March

Happy March, everyone! Sorry I didn't post last week. I intended to, but it would've been a bitter, angry blog post, and I am trying not to spew that sort of bile here. I'm feeling much better about things this week.
Two books to report:
7. Liar by Justine Larbalestier. Justine is a writer I've been meaning to check out for a while, so I was excited that this one came up for book club. And you know what? It was well worth reading, just for her writing. She's good. Tight writing, complex characters. It was compelling. But I had a couple of issues with the story. I don't want to give anything away by writing about it here (someday I'll learn how to do those "under-the-cut" things so I can writer spoilery bits!) but there was a moment about halfway through where the story did a ninety-degree turn, and I couldn't quite buy it. There was also a moment toward the end where something big was really briefly mentioned, and never returned to. I think that this is not a keeper for me because I got frustrated with the story. But the flip side of that is that the writing was so good that I'm definitely going to seek out some of her other books. I say give her a shot; her writing is really good!
8. Moomin Book One: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip by Tove Jansson. I love the Moomins. A lot. I got introduced to Jansson's fiction about the Moomins by a Finnish high-school boyfriend, so I was really excited to find the comic strip collections. And it's great! The Moomins are very bohemian and free, and I love it. This made me smile the whole way through. I definitely recommend all of Tove Jansson's work to anyone who wants to check out something that's a little whimsical and bohemian and a lot GREAT.
Besides that: I've had two houseguests for a week, which has been a little complicated, but a lot of fun. It's an old college friend and a student of hers. I have had a lot of freelancing over the last few weeks, so that's kept me busy. And I've begun the Great Apartment Purge prior to moving back in with my partner-in-crime.
In short, life is busy, but good. And it's going to stay busy for the next few weeks! Back to work I go, have a good night, everybody!

another week gone

Where, oh where does the time go? I swear the days were longer when I was younger. Ah, the halcyon days of youth . . .
. . . or something like that. Right now I'm sitting in my partner-in-crime's apartment waiting for him to make chili for dinner. YUM. Amusing myself online when I should, per usual, be working. But I'm feeling a little blase about the working-constantly thing, so I'm letting it slide tonight. And tomorrow I'm going flea marketing with a friend to look for a good present for my sister!
A quick book: 6) The Ruby Key by Holly Lisle. She's had a number of adult fantasy books published, but this is her first YA one. It's high fantasy; a different world, magic, moonroads, nightlings, talking cats, ghosts, fortune tellers . . . I really like the world she's created. The characters are well fleshed out and easy to empathize with. The story is good. Here's my problem with it: Every time Genna, the main character, makes a mistake, or doesn't know or realize something, somebody comes down on her for it. I just wanted to shout at the book "She's fourteen, and didn't know the moonroads existed before yesterday, of COURSE she wouldn't know how to use them!" I know everyone was depending on Genna to save the day, but just once, just ONCE, I wanted another character to look at her and say "Of course you didn't know that yet. No one's told you. It's okay." I got really angry at it once or twice. But besides that, it's really good. Should I keep it? I'm not sure. Should I get the sequel? I'm also not sure. Something to think about, I guess.
Speaking of books, I went with a friend to the Strand for my lunch break today. We enabled each other. And it was good. I could've bought so many books! But I bought three. I know, I have so many books at home, what am I doing purchasing more? Well, sometimes I just want to stay at home and read all the books I have. And that's good. But sometimes, the mood strikes me and I really, really just want to go book shopping. And that's the mood that I've been in for the last couple weeks. I can't help it; I covet books. I love them. I'm trying to be reasonable about my addiction, but it's so hard sometimes!
By the way, I decided that the next novel I write will be the superheroes one. So I've started fleshing out characters and plot ideas. And in March, I start writing.
Anyway. I should really go help make dinner so it happens faster. Happy weekend, everyone!

