#Liz Hester

[quotelr]

Sometimes we look around and realize we need new friends. That’s the sign that they are just around the bend :)

Liz Hester, IgnitingYOU: How 52 Weeks of Inspiration and Action Can Lead You to Your Dreams

[thatstonerfriend]

Be still my nerdy heart ❣️

My little book haul ✨

[ginevrastilinski-ocs]

Niche questions for Liz?

a song that reminds me of them: Savage Daughter [Sarah Hester Ross]

what they smell like: citrus and something earthy (on Narnia), citrus and bakery (on Earth)

an otp: Liz x Aine

a notp: Liz x Caspian

favorite platonic/familial relationships: The Pevensies ovb; Liz & Caspian

a headcanon that is popular in the fandom but that i disagree with

the position they sleep in: on her back

a crossover au i’d love to see them in: Molly Pevensie for sure, but also Evanora has vibes ngl

my favorite outfit they’ve ever worn: This one but the corset is an armor and she has long sleeves underneath

[willowstea]

My North Star - Link

Completed: No (Words 15,759; Chapters: 13/?)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: F/M

Fandom: If/Then - Kitt/Yorkey (Liz-verse)

Relationship: Josh Barton/Elizabeth Vaughn

Characters: Elizabeth Vaughn, Josh Barton, Lucas Gray, David (If/Then), Anne (If/Then), Kate (If/Then), Original Characters

Additional Tags: Major Character Undeath, Post-Canon, Post-War, Amnesia, Fix-It, Drama & Romance, Liz-Verse

Language: English

Summary:

Josh Barton survived the RPG attack, however, he was misidentified. Suffering from severe amnesia and finding out that the people he thought were his family aren't, Josh heads to New York to try and sort himself out. There, he meets a beautiful woman who seems to know him. And he knows her, at least, he knows her name: Liz. With no clear direction in his life, Josh now has to choose if he wants to start over from the ground up, or jump into the life he no longer remembers.

[ifthenslashers]

Ok, I don't know if this is still alive, but I desperately need an answer from someone who clearly does some analysis (also I discovered this page because I was looking for analysis, and the 'trapping Kate and Anne in the Glee Elevator' made me do a double take, fuck you, that's too funny) but ANYWAY: In Scene 5C, Lucas goes "Liz. Tell me you're not doing this." What is he referring to!? I know in Bethverse, he's obviously referring to her working with City Council. But what about Lizverse? HELP

Liz is setting him up on a date with David in that scene!

-Mod Hester

[belvoirhq]

enrollment has been afforded to the following SIXTEEN students at our esteemed institution . tysm to everyone that has applied , links to the discord server will be sent to you pending your acceptance !

╰・𓆩♱𓆪 ⠀ ⋆ ⠀ (cis female, she / her, liz gillies) is that VERONICA DANTES, the LAW JUNIOR who is also a DIAMOND? don’t they live in HESTER HALL? i didn’t know they were back in belvoir already. rumor has it that they're VENGEFUL but their friends say they're LOYAL. i also heard that SHE HAD AN ABORTION AFTER GETTING PREGNANT BY SOMEONE SHE WASNT SUPPOSED TO BE WITH. i wonder what this new school year holds for them.

╰・𓆩♱𓆪 ⠀ ⋆ ⠀ (former lover for ophelia & resident trouble maker, cismale, he/him, cris calenda) is that LORENZO MORETTI III , the ARCHITECTURE SENIOR who is also a L’ODRE DU DIAMONT ? don’t they live in DÒMHNALL HALL ? i didn’t know they were back in belvoir already. rumor has it that they're SHORT-TEMPERED but their friends say they're LOYAL. i also heard that HE RUNS AN UNDERGROUND FIGHT CLUB AND COLLECTS MONEY FOR BETS. i wonder what this new school year holds for them. 

╰・❀ ⠀ ⋆ ⠀ (cis female, she/her, olivia rodrigo) is that SYLVIE ORTEGA , the DIPLOMACY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS SOPHOMORE who is also a MASK ? don’t they live in HESTER HALL ? i didn’t know they were back in belvoir already. rumor has it that they're CYNICAL but their friends say they're CARING. i also heard that HER FORMER SENATOR-TURNED-DIPLOMAT MOTHER WHO IS THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION GOT ASSIGNED THE CUSHY AMBASSADOR TO THE US JOB BECAUSE THEY HAD AN AGREEMENT WITH THE DICTATOR PRESIDENT TO LOOK THE OTHER WAY FOR THEIR CORRUPTION. i wonder what this new school year holds for them.

╰・𓆩♱𓆪 ⠀ ⋆ ⠀ (cis male, he/him, 22, rudy pankow) is that JOEY EMERSON, the LEGAL MANAGEMENT JUNIOR who is also a DIAMOND ? don’t they live in PITTMAN HALL ? i didn’t know they were back in belvoir already. rumor has it that they're COCKY/OBNOXIOUS but their friends say they're FUNNY. i also heard that HIS DAD PAID JOEY’S WAY INTO BELVOIR. i wonder what this new school year holds for them.

╰・𓆩♱𓆪 ⠀ ⋆ ⠀ (the leader of the masks, demi girl, twenty two, she / they, leah halton) is that YASMINA AL FAHIDI , the POLITICAL SCIENCE JUNIOR who is also a MASK ? don’t they live in HESTER HALL ? i didn’t know they were back in belvoir already. rumor has it that they're POWER HUNGRY but their friends say they're AMBITIOUS. i also heard that THEY RUN A REVENGE PORN WEBSITE CONTAINING THE LEAKED NUDES OF DOZENS OF THEIR PEERS THAT HAVE CROSSED THEM ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. i wonder what this new school year holds for them. 

╰・𓆩♱𓆪 ⠀ ⋆ ⠀ (the dean's son, agender, he/xe, twenty three, bright vachirawit) is that KITTICHAT 'KIT' SAELIM WINTHORPE , the FOURTH YEAR who is also a MASK ? don’t they live in PITTMAN ? i didn’t know they were back in belvoir already. rumor has it that they're MANIPULATIVE but their friends say they're PROTECTIVE. i also heard that ( TW CAR ACCIDENT ) HE WAS THE DRIVER IN A HIT AND RUN LAST SEMESTER AND DROVE OFF LEAVING THE VICTIM BEHIND. i wonder what this new school year holds for them.

╰・𓆩♱𓆪 ⠀ ⋆ ⠀ (the new leader of the diamonds / former rival of ophelia, ciswoman, she/her, twenty-four, mia goth) is that VIOLETTA WILLIAMS , the HISTORY SENIOR who is also a DIAMOND ? don’t they live in HESTER HALL ? i didn’t know they were back in belvoir already. rumor has it that they're VENGEFUL but their friends say they're TENDER-HEARTED. i also heard that HER FATHER'S A CON-MAN. i wonder what this new school year holds for them. 

