Beach Notes - Erin McCahan

Coming Soon -- YA Author Interviews

2012-02-04T15:17:00.000-05:00

Starting next month, I'm going to host a series of author interviews here. YA authors only -- some with new books coming out, some not, but all whose books you should be reading.

I'm thinking of calling this Author to Author: One Writer Asks Another Writer Random, Possibly Pointless Questions. Okay -- well, I'll call it Author to Author, but beyond that, I don't quite have the title fleshed out.

I had a ball on my blog tour last year, and I understand -- honestly, I do -- why bloggers and readers want to know about the inspiration for a book or the details of the author's path to publication. But after being asked these two questions well over three dozen times, I became so bored with my own answers that I started thinking I should make stuff up. (Oh, and speaking of making stuff up, the Queen of the Universe, to whom I am related, once accused me of making stuff up when I said I'm from Grand Rapids, Michigan, even though I'm from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and she was present the day I was born. There. In Grand Rapids, Michigan. I have "Queen of the Universe" issues, but -- really -- who doesn't?)

So -- my plan in Author to Author is to ask these writers -- and, so far, 11 have agreed to participate -- questions they have NEVER been asked in blog interviews before. I hope not to let you, them, myself or the Queen of the Universe down.

Stay tuned.

Updated Website

2012-01-27T15:25:00.002-05:00

At some point I should update this, shouldn't I?

Does this count?

NYC and the RITA Awards

2011-07-05T12:13:00.001-04:00

No, I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU SOMEONE ELSE did not win its categories, but the whole event was so incredibly special and the other writers I met so incredibly nice -- and fun -- that it was impossible to feel disappointed in any way. Impossible.

I've heard -- we've all heard -- actors and actresses repeat that well-worn line around Oscar time: "It's a thrill just to be nominated." And I've thought yeah, yeah, yeah. Click. (That's me hitting the mute button on the Today Show.)

But then it was my turn to be nominated for an award described by Publisher's Weekly as the highest honor in romance writing, and 2000 people attended the formal ceremony in NYC, and the nominees' names were announced by category, and our book jackets and head-shots were flashed on two enormous screens, and music played, and Meg Cabot hosted, and I will say for all eternity that it was a thrill just to be nominated.

My husband accompanied me to NYC, but we approached the trip as a working week for me since between meeting my agent, publisher and editor and all the individual events for the RITAs, including the rehearsal, there was very little time left for sight-seeing. But we did manage -- as we do everywhere we travel -- some marathon walks. Miles each day just to see what we could see.

I'd been to New York before. Couple times. But I was young. On one trip, I saw Yul Brenner on Broadway in the King and I and thought he was the most beautiful man -- in his sky blue silk costume and matching paisley-shaped eye make-up -- I had ever seen. On another trip, I had tea with my mother in the Palm Court at the Plaza and wept continuously over my new and, at the time, entirely too short haircut. I've seen the Statue of Liberty, taken a carriage ride through Central Park, attended the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Show, eaten chestnuts from a street vendor, ridden in the jump-seat of old cabs, toured the wine cellar (a former speakeasy) at 21 and even looked out the windows at Windows on the World. Oh -- and I saw a transvestite there for the first time when I was nine. He was dressed entirely in pink, and I longed for a similar outfit. Especially his shoes. Pink Candies. Remember those?

So while it had been quite some time since I'd been there, I had a notion of what the city was like. But here are a few things I did not expect at all on this trip:

1. That I would take the subway
2. alone
3. twice
4. and not get mugged or murdered on it.
5. Fresh fruit carts about every 2 blocks.
6. Television screens in cabs.
7. The relative ease of navigating the city.
8. That I would agree to pay $6 for a bottle of water and a Diet Coke.
9. Trees on terraces 40 stories up.
10. The general chaos and sensory overload of Times Square.
11. That I would try rice pudding, at my editor's suggestion, and really like it.
12. That, in general, the people -- including the drivers -- are not rude, and there's no offensive "New York City attitude" so often portrayed on television.
13. How quickly I lost the sense of intimidation I arrived with.
14. How much I missed seeing green grass, making Central Park a soothing pleasure.

And now for the trip in selected pictures:

We arrived at 10 a.m., but our room was not ready until 3 p.m., meaning I was in the wrong shoes for the amount of walking we did that day, so this is me preemptively applying moleskin to my feet about 3 minutes after setting out to see the city.

Registering for the conference.

Tim in Times Square.

Irish pubs abound. We didn't stop into this one, but I like the name -- if not how it's spelled.

Rockefeller Center.

My first subway ride. Tim took the picture. The subway is NOT the place to hand total strangers your camera.

Little Italy. We felt relieved to find it after getting slightly lost in Chinatown.

My outfit for the Champagne Reception for the RITA nominees, thank you, Ann Taylor. Also, thank you, RWA, for the excuse to drink champagne in the middle of the afternoon!

Our first time to relax after 2 days there. Dinner at Pane e Vino on the Upper East Side.

Me in front of my publisher's building in Soho, the day after my meeting there with my agent and editor. Tim had the camera that day, so I have no pictures. But we were in the neighborhood the next day, so I insisted on one shot in front of the building.

Tim in Greenwich Village underneath an awning that reads: Red Bamboo, Vegetarian Soul Cafe. We didn't dine there.

