Fantasy Sci Fi Horror

Life is pretty brilliant at the moment...

2010-05-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

Not writing, which is fine, but beginning design work on some paintings for an international show. Desperately attempting to come up with research for a dissertation (hey, no one likes to make a fool of herself or look stupid, LOL), and getting through tense moments like work-related exams, demanding assignments and deadlines.

What I miss about writing is NOT the penning - have written about what? 2 - 3 million words? but the research. I love obscurity, and even though archaeology supplies lots of that, it demands a certain level of formality...and you can't just toss in the kitchen sink and link it with more research the way you can in a novel.

Looking forward to some design work...

Cheers,
Norah/ND

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2009-09-16T11:56:00.001-07:00

It's my day off, which means (of course) I have more scheduled than during my days "on".

2009-09-16T11:54:00.001-07:00

A pic of the levitated fish http://tinyurl.com/qn5bsz

2009-09-16T11:46:00.001-07:00

Now, they used EM on mice. Levitating fish/beetles/ants with sound: http://ping.fm/hqIms

2009-09-16T11:45:00.001-07:00

Now, they used EM on mice. Levitating fish/beetles/ants with sound: http://ping.fm/inDaj

2009-09-16T11:43:00.001-07:00

Levitating mice: http://ping.fm/elBdj

2009-08-29T13:15:00.001-07:00

Evidence that some marine critters survived the KT extinction event dug up in suburban New Jersey. A new book?? http://ping.fm/ty2C1

2009-08-16T23:52:00.001-07:00

Had a great day at work. Now for a little play & archaeo reading after a nice afternoon session of Shrek on TV. Go, Shrek!

2009-08-16T23:27:00.001-07:00

They went out to catch fish, but it was the fish which nearly caught them. Shark jumps in boat.
http://ping.fm/swbiL

2009-08-16T23:22:00.001-07:00

Nice example of the power of a small fish in a big ocean. Jellyfish found to be mixers for ocean layers. http://ping.fm/iqipd

2009-08-16T23:17:00.001-07:00

Males stare at women 2X as much as women stare at men - but still! 43 min vs 20 min per DAY? http://ping.fm/znG1H

2009-08-16T23:13:00.001-07:00

Mermaid sighting in Israel http://ping.fm/sVcbO

2009-08-16T22:57:00.001-07:00

Rest in peace with Marilyn! Widow hocks burial plot adjacent to Marilyn Monroe's on eBay http://ping.fm/GjBiC

2009-08-03T20:47:00.001-07:00

http://ping.fm/cvcnj Different celestial pic every day. Really nice site, esp http://ping.fm/hDaRc
& http://ping.fm/Mdboe

2009-08-03T00:31:00.001-07:00

What have I done today? Begun revamp on Triassic Trio (work'g title), went to work, went to gym, took mutt for endless walk...

2009-08-03T00:16:00.001-07:00

Graveyard of ancient shipwrecks, carrying wine, fish sauce, and metal ingots, discovered off Italy. http://ping.fm/DxjD2

2009-08-03T00:15:00.001-07:00

Male skeleton, approx 4500 years old, found in Italian beach. His burial goods found to date = 6 vases http://ping.fm/4zGn6

2009-08-03T00:12:00.001-07:00

Like fruit juice? Fructose-sweetened candies? Sugar? New evidence that fructose impairs memory...what did I say? http://ping.fm/hGEl6

2009-08-01T00:19:00.001-07:00

About to head out to pick up my offsprung from practice...

2009-08-01T00:16:00.001-07:00

Virtual exhibition of Egyptian artifacts at the Centre for Computer Aided Egyptological Research - http://ping.fm/wcdGG

2009-08-01T00:08:00.001-07:00

Jumbo squid massing off Calif beaches don't APPEAR to be maneaters, but numbers are a bit scary... http://ping.fm/BKcgH

2009-07-31T23:58:00.001-07:00

45 million-yr-old yeast, discovered in amber (Jurassic Park?) used to brew beer. Loved this! http://ping.fm/BupPP

2009-07-29T12:16:00.001-07:00

When I think that some of my colleagues are already at work, slaving away, it makes me feel...happy (yay! yay!) I have the day off .

