My turn to drink the kool-aid

Okay, since we're on a "deserted island" kick here at Fictionistas, I'll play. If you could only bring 3 books with you onto this mythical island (which now also has your DVD player and iPod, LOL), what books would you take, and how would that differ from your high school list?

Here's the list from high school:

--Jane Eyre (I ADORE this story. Mr. Rochester--so mean! yet so dreamy!)
--Pride and Prejudice (I've been loving this for a long time)
--The Canterbury Tales (NERRRRRD! LOL)

And here's where it gets really hard, LOL. My present-day list (I'd be losing so much, though! *cries*):

--Jane Eyre (yeah, I'm still a big fan of this story, LOL)
--Collected Works of William Shakespeare (this will take care of many needs, including poetry)
--The Samurai's Garden (to get my Japanese fix--fantastic novel with beautiful prose)

Ask me this evening, though, and this list may be different. haha.

And now it's your turn to play!!

I smell a theme...

I can't stop thinking about Mel's post yesterday, so I decided to keep it going - in my own way. So, let's say you're still headed to that deserted island and that it's fully equipped with a solar powered personal DVD player. What three movies do you take?

If you'd asked me in high school, I would have said:

1. The Breakfast Club
2. Better Off Dead
3.The Lost Boys

Now, although I still love all those movies (The Breakfast Club also provides a nice sampling of '80's music), there are others I might need to swap in. Plus, I like having a touch of something darker. I think my current list would look like this:

1. The Breakfast club
2. LA Story
3. Blade Runner

Of course, there are so many other great movies that list leaves out. That eternal classic, The Princess Bride, for example. My Blue Heaven or Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, two more of my favorite Steve Martin movies. The Underworld movies. Then there are the golden oldies: Mame, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Houseboat, or anything with Cary Grant.

How do you choose? What would you choose? Share your three!

that timeless question

If you were stranded on an island, what 3 albums would be essential to have on your iPod. (okay, we're going to just go with the idea that by the time you're stranded on an island, iPods will be solar powered)

My answers change every year. (Technically the question changes every year, too. In the 80s we said 'records' or 'cassettes' in the 90s we said CDs and now we say iPod/MP3. Who knows what's next?)

So way back when during the 80s I would've said:

1. Van Halen 5150
2. Led Zepplin Houses of the Holy
   
3. Beastie Boys License to Ill

I would say all three of those albums would still be on my top 10 list.

Then came the 90s and my list changed slightly.

1. Ozzy Osbourne No More Tears
2. Dokken Back for the Attack
3. Ocean Blue The Ocean Blue
   

And now, here we are in 08 and my list has changed...again. Probably several times. But as of today, these are the 3 albums I wouldn't want to be stranded on an island without:

1. Staind Chapter V (plus a bonus song from another album because it's one of my faves ever and I can't imagine being stranded without being able to listen to It's Been Awhile
2. The Catch and Release Soundtrack
   
3. Buckcherry 15
   

Has your musical tastes changed over the years or are you just now figuring out what type of music you're most drawn to? I'm across the board and always have been. You're likely to find a combination of Beatles, Led Zepplin, various 90s Hair Metal Bands, Faith Hill, Avril Lavigne, plus all the above on my iPod. It's never boring when I hit 'shuffle.'

What three albums would you take to the island with you today? Were they different 10 years ago?

My Top Ten Geek Joys of 2008 (so far...)

Hi! The Fictionistas invited me to guest-blog today...so here goes!

First, to introduce myself: I'm Cara King, a mild-mannered Regency Romance author who's switched to writing young adult novels about, um...well, about teens who have various interests and...that is, who are intelligent and non-stereotypical and...um...

Oh, heck, why don't I just admit it? I write nerd-girl books. And my nerd-girl heroines aren't just nerds, they're geeks too. (As the saying goes, write what you know!)

Speaking of what I know...here, for your immense delectation, are my ten most geektastic joys so far this year:

MOVIES

IRON MAN

Is this the best superhero movie ever? Maybe. It was certainly the most fun I had at the movies this year! I saw it three times, and I'm still quoting from it.


HEATH LEDGER'S JOKER

Wow. And again -- wow.


TELEVISION

PUSHING DAISIES

This is only the best show that you're not watching...with the sweetest hunk on TV.

