Friday evening

Happy weekend everyone!

it's been a while

Sorry about that, everyone. Every so often, life gets too busy for this sort of leisurely pursuit! And, as always, I only have a minute before I have to run. Sometime soon I'll get around to blogging about the books I've read recently, and the two Broadway shows I've seen. For now I'll just say that life is good, although BUSY. Work is good, although REALLY busy. Thanksgiving was great, with my sister visiting as well as a surprise guest from Oregon. There is enough food still in my fridge to feed an army!
We're rapidly approaching the end of the year and there is still so much I want to accomplish. I need to remind myself that I've still got a month, and that's really plenty of time.
Well. Time to go meet a friend for a jaunt through the holiday market. I'll be back sometime this week. Happy December!

dreams

A couple dreams last night. First I dreamed that a bunch of people including me, my sister, and my parents were on some sort of spaceship that crash-landed on an alien planet, and we were trying to figure out how to survive. Scavenging for food and for debris from the crash, dressed in rags, that sort of thing. This older guy tried to get me to sleep with him but I ran off, and found a fridge mostly full of food from the spaceship, which everyone was really excited about. Then something weird happened and I was really briefly beamed home where my younger sister still was. I was in the house, and went into her room where she was going to bed, and there was a man there named Mr. Chebb who was staying with her to make sure she was okay (he had bug-eyes and these weird conical things coming out of his head). I sat down on the bed and we both cried and cried because she missed all of us and I couldn't stay. That dream made me really sad, when I woke up from it.
The second dream started with me just wandering the streets of some large city (London, maybe?). Then I went into a house that I somehow knew was my house even though I'd been gone for years and years. There was a teenage boy in the shower and I knew he was my twin brother, even though I was a good decade older than him, so I called out that I was home and he knew it was me but told me to fix myself, or something. So I left and did something to turn myself into a teen again, and my brother was very excited when I came back the correct age but was still in the shower. So he told me to go into the back room and check the reflection in the mirror. Which, of course, I didn't do. I went to the front room, it was a bedroom with a little closet of a bathroom attached. It was dim in there, and I sprinkled some sort of powder into the water in the toilet bowl and had a vision of flames. THEN I went to the back room and looked at the tarnished mirror on the wall (the whole place was very lovely with a slightly Eastern feel, but sort of decayed and tarnished). I realized that I could trigger the room's memories, so I did and the memory showed this pull-cord coming down from the ceiling so I asked the room to let it down now and it did. I pulled the left-hand tab attached to the bottom of the cord. And down from the ceiling dropped a lantry, which is apparently a teacher spirit capable of some shape-shifting. It ran outside on all fours, had an excited back and forth with a dog out there, and told me what it was when I asked. Then it ran around the side of the house.
I wish I could remember more of both of those dreams. I feel like there was more to both of them. Maybe it was all really the same dream and I've just forgotten some of the transitional material? I don't know.
Anyway. Time to get home and get to the freelancing. Have a good night!

another friday

I can't believe it's November already! This year has gone by so fast!
I had lunch with a friend today whose book is out on submission with a bunch of publishers. I'm really excited for her! And talking to her about it really just brought home how much I want to get Nor out there. I need to make time to work up a query letter, and a synopsis, so I can get an agent. Soon, soon. I've got a lot of freelancing on my plate because of complicatedness at work, but overall I am really working on balancing my time better. I feel like I'm getting somewhere, slowly but surely!
Neil Gaiman blogged about Argleton, a town that mysteriously seems to exist only online. How intriguing, don't you think? That's just begging for some speculative fiction!
Recently I went to the Spectrum exhibit at The Society of Illustrators here in NYC. I love good fantasy art, and this was two rooms full of really amazing work. Some artists I really like contributed, like John Jude Palencar, Kinuko Craft, and Michael Whelan, as well as a ton I'd never heard of before. I wish I could copy and paste some of the art in, but that's a no-go, so you'll just have to go here instead.
I think that's going to have to be it for now, sadly. It's time to head home and get back to freelancing. The sooner I knock out some work tonight, the sooner I can work on that query letter. . . Have a good night, my sweets!

Happy Samhain

Happy Samhain, everyone! This is the pagan New Year, and we'll be celebrating in style with a nice dinner and a quiet ritual at my partner-in-crime's apartment.
Samhain is also the time of the year when the veil between the worlds is thinnest, so the dead can visit the living. We'll be saying some words for a couple loved ones who departed this year, and may well set places for them at our meal as well. This is the final harvest festival before we really dive into winter, so dinner will be seasonally appropriate food, along with some wine and/or mead. Milk and honey offerings for the fey folk, and carved pumpkins outside to frighten evil spirits away. Samhain is one of my favorite sabbats.
Blessed Be, everyone!

dreamscape

Twice recently I have dreamed of Neil Gaiman. The first time, I was leaving a reading he gave. I loitered around the door until I caught him coming out, and said something harmless like "I love your work," and he said thanks. I loitered a bit more and then approached him again. I can't recall what I actually said the second time (something about sushi, perhaps, since he has a fondness for it, or maybe just something brilliantly insightful about writing) but he told me to hang around the gift kiosk and pick a few things out. I could have them for free, and then when he was done speaking to people we would go have dinner. So I wandered the kiosk. I picked out a stuffed bear based on one of his books, and several graphic novels that don't exist in this world that he wrote. (I wish I could remember their titles, that would've been fun.)
The second time, I can't recall exactly. But I know it was about him again. Clearly, he's been on my mind. I'm reading The Graveyard Book by him right now, and it is so good! He really has this way with language. I just love it. I think I need to reread some of his other books soon.
Other things I've dreamed about lately: Books (specifically YA, shelves of them, the only two I can recall were called Under Brooklyn and Styx). A weird male teacher having an inappropriate relationship with four of his students (two boys, two girls). Don't think I'm too weird, please; the kids in my dream were into it. Last night in my dream my partner-in-crime was sleeping with one of my coworkers. My work spouse shows up semi-regularly, as does what-if boy. I dream often about looking for someone/thing, and sometimes about runnign from someone. I also dream about houses a lot. Really a lot.
I'll try to remember that other Gaiman dream. Any thoughts from anyone else on how brilliant he is? Or, if you have other opinions, please share those!

Yes!!

This afternoon, I finished my novel!! It's done!! PHEW!!! This book was a good two years of my life. Hundreds of hours. Four drafts. I feel really good about it. And now I can start planning my next project.
But first, on to the query letter. . . .

radio silence

Sorry about that, guys. Internet at home = intermittent, and work has been mad busy. But here I am for a brief shining moment before I head home. Several books to touch on, but I'll just hit two today.
First, The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King. It's about an older Sherlock Holmes who makes friends with, and apprentices, a teenage American girl named Mary. This book was everything I hoped for. Good story, sharp writing, brilliant banter between Sherlock and Mary. Just great stuff. I'm looking forward to reading the other three books in this series. (Disclosure: I proofread one of them a year or two ago, so I probably won't be blogging about that one.) Anybody who likes a good mystery, fiction that takes place in the earlier part of the twentieth century, or just a good story, go get this book!
Second, Perfect Circle by Sean Stewart. I picked up this book because it was published by Small Beer Press, and I've really loved some of their quirky, distinctive fiction. This one I enjoyed, but it's not a keeper. It's about a man in Texas who, to be honest, is a loser, who can see ghosts. It's about the trouble he gets into when his life derails a bit after a cousin asks him to get rid of a ghost haunting his garage. I enjoyed the story; it was well put-together. But I had a hard time really empathizing with any of the characters. If you like quirky ghost stories, you'll probably enjoy this, but it wasn't quite right for me.
In other news: I joined a symphonic band. (I'm sure most or all of you already knew that.) And I'm loving it! After so many years of playing my clarinet in my apartment alone, it is a great feeling to make music with a room full of people who are all there because they want to play. We have a concert in mid-November; let me know if you're interested and I'll send you a link through which to buy tickets. I'm really excited to perform! (Disclosure: It's an LGBT organization. Just thought I'd let you all know that before you rushed out to buy tickets. You never know who may be weird about that sort of thing!)
One more thing. I had the strangest dream last night. I was in a town, it felt college-town-sized, or so. It was evening, I think, but not dark yet. Late afternoon, that might be more accurate. There was this really big outdoor sale, like a flea market only it was just one family. I think I rode my bike to it. And they had all these musical instruments so I was digging through those. I found this piccolo, it was oddly shaped with strange keys in strange places, but in the dream I somehow knew it was a Lamberson piccolo even though the imprint on it said Merzhorson or something, and asked this college girl how much it was so I could buy it for my sister. I also asked if I could borrow it briefly to show my sister to see if she'd be interested and the girl said sure, and she would sell it for the usual sauna price. (Yes, sauna price.) So I went trudging off up this hill to find my sister. I went inside this building (castle/keep on a hill) to look for her, but she wasn't there, so I left and was wandering around looking for her. Then I went to this bar that my partner-in-crime and I were helping my friend P run after it was willed to her by some relative, only my sister wasn't there either. I set the piccolo down and was doing something bar-appropriate, washing glasses or putting them away, and started getting these weird flashes of visions. Two teen boys, one girl, best friends, only they get into some weird stuff (like you do when you're a kid). Drinking beer, whatever, only then the boys started drugging the girl by putting something in her beer. And when she went all blissed out and semicomatose, they were doing things like taking a little of her blood (needle in the arm). And then I saw this silver spoon with this weird viscous substance clinging to the tip, and then flashed back to them and she was drugged again and only wearing this white shift dress and the boys were sort of cradling her between them and taking the dress off her over her head. She had very white skin. Then I heard her scream and I knew it had to do something with the spoon, and my partner-in-crime heard it too and released this sort of protector spirit, sort of a man with a bear head and long gangly limbs, from the back of the bar to go save the girl, only when the bear got to where he needed to go there was a guard at the gate (door?) who wouldn't let him by, and the bear was trying to explain that he needed to save the girl, but the guard was being argumentative. And then I woke up, and was really confused.
I feel like there may be a story in that muddle. I also feel like I'm forgetting something at the beginning of it. I should really start writing down/blogging my dreams in the morning, not in the late afternoon.
And now it's time to head home. Happy evening, everyone, and I'll (hopefully) be back here in the next couple of days!

