Quote by Molly
Rob Zombie has been my soundtrack this morning. Which says a lot considering it's only 8:45 AM.
Oh boy. I will keep my distance. 😋 I have only listened to some Laufey (vocal jazz) so far. Considered cranking some metal but decided I wasn't in that kind of mood yet.
Hey there, Gil. Nice to see you.
Still a bit jet-lagged but seem to be getting closer to normal. Then again, I thought I was doing well on Thursday and then was lagged as hell yesterday.
Never had an MRI but I'm sure that day will come given my list of health conditions and family history. Haven't even had an x-ray in a while, though. Did need an ultrasound to confirm the hernia I had fixed last Fall before the doc could refer me.
There's some Tobermorey Grotto in the coffee pot. Teas are Assam and Wakoucha (Japanese red/black). Hot water is ready. Cold drink pitchers are washed and refilled so we are stocked up with iced tea and lemonade. And sodas are stocked up.
Ape was slinging pancakes this morning. Have some if you wish.
Heard this a day or two back and again today. It's David Gilmour, renowned as the guitarist and sometimes vocalist for Pink Floyd, on guitar and his daughter Romany on vocals. She's got a nice voice and while pursuing a music career could be a bit stressful when your Dad is "one of the greats", I kind of hope this isn't the last time we hear her (she did sing harmonies on another song from Gilmour's upcoming solo album).
Forgot to mention, it's a cover of a song originally done by a group called the Glitch Mob with a vocalist named Swan.
Quote by AnnaMayZing
One of my favourite summer drinks is Eiskaffee (Ice cream coffee). A chilled latte with a scoop of ice cream on top. It is often served with whipped cream on top of that, but that is too sickly for me. Unfortunately, in the UK, they have a habit of also putting flavoured syrup in it, so I avoid it here. Way, way, way too sweet! I often make Americano over ice, too. Delicious.
Not a coffee fan, but that Eiskaffee sounds interesting. I do like coffee flavoured desserts and that sort of thing and this might work for me.
Saw this in the weekly Author's Publish newsletter. Eight literary markets that are open to fiction over 5000 words (one even has a minimum of 3000). Thought might interest some on here.
https://authorspublish.com/8-literary-journals-open-to-longer-fiction/
Good morning!! Feeling a bit livelier today and attempting some writing. If this keeps going, my new piece (the already discussed sequel to Night Of The Wind) is headed for at least novella territory. Will probably be doing chapters, even. But we shall see.
In the meantime, here's some Private Reserve French Roast from Las Chicas. Teas are Assam and Irish Breakfast. Hot water is on for other goodies. Cold beverages are looking good.
How's things?
Slight warning about Paypal:
Apparently, my account is set to use my existing balance first. Which means that I quite unintentionally used my comp winnings to pay for my Uber home from the airport transport depot the other day. 😲🤣
I first discovered Laufey on a tour of Iceland about a year ago. I was booking our visit to the Blue Lagoon spa (now closed due to the ongoing volcanic activity nearby) and they had an interview with her on their blog. Intrigued by what I read, I looked her up on social media right about the time she was heavily promoting this song. It remains one of my favourite from Bewitched.
"Bewitched" was the title track from Laufey's 2023 second album. Here, the song is reimagined by her fellow Icelander, classical pianist Vikingur Olafsson. Noted for performances of music from Bach right down to modern composers like Philip Glass, Olafsson's rendition creates a very beautiful piano setting of Laufey's song.
Quote by AnnaMayZing
From the current album by Xandria, The Wonders Still Awaiting, with lead vocals from Ambre Vourvahis, this is the most excellent, Universal.
I love Ambre. The band has a history of great female singers and Ambre has fit right in.
Listened to a pile of new songs that came out while I was on vacation this morning. A couple highlights follow.
The second single from the upcoming solo album by Dutch singer Simone Simons of the band Epica.
And the latest from Lake Street Dive, a terrific band that blends a number of musical styles (pop, r&b, jazz) to create a rather unique sound for this day and age.
Quote by Mendalla
1177: The Year Civilization Collapsed, Eric Cline
Finally got back to this one. See post above.
Also read Marc Morris' The Anglo-Saxons. Nice, readable history of how the Germanic tribes settled in and shaped the development of England, beginning with the Roman departure from Britain in 410 CE and ending with the Norman Conquest of 1066 CE. There were some interesting characters in that era. Would probably be a good read for Bernard Cornwell fans since Morris covers a lot of historical figures who ended up as characters in the novels and TV show of Cornwell's Anglo-Saxon series.
As usual, the genre fiction markets list is heavy on SF, fantasy, and horror. There's some other genres salted in there, though, if you look. The first on the list has already been posted by Verbal in another thread, which is a call for new writers of horror. Other options include Christian sf and fantasy, long-term relationships (with an interest in queer relationships, polycules, and other less conventional ones), and stories about the "suitors" (Quincey, Dr. Seward, and Arthur Holmwood) from Dracula. Have a look. Maybe your next publisher is on the list.
https://authorspublish.com/45-magazines-paying-for-genre-fiction/
Interesting one. Think I have come across them before in the Author's Publish blogs and certainly in my wheelhouse. However, having been gone half the month, I doubt I could get something ready by June 30. Will still look at their eligibility requirements, though, in case something comes to mind.
In Canada that is. Was a bit of a long trip but saw some interesting stuff along the way. Favourite might be Gdansk, Poland, which kind of surprised me. We even visited the shipyard in Gdansk where Lech Walesa worked and Solidarity started. There's a big "European Solidarity Centre" there that traces the history and has some artifacts and recreations from the era. Gdansk also has a lovely medieval-Renaissance Old Town. And it is all in walking distance.
Talinn, Estonia and Lubeck, Germany (our shore trip when we docked in Kiel) are also nice, historic cities.
Anyhow, I am back. Putting on some Deathwish Dark Roast coffee. Teas are English Breakast and Twining Four Red Fruits (which I discovered at our hotel in Oslo after the cruise). Hot water is available for whatever other hot drinks you might wish. Washed the pitchers and made fresh iced tea and lemonade. Sodas are stocked up.
So how goes it?
I have had many over the decades. Chocolate Mint Chip was a family favourite for a while. Butter Pecan (which is what I chose) is a longtime favourite as is Maple Walnut. And the buffet we frequent at home has a nice "no sugar added" cappuccino flavour that I like (Ape weirdness: I dislike coffee to drink but enjoy a lot of coffee-flavoured desserts). And sometimes just a nice basic chocolate or vanilla goes down best.
And good morning!! I am off soon, but will sling the black stuff one more time.
Got some Deathwish Dark Roast for coffee. Perfect to launch a Monday.
Teapots are filled to the tippy top with Assam and Earl Grey. Hot water on standby if you favour something else.
Fresh pitchers of iced tea and lemonade are in the fridge along with assorted pops.
See you later, folks! Might pop by now and then but expect me to be scarce the next couple weeks.
