V.L. Jennings' Official Website- Exploring Human Potential, Soaring Among The Stars: News & Real Life

Showing posts with label News & Real Life. Show all posts

Sunday, December 13, 2020

Christmas Tree Hack for Cats

Look at this cat enticing tree! LOL So much fun!

Do you have a cat that climbs your Christmas Tree, knocks it down, and subsequently destroys all of your ornaments?

I've seen many people fighting over dominance of the tree with their kitties.

I've seen so many people decide to tie their trees to the wall..

I have extra persistent kitties and here is how I beat them every year! (They always climb the tree before I get around to making the collar- sneaky twerps!)

I get sheets of tinfoil and a roll of scotch tape and lay flat on my back under the tree.

Pass the sheets of tinfoil up through the branches and lay them flat on the very bottom branches, as close to the center as possible, and out to where the little branches come off the spoke. These sheets must lay across two spokes at a time and overlap each other.

Once the 'collar' has been created, lightly tape the sheets of tinfoil to the branches (one piece of tape, every other branch should do it) and also add a single piece of tape to the seams where the tinfoil overlaps.

Gray plastic Walmart bags work well, stuffed on top, if you dont want to use tape. (you won't see these if your tree is fluffed and spread well) They also help in addition to tape if your cats are the EXTRA EXTRA persistent type.

Again, tinfoil sheets should be as close to the center as possible, must stretch across two branches at a time, and leave no gaps!

Kitties try to climb up center like a ladder- the tinfoil blocks this.

I have seen my cats poke the tinfoil and once it doesn't move they walk away.

Here's a Blueprint for illustration:

Here's what the collar looks like under the tree:

Notice those spokes I was talking about... Kitty climbing ladders!

I swear you can't see it from outside the tree!

No one will know you have defeated your kitties! Remember- you will need a NEW collar every year. Please remove the tinfoil when you remove your decorations to put the tree away every year.

Like I said... I have had numerous friends complain about their cats in their Christmas trees... please let me know if these instructions need clarification and I will be happy to oblige!

Monday, March 12, 2018

The Alien Mind In Audiobook

The Alien Mind Audiobook Giveaway!

Click for a free 30 Day Trial of Audible
AND The Alien Mind free!!

I am really excited about this announcement! For the FIRST TIME EVER- The Alien Mind is now in fully narrated audio, complete with different voices for each character! I am thrilled with the quality of my producer, Brian Meslar's work and was absolutely amazed at how well he was able to unknowingly match the characters voices to the voices I've always heard them speak inside my head! It gave me goosebumps so bad I had to review it in short spurts!

In honor of this first ever release of The Alien Mind in Audiobook format I am giving away a free audiobook copy! Use the Rafflecopter to get your entries recorded!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can go here: https://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/The-Alien-Mind-Audiobook/B079V3VRW5 to listen to a sample of the narration!

The Alien Mind is also available in Kindle and Paperback through amazon as well as Large Print, Paperback, and Hardback through Barnes and Noble!

Meanwhile, I'm busy working on my senior project for my Electrical Engineering Technology degree, and building a circuit to decorate my graduation cap with (because I am totally geeky like that). I'll be sure to update you here when I finish!

Oh, I also have editing on Visionary From The Stars to tackle but that has taken a back seat to my senior project work honestly. I'll be sure to keep you updated on this as I come along too.

Remember! You have till the 31st to get all your entries in and you can enter each option once a day!

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

UnBlocking My Site With Social Media Buttons

For those of you out there with websites I have a very interesting piece of info for you!

Originally I was using Social Media Button Maker to help me create the coding for the social media buttons on my website. That is until I started getting reports from Avast Users that they were getting blocked from my website!

After weeks of googling for a solution, I finally sent an e-mail to Avast to report to them that all other antivirus software (including Kaspersky) were reporting that my site was clean.

Avast sent me back a fast reply telling me that the Social Media Button Maker code (they actually sent me the erroneous piece of code to assist in me finding the problem) was why my website was getting blocked. Back to my backend to figure out why.

