Julia London's Blog, page 28

It’s All in the Opening

photo courtesy of the.sprout

It’s the doldrum days of August and so I wanted to spice things up a bit around here.

So for today’s excerpt fest, I’ve chosen first lines from the novels of all the Whine Sisters.  Your job—is to correctly identify which line belongs to which author.  (remember prologues count!)  I’ve even included Kathleen Givens in the mix.   So good luck!  I’ll post the correct answers at the end of the day.  And just for answering (right or wrong) you guys will get the chance to win a ten dollar Amazon gift card.  If you win, and you get them all right, then you’ll get a fifteen dollar Amazon gift card.  AND if you win and you get both the author and the title correct–you’ll get a twenty dollar Amazon gift card.

I’ve always been jealous of witches.  Not the incense-burning, tree-fondling kind, but the others—the ones that can cast real spells, that can turn people into livestock…
Samantha Briggeham turned from the open window where the cool night breeze drifted into the drawing room, and faced her beloved but clearly addle-brained father…
Colors are exploding over Susanna’s head, shades of blue and pink and red, splashing around her, on her, in her.  A man’s hand slides under the hem of her silk dress…
I stood outside my sister’s door for what seemed like and eternity, shifting a bottle of cheap wine in my arms and wondering about the earthy odor I’d picked up…
Madeline Reynard squinted in the bright light.  After three days of total darkness, the dappled sunlight hurt her eyes.   She flinched as the guard shoved her forward…
I yawned for the fourth time, drawing a glare from the seamstress.  “Miss Lowell,” she said with asperity.  “You must stand straight, and please pay attention…”
Jennifer Crane.  That’s it.  That’s my name.  Ever heard of me?  I’m guessing not, which frankly, sums up my entire problem with my life as it currently stands…

Seven great openings to seven great novels one from each of the infamous Whine Sisters.  Let the guessing begin…

 

Share this:

Hotel Hell

I’ve enjoyed my Monday and Tuesday night summer TV with Hell’s Kitchen and Master Chef (and Chopped!) but now Fox has added another Gordon Ramsay show to the mix, Hotel Hell. 

Originally, I planned to skip it. Watching wannabe chefs mess up in the kitchen is one thing, but to see hotels with problems like bug infestations and laundry issues really creeps me out. Could I watch and ever stay in a hotel again?

But they tricked me into it. The Olympics ended, and I thought I was getting my regular back to back Hell’s Kitchen/Master Chef doses and instead, I found Hotel Hell. Gordon Ramsay amuses me. I admit it. I probably wouldn’t like him very much in life, but I like to watch him. So I gave it a shot.

And I was pleasantly surprised. The problem with the first hotel featured, Juniper Hill Inn in Vermont, wasn’t bugs or rodents or uncleanliness. It was the owners being downright unpleasant, hoarding antiques and paintings, and not paying the staff. Aha! Bonus, the first hotel owner was clueless to his own arrogance and probably a bigger jerk than Ramsay himself. I was fascinated. And it was a two-part episode! They left me hanging for the conclusion in the next episode, so I had to watch again. Now I’m hooked.

I love hotels. I love travel and staying nights in new places. Not sure I would love staying at any of Gordon Ramsay’s Hotel Hell places, though. The worst hotel I’ve ever stayed at was in St. Augustine, Florida. It was shoddy, but fine until bedtime. In the middle of the night, someone had to go to the bathroom and turned on the lights and ack! The walls were covered with roaches the size of my fist. Lots of them. I was twelve, it made an impression. We spent the rest of the night with the lights on, cowering in bed. We left before dawn.

My favorite hotel, not surprisingly, is in Walt Disney World. Is it the best hotel ever? Probably not. But it feels like home to me, ever since I honeymooned there twenty-two years ago this week. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. When I go, I never want to leave. It doesn’t hurt that there’s a castle next door. 

Do you watch Hotel Hell? Gordon Ramsay, love him or hate him? What’s your favorite hotel? Your own Hotel Hell experience?  

Share this:

Seduction of Lady X

ON SALE MARCH 27

The would-be Earl of Ashwood sets his romantic sights on a forbidden prize in the enchanting third novel from Julia London’s addictively sexy new series.

The surprising news that dashing steward Harrison Tolly, illegitimate son of the Earl of Ashwood, is the rightful heir to his father’s estate comes at a most inopportune time. With a wedding on the horizon and a baby on the way, a new life of privilege and prestige would be a blessing but for one problem: his heart belongs to another woman.

