Nancy Fulda, editor, inventor, and executive owner at Anthology Builder is declaring the end of beta. And with it a half off sale, but it is only for a few scant hours! You have until July 1, 2009 NOON to get the half off price. (Regular price is 14.95 for a book that can contain up to 350 pages of stories.)

In her words:

We’re officially concluding beta testing tomorrow.

In order to test the finishing touches we’ve put on the web site (including the much-requested shopping cart system) we’re having a POP SALE today: 1/2 off all anthologies purchased before 12:00 noon EST tomorrow.

If you’ve been thinking about buying something on AB, you’ll never get a better chance.

You can select a book from the existing library here:

Anthology Library

You can delete, add, re-order or order anything from the library as-is.

Of the books I’ve ordered so far, this is my favorite:

Dragon Wings

You can create an anthology completely from scratch just by selecting stories and adding them to your “Book.” You get to select the cover and the title as well.

Here’s one I still need to buy for my collection!

Castles

And last, but not least, here’s one I need to finish building although really, it only needs a couple more stories:

One Day, Long Ago

While I was working hard in the garden this morning, I looked over to find Junior hanging–hanging on my drapes! All four of his little paws had their claws attached to my tomato drape and he just hung there, waiting to see how long the drapes would hold.

As punishment, I made him sit still for a brushing. He’s been shedding like crazy in this heat. He tried to eat the brush.

Today, I received a book all the way from…Australia! It’s not the first Australian author I’ve read (that would probably be Simon Haynes, but I read his first Hal Spacejock book as an e-book. Getting the e-book was a lot faster!) Kerrie, the blogger from Paradise, sent me this book–she highly recommended it in her review. When she told me she would be sending it, I wondered how long it would take. I’d estimate that it was well over a month to sail the seas and get to my front door. It’s a paperback book, larger than American trade size.

From the back:

Franz Schmidt arrives in Berlin in January 1939 to take up the position of Chief Auditor at the Reichsbank, the financial heart of the Third Reich. He has been positioned there by the enigmatic von Streck, a high-ranking member of the Nazi party but one who has a different agenda to that of the Fuehrer. Schmidt realises he must tread very carefully to avoid the zealous and passionate Fraulein Brandt, who is determined to destroy anyone unfaithful to the Party. After the murder of a co-worker, Schmidt is driven, despite von Streck’s orders to keep a low profile, to help the dead man’s assistant, who is now in grave danger herself.

As the Gestapo’s reach extends throughout the freezing city, Schmidt’s brief becomes clear. He must steal a copy of the Reich’s financing blueprint in an attempt to prevent the country’s march to war. Iron Heart is the second novel featuring Franz Schmidt and confirms Marshall Browne’s reputation as one of Australia’s foremost crime writers.

Completely unrelated, but very Australian–if you’ve never seen the bullion coins produced by the Australian mint, you should check them out. They do some stunning designs and have more than one collection, including a koala bear series, a kangaroo series, a Chinese calendar year (which depicts things like the year of the horse, the year of the ox, the mouse and so on). I put up a picture of one of my favorite coins from the kookaburra series on the right. No, I don’t own it, but I think it’s just a gorgeous coin. I’m also partial to birds and that little kooka is gorgeous! So if I ever make it to Australia, maybe I’ll be lucky and that will be my souvenir!

Author James Maxey is raising money for breast cancer research. He has 50 books–you give a donation, even as little as a dollar, and he’ll send you a copy of Dragonseed. Here’s the blog entry where you can find the info on donating and how to get your book:

Books for Breast Cancer Research

The other book pictured here, Nobody Gets the Girl is also by James Maxey. So far as I know, it has nothing to do with the charity effort, but I couldn’t resist looking it up to see what it was about. Yes, it’s another book that must be added to my TBR pile! I like this kind of book–it sounds funny, zany, weird. The amazon reviews were good too. Sounds like it has an intricate plot. Could be a fun read!!!

