Thirteen female TV characters that rock my socks

This week’s offering is an ode to the boob tube – in  more ways than one. Here are some TV characters that I love – and most of them can kick your arse.

1. Calleigh Duquesne – CSI Miami. She’ll catch the criminal, kick his butt, and process the evidence to put him away for good. She’s smart, she’s good at her job, and she is still all female. Go Calleigh. You deserve way better than Delko.

2. Amanda King – Scarecrow and Mrs. King. I loved the way Kate Jackson played this character. Smart and a little scattered, but with an underlying backbone of steel.

3. Ms. Parker – The Pretender. She’s a complicated character. She is definitely strong and strong-willed. She faces adversity with a kick-ass attitude, and she is willing to put herself at considerable risk to do the right thing – though you wouldn’t expect it given her manipulative upbringing.

4. Murphy Brown – Murphy Brown. What can you say about this character? Smart, funny, groundbreaking. Candice Bergen is one of my favorite actresses because she does strong female characters that never lose either their spine or their femininity.

5. Maria – Sesame Street. One of the strongest memories I have of childhood is watching Sesame Street and watching Maria fix a radio while eating a salad. Why is this important? It was the mid-70s. And she was fixing a radio. That’s breaking down some serious gender stereotypes right there. I love that she is generally in a good mood, generally a fixer, and while she’s definitely a lady, she doesn’t allow anyone to slide.

6. W – Good Eats. She’s so cheerfully nasty to AB. I love watching her. Did you know that the lady who plays W is actually AB’s chiropractor? Cool, huh?

7. Sally Solomon – Third Rock from the Sun. This is such a great character – bending gender, destroying stereotypes, doing amazing things. I love the risks this character represents.

8. Stella Bonasera – CSI:New York. Stella can hold her own with the best of them. She’s had to defend herself against an abusive ex-boyfriend, dealt with stalkers, abduction, international artifact smuggling, and everything else you can think of. She’s smart and she’s good at making the team work well. She and Mac make for a dynamite leadership duo.

9. Uhura – Star Trek. I like the newer Zoe Saldano version better than the Nichelle Nichols version – but that is mainly script.  Zoe’s version of Uhura stands up for what she wants, flicks off unwanted attention, and knows she rocks her job. She’s smart, she’s sophisticated, and she’s awesome.

10. Shirley Schmidt – Boston Legal. Another Candice Bergen character. I love her dry wit and the chemistry between her and Denny. Shirley is tough as nails and lets no one stand in her way – even herself.

11. Liz Lemon – 30 Rock. I love Tina Fey – and she does a bang up job of playing Liz. She’s quirky, smart, and more than a little snide. I love that about this character.

12. Maddie Hayes – Moonlighting. Funny, clever, strong, Maddie Hayes is a fun character that holds her own against a very strong male lead (David Addison played by Bruce Willis). Wonderful delivery and spot-on timing make Maddie a winner.

13. Captain Kathryn Janeway – Star Trek: Voyager. She’s tough but fair, good in a crisis, and a strong leader. Star Trek has great women.

Release Day for Trusting Destiny – February 9

February 9, 2010, is the official release date for Trusting Destiny, my new contemporary available through Freya’s Bower.

Maggie Cassavetti is searching for answers, and Dr. Eric Larsen is the man to help her find them.  Her mother believed that the heirloom pendant helped its wearer find true love, but Maggie doesn’t buy it.  What interests her is the history – the topaz is supposed to be a Biblical artifact, and the antique family Bible hints at extreme age.  But meeting Eric changes things.  The attraction that flares between them is hotter, faster, more intense than she could possibly anticipate.  Was it simple chemistry?  Or was it something more?  As Maggie and Eric work together to uncover the history behind the family lore, Maggie begins to believe that there may be something to the power of the stone:  something that she won’t soon let go.

I’m really excited to share Eric and Maggie’s story – I hope you like it too.

Thirteen t-shirts I want.

From the sublime to the ridiculous.  Last week I gave you the sublime – beautiful pictures of places I want to visit. This week, I give you the ridiculous. Thirteen t-shirts I want. Admit it, you want some of these, too, don’t you?

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Continue reading Thirteen t-shirts I want….

Excerpt Monday – New Year Edition

Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. You don’t have to be published to participate–just an writer with an excerpt you’d like to share. For more info on how to participate, head over to the Excerpt Monday site! or click on the banner above.

For this month’s Excerpt Monday, I thought I’d give you a taste of Trusting Destiny – Eric and Maggie’s story. I just finished first round edits, so we’re moving toward a publication date (watch for more info!).

Maggie Cassavetti isn’t sure what she has when she brings her late mother’s topaz pendant and family Bible to Dr. Eric Larsen.  Her mother believed that the pendant helped its wearer find true love, but Maggie doesn’t buy it.  What interests her is the history – the topaz is supposed to be a Biblical artifact.  But meeting Eric changes things.  The attraction that flares between them is hotter, faster, more intense than she could possibly anticipate.  Was it simple chemistry?  Or was something more going on?  As Maggie and Eric work together to uncover the history behind the family lore, Maggie begins to believe that there may be something to the power of the stone:  something that she won’t soon let go.

