Do you believe in psi?

Like a lot of authors, I imagine, I'm sort of this half-and-half mashup of critical thinker (hello, internal editor) and open-minded creative free spirit. Born and raised in Oklahoma, I got a healthy dose of superstition from my Granny. My pulse always jumps to find I've got an important appointment on Friday the 13th, though my common-sense half knows better. And I still eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day. 

My photo of the old Colman School in Seattle.
Home to Seattle Psi Training Institute in my novel Echo 8. 

I can roll my eyes with the best of them when it comes to anything in the woo-woo category. I write sci-fi, and I believe in the power of scientific minds and scientific explanation. And yet ... 

I've lost count of how many times I've dreamed about something before it happened. In fact, just this morning I was woken from a dream by my phone ringing. The dream was about a truck that my ex-husband had apparently (only in the dream) left in front of our house. Big truck, like the ones that haul cars. He'd left it parked far from the curb and I had to move it. But each time I moved it and got out, I found it was still far from the curb. 

So back to that phone call. It was my landlord upstairs reminding me the garbage collectors were coming today. We live in a cul-de-sac and are supposed to park elsewhere on garbage day, but both my partner and I had forgotten. I scrambled into my clothes and flew out with both sets of keys (he was in the shower). My partner drives a truck that was broken into recently, and the thieves messed up the ignition, so first I struggled with the key. Also, it has an old camper on it, and you can hardly see out the camper window, so then I struggled to back up a hill looking only through the rearview mirrors. 

The Edgefield Hotel, formerly a poor farm.
By Ian Poellet (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)
or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)],
via Wikimedia Commons

You probably see where I'm going with this. And this happens at least every couple of months. Some dreams are more striking than others, like the time I dreamed about a ghost while staying in a hotel outside Portland. (Turned out the ghost had been seen by many guests.) 

So I have this history, but also I think there's just a part of me that wants to believe that we don't have all the answers yet. In fact we know we don't. Take quantum physics.   

In quantum physics, to the best of our understanding, observers affect (you might even say effect) outcomes. So of course there's been lots of talk about quantum physics from a "power of the mind" perspective. The lead researcher of the Institute of Noetic Sciences in California recently published a paper in Physics Essays about how groups of meditators affected the outcomes of double-slit experiments. The researcher, Dean Radin, wrote the book Entangled Minds about how quantum physics may enhance our understanding of psi phenomenon. (This book was critical to the development of parapsychologist Tess Caufield, heroine in my recent sci-fi romance release Echo 8.) It's a compelling read about a marginalized branch of science, and it contains a fascinating history of parapsychology. 

One note Dr. Radin sounds often in the book is how even scientists can be prejudiced and refuse to accept facts if the implications of those facts don't fit with the scientist's worldview. The guy who first suggested the idea of our circulatory system was laughed at by his peers. One went so far as to say (paraphrase), "If he thinks he can actually hear this in the body, he's deranged."

I guess my conclusion here, if there is one, is there's plenty of room for a thinking person -- even one who reads lots of science books -- to question conventional beliefs about psi. In Entangled Minds Radin cites studies that have shown folks who indicate some level of belief in psi tend to be well-educated (while the opposite is true for superstitious beliefs). 

Certainly plenty of sci-fi, fantasy, and paranormal authors include elements of psi in their stories. But what do they actually believe about it? What do you believe? Have you experienced psi phenomena (or anything you couldn't explain) first-hand? Do you have a psychic Granny (or Auntie, or sibling)? If you do believe in psi are you out of the closet about it? 

Pippa's Journal - MIA and What's Coming

Hi there, Pippa Jay checking in! First up, apologies for the two week absence without leave. School holidays with my three little monsters always takes a big chunk out of my online time, especially when it comes to blogging. And even worse, I decided to take on Camp NaNoWriMo this April, despite the two weeks of spring break meaning I'll only really have half the 30 days to work on my WIP. >.< Crazy, right? And boy, do I have lots to tell you about...

Status Update

ZG2 - 11776 words and counting...

Camp NaNoWriMo - This year I've decided to do both Camps (April and July) and the tradition 50K November event. After all the releases last year, I need to get some writing done, and the NaNoWriMo events are always good for giving me a much needed kick up the behind, especially since I have two remaining parts of a trilogy to write for my publisher! So, for April I'm doing Zombie Girl 2 (appropriate since part one releases this month in just over a week!), while ZG 3 is my project for the July Camp. I had planned to do a sequel to my superhero romance When Dark Falls for November, but with Tethered doing well I'm tempted to do the sequel to that instead. Decisions, decisions...