I pulled up my code for that widget and found a link INSIDE the code to a shifty hotel site! That was my tip off! I don't remember that being there before! So I deleted the Javascript and sat down to find better buttons and write the html myself. This sent me to a google search where I found ALL of my buttons (including the ones the button maker didn't offer) on WikiCommons! SCORE!

And here's what the buttons look like!:

Buttons in use!

Just regular buttons! YAY!

Once I was finished I reported my fix to Avast and they promptly sent me a confirmation saying that my site would be taken off "blocked" in the next antivirus definition update! YAY!!!

Because I have so many friends that love building their own websites I figured I would offer the code here. They don't have counters, don't lag in loading, or do anything fancy. All you have to do is update the BOLDED links with your own social media links and paste the html where you need it on your site!

HTML Code for social buttons:

<div><a href="http://www.instagram.com/author.vl.jennings" style="font-size: 100%;"><img alt="WikiInstagram button" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Instagram_icon.png" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 42px;" / /></a><a href="www.twitter.com/vljennings" style="font-size: 100%;"> <img alt="Wikitwitter button" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Twitter_Logo_Mini.svg" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 42px;" / /> </a><a href="www.facebook.com/vljennings" style="font-size: 100%;"><img alt="Wikifacebook button" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Facebook_icon.jpg" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 42px;" / /> </a><a href="https://plus.google.com/+VirginiaLoriJennings" style="font-size: 100%;"><img alt="WikiGplus button" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Google_Plus_logo.png" style="border: 1; height: 42px; width: 42px;" / /></a><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/vljennings/" style="font-size: 100%;"><img alt="Wikipinterest button" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Pinterest-logo.png" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 42px;" / /></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/virginialorijennings" style="font-size: 100%;"><img alt="Wikiyoutube button" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Youtube_logo_stacked-vfl225ZTx.png" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 42px;" / /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/VLJennings" style="font-size: 100%;"><img alt="Wikigoodreads button" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Goodreads_%27g%27_logo.jpg" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 42px;" / /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Alien-Mind-V-L-Jennings/dp/1940812658" style="font-size: 100%;"><img alt="Wikiamazon button" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Amazon-mp3-store-source_Faenza.svg" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 42px;" / /></a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/vljennings" style="font-size: 100%;"><img alt="Wikilinkedin button" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Linkedin.svg" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 42px;" / /></a><a href="http://www.virginialorijennings.com/feeds/posts/default" style="font-size: 100%;"><img alt="WikiRSS button" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Rss-feed.svg" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 42px;" / /></a></div>

<end code>

Once again these codes are completely clean! Once you replace the bolded links with your own there will be no further link back to me at all ;)

If you'd prefer to take out some of the buttons or perhaps re-order them... here's the breakdown:

Instagram: <div><a href="http://www.instagram.com/author.vl.jennings" style="font-size: 100%;"><img alt="WikiInstagram button" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Instagram_icon.png" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 42px;" / /></a>

Twitter:
<a href="www.twitter.com/vljennings" style="font-size: 100%;"> <img alt="Wikitwitter button" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Twitter_Logo_Mini.svg" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 42px;" / /> </a>

Facebook:
<a href="www.facebook.com/vljennings" style="font-size: 100%;"><img alt="Wikifacebook button" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Facebook_icon.jpg" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 42px;" / /> </a>

Google+
<a href="https://plus.google.com/+VirginiaLoriJennings" style="font-size: 100%;"><img alt="WikiGplus button" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Google_Plus_logo.png" style="border: 1; height: 42px; width: 42px;" / /></a>

Pinterest:
<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/vljennings/" style="font-size: 100%;"><img alt="Wikipinterest button" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Pinterest-logo.png" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 42px;" / /></a>

Youtube Profile:
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/virginialorijennings" style="font-size: 100%;"><img alt="Wikiyoutube button" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Youtube_logo_stacked-vfl225ZTx.png" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 42px;" / /></a>

Goodreads:
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/VLJennings" style="font-size: 100%;"><img alt="Wikigoodreads button" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Goodreads_%27g%27_logo.jpg" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 42px;" / /></a>

Amazon Author Page:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Alien-Mind-V-L-Jennings/dp/1940812658" style="font-size: 100%;"><img alt="Wikiamazon button" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Amazon-mp3-store-source_Faenza.svg" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 42px;" / /></a>

Linkdin:
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/vljennings" style="font-size: 100%;"><img alt="Wikilinkedin button" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Linkedin.svg" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 42px;" / /></a>

RSS Feed:
<a href="http://www.virginialorijennings.com/feeds/posts/default" style="font-size: 100%;"><img alt="WikiRSS button" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Rss-feed.svg" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 42px;" / /></a></div>

I hope this helps someone out there! Thanks for stopping by!