╰・𓆩♱𓆪 ⠀ ⋆ ⠀ (cismale, he/him, nicholas galitzine) is that DORIAN CROMWELL , the THEATRE JUNIOR who is also a MASK ? don’t they live in DOMHNALL HALL ? i didn’t know they were back in belvoir already. rumor has it that they're SLY but their friends say they're WRY. i also heard that ( tw: suicide ) HE WAS INVOLVED IN A SUICIDE PACT WITH A FELLOW MASK THAT ONLY HE SURVIVED, BUT HIS FAMILY PAID THE OTHER FAMILY OFF FOR THEIR SILENCE AND HE SPENT TOOK A YEAR OFF SCHOOL TO BE IN A MENTAL INSTITUTE. i wonder what this new school year holds for them.

╰・𓆩♱𓆪 ⠀ ⋆ ⠀ (little miss nobody / ophelia’s twin sister, cis woman, she/her, twenty’3, bridget satterlee) is that LEONA ALBRECHT , the PERFORMING ARTS SENIOR who is also a DIAMOND ? don’t they live in PITTMAN HALL ? i didn’t know they were back in belvoir already. rumor has it that they're HEEDLESS but their friends say they're FREE-SPIRITED. i also heard that THE ONLY REASON SHE LEFT TO “STUDY ABOARD” LAST SEMESTER WAS BECAUSE SHE WAS PREGNANT. i wonder what this new school year holds for them.

╰・𓆩♱𓆪 ⠀ ⋆ ⠀ tw car accident,  drugs,  substance abuse  (cis man, he/him, twenty-three, alex fitzalan) is that FRANCIS WYMACK , the CLASSICS JUNIOR who is also a MASK ? don’t they live in DÒMHNALL HALL ? i didn’t know they were back in belvoir already. rumor has it that they're OBSESSIVE but their friends say they're CANDID. i also heard that HE WAS INVOLVED IN A DRUNK DRIVING ACCIDENT AND ALTHOUGH HIS ARREST AND DETAILS OF IT WERE SUPPRESSED FROM BEING PUBLIC, HIS FAMILY COULDN’T BUY HIS WAY OUT OF A FOUR MONTH MANDATED REHAB OVER THE SUMMER WHEN EVERYONE THOUGHT HE WAS JUST VACATIONING IN MYKONOS. i wonder what this new school year holds for them.

╰・𓆩♱𓆪 ⠀ ⋆ ⠀ tw murder !! witnessing a crime !! (cis woman, 22, she/her, madelyn cline) is that MARGARET ST. JAMES MONROE , the EDUCATION SENIOR who is also a L’ORDRE DU DIAMANT? don’t they live in HESTER HALL ? i didn’t know they were back in belvoir already. rumor has it that they're CYNICAL but their friends say they're FRIENDLY. i also heard that SHE WITNESSED OPHELIA’S MURDER AFTER A HUGE FIGHT. SHE HAS NO IDEA WHO DID IT– SHE CAN’T HELP BUT THINK IT WAS HER FAULT. i wonder what this new school year holds for them.

╰・𓆩♱𓆪 ⠀ ⋆ ⠀ (cis woman, she/her, twenty two, nailea devora) is that VICTORIA ‘TORI’ CABRERA , the FASHION DESIGN JUNIOR who is also a DIAMOND ? don’t they live in PITTMAN HALL ? i didn’t know they were back in belvoir already. rumor has it that they're GRUDGING but their friends say they're METICULOUS. i also heard that SHE’S AN ILLEGITIMATE CHILD OF A FAMOUS ACTOR HER MOTHER HAD A FLING WITH AND USES HER MOTHER’S MAIDEN NAME TO HIDE THE POTENTIAL SCANDAL. i wonder what this new school year holds for them.

╰・𓆩♱𓆪 ⠀ ⋆ ⠀ TW: DRUG USE, REHAB. (cis man, he/him, twenty-three, nico hiraga) is that KENJI 'KJ' ROTHSCHILD , the ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE SENIOR who is also a MASK ? don’t they live in PITTMAN HALL ? i didn’t know they were back in belvoir already. rumor has it that they're DEGENERATE but their friends say they're CHARISMATIC. i also heard that HE ALMOST OVERDOSED LAST SEMESTER AND HAD TO LEAVE SCHOOL TO ATTEND REHAB BUT HE'S ALREADY RELAPSED AND IS TRYING TO HIDE IT. i wonder what this new school year holds for them.

╰・𓆩♱𓆪 ⠀ ⋆ ⠀ (nonbinary , he / they , 23 , luca fersko) is that SANTIAGO ACCARDI , the FINE ARTS JUNIOR who is also a DIAMOND ? don’t they live in DOMHNALL HALL ? i didn’t know they were back in belvoir already. rumor has it that they're SELFISH but their friends say they're ECLECTIC. i also heard that THEY WERE THE MASTERMIND OF A BLING RING THAT TARGETED OLD MONEY. i wonder what this new school year holds for them.

╰・𓆩♱𓆪 ⠀ ⋆ ⠀ (the witness & daughter of sheriff & ophelia's former roommate , ciswoman , she/her , 24 , chase sui wonders) is that DAIYU ALIGHIERI, the PERFORMATIVE ARTS SENIOR who is also a DIAMOND ? don’t they live in HESTER HALL ? i didn’t know they were back in belvoir already. rumor has it that they're UNSTABLE but their friends say they're PASSIONATE. i also heard that SHE'S A STALKER (AND ROBBED OPHELIA'S ITEMS AFTER HER DEATH). i wonder what this new school year holds for them.

╰・𓆩♱𓆪 ⠀ ⋆ ⠀ (cisman , he / him , 23 , mason gooding) is that VINCENT WINDSOR , the ENGLISH LITERATURE JUNIOR who is also a MASK ? don’t they live in PITTMAN HALL ? i didn’t know they were back in belvoir already. rumor has it that they're INSINCERE but their friends say they're INSIGHTFUL. i also heard that HE'S HIS FATHER'S GHOSTWRITER. i wonder what this new school year holds for them. 

[elizabethvaughns]

after yesterday's…debacle? with that one comment about if/then, this has been on my mind for quite a bit, so i'll try and articulate it.

@willowstea has explained incredibly well how if/then isn't really the preferred mainstream media because it's being told through a female gaze and it's about just…life. and i agree with every word of that.

most shows have a male protagonist with perhaps one female deuteragonist (who is usually reduced to a love interest) and perhaps one or two female background characters scattered here and there. moreover, even if the female protagonist has some importance with the role, her screentime is usually lesser. moreover, oftentimes, they tend to fall into a box. innocent and childish. housewife, feminine, and motherly. badass and also incredibly sexualized. the list goes on. and as hester mentioned in her post, there's always this dichotomy of career versus family in popular media (and, therefore, in real life) and women are expected to take the family route. if they take the career route, they're loveless. they're empty. (which is complete bullshit because (a) not everyone is alloromantic and (b) platonic love exists). not so surprisingly enough, this dichotomy only exists for women.

