January 2009 Coming Attractions

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!

We have an exciting list of guests and special blog topics from our Banditas for this month. Let’s start the year off with a bang!

Tomorrow, January 2, Bandita Suzanne guests Harlequin Intrigue writer Kay Thomas whose debut book BETTER THAN BULLETPROOF got a 4 ½ star rating from Romantic Times.

Join us on January 6 for Bandita Kate’s guest Maureen Child to celebrate her release of BEDEVILED. (Check out that HOT cover!) We'll party hearty and discuss her ultra HOT Fae Warriors and the women who love them!



RITA-nominated author Pamela Clare, Joan’s guest on January 13, will talk about her new historical release UNTAMED. Join us to hear about this historical set in a different time period.



On January 19, we welcome my guest Misa Ramirez, to celebrate the release of her debut book LIVING THE VIDA LOCA. Misa also hosts "Chasing Heroes," which you can check out at http://www.chasingheroes.com/.




Aunty Cindy welcomes guest writer Tina Ferraro on January 21 to discuss her new YA release, THE ABC'S OF KISSING BOYS.


January 27 brings to the Lair another of Trish’s guests, Helen Scott Taylor. Helen celebrates the release of her American Title Contest-winning paranormal romance THE MAGIC KNOT.



On January 29 Jeanne hosts guest Heidi Betts whose contemporary debut TANGLED IN LOVE, a "funny, sexy yarn," releases this month.

And on the last day of the month, January 31, Kirsten's guest, New York Times best-selling author Angela Fox, joins us to discuss her Accidental Demon Slayer series.


In addition, the Banditas will visit RNTV the week of January 26-30. Join us and our hosts Romance Novel Television for a great week of Bandita Banter. Last time we invaded, the party was so loud, they had to call the authorities! Let's make it even bigger this time round!



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BANDIT BOOTY!!!!
We forgot to announce the winner for the Bandit Booty for December 24th - one of the Fab-O 12 days of Bandit Christmas.
Drum roll please.....The winnah is.....P 226!!!
Email me at Jeanne AT JeanneAdams DOT com and give me your snail mail addy so I can send you da prize. It's really cool...
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Who was that Masked Man?

Or woman...

by Anna Campbell

Honestly, I've gone gray waiting for the 30th December to arrive. And now it has come!

The Day is Here!!!!!!

Just in case you have never visited this blog before or haven't had any contact whatsoever with Anna Campbell in the last six months, the 30th December is the day TEMPT THE DEVIL hits bookstores in America!

So what are you doing here, reading this blog?


Get out there! Buy the book! Buy 50 copies of the book!

Well, all right, maybe I'm getting above myself here...

But once you've actually braved the cold to make this highly significant purchase, I'm afraid you're not allowed to curl up with Julian and Olivia and their bumpy road to love. Or not right away anyway.

No, you've got to get all dressed up and come to...

A MASKED BALL TO CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF MY THIRD BOOK!

Huzzah! Hip hip hooray! Bewdy, cobber!

Yes, in the great tradition of launch parties in the lair, we're out to give you a really good time! You get to play with gladiators and cabana boys and inebriated romance novelists! You get to swing from chandeliers and drink champagne from Richard Armitage's slipper and have as many margaritas as you want!

How can you resist?

OK, my questions are:

What is your costume?

Who is your partner?

What are the THREE things you definitely MUST do at the ball?

Remember, because this is a SPECIAL ball, there's no hangover, there's no paparazzi, nobody will ever know what you got up to and there will be no ill effects.

So let your imaginations go wild!

Actually, forget your imaginations, just let yourself go wild!

My favorite three answers win signed copies of the book that started all the mayhem TEMPT THE DEVIL!

So to start the ball rolling (pun intended), what's my costume? I think I want to wear the dress that Olivia wears to the big ball scene in TEMPT THE DEVIL! It's gorgeous! It's sophisticated! It needs a slender body to carry it off but hey, I even get that at my launch party. And it goes beautifully with rubies...

