Saturday, March 15, 2025

Book Recommendation: From Bat to Worse by Alexandra Christian

Following links on this blog may result in my earning a small fee. As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases.

[crossposted on social media] 

Do I have a book recommendation for you. The talented Alexandra Christian recently released a mystery (cozy horror?) set in a retirement home. From the cover: 

“George Waterman doesn't want to leave his lifelong home behind and move into the shishy-poo-poo retirement village at Shady Acres, but a busted hip and his daughters' insistence leaves him little choice.

Certain that life is about to become a dull routine of physical therapy and boredom, George finds his assumptions challenged his very first morning there. George is quickly pulled into the circle and the confidences of a ragtag group of elderly sleuths, ones who are sure that something shady is afoot at Shady Acres.

Though doubtful at first, George can't deny the mounting evidence that their lovely home is, in fact, run by vampires--vampires who are happy to use the old and forgotten residents to raise an undead army. George and his new friends--a quirky, hilarious cast of lovable characters--must find a way to stop the evil vampires from taking over the town, and along the way, 

George just might discover that being old doesn't have to be boring and that Shady Acres--despite the vampires--is a home worth defending.” 


Food and drink warning: any of you who knew me in high school/college know that I used to be called Lurch because I’d refuse to snarf or spit-take when someone did something funny. It became a game: who can get Beth to actually spit her drink out (or snarf it up her nose) by timing their hilarity to when I was drinking something? 

No one, that’s who. Instead, I’d lurch forward in laughter but shut my mouth tightly until I could safely swallow my drink. Hence, “Lurch.”

Until I read this book. I was drinking my morning coffee and read something so funny that I literally spit my drink out all over me, my favorite blanket, and sprayed the kindle. The blanket and me are washable and are just fine, as was the kindle, whose waterproofing came in handy that day. 

So high school/college friends: someone has finally done it. The challenge is over. No one could do it in the 80s or 90s, but Lexxie here nailed it decades later.

Anyway, go read this book and then if you like it, consider giving the author a nice review when you’re done. (And if you’re curious how I know this author, I met her at ConCarolinas a few years ago, picked up a book and enjoyed it, and I’ve been buying her books since.) 

Get yours:

Enjoy!

Friday, March 14, 2025

Time for a spooky story!

[crossposted from social media]

Okay my friends, gather round, because it’s storytime. The weirdest thing happened to Fred and me today, and we can’t explain it . . . yet.

To set the scene, we were both in the living room, which is in the back of the house. He was on his lunch break having a nap on the big couch, and I was sitting on the loveseat working on my laptop. 

The house was very quiet. Out of nowhere I heard an angry male voice coming from the front of the house, I thought from outside. It was sudden, sharp, and loud, but I could’t determine what was being said, only the manner in which it was being said. It sounded like someone about to get into a fight.

I thought “What is going on? Is our next door neighbor yelling? Is he okay?” 

I jumped off the couch and started down the hall, shouting “Fred! Do you hear that?” He woke up with a start and then said, “Yeah. Right behind you.” 

I dashed down to the front of the house to twitch the curtains and be nosy, and he followed me. 

Turns out, no curtain twitching was necessary. I followed the voice . . . straight into Fred’s office. Somewhere in there was the angry male voice. 

“Fred! It’s in here! What the --?”

He was hot on my heels into his office.

“What the hell?”

“It’s coming from your desk, Fred.” 

“ . . . What? How?”

On his desk was an older tablet that he was charging. He occasionally uses it to take photos or draw or listen to audiobooks, but he hadn’t used it in at least a few weeks. 

It had randomly decided to play an audiobook—one that he wasn’t even listening to—at top volume and in a dramatic scene where the main character is having a fight…

… and we don’t know why. 🤷‍♀️


There were no devices listening for a command to start playing the book. No one had been speaking to give a command. Had a command been given, that device was not connected to that system and would be incapcable of receiving said command. 

Additionally, the tablet had been sitting unused. Fred had not been listening to that book, because he’d finished the book weeks ago. The part that started up was in the middle of the book. 

Why it did all that, we have no idea.

