As you have probably heard, the US Post Office has been sabotaged by Trump appointee Louis DeJoy. What you may not be aware of is exactly how bad the damage is.
I recently had a box of perishable pastries mailed to me from one section of Los Angeles to another. When they arrived, the postmark showed that they had been sent Priority 1-Day mail on July 22. They arrived on August 9 - almost three weeks later.
Earlier, I had a box of refrigerated medication sent Priority 1-Day mail. It was stuck in transit for nine days. Like the pastries, it was ruined by the time of arrival.
Those are the most egregious examples, but since DeJoy took over, my mail has generally been unreliable and sometimes doesn't arrive at all.
Many states in America will throw out ballots that arrive late, even if they were postmarked on Election Day. Trump has already stated that he intends the election to be decided by the end of the day of Election Day, regardless of how many mail-in ballots have not been counted. He's also already stated that he considers mail-in ballots to be often fraudulent and invalid.
If you intend to vote by mail and your state has ballot drop-off boxes, don't mail your ballot. Put it in a drop-off box. Mailed-in ballots are liable to arrive weeks late or never. Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2389405.html. Comment here or there.
I recently had a box of perishable pastries mailed to me from one section of Los Angeles to another. When they arrived, the postmark showed that they had been sent Priority 1-Day mail on July 22. They arrived on August 9 - almost three weeks later.
Earlier, I had a box of refrigerated medication sent Priority 1-Day mail. It was stuck in transit for nine days. Like the pastries, it was ruined by the time of arrival.
Those are the most egregious examples, but since DeJoy took over, my mail has generally been unreliable and sometimes doesn't arrive at all.
Many states in America will throw out ballots that arrive late, even if they were postmarked on Election Day. Trump has already stated that he intends the election to be decided by the end of the day of Election Day, regardless of how many mail-in ballots have not been counted. He's also already stated that he considers mail-in ballots to be often fraudulent and invalid.
If you intend to vote by mail and your state has ballot drop-off boxes, don't mail your ballot. Put it in a drop-off box. Mailed-in ballots are liable to arrive weeks late or never. Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2389405.html. Comment here or there.
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kingofexchanges is open for signups and nominations! (We decided to do them simultaneously this year.) The tag set is here. Take a look at what's already nominated, and add whatever you like. All Stephen King-related canons are eligible.
I'm modding the exchange, along with
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sholio and scioscribe. We had a wonderful time with it last year, and it produced some great stories that I still re-read. Come on in! The water's fine. Except for the thing lurking at the bottom... Who's going to do it this year? Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2384843.html. Comment here or there.
Flash in the Pan is a 300 word-minimum flashfic fanfic exchange centered around FOOD, with an excellent opt-in system for common DNWS.
Tags are open for nominating, but sign-ups end TONIGHT. Flashfic exchanges have short writing periods - they're like the last-minute scramble to get a story in before the Yuletide archive closes.
Sign-up Closes: Tue 14 Apr 2020 11:59PM ADT (07:59PM PDT)
Assignments Due: Sat 18 Apr 2020 12:50AM ADT (08:50PM PDT)
Works Revealed: Sat 18 Apr 2020 01:50AM ADT (09:50PM PDT)
Creators Revealed: Mon 20 Apr 2020 12:00AM ADT (08:00PM PDT)
Check out the delightful freeform tags!
A Preposterously Juicy Mango
Adventures with sourdough starter
Character(s) Keep Cultural Tradition Alive Through Cooking
Choking Down Terrible State Dinner
I Must Trust You If I'm Eating Something That Could Be Poisoned
Mortal Food is Surprisingly Edible
Orchestrating An Elaborate Heist To Steal The Only Copy Of A Secret Recipe
The Pot-Luck From Hell
These Food Cans Don't Have Any Labels So Dinner Will Be Whatever We Find When We Open Them
Two Characters Who Don't Like Each Other Must Grudgingly Work Together To Cook A Feast
Fantasyland Characters Discover That Cooked Giant Spider Tastes Like Crab. This Changes Everything
Please join me to write about my favorite thing, FOOD. The minimum word-count is only 300, and will be a delightful distraction.
Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2364340.html. Comment here or there.
Tags are open for nominating, but sign-ups end TONIGHT. Flashfic exchanges have short writing periods - they're like the last-minute scramble to get a story in before the Yuletide archive closes.
Sign-up Closes: Tue 14 Apr 2020 11:59PM ADT (07:59PM PDT)
Assignments Due: Sat 18 Apr 2020 12:50AM ADT (08:50PM PDT)
Works Revealed: Sat 18 Apr 2020 01:50AM ADT (09:50PM PDT)
Creators Revealed: Mon 20 Apr 2020 12:00AM ADT (08:00PM PDT)
Check out the delightful freeform tags!
A Preposterously Juicy Mango
Adventures with sourdough starter
Character(s) Keep Cultural Tradition Alive Through Cooking
Choking Down Terrible State Dinner
I Must Trust You If I'm Eating Something That Could Be Poisoned
Mortal Food is Surprisingly Edible
Orchestrating An Elaborate Heist To Steal The Only Copy Of A Secret Recipe
The Pot-Luck From Hell
These Food Cans Don't Have Any Labels So Dinner Will Be Whatever We Find When We Open Them
Two Characters Who Don't Like Each Other Must Grudgingly Work Together To Cook A Feast
Fantasyland Characters Discover That Cooked Giant Spider Tastes Like Crab. This Changes Everything
Please join me to write about my favorite thing, FOOD. The minimum word-count is only 300, and will be a delightful distraction.
Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2364340.html. Comment here or there.
I have a new book out! It's the result of all that circus research I was doing, and I had an absolute blast writing it. It has flying kittens, backstage hijinks, hurt-comfort, food porn (several readers have testified that they ran out and bought Girl Scout cookies after reading), and a surprise magical pet (hint: he's blue).
If you don't want to buy from Amazon, you can buy it directly from me by emailing me at [email protected]. If you can't afford it, email me and I'll send you a free copy. If you want it in paperback, that will be possible soon.
Not my circus, not my monkeys.
The problem is, it is his circus. Literally.
Merlin grew up in a traveling circus where all the performing animals are shifters. Not to mention that it's a front for an international crime ring. (It's a long story.) And that's just the beginning of his secrets... all of which he's determined to keep from his bodyguard team of misfit shifters, and desperate to hide from his mate.
Too bad that his circus stole her priceless family heirloom... and she's hired him to get it back.
Dali just got mugged by a flock of pigeons. And you thought you were having a bad day.
Her Navy career blew up in her face, pigeon shifters stole her grandmother's necklace, and the cops won't even take her police report. On the plus side, an adorable flying kitten just adopted her, and the man she hired to retrieve the necklace is the sexiest guy she's ever laid eyes on. Sure, he turns into a velociraptor, but everyone's got baggage.
But what she doesn't know can hurt her...
Defender Raptor (Protection, Inc: Defenders Book 2)
Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2349771.html. Comment here or there.
If you don't want to buy from Amazon, you can buy it directly from me by emailing me at [email protected]. If you can't afford it, email me and I'll send you a free copy. If you want it in paperback, that will be possible soon.
Not my circus, not my monkeys.
The problem is, it is his circus. Literally.
Merlin grew up in a traveling circus where all the performing animals are shifters. Not to mention that it's a front for an international crime ring. (It's a long story.) And that's just the beginning of his secrets... all of which he's determined to keep from his bodyguard team of misfit shifters, and desperate to hide from his mate.
Too bad that his circus stole her priceless family heirloom... and she's hired him to get it back.
Dali just got mugged by a flock of pigeons. And you thought you were having a bad day.
Her Navy career blew up in her face, pigeon shifters stole her grandmother's necklace, and the cops won't even take her police report. On the plus side, an adorable flying kitten just adopted her, and the man she hired to retrieve the necklace is the sexiest guy she's ever laid eyes on. Sure, he turns into a velociraptor, but everyone's got baggage.
But what she doesn't know can hurt her...
Defender Raptor (Protection, Inc: Defenders Book 2)
Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2349771.html. Comment here or there.
I got a late treat, and an absolutely marvelous one.
