Creme of Coconut Spritzer

Thanks to a gift of a manual carbonated water maker from a lovely relative. I have enjoyed various juice spritzers.

Actually, I make a spritzer out of just about anything including tea. So, this time I tried a dollop of Creme of Coconut and made a great Coconut Spritzer.

I recommend an ice-old fruit or other flavored spritzer on these hot summer days.

P.S. I got lucky there's a restaurant supplier on Paseo de Montejo that sells the carbonation cartridges.

A Few Cooked Rice Desserts

I needed to satisfy my sweet tooth using what I had on hand. I had already eaten all my sweets, so that meant innovation.

A search of Cooks.com for a rice dessert, found Bibingka (Coconut Rice Dessert) which called for a special rice, coconut milk, brown sugar and milk. Other recipes suggested other additions.

All I had was milk, cream, and Creme of Coconut, raisins, honey, vanilla and cinnamon.

So, here is what I cooked:

1 cup rice
1 cup Creme of Coconut
1 cup water

Add all ingredients to a skillet. Mix all ingredients together. Cover. Cook at simmer until rice has absorbed the liquid (about 20 minutes).

Variation: use 2 cups of milk instead of Creme of Coconut and water.

Additions and toppings

First, I cooked the rice. It was good just as it was but I went on to make a few combinations.

No. 1 Rice mixed with a few raisins topped with a dollop of honey.

No. 2 Rice mixed with vanilla flavoring with cinnamon sprinkled on top. (This was my favorite.)

No. 3 Rice mixed with cream topped with a dollop of honey. (Truly creamy taste.)

Also, it tastes good cold.

Answers to Mystery Writer, Jenny Crusie's Questions on Mystery Stories

Jenny Crusie's website Argh Link came up in a Google Alert on Mystery Writers. I enjoyed her August 5, 2014 post, Howdunit: Writing Mysteries, about her personal experiences trying to write a mystery.

She’s funny…using mental duct tape to patch holes in her story really captures her struggles with her story. I could empathize.

I was surprised when she talked about her TV binge of watching mystery shows. Yet, her details about the writing, characterization, mood, and setting illustrate the structure of good mystery writing.

Jenny knows of what she speaks, her master’s thesis was on women’s roles in early mystery fiction.

While her blog is chock full of useful info, it was the questions she asked her readers at the end that captured my attention. Below are my responses to her questions

Questions:

What are some mystery titles–books and film–that you think are stellar?

Sadly, I have a poor memory so I can’t immediately recall from the mass of movies and books I have consumed which ones stand out.

But Mary Stewart (Madam Will You Talk) and Dorothy L. Sayers (The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club) are my favorite mystery writers because of the quality of their writing that includes excellent plotting and characterization. Mary Stewart subtly injected poetry, history, geology, and more into her stories which piqued my interest and stimulated my life-long love of learning. It was Sayers’ sentence structure that spurred me to want to write.

Based on some recent viewings, I like BBC’s 2005  State of Play. I have watched it probably 30 times. It is such a lesson in writing a “mystery/action adventure.” I was amazed at the use of foreshadowing in the dialogue where little bits about the character are revealed and later played a role in the plot. The acting was great. Watching the characters evolve from lack of information and preconceived notions about the crime into persistence, to deception, to disbelief, and to revelation.

Another reason I liked BBC’s State of Play was that every character was well acted and added to the story. For example, the mother and brother of the young man who was killed may not be in many scenes but when they are on screen, they have a huge screen presence. They add energy and realism to the story in very human ways.

I have gobbled up tons books and movies, mysteries, science-fiction and more. There are many other excellent stories. But, one in particular that stands out is Who Rides a Tiger? by Doris Miles Disney. For some reason, the way she cast the story and characters made the story believable and surprising. I guess because the twist held a final irony is what made it memorable.

What annoys the hell out of you about some mysteries?

