My Husband's Photography Website & a Contest

Monastery

Ribeira Sacra Doade

I am pleased to announce my husband's new website, VARADANARTFOTO.COM

featuring his black and white art photographs.





Many of you have commented on the photographs of Galicia posted in my blog. Most of them were done by my husband, Rajan Varadan, whose specialty is actually black and white photography. Ever since we’ve been going to Galicia, he’s been captivated by the beautiful old stone buildings and walls (some of them in ruins, and some in beautiful repair). And the countryside especially offers beauty because of the various textures in the landscape (vineyards, forests, pastures, and rising mist). 

A Small Vineyard

For about six years he made calendars featuring 12 of the particular year’s best. Then last summer, our friends in Galicia, Terri and David Anderson, arranged for an exhibition of those 60 photos at the Concello in Ferreira, a town near where we live. We weren’t able to be there, as we’d returned from a trip in the spring, but they sent pictures of the exhibition, and I blogged about it in my May 28th post this year (you can click on it at the right margin.)

Now he has started an online gallery with photos to share: So far he only has the Galicia gallery up, but in the future, he will have a California gallery and a gallery with photos of places in India. (He’s from India, and is especially enamored of the Belur Halibid temples with their many exquisite sculptures and carvings.)

Sheep Grazing in Bramble

At present he is featuring 62 black and white photographs of Galicia, many of which were not in the show. The website is VARADANARTFOTO.COM  When you go to the site, click first “Portfolio” and then “Galicia”.  

A Path through the Village

The Gathering

Scroll through all the photos, each of which has a name and number.

The latter is important, because we are running a contest! Whoever wins gets an 8-1/2 by 11 print of their favorite photo free, including free shipping -- from wherever you are. 

Here is how to enter: Each one of the following is a "point" and your name goes into the hat.

1. Comment here.

2. Tweet this post.

3. Share it from here on Facebook.

4. Leave a comment on HIS website in the “contact” section about your favorite photo (the one you want to win.)

   That's your name in the hat four times already.

On my Facebook you can get more points, spelled out by my post on my timeline. When the contest is over, I use a randomizer to pick the winning number.

Contest starts Saturday, November 10th (tomorrow!) at 1:00 a.m. PST and ends Saturday, December 1st, at the stroke of midnight, PST.

Meanwhile, scattered throughout this post is a sampler of  photos to enjoy. And remember, you can see 54 more pictures and pick one to win on his website.

Country Lane in Mist

Broken Steps

              

WHAT WAS I THINKING????

What was I thinking when I said I would post again Monday? Argh! Saturday we went out of town to visit old friends, right after I posted that. Then Sunday I met with my two writing groups, and, as always, I left with homework, because my beta readers always have such insightful suggestions. Monday I had book reviews to turn in to Sacramento Book Review -- and I was working on some of those suggestions. Then yesterday (Tuesday) I had a radio interview with Renee Hand. So. Now. A moment to catch my breath. And post.


First, I want to mention how much I enjoyed being interviewed by Renee Hand on her new radio show, http://www.Blogtalkradio.com/storiesfromunknownauthors . She has an easy style that relaxes you and gets rid of your nervousness. You can still hear the interview if you click on that site and then scroll down. You can also hear an earlier interview with Nicole Weaver, author of My Birthday Is September 11, and you can read about the coming interview September 19th with Britt Menzies, author of The Stinky Kid Series.


As a follow-up to the interview, Renee is holding a new give-away of my book, The Fourth Wish, ending on October 15th. If you go to her site, you can read the rules in full in a coming post. But, basically, if you follow both of us, your name goes on the list that will be submitted to random.org. So, if you are following me, and want new chance at a free copy, please go to The Crypo-Capers Review and follow her blog.


