The Girdle of Melian

have been very lucky this week. In between a very busy time at work (yes, that's my sneaky way of apologising for how far behind I've gotten in replying to blog comments and visiting all of you!), I've read not just one or two, but four really good books. I'm not sure if my mini-reviews do justice to the books I like to showcase. For a writer, I have a hard time describing why certain books touch me the way they do. It might be because, nine times out of ten, I'm very deliberate in choosing the books I read. Looking at the list at the bottom of this blog, it might not seem that way, but I do tend to lean towards certain authors, and don't willingly read many new or modern writers. Which is why I have a hard time with reviews -- I'd give five stars only to real classics, and so everything else I read is either brilliant, and I want to give it five stars, but I'm not yet sure if it's a classic, or it's good but didn't knock my socks off, a...

did something! By which I mean I have something a bit more substantial to report for this week's A Round of Words in 80 Days check in -- I've nearly finished another round of edits on Druid's Moon . I hope to enter all the changes and finish the edits in time to submit it to Carina Press . I've also been reading lots of new books. Yes, there are still many books at home that need to be read, and I'm trying hard to stick to the Don't Buy Books Until Christmas rule, but these were either books I'd already ordered before instigating that rule, or books I received directly from the authors! In that spirit, here's the first round of mini reviews (as always, inspired by ZanMarie's mini book reviews ): BOSS: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - The Illustrated History , by Gillian G. Gaar I just learned that Springsteen has an autobiography coming out later this year, but I'm glad I got a chance to read this book first. It's...

eposting an oldie today, an interview with Barbara Rogan : I first met Barbara Rogan through the Compuserve Books and Writers Community (thank you, Diana Gabaldon ), and then participated in her Revising Fiction Workshop , which helped me no end when I was trying to finalise the edits for Out of the Water . I'm hoping to submit a new piece to her soon for a 50-page critique! Here's Barbara, first as an author, and then as an editor: As an author... Which is the most embarrassing song, book, movie or TV show that you love? I watch those high-end real-estate reality shows, "Selling New York" and the like, which is pure voyeurism: seeing how the 1% live and imagining myself in those houses. Which of your characters is most like you? There's some of me in all of them, including (or especially) the villains. I do feel a great affinity with one character from my second book, Café Nevo : Emmanuel Yehoshua Sternholz a 72-year-old waiter in a Tel Aviv café....

eed an octopus? Who doesn't love gazing at undersea images? The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been exploring the Marianas Trench, including "bottomfish habitats, new hydrothermal vent sites, mud volcanoes, deep-sea coral and sponge communities, and seamounts, as well as subduction zone and trench areas. The geology of the Mariana region is incredibly complex and dynamic. Despite decades of previous work in the region, much of the Monument and surrounding areas remain unexplored. "The three-leg 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas expedition will help us identify and better understand new geological phenomena and habitats – such as extreme life living in the deepest oceanic trench on the planet, enormous mud volcanoes, active hydrothermal vents, chemosynthetic communities, and possibly deep-sea coral and sponge habitats..." Lots of exciting things to see -- and some are available as desktop wallpapers ! And Octopus Fr...

ery excited to feature an excerpt today from Carol Riggs' new novel, Bottled .

appy Insecure Writer's Support Group Day! I was thinking for IWSG Day, that it's a good idea to allow ourselves to take a break once in a while -- and to not feel guilty when we do so! In that spirit, and in honour of the 30th anniversary next year of the publication of Who Is Frances Rain? by Margaret Buffie , I'm reposting my interview with the author ! Visit Buffie's blog for more information about her books, as well as some gorgeous photography! I'm very pleased to be hosting Margaret Buffie herself here today! I asked her all sorts of random questions and she obliged me... On Writing Where do you do most of your writing? I do most of my writing in my second floor office in my home. The house was built in 1910, and I love to look out at the old elms along the street as I work and think about the history of my city. I also write at my lake cottage. What do you need to help you write? I start with a pencil and lined notebook for the first ...

olkien in Oxford! I had no idea when writing my A to Z Blogging Challenge on the Inklings posts that we would take a spur-of-the-moment weekend trip to Oxford the month after the challenge! Here's a belated A to Z linked post, then, sharing all the main Tolkien-related photos from our trip. The Lamb and Flag, across from the Bird and Baby -- er, the Eagle and Child, two pubs at which the Inklings used to meet. I've had drinks at the Eagle and Child before, and we didn't have time to go in this time around... The Botanical Gardens. I wanted to see Tolkien's Tree , a black pine, but apparently it was felled a few years ago! All that remains are these celebratory illustrations. Very sad. Magdalen College, where the Inklings met in C S Lewis' rooms on Thursday nights: Starting point of Addison's Walk, frequented by Lewis, Tolkien, and Dyson The view of the grounds to the north, which is the direction Lewis...