So I was reading an e-book, somewhat outside my usual pervue, and happened to notice my reflection. I had deep grooves between my eyebrows. The book was getting emotional, a little angsty. I smoothed the grooves with my thumb, relaxed my face, and they didn't go away. I have my first deep age grooves.

I have had these shallower smile lines and squint lines: nothing much, just ordinary usuage wrinkles. I noticed a few strands of glitter years ago but not wrinkles. Now I have full on hair glitter and deep grooves between my brows.

Oh.

I had a lovely visit with an old, school friend today and while trying to refer to something in my youth I was off a decade. I am older than I think I am.

This older than you think you are thing is an old joke with my group (probably others' too). I remember my Other Mother MIL in her forties telling me that in her mind she was still 18 but her body tells her differently. When I hit my mid-thirties I understood completely. In my mind I am young. Flirty. Funny. Attractive. I am still all of those things but differently. Not energetic but happy, flirty, jokey, moderately attractive.

I miss my old dark brunette, shiney hair but like my new glittery locks. I miss the energy but like the mellow. Appreciate the discretion, the more dry humour, but I still laugh at old SNL skits and puns. I am not sure about those deep grooves though.

I might just be wondering if they are frown lines.

I finished the experimental short story anthology Sight Unseen. It is: interesting, touching, confusing, connective, and, in the case of the final story, almost overwhelmingly empathetically and heart grabbingly, thoughtfully beautiful.

I have theories about who wrote which story but I will keep them to myself. I have not read all the authors but have read two. One author stands out as exceptional in the books I have read and I expect that she is the author of the final story: the strongest and best. Just as the final story includes a TEST, it anchors the anthology. I just finished the ARC and in faith ordered the print version of the book. I do not regret the purchase, even though it cost me the price of a trade paperback.

So it is without reservation that I state: Buy this book.

About SIGHT UNSEEN

What stories would you tell if you could? Where would your mind take you, if you let it? Five of the top voices in romance dare you to explore the most distant corners of their imaginations as they test the limits of storytelling and break the boundaries of what even they thought possible, teasing and tormenting you shamelessly as they go.

But there’s a twist—the author of each story is a secret at the time of release. They’re each plumbing the depths of the human heart and mind in ways they’ve never attempted before. Taking you high, bringing you low, until you will be hardpressed to guess who wrote what. Can you tell? Want us to?

Too bad our lips are sealed . . . for now.

Lost That Feeling

Alma knew who she was, once—that is, before she erased her memory with a spell. Some, like the guards at the prison in which she’s held, say that she was a thief, a murderer.

Others say she was a hero. Like Driss, the man who rescues her. He claims to be a friend. He's certainly handsome. And charming. And brave. In a word: perfect.

That's the problem. If he's perfect and she's a hero, how did she end up in prison with a seven-year hole in her memory to begin with?

A Clear View of You

As a child, Kate had one dream: to escape her mother’s deluded hippie commune and live in the real world, where mature adults know that magic isn’t real. But the real world also has its downsides—like rent, student loans, and a cutthroat job market.

Happily, Kate is uniquely qualified for one in-demand position: psychic. Of course, she’s as fake as the rest of them, but nobody plays a fortune-teller as convincingly as a girl raised by a would-be witch. If only Kate’s newest client weren’t so perceptive . . . and attractive. If only crystal balls didn’t have the habit of lighting up in his presence.

Magic isn’t real, right? Kate is about to find out otherwise . . .

Free

Brad White would be an ordinary accountant with an unrequited crush except for two things: he works for a criminal motorcycle club, and he’s in love with the club president’s daughter. When she discovers the truth about the family business, Brad has to move beyond ordinary and put his life on the line to keep her safe.

Wren Masters, unlike everyone else in her graduating class, chose to stay in Fallow, Montana because, also unlike everyone else, she loves it. But when she finds out her father’s club is running drugs, her family and world crumble. She and Brad risk everything to uncover the truth . . . and begin a scorching affair.

As the conspiracy—and their feelings—deepen, Brad and Wren must choose between family and justice. And neither seems to include a future for them.



Chariot of Desire

CJ Crespo, drummer for the once wildly popular rock band Donjon, has always had a thing for frontman Donny Times. They spent the seventies getting high together, making music together, self-destructing together. But her qualms about ruining a creative partnership with sex kept them from ever hooking up. Now, Donny’s conversion to a bizarre fringe religion that won’t allow him to engage in—or even sing about—sex, drugs, or other “sins” threatens to tear Donjon apart.

As the band struggles to embrace a new decade and a new Donny, CJ must decide where she belongs: by Donny’s side, even if he can’t ever love her? Or out there making her own music, away from a man who gives and takes in equal measures?

