I’m a regular at the Headroom workshops held on Flash’s main floor once a month. It’s a chance for local producers to play their works-in-progress on an excellent sound system and get feedback from their peers. I don’t produce or DJ, but I like to hear what’s new and it’s a good place to network. This party was a chance for Headroom producers to show off their chops, and damn it was fun.
I was late getting out the door and parking on a Sunday was trickier than expected, so I missed a chunk of DJ Winterman‘s set. When I came in, he was running smooth and energetic. Later he hit us with breaks and drum & bass.
The night was a sampler pack of styles, just as the Headroom workshops are. The audience came and went over the course of the night, but it was a great assortment of DC producers and DJs.
District & Circle laid down just good old house music, including some samples from classic Cypress Hill. Nebo slowed down the pace with a live set of contemplative piano, live guitar, and vocals. Lovely set. It was the calm before the storm.
Symmetrical hit his custom rig for a live set and kept on hitting it, he said later, because parts kept fritzing out. His sets are always lively but this one was the wildest mad-scientist techno I’ve heard him crank out. And he was deep in it, too, riding the storm.
Darius Twin took over next and piloted us out with smooth, hard techno. It was almost relaxing. JP Jed continued the techno grind, dropping one of his own tracks quite perfectly into the mix. And then Sid Waters smoothed us all down with some heavy trance. An excellent way to end the night, and it fulfilled my recurring “problem” with Ten Tigers: I always end up staying later than I meant to.
Wednesday nights. The final frontier. DC’s scene is already home to a four-day weekend every weekend and plenty of events each of those days. But what’s out there for music heads on a Wednesday night?
This installment of Tiger Bomb at Ten Tigers featured Symmetrical, Ben Jenkins, and Keenan Orr throwing down an eclectic mix of tracks.
I met Symmetrical a surprisingly long time ago but it’s only in the last couple years that he’s been climbing the DJ ladder here in DC. Now, my tastes don’t always line up with Symmetrical’s but when they do, he hits it really well. And if there’s one thing you cannot doubt about him, it’s his passion.
Well, he was mixing the hell out of everything tonight. I hope I’ve got correct IDs on his track in the sample playlist! Symmetrical kept it funky, infectious, and high energy.
Ben Jenkins, I know from the techno scene where he’s always been very flexible in style — ranging from harder beats all the way to ambient. His turn at the decks smoothed out the beat and then led us into techno territory.
I didn’t catch enough of Keenan’s set to comment on it. A full review will have to wait for some other show.
Overall, Tiger Bomb was energetic to get you over your hump day and start thinking about the coming weekend. Keep an eye on the weekly lineup for what fits your style best.
The Wild Geese “Old Boys” Rugby Football Club is hosting a touch rugby tournament at Gosling Park (20500 Martinsburg Road, Dickerson, MD 20842) on Saturday 5th October 2013 starting at 11am – with a pre-match training from 10-10:30 for beginners. The tournament will raise funds for Wild Geese Charities in the D.C. area and “Hope in South Africa.”
The day will be divided into two groups: very competitive and competitive. We will group new and still learning teams together and allow the high speed, low drag teams to compete against their same level. This will ensure that everyone gets to enjoy the day. 2 x 12 minute halves with a 5 minute breather. Youth 12 and above welcome (or speedy and experienced 10/11 year olds).
Gosling Park is situated on a beautiful historic farm site with 2 pitches, not far from Poolesville, MD. Located near the C&O canal – which is great for hiking and biking – bring the family and kids for a day of fun.
Players should bring plenty of water and everyone should bring chairs and shade tents (there are no shade trees next to pitch). BBQ and grilled items as well as a few vegetarian dished will be provided. The tournament will provide bottle water and you will need to bring beer.
I’m in! Will bring money on the day. Would also be very grateful for a ride, if anyone has space in their car…thanks!
I have received emails this am advising that 3 groups will be withdrawing from our tournament on Saturday. Members of their groups left today for Nationals in Orlando.
Under the circumstances the Wild Geese have decided to cancel the tournament until we can offer a full roster in Spring.
A reminder that Wednesday rugby is still on. We’ve got four good weeks of rugby to be played before daylight saving time kicks in. Unless it rains tomorrow, we’re definitely on. I’ll send a post if we need to cancel.
IT’S SIMPLE: By dining out at one of our generous restaurant partners, you will be supporting grants for DD2 classrooms. Participating restaurants will donate 20% of their sales to INNOVATION AWARDS!
