Novelicious

I declare, India and I are having a bang-up time introducing ourselves to U.K. readers. Here's an interview I did for Novelicious, a fun and funny website dreamed up by some U.K. writers. I may have had a drink or two while answering these questions.

Yikes (and a German cover)

Once again, I have been shamefully lax at posting any updates. India would not be pleased and would no doubt berate me for my indolence. I'm sure she would be an avid user of social media. Photos of Lotus House on Instagram. Sarcastic digs at politicians on Twitter. And the daily specials available at the brothel on Facebook.

So, here's a peek at the cover for the German edition of India Black and the Widow of Windsor, with its new title, Danger to the Throne. At least, I think that's the new title. Any German speakers out there who can translate?

Epic Costume

I'm not a fan of dressing pets in costumes, but this is pure genius.

$%^#@ Spring

Yesterday. Rain. Sleet. Snow. Too depressed to blog. Losing will to live.

Splendid!

In 1851, the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations opened in London. Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, was a driving force behind this spectacular display of machinery, inventions and products from around the world. The purpose was to showcase Britain's role as the foremost industrialized nation of the world, and it was a huge hit.  A third of the British population, over 6 million people, viewed the exhibition. The proceeds were used to establish the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The event was held in a purpose-built building, the Chrystal Palace.

Made of iron and glass, the building was 1851 feet long, 454 feet wide, and contained almost one million square feet of space. It was remarkably modern in design and was a real feat of engineering.  Sadly, it burned in 1936.

Now, the Crystal Palace will rise again.  This is wonderful news for Victorian enthusiasts.  Can't wait to see it.

I'm Always the Last to Know

I don't cook, knit, scrapbook or decorate the house for Halloween, so it's no surprise that Susan Branch has never appeared on my radar.  I'm more likely to think of knitting needles as murder weapons, thanks to the hundreds of mysteries I've read over the years. I stumbled on this artist/writer/blogger/entrepreneur by accident.  Scrolling through the latest additions to my local library, I came across A Fine Romance, the diary of her recent trip to England. I checked it out.  Now I'm hooked.

I have a confession to make.  I'm a complete anglophile.  Thanks to my Grandma Pal's shelf full of Agatha Christie's books, I was an early convert to tea, sherry with the vicar and English country houses.  I may live in a contemporary-style house with contemporary furniture, but in my heart of hearts I yearn for a garden like this

outside a cottage like this

where I drink tea from a cup and saucer like this

I think you get the picture.  Back to Susan Branch.  When I'm feeling the need for something sweet and charming, I'll be visiting her blog.  It's a quick fix when I want to feel safe and cozy, and it's a wonderful antidote to all the negativity and vitriol emanating from our nation's capitol right now. 

Victorian Oddities

Can I interest you in a few desktop accessories?  How about this?

Or this?

Or perhaps your taste runs to this?

This is Creepy

A few idle pecks on the computer, and I found myself looking at this:

This is one of several photos from an article about the "Strangest Tradition" of the Victorian era:  postmortem photography.  You can read the whole thing here, if you're so inclined.

The Penny Farthing

Here's a gent from India's era, with his penny farthing bicycle:

I feel the urge to get India up on one of these.  Per Wikipedia, the name comes from the British coins 'penny' and 'farthing' (duh).  From the side, the bicycle looks like a penny leading a farthing.  

You'd think these are just a quaint reminder of our past, but some people still dig 'em.

Work, Work, Work

I've been doing quite a bit of that lately.  TC and I have decided to do all the maintenance projects around the house that we have put off for five years.  That's bad enough, but the people who lived here before us did nothing around here, so we have their maintenance to do, as well.  This week, I have used a cool product called "Howard's" which makes oak cabinets and trim look brand new.  I've done the stairs and the kitchen cabinets.  We've painted one bathroom and we've prepped a second for painting.

In the middle of this burst of domesticity, I took a day off to visit my mother.  I've also written 8,000 words this week.  And I've edited the digital novella India Black in the City of Light.  That was an easy task; I seem to have done a rather thorough job of cleaning up the ms before sending it off to my publisher last May.  I did have to remind the copy editor that in previous India stories we have used "Bulldog" rather than "Bull Dog" for India's revolver.  Either seems to be correct, but for the sake of consistency, we should stick with one.  And to my horror I discovered that I had used the word "memorandums."  Sheesh.  What was I thinking?

Next week:  At least 10,000 words, paint the second bathroom, prep TC's office for painting.  Yikes.

This picture is a total fake.  It would be more realistic if they were covered in paint and shouting at each other.

The Power of the Pen

The Power of the Pen

India vs. Carol: Who is Smarter?'

Apparently, India.  From HuffPo, this article says:

"Our technology may be getting smarter, but a provocative new study suggests human intelligence is on the decline. In fact, it indicates that "Westerners have lost 14 I.Q. points on average since the Victorian Era."

And the reason for this:

"...the fact that women of high intelligence tend to have fewer children than do women of lower intelligence." 

Interesting Women: Kate Field

I have a confession:  I don't relate well to feminists.  Far too much time is spent on trying to shame men into behaving differently.  Imagine the results if that much energy was devoted to realizing one's potential.  That's why I'm drawn to women like Kate Field, actress, writer, journalist and world traveler.  And she did it all during the Victorian Age.  Bravo, Kate!

It's Wednesday - Have an Interview

Head on over to Mysteries and My Musings for an interview with moi.  Ariel asked some great questions and I attempted to answer them.

