COVER: The Man Who Loved Alien Landscapes by Albert Wendland

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A science fiction novel that begins as a murder mystery and is taken over by an interstellar treasure hunt.

What could draw poet, explorer, loner and paranoid Mykol Ranglen away from the relative peace of his own ring-in-space habitat?
He has no choice in the matter as one by one acquaintances are murdered or disappear altogether. Propelled by ever changing and deepening mysteries Mykol embarks to uncover secrets which could make people rich beyond their wildest dreams…or tear apart human civilization.

The escalating quest takes him through worlds of many dangerous extremes, leading him to confront the deadly alien Fist of Thorns, extinct species refusing to give up their power over the future, and those racing against him to uncover the secret first. But in the course of his pursuit, he must also face his own secrets. And some of these are even more dangerous.

The Man Who Loved Alien Landscapes by Albert Wendland

Cover Art by Bradley Sharp

Foreword by William H. Keith

Space Opera Paperback coming from Dog Star Books in June 2014

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What They’re Saying About The Man Who Loved Alien Landscapes
"Mystery, heart-pounding adventure, and the dazzling wonders of far-flung space play significant roles in Wendland's breakout novel, all while gifting us with a mesmerizing tour of alien landscapes destined to get under your skin and remind you of the very reason science fiction exists: Not to escape to other worlds, but to find ourselves within them."
--Diana Dru Botsford, author of THE DRIFT and FOUR DRAGONS

Inside are alien worlds and titanic space habitats and a brilliant and paranoid hero, all skillfully blended together with long-vanished galactic secrets. Science fiction… good science fiction, by a college professor of literature who loves good SF."
--From the foreword by William H. Keith, New York Times Bestselling Science Fiction Author

Five Reasons I Loved the New Romeo and Juliet

When I found out about this movie sometime in the summer, I was stoked. Any mention of bringing Shakes to the big screen makes me happy, especially my favorite tragedy of his. Then I found out that it truly was an adaptation, that Julian Fellowes had changed the Bard’s words (sacrilege! the English major in me cries) and replaced them with his own. Despite my misgivings, I went to see it, but mostly out of curiosity rather than excitement.

I loved it. And here’s why. (Even though the play is hundreds of years old, the movie did make some changes, and here’s a spoiler cut.)

Knits and Things and Fine Array

I don't consider myself a very talented knitter, but I do enjoy how relaxing the hobby is. My mom, sister, and grandmother all crochet, but I never quite got the hang of it. Since I've been home, I've asked them to reteach me. That hasn't worked out, but my sister did get me two knitting classes for Christmas 2011. So while I'm still a beginning, I'm enjoying teaching myself new techniques and finding new challenges (which, for me, means things that aren't rectangular).

While I was in Kaz, my host sister taught me one crochet stitch. I'd like to blame this on my limited time there, but there is a good possibility she thought I was too dense to learn any more. However, one stitch was enough to get me started, and I promised my fellow goons (an affectionate term, I assure you) that I'd make them each a little something to get through the Siberian winter. Even though that didn't work out, I'm still working on my goal. One friend asked for an article for the hands (like gloves). I made her these arm-warmers (because I'm not skilled enough yet to make fingers):

I admit that they're not much to look at, but I guarantee they're warm! And then, while I was watching Doctor Who all spring long, I made myself a cool TARDIS hat. I believe I found the pattern on ravelry. Something to keep my head cozy next winter.

Наурыз құтты болсын

Happy Nauryz! Nauryz is a new year holiday celebrated in Kazakhstan on or around March 21st. This year, I decided to be adventurous and cook a Kazakh meal for my family. It was my first time cooking Kazakh food, and recipes are difficult to find online, but with the help of my Peace Corps cookbook, I muddled through all right.

For the first course, I made a cucumber-and-tomato salad. This was one of my favorite dishes during service, and it's really simple. All that's needed to top it off is a splash of oil and some salt. Easy and delicious!

The main course was plov, which is also easy because it's just rice, meat, and carrots. I used strip steak and cooked it separately, sautéed the carrots, and then added both to the cooked rice. Some garlic and onions can flavor it up nicely.

For dessert, I made baursaki, a doughnut-type dessert made especially for Nauryz. I managed to find a recipe for the dough online, and then I just fried them up. They were less lovely than the baursaki I remember eating over there, but they still tasted good!

Homemade baursaki! Yum!

And to top it all off, vodka for a toast and some authentic Kazakh tea my babushka gave me before I left! My family said they liked everything, so I consider the meal a success.

School Update

Just a quick update on the semester. I turned in my second monthly submission, which brings my thesis work up to 61 pages (approximately 17,000 words)! At this point, I don't even know if that's good progress or not. Between work, school, and volunteering, I'm really just trying to get enough sleep without completely losing my sanity. I resisted going to grad school mostly because I valued my sleep too much, but I really forgot how overwhelmed I was in undergrad. I'm very much looking forward to spring break.