Harrison keeps his desires for his employer’s wife, Lady Olivia Carey, so hidden that even she does not know of his devotion. Her callous husband, Marquis Carey, went into a rampage after Olivia’s troublesome younger sister returned from her tour of Spain pregnant, and Harrison impulsively stepped in to save the entire family from scandal. Now, like Olivia, he is trapped in a loveless arrangement. When a tragic accident claims the marquis’ life soon thereafter, can Harrison seize his chance and cast aside one sister for another? Or will doing so expose the Carey family’s darkest secret—and ruin his only chance to win Olivia’s heart?

For a behind the scenes look at Hadley Green, please visit the Hadley Green scrapbook

Share this:

Age Appropriate Dressing

Helen Mirren at the British Academy Film Awards

I wish some authority  would tell me what is appropriate dressing for my age.   I am still attracted the styles I was attracted to in my 20′s, but now more of my body looks better with some sort of coverage on them.  It seems as if no one markets to middle-aged women who still want to be stylish.  Even Eileen Fisher, whom I used to love, has gotten box and big-shirty.  There is no shape to her clothes.  I don’t want skin tight, but I want shape.

Helen Mirren manages to do it and look spectacular.  Does she have a stylist who tells her what looks chic and age approriate, or does she just know it?   Jane Fonda and Suzanne Sommers also know how to look hip and age-appropriate.  But for most of us, it seems like the choices are Mother of the Bride fashion or stuff that looks way too young.  Or wears too young.  Anyone tried on a pair of jeans lately?

Suzanne Sommers

Recently, I tried on a short dress.  I love the dress, but I thought it was too short for my age.  I happened to be with a couple of friends who said, yes, without hose, or sheer hose, it doesn’t do it.  But with boots and shape control leggings (which are thick, and more like pants), it’s killer.  They were so right!  It made all the difference in the world.  And I found the BEST LEGGINGS from Wolford (check them out http://www.wolfordshop.com/Hosiery-Le...).

Here are some other things I have learned:  1) sheer coverings when you don’t want to show TOO much arm; 2) soft structures, but not too boxy.  Clothes need a little shape if you want to have shape; 3) Muted colors are better than super bright, which tend to make your under eye dark circles and wrinkles show up.

What are some of your age-appropriate clothing changes?  What things do you find yourself wearing that might be too young?  What about too old?

Share this:

Question Friday!

Time for me to get my hair done, and I’m looking for a change.

Your hair- do you prefer it short or long, or maybe somewhere in the middle?

Have you seen Miley Cyrus’s new ‘do? What do you think? 

Share this:

Cardboard Boat Regatta!

There’s always something fun going on in my neighborhood! Our latest adventure was a new-to-me activity–a cardboard boat regatta. A group of men got together and made this AMAZING boat out of nothing but cardboard (per the rules you can also use duct tape and putty to secure the seams and paint–but that’s it).

The Lady Firebirds with the Blue Phoenix boat

 

Is that a cool looking boat or what?!

 

We launched the boat at the lake and me, along with 5 other lady rowers plus one helmswoman rowed that sucker to a first place finish! YAY to the Lady Firebirds! Plus the event raised about a thousand dollars for the local fire departmen–even better! Plus there was a pot luck dinner–don’t get much better than that!

Rowing to victory!

What fun things have you been up to this summer?

Share this:

Grave Expectations

Heaven knows, we need never be ashamed of our wolfish cravings. . . .

Bristly, sensitive, and meat-hungry Pip is a robust young whelp, an orphan born under a full moon. Between hunting escaped convicts alongside zombified soldiers, trying not to become one of the hunted himself, and hiding his hairy hands from the supernaturally beautiful and haughty Estella, whose devilish moods keep him chomping at the bit, Pip is sure he will die penniless or a convict like the rest of his commonly uncommon kind.

But then a mysterious benefactor sends him to London for the finest werewolf education money can buy. In the company of other furry young gentlemen, Pip tempers his violent transformations and devours the secrets of his dark world. When he discovers that his beloved Estella is a slayer of supernatural creatures, trained by the corpse-like vampire Miss Havisham, Pip’s desire for her grows stronger than his midnight hunger for rare fresh beef. But can he risk his hide for a truth that will make Estella his forever—or will she drive one last silver stake through his heart?

Share this:

Books We’re Reading: Gone Girl

Excerpt Wednesday! This week, we’re sharing a book that most of us have read and enjoyed, Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl.

I saw it recommended as a hot beach read by Publisher’s Weekly, and then I started seeing it everywhere. As soon as I picked it up, I was hooked, couldn’t put it down. 

Here’s an excerpt! Maybe you’ll get hooked, too.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

Share this:

You’ve Been Chopped!

