Thirteen of my favorite paintings

This week I thought I might share another of my side interests. Its an interest, not a hobby or a passion, just an interest. I like art – a lot. I appreciate it. But I’m not, by any means, expert. A couple of art history courses, you know. And absolutely no artistic talent. At. All.

But I like art, so here I am going to share thirteen of my favorite paintings. I hope you like them too. Be aware that some paintings include nudity (it’s ART, after all).

1. Slave Ship: Slavers Throwing Overboard the Dead and Dying — Typhoon Coming On by JMW Turner. Aside from the fabulously long and evocative title, I love the clash of angles in the painting, the intensity of the color and the way the sea and sky merge, and the sheer power Turner evokes.

2. Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault (a zoom-able pic here). Here it’s the overblown Romantic figural details I love. The exaggerated musculature, the dramatic poses. Good stuff.

3. The Swing by Jean-Honore Fragonard. This bit of Rococo loveliness makes me happy. The swirls, the sheer froth of it just makes me smile.

4. Napoleon Crossing the Alps by Jacques-Louis David. The quintessential horseback portrait. The colors, the form, the amazing way he renders skin. This close up of the face just astounds me.

5. Interior Court of the Doge’s Palace by Giovanni Canal (Canaletto).  The architectural detail is astounding – the nearly photographic quality of the lighting on the stone is just amazing.

6. Laocoon by El Greco. El Greco’s signature elongation of the bodies and the distortion of the musculature that requires works really well with the serpents.  Plus, if you look closely, there’s a totally random horse in the middle of the painting that must have some symbolism, but really just baffles me.

8. Self Portrait as a Mature Man by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. I admit to being a Bernini fan-girl. I think his version of David is ridiculously underrated (not to mention a self-portrait), and there isn’t a piece of sculpture or architecture he did I don’t think is gorgeous. But in this case, it’s the man himself who is compelling. Such beautiful bones. You just know he was a rock star.

9. Annunciation by Fra Angelico (1450). The otherworldly beauty of the subjects combined with the wonderful wings make this a favorite of mine.

10. St. Matthew and the Angel by Caravaggio. I love the expression on St. Matthew’s face. The total OMG!WTF! that you know you’d be wearing too, if an Angel of the Lord popped in on you. Plus, the lighting is beyond fabulous.

11. Sleepy Baby by Mary Cassatt. I’m generally not a huge fan of Impressionism (yes, I know, shoot me), but Cassatt’s work is just gorgeous. In this one, the expression on the mother’s face is everything.

12. Bocca Baciata by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. I enjoy the pre-Raphaelites, particularly Rossetti, and I love this one for the lighting on the face and the abundance of fab hair.

13. As I Opened Fire by Roy Lichtenstein. I like Lichtenstein – the enforced melodrama and the odd comic book pop-art thing. I actually own the three prints for this one, and though they are matted, I haven’t yet framed them. I keep saying I’m going to frame them and have them along the stairs. It seems just the place for the panels.

So, there you have several of my favorite paintings. What are some of yours?

Thirteen Dances to Enjoy

Yesterday I blogged over at  Chicks n Scratching about Baryshnikov and Nureyev (and, btw, the second link for Nureyev – definitely, absolutely NSFW). It got me thinking about dance sequences I enjoy, and so I thought I’d share with you.  These cover a wide array of musical and dance styles (though I am partial to ballet, so you get several of those), so enjoy!

1. Possibly my favorite dance sequence ever committed to film. Powerful, amazing. Baryshnikov is incomparable.

2. Tango – this version from Take the Lead shows what is so key about tango – unadulterated lust.

3. Khmer dance – the grace inherent in these dancers movements is breathtaking. The slow deliberation, the extreme muscle control, all absolutely beautiful. More info starting here, too.

4. Some ridiculous locking – I mean sick.

5. I love this swing final – the disconnect between the music and the wardrobe is great. Plus, nothing puts a smile on your face like watching swing.

6. Rudolf Nureyev dancing Swan Lake – gorgeous.

7. A gorgeous modern take on belly dancing by Zoe Jakes dancing here with Beats Antique.

8. This clip captures the power and menacing sexuality of the Paso Doble for me. Compelling.

9. I love this mambo for the fabulous beat and the wonderfully awful fabulous character he plays.

10. A lovely little minuet – because I bet most of you have never actually seen a minuet, though you may read of them often.

11. This is a great zouk performance – zouk is the parent style of lambada – the lambada being a subset of zouk. I love how fluid and together the dancers are.

