Write Words / Arline Chase: February 2012

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Spicy Spaghetti sauce -- recipe

Josh Aterovis’s Spicy Spaghetti Sauce

2 Quarts of crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Parsley
1/2 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Oregano
2 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp red (cayenne) pepper
1 large clove of garlic
1 medium onion
1 pound of hamburger

Combine tomatoes and spices in a large pot. In a skillet, saute onions and garlic in oil until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add to tomato sauce. Brown hamburger in skillet and add to sauce. Cook over low heat for several hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve over pasta.

Contributed by Josh Aterovis, author of Bleeding Hearts...Quiet unassuming 16-year-old Killian Travers Kendall has always known somewhere inside himself that he was different from other boys... Then an openly gay youth becomes a student at his school. For the first time Killian has met someone who understands how he feels. When the new boy is murdered during a hate crime, Killian is also attacked and vows to himself to find the killer.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Anachronisms, anyone? -- writing tip

Questions: I hate to admit how stupid I must be, but someone in my writers group said I had "too many anachronisms." The dictionary -- "a person or t hing that is chronologically out of place, especially one from a former age..." didn't help. I don't write historicals OR time travel. Help?

Answer: In historicals it is easy to do. I once got into trouble with coin collectors who s were into sailing, when I gave a character in a story I sold to CHESAPEAKE BAY, a coin that wasn't minted until later.

But it can happen just as easily in modern stories. For instance how many cop shows still work to keep the person on the line long enough so t hey can trace the call? Come on? Can't the cops afford caller ID??

Or it can mean using a word that wasn't coined until later, as well. Okay, for instance was not in use until the late 1800s. Ken Kesey worked very hard in one of his novels to find the word "jacinth" which is what "orange" was called before the 1700s. The color existed, as did oranges, but the name for the color, and the gem stone it was derived from, was jacinth.

In a World War II novel, nobody can go on the Internet to contact someone, they will need a telephone. They can't punch buttons on the phone, or DIAL, becayse they will not hear a "dial tone" but someone saying, "Operator. Number please?" and getting through long-distance could take them hours. Though they can "rant" about the delay to friends, they can't do it on Facebook.

But it doesn't have to be a historical story. In writing, it can be anything that is out of place in the time of the story. A character who goes upstairs, when he woke up in the attic two paragraphs ago. A character who lights a cigarette, when he has just lit one and not yet put it out (unless that's the point).

This is very easy to do and often slips past editors and copy editors alike. One of my own early stories was set in San Francisco and had a character that jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge!!!

Once I was reading a historical romance set in Elizabethan England. Later, I realized that the feeling of ill-ease I had while reading was because the author had written it first as a modern story, then set it back in time, because the dialog was all modern English.

There was a wonderful wedding scene. It had whole roasted pigs, jongleurs (what the hell is a jongleur, anyway?), lute players and troubadours singing bawdy songs of wedded bliss. Wonderful jewel-encrusted costumes, too. Then a minor character praised the cheese served in the wedding "buffet," saying to the bride's father, "Where did you get this wonderful cheese?"

To which the bride's father replied, "Oh, I'm glad you like it, okay? We had it flown in special."

"Buffet" and "okay" would have been bad enough, as in Elizabethan times "buffet" was a cupboard not a selection of food and "okay" didn't come into use until the 19th century. But "flown in?" How?

Monday, February 27, 2012

Please help me Catch up....and newspaper writing tip

My list of "print books to do next" got filed by the cats. I have searched, but to no avail. I may have missed doing paper editions for some of you. If you have been waiting a long time to hear from me about a paper edition, please, please contact me at arline@mail.com with a reminder. These most probably would be books that debuted last spring and summer....

Auntie Arline's Recipe for writing a newspaper article (or press release)

INGREDIENTS

The e-mail address for the newspaper or TV/Radio station can usually be found on the web site, masthead or the editorial page.