It's bizarre and funny and totally original, and you KNOW you should be watching it. (Well, maybe you didn't...but you do now.)


SUPERNATURAL

There's a lot of good science fiction and fantasy TV nowadays (Lost, Heroes, Chuck, Stargate, etc), but this year I think the show that's been consistently excellent, as well as consistently ignored, is probably Supernatural.

And hey -- this show has not one, but two cute guys. Extra nice.


BOOKS

DIANA WYNNE JONES

She's my favorite author ever. I hit a low patch earlier this year and reread a whole bunch of her books...and I'm just floored by them every time. If you like fantasy, you need to read her! (Start with Charmed Life or Howl's Moving Castle.)


PROM DATES FROM HELL

One of my favorite book discoveries of the year was Rosemary Clement-Moore's Prom Dates From Hell. It's smart and it's funny -- what more can one ask for?


COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS

ASTONISHING X-MEN

Joss Whedon and John Cassaday finished up their run of "Astonishing X-Men," and went out with a bang. I wasn't always keen on all the other-planet weirdness that went on, but Whedon's character relationships and dialogue were just brilliant. (Another thing I'm still quoting!)


EXPERIENCES

MEETING BUJOLD AT WORLDCON

I am a total fangirl of Lois McMaster Bujold's science fiction books. So this summer, when I got to meet her at the World Science Fiction Convention, I was over the moon. I alternated between sitting there tongue-tied, and babbling inane things.


JANE AUSTEN'S BATMAN

At the Risky Regencies blog, I semi-regularly do "Austen Trek: or, If Jane Austen Wrote Star Trek." (So far, no one's firebombed my computer, so I keep doing it.)

Then last month, I wrote "Jane Austen's Batman." And for some reason, this got noticed. It got talked about. A long-lost friend from high school saw it and contacted me. It got mentioned on John Scalzi's blog!!! (For those who don't know, Scalzi is one of the major new SF authors out there, and his hugely popular blog just won him a Hugo.)

The whole experience was thrilling and bizarre.


THE JANE AUSTEN BALL (AND PLAYFORD BALL)

If you've ever seen a Jane Austen movie, you've probably seen English Country Dance -- the graceful, intricate style of dance in which lines of men and women move forward and back, weave in and out, and have just enough time to say witty, Austenian things.

This year I enjoyed English Country Dance at a Jane Austen Ball and a Playford Ball, complete with tea food and live music and the most amazing period clothes. Yep, I dressed up in a Regency gown (I made it myself!) and did Regency dances -- and I might just have murmured witty things, too.

So...how about you? Did you experience any of the above? What did you think?

And what your your most geektastic experiences this year?

Cara
Cara King, who thinks Tony Stark is kinda hot

Love...life's sweetest reward.

As you read this, I am on vacation and have not had access to the internet for five days. (Unless I want to pay $1 a minute, which I don't). I am currently on a cruise in the Straits of Juan de Fuca, though I will be back sometime the day you read this.

So, here is a quiz to see how well you know me.

What happened on my vacation?

1. Did I get seasick enough to throw up? Y or N

2. How many pages did I write? (Bonus if you guess how many WIP's I spread those pages out over because I sorta get sidetracked easily)

3.Did I convince my husband to participate in one of those wacky "Newlywed" type games where we have to get on a stage? (He's very shy, but I'm very persuasive)

4. How many times did we get room service instead of going to the dining room?

5. How many books did I finish reading? (hint: I LOADED my ebook reader before we left)

6. Did I crack any stupid "Love Boat" jokes to the crew despite my better judgement?

7. How many outfits did I overpack by?

Pictures from International Women's Fiction Festival

All photo cred goes to Aleka Nakis and Jenyfer Matthews, since, although Mr. Brice has downloaded pictures for me, I keep forgetting to upload them to Shutterfly or to at least save them onto a flash drive to bring to work. So no pictures actually from me...yet.

Anyway, as I posted last week, I recently got back from the International Women's Fiction Festival, in Matera, Italy. I'm sure you're all saying "where the heck is Matera? I've heard of Rome, Florence, Pisa, and Venice, but Matera?"

