Lisa Hendrix

I have a couple of Google Alerts set up to let me know when references to my books appear on-line. So far, most of the references to Immortal Warrior I receive have something to do with World of Warcraft or some other computer or online game. I hit delete and they’re gone

This morning, however, I got a notice about a YouTube video titled “manowar Hymn of the Immortal Warrior.”  Curious, I clicked.

For those who don’t know, Manowar (NOT pictured at left) is a heavy metal band. They lean toward fantasy, steel, leather, swords, and lyrics that include the words Valhalla, Odin, and death. And they’re outsiders in many ways, kind of the Grateful Dead of metal. In other words, a band my warriors might approve of. 

I am so glad I clicked.

I liked it. I liked it a lot. I liked the slightly cheesy pageantry. I liked the fact that every oddly-costumed metalhead in the crowd knew the lyrics and sang along like it was their anthem.  I liked the accurately dressed Viking warriors who came on to act out the death of a brave warrior.  I liked it even though I generally loathe heavy metal (on mornings when I wouldn’t get up, my first husband used to crank up the metal on the stereo because he knew I’d come flying out of bed to smack the power button. And that’s when I was 19.  Don’t even ask what I’d do now).

I liked it so much that I’ve imbedded the video at the top of my Links page.  I hope you’ll go take a look, expand  your horizons a bit. Don’t worry, it’s safe; I checked out the written lyrics, just to be sure. (Manowar’s site is a different matter—they are heavy metal rockers, after all—so be aware.)

I also looked up Manowar on Wikipedia. Seems these guys control their whole operation, from recording to distribution to merchandising. But what really tickled me (see why) is that one of their merchandising efforts is condoms, sold on their website (and presumably at their concerts), among the lanyards and jammers and T-shirts (under Merchandise/Special on their site, if you want to look).

Their brand name?  Warrior’s Shield.

I can’t help but think my guys would approve of that, too.

Around the Hendrix household, Mother’s Day means I get to be bossier than usual…but only in the nicest way, of course. To avoid boxes of chocolate that wind up on my hips and flowers that wind up in the compost pile, I’ve taken to being very specific about what I want for Mother’s Day.  This year it was Lemon Ricotta Pancakes from a recipe that appeared in the local paper this week, a strong suggestion for Jewelry to be picked out by my daughter (who understands my tastes quite well and has since she was, like, four), and an outing to the local Arts Festival, which the city fathers wisely hold on Mom’s Day weekend so that we can force our families to join us. Otherwise, I suspect the streets would be full of unaccompanied women.

So, the pancakes were excellent. The recipe called for blueberry compote on top, but we were unexpectedly short of blueberries, so the above-mentioned daughter opted for raspberries. Superb choice. These pancakes are almost, but not quite, South Beach friendly, so I’m going to tweak the recipe a bit, and then I’ll post it here.

The jewelry somehow morphed into an FM transmitter for my iPod.  I was so excited, it didn’t even notice the lack of precious metals until much later. Usually things with cords are off-limits for holiday gifts unless I specifically ask for it — like the Dremel I requested one year. But the kids knew I’d been looking at the FM transmitters, so they suggested it to the Big Guy and the three of them split it.  Now I can listen to my RWA Workshop recordings while I tool around town or have music in “the gaps” when I travel — where we live is surrounded by mountains and far from any other population center of any size, so when we leave town, there are miles and miles with NO RADIO. Barbarous. Boring.  And now, solved, thanks to my kids!

After breakfast, and after forcibly disconnecting my son from his iPod, we trekked off to the Arts Festival. The plaza and two streets were blocked off for art booths, garden stuff, food, demonstrations, children’s activities, and the pièce de résistance, the Smudge Pot Art competition. Smudge pots are the old style orchard heaters that gave off lots of smoke to keep the trees warm when temperatures dipped below freezing (the one on the left in the pic is pretty much unmodified except for paint).  I live in orchard country, and there are plenty of them around, though they’re seldom used any more (thank goodness).