however, if/then subverts those expectations. elizabeth is an incredibly strong and rounded female character. kate, anne, and elena are also well-rounded supporting characters. liz does end up having to give up her dream career, but it's not because of romance or family. it's just due to a chance split-second decision not to take the call. and beth who does prioritize her career over romance doesn't have a loveless life. she develops strong friendships with kate, anne, and elena. beth is not villainized for aborting her pregnancy. lucas is portrayed as the asshole in that scene. and beth's friendship breakup with lucas in act 2 is not trivialized. it understands how much of an emotional toll is created by ending such an important relationship. moreover, the show places equal weight on both timelines. neither is given more time onstage or presented as ''better'' or anything like that.

the men of if/then are characterized realistically and well, at that. not a single one of them exhibits the machismo or the casual misogyny and sexualization that is shown by popular male protags. they're respectful and they help uplift their female counterparts.

all in all, from a feminist gaze, if/then is an incredible show.

at this point, i'd like to note that the theatre criticism industry is, "[an] area dominated by men, with 10% of critics being female in 2017" (source). while the aforementioned source refers to the uk, i'd imagine the statistics in the us are fairly similar.

and this makes the origin of the horrid reviews of this show (and many other female-dominated shows) much, much clearer.

the main issue for them is that it's not told through the male gaze. it doesn't tell their story, which has been told time and time again. it tells a woman's story, from her perspective, where huge shocker here her life isn't dominated/filled with other men. and i think they can't stand that. with all this casual misogyny and whatnot, people have been conditioned to believe that the opinions of girls and women are invalid. if a man likes something, "cool! nice to have hobbies". if a woman likes something, though. "she should do something more useful. this is why she isn't married and doesn't have kids". as a result, media that appeals to women (if/then, for example) is devalued as well. on the other hand, the painfully average (and often subpar) pew pew bang bang movies that appeal to men are considered cinematic classics, great media, etc, etc. furthermore, if/then starred idina menzel, who to those not really interested in theatre, was (and still is, to an extent) known as the actress who played elsa in frozen, a blockbuster hit in 2013 which, huge shocker here, appealed to little girls. whose opinions and interests are highly invalidated.

tl;dr the shitty reviews and reception for if/then are a direct result of the misogyny stemming from the female-centrism of this show.

[antigonick]

Book recs: Dutch edition

As promised, here are the compiled Dutch recommendations you’ve been very sweetly sending my way this week. I have read almost none of these so I can’t be chatty about them, but they should help narrow down options!

(This was also a study in “where is the translator’s name in this damn review??!”, which makes me lose my mind.)

Anne Frank’s Diary Charlemagne and Elbegast, which is a medieval epic poem The Two Hearts of Kwasi Boachi, by Arthur Jopin, trans. by Ina Rilke The Letter for the King, by Tonke Dragt, trans. by Laura Watkinson The Goldsmith and the Master Thief, by Tonke Dragt, trans. by Laura Watkinson (both recommended by @letsreadwomen) The Twins, by Tessa de Loo, trans. by Ruth Levitt Max Havelaar, or The Coffee Auctions of the Dutch Trading Company, by Multatuli, trans. by Ina Rilke The Discomfort of Evening, by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld, trans. by Michele Hutchison (trigger warnings everywhere for this one, so check it out at your own risk) The Evenings, by Gerard Reve, trans. by Sam Garrett Tirza, by Arnon Grunberg, trans. by Sam Garrett The Dinner, by Herman Koch, trans. by Sam Garrett Sunken Red, by Jeroen Brouwers, trans. by Adrienne Dixon The Angel Maker, by Stefan Brijs, trans. by Hester Velmans Out of Mind, by J. Bernlef, trans. by Adrienne Dixon The House of the Mosque, by Kader Abdolah, trans. by Susan Masotty The Misfortunates, by Dmitri Verhulst (in Flemish), trans. by David Colmar The Discovery of Heaven, by Harry Mulisch, trans. by Paul Vincent The Assault, by Harry Mulisch, trans. by Claire Nicholas White A Dangerous Affair, by Hella Haasse, trans. into French by Anne-Marie de Both-Diez, but I can’t find the English Speechless and Cardboard Boxes by Tom Lanoye, trans. by Paul Vincent and Jonathan Reeder respectively, and his works in general, though I can’t find a lot of translations (these last three are recommended by @talaricula) How to Become King, by Jan Terlow, trans. by n.n.?  Criminal Case 40/61, Harry Mulisch, trans. by Robert A. Naborn While the Gods Were Sleeping, by Erwin Mortier, trans. byPaul Vincent Crusade in Jeans (and other works), by Thea Beckman, trans. by n. n.? Grand Hotel Europa, by Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer, trans. by Michele Hutchinson Eline Vere, by Louis Couperus, trans. by J.T. Grein and Ina Rilke Beyond Sleep, by Willem Frederik Hermans, trans. by Ina Rilke Shame is Over, by Anja Meulenbelt, trans. by Anne Oosthuizen In my Father's Garden, by Jan Siebelink, trans. by Liz Waters On the Water, by H. M. van den Brink, trans. by Paul Vincent The Golden Egg, by Tim Krabbé, trans. by Sam Garrett 

and a few poets: Judith Herzberg, Herman Finkers, Ida Gerhardt, Rutger Kopland, M. Vasalis.

Thank you to everyone who participated to this list! You’re amazing!

[savewritingnsw]

Save Writing NSW

An open letter to Create NSW and the NSW Minister for the Arts

We, as writers and active members of the literary community, were dismayed by Create NSW’s decision not to grant Writing NSW Multi-Year Organisations Funding in their latest round, despite the fact that Writing NSW was recommended for funding.

This decision demonstrates the ongoing devaluation of literature within the Australian arts funding landscape. We know literature is the most popular artform in the country, with 87% of Australian reading some form of literary work in any given year, yet in this round Create NSW offered only 5.7% of their ongoing funding to literature organisations.

The decision to defund Writing NSW carries a particular sting. Writing NSW is the leading organisation representing writers in a state with a long literary history and one that is home to many of Australia’s leading publishers, writers, literary agents and other core participants in the Australian literary industry.

Writing NSW is an important stepping-stone for writers at the beginning of their careers, providing high quality professional development programs, and it also employs emerging and established writers to deliver and lead these programs. For decades the organisation has provided high-quality courses, seminars, workshops, festivals, events, grants and literary prizes. In putting such programs at risk, Create NSW is jeopardising both an entry point and an ongoing support system for writers.

Macquarie University research shows that the average income of an Australian author from their practice is $12,900. The current economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic makes the situation of writers even more precarious. Writing NSW offers key employment opportunities to writers, through teaching, publication, speaking engagements and both curatorial and judging positions. The removal of these opportunities will mean many writers will not be able to maintain the other income streams that support their writing careers.

The removal of $175,000 from a single source would be catastrophic for any business – not-for-profit or otherwise. For a government funding body to enact such a blunt economic withdrawal in the midst of a global pandemic and without concern for the economic flow-on effect to hundreds of industry professionals is deeply distressing.

We call on Create NSW to reverse this decision and ask them to reveal their future strategies for arts funding and how they plan to rectify the disparity in funding between other funded artforms and literature.

As writers, we will never accept the loss of a vibrant, essential cultural network such as Writing NSW.