I do not think I have ever figured out “who done it” in any mystery. When I reread the mysteries looking for the clues, I can see where I missed the clue but sometimes I think authors get a little too “fancy” trying to hide a unique or obscure clue.

Plus, sometimes, the plot seems to get convoluted just to make it confusing not because it adds to the story.

Are there any unbreakable rules to mystery writing?

Again, while I have never solved a mystery, I do think that upon rereading the story, the reader should be able to see all the clues.

Most of all, what makes a good mystery?

Besides the obvious, plotting and characterizations, for me, what makes a good mystery is not the crime but the mystery of the characters involved, the mystery of human nature and how it is expressed. Also, I have to have sympathy for key characters.

Another reason I like Dorothy L. Sayers is that intertwined in her stories is also the story of British culture and history, and her settings as well as her characters embody or reflect these elements.

Subtle humor and descriptive settings also add a great deal to stories.

========

To find Jenny Crusie's website Argh Link go to: http://www.arghink.com/2014/08/05/howdunit-writing-mysteries/

Sidetracked, Swamped, Astounded, and Distracted

Ok, the bad news is production of another volume of Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook has been suspended. The project got sidetracked by health issues including food allergies.

The good news is El Sueño de Gina (the Spanish version of Gina's Dream) is in progress at the publisher, theWritePlace (.biz). Projected publication date is late November.

Some of the things I learned while writing Gina's Dream is I need alot more practice writing action scenes, plotting, and developing characters. I just could not make my bad guy mean enough to scare anyone. Plus, I learned that while I thought I could write some "steamy" sex scenes, I could not let the public read them, especially my family and friends, just could not do it.

For a brief moment, I thought I could write a "romance", instead, I wrote a cookbook, the first volume of Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook.

And I am astounded by the depth and breadth of the marketing efforts needed to promote a book. I have spent almost a year pursuing various marketing efforts for Gina's Dream including: holding a book launch party; trying promotions; writing articles for other websites; tweeting; emailing select "contacts" to introduce Gina's Dream; writing and rewriting press releases; joining various "book/writers" websites; contacting relevant media; going to science-fiction conventions; researching reader demographics; and more. Every day I wake up and realize there are 100 new outlets to contact.

More good news, Mocktails, a short collection of recipes for non-alcoholic cocktails, is with a few beta-readers and will be printed locally by November 2014. But, unless I figure it out, because Mocktails is image-intensive, I will not be able to publish Mocktails on Smashwords.

Also, I found a Mac expert at ComuniMac  and he solved some major problems I was having with my devices. What a relief!

Ok, the good news/bad news is I am swamped with ideas to research and articles to write.

Plus, I am distracted by my need to inject some other kinds of "fun" into my life, liking going to the beach, or a concert, or a play. The good news is I am back to taking walks and exploring more areas of town.

Along the way, I met many wonderful people. My beta readers are fantastic. The authors and writers I met online and in-person inspire me. I continue to learn and appreciate something new everyday.

Look at my Dinosaur earrings from Balticon 2014

I am enjoying my Dinosaur earrings from Janet Kofoed of Janet Kofoed Jewelry.

She made these custom earrings for me. I just got them and this just extends the enjoyment I had attending Balticon 2014.

Balticon 2014: Why is Romance 53% of the Market?

Panelists: Reesa Herberth, L. Jagi Lamplighter, P.J. Schnyder, Stephanie Burke

The short answer to the panel's question is: Romance readers buy 2-3 dozen stories a month versus other genre readers who may buy 1-2 stories a year.

The modified short answer is: a romance story is about 'the relationship' and a romance story has a guaranteed outcome - a happy ending. Readers consume romance stories like a drug to experience the "high" of a happy ending. The 'romance' is the plot.

Long answer: The panel of romance writers write in various 'Romance' genres where the romance occurs in various settings like: sci-fi, western, mystery, fantasy, paranormal, suspense, and more.

