What have we done??

I have been thinking about vampires here lately. The latest Twilight movie is due out this week and It has made me ponder vampires. Vampires have changed quite a bit from the folklore vamps that made people's heart race and fear consume them in the dark of the night. They have went from being basically the living dead with pale skin and fangs like a tiger with an eternal lust for blood. Vampires now days are seen as lovely creatures who may or may not have fangs, the male of species will be ripped with six pack abs and a great smile; the females are beautiful beyond compare, pretty much sex on legs, the perfect rack with a deadly bite. It doesn't matter if your a boy or a girl out there somewhere is the vampire of your dreams.


Pop culture has softened vampires to the point where we would invite them into our homes and allow them to have their dinner without much protest. Lord knows if Eric from True Blood showed up and was hungry me being the good hostess that I am would let him have a drink on the house accompanied by a little something for desert. There is no fear pumping through our veins, no need for holy relics or prayers to save our souls. We want to be consumed, made into their perfect meal while secertly hoping it will develop into more.


I must say that our ancestors would be ashamed of us as a whole. Would we willingly sell our souls to the devil to become vampire? Would we risk loosing our humanity to become what we are not? Would we risk our afterlife for just a taste? From what I see and what I am included in I would say yes. That we are begging for it.

Most people cannot see that there is more to this than just vampires and being obsessed with living forever. It's about being able to change from being "normal" to something otherwordly, into something that is the top-of-the-food-chain-predator, something beautiful, and contain a bit of magic within ourselves. It's not that we want to loose our soul, we want to loose ourselves.

A good book does that to a person. It makes us want to be different, to be the hero struggling to find themselves on a quest that is world changing. We want to have the power to make our destiny truly our own. If that means dressing as a wizard with a room full of friends while playing a role playing game so be it, or immersing ourselves in vampire books, or playing video game for hours upon hours we will.


What this change in vampires is saying to me is that we are taking away their scare factor and humanizing them to the point to where we can assume their identity easily so that we can escape for a short while. If they are thinking more like us, the humans, then we feel like we know them, that as a species we can pin point what it feels like to be an all powerful, sex driven vampire that can get away with murder, or having numerous sexual partners without guilt and shame.

Vampires have evolved and morphed into these physically perfect bodies while we as humans are still waging the battle of the bulge. They have perfect eyesight, perfect hair, perfect teeth. Really no flaws physically, but mentally they are a bit off in different ways. A perfect example of this is Eric from True Blood seeing children as "tea cup humans". We have given vampires personalities other than being lustful for the red stuff that pumps through our veins. We have taken folklore that scared the crap out of our ancestors and turned it into the stuff of fantasies and perhaps our dreams for the human race. Who wouldn't want to be a physically perfect version of themselves?

Should we put the fear factor back into vampires? Should we allow them to return back to their graveyards and suck out their almost human ways? I think we need to remember that vampires evolved from a stories told around the fire to remind us that out there in the darkest part of the night there might be creatures out there that are deadly and want not just our blood but our very souls. If we strip vampires of their spooky essence so to speak what does that leave us with? It leaves us with another verison of the human race. Now what fun is that?

Books, books, books!

This time of year there is always a ton of books being released and it can be difficult to keep up with. Trust me, I'm struggling a bit. There are so many different genres of books out there and twice as many authors. There is so many out there you couldn't even stir them with a stick as my mom says. To make things easier I have rooted through some new releases and oldies but goodies for you.


Paula Deana's husband Michael Groover has published a memoir with Sherry Sule Cohen titled "MY DELICIOUS LIFE WITH PAULA DEAN". This memoir includes tid-bits about his life with Paula, and he has even included how the two met. I adore Paula Dean and I am fascinated by her, plus she reminds me of myself. I am not such a big fan of butter like she is, but all the same the southern gal thing is there. It is available on Amazon.com for $16.50 in the Hardback edition and $9.99 for kindle.


