Sunday, May 25, 2014

Another summer, another summer book!

Yep, finally. My summer book is here and what perfect timing--a summer book for a vacation weekend.

I wrote this book for my sister, who (like me and my other sister) worked during the summer at an out-of-state resort. Our parents encouraged this when we were in college as a way for us to earn money and get some good life experience. The heroine in the book is a combination of me and my sister from that summer long ago. And the hero, Nate, well he's every girl's hero, I think. A combination of shy and bold, sweet and sexy. What's not to love?

So head over to my web site and check out the buying links for this book -- all kinds of ways to buy it, and all kinds of reasons to love it -- Emily and Nate have a story to tell, and I enjoyed telling it.

J L

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Falling in love again




Two weeks ago, I obtained a new used copy of a most-favorite book I loaned out many years ago. Naturally, I started reading it right away, eager to revisit the characters I remembered so fondly.

The book is Darkmage, written in 1986 by Barbara Hambly, a prolific science fiction / fantasy writer. I was struck by the complexity of her sentence structure--something I did not notice back in the early 1990's. Something that 21st century texting and sound bites have chased out of town.

When I got to page 169, I found the passage where the heroine, a nerdy computer programmer realizes she is in love with the wizard hero. I wish I could write like this:

       For a long time their eyes held.
       She thought, with a curious sense of shock that was not a complete surprise, I expected it to be different than this. For a time it seemed to her that neither of them breathed--that it was impossible that the only point of contact between their two bodies was where her petticoats brushed against his booted ankle in a froth of voile. Part of her mind  was saying in its usual cool and practical tones, This is ridiculous. I don't do things like this-while another part said, I want him. 
     For a time the sooty-gray shadows of the empty drawing room were like completely still water, fathoms deep and silent but for the distant chatter of birds outside. The smell of the woods, of grass damp from last night's rain and of the far-off acrid smoke of the burning kilns, came to her through the open windows, mixed with the faint scent of soap from bis flesh and hair. he stood so still that one facet of the crystal earring her wore held a gleam of the last light from outside like a tiny mirror, steely and unmoving in the deepening gloom; the only thing that stirred was the white rim of light on the ruffles of his shirt with the rise and fall of his chest. 
      Everything seemed incredibly clear to her, but without pattern. It had nothing in common with her encounters with Gary and her nervous weighing and reweighing of pro and con. She only knew that she wanted him and knew, looking up into the wide, black pupils of his eyes, that he wanted her.
      He turned abruptly, almost angrily, away and walked from the windows into the twilight cavern if the room. "I will not do this," he said softly. She could hear the faint tremor of his deep  voice. "You are dependent on me and under my protection in this world. I won't take advantage of that."
      His back was to her, the diffuse whiteness of the fading day putting a sheen like pewter on the velvet of his shoulders. She knew well enough that he was conscious of her eyes upon his back. She was aware of her own feelings less clearly, shocked and appalled, not by them, but by their strength. Nothing she had ever experienced with Gary, not even sex, came anywhere near this need--not to have, but to give.
      After a moment he turned and walked silently from the room. 

Friday, May 16, 2014

Update from the RT Book Lover's Convention

Hi all,

Hello from New Orleans, where it is a surprisingly temperate 73 degrees and very windy. In fact I might as well be in San Francisco, but I can walk along Canal Street to the Mississippi and watch very large boats float on a river instead of a bay. And there is the nice wrought iron work on the balconies of the buildings in the area.

I'm writing this post Thursday afternoon so it can be posted for Friday morning but will try and update later with more information.

On Wednesday night we went to Mardi Gras World for an event where I threw beads at a parade of conventioneers from in front of a float. Here is a picture of me dressed as a serving wench and loaded with beads. It was great fun. Just a few hours before I'd been dressed for the Intergalactic Bar and Grille, wearing slacks and a t-shirt with a cover on it. That's the thing about RT... you wear a lot of costumes.


Thursday night we did a pub crawl and then I ended up sitting at a table at the Saints and Sinners party Samhain sponsored. This time I wore a halo... slightly bent but then so am I on occasion, particularly after a pub crawl.


In last month's post I talked about my give-aways. I've almost run through all of the 400 finger lasers and 288 costume kits and am now rationing them to people I meet at the various parties and seminars.

I'm having a great time at the convention. I'll update on Saturday with more on the rest of the week.

Cheers,
Janet






Thursday, May 15, 2014

APOLOGIES by Rolynn Anderson

It happens to all of us.  I wrote the blog entry...I tried to upload it...I failed.  I'm on a boat, you see, and it turns out that all the systems that seemed to work last year up in B.C. don't work this year.  I apologize to all of you for missing my blog time on Voices.  Next month, I'll cruising in Alaska and hope to catch you all up on my latest adventures.  Bear with me...summer is always an adventure for us on INTREPID!

I'm excited to tell you that I'll do a LIE CATCHERS book signing in Petersburg, Alaska on June 5th from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Location:  Sing Lee Alley Bookstore.  FYI, in LIE CATCHERS one of the cold case murders I solve is the murder of an actual citizen of Petersburg (in 1932), named Sing Lee.  Ahhh, the mystery!  Check it out on http://amzn.com/B00HJDS1LG

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Oh rapturous time!

It's green outside.

To those of you in warmer climates, this might not be a Big Deal.

To those of us in the Midwest, we are giddy with joy. Buds are popping on the trees, flowers are blooming, and all the nasty flaws of winter are being covered by a beautiful carpet of green.

I know. In a few weeks I'll probably be complaining about how hot it is and how buggy it is and how humid it it. Feel free to remind me.

For now ... just bask in the Happy.

J L
(30 books and counting)