CFRN Live Emini Trading Room Open House
S&P 500 Emini Futures Trading / Open House Friday 9:30AM EST 01/27/12. Professional emini traders and brokers will be on hand to answer all questions regarding emini charting platforms, emini indicators and free data feeds.
PRLog World Top 5
Review: Endless Night
Kenn Baker’s Endless Night is not the average vampire book. This is a darkly intense story of lust, greed, violence, and primal urges that refuse be ignored…..and I loved it! Filled with bloody scenes of sex and death, it is a more realistic look into what a world with vampires would be like. You won’t find any love-sick, angst-filled vampires trying to find a way to love a human in this book. In fact, there are very few humans in this book: except for the ones that end up as lunch. When reading most vampire stories, I tend to root for the good guy. But in Endless Night, the good guy is a bad guy. Even though there was a ton of violence in the book, there is humor, too. I found myself laughing when humans were being torn apart, sometimes envisioning the characters dancing and laughing while slaughtering them (Think “A Clockwork Orange” but with vampires!).
Baker’s writing was extremely descriptive, which made the book that much more intense to read. Each and every character adds an extra level to the story with their unique personalities. I’m happy to know that the author is going to add to the series. I’d love to see more from all of the characters and find out where their lives are going to go.
If you’re looking for a sweet romance or a happily-ever-after story with rainbows and flowers, this is not the book for you. While there is humor and a little romance, it’s a dark humor that not everyone will like. If you enjoy a little horror with your vampires, then I say this is a must-read. It really was a fantastic read that fans of gothic vampire romances will like. Endless Night is a delightfully dark walk on the wild side that was impossible to put down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the author
James is a vampire who wants to hunt, he relishes the kill. He wants to hunt openly, leaving the dead where they fall, but his pack leader Brad insists upon discretion. James is discontent with this domesticated vampire life, and does everything he can to change his life, fix his relationship, end the tyranny of Brad and avoid that pesky sun.
Endless Night is a fang-filled feeding frenzy of fornication and of course….blood.
Filed under Romance | Tags: Endless, Night, Review | Comment (0)Discover How To Add Pass Port Pages Quick
People who frequently travel to other countries are well aware of how quickly their pages can fill up, especially if they tend to travel relatively often. Timing can also be an issue for individuals who frequently travel. This can lead many to wonder how they can add pasport pages quick.
Things To Consider
People usually have several different choices to choose from when it comes to processing this kind of documentation. However, it’s always important to consider your options based on your circumstances, since things like pricing and time frames can be a determining factor. For example, certain options may take longer than others, while some methods may cost more.
Application
These days, people prefer to mail the necessary documentation rather than having to handle things in person. However, you must be eligible and meet the necessary requirements to do this. A DS-4085 form will need to be filled out and sent with an application fee as well as the individual’s passport. It’s usually recommended to send your items through a traceable delivery service.
Forms
In order to be eligible for the DS-4085 form, you’ll need to have fewer than 4 pages remaining in your book. Those who travel several times throughout the year or who may need more pages than usual, may also want to consider getting a new book. A DS-82 book will need to be filled out, should you be eligible for mail-in options. People who have to visit a facility in person will usually fill out a DS-11 form.
Mail Time Frame
People will often use the regular process and delivery method, especially if they’re in no immediate rush. This is usually the least expensive option but it can usually take four to six weeks, if not longer. Due to the time frame involved, those who have less than a month and a half to wait, may want to try other options.
Cost
You can also choose to have your application expedited, which will require an extra $60 on top of the regular fees. Since this price can changes, it’s always wise to check the required amount beforehand. This narrows the time frame to 2 to 3 weeks. You can also pay a small, additional delivery fee in order to have your papers sent overnight.
Online Agency
If you don’t have a long time wait, even if it’s just a few weeks, you may prefer to use a American passport renewal agency. These companies specialize in processing applications quickly so their client receives their new pages in a shorter amount of time. Even so, these agencies will cost more than regular processing or expediting.
