San Francisco, Here I Come!

I leave tomorrow morning for the RWA National Conference in San Francisco and I'll be traveling sans computer, so this will be the only blog post for the week.

It has been a very long time since I've been to the fabled City by the Bay and I'm looking forward to the visit, though I'll have little time to sightsee. Most of the week will be spent at the Marriott attending conference activities. But a friend and I are planning a visit to Fisherman's Wharf for tomorrow night, for shopping and seafood. I should have some of my own pictures to post next week.

My first trip to San Francisco was way back in 1965, two years after my folks and I moved to Southern California. We drove up Highway 101 to the city, stayed in an older hotel and had a ball sightseeing. My dad unwisely agreed to drive down Lombard Street (pictured here), supposedly the crookedest street in the world. We started at the top of the street and drove down in my dad's 1965 Chevelle, a stick shift with no power steering. By the time we got to the end of the street, my dad said his arms felt like they were about to fall off!

My Town Monday: Orange County will return in mid-August. In the meantime, check Travis Erwin's blog for a list of My Town Monday posts.

Linda / Lyndi

Happy Birthday, Leo (July 23 - August 22)

Leo is one of my favorite signs, probably because my Moon is in Leo, so I usually get along well with people born under this sign. (The one exception being my only first cousin but that's not a story I want to get into here.)

A fire sign ruled by the Sun, Leo is represented by the Lion and is known for his warmth and flamboyance, his ego and his temper. After all, the lion is king of the jungle and loves being the center of attention. Consider the reports that Bill Clinton, a Leo, stole the stage from his Scorpio wife while she was running for the Democratic nomination for president. He couldn't help it; he's a Leo. People born under this sign are natural leaders with a flair for the dramatic. Leos are warm, generous and friendly, but they can also be arrogant and self-centered.

It's rare, though not impossible, to find an introverted Leo, but chances are he secretly dreams of being king. As always, a lot depends on the individual chart. Leo is a fixed sign, so Leos can get a bit set in their ways or even authoritarian. The sign rules the heart, both literally and figuratively. In the natal chart, the fifth house rules love and romance, but on a more serious note, Leos can be susceptible to heart disease.

Given Leo's flair for drama and penchant for the limelight, it's no surprise to find a lot of familiar show biz names in any list of famous Leos, including Gracie Allen, Lucille Ball, Ethel Barrymore, Bill "Count" Basie, Clara Bow, Walter Brennan, Arlene Dahl, Eddie Fisher, Olympic skating champions Peggie Fleming and Dorothy Hamill, director Alfred Hitchcock, rockers Jerry Garcia and Mick Jagger, Peter O'Toole, Arnold Schwarzenegger, playwright George Bernard Shaw, Martin Sheen, Wesley Snipes, Robert Taylor and the marvelous Mae West, who provides a quintessential archetype for the lioness.

Other famous people born under this sign include emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, poets Robert Burns and Ogden Nash, dictators Fidel Castro and Benito Mussolini, pioneering pilot Amelia Earhart, authors Emily Bronte, John Galsworthy, Aldous Huxley, Dorothy Parker, Sir Walter Scott and Percy Bysse Shelley, pioneering psychiatrist Carl Jung, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Princess Margaret, and Sydney Omarr, astrologer to the Hollywood stars.

You can find a list of more famous Leos http://www.ecentral.com/astra/fleo.html here and more information about the sign at http://www.cafeastrology.com/zodiacleo.html Cafe Astrology .com

Is there a Leo in your life?

Linda

Two new reviews and a contest

I finally came up for air after finishing my next Lyndi Lamont story, Ilona's Wolf, on Sunday. I'm horrifically late and it's being rushed into production for an August 3 release from Amber Heat. And it didn't help that the DSL was down all morning. Now I'm trying to catch up on other things like blogging and promo, so there will be no My Town Monday post from me this week. As always, check Travis Erwin's blog for his post and list of other My Town Mondays.

Last week I was thrilled to receive my first review for Alliance: Cosmic Scandal and another one for Alliance: Clandestine Desire.

ALLIANCE: COSMIC SCANDAL received a 4 Nymph review from Literary Nymphs:
"Cosmic Scandal is another delightful episode in the Alliance series. For the first time, Myrek desires to follow his heart rather than his duty but Khira knows their love is doomed. Lyndi Lamont continues this fabulous saga of two planets struggle to come together with Myrek older brother to Rulik, who was introduced in the first book Diplomatic Relations. This is a very enjoyable series; I look forward to the next installment. " - Chocolate Minx,
Literary Nymphs

Joyfully Reviewed had this to say about ALLIANCE: CLANDESTINE DESIRE:

"The blossoming relationship between these men is amazing, and just when they find each other a life altering choice must be made. Clandestine Desire is the start of what promises to be an adventure in life and love for these two men. Lyndi Lamont did an incredible job of creating another worldly reading experience, and I’ll be anxiously awaiting the next segment to release to see what happens and where it leads Berhin and Tai." - Raine, Joyfully Reviewed

I'm running my Erotica Stay-At-Home Conference giveaway with books and promo I've collected from conferences and trade shows. Details are at my website. Must be 18 to enter.

Linda / Lyndi

Going Green for a Week Update

We turned in the Prius on Sunday after filling up the tank. I a week, we'd driven about 275 miles on half a tank, 165 miles of it high-speed freeway driving. When my DH figured out our mileage, he was surprised and pleased to find we'd gotten 45 mpg on the half tank. Not bad considering more than half of it was freeway driving.

