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Hakone Gardens bridge

Captain's Log, Stardate 06.03.2006

Blog book giveaway:
My Monday book giveaway is EVERYTHING’S COMING UP JOSEY by Susan May Warren.
My Thursday book giveaway is HEARTS ON THE LINE by Margaret Daley.
You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Thursday, I'll draw the winner for EVERYTHING’S COMING UP JOSEY and post the title for another book I'm giving away. Stay tuned.

Subscribe to my blog via email! Now you can option to read my posts as an email instead of visiting my blogsite or using an aggregator like Bloglines. I have a new FeedBlitz box on the sidebar to the right (after the Blogroll) so that you can enter your email address. You still have to visit my site to comment, though.

I used to have Blog Flux but they totally annoyed me with their web dashboard and the email format, so I switched. I'll see how I like FeedBlitz instead.

TMI:

Writing: So I just finished my Marketing Information Sheet for Zondervan, and they wanted pictures of any interesting places in my book. There is one scene near the end which takes place in a Japanese garden on a bridge, and I kind of modeled it after this bridge at the Hakone Gardens here in San Jose.




Isn't it gorgeous? I stole these pictures off their website.

For the next book, I’m going to scour San Jose with my digital camera for neat places to set my story.
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Comments

Geekwif said…
That is gorgeous! My mom was just telling me about a Japanese garden here in Minnesota that I'm going go have to go see. I'm sure there won't be any wisteria like in yours (being in MN) but if it's anywhere near as beautiful as that photo, it would be a shame to miss it.
Sat Jun 03, 07:08:00 AM 2006
Ruth said…
Those pictures are absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for sharing!
Sat Jun 03, 12:21:00 PM 2006
Cynthia said…
OMG! I love those photos. I so want to go to Asia (or at least San Jose). It looks so tranquil :) Congrats on your book contract girl. All that hard work is paying off
Sat Jun 03, 02:28:00 PM 2006
Unknown said…
Those pictures make me want to hop on a plane. So beautiful!
Sat Jun 03, 03:03:00 PM 2006
Anonymous said…
I love Japanese gardens. I've never been to Japan but even here in Canada, Vancouver, BC in particular, I've seen some beautiful ones. They seem to really be oases of quiet and reflection--not just in the water. This is a very beautiful one.

BTW, how can you get a photo off a site? Does it become public property as soon as it's up on a site. I was wondering, e.g., about my sister and brother-in-law's site. I know I can get those pictures but what if I couldn't?

This is the site for their lodge which they sold less than a year ago. http://www.rawleylodge.on.ca/ The new owners have torn down the old lodge and one of the other motel-type units. It certainly won't be as interesting anymore as it used to be. I really don't know if I even want to see the new version. The new people also sold everything like TVs, beds, the old dining room service and furniture for a song. Had we know that, I would have asked Marlis to let me have a better TV than I know have. This one doesn't even have anywhere to hoop up VCR or DVD. It all has to go through a cable connection or else you have to pay about $40 for a transformer or whatever they're called. But it was sold with the stipulation: all furnishings included. So actually I asked my sister and she said that they had just had to buy a new TV before the end of last season to replace a broked one and they couldn't even keep that, being the Christians that they are.

Is wisteria the purple "rain" on the right of the botton picture?
Sat Jun 03, 03:14:00 PM 2006
Sabrina L. Fox said…
Ah, now I'm so looking forward to reading the book and saying, Yep. Totally see it now. =)

Thanks for sharing all this with us. Knowing they want these pictures makes creating a storyboard a really good idea. I have pics of my characters but now I'm going to be looking for places in my book. ;)
Sat Jun 03, 08:09:00 PM 2006
Heather Diane Tipton said…
geez Camster you just admitted to theft. :-p

love the photos! I should come see you and have you take me there! LOL
Sat Jun 03, 09:37:00 PM 2006
Anonymous said…
I love the pictures. Are they Japanese gardens?

If you can you should get a picture of kintaikyo bridge in Iwakuni, Japan. It's one of the most famous bridges here, and in spring it's really gorgeous with pale pink cherry blossom petals falling down like rain.
Fri Jun 09, 12:22:00 AM 2006
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