Islamic Art Museum re-opens in Cairo

Museum of Islamic Art re-opens in Old Cairo, pictures from BBC.

[Image of painter from Wikimedia--unrelated to Cairo museum. I just liked it.]

I forgot my Friday weirdness post!

Fortunately, Tumblr is -- as ever -- my friend, and points me in the direction of the Circular Bike. Lots of bikes welded into a circle, going nowhere.

As a lazy person, the circular bike strikes me as a nifty commentary on the pointlessness of exercise. I can hike around a shopping mall as well as the next woman (as long as she's not a marathon runner), but sitting on an exercise bike and peddling nowhere -- why would I do it? On the other hand, I have heard rumours that pedal power can be used to charge mobile phones. Aha! a use. Doh! I don't own a mobile phone (I'm not kidding. I am a tech failure freak. Possibly the word I'm searching for is Luddite).

So I'll be sitting here, not exercising. But do check out the circular bike -- it's banana yellow.

Romance Round the Net

If you have a novella (over 15,000 words) consider submitting it to Carina Press. They have a call out, details at their blog, here.

Dear Author has a fantastic post on authorial voice with input from people across the romance industry.

This isn't a romance industry post, but Garden Visit has a brief post on Renaissance gardens. Very romantic, what with all those nymphs running around.

[Castel Pieskowa Skała, Poland. Photo by Jan Jerszyński (2005). from Wikimedia]

Painted by Mozart

Has it already happened? Write software that uses the spectrum to assign a colour to every note, then splash the colour of the note onto a grid working from top left corner to bottom right until the piece of music is finished, and voila! a painting. I wonder what it would look like?

Writing Update

Today is not so much a writing update as an everything update!

First, I have a profile page with about.me. Yep, I'm finally early enough to the tech party to reserve my own name! about.me/jennyschwartz

Second, when Angel Thief releases from Carina Press Nov 29, it'll also be available as an audiobook from Audible. Woohoo! Remember, Net Galley has copies available to reviewers, right now.

Third, I've submitted a paranormal novella to Cobblestone Press, their Shifter line. So I'm definitely typing this with fingers crossed.

Fourth, I've made a start on my story for the Warrior Wisewoman anthology. Hopefully I'll get it finished in time for the January submission deadline, and that they'll like it. Tentative title, "Liberty Hall".

Fifth, for the first time in ages, I have an idea for a poem. Catching up with the social media revolution (well, that's what Twitter and Facebook and everything else felt like to me--revolutionary) seemed to burn out my muse. I'm relieved to see I'm adjusting. Title of poem, definitely "Petrichor".

Noisy Neighbours

It's the sound of a chainsaw a street away that has prompted this morning's post. It's about noise. I can hear the beep of a truck reversing, a barking dog, a chittering willywagtail, the drift of traffic noise from a main road... It started me thinking about neighbourhood noises and specifically, the noises that can stop me writing and drive me out of the house.

A flock of cockatoos cracking and eating seeds in a cape lilac tree -- I can deal with. The new neighbour having the wrong code for his house alarm and it blaring out -- well, these things happen. Heavy machinery compacting earth for a new road -- ah, now there you have my achilles heel. When I can feel as well as hear the noise, ugh. Definitely time to leave the house.

Most other times, noise only annoys me when I'm already frustrated with my writing and looking for an excuse to stop. Amazing the number of excuses I can find then ;)

Monday Author Blog Hop

Weekend Dreams

I'm content that my life is lived at the level of cheap cotton mats. But admiring beautiful Persian carpets costs nothing. So here's Claremont Rug Co.

I've thought about being rich. It seems owning expensive things, like Persian carpets or Impressionist paintings, would be a crushing responsibility. Can you imagine if you accidentally spilled something or the silverfish nibbled? Nope, there is a certain freedom in knowing I'll never be rich.

But I guess "rich" is something defined by degrees. My definition would be "able to buy every book I want without considering the budget." And if we're talking the realms of super-duper rich, I'd love to have an architect designed eco-house with every lovely idea I've sighed over in glossy magazines and earnest design blogs.

Armadillo, in Uruguay

Armadillo, in Uruguay, originally uploaded by balavenise.

What could be weirder than an armadillo? Does anyone else remember the Kipling story, "The Beginning of the Armadillo", from his Just So collection?

Romance Round the Net

#SYTYCW is the fantastic first week of November Harlequin program to encourage new authors. Too much to summarise. Check it out and join in.

There's a new romance review site in town. It's called "The Romance Reviews". It's simply evil because it reminds me how many great books there are that I can't afford to buy. I need a book fairy. Anyhow, the same way a moth is hypnotised by light, I've created a page over at theromancereviews.com. Feel free to drop in and graffiti my wall :)

I'm a Darksider! This is seriously cool. I joined RomAus just in time to shout, "Me, too!" Spec fic Aussie and Kiwi writers who add a dash or splash of romance. As the banner says, it launches on Halloween :)

How come this Romance Round the Net round up has turned into an all-about-me day? Let's wind up with a shout out of appreciation.

