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Back from a Fantastic Trip
Oh what a month it’s been! The journey to England and Switzerland with my oldest daughter and her Girl Scout troop was fabulous. Not perfect or all smooth sailing by any stretch of the imagination, but when traveling for so long with so many people (particularly a gaggle of teen girls) you learn there is a grading curve for how well the trip goes. So overall, yes, it was fabulous.
We started by staying in little villages outside Colchester in eastern England. Our leader, Anita, had met with some Guide and Scout leaders (Scouts are predominantly boys and Guides only girls for most of the world) several years ago who invited her/the troop over for the Centenary celebration the UK was throwing this summer. One hundred years of Girl Guides is a big deal, of course, and the history of how the girls back then essentially crashed a Boy Scout gathering and demanded something for themselves is a testament to the inner strength I admire in Girl Scouts and Guides.
The people of Feering and Kelvadon were incredibly warm and generous. They put us up in their homes, fed us, and transported us to various places when we couldn’t take local buses or trains. They even picked the 14 of us up at a bus stop when we missed the last bus back from the Colchester Zoo one evening. (We missed *that* bus because the earlier bus we should have been on totally blew past us while we were at the stop. Yeah. Not cool, Mr. Driver. Not cool at all.) We also attended their local Centenary celebration, a day-long fair of sorts with activities, entertainment, games, and a concert by a local band as well as the winner of their “Britain’s Got Talent” contest. A great day of fun surrounded by 3,000 local girls and many new friends.
Our next stop was London, where we stayed at Pax Lodge, one of the World Centers for Guides/Scouts. From Pax we set out on daily excursions to do the tourist thing. The Tower of London, Camden Market, the London Eye, Westminster and the Parliament, Trafalgar Square, and Buckingham Palace are some of the places we visited. Yes, *some*. We were a busy group. Some of us visited London Dungeon, an attraction that highlights London’s more horrific history like Jack the Ripper, the Plague, the Great Fire of 1660, and Newgate Prison’s “interrogation” techniques. Scary but fun. We also saw “Lion King” and “Sister Act” on stage. Amazing productions! By the time we returned to Pax each evening we were exhausted but thrilled with all we’d seen and done.
From there we headed to Switzerland to attend sessions at another World Center, Our Chalet in Adelboden. The journey there deserves its own post, so I won’t go into it now. Suffice it to say, it was fraught with anxiety and cost some of us time as well as money. But we all made it to Switzerland eventually and had a blast. What a beautiful country! There is not a bad view anywhere. The girls partook in activities ranging from abseiling (repelling) to visiting a castle, learning about Swiss chocolate from an elite chocolatier to swimming in a mountain lake, and then some as they learned about the global themes the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) would be focusing on this year. On our last day in Switzerland, we headed to Zermatt, the small town near the Matterhorn. We rode gondolas up to the Ice Palace and were rewarded with stunning views and clear shots of the unique mountain. At 2600+ meters, the altitude was a bit much, but we loved it.
The train ride from Zermatt to Geneva Airport was relaxing and, once again, filled with breath-taking scenery. I wondered if the people of Switzerland see the beauty of their country or if it’s just *there* for them. Here in AK, I think we sometimes take it for granted that we live in such an incredible place, and I’ve promised myself to be more aware of just how special it is.
A late night flight brought us into Liverpool, where we got to our hotel as quickly as we could and went to sleep. The next morning, a group of Guides from the area picked us up in the coach (big bus, not the kind with horses) they consigned and brought us to the UK’s giant Centenary celebration situated on the grounds of Harewood House , one of England’s stately manors in the Leeds/York area. The bus ride with the Liverpool girls was loads of fun as we compared sayings, TV shows and music. They were all so fun and friendly.
At the camp, we were among over 5,000 girls from around the world (mostly the UK). We were given tents that we brought back with us, and the girls attended a variety of activities from crafts to the heritage of Guides to rock climbing and SCUBA diving. Anita and I even chaperoned an afternoon at Diggerland, a heavy machinery theme park. No kidding. Our first stop was at a ride called Spindizzy, where we rode in the huge scoop of a real digger. As the name suggests, we were spun around and got very, very dizzy. Though it may appeal to mostly little boys, our teen-aged girls had a blast.
