Anne McCaffrey- In Memory

I took this from my son's web comic, "Too Much Information":

Anne McCaffrey passed away this week. She gave us so much. Like Little Ace above, we ride the backs of the White Dragon whenever we read her "Dragonriders of Pern" series, and tasted rich imagination and the triumphs of right and courage. It's impossible to find enough words to describe her impact on us, the readers and the writers-- unless we read every word of all her stories.

OVER THE HILL IN MAUI PART 2

THE BIG BOYS COME  IN AT NIGHT


The first thing we do in a trip is to check out local sources of information. That's where you can often find something you never thought of, or get a better price. Time share condos almost always have someone who does a presentation, and we went. Usually we don't because this is where they try to persuade you to buy into more time shares. In Orlando we did, because they gave us $150 which we happily used on the kids for goodies. Here, we learned about the Van trip to Hana, and we knew that was a much better deal than driving ourselves, because that's one windey-ass road. And after I'm home I'll give you a more detailed account of that trip, which was truly wonderful. I'm still mad about that battery on my brand new camera, because that trip should have been photographed the entire distance.

There's also insider information. The presenter told us all beaches on Maui close one our after sunset because
"The Big Boys come in at night". A shiver went up my spine. I knew instantly what she meant, and if you don't, just imagine what swims in the ocean and has a fin that sticks up out of the water. Most of the sharks in Hawaii are harmless to man, and I could easily see that at the aquarium tanks where small sharks swam through all the other fish and even a diver who was working in the pool. But there are also the  Tiger Sharks, in particular. I don't think even the professional divers go into the ocean at night.

I also was thinking of the other kind of "Big Boys", the sharks of the human kind. We're pretty good at avoiding them, but more and more, they are finding new ways to fleece tourists even in low traffic areas. We're learning we can enjoy those high traffic areas and just walk away from the sharks. Maybe I'll blog later on that subject, but not now.

Yesterday was perhaps one of our most favorite days. We just dinked around. A drive down to South Maui is short, intriguing. That's where the really rich Maui property owners live, and where some fantastic up-scale condo rentals are. I can see why. It's away from the really heavy tourist areas, and an excellent place to make a secluded retreat.

The beaches were not heavily populated because the surf was pretty high, and winds very gusty- about 20-30 miles per hour. Sand really stings when it hits your face at that speed. Wherever you are on the Islands, if there's a wind it's very nice. Because it's been mostly from the south, it's brought the vog (volcanic gases) up from the Big Island's volcano, Kilauea, over a hundred miles away. That worried me since I have lung problems, but I seem to have done all right.  Staying in an air-conditioned car is good in that case. But it's really not bad, not even enough to catch an odor in the air.

The aquarium is definitely worth a trip. Sure it's expensive, but really quite reasonable considering costs of maintaining the facility. Cheaper than Sea World, but then they don't have jumping dolphins or Orcas or any kind of show.

And the beach? Well maybe today. We haven't even planned anything yet. Maybe if I wrap a pareo around my body, no one will notice how odd my swin suit is...

OVER THE HILL IN MAUI PART 1

PART 1: THE SWIMSUIT STILL FITS IF I LEAVE ONE BOOB OUT

N Maui Beach (I'll get you the name later)

Funny thing how I've always thought of Maui as a place where only the young people came. I don't know why- perhaps I'd heard descriptions from other people who love the Valley Isle. From those impressions I have always pictured it as the Party Isle.  We've been to all the other major islands, though, so Maui had things that were on our Bucket List. Well, no, you know me, I'm not one to let a little age difference intimidate me. Just makes me wish I could still do some of those things I used to do. So we went to Maui.

