i just came across "Instead of Beauty" (http://laurahird.com/showcase/cynthiarogerson.html) via the Best of 2006 and was very drawn into it from the first sentence. i hope you don't mind, but i've culled my favorite bits below. these are just some really great lines.

"She could be uncannily pretty this time of night, for about half an hour. Before time was called and the lights came on full again. As if her much younger untroubled self resurfaced in some alcohol-fuelled twilight, in order to seduce. A spirit siren on a mission."

"It is raining of course, that same thin seemingly English drizzle, with no real force. She has a sudden wish for the rain to really rain, to stop holding back. She wishes for a screaming hurricane of wind and rain, to make all choice irrelevant, to obliterate the hotel and everyone in it. She sighs and her sigh has tears of frustration in it."

"Looking at the sea and sky, which the rain has joined seamlessly in a tableau of a depressing summer. It’s been a menopausal summer altogether; too hot then too cold, moody and intense."

"After a minute she lays her hand on his knee, and she keeps it there all the way to Carlisle. Like a piece of luck, or unexpected sun on an overcast day."

Eddie,

Agree with you, its an absolutely cracking story. I'm delighted to finally be featuring something by Cynthia on the site. You should check out her 1st novel, 'Upstairs from the Tent' which I've read a few times now and is a real favourite of mine. Cynthia's second novel is also due for publication soon and having read some extracts from her 3rd, I can't wait to read more.

where can you find her books? i looked up Upstairs from the Tent on amazon and amazon UK, but it didn't register at all.

nevermind. i found it. i just typed in her name in the search field for Books, but only on amazon UK. maybe i can find her in my library in Baltimore.

indeed, the hopkins library has a copy.

hi eddie: really pleased you liked my story. when you say baltimore, do you mean in the usa? i am going through a phase of self loathing, so especially lucky i happened to look at laura's site, for this ego food. thanks, cynthia

Cynthia,
Yep. Good old Bawlmer, MD USA, home of the blue crab, and plenty of self loathing mixed up with the professional sports scene around here to go around. Not that I care about the Colts "stealing away in the middle of the night" or that the Orioles haven't been good since they won the World Series back in 1983. I'm kind of a foreigner here, myself.

Anyway, that was a pointless rant. I've only just had my first cup of coffee...

I do really like your story and when I have some down time (mid terms are coming up and I have a screenplay to write) I am going to find your book at the Hopkins library and read it. I also hope you post another story here at Laura's site, or if someplace else at least give Laura a link to keep the rest of us in the loop!

Take care,
Eddie