1 Headline (You can suggest one, but they will probably change it due to space limitations.

1 bottom line (What happened or will happen?) What? Where? When?

2 or 3 quotes, from someone who says something interesting, given accurately as to facts, but cleaned up as to grammar.

3 to 5 facts to do with the bottom line. (Who? and What? Why?)

1 byline and/or contact information, your e-mail, phone number etc.

1 reminder

1 Blank Page

.jpgs as available

On Blank Page, type the contact information at the upper right hand side: Your name, address, e-mail address and Phone number.

Type Headline Centered

Place bottom line first -- always give the most important information first!

Follow with a quote, choose the most positive one you have if it's a press release.

Distribute facts liberally throughout, putting in the most important ones first. Editors only have so much space and will simply highlight the bottom of the text and delete enough to make your information fit.

Garnish with quotes, that are attributed and qualified. But be careful never to make anyone look a fool. Plug local people and businesses whenever possible. Local outlets like this, it helps with advertisers. If the president of the hospital board says, "Me and Doc Rogers run over to see where the accident happened so as to give first aid." Type it in as, "Doctor Rogers and I went to the scene of the accident and offered first aid," said hospital board president Homer Hapwell, a local businessman and owner of Homer's Used Cars, and qualified as a volunteer EMT with Rescue Fire Company.

Add or attach .jpgs and put captions for them at the bottom!

Friday, February 24, 2012

Catching UP!

Books that went to press, or back to press, in Paper this week:

SNOW ESCAPE by Roberta Goodman

Paper Galleys that went out or went back out this week:

CLASS REUNION by Michael E. Field

Work continued or began this week on the following in paper:

PORTALS by Eleanor Cross
SNIPER ON THE ROOF, by Warren Graffeo
HIDDEN GOLD OF MU, by Milton Brown

Work on e-book files continued or was updated on the following:

A GHOST AT STALLION'S GATE, by Elizabeth Eagan-Cox
LOOKING FOR MIDNIGHT, by Helen Chappell
A FRIGHT OF GHOSTS, by Helen Chappell

Manuscripts we're still waiting on, that are being corrected by the authors:

COLLECTED STORIES OF VICTOR URIBE, by Victor Uribe
A GRANDFATHER'S GIFT, by Hugh Carter Vinson
DRAGON-SPEAKER, by Ray Morand

OUR Ebooksonthe.net best-seller list for January at NOOK. This is just for the highest-selling titles for our small company at Nook, not for the whole NOOK web site. It does, however, make those on the list, officially, "Best-selling Authors."

1. A GHOST AT STALLION'S GATE by Elizabeth Eagan-Cox
2. A GHOST MEETS AN ANGEL, by Elizabeth Eagan Cox
3. A GHOST FROM THE SHADOWS, by Elizabeth Eagan-Cox
4. A GHOST OF A CHANCE, by Elizabeth Eagan-Cox
5. SLOW DANCING WITH THE ANGEL OF DEATH, by Helen Chappell
6. A MEDIC IN IRAQ, by Cole Bolchoz

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Why won't my characters behave? -- writing tip

Question: I wrote an outline. I know my story inside and out. But the characters keep going off and doing something else. What am I doing wrong?

Answer: The good news is, in writing there's no wrong way to do it. However works best for you, is the Right Way. There are two kinds of writers. Those who plan everything. And those who work on instinct. Most writers have a bit of both. For myself, I am never able to plan everything, though I taught thousands of students that outlining is a MUST, because that was in the curriculum I was hired to teach.

In the beginning I wrote lots of outlines. Then my characters, like yours, had minds of their own. Finally, I gave up trying to outline everything and settled for knowing where the story began and how it ended, then wrote my way, scent-by-scene, until I got there.

In my novel, GHOST DANCER, a New York debutante travels west for her health and meets a Medicine Man. The main character’s sister was used only as a impetus to get her to travel west. I had no plans for Elaine to be in the BOOK at all. She was a catalyst to get her sister on the road west, nothing more.

