Good Reads - Forgotten Authors

My house is in turmoil - good turmoil.  Today front closet doors are being hung.  Isn't it amazing how renovations can languish for years?  You forget your first impression on seeing the house  - "great place but closet doors would be nice."

In the chaos of life, the obvious is forgotten.

Kind of like great books I have read.  I've been caught a few times reading the books of one author and enjoying each one and then, for some inexplicable reason, moving on.  It's not a conscious decision, just something that happens.  The other day I rediscovered an author I hadn't read in years.  It was a back-issue of one of her books and I loved it the second time around just as I had the first time.   I'd read a number of her books and then stopped.  The result,  I'd lost her over the years.

Why?

Was there a break in her writing?  Were new books no longer appearing magically on the shelves reminding me?  That is a heartbreaking truth - even I am caught on that - the ease of grabbing those authors that are on the premium shelves of any bookstore.  It takes an adventurous reader to find the gems that don't make those shelves.

But that isn't all of the reason.  If I like an author I will hunt for the next book even if that means crawling to the bottom shelf in the back of the bookstore or getting it online in e-format.  No these authors are falling through the cracks after I've discovered them.  

Lost authors.  How did this happen?  And it wasn't just her - there were a few authors that I had just stopped reading and moved on.  Maybe it's my taste as a reader.  I love historical romance but not a steady diet of it.  I love suspense but the same goes there.  Horror - small doses here and there although there was a time that horror was my genre of choice.  Instead of a feast of one genre I prefer a smorgasbord of books.  But the risk of that is a good author gets lost in the shuffle.

Maybe, as a reader, I'm just easily distracted.  Or maybe it's the flooded state of today's market.  There is only so much time and more books than there's ever been before.  Books slather the landscape in all their good and bad versions.  And there's always another author with a new book to tempt a reader.  Are good reads and old faves getting lost in the crowd? 

I'm not sure of the answer but what I do know is that I'm going to be resurrecting more of those "forgotten" authors and see what's new in their queue.  Maybe I'll even find the answer to that question I have yet to answer.  For sure I'll know I'll discover another gem or two.

Stumble on any long forgotten gems lately?


Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

There Are No Words

I was checking the news as is my habit in the morning and I stumbled on this headline - "I'm Dead and This is my Last Post."  Derek K, a blogger who wrote his last post and planned for it to be published after his death.   I can't imagine what he must have felt when he wrote that post knowing that others would read it after he was gone, knowing that his life was so close to over. 

Reading the words of a man who knew his death was imminent takes us to a place that many of us don't want to consider.  But death has happened - to him and it's a place I'd rather not consider this early in the morning that he takes me to despite my reluctance. 

But it was his final sentence that got me - powerful as only simple words can be 

as he lays love on the line.

Click here to go to - The Last Post

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

Listening In On The Royal Visit

So a few posts back I promised I'd finish the story about listening devices and royal security.  What brought up the topic was a royal visit and a day when a listening device interceded unexpectedly smack into the middle of my day.

May, 2005.  It was the day of Queen Elizabeth's visit.  A rainy day but I slogged the numerous blocks over to Wascana Park where we stood behind a roped barricade outside the legislature waiting for the Queen and Prince Philip to arrive.  I was with a friend of mine, a single friend who I love to occasionally tease about eligible bachelors.  With a front line view we waited and got wetter by the minute.  The only thing going on was the consistent pacing and monitoring of the crowd by the royals' security.  They were dressed in suits and managing to project a presence despite their wet appearance.  And one of them was a very attractive man.  So I teased my friend about the possibility of hooking up with the Queen's security.

Just some teasing between friends that went on while we waited.  Until he looked over, and smiled directly at us.   But it was the second time round, as the comments were still going back and forth, when he came over and teased her about giving him the use of her umbrella.  Now we're thinking, he honed in on us out of this entire crowd of people. How is it possible that he came over without hesitation as if he knew exactly where we were and what we'd been saying?

"Do you suppose he could hear us?" I ask my friend.

Ridiculous we both think but there's a flicker of doubt.

Quiet moments go by as the rain softly pelts down and we get soggier and begin to contemplate the insanity of waiting in this weather.  Under these kind of circumstances, a good-looking man entering our line of vision every few minutes as he works his circuit and two bored women.  The comments are bound to continue - and we complain about men!  So, my friend makes a comment to me as he strides by something about how easy he was to look at.  But it was the smile that immediately followed that comment and was aimed directly at her that was confirmation.  He'd been listening in the whole time, picking our conversation out of the crowd.

We were rather quiet after that.  Slightly embarrassed possibly or maybe just reluctant to have our words recorded and reviewed.  Fortunately the royal couple made their appearance almost immediately after.  And later, well we got lost in the crowd.

It was a quick lesson on sound amplifiers - you never know who might be listening.

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
 

Ladybugs, Voles and the CIA

One moment I'm watching another vole scurry across the easement, there's an influx this year, and the next I'm reading up on the CIA - or what information I can get my hands on.  Gardening and writing/research - kind of hand in glove or maybe keyboard in wheelbarrow.

It's odd how a day can unfold or maybe that's unravel.  I plan to do one thing and the next thing I know I'm doing battle with an influx of ladybugs.  There's been more this year of almost everything it appears; snow, voles, ladybugs.  I like one out of three - not too bad.  Although, even though they're not the one out of three, I must say the voles are kind of cute as long as they'd keep their numbers down and stay far away my yard and from any trees or shrubs I may hold dear.

