Best Damn Book I've Ever Seen: Jane Eyre!

by Sofie Couch

Back-to-School? I didn't know we ever left.

School – It Ain’t What it Used to Be. I’ve been doing the college search thing with my oldest child, driving insane distances to have a gander at schools that I know won’t be a good fit for my bohemian girl. I already know they’re too lock-step for her, but we make the trek, groan over the costs, dream about the ones we/she can’t afford… dream about a college that we design...

But there’s an alternative on the horizon. I won’t go into great detail, because I believe one of my fellow-W3ers is going to tell you all about the phenom, but let me just insert here, college classes, free, through www.coursera.org. ‘Nough said. Go check it out. (I’m currently taking the SF/Fantasy class with the aforementioned W3er and it is a hoot!)

Here on the chicken ranch,

 we lead a pretty fringe existence. Our kids, 16 and 13 yrs. old, don’t go to school. What? Nope. We homeschool. Rather, we don’t even homeschool. We do something even more fringe in that we “un-school”. There is no curriculum. The kids follow their own interests and I just sort of seed their environment with the resources they may need to help them along their way. What does a typical day look like here? Typical? What’s that?

Some days we stay in our jammies and read. Some days we all go swimming. Most days, my son plays with other unschooling gamers on-line, sharing game cheats and things called mods, and skins, and something called “easter eggs”, while my daughter pursues her dream of becoming an architect. (We just got back from Biltmore Estate where we took the “architects’ tour”. Fabulous!)

Or we watch movies. It’s election season, so we’re currently watching re-runs (for me they’re re-runs,) of West Wing and we just scored tickets to hear President Obama speak in our hometown.

But just a short while ago, we, (the kids and I,) did a Jane Eyre marathon and this brings me back on point:

“Best Damn Book I’ve Ever Seen”

This month, I take a poke at Jane Eyre, the book and all of the many permutations of the moviessssss!

There is little left to the imagination in this book, although you might want to take a bite out of the sequel, WIDE SARGASSO SEA by Jean Rhys. Told in the voice of the first Mrs. Rochester as well as Edward Rochester, it is a fabulous take on Mr. Rochester’s dark side.

However, for the sake of this month’s topic, I refrain and stick to Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. It is written in third person, and told through narration by the main character. The reader has little need to doubt the veracity of the narrator. In other words, what she says is taken at face value. And thus, have all of the movie renditions portrayed the same story. There are wonderful movie adaptations, each one choosing some minor scenes to include or delete, (although personally, I feel the version starring Zelah Clark and Timothy Dalton, directed by Julian Amyes, is the most complete version. Despite the poor video quality and a poorly concealed migrating zit that becomes mesmerizingly distracting, it is still my favorite version.)

In essence, all of the movie versions recount the same story. However, the version, by director, Cary Fukunaga,  shakes things up a bit in that it alters the order of events, beginning at a point near the end, and ending at the, er, end.

Why? Well, one possible reason is because the book, as it was written, would fail to make it past the editor’s slush pile if written today. There’re the 50 pages of backstory – Jane’s childhood of oppression – for starters, which is no way to start a mainstream movie. There’s the irredeemably damaged hero for seconds, and finally, there’s the ending of convenience, (worthy of an entire paragraph all to itself.)

In particular, the last quarter of the book, (SPOILER, SPOILER, SPOILER,)  after Jane has left the home of Mr. Rochester, a series of convenient events occur. 1) Jane, upon fleeing Mr. Rochester, happens upon a rescuer 2) her rescuer(s are saddened to learn that their uncle has died and left them only enough money to purchase mourning rings, 3) Jane learns that she inherits a fortune from an uncle who has just died, and 4) by the transitive property of equality, Jane finds out she is first cousin to her rescuer, (who, by the way, wants to marry her. Ewww.) Oh yeah, and 5) when she returns to the home of Mr. Rochester an “independent woman of means”, his crazy wife has conveniently cacked herself, leaving them free to live happily-ever-after.

But you know what? I don’t care. This book was the book that made the difference between my being a non-reader vs. a reader, a writer rather than an illiterate. It is a romance that endures, a classic that set a tone, pushing the envelope, creating a hero who was more than moderately flawed. Mr. Darcy might have had pride, but Mr. Rochester, he’s got balls.

