#De Lint's Not-Toronto

[elizabethswitch]

ha

ha hah

haHAHhahahaah

'series'

'WAS'

not allowed to say Harry Potter, but what was your book series obsession as a teen

mine was definitely Eragon

[pawsinthebath]

Reduce Dog Shedding: Tips and Tricks for a Hair-Free Home

Dogs are the best companions, and we love them. However, we don't love the hair they shed all over our home or car making it look like a fur-covered mess. Shedding is a natural process for dogs, but it can be frustrating for pet owners. While you can’t completely eliminate shedding, there are steps you can take to significantly reduce it. Here are some tips and tricks to help you manage your dog's shedding, featuring advice from the best dog groomers in Toronto, Paws in the Bath.

To reduce dog shedding and keep your home hair-free, consider these tips:

Brush your dog regularly to remove loose fur and prevent excessive shedding. Pay special attention to your dog's undercoat, as this is the area where most of the shedding occurs.

Vacuum frequently to manage hair around the house. Use a lint roller to remove hair from furniture and carpets. Consider investing in a de-shedding tool to reduce shedding even further.

Bathe your dog occasionally with a gentle shampoo to help remove excess hair and dander.  Avoid using harsh shampoos or brushes, as they can damage your dog's coat and cause further shedding. Brush your dog regularly to prevent mats and tangles.

Ensure your dog is well-hydrated, as proper hydration contributes to a healthier coat.  Offer your dog a healthy diet to ensure their coat stays healthy and strong. Ensure to provide plenty of exercise and mental stimulation to keep your dog's stress levels low.

Always consult with your veterinarian for tailored advice for your dog. Provide your dog with love and attention, as this helps to build a bond and reduce stress. Visit your veterinarian regularly for check-ups and vaccinations.

By following these tips and tricks, you can significantly reduce your dog's shedding and maintain a cleaner home. Regular brushing, proper bathing, a nutritious diet, professional grooming, and consistent cleaning routines are all essential. For the best results, consider partnering with the best dog groomers in Toronto at Paws in the Bath. They offer expert grooming services that can help manage shedding and keep your dog looking their best. For more information and to book an appointment, visit Paws in the Bath. With the right care and attention, you can enjoy a hair-free home and a happy, healthy dog.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

My origin story

When people ask me how I became an sf writer in the hopes of following in my footsteps, I've got bad news for them: I became an sf writer thanks to an utterly unique set of extremely beneficial circumstances that have never been replicated, and more's the pity. Let's start with Judith Merril, the eminent sf writer, critic and editor. After the Chicago police riots in 1968, Judy went into voluntarily exile in Toronto, taking her daughters and her books - the collection she'd amassed with her ex-husband Fred Pohl - with her. Judy was a political radical who was core to both Rochdale, the Rochdale Free College and Seed Alternative School - radical educational programs that had a seismic effect on Canadian culture. She also got work on TV: for years, she hosted Doctor Who on TVO, Ontario's public broadcaster. Before every episode, she'd come on and talk about the tropes in it, where their origins were in sf history, often recounting personal stories about the writers who invented them. I grew up on these intros: my mom went to teacher's college at night and my dad and brother and I would stay home and watch Doctor Who and Judy, who my dad knew from radical politics. Very little of that old Judy tape survives, but there is some! http://www.retrontario.com/2014/02/02/tvontario-judith-merril-the-undoctor-1980-2/ Judy donated her and Fred's book collection to the Toronto Public Library system and founded a library she called "The Spaced Out Library" that is now the largest public sf reference collection in the world. 6It's now called the Merril Collection; Judy wouldn't let them change the name until she died. I visited the Merril the first time when I was 9 and met Judy in person, instantly recognizing her from TVO. She told us that we could bring stories to her and she'd help with them. When the plague is over, you should visit the Merril and ask to see their guest book - here's a page my class signed around 1981, including Tim "Timmy" Wu.

