ARE YOU FEELING…EXHIBITIONISTIC? This year’s Historical Novel Society conference takes place Jun 21 – Jun 23 this year, at the Vinoy Renaissance Resort, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA. And once again, I’ve somehow been persuaded/drafted into the job of ring-master…er, Mistress of Ceremonies for the Late-Night Sex-Scenes Reading, a regular feature of these proceedings. I inadvertently started this a few years ago, when I attended the HNS and was put on a panel discussing sex-scenes in historical fiction (actually, sex hasn’t altered much in the last few thousand years, so this is pretty generally applicable stuff). There were six people on the panel, and we were mutually introduced electronically and left to figure out how we wanted to handle things. Having done a number of workshops at writers conferences on How to Write Sex-Scenes, I mentioned that I thought it was virtually impossible to discuss the craft of such scenes without using examples to illustrate what you were talking about. General consensus on that point. OK…six people on panel. If each [...]
Tag Archive for ‘Diana Gabaldon’ 
Octopus/Octothorpe….there’re eight legs, what else do you want?
EW.com (ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY’s electronic edition) reveals the official cover for MOBY (aka WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEART’S BLOOD). Here’s the link to their piece, which has a few questions and answers (such as they are [cough]). While I originally wanted an octopus on the cover–both because I really like octopuses and because of the symbolism (there are eight major characters whose stories I’m telling through this book–and it _is_ the eighth book, after all), there were certain technical issues that made that difficult. My husband–never a big fan of the octopus concept–asked whether I could think laterally; surely there were other ways to get an “8″ onto the cover. So I thought. And almost at once, the word “octothorpe” sprang to mind. I’ve always liked the word, and it certainly was appropriate (you may or may not recognize it in its Very Artistic form here–but it’s the lowly hashtag, or pound sign), as it not only has eight points (and eight “fields” of empty space surrounding it; one explanation of [...]
AN EASTER EGG
You have Barbara Schnell, my delightful and talented German translator, to thank for this: she asked whether I was going to post an Easter excerpt, in the style of our Advent Candles (which were her idea, too). Those of you who are German speakers will find the German translation of this (and a number of other things) on the German version of the website at http://www.dgabaldon.de/ (or simply click on the German flag icon at the top left of the home page here). Do be warned: There is a Major Spoiler (not that it will help you in the slightest [g]) in this. AN EASTER EGG Copyright 2013 Diana Gabaldon #fromMOBY #MAJORSpoiler #NotThatItWillHelpYouAny… Roger hauled his way laboriously toward the summit of the mountain pass, muttering under his breath (as he had been doing for the last several miles), “_If you had seen this road before it was made, You would lift up your hands and bless General Wade_.” The Irish General Wade had spent twelve years building barracks, bridges [...]
Quick Correction!!
My apologies! Evidently I confused this afternoon’s live #Torchat on Twitter for THE MAD SCIENTIST’S GUIDE TO WORLD DOMINATION, with the live (fleshly) appearance at The Poisoned Pen for that book on February 25th! The chat this afternoon will be from 4-5 PM EST, and will feature John Joseph Adams, editor of the anthology, Seanan McGuire, Austin Grossman, and me (all contributors of stories in the book). To follow and participate in the chat, when you go on Twitter, search on the hashtag #Torchat; that will show you all the messages with that hashtag. (As the chat progresses, you’ll need to refresh the search from time to time to show new messages, aside from ones that aren’t replies to you.) On the _25th_, John Joseph Adams and I will be doing a joint talk/booksigning at the Poisoned Pen, at 7 PM. Hope to see you there! (Psst…the Pen tells me they’ve just got a bonus shipment of A TRAIL OF FIRE–a return from the UK publisher–and so now have a [...]
Dogs are Pure Love
” Dogs are pure love.” Diana Gabaldon I recently agreed to become an Ambassador for Bianca Associacao, the Portuguese shelter that annually rescues, cares for and re-homes 600 dogs and cats, many the victims of severe abuse and neglect, which is also supported by Mike Gibb (Outlander the Musical) through his Scottish charity Friends of Bianca. Mike writes: You can check this out at and find out more about this remarkable charity, established by and run by volunteers in a country with no Humane Society, RSPCA or the like, on their website at www.bianca.pt/english. And even if you can’t take a dog why not, for a mere $4/ £2.50/ Euros 3 per month, become a God Parent to one of the many animals who can never be re-homed but who will be cared for for life by Bianca. You can view them all at “Animals For Fostering”; once you have made your choice send details to Mike at info@friendsofbianca.org and he will do the rest. And when you are visiting [...]
