Well, I finally did it.

I read the entire Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.

All fourteen mammoth books of it.

Twenty ears ago or so, I read the first book, The Eye of the World, and enjoyed it. I started the second book, The Great Hunt, and it was just the first book all over again. Same beginning, same plot structure…I set it aside and never went back. Life’s too short to spend time reading books you don’t like.

Fast forward twenty years and now my son has read the entire series. He reads with his ears rather than his eyes, and had gone through the entire now-fourteen book series over the course of several months. He liked most of the books and encourages me to try it again. Robert Jordan passed away before he could complete the series; Brandon Sanderson has written the last three books from the copious notes Jordan had left.

I like Sanderson. I’ve read all of his books. ALL of them. I like his style: straightforward, enough description to see a scene without repeating it over and over and over. Which is what Jordan did.  You don’t need to tell me the Aes Sedai have ageless faces every single time one comes into the story. Every. Single. Time. Augh!!!

In fact, if I didn’t know Sanderson was the author of the last three books, I’m pretty sure I would’ve abandoned the series after book seven, when I wanted to throw it across the room at the “climax.” Do NOT set up the villain throughout several hundred pages, detailing his plots, throwing monkey wrenches into the hero’s path, and then, at the final battle between the two, have the hero accidentally throw some magic toward someone else and “maybe” catch the villain in it as well, killing him. Maybe. Can’t be sure.

And that was it. The entire ending of a several hundred page conflict over in a single sentence that provided no conclusion. Yeah. It took a lot of will-power not to throw that book out the window.

Why did I keep going at that point? Because I hoped to find out what really happened. To find out if the villain was actually dead. And did I? Nope. Not even discussed until several books later.

Yeah, the ONLY thing that kept me reading was the fact that Brandon Sanderson wrote the last three books.

To be fair, books ten and eleven – Crossroads of Twilight and Knife of Dreams – did get better. But honestly? Some editor really should’ve told Jordan to stop the repetition.

And no, I’m not talking about the regular repetition one has to put at the start of each book in order to bring a reader up-to-date if they haven’t read the other books that came before. Every author does that because, well, because publishers demand it. The only one who got away without it was JRR Tolkien and that was because he pretty much invented the fantasy genre with The Lord of the Rings and his publisher just took his mammoth book and hacked it into three parts.

Publishers don’t do that any more. Every book in a series has to stand on its own so that, if a reader picks up Book Three in a series, they can jump in without having to read the first two. Whether I agree with that or not is a totally different blog post.

So I didn’t mind that repetition in the series. But really? Every time the reader goes into a city, even if the characters had been there just a few chapters earlier, do you have to describe the entire thing all over again? And do I really need to know EXACTLY what every single character is wearing, every time he/she changes their clothes? Does EVERY horse have to have a name? EVERY messenger who has a single line have to have a name that I’m going to forget, probably before I turn the page?

The cast of characters is huge. And people come and go quickly. You learn a name and poof! They’re gone. But don’t forget them, because three books later, here they are again and if you’ve forgotten them and their relationship? THAT he’s not going to remind you of. THAT he expects you to remember.

But I have done it. I read all fourteen books and only skimmed some of that too much description. Detail is king in these books, and what I consider to be too much, others might appreciate. Truly, the fashion choices of each character might be important and, if Jordan had followed up on them and given a clue as to whether it was a whim or a statement, that would’ve been helpful. But he didn’t. He just changes their clothes and moves on.

And so am I. No idea what I’ll read next. Probably a light Regency just to regain my equilibrium. I am leaving the world of the Wheel of Time behind. Let the Wheel turn as it will, I’m getting off the merry-go-round.

Play safe!

Diana

P.S. If you haven’t picked up your copy of my newest book, Romantic Seas, make sure you do! It’s a novella, so you can read it in an afternoon and it won’t take up months of your time. I promise. J

New Release!

 

Yep, you read that right. I have written a new novella, full of hot, hot, hot romance and featuring two wonderful characters who are finding their true love -- even if it does come a little later in life.

I know, I know. I said a few years back that Diana was done writing erotic romance. While it's true, I've been focusing on my epic fantasy (which is finished and has a title now! Threads of Earth and Sky, The Companion series, Volume I), sometimes one needs a little spicy romance to keep one's blood flowing.

So let me introduce you to Mary Elizabeth Flynn and Scott Henderson. Here's the blurb:

At sixty years old, Mary Elizabeth Flynn (Maisy to her friends) isn’t looking for romance.  The deep blue of the Mediterranean Sea, the coastline of Italy slipping by...what a wonderful, carefree way to spend a cruise. Maisy is grateful her friends talked her into joining them, especially when she meets Scott Henderson, tall, graying, and definitely handsome. Who is she to say no to a little shipboard romance?

