Writing Excuses

In my last blog post, I mentioned I’d had surgery. I’m now in the midst of recovering. The doctor had warned me the recovery would take six weeks. I nodded my head. After the surgery, I discovered he was really serious. (Yeah, go figure. Maybe some hubris in my thinking beforehand.)

Writing Excuses logo

I spend a lot of my day, laying on the couch. Doing nothing. Or rather, healing. And for the first two weeks, the hours drifted by. Ah, it’s three o’clock. I thought it was just one.

But now, though the flesh is weak, my spirit wants to do something. I decided to work on my new novel. And discovered exhaustion sucks creativity completely dry.

Thankfully, a few months ago, a friend (thank you, Joanne Wasdin) had recommended a podcast. And I’d listened to several episodes even before the surgery—I’d stream them from my phone while I worked in the yard.

The podcast is called Writing Excuses. Their “logline” is “fifteen minutes long, because you’re in a hurry, and we’re not that smart.” J (Brandon Sanderson of Mistborn fame is one of the contributors.) Even though I don’t write fantasy/sci fi (I’ve been writing Southern noir), their discussions have been profoundly inspiring. Because fiction writing is fiction writing whether you’re describing an alien world or the buzz of cicadas in late summer.

After listening to the podcasts, I found some of my mojo. Granted, writing is still hard—but when has it ever been easy? And I’m 12,000 words into a new novel, which is much better than watching reruns of Downton Abbey or watching the clock tick the seconds.

So if you’re facing writer’s block or post-surgery-creativity-empty-tank syndrome, give Writing Excuses a shot. Because they've been doing this for ten seasons, there's something for everyone. And if you’re struggling with rejection, listen to "Perseverence"—hearing Sherrilyn Kenyon’s story choked me up.

A New Painting

I haven't been doing much blogging lately--or much of anything else. I had surgery. Yes, two cardiothoracic surgeries in the family weren't enough (see here and here), so I had major surgery too.

My husband Calvin took a week off from work to take care of me--my doctor's directions for home care were "stay in bed." That meant running the house was up to Calvin because our sons are in the middle of finals and their contributions to housework were putting their midnight snack dishes in the kitchen and throwing dirty clothes in the laundry room.

In the midst of playing nurse and maid (Calvin didn't need to cook much because our church brought us meals--thank you, Sally, Rachael, Laura, Karen, and Mom), Cal finished painting a watercolor. The photo isn't great quality, but you can see it on the left.

The painting almost makes my down time seem worthwhile. Almost, not quite.

For those that like to see what the painting looks like as Calvin works on it. Here are some "in-progress" photos.

This is early in the painting. 

Nearing the end.

N.B. The painting is from a photo I took on our Smoky Mountain vacation--the one where we saw a bear up close and personal--click here.

And if you'd like to see more of Calvin's watercolors, here are links to a few of the paintings I've shared on my blog: here, here, here.

But What Are They Eating?

Today, I'm at the blog But What Are They Eating?, discussing the role food plays in the Screwing Up Time novels. Click here to check it out!

And be sure to read some of the other great posts and follow the blog to learn more about food and how authors use it in their novels.

And a big thanks to Shelley for hosting me!! Check out her novels here.

City of Blades Book Review

City of Blades is the sequel to Robert Jackson Bennett’s City of Stairs, and while I did not read the first book in this series, it did not keep me from enjoying this well-crafted novel.

The plot has a brisk pace and number of twists, whose groundwork is well-laid and yet still feels surprising. One of the best qualities of this book is the character development. In particular, Turyin is a fascinating general. Scarred by battle, she learns to accept her past while atoning for it by preventing an apocalypse. Also, Signe and Sigrud grow through struggle as their relationship is redeemed.

Like many fantasy novels, City of Blades has philosophical overtones. Notably, the novel deals with issues such as the nature of war and the afterlife. In some instances, I found the characters’ musings prosaic; other times I found them short-sighted and wished I could engage the characters in discussion. But this isn’t necessarily a flaw, more a compliment since I cared enough to want to do so.

My final thought is on the world-building in the novel. Mr. Bennett has built a world with hints of India and Hinduism while at the same time crafting a unique place. However, as interesting as Voortyashtan and the City of Blades are, I didn’t quite connect with them. However, in spite of this, I would give the novel four stars because even though I didn’t connect with the world, I had to keep reading and find out what happened to Turyin and Signe.

N.B. Because this novel deals with the evils of war and though it does so in a restrained manner, it is not a fantasy for children.