So who's MY partner at this bash?

Why, Bryan Ferry about 30 years ago! Hey, I told you time travel was allowed, didn't I? Monsieur Ferry in all his gorgeousness was the model for what the hero of TEMPT THE DEVIL looks like. Rakish. Lounge lizardy. Decadent. Jaded. Sophisticated. Sexy. Yummy.

My three things are:

1. I want to find out what gladiators wear under their kilts!

2. I want Bryan to sing Let's Stick Together to me - and mean it!

3. I want Daniel Craig and Richard Armitage to get into a fight over who gets the last waltz on my dance card. I'm assuming one of your girls will invite them, of course!
So get dancing, people! Let's get this partay started! Cabana boys, open that tequila! And don't forget to be creative with your answers and you just might win a copy of TEMPT THE DEVIL! Good luck!
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Tim Tam Limerick winners!!

by Suzanne Welsh

Okay, y'all were so great with the limericks, I decided to give away TWO packages of Tim Tams. So, the winners are:

Virginia for best use of iambic pentameter
and Gannon for her best use of Hugh Jackman in a limerick!

Ladies, send me your snail-mail addy to swwelsh2001 at yahoo dot com and I'll see that those Tim Tams are on their way to your homes! And thanks for playin the limerick game!!Source URL: http://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/2008/12/
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Lorraine Heath returns to the Lair!

by Suzanne Welsh

One of our favorite guests is back in the Bandit Lair with us today, NYT Bestselling author, Lorraine Heath. Lorraine, pull up a barstool and let's talk about your newest release. (By the way there's Tim Tam's in the Lair today!)

Suz: BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND DESIRE is the second in the Scoundrels of St. James series. Can you tell us about the story?

Lorraine, nibbling on a TimTam while giving a quick wave to the Bandits: The story involves Jack Dodger, the owner of a notorious gentleman's club. One of his patrons-the Duke of Lovingdon-bequeaths Jack his London residence in exchange for which Jack is to serve as guardian of the duke's 5-year-old son. Needless to say, the young widow is outraged that this scoundrel is charged with leading her son into manhood. And Jack, who trusts no good fortune, is working hard to discover why the duke would want him to be guardian. Yet, he can't deny that he's intrigued by the young widow.

Suz, eyes twinkling: Mmmm, we met Jack Dodger in your last book, IN BED WITH THE DEVIL. Jack's a scoundrel of the first order and quite happy in that state. What made you want to bring him change? And how did you achieve that?


Lorraine: Jack has had a very rough life. All of his role models have been the dregs of society, quite honestly, and yet there is a core element of goodness in him that he doesn't want to acknowledge and that few see. He's had to fight to survive and on the surface he always puts himself first. In IN BED WITH THE DEVIL, Jim tells Luke that he would follow him into hell without ever asking him why they were going. None of the scoundrels would do that for Jack because they'd think he was going for his own gain. Yet, in truth, there isn't anything that he wouldn't do for them. He might grumble about it, be unhappy about it, but he'd do it.

So in BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND DESIRE I matched Jack against a woman who has never even fantasized about doing anything improper. I put him in a situation where he has to behave. Suddenly a 5-year-old boy is looking to him for guidance, and all Jack knows is how to be a scoundrel. He doesn't want this lad to grow up to be like him and he has to change his ways in order to be what the boy-and eventually his mother-deserve.

There is nothing Jack won't do to earn a coin. To earn what Lovingdon has left, he must change. And in the changing, he acquires more than he ever thought possible.

Suz: What is it about the heroine, Olivia, the Duchess of Lovingdon, that intrigues Jack the most in your mind?

Lorraine: Good question. What intrigues him the most, I think, is the very thing that irritates him the most: she's so blasted proper. She believes in following rules, honoring duty, and never straying from the righteous path. She represents everything he abhors, but her conviction in what she believes to be right fascinates him.
Suz: There are at least three more members of Feagan's kids who have been featured in the first two books in this series. Any plans for them?