EXCERPT | GOODREADS
Available at... Breathless Press
All Romance eBooks | Bookstrand
Smashwords | Barnes&Noble
Amazon

EXCERPT |  GOODREADS
Available at... Breathless Press |
Smashwords | ARe | Bookstrand
Amazon | B&N
Print pre-order

I find the Camp versions easier since you can set your own word count (the only NaNoWriMo I've won was Camp last year by finishing off three short stories with a total word count of 20K) and I'm expecting ZG 2 and 3 to each hit the 20K mark. With my publisher now requiring a minimum 50K for all future submissions, this is the year I need to win the November NaNoWriMo. Wish me luck!

Sales and Kindle Unlimited - My March sales sucked, and so far April isn't looking much better. With a tough writing and release schedule set until August (when I plan to take the month off), I've not had time to devote purely to marketing (which isn't my favourite occupation anyway as many know). Since I'll shortly be touring for both Zombie Girl 1 and Keir, that'll have to count as most of my marketing until I can schedule time for more.

As for KU - I get paid more for borrows than for buys on my short stories. Sales of those dwindled to be replaced by the odd borrow, but overall I've had little if any benefit from being in KU. I plan to leave it at the end of the initial 90 days (which comes up in the next couple of weeks) and put my shorts back up on other venues. I will be testing it out again later in the year after Keir has been back out for a few months as I prepare for the release of the sequel.

Upcoming releases - Zombie Girl: Dead Awakened (part one of a YA dystopian romance trilogy) releases on the 22nd April. I'm also supposedly re-releasing my debut scifi romance Keir on the 7th May - my third year anniversary as a published author and what would have been Keir's third book birthday. I say 'supposedly' because right now we're still in 2nd round edits and I'm freaking out about it a LOT!

In June, the print release of When Dark Falls takes place, completing my definite releases for 2015. Phew! Since I'm taking part in Camp NaNoWriMo in July, taking a break for August (summer holidays for my monsters so a good time to do it!), then BristolCon in September and NaNoWriMo in November, I can't guarantee any other releases at this time. With ZG 2 and 3 hopefully done for the Camp NaNos, release dates for those will depend on being contracted by my publisher and their release schedule. Any self pubbed titles depend on my budget. I'm hoping to release my winter solstice SFR short for Christmas, but otherwise...

Big News
Over the spring break, I had three...no, FOUR...exciting developments. First up, my scifi romance adventure Tethered hit the number one bestseller at Breathless Press. Woot! I'm pretty excited! Not only about being a number one bestseller, but because I've done it with a science fiction romance! There are only 17 SFR titles on the BP site (Cyber), out of around 700 books, so to hit the top spot is extra awesome. And I took screen shots to preserve the moment for all eternity, lol. Tethered spent a whole week there before dropping to number 2, but is still the top seller in Cyber.

But that wasn't all for Tethered! It also got nominated for a RONE Award in the Novella category at InD'tale Magazine. Voting opens 4th-10th May. ^_^ (cute graphic made by one one of my fellow BP authors, Torie James).

And just last week, I had TWO of my titles nominated in the Love Romance Cafe's Best of Awards:
When Dark Falls for Best Fantasy Book, and my cute little teen zombie story Restless In Peaceville for Best YA/NA. Woot! Voting opens TODAY from 1pm EST and runs until the 18th. It goes without saying that I'd really appreciate your votes, but you have to be a member of the LRC yahoo loop. *flutters eyelashes* Yeah, I'm not above begging!

Events

The April Fools for Love event, sponsored by the SFR Station, is happening all month long and there are some awesome giveaways! Go take a look!

On Friday I'll be at Romancing the Genres talking about Hope for this month's blogging topic, and how it just isn't enough. Speaking of RTG, they're celebrating their 4th blogoversary with a huge Facebook party HERE. I'll be one of the hosting authors with a game, chat and a giveaway on the 30th April at 7pm BST.

The triple posting on diversity at Spacefreighters Lounge got a mention over at The Galaxy Express, where Heather Massey further adds to the discussion and gives a few basic suggestions on how to introduce a little diversity to books.

Ping Pong

My co-bloggers have pretty much summed up my thoughts and feelings on Clean Reader, and I've commented on both. At the end of the day, I put a huge amount of effort into the words I choose for my stories, and since I write for adults and YA, I feel I already cater to the need of my readers in terms of content. But my main objection was that the app creators and distributors did so WITHOUT PERMISSION from both publishers and authors. This breaches copyright as much as pirating does. I don't believe there would have been anywhere near half the outcry if they'd been upfront about the introduction of the app and at least given an opt out (better still, an opt IN, but definitely an opt out should have been offered). I hope those concerned have learnt something from the whole episode.

