Who Has It Easier - Men or Women?

I was recently asked why I always make women the central characters in my books, and in particular, women in history.  While three of my novels feature men as the main characters (Magdalene Scrolls, Watch Gods, and Night Trains, plus two stories in The Blessing Stone), it is true that the rest of my books revolve around female protagonists.  Why?  Because I think women have more interesting issues and problems to deal with than men do (sorry, guys!), and especially women in history.

Cat As Inspiration

In a previous blog, I discussed the special affinity that exists between writers and cats.  But I did not mention that cats can also be an inspiration.

Two of my novels, in fact, were inspired by felines.  I keep a 365-page-a-day cat calendar on my desk (the dog calendar is in my kitchen, but that is a blog for another day), and one day a few years ago, I tore off a page to discover  the picture of an absolutely gorgeous cat.  She was haunting in fact, with sleek, graceful features, regal posture, serene countenance.  But it was her eyes that captivated me that day, and I found myself frequently glancing at the picture as I worked.

You Are Invited

Greetings, all!  I would like to invite you to a book event I will be hosting here in Riverside on September 14, at 2:00 in the afternoon.  It will be held at the Barnes & Noble bookstore near the Tyler Galleria, and I would love to meet you.

A Riddle

What's large and black and hairy and walks on eight legs?  (No, it isn't Bucky and her twin)

I'm looking at the answer right now as I sit at my desk with a view of my sunny patio.  It's a tarantula.  A common spider here in the desert southwest.  Interestingly, the name tarantula comes from the town of Taranto in Italy, although I can't find out why.  Africans call tarantulas "baboon spiders" for some reason, Southeast Asians call them "earth tigers," and Australians call their species "barking spiders."  I call tarantulas a reason to avoid my patio during the summer.