We all have read "A CHRISTMAS CAROL" by Charles Dickens, and we all have seen the various stage renditions and movies versions of this wondrous tale. But did you know that in 1853 he went on a reading tour, and when Charles Dickens went on a reading tour it was anything but normal. He was not your typical writer, and so his readings were not typical. There was no simply reading small paragraphs here or there, nope. He acted out scenes from his most popular works. He not only read parts of his books but he also acted out the scenes alone. It was him on the stage illuminated by the gas lamps acting out the scenes in a one man show. The reading tours almost killed him. He put his heart and soul into these reading tours. He cut, re-wrote, added stage directions, and made notes for himself in a select copy of "A CHRISTMAS CAROL", this version of the book is called a prompt copy.
The great people at Levenger have worked with the New York Public library (who has the only original prompt copy) to release reproduction prompt copies to the public. The reproduced prompt copies are in full color and include copies of handwritten notes penned by Dickens and an introduction by the New York Public Library's curator Isaac Gewirtz which covers the back story of the book and a transcription of the amended text. A prompt copy of A Christmas Carol is found only from Levenger at the price of $48 for a red linen and gold foil Hardcover edition. Levenger.com


For those out there that love graphic novels and history this is the book for you. "The story of Sir Winston Churchill:The Happy Warrior" is a 1950's comic strip from Britain's Eagle comics complied into a single book. It's the biography of Sir Winston Churchill comic book style. This is also only available from Levenger, it is a hardback edition and is priced at $38. Levenger.com


"On Becoming Abraham Lincoln: From the 1893 Biography" by John Torrey, Jr. Morse with a foreword by Ronald White is an 1893 account of Lincoln's early years. The original print of the book minus the foreword by Ronald White is no longer available, meaning it is out of print. The version with the added foreword is avaiable through Levenger for $34.00. This newest version of the book includes copies of handwritten notes by Abe himself.


"Bear Portraits" by Jill Greenberg is a follow up to her first book "Monkey Portraits" with this collection of photos of bears that will make your heart sing with joy. The Bear's photos were taken against a simple drop cloth backdrops to ensure that the bears are the center point of the photo. A must have for the animal lover, and kids will thoroughly enjoy being able to check out bears minus all the distractions of a natural background. This a available on Amazon.com, Hard copy, for $14.57. Sorry there is no kindle version.


Rare Words and Ways to Master Their Meanings: 500 Arcane but Useful Words for Language Lovers and Rare Words II and Ways to Master Their Meanings: 500 More Unusual Selections, Some with Poetic Confections for Gleaning Their Meaning by Jan Leighton and Hallie Leighton. These books are no longer in print but can be purchased from independent sellers and from Levenger.com for around $20 each. These books include forgotten words of the English language. These are books for language lovers and scrabble lovers.

Check back next week for a list of children books that would make great gifts for young readers and beginners.

Happy Vetrans Day!

First up, HAPPY VETERANS DAY!! Today make sure that you say thank you to someone that has or is serving our country.

Second Christmas is right around the corner. I checked and we have 6 Fridays till Christmas! I know that everyone has that certain someone in their lives that is impossible to shop for, I am myself am one of those people. Being that I am hard to shop for I wondered if all writers are hard to shop for at Christmas. It's a delicate balance of spending your money well, meaning purchasing something of quality,getting something that he/she will adore and of course the price has to be affordable. Yeah, if I had a million dollars I wouldn't worry about the holiday season. I'd just throw a wad of cash at my beloved family members, but since I don't and a majority of people don't I am here to give you some ideas for the writer in your life.

Office supplies. No joke, I have an office supplies addiction. Put me in Office Depot with a blank check and I will get the shakes. Does your writer go through ink pens like mad? If so ask what their favorite brand is and buy a large box and gift wrap it. Do they buy index cards in bulk? If so buy them so spiffy multi-colored ones or a note card bleacher.
(cubi leather drawers $74.00 from Lavenger.com) Are they unorganized? If so think about gifting them some organizational aides such as a spinning organizer, labels, a file folder box that can be easily personalized. Or if your a true friend you could hire them an assistant to mail off all of those pesky query letters and help them be organized. Trust me, your writer friend will love you. My desk currently looks like a paper factory puked on it, and it's no body's fault but my own.