It was the weirdest thing that’s happened in a while. Even Fred was a little weirded out, and that’s saying something.

So this one is up there in terms of creepy happenings, like the time I was home alone in Pittsburgh and Fred was in Ann Arbor and I was in bed upstairs when I heard a male voice downstairs in my kitchen. Grabbing my phone set to 911 and a big stick, I crept downstairs to confront an intruder . . . only to realize a radio in the kitchen above the sink had suddenly decided to turn itself on at midnight a few nights in a row.  (We eventually debunked that one. I had accidentally handled a button on the front that turned on an alarm that tuned to a radio station at midnight.)

Or (in the same house as above) that time we were in bed falling asleep and we heard a chime similar to a Tibetan meditation bowl in our bedroom—just one short, clear chime—except there were no bowls, there were no bells, and neither of our devices at the time had that particular sound on them as an option for alarms or alerts. We never did manage to debunk that one.)

So … maybe we’ll figure this one out, and maybe we won’t. Fred has a theory, but we want to know what you think?

Do you think it could be a haunting or something paranormal? Or do you think there’s a logical explanation? If the latter, what is your theory about how that tablet/audiobook did that? 


(Following links on this blog may result in my earning a small fee. As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases.)

Thursday, February 20, 2025

Cryptid xs update - Enfield Horror done!

(Following links on this blog may result in my earning a small fee. As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases.)

Stitching progress update 

This week I finished the Enfield Horror rectangle on my Cryptid SAL (designer: Witchy Stitcher). The little teefies amuse me to no end! 

Look at the little teefies! 😍

It occurred to me that I have no idea what the Enfield Horror is supposed to be. It’s the only cryptid on this piece that I can’t recall easily, so I went and looked it up. According to a Wikipedia article, it terrorized Enfield, Illinois in 1973, trying to break into a home when a young boy was home alone. They say that it may have possibly been an escaped kangaroo (which could certainly explain the three-legged look and a hairy appearance).

The next creature I will stitch is near and dear to my heart: the Jersey Devil! Stay tuned! 

Want to work on this one? You'll need a heck of a lot of black embroidery floss (DMC 310). I tend to buy mine in flat packs of 20 at a time, but you can also get what's lovingly referred to as the Cone of Doom.



Monday, February 17, 2025

They Aren't Your Client

(Following links on this blog may result in my earning a small fee. As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases.)

The ideal audience for this post is editors, especially newer ones. Authors who'd like a sneak peek into issues editors face are welcome to read this, too. 

Editors, I’ve got four words of advice for you:

"They aren't your client."

Any new editor who I've mentored and is reading this now is probably laughing because I say this a lot.

What do I mean by "they aren't your client"?

This is probably best explained with some theoretical situations:

Scenario 1:

A potential client gets in touch about a quote but refuses to send the manuscript because of some misguided idea they have (or bad advice they received) that anyone who sees their work will steal it. They hem and haw. How much time are you going to spend trying to convince someone you simply want to get an idea of the scope of the job and how much time it'll take you to do it?

When this happens to me, I gently suggest maybe they're not ready for an editor if the process makes them that uncomfortable. I encourage them to do their research into the fact that copyright exists the minute you put words to paper, and that means electronically, too. I reassure them that professional editors are not interested in stealing their work. I encourage them to ask questions and vet me, but after several back-and-forths, if I sense there is no movement, then I release them with kindness, wish them luck with their project, and move on. My time is valuable and I'm not here to convince anyone that they NEED me to edit their work.

It's okay if they're not my client. Someone out there is. And someone out there is their editor if it isn't me. It's all good!

Scenario 2:

An author sent a sample for you to evaluate the work and prepare a quote. They sent the first chapter and it didn't look too messy, so you quoted the job based on that, but when you begin, you realize it needs a lot more work than you thought. Now you're stuck possibly missing a deadline or not being fairly compensated for increased scope ... or are you?