Today it is supposed to get to 104. Give or take. The walks in the morning are dreadful. Stifling. It never gets below 75, so there’s a wall of heat to greet us every morning. It slaps us in the face. The air is like walking in a vacuum. You breathe in, but feel like you missed the important, oxygen component.

The lawn looks like it was blasted by a furnace. The garden…as of this morning has a curtain or three hanging strategically in front of the tomato plants. These will “block” just a tiny bit of the afternoon sun. The melon types seem to handle the heat. The tomatoes, not so much. Junior thought my curtain idea was great. He spent the time yanking on them and getting yelled at. He likes to play “curtain.” He does it inside once in a while. He grabs the curtain, I yell “Junior!” and he ducks behind the curtain to “hide.” Then pretty soon, he peers out from underneath and makes a run for it.

He knows he is not supposed to play “curtain.” That did not stop him this morning. As I pinned the “drapes” on one side of the tomatoes, he lunged for them, grabbed and tried to wrestle them away. Then, quick as a cat, he dodged round the other side and sprinted for safety. But he came back and tried again a few times. Luckily (or unluckily as the case may be) it’s too hot for him to be out there destroying my curtains during the day.

Some years I can save the plants. I suspect I will be pulling up a couple of them. The good old Wisconsin–that one I knew didn’t handle the heat–and the Opener. I think the opening is over. We’ll see if the Celebrities make it. They have tomatoes, but they aren’t looking their best.

Scamp is working on becoming more photogenic–really she is. Of course when you scamper about in the half light, skulking in the shadows, it’s difficult. BUT, as you can see, Scamp has finally started using the pet door!!! We suspect that she was waiting for us to turn off the lights so she could sneak in…

She doesn’t come and go as freely as Junior. No, she opens the door, sticks her paw through, and waves it around a bit. Then she retracts it. Then she puts her head in, but only partway (you can’t even see her ears–she’s quite hilarious looking.) When she is almost positive that there is no danger, she’ll pop through. But she’s still pretty wary. If we move around too much or sneeze, she’ll make a beeline for the cat door. And no, she’s not nearly so cautious going out. She does it in one leap, very graceful, looking like a star pony in the horse jump.

She comes in now, at least once a day and plays with the catnip toy. She checks over her shoulder constantly. But then, what would you expect? She survived probably at least two years on her own, watching her back and being a wild, feral cat. For her, she’s come a long way!

Thanks Dad. For everything, but especially for telling me not to be a sissy and convincing me that I could do everything the boys could do. And then when I couldn’t, thanks for teaching me that everyone has limits and that’s okay. Recognizing my limits and my strengths has helped shape my life, made many choices a lot better and made some of the failures a little easier. Of course you never recognized my failures. Your take on it was always, “Get back on the horse. If that one won’t ride, find one that will.”

Giddy-up!

This appears to be the week where all the publishing tips come in at once! I have found a plethora of gems from the editor(s) over at Mundania Press.

In my posts on publicity, it was probably pretty obvious that going with a smaller press (i.e. not one of the huge houses) may mean the author has to work harder at publicity or in getting books in bookstores. Turns out, there are a few advantages:

First, when working with a big house, an author usually has NO say in the cover. If you have a good editor and a good agent, you might be able to wheedle a few changes to the cover art. When working with a smaller press, Niki Browning (aka Skye), the Art Director for Mundania Press, wrote a great blog post for authors on the subject of cover art. Here’s a couple of samples:

Let’s face it; unless you are Stephen King or Mary Higgins Clark, your cover is what will sell your book so it better be a good one.

So how do you, the author, help to make sure your cover is the best it could possibly be? Well let’s go over some basics.

Wiggle room
Give the artist breathing room; don’t be too set on your vision…

…

Lack of focus
It’s ok to be vague. Give your artist several pieces of imagery you’d like to see on the cover and we can work with that.

…

Remember, we want the books with our covers to sell just as much as you do.

Go read the whole thing. It’s a very informative post. No matter who you are working with, Skye has some great tips.