two more books

Here we go with the daily recounting of two books I've read recently. . . .
First: Street Magic by Caitlin Kittredge. I had a really good time with this one, as I do with all of Caitlin's books. This is the first in a new series about a junkie/punk rocker/mage, and a female cop named Pete. The storyline is solid, the action is good, the British accent that Jack wields like a weapon reads wonderfully. And yet, for all my enjoyment, I like her other series, about Luna Wilder, better. Somehow Street Magic felt rushed, somehow. Don't get me wrong, it's a good book. I just wonder what it would've been like if Caitlin had worked on it for another month or two, if she'd stretched it and deepened it a bit. Still. If you like dark urban fantasy, this stuff is great. Give her a read! Highly recommended.
Second: The Water Mirror by Kai Meyer. This is YA fantasy set in Venice with magic mirrors and stone lions and mermaids in the canals. I really enjoyed it; the story is quite original, and the charactesr feel authentic. The only issue I really had was the translation. This was originally publsihed in German, and in just a few places you can tell that the translator didn't quite know how how to articulate the action in English, which leaves it feeling stilted. Most of it flowed very well though. This is the first book in a trilogy, and sad to say, I don't own the other two. I'll be on the lookout for them at Strand! I recommend this one for anyone who enjoys dark fantasy wfor younger readers.
And now, I'm off to my weekend. I'll try to come back here tomorrow. We'll see if the internet cooperates! Good night!

Happy October!

I love the fall. The weather cools, the air smells of fallen leaves, the night comes creeping in a little earlier each day . . . love it.
Just briefly before I go home, two more books. First, on Monday I finished Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger. (Yes, I finished it the day it was released. Don't look at me like that. I got an early review copy at The Strand.) It was beautiful. The writing is lovely, the characters interesting, the setting a silent character of its own. But. The main characters are identical (mirror, actually) twins. And just like in The Thirteenth Tale, which I read last spring, they act like two halves of a whole. They do everything together, dress alike, talk alike, don't date. Now I know that my perspective is a minority one. But being a twin who has always strived to be different than mine (and she's done the same), I have a problem with twins who are content to be treated as one unit. It drives me crazy! That said, the plot did some interesting things and I got over my distaste fairly quickly. All of the history involved, in and around Highgate Cemetery, was utterly fascinating. And the ending . . . oh, I cried. Absolutely. I highly, highly recommend this book.
Second, The Sex Life of Food by Bunny Crumpacker. This book is all about how deeply food is intertwined with every other aspect of our lives. I found it interesting, but it was a couple weeks ago and most of it has already faded from my mind. It's a good read, and if you dig nonfiction food-oriented boosk then you should check this out. But it's not a keeper for me.
Off to my freeelancing, have a good night my sweets!

books

Somehow I've read nine books since the last time I posted here. NINE. In the midst of the million freelance projects I've been working on, I still managed to read that much! I'm a little astounded at myself. Sadly, I don't have time to discuss them all right now, so I thought I would do two. I can talk about two books in five minutes or less.
First, in 2005 a book was released called The Year's Best Graphic Novels, Comics, & Manga. I read it a couple weeks ago. It was more frustrating than anything else, as it was all excerpts from larger pieces. And you couldn't always figure out what was going on, because of the missing information. Maybe if a book like that is done again it should include plot synopses or something. Some of the art was great, but . . . not a keeper.
Second, Smoked by Patrick Quinlan. Fun. It's another action-movie-in-a-book. I liked the characters; they were pretty well developed. Especially Lola. I love her. She kicks ass. And Smoke, well, what can I say about him? He's made of awesome. But now that I know how everything turns out, I'm not going to keep it. It's definitely worth reading. I just probably won't reread it. But I definitely recommend this one to anyone who doesn't mind a little violence in their exciting fiction. Good stuff!
And now, off to band rehearsal. Oh, I don't think I've talked about that, have I? Well, out of time, so tomorrow. I'll be back. Good night!

Mabon

Happy Mabon, everyone! This is another harvest holiday. We celebrate the bountiful harvest, and keep in mind the aging of the Goddess as well as the God's preparation for death and rebirth. Spells centered around balance are appropriate, as this equinox marks the equality of day and night. I plan on celebrating with a hearty dinner, a nice bottle of red, and a quiet ritual.
Blessed be!

too much

Sorry all, life has just been too much lately, and there hasn't been time for blogging. But things are well, and I'll blog sometime this week! Promise! I've got several books to dish about, a couple movies I want to see, and time to update my writing to-do list for the year. So, soon. I will blog. I'll do it.

long shadows lure you in

Sometimes, this wild yearning rises up in my chest until I feel like I can't breathe. I want. I yearn. For what, I don't know, but the intensity of the desire is undeniable. This feeling steals into the room on the autumn breeze and leaves me aching. All I know is there is something I don't (can't) have, something that I need.
The beginning of autumn has come. And so, too, this need. Would that I could find better, deeper words for it, but there aren't any. And the only thing I can do to calm it even briefly is to go out, to be one with the elements, the wind and the rain and the kiss of the autumn air. It's like I need to be outside of my skin, I need to be something other than what I am. And so I go. And it never lasts. But I keep trying anyway, because I can't sit still when this desire rides me.
And so I go.

seven days later

Hey, at least I seem to be hitting the Fridays fairly consistently.
What a long week! I wanted to get here earlier to ramble about half-forgotten dreams and interesting musicians and books and such, but things have been just busy in my little office. But I didn't want to leave you all high and dry for the weekend without saying hello.
It feels like autumn today, and I love it. I can't wait for the weather to really change! It's not like this summer has been particularly bad or anything, though. I'm just craving fall. Oh, to go sit in the park with the autumn leaves swirling down around me. . . .
I've been going through the things I've got bookmarked here on my work computer recently, since the list was a little out-of-hand. I may have to post some links here soon. There is some fantastically interesting, inspiring stuff out there on the internet!
I've started planning Yule gifts for people already, and I've got a good start on it, I think. Anybody else out there started already? I think my idea for people's stockings is going to be great. I'm making little magic sachets full of herbs, and different people's sachets will have different focuses. And yes, I'm sewing them myself. By hand. I bought the sweetest little fabrics for them at Purl last week!
Countdown to parent visit. They get here next Tuesday, late late late in the day. Should be a lot of fun!
I've been slowly wending my way through Nor for one last tidy. Unfortunately, I won't finish by the end of August, which was my original goal. But perhaps mid-September; we'll see what happens. I need to spend more time crafting a query letter, too. Those are hard for me. Are they hard for anybody else? I'm sure they must be. Hmm.
Anyway. I just want to go sit in the park and read, that sounds so lovely. I think I'll reserve part of tomorrow for that. Now I think I'll dive back into cleaning my office for a bit, and then head home to my freelancing project. Have a good weekend, all!

August?

