Morven Westfield's Live Journal

Charlaine Harris biography comic book!

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:44:03 GMT

Just found out about this from the TrueBlood net:

http://truebloodnet.com/special-offer-charlaine-harris-biography/

"If you are a big fan of Charlaine Harris, who brought us the Sookie Stakehouse series which was later turned into HBO’s hit show True Blood, then you will have a limited chance to receive Bluewater Productions‘ Female Force comic book biography of Charlaine Harris. As we previously mentioned here the book will trace Charlaine’s career from the publication of the lighthearted Aurora Teargarden mysteries to the phenomenon of her vampire-infused Sookie Stackhouse stories."

I think I'll go in the woods today...

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:03:08 GMT

This came to me this afternoon...

I think I'll go in the woods today
and watch the springtime come this way:
The melting snow, the moss on trunks,
the tiny shoots of cabbage du skunk*

:-)

Copyright 2010 Morven Westfield

* See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Skunk_Cabbage

Broad Universe at Borders, Shrewsbury, MA ,TODAY, 1 pm

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:43:19 GMT

I won't be presenting, but I'll be there to listen to the presentations about women authors. Should be interesting!

Join local members of Broad Universe today to celebrate National Women's History Month with an introduction to some of the greatest women writers of science fiction, fantasy and horror. Broad Universe is a non-profit international organization with the primary goal of promoting science fiction, fantasy, and horror written by women.

Join them for short presentations and rapid-fire readings. All events are free and open to the public.

March 6, 2010 (TODAY), 1 pm

Note: Elaine Isaak sprained her ankle and won't be able to present on James Tiptree, Jr. today.

Borders
476 Boston Turnpike
Shrewsbury, MA 01545

Jennifer Pelland -- Octavia Butler
Trisha Wooldridge -- Madeleine L'Engle
Pheobe Wray -- Connie Willis
Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert -- Marge Piercy

Women's History Month begins tomorrow

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 23:58:06 GMT

Join New England members of the Broad Universe writers' group for an introduction to
some of the greatest women writers of science fiction, fantasy and horror.

See details on my blog at

http://morvenwestfield.blogspot.com/2010/02/march.html

Podcast interview with author & witch Dorothy Morrison

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 19:00:41 GMT

I'm a little behind. I interviewed author and witch Dorothy Morrison way back in August 2009, but things were busy and I didn't complete the finishing touches until last week.

It's embarrassing to have things in progress for so long. My goal for 2010 is to get back on track with things. Note that I didn't call it a New Year's Resolution. For me, anyway, New Year's Resolutions tend to fail because they all start all at once in January. Because I was trying to ingrain so many new habits at the same time, it was only natural that some would slip. I have a feeling that my brain rebelled or just couldn't handle so many changes at once. Each slippage, of course, chips away at one's confidence in one's ability to keep a promise, and subconsciously, I think your brain starts to think, "Why bother?"

So, instead, I just made a list of goals I need to work on this year. Some, like walking more, won't really get started until spring. Until the weather warms, I don't put any pressure on myself to begin. If I happen to get in other types of exercise until then -- lifting small weights, doing yoga, good.

But I digress. The real news is that I finally edited the interview with Dorothy. Editing it was a lot of fun, mainly because we had a lot of fun with the interview.

I also got a chance to look at what slows me down in post-production. One big thing is fading out the intro music when the speaking begins. Audacity 1.3.9 has an auto-ducking feature now, but I tried it and wasn't very successful, so I switched back to the Envelope tool. It sounded find when I was listening to it with headphones in my office, but when I listened to it over the road noise while driving, I couldn't hear some of it :-(

Oh, well. The important part is the interview with Dorothy, and other than some sound problems in the beginning, *that* came out well. Maybe I'll just play around with ducking on some test files before I finalize Part 2.

The episode is at
http://morvenwestfield.podbean.com/2010/02/11/vwng023-episode-23-interview-with-dorothy-morrison-part-1/

The short link is http://bit.ly/d0f1yV

Enjoy!

