What Goes Around Does Not Always Come Around

Last trip to Hawai'i was pretty light on the work and pretty heavy on the time off. That is not the case this time around. Other than a couple of easy 'check in' sort of days to start with, this exercise has been 12-13 hour night shifts and little sleep and snarled up traffic and not nearly enough M&M's. But, like we say here in the islands, "You can be having the worst day of your life, but you're still in Hawai'i."

By Darkness Hid

I've been a fan of Marcher Lord Press for a while now and they've brought out several good groups of books. The CSFF thinks so too and this month we're highlighting By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson. It's a straight up Medieval fantasy world novel from a solid publishing house and it has a bazillion good reviews. These, then, are Things Not to Ignore.

The rest of the tour:

Brandon Barr
Keanan Brand
Gina Burgess
Beckie Burnham
Melissa Carswell
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
R. L. Copple
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
Emmalyn Edwards
April Erwin
Sarah Flanagan
Andrea Graham
Tori Greene
Ryan Heart
Joleen Howell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Leighton
Rebecca LuElla Miller
New Authors Fellowship
John W. Otte
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
Andrea Schultz
James Somers
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler
KM Wilsher

View From the Top

Back in Hawai'i for more grueling duty with the Marines. Oh, by the way, this is the view from my hotel room.

Absolut Thievery

Henry V by the Seattle Shakespeare Company displayed some of the best stolen scenes I've ever seen. The play is a solid performance by all around, set in mid twentieth century England/France, but the Bernie Madoff of theatre has to be Jerick Hoffer as the gay French 'lady-in-waiting' for Princess Catherine. He only has two major scenes in that character but when he's on stage every eye is watching him. The key to his larcenous performance is how over the top he vaults himself. First he instructs Catherine on speaking English, which hilariously sets up the heist, then he acts the tetchy guardian when Henry tries to woo Catherine to be his queen, which locks him in as a criminal mastermind. Hoffer clearly has the knack for great acting which goes beyond character and gets to something more internal; he has the bravery to take what's given to him and make something truly special out of it. Can't wait to see him as a headliner.