Wednesday, 25 January 2012

Burns Night and New Releases, Including a Banshee!

Tonight is Burns night - anyone out there having a Burns supper? If I can get some in time, I'll raise a dram of Laphroaig (what Neil Gaiman calls body-in-the-bog whisky in American Gods). Allan Scott-Douglas, actor, played Robert Burns in Ae Fond Kiss: The Life and Loves of Robert Burns, and sings the voice of Jamie Fraser on the Outlander CD and will play Jamie in Outlander: The Musical.

(I was trying to find a photo to share with you, of Diana Gabaldon and Allan Scott-Douglas together. For some reason, when I search on Google Images, Page 2 gives me a picture of my cat lying on my "I Love Big Books" Diana Gabaldon tote bag, from my knitting blog. I don't think I have the new 'include my entire social media life' setting turned on, but you never know.)

You'll have to settle for Allan as Jamie:


Tiffany Allee's Banshee Charmer is available!


"When she's sent to a crime scene and finds her second dead woman in as many weeks, half-banshee detective Kiera 'Mac' McLoughlin is convinced a serial killer is on the loose. Incubi are extinct, her boss insists. But what else can kill a woman in the throes of pleasure? When her partner is murdered after using witchcraft to locate the killer and Mac is thrown off the case, her frustration turns to desperation.

Certain the killer is an incubus, Mac works behind her department's back to chase down slim, sometimes perilous leads. While the killer eludes her, she does discover handsome Aidan Byrne, an investigative counterpart from the enigmatic Otherworlder Enforcement Agency. Mac typically runs her investigations fast and hard, but with Aidan at her side, she's running this one 'hot' as well. But Aidan knows more than he's letting on -- something that could shatter their blazing romance and add Mac to the killer's growing body count..."

Later, March will see two new releases (squee!): When I Was a Child I Read Books: Essays (awesome title) by Marilynne Robinson and Wrecking Ball by Bruce Springsteen.

And in a new-old release, the final volume of Patrick Leigh Fermor's story of his travels, beginning in 1933 (!), from the Netherlands to Constantinople (!!), on foot (!!!), will be published for the first time in September 2013.

As for ROW80... I've completed the paper edits! But the list of missing scenes is endless. So that's what I'll be working on for at least the next month.

How's everyone else doing?

9 comments:

Joshua said...

I fear I'll be pushing my January 31 dead to February 29, unless some lightning bolt of inspiration strikes. Just too over-committed.

yikici said...

Heya Deniz; sounds like you are on target with your ROW80 goals -the list of missing scenes is something we writers should take as given (hard luck I know!). I'm certain there's not much left now for you to be happy with your novel. :)

I'm still writing and re-formulating plots and scenes so they are believable (I need to believe them before I can move on -it's an OCD curse I have! Writers and their demons –tell me about it!).

Nadja Notariani said...

Yes, yes (we're walking the same trail these days)...in my current WIP edit, I've added about six red pencil notes...ADD TO SCENE...MISSING SCENE...ha! This is where I can get creative, though, and add those little details that make AHA moments later. It's kind of fun - when I don't allow myself to get frustrated.

S.P. Bowers said...

Funny story about the picture of your cat.

I'm still plugging away at polishing. Still might get it done by months end though.

Lynda R Young said...

congrats on completing the paper edits and good luck writing those missing scenes.

Darlene Marshall said...

I didn't have a Burns supper, but I did pour a dram of Scotland's finest export in honor of the Bard of Scotland. I even broke out the special bottle--Scott's Selection, 1964. And I'm still typing coherently! It's a good night.[g]

Medeia Sharif said...

I'm doing computer edits, but paper edits are coming soon for me.

Congrats on your progress!

Banshee Charmer sounds interesting. I'll check out the link.

amy kennedy said...

AH, but you know what you have to do. Missing scenes, where the heck do they go?

Deniz Bevan said...

I've got so many scenes to write that I'll be going all month, too, Joshua..

Thanks yikici! I hear you on the re-formulating plots.

Exactly, Nadja. I've gotta keep it fun :-)

Can't wait to see it, Sara!

Thanks, Lynda.

Sounds yummy, Darlene. Slainte!

Thanks, Medeia, good luck on your edits!

I've gotta hunt, amy... Maybe around the next corner.