Skyla Dawn (acquisitions editor for Mundania Press) also did a fabulous blog post–giving up the keys to the Kingdom, she talks about the submission process at Mundania. She includes all the important details and links to other posts that are related:

Stats from the Slush Pile
Why they can’t publish previously published (re: self-published) work.
Acquisition Tips
How to Inquire About a Submission
Why Rejections Don’t Include Feedback
What Made a Book a “yes!”
Perspective on Rejections
Publishing is like Dating
Don’t Burn that Bridge!

It may seem like an exhausting list, but trust me–those tips are GOLD. Sure, some of them seem obvious (and just what kind of dating life did the editor have anyway???) but every single one is worth reading. Mundania Press also has a nice little submission stats update on the right sidebar–telling authors that check in, just how far along the editors have read. I’d have to say it’s one of the more friendly sites I’ve visited.

In yesterday’s post I covered points and tips that book publicist PJ Nunn shared at a recent Sister’s in Crime meeting in Austin, Texas. Today I’m going to talk about some of my thoughts. For now, I’ll mainly cover: Internet promotion versus Everything Else

PJ talked about a promotion pyramid (she didn’t have the graphic, but described it and I may have gotten some of the details…let’s just say there’s room for error). At the bottom of the pyramid (most important) was print/library, then radio, signings and last, at the top, internet.

I thought it an interesting pyramid and probably the exact opposite of how I would prioritize. I don’t know if it is a generation thing (I think I’m the same age as she is) or just a usage thing. I have never subscribed to a newspaper. Ever. I don’t listen to talk radio. When a commercial comes on, I switch stations (almost compulsively, I kid you not.) I rarely hear ads. For one to stay with me…probably isn’t going to happen.

PJ mentioned that the internet can become the worst time-sink of all the activities. I agree. Just like anything else, you have to prioritize your time. But…the internet is where I get *all* my book recommendations these days. Maybe I’m a minority. And I’m not saying I want to miss out on other opportunities. I’d prioritize the library pretty high on the list as well.

PJ didn’t mention that she blogged on Dead Guy until I raised my hand and asked about it. Yet–as an advertising tool, it must have worked because I attended the talk after learning about it from reading…the Dead Guy post. There were about fifteen of us in attendance, and I was the only one that heard about it via the internet that I know of. So yeah, the hit rate wasn’t high. But I don’t participate in Sister’s in Crime (I don’t have a book published so there’s not a lot of incentive.) I also don’t go out much so even had the bookstore had a notice I never would have seen it.

I order most of my books online (seriously–99 percent.) My book club is online. I read reviews online. I get a number of books from the library, and if I am likely to attend an event–it will be at the library. I’ll hear about the event by chance or because the library posts it on their internet page (which I see frequently when I’m out browsing to see if they have a title.)

Now, granted, I’m just one book buyer/reader. BUT after listening to PJ talk, I felt that yes, I’d have to give more consideration to some of the other things on the pyramid. I still left feeling that the internet was probably the most important tool I could use. Why? Because of all the things that she talked about, the internet was the most cost-effective. It won’t reach everyone. But neither do any of the other mediums. A book signing is going to eat up an entire day and possibly have travel costs as well as smaller costs (a candy dish, a display, etc.) And there is no guarantee you’ll sell any books at all. In fact, if I were to be published by a small publisher, book signings would fall lower on the list because the chance of being carried by stores would be even smaller.

Libraries are my second pick because I’ve seen how well they work. Not just talks either. A visit to a library to talk to the librarian about your book can mean the book gets displayed or promoted during its release–or during a special promotion on certain topics.

Newspaper and other print? If I had to pay for it, I’d skip. Like anyone, I’d love to be reviewed anywhere, but there are long lines to get reviewed. I’d have to study each market carefully before “spending” an ARC or print copy. I’m a reviewer. It is impossible to review every book I am sent.

I think you have to pick a few markets and try really hard to get coverage. The topic of review markets has been discussed on Dead Guy before and I think most people felt that a professional review beat blog reviews hands-down. I…tended to disagree with that. Any review is good. Reviews on sites with lots of traffic are obviously better than an individual blog (such as my own.) But competition is fierce. I think you gotta try to get the mentions where you can and not be snobby about it. We’d all love to be on Oprah, but it isn’t going to happen.