New podcast episode online

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 23:23:08 GMT

I posted a new episode of Vampires, Witches, and Geeks at www.vampireswitchesandgeeks.com.

This one's a news episode. The next episode should be my interview with Wiccan author Dorothy Morrison.

Arisia 2010

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 23:17:07 GMT

In 2009 I spent too much time at cons, book signings, and other related events. I wasn't getting any writing done -- nor much else -- so I decided that I would really cut back in 2010.

The first challenge to my resolve came in January. I had never been to Arisia and I had also promised myself that I would go in 2010, at least just to check it out. broaduniverse would be having a dealer table there and would be doing one of their Rapid-Fire Readings (a group event at which several writers each read for about 5 minutes). And then I found out that Tricky Pixie (www.trickypixie.com) would be playing there. I love Sooj's voice and had a sneaky suspicion that I once shared office space with cellist Betsy Tinney. Since Betsy lives on the west coast now, this would be one of my few changes to confirm that suspicion...

I decided to compromise. I'd go on Saturday only, not for the whole weekend. I'd attend the Broad Universe Rapid-fire Reading as a guest, but I wouldn't read. I'd attend the Tricky Pixie concert and then go home.

Of course, I'm glad I did. I ran into some very good friends there, had dinner with two of them, and sat next to the other one during Tricky Pixie's concert, which, by the way, was outstanding. Sooj has such a versatile, rich voice, and Betsy's cello-playing was beautiful. (And yes, she was my former office-mate! It was great to see her again.)

I'm afraid that I didn't volunteer as much as I should have at the Broad Universe table, but I did help out a *little*. I'll just have to make it up at Boskone. Too bad I'll be there only for a day, too, but I've really got to cut back on cons and get some writing done.

Writer's Block: Cyber Monday Shopping

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:01:34 GMT

Cyber Monday is the new Black Friday. What gadgets and gizmos are you shopping online for today?

Sponsored by LifeScoop: Bringing You Tips for a Connected Lifestyle.

View 137 Answers

iPod Touch

Things I am thankful for right now |-(

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:19:22 GMT

I am thankful that I was looking straight ahead and not in my rearview mirror or down at my speedometer.

I am thankful that the speed limit on that section of road was not 65.

I am thankful that I have lived in this area long enough now to know that the whitetails around here usually don't travel alone.

I am thankful that I just had my brakes redone a couple of weeks ago.

I am thankful that I had enough tread left on my tires to come to a screeching halt when I saw deer two and three.

I am thankful that there was no one behind me when I did.

I am thankful that all EIGHT deer made it across the road, just a couple of feet in front of my bumper...

Vampires, Witches, & Geeks News episode

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:21:08 GMT

The next news episode of Vampires, Witches, & Geeks is up at www.vampireswitchesandgeeks.com

Topics:
Smoke & Mirrors - The Gothic Magician (Don Deitch) through Oct 31 in Salem, MA
Twilight Tee Shirts
Being Human (BBC TV series)
Valemont
I Kissed A Vampire (web series musical)
New Vampire Fiction -- Gideon Redoak
Paul Huson Interviewed in Witches' Almanac
Marion Weinstein Dies
Audacity 1.3.9.
My News: WitchTalk Interview, Kindle Editions of My Books, Listened to Breaking Dawn and Dead to the World, Witches' Almanac Article

Renaming

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:54:29 GMT

Found a great resource for picking character names, and it's none other than a government entity!

Yes, folks, the Social Security Administration does more than dole out retirement and disability checks. You can get popular names by birth year, starting with 1879! Oooh, ooh! You can even "See how the popularity of a name has changed over time!"

http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/

Just had to share. Now, back to renaming a character in a short story I'm working on.

Real Life 1, Writing 0

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:58:00 GMT

Harrumph. I've been catching up on my writing by using my lunch time at work, which means that I haven't been doing errands and bill paying and...

So now I'm catching up. Or should I say that now LIFE is catching up -- with me!