Lorraine: Oh, yes. Frannie's book, Surrender to the Devil, will be released in July 2009. The one thing Frannie never wanted was to be part of the aristocracy so, naturally, there is a duke in her future. Jim's story, Midnight Pleasures with a Scoundrel, will be released January 2010. Jim's story has been the most challenging to write so far.

Suz, leaning in to whisper: Which of the scoundrels do you like the best?

Lorraine, laughs: Whichever one I'm writing a story about. I like them all for different reasons. Luke was so tormented; Jack is such a scamp; Frannie is the glue that holds them all together; Jim is the one who truly loved Frannie; and Bill . . . well, he's a bit of a mystery.

Suz: I'm not sure if our readers are all aware, but you also write YA under two different names, Rachel Hawthorne and Jade Parker. Care to tell us what's going on in that world?

Lorraine: After 3 consecutive months of releases in the summer of 2008, Making a Splash: Robyn; Making A Splash: Caitlin; Making a Splash: Whitney; Jade doesn't have anything on the horizon. Rachel, however, has been a very busy girl. Suite Dreams hit the bookstores Dec. 23. It's the story of an Aussie who comes to the States for holiday and ends up sleeping on the couch in the heroine's dorm room and sweet dreams ensue. Bandit Anna Campbell (hi, Anna!) was a tremendous help with the story, helping me to create a character who didn't sound quite so American. It was a lot of fun having Anna answer my questions, because she has such a lovely accent even when she's writing. (And I can't wait to get my little fingers on Tempt the Devil. You, Bandits, are all on my "to read" list-you are quite a talented group.)

Then beginning in March, the Dark Guardian series-which involves werewolves who live among us, unknown to us-will begin hitting the stores. Moonlight in March, Full Moon in May, Dark of the Moon in July. They were very different from anything I've written before. A little darker, and just a bit sexier (how can shapeshifters not be sexy?) than the beach and winter reads I've written for teens up until now. Each story involves a different girl striving to find her place within the pack and with her destined mate while their existence is threatened by a research company who wants to discover what makes them a unique species (and somehow market it). My personal tagline for the series is-Each girl will be asked: What price will you pay for love?

Lorraine: And while that would be a great question to leave you with-what price would you pay-we're so close to New Year's Eve and since my New Year's resolution is to read more in 2009 what reads do you recommend?


Lorraine will be giving away a gift card to the one lucky winner's choice of Borders, Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com!!

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Holiday Babies

by Susan Sey

So my dad's birthday is the day after Christmas. I realize this isn't ideal timing, from a kid's perspective. The gift budget has just been blown & nobody has the appetite for another celebration. Plus all your friends are out of town visiting Grandma & Grandpa, & nobody could come to a party even if you were able to have one.

In recent years, however, this bummer birthday has transformed itself.

Now my dad is a grandpa & so are all his friends. Now the grandbabies (and the sons & daughters who are responsible for them) come to him for the holidays. And his birthday has become the biggest celebration of the year in our family.

Everybody's here, the presents have been opened, the holiday celebrated. Everybody has the extra day off work, his friends no longer have Grandma/Grandpa obligations. Now they are the grandmas & grandpas, & they're all looking for a way to extend the holiday mood.

What better way to do that than at a birthday party?

In years past, we've had nearly a hundred people cycle through this party. Everybody from long-long relatives to friends from three neighborhoods ago have turned up to have a slice of cake & toast my dad into another year.

It's a miracle of sorts, isn't it? An immense disappointment has turned into a joyful celebration, transformed by nothing but the power of time & patience.

What about you? Have you ever been transformed by time or patience? Had your endurance rewarded with a fresh, healing perspective? Looked with new eyes on an old hurt & found something new?

