Today is Monday, August 21, 2017. A rare event will occur this afternoon, a total solar eclipse. And even more rare, the contiguous United States will be able to view this incredible event. There hasn’t been a coast to coast eclipse since June 8, 1918!

There are many kinds of an eclipse: total solar, partial (common), annular (most of us never know about these and you need special filters to even see it), and lunar (at night and most can see if weather permits). Of all these, the total solar eclipse is the most rare and most sought for viewing. 

This will be a once-in-a-lifetime event for nearly everyone.

Most folks have not had the opportunity to view a total solar eclipse. In the last 100 years, there have been only seven in the US and limited numbers of the population were included, and then, weather also impeded viewing. 

• 06/30/54 – Northern NE through western Michigan and some of Minneapolis
• 10/02/59 – Massachusetts only
• 02/20/63 – Central Fla, then hugged the coastline up through Virginia’s eastern shore
• 07/10/72 – North Alaska
• 02/26/79 – WA, OR, ID, MT, ND (many missed this because of rain/clouds)
• 07/11/99 – Hawaii and was clouded out

So, you ask, I’m not a scientist, what’s the big deal? The big deal is what it looks like, how nature reacts, to see darkness during the peak period of the day, to feel how air changes and how you change during the rare moment.

In the Dark, Middle, and Medieval Ages, an eclipse portended danger, deviltry, disaster, death, sickness — all things that were considered evil and scary. That’s because most did not understand the nature and the reason for the eclipse’s happening. 

Today we understand why an eclipse occurs and it is much less scary but there are moments during the eclipse that are still worth your attention. Animals will react differently. Birds will hush and roost. Day animals will seek cover and many night animals may emerge. Often wolves and dogs will howl. Some believe there will be significant shifts in the tides (though I cannot attest to this). And the sky will turn black. Crescent shadows will appear on the ground (worth taking pictures of). 

It is a moment when we can feel one with a universe and realize how small we are within the constantly shifting nature of it. This is an event you cannot stop, stall, or change. It does tend to make one feel a little bit small when you are out of control.

Everyone will be affected differently. Be sure to have your glasses and proper filters for cameras (and cell phones). Do not risk eye damage! Do not try to drive and watch. Do not drive with your eclipse glasses on. DO stop and appreciate the moment.

The actual eclipse will be about 2 minutes and 30 seconds. The rest of the time, the moon will be traveling across the sky and and gradually across the sun. All in all about 3 hours of the most incredible event ever. 

The next total solar eclipse will pass over Mexico, central US and Canada on April 8, 2024. And then we in the US will have another contiguous event on August 12, 2045 (see the map below).

If you are a writer, live the moment. Breathe the change in the air. Share the experience with others and see their reactions. Listen to nature as it reacts. Listen to humans as they pause their lives to experience the event. Be one of them standing still.

Whether you watch live, watch on TV, or decided to skip the moment, you are in the rare event. Record your place in it. Write it down. Find something to remember whether you watched or not.

And if you are a writer/author/journalist — use this memory, capture the emotions, discover something to use for memoirs, historical fiction, special feature reporting, short stories, speculative fiction — don’t let the moment eclipse your memories. Capture then and use them! Eclipses make wonderful fodder for foreshadowing, creepy murder mystery moments, horror stories, mad scientist motivations, feral shapeshifters, vampire emergence, noire-esque villainy, knights and oaths…it is food for every pen, everywhere. What you learn will be invaluable.

I’m going to enjoy this rare moment because I may not have any chance of one again. We have our viewing glasses and our flag and we’ll take a selfie to remember we were there (hubby and me). 

One last personal thought — think, for a few precious minutes, we will all be able to look up and see the same thing. We will be one under the heaven. I think that’s worth letting everything else be eclipsed for two minutes. See you under the sun.

Thanks for stopping by.
I remain, Yours Between the Lines,
Sherry

This isn’t the blog I had intended to write last week, but I happened to walk into a couple social media conversations that rankled me so much that I had to change course. I tell you this because as wonderful as social media can be (fun, playful and informative), social media also can be ugly. Besides often spreading lies and promoting bullies, various platforms are places where you can learn how others really feel about people and life while cloaked behind a computer screen. And what I heard both shocked and angered me so much that I’m on a crusade. Stay with me as I explain.

During my usual perusal of Facebook and Twitter, I happened upon three separate conversations by some authors in various stages of book publication. In one case, the writer was asking about finding a book cover and asked where to get a good premade (because couldn’t afford to pay a lot of money). Several others (I can’t tell you whether or not they were all authors or writers), advised the writer to do her own cover and save money. When that was shot down (due to lack of experience or creative juice), another advised to “go to [this place]  and spend $5 because no one gives a crap about the cover anyway. It’s what’s inside that counts.”

That lone comment started a firestorm and where I decided to join the fray.

More comments flew and I offered my input (and I’ll get to those in a moment). About an hour later, I drifted into another online conversation (on Facebook) based on a post by a cover designer/interior formatter/photographer who was asking folks to please give appropriate credit to whomever designs the books. Turns out that this issue had been raging for a while and I’m only now seeing the terrible unfairness and dishonor that’s been happening. This post really riled me to speak out for designers against bloggers and writers who seem intent on denigrating them or belittling them.