Sun and Rain - X-Men comics, Lorna Dane/Alex Summers. An interlude from their time by the Rio Diablo.
A beautiful slice of life about two grad students in love who also happen to be superpowered mutants, living in the desert, studying the landscape, and coping with trauma-related nightmares when you have magnetic powers that can trash your appliances. An absolute delight. I don't think you need to know the canon to enjoy it.
And more excellent stories for your enjoyment:
For Sale: Baby shoes, Never Worn (Reasons Vary). Five not depressing but rather perfectly normal (and one not so normal) ads someone might post to sell a pair of baby shoes that have never been worn.
What it says on the can. And also, this sort of thing is what fandom is for.
They Return to the Sea - Original Work. The Ghost Jellyfish rise.
100 words of ghost jellyfish, what more can you want?
Adrift. Original Art. What unfinished business could a jellyfish possibly have?
Ghoooooost Jeeeeeeeellllyfiiiiiish.
Walking the Floor - The Addams Family. Gomez takes a turn with baby Wednesday.
300 words, every one of them a delight.
Bright Side - Defenders. Jessica gets a Halloween job. She may or may not regret this.
Jessica Jones and Ward Meachum at a kiddie Halloween party. 'Nuff said.
The Distant Triumph Song - Doomsday Book - Connie Willis. “So you’re saying Montoya unearthed a medieval virus,” Kivrin summarized. “And my parents told me my degree would never be good for anything in the real world.”
Lovely, heartbreaking twist on the themes of the book.
The Katabasis of Mrs. Pollifax - Mrs. Pollifax series - Dorothy Gilman. In which Mrs. Pollifax descends to the Underworld to rescue a friend.
Everything I wanted when I prompted "Mrs. Pollifax deals with the supernatural."
Wolves of Ice - Thor: Ragnarok. It walks the dark halls of the ship, they say. It is larger than a bilgesnipe, but it is not a bilgesnipe. It is cold as ice. Its claws clatter on the metal decking and leave frost in their wake. Its eyes glow in the dark.
Well-written, well-plotted, emotionally resonant Thor & Loki story with a really terrific premise.
Under So Many Lids - Twin Peaks. Cooper was far away, and he stood at the foot of a staircase, in a tower made of steel.
Absolutely gorgeously written noir fairytale.
Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2325395.html. Comment here or there.
Sun and Rain - X-Men comics, Lorna Dane/Alex Summers. An interlude from their time by the Rio Diablo.
A beautiful slice of life about two grad students in love who also happen to be superpowered mutants, living in the desert, studying the landscape, and coping with trauma-related nightmares when you have magnetic powers that can trash your appliances. An absolute delight. I don't think you need to know the canon to enjoy it.
And more excellent stories for your enjoyment:
For Sale: Baby shoes, Never Worn (Reasons Vary). Five not depressing but rather perfectly normal (and one not so normal) ads someone might post to sell a pair of baby shoes that have never been worn.
What it says on the can. And also, this sort of thing is what fandom is for.
They Return to the Sea - Original Work. The Ghost Jellyfish rise.
100 words of ghost jellyfish, what more can you want?
Adrift. Original Art. What unfinished business could a jellyfish possibly have?
Ghoooooost Jeeeeeeeellllyfiiiiiish.
Walking the Floor - The Addams Family. Gomez takes a turn with baby Wednesday.
300 words, every one of them a delight.
Bright Side - Defenders. Jessica gets a Halloween job. She may or may not regret this.
Jessica Jones and Ward Meachum at a kiddie Halloween party. 'Nuff said.
The Distant Triumph Song - Doomsday Book - Connie Willis. “So you’re saying Montoya unearthed a medieval virus,” Kivrin summarized. “And my parents told me my degree would never be good for anything in the real world.”
Lovely, heartbreaking twist on the themes of the book.
The Katabasis of Mrs. Pollifax - Mrs. Pollifax series - Dorothy Gilman. In which Mrs. Pollifax descends to the Underworld to rescue a friend.
Everything I wanted when I prompted "Mrs. Pollifax deals with the supernatural."
