When last seen, our heroine...

Biking for two good causes

2013-05-06T12:58:52Z

Had two great rides this weekend, which seems fitting because I'm getting in shape to bike for two great causes:

In June I'll be riding a metric century in the annual Macy's Vermont Cares Champ ride to raise money for HIV/AIDS prevention, support and advocacy. Click here to sponsor me or click here to sponsor my teammate Stacey.

In July I'm riding seventy-seven miles in the Prouty to raise money for cancer treatment and research sponsor me, or sponsor my enabler Stacey.

No donation is too small, or if you can't spare cash, send good thoughts our way.

HULK SMASH

2013-05-03T20:22:19Z

Having one of those days at the day job where I began responding to work related instant messages with "You won't like me when I'm angry" and ended the day with "PATRICIA SMASH!" Complete with embedded clipart.

I'm convinced that the reason Megacorp wants us to all work at home is to make it harder for us to strangle each other. If we were sitting in adjacent cubicles, open warfare would have broken out.

At least it's Friday....

Myrtle Beach anyone?

2013-05-02T11:59:25Z

I've been a member of Novelists Inc for over a decade, but I've never attended one of their annual conferences. There have been years where I've been tempted, but there was either a schedule conflict, or I wound up being able to afford to go to either WFC or Novelists Inc, and WFC won.

But when I opened up the May eNink newsletter, I finally realized that this year's conference is at a time when I can attend. And I don't have any other conferences planned, since both WFC and Worldcon fall on mandatory workdays.

Plus it's being held in Myrtle Beach. At a beach front resort, no less. (Okay, it's also scheduled for hurricane season, but I'll overlook that detail.)

Early in my career I went to RWA National conferences, but since DEVLIN'S LUCK came out I've been focused on F&SF events like WFC and Worldcon, where there's a mix of writing related topics, networking, and fan activities. It might be fun to go to a conference that's specifically geared to professional writers.

Hmm, must ponder this. It is tempting.

Humans are the weakest link

2013-05-01T16:03:27Z

Put traffic light controls on the internet so anyone can shut down the system at any time? How about locking someone in an automated car wash? Or shutting down a hyrdoelectric plant? CNN's followup report on the Shodan search engine gives us more examples of unsecured devices attached to the internet.

These are examples of failure of imagination, and a lack of understanding of how technology works. For the hydroelectric plant, the physical control room is almost certainly a locked room, that requires a badge and/or key access. But the web access was open to anyone who could figure out the IP address.

If I were writing a technothriller, I'd be accused of lazy plotting if I used one of these as a plot device. But in real life, this happens all the time.

Intrawebs for the win

2013-04-26T14:48:36Z

One of my nieces is doing a school genealogy project, and emailed me to ask if the Bray family had a coat of arms. Brays are tricky-- you can find the Bray surname all over Europe, and a cursory Google search will pop up arms associated with the Brays of England and Germany, while my father's people were from Cork, Ireland.

But my grandfather was Florrie Sullivan, and back in 1979 he was issued his own personal coat of arms. It occurred to me there might be a record of it online, and sure enough there it was: catalog listing from the National Library of Ireland.

I remember when he received the grant, and I was too young to understand what an honor it was. It was just another framed picture on the wall, along with his medals. I'm not sure who in the family has the original these days, but the beauty of the internet is that everything is indeed online, and can now be shared.

Women to read

2013-04-25T14:43:02Z

It's blog a woman writer day, organized by Kari Sperring under the hashtag #womentoread, see Kari's blog entry here for a little background on the project.

It's going to be hard for me to pick just one sff writer to blog about. I could start with Kari, whose debut novel LIVING WITH GHOSTS inspired me to write her a fan letter, and strike up a friendship.

Or do I reach back to my early years of reading fantasy, and Gillian Bradshaw, whose Arthurian trilogy (HAWK OF MAY/KINGDOM OF SUMMER/IN WINTER'S SHADOW) is indelibly etched in my mind as the standard by which all other Arthurian reimaginings are judged? She drove me to fits of despair when I realized how young she was when she wrote those books. She's since gone on to craft wonderful historical novels, detouring into fantasy and hard science fiction along the way.