Ooops. I just remembered I left some wet clothes in the washer.

Well, that was easy :-)

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:58:29 GMT

The interview on Karagan's WitchTalk live podcast was much easier than I expected. Karagan is such a good host, and he had a good group in the chat room who made it a lot of fun.

As I type this, I'm listening to the archive of the show. It's funny listening to it, knowing that I was trying to sit very still because the mute button on my headset doesn't work properly. It was strange listening to Karagan read my bio, knowing it was going across the internet as he spoke. I know some people say that podcasts will never replace radio, but it sure felt the same to me.

So far, it sounds good, though at first Karagan sounded distant. After that, we sounded pretty equal, which is good. Karagan has a great sense of humor, so we joke around a bit, which makes it sound really relaxed.

Look at the time. I think I'm going to have to stop listening now and upload it to my iPod and listen to it on the way to work tomorrow. I'll let you know how it sounds.

The sweet smell of success!

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:36:07 GMT

I'm always genuinely happy when writer friends make their break. Friend, former co-worker, and excellent poet Michelle Cameron’s THE FRUIT OF HER HANDS goes on sale today! (www.michelle-cameron.com). It's being published by Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster.

She got an excellent review from Jewish Woman Magazine and a mention in Jewish Week's Art Preview. I think that Jewish Week summed it up best, hitting the points that really excited me about Michelle's book:

"When Michelle Cameron was researching her family history, she came to learn about an ancestor, the 13th century scholar Rabbi Meir ben Baruch of Rothenberg. Trying to find a way to write about his life, she invented his wife, a pious woman with a streak of rebelliousness. “The Fruit of Her Hands: The Story of Shira of Ashkenaz” (Pocket, September) is a multi-generational novel, set in medieval Europe, as anti-Semitism is rising. Cameron, who moved to Israel with her family when she was a teenager, served in the Israeli Army and now lives in New Jersey."

The celebrations start on Thursday, September 10, at 7 PM. Michelle will be reading and signing in the Park Avenue Borders in New York City.

Thursday, September 10, 7 PM
Park Avenue Barnes & Noble
461 Park Avenue
New York, NY

Pi-Con, Day One

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 04:07:25 GMT

Drove through an incredible downpour on the way here. It was so bad at one point that I couldn't see the car in front of me. I don't like pulling off the side of a major highway unless I absolutely have to, knowing two people whose cars were hit when they were pulled over, but I had no choice. Numerous cars were doing the same, which made it tricky, trying to pull over without pulling into someone. As I sat there waiting for the rain to slow down, I kept watch out my side view mirrors, looking for someone who looked like they were about to veer into me.

Fortunately, I didn't see that, but I did see idiots driving through this horrendous rainstorm without their lights on! The way I could tell that there was something in the road was because I could see a very dark shape behind or in front of a car that had its lights on. Maybe they were just too distracted by the storm to remember to put their lights on?

I just played Rock Band for the first time and got 100% on Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" and 92% on Aerosmith's "Train Kept a Rollin'." Don't get too impressed; I wasn't doing anything difficult like drums. I was singing.

Right now I'm sitting in the hall of the hotel, taking advantage of the free WiFi, trying to stay awake for a 1:00 panel. Inanna Arthen is here, too, sitting in a chair to my left. We get lots of people stopping and commenting on our laptops. (She and I are both have netbooks.)

Fortunately I don't have to be up early tomorrow, so I'll be able to sleep in a bit.

What was I thinking?

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:12:33 GMT

Next weekend is going to be totally packed with Mary Shelley events. I still have some things to prepare for the event (like what I'm going to read, gulp!) and this weekend would be perfect for it... Except for the fact that I have a totally jam-packed weekend at Pi-Con!

