A Few Thinks

Since I changed my schedule a month or so back, I'm technically supposed to be working right now. However, at the moment there isn't anything for me to do, so I'm taking a quick break to pop in to the Lunch Room and say hello ...

And, since time is short, I thought I'd just leave you with my thoughts from last year's Independence Day: Let Freedom Ring. It was, in my humble but honest opinion, a sentiment worth repeating.

The kids are scattered hither and yon today, so the WGH and I are going to spend the afternoon at the lake with his parents. I like going to the lake, although my own parents think it's a bit on the dull side. For me, getting away to a place where there is nothing to do but sit and commune with nature is the ultimate in relaxation.

And don't we need that every so often?

I'm taking a book with me (again), as I've resumed doing reviews for RTE, at least on a limited basis. The laptop is also going with me, more out of necessity than anything ... so much to do, so little time - as always.

Happy 4th, everybody.

=) JB

A Mouthful of Science

Proud Mom Moment. Attesting to the fact that I am a terrible mother, The Boy graduated from high school 3 weeks ago today. Salutatorian of his class. And did I say a thing about it here? No.

His speech - the program's 'closing remarks' - was brilliant. It lasted all of 3 minutes and included some words that my college English professor would've been proud of. Half the audience was left with their mouths hanging open, scratching their heads. I loved it.

Sigh. That's our son. Child #2, getting ready for the next phase of his life beginning in the fall - college. He and the WGH went this past week to the orientation and registration program at his college, and came home with a definitive major on the record. We knew he was going Pre-Med (as of this week, he wants to be an anesthesiologist), but he wasn't sure which field he was going to study. Now we know (drum roll, please): Chemical Engineering with a Biomolecular Concentration.

That's a lot of ... well, see the title of this post. You get the idea. Now, I am not a science person. We have an understanding at our house - I am English and History, the WGH is Science and Math. And never the twain shall meet, except in our children, who have a smattering of all those elements in their systems, and do quite well with them, thank you very much. Hence the contents of the commencement speech and the intended major. One of my own high school classmates said something to the effect of the apple not falling far from the tree, but I think the apple, in this case, might just be a bit smarter than the tree from whence it fell.

Various and Sundry. I'm trolling a bit today, here and elsewhere, and found this, definitive proof that the Wonder Twin and I are ... um, twins.

Music! In keeping with the theme of Sister's post from last week (see link above - are you not paying attention?), the CD player is cranking once again. For me, as you are (nauseously) aware, it's anything and everything Harry Potter. Think I'll pop in the Prisoner of Azkaban soundtrack and see where it takes me. I've been writing new scenes for the manuscript, and have been taking advantage of my collection to proffer my muse a bit of inspiration. So far it's working quite well.

I also found an old post of mine where I swore upon all that was holy that I would never give up my Fridays off. Well, I have. In exchange for my Mondays. The good news is I have officially gone back to part-time (I may have mentioned this already), and now have much more freedom to work on the things that I truly need to be working on.

All in the name, of course, of my regenerated writing career.

Do wish me luck, won't you?

And read a book. It's good for you.

=) JB

Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence.
-- Robert Fripp, English guitarist, composer and record producer (1946 - )

What I've Been Up To

My apologies. I disappeared again.

Fortunately, this time it was not for health reasons. In that respect, I'm doing spiffingly. No, this time it was because I've just been so darn busy, and haven't really had much to say other than I'm still alive. Rest assured had that not been the case, you would have heard something from someone before now.

At any rate, things in the JBTAuthor study are swimming along ... I've started doing a bit of freelance writing, I'm still editing (and available for new clients), and have recently taken on a couple of other projects (writing-related, more or less) that have been keeping me hopping. Not to mention I'm still working on the manuscript and am on the verge of plunging into the submission process again.

The WGH made the comment last night on our way to church that my plate was getting kinda full. I said, yes, but it's a fun full.

I'll be around and about the Lunch Room, and will pop in with updates when I have something interesting to say. I hope that will be more often than not. For now, I'll leave you with my latest efforts courtesy of Suite101.com in the hopes that you will enjoy them:

Movie Review - Stage Beauty

Becoming Jane - Movie Review

Wit - Movie Review

Oh, and read a book. It's good for you.

=) JB

Getting Down to Business (or T.G.I.F.)