https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/merril/

Over the years, I started taking the subway down to the Spaced Out and getting my stories critiqued. And after, I'd always visit Bakka Books, the oldest sf bookstore on Earth. I started visiting Bakka with school around the same time as the Merril. On my first visit, a young woman who was trying to sell her first story named Tanya Huff was working behind the counter. Tanya asked me what kind of books I liked, and took me to the used section and put a $1 copy of H Beam Piper's Little Fuzzy in my hands. It was the first book I ever bought with my own money! Tanya became a mentor, too: when Judy was busy, I'd sometimes bring her stories to critique. She was INCREDIBLY patient. And when she started selling enough books to quit her job and write full time, I got her job. Working at Bakka and selling a few stories meant that I could start going to Toronto Hydra parties, the regular movable feast the Judy established based on the huge potluck dinners that NYC's legendary Futurian House used to throw. The Futurians were denied entry to the first Worldcon banquet for being leftists - my kind of sf writers! These parties included the librarians from the Merril, writers, critics, editors, artists, and the crew of TVO's sf show Prisoners of Gravity. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoners_of_Gravity And even as I was going to those parties, working at Bakka and selling stories, I was also still attending the writers' workshop at Seed Alternative School, which Judy had founded more than a decade before, and which attracted students from all over the city. While also workshopping with the likes of Karl Schroeder and David Nickle at the Cecil Street Irregulars, ANOTHER workshop Judy founded, made up of some of the writers who'd brought her stories at the Spaced Out. I was also reading Tesseracts - Judy's anthology series of Canadian sf - and then went on to co-edit a volume, with Paula Johanson. Really, it was an INCREDIBLE time to be an aspiring sf writer, and so much of it boiled down to Judy's tireless energy for connecting and mentoring people and setting up institutions that outlived her. I do my best to pay it forward. I teach Clarion or Clarion West every year or two, I volunteer on the board of the Toronto Public Library Foundation, which raises money for the Merril (tax deductible in the US and Canada!) and I try to mentor writers, too. And I try to tell as much of Judy's story as I know. But of course, Judy tells it better than me. Her Hugo-award winning memoir, Better to Have Loved (written with her granddaughter Emily Pohl Weary) is a must-read: https://btlbooks.com/book/better-to-have-loved And I bring all of this up now because this Saturday, I'm being inducted into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame: https://pluralistic.net/2020/07/31/hall-of-famer/#hall-of-famer And so many of the past inductees are the people who mentored me: Judy Merril, Tanya Huff, Lorna Toolis (former head librarian of the Merril). As well as writers like William Gibson, Spider Robinson, Phyllis Gottleib, Charles de Lint, Elizabeth Vonarburg and others who were so important to my own artistic formation. The Hall of Fame presentations are part of the Prix Aurora Awards, which livestream on Saturday from 4PM Pacific on. You can tune in here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt8FHApN40c I'm going to say all this stuff again, but I might cry a little while saying it. Be warned.

[cdelint]

A profile with pictures in the Toronto Guardian:

https://torontoguardian.com/2017/11/author-musician-charles-de-lint/

[msbarrows]

Gonna have to go with that last option, and also move this out of tags because it was getting unwieldy long...

As far as the listed options go:

I was in my 40s before I read A Song of Ice and Fire, which minorly amuses me since his Windhaven was a favourite of teenaged me, so I was at least aware of him as an author who'd written something I liked, but somehow failed to read much of anything else of his in the intervening years.

The first Dune book was also loved by me-as-a-teenager, though I was pretty meh on the rest of the series and couldn't be bothered to go see the 1984 Dune movie in theatre, even if it did have Sting (my actual favourites of his were Whipping Star and The Dosadi Experiment).

Never read either Wheel of Time or The Dark Tower.

I was in my late 20s before getting into Riftwar, so that's out on the grounds of no longer being a YA, though it's entertaining. Also the way he always starts each chapter with a single short sentence amuses the heck out of me.

Only ever got one Shannara book, because it was illustrated by the Brothers Hildebrandt and I loved their work. Think I also borrowed a couple of them from the library, maybe. But Terry Brook's writing voice didn't appeal to me so I pretty much skipped everything else he wrote.