***"Improving, Non-stop"photo credit: Broadway via photopin (license)

Find The Alien Mind on Amazon!

Did you like this post? If so you might enjoy my book!

For adults and teens alike, it is truly a science fiction adventure for the whole family!

If you'd prefer an autographed copy straight from the author you can buy one here as well!
Autographed Copy:$13.00 + Shipping

"If you enjoy my writing, would you care to buy me a cup of coffee?"

Monday, May 16, 2016

A Perfect or Imperfect Future?

The future may not be perfect, but we can always keep working to improve it! What would a perfect future look like to you? These are the types of concepts that keep sci-fi writers up at night. These are the concepts that keep us inspired to explore new worlds and new ideas in our writing... Because of this, we tend to get very excited to share new science fiction books with new readers! To us, it is like sharing a science fair project sometimes! *Look, COOL! A new shiny!*

Which brings me to my guest today!

Simon Rose is the author of science fiction and fantasy novels for children and young adults. Simon’s books include The Alchemist's Portrait, The Sorcerer's Letterbox, The Clone Conspiracy, The Emerald Curse, The Heretic's Tomb, The Doomsday Mask, The Time Camera, The Sphere of Septimus, Flashback, and the recently published Future Imperfect.

Simon, would you please tell us about your latest novel?

Future Imperfect is an exciting technology-driven adventure featuring teenage geniuses, corporate espionage, and mysterious messages. In the novel, we’re introduced to Andrew Mitchell, who was one of the leading experts in highly advanced technology in Silicon Valley, until he vanished following a car accident, which also injured his son, Alex. When a mysterious app later appears on Alex’s phone, he and his friend Stephanie embark on a terrifying journey involving secret technology, corporate espionage, kidnapping, and murder in a desperate bid to save the future from the sinister Veronica Castlewood. This sounds very exciting.

Why do you think kids will enjoy Future Imperfect?

The story will appeal to all young readers for whom technology plays such a large role in their lives, whether it’s cell phones, laptops, tablets, gaming, or the online world, but it’s also a very compelling adventure story, with lots of cliffhangers, twists, and turns. There might even be a couple of sequels, but we’ll wait and see what the future holds, I guess.

Where can people buy the book?

Future Imperfect is available at local bookstores, online at Amazon Canada, Amazon USA, Indigo/Chapters, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK, and other locations, and autographed copies can also be purchased directly from me via my website.

Future Imperfect is very much in keeping with the themes you’ve explored before in science fiction and fantasy, but very different to your last novel.

Yes, my previous novel, Flashback, is a paranormal adventure involving psychic phenomena, ghosts, imaginary friends, mind control experiments, secrets, conspiracies, and time travel with a difference. The story was inspired by numerous ghost stories, books, and movies about psychics and the paranormal, past lives and hypnosis, and the concept of going back into your own life armed with your current knowledge to somehow attempt to change the previous course of events, for better or worse. Flashback has two sequels coming out in 2017, one in the spring and the third installment in the summer.

Is all of your work for young adults?

In addition to the novels, I’ve written more than 80 nonfiction books for children and young adults, but have also written books for adults. These include The Children's Writer's Guide, The Working Writer's Guide, The Social Media Writer's Guide, School and Library Visits for Authors and Illustrators, and Exploring the Fantasy Realm. These titles are all available as ebooks or as paperbacks. I’m also a contributing author to The Complete Guide to Writing Science Fiction and have written some picture books for younger readers.

What do you do to promote yourself and your books?