 But two months down is an accomplishment. "I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday." (Unknown) :)

In other news, it's two years to the day my group arrived in Kaz. We would still be there with two short months until COS. It's a strange day that brings up a lot of memories. At times, it doesn't even feel real. But in the spirit of positivity, I remember a common saying from over there: все будет хорошо. Everything will be okay. It was a thought that kept us going on the tougher days, and it stills helps today.

Happy International Women's Day!

This holiday was first celebrated in 1911 and is now an official holiday in over 25 countries, including Kazakhstan. The purpose is to draw attention to women’s issues as well as honor the women in your life. As my own little way of celebrating, I’ve put together a list of some of my favorite female protagonists in literature who have shaped my reading experiences as well as my outlook on life.

01. Francie Nolan from Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, a coming-of-age tale about a young girl’s adolescence in the city. I confess that I barely remember this book because it’s been so long since I read it. But I do remember walking into the library at 14 in search of that magical, elusive book. A librarian handed me this, and I was changed. Francie loves reading, but it’s her strength of character that carries her through heartbreak and makes her a relatable protagonist.

“Dear God," she prayed, "let me be something every minute of every hour of my life. Let me be gay; let me be sad. Let me be cold; let me be warm. Let me be hungry...have too much to eat. Let me be ragged or well dressed. Let me be sincere - be deceitful. Let me be truthful; let me be a liar. Let me be honorable and let me sin. Only let me be something every blessed minute. And when I sleep, let me dream all the time so that not one little piece of living is ever lost.”

02. Cassandra Mortmain from Dodie Smith’s I Capture the Castle. Cassandra’s a 17-year-old who lives with her eccentric family in a castle in the English countryside. She longs to be a writer, like her father, who locks himself in the tower in order to finish his second novel. In pursuit of this goal, she sets out to ‘capture the castle’ in her diary, but the story is set in motion when two American move into the hall nearby and change Cassandra’s life, as well as her sister’s. Through it all, Cassandra is funny, strong, graceful. I reread this in Kaz and then lent it to a friend, who commented that I’d marked up the text so much that she could just read all my underlinings and brackets and not miss any of the plot. That’s how good it is. Every line speaks.

“Noble deeds and hot baths are the best cures for depression.”

03. Jo March from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. 95% of girls who read this book identify with Jo in some way, because she’s fantastically outspoken and brave but also flawed. She desperately wants to become a famous writer, but her family’s situation forces her to work. And her desire to keep her sisters together doesn’t work as well once they all begin to grow up. Throughout the novel, she faces setbacks, arguments, and devastating loss with fortitude and determination.

“I want to do something splendid before I go into my castle, something heroic or wonderful that won't be forgotten after I'm dead. I don't know what, but I'm on the watch for it, and mean to astonish you all someday. I like good strong words that mean something.”

04. Nan St. George from Edith Wharton’s The Buccaneers. At turns funny and tragic, this is the story of five American girls who aren’t accepted in New York society because of their ‘new’ money, so they try their luck in England, to varying degrees of success. Nan St. George, the youngest of the five, rebels when told she’ll be getting a governess. But the two become fast friends and form a friendship that stands the test of societal disappointment and disillusioning marriages.

"The greatest mistake is to think that we ever know why we do things. . . . I suppose the nearest we can ever come to it is by getting what old people call 'experience.' But by the time we've got that we're no longer the persons who did the things we no longer understand. The trouble is, I suppose, that we change every moment; and the things we did stay."

05. Irene, the queen of Attolia from Megan Whalen Turner’s The Queen’s Thief series. This is my favorite series, but it took me a while to warm up to Irene. Beautiful but never accused of being kind, she’s cold and distrustful because of the things she’s been forced to do to take and keep her throne. When Gen sees her dancing among the orange trees, he realizes she’s not as intimidating as she seems. She’s a complex woman who evolves through her relationship with Gen but also stays true to herself.

“I inherited this country when I was only a child, Nahuseresh. I have held it. I have fought down rebellious barons. I've fought Sounis to keep the land on this side of the mountains. I have killed men and watched them hang. I've seen them tortured to keep this country safe and mine. How did you think I did this if I was a fool with cow eyes for any handsome man with gold in his purse?”

Link:  http://www.internationalwomensday.com/about.asp#.UTpeIfX56g0

Don't Feed the Plants!

I've spent the past week and this weekend practicing for and playing the piano in the pit for a local high school musical. After a week of practice and three shows on top of work and school, I am exhausted! They did Little Shop of Horrors, which is odd but enjoyable. Since returning from the PC, I haven't had that much time to play the piano or any opportunity to play in a group, and it took me a while to get back into the swing of things, especially since I wasn't all that familiar with the music to begin with. But I forgot how much fun it is! The kids did a great job, too. It's great to see their hard work pay off.