Smoke and Shadows Episode 16

Up on the Literary Plus Website today is an installment of the Smoke and Shadows Serial written by yours truly.  I'm looking forward to continuing to explore the Smoke and Shadows world!

Here's a teaser:

Lyra hur­ried down the street past the Dia­mond Days and tried not to attract the atten­tion of the human pro­test­ers. In this dimin­ished form, she looked mostly human but some of the pro­test­ers weren’t too picky about who they harassed and any­one who wasn’t white-bread human enough made for a good tar­get. She ner­vously pat­ted the col­or­ful scarf wrapped around her hair to make sure that none of the blue and green strands had escaped.

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Portland Lindy Hop Events Aug 29-Sept 5

Lindy Events for the Week of August 29-September 5

Wednesday August 29

7:30-10:30 pm Swing Night at Vie de Boheme

Drinking Age Only, 21+
Vie de Boheme Wine Bar (1530 SE 7th Ave, Portland)
Live Music by John Bennett Quartet Featuring the Pink Lady

Thursday August 30

6:30 Stolen Sweets Outdoor Concert 
Berrydale Park (SE 92nd and Taylor, Portland)
http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/index.cfm?c=52644

7:30-11:00pm Thursday Swing
PPAA (618 SE Alder, Portland)
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson by Stefan and Bethany
8:30 Live Music by Everything's Jake

Friday August 31

8:00-11:00 Pete Krebs Trio at Brasserie Montmartre
Brasserie Montmartre (626 SW Park Avenue)

8:00-12:00 Djangophile at Living Room Theater

Living Room Theater (341 SW Tenth Avenue, Portland)

Saturday September 1

7:30-11:00 Saturday Swing with S Cubed Productions
Tabor Heights UMC (6161 SE Stark St, Portland)
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson
8:30 DJ'd Music by Allisyn and Kassiane
http://www.facebook.com/events/397261813667406/


8:00-11:00 Djangophiles at Brasserie Montmartre
Brasserie Montmartre (626 SW Park Avenue)

Sunday September 2

7-11:00pm Sunday Swing 
Scottish Rite (1507 SW Morrison, Portland)
7:00 Intermediate Swing Drop-in Lesson
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson
8:00-11:00pm DJ'd Music
http://www.stumptowndance.com/

Monday September 3

7:30-9:30pm Guided Swing Practica

Lower Melody Ballroom (615 SE Alder, Portland)
http://www.stumptowndance.com/

9-11pm Kung Pao Chickens
Drinking Age Only, 21+
Laurelthirst Public House (2958 NE Glisan, Portland)

Tuesday September 4

7:30-12:30 Tuesday Blues
Lenora's Room (615 SE Alder, Portland)
7:30 Intermediate Blues Lesson
8:30 Beginning Blues Lesson
9:00-12:30 DJ'd Music

8:00-12:00 The Rigamarole
Village Ballroom (700 Northeast Dekum Street, Portland)
8:00-9:00 Intermediate Workshop: Learn the Rigamarole Line Dance with Stefan and Bethany
8:30-9:00 Beginning Swing Lesson with Mark and Rachael 
9:00-12:00 DJ'd Music by Stefan and Bethany
http://therigamaroledance.com/
http://www.facebook.com/events/247123178740649/

Wednesday September 5

7:30-10:30 pm Swing Night at Vie de Boheme

Vie de Boheme Wine Bar (1530 SE 7th Ave, Portland)

Upcoming Events!

September 9 Live Music by Bridgetown Sextet Celebrating the 8th Anniversary of Stumptown Dance (Scottish Rite, Portland, OR)

October 17-21 Sun Valley Jazz Jamboree (Sun Valley, ID)
October 26-29 Victoria Lindy Exchange (Victoria, BC, Canada)
November 9-11 Vancouver Jazz Dance Festival (Vancouver, BC, Canada)

Announcement: S Cubed Productions!