Books I'm Reading and Finished Books

  • Sandman: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman
  • The Return of the Shadow - Book 6 in the History of Middle Earth series by Christopher Tolkien and J R R Tolkien (reread)
  • ***Reading At Intervals***
  • Stories in Words by C S Lewis
  • Poison by Bridget Zinn
  • Medieval Comic Tales (Folio Society edition)
  • Moby Dick by Herman Melville
  • Lessons for a Sunday Father by Claire Calman
  • Shadow Show (Anthology in Honour of Ray Bradbury, including Neil Gaiman!)
  • Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy
  • The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
  • Warriors (anthology) edited by George R. R. Martin and G. Dozois (featuring a new Lord John story by Diana Gabaldon)
  • The Jerusalem Bible
  • ***Finished Books***
  • Acquainted With the Night by Rober Frost (read by Amanda Palmer) (here: http://amandapalmer.net/blog/20120510/)
  • The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (reread)
  • Star Trek Book of Opposites (board book)
  • Alligator Baby by Robert Munsch
  • Causeries: l'Etat Civil du Comte de Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (essay)
  • Le Comte de Monte-Cristo par Alexandre Dumas
  • About the B'nai Bagels by E. L. Konigsburg
  • Parragon's Encyclopedia of Animals a Family Reference Guide (skimmed)
  • Throwing Shadows by E. L. Konigsburg
  • The Devil on the Staircase by Joe Hill (short story)
  • Horns by Joe Hill
  • Altogether One at a Time by E. L. Konigsburg
  • Orders From Berlin by Simon Tolkien
  • The King of Diamonds by Simon Tolkien
  • Quick Fix by Linda Grimes (arc!)
  • Jack Absolute by C. C. Humphreys
  • The Lost Road - Book 5 in the History of Middle Earth series by Christopher Tolkien and J R R Tolkien (reread)
  • The Roots of Betrayal by James Forrester
  • Leaf by Niggle by J. R. R. Tolkien (short story) (reread)
  • The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien (reread)
  • Sandman: Doll's House by Neil Gaiman
  • secret beta read!
  • An Easter Walk by Zan Marie Steadham (reread)
  • Celtic Myths and Legends by Mike Dixon-Kennedy (reread) (skimmed)
  • Rainy Days with Bear by Maureen Hull
  • Down to a Sunless Sea by Neil Gaiman (short story) (http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/mar/22/down-sunless-sea-neil-gaiman-short-story)
  • Sandman: Prologues and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman
  • Uncle John's Bathroom Reader, the Music edition
  • The Circus by Emma Trevayne (short story) (http://the-cabinet-of-curiosities.blogspot.ca/2013/03/the-circus-by-emma-trevayne.html)
  • Ghost Stories of Canada (compilation) (read a few)
  • Red Shoes and Doll Parts by Claire Legrand (short story (available at: http://the-cabinet-of-curiosities.blogspot.ca/2013/02/red-shoes-and-doll-parts-by-claire.html)
  • In A Fix by Linda Grimes
  • A Calendar of Tales by Neil Gaiman
  • It Came from the Far Side by Gary Larson
  • Boy O'Boy by Brian Doyle
  • Mary Ann Alice by Brian Doyle (so sweet! I wish there was a sequel)
  • The Man Who Loved Flowers by Stephen King (short story) (reread)
  • Celtic Myths and Legends by (forgot) (skimmed)
  • Night Surf by Stephen King (short story) (reread)
  • On This Day I Complete My Thirty-sixth Year by Lord Byron (poem)
  • 11/22/63 by Stephen King (brilliant)
  • When Summer Comes by Brenda Novak
  • All My Life Before Me - the diary of C. S. Lewis (finally! after 15 years!)
  • The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey
  • The Cake Made Out of Teeth by Claire Legrand (short story) (READ IT! Here: http://the-cabinet-of-curiosities.blogspot.ca/2013/01/the-cake-made-out-of-teeth-by-claire.html)
  • Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey (wonderful!)
  • Real Mermaids Don't Need High Heels by Helene Boudreau (ARC)
  • The Great Explorers (Folio Society edition) (skimmed)
  • The Shaping of Middle-Earth - Book 4 in the History of Middle Earth series by Christopher Tolkien and J R R Tolkien (reread)
  • Medieval Civilisation by Jacques le Goff (skimmed)
  • A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson (sooo many questions!)
  • Highland Moonlight by Teresa J. Reasor (skimmed very fast)
  • Not So Funny When It Happened (a travel humour anthology; I read a few of the essays, specifically by Douglas Adams, Dave Barry, Bill Bryson, Anne Lamott, etc.)
  • Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper (reread)
  • Greenwitch by Susan Cooper (reread)
  • The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis (reread)
  • Emerson (bits and pieces of his essays on his travels through England and Scotland; read aloud to me)
  • The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams
  • Old Man's War by John Scalzi
  • The Cove by Ron Rash
  • see the 2012 list and statistics here http://thegirdleofmelian.blogspot.ca/2012/12/the-hobbit-review-and-year-end-books.html
  • see the 2011 statistics on http://thegirdleofmelian.blogspot.ca/2012/01/books-read-in-2011-statistics-fourth.html
  • see the 2011 list at http://thegirdleofmelian.blogspot.ca/2012/01/books-read-in-2011.html
  • see the 2010 list at http://thegirdleofmelian.blogspot.com/2010/12/books-read-in-2010-listed-here.html
  • see the 2009 list at http://thegirdleofmelian.blogspot.com/2009/12/books-read-in-2009-part-ii.html
  • also in 2009 at http://thegirdleofmelian.blogspot.com/2009/12/books-read-in-2009-part-iv.html
  • see the 2008 list at http://thegirdleofmelian.blogspot.com/2008/12/books-read-in-2008-part-ii.html
  • also in 2008 at http://thegirdleofmelian.blogspot.com/2008/12/books-read-in-2008-part-vi.html
  • also in 2008 at http://thegirdleofmelian.blogspot.com/2008/12/books-read-in-2008-part-iv.html