Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Weird Stuff Rebecca Thinks Up While Reading The News


Hi and welcome to your Wednesday fix of Shapeshifter Seductions! This is going to be this-and-that blog. I found my very first review for my very first book. I logged my first review for Love Romances and More. And last but not least, I have a nice selection of off-the-wall news stories of shape shifter run wild. (or normal animal stories that could be shifters if you're imaginative.)

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I found a review of The Hawk's Bride- the first one I've found so far. It wasn't great but it wasn't bad, either. The reviewer rated it at 2 stars but basically only objected to things I'd noticed myself and she was very fair over-all, so I'm satisfied. I did some major revisions to chapter 2 to fix a monolog problem the editor found and accidentally cut out a scene where Lucan finds out what Cait's been doing in the 10 years since they last saw each other and then compares it to his life during that time. I didn't catch that I'd cut it without adding it back somewhere else until I was doing my final pre-publishing review. I didn't think the author gets to do major revisions at that point so I left it be. She also mentioned that the plot got a little confusing for a bit. She didn't say where, but judging by her description, I'm fairly certain it was also in the heavily revised chapter 2. Live and learn. I now know to watch for that when doing revisions.

Here's the link to it if you want to read it yourself.


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I joined the review staff at Love Romances and More a few weeks back. My very first review got posted to their blog the other day which was kind of cool and kind of scary at the same time. I’ve now got 2 reviews posted there and 3 more working their way through the pipeline. Here’s the link to my review page over there:


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This past weekend, animal control in New York City was called in to catch a two foot long alligator running loose in Queens. One can’t help but wonder if this is one is related to the Murdering Masonic Reptilian Shape-Shifter Jeff who kept the fair Jeanette hostage for fourteen years. I guess we’ll never know without using a hammer on the little tyke…


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We also have reports of canids in Italy teaming up with humans to help keep vacationers safe while enjoying the miles of scenic beaches the country has to offer. In this modern world where regular dogs have been relegated to family pets and junkyard guardians (and what self-respecting canid want’s to guard a greasy pile of junk?) the inventive canids are now jumping out of helicopters to take life-saving devises to swimmers who got in trouble and pull the troubled human back to shore. The chief of police seems to be under the impression that they find it to be a fun game. I’m betting they do it to avoid becoming victims of doggie fashion faux pas, though.


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You’ll have to read this last one for yourself. Needless to say, it illuminates how hard life is becoming for innocent shifters in this day and age of technology on every street corner. If a moronic kitty-hater in Britain can get filmed dumping a cat into a dumpster then identified and vilified via Face Book, what chance does Yogi or Boo-Boo have at a normal life? (I am in no anyway supporting the dizzy broad, just using her to make a point.)

Woman dumps cat in garbage, becomes Internet villain

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And that wraps up this week’s edition of “weird stuff Rebecca thinks up while reading the news.” Join me next week for more titillating oddness. Until then, have a great week!

Rebecca
RebeccaLGillan.com

12 comments:

Abigail-Madison Chase said...

love your blog...

Serena Shay said...

Rebecca, that is some weird stuff! :) Those stories could make for some interesting story ideas that's for sure.

Savanna Kougar said...

Rebecca, luv Mr. Airplane Dog!!!

As far as edits goes, for next time, you can put that cut section back and just explain what happened. No problem at Siren.

Read the review you did of James Toombs book. Very good! I some of the reviews I've gotten were that perceptive. But then, I think reviewers have given up on my books, or just don't like them. Overall. But, not all.

Those are some off the chart stories. Yep, I've got my trusty hammer just in case some dysfunctional reptile gets any bad ideas.

Actually, dogs known as working dogs enjoy that kind of job. It's simply their nature. And many, if they're just pets, aren't happy. It's like being a writer. If you don't get to write, there's always something missing.

Yeah, Yogi and Boo Boo have gotten on the good side of a good witch who keeps all that nasty surveillance away. ~just saying~

Pat C. said...

Pity some passer-by didn't catch Evil Cat Lady and stuff HER into the garbage. Now that would have been a funny video.

These news stories are great. You never know which one will spark a plot.

Hey -- it was one review. They get better. If they don't, ignore 'em.

Rebecca Gillan said...

I'm still waiting for the animated explanation of why she did it to come out of Taiwan. I love those!

I actually wasn't bugged by the review. I might have if my ratings on BookStrand weren't all a 4 or 5. I was too busy doing a happy dance that someone was willing to review my book and that it wasn't one of those horror reviews we all hear about. LOL!

Oh, and as to the Jame Toombs review? I just now got an e-mail inviting me to review the next book in that series, which comes out next month. That is Cool!

Savanna Kougar said...

Rebecca, yeah, good reader reviews are better than *no offense* reviewer reviews, imo.

I am so grateful for the readers who do like my books when they post a good rating at Siren. I send them ALL good good vibes!!!

Congrats on the next Jane Toombs review.

Rebecca Gillan said...

People are so strange. The infamy of the hated cat-dumper had grown, it would seem. I must admit, though, I did go over to Sun's website and play the "Whack Cat-Woman" game... and I enjoyed it.

http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/08/26/4976972-cat-bin-ladys-internet-infamy-grows?gt1=43001

Savanna Kougar said...

Yeah, people are strange!

While I find cruelty abhorrent to humans and animals... I have to wonder what cruelties that woman endured in her life... ?

And what happened to finding out the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth... before 'whacking' someone???

For example with all the 'bad' affects of drugs and folks going crazy on them... like Lindsay Lohan... what if the woman was having a bad drug reaction?

I have no clue... but, gee, it seems like knowing the truth, knowing the whole story, has gone by the wayside. Now, we can convict someone on a supposed vid... and, oh, gee, how easy are those to fake? in this day and age?

Rebecca Gillan said...

Na, she admitted why she did it. She was petting the cat and got a crazy idea that it would be funny. She honestly thought the cat could get itself out of the bin. I've caught my own kids doing dumb stuff like putting tape on our cats' feet because they wanted to watch them "walk funny". Some people seem to never figure out the concept of discretion, though. Funny? Maybe. A good idea? Not so much.

Savanna Kougar said...

Yeah, I don't pay any attention to stuff like that because I've seen, first hand, too many miscarriages of justice... folks being charged in cruelty cases, who were completely innocent... their neighbor or someone else just wanted revenge. Unfortunately, they can't always prove their innocence for a variety of reasons... one the courts are corrupt and want the fine money, etc.

Rebecca Gillan said...

This one really touched me because it's very similar to how we got our black cat, Torq. On my way in to work one day, I saw a little injured black kitting who'd been tossed in the dumpster. I knew that kitten because a coworker had brought it in to be adopted but another coworker. As she was heading home with the kitten, the coworker who'd agree to adopt her had a change of heart and put Torq in the dumpster. She claimed she'd done it because she didn't want the poor thing to get eaten by foxes. Really. That was her excuse!

It's all good, though. Torq has a good home, and I still won't talk to the dumpster lady...

Savanna Kougar said...

Oh, that makes total sense. Yeah, I would have rescued any poor critter in a dumpster. We had a mother cat give birth last spring on our acreage. We tried to save the kittens when she didn't come back, but they were just too young, or they had something internally wrong. It was really sad.

Glad Torq got a good home!