In the middle of the week, the organizers had put together a huge event called Fusion where there were more than a dozen venues of entertainment, food and activities for the girls and leaders from camp as well as another 13,000 Guides, leaders and their families. Over 18,000 people attended this incredible day of fun, but the camp and Fusion were more than the activities. It was a fantastic celebration of the 100 years of Girl Guides and Scouts.
Throughout the week, I heard few complaints, virtually no harsh words, and was inspired by the wonder and joy of most everyone I met, girls and leaders alike. The closing ceremony was a beautiful wrap-up of how we all had come together from around the world and shared so much not only in our involvement in Guiding or Scouts, but as women and girls (mostly) who are open to adventure and new experiences, who can achieve so much in this world as long as we are willing to try. During the mass renewal of the Girl Guide Promise, 5,000 voices strong, it was difficult not to be overcome by the feeling of belonging to a very special group.
The end of camp and the return to the States was bittersweet. We’d been away from home for weeks and missed our families, but we’d also had the time of our lives. We made many new friends that I’m sure we’ll keep in touch with for years to come.
Leavin’ on a Jet Plane
In about ten days, DD#1 and I will be jetting to Europe to join up with her Girl Scout troop for four weeks of tromping the English countryside, scaling Swiss hillsides (not the real mountains. I don’t do mountains), and overall fun with Scouts from around the world. With the amount of going back and forth between venues, it was strongly suggested that we pack lightly. The hard part? Figuring out what I absolutely need for a four week trip.
For starters, I am not a clothes hound, so that part is easy. A few of my favorite pairs of pants (though my absolute faves may be too heavy for summer in warmer climates. Might work in Switzerland…hmmmm…), t-shirts, underfrillies, socks. A pair of hikers I love love love, a pair of casual shoes and *maybe* tennies, if I have room. A jacket and some light-weight rain gear, just in case.
I’m also not one for needing lots of product for face or hair. I don’t wear makeup, though I’m sure some would say I should : ) My only concession is a bottle of Oil of Olay. I love the stuff, and it reminds me of my grandmother. She kept a bottle of it on her dresser and had lovely skin, so there you go. A tube of cleanser will probably find its way into my ditty bag as well.
As for hair, I recently got a “goo and go” cut, specifically for this trip. Yes, it’s short. Very short. But all I have to do is wash it, towel it dry to a degree, goo it and brush it back. Bam. Done. Normally, at home, even when it’s short I’d take a hairdryer to it. But I don’t want to waste luggage space on a hairdryer.
I won’t have my laptop either. Which means (a) no internet, (b) no ebooks, and (c) no access to the manuscripts I’m working on. The lack of internet may be solved by cafes or such along the way, so I might be able to shoot an email to hubby and friends, but I’m not counting on access. I don’t have too many ebooks, but they are convenient when I am traveling with the laptop. No reader, either, so I’ll have to choose a few paperbacks.
The inability to twiddle with my work might seem like it’s much tougher to deal with, but not really. I have 4 weeks to put aside and “forget” one manuscript that is being revised. When I get back, I can see if I like what I’ve done. As for the WIP, 4 weeks of not going back to what I’ve already written to tweak or avoid tackling the newest scenes and finish the darn thing is good. I’ll have my notebook and several pens. If I find myself with relative quiet time (on planes, trains, or any time 20-odd teenage girls are out of the room) I will write. By hand. The old-fashioned way. Why? Because while I can easily give up my hairdryer for a month, there is no way on this earth I can give up writing.
What are your essentials for a trip?
Mii, My Shelf, and Aye-Yi-Yi: Random Thoughts
I’m supposed to be finishing up the SFR wip I’ve been working on, but that has been set aside for the time being. I doubt I’ll make the July 11 deadline I’ve set, but the reason isn’t laziness or loss of enthusiasm for the project or anything like that. Something else has taken priority, in a good way, so my wip characters are currently in a holding pattern. (Quite literally, actually, as I left off with them kissing and on the verge of taking it to the next level : ) But all is good, if a tad nerve-wracking.