Turning back to more recent reads, Rachel Neumeier's Griffin Mage trilogy was a brilliant exploration of non-human magic, and the inevitable clash of cultures that have no common reference points. Kate Griffin's Matthew Swift books combine lush prose, a fascinating magic system, and are grounded in such a sense of place that I gave them to a friend as a tongue in cheek London travel guide (although she's now hoping not to encounter any of the monsters featured in the stories when she ventures to London next month.)

For science fiction, is now a good time to confess that I was tongue tied when I met Kristine Smith at a World Fantasy Convention? It took me at least one drink before I was able to summon the courage to explain that I hadn't just read her Jani Kilian novels, I had read them multiple times. We were both published authors, sitting in the bar with our mutual agent, and I was still overwhelmed.

Glancing at my TBR stack, the majority of it is comprised of women authors-- Rob Thurman, Seanan McGuire, Ilona Andrews, Juliet E. McKenna, Robin Hobb, Patricia Briggs, Elizabeth Bear, Tanya Huff, just to name the ones I can see from here.

Women authors are like chocolate chip cookies-- you can't stop with just one. Go ahead, try one of the authors above, or any of the recommendations piling up on the twitter feed. Read, enjoy and recommend the books to others. Unlike cookies, there's no point in hoarding all the good books for yourself. The best way to ensure that there are more great books to read is to support authors by buying the books already out there, and encouraging others to do the same.

Marketing to the next generation

2013-04-24T14:32:24Z

Last month for her birthday I gave my niece City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. Mary loved it, and promptly demanded that her mom go out and buy book two. Then there was a discussion as to how many books were in the series, so she could make sure she read them all.

When I suggested checking the author's website, I was met with disbelief, and then glee as Mary realized that not only could she find out details on all the books and when the next one was coming out, but there was also a movie in the works.

Now mind you, Mary is internet savvy enough to bombard my inbox with cat memes and Chuck Norris jokes. But the idea that authors had websites where fans could interact with them had completely passed her by. And she's a prime target market--someone who buys and reads several books a month.

Time to eat a cookie

2013-04-19T14:31:32Z

Woke up this morning to hysterical news reporting on radio, got up and turned on the t.v. Very quickly thereafter I turned off the tv when the commentators had given up any pretense at reporting facts as known and were instead presenting flights of speculation as if they were truths soon to be confirmed.

Watching the news unfold does nothing good for me, so I'm following the wisdom of the ages Today I will live in the moment. Unless the moment is unpleasant, in which case I will eat a cookie.

Sharing good news

2013-04-15T21:22:50Z

Seems like the right time to share good news-- Sylvia Izzo Hunter breaks into publishing in style, with a three book deal from Ace. Drop by her blog sylvia_rachel to wish her congratulations.

And it's mud season!

2013-03-30T18:07:35Z

Mud season has arrived here in New Hampshire-- there is still snow in the woods, but for the most part the ground is clear (and sqooshy), and the town has sent out the 'Bears are on the move' notice. I brought my bike in for its annual spring tuneup today, at 11AM I was "the 50th" person to do so, according to the bike shop, but they still promised to get it back to me before next weekend.

I have given in to the New Hampshire mindset and bought a pair of sturdy mudboots, suitable for hiking in deep mud and swamps, which will stand me in good stead when I'm tasked as a Dog Nanny in April.

Trip to the bike store somehow resulted in a need to stop at the Harpoon Brewery in Windsor, Vermont, where the locals rubbed shoulders with the tourists. Locals talked about the successful sugaring season, and whether the town was ever going to fix the frost heaves on "fill in the blank road name, there's one in every town." Tourists exclaimed over how cute the brewery was, and where they were heading next. I had a White IPA (very nice indeed) with lunch, then fled before the tourists packed the place. By the time summer gets here, tourists will outnumber locals by 10 to 1, but it's all good for the economy, so we don't complain. Well, not much.

And now, in honor of the sacred bunny holiday, I give you my favorite joke. I'm confident that when I've forgotten all else, including my name, I'll still remember this.

What do you get when you pour boiling water down a rabbit hole?
Hot Cross Bunnies!