I need a another TV obsession like I need a hole in the head.  I already watch too much.  And a new show (especially one where I haven’t seen any of the OLD shows) is very dangerous for me.  But all that aside, I got sucked in anyway…

So what is this new to me show?  Breaking Bad?  The Wire?  True Blood?  Nope… despite my love of all things dramatic, none of those stellar shows appeal to me in the slightest.  My newest obsession is…CHOPPED.  The cooking wars on Food Network.    Basically four chefs (quite often famous ones from the network) face off over three rounds.  Appetizer, entrée and desert.  The twist is that they must work using the ingredients uncovered in each round’s basket.

For instance things like tripe and prickly pear cactus or strawberry leather (fruit roll-ups for those of us not limited to using non-product names).  And that’s for a desert.  It’s really wild.  And I’ve learned a lot about some foods I’d never even heard of; like, Umeboshi (pickled plums from Japan), Pepitas (pumpkin seeds), Jaggery (unrefined sugar in a cone shape), Ramp (wild leek), Pomelo (citrus fruit from Southeast Asia).

The four chefs start out with the appetizer basket.   They must combine the mandatory ingredients (usually between three and four) and compliment them with

Pepitas taken by Miguel Flores

things taken from the Chopped pantry (which is pretty very well appointed).  The only pre-prepared things are a large pot of boiling water and an oven heated to 500 degrees.  Other than that, they’re on their own with a very short twenty minute cooking time.

Once the dishes are complete and plated (which isn’t as easy as it seems), the chefs present them to a rotating panel of judges including Alex Guarnaschelli, Amanda Freitag, Aaron Sanchez, Marcus Samuelson and Marc Murphy.  Ted Allen is the host. The judges comment with an amusing soundtrack highlighting the bad and then vote on which chef will be “Chopped” from the round.

The remaining three chefs then move to the entrée round.  With only a little more time, they open a new basket and proceed until again one of them is “chopped”, leaving two to face-off for the desert round and the prize of $10,000.   Needless to say these are some really creative people.  And it’s great fun to see how they combine ingredients you’d never expect to see together in new and exciting ways.  It’s equally fun, I’ll admit, to see them fail.

 

Pomelo Tree--photo by Leon Meerson

But unlike a lot of reality TV, their failure isn’t anything to be ashamed of.  Just luck of the draw ingredient-wise.  Recently on Chopped Grilled (the newest episodes) one of the ingredients was green plantains.  Apparently, in order to peel them and get them soft enough to be edible, you must first boil them and then prepare them.  Only one of the chefs in the round was familiar with plantains (and for him only because he’d seen it on another episode of Chopped) so the others treated them like bananas.  A mistake since eating them without proper cooking can cause some serious indigestion.

All in all, if you’ve got an evening to spare—I’d highly recommend watching an episode or two—or three.  It really is addictive.  Gochujang* anyone?

Do you watched Chopped?  What is your favorite cooking show?  Have you used some wild and crazy ingredients in your cooking?

*a savory condiment made from red chili, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans and salt from Korea.

Share this:

Closing Ceremonies

Olympics! Finally over! I was so excited for the start and I loved watching. But, to be honest, I started to grow weary of it all be the middle of last week. I’m really excited that I’ll have a new Hell’s Kitchen and Master Chef to watch tonight instead.

Highlights for me? The US Gymnastics women, of course. And the US women’s soccer team. And Misty May and Kerry getting their third gold. Go, Women! And David Boudia’s unexpected 10-meter platform diving gold. That was amazing! Wow.

Spice Girls Reunion!

And watching the synchronized team swimming finals with my husband on Friday morning. The Brits were not winners, but they were my favorites for performing their routine as a story and making such faces as they went along. Awesome! Awesome awesome awesome. I’m just lucky I got to see it because it seemed sometimes that NBC went to great lengths to avoid showing us actual competition here in America. Especially if an American wasn’t involved.

NBC gets very low marks from me for their shoddy coverage, in fact. In their primetime coverage, they were showing me interviews and documentaries instead of actual events at times. WHAT? NBC, you do know people were still competing? And then…

Last night’s closing ceremonies? They didn’t show it live, so they had every chance to edit the coverage to show the most of everything despite commercial breaks but– they left off Kate Bush! Muse (who created the 2012 Olympics theme song)! And – oh no they didn’t- The Who! Yes, they decided to cut THE WHO from the primetime broadcast and show that performance sometime later, after midnight? Are you effing kidding me, NBC?

I think the entire production team must have been made up of men over sixty. And then, there’s no excuse for cutting The Who, for goodness sake.

What was your favorite part of the games, now that it’s over? What did you think of NBC’s Olympics coverage? And if you didn’t have to suffer through NBC’s coverage, were you satisfied with the 2012 London Olympics experience? Are you just glad it’s over?

 

Share this: