Category: Bonus Tracks

State of the Author: Hot Hot Hot!

I returned from our mini writers’ retreat at the Olympic Village in Squaw Valley, Calif., to a heat wave. No joke. I went from weather in the 50s to weather in the 100s in one fell swoop.

We got a lot done, though, during that retreat. We had plot breakthroughs, outlining sessions, laughter, a lot of good food, and great companionship. Having great author pals like Dover Whitecliff and T.E. MacArthur makes a huge difference; we support one another through the difficulties.

While it’s true that I had a much-needed plot breakthrough on Second Chance in the Vieux Carré, I also had a “side hustle” come through in the form of a formatting gig. Having something else to focus on for the immediate future often jars the stuck spots loose when it comes to writing. The timing couldn’t be better.

In the meanwhile, here’s a bonus track to get your toes tapping: “Hot Hot Hot” by Buster Poindexter (aka David Johansen, formerly of the New York Dolls).

 

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Bonus Track: “Won’t Get Fooled Again”

Hi, everyone. I saw this last week and thought it was delightful. It just goes to show that if you have a brilliant song, it doesn’t matter what instruments you use. This is Jimmy Fallon, Roger Daltrey, Pete Townsend, and The Roots doing The Who’s classic, “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” using classroom instruments. I hope it puts a smile on your face today.

Blogging from A to Z: I is for Infatuation

AtoZ2019tenthAnnWhen the fruit and cheese were gone, Erik brought finger bowls and towels so that we might clean our hands. While I did so, he went to the piano, where he sat down and played an air that was unfamiliar to me. I joined him at the piano, leaning against the black wood.

“Is that your own composition?” I inquired.

He nodded and continued to play the beautiful piece. He did not speak again until he was through, and then he turned to face me.

“What is it called,” I whispered.

“It has no title yet, but right now, I think of it as your song,” he said, not looking me in the eye.

I felt my knees go weak. It was at that moment that I realized what was happening. In fewer than two days’ time, I was completely infatuated with the Phantom of the Opera. This was so unlike the practical view that I held of myself that I was nonplussed. — Excerpt from In The Eye of The Beholder

Webster’s Dictionary defines “infatuate” as follows.

1 : to cause to be foolish : deprive of sound judgment
2 : to inspire with a foolish or extravagant love or admiration

That’s the transitive verb version. They then go on to discuss the adjectival form, “infatuated.”

“When we speak of someone being infatuated it very often is in relationship to that person having seemingly taken leave of his or her senses, especially in a romantic context (“he was so infatuated that he could not remember what day of the week it was”). This is fitting, as the word shares an origin with the word fatuous, which means complacently or inanely foolish. Both words come from the Latin fatuus (“foolish”), although fatuous is not often used in the romantic contexts in which we find infatuate. When used with a preposition infatuated is typically followed by with.”

That’s where Claire finds herself where Erik is concerned. There are a lot of reasons that this is the case. By the time we get to Erik’s home, Claire has had several frightening incidents. She’s uneasy about a lot of things, but he’s a calm and steadying influence. He’s also more kind to her than anyone has been for quite a while. Still, Claire is surprised by her own emotional response, because she doesn’t see herself as a romantic or silly person.

Here’s another look at infatuation, through the musical talents of Rod Stewart. Enjoy his 1984 hit, “Infatuation!”