Trifecta 99 – Babooksha

This week we are giving you a page from the Oxford English Dictionary. The ninety-ninth page, to be exact. (Click to enlarge.) From this page, you can choose any word, any definition, to use in your post. (Please type your chosen word in bold, so we know.) And instead of our typical 33-333 word limit, we are asking for 99 words exactly.

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When commuting, reading helps avoid eye contact. Though these days, e-books prevent you from seeing what others are reading, I still love paperbacks.

My subway line passes through Brighton Beach, and ‘little Odessa’, so there are usually some babushkas on the crowded trains, sometimes even wearing the namesake scarves. One day, I caught the eye of one, who smiled warmly at me and my copy of “The Brothers Karamazov.” Some weeks later, we ‘met’ again, but my expected approving glance was met with a steely gaze and deeply creased frown. Perhaps they felt no sympathy for ‘Sofia Petrovna’ plight…

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Ketchup With Us #18: Those Lazy Crazy Hazy Days

Ms Mel and ODNT want to know what’s on your summer reading list, so that everyone can see it and we can all read those books and start a reading circle, which is an awesome excuse to get together and uncork some wine (though I have had some good screwtops!). As though you need a reason…

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It’s May already?! (the 5th Month), start making plans for building Castles in beach dunes, playing games in the backyard,  BBQing, then watching stars at night – it’s almost magical. Know that many days remain before the autumn harvests and winter in the city.

And download/ pick up a copy of Carrie Rubin’s The Seneca Scourge.

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ZB or not ZB?

That is the question.

I’ve been asked by many of you, including the folks at Trifecta, about what I plan to do with the Zombie Bunnies series, mainly, “Will this be a book?”

It’s a good question, one I have asked myself by the time part four came around. Obviously a book would be a great option/opportunity! The questions I ask myself about that possibility run the typical Who, What, Where, gambit…

The most important question would be, do I stop writing it HERE?!

The way I see it, I could a)finish up the story, b)  solve ONE of the major conflicts, then ‘complete’ it if I get a book deal, or c) a combination, by which I finish it here, but flesh it out to book length/form afterwards.

Considering the momentum I have gained here, would it be ‘fair’? After all, it is your collective enthusiasm, and great words prompts/challenges, and some plain ol’ inspiration/creativity that has brought about this following. I do not mind putting the time and efforts into writing this for you all to enjoy, that’s what blogging is all about.  If I even started pitching this to publishers, would I have to cease writing/giving it away, and at the same time try to prove by the traffic and interest in the story that it would be worth their while to make a deal? Would that be a paradox, or just a buzzkill?

Even just by skipping prompts and going about the next parts on my own steam (which I will do very soon), I would be writing more words and details (I admit, 333 word limits help keep me well-disciplined with ‘essential’ words), and could really get it going.

Or hey I could put up a Kickstarter fund, with the goal of enough $ to self-publish it; get a copy of the book, maybe autographed by me, 8×10 prints of Emma fighting zombunnies, or lunch with Richard Connar for the big donors! That would mean deadlines not just to finish it, but if I do fall short of the goal, the book would still have to be completed.

I could also make it part of my NaNoWriMo come November, and take it from there. This is one of the best ideas I have had for a while; I am sure I can complete it – though time constraints and Thanksgiving week almost always wipe out my chance to ‘win’ it.

To add to the variables, here is a writer who has posted pretty much everything he has written, including his series on…yep, zombies! http://www.davidwellington.net/serials/

I should add that I did buy his ‘Monster’ series, they are really good, and have great theories on the zombies’ perspective.

Agh, too much to consider, but that is how my mind works. But what a dilemma to have, considering I had no idea that this idea would be so well supported. So yes, essentially  it’s all YOUR collective faults. Thanks!

Feel free to chime in with your ideas and opinions. I’ll be pondering, deciding, and most of all, writing. Again, thank you.

More whine, less cheese

Wining- Right now a bottle of Kendall-Jackson Summation (white) blend is half-done, after several nights of single glasses. It’s as promised, semi-sweet, no dryness, an underlying honeydew & mild honeysuckle on a creamy base, just a touch of spice to finish and bring me to reality. Not overly fruity, and a clear light yellow. I had this with a medium spicy Manhattan clam chowder; the pairing was ok, though I did not alternate hot soup with chilled wine. It did not clash with the meal, and a glass afterwards cleared my palate. I would drink this again, as I do like it better than the chardonnay, which has a darker yellow color, heavier ‘feel’ in my mouth/tongue and strong perfume/flavor of citrus fruits that does not pair with pasta or fish at all, for me. Perhaps I would pair that with a fish with something like a chutney or mango salsa. Will try it – all in the name of research!

Wreading – Star Wars: Choices of One, Timothy Zahn. An unofficial sequel to “Allegiance”, this book takes the adventures of Zahn-created characters (Mara Jade, Thrawn, the rogue stormtroopers) into a little more depth. Clearly attention needs to be paid to the contexts of ranking, status and mindsets of the characters. As this story takes place between “A New Hope” and “The Empire Strikes Back”, it’s technically ‘filler’, but has it uses in the Expanded Universe.

Whining…in Dining– I wrote a letter to Starbucks, asking why they raised the price of regular coffee the same 10 cents as the skinnydoublemochafrappocrapo with whip- which costs over twice as much, and requires several more steps/equipment/ingredients than my plain ground bean beverage. I won’t be buying SB until I have an answer – will post the letter, and response if I get one. Also wrote a positive/negative letter to Popeye’s; the positives were that the place was clean, and the shift manager had her place running like a well-oiled machine. No attitudes at all. The negative was that they still managed to forget the biscuit in my 3 piece meal deal. The biscuit seals the deal; hell I would have preferred they left out a piece of chicken over the biscuit. Or even the beverage/cup, since I rarely drink soda anyway! Again, will wait on a response.

Wrecipes – I found one for buttermilk biscuits. Yes I will attempt it. I need closure.