West of Mars

Okay, folks. Quick grammar lesson here: When there’s an E at the end of the word, we ain’t talking street drugs. Okay?

I had a few students back in my college instructor days who struggled with that. Sort of like breath/breathe.

Now, to the question at hand, compliments of Booking Through Thursday:

Who is your favorite female lead character? And why? (And yes, of course, you can name more than one . . . I always have trouble narrowing down these things to one name, why should I force you to?)

The first one who came to mind was, of course, my own Kerri Voss. Follow the link in her name back to her character sketch page. At the bottom of the page, you’ll see links to outtakes in which she’s appeared. Check her out. Kerri’s cool.

Maybe, if you ask nicely, I’ll write more outtakes featuring her.

As for what’s already in fiction, my immediate answer was Lessa. Yes, that’s right. From the Dragonriders of Pern series. She’s got many of the same qualities that Kerri’s got and is darn cool. I was always sorry we didn’t see more of her. She seemed to always be overshadowed by the men in those books.

Other great women… wow, there are a lot of them, and we can generally thank the mystery writers for them. Alex Cooper. Sharon McCone. I think mystery and Science Fiction/Fantasy brought us great heroines before general fiction did.

Althea. Oh, yeah. I really dug her and was sorry that trilogy ended. Not to mention I was very sorry when the scene shifted and she wasn’t in it.

And, of course, no list would be complete without Scarlett O’Hara. Gotta love Scarlett.

Notice anything about all these women? Yup, they all face problems, some on a daily basis and some not. But they all find ways to be strong, to overcome, and to win in the end.

I know. You’re shocked I don’t do the victim thing.

Good thing I finished this early this week; the week’s sports news (scroll down) has me bummed out.

Thirteen Bands I’ve Created 1. ShapeShifter, obviously. And admit it, you’re a ShapeShifter fan even though you don’t like heavy metal. 2. Deadly Metal Hatchet. The fledglings around here. They suck, but they’re fun and sometimes, you need fun. 3. Walter Cicewski. He’s one of those guitar guru-types whose backing band is a revolving door. Many of his backing musicians go on to huge musical careers, thanks to what Walter taught them. He’s never had huge success, but it’s been huge enough for him. 4. Hammerhead. You’ll meet them when you get to read Trevor’s Song. You’ll never forget them. If you can find the few passing mentions of them on this blog, more power to you. 5. Tech Support. The ShapeShifter roadies got together during a band hiatus and decided to make some music. 6. Carrion. I haven’t done much with them yet, but stay tuned. They have a part in a current WIP. 7. Bitterness. Same thing. 8. Temple of the Book. If you’re too rushed to read the whole blog about them, here’s what Chelle has to say: They’re not all acoustic, they don’t wear ponytails and the only glasses were the ones they were drinking their beer out of. And they rock. Hard. Geoffrey, the guitarist, might be able to out head-bang some of you regulars, and that’s no joking on Chelle’s part. 9. The Gathering Rising. I created The Gathering Rising in response to literary agent Nathan Bransford’s blog about the many books he’d been seeing queries for that involved those two words in their title. I asked Nathan what kind of music he liked to listen to, and created this band in his honor. I think his tates lean too literary for him to represent me well, so this wasn’t a kiss-up on my part. It was just something fun to do. 10. Nerdvana. I created them around the same time as The Gathering Rising. 11. Vanessa Kontempt. You guys haven’t met her yet and I’m not sure when you will. She’s a girl from Riverview, the only band on this list to be from there other than ShapeShifter (which is funny, given what a musical mecca Riverview becomes). Cross Britney with Courtney Love, throw in some Susan magic, and you’ve got Vanessa. The woman’s a disaster. 12. Jim Shields. A guy sort of like Ozzy. ShapeShifter was touring with him (and his latest backing band) when Mitchell’s hair turned green. (You mean you missed Green Hair Week? The shame!) 13. Jock La Feet. Another New Orleans band; Chelle’s review of them was her first appearance here on the blog.

Go check them out, or come back and check them out. Let me know if there’s anyone you want to see more of around these parts; you may have noticed lately that I’m itching to expand the world, get into some new things. Since I aim to please (although I believe that if I please everyone, I’m not being honest somewhere along the line), if you continue to inspire me the way you have in the past, I’ll strive to bring you bigger and better all the time.

