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The Patreon Dilemma

There has been some controversy recently about authors signing up for Patreon. For those who don’t know, Patreon is a site where people can sign up to support creators (not just authors, but photographers and artists, musicians, models… you name it) by pledging them a fixed amount of money every month. Most Patreons start at $1 or $3, and can go all the way up to hundreds of dollars per month.

I’ll be honest, I’ve been considering it for a long time, but I hadn’t taken the plunge because getting a Patreon involves two things: 1. Talking about money, and 2. Swallowing my pride. Let me explain. (more…)

romance heart sunset

#WhyIWriteRomance, or Your Bitterness is Showing

I’m supposed to be working. But instead I’m infuriated because my Twitter feed is full of quotes from some SFF author who says romance is a shitty genre and *bless the little women who put so much effort into writing it* but our products are crap. I haven’t even looked who it is because honestly… another day, another Author-with-a-capital-A being condescending. I really couldn’t care less about them. (more…)

lamb sheep

On a Mission, and a New Preshus

I love lamb. Have I ever mentioned that? Delicious, juicy lamb with mint sauce and all the trimmings. Sadly, Americans don’t seem to have got the message that there is more than wool to this wonderful animal, and can I buggery find a decent (and decently-priced) leg of lamb anywhere?

My first plan was to go the full-on smallholder route and raise my own goddamn delicious sheep if I had to (not as insane as it first seems, some of my family rear sheep and I’ve been around ovine husbandry since before I can remember). Sadly, however, AJ seems a bit… reluctant to rear plump, pretty little lambs and then send them off to slaughter just so I can have a decent Sunday roast. *sigh* So, on to Plan B. (more…)

crockpot cooking recipes

On Living the Crockpot Life #recipes

I’d never used a crockpot before last month. *gasp* When I moved Stateside, one of the first things I set my sights on was AJ’s. I have issues with the food in America: if it isn’t restaurant quality (and I mean the sort of restaurant where they make stuff from scratch with actual ingredients rather than the sort of restaurant where they serve you plastic food-ish through your car window) then I become a very sick puppy. As I’m mostly pathetic when I’m feeling sick, it’s for the good of everyone (and my bank account) I make my own food.

Enter the crockpot. It promises so many things. Delicious, healthful, simple (cheap!) meals, thrown in early and forgotten about until my stomach’s ready to digest itself. Om-nom-nom. (more…)