May the reading gods bless public libraries. On Tuesday I popped in to swap paperbacks and came away with Susan Napier's "True Enchanter", Cait London's "What Memories Remain" and Stephanie James (aka Jayne Anne Krentz) "Green Fire". Add in a couple of Janet Dailey's (who I haven't tried, but have been meaning to) and I'm very happy. It's not easy finding books long out of print.

Happy-o-meters

The problem with reading widely is sometimes you forget where you read an idea. So you'll have to excuse me this time for not providing a ref to the original article, but I know I read something on happiness and how (according to the argument presented) it can only be measured over a lifetime. Hour to hour, day to day, we experience pleasure, but happiness is something else, something measured over an extended period of time and on balance.

I disagree.

For me happiness is a moment by moment experience; an experience of being present, not of acknowledging life over your shoulder.

So I think the world needs happy-o-meters. We have pedometers, which are tedious. Who wants to know how many steps I take between computer and fridge? Oh, I'm meant to walk further than that? Piffle.

Happy-o-meters. They'd have to be a bit more classy than the mood rings in fashion when I was in high school. Who else remembers them? Mine was always dark and depressed -- it helps to realise that the cause was temperature. With poor circulation, I never warmed the ring enough for it to shine.

Back to the happy-o-meter. Can you imagine the chaos it would cause? Bride and groom get married. Bride reads husband's happy-status. It's at 1 out of 10. Divorce, or does she understand he's a bit stressed? It does make me wonder how often (or how seldom) our expectations of happiness coincide with our experience of it. Or is it that happiness isn't the absence of stress, it's engagement in life?

Writing Update

I've yet to put one word on paper or screen, but for over a week now I've been thinking through a story idea for submission to the Warrior Wisewoman anthology.

Sometimes a sentence is all I need and I'm off and writing with a story. Other times, like this time, the protagonist is complicated, the world building needs oomph and I'm struggling with conflict (ho hum, yes that old bugbear of mine). So before any words, I need the ideas to settle in and start shining. For once I can't write my way into the story. I want to see the quest before my heroine embarks on her perilous journey.

Which is okay, because while the back of my mind deals with the story questions, the front of my mind is writing "Persian Flames". Oh my goodness. I think the title's inspired me. Uh, is it hot in here? No? Must be my imagination then ;)

So much good news!

"The Price of Freedom" (Out of the Bottle, 1) is available as an audiobook with Audible.com. Read by the talented Rachel Butera and sounding fabulous, darlings.

"Angel Thief" (Out of the Bottle, 2) is available for review at Net Galley, and will be on sale Nov 29.

The first Carina Press books are going to print. They're suspense and mystery titles. Woohoo!

And I proved my willpower by lasting a whole day (count it -- 24 hours!) without chocolate.

Monday Author Blog Hop

Happy weekend!

[Simorgh from Persian Manuscript, Wikimedia]

Hard to believe, but my weekend museum/gallery runaround hasn't yet included the Louvre. Oversight corrected.

Did you know the famous library of antiquity, the Library of Alexandria, has a modern version? The Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

Sensory History

Fridays are about our weird world. What could be weirder than the way we view history, peering at it through our own preconceptions, not even aware that we mostly view/see it. History (like our current experience) is more than visual. All the senses are involved.

Mark M Smith over at The Psychologist has a very interesting article on rediscovering a more complete sensory history. People's understanding/interpretation of what their senses detect does change over time. Disturbing to realise people believed they could "smell" race.

Romance Round the Net

New Voices (Harlequin/Mills and Boon) Top Ten have their second chapters up. Read, discuss, vote. Before you do, be sure to check out Leah Ashton's  (Australian contestant!!!) interview over at RWA.

Democracy is ruling the romance web at the moment. Over at RT Book Reviews you can vote for your favourite entry (first para and last line) in Writing with the Stars. Maria Zannini writes a terrific blog as well as terrific fiction and would love your vote.

Romance Bandits have an inspirational post on upgrading your author website. Such creativity--why has it passed me by?

Talking of creativity and the secrets of cover artists, Tia Nevitt decodes romance novel covers. Sweet to erotic, there's a message in them thar covers.

Clare London at Reviews by Jesse Wave (and yes, I read a lot of Carina Press author blogs and posts -- wise and witty people that they are) has a thoughtful, funny article on juggling life and writing.

