Got Great Music?

Sunday was my husband's birthday. To celebrate, he wanted to go to the Renaissance festival in Holly, MI. (Yeah...he really had to twist my arm.) So we (along with the kids, my sister and his friend) hit the road early Sunday morning and drove to the fair.

While we were there, we saw a lot of musical acts, but one in particular stood out far above the rest - Circa Paleo. These people are absolutely amazing. Not to sound all crunchy granola (right - when has that ever stopped me) but some musicians perform music and others embody it. These guys embody it. I know it sounds like a melodramatic cliche to say that the music came from their souls, but honestly, that's what it felt like. Their joy was contagious and their skill superb. These are clearly people who love what they do and excel at it.

I guess if I had to classify the genre, I'd call it World music. Maybe I've just had bad experiences with World music, but normally that term makes me think of hastily arranged traditional songs combined with odd, out of place synthesizer tracks or simplified arrangements that lack warmth and depth. Not so, with Circa Paleo. The melodies are beautifully layered with guitar, drums (hand and kit) and violin. The music is a rich tapestry combining Romany Gypsy, Celtic, Middle Eastern, Indian and others to create the perfect fusion of sound. Jenny O'Connor, Joshua Amyx and Jay Elkins are brilliant musicians.

You can hear them for yourself if you visit their web site and click on listen. So far, my faves are You and No Other, Bouquet de Fleurs, Reap the Harvest, Brittonik, Dark Black Clouds and Shikee, Shikee Baba. I highly recommend picking up your own copy of Eleven Lives! It's fantastic writing music. ;)

In the meanwhile, if you happen to be in the Plantersville, Texas area, be sure to check out a live performance at the Texas Renaissance Festival. You won't be sorry!

I'll be posting faire pictures soon.

The Joys of Rewriting...

or as I like to call it, Jengaing. We've been discussing rewrites all week over at the Writer's Evolution blog. My take on it is up today. Come on over! :)

Weekends

You know what I like about the weekends?

Sleeping until I'm done.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen this weekend.

Friday was an all day field trip with 75 sixth graders. There was a historical re-enactment encampment. They had a revolutionary war cannon along with it's crew, am 18th century fur trading family, musket practice with all of the kids (just wooden ones - not real ones), a blacksmith, a wood worker who used only 18th century equipment and re-enactors who demonstrated key battles in the French and Indian war. Needless to say, the kids were thrilled about the firing of the cannon and the musket practice.

The most hilarious part of the day was watching my youngest son, Corwin, interacting with the new girl, Elise. It was apparent that Elise is clearly smitten with my child. Had it not been obvious by her following him around, hanging on every word he said and the dreamy expression on her face whenever she looked at him, I still would have been clued in thanks to my friend's daughter, Taylor.

Taylor: You know that Elise has a thing for Corwin, right?
Me: I gathered that.
Taylor: (sighing) Poor Elise.
Me: Yeah...he's completely oblivious.
Taylor: Yup. It's not looking good for our heroes.

Corwin thinks he has a new friend who likes art and cats - two of his favorite things, while Elise is looking at him as potential boyfriend material. Granted, I think 12 is a tad young to be scoping out boyfriends, but I also remember having major crushes at that age. Hopefully she won't take it personally if he remains clueless.

Friday night, Brynn and I were hired to give Tarot readings at a local convention. What was supposed to be a two hour gig ended up being almost five. The people just kept coming and coming.

The high point of my evening was when I was doing a reading for this lady and I looked up and a mime was staring at me. I was a little startled as mimes are closer to clowns than I want to get.

Me: Holy shit! It's a mime!
Lady: (leaning over and peering at the cards) In my reading?!?
Me: No...behind you.

Maybe you had to be there, but I thought it was hilarious - after I got over my initial jolt of fear.

Meanwhile the mime is glaring angrily at us. Brynn thinks it's because all of the people he and the juggler had been entertaining had left their area to wait for readings from us. The mime wasn't pleased, that's for sure!

On Saturday, I had to go to a wedding for one of my husband's employees. It was nice - except of the copious use of the word "submissive" in the woman's vows. At the reception, the groom and his mom danced to that Josh Groban song - that You Raise Me Up one. One of the ladies at our table looked at me and said - pretty soon you'll be dancing with your son like this at his wedding. I pointed out that my oldest was only 15 and her response was that it would be here before I knew it. At which point, I totally started crying at a table of virtual strangers. Well done, Bron...well done.

