Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Twofer Tuesday with Sherlock

Another Tuesday where I get to talk about what writing-- such as it is-- I've done, and go on a bit about something I've read. It's one of my favourite days.
I'm clipping along with the clean-up editing of A Fly on the Wall. I thought I'd be done by now, but life gets in the way. I'm not complaining. Hell, I'm glad of it. Distractions can be irritating, but they give me time to think and somewhere along the line I've realized that's good.

I've managed to get a fair amount of reading done. I have to admit something, though, I gave up on the book I mentioned last week. I'd read the info in it in other books over the years. Not only was it a rehashing for me, the type was really small. I sent it to its rightful owner and cracked the spine on a proper book: The Hound of the Baskervilles.
I adored this book. I was riveted to the couch most of Saturday and rarely came up for air until it was done.

Here's a sample:

"The moon was shining bright upon the clearing, and there in the centre lay the unhappy maid where she had fallen, dead of fear and of fatigue. But it was not the sight of her body, nor yet was it that of the body of Hugo Baskerville near her, which raised the hair upon the heads of these three dare-devil roisterers, but it was that, standing over Hugo, and plucking at his throat, there stood a foul thing, a great black beast, shaped like a hound yet larger than any hound that ever mortal eye rested upon."
- Arthur Conan Doyle (Red Classics, 2007)

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I'm just at the two-thirds mark of the manuscript. I'll be done shortly and then I can take out a hard copy. The weather's getting warm enough that I might just stretch out on a deck chair on the porch to do the editing. It won't even seem like work.

Here's a two and some extras from AFOTW.

"She turned her head slightly and looked at the mirror and the reflection of her record player.
Why not? Why not put on some Glenn Miller? Or maybe some Vera Lynn. 'The Songbird of the Blitz' herself. It was that kind of a day."

Thank you so much for coming by and reading, and commenting, and all that other good stuff. I appreciate it.
For more or to get in on the action, please see the Women of Mystery.

8 comments:

the Bag Lady said...

Great stuff, cousin (especially accompanied as it is by the Princess, who is out on the deck, "singing" with the coyotes!)

Hope your weather is conducive to that deck chair editing!!

David Cranmer said...

I re-read The Hound of the Baskervilles almost a month ago and did a TwoFer myself. The book is just crawling with sharp, evocative prose.

Leah J. Utas said...

Thanks, Cousin. Go Princess!
Not so much today, but I think the weather will smarten up pretty soon. That said, we sure could use some rain.

David, it is. I hated for it to end.

Frank Baron said...

Longtime Sherlock fan here and The Hound is one of my favourites.

Enjoy the reading and good luck with the editing.

Leah J. Utas said...

Frank, I loved The Hound. One of my faves. Thanks re: editing.

Crystal Phares said...

Great lines. Hope the weather cooperates for you and you can edit on the deck!

Clare2e said...

Pulled out of context, it's especially easy to see how clear and compelling it really is, not fusty or antique at all.

I'm a fan of Conan Doyle's and getting Blitz'd both!

Leah J. Utas said...

Why thank you, Clare.