Classic. Me, a writer, digging for a pen at bottom of my purse, which weighed -- I checked at home -- exactly 6 pounds.

The 59th St. Bridge. As someone who listened to tons of Simon & Garfunkel growing up, I HAVE to do this . . . bah dah dah dah dah dah dah . . . feelin' groovy.

Tim and I right before the RITA Awards ceremony.

Me with YA author and last year's RITA winner for Best YA Romance Simone Elkeles. Bad picture of me. Good one of her. She's a riot; her books are fabulous; I adore her!

St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church. Tim and I stumbled upon it on our self-guided walking tour of the Upper East Side, found it was not only open but Liturgy for the Feast of St. John Maximovich was in progress, so we went in and stayed until the end.

Andrew Carnegie's mansion. Could not wrap my head around the idea that this was once a single residence.

Yes, Tim took a picture of our feet. Mine are the two covered in moleskin!

Ohioana Book Festival

2011-05-10T17:01:00.001-04:00

Couple of photos from Saturday's Ohioana Book Festival. We had our own YA section, and I had a ball with Lisa Klein, Sean McCartney, Kristina McBride, Tricia Springstubb and Linda Gerber. Sean's display for SECRETS OF THE MAGICAL MEDALLIONS was brilliant. It's partially visible in the top photo -- a treasure chest with gold beads and lovely, shiny trinkets to catch the eye and the imagination. I just enticed people closer with that giant salad bowl there of Starburst, an idea I swiped from Kristina from Books By the Banks in Cincinnati back in September.

The Saturday Seven

2011-04-02T15:51:00.000-04:00

My Week in 7 Words

Falling behind.
Writing!
Pad thai dinner party

The Rita Awards

2011-03-25T12:57:00.001-04:00

About 90 minutes ago, I learned that I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU SOMEONE ELSE is a finalist in two categories for the Romance Writers of America's Rita Awards -- Best First Book and Best YA Romance -- and my hands have not stopped shaking yet.

From their website:

The purpose of the RITA® contest is to promote excellence in the romance
genre by recognizing outstanding published romance novels and novellas.

The award itself is a golden statuette named after RWA's first president,

Rita Clay Estrada, and has become the symbol for excellence in published

romance fiction.

And in the words of the lovely Tina Ferraro, whose ABC'S OF KISSING BOYS was a 2010 Rita Awards Finalist, "This is top honors in the romance writing world." So naturally I'm a nervous wreck. A grateful one. An overwhelmed one, but both nervous and a wreck nonetheless. I think I have more to say about this, but since I'm fuzzy-headed at the moment from too much adrenaline flooding my system, I'll have to write more later.

My 2011 Reading List . . . So Far

2011-03-22T07:46:00.001-04:00

Finished:
1. The Invisible Gorilla by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons*
2. The Fall of the House of Walworth by Geoffrey O'Brien*
3. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
4. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
5. Slaughterhouse Five (again) by Kurt Vonnegut
6. Cheerful Money by Tad Friend*
7. Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh

Reading Now:
1. Two Girls of Gettysburg by Lisa Klein
2. Archie and Amelie by Donna M. Lucey*
3. Second Sight by Cheryl Klein*

On Deck:
1. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon
2. Daughter of Boston by Caroline Healy Dall*
3. Scoop by Evelyn Waugh

*Nonfiction

The Saturday Seven

2011-03-19T09:38:00.000-04:00

My Week in 7 Words

workmen
interruptions
midweek party
more workmen
rant

Monday's Reader Question

2011-03-14T10:02:00.004-04:00

"Do you have another book coming out?"

Finally, I am able to say yes! I wanted to wait until the ink was dry on the contract, which it is, so it's official.

KISSING MR. GLASER will be published sometime in 2013, but since the world is going to end in 2012, according to the Mayan calendar, no one but my agent, editor and husband will actually ever read this book.

I'm so irked with the Mayans. They ruin everything.

But in the event they or their interpreters are wrong, KISSING MR. GLASER will be out in 2013, which sounds like a long time to wait, but I waited almost exactly 2 years between signing the contract for I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU SOMEONE ELSE and its publication, and, in retrospect, that time -- like all time, I'm finding -- passed very quickly.

In the meantime, I'm working on a third and will write more about that when, like KISSING MR. GLASER, I have something official to convey. I don't use the word convey very often, but I like how it sounds here -- stiff, lofty and in keeping with the formality of legal contracts. And speaking of contracts, I asked for a 'pony clause.' If I sell X number of copies, the publisher has to buy me a pony, but that didn't make it into the final document.

Every year for Christmas, when I was little, I asked for a pony. And every Christmas morning . . . no pony.

Quick Synopsis of KISSING MR. GLASER: Brainy 16-year-old Josie Sheridan falls in love with a guy who falls in love with her older sister who is engaged to a man Josie hates. When Josie's sister appears to return the feelings of Josie's love interest, Josie finds herself armed with the ammunition she has been looking for that will stop her sister's wedding. But emotions cloud Josie's normally logical mind, and she struggles to balance her feelings with her sister's. At the same time, she must learn what to do when the person she loves might never love her back.

(Pre-order before the end of the world, 2012.)

The Saturday Seven

2011-03-12T07:25:00.001-05:00

(My week in 7 words)

It's official. Second book contract is signed!

My Editor's New Book

2011-03-11T14:15:00.001-05:00

Today is the release day of my editor Cheryl Klein's book SECOND SIGHT: AN EDITOR'S TALKS ON WRITING, REVISING & PUBLISHING BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS

From the website for SECOND SIGHT

Whether you dream of writing a book for children or young adults, or you want to take a finished manuscript to the next level, it always helps to get a fresh point of view. Try a little Second Sight.

In this collection of talks, a professional editor offers insights from the other side of the publishing desk on a wide range of writerly topics:

+ Terrific first lines and how they got that way
+ What makes a strong picture book manuscript
+ Why the Harry Potter series was such a tremendous success
+ Finding the emotional heart of your story
+ Worksheets and checklists for building characters and bolstering plot
+ The Annotated Query Letter from Hell
+ And an Annotated Query Letter That Does It Right

With its wit, intelligence, and practical tools for analyzing and revising your work, Second Sight will be a first resource for writers of children’s and young adult fiction.

Cheryl has what can only be described as a stellar reputation in the publishing world, and more than once, when I've told another writer or aspiring writer that she is my editor, the response has been, "You are so lucky. I would love to work with Cheryl Klein." Naturally, of course, I was completely intimidated by her reputation when I began working with her, but I quickly discovered she has the loveliest combination of qualities -- a unique balance of brilliance, approachability, humor and talent -- and I soon found myself saying, "I am so lucky. I love to work with Cheryl Klein." And when she said she was writing a book, I knew I wanted a copy before I knew what the topic was. Fortunately, it's not about lima beans. (See my post Personal Dictionary K-O) But even if it had been, Cheryl would have made it warm and wonderful in a way only she can.

My copy is fast on its way from My Book Orders, and when it arrives -- after I read it -- it will go on the shelf where I keep books by authors I know, books I show off to friends at parties here as my own version of, "I'm with the band."

I was never with the band, but I think this is much cooler.

My Own Personal Dictionary: Z

2011-02-26T09:13:00.001-05:00

Z
zero: the number of times I have:

~ had a beer;
~ played a video game or watched a movie on my phone or computer;
~ eaten Chipotle;*
~ gotten a speeding ticket;
~ read a vampire novel;
~ seen the latest Harry Potter movie;*
~ enjoyed baby-sitting;
~ been tan;*
~ had a flu shot;
~ had a massage;
~ found staff meetings interesting;
~ celebrated Arbor Day;*
~ watched kittens being born;*
~ made really good fried rice at home;*
~ volunteered my crime solving skills to the police or FBI;*
~ successfully trimmed my own hair;*
~ written 'a lot' as one word;
~ understood those Cialis commercials where people are sitting outside in bathtubs;
~ lied about where I am from (hee-hee, Queenie, this one's for you)!

*but want to

My Own Personal Dictionary: U-Y

2011-02-25T08:55:00.001-05:00

U
under-dunders: what my grandmother called underwear

V
Virginia or, as they gorgeously say there, Vuh-gin-yuh: where my step-dad (pay attention, Queen of the Universe) was from; location of the single hottest summer I've ever experienced, and also the place -- specifically the family's summer home's pool -- where I was taught by a blind man how to swim.

W
Williamsburg, VA: stop number two on our honeymoon. Spent three days successfully navigating through Washington D.C. Got lost every single day in Williamsburg, Vuh-gin-yuh.

X
X: chi, the 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet, Greek being one of 6 languages I've studied. Not my favorite of the 6 nor my least favorite. I like Spanish and Hebrew the best. Latin was boring; Japanese was not; and French . . . I just could not make the soft, round sounds without feeling softly, roundly ridiculous.

Y
yellow: I'm told it's the color of the sun, but since it shines in Columbus, Ohio, only twice a year, I'm currently unable to attest, from memory, to the truth of this.

My Own Personal Dictionary: P-T

2011-02-24T11:48:00.006-05:00

P
Paul Revere: most under-appreciated hero of the Revolution. I spent the morning and evening of my 40th birthday hanging out at his house. I've been to his house a lot, actually. If he were alive, I'd be his stalker.

Q
Queen of the Universe: a person I am related to. No, it's true. I'm related to the Queen of the Universe who angrily disputes, as only the Queen of the Universe can, where I am from, as if I do not know. I wrote about it during last fall's blog tour in an interview I did over at Reading Addict. The nutshell version -- hee-hee, I said "nut" -- is this: I was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Therefore, I am from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Lived there until I was nearly five. Grand Rapids, Michigan. The place I'm from. Are you getting this? Because the Queen of the Universe is not.

When Facebook asked me for my hometown, I wrote Grand Rapids, Michigan, using this classic mathematical formula: If A is from B, and B is Grand Rapids, A is from Grand Rapids.

Fast forward to last year. The Queen of the Universe saw this on Facebook, turned purple with rage, I'm guessing, and sent me a really malicious piece of e-mail in which she wrote, “You’re not even from Grand Rapids.” There was more to the nasty-gram. Also a friend request. Once I scrunched the bemusement off my face, I chose not to respond to either. I don't know what she's been up to lately, but I do wish her the very great satisfaction of one day crossing paths with someone who fabricates her place of birth so that said fabricator may be soundly punished and wholly reformed by . . . the Queen of the Universe.

Revere, Paul: see P

Simon: my husband's and my new kitten. He'll be six months old next week, and he is a character!