Like other Pittsburgh sports fans, I’m reeling today. First, the Pens go and trade away two of my favorite players, Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen. ColbyJack, as we sometimes call him in my house, is a heck of a great dude. Funny as hell. And a good foil for Sid the Kid.

Christensen, by all reports, would be a ShapeShifter fan. The man likes my music. And he’s got a wicked wrist shot.

I hope they both come back during the off-season and return to the nest as free agents.

And a huge and warm welcome to Marion Hossa and Hal Gill (Hal Gill!) and the other guy no one’s paying much attention to, winger Pascal Dupuis.

Hockey players have the best names.

While I’m sighing, let my happy sigh turn into one of sadness. Man, we lost an institution today. Myron Cope gave up the good fight this morning. I’ve got chills as I’m typing this. Myron was one of my heroes; when I protested that a voice like mine would never be broadcast over the airwaves, Myron was held up as an example of how voice doesn’t matter, content does.

And did Myron know sports. Yoi! That man knew so much, it wasn’t funny. Whenever a transplant would tell me they just couldn’t stomach listening to Myron, I’d tell them to get past the voice and listen to what he had to say. He was so much more than a squeaky voice and a reason to drink (the Myron Cope drinking game: do a shot every time he says Yoi. Do two for a Double Yoi, and three for a triple Yoi); you couldn’t help but learn from him.

Like most Pittsburghers, I grew up on a winter diet of Steelers and Myron. Because of that, I might know more about football than the average fan — and believe me, while I’m a fan of the Steelers, I’m not a huge football fan. I’ll watch hockey games ’cause it’s hockey, but I won’t watch football because it’s football.

Over the past few years, after Myron retired, I’ve missed him in the broadcast booth. Yeah, Tunch brings a ton to the game. And Billy Hillgrove remains his steady self. But … it’s not the same without Myron.

So there’s three guys who’ve left the city. I hope two of them come back.

And the third?

I don’t think he’ll ever truly leave us.

Rest in peace, Myron. You made my world a better place and I thank you for it.

Evil, Evil Julia. Making me tell you things about myself. I’ve dragged my heels over this for a month now. Maybe it’s time to fess up.

Well, I figure you probably know all this already anyway, so … the rules.

1. Mention the person who tagged you and create a link back to them.
2. Copy-paste the traits for all the twelve months (see below).
3. Pick your month of birth (see below).
4. Highlight the traits that apply to you.
5. Tag 12 people and let them know by visiting their blogs and leaving a comment for them.
6. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve done it!

First off, I’m not tagging 12 of you. If you do this, let me know and I’ll link to you. I can’t think of twelve people right now; I’m supposed to be writing fiction and researching agents to query, or you guys will never get to hold a copy of Trevor’s Song. I know you’d rather do that than hear me blather about yourself.

Thus, does it surprise anyone to hear I’m an April baby?

Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret.

Stop right there. Yes, I jump in both-feet-first too freaking often. (that sort of explains why I’m now a Girl Scout Leader. Oh, stop snorting coffee out your nose at that revelation!) But there’s very little in my life I regret. Not even having #2, who destroyed parts of my orthopedic makeup forever. Then again, if you knew #2, you’d understand how and why I’m willing to live with the pain and frustration.

Attractive and affectionate to oneself.
How on Earth does one show affection to oneself? Do they mean that the way I *think* they mean that?

Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous.
Yes, I generally describe myself as suave.

Emotional. Aggressive.
Yup.

Hasty.
Uhhh… maybe. Let me think about it.

Good memory.
Not anymore!

Moving.
Do you know how many years I’ve spent house-hunting? I’m not moving anywhere so fast. Although if I do, I hope it’s to land outside of Yellowstone.

Motivates oneself and others.

Sickness usually of the head and chest.
Sickness? Not counting the never-ending orthopedic problems?

Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.
Ask the Tour Manager. In deference to that showing affection to self thing, I ain’t answering.

Birth Month Traits:

JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY: Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE: Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER: Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

DECEMBER: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

This post is R-rated!! Come back later if you’re under 18, please!

So we’re there in my bed, me and Trevor Wolff, and he sniffs the back of my knee. I die; it’s like being touched with that feather he likes so much.

