The Distant Cousin Thread: Bizarre in the Bazaar

[BrassMan]

Hundreds of Kindle Board members who enjoy a light, fun story series that's a little adventure, a little romance, a little thriller, and a little science fiction (at a budget price) have enjoyed the Distant Cousin series.

         <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPf58Ry5uE" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPf58Ry5uE</a>

Here are some comments by members from various corners of the KindleBoards:

"I loved this book. I had read so many good things on Kindle Boards that I decided to try it even though I am not a science fiction fan. I loved some of your ideas. Thank you for writing. It is such a pleasure to read a book that provides entertainment and a sense of wonder. This is time well spent!"

"Once I finished the sample I immediately bought the book and have been reading for the last 3 hours. I was hooked after the first 8 to 10 pages. I wasn't sure I would like this when I read 'another planet.' It did not sound like a book I would choose to read. If I didn't have to get up at 5 am for work I would read all night. I definitely recommend this book, you won't be disappointed."

"You SUCK!!! Ever since I started Distant Cousin, my dishes haven't gotten done. I have an entire house to pack, which isn't getting done, and I was up till 2AM last night to finish it! I haven't spent more than ten minutes at a time online and we have been eating premade casseroles...It's all your fault! My husband thinks it's funny. I am not going to start the second one till the weekend so I can get some work done around here. Thank you for entertaining me.The characters, especially Darcy, become so real. I know I am reading a good story when I worry about the characters' well being and celebrate their successes!"

"Thanks, Al, for some wonderful books. It's always a pleasure to read a book where the character is so "fleshed out" that I feel I would know him/her if I met them on the street. Not only would I know them, I'd have to invited them to lunch so we could chat!"

"What I like about the series is the way it's written. It's a very smooth, calm style that keeps me interested. The characters are so likeable and Darcy just makes you want to hug her, she's so charming and cute."

'I'm another one of the ravers. These are 3 soon to be 4 books that I can't imagine anybody not liking. There is something for everybody in them."

"Just bought Repatriation. Loved the first one and got the wife to start it. She's giggling a lot, so she must like it." {later} "My wife is in absolute love with Distant Cousin. She told me she kept taking breaks yesterday to read it and stayed up waaay late reading it."

"I am so into Al Past's book that I have my Kindle in one hand and am typing with the other."

"I've been so totally absorbed in the Distant Cousin trilogy that I didn't even know the board was down. I logged in and all the posts said 'yesterday' on them and I couldn't figure out where everybody was."

"Okay...I'm finished with Distant Cousin and the first page of Repatriation is open on my Kindle. I'm annoyed to have to start dinner and get the laundry out of the dryer first.... It's funny, I seared my chicken legs and have them sauteeing...to make something easy tonight.... I only  get emotional when I'm completely submersed in a story. I actually found myself having to hit the 'prev page' button over and over. I was so into the story, I was hitting the 'next page' buton with a couple words lef of the last line to read...LOL. The page would turn and the sentence would continue, but I wouldn't know what it meant...I was getting too anxious to see what was going to happen next."

"...some of the indie writers here are absolutely terrific, and I definitely try to strongly recommend their writings. If I am responsible for at least one other person reading Distant Cousin, Barracuda, In Her Name, Gone for a Soldier, etc., I am ecstatic."

"I'm enjoying Book 2 even more than Book1."

"Experiencing things through Ana that I don't give a second thought to is fun! I also like that cats who don't like anyone else are drawn to her...."

"I began reading Distant Cousin Friday night and I have had a Hell of a time putting it down.... It's really great, Al! So much fun to read!"

"{Distant Cousin: Reincarnation} crosses the line between various cultures in an educational (don't let that word scare you) manner. It has intelligent (?) and nice (?) FBI agents actually working with the CIA. A Navy Seal shows his true colors and acts just like you expect a Navy Seal to act. Attorneys that are actually people and not scuzz bags. And let's not forget the romance! A good story, a good ending, a soft Sci-Fi genre."

"I rarely read science fiction (the exception is Distant Cousin, which I thoroughly enjoyed and promptly bought the rest of the trilogy)."

"Distant Cousin may need a genre of its own. As a rule I avoid all science fiction and so...I was slow in downloading Distant Cousin. After reading the first few pages however, I was glad that I'd broken my own rule. Whatever genre it is, Distant Cousin is a good read."