To my surprise Elaine walked into a scene in Montana, saying she'd had a "perfectly horrible trip." I started over. She came in again and refused to leave. I gave up and wrote a whole other scene. But Elaine wouldn't let me rest. She insisted on arriving, meeting the hero with some trepidation, and immersing herself in a steam-heated bath in the train's private car.

Later, I figured out that I needed Elaine badly to take over some action that would have made my main character look like a nitwit. But Elaine knew that all along. That’s why she kept showing up and making a nuisiance/fool of herself.

Trust your instinct. Give your characters room to take over. When they do, they may have a better story in mind that you could imagine.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Hush Puppies -- recipe

Tonya Ramagos’s Hush Puppies

2 cups yellow cornmeal
2 tbsp. Flour
1 tbsp. Salt
½ tsp. Baking powder
2 tbsp. Chopped or grated onion
2 ½ cups boiling water

Mix all ingredients, except boiling water. Slowly pour ingredients into rapidly boiling water, stirring constantly. Cook until mush-like. Remove from heat. Shape, while warm, into 2-inch balls or patties and place on waxed paper to cool. Brown in deep hot fat. May be made ahead and kept in refrigerator several hours before frying.

Contributed by Tonya Ramagos, author of the Stockland Firefighter Series

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

What is sub-text? -- writint tip

Question: What is sub-text? Someone said mine was "unclear?" Huh?

Answer: Subtext is what the reader understands from what is said, though it isn't really said.

Sounds a bit difficult, I know. But we all hear it and understand it every day. Usually, in dialogue, it's what the reader infers from what the character has said.

For instance:

In dialogue and narrative both there is always both text and subtext. First there is what is said, and second what is implied by what is left unsaid. Often, subtext, which the reader picks up on, is as important as what is actually said. Look at the following:

“Oh, is that slide show at the library with the nature photographer tonight?” John grimaced. “I’ll go if you want, but I’m really tired. After all, I was out to the Bible Study at church last night and you stayed home and read. This makes two nights in a row, for me. Of course, I don’t like to mess up your plans....”

Sounds like a nice husband trying to be understanding, right?

Wrong.

Of course he wants to mess up her plans. If he didn’t, he’d say, “You go ahead, hon; I’m too tired tonight. The subtext of the above dialogue is, “You couldn’t find time to go with me last night, so I’m NOT going to be nice about what you want to do tonight.”

The reader understands that the husband is being crappy on purpose and so does the wife. Though she can't very well say so, out loud.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Tuna Noodle Casserole - recipe

Terry White’s Tuna Noodle Salad

2 cups macaroni, uncooked
½ cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 can tuna packed in water, drained
1 can peas drained, or 1 cup leftover peas
1 cup diced celery, or 1 tsp celery seed
½ teaspoon coarse ground pepper
½ teaspoon salt
Diced onion to taste.

Boil macaroni in salted water, drain and chill. Add other ingredients and mix well. A good one-dish meal on a hot day. Most of the salt goes down the drain. This will keep in the refrigerator for two or three days. Makes enough for four.

Contributed by Terry L. White author of FIRST WALTZ, the latest title in the Chesapeake Heritage Series.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Lemon Balm Tea -- recipe

Kate Stanhope's Lemon Balm Tea (Non-Poisonous)

2 cups boiling water
3 tbsp lemon balm leaves
Honey to taste
Few drops of lemon juice

Wash the lemon balm leaves and put them in a tall drinking glass. Pour 2 cups of boiling water over the leaves. Strain. Add Tbsp of honey and 1/4 Tsp of fresh lemon juice. This is good for frazzled nerves, headaches and is an all-around delightful drink.

Contributed by Nancy Madison, author of Clues to Love...Investigating a murder, DCI Nick Connor concludes Kate was the intended victim....While Nick struggles to find the elusive killer, he falls in love with Kate, in spite of his vow to never love again. Can Nick catch the killer before he finds Kate?