12. An absolutely gorgeous flamenco by Celina Zambon. The start/stop just grabs me.

13. I had to end on another Baryshnikov number – this one more modern dance with strong balletic elements.

I could include some impressively famous movie dance scenes – Dirty Dancing, Sister Act, Scent of a Woman or Thomas Crown Affair – but that hardly seems sporting, since I totally copped on the tango (but, DAMN, that is a hot dance). Was it good for you?

Atlantis Redeemed by Alyssa Day (or, OMG, AN ARC!)

The Friday before Valentine’s Day, I received a gift. A wonderful, lovely gift. Alyssa Day sent me an ARC (Advanced Reader’s Copy) of Atlantis Redeemed (available 3/2/10). I’m surprised everyone in the country didn’t hear me squee.

So now I am going to tell you about my lovely gift. Because you know you want to know what I thought. I know you are all – every one of you – jealous that I have it. But, that’s okay. I’ll share my thoughts. I’m a giver like that.

Atlantis Redeemed is part of Alyssa’s ongoing Warriors of Poseidon series, and is Brennan’s story.

I like Brennan. I like him a lot. And I like Tiernan.  A lot of this story rolled right along for me. There were a few bumps, but for the most part, I dug it.

Here’s the short blurb:

Poseidon’s warriors have learned that the battle to protect humanity produces unexpected enemies – and alliances.  But none more unexpected than the bond between a cursed Atlantean warrior and a woman whose sight uncovers any lie…

So there’s the deal. Brennan has been cursed by Poseidon (and here I have to agree with Tiernan – seems pretty damn harsh) because he was a little free with his affection and a lot teenager when *gasp* he was a teenager. Granted, he made some crummy choices, but who doesn’t when they’re 19? Evidently, Poseidon’s warriors, that’s who. So, Poseidon gets completely pissed and curses Brennan to (a) feel no emotion – at all – until he finds his one fated mate, (b) to, all at once, feel ALL the emotion he’d missed when he finally DOES meet his fated mate, (c) to be unable to remember anything about his fated mate if he cannot see her and (d) all of the above apply until she’s dead – really, soul-gone dead – at which point, Brennan can then have the joy of remembering everything now that it’s too late. See? Harsh.

Enter Tiernan – the fated mate. She’s a human lie detector and intrepid investigative journalist (I had to say it. I think it’s a law that investigative journalists must be described as intrepid), and she’s going undercover to expose an evil scientist who is doing nasty things, including perfecting mind control on humans  and shifters. Much to the happy-happy-joy-joy of the bad nasty vampires, of course.

So, Brennan must work with Tiernan to uncover the nasty schemes of the evil mad scientist, all while never letting her out of his sight (or even sleeping – ’cause ya can’t see her if you’re sleeping!). Plus, poor Brennan has to deal with learning to control his emotions. Which he never had to do before. Imagine, if you can, your emotional control/development cutting off at 19. That’s right, didn’t learn anything emotionally past 19. Now, all the sudden, you’re dumped in the soup and have to figure it all out while your fated mate is facing mortal danger, you can’t sleep, vampires are out to get you, and the fate of the world rests on your head. No pressure, though.

I don’t want to give you any spoilers, so no more plot deets.

So, the bumps. The mechanics of the curse were a little shaky – he couldn’t remember her, but still had this strong visceral protective thing going; couldn’t remember her but kept thinking he should – that kind of thing. However, my willing suspension of disbelief kicked me in the shins and told me to shut up – Poseidon is a god, right? He could work the curse so it’s more angsty and punishing. The other real bump was at the end. And the end. And the other end. And that other, other end. Every time I thought, oh, that’s the end, there was one more short chapter. It was a bit… disconcerting. Not BAD, but distracting.

And the one bump that really bothered me – at one point, our ace journalist totally cracks. Breaks cover, freaks out, endangers everyone, causes the shit to hit the fan. To me, it seemed really out of character for her, actually. She’s supposed to be good at her job. Yes, this is personal, yes, the situation was extreme, but… her reaction seemed out of step with the character. Though perfectly reasonable in the situation. So, that was the biggest bump for me.

Stuff I loved: The chemistry between Brennan and Tiernan is smoking hot. Light my fire, keep me warm even in this ridiculous snow kind of hot. I also love that Alaric is starting to crack. Smug bugger has it coming. And I looooove Daniel. Can I mention how happy-happy I am Alyssa said she’s considering writing his story?

Big love for Brennan’s consistency, and for his serious kick-assitude. I didn’t think anyone was going to top Justice on my kick-ass meter, but Brennan did. That’s saying something.

Also, can I lobby for Jack? I want Jack to get a story. I really do.