Romance stories are also categorized by 'Heat Level.' Some romance stories have no 'sex', some have 'sweet, innocent, sensual contact', some have light to heavy sex, but if the sex is categorized outside of these labels it may be labeled erotica. All publishers have their own definitions of 'Heat Level' and readers learn to trust publishers' categorizations.

If the story contains a romance but the romance does not drive the plot, then it is not a romance.

The panelists advised writers to build up a backlog of romance stories set in various sub-genres or different settings to prepare for the ebb and flow of what is popular. Zombies, Magical stories, and Dystopias are beginning to lose their appeal. In a nutshell, the market for these types of stories is getting saturated. So, what will be the next popular sub-genre?

You are writing for a market of competing desires: the desires of the readers, the desires of the editors and the desires of writers which are always in a state of flux. Each group is seeking something familiar or something new.

Some Marketing Romance Tips:

• Use social media.
• Use teaser quotes in social, print and electronic media.
• Use Google hangout for interviews or parties.
• Use taglines to help the reader determine if it will fit their needs. For example, highlight unusual aspects that may make the romance unique.

Author, Stephanie Burke made an interesting observation -- movie producers and publishers often look at the 'stories' being used in popular video games for inspiration for new stories.

Burke also noted, if you can be a diversified writer and have a strong voice, publishers may advise you of upcoming markets.

Balticon 2014: Steps to Successful Self-Publishing

Panel members: Alessia Brio, Lauren Harris, Brand Gambin, Brian Rathbone

Quick breakdown of steps:

• Write a good novel.
• Share it with Beta Readers.
• Get the final draft edited.
• Get good cover art.
• Select publishing method -- ebook, audiobook, print-on-demand
• Be prepared to pay for some services.
• Market your novel.
• Start work on your next novel.

Write a good novel
Some panelists said just write your story ideas down first without regard to grammar. Others said they take care as they write.

Share it with Beta Readers/Get the final draft edited/Get good cover art
Network, go to writing forums or other social media to find possible beta readers, editors and book cover artists. Once you have selected a cover, have the artist create it in various versions for the web, for ebook publishing and print.

Try to get your cover art in vector graphics because it is easier to resize.

One author gets a painter to create his covers. He uses the image for various forms of publication and then frames the painting to hang on his wall.

Select your publishing method
Will need to get over the learning curve regarding formatting your book for publication. Read the specs for the publishing outlet you select. One caution, graphics can make it hard to format your novel for ebook publication due to software limitations. Plus, graphics can increase the file size of your novel and therefore increase your costs for distribution.

Many authors also published audiobooks of their novels not only for promotional use but as another revenue stream.

Be repared to pay for some services/Market your novel.
During the publishing process, you may need to seek professional services like editing, cover art, audiobook recordings or production of book trailers. Again, balance your expenses with potential revenues and your time investment. Watch your pennies.

Know your audience, find your audience. Create a mailing list. Engage with your readers. Have a website. Go to where your audience goes like science fiction, romance or western conventions but again, balance your marketing time with your writing time -- you are a writer.

Write your next novel
While you market your previous novels.

Balticon 2014: Quick Notes on Q&A with Dr. Vinton Cerf re: Google and the Internet

Dr. Vinton Cerf gave an overview of what the future holds for the internet and Google.

I have listed some comments below:

Look at the future of O3B Satellites.

Google had the idea to use balloons to over wifi service globally.

Telecomm industry uses the scarcity business model and makes inflated claims about negative effects of net neutrality. Hidden behind the Telecomm industry's words is an "anti-competitive behavior."

Google wants the internet to remain a place where innovation can occur. If the Telecomm industry charges for adequate bandwidth for users to function, it will stifle creativity.

Is the internet a public utility or a common carrier?

Cerf suggests that we need specific internet legislation introduced by Congress to clarify this question. The FCC can interpret existing legislation but can not legislate.

After the NASA revelations, Google now encrypts its traffic.