ROMANTIC SEAS is now available for pre-order at Amazon and Smashwords (which has every format available, no matter what your ereader).

You want more? Oh, okay. Read on for a short excerpt:

Excerpt from Romantic Seas
by Diana Hunter
All Rights Reserved

Maisy’s thoughts warred with her libido as the two made their way to the Promenade. Was it only this afternoon she’d walked around this deck ten times? Now she took a leisurely stroll, her arm linked with a tall, handsome…Dom.

He’d used the word “Top,” but she didn’t think there was much more than a semantic difference between a Dom and a Top. She knew “Master” wasn’t the same—that title implied ownership. She’d read enough erotic romances to know what was what in that regard.

But reading and fantasizing were two vastly different beasts. She’d not been entirely truthful when she said she had the “occasional fantasy”—more like it was her only fantasy. One she’d never confessed to anyone. Not Peg, not Trish, not even the rare date she’d had while taking care of her parents. And certainly not to Tom. It was her secret, and hers alone.

And then Scott calmly shows her a picture of his wife and treats bondage as if it’s normal.

Well, perhaps it is for him, she thought, her gaze on the lights of a faraway ship. Not normal for me. Exciting…alluring…enticing, yes. Normal? Not even a little bit.

“You’re awfully quiet.” His voice interrupted her reverie. “If being tied up isn’t your thing, it’s okay. I still like you and would like to have you as a friend.”

“Oh, no, that’s not it. I like you, too.” She gathered her thoughts and pushed her libido to the side for a moment. “I’m just…It’s that…well, I don’t have any experience in the matter and I have no idea if I’ll actually like it, or if I’ll freak out, or what.”

“Would you be open to an experiment?”

“What kind of experiment?”

He didn’t answer, but pulled her close. With no preamble, he bent down and kissed her.

Her libido rushed to the fore once more as her knees grew weak and her arms went around his neck of their own volition. A whimper formed in the back of her throat, sighing out despite her attempt to stop it.

He deepened the kiss as his hand cradled her head, his fist tightening in her hair as his tongue touched her lips, seeking entrance. She opened for him, giving him reign.

His tongue touched hers and she slammed her knees straight lest they buckle, as her mind filled with thoughts of being controlled by the power he exercised. Gently, he moved her head, using her own hair to guide her mouth so he could take full possession.

He didn’t stay nearly long enough, however, breaking the kiss, dropping her hair, and stepping back to give her space, only keeping a single arm around her waist. She wanted to protest the sudden cool air that rushed between them on what, previously, she’d thought of as a warm Mediterranean night. But after the heat he’d created in her? The night was positively chilly and she gave a little shiver.

“Are you cold?”

“After that? A volcano is icy.”

Her voice had dropped in pitch and she had to give herself a shake to keep her limbs from going all languid on her.

“So what do you think? I controlled only two parts of you—were you okay with that?”

“Oh, yeah,” she sighed, babbling. “I mean…yes. That was okay.”

The outdoor lighting cast a shadow on his face, but she thought he smiled.

“No freaking out?”

Her voice firmer this time, she stood up straight. His arm dropped from her waist and, while she missed the contact, part of her was glad of it. She might be able to do this in only small doses. “No freaking out.”

Remember: ROMANTIC SEAS is now available for pre-order at Amazon and Smashwords (which has every format available, no matter what your ereader). Order now and avoid the rush!

OH! And once you have it in your hands and have devoured it, please return to the site where you purchased it and leave a review. We self-pubbed authors need them to be seen by others.

Play safe,

Diana

Reading and Writing...and no Arithmetic

The Celebrity Summit - July 2019
probably the last cruise ship I'll ever sail

So I took February off from social media - mostly. I also refrained from reading the news - again, mostly, sticking to weather reports and local COVID updates. It was time I got back to a story I started after my last cruise (doesn't that sound high? My LAST cruise, because, you know, I go on so many. Okay, three. I've been on three. And I will probably never go again. Thanks, Pandemic - which I capitalize to give it the Importance It Deserves). Anyway...I'd started an erotic romance (yes, I KNOW. I said I was done with that genre, but sometimes the characters just leap out of my imagination and onto the page and who am I to deny them their pleasure?), and decided it was high time I got back to those characters and nudge them forward in their story.