So, there you have it. Well, as much as I can give you without spoilers. To sum up: Smokin’ hot chemistry, scorching sensuality,  an evil mad scientist, vampires, shifters, Atlanteans (oh, my!), a secret underground lair, and epic ass-kicking.  It’s a cocktail of awesome.

Bottoms up.

Battery Day (Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day)

Aside from the fact that the name of it sets my teeth on edge and implies all kinds of nasty sexist stereotypes, I admire the idea behind Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day (that’s today, btw). It’s also Battery Day (’cause it’s Volta’s birthday, see?).

Now, really, I have to say that the fact that it’s Battery Day makes me think of things that take batteries. And you know where my mind just went. And engineering? Well, now I’ve got all kinds of kinky things in my head.

So, here’s my statement: Go ahead girls – be engineers. Be whatever you want. And buy lots of batteries. Because here are 13 (ahem) toys that use them.  Links are to Good Vibrations, pics for a few are provided below.

Continue reading Battery Day (Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day)…

Excerpt Monday – Twice As High (again?)

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.

Yes, I know. I know I gave you one from Twice as High last October. But I really am finishing up, so I thought I’d give you another little taste.  This one is from very early in the story, but it’s pretty steamy. No really. You might want some ice water.

His name was Kyle.  She didn’t know how she knew his name, but she did.  Odd. She thought of Kyle as a name for someone dark, not for this dishwater blond with the body of an MMA fighter.  It was her dream, so why was this not-dark hottie named Kyle?

She stopped worrying about it when she saw his eyes.  Extraordinary eyes.  The rim of his iris was intensely blue. A pure, clear blue fading to nearly white at the pupil.

His faced was carved in harsh planes, with prominent cheekbones and angular jaw.  His mouth, though, looked soft, even set into a stern line.  As he stalked toward her, he shed clothes– shirt, belt, pants, shorts.

Oh, my.  Okay, so her dreams didn’t usually include such a detailed visual of the manly goods, but in this case, she was glad her subconscious had made an exception.  Dreamy Kyle’s cock was a work of art.  Long, thick, and perfectly formed, the bulbous head flushed with color.  The pale skin of his shaft showed the single vein snaking around his girth like a stripe on a candy cane.  She wanted to lick it.  What the hell?  It was her dream.

She moved her dream-frozen feet forward, stopping with a bare inch of space between her belly and his penis.  Damn, he was tall.  She had to crane her neck to meet his eyes.  The heat off his body made her aware that her dream self was as naked as he.  That was handy.

Before she could drop in front of him, he cupped her face in his big hands, tipping it up.  Those oddly pale eyes searched her face for something.  Whatever it was, he must have found it, because he lowered his lips to brush hers.  In a stroke, his tongue invaded her mouth, taking possession.  Startled, she tried to lean back, but his hands held her firmly.  She felt the heat, smelled the damp earth smell of his skin.  Her breasts flattened against his chest as she sagged into him, the drugging sweetness of his kiss seeming to draw her bones out through her mouth.

Eyelids drifting closed, she savored the weakness, glorying in the sensation of his muscled chest against her stabbing nipples.  The smooth skin of his chest rubbed over her nipples as she tried to breathe.  She managed to lift her arms and hook her hands over his elbows.  She’d never been kissed like this. Slow and consuming.

Another pair of hands settled on her hips, palms hot and hard, long fingers resting along her hipbones.  She juddered in shock, eyes flying open, but Kyle‘s hands held her fast.  Heat from another male body covered her back.  Seconds later, she felt the hard, insistent shape of a penis nestled in the cleft of her ass.

“Links to other Excerpt Monday writers

Note: I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.

Be My Valentine Tour (and Chat!)

Welcome to the Be My Valentine Blog hop blog tour – you should be following along using the tour bus here. If you are just tuning in, feel free to join in here.  We’ll be hopping until noon Sunday, so take your time, check out my books page (and free reads!) to see what I’ve got going on, and enjoy the eye candy along the way. Don’t forget to leave a comment here to be entered in the drawing for a share of the grand prize! Winners will be announced here on Sunday at 5pm.

I’ll be chatting with other authors from the tour and anyone else who wants to join in on Sunday afternoon.

This week I’m lucky enough to be releasing a new book, and in honor of Trusting Destiny, I wanted to give you some visuals of candidates for Eric. What do you think? Who is your favorite?

Thirteen lines from Trusting Destiny

An excerpt of 13 lines from Trusting Destiny, available now from Freya’s Bower. (Though, technically, there are 14 – but since a couple of sentences are single words, I’m pretending.) I hope you like this little snip.

She snuggled into the seat of his hybrid SUV, enjoying the heat blasting from the vents. “You should stop wearing the sweaters.”

