My relationship with Facebook started as “In a relationship.”
After the Cambridge Analytica scandal, we became “It’s complicated.”
With their cessation of fact-checking, we’re moving to “Separated.”
Now I find out they are pirating my writing. Honestly, it’s like a bad neighbor moved onto the block. How do you keep them from sneaking into your garage and borrowing your lawn mower?
I obviously have some thoughts on this…
Continue reading Is It Time To Unfriend Facebook?A man walks into a bar and asks for a table for six people.
Yep, sounds like the start of a joke. But it wasn’t. The room is full of writers and there is no room for someone who wants dinner in the restaurant.
I’m at the Rainforest Writer’s retreat for four days, focused on Vicious Machine, the follow-on to Stupid Machine, a murder mystery solved by a refrigerator. Thirty of us have taken over The Rainforest Resort Village, filling the lounge, restaurant, and cabins with aspiring writers. The locals appreciate the business—it’s the off season, so we provide an unexpected boost to the economy—but they aren’t sure how to regard us. Asking us “How was the fishing today? ” returns a blank stare.
They would receive a more enthusiastic response if they asked, “How many words did you put down today?”
Let me share a bit about the experience.
Continue reading Inside a Writer’s Retreat
I recently mentioned that Amazon + Audible + Kindle pays me the smallest royalties per book; but also that a majority of my sales volume comes from that same combination. Here’s the pie chart illustrating my royalty income mix:
Here’s a problem. There is a movement to boycott Amazon from March 7th to March 14th (including Amazon Alexa, IMDb, Prime Video, Ring, Twitch, Whole Foods and Zappos.) To support this blackout, I should suspend all sales of my books on Amazon, Kindle, and Audible—but I’m conflicted about shutting off sixty percent of book sales revenue for a full week.
I’ve recently asked our financial advisor to sell all holdings in AMZN, which I feel good about. I’ve also held off on shopping for anything at Amazon or Whole Foods or watching Amazon prime.
This is rebuilding habits. Instead of jumping to the easy online marketplace, I spend a little bit of extra time looking for local suppliers or alternative online sources. For a long time, I’ve purchased my electronic components from Adafruit instead of Amazon. I like Adafruit, they record informative videos on new products and maintain essential code libraries to use those integrated circuits. I would feel guilty buying the part from Amazon, then download code from Amazon.
To avoid being a hypocrite, I should shut off sales through those Amazon channels. I set about that task. Here’s what I experienced.
Continue reading Blacking Out Amazon
I loved going to bookstores with my dad. We often found ourselves in the mall waiting for my sisters and mom to finish shopping. B. Dalton bookseller displayed rows of books we could browse. The covers exploded with action and color, at least in the science fiction section, where I would squat down on the floor with the laser beams and rocket ships.
We only bought books from B.Dalton, unless we checked them out from the library. Those were our options. Oh – but now, there is a plethora of choices, not only where you buy books but also in the formats available; ebooks and audiobooks weren’t commonly available.
Amazon’s disruption of booksellers also changed how authors are paid. The supply chain that provided books to B. Dalton provided authors with a standard percentage of sales; there was little fluctuation. Today, the route from author to buyer is legion, and each come with differing payment levels to authors.
You may not know it yet, but where you buy a book makes a difference to your favorite authors.
Continue reading Where You Purchase a Book Makes a DifferenceWe are showing the canoe at the Westminster Presbyterian Church Art Show. Why not? It is fine furniture – maybe even sculpture. During the opening show, a friend asked about the boat.
“It’s beautiful,” they said. “Does it float?”
I consider the question for a minute. Snarky me wants to answer, “Why no, we just use it for guacamole at football games.1” But I resist.
“Yep,” I replied with a smile. “It floats.”
Continue reading The Canoe is not a Coffee Table
For years, I’ve played sax + bass duets with my friend Don Barnes. Covid and health issues sadly put an end to that gig. I miss Don and I missed playing music.
At almost exactly the moment that door closed, David Hutchinson asked if I would join a quartet: Randy Nims on trombone, Tyler Higley on guitar, David on saxophone and myself on bass. And we have an upcoming performance.
What: Westminster Presbyterian Church Gala and Art ShowContinue reading New Band, New Gig
When: February 21, 2025 7 pm to 9 pm
Where: 1624 NE Hancock, Portland, OR 97212
I love music. It’s a challenge. It’s a reward. I study it so I can perform it. It amuses me.
I hate music. It always wants more of me. I’ll never master it. I perform it, but it frustrates me.
The best part of music is sharing that musical conversation with musical (and non-musical) friends. That’s why you should meet Maddy Ross.
When: March 19th, 6 to 8 pm
Where: NASO wine bar. 1744 SE Hawthorne
Who:
Maddy Ross (vocals)
Kathy James (keyboard)
Stu Fessant (Saxophone)
Mark Niemann-Ross (bass)
add this event to my calendar
Here's a poster you can put in your window!
I’m preparing to submit My Favorite Mother-In-Law to the Portland Book Festival. They ask for a media kit and I’m told to include five key points about the book. It’s a document used to spark questions during an interview.
This gives me a chance to look back at the book, the process, Greta, and my imaginary friends. Perhaps you’ll enjoy an early look at these five points…
Continue reading Key Ideas from My Favorite Mother-In-LawModern kayaks use a variety of materials and construction techniques: kevlar, fiberglass, and plastic are the most common. But before all this, people built kayaks from skin stretched over wood frames. We lovingly call these “skin on frame” even though we use nylon instead of skin. Not as messy as killing a seal and tanning its hide.
OOPS, the kayak club I belong to, received a donation of a lovely 16’ skin-on-frame boat, which we will auction off at our Jan 29 Open House.
Continue reading Your New Skin on Frame Kayak?It’s delightful to be validated for your writing.
The Multnomah County Public Library (My Library!) just informed me they are adding My Favorite Mother-In-Law to their collection as part of the Library Writers Project. They had sixty submissions and told me I was a standout!
This makes My Favorite Mother-In-Law available via the Libby app to all of Multnomah County. 80,000 readers. Wow!
Do you live in Multnomah County, Oregon? You can borrow the book from your library branch.
Don’t live in Oregon? Send a suggestion to your library that you’d like them to pick this book up for their collection. It’s available via Overdrive which is where most libraries acquire electronic books.
Can’t convince your library. You could always just buy a copy of your own.
Yay me!