But even if an opt in version is brought in, I will not be making my books available through it. As a reader for more years than I've been an author, I can't even bring myself to highlight an ebook or bend over the corner pages of a print book (I can't stand watching my hubs and eldest do this to mark pages). Have I read books where some of the words make me flinch? Yes. Do I scrub them out? No. The author chose those words for a reason, and changing or obscuring them fundamentally changes the story they're trying to tell me. If I find a book especially offensive, I just don't read it. There are millions of other books out there, and the massive virtual TBR pile on my Kindle is proof that I don't need to go editing someone else's book in order to find something great to read.

Sharon, totally get you on the being a friend to yourself. Last year exhausted me with the constant releases and touring, and I resolved to get more savvy about the whole marketing thing. I've failed on that. But I've also learned that a lot of the things I spend time doing were actually a waste and didn't make any difference. I just felt I had to be doing them because everyone else did. So I've dialled back a bit, tried a few new things because I actually found them fun, and now take more time out to do the fun things and get back to writing. Because it's all about the writing at the end of the day.

Laurie, congrats on the release of the full version of Inherit the Stars, the reviews it's getting, and also on your and Greta's inclusion in the box set of Sing a Song of the Stars. I just know the good stuff will keep coming!
And re Clean Reader - I honestly feel too exhausted at the thought of providing varying versions of the same book in order to cater to everyone. I think sometimes we try too hard to please everyone - an impossible task. With YA as well as adult titles to my name, I feel I've covered enough bases, and I'm sure there will still be readers who refuse to be pleased by anything as much as there are readers who will adore everything an author produces. Somewhere we have to draw a line and say 'that's all, folks!'

Donna, loved the post on what you learned from reading other forms of fiction. I'm not a fan of advocates for 'read only in your genre' advice - I really believe that reading a wider range of fiction expands an author's mind to write better even if they stick to only writing one genre. And of course, it helps if you want to add another sub-genre to what you're writing.

Greta, on tweaking a book for re-release - I'm having to re-edit a book I got the rights back to as part of the reversion. I have to say not only am I glad to be re-editing from scratch, but to be including things that had to be cut as part of the previous publication process and building on areas I think were lacking first time around. I know I've improved in the five years since I first wrote Keir, and I wanted the re-release to reflect that too, as well as give some readers what they'd asked for - more of my villain, more of my hero...well, just more! And you're right - if film makers can do it with their extended versions and director's cuts, why not books?

I think where it becomes unfair on readers is when an author puts up a book that isn't actually finished/edited, then continually edits and reposts it based on reviews as they come in. I feel that using readers as critique partners in this way, when they have downloaded - perhaps even paid for - what they expect to be a finished product, is grossly unfair, disrespectful, and ultimately damaging both for the author concerned and all other authors. I think this is part of what has given self published books a bad reputation. Re-releases due to a need to update details about the book, change the cover, or where rights have reverted to the author or the book has been taken up by a new publisher are all perfectly fair reasons for a change.

Next week it's all about releases as I unleash Zombie Girl: Dead Awakened on the world and prepare to re-release Keir. Eeep!

Let's Talk About...Talk

I'm starting today's post with a humorous commentary, courtesy of Weird Al Yankovich.

If U R a reeder/riter, dnt stp here. Dis is GUD!

WORD CRIMES



Yup, I'm right there with you, Al. What's happening to the English language is a crime! We should pass laws against it. The intentionally misspelled trendy words, the spontaneous acronyms that only the "texters of a certain age" can decipher, and texting shorthand are making the English language almost unrecognizable. I say "almost" because there are a select few that can seem to read this garbled mess.

Cn U B leev?

I thk I nd a vacay.

Before our very eyes, the written version of our native tongue seems to have been hurled into self-destruct mode. Since the advent of electronic conversation, it apparently takes too long to spell out all those words and phrases (maybe the texter isn't even sure how they're spelled) so the verbiage has been boiled down to its lowest common denominator.

That begs a question. If a person from the 1870s, the 1920s, or even the more recent (for some) 1960s were to beam forward in time (okay, mixed metaphor), would they even understand us?

Would they be able to translate all this BFFing and WTFing and ROFLing? Would they dis da dis and dat? Would they stare in confusion at an IDK until they have to confess "I Don't Know what that means." And would they go cray-cray and immediately book a return beam to their home decade where people still have a mastery of the refined art of spelling?