Filed under Uncategorized | Comment (0)ALA, Publishers Go to the Table
One bit of good news from ALA Midwinter is that big publishers will finally be sitting down to some serious discussion about eBook lending. At the end of this month Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, and Penguin will be meeting in New York with ALA to broach the topic in—we hope—civilized fashion. At this point, none of the three publishers allow public libraries to freely circulate digital copies of their books, although at Penguin the restriction only involves new releases, and this particular impasse is getting old, to say the least. It’s very clear that ALA officials think so, and it’s hard to imagine that publishers don’t feel the same, no matter that they’re the ones holding the higher cards. Nobody’s going to be happy moving forward until some sort of working model is hashed out, and a meeting like this one will be a step forward.
In an interview with Publishers Weekly, ALA executive director Keith Fiels talks about how the issue finally got pushed to the forefront, and some of what he’d like to see come out of the proposed meeting:
To the vast majority of people in the middle, and certainly, to the rest of the 99%, libraries play a really important role in creating equitable access. And the decision not to offer equitable access, not to make something available to libraries, is to deny fundamental, basic access to information. So, you asked about the carrot and the stick. I think it is very important to realize that we are not too far from the point where the media is going to figure out that this is an issue. Now, we’re very much eager to do anything we can to facilitate publishers making works available to libraries.
Fiels’ tone is pretty hard to miss; he comes on strong all through the interview, which only serves to play up the picture of libraries at a disadvantage in this standoff. I’m sure the idea of making this a legal issue has come up many times in the past year, and I deeply appreciate ALA’s hard stance on freedom of information. But I don’t know that he’s doing the cause any favors when he tacks on statements assuring us that, never fear, ALA is on the offensive here—
Let me be clear, when we talk about having a dialogue, it is, “Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, you need to start making e-books available to libraries. Now, let’s have a dialogue.”
The us-and-them state of affairs is pretty well established by now, and I doubt dwelling on it accomplishes much—and that’s considerably ratcheted down from his statements to Library Journal, where he calls publisher noncooperation “potential criminal liability.” Then again, a passionate ALA is an effective ALA, so maybe this is just a case of everyone playing out their respective roles.
I’m also curious about the equitable access for the 99% he holds up as a gold standard—exactly what proportion of the 99% are they shutting out by not making eBooks available to borrow? Which is to say, how ubiquitous are eReaders at this point, and are the numbers generous enough to hinge an argument on? I probably should have those statistics at hand, and perhaps they’re ephemeral enough not to really matter—I can remember when video games were rich kids’ toys, and that changed quickly enough. Presumably a discussion about freedom of e-reader information will float all future boats.
Fiels commends Random House for their cooperation, alone among the Big Six publishers, as well as many independent and university presses. And he gets into concerns of formatting a bit, and licensing vs. ownership, which I think are going to come out as the really crucial issues. He has a good point about libraries serving publishers as the archivists of digital information, which is one of the stronger justifications I’ve heard of for ownership. Aside from the other one where it just makes more sense, period. And for that particular argument I defer to Jamie LaRue, Director of Colorado’s Douglas County Libraries, who recently partnered with the Colorado Independent Publishers Association to not only buy digital works outright and manage them in house, but to allow actual purchases of e-books via library catalogs. LaRue’s point on the stewardship of libraries needs to be the last word here, I think: “If you can’t trust a librarian, who can you trust?” I hope both sides of the table are listening next week.
(Illustration is Cassius Marcellus Coolidge’s A Bold Bluff, c. 1909. Because at the end of the day I’d still rather look at dogs playing poker than librarians or publishing CEOs.)
Barcoding, Inc. Adds Two Sales Personnel to Growing Staff
Staff additions include Lutwin, a top-performing, returning Barcoding employee
PRLog World Top 5
Links, Fun & Games
To follow the proceedings of Digital Book World 2012, the hashtag #dbw12 is a mix of reaction and reporting. Alas, my reporting ended after lunch, as I had to take a break from the conference and go home. I am not sure if I'll be back tomorrow, but the hashtag is full of folks reporting from the different panels.
One highlight today; a full hour in the morning of the opening day devoted to lessons learned from romance ebook publishing, featuring Julie Cummings from AllRomance, Raelene Gorlinsky from Ellora's Cave, Liate Stehlik and Angela James from Carina Press.
The panelists discussed DRM, pricing, and the ways in which digital publishing has created a more adept and flexible publishing model that's better positioned to treat readers as customers and to take charge of their own customer service relationships. Two years ago, romance was part of an afternoon session – this year it was among the first sessions on the main stage. Most excellent.