Second, I was pleasantly suprised to find that I received The Versatile Blogger Award from Elizabeth at elizabethannewrites. Elizabeth is a cool blogger I met on the Platform Building Campaign hosted by Rachel Harrie . Rachel will be hosting another one in January, and I would really advise getting in on it. For one thing, it's fun. She gives you some writing challenges. (The first one was to write a flash fiction. I'm eagerly awaiting the next two.) For another, you increase your circle of good blogging and writing friends. 


The rules for award recipients are as follows:
1. Thank the person who gave it to you and link back to them. (done)
2. Tell seven things about yourself. (See below. Way below.)
3. Pass the award along to 15 recently discovered blogs and let the bloggers know.  (Doing that one before #2, and it's a chance for you to meet some new bloggers, too, so do go visit them. Here they are:


1. Shallee McArthur                                           10. Brenda Sills 
2. Gary Gauthier at Literary Snippets                   11. Susan Kaye Quinn 
3. M. G. Higgins                                                 12. Joanna Marple
4. Ron Smith at Prince Balthazar                          13. Gail Shepherd at Paradoxy
5. JR-Williams                                                    14. Rebecca Bany at 
6. J. A. Bennett                                                       Memoirs of Me and Mine
7. Katharina Gerlach                                            15. Donna K. Weaver at
8. Robyn Campbell at Putting Pen to Paper               Weaving a Tale or Two      
9. David Powers King 


As for Seven Things About Me . . . . 
1. My husband and I met through a cat named Meathead. Meathead (who is no more) has   
         a very special place in our hearts.
2. I am not sporty at all, but I used to love to rollerskate. (Forget ice-skating!)
3. I love the Greek Festival, and I love Greek circle dancing.
4. I have attempted several times to learn Tamil (the language spoken in the part of India 
         where my husband is from.) Attempts at this finally joined attempts at ice-skating.
5. Neither my husband nor I are campers. We tried to be, but everytime we went, it rained.   
         Camping friends learned not to ask us to go with them. We cook Indian food for 
         them instead. Everyone is much happier.
6. To my surprise, I am becoming absolutely enamoured of technology. Adept at it? Well, 
         that needs work . . . .
7. I have read so many good books by good writers in recent months (years?), that I can no 
         longer say I have a favorite author. I have too many favorites! And what a pleasant
         problem to have.


Everyone have a nice week. I'll try to post before Sunday, but Sunday we are on a plane to Galicia again, so the next post may be next week from Galicia.


Meanwhile, enjoy the new sites; please follow Renee's blog, and October 15th (okay, probaby the 16th), we'll announce the winners of the give-away.

And The Winner Is . . . .

Good morning everyone. The winner of The Fourth Wish give-away is Jess at  Falling Leaflets. Congratulations, Jess.



And thanks to all of you who participated in the contest. It was certainly fun for me.


I'll keep this short, because we are going out of town to visit old friends. But I'll be blogging again Monday.


Everyone have a good week-end.

The Campaigner Challenge # 1

     I'm taking part in the platform building campaign, and today Rachael Harrie posted her first challenge at her blog, Rach Writes: Write a flash fiction, 200 words or less, that opens with "The door swung open." If possible, close with "The door swung closed." My sample is below.

BUT FIRST: Don't forget the contest to win a free copy of my book, The Fourth Wish, in either paperback or Kindle format (winner's choice). The contest ends this Friday, September 9th. To follow the rules for getting points, please go here, and any comments you have regarding the contest, please leave at the same site (here), so that I can keep your points straight.

Here's my flash fiction -- 200 words exactly (not counting the title).

     Dare You

The door swung open. Darkness lay beyond. A slivered moon and powdery stars shimmered above. Trees along the street were ghostly shapes. 

Cassie bit her lip. The deal was that she had to come alone. At midnight. Justin  would be watching from someplace nearby to make sure. 

Why did she take his dares? Wading up the Truckee River after school. Cutting classes to hang out in Idlewild Park. (That one got her sent to the principal's office.) But, Justin was cool. And when Cassie went along with each new challenge, he made her feel she was cool, too. It was worth getting into trouble just to see the envious stares from other girls as he walked her down the hall between classes. 