“What the fuck is this?” he asks, sitting back on his heels and giving me this look like I’ve totally let him down or something. It’s almost enough to ruin the whole moment or something.

I prop myself up on my elbows and stare at him. I have no idea what’s wrong.

“You girls are supposed to go all weak at the knees,” he says. He’s pouting and it’s cute.

“Oh, I am,” I tell him. I can barely get the words out, in fact.

“Yeah, well, you smell like flowers back there. What the fuck’s that about?”

I shrug. Come on. The guy’s got to know about perfumes and body sprays. It’s not like I’m the first girl he’s ever met.

“You really think it’s a turn-on?” he asks.

“It turns me on,” I tell him, shimmying a bit so the girls shake. My leg, still propped up on his shoulder, does too. It rubs against his ear and he shakes his head like it’s annoyed him.

He gets annoyed way too easy.

“And what turns you on should turn me on?” he asks and turns away, holding my leg as he lets it down. I’m bummed; this probably means the end of it, but he lights up and turns back. “I hate to break it to you girls, but us guys like you girls to smell like you. Yeah, that natural smell you’re always trying to cover up. Now that, that is a turn-on.” He nods like it’s all settled and I’ve learned my lesson and won’t ever put perfume behind my knees again.

“It’s a horrid smell,” I tell him, and he grins.

And I’m not going to tell you what happened next, but it was proof that he didn’t mind the perfume so much.

As for wearing it next time… well, catching up with him tonight wasn’t exactly planned, and I’m not dumb enough to change the way I live my life for him.

For Mitchell, maybe I would, yeah. But not for Trevor.

This weekend’s Weekend Wordsmith prompt was the unneeded puzzle piece. This seemed to fit — at least in my little brain.

Want more of Pam? Forgotten who she is? Click on this link and it’ll take you to her bio page and links to other, older posts.

No Sunday Best this week. Sorry for that; I was too busy with the family. And the agent hunting. And the writing. And the…

Once again, I spent a good chunk of my Thursday (especially since I’m locked out of the Thursday Thirteen hub by some DNS problems) pondering today’s Booking Through Thursday.

All other things (like price and storage space) being equal, given a choice in a perfect world, would you rather have paperbacks in your library? Or hardcovers? And why?

In my library, huh?

Honestly, I don’t care.

No, not true. To put in my library, I want hardbacks. They look good, although the lack of standardized sizing makes them hard to pile books on top of.

Now, to expand on the question and take it beyond its borders, to read, I like trade-sized paperbacks. I just like them. I like the size, I like the way they fit in my hand, I like that they aren’t too heavy like hardbacks can be, I like that they stay open in my lap. I especially like that they aren’t the goofy new mass market size that costs a few bucks more for a few inches taller. Bite the bullet; put them in trade size, people!

And finally… many authors dream of being published in hardback. For them, it’s a prize to be won. But to be honest, I buy very few hardbacks. I don’t like to spend that much money on a new hardback. Not when I can have more books for the same amount. Heck, I went to a book signing about a year ago and spent $50 and came home with … two books. TWO.

Me, I want to be published in Trade Paperback. Given my choice — and let’s face it, unless I self-publish, I won’t have a choice — I’ll pick that size.

But ultimately, what format doesn’t matter. What matters is the experience I have reading it. A great book is a great book and … yeah, I gotta say it. Size doesn’t matter.

I’ve been on this Deadly Metal Hatchet kick lately, wanting to make the time to explore them more, learn their back story, bring more of them to you.