Mii
To balance the mental exercises necessary to accomplish certain goals, and in preparation for a long trip requiring sustained walking and hiking, I’ve been diligent about my Wii Fit routine. Well, mostly. I’ve missed a few days here and there. The Mii and I are working hard, but for some reason that dang Simple Test tells me I’m not losing anything. In fact, I’ve gained 0.2 pounds each of the last two days!! What the–! Grrr. I’m going to chalk it up to increasing muscle mass (yeah, that’s it), but at the same time watch the snacking more closely. Not as easy to do when I’m at home, but throwing myself in the aforementioned project will help.
My Shelf
Writers are supposed to read in the genres we write in as well as others so we can get the scope of what’s out there, how it’s done, and how it probably *shouldn’t* be done. I write SF/F or paranormal, so there are many such books on my shelves and a few in my computer. But the last two books I’ve read are more literary. Out of Eden by Kate Lehrer is about two women in the 1880’s, I believe, who head to Kansas to create a place where they can do as they please and live independently. I loved the friendship between the women, complete with protectiveness, jealousies and betrayals. As a literary novel, there is no guarantee of a happy ending, but it was an engaging read.
Margaret Atwood has been one of my favorite authors since I read The Handmaiden’s Tale years ago. I’m almost done with her novel Cat’s Eye now. It’s another book about women’s friendships, and while I don’t expect a happy ending all around, I can trust Atwood to give me a satisfying one.
Aye-Yi-Yi
DD#1 and I head off for a 3-4 week romp with her Girl Scout troop in less than a month! DD#2 will be spending all that time and more at Grandpa’s. DH will be home, tending house and hairy pets. It’s ironic that he’s been traveling so much for the last few months and the period he will be home the rest of us will be gone. He’ll have to remember to pick up the veggies we order every other week. The cats and dogs will focus on him for attention, since their main petters will be gone. I just hope he remembers to feed the fish and the hamster.
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New Contest for Published Books/Authors
The Rainbow Romance Writers, the first and only LGBT chapter of
Romance Writers of America, is proud to announce the first annual
Rainbow Awards of Excellence (RAES) for published authors.
This contest, sponsored by RRW, will recognize the best in published
LGBT romance. The contest is open to all authors published in novel or
novella length romantic fiction during the 2009 publishing year as
long as the story in question has an LGBT romance as its focus and
fits within one of our seven categories.
The contest categories are:
list of 7 items
• Contemporary
• Paranormal
• Romantic Suspense
• Historical
• Sci-fi/Fantasy
• YA (full blown romance not necessary, as long as there’s *some* in the story that’s fine)
• short/novella (10,000-20,000 words)
All entries must be submitted electronically and will be accepted
beginning June 1 2010 through August 31, 2010. The entry fee is $15
and is payable through Paypal. Entrants need not be members of either
Rainbow Romance Writers or RWA. All heat levels are welcome from sweet
to sizzling.
Any questions regarding the contest in general or submission process
in particular may be directed to the contest coordinator, Sara Bell,
who may be reached at: wavyscribe @ aol . com (spaces removed).
For more information, or to submit an entry, please visit our web site at
Five Reasons to Read Gini Koch’s “Touched By an Alien”
Thanks to another win from a generous Galaxy Express promo giveaway, I got to read Gini Koch’s Touched By an Alien. TBaA is full of action, humor, and hot aliens. And nasty aliens too. Care to guess which one our heroine, Katherine Katt, touches? If you answer “both” you’re right, though she doesn’t touch them for the same reasons : )
But I digress.
Five Reasons to Read TBaA:
1) A smart, funny, take-action heroine. When we first meet Kitty Katt (Yeah, yeah. I know. But Koch does a good job making you forget there are an abundance of “Kitty”s in SFR and UF these days.) she is standing on a street corner when some dude turns into a monster and starts killing people. Kitty doesn’t run, which sort of surprises her. Instead, she attacks the monster. With her pen. At first, you think this woman is insane, but you come to see Kitty as someone who doesn’t run from a fight. Her sense of humor is right up my alley, too. Snark and sarcasm? Oh yeah. But never in a cutting way. Well, mostly : )
2) Hot alien hero. Actually, all the good guy aliens are hot, males and females alike. But one is the obvious hero here. Jeff Martini is gorgeous (of course) and funny, a man on a mission who also knows how to bring out the best in people. He “gets” Kitty from their first meeting and tells her and her parents (more about them later) that he’s going to marry her. She takes it as a player’s line, but finds herself falling for him. Who wouldn’t?