“Whether you have a child in public school, you are a business owner or you have retired to this area, public education is a good investment. It is a good investment for businesses, it is a good investment for individuals and it’s a good investment for families.”
Do you recall I said last month that my newspaper column adventures had ended for the time being? It appears my family’s relief at not being the subject of my columns was short-lived. That’s right; I’m back in print in one of our local free newspapers. I’m not sure what changed or how that works in the scheme of things but hey, let the torture begin. (Insert evil grin here.)
Things I enjoy about school holidays – no early morning rush, no complaining about what’s in the lunchbox, (which regardless of who made it, most of it comes home again anyway) and no last minute panic as to the whereabouts of one’s uniform, homework and yes, even the lunchbox. But it’s that time again. Time to relive the stress, participate in early morning debates and pray we have everything prepared for the first day of school.
The books rest in their plastic sleeves. (No demonic contact paper in this house, thank you very much). Pencils are sharp and clean, crayons and erasers intact. (None of which will stay that way). Their uniforms are ready and I’ve even read a few magazines to see what’s ‘in’ for school lunchboxes this year.
Of course, now that we’re on the countdown, that’s when the kids realise they need a new school bag, lunchbox (ha) or they’ve outgrown the uniforms and shoes that fit them perfectly the week before. Nor can they find last year’s whatever, so goodbye to any savings.
And to think I used to cry when they were little and wonder how they’d get through the day without me.
2015 started with a bang. We spent time in Brisbane and enjoyed the fireworks heralding in the New Year along with some sightseeing and enjoying the marvellous theatre production of the Lion King. (Definitely a highlight and if you haven’t seen it, please consider doing so.) There may have been a little shopping in there too. Once we returned home, I was just as busy. Amongst enjoying some quality family time, (more column fodder) acquiring school supplies (ergo the fodder) and attending to my domestic goddess duties, (you know how much I love those) I’ve been writing. :)
Two vastly different competition stories made their way from my over-stimulated brain to the computer screen and with any luck will find themselves in print later in the year. One is a silly romance. There were many giggles while writing that one. The other is a bittersweet tale, the origins of which I am yet to fathom. I’m not sure exactly where my thoughts were heading in that instance. I enjoyed writing both even if one made me feel a little melancholy afterward. The feedback should be very interesting. :)
I’ve finished rewriting a novel I originally wrote a couple of years ago. It worked brilliantly in first person viewpoint (or so I thought at the time) but I’ve since reconsidered and realised that as it wasn’t working in that ‘voice’, I’ve changed it to third person viewpoint. It flowed better. I also noticed a few mistakes because the first point of view character doesn’t know what others are thinking or doing and I hadn’t caught all of those the first time around. Admittedly, I’ve always had a trilogy in mind for this particular story. The funny thing was, and again, this shows my amateur writing status, when I started writing the second novel, I kept wanting to write it in the third person. I don’t think that’s how trilogies work – changing from one viewpoint to a completely different style in a series. At least, it didn’t work for me. Now that I’ve changed the first book, however, I feel inspired to tackle the second one again. That means more rewriting and editing, (and finishing what I started) but that’s all part of the writing process. See, I’m learning. ;)
For those interested, I believe Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series, which inspired the HBO show, Trueblood, is a brilliant example of first person writing.
To continue with my ‘to do’ list, I’ve started writing the first of those two novellas I mentioned briefly in August. And there’s the newspaper column again and I mustn’t forget Writers Group. The first meeting of the year is in a couple of weeks’ time, so I’d better get cracking. At this rate, 2015 is going to disappear faster than 2014 did.
Oh, and did I mention the reading pile has been breeding again? More reviews next month. Until then,
LOL on the contact -- I actually *shh looks around furtively* like contacting books. I think it's a stationery addiction thing ;)
LOL You are welcome to keep contacting. In fact, if there ever comes a time when I have to do it, I'm sending it to you, Jenny. :)
Ohhh, I so remember doing that when I went to school. I hate contact with a vengeance. great to hear your column is still going. So, when are we going to see a published novel/novella from you? This year hopefully.
Confession time: My blog is the only writing I’ve done this month, loathe as I am to admit it. However, the house won’t unpack itself and no one will tell me where the housework fairies are hiding. So now, here I am, sneaking in a blog amid unpacking boxes, washing more sheets and towels than I thought possible, and trying to convince myself I really do need a hundred and one coffee cups crammed into a drawer. (Okay, some exaggeration may have slipped through.)