What's the solution here? Well, it's fair to reach out and let the client know the part of the manuscript they sent for evaluation wasn't representative of the whole piece and that there will have to be an increase in scope/time/fee. Renegotiate. If they balk, then they weren't your client. It's a rough lesson to learn, but it's okay that you went through it to learn it. (And now you know to ask for the full manuscript before evaluating the job.)

Scenario 3: 

You're a new editor who has successfully passed some editing courses and you really want that first job under your belt. You throw a wide net out there in marketing land, trying to reel in any fish you can. The problem with that scenario is that you may not be a good fit for an author's needs. 

Wait, scratch that. Let me revise: You WILL NOT BE a good fit for EVERY author's needs. Period. You could be the best editor out there, gotten all As in your coursework, and still not everyone out there is your client. 

Are you triggered by violent scenes? Maybe don't waste time pitching that author who writes serial killer thrillers. They aren't your client. 

Only like clean romance? Maybe don't try to reel in that paranormal shifter romance writer who writes explicit sex scenes. They aren't your client. 

Intimidated by bibliography and reference rules in nonfiction? You could have a great love of history but not be a good fit for a publisher of history books unless you're ready to dive into that morass of references and bib. That publisher may not be your client unless and until you wrap your head around how to treat references. 

When you're new, it's tempting to try to be everything to everyone. Instead, be thoughtful about your interests, skills, and understanding of genres and expectations for those genres (including nonfiction). Also, think about what you like or dislike. Tailor your marketing to the writers whose work fits your vision. Those other authors aren't your clients, but the ones who fit your vision are, and you are all (editor and authors) better served if you honor this about yourself up front. In the meantime, if you know you want to work with a certain type of author but don't have that experience yet, make it a goal to learn more about their genre, conventions for that genre, and, in the case of nonfiction (if that's what you really want to do) dive into the references chapters of Chicago Manual of Style and learn all about how to handle notes and bibliography. Just because someone isn't your client now doesn't meant they couldn't be your client in the future.

Scenario 4: 

You put a lot of time into a beautiful quote and project proposal, fair to both you and author in terms of scope of work, timeline, and price. They say they want to move ahead, but try to negotiate the price down. Are they your client?  If they are respectful of you, your expertise and your time, but they're on a budget, and you can meet them at a new price without causing yourself any issues, then they are potentially your client. (Note that you are not obligated to ever discount your work; some people do discount in certain scenarios or offer pro bono work, but don't let that take up all of your resources.) 

However, if a potential client is disrespectful, demanding, unreasonable, or simply can't afford you: they aren't your client. Wish them well, and let them find an editor who can meet their budget/expectations. I have a lot of respect for authors who realized I wasn't their editor for some reason (usually they couldn't afford the cost but wanted to be respectful of my value as a professional and not try to get a discount), and we still have a good relationship today. They have referred me to other authors, and I have promoted their books. There are good relationships to be had even when someone isn't your client, and that in and of itself is a gift.

Scenario 5:

You get a manuscript to evaluate for a proofread, but you realize there's a lot more needed than a simple check for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and the other things involved in a proofread. (See how I define a proofread here.) For example: all of the dialogue needs to be formatted, there's head-hopping, and the book just doesn't quite hold together plot-wise: Do you go ahead and quote a proofread? Or do you let the author know the truth? 

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I let them know the truth. They aren't my client. They're the client of a developmental editor, line editor, or copy editor (whatever the case may be) but not a proofreader. OR: they're my client if I feel the work needed is within my skillset, in which case, I'll negotiate for that scope, NOT a simple proofread. If they agree and we move ahead, then great! But if they are convinced they only need a proofread, and I know that scope is not appropriate, then I will gently refuse the job. 

The way I see it is this: It's not fair to authors for an editor to ignore major issues in a manuscript just to get the proofreading job. It's also not fair for authors to expect an editor to do free labor or go against their professional opinion when it comes to what a book needs. I will always let an author know if I think their book is or is not ready for me. That's the most ethical thing to do. Until their manuscript is in shape to be proofread, then: they're not my proofreading client. 

And that's totally okay!

Scenario 6:

You've been contacted by an possible client for a lengthy job. You've spent valuable time and effort preparing a thoughtful quote, only to have them tell you they'd rather use an AI tool instead of your services to clean up what three other editors have missed. 