From Ruth: here's a review from a reader at Amazon that takes into account many, many grammatical errors in a Carole Mortimer book published by Mills & Boon:
The story is 180 pages long. At 250 words per page, that is a total of 45,000 words which can be roughly broken down to 6,400 sentences. Out of these 6.400 sentences there are 178 sentences that end with ellipses (…); 121 sentences that end with ellipses followed by a question mark (…?); 93 sentences that end with a dash (-); 26 that end in an ellipsis followed by an exclamation mark (…!); 11 that end with a dash followed by a question mark (-?); 9 that end with an exclamation mark followed by a dash (!-) and 2 that end with dash followed by an exclamation mark (-!).
Whoa.
Sporcle quizzes are a quiet obsession of Hubby's, but I think this is the first one I've done better on than he has! Sporcle has a new quiz all about Harlequin romance heroes.
I got all of them with 4:11 seconds left. What's your score and time?
Thanks to Matt and Catherine both for the link!
Paul Bogaards' Tumblr post about the hierarchy of book publishing received a lot of Twitter traffic – and thank you to the many folks who pointed out that Smart Bitches is #53. As Secret Agent Dan said, “You're above the Pulitzer!” Which made me laugh – that's hilariously cool. Thanks, Mr. Bogaards.
Categories: General Bitching, The Link-O-Lator
Review: Embrace the Highland Warrior
Embrace the Highland Warrior is the second book in Anita Clenney’s series about a clandestine group of Highland warriors tasked with destroying demons and protecting the humans they are trying to destroy.
This book is pure enjoyment. The kilted Connor clan from Awaken the Highland Warrior is back in this second novel, along with the Demons and Vampires who both want a piece of Shay. The writing in this was great! The plot twists and turns, along with the romance between Shay and Cody, and the all the hot guys in kilts, make this an incredible read. I seriously hope Anita keeps on writing about the Connor clan. I had to read this all in one sitting; I just could not put it down! The action in this is non-stop, along with the sizzling sex between Shay and Cody. I loved that Anita brought so much life to all of her characters in this book, and I can see many more books to come about all of these warriors. From the first page to the last sentence, Anita kept me hooked on Shay’s story, and it was nice to see the return of some old friends from the first book.
5 stars
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When the powerful demon that left Shay for dead discovers her empty grave, he comes seeking retribution, believing she possesses an ancient book he has sought for centuries. Knowing she can’t fight the demon alone, Shay returns to her clan and the Scottish Warrior who betrayed her…the only man she’s ever loved, where she discovers that betrayal isn’t always what it seems. Sometimes it’s far worse.
Filed under Romance | Tags: Embrace, Highland, Review, Warrior | Comment (0)How To Get A Pasport
You need a US passport if you want to travel to a foreign country. It’s also a valuable piece of personal identification. You’ll learn how to get a new passport in the five simple steps described below. This process is good for any adult who is applying for a new passport, but not for getting one renewed.
Process
To make sure that this process is the one you should follow, make sure you’re really applying for a new passport. This category is actually pretty broad. Even if you’ve had one in the past, you might still be considered applying for a new one now. For example, if your last one is gone due to theft, damage or getting lost, you’re applying for a new one. Likewise, if you haven’t had one issued in the past 15 years, you’re applying for a new one. Lastly, if you’ve changed your name but can’t provide legal documentation of the change, yes, you’re applying for a new passport.
Online Forms
The federal form you need to submit is the DS-11. You can download a copy off the Internet. The instructions on how to fill this form out are on the form itself. It’s recommended that you fill it out as completely as possible. It should go without saying that you should also fill it out truthfully. There’s a different form for renewing US online passport.
ID
In addition to the DS-11 form, you’ll also have to provide proof of your identity. You can’t bootstrap this process to get your sole identification documentation. It will only be issued if you can already proved you are who you say you are. The best option is to include a copy of a piece of primary proof of identity. This sort of proof could be your driver’s license, naturalization certificate, current military ID or other current government issued ID.
Citizenship
You will also have to include proof that you’re a US citizen. Anyone with a naturalization certificate can use that as proof of both citizenship and identity. If you were born an American citizen, then you’ll have to provide either a long form, certified birth certificate, citizenship certificate, or consular report of birth abroad.
