Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff's Blog: #42 Pencil: A Writer's Life, the Universe, and Everything, page 31

‘True Budo Is a Work of Love’

The title of this post is a quote from the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, usually referred to as O Sensei. The word “budo” means the way of war, or warriorship, and Aikido is a martial art built on very traditional Japanese budo.

Many of the open-hand techniques of Aikido are adapted from sword work, and weapons training is a useful way to study the principles. Unlike many other martial arts, Aikido is not taught as a sport, and, as with all fighting arts, many of the techniques have dead...

WWW Wednesday – 9-10-2014

WWW Wednesday. This meme is from shouldbereading, and is cross-posted at planetpooks.

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

• What are you currently reading?

I’m reading a library ebook–The Kiss of Deception by Mary E Pearson, and I’m really enjoying it. This is the first in a YA fantasy trilogy. Yes, it’s yet another love triangle and I know that sends a lot of pe...

New Book Giveaway!

BVC will be publishing the first four Reeves & Worcester steampunk mysteries in October … in a single volume … in trade paperback.

If you’d like to win a signed copy – and not wait until October – you can enter a Goodreads giveaway here: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/105540-what-ho-automata

The giveaway ends at 00:00 PDT September 13th.

Here’s what SF Revu had to say about the book:

“A fun blend of P.G. Wodehouse, steampunk and a touch of Sherlock Holmes. Dolley is a master at capturing...

Ursula LeGuin to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award!

A loud and sustained Hurraaaaaaaah for Ursula K. Le Guin, who will be the recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the National Book Foundation.

The award is the NBP Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, which is (and I quote):

One of Literature’s most prestigious honors, the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters recognizes individuals who have made an exceptional impact on this country’s literary heritage.

Congratulations, Ursula. You are a national...

Let The Right One In: A Very Short Review

by Brenda W. Clough

This is a play that we saw in London that I did not select. A friend organized a group of 20 to go, and of course I said yes without a thought. (I never say no.) I had no idea what it was about, and sat down in the theater with a completely pure and empty mind.I learned only during the intermission that the stage production is based on a vampire movie, which is actually based on a book which was originally published in Sweden.

And it was … odd. Not difficult — hello, I write...

BVC Announces Rondo Allegro by Sherwood Smith

Rondo Allegro

by Sherwood Smith

In Palermo, sixteen-year-old singer-in-training Anna Maria Ludovisi is married by her dying father to Captain Henry Duncannon, the Perennial Bachelor. Minutes after the wedding he sets sail.

The threat of French invasion causes Anna to flee to Paris. At the end of the Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte is transforming France; Anna must transform herself into a professional singer in order to survive.

In 1805, Anna’s opera company is traveling through Spain when events...

The McKittypants Diaries: Who’s a Cat?

The dogs are far from bored around here. Late August and September hold two obedience events and two agility trials. In the meantime, we’re training for the December VST test, without any real assurance that Dart will be ready. He’s got the nose, he’s got the understanding, but he works so intensely that he uses himself up about halfway through and turns into a puddle of goo.

So naturally, it’s time to introduce a little chaos into their lives by way of Mickey Cat.

We still don’t know if Mickey...

Story Excerpt Sunday: From The Hinky Brass Bed by Jennifer Stevenson

The Hinky Brass Bed

Hinky Chicago #1

by Jennifer Stevenson

from Chapter Three

She thought she would never come, and then she did. Then they fell from the ceiling to the bed with a thump that knocked the wind out of her.

She opened her eyes. She wheezed, trying to suck air.

The black-eyed hunk lay on top of her. His elbow stuck in her gizzard. He was sweaty and stinky. She got claustrophobic at his nearness.

“Get off me!” she wheezed.

Randy sat up on top of her, one hand on his chest. His eyes bugged...

Elements of Romance in Other Genres

Romance crossover novels seem to be popping up all over, and it got me thinking about my own writing process. My novels tend to cross genres, including mainstream, science fiction, fantasy, mystery/suspense, and thriller plots, but they all include romantic subplots. After all, where would the human interest lie without relationship tangles? A lot of those tangles involve romantic attraction and/or consummation. Where I depart from Romance as primary genre is that the love/sex relationship is...

Antony & Cleopatra: A Very Short Review

by Brenda W. Clough

Shakespeare is wonderful. But Shakespeare at the Globe Theater in London, an exact replica of the original playhouse on the south shore of the Thames, is unbelievably cool. I am so glad we did this! Some friends organized it, and we happily piled in for the full experience: lunch at the Swan before the show, the afternoon performance (so that we could see it in daylight, as the Elizabethans did), cushions for the backless benches (recommended!) and the actor’s Q&A after.

The...