Oh & before I forget--Happy birthday, Dad. You're the best. xoxoxoSource URL: http://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/2008/12/
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A Kind of Hush

by Nancy

Some 40 years or so ago, a group of British musicians "invaded" the American music scene. Exactly 40 years ago yesterday (I'm writing this on Christmas Day), Apollo 8 orbited the moon with guidance systems more primitive than the computer on my desk. And somehow, the news coverage this week has drawn them together for me.

The title of this post was inspired by a song one of those invading British musicians, an extremely cute young man named Peter but known as Herman, made famous. The refrain was There's a kind of hush/ All over the world tonight . . . and went on to talk about lovers in love. There's a hush in my neighborhood right now, the hush that comes on major holidays when everyone's inside, at gatherings that mark romantic and filial and friendly love.

Not all of these holidays are Christian, of course. The world's Christian population is somewhere between 20 and 33 percent, depending on which sources you consult. Which means the rest of the world follows creeds (or nonreligious ethical systems) other than ones based on Jesus's teachings. In the United States, Christianity (and thus, Christmas) is a dominant cultural force, but that's not so in other parts of the world, where Jews, Muslims, Hindus, or Buddhists dominate. In those parts of the world, I assume, shops are open, streets are bustling with whatever traffic is usual, and people are going about their daily business. Yet all of the major religions and ethical systems have at least a couple of things in common--a belief in kindness or charity to the rest of humanity and a desire for peace among peoples (I except the militant religious splinter groups from this statement and hope we can avoid discussing them. For me, at least, today is a day to think of peace on Earth).

Which brings me, at last, to Apollo 8 and its crew, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders (who took the famous picture at left). They noted that there are no boundaries or divisions on the planet in that photo or in the view from space. Subsequent astronauts have said the same thing, that after a few days in space, they stopped thinking about their own parts of the world and saw it as a whole. The Earth is, of course, still fraught with war, genocide, famine, and plague. The hush in my neighborhood doesn't extend nearly far enough. I hope, though, that it will someday.

In the meantime, I'm grateful for my family and our friends and neighbors and our peaceful morning. I'm also grateful for all the Christmases past that I shared with family and friends who've moved away or passed away. A good friend of ours made our beautiful tree skirt, came over with her husband to help decorate the tree every year until they moved to Arizona, gave us ornaments and beautiful, cross-stitched art, and reveled in all things Christmas except the holiday itself. They're Jewish, you see, and she didn't feel right about putting up a tree of her own.

One year, when I was about 7, I got the Barbie Dream House for Christmas. The adults in my life didn't realize it came with Massive Assembly Required (all the furniture--think tab A and slot B--which was then cardboard). I don't think, personally, that could possibly have been as bad as tiny decals for Gundams and Power Rangers, but I could be wrong. Anyway, the adults were so distracted by furniture assembly that they forgot to open the chimney flue. Until the smoke from burning wrapping paper poured into our living room to remind them. We had to evacuate the house until they got the situation straightened out, and then we froze with the windows open for a couple of hours. My grandfather lived with us, so our house was jammed with aunts and uncles and cousins on Christmas Day. And all us kids were in the yard together that morning, freezing. I cherish the memory of that day. All the adults are gone now, and the kids have kids of our own, and the cyle of life moves on.

I hope you've had wonderful memories of this day or other holidays your family celebrates. Will you share them? What's your favorite holiday, and what does it make you think about?Source URL: http://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/2008/12/
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Take A Risk...and Turn Your Life Upside Down!

by KJ Howe


I've always had a fear of heights, but I adore adventure. Given the chance to do the zip line in Costa Rica, I had to seize the moment and, boy, am I ever glad I did! It may sound strange, but although I was on open steel platforms that were quite high, not once did I get scared or feel dizzy. Now it could have been that my body was thumping with adrenaline or it could be those adorable Costa Rican guides distracted me...but what a rewarding experience. The lesson I learned from the opportunity was to give new things a try. I have now viewed the world from a unique angle and I am so glad I did it! It made me realize that you can find new perspective by shaking up your life and trying something new.

What new thing would you like to do in 2009? Happy Holidays to everyone!!!