That’s me hushing up about Jane Eyre, the BEST DAMN BOOK I’ve ever seen… or read… or inhaled. I’ll be taking a hiatus from WEST WING for a while to get caught up on some assignments for my coursera class. And along those lines, next month’s blog contribution will discuss one of the books I just read for the class, and a brief discussion of the movie version: Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN. And might I just make a suggestion? If you decide to read the book or re-read the book, will you consider this what-if? WHAT IF Victor Frankenstein suffers from split personality disorder as a result of his inability to accept his own homosexuality? See if that puts a different spin on your reading! Until next month… Sit back and crack open a good movie/book/book/movie.

www.sofiecouch.com

Back to School = School Supply Sales = ★★★★★

I hope everyone has had an amazing summer. Just like when I was a kid, it felt like it went by too quick, but I can't say I'll be sad to see some cooler temperatures roll in. It's been a steamer! 

It’s been a long time since I’ve been in back-to-school mode, but I love it when the circulars start coming out with all the back-to-school supplies, because if you ask me there’s a smudgy grey line between school and office supplies. And even though I don’t have kids, you can bet I’ll be right there in line next to Mom’s with their baskets loaded – the only difference will be I won’t really have a checklist hehehe. Oh, and even better, I don’t have to share. I’ll stock up on notebooks, markers, pens, pencils and, yes, even some crayons. You just never know when you’re going to need a day to color outside the lines. Best therapy ever!

Kids these days are lucky. They live in the land of sticky notes and erasable ink pens. When I was growing up my mom would scotch tape scraps of paper to her pocket book with embarrassing lists of everything she didn’t want to take a chance on forgetting. The whole world knew what her priorities were. Those new erasable ink pens are the best. I remember having to sacrifice many a page of legal ruled paper after making too many mistakes on the ink rewrite. Not any more....have you tried those Pilot FriXion ink pens. They are the superhero of ink pens. A little rubbery end, not like an eraser at all – more like a smooth piece of rounded plastic, that somehow sweeps away your ink and leaves the paper unmarred.

The other thing back to school makes me think of is that great line in the movie You’ve Got Mail. Remember when she talks about a “bouquet of sharpened pencils”? Man, if someone gave me a bouquet of sharpened pencils, or better yet pretty highlighters...I’d be thrilled to pieces.

So what’s a blog post without at least one fun picture?

Here’s a picture of one of my very favorite birthday presents on my 50th birthday 7/29. My dogs, Hunter and Dakota, got it for me. They did too, my husband said so!   Isn’t it adorable. It’s a sticky note holder!

That's my thoughts on Back to School and School Supplies --- a five star event!

Life is good in 2012. Mom’s, I hope enjoy the time that you’ll have back now that the kiddie’s are back in school...for the rest of us...stock up on crayons and practice coloring outside the lines. It’ll do ya good.

Hugs and happy scribblin’

Nancy

PS – the re-release of Sweet Tea and Secrets is just around the corner. It’ll be out in print, digital and audio on 9/25. New cover, new twists. I hope you’ll help me spread the word. You can even pre-order if you like à http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Secrets-Adams-Grove-ebook/dp/B0087340OO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344825357&sr=8-1&keywords=sweet+tea+and+secrets+montlake

My First Taste

If you are the parent of young children, you mark the end of the summer season with your offspring's return to school. I am no different. Tomorrow is the big day. And not just because my kids return to school, but because my youngest starts all-day kindergarten.


I'm free! After nine years of staying at home with my children, I'm free. And ready to devote all that extra time to my writing. In honor of this auspicious occasion, I am reposting a blog I wrote about my introduction into the world of reading romance.


Enjoy.


When I was 11 years old, my parents opened a BBQ and Seafood restaurant. I worked there every afternoon after school and made $35 a week. This was the first time I made any "real" money on my own and I knew exactly how I was going to spend it: gummy bears and books.


There was a new bookstore in town and I begged my dad to take me. With my first paycheck I bought a Nancy Drew book. Not the Nancy Drew I grew up reading (in hardcover solving the "Secret in the Old Attic.") But a new Nancy in the Nancy Drew Files. I bought the first one, "Secrets Can Kill." For the first time, Nancy was on the cover with **gasp** a boy instead of a clue. Nancy was a teenager who dated and used her ballet technique to fight bad guys!


I cruised along for a few months, happy on the high Nancy gave me. I got a little bit of mystery, a little bit of teenage love. It was all good. And then my parents hired a new waitress for the restaurant, Angie. Angie was pretty, funny and probably the star of every party she attended. She acted like a grown-up and was the coolest girl I knew.


One afternoon, Angie sidled up to me, a purple and white paperback in her hand.

"Hey Tracey," she cooed. "Whatcha doin?"

"Reading." Angie was always nice to me even though it was clear we were from two different worlds: Cheerleaderville (her) and the Nerdverse (me).

"I brought this for you. Thought you might like it." She casually tossed me the book and I watched as it slid down the counter to settle before me.


