from the World Spirit Tarot
I’m pleased to report that my absence from the blog has been due to finally, finally finishing my second novel, ShadowFlame, which will be out…eh, probably next Fall. The first book in the series, Queen of Shadows, will hit shelves at the tail-end of August, and is of course available for pre-order from Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Borders, Powell’s, and points west. Rest assured I’ll have plenty more to say about it as the publication date gets closer.
Since finishing the book I’ve been going through a brief but intense period of hermitlike behavior – for several weeks now I haven’t been anywhere or done anything but come home after work and camp out on the couch in my jammies. I consider this a well-earned break from productivity, and also, an escape from the hellish Texas Summer. I’m hibernating until the mercury dips back below 90, thank you very much.
To get back into the swing of blogging, I thought I’d resurrect an old favorite: the Ten Things I Love List.
1 ~ I loved Inception. I loved how it built itself layer by layer just as the characters built dreams, and a story that could have fallen apart at any moment fit together and drew me in until, by the end, I was left breathless and questioning my own reality. How many action films can say they make people think? How often do you leave a movie that you are unable to stop discussing afterward? Take a lesson from Chris Nolan, Hollywood. It is possible to make movies that are both exciting and intelligent.
2 ~ I love Castle. It’s my most recent TV show obsession, and while normally procedural-type cop shows bore me to tears, anything with Nathan Fillion has got to be Double Rainbow All the Way. His character, a bestselling mystery writer, is a lovable jackass – you want to slap the crap out of him, but he also has the capacity to be genuinely kind and charming. The supporting players are even better, specifically his mother and daughter. I won’t say it’s a masterpiece or anything, but it’s engaging and fun and hilarious, and come on, it’s Nathan Fillion. The awesome is baked right in. Castle is quickly replacing Bones in my affections, since the fifth season of Bones made me so freaking angry with its sloppy writing, ham-fisted product placement (count the number of times the characters talk about their Toyotas), and gimmicky plotlines (midget wrestling? REALLY?) I’m not sure I can stand to see season 6.
3 ~ I love Summer storms. In fact, they’re the only thing about Summer I don’t hate. I don’t like sunshine, heat, insects, sunburn, beaches, swimming, or thongs; I don’t really like barbecues or pool parties. But a good Summer storm where the lightning streaks over the sky and leaves the air feeling scoured clean is a wonderful thing.
4 ~ Actually, there’s one more thing I like about Summer: it’s the time of year that my oldest friend Laurie comes to visit from Europe. We only get a few days together each year. We’ve known each other since fifth grade, and she’s a genuinely great person. There shall be Margaritas, Indian food, and long hours of laughing…yay!
5 ~ I love Pama pomegranate liqueur, especially in Fresca. If you’re a fan of Italian sodas you should try it; the Fresca gives a clean and fresh citrus taste, and the Pama adds a bit of bite and a little more sweetness. Much yum.
6 ~ I love the book Health at Every Size. It takes on the diet industry, food politics, advertising, OMG OBESITY EPIDEMIC!!! scare-mongering, body image, and nutrition, and presents a thoughtful alternative to the thin-or-die mentality that is choking the self-love out of people every day. I highly recommend it regardless of your size.
7 ~ I love my silly Skechers slip-ons. I’m really not into shoes (the idea of spending $200 on a pair of heels that will make my feet hurt just baffles me), but I decided one day that I wanted some completely frivolous (yet comfortable, non-leather) shoes that said more about my personality than a pair of plain black sandals. They’re basically adult-sized kids’ shoes, and they even have sparkles on the toes. Yes, I own something that sparkles. They make me smile every time I look down and see them on my feet.
8 ~I love my apartment. I’ve lived here for almost six years, and while occasionally the urge to move strikes me, I love coming home to the cool quiet and curling up with a book and my kitties, with incense burning and music playing. After I finished redecorating my bedroom, the place just felt…complete. It’s my little haven, an external expression of the calm and beauty I try to cultivate internally. (I’m better at decorating outside than inside, but a girl’s gotta start somewhere.)
9 ~I love Jane Austen’s Fight Club. Just go watch it. Trust me.
10 ~ I love the pyrography from Greenwood Creations on Etsy. Look at this extraordinary Art Nouveau Lotus Pentacle. Gorgeous!
Ooh, that pentacle is *beautiful*