Wow, where did August go? it's the 21st already. Wasn't yesterday the 6th?
Well, life has been busy. Or, occupied, at least. I've been sick; last week was a total wash, outside of work. But since the last time I blogged I have managed to finish draft zero of Emmelina and the Rat King and draft zero of the Winter Queen. I've received feedback on Nor from four people, so this weekend I'll dive into my last round of editing on that. and I've only got one freelance project going right now, so I'm not totally overwhelmed in my free time.
My parents are coming to visit for the first week of August, which I think will be a lot of fun. Any thoughts on what I should do with them?
(You know, I always have so many ideas to blog about, but then when I get here my mind goes silent!)
Two bands I'm considering seeing this fall. First, Rodrigo y Gabriela. They're so amazing! Such brilliant guitarists! Second is a band called Murder by Death that I'd never heard before today. A coworker was listening in his office and I was immediately intrigued. They're sort of indie Americana stuff. And their cellist is the hottest girl ever.
Anyway, there's been a lot of drama this summer. It's unpleasant, honestly. Friends breaking up, business partners splitting, family drama for some people, unemployment for others, friend drama for yet others . . . It's tough stuff to deal with, and it just seems like there's been a lot of it this summer. Hopefully the autumn breeze will blow all of that negativity away soon and we can start the next season cleansed and uplifted. I'm going to spend more time on my spirituality this fall, that's a sure thing. I find it harder to connect with the God and the Goddess here in the city. Not as much Nature, and I'm not comfortable practicing outside. I've got to make more of an effort though. I miss being more spiritual. Honestly, I miss the circle I used to practice with, too. And find it mildly disconcerting that two of the three others from the circle have gone back to Christianity since I moved to the city. That said, I don't need anyone else in order to practice. What I need is just to devote more energy to my connection with the world and the positive energy and the God and the Goddess.
Last night I had a strange dream: first there was something about catching two gorgeous large tabby cats (Maine Coons, perhaps?). Then there was something about these vines that were sent to me, that were wrapping around my arms to immobilize me, but I somehow ripped my arms out of them and knew that I had to disappear if I was going to solve whatever it was I was trying to solve. (Maybe something before that about driving away from a school-type campus, like Sheldon? It was night out?) Then I entered this huge underground compound to look for someone. I was with two other people, I think, both men. And there was a man playing the neatest upright bass I'd ever seen, and so I stopped to talk to him about it, and my two companions were really pissy about that. I wish I could remember more of this dream, it was really trippy and interesting. I think my younger sister was there at some point. Possibly my other sister as well. Agh. I'll try to remember more this evening. . . .
Also, three more books to report:
Ursula, Under by Ingrid Hill. This is huge, epic fiction, spanning two thousand years of ancestors who culminate in this little girl who falls down an abandoned mine shaft. It's poignant, and lyrical, and beautiful, and I felt very involved the entire time I was reading. I really, really enjoyed it. But in the end, I passed it on to a friend. A book like this is a serious commitment, and I just couldn't see myself undertaking it again anytime soon. But I will absolutely recommend this book to anyone who likes serious fiction.
Falling Boy by Alison McGhee. I enjoyed this one much more than I thought I would. It's about a boy who is paralyzed from the waist down who works in a bakery, and his relationships with the other people in the bakery. The slow unfolding of how everyone is related and the intricacies of their interactions is remarkable to watch. And the central mystery, how the boy was injured, is kept a secret until just before the end. This one's a keeper, I think. A good study on how we respond/react to the people we love; how we can hurt or heal them, even without realizing it.
The Boundless Deep by Kate Brallier. This one was also a pleasant surprise. Good writing, firmly rooted in the history of Nantucket. The characters are interesting and fun, the whaling history is fascinating. This book made me yearn for a trip to Nantucket. A keeper! (But fair warning for the more modest readers out there; this one has some steamy scenes!)
All right. Time to wrap it up and head home for the weekend. Stay dry!

some author recommendations

I've been meaning to do this for a while. Here, in no particular order, is a list of some of my favorite writers. Enjoy!

Neil Gaiman --- What can I say? Do I need to say anything at all? The man is brilliant. The most interesting, weird stories come crawling out of the depths of his brain. His book Neverwhere is probably in my top five favorite books of all time. The man can tackle any sort of story he puts his mind to, it seems. I am unendingly impressed with his body of work.

Alice Hoffman --- Magical realism at its finest. I love a number of her books. The lush language, the way the characters interact, how true to themselves they are . . . I wish I could write books as lovely as hers. Do yourself a favor; if you haven't read her, go pick up Practical Magic or The River King right now.

Holly Black --- Her YA urban fantasy is twisty and true and creepy and lovely all at the same time. Read Tithe. It's so good!

Charles de Lint --- He writes mythic fiction at its finest. His books move a little slower than a lot of fantastic fiction does. It's a lot about the character growth and the interaction between the mundane and the amazing. I just love his work, especially his older books, like Moonheart and Someplace to be Flying and Memory and Dream.

Susan Cooper --- Everyone should read the Dark is Rising sequence. These books blew me away as a kid and they continue to do so as an adult. They're amazing. I've always wanted to just climb into the pages and exist there. And if you appreciate Arthurian legend, that adds a whole other level of enjoyment to these!

I could keep going. but I'm not going to, because it's time to get ready to go, and I've got a three-day weekend ahead of me. I'll try to be back soon! Ta!

a bit of this, a bit of that

Just a few random things to put out there before I leave work for the weekend.
While sitting on my partner-in-crime's stoop the other night, I saw two fireflies. They're such dreamy little things, on a humid summer night! I was thinking it'd be fun to get a firefly tattoo. But I'm not sure how I would pull that off, because up close they're not terribly attractive insects. How can they be so ugly but so pretty at the same time?
I've been slowly poking along on my novella, Emmelina and the Rat King. It's going pretty well; I'm loving working on something besides Nor. Soon enough, though, I'll be back to Nor for what will hopefully be my last edit on it before submitting. Crazy!
I found a white hair on my head the other day. It's not the first one. But it's the first one that's been right up front so it's easy to spot. You know what? I left it there. White hair happens. I kind of like it.
I went to the beach last weekend, and went in the water. More so than I intended! I got caught by a sneaker wave; it knocked me over, and down I went. Totally submerged. It was a lot of fun! Except the sunburn, but it's not bad. Not like last summer; that one was horrific. This one is just itchy because it's peeling like gangbusters! Ah well. At least it's going through the healing process quickly. And if I'm at the beach again anytime soon, I'll be under the umbrella the entire day.
A couple recent dreams. In one, I was hanging out with a good friend whose wedding I went to last fall. We weren't doing anything in particular, just hanging out. It was really nice. And then I woke up and was bummed that I can't actually hang out with him, as we're on opposite coasts. A different night, I dreamed that I found a little white kitten out on the street. I picked him up. I named him Mustard, I think. (I know, random! I think it's because there was this stray white cat I wanted to adopt several years ago, and the people who eventually did adopt him named him Mayonnaise.) I was having hard time hanging on to Mustard while I was going about my business, so I put him into a ziploc baggie. Don't worry, I didn't zip it all the way closed! But when I got to the class I was going to, and pulled the bag out to check on him, two things had happened. He'd died in the bag (poor little guy!) and somehow he shrank, as well. Again, I was bummed when I woke up. The third dream I vaguely remember, I was in a house with my mother and siblings, we were waiting for my dad to show up; he'd been gone a long time. (I'm talking months, not hours.) We finally found out that he'd died, and my mother was grieving, and so were us kids, and I asked her if I could keep these bookshelves of his we found in the garage that were Asian-influenced. We were going through boxed and crying over pictures and puzzling over things we'd never seen before, and I remember thinking "This is strange, he was kind of a jerk and didn't treat us very well and here we are, all seriously upset." (Don't worry, the dream family was not my real-life family!)
And on more thing. I learned two new words. First: Jackleg. It means 1 a: characterized by unscrupulousness, dishonesty, or lack of professional standards; b: lacking skill or training OR 2 : designed as a temporary expedient. Second: Bricolage. It means: construction (as of a sculpture or a structure of ideas) achieved by using whatever comes to hand; also: something constructed in this way.
Time to head home. Have a good weekend!