Trusting Destiny

Eric reached out to touch her hand – the first contact since he’d arrived.  A little frisson of heat snaked up her arm, distracting her.  She looked up to find his pale eyes full of unexpected compassion.  She shrugged, and his hand slid away.  She didn’t want his compassion, it made her too vulnerable.

“Want help tomorrow?  My Italian is pretty good.”

“My Italian is darned rusty.  Thanks, that would be helpful.  Given the time difference, I’ll start making calls in the morning.”

“Good idea.  Donuts?”

Her eyes lit, dispelling the last of the melancholy.  “I adore donuts.  They’re terrible for me, though, so don’t let me eat more than one.”

He eyed her closely.  “Don’t need to worry.”

She stopped herself before she snorted her disbelief.  “Shows what you know.”

He sat up straight, reaching out to cup her jaw.  “I know. You are hot.”

With no warning, he leaned in to capture her lips in a scorching kiss.  There was no gentle introduction, no slow building of heat.  Instead, Eric plundered her mouth, leaving her no time to erect a defense against his invasion.  He tasted of ginger with an undertone of molasses.  Momentary surprise gave way to answering hunger.  This close she could smell his skin, a dry, clean smell that reminded her of winter wind.

His long fingers massaged along her jaw, his tongue slowing its urgent pace to begin a leisurely exploration.  He turned her chair so she was fully facing him.  Their knees bumped when they leaned toward each other.  Eric shifted his legs so hers bracketed his, his lips shifting position to take the kiss even deeper.

Maggie’s head spun and her eyelids drooped closed.  She concentrated on the taste and feel of his firm lips, his agile tongue.  The rough feel of his calloused fingers on the smooth skin of her cheek added a layer of heat she couldn’t have expected.  He kissed her and she went up in flames.

Lost in the melting heat of his mouth, her world narrowed to the flavor and feel of his mouth on hers.  His hand dropped from her jaw to her waist.  Those long, narrow fingers moved up, playing lightly over her ribs.  She gave herself to the kiss, devouring him as he devoured her.

With a sharp tug, he pulled her into his lap.  She gasped into his mouth, stunned to find herself suddenly seated on his hard thighs, her legs dangling over the edges of the chair.  Her damp sex pressed against the hard ridge of his cock.  Her heated body responded with a prickling rush of sensation, drawing her nipples to hard points.  It didn’t matter that his jeans and her leggings separated them, what mattered was the delicious pressure of that hard cock.  She squirmed in his lap to position that bulge where she wanted it, wrapping her arms around his neck while he clamped her body to his.  Her breasts flattened into him, the thin lace of her bra rubbing her hardened nipples.

He slid one hand under the hem of her sweater.  His palm moved up and he pushed the lace of her bra down, bumping the topaz aside to free her breast.  The point of her nipple stabbed into his palm, and the slight rasp of his calloused skin against the sensitive flesh sent shivers through her.

He lifted his mouth from hers, his breath already coming in choppy pants.  “Yeah.  Completely hot.”

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Thirteen Places I Want to Visit

In the interest of keeping things interesting – and giving y’all a break from music – I’m going to do places I want to visit. There are, of course, more than 13, so these are just a sample. By the way, I’m a history and museum junkie. In case you can’t tell from the list.

1. Petra, Jordan

2. Agra, India

3. Paris, France

4. Giza, Egypt

5. St. Petersburg, Russia

6.Machu Picchu, Peru

7. Jerusalem, Israel

8. Rome, Italy

9. Stonehenge, England

10. The Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

11. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

12. Angkor Wat, Cambodia

13. Koonalda Cave, Australia

Do You Know What Today Is? Happy Birthday, Emily!

Happy birthday, Em!

Yes, today is the birthday of our very own Emily Ryan-Davis.

So:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EMILY!

With smoochies and all that.

Note: Emily may, or may not, actually be 25. We’ll let her decide.

I have been MIA, I know

And I’m not promising I’ll be more active, but the least I can do is pop in with an update!

Last month (maybe November?) I announced that I’ve contracted an audiobook version of MATING CALL. I’ve since signed contracts for DRAGON DANCE and DRAGON BOUND to be produced in audiobook. All three titles will release subsequently in 2010, beginning (tentatively) in March.

In addition to audiobook releases of the Dragon Queen trilogy through AudioLark, Freya’s Bower will be repackaging all three books together as one title, which will be available for download or in print! I spent all of December gnashing my teeth over new cover decisions and I finally have a cover to share. I’m very exicted to hold this book in my hands because MATING CALL was my first e-book and it marked a new beginning for my involvement in writing and publishing.

Beyond the Dragon Queen news, I’ve also contracted a short story with Ellora’s Cave titled INTERLUDE IN PEARL, which should be available soon as I’ve just returned edits. INTERLUDE is…well, an interlude. In Pearl, Colorado, the setting for ALL THE TREES IN PEARL and ALL THE WOMEN IN PEARL (and the coming-eventually ALL THE SECRETS IN PEARL, which is James Carver’s story). INTERLUDE references Ethan, Margaret, Collette and John, but it’s really all about the Twin Mountains Ranch foreman Mickey–and what happens when he reaches his limit in the face of all that hanky-panky going on with the Carver siblings and their loves.

