Tilly Greene's Blog, page 53
November 10, 2010
Hump Day Reflections
Ooo, baby, it's getting cold outside - best not forget the hat and scarf! Wrap that long strip of sumptuousness around your neck, bundle it up to your chin, and if there's any extra, let it dangle down you back to warm your backside.!Also, remember the goggles, skiing without them couldcause snowblindness and I'd hate to see you in a full body cast!
Maybe you should think of some socks, thick ones, at the very least.
Thank you Matthew Herrick as taken by Rick Day via Dude Flesh for warming things up!
Tilly Greene
WARNING! Red hot romances ahead!
November 9, 2010
Book and Book Accessory Talk
The Bas Bleu catalog, Holiday issue, arrived and I've dog-earred so many page corners, I thought to share a few of them here. Remember, these books can also be Chanukah, birthday, Mother's or Father's day pressies, any holiday, or a it's for me day because books are great all year round!
Here we go:
The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise
by Julia Stuart
Balthazar Jones--protagonist of this charming novel--has a most interesting address: He lives in the Tower of London. A Beefeater assigned to guard the former royal palace and prison, Balthazar spends his days leading tours, directing visitors to the lavatory, and chasing down pickpockets. But when the Queen decides to relocate her royal menagerie from the London Zoo to the Tower, Balthazar, by way of owning the world's oldest living tortoise, is tapped as the animals' caretaker. His wife, Hebe, is none too thrilled at the prospect of bringing yet more peculiar creatures into their little "neighborhood."
The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer
Imagine yourself a traveler in fourteenth-century England. All the sights, sounds, tastes, pungent smells, pleasures, and perils of journeying through the countryside, villages, towns, and cities of England are revealed as you resolve the basic issues of all travelers: Where to stay? What will it cost? What can you expect for your money? Where and what to eat? What to see and do for entertainment? And perhaps most important, how to avoid illnesses and highwaymen?
Lost to Time by Martin W. Sandler
As Pulitzer Prize-winning author Virginius Dabney wrote, "If you mean to be a historical figure--a Longfellow, a Homer, or a Vergil." As Dabney points out, Paul Revere, Odysseus, and Aeneas "all took this precaution."
But what about the bona fide VIPs whom no one wrote about? What about the blunders and tragedies downplayed or covered up by the press or the government? What about "the most famous person you've never heard of "? Not to worry, gentle reader, those stories are gathered here at last!
And if you thought it was just books they offer, you'd be wrong!
Stirring Mouse cards [8 cards/envelopes]
Not a creature was stirring, huh? Our adorably droll Stirring Mouse Cards beg to differ! A wonderful illustration of a diligent little mouse hunched over a hand-mixer--below the phrase "Maybe there was a creature stirring after all"--makes a witty retort to Clement C. Moore's classic line from "The Night before Christmas." The lime green vintage stovetop and bright red can of flour add subtly festive color to these original, recycled-paper holiday cards, which open to read "Enjoy every morsel of the Season!"
Nacy Drew 80th Anniversary T-shirt
No matter how many decades you've been a fan of Nancy Drew, you'll want to celebrate the amateur sleuth's enduring popularity via this snappy T-shirt marking her eightieth anniversary. A portrait of the fictional detective--deep in the contemplation of clues, of course--and "Nancy Drew: 80 years and still has the answers" appear in blue on the front of the loose-fit, ladies-cut, heather gray T-shirt. Printed, also in blue, on the back of the shirt is a little magnifying-glass icon and a short excerpt from Nancy's Mysterious Letter: "Do act mysterious, it always keeps them coming back for more!"
La Boheme Envirosax Bags [set of 5 bags]
We just love these designer reusable bags for carrying around books, bringing home groceries, consolidating all your carry-on gear when flying… schlepping just about anything from point A to point B (and doing so with substantial style)! The 100% polyester bags are super-strong (each holds forty-four pounds) and ultra-light (1.4 ounces apiece). Washable and waterproof, each 19½"x16½" La Boheme Envirosax Bag--dazzlingly decorated with abstract patterns--rolls up to a compact 4"x1½", and snaps shut. Our set of five (one each of the designs shown) fits in a compact 6"x8" pouch, so the whole toting system is supremely portable!
I told you there was all sorts of goodness in the catalog! I could go on, trust me, but I won't. I suggest you visit Bas Bleu, maybe request a catalog, and even think about joining their Bas Bleu Society - offers fab discounts and free shipping!
By the way, the descriptions are all Bas Bleu's!
Here we go:
The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise
by Julia StuartBalthazar Jones--protagonist of this charming novel--has a most interesting address: He lives in the Tower of London. A Beefeater assigned to guard the former royal palace and prison, Balthazar spends his days leading tours, directing visitors to the lavatory, and chasing down pickpockets. But when the Queen decides to relocate her royal menagerie from the London Zoo to the Tower, Balthazar, by way of owning the world's oldest living tortoise, is tapped as the animals' caretaker. His wife, Hebe, is none too thrilled at the prospect of bringing yet more peculiar creatures into their little "neighborhood."
The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer
Imagine yourself a traveler in fourteenth-century England. All the sights, sounds, tastes, pungent smells, pleasures, and perils of journeying through the countryside, villages, towns, and cities of England are revealed as you resolve the basic issues of all travelers: Where to stay? What will it cost? What can you expect for your money? Where and what to eat? What to see and do for entertainment? And perhaps most important, how to avoid illnesses and highwaymen?
Lost to Time by Martin W. SandlerAs Pulitzer Prize-winning author Virginius Dabney wrote, "If you mean to be a historical figure--a Longfellow, a Homer, or a Vergil." As Dabney points out, Paul Revere, Odysseus, and Aeneas "all took this precaution."
But what about the bona fide VIPs whom no one wrote about? What about the blunders and tragedies downplayed or covered up by the press or the government? What about "the most famous person you've never heard of "? Not to worry, gentle reader, those stories are gathered here at last!
And if you thought it was just books they offer, you'd be wrong!
Stirring Mouse cards [8 cards/envelopes]Not a creature was stirring, huh? Our adorably droll Stirring Mouse Cards beg to differ! A wonderful illustration of a diligent little mouse hunched over a hand-mixer--below the phrase "Maybe there was a creature stirring after all"--makes a witty retort to Clement C. Moore's classic line from "The Night before Christmas." The lime green vintage stovetop and bright red can of flour add subtly festive color to these original, recycled-paper holiday cards, which open to read "Enjoy every morsel of the Season!"
Nacy Drew 80th Anniversary T-shirt
No matter how many decades you've been a fan of Nancy Drew, you'll want to celebrate the amateur sleuth's enduring popularity via this snappy T-shirt marking her eightieth anniversary. A portrait of the fictional detective--deep in the contemplation of clues, of course--and "Nancy Drew: 80 years and still has the answers" appear in blue on the front of the loose-fit, ladies-cut, heather gray T-shirt. Printed, also in blue, on the back of the shirt is a little magnifying-glass icon and a short excerpt from Nancy's Mysterious Letter: "Do act mysterious, it always keeps them coming back for more!"
La Boheme Envirosax Bags [set of 5 bags]We just love these designer reusable bags for carrying around books, bringing home groceries, consolidating all your carry-on gear when flying… schlepping just about anything from point A to point B (and doing so with substantial style)! The 100% polyester bags are super-strong (each holds forty-four pounds) and ultra-light (1.4 ounces apiece). Washable and waterproof, each 19½"x16½" La Boheme Envirosax Bag--dazzlingly decorated with abstract patterns--rolls up to a compact 4"x1½", and snaps shut. Our set of five (one each of the designs shown) fits in a compact 6"x8" pouch, so the whole toting system is supremely portable!
I told you there was all sorts of goodness in the catalog! I could go on, trust me, but I won't. I suggest you visit Bas Bleu, maybe request a catalog, and even think about joining their Bas Bleu Society - offers fab discounts and free shipping!
By the way, the descriptions are all Bas Bleu's!
Tilly Greene
WARNING! Red hot romances ahead!
November 8, 2010
Naughty Thought for Monday
Oh dear. I love watching kids flicks - Sleeping Beauty, Up, and Despicable Me to name but a few - and I'm looking forward to the Dorothy of Oz.
However, just looked through some of the first screen shots via Summertime Entertainment, and, well, is it me or does the Emerald City look like it's made of um, green, Shrek-like, willies?
It's wrong, I know, but I can't help it! There it is - big, green, towering, penises!
Tilly Greene
WARNING! Red hot romances ahead!
November 5, 2010
Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November!
Originally posted November 5, 2007
November 5th is Bonfire night, a British celebration remembering the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. A group of English Roman Catholics organized and came up with a plan to destroy tyrannical rule by King James I of England and the Protestant Aristocracy. Guy Fawkes was the man chosen to blow up the Palace of Westminster [or the Houses of Parliament] but he was caught before this happened. After being tortured, he and other conspirators were found guilty of treason, they were hung, drawn and quartered. Apparently Fawkes escaped the hanging by getting free and jumping from the scaffolding and broke his neck. After that, he was still drawn and quartered.