Cassie shivered. This was the first night-time dare. The abandoned house was creepy enough even in daylight. Shutters hung lopsided from the front windows, like broken wings. A loose board near the threshold creaked under her foot. She should turn back.

But, an image of Justin walking down the hall with Angela Black -- the most popular girl at school -- instead of her, made Cassie swallow her fright. She stepped into the waiting darkness.

The door swung shut.

New Book Review - The Diary of a Murder

Before I plunge into my book review, just a reminder of the contest for a free copy of The Fourth Wish, in Kindle or paperback (winner's choice). To read the rules for the contest -- which ends Friday, September 9th -- go here. (Please comment for the contest on that post so I can keep your points straight.)


Many of you know I like to read mysteries and historical novels when I'm not reading children's books. And I indulged in quite a few adult reads (and reviewed them) while I was recuperating from my foot surgery. So this is one last review of a book that combines both mystery and a historical setting: Victorian London, when streets were foggy, and you could hear the clop-clop-clop of horse hooves against cobblestones as doomed victims set off in carriages, and cases were solved without a swat team kicking in a door and waving guns. The book is The Diary of a Murder, by Lee Jackson. I bought the print version, but I see it is also out in Kindle now (in the UK).


A bit of background for this discovery: While gathering information for my middle grade mystery set in Victorian London (which is a tamer tale indeed), I came across Lee Jackson's wonderful website, called (appropriately) Victorian London. In it you will find a treasure trove of Victoriana. He provides a dictionary listing various topics, from maps, to transportation, whatever; and a click on any one topic will take you to a wealth of original sources (including Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management, under Diet, where you can see what meals to plan for each month of the year in 1861. Mr. Jackson also provides some of the original "penny dreadfuls" for your reading pleasure. And he has a wonderful blog called The Cat's Meatshop, well worth following. The Diary of a Murder is his seventh mystery novel, and he has also published two nonfiction books: Victorian London and A Dictionary of Victorian London, An A-Z of the Great Metropolis.  And renowned mystery writer, Andrew Taylor, has said, "No one knows Vicorian London as Lee Jackson does -- historical fictin doesn't come more authentic than this."

On to the the review:
The Willises are concerned because their married daughter, Dora Jones, has disappeared after planning to visit them in Chelsea. When Sergeant Preston and a constable go to the Jones's home to investigate, they find the daughter brutally murdered and the pages of a diary scattered about. The diary is by Dora's husband, Jacob Jones, a clerk at the Crystal Palace. But Jacob appears to have fled the scene. Detective Inspector Delby is called in, and the story unfolds in chapters that alternate between Jacob Jones's diary, and the investigation by the inspector and the sergeant.

The story that follows reveals a doting husband, a humble clerk, who married above his station (Dora's father is a draper, and rich, and does not like young Jacob). Jacob gushes about his sweet wife,  confesses his yearnings to be a writer, admits his frustrations with his in-laws, who seem snobbish and conservative. He also has an alcoholic father whom he has bailed out of financial difficulties more than once. A reader has to sympathize with his plight. And Dora's, as well, because when she miscarries, she goes into a deep depression, and Jacob hasn't a clue to how to pull her out of it.

But wait. His sweet wife knows nothing of Jacob's drunkard father. Jacob has invented entirely another background for himself. And how devoted is Jacob  really as he showers the sweet Dora with pet names and repeatedly worries for her health? And is he the pushover he makes himself out to be when he helps a young seamstress living with his father find employment first with a neighbor, then in Papa Willis's work-room? And why does he aid his co-worker, Fortesque, who is in deep trouble over mismanaging company funds? You have to wonder about someone who knows himself so little. Likewise Delby and Preston scratch their heads continually over the ups and downs of Jones's diary as Jacob's own troubles mount, his writing grows more and more desperate - but sometimes calculating.

This is a good read to the last page, full of a multitude of surprises, and I didn't see the end coming at all.