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Mona Lisa: Having A Last Laugh

1/19/2018

     If you could paint artwork insured for more than 700 million dollars, wouldn't your head swell a little? And wouldn't you expect to live in a really nice house—not just work for the man who lives in the really nice house?
     When Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa he couldn't have realized it would become such a famous painting.
     Prior to 1911, it was housed in the Louvre. Then the painting went on loan, only not in the usual way. An art thief took it home and stored it in the base of a trunk for approximately two years. He served seven months in prison for taking the portrait, and probably increased the value of the smiling lady due to the additional publicity of her theft and return.
     He definitely increased her security detail.
     I imagine the ghost of Leonardo walking into the Louvre with all the other tourists, and having a smug smile on his face as he looks at his work. And then probably shrugging off the value, shaking his head, and going to look at the other artists' work.

Those Days When You Just Want to Hide

1/13/2018

Two little eyes peered up at me from the wood at my feet. A tree frog stared at me, hiding. He had nothing to be afraid of from me, except my camera.

Tree frogs will always be welcome to me because they signal to me that the ecology in my area is good, and I like the sounds they make.

But not all animals, reptiles and insects are so welcome. When I see a wasp, I generally avoid it. But this one seemed to be batting its head against the stem. I've had those days too.

And sometimes, no matter how creepy you are, nothing tastes good.

Even though the hummingbird moth isn't on my favorites list, I was glad he stopped long enough to let me see him. He was hidden well in the grasses, but the grass also helped hide me so I could sneak closer.

Introvert/Extrovert or Just Happy

1/13/2018

"Someone needs to be the audience," my mother once told me. She was comfortable with being an introvert.
   Annie Carson, in To Win A Wallflower is an introvert. Barrett, the hero, is most likely a quiet extrovert. A man who enjoys going boxing and being in the fight would probably have to be extroverted.
   The biggest extrovert I've written about was Beatrice in The Notorious Countess. I had nothing to do with calling her Notorious. I did choose Beatrice the Beast as her nickname though, but it was a name she didn't deserve.
      Foxworthy, in Redeeming the Roguish Rake was another extrovert, and the heroine, Rebecca, was an introvert even though it wouldn't have been noticed while she was in the countryside. Her quiet nature did give her grief after she moved to London. But Foxworthy was aware enough not to try to change her to something she wasn't.
I don't set out to write a character who is an introvert, or one who is an extrovert. I just write a person who hasn't yet found their happy ending.

Monet's Water Lilies

1/6/2018

Monet's Garden at Giverny, France (Fotolia Photo)

Claude Monet is perhaps the most famous artist known for repeatedly painting the same subject over and over. He loved painting water lilies. The garden was a passion for him, much the same as art, so he blended the two, almost like he blended the colors in his work.

In the last twenty years of his life he focused mainly on painting the pond he'd created on his own property, and the lilies he'd transplanted there. Often gardeners worked for him, maintaining the picturesque setting.

Perhaps he didn't paint the lilies and the garden as much as he created a living painting around him.

Perhaps I'd like to do the same—only without the expense of a gardener—on the trails behind my house.

...with the wild flowers, including the blackeyed susan.

Quote-ivaton!

1/1/2018

Writer's find motivation where ever they can. Sometimes the quotes of other writers inspire us to finish a book.

Today, the lovely and lively Alicia Dean is letting me be a guest on her blog. I'll be sharing ten favorite writing quotes... Well, maybe just nine as I couldn't think of a tenth one. Or maybe nine and a half.

Please join us, and feel free to comment and ask questions about writing. Here's the link: https://aliciadean.com/alicias-blog/

Happy New Year!

1/1/2018

Black eyed peas are a traditional New Year's meal in the USA for luck. This traditional meal could have originated in the 1700's but history isn't clear.

In 1928, one woman called her newborn a "black-eyed pea" baby because that was the main food she had to eat during the pregnancy. The peas are high in folate and that can also held prevent some birth defects, such as spina bifida. In spina bifida, a baby's spinal cord doesn't develop properly. So, peas really could bring good luck. The baby in question had a mark on her back, and it was later discovered that people with this mark are carriers of the gene for spina bifida.

Another tradition for January first is to make New Year's resolutions which are more of a reminder of what we feel we should do to be a better person.

I said to someone that a new year gives us a chance to start over. He looked at me and said softly, "Any day of the year is a good day to start over, or change your lifestyle, or make a commitment or whatever you need to do."

So if your New Year's resolutions fall by the wayside, don't be discouraged. Start again.

I've heard that three priorities are the most a person can successfully manage. When you think of the first priority as being family, the second being feeding the family and keeping a roof over their head—then that only leaves one extra—assuming sleep isn't on the list.

Perhaps that's why my latest book meant so much to me on a personal level. It's a story about a man who changes his priorities—or at least, that's how I see it. (Readers, please let me know what you think by leaving a review on the Harlequin.com website.)

Best wishes, and I hope all your New Year's Resolutions are a success.

Mona Lisa: Having A Last Laugh

Those Days When You Just Want to Hide

Introvert/Extrovert or Just Happy

Monet's Water Lilies

Quote-ivaton!

Happy New Year!

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