What you can do We invite anyone affected by Create NSW’s decision – writers, publishers, literary agents, illustrators, readers alike – to co-sign this letter. You can copy and customise this letter to draft a version from your own point of view on this matter to send to a Member of Parliament.

To co-sign this letter, add your name here: shorturl.at/dERX6

Signatories

Pip Smith, Writer, creative writing teacher Sam Twyford-Moore, Writer and arts administrator Fiona Wright, Writer, editor, critic, reader Gabrielle Tozer, Author, writer, editor Brigid Mullane, Editor Jules Faber, Author, Illustrator Dr Christopher Richardson, Author and academic Liz Ledden, Author, podcaster, book reviewer Kate Tracy Ashley Kalagian Blunt, Writer, reviewer, reader Julie Paine, Writer Nick Tapper, Editor Belinda Castles, Writer and academic Simon Veksner, Writer Amanda Ortlepp, Writer, reader, reviewer, High School English Teacher Bronwyn Birdsall, Writer, editor Robin Riedstra, Writer, reviewer, reader, English teacher Dr Delia Falconer, Writer, critic, academic Robert McDonald, Author, writer, creative writing teacher Dr Kathryn Heyman, Author Wai Chim, Author Kirsten Krauth, Writer, editor Tricia Dearborn, Poet, writer, editor Dr Mireille Juchau, Writer Gail Jones, Writer Dr Jeff Sparrow, Writer, editor, academic Linda Jaivin, Writer, editor, translator Adara Enthaler, Poet, editor, literary arts manager Keighley Bradford, Writer, editor, arts and festival administrator Nicole Priest, Reader and aspiring writer Shamin Fernando, Writer Andrew Pippos, Writer Bianca Nogrady, Writer and journalist James Bradley, Writer Ali Jane Smith, Writer Dr Eleanor Limprecht Idan Ben-Barak, Writer Jennifer Mills, Writer Nicole Hayes, Writer, podcaster Michelle Starr, Writer/journalist Phillipa McGuinness, Writer and publisher Vanessa Berry, Writer and academic Blake Ayshford, Screenwriter Emily Maguire, Writer Sarah Lambert, Screenwriter Anwen Crawford, Writer Sarah Bassiuoni, Screenwriter Jackson Ryan, Writer, journalist, academic Simon Thomsen, Journalist, editor, other wordy stuff Ivy Shih, Writer Miro Bilbrough, Writer, filmmaker, screenwriting teacher, script editor Graham Davidson, Writer, artist, festival director Christos Tsiolkas, Writer JZ Ting, Writer, lawyer Susan Francis, Writer, teacher Suneeta Peres da Costa, Writer Dr Harriet Cunningham, Writer, critic, journalist Adele Dumont, Writer, reader Sheree Strange, Writer, book reviewer, book seller Phil Robinson, Reader Ashleigh Meikle, Reader, writer, book blogger Naomi RIddle, Writer, editor Cathal Gwatkin-Higson, Writer, book seller Hannah Carroll Chapman, Screenwriter Angela Meyer, Writer, editor Steve Blunt, Reader, supporter Ambra Sancin, Writer, arts administrator Michelle Baddiley, Writer, reader, archive producer Dinuka McKenzie, Writer, reader Catherine C. Turner, Writer, reader, freelance editor and publisher, arts worker Hilary Davidson, Writer, poet, academic, reader Dr Eleanor Hogan, Writer Nicola Robinson, Commissioning Editor Kim Wilson, Screenwriter Jane Nicholls, Freelance writer and editor Lisa Kenway, Writer Virginia Peters, Writer Sarah Sasson, Physician-writer and reader Dr Joanna Nell, Writer Laura Clarke Author / Copywriter Nicole Reddy, Screenwriter Anna Downes, Writer Sharon Livingstone, Writer, editor, reader Lily Mulholland, Writer, screenwriter, technical editor Benjamin Dodds, Poet, reviewer, teacher Markus Zusak, Writer Alexandria Burnham, Writer, screenwriter Sam Coley, Writer Marian McGuinness, Writer Selina McGrath, Artist Adeline Teoh Natasha Rai, Writer Catherine Ferrari, Reader Jessica White, Writer & academic Zoe Downing, Writer, reader, creative writing student Amanda Tink, Writer, researcher, reader Lisa Nicol, Children's author, screenwriter, copywriter Aurora Scott, Writer Gillian Polack, Writer, academic Susan Lever, Critic and writer Denise Kirby, Writer Michele Seminara, Poet & editor Meredith Curnow, Publisher, Penguin Random House David Ryding, Arts Manager Catherine Hill Genevieve Buzo, Editor Hugo Wilcken DJ Daniels, Writer Linda Vergnani, Freelance journalist, writer and editor Tony Spencer-Smith, Author, writing trainer & editor Dr Viki Cramer, Freelance writer and editor Petronella McGovern, Author, freelance writer and editor Jacqui Stone, Writer and editor Talia Horwitz, Writer, reader & writing student Sophie Ambrose, Publisher, Penguin Random House Rebecca Starford, Publishing director, KYD; editor and writer David Blumenstein, Writer, artist Rashida Tayabali, Freelance writer Sheila Ngoc Pham, Writer, editor and producer Rosalind Gustafson, Writer Alan Vaarwerk, Editor, Kill Your Darlings Gillian Handley, Editor, journalist, writer Karina Machado Isabelle Yates, Commissioning Editor, Penguin Random House Michelle Barraclough, Writer Natalie Scerra, Writer Melanie Myers, Writer, editor and Creative Writing teacher Emily Lawrence, Aspiring Writer Nicola Aken, Screenwriter Jennifer Nash, Librarian, writer Clare Millar, Writer and editor Kathryn Knight, Editor, Penguin Random House Linda Funnell, Editor, reviewer, tutor, Newtown Review of Books Stacey Clair, Editor, writer, former events/projects producer at Queensland Writers Centre Virginia Muzik, Writer, copyeditor, proofreader, aspiring author Lisa Walker, Writer Sarah Morton, Copywriter, aspiring author, Member of Writing NSW Board Laura Russo, Writer and editor Vivienne Pearson, Freelance writer Justin Ractliffe, Publishing Director, Penguin Random House Australia James Ley, Contributing Editor, Sydney Review of Books Alison Urquhart, PublisherPenguin Random House Debra Adelaide, Author and associate professor of creative writing, University of Technology Sydney Magdalena Ball, Writer, Reviewer, Compulsive Reader Anna Spargo-Ryan, Writer, writing teacher, editor, reader Charlie Hester, Social media & project officer, Queensland Writers Centre Mandy Beaumont, Writer, researcher and reviewer Chloe Barber-Hancock, Writer, reader, pre-service teacher Dr Patrick Mullins, Academic and writer Wendy Hanna, Screenwriter Chloe Warren Dianne Masri, Social Media Consultant Jane Gibian, Writer, librarian, reader Dr Airlie Lawson, Academic and writer Karen Andrews, Writer, teacher, reader Tim Coronel, General manager, Small Press Network and Industry adjunct lecturer, University of Melbourne Tommy Murphy, Playwright and screenwriter Evlin DuBose, Editor, writer, screenwriter, director, poet, UTS's Vertigo Magazine Tony Maniaty, Writer Emma Ashmere, Writer, reader, teacher Alicia Gilmore, Writer Suzanne O'Sullivan, Publisher, Hachette Australia Jacqui DentWriter, Content Strategist Rachel Smith, Writer Intan Paramaditha, Writer Cassandra Wunsch, Director TasWriters (The Tasmanian Writers Centre) Meera Atkinson Eileen Chong, Poet, Writer, Educator Debra Tidball, Author, reviewer Beth Spencer, Author, poet, reader Lou Pollard, Comedy writer, blogger Bronwyn Stuart/Tilley, Author and program coordinator, Writers SA Gemma Patience, Writer, illustrator, reviewer Amarlie Foster, Writer, teacher Dr Felicity Plunkett, writer Angela Betzien Drew Rooke, Journalist and author Michael Mazengarb, Journalist RenewEconomy Katrina Roe, Children's author, broadcaster, audiobook narrator Liz Doran, Screenwriter Arnold Zable, Writer. Tom Langshaw, Editor, Penguin Random House Brooke Maddison Monica O'Brien, ProducerAmbience Entertainment Jacinta Dimase, Literary AgentJacinta Dimase Management Jane Novak, Literary AgentJane Novak Literary Agency Sarah Hollingsworth, Arts Organisation ManagerMarketing and Communications Manager, Writers Victoria Barbara Temperton, Writer Sandra van Doorn, Publisher Red Paper Kite Alex Eldridge, Writer Karen Beilharz, Writer, editor, comic creator Esther Rivers, Writer, editor, poet Jane Pochon, Board Member, lawyer and reader Zoe Walton, Publisher, Penguin Random House Eliza Twaddell Alison Green, CEO, Board Member, Pantera Press Emma Rafferty, Editor Sarah Swarbrick, Writer Dayne Kelly, Literary Agent, RGM Léa Antigny, Head of Publicity and Communications, Pantera Press Jenny Green, Finance, Pantera Press Sarah Begg, Writer Mark Harding, Writer, Brand Manager, Social Media and Content Specialist Shanulisa Prasad, Bookseller Katy McEwen, Rights Manager, Pantera Press Olivia Fricot, Content Writer/Bookseller, Booktopia Jack Peck, Writer, Open Genre Group Convenor, Writing NSW, Retired Kathy Skantzos, Writer, Editor Serene Conneeley, Author, Editor Kerry Littrich, Writer Merran Hughes, Creative Cassie Watson, Writer Lisa Seltzer, Copywriter, Social Media Manager and Marketing Consultant Gemma Noon, Writer and Librarian Tanya Tabone, Reader Laura Franks, Reader, Editor, Writer Dani Netherclift, Writer Who to contact We urge you to join us in advocating for Writing NSW and the state of funding for Australian literature, by contacting Create NSW, your NSW Member of Parliament, and the NSW Minister for the Arts.