Wolves of Ice - Thor: Ragnarok. It walks the dark halls of the ship, they say. It is larger than a bilgesnipe, but it is not a bilgesnipe. It is cold as ice. Its claws clatter on the metal decking and leave frost in their wake. Its eyes glow in the dark.
Well-written, well-plotted, emotionally resonant Thor & Loki story with a really terrific premise.
Under So Many Lids - Twin Peaks. Cooper was far away, and he stood at the foot of a staircase, in a tower made of steel.
Absolutely gorgeously written noir fairytale.
Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2325395.html. Comment here or there.
@yuletide_admin has all the links and how-to.
Anyone signing up for the first time, or the first time in a while?
Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2323872.html. Comment here or there.
Anyone signing up for the first time, or the first time in a while?
Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2323872.html. Comment here or there.
A Time of Daughters.
In a time of change and danger, peace sparks to war, and sons become daughters...
It’s nearly a century after the death of Inda, the unbeatable Marlovan commander.
Danet and Arrow, content in their arranged marriage, just want to live in peaceful obscurity and raise their family. But when a treaty sends them to the royal city to meet the heir to the throne, they discover that peace is fragile, old enemies have long memories, and what you want isn't always what you get.
By the time they learn that you can’t go back again, events ignite a conflagration that no one could have foreseen—except for the ghosts who walk the walls in the royal city.
This is the first half of an epic story of politics, war, family and magic in the beloved world of Sartorias-deles.
At Book View Cafe
Only $1.99 on Amazon: Time of Daughters I
Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2318986.html. Comment here or there.
In a time of change and danger, peace sparks to war, and sons become daughters...
It’s nearly a century after the death of Inda, the unbeatable Marlovan commander.
Danet and Arrow, content in their arranged marriage, just want to live in peaceful obscurity and raise their family. But when a treaty sends them to the royal city to meet the heir to the throne, they discover that peace is fragile, old enemies have long memories, and what you want isn't always what you get.
By the time they learn that you can’t go back again, events ignite a conflagration that no one could have foreseen—except for the ghosts who walk the walls in the royal city.
This is the first half of an epic story of politics, war, family and magic in the beloved world of Sartorias-deles.
At Book View Cafe
Only $1.99 on Amazon: Time of Daughters I
Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2318986.html. Comment here or there.
It's my favorite time of year!
How and where to nominate.
Who's participating this year? Who's still contemplating? What have you nominated or plan to nominate?
This year I nominated Rocannon's World by Ursula K. Le Guin, Finisterre: The Nighthorses by C. J. Cherryh, and Mojo Magical Horse Figurines.
The latter may require some explanation. This is a new fandom which currently exists only in my mind. These delightful magical horses are currently prancing about my bookcases. I intend to ask for a story in which they come to life.
MOJO Dark Unicorn
MOJO Rainbow Unicorn
(Schleich image as Mojo image won't work).
MOJO Dark Pegasus
MOJO Rainbow Pegasus
I was unable to nominate this one as it's not Mojo, but Morbane said I could mention it as an optional detail. Behold the Safari Ltd. Pyrois
!
Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2318251.html. Comment here or there.
How and where to nominate.
Who's participating this year? Who's still contemplating? What have you nominated or plan to nominate?
This year I nominated Rocannon's World by Ursula K. Le Guin, Finisterre: The Nighthorses by C. J. Cherryh, and Mojo Magical Horse Figurines.
The latter may require some explanation. This is a new fandom which currently exists only in my mind. These delightful magical horses are currently prancing about my bookcases. I intend to ask for a story in which they come to life.
MOJO Dark Unicorn
MOJO Rainbow Unicorn
(Schleich image as Mojo image won't work).MOJO Dark Pegasus
MOJO Rainbow Pegasus
I was unable to nominate this one as it's not Mojo, but Morbane said I could mention it as an optional detail. Behold the Safari Ltd. Pyrois
!
Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2318251.html. Comment here or there.
Two damaged people. One deadly enemy.
And a pair of hell-raising flying kittens....
I have a new book out, under my pen name Zoe Chant. It's a publicly known pen name so it's OK to link me to it.
