by Christine | Life, Observations, Writing
My husband came into the house yesterday evening and made this pronouncement: “We’re ripping everything out of the yard and only planting boysenberries.” I would like to say I was shocked, but I totally understood.
Once you taste a fresh-from-the-vine boysenberry, there is no going back. You will buy the ones in the store, but they never match up to that burst of sun and summer and berry-goodness that is the fresh boysenberry.
Of course, this is true, too of tomatoes and apricots and strawberries and oh, all manner of garden goodness. To this day, I can’t buy an apricot in the store because as a child we had a productive apricot tree. So much so that mom & dad would make apricot jam, stewed apricots (OH YUM!), apricot pie…whatever we didn’t manage to eat (or the birds didn’t get) all got saved, somehow, to make winter brighter with its fresh, fruity flavor. Store apricots just aren’t the same – the juice isn’t as sweet, the flesh tends to be a bit mealy, and over all they are a disappointment.
Tomatoes are one area where I will bite the bullet and buy in the store when I’m not growing my own.
(But come on. I mean, doesn’t that cherry tomato look DELISH?) I have a confession – I make sure I eat the first ripe cherry tomato, every season. That burst of flavor, mingled with the scent of tomato plant on my hands, is, every year, the herald of summer.
I do love the flowers that summer brings, too. Every year for the past few years, I’ll get what I call “volunteer” sunflowers – ones I haven’t planted, but were remnants of seeds from previous summers. I never rip them out before they’ve grown; I like to believe they are the earth’s way of saying “thank you” to me, so the least I can do is help them grow.
These two sunflowers are about twelve feet tall.
And then there’s the artichoke. Once we’ve eaten our fill of artichokes, we tend to ignore the plant for awhile – to our dismay, overnight it seems the artichokes open up too much to be tasty. Then we do our duty to the birds and bees everywhere, and let them flower.
Stunning, isn’t it? How many bees do you see in this photo?
Here’s the whole plant, showing lots of flowering artichokes.
Yeah, spending time in the garden – even when it’s just weeding and watering – always seems to settle my spirit. Taking photos of my garden is just another delight, especially now that I can get photos from my camera and into the blog, lol! But my favorite thing to do in summer? It’s just to sit in the garden around sunset, drinking wine or a Between the Sheets, talking with my husband as he noodles around on the guitar. Pure heaven.
On the writing front, DEMON HUNT is 99% complete – the publisher just needs to finish the formatting, then once more for strictly a format edit and it’ll be good to go. I hope to have ARCs this time around, so I can get some reviews prior to the launch but we shall see.
One last photo – this one was taken at a winery in Paso Robles. It reminds me of a painting by Monet, and I am very proud of it.
All photos in this blog posting were taken by me.
The year is rapidly approaching the Summer Solstice. What is your favorite way to enjoy summer?
~ ~ ~
Thanks so much for visiting and leaving comments – I love hearing from you! Until next time – and remember to drink responsibly!
by Christine | Publishing, Writing
Michelle is one of my friends at Crescent Moon Press, and her debut book, OF A DARKER NATURE, just released on June 1st. Take a look!
Here’s the Blurb:
With just one touch, Emily Cross can read the memories of the deceased. Working at a funeral home might not be the logical choice, but for Emily, it is a natural one. When she and her boss are attacked, the creatures she once thought were only folklore become all too real. Just as she’s about to be drained of life, the cadaver on the next table rises to fight them off. Feeling a connection to the man who saved her life, she makes it her mission to find him. As she delves deeper, she discovers a dark underworld full of vampires, magic and shape shifters.
Marcus Dane doesn’t know how he ended up in a mortuary. As an Enforcer for the Mistress of the City, he has been following leads regarding a powerful witch who wants to exterminate his blood-clan. His fear that the witch has recruited some of his fellow Enforcers is confirmed and now it looks as though the witch will make her threats real. He counts himself lucky to escape the mortician, because someone in the mortuary business disposes of vampires who are unfortunate enough to cross his table.
When it all comes down to it, Emily now has a vampire she’s romantically entangled with, a very angry Mistress who doesn’t like other people playing with her toys, and an incredibly powerful witch who realizes killing Emily is the gateway to what she wants. By the end, Emily will have to figure out who she can trust, who she has to align with even if she doesn’t trust them, and just who has the darkest nature of all.
Excerpt:
Marcus turned his gaze up to her, eyes dark pools of midnight. The points of his fangs dimpled the tender flesh and blood welled just below the surface. Panic took over and she shoved him backward. She scooted off the counter, pulling the shirt back over her shoulders. “Things are moving way too fast. I shouldn’t have let you go that far.”
He watched her with scary, dark eyes.
“Why don’t I run to town and get you some more blood?”
He grinned, fangs in full view. “I’m more interested in yours.”
She shrieked then darted past him. A piece of glass crunched beneath her heel and sent her stumbling.