Yeah, I'm spoofing here. ::: chuckle ::: Language is always evolving. It's the nature of the beast. New technology in our society has caused some recent twists we may not have seen coming, but all-in-all I think the English language is still alive and well and respected in its traditional form.

But all this trendsetting in text-speak did spur some deep thinking from a writer whose settings are often in the far future.

I realized I had my work cut out for me with the dialogue in INHERIT THE STARS. It's pretty obvious with the way our language has changed/is still changing in the matter of a few years, that the language circa 3500 AD (give or take) would be completely unrecognizable.

For the sake of a novel that will be read by contemporary readers of this millennium, the dialect had to sound different yet still be accessible. Using some of the current trends of shortening and truncating and acronymizing (I made that up--see how I am?) words, I attempted to create dialogue that was understandable, but still would read as "evolved."

Here's a glossary of names, words, phrases and acronyms used throughout the INHERIT THE STARS and their contemporary interpretations.

Future Term           Current Meaning                                                             
Ariima                       Truncated, corrupted blend of names Fatima/Maria
banny club               Telescoping baton/club used for defense
Billins                       Type of alcoholic beverage from a species of gourd
biodroid                   Biological android, grown not manufactured
borga                        Valuable ore, essential for industry and as fuel
Carazjel                    Purmian name; a corruption/blend of Cara/Jezebel
calendar                   Standardized year since each planet's solar cycle varies
con-drive                 Slang for "neural-connective drive"
crewie                       Slang for star ship crew members
bookie                      Agent who books illegal flights for illicit passengers
Firelords!                  Refers to a historical group, e.g. Spartans! or Druids!
Drea                           [Name] Dray-ah; Truncated version of Andrea
Empora's Hades       Oh hell!
Epto                           Name of a month on the standardized Calendar
fren-oven                  Futuristic microwave
fug                             Corruption of a historical expletive verb
fuggen                      Corruption of a historical expletive verb
Gerabunga!              Corrupted blend of Geronimo! and Cowbunga!
Gigadam                   Expletive; damn to the nth
Gods of Gellen        What the heck/hell? or Damn!
Haley's crest             Oath; gaseous debris field from destroyed planet Bradley
hang                          Slang for hangar
hangtown                 Slang for a spaceport located on a planet
haras                          Corrupted from "hours," standardized unit of time
hellcat                       Derogatory term for a confrontational person
heo                             [Purmian] meaning "gutless eunuch;" derogatory
K                                OK, okay, all right, yes.
kensmarc                  Honorary, ritualistic facial scars on Rathskian males
kinna                         Futuristic coffee drink
Jaeo                           [Name] Truncated, corrupted blend of Jay and George
Logibot                     Robot with AI capable of logic
marka                        [Rathskian] Derogatory; stong-willed female
milos                          Spatial miles; corrupted blend of miles/kilometers
moons                        Standardized month
neural-connective   Advanced drive system, aka "con-drive"
neuraltron                 Device for mind-linking
P2PC                         Acronym for "Planet-to-Planet Courier"
PCB                           Acronym for Particle Containment Bay
Rathscum                 Derogatory term for Rathskians
replas                        Monetary measure based on "replicated coinage"
Ry                             [Name] Truncated version of Ryan
Sair                            [Name] A Rathskian clan; from biblical term for "demon"
Saybin                      [Name] A corruption of Sabine or Sabina
sectas                        Corruption of "seconds;" measurement of time
Shadowskins           Suit of material invisible to the human retina
sim                            Term of endearment; derived from simpatico; pleasing
spitfire                      Person who is extremely aggressive or speaks forcefully
tempas                      Corruption of tempo, meaning "minutes" or "time"
touched dirt             On planet, landed, planet-side
vuetnok irons          Weapon for the fist, similar to brass knuckles
What goes?              What's going on? What's happening? Que pasa?
Wreckface                Derogatory term for Rathskians/kensmarcs
Yele                           [Purmian] (Yay-lay), mythical power that restores balance
Zjel                           [Name] Truncated, corrupted version of Jezebel

That's just a sampling of the future-speak, for the sake of illustration. But I went a step further.

Just as with present day usage, phrasing and pronunciations are never universal.  Cultural or professional divisions in society create their own slant on words and phrases, or create new ones.

Police officers or members of the military may use words related to their particular field, such as 10-4 meaning "yes," or "20" meaning "location." Words or acronyms like "wingman," "rack," and "HUA" sometimes become a part of everyday language by inference. HUA is an Army/National Guard acronym for "Heard, Understood and Acknowledged" and "rack" is Naval or submarine-speak for "bed" or "bunk."

