text:
Michael A. Ventrella
Ackley-McPhail, Danielle
Anderson, Kevin J.
Arnold, Mark
Ballantine, Philippa
Barnes, Steven
Bashman, Janice Gable
Basnight, Gray
Beagle, Peter
Beck, Jerry
Bell, Darrin
Brayton, Stephen
Brockway, Robert
Brust, Steven
Butler, S.C.
Caine, Rachel
Cole, Myke
Colfer, Eoin
Constantine, Storm
Corvisiero, Marisa Iozzi
Craft, Kathryn
Crispin, A. C.
Cypess, Leah
David, Peter
Davis, Jeffrey
DeCandido, Keith
Desberg, Peter
Douglas, Deron
Dozois, Gardner
Elrod, P. N.
Enge, James
Erb, Thomas
Faust, Gabrielle
Feist, Raymond E.
Flynn, Michael
Foglio, Phil & Kaja
Freeman, William
Freer, Dave
Fritz, K. Edwin
Frost, Gregory
Galanti, Donna
Gans, Kerry
Gerrold, David
Goldsher, Alan
Grant, Cat
Griswold-Ford, Val
Habib, Alia Hanna
Hartley, A. J.
Harvey, Sara M.
Hines, Jim C.
Hoare, Christopher
Hodges, Larry
Huff, Tanya
Hunt, Walter H.
Jacobs, J. Richard
James, Tommy
Jameson, Kelly
Kabongo, Mike
Kavanagh, John Patrick
Kaylan, Howard
Kimmel, Daniel
Lafferty, Mur
Lamba, Marie
Lang, Michele
Lee, Sharon
Levinson, Paul
Lindemoen, Shane
Maass, Donald
Maberry, Jonathan
Mangum, Lucas
Martin, Gail Z.
McGoran, Jon
McLaughlin, Heidi
McPhail, Mike
Merz, Jon F.
Miller, Steve
Mojzes, Bernie
Morris, Janet
Morris, Tee
Morris, Tracy S.
Morrow, James
Norris, Christine
Nye, Jody Lynn
Orullian, Peter
Palmatier, Joshua
Pang, May
Pederson, Michael
Perkins, Lori
Pinto, KT
Powers, Tim
Prellwitz, Peter
Redding, Chris
Rinehart, Gray
Ringo, John
Rosenberg, Joel
Ruggiero, Tony
Sawyer, Robert J.
Schoen, Lawrence M.
Segaloff, Nat
Shvartsman, Alex
Silverman, David
Silverman, Hildy
Snodgrass, Melinda
Spoor, Ryk E.
Steele, Allen
Stine, Catherine
Strock, Ian Randal
Suede, Damon
Syed, Karen
Tafoya, Dennis
Tan, Cecilia
Van Name, Mark L.
Waid, Mark
Webb, Betty
Webster, Bud
Wellington, David
Williams, Tad
Wilson, Alyce
Wisoker, Leona
Wold, Allen
Resources for new writers
25 Hard Truths About Writing and Publishing
A Guide to Literary Agents
A Long Lonely Road
Alison's CWIM Blog
An Englishman in New Jersey
Book View Cafe
Buzz, Balls and Hype
Editor Unleashed
Jonathan Maberry's Big Scary Blog
Life as a Literary Agent
Marie Lamba, writer
Nathan Bransford, Literary Agent
Philadelphia Stories
Tess Gerritsen's Blog
The Author Chronicles
The Blood Red Pencil
The Book Connection
The Bookshelf Muse
The Kill Zone
The Mad Genius Club
The Rejector
Interview with author Kathryn Craft
Posted on February 10, 2014 by Michael A. Ventrella
MICHAEL A. VENTRELLA: I am thrilled to be interviewing friend and now-successful author Kathryn Craft today! Kathryn is the author of two novels from Sourcebooks: THE ART OF FALLING, and the upcoming WHILE THE LEAVES STOOD STILL. Her work as a developmental editor at Writing-Partner.com, specializing in storytelling structure and writing craft, follows a nineteen-year career as a dance critic (Morning Call, Allentown, PA).
Long a leader in the southeastern Pennsylvania writing scene, she served for a decade on the board of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group, and now serves on the board of the Philadelphia Writers Conference and as book club liaison for the Women's Fiction Writers Association. She hosts lakeside writing retreats for women in northern New York State, leads Craftwriting workshops, and speaks often about writing. She is a member of the Liars Club, an author's collective started by NY Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry and fantasy writer Gregory Frost. She lives with her husband in Bucks County, PA.
Kathryn, let's start by talking about your first big novel, THE ART OF FALLING, which is already in its second printing! How does that make you feel?
KATHRYN CRAFT: That was a huge surprise! My book was only six days past its publication date when I found out —- I couldn't believe it when I saw the email from my publisher. I of course realized, from social media and trade shows and the number of reviews, that the book had truly "left home." But who knew the extent to which it had traveled? I'm thrilled.
VENTRELLA: I recall you saying that you queried 112 agents before you found the right one. Tell us about the story, and what kept you going? (I gave up on my latest novel after about twenty-five…)
CRAFT: I kept going all the way through to publication for one reason: I was powerless to quit. THE ART OF FALLING was more than a path to publication for me. It was the source of my healing.
I turned to writing fiction after my first husband's suicide, sixteen years ago. I had a lingering need to use my writing to form a more hopeful story from the chaos of those events.
Penelope Sparrow was my path.
I placed her in a harsh environment —- in a dance world with even harsher expectations about a woman's body than those of our celebrity-driven society -— then watched as inner conflict about her imperfections imploded her dreams and relationships. I dismantled her support system. Gave her talent and passion and exclusive training then whittled away at her faith and resolve with years of rejection. Then I gave her a taste of success, a taste of love, then yanked both away at the same time. Finally, at that point, I thought, maybe she might be at the brink of self-harm.
But I wasn't sure. So when Penelope wakes up at the start of the novel in a Philadelphia hospital room, and learns that she had landed on a car parked below her fourteenth story penthouse, what happened on that balcony remains a mystery that Penelope must reckon with. And when she bravely started rebuilding her life, I knew I would do whatever it took to see her story told.
VENTRELLA: What advice do you have for people trying to find an agent?
CRAFT: Here are five quick tips:
1. Pass the pitch test. If your project is hard to boil down into a succinct statement about your protagonist's goal and the chief obstacle faced, rethink your project's structure. Deepen the motivation and raise the stakes until the story matters — then your pitch will hook the reader.
2. Adjust your inner clock. I've heard many estimate that it takes ten years of consistent work to make a novelist, and a couple of years to get an agent. I started submitting early to get a feel for where I was and so learned both the art of writing and the business of pitching simultaneously. Querying is an investment in your career as worthy as writing a good book, so think of it as a process.
3. Submit in small batches. Too many authors use the ease of digital reproduction to blanket the industry with a flawed submission package, blowing opportunities they could have salvaged by tweaking all along. Send no more than 15 at a time.
4. Look for young agents at established agencies. These agents have more time and more room on their lists, yet have all the clout and resources of a reputable agency behind them.
5. Reframe "rejection." To buoy your spirits for the long haul, mentally thank each agent who steps aside so that your true agent will one day be revealed. If an agent doesn't know how to sell your book, you don't want him representing it. You want him to love your work, because that passion will fuel his desire long after the money earned per time spent ratio is surpassed.
VENTRELLA: What was it like dealing with the publisher? Did it meet your expectations?
CRAFT: Sourcebooks exceeded my expectations in almost every way. What I'd heard: You'll get no advance. (I got a decent advance.) Editorial support will be lacking. (I had two editors who loved my book.) You'll have to fight for a decent cover. (The cover blew me away, as did their retitling.) They'll put no effort into promotion. (My publicist arranged my blog tour, arranged for giveaways, booked signings, and arranged for radio, TV, and newspaper support.) They no longer put money into marketing. (Good! Paid ads are no longer as effective as the other forms of trade marketing into which they poured their efforts.)
Clearly they've done something right, due to the great reviews and the early second printing. I'm a happy camper.
VENTRELLA: How much of the book changed between the time you submitted it to the editor and the time it was released?
CRAFT: Because I'd been working on it so long, and had developmental input from my agent, only one scene was swapped out for something different. All other changes were minor, such as ironing out how to portray one character's accent.
VENTRELLA: What are you doing to promote the book?
A lot! No one loves this book, or wants it to succeed to its full ability, more than I do. My efforts have included:
• Thirteen years of volunteerism and relationship building in multiple writing communities
• Author website, Facebook Page, author newsletter, social media, and years of regular posts at high-visibility group blogs (The Blood-Red Pencil, Writers in the Storm).
• Facebook meme campaign.
• Two bookstore launch parties in "home" communities (I even had a flash mob!)
• A 9-hour virtual launch party on Facebook with eight other women's fiction authors with new releases.
• One-month blog tour — both writing the guest posts my publicist arranged and interviews and posts I arranged.
• Signings in PA, MD, DE, NY, MA, and OH in places where I have friends I can stay with.
• Paid marketing through AuthorBuzz (expensive, but it took me thirteen years to get here and I don't want to squander the chance).
VENTRELLA: What kind of responses are you getting from readers?
CRAFT: The response has been beyond my wildest expectations. I love living in the era of Goodreads and book bloggers, for sure, but direct communication from readers has been so much fun! My absolute favorite so far was from a man (not my target market!) named Douglas in Michigan:
"I stumbled onto THE ART OF FALLING while perusing the 'New Books' section of my local library. It was among the stack of books that I got out that day and it sat in my apartment untouched for a week. I didn't open the cover until I was looking for something to release me from my insomnia last night. It did not have the intended effect. What I found was a beautifully written narrative about a world I know nothing about — modern dance — and something I have personal experience with — expressing those feelings we hold so close to ourselves. In the last day, I haven't been able to put it down. It's not often that this happens, that a book is so truthful and engaging that you beg for it never to be over, but when it does happen, you want to shout it from the rooftops."
VENTRELLA: You also help run writers' conferences (and once more, thank you for helping me with the Pocono Writer's Conference we did last October!). How important do you think it is for authors to attend these?
CRAFT: I'd think it would be difficult to get a fully rounded education in publishing without them. And it's a great way to get a concentrated hit of craft classes, as well, if you don't have regular access to them. But pitching to agents in person — only available through conferences — has been priceless to me. Gauging their excitement, seeing that they are book lovers just like me, receiving their feedback (you almost always get a request to submit, and almost always receive personalized feedback) really helped usher me along. I also enjoy interpersonal interaction with authors and other writers — I met my critique partner in 2005 at The Write Stuff, and she had traveled there from Ithaca, NY!
VENTRELLA: What is your writing process? Do you outline heavily or just jump right in, for instance?
CRAFT: This novel was a NaNoWriMo mess that took six years to sort out and another two to develop fully. At this point I'm not a believer in directionless fast drafting. I like to write about the story first, exploring how best to bring its structure to life, then write. What I end up with is more like an extended synopsis (my last was a hundred pages) than an outline. Results show that the few months I invested in that step will save me years in the editing phase.
VENTRELLA: What's your opinion on self-publishing?
CRAFT: I think it's a viable option for certain well-developed works that have built-in markets and authors who know how to reach them. For my kind of "literary book club fiction" this was never a consideration. I needed broad distribution that would allow my audience to self-select. Since these are the types of books I love, I don't tend to read self-published work.
VENTRELLA: What's the worst piece of writing advice you ever got?
CRAFT: "Story is conflict." That is a partial truth that allows authors to fall into a junk pit where they can get sidetracked climbing over obstacles as diverse as explosive as nuclear rockets and as incongruous as the kitchen sink. "Each story is about a certain kind of conflict" — now that's much better.
VENTRELLA: What's the best piece of writing advice you ever got?
It's from Virginia Woolf: "Each sentence must have, at its heart, a little spark of fire, and this, whatever the risk, the novelist must pluck with his own hands from the blaze." Two things strike me: that she said "each sentence," and that the best writing takes risks that might get uncomfortable.
VENTRELLA: What advice would you give to a starting writer?
CRAFT: If you want to get published you need a public, so seek out and pay attention to the feedback that will allow you to evolve as a writer. Surround yourself with wickedly smart people who are farther down the road than you are, never forgetting to turn around and give a hand to those following behind. In doing so you will have mentors, readers, and a good life.
VENTRELLA: What projects are you working on now? What can we expect next from you?
CRAFT: My next novel, WHILE THE LEAVES STOOD STILL, is due out from Sourcebooks in Spring 2015. Based on true events that resulted in my husband's suicide 16 years ago, it is the story of a tense ten-hour standoff between one desperate man ready to take his life and the police, while the three women who loved him most, and the larger community, grapple with how best to respond.
I'd better get back to work on it — it's due June 1! Thanks for having me, Michael!
Filed under: writing | Tagged: agents, Kathryn Craft, literary agent, new writers, outlines, promoting yourself, publishing house, The Art of Falling, writing advice |	Leave a comment »
Interview with Campbell award-winning author Mur Lafferty
Posted on September 22, 2013 by Michael A. Ventrella
MICHAEL A. VENTRELLA: I am pleased to be interviewing Mur Lafferty, who just recently won the John W. Campbell award for Best New Writer. Mur lives in Durham, North Carolina, and her web page is here. She is a podcaster and her first traditionally published book is THE SHAMBLING GUIDE TO NEW YORK CITY, published in May from Orbit.
I was fortunate enough to share a reading with her at a recent convention, and enjoyed it tremendously!
Mur, after hearing your reading, I didn't think I could be further impressed by you, and then you went and won the John W. Campbell award for Best New Writer! Tell us about that!
MUR LAFFERTY: It was an amazing experience. I was in my second and last year of eligibility and it was a tight field. Oddly enough, last year several people told me they thought I had a good chance (I came in 4th), while this year everyone looked doubtful and said it was a really strong field and they didn't know who would take it. Which was good because I didn't get my hopes up, and was really surprised when I won.
VENTRELLA: Let's discuss the podcasts. How did you first become involved in that?
LAFFERTY: I heard about podcasting in 2004 soon after it was created and knew I wanted to be involved. It took a couple of months to decide what I wanted to talk about, but I launched my first geek-oriented show that December. I've done several different shows since, and still enjoying it a great deal.
VENTRELLA: Many of your podcast stories are now available as kindle downloads – did you use a specific publisher for these?
LAFFERTY: No, I hired freelancers for layout and editing and cover art, but I published them myself.
VENTRELLA: Can we expect paperback editions soon?
LAFFERTY: It's unlikely. I like the concept of POD (I used to work at Lulu) but I've found the cost per book too high for reasonable sales.