Chris Keely Executive Director, Create NSW Email: chris.keely@create.nsw.gov.au

The Hon. Don Harwin, MLC Phone: (02) 8574 7200 Email: office@harwin.minister.nsw.gov.au

Who to else to contact

The Hon. (Walt) Walter Secord, MLC Shadow Minister for the Arts Phone: (02) 9230 2111 Email: walt.secord@parliament.nsw.gov.au Ms. Cate Faehrmann, MLC Greens representative for Arts, Music, Night-Time Economy and Culture Phone: (02) 9230 3771 Email: cate.faehrmann@parliament.nsw.gov.au A full list of names and contact details for NSW State MPs is available here.

[killerscartv]

French Fields (Full TV Series) 1989 - 1991

Resuming the story three years later as William accepts a position with a French company and the series follows Hester (Julia McKenzie) and William (Anton Rodgers) as they move from London to Calais. The pair were regularly visited by their daughter Emma (Sally Baxter) and son-in-law Peter (Philip Bird). Much humor is also derived from their maid, an elderly woman who speaks an obscure, old dialect of French that no one understands. Other regular cast members included their French real-estate agent Chantal Moriac (Pamela Salem), who was also the Fields' neighbour to the left, and snobbish English couple Hugh (Robin Kermode) and Jill (Liz Crowther) Trendle, the neighbours to the right. Hester and William also coped with Madame Remoleux (Valerie Lush), the unintelligible, ancient, and generally useless (but unsackable) French cleaner who lived on and cared for the estate, "Les Hirondelles," ("Swallows" in English) where they all lived. Also popping in regularly were local farmer and mayor Monsieur Dax (Olivier Pierre in series 1 and 2 and Philip McGough in series 3) and his cheeky daughter Marie-Christine (Victoria Baker), to whom Hester did her best to teach English. Nicholas Courtney also appeared frequently as the estate's owner, the Marquis. Ann Beach, who played Sonia in Fresh Fields, made a guest appearance in the final episode, in which Hester and William decide to return to their former UK home. Written by John T. Chapman (who created and wrote all the episodes of Fresh Fields) and Ian Davidson.

[nocakesformissedith]

For the ‘send me a tv show and I’ll tell you the top 5 things I’d change about it’ thing, could you do Scream Queens?

Ah I’m so sorry that I’m responding to this so late!! And thank you!!

1. have Grace interact more with Kappas that aren’t Zayday or Chanel. ESPECIALLY CHANEL NUMBER FIVE. You’re gonna sit there and tell me Grace, who a) stood up to Chanel and refused to let her “haze any of these girls”, b) expresses genuine compassion towards and reached out to Chanel AFTER Chanel had burned Bean’s face off and threatened to frame Grace for it and c) wants to take Chanel down and change Kappa would just.... never talk with Libby who Chanel treats the worst and who repeatedly threatens to walk out on Chanel and about how “Chanel doesn’t deserve to be president”?!

Especially with the final episode of season one ending with Grace thinking they’re sisters!! I did like that Chanel #5 was the only Chanel that Grace defended even a little during Hester’s accusations though lol.

2. don’t make Hester the Red Devil. I’m biased as hell because I wanted it to be Libby but I do have my reasons for not wanting it to be Hester!! The scene where Chanel “kills” Hester was great, and the show backtracking on it (so that Lea Michele can play the killer) and not following through fucking ruined it. It was really a moral event horizon for Chanel, and it implied that 3&5 were finally getting tired of or at least more afraid of Chanel- both of which could have led to really interesting plots (I’m still a little bitter the show never really had that 3&5 trying to take down Chanel plot the show teased at a few times) and her being alive and The Killer All Along just.... wasted that. Second, the reveal kind of ruins her whole comedy? Like. The joke with Hester was that she thinks of herself as this evil mastermind manipulator usurping Chanel— and in any other show she probably would be— but Chanel is actually smarter and more ruthless than her. The finale flipping that by saying “oh but wait Hester actually was an evil genius the whole time!!” was boring, and it wasn’t funny. It also ruined the whole “creepy nightmare fetishist” schtick because imo this girl just being obsessed with horror and death for no real plot reason (she’s just Like That) is funnier than it being because she’s a ~psycho killer~ it also kind of makes the reveal redundant- surprise! The person running around loudly talking like a serial killer is.... a serial killer.