Then too, I spend time reading book blogs. Professional ones and hobby ones. Some people will probably only read the “pro” ones. Some people are just looking to talk books.

Radio: I’m ambivalent about radio simply because I don’t listen. I wouldn’t turn down a radio spot. I’ve been on the radio before (it’s a little nerve-wracking). The key is: If someone is listening to the radio, are they going to stop and take the time to write down the book title? Maybe. But it’s not an impulse buy.

I’ll talk a little more about radio and podcasts–it came up during the Q&A and again, I found it pretty interesting.

And keep in mind that PJ wasn’t against the internet — but the internet is something you can do for yourself. Some of the other venues might be harder and that’s where an author can benefit from her network and knowledge.

I’d also like to think we are on the cusp of change. The internet has opened entire venues that were closed before–including researching and accessing information such as this. It’s a wonderful tool that can provide an author with exposure, interaction and discussions.

This weekend I attended a talk by book publicist P.J. Nunn. (Thanks to the local Austin Sisters in Crime chapter for setting it up.) PJ blogs once a week over at Dead Guy where she imparts little gems about what authors need to do to get noticed. You can also find out more about PJ’s company, Breakthrough Promotions, on her website.

Anyway, I brought home a few useful tips and facts. Since I read Dead Guy, not all of the things were a surprise, but I tried to condense a few of the more interesting tidbits here:

1. Once you sign a contract with a book company, you need to start looking for a publicist if you intend to hire one. Actual events won’t be scheduled, but you’ll have time to interview various publicists and once you hire one, she will keep you in the back of her mind–when booksellers or radio people call her looking for a book tie-in, she’ll know if you and your book are a good fit.
   
   P.J. likes to know about a book coming out twelve to eighteen months in advance to work you into the schedule and do the best job. She works with authors with a shorter time-frame all the time, but the longer in advance she knows, the better. You don’t need a publicist BEFORE the contract is signed.
2. Books distributed by other than Ingrim or Baker (as is common with smaller publishers) cannot generally be carried by major book chains without going through an approval process. In other words, if your book won’t be distributed by the big name distributors, you won’t appear in stores. You MAY be able to get one or two local chain store(s) to carry the book if they know you (you shop there, you take the time to introduce yourself, etc). The chains won’t order them unless someone comes in and requests the book. They will order that single copy for the customer, but not carry the book on the shelf (this is actually true of some bookstores even if you are with a major publisher–if the book isn’t on their buy list, they will only order the one copy).
   
   There is an approved list of small publishers/vendors that the chains reference to see if they will carry your book, but this list is not readily obtainable–nor is it easy to get a publisher on the list if it is not already on there. You will have a harder time selling your book through bookstores. For any signings, you may have to supply the books yourself (the bookstores will process them and you’ll get paid for sales, but you have to have the inventory). This is something to take into consideration when you’re signing that contract. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t sign–but it does mean you should know your selling job is going to be harder. A few publicists may try to help you/your publisher get on the approved list, but it is difficult and not something the bookstores are particularly interested in doing. PJ didn’t use the word “impossible,” but you could see it on her forehead.
3. Print announcements (newspapers, magazines) are the hardest advertising/announcements to obtain these days. You must schedule three to six months in advance. You generally must have a personal angle/hook to get a write-up–not just being a local writer, but a tie-in with some event. For example, if you write cooking cozies, you have a better chance of a local radio or paper spot if you use that book angle during a large summertime cook-off.
4. Kirkus and Library Journal require two copies of your book in order to even consider doing a review. Publisher’s Weekly requires one (I think–better plan on two just in case). In these times of cutbacks, consider that your author copies (the number of free copies you get from your publisher varies by contract) are going to be used for publicity. You might want to try and get more copies in your contract so you have more to use for publicity.
5. If you don’t get ARCs (Advance User Copies) from the publisher, consider doing your own semi-professional bound copies at Kinkos/Office Max to send to some review places. It must look nice!!! Do not make a hack job of it or your book will likely be set aside and ignored. (Ten to twenty ARCS is a common number of ARCS done today, but that number is dwindling. That number is also generally a smaller number with small presses.)
6. If you write a Christmas book (as is quite common with cozies) you have a limited shelf life. Be aware of this when/if you’re asked to do a specialty/holiday book of any sort.
7. Take something eye-catching to your book signing. Examples: Lego displays that depict a scene in the book. Mini-crime scene. Framed objects or a poster board with clippings/objects that apply to your book. Do not dress as a vampire or get too cute…do not go naked with a sign board of your book cover covering…parts of your body!
8. What can a first time author expect from a publicist? As an unknown, a publicist should be able to get you:
    