Imagine my surprise then, when I saw more people with wrinkles and bags than taut physiques. More gray hair than blonde, and any woman who wanted to, wearing a Maui sundress. 

sunset over the harbor from the condo

Second impression: those aren't just the tourists. Maui-ites have no intention of hiding from the sun once they're over the hill. They're in paradise, and age has nothing to do with it.

clouds at 8,000 ft

We've actually been here several days. By the time I get in, my back aches like fire and my ankles have swelled like logs. And here we are, constantly meeting Young Things who would have put my hiking abilities to shame back when I was their current age. 

tiny flowers at 9,000 ft on Haleakala

Yesterday in our drive to the top of Haleakala- up the steepest highway in the world, we came up to a hiker pick-up area, and there stood a young couple not looking too hopeful. We never pick up hitch-hikers. We did anyway. What a joy they were! Manchesterians transplanted to California, eagerly hiking the very trail I had dreamed of doing fifteen years ago. We took them up to the trailhead just short of the crest, and they began their trek across the crater.

Today we took a helicopter over the crater and down on the rainy side, two other couples, both young, one from California, one from France. We all had a wonderful, exciting adventure. I've never done a helicopter ride before but even I knew the supposed scary sudden altitude drops were actually pretty wimpy. Don't care. It was thrilling.

one of hundreds of waterfalls in windward side

I'm getting brave in this Wild Over-the-Hill world called Maui. Still haven't stuck a toe in the water yet, though. Still wondering what I'm going to do with the other boob. And I finally got the pictures posted! Some of them anyway!

OVER THE HILL IN MAUI PART 1 Coming tonight

We're now in Maui and I'll start with the first post in a short series tonight after we get back to the condo. I'll be taking my camera and binocs as we get our bearings on the island. We've been all over Hawaii but this is the first time to Maui other than stop-overs. On today's agenda- the Maui Farmers and Crafts market, the beaches, etc.

NEW ADDITIONS to Mercy Corps Sale

Just  a $25 donation to Mercy Corps can get you a book cover customized to your book.

See my Mercy Corps Donation Page

VISIT MY MERCY CORPS DONATION PAGE AND READ ABOUT HOW YOU CAN GET A BOOK COVER FOR ONLY $25.

So you probably think I'm not doing anything. Not so. In fact, working on books and covers has kept me pretty darn busy, and then there have been some personal things come up that have been a bit-- well, let's just say, emotionally and physically demanding.

But I did have time for another  whimsical cover design (hey, a person needs to have a little fun now and then). It doesn't belong to any book. But when I re-dressed her in yellow instead of white, I remembered the WISPS OF SUMMER design I did in August. What a great series this would make, based on seasons. It sounds sort of like a Victorian women's fiction, don't you think? Maybe Rumors of Autumn, and Remembrance of Winter. From that, I got a new idea:

Does anyone want these, maybe with your own title and author name? I'll make you a deal: $25 per cover but not to me. Paid as a donation to Mercy Corps, which is ranked as one of the best world-wide charitable organizations operating in the US. Over 90% of the funds donated make it to the people who need the help. And their programs are aimed not only at emergency relief but at helping people become self-sufficient.

Then one more step: a new promotion for Mercy Corps, using my inventory of experimental and speculative cover designs. So If you need a good deal on a cover, check out the ones I'm posting on my MERCY CORPS PAGE.

CELEBRATORY GUNFIRE CONTEST!

Well, one of those "secret projects" I've been working on has reached fruition. It's a promotion for Lady Wicked with a sharply reduced price.
99 CENTS!
This won't last long- but I don't know how long. The publisher, The wild Rose Press is evaluating the promotion and if it's successful in generating lots of sales, might continue using these 99 cent promos to help readers discover TWRP books. Some of my favorite authors are on their list, so I'm hoping for great success. For myself, I just want my Lady to find all the readers I feel she needs and deserves.

So to help encourage buyers, and reward the readers who have already bought the book at the much higher list price ($7! They deserve to be rewarded), I want to throw a big contest. The big celebratory gunfire contest type. What shall it be? Give me your best ideas by noon tomorrow (Pacific Daylight Time) and I'll reward the top five with a $5 Amazon Gift Certificate.  This means it HAS to be something I can launch immediately, before the price goes back up.