pbray

Three things make a post--

Yesterday was an in office day for a team planning session, so I brought in Irish Soda Bread muffins. I'd forgotten how good they are, and how much they remind me of my childhood. And how much I miss being able to bake and share, which is one of the downsides of the Zoom workplace.

Struggling a bit with work/life balance, but I keep reminding myself that the work part pays for the balance side of the equation. And I realize I'm lucky to have a job.

Caught in the conundrum of trying to manage my stress by rationing my consumption of news and social media, but then I worry about missing things.... not sure there's a right answer.

And for a bonus fourth topic, realized that it's the equinox this week and the official start of spring, regardless of the weather forecast. So, um, yay?!

This was our 25th trip together... for those keeping track... and our third trip with our friend Sarah B.

It was our first trip with Ciclismo Classico. Highly recommend them if you're planning a bike trip in Italy.

2024 Heart of Tuscany (Italy), Ciclismo Classico
2023 Cotswolds Tour (UK), Bicycle Adventures
2022 Olympic National Park and Discovery Trail, Washington State, Bicycle Adventures
2021 Finger Lakes NY - Carolina Tailwinds
2020 Trip Canceled - COVID
2019 Glacier Park Montana, Trek Travel
2018 Michigan - Cherry Coast, Carolina Tailwinds
2017 St John's - Trinity Bike & Hike, Freewheeling Adventures (Canada)
2016 Best of Madison, Carolina Tailwinds
2015 Middle-Tennessee, Carolina Tailwinds
2014 Coast of Maine (Acadia), Discovery Bike Tours
2013 *no trip*
2012 Big Sur--Monterey to Santa Barbara, California, Backroads
2011 Santa Fe/Taos, New Mexico, Bicycle Adventures
2010 Outer Banks North Carolina, Carolina Tailwinds
2009 Black Hills South Dakota, Timberline
2008 Northern Shenandoah VA, Carolina Tailwinds
2007 Crater Lake Oregon, Bicycle Adventures
2006 Canadian Rockies Alpiner, Timberline
2005 Historic Quebec, Classic Adventures
2004 Bryce/Zion Alpiner, Timberline
2003 Finger Lakes, Classic Adventures
2002 Blue Ridge NC, Carolina Tailwinds
2001 Nova Scotia, VBT
2000 Mid-coast Maine (Camden, Castine), VBT
1999 Nantucket weekend, Easy Riders
1998 Middlebury VT weekend, VBT

Trips before Stacey became my personal trainer :-)
1996 Kerry Ireland (9 day), Easy Riders
1995 Maryland Eastern Shore, VBT

This was our 23nd trip together... for those keeping track"

2022 Olympic National Park and Discovery Trail, Washington State, Bicycle Adventures
2021 Finger Lakes NY - Carolina Tailwinds
2020 Trip Canceled - COVID
2019 Glacier Park Montana, Trek Travel
2018 Michigan - Cherry Coast, Carolina Tailwinds
2017 St John's - Trinity Bike & Hike, Freewheeling Adventures (Canada)
2016 Best of Madison, Carolina Tailwinds
2015 Middle-Tennessee, Carolina Tailwinds
2014 Coast of Maine (Acadia), Discovery Bike Tours
2013 *no trip*
2012 Big Sur--Monterey to Santa Barbara, California, Backroads
2011 Santa Fe/Taos, New Mexico, Bicycle Adventures
2010 Outer Banks North Carolina, Carolina Tailwinds
2009 Black Hills South Dakota, Timberline
2008 Northern Shenandoah VA, Carolina Tailwinds
2007 Crater Lake Oregon, Bicycle Adventures
2006 Canadian Rockies Alpiner, Timberline
2005 Historic Quebec, Classic Adventures
2004 Bryce/Zion Alpiner, Timberline
2003 Finger Lakes, Classic Adventures
2002 Blue Ridge NC, Carolina Tailwinds
2001 Nova Scotia, VBT
2000 Mid-coast Maine (Camden, Castine), VBT
1999 Nantucket weekend, Easy Riders
1998 Middlebury VT weekend, VBT

Trips before Stacey became my personal trainer :-)
1996 Kerry Ireland (9 day), Easy Riders
1995 Maryland Eastern Shore, VBT

This was the year that Stacey and I were going on our first international trip-- we'd signed up for a "Prague to Vienna" trip with Trek Travel.