PS

Lots of strange dreams lately. Last night I was grocery shopping, and the cashier forgot to ring up the celery so I had to pay separately for that, and I got cranky at someone who was with me because they were working on the acknowledgments page for a book but had separated it from the rest of the manuscript. A couple nights ago I dreamed I was in this little house and either I was sick or other people were sick, so I was only allowed to be around certain people. But then I left the house and went to this bigger place where a lot of my friends were hanging out, and I tried to eat the cheese that was out on the buffet table with a lot of other food, but it had gone bad, so I was spitting it out and trying to get the awful taste out of my mouth when a good friend of mine from Seattle showed up. A night or two before that I was hanging out with a good friend of mine from Portland who got married last fall. And there was a recent one about seeing what-if boy, but I don't really remember anything about it.
It seems to me that most of my dreams recently have been about seeing someone, or about looking for someone/-thing. I wonder what my subconscious is trying to work through.
Okay, now REALLY off to work for me. Ta!

she waits for the dream to come

I'm sitting in my kitchen with a cup of tea and a new book to read. Oh, I love summer Fridays! This week was stressful; I feel like I've earned this bit of R&R today. Not that my whole weekend is going to be quiet. But this little moment in my kitchen, with the morning breeze floating through the window, is all mine to do with as I please. Which, in a few minutes, is going to be writing. But I've got three books to share that I've devoured in the last week, so I thought I'd stop by for a minute to ramble about them. (This makes my total 32 books for the year so far. Crazy!)
Wild Girls by Diana Souhami: This book is about a couple of expat American lesbians, Natalie Barney and Romaine Brooks, whose relationship spans over thirty years in Paris. I enjoyed reading this. I love how it incorporated small bits about other people, not just Natalie and Romaine and their various lovers. And the way their relationship worked was very interesting. But this isn't a keeper for me; I just don't see myself going back to it.
The Blonde by Duane Swierczynski. Reading this book is like watching an action flick. It's a lot of fun, very fast-paced, some very tense moments, some very funny moments. The plot is a little out there (nanobites in your bloodstream that will make your head explode if you don't have someone within ten feet of you at all times), but that's normal for action flicks. I know a lot of people who love this book, and I get it. But I felt like it was lacking in character development. I never really cared what happened to Jack, Kelly, or Kowalski, because I don't feel like I ever got to know them. So, fun, but not a keeper for me. However. If you're looking for a beach read, or a travel read, give this one a shot. It is quite fun!
Live Through This is a collection of essays by women (bigger names include Inga Muscio, bell hooks, and Patricia Smith) about their experiences with self-destruction: how it shaped/s their art, how they deal with it, whether or not they went down a truly self-destructive path or caught themselves at the beginning of it and diverted that energy into creation instead of destruction, etc. I picked this up because a friend of mine at the company I interned for was the editor. It's an uneven collection, as these types of books so often are, but some of the essays are extremely touching and really make you think about things. A lot of topics fall under the category of self-destruction, for the intents of this book: cutting, drug abuse, alcoholism, weight problems, cancer, depression, etc. etc. etc. The pieces that spoke to me the most were by Carol Queen, Patricia Smith, and Anonymous. I definitely recommend this for anyone who is interested in the female creative experience. Or just the female experience.
So, those are all for now. I've really read an interesting variety of books this year, haven't I?
Anyway. I should probably get moving. There's a lot I want to do today that doesn't involve being in front of the computer! Have a good weekend all, I'll catch you next week.

Chocolate

Hi all. I know most of us don't purchase that much chocolate on a regular basis. Nonetheless, I wanted to share what I just found online. This blurb is taken from Wikipedia, but I read about it on several different websites:

On July 25, 2005, Scharffen Berger announced that it was being bought by The Hershey Company[2] On 2005 August 15, Hershey announced the completion of the acquisition [3]. Hershey purchased Scharffen Berger for about twice the company's annual revenue, which was approximately $10 million a year at the time of the 2005 acquisition.[1] The same year Hershey's also bought another San Francisco company, Joseph Schmidt Confections, and combined the two smaller companies into a wholly owned subsidiary, Artisan Confections Company.[4] In 2006 Hershey's purchased Dagoba, an Ashland, Oregon-based manufacturer of organic chocolate. Hershey's subsequently began manufacturing its new artisan brands in a factory in Robinson, Illinois and in early 2009 announced plans to close both Bay Area factories, lay off approximately 150 local employees, and transfer remaining production to Illinois, effectively keeping the company alive in name only.[4]

I'm sure you all remember my stint working at the Scharffen Berger store on the Upper West Side. It's good chocolate. I had a good time there. And now, Hershey's has ruined another good little company.
Please, everyone, can we boycott Hershey's, including Scharffen Berger and Dagoba products?

Brilliant!

Check out this video, it's too funny:

Yikes

Well, I keep meaning to be better at this blogging thing and it just keeps not happening. Too much on my plate, I suppose, coupled with a terrible lack of Internet at home recently.
Today is one of those irrational days. You know what I'm talking about, ladies; we all have them. I am always amazed at how intense my rage is on days like today. And how short-lived it is, too. Like a firefly. On. Off. That quick.
The other night my partner-in-crime and I were hanging out on his stoop with a neighbor of his, who was tipsy, and she started performing her poetry for us. Some of her rhythms and her breakdowns really reminded me of my ex-girlfriend's work. Strange. I did one piece, at my partner-in-crime's insistence. It's been a long time since I was poetry-minded. Mostly because I've been so far into fiction writing these last few years. It was interesting to go back and read some of my work. I still think that some of it was pretty good. But a lot of it was junk. That's the way it is with any art though, right?
I've read a plethora of books since I last wrote about reading. Let's see . . .
A Nameless Witch, by A. Lee Martinez. This fantasy novel was quite entertaining. Witty, funny, and glib. I mean, how many books have you read involving slightly undead witches and their demon duck familiars? That's what I thought. This book made me giggle out loud a number of times, but it's not a keeper. Not for anything lacking, it's just not the type of book that I'll reread. Definitely recommended though.
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin. This is a perfect beach read, and that's exactly where I read a decent portion of it! I'm not generally a fan of chick lit, but this one is good. Balanced, easy-to-empathize-with characters. The plot is not totally unrealistic. I could see it happening. And I've met people similar to these characters. I like how shades-of-gray it presented things, because the world really isn't black or white at all. Even if you're not into chick lit, you should give this one a shot. And if you are into chick lit, why haven't you read it already?
One Train Later by Andy Summers. This is the memoir of the guitarist for The Police, and it's just lovely. Andy has a really great voice, and a good perspective. This memoir is a good mix of crazy party gigs with drugs and wild girls, and serious passages about Zen, about the music and his influences and style, about the music being more important than anything else. I really, really enjoyed this. And it made me seriously miss being in a rock band. For anybody who has even a remote interest in rock history, or for anybody who just wants to read what it's like to be in a superstar band, check this one out.
The Man Who Turned Into Himself by David Ambrose. This one was interesting. It's serious fiction based on the "many worlds" theory of quantum physics. I had a hard time ever really connecting with the main character, I think because he had a hard time connecting with himself. But it was really interesting to read about this character grappling with these extreme theories. This is not a keeper for me; I don't think I care to go down that particular rabbit hole again. But I'm glad I read it once, even though by the end I was a little exasperated with how far the premise was taken.
So I'm at 29 books so far for this year. Not bad. Maybe I really will get to 60, we'll see! I rejected several other books in the course of reading the ones I just discussed; I am getting more particular. Which is good, given how many books I've amassed!
That might be about all I've got for today. And I've got work to finish anyway. So, I'm off. I'll try to get back here soon.

fairy name

I don't usually do things like this, but I couldn't help it for this one. I have my own fairy name now! And I like it, even!

Your fairy is called Bramble Goblinfrost

She is a bringer of riches and wealth.

She lives in leafy dells and bluebell glades.

She is only seen during the first snow of winter.

She wears bluebell-blue dresses. She has gentle green wings like a butterfly.

Get your free fairy name here!

a miscellany

There are several things I want to talk about today, and (per usual) not a lot of time for me to do it in, thanks to the sheer madness that work has been lately. Ah, well. I suppose I should expect it.
Anyway. First. I know that the struggling economy has really sucker-punched a lot of people over the last year or so. Particularly, I think, people who try to make a living from their art. What really gives me hope is how people respond to their current hardship. Two examples are Cat Valente and Dawn Taylor. Cat has started a serial novel online, and you can donate whatever amount you feel appropriate each week when she posts a new section. Dawn has an etsy shop where you can buy fresh homemade chocolate and marshmallows, and S'mores kits! I love it when people get creative and do whatever they can do with their talents to help themselves. Beyond that, as fellow writers/artists/etc., we all need to do everything we can do to help each other out during rough times like now. So, everyone, go do some reading! Order some chocolate! Save the Artists!
Next, and also on a serious note, I just found out that David Eddings passed away at the beginning of June. This news really saddened me. His Belgariad and Mallorean contributed in a big way to me becoming the avid fantasy reader/writer that I am. I don't remember how I discovered his books, but I do remember that I was only twelve or so when I started with Pawn of Prophecy. I still have my battered mass-market copies of his books. They've been well loved over the years. I, in my turn, have used his books (among others) to turn other people on to epic fantasy. He was a good writer with some interesting ideas and some great characters. I always loved how he didn't leave out the more humane, humbling moments in his books. People want showers. They say the wrong thing sometimes. They doubt themselves. They get hungry. They want. His characters seemed so human to me, even the larger-than-life ones such as Polgara, Belgarath, Garion . . . Not to mention the gods he created. Just . . . good fantasy. And now there won't be any new David Eddings fantasy ever again, and that makes me sad. The up-and-coming generation of fantasy writers have some big shoes to fill. And David, wherever you are, I hope your journey to the Summer Country is a pleasant one.
I have more to say, but since it's time to go, it'll have to wait for another time. Have a good night!