While Google does accumulate search words and gmail text, they do not share this data with others.

Google has not had a major data breach like many other companies.

Google continues to innovate.

Not being a technical person, I can not adequately restate many of the comments made..

Balticon 2014: Promoting Your Book(s)

Was late for this panel, so I missed the introductions.

Came in at "post-it notes" are great promotional items.

The talk was focused on buying supplies of novelty items printed with your name, logo, book title and website. Some authors like magnets, buttons,souvenir cups. Others liked ink pens that also functioned as stylus but they were pricey.

All the panel members agreed. If you are self-published author or even a traditionally published author, "You Are A Business." So, you have to think like a business person and learn to make good business decisions. For example, it is important to get out and met your fans or potential fans, so many go to conventions but which one will work for you? Given that time is finite, you have to be selective about how you balance your marketing time with your writing time. Because first and foremost you are a writer.

Some of the panel members liked podcasting. They all recommend a well-designed website and a blog. But, you do not necessarily have to blog everyday; once a month works fine.

Other panel members have created TV commercials, movie-production quality book trailers and video blogs. Again, time and money spent needs to be considered in regards to potential return on investment.

Much of the discussion focused on book trailers. The emphasis was on the complexity of creating a book trailer. While it may take a day to shoot, it could take weeks in post production to perfect the final product.

Others suggested sending your work to professionals to get a book trailer made. Some suggested just making a video blog post and sending it along with your book to reviewers because reviewers like videos.

One panelist held a Facebook Party and it exceeded all his expectations and included lots of surprises like other authors who wanted to be guests at the party. Another panelist suggested a Twitter Party where you use hashtags and track them. But, above all else, interact with your audience or potential audiences.

Some cautions about using social media: If you tweet, don't just tweet about your book, interact with others; and watch what you tweet because you can't take it back once you hit the send button.

A final suggestion was try to get your work included in anthologies either in print, or ebooks or in audiobooks.

What did not work for some panelists were: print ads, google ad words, or printed t-shirts.

Conclusion: "You can not be an introvert", if you have chosen to be an author.

Balticon 2014: Using Social Science in Speculative Fiction

Got up early for a panel discussion on the use of Social Science in Speculative Fiction.

T. Jackson King, an anthropologist (tjacksonking.weebly.com) and Barry Nove (barrynove.us), a social worker led the discussion.

I loved their ideas like:

• Read the articles and research from the field of anthropology to get ideas for building "new" worlds based on existing but little known cultures like various sects of Tamil's Hindu communities and learn how they perceive the world and some of their rituals.

• Social work uses the scientific findings from all fields of research and in that research you can find alternative perspectives on everyday life.

By reading the works from these fields you can get ideas that add depth and dimension to your characters.

Barry Nove said as a social worker you interact with a wide diversity of people from different religions and ethnic groups and they vary in their social behavior. For example, strict Jews do not allow women to be in a room alone with a man, so the door must be kept open. So, when conducting an interview with a woman from a strict Jewish faith, she may get up and open the door without explanation or apparent reason.

Some religions would be offended if you offered to shake a woman's hand. Some ethnic groups have food taboos.

But, Nove also said that in life and in writing, "Conflict is essential." He said it may not always be wise to "rescue" someone because the outcome could produce worse results than intended. Each person has a good side and a bad side. Conflict and destruction may produce new, evolutionary outcomes.

What we perceive as normal today may not have been "normal" in the past nor in the future.

Nove, also a genealogist, suggested researching family histories, not just yours but those of others for ideas.

As an idea for other characters, Nove suggested that you include hidden minorities.

Nove and King agree that diversity among characters will attract a wider readership. Include people with disabilities, various ethnic characters, etc. Or to turn this idea around, write your novel for specific audiences like the LBGT community, for example.

King suggested get out of your comfort zone, travel and talk to people from other cultures.