2009-07-29T00:09:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Astronomy info booklet, complete with star maps! http://ping.fm/NyQwE

2009-07-29T00:05:00.001-07:00

Exploring astronomy sites. Does anyone else remember having Seti on their old computers? Sitting there watching for ET?

2009-07-29T00:01:00.001-07:00

First came solids, liquids, gases. Then, plasma. Now, transparent aluminum. http://ping.fm/ZcZqy A new state of matter?

2009-07-28T23:35:00.001-07:00

Just got home from work...and the uni (archeology)...and the gym. Phew!

2009-07-28T23:33:00.001-07:00

Even more unnerving: http://ping.fm/FMcTQ Supposedly, these robots are vegetarians. How many veggies will be out on the battlefield?

2009-07-28T23:31:00.001-07:00

Found this one slightly unnerving after watching Terminator http://ping.fm/nE1hS

2009-07-28T00:04:00.001-07:00

Found out I have an interview up at Debra Parmley's blog. Thanks, Debra! http://ping.fm/ZlFzG

2009-07-27T23:52:00.001-07:00

Had a great day! Tired as... Well, let's just say I'm weary. Great plans for painting or editing tonight, but the TV's siren song beckons...

2009-07-27T23:50:00.001-07:00

On their return from the moon Apollo 11 astronauts had to go thru customs http://ping.fm/Ttiz3 +Customs form: http://ping.fm/owbgE

2009-07-27T23:44:00.001-07:00

Interesting to think of us as large terrestrial vertebrates, on a par with birds and fruit bats, LOL.

2009-07-27T23:42:00.001-07:00

In a scientific paper: "...humans were the first large terrestrial vertebrates-other than birds and fruit bats-to invade Remote Oceania"

2009-07-27T00:53:00.001-07:00

Whimper dog is carrying on, but my dog whispering is under par tonight. He's trying to tell me something, but I need a translation

2009-07-27T00:20:00.001-07:00

Sunrise from space, filmed by the space shuttle astronauts http://ping.fm/PXeKr Nice pic!

2009-07-26T23:44:00.001-07:00

Reading one of my novellas to my 16-yr-old. Really pleased - she's actually enjoying it (even asking for more!).

2009-07-26T23:41:00.003-07:00

Really interesting page with everything from poisonous octopi to stripes on naked tigers. http://ping.fm/BSwB6

2009-07-26T23:41:00.001-07:00

Did you know there are more MICROBIAL cells in our bods than those with our own DNA (http://ping.fm/zoKry)?

2009-07-26T23:32:00.001-07:00

Just finished working/shopping. Love the piecemeal shopping on the Street, with a meat pie here, fruit there, a stop at the gym inbetween...

2009-07-25T22:33:00.001-07:00

The CT scans which led to the reconstruction of Meresamun http://ping.fm/VLDMH

2009-07-25T22:17:00.001-07:00

Reconstruction of the beautiful face of Egyptian priestess Meresamun by forensic artists http://ping.fm/8puRX

2009-07-25T20:44:00.001-07:00

Interesting article on the use of remote sensing in archeology with overview of techniques http://ping.fm/HuxU7

2009-07-25T20:31:00.001-07:00

Ants more rational that humans...a factor of limited choices, collective decision making~http://ping.fm/WzSjW feel a book coming on -

2009-07-24T22:09:00.001-07:00

Hey, fellow Kiwis! After that earthquake last week, we're closer to Aussie - by 30 cm/11 in! http://tiny.cc/dBVyE (we had a 7.8)

2009-07-24T21:52:00.001-07:00

Nearly extinct yellow-legged tree frog found in Calif. 1st time in 50 years http://tiny.cc/ipgzH

2009-07-24T16:00:00.001-07:00

I've been catching up with Facebook friends - lots going on in the writing world! It's Saturday here: gym, painting, editing, writing...ahhh

2009-07-24T02:22:00.001-07:00

Two edits came in today, for Dink and BoneSong. Hi-ho, hi-ho, tomorrow it's back to work I go...