"The descriptions of the scenery and the people in West Texas were perfect. I had a movie running in my head the whole time I was reading."

"I am up to Book 3 of the Distant Cousin series and I really recommend these books for anyone wanting something fun and engaging. I have been reading them each night for almost a week and am becoming distressed the Book 3 is almost over. I have many books waiting on my Kindle to read, but I hate to leave Ana Darcy and her story."

"Distant Cousin.... I am hooked on our authors. Not my usual subject matter, yet a really good read. Looking forward to More, More, MORE."

"I just finished Distant Cousin and loved it. A great combination of adventure, human drama, and soft sci-fi. I'm now starting on the second book in the series and am just as entertained."

"I just finished book 3 and can hardly wait for  the next to see what happens next. I have thoroughly enjoyed {them}....I loved Ana Darcy. She is a very believable heroine."

[NOTE: The Book Klub for volume 3, Distant Cousin: Reincarnation, starts July 1^st. Everyone's invited!]

        

[BrassMan]

This just in!

An overview of all three (soon to be four) Distant Cousin novels:

Many books have been written about how First Contact with an extraterrestrial will change the world. Very few books have been written about how such an event would affect the life of the being who makes that contact. In the Distant Cousin series, Ana Darcy (Anneyn Darshiell) – the initial human envoy from a distant world populated by “cousins” to our species – is both the most famous person on Earth and also a private individual who wants what most women want: a family, a home, and a meaningful life.  The Distant Cousin series explores Darcy’s arrival on Earth, her meteoric rise to fame, her impact on world politics and technology – and her growth as a person in the role of wife and mother after settling down on her new home world.  Of interest also is the network of friends that Darcy cultivates through her actions on Earth; it seems that no one who meets this woman remains untouched by her. Although the Distant Cousin novels include plenty of action and intrigue – deadly danger and sometimes worldwide threats – they cannot rightly be called action novels.  Moving at a leisurely pace and focused more on characters than on thrills, the four-book series describes the evolution of a family – composed of one extraordinary woman, a kind and gentle man that most people would find rather average, and two children with an unusual heritage and a refreshingly unique view of the world. Although “light” on the science fiction aspect of the situation, the Distant Cousin novels are gold for readers more interested in the human impact and implications of knowing we are not alone in the universe.

   Dianne Salerni, author of High Spirits (We Hear the Dead), A Pinpoint of Truth, and Threshold into Darkness (forthcoming)

[stacydan]

I just finished Distant Cousin and Loved it!  I can't wait to read the rest of the series.  Great storyline, loveable characters, I really liked seeing how the characters developed and their interactions with eachother.  I was pulled into the story and wanted to stay there. I hated having to stop reading for such mundane activities as work, but since they give me a paycheck, they think I must do something other than read my Kindle all day - go figure!   

[BrassMan]

Here's chapter two of Kindle Boarder comments about the Distant Cousin books. Thanks to all!

"...I have absolutely no idea where [Distant Cousin: Repatriation] is going. You also get bonus points for making me laugh multiple times, the Lehrman bit was particularly funny."

"Ana Darcy is one of my favorite characters."

"What a fascinating concept you have developed."

"These are excellent books and are at a very good price. The first volume made my Top 10 list for 2009. I like the premise of the books and Al is quite good at descriptive passages. A good part of the books takes place in West Texas and it's easy to have a movie running in my head as I'm reading...."

"Darcy has been keeping me company. I am re-reading from the beginning before I start #4 just because...I forget bits and pieces. It's just as good the second time aorund if not better!"

"...the three [Distant Cousin] books that I mentioned have been the only books that I've read on the Kindle to this day that were able to fully sustain my interest from the beginning all the way to the end...I have to thank you for such a great book, just thinking about it makes me very happy."

"I really enjoy your books and love the characters.... I had a 3 hour break today between classes and was only going to read for an hour and then do some homework. Well that plan got shot to heck when Darcy [spoiler snip]. I had to keep reading. It worked out ok, the book ended just before my next class started. Good thing is wasn't longer, I would have missed my class!"

"Stumbled across Distant Cousin back around the 4th of July and decided to give it a try. Got seriously and quickly sucked in and then ran through the remaining three in the next week or two. Very good enjoyable reads!!!" 

"Distant Cousin is one of the best series around...."

"As far as sci-fi's go, it's very light on the sci part. I mean, you really don't get bogged down in techy stuff at all & there's a great story in there."