I’m in all the usual places online and on social media but I’m also active in the local writing community and conduct book signings at local bookstores on a regular basis. This spring I was at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo and connected with readers at schools and libraries in Montreal and Quebec City during Children's Book Week.

What other work do you do?

I work as an instructor for adults at Mount Royal University and the University of Calgary. These classes and courses focus on writing for children and young adults or preparing your work for publication. I also offer coaching and editing services for writers in all genres and conducts online writing courses, such as Writing for Children and Young Adults and Writing Historical Fiction. I write screenplays, articles for magazines, and offer copywriting services for websites, blogs, social media, and businesses.

Where can people learn more about you and your work?

You can visit my website at www.simon-rose.com or subscribe to my newsletter, which goes out once a month and has details of my current projects and upcoming events.

Thank you so much for agreeing to stop by and share your work with my readers Simon! I want to wish you luck and congratulations on your new release! Just in time too! Many parents are hunting for some new books for their kids to read this summer!

Readers- If you are looking for a new book- be sure to add Simon's to the list! They are certain to keep you entertained!

Meanwhile be sure to check out:

Simon's Social Media links

Facebook * Twitter * LinkedIn * YouTube * Google + * Pinterest

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Being A Writer In A World Of Free

Boy Meets Girl Meets Boy Meets World: Waiting for Topanga's Bra to Fall

Speculating among the stars- none too happy about what I see...

I've been an author for, oh, going on 11 years now... I've never seen anything strike me so hard in my gut as what I found out yesterday.

Let me explain, Yesterday I was alerted to a call to arms by a colleague of mine, fellow author, and social media guru Kristen Lamb in her post: A Culture Addicted to FREE—How FREE is Poisoning the Internet & Killing the Creatives.

Apparently a performer, Revolva, was approached by Oprah's team to perform at an event that they are charging up to $999 dollars per ticket. The kicker... Oprah's team wanted this performer to do her work- FOR FREE. Kristen has checked back in with this performer and although Revolva's post has received thousands of hits, nothing was ever said by Oprah's team. Wil Wheaton, a well known actor, was also approached by Huffington post who asked to repost his blog post on their site for free as well! Will commented on twitter: "If you write something that an editor thinks is worth being published, you are worth being paid for it. Period."

I'd like to point out that it is not only hurting creatives but also the economy at large!

Think about it. Bookstores (who were once willing to host book signings) are now few and far between. So, in order to reach you, my audience, in person I must pay for my exposure. A lot goes in to being an author.

See that price on the back of the book, preferably above the bar code? If you are buying direct from the author- TWO THIRDS of that cost is money that pays for the printing and shipping of the book, as well as paying the illustrators and the editors! The other third (if the author is lucky) is profit. When you buy the book elsewhere a store like Amazon or Barnes and Noble- that third gets cut into a further half (IF the author is lucky).

By the time an author buys bookmarks or business cards and a table space from which to sell their books. That money is gone. Add in the gas and the hotel to come to the event, the author is now in the red.

BUT in this case at least the author is selling some books.

So they CAN make some of their money back.

Not only that but the author's money is being funneled back into the economy through the event staff who will likely spend it elsewhere too. The author pays the hotel and the eateries so that helps the economy too.

PLUS If the author has been lucky enough to pay for all of this and STILL have money when they get home? Well then the economy benefits even more- someone's tuition gets paid, the light bill gets paid... Or... the author makes enough money to contribute a few bucks toward the jar saving up to get their roof fixed. (Exposure makes the whole family sick when it is 25 degrees outside and raining!) And now the economy thanks you because a general contractor can be paid too!

This is not always the case at events where you see creatives though.

Free entertainment in trade for 'exposure' has become an epidemic!

Lately it has become commonplace for events to "hire" creatives to speak or perform at their events on the premise of exposure. I didn't know this till recently but many of these large Sci Fi conventions do this. Consider many of the panels where you get to spend an hour listening to a creative talk about their job and answering your questions, unless the creative has a table where they are selling their stuff, that creative is there working for FREE with very little chance of making even their lunch money back for the day.

By the way, I don't see them charging an extra fee for those who want to participate in the gaming rooms- which is also entertainment!