On Sunday, we had to go to a Detroit Lions football game as part of another work thing for my husband. I hate sports. I hate being social with people I don't know. I hate being social at a sporting event. Also the Lions suck. Real bad. If I remember my brother's bitching correctly, I don't think they won a game at all last season. The lost again on Sunday. However, we were in one of those suites - the kind with leather seats and a refrigerator and a stove and easy chairs - and it was catered. The food was amazing. In addition to typical game food of ribs, wings and brats, there was also a really amazing salad and a bunch of Mediterranean food. I'd like to say the food was worth it, but the three hour drive coupled with the additional hour wait in traffic and the hour and forty-five minute wait to get out of the parking ramp at the end made it kinda sucky. However, I did get a great start cross stitching my nephew's Christmas stocking.

Here's hoping this weekend is better. At least it won't involve a sporting event - of that, I'm sure.

Satan's Snowflakes

This week has been a PITA from beginning to end. Dead car battery, naughty kittens, stupid vets - more details can be found here.

Now I'd like to share the irony of last night. I hate cooking - really, really do. Not that I don't appreciate home cooked meals...I just hate the cooking part. I want a replicator like they have on Star Trek. That would be fantastic, but I digress.

Yesterday, I decided that Chicken Marsala sounds delicious - so I went to the store, got some Marsala and mushrooms and started to cook. That was my first mistake. As the chicken was browning, I noticed something awful. There was a hugeass, hairy spider right above my head.

You have to understand - I hate spiders with the burning passion of a thousand fiery suns. I fear them as much as I fear clowns. Somone I know once said that spiders are not hatched from eggs. They're unique - handcrafted by Satan himself each one as individual as a snowflake. In fact, she calls them Satan's Snowflakes.

So I've got one of Satan's special, special snowflakes above my head while I'm trying to cook and the damn thing it literally following me around the kitchen. Taunting me. Seriously. I'd stand by the stove, it would skitter across the ceiling to hang above my head. I'd move to the sink, the bastard would follow me. We did this repeatedly while I tried to make supper. Spider tag all around the kitchen.

Unfortunately my kids wouldn't get rid of it for me because it was hairy and my husband was still at work. I called him on his cell to find out when the hell he'd be home. The conversation went like this.

Him answering the phone: Hey hon. I'm not dead in a ditch somewhere - I'm still at work.
Me: Actually, I didn't call about your ditch status. When are you coming home?
Him: Probably not for at least an hour. Why?
Me: Because there's a giant fucking spider stalking me while I'm trying to cook.
Him: I'm sure it's not stalking you.
Me: Don't patronize me! It's totally stalking me. I think it wants me dead...or it really hates Chicken Marsala.
Him: I'm not patronizing you, but you do realize you're attributing conscious thought to a spider, right?
Me: What part of it's a spider don't you understand? Satan's snowflakes? Seriously, it's following me around the kitchen.

(At this point I hear muffled laughter and realize I'm on speaker phone. GUH!!!!)

Him: Have the boys take care of it.
Me: It has fur - they're not going near it.
Him: I promise - I'll get it as soon as I get home.

He did indeed catch the spider and put it outside where it belongs and I'm currently spider free. However, I think there's a lesson to be learned from all of this and that lesson is I shouldn't cook. Because spiders will get me.

RomantiCon and Reviews!

During the second weekend of October, I'll be attending RomantiCon in Akron, Ohio. If any of you are going, I'd love to meet you. I'll be doing the book signing on Sunday, October 11th and I'll be wandering around the conference before then. If you hear someone laughing too loud...it's probably me. :)

Also, I have shiny new reviews for Handcuffs and Lies to share!

Brynn Paulin at the Grand Rapids Region Writers Group blog gave it 5 out of 5 plums! She said:

Can I say wow? Bronwyn Green has penned a steamy read that’s destined for my keeper shelf. I was reeled in by the opening and captivated for the rest of the book. Tori and Michael’s ‘reunion’ was spectacular…and hot. The scenes were well played out and everything followed logically—but not predictably. Bronwyn Green is a true story teller and I’m certainly anxious to read her next offering.


Vallerianna at Night Owl Reviews gave it 4.75 out of 5 hearts and a Reviewer Top Pick! She said:

Bronwyn Green is an amazing writer; she manages to tell a strong and compelling story in a very short package. I love how Tori is strong enough to stand up for herself and how Michael is willing to put his ego on the line when it counts. A great read and one that I will probably revisit.

