in the nation with regards to the number of high school dropouts.”

I also developed a LIFT page on Squidoo that highlights the topic of literacy as well as the Annual Champions of Literacy Luncheon sponsored by LIFT on September 17, 2009. The page include resources on literacy, illiteracy statistics, and other Squidoo Pages dedicated to this increasingly important topic.

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Write It Now, Post It Later

2009-06-19T16:23:00.000-07:00

With all the talk about having a strong social media presence when promoting your book(s), blog, articles, etc. there is a great tool available I recently discovered.

Called PostLater it allows authors to schedule blog posts in advance. So when an author is unavailable, say on a book tour or vacation, your blog is still posting for you automatically. Twitter has a similar service called "tweetlater".

Because of the immense power of correctly managed social media, scheduling posts in advance is a great idea that helps authors be more organized as well. The key is consistency (posting at least twice weekly) over the long-term vs. a short blast of activity that have little or no lasting effect.

Do note, however, that the service is not free. It costs any where from $19.95 per month to $149.95 a year.

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What Does This Title Mean?

2009-06-13T12:54:00.000-07:00

In a recent review of Shades of Darkness, Shade of Grace, a reviewer noted she never figured out what the title referred to. It actually references two things, which most anyone can relate to.

First, it makes reference to the internal struggles we all face, recognizing there are shades of darkness (sin) and shades of grace (goodness) within each of us. In other words, we experience degrees of grace as well as degrees of sin. What we do with that sin and grace is up to us. As Kay notes towards the end of the book, “Goodness and evil each present us with choices, and they are never as simple as they might appear”. In those choices we make through our own free will, some will contain the darkness of moral ambiguity and sin, while others move us closer to the beauty and goodness of grace.

Second, the Shades of Grace in the title is a reference to the saving grace of sobriety that both Kay and Paul experience and any addict can relate to. It is after all, sobriety that saves us from destroying ourselves and those closest to us. Again, there is the idea of the degrees of goodness the clean and sober existence in reclaiming our lives and making amends with those we have harmed.

In a nutshell, that’s what Shades of Grace, Shades of Darkness means, at least to me. There is no right or wrong answer, and because meanings are subjective, I invite readers of the novel who have different interpretation to e-mail me with their thoughts at: catherinejohns58@yahoo.com.

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In Praise of Royalties and Patience

2009-06-07T12:50:00.000-07:00

Book royalty checks are always nice, even if they’re smaller than you’d hoped for. On the one hand, it means people are buying your work, which every author should feel good about. And secondly, at least with checks for Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace, the amounts are increasing, which gives me hope that word about the novel and all those terrific reviews is finally getting out there.

I’ve heard more than one author note to be patient after publishing because writing your book was the easy part. Keep steadily promoting your work, always on the lookout for new promotional avenues such as book fairs, blogs, and social networking sites. The reality is unless you have a major publisher behind you, most authors find themselves helping out with the marketing aspect. The good news is it gives you, the writer, more control over how your work is perceived or the target audiences you want exposure to.

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Who's Talking About You?

2009-06-03T14:19:00.000-07:00

It’s a good idea for authors to keep track of what’s being said about their work on the Internet, or what’s not being talked about that should be discussed. New tools are always being developed and there are two I’ve found beneficial.

As Google continues to increase its dominance, most writers are probably familiar with “Google Alerts”. The alerts are e-mail updates on a certain topic, be it a developing news story or information on your latest book or you, the author.

The second site is “Who’s Talkin” a social media search tool, again monitoring the blogs, reviews, articles, etc. regarding your latest work or activity. Of the two, www.whostalkin.com currently works better than Google Alerts. Here’s why.

If I enter “Catherine Johnson author of Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace” as a Google Alert, I receive every alert containing any one of those words. So I can get a completely unrelated alert regarding Catherine Watson, author, simply because it matched my first name. The same is true of the title – I receive matches for any book title having any of the words in the title.

Using the same information, Who’s Talkin’ appears to synthesize information better providing more relevant results. For example using Who’s Talkin’ I’ve discovered blog post regarding Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace in French and Spanish, and discovered my own postings written on topics relating to the novel disseminated across the web.

Both options are a good way for authors to monitor the Internet activity their work(s) are generating.

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America Has a Reading Problem

2009-05-28T09:07:00.000-07:00

The first time I had exposure to illiteracy in America was 20 years ago in drug treatment. At that time, part of recovery was group therapy in which members took turns reading from Alcoholics Anonymous’ “Big Book”. As we passed the book it became obvious that over half of the 20-25 participants could only read at the barest of minimums. I clearly remember those of us who could read helping those who couldn’t sound out words.

I learned the scene playing out in drug treatment was far from unusual. These statistics from the National Right to Read Foundation paint a grim picture:
• 42 million American adults cannot read at all; another 50 million read at the level of a fourth or fifth grader.
• The number of functionally illiterate adults increases by 2.25 million every year.
• 20% of high school seniors are functionally illiterate at graduation.