Summer!

Happy summer solstice, everyone! It's rainy and a little on the brisk side today, but I still plan on celebrating summer, hopefully with ritual and a good bottle of wine. And cherries. I hope everyone has a lovely day!

Relaxing Friday

Well, today was perfectly lovely. I had blueberry pancakes for breakfast, with tea. I read for a while, went for a run, worked on my book, did some tidying, worked on a freelance project for a couple hours, and had dinner with my partner-in-crime. And balanced my checkbook. I know that makes it sound busy, but it was really a leisurely, lovely Friday. Oh! And I got my hair cut, too. I haven't done that since October, so it was a real treat. The shampoo boy gave me a divine scalp massage while washing my hair. . . .
Two books to report on:
First, So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson. She read a book a week, for a year, and wrote a book about it. I was really excited to read this one, but was a little let down by the content. I had the impression that she was going to discuss the books she read, but that wasn't the emphasis at all. Instead, she talked about what was happening in her life when she read the books; what led her to choose the books she did; how to deal with it when you don't like your friend's writing; what happens when you don't like a book that someone you're close to recommended; etc. So it was a fun read, but not at all what I expected. Not a keeper for me.
Second: The Witch of Cologne by Tobsha Learner. This is serious historical fiction about a Jewish midwife who is persecuted by a Spanish Inquisitor and saved by a Catholic priest. I really enjoyed it. The characters are strong, the historical background quite interesting, and the writing is good. Well worth reading. This is not for the weak of heart or stomach, however; there are some fairly graphic sex scenes and torture scenes. But the politics, the subterfuge, and the forbidden love are all totally fascinating. This is not a keeper for me, not for any lack in the book, simply because I don't tend to reread works like this. Definitely good!
So that's books twenty-four and twenty-five. Think I can make it to fifty by the end of the year? I don't see why not!
Anyway. It's late; I should get to bed. I'll try to post more in a day or too.

a grayish dawning light

This morning on my walk to the subway the light had that weird sharp, flat, bright quality that precedes a good storm. Beautiful, beautiful. The rain really started coming down just as I reached the train. Part of me wished I could stay outside and dance in the spring rain for a while, but the rest of me picked up my feet and walked up the stairs to the subway. Sigh.
I think this morning's shower was leftover from the immense thunderstorm that rolled through sometime in the darkest hours of last night. Around two in the morning, or maybe it was closer to three, I awoke to an immense crash of thunder. It was so loud, I swear I thought the thundercloud had become snared on the roof of the building and sunk to street level. The lightning was so bright it must have struck in the alley just outside the window. It was so bright that I had afterimages glowing on the insides of my eyelids. Which just made the darkness that much darker. My partner-in-crime had been watching Hellboy when I went to sleep last night, so in my half-awake state I was seeing flashes of the movie play out in the darkness between lightning flashes.
It was pretty intense.
And it was a very long night.
Today's been decent. Pretty quiet. I mean, tons of work, but quiet as in no drama, no fuss over anything. Just steadily slogging my way through things. Which is good.
I'm still working on finding a better sense of balance in my life. When I started freelancing again after time off for my wrist, I immediately started doing a lot of it. So I'm behind on my novel. Plus there were a couple of weekends in there that involved going out too much, so I've swung the pendulum back and am now being a bit of a hermit again. Hmmm. There's got to be a middle ground, instead of a steady swing. I guess I just need to keep working at it.
I just read online that Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer are dating. My first reaction was WTF? But then I stopped and thought about it. And the idea seems odd at first, but then if you tilt your head just the right way it all makes sense and becomes a beautiful thing. (How many of us would love to have a partner that crazy talented? I know I would!) (Nothing personal against the one I've got. I'm just saying . . . )
Anyway. One more blog to hit, and then it's time to get ready to go for the evening. I hope everyone is enjoying the stormy weather!

for your amusement

Well, I can't figure out how to make it bigger. Hopefully you can enjoy it as is!

today

This morning, what I really wanted was a leisurely stroll through the farmers' market, followed by a cup of English Breakfast tea and some fresh strawberries at home. An hour or two with a book, some time writing, a long walk in the park, and maybe an episode of Buffy. Instead, I spent all day in my (non-air-conditioned) office, working and daydreaming.
Some days, I do seriously consider self-employment.
Momentarily I'm heading to a friend's place for some work/hang-out time. Then work tomorrow. And then . . . my first summer Friday off! Yes! I'm really looking forward to it. A whole quiet day at home. Of course, I'll spend the majority of it freelancing, but who cares? At least I'll be able to have that cup of tea, and spend some time in the park if I want. (And watch that episode of Buffy!) Can't wait.
My summer is going to be quiet, I think, for the most part. Some beach trips, a weekend or two in Connecticut, that's probably about it. How about you? Anybody out there have some amazign summer plans to share?
Well, I'd best be off. I'll be back here soon, don't worry!

lunch break quickie

I'm having carrots and beets for lunch today. Tasty! And should probably be working while I eat, not writing, but c'est la vie. Two more books on the list:
Piano by James Barron. It follows one Steinway concert grand through the entire process of being made. If you have a mechanical interest in music, then this is a great book. Lots of interesting information. I really enjoyed it, but I'm not keeping it. I don't need to follow that piano through its birthing process again.
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. This book is beautiful, and sad, and lyrical, and heartrending. I cried. It's a brilliant love story with a sad yet optimistic ending. If you want to read something that will really tug on your heartstrings, read this. Especially the last hundred pages or so. This is really a book to be read slowly, to be savored. Great language, and amazing characters; it's fascinating to watch their relationships unfold. I don't even know what else to say about this book. Everyone, go out and read it! Audrey just recently signed a contract for her second book. I can't wait to see what it's like. Let me say, though, that this is not an easy read. There is some serious angst, and some difficult times, and a lot of loneliness in this book. It's not for the fainthearted. But for the sheer beauty of the romance, I highly, highly recommend it.
Oh, and just to let you all know, I did buy that art print that was in my list in my previous entry. Nothing else yet, but rest assured, the T-shirt will happen.
One brief thing about the Twilight books, before I get back to work. I was just reading a review of the books online, and came across a passage that says these books "are -- in essence and most particulars -- romance novels, and despite their gothic trappings represent a resurrection of the most old-fashioned incarnation of the genre. They summon a world in which love is passionate, yet (relatively) chaste, girls need be nothing more than fetchingly vulnerable, and masterful men can be depended upon to protect and worship them for it." I found that really interesting. There's been some hubbub about the underlying Mormon principles, and how controlling Edward is, but I'd never thought of this. The reviewer is really saying that they're just written the way romances used to be written, instead of how they're written now. And I think he's right.
And now, several offsets to get through, so I'm off. Ta!

the longest days

Summer hours have begun. Which I'm excited about, but this is only the second day, and adding forty-five minutes sure does make the day seem longer. And slower.
So. There are things online that I am coveting. I am looking for advice/input/whatever, my readers. Tell me what to buy, or what not to buy. Here's the list:

• Coolest T-shirt I've seen in a while
• Lovely owl marionette
• Mythical Creatures stamps from England
• This piece of art that would be adorable in my kitchen

I know, I shouldn't really be spending money frivolously like this. Especially so soon after buying new shoes! But can you really say that any of those things don't belong with me? They call my name, they whisper to me when I'm away from the computer. "Buy us, you know you need us, don't let us go. . . ." Anyway.
Listening to the Gladiator soundtrack. Oh, the angsty glory of a brilliant film score!
Okay. Twenty-one minutes until I can go home. Tonight will be full of freelancing and rhubarb muffins. And possibly a run.
Have a good one!