Thirteen Things about Deadly Metal Hatchet 1. Deadly Metal Hatchet is four guys who have created a gimmick for themselves that works. Think Iron Maiden’s Eddy, only more gruesome. 2. That gimmick is the Deadly Metal Hatchet, their mascot. 3. Here’s links to other DMH posts. The first. An earlier Thirteen. Chelle and the Hatchet. The perils of being a baby band. And meeting a groupie. 4. Fozzy, the lead guitarist, is the only known survivor of a Hatchet attack. That’s why the Hatchet lives with him now. 5. Fozzy founded the band as a better way to cope with a bad motorcycle accident. The alternative was to crawl into a bottle. Which he tried. 6. Lido’s the singer. 7. He figured that being in a band would take him out of town and away from the woman he loved — and who loved him back. 8. Scott’s bass drum was a Hatchet victim. Thankfully, Scott wasn’t playing it at the time. 9. Unfortunately, though, the Hatchet did its work before a show. Scott’s tech was one busy man, but it wasn’t enough and the band had to take the stage without the drums. They returned in the second song. Thankfully. 10. By that time, the audience was booing. It was an ugly show. 11. It took them awhile to get booked again after that. And when they did, they had to play the frat of one of Lido’s friends. 12. Fozzy and the Hatchet had a long talk about desecrating the band’s equipment. 13. Notice how there’s nothing about Gecko yet? Like I said, I’m still working on these guys.

The movie ended. The band and Kerri sat, unmoving, staring at the tiny screen as the credits rolled into black.

“Wow,” Daniel said at last.

“No shit.” Mitchell dropped the handful of Kerri’s hair he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “That was … some intense shit.”

“So,” Eric said from his spot down by Mitchell and Kerri’s feet, “if you could travel through time, where would you go?” He stood up and fiddled with the TV suspended over Trevor.

“I’d go be the famous Daniel. Daniel in the Lion’s Den.”

Mitchell tipped his head backwards, trying to see the drummer. The only thing in view was the roof of the bus. “Didn’t he die or something?”

“Eventually, yeah, but who cares? The story’s immortal,” Daniel said before Eric could jump in and correct things. Or, worse, preach.

“So’s ShapeShifter.”

Eric cocked his head like he had to consider that. “But Daniel’s story was worthy of immortality because he was pious. Why are we worthy of immortality?”

“Because we’re ShapeShifter,” Mitchell said. Like they needed to ask?

“Time travel, M,” Kerri said. “Where would you go?”

He didn’t need to think about it. “I’d go work with Les Paul in the early days. I’d be a guitar master.”

“Some say you already are,” she said.

“Yeah, but I’d be more of one. I’d be more than just a player.”

She looked at him and rolled her eyes.

“Me, I’d go back and meet Jesus,” Eric said.

Mitchell hoped no one would ask the guitarist to elaborate. Every now and then, the guy went on these religious tears; clearly, the movie had awoken a new one in him. He’d have to make sure their copy of the flick disappeared somewhere. Maybe some fan would want it.

“What about you, Rusty?” the supposedly-sleeping Trevor asked. “Want to go back and be the hot, passionate woman who made Van Gogh cut his ear off? Want to inspire someone to do something even dumber?”

“Do you have any idea,” Kerri started, vibrating with a sudden passion that Mitchell hadn’t expected, “how women artists were treated back then? If — and that’s a huge if — they were allowed to paint, they were outcasts. Usually, they were told to forget about any ambitions they had for themselves. Go be a wife, they were told. Have babies. Run a house. Be invisible.”

Mitchell grabbed at her as she stood. He wasn’t sure which was worse, a religious sermon from Eric or a rant from his wife.

“So what the fuck do you think I’d gain from going back in time?” Kerri shrugged off Mitchell’s hands and stepped away, closer to Trevor. Who still hadn’t opened his eyes or moved. “Do you really think I’m dumb enough to think that this isn’t the best time in world history to be a woman? Do you really think I’d trade in everything I’ve got for that?”

“For a day?” Eric said. “Just one day, Kerri, and then you could come back.”

“I’m not going to work with Les Paul for just one day!”

“Mitchell, please. And no, Eric, I wouldn’t, and don’t start in on that bit about how I’ll better appreciate the here and now. I appreciate it plenty, believe me.”

“Funny,” Trevor said. “I thought you only appreciated Mitchell.”

Kerri left the front lounge at about the same instant that Mitchell lunged for Trevor. There’d be no sleeping for the bass player for awhile yet. Which was, of course, why Trevor had put on the whole sleep show in the first place.

But it didn’t change the outcome.

How many prompts can one piece of fiction cover? We’ve got Sunday Scribblings, Writer’s Island and, of course, Rhian’s Poetry Train. No Weekend Wordsmith this week; the prompt wasn’t for me.

So in this week’s Booking Through Thursday post, I promised you talk about a great read I’d just finished.

