Charlie and I just finished watching Professor John R. Hale’s Great Courses lectures on The Greek and Persian Wars, so I was naturally intrigued when one of my commenters linked to a King Leonidas action figure. We have the graphic novel/movie “300” to thank for that. Here’s a link to a photo-rich review of a King Leonidas action figure on Hot Toys. Hot is right. Break me offa piecea dat!
Yesterday, I posted about Splendid China, a now-gone roadside attraction in Florida. If you’re a sucker for American roadside attractions (Cave City, anyone?), you can’t do better than to check out Roadside America. I totally want to go to the Museum of Osteology in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma! Why? BECAUSE IT’S THERE.
Wherever you go, you need to know the cool spots with cool history, right? So download The Clio’s app to your phone, or go to The Clio website and research your location. Most useful for writers, too, who want some local color in their books. Full disclosure: I only know about The Clio because #4 Daughter, the amazing Sara Marian, writes for it. Her articles are the bestest ones, of course!
I don’t know about you, but I love Regency Romances. A lot of them spent time in Bath, so I was familiar with the name Royal Crescent. I didn’t have any detail about the exterior, though. Then Vicky did this Thursday Doors post, with photos of many of the doors. Now I can imagine Sylvester, The Wicked Uncle swaggering out of one of these portals. Can’t you?
Now, an exciting thing! You know how, when you put two mirrors facing each other, you get a reflection of a reflection of a reflection? Well, here’s a link to an article at Reedsy that links to me, specifically my Friday Recommends posts, as one of their 21 Best Roundups For Self-Publishing Authors! They plan to keep the list fresh and updated, so I’d better be on my toes, or I’ll lose my place! At any rate, if you’re a self-publishing author, bookmark that post and check back to it to keep current with Reedsy’s 21 Best. Maybe I made the list because I link to Reedsy so often, but I just can’t help myself! They have good articles! Like this one on cover design, f’rinstance.
A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: Send a character to a roadside attraction with an odd history. Nearly naked Greeks optional.
MA
Jane
February 10, 2017 at 8:59amGreat recommends, as usual!
The news roundup looks especially helpful. I’ll be spending more time on that later.
The thing I like about taking long drives through the USA is the quantity of oversized statues you can see: In Gatlinburg, there’s a treed lot with an abundance of lifesize dinosaurs. You can almost miss them if you’re not looking right at them. Actually, dinosaurs are a pretty constant theme for roadside attractions. So, see? There’s more then giant balls of string to find!
And in closing, I just want to say:
SEE ROCK CITY!
Marian Allen
February 10, 2017 at 10:59amLOL! I’ve actually SEEN Rock City! Pretty cool. Yeah, when we went out to South Dakota to see the Badlands and Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse in progress, we stopped on the way by Ulysses S. Grant’s house and then some kind of reptile city. On the way back, we stopped in a musical instrument museum. Oh, and Wall Drugs!
Vicky
February 10, 2017 at 10:51amThank you, Marian, for the link and post highlight, glad you enjoyed!