As some of you may know, I have an Etsy store *cough* *hintnugdewink* *seesidebar* *cough* One of Etsy’s many features is a blog where both staff and members contribute articles. Today’s article, by fukunaga, is a short film portrait of one of Japan’s last living traditional swordsmiths, Korehira Watanabe.

I love this man’s ‘quiet intensity’ and his passion for his work.

However…

At one point, Mr Watanabe says (paraphrasing just slightly) that adapting traditional crafts through modern methods or tools is cheating, as it strips away the traditional cultural values–the soul, as it were–of the craft.

While deeply admiring the ingenuity, dedication and artistry that made it possible for artisans long gone to create such amazing items as the Koto sword, I beg to disagree with him. The marrying of traditional crafts with modern perspectives, tools and purposes doesn’t destroy, it creates.

(I am, of course, biased. In a world where there is only one true way, outliers have no place. As a left handed, mostly self-taught, stubborn knitter, most of what I make would be considered poorly made.)

I have read that rape is about power not sex. If so, why?

(Short version: a 19 year old man stands accused of raping a 9 month old girl)

I have no patience. I want what I want and I want it now–which is why I love closely scheduled releases for trilogies.

(I’m looking at you, Shiloh Walker’s Ash romantic suspense trilogy)

The only problem? I have all three back cover blurbs available, which just took one of my two viable suspects out of the running.

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In an effort not to spoil other readers–in case I turn out to be right–I’ll refrain from naming the character, but let it be known that I had a main suspect by chapter 2 of If You Hear Her. (Leave a comment if you want me to email you my guess)

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In other news–I’m alive. I may even be around some.

Sorry for the long silence.