And Mina at Howling Good Books gave me 4 out of 5 paw prints! She said:

This is a great short story which I thoroughly enjoyed. It starts off with a very technical scene in ER, which did worry me at first but I am SO glad I stuck with it. When Ms Green gets going, she really gets going. I loved the relationship between Tori and Michael, especially the fact that they had already been lovers but neither could remember. That's a twist I haven't seen before and it really worked. Ms. Green's style is fluid and easy to read and I found myself turning the pages and anticipating the next great one-liner. All in all, if you are looking for a quick, good read, pick this one up. I will definitely be looking for more from Bronwyn Green, that's for sure.

I'm just excited and had to share!

Stuff I've been doing

I'm pleased to report I'm no longer the Plague Maiden - hooray for Gypsy Cold Care Tea and copious doses of echinacea, goldneseal, garlic, zinc and vitamin C! In fact, I felt so much better I went to a drum circle Friday night with my friend Jen, because yes, I am that just that crunchy granola. But it was a beautiful night with a full moon and a bonfire and about three hours of drumming - absolutely fantastic.








I also watched all of season four of Supernatural this weekend. Yes indeed...22 episodes of Sam and Dean demony goodness. (Thank you Brynn for lending me the entire season!) Season five starts this week, so I'm a happy kid.

Today was one of those crazy busy days - I had to get the jewelry for one of my piercings fixed (I swear if it didn't look so cute, I'd take it out - it's really pissing me off lately), get my son's birthday present and go to the IRS. It's a long and boring story, but due to never receiving a 1099 form, we owed the government some money. I didn't think there would be weirdness. I figured, I'd walk in hand someone my check get a receipt and leave. That's not quite how it went down.





Me: Hi. I'd like to pay my bill.
IRS Dude: Are you making a payment.
Me: Well...yeah, but I'm paying it in full.
IRS Dude: Really?
Me: Yepper.
IRS Dude: Cash, check or charge?
Me: Check.
IRS Dude: Take a number and wait to see your specialist.
Me: Wait...I have a specialist?
IRS Dude: Yes. The check specialist.
Me: Okaaay.

So I plop myself in a chair in front of the digital readout and wait. And wait. And wait some more. I wait for almost a half an hour listening to the other people talking to their specialists - one guy was trying to convince his specialist that his ex-wife was completely evil and the other specialist was discussing her dog's behavior problem with her client. So I wander back to the guy at the front desk who hurriedly closes out a game of Solitaire.

Me: So...how long does this usually take?
IRS Dude: You should sit tight...it's gonna be a while.
Me: Well, I have to go pick up my kids from school.
IRS Dude: What time?
Me: 2:30
IRS Dude: Hmmm...that's gonna be a problem.
Me: All I need to do is drop off my check and get a receipt. Is there someone else I can drop it off to?
IRS Dude: Don't you want to argue?
Me: Ummm...noooooo. I just want to make a payment.
IRS Dude: Right. But don't you want to dispute it?
Me: Mostly I just want to pay it and leave.
IRS Dude: So you don't want to argue about it at all?
Me: Not even a little.
IRS Dude: So you're admitting that you owe the money...and you don't want to argue.
Me: Right. I don't want to argue. (I'm beginning to think he's trying to pick a fight at this point.)
IRS Dude: Huh. Well okay. I don't usually take payments, but I guess I can do it if you don't want to argue about it.

Nice enough guy, but by far, one of the weirdest conversations I've had in quite some time. Had it gone on much longer I think we actually would have argued over weather or not I wanted to argue. I'm sure this sort of thing happens to other people too, but most of the time it feels like it's just me.

Heroines

Over at the Writer's Evolution blog, we've been talking about heroines all week. It's my turn to post today about what makes a good heroine, and I'd love it if you dropped by and let me know what you think are the most important traits for a good heroine.

Wah

I'm feeling a bit whiny today. I had an appointment to take the kittens to the vet for their shots and I noticed that my cat Rowan's mouth looked funky so I took him with me. Turns out he has mouth cancer. He had to stay overnight at the vet's and have his tooth pulled and the area around it cauterized in hopes of getting all the bad cells out. He also had a cyst removed from the back of his head. So now he has half his head and heck shaved with a three inch long incision, and honestly, the poor baby looks like Franken-cat. The vet was pretty sure he got everything, now we just need to wait and see how he does. Poor little Franken-kitty. :(

Also, I have a crappy chest cold. I'm hoping it goes the hell away soon. With school starting next week and the return of the 5am wake up time, I'm really not up for feeling like crap and waking up at the butt-crack of dawn.

On the plus side, season four of Supernatural is finally out! And really, if I'm gonna lay around the house being sick, I might has well watch Dean and Sam while I do it.

Also, in news of the ridiculously cute, Willow, my little runtling kitten, rides around on my shoulder like a parrot. It's freaking adorable.