Here it is, a definite Sunday Best.

The book is called A Day of Small Beginnings, and it’s the debut novel by Lisa Pearl Rosenbaum, who seems very nice from the very small e-mail exchanges we’ve had. (Notice how we’re back to the debut novel thing? I can’t get away from them, can I?)

A Day… is the story of three generations of Liebers, a Jewish family from Poland whose history is changed by a single act of courage — and stupidity, all rolled into one. We begin with Itzik and then spend some time with his son and finally, the family’s redemption is at last complete through the acts of his granddaughter, Ellen. (Notice how it takes a woman for redemption to happen? Hmm?)

The tale’s more subtle than this. It’s also hard as hell to explain; there’s a ghost involved, named Friedl. She’s an interesting ghost, as she tells us many things but never really lets us, the reader, see for ourselves. Do we take her at face value? There’s no reason not to, but …

Now, I believe in the possibility of ghosts like this. While Friedl bothered some of the members of my book club last Thursday, she didn’t bother me. In fact, I liked her. And she sings better than I do, too. Brownie points for that.

Okay, so we’ve got Itzik, his son, and his granddaughter. And a ghost. Time to throw in three more elements and you’ll have the essence of this complex story: the country of Poland, which becomes a character in and of itself; anti-Semitism; and Raphael, the last Jew in the fictional town of Zokof.

(Have you ever heard of a Polish Jew named Raphael? Do you know how long it took me before I connected the idea of this fictional Raphael to the idea of the Angel Raphael? I am going to ask Rosenbaum if that’s the proper leap. But back to my rave about the book.)

For me, what makes this book isn’t that redemption is Ellen’s to deliver. In fact, that might be the most obvious part of the book — that the redemption happens at last and how, in fact, Ellen arrives at it. I figured it out very quickly, and groaned, “No, we’re NOT going there.” But we did. And it worked better than I’d hoped, too, which is a huge prop to Rosenbaum.

Rather, what made this book for me was the character of Raphael, Zokof’s Jew. Yes, he was the town’s own personal Jew. And he was the last one, having returned after the War and deciding to tend to Friedl the ghost. His mission is to find her eternal peace, and Itzik’s family is the key to that (and the reason she’s not at peace in the first place. She is, after all, dead, and the dead should rest in peace. Right?).

At once pious yet willing to question religion and its rules and dogma, at once serious and mischievous, Raphael is one of those characters we readers desire in our fiction: the kind who lives and breathes, the kind you wish you could sit down and have dinner with.

This book really makes you think about religions, about how we view people who are other than us. It makes you question God right along with Itzik, Nathan, and Ellen — and some of the various other supporting cast, such as Ellen’s love interest, who was also an interesting character. Rosenbaum bucks the trends and gives us some really great men in this book.

It’s a huge book smooshed into a small package, but it doesn’t feel squished. It’s sort of like a clown car: you can’t believe how much Rosenbaum packed in. And yet, unlike a clown car that never seems to end, you’re never overwhelmed by what’s happening. Things are moving and changing, yet we wind up exactly where we’re supposed to, all the pieces fitting nicely.

Really. Don’t miss this one. Use my link above and get your own copy; you won’t regret it. (What? You want MY copy? Well, take that up with my Mom, okay? I gave it to her.)

Also, don’t forget that there are only a few more days for Scribbit’s February Write Away contest. Get your entries in and check back on Friday for the list of participants. Oh, yeah, and the winner. Can’t forget about that; it’s a contest, not a carnival. Still, I’m eager to read what others have written. Hope you’ll visit some, too. And mine, of course. (although some of you may have done so already. Visit again, okay?)

Happy reading! May you all find such neat gems in your TBR pile as A Day of Small Beginnings.

Paula!

Congratulations to my fellow Blue Ribbon Blogger, Paula, for being chosen as the winner of my copy of State of the Onion, the first in Julie Hyzy’s great new mystery series.

Thanks to everyone who entered — and especially to those of you who jumped over to Front Street Reviews and read my review. I hope you’ll hang around there more often and find other great things to read.

And, of course, if you’d like to read State of the Onion anyway, use my handy-dandy links here in this post and pick up a copy of your very own.

More later, including my attempt at this week’s Writer’s Island prompt. Gulp!