   • reviews on the internet
   • Local paper announcement (sometimes these are very difficult.)
   • Book signings
   • Library Appearance
   • Radio Appearance (local, smaller markets)
   • Maybe local tv

How much would something like the above package cost? Anywhere from $500 to $25,000, depending on the publicist. If you hire a publicist, ASK what you will get for your money–how many interviews, print appearances, signings, etc. Keep in mind the publicist may not get every single one that you talk about–but you should have some sort of meter in mind for your money. PJ works with “packages,” trying to set up “x” number of things for a certain price and more for a higher price. This may seem obvious, but it is not–many publicists will take your money with no particular plan in place.

I’ll talk more tomorrow or later in the week about my impressions of the discussions at the meeting–my own personal take-away. If you have questions, throw them in the comments–or visit Dead Guys and post comments for PJ there. She’s very approachable and helpful.

Yeah, I know it’s Tuesday. But I was going to write this post yesterday…

More Neem Oil
I notice that when I use Neem oil, the bees stay away. I don’t think it kills them (unless it’s a direct shot) but I don’t think they like the smell. So for the cucumbers and melons (the aphids) I switched back to soap/water. That won’t help with any mildew problems, but let’s face it. It’s one hundred degrees out there every day. If I don’t overdo the soapy water, I shouldn’t have to worry much about mildew.

Bottom line, the Neem oil works great for some things, but it, like everything else I’ve tried, needs to be supplemented. I found it worked best on mildews when I did every other week with milk. For the spider mites on the tomato plants, the Neem oil has to be done weekly–and it’s about that time again. I’m going to give those bees at least another day without it in the garden though. I can only spray so much in this heat anyway.

Writing Short Stories
Apparently writing a couple of new short stories in April/May is bad timing. Several of the markets I like to submit to are closed for the summer…several more markets have been closed for a while and a couple of them have gone under completely. Rats.

Given the difficulty of getting published these days, am I the only one that doesn’t bother very often with mailing in a sub? I do a lot of email subs, but many of the older (and most successful) magazines aren’t likely to publish my stuff (because my stuff tends to be light, not dark fantasy, not serious and not sci/fi). I’ve found that their return times are quite long (except for Fantasy and Science Fiction edited by Gorden Van Gelder, who is pretty quick with decisions on subs) and I already know my chances are slim to none. So most of the time I save my paper and postage. I tend to submit to magazines that I like to read with the odd chance taken now and then on a new venue (be it snail mail sub or email.)

Kindle Sales
I posted this in my column over at BSCreview, but I know that not everyone catches the column. For writers and readers, this is pretty interesting info: J.A. Konrath, author of the Jack Daniels thrillers, posted his kindle sales info--how many, where he priced things, how much he made, and so on. Pretty interesting, at least for me.

I’m amazed at how many kindles are selling–along with the books that go on them. I always felt that ebooks would take off someday, simply based on price and mobility. I didn’t think it would be a device that cost 350 out the gate, but there are more and more sites selling ebooks. I read them on my laptop, although I still prefer a book in many ways. I’d read on a device–but not one that cost me 350!

Junior
Little Junior and his mom were in the yard playing yesterday as they do most days. They were standing right next to each other. Junior is now bigger than mom Scamp!!! I wonder when he’ll stop growing??? He looks full grown to me–his legs are longer than mom’s, but she didn’t have the benefit of decent meals from birth. I guess we’ll see. Both cats are doing very well. They seem quite happy with their lot in life. They play a lot–chase lizards, birds and each other. They eat when they want and they sleep a lot in this heat!!!!