You might have noticed that my word counts for this month have been rather low despite my alleged participation in Camp NaNoWriMo.  That is because my mental energy has been going towards the final preparation for a major event in my other life's passion: Lindy Hop.

Lindy Bombing at one of our Meetings

The culmination of my efforts in 2012 is: A New Weekly Swing Dance (and a shiny new business)! 

Together with a few of my fellow dancers as S Cubed Productions, I will be putting on a Saturday Night Swing Dance in Portland starting September 1st.

Schedule of Events:
7:30-8:30pm Beginning Swing Drop In Lesson
8:30-11:00pm Dance to DJ’d Music

Location:
Tabor Heights United Methodist Church
6161 SE Stark St. Portland, OR 97215

Free parking is available or take the bus. The Church is easy walking distance from the 15, 20 or 71 lines.

$5 Cover includes the Beginning Swing Lesson

Here's where you can find S Cubed Productions around the web:

S Cubed Productions' Website

S Cubed Productions on Facebook

        Opening Night Event!

S Cubed Productions on Google Plus
        Opening Night Event!
S Cubed Productions on Twitter

Recipe: Baked Sole with Parmesan Crust

Every other Thursday in my house is fish night so we've been playing around with new fish recipes.  The original version of this recipe had a homemade salsa that I didn't enjoy very much and ended up replacing with sauteed mushrooms.

Recipe: Baked Sole with Parmesan Crust

Adapted from Cook It Simply
Serves: 4

Ingredients
4 fillets sole, skinless
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 tbsp fresh parmesan, grated
4 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the fish  in an ovenproof dish. Mix the remaining ingredients except for the mushrooms together and divide between the four fish fillets. Season well. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.

Saute the mushrooms in a small amount of olive oil until tender and serve on top of the fish.

Portland Lindy Hop Events August 22-29

Lindy Events for the Week of August 22-29

Wednesday August 22

7:30-10:30 pm Swing Night at Vie de Boheme

Drinking Age Only, 21+
Vie de Boheme Wine Bar (1530 SE 7th Ave, Portland)
Live Music by Rendezvous
http://www.facebook.com/events/135931176550076/

Thursday August  23

7:30-11:00pm Thursday Swing
PPAA (618 SE Alder, Portland)
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson
8:30 DJ'd Music by Rod Nelson and Brenda Russell

Friday August 24


6-8pm Pete Krebs and the Portland Playboys at the Secret Society
Secret Society Ballroom (116 NE Russell, Portland)


9pm-2am Saloon Ensemble at the Blue Monk
Drinking Age Only, 21+
The Blue Monk (3341 SE Belmont, Portland)
http://www.facebook.com/events/263903053719608/

Saturday August 25


Sunday August 26

7-11:00pm Sunday Swing 
Scottish Rite (1507 SW Morrison, Portland)
7:00 Intermediate Swing Drop-in Lesson
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson
8:00-11:00pm DJ'd Music
http://www.stumptowndance.com/

Monday August 27

6:30-8:30pm Learn to Swing Dance with Josh and Emily
Wimbledon Square (2837 SE Colt Drive, Portland)

6:30-7:30 Beginning Lindy Hop

7:30-8:30 Beyond Beginning Partner Charleston

http://www.facebook.com/events/257273261046069/

7:30-9:30pm Guided Swing Practica
Lower Melody Ballroom (615 SE Alder, Portland)
http://www.stumptowndance.com/

9-11pm Kung Pao Chickens
Drinking Age Only, 21+
Laurelthirst Public House (2958 NE Glisan, Portland)

Tuesday August 28

7:30-12:30 Tuesday Blues
Lenora's Room (615 SE Alder, Portland)
7:30 Intermediate Blues Lesson
8:30 Beginning Blues Lesson
9-12:30 Dj'd Music

Wednesday August 29

7:30-10:30 pm Swing Night at Vie de Boheme

Vie de Boheme Wine Bar (1530 SE 7th Ave, Portland)

Upcoming Events!