So... what was I reading (and loving) in my late teens and early 20s, that was then or later developed into epic length series?? I'm assuming that's what is meant by "genre fiction epic book series" and not epic as in 'high fantasy', as Dune is one of the exemplars and is SF. In no particular order:

Anne McCaffrey's Pern books, which kind of hover on that line where fantasy and science fiction cross over. Entertaining books, do recommend.

Katherine Kurtz's Deryni series, which I adored as a teen and YA. Do recommend.

David Edding's Belgariad and Mallorean series, which started when I was a young teen and lasted into my mid-20s.

Charles de Lint's Newford book series of urban fantasy. Highly recommend.

Piers Anthony's Magic of Xanth series, which I loved at first but started to get tired and formulaic/repetitive pretty early on; when I talk about how a lot of authors can't carry a series into double digits without it getting old fast? Yeah I'm very much thinking of this one (I hear it got a lot worse after I'd already given up on it). Haven't reread any of it since my 20s, can't really recommend. Only worth looking at if you adore puns.

Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books, which did eventually hit the getting-old-fast issue too, but the first few trilogies were excellent and I still re-read them occasionally. Do recommend.

Glen Cook's Garrett, P.I. 14 book series about a detective in a fantasy setting. Weird. Sometimes dark and unsettling. A good read. I should re-read them again some time, it's been a while. Do recommend.

Speaking of P.I.'s how about Tanya Huff's lengthy Blood series about Toronto cop-turned-P.I. Victory Nelson, and the vampire/romance writer giving her a hand, plus the follow-on Smoke trilogy about the street kid prostitute moving to the west coast and becoming a production assistant on a vampire TV show (also involving said romance writer vampire). Yes, the same Tanya Huff that wrote the Valor series with the horny space elves. Highly recommend everything of hers, really. Yes even her first few standalones where she was still finding her feet in writing (The Fire's Stone is still a particular favourite of mine). Yes, even though Blood is kind of dated now.

Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series, which is mostly short books but there are so many of them, in fact the 17th volume is due out next month, wheeee. Huh... I should re-read the series between now and then to refresh my memory. Do recommend.

More SF - Jo Clayton's Diadem Universe interconnected series-of-series that started with the 9 volume Diadem series, and then had separate series following on after some of the characters first met there (or characters that those characters went on to meet). The initial series reminds me very much of Andre Norton's writing, but subsequent books got much more distinctive. She had a couple other 'verses too, and did some interesting experimental stuff with parallel narrative voices and interjections and sidebars in some of her books.

It started too late in my 20s to qualify as a YA read, but I absolutely have to give honourable mention to C.J. Cherryh's Foreigner series of SF, which currently stands at 22 volumes totalling over 4 million words and still has at least a couple more to go, as it's written in trilogies. Hard to get much more epic than that. I profoundly hope that she finishes the final trilogy before she herself finishes (she's been writing them for 30+ years and is now in her 80s... and has already had a recent cancer scare). Highly recommend.

UGH, and I suppose I should mention another SF/F YA favourite just to be a completionist - Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover books, which I loved as a YA but which have been spoiled for me forever after finding out about her and her second husband's CSA activities. Do not recommend. Burn them with fire.

Edited to Add: AHHHHHH, how did I miss mentioning Discworld!? The Colour of Magic was one of my first SF&F Book Club purchases as a teen, after seeing ads for the book club on the back of my dad's Analog magazines. Stupidly highly absolutely DO RECOMMEND.

[onlyincanadayousay2]

The Enchantment Emporium

Alysha Gale is a member of a family capable of changing the world with the charms it casts. Then she receives word that she's inherited her grandmother's junk shop in Calgary, only to discover upon arriving that she'll be serving the fey community. And when Alysha learns just how much trouble is brewing in Calgary, even calling in the family to help may not be enough to save the day.

Tanya Sue Huff (born 1957) is a Canadian fantasy author. Her stories have been published since the late 1980s, including five fantasy series and one science fiction series. One of these, her Blood Books series, featuring detective Vicki Nelson, was adapted for television under the title Blood Ties.

Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Huff was raised in Kingston, Ontario. Her first sale as a writer was to The Picton Gazette when she was ten.[1][2] They paid $10 for two of her poems. Huff joined the Canadian Naval Reserve in 1975 as a cook, ending her service in 1979. In 1982 she received a Bachelor of Applied Arts degree in Radio and Television Arts from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Toronto, Ontario; she was in the same class as noted science-fiction writer Robert J. Sawyer; they collaborated on their final TV Studio Lab assignment, a short science-fiction show.

In the early 1980s she worked at Mr. Gameway's Ark, a game store in Downtown Toronto. From 1984 to 1992 she worked at Bakka, North America's oldest surviving science fiction book store, in Toronto.[3] During this time she wrote seven novels and nine short stories, many of which were subsequently published. Her first professional sale was to George Scithers, the editor of Amazing Stories in 1985, who bought her short story Third Time Lucky.[1] She was a member of the Bunch of Seven writing group. In 1992, after living for 13 years in downtown Toronto, she moved with her four large cats to rural Ontario, where she currently resides with her wife, fellow fantasy writer Fiona Patton.[4][5] Her current pet population consists of six cats and what she describes as an "unintentional chihuahua".

Huff is one of the most prominent Canadian authors in the category of contemporary fantasy, a subgenre pioneered by Charles de Lint. Many of the scenes in her stories are near places where she has lived or frequented in Toronto, Kingston, and elsewhere. This author frequently uses as character names the names of people in her circle of acquaintances. A prolific author, "she has written everything from horror to romantic fantasy to contemporary fantasy to humour to space opera."[6]

She appeared in a 2009 documentary Pretty Bloody: The Women of Horror.

[chromalogue]

I was tagged by the most excellent @a-gay-wreaking-havoc!

rules: answer the 20 questions and tag 20 amazing followers that you’d like to get to know better

Name: [Redacted]

Nickname: The main one is the name I put on CVs, but Will also calls me Itty Bitty, my cousin calls me Nosferatu, and one of my best friends calls me Batgirl

Zodiac sign: Virgo


Height: 5′6″

Ethnicity: English


Favourite fruit: Pomegranates, blueberries, quince, clementines, rose apples, rambutan, Atulfo mangoes 


Favourite season: All of them!


Favourite book: Connie Willis’ To Say Nothing of the Dog, Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Charles de Lint’s Dreams Underfoot and
 Memory and Dream, L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Windy Poplars, E. Jade Lomax’s Beanstalk and Echoes of a Giantkiller, China Miéville’s Perdido Street Station and Un Lun Dun, John Crowley’s Little, Big, and if I’m allowed graphic novels, Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series.

Favourite flower: Lilac 


Favourite colour: Purple or black; some shades of blue


Favourite animals: People

Coffee, tea or hot cocoa: It can be three things.  :)


Average sleep hours: 5-8

Cats or dogs: They are both lovely, but I’m allergic to cats and I’ve had bad experiences with our last dog.

Favourite fictional characters: At the moment, Delirium, Anne Shirley/Blythe, Smoky Barnable, Jilly Coppercorn, Verity Kindle, Laney Jones, Deeba Resham, and I still have a soft spot for Dirk from Queen’s Own.


Number of blankets: 2 at the moment.

Dream trip: Right now?  Something super domestic: College Street, in Toronto.  For some reason I miss College Street more than I miss anything else.  It had the science fiction library, and Fran’s, and the Orbit Room, and the streetcar, and when the sun was setting the whole street would light up gold.  But I get to go to Ottawa next week, so I’m looking forward to that.

Blog created: September 2015


Number of followers: 398, but I don’t really block, so there are a lot of pornblogs. 

I think most of the people I follow have done this one, but if you want to do it, I tag you!

[ghjco]

Introducing Greenhouse Chocolate… with Coffee! (And a Snazzy New Outfit)

Dear Friends,

We come to you today with two decadent, antioxidant-rich, chocolatey pieces of good news.

The first: We are delighted to introduce a NEW variety of Greenhouse Chocolate: Greenhouse Chocolate with Coffee. As the name might suggest, this is our classic 75% Trinidadian dark chocolate bar with one very special addition: Pilot Roasters’ Brazilian Blend Heritage Coffee.