Dark Wolf is still doing his feature columns with artists. This week he talks to Nicole Cardiff–and what fabulous art she does! The interview is one of the more interesting as well (maybe because blue is her favorite color????) I loved the part where she mentions that talent is only five percent of the formula…

Go check out the interview, which has several very nice samples of her work. For even more, check out Nicole’s Website.

I really like the one with the wolf. And I love the colors she uses.

I love everything I grow in my garden. Otherwise I wouldn’t grow it. Right? Well, this year, as in years past, I grew green onions. You know, those mild, sweet bunches of onions that go so nicely in soups or dips…or for finishing off things that need a bit of delightful garnish.

I’d just like to know who developed these particular green onions. They were very difficult to get started. Lots of seeds, not so many sprouts. Then when they did get going–huge. Leafy. Very nice looking onions. I put some in our Miso Soup yesterday. They decorate the dish with a delightful sprig of green and add just that little crunchy goodness. In this case, they start out sweet, just like you’re expecting. Then there’s this…bite. Sort of a hint of flame, like a radish. By the time you swallow, the flame has ignited, not unlike a Jalapeno seed. It burns the back of your throat. Like wasabi, when you breathe, your sinuses clear to somewhere north of Wisconsin. When you breathe out, you’re lucky if the couch doesn’t start on fire…

Who knew???? Maybe these things were pollinated by…a dragon.

The Neem Oil is working against the spider mites and aphids, but I do have to spray weekly. I was sooo hoping to find something safe that didn’t require constant upkeep. It’s now, when it’s 95 every day, that I’m thankful I didn’t plant so many tomato plants. No, I’m not getting as many big fat tomatoes–barely enough for us, but when I have to go out in the evenings to spray when it is still pushing 91, I am just happy to get done inside an hour. I think the neighbors are going to be disappointed this year. Yields aren’t high enough for sharing. Maybe there will be enough cucumbers. I picked two yesterday and there are another three coming in.

I do have one watermelon forming. It’s small yet so don’t be counting my watermelons before they are larger than a quarter!!! There’s a just-bigger-than-a-golf-ball cantaloupe out there too. No sprite melons. I haven’t even seen anything but male blossoms. The plant is beautiful though. Nice and green and creeping all over the garden.

The chili plants had a few beetles chewing on them. The snap pea plants are almost completely dead except near the very top. Disappointing yields on those and I planted them five or six times. A bird ate all my blueberries. Sometimes you get fruits, sometimes you get work without the yield. I’ll have to instruct those cats to watch the blueberry bush more carefully (like AT ALL.) The cats have been doing their job where the tomatoes are concerned. Different bird, different time of day.

Not to worry. I’m focused on those melons even though I’m not counting on them.

Normally, I’d save this for my monthly column over at BSCreview, but I’ve got something else planned for that column (which if it works out will be super cool.  Hint:  It might be some artwork from a guy that does cozy artwork and children’s artwork!)

There’s a really great interview conducted by Jeremy L. C. Jones in the latest Clarkesworld magazine. Jeremy interviewed the editors of probably the top ten fiction magazines (spec fic) out there.   While a lot of the ground covered shouldn’t be new to anyone who has been submitting for a while–there are some gems to be had.

This line by Nielsen Hayden (Tor) was great:

Read something other than SF. Do something with your life other than struggling to sell SF stories.

So true. When you consider how little writing pays and the competition? If you put all your eggs in that basket, all you’re going to end up with is smelly eggs! To point: On the BlackGate Forum a couple of weeks ago, John O’Neill (editor of BlackGate) mentioned that BlackGate had been open for submissions for about three weeks. They had over 300 subs come in…so far…and counting.

BlackGate publishes probably 12 to maybe 15 stories per issue. They do about 3 issues a year. You do the math on the chances of having a story accepted.