I thought the same thing last year, when my agent started encouraging me to attend. Matera is a town in Southern Italy, right at the instep of the boot, in the Basilicata region. The area been settled since the Paleolithic period. The city itself was allegedly founded by the Romans in the 3rd century BC.

Matera is known for its ancient village, the "Sassi di Matera" (meaning "stones of Matera"). The Sassi originate from a troglodyte settlement, and are houses dug into the limestone cliffs themselves. So while the front of a building may look like a house, the back portions of it are really a cave.




For millennia, people lived in these cave houses, entire families in a 200 sq. ft. space, including their livestock. In the 1930s, a Jewish-Italian dissident named Carlo Levi was thrown into internal exile by the Fascists, and forced down into the Basilicata (then call Lucania) region. He noticed, when he crossed the border from the Campania region (where Naples is located) into the Basilicata at a town called Eboli, that everything changed. Life was completeley different -- like time had never touched the region.

He was appalled by the poverty and primitive. unsanitary conditions the people were living in, and wrote a book about his experience, called "Christ Stopped at Eboli" (which signifies that civilization never went any further than Eboli). Although he lived in Alanio, he devoted several chapters to Matera and the Sassi. When the book was published in 1945, it caused a national scandal so large that newly elected prime minister De Gasperis (after the Fascists were kicked out of power, of course) visited Matera to see if Levi's charges were true.

They were. In the 1950s, the government of Italy forcefully relocated most of the population of the Sassi to a newly constructed modern city on the outskirts of town, but some Sassi residents returned to their homes after failing to be able to adjust to modern life. As a result, the ancient village fell into disrepair and decline, until the late 1980s, when local administration decided to clean up their heritage and engage in tourism. The Sassi were declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993, because, as the Fodor's Guide puts it, "Matera is the only place in the world where people can boast to be still living in the same houses of their ancestors of 9,000 years ago."

As a result of the UNESCO designation, the EU donated money for preservation, Hollywood started using the town as a backdrop for several movies (most notably Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ") and now the Sassi have become trendy. What was once the place where only the poorest of the poor lived has become a place where only the richest of the rich can afford to buy.

Anyway, enough about history. How was the conference?

Super cool, actually, glad you asked. :) This was my 7th writers' conference, and by far my favorite. In many ways, it didn't even feel like a writers' conference. RWA Nationals is so big, so stressful. WFF, on the other hand, is intimate and relaxing. If you ever get a chance to go...do it!!!!

I was there to give a talk on copyright laws in the US and the EU, and how it affects writers. And I did...just not for as long as I'd hoped. Nothing starts on time in Italy (we called it "Italian time"), so the workshop before mine began half an hour late and, not surprisingly, ran over by half an hour. You'd think that would mean that everything would just be pushed back by half an hour. But no. My talk began more than half an hour late, but I was cut off at the designated time. So I only got to speak for about 25 minutes...I was scheduled for an hour. :(

That's ok...as far as I'm concerned, they can just bring me back next year, and I'll be happy to continue!

There were about 50-75 people total in attendance at the conference, including the translators. This meant that everyone had unprecedented access to agents, editors, big name authors, even a Hollywood director!

Next week I'll post a little bit about what the keynote speaker, Nick Hornby, said, since he was there to promote his young adult book, "Slam." But for now, some more pics!

Agent Scott Eagan, author Aleka Nakis, me, editor Chuck Sambuchino (Writer's Digest), editor Leah Hultenschmidt (Dorchester), agent Georgia Garrett, author Jenyfer Matthews

Author Elisabetta Bricca, editor Chuck Sambuchino, author Arianna Giorgi

Remakes of movies--good or bad?

Hollywood's been on a kick for a long time remaking older movies. Some of them turned out to be really good, and I was happy to see them done. For example, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine) was a HILARIOUS remake of Bedtime Story. I also liked the remake of Ocean's Eleven (didn't care for the sequels, but that's a different blog post, LOL).

But then I hear that movies like Short Circuit, starring Ally Sheedy and Steve Guttenberg (if you don't remember the original, go HERE to check out the IMDB info) are getting remade.

REALLY?! My jaw dropped clear to the floor when I found that out.

The original film was so, so, so cheesetacular, LOL...why waste time remaking this instead of coming up with a whole new movie? Who gave this idea the thumbs up?!

