Spotted Pardalote

Image Christine R2 Comments

Down at the footbridge, this morning, I photographed this little Spotted Pardalote. It isn’t the usual one which lands nearby and chirrups. This one was shy. (Nikon D3000) And the cutest image for last… so sorry it is not larger. I do hope you are having a fine weekend. We are having everything, weatherwise. Yesterday […]

Dracopedia: The Great Dragons

Christine RLeave a comment

My ‘go to’ place to purchase real books is Book Depository. When I recently discovered this series of dragon books, I knew I must have them. For Christmas, I decided to get this one first – Dracopedia: The Great Dragons. An Artists Field Guide and Drawing Journal. It was on special, at the time, and seemed the logical choice purely for that reason.

Dracopedia: The Great dragons
Dracopedia: The Great Dragon

The colour in the second image is closer to the real thing. Sorry, I had bad lighting, but even the official photos on the publisher’s website does not do the real thing justice.  The cover has such an awesome 3D-look that I was surprised to find it a flat surface. My first thought was that I need to buy real metal embellishments to add to the spine. That would be cool.

The end papers are fabulous! Here’s a peek…

dragopediaendp

The featured image is a deliberate blurred part-illustration for the purpose of showing you something else from inside the covers.

Today was the first day that I looked inside the covers a little better than the fast flick through when it arrived. I wouldn’t let myself look again until I finished the arduous revision lesson with which I was struggling. A good incentive.

I can’t wait to read from cover to cover and then to try drawing my own dragons – Rufus, Driscoll and Uity.

But there will not be time for much dragon drawing quite yet, not with only 32 days to go to the launch of Taniel.  And I promised to begin posting book two, Cladessa, to Wattpad during February.

I have reset my enrollment in the Magic in the Middle Ages MOOC so I won’t get too far behind. I have time for two more of Holly Lisle’s revision lessons, I think, before I must begin the rewriting. I’m really excited at how much better the story will be from the Wattpad version.

I’ve just flicked through the Dracopedia one more time, breathing deep of the new book smell. I reckon it’s already my favourite book of all time – at least it will be until I get the Dracopedia: The Bestiary.

The more I think about drawing dragons, the more I know I must, and soon. Sounds like a promise. 🙂

A kangaroo fence & an impromptu book review

Christine R7 Comments

Hello people. I took Vika on one of our extended walks this morning, hoping to walk out a sciatic hip – caused by half-sitting up in bed too long, reading, last night. Or this morning, 2:30 AM, to be precise. I was engrossed by a free e-book from Amazon for Samsung. ‘Never Kiss A Rake: Scandal at the House of Russell, by Anne Stuart.

never kiss a rake

Anguished by death. Driven by revenge.

Bryony Russell and her two sisters are left destitute by the disgrace and unexpected death of their father, a wealthy shipping magnate. He left a cryptic note, and Bryony is determined to find the real villain and clear her father’s name. In disguise as a servant, Bryony infiltrates the home of her father’s business partner to find proof of his guilt…or innocence. It’s not just clues that Bryony finds, but temptation too…

Once a month, I  get a choice of four books, and sometimes I have to select the best of a bad lot. But, wow, this one sucked me right in. Four decades or so ago, I loved reading Georgette Heyer, but this isn’t quite that sort of historical romance. This has a feisty heroine, a wickedly lewd hero, flying sparks, and ramped up tension. I loved the tongue-in-cheek humour. I was all set  to download the second book, but parting with six Aussie bucks nearly always stops me in my tracks, forcing that finger away from that oh-so-convenient buy now with one click button. That yellow bar is akin to chocolate bars by the checkout counter. While reading some of the reviews, I learned that this trilogy is less erotically charged than this author’s other series. Oh?

Umm, where was I? I didn’t mean to do a book review, but I’ll keep it.

The kangaroo fence, Argyle Street
The stunning kangaroo fence, Argyle Street, looking north-ish

We were on our morning walk, and we went past where the Shetland pony lives, to the end of Argyle Street. Down this end of the street I found an awesome sight – this concrete kangaroo fence.

I have pushed the brightness up a tad on the Nokia Lumia 530, else the photos are gloomy. The colour is pretty much how I see it.

argylest2
Argyle Street, looking south-ish.

I live another block beyond the trees down the end.

Each had a different colour marble for an eye.
Each has a coloured marble for an eye.

Someone put a lot of work into this fence. I hope no-one was watching me standing there, with my gob hanging open in amazed awe. In case you are wondering, the only time the Shetland pony has been near enough for a photo was the day my phone was critically flat.

I hope you are having a good week-end. 🙂