Darlene's Digest

Image by TopTechWriter.US via Flickr Once upon a time, the words "The Eagle has landed" sent a shiver up my spine and made my heart race faster. Now I can add the phrase "The Phoenix has landed" to my memories. We've sent a machine to Mars to peacefully explore our neighboring planet. It's the 21st century and we're exploring Mars! I don't have my flying car yet, but that's pretty cool. We humans are still capable of doing great things and advancing knowledge of the worlds beyond our doorstep. Kudos to all the scientists who worked to make this happen! Nerds rock!

Image via Wikipedia Ye gads, it's been ages since I blogged. But sometimes, when you have nothing to say, it's best to say nothing. I can say this--I'm working hard on my next book. And daydreaming about my new patio furniture that's on order. Oh, and if you're a member of WSFS (World Science Fiction Society, or attending/supporting Denvention 3 Worldcon), don't forget to cast your Hugo and Campbell award winner votes. It means a great deal to those who are nominated.

Image via Wikipedia I stayed up past my bedtime finishing this engrossing novel by Stephenie Meyer, author of the acclaimed "Twilight" YA books. The Host is published as her first "adult" as opposed to YA novel, but there's nothing especially adult about it except the age of the protagonists. The story is a riff on the SF classics "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and "The Puppetmasters", but told from the alien invaders' POV: Why would humanity object to having their bodies taken over by aliens, when the aliens are peaceful, and non-violent and loving? The "souls", as they term themselves, don't understand it, until one "soul", Wanderer, finds itself sharing a body with its host, Melanie--something that's not supposed to happen. Melanie's thoughts and fears and dreams intrude into Wanderer's life until the "soul" decides to do something about it. From a SF POV the worldbuilding raised some...

A little German birdie told me that Rache und Rosen (Revenge and Roses--Dang, but I love that title!) is now available from Amazon.de. Tell all your German reading friends! It's just what they need when they fly across the Atlantic to vacation in Florida this summer.

Everything I know about writing I learned from my dog, Yofi. Oh sure, her lovemaking scenes involve more buttsniffing than mine, and there was that disaster where her hero was distracted by a can opener while he was disarming a bomb, but overall, I can learn a lot from her. For example: Stay focused. When she’s in the backyard hunting moles, Yofi can stand still forever, not an eyelid twitching, not a hair moving. She has her eyes on the prize, and she will do whatever it takes to get it. When she makes her move, her muscles explode into action as she begins digging furiously. She’s not distracted by laundry or other books or rejection letters from publishers. She’s going to get that mole, and that’s all that matters. Be a big dog in a little package. Sure, we snicker at wiener dogs, but as dachshund owners know, inside, they’re Rottweilers. They’re willing to take on all comers, and they don’t back down. They don’t let their size keep them from doing what needs to be...