Here he is getting his face kissed on the third or fourth day we had him;

seeing what's for dinner;

wiping off the counters;

taking out the trash;

washing the breakfast dishes;

and helping me finish my latest manuscript.

T
terrarium: a source of both boredom and horror in elementary school. Boredom: Again? We did this last year. Horror: feeding live crickets to disgusting little lizards. Again?! We did this last year!

My Own Personal Dictionary: K-O

2011-02-23T09:47:00.006-05:00

K
Kate Middleton: Best wishes to the bride-to-be, and, yes, I cannot wait to see what her dress looks like. (I, by the way, gave up my desire to become a princess when I realized they no longer wore those pointy hats with scarves dangling from the tops.)

L
lima beans: the topic of the novel being written by a woman I met at a party. It's not a metaphor. Her book is about lima beans. And because I was raised with Episcopal good manners, I stood there, feigning interest, as she described the entire plot, chapter by chapter, of her book about, I repeat, lima beans.

M
Men Without Hats: Canadian 'new wave' group of the 80s, whose one and only hit, The Safety Dance, is the first song on my 'treadmill' playlist.

N
Nathaniel Hawthorne: (sigh) brilliant, favorite author on whom I have a lingering crush.

This is me, Oct. 16, 2007, hugging the house in Salem, Massachusetts, where he wrote The Scarlet Letter.

O
orange: the color of my legs for the first two summers sunless tanning products were on the market. I preferred it to my natural fish-belly white,but it was definitely in the oompa loompa spectrum.

My Own Personal Dictionary: F-J

2011-02-22T08:57:00.005-05:00

F
frumpiness: "Cured of frumpiness by a psychiatrist . . ." So begins the description of the 1942 movie Now Voyager, which my husband and I watched eight or nine years ago. It doesn't rank among our favorites, and viewed through modern sensibilities, it's just plain odd, but "cured of frumpiness by a psychiatrist" cracked us up then, and it cracks us up now. Frumpiness -- the leading cause of admissions to psych wards in the 1930s and 40s. Who knew? Bunch of plain women shuffling grimly up and down the halls, in pleated skirts, high-collar blouses and beige, soft-soled shoes.

G
George Washington:
"He was the father of our country,
leader of a brand new nation,
and he believed in liberty."
Am I the only person in the world who remembers this song from elementary school?

H
hair: I wear it short, pixie short, for a bunch of reasons, but the predominant reason is my grandfather. He liked it short, and I trusted him more than anyone else in the world.

I
Indian restaurant: a place where my husband and I met.

J
J. Crew: the clothing store that keeps me from going out naked at least three times a week, because, clearly, the choice is J. Crew or nudity.

My Own Personal Dictionary: A-E

2011-02-21T14:46:00.006-05:00

I thought I'd write a personal, albeit abbreviated, dictionary this week. Today: A through E

A
anxiety: the only reason I'm thin

B
bread: I bake all the bread we eat in this house, from scratch, not with a bread machine, but since I'm not Ma Ingalls, either, I do rely on my nifty KitchenAid stand-mixer to do the kneading. But I turn it on. And select the speed -- so, yeah, there's work involved.

C
cinnamon swirl bread: see B; made this loaf yesterday -- first time!

D
Don Johnson: read my first novel; hated it, but I get so much mileage out of the story, so, thank you, Don!

E
Erin: I like my name. It may be a compulsion, but every single time I meet someone with my name, I immediately say, "That's my name, too." I'm usually more excited than the other Erin.

The Saturday Seven -- One Day Late

2011-02-20T15:45:00.002-05:00

My Week in 7 Words

long walks
beach . . . sigh
cooked for 6

And The Winner Is . . .

2011-02-14T11:03:00.004-05:00

SPLIT by Swati Avashti.

Of course I'm talking about the Cybils. The winner was announced today, making this the most happily anticipated Valentine's Day I've experienced in ages.

My husband and I don't celebrate Valentine's Day -- not in an iconoclastic way, because we're not remotely opposed to the holiday. We just got out of the habit of celebrating it. No, I adore the heart-shaped hopefulness of this day along with the cheery pinks and reds everywhere I go, brightening and warming an otherwise grey and dreary time of year here in Central Ohio. And it's still fun to hear how friends celebrate the day.

My husband and I used to exchange cards, but a few years ago, we both got so absurdly busy that we never got around to it and ended up greeting the cardless day with a shrug. So we shook hands and made that our Standard Valentine's Day greeting. (We have a No Flowers policy in this house since our cat thinks, "Hey! Salad in a vase. All right!")

I should add that we have invented and institutionalized our own holidays which each has traditions that are fun to us:

The Day Tim Proposed

Our Anniversary

Our Birthdays

Grandma McCahan Day

Paul Revere/Lexington and Concord Day

Jug Day

and . . .

Piss on a Bastard's Grave Day (No, seriously. No one actually pisses on a bastard's grave on this day, but we, by which I mean I, do pause to remember that famous bastard John Hathorne, who sent 19 innocent people to their deaths in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692. He was one of the judges at the Witch Trials. I descend from the first Puritan woman accused of witchcraft, who lived through the mania, and the result is I, her progeny, have issues with people wholly committed to their own erroneous opinions for no other reason than that the opinions are theirs, despite masses of evidence of their error. And I work these issues out every May 10th, the day John Hathorne croaked, with a moment of silence for his victims followed by a good long raspberry to his eternal memory.)