2009-07-24T02:20:00.001-07:00

Had a great archeology class today - gonna have to work hard this semester! Watching reruns of Battlestar Galactica at the moment.

Winter in Auckland comes with A Kiss for Luck

2009-07-11T02:29:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's winter downunder, and we're hovering next to the heater tonight! I'm afraid we're a bit soft here in the city - a cold wet wind is enough to send us scurrying indoors.

I realized recently I have over a dozen titles being released this year. The book below has one of my favorite covers.

A Kiss for Luck

400 years trapped in a mirror...freed by a kiss

Of Glass & Guile

Artful deception, guileless lass,

Aimless cast in silvered glass,

To cling fore'er, but ne'er to hold,

Lost in sight, 'til worn and old.

Enslaved by glass, refraction frail,

Bested, broken, trapped in Hell.

Cursed. It had been a long time since she'd felt the limits of her confinement so strongly. The resonance of steps and movements, the sounds which rebounded into her small space before dissipating into nothingness, had kept her from believing she, too, was nothing. Now that he'd entered the attic, and was searching intently, his resonance made her shiver.

There is something here…

In the man. In his movements. Determination…destiny? Sybil didn't know, but for the first time in what seemed eons, she had hope. A rescuer was at hand.

If only… She watched, heart in mouth, eyes nearly as glazed as the glass which bound her. Would he recognize her plight? Would he see? Her world was but a reflection of his, the whole of it refracted in darts and speckles of cerulean light. No glimpses of glory, solely a room which remained unchanged until the glass was shifted.

The man jumped at his own reflected movements, and she glimpsed the trace of foolish amusement as he recognized his mistake. Ah, the giant, brawny breadth of him…

And if he were here with me, there'd be no room left for pacing. For her agitated steps, carrying on for an eternity.

Of course, the only visitor to the attic in years would be one such as he! This man wasn't about to kiss his own reflection. She was stuck, and so was he, but his was a pose of admiration, at his own grandeur. He peered at himself, wriggling his eyebrows, then baring his teeth.

Yes, you are ferocious. Yes, you are beguiling, and ever so handsome.

Now, he was using her narrow confinements to pick his teeth.

Barbaric!

Sybil shifted away in disgust. Not this one. It wouldn't be this one. The man who rescued her would need to be much more narcissistic than this. She sighed. At this point, she would even settle for some conceited cow of a female, smooching the glass. It was why Sybil was here, after all—admiration for her own female form.

And if I hadn't played such a fool's game, of enticing and spurning suitors, I wouldn't be here.

I'd be dust in the ground, long dead. At the moment it seemed almost preferable to non-life trapped behind glass—a reflection of someone else's fate, while her own sat in stasis.

The brute tore on, back to searching the attic. Looking for refinement, no doubt. In search of prisoners, more likely, though what war, what passing violence, made no difference to her. It's all the same when you're trapped in timelessness.

But it appeared he wasn't merely boorish—he was clumsy. With an unwary movement, the mirror toppled, and Sybil toppled with it. She landed on boxes and frames, rolled over birdcages and a dressmaker's dummy, her perspective as warped as the skeins which tangled her in their lengths. And in the background came the resonant, seemingly ceaseless, horrific shattering clatter of broken glass…

Her world, her tiny confines, were nearly gone. Narrowed to the reflected image of an apple-sized piece of glass.

It's over. Hope, freedom, gone forever.

It was confirmed in the next instant. The brute leaned over, jutted his jaw to admire its strength in a scattered shatter, then cleverly picked up the nearly square shard in which he'd been portrayed so admirably, and shoved it casually into a drawstring pouch tied to his belt.

Her world went horribly, irrevocably, black.

http://redrosepublishing.com/bookstore/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=200&products_id=444

2009-07-02T05:16:00.001-07:00

Amazing volcano pics. Definitely worth a look! http://ping.fm/g81rl

2009-06-29T11:18:00.001-07:00

All is right in my world. Nasty pneumonia bout tailing off to mere tickle , fevers gone, archeol. work completed. Only 2 book edits waiting

2009-06-29T11:17:00.001-07:00

France faces massive fines for hamster havoc. Endangered species of Great Hamsters close to extinction. http://ping.fm/NWBjW

2009-06-27T12:01:00.001-07:00

On the fungal front: DNA sequences traced via Internet to determine genus distribution/misidentifications http://ping.fm/nnldt

2009-06-27T11:57:00.001-07:00

King Tut returns to San Francisco after 30 years http://ping.fm/1Xerd (wish I were there!)