O’Neill had this very interesting tidbit:

I once got an angry letter from a reader asking why I didn’t publish more medieval fantasy, with castles, princesses and dragons and the like. I thought it was a bit ridiculous at first. Isn’t everyone as tired of that as I am? How many dragon—slaying stories do we need? But now I think I understand what she meant. Like most editors I respond best to genuine innovation in fiction — the original, truly well-crafted setting, the character with a fresh voice — but there’s a very real hunger for the familiar among readers, especially the trappings of the fantasy of our youth. I think we ignore that at our peril.

I am that reader. I’m not tired of medieval fantasy with castles and dragons. Some of the “innovative” stuff just…isn’t my cup of tea. I’m often looking for comfort food when I read, not the newest, exotic snail sauce.

There’s some really great stuff out there in the interview–every single editor has something interesting to say. Check it out.

As part of my research for my trip to Rome, I’ve been reading up on the art in the Vatican.  Not to be a philistine, and remember I am uneducated in artworks, but it seems to me that the people depicted are quite well-fed (looking a little flabby with extra pounds around the waists here and there.)

Of course, this wouldn’t be all that obvious if they wore clothes.  What is up with that?  Over half the pictures I’ve seen depict completely naked people–sort of implying that in that day and age, clothes were not popular.  When the people in the images are wearing clothes they seem to be half draped in clothing (body parts…leak out here and there–a boob here, a missing fig leaf there.)

I’m not complaining about the quality of the art, mind you, I’m just noticing. Makes me wonder if they are trying to depict what was considered normal/beautiful for the time or if because the scenes often depict a holy image of some sort if the nakedness is meant to portray us in all our…glory?  Hmm.

At any rate, I’m sure the pictures (like most things) are better seen in person.  Most of the ones in the books I’m reading are black and white and that tends to make them a confusing picture of crowds of people.  It’s hard to tell what any of them are supposed to be doing, even when you’re familiar with things like the story of Moses and the Flood and the Last Judgment and so on.

I am learning quite a bit and I’m looking forward to seeing the real things.

So, some of you know I’m a craigslist shopper/watcher.  Especially when I’m actually looking for say, furniture (small buffet or kitchen island).  I often window shop, browsing through the ads, just in case there is a Bargain To Be Had.  Mostly I am just flumoxed by the ads–the lack of information, the lack of a picture or the almost infamous misspellings.  How do you expect to sell a “chester drawers” when people looking for a chest of drawers are not likely to search on your “as I say it spelling?”

How about the “Painting by well-known Mexican Artist” that…neglects to mention said name of artist?

Why does it only occur to about half the people, half the time that those buying furniture need to know the dimensions of the piece of furniture in order to tell if the piece will fit?

How many people are there in this world that buy throw rugs for hundreds of dollars *or thousands* only to get them home and realize they “don’t fit in the planned space” or “clash with the couch?”   And why do they all think said rug can be sold for the original price????

Why do people think they can get so much money for entertainment centers when they want to jettison theirs because they replaced their tv with a flat-screen that hangs from the wall????

And last, but not least, if you are selling or giving away puppies, it might be helpful if you didn’t confuse them with food.  They are “purebreds” not pure breads.

Finally!  Scamp decided to cooperate and offer a few select shots.   In the first one, she is being attacked by the mockingbird(s) that I told you about.  The attacks don’t seem to bother her much, but the birds do a lot of fussing, squawking and noise making.

Last night and this morning, we propped open the cat door and got her to come inside using the door.  Junior wasn’t around when it happened last night and boy, did he seem upset that she had been using his door!  He refused to go in the door, instead waiting for us to open the screen door and let him in!!!  Then he sniffed around the place, very suspicious.

Strange, these cats.  They hang around outside all the time.  They seem to cover the exact same territory.  And she’s been in here before just not in a long while (not since the new door.)   Apparently he wasn’t too fond of the idea, but he does seem to have adjusted because at 5 am he called for us from the living room to inform us…that he was awake I guess.  Then about an hour later, he called again, this time to inform us that Scamp was waiting outside to be fed…