When I first signed up for Pi-Con and the panels, I didn't know we'd be doing Mary Shelley the following weekend. I think I would have gone anyway, though I think I would have gone lighter on the panels ;-) Pi-Con is a relatively new convention (this is its fourth year), but it's a really interesting con. It's got a variety of different panels that you don't see at other events (costume-making, LARP writing, how to write a graphic novel, Gender in SF/F/H Fiction, Steampunk Parts and Crafts, and so on) and the atmosphere is vibrant and friendly. Pi-Con is "An Event for Geeks, Nerds, and Dorks" being held this year in Enfield, CT, not far from where they usually hold it in Springfield, MA.

I'll be moderating and participating in a number of panels. Here are the ones I'll be participating in or leading:

Sat 1:00 pm – Not All Vampires Sparkle
Sat 7:00 pm – Autograph session
Sat 8:00 pm – Tech Tools for Writers (Moderator)

Sun 10:00 am – Podcasting 101 (Moderator)
Sun 11:00 am – Podcasting Demo (Moderator)
Sun 1:00 pm – Reading

Pi-Con (August 21-23, 2009)
Held at
Crowne Plaza Hotel
ENFIELD-SPRINGFIELD
1 Bright Meadow Blvd.
Enfield, CT 06082
Tel: 860.741.2211

My dates with Frankie

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:12:16 GMT

I'm a member of Broad Universe, an international organization with the primary goal of promoting science fiction, fantasy, and horror written by women. There are a lot of us in New England, so when someone suggested having local events to celebrate the 212th anniversary of Frankenstein author Mary Shelley, we were able to pull together a quick whirlwind tour.

We're going to be discussing Mary Shelley, her novel Frankenstein, and how the themes of that novel are found in our own work. It's almost like being in school again -- studying the text, looking at cheat sheets, and wondering what I'm going to write for my paper ;-)

Here's our schedule. At this time I'm scheduled to go to every single event. Yes, every single event. One of these days I have to learn to say no to things! ;-) It should be fun, though.

(You can see this entire list and even links to some nice posters for the events at www.morvenwestfield.com/signings.shtml )

Mary Shelley's Birthday Celebration
(August 27-30, 2009)

Join New England women writers from the international organization, Broad Universe, as they honor the 212th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s birth. Learn about the amazing life and work of a woman whose vision reached far ahead of her time. Hear the truth about the original “mad scientist” and his creation.

Thursday, August 27th, 6:30 - 8:00
Jacob Edwards Library, 236 Main Street, Southbridge, MA 01550
Vampire fiction writers Inanna Arthen and Morven Westfield and SF/Fantasy author Trisha J. Wooldridge

Saturday, August 29th, 10:00 AM to noon
Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St, Nashua, NH 03060-3475
Vampire fiction writer Morven Westfield and SF/Fantasy authors Elaine Isaak, Phoebe Wray, Trisha J. Wooldridge and Julie Andrews

Saturday, August 29th, 2:00 to 4:00
Toadstool Books, Lorden Plaza, Milford, NH 03055
Vampire fiction writers Inanna Arthen and Morven Westfield and SF/Fantasy authors Elaine Isaak, Phoebe Wray, Trisha J. Wooldridge, Justine Graykin and Julie Andrews

Sunday, August 30th, noon - 2:00 at
Pandemonium Books & Games, 4 Pleasant Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
Vampire fiction writers Inanna Arthen and Morven Westfield, past Nebula Award nominee Jennifer Pelland, and SF/Fantasy authors Elaine Isaak, Phoebe Wray, Trisha J. Wooldridge and Julie Andrews

Sunday, August 30th, 4:00 - 6:00 at
Back Pages Books, 289 Moody Street, Waltham, MA 02453
Vampire fiction writers Inanna Arthen and Morven Westfield, past Nebula Award nominee Jennifer Pelland, and SF/Fantasy authors Elaine Isaak, Phoebe Wray, Trisha J. Wooldridge and Julie Andrews

Necon, Day Two

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:05:41 GMT

As with most conventions I've attended this year, numbers are down at Necon. There are a few friends that aren't here and a few fellow writers who I enjoy listening to on panels or during hall conversations. Still, it's been a good convention so far because I've been able to have longer conversations with some of my friends and acquaintances who are here.