Best Before…2013?
You know, I don’t usually _feel_ old, bionic knees notwithstanding. But I got a letter a couple of months back from the “Be the Match” organization that gave me pause for a moment. “Be the Match” ® is the registry for the National Marrow Donor Program ®, which I’ve belonged to for the last thirty years or so. This is the registry that allows people to volunteer as a potential donor for bone marrow, should their genetics prove a good match for someone in need of a transplant. I’ve never been asked to donate—evidently I don’t match many people –but have been on their books a long time. So along comes this letter, containing a small Certificate of Recognition and Appreciation, recognizing me “for outstanding commitment to and life-saving support of the Be The Match Registry ®.” After thanking me, the letter went to say (in boldface type, no less): “With your 61st birthday approaching, you will soon complete your eligibility for being on the registry as a potential donor.” [...]
THE STATE of the WICKET – HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2013!
The State of the Wicket* – as of New Year’s Day, 2013 This is a quick run-down of everything I know about that y’all might possibly want to know about. [g] 1. The cable-TV series of OUTLANDER. a) It _is_ an agreement for a cable-TV series. i. It is NOT a mini-series. ii. It is NOT a movie. iii. It is not regular network TV. iv. Yes, if it gets made, unless you already subscribe to STARZ, you will have to pay to watch it, sorry. b) The cable-TV series is being developed by STARZ. i. It’s being _developed_. ii. It’s not (yet) being _produced_. iii. There is no casting call at present. a. If there was one, I’d have nothing to do with it. b. Please stop sending me pictures of your male relatives that you think look like Jamie. c. Please stop sending me photos of yourself, even if you’re _sure_ you look just like Claire. d. _Really_ stop sending me photos of that grotesque Irish wrestler with [...]
HAPPY FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT!
HAPPY FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT! Our wait is nearly over, and through the shadows and difficulties that beset our lives, we see the glow of everlasting light. Excerpt from WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEART’S BLOOD Copyright 2012 Diana Gabaldon [Please don’t repost or reproduce this, but certainly you may link to it if you’d like to!] Jamie was sitting as I’d left him, alone by our tiny fire, now burnt down to a bed of red ember furred with ash. And yet…not quite as I’d left him. I stopped abruptly, a little way outside the glow of the embers, fascinated by the look on his face. He was entirely still, still as a waiting hunter, still as the stump he sat on. And yet his face was alive, his eyes looking into the fading coals but somehow beyond them, not abstracted at all. He was seeing something, and I felt the hairs lift on my arms, so slowly that I felt each one rise. And yet, the sense of him [...]
The Third Advent Candle
GAUDETE – The Third Sunday of Advent The third Sunday of Advent is called “Gaudete Sunday,” from the Latin word meaning “rejoice”: Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete. Modestia vestra nota sit omnibus hominibus: Dominus enim prope est. Nihil solliciti sitis: sed in omni oratione petitiones vestræ innotescant apud Deum. Benedixisti Domine terram tuam: avertisti captivitatem Jacob. This may be translated as Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Let your forbearance be known to all, for the Lord is near at hand; have no anxiety about anything, but in all things, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. Lord, you have blessed your land; you have turned away the captivity of Jacob. — Philippians 4:4–6; Psalm 85 (84):1 A traditional Advent wreath has three purple candles and one pink one: on Gaudete Sunday, we light the pink one! We pause on our spiritual journey to lift up our eyes and see joy approaching—hence we rejoice (before settling back into penitence [...]
A Second Advent Candle
Happy Second Sunday of Advent! This particular excerpt is one that some of you may recognize; it was published as an “extra” in THE SCOTTISH PRISONER. I wanted to use it here, though, because of the spiritual theme of reconciliation and forgiveness, which seemed very appropriate to the season. (Last Sunday, we had an excerpt dealing with mourning and contemplation. Next Sunday is Gaudete Sunday—“Rejoicing” Sunday [g]—and we’ll have an excerpt dealing with joyful anticipation.) A Blessed Christmas (or Chanukah/Winter Solstice/Kwanzaa, etc.) season to all of you, and I hope you enjoy this. William had left the house like a thunderclap, and the place looked as though it had been struck by lightning. I certainly felt like the survivor of a massive electrical storm; hairs and nerve endings all standing up straight on end, waving in agitation. Jenny Murray had entered the house on the heels of William’s departure, and while the sight of her was a lesser shock than any of the others so far, it still left me [...]