One year ago (almost to the date), we introduced our original dark chocolate bar, the very first bite on our menu. Made from just two ingredients — the finest direct trade, single origin Trinidadian cacao (75%) and organic cane sugar (6g/bar)—Greenhouse Chocolate contains nothing else: no dairy and no emulsifiers or preservatives. Every single bar is handmade from cacao pod to finished bar here in Toronto by our very own passionate, talented, small-batch chocolate maker Aaron Raphael.

As we explained then, and continue to advocate at every opportunity, our version of health includes—even demands—treats. We always strive to balance wellness with pleasure, and Greenhouse Chocolate offers a delicious, fibre- and antioxidant-rich way to do just that.

One year later, when Aaron proposed a second type of bar, we perked right up. When he began experimenting with adding finely ground coffee beans to the mix, we perked up even more. We tested a wide range of different beans, ground to different degrees. Eventually, we unanimously (and very perkily indeed--look for an amusing typo on the packaging if you don’t believe us) decided that Pilot Roasters’ Brazillllllian Blend Heritage Coffee was the winner.

This direct trade coffee is ethically sourced by our pals at Pilot from growers in the De Grama Valley region of Brazil. This addition is the only change Aaron has made to his delightful dark chocolate bar. We think the ground beans lend a slightly nutty tone to the new bar, with just a hint of dark fruit. We hope it leaves you flying high.

This brings us to our second piece of good news: We’ve re-outfitted our chocolate bars! You’ll notice that Greenhouse Chocolate and Greenhouse Chocolate with Coffee are now packaged in coloured pouches. These tight-seal sachets ensure that your chocolate stays fresh, and the easy-tear opening allows for faster and easier access to your chocolate, which we think is pretty essential. (The rip is also extremely satisfying.) Finally, these new outfits will allow for more efficient chocolate production, meaning you’re less likely to catch us bar-less in our shops.

Spark Notes

Made by: Chocolate maker Aaron Raphael in Toronto

Ingredients: 75% direct trade, uncertified organic cacao (cocoa nibs and cocoa butter), certified organic cane sugar (6g per bar), and Pilot Roasters Coffee Brazilian Heritage Coffee

Benefits: Rich in antioxidants, surprisingly rich in fibre and magnesium, capable of inducing extreme happiness

Shelf life: 6 months or more; store in a cool, dark, dry place

Retail price: $5

Available: In all Greenhouse shops, and coming soon online.

-GHJC

Psst: Speaking of our online shop––you perhaps noticed a few ch-ch-changes around these parts. Our website is mid-makeover! You’ve caught us in a state of semi-undress, as we’re still tweaking and refining. Please excuse any glitches you might come across. We’re very excited about the new look, and our formal reveal is coming very, very soon. Thank you in advance for your patience with us as we iron and de-lint. Questions, concerns? Email us at hello@greenhousejuice.com!

[yarnings]

A lot of Charles de Lint and Tanya Huff books are very firmly set in their cities. (Ottawa, Toronto, Kingston.)

All those Explosions were Someone Else's Fault is so firmly set in Waterloo, ON that I could track some of the sequences to within a few metres.

None of them really gave me much of a sense that the city was a character though. Most of them could have been moved to a different city, or just given less detail and have told the same story.

Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay is very firmly set in Provence though. The history and geography of the region are both plot relevant.

hey can i get some recs for pieces of media that are in love/intimately entwined with a city/their setting?

examples i can think of are The Unsleeping City (D20) and New York, Les Mis and Paris, Maeve Fly and Los Angeles, Alexandria, Why? and Alexandria, etc etc

thanks if u have anything

[kyell]

Interview with Douglas Smith #SFWAStoryBundle

Douglas Smith is the author of “The Wolf at the End of the World,” one of the dozen books included in the SFWA Fantasy Bundle (set your own price!) along with my own “Black Angel.” Let me say up front for my readership that there is a lot in “Wolf” for furries: it’s about a race of First Nation shapeshifters, who also have familiars (of a sort). What’s more, the trickster god Coyote figures prominently in this book (as Wisakejack). He’s very well written, and you can totally imagine him as a coyote throughout. Besides all that, the book is fun and engaging with a social conscience and I would happily recommend it to anyone.