I didn't do as well as I'd hoped, but I did add another 3000 words to the story, mostly in the beginning of the month. Still a little hard to concentrate, what with all that's going on, but life is moving forward - and so is Maisy and Scott's story. No title as of yet - toying with RomantiaCruise, or Romancing the Seas - but both sound pretty 70's, don't they?

Reading, however, I have covered. I'm including both my January and February reading lists as I didn't update my January post (I was taking a break, remember?). You'll note I read 18 books in the first eight weeks of the year. Yeah. Escape is my coping strategy right now.

January

Besides the two books by Julia Quinn: The Duke and I, and The Viscount Who Loved Me, read in preparation for watching Bridgerton on Netflix, I also read the entire Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass and City of Fallen Angels.

February

Finished the last book in the Mortal Instruments series: City of Heavenly Fire. Overall, the series was enjoyable, even if the writing was uneven.

Clanlands by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish - Two teenage boys let loose (a friend called them "frat boys" - but I don't think they're that entitled. More like little boys told to go play). Am looking forward to their series, Men In Kilts.

Blood of Elves by Andrzej Spakowski - this is the first in The Witcher series. I've tried the Netflix series, but kind of lost interest after five or so episodes. This book seems to take place WAY before the series does, and it might've been better for Netflix to have started where the books did. Interesting to read a translation - sometimes there's a bit of awkwardness in the sentences, but it's a good (if bloody) story.

And then, because I needed a break from the blood and gore: seven Julia Quinn books in a row: An Offer From A Gentleman, Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, To Sir Phillip with Love, Because of Miss Bridgerton, When He was Wicked, It's in his Kiss, and The Girl With the Make-Believe Husband. What can I say? When one needs an escape, Regency's are wonderful. And Ms. Quinn writes with flair.

On the last Saturday of the month I found myself with time on my hands - and chose to spend it at Barnes and Noble. I have a stack of unread books from both Christmas and my birthday, plus at least three dozen I've picked up here and there but not yet cracked the bindings on. So naturally I bought five more books!

One I finished today, but will count in February's total, since the bulk of it was read this past weekend - and it is one I HIGHLY RECOMMEND: The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow. It probably deserves it's own post, but I'm still carrying the book inside my head and can really do no more than make a recommendation. I'll roll it around my thoughts for several days - going back to it in my head and re-living parts. In a few months, I'll pick it up and read it again, knowing there are more levels, and wanting to revisit the characters. And maybe then I'll be able to make coherent statements other than the banal, "Good book, read it."

That catches me up. Hope you are all doing well. It's storming here again (windstorm with snow this time), so staying put tonight. Play safe, and wear a mask!

Diana

Bridgerton review

 Bridgerton

 I am four episodes in and actually enjoying it for what it is, not for what snobs *think* it should be.

 Let me explain…

 I have read several of Julia Quinn’s Regency romances set in the English world she created (there are several parts, and not all of them are focused on the Bridgerton’s. I enjoyed the Smyth-Smith books and the Rokesby series as well), but have read only a few of the actual Bridgerton books, including The Duke and I, the first in the series. Before watching the first episode of Netflix’s series, I re-read the book, since I knew from the trailer that something wonky was going on with the filmed version.

 Apparently that something wonky has thrown a LOT of people into a tizzy worthy of a snooty Regency debutante.

 Okay, so the costumes aren’t historically accurate. And the casting of people of color isn’t historically authentic. And the additional plot points aren’t in the book.

 So what?

 Truly.

 So. What.

 I know, coming from me, that sounds sacrilegious. But these are Regency romances. They’re fantasies where the heroine always gets the Rich Husband and hero always behaves with Honor and they both live Happily Ever After. And the Netflix series doesn’t mess with that part.

 To be honest, I thought the mixed-race casting was going to bother me. It doesn’t. Not even a little bit. In fact, at one point, I was watching the queen and thought to myself, “This is actually quite wonderful. How many little girls of color have never seen themselves in these books because of, well, history. Why shouldn’t they be allowed to have the same dreams of going to a ball, of finding a handsome, kind, rich husband?” It made sense to me.

 This series is a fairy tale. A charming, fun, fairy tale, and it makes no bones about it. From the costume “mistakes” (they are choices, by the way, not mistakes – and can we say Hamilton? You can’t complain about the costumes of Bridgerton if you’re not also going to complain to Lyn Manuel), to the casting of the characters, the creators of this series are celebrating a glittering world most of us would love to escape to. And I, for one, am enjoying the escape.

 I’d be remiss if I didn’t complement them on one other point: the lack of opportunity for women during that time period. That point they’ve kept quite historical. Women were property. So were children. The creators have dealt with those realities quite forcefully, as did Julia Quinn in her books. In that, they did not stray. That lack of rights makes for desperation on the part of the women, a desperation that is a common thread in Regency romances – and in many people’s real-life lives. I’m glad they have emphasized the point. It shows how far women have come – and how differently we treat children today.