VENTRELLA: Do you advise other authors to podcast their work, or do you think this would only be worthwhile for a certain type of fiction?
LAFFERTY: It's hard to say. The podcast fiction market is pretty busy right now, and it's so much work for not a lot of return. When I started doing it, there were far fewer authors doing it, so it was easier to stand out. I'm not sure I would do it these days if I didn't already have some kind of blog/podcast following.
VENTRELLA: You have also written about gaming (which is where I also got my start, in Dragon magazine all those years ago) … did you write about games or were you creating games (or modules) yourself?
LAFFERTY: Both. I was writing for RPGs at White Wolf, but I also had a nonfiction column in Knights of the Dinner Table for several years. I discussed the geeky lifestyle, parenting as a gamer, and other topics important to me as a gamer, a writer, a mom, a geek, and a woman.
VENTRELLA: How do you publicize yourself and get the word out?
LAFFERTY: I've been active on Twitter and Facebook for years, and my podcast is another way to promote myself. I just try to stay active, talk about things that I enjoy, and help promote others.
VENTRELLA: For the Shambling Guides, did you get an agent? If so, tell us about the process!
LAFFERTY: My agent story is long and detailed and likely far too long. In short, my agent at the time was more interested in selling another one of my books, and in networking via conventions I got my book in the hands of the editors at Orbit. They sent me an offer and I sent it to my agent to negotiate it.
I had had unproductive experiences with agents in the past, and this one was looking at successful Kickstarter campaigns and found the campaign I did for my novella series, The Afterlife Series, and contacted me. I was hesitant, but she convinced me. A year later she quit being an agent and I got picked up by my current agent at the same agency.
None of my agent experiences are standard, or contain advice I could give others, I'm afraid. It's been a strange road.
The only advice I can give is a bad agent relationship (and I'm not even talking about crooks, just agents you don't click with) is worse than no relationship at all.
VENTRELLA: How do you research? Did you live in New York for a while?
LAFFERTY: I wish! I love the city, visited a couple of times, and did a lot of research in books and online and with friends who live in the city.
VENTRELLA: Your next Shambling Guide is for New Orleans – why did you pick that city?
LAFFERTY: The series began in NOLA with a short story I'd written for a charity guide to benefit the Red Cross after Hurricane Katrina. By the time I wrote the New York book, the fictional world had changed a bit, and I'd always meant to go back and revisit the city that got me started.
VENTRELLA: Where do you expect to go next?
LAFFERTY: I'd love to go to Orlando, Vegas, San Francisco, or London. I'm not contracted for any more, though, so it's up in the air.
VENTRELLA: Do you find yourself creating the setting first, characters first, or plot first? How do you organize your work? Are you an outliner or a pantser?
LAFFERTY: I get a plot first, and then put characters in it. Setting depends on the book I'm writing; if it's a Shambling Guide, of course it's a decision made early in the book, otherwise it could be later. I'm a pantser but wish I could outline. I've tried. Really.
VENTRELLA: How have you handled collaboration?
LAFFERTY: I've only collaborated on one thing, a self published novella + photography project called HER SIDE I did with my friend JR Blackwell, a very dark and bloody story about the birth of a serial killer. We brainstormed about it, usually her telling me a vague idea, me fine tuning it, then she took her photographs and sent her favorites to me and I chose the ones I wanted to include with the book. She's a writer as well, so I listened when she had issue on the climax, and her comments made it a lot better.
VENTRELLA: What advice do you have for beginning writers concerning getting published? Is self-publishing a reasonable way to begin?
LAFFERTY: I have no idea these days! The self publishing world is getting very clogged with content and it's hard to stand out. The people making millions are the exceptions, I'm afraid. I don't look down on self publishing — I can't, I do it myself — but I do worry that a lot of people are doing it because they are afraid of rejection in the publishing world. But they don't realize that often the publishing world is a lot more professional with their rejections than, say, a bad Amazon review. I recommend attempting traditional publishing while self publishing, but always being confident in your work. Make sure you're publishing good stuff.
When it comes to self publishing, remember, you need to make it professional, a lot of people overlook the need for editing, the need for proper ebook layout, and the need for a good cover. They're unwilling to spend the money, and put out non-professional books. Don't do that.
VENTRELLA: Tell us about "I Should Be Writing" which is something in which all aspiring writers should have an interest…
LAFFERTY: In 2005, Michael A. Stackpole had a writing podcast called "The Secrets", a show from the POV of a veteran writer. I enjoyed it, but wondered if we could use a show that spoke to writers about the things that really slow us down at the beginning, namely the angst within that tells us over and over to quit. So I discuss how the writing career is full of rejections, and nothing will kill you (Salmon Rushdie is the exception), and persistence is key. I also explore my own anxieties mainly to let people know that they are not alone. It's also a platform for me to interview established writers to promote them and have them give their own writing advice.
VENTRELLA: What criticism of your work do you disagree with the most?
LAFFERTY: Gosh, I don't know. I am so critical of myself I often agree with criticisms. Publishers Weekly mentioned my weak romantic plot, and I've always felt romance is a weakness of mine, so I couldn't really get mad about that. And I try to avoid online reviews for a variety of reasons — if I'm a grownup, I say that the reviews are for the reader, not for me, and if I'm a little less mature I just say, well, there's nothing I can do about it if it's negative, it's not like I can edit the book to suit them (and likely can't edit the next one either because it's already turned in), and if I'm not mature at all I'll admit I'm a fragile flower and don't like reading things that make me sad. So criticisms are either a) from my editor and something to work on, b) things I agree with, or c) something I haven't read because I don't want to cry.
VENTRELLA: All writers basically write what they would like to read. So what do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors?
LAFFERTY: Growing up, it was Robin McKinley, Anne McCaffrey, and Madeline L'Engle. They wrote fantasy with prominent female characters and I was delighted to find books with a hero I could identify with.
VENTRELLA: What advice would you give an aspiring author that you wish someone had given you?
LAFFERTY: You will make mistakes, and there are very few mistakes that will kill your career. There will be stumbles and mistakes and bad decisions, but the only thing that will stop you from writing is yourself.
Also, there will always be someone better than you. That's OK. it should drive you to write more, not less.
Me & Mur at Balticon 2013
Filed under: writing | Tagged: agents, literary agent, Mur Lafferty, podcast, Shambling Guide to New York City |	Leave a comment »
Interview with Philippa Ballantine
Posted on July 10, 2013 by Michael A. Ventrella
MICHAEL A. VENTRELLA: I'm pleased to be interviewing author Philippa Ballantine today! New Zealand born fantasy writer and podcaster Philippa (Pip) Ballantine is the author of the "Books of the Order" and the "Shifted World" series. She is also the co-author with her husband Tee Morris of the "Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences" novels. Her awards include an Airship, a Parsec, the Steampunk Chronicle Reader's Choice, and a Sir Julius Vogel. She currently resides in Manassas, Virginia with her husband, daughter, and a furry clowder of cats. Her web page is here and her twitter page is here!
Philippa, you have two new books coming out shortly. Let's talk about HARBINGER first, which is the fourth in the "Book of the Order" series. Tell us about this.
PHILIPPA BALLANTINE: HARBINGER is the culmination of the previous three books, and I am actually rather sad to be leaving the world. Sorcha, Merrick and Raed have all been driven to literally the ends of the world. They discover that the Circle of Stars Order have plans to break the gap between the Otherside and the realm of humanity. Without their runes, Sorcha and her Deacons must take dangerous step to save their world, and all the time the Rossin, the great pard, is planning his own escape.
VENTRELLA: Then, a few weeks later, KINDRED AND WINGS, the second book in the "Shifted World" series is released. What is this series about?
BALLANTINE: The Shifted World series is all about chaos, and how people deal with it. In a world that cannot be trusted, with people warring amongst themselves, the endgame is coming quickly. The dragon Wahirangi and Finn the storyteller search for answers, while Talyn must decide her role in the world; destroyer or savior. Secrets will be revealed, time travelled through, and dragons will battle.
VENTRELLA: With your husband Tee Morris, you've also created the successful steampunk series "Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences". How did that creative process begin?
BALLANTINE: It actually began with a creative idea from Tee that was supposed to be set in current days. Then I wanted to experiment with a podcast for pay, so I suggested with do a prequel novel set in Victorian times. There was early interest from our agent in the series as novels, so the podcast idea morphed in that direction. It was a strange and delightfully circuitous path to publication!
VENTRELLA: How do you two split the writing on this? What's your process? (Tee gave me his version a while ago when I interviewed him; I want to see how you saw the collaboration.)
BALLANTINE: We do a lot of brain storming of where we want to go, and sketch out a series of scenes. Tee does the Wellington scenes, I do Eliza's, and we put our hands up for the other characters. Then once it is written, we swap and edit each other. We've got a pretty good grasp now, after three books, on how we do these things. It was tricky at first though!
VENTRELLA: The next Peculiar Occurrences book is scheduled to be out in the fall – that's three in one year. You've been busy! How do you do it?
BALLANTINE: Lots and lots of marking calendars, and sharing them with Tee. I've also got better at prioritizing which projects come before others.
VENTRELLA: What is it about steampunk that interests you?
BALLANTINE: I love the creativity of the genre, and the heady mix of history. I've messed around with history before, but steampunk gives that freedom wings. Also the aesthetics are beautiful, and airships are just plain cool.
VENTRELLA: What makes your steampunk novels stand out among the others?
BALLANTINE: Tee and I have fun with our steampunk, but I think the real difference about our steampunk is the scope of the world view. We've not only done novels, but also short stories and podcasts, which have taken our readers and listeners all over the globe. Also, people seem to love our characters.
VENTRELLA: Why did you decide to move from New Zealand? (And given our politics here, do you regret the move?)
BALLANTINE: I moved from New Zealand to marry Tee, and I don't regret it. One day we'll probably move back to live, but right now with the writing I have the chance to go to New York to meet publishers, and the convention circuit in America provides a lot more opportunities to meet readers.
VENTRELLA: Speaking of conventions (where we've met numerous times), … do you find that is important for authors to do? What are the benefits of doing so?
BALLANTINE: I don't know what the Return on Investment would be in monetary terms, but in terms of meeting fellow writers, and readers, it really can't be measured. Writing is a solitary profession in most cases, and those kind of interactions are really needed. Tee and I have met readers who have cos-played our characters, people who have jumped up and down with delight (which I am still stunned about), and made innumerable contacts with other writers. There has to be a balance however, because you also have to write, but I would encourage new writers to try out at least a small local con.
VENTRELLA: What is it about science fiction and fantasy that attracts you?
BALLANTINE: The sheer scope of it. The speculative fiction genre imposes no limits on the imagination, and that is something that no other genre can offer. If you can imagine it, you can write it. From dragons to airships, from cyber-intelligences to minds of clockwork, all are possible.
VENTRELLA: The publishing industry is in tremendous flux right now. Editors and agents are so uncertain they are not taking risks on new authors, and small publishing houses are jumping in to fill the void. Given this, what sort of advice would you give an un-agented author with a manuscript? (Purely hypothetical, mind you …)
BALLANTINE: There are good agents out there. Laurie McLean of Foreword Literary is my agent, but also my partner in this business. I know that I wouldn't have gotten where I am today without her assistance and guidance.
So I think if you can find an agent like her that wants to be a true partner, then you should go that route. However, if you cannot, then a small publishing house is a great way to start, you can learn so much about editing, marketing, and the process of putting a book together.
If that route doesn't work, then I don't think self-publishing is a bad idea at all. The only caveat I would add is make sure you produce the best professional product possible. Hire editors and cover artists. If you take short cuts, don't expect to get results.
VENTRELLA: Do you think the SFWA and other organizations will eventually have to consider small publishing houses and self-publishing?
BALLANTINE: I was actually on a panel recently where I heard that it is not beyond the realms of possibility that SFWA might go that way. It's just a matter of working out how they decide on membership levels. Like the publishing industry trade organizations need to be flexible and move with the changing landscape.
VENTRELLA: What book have you read recently that you loved?
BALLANTINE: I was lucky enough to get a chance to blurb A STUDY IN SILKS by Emma Jane Holloway. It's not coming out until September this year, but is worth the wait!
Filed under: writing | Tagged: conventions, Harbinger, literary agent, Philippa Ballantine, self-publishing, steampunk, Tee Morris |	1 Comment »
Interview with Agent and Author Donald Maass
Posted on December 13, 2012 by Michael A. Ventrella
MICHAEL A. VENTRELLA: Today I am very pleased to be interviewing Mr. Donald Maass, one of the top literary agents in New York. Donald Maass's agency sells more than 150 novels every year to major publishers in the U.S. and overseas. He is the author of THE CAREER NOVELIST (1996), WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL (2001), WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL WORKBOOK (2004), and THE FIRE IN FICTION (2009). He is a past president of the Association of Authors' Representatives, Inc.
I first met Mr. Maass when he taught a writing workshop in the Lehigh Valley. I learned an awful lot from him, but when we spoke, it was mostly about John Lennon (who we both admire). I used his 2002 book WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL to help tone my latest manuscript and have just finished reading his newest book, WRITING 21ST CENTURY FICTION: HIGH IMPACT TECHNIQUES FOR EXCEPTIONAL STORYTELLING.
Let me start by asking about the underlying theme of 21st century storytelling. How is that different from 20th century storytelling? Why did you make that distinction?