First the basics. A book cover is the first thing that folks see. Whether you do an ebook, audio book or print book, the book cover is the first impression and what draws in the reader. A lousy book cover is the first reason why your book doesn’t sell beyond your mom and her book club. So, the first thing a writer needs to do (after finishing the novel), is to plan for the best book cover possible.

Can you do your own? Sure. Should you? Well, if you understand genre styles and fonts, if you know what the successful trends are, if you know what not to do, if you know how to use design programs like Adobe and Photoshop, if you understand templates and the difference between CMYK (for print) and RGB color (for digital/online work), then by all means do your own cover. You obviously are more talented than I am!

But if you are like the rest of us normals (haha), you will need to get a good cover designer. Think of the books that you like. Look at the books that you purchased and see the covers. Do you know anything about your genre? No? That is your first assignment. Go to bookstores, and look at other covers. Go to websites and learn about good cover designs. People like Joel Friedlander of The Book Designer offer wonderful information about book cover do’s and don’ts. In other words, learn something before you wander off to spend money. Before I self-published my first book, Paper Bones, I spent a YEAR learning about self-publishing, including book covers (trends, styles, how-to, prices, pitfalls). In other words, do your homework. It will help prevent your being scammed.

Once armed with knowledge, then it’s time to seek a cover designer. Now be careful. It’s a jungle out there. Shop. Shop s’more. Then shop even more. KNOW what you want. Be prepared to spend money. A lot of money? Not really. A good cover will run you anywhere from about $99 for ebook cover and some extra goodies, to around $400 if you need ebook, print, audio, extra goodies (like banners for social media and print ads). Will you use stock photography or a model? Plan to pay for your own media that the designer will use and for the model’s time.  Premade covers will run the gamut in price from as low as $5 to as high as $200 depending on where you go and who did them. Again, shop.

Finally, if you decide to use a cover designer, check out their work and chose an established designer with a strong resume who will work with you and provide you with a product you will be proud of. This will be the first thing people see about your book. Demand the best of you and your designer and pay good money to see your dreams become reality.

This is where I entered the discussion when it was said no one cared about the cover.

Really???

WRONG. Covers are EVERYTHING. What’s more, the designers who create them spend countless hours planning them, then creating them. Often there are photo shoots to build stock to work from, models to deal with, programs to use (requiring purchase and knowledge how to use), font libraries to keep and know how to use, understanding trends, market demands, dealing with multiple templates from various publishing houses (no one has the same requirements), and individual client requests. In short, cover designers are just as special as the writers. Really.

The sad thing is that writers forget that without the designer’s lovely cover, there is a chance no one will pay any attention to the writer. For this reason, if not for professional respect, every writer owes cover designers recognition for their work. This happens inside the book or on the cover itself (I’ve seen it done both ways).

WRITERS OWE DESIGNERS RECOGNITION.

There is NO exception to this rule.

I’ve been blessed with exceptional, award-winning covers. I chose my designers carefully and I conveyed my wishes well, but I also listened and learned from each different designer. I continue to read and learn about covers despite the fact that I don’t design. I want to know what works so when I do my next book, I have some idea what I need besides what I want. This helps my designer as much as me. But I never forget that they are the designers, not me.

In the end, when the book is done, I give my designer (interior designers/formatters too!), all the respect and adulation I can. I acknowledge them by displaying their copyright of the work.

And that’s my final point. THEY own the work. Did you hear that? THEY OWN the work. Yes, they provide to you and you own the book cover for your use and sale. But they designed it. They created it. They are the copyright owners. You USE it.  Got it?

Say thank you by giving designers their due. Honor them. Respect them. Cherish them. They take our words and make pictures for us. That’s magic. Honor them and they will honor you.

Here are some wonderful designers that I have worked with who might work with you.

Sean Foley, designer of my award-winning cover of Paper Bones.

Pro Book Covers,  with Travis Miles, designer of my award-winning cover of By Light Betrayed.

Robin Ludwig Designs, designer of my award-winning cover of Midnight Assassin.

Cover Me Darling, owned by Marisa-rose Shor, designer of my latest two releases, The Book of Now and Breaking the Glass Slipper (hoping they will win awards this year).

Pink Ink Designs, owned by Cassy Roop who did the striking interior formatting for The Book of Now and Breaking the Glass Slipper. She is also an excellent cover designer.

Castelane for the Prose, designers of book trailer for By Light Betrayed, also provide full service book designs.

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Say, did you miss my live chat? You can watch here on Facebook. More of those to come. Plus I have plans to appear on You Tube regularly.

Thanks for letting me vent. Stay tuned for more rants and raves and information on writing, self-publishing, and other oddities.

Yours Between the Lines,
Sherry

(The post originally appeared in Kerry Adrienne’s blog as Poetry Can Work Against Social Injustice, but I changed the title here to reflect a positive stance)

Poetry Can Work For Social Justice

I’m delighted to announce the release of my new book, The Book of Now, a volume of nonfiction poetry on subjects ripped from today’s headlines. This book covers social issues and contends that we must be more aware and responsible for these issues in order to find a way to correct or right these problems.