unintentional break

Sorry about that, everyone. I kept meaning to blog more, and kept not getting to it. Sometimes that seems like the story of my life. . . .
Anyway. I've got two more books to talk about:
First, Prince Ombra by Roderick MacLeish. It's about a boy named Bentley who is the next in a long line of heroes including people like King Arthur, and what happens when an ancient evil, Prince Ombra, threatens his town and the people he loves. It's a great story, a big good vs. evil plotline. Prince Ombra mostly operates covertly by corrupting the people around Bentley. And I'll admit, reading about all those good people going bad in various ways was . . . well, it was uncomfortable. But I think that was the point. Often, what we're battling against isn't an evil knight in black armor, or something equally obvious. It's more insidious than that. It's the anger, the despair, the bitterness that can creep into our heartsand take root there, then lash out at others. Watching Bentley struggle against Ombra's corruption was difficult too, but not as much so. (He's the hero! Of course he'll win!) This YA book doesn't hold back, either. There is some violence, and a couple of deaths. Some wicked arguing matches between the adults in Bentley's life. This is not a comfortable book at all. But it's not supposed to be. It illustrates how easy it is to fall into evil, and how hard it is (yet also worthwhile!) to stay true to yourself and your beliefs. Worth reading, definitely. I don't know if I'll read it again, but I'm glad it found its way into my hands.
Second, All the Windwracked Stars by Elizabeth Bear. This was the first book of hers that I've read. And you know what? This book is great! Good characters; the grief that both Muire and Mingan carry is palpable and complex. Cathoair is a live wire; what a great character. And the moreaux, Selene and Crostokos and the others, could have ended up flat, but instead they were vibrant and easy to empathize with. I absolutely cried at the end of this one. So good! Such closure, sort of! I can't wait to read the prequel, By the Mountain Bound, and see how Muire and Mingan became the hollows of who they used to be. I would recommend this to anyone at all who has a remote interest in sci-fi or fantasy books. The language is lovely and gritty at the same time. It's so easy to see everything she's written. . . . I hope someday I can write like that.
So that's books twenty and twenty-one. I'm hoping to get through at least one more this month. I think we're going to the beach again next weekend for a day, so more reading time shouldn't be a problem.
Work is finally picking up a bit. Finally! I'm not sure why it's been so slow, but I'm definitely ready for some busyness.
I've been working on Nor. You know, I was frustrated with how long of a hiatus I ended up taking from it, but now I'm actually happy about it. I have a much more fresh persepctive, and it's serving me very well in terms of revising. I'm a couple pages behind where I'd like to be, but I'll make up the time over the weekend. And, yeah. That's about it for now. Next time I write I'll try to have something deep and meaningful to discuss, but for now, happy weekend, and I'll try to be back soon.

a timeline

I've been thinking about my novel. That's about all I've been doing with it, thanks to my wrist! But I think I've sorted out a decent timeline that I can stick with. A month and a half to edit. Mid-June through mid-July for my readers to take one more stab at it for me, during which I'll work on my submission letter and write a short story. Then another month and a half of editing. And then, come September, it's submitting time. I think it's doable. What do you all think?
In other news, I think something big is about to go down at work. I don't want to discuss, because I don't want to jinx it, but my fingers are crossed!
Movies I want to see this month: Wolverine, Star Trek, and Terminator. They all just look wicked good to me.
I signed up for bookmooch. Goddess help me, I think it could be really dangerous!
Also, I may not ever get around to finishing The Floating Book. I know I said I would. But I keep looking at it and then picking up something else. I don't know. The writing is lovely, absolutely, but the characters just didn't really draw me in. I guess I should put it in the discard pile.
One last thing. This summer/fall, I want to do some of that serious brainstorming for a good series concept that I can really get behind. Fantasy, possibly. But not epic fantasy. Something along the lines of urban fantasy or mythic fiction would be more my speed for a series, I think. Any thoughts out there in the ether from you guys? Things to avoid, things to consider?
More blogging soon. For now, it's time to get ready to head home.

Beltane

Happy Beltane, everyone! Beltane is a holiday of fertility and celebration as we look forward to the long summer days and the abundant harvest to come. It is one of the two times of the year when the veil between the worlds is thinnest (the other being Samhain) so it is easier for the spirits to enter our world, and vice versa. Because of this, it is traditional to leave out food and drink for the fey folk who may pass by your door. In the myth cycle of the God and the Goddess, Beltane is when the God impregnates the Goddess. Essentially, today is a day to celebrate life and love however you feel appropriate! I'll be celebrating later with a good dinner followed by mead, wine, and ritual.
Have a good weekend, all!

a helping hand

I saw this on a design blog I read regularly and was inspired by the underlying message. If we all help each other out, even a little bit, think of all the good we can do!

Three More Books

That's right everybody, three more books to blog about. That's books seventeen, eighteen, and nineteen, I think. I'm a reading machine!
The first one is called The Book of Vodou by Leah Gordon. It's just what it sounds like: a basic primer for Vodou. It covered where the religion came from and how it evolved, the different spirits and deities that play a major part in it, worship practices, and charms and potions. A good little book to start with, and I'm keeping it for sure, even though I have a couple books on my shelf that go more in-depth.
Second is The Haunting of Alaizabel Clay by Chris Wooding. And as before, when I read Poison, I was totally bowled over by Chris's work. This book is really enjoyable; it takes place in an alternate Victorian London where the Age of Reason is butting heads with the wyches (demons and ghosts and such) that have been showing up in recent decades. The language is great. The characters come from all walks of life and are easy to empathize with. The story is tightly crafted, about a wych-hunter named Thaniel and the possessed girl, Alaizabel, he finds one night while out hunting. From there it is a story of self-discovery for both Thaniel and Alaizabel as well as an exciting action story about saving London from being overrun by evil. I finished it and was half-tempted to just flip back to page one and start again. I'm definitely keeping this book, and definitely finding more of Chris Wooding's work, and if any of you dear readers are looking for good YA novels, look no further. Chris Wooding's books are great.
Third, on a totally different note, is I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley. It's a collection of essays that Sloane has written about different aspects of her life and experiences she's had. The themes run from terrible bosses to one-night stands to bridesmaids to plastic ponies. I found many of the essays to be really funny, and all of them made me pause and think for a minute. Some of them are just quintessential life experiences, like locking yourself out of your apartment, that everyone can relate to. And some of them are quite specific to Sloane's way of experiencing life, which just makes it a lot of fun. I definitely recommend this one for some light nonfiction reading. She'll make you laugh, and she'll make you look at life a little bit differently.
Speaking of life, things are plugging along. My wrist is slowly improving. No more physical therapy unless it starts hurting again, which is great for my pocketbook but makes me a little nervous. I've been babying that wrist for a month and a half; who knows what will happen when I start doing things with it again? But, I need to try. I need to see where I'm actually at.
I've started scratching at my novel a little bit again. In the interest of my healing wrist, I only do a page or so of editing when I sit down to work, so I'm really creeping along, but just the fact that I'm working on it again makes me really happy.
I've also picked up a freelance project, after over two weeks off from any extra work. My subsequent paychecks will be happy for the extra. We'll see how it goes for my sanity and my wrist!
All of this wrist stuff has led me to thinking more about the concept of balance. Clearly, it's something I need to work on. I can't just work-work-work like I was all the time, and I think that my wrist injury was the universe's way of telling me to slow down. How do I do that? How do I compromise instead of going full-tilt? Well, for starters, I don't take every freelancing project that's offered to me. And I need to remember that I don't have to do everything every day. It's okay to take a day off from my clarinet, or leave secondary activities like collaging and organizing my closet for the weekends. I need to leave time in my life to just relax. To read a good book or watch an episode of Buffy or play a video game. I'm working on it. It's hard. I always feel like I should be accomplishing something with my time. But the forced break from everything due to my wrist really helped me realize the value of taking time for myself. It's a good thing to work on.
Two more small things before I get back to work. First, I found a t-shirt online that I think I have to buy. It says "And then Buffy staked Edward. The End." Ha! Too funny! And second, I have a possible invite to play in an LGBT community band. I need to check out their website, see what sort of music they play, etc. But it might be a lot of fun!
And on that note, it's time to get back to work for me. Things are a little slow this afternoon, but that just means it's time to get ahead. Have a good afternoon!

New Art

I went to the flea market on Saturday. And look what I found! (Okay, props to the friend I was with for seeing it first and insisting I take a look.) Isn't it great? I think I'll hang it in my entryway. (Sorry for the flash spot in the middle, but the picture was too dark without it.)

More soon, today is too busy to ramble on!

