by Christine | Writer Wednesday, Writing
Now, Lucy doesn’t know I’m featuring her today so I don’t have a full interview or anything with her, but what I do have for you is a terrific debut book that she’s written, titled 42, Rue du Jardin.
I confess, I bought it partially because its set in Savannah, Georgia and partially because I saw Rebecca Tsaros Dickson’s name on the cover. I’m just starting to follow Rebecca (she’s an author coach/editor/etc) and I wanted to see one of her finished products.
Lucy Lit’s Debut Novel
42, Rue du Jardin is a winning debut, full of charm, relatable characters, and solid storytelling. The two lead characters, Cullan and Royce, are not in the first flush of youth; they are in their vigorous 40s, with good, solid careers. Cullan is navigating life while hoping against hope that she’ll find a man who can make her orgasm like they do in her romance books, while Royce is a businessman and Tantric scholar who loves to love women limp and satisfied before he moves on. The way Lucy brings these two together is so much fun.
Here’s the blurb:
“The streets of Savannah have stories to tell…
One determined (and detached) Alpha male. A woman whose faith in love is shattered. Tantric sex. Could be a disaster or maybe a path to healing.
What happens when your romance novel fantasies collide with your reality?
Forty-something Cullan Davis almost has it all. Loving family, friends, successful business, community activist.
And no sex life.
A chronic, disfiguring skin disease and past abuse left physical and emotional scars that prevent her from believing in relationship possibilities. Resigned to being alone, she compensates by living vicariously through the heroines in her beloved romance novels. When her real-life lust from afar notices her, panic sets in. She cannot possibly get involved. Her scars are too deep. No man wants a self-proclaimed freak, do they?
Royce Jacobson is a wealthy philanthropist, single parent of a twenty-year-old daughter and womanizing player. Practicing his own version of tantric sex, he subscribes to the love ’em and leave ’em satisfied mentality. He wants to add Cullan to his conquest list but discovers vulnerability in her, touching a part of him he didn’t know existed. She’s an enigma. And Royce excels at solving puzzles. He’s convinced tantra can break through her reserves… if only she would cooperate.
When they end up on opposite sides of a high-stakes business venture, sparks fly professionally and personally. How far will Royce go to get what he wants? Can Cullan learn to love herself and trust in a man?
Readers who value older characters proving that romance and sex are timeless will enjoy Cullan and Royce’s journey to the address of 42 Rue de Jardin. A complete novel with no cliffhanger – First in the Sultry Savannah Series.
This romance is for mature audiences only due to explicit content and language.”
Do yourself a favor, and check out this new author.
Find her at Amazon and her website. Tell her Christine sent you, lol!
)O(
by Christine | Observations
Last weekend it rained in So Cal. Mind you, it hasn’t rained here – like that – in months upon months of months. A long time.
During a break in the rain, I took a walk with my camera and caught some lovely photos. Enjoy…
The sky, with a bit more rain in the clouds.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the sky with rain-fattened clouds.
Cactus do some amazing things right after a rain.
Just when you think this cactus, above, is totally dead, it comes back to vivid life.
Another pretty cactus in bloom. Same neighbor’s yard.
Aren’t the yellow flowers beautiful?
This arroyo is dry 95% of the time.
This arroyo runs through the local golf course near my house. This is the first time I’ve seen so much water in it since the late 1990’s.
Another shot of the sky.
This shot, above, had the ubiquitous So Cal palm tree, so I had to take it.
Buckets of Water
So, yeah. Like many So Cal homes, ours doesn’t have gutters. Someday we’ll get there – but for now, we collect water in used laundry detergent buckets. Both in the front and the back yards. It’s one way to keep the yards from flooding…
Many of my other photos are on my laptop, which is busy being backed up by Carbonite and, so, extremely slow when it comes to photos. I hope you enjoy!
I’m working on bringing Wine Fridays back, so stay tuned. Here’s hoping you have a happy weekend!
)O(
by Christine | Life
Caught between children not yet gone from the nest and an aging parent who wants his child. Neither lay blame (or even think to do so), but the guilt is there, waiting to pounce in a weak moment. Plus the marriage.
The push-pull of need and the balancing act that is required take its toll. And in a totally unrelated yet totally related way, I miss my mom.
I so wish we all lived together, in one house. Grandparent, children, grandchildren.
But that would undoubtedly bring its own heartaches.
So I take a deep breath and think on my blessings.