Then COVID happened, and riding in Vermont became an exotic destination. Sigh. Only the second time in 22 years that we've not gone on a trip.

Hoping for next year-- our plan is to travel with Carolina Tailwinds, our favorite tour company.

Posting the list here, for the record.

2020 Trip Canceled - COVID
2019 Glacier Park Montana, Trek Travel
2018 Michigan - Cherry Coast, Carolina Tailwinds
2017 St John's - Trinity Bike & Hike, Freewheeling Adventures (Canada)
2016 Best of Madison, Carolina Tailwinds
2015 Middle-Tennessee, Carolina Tailwinds
2014 Coast of Maine (Acadia), Discovery Bike Tours
2013 *no trip*
2012 Big Sur--Monterey to Santa Barbara, California, Backroads
2011 Santa Fe/Taos, New Mexico, Bicycle Adventures
2010 Outer Banks North Carolina, Carolina Tailwinds
2009 Black Hills South Dakota, Timberline
2008 Northern Shenandoah VA, Carolina Tailwinds
2007 Crater Lake Oregon, Bicycle Adventures
2006 Canadian Rockies Alpiner, Timberline
2005 Historic Quebec, Classic Adventures
2004 Bryce/Zion Alpiner, Timberline
2003 Finger Lakes, Classic Adventures
2002 Blue Ridge NC, Carolina Tailwinds
2001 Nova Scotia, VBT
2000 Mid-coast Maine (Camden, Castine), VBT
1999 Nantucket weekend, Easy Riders
1998 Middlebury VT weekend, VBT

Trips before Stacey became my personal trainer :-)
1996 Kerry Ireland (9 day), Easy Riders
1995 Maryland Eastern Shore, VBT

Just returned from annual bike trip. This year it was Newfoundland-- started off in Saint John's and wound up in Trinity. Trip included 2 hiking days which was a nice change.

Newfoundland was wonderful. I'd love to go back sometime when I had more time to explore.

2017 St John's - Trinity Bike & Hike, Freewheeling Adventures (Canada)
2016 Best of Madison, Carolina Tailwinds
2015 Middle-Tennessee, Carolina Tailwinds
2014 Coast of Maine (Acadia), Discovery Bike Tours
2013 *no trip*
2012 Big Sur--Monterey to Santa Barbara, California, Backroads
2011 Santa Fe/Taos, New Mexico, Bicycle Adventures
2010 Outer Banks North Carolina, Carolina Tailwinds
2009 Black Hills South Dakota, Timberline
2008 Northern Shenandoah VA, Carolina Tailwinds
2007 Crater Lake Oregon, Bicycle Adventures
2006 Canadian Rockies Alpiner, Timberline
2005 Historic Quebec, Classic Adventures
2004 Bryce/Zion Alpiner, Timberline
2003 Finger Lakes, Classic Adventures
2002 Blue Ridge NC, Carolina Tailwinds
2001 Nova Scotia, VBT
2000 Mid-coast Maine (Camden, Castine), VBT
1999 Nantucket weekend, Easy Riders
1998 Middlebury VT weekend, VBT

Trips before Stacey became my personal trainer :-)
1996 Kerry Ireland (9 day), Easy Riders
1995 Maryland Eastern Shore, VBT

In film, Alfred Hitchcock is known for his signature cameo appearances. In fiction, Patricia Bray is known for including goats. Goats creep into her stories like secret punctuation marks, leaving tiny cloven hoofprints among the pages. Some call her obsessed, but Patricia has stumbled on a truth that few others know--the universe is made up of five elements, not four-- Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Goats. Now you can show your support for all things Caprid, by pledging $85 you'll receive a ZNB goat mascot autographed by Patricia, guaranteed to contain the secret knowledge known only to goats and their devotees.

