Halloween ghost pumpkin
October 31, 2015 • No Comments
When I saw this pumpkin I thought it must be a gourdly ghost – is there anything more appropriate for Halloween? I gave it center stage in this shot!
Pumpkin of the day – Friday
October 30, 2015 • No Comments
I saw this bunch in a pumpkin field. This is all pumpkins, all the time. Jack-o-lanterns, ho!
Pumpkin of the day – Thursday
October 29, 2015 • No Comments
Some of these pumpkins are getting their Halloween on. Check out the extra-warty fellow in the middle. To be honest, those ones kind of creep me out.
Pumpkin of the day – Wednesday
October 28, 2015 • No Comments
Gorgeous gourds from a local market. I had to lean into the bin to get this shot. This definitely gets me in the autumn mood.
A week of pumpkins – Tuesday
October 27, 2015 • No Comments
Here’s some more pumpkin love for the Halloween countdown! I thought this shot looked like a family portrait with the crazy kids in the middle. 
Pumpkin of the day – Monday
October 26, 2015 • No Comments
As a countdown to Halloween, I thought a week of pumpkins would be fitting! So I got out my camera and went stalking gourds. We’ll start gently with a composition imbued with a general harvest theme . . .
What I’m Reading: Artemis Awakening
October 6, 2015 • No Comments
Artemis Awakening by Jane Lindskold (Tor, 2014)
When the Empire fell, the location of the planet Artemis was lost, although legends remained to tantalize historians. When ambitious archeologist Griffin Dane finds intriguing hints as to the location of the lost planet, he sets out alone to confirm his find. When Dane reaches Artemis, his shuttle crashes – perhaps not by accident. Stranded, with no discernible way to get home, he forms an uneasy alliance with the Huntress Adara and her psych-linked companion, the puma Sand Shadow. Together they set out to find a way to get Griffin home, along the way uncovering some of the secrets that lie beneath the planet’s wilderness exterior, secrets that may lead to the recovery of weird powers far beyond what humanity now dares to dream.
My thoughts:
I’m much more of a fantasy reader than a sci-fi fan and will always opt for history over a tale about the future. The nice thing about Artemis Awakening is that I don’t have to pick. This book is about a primitive society engineered by an advanced civilization. It has space ships and telepathic animals, too, and while the “magic” might actually be science, the end result works just the same.
The writing here is technically good, as one would expect from such an experienced author. There’s plenty of conflict and character, adventure and humour. While this book is clearly the first in a longer tale, this volume has a complete story arc. There is a suggestion of romance, but it’s very much in the background and fits naturally with the personalities involved. The pacing is quiet at times but these pauses give the reader an opportunity to digest the larger questions the story poses. The book shifts to a darker tone as the plot develops which may not be to everyone’s tastes.
I haven’t read a book like this for a long time and I enjoyed it. It’s always great when something reminds me of a genre I enjoy but have neglected for a while. I will be looking for the next in the series.
Saturday Giveaway!
September 19, 2015 • 1 Comment
The Demon Lord of Kitty Badness is demonstrating how the best things come in packages. Such as prizes! (of course, he is the ultimate prize, at least in his opinion).
Leave a comment below and you’ll be eligible for a book draw. The prize is an autographed hard copy of Possessed by a Warrior.
Already have that one? Don’t worry, you can pick your prize from my backlist (cat not included!).
I’ll pick the winner September 26, 2015
Dark Hero Product Testing
September 18, 2015 • No Comments
I wrote this post in 2009 for Sidhe Vicious Reviews shortly after I released RAVENOUS. The original post is here. It remains one of my favourites, so for a Friday Flashback, I’m running it one more time! It’s still a good answer to one of the perennial questions authors get from readers:
Where do authors get their characters from?
Always a good question. When I needed to choose my hero for RAVENOUS, I perused the Author Supplies Emporium catalogue very carefully. What should he be like? I flipped through the Romantic Tycoons, the Sexy Cops, and the Hard Hat Hunks. I wanted just the right guy for my book: definitely an alpha hero, but not one of the overly pushy types. He’d have to be heavy-duty enough to like smushing villains, because I had a lot of action planned. There was no getting away with the affordable but flimsy Comic Lite products.
Picking the right model took time. My favourite heroes may be a little twisted as well as dark, but there’s always some line they won’t cross, and it’s that restraint that divides these edgier heroes from the villains. Still, a little envelope-pushing keeps things interesting. For me, the best kind of dark hero has to earn his way into the light, and the price he pays for his happy ever after is high. This kind of hero doesn’t stumble into love and flop down on the couch. He has to earn it, and it takes a strong heroine to stand up to him.
When I found the model I wanted, I placed my order, being careful to select the “sense of humour,” “fully operational brain,” and “redeemable soul” options.
I was so happy when my order arrived! Unlike most true life heroes, mine came with instructions:
Hello, and welcome to your new Dark Hero, Vampire Edition 3.2! Warranty provisions require that you follow these instructions for safety and for optimal customer satisfaction:
1. This unit may be damaged if left for long periods in direct sunlight.
2. This Hero unit may be cleaned using products designed for dark wash. Do not bleach. Dry flat. Cool iron only.
3. Your Dark Hero, Vampire Edition is intended for nighttime use only. Recharge daily.
4. Use of the unit during the “brood” cycle is not recommended.
5. If unit begins to watch Underworld repeatedly, remind him that he wears leather way better than Kate Beckinsale. This should reset unit to “arrogant” mode.
6. It is not recommended that unit operate heavy equipment during full moon.
7. This unit is not designed for domestic use. For daily household tasks, we recommend the Dark Hero, Djinn Slave 4.0
5. If you wish to disassemble unit, use stake provided.
By way of product review, the Dark Hero, V.E. 3.2 worked a treat. I have to admit, though, I’m curious about the 3.3 upgraded “green” model. The solar rechargeable batteries might present some issues.