Being unable to read or being functionally illiterate leads to a host of other problems and as research by the National Institute for Literacy illustrates:
• 70% of prisoners in both the federal and state systems are classified as illiterate.
• 85% of all juvenile offenders rate as functionally or marginally illiterate.
• 43% of those who literacy skills are lowest live in poverty.

As an author such staggering statistics cannot be ignored. For that reason when Literacy Instruction for Texas (LIFT) contacted me about promoting the importance of literacy I was more than happy to oblige. Leslie Clay, Director of Community Development says, “We are very proud of the fact that more than 7,000 adults learned to read at LIFT this year. When you factor in children whose parents learned how to read to them through our Family Literacy program, the number of lives LIFT touched is closer to 10,000. It is both an amazing and sad fact that 49% of Dallas county cannot read better than a 4th grader and Texas now holds the distinction of being the #1 state in the nation with regards to the number of high school dropouts.”

The miserable statistics in Texas mirror what is occurring in the rest of the country. I plan to get involved as a volunteer helping others to read and promoting programs such as those sponsored by LIFT and other such organizations. I encourage you to become active in literacy organizations in your own area and help eradicate America’s tragic reading problem.

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The Next Wave In Publishing?

2009-05-20T18:04:00.000-07:00

ABC News did a story on Wednesday about a very different kind of book. On Thursday, May 21st The Obama Time Capsule will be released, recounting President Obama’s historic campaign and election with one distinct difference – each book is personalized with the buyer’s photographs and text. No two copies of the coffee table book will be alike because each copy is printed one at a time, after the book is ordered.

What the book does is weave together the story and photographs of the Obama campaign with those of the buyer/author. Publishing insiders believe such books herald the new wave of publishing, in which books are personalized to the unique end user.

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Alcoholism Too Ordinary?

2009-05-14T17:49:00.000-07:00

Recently I found a blog post regarding “The Saving Grace of Sobriety” that I’d written in April. The upshot was the alcoholism portrayed in Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace was nothing out of the ordinary and the Pierson’s apparently, didn’t suffer enough.

The novel was inspired by a true story which includes the alcoholism of blood relatives such as Kay and Paul’s and the four generations that scar the family’s past and present. If four generations of broken lives isn’t enough suffering, what is? We’ve buried one sibling and our parents would tell you there is no anguish comparable to the grief of losing a child.

We’re in the midst of an intervention with another blood relative and again, unless you’ve lived it, most people have no idea of the trauma involved in attempting to save a loved one from them, because we know we might fail. Unless the person has hit bottom enough times and decides their life is worth living, beyond an intervention there is not much else we can do. We can’t stop that family member from ultimate destruction if that’s the path they choose.

But in writing a book outside of a memoir an author has to make decisions about what details to include and what details to leave out (unless you’re Jonathan Frey and your travails of drug treatment are certainly interesting, but they’re also completely false). In Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace, the focus was on keeping those details that were important to story being told, while also moving the narrative forward.

So reading that the Pierson’s family history of alcoholism is too ordinary is almost laughable. No one ever looks at drug treatment and says, “Now there’s something I haven’t tried”. For both Kay and Paul the road leading to a drug treatment program is one of few remaining options. True, it’s family driven and not as dramatic as being forced into treatment by the state, but drug treatment means things have reached a breaking point.

The opinions of this particular blogger are, like anything, as relevant as their experience. Another person (in this case a book reviewer) found the alcoholism addiction sub-plot too gruesome and depressing. Opinions at opposite ends of the spectrum but one thing I can tell you - no one goes into drug treatment because they want to. They go to try and save what’s left of their lives, and if that’s boring or too gruesome, so be it.

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A World of Knowledge Just a Click Away

2009-04-23T14:34:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday a partnership between national libraries and the United Nations Education Agency launched the World Digital Library.

The web site is in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian leads readers through a treasure trove of rare finds from more than a dozen countries. The goal is one every author can appreciate – to pique young readers’ interest and get them reading books.

The web site for the Library of Congress also offers a wealth of digital collections online. I’ve checked out both sites, and they are habit-forming (in a good way) to say the least.

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The Saving Grace of Sobriety

2009-04-14T15:02:00.001-07:00

April is Alcohol Awareness month and the battle of alcoholism and its effects on one family’s history are integral to the story being told in my novel, Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace. The Pierson family portrayed in the book has suffered the blight of alcoholism for at least four generations, with two of the children, Kay and Paul, forced to confront their dependency. The point of this subplot is to not only illustrate the character’s flaws, but to acknowledge that the problem of chemical dependency is a far-reaching and can affect anyone. But Kay and Paul’s struggles are meant to give the reader hope; hope that it is possible for addicts to reclaim their lives, finding grace or salvation in sobriety.