Today my Wonder Twin shares her thoughts on creativity. I found an old post I did back in '07 that's pretty much along the same lines (Arts & Crafts), which I wish I'd reread before I commented on Sister's essay. What I did say was that to me, "creativity is digging down into the deepest part of your soul and turning it inside out, so that what comes out is the most unique part of yourself. After that, it's your choice whether to share it with the world."

That's original. It took me a few minutes to come up with that. And yes, you can quote me.

The day job has been a little thin on work lately, so that I've had to set aside a few hours on Saturdays to catch up a little on time served. I'm okay with that once in a while, but I steadfastly refuse to give up my Fridays, the one day each week where I am alone and free (at the same time - which is a rarity in this house). This is the day to which I stake my claim with a big red flag that screams, "Writer at work - enter at your own risk!", hole myself up in the study and get creative.

Music of the Moment: The CD player is back to cranking, this morning with the Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl soundtrack. This is music that will get your blood pumping, which is what I need, as I am working full tilt on a rewrite of this manuscript. I've had my coffee (decaf, thank you) and Dunkin' Donuts and am ready to rock and roll ... er, swashbuckle. That's Captain Jack Sparrow.

Enjoy this beautiful Friday, and I hope you weathered yesterday's storms without incident.

And read a book. It's good for you.

=) JB

"And since you know you cannot see yourself, so well as by reflection, I, your glass, will modestly discover to yourself, that of yourself which you yet know not of."
-- William Shakespeare, English dramatist & poet (1564 - 1616)

Eighty-Two Percent

Did I not say it? Any team can defeat any other team on any given day. So here I sit, with two of the teams I picked to go to the Final Four going home instead. What unbelievable games last weekend. College basketball at its best. Man, I love this game.

Up to that point, I hadn't been doing too badly: 27/32 in the first round, 14/16 in the second, and 6/8 in the third. I think it all started going south when Villanova beat Duke in the East region semifinals. I should've known at that point that my Final Four picks were in serious trouble. Although I can't say I'm sorry to see a Big Ten team in the Final Four, thank you very much. Go, Spartans!!

As of Sunday last, out of 60 games, I have picked 49 correctly, for a correct/incorrect ratio of 82%. So, how are you doing so far?

Today, we work.

Tomorrow, we play.

Of course, play for me is work.

You have to know me really well to get that. If you don't get it, don't worry. You will someday.

Read a book. It's good for you.

=) JB

"Read the best books first or you may not have a chance to read them at all."
-- Henry David Thoreau

The Sweet Sixteen

For those of you who don't care a whit about basketball, stop reading now. If you're as much an addict as I am, then press on, MacDuff ...

So, how did YOU do in your picks last weekend? I was 27/32 in the first and second rounds, and correctly picked 14 out of the Sweet 16. I'm sure there are those of you out there who did better than I, but really, did anyone get them all? Other than my husband, did anyone pick Western Kentucky to defeat Illinois? Did anyone expect Cleveland State to knock off Wake Forest? Maybe one or the other, but not both, right?

Funny thing about Cleveland State - they've only been in the NCAA tournament twice in history. The last time they played? Defeated Indiana in the first round. They were seeded #14 and we were #3, and CSU won 83-79. The WGH and I were still in school then - he actually went to Syracuse with the band for that game. Everyone expected them to stay for the whole weekend. It was a dismal 14-hour bus ride home for the pep band, he tells me.

That was in 1986; Indiana went on to win the National Championship the following year. The really crazy thing is this - I discovered a couple of rather interesting similarities between the 1981 and 1987 championships, an uncanny coincidence that may never happen again, at least in my lifetime. In both cases, the National Champion was the same for the previous year - Louisville (1980 and 1986). And, both the games that we won in '81 and '87 were played on my birthday. How's that for weird? I've been waiting 22 years for this pattern to repeat itself, but so far it hasn't happened.

It's rainy and cool here in the South today. A perfect day for staying in and getting some things accomplished.

Read a book. Or watch a game. It's good for you.

=) JB

"If A is success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut."
-- Albert Einstein, US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955), Observer, Jan. 15, 1950

Sproing-g-g-g!!

Spring has sprung, although it's a cool 36 degrees in our little burg at the moment. Brrrr ... may wait an hour or so before I take my morning walk. It's not like I don't have 12 other things on the to-do list to keep me busy until it warms up enough to stuff myself into the walking clothes and set off. This is one of them (really - it says "blog", right there on line 9).

I've had a lot of things on my mind lately, so I'm probably going to muse on them all here. In all likelihood, there will be no rhyme, reason or point to this post. You'll just have to forgive and bear with me.