September 1 Opening Night of Saturday Swing by S Cubed Productions (Tabor Heights UMC, Portland, OR)
September 4 Opening Night of The Rigamarole (Village Ballroom, Portland, OR)
October 17-21 Sun Valley Jazz Jamboree (Sun Valley, ID)
October 26-29 Victoria Lindy Exchange (Victoria, BC, Canada)
November 9-11 Vancouver Jazz Dance Festival (Vancouver, BC, Canada)

Review: Fragile Bones by TD Green

Fragile Bones by T.D. Green
Self Published, October 2011
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Dark Fiction
Format Read: Kindle

Book Description:
Abandoned on the streets as a youth, Nathan endures with quiet stoicism all the horrors that the back alleys bring. On a night much like any other, he is picked up by a mysterious stranger and brought into a whole new world where he could learn to live again.

A destiny far greater than he could've ever imagined awaits. But first, Nathan must relive all the atrocities visited upon his frail body, overcome his dark past and come to accept and love himself before he can move on.

Fragile Bones is not for the faint of heart. Enter Nathan's bleak world of torment and pain -- travel with him into the blackest parts of human nature and find with him the immutable spark within all of us that can never be quenched.

My Thoughts:
Honestly, this is a book that wasn't meant for me.  The writing is beautiful and well-developed.  The characters arcs are well-written and the characters grow and change before your eyes.  I was captivated by the movement of the story and the exploration of Nathan's psyche.  I think that the depiction of Nathan's depression and self-loathing ring very true.  I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Nathan and Michael and how it changed with the growth of the characters.  This is very much a character-driven story.

If you like the exploration of dark themes, human nature, and stories of recovery and redemption, this might be a book for you to try.  I like my Urban Fantasy a bit lighter and brighter, so it wasn't my cup of tea but it could be yours.

Relevant Links:

Fragile Bones on Amazon

Fragile Bones on Smashwords
Tressa Green's Blog
Tressa Green on Google Plus
Fragile Bones on Google Plus

Portland Lindy Hop Events August 15-22

Lindy Events for the Week of August 15-22

Wednesday August 15

7:30-10:30 pm Swing Night at Vie de Boheme

Drinking Age Only, 21+
Vie de Boheme Wine Bar (1530 SE 7th Ave, Portland)
Live Music by 12th Ave Hot Club

Thursday August  16

7:30-11:00pm Thursday Swing
PPAA (618 SE Alder, Portland)
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson
8:30 DJ'd Music by Noelle Reese and Richard Basi

Friday August 17



Saturday August 18

7:00-10:00pm  Portland Lindy Society Summer Bash with the Midnight Serenaders
Director Park, Portland, OR
http://www.facebook.com/events/461329620551891/

Sunday August 19


7-11:00pm Sunday Swing 
Scottish Rite (1507 SW Morrison, Portland)
7:00 Intermediate Swing Drop-in Lesson
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson
8:00-11:00pm DJ'd Music
http://www.stumptowndance.com/

Monday August 20

6:30-8:30pm Learn to Swing Dance with Josh and Emily
Wimbledon Square (2837 SE Colt Drive, Portland)

6:30-7:30 Beginning Lindy Hop

7:30-8:30 Beyond Beginning Partner Charleston

http://www.facebook.com/events/257273261046069/

7:30-9:30pm Guided Swing Practica
Lower Melody Ballroom (615 SE Alder, Portland)
http://www.stumptowndance.com/

9-11pm Kung Pao Chickens
Drinking Age Only, 21+
Laurelthirst Public House (2958 NE Glisan, Portland)

Tuesday August 21

7:30-12:30 Tuesday Blues
Lenora's Room (615 SE Alder, Portland)
7:30 Intermediate Blues Lesson
8:30 Beginning Blues Lesson
9-12:30 Dj'd Music

Wednesday August 22

7:30-10:30 pm Swing Night at Vie de Boheme

Vie de Boheme Wine Bar (1530 SE 7th Ave, Portland)

Upcoming Events!

