Looking for that good light
The theme of my photography efforts this fall has been “chasing sunlight.” Which sounds backwards when you know that the Pacific Northwest was blessed with an unusually dry and warm start to fall. But, I swear every time I loaded up the car and drove out somewhere… the sunlight disappeared behind clouds or fog. After multiple trips, the following pictures are the best of my fall efforts from the Portland area (mostly the Japanese Garden). Enjoy.
Book News
Vampire Detective Agency: Double Date is out! Reviews have been good. Reader feedback has been noted (Yes, I agree, our good Veronica has been a pincushion for too long. She’s going to remind everyone just how dangerous she is in the next book). And work has begun on the next entry, Three Hairy Suitors. There’s lots more I could say, but it would all be pretty spoilery and who wants that?
Work on my other project, Shepherds of Timeworn Dreams, continues. Slowly. I could make a lot of excuses for why, some of them even feel pretty valid, but in the end… it’s just a difficult series to write. Always has been. When I sit down to write about Veronica’s adventures as a vampire detective in NYC, the words come tumbling out. But writing Cate’s descent into the supernatural always feels like pulling teeth. Which is to say, I haven’t gotten much written this year. But, I did solve some pacing and plot issues that had been bothering me. With my notes and outline in a good place now, it’s just a matter of sitting down and doing the work.
Recommendations
Mass Effect: Legendary Collection. With the disolution of the Bioware team, now is the time to experience this epic trilogy of role-playing games. It starts a bit slow, but you’ll be screaming by the end. Can’t recommend it highly enough. Just try not to let the sad realization that there will never be another one crush all your joy.
Below. Solid mini-series on Netflix that starts as a monster flick but quickly morphs into something that dips its toes in multiple-genres. Good performances. Solid special effects. Nice pacing. Worth watching.
Flower in a Hurricane. Whatever your opinions of Rockstar Games and Grand Theft Auto, no one should question their talent for picking amazing music. This track, released with a trailer for the upcoming GTA6, is killer.
No book recommendations this month, though I tried out two:
I hate-read an ARC that had me in stunned disbelief the whole time it danced across multiple different types of tropes/story lanes. A real, “they wanted their cake, and pie, and milkshake, and…” type of book from someone who couldn’t seem to decide what they were creating.
The other book I haven’t finished. I’m several chapters in and the main character is insufferable, and the pacing is glacial. Which is a shame because the wordsmithing and world building is amazing. I’m tempted to just start skipping ahead to see if it ever gets to the point. What do you think about that? Is skipping ahead better than not finishing a book at all?