Fees
Lastly, you’ll need to include a photo and your application fees. The photo must be color and two by two inches in size. It must have been taken within the last six months and must show your full face as a close up. The specific amount you’ll have to pay as your application fee will vary based on your specific situation. You can consult the online fee schedule to find out what you’ll have to pay.
Application Packet
Once you have all this documentation, forms, and other requirements put together, it’s time to submit them for approval. This packet must be submitted at an authorized US passport office. There are literally thousands all over the country, usually in post offices, public libraries, courthouses or other public buildings. You can find the office nearest you by looking online. However, check with that office specifically before arriving as some require that you schedule an appointment in order to accept your application.
Filed under Uncategorized | Comment (0)Like Downton Abbey?
Then you’ll love Laura Lee Guhrke’s AND THEN HE KISSED HER, now only $.99 on nook or kindle! Read the 2008 RITA finalist that Romantic Times called “great fun and delectable reading.”
Filed under Romance | Tags: Abbey, Downton, like | Comment (0)Lisa Kleypas’ Rainshadow Road: An Interview and a Giveaway!
Lisa Kleypas' Rainshadow Road comes out in February, and her publisher has offered 10 finished copies to give away. Whoo! And not only do we have books to give away, but Lisa Kleypas was kind enough to answer several inane questions from me via email. Hooray – bonus interview!
Rainshadow Road has magical realism while Friday Harbor did not. Why add it to this novel? Did you plan to go this way all along with the series?
Well, when I first visited Friday Harbor with Greg and the kids a couple of years ago, I really felt a sense of “otherness” or magic in the air. It's a misty Brigadoon-type place–but you're probably too young for that reference, unless you're a show tune queen like me. San Juan Island is unique place–a mixture of steep hills and bluffs, forests, rolling farmland, sandy beaches, and all of it is protected by the Olympic mountain rainshadow. And I'd read and loved so much magic realism in the past, including “Like Water For Chocolate” by Laura Esquivel, and “Garden Spells” by Sarah Addison Allen, that I really saw this as the chance to try something fresh in my career.
The one glitch was that “Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor” was conceived as a Christmas novella, to sort of gently introduce a few of the characters, and it didn't seem right to launch into magic realism with that shorter format. So I tried to leave possibilities open with that story, and figuratively blow some kisses in the direction of magic, and then I really went for it with Rainshadow Road.
How many times have you been to Friday Harbor at this point – or is that where you live now?
I think I've been about four times so far, and I would love to have a place there! It would be incredible to slow down and relax, and live on island time. But Greg and I still have school-age kids, and they want to stay where we are, and we all have too many friends and interests to even think about moving. And also . . . at this point in my life I'm not very good at relaxing.
How many books do you envision setting in Friday Harbor?
What I've got on the schedule right now is Dream Lake (about the bitter and hard-living Alex Nolan, being haunted by the ghost of a WWII fighter pilot who wants to be reunited with the woman he once loves) . . . and Crystal Cove (about Justine Hoffman, a free-spirited young woman who casts a spell to fight a dangerous attraction to the mysterious Jason Black). Beyond that, I'm not sure yet–I've been getting a lot of nudges from readers who might like to read a book featuring Joe Travis from my Texas trilogy.
Your character, Lucy, has a number of challenging and almost unavoidable relationships with people. Which do you think was hardest for her – or for you?
I think the most difficult relationship for Lucy to deal with–and for me to ponder and write about–was the dysfunctional family system she grew up with. Because Lucy loves her parents and her spoiled younger sister, but the family structure is hurtful to her. Together the three of them damage her self-esteem, and they collectively parentify her by loading a lot of responsibility and expectation on her. And that brought me to question of how Lucy might be able to change the dynamic and let her family know that the hurtful patterns have to change. What I've experienced in my own life is the discovery that the people who truly love you will listen and try to respect your needs, and they will make an effort to change. Whereas others will basically say, “I love you but this relationship has to be done my way, period.”
What's one thing you are really excited to share with readers in this book? Is there a scene or a character, or something you're just so very proud of, that you can't wait to share?
I had SO much fun developing the character of Sam Nolan! Although my husband Greg has been the inspiration for many of my heroes, I think Sam is the most like him. Sam is cute, sexy, and all-out geeky, and I sprinkled geekitude in every scene he's in, including describing his nerdy tee shirts, his love of space and science, and his computer skills. For example, when he and Lucy want to watch a movie, and she points out that it will take too long to download it, and Sam replies smugly, “I've got a download accelerator that maximizes data delivery by initiating several simultaneous connections from multiple servers. Five minutes, tops.” So he's a different type of hero for me, and I really loved that.