DONALD MAASS: There are many ways in which fiction writing has evolved. Many 20th Century techniques have dated. Objective description, scene-and-sequel, strict adherence to tense/person are all unnecessary. Genre rules are confining and regularly broken. In WRITING 21ST CENTURY FICTION I forecast the death of genre. Genre boundaries didn't exist a century ago and won't a century from now.
Overall, I'm pushing fiction writers to understand what gives fiction high impact, which is great stories beautifully written. High impact fiction is also highly personal, meaning that to the degree one writes according to rules, or simply to sell, one is working in a box. To write high impact fiction you've got to break out of your box—and "literary" can be a box too, By the way — or build an altogether new box which is wholly your own.
VENTRELLA: You list "Quirks" and "Special abilities" as ways that writers can create characters with which readers will bond. Is it possible to go overboard?
MAASS: Theoretically a character could go over the top, I suppose, but in nearly all manuscripts it's the reverse. Characters, when they stand out, show us strength, self-awareness, strong opinions, lively voice, comprehensive world views and more. Quirks, handicaps, special abilities and even superpowers are common and useful devices nowadays, it's true, but don't by themselves do the whole job, or fit every story. Great characters are the sum total of what they do, who they are and how they fully experience their story world.
VENTRELLA: There are exercises after each chapter, which are similar to the ones you had me and those in your writing seminars do. Some of them made a great impression on me and were very useful. How are these different from your earlier workbook?
MAASS: They're shorter, more prompts than step-by-step exercises. The creative brain moves at high speed. I'm trying to match that!
VENTRELLA: Have you ever made the authors you represent do these exercises?
MAASS: Oh, constantly. They ask me for that.
VENTRELLA: Your advice to always have "micro-tension" on every page has been criticized by some who, I believe, don't completely understand your point. Is it possible to have a "page-turner" without tension on every page?
MAASS: No. Tension is not about action, explosions and shouting. It's about generating unease in the mind of the reader. There are many ways to do that, many of them subtle. Even language itself can do it. When tension exists in the mind of the reader there's only one way to relieve it: Read the next thing on the page. Do that constantly, on every page, and readers will read every word — you have a "page turner", no matter what your style, intent or type of story.
VENTRELLA: How much of writing is innate? In other words, do you believe there are just some people who are born storytellers but simply need to learn technique? Or can anyone become a good writer?
MAASS: I would say that anyone can become a better writer. Every writer has strengths and every writer has weaknesses. In WRITING 21ST CENTURY FICTION there's a chapter devoted to helping authors understand the writer they are, plus the writer they're not, and compensate. Look, some writers will never be artful stylists and some will never be maniacal plot spinners. That doesn't matter. What matters is growing. There's always a way to work on what you're weak at, and succeed.
VENTRELLA: How do you balance the surprise element — where you have your character do the exact opposite of what is expected — with believability and consistency?
MAASS: Great question! Let me put this proposition to you: When your mousy librarian pulls a gun out of her purse, readers won't object, they'll dive deeper. It's psychology. The expected is dull. The unexpected is intriguing. Readers will go with you when you surprise them. The mistake I think is not pulling that gun in the first place or, when it's drawn, not fully playing out all the consequences of pointing that gun. Working that out and using it is what makes a surprise believable.
VENTRELLA: When looking at a query letter, how do agents react to authors whose previous work has been self-published?
MAASS: There's a certain bias against that but it comes not from moral objections but from experience. That said, the fact is that there are hundreds of famous writers who first self-published. It's not about one's chosen path but about how well one writes.
VENTRELLA: In this market, with the publishing industry changing daily, how important are the small press?
MAASS: Very. We work with them, hoping and praying that the cash crunches that can clobber small presses don't hit them. There even are some "digital first" models that are working, though I would stress that they're new and evolving. E-books aren't a revolution, new utopia or new paradigm. They're simply a new opportunity in the not especially easy business that we call publishing.
VENTRELLA: Some established authors are foregoing agents and publishers altogether and are selling their work as ebooks on their web pages. Why do you advise against that?
MAASS: Your pool of potential readers is cut by three quarters, and your ability to make them aware of your book is reduced even further. You're dependent upon three bookstores who only display one hundred titles in your category. A handful of authors have made this work but they have the minds and energy of publishers. That describes very few reading this interview, trust me.
VENTRELLA: Allow me to ask something a bit more personal. You advise authors to not worry about genres but to write the story you want. My latest manuscript mixes vampires with a political thriller. In response to my query letter, I have received rejection letters from agents that handle political thrillers saying "We don't do vampires" and agents who like vampire stories saying "We're not interested in political thrillers." Should unestablished authors aim more for specific genres in order to get noticed before trying to mix things up? Or are the responses I am getting normal, and I just need to keep trying until I find the right agent?
MAASS: Cross-genre fiction can be difficult to pitch and place, yet some of the most successful authors we represent have invented new genre hybrids. One thing I've learned, though, is that when a speculative element is involved, say vampires, it's often best to look first toward agents, editors and imprints comfortable with that. (Alternate history might be an exception, and YA seems to be open to anything.) Keep trying. I find that wonderfully written works always find their way into print, even if the don't always fit neatly into a slot.
VENTRELLA: What really excites you when you find a great book? Can you tell instantly?
MAASS: I know right away when I'm in the hands of a confident storyteller. I'm drawn immediately into a full realized story world, yet there's no rush to tell me everything about it. Characters immediately win and intrigue me, even when they're dark. The emotional life of the characters is rich, their inner struggles are compelling, and the story immediately starts to mean something. It makes me think and feel. No problem, right?
VENTRELLA: What was the last great book you read?
MAASS: Last great book–? Argh, too many to say. Right at the moment I'm reading Susanna Kearsley's THE ROSE GARDEN (2011), a gothic tinged past life story. Susanna counts as her influences some greats like Phyllis Whitney. She writes warmly and does history well, too. The book's got me under its spell.
Filed under: writing | Tagged: agents, character development, Donald Maass, e-book, literary agent, publishing house, query letter, self-publishing, writing advice |	4 Comments »
Interview with Agent Alia Hanna Habib
Posted on May 30, 2011 by Michael A. Ventrella
MICHAEL A. VENTRELLA: Today, I am happy to be interviewing Alia Hanna Habib, a literary agent at McCormick & Williams. She represents narrative non-fiction, memoir, and cookbooks, as well as the occasional novel that strikes her fancy. Before joining McCormick & Williams, she was a publicist at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. She is a graduate of Barnard College and lives in Brooklyn, New York.
How did you get involved in the publishing business and end up where you are?
ALIA HANNA HABIB: I'd always loved reading, and I knew I'd end up doing something with books. My first job out of college was at Houghton, in the publicity department. I did a bunch of different things between then and now, including non publishing related stuff, but eventually I returned to publishing and realized I really wanted to develop my own projects. Being an agent seemed the best way to do so.
VENTRELLA: Who have you represented in the past? What has been your biggest success?
HABIB: I moved over to being an agent from being a publicist just over a year ago, so none of the books I've sold have hit the shelves yet! But I'm very proud to have sold a narrative history of autism by Nightline correspondent John Donvan and television journalist Caren Zucker, a book I think will make a big difference in the life of parents and kids of all stripes. I also have a longtime interest in education — I was the publicist for Paul Tough's wonderful book on Geoffrey Canada, WHATEVER IT TAKES — so I was thrilled to get to sell Elizabeth Green's expansion of her wonderful New York Times Magazine cover story on "Building a Better Teacher" to Norton last summer. I think it will really change the way we talk about teachers and education reform.
VENTRELLA: What do you enjoy reading for pleasure?
HABIB: It really runs the gamut. I love what I call spooky literary fiction: Sarah Waters, Lionel Shriver, Jennifer Egan, work that is a little uncanny yet very well-plotted. I represent cookbooks, and they're my bedtime reading. And as I'm always looking for book ideas, I read a ton of magazines and blogs.
VENTRELLA: New writers trying to get an agent make a ton of mistakes. This blog's purpose is to try to minimize these mistakes. So let's discuss a few. First, there is the query letter. What do you look for in a query letter?
HABIB: I like an original idea, and a healthy mix of confidence and humility. I also like to see some sort of publication track record or media platform, particularly for non-fiction.
VENTRELLA: What are some examples of bad query letters you've received?
HABIB: I did my graduate degree in nineteenth-century literature, which is easy to figure out with a quick Google search. Someone wrote to me saying I'd like his book because it had all the verve of Dickens and wasn't prissy and bloodless like Austen. I don't think anything could have alienated more quickly than insulting Jane Austen. She's why I went to grad school in the first place! The takeaway from this is your query letter should be about selling you, not denigrating others. That just makes you sound bitter and arrogant, plus you could very well be addressing a fan of the writer you're taking down.
VENTRELLA: Some agents hardly pay attention to the query letter, stating that writing a good query letter doesn't mean you've written a good book, and vice versa. What's your view?
HABIB: It's helpful to see how someone talks about their book, so I'd say a good query is very useful.
VENTRELLA: When you do ask to see a manuscript, what mistakes are most common?
HABIB: You know, once I've asked for the manuscript, I really just want to see if the person can write or not and if they can grab the reader from the first page. Don't bury your story forty pages in.
VENTRELLA: Have you ever had an unimpressive first page yet you continued reading and found it worthy?
HABIB: If I really like the concept, yes, or if it's a client referral and I know and trust the client's taste. It's a lot like picking up a book at the book store. Sometimes you'll see it through to the end, if you feel invested in the bigger idea, and sometimes you won't.
VENTRELLA: Let's talk about the publishing industry. Do you think the rise of e-books will encourage more experimentation and risk-taking among the big publishers?
HABIB: I hope so. I think it's also shaking up how we think about formats and categories.
VENTRELLA: Is the small press getting more respect due to e-book sales?
HABIB: Yes, and small presses have also been putting out things of really high quality.
VENTRELLA: If a writer had self-published his or her first book, how does that factor into your decision making?
HABIB: If they self-published well, and have a sales track to prove it, I'm always interested.
VENTRELLA: Assuming you are impressed by the manuscript, how important is the writer's personality to deciding whether to represent him or her? Have you refused to represent someone because of that?
HABIB: The agent/writer relationship is pretty close. I haven't refused anyone because of personality reservations– and all my clients are really great, so I really haven't had to– but you do want to keep your relationship with your agent (and eventually your editor and your publicist) as collegial as possible. You want them to want to talk to you.
VENTRELLA: Is there any final piece of advice you'd like to give that I haven't asked about here?
HABIB: Be nice to everyone you meet along the way!
Filed under: writing | Tagged: agents, Alia Hanna Habib, e-book, literary agent, query letter, self-publishing |	1 Comment »
"A wild and thoroughly entertaining steampunk adventure featuring an improbable cast of historical figures, plenty of action, and lots of fun!" – Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Deep Silence and V-Wars
June 21 – 23: Steampunk Con, Piscataway, NJ
August 31: Steamfest, Bethlehem, PA
October 18 – 20: Capclave, Washington, DC
November 8 – 10: Philcon, Cherry Hill, NJ
Mike's Comments
As You Know, Bob…
Bad guys and politics
Damn you, Real Life!
Don't Give Up Your Day Job
Every story is a mystery
Get a Good Editor
Guidelines are there for a reason
Honesty is the Best Plot Twist
How do I Get to Carnegie Hall?
How Not to Develop Characters
How to Cheat when Writing your Novel
How to get your story rejected
Ideas Aren't Everything
It's the Characters, Stupid
Joining the 1%
Keep Them Turning Pages
Learning How To Read
Leggo My Ego
Make sure there's a story there
Obvious Writing Rules That Aren't That Obvious
Plowing Through That First Draft
Politics (or: How to Anger Your Readers)
Prologues: The Devil's Work
Social media promotion without being obnoxious
Start in the Middle
Talent is an Asset
The Curse of Enthusiasm
The Curse of Self-Publishing
The Eye of Argon
The First Draft is Supposed to Suck
The First Page
The P.O.V. Waltz
The Query Letter
The Reluctant Hero
The Secret of Success
Things You Should Never Say to Writers (and Why)
Three Acts?
To Hell With Outlines!
Using Outlines
Using the Internet to Promote your Books
What's in a Query Letter?
When It's OK to Self-Publish
Where Do You Get Your Ideas?
Why no one is going to steal your work
Write a Story Without Bad Guys
Write What You Don't Know
Mike's Interviews
Masters of Horror (3/19)
The Monkees Live Almanac (12/17)
The Blue Plate Special (podcast) (12/17)
Local Flair Magazine (10/17)
Zombiepalooza YouTube show (4/17)
Random Chatter (3/17)
Buzzymag (9/16)
Ryk E. Spoor's Blog (3/15)
Derek Beebe's Blog (2/15)
Leona R. Wisoker's blog (12/14)
Eating Authors (8/14)
Lucas Mangum's Blog (7/14)
The Author Chronicles (6/14)
Shane Lindemoen's blog (6/14)
Disquieting Visions (6/14)
Mythical Mondays (2/14)
Get Creative! podcast (1/14)
The Usual Questions (11/13)
Donna Galanti's Blog (4/13)
Juniper Grove Blog (1/12)
Laurel Ann Hill's Blog (5/11)
Alyce Wilson's Blog (12/10)
Tracy S. Morris' Blog (11/10)
Chris Redding's Blog (5/10)
The VRO podcast (3/10)
Ghost in the Machine podcast (3/10)
Teen Book Connection (3/10)
The Book Connection (2/08)
Most Read Posts This Week
Interview with agent Marisa Iozzi Corvisiero
Accepting stories for the 2nd "Baker Street Irregulars" anthology
Interview with author Ryk E. Spoor
"As You Know, Bob..."
Interview with Hugo award winning author Peter Beagle
Interview with Jody Lynn Nye
Interview with Tommy James