Balticon 2014: A Conversation with Author Michael D. Ambrosio

At Balticon 2014, in the Dealers Room, I met author, Michael D. Ambrosio and he had stories to tell (glowball9961@yahoo.com) and (www.fracturedtime.com).

After we had talked for awhile, I asked him what made him write his first novel, Fractured Time. He said that while he was stationed in Iraq, he lamented the lack of Science Fiction reading materials. A friend suggested, he write a novel to fill the void. So, he did.

Once Ambrosio started writing, he continued adding novels to his various series, Fractured Time Triology and Space Frontiers as well as other novels. Along the way, he got an education in publishing and much more.

What is impressive about Ambrosio's career is all the opportunities he has seized or created for himself by just following an idea.

Because he attends several Science Fiction conventions a year, he contacts local radio stations and has been a guest on various shows and podcasts to talk about his novels and science fiction. He is also a screenwriter and has created screenplays for movies and TV shows based on his novels. Agents have expressed interest in several of his novels but one thing or another stymied those efforts illustrating the haphazard nature of the movie industry.

Also, Ambrosio likes to use small publishers. He publishes with several small publishers hoping that each publisher will market his novels to different niche markets and more.

He has made his own commercials and wrote a screenplay at the request of an actress he met at a convention.

He learned public speaking on the fly while serving as a member on several panels.

As our conversation ended, I told him, "You have another book to write...your adventures in publishing."

Balticon 2014: Pricing eBooks and Why Free is not Always Better

Saturday, 5/24/14

Having a complimentary breakfast at Embassy Suites, the overflow hotel, before I catch a shuttle to Hunt Valley for "Pricing eBooks..." program.

Hope to catch:

The Heinlein Awards for Geoffrey Landis.
Author Branding Across Platforms and Media
The Art Show and the Dealers Room

The Dealers Room is where vendors are setup at tables to sell their wares, featuring anything from games, to comics, to used and new books, costumes, jewelry and much more.

Pricing eBooks....

A four member panel with moderator began the discussion. Sue Bayman is a poet and first time novelist. Kelly Harmon has written several books. Michael R. Underwood works for AngryRobots.com and is a published author and Collin Earl and Chris ? are both authors and run Silverstone Books.

The basic answer to the question "Is offering your ebook for free, a good idea?", is no with exceptions. As the ebook market matures, offering free books to gain an audience is not always the best route for an author.

A series of books seems to be the best route for authors to make money and earn a reputation in the publishing business. So, if you write a series, maybe offering the first in the series for free is a good idea to attract a readership.

Or, if you are a novelist who is offering a standalone ebook, offering it for free for a short period of time as a promotion may be a good idea.

One drawback to offering your novel for free is that people who may not like your genre may download it for free and then provide a poor review.

With ebooks, publishers and self-publishers can offer a novel at different prices over time.

But, if you are self-published you are the marketeer as well. Consider pricing your novel based on size, production time, entertainment value and market comparables.

The most important thing to remember is you are in this for the long haul. Your novel may not sell well immediately but keep writing and producing novels. Keep networking and looking for marketing opportunities. For example:

Send your novel to netgalley for review.
Build a mailing list for those who may want review copies.
Build up awareness prior to the release of your novel.

====

Tech issues have plagued this trip. Can not recharge my minipad, so can not blog on-site; have limited use of hotel computer and more.

======

On to the Art Show--

I appreciate talent. While I am not creative, I recognize artists who have the "creative eye", the ability make something "new", in a new format, a new perspective and more. The piece evokes a mood.

In the art show, there are jewelry displays featuring necklaces, earrings, bracelets, pins, and rings. Some were along the costume jewelry line, others were very artistic using beaded materials, metals like copper, stone, and found pieces in elaborate or simple designs.

There were Barbie dolls in fairy costumes, wire sculptures, and painted gourds as holiday ornaments as well as paintings in oil, watercolor, and more.