The Heart is a Universe

On the remote planet of Pax Cara lies the greatest secret of the universe. Once every generation, the inhabitants must offer up an exceptional young person—the Chosen One—who sacrifices his or her own life for the sake of that secret, and the planet itself.

However, Vitalis, the current Chosen One, is desperate to free herself from the yoke of destiny. An unexpected invitation to an aristocratic summit seems to be the perfect opportunity for escape. But almost as soon as she arrives, the most eligible prince in existence proposes marriage.

Sparks fly, but Vitalis is wary. Eleian of Terra Illustrata can have any woman he wants. Why has he set his sight on Vitalis, who, unless she manages to flee, will die in sixteen days? Is he hiding an ulterior motive, one that could put everything in jeopardy—her plans, her life, and her heart?

Preorder SIGHT UNSEEN:

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About the Authors:

Emma Barry

Emma Barry is a novelist, full-time mama, and recovering academic. When she’s not reading or writing, she loves hugs from her twins, her husband’s cooking, her cat’s whiskers, her dog’s tail, and Earl Grey tea. You can find her on the web at www.authoremmabarry.com.

Meredith Duran

Meredith Duran is the author of eleven novels, all published by Pocket Books. Her debut, The Duke of Shadows, has been translated into thirteen languages and together with her sophomore book, Bound by Your Touch, was ranked among the top 100 romances of all time in the 2010 All About Romance poll. Her other books include RITA award winner Fool Me Twice; Wicked Becomes You, which was included on Woman's World list of Best Beach Reads for Summer 2010; and her February 2017 release, A Lady's Code of Misconduct, which both Kirkus and Publishers Weekly called “flawlessly executed” in their starred reviews.

Meredith blames Anne Boleyn for sparking her lifelong obsession with British history, and for convincing her that princely love is no prize if it doesn’t come with a happily-ever-after. When not writing, Meredith enjoys collecting old etiquette manuals, guidebooks to nineteenth century London, and travelogues by intrepid Victorian women.

Connect with Meredith at MeredithDuran.com.

J.A. Rock

J.A. Rock is the author or coauthor of over twenty LGBTQ romance, suspense, and horror novels, as well as an occasional contributor to HuffPo Queer Voices. J.A. has received Lambda Literary and INDIEFAB Award nominations for Minotaur, and The Subs Club received the 2016 National Leather Association-International Pauline Reage Novel Award. J.A. lives in Chicago with an extremely judgmental dog, Professor Anne Studebaker.

Website: www.jarockauthor.com

Blog: http://jarockauthor.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jarockauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ja.rock.39

Erin Satie

Erin Satie is the author of the dark and elegant No Better Angels series, historical romances set in the early Victorian period. She’s currently hard at work on her upcoming series, Sweetness & Light, which should be just as elegant but not quite so dark.

Erin is a California native who’s lived on the coasts and in the heartland, in tiny city apartments and on a working farm. She studied art history in both college and graduate school—research is always her favorite part of starting a new book.

Her favorite part of finishing a book, whether reading or writing, is the happily ever after.

Website: www.erinsatie.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/erinsatie/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/erinsatie

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/2DiAf

Sherry Thomas

USA Today-bestselling author Sherry Thomas loves intricate plots, explosive action, and combustible love stories. She has written romance, fantasy, mystery, and a wuxia-inspired duology. Her books regularly receive starred reviews and best-of-the-year honors from trade publications, including such outlets as the New York Times and National Public Radio. She is also a two-time winner of Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® Award.

And by the way, English is her second language.

You can find out more about Sherry’s books at SherryThomas.com.

I read somewhere that computer use, especially social media and games, reduce ones attention span. There have been studies.

I often have more than one book open but lately have not only had several open but some are never going to be completed. I just ditched one, although technically it is a rewrite of one I read already. I agreed to an ARC of an author I enjoyed and am struggling to complete it. It is in ebook form, there are formatting errors, the characters are unpleasant, I am dragging my little mind feet and might just leave the review I wrote with a tiny edit stating, "sorry, I tried".
That leaves a book I like by a favorite author which distracted me from the required reading, another I picked up from my library stack when I returned the partially read re-write, a couple more partially read ebooks and that other non-fic one I am returning to work tomorrow because it will never be finished.

I am blaming this on the ARC because I get really resistant sometimes and then things unravel. I once put too much pepper on cooked spinach and had to eat it before anything else for every meal until I was theoretically too hungry to be stubborn. I threw it out on day two when my mother wasn't looking. Have you ever been so hungry that you snack while making dinner but then it takes too long and you ate too many snacks to eat dinner? Procrastinated and Unfinished projects tend to breed and soon there are partially finished projects everywhere. This post is not about procrastination and stubbornness, it is about learned ADD due to technology.

OkayokayIgiveinalready!

I will just finish the irritating ARC and then the others, starting with my favorite as a reward.
#siximpossiblethings will be my treat for eating the spinach.

