Weird Book Room

“Do give books - religious or otherwise - for Christmas. They're never fattening, seldom sinful, and permanently personal.” - Lenore Hershey

How could I not investigate something that read “Weird Book Room?” I entered the room at AbeBooks.co.uk and found the site lived to its description, “…a celebration of everything that's bizarre, odd and downright weird in books. Crazy cookbooks, unusual animal books, how to books that will teach skills you never knew you needed, books about hilarious hobbies, and books about every strange aspect of life you could possibly imagine and a few things you can't imagine.”

I’m assuming there are a few people, like myself, who have not completed their Christmas shopping. I thought I could use this site to give you some suggestions for those hard to please people, or pets, on your list.

For instance if you are tired of buying the dogs on your list the usual chewy treat or rubber ball, you may want to think about Doga: Yoga for Dogs by Jennifer Brilliant. I’m sure any dog would be happy to learn more relaxation techniques.

For the discriminating homemaker there’s Paint It Black: A Guide To Gothic Homemaking, by Voltaire (Yes, I am aware he died in the 1700’s, but that’s the name on the book jacket.). “With 'Paint It Black' you can turn the unbearably mundane into the delightfully macabre with little more than a touch of creativity and a can of black spray paint. Using simple techniques and easily-found, affordable supplies, Voltaire and friends transform the normal into Gothic like nobody's business!” How could anyone not be pleased to receive this book?

For that shopaholic there’s The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America, a Guide to Field Identification by Julian Montague.

Mensa members may enjoy The The Thermodynamics of Pizza by Harold J. Morowitz.

Isn’t there always a bird lover or two on everyone’s list? Here’s a guide they may not already have, What Bird Did That? A Driver's Guide to Some Common Birds of North America by Peter Hansard, and Burton Silver.

Other books gift ideas include: How to Survive a Robot Uprising, by Daniel H. Wilson; People Who Don't Know They're Dead by Gary Leon Hill; Nuclear War: What's in It for You? by the Ground Zero War Foundation; How You Can Bowl Better Using Self-Hypnosis by Heise; Prehistoric Humans in Film and Television by Michael Klossner; and, The Beverly Hillbillies Bible Study by Stephen Skelton.

If by some off chance you can find nothing in the Weird Book Room that suits the names on your list, there are plenty of books available in The Spirit of the Season Catalog. You'll also find excellent choices under my blogroll. There's Pretty is as Pretty Dies by Elizabeth Spann Craig if you click on Mystery Writing in Murder. For Gayle Carline’s, Freezer Burn, click On the Edge of the Chair of Literature. There are too many to mention them all so feel free to shop around for ideas on my sidebar list.

Two reminders: 1) if you have purchased a copy of The Ride for yourself or someone else, I’ll be happy to send you a free signed bookplate. Simply contact me at jane@janesutton.com. 2) On Thursday, Dec. 17, I’ll be at the Holiday Book Festival at the Cultural Center of Charlotte County, 2280 Aaron Street, Port Charlotte, FL from 10 AM to 4:00 PM. Please stop by if you are in the area.

Happy shopping and thanks for dropping by.

Tags: Lenore Hershey, Weird book room, Abe Books, Spirit of the Season catalog, holiday book festival, cultural center of Charlotte Country,

Coincidence, Hamsters and a Couple of Other Things

"Coincidence is like a rubber band. Stretch it too far and it snaps. "- Roger Zelazny

Coincidence is a part of life. I’m sure just about everyone has a story to tell about running into someone or receiving a phone call from a friend they were just thinking about but hadn’t seen in years. It’s also a common tool for authors as a way for their characters to get together or to move the action along.

If a writer uses too many coincidences, the story does not ring true. Readers will shake their head in disgust and close the book. I've wondered for quite some time exactly how much coincidence is acceptable in fiction. Recently, I found my anwer.

An article, "The Law of Stackable Hamster," summed up this dilemma nicely. The following is quoted from the article:

"Within a scene in a story, a reader will suspend disbelief to a certain degree in order for the author to tell their tale; however, there is a limit to the number of coincidences you can create within a scene in the book. Or, as my brother explained in an alternate way of considering the number of coincidences to include, there is a limit to the number of hamsters you can stack. You can stack two hamsters and they will generally stay in place; three hamsters and the underlying structure is very wobbly and possibly won’t hold; and you can’t try four or more hamsters because there is no way to stack that many without it falling over right away. Thus, my brother created the Law of Stackable Hamsters in the field of creative writing."

I thought this was a great visual and it's something I’ll keep in mind each time I’m tempted to explain away a scene through coincidence. You can read the whole article here.

Since I have no clue how to segue to the next topic, I’m just going to chalk it up as a coincidence that two subjects met on my blog on the same day.

I have some good news for those people who, like me, didn’t participate in black Friday or cyber Monday and still have all their Christmas shopping to do. It is called The Spirit of the Season Catalog and it allows you to shop without leaving the comfort of your home. The catalog is full of wonderful gift ideas which includes books of all genres, works of art, handmade jewelry (where all the proceeds help support widows and orphans in Kenya) and assorted services.

Of course, my novel, The Ride, is listed (it's under Mainstream Fiction). It does make a wonderful gift. It’s also the perfect gift to give yourself for those times when you’ll need a break from the hustle and bustle of the season. It's easy. Scroll down the page until you see the picture of the cover (it looks exactly like this one) and click on the "Buy Now" button.

For anyone who would like to personalize the book, I’ll be happy to send you, FREE OF CHARGE, a signed bookplate. Simply email me (jane@janesutton.com) with the name of the person the book is to and anything else you’d like me to include on the bookplate. Or, you can simply request, "signature only." The free signed bookplate applies regardless of how you purchase the book (through the catalog, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, your local bookseller and so on).

Uh oh, looks like I’m stacking three hamsters.

However, I couldn’t leave without thanking Stephen Tremp for honoring me with his Awesome Maximus Award. If you haven’t visited Stephen’s Breakthrough Blogs for the Aspiring Author, where he is “Weaving together breakthroughs in physics and technology with greed, murder, and mayhem,” you might want to stop by. He discusses all sort sorts of interesting and fascinating theories including wormholes and black holes.

Now, I’m really done—no more hamsters today. Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: Zelazny, hamsters, Spirit of the Season Catalog, The Ride, Steven Tremp,