Is your writer a traveler? Does he/she have a hideous bag they tote everywhere that went out of style 10 years ago, and is tattered and looks like it has been on several expeditions to the Amazon and back? Or do they just carry everything loose like in High School (Cause they are too cool for a bag, duh.)?

(the bag in the photo can be found at Amazon.com, rust is the color and it is by BedStu for $89.90)If so a bag is the solution! I adore messenger bags with lots of pockets and that is all weather proof. I have a red and black one that has been through hell (I even took it to the beach several times and it still looks good) and it has lasted. There are several grown-up adult bags out there in heaps of different designs and made out of a whole slew of materials from leather, canvas, hemp, there are even some green options.

Are they a laptop writer? If they are they might not be satisfied with their laptop bag. I'm not. I hate it because the only thing I can fit in it is my laptop. Lord help me if I want to carry a notebook with me or even try to jam my cell phone in with it. I love the fact that it's all weather proof and shock proof (meaning if I drop it the contents of the bag will survive the fall). but that's about all the good points it has.


I have found a wonderfully spiffy laptop case that I wantand I'm sure that special person in your life would enjoy. It's perfect for the traveling laptop addict/writer. It's by "Levenger" it's a laptop case that is light and it holds your laptop, plus cds/dvds, it even has a mesh zipper pocket that will hold a flash drive, a power cord, and has 3 zip pockets on the outside! It also has an option for backpack straps to be attached! It's waterproof/shock proof and comes in 5 different colors. It can be found on Levenger.com

Has your writer fallen on hard times and still hasn't gotten that website up and running yet? Well, there are all sorts of web hosting sites out there(go daddy go is one of them). Check out their prices and give them a gift card for a year of web hosting. Then your receiver can go on-line and set it up without having to worry about the bill. They get their face out there and you helped. Hey, it might get you mentioned in the acknowledgement section of their book when they are published.


I hope that these gift ideas have gotten your shopping juices flowing. I know mine is, but I seriously doubt if my husband and kids will be thrilled if I spent all of our Christmas money on office supplies. That would be so good for me, but would suck for them. If you have an idea for a gift for a writer post it in a comment, I would love to hear any that are not mentioned above.

HAPPY VETERANS DAY!!

bibliophilism on-line

This past weekend I worked on a Science Fair Project with my oldest son. We wanted to analyze the effect of vinegar while dying eggs. It was interesting to say the least, and we have come to the conclusion that you should NEVER try to dye eggs in 100% vinegar, it comes out ugly and will dissolve the egg shell. It was a very productive weekend.

I have been productive in other ways also. I have officially started myself a SHELFARI account. The link to the page is on the left to their website and this is the link to my page; http://www.shelfari.com/o1514444833 check me out and set up your own on-line library, after all it's free! This is a great way to keep track of your books, what books you want to read, which ones you have loaned out to your friends, and of course your friends can access your page to see what books you own so they can ensure they do not purchase you a book you already own. And of course they have heaps of reviews from other members, and a community. It's like FaceBook for bibliophilism.

I Survived!

I have survived my parent teacher conference with my pride still in tact. Actually I simply adore my pre-k teacher, I would hang out with her all the time if I could. To put it simply she rocks. I hope your parent teacher conference went as well as mine did.

I thought I would post an update about me, well my book actually. I have finished typing it and editing! I survived that also, it has been a day full of miracles. I am still not done with it, but I am so very close. Really all I have left to do is to polish it, which means I have to read it and make sure there are no typos marring my masterpiece. I have almost drove myself insane over the details, I do sweat the small stuff when it comes to my work, and almost drug my wonderful husband insane with me. I bet he is wondering how many times I can possible wake him up at 2 AM asking him about a phrase or an idea. I am so very close to being finished that I can almost taste it.