one more

well, I got another rejection this afternoon. I think that brings me up to seven. I'm a little bummed about that, but the rejections I've gotten have been very nice rejections, and there are a few agents I'm still waiting to hear from. Plus a few more I'm going to submit to sometime soon.
In the meantime, I'm just plugging along with Real Life, doing my freelancing, slowly preparing to move back in with my partner-in-crime, trying to catch up at work, etc. Nothing terribly exciting going on. I'm starting to really ponder what to write next, which is good. And shortly I'll be doing more reading, which is also good.
I hope everybody had a good Valentine's Day. Mine involved a really tasty sushi dinner, a nice bottle of red wine, and chocolate mousse for dessert. Oh, and a nice bouquet of roses and lilies!
Anyway. It's time to go home. I'll be back sometime this week to report on another book or two, and possibly scribble down a dream or two as well. Happy Tuesday, everyone!

lazy Saturday morning

It's been a good morning, so far. I woke up, finished a book in bed, took a leisurely shower, and did some freelancing. Now my partner-in-crime is making banana-nut pancakes, and after I eat I'll head back to my place. Here's the to-do list for today:

play my clarinet
exercise
tidy my apartment
more freelancing
Dave's birthday thing, briefly
write
purge something
maybe an episode of Buffy

I think that's doable. Totally doable. And speaking of reading this morning, I've finished two more books.
4. Of Bees and Mist by Eric Setiawan. This a debut novel, full of magic realism and interfamily relationships. I really enjoyed the magic realism, it was deftly done. And the vague Everytown setting was well written. The characters had depth, and were pretty true to themselves throughout. Overall, this is quite a good book. But it's not a keeper for me. None of the characters ever catches a break. Horrible things just keep on happening to all of them, sometimes through their own fault, sometimes not. But by the time I was halfway through the book I just wanted to shake it. I really, REALLY wanted someone to have some genuine happiness, for just a little while, and I never felt like it happened. Which is hard to read. I'm not saying that I think books should be easier on the characters within them, or that books should end with a happily-ever-after, but if it's all doom-and-gloom, if it's all sadness and mistakes all the time, it's not a keeper for me. So if you don't mind books like that, then by all means, pick this one up; the writing is great, etc. I just think he's not quite for me.
5. Huntress, and anthology put out last summer by St. Martin's mass market line. This features four authors: Christine Warren and Marjorie M. Liu (both NYT bestsellers, I believe), and Caitlin Kittredge and Jenna Maclaine. Admittedly, I picked it up so I could read Caitlin's contribution, since I generally dig her work. And it was a perfectly well-done Black London story, about a younger Jack Winter. I enjoyed her contribution. I'd never read the other three women before, and I have to say, the only one who impressed me was Marjorie M. Liu. Her story was interesting and well written. Her characters were interesting people. And the paranormal aspect made sense. Nothing felt forced; the story was fluid and forward-moving without feeling rushed. I really, really enjoyed that piece of work. The other two weren't as well executed, I thought. Or, to be fair, maybe it's just that they were more about the sex than I like my fiction to be. Also, I find it rare to really like every piece in an anthology like this. This is a keeper for me, for Caitlin and Marjorie's pieces. For anyone who wants some paranormal action with some serious sex thrown in, pick up this collection!
Some dreams:
A few nights ago I dreamed I was engaged to a young gentleman, and we were having an engagement party at my parents house. This was all taking place 80-100 years ago, I think. My fiance was wearing a gray suit, and my family loved him. So we were outside, picnic tables with white Christmas lights strung overhead, eating homemade food and talking and laughing and just generally having a good time. Then we all moved to go inside, and my fiance disappeared. I looked all over for him but couldn't find him, and was very distraught. Then I was on a train, still sort of looking for him, but I had some children with me. Some of them weren't paying enough attention and ended up in a different train car from me, but I wasn't concerned. My oldest goddaughter was with me. Then she and I were at my sister and brother-in-law's house, only now their house in real life, and they had a litter of kittens we were playing with. Then I went into a bedroom to try to get some sleep and this young woman came in and tried to get me to sleep with her.
A couple nights ago I dreamed something about flying a small plane, and sort of crashing, I think, and then I was at the house of the family I used to nanny for. The kids looked the same as they did then. And the older boy had a friend of his there who was dying. I was hanging out in the kitchen with their mother and she told me how the friend's parents had turned him out after the accident that left him dying.
I thought I remember last night's dream, but now that I've delved back into the older two, last night's seems to have vanished from my brain. Well, c'est la vie. It's time for pancakes anyway.
Happy weekend!

update

On the writing goals for the year:

• submit Nor --- DONE!
  