The first thing I noticed was the man and woman embracing on the cover. Nancy was usually next to a boy, but they weren't touching. And this wasn't a boy, it was a man, baby, yeah!-- with a mustache and everything. It was a Silhouette Romance, the words in white and cursive.

I immediately set aside my Sweet Valley High and began the first chapter. I was introduced to the characters and some of their issues which, at the time, were a little over my head. A few chapters in, I hit my first intimate scene.

There was kissing with tongue! And he **gulp** circled her nipple and then he **whispers** got hard!

Holy cow! I couldn't believe I was allowed to read this stuff. (I probably wasn't but I wasn't about to check.) And to top it all off, they lived happily ever after. (Just what a teenage girl wants to hear- give it up to the boy and he'll love you forever.) When I closed that first book, I needed another right away. I'd had my first taste. And I was hooked.

Like most addicts (I know this from movies, not personally) I quickly outgrew my first dealer. Angie was able to provide me a few more, but she was small-time. She told me about this weekly flea market and even mentioned to my stepmom that she might find some great antiques there. That Saturday morning, my stepmom found great deals. And I found dealers vendors who sold older romance novels for twenty-five cents a book! Good-bye $35. I bought as many books as I could carry and the following week I brought my backpack so I could purchase even more.

I read on the bus to and from school. I hid books in my textbooks and read during lectures. I sometimes skipped lunch and read in the library. In between taking orders at the restaurant, my nose was stuck in a book. And on the third Sunday of each month, when I ushered in church and could sit away from my family, I hid a book in the hymnal and read during the sermon.

Although the addiction had me hard, I knew there was more to my life. Even at 11, things were expected of me. I was going to graduate high school, go to college, attend medical school and become a pediatrician. (I changed course along the way--it became law school and public defender.) I would burn out at the rate I was going. I had to scale back. I became a functioning addict. In fact, before launching my website, most people in my life probably had no idea how important romance novels were to me.

Today, I'm finally proud to stand up and proclaim, "My name is Tracey I'm addicted to romance novels."

I don't want help; I don't think it's a problem. I want to wallow in it. And try to hook as many people as possible.



How were you introduced to your drug genre of choice?

Tracey Livesay is the author of sexy, contemporary romance novels with alpha males and smart females. You can find her at her other blog "Mimosas @ Midnight", on Twitter @tlivesay, and on Facebook at Tracey LivesayAuthor. You can read her column, Fictionistas, every 3rd Monday of the month.

Tracey Livesay: your destination for True Love... in black & white.

Back to School With A Little Tarot Lesson

It's already August 15^th! Can you believe it? Another summer is almost over and the Back to School season has begun.

I am currently working on a novella involving a tarot card reader. Three specific readings are included in the story and since I had my cards on the table, so to speak, I thought I'd discuss the tarot card that epitomizes the season – the Eight of Pentacles, commonly referred to as the Apprentice card.

8 of Pentacles
Robin Wood Tarot Deck
(c) 1991 Robin Wood
Published by Llewellyn Worldwide

In most decks*, this card portrays a character busy carving a pentacle, with six completed pentacles displayed nearby. The character is usually in a workshop setting and appears fully concentrated upon his task.

I interpret this card to represent a determination to improve your skills or knowledge. Perhaps an opportunity is offered to expand your experience and hone your skills.

Being pentacles, the underlying meaning of the suit is always the creation of stability and security. While they look like coins, pentacles are not actually "coin of the realm," but more about whatever represents security in your life, up to and including, but not limited to, financial wealth.

This card also offers a clear image of "practice makes perfect" with the six completed pentacles and the character working on the seventh. Mastery takes dedication and hard work. Apply yourself and you can achieve success.

Finally, if the card appears reversed, or upside down, in a reading, the interpretation is more about how lack of education might be hampering your progress. It might also mean there is a lack of dedication and follow through which could result in a loss of stability or security in your life. Any skill learned and not applied is wasted. Any knowledge attained and then not shared is eventually lost.

I hope you enjoyed my little tarot lesson and be warned there will be more. After all, I don't want to lose my tarot skills either.

Until next month, Denise Golinowski

My sweet fantasy romance, The Festival of the Flowers: The Courtesan and The Scholar is available as an ebook from the Wild Rose Press. You can check it out here.

* Image is from the Robin Wood Tarot Deck (my personal favorite). The images are particularly beautiful and evocative for me. This is not to say that there aren't plenty of other perfectly valid decks designed upon different systems, but it is the deck I use. Contemporary tarot decks generally follow a basic design originally created by artist Pamela Coleman Smith for A.E. Waite and produced by the Rider Company. The deck is commonly known as the Rider-Waite deck (copyright U.S. Games). The images are easy to interpret and yet deeply symbolic.