And don't forget, one of today's commenters has a chance to win a fab prize in the Banditas Twelve Days of Christmas!


And tomorrow, on Christmas Day, one lucky random commenter will win our fabulous Bandita Christmas Basket!! We hope you'll stop by and say hello!
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The Best Part of Christmas

by Donna MacMeans

Do you know what the best part of Christmas is?


PRESENTS !!!!!!!!!!!!! (and you were expecting something less materialistic?)

Okay...while presents are awfully good, they're not the best part of Christmas. But before we get into that discussion -- I wanted to remind the five winners of Dianne Castell's book, Star Quality, to email her at DianneCastell@hotmail.com. Those winners were: Helen, Jo, Dina, Terrio, and Michele L.

Looking back over the various December blogs, we've talked about cookies and crafts, movies and snow but we haven't mentioned one of my favorite aspects of the season.


Lunch!


Seriously. This is the season for friends to gather for a holiday celebration so there's lots of well-attended luncheons and parties.


Why is that?


Not the gathering, I mean - I'm always up for a fun gathering - but why do we do it so frequently at Christmas? I met a group of writers at a Chinese Restaurant last weekend, and am meeting a writer for lunch later today who is in-town visiting in-laws. (She's from California and in for a wintery shock when she steps outside in our chill temps). Last weekend, it was another larger group of writers and before that - the red hats. (Have to love the Red Hat groups. Their sole purpose is to party *g*). Before that it was the Investment group and the Gourmet crowd. Obviously, the extra pounds swallowing my waist aren't all from Christmas cookies!

My husband has been going out for annual lunches with his golf buddies and with his co-workers...but have you noticed that men lunch differently than women? I mean, when he comes home, he isn't gripping a bunch of brightly colored gift bags with inexpensive ornaments or cute notepads or homemade goodies or such. When men exchange gifts - they exchange gift cards. That way gift parity is maintained and wrapping is minimal. The only variance is in the vendor. Love it!


Maybe that's why holiday lunches are so prevalent...gifts are involved. So maybe presents are the best thing of Christmas (though I tend to think it's the friendships behind the glitsy bag with the cute notepads).


Merry Christmas to my fellow banditas and bandita buddies! I wish we could all meet in the lair for lunch (and drinks and Sven...) Thank you all for your friendship, not only over the holiday season, but for the whole year through. Friendship is the best gift of all.

So on this note I'd like you to tell me either your favorite gift of all or your favorite part of Christmas. I'd also like you to give me the name of someone whose friendship is a gift (first name only, please). One poster will receive the special bandita prize for the twelve days of Christmas and their friend will receive an autographed hard cover of The Trouble with Moonlight with an appropriate inscription.


Merry Christmas All!

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Saturday's 12 Days of Christmas Winner!

The winner of Saturday's Christmas Movies post is:

Barbara Vey!

Congratulations, Barbara!

Please send your snail mail info to Jeanne at: jeanne@jeanneadams.com

Thanks so much to everyone who commented!!Source URL: http://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/2008/12/
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Christmas in England

by Anna Sugden

This is our first Christmas back in England after six years in New Jersey. As we put up our first real tree (a Norwegian fir called a Nordman, which doesn't drop its needles - ideal for the tender-pawed, and the post-Christmas clean-up!) and hung real mistletoe, with its creamy white berries, for the first time in six years, it struck me that there are a number of things about Christmas in England which are different. I don't know if they're unique, but they make an English Christmas ... English.

Knowing we have visitors from all over the world, I thought I'd share five things about an English Christmas with you.

1. Christmas music - Yes, many of the Christmas songs you know and love are the same. But, for many people over here, Christmas isn't officially Christmas until you've heard Noddy Holder (the lead singer of Slade) declare "Its Christmas!" in his gravelly voice. At the risk of showing my age - here are Slade(You'll have to watch right to the end to see the moment I mean).

Another favourite of mine is "I wish it could be Christmas every day" by Wizzard.