The paintings features images from nature and lots of fantasy figures and scenes. There were portraits and nudes, dragons and cats, and scenes from an artist's favorite story.

On the the Dealers Room --

Here you find lots of jewelry, leather and clothes designers as well as authors with their inventory of books and used book sellers. The best thing was the books for me. Being able to hold a book and flip through the pages is an irreplaceable feeling. Ebooks just don't do it for me.

But, in the used book stalls you will find the older authors like Frank Herbert, Frederick Pohl, Douglas Adams, William Gibson, Roger Zelazny, Jack L. Chalker, Jerry Pournelle, Harlan Ellison and more.

A Balticon Blog 2014

Friday 23, 2014

Late lunch in the Hunt Valley Grill with a Maryland Crab Cake sandwich and Malibu "something", a drink with rum and pink grapefruit drink. All very good.

I was hungry that is why the food came first.

At my first glance at the program, there is Guest of Honor, Brandon Sanderson, along with many Goh's like Ghost of Honor, Robert Jordan, a well-known Sci-fi writer who passed away in 2007. I was surprised by the Artist Guest of Honor, Halo Jankowski, he specializes in Tattoo art.

Ok, what is Balticon, it is the Baltimore Science Fiction Society's annual convention where science fiction fans and others come to appreciate all aspects of science fiction from writing and publishing, to artwork and costume construction, to movies and movie making, to songs and so much more.

Oh, just the highlights that caught my eye and my tastes. They are playing the Wizard of Oz and old Bewitched TV shows as well as Iron Man, Frozen, Gravity, Soylent Green, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and much more.

A lot of new writers are displaying their published books like Grig Larson's Trolley and Space B!tch, and Jhada R. Addams's Devil's Gambit.

Part of the registration package included a huge paperback by GOH Brandon Sanderson's The Way of  Kings.

I like science fiction but I come from the days of Issac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Ursula Le Guin, Spider Robinson, Orson Scott Card, Ray Bradbury, and so many more. I do not recognize a single name here but I hope to get introduced to some new great writers.

Tech issue, the minute I landed at BWI, I have had innumerable tech issues, now in the hotel grill, on the hotel internet, I am getting warning messages "can not save." But, after each message, if I try at least three time, it finally saves. Later, the connection kept dropping. So frustrating.

Just now reviewing the program events and there are many programs I am interested in and many I probably won't make because you just can't do it all.

Sampling of programs....

A Virtual Tour of the Universe
Space Weapons
42 Reasons Why You Should Write for Young Adults

More to come.

Ongoing Rundown of Cafes in Mérida, México

I am a cafe person. So, I am always thrilled to find a new cafe. While I have updated this list with new cafes, I have not visited them all.

Look for updates, since things change frequently

Updated: 10/26/2018

Cafe Chokoh
Calle 39 x 64 y 62A, Centro
Open: L-V 8:30-4;00
Good sandwiches, coffee, frappes, and more.
See post on Cafe Chokoh for more information

El Apapacho Cafe
Calle 62 x 41 y 43
Open: Miercoles -Domingo 11:00 - 11:30
Lots of vegetarian choices.
See blog post for more information.
Update: Need to check their hours, they have changed.

Espresso de Arte
Calle 62 #445 53 y 51
Colonia Centro
Open: Lunes a Sábado 10:0 am - 10:00pm

El Origen Cafe
Calle 62A #472 x 39 y 37
Reforma, Centro
Open: Lunes a Viernes de 12pm a 3pm
offers servicio a domicilio
999-287-4228
What is great about this cafe is the vegetarian influence on the menu choices. The chef uses light seasonings.  The main dish is served with rice, salad & soup.
Update: El Origen Cafe closed their Avenue Reforma location.

OMG! Cafe
Av Colon #505 x 8 y 9
Garcia Gineres
Not sure of hours, they close mid-day and open again for a few evening hours.
I came for the scones! Great pastries and coffee.
Internet available

El Gran Cafe
Calle 47 y Paseo de Montejo
They have cut back on the hours they are open.
Internet available.