3. related to the above— make Chanel #5 the killer!! Instead of a constant hammering in your face that she was ~psycho~ (as with Hester) you get that ONE scene where Chanel learns of and immediately dismisses the fact that #5 has been plotting to kill her, and having Chanel overlook that fact and then revealing that Libby is in fact the killer would have been genuinely funny. It also would have required the Red Devil origin story/flashbacks to be more complex than “Boone is the strong idiot and Hester is the smart one” that we got. The season clearly showed that the Red Devil twins didn’t get along, and RD!Boone killing her boyfriends and coming after her could have been part of that or why they don’t get along (maybe why she eventually kills him, in this version instead of Pete doing it). It would also have been funny to have Chanel’s constant, baseless accusations that Libby is crazy or evil actually turn out to be entirely true. There was also s theory I read way back after the Thanksgiving episode aired that her “eight meat stuffing” was actually made of characters that had been killed off, which would be so twisted and make her “pigs will eat anything” line in the first episode interesting.

4. have more Kappa Sisters. Mostly for a bigger kill count (I’m terrible haha). But it’s also always felt weird that KKT only had The Chanels (Five people) before the pledges came?? I suppose some sisters left after the Melanie incident but. The social power Chanel is implied to have as Kappa President just.... doesn’t mesh with her only have four people (her minions) in her sorority?

5. A few Season Two changes, mostly taking place with Season One being as is/without my changes : Make season two take place in a summer camp. AHS 1984 showed how much fun the team can have and make with a summer camp theme, and I think it would’ve worked really well with the Scream Queens characters. While S2 did have some great moments (and I firmly believe Halloween Blues is one of the best/funniest episodes of the series) I think the hospital setting- or at least what they did with it- was by and large a mistake. Don’t kill off Chad Radwell - at least/especially not so earlier in the season. It was definitely a bold move to kill of their best character so soon, but the season’s quality proved they weren’t ready lol. Make a Liz Daw character!! Show more of the Chanels in the asylum. More Gigi, some how. She was the best killer/villain— more Boone too, but mostly Gigi. Kill off Hester to bring them back idc.

6. BONUS— Make Grace and Pete not a romantic couple. They’re both gay. God bless.

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 18 March 2019

Quick Bits:

Aquaman #46 is the penultimate chapter of “Unspoken Water”, as “Andy” and Caille confront Namma. I love the world-building that Kelly Sue DeConnick is doing here, enriching DC’s godly pantheons greatly, and I swear that Robson Rocha, Daniel Henriques, and Sunny Gho are somehow getting better with each subsequent issue. Epic storytelling.

| Published by DC Comics

Avengers #17 concludes the war of the vampires from Jason Aaron, David Marquez, Erick Arciniega, and Cory Petit. It’s as gloriously over-the-top as the entire story-arc and it sets up a new status quo for the Winter Guard as well as a few other surprises. The art from Marquez and Arciniega is glorious.

| Published by Marvel

Avengers: No Road Home #6 gives an extra-sized issue for Conan and Scarlet Witch’s adventure from Jim Zub, Al Ewing, Mark Waid, Sean Izaakse, Jay David Ramos, Marcio Menyz, and Cory Petit. It works well as a Conan story with monsters and magic, while still giving a bit of insight as to what horrors are still occurring on the traditional 616-side.

| Published by Marvel

Batman #67 is almost dialogue-free, leaving the bulk of the storytelling up to the art and sound effects from Lee Weeks, Jorge Fornés, Lovern Kindzierski, and Clayton Cowles. It’s damn good.

| Published by DC Comics

Black Badge #8 gives some rare insight into who the kids really are as Matt Kindt, Tyler Jenkins, Hilary Jenkins, and Jim Campbell dive into observational reports from the White Badges. I absolutely love the layers to the characters, as the black ops, highly secretive world that they operate in reveals even more secrets.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

BPRD: The Devil You Know #14 is the penultimate chapter in the Hellboy saga that began 25 years ago. Like every issue of “Ragna Rok”, there are some goodbyes here, checking in on numerous characters throughout the story’s history, and the continued confrontation between Hellboy, Abe, & Liz and Rasputin. This one hurts, a lot. Beautifully depicted by Laurence Campbell and Dave Stewart.

| Published by Dark Horse

Captain Marvel #3 reveals Som’s secrets while Carol tries to build an army out of the survivors. This one’s definitely a bit of a breather as the team works out a plan to take on Nuclear Man. There’s some nice character building with Carol, Hazmat, She-Hulk, and Echo. Carmen Carnero, with colours from Tamra Bonvillain, also continues to impress.

| Published by Marvel

Criminal #3 concludes the two-part “Bad Weekend” arc. I’m really quite liking how Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, and Jacob Phillips are approaching this series, telling a variety of tale throughout time, building up existing and new characters, and really giving depth to the world.

| Published by Image

Dark Red #1 is a great debut from Tim Seeley, Corin Howell, Mark Englert, and Marshall Dillon exploring the concept of the American vampire, like True Blood, American Vampire, or Redneck. It goes a little bit simpler diving into the ordinary, rural, service sector life of Chip the vampire, which makes for the twist in the plot more intriguing.

| Published by AfterShock

Electric Warriors #5 pulls out some more surprises in this penultimate chapter. Steve Orlando, Travel Foreman, Javi Fernandez, Richard Friend, Hi-Fi, and Travis Lanham spark the rebellion here setting up a cliffhanger for a very interesting conclusion.

| Published by DC Comics

Farmhand #6 returns from its break, weirder than ever. Amidst the EPA crawling down Jed’s labs throat trying to figure out what happened with the weird side effects and bizarre spread, Jedediah, Zeke, Riley, and Mikhail go fishing. Odd, that. Wonderfully bizarre story and art as always from Rob Guillory, Taylor Wells, and Kody Chamberlain.

| Published by Image

Guardians of the Galaxy #3 advances “The Final Gauntlet” from Donny Cates, Geoff Shaw, Marte Gracia, and Cory Petit as Starfox’s Dark Guardians continue to try to beat Gamora’s location out of people and the real Guardians try to convince Star-Lord to help protect her. Very nice bits of humour, phenomenal artwork, some interesting developments regarding Wraith and Knull, and I’m really getting the impression that the “new Thanos” is the scarred and broken Starfox.

| Published by Marvel

Immortal Hulk #15 is more brilliance from Al Ewing, Joe Bennett, Ruy José, Paul Mounts, and Cory Petit. This arc definitely seems to be focused on Hulk’s old friends and family, with this issue featuring Doc Samson, and it’s a wonderful exploration of how Samson is alive again and an analysis on who this Hulk happens to be.