Now I know that all of you writers out there are fighting with your own characters to behave and to follow what you want. The best advice I can offer is if you are not satisfied with your work re-do it, and re-do it until you are happy with it. I re-wrote chapter 22 fifteen times, and I am still not entirely sure if I am satisfied with it. I know that the entire process is frustrating and can in fact drive you to hate all writing apparatus for the rest of your life, but you can do this! It's your mind, your paper, your words. Simply let your words bloom, envision your paper as a garden with rich fertile soil and your words are the seeds. Plant your seeds with care, love and joy and watch them sprout into something that will be a thing of wonder and beauty. When your "flowers" bloom you will be surprised to see how they have formed paragraphs and chapters that will cause awe to fill you. You will have a work to be proud of, a work that will scream your brilliance.

Happy writing, and Happy Friday!

Parent Teacher conferences

For us that have kids on the nine-week block system, meaning that instead of every six weeks like most schools we get report cards every nine weeks, the time for parent-teacher conferences are here. There is no need to panic!

It's just a conference! There is no need to flash back to when you were in grade school and the principal just summoned you to the Lair of Doom, a.k.a their office. Trust me,I understand that fear, I have been there many times myself, and this is coming from a girl that was in After School Detention so much in High School that I had a special reserved desk. Yeah, I was a bit of a troublemaker. We are adults now, all grown up, and they cannot bring you into the office and make you feel like they are going to call your parents because you forgot to sign a form or because you sent your child a peanut butter sandwich for lunch when three students in the class have nut allergies.

Since we are adults you would think that the playing field would be even. Your an adult, the teachers and staff are adults, your a parent and most of them are parents themselves. Not the case! I have had my fair share of feelings of frustration because the teacher thought poorly of me. I do not care if they dislike my bumper sticker or the fact that I let my child eat ice cream every single day for lunch period. I am here for my CHILD, I am his/her main promoter! I am here to rally them to success when they are failing otherwise.


These ill feelings can come from the strangest of places. I had one teacher who informed me that I was a "Young" mother and that she understood if I felt like I couldn't handle my "baby" being in kindergarten. I handled it just fine, and so did he did until she turned out to be crazier than a bat. I have realized that teachers are just like us, they are people! Yep, who could of guessed that?

We all know that they have received a higher education at college and that they are trained to deal with children and the issues that children have. What the colleges do NOT teach is how to communicate with parents. That is where us the parents have to step up.


The easiest thing to do if you are having ANY issue is to speak to the teacher. Call them, e-mail them, send a note, or make an appointment to visit with them. I promise that they are ready for some sort of communication from you, that is part of their job. If your little one is being reluctant to go to class talk to the teacher! Find out if their is another child in class that your child does not get along with, or if they are struggling with a subject the are doing in class. You know your child, you know what he/she is comfortable with, advise the teacher of your child's personal likes and dislikes. Is your child a bit of a neat freak and does not care for finger painting? Let them know! If your child can be comfortable they will do much better in class.

I know that a lot of children and teachers simply do not mesh well. I know this because I have been there. If your child is doing poorly in school and your communications with the teacher has not gotten to the bottom of the issue simply spend a day with your child in school. It doesn't matter if the teacher is a P.E. teacher, or if they are having issues in the lunch room, go with them. The school cannot forbid you to join your child for library time, gym or lunch or spending the entire day with them. I recommend it actually. If they are having a special learning unit in gym, like a skating unit go to gym and skate with your child. You will have fun, your child will be thrilled that you went and you will get to see how the teachers conduct class and you will also get to meet their friends.

If your child and the teacher simply is not a good combination you can request a different teacher as long as you make the request early in the year or if there are signs of MENTAL or PHYSICAL abuse. You may have to meet with the principal to achieve this, but hey, who is scared of the principal?