3) Nasty aliens. I won’t go into an explanation here because the story about them, what they are doing on Earth, and why they need to be stopped, is better told by Koch : ) Suffice it to say, these baddies are at the head of the class when it comes to making your skin crawl.
4) The worldbuilding in this story is top notch. The combination of the familiar world to give the reader a solid base and the otherworldliness of the aliens is deftly explained and seamlessly carried throughout the book. Once I accepted the idea of Koch’s world (aliens among us) never did I think “Oh, that couldn’t happen.” Within the context of the story, all the fantastic elements worked well.
5) Kitty’s parents. Angela and Sol Katt play important roles in TBaA. They aren’t just there to give Kitty a hard time about her choice of men, wistfully long for grandchildren, or become pawns in the villains plans. Oh no no no. Who they are and what they do is integral not only to Kitty’s character, but to the story. I love both of them, especially Angela who has a few surprises for her daughter : )
One of the things that I was asked to address about TBaA was the first person POV. I have no problem with first person, and often write in it. Does it limit the reader’s access to information and emotion? Maybe, and I think Koch is a tad guilty of having Kitty figure out complex issues involving the aliens faster than most of us would. But she is the heroine : ) First person is effective by giving you a more visceral connection to the POV character. Plus, by only seeing one side of events, when critical information is revealed we can see if the MC (and therefore we the reader) was right in how they perceived things. First person isn’t for every reader or for every story, but it works well here.
Overall, Touched By an Alien is a well-paced, fun read. Go out and get it. The sequel, Alien Tango, comes out in December. I know what’s going on my Christmas list.
Girding the Summer Loins
Tomorrow is the last day of school. The last day to appreciate the mid afternoon quiet of my house. The last day to sit at the computer and pound out thousands–okay, hundreds…tens?–of uninterrupted words. As much as I love not having to get up and get kids off to school, or get ready for work myself, this free-for-all time of year challenges my self discipline and my organizational skills.
I want to stick to a writing regiment and accomplish my one big goal: Get my SFR WIP done before July 11. Yes, specifically that date, because I will be gone for the month following it. I want to get the first draft done, out to my lovely crit partners, and also allow the story to marinate for that time, unseen and untouched. When I return in August, I will be looking at it with fresher eyes. Well, after I get over the jet lag they’ll be fresher.
I can do this. My kids are old enough that I don’t have to monitor their every move. When I was a kid, we left the house after breakfast, returned for lunch, maybe, went back out, came in for dinner, unless we called to say we were eating at a friend’s, then wandered home when the streetlights came on. Daily adventures and evening exhaustion were normal parts of our summers. I may have my kids follow that plan more than a few times. Except for coming home when the streetlights go on. It doesn’t get dark here until 11pm in the summer, a wee bit too late for the under 16 set.
Between that, camps, and trips, I should be able to keep them busy enough not to hear the dreaded “B” word: Bored. They know what it means if they utter it in my presence. The “C” word: Chores. Husband will be cutting wood for the coming winter, so there will be LOTS of stacking necessary.
That means, the only one I’ll have to closely monitor is myself. I predict more than one mental kick in the butt in my future, but if I can work like a demon until July 11 and get to “The End,” it will be worth it. And yes, dear reader, feel free to kick. Accountability to someone other than yourself is a wonderful source of inspiration. The muse does not like having a sore bottom.
What are your plans/goals for the summer?
Agent Provocateur–Delayed Pimping, Part II
Here’s another installment of a woefully late plug for a story won during a Galaxy Express give away/promo event months and months and months ago. Please don’t hate me, Ms. Gray.
Nathalie Gray’s Agent Provocateur (Red Sage, Sept. 2009) is a fast-paced novella set in 24th century, dystopian Montreal. There has been some kind of Gene War fifty years before, giving rise to much animosity between folks that have been genetically tweaked somewhere in their family line (Misborns) and those who have not (Integers).
