Authors Who Make Mistakes Always Get Caught

Hi Everyone,

When writing a story even though it's fiction you need to be accurate.  In my short story, All Bets Are Off, I made a mistake. This is the first time I made a serious mistake and was caught.  It could be I've made others, and I didn't get caught.  I hope not. 

One thing I noticed is that the person who reviewed All Bets Are Off talks about the story as if she read it in print, but she really listened to an audio copy. 

This review was not horrible, but it was embarrassing.  After all I'm seventy years old and I should know my anatomy, but I failed and was told about it in a public review.  The below review is only a partial. 

The set up was good, the story OK. Contemporary romance isn’t my favorite genre, but because of the addiction angle I wanted to give it a try. Then there is the sex. I enjoy sex scenes in my stories and this book has 2 such scenes. The first is the better of the two. I was thoroughly getting into it but then the man stuck his tongue in her uterus. Yep. Uterus. Briefly, I hoped the story was going to take on some mutant scifi elements, but alas, it did not. To get to the uterus, you have to travel the entire vaginal canal and then get past the cervix. The cervix doesn’t let just any old object enter the uterus, being perhaps 1/8 inch opening nearly all the time (common exception is when a baby is headed out). So either the man had a very long and narrow tongue, or the woman had some mutant uterus that sat in the vaginal canal with the wide open cervix. Anyway, here is the Wikipedia article - and yes, it is safe for work. So I was totally into this sex scene – there was heat between the characters, great descriptors, etc. and then he sticks his tongue in her uterus. I giggled, totally taken out of the moment. At best, this is a big typo. At worst, the author is not well informed on the female genitals/reproductive organs. But, other than this one typo (I will be generous in my thoughts), the story flowed smoothly and was fun. 



If you would like to read more go to this URL: 
http://dabofdarkness.com/2014/09/15/all-bets-are-off-by-sandra-k-marshall/

Many authors get ridiculed and torn apart for mistakes they make in their stories, so most of us work very hard to try to be accurate.  This means we do our research.  Unfortunately, I didn't this time.  The reviewer was honest about All Bets Are Off not being her usual genre. 

You can bet, I will do my research in the future. 

Have a great week and I'll see you again next Sunday.

Sandra K. Marshall, Author

@ Eirelander Publishing
http://www.skaymarshall.com

 

Does Technology Drive You A Bit Crazy?

Hi Everyone,

Most writers just want to write, but they have to do many other things as well.  One thing I hate to take the time to do is learn new technology.  Geez!  Can't they just leave things like they are and stop trying to improve stuff. 

Some of you may know my computer crashed a few weeks ago due to a storm in our area.  I had to buy a new computer, of course, my husband had been telling me for two years I needed a new one. I'm digressing (blame it on Kari, I read her blogs), so to get back on track my new computer required me to learn Microsoft 8.1.  My question is what was wrong with Microsoft 7?  I loved Microsoft 7.  Wah!

Okay, I'm going to be honest and say it's not as difficult as I'm making it out, but it is irritating to have your computer crash and buy a new one to find out everything you are familiar with isn't on the new one.  I'm irritated because I have spent too much time learning new technology instead of writing.  If Microsoft is going to change everything; why don't they provide a manual, so I don't have to learn by experimenting.  All right, if I had a smart phone, or at least knew how to use one I would have figured some of this stuff out faster. 

One of the big things that irritated me is copying stuff and trying to paste into my old word processor, which I love (2003).  I finally figured I have to copy and paste into notepad, and then I can paste into my Word.  However, that isn't exactly easy either because wherever I'm copying from I have to right click to copy and then go to notepad and right click to paste.  I right click again in notepad, go to Word and go to edit to paste.  Simple, right?  Yes it is, if you knew that was how it's done in the first place.  Okay, I will admit after many tries Microsoft finally popped up and gave me the solution.  Why didn't they give it to me the first time?