The parent-teacher conferences are to let you the parent know how your child is doing in class, and to give you the opportunity to ask the teacher any questions. A lot of the time not only are the child's main homeroom teacher there for the conference, but also the gym, art, music and computer lab teachers are there. You can talk to them also, check out the projects your child has done and check to see if they have a classroom wish list for items they need for future projects.

To prepare yourself make a list of things you want to discuss, but keep it simple. Most conferences allot only 15 minutes per child. If you feel like there is more you need discuss while at the conference arrange a meeting. I try to ask if my child has improved in anything since the beginning of the year (I love to praise my child), second I ask if my child is having any difficulties with any subjects (math, reading, handwriting, spelling, class room behavior, etc. If your child struggles with paying attention at home or finishing tasks at home ask to see if they are having the same issue at school, and if they are not ask the teacher what promotes they are giving your child that is different from what you are doing at home.

Parent-Teacher conferences are not to be feared. Explain to your child that they are welcome to come with you, and that you are going to speak to their teacher about how brilliant they are. Children LOVE praise, make sure you learn something good so that you can praise them.

As far as the teacher is concerned they only want to discuss your child. They do not want to hear about how plastered you got last weekend because you got a raise. They do not want to become your best friend. They would like to know when any MAJOR changes in your home take place. If you are having a baby and your child is having issues dealing with it tell the teacher, if you are getting a divorce tell them! Tell them about anything that could potentially have an effect on your child!! They can help your child get through the issue with your help of course.

So make your list, be on time for the conference and don't be nervous! You will be brilliant. This meeting is for your child's benefit and yours. Enjoy it.

Halloween Contest 2009

REPOST!!REPOST!!


Today is Hump Day! To take the hump out of your week I am here to announce that The Feathered Quill will be having a HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST! The contest officially begins TODAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2009 and ends on FRIDAY NOVEMBER 6, 2009!

TO ENTER: Send a photo of yourself in your Halloween Best to me at rubyself@aol.com in JPEG format and include your name, address, contact phone number and your e-mail address with your photo. This information is for contest use only, I will not spam you.


PRIZES:
First Place will receive a $25.00 gift cerifticate to SIMPLYAUDIO.COM, second place will receive a copy of DAN BROWN'S "The Lost Symbol", and one winner will be chosen randomly to win a $15.00 itunes gift card.
The winners will be contacted by me R.J. Self when they are drawn. I will mail the prizes to the winner in the month of November and the winner will be drawn on NOVEMBER 7 2009.

RULES:
NO NUDITY! A selection of the entries will be posted to my blog as well as the winning entries, by entering the contest you agree to have your photo posted. Only one prize per person. If multiple people are in the photo you will have to share the prize, one prize per place awarded. Entries without contact information included will not be entered in the contest, they will be discarded. Everyone is welcome to enter, the photo's can be in black in white, but this contest is for BEST COSTUME it will not be judged based on the photographer's skill.

If you have a question please contact me at rubyself@aol.com or leave a comment on my blog.

I look forward to seeing all the photo's and I will re post this blog post EVERY TUESDAY for those that need the entry information. May the best costume win!!!!

New Releases

I hope everyone had an awesome Halloween, I know that I did. I was surprised to find Atomic Fireballs and Sour WarHeads in our candy booty, that rocked. Needless to say that I claimed those delightful little candies for myself; there is nothing better than a fireball. This is the LAST week to enter for the Halloween Costume Contest, Friday is the deadline on that. I will repost the rules and how-to submit your entry today.


In other news Paul Shaffer, the band leader on David Letterman, has published a memoir titled, "We’ll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives : A Swingin' Show-biz Saga". This book covers his life growing up and of course his life in music and television, but the book really is about the music. It is now available for purchase on Amazon.com in Hardback edition ($15.21), Kindel edition ($9.99) and Unabridged Audio CD ($39.50).