We're at a small convention center instead of the main campus and my major complaint is that the coffee is way too weak. Of course, I have to balance that against the fact that I'm able to get free WiFi

Interview with Cornelia Amiri

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:48:35 GMT

Before driving away to Readercon, I managed to post another podcast episode at www.vampireswitchesandgeeks.com

Vampiric fey! Give it a listen. I'll be posting her readings after I return from Readercon.

At Readercon this weekend

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:37:02 GMT

The last couple of years Readercon has added an extra night - Thursday night - free of charge, to anyone who shows up. Once again, though, I couldn't get everything done in time Thursday at the day job to make it in time. I had hoped to leave early from work today, but once again, things kept me busy. And then there was the accident on 128 (or whatever they want to call it -- is it Rte 95 at that point? Rte 93? Rte 3? Rte 3.1415926?) which delayed me an hour.

Still, I arrived safely, without getting lost, so I'm not complaining. I had loaded my iPod with the audio version of the second book in the Sookie Stackhouse series, which I've actually already read, but that I wanted to hear again so I'd have the story in my mind as I watched the second season of True Blood. Producer Alan Ball has said that the series won't follow the books directly, and I'm fine with that. I just think it's fun to see what he's changed. Listening to the book made the traffic jam less irritiating, but it was sstill pretty irritating, especially since I drive a standard transmission and had to keep shifting and clutching.

I'm having a quick glass of wine with hubby and then I'm calling it a night so I can get up bright and early tomorrow to get in before the first session at 10.

On Sunday at noon I'll be reading with Broad Universe in the Vermont conference room. If you're at the con, stop in and listen. I think there are 10 of us doing short excerpts from our work. It's always interesting to hear such a diverse selection of science fiction, fantasy, and horror.

True blood, truly fangtastic

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 03:02:10 GMT

Great season opener. I'm not going to spoil it, but I've just got to say it had a good mixture of horror and humor, along with the romance.

Kung Fu star dies

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:25:11 GMT

Yes, yes, I know that actor David Carradine, star of the 1970s "Kung Fu" TV series is rolling over in the morgue seeing the heading of this post because he had an impressive and far-ranging career without that series, but it's from that series that I know of him.

That series, in which he played Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin priest, had a big impact on pop culture, if I remember correctly. Suddenly things from Asia were interesting and the spiritual aspect of martial arts became unveiled.

But more than that, it influenced many young men (and women, I'm sure) to follow a disciplined path, and one such person became the basis for my non-vampire character Evan in The Old Power Returns. At one point (no pun intended), the vampire Frederick taunts Evan, calling him "Kung Fu man," a direct allusion to Carradine's character.

We'll miss you, David.

Saturday at WisCon

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 02:15:37 GMT

I just posted my blog from Saturday at morvenwestfield.blogspot.com/

In it I have brief comments on the following panels:

"So You Want to be Published"
"Book View Cafe: A New Venture in Online Publishing"
"Treatment of Aging in Science Fiction"
"Witches and Wizards: Gender and Power in Portrayals of Magic"

Writer's Block: Call Me

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:36:25 GMT

Do you still use a landline at home, or do you rely completely on your cell phone?

View 502 Answers

I still have a landline. If we lose electricity, and my cell phone's not charged, I still have communication.

Another reason for keeping a landline is for phone interviews. I have a podcast (www.vampireswitchesandgeeks.com) and do interviews either using Skype or over the phone. Cell phones generally don't have the best quality sound, though I'm sure that depends on the phone and the carrier. Still, I've had the best results when the interviewer has a landline, wired phone (not a cordless).

Post-trip malaise

Sun, 31 May 2009 20:40:56 GMT

I seem to have caught a cold on the flight home. I have a sore throat, sore sinuses, earache, and just feel blah. I cough all night and thank my lucky stars that I have a guest room I can crawl to and not keep DH awake.

Still, I had to get a podcast out, and I did, raspy voice and all. It's at www.vampireswitchesandgeeks.com