| Published by Marvel

Incursion #2 feels even more epic than the first issue as Gilad turns to Doctor Mirage for assistance, then sets out on a quest through the Deadside. Andy Diggle, Alex Paknadel, Doug Braithwaite, Diego Rodriguez, and Marshall Dillon are crafting what feels like one of the next foundation stones for the future of the Valiant universe. With some of the best art I’ve seen from Braithwaite and Rodriguez.

| Published by Valiant

Infinity 8 #10 begins the fourth cycle, “Symbolic Guerrilla”, adding Kris and Martin Trystram to the creative mix, to introduce us to undercover agent Patty Stardust, stage manager to the Symbolic Guerrillas band, as she gets tapped to try to figure out what’s causing the ship’s destruction and try to stop it. Absolutely love the art from Trystram.

| Published by Lion Forge / Magnetic Collection

Invisible Kingdom #1 is gorgeous. I’m a huge fan of Christian Ward’s artwork and this is incredible. Beautiful use of colour, fascinating character and architecture designs, interesting layouts, delivering a sense of the alien and the familiar at the same time. Between Ward’s art and G. Willow Wilson’s concepts and character building, this feels like they’ve put a lot of thought into world building and it pays off in what feels like a living, breathing society and culture in this first issue. Also a nice mix of “futuristic” and normal lettering from Sal Cipriano that aids nicely in setting the tone and atmosphere for the story. This is an auspicious debut and looks like it should be another hit for Berger Books.

| Published by Dark Horse / Berger Books

Justice League #20 continues “The Sixth Dimension” from Scott Snyder, Jorge Jimenez, Alejandro Sánchez, and Tom Napolitano. The artwork from Jimenez and Sánchez is worth the price of admission alone, this is an incredibly beautiful looking book.

| Published by DC Comics

Lazarus: Risen #1 is the very welcome return of the series from Greg Rucka, Michael Lark, Tyler Boss, Santi Arcas, and Simon Bowland in its new double-sized quarterly format, which also includes a short story from Lilah Sturges, some RPG content from Crystal Frasier, and other assorted backmatter. It’s good. Damn good. Easing us back into the conflict of the world as Johanna Carlyle starts taking care of the family’s problems as more conflict and complications begin to arise. Incredible artwork from Lark, Boss, and Arcas.

| Published by Image

Meet the Skrulls #2 continues to be highly entertaining as the family enacts some of their plans and Carl certainly isn’t going to win any father of the year awards. Niko Henrichon’s artwork is a huge plus for the story, nicely balancing the normal world, the alien nature of the Skrulls, and some neat monster designs to boot.

| Published by Marvel

Middlewest #5 gives us a bit of a look back at how much of an abusive asshole Abel’s father is, while in the present Abel makes an arrangement with the carnival folks. Jorge Corona and Jean-Francois Beaulieu continue to make this one of the most visually interesting series running.

| Published by Image

Naomi #3 presents a number of revelations about some of the characters, including Naomi’s mom acting like a savage mama bear, but not exactly the revelations you’d expect. Brian Michael Bendis and David F. Walker are still taking it a bit slow as to what exactly is going on with Naomi herself, instead building up the characters around her (part of me wonders if she’s actually a Monitor). Also, Jamal Campbell’s artwork remains stunning, truly beautiful work.

| Published by DC Comics / Wonder Comics

Outpost Zero #8 takes us out onto the ice to show what happened when the drill team uncovered the dome, then spends the rest of the issue dealing with the ramifications of that, making the residents of Outpost Zero even more reluctant to go outside to do anything to protect themselves, and the kids still don’t know what to make of what they say. This is kind of a taking stock issue, with the characters trying to figure out next steps again.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Pearl #7 returns with a new arc from Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Gaydos, and Dave Sharpe, with Pearl “on the run” from Mr. Miike, the Endo Twins, and a new player in the FBI’s Yuko Masako. This is developing more of Bendis’ dialogue tics as time goes by, but they’re largely forgiven for just how incredible Gaydos’ artwork is.

| Published by DC Comics / Jinxworld

Sparrowhawk #5 concludes what has been an excellent fantasy adventure from Delilah S. Dawson, Matias Basla, Rebecca Nalty, and Jim Campbell with the confrontation between a fully-changed Artemisia and the faerie queen. It’s great, with some interesting ramifications in all of what Artemisia has lost in her quest to return home for revenge. Great artwork from Basla and Nalty.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Spider-Man: Life Story #1 is off to an interesting start from Chip Zdarsky, Mark Bagley, John Dell, Frank D’Armata, and Travis Lanham. It’s an introspective look at Peter Parker’s life, with some key moments, starting off in the ‘60s deeply tied to then-current events. Some of the best art from Bagley I’ve seen in a while, really nice stuff.

| Published by Marvel

Stronghold #2 continues the impressive world-building from Phil Hester, Ryan Kelly, Dee Cunniffe, and Simon Bowland. We’re introduced this issue to the opposite side in The Adversary and his minions, while the “good” of the Stronghold is put into question and Michael continues to wrestle with who and what he is. Great character work from Hester accompanied by some terrific art from Kelly and Cunniffe.

| Published by AfterShock

Teen Titans #28 is part one of the “Terminus Agenda” crossover with Deathstroke and it kicks off with a bang. Damian’s been travelling down a potentially dark and dangerous road for awhile and it looks like it may be coming to a head with this arc. Amazing action artwork from Bernard Chang and Marcelo Maiolo as the Teen Titans and Deathstroke clash.

| Published by DC Comics

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #92 delves into the negotiations of transfer of power of the Foot Clan to Karai in earnest, delivering some interesting complications to the story that look like they’re going to have significant ramifications. Michael Dialynas, with colours from Ronda Pattison, consistently provides some of the best depictions of the Turtles and the Mutanimals.

| Published by IDW

Thor #11 serves as a counterpoint to last issue’s conflict with Odin, as Thor is aided by his step-mother, Freyja, on the even of The War of the Realms. Beautiful guest art from Lee Garbett and Antonia Fabela.

| Published by Marvel

Venom #12 is another big issue. With art from Joshua Cassara and Rain Beredo, we get more insight into Eddie’s son and a startling development, even after last issue, regarding the symbiote. Donny Cates and the entire creative team are really going full-bore in developing compelling additions to Venom’s mythos.

| Published by Marvel

The Warning #5 feels like one of the first major payoffs for sticking with the story. Edward Laroche has been giving this a real slowburn, making it decidedly feel like chapters and snippets from a work that should probably be read at once. They've been good, but not always entirely satisfying as monthly comics. The set-up last issue and the incendiary contact this issue, though, have really lit a fire to the action.

| Published by Image

West Coast Avengers #9 is kind of bittersweet. It’s another fun issue, full of humour, great character development, and wonderful artwork--from Kelly Thompson, Gang Hyuk Lim, Tríona Farrell, and Joe Caramagna--but it’s the second-to-last issue. I feel like the industry needs more of these types of upbeat superhero series, not less. Especially for Jeff the Land Shark puppy.

| Published Marvel

X-O Manowar #25 is largely all-battle between the bounty hunters and Aric & Schon from Matt Kindt, Tomás Giorello, Diego Rodriguez, and Dave Sharpe. Kindt gets in some nice character moments between Aric and Schon, but you're going to be wanting to pick this up for more gorgeous artwork from Giorello and Rodriguez.

