Favorite Author Friday - Jane Lindskold

 

Jane Lindskold is a reasonably new find for me. I browsed into her Firekeeper Saga and loved it. Since then I have slowly been working through her other novels. I like her writing style. I find the stories comfortably predictable enough to satisfy my 'potato-chip fiction' need, while still  with enough surprises to keep me entertained. She grew up near D.C. with both parents as attorneys. You can see the influence of that in how she deals with politics in her books- not our world politics necessarily (like an Ayn Rand) but the character's world politics.

The Firestarter books are about a young woman raised by wolves who ends up back in human society dealing with the politics there. Loved these!

The Land of Smoke and Sacrifice novels are really interesting. They're novels based on the Chinese Zodiac and the real game of Mah Jong (not just the matching tiles thing we play on the computer). Only a couple of the books are out so far.

I haven't read many of her other novels. I LOVED Child of a Rainless Year and couldn't get through The Buried Pyramid so I guess I have no definitive answer on the quality of her other books. Be aware her novels are usually pretty lengthy. All over 200 pages, with the Firestarter ones closer to 500-700 pages each.

Here's her bibliography (c/o Wikipedia):
     *once again title in red I have read

The Firekeeper Saga

• Through Wolf's Eyes (2001)
• Wolf's Head, Wolf's Heart (2002)
• The Dragon of Despair (2003)
• Wolf Captured (2004)
• Wolf Hunting (2006) 
• Wolf's Blood (2007)

The Athanor series

• Changer (1998)
• Legends Walking (1999)

The Land of Smoke and Sacrifice series

• Thirteen Orphans (2008)
• Nine Gates (2009)
• Five Odd Honors (2010)

Other novels

• Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls (1994)
• Marks of Our Brothers (1995)
• The Pipes of Orpheus (1995)
• Smoke and Mirrors (1996)
• When the Gods are Silent (1997)
• Donnerjack (1997) with Roger Zelazny
• Lord Demon (1999) with Roger Zelazny
• The Buried Pyramid (2004)
• Child of a Rainless Year (2005)

Stories

• Noh Cat Afternoon in Catfantastic IV (1996)
• Queen's Gambit in Worlds of Honor (1999)
• Promised Land in The Service of the Sword (2003)

Let us never speak of this again...

Poop is gross.

Poop from a baby on antibiotics is really gross.

Poop from a baby on antibiotics on your living room floor is indescribable.

Let us never speak of this again.

Water: I Love You...I Love You NOT!!!

Things You Dream Of When You Don't Have Water for Two Weeks:

1. Ice Water
2. Cooking and Eating at Home
3. Doing the Dishes
4. Clean Clothes/Doing Laundry
5. Bathing your Baby at Home
6. Showering 
7. Wiping Down a Counter and Rinsing the Rag

Things You Hate Doing After the 30 Second Period of Gratitude Ends:

1. Doing Back Dishes
2. Doing Back Laundry
3. Wiping Down Two Week Dirty Counters

Oh well, at least showers, baby bathes and ice water are still satisfying.

(picture above from trip to Mexico Sept. 2010)

We Have the Interwebs!!!

Yes, it has finally happen. snaiLs and Ox's have the interwebs in their very own house. We have limped/slimed our way into the modern age. Why, you ask, have we been without said interwebs? Were we morally opposed? Afraid of youthful hackers? Old and crotchety? Well I will tell you in a long, drawn out and probably uninteresting story, interspersed with pictures of my Peanut so you feel obligated to continue reading.

 A long, long time ago there was no 'Nut, just a snaiL and an Ox. It was a time of dates and a clean house and money for sushi. Why is this? Because both L and Ox were working of course! And what did each of them have available at their jobs? That's right...the interwebs! You're so smart! (Ok I'm sorry I'm in the nursery at church and it's possible the grown ups in the audience don't need this question/answer format laced with self-esteem boosting praise).



Anyway back to the story...L and Ox both had the interwebs at their grindstones. In fact, L spent a huge portion of her day communicating through emails, looking things up for helpless students, professors and administrators, and watching The Daily Show.



If something needed to be looked up/read/bought online/blogged about it could be done from the comforts of their office chairs and double monitors during the 40 - 50 hours a week they spent there. Why spend sushi money on home webs?


Fast forward. snaiLs and Ox's powers combine to form...Captain Pla...wait, no...what was it again???... Oh, yes...the Peanut!!! He is so little and good-smelling and nibbley. Mmmmm Peanut.



We move to where The School That Shall Not Be Named shafts good L with broken promises and fake concern. The choice: 50 hours/week with Peanut or without him. Easily decided. And so L joins the ranks of slightly crazy from lack of adult conversation stay home moms.



It is wonderful and delicious and better than she imagined. And yet, something is missing. Oh yes, the interwebs she has become so gloriously attached to.


Sadly:

(mentally interject visual aid of Need/Want of Home Interwebs increasing while Income Left Over After Food/Housing/Peanut Weekly Spa Treatments decreasing)


And so there are still no interwebs. L and the 'Nut survive at home without them. Ox still has access if necessary and board book reading, ball bouncing and dog chasing seem to fill the days. Ahhh a happy and uncomplicated time.


But one day Ox says it is time to treat L to a little glimpse into a world where, "Stop licking the baby" and "Don't eat dog food" are not the only words heard for miles. We pay to have the interwebs delivered to our house right after Christmas.



  
Murphy's Law is enacted.


And our story ends, in early February, with our heroes gaining the prize. Ahh it is beautiful to behold.

Warnings/Notes: All, Some or None of this story may or may not be true and has been embellished to the writers desire. Also this post contains Peanuts. Processed in a factory where Peanuts are processed.