Now before you roll your eyes and groan, “oh not poetry,” wait! This poetry can be a powerful force for good!

Forbes Magazine has long highlighted poetry with responsibility. Take for example an article Jul 9, 2010 about Poetry and Pollution. The newly announced poet laureate (then) W.S. Merwin wrote of ecological disasters.

But Merwin is by far not the first to use his pen and write with a “social responsibility.”

In literature, where we seek social justice, first you have to understand what is meant by social responsibility. The best definition I ever read was, “the awareness of social injustice, from the local to the global, necessitates specific actions to combat those injustices. In other words, social responsibility and social activism are inextricably intertwined; once aware of the injustice, one is morally obliged to act.” (Naomi Benaron, author, 2012).

For fiction writers, there is a long history of literature intertwined with a need to highlight social responsibility and therefore find social justice. From Quixote, Dickens and Jane Austin through more current folks like Parsipur, Merwin, and Lucia Mann. There is a compelling need for writers to seek answers in the darkness and to speak out with authority whenever possible to shine light, right wrongs, and seek betterment.

But what of the poet? What makes the poet separate from the fiction writer? And are they more or less powerful with the pen?

I think it begins with a belief that social responsibility begins with children. What better way to send a message than a poem that one can remember, recite, and then remember forever? Besides understanding that poetry has always been a voice in the dark, finding those lights shows us how much social injustice has been highlighted in poetry.

Once Chinese immigrants were incarcerated at Angel Island, California during the early 1900s. They wrote their poetry on the walls, despite being told not to. Their poetry filled the halls of their prison and became known as the “talking walls.” From these walls, we learned of their belief in a right to freedom. And that they believed no one has the right to restrict their right to protest injustice. Their poetry was a powerful tool. Here is a short quote from one of the Chinese poems:

“For days I have been without freedom on Island.
In reduced circumstances now, I mingle with the prisoners.
Grievances fill my belly; I rely on poetry to express them.”

The beautiful language highlighted the impoverished conditions and sparked a need for a more fair and just society.

Another desirable aspect of poetry is its ability to present ideals and stress a position, to step off neutrality without the ugliness. There is a responsibility in our country to propose freedom and democracy. Political dictators and oppressionists have attacked these sorts of poets because they find social injustice poetry to be dangerously seditious. Which is exactly why I – and so many others — find it powerful.

Those young Chinese poets also did not take their use of poetry lightly. There was nothing common or funny about the literary tool. In their culture, poetry is the preferred method for highlighting social injustice. This is what makes their “talking walls” so important, that they leaned on their culture as they sought to expose social injustice. It also comforted them, giving something familiar.

Most of all, I think the power of poetry exposing social injustice comes in humanizing issues and reaching people on an emotional level. Poetry allows us to gently empathize, find common ground and to make what is scary or heinous more touchable. Again, it starts with children, learning to deal with social isolation, bullying, differences, and finding understanding in diversity. Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss did it for children and made it easy to remember. Maya Angelou made it easy for adults to understand and want to do better.

This was exactly my thought when I wrote The Book of Now. Not that it could be for children, because truthfully it is too harsh for little kids. But that I can cover terrorism, bullying, abuse, political bigotry and so many other harsh and divisive issues while pointing out the need for and the power of diversity, understanding and knowledge.

Today’s important poets have shown me the way. From Swiss poet Daniele Pantano, Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes, to U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera, poetry ignites the issues and sparks a need for change. And these changes may simply be in how we view an issue, more enlightened, more open-minded, more resolved.

I certainly don’t expect to remake the world or create a tsunami of change. However, with my new book of poetry, I want others to see subtleties, discover new emotions, and open dialogues of change. There are controversial issues in The Book of Now. We have to be fearless and open-minded if we are going to make this world a better place. Poetry is my way of highlighting social injustices and directing where our social responsibility might be. I think poets make the unpalatable more digestible, because they do it with compassion inside their honesty.

I content that poets believe in possibilities. Like me, The Book of Now does, too. I hope the message resonates with some of you and that you will take up the banner against the social injustices highlighted in The Book of Now. Join an illustrious population of people striving for a better world, and using poetry to do it!

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The Book of Now is available from my CreateSpace page, or you can order from the links on the book page or directly from online retailers.

OR if you want a signed copy, just fill out the form on the Contact Me page.

Thanks for stopping by!
I remain, yours Between the Lines,
Sherry 

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****The following items will always appear to keep you posted on activities.*****

WIP (Works in Progress):

Writer’s Workbook – Learning to Write Everyday – Beginners Volume  Release AUG 2016

– first novel in the Evening Bower series, about vampires and other supernatural creatures
– fictional memoir – November 2016!
– four-part fairy story (part one complete)

On the Desk: (next reading): TBD

Off the Desk (book just finished): A Toxic Trousseau (#8 in series) by Juliet Blackwell

Coming Soon:  Interview with new folks and more about upcoming projects. Plus meet my assistant (yes, you want details!)