Volume 5, Issue 1 January, 2009
A New Beginning...
I really think he might be onto something with that. Haven’t the last eight years felt like one, painfully long, series of mis-steps?
In addition, of course, we also have a new president and while maybe a return to something approaching normalcy is too much to hope for, at the moment, we can continue to be hopeful, just the same.
I’m hoping to introduce some new features to the newsletter this year. This issue is rather spare—I’ve no new releases and no new reviews to report (or brag about). But I’m hoping to add my own reviews of some of the books I’ve been reading along with the occasional interview.
On a more personal note, my son is twenty-one and later this year my daughter turns eighteen. Now, that really feels like a new beginning to me! But, the new beginning I’m most pleased to be able to announce is the up-coming re-release of the entire Oberon series in print.
Yep, you read that right. If everything goes as planned, the first three volumes—with their brand, spankin’ new covers—should be available for purchase within the next few months. Definitely something I’m looking forward to! So, if you belong to a book club, know the book buyers at your local libraries, or have an interest in helping set up book signings—please let me know! I love signing books. Have pen, will travel.
In other news: This month, I’ll be hosting Dr Ava Cadell (author of the Tantric Sex Workbook) on my blogs. Here are the links:
January 19-23 at The Midnight Bell http://ping.fm/8RxFP The subject is Tantric Kissing
January 26-30 at Rhymes with Foreplay http://ping.fm/2Clay The subject is ‘The Big O’ Gee, wonder why I’m interested in that one? ;)
February 2-6 at The Crone’s Nest http://ping.fm/TwXbZ where the Oberon Book Club will be reviewing the Workbook. Should be lots of fun!
Dr Ava is also hosting a contest this month (just in time for Valentine’s Day) The ‘Search for the World’s Best Lover Contest costs nothing to enter and offers some great prizes--including a copy of 52 Sizzling Sex Secrets which you get just for entering! Write a brief essay on why the person you’re nominating should win and you’ll also receive a nice certificate for your loved one and a chance to win a free scholarship to Dr Ava’s Loveology University. For more information check out her website at: http://ping.fm/UUguN
I’ve also been expanding my web presence in the past few months and can now be found on Facebook and Twitter...hope to see you there!
This Month’s Excerpt
From
Sound of a Voice That is Still
In this month’s (slightly edited for language) excerpt, set in late January--hey, what a coincidence, huh?--Siobhan pays a visit to her sister’s teashop. I always liked writing the teashop scenes...
"I hate this weather," Scout snarled as she dropped, damp and disheveled, into an empty chair. "I hate the rain. I hate the cold. I hate the mud. I hate my car. And, oh, God do I hate being pregnant."
"Those last few months do seem to last forever." Marsha nodded sympathetically at her friend, but Lucy Greco-Cavanaugh, cousin to Scout’s husband Nick, looked up from the beekeeper’s catalogue she’d been immersed in and frowned at them both.
"What are you two talking about?" she snapped. "How can anyone hate being pregnant? I loved being pregnant. I mean, what’s not to like?"
Scout glowered at her friend. Probably debating the usefulness of suggesting to Lucy that she try not to take it personally. Completely useless, as Siobhan could have told her. Lucy took everything personally. Especially anything connected to her family.
"Well, let’s see." Scout cast a longing look at the large bowl, brimming with foam, that steamed peacefully on the table in front of Lucy. "Among other things, there’s the lack of caffeine. Mornings like this, that seems like a huge concession to have to make."
"Oh, big deal. So have a decaf, then," Lucy grumbled, as she picked up the bowl and sipped at her latte.
"Or how about some tea?" Siobhan suggested, remembering how badly milk had sat with her stomach during her own pregnancy.
"Maybe." Scout glanced doubtfully first at the teapot, and then at Marsha. "What’d you put in it this time?"
"Mostly green tea," Marsha said. "Along with lavender, and rose petals. And a little spearmint. It’s got some caffeine, not enough to hurt you, but I can make you some without, if you want."
"Why don’t you forget the drinks and think about getting some sleep," Heather Finch, co-owner of the local bookstore advised. She looked at Scout critically. "Have you been up all night or something? ‘Cause girl, you look like hell."
"Heather, that’s a terrible thing to say." Heather’s partner, Ginny Hartman frowned at her. "But, you do look a little tired, dear. Have you been having trouble sleeping?"
"I’m sleeping just fine, thanks," Scout answered. The stubborn thrust of her chin dared any of them to argue with her.
"Here, have a pastry." Marsha pushed the plate of cinnamon rolls towards Scout. "So, what’s wrong with your car?"
Scout picked up a roll and cautiously took a bite. "What’s wrong with it? Gee, I don’t know. You mean, besides the fact that every time I get in it I can’t help but remember how I nearly died in it last summer?"
"So? We all nearly died last summer," Lucy reminded her, taking another sip. "Don’t dwell on stuff like that, you’ll make yourself sick. Have a latte."
"A latte. Right." Scout sighed, and Siobhan found herself feeling caught between sympathy for Scout and agreement with Lucy. Marsha had come close to being killed, too, after all. And, in a way, it had been at least partly Scout’s fault. "It hasn’t ever really run right since the accident, and now the roof’s started leaking." Scout looked down at her stomach ruefully, "Plus, it’s not exactly a practical family car, either."
"Get an SUV," Lucy suggested. "Like mine. They’re not as sporty as your Mustang, but they’re plenty practical."
Scout sighed. "Well, I would, except Nick is being a little weird about money right now. He doesn’t seem to want to spend any for some reason."
Lucy’s eyebrows rose in surprise. "So? Why would you be spending his money? You’ve got plenty of your own, don’t you?"
"Yeah." Scout grimaced. "He’s being a little weird about that, too."
"Oh." Lucy nodded understandingly. "Joey, huh?"
"I guess." Scout sighed again, and took another bite of pastry.
"Joey...what?" Heather asked Lucy. "What’d your brother do now, Luce?"
"Oh, nothing, really," Lucy said. "It’s just...well, he did kind of happen to suggest to my father that Nick was maybe marrying Scout for her money. Or that he should have been marrying her for her money, or something. This was a couple of weeks before the wedding. The story got a little confusing in the re-telling."
"They usually do, don’t they?" Ginny observed, her brown eyes twinkling over the rim of her cup as she sipped at her tea. "So, who told who what, exactly?"
"Well, my father told my mother, of course. And then my mother had to go and tell my aunt about it, and my aunt--"
"Went and told Nick," Scout said, taking up the tale. "Who blew up at Joey. Again. I have to say, it was not my idea of a fun Christmas."
"Yeah, and I was so sorry to have missed it." Lucy grinned. She pushed her bowl across the table. "Here. One sip ain’t gonna kill you, Scout. A little coffee, a little warm milk, a little foam--where’s the bad? It’s the answer to all of life’s annoying little problems." She turned to Marsha. "I can’t even remember. What did we used to do, before we had them?"
"Drugs," Marsha replied, smiling at her friend. "Drugs. Cigarettes. Alcohol. Stuff like that."
"Oh, yeah." Lucy smiled reminiscently. "That’s right. Those were the days, huh?"
© 2009 PG Forte All Rights Reserved
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