Sixteenth book

Yesterday I finished Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Intense! It's about a teenager named Clay who receives a mysterious package in the mail one day. Seven cassette tapes, with sides labeled one through thirteen. And when Clay begins to listen to them, he discovers that they are from a classmate who killed herself. Hannah Baker. The tapes detail the events in her life that led to her suicide. I won't say any more about the plot, in case any of you are planning on reading this one. I will say that I think Jay Asher did a great job in accurately portraying the way things can, and often do, affect people. The level of teenage angst was appropriate; he never bashes the reader over the head with it. This book is really about how the smallest things you do can have unintended affects far beyond your scope. It's also about the importance of reaching out to people. I really, really liked it. I might try to find a copy to send to my oldest goddaughter. No, I will try to find one. This book really makes you think about things. The ripples the smallest actions send out, getting bigger as they go. How hard it is to truly know someone, including ourselves. How it is worth it to reach out, to make friends, to treat people well. I think this is a great book. I'm definitely keeping it. And I hope some of you will consider reading it, too!

Two More Books

That's right, two more books to talk about. I haven't been reading at quite the clip I'd like, but this does make fifteen books so far this year, and that's not bad at all! What was my original goal? Thirty for the year? I think that someone I might just manage to exceed that goal by a few titles. . . . Anyway. Onward to the books.
First, The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides. Lovely, lovely, just as I remembered it. I mean, it's sad, don't get me wrong. But the sheer beauty that lies in the details; the descriptive passages; the raw angst of the girls' desperation and the boys' helpless desire to know and love them. . . . I fall in love with this book every time. Can't help myself. If you haven't read this yet, please, please do.
Second, City of Glass by Cassandra Clare. The third volume in the Mortal Instruments trilogy. And it was great! A wild ride through what happens to Jace and Clary when everything comes to a head. Really, this whole trilogy is just great dark urban fantasy for teens, and I highly recommend it. Highly. The characters are solid and easy to empathize with, and a lot of the action happens in New York, so it's familiar stomping ground (for me, at least!). Also, the characters are fabulously sarcastic and snarky. These books are just a lot of fun!
So. Still working on The Floating Book, as mentioned in March. I've got two other ones I've started reading, as well, so hopefully I'll have another book ramble for you in the near future. In the meantime, have a good evening!

Where the Wild Things Are

I really just wanted to say that I am so, so excited for this movie to come out in October! This book has been a children's classic for a long time now (Maurice Sendak creates amazing things, doesn't he?) and I am really intrigued to see how they've adapted it. Here's a preview:

Agh

I don't usually do this, so please be patient with me. I'm just here to blow off a little steam. So far, this is just not my week. I've spend the last twenty-four hours just feeling stressed and overwhelmed. And I'm managing to feel that way without any freelancing going on. I broke my partner-in-crime's towel rack this morning, and was late for work. I have a to-do list about a mile long at home, including several things that have been put off for way too long (i.e., balancing my checkbook). Work is, well, very worklike right now. And on top of all that, for the duration of my hiatus from freelancing, I'm not allowed to do any writing or typing at home! UGH! I am really just offended at the state of my life right now. And why is it that I always feel like I'm somehow the only one with all of these responsibilities and all of these things to take care of? How does everybody else get away with doing so little all the time?
Blah. I'm totally disgusted. I want to work on my book, and clean my apartment, and watch some Buffy. I do not want to sit in my office all day.
Okay. Whining done.

An Update on My Wrist

I've now seen a GP, an orthopedist, and a physical therapist. The consensus is that I did, in fact, strain the tendon along the outside of my right wrist, probably from overwork. I have to do a month of physical therapy and then see the orthopedist again. In the meantime I have to keep wearing the brace, do wrist exercises five times a day, avoid yoga like the plague, and do a bare minimum of things like writing and typing. Sigh. As much as I want to be proactive about my wrist healing, I also want to be working on my novel now that I've gotten some feedback! It is so frustrating to be stymied like this. All I want to do is write. . . .
In other news . . . hmmm. Maybe I don't really have other news.
Oh! On Saturday my partner-in-crime and I went up to see some friends outside of the city, and one of them asked me to do a writing blog with her. So I am. It's here and I'll try to do my first post there tomorrow.
I think that's about it for now. My work day is nearly over, and I should keep typing to a minimum. Have patience with me, blogosphere; I promise I'll be good to you if you wait for my full recovery!

Friday afternoon

I know, my entry titles aren't terribly exciting, are they? I'll have to work on that.
Anyway. I got a new phone today from T-Mobile. And now I can text again! Hurrah! Also neat is that my new phone is ecologically friendly; the casing is made from recycled water bottles. How cool is that? I'm happy with it.
I'm also quite happy that it is now, officially, the weekend. I've had a bit of a rough week; sometimes I get tired of my workaholic lifestyle and just want to throw it all out the window! I don't, of course. That'd be pretty irresponsible. But you all know that feeling. So I am determined to do a couple of things for myself this weekend. Do something, anything, to further my apartment. Do some writing. Exercise both days. See my friends Leigh Anna and Andy tomorrow. And sleep a lot. I think it's a good plan. Anybody have anything exciting/interesting going on over the next couple of days?
In the interest of getting some writing done this year, and being constructive about inching closer to that as a career, I've made a list of writing goals for 2009. Here it is:

• finish Nor
• submit Nor to agents
• write "The Blessing of the Winter Queen" (short)
• critique my friend Leigh Anna's novel
• make a dent in my cheesy superhero project
• figure out the Anna Lucia Cross story, and at least start it
• outline a series concept and three books for it
• write two other short stories

I know that seems like a lot. But I think I can do it. Thoughts/comments/suggestions are always welcome, of course.
And now, of into the wild blue yonder of the weekend, new phone in hand, story ideas firmly in mind! Ta!

quick book

I'll be wrapping up Genghis Khan by John Man on my subway ride home today, and thought I'd just leave my thoughts here while waiting for it to be 5 pm. Overall, I enjoyed it. It's not particularly dry (as we know history books can be at times) and included along with the history are vignettes from the author's travels in Mongolia as he learned about Genghis and saw places that were somehow related to Genghis. Good stuff! I'm keeping it, but I do know that if I reread, it won't be anytime soon. I just don't hit up history books a second time like I do with fiction. Don't take that as a point against this book, though. There's a lot of information presented in this book in a fairly accessible fashion, and that Genghis was a pretty brilliant leader for the Mongolian people.
So, I guess that's thirteen books read so far this year. Up next, The Floating Book by Michelle Lovric, and, in a coincidental twist, The Virgin Suicides for one of my book clubs. (Remember this post?)
And now, it's 4:57. Time to gather up my belongings, turn off the computer, and head home! Ta!

wrist woes

Somehow I've managed to muck up my wrist. My GP thinks I've strained a tendon or ligament. Oh, joy. She's sending me to an orthopedist to get a referral to a physical therapist who specializes in wrist injuries. Sigh. I want my wrist to get better. Absolutely. I can't write like this. I can't type comfortably, or brush my teeth comfortably. But I'm having a hard time getting an appointment in the near future with an orthopedist. Why is it so hard to see a doctor in a timely fashion? (Further, why can't I just have a two-minute phone conversation with an orthopedist to get some names/numbers of some good therapists?) In the meantime, ibuprofen is now a part of my daily diet, and I'm wearing a brace (which does dull the pain but doesn't make it easier to get things done). Work is a bit of a trial like this, but my real concern is my writing. How long will it take to have my normal wrist back, so I can write?
Today has not been the best or brightest of days.
Sometime soon, a post about balancing my writing with my job with my relationship, and what needs to change in order for the writing to really happen.

childhood memories

Hi. Just a brief note. Remember how as children we would always hear stories of things like Bloody Mary? Well, I saw this comic online today and just had to share. Too funny!
In other news, I didn't sleep well thanks to strange dreams and car alarms, and my wrist is worse today. I'll definitely be buying a wrist brace after work, and going to bed on time!
Hope everyone has a lovely day today. I'll try to be back later this week.