I received this book for Blogging for Book in exchange for a review.

Wonderful News!

A little over twenty-five years ago, our oldest child, Luke, was born. We have enjoyed watching him pass the many milestones of life. Learning to walk. Learn to read. Graduating from high school. Graduating from college. Moving out and going to graduate school.

A few days ago, we were able to share in another milestone in his life. He asked the woman he loves to marry him. And she said, "Yes."

We are thrilled! Lydia is a wonderful young woman and the perfect companion for Luke. We are so thankful to God and are looking forward to a wedding later this year.

Book Review: The Travelers

 Having read Mr. Pavone’s other novels, I was eager to read The Travelers. After finishing the novel, I have to say it’s a thriller that lives up to the genre. The plot is complex and well-paced. The writing is very clean, which I really appreciate in a thriller—there’s nothing worse than awkward writing to slow the reading and take the reader out of the story.

That said, I did have a few caveats. At the beginning of the novel, the point of view changed frequently, as did the setting. While I was able to keep the characters straight, without knowing for certain who they were, I was disappointed that the setting changed so quickly I didn’t get to experience the locales. After all, one of the things a reader looks forward to in books with exotic locations is the chance to live in them vicariously—to smell the sea breeze in St-Jean-de-Luz and feel the heat of Capri. That said, by the end of the novel, I did get a wonderful sense of Iceland. But I would have loved to experience the same sensory texture at some of the other locales.

I did appreciate the way the relationship between the main character and his wife grew over the course of the story. While the ending may not be completely realistic, I did love how the couple overcame their struggles and were able to forgive one another. In modern novels, it is rare to find married couples who truly care for one another and are able to let love be the gateway for forgiveness. For that, and the enthralling thrill ride, I will give The Travelers four stars.

One final caveat. This novel does have many adult scenes. Many of which are crude. I understand their function in the novel, but I do want to warn readers that the scenes are a bit gratuitous.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for a review.

Book Review: The Homemade Kitchen

Book Review: The Homemade Kitchen by Alana Chernila (4.5 stars, which means I'll round to 5.)

This cookbook attracted me because several years ago, by necessity of my son’s health, I had to become a from-scratch cook. I couldn’t pop a frozen meal in the oven any more. So began my food journey. And along the way, I fell in love not so much with cooking, but with food. I learned that cooking from scratch changes your palate, you can taste the fillers and the thickeners and the sweeteners in processed foods—and they don’t taste good. And I learned to taste the nuances of foods. In short, I became a foodie.

So Chernila’s cookbook with its emphasis on courageous cooking and making things from scratch intrigued me. And I’m delighted to say that I wasn’t disappointed.

One of the best things I made from this cookbook was feta cheese. Wow! It was easier than I thought, affordable, and delicious. Creamy and salty without a hint of bitterness.

This is what it takes to make feta. Milk, salt, rennet, starter,
cheesecloth, and water.

Separating the curds from the whey.

The shakshuka recipe was great. I love shakshuka and this recipe had a perfect blend of fresh spices with the tomatoes and eggs. It’s my favorite go-to recipe when making lunch or dinner just for myself with a side of feta or goat cheese. (Sorry, there isn't a photo. Can't believe I didn't take one.)

And the whole family loved the Butter Lettuce with Dates and Ricotta. (Though I used goat cheese instead of ricotta—I’m not fond of ricotta’s texture.)

I also made the preserved lemons, which have uses in many Middle Eastern and North African dishes.

The preserved lemons were made with water, lots of kosher salt, bay leaves, and cardamon pods. And I'll admit, I've eaten the preserved lemons on their own. Yummy marriage of salt and sour.

On the downside, no one would eat Ricotta Mousse. But if you’re a ricotta-lover, it might be perfect for you. And the Coq Au Vin with Buttermilk Spaetzel was a lot of work, and not worth the effort. If I were going to remake this dish, I’d make it with dumplings. And I’d allow a much longer, slower cooking time to give the flavors more time to blend and penetrate the meat. (The meal was better when we had the leftovers for lunch the second day.)

Here I am making the spaetzel.

There are several
recipes I can’t wait to try. Radish butter. And Muhammara (a Turkish red pepper spread)—but my sumac supplier ran out. So I’ll have to order from Penzey’s.

And while I was doing a lot of cooking during our vacation, my husband was doing a watercolor. (And he helped with the cooking, especially the spaetzel--that dough was stiff.)

(I received this cookbook from Blogging for Books for a review.)