My first and only car accident was about a month after I got my license and it involved me, my dad's car and a stationary wall. Needless to say, I decided shortly afterwards (slash as I was sitting in a totalled car having somehow gotten into a head-on accident with an underground parking lot wall) that driving wasn't going to be my forte. I've commuted since then exclusively on my trusty bike Mojito, even bringing it all the way to steamy Toronto for my summer at FASHION. Bike chic is its whole own style game, particularly in the summer when you have the heat to contend with! Click through to see my summer style tips for riding in style.
Flowy pieces can and will get caught up in your wheels, not to mention they'll get grease all over them (I sadly lost this Club Monaco skirt to a bike ride while in Toronto).
Wedges, booties and flats are your friends – pumps can be doable but really only if you're able to bike at a really leisurely pace. Funnily enough, wedges are actually the easiest to bike with – they help with the kick off!
If you wear pants, keep them fitted or roll up the legs to ensure they don't get caught in the chains!
Other than that, keep your hair in a low-key yet chic bun, braid or pony (I wear a helmet obviously, it's just a bit too ugly to include in these shots – check out Refinery29's roundup of helmet-friendly hairstyles!), focus on tone-on-tone or texture play if you want to up the visual interest factor while keeping your look comfortable and if you opt for a skirt or dress, you can always wear spandex shorts underneath (you can slip out of them once you get to the office or whatever your destination is) so that in the event that there's a rogue gust of wind, you're covered!
This sweater is absolutely perfect for summer! I am in love with it!! And love that you paired it with the white shorts too! I also love your bike!! It's so cute! I was hoping to find something like this when I got my bike but ended up with something a little sportier! I just got a basket put on mine though which solves the shoe dilemma (I can always bring a pair to change into and just bike in my keds!) Adorable post, Alex! xo!
Such a great summer outfit!
Great for a hot summer day.
And of God that bag is amazing!
Love the mesh shirt, perfect for summer!
I love jockey skimmies slip shorts for cycling (which have got to have the most awkward name ever), they aren't as, er, intense as spandex cycling shorts and keep you cool too.