DI.LAN
Call47 #513 x56 y54
This is a new location (10/18)

Cafeteria Pop or Cafe Pop
Calle 57 #501 62 y 60
Open: 8:00am to 11:00pm
Listed in Lonely Planet.
A fixture in downtown historic centro.
Typical cafe menu.
Nice refugee after a busy day.

Starbucks
On Paseo de Montejo, on the left as you head up Paseo towards the Monument
Calle 56 A, Numero 465 x 33 A y 35
Friendly staff, can always met other expats or tourists.
Internet available but flaky.

Vendito Azul
Calle 62 x 49 y 51
Wed–Sat 1pm to 10

Bistro Cultural
Calle 66 x 43
Centro
M–S, 9–4:30
Chef prepares a daily dish.
Always something going on there.
Love the omelets.
Internet available.
Update: Bistro Cultural has expanded, now it has an outdoor garden area and a food market across the street, see Post on Bistro Cultural for more information.

Pistache (formerly La Boheme)
Paseo de Montejo x Calle 39, Centro
open daily from 7:30am until 11pm
Quiches, french pastries and breads
Internet available.
One of my favorite stops.
It gets really busy on Sunday mornings due to Merida's Biciruta event.
I call this the "Unofficial Cat Cafe" because the owner has adopted a cat and she had kittens, so there's usually a cat about. They are not socialized.

Cafe Creme
Calle 41 x 60
M-F 7:30am - 7pm
Saturday 9-1
I like scrambled eggs, so I am always grateful when a cafe lets me order scrambled eggs, an item not on the menu.
Great coffee, great service.
Internet available.
Update: They have wine on the menu.

a Musa now Cafe Sukra
Avenue Paseo de Montejo #496 x 45 y 43
Centro
Update: This cafe has closed but another one has opened in the same location. Similar menu.

Cafe Chocolate now Alma Calma
Calle 60 x 49, Centro
Internet available.
Update: new tenant
 
Jardin de Santa Ana
Calle 47 x 60
indoor and outdoor seating
Not sure of hours, they seem to vary.
Internet available.
Update: Closed. Now a Cantina

Casa Maryposa
Calle 62 x 41 y 43 #360
Colonia Centro
Martes - Jueves 11:30am - 7:30pm
Viernes - Sabado 11:30am - 6:00pm
From Nachos to Fajitas, $50 - $75 with a wide selection of hot & cold drinks and desserts.
Try the cookies!
Internet available.
Update: Closed

Jaquar Cafe
Calle 60 x 45 y 47
Cafes, sandwiches, frappes, and my favorite, Soda Italiana, mineral water flavored with syrup. This café continues to improve. internet available. For the moment, my favorite is the Chai Tea Frappe!!! So good on a hot day.
Update: Closed.

Bengala Cafe de Barrio

C47 x58 y60

Santa Ana

Centro

Tlahuasco Cafeteria

C62 #429b

Centro

Benegala Kaffeehaus

C60 x 55 y 53

Centro

Cafe Punta del Cielo

C63 x 60 y62

Plaza Grande

Centro

Cafe Montejo

Calle 59 x 72 y 74

Centro

Cafe Organico

Calle 53 #502-D x 60 y 62

Centro

A Taza de Frida

Calle 54 #373-a cera Clinica de Las Americas

Centro

Since I began this list 2 years ago, some cafes have opened, some have closed, some have changed owners, some have changed hours, that is how it is here in Mérida.

I Wanted to Like This eBook

Salvation Jane

by Ann Massey

I wanted to like this book. You have no idea how much I wanted to like this book.

The first few pages suckered me in then the author dropped me off a cliff into a morass of mindless mishaps.

The author, Ann, offers a colorful opening page. I liked the imagery of a gallery picture compared with the main character’s arrival.