When Kay suspects Paul’s drinking has reached levels that point to dependency and abuse, this is not the first time those concerns have been expressed by the Pierson family. After his first wife’s death, Kay recognizes Paul’s attempts to salve his pain through alcohol. Never actually confronting him, the Pierson family believes Paul has found redemption in Pamela, and they push their fears aside. The Pierson family makes the mistake that many families confronted with chemical dependency do – they rationalize that the problem was only temporary and has been dealt with satisfactorily. But as Kay and her Mother realize Paul does have a problem, Kay recounts the Pierson family history and its path of devastation.

For Kay and her brothers, it begins with underage drinking as it does for many individuals. Underage drinking has reached epidemic status in the United States, with an estimated 10.8 million youth engaging in some level of alcohol consumption. These huge numbers of young Americans engaging in both illegal and risky behavior is behind the Surgeon General’s March 2007 report, the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking. While Jack manages to escape the ravages of alcoholism, Kay and Paul’s battles with chemical dependency as adults are not at all unusual. According to the Surgeon General’s report, 40% of adults who began drinking before age 15 experience chemical dependency problems. With almost half of adults who begin drinking as teens suffering chemical dependency related difficulties later in life, Kay and Paul are far more typical than many may realize.

The relapse that Paul suffers after three months sobriety through attending Alcoholics Anonymous is also quite common. According to a study published by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) in 1989, nearly 90% of recovering addicts are likely to relapse at least once during the first four years of their sobriety. What triggers Paul’s fall – an argument with Kay regarding his ex-wife – is not an unusual response. Two other triggers leading to high risk behavior in recovering addicts include social pressure and interpersonal temptation.

It’s this episode that pushes Kay and her family to confront Paul with the knowledge that his chemical dependency is a problem they believe A.A. alone cannot solve. Kay gives Paul insights into the severity of her own battles with alcoholism by explaining her spouse, Tim, made it clear she had a choice to make. She could choose either alcohol or her marriage, but in the latter choice Tim demanded sobriety. Kay exhorts Paul to take a chance on sobriety, the only course of action that will allow him to discover who he really is as a person, reclaim his life, and find salvation from the ravages of chemical dependency.

Is recovery easy? Hell no. No one knows better than a recovering addict that real life is littered with temptation and good intentions gone awry. So an addict may relapse more than once, may hit bottom more than once, and may even lose their life to an addiction. When a fellow addict told me this about my alcoholic brother, I thought it was the cruelest thing I’d ever heard. When my brother died from his addiction, I suddenly understood.

As tough as getting and staying clean and sober is, no one knows better than a recovering addict that the saving grace offered by sobriety, of reclaiming a broken life and turning it into to something meaningful is well worth the sacrifice to achieve it. If you or someone you love is struggling with an addiction to alcohol, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers excellent resources as does the Resources page on my site.

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Script Frenzy

2009-03-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

I participated in National Novel Writing Month last last November. A similar endeavor begins in April - Script Frenzy. From April 1 - 30, 2009 your mission is to write a screenplay totaling 100 pages.

Having learned some valuable lessons during my first attempt at writing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days, I give you the following tips:
1. Don't stop writing. You'll tell yourself you will come back to it before the contest ends and finish your novel/script. You won't.
2. Don't change story ideas half way through. Even if you determine your original idea for a novel or screenplay is the worst idea you've ever had, don't start writing something else. You won't finish that idea either.
3. Set small goals for yourself. You will not write 100 pages in a day or 50,000 words in a day. Start with a managable goal (say 8 pages per day) and stick to it.
4. If pages per day seems like too large of a number, set an average number of pages or words to write each day. Some days you'll write more and other days less. Setting an average balances out your writing over the 30 days.
5. Hook up with others participating in the Script Frenzy contest. You'll accomplish at least two things: 1. You'll meet other writers in the same spot as you and have a support network; and 2. you will be less likely to quit.
6. Keep everything that you write. I didn't complete National Novel Writing Month, but I did come away with good material (not all of it, obviously) that will evolve into future stories.
7. Good luck! Just by completing Script Frenzy or National Novel Writing Month earns you bragging rights to day, "I did it!"

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Royal Review

2009-03-04T08:22:00.000-08:00

Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace has gotten another great review – this time from the Book Club Queen. Unlike most review sites, Book Club Queen also provides author interviews, discussion questions, book recommendations, and of course, information on how you can start your own book club.

What’s also unique about Book Club Queen is the focus on family and that sometimes rocky relationship with those we love in both the author interview questions and discussion questions. At the center of the novel is the relationship of the Pierson family and the deep bonds that bind us as family, and how far one is willing to go to protect those we love.

Click here for Catherine Johnson's Book Club Queen interview.

Illiteracy: A Mind Is a Terrible Thing To Waste

2009-02-25T13:41:00.000-08:00

Last week I received an invitation to speak at the annual Champions of Literacy luncheon hosted by the Literary Instruction For Texas (LIFT) organization. While I won’t be able to attend, as an author literacy is extremely important to me.