Doug was kind enough to answer a few questions about his book. Read on:

What are you proudest of about “The Wolf at the End of the World”?

I’d say I’m proudest that I finished and published my first novel, especially since it was a book that required so much research. Looking back, I must have been insane to make that sort of book my first.

I write in the afterword to the book of the extensive research I did to make sure I got the Cree and Ojibwe stories, culture, and current challenges correct. I didn’t mind doing the research, because I fell in love with those stories and that culture, and found in them the same core truth that’s the theme of the book and the same vitality that drives the Heroka. But writing about another culture was a constant source of worry, as I wanted to do my very best to get things right and as accurate as possible and to treat that culture with respect.

But the research didn’t end there. I also had to research, among other things, hydroelectric dams, power generation and transmission; impact on animal habitat of logging, mining, and dams; wolves and their behavior; animal rights and activism; forensic DNA sampling, legality, processing procedures, and timing; what DNA evidence could be extracted from a two-week old exhumed corpse of a murder victim; Cree and Ojibwe language; police procedure in a small northern town and on First Nations reservations; the Windigo psychosis; as well as local flora, fauna, geography, weather, and life in a small Northern Ontario town.

What’s one interesting story or fact you discovered that didn’t make it into the book?

I just went back to check my research file. I have fifty-two pages of single-spaced notes on these topics, with references to the original source material. The vast majority of that research did not make it into this book. But I’m planning sequels, so some of that research and especially the other stories will get their chance to appear in one of those.

Something I found fascinating in Ojibwe stories and traditions is what I’d call the “theme of four.” Everything seems to occur in fours: primal elements used in cleansing before a vision quest (water, fire, stone, wind), aspects of physical world (sun, moon, earth, stars), orders of life (earth, plants, animals, man), species of animals (four legged, birds, insects, fish), seasons, directions (each of which is associated with a color), the stages or “hills” of life (infant, youth, adult, elder), stages of vision (preparation, quest, vision, fulfillment), orders of the Midewiwin, number of days of a vision quest, judges of each gender for Midewiwin judging; days that a corpse is left exposed on burial platform to let soul-spirit leave; days a fire is left burning beside death post of deceased; symbol for Kitche Manitou (circle with four projections); sons of Winonah (human mother of Nanabush); number of processions around the Midewigun before a Midewewin ceremony; aspects of health and sections in medicine wheel (mental, physical, emotional, spiritual).

I make reference to this pattern of four in one of the stories that Wisakejack tells Zach, about the four orders of life, but as you can see, there is so much more. I expect to make use of that in future books, as well as more of the stories I couldn’t find a place for.

  I do recommend that everyone read your Afterword; the amount of work you put into the research is impressive. Is there anything you’ve learned in the years since this book was published that you would like to add or change or simply share with readers?

Nothing that I would change. I continue to be grateful for the response to the book. Unfortunately, I also continue to be surprised by encounters with non-First Nations People who still remain ignorant of the abuses perpetrated on generations of First Nations children in the residential school system. So if I would share something with non-Native readers of THE WOLF, it would be to point them to some resources where they can learn more about the sad and shameful history and legacy of residential schools in Canada. In 2015, the federal Truth and Reconciliation Committee completed its multi-year investigation and hearings, publishing its final report and recommendations. The full reports are available here, as well as a timeline and history of residential schools, together with a set of learning resources for educators and students. Similar abuses took place in the US, and sadly in every country in the world “colonized” by a European power. If you’re unaware of this history, take the time to check out these resources.

  One of the protagonists of “The Wolf at the End of the World” is blind, which I thought was well portrayed. How did you research blindness to write him?

I didn’t do formal research into blindness, so I’m glad you thought Zach’s situation was well handled. I’ve had blind friends and staff who’ve worked for me in the day job. Our youngest son is physically handicapped, but not blind, and I’ve written a lot of characters with physical challenges.

I’m a character-focused writer, which means I can’t start a story until I “know” my characters. I write scenes with a strictly limited point of view, so when I was writing Zach’s POV scenes, I just put myself into his headspace and imagined being in his circumstances but without the benefit of sight.