And, while I'm asking, which is your favorite scene?
By far, the scene I enjoyed writing the most was the one with Sam and Lucy in the shower. I won't spoil anything by revealing exactly what happened to Lucy, but after a major turn of events, Sam has to help Lucy shower. And since this is still at an early point in their relationship, he's trying desperately not to become aroused. So he's nervous and breathing heavily, and he can't help flirting with her in spite of himself. From that point on, I really had a handle on their relationship, the way they constantly try to set up barriers but still just can't resist each other. I think there's a metaphor somewhere in the book where he describes their relationship as a binary star, which is a pair of circling stars caught forever in each other's orbit.
I really loved Sam, I confess. I think nerd geek heroes are finally getting the audience they deserve. And I think Sam's t-shirts are going to be a reader favorite – where did you find the inspiration? Do you have a favorite?
Thank you! What's not to love about a geek? As one of Lucy's friends says in the book, they're great in bed because they fantasize a lot and love to play with gadgets. As for the tees, I was inspired by both my husband and son, who both love nerdy shirts. My favorite was the Shrödinger's cat shirt, not because it was funny so much as it forced me to try to understand the classic thought experiment using a hypothetical cat in a box. (The best explanation I found, incidentally, was this one . . . and among the scientists who describe the experiment, there is a very attractive young dark-haired geek with a Scottish accent who has a nice monologue at 3:44!) I finally sort of got it, although I discovered that I don't have the right kind of brain for quantum physics. Which was not a big shock, by the way.
One thing that struck me: Sam and Lucy meet at the worst possible moment for her, literally right after she's been dumped. And there are a lot of things lining up against them. Did you think one obstacle was the most difficult for them to overcome?
I thought that although they were both struggling with trust issues, for Lucy it was more a problem of trusting other people whereas for Sam it was a problem of trusting himself. Because many children of alcoholics, as Sam is, grow up with this feeling that the seeds of destruction are sown at the beginning of every relationship. And if you believe that, then the more you love someone, the worse it's going to hurt when they inevitably abandon you or let you down. So I felt that Sam's issue was the most challenging obstacle–and I loved it that magic eventually reflected the realization that his heart was pulling him toward.
That's the neat part of magic realism–the magic doesn't necessarily solve the problem, it's just part of the world the same way sunlight or flowers are. In that sense, ordinary things like babies and rainbows and love itself are just as magical as transforming glass. And that's very easy for a romance writer to believe!
If there's a reader of yours who loves your historicals, for example, why would they also like this book? Which of your strengths do you think most shines in this book?
I think no matter what genre or setting a romance features, as long as it has a strong relationship and emotional appeal (and of course some spicy love scenes!) it will work for most romance readers. But here's something interesting that happened as I was writing Rainshadow Road: As I was going through my usual process, which is to start each day by rewriting what I did the previous day, and then periodically revising the entire manuscript, I found myself adding more lyrical and elaborate phrasing because it seemed to suit the story more. Usually in my contemporary writing, I try to keep the prose really simple and stripped-down, but for some reason the magical elements worked better with “prettier” prose. (Wow, look at how alliterative that sentence was, and I wasn't even trying!*g*) So that more lyrical style is usually what I do with historical romances, and I think it lends the book some of that “fairy-tale” feeling of a historical.
About strengths . . . I think the best thing I do is to be passionate about every book I write . . . if a writer doesn't feel that way, it shows. There are always going to be flaws, or scenes I would still like to revise . . . but I spend a lot of time pondering whether to use one word or another, or trying to think of how to make a particular scene better. Undoubtedly this makes me sound weird, but I really love playing with words!
Want to read Rainshadow Road? I have ten to give away. Woo hoo!
Standard disclaimers apply: I'm not being compensated for this giveaway. Your mileage may vary. Void where prohibited. Must be over 18 and driving a golf cart to win. Open to international entries. Close cover before striking.
Just leave a comment with your favorite t-shirt slogan or saying, or your favorite goofy piece of apparel, and you're entered to win. Comments close in 48 hours.
Categories: General Bitching, Go Ahead, Win Some Shit, Interviews & Smart Responses