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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julie Leto is guest blogging today over at my group blog, Writers At Play.

Leto has written over twenty-five books, garnering a reputation for writing ultra-sexy, edgy stories that test the boundaries between lust and love. Currently at work on the next book in the Phantom series, Julie was born and raised in Tampa, Florida, where she lives with her husband, daughter, a very spoiled dachshund and the world’s largest guinea pig. For more information on Julie’s books, check out www.julieleto.com or visit her blog, www.plotmonkeys.com.

Today’s Danger Gal profile is Barbara Gordon a.k.a Batgirl, most notably played by Yvonne Craig (pictured) in the 1960s TV series Batman.

While today’s profile concentrates on Gordon, there have been several other iterations of this character to wear the bat-cape, namely Bette Kane as the original “Bat-girl” who debuted in DC Comics in 1961, as well as Cassandra Cain and Helena Bertinelli, both of which are much darker characters than Gordon. According to Wikipedia:

The Barbara Gordon version of Batgirl has been adapted into all media relating to the Batman franchise, including merchandise, television, animation, and feature film. During the early 1970s, the character was also used as an advocate for women’s rights.

Not bad for a character originally concocted as a love interest for Batman’s sidekick Robin. More than just a strong super-heroine, Barbara Gordon has become an icon for people with disabilities. After an accident damaged her spinal cord, Gordon morphed into The Oracle, an information broker providing intelligence and computer hacking services to other superheroes.

The Birds of Prey comic book series also portrays her as the leader of a team of mostly female crime-fighters. The series depicts her as a great intellect uninhibited by her paralysis, skilled in the martial art of eskrima.

(#22)

1. Wash: “Everything looks good from here… (beat…playing with plastic dinosaurs over his console) Yes. Yes, this is a fertile land, and we will thrive.”
(as Stegosaurus) “We will rule over all this land, and we will call it… ‘This Land’.”
(as T-Rex) “I think we should call it…your grave!”
(Stegosaurus) “Ah, curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!”
(T-Rex) “Ha ha HA! Mine is an evil laugh…now die!”

2. Book: “I brought you some supper but if you’d prefer a lecture, I’ve a few very catchy ones prepped…sin and hellfire… one has lepers.”

3. Jayne: “Do you know what the chain of command is here? It’s the chain I go get and beat you with to show you who’s in command.”

4. Zoe: “Proximity alert. Must be coming up on something.”
Wash: (alarmed) “Oh my god. What can it be? We’re all doomed! Who’s flying this thing!?” (deadpan) “Oh right, that would be me. Back to work.”

5. Alliance Commander: “Seems odd you’d name your ship after a battle you were on the wrong side of.”
Mal: “May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.”

6. Kaylee: (pointing to a pink frilly dress) “Say, look at the fluffy one!”
Zoe: “Too much foofaraw. If I’m going to wear a dress, I’d want something with some slink.”
Wash: “You want a slinky dress? I can buy you a slinky dress. Captain, can I have money for a slinky dress?”
Jayne: “I’ll chip in.”
Zoe: (to Jayne) “I can hurt you.”

7. Mal: “Sure. It would be humiliating. Having to lie there while the better man refuses to spill your blood. Mercy is the mark of a great man. (lightly stabs Atherton with the sword) Guess I’m just a good man. (stabs him again) Well, I’m all right.”

8. Jayne: (mock reading Simon’s journal) “Dear Diary…today I was pompous and my sister was crazy.” (flips page) “Today, we were kidnapped by hill folk never to be seen again. It was the best day ever.”

9. Mal: “Cut her down.”
Villager: “The girl is a witch.”
Mal: “Yeah, but she’s our witch-” (cocks gun, points it at him) “-so cut her the hell down.”

10. Simon: “So finally…a decent wound on this ship, and I miss out. I’m sorry.”
Mal: “Well, you were busy trying to get yourself lit on fire. It happens.”

11. Inara: “So, explain to me again why Zoe wasn’t in the dress?”
Mal: “Tactics, woman! Needed her in the back. ‘Sides, them soft cotton dresses feel kind of nice. There’s a whole airflow.”
Inara: “And you would know that because…?”
Mal: “You can’t open the book of my life and jump in the middle. Like woman, I’m a mystery.”
Inara: “Best keep it that way. I withdraw the question.”

12. River: “Also? I can kill you with my brain.”

13. Book: “Yes, I’d forgotten you’re moonlighting as a criminal mastermind now. Got your next heist planned?”
Simon: “No. But I’m thinking about growing a big black mustache. I’m a traditionalist.”

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My fellow playpal from the Writers At Play group blog Terri Garey has finaled in the RITA for paranormal and Best First Book for DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY.

What’s a RITA? It’s the romance-publishing industry’s highest award of distinction sponsored by the Romance Writers of America to honor RWA’s first president, Rita Clay Estrada, and has become the symbol for the best in published romance fiction.
Up to 1,200 romance novels from 12 different categories are entered each year in the RITA competition. Novels can be entered either by their authors or by the books’ publisher. After the first round of judging by fellow published romance authors, the competition narrows to approximately 100 finalists. Click here to see the whole list of nominations at the SBTB web site. Garey is up against another favorite of mine in the Paranormal category: Linnea Sinclair for her book GAMES OF COMMAND. Good luck to both of you!