For most Americans, it’s hard to fathom there are people born and raised in the U.S. who either can’t read very well, or at all. Illiteracy impacts everything they do. Some statistics:
The average age of a LIFT student is 37.
Between 2004 and 2007, the number of adult learners participating in LIFT programs increased by 292%, from 2,103 to 6,141.
Texas holds the distinction of being the number one state in the nation with the highest number of high school dropouts.
But Texas is far from alone. Across the U.S. 42 million Americans cannot read at all, and another 50 million recognize so few printed words they are limited to a fourth or fifth grade reading level.
43% of those whose literacy skills are the lowest live in poverty. And the numbers are growing at an alarming rate.

Over the next several months I intend to do as much as I can to promote the problem of illiteracy in the U.S. while providing resources targeted towards helping people learn to read. There used to be an ad slogan, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” It still is.

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Faster Than a Speeding Bullet: Consumer's Changing Habits

2009-02-08T18:13:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week, I posted about purchasing books online. I’d tried it after reading David Streitfeld’s article “Bargain Hunting for Books and Feeling Sheepish About It”. Streitfeld was able to purchase a pristine copy of a hard-to-find book he was searching for, paying a quarter for the work.

I tested this out, purchasing two books, one from Amazon and one from a book reseller. The results: The first book, Old Flames by Jack Ketchum arrived directly from Amazon and that copy was brand new. The second book, Angels and Demons by Dan Brown was to be a birthday gift for my husband.

Both books arrived promptly – Old Flames in three days and Angels and Demons in five. The copy of Angels and Demons was carefully packed (a bomb could detonate next to the package and it would have remained tightly taped inside the delivery envelop) so no complaints there. The book itself was unmarked, but clearly it was used and smelled a bit musty. Had the book not been intended as a gift it would have been perfectly fine. It turned out my husband had a new copy he’d purchased over a year ago, but hadn't had time to read.

Overall the experience was a very good one. The reseller contacted me via e-mail thanking me for the order as did Amazon. The customer service in both instances was stellar. Unlike David Streitfeld I felt no guilt purchasing books over the Internet versus driving to a brick and mortar store. Everything related to book publishing changed once the shopping habits of consumers changed.

Would I buy books this way again? Absolutely. Two years ago, my husband ordered a hard-to-find work from Amazon simply because that was the only place carrying the book. So in a way, changing our habits is only logical. No doubt there will be tough times and adjustments. We can lament these trends and try to fight them or we can accept shifting habits and patterns, integrating them into our own business and marketing plans.

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There's No Going Back

2009-02-02T13:45:00.000-08:00

“Bargain Hunting for Books and Feeling Sheepish About It” is a great article by David Streitfeld on the changing habits of book buyers and their impact on publishers, authors, readers, and traditional bookstores. Streitfeld’s aghast comes from his participation in the very habits that are changing the publishing industry forever – buying a book for little money over the Internet versus shopping at a brick and mortar bookstore.

As an author I certainly understand the negative side effects of Internet technology – publishers are laying off employees, bookstores are closing, and authors are receiving far less in royalties. Even booksellers don’t make a lot of money – there are so many copies available of the most titles pricing is very competitive. These are exactly the reasons I just purchased two books over the Internet. From the behemoth Amazon, no less.

Without leaving the comfort of my home, I paid under $26 for both titles, which are being shipped to my front door. No wasting gas driving to the bookstore, then spending time searching for the titles, requesting help when I can’t find what I’m looking for, then making the return trip, etc. What would take an hour took less than 10 minutes. Engaging the Internet I saved time, got a decent competitive price, and had my choice of copies to choose from, some used and some new.

I don’t feel sheepish as Streitfeld apparently did. Would I like to get more royalties for my novel? Of course! At the same time, there’s no going back to way books were sold pre-Internet. As a writer, I need to let go of worrying about how many books I’m selling vs. readers who purchase the novel for less money through booksellers, love it, and spread the word.

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The Senses, Updike, and the Printed Word

2009-01-29T11:06:00.000-08:00

When John Updike died on Tuesday at the age of 76, many paid tribute. One news clip was of particular interest to me – Updike expounding on his love of the printed word and books. He wasn’t talking about digitized books on the Internet or e-books, but the smell, feel, sight, and satisfaction of reading an honest-to-God bound book.

Updike gave a speech in 2006 at the Book Expo of America lamenting where books are headed with Google’s aim to digitalize books for a “universal library”. I don’t necessarily agree with Updike but he brings valid points to the table on the vast changes in the publishing industry. How will this affect writers? Books themselves? Will traditional “bound” books become obsolete?

Reader’s habits – from how books are bought to how books are enjoyed – are part of this seismic change. Rather than creating the ability to access books on a universal scale, are we instead creating the “haves” in those who can first of all, read, and second, possess computer technology to do so, versus the “have nots” who have neither the luxury of literacy or technology?

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At Last

2009-01-21T11:01:00.000-08:00

When President and Mrs. Obama danced to “At Last” as sung by Beyoncé at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball, the significance of this gorgeous song at a historic moment was lost on no one. In the novel, Tim and Kay dance to Etta James singing “At Last” at Paul and Pamela’s wedding. Observing her blissfully happy brother, Kay notes, “I hear this song, and I think ‘at last’ is right. We are so lucky, Tim. I really didn’t think he’d after recover.” Kay refers to her family’s joy at Paul finally moving beyond his grief and embarking on a new life.

