First, can someone explain why at this moment, the smaller main dog of my two dogs MUST put his chin on my laptop? Is he afraid of lawn movers? It's too early for dinner. What the heck, dude?
Anyway, here are links!
First, I'm over at Kirkus, rounding up my favorite moments from The Windflower, because every time I go back into my copy to look something up, I end up reading another 4 chapters. (Is there a name for that?)
I thought I might share my favorite moments with the heroine from The Windflower. Her name is Merry, and every time I read the book, I notice something different about her. I can't rank these in any sequential order, though. That's asking too much of me!
Merry Patricia Wilding was sitting on a cobblestone wall, sketching three rutabagas and daydreaming about the unicorn.
If you know the book, you know that's the first line. It doesn't fully make sense until the very end of the book, but it does make it easy to judge the heroine immediately as somewhat fanciful and useless, sitting on a wall, daydreaming and sketching rutabagas of all things. But Merry is a surprising heroine, just like the first line of the book.
If you felt so inclined as to share one of your favorite moments, please do – here or at Kirkus.
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Harper Collins UK is hosting a Romance Festival online this weekend, June 7 and 8.
Featuring guest authors from many different publishing houses, giveaways and celebrations, the festival should be two days of a lot of fun.
As it says on the site, you can “chat to other readers and writers, and get the lowdown on the best in romance, all without leaving the comfort of your own home.”
I like that plan!
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If you feel like coloring (and honestly, I love coloring. A LOT. No shame!), via James L. comes this link to DorkTower, where John Kovalik has finished a charity digital coloring book, with all proceeds going to the Fair Share CSA Coalition.
I thought you might be interested because it's called Embrace the Squee.
I embrace the squee regularly. I deply the Squee Cannon, RedHeadedGirl needs a Squee Mop – we're all about squee when warranted. And who doesn't want to color a squee narwhal?
You can learn more at DorkTower, or order one at DriveThru Comics.
And speaking of John Kovalic, also via James, Kovalic's artistic talents came in handy when he transformed a very suggestive ad on the back of his 5 year old's comic into something MUCH MORE GOODER:
It seems Dynamite thought the All Ages readers of Art Baltazar & Franco & Smits' CAPTAIN ACTION CAT #1 might also want to check out THE BLOOD QUEEN, a new dark fantasy series about a fictionalized version of real life villain and subject of countless Death Metal songs, Countess Elizabeth Bathory.
Sure, why not, right?
Have a look at the before and after shots, via The Outhousers, and Mr. Kovalic's Twitter stream:
Oh, dear. The advertisement on the back of Daughter, Age 5's otherwise delightful kids' comicbook. pic.twitter.com/n1q7hQ3jGo
— John Kovalic (@muskrat_john) May 17, 2014
BUT NOT ANYMORE! pic.twitter.com/5Awmh9YQQF
— John Kovalic (@muskrat_john) May 17, 2014
Well played, sir. Well played.
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What are you reading online right now? Got a link to share?
I just had to google ‘rutabaga’ because I didn’t know what this exotic vegetable was, and I kept seeing it alluded to here and there. Turns out it’s a swede?! I’m feeling a bit of a letdown.
My grandmother loved rutabagas and always grew them in her garden. She was the daughter of Swedish immigrants, which may explain her affinity for them (the rutabaga is a hybrid first developed in Sweden). She also loved romance novels and was my major supplier while I was a teenager. Coincidence?
The rutabaga was only introduced to England in the late 18th century, and to North America shortly afterward. It may be a metaphor for the bold new land that produced Merry (with the unicorn being a metaphor for the splendid old-world creature that draws her away from it).
Now I just feel old because rutabagas are what they grew down Petticoat Junction way. Please tell me someone else remembers this.
I had two recommendations in one day’s links. I rock so hard!
I’m reading WONDER WOMAN UNBOUND by Tim Hanley, after the glowing recommendation here. So far, it’s living up to the praise.
I am completely charmed by the fact that rutabagas are called Swedes. This makes me happy for some absurd reason.