The hero, Troy, is a former agent for the State who is serving a sentence in the aftermath of an undercover operation that resulted in the death of a lot of people. Basically, his agency set him up as the fall guy. He’s told he can receive a full pardon if he captures the leader of the Misborns and brings him in. Mercury is to be his partner, but she has other things in mind for our hero. Troy and Mercury start off with rapid-fire banter and sexual attraction that escalates into, well, let’s just say the erotic label is not misleading : ) Troy has no love for anything regarding his former employer. Except for the chance to stay out of prison. And maybe a certain blonde. Mercury is a kick-ass gal who takes no one’s crap, and at the same time is vulnerable and unsure of her growing feelings for Troy.
Twenty-fourth century Montreal is dark and gritty. Your senses are completely engaged through the descriptions of the setting, and it should come as no surprise that the author is also an artist. With that amazing sense of place and time, you might expect info dumps to reveal the world she has created, but no. There is enough detail to set the scenes and keep a reader’s interest without overdoing it. That is a fine balance few writers can claim. Well done, Ms. Gray.
I felt the idea of the relationship going beyond HFN was a little premature, but I could certainly see these two duking it out verbally and physically as they navigate the path to longer-term happiness. Though I’d suggest they keep the first aid kit handy.
Five Reasons to Read Kristin Landon’s Hidden Worlds Trilogy
I have been a follower/fan of The Galaxy Express for a while now, and can’t tell you how happy I am that the site exists. Heather Massey does an amazing job promoting Science Fiction Romance. Interviews, reviews, discussions, you get it all at TGE. And giveaways. I have benefited three times from such promotions and have always imagined one of my books being the prize at TGE someday. After this third win, Heather gently reminded me that what I SHOULD do (my emphasis, not hers. Heather is very kind to knuckleheads like me) is give back for my great luck by talking about the books.
Oy. Ever feel like a complete tool? Yeah, that would be me.
I should have done this long ago, and I apologize to Heather at The Galaxy Express and Kristin Landon for being so…well, the only word for it is negligent…lazy…oblivious. I guess that’s three words, but they all apply. (I will run another self-flagellating apology when I post about Nathalie Gray’s Agent Provocateur : )
So let me stash the wet noodle for a moment and tell you why you need to read this series.
After the Earth was destroyed by ruthless machine intelligences known as the Cold Minds, the remnants of the human race sought refuge on the Hidden Worlds. For 600 years, the worlds have been protected by Pilot Masters, men who have been bred and trained for this sole purpose. But from a small, insignificant world comes a woman looking to secure her planet’s economic health. A woman who holds the key to a secret the Pilot Masters don’t want revealed.
Can you guess what is eventually going to happen? Well, maybe you can, to a degree, but there’s more to these books than a bunch of evil machines and haughty pilots. Much, much more.
Granted, I’ve only just finished Book Two, The Cold Minds, but I have more than enough to back up a recommendation. I stink at “reviews” and decided to take Heather’s suggestion to make a list. It is a tad vague, but that’s to avoid spoilers : )
1. Stellar writing. And I don’t use “stellar” in the “it’s about other worlds” sense. I mean the writing is AMAZING. Ms. Landon has some mad skills in this department. Intricate plotting, incredible detail, well-rounded characters. I’ve read more seasoned authors who can’t weave a story nearly as well as she. Brava, madam.
2. Delicious villains. No, not the machines; they are creepy. Not all the humans are the good guys here. The characters are multidimensional and the villains, like all good villains, are heroes of their own stories. You can totally see that, considering the situation they are in. Well, *mostly* see that. There are some real jerks, but jerks you’ll love to hate : )
3. Super hero. No, not the Batman or Superman variety. The hero is Iain sen Paolo, one of those haughty pilots. At first, he comes across as a bit over-privileged and self-involved (sorry, Ms. Landon, but he does : ) . But he comes around soon enough. Iain isn’t perfect, and he has some issues to deal with, but he’s trying hard to be loyal to his brother pilots (even after they treat him like dirt because—oops! That would be telling ; ), save his people, and love the heroine when she is pushing him away.
4. A heroine you can love. Linnea Kiaho is one brave young woman, and tougher than she first appears. She is more than a little naïve about the ways of the rest of the worlds, and unfortunately she gets a harsh lesson all too soon. But saving humanity—and her family back home–is more important to her than dwelling on her own problems. You just want to sit her down and say, “Linnea, honey, sometimes it’s okay to be selfish.” I don’t think she’d listen, though. It’s not that she is a martyr or does silly things in the name of love and self sacrifice. Linnea is smart, and that, along with her vulnerability and her determination to save her people, makes her a heroine you can root for.
