Beach Bum on Central Coast

Sorry that I’ve been absent for the last week-plus from the blog-o-sphere. My family and I took a much needed vacation down to the Central Coast and spent a week at Pismo Beach. It was our first big road trip with the baby and needless to say we had a great time.

If you’ve never been to Pismo Beach or the San Luis Obispo region of the Central Coast, I strongly urge you to take some time off and head down there. The weather is great, living expenses are cheap, and the people are some of the friendliest I’ve ever met. The “SLO” life as it’s called is a great way to chill, relax, and forget about the stresses of everyday life.

So where do you like to vacation when you need to decompress? Any favorite haunts where you go to reinvigorate yourself? How do you prefer to get away from it all?

Civil War Weekend

Ever been surrounded by a few hundred rifles and a dozen cannons all going off at once? Have you wanted to go back in time and relive an era of history?

This weekend I took part in the annual Gibson Ranch Civil War reenactment in the Sacramento area. Needless to say, wearing wool in ninety degree heat and lugging around a hot musket are a great way to get some exercise on a warm spring day. It was also great getting a chance to take some shots at some Rebs (I fight for the North), and to see old friends I hadn’t seen in a while. This is but one of the many ways I not only relive history, but do research for my historical writing. This weekend alone I learned how to disassemble/reassemble an 1860s rifle and some other things I could never have learned in a book. I had to do it for myself.

So what are some ways you research for your writing? What are some places you like to go or things you like to do that enhances the authenticity of your work? 

May Day

Do you celebrate May Day? Odds are that you or someone you know does. It’s all about enjoying springtime and the coming summer days ahead.

The first of May means many things to different people. In Celtic culture it’s Beltane, which kicks off the warmer time of year and the fertility rites (think Mists of Avalon). In England people dance around the maypole, and in Russia crowds celebrate with a parade. Other parts of the world use May Day as a time to protest any grievances they may have, and today in places throughout the third world they’re doing just that.  

So how do you plan to celebrate the first of May today? Hang out with friends or maybe read some Arthurian May Day-oriented literature? Perhaps you’ll start your own May Day tradition?  

Alpha Cities

Do you live in or near an Alpha city? Perhaps you worked in one once? How much of the economy, politics, and cultural aspects of your local community are affected by one of the world’s top alpha cities?

Less than 50 cities worldwide are known as “Alpha” cities in that amongst these few dozen metro areas the majority of all human commerce, cultural influences, politics, and even relative human populations reside. I’m always interested in how people interact with each other on a global scale, and living/working in a major Alpha city (San Francisco), I’m continually curious about how these major metropolises effect the ever converging mix of human cultures. Some of the most important Alpha cities you probably already know, cities such as New York and London, but everything from Beijing to Sydney are up there as well. See where your nearest urban city fits in on the list here.

So what are the unique cultural aspects of the place you live? How does its economy, politics, and unique way of thinking effect the way you live your life and write about it? If you could live in or near any Alpha city, which would it be? 

Shakespeare’s Birthday

And you thought you were old? Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Or how about wishing happy birthday to the greatest playwright in the English language?

Scholars dispute Shakespeare’s exact date of birth, but it was definitely this week approximately four hundred plus years ago. The Bard left us so many great treasures from his comedies and tragedies to his sonnets and histories. Whether visiting the Globe Theatre in London or watching Joss Whedon’s latest rendition of Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare’s writing continues to shape and define our culture and our souls to this very day.

What are your favorite Shakespeare plays? Perhaps you’ve memorized a favorite sonnet? Which film or live productions have particularly brought Shakespeare to life for you?

Fraction of Stone by Kelley Lynn

Checkout Kelley Lynn's new book!!! 
Release Date: March 21st, 2013 by Sapphire Star Publishing
Genre: YA Fantasy

Wind tunnels, torrential rains and earthquakes tear apart Casden. The cause of the world’s imbalance is unknown, but the mounting occurrences suggest there’s little time before life ceases to exist.

Rydan Gale and Akara Nazreth are the only humans with the ability to wield magic. The tattoo on their necks and the discovery of an ancient book, dictate they are the key to the world’s survival.

But the greatest obstacle for saving mankind isn’t the bizarre creatures, extreme betrayals and magic-fearing men hunting them.

It’s that Akara doesn’t believe the world is worth saving. 

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16160501-fraction-of-stone

Eventually the day came when the voices in Kelley Lynn’s head were more insistent then her engineering professor’s. So instead of turning to her Thermodynamics book, Kelley brought up a blank page on her computer screen and wrote. Somewhere along the way she became a Young Adult author.

Kelley was born and raised a Midwestern girl. She’s not afraid to sweat and fills her free time with softball, soccer and volleyball. (Though you probably don’t want her on your volleyball team.) She occasionally makes guest appearances as a female vocalist for area bands.

You can find Kelley hanging out at her blog, titled in her name, as well as the group blog she shares with her fellow critique partners, Falling for Fiction. Kelley is a member of the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators.

Kelley Lynn's Links: Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Book Trailer:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Writers and Taxes

It’s the most dreaded day of the year…tax day. Have you filed your taxes yet? Still trying to get them in?

If you’re a writer, there are some great potential benefits to consider when filing your tax returns, and it can save you some money in the long run.  For instance, if you attend writers' conferences headed by non-profits you can list them on your tax returns and get credit for your registration fees. So long as you’re in the budding stages of writing and not making a profit, your taxes on writing should be nil. If, however, you are fortunate enough to start making money as an author you can declare yourself a corporation, which many bestseller authors eventually do to avoid paying steep taxes on their book sales. These are just a few of the many benefits writers can take advantage of when doing their taxes. But remember, the best part of all is that it costs nothing to blog!

So how do you incorporate your writing career into your taxes? Any good practices/techniques that you’ve discovered when declaring your writing expenses? Any strategies you plan to employ to save yourself some money next year?