AND, to make me cry even harder, they're remaking Dirty Rotten Scoundrels to release in 2010. How can they possibly come close to the working chemistry between Martin and Caine? They were so, so funny together.

So, how do you feel about remakes--yay, keep 'em coming? Nay, it's time to move on to fresh material? Dish!

School Lunch

I admit, when it came to eating lunch in high school, I was a bit odd. See, I transferred to public high school from private school late in the 9th grade year. The cafeteria scared the daylights out of me. I had no idea how it operated. I'd never been to one!

So, I opted to bring something from home and eat it in the library. No, we weren't allowed to eat in the library, but I wasn't exactly having a foot long from Subway, either. Usually snack crackers or granola bars or something easy to munch undercover. I spent a lot of time reading that way too.

Eventually, I had friends who took me under their wing and brought me into the cafeteria, but I don't remember much beyond the salad bar and a scoop of tuna on top of that salad. What did kids eat for lunch from the cafeteria besides that? I have no idea.

What did you eat for lunch in high school? Favorite? Least favorite?

what a concept

I tried something new this weekend. Something so outside the box for me, that it felt strange doing it.

I stayed off the internet. Completely. (okay, I checked email once on Saturday, but other than that, completely off)

If you follow me on Twitter, you know how absolutely tied to the internet I am. It's a sickness. But I decided on Friday night that this weekend was going to be I-Free because I needed to branch out. I needed to step outside my box. I needed a change up.

It's amazing the things I got done.

1. I saw both of my kids' soccer games
2. Went to a birthday party
3. Had afternoon drinks with my girlfriends
   
4. I watched part of the Razorback football game (couldn't stomach the whole thing)
5. I cleaned the kitchen
6. Did all the boys' laundry
7. Plotted out a new scene in current WIP
8. Got new tires and front end alignment on the Prelude
9. Went to the grocery store
10. Made chili
11. Made spice cake
12. Caught up on my Tivo'd shows

Okay, that's a lot of stuff. And not once did I miss the internet. Okay, that's a lie. I totally wanted to tweet but decided I needed to take a break from it all.

Do you ever find yourself in a weekend rut? Is there any way you could take a weekend off from status quo?

REVIEW: Nation by Terry Pratchett

In the interest of full disclosure I should admit that Terry Pratchett is my hero. He has been my favorite author for as long as I've been reading him-- since my teens, anyway. For over 20 years I've worshipped the page he typed on. So I'm writing this review in first person and gushing unapologetically. To do otherwise would be a tad dishonest.

Nation, Pratchett's most recent young adult novel, is yet another reason I am a giddy fan-girl for this guy. Known best, perhaps, for his Discworld series for adults, Pratchett's Tiffany Aching/Wee Free Men series has recently gained in popularity. He has also writtenJohnny and the Bomb and The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rats. Adults don't hesitate to cross over from his bitingly witty and deeply esoteric works to enjoy his YA fiction. He's that good.

In Nation Pratchett explores yet another universe, one in which England is struck by the Russian Plague in the mid-19th century. Darwin has everyone scratching their heads; the royal family is growing smaller by the coffin; and after the king and 138 royals in succession to the throne die, the last hope for the monarchy is Ermintrude, a very young woman who ends up shiprecked en route to Port Mercia, where her father is governor. Stuck on an island in the middle of the Pelagic Ocean with a strange lad named Mau, Ermintude decides to change her name to Daphne (and who could blame her?), break all the rules, and start over with a stiff upper lip.

Mau, too, has had his world turned upside-down by the very same tsunami that stranded Ermintude/Daphne. His entire tribe is gone, the mystical Grandfathers are shouting in his about rules and proper cultural procedures, and a blond, fair-skinned young woman who comes from the trouserpeople tribe is invading his space. He's not sure why he should follow rules at all, since everything seems quite over, but the rules are still in his head. What now?

Turns out neither Mau nor Daphne are as alone as they thought. Challenges naturally arise. Before their journey is done they will have learned to care for the elderly, the infirm, and the brand-spanking-new. How to procure milk for a newborn with no mother? I'm not going to tell you. Read Nation and I promise you... you'll NEVER FORGET that act of courage and ingenuity.