And that wonderful office I’ve been daydreaming about for over a year – it now has more boxes than I dare count. I think the books may have multiplied too.
We did make some lovely friends at the old place and I am already missing our little chats, coffees, and get togethers. Hopefully the new neighbours are ready for the onslaught of random bursts of singing, (life’s a musical in this family) me firmly (possibly screaming) asking the youngest to do her homework, and random mutterings of ‘we’re never moving again’ escaping the windows.
What I did find (make) time for when I wasn’t falling into exhausted oblivion was not only reading, but happily interviewing a new author who is sharing news of her debut novel ‘JUSTICE’ with us. :)
Ms Georgia Tingley sat down to my Twenty Questions that somehow morphed into a few more, and graciously answered them all. I love learning what makes authors tick, their thought processes, and sharing their stories. I had the pleasure of Beta-reading for Georgia and enjoyed the story immensely. I loved ‘watching it evolve.’ I hope everyone reading it enjoys it as much as I did.
It took a while to accept that I am a writer. Probably after I finished completing my first draft. It was 50,000 words and I thought holy crap… I did it!
Yes, I have heaps of support from my family. Especially my husband and my two daughters. My mum and sister too are supportive. I think they get sick of me talking about writing though.
Yes, I think I do. I like short chapters. Since discovering Scrivener I write scenes for my stories and then decide after the first draft where the chapters should be. It’s usually the scenes ha-ha since I like short chapters, but occasionally I’ll have a chapter with a couple scenes.
I love romances first and foremost. But I have pretty much been through most genres… not in any order –I went through my Agatha Christie stage where I loved the whole understated British detective i.e.: Miss Marple and Inspector Poirot (even though he is Belgian). I loved the quaint English villages that she always set her novels in. With the Poirot books, I liked the 30’s timeline, and the art deco style that featured in the stories.
I loved scary stories - Stephen King, Misery, Dreamcatchers. Dean Koontz – Midnight. I admire that a writer can make the reader uncomfortable, so that they feel the need to put the book down and hide under the covers at every strange sound, when only a few hours earlier everything was normal. I remember reading Midnight, at home. My husband was out, and with my kids asleep, I felt the need to go and check on them repeatedly. Silly!
Then my Sci-Fi stage, John Wyndam’s, The Chrysalids – this is the first adult book I ever read, and it really influenced me. The fact that a writer can create a new world, good or bad. Amazing! Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park and Timeline both made into movies, both awesome books. Too much technical stuff in Jurassic Park though.
But my all-time favourite was Johanna Lindsay who writes historical romances (the Mallory Books are the best), Janet Dailey, who wrote light romances for Mills and Boon years ago. I also love Karen Robards, One Summer (I read it every few years), it’s a suspense/romance. I could go on and on even more… but I won’t.
You can buy my eBook through Amazon, Google, and Kindle from March 1st, 2018 and print books will be available shortly afterward. I’m happy to sign copies too.
I currently have two books for 2018 that I am hoping to get published. The first is a contemporary romance for mature aged women. It’s a series I’m working on called ‘Mature Love’ about women who find love later in life i.e.: over 35.
My first book is called ‘Having Faith’ - At 42 years-old, Faith has just been informed via text message that her ex-husband is getting remarried to a much younger, gorgeous, intelligent woman, - an ex-husband that she fantasied would come crawling back one day.
With her self-esteem in tatters, stunning-looking, Adam Warner steps back into her life. Ten years her junior and her best friends younger brother. Faith and Adam always had a connection from the day she held him as a baby, but she was so much older, and married. Now however, there was nothing stopping her from taking that connection further – except herself.
My other novel is a follow up in my ‘Angel Calling Series’ – as yet untitled. The story is about a woman – Caroline, who wakes from a coma with the ability to read minds. Newly converted angel, ‘Asher – Angel of Guidance’ is sent down to help her control and refine her gift.
Together they help the police find missing people. However, when a man’s wife goes missing, Caroline is unable to read his mind – but he can read hers! Not only can he read minds, but he is able to send thought suggestions – a gift reserved for the supernatural. The ladies are way out of their depth. ‘Justice’ is called in to help.
I did quite a bit on the internet. For Justice, I had to find out work out where I wanted my novel set. Then discover the little things about the area, what is the state flag, what were the nearest towns, what did the scenery look like, what plants grew in that area, etc.