September 1 Opening Night of Saturday Swing by S Cubed Productions (Tabor Heights UMC, Portland, OR)
September 4 Opening Night of The Rigamarole (Village Ballroom, Portland, OR)
October 17-21 Sun Valley Jazz Jamboree (Sun Valley, ID)
October 26-29 Victoria Lindy Exchange (Victoria, BC, Canada)
November 9-11 Vancouver Jazz Dance Festival (Vancouver, BC, Canada)

Weekly Weigh In August 14

Small fluctuation upward in my weight but since I'm just coming off a full weekend of swing dancing I'm pretty content.

I finished level 1 of the 30 Day Shred and I should be able to get in a couple days of level 2 before I go off camping.  I haven't started Week 6 of Couch to 5K yet because I've been having a problem with my foot hurting.  I've made it a point to walk 1-2 miles each night but I haven't been running.  Cycling has temporarily fallen off of my routine but I fully intend to get back to it in the next week or two after camping.

Camping is going to represent a challenge to my diet but there is a very convenient 3.5 mile trail around the lake where I'll be camping.  I'll be taking my running shoes and both walking and running the trail.  That should hopefully help me maintain my weight loss progress.

New progress pics will be up soon.  I measured myself again today and have dropped another half inch each off my waist and thighs.  It's slower progress than previous but I haven't been doing as much exercise.

Statistics:

Current Weight: 223.6 pounds
Last Week:   222.2 pounds

Weight Loss/Gain: 1.4 pounds gained

Starting Weight: 225.2 pounds
Highest Point: 228.2 pounds
Lowest Point: 222.2 pounds

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Weight Loss Tools

Guest Blog by Paul Carroll: The Red Pen of Death

It's time for another Literary+ Blog Tour!  Today's brilliant Guest Blogger is Paul Carroll.  He is currently celebrating the achievement of writing, editing, and publishing Balor Reborn in a single week! 

Literary+ is a writer based project brought together and lead by Shen Hart. It brings together passionate, quality self-published writers to help each other promote their work, bringing more readers to every member. It was sparked by the simple fact that there are many top quality self-published authors being over-looked because they do not have the time and resources to efficiently and effectively market and promote themselves. With ambition and passion, Literary+ will take its members to the heights they deserve through a tight-knit community of like-minded writers.


The Red Pen of Death
After writing at a ridiculous speed, or even at an average speed, one thing every writer needs to do is edit. When I was writing Balor Reborn, I set out thinking I’d need to do a lot of work. With this in mind, we get the Red Pen of Death, akin to the javelin throw for two reasons: you’ll want to throw it away as far as you can, and it could easy kill someone. In your book’s case, that’d be a character that just doesn’t work. 

However, if you’re writing on a tight schedule, how are you supposed to know who to eliminate and what to edit? I got in touch with a friend before writing, asking him to beta read. Your beta reader needs to have a few qualifications, beforehand.

1. They need to be a fast reader. If they’re not, you could end up waiting on them for a while, which will hinder the progress of your book. For me, I asked the fastest reader I know, who ended up reading the book in an hour. He has since performed equally impressive feats with other texts.

2. They need to be intelligent. I’m not saying they have to be a genius, but getting an answer beyond, “It’s good, yeah” is generally considered helpful. My beta reader supplied me with feedback and suggestions on a chapter-by-chapter basis.

3. They need to fit your target audience. My beta reader reads quite broadly, but he is known to read a lot of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Balor Reborn is a Fantasy, in a sense of the genre, and so with his ability to read quickly and his preference to the genre, he was a perfect choice.

Know your beta reader. It helps. If you have more time, look for readers you aren’t familiar with, but when it comes to a quick project like a book in a week, it’s easier to work with someone you know and trust and who can put up with receiving the book to read at any given moment in time. I was thankful he was around a lot during the writing process, so he was aware of roughly when he’d get the book to read.