• write cupcake truck Western novel
• write first novel in urban fantasy series
• outline entire urban fantasy series
• write three short stories
• edit the two shorts I wrote last year --- ONE OUT OF TWO!
  

Oh, and I've started writing one short story. So, that's a good start, a month into the year! That said, I'm still not convinced that I'm going to write the cupcake truck novel. I may write something else entirely. Which is okay. Like I said the other day, I'm not worrying about that for now.
This weekend for me is going to be all about the sleeping, the freelancing, seeing a movie with a friend, and continuing the ongoing purge of my apartment. I'm moving out of it in two months, and I really feel it necessary to get rid of extraneous things beforehand.
So that's that. Happy weekend everyone, and I'll be back here soon!

A T-shirt Poll

Okay guys, serious question. There are shirts online I want to purchase, and I need your help in deciding which one. Or ones, I suppose, but I don't have loads of money with which to buy T-shirts. So, without further ado, please check out the T-shirts below and let me know what you think:

• A writerly reference, the phrase on this T-shirt comes up regularly on several writer's blogs I read regularly;
• This adorable cartoonized version of Neil Gaiman;
• or, and this one I've posted about before, this great Buffy T-shirt

Any thoughts on the above? I kind of want all three, which I clearly can't afford.

February already?

Wow, what happened to January? That was fast. . . .
Anyway. A couple things. I submitted my novel to a bunch of agents on Friday. That's right, I finally did it! Here's hoping that someone likes what they see.
Although I did get my first (very gentle) rejection this morning. Ah, well. It's part of the process.
Somehow, although one of my goals for this year is to do less freelancing, I am seriously overbooked. So for the next two weeks, there won't be much in the way of creativity. I'm not worrying about what novel to write next, or short story ideas, or anything like that. It'll just be head down, get the work done. Come February 16, when the last project is due, I'll be free to do whatever writing I want! Patience, patience.
That said, simply out of curiosity, a poll. Do I next write:

1. a funny, quirky novel about two near-strangers stealing a cupcake truck and driving across America only to end up in a Western reenactment town hiding from the law?
2. teenage superhero fiction involving crazy superpowers, bad grownups, albinos, and teenage angst?
3. short stories?
4. something else entirely?

Books:
1. The Nixie's Song, book one of Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony Diterlizzi. I really enjoyed it. It's been a couple years since I read the original Spiderwick series, and I don't recall them being quite as dark as this one is. Holly just has a way of capturing the teenage experience that is spot-on. I've enjoyed everything she's put out, honestly, and can't wait for the next couple books!
2. Abortion & Life by Jennifer Baumgardner. This was really informative and interesting, covering a broad range of topics within the discussion of abortion. The history of abortion, a section on the Jane Collective, a discussion about post-abortion resources, and fifteen or so portraits of women who have had abortions along with their stories. Some of this was hard reading, emotional, trying. Some of it was very uplifting. Anyone who is interested in abortion as a political topic, as a personal topic, as a religious topic, anyone who has had one or knows someone else who has had one or would consider having one, this book is well worth reading.
3. Gideon the Cutpurse by Linda Buckley-Archer. A fun YA book about accidental time-travel. I enjoyed it; the characters were believable, the action well-paced, the last-minute save was great. But I don't think it's a keeper for me. This strikes me as one of those books that might not be quite as fun to reread, already knowing what happens. But, a really good book.
Anyway. I'm at work late, after coming in late (how rebel of me!), and have band rehearsal in 44 minutes. So I should go do another two minutes or so of work, and then head out. Happy Monday, everyone!