The Memorial Tree

The DNA of trees can be altered to produce repeatable patterns in the leaves. Such patterns can produce simple images of a human face. Tweak these images until they have some resemblance to particular people, and you have a memorial tree. A bit creepy? or a lovely memory?

Writing Update

The journey continues. I'm trekking on with Persian Flames, but I thought I'd take a side tour with this post and mention a couple of pet writing peeves.

1. Words that creep in. Like "that". Other wicked words that my fingers almost type by themselves include "almost", "looked" (my characters are very visual) and "said". Too many "said's" mean I'm not showing what my characters are doing while they speak their witty dialogue.

2. A tendency to skip lightly over a tense scene. I've mentioned before, I'm a coward re conflict. But a writer has to wallow in the blood and entrails. Then the reader enjoys the cleaned up version.

As you can see, my critical internal editor is on the job.

Cindy Spencer Pape

Cindy Spencer Pape is Motor City savvy. A multi-pub'd author who won fantastic reviews for Motor City Fae, Cindy's here today to talk of her latest sexy paranormal, Motor City Witch. Oh, and answer my questions ;)

BTW have you seen the reviews for Motor City Witch? "All around a very enticing world..." Anna's Book Blog. Plus, the heroine of the story, Elise, has her very own tarot reading by Arwen and it's awesome.

Welcome, Cindy!

***

Can you describe Motor City (Detroit) for a clueless Australian?

Wow, that’s tricky. Detroit is a world-class city in some ways, but devastated in others. It’s an old city for North America, especially the Midwest, having celebrated its 300th anniversary a while back. It’s the narrow point on the Great Lakes, so everything shipped from the Midwest to the east coast, from beaver furs in the 1700s, to timber to iron, then furniture and cars went through Detroit. During Prohibition, there were literally pipelines running under the Detroit River to bring liquor from Canada. In the twentieth century, people moved here from all over the world to work in the various industries—cigar making was the big one before Henry Ford kicked off the automotive boom. Now? It’s an ethnically diverse, economically depressed region in transition, moving toward something—though nobody’s sure exactly what yet.

When I finally make it to America (yep, that's pigs flying past the window, but you never know, I might discover I like long haul economy flights *shudder*), what MUST I see in Detroit?

Me? No seriously, the Detroit Institute of Arts is a world-class museum, and there are some great theatres and parks, not to mention restaurants of every imaginable persuasion. Finally, the Henry Ford Museum has a great collection of history and technology.

Who was the first witch you encountered in your life? (The wicked witch from Oz? your third grade teacher? or someone amazing who opened your eyes to seeing the world differently?)

Probably various fairytales: Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty. But I think the concept of the good witch was probably from The Wizard of Oz. I like to think mine are a little more along those lines.

What do you hope readers enjoy/remember about "Motor City Witch?"

That love can happen no matter who you are—even if you’re not exactly human. And that if it’s real, it can overcome even seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Also, I’d like to have readers think a little about the importance of family—the ones we build for ourselves as well as the ones we’re born with.

Name your favourite word in any language, and why.

Ooh, that’s an interesting question. My editor would probably tell you it’s “then,” but I’m not going to admit to that. Cherish, maybe? Adoration? Beloved? I think I see a theme here.

***
About the Book

Motor City Witch (Urban Arcana Book #2)

by Cindy Spencer Pape

from Carina Press

Buylink: http://ebooks.carinapress.com/9FA8421E-7235-456D-ABF3-174B4C1ACA81/10/134/en/ContentDetails.htm?ID=6B85B3A2-3E88-4734-A98C-3EA23B6CD294

Blurb:

She’d left magic behind.

Once upon a time, Elise Sutton had been a powerful witch and paranormal enforcer. Once she’d been madly in love with Fae lord Aidan Greene. But when Aidan had considered his duties more important than their relationship, the love affair ended badly. Shortly after, while on the hunt for a rogue demon, Elise was brutalized and almost killed. Months later she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. To protect her child—and her heart—Elise decided to live a nonmagical life.

Until she meets Aidan again, and he assumes Dina is his daughter. When Dina is kidnapped by a racial purity movement, Elise turns to Aidan for help. The icy facade she has built around herself shatters at Aidan’s touch. Together they have to hunt through the human and faery worlds to find Dina...and to discover whether or not they have any kind of chance at a happily ever after.

***

Where to find Cindy on the web:

Website: http://www.cindyspencerpape.com/

Blog: http://cindyspencerpape.blogspot.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/CindySPape

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000270304390

Monday Author Blog Hop

Going places

If a stroll in the park is out because hayfever is not your friend, may I suggest a couple of virtual visits?

The first time I read about Strawberry Hill was in one of Georgette Heyer's regency novels. The mock-Gothic monstrosity ... uh, treasure ... has been restored and is open to the public.

Grace Kelly is just one of the subjects of the Victoria and Albert Museum's marvellous exhibitions.