Double whammie! This was a great book and I can’t wait to see what happens next for Nikki Styx. Obviously, I’m not the only one who feels that way too:

“Nicki Styx is a heroine to die for in this witty and wonderful new series. DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY will both thrill and chill you as talented Terri Garey brings to life a fresh and funny cast of characters.” -– Teresa Medeiros, NYT bestselling author

From Terri’s site:

What do you get when you cross a hip young woman with a dark side
with some uninvited ghosts?

You get Nicki Styx and her very strange life in Dead Girls Are Easy.

Poor Nicki just wanted to earn a living with her vintage clothing store in Little Five Points, Georgia, and maybe have a little fun on the side. One near death experience later, and Nicki’s life is changed forever by the ability to see and hear spirits.

It’s dark humor with a Southern slant - the angst of a young woman on the edge, a healthy dash of sex and voodoo, a sprinkling of spookiness.

The whole explanation is:

“Your exact moment of the day is always changing, because the sun never sets at exactly the same time. You are the romantic moments just after sunset when it’s still light enough to see your way around outside, and the sky is a blend of reds, pinks, purples, and blues.

At this time of day, the light has a special way of making even rundown buildings looks like works of art. You’re like that, too ? you’re always finding beauty and magic in unexpected places. Not only will you wish on the first star you see, somewhere inside, you actually expect that wish to come true.”

A few weeks ago I mentioned the new TV show New Amsterdam starring Nikola Coster-Waldau in my Writers At Play group blog post.

I’ve been following reviews of the show around the internet, and today came across Sarah Stegall’s review of the latest episode “Honor”, where she said:

But I do have a two-fold problem with this romance. First, I see zero chemistry between Coster-Waldau and Alexie Gilmore. Sorry, but it’s just not there. I still see more sizzle between Coster-Waldau and Zuleikha Robinson, even if they’re sparks of antagonism. So far, the doctor comes across as vapid. Not even the use of The Decembrists’ Angels and Angles in a love scene could rescue it.

I agree with Stegall about the lack of chemistry between the romantic leads. I think this was most evident during the first kiss after the carriage ride scene, where it seemed like these two actors kissed because that’s what the script said to do. I didn’t see much emotional or physical awareness build-up between them to lead to that kiss. It just happened all of a sudden.

Second, it would be nice if John were actually showing signs of attraction to Sara as a person, rather than Sara as potential grim reaper. Because that’s what it’s starting to look like to me—John is rushing into a romance because he’s desperate to be mortal again. One feels he would seduce a fencepost if he thought it would grant him relief from immortality. I need to see more actual proof onscreen that this is a love story literally for the ages, rather than another quick roll in the hay by a master seducer.

I think Stegall is onto something here. This would actually be a great source of conflict between these two characters — that John sees Sarah not as a person or a woman, but as a means to an end. That could be a huge roadblock to meet the terms of the enchantment that their “souls are wed,” which implies a deeper connection than just rolling in the hay with a master seducer. In fact, it may be that all the skills he’s learned over the years won’t be enough to woo her, he’ll have even more to learn about love.

It’s an interesting hook that even after 400 years of studying people and love, John will still have more to learn.

(#21)

Today, March 20, would have been Mr. Rogers’ 80th birthday and is Wear Your Favorite Sweater Day. In honor of this, David Newell (Mr. McFeely), public relations director for Family Communications, Inc. the nonprofit company founded in 1971 by Fred Rogers, has asked that: “. . . everyone (including members of the media) everywhere (from Pittsburgh to Paris) to wear their favorite sweater on that day. . . It doesn’t have to have a zipper down the front like the one Mister Rogers wore on the program, it just has to be special to you.” If you didn’t get the sweater memo before getting dressed this morning, then just take a minute to think about the contribution Fred Rogers made to the world with his children’s television program.

1. “You make each day a special day. You know how, by just your being you. There’s only one person in this whole world like you. And people can like you exactly as you are.”
2. Where orange crayons come from
3. How to make believe
4. It’s important to be a good neighbor
5. Model railroad trollies are cool!
6. They might grow on trees, but you don’t eat pine needles or bark. You do eat apples and bananas though.
7. Be sure to feed your pet
8. Put on your sweater one sleeve at a time
9. It’s OK to feel shy or sad sometimes.
10. I won’t go down the drain with the bath water (”You can never go down/Can never go down/Can never go down the drain.”)
11. “You know, you don’t have to look like everybody else to be acceptable and to feel acceptable.”
12. “Did you know/ Did you know/ Did you know that it’s alright to wonder/ Did you know that it’s alright to wonder/ There are all kinds of wonderful things”
13. “If you will look carefully/ Listen carefully/ You will find alot of things carefully/Look… And listen”

Bonus: When you’re angry “pound some clay and make things out of clay, and sing a song or write a poem.”

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