Merry Christmas! Chapter 115 is out, cheers readers!
15 / 24 of this Christmas release. Please read the announcement here: Merry Christmas! We got gifts for you! 🙂 We all have a few words for you.
Chapter 115 – There are as many ways as one likes.
← Previous Previous post: Chapter 114 – Yeah, that's the main idea.


text:
End-of-life care the real battleground of moral theology, author says
New book seeks to show Father James Martin 'as a person' to his critics
Pope's point man on migrants - made a cardinal in October - takes over titular parish
Vatican and Muslim experts unite to defend palliative healthcare
In Vatican
Claire Giangravè
FAITH_AND_CULTURE_CORRESPONDENT
Italian Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, spoke at a Muslim/Catholic conference to promote palliative care in Doha, Qatar, Jan. 22-23. (Credit: Pontifical Academy for Life.)
Palliative care is a human right, said the head of the Pontifical Academy for Life during a Muslim-Catholic conference on end of life care.
ROME – Speaking to Catholic and Muslim experts on healthcare and ethics at a conference in Qatar this Tuesday, the head of the Pontifical Academy for Life said that religions should be the guardians of palliative care.
"Palliative care represents a human right and several international programs are working to make it so," said Italian Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life, in his introductory statement at the event.
"But the real human right," he added, "is to continue to be recognized and welcomed as a member of society, as part of a community."
The conference, titled "Muslim and Christian Perspectives in Palliative Care and End of Life," is taking place in Doha, Qatar, Jan. 22-23 and is organized by Georgetown University in collaboration with the Academy for Life and the Wish Program at the Qatar Foundation.
"Palliative care embodies a vision of man that is guarded and promoted by the great religious traditions," Paglia said. "Today they represent for all of us a concrete answer that takes place in a context of a shortage of love for the human being and a crisis of social ties, which from a generic disinterest is becoming a full-on social disintegration that concerns all forms of community starting from the family."
The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), a global organization based in Qatar aimed at providing healthcare, and the Pontifical Academy for Life signed a Joint Declaration on End of Life and Palliative Care Jan. 22 promoting an integral approach to the human person.
"Two institutions of different faiths, but sharing in the duty of research, of scientific promotion and cultural development," Paglia said, "two academic institutions that in palliative care found a fertile ground for encounter and collaboration to realize a new humanism, which benefits all persons and all people."
The event is part of the many initiatives that the Academy has launched to promote palliative care around the world. It also answers Pope Francis's call for the pontifical think-tank to promote "a new humanism of fraternity."
"It's time," the pope wrote in a letter marking the Academy's 25th anniversary, "for a new vision aimed at promoting a humanism of fraternity and solidarity between individuals and peoples."
"We need to enter into the language of men and women today, making the Gospel message incarnate in their concrete experience," the pope wrote in the letter dated Jan. 6.
In his message the pope also warned of the "state of emergency" of humanity today, which leads to division and war, and was echoed by Paglia at the conference.
"The duty to 'care' for one another and creation is very different for the prevaricating, predatory, destructive attitude that is often practiced by man," the archbishop said, specifying that this behavior happens frequently not only toward the environment but especially toward those people who are considered a burden or not useful.
"The palliative care community testifies to a new way of living together, which places the person and his good at the center surrounded not just by the individual but reciprocally by the entire community," Paglia concluded.
"In this society the good of the individual is pursued as the good for all."
With Academy for Life, experts urge greater access to palliative care
Palliative care is pro-life response to euthanasia, panelists say
Patients, families urged to learn more about palliative, hospice care
Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia
Pontifical Academy for Life
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Bayes' theorem problem
Three companies supply same type of products. Company A supplies 30 % more products than company B. Company C supplies the same as A. Fraction of defective products produced by company A is 4 %, by company B is 3 % and by C is 1 %. What is the probability that the randomly purchased product is defect-free?