"I just finished reading Distant Cousin. Although science fiction usually is not my favorite genre, I enjoyed the novel very much. It was not overly technical, and mixed romance in nicely with the story of the extra-terrestrial. Also the book was driven more by character than by plot, which is something that I like. I am looking forward to reading more about Darcy and Matt. Thank you for writing their story." 

"I'm 80% through Reincarnation, I think this is my favorite so far, EXCELLENT read."

"I just finished Distant Cousin...in fact I was up half the night just to finish it! It was wonderful!"

"I have read yours twice already and am sure I will read them all again. They are nice and soft and don't give me nightmares, and leave me with a fuzzy feeling. So there!"

"I just finished Distant Cousin and loved it! I can't wait to read the rest of the series. Great storyline, loveable characters, I really liked seeing how the characters developed and their interactions with each other. I was pulled into the story and wanted to stay there. I hated having to stop reading for such mundane activities as work, but since they give me a paycheck...."

"...this is a great sci-fi series and has a little something for everyone, a little action, a little suspense, a little romance, and it also really shows how the characters develop and interact with each other and I really like that."

"...there are only a few books that I tend to think about or miss the characters after reading so that says a lot about your book!"

"...it is all your fault that I have dirty dishes and no laundry done. I am 79% thru with Distant Cousin, it's a really good read so far and I can't wait to see what happens next!"

"Loved these stories. I certainly intend to reread the three books that I have!"

"I would recommend the book to any of you who like science fiction with some romance and adventure thrown in. No little green men/women will be involved, but there will be characters about whom you will care a great deal." "The author does a great job of capturing the essence of New Mexico...I am really glad that I decided to give Al's book a try, and hope that others will do the same."

"I have been wondering when the 4th book would be out...but I've been so busy READING all the books I've downloaded this is the first I've even been on in a while. I loved the first three and am looking forward to the next one! Even though I promised myself I would not buy any more books until I've read most of the multitude I've downloaded, obviously Distant Cousin: Regeneration will be an exception!"

"...it is a great work, and can't be called sci-fi, but a great story. Move it to the top of your TBR list you (and) you will not regret it."

"...I just finished DC: Regeneration. Loved, Loved, Loved it!!! I feel that this book held up the story line that the first 3 started and even ramped up the drama."

[BrassMan]

There's a "new" piece of music on Ana Darcy's blog: she says if you could lift the hood of the universe and listen to the engine running, it would sound like this. Who better to know?

It's at http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/02/music-of-galaxy.html.

[BrassMan]

This totally blew me away. I still don't know what to think of it. You just never know, do you?

http://www.anadarcy.blogspot.com

Basically, a man who beat one fatal disease only to come down with an incurable fatal disease has found an insight into the meaning of his life in Distant Cousin: Repatriation.

(After the first week in March, at http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/02/distant-cousin-touches-another-soul.html.)

[Andra]

This totally blew me away. I still don't know what to think of it. You just never know, do you?

http://www.anadarcy.blogspot.com

(After the first week in March, at http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/02/distant-cousin-touches-another-soul.html.)

It's great that something you wrote is comforting for this gentleman, Al.  Thanks for sharing.

[jpmorgan49]

Having read all three of the trilogy and loving them, I'm anxiously waiting for #4!!!
jp

[BrassMan]

Having read all three of the trilogy and loving them, I'm anxiously waiting for #4!!!
jp

Oh, my dear jp! It's out! It's out!



I hope you enjoy it!

[jpmorgan49]

Silly me....  I've read all 4 already I should have said anxiously waiting for #5..
jp

[danfan]

Hi Al!  haven't popped into kindle boards for a while .. was still in that reading funk. But I've been keeping up with Ana's blog! 

I plan to get back into my "fictional cooking" again (we finally finished off the meatloaves that were in the freezer LOL). So I'll be picking out some Distant Cousin recipes and picking your brains probably! It was so much fun trying to figure out that meatloaf. Did you ever get it perfect?

[BrassMan]

Hi Al!  haven't popped into kindle boards for a while .. was still in that reading funk. But I've been keeping up with Ana's blog! 

I plan to get back into my "fictional cooking" again (we finally finished off the meatloaves that were in the freezer LOL). So I'll be picking out some Distant Cousin recipes and picking your brains probably! It was so much fun trying to figure out that meatloaf. Did you ever get it perfect?

