New Cover

This is the launch book in my new Borderlands series, which I'm very excited about bringing to the shelves. Moonstruck is quite dark and emotional. This is the cover I received today. Your comments?

A Stroll in Sydney--with Bats!

Last week when I was in Sydney, Australia, I took my usual long walk/hike in the Botanical Gardens . It's close to my hotel and right downtown on the harbor. I just love this place.

I started out walking toward the opera house. Look at the immensity of the building and the texture of the "shells":

Here's a view of Sydney you usually don't see. Looks tropical, doesn't it? And so modern. Lovely. This is a view from a path in the gardens:

Look at the trees in the gardens! They're HUGE. This one's bigger than my entire back yard:

I developed a fascination with the bark of the various trees. It's like a fingerprint; each trunk is unique. Here are a few shots:

Along the way I came upon a flock of cockatiels grazing! At home I see these only in cages. They were adorable:

Once of the most fascinating creatures in the park (other than the muscled male Aussie joggers, that is) are the resident fruit bats. Look at them all! They fill the trees! The first time I saw them I couldn't believe it. One of these days, if I won't get trapped inside the gates, I'd love to be there at dusk when they take flight:

They really ARE cute, like little foxes with wings:

I zoomed in and discovered something I hadn't realized--They don't really hold on with their feet/claws. That's probably just for reassurance. They have these little hooks on the "elbow" of their wings. Is that cool or what?

I hope you enjoyed going on the nature walk through the botanical gardens with me. Happy Halloween!

PS--I thought you might enjoy this video of my Academy roommate's daughter, now a cadet herself, jumping out of a plane!

My New Home

Your home is a Philanthropic Time-Lord's Mansion Your kitchen consists of dilithium-powered food replicators, manned by obedient robot slaves, who are sure to never, ever rebel. I mean, it's preposterous to even consider it. There's a Chocolatessen, which is rapidly becoming your favorite room of the house. Having one is also becoming a trend among your wealthy neighbors. Your master bedroom is the size of a small barn, with carpet thick enough to reach your ankles. Your study has every science fiction title ever written. One of your garages contains a life-sized X-Wing fighter, and KITT. (KITT was a gift from a well-meaning uncle.) Your home also includes a robot repair bay, where your mechanized servants are routinely fitted with new restraining bolts. (It's just a precaution.) Your guests enjoy your animatronic replica of the cantina at Mos Eisley. Outside is your radio telescope, listening constantly for alien transmissions. Especially invaders. They'll come eventually, even if nobody believes you. (Nobody does.) And, you have a pet -- a doberman pincer named "Warren". Below is a snippet of the blueprints:

Find YOUR Dream Home!

Blood Sausage Update

When I was in Sydney over the weekend, I ate at the buffet in the hotel where months ago I was tricked into eating Blood Sausage because it was labeled deceptively as Black Pudding...and it had been removed from the items! Could it be that my blog influenced the menu planners? Were they ashamed at tricking non-UK visitors who assume pudding means pudding? In its place was "stuffed mushrooms." They looked like mushrooms, and tasted like mushrooms, stuffed with cheese that seemed to be cheese and not some organ meat or bodily fluid from livestock. If anyone knows another name for "stuffed mushrooms"...don't tell me.