It's not all doom and gloom for Guy Fawkes. He is credited with being "the only man to ever enter parliament with honourable intentions." In 2002 he was 30th in the "100 Greatest Britons" and on the list of the 50 greatest people from Yorkshire.
Recently the festivities have made their way into popular culture beyond the British Isles. Two examples are a movie and book. The beginning of the movie V for Vendetta has an old rhyme that is often used to recall this incident. The full poem isn't normally used, just the first bit, and sometime the second. When you read it you'll know why, it's very inflammatory and no longer has a purpose. The cutie, who grew up knowing the first two verses, never knew the last until we saw it noted at a Tower of London exhibition. So here it is in it's entirety:
Remember, remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes,'twas his intent
to blow up the King and the Parliament.
Three score barrels of powder below,
Poor old England to overthrow:
By God's providence he was catch'd
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, make the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
Hip hip hoorah!
A penny loaf to feed the Pope.
A farthing o' cheese to choke him.
A pint of beer to rinse it down.
A faggot of sticks to burn him.
Burn him in a tub of tar.
Burn him like a blazing star.
Burn his body from his head.
Then we'll say ol' Pope is dead.
Hip hip hoorah!
Hip hip hoorah!
There's another appearance of the Guy Fawkes Day celebrations found in the first chapter of
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
. A muggle weatherman is reporting shooting stars are being seen all over Britain, and speculates some people are celebrating Bonfire Night a week early. Instead, it's the wizarding world celebrating the disappearance of Lord Voldemort. And don't forget Albus Dumbledor's pet phoenix is called Fawkes.
So how does one celebrate Bonfire Night? Well, on the Fifth of November, once the sun has sunk, the bonfires, big and small, are lit in fields up and down the country. The guy is on the pyre before it's set on fire and everyone stands around watching it burn. In northern England, Yorkshire, they have baked potatoes, parkin [a ginger cake with black treacle, or molasses], toffee apples, roasted chestnuts, beer and much more are all consumed in the cold damp air, long in to the night.
The "guy" plays a big part in the celebrations. Up until recent times, kids used to take the days leading up to Bonfire Night and make an effigy of Guy Fawkes, carry or wheel him around the neighborhood, knock on doors or ask people walking around for "a penny for the guy." They'd spout off what they knew about the Gunpowder Plot, maybe sing a rhyme, and be rewarded with money. They used to spend it on fireworks but later it went toward sweets during the night.
Yes, we'll be having a fire in the backyard with friends, a few pints, and some Oatmeal Parkin.
This month we give thanks and celebrate with our family, why not expand it further and immerse yourself in history, plots of murder, treason and more. Make some parkin, a cup of tea, and watch V for Vendetta.
Enjoy your Bonfire Night!
November 5th is Bonfire night, a British celebration remembering the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. A group of English Roman Catholics organized and came up with a plan to destroy tyrannical rule by King James I of England and the Protestant Aristocracy. Guy Fawkes was the man chosen to blow up the Palace of Westminster [or the Houses of Parliament] but he was caught before this happened. After being tortured, he and other conspirators were found guilty of treason, they were hung, drawn and quartered. Apparently Fawkes escaped the hanging by getting free and jumping from the scaffolding and broke his neck. After that, he was still drawn and quartered.It's not all doom and gloom for Guy Fawkes. He is credited with being "the only man to ever enter parliament with honourable intentions." In 2002 he was 30th in the "100 Greatest Britons" and on the list of the 50 greatest people from Yorkshire.
Recently the festivities have made their way into popular culture beyond the British Isles. Two examples are a movie and book. The beginning of the movie V for Vendetta has an old rhyme that is often used to recall this incident. The full poem isn't normally used, just the first bit, and sometime the second. When you read it you'll know why, it's very inflammatory and no longer has a purpose. The cutie, who grew up knowing the first two verses, never knew the last until we saw it noted at a Tower of London exhibition. So here it is in it's entirety:
Remember, remember the fifth of November, Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes,'twas his intent
to blow up the King and the Parliament.
Three score barrels of powder below,
Poor old England to overthrow:
By God's providence he was catch'd
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, make the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
Hip hip hoorah!
A penny loaf to feed the Pope.
A farthing o' cheese to choke him.
A pint of beer to rinse it down.
A faggot of sticks to burn him.
Burn him in a tub of tar.
Burn him like a blazing star.