5. Mind boggling world-building. Along with Ms. Landon’s incredible writing talent, you get one of the most complex and detailed universes in SF. Six hundred plus years of history and subsequent human cultures. I would have to put her universe up there with the one in David Weber’s Honor Harrington series. Yes, it’s that well thought out.
Go get this series. Go now. Get all three books and start reading. Then come back here and tell me what you thought. Better yet, tell the author. I hear they love getting fan mail : )
I am about to start Book Three, The Dark Reaches, so my next post might take a bit.
ETA: Finished The Dark Reaches. My take: Whoa and damn! Read this trilogy!
Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing
Oh, I am so very ashamed!
I have been lucky enough to win not one, not two, but THREE giveaways from the amazing SFR site The Galaxy Express in the past year and I have yet to remark on the books. (OK, I just won the third one and I haven’t read it yet, but still, my flagellation is deserved.)
What kind of terrible person/promoter of SFR goodness am I?!?!!?
Very. With a capital “V” that rhymes with “T” that stands for “Terrible”!
So to remedy that sad situation (Thanks for the kick in the butt, Heather!) I will dedicate myself to getting a couple of bang-up reviews out soonest. I’ve read Nathalie Gray’s Agent Provocateur a while ago and may need to go back to re-read it. No skin off my nose there : ) I recently finished Kristin Landon’s first book of her Hidden Worlds trilogy, so that one is fresher. I’m in the middle of the second book and totally enjoying it. The most recent win is Gini Koch’s Touched by an Alien. Thanks, Heather and Gini. I will not fail you this time!
It’s not that I wouldn’t recommend these great books by these amazing authors. I just stink at remembering to do stuff like that : P
But change is upon me, my friends. Stay tuned!
The Game of Your Life
Like much of America, pretty much the only time I watch/follow college basketball (now that we aren’t in a college basketball town) is during March Madness–the NCAA Championship games. We’ll catch a game or two during the season, especially if a PAC-10 team is playing, but our viewing time dramatically increases as the teams begin their push to the championship.
This year, Butler and Duke squared off for the men’s final game. The Butler Bulldogs were not expected to beat the perennial favorite Duke Blue Devils, but damn was that a nail-biter of a game. The Butler team, to paraphrase a line in “Galaxy Quest,” never gave up and never surrendered. They challenged the Blue Devils literally to the last second, when a lob across the court bounced off the rim and failed to go in. Heartbreaking for a team that played with so much heart, so much poise. At the end, as Duke was celebrating yet another championship, those young Butler men and their coach held their heads high–and rightfully so–as they shook hands with their opponents, stunned and disappointed yet offering congratulations and “Good game.” They had earned the right to be there, deserved the championship just as much as their foes, but the ball just didn’t fall the right way that final shot. So close. So very, very close.
The women’s game between Stanford (yay! PAC-10!) and the University of Connecticut (another perennial participant in the Final Four) saw play a little slow and disjointed at the start, but again, all those young women showed had the right to be on that floor. Both teams played hard, fought for every point, every rebound, every chance. Players fell hard going after the ball, but for all the physicalness, there was no aggression, not a glimmer of loss of control. These young women, like their male counterparts, are fierce competitors. But the maturity and poise they showed was amazing. When UConn had won, and another round of congratulations and “Good game” was exchanged between teams, I was happy for the winners, but my heart broke for Stanford as it did for Butler.
I’d have to agree with those who might see college basketball (or any collegiate sport) as an allegory for life. Years of practice, of learning from people who know what they’re doing, of weeding out the advice of people who think they know what they’re doing, of getting up early to work out and staying up late to finish homework assignments. Of treating yourself right and sacrificing some things you want to do but can’t because there’s a game the next day or a bus or plane to catch. Tired of doing the same drills over and over and over again. But knowing, in your heart, that it’s worth it. That there are people in your life, on your team, counting on you to give your hundred percent. Who you can count on to give their hundred percent. That makes you want to give even more, and you’re happy to do it.
And in the end, after doing everything you can to be in the game of your life, maybe you’ll be the one cutting down the net. If not, there is always next year.
Congratulations to all the teams in this year’s games.