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Is My Character Stupid? --question from the e-mail

Question: People in my writer's group complain that my character acts like a nitwit. She takes stupid chances and ought to just go and call the police. But that wouldn't help my story at all. I write romantic suspense. She has to be the one to solve the mystery. What can I do?

Answer: Sounds like a motivation problem to me. Motivation is the reason characters do things, plain and simple.

You can let a character make any kind of foolish decision or take any kind of dangerous chance if you give them a good enough reason for the reader to feel as if they might have done the same thing in the given circumstances.

In a nutshell, to coin a cliche, that is motivation. Good characters keep secrets, tell lies, and take risks for good reasons. (Thank YOU Alice Orr, for teaching me that, a long time ago.) Bad characters keep secrets, tell lies, and take risks, for bad reasons. But they all have a REASON to keep secrets, take risks, and tell lies.

That reason is the character’s motivation. One reason writers of romantic suspense get criticized is because the dimwit heroine always goes blindly into the House of Hell that is obviously filled with weird characters and murderers, just because she is determined to solve the mystery herself, when any sane person would go away and be safe. If she does that go on her own, she’s an Idiot!!

Now suppose her baby sister is inside and the heroine has been told her sister will die if she calls the police, then she has a Good Reason to go sneaking around Hell House trying to find out stuff on her own.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

IWWG Problems and recipe

Yesterday, members of IWWG received a notice from the Board of Directors that all future IWWG conferences and events were cancelled forthwith and that a lawsuit has been filed against the organization. Members were give an e-mail address where they could post their "thoughts."

I have recommended this organization to women writers of my acquaintance since 1978 when I joined. Over the entirety of my time as a woman writer, I have found IWWG to be an invaluable resource to one and all and because of the Guild and the women I met there, I am a far better person than I might have been otherwise.

Today, I sent my thoughts to the organization. Those thoughts may or may not be correct and have no place being discussed in an open forum such as this one. Such thoughts and ideas should be confined to the membership and the Board. It is the duty of the Board, and of all the individuals involved to find a solution to any problems in a manner that will not "throw the baby out with the bath water."

My thoughts are on record with them. Yes, I made assumptions. Yes, they may be in error.

If so, I plan to cook and eat the following:

Crow Casserole

6 to 8 Crow breasts (Discard the rest of the crows)
6 or 8, Bacon strips
2 medium or one Large Onions, diced
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
4 cups Ritz crackers, crushed
3/4 to 1 cup white cooking wine
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Bay leaf.

Remove crow breasts. Soak overnight in salt water to remove the "wild" taste. Parboil for 1/2 hour. Brown in butter. In a Covered Casserole, place a bed of 1 1/2 inches of crushed Ritz crackers, a layer of chopped onion. Place crow breasts on top and sprinkle with powered garlic.

Cover each breast with bacon strips. Add Bay Leaf. Cover with more of onions and more cracker crumbs. Pour white wine over the whole thing. Cover tightly and Bake for 2 hours at 350 degrees.

If it still tastes like crow, you did something wrong.

Serve to any and all friends who speak before they have all the facts.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Catching UP!

What with the computer virus, not a lot got done this week.

No books went to press, or back to press. No paper or e-books at all.

Galleys went out, or went out again, on the following:

DRAGON SPEAKER, by Ray Morand.

SNOW ESCAPE, by Roberta Goodman.

Work continued, or began on:

Rootie II, by Elaine Simmons. We submit work to the printer as a favor for the publisher at Pig-E Press.

WWW's BEST SELLING KINDLE BOOKS for the month of December, 2011:

A GHOST AT STALLION'S GATE, by Elizabeth Eagan-Cox
this is the latest in the Shannon Delaney series and was followed closely in sales by the others in that series.