Junk mail. For about a week, I didn't clean out the messages that found their way into my 'junk mail' folder and kept track of how many I was getting every day. Don't ask me why I did this - I was just curious, okay? I was astonished at the results - 33, 25, 26, 11, 28, 32 and 14. That's 169 pieces of garbage cluttering up my Inbox from people I don't know, don't want to know, and don't want bothering me. What is up with junk mail, anyway? Do people actually get paid to create and send junk to every Tom, Dick, Harry and Sally on the planet? Why? How can this be productive? I can think of so many things that would be of greater benefit to mankind. I know of the old saying, "One man's junk is another man's treasure." Pfft. When it comes to junk mail, I just don't get it.

There are no hedges in Phoenix. The WGH is an eBay junkie. I could list a gazillion things he has in his garage that he purchased online. In the last couple of weeks he decided we needed hedge trimmers. So he goes to eBay, finds a gas-powered hedge trimmer that's very nice, bids on it and wins it. Woot. So this package is coming and he's tracking its progress ... turns out the seller was in Phoenix. Now, I don't know about you, but the first image that pops into my head when someone mentions Phoenix? Not hedges. Cactus, maybe. Granted, it's been a while since I visited the area, but still. Hedges? I talked to the WMVR about it. She obviously thinks a lot more reasonably than I do most of the time. She said that the person probably had hedges where he lived before, but had just moved to Phoenix and as he no longer needed the hedge trimmer, he sold it on eBay.

Okay, I'll buy that. But still, wasn't your first thought, "There are no hedges in Phoenix"? With the same inflection Tom Hanks used in A League of Their Own when he said, "There's no crying in baseball"?

Tournament time again. As most of you know, I love love love basketball. On any level. So my blood really gets pumping around March Madness time. Sadly, our poor alma mater had a less than stellar season, but with Coach Crean at the helm I feel confident that in a few years, Indiana will once again be a force to be reckoned with. Bring back the glory of the Knight era, only softer (Coach Crean is a much calmer man on the sidelines).

The WGH and I printed out brackets and filled in our picks. I actually took the leap and went all the way to the championship game this time (normally I go round by round). My Final Four: Louisville, Duke, UConn and North Carolina. I picked Louisville and Duke in the final game and Louisville to win it all. Call me crazy. I don't really put much stock in picks, anyway, because I firmly believe that any team can defeat any other team on any given day. Case in point - #12 seed Western Kentucky's defeat of #5 Illinois last night (although I should mention that the WGH did pick WKU to win that one, and I'm 13/16 so far in the first round). That's okay. I don't think the Hilltoppers will get past Gonzaga in the next round. I could be wrong. It's happened before.

Paint. One of the items on my to-do list for this, the first weekend I haven't had to work the day job in about 6 weeks, is to prep and paint the foyer and the living room. The WGH had a painting accident a couple of weeks ago - slipped and wrenched his ankle - so he's out of commission for a while, at least as far as getting on a ladder. But that's okay. He wants to do yard work. It's a fair trade - I hate yard work and like painting, and he hates painting and likes yard work. Isn't it convenient how that works out?

A writer's life. One of the other things on my list, of course, is to get this manuscript into shape and start submitting again. It's really almost there. I know what you're thinking - it was there last summer, and it was. Kinda. I did submit it a few places, but when some very kind and constructive comments came back from several agents, I decided it needed a little more tweaking. The BMWs have helped with that as well, and it's an even better book now. So don't hold your breath, but do keep your fingers crossed, pray, and send good vibes my way. We'll be there eventually.

Since the to-do list won't check itself off, I'm working on it. Number 9 is now complete.

Read a book. It's good for you.

=) JB

"I feel within me a peace above all earthly dignities, a still and quiet conscience."
-- William Shakespeare, English dramatist and poet (1564-1616)

A Fond Farewell - Barbara Franchi

I learned today that Barbara Franchi, publisher for Reviewing the Evidence, the mystery review site I contributed to for a couple of years, passed away last night after a long battle with cancer. Barbara was a kind and funny woman, and her loss will be felt by the entire mystery community.

Janet Rudolph has a very nice piece on Barbara, as does Ali Karim at The Rap Sheet.

My heart goes out to Barbara's husband Rudy and her children, as well as to Shaz, Yvonne and the rest of the RTE crew, and our thoughts and prayers are with them all.