Those scenes were both interesting and fun to write. Interesting, because I know when I was in the flow of writing the first draft of a Zach POV scene I’d often find myself starting to write a visual observation of the setting before catching myself. But it was a fun challenge, and really forced me to be “in” Zach’s head and POV when writing him. That might be why he was probably my favorite character to write in the book. Well, he and the spirit Wisakejack, whose scenes together were much fun to write.

  What other speculative fiction authors, classic or contemporary, have influenced you?

As a kid, I read Heinlein, Bradbury, and Asimov. And more, but those three were the ones where I read everything by them I could find. I’d say of those three, Ray Bradbury had the biggest impact, certainly when I started out writing short fiction. In university, I discovered Roger Zelazny, who I’d probably list as my major influence, although Charles de Lint would be a close second.

  When people finish this book and naturally want more, where can they go?

Well, if they want more stories of the Heroka, I would point them first to the novelette, “Spirit Dance.” It was my first professional sale (so be kind) and takes place five years before the events of THE WOLF AT THE END OF THE WORLD. In it, you’ll meet many of the main characters in THE WOLF.

I also have two other Heroka short stories, “A Bird in the Hand” and “Dream Flight.” Both of these feature Lilith Hoyl, a female Heroka of the bird totem. Read them in the order listed, as “Dream Flight” is an immediate sequel to “A Bird in the Hand.”

All three stories are available as ebooks on all major retailers. See my bookstore for retailer links.

If readers want more Heroka beyond that, they’ll have to wait until I write the next novel, which will pick up things shortly after THE WOLF. The next book will feature all the same characters (well, the ones that survived the ending), as well as bring Lilith Hoyl into the mix. I’m planning two more Heroka books in the same arc.

But those books will have to wait until I finish my current project, a young adult urban fantasy trilogy set in Toronto (and Peru) and featuring dream walking, astral projection, lucid dreaming, rune magic, a lost expedition, and much more. I’m currently finishing up the second book in that series.

I’d also point readers to my two short story collections, CHIMERASCOPE and IMPOSSIBILIA. Retail links for all of my books (print and ebook editions both) can be found on my website bookstore.

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Interview with Douglas Smith #SFWAStoryBundle was originally published on Kyell's Corner

[patriciasmithartist-blog]

Tips For Detailing Car

Washing Your Car

Washing your vehicle will eliminate loose contaminants such as dust, dirt, and mud from the outside of your car. Always use a vehicle washing soap rather than a soap or dish cleaner, which may damage the strip and paint wax off. Rinse your vehicle first to remove larger pieces of dirt that may scratch your car when washing, and utilize clean mitts and drying cloths.

Combine the microfiber revolution

We are living the microfiber revolution. Guru detailers use task-specific microfiber fabrics and towels for lower friction, greater efficiency and scratching and more easy washing, drying and rinsing. Director of Education and consumer connections for Meguiars, Mike Pennington, emphasizes that it's important to wash your microfiber as a load that is distinct, not mixed in with the laundry and rags. Microfiber will trap the lint from cotton towels, defeating the intention of the wash. Use very little detergent and skip and inhibit microfiber's qualities. Double upon the cycle, along with your microfiber will perform at its best. Remove before you utilize your towels to prevent scraping, and stitching. And keep in mind, you get what you pay for - those cheapo packs of microfiber from the warehouse shop are not anywhere near as good as the ones that you may find at online specialty stores.

Get a dual action polisher

For just a bit more than you'd spend on a good direct drive polisher and an orbital polisher, you can get the perfect mix of both tools with a dual action polisher like the Flex XC 3401 VRG, that retails for about $280. Based in Stuttgart, Germany, Flex was making tools since 1922, and has been building dedicated auto finish polishers since 1988. The XC 3401 VRG is detailer Randy Lowe's favourite instrument for exterior finishes. He says it will handle 90 percent of those polishing chores you may experience. Meguiars' Double Action Polisher ($149) is a bit more consumer friendly, and a little less costly than the Flex. It does not possess the rotation, which keeps the tool moving under a heavy load. Rotation is a good attribute for a specialist who knows how to utilize it.