In a comment Rhonda asked if a large man would fit in the Prius and I'd say yes. My DH is 6'1" with very long legs and he had no problems at all. In fact, the car is higher than our Acura TL, with excellent head room. Overall, it was surprisingly roomy inside. The hardest thing to get used to is the "snub nose" front as Rhonda put it in a comment. You can get the idea from this photo which I took out the front window while parked. The hood of the car is nowhere in sight!

Would I consider buying one? You bet. Gasoline prices may be down a bit, but I doubt we'll ever see $1.00 a gallon gas again anytime soon. But first we may have to rent a Toyota Camry and see if we like it better.

Going Green For A Week

On Sunday, my hubby and I rented a Toyota Prius for a week to see how we like it. He drove it the first part of the week and now it's my turn, though I did get a chance to drive it a bit on Sunday and again yesterday. I'd been intrigued by the idea of the hybrid engine for some time, and since the price of gasoline started going up, he's quit fighting me on the idea.

My husband drove it first, and the thing that impressed him most was that you can't see the front of the car from the driver's seat. The hood slopes off dramatically, as you can see it. It takes a little getting used to. I discovered today that it helps to turn on the headlights, even during the day, as you can see them reflected in things like walls, garage doors, the bumper of the car in front of you... Very useful. :)

The controls take a little getting used to, also. Instead of a standard automatic transmission control, there's a Power button you push to start the engine but it only works if you have your foot on the break, and another button for Park. The display is fun to watch. It shows whether or not the gasoline engine is engaged (like you can't tell by the sound of it). The electric motor is very quiet.

It's smaller but higher than out Acura TL. We don't have kids or grandkids to haul around, so a sedan works nicely for us, even a small one. My DH said to ask myself as I drove the Prius, "would you want to drive this car across the country?" I'm not sure about the answer, but I'd happily drive it to northern California or Arizona. Don't know if we'll buy one or not. I'll report in again on Sunday about final impressions in between my writing, which has gone pretty well this week. The next few days are going to be busy ones though.

How's your week going?

Linda

Blogging Hiatus / Obamaisms

I'm taking a blogging hiatus for a few days in hopes of actually getting some writing done these next few days, so no My Town Monday post from me today. As usual, Travis Erwin has a MTM Monday post about Amarillo area plus a list of other MTM posts at his blog, One Word, One Rung, One Day.

I'll re-post the Obamamania widget, so there's something fun here.

Have a good week!

Linda / Lyndi

Update:

Note to my blogging friends: please forgive me if I don't stop by to comment for a few days. I'll be back when I can.

Linda

Philadelphia: Birthplace of Liberty

In 1987 I had the opportunity to spend a week in Philadelphia on a tour run by the travel company I was working for. We stayed at a hotel right in the historic district, within walking distance of the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, where the Continental Congress met to decide whether America would be part of the United Kingdom or a free nation. We also took day trips to Valley Forge and the little town of Washington Crossing where, you guessed it, Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware to attack the Hessians in Trenton.

I've always been a history buff and it didn't take long for me to fall in love with Philadelphia's historic areas. I loved the stately Georgian architecture of Independence Hall and the tiny but delightful Elfreth's Alley where you can visit the house where Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag.


At the time I was just starting to think about writing, and the trip to Philly had spawned an idea for a historical romance set during the Revolution. The trip gave me a chance to visit the places my novel would take place and to pick up research material along the way. Alas, that book, Divided Loyalties, would never see the light of day, but I did manage to salvage one character, Sally Young, Rebel spy, for Seducing The Enemy, one of my Lyndi Lamont erotic short stories.

I still like the idea of a romance set during the Revolution, but it has been a long while since that time period was popular. My theory is that the US has been going through a conservative period in our history, and stories set in the Revolution are somehow politically incorrect. Don't let anyone kid you. Our Founding Fathers were revolutionaries, with radical ideas for their time. "All men are created equal..." Say what? In a century where monarchy was the norm, Jefferson's ideas were radical indeed.

So, in between the barbeques and fireworks, I hope you'll give some thought to our Founding Fathers and the birthplace of liberty.

Happy Fourth of July!

Linda

Note: Stock photos from "Art Explosiong 300,000 Premium Image Collection" on CD.

Two Sentence Tuesday

My blogger friend Travis Erwin turned me on to Two Sentence Tuesdays, so I thought I'd give it a try. The idea was originated by the Women of Mystery blog and the idea is to quote two lines of a book (or whatever) you're reading followed by two lines you've written.

Since George Carlin passed away recently, I thought it appropriate to start off with my favorite quote of his:

"When you're born you get a ticket to the freak show. When you're born in America, you get a front row seat. "

Alas, all too true. If you want to read more of Carlin's sayings, click here.

Now it's my turn. In honor of the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, here are two lines from Seducing The Enemy by Lyndi Lamont, historical erotica set in Philadelphia in 1777. The POV is that of the hero, British Major Jack Tyrell. The British have just occupied the capital of the fledgling United States and this is Jack's impression of the city:

"He was impressed with the city of Philadelphia, a prosperous town laid out in neat squares, unlike the warren of goat paths they called streets in Boston. And so far, the citizens of the colonial capital had been far more friendly and welcoming than the taciturn New Englanders."

Linda / Lyndi

More Two Line Tuesday posts can be found here:

http://www.womenofmystery.net

http://traviserwin.blogspot.com/

http://www.pretzelplace.net/