I just finished reading PC Cast's GODDESS OF LIGHT. Wow! It had me in tears at the end. PC manages to deal with the mythical past of Apollo in a way that doesn't ignore the more difficult choices he's made concerning some women, and still make him a lovable, sexy hero. I was skeptical that she could do this and remain true to the legends, but she does it beautifully, and in a way that I completely respect as a scholar of Greek Mythology.

I admit to having a "thing" for Apollo. He's always been my favorite.
There was the "Who Mourns For Adonais" episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, with Michael Forest as the toga-clad Apollo. He was more "Greek" in that he had dark hair and eyes, not the golden god of the sun and sky that I've always imagined him as. But he is sufficiently hunky and charismatic in this episode, and as a pre-teen, I couldn't resist the tragic love between him and and Lt. Carolyn Palamas (Leslie Parrish). Talk about some serious dream fantasies about being the mortal woman who gets the favor of the god, and an incredible hair and wardrobe update. I seriously wanted that gown and her hair. I really don't know how she kept this dress on - they had to have used glue.

As I read PC's book, I imagined Matthew McConaughey as Apollo - a clean shaven Matthew. In the Barbara Walter's interview with him, she commented on how blue his eyes are. And I immediately thought of him when I read the description in PC's book of Apollo with hair and skin kissed by the sun and eyes as blue as a summer sky (my words not hers).

The book was sweet, funny, and by the end, when I had no idea how these two were going to get together, I was wiping tears.

For those of you who love fantasy, this is a great read.

I got my letter today from President Utterback informing me that the college wants me to come back next year. I didn't doubt that I would be offered the job again, but still - nothing is impossible.

We were talking of unintentional puns that people make, and one of my favorites is from a research paper I received my second year teaching at OSU. The student's topic was the cruelty of animal testing, and she wrote: Litteraly, the monkeys are thrown away like garbage."

Thirteen years later, and that still cracks me up.

I did my spring cleaning this week. It is sooooo wonderful coming home to a neat, vacuumed house. And I'm feeling so much better. My lungs are strong again, and I can actually walk from one end of the hallway to the other without feeling the need for oxygen. ;-)

I am currently reading WARSWORN by Elizabeth Vaughn and GODDESS OF LIGHT by PC Cast. Both are fantastic! I started the other book because I left the first in my office at school and needed something to read at home. It was next on the TBR pile.

Kudos to my dear friends Maggie Price and Gena Showalter for finalling in the NRCA. I was so thrilled to call and let Gena know the good news.

Now, I must get back to my desk. We've just finished preparing a second edition of our comp 1 and 2 reader, and I'm writing 1/4 of the bios of the authors in the book. Gotta get that finished.

As many of you may be aware, Jill has a new book out, SHARE THE DARKNESS. What you might not be aware of, though, is just how deep the Blaze goes in Jill. I'm not sure if it's the cherry in her Sonic Cherry Cokes - maybe after so many, a person changes on the genetic level, but this is a woman predisposed to write hot, sexy, steamy romance.

Item 1: She invented STROIKA SEX. Not merely content to be president of her local RWA chapter, help create one of the most successful writing contests for unpublished authors, help institute the judge training in RWA, etc., Jill managed to create a totally new type of sex inspired by Mikhail Gorbachev's Perestroika policies (or maybe it was just the way the former Soviet president looked in a fur coat). Though she's never been willing to share specific details about this method of sexual satience, she always smiles that mysterious Mona Lisa smile whenever the terms pops up.

Item 2: One of her first requests of me as a graphic designer was to incorporate a blue dildo in a graphic. I quickly saw the bottom line for Jill.

Item 3: Obviously anyone not fooled by Brad Pitts cheesy, shallow attraction truly understands Blaze-type heat. That's why our good friend Gena Showalter writes fantasy - she's living in a delusion. ;-)

So run and grab this book before it's gone!!

Because my mom needs a break from watching a toddler, Lauren stays with her mom at the shop (which my other sister owns and my dad works at as well), every Tuesday and Thursday. We have a screenprinting and sign business. Lauren is amazing. She's not 3 1/2 years old yet, but already when someone comes in the shop, she'll go to them and try to sell them a shirt! The other day, and teen boy came into the shop. He has a Christian rock band and was having us design and screenprint t-shirts for the band. Lauren goes to him and asks him if he wants to buy a red shirt, then she stops and says, "Actually, you would look better in black." The other day, she was hoping to sell a shirt and wondered what commission she was going to make on it!

What have we let loose on the world!!!????

The picture is an old one - when she was about 18 months. I'd just finished putting on lipstick, and she came in and kissed me on the mouth, getting pink lipstick all over her mouth. Mom had the Polaroid handy and snapped a quick shot. ;-)