Yes. I work three full days a week Tue, Wed & Thurs. I’m sitting in front of my computer by 7-8 am with a 30-minute lunch break. I work steadily to 3 pm. Although I have been known to keep writing till 6pm if I’m on a roll. “Sweetheart, it’s takeaway tonight.”
No, I haven’t yet. I’m not sure what I would do, but probably something that inspires me. Maybe listen to music, or watch a movie, go for a walk. It’s something that I would need to do alone, so my brain could come up with ideas.
I just finished a book called Bad Boyfriend by Julie Kriss – it’s a contemporary romance about a girl who always had a thing for her brother’s best friend who was a ‘bad-boy’- the type you would have a fling with, but never bring home to meet your parents.
Years later, he returns to their hometown from having spent 4 years in the Marines, and sparks fly between them. And she thinks – what the hell, I want him, even if it’s for just a little while. Until she can’t let him go.
Love them. I wish I could afford to do one. Maybe later if I’m successful. It’s as though your book has been made into a movie. How awesome is that?
Write what is in your heart. Emotion is the payout for readers. If you just write a story, no matter how good the sentence structure is, without the reader feeling moved, or having a connection to your characters, it’s just a bunch of words put together well. A reader needs to care about what happens in the story.
I spend a lot of time with my grandchildren and my own kids. I like to knit, read (of course), watch movies and tv shows, garden, swim. My husband and I love to go caravanning, so we escape for the odd long weekend to get away from the rat-race.
I like a story with characters who I can relate to, no matter what genre or what age, sex or race. I love to see a bit of humour in a story. Writing humour can be difficult, so when a writer makes me smile or even laugh out loud it’s wonderful. I think emotion in your stories is a must. Whether the story moves the reader to feel, scared, sad, happy, melancholy or angry it’s all part of the storytelling journey which makes a book a great read. Also, I love great descriptions so that I have a clear picture in my mind of a place, or a feeling etc.
I do write more than one genre, and I balance them by sticking to the one story at a time. When writing romance for example, I tend to want to watch romantic movies, or read romance books. Same with horror, Science Fiction and so on.
Definitely a plotter. I use a whiteboard and write down in just a few sentences where I want the story to go… e.g.: 1. Open with hook. 2. Introduce protagonist in detail. 3. Move story along with cliff hanger. – You get the gist.
Do you fall in love with your characters? Answer is – Yes, I do. I love them so much. Especially the protagonist and some of the other loveable ones, that when I get any criticism, it tends to hurt a bit. When someone wants me to change something about them, I’m like NOOO.
No superstitions. As yet! I ritually chew gum when I need to think. I know it’s weird, some people drink endless cups of coffee, me, I chew. I think it’s the rhythm of chewing and blowing bubbles while staring at the screen. Well, that’s my theory anyway.
I had plenty. I just put it down to a rite of passage that all writers experience. It’s not personal. Publishers don’t always know a good thing when they see it. They only look at what they think will sell and what will make them money. I’ve heard so many stories of self-published authors who make good sales and then the traditional publishers contact them. Plus, I do think they are probably over-loaded with manuscripts and under staffed.
I was watching 48 hours, a procedural police TV show. It featured a story about a little boy who went missing 40 years ago. His body was found at the time, but his murderer wasn’t. It haunted the parents for their whole life. The police even had a good idea who committed the crime but could do nothing without evidence. Years later, a police officer was reviewing the cold case and decided to interview people again. Someone decided to break their silence. This led to the police finding evidence and locking the guy away. I thought to myself, if only there was a super-hero or angel who could solve cold cases like that, to give the parents some closure.
I just write and write. Worry about the proper edit later, otherwise it would take me twice as long. No need to be a perfectionist.
I get turned off by smokers, being a non-smoker myself. Especially if it’s the protagonist. I also hate violence against women, so I try to avoid those sorts of stories. Particularly domestic violence, I couldn’t think of anything worse than someone you care about, hitting you. Not too keen on anything about WWI or WWII, I’ve seen enough war movies. I’m not a big lover of fantasy novels either. You must wade through copious amounts of scene descriptions before you get to the story.
I get the title from the story. Both my books have titles of the main characters. Characters names are more difficult. It’s usually names that I hear and I like, or dislike. I have a notebook for names, so I’ll grab one from there.