Stephen King will have a new book released on Novemeber 10, 2009 titled, "Under the Dome: A Novel". It is available on Amazon.com for pre-order for the price of $9.00, now that is a deal! It's also avaiable for the Kindle for $9.00 and the audio CD (unabridged) for $26.39.

This is the synpopsis of the book:
On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester's Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into it and fall from the sky in flaming wreckage, a gardener's hand is severed as "the dome" comes down on it, people running errands in the neighboring town are divided from their families, and cars explode on impact. No one can fathom what this barrier is, where it came from, and when--or if--it will go away.

Dale Barbara, Iraq vet and now a short-order cook, finds himself teamed with a few intrepid citizens--town newspaper owner Julia Shumway, a physician's assistant at the hospital, a select-woman, and three brave kids. Against them stands Big Jim Rennie, a politician who will stop at nothing--even murder--to hold the reins of power, and his son, who is keeping a horrible secret in a dark pantry. But their main adversary is the Dome itself. Because time isn't just short. It's running out.



James Patterson is releasing "I, Alex Cross" on Novemmeber 16, 2009. It is a murder mystery of sorts. It is avaiable for pre-order through Amazon.com Harcover price is $9.00, Kindle verison is also $9.00, and the ABRIDGED Audio CD is $16.49.

You can't run

Detective Alex Cross is pulled out of a family celebration and given the awful news that a beloved relative has been found brutally murdered. Alex vows to hunt down the killer, and soon learns that she was mixed up in one of Washington's wildest scenes. And she was not this killer's only victim.

Alex Cross is your only hope to stay aliveYou can't hide

The hunt for her murderer leads Alex and his girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, to a place where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in. Alex and Bree are soon facing down some very important, very protected, very dangerous people in levels of society where only one thing is certain--they will do anything to keep their secrets safe.



As Alex closes in on the killer, he discovers evidence that points to the unimaginable--a revelation that could rock the entire world. With the unstoppable action, unforeseeable twists, and edge-of-your-seat suspense that only a James Patterson thriller delivers, I, Alex Cross is the master of suspense at his sharpest and best.


"The Original of Laura" by Vladimir Nabokov is being released on November 17, 2009. This book intrigues me not only as a writer, but also as a reader and as a person who has a large family. It is avaiable for pre-order on Amazon.com for the price of $23.10, and it is only avaiable in Hardback. I forsee myself making this book one of my purchases in the near future. The description follows.

When Vladimir Nabokov died in 1977, he left instructions for his heirs to burn the 138 handwritten index cards that made up the rough draft of his final and unfinished novel, The Original of Laura. But Nabokov’s wife, Vera, could not bear to destroy her husband’s last work, and when she died, the fate of the manuscript fell to her son. Dmitri Nabokov, now seventy-five—the Russian novelist’s only surviving heir, and translator of many of his books—has wrestled for three decades with the decision of whether to honor his father’s wish or preserve for posterity the last piece of writing of one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. His decision finally to allow publication of the fragmented narrative—dark yet playful, preoccupied with mortality—affords us one last experience of Nabokov’s magnificent creativity, the quintessence of his unparalleled body of work.

About the Author
Vladimir Nabokov was born in 1899, in St. Petersburg, Russia. His acclaimed works of fiction include Lolita, Pnin, and Pale Fire, among others. He died in Montreux, Switzerland, in 1977.

This year has been an amazingly frustrating year for book publishers and writers alike due to the fact that people are having less money to spend on lesiure books. For christmas this year give the gift of a book, or audio CD. By purchasing new books not only do you support your favorite authors but also give the book industry a much needed boost. With the economy still being low publishers are not accepting NEW WRITERS as much as they used to and many brilliant manuscripts are being turned away due to the fact that a new author is seen as a RISK. So if your like me and are looking for that new author that will make your heart race as you read their book we need to show our support of the industry so that the publishers will be willing to take those risks again.