2. Christmas lunch - I talked about this in more detail on a recent post at Writers at Play ), so I won't repeat it all. Suffice it to say that Christmas is our big turkey day (though some prefer goose). What makes it really English is the selection of desserts - Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, mince pies and/or a Yule Log.

3. Christmas crackers - Christmas lunch isn't officially underway until you've pulled cracker. No, I'm not talking about getting lucky with an available hunk - not with all that family around, anyway! A Christmas cracker (see picture) is a fun tradition - when you pull it, it splits open with a bang. Inside is a paper hat (which must be worn), a 'gift' (kind of like the prize at the bottom of a box of Crackerjack) and a silly Christmas joke (the ones little kids find hysterically funny).

4. The Queen's Speech - with Christmas lunch over, it's time for collapsing in front of the TV. Before the Christmas blockbuster or the Christmas specials, comes the Queen's Christmas Speech. This is broadcast by the BBC. It also goes out around the world via the radio on BBC's World Service. In years gone by, many families waited to open their presents until after the Queen's Speech. In our family, Christmas stockings could be opened first thing on Christmas morning, but the main presents had to wait. I suspect fewer and fewer families follow that tradition any more. Sadly, I also suspect that fewer and fewer people actually listen to the Queen's Speech.

5. Service of Nine Lessons and Carols - I've saved my particular favourite until last. Usually held on an evening before Christmas, this is a wonderful event. And whether you're in an 11th century Minster, a small village church or a modern chapel, the format is always the same. It begins with the lights being turned off, so that the church is lit only by candles. Into that gentle glow comes the pure, sweet voice of a young solo chorister. Unaccompanied, he or she will sing the first verse of Once in Royal David's City. I can't express how magical that moment is. And how much it makes you feel the wonder and beauty of Christmas. Then, the lights come up, the organ plays and we all join in the rest of the hymn. Through alternating readings from the Bible and Christmas hymns, the story of Christmas is told.

For me, this is the loveliest celebration of Christmas. Whether it's hearing the familiar story from the age-old passages, singing along to traditional favourites like "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" or "O Come All Ye Faithful" or listening to the choir sing a carol composed especially for the service. Even when we were abroad, we always tried to scour the internet to find a service to listen to - Carols from Kings (that's King's College, here in Cambridge) is often available and worth hearing.

I hope that has given you a little insight into Christmas here in England. Now, it's your turn. What does your country, state, area or town do that is special or unique to celebrate Christmas?

And don't forget, one of today's commenters has a chance to win a fab prize in the Banditas Twelve Days of Christmas!Source URL: http://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/2008/12/
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MORE 12 Bandita Days Winners

SUPER CONGRATS to our winner on the 7 Swans a Swimming Day (Dec. 18th) and the post about the underground cities:

Gillian Layne

Please send your snail mail info to Santa's Bandita helper Le Duchesse Jeanne at jeanne@jeanneadams.com for your very special gift!


and congratulations to
TREETHYME - our winner for Dec. 19th and the post from guest blogger Dianne Castell.

Congratulations Becke! Please send your contact information to Jeanne as per the above.Source URL: http://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/2008/12/
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Your Fantasy Christmas

by Kirsten Scott

I was reading a great Harlequin Desire the other day (The CEO's Christmas Proposition, by Merline Lovelace) and it was filled with fabulous descriptions of Christmas in Salzburg. You could see the homemade wooden toys, taste the buttery breads, and hear the children's choirs singing in the background of a wintery wonderland. (Here's a picture of Salzburg in the winter -- incredible, isn't it?)

Of course, if you're going to be stranded somewhere at Christmas time, it helps to be stranded with a gorgeous millionaire. But that's beside the point.

The point is, I am now adding "Spend Christmas in Salzburg" to my Bucket List. 


Not long after, I was at a holiday party and a friend of mine was complaining about her dysfunctional family and how Christmas brings nothing but angst and fighting. Some year, she vowed, she would be on a beach for Christmas, far away from everyone but her sweetie.