Happy Happy Joy Joy

I thought it would be nice to have a more lighthearted post today to contrast the last one. After all, life is full of both happy and sad moments, and you can't have one without the other, right?

The Project. We've lived in this house for just over 5 years now, and we finally decided that it needed a bit of an overhaul. So we're painting. Now, the WGH loves to paint about as much as I love to go shopping. Ranks right up there with cleaning up dog barf at midnight, having a root canal or having someone jab you in the eye with a sharp stick. But it needed to be done, and we're working on a room or two at a time. It's the same answer as the one to the question, "How do you eat an elephant?" (One bite at a time.)

So here we are in the paint department at Lowe's, looking at every Valspar Signature series color sample under the sun. I never knew there were so many different shades of green, beige and pink. We bring the little cards home, prop them up on the baseboards and door frames and spend some quality time with them until we find the color we like the best. After several trips, we finally found a combination we really like.

It's a work in progress. And the more I look at the parts that are finished, the more I love them. Sometimes you just need something fresh and new to perk yourself up. And what better way to do that than to spruce up your surroundings a bit? My study, sometime in the near future, is going to brighten up from this very neutral and *yawn* passive shade of beige to a gorgeous color called Oxford Pink. I know what you're thinking - ewwww, PINK???? But believe me, this color is luscious. It's warm and rosy and cozy and I can't wait to see it on my walls. The recliner and my writing desk chair are both of a rather burgundy-esque color (bought at two different places at two different times and they're almost identical - how lucky was that?), and the pink walls will be a perfect complement.

The part that I'm looking forward to the most is being able to sit in here and just soak up the positive energy and turn it into a blast of creativity. It's all about the chi, yes?

Work in Progress. The other thing I'm working on again is the manuscript - slowly but surely. My recent five-month break did not include much writing, so I'm back after it. Unfortunately, the day job takes up most of my days, so I'm relegated once again, as I was so many years ago when the kids were small ... er, young (have you SEEN my kids?), to working on the manuscript in the evenings. Thank God for DVR and a husband who finally caved and ordered the service. ;)

It's finished, for the most part. The story is down. It's just in the tweaking phase once again. I finally figured out what was bugging me so much about the story, that one little plot point that just wouldn't gel quite properly, and once I did that the edits seemed to just start flowing. I have a legal pad on the desk where I've jotted some editorial notes, things I need to fix overall, which I'll get to as soon as I'm through the first pass, taking care of notes from the BMWs (most of which I've discovered have already been done - I told you it's been a while since I've looked at this thing). But the group is about 2 or 3 chapters from the end, and once that's in hand I'll make sure everything's nice and tight, and then ... well, you writers know the drill. The rest of you probably don't care much - you just want to read the book, right?

Soon. I promise.

Music, music, music. As you know, I have a pretty decent collection of CDs full of classical and orchestral and jazz music, which I must, must, must have playing in the study while I'm working, either at the day job or at the writing desk. Right now there is silence in my little room because The Boy is still asleep next door. It's early at our house for a Saturday. The WGH will be up and painting soon, and I have to spend a few hours chained to the day job desk, but this afternoon ... look out manuscript. The music will be blaring and I will be tweaking away.

It's a little on the rainy gray side today. A perfect day to stay indoors and accomplish something.

Read a book. It's good for you.

=) JB

"Action is eloquence."
-- William Shakespeare, English dramatist & poet (1564 - 1616)

A Somber Anniversary

My life has been on another one of those runs of busy lately. This morning I was on a cleaning binge (a rarity) and for some reason I started thinking about an old friend of ours with whom we have recently reconnected - after 18 years. He was one of my very best friends in high school, we ended up at the same college, and he was the one who actually introduced me to the WGH. We tell him - 20 years and 3 kids later - that it's all his fault. We've all come to grips with it. ;)

But thinking about that friend - and so as not to confuse you, we'll call him Band Bud - made me think about another friend, the third member of a trio that included Band Bud and myself when we were in high school. These two guys were like my big brothers, I their bratty little sister who was always tagging along. It was rare to see one of us without the other two, especially if you happened to walk into the band room at any given moment. Our friendships lasted through college, and then, as adults sometimes do, we all went our separate ways and lost touch with each other. But I thought about both of them often, and even tried a few times to reconnect with them, without much success.

As I mentioned, the WGH and I have recently reconnected with Band Bud, and he may never know how much being back in touch with him means to me. I love him dearly, always have and do still, and I'm one of those firm believers in the value of good friends and in obeying the promptings of God when He says, "You need to talk to this person again."