With the feedback from your beta reader(s), read through your book. Mark anything that’s been pointed out by them with the aforementioned red pen, if you work with a printed copy of the manuscript like I do, and keep a close eye on anything that doesn’t read correctly.When you’re ready to make your changes, make sure it’s for the improvement of the book. Making things more complicated isn’t necessarily a good thing, if you have the time.

If you’re working to the same timescale as I was, giving myself a maximum of two days to edit the book, you can’t afford to make massive changes. I focused on correcting two things: the coherency of the book, and the phrasing used to describe particular things. Specifically, in the case of the latter, I followed the advice from my beta reader to change Netherworld to Otherworld, and Fay to Aos Sídhe, an Irish term for fairies (literally, ‘people of the mounds’). They were small issues, but they help in firmly placing the mythology in Ireland.

When you go about editing, there are certain things you’ll need to focus on.

1. Coherency. If a sentence is too complicated, change it. Read it out loud to be sure.

2. Characterisation. Your characters ought to change somewhat as the story progresses, so be sure that something happens. With a smaller book like Balor Reborn, being part of a series, there wasn’t much room for developing Fionn, my protagonist. However, to compensate, I allowed readers a look into the life of Stephen, the antagonist. There was a lot of pain in his history that relates to the overall story of the series, and so it was necessary to explore it, rather than Fionn, in more depth.

3. Plot continuity. There’s nothing more unsatisfying in terms of plot than an unresolved element. Think about Lost, the ABC show from a few years back. By the time it reached its finale, there were still so many questions left unanswered that resulted in a lot of annoyance for viewers. On the other hand, The Simpsons often utilises multiple micro-stories to get something going, with small stories leading into one another in a way that remains satisfying. 

One instance coming to mind: Bart and his friends are rummaging through garbage and Bart finds a coupon book; Bart gives Homer the coupon book. This ends that story. Homer then uses that coupon book in various instances, leading him to the garage; there, he meets a travel agent who draws his attention away from the coupons and on towards something bigger. Homer is known to be easily distracted, and so this makes sense, ends the coupon story, and moves us on to the main plot of the episode: the Super Bowl.

In the above example, we notice that the plot doesn’t leave anything unexplained, it leads to greater stories, and it remains entertaining. When you’re editing your book, especially a longer book, or one that wasn’t written with a plan, keep note of the developing plots and plot-objects (such as the coupon book) to see whether or not those stories reach a satisfying conclusion. Their function is to set up the larger story, but did they achieve that in a story of their own?

Don’t be afraid to change something in your book. However, when you’re writing to a tight deadline, you may be better off leaving the red pen down until after the first draft is written. Keep the mindsets separate between Creator and Critic, and you’ll find the process that little bit easier when it comes to finishing your book with minimal error. When you’re done, throw the red pen away, and hope it doesn’t hit somebody.


 Bio

Paul Carroll is a writer from Dublin. He is studying to be a teacher of Religion and English at second level, while working in a bookshop at weekends. His 'free time' is divided among assignments, fiction, poetry, articles and blog posts, as well as college Drama and almost weekly trips to the local cinema.He has been writing since the age of twelve, with a love of words going back further than he can remember. When he isn't reading or writing, he likes to make use of social media, bake, and talk to friends. Often, he'll watch a horror film alone in the dark for the sheer joy of it.

He can be found online at paulcarrollwriter.com.

About Balor Reborn

Old Ireland is returning, as an ancient evil arrives in Dublin. A single glance from his eye is all it takes to kill. Stephen Fox is haunted by the memory of his wife, and suffers from guilt at abandoning his new-born son. The spirit of the tyrant Balor has come back to take his vengeance on the country. A hero must rise in the unwilling form of Fionn Murray, a university student with a mysterious past.. As a world of wonder unfolds around him, and with no one but his house mate Michael at his side, he’s left with the choice of running, or facing the evil that could consume the world.Based on the old Irish myth of Balor of the Evil Eye, Balor Reborn is the first in a series that seeks to revive the magic of Ireland. It was written and published in one week.