Produced by company B: $30x+x+30x=100 \implies x=\frac{100}{61}$
Produced by companies A and C: $30x=\frac{3000}{61}$
Defective:
$$P(D)=P(A)\cdot P(D|A)+P(B)\cdot P(D|B)+P(C)\cdot P(D|C)$$
$$P(D)=\frac{3000}{61}\cdot 0.04+\frac{100}{61}\cdot 0.03+\frac{3000}{61}\cdot 0.01\;\dot =\;2.5082\%$$
Deffect-free:
$$P(\bar D)=1-P(D)\;\dot =\;97.4918\%$$
Could you please confirm, that I understood and solved the problem correctly? Many thanks!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


60 Questions, Insights and Reminiscences Published!
Today is THE DAY! The day that we break new ground, publishing our first non-Short Story book!
In a few days, Amazon.com will have it up for the world to see!
Do you love philosophical ideas, liberally laced with humourous insights? Yes?
With topics such as 'What is Ambition?', 'What's Good about Obscurity?', 'What's Bad about Comedy?', 'What Makes a Musician?', 'Can you Live Without your Mobile?', and 'Can You Remember Cracker-night?', you'll find plenty of ideas to tick over.
In common with all my writing, this book is written in easy to understand language, and is, I feel, suitable for a anyone who likes lateral thinking, delivered with a smile.
Like all my books, it's edited by my husband, Ronald Sharp B.E.M., the creator of the Grand Organ in the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House.
Remember my name: Margaret Lynette Sharp: and please, check out this boook, and tell your friends!
Why Does Plastic Dominate Our Lives?
One of the virtues of being of a certain age is that I can remember the time before everything came in plastic.
Sliced bread came in paper bags, and unsliced bread was also wrapped in paper at point of sale. Often, bread came via the home-delivery man, making homemakers' lives a little easier.
Milk, and I mean full cream milk, came in glass bottles, also home delivered. Many households had a standing order. Three pints a day, that's nearly 1.8 litres, arrived on our doorstep when I was young. I can still see the rich cream floating on the top!
Soft drinks, jam, honey, peanut butter, and countless other products all came in glass bottles. I remember the slogan: manufacturers proud of their products bring them to you in glass. I wonder what these same manufacturers today are making of their plastic-packaging!
There were, of course, no supermarket plastic bags. We brought our own baskets from home, and/or packed our merchandise into leftover cardboard boxes.
Oh, those were the days!
How's this for a vote of confidence?
Ronald Sharp B.E.M., my husband, collaborator, and the creator of the Grand Organ in the Sydney Opera House, was sitting at the computer this morning, reviewing and spacing the words of my next collection of Short Stories.
Be that as it may, writers who aspire to engage with their readers on a realistic level need to possess one quality: empathy. It seems to me that , following on from empathy, your imagination can take over and create a convincing response; the crux of good, believable writing.
As both a writer of 'Letters to the Editor' of my local paper, 'The Leader', and as an author of books, it may be confusing to my readers that I 'm known as Margaret Sharp in the former, and Margaret Lynette Sharp in the latter.
One of my letters appeared in yesterday's edition of my local Sydney suburban newspaper; a piece about public libraries. Formerly, the paper chose many of my letters that were aimed at saving a local historically significant building, a cause which, sadly, faced defeat.
Readers of 'The Leader' may be interested to see a few of my Short Stories. The main Amazon.com web site features 'Click here', and that can get you to the first pages of each of my books. Please Google Margaret Lynette Sharp, and find a title in my 'Life and Love' series that appeals to you.
Thinking back over my childhood, it seems impossible to select just one toy as being more significant and enjoyed than any other, but certainly one of my favourites was the spinning top.
I was introduced to them at a very young age, probably as a three year old. I loved to see the colours whirling round and round, accompanied by an enthralling, almost other-worldly whir. I understand that they were quite expensive, and certainly they were bought only on special occasions. I say 'they' for a particular reason: sadly, all of mine were very short lived. Perhaps they were loved to death, or maybe the adults that sometimes set them spinning for me were just too enthusiastic, for invariably they broke long before their glory waned in my eyes. And so, their were several in my life, all fascinating, but now all gone; thrown away, a part of my childhood lost forever, except in my memory.
He tells me that they engross and engage him to such a degree that he often bursts into tears at their conclusion.
You can read the first story in each published book if you Google Margaret Lynette Sharp, and go to the main Amazon.com site.
My husband (and collaborator) Ronald Sharp B.E.M. and I are pleased to announce that we have become friends of the National Year of Reading 2012.
The promotion of reading, which focuses significantly on adult literacy, is a very worthwhile aim. Through reading, we can enhance our knowledge and social skills, and gain valuable insights into human nature.


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<tt class="xref docutils literal">GeoExt.plugins.PrintPageField</tt>¶

Extends

Ext.util.Observable

ptype

<tt class="docutils literal">gx_printpagefield</tt>

class <tt class="descclassname">GeoExt.plugins.</tt><tt class="descname">PrintPageField</tt>¶

A plugin for <tt class="docutils literal">Ext.form.Field</tt> components which provides synchronization
with a <tt class="xref docutils literal">GeoExt.data.PrintPage</tt>. The field name has to match the
respective property of the printPage (e.g. <tt class="docutils literal">scale</tt>, <tt class="docutils literal">rotation</tt>).

Example Use¶

A form with a combo box for the scale and text fields for rotation and a
page title. The page title is a custom parameter of the print module’s
page configuration:

var printPage = new GeoExt.data.PrintPage({
    printProvider: new GeoExt.data.PrintProvider({
        capabilities: printCapabilities
    })
});
new Ext.form.FormPanel({
    renderTo: "form",
    width: 200,
    height: 300,
    items: [{
        xtype: "combo",
        displayField: "name",
        store: printPage.scales, // printPage.scale
        name: "scale",
        fieldLabel: "Scale",
        typeAhead: true,
        mode: "local",
        forceSelection: true,
        triggerAction: "all",
        selectOnFocus: true,
        plugins: new GeoExt.plugins.PrintPageField({
            printPage: printPage
        })
    }, {
        xtype: "textfield",
        name: "rotation", // printPage.rotation
        fieldLabel: "Rotation",
        plugins: new GeoExt.plugins.PrintPageField({
            printPage: printPage
        })
    }, {
        xtype: "textfield",
        name: "mapTitle", // printPage.customParams["mapTitle"]
        fieldLabel: "Map Title",
        plugins: new GeoExt.plugins.PrintPageField({
            printPage: printPage
        })
    }]
});

Config Options¶

Configuration properties in addition to
those listed for Ext.util.Observable.

<tt class="descname">printPage</tt>

<tt class="docutils literal">GeoExt.data.PrintPage</tt> The print page to synchronize with.

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API Reference »

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<tt class="docutils literal docutils literal">GeoExt.plugins.PrintPageField</tt>