I had thought my password forgotten.

I like this quiet though, so I am glad I stumbled back here.

I am currently rereading several series by a favorite author, Elizabeth Hoyt. Her newest is releasing in late June. I thought I would work through all of her series (there are ten books so far all total) and be freshly reminded of the storyline for the latest book.

sigh

I started too soon or read too quickly. Must have been started too soon, although her books are so engrossing that I tend ignore other things and thus read too quickly. (I think I am only a moderately paced reader, my dyslexia slows me down a bit.)

Alas, I am nearing the end of the last available book. I want my new book Right Now!

This book has an intriguing cover and interesting section divisions. It twists around, and even gives you false leads (the screaming man). I liked the way it unraveled but it was a tangled story. It was supposed to be tangled, it was a mystery. The characters are not fully rounded, but I think that didn't distract me too much from the story, because I intuited them. There was enough information that the reader (at least this one) is able to get the feel for the story and it's people without lengthy descriptions. I couldn't really climb into Lila Mae watson though. She's the protagonist, and I could understand her and understand her thinking, but she was so flat, with so little feeling, that it was hard to sympathize with her. Somehow I knew the feeling could be there, but it wasn't.
The Intuitionist is also very racist. It has the usual glaringly racist white males, but the blacks were racist too. I know there is black racism, I've had conversations with black racists- one man in particular flashes across my mind. The problem with it is that it is still racism. Often it is portrayed sympathetically, as if racism against whites is justified, but no racism is justified. That is why it is called racism. It is a mind set of prejudice against another race merely because of the differences, whether in skin color or cultural background, hating what is different.
As a matter of fact, I think that is largely what this book is about. Prejudice against others because of their color, sex, cultural difference, job preference, way of doing things. It reminds me of when we students at Joseph Lane Jr. High hated the students from John C. Fremont Jr. High and considered them all things stupid and gauche merely because they went to our rival school. What an adjustment High School was! What an adjustment the real world should be. Of course I mean that people Should Adjust, they should figure out that people are people, regardless of the difference. I think it's good to be curious about how someone IS, but not in a mean way. We learn with curiosity, we degrade when we don't want to understand. I don't believe in celebrating our differences, I believe in celebrating our sameness. Lila Mae is alone.

I read a really good review, so I went to see The Lake House. What a great movie! There was so much longing and it was (although, yes I know, a fantasy) realistic in that people usually get to know each other before they fall in love. Most movies out there portray pretty unrealistic versions of the whole true love thing. I also really liked the cinematography and the whole way they showed time passing with the seasons. I had a rather important element figured out pretty early on in the movie (Is it just me? Other people must figure this stuff out early too.), but it didn't distract, it just made me feel more sympathetic I think. I have to say it's a good thing they showed Sandra Bullock's character (Kate) with different hair for different time periods, it helped with the flow of the movie.
There were a few places where there could have been paradoxes, but they were handled in such a beautiful way that they were minor distractions (except to a true cynic). I don't like picking apart movies (unless they are really poorly made) and so unless the flow is interrupted by unsolved discrepancies I'll let the paradox (will she remember the tree?) lie.
The movie is about relationships and forgiveness and patience. The writers included one of my favorite books in the story - Persuasion by Jane Austen, so it's about books too. Actually it's really about getting to know someone and learning about yourself in the process. I want to see the Korean movie that The Lake House was rewritten from (Siworae). I'm really impressed with this director (Alejandro Agresti), I'll have to look-up what other films he has done.

Well, what a bad night's sleep! To think women used to do that all the time, and with curlers all over their head! Of course, it looks great. Vanity is probably not enough for me to do the overnight thing again (or at least very often!).

I wonder if I have the patience for a curling iron?





Oh yeah, Emily's looked terrible, back to the drawing board.

Adding pics
is the pits
edit won't stick

So a little over a week ago I went in to have my hairs trimmed. Just the ones on my head, as my arm hairs aren't long enough yet. ha ha. The 'stylist' cut it too short. I said "my hair has a lot of elasticity, don't cut it too short". She says "Oh I allowed for that". So, it doesn't even reach my shoulders now and I hate it. (yah yah, it'll grow out)

So tonight Emily wants me to put her (too short) hair in curlers. And there are left over curlers. So now I have curlers in too. They are the pink spongy kind, with the flip over hair holder thing. Big pink ones and smaller black ones. Aren't I just cute. We'll see in the morning, I might just wash it out.

I put a scarf over Emily's head to hold the curlers on but I still think she'll lose some in bed. She looks like someone's Grandma. She is supposed to have curly hair for a play she's in in about two weeks, so we need to practice. I guess she'll get used to curlers, either that or we try a skinny curling iron.
Anyone out there experienced with putting curls (non permanent) in short hair? - don't say rags or pin curls, rag curls are messy and pin curls take way too long.