| Published by Valiant

Other Highlights: American Carnage #5, Archie #703, Aristophania - Volume 1: The Kingdom of Azur, Bitter Root #5, Bloodborne #10, Delver #2, Dungeons & Dragons: A Darkened Wish #1, Edgar Allan Poe’s Snifter of Terror #6, Evolution #14, Firefly: Bad Company #1, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #4, Grumble #5, Haphaven, High Level #2, James Bond 007 #5, Jessica Jones: Purple Daughter #3, JesusFreak, Kaijumax Season 4 #5, Lucifer #6, Lumberjanes #60, Marvel Action: Avengers #3, Miles Morales: Spider-Man #4, Monstress #21, Rainbow Brite #5, Savage Sword of Conan #3, Solo: A Star Wars Story #6, Spider-Man: City at War #1, Star Wars #63, Superb #18, Wizard Beach #4

Recommended Collections: Batman - Volume 9: The Tyrant Wing, Beasts of Burden: Wise Dogs & Eldritch Men, Belzebubs, BPRD: Hell on Earth - Volume 5, Crowded - Volume 1, Encounter - Volume 2, Family Man, Harrow County Library Edition - Volume 2, Nancy Drew: Palace of Wonder, Polar - Volume 4: Kaiser Falls, Seven to Eternity - Volume 3

d. emerson eddy has been to Flavortown. It was an experience.

[carolynoberst]

@labspace_art Happy 4th everyone! We are HERE and dreaming of fireworks at LABspace 💥 See you 1-5 today and tomorrow, and every weekend through July for Mountain High, Valley Low! 💫 This is Carolyn Oberst, Blues in the Night, 2022, oil on canvas, 17 x 16 inches @oberst.carolyn #carolynoberst Thank you for sharing @nyartistscircle Link in bio for full checklist, and our flat file! See you soon! 🎉 — Mountain High, Valley Low: Artists of the Hudson Valley Yura Adams, Fern Apfel, Pamela Blum, Martha Bone, Judith Braun, Farrell Brickhouse, Undine Brod, Berly Brown, Dina Bursztyn, Karlos Cárcamo, Julie Chase, Matt Crane, Pauline Decarmo, John DeSousa, Dan Devine, Jane Ehrlich, Julie Evans, Stuart Farmery, Tristan Fitch, Tara Fracalossi, Audrey Francis, Betsy Friedman, Ashley Garrett, Joan Grubin, Kylie Heidenheimer, Allison Hester, Beth Humphrey, Will Hutnick, Susan Jennings, Jennifer Johnson, Erick Johnson, Martine Kaczynski, Jenny Kemp, Henry Klimowicz, Thomas Lail, Meg Lipke, Joel Longenecker, Cotter Luppi, Sascha Mallon, Adrian Meraz, Susan Meyer, Carolyn Oberst, Kathy Osborn, Ruby Palmer, Beverly Peterson, Susan Rabinowitz, Kelsey Renko, Laura Lee Ross, Liz Sample, Susan Still Scott, Claire Sherwood, Gregory Slick, Paris Smeraldo, Richard Smeraldo, George Spencer, Jeff Starr, Linda Stillman, Lawre Stone, Joy Taylor, Christina Tenaglia, Claudia Tienan, Michael Tong, Katharine Umsted, Becca Van K, Guy Walker, Jeff Way, Eleanor White, Brian Wood Saturdays + Sundays 1-5 through July 31 Extended hours for @upstateartweekend July 22-24, 10am-6pm @labspace_art 2642 Route 23, Hillsdale NY Full Exhibition Checklist in BIO Inquiries: julielabspace@gmail.com #mountainhighvalleylowhv #labspaceart #hudsonvalleyartists #hudsonvalleyartist #upstateartweekend #heyhillsdaleny #hillsdaleny (at Hillsdale , New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CfjMB8yuUVM/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[willowstea]

Jake's Baby Shower Invitation: Here I Go

You know deep down, I'm a coward Afraid to let you in But the only thing more frightening Is to say "What might have been?" So here I go

(Turn sound on!)

[yama-bato]

         Echo                    Hardcover                                                                                                                                                        – March 13, 2017                                                                                                                                                                                                                          by                                                             Lena Fritsch                   (Author),                                                                         Liz Wells                   (Author),                                                                         Hester Keijser                   (Author),                                                                                                 Jungjin Lee                   (Photographer)                

[esoehh]

A Christmas Engagement: An Amish Romance by Linda Byler

Book Description:

Bestselling Amish novelist Linda Byler spins a sweet tale of heartache, disappointment, and ultimately hopes fulfilled at Christmastime. Liz had been in love once, had even been engaged. In fact, the wedding had been planned, the barn cleaned, and the celery was set to be harvested to make the traditional wedding soup. Just two weeks before the day she was to exchange vows with her beloved, he changed his mind, and that was that. The humiliation was almost as bad as the heartbreak. The whole community had celebrated her engagement, had participated in the wedding planning, had started giving her advice on keeping a home and raising children. When the wedding was canceled, no one knew what to say. She had to bear the pitying looks and awkward glances for many months. She vowed never to be such a fool again, never to trust her heart to a man who could just up and leave her with hardly an explanation. She'd rather be an old maid than go through that again. Years pass, and Liz has made peace with her life as a single woman, a "leftover blessing" as the Amish say. She can admit to herself that Matthew, the owner of the Amish restaurant at the market where she works, is handsome. And she is aware that he is single. But she reminds herself over and over that it's not worth feeling anything for the man. He's her boss and that's it. So why does she look forward to work so much every day? And why can't she make her heart beat at a normal pace when he comes near?

About the Author:

Linda Byler grew up Amish and is an active member of the Amish church today. She is the author of several bestselling fiction series, all set in the Amish world: The Dakota Series, Hester’s Hunt for Home, Lancaster Burning, Sadie’s Montana, and Lizzie Searches for Love. She is also the author of The Healing, A Second Chance, and several Amish Christmas romance novels. Linda is well known within the Amish community as a columnist for a weekly Amish newspaper. She lives near Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

My thoughts:

A Touching Story

I have always thoroughly enjoyed each of Linda Byler's stories, and A Christmas Engagement is no exception to that rule.

Main characters, Liz and Matthew, have each had their share of heartache from past relationships, making it somewhat difficult for them to trust and love again. As they work through this, they focus on their faith and God's will to help them move forward.  While the journey has some bumps in the road, they remain steadfast in their faith and God's will.

I found this story to be inspirational, funny, romantic, and touching which made it a very enjoyable read. I also love how author Linda Byler includes pieces of Amish culture which help draw the reader in and give the reader more insight.  I especially enjoy the faith message that is an integral part of the story. She has a special talent for adding all of these components in such a way that is not overwhelming and does not overshadow the main characters' story. Those details are what make A Christmas Engagement a very moving and touching story that I'm sure you'll enjoy.

***I received a complimentary arc copy of this book from the Author and Publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.