25. How long did it take you to learn how to step back from your story and self-edit, or do you prefer another method?
I do self-edit to a certain extent, but I highly recommend that writers get someone else to edit for them. Someone who knows what they are doing. It’s so hard to look objectively at your own work.
Thank you for being so generous with your time and your answers, Georgia. Wishing you all the best for ‘Justice.’ Very excited for you.
Imprisoned and mistreated by the infamous information broker Fagan, Alexa Maven lives a life that makes the thought of love a painful lie. If she dared to dream, she'd wish for freedom and anonymity; to be alone forever.
Mikal Fforde is a captain in the United Space Marine Corps. Love is a distraction he definitely doesn't need right now. He’s a tough fighter, a survivor, and he can’t afford the vulnerability that love brings.
Alexa, a star chart expert, is the property of a dangerous pirate. One who would stop at nothing to keep her by his side. After all, Alexa doesn’t need her legs to do her job, does she? But the Nomads all follow a strict code. They can’t ignore a summons from the Oracle.
When the Oracle orders Alexa to attend a Raiding Party to find her mate and unite with her one true love, she does so with the pirate’s solemn vow still ringing in her ears – Come straight back, and if your new mate isn’t useful – he dies. What hope does she have of escape? And now she’s responsible for the life of a stranger.
Mikal Fforde, a United Space Marine Captain, has little time or interest in romance, so when the Oracle pairs him with a mere wisp of a girl, he’s certain the world’s gone mad. The little mouse seems terrified of everything, especially him. But Mikal soon discovers her fear is for him, not of him, and suddenly Alexa doesn’t seem like a timid mouse. She’s a mysterious woman sent to save him from himself. In fact, he’d willingly risk his life to save hers.
Ms Schwartz just keeps those stories coming, and as usual, she left me wanting to know what happens next. This is the start of a new series, and I look forward to seeing where she takes her readers. :)
Dahlia Mannett was a princess on her planet, Riddich. Now all she wants on Earth is to be normal and not hunted by the evil Tantonics, who prey on her people for their power. But somehow, she ends up in a bikini and on the catwalk for famous designer, Lincoln Hillier. Turns out he’s also the one man to bring out her inner dragon—a miracle considering no Riddich male achieved that same result.
Being the lone surviving female comes with its own set of problems. Dahlia has never experienced the dragon transformation, never found her rightful place in Riddich society even if she was loved and accepted by all as a true princess of that world. And never has she fallen in love and found someone to satisfy her inner dragon. When she lands on Earth, she figures she’ll never know what it means to be her true self. But that changes when she meets Lincoln. How can a human succeed where all other male Riddichians have failed?
Lincoln Hillier is used to having beautiful women fawning over him, and he’s never questioned that attraction. When he sees the gorgeous woman intent on gate crashing his modelling show on his private estate, not that he has the slightest objection to this uninvited guest, no other woman matters. For the first time, Lincoln finds himself captivated by a woman, one he soon learns is an alien. When they discover he’s the man to trigger Dahlia’s dragon transformation, Dahlia’s at a loss to know why. Before they can make any sense of what’s happened, the Tantonics find them, and so begins a desperate bid for freedom, and a twist that neither Dahlia nor Lincoln saw coming.
I looked forward to reading from Dahlia’s perspective since she’s the only surviving female dragon, and Ms Teshco didn’t disappoint me. :) Dahlia is a strong character who was true to her cause yet showed vulnerability and a quiet inner strength that brought her to life for me. On the downside, I believe there’s only two more stories left in this series. :(
Once the house is sorted and I can see my office for the boxes, it will be back to work as usual. Until then, happy cleaning, I mean, happy writing and reading – do more of those. :)
A study of your own! Awesome :) and if you find those housework fairies while unpacking, send one my way? Hmm?
Great interview with Georgia. I love that she admits to falling in love with her characters and wanting to defend them from criticism - me, too!!
Pleased you enjoyed the interview and you're welcome for the review. I am looking forward to reading about that handsome Troll boy - lol - not a sentence I ever thought I'd write. ;)
The storm missed us too. Glad to hear you're okay as well. No complaints from the neighbours yet. :)
Yay to finally having your own room to fill with words! I'm sure you will soon be unpacked and all settled in and tapping away at the keyboard. And yes, if you find the housework fairies, please give them my number. I lose so much reading and writing time without fairies to help lighten the load.
Very excited. :) It's a little tidier since that photo was taken so I hope to have the house sorted soon and get back into it.