Lifescapes

Snow in the Mountains

I was delighted to wake up yesterday to this lovely snowfall here in the Sangres, in north-central New Mexico. My writing/reading retreat is nearly over, and the snow was a farewell gift. I'll be driving back to Texas tomorrow, where we see snow once in a decade, if that.

It's been a productive three weeks. I dug into the Gertrude Bell books (hers and others'), not quite sure which way the material would take me. I knew I'd be working with biographical fiction, but should it center around her romances, her archaeological work, or something else? Her letters and diaries from her expedition to Ha'il in 1913-1914 have pulled me into that part of her life--her work for the British government as an espionage agent. There's so much material; I'm thinking it may become a trilogy. I've started to write and have been sharing the material with Bill, who knows the period much better than I do and can offer suggestions. It's always exciting to be perched on the brink of a new project, and I have to confess to being pretty much obsessed by it. 

Meanwhile, The General's Women (the third of my historical novels published through my Persevero Press) is moving toward its March 7 publication date. There were the usual small glitches in the formatting process, but they were resolved easily and the upload went without a hitch. I love Ann McMann's cover (I'll have a post or two on the cover design/development process). The novel (the story of Kay Summersby's love affair with General Eisenhower during World War 2) is available now for Kindle pre-sale. It will also be available in paperback and hardcover on Amazon; in print and ebook at Barnes & Noble online, and on iBook. Librarians and booksellers can get the book through Ingram. Librarians, I'll also offer it via Self-e (there's a selection process involved, I think). Reviewers, you can get a review copy from NetGalley next week. 

And Loving Eleanor (the story of the enduring friendship of Lorena Hickok and Eleanor Roosevelt) continues to win literary prizes! In addition to an Ippy, it has won the Library Journal's Best Indie eBook Romance award and the USA Best Book LGBT award. Another award (a BIG one!) will be announced next week, so stay tuned.

It's been good to get away from television's political charade (no TV here), but I've stayed posted on the disconcerting developments via the Internet--it's like watching a slow-motion movie of a huge bridge collapsing or the Lincoln Monument falling to rubble. The latest lunacy is absolutely incredible:    

The Chinese government said Saturday it will return a U.S. naval drone seized last week in the South China Sea, a step toward defusing maritime tensions between the two Pacific powers. President-elect Donald Trump reacted to the news by telling them he doesn’t want it back. “We should tell China that we don’t want the drone they stole back.- let them keep it!” he tweeted Saturday evening.

Reading note. As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.--H.L. Mencken, Baltimore Sun (26 July 1920)

 

 

 

Time Out

Into my second week on retreat at Coyote Ridge, on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains--and loving it. Lots of reading on a new writing project, time in the evenings to watch a good film, and quiet writing and thinking time all day. I didn't bring Molly this time: walking her in snow and sub-freezing temps is definitely not fun. But it feels strange, being without a dog. A good reminder of the importance of our animal friends' companionship. 

My new project. A novel (or more than one) about Gertrude Bell, with a likely focus on her espionage work in the Middle East in the years before World War 1. I know the shape of the story I want to tell. What I don't know yet is how far to fictionalize the narrative. In my other biographical fiction (A Wilder Rose, Loving Eleanor, The General's Women) I've kept fictional "inserts" to a minimum. That is, the central plot stays as close as possible to the real story, and there are few fictional sub-plots. But Gertrude's life in Arabia is so dramatic that it seems to me to invite fictional subplots, in the same way that the Lawrence of Arabia story has been fictionalized. If you have thoughts on this topic, please share. I'd love to know your opinion.

Another award for Loving Eleanor! The Library Journal recently named Loving Eleanor as its Indie eBook Romance Award winner for 2016! I'm thrilled, both as an author and as an independent publisher. The book is available in nearly 500 libraries and is being adopted by an increasing number of library book clubs. (If it's not available in your library yet, ask your librarian to order it for you.) Foreword Reviews recently interviewed me about the writing and publishing of the book.Thanks to them for their recognition!

As you know, I'm a strong supporter of independent publishing. One of my favorite projects is the Sarton Women's Book Award program, now entering its seventh year. I love women's books and I'm very proud of this program (bragging here: I created it and help to coordinate it). Some of the very best work in publishing is being done in independent presses. 

Doing something. As I've written here and here, there's no likelihood of my accepting the new administration. I am putting my money where my mouth is by joining and actively supporting projects that stand for the values I believe in. If you're looking for work you can do, check out Wall-of-Us, which offers four weekly ideas for "acts of resistance." We can't do everything, but we can do something.

Reading note. The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.--Elie Wiesel.