So we do celebrate holidays in this house other than Valentine's Day, but the run-up to today was truly thrilling. I have not yet read SPLIT but will because all 6 of the Cybils YA finalists are on this year's reading list, and I'd be happy for any of us who won. There is an attitude, for the most part, I've encountered in the YA author community of collegiality, a spirit of unity, the idea that we're all in this together, and there's room for us all. And in that spirit, I am very excited for Swati Avashti and equally excited that I was on the list of nominees.

So, congratulations, Swati.

Happy Valentine's Day, Friends.

And to John Hathorne -- an early pfffffffffttttttttt!

The Saturday Seven

2011-02-12T21:18:00.001-05:00

My Week (or day, in this case) in 7 Words

Wow! What a day. Grateful for it.

The Saturday Seven

2011-02-05T10:57:00.002-05:00

My Week in 7 words

fluffy
weights
sore!
Borders
friends
contract coming

10 Things I Don't Have . . . Yet

2011-01-28T10:35:00.003-05:00

1. a Twitter account
2. pierced ears
3. tattoos
4. a single vampire book
5. a small dog or baby as an accessory
6. a smartphone
7. satellite radio
8. any kind of video game station
9. an e-book reader
10. a friend named Madison

Of all these, I think I want a friend named Madison most of all, just so I can have coffee with her and thoroughly discuss the origin of her name, which I believe to be the 1984 movie Splash! That or the fourth president of the United States. In either case, I like the name and think it would be a happy addition to my life.

The Cybils

2011-01-04T15:47:00.003-05:00

I found this out a few days ago -- Jan. 1st, actually, when someone sent me a congratulatory note on Facebook (and, by the way, thank you, Mitali, for letting me know) -- and I still haven't wholly accepted the reality of it. In fact, I keep asking myself -- or that invisible person in the room I forever expect to answer in the negative whenever I address him -- really?

But since no one, real or incorporeal, has said just kidding yet, I thought I'd mention some INCREDIBLY EXCITING news here.

I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU SOMEONE ELSE is one of seven (7) finalists chosen for the 2010 Cybils --Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards -- under the category Young Adult Novels.

Now, I sit at my computer in blue jeans all day -- blue jeans and an equally casual top, which probably goes without saying, but I did not wish to scandalize anyone with the thought of my half-nude workday. No, I couldn't even go topless on a topless beach since my padded bra top is the only thing that gives me an actual bust. But my mindset at the moment makes me feel as if I'm actually one of those evening-gown-clad starlets with gorgeous hair, borrowed jewels and expertly applied make-up, posing on a red carpet and telling reporters, "It's an honor just to be nominated." Because I can now honestly say it is.

The privilege of being mentioned with the other six finalists, all of us chosen from a long list of incredibly talented authors, took my breath away and likely always will. And that alone is a gift for which I will be eternally grateful.

But . . . wait . . . really?

The Seven Finalists for the 2010 Cybil, Young Adult Novels
DIRT ROAD HOME by Watt Key
HARMONIC FEEDBACK by Tara Kelly
I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU SOMEONE ELSE
SCRAWL by Mark Shulman
SOME GIRLS ARE by Courtney Summers
SPLIT by Swati Avashti
STOLEN by Lucy Christopher

First Blog of the New Year

2011-01-03T13:48:00.002-05:00

I probably should blog more this year. I'll keep a running tally. (No, I'll keep a sporadic tally.) So -- here's 1.

The Saturday Seven

2010-12-25T12:14:00.002-05:00

My Week in 7 Words

Merry Christmas. Christ is born! Glorify Him!

The Saturday Seven

2010-12-18T13:52:00.001-05:00

My Week In 7 Words

No return address, goes in the trash!

The Saturday Seven

2010-12-11T10:20:00.001-05:00

My Week in 7 Words

Accomplished very little; had loads of fun!

The Saturday Seven

2010-11-27T18:02:00.001-05:00

My Week In 7 Words

Got ready for something Top Secret tomorrow.

The Saturday Seven

2010-11-20T13:56:00.001-05:00

My Week In 7 Words

No kidding -- getting my evening gown pressed.

The Saturday Seven

2010-11-13T13:42:00.001-05:00

My Week in 7 Words

Trying not to explode over aggravating people.

The Saturday Seven

2010-11-06T11:22:00.001-04:00

My Week in 7 Words

crushing disappointment
voted
writing progress
struggle
pray

A Long Line of Soldiers

2010-11-02T15:37:00.004-04:00

I come from a long line of soldiers on both sides of my family. In fact, both my maternal and paternal forebears fought in the American Revolution. One even mustered at Lexington on April 19, 1775. My grandfathers fought in WWII, and my father, a professional soldier like his father and a graduate of West Point, was killed in Vietnam in 1968.

I come from a long line of soldiers, and it is soldiers I think of today, Election Day. I think of soldiers every single time I vote because it is by their blood that I and every American have this privilege. Mostly, I imagine the young men and boys who wrested this country from the tyranny of monarchy and the absurdity of inherited titles in a contest whose outcome was by no means certain. They, whose names are mostly lost to all but a handful of faithful descendants, are among mankind's few who truly risked their lives for a cause they knew to be righteous. And in doing so, they created for their children the country we enjoy today -- a country where, above all else, the transfer of power, even when it is contested, is peaceful.