And! (What, you thought that was all?) Coming sometime in 2010 to Liquid Silver Books will be the first story in contemporary series “Year of the Soulmate”, which I dub as hot love story meets Sex in the City. I might be a little full of myself with that distinction but whatever.  I give myself permission! The first story, formerly known as “the snuggle party story” and going forward known as CHARLOTTE’S YOUNGER MAN, will be available later this year. Subsequent stories will feature Charlotte’s friends Linda, Jeannie and Jo, who you’ll meet in CHARLOTTE’S YOUNGER MAN.

Finally, you might have noticed UNWRAPPING AMY is difficult to come by now. The ROSE OF ANY COLOUR: MALEDOM anthology is out of “print,” but I have plans to make it available once more as a novella all by itself. I’ll keep you updated on its availability.

And I promise to work on a new episode for GMS: MERCY this month. I’m personally dying to read about the sizzling tension between Neve and Xu after their last explosive encounter.

But for now: back to the current WIP, a dark, dramatic futuristic about a necromancer and the woman he has to kill.

Thirteen Songs I want you to hear.

I was thinking the other day that I have a wide and varied music collection. Like, you have no idea. Really. I could do T-13 lists off my iTunes and CD collections from now until Doomsday. In the interest of sharing my stuff with you, I went trolling on youtube and some other spots to find examples of pieces in my collection that I think you should hear. It’s a varied list, and I hope you find something new to enjoy.

1. I found this through the Belly Dancing radio station I set up on Pandora. This is a longer version than what I have – the intro is more involved and longer, but it’s gorgeous, and I wish I had this version. The group is Niyaz, off their self-titled release. The song is Allahi Allah. The rhythms and beat are wonderful.

2. I can’t tell you how much I love this group. Emily turned me on to them, and I am a huge fan, now. The group is Albannach. The song is Claymores, live at a wedding. The sound quality isn’t great on this video, but you can get the idea. I cannot say enough good about these guys. Go buy their stuff.

3. This is the Gyuto Monks doing tantric chant. I have a fantastic CD of this and this is the most calming, nerve smoothing stuff I have. This is a tiny fraction. The two pieces I have are half hour long plus each chant. Really great.

4. These guys- the Santa Fe Guitar Quartet – I saw in concert at the Meyerson in Dallas, and they were astonishing. I couldn’t find any video, but they have a number of samples on their website. This is from the album Journeys, the song is Mumuki.

5. Another one off the Belly Dancing Radio list. Beats Antique is the artist, the CD is Collide. This is Dope Crunk.

6. Y’all have heard about this one before – but I don’t know if I can impress on you how much I really like this CD. DH finds it a bit angst-y for him, but I think it has a kind of mellow vibe. Adam Ant’s Wonderful CD. This song is Beautiful Dream.

7. This one is way political – I love political music, so this is part of my politics and the media stuff when I teach (they get the flip side, too, but those tend to be more well-known – Metallica’s Don’t Tread on Me, or any number of country songs). This is The The off their Mind Bomb CD, the song is The Beat(en) Generation. Keep in mind this album was released in 1989 – interesting, yes? Can you believe I have kids tell me all the time that none of the music after the ’60s has political content?

8. This one is another political one. I like this one because The Ballad of  Ira Hayes is amazing, and because I love Johnny Cash. I don’t even know where to start you on Johnny Cash if you haven’t been hooked. Start anywhere. Or start here.

9. This is a band I think is ridiculously underappreciated. Their lyrics are dense and clever, their music catchy and fun. In short, Eve 6 is amazing. This is off their debut, the song is Inside Out.

10. This is a band that I just adore. Their lyrics are often offensive and thought-provoking, but just as often silly and irreverent. This is The Dead Milkmen. The performance includes both Taco Land and Big Lizard in my Backyard. This is more the silly end.

11. This is one I found through Twitter – MCpl Elton Adams is a Canadian soldier, and his music is by turns wrenching and uplifting. This is What A Soldier Left Behind – powerful and painful. This is more the uplifting end – a perfectly Canadian tribute to the Stanley Cup.

12. Fernest Arceneaux was arguably one of the best zydeco musicians ever. And zydeco makes me grin. I couldn’t find any video, but I did find this cut of Bernadette.

13. This is one I love but Emily thinks I’m crazy. For some reason Vitas makes me all happy. I had a bit of trouble picking a song, since he’s got such a variable style. I think Opera #2 was the one that hooked me, but feel free to follow links – I dig Blessed Guru a lot, and his Ave Maria is wonderful.

There were some for which I just couldn’t find a good cut to share here. Cusco’s Apurimac II is an amazing Central American album – kind of ancient meso-American stuff. Also, Esperanza, which does some amazing classical guitar (I have a couple of their albums, but start with Esperanza II).

What did you think? anything appeal? Did you hate them? love them? I am interested in your feedback.