Where to buy:
Balor Reborn on Paul's Website 
Balor Reborn on Amazon.com

Balor Reborn on Amazon.co.uk

Previous Stop on the Blog Tour: Book Trailer Videos Hosted by JD Savage
Next Stop on the Blog Tour: Formulaic Formatting Hosted By Sophie Duncan 

Portland Lindy Hop Events August 8-15

Lindy Events for the Week of August 8-15

Wednesday August 8

7:30-10:30 pm Swing Night at Vie de Boheme

Drinking Age Only, 21+
Vie de Boheme Wine Bar (1530 SE 7th Ave, Portland)
Live Music by John Bennett Quartet Featuring the Pink Lady

Thursday August 9

7:30-11:00pm Thursday Swing
PPAA (618 SE Alder, Portland)
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson
8:30 Live Music by Tamar Korn and Friends

Friday August 10

Seattle Lindy Exchange

Saturday August 11


Seattle Lindy Exchange

Sunday August 12

Seattle Lindy Exchange

5:45-6:45pm Shim Sham Workshop with Mindy Hazeltine
Scottish Rite (1507 SW Morrison, Portland)
http://www.facebook.com/events/209922559135149/

7-11:00pm Sunday Swing 
Scottish Rite (1507 SW Morrison, Portland)
7:00 Intermediate Swing Drop-in Lesson
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson
8:00-11:00pm DJ'd Music
http://www.stumptowndance.com/

Monday August 13

6:30-8:30pm Learn to Swing Dance with Josh and Emily
Wimbledon Square (2837 SE Colt Drive, Portland)

6:30-7:30 Beginning Lindy Hop

7:30-8:30 Beyond Beginning Partner Charleston

http://www.facebook.com/events/257273261046069/

7:30-9:30pm Guided Swing Practica
Lower Melody Ballroom (615 SE Alder, Portland)
http://www.stumptowndance.com/

9-11pm Kung Pao Chickens
Drinking Age Only, 21+
Laurelthirst Public House (2958 NE Glisan, Portland)

Tuesday August 14

7:30-12:30 Tuesday Blues
Lenora's Room (615 SE Alder, Portland)
7:30 Intermediate Blues Lesson
8:30 Beginning Blues Lesson
9-12:30 Dj'd Music

Wednesday August 15

7:30-10:30 pm Swing Night at Vie de Boheme

Vie de Boheme Wine Bar (1530 SE 7th Ave, Portland)

Upcoming Events!

August 18 Portland Lindy Society Summer Bash with the Midnight Serenaders (Director Park, Portland, OR)
September 1 Opening Night of Saturday Swing by S Cubed Productions (Tabor Heights UMC, Portland, OR)
September 4 Opening Night of The Rigamarole (Village Ballroom, Portland, OR)
October 17-21 Sun Valley Jazz Jamboree (Sun Valley, ID)
October 26-29 Victoria Lindy Exchange (Victoria, BC, Canada)
November 9-11 Vancouver Jazz Dance Festival (Vancouver, BC, Canada)

Weekly Weigh In August 7

Big drop in pounds this week!  If I hadn't seen the downward movement in my daily scale measurement, I'd have been concerned that it was a fluke generated by spending Sunday afternoon and evening unable to keep even water down.  It was a miserably hot day too.  However it is about what I was hoping to see if not actually expecting.

I will be doing Day 8 of Level 1 of the 30 Day Shred as soon as I've finished this post.  It's getting a bit easier but my goal is to rally push myself to do all the reps of every movement and to push myself to go a bit deeper on the exercises that are feeling easy.

I finished Week 5 of Couch to 5K last night and after a day of walking will start Week 6.  Day 2 of Week 5 was interesting because I thought there were three runs so I ran an extra 20 min or so after the "cool down" finished. I also forgot to wear sunscreen. I'm not really getting the distances needed but jogging for the time intervals is starting to work.  I'm probably going to start over once I finish Week 9 and try to increase my speed to one that actually looks like running.