SNOW ESCAPE, by Roberta Goodman

A MEDIC IN IRAQ, by Cole Bolchoz

HOUSE TO KILL FOR, by Judy Reveal

STILL LIFE WITH MUSIC, by C.M. Albrecht

Please remember these are the best selling among Write Words, Inc.'s own titles, NOT the best selling on the amazon.com site.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Agent Night's Chilli -recipe

AGENT NIGHT’S QUICK & EASY CHILI

(also Gluten-Free)

This recipe is a delicate balance of sweet and spicy. If you want spicier flavor, add chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin and red pepper. This chili is great for freezing in individual serving containers and then heating in the microwave for a nice hot lunch!

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 pounds of 93% lean Ground Beef (sometimes I substitute 50% with ground turkey)

1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely or nearly pureed in the food processor

16 oz Cream of Tomato Soup (please see below for gluten-free options)**

28 oz Delmonte Chunky Diced Zesty Chili Style tomatoes or equivalent

1 large can of kidney beans (2.5 pounds)

Chopped fresh parsley as desired

1+ tbsp Worcestershire sauce to taste (Lea & Perrins is gluten-free)

Shredded Cheddar Cheese for garnish (optional)

NOTE: There are two ways to prepare this – standard stove top or crock pot. I prefer crock pot because it is maintenance-free. Instructions for both are provided.

STOVE TOP COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Brown beef in large pot, drain. Add remaining ingredients, cook on medium low until it starts to steam and bubble, then simmer for one hour. I usually let it cool, then put it in the fridge overnight to let the flavors mingle. The next day I heat it up and serve.

CROCK POT COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Brown beef in large skillet, drain. Add beef and remaining ingredients to crock pot, cook on low for up to 10 hours.

Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese and serve!

Serves 6-8 people.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: Stove Top – 1-2 hours; Crock Pot – 8 hours.

**I can recommend the following gluten-free soups:

Pacific Natural Foods Organic Creamy Tomato (available in stores)

Heinz UK Cream of Tomato Soup (can be purchased online in the U.S. through the Gluten-Free Trading Company)

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Questions from my e-mail

Question: I finally sold the book we worked on together when I was your student. At the time, I had many reservations about your usage advice, as it differed greatly from what I had been taught in English 101, at college. Now that I'm working with a professional publisher, he is asking for all the same changes you did. Just wanted to say, I should have listened and how did you know?

Answer: Congratulations Janie. Is it still entitled MANY RIVERS? You had a good one going, as I recall.

To answer your question, all educational institutions teach students of English 101 to write exposition. That is written and punctuated far differently from fiction. Each English Department chooses its own teaching tools and the "rules" come out of whatever stylebook they choose to teach from.

Stylebooks vary. Kate Turabian's rules are quite different from E.B. White's, as given in Strunk & White. Many colleges use Strunk & White stylebook. Mine did. But it varies. Strunk is published in Great Britian and both its authors were British. So they follow (and teach) the rules of usage according to the United Kingdom. But the stylebook most professional publishers use in the United States is the Chicago Manual of Style, a US publication. It is a publisher and printer's tool.

Style and spelling varies greatly between the United Kingdom and the US. In Britain, you say, "Heigh ho!" to your neighbour, pay your bills with a cheque, and carefully leave off the final s in possessives if the name ends in an S. But in America, you say, "Hi-ho," to your neighbor, pay your bills with a check, and must make sure to add the final s in possessives (Zeus's, not Zues'), if the name ends in s.

In America, ONLY plural possessives get the apostrophe, without the following S.

All this may seem very picky to those who are not grammar buffs. But if a publisher puts out a book that doesn't follow the rules for his country, it makes him or her look like a dolt. You may not know it, but when I'm not wearing my writer's hat, or my teaching hat, I wear my publisher's hat, so I do know.

I recently was called to account by none other than amazon.com, because of purportedly "missing pages" in a book file. It seems the book started on page 3 and they wanted to know where pages 1 and 2 were. I have more than 550 books on Amazon.com. All of them are numbered accordingly. This is the first time they noticed...so I can only assume that some customer complained to them.

