We have just come back from our annual trip to the Red Wing Pottery Convention. Every year there is an auction for members only and this year tough economic dishes drastically affected prices.

I especially noticed this with the lily pitcher and basin that has a key role in Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace. In the novel, Kay describes the set as a stunning example of Red Wing craftsmanship and mentioned an asking price of nearly $1,500.

True for the late 1990s and early 21^st century, but the auction demonstrates how prices have cooled with the economy, housing market, etc. At the Thursday auction, two sets of the lily pitcher and bowl sold for $475 and $650 respectively. The prices will eventually come back, but like everything else in the current economic climate antique and pottery markets have taken a huge hit.

Last Friday, August 8, that unstoppable juggernaut known as Google, announced it will soon be launching Google Knol. What is Knol? Simply put, Knol is Google’s answer to Wikipedia. Like Wikipedia, Knol is a free, open-source encyclopedia, where people can write about any topic.

Unlike Wikipedia, Knol will also be a revenue-sharing open-source social network where authors of a Knol will be given revenue from the ad proceeds on their particular Knol.

Knol stands for a “unit of knowledge” and is still in development. For now, only a select group of beta testers can access the service, however, it will soon be available on the Internet for free. In the meantime, authors might start thinking about where their expertise lies, as the launch date approaches so they are ready with material. Google will also have easy-to-use tools for writing, editing, etc. while providing free hosting of the content. Authors can also write on any topic they wish, and each topic will be referred to as a Knol.

As an author, I’m starting work on two topics discussed in Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace such as antiquing and chemical abuse, which should make for excellent Knol content. It’s also another way of promoting the novel, while imparting educational information to readers.