I went to my ballet class in 90+ degree weather which felt like real dedication but I enjoy the stretching.  My balance is improving some but I think part of the problem is managing the extra weight.

My cycling has fallen to a lower priority as I work to fit in writing time for Camp NaNoWriMo.  I'm trying to cycle a couple times a week but I'm not that concerned about it.

The next set of progress pics are up on the Fitness Journey Page.  I'm starting to see a difference in the fit of my shirts and leotard but I'd really like to see some of the fat come off my butt and thighs so that my capris and shorts fit again.  Oh well, I suppose health-wise it is better for the belly fat to be coming off first.  I'm not sure how big a difference there is in the pics but you can see my nice sunburn.

Statistics:

Current Weight: 222.2 pounds
Last Week:   226.2 pounds

Weight Loss/Gain: 4.0 pounds lost

Starting Weight: 225.2 pounds
Highest Point: 228.2 pounds
Lowest Point: 223.6 pounds

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Weight Loss Tools

Writing Update August 6

I got off to a slow start on Camp NaNoWriMo but it should only take a few good writing days to get up to speed.  I really need to work on actually sitting down to write.  Not getting sick and spending the entire afternoon and evening on the floor trying not to puke again would be a good start.  Just a thought.  I was doing pretty well at writing at least a few sentences each night so that is something.  Here's hoping for a better word count next week.

Statistics:
Words Written: 1464
Scenes Outlined: 2

Works In Progress

Outbreak (NaNoWriMo 2011) - Resting

54270 / 90000

Hive Mind (NaNoWriMo 2010) - Editing and Writing Second Draft

51628 / 90000

Steampunk Seasonal Serial - Writing First Draft

15639 / 50000

A Guide to Inter-species Dating - Brainstorming and Outlining

1464 / 50000

Literary+ Strangers Anthology - Outlined, Waiting to Write

0 / 6000

Literary+ Smoke and Shadows Serial Installment - Brainstorming

0 / 700

Greased Gears - Writing First Draft

9326 / 90000

Camp NaNoWriMo August 2012 Day 2

General Stats:

Words Written Today: 60

Total Words Written: 873

Cups of Coffee This Month: 2

Plans Changed to Accommodate More Writing: 0

Random Ideas Generated: 0

Random Thoughts:
- Getting off to a slow start this month.  I should be able to make up for these small word count days.
- A major nosebleed wiped out my energy, creative and otherwise, and took out a large chunk of my evening


Small Snippet of Novel:

“’After the eclipse of the Sun comes to pass, the guarded place shall be made an asylum for corrupt ones and the dreamers will dream, and the twelve red ones will spoil the Earth.’” Cassandra quoted with the exact intonation that the prophecy had been given to her in.

“Creepy and cryptic and completely useless.” Rush dismissed the prophecy completely.

Favorite NaNo-isms of the Day:


None today.

Progress Bar:

873 / 50000

Camp NaNoWriMo August 2012 Day 1

Finally I get to start writing A Guide to Inter-species Dating!  I've been really getting eager to write this project and now I can!

General Stats:

Words Written Today: 788

Total Words Written: 788

Cups of Coffee This Month: 1

Plans Changed to Accommodate More Writing: 0

Random Ideas Generated: 0

Random Thoughts:
- This was a small start but I didn't have as much writing time as I thought I would.
- I'm going to have to work hard to figure out how to fit in both my writing and my exercise routine.
- I actually have words to add to #WIP500 again. (I still suck at writing daily. )


Small Snippet of Novel:

It was never very difficult to find the vampire hunters.   All she had to do was follow her instincts and go to the club district in the industrial part of town.   For vampires with less control, the club district was a plentiful hunting ground though obviously it came with the risk of Final Death. Cassandra suppressed a shiver of excitement at the thought of actively seeking out a Vampire Hunter. The lads hunting in this city were handsome and delightfully muscled. She expects that they would taste utterly delicious. Not that she has any intention of finding out since self-preservation is one of her priorities, but it doesn’t hurt to fantasize.  Unless of course, one had an important task to perform and getting distracted when seeking out vampire hunters is a great way of getting fully dead.