Every professional typesetter knows that page 1 is the cover of the book, page 2, is the inside front cover, and the text starts on page 3. Any "Front Matter" -- title page, dedication, and so on -- gets numbered in roman numerals. The text of the book always starts on page 3. If you don't believe me, pick a book off your shelf and look. If it was published by a real company, it will start on page 3.

If you see it otherwise in a PDF, it means the book was self-published, or published by someone who had no clue how a published book should look. It is also as described by the Chicago Manual of Style.

E-book files, because they are recreated and renumbered by whatever program converts them from a text.doc to the format needed for a specific brand of reader, will not be numbered that way, unless the typeset PDF was used to create them.

My late business partner, Sandra List, God rest her soul, was a professional typesetter for the GPO. I had set type at the newspaper, but had no clue about books. She gave me a copy of The Chicago Manual of Style and taught me what I needed to know so our books would look like they came from a "real publisher." I have followed her rules ever since.

So to answer the final part of your question, without Sandy, I wouldn't have had a clue.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Book Awards

This one is an expensive entry fee, but I thought I'd pass along the info just the same.

Sharp Writ Book Awards

The 2012 Sharp Writ Book Awards are now accepting submissions!

Genres of works accepted by the 2012 Sharp Writ Book Awards:

GENERAL FICTION: Action & Adventure, Graphical Novel, Family, Saga, Historical, Humor, Inspirational, Metaphysicial, Political, Western, and Romance. Other genres may be considered - contact for approval.

MYSTERY: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Sleuths and Crime. Other genres may be considered - contact for approval.

SCIENCE FICTION: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal, and Supernatural.

POETRY: All categories of Poetry

PSYCHOLOGY: Psychology and Self-Help.

GENERAL NON-FICTION: Career, Educational, History, Military, and True Crime. Other genres will be considered - contact for approval.

BIOGRAPHY / AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Books that are biographical or autobiographical in nature, including personal memoirs.

YOUNG ADULT: Books specifically targeted at a teen audience. All genres (fiction, non-fiction, etc.) of young adult are placed in this category.

CHILDRENS: Books specifically targeted at a child audience. Examples include picture books or easy readers that combine text and illustrations.

REQUIREMENTS FOR MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION:

1. All entries must be in English and, if published, have a publication date of

2009 or later.

2. A separate SWBA 2011 Submission Form must accompany each unique

entry (i.e. - 1 per title).

3. Printed or typed entries: 4 printed copies must be submitted by mail.

4. Electronic submission are accepted in the following formats:

Electronic Publication (.ePub) - MUST have ISBN assigned
Kindle (.prc)
MobiPocket Reader (.mobi)
Adobe (.pdf)
MS Word (.doc)

5. Electronic entries that are LESS THAN 19.9 MB: Email submission form and

entry to submissions@book-awards.org .

6. Electronic entries that are MORE THAN 19.9 MB: Submit the submission

form and a CD containing 4 copies of the entry to the shipping address below.

7. Payment of entry fee may be made by check (made out to A&E SIGs)

submitted via mail or by Paypal. Paypal payments may be made directly

by clicking here or sent to payments@book-lovers.net. Remember to

complete the payment information section on the submission form so

payments may be credited to the correct entry.

DEADLINES AND ENTRY FEES (subject to change without notice):

Super Early: April 30th - US $40.00 or equivalent in foreign currency.

Early Bird: June 30th - US $55.00 or equivalent in foreign currency.

Regular: August 31st - US $70.00 or equivalent in foreign currency.

Member of a recognized high IQ society*: September 30th - US $55.00 or equivalent

in foreign currency.

Home Page: http://www.book-awards.org/

*Recognized High IQ Societies:

Mensa International
Advanced Elite
Intertel
International Society for Philosophical Inquiry
One-in-a-Thousand Society
Triple Nine Society
Prometheus Society
Mega Society
Smart Generation Xers
Smart Young Ms
Pure Smarts
Channel IQ
Smart Singers
Smart Dancers
Smartyz

What do winners receive?