By now you've probably guessed what my point is. Our dear friend, the third member of our trio, passed away a few years back. He was 38. When I heard the news, I was devastated. It was hard for me to explain why the death of someone I hadn't talked to or seen in 16 years still hit me as hard as it did, but a close current friend explained it to me with a compassion and understanding that only someone who truly knows me could have done. He said, "You don't have casual relationships. You love your friends with such a deep capacity and a fierce loyalty that they will always be your friends, regardless of how much time passes." And he's right. One of the reasons my BF has been my BF for over 30 years, even though we can't see each other as often as we'd like.

It hit me while I was cleaning this morning - it was 5 years ago today that our friend died. And in my mind I played the conversation that hasn't happened yet, the one between Band Bud and me, the one that I've dreaded for the past 5 years. He didn't have any way of knowing whether I knew. I assumed he knew but couldn't be sure. Both of us afraid to make that call. And what do you say? How do you make up for time lost? It's not possible. So we grieve, we cope, and we move on. Together. Being there for each other in case one of us breaks down along the way.

And maybe if he's reading this, we won't have to have that conversation. We'll just know the other knows we know and we'll take comfort in the fact that we have grieved together in spirit, if not in person.

I will always be grateful to God for the many dear friends He has brought into my life - current and past. They're in my heart, whether we're in touch or haven't made contact in years. And that's important. So very important.

When I finally get another book published, in addition to my usual acknowledgements, it will contain a dedication to our friend - I wrote it 5 years ago, in loving memory of him, "who taught me the value of friendship by simply being my friend."

Love your friends with all your heart. Life's too short not to.

=) JB

"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." (1 John 3:18, NIV)

The Long-Lost Desk

I have found it once again!

Every so often - like, every four to six months - I have to conduct a major cleaning project on my study. This latest adventure started over the weekend. Long story short, on Saturday I found out there's actually carpet in here. And today I discovered that my desk needs desperately to be repainted.

Of course, because it is now free of piles of books and papers and file folders and old paid bills and bank statements and receipts from six months ago, Haydn has decided that it is safe to once again perch his furry butt on one corner of it. However, he does not pick the corner that is totally free and clear of all extraneous clutter. No. He sits on the one thing I have left on the corner of the desk, a small box of books that I haven't opened yet. (Don't ask me when it was received; I think the bill is around here somewhere, long overdue.)

The upshot of this is that with my study in order, it's a whole lot easier to clear my mind and relax, which is what I need to do to get down to business.

The name of the game is writing, folks, and I'm back off the injured reserve list. ;)

Read a book. It's good for you.

=) JB

"The things that one most wants to do are the things that are probably most worth doing."
-- Winifred Holtby, O Magazine, September 2002

There's a rock band in my basement ...

I'm not kidding. The Boy and a few of his friends have descended upon the WGH's studio - one of them (and I'm not sure which one, but I think it's my son) is on the drum set, two on guitars, and one on our old clunky antique baby grand piano.

The studio is downstairs, of course. Which is why I am not. I haven't heard much but a lot of noise so far, but whoever is playing lead guitar is actually quite good - every so often I'll catch a familiar lick (pretty sure I heard something from Beat It a few minutes ago).

Meanwhile, it's a mild and pleasant 60 degrees here, so I've shut off the heat and opened the windows for a bit. My plan was to enjoy a nice quiet afternoon, get some writing done, and then kick back and relax with a good book. Sigh. So much for the quiet afternoon. But the "band" apparently won't be staying too long, so perhaps I'll get my opportunity later.

Tomorrow I get to tag along with JT for her gig at the Smyrna Library's Winter Reading Program. I love going with her to these things. She's such a star (not a diva, mind you, but an honest to goodness, gracious, lovely, and entertaining speaker), and she really shines when she's in the spotlight. Okay, that might have been a little too adjectivey and cheesey, but you get what I mean. She's just fun to watch and fun to be with. So Little Ol' Me likes it when she drags Me with her.

Speaking of my Wonder Twin, our mutual pal Timothy Hallinan did a guest spot for her over at Murderati today with some great thoughts on "what not to do." My writer visitors should check it out (you might check it out even if you're not a writer).

The band is in full swing and I can no longer concentrate, so off I jaunt ...

Read a book. It's good for you.