2009-06-27T11:15:00.001-07:00

Wind speeds decreasing annually across the US, 1-5 %/yr. Natural process or climate change? Affects on wind farms? http://tinyurl.com/nhmoyf

2009-06-05T10:13:00.001-07:00

Have to do 1 more annotated bibliography. Very impressed by work in Andes restoring ancient agric'l systems. Searching for similar projects

2009-06-05T10:09:00.001-07:00

So much paleohydrology reading, + book edits, contracts, WORK, that I haven't been here in weeks. Just contracted my 43rd title, though.

2009-04-16T11:34:00.001-07:00

If I can get through 10 X articles, then I can get back to 2nd edits on Crystal Dreams. Still have Sqweams edits awaiting, too.

2009-04-16T11:32:00.001-07:00

Plans for this morning? Find 5 more paleohydro articles, then actually analyze the d*mn things and begin prepping my annotated bibliography

2009-04-16T11:29:00.003-07:00

Oh, nice 5 X * review for ErRatic came in. Made me feel a little less slack, LOL http://ping.fm/RQEvs

2009-04-16T11:29:00.001-07:00

Woke up at crusty hour of 4 a.m. Used up 2 hours AVOIDING researching paleohydrology for my report. Watched comedy show instead.

2009-04-04T12:25:00.001-07:00

Business meeting yesterday with authors Yvonne Walus/Eve Summers and Jane Beckenham, to plan 2009 strategy

2009-04-04T12:24:00.001-07:00

Also review edits, promo round to new groups + blogging. Plan: finish all this by 9:00 am to get in an hour of writing. 2500 words yesterday

2009-04-04T12:22:00.001-07:00

Burnt Amethyst 2nd edits scheduled for today. Received Dink first edits yesterday.

2009-04-04T12:01:00.001-07:00

Homo erectus now found to be 200,000 yrs older than originally thought. 2 populations of H. erectus in China? http://ping.fm/lE2ru

2009-04-04T11:55:00.001-07:00

Binges on chocolate during study? Mental math ability enhanced following consumption http://ping.fm/g6WxW

2009-04-04T11:50:00.001-07:00

Heat exchangers and metal hydrides (which can absorb hydrogen gas) are key factors in hydrogen car research http://ping.fm/nMpJw

2009-04-04T11:44:00.001-07:00

To add new synapses for learning, we must "clear space" in a finite brain. New research suggests sleep does this http://ping.fm/n5yQO

2009-04-04T11:29:00.001-07:00

Russian spacecraft delays landing due to floods at landing site. Space tourist gets an extra day in space http://ping.fm/MjDzx

2009-04-04T11:28:00.001-07:00

Trekkies: new Star Trek world premiere will be at the opera house in Sydney, Australia http://ping.fm/F866o

2009-03-28T18:19:00.001-07:00

Millet appears to have been domesticated in China before rice +/- 7500 years ago. First noodles made from millet. http://ping.fm/ivuco

2009-03-28T17:55:00.001-07:00

"The Hollowing" and "Emerald City" short listed for 2009 Sir Julius Vogel Award in fantasy/science fiction http://ping.fm/tVSLO

2009-03-28T17:51:00.001-07:00

Amazon is closing some of its distribution centers http://ping.fm/3echo

2009-03-28T17:45:00.001-07:00

Cast of 'Hobbit', Homo floresiensis,17,000 year-old species of human, to be on display at evolution symposium http://ping.fm/NaelA

2009-03-28T17:39:00.001-07:00

World's oldest steel has been discovered in Turkey. Ironware knife, 4000 years old http://ping.fm/qfkjO

2009-03-28T17:36:00.001-07:00

Fast-biting predatory fish may become extinct more quickly due to slower recovery times during catastrophes http://ping.fm/8Gb5Z

2009-03-28T17:28:00.001-07:00

Throw your batteries away? New technology recharges with a gesture, a heartbeat. Mechanical energy into electrical http://ping.fm/mJezH

2009-03-23T09:40:00.001-07:00

Just finished review edits for CTR. Next, 1000 words. Then, a training day. Bringing along my archaeo tome to read at breaks.