 Overall, I am enjoying the series. It captures the light-hearted spirit of Quinn’s books – and yet is dissimilar enough that I can keep my own version of her characters in my head (something no other book-to-movie/TV series has done, despite my best efforts to hang onto Claire Randall Fraser). I give the series a resounding thumbs-up!

Play safe,

Diana

Books for 2020 - part 2

You would think, will all the stay-at-home warnings that we are observing, I would’ve done a ton of reading by now. We’re two weeks into it and what have I read?

Nada.

Nothing.

Not one book.

Why?

Because I’ve spent my time:

• putting my course online and fretting about whether it’s going to work or not (thankfully, a student has now posted in several of the discussion threads and it does what it’s supposed to!),

• canceling all appointments and rescheduling them for the end of April, which means there’s probably another go-round of rescheduling to be accomplished then as I don’t think we’ll be out of the woods yet,

• getting over a cold. Yes, a cold. Not the virus. Called the doc to check. Plain old nasty cold,

• downloading and going back into Second Life. It’s still up and running. Going virtual with my classes made me homesick for the place. It’s gotten better and it’s been fun to renew friendships and hear Heath Vercher play in-world again,

• playing Destiny 2. I still play Skyrim and my daughter and I are creating a mod for that, but my son’s gotten me into Destiny 2. The learning curve is impossible without a mentor (thank you, son, for guiding your mother through the icons and lack of directions!).

((Speaking of Learning Curve – did you know it’s free at Smashwords? So are each of the individual stories that make up 12 Days of Christmas Bondage, and several other former EC Quickies. Stop by and pick up a story or two – full novels are 60% off until April 20th as part of the Authors Give Back initiative.))

I have also:

• gone for several walks,
• baked brownies,
• scrapbooked,
• raked the yard and gathered up all the fallen sticks and branches,
• helped my daughter pack her life for her move to her own place,
• glowered at the new snow on the ground after several 60+ degree days.

But I haven’t taken the time to read. I started Rising Storm, a Derek Storm mystery, but am not liking it very much. Read all the Nikki Heat books and had fun with those, but this one isn’t catching me. Am about 30 pages in – and have been for nearly a month.

While I won’t hoard toilet paper, I do pile up the books To Be Read. Life will settle into routine soon enough and I’ll get back to curling up with a good book before much longer. For now? Too much to take in, too much to do.

Play safe – and stay safe!

Diana

Time flies!

Lilacs out my window, 2018

Wow, we're a third of the way through May already! It is my favorite time of year and lately I've decided May is my favorite month - mostly because of the flowers. From the crocus that announce spring commences through the tulips with their rainbow of colors to the lilacs that are already blossoming in Highland Park (mine aren't yet, but will be soon - the picture is from this time last year), the earth brightens and the world is renewed. And did I mention the bright green of new grass? Definitely my favorite time of year.

April, however, is a bit gloomy and unpredictable here in the Finger Lakes. We've had everything from snow and ice to rain to sun - all to prepare us for May, but gloomy nonetheless. Which is why I spent most of April indoors, reading and writing.

To that end, below is my April reading list. It's still extensive, although May's will be considerably shorter as I've already spent much of it outdoors. In fact, my hubby tried to call me on both the house phone and my cell phone yesterday to tell me he was bringing wings home for lunch, as I found out when he got home with the wings. He asked me why I didn't answer either phone and I told him, "I was outside, first hanging the laundry, then scraping the balcony (which is a sorry state and truly needs some TLC), then sweeping the walk, then daydreaming about the containers I would plant next week." He asked why I didn't take my cell phone with me and I said, "Because I was enjoying the outside!" Who needs to be disturbed by a phone when I was listening to the birds?

Here's my April list, a little late:

Star Trek: Vulcan's Forge	Josepha Sherman & Susan Shwartz	science fiction
Star Trek: Shadows of the Sun	Michael Jan Friedman	Science fiction
Star Trek: The Three-Minute Universe	Barbara Paul	Science fiction
Warrior's Bride	Gerri Russell	romance
Border Lord	Haywood Smith	romance
A Play of Dux Moraud	Margaret Frazer	mystery
Angel Mine	Sherryl Woods	romance
Gentle Warrior	Julie Garwood	romance
The Gift	Julie Garwood	romance
A Play of Knaves	Margaret Frazer	mystery
A Play of Lords	Margaret Frazer	mystery
A Play of Treachery	Margaret Frazer	mystery
Guys and Dolls	Damon Runyon	fiction

I have a lot of Star Trek books I've collected over the years and am working my way through them. Most of them can be read in a day, although that in no way detracts from their enjoyment. Same with the romances. The Margaret Frazer books are absolutely delightful and the Damon Runyon book is just plain fun. To be honest, though, I'm not finished with it. May happened, so you'll see it again on my May list.

Go outside and enjoy the newness!

Play safe,
Diana

Visions of the Future

Just saw the movie, Tomorrowland and had to take time to put down my reactions. Minor spoilers ahead.

What has happened to our visions of the future? This question is posed early in Tomorrowland, Disney’s latest live-action movie. The exposition starts at the World’s Fair of 1964 with all the optimism and hopes for a “great big beautiful tomorrow” and contrasts it with our world vision today.

The hopes and fears of a society are often reflected in its literature and much of today’s young adult reading is dystopian. The Hunger Games, the Divergent series, and The Maze Runner, all paint a pretty bleak future that needs to be overcome or corrected. Even The Lego Movie, which is geared for little kids, is set in a future that isn’t very pleasant. While the overall message is positive: totalitarian governments and societal breakdowns can be fixed, each one of them assumes that we first self-destructed. Governmental, environmental, societal: you name it, we imploded it.

And that’s worried me for quite some time. This is the literature our kids gobble up. Yes, the messages are ones of hope, but what did we do to get to the point where we needed it? All of them assume the worst of human nature took over the country or the entire planet. After a while, you have to wonder if that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy: Your future sucks, so get used to it now. You’re going to have to live with it a while before someone comes along to save it.

Tomorrowland is a direct reaction/response to all that negativity. It doesn’t so much as paint a rosier picture, but shows a future that doesn’t have to end in a bleakness that needs overcoming. It states that we can change things NOW so they never get to that point in the first place. In fact, Casey Newton, the protagonist, asks that question when one of her teachers finally gives her the opportunity: “What can we do to change the future?” and this question becomes one of the driving forces of the movie.

As does the idea of a self-fulfilling prophecy. We feed ourselves negative thoughts via the 24-hour news cycle. Our social media is filled with bullies who hide behind anonymity to spread their hatred. Our government officials are corrupt and think their only crime was getting caught. Fill yourself with enough of this and of course you’re going to have a negative view of the future.

I didn’t get to go to the World’s Fair in 1964, although my uncle did and he brought back pictures. I still have his stereo slides – yes, he could take 3D pictures with a double-lens camera back then and project the slides onto a screen. We’d wear 3D glasses with a red and a green lens to view them in the three dimensions– a technology, unfortunately, we no longer have available. I watched those slides over and over, dreaming of going into space someday, of flying cars and jet packs. We stood on the cusp of greatness. Progress wasn’t a dirty word – it was hope for a better future.

Somewhere we lost that ideal. The companies we hoped would bring us a better life did so at a cost to the environment that made us realize the future had a price we weren’t sure we wanted to pay. Watergate happened and we lost faith in our government. Terrorism, a word unknown in 1964, became a new reality we had to handle. And dystopian literature in books, television and movies became our norm.

Which is why I enjoyed Tomorrowland. As I watched the opening sequence, I thought to myself, “I remember that. That feeling that we could do anything. Accomplish anything. And I miss it.” It felt wonderful to be reminded of that optimism. We know things now we didn’t know then so we won’t make the same mistakes. We’ll make new ones, instead. And that’s a very positive view of progress.

I’ve already read one review of Tomorrowland that dissed it as a “commercial for environmentalism” and a promotion for Disneyland (and, by extension, all the Disney theme parks). The reviewer said nothing of the acting, the directing or the cinematography, but focused solely on what it referred to as a “political agenda.” I take exception to his review. No one reviews The Hunger Games on its “political agenda” or disses Divergent because it depicts a totalitarian state that oppresses its citizenry. But a movie that shows the future in a positive light? No, we can’t have that.

If Disney is the only company who is going to stand up and say, “We CAN do better” then who cares if it’s a commercial for one part of their theme parks? They can advertise the heck out of themselves if they succeed in changing the negative attitudes we currently hold about the future into one of positive progress.

So this “review” is a response, in part, to that reviewer who needed to put down anything that might show a happy, healthy future. I, too, am not going to address the acting, directing or cinematography – I am only addressing its theme: the future is ours to make, so make it a good one.

And I, for one, know which wolf I’m feeding.*

Play safe,

Diana

*This line will only make sense once you’ve seen the movie.