In the coming days and weeks, vote tallies will be challenged, recounts will be demanded, nameplates on office doors in the Capitol will be changed, and all of this will transpire without violence or chaos. We need politicians for the administration of this country, but it is not the politician who provides the peace. It is the soldier, who, over two hundred years ago, bought it for us at a price unimaginable to most of us, and it is the soldier today who maintains it for us at the very same cost.

I come from a long line of soldiers, and it is soldiers I think of, with tears of gratitude, every single time I vote.

The Saturday Seven

2010-10-30T09:53:00.001-04:00

My Week in 7 Words

making progress
dinner with friends
party tonight!!

My Month In Review

2010-10-27T10:17:00.012-04:00

Today it is exactly one month since I last wrote something here, and I thought I should explain where I've been and what I've been doing that, at times, so distracted me that, uh, yes, I actually forgot for a time that I have this blog!

I'm also going to attempt to include links and photos, which is darn daring for me since I have a difficult relationship with modern technology.

ME, on the phone to Mac-Help, 6 years ago, setting up my brand new iMac: Something's wrong. I can't get online.

Darling, wonderful, kind LEE from Customer Service: Ma'am, would you describe your screen please.

ME: (describes screen)

D-W-K LEE: Ma'am, you are online.

So here goes, in order, my life these past several weeks.

First, there was my very first Meet the Author Night and Book Reading at the McConnell Arts Center in Worthington, Ohio, on one of only two nights this entire year that we had tornado warnings. Still, about two dozen people came, and to those two dozen people who ventured out, risking a surprise trip over the rainbow but arrived safely at the MAC: I love you all!

Before the reading, there was a reception in the center's art gallery, and that's me in the back, middle, saying something about that particular piece of art such as, "This is actually what my hair looks like most mornings."

Three days later, right at the beginning of October, I got walloped by the worst and grossest sinus cold I've ever had. The thing lasted sixteen days. If I had photos -- well, if I had photos, I'd burn them -- but before I burned them, they'd be of me, lying on the sofa, surrounded by boxes of sinus meds containing pseudoephadrine and boxes of tissue, with lotion baked right in. Or however they get it there.

One week, lots of meds, tissues and fluids later, I attended Books By the Banks in Cincinnati -- an annual event hosted by Joseph-Beth Booksellers, featuring about 90 authors of everything from local interest to best sellers. About 3000 people attend this event, buy books and meet authors. It lasts from 10 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon, and the day flew by.

Two authors are assigned to one table, alphabetically and by genre, and each table is assigned one runner who would bring us water or snacks if we wanted, but, raised as I was with the Episcopal manners I regularly cite, I just could not ask the runner -- who was the nicest woman -- to go get me anything. Umm -- I did however ask my husband! And he was great, as always. Even left the place a couple times to find, specifically, a Diet Coke since the convention center only carried Pepsi products. Now, I'd have drunk the Diet Pepsi. I add this to show how absolutely wonderful my husband is!

On my right is Kristina McBride, super cute and super nice debut author of THE TENSION OF OPPOSITES.

And this is my view of the room. I have to say that I had two brushes with literary greatness that day. Next to me, at the table to my left, was Lisa Klein, author of LADY MACBETH'S DAUGHTER, TWO GIRLS FROM GETTYSBURG and the newly released CATE OF THE LOST COLONY. And straight across from me was Katherine Howe, author of THE PHYSICK BOOK OF DELIVERANCE DANE. I met them both, and they could not be lovelier, and they're both utterly brilliant writers of Must Read novels.

And the following weekend, October 8th and 9th, I was invited to attend the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association's annual trade show in Dearborn, Michigan, which was an indescribable ball! The Scholastic reps -- hi, Amanda, hi, Terrebeth -- are my two new best friends, and every single bookstore owner I met was wonderful. Nice, kind, fun, interesting, chatty -- a mix, as people are -- but all of them just so much fun to talk with. They're like pet owners. People who like animals are always kind. People who own bookstores are equally fabulous. (I realize these are entirely unscientific theories, yet I find them to be true.)

I have no pictures of this event to post since I took them on my cell phone which is currently in an odd location, by which I mean I can't find it. And since I'm home, it's off, so calling it will do no good. It's in a coat pocket or purse or glove compartment or the refrigerator. I don't know, but I think I'm in line for a downgrade to the Jitterbug. I rarely use the thing.

So now -- mid-October -- my cold is about two weeks old and lingering. It and these two trips put me behind in everything, especially the blog tour my publicist arranged, so I scrambled -- still scrambling -- to catch up on something like 10 of 20 posts I was asked to write. I'm going to list all of them and the reviews in a separate post . . . eventually . . . but here are a few for now:

Reading Vacation
A Good Addiction
The Clock Monkey (This one sounds, from the title I gave it, X-rated, but it's not.)

And in the middle of the month with my cold finally gone, I celebrated my birthday . . .

. . . at home, with my husband . . . and champagne . . .

. . . and my friend, Lori, who is more like my sister than a friend.

And, just last week, my agent accepted the offer for the publication of my second YA novel, KISSING MR. GLASER.

More blogging soon . . . I think!

Monday's RQ

2010-09-27T11:39:00.003-04:00

Today's Random Question: What exactly is Books By the Banks?