Another thing I don't like that Microsoft has done is they have changed Windows Mail, but I'm sure some people like it even better, but I'm not one of them.  Microsoft wants you to have a password for every app you use.  I have three pages of passwords already, please give me a break.  Oh, I know it is for my own safety.  Grrr!  It just doesn't make me like it.  Frankly, I could have done without most of those apps, but everything has an app these days. 

Not only have I learned Microsoft 8.1, but I have returned to Twitter after a 5 year absence when I got hacked there.  I still don't know what I'm doing on that site, but if you would like follow me there just look for #AuthSKMarshall. 

There is one technical little site that I'm loving.  It's called Hootsuite, and the reason I like it so much is because I can use it to send message to all my social media sites at the same time without going to those sites.  Yay, I don't have to go to Facebook, Twitter, Ning, Yahoo Groups, LinkedIn and Google+ to promo or post anything because I can do it on Hootsuite.  Is that wonderful?  Yes!

Learning anything takes time, but I'm doing it.  I just need more time in a day.  One more thing, don't get too comfortable with 8.1 because I hear 9 is coming.  Grin!  Doesn't that just make your day?

Moving on to some promo.  Something else, I don't like to do, but has to be done.  My short story, All Bets Are Off, came out in audio during this mess.  Here is the link for it if you prefer to listen to your stories rather than read them. 

http://www.amazon.com/All-Bets-Are-Off/dp/B00LU1M6NC/ref=tmm_aud_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1405894139&sr=8-1

BLURB:

Can a recovering gambling addict bet on a second chance at love?

Ana Torres has dug her self out of her gambling debts and started a business to help others with the same problem.  Now, she wants to show her soul mate she has changed and win him back. 

Jason Gibbs meets his wife at a party and realizes he still loves her even after all she cost him with her gambling addiction.  He wants to find out if she has changed, and if she has, he will woo her back. 
 

Amazon Kindle Link: http://www.amazon.com/All-Bets-Are-Sandra-Marshall-ebook/dp/B00LETFUZG/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1405894139&sr=8-1

I hope you like my new blog template, and if you go to my website it's in chaos right now, as I'm going to change it, too.  Thank you for listening to me today, and if you have any helpful suggestions, or if you have a rant of your own I'm willing to listen.  Smile!

Have a great week, and I'll see you next Sunday! 

Sandra K. Marshall, Author

@ Eirelander Publishing,
http://www.eirelanderpublishing.com
http://www.skaymarshall.com

When Do You Know You Aren't In Love Anymore?

Is it when you say, 'I hate you,' stop communicating, run around on each other, or is it because you just gave up?   There's a thin line between hate and love, so it would be something that could go either way.  Although, it's not uncommon for you to really dislike your spouse one minute and love them the next. 

Communication is always important, but even then it's still possible to still love someone and not communicate as much as you once did.  Usually, it's a sign of taking each other for granted.  Sometimes all it takes is finding a new interest to do together to start you talking to one another. 

Even if one spouse runs around on the other it doesn't mean they don't love you; they might just be a little bored with you, or you're not providing something they need.  A couple like this could work it out if they want to. 

Giving up is the most common reason for why marriages don't last.  People get mad and they quit working at their marriage.  It's so much easier to quit on a relationship than to work at it, and I guarantee it takes work in any relationship. 

There are times when you can't love someone anymore.  For instance, someone you love turns out to be abusive; it's time to get out then.  Your partner murders another person; it's time to get out. 

 

In my new soon to be released short story, All Bets Are Off, the heroine has a gambling addiction, which nearly costs her husband his business.  Would you still love someone who did that to you?

Could you trust them again? 

Thank you for reading.  Have a great week, and I'll see you next Sunday.

Sandra K. Marshall, Author

@ Eirelander Publishing
http://www.eirelanderpublishing.com
http://www.skaymarshall.com
https://www.facebook.com/sandra.marshall.98
http://www.amazon.com/author/sandramarshall