Help! I think Gozer or Zhule have taken over my blog!

Damnit; I don't know how this happens but it's happened many times before and I absolutely now know that it's not any mistake on my part...

Eblogger releases (publishes) articles I've clearly saved as drafts. It did it this morning. I have a draft titled "Fly Me Over the Moon" that I was really toying around with and then I had other ideas and decided to keep it as a draft and I started another article titled "Maine, Rain and..." etc. The "Maine, Rain" article is the one I published.

It's easy: there is a HUGE orange button I can click on & Whammo! Published. It is not something one easily hits or stumbles upon in the process of writing. "Save" is next to it and easily identified. If I have ever made this mistake once -- drunk, comatose or besotted -- I know I haven't done so repeatedly.

I tend to induge myself in Total Sobriety when I write... for me it works better (which I know has not always been the tradition of great writers...).

Anyway, people who subscribe to my blog and have it delivered to "their door" via email received both my the draft I worked on today and the one I published. When I look at my list of articles I clearly see that the draft is STILL MARKED AS A DRAFT and doesn't show me anywhere that it's been published. But it has been published...

WTH?

I've been thinking I need to redo this entire blog but don't know what blog platform to use. Honestly, I don't like Word Press. I work in Word Press already; I co-publish an ezine with Bill Pratt, in which I am also the Editor and it's in Word Press. Here it is (if you like political commentary pls check it out, OK? ----> Tides & Currents). 

I have two venues because I want to segregate my political commentary from my fiction (OK: I admit that if I was writing for FOX News there would be NO distinction between fact and fiction but I'm not, will not, and that's the end of it...).

SO: I ask ALL of YOU out there in blogsville --- what's your favorite blog platform and have you ever had this same problem with Eblogger effen up & releasing your drafts? About several months ago it started republishing old articles... I couldn't believe it: all of a sudden I was receiving them in my email.

Do I just have a Blog Poltergeist here or what???

Any suggestions?

And where the hell's Bill Murray when you need him? 

Maine, Rain and Someone I Want You to Meet

Man, I don't know about the rest of this state, but here in the lower coastal section of Maine we're sure having a mild winter. As you probably already know, I grew up in Chicago and lived in the 'burbs and then also about 90 mi south of the city, down along the Kankakee River, for a few years. Except for a wild year in my youth when I lived in Florida, I've never enjoyed such a mild winter (and actually the winter I was in Florida was a chilly one; I remember the smudge pots out in the citrus groves and Floridians scrambling to find warm clothes).

I understand why so many Chicagoans and Midwesterners are living in this part of Maine: to us this winter weather is down right balmy (really, is there anything colder than a Chicago winter? I think not.) This part of Maine is a cool winter in Florida without the tourists -- which makes it especially wonderful (I don't dislike tourists but in Florida they never seem to totally go away). At this time of year, Mainers have the state to themselves and oh it's glorious indeed! And if balmy and mild isn't your cup of tea (or chowda'), then just head a wee bit north or west and you'll have as much winter as anyone could ever desire. I was reading the other day about dog sled races in Bridgton, ME. One of these days I'm going to check it out but right now this southern coastal pocket of New England bliss suits me just fine.

We had some beautiful snowfalls in January but the snow never seems to last very long; it keeps warming up and the snow disappears. It seems to be a cycle. I don't mind the rain because it's never as violent as it is back in Illinois; I've been here since the end of September and haven't heard a single clap of thunder. The rain also gives my eyes a break. Our son mentioned that winter is brighter here than anywhere else he's ever been; he said it's not as "gray" as it was back home. It's true. I've never worn sunglasses in winter as much as I've worn them here -- not even that one winter in Florida. When the sun is out here in Maine we're talking BRIGHT. Could it be the lack of pollution that makes the skies so blue and the snow so brilliantly white?

Today we're getting a persistent but gentle rainfall. Shadow and I just wandered through the slush and mud (you do need superior field gear to live here, I'll say that) for a walk over in the woods (just out my door; what glory!) and I could smell both pine and ocean. The air here is a heady ambrosia, an oxygen high of the first order.
This is the kind of day that also begs for a fresh cup of rich coffee, a comfy couch, a cuddly afghan and a great book -- all after an invigorating walk outside, of course. Did I mention I have a pot of homemade chicken soup simmering on the stove? There's bread in the bread machine and I just sprinkled some cinnamon on my coffee.