The novel takes a fresh approach to the notion of isolation and nature vs. nurture. Two young people with plenty of cultural and spiritual baggage are forced to find their own way in a new world, one devestated and stripped bare. They confront death, puberty, prejudice, and nature together and learn a great deal.

Lucky for us, Pratchett takes us along on the journey.

Don't miss Nation. Pratchett's novel is unique even as it parodies and deconstructs works with similar themes. This is no Animal Farm, nor is it Robinson Crusoe. It's pure, unadulturated Pratchett. Culturally sly, philosophically deep, and laugh-out-loud clever, Nation is the best thing I've read in young adult fiction this year.

Sleep. Where for art thou?

I am in barely-function-mode today. And it's only been today for about an hour, so the outlook is kinda bleak.

I'd like to talk to you of sleep today. I adore sleep. I covet sleep. Sleep is my BFF.
Or it was until it betrayed me.

I have a really nice bed conducive to really good sleep. We started the process with aesthetics--wrought iron, four post, scrolly head and footboards. Moving on to quality, we spent a good chunk-o-change on a hypoallergenic mattress (in order for me to sleep better) with no springs. For luxury, we topped that sucker with memory foam and frosted the concoction will really expensive, but worth every penny, Egyptian cotton sheets. The rest of my house may look blue collar, but my bed is totally four-star gourmet.

So, tell me. Where has sleep gone? Cuz I can't find it in my bed lately. And I'm tired I tell you. T.I.R.E.D.

Insomnia is the devil. What are your favorite tricks for getting to sleep when you...can't?

It's Going Around...

Yesterday, Rhonda posted about how she's sick.

Yup, you guessed it. I am, too. Of course, I am certain it's because I recently spent over 11 hours in airplanes (not counting the downtime in airports) on Monday, returning from Italy.

I'd planned to use today's post to give a recap of my time at the International Women's Fiction Festival, which took place in Matera, Italy last week. But since I've gotten home, I've basically done nothing but sleep and go to work, so I haven't even gotten a chance to download my pictures, or even really think carefully about my erperience.

So I'm putting that off until next week. What can I post about today?

I think I'll just give some yummy recipes for food I had during my trip to Italy. Enjoy!

Orrechiette con ricotta e canella (Pasta with ricotta and cinnamon)
Yes, this one sounds weird, but trust me, it's delicious!

Pinch salt
1 pound (450 g) fresh orrechiette pasta
12 ounces (335 g) fresh ricotta
Tomato sauce
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Set a large pot of cold water to boil. When it reaches a full boil, add a pinch of salt. When the water returns to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente. One minute before the orrechiette are supposed to be done, taste one and decide for yourself how much longer to cook it.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. Traditionally, in Italy, they would make their own tomato sauce, but to be simple here, just use a ready-made, good quality tomato sauce. Or you can make your own sauce if you want. Your choice.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain in a colander but leave a little hot water clinging to the orrechiette. Transfer to the red sauce, toss well, and serve immediately in 6 to 8 bowls. Top each bowl with a generous dollop of ricotta, and sprinkle liberally with cinnamon. This serves 6-8 as a first course (or 3-4 as a main course).


Orrechiette e Ceci (Pasta with Chickpeas)
This is very traditional to the Basilicata region, where the conferece was held in Matera. It's also served in Puglia and in Calabria. You can use penne if you can't find orrechiette. Of course, they make the pasta fresh there.

250 g chick peas
garlic
tomatoes
olive oil

Leave the chick peas in water to soften up to 12 hours. Then boil them in water along with a laurel leaf to add flavor. Lightly fry the garlic and tomatoes, which have previously been boiled in olive oil, then add the chick peas and salt, to taste. Boil the pasta, drain, and pour over the other ingredients. Serves 6-8 as a first course, or 3-4 as a main course.

Lagane (fresh pasta in long strips)

400 g wholemeal flour
salt
water

Prepare a pasta by mixing flour, water, and salt. Fashion into a very thin crust. Cut the pasta into fettucine pieces around 2 centimeters long to form the "lagane". Boil these pieces to cook as you would any other pasta, just until al dente.


Salsiccia all'uva (Sausages with grapes)
Yes, this sounds strange, but our hosts in the Umbria region insisted that we try it. Wow, am I in love with this combo now!