Burn his body from his head.
Then we'll say ol' Pope is dead.
Hip hip hoorah!
Hip hip hoorah!
There's another appearance of the Guy Fawkes Day celebrations found in the first chapter of
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
. A muggle weatherman is reporting shooting stars are being seen all over Britain, and speculates some people are celebrating Bonfire Night a week early. Instead, it's the wizarding world celebrating the disappearance of Lord Voldemort. And don't forget Albus Dumbledor's pet phoenix is called Fawkes.So how does one celebrate Bonfire Night? Well, on the Fifth of November, once the sun has sunk, the bonfires, big and small, are lit in fields up and down the country. The guy is on the pyre before it's set on fire and everyone stands around watching it burn. In northern England, Yorkshire, they have baked potatoes, parkin [a ginger cake with black treacle, or molasses], toffee apples, roasted chestnuts, beer and much more are all consumed in the cold damp air, long in to the night.
The "guy" plays a big part in the celebrations. Up until recent times, kids used to take the days leading up to Bonfire Night and make an effigy of Guy Fawkes, carry or wheel him around the neighborhood, knock on doors or ask people walking around for "a penny for the guy." They'd spout off what they knew about the Gunpowder Plot, maybe sing a rhyme, and be rewarded with money. They used to spend it on fireworks but later it went toward sweets during the night.
Yes, we'll be having a fire in the backyard with friends, a few pints, and some Oatmeal Parkin.
This month we give thanks and celebrate with our family, why not expand it further and immerse yourself in history, plots of murder, treason and more. Make some parkin, a cup of tea, and watch V for Vendetta.Enjoy your Bonfire Night!
Tilly Greene
WARNING! Red hot romances ahead!
November 4, 2010
It's All About Tattoos!
The research I've been doing is all about tattoos. Because I don't have any or know anyone who does, I find it a unique experience to create a character who does have them. For me, one question needs to be answered:
What do they have inked for posterity on their bodies?
I think it's an interesting points to flesh out to show the reader more deeply of who that character really is. I'm doing it now and have done it before. In My Angel the hero is a retired drummer wearing plenty of ink and this is how the heroine, an angel, views them:
Everything that hero had done in life was there in particular tattooed pieces and that's what I'm seek now for the hero in Missing. I know who he is, but I want the reader to know him as well. So, I've been searching through tattoo shops for samples, and found nothing that suited my man. My solution is to design it myself and then I have something to detail and explore further for the reader.
Wish me luck.
Oh, and in case you're wondering, the heroine doesn't have any tattoos and then, well, it's one of those twists I so enjoy adding.
What do they have inked for posterity on their bodies?
I think it's an interesting points to flesh out to show the reader more deeply of who that character really is. I'm doing it now and have done it before. In My Angel the hero is a retired drummer wearing plenty of ink and this is how the heroine, an angel, views them:
"There were drumsticks around his wrists, a variety of naked women and skulls, a sun rising above a horizon around his hip, and others she couldn't quite decipher. The words Hit Man written across his chest she knew was his nickname and assumed it was because of being a drummer, not because he was a Mafioso wannabe. Some were in color and others black and white. It was an interesting mix and she'd have to ask him what they represented to him, but specifically why a sunrise. That was the most moving piece she could see."
Everything that hero had done in life was there in particular tattooed pieces and that's what I'm seek now for the hero in Missing. I know who he is, but I want the reader to know him as well. So, I've been searching through tattoo shops for samples, and found nothing that suited my man. My solution is to design it myself and then I have something to detail and explore further for the reader.
Wish me luck.
Oh, and in case you're wondering, the heroine doesn't have any tattoos and then, well, it's one of those twists I so enjoy adding.
Tilly Greene
WARNING! Red hot romances ahead!
November 3, 2010
Hump Day Reflections
The hero I'm working with right now was a professional surfer who eventually turned to paddle surfing. You can either paddle along a coastline's calm waters beyond the break or slip in and ride a few waves. I've watched both and it looks very fun, even talked to a few people who have done it, and been warned: it tests your balance.So, who paddling around? Laird Hamilton!
Gorgeous, unfortunately he looks nothing like my hero!Tilly Greene
WARNING! Red hot romances ahead!
November 2, 2010
Book and eBook Talk
The holiday season is in session!After the kids are back in school the days gain momentum until we collapse on New Years day. Buried between all the festivities is actually plenty of time to read and I do, big time. However, there is something I've noticed about my reading choices during this time. Actually, missing all year round, but I specifically noticed the lack of a particular type of book/ebook during the holidays and am not sad.