The Silence of Saturday Morning

Okay, it's not actually morning. It's noon. So sue me. It's still nice and quiet in my apartment. I love waking up to the quiet, on a chilly, almost-spring morning. It's calming, somehow. Soothing. Although I woke up later than I intended to. Much later. Sigh. Why can't weekend days be thirty-six hours long, instead of twenty-four? Then I could get plenty of sleep and get done all the things I want to do.
Anyway. Last night was a late one because I had dinner at my partner-in-crime's place, and then went to a friend's apartment for a while. I thought I was only going to stay for an hour or two. Wrong! I was there until after 3 am! Good thing she's only a thirteen-minute walk away. I came home and fell right into bed. Set my alarm for 10 am, like a good girl, but did I get up then? No. Let's just say I developed a close relationship with my snooze button this morning. . . .
Anyway. My thirtieth birthday was two days ago, and it was quite the lovely day. Chocolate chip cookies, interesting office gossip, girl scout cookies, Battlestar Galactica Season 1, followed by a nice dinner out with my partner-in-crime and some Framboise at home. Perfect! A few people have asked me if I feel older now that I'm in my thirties. I said no. See, your birthday doesn't make you a whole year older. It's just one more day. So I'm not much older than I was before my birthday, really.
I did go to Vegas for a few days. A pre-birthday celebration with my sibs. It's lovely down there, all desert and cacti and sun. I really enjoyed sitting on my sister's back patio in the morning sun with a cup of coffee and a book in hand. Her house is great, too! Very put-together, so far. Made me want to give my apartment a makeover, or at least spend some serious time sprucing it up. Besides enjoying her house, we went to Red Rock and hiked one morning, wandered the Strip some (Bauman Rare Books, I love you and your gorgeous first editions and rarities!), spent a day with our grandparents, saw two Cirque du Soleil shows, did some shopping, watched The Fall . . . It was a great visit.
And New York has been good since I've been back, as well. Pretty mellow. I've got two freelance projects on my desk right now. As soon as my sister sends me feedback on my edits, I'll dive into round two of editing my novel. Spring is finally on its way; I can feel it in the air. Tonight, I'm going out to one of my favorite bars to celebrate my birthday with a bunch of friends. And things with my partner-in-crime have been good. Life is pretty simple, but I'm enjoying it.
I should really run and get some work done. But first, a plethora of book blurbs for you, o readers! I've read four books since we last spoke, which puts me at twelve for the year. Ready?
Clever Maids: The Secret History of the Grimm Fairy Tales by Valerie Paradiz. This is a great read for anyone interested in the history of fairy tales. Accessibly written, with a lot of good information about the life and background of the brothers Grimm and the women they collected their fairy tales from, this is definitely a keeper for me. However. The title and the jacket copy let me to believe that this book would be about the women they collected the stories from, which isn't entirely true. It's a lot of Grimm brothers history, and then a decent amount about how they met the women and what their relationships with them were like. There wasn't very much directly about the women. And that was disappointing to me. I could read any number of books out there about the brothers Grimm. There isn't nearly as much about the women. So, I was disappointed that it was about the women through their relationships with the brothers. Nonetheless, as I said, it's got a lot of great information in it, and some fantastic variations on well-known and obscure fairy tales, and it's definitely staying on my bookshelf.
Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr. This is a companion book to Wicked Lovely, which I read a year or two ago and loved. This is the kind of urban fantasy that really strikes a chord with me; lush language, complicated emotional entanglements, and characters who are truly shades of gray. Things are never black-and-white in her books, and I love that. This one is about a girl with a terrible home life who decides to get a tattoo. And the tattoo she decides on opens her up to a crazy connection with the dark fairy court in her city. The main characters from WL have secondary roles in this story., which is a nice grounding touch for people who have read WL, but Ink Exchange stands on its own perfectly well. This one is also a keeper. And she's got a third one coming out next month that I'm very excited to read!
Envy by Anna Godbersen. This is the third in her Luxe series, set in 1899 Manhattan among the young elite of the upper class. And with every book she really just ratchets up the angst, the tension, the betrayal. Still great, juicy guilty-pleasure reading. Beyond that, I think it's great for readers to see through this window to how it was then for young people, when women were much more limited in what they could do with themselves, and the decisions that they made for the good of their families and/or themselves. Great fun. The fourth and final book doesn't come out until next year, which feels like forever away from today, because I can't wait to see how she wraps everything up!
Second Skin by Caitlin Kittredge. The third Nocturne City book about Luna Wilder, policewoman and werewolf. This one was also a great read. I really feel like Caitlin's writing gets more consistent with each book that comes out. (And I am so jealous of the fact that she is a full-time writer while I'm plugging along in my day job!) Luna is volatile and certainly has her share of issues when it comes to men and communication, which leads to some really interesting situations for her, both on the job and in the bedroom. I like the overall arc of this series so far. And I like how Luna is growing as a character. But so far, in every book I've had one or two instances of "Would that character really react like that to that situation? I'm not convinced." And that's a little frustrating to me because mostly, her characters are consistent. But I like her writing, and I like her snarky, complicated characters, and I like Luna's sassiness. So it's a keeper, and I look forward to the next book by her (June, I think).
And now that I've rambled on and on in the lovely silence of my apartment, it's time to get moving and get some work done. As always. Maybe someday I'll stop being such a workhorse. . . .

Sleepy Morning

I really struggled with getting out of bed this morning. It was so nice and cozy, and I was sleepy, and comfortable . . . Oh, well. Maybe sometime I'll give myself a staycation day that is mostly laying in bed, but today is not that day. Today is yoga, lunch with an old neighbor, some cleaning, maybe some writing, and maybe a movie.
(By the way, I tried to get here earlier this week. I really did. But it was another one of those weeks when everything that landed on my desk was urgent, and that does not leave a lot of time for things like blogging.)
That concert I went to last week? It was Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, and Shawn Colvin. At the Beacon Theatre. Gorgeous, gorgeous music. Just . . . amazing. I went with a good friend from work, and we were both utterly absorbed in the music the whole time. I need more music like that in my life. Really, if you're not familiar with their work, run out and get some!
Books: I was mistaken last time. I've read SIX books as of the last blog post, not FIVE. Only now I've read two more. First, The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. It was lovely. Lush writing, a twisty plot, interesting characters. High recommended. I was quite surprised by some of the things that happened in it, some of the paths the plot went down. But. This book deals with the nature of the relationship between twins. And I disagreed with it quite a bit. One character talks about losing her twin in terms of being an amputee. Two halves of a whole and all that. And being a twin, I beg to differ. Of course, if I lost my twin, I'd be devastated. Just like I'd be devastated if I lost my younger sister. Or one of my parents. But I wouldn't feel like part of me was missing. Does that make sense? Just because you share a birth with someone doesn't mean you're any more a part of each other than any family member is, and I get tired of seeing twin relationships represented this way in literature. However, that aside, this book really is beautiful, and you should all give it a try.
Second, Rumors, the sequel to Luxe, by Anna Godbersen. Again, so much fun! Drama, teen angst, love affairs, all set in the beauty of 1899 Manhattan! She stepped it up a bit this time. Now there's coercion, blackmail, and death involved. It's lots of fun, total guilty pleasure reading! And the descriptions of the dresses are divine. . . .
Oh, no! I just realized what time it is. Time for me to run. I've got to leave the house in half an hour for yoga and haven't taken a shower or anything yet. Have a good weekend, all!

Briefly

I spent a decent portion of this afternoon wandering through the somnolent whispers and sad summer haze of The Virgin Suicides. Such a lovely book. I wish I could say I'm reading it, but I'm not. I'm working on a new edition of it. Which is almost as good, I suppose.
Anyway. Life has been busy. I've been managing a smidge of writing almost every day, which is grand. And I've read two books recently.
First, The Luxe by Anna Godbersen. So much fun! Serious teenage angst, secret love affairs, demanding parents. Secrets, lies, seductions, hidden desires . . . And set in historic Manhattan! Really, truly, this is great guilty-pleasure reading. I promise. And I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
Second, Leonard Cohen's Collected Poems of the 1950s and '60s. I tried really hard to like the man's poetry. I read most of the collection. I just can't quite bring myself to jump on the Cohen bandwagon though. I kept expecting him to say a little something more, to be a little tighter, a little less . . . I don't know. I just felt like most of the poems were missing something.
So, that's books four and five. Maybe in the future I'll remember to number them as I go.
And now, I'm off to a fun-filled evening with a good friend from work. First, hummus and dolmas for dinner, followed by cookies. Then a great concert at the Beacon Theatre. I'll try to get back here tomorrow to let you know how it is. In the meantime, have a lovely evening!

Quick link

I'm buried in work right now and should therefore not be here at all, but I just wanted to post this really quickly. Jay Lake talking about what it takes to make it as a writer. Really, readers of mine, read it. He makes a really great point or two. Because, in the end, it is about hard work and discipline and persistence.
And as an aside, a really brief book blurb for you. I just finished reading Pale as the Dead by Fiona Mountain, and quite enjoyed it. The book was a bit of a departure for me; it's a rather gentle thriller, with the main character, Natasha, being a genealogist. But that just let to all kinds of historical tidbits woven around and through the particular problem that Natasha was trying to puzzle through. I thought it was very well done; the history was well researched, the writing was tight, the characters well rounded. I would definitely read more by Fiona Mountain. (This was book #4 in 2009, if anyone is keeping track of my thirty-books-in-one-year goal!)
And now, speaking of mountains, back to the one made of work on my desk!