1 to 1 1/2 pounds fresh Italian sausage
4 cups seedless grapes
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar or lemon juice, to taste

Place sausages in a 10- or 12-inch skiller, and turn heat to medium. Cook sausages, turning from time to time, about 15 minutes. When they are brown all over, prick each sausage and cook for 5 minutes more.

Remove sausages to a warm platter. If more than a tablespoon or two of fat remains in the plan, remove excess. Add grapes, and turn heat to medium high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until some of the grapes collapse. Add vinegar or lemon juice, stir, and turn off the heat. Serve sausages nestled in grapes along with a hunk of crusty bread. Serves 4 as a main course.

I'm sick...

...and my head is still totally floating from the cold meds I took last night. LOL. So if this post seems extra trippin', you'll know why.

Anyway, when I'm under the weather, there are a few things I like to do to help me feel better. First, I like to nestle in some cozy blankets and read a book.

Yesterday, I stayed home from work because of feeling so poopy, and I actually got some good reading time in. I read a new YA I just bought called REVEALERS by Amanda Marrone (her books are out with Simon Pulse--my future publisher).

In REVEALERS, there's a coven of teen witches whose night job is to "reveal" the hidden identity of paranormal predators and off them before they can hurt anyone else. As each teen witch turns 18 and joins the coven's "inner circle" (also populated by the teen witches' mothers), the girls are horrified to learn there's a LOT more to this job than meets the eye. Jules, the heroine, has to figure out the dark secret and how to fix it before it's too late.

It took me a couple of pages to figure out what was going on in the story, but once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. It's a quick, fun, engrossing read. And even better, there were a couple of points where I was genuinely surprised with the plot twists! I always love stuff like that.

Warning--it's definitely for older teens, due to language and thematic situations. (How do ya like that disclaimer? LOL)

Anyway, after I finished reading, I ate soup for dinner, graded some student papers (BEFORE I took meds, thank you very much, LOL), and I played my PSP. Man, I love that thing--thank you again, Manpanion, for the great b-day present!

So, what do you like to do when you're sick? Do you relish getting time to read a whole book in one sitting like I did? I never get to do that anymore, and it was SO nice.

Anything you do to help yourself feel better? I could sure use some advice. :D

Holly Hobbiest

I think it's really important not to put all your mental eggs in one basket. (How's that for an image?) What I mean is that while focusing on one thing is great, it can cause burnout. I went through that with writing a few months ago. I was so focused on writing and all things writing related, my love for the craft had disappeared.

I'd begun to think of it as a chore. Not good. Especially when I want to write for a living. That got me to do some thinking about all the other things I used to do, but put aside for one reason or another. Why couldn't I still do some of those things? They were still creative outlets, like writing, but most importantly, they weren't writing.

That's when I decided to start making jewelry again. I'd done it in high school and sold pieces in my mom's clothing store. Why not do it now? So I dusted off my bead box, reacquainted myself with the supplies in there, then went off to the craft store to restock.

It's a great outlet and I've never been happier! Unlike writing, making jewelry lets you see the end result pretty quick. I might even start selling some pieces on Ebay. It's given me the "other" outlet I so desperately needed. Not to mention I love making pieces for friends.

What are your hobbies? Are there any you've put aside? Restarted? Talk to me!

sneaking a post in

I needed to announce the winner of the "What Gwen said" mug...but didn't really want to intrude on Melly's farewell to her librarian friend.

The winner, chosen by a highly technical random generator (okay, I asked my twitter peeps to pick a number) is Will Belegon!

Congrats Will.

In Loving Memory of Ophelia Sullivan

Dear Ms. Sullivan,

You probably don't remember this, but you changed my life.

I was a voracious reader as a child. I had read all of the Little House on the Prairie books, Nancy Drew, and Hardy Boys. I was in dire need of something new, so I went to you, my school librarian.

And you changed my life by introducing me to Judy Blume.

I read ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT'S ME MARGARET. in one day. I came back for more. I read DEENIE (hands down my favorite of the Blume books) twice the next week. Judy Blume books were like brain cheese dip. I couldn't get enough. I ate up everything Judy Blume. Yes, even the naughty ones (which I didn't know were 'naughty' until much later...so I reread them.)