Oh, lordy, lordy, as my mother in law used to say, I gave up on that meatloaf. It might have worked, mind you, but I'm no kitchen chemist. The kamut should probably have been cracked first. I couldn't figure out how to make everything stick together.  A more clever cook (you, perhaps?) might be able to control and balance that particular dish.

I've been sticking to pizza. You've probably seen the pizza improvisations on Ana's blog. Unlikely as they seemed, they were excellent. All credit to daughter #2, who's a genius-level combiner of unlikely ingredients. "Herbs too she knew, and well of each could speak!"

I'm presently considering Asian modifications to fried chicken, the German/Czech/Polish/Mexican styles of barbecue in central Texas, and some tempting ideas using sweetened condensed milk. Like DC5, they are embryonic at present. Given time and trial, I pray that both come to pass.

[danfan]

LOL Did you break teeth on the kamut? I think I saw some flaked kamut on a trip to Pittsburgh a while back.... maybe when I next go I'll grab a cup of it and try again! Less thyme next time! The food on Ana's blog looks so good! Your daughter can come up here to give me lessons, eh?

Oh yes, do keep nurturing the DC5 ideas!

[BrassMan]

Naw, I didn't break a tooth. The stuff was chewy, really chewy, kinda like rubber rice. You can get kamut from Amazon, in several different forms, including ground, cracked, flaked, I don't know what-all. They also have every other grain you can think of, as well as some you couldn't. It's not terribly expensive, either.

Both my daughters are ace cooks, and my one son in law is nearly a chef--he reads Gourmet and watches cooking shows. One's in Detroit and one's in PA. Depending on where you are and how badly you want to meet one or the other, it can be arranged!

Most of those food pictures on Ana's blog are from daughter #2's visits. The coconut shrimp was my son in law's effort. Believe it or not, I actually have a picture of Ana Darcy making mozarella on the stove top--no kidding. How badly would you like to see that one? Daughter #2 rolled some out, sprinkled basil (or was it oregano?) on it, rolled it up, and cut it into bite-size disks. Hoo-eee!

I can't afford to cook or eat like that that often. But I do love to dream!

[BrassMan]

For those interested in the history of western languages (the Indo-European language family) as well as the history of Ana Darcy, there's now a brief examination of both on Ana's blog (http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/03/anas-native-language-luvit-examined.html).

[BrassMan]

There's a nifty piece of music based on a well-known tune posted on Ana Darcy's blog at the moment. Ana commissioned it! Like NPR's "Piano Puzzler," the idea is to name the tune. The target composer's style is provided as a hint, but any music lover is welcome to guess the name of the tune. It's played by Rebecca Pechefsky (above), who is one of Ana's very favorite harpsichordists.

For a challenge, or simply to hear a lovely, clever little composition, it can be found at http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/03/anas-musical-puzzler-challenge-to.html.  

[BrassMan]

The answer to Ana Darcy's Music Puzzler is now posted at www.anadarcy.blogspot.com.

For those who might have missed it and don't want to see the answer first, here's the original puzzle plus an extra clue--the words to the original tune. (For those completely new to this, Ana Darcy is our Distant Cousin. She's taken a liking to our music, and especially to polyphony. She commissioned a composer to write variations on one of her favorite tunes. She likes the words to it also.)

http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/03/anas-musical-puzzler-challenge-to.html

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be;
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.

[BrassMan]

The rules only allow me to post on this thread once a week, so I must apologize to those who enjoy the puzzles but miss the answers. The best way to avoid that would be to check Ana's blog several days after a new puzzle is posted.

A new puzzle is up right now: a photo puzzle! It's easy--the solution probably won't need posting. It won't even make you dizzy! See http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/04/photo-puzzle.html.



But note: in a few days, another puzzle is coming, an educational puzzle, a puzzle that might test your foreign language skills. Hint: the language is NOT Luvit, Ana's native language.

For those who might have missed several posts in the last week, there are some pictures of newborn kittens, and some further reflections on Ana's musical tastes (which includes sheet music you may print and play and a link to someone playing it). See:

http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/12/were-in-luck-julie-of-juliesjungle-sent.html

http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/03/why-would-ana-or-anyone-love-polyphony.html

If anyone has a comment or question to post...then I can respond! The rules allow it!

[BrassMan]

Currently on Ana Darcy Mendez's blog:

In order from the bottom of the page up...