2009-03-23T09:35:00.001-07:00

Exceedingly rare extinct octopus fossils found, complete with arms, suckers, and ink http://ping.fm/czu5r

2009-03-23T09:32:00.001-07:00

Medieval vampires in Venice, kept from biting by placement of a brick in the corpse's mouth:a gruesome explanation http://ping.fm/NHqk6

2009-03-23T09:30:00.001-07:00

Africans in New World may have arrived with Columbus:centuries before the slave trade brought them to the Americas http://ping.fm/uvdJ5

2009-03-23T09:29:00.001-07:00

Finished most recent batch of edits Sat. My most recent book, BohE, was released last Thurs. Red-faced at the oversight, but well-reviewed.

2009-03-23T09:24:00.001-07:00

Still searching for the weekend, LOL! It came and went, while I worked through edits and writing. Up to 6K, 5K, & 18K in my latest WIPs

2009-03-17T10:17:00.003-07:00

Ever wonder where that term "Stone Age" came from? http://ping.fm/8NDRl

2009-03-17T10:17:00.001-07:00

Morning, World! Just doing a bit of writing, but worked on palaeoanthro research last night. Off to work soon...

2009-03-14T12:11:00.001-07:00

New evidence that Peking Man lived in one of chilliest periods yet (glacial:770,000 years ago).How did he survive? http://ping.fm/nKZiF

2009-03-14T12:05:00.001-07:00

Exposure to traffic(driving, public transportation, even biking)increases heart attack risk.Stress + air pollution?http://ping.fm/p9Ssm

2009-03-14T11:59:00.001-07:00

Absolutely amazing: Roman-built aqueduct, 106 km long, which took 120 yrs to build by hand...& began in 90 A.D. http://ping.fm/C6nHi

2009-03-14T11:32:00.001-07:00

Have to say the comments, about the latest HP being mostly romance, disappoint. I want action, thrills, suspense in HP, not romance. Yawn...

2009-03-14T11:30:00.001-07:00

Half Blood Prince film flubs at its test run http://ping.fm/qJ5Vz

2009-03-14T11:18:00.001-07:00

Two nice pics of a carved rectangular stone from eastern China, believed to depict the nomadic Huns (200 BC) http://ping.fm/SLxy7

2009-03-14T11:12:00.001-07:00

Want smarter teens?Feed them fish.6% higher IQs. Fish consumption may be 1 of the reasons humans have large brains http://tinyurl.com/czhcuh

2009-03-14T11:07:00.001-07:00

1700-year-old Roman joke book, written in Greek by Hierocles & Philagrios, has been discovered. Toga humor http://ping.fm/Jdz5O

2009-03-12T11:00:00.001-07:00

About to actually WRITE. Radio show in 5 hours, then archeology seminar 4 hours after that. Sometime in-between a blog entry + review edits

2009-03-04T12:05:00.001-08:00

Working on edits. Radio show & group appearance later, + book & cover info to deliver to other pub. 2 interviews to do, too. Going mad...?

2009-03-02T18:32:00.001-08:00

Have editing to do. Only a wee bit in 1 book to go. Why do "wee bits" always take on enormous proportions (except when u want 'em to, LOL!)?

2009-03-02T18:30:00.001-08:00

The "top 10 unexplained phenomena": http://ping.fm/Kmgbq Just a hint - most of them involve ESP (precogs to deja vu to ghosts).

2009-03-02T18:19:00.001-08:00

Real monster in Borneo? Or hoax? http://ping.fm/lb8GY

2009-03-02T18:17:00.001-08:00

Fish with see-through head. Deep-sea denizen has bright green glowing eyes extremely sensitive to light. Video. http://ping.fm/cldDO