In self defense, I don't know why I find this joke so funny, I just do. Past attempts to explain the innate hilarity of the joke usually lead to arm flailing and earnest explanations of "But they're bunnies! And they're mad!" Where "mad" has at least two syllables "ma-ad".

It's likely genetic. Most times when we proposed going to Friendly's, my father used to reply "Let's go to Enemies instead" or "Why isn't there a restaurant called Enemies?" And then he would laugh, because whether it was the first time or the thousandth time, he didn't need anyone else's feedback to realize that this was a truly funny joke.

Boosting the signal - new anthology

2013-03-08T11:26:52Z

Unindicted co-conspirator fireun has joined with a friend to launch a Kickstarter project: Fight Like A Girl: A Short Story Anthology.

Take a look, back it if you feel so inclined, and spread the word.

Can it really be 2013?

2013-03-05T13:07:38Z

When I was five years old, I desperately wanted a robot for Christmas. When Santa delivered, I took this as proof of his existence. My parents had to bite their tongues every time their little angel told everyone how only Santa could have known that she wanted a robot since her parents would have gotten her something boring like another doll.

Sadly, in 2013, apparently girls still aren't allowed to want robots, or any of the other cool gifts.

From the Discovery Channel store website:

Boys! From the adventurous and athletic to the creative and curious, find the perfect gift for the boy on your list.

Girls! Who needs sugar and spice? We've got everything nice for the girl on your list.

While there is overlap between the two lists, the Drum Playmat is a boys toy, as is the Polymer Chemistry Set and the Shark Explorer Research set. Girls toys include bead making sets and DC Cupcakes items.

Luckily for my nieces and First!Cousin!Wyatt! I am an extremely cool person who ignores such categories. But I can't help pitying all the girls out there who are getting yet another American doll when what they really want is a build your own robot kit. And likewise, for all the boys who want to be the next Ace of Cakes, may you be blessed with a godparent who buys you that baking set.

But would you call muggins on a child?

2013-01-28T20:23:18Z

Signs you're in a diner in rural New Hampshire-- the daily special is "boiled dinner" with no elaboration required, and under the counter you spy a cribbage board and deck of cards for the slow times.

For those unfamiliar with the game of cribbage, one of the quirks is that if your opponent fails to correctly count up all the points in his hand, once he has moved his scoring pegs, you can then announce the missed points and claim them for yourself. This is called muggins. My mother was famous for calling muggins on her own children-- once we were old enough to play the game, we were old enough to play it cut-throat style.

Would you use a net or a lure?

2013-01-24T21:20:33Z

Buried in this BBC News article lamenting the banning of traditional haggis in the US is this money quote:

A 2003 survey suggested that a third of US visitors to Scotland believed the haggis was an animal. Nearly a quarter thought they could catch one.

I can see it now--Catching the Haggis, the newest event in the Highland Games. :-D

Street cred

2013-01-18T23:58:30Z

Reason number 444 why my friends rock--

For Christmas I gave my niece Mary a selection of YA books, including Janni Lee Simner's Bones of Faerie. Mary brought the book to school and a classmate commented on the cover, saying it looked interesting.

"My aunt knows ALL the cool books," Mary told her.

Impressing an (almost) 12 year old. Not the world's easiest task, but good to know you've got my back.

Spent his days watching cat videos on Youtube

2013-01-16T20:19:59Z

US Employee outsources his job to China.

It's kind of awesome. Alas the scheme would never work for me, since my day job involves constant telecons.

Hitherto unsuspected link between ecommerce and global warming

2013-01-09T16:15:34Z

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the purchase of new winter recreational gear will substantially alter locate climate conditions. To wit, the arrival of a snowshoe set and poles on the same day that the weekend weather forecast changed from highs around freezing to be highs near 50 on both days.

Same thing happened twenty years ago when I decided to stop renting XC ski gear and invest in my own set. Went from snow every weekend to a drought and having to head up to Lake Placid to find enough snow to ski on.

Change

2013-01-06T21:20:56Z

Stopped by a neighborhood brewpub today and was informed that today is the last day of their current menu. The menu, which hasn't been changed in several years, is heavy on what is referred to here as British Pub Food-- Shepherd's Pie, Bangers and Mash, Fish and Chips, Cock-a-leekie pie, etc, plus the occasional foray into globalism e.g. Bratwurst and Sauerkraut.

The new menu will eliminate some of the old favorites and add in new items including kebabs and curries. Which leads me to suspect that someone involved has actually visited Great Britain.

Also on Dreamwidth

2013-01-02T21:50:30Z

Given the recent service issues with livejournal, a reminder to folks that I'm also on Dreamwidth-- pbray.dreamwidth.org.

Oh Hai 2013

2013-01-01T14:31:46Z

Overall 2012 was the year when bad things happening to good people. There were some high spots, and friends who had good news, but overall it wasn't a great year. Here's hoping that 2013 will be better behaved.

I survived the Xmas visit to South Florida-- not my favorite spot on earth but good to see family. Came back, then one of my best friends arrived to spend New Year's. I quickly introduced him to my local routine-- daily visits to co-op grocery, bookstores, pub du jour. Spent New Year's eve with friends and surprised ourselves by actually staying up past midnight.

Today we're thinking lunch out (a pub, naturally), then perhaps a movie. And maybe a trip to the wine shop to make sure we're fortified for the evening.

Wishing you all a Happy 2013! Health, happiness, prosperity and robots for all.

Happy Holidays to all who celebrate

2012-12-22T13:23:23Z

Wishing the best to all my friends who celebrate holidays at this time of year. Among the holidays I am observing:

- All my packages have been mailed day

- Giving thanks for not being in a shopping mall day

- A moment of silence in memory of all the trees that gave their lives so I could wrap packages. And thanks to Our Blessed Lady of Office Supplies who provided the miracle of the never-empty tape dispenser

- The giving thanks for caffeine day, as small children hyped up on sugar and presents do their best whirling dervish impersonations

And, of course, I'm looking forward to Cave Day, when the overloaded introvert retreats back to her domicile after days of enforced holiday togetherness, raises the drawbridge, uncorks the wine, and settles down with a good book.

New website is live

2012-12-18T15:49:30Z

A tad belated announcement that the newly designed patriciabray.com website is up and running. My thanks to Jennifer, the chief webdesigner at Page Rank Rocket who translated my rather vague requirements into a modern Wordpress-driven website.

My limited photography talents were put to the test, but those are indeed my photos on the banner, including the shot of my office and the back patio where I hang out in the warmer months. One of the biggest debates was whether the blogging shot should include a coffee cup or a glass of wine. Either is accurate depending on time of day, but the coffee mug photographed better.

Odyssey 2013

2012-12-12T16:01:59Z

I'm very pleased to announce that I'll be a guest instructor at next year's Odyssey Writing Workshop, held in Manchester, New Hampshire. I really enjoyed my first time as a lecturer in 2009, and was excited when they invited me to return for next year.

The 2013 workshop runs from June 10th through July 19th. Early applications are due January 31st, 2013, and regular applications are due April 8th, 2013. Lecturers include Nancy Holder (writer-in-residence), Holly Black, Patricia Bray, Adam-Troy Castro, Jack Ketchum and Sheila Williams.

Fun fact-- during my first stint as a guest lecturer at Odyssey, I explained to the students that I was a novel writer, and had no recent experience with short stories. I've since gone on to publish a short story and co-edit two fantasy anthologies, so I'll have a new skillset to bring to the table.

The first gaming system that ever tempted me

2012-11-26T18:58:57Z

I don't own an xbox, nintendo, playstation, wii, you name it, I've never owned it. But this I might make an exception for. Atari Flasbhack 4. Centipede! Missile Command! Space Invaders and Asteroids!

Shop local

2012-11-24T23:23:56Z

On Black Friday the extent of my shopping was a trip to the state liquor store to pick up wine to bring to a friend's house. Today I poked around craft stores and galleries, then spent serious time at an indie bookstore where I picked up a bunch of books, some for myself, some to give as Christmas presents.

I saw scenes of Black Friday madness on the news, but frankly I can't comprehend it. There's nothing I need that desperately that I'd willingly subject myself to that chaos. Much better to be home, watching as a light dusting of snow falls, and I contemplate the burning question of whether to have a cold turkey sandwich or a hot one?