...there's an English/Spanish puzzle posted on Ana's blog (http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/04/puzzle-from-mendez-family-time.html). The answers are linked there as well. ("The crosses" is Las Cruces; "the meadows" is Las Vegas, "the cottonwoods" is Los Alamos, for example.).

The earlier "classic faces" puzzle shouldn't need an answer!  http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/04/photo-puzzle.html

Next, moving up the page, Ana finds a poem about air travel resonates with her. It ought to speak to anyone who flies commercial.  http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/04/mendez-family-subscribes-to-number-of.html

Then, still moving up, there's a cat puzzle. It should be simple, but then how many cat puzzles do you see, anyway? http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/04/easy-cat-puzzle.html

Finally, at the top currently, there's another item for music lovers. Ana has found a video clip which illustrates one of J. S. Bach's most clever fugues in a delightfully visual way. It amazed her. It may amaze you!
http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/04/its-no-surprise-that-ana-is-competent.html

[BrassMan]

Warning from Stephen Hawkings!

Do not talk to extraterrestrial aliens!

Suggested exception from Ana Darcy's chronicler: it's perfectly safe to talk to one particular alien.*

*More information at http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/04/dont-talk-to-aliens-says-stephen.html.

[BrassMan]

A previous update mentioned the gentleman with a fatal disease who found something in Distant Cousin: Repatriation that helped him nail down the meaning of his life (http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/02/distant-cousin-touches-another-soul.html).

Now, a bit less earthshaking but also life-affirming, come the husband and wife who have had a moving experience in which the Distant Cousin series has improved both their lives: http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/05/people-who-really-enjoy-distant-cousin.html.

It's always fun to hear from readers. The experience of the husband and wife above may be partly explained by a recent review of Distant Cousin at Amazon:

"I prefer hard science fiction to space opera, but Past's scifi romance was recommended by a fellow Texan who especially enjoyed the multiple excursions through the Davis Mountains and other West Texas environs. So did I, but I also was entertained by the unusual, always-surprising plot and the good, page-turning writing. It's hard to write simply and inoffensively for a wide audience, but Past does it very well. There's humor and suspense, as well as romance, here and just enough science to keep it interesting. I especially liked the ending, which was a natural segue into the sequels to come."

[BrassMan]

There were two new posts to Ana Darcy Méndez's blog last week:

The case of a reader crying on the subway in NYC (It's actually a good thing.), and a poem her husband liked, about a wife in the garden, which reminded him of his own esposita in several touching ways.

The first is at http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/05/reader-crying-in-subway.html and the second at http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/05/ana-her-husband-and-garden.html.

[BrassMan]

Most recently in Ana's blog is a dessert idea (which I do not have the courage to attempt, but perhaps a more experienced kitchen artist might feel differently about), and a discursion on whether or not series novels should be read in order. This last features a comment from a Kindle Boarder and opens with a lovely photo from another Kindle Boarder. Thanks to you both!

They're at http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/05/dessert-idea.html and http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/05/can-anas-chronicles-be-read-out-of.html

[BrassMan]

The past week's posts have featured photographs, mainly some of the desert plants Ana found in Distant Cousin and Distant Cousin: Reincarnation. There's also a photo of the house in Barbados that she lived in briefly in Distant Cousin.

They are at http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/05/more-photos-from-west-texas-dc1.html,

http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/05/pincushion-cacti.html, and

http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/05/photo-barbados-home-dc1.html.

[SharonK]

I love the KindleBoards.  There are so many good links to follow.  Alas, I think I may have to eventually limit myself.  If I read blogs all the time I won't have time for any books.  I was directed to this link today and I've enjoyed reading through it and have briefly checked out the Distant Cousin website.  I have a question that I'm sure I'd eventually find the answer to if I wasn't so impatient for a quick answer.  Hopefully someone will be willing to answer it. 

All this talk of food has made me a bit hungry.  When I saw the reference to Coconut Thai Shrimp I went out and checked the website.  Hum, was that the 4th or 5th article I'd read.  Anyway, I digress.  Am I missing a link or is there not suppose to be a recipe?   

I loved the talk about the couple who read in the car and the lady who was crying on the subway.  She must be one of us tender hearted people who cry when it's great and touches something within us.  Also wanted to say I love the pictures Ana has of the cactus from Texas, great photography, and the beautiful cats on her website. 

S.