An unique dialect of slang words emerged for the hangtown crowd in INHERIT THE STARS, those who work in or trade with spacefreighters (those persons whose professions involve transporting cargo through space) or those who make their livings near the ship hangars (hangs) at planetary space ports.

They're a rougher ilk by nature and their dialogue reflects even further corruption of the standardized language. The creation of the hangtown tongue involved dropping some consonants and adding a suggestion of a Cockney spin on their words.

Hangtown Term       Current Meaning                                             
a'fore                             Before
devil-crazy                  Agitated, irritable
'er                                  her
if'n                                 if
Ith'in                             Ithian subspecies
flibbin'                         Slang, like "flipping" as in "flipping crazy"
palies                           Ithians
Rathsk'in                     Rathskian subspecies
say'n                             saying
these'ns                        these ones
twenny                         twenty
wit'                                with
yap                                yes, yup, yep
yorn                              yours

In addition, the hangtowners tend to lose the last "g" on many words--anythin'...nothin'...seein'...or add an "s" to some words such as anywheres, nowheres.

What's your experience with futuristic language in SF/R? Do most of the books you read (or write) have dialogue that sounds like present-day English, or does it read as more futuristic? What's your opinion? Do you find it adds flavor to the story and setting, or does it just make it more difficult to comprehend? Does unique language ever pull you out of a story? Or does it make the time and place feel more authentic? Thanks for your take!

In return for your feedback, I'll be gifting a copy of INHERIT THE STARS--The Complete Novel to a random commenter. Or, if you already have a copy of ITS, I'll substitute a copy of the SING A SONG OF THE STARS science fiction romance book bundle as an alternate.

SPEED READER OR STORY SIPPER: WHAT'S YOUR READING STYLE?

A friend told me the other day that she was deliberately reading my book, Unchained Memory, slowly, so as not to get to the end too fast. She wanted to savor it, she said, so she was holding herself back. 

I wasn’t sure whether to be complimented or insulted. I have to admit I don’t really think of my work as fine wine, to be sipped and rolled around on the tongue. It’s more like a good beer on a hot day—drink it down in a rush of pleasure and plunk your mug on the table with a grin of satisfaction at the end. 

So when people tell me that they couldn’t put the book down, or they stayed up way past their bedtimes reading it, I feel like I did my job. That’s the way I read—in great gulps and marathon binges. I developed my reading style as a child, when I could take a thick book—Swiss Family Robinson, maybe, or Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland—and get lost for a whole rainy afternoon. I don’t have the time to do that anymore—an hour is usually all I can manage at a time these days—but occasionally I will get caught up late at night and forget to go to bed until the couple in question finds their HEA.

But the reader I was speaking to is not the only one out there who might be described as “story sippers” in reading style. These folks like to take their time with a book, lingering over the passages, thinking about the characters. My childhood friend, Joyce, who provided professional advice for UM in her role as a psychiatric nurse, is one of these kinds of readers. It took a while to get the manuscript back from her!

It should be noted that reading style need have nothing to do with actual reading speed. Story sippers don’t read particularly slow. And I don’t read particularly fast. I wish I did. Then I could read more books and join the ranks of those Super-Readers out there who fuel the romance-buying engine. These readers buy (and read!) multiple books per week; they become loyal to certain authors, series, characters; they are active online in book-related forums; they are voracious; and they are the Holy Grail of book promotion. (Cue Heavenly Choir Music.) (Read more about these Super-Readers here.)

In the meantime, my story-sipping friend wanted to know when my next book would be out so she could time the conclusion of Unchained Memory to coincide with the debut of Trouble in Mind. Since that would be some six months from now, I proposed a different solution. Why not give in to temptation and finish this book that you like so much? Then you can read it over again while you wait for Book Two in the Interstellar Rescue series. After all, people do it with movies. I’ve seen LORD OF THE RINGS countless times. (Of course, I’ve also read Tolkien’s trilogy every other year or so since I was 16.)

My friend nodded her head. “You know, that just might work!”

Maybe it would work for all you other story sippers out there, pondering what to tell your writer friends about their latest work. As for us speed readers? All we ask is five more minutes.Really. It’s just getting to the good part . . .

OVER TO YOU

 

What about you? What’s your reading style? And do you even have time to read anymore?

MELANIEANU, WHERE ARE YOU?

MELANIEANU was the winner of my launch week giveaway of an ebook copy of Unchained Memory plus a signed cover card. I still haven’t heard from you, MELANIEANU! Please contact me at dsfrelick@msn.com with your email and home address so I can send you your goodies.

Cheers, Donna