      © Copyright 2009-2010, GeoExt Community.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Ana Travels
Travel experiences. Culture. Food
The Neiman Marcus Flagship Store in Dallas
Previous post: The architecture of Buenos Aires: Avenida de Mayo
Next post: The 6 best churches in New York you must visit
Posted February 13, 2019 by Ana
Neiman Marcus is a prestigious specialty store founded in Dallas in 1907. Nowadays, it's synonymous with luxury and deep pockets. The building where the Neiman Marcus flagship store is housed is a beautiful construction in the Renaissance Revival style. It sits on the corner of Main and Ervay Streets in Downtown Dallas.
The Neiman Marcus flagship store provides the quintessential Dallas shopping experience. Tasteful displays, graceful shop assistants, exquisite collections, and personal shoppers: everything you need to feel special. I've visited the store a few times, and every time I was treated politely. Not one assistant ever looked down on me because I wasn't dressed in Gucci or Prada. It's for a reason that Neiman Marcus is known for its impeccable customer service.
Their Christmas windows displays are legendary. The whole of Dallas looks forward to them. They're the centerpiece of holiday celebrations in the city. One of my friends told me that she looked forward to the annual Christmas Book and that she bought a crystal tree ornament for each of her daughters every year. Other friends told me that, when they were little, going to Neiman Marcus in their Sunday best was a treat.
A short video in Spanish (sorry!) shot inside the store.
The Zodiac is an elegant lunch restaurant on Level 6. This is where la crème de la crème has met for the last 50 years. The reservation list reads like the Social Register of Dallas.
In 1907, Herbert Marcus Sr, his sister Carrie Marcus Neiman and her husband A.L. Neiman founded a luxury retail store at Elm and Murphy streets. They tried to stand out from the other department stores with high-quality garments and excellent customer service. They built a good reputation slowly and steadily.
After the store burned down, Neiman Marcus moved to the current building in 1913. The store attracted a wealthy clientele. The cotton "aristocracy" of East and North Texas came into town to shop at the Neiman Marcus flagship store. The discovery of oil in East Texas in the 1930s produced a new set of millionaires, who weren't hit hard by the Great Depression and, therefore, spent freely in clothes and accessories.
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Neiman Marcus kept expanding. Nowadays, the group comprises the Bergdorf Goodman, Cusp, Neiman Marcus, and Neiman Marcus Last Call brands. The company's headquarters are in the Renaissance Tower in Dallas (1201 Elm St.).
The flagship store's building, in red brick and white stone, opened in 1914 with only four floors. The company added an extension on Ervay towards Commerce Street in 1927. The design was inspired by the Renaissance Revival style, based on 15th and 16th centuries European architecture. The 1950s saw further additions, which more than doubled the size of the original building. The last expansion, two more floors, took place in 1983.
There are a lot of things to do in Downtown Dallas around the store. Walk up Main Street towards Main Street Gardens. Walk back down again and admire one of my favourite pieces of urban art, The Eye sculpture. Admire the architecture. Have a cocktail at The Woolworth. Explore the art collection at The Joule hotel and then have a meal at Americano.
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Hi, I'm Ana. I'm originally from Argentina but I'm currently living in Dallas (USA) with my British husband. I'd like to share my experiences as an expat and as a traveller.
Categories Select Category "What the Brits left behind" series Argentina Arundel Bath Buenos Aires California Cambridge Canada Canterbury Capilla del Señor Caribbean cruise Carlos Keen Cathedrals Córdoba Certaldo Channel Islands Colonia del Sacramento Cortona Cotswolds Culture Dallas Devon Durham Edinburgh Ely Español Essaouira Estados Unidos Expat life Florence Florida Food France Geneva Genoa Guildford Hampshire Hotel reviews Illinois Istanbul Italy Jamaica Life London Louisiana Lucca Lujan Mar del Plata Marrakech Massachusetts Montevideo Montreal Morocco Museums New York Niagara Normandy Oklahoma Ontario Ottawa Palaces and castles Pisa Portsmouth Portugal Postcards from past travels Province of Buenos Aires Quebec Restaurants Ripon Road trips Rome Siena St. Alban's Suipacha Switzerland Texas Texas Toronto Travel Travel and the arts UNESCO sites UNESCO Sites United Kingdom United States Uruguay Wales Washington, DC Windsor
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text:
Home › News › News › TMX Group statement on Competition Bureau announcement
TMX Group statement on Competition Bureau announcement
TMX Group (TSX: X) has welcomed yesterday's announcement that the Commissioner of Competition has discontinued his investigation into allegations that TMX Group engaged in conduct contrary to the provisions of the Competition Act.
TMX Group has cooperated fully during the investigation and remains firmly committed to conducting business with integrity in full compliance with the Competition Act.
The full text of the of the Competition Bureau's Position Statement, summarizing the approach taken and the conclusions reached in respect of the investigation can be found on the Competition Bureau's website.
tmx group
TSX: X
Competition Bureau
TMX Group acquires AST Trust Company
TMX will acquire the company for $165 million in total consideration, which includes $30 million of cash for regulato...
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McKenzie was named Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of TMX back in 2016, with responsibility for the Company's Corporate...
Toronto Stock Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange to take relief measures for listed insurers in response to Covid-19
Loui Anastasopoulos, President, Capital Formation, TMX Group said: The profound impacts of the COVID-19 crisis are be...
TMX Group reports lower volumes for Q4 and full year 2019
The Canadian financial service provider, TMX Group Limited, announced yesterday the results of the fourth quarter and...


How do I determine the convenience fee?
Why does Official Payments charge a convenience fee for payments?
Is the convenience fee negotiable?
If I'm unwilling to pay the convenience fee, can I still use this service?
How will the charge appear on my credit or debit card statement?
Is the convenience fee tax deductible?
1. How do I determine the convenience fee?
Go to the Payment Center and click on Fee Calculator.
2. Why does Official Payments charge a convenience fee for payments?
The convenience fee covers the cost of processing the payment transaction.
3. Is the convenience fee negotiable?
The convenience fee covers the cost of processing the payment transaction and is not negotiable.
4. If I'm unwilling to pay the convenience fee, can I still use this service?
No. The convenience fee covers the cost of processing the payment transaction and is not negotiable.
5. How will the charge appear on my credit or debit card statement?
The payment charge and the convenience fee charge will appear separately on your card statement.
6. Is the convenience fee tax deductible?
Generally, when this fee is paid or incurred by a business, it can be deducted as a business expense. Typically, it is not tax deductible for the payment of personal taxes or for the payment of other government obligations. We advise you to consult with a tax professional regarding the tax deductibility of the convenience fee as it pertains to your particular application.


text:
NCAA Women's Final Four May Be Upsetting
Published April 3, 2011 at 6:00 AM MDT
That's the men's Final Four; it's also Final Four weekend in women's college basketball. Their semifinals tip off this evening in Indianapolis, and that is where we find NPR's Tom Goldman. Hi, Tom.
TOM GOLDMAN: Hi, David.
GREENE: We're talking a lot about Connecticut this weekend. They're in the women's Final Four as well.
GOLDMAN: Yes, they are. They certainly are. They're playing Notre Dame tonight.
GREENE: And they already have two straight titles under their belt. This could be number three. I guess they're the odds-on favorite.
GOLDMAN: Well, not with everyone. They are certainly one of the favorites but they don't have the dominance and the ability to intimidate the past UConn women's teams have had. And even their coach acknowledged that - Geno Auriemma. And Notre Dame is certainly aware of that, even though Notre Dame has lost three times this year to the Huskies.
In the plus column for UConn, they do have Maya Moore. She's the best player in the country. She dominates games. They basically play six-person rotation. That means a lot of minutes for those six players, but Geno Auriemma gets the most out of them. And a couple of freshmen, post players, Stefanie Dolson, point guard, Bria Hartley, have been the big contributors too.
GREENE: And what do you think the key is if Notre Dame is going to contain Maya Moore and have a chance?
GOLDMAN: Well, I think what you have to do, you've got to play as good a defense as you can. The Irish have an outstanding point guard in Skylar Diggins and she and forward Devereaux Peters, they could keep Notre Dame close for a while, David. But this really should be the fourth UConn win over Notre Dame this year.
GREENE: And on the other side, we have Texas A & M facing Stanford, and I know Stanford is known for a pretty high-flying offense. I mean, can the Aggies keep up? Do they have a defense that can keep up with them?
GOLDMAN: Yeah, well, their defense is what they're all about. If their defense plays the way it usually does, you know, they could make this close and maybe even pull off the upset. The Aggies are this scrappy defensive-minded team. In the tournament, they've held opponents to less than 45 points a game. Their defense is keyed by their guards, the Sydneys - senior Sydney Colson and junior Sydney Carter. And they've been great at shutting down opposing guards.
And that's why the Stanford senior point guard, Jeanette Pohlen, is one of the keys today. Point guards start the offense - they drive the team. And Stanford has this dominant frontline with the Ogwumike sisters - Chiney and Nnemkadi, but they need Pohlen to direct the offense to them and they need Pohlen to hit her long-range outside shots as well. And for her to do that, she's got to handle the defensive pressure from those Sydneys.
GREENE: We have some perennial powerhouses on the women's side - Tennessee, Baylor - both out. What's that done to the tournament? I mean, more competitive, more open?
GOLDMAN: You know, the fear, David, among those who want the women's game to keep growing in popularity is that this may make it less competitive. You know, there's just not the widespread talent in the women's game that there is in men's. Most of your top-rated high school female players end up going to a handful of premier college programs. And that's why many expected and hoped that this Final Four was going to be the four number one seeds. It was believed that would give us the best basketball in Indianapolis.
But as we've talked about, Texas A & M, Notre Dame, they're number two seeds, they're no slouches, and they could, you know, make for some potentially good games tonight.
GREENE: That's NPR's Tom Goldman reporting on the Women's Final Four, which kicks off tonight in Indianapolis. Tom, enjoy the games.
GOLDMAN: Thanks, David. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR News Weekend Edition Sunday


Mr. Decker was born in Norfolk and graduated from Maury High School. He was educated at Old Dominion University and The College of William & Mary. He received his law degree from Marshall-Wythe School of Law at The College of William & Mary and practiced law in our community for his entire career of over 50 years. Peter Decker was known and respected as one of the area's finest lawyers. Mr. Decker received the highest rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and the law firm of Decker, Cardon, Thomas, Weintraub & Neskis was the Silver Award Winner of the Virginian Pilots "Best Law Firm in 2008" in the city of Norfolk.
Mr. Decker focused his practice on the defense of those charged with traffic offenses and crimes as well as those who were injured by someone else's negligence. Mr. Decker successfully tried thousands of DUI and traffic cases in the Norfolk, Virginia courts.
Mr. Decker's contributions to the community as a lawyer were significant, but they are only part of the whole picture of who he was. Peter Decker's commitment to helping people led him to serve on many boards and committees on a local, regional and national level, and he was recognized time and again for his many contributions. His activities are too numerous to list here, but no biography of Mr. Decker would be complete without mention of his service to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. For over 35 years, he was a member of the hospital's Board of Governors and Directors, and he was a former National Executive Vice President in charge of fundraising for St. Jude Hospital.
Mr. Decker was elevated to the position of Director Emeritus of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in 1999. Mr. Decker served as Chairman of the Virginia State Board of Corrections for seven years. He had recently completed his ten- year term as Chairman of the National Maritime Center (Nauticus) in Norfolk, and was Chairman of the Norfolk International Airport Authority. His lifelong dedication to the people of our communities was recognized by Norfolk's Cosmopolitan Club when the members of that prestigious organization named Mr. Decker Norfolk's First Citizen in 1999.
Mr. Decker served as a member of the State Board of Education, appointed by Governor Wilder. He was also the founding Chairman of the Business Improvement District in Norfolk and a member of the Norfolk Board of Directors of Towne Bank.