Once a year, our local artists go nuts and decorate one, using whatever techniques strike their fancy.  It’s our version of the art-cows that some towns host, and as in the case of the cows, the results range from sublime to silly. The picture is of a previous year, but you get the idea. This year, someone quilted a watercolor-style cover for the entire smudge pot, including stack. Another artist wove a multi-colored, fringe-y covering. One had an adorable folk-art chicken nesting on top. Everybody votes, and then the smudge pots are auctioned off to benefit local arts organizations. (Here’s more on the pots and the auction.)

Smudge pots are, however, are not the sort of thing I’d display in my house—even the quilted one, as beautiful as it was (sorry, didn’t get a pic).  But one of the local quilters groups (the Material Girls) was auctioning off the most amazing quilt. I never buy raffle tickets for anything, except at RWA functions that benefit literacy, but I plunked down my money today without hesitation.

Here’s the pic the Big Guy took. Even with the odd sun angle and the shadow of the overhead power line and the raffle information pinned to it, you can see how amazing it is. Click here to get to a bigger version.

I want this quilt. I lust after this quilt. I will win this quilt.

When I do, I will take a better picture of it to post here, and then I’ll redecorate my entire bedroom to go with it. The raffle isn’t until November 9, though, and I fear my fingers and toes will be cramped beyond use by then from being crossed. Will someone kindly take shifts with me?

So, that was the planned portion of my day.  Once we got home, I plunked down to take a nap, eat BLTs (yum), and then fired up the computer while I watched some of the Eureka marathon on SciFi Channel, which I enjoy a great deal (any excuse to watch Matt Frewer—and Colin Ferguson isn’t too shabby, either).

And that’s when I discovered that IMMORTAL WARRIOR is now available for pre-order on Amazon, a lovely surprise, even if the cover and the rest of the info aren’t up yet.

So, all in all, a great day. Please share what you did today, whether you celebrated Mother’s Day or not.

I’ll be back later this week with something more “writerly.”  Have fun ’til then.

Rose graphic courtesy Pat’s Web Graphics

How about burning 600 Calories a day while writing with a treadmill desk?

And here’s info on how to buy or build one.

I am so there

Mega-thanks to Jonathan Fields at Awake@The Wheel. Photo cred EOntario (and no, that’s not me — but it easily could be after a couple more books!)

Remember those dioramas we used to do as kids?

Well, one of my favorite diversions Boing-Boing (”A directory of wonderful things”), has an article today on Lori Nix, an artist who has taken the diorama idea to a level beyond imagining. She builds, then photographs, table-top worlds of incredible detail and beauty. I’m giving you a link, here, to her website, going to a page where I think some of her most compelling images are, but be sure to click on the other links on her sidebar.

You may never look at your kids’ homework projects the same way. You may never look at the world the same way.

Lisa

UPDATE: 29 Apr 2008 –

Wired Mag has a wonderful article on Lori Nix, “Nature Conquers Micropolis in Dioramas Photographed to Look Real.”  Worth checking out–although beware the photos.  Due to some error at Wired, they’ve mixed in pix from another article on “tilt Shifting,” a technique that strives to make the real world look like a model—precisely the reverse of Nix’s work.

http://www.wired.com/culture/art/multimedia/2008/04/pl_arts

Three critical elements of a good story. Also, a terrific book by romance and women’s fiction author Deb Dixon.

And finally, the title of Deb’s workshop, which she’s giving this weekend for Rose City Romance Writers, the RWA chapter in Portland Oregon.

I’m headed that direction tomorrow, laptop in hand, ready to learn. But also, to play. It is Portland, after all.

Portland: Bridges and riverfront parks. The casually threatening Rimsky-Korsakoffee House (home of the Church of Craft). Excellent mass transit. The incredible pastries of Papa Haydn. And of course, Powell’s books.

Aaaah. Civilization.

Lisa…smiling blissfully.

Some of my favorite gift ideas for the writer or reader in your life:

Book Darts — little folded brass place markers to slide on a page to mark exactly where you left off reading, or where that key fact is. A tin of 75 is under $10. Use this Store Locator to find them at your local independent bookseller.

Books on Writing — Try Stephen King’s On Writing or Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird.

Moleskin Notebook — Available at many bookstores and usually at art stores. Many styles. If you want to splurge, Read the rest of this entry »