Hmm...Christmas in Oahu? I hadn't really considered it, but once she said it, the idea started to grow on me. Sure, I'd miss the kids and all, but putting that aside, wouldn't it be great to take that dreary, cold, wet time and spend it covered with suntan lotion, sipping a fruity beverage with my husband at my side?

Which leads me to the subject of today's blog: Your Fantasy Christmas.

Where would you go, if you could go anywhere in the world? I suspect most of us want to be exactly where we are, surrounded by family and friends, close to our church and all the people we love. But work with me here -- we're romance readers. No one does fantasy better than us. If you have to, you can imagine you've been stranded by cancelled flights or some other Act of God, and simply CAN'T get home (thereby absolving all Christmas-related guilt).


So what would it be, and who would you bring? A warm beach with your sweetie? A trip to Sweden's Ice Hotel with your best friend? How about New York City, with all the hustle and bustle, the ice skating in Central Park, and the giant Christmas tree?

Remember, we're still counting down the 12 Bandita Days of Christmas! One lucky commenter wins a prize! So let yourself go. Close your eyes and start fantasizing! Source URL: http://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/2008/12/
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When Christianity Went Underground

posted by Aunty Cindy aka Loucinda McGary

Ten days ago, I wrapped up my two week tour of Turkey, a fascinating place brimming with history and culture. I can't recommend a visit there highly enough.

One of the places I looked forward to seeing most was the Cappadocia region. This area is a wide expanse between two now extinct volcanoes with highly unusual rock formations called "fairy chimneys." These were created by a hard layer of rock which did not erode at the same rate as the softer layer of rock (called tufa) underneath.

I knew that the inhabitants of this region carved caves out of the soft tufa stone and sometimes lived in them. What I didn't know until I got there, was that entire cities (the largest with an estimated population of 16,000) were carved underground! Some of the cities date back to prehistoric times, and some of them were inhabited up until the 1950s when the Turkish government decided they were historic treasures and great tourist attractions and moved everyone out.

The real heyday of these underground cities, and the part that fascinated me the most was from around the 2nd to the 5th centuries AD. Christians fleeing persecution from first the Romans, then the Arabs, moved into the region and expanded the underground cities into a network of over 100 different locations.

Cities went down 10 or more levels and were interconnected with an elaborate system of tunnels. Entrances were camouflaged into hillsides, and top levels were usually stables since the tunnels were too narrow to accommodate livestock. Though the inhabitants lived above ground most of the time, during times of attack or war, the cities could easily sustain themselves for months at a time and were pretty much impenetrable.

This big rock that looks like a millstone was rolled into place at the entrance to each level. The hole in the center was for shooting arrows at the enemy, who pretty much had to approach in single file due to the narrow tunnels. Since the cities were interconnected, runners would let a neighboring city know they were under attack and a counter attack could be launched. The early Christians were able to live and thrive here for several centuries.

We visited the underground city of Kaymakil, which had eight levels and an estimated population of 3,000. Four of the levels are now open for tourists, but yer olde Aunty (whose head almost scraped the ceilings in the largest rooms) only went down two. My DH (who could not stand straight except in the stable) went to all four, though he had to crawl on hands and knees through the connecting tunnels. Definitely no place for anyone with claustrophobia!

Today is day 7 of our Banditas' 12 Days of Christmas. In the traditional Christmas carol, this would be the day "my true love" sent 7 Swans a Swimming. Just like the underground cities of Cappadocia, this song was about more than meets the eye. It was written by Catholics during the time when they could not openly practice their religion in England, and the words had a double meaning. According to Aunty's sources, the 7 Swans a Swimming represent the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit -- prophecy, serving, teaching, exhortation, contribution, leadership, and mercy.

Have you ever been surprised by something that turned out to be more than it seemed? Do you think you could live 7 or 8 stories underground?

Did you know that the GR has a Turkish cousin living near the ruins of the city of Troy?
Source URL: http://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/2008/12/
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