The obvious reason they aren't your client is because they have just decided they'd prefer to use a free AI tool instead of paying for your professional services. You could try to give them a counterargument as to how AI misses things or introduces errors, but that's probably going to be ignored if someone is already convinced they need AI. 

But the other question you should be asking yourself is this: they've had three other editors? And they still don't believe their work has been sufficiently edited? This is definitely a sign that you need to ask good questions to find out what's going on. 

I will say this: if it's a situation where the author is critical of the editors, please be careful about throwing those other editors under the bus in an attempt to get the job. After all, there are two sides to every story. The author may have misunderstood the scope of the editing job, or perhaps they introduced errors later. Or maybe they were really burned by three different editors...but the number of editors is definitely a sign that you need to figure out what's going on so you truly understand the scope of the job.

Either way, grace, understanding, and diplomacy are the way to go in a situation like this, and perhaps at the end of the conversation you'll get some paid work ...but maybe not.  And in that case, it's okay that the author wasn't your client. 

Conclusion


Don't be discouraged if someone isn't your client (or your editor).

None of what I've said above is a judgment on anyone: it's okay for anyone in the process to say "Hey, maybe this isn't a good match" for any reason. Indeed, all of my contracts have what I call a "kill clause" so that at any time and for any reason, the parties can stop working together and wrap it up according to whatever they agreed to (payment for partial services rendered, for instance—and if you want contracts help for editing clients, this book is a great resource!).

It's worth noting that the majority of people with whom I was honest thanked me for steering them in the right direction. In those cases, it led them to find the right help for their book, and I'm happy for them, even if they weren't MY client.

Do you see where I'm going with this?

I hope this helps any editors navigate the mindset around whether or not to work with someone. (Plus, if any authors are reading this, you can see some of what goes on in our side of the writing industry.)  It isn't something that needs to be stressful or contentious. Knowing where you stand on whether someone is your client is an empowering tool and will help you navigate your career with more ease.

Got any other good scenarios or examples of when it's okay for someone to not be your client? Drop a comment below! (Please keep comments thoughtful, respectful, and mindful of privacy.) 

In the meantime, don't be disappointed if someone isn't your client. Anytime something doesn't work out, you are freed up to find the RIGHT client. (And this goes both ways: authors are freed up to find the RIGHT editor!) 

Win-win, as far as I'm concerned! 



Sunday, February 16, 2025

A Gift from a Happy Author

Yesterday I received this book as a thank you from an author whose book project I’m managing. He remembered—from a short discussion we’d had months ago—that I wanted to read it, and so he sent it as a sign of gratitude for our work together. I’m so touched by his thoughtfulness and I really work with the best people. I love my job!




(Following links on this blog may result in my earning a small fee. As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases.)

Saturday, February 15, 2025

Derpatologist

[crossposted on social media]




Watching Svengoolie, the movie is Ssssssss (with Dirk Benedict) tonight. In one scene, an alleged herpetologist just referred to some snakes as not poisonous. 

Me: Nonvenomous!! Venomous!!! Not “poisonous.”
Fred: To be fair, perhaps it’s also not poisonous. You could maybe eat it and not die. 
Me: (putting side my horror at that thought for a second) Anyway, some herpetologist he is. 
Fred: More like a “derpatologist.”


This has been a snippet of my life with Fred. 🤣



(Following links on this blog may result in my earning a small fee. As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases.)

New Beachy Cross-Stitch Project

A lot of people started this project at last weekend’s beach stitching retreat, but I wanted to spend time setting it up. Doesn’t everyone organize a new project on a Saturday night? I plan on stitching during Svengoolie tonight and am excited to begin! What are you working on? 

Retreat-exclusive from Finally a Farm Girl

Sweet floss drops from Cottage Cat Designs

Fabric from Barefoot Needleart



(Following links on this blog may result in my earning a small fee. As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases.)

Book Recommendation: From Bat to Worse by Alexandra Christian

Following links on this blog may result in my earning a small fee. As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases. [crossposted...