Are you with me? Just feel the love!

Shadow's snoring loudly now at my feet. He's actually smiling; I think his dreams must be wonderful. He used to cry out in terror because monsters haunted his sweet soul. No more, thank God. It gives me such joy to have been a part of his rescue.

So, let's talk books. What are you reading right now? Fiction? Non-fiction? Do you read both? Do you read both simultaneously?

I've always been a person who could multi-task and I've always been able to do things like read 3 or 4 books at the same time. I once read 3 Grisham books while poring over every word in Doris Kearns Goodwin's "No Ordinary Time" and (I swear this is true) slogging through the mud of Durkheim's "The Division of Labor in Society." People find this bizarre but I don't know why. When you were in HS or college didn't you take multiple classes in one semester and have to work through a variety of textbooks more or less at the same time? I guess I was in college for so damn long (because I was an adult student going part-time, not necessarily because I was imitating Bluto in "Animal House") that reading a small library at the same time became a survival skill.

But some books, obviously, deserve to be savored... and one of them is Kathleen Valentine's third novel, "Depraved Heart," which I'm reading as a beta reader. She's hitting it out of the park with this one. My husband read it before I could start it; he enjoyed her two other books, "The Old Mermaid's Tale" and "Each Angel Burns," but said he thinks "Depraved Heart" may be her best yet.

Kathleen's lyricism blows me away, as well as her strong story telling skills. I think "Depraved Heart" is an outstanding achievement.

I have other friends who write great stories (my friend Nicole Daines Gibeaut comes to mind) and I've learned wonderful things from each of them, but Kathleen is teaching me something special about focus and discipline. She's been laying it on me pretty thick... chiding my ass for spending too much time on Facebook and not enough time writing fiction. I'm very flattered that she thinks I'm a gifted writer -- which is part of the reason she rides my butt (and we're going to talk more about that in another post!). Today, though, I want to direct your attention to Kathleen.

Kathleen's Kindle sales are soaring and I can't think of a writer who deserves success more than Kathleen. Last summer she decided to hunker down and get very, very serious about finishing "Depraved Heart" while also devoting herself to promoting herself as a writer.

Kathleen's as gifted with short stories as she is with full length novels. In a blog post she wrote this past Wednesday, January 25th, (link below), Kathleen describes how she's unbundled some of her short stories from their prior book formatting and sold them separately and how that has proven very successful; those short stories have driven sales for all of her books. Kathleen's determination to focus on her career as a writer, eschewing almost all other distractions, coupled with her talents as a writer and keen business acumen have all come together. In her post on Wednesday, Kathleen wrote that so far in this month alone (3 weeks!) she's seen over 9,000 books fly "off the digital shelves...."

I spoke with Kathleen last week and we discussed in more detail how her shorts have enjoyed explosive sales and those sales continually beget more sales. I have at least twenty short stories in various states of completion -- some have been in my files for thirty years and I never even showed them to anyone. Now I'm eyeing them like possible buried treasure.

Kathleen Valentine is going to be one of those highly successful indies who prove indies are a mighty force to be reckoned with -- gifted writers who not only write beautifully but have also mastered the business end of the deal and found clever ways to market multiple talents. 

All successful indies (and there are beginning to be so many now!) have their own unique stories but I haven't heard anyone use the short story as a marketing tool.

But maybe you have... if so, please share.

Oh, and if you're not a writer but just love to read... I'd like to know what you think. Do you prefer short stories over full length novels? C'mon... share your thoughts.

And one more thing... don't forget to stop over and meet Kathleen at her Parlez Moi blog. I just called her and told her yuo're stopping by...

OK, gotta' go... there's some delicious hot soup calling my name....

Happy Friday!

I'm always surprised at how much Maine reminds me of two of my favorite places on earth: the far northwoods of Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Much of the geography here is nearly identical and I love it! Maine is loaded with lakes and rivers but of course it also has the sea coast but even that sometimes reminds me of the Lake Superior coastline up in Michigan. If you've ever been on Lake Superior you'll know what I mean: it is so huge and tempermental (and deadly) it may as well be an ocean and both places have gulls and other water birds. I guess the big difference is one of saltwater vs freshwater, lobsters vs whitefish.