Which leaves the author inevitably saying:

"Sure! I'll work for free! I'll just sell my wares out of my purse for the rest of the weekend."
Because THAT looks completely professional right?

Consider this... If I manage to make $4 in profit off of a book...when you already assume $200 in expenses for the cheapest hotel, gas, and food- I'd have to sell 50 copies in a weekend to break even! This is equivalent to spotting a rainbow- it doesn't happen every day! I've already had to turn down a few myself!

Not all events treat artists like traveling salesmen either. I've been to some events that have just a small table fee for authors/illustrators who each get a 3 foot space. In return they request that you (the creative) speak at their panels which are pulled together for the benefit of their guests. Sure, you are working but you are also being treated as a professional and given the opportunity to make some money.

Consider what happens if your authors and artists realize they can't afford to show up to your event? Then your event will have dwindling amounts of entertainment, in which case your audience will slowly start to dwindle. What happens then? You will slowly die off... which in turn, further hurts the economy!

On the flip side of that...

I have also come across libraries holding book expos that PAY their author speakers. Why? Because you are doing that library and that event a service. You are providing their audience for a REASON to show up and hopefully spend money which in turn supports their event and the economy. KUDOS to you Birmingham Author Expo!

Even if it is something small... 7$ an hour even! It is something!

HECK I can get paid minimum wage to sort through lose electronics wires and bits at my local Technical College under their work study program!

I submit that taking hours putting words to paper, having them professionally edited and illustrated, and then talking to an audience and allowing them to pick my brain for hours is much more emotionally and physically taxing then sorting electrical bits.

If someone small like a library event can afford to pay their speakers something than YOU CAN TOO (here's looking at you- international scifi conventions! )

The Solution:

Time= money... and all I'm saying is (for our bills sake), We creatives would love to be able to earn even just a little for the time we spend being entertaining!

Those of you who are sending your work out there for free (here's looking at you- amazon authors) all you are doing is shooting yourself in the foot and teaching MORE people that your work is worth so little that every creative SHOULD give their work away for free.

Authors:

-Perhaps offer up a 'sampling', a free chapter or two from the middle of your book to those who sign up for your news letter? (Putting my actions where my mouth is... once I pull the file together I'll be offering this shortly! Stay tuned!)

-Please stop offering to trade your books with others- it doesn't look very professional unless the other person is already a good friend of yours. PLUS- every book that is given away for free eats into the funds required to buy the next shipment of books!

Conventions, events, trade shows...

-Please pause and consider how much your vendor would need to sell in order to make it worth their while - AS WELL AS what you need to be able to afford the space fee, before you set your table fees. (I'm not completely heartless, I know you need money to be able to run the show next year!

-Perhaps consider us paying you a percentage of sales instead?

Consumers- We are consumers too. We know how wary you are to pay top dollar for a performance by an unknown artists, or for a book by an unknown author. But before you give in to the disease that has become the dime store/ free epidemic... please consider asking any of us if we have a small sample that you could try for free before buying. We would be honored that you even asked!

With that in mind... sign up for my newsletter if you'd like a free sample of The Alien Mind!

Or:

"If you enjoyed my writing, but can't buy a book, would you care to buy me a cup of coffee?"

*Photo credit 1: Boy Meets Girl Meets Boy Meets World: Waiting for Topanga's Bra to Fall via photopin (license)

*Photo credit 2: Indien: Mumbai via photopin (license)

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

2/2/16 Random Topics Chat Transcript

For those who missed the 12pm chat- today was just random topics. I did however learn how to make the chatroom mobile responsive (You are awesome for helping me with that Michael!) and learned that another friend of mine is helping her husband with a retro gaming youtube channel! THAT ought to be really cool! Can't wait to see it!

Peruse the transcript... you might just find the secret I shared too! I will be running these chats a minimum of once a week from now on. Not sure about a sticking time yet but watch for me to make the announcement on the chat page and on social media!

2/2/2016 Random topics Chat Transcript:

Skye Hegyes

I'm just gonna try this out and see if it works...

Oh! Shiny!

11 hours ago