Its been a good week for the Portait! A work which was released a little over a year ago.
On Smashwords the novel broke two-hundred (200) downloads, a definitive sign that even after a year listed the novel still generates some interest. In itself this is impressive, given that I spend very little time trying to advertise the work.
In other news, with the help of Moran Media the design got a makeover and its design was accepted by CreateSpace. Hence the Portrait is now available in print!
Unlike the Portrait of a Woman, this version is available in black and white. This change radically drops the book’s price; previous versions sold for close to 30$ USD whereas this one sells for under 7$ USD.
Additional distribution centres were not selected, since that would increase the base price of the book. I suppose if there were ever a demand to open up those channels I may consider it. Until then, better to make it affordable!
The story itself centres on the staff at My World, a restaurant and bar in Manhattan. Bartender Wanted revolves around Rose Leary, a recently divorced author and former restaurant owner who now tends the bar to make ends meet in between novels. A series of murders ensues and she finds herself in the middle of mystery, bringing her into contact with some of the bar’s patrons, employees and the owners.
Overall, I found this novel to be a quick and pleasant read, although I do not see myself picking up any other books from the series. Maureen Anne Jennings is very careful to work within the limited technology of the day, and brings into focus certain sociopolitical elements that the reader may not have been aware of. The author also does an excellent job of speaking for the protagonist and you get a taste of her thoughts and motivations.
However, I found her interactions with some of the characters to be less than believable. The one exception was her interactions with Jimmy, one of the waiters, although that aspect seems to fizzle out towards the end of the book. This novel also left me with few surprises, there were no cliff hangers or mystery in it for me. I was simply left wondering when Rose would figure it out and how all the loose ends would be tied up.
Overall the story failed to captivate me or keep me hooked until the end. This was not an adrenaline pumped roller coaster ride, instead it was more of a pleasant drive through the country. There was plenty of room for one’s imagination to grow, but little opportunity to get the pulse racing. A shame really, since the ratings on Goodreads really got me thinking I’d be consuming the whole series!
Chicken piccata is said to be nothing more than chicken breast cutlets, dredged in flour, browned then served with a sauce of butter, lemon juice, capers and stock. While this recipe fits the definition, the sauce and chicken. Instructions have been separated for a consistent finish.
I had the opportunity to take a stroll through Newport, Rhode Island. It reminds me of similar maritime locales such as Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. This place features old and beautiful houses, estates, a historic city center and a multitude of shops. On the periphery you can find Naval Station Newport and Fort Adams, the later which I visited.
Here are some shots I took from my little jaunt, which I felt may inspire the imagination of others. While there are several from Fort Adams, the rest can be found in or around the city itself. I only wish I had been here during tourist season!
Even Things That Go Bump in the Night Need a Place to Unwind
I have completed my fourteenth review of the Grand. This review resulted in a 42% decrease in corrections when compared to the thirteenth cycle. Ethereal Nights had the most substantial drop of 88%, while Penny Dreadful increased by the 400%. Overall, there were 45 corrections which averages 3 changes per chapter.
About half the chapters saw a drop in changes during this cycle. Of note, One Flight Over averaged of 4,452 words between corrections. Here is a summary for this cycle:
There was a 42% drop in corrections when compared to revision thirteen;
These revision took far less time than revisions prior to seven and for the following reasons:
It takes far less time to run through the material;
There are far fewer errors to find with an average of 1,951 words between corrections. This improves on the 1,209 words per change seen in revision twelve and is the first above a thousand; and
Changes implemented are minor in scope.
This is effectively makes this revision my last. I have handed the work over to a copy editor and will include those changes in what would be officially known as the fifteenth revision. Also, since revision zero was my first revision the grand total would be sixteen total revisions to get this novel ready!
Kraft Dinner seems to be a Canadian icon. This meal is often a favourite of children and often a survival tool for the starving university student. Quick and easy to make, it sometimes pays to have a few boxes handy in case you get inundated with children.
This dish is said to have its origins in Nova Scotia’s South Shore, home of Acadians and several fishing communities. This recipe blends lobster with cream to make a delicious filling served atop fresh tea biscuits or garlic bread. For an extra zing, add a bit of grated cheddar as a topping.
Even Things That Go Bump in the Night Need a Place to Unwind
I have completed my thirteenth review of the Grand. This review resulted in a 15% decrease in corrections when compared to the twelfth cycle. Journey Through the River of Belief had the most substantial drop of 50%, while Old Soul increased by the same amount. Overall, there were 77 corrections which averages 5 changes per chapter.
About half the chapters saw a drop in changes during this cycle. Of note Penny Dreadful averaged of 4,292 words between corrections. Here is a summary for this cycle:
There was a 15% drop in corrections when compared to revision twelve;
Penny Dreadful averaged 4,292 words between corrections.
These revision took far less time than revisions prior to seven and for the following reasons:
It takes far less time to run through the material;
There are far fewer errors to find with an average of 1,209 words between corrections. This improves on the 819 words per change seen in revision twelve and is the first above a thousand; and
Changes implemented are minor in scope.
I expect to keep pushing through these revisions until the total amount of corrections drop well below 50 for the manuscript. So as it stands, I expect there is one revision left.
Even Things That Go Bump in the Night Need a Place to Unwind
I have completed my twelfth review of the Grand. This review resulted in a 40% decrease in corrections when compared to the eleventh cycle. Siamese Dreams had the most substantial drop of 64%, while Penny Dreadful had a 25% increase. Overall, there were 91 corrections which averages 6 changes per chapter.
About 94% of the chapters saw a drop in changes during this cycle. This is the first cycle where the amount of changes are less than one per percent and the Mad Hatter’s Mirror averaged of 1,423 words between corrections.
Here is a summary for this cycle:
There was a 40% drop in corrections when compared to revision eleven;
91 modifications for the entire work, the first time changes are less than one per percent;
These revision took far less time than revisions prior to seven and for the following reasons:
It takes far less time to run through the material;
There are far fewer errors to find with an average of 819 words between corrections. This improves on the 520 words per change seen in revision eleven; and
Changes implemented are minor in scope.
I expect to keep pushing through these revisions until the total amount of corrections drop well below 50 for the manuscript. Since there was no change from the previous revision, I expect there are 2 revisions left.
The general perception about pirating is done by younger people. The idea being is that they do not have the means to afford the content. This population group tends to be more attuned to technology and has more time to go through the trouble of pirating it.
A recent study with results shown on torrentfreak.com seems to break that wide open:
47% of those who pirate eBooks are within the 30-44 year old bracket;
70% have post secondary; and
65% make over 60,000$ a year.
In other words, people who are most likely capable of paying for an eBook are those who pirate it.
Now they also state that roughly 25% of pirating is essentially swapping books with friends. This could be a carry over from the print world, were friends/family would often swap books instead of each buying their own copy.
While this article does not talk about, the age bracket may have something to do with people getting older. In the 2000s a lot of people were pirating games, music and other content because they could not afford it. Now they are older and have enough money to afford buying the content, however the habit is ingrained. Its seen as a norm with no ethical or moral ramifications attached to it.