All will be well, and all things will be well.
)O(
by Christine | Life
February is Festival Month at my house. We kick it off on Valentine’s Day for obvious reasons; then it’s my birthday (17), wedding anniversary (23), and hubby’s birthday (26). We try to get in a vacation somewhere during this two-week span, in part because prices tend to be cheaper when you’re talking travel.
Four years ago, we came up to Cambria for a week. Rented a sweet little artist’s cottage for much less than it would cost to stay in a hotel, and we made it our base of operations as we explored the coastal areas (Morro Bay to the south and beachy areas to the north) and Paso Robles wine country. So obviously it was time to come back. One of the things we love to do is take photos, so sit back and enjoy!
Morning, 2-15-2014 – Marina Terrace, Cambria
Fabulous place to sit and watch the sea. A great spot to rest during the long Fiscalini Ranch walk.
Sea anemone happy in water. 2-15-14
Waiting for the tide to come in.
Crane! And seaweed. Lots and lots of it. 2-15-14
Moonset at Sunrise, 2-16-14
The above is one of my favorite shots ever. Tom had woken up around 6am and was racing to get his clothes on and find his camera. I stumbled after him, even sacrificing having my first cup of coffee to get to the ocean on time. We barely made it.
Sunrise through the trees. The sky was just starting to turn pink.
But the hassle was so worth it. This is part of the Lampton preserve, all fenced off. Also in the Marina Terrace section of town.
After breakfast, we headed north up Highway 1 to Piedras Blancas, a beach that is also an Elephant Seal preserve. December to March is when they come to this beach, give birth, and start the mating rituals all over again. They are noisy, sweet, funny and aggressive animals and always worth an hour or two. Or three.
A female elephant seal, scratching her chin.
These animals are amazing.
It’s almost always naptime. 2-16-14
It was time to head back toward Cambria, but the ocean sparkled so that we stopped a couple times to take photos.
Bird rock. Because birds. 2-16-14
And then to add to the animal theme…zebras. Yes, zebras.
These zebras are on the Hearst Castle property, and my bet is they are a part of the original menagerie Hearst had kept.
And Hearst Castle…from a distance.
Hearst Castle, as seen from Highway 1. Zebras are off to my right. 2-16-14
It was a lovely day. We went back into town, shopped a bit, had lunch at Robin’s (YUMMY!), went home and napped. Then it was almost sunset, and we had to hit the beach again.
Sunset, 2-16-14
So far this weekend has been magical. Today is my birthday, and we’ll have a slow transition from vacation to home (and taxes). This was the break I needed! If you get the chance, come to Cambria. You won’t regret it.
)O(
So, what is one of your favorite, close-to-you and relatively inexpensive vacation spots?
by Christine | Observations
The Los Angeles Times special Olympics 2014 section of the newspaper.
I was brought up watching the Olympics. Winter or Summer, it didn’t matter – we were there, watching, every night or weekend day, celebrating the athletes or commiserating with them. There was national pride, yes, and much joking about the one Ukranian judge who didn’t score appropriately (and I’m making a generalization here, people), but mostly it was a celebration of awesome physical feats of endeavor.
So it is with great confusion that I see people proclaim that they’re not watching the Olympics because of Putin’s policies outlawing homosexuality. I don’t understand that protest.
Yes, Russia is anti-gay. Am I an admirer of that stance? Hell to the no. But not watching the Olympics is, to me, not the best way of having my opinion heard. Not watching the Olympics won’t change Putin’s mind about the policies he’s put into place. Not watching the Olympics will only deprive me of the fun of watching the Olympics.
As a protest, I like what one of my friends is doing. For every day of the winter Olympics she’s watching, she’s donating to the Russia Freedom Fund. What is that? To borrow from their website:
“The Fund is a U.S. tax deductible vehicle for making financial contributions in support of the LGBT movement in Russia and efforts to combat discrimination and violence there based on sexual orientation and gender identity.”
Now that, my friends, is one way to make your voice heard. I know very little about the Russia Freedom Fund, and as always do your due diligence before donating money to any cause.
But if you LOVE the Olympics and you are depriving yourself of the joy of watching the Games in the belief that it’s going to make a difference in the lives of gay people in Russia, well. Maybe you should re-think your opinion on this issue, and watch some winter Olympics before they’re over for 2014. Grab yourself some of that Olympic joy.
Just sayin’.
)O(