Books By the Banks is an annual book festival in Cincinnati that, last year, 3000 people, a bunch of press and 90 authors attended. And I think I should confess right here that until I was invited to participate in it, I had never heard of it, which is my fault for not paying attention to these kinds of things. If, when the space aliens finally decide to take over Earth, they don't land directly in my back yard, I'm pretty sure I'll miss it.

So, Books By the Banks is this Saturday, October 2, in Cincinnati at the Duke Energy Convention Center, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and it's free, but you have the opportunity to buy books and meet and chat with the authors. And here are the two things I'm most excited about:

1. Just being asked to participate. Really. I still can't believe it.

2. I get a runner for the day. One runner is assigned to two authors, and if we need anything to drink, apparently, or more books to sign, the runner fetches them. All I want to know is if I can take the runner home with me for a week. I'll pay, of course. I could definitely use a Personal Runner.

Okay -- wait -- I just thought of a third thing.

3. Getting a copy of the poster. I hope they have them for sale, because this thing is beautiful.

The Saturday Seven

2010-09-25T14:40:00.001-04:00

My Week in 7 Words

anxious

tornadoes

author reception

old friends

wonderful

Monday's RQ

2010-09-22T12:21:00.002-04:00

Today's Random Question: What happened to Monday's RQ?

I forgot. I completely forgot. There's a gorgeous new arts center here in Central Ohio -- the McConnell Arts Center, in Worthington -- that is hosting a Meet the Author Reception for me tonight. The man in charge of the literary arts portion of the center saw an article about me in the Columbus Dispatch, called me and asked if I'd like to participate in this. This was back in late June, and the only thing I could think at the time was, "Are you serious?!?!? I'd LOVE it!!" Much private hooting and cheering ensued because, as I've said before, I was raised Episcopalian, and Episcopalians do not hoot and cheer. Not even at sporting events. Episcopalians are the ones in the stands clapping respectfully, saying, "Well done. Well done, indeed." For both sides, by the way.

I believe I said, "I would love to participate in this. Thank you very much."

So it was and remains a lovely and generous offer, and I keep saying to my husband and friends, "Shouldn't I be paying them five hundred dollars to do this?" But, no, they're hosting this event to promote the center, my book and the literary arts in Central Ohio all at the same time. I am overwhelmed and grateful to be a part of it. However . . .

There's always a however, isn't there?

However, the event includes a reading. My reading. Me. At a microphone. Reading. Out loud. In front of people. People looking at me. Not my favorite thing in the world to do. High on the list, actually, of my least favorite things to do and one of the only ones that doesn't involve small children's birthday parties, bugs or body fluids. The result -- anxiety. My old, familiar friend. And in my entirely anxious -- Why Did I Agree to This and How Can I Get Out of It -- state, I've become entirely unfocused on everything but the source of my anxiety, which is encapsulated in one, vivid mental picture of a microphone. And this is why I forgot about Monday's RQ, and going to the post office, and calling three friends back, and sending a fax, and making dinner last night.

I should be sane again by Thursday afternoon.

The Saturday Seven

2010-09-18T12:55:00.002-04:00

My Week in 7 Words

blog tour

great questions

deadlines

exciting

pooped

(In the event anyone's actually reading this, I really would love to hear about your week in 7 words. I can't be the only one who likes this kind of stuff, can I?)

Monday's RQ

2010-09-13T13:46:00.003-04:00

Today's Reader Question: Do you ever get up in the middle of the night to write down an idea for either the book you're working on or a new novel?

The middle of the night? No. If I get up in the middle of the night, it's because I drank too much water before I went to bed, and all I'm thinking about is navigating my way to the bathroom in the dark, without my glasses past a chair, dresser and wooden trunk designed for nighttime toe-smashing. But at other times, yes, I have stopped what I was doing -- including talking -- to grab a pad of paper and pen to scribble down an idea.

I know writers who use digital recorders, and I could never do that for two reasons. First, I already know I'd misplace it. I misplace my shoes, some jewelry and my cell phone regularly. So this recorder would never be nearby when I needed it. And second, I'd feel like an idiot using it in front of anyone, including myself. I'd want to say something like, "Ground Control to Major Tom," every time I turned it on, and then -- poof! -- there goes the idea I needed to record, and now I'm thinking about David Bowie and Peter Schilling and wondering if they know each other when, really, what I need to be doing is writing -- especially since I have this really good idea now. What was it again?

Monday's RQ

2010-09-06T17:50:00.004-04:00

Today's Reader Question: Where was last Monday's RQ?

Floating in the ether above Lake Michigan, I think. My husband and I spent last week in one of our favorite little beach towns up in Michigan, where, for the first time -- yes, first time -- we used our computer for Internet access. My relationship with technology is something I'll write about later. For now, let's just say that I love it when the power goes out, and I get to pretend for an evening that I'm Abigail Adams. With indoor plumbing. And deodorant.

I'm not averse to using the Internet. I love the immediacy of e-mail and the convenience of clicking on a few buttons and having clothes delivered to me by my friendly neighborhood UPS guy. But I also like being unreachable sometimes. Leaving my cell phone off. Not checking my messages. Not surfing the Net, especially when the beach and miles of shore just aching to be walked are one and a half blocks from my rented front door.