‘At Last’ is favored by my husband and me as our special song as well. We share the song as it was originally intended – two people finding each other and building a wonderful life together. Since we were slightly older than most couples when marrying, ‘at last’ summed our feelings perfectly. One very memorable song beautifully sung, with so many meanings.

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Writing Opportunities at -27 Below

2009-01-16T13:40:00.000-08:00

This morning we awoke to 27.9 or almost 28 degrees below zero. No including wind chill, just a straight across the board nearly 28 degrees below. The novel talks about weather in Minnesota, particularly winter and the lung-searing cold that makes a warm to zero feel balmy. Absolutely true. Tomorrow’s temperature should rise to a positively toasty 18 degrees above.

Such weather has its advantages. There’s an old Minnesota joke that such bitter cold “helps keep the riff raff out”. That most likely depends on your definition of “riff raff”. For writers and readers however, this weather offers an ideal opportunity to indulge your passions. Herewith some ideas:

Map out your next book or article
Get some serious writing done on your latest project
Engage in Internet research for said project
Enter a writing contest
Revise your cover letter
Research literary agents and/or magazine editors
Curl up and read a good book
Catch up on all that miscellaneous reading of favorite magazines
School’s been closed the past two days – get the kids away from the TV and into books

Take heart - the arctic cold snap will end eventually, and the white quiet of winter will give way to the symphony of spring. Accomplishing some writing or reading tasks when it’s nearly impossible to be outdoors will mean less guilt and frustration when warmer days at last reappear.

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Author Stores Launch at Amazon

2009-01-10T13:49:00.000-08:00

Amazon has launched Author Stores, a tool that should help promote authors and their books on the Amazon site. The Author Stores are single pages that list all the books from a particular author, as well as other features. The Author Stores launched before the beginning of the year with 2,500 pages; the goal is to have a page for every author who has books available on Amazon.

See how the feature works by searching for popular bestselling authors including Stephen King, J.K. Rowling and James Patterson. Customers access the stores through the normal search box—when a shopper searches for an author who has a store, a link appears at the top of the search results next to Amazon’s Author Store logo. As an example, I’ve used J.K. Rowlings to access her page.

Apple uses a similar feature for popular artists at its iTunes stores. Amazon’s long-time goal is to have an Author Store for every author whose books are available through Amazon.

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Justice for the Family

2009-01-06T19:14:00.000-08:00

When Doreen Quinn Giuliano’s son, John Giuca, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for Brooklyn’s 2003 “grid kid” slaying, she was absolutely sure he’d been wrongly convicted. To prove it she went under cover as “Dee” befriending one of the jurors, Jason Allo. Allo bragged publicly about serving as a juror on the high-profile case, while confiding to “Dee” he never should have been on the jury.

The story, Mother Justice by Christopher Ketcham in the January 2009 Vanity Fair details Giuliano seeking out Allo as Dee then documenting on tape his admission, one she recorded more than once. It was a desperate move, but one that may have succeeded. The tale deftly illustrates how far someone will go to protect, and in this case prove the innocence of, loved ones a central theme to Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace. Anyone can be pushed to undertake acts they most likely would never consider, even more so when family is involved. Mother Justice, indeed.

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2009 Resolutions/Gratitude Journal

2009-01-01T13:20:00.000-08:00

A new lens on Squidoo has a great idea to help you keep New Year’s Resolutions for 2009 – put them in writing. There’s information on journals to buy, journals to destruct (getting rid of all that creative frustration), journals for kids, books on types of journaling, and other ideas.

My favorite idea is to keep a New Year’s Gratitude Journal. So each day or every week, instead of focusing on the negative and what’s going wrong; put that energy into writing down what you’re grateful for or what went right, even when you have to look hard for the positive aspects.

The Pierson’s in Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace first and foremost grateful for family, even when the odds are stacked against them. In the larger scheme of things, they are certainly grateful for a successful business and financial security.

In my own life, I’m grateful for family as well, even when they drive me crazy. There is also my gratitude for the time (such a gift!) to write and time to promote those endeavors.

Writing down New Year’s Resolutions are akin to telling everyone you’ve ever known that this year you’re losing 10 pounds, quitting smoking, being nicer, working harder – whatever. Going public by writing out those resolutions or telling people has a better chance of succeeding simply because you’ve shared that commitment and there’s follow-up involved, making backing out or giving up more difficult. Keeping track of all that you have to be grateful for forces you to find the good among the mundane and not-so-good, again in a very public way.