Gingerbread makes me so happy. I don't care if it's a gingerbread man, woman, star, stocking or tree. The smell is so festive and the taste takes me back to being a kid! I didn't have homemade gingerbread growing up, my mum wasn't a baker at all and my nan stuck to Italian breads (which were phenomenal by the way), so shop bought gingerbread tantalised my tastes from an early age.
When I first got into baking back in 2010, it was in November so it wasn't long before I enjoyed my first, homemade gingerbread shapes! I wrote the recipe down in my notebook and it's the one I have used for the past six years every Christmas (and sometimes just because I fancied some!).
I realised I hadn't written this recipe up on my website, so I made some this week and set about documenting for my blog as I usually do. However, with a little research I have realised the recipe I have transferred from notebook to notebook each year, the one I swear by and use all the time isn't mine!
Back in the early days of my baking adventure I used a lot of recipes I found online, not getting the confidence to make my own until a few years later. It turns out 'my' trusted gingerbread recipe belongs to the BBC Good Food website! On further inspection too, it turns out that so many gingerbread recipes available on the internet are exactly the same as this one, and some are identical with only a few grams difference either side on a couple of ingredients.
This says to me this is a known, trusted and great recipe, and who am I to mess with greatness? What you'll find below are my top tips to create festive gingerbread shapes at home. You can find the recipe here.
Make the dough as instructed. Firstly mixing together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ginger, then adding the butter and making a mix that resembles breadcrumbs. Then, mix together the egg and golden syrup and add this to the mix, finally adding in the sugar (not pictured).
My tips for getting a good dough are to have the butter the right temperature. Too cold and the dough will struggle to form, too soft and it will be hard to get the dough into a ball. Take it out of the fridge about 10-15 minutes before using. We don't want it room temperature, but we don't want it fridge temperature either! Then, wrap the dough in cling film and I like to chill mine for 20 minutes or so before rolling out.
Then, when it comes to rolling out the dough, dust a side with a little plain flour and knead the gingerbread a few times before rolling, this will make it easier to roll and shouldn't crack as much. I like to use these marzipan spacers to make sure I have evenly rolled dough. Then, pop your shapes on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake at 180°C for 12-15 minutes.
Once baked, leave them on a wire rack to cool.
When it comes to decorating gingerbread shapes, the only limit as they say, is your imagination. You can use anything you like to decorate them, sugarpaste, chocolate or most commonly royal icing. Now, I make no secret about the fact I don't like royal icing that much. It was never something I wanted to learn or get better at as I have shaky hands and not a lot of patience. I would much rather model something than pipe something and over the past 6 years have only really used it as a glue, sticking down my cakes to their boards and sticking on decorations. That said, I have an enormous amount of respect and admiration for those who are brilliant with royal icing and I can watch videos on it all day long! (A special mention to SweetAmbs who blows my mind with her talent! Go check out her cookie work).
You can of course make your own royal icing, there are lots of recipes readily available online or you can buy it ready made, which is what I usually use. But today I'm using Whitworths Royal Icing Sugar. I'm also using a disposable piping bag and a 2.5 nozzle.
Then the rest is up to you! Dots, lines, outlines, squiggles, smarties, sprinkles – however you want to decorate your ginger shapes! It doesn't have to be perfect, just have fun with it!
Once the royal icing has set, store in a cake tin and enjoy within a week!


6:00 pm ♦ Optional Networking Dinner at Jack's Restaurant, 60 Crescent Drive, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. Round trip bus transportation from the hotel is included in the price of the dinner.
5:00 pm ♦ Program Adjourns & Networking Reception Begins at 1515 Restaurant, 1515 N. Main St., Walnut Creek CA 94596. Two drinks, heavy appetizers, and round trip bus transportation are included in the price of the reception.


WWSET has been delivering its engaging and active PAN disability sessions for over 2 years now at 2 different venues. The sessions bring together adults with various disabilities and abilities to socialise and have fun, using the power of sports. We deliver one session on Monday morning at Wycombe Sports Center, from 11 am to 12 pm and the second session at Stoke Mandeville Stadium on a Tuesday evening. The sessions revolve around participants working on their ABC's, the fundamental movements through different activities with a ball and without a ball. The important factor of the session is fun and engagement and having an opportunity to socialise.
One of the participants, who have been coming since day one, Adrian is a joy to coach. He is the live wire of the group and football mad. Adrian switches his loyalties between Wycombe and Luton as his dad is a Luton supporter but his dream is to play for Wycombe and during the session is full of fun. His character is special and he loves helping with the session, be it putting cones out, helping other participants with activities and is a really great leader of the group. His enthusiasm brushes on others and makes the session so engaging and fun.
"Our disability is a really great joy to be part of. It is very rewarding and to see the smile on the faces on the participants is fantastic. For some, this is the highlight of their week and they look forward it to so much. Not just the footballing or sports side but just that interaction and social acceptance of the session. As the lead on the program, it really does bring a smile to my face to know that we are bringing a smile to the participants, giving them opportunities to take part in sports and being the highlight of their week".


The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has been syndicated with underwriting for over 25 years. Since the events of September 11, 2001, that flow of underwriting has been interrupted. The WFMT Radio Network has committed itself to providing an ongoing replacement series of Chicago Symphony Orchestra Retrospective programs for your listeners' enjoyment, hosted and produced by Don Tait, with post-production by Tony Kwiecinski.
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has a discography of more than 900 recordings from its one hundred and twelve-year history, and its best- selling recordings continue to win prestigious international awards.
Chicago Symphony Orchestra recordings have earned fifty-six Grammy Awards from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, including several Classical Album of the Year honors, as well as a number of Best Classical Performances in the choral, orchestral, instrumental and vocal soloist, and engineering categories.
During its world tours, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is greeted by popular and critical acclaim, and the syndicated broadcasts have been heard by millions in every corner of the world.


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McDonald's Secrets TikTok
"99.9% of the time, the ice cream machine is not broken."
This is 19-year-old college student Ashton. She's been a McDonald's crew member for a year and a half.
A little over a week ago, Ashton went viral with this TikTok, where she shared a BUNCH of fascinating, smart, and unknown secrets about McDonald's.
Here are the secrets shared from the video, which has over 6 million views and counting:
"The secret menu doesn't exist. The only 'secret' is that you can customize any item on the menu, and we'll do it."
"99.9% of the time, the ice cream machine is not broken. There are three reasons why we tell you it's broken. One: It's being cleaned. It's cleaned on the clock. Two: It's in Heat Mode, so for whatever reason the ice cream is hot in there. Three: If we're extremely busy, and we're understaffed, and we're backed up with cars, a lot of the time, we'll just not serve ice cream until the rush is over."
"That life hack 'Get a fry with no salt. Just ask for salt at the window. You'll get a fry made fresh.' It's bullshit. First of all, you can just ask for the fry made fresh, and they'll make it fresh."
"The oil in the frier gets changed once a week."
"The cone is significantly less expensive than a sundae. So if you want a sundae, get a cone, and ask for it in a cup. It's less money for the same amount of ice cream, and you get a cone."
Arnaldo Magnani / Getty Images
"Quarter meat is fresh. It's in a fridge. It's not frozen. We drop it in every time we get an order. So, if you want something fresh, order a quarter pounder."
"Also, if you want something fresh, after 10 or 11 o'clock, everything is cook-to-order. So, if you want fresh, come later."
Oliver Morris / Getty Images
"If you want cookies, and you want them to taste good, ask them to make them fresh. They literally take two minutes, and they're delicious when they're fresh. If they're not fresh, they're fucking horrible."
"We're technically not allowed to accept tips. But genuinely, tip your service workers. It will literally make our day. A fucking dollar will make our day. Tip us!"
"Don't ask for extra M&Ms or Oreos in your McFlurry. It's a waste of money. The reason they're at the bottom is because some workers don't mix it well. Ask them to mix it well."
"The water bottle is such a waste of money. You can get a large cup of water for free."
Robert Alexander / Getty Images
"Never ask for a refund. Ask for a free meal card. You can get anything on the menu — the most expensive thing too. Sometimes, they give you two free meal cards."
"Points on the mobile app are stupid. They're stupid. You have to spend like $60 to get, like, one Big Mac. Just use the rewards they give you."
How fascinating, right? You can follow Ashton on TikTok here.
Thurston Spa in Somerville Has Closed
OneOf and Sports Illustrated Team Up for NFT Collections of Athletic Icons