Category winners receive:

1. A personalized plaque honoring the achievement

2. Access to 1200+ members of Smart Book Lovers, including a 50 px X 50 px

display image of the winning submission on the home page for 3 months.

3. Inclusion in a special category for winners at Smart Book Lover's online book

store.

4. Opportunity to participate in joint PR activities such as press releases and

winners announcements in prestigious publications.

5. A free review posted on our Intelligent Expressions Blog. The judging panel will

provide the full review; in addition, the winning entity (author/publisher/agent) can

provide their own mini-review (100 words or less).

6. 20 gold foil labels printed with the words "2011 Sharp Writ Book Awards" which

can be affixed to books. More labels may be purchased.

Runner ups (2 per category) receive:

1. Certificate of Achievement

2. A free review posted on our Intelligent Expressions Blog. The judging panel will

provide the review.

3. 20 gold foil labels printed with the words "2011 Sharp Writ Book Awards" which

can be affixed to books. More labels may be purchased.

INNOVATIVE VIDEO AWARD CEREMONY

Finalists will be announced in December, 2012. Winners will be announced via an innovative video award ceremony by the end of January, 2013. Click here to see last years video award ceremony.

Notes:

Mensa® is a registered trademark of Mensa International Limited and/or affiliated national Mensa organizations.
All opinions expressed on this website are of volunteers, authors, organizers and film-makers, and not of Mensa, which has no opinions.
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American Mensa, Argentina Mensa, Artifex Mens Congregatio, Australia Mensa, British Mensa, Chorium , Elateneo/s, Epida, ePiq, exactIQ, Chorium, Elateneo/s, Hellenic Mensa, HIS, Hrvatska Mensa, Hong Kong Mensa, IIS, Irish Mensa, ISI-S, IQuadrivium, La Société Mensa Canada Society, Malaysian Mensa Society, Mensa Belgium, Mensa Brasil, Mensa Bulgaria, Mensa Canada, Mensa China, Mensa Colombia, Mensa Cyprus, Mensa Czech Republic, Mensa Denmark, Mensa España, Mensa in Deutschland e.V. Mensa France, Mensa HungrIQa, Mensa India, Mensa International, Mensa Israel, Mensa Italia, Mensans in Japan, Mensa Korea, MENSA Luxembourg a.s.b.l. Mensa Macedonia, Mensa Mexico, Mensa Montenegro, Mensa Nederland, Mensa New Zealand, Mensa Norge, Mensa Österreich, Mensa Pakistan, Mensa Philippines, Mensa Polska, Mensa Romania, Mensa Serbia (RS), Mensa Singapore, Mensa Slovensko, Mensa Slovenija, Mensa South Africa, Mensa Sverige, Mensa Switzerland, Mensa Turkey, Neurocubo, Poetic Genius Society, sPIqr, Suomen Mensa ry. and Ultranet do not endorse Sharp Writ Book Awards or other products or services by Smart Book Lovers.
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Monday, February 6, 2012

Virus effectively killed

For those who hadn't heard: BEWARE OF BUGS

I picked up a virus on Friday. A warning that there was spyware popped up (and popped up and popped up and popped up), that offered to take me to a website where I could buy cure software.

Now I have good virus software and I had received one warning from it, that a stock photo I was about to download was infected. I halted the download, but evidently not in time.

More, I refused to pay them to remove the virus they gave me in the first place. I called my usual gurus and they came today and swept the machine clean.

Bless them.

Until this happened, I hadn't been aware that a virus or .exe program could be attached to a .jpg file. So I thought I'd post it here, just in case any of you guys were also unaware. Keep that virus protection updated and active at all times. And if something starts to happen, shut down right away and call the repair guys.

Anyway, I'm back and ready to go to work again. Sorry for the lost time.