Marcus gripped her shoulders, drew her against him and pinned her against the refrigerator. He didn’t seem to notice or care that she pushed against his chest in an effort to escape.
His mouth lingered just inches from her neck. The tips of his teeth grazed her throat and his breath tickled across her skin. Fangs pinched the delicate area, forcing a low moan from her.
“Please, Marcus.” She struggled to be heard over the roaring fear in her head. “Don’t do this.”
“Why must you torment me?” His lips tickled her skin.
Emily swallowed hard, afraid to move. Marcus’s desire still pressed against her and her own swirled low in her belly. His fingers deftly unbuttoned her shorts. She was tempted to throw caution to the wind and let him ravage her. But she had no assurances that he wouldn’t bleed her dry.
His hands were at her hips, pushing the denim lower. Next, his fingers hooked her panties. She shuddered against his cool skin and held her breath. He hadn’t backed away and his mouth was still at her throat.
“Marcus?” She was afraid to move or do more than whisper. This was unfamiliar territory and she didn’t know what might set him off. Sex she could handle, but the fangs at her throat were terrifying.
He surprised her by drawing back. Doubt surfaced behind his darkened eyes, but he didn’t take his gaze from her. In a roughened voice he said, “Walk away, don’t run.”
~~~
Cool, huh? Find Michelle here…
by Christine | Publishing, Writing
So…the time has come. Ladies and gents, may I present…
Cover design by Taria A. Reed
Tribred Gregor Caine decided long ago to deny his blood legacy. So he isn’t happy when paired with a full-blooded Fae to hunt the demons that overrun Los Angeles. As they fight side by side, he finds she calls to both his Fae and his demon blood; a call he can’t resist.
Warrior Fae Serra Willows crossed into the Human Plane to help destroy the demons released from the Chaos Plane. Finding and shutting down the portal between worlds is more challenging than she expected…and Gregor and his world more seductive than she had ever imagined.
As the killings escalate, Gregor and Serra realize one of the most deadly demons from the Chaos Plane has marked Serra as his own. To save her, Gregor has to face his greatest fear—losing his humanity to the darkness in his blood. But in a race against time, that darkness could become his greatest strength. And he will kill to claim Serra’s love.
Available Summer, 2012
~~~
PLUS – TODAY is the Release Day for BLOOD DREAMS – A Caine Brother’s Short Story! You definitely want to read Blood Dreams before you pick up Demon Hunt – it’s the missing link, so to speak. Here’s the cover!
It’s December, and Los Angeles is in the grip of a serial killer – or so Gregor Caine would like to believe. But the moon grows fat as it builds toward the Winter Solstice and an eclipse. An old woman searching for a friend gone missing believes danger is coming, and the Blood Dreams that keep interrupting Gregor’s sleep portend a swarm of demonic activity.
After summer’s setback, Kendall Sorbis is finally getting started on his Revenge Life List. First up, open a portal to the Chaos Plane. Second, invite the Caines to come and play…
BLOOD DREAMS available TODAY!
Thanks for sharing my excitement!
by Christine | Publishing, Writing
Weighted is a young adult post-apocalyptic with paranormal elements. It is a prequel novelette to The Neumarian Chronicles, and will be released August 2012. Book I, Escapement, will be released in 2013.
Blurb:
The Great War of 2185 is over, but my nightmare has just begun. I am being held captive in the Queen’s ship awaiting interrogation. My only possible ally is the princess, but I’m unsure if she is really my friend or a trap set by the Queen to fool me into sharing the secret of my gift. A gift I keep hidden even from myself. It swirls inside my body begging for release, but it is the one thing the Queen can never discover. Will I have the strength to keep the secret? I’ll know the answer soon. If the stories are true about the interrogators, I’ll either be dead or a traitor to my people by morning.
Link to add Weighted to Goodreads shelf: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13647847-weighted
Stop by Ciara’s blog and check out her other fantastic novels!
by Christine | Publishing, Writing
Kinley Baker is one of my Crescent Moon Press sisters – and here’s the cover for her new book, DENIED!
When invaders brutally massacred the women and children of the Varner, Caleb witnessed loss and destruction on a scale few can comprehend. As the leader of a race on the brink of extinction, his only hope for survival is gaining acceptance into the Shadow Shifter Kingdom. Struggling with new customs, he meets Tabitha, a woman who challenges his limits.
Refused the right to join the king’s guard because of her gender, Tabitha must be stronger than the men to prove she deserves to be the first accepted female Warrior in the kingdom. She believes Caleb will help improve her abilities, until she learns her goals conflict with the foundation of his culture.
When the realm is attacked, Tabitha and Caleb must come together not only to fight, but to find the strength to win against an evil with the potential to destroy everything they revere most–including each other.
Add DENIED as To-Read on GoodReads! http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13646204-denied
PLUS: Kinley’s doing a tour-wide giveaway – you can use the rafflecopter, below, or head on over to her site for your opportunity to win a $10 gift card! Click here for Kinley’s Website.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
by Christine | Life, Observations, Writing
Or maybe I should call this post Sixes and Sevens? I’m be-bothered and out of sorts and ill-at-ease and put your catch-phrase here.
