The Countdown Begins

A great believer in getting over the bitter before the sweet, I have bad and good news for readers. The bad news is: it's going to take a tiny while more before the story is posted. The good? Well, beta readers have been giving the new story pretty positive feedback. So hopefully things will go well. Here's the link for the sneak preview posted a couple of weeks earlier:

http://judithloewe.blogspot.com/2017/04/of-custard-puffs-and-previews.html

In the meantime, get a load of my stress relievers: Food, glorious food! From avocado ice cream to fluffy organic pancakes with caramelised bananas and haxelnut cookie dough with sunflower seeds and dried cranberries. Yums!

Coined a new phrase for food porn: #foodsturbation LOL enjoy people!

Of Custard Puffs And Previews

Yet another week and yet more exhaustion. So that explains why yours truly stuffed her face with custard puffs.

Had a charcoal puff from Proofer yesterday

And this nicely sweet one from Beard Papa

And here's a quick preview for a story I hope to post soon.

Regret.

Was that the name of the sharp pain fading into a dull burn and an indescribable ache that sat in my gut?

I could almost see the inscription on the headstone: XXXX, (1974-2017), Beloved Husband and Father. Of course, Willa would probably replace the “Beloved” with “Asshole” or “Jackass” or whatever descriptive that seemed appropriate. That is if she got away with murder. My murder. Or my death. Semantics was the least of my concerns right now. 

A dark shadow. At least that was what it looked like to my rapidly blurring vision. It was that azure blue of her irises that told me it was my loving wife who now loomed over me. She looked like an avenging angel. She probably was one. Great, so till the end, I was the fallen one. Lucifer, about to be slain by the sword of good. Somewhere in the beyond, Catherine Dubois, the Sunday school teacher who had warned my mother of my “inherent wickedness”, was chuckling. 

For why I decided to pre-pone / accelerate this one,  see http://eroftasy.blogspot.com/2017/03/reaction-to-vitriolic-response_19.html and http://judithloewe.blogspot.com/2017/03/exhausting-but-fun.html.

Have fun!

Waffles & Waffling

In the great waffle vs pancake debate (lol), I've always taken the side of waffles simply because I love the crisp and any excuse to slurp maple syrup. So I've embarked on the thankless search for the best chicken and waffles in the country I'm currently based in, before I hightail it back to the Continent or maybe NY, depending on how (un)welcoming things get after the vote. Anyway, in the continuing search, I've had some meh, some seriously??, some huh?? experiences.

The worst of all was probably the place where I ended up getting takeout because the service staff got the orders wrong. I could have gotten better waffles if I had bought frozen and warmed it up - bleh. The wings were a lot better simply because of the sauce slathered all over them. Still the waffles were softer than pancakes, which was a no-no

The only thing that cheered me up was the wickedly funny Vanessa Waltz whose Dirty Prince was recommended by a friend. Hmm, a European prince who speaks like a southern England native (admittedly, he hails from a country Anglefell that hates to be mistaken for England - haha) and inspires tabloid headlines that would make Prince Harry blush which is an accomplishment all on its own. It's quite different from Waltz's other work though frankly I've only read two others. Still it made me laugh. And thinking back on the nobility and a prince I've had the (mis)fortune of encountering, if only they were so entertaining instead of being all poison ivy like, then again it takes all kinds to make the world right? Watch for the review next week.

Am gonna go brood over some writing that's driving me up the wall. Plus worry about a friend who's gone all quiet. Right now am hoping he's just busy or miffed because it's a lot better than something having happened to him. And my best friend's birthday is coming up too. Will the pace ever let up?

Review of The Thirteen Problems

For some reason, I was inspired to take on a quick re-read of Agatha Christie's The Thirteen Problems. The collection of short stories based loosely on Miss Marple's mystery solving adventures. I like Christie's main sleuth characters, Poirot and Marple, who are both fascinating in different ways. Of course, Suchet's turn as the famous Belgian sleuth does help!

In some ways, I'm sure my fascination with Bones, Criminal Minds and Monk may be traced to Christie. Anyway, part of that fascination surely has something to do with the fact that Christie wasn't exactly recommended reading though it was a lot more fun than thumbing through Thackeray.    

Compared to the thriller /mystery books that I've read since those days, the plot twists may seem a little too simple. For critics with that view, all I can say is that doing simple is often the hardest thing. Not all crime and mysteries are headliners or hugely complex. Sometimes, the most horrific plots are silently and almost unobtrusively carried out amid the mundane routines of daily life. My favourite pieces in this collection are The Idol House of Astarte, Motive v. Opportunity, The Four Suspects and The Herb of Death. While there's some excitement in terms of the suggestion of the supernatural and the claustrophobic overhang of war time paranoia, it is the simple locked room mystery trope and the chillingly sharp look into human psychology on offer that provides the thrill. 

Ok, so I'm mild when it comes to thrillers. For that reason I loved Clancy and Ludlum. And yes, I'd rather like a weekend of barbecue wings and Bourne movie marathon - if only life could be so easy huh?! 

What created the meh : the character development of the Tuesday club members. Sorry, can't tell the difference between the doctor and the lawyer.

What puzzled: The plot development in The Bloodstained Pavement. Ok, so the image created a deep impression on the painter/artist but that was essentially a distraction. 

What thrilled: The psychological insight offered by The Four Suspects and The Herb of Death

Re-reading rating: 4*

                                                    This comes from Yale news

The only thing better than a good murder mystery?

                                                   This comes from food love!