=) JB

"If music be the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die."
-- William Shakespeare (Twelfth Night, Act 1 scene 1)

The Lasagna Experiment

On Thursday, I had the pleasure of spending the evening with my Wonder Twin and the lovely Laura Benedict both at and after their joint signing at Davis-Kidd Booksellers here in Nashville. While I was there, the WGH did the dad thing and fixed lasagna. It's become a bit of a running gag at our house – I'm not a big fan of lasagna, so he'll make it for the kids when I'm going to be out for the evening. The other day when I told Little Bit that I was going to be gone Thursday, her immediate response was, "Is Dad making lasagna?" The WGH was hesitant, but when The Boy chimed in with, "Dad, you should totally make lasagna," he relented.

It turned out to be a little different from what he normally makes ... a little extra cheese of different varieties, some spicy sausage that Little Bit picked out ... when I got home I found the leftovers in the casserole dish in the fridge, covered with a length of foil upon which Little Bit had written the words LASAGNA EXPERIMENT. When I saw this, my rather warped sense of logic melded these two unrelated concepts into a moment of lucidity.

JT's third Taylor Jackson novel, Judas Kiss, was released just before Christmas. In describing the writing and research process for this book, she talked about how with a series you have an established cast of characters, and the fun of writing the book is coming up with new situations in which your characters show you what they're made of. This is, of course, a point of debate amongst our circle – some writers say they have complete control over their characters; some, like JT and I, have no earthly idea what they're going to do until they do it. For the sake of argument, let's take the Wonder Twins' point of view; to wit, sometimes you have to throw some unusual things into their paths and then sit back and watch how they react. Vis-à-vis the lasagna, when you add different "ingredients" to your story, the end product can be a gloriously delicious thing.

This morning I was reviewing the notes from the sermon our associate pastor delivered last Sunday, and I came across a verse that sparked something in my brain with respect to this post. In Mark 7:21-23 (NIV), Jesus tells his disciples, "For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.'"

Is this the perfect recipe for a villain or what? Just like your story, your characters have ingredients too – personality elements, quirks, attributes and flaws that comprise who they are and drive them to do the things they do. Your villains, for example, can be as evil as you want to make them – imagine taking all of the characteristics described above and putting them into one person. That would be one killer lasagna. Um, pardon the pun.

Think about your heroes, too. All the good guys aren't completely good – the most interesting ones are inherently good but still have some sort of flaw, a tiny chink in their armor that makes them more real to your reader. More human. Easier to identify with and believe in. And root for. What's better, not all the good guys are the same, either. They all have a different mix of ingredients that blend into something we can sink our teeth into, something special and tasty that keeps us coming back for more. There's that old saying, "Think about how boring life would be if everyone were the same." I may have paraphrased, but you get the general idea. It's a solid truth. This isn't Pleasantville (the black and white part), and it isn't 1984.

Most of you know I am a great fan of Shakespeare, and he has drawn some of the most intriguing villains I've ever read – take MacBeth, Don Giovanni and Claudius, for instance. Each committed heinous crimes to further their own agenda. Even Don John wasn't such a swell guy, though his 'crime' was more of a cruel prank – maybe there has to be a lighthearted element to the evil that men do in comedy?

All people – real or fictional – are made up of different ingredients that make us palatable (or not, in some cases). Our world – both literally and literarily – is full of fascinating characters. I hope you have a plentiful supply to keep you entertained. So what kind of lasagna do you like – who are your favorite literary villains and heroes, and what makes them so?

It's good to be back, and I'm glad you've come round to see me again. Pull up a chair and relax for a few minutes – the iced tea is cold, and today's special is ... what else? Lasagna.

Read a book. It's good for you.

=) JB

"And thus I clothe my naked villainy With old odd ends, stol'n forth of holy writ; And seem a saint, when most I play the devil."
-- William Shakespeare (King Richard III)

2009

Happy New Year, everybody!

I'm pleased to announce that the Lunch Room will be reopening soon. I hope you'll stop in for a bite every once in a while. You may notice some changes around the place, but the atmosphere should pretty much be the same.

I hope you've all been blessed with good things over the past few months ... has anyone had anything REALLY exciting happen while I've been away? Or anything you just want to share? I'd love to hear - the comments section is open.

Here's hoping 2009 is your best year yet. I'm counting on it to be for me.

I'll be back soon. In the meantime, happy reading!

=) JB

"I am a true labourer: I earn that I eat, get that I wear, owe no man hate, envy no man's happiness, glad of other's good."
-- William Shakespeare (As You Like It)