It's a spinoff from my Protection, Inc. series and is ideally read after the final book of that, Top Gun Tiger. However, it's the first book of a new series and should stand on its own.
I hope readers have even half the amount of fun reading it that I did writing it. I consulted my id and decided that what it really wanted was hurt-comfort, flying kittens, miniature flying ponies, dollhouses, and dinosaurs. So if you like any of those things, enjoy!
It's $2.99 on Amazon. If you would like an epub, please Paypal that amount to [email protected] (not gmail) and I will send you one. If you would like a free copy, please email me at Rphoenix2@gmail (not hotmail! these are two different email addresses) and let me know what format you'd prefer, and I'll send it to you.
Tirzah hacked into a shady agency’s computers to get proof of their evil deeds...and uncovered a secret so wild it can’t possibly be real.
Shapeshifting supersoldiers on the run from their creators? A lab studying captive mythical creatures? It has to be some bored employee’s fantasy novel. Right?
Then the flying kitten turns up. And the assassins. And the gargoyles.
But just because Tirzah uses a wheelchair doesn’t mean she’s helpless. Okay, so some secret organization is gunning for her? She’s going to gun right back... and she knows exactly who can help her. If she can track him down...
Pete was once a Recon Marine. That was before he was abducted and turned into a monster. Now he's escaped his prison... but in his heart, he’s still in chains.
It’s not just his ferocious cave bear he has to hide. For the safety of everyone - his team of misfit shifters, his family, and especially his thirteen-year-old daughter - no one can discover what his captors did to him.
He can’t let himself get close to anyone.
Until the most gorgeous woman he’s ever seen hacks her way through all his defenses, to offer him a job he can’t refuse...
Defender Cave Bear (Protection, Inc: Defenders Book 1)
Cover by Augusta Scarlett (aka @telophase).
Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2305743.html. Comment here or there.
And a pair of hell-raising flying kittens....
I have a new book out, under my pen name Zoe Chant. It's a publicly known pen name so it's OK to link me to it.
It's a spinoff from my Protection, Inc. series and is ideally read after the final book of that, Top Gun Tiger. However, it's the first book of a new series and should stand on its own.
I hope readers have even half the amount of fun reading it that I did writing it. I consulted my id and decided that what it really wanted was hurt-comfort, flying kittens, miniature flying ponies, dollhouses, and dinosaurs. So if you like any of those things, enjoy!
It's $2.99 on Amazon. If you would like an epub, please Paypal that amount to [email protected] (not gmail) and I will send you one. If you would like a free copy, please email me at Rphoenix2@gmail (not hotmail! these are two different email addresses) and let me know what format you'd prefer, and I'll send it to you.
Tirzah hacked into a shady agency’s computers to get proof of their evil deeds...and uncovered a secret so wild it can’t possibly be real.
Shapeshifting supersoldiers on the run from their creators? A lab studying captive mythical creatures? It has to be some bored employee’s fantasy novel. Right?
Then the flying kitten turns up. And the assassins. And the gargoyles.
But just because Tirzah uses a wheelchair doesn’t mean she’s helpless. Okay, so some secret organization is gunning for her? She’s going to gun right back... and she knows exactly who can help her. If she can track him down...
Pete was once a Recon Marine. That was before he was abducted and turned into a monster. Now he's escaped his prison... but in his heart, he’s still in chains.
It’s not just his ferocious cave bear he has to hide. For the safety of everyone - his team of misfit shifters, his family, and especially his thirteen-year-old daughter - no one can discover what his captors did to him.
He can’t let himself get close to anyone.
Until the most gorgeous woman he’s ever seen hacks her way through all his defenses, to offer him a job he can’t refuse...
Defender Cave Bear (Protection, Inc: Defenders Book 1)
Cover by Augusta Scarlett (aka @telophase).
Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2305743.html. Comment here or there.
Stephen King exchange (books, movies, TV series, etc), only 500 word minimum for fic, last chance to sign up is tonight at 11:59 EDT!
AO3 Collection
AO3 Tagset
Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2304324.html. Comment here or there.
AO3 Collection
AO3 Tagset
Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2304324.html. Comment here or there.
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Happy Birthday.