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A Dubious Year for Memoirs

2008-12-30T11:01:00.000-08:00

For authors, publishers, agents, and readers 2008 will go down as a dubious year. In March, the memoir Love and Consequences, a story of foster care, sexual abuse, drugs, and gangs by Margaret B. Jones, turned out to be fiction. So did Misha: A Memoire of the Holocaust Years by Misha Defonseca, who pretended to be a Jewish girl living with wolves during World War II. Now the revelation that Angel at the Fence authored by Herman Rosenblat and recounting meeting his wife of 50 years while imprisoned at the Buchenwald camp is also a fabrication.

What makes these memoirs different from Jonathan Frey’s A Million Little Pieces is that these memoirs aren’t simply an exaggeration of real events, but complete and total fiction. Rosenblat has rationalized why he chose to write a memoir that was a lie by saying, “I wanted to bring happiness to people. I brought hope to a lot of people. My motivation was to make good in the world.” His former publisher, Berkley Books failed to see his logic, cancelling publication of the memoir slated for February.

Holocaust scholars and other survivors fear that fabricated stories such as Rosenblat’s will only encourage doubts about the Holocaust. They also argue that the Holocaust experience was by no means “heartwarming” but “heart rending” and that books such as Angel at the Fence trivialize the horror.

But there is also the issue of why the publishing industry continues to be so trusting of authors after being burned publicly so many times. In the case of each of these books, fact checking might have prevented such fabrications. However, the literary industry seems to be a willing sucker for stories of suffering and redemption. I’ve said this before - publishers appear to feel the more outlandish a true story or memoir the better, and the hell with checking the facts.

Occasionally, a reviewer will question whether Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace is indeed inspired by a true story, however; I possess the evidence to back up that claim with court documents, newspaper accounts, correspondence, and other materials. Each of these “memoirs” told outlandish stories, yet by the time someone questioned the authenticity or blew the whistle on the author, it was too late. As 2008 draws to a close, publishers may want to put fact checking at the top of their New Year’s Resolutions.

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What's In A Title?

2008-12-28T12:07:00.000-08:00

In a recent review of Shades of Darkness, Shade of Grace, a reviewer noted she never figured out what the title referred to. It actually references two things, which most anyone can relate to.

First, it makes reference to the internal struggles we all face, recognizing there are shades of darkness (sin) and shades of grace (goodness) within each of us. In other words, we experience degrees of grace as well as degrees of sin. What we do with that sin and grace is up to us. As Kay notes towards the end of the book, “Goodness and evil each present us with choices, and they are never as simple as they might appear”. In those choices we make through our own free will, some will contain the darkness of moral ambiguity and sin, while others move us closer to the beauty and goodness of grace.

Second, the Shades of Grace in the title is a reference to the saving grace of sobriety that both Kay and Paul experience and any addict can relate to. It is after all, sobriety that saves us from destroying ourselves and those closest to us. Again, there is the idea of the degrees of goodness the clean and sober existence in reclaiming our lives and making amends with those we have harmed.

In a nutshell, that’s what Shades of Grace, Shades of Darkness means, at least to me. There is no right or wrong answer, and because meanings are subjective, I invite readers of the novel who have different interpretation to e-mail me with their thoughts at: catherinejohns58@yahoo.com.

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December Drunks

2008-12-19T13:02:00.000-08:00

It’s the Holiday Season – presents, parties, and an uptick in drunken driving arrests. For law-enforcement officials and impaired drivers, December is National Drunk and Drugged Prevention Driving Month. In many states December is also the month law-enforcement officials crack down on DUI’s through a heavier presence of officers on the roads, sobriety checkpoints, and tougher Minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) laws.

Sobering Statistics
Every day, 36 people in the United States die and approximately 700 more are injured in motor vehicle accidents involving an impaired driver.

In 2006, 13,470 people died in alcohol-related crashes, accounting for nearly one-third (32%) of all traffic-related deaths in the U.S.

In one year, 1.4 million Americans were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. This accounts for less than 1% of the 159 million self-reported incidents of driving under the influence reported each year.

Alcohol-related crashes in the U.S. cost approximately $51 billion a year.

In Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace, a key scene occurs at the Pierson Companies employee Christmas party, where Paul’s wife Pamela flies into a drunken rage. Attending parties this holiday season, make sure you’ve made arrangements for getting home safely.

Plan ahead. Always designate a non-drinking driver before any holiday party or celebration begins.

Take the keys. Do not let a friend drive drunk.

Be a responsible host. If you’re hosting a holiday party, remind your guests to plan ahead and designate a sober driver. Provide non-alcoholic refreshments, and make sure all of your guests leave with a sober driver.

If you’re attending a holiday gathering in a hotel and you plan to drink, make arrangements to spend the night.
Technorati Tags:
Drunk Driving, DUIs, DWIs, DUI Fatalities, Holiday Parties
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Books: The Best Holiday Gift Value for 2008

2008-12-16T14:24:00.000-08:00

In listing his favorite books of 2008, Stephen King pointed out that books “are still the best bang for your entertainment buck, and 2008 was a great year for reading”. King estimated the average cost of a movie for two (babysitter not included) averaged $24. I can attest to this. I saw Juno in the theater, and a single ticket, bag of popcorn, plus a Coke was $15. For a matinee.