Favorite NaNo-isms of the Day:


None today.

Progress Bar:

788 / 50000

Portland Lindy Hop Events August 1-8

Lindy Events for the Week of August 1-8

Wednesday August 1

5:00-7:00 Lily Wilde Orchestra in Downtown Portland
On Main Street between Park and Broadway

7:30-10:30 pm Swing Night at Vie de Boheme

Drinking Age Only, 21+
Vie de Boheme Wine Bar (1530 SE 7th Ave, Portland)
Live Music by Jenny Finn Orchestra

Thursday August 2


7:30-11:00pm Thursday Swing
PPAA (618 SE Alder, Portland)
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson
8:30 DJ'd Music by Rod and Ronda

Friday August 3

6-8pm Swing Papillon at the Secret Society
Secret Society Ballroom (116 NE Russell, Portland)

6:30-12:30am August Lindy Workshop and Dance with Justin and Olivia
Tango Berretin (6305 SE Foster Rd, Portland)
6:30-7:30 Advanced Air Steps Class with Justin and Olivia *Partner Required*
7:30-8:30 Intermediate Styling Class with Justin and Olivia
8:30-9:00 Beginning Swing Lesson with Josh and Emily
9:00-12:30 DJ'd Music
10:30 Lindy Hop Endurance Competition
http://www.facebook.com/events/337697086305540/

Saturday August 4


7:30-10:00pm Swing Outside Saturday Hosted by Richard and PDX SatchmoFest
Peninsula Park (700 N Rosa Parks Way, Portland)
http://www.facebook.com/events/182393345227887/


9-12 Jitterbug Vipers at the Secret Society
Drinking Age Only, 21+
Secret Society Ballroom (116 NE Russell, Portland)

Sunday August 5

7-11:00pm Sunday Swing 
Scottish Rite (1507 SW Morrison, Portland)
7:00 Intermediate Swing Drop-in Lesson
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson
8:00-11:00pm DJ'd Music
http://www.stumptowndance.com/

Monday August 6


6:30-8:30pm Learn to Swing Dance with Josh and Emily
Wimbledon Square (2837 SE Colt Drive, Portland)

6:30-7:30 Beginning Lindy Hop

7:30-8:30 Beyond Beginning Partner Charleston

http://www.facebook.com/events/257273261046069/


7:30-9:30pm Guided Swing Practica
Lower Melody Ballroom (615 SE Alder, Portland)
http://www.stumptowndance.com/


8-11pm Lily Wilde Orchestra at Duff's Garage
Drinking Age Only, 21+
Duff's Garage (1635 SE 7th Ave, Portland)


9-11pm Kung Pao Chickens
Drinking Age Only, 21+
Laurelthirst Public House (2958 NE Glisan, Portland)

Tuesday August 7

7:30-12:30 Tuesday Blues
Lenora's Room (615 SE Alder, Portland)
7:30 Intermediate Blues Lesson
8:30 Beginning Blues Lesson
9-12:30 Dj'd Music

Wednesday August 8

7:30-10:30 pm Swing Night at Vie de Boheme

Vie de Boheme Wine Bar (1530 SE 7th Ave, Portland)

Upcoming Events!

August 10-12 Seattle Lindy Exchange (Seattle, WA)
August 18 Portland Lindy Society Summer Bash with the Midnight Serenaders (Director Park, Portland, OR)
September 1 Opening Night of Saturday Swing by S Cubed Productions (Tabor Heights UMC, Portland, OR)
September 4 Opening Night of The Rigamarole (Village Ballroom, Portland, OR)
October 17-21 Sun Valley Jazz Jamboree (Sun Valley, ID)
October 26-29 Victoria Lindy Exchange (Victoria, BC, Canada)
November 9-11 Vancouver Jazz Dance Festival (Vancouver, BC, Canada)