[Does anyone else, on reading "Albert" automatically think "Albert Campion", Margery Allingham, must re-read? I can't decide which is my favourite Allingham mystery.]

Unlikely Hero

Just off the coast of Perth (Western Australia's capital city), there is a tiny dot of land called Carnac Island.

It's not a place I'd recommend visiting. Even if you managed to avoid the guano, you wouldn't escape the snakes.

Tiger snakes, to be precise.

On this tiny island, gulls nest and tiger snakes eat the nestlings. But the gulls fight back. They stab out the snakes' eyes. How's that for heroic?

[In case the links break, a google search including seagulls, tiger snakes, carnac island, brings up interesting results]

Romance Round the Net

Flirting -- all you need to know.

You might be a writer if ... Cindy Spencer Pape has some telltale signs.

If you write short stories for women's magazines and haven't bookmarked Womag Writer (the link is on my sidebar), you should.

I really like Laura Tobias's suggestion that every writer needs a lizard.

Tiffany Clare, debut author, is over at Romance Bandits with a cool post and gorgeous pics.

Where did the Neanderthals go?

[With thanks to NASA and artist Randii Oliver for the image, via Wikimedia]

Neanderthals captivate me. The idea that humans shared a planet with another sentient species, a species close enough to us to interbreed, and yet, now they're gone. I just can't let the puzzle go. Where did the Neanderthals go? Did they die out (and if so, why?), interbreed and be swallowed up in the human gene pool or did they simply leave?

No, I'm not talking alien abductions. What if the Neanderthals' minds evolved in a manner that enabled them to navigate the universe in four dimensions? Maybe they looked at humans' encroachment, shuddered, and went in search of another planet, a place where they could be safe, where 3D confined humans couldn't follow.

And if the Neanderthals did simply walk away...they could walk back any day.

Writing Update

[with thanks to Mamood Farcshi for sharing old Persian manuscript on Wikimedia]

I haven't fought any epic battles this week. It's been a gentle week of good news, writing and fiddling with my internet presence -- yes, I'm back on Facebook with a fan page dedicated to my paranormal romance series, Out of the Bottle. Speaking of which, I have good news.

Deb has accepted my third novella, Three Wishes! I'm so happy. This is the Syrian adventure she rejected but with suggestions and an offer to resubmit it. Deb's suggestions (as ever) made the story much stronger. I'm delighted to announce that Three Wishes will be published with Carina Press mid next year.

But don't wait that long. Angel Thief (Out of the Bottle, 2) will be out in less than two months. Yup, time is flying. I've already started working on the promotional blog tour and will share details soon.


Anything else? In between times I'm thinking about a bunyip murder mystery. It'll make an interesting short story, but the complicated plot needs to be clearer in my mind before I try to commit it to paper.

Changes and a Desert Caravan to Celebrate



[Heubach camels, Wikimedia]

I'm losing more and more time to the internet. Possibly because this connection is soooo slow today. But I digress. In an effort to claw back some time but stay connected, I've set up a google reader page. Since I was using the list of Carina Press authors' blogs in the right sidebar to keep up with everyone's good news, this is now (google reader and God willing) obsolete and vanishing. Hopefully one less gadget (yes, I'm addicted to the critters) will speed up the blog's loading speed, too.

signed, frustrated and tech inept, slowly catching up.

On Reflection

Last night I watched Stephen Fry's televised performance filmed at the Sydney Opera House. He talked about his life, problems, successes, influences and motivations. Laughter and thoughtfulness.

I planned to post about author backlists, today. But instead I'm going to mention W H Auden and his poem "A Shilling Life".

In "A Shilling Life" Auden contrasts two friends: The awe-inspiring success (that we'd probably devalue by calling a "celebrity") and the stay-at-home. It is the latter who is content, the former who lives with unsatisfied desire.

Is Auden's conceit true? Do heroes struggle and happy people potter? Too simplistic. But this morning I'm still turning over in my mind the question of how society determines success, and how successful people use ambition and suffering.

Monday Author Blog Hop

Cavalier a mehari

[Wikimedia]

Since I've broken my own rule and I'm online Sunday, I thought I'd share a romantic desert image. I'm so excited that "Angel Thief" will be out in two months. Nov 29 -- do you have it circled in red pen?

The Great and the merely interesting

If you enjoy the story of Alexander the Great, the Hermitage Amsterdam has an exhibition you'll want to check out.

As for the "merely interesting", I lied. Lonely Planets is such an obvious place to visit for fascinating articles and photos that until now I've overlooked it. Hopefully, you've already got it bookmarked.

Rudolf II as Vertumnus by Arcimboldo



[Wikimedia]

Beautiful weirdness from the Sixteenth Century