He cut his eyes toward her. “Sweaters?”

“The fisherman sweaters. It’s just too awful. You look like a commercial for the Norwegian tourist board.”

“Swedish.”

“Whatever. You know what I mean.”

“Mom sends them.”

That stopped her. “Oh. Well, I guess you can’t stop wearing them.”

Trusting Destiny – Release Day!

Woohoo! It’s release day for Trusting Destiny, and I hope you will join me in my excitement.

I’ve given you snippets and excerpts and whatnot for this one, and now I’m going to give one away. How do you win? Comment. That’s it. I’ll have my random number selector (the 5 year-old Munchkin) choose the winner, and you could have a copy of my brand-spanking-new release. You know you want it. You know you want to know how hot my Scandinavian is. I’ll give you a hint: he’s damned hot.

First, let me tell you about Eric and Maggie. Here’s the blurb:

Maggie Cassavetti is searching for answers, and Dr. Eric Larsen is the man to help her find them. Her mother believed 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.

Is it simple chemistry? Or is 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.

What this doesn’t tell you is that Eric is ridiculously awesome. And I mean that, really. Okay, sure, I wrote it, but… well, Eric is special. Eric is…I have no idea how to describe his particular brand of laconic Scandinavian charm. You’ll just have to read it.

Thirteen Interesting Facts about the Gutenberg Bible

Trusting Destiny releases February 9. The history of the Gutenberg figures in the story – along with a stone that might – or might not – be from the Breastplate of Aaron.

I thought I might give you a little taste of my research, so here are 13 facts about the Gutenberg Bible.

1. There are several variations which are all considered Gutenberg Bibles. Some are printed on vellum (45) and some on paper (135).

2. The first sheets printed were actually passed through twice – once with black ink, once with red – in a process called rubrication. The remaining sheets were printed only with the black ink.

3. Illumination and decoration were added by hand to the printed pages, so no two Gutenbergs are exactly alike.

4. Gutenberg had to invent a new, oil-based ink for his print process.

5. The Gutenberg has nearly 300 master characters of type, representing upper and lower case letters, ligatures, and punctuation marks.

6. Ligatures are characters commonly run together in the type. Much like the modern Æ character.

7. Finished copies of the Bible were available in 1454 or 1455.

8. The pages do not all have the same number of lines. The first pages printed had 40 lines of text. A few copies of one page have 41 lines, and the balance have 42 lines.

9. The Bible, though cheaper than a manuscript Bible, was a considerable expense. Consequently, only one is known to have been in private hands in the 15th century.

10. There are forty-eight known surviving copies, 21 of which are complete.

11. There are five known complete copies in the United States. They are owned by The Ransom Center at the University of Texas, The Library of Congress, Harvard University, Yale University, and the Pierpont Morgan Library.

12. Unsurprisingly, Germany is home to the most copies of the Gutenberg. There are 12 total copies, 4 complete and the balance incomplete.

13. The UK has the most complete copies – 7. Two of these are at the British Library in London, one is at the National Library of Scotland, one each at Eton, Cambridge and Oxford, and one at the John Rylands Library in Manchester.

And now that you know so much, you can check my research in Trusting Destiny.

New Release Monday

Welcome to the New Release Monday. This
month, in addition to our typical excerpt week, we’re showcasing new releases by several fabulous EM writers. Excerpt Monday site! or click on the banner above.

My excerpt Monday for January was already an excerpt from Trusting Destiny, which releases February 9.

I debated whether to put up a second excerpt, and decided to give you a very short one, from a different part of the book.

Enjoy:

from Trusting Destiny

She went to work early Tuesday morning in a foul mood, fractious and distracted by her uncertainty.  The day passed quietly, with her co-workers scurrying out of her way.  No one wanted to brave her temper today – each of them had brushed against her rough edges at one time or another.  By the time she got home, she had worked herself into a fit of righteous anger, placing the blame for her mood squarely on Eric’s head.

He hadn’t called.

He could have called.

What, did he think she was just some casual pick up?  Or maybe he thought he could just yank her chain, and she’d let him.  Well, he wasn’t going to get away with that.  No, she was going to march into his office and show him that she could yank his chain just as well as he could yank hers.  It might only be three in the afternoon, but it was the end of her workday, and he should have called.  She whipped her little car into a visitor space outside his building.  Her plan was simple.  Go in, blow his mind – or at least his head – and get out.  See if he could ignore her after that.

Students scattered from her path.  They might be novice learners, but they were obviously well-versed in self-preservation.

“Links to other New Releases
Note: I have not personally screened these releases. Please heed the ratings and be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.