She sets you into the scene immediately with the cab driver, street cleaner, and hobo on the doorstep.

The lead character, Jane, has left a call centre job to run a hotel.

I laughed when Jane typed her notes on an iPad. It just struck me as so modern and so out of place.

It was refreshing in its use of Aussie slang.

A story about a hotel for the homeless is quite a different world from tales and misdeeds of the faux beautiful and their pampered amoral lives -- or about vampires or war. Ann provides a slice of real life with a heavy dose of humor.

I loved her description of the parliamentary receptionist:

“Call me bitchy, but it crossed my mind that the receptionist, a frosted-Nordic lily in a white linen mini dress and with enough silver jewelry to stock Georg Jensen’s showroom, had been chosen to complement the sleek, minimalistic lines of the furnishings.”

Then, I lost the train of thought of the story. I think it started when “Hardie” visited the hotel and Jane and he bumped heads.

Plus, Jane’s mild acquiesce to the take over of her hotel took some of the energy out of the plot.

Jane has intelligence but no common sense. She has no sense about men. She keeps meeting jerks and even hires them.

Her lack of common sense is phenomenal and her ability to learn from her experiences is questionable.

Then the enthusiastic, pessimistic, cockeyed efforts of misfits in various states of disarray, from here and there, somehow pull off a quasi-effective candidate campaign for Jane. Even twitter gets a guest spot.

The introduction of the inner workings of government was interesting for a bit but got bogged down as the author starts introducing new characters with little background. Then Jane seems to find every male she gets near attractive which smacks of a lack of self-control or self-awareness and has the potential for a great deal of disasters.

Sadly, there is no good guy in the story. Horrie does not count. The “hidden” backgrounds of several characters are just too pat.

I know what it’s like to write a few good pages of a story then wander off into a ditch but I could not read all of Jane’s stupid antics; they weren’t even funny or useful in the plot. They seemed like useless decoration just to fill a page with words.

While she does illustrate the opinions and beliefs of phony conservatives, she also provides plenty of poor portraits of liberals enforcing the notions of liberals as flakes, unprofessionals, ignorant sods.

There is not one character in the story that had their shit together. Was this a romance? Was it a mystery? Was it a comedy? Was it an adventure? What was it? It appeared to try and be a bit of everything and ends up being nothing.

Generally, in almost any story, the main characters confront their “demons” or “challenges” and grow, mature or gain knowledge or confidence. All Jane did was hang on. She was like a puppet, little of her own efforts played a role in her success, she followed the advice of anyone who gave it and got lucky.

A bomb? What a tortured path to a confusing, cop-out of an ending that money won’t solve.

I am a first-time ebook author. I know all about the hard work. I know all about the mistakes first-time novelists make because I made them all. But, it is becoming like torture to try and find an author whose books I like.

Samples don’t help. I am seriously considering going back to bookstores because I could find a novel I liked in a bookstore within minutes. It takes too much time to search through various online bookstores to find a title I might try. Then, it takes more time peruse the TOC or the front cover notes etc. then it does to flip through a book to determine if I want to buy it.

I have purchased x amount of e-novels and I have not fully enjoyed any of them. But, I have purchased x amount non-fiction ebooks and I have appreciated all of them.

It is exhausting to try and find novels I like -- I have tried review sites, I have tried “free” books, I have tried recommendations. I am at a loss as to what else to try, but this is getting old. I rarely had this problem when I went into a bookstore.

I like science fiction, I like comedy, I like drama, I like mystery, I like adventure, and more.

I like Janet Evanovitch, Ursula Le Guin, Dorothy Sayers, Dick Francis, John D. MacDonald, and others. One of my favorite novels, “Who Rides the Tiger”, by Doris Miles Disney is probably in the category of romance like Barbara Cartland. So, I am not a literary snob.

I am beginning to wonder if the crux of the problem is that self-published or small press novels lack a “book development” editor. There is no one looking at the story as the sum of its parts.