Follow this link to learn more about ZNB's latest Kickstarter: Robots, Water, Death, and to make your pledge in order to receive your very own goat mascot.

I'm working on my notes for my upcoming guest lecture at the Odyssey Writers Workshop. The workshop organizers stress the value of including personal experience into your presentation.

Which brings to mind an unfortunate kayak excursion. The river was extremely low, so much so that we kept stepping out, picking up our kayaks, then carrying them until we found a spot where they would once again float. As the group started to separate across the width of the river, we'd call back to our companions "Not this way!" and "Not this way either!"

Come to think of it, that encapsulates my advice to new writers. Be prepared to try lots of things, and don't be discouraged if you fail. Learn from those who have gone before you, but don't assume something that worked for them will also work for you. Or conversely, just because they failed doesn't mean you won't succeed.

And always keep your sense of humor.

ZNB LLC is currently accepting submissions for these two anthologies, guidelines can be found here.

Here are the authors who have agreed to be part of these anthologies: Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Phyllis Ames, Jacey Bedford, Patricia Bray, David B. Coe, David Farland/Dave Wolverton, C.S. Friedman, Walter H. Hunt, Faith Hunter, Katharine Kerr, Gini Koch, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, Gail Z. Martin, Larry N. Martin, Seanan McGuire, Juliet E. McKenna, and Jean Marie Ward. Stories selected from the open call will be used to fill the remaining slots.

Submissions must be received by October 31st 2015.

In the latest news from the FBI crime labs, an admission that they've been overstating the likelihood of DNA matches, a problem that dates back to at least 1999.

This is part of a series of reviews that have revealed systemic problems with forensic evidence provided by the FBI. Back in 2012 they revealed similar issues with hair & fiber evidence, these dating back to the 1980s. Not to mention the earlier well-publicized problems with gunfire residue evidence and fingerprint analysis.

Back in 2009 the National Academy of Sciences went before Congress with a scathing indictment of the state of forensic science at all levels of law enforcement in the US, pointing out that the lack of standards and scientific rigor meant that junk science was routinely being presented, unchallenged, at criminal trials. In an optimistic view, one could say the latest report from the FBI shows that they've committed themselves to reform, and are being open about the past.

Or you could say that they are just as likely to learn from this as they learned from the FBI lab scandals in the 1990s...which is to say, not at all. Bad FBI science.

Once upon the time there was an attorney who wanted a job where she could set her own hours and work from home. The agent began attending RWA conferences and making connections. Soon she'd signed on a promising crop of unpublished romance authors, including yours truly. With great enthusiasm she began sending their submissions out.

After several rejections, a publisher made an offer on my book. They sent along their boilerplate contract, which we reviewed and asked for a few minor changes. And then the negotiations started. While the changes we'd asked for were straightforward, the byzantine ways of publishing meant that even the simplest of changes required time and jumping through hoops. I remember a phone call where the agent vented her frustrations over the difficulties involved, and how the entire process bore little resemblance to her previous experience negotiating business contracts.

At last the agent presented the final contract for my signature, then informed me that she quit. After spending over a year trying to launch her career, the big bucks had yet to roll in, and she'd realized she was making far less than minimum wage. She set her clients free and returned to the legal world.

In fact she disappeared so quickly and thoroughly that this caused a series of problems, since my publisher kept sending snail mail to her old business address which was no longer valid, and of course the business phone had been shut off. Eventually I tracked her down, not an easy thing to do in the 90s, and managed to get her signature on a document authorizing all correspondence for this title to be sent directly to me.

In the end everything worked out for the best. Since I was orphaned, I was free to look for a new agent, and this time I got my top pick, Jennifer Jackson, an experienced pro with the power of an established literary agency to back her up. The contract negotiations that had mystified my first agent were well known (if arcane) rituals to Jennifer. And when the time came, she had the knowledge and contacts to help me make the leap from romance to SF&F.