Holiday-centric reads.
Yesterday I picked up my copy of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving and illustrated by Will Moses and thoroughly enjoyed it. Returning it to my shelves, I noticed a few other Halloween reads, and sat down to read them all again - it is why we keep them, isn't it?
Anyway, when the last one was put back I noticed I have twenty-five [25!] specific holiday reads on the children picture book shelves [the pop-ups are on a separate shelving unit downstairs and it houses close to ten more], and none on the shelves holding my fiction books [mystery, romance, etc]. Because I couldn't believe I had no holiday specific reads, I went to my ebook library, and found ... none. Zilch. The big goose egg!
Why is that?
Why do I obviously enjoy reading picture and pop-up books for such holidays as May Day, Valentine's Day and Easter, and yet not in fiction?I'm not sure why, but I can honestly say this is the time of year I dedicate to clearing the TBR pile. Could be I want to start the new year with a fresh slate. Maybe, although I always find something or three to pick up. Truthly, for me, a holiday specific read in novel length would be too much, and feel a little too sweet and written to suit a theme rather than the h/h.
What I'll do is enjoy my reads and leave the holiday stuff to those who like them. Don't worry, I'll be fine, devouring my holiday inspired picture and pop-up books - those I'll keep enjoying, be they the holiday or not.
In case you're wondering, the pop-up above is the finale in Niroot Puttapipat "The Night Before Christmas" - love this one!
Tilly Greene
WARNING! Red hot romances ahead!
Book and eBook Talk!
The holiday season is in session!After the kids are back in school the days gain momentum until we collapse on New Years day. Buried between all the festivities is actually plenty of time to read and I do, big time. However, there is something I've noticed about my reading choices during this time. Actually, missing all year round, but I specifically noticed the lack of a particular type of book/ebook during the holidays and am not sad.
Holiday-centric reads.
Yesterday I picked up my copy of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving and illustrated by Will Moses and thoroughly enjoyed it. Returning it to my shelves, I noticed a few other Halloween reads, and sat down to read them all again - it is why we keep them, isn't it?
Anyway, when the last one was put back I noticed I have twenty-five [25!] specific holiday reads on the children picture book shelves [the pop-ups are on a separate shelving unit downstairs and it houses close to ten more], and none on the shelves holding my fiction books [mystery, romance, etc]. Because I couldn't believe I had no holiday specific reads, I went to my ebook library, and found ... none. Zilch. The big goose egg!
Why is that?
Why do I obviously enjoy reading picture and pop-up books for such holidays as May Day, Valentine's Day and Easter, and yet not in fiction?I'm not sure why, but I can honestly say this is the time of year I dedicate to clearing the TBR pile. Could be I want to start the new year with a fresh slate. Maybe, although I always find something or three to pick up. Truthly, for me, a holiday specific read in novel length would be too much, and feel a little too sweet and written to suit a theme rather than the h/h.
What I'll do is enjoy my reads and leave the holiday stuff to those who like them. Don't worry, I'll be fine, devouring my holiday inspired picture and pop-up books - those I'll keep enjoying, be they the holiday or not.
In case you're wondering, the pop-up above is the finale in Niroot Puttapipat "The Night Before Christmas" - love this one!
Tilly Greene
WARNING! Red hot romances ahead!
November 1, 2010
Naughty Thought for Monday
Does anyone really want to know about the "secret sex life of truffles"?Well, scientists and the Telegraph [newspaper in the UK] think we do, and now I'm not sure I can enjoy a confectionary gem filled with truffles without thinking about how these masses procreate.
Honestly, I wish I didn't know. Let the truffles do their thing in private, the way they obviously want it, and be happy with the results.
Tilly Greene
WARNING! Red hot romances ahead!
October 31, 2010
Happy Halloween!
Is this the year I buy a signed poster of 'Girls Night Out' by Will Moses?I already own a copy of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" which Washington Irving wrote and Moses illustrated and I love it! In fact, I'll read and enjoy it again later today, after sunset - should make it even more spooky. Moses' Sleepy Hollow led me to purchase his "The Night Before Christmas" and "Silent Night". There's something about his style, folk art, that suits the stories he's chosen to illustrate, but also his standalone pieces - hence wanting 'Girls Night Out'.
Who knows, maybe after indulging in the one for you [trick or treaters] and one for me style of handing out candy, I'll press that buy button on a Chocolate high.
'Girls Night Out' is good fun!
Tilly Greene
WARNING! Red hot romances ahead!
