A High Wind In Jamaica by Richard Hughes

With all this hurricane talk on Twitter, I'm reminded of an excellent novel - A High Wind In Jamaica by Richard Hughes, published in 1929.

The Bas-Thornton children, John, Emily, Edward, Rachel, and Laura, enjoy a carefree, privileged life on their family sugar cane plantation in late nineteenth century Jamaica.  A massive hurricane desimates their home, and their parents decide to send them back to their original home in England via merchant ship.  The ship is seized by pirates, and the children are kidnapped. 

The children quickly learn to appease their captors in order to survive, but soon find themselves adapting to their new life too well, and they begin committing primal, uncharacteristiclly dark deeds (al la Lord of the Flies by William Golding).

A High Wind In Jamaica is a classic of twentieth-century literature; a beautifully written story about seduction, duplicity, and unexpected violence. However, the real treat is Hughes' delving into the ingenious minds of children adapting to a crisis.

Note:  This is a book about children; not for children.

Is Writing Like A Long Bout of Some Painful Illness?

All writers are vain, selfish and lazy, and at the very bottom of their motives lies a mystery. Writing a book is a long, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.
- George Orwell
 
Do you find that writing is like a "long bout of some painful illness?"
 
What drives you to write?

Women Writers, Women Books

I just wanted to thank the lovely Anora from Women Writers, Women Books for inviting me to blog about my experience in The 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest.

Please check out this dynamic website - it highlights contemporary women writers and contemporary women readers of all genres.  Find a category, and a blog post that interests you, and don't forget to comment!

Here's the link to my post:

http://booksbywomen.org/making-it-into-the-2011-amazon-breakthrough-novel-contest-by-cynthia-watson/

Hope you enjoy it!

The Most Beautiful Blog!

"French Sampler" is the most beautiful blog I've ever seen!  I came upon it accidentally, while searching for photos of Lily of the Valley (my fav flower).  As I began to look around the blog, I was stunned by the gorgeous photos, appealing writing, and overall beauty.
Blogger, "Dash," is an English woman, living in South West France with her half English, half French lover (how cool is that?) and their smooth haired Fox Terrier, Crusoe (the adorable pooch is in some of her photos).
The posts range from stunning photos taken while showing friends around the French countryside, to purchasing leopard print shoes, to Dash's favourite books, food and clothes (my three favourite things!). 
Also, there are lovely little side-bar photos, illustrations, and paintings (I love, "Woods In The Mist") - every picture is just to drool over!

If you are a lover of all things French (like me), or if you just need a well-earned injection of culture, check out this beautiful blog!

French Sampler - Sampling A Rainbow of Life:   http://thefrenchsampler.blogspot.com/