I didn't know it then, but you introduced me to a world that I wanted to be a part of. I was thirty years old before I realized how much I wanted to write. I wanted to inspire others the way Judy Blume inspired me. The day you handed me AYTG?IMM, was the day I discovered that fiction didn't have to be predictible or sad or cheesy.

Later in life, you and my mother became good friends. I know you were proud of me for pursuing my dream. You told my mother on numerous occasions. You were excited about reading my book--and that excited me.

I cannot express how heavy my heart is today. I knew you were fighting cancer. I knew it was a tough battle. Thank you for being my inspiration. You will be greatly missed.

Sincerely,

Melissa (McKenzie) Francis

PS: Everyone go hug your librarian today. Librarians rock.

Rest in the Arms of the Angels, Blue Eyes

Not everyone in Hollywood is a stand up guy or gal, but we lost a great one today. Paul Newman was not just an actor, film director, race car driver, and incredible entrepreneur. He was known for his piercing blue eyes and massive talent, but also for his generous spirit.

It's strange to think that an entire generation-- perhaps two-- knew him as "the salad dressing guy." But how often did any of us really consider, when we grabbed the popcorn or any of his all-natural products, that he raised over 200 million dollars for charity.

So let us observe a moment of reflection for a tremendous loss.

The good advice that you just didn't take

Been thinking about advice lately. Some people give advice; most people don't take it. It's hard to know when someone is really asking for your opinion on how to fix something or when they just want to vent. And nothing is worse than someone telling you how to make something all better when you just want them to agree with you that it sucks.

People tell me I have a knack--but I'll tell you a secret. My best advice for giving advice is to listen...really listen...to what your friend is saying. Almost every time they will tell you in their own words what they really want to do when they are telling you what is going on. You just have to pay attention and say it back to them. Even if it isn't what you would do if you were your friend.

So...tell me the best or worst advice you ever got. And did you follow it?

I'm giving away a "What Gwen said" mug to a random commenter between now and Sunday evening. Winner to be announced on Monday.

An Interview with Carrie Jones

Carrie Jones wrote the bulk of her debut novel, TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (EX) BOYFRIEND, while she was a student in the MFA Program on writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College. After meeting Carrie in person at the Society for Children's Book Writers & Illustrators conference in New Hampshire this past spring, I expected the book to be funny. Well, what would you think with a title like that?

But while her heroine, Belle, was at times witty and snappy in her responses and internal thoughts, this is not a funny book. It's angsty and chock full of beautiful lyrical prose, and oh, so good.

So please welcome Carrie Jones!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I was born. I turned out to be a girl. Actually, the doctors thought I was blind when I was born and people didn't realize that I could see for a few months. Then it turned out I was seeing four of everything in a VERY blurry way. When I was a year old I had an eye operation and had these tiny ultra-cool baby blue eyeglasses. I still can't see well with my left eye but my right eye rocks.

That's probably not what you meant.

Here...
Name: Carrie Jones
Where I live: House in Maine by river
Favorite Beverage: Postum, a warm liquid cereal drink
Current Hobby: Running for political office. No. Really.
Sun Sign: Pisces
Moon Sign: Oh, you don't really want me to moon you, do you?

LOL. I adored "Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend. I thought you perfectly captured the angst Belle would be feeling. Can you tell us what inspired you to write it?

I was the community advisor for our middle school civil rights team when I heard about a hate crime against a high school girl whose boyfriend recently came out. I couldn't figure out how that could possibly happen, so I started writing. Plus, I had a very cool, long-term boyfriend in high school. Everyone thought we were getting married. It turned out he was gay.

Wow, that must have been difficult. So, what's your writing process like? Show us a day in the life of Carrie Jones.

Morning comes.
Tala Dog licks Carrie's face.
Carrie groans.
Tala Dog licks Carrie's nose.
Carrie falls out of bed.
Carrie crawls along the carpet towards the kitchen.
Carrie feeds the Tala Dog.
Carrie makes Postum.
Carrie drags herself up to the table (squished between the fridge and the piano) and stares at her laptop.
Carrie groans while staring at the computer screen.
Carrie walks Tala Dog.
Carrie comes back to computer and realizes she can't remember getting out of bed, making Postum, staring at laptop or walking dog.
Carrie starts writing.

