Find me Under the Tuscan Gun

Yes, I've just been added to the team writing about all things Tuscan for the terrific website Under the Tuscan Gun. My first post isn't up yet but if you love food, and love Italian food, and love Tuscan food in particular, you owe it to yourself to visit this site often. Uup now, Wendy Hector's review of Stir: Mixing it up in the Italian Tradition by Boston chef Barbara Lynch.

Freebie Fiction Sample

This story is from 12 Nights of Christmas, available here and here in your choice of e-formats for the bargain price of 99 cents. Whatever happened to the "cents" sign on a keyboard? Was it never on a computer keyboard or was it lost in the transition from typewriters to computers? I miss the cents sign.

Four Birds Calling

Reg could see the two birds out of the corner of his eye. They were looking at him and giggling, being none too subtle about it.

He knew what they were thinking.

Is it him?

Could it be?

The resemblance really was quite striking. He had the same blond mop-top, the same bedroom eyes, the same succulent lower lip.

He even styled his wardrobe after Thomas, the photographer his doppelganger had played in Blow-Up. The white pants and powder-blue shirt rolled up to the elbows. It was a good look for him.

The shirt matched his eyes.

And eyes are the windows of the soul.

Reg never looked birds in the eye though; he always focused on their lips. Eventually they’d notice and ask, “What?”

He’d always say, “You have the most beautiful lips.”

It worked a treat, that line.

Is it him?

Could it be?

He glanced over at the girls and flashed his second-best smile at them, which was enough to make the fat one blush but the spotty one looked back at him boldly and licked her lips while making intense eye contact.

Well hello, Reg thought.

More Frenchy Christmas-ness

I love this card--the Eiffel Tower draped in a garland with a Joyeux Noel greeting. You can find it on Etsy. a package of ten will run you $17.50 plus postage, which is not cheap, but purchasing the cards will make you a patron of the arts!

Woo Hoo--the Sapphires has been nominated....

Congratulations to everyone who worked on The Sapphires, a real-life Dreamgirls tale about an Australian girl group that entertained the troops in the Viet Nam war. It's been nominated in multiple categories for the Australian Academy of Cinema Awards. I was part of the development team on the script (based on a play by the son of one of the real-life songstresses) and could not be more proud of the movie. See the article here on Deadline Hollywood.

Best of the Holiday Gift Guides

I love gift guides. That's why I decided to put together my own. (And wish lists, I love them too.) This is the time of year when every site and magazine/newspaper is putting together a gift guide and looking them over will give you some ideas on what to give that family member who's so hard to please.

Over at Wired Magazine, the Geek Dad list is up and it's got everything from game system point cards to iPhone cases to links to other parts of the list. See it here.

Over at Ain't It Cool News, Quint's three-part holiday gift guide is up, with offerings running the gamut from inexpensive to pricey (like that box set of Dark Shadows episodes that comes in a casket-shaped box).

Real Simple has a multi-part gift guide that splits off into gifts for women, men and children, for foodies and gadget-lovers.

Engadget's list is all about eReaders, a guide to the best of what's available right now. SlashGear has a list of "oddities" that would make great stocking stuffers. Gizmodo has put together a witty list divided up into categories like "For your sainted mother" and "Holiday Gifts for Ryan Gosling, Idris Elba and Other Guys You Love."  Then there's ESPN's guide.

InStyle Magazine has a guide that's not just for the girly-girl or the fashionista. Included are sections for kids, "upgrades for men," gifts for "9-5 friends" and gifts under $25. You have to love a list that includes  Nail polish for pets ($8.95); a python printed sleep set ($220 for both pieces); and customizable headphones ($179).

The Kattomic Energy 2012 Gift Guide will be back tomorrow with gifts for your favorite foodies.

Nightfalls is available

You can buy it here as an ebook for $2.99; the print version will be available soon. Twenty-nine writers, half a dozen genres, one good cause.

The Best Geek Gift for a Foodie EVER!

This may be the best novelty chocolate item ever made.  By rights, this should have gone into the Foodie section of the gift guide but it is so cool it needs a post all to itself. You can buy a chocolate replica of Han Solo in the carbonite slab. You can buy it from Think Geek.  It costs $11.99 for one 4.5 ounce bar.