But I did make the commitment to blog at least twice a week, and I tried to honor that commitment last Monday when I wrote a quick post about being at the beach, hit 'publish post' and watched as my computer froze. It did not get more interesting the longer I watched. So I shut the thing down, attempted it on Tuesday, and when the same thing happened, I turned the computer off and went to the beach. Well -- after my 10-minute ritual application of 80 sunblock. Four gorgeous days, one cloudy day and nothing but a few freckles. Now THAT is an accomplishment worth blogging about.

The Saturday Seven

2010-09-04T15:18:00.002-04:00

My Week in 7 Words:

beach
books
magazines
more beach
the Lake!

The Saturday Seven

2010-08-28T08:13:00.003-04:00

My Week in 7 Words:

Timber!
errands
laundry
Game Change
lists
friends

Monday's RQ

2010-08-23T18:52:00.002-04:00

Monday's Reader Question: What's the best thing about being a writer . . . and what's the hardest?

The best thing, finally, is the legitimate excuse I have for living inside my head. It's very hard to come out of that place sometimes not least because I like it there. Everyone's nice to me. But, no, the hardest thing is my unresolved angst over not owning a business suit. I should just go buy one and sit in the thing all day at my desk, but then I might have to find a new place to work without so strict a dress code.

The Saturday Seven

2010-08-21T08:52:00.001-04:00

My Week in 7 Words:

husband's birthday
friends
laughing
spills
distractions
waiting

(your turn)

My Latest Q&A

2010-08-19T12:53:00.003-04:00

My Q&A with Vanessa over at Today's Adventure is up. Thank you, Vanessa!

Monday's RQ

2010-08-16T17:55:00.002-04:00

Reader Question: Where did you get the name Bronwen?

Before I answer this, I want everyone under thirty to know that no one in my high school graduating class was named Caitlyn, Madison or Brittany. Or Jacob, Dylan or Austen. No one. Not one person. On the other hand, I have a very good friend from high school named Bronwyn, so that name sounds as normal to me as the name Madison does to everyone born after the movie Splash! popularized it. I believe that was 1984.

I like the sound of the name Bronwen. I like the sound of the character's full name Bronwen Oliver. And I like the distinction of sounds between the two names Bronwen and Jared. So -- I think it's fair to say that I chose the name Bronwen for its sound. It's a beautiful name, and although my friend Bronwyn is, like her name, uniquely beautiful, the character Bronwen is not based on her.

The Saturday Seven

2010-08-14T08:11:00.001-04:00

My Week in 7 Words:

computer headaches
manhole covers
book party today!

Monday's RQ

2010-08-09T08:44:00.004-04:00

This is either going to be a Reader Question or a Random Question for those Mondays when I have no pending reader questions. And, by the way, I love hearing from readers and try to answer every note I receive.

Today's RQ is a Reader Question: Are you writing a sequel to I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU SOMEONE ELSE?

First, let me thank every single person who has asked me this. I'm completely touched and a little overwhelmed that so many people like Bronwen and Jared enough to keep reading their story. Moreover, to keep thinking about them after the book ends. It's this kind of question that gives writers little happy chills. If I heard this in person, I'd politely thank you while inside, I'd be shouting, "Are you serious?! Whoo-hooo!"

I was raised Episcopalian. I have never whoo-hooed in public.

Now, the answer to the question: No, I am not writing a sequel, and I never planned to. I have very definite ideas about Bronwen and Jared following the end of the action in the novel. In fact, I have even more clearly defined ideas about Bronwen and her mother following the end of the action in the novel, but I have no plans to turn them into a book. All I'll say is this: The more interesting story would be the one between Bronwen and her mother.

The Saturday Seven

2010-08-07T09:48:00.003-04:00

My Week in 7 Words:

furry
fascinating
aggravating
crazy mail
sleepless
yummy

(Your turn -- Your Week in 7 Words!)

Blog Issues

2010-08-03T16:27:00.005-04:00

So, I'm having blog issues. Obviously. That whole "once a week" plan didn't exactly unfold as I had hoped. In fact, I think I self-induced Blog Paralysis as I over-thought blogging and concluded that the answer to the question, "What should I blog about?" was, "Uhh, I have no idea."

Even now, I have written and deleted four (4) paragraphs, one paragraph at a time. My problem is the parameters. What are they? What should they be? I said I'd write about writing, but my writing day is uneventful to anyone but me, I'm sure. I don't want to be embarrassingly revelatory, but I also don't want to write about things too insipid to express. That leaves the territory between my deeply private interior life and my grocery list.

At the moment, I have four followers -- Hi, Everyone -- and I would really just prefer it if we would all move closer together and meet once a week for coffee and talk about what's going on in all our lives -- not just mine. And then I could just shut this blog down, because if too many people follow it, we'll have to keep moving or asking people to move closer to us, so, no, four is a good place to stop. But until that happens, I did promise my editor, agent and publicist that I'd commit to at least a once-a-week entry, so . . . eight short weeks later, I'm getting to that.

Now . . . what to write about?

My First Post

2010-06-10T12:21:00.002-04:00

So -- apparently I'm blogging. I think I am, but since I've never done this before, there's a good chance I'm merely engaged in yet one more contest with an app I am bound to lose. In the event this works, I'll try to post at least once a week with updates of my writing life and this exciting new path I've just set foot on. Lately it's taken my breath away -- Take My Breath Away by Berlin I am now singing -- and I haven't gotten it all back yet. It doesn't help that I'm singing. And badly.