Use two buckets to Clean

Detailers realize that the two bucket method is the best way to get your exterior tidy. Use 1 bucket to hold your suds that are clean, and another bucket to hold water that is clean. Before you plunge your cleaning mitt to the clean suds, rinse it off in the water bucket that is clean and then wring it dry. Subsequently, you are always putting a tidy mitt to the clean suds which will go on your vehicle. If you only use one bucket, you're just moving dirt from your car and back onto your vehicle. Some pros have started using the Grit Guard add, a $9.99 tray which helps sediment settle to the bottom of the wash bucket, rather than getting stirred up in the water and also recollected on your wash mitt.

Wax to Protect

Waxing is like sunscreen for your car. It includes a layer of protection from UV rays to prevent fading, as well as. It preserves your high gloss finish and is offered in a carnauba or polymer form. A polymer wax will not haze because it dries and can be wiped off after applying, although precisely the exact same is performed by both kinds of wax. The choice between using polymer wax or carnauba resembles selecting synthetic or normal motor oil. Polymer is a little more expensive but is more easy to apply and a few say performs better.

Utilize a clay bar

This trick may be out of the bag already, but it's such a great one which it bears repeating. There's no way to eliminate surface contaminants than with a clay bar system that is great. Pros have been using clay for years, and consumer versions have been for at least a decade available on the market. A fantastic clay bar system includes a spray lubricant, usually a detailing spray, an 80 - 100 gram clay bar, and a towel. According to Mike Pennington from Meguiars, after washing and drying your vehicle, you rub the clay bar on the paint to remove "secured environmental contaminants" without removing paint thickness. The smoother paint surface takes wax and polishing better, and extends the life of subsequent treatments. Meguiars' Smooth Surface Clay Kit retails for $19.99; Mothers' California Gold Clay Bar Paint Saving System is $19.95.

Car Wash Detailing Toronto

Renting A Car In Toronto

Evaluate Your Vehicle's Condition

Evaluating the state of your vehicle will guide you towards the way that it should be cleaned. A new car or one that has a good coat of wax on it, may only need a wash and wax to keep it, but a vehicle with an average to exterior that is neglected might want to be polished and clean as well.

Leave the headliner lonely

According to Pennington, there's one part of the car that detailers avoid if at all possible: the headliner. A little bit of agitation can create the glue at a headliner to fail, causing way more problems than it's worth. Maintain your ministrations to a minimum when it comes to cleaning, cleaning and tending to the headliner cloth. If you positively must wash your headliner, utilize very little moisture, rather than let it soak through the outer fabric. Auto detailing can be a great way to bond with your car, and also to make your automotive investment move farther, last longer and look much better. These secrets will assist you and your ride along the way.

Brush it first

Pennington claims that when it comes to cleaning interiors, mechanical disturbance is always better than substance intervention. That means that your first line of attack is a great brush. For instance, before vacuuming your carpet, de-mat the fibers by using a stiff nylon brush. When you vacuum, the dirt will be complimentary in the carpet, and will be more easy to extract. Though you will want to work with a brush that is gentler the same goes for door panels. Start gently if more aggressive cleaning is necessary, use a mild solution of fabric cleaner, and dry with a cotton cloth.

Utilize a buffer to Employ product, a towel to Eliminate

Consumers occasionally get confused by the name of the tool, and also use a power buffer to remove wax or shine from the painted surfaces of their cars. A buffer can leave swirl marks on your clear coat and paint if used to remove. Use the buffer to employ wax, and then use a soft, dry cloth to get rid of it. You'll avoid burning the paint or damaging the coat that is clear, and you're going to end up using a thin coat of wax.

[amazingstories]

FutureDaze2: Reprise Review

A couple of years ago, Charles de Lint gave a reading in Toronto from his current young adult novel. He began by saying that he was surprised that his publisher allowed some of the language and situations that he had put in the book, which he felt were quite adult. If situation and language are not toned down for it, what does the term “young adult” actually denote (other, perhaps, than an…

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Me at a Charles De Lint and SM Stirling book signing at Bakka Books in Toronto, 1984