Interesting Lives

Years ago I heard Garrison Keillor bemoaning the banality of American life.  "All you need to know about someone is that they live down the street from a Blockbuster's, eat at McDonald's and watch the Super Bowl."  At least it went something like that.  To be truthful, all I can remember is the part about Blockbuster's, which is amusing since that commercial enterprise is now just a memory.  In a way, I admire people who are satisfied staying in the same job for three decades or the same town for their entire lives.  That's just not me.  I suppose I get bored too easily.  I like change and travel and new hobbies.  I'm fascinated by people who stepped up to the plate and swung for the fence, whether they struck out or hit a homer.  Here's an obit for Barney Conrad, described as "novelist, diplomat, club owner who hung out with Sinatra and was gored by a bull in Spain."  What a life!

And yes, I do read a lot of obituaries.  I don't think it's unhealthy.

But Will It Fit In My Carry On Luggage?

From Everyday Science and Mechanics Magazine, 1935

Review, Guest Post, and Whimsy

Yesterday I visited Lori's blog and discussed the challenges of writing a series.  You can read about it here, and don't forget to sign up for the giveaway at the end of the post.  Free India!

Dee De Tarsio, my hilariously funny friend and fellow author has posted a review of Shadows of Anarchy.

Thanks to both Dee and Lori for featuring India on their blogs.

A winter storm is engulfing the Ozarks today.  I'm watching the ice build up on the tree limbs and wondering how much longer we have until the power goes off.  We've a generator in reserve, though, having learned our lesson in the Great Ice Storm of 2007, when some people lost power for weeks. Now if we can just operate it without asphyxiating ourselves, we'll be in business.

And finally, here's a bit of whimsy for your weekend.  This cracks me up.  I laughed even louder when I saw that these guys also do a cover of Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl."

Weekend Miscellany

• On Saturday night, the local news covered an event sponsored by "The Show-Me Clowns for Jesus." Seriously.  What a great title for a short story.  In the horror genre, of course.
• For those of you who don't know, the nickname of Missouri is the "Show-Me State."  Versions of the origin vary, but it either means that we are stubborn skeptics who require proof of everything, or it originated in the mines of Colorado.  During a strike many workers were imported from Misouri, but most had no experience as miners.  Hence they had to say "show me" whenever they were told to do something.  I prefer the former explanation.
• Our bird feeders have been a huge hit this year.  You can't go outside without the bluejays and red-bellied woodpeckers chattering at you to hurry up and go back inside so they can get back to the dinner table.  I find myself leafing through a bird book to prove that it is a white-breasted nuthatch outside the window and NOT a dark-eyed junco.  Is this a sign of age?
• I took my mom to visit her new great-granddaughter.  She's adorable, but she's going to have to be a special child to outdo her older sister, who will be three next month and is adorable and quirky.  She handed Mom a photo of the baby and said, "Here, Your Majesty.  Take that home."  
• We put a man on the moon almost fifty years ago, and we still couldn't figure out how to get those people off that boat?
• Poor Marco Rubio.  Dry mouth, sweat, and drinking water on national television.  All the smart people on TV (and they have to be smart to be on the tube, don't they?) say his political career is finished.
• Zero progress on the second India short story.  I just have too much time to do it.  It's not due until the end of May and consequently I am not in panic mode yet.  Hoping this will kick in soon.  

No Silent Night

I don't know about you, but Christmas always prompts me to do some very specific reading.  No, I don't re-read A Christmas Carol or The Gift of the Magi.  I read a history book and always about the same subject:  the European theater during WWII.  If the book is about the Battle of the Bulge, which took place around Christmas, 1944, so much the better.  During the holiday season, Hitler made a last, desperate attempt to stop the Allied advance into Germany by launching an attack against the American line.  The weather was brutal, the fighting was hard.  The tiny Belgian village of Bastogne was vital to German success, and the Americans rushed the 101st Airborne Division there just before the Germans encircled the place, trapping the famous "Screaming Eagles" for several days.

You may vaguely remember General Anthony McAuliffe's reply to the German demand to surrender as it's one of the legendary communications of the war.  "Nuts," he said, which I suspect puzzled the Germans who wondered about the sanity of an American commander who would demand snacks at such a time.  The messenger who delivered McAuliffe's reply assisted in the translation by helpfully explaining that "nuts" meant the same as "go to hell."  An even better example of the 101st's fighting spirit is the response of one of the paratroopers when he was told that the Germans had cut off all retreat:  "So they've got us surrounded.  Poor bastards."

This year I read No Silent Night: The Christmas Battle for Bastogne, by Leo Barron and Don Cygan.

It's a battle history and the general reader may find the description of various units and their movements a bit too detailed, but the book superbly recounts the emotions and experiences of the men, both German and American, who fought at Bastogne.

Why do I read this sort of thing around the holidays?  My best friend's dad participated in the Battle of the Bulge, and when the weather turned cold and the Christmas lights went up around our little town, Grant would remember the misery of Christmas, 1944.  It made a deep impression on me and connected me to a place and time and to men I would never meet in such a profound way that I've never lost interest in the topic.  Sadly, Grant has passed on.  I think he'd be surprised at the legacy he left with me.

AWOL

I've been absent from the blogosphere this week as I caught up with a few chores around the house.  I'm happy to be back, especially since I can post this link to a terrific review of The Rajah's Ruby at Passages to the Past.  The ladies there are sponsoring a giveaway, so head over if you'd like a chance at a free copy of the Especial.