Really. I try to write at least 1,000 words a day or revise 20 pages a day. If I get stuck I run downstairs or walk the dog for 15 minutes or do something else.

My life sounds so boring, doesn't it?

It's also pretty obvious that I am not a morning person.

What "group" did you hang with in school? Do you think hanging with them influenced your writing?

I was a floater in high school, I think. It was a little like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Do you know that show? My core group was my boyfriend Joe (who turned out to be gay) and my best friend Jackie (who turned out to be straight). We did everything together like Buffy and Xander and Willow, but then there were all these other groups we mingled we -- chorus kids, I'm heading to Dartmouth kids, Goth kids, jock kids, National Art Honor Society kids.

It was pretty fluid, actually. I think being a floater let me see that people aren't just defined by what group they are in, but by what they do, how they think, what they want... All those cool things. I hope that comes out in my writing.

My grade school was a lot like that, too. I grew up in Bedford, NH, home of the Meyers Brothers of SNL and Mad TV fame, and I was in a song and dance company with Sarah Silverman, the comic/actress. We were friends. Adam Sandler lived in Manchester. There was a lot of funny going on in the air. We'd talk in fake languages when we went to the grocery store. We'd sing in opera voices when walking through the parking lot at the Mall of NH. A bit of that weirdness comes out in my blog, but not so much in my book. Sarah does show up in my third book, GIRL, HERO, though.

What five things do you always carry in your purse?

My little Cellie, which is my not-so-original name for my cell phone.
My ATM card.
My driver's license so I can prove that I'm old enough to buy wine to cook with.

That's it.

Wow. I am soooooooo boring.

Wait! I remember.

My electormagnetic field detector
A picture of my first toe nail.

A picture of your first toe nail? Hmmm. I won't ask. Besides yourself, who are your fave YA authors? What are you reading these days?

Right now, because I'm running for political office I'm reading a lot of political memoirs, which is a little dull and really full of ego.

Do I have to play YA favorites? I hate to play favorites. I was one of those kids who could never be the captain of the team in P.E. class because if I couldn't pick everyone on the first round I would break down and cry.

Fine. Fine! You want me to pick one? Harry Stephen Keeler

If you went back in time to visit your teen self, what random piece of advice would you tell TeenCarrie?

"Carrie... Carrie... It's okay to break up with Joe. He'll handle it really well, I swear..."

Or maybe...

"Carrie! Do not put the Sun-in bleach product in your hair! Do you know your poodle, Shelly Belly. Imagine her turned orange. That will be you. Put the hair product down now. NOW!"


Thanks for coming to visit us, Carrie!
Readers, check out Carrie's website: http://www.carriejonesbooks.com/

And buy her book!
http://www.amazon.com/Tips-Having-Gay-Ex-Boyfriend/dp/0738713414/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221683672&sr=1-1

Funerals--how do you want to go?

While searching my mind for a good topic for today, I remembered something the manpanion and I had talked about a while ago...funerals.

Yeah, cheery! I do solemnly promise this won't be down-in-the-dumps depressing, okay? LOL

So anyway, he and I were talking about how we wanted our funeral to go (because you know, couples who are going to stay together should know this about each other). The manpanion at first was saying he wanted to be cremated, and I told him no way--I was going to stuff him and put him on the couch. That way, we could be together forever...and ever...and ever...haha (because of course, I assume he's going to go first, LOL).

Then, the manpanion came up with a new idea--he now wants a viking funeral. He wants to be floated off on a viking ship that's set on fire...and then, I have to fling my body onto the top so I can join him in Valhalla as his wench/maiden/whatever.

Nice...and dramatic, of course.

My sister and I had talked about it before, too, and she said she wants a New Orleans-style funeral, with the jazz band playing down the street and a party atmosphere. I'm sure there will be beads involved somewhere. LOL

As for me, I have no idea. I'm gonna have to think of something good to top those. Anyone have any ideas? I was thinking it might be cool to have my ashes scattered somewhere neat, but if the wind blows the wrong way, that could be a whole lotta mess. LOL

So, how do YOU want your funeral to go?