King is onto something. In these tough economic times, we want every dollar to go further and that includes those carefully spent entertainment dollars. Taking King’s lead, here are my top choices for books to give this holiday season. However, unlike Uncle Stevie, my picks aren’t the best of 2008, only books read (and in one case written) this year.

Nonfiction
Shadow Divers, Robert Kurson
The true story of two American weekend scuba divers who discovered a World War II German U-boat 60 miles off the New Jersey coast. All the records agreed there simply could not be a sunken U-boat at that location. Heart-pounding suspense and an amazing journey of self-discovery.

Seabiscuit, Laura Hillenbrand
One of the best sports biographies ever written. The book spins its marvelous narrative of nonfiction and history that reads like a beautifully written novel.

Fiction
Moo, Jane Smiley
The brilliant satire of university life on a Midwestern campus. Rich, memorable characters populate the campus of Moo University.

No Country for Old Men, Cormac McCarthy
There’s a reason No Country took best picture honors for 2007. A spare crime novel that encompasses themes as ancient as the Bible and as bloody as any news headlines. It will haunt long after the last page is turned.

A Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley
Smiley’s modern re-telling of King Lear. A classic story of contemporary life among the American plains, of the human cost and heartbreak accrued over lifetimes spent trying to subdue the vast land.

Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace, Catherine Johnson
Inspired by a true story, and encompassing the universal themes of love, family, loyalty, betrayal, and moral responsibility. The Pierson’s could be could be anyone’s family, ordinary lives upended by the darkest of malice.

Another great thing about books is that you can pass them onto friends and family or read them again at your leisure. Or you can donate books to organizations such as the National Institute for Literacy. Books are truly the gift that keeps on giving.

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A Great Year for Writing

2008-12-14T12:14:00.000-08:00

I’m part a of number of social networking sites, most notable Author Nation dedicated to authors and the art of writing. This fall Author Nation sponsored an anthology contest. The rules were simple – any member of AN could enter the contest by posting a story which would be read and judged by other AN members. The top 25 stories would be part of the Anthology.

I posted a piece, Snap Judgment, a short story on our willingness to judge people based on their appearances only to realize those ‘snap judgments’ can often be so very wrong. There were close to 65 entries and during the Anthology Contest I read as many posted stories as I could, finding the caliber of writing to be superb. In early December the results were posted on the Author Nation site.

I was surprised and thrilled to discover that Snap Judgment finished in 10th place. What is particularly exciting is being critiqued by one’s peers and writing a work those peers found worthy enough to vote for. It’s truly gratifying to obtain positive reviews for my first novel and have a winning entry in a contest all in the same year.

A Word of Thanks

2008-12-11T13:31:00.000-08:00

In this season of goodwill, I want to take this opportunity to thank all the reviewers who have read Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace and given the novel such outstanding reviews. Many of those same reviewers have conducted interviews with me, for which I am very grateful. They are:

Simon Barrett of the Blogger News Network
Norm Goldman of Bookpleasures
Front Street Reviews
Midwest Reviews
Joyce Collins at Nothing Binding Reviews
Rebecca’s Reads
Sabrina Sumsion of Sabrina’s Reviews
Lauren Smith of Virtual Book Review Network

Some of the reviews can be linked to here. The process has been both gratifying and surprising. Excellent reviews have obviously been gratifying. The aspect that has been so surprising is the number of male reviewers who completely understood Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace, and easily related to the book’s honest portrayal of a family torn by divorce, and a child at the center of a custody battle. Women have loved the story too, but the male perspective has been particularly striking.

The reviews posted here don't include numerous other great reviews on Amazon. Thanks to all who have worked diligently spread the word about my first major writing endeavor.

Thankful For Family and Sobriety

2008-11-24T16:08:00.000-08:00

What are the Pierson’s thankful for this Thanksgiving? In Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace two key scenes take place over the Thanksgiving weekend. One concerns the difficulty many families experience in bringing everyone together long enough for a family photograph, and the other focuses on mounting concerns that all is not what it seems.

Even with Pamela causing mischief at seemingly every turn, the Pierson’s are thankful for two things – family and sobriety.

There’s no doubt family and the drama that is often part of “family” can make the sanest individual nuts. But it’s the common blood that binds us and makes us understand our willingness to fight to protect loved ones from harm. We may not always like one another, but there is an undeniable connection in family that blood does indeed run thick. But family is also something to be thankful for.

Kay and Paul’s struggles with alcohol are a key subplot of the novel, but so is the quest for sobriety. The devastation of drug abuse shows no prejudice, regardless of sex, age, income, education, class, race, or religion. In 2003, the last year for which figures were available, 21.6 million U.S. adults abused alcohol or were alcohol dependent. Those are staggering numbers and just one of the reasons the Pierson’s, like other Americans, are thankful for the gift of sobriety.