This is the lighthouse on Cape Neddick here in Maine; it sure could be on Lake Superior too.

We live in southern coastal Maine now and the weather here is much more temperate than the rest of Maine, the northwoods of Wisconsin or the UP. I'm told it's a benefit of the ocean and its currents.

Today we're in the high 30's -- which is about 25 degrees warmer than the northwoods and UP and 15+ degrees warmer than my hometown, Chicago. We're told by the locals that this area of Maine has enjoyed an unusually warm autumn and (so far) winter.  We may find in future years that it gets as bitter cold here as in Chicago and Wisconsin and Michigan but for now Al and I are sharing a private joke about our move here; ie., the other day when we were enjoying the first 40 degree weather we think we've ever seen in the first week of January I asked him "Hey, do think we're just so senile that we mistakenly moved to Memphis and don't know it?"

There is one strong similarity to Chicago though: the wind. I don't know about the rest of Maine but let me tell you this area sees some significant wind. Of course, to a Chicagoan, it's still not all that daunting.

I've heard Mainers are reserved people who aren't all that friendly and easy to get to know. Well, that sure hasn't been our experience. I think they're some of the friendliest -- and innately classiest -- people I've ever met. They possess a certain natural grace and good manners that continues to impress us. Folks take their time around here and expect you to do the same; there is always time for a pleasant hello. My Chicago accent often elicits inquiries about being a non-Mainer and often leads into a full blown conversation.

Southern coastal Maine draws millions of tourists each year but that number drops significantly in winter and Mainers seem genuinely interested in why a Chicagoan is in Maine at this time of year. There's always a hint of surprise (and pleasure) when they learn I live here now and love it because, of course, they love Maine too -- which is one of the things I hear most often from Mainers: they seem to know they're in a little piece of heaven.

Mainers are quick to tell me how many other people are from elsewhere too... everyone seems to know someone who fell in love with Maine and moved here permanently. I've been introduced to people from the West, South, Midwest and every other state in New England... and even New Zealand and France. And there are so many Chicagoans here that I think I could sell Bears memorabilia, real Chicago hot dogs and pizza, and make a major killing.

The other day someone asked me to be really honest and tell her the truth about Chicago's fabled winters and the weather in the Midwest. She asked, "What do you think the real difference is between weather in Chicago and here in Maine?"

"That's easy," I said, "in Chicago the weather tries to kill you."

I was doing some research on NOAA's site for my book, "March Storm," and came across this information: 74 tornadoes plowed through Maine in the last 60 years.

Do you know how many tornadoes wreaked havoc throughout Illinois in 40 years? 2,102.

Further, Maine doesn't get hammered with hurricanes as much as the coastal states south of Maine; there have only been 7 or 8 whoppers causing significant damage in the last 100 yrs. They get these storms called "nor'easters" up here but Al & I have already experienced one and we don't think they're anywhere near as terrifying as the swath of T-storms that rip across the prairie in spring or the blizzards that can hammer Chicago in winter. 

The truth is I'll always think of myself as a Chicagoan. In fact, I spoke a little bit about Chicago in my presentation at a local church celebrating Martin Luther King's birthday this past Monday. I mentioned that in 1966 Chicago was one of the most segregated cities in America and Dr. King was shocked at the amount of race hate he experienced when he marched for civil rights in Chicago in that same year. In fact, it was in Chicago that King was hit with a brick thrown by a crazed racist in Marquette Park.

But in the intervening years since then Chicago elected its first female mayor (Jane Byrne), its first black mayor (Harold Washington), and an interim black mayor (Eugene Sawyer). Now of course it has elected its first Jewish mayor, Rahm Emanuel. I said it's certainly possible and even probable that one day in the near future Chicago will elect a Hispanic, Arab or even Hindu and it wouldn't surprise me either if any of them were gay, lesbian or transgendered. I said one thing I can say about Chicago is that its people are a helluva lot more concerned about moving snow than the color of your skin, your religion, or your sexual orientation.

And you know what? That's one of the core values I will always have in my heart -- no matter where I live and make my home.

I would suggest to you that no matter where you live that it might serve as an excellent core value there too... frankly, in the disgraceful rhetoric of this long painful primary season, I would argue that the whole country should look to Chicago for a lesson in political pragmatism and good sense... but on the way, it could also take a lesson in grace and good manners from the nice people in Maine.