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Deviation Actions
What happens in Russia is beyond the control of us here in the US; neither my agent nor my American publisher have much reach that country. The only action I can take is to appeal directly to Russian readers who want Ratha to have the grace, depth, and elegance of the Russian language, which, many Russians feel, has a greater capacity to express emotion than does English.
If you are Russian reader who is interested in the series, or have a friend who is, please:
1. If you have read the Ratha's Creature Russian edition, please post a review on the publisher's forum (OLMA Media Group) or the editor's blog and ask them to release Ratha #2 (Clan). The editor has expressed the wish that people do so. If you have a Russian friend who has, encourage them to do the same.
2. Please consider, or ask your friend to consider, the results if free downloads of Ratha #1 undercut Clan and end the series in Russia. You may take, adapt, or translate my arguments in the above paragraphs, and post them anywhere you wish, especially on the file-sharing sites themselves. The main point is that the benefits of not having to pay for a book now will result in the loss of the series later.
3. We are adapting Ratha's Creature as a graphic novel for publication in the US in 2014. If the book series is cancelled, the graphic novel will probably not appear in Russia.
4. I am doing this for readers. I have already been paid upfront for the Russian rights, and frankly, given the situation, do not expect to gain much more financially. I do not want to abandon the Russian market, but if I have endure this kind of uncertainty and disappointment, persisting may not be worth the effort.
5. If you do visit the editor's blog, please let her know that I understand and applaud what she is trying to do. She has my full support, if that will help. I believe that she is the one who did the translation on Ratha, which helped it win the the Russian award. I have not posted there myself, because my Russian is very rusty, and I also don't want to pressure her. She has enough to handle as it is. I know that she doesn't want to cancel Ratha #2, and if it is dropped, it will certainly not be her fault. I am not angry at either her nor the publisher, and I hope she will understand that.
Paxton Smith on women's reproductive rights (6/21)
Smith’s valedictory address: As we leave high school we need to make our voices heard. I was going to get up here and talk to you about TV and content and media because those are things that are very important to me. However, in light of recent events, it feels wrong to talk about anything but what is currently affecting me and millions of other women in this state. Recently the heartbeat bill was passed in Texas. Starting in September, there will be a ban on abortions that take place after 6 weeks of pregnancy, regardless of whether the pregnancy was a result of rape or incest. 6 weeks. Most women don’t even realize they’re pregnant by then. And so, before they have the time to decide if they are emotionally, physically, and financially stable enough to carry out a full-term pregnancy, before they have the chance to decide if they can take on the responsibility of bringing another human into the world, the decision has been made for them by a stranger. A decision that
How Ratha's Island Originated
Beginning on March 14, 2009, a new experiment in Y/A fantasy fiction appeared on Twitter. “Ratha's Island”, a novelette designed specifically for the micro-blogging service's 140 character format, ran twice daily in blocks of 6-10 sequential “tweets” or short posts (Twitter's logo is a little bluebird, so it's messages are called “tweets”). Twitter's designers imposed the 140 character limit to enable cellphones and other wireless devices to receive the messages.) Ratha's Island ran faithfully every day, with the exception of a one-weekend break, and drew over 1000 followers to my @rathacat Twitter stream. Ratha Attacking the Condor-Eagle, art and photo 2009 by Clare Bell The main intent was to entertain people on Twitter, get them interested in the Ratha series, publicize the the new short story, "Bonechewer's Legacy" in Firebirds Soaring anthology, edited by Sharyn November, and to celebrate the newest novel, Ratha's Courage, published by Sheila Ruth of Imaginator
Ratha's Island (#4)
8/16/09 From close above Ratha came a terrific crack. She wondered dimly if a chunk of the cliff had come loose and would fall on her. Something or someone hit Ratha, knocking her sideways, spinning her. It grabbed her hindquarters, making a sling around her lower belly, halting her descent. Jaws grabbed her nape, pulling her up and away from the frothing, steaming sea. She heard flapping, hard and heavy. A second set of wing-beats joined the first; slower, but stronger. Another set of jaws tried to take Click from her, but her own teeth were clenched on the cub and wouldn't loosen. The pull ceased. Ratha then felt a gentle tongue licking her forehead. A trilling purr sounded in her ear. The scent around Ratha, although dulled by smoke and her own draining awareness, was exotic, but cat-like, and female. A slight tinge of milkiness in the odor told her that her rescuer was a nursing mother. No, not just any nursing female of this flying creature's species. Click's
Ratha's Island (#3)
The water and rock blobs warmed steadily until the water boiled and heat shimmer rose from them. Had one of those rocks...moved? Her fur prickled. She stared at another. Yes, they were moving. Very slowly. Not rolling. Oozing forward like huge slugs. A hot wind made Ratha's eyes water and drifting steam stung her nose. Every hair bristling, Ratha retreated, showing her teeth. This was too much. Extra-legged animals and oozing red-cored rocks. She spun around, heading downslope, seeking a place to hide. She was overwhelmed, drowning in strangeness. She had to get away or go mad... 4/13/09 Ratha scrambled over a hillock entwined with roots, spied an opening, thrust her foot in. At last, a cave! She peered in to check for cave inhabitants or other threats. Everything was clear. She dived into the refuge, crawled into the damp darkness and curled up, burying her tail in her nose. Soon her breathing slowed and she fell asleep. Ratha woke, slowly, drowsily. She felt a furry body
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