But the CIA, yes back to that - spies and crime and good old romantic suspense.  The research varies depending on the threat the characters might face.  Often there's no intelligence operative at all, just a romance, a villain or two, and some fast thinking on the part of the characters.  But it's these things I think about today as I dig weeds and brush off ladybugs.  And in case you think this is a daily routine - not.  Some days my thoughts are on more mundane things like what's for supper.  Apparently today, supper didn't quite work out - it's takeout lasagna and a coupon that wasn't quite the deal it seemed to present. 

Is real life stranger than fiction?  I think so.  Even though sometimes it feels like the twist in the latest plot might be a bit too much and sometimes it is and there's a rewrite.  But other times I take a break and check the news. Most days things are pretty calm out there on our little planet.  But some days the news is one step short of unbelievable.  And sometimes it's just plain coincidental.

Today, for example, my story has strayed from threat of the human kind and moved to one of a different sort and sure enough there's a real life, similar story.  Hey, I had the idea first!  I can't help it if Mother Nature had to jump in.  Not that it matters, my story will take it's own spin on things.

And speaking of a spin on things.  Do you take the news to heart or do you always have a spin of your own?

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

Romance - Wills and Kate Style

Wills and Kate, a royal romance that landed, as the Brits might say, on my tellie.  

I almost got up at 2:00 a.m. to watch the coverage of the royal wedding.  Almost... 

Instead I taped it and watched the event mid-stream at shortly after 6:00 a.m.  Still, a crazy hour to get up but it was a crazy event.  As they say, the event of the century. It was amazing the crowd that gathered - the crowd physically there and the crowd that gathered at a distance around the world.  This wasn't the usual media event.  Not at least what I'm used to hearing.  It seems to be mayhem of all kinds that attracts media attention lately, wars and civil unrest or natural disasters exploding in all corners of the globe.  Sometimes I think there is no good news out there.  And then this....

A future monarch gets married.  The breaking of ancient rules of blood and pomp and circumstance.  Or was it just a beautiful romance?

It was plain old-fashioned romance in high style and we all tuned in.  Okay, not all of us but you know where I'm going - many, many.   So many manies as to mean that whole networks in a variety of countries have been aflutter with the event for most of the week leading up to it and much of the hours after. 
  
Not to repeat myself - never mind, I will.  It was all about romance and I loved it.  Although I have to admit that as a romantic suspense author I was also fascinated by the security issues right down to securing the sewer caps - but that's another story.  Believe me, security is a many faceted endeavor.  As I learned from a monarch visit to the prairies, it's amazing what security personnel can hear with their listening devices!  Again, another story... 


But back to the wedding, loved the simplicity of the dress, the beauty of the choir, the Bishop of London's words to the couple, and who couldn't love the setting in the history steeped elegance of Westminster Abbey?  But what I was disappointed with...  the kiss on the balcony.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those that expects the bend her over his arm sort of go for it Hollywood kiss.  And I wasn't one of the ones waiting for "the kiss".   Because really, I didn't expect it to be much more than staged.  And I don't say that in a bad way.  But after all, this was a kiss that occurred eight years into a relationship, in front of millions of people, and over an hour after the completion of the nuptials.  The kiss wasn't spontaneous.  It was expected.  So as a staged event - I expected a smidgen of drama - where was the drama?  Just a wee tiny bit, maybe a kiss just a little longer than it was, something.  I know that sounds contradictory but somewhere between one brief kiss and the dip...  Sigh.  

I know - two kisses have to count for something.  Either way - it looks to me like a love match. 

And you - wasn't it romantic or....?

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

The Ferret Was Legendary

In a life that has been dotted with pets, the ferret seems to stand out.  Now I'm a little more conventional, at least in the pet department.  One dog, currently snoring on the couch.

But back to the purpose of this post and really, it's not the ferret.  But if you give me time I'll get there.  First off, the ferret has been gone for quite a few years.  He lived a good life before going off to ferret heaven.  So when he became the topic of conversation when a good friend came to town and I went for coffee with her and her daughter it was rather a surprise.  Especially when my friend's daughter told me that the ferret was legendary.  That made me stop.  This young lady had never met the ferret but she'd heard stories of his exploits - legendary stories.

http://www.freeclipartnow.com/

Now I have to admit that Scooter (yes, he was not blessed with an original name) had some unique qualities.  One, he loved red licorice - absolutely manic for it, two he loved sleeping beneath the cushions of a hide-a-bed we had at the time.  When company would come he would emerge, sneak up on them and nip their ankles.  Then he'd dance backwards and chatter in a manner that couldn't be anything but ferret laughter.  No one forgot Scooter. 

But what makes something legendary?  And specifically what makes a story legendary?

We all know those stories.  The ones we will never forget.  Sometimes one author is blessed with every book they write and sometimes it's just one particular story.  I find of all the legendary stories that stick with me, many were ones read in my childhood; L.M. Montgomery's Jane of Lantern Hill, Johanna Spyri's Heidi, Jack London's The Call of the Wild - just to name a few.  Most recently I was impressed with Stieg Larsson's Millenium Trilogy.  They're stories I won't forget.  Of course there's others - Stephen King's The Stand, almost anything LaVryle Spencer wrote, Ken Follett's Fall of Giants.  I could go on but my feet are going numb - yes I'm still sitting on my feet in front of my tiny retro coffee table that now functions as slash office.  But I digress - legendary stories - they all have the ability to draw you into a world that you will remember long after you turn the last page.  They're stories whose bindings once became worn with wear and who now I often load onto my kindle so I can reread them without ruining my paper copy.  Yes - another reason I'm glad the e-book exists.

Have you read anything legendary recently?

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com