http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/92634/?fp=1

If you’ve read MHI, you know my feelings on mollusks and crustaceans. Especially giant ones, from beyond space and time.

Look at that picture. It’s all fun and games until one of the Elder Things dissolves your soul for eternity. Keep on laughing, Brits.  This will not end well.

http://scifi.about.com/b/2009/06/03/david-eddings-is-dead.htm

I just heard about this. He was 77 years old.

One of the very first fantasy series I ever read was his Belgariad, and one of my favorites of all time was the Elhenium. (sp?).  Sparhawk was one of my favorite characters. I believe I read those for the first time when I was about 14 or 15 years old. David Eddings is one of the authors that caught my young imagination and made me want create my own worlds some day.

He was a talented man.

I’m working from home today. I woke up with a terrible cold. Plus I mowed the lawn last night, so that fired up my allergies, so between the two, I’m just miserable.

So while in that foul mood, I was watching the news, and listening to the talking heads struggle to pronounce Sonya Sotomeyor as Son-yaaa Soooo-tay-meh-yoooor. 

No. It is Sotomeyor, Soto-Mey-Er.  Just say the friggin’ word in English, like it is spelled. It sounds a lot like it is spelled. No, you’re not a racist if you just pronounce the word normally. You are not culturally insensitive.

Officially, according to the government, I am a Latino too, because the island my grandparents came from was 500 miles off the coast of the Iberian Peninsula, which speaks a language that vaguely comes from Latin, except we’re browner than France, so the SBA says to check the Hispanic box. My last name is Correia.

Here in America, it is pronounced Korea, like the country. That is the phonetic English spelling of the word. In Portugal it sounds like Co-hu-wey-aaa said real fast, with a little bit of the groovy double R rolling action that 90% of Americans can’t do. And guess what, since I am an American, they shouldn’t have to.  

When my ancestors hit Ellis Island, they were Americans, so it started being pronounced as Korea. See, my relatives didn’t come here to be some part of a giant, politically-correct salad bowl. They came here to get jobs, make money, and live in the land of opportunity. To do so, they knew that they needed to become Americans.

So on that same note, I’m going to just pronounce it Soto-Mey-Er. And if anybody is offended at my lack of cultural sensitivity, then congratulations, I’m going to insist that they pronounce my name the same way, and then I’m going to laugh as they choke to death trying to roll the Rs.

Why is it only liberal minority politicians that we have to be culturally sensitive about how we pronounce their name? If the last name is Wisenpffefer, Czernckowski, or Falloffasoffa, you don’t ever see that person putting the correct ethnic spin on the word.  The only time you ever see a total white guy pronouncing his name weird is when he’s gone to a festival where he can wear a kilt, get drunk, and throw big logs. It is also the only time they can say they’re in a Clan too…

On that note, Sotomeyor is not the daughter of immigrants, because they’re from Puerto Rico, which makes them American citizens, dang it. So quit saying that. It is obnoxious.

EDIT: It was just pointed out to me in the comments that I spelled her name wrong, and that it is actually SotomAyor instead of SotomEyer. See, I’m actually correct though. My “rich Latin heritage” enables me to judge these things better than you white people…   🙂

http://www.scribd.com/doc/15863055/MM052729

I have no idea if this means anything, but Simon & Schuster does distribution for Baen (my feeble understanding of the publishing industry says, beats me how it actually works) and I am on their list of highlighted books that they’re trying to sell. This appears to be the international distribution one.

I just found this through random googling. I think that this is some kind of handout for bookstore buyers.  If you scroll down I’m in the end of July/beginning of August section.  So this list is basically Stephen King, Stephen King, Dan Brown, famous author, famous author, major bestseller, movie tie-in, Stephen King, and Larry Correia… wait a second, Larry who?

The only other Baen authors on there are Ringo and Weber. That’s some fine company to find yourself in.

So, does this mean that my book is going to end up in a lot of international stores? Man, I hope so. I’m going to be positively huge in Uzbekistan, Andora, and Yap.

On that same note, if you are a fan, and you know the folks at your local bookseller, do me a favor and ask them next time you are there if they plan on ordering MHI. A little awareness never hurts. Same thing if you are at your local library.

And while I’m thinking about this topic, Baen will be sending out review copies to all the usual sources that review Baen books. I recently e-mailed back and forth with Fangoria, and they’ll be getting a review copy as well. (of course I read Fango, I’m a certified monster movie nerd) If you work for a magazine, newspaper, or big review website, or you are friends with somebody who is a professional reviewer,  and you think MHI might be up their alley, let me know and I’ll be in contact.

We’re getting closer. I’m excited.

In the meantime, read the post below and go order a cookbook. I’m on my way to Paypal now.

http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2009/04/announcing-recipes-for-real-men.html

Here is the deal. Chris and Mel are good folks who are in a bad jam because of ridiculous legal fees.   There was a custody battle that needed to be fought, and though they won, our legal system is designed to suck the life out of you.

In order to get out of the hole, they are selling cookbooks.  They asked me to post this because they know I get a decent number of visitors.

They aren’t asking for charity. They are producing something of value, and using the money to pay down their debts. It actually sounds like a really good cookbook. I’m ordering one.

Let me tell you what I know about Chris, though I think I’m still sworn to secrecy. This is the kind of guy who found out about a friend of mine who was in need. Chris not only went out of his way to help this person, he went far above and beyond the call of duty to help out a soldier. Not because he got anything out of it, but just because he had the chance to make a deployed soldier’s life a little bit nicer. From what I understand, that’s just the kind of thing he does all the time.

What I would ask is that if you were even vaugely thinking about how you might be wanting to even maybe purchase a cookbook sometime in the next decade, to go ahead and get this one, and help out a fellow blogger.  And if you have your own blog, let’s spread the word.