One Fifth of the Way to a Novel

2008-11-08T14:50:00.000-08:00

Okay, this is going to harder than I thought. Today I reached 10,421 words in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) annual push, but I'm worried. What if I don't have enough story to get me to the end of this? Fifty-thousand words is a lot, and while I initially thought I was okay, um, this is going to be hard.

According the NaNoWriMo e-mail, I will get stuck and/or frustrated about now. By week four, I should feel like yodeling. Right. And originally, I was giddy enough to believe I might actually write more than 50,000 words. Silly me. It's not running out of gas that worries me, but the story sensibly coming to an end well before that 50,000 word finish. And they warn you that some of what you write will, in fact, be crap.

What I'm aiming for is a completed manuscript, from which I can cull ideas for my next book. NaNoWriMo also claims that Stephen King does this, and I'm wondering - does he worry about crap? Probably not.

It would be more than great to commiserate with an author of King's status and success, just to know he gets frustrated, stuck, bored, or all of the above. Or not. Forty thousand words to go, but who's counting?

43,129 Words To Go!

2008-11-05T18:09:00.000-08:00

It's day five of National Novel Writing Month, and I'm 6,871 words into writing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. Much better than I'd thought, especially after those first two days.

The first e-mail you get upon registering for NaNoWriMo is that you MUST ignore your Inner Editor, that innate urge to spend hours editing your work instead of writng. That led me to post, Someone Please Kill My Inner Editor! by Day 2. I did not think it was even remotely possible for me to complete this process. Now, in day 5 I've written 6,871 words and the story actually is making sense.

I'll be posting exerpts on the NaNoWriMo site in the near future. So there is a story (titled Francis Street), there is a plot, and there is even organization. What worries me more than even procrastinating is (1) the Thanksgiving holiday when we'll be traveling, and (2) running out of story, words, and orgnization WELL BEFORE November 30, 2008.

The plan is to front load my word count (read: write like hell well before November 30) so if I can't write over the holidays I'm still okay. So far the process has been thrilling, scary, exhausting, and frustrating. Twenty-five days and some odd hours to go!

Somebody Please Kill My Inner Editor!

2008-11-03T13:42:00.000-08:00

One of the first things writer's are warned about who sign up for National Novel Writing Month is that on your way to your goal of writing a 50,000 word novel by November 30, this is no time to edit. Forget the urge, just write, write, write.

Yesterday, day two of writing, I was about ready to beg somebody, ANYBODY to kill my inner editor. I just could not stop myself. Today, the progress is much better, but this won't be easy. Fifty-thousand words is a lot of words in 30 days, and I have a need to have the story make sense.

What I am finding beneficial is to not write the story in sequence. Think of it as shooting a movie out of sequence, something that happens all the time. When I get stuck (which is a lot) I write one of the scenes that's already formed in my head, no matter where it appears in the story. What I'll need to do, is make sure all the scenes are in the correct order on November 30th.

Why Women Should Vote

2008-10-31T10:50:00.000-07:00

Voting is a sub-plot of my novel, Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace. The Minnesota family depicted in the story, the Pierson's, understand that the ability to cast a vote of one's choosing is a privlege not to be taken lightly. If you are a woman contemplating voting November 4, here's a reminder of why that act is so important.

HOW QUICKLY WE FORGET…..IF WE EVER KNEW…? by Deloris Wright
This is the story of our Grandmothers, and Great-grandmothers, as they lived only 90 years ago. It was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote. The women were innocent and defenseless. And by the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden’s blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of ‘obstructing sidewalk traffic.’

They beat Lucy Burn, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air. They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.

Thus unfolded the ‘Night of Terror’ on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson’s White House for the right to vote.

For weeks, the women’s only water came from an open pail. Their food–all of it colorless slop–was infested with worms. When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.

So, refresh my memory. Some women won’t vote this year because–why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn’t matter? It’s raining?
Read Deloris Wright’s complete essay on the difficulties and brutality our foremothers faced in fighting for the right to vote, by clicking here.

This election day, remember how lucky we are and how far we have come. More so than any other election year history is being made and you can be a part of it by exercising your right to vote for the candidate of your choosing.
Labels: politics, voting, women's issues
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Google Book Search Settles Lawsuit

2008-10-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, Google Book Search Partners announced the company and authors and publishers who were plaintiffs in the U.S. Google Book Search lawsuits have reached a tentative settlement.

The proposed settlement covers the issue of copyright infringement for those authors and publishers whose books were digitalized as part of the Google Book Search Library project.

Google is looking at the settlement as a very positive thing. If you are an author holding an affected copyright check the copyright settlement site at: Books Google Booksrightsholders. Authors are also encouraged to contact either the Settlement Administrator or Class Counsel, both listed on the site. Authors and publishers can also check out Google’s Official blog dedicated to the lawsuit.

Although different than the issue of Amazon facing an anti-trust suit by threatening to remove print-on-demand books from their site unless said books are printed through the Amazon-owned BookSurge, what is similar is authors, publishers, and others taking on industry giants in an effort to protect their works. From the looks of things, it appears to be working.
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