- Thanks to kansaswatercolor.com for the image.
(I’m somewhere there – right there, in the middle of the painting. Or maybe in the upper right side…or down left, toward the bottom…)
There’s no one reason for it, really, and a million tiny reasons for it. A bummer for me is that wine – red wine, as far as I can tell – now severely disrupts my sleep, to the point that I’m not waking at 5am to write because I’ve tossed and turned from 1am to 3am. Which means I need to cut back on my red wine intake, which in turn makes me get pouty-face – and trust me, I am not attractive in pouty-face. But…I don’t know about the wine part of the blog, which makes me even MORE pouty-face.
Then I’ve got something physical going on in my female parts – to where I feel ugly-pregnant. Annoying and irritating, especially when the doc says “well, you’re so close to menopause, you should just wait it out…” Grr. I like my doc, but grr. I go see a female gynocologist this Friday, so will know more then. But at least I had a CT scan a couple weeks ago, and all my other organs are peachy keen and in good health. (Now there was a “fun” way to lose an entire day. Sheesh.)
In case you've never had one - this is what the CT machine looks like.
Add in two boys who don’t yet have jobs, three partials I want to complete and polish up, another partial I need to finish so I can send it off to a couple agents, being stalled in my exercising, wanting to shed at LEAST 20 pounds, and having the typical crazy day at the day job I like and … well, it makes me feel betwixt and between.
Crankypants.
On the positive side? I sent out two partials as requested to an agent on Saturday, for books that are complete, and I found I really enjoyed working with those two books. Hadn’t read them in a couple years at this point.
A week ago, we got brand new windows on the house – and it’s cooler, quieter, and more secure – I LOVE my new windows! Plus it ups the value of the house, always a good thing.
Another positive thing, my oldest son now has his driver’s license, and my younger son is now learning. (21 & 18) Ever since they stopped teaching driver’s ed in the high schools here in California, the average teenage driver age has gone up. And up. A good thing, over all, but still – it’s nice that my kids are finally spreading their wings a bit.
BLOOD DREAMS, my short story set in the Caine Brothers world, releases on June 1st and I’ve got help with a book release promo on that day, so that’ll be fun. I’ve seen my cover for DEMON HUNT and can’t WAIT to show it to everyone – it’s fantastic! AND, I got a cover blurb for that book by NY Times Bestselling Author MAGGIE SHAYNE! So, yeah…lotsa good happening. Plus I’m working on Book 3 of the series.
Another, huge positive – Tom and I are closer than ever. That whole “you complete me” thing? It’s real. It’s more real now than it was 35 years ago, and it just keeps getting better. That, my friends, is scary-good.
Another positive is the garden. Tom’s worked so hard – and so have the boys. We have five original veggie planting beds, and Tom’s added nine more. We’ve decided using the back yard for growing stuff is more interesting than having grass (because our grass is mostly weeds).
We’re growing: cucumber, watermelon, potatoes, zucchini, crook-neck squash, beets, bell peppers, tons of onions, garlic, spinach, cilantro, 5 different kinds of basil, sunflowers, sage (both green and white), italian flat-leaf parsley and curly parsley, thyme, red lettuce from seed, dark green lettuce from seed (not yet seedlings), corn from seed, peas from seed; 3 different kinds of strawberries, black berries and boysenberries; on the bank, we’ve got 11 artichoke plants (6 of which are bearing artichokes this year; the other 5 are too young), two lime trees, two meyer lemon trees, two different orange trees, an apple tree, and pots of tomatoes? Glad you asked! We’ve got 8 pots of tomatoes, plus 4 heirloom tomatoes in the ground. Oh, and two pomegranate trees that aren’t big enough to have fruit on them yet (they’re barely 2 feet tall). Of the seeds not yet planted, bush snow peas, and celery, and I still have some sunflower seeds to plant…
Wow. Big grin. Mentally feeling much better – what a lovely garden (in it’s raggedy way)! I must post pictures. The really fun part of the new beds? Tom carted out this huge, terrific metal doorway that was a prop in a store I used to work for. I got to keep it…and now it’s solid in our garden, with jasmine growing up the sides and a hanging pot of petunias and alyssum in the center…when the jasmine grows up and over, it’ll be pure heaven!
Physically? I still feel blech. But at least, when I get home I’ll be able to sit in the garden with hubby, drink some bland and boring sparkling water, and enjoy all the growing things around me. Maybe I’ll even take pictures.
Thanks for stopping by. Hope you’re having a wonderful un-crankypants day!
(But come on. I mean, doesn’t that cherry tomato look DELISH?) I have a confession – I make sure I eat the first ripe cherry tomato, every season. That burst of flavor, mingled with the scent of tomato plant on my hands, is, every year, the herald of summer.
