Darlene's Digest

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Swordheart by T. Kingfisher My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

  A pair of bluebirds nested outside the kitchen in a hollowed hickory, and each winter she awaited their return, knowing summer heat followed in their wake. She didn't know if this was the original pair, their offspring, or maybe their grandbabies. But they always came back. Some things could be counted on. Birds nest, bees build hives, and men woke up feeling frisky. --FOR LOVE OF A SMUGGLER (Treasure on the Tide 1), WIP copyright 2025   I took this picture of papa bluebird guarding his nesting box outside of my office window to remind all of you digging out from the #Blizzard2026 that there will be a springtime. A little later for some of you than for those of us in North Florida, but it will be here by-and-by. 

Sadly, I won't be attending #Boskone63 as I'd planned. Family health issues require me to stay close to home, and I'll miss seeing all my friends and fans at the best SF convention in New England. I am still planning on attending LAconV, the World Science Fiction Convention in August, and if I miss you at Boskone, I hope to see you there (hurricane season and family health permitting.) Stay warm, y'all, and have fun with the great programming and entertainment planned for this coming weekend. 

I've been heading up to Boston in February for over 20 years now to attend the annual Boskone Regional Science Fiction convention and it's always exciting... partly because I never fail to worry about whether a winter storm will strand me somewhere.  Regardless, I have my ticket there (and thankfully, a return ticket that says "Florida") so I'll be flying up on February 13 for New England's oldest science fiction convention. I'll also be on program again, so here's my schedule: Sun 11:30 AM:          The Appeal of Simple Romance Stories : Not every epic romance needs a dragon to slay or a kingdom to save for two people to fall in love. More readers are embracing love stories that focus on healthy, low-drama relationships that are often shaped by ideas from therapy and emotional growth. Let's explore why these feel-good romances are resonating right now, and how authors are keeping the magic alive in stories where love just...works. Julia Rios, mod...

The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Alchemised by SenLinYu My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi's Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging by Angela Buchdahl My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

It was that simple. Men who two days earlier would have run each other through or blown each other to pieces, now were up on deck toasting each other’s countries with carefully rationed grog. Captain Doyle wisely put a limit on the amount of alcohol served, knowing that it wouldn’t take much to re-ignite the conflict on a smaller scale. “ Captain Fletcher told me I do not understand men, Mr. Bryant,” Charley said in bemusement later that night. “I have to agree with him.” He shrugged his shoulders. “They fought when they needed to fight. Now they’re anxious to go home. We sailors are not complicated creatures, Doctor.” --SEA CHANGE (High Seas #1)   Today we honor our veterans, the women and men who put themselves in harm's way fighting our nation's battles, and who came home to us. As the generations move on, it's more important than ever to pause and reflect on what their service means to all of us.  Here's a salute to those who wore their nation's uniform, to the...

She looked out over the palmettos and pines, here where she’d grown up, where she learned to survive broiling heat in the summer, lightning storms, war and raiders, disease, and clouds of biting insects and animals that would as soon kill you as walk away from you. It was also a land of birdsong and warm winter breezes, flowers all year round, and plenty of water and sunshine. --[WIP] For Love of a Smuggler Depends where you live. Up here in North Central Florida, we can feel the change from not going outside in mid-August because it feels like you're in a sauna under a magnifying glass frying you on the sidewalk, to waking up in the morning and feeling chipper when you step outside.  For me it's also nature trails season. Florida, especially where I live, is blessed with springs, rivers, and lots of nature trails maintained by the various local and state governments and volunteers. Once the temperature drops down into the 80sF it's safe to get back out, so I grabbed my boo...

The moon hanging heavy above the trees illuminated the pine flatwoods and palmettos, clear enough for him to see a raccoon scamper across the track in front of them. “Older he-coons wait until near dawn to come out,” Carl had told him at the trading site as John admired his collection of skins to trade. “The younger males get trapped or et by panthers and gators ‘cause they ain’t got no sense.” --BOOK NINE, maybe titled FOR LOVE OF A SMUGGLER or maybe TREASURE ON THE TIDE, I dunno yet... Floridians of a certain age may recall the phrase, "The old he-coon walks just before the light of day" and how it helped our late Governor "Walkin' Lawton" Chiles win an election. I was out walking a few mornings back and saw this guy scampering across a neighbor's lawn. It was long past light of day, so he may have had a busy night, or just lacked good sense.  Racoons are part of the Florida landscape, and these little trash pandas are annoying, but also interest...

The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton by Andrew Porwancher My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

  “You want to be careful about not going into the brush without checking first. The last thing you need is for a snake or a scorpion to say howdy while your trousers are down.” “I don’t recall having to deal with venomous snakes before.” “You were a town dweller, John” she said, giving him a glance over her shoulder. “You don’t hunt, but you shoot. You’re used to tailored clothing. You can rule out being a farmer or a homesteader from your life.” “That still leaves a lot of choices.” They came around a massive live oak and he saw the creek, dragonflies hovering over the shimmering water. A blue jay disturbed by their passage called out raucously from a maple and another bird answered. It seemed peaceful out here in the woods even though danger was everywhere, according to Kate. --[WIP, Working Title] FOR THE LOVE OF A SMUGGLER  c. 2025, all rights reserved       September is college football season in Gainesville, but for me it's the beginning of Florida hikin...

There are two statues representing the State of Florida in the US Capitol. One is Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, an amazing educator, civil rights activist, and presidential advisor. It is most fitting that she represent this state. The other statue is 19th C. physician Dr. John Gorrie. Less well known, but so vitally important to Florida in his own way. There's an old saying around here, "It was DDT and air-conditioning that settled Florida." DDT is now banned in the US, but in the 20th c. it was crucial for killing off mosquitoes so that people could live in this swamp. The other thing that made life bearable is air conditioning, and Dr. Gorrie's research into refrigeration and using ice and fans to cool sickrooms led to the development of air-conditioning for homes and other buildings.  I know how important this is because this week our air conditioning gave up the ghost after 20 years of solid service. It may be autumn where you are, but in Florida it's still summer...

Warrior Princess Assassin by Brigid Kemmerer My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Today is a day off for most hardworking folks in the US, and the end of summer as many school districts resume classes this week. Here in North Central Florida summer is lingering, but it's an unexpectedly balmy and breezy 75F out there, a nice change from the 100+ temps we've endured. Meanwhile, in honor of the day, here's an excerpt from my WIP, [Working Title] The Smuggler's Amnesiac Lover . Enjoy! He stopped, overwhelmed by a wave of shameful anger, not because of here, not because of now, but because of something … someone…before. "What is it?” “I’m not worthless.” She stepped forward, concerned, and he blinked, the feeling fading. “John Smith, you are far from worthless. Anyone who shows up on my front step with a basket full of fish is worth more than, well, more than a lot of folks who come here.” She reached up and was about to touch his face when she paused and lowered her hand and he desperately wanted Kate, for that’s who she was to him in his mind now,...