Flip Floppin'

I've been feeling very floppy today. Not this kind of flopping:



or this kind:



but more the kind where I don't quite know what to do with myself. I've (hopefully) sent the final draft of the YA to Agent E, and I haven't started the next book yet. Starting a new project takes a lot of stewage, where you hang out and stew about parts of the the next book, suss out characters and plots and generally pick up ideas, examine them and see if they are going to work. This is frustrating, but necessary work, and I can't write a word until things have gelled for awhile. So far, all I have are some vague ideas. And a title.

Also, all of the cool kids are going to SCBWI in LA, the big, fat writer's conference that starts tomorrow. I'm staying home. That's me, the ant all the way on the left who ISN'T going to the party:



As DH observed, when he found me wandering aimlessly through the house - I don't do nothing very well.

On this date: In 1975, Jimmy Hoffa disappeared.

Thanks to flickrers: stuckincustoms, damiel and tarotastic.

If Writing Good Love Scenes is Wrong...

...I don't want to be right. I adore a good love scene in a book, particularly a young adult book. On the plane back from Aruba, I read this:



(It was a very long flight.) I'm a heel dragger. I admit that. The more popular something is, the more I resist doing it (ask anyone about my cell phone issues). I read Twilight because I knew I should and expected to not like it, so I was surprised that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Who wouldn't like a love story with vampires? I loved this when it came out in the 80s:



although she lost me around the forth book because the whole 'rock star' thing got a little out of control.

The best love scenes are always the ones that are the firsts: first glance,first touch, first kiss, etc., which is why YA books are such great sources for love scenes. The YA I've been writing has a couple of great 'firsts' that still give me a thrill to read. When you're writing a great love scene, it's almost an indulgence because you can lose yourself totally in the moment without any of the guilt of cheating on your partner. It's been 15 years since I've had a first kiss, and frankly I never expect to have another one, but I still remember the crackling anticipation in the moments that lead up to the first contact with the object of your desire. Getting to create the perfect "first" moment is one of the best perks of the job.

On this date: In 1818, Emily Bronte was born.

On the Road

So far, our trip has been great. Did I mention that through work channels we got to fly first class? I highly recommend it if only for the legroom. Me being a giant and all, first class is the only time that I haven't had to sit sideways in my seat so that my knees won't smash into the seat in front of me. Plus, when we got to DC, we hung in the secret lounge they have for fancy people. Here's DH trying to decide what he wants from the FREE food they have there. Yes, he was totally embarrassed that I was taking pictures in the lounge, but hey it was 6am and it was pretty empty after all.


Eventually, we ended up here.






It pretty much rocks, although it is populated by an alarming race of fuschia-skinned people who don't seem to have "SPF" in their language. They also have these crazy lizards in shades of turquoise and green. They are everywhere - I caught one dipping it's foot (paw?) in the pool this afternoon. It was quite hot out, so I didn't blame it one bit.






We went out to dinner tonight and they had fried Oreos on the menu. It had to be done. Had to.




So far, so good. Not getting a lot of work done though. Apparently, the laptop isn't waterproof.




On this date: In 1934, John Dillinger is gunned down.

On Our Way

DH and I are on our way here:


Okay, not exactly here, but someplace just like it. We're taking our honeymoon 11 years late, and I'm nervous and excited all at the same time.

Contrary to what all of my friends said, I'm taking the laptop. Now stop shouting, I have my reasons. I'm putting the final spit and polish on the YA before it goes out to new editors and with all of the down time we're going to have over the next week I figure I can really get into it. (Get your minds out of the gutter people, you know what I mean.) Without any of the usual distractions, I should be able to do a final edit so that we can get it out there. Plus, revising isn't really work work. Not like writing an article on karmic retribution or something. Revising is more like going on a journey of discovery to see if your characters want to tell you anything new.

See you soon!

On this date: In 1966, Mia Farrow married Frank Sinatra.

Travelblog - Calistoga

For my extended birthday celebration, my BFF Karen convinced me that we needed to get away. She's usually right, so I went.

The good thing about living in Northern California is that cool stuff is just a few $4.55 gallons of gas away. We ended up in the tiny town of Calistoga in the Napa Valley.

If you live within a couple of hours of there, you should go. I mean like now. Seriously. We'll wait.

We hung out at the Mount View Hotel which was the best mix of coolness and oldness.



We pretty much had the pool to ourselves.



We were so stressed from five hours at the pool that we then had to go get massages in the spa.

After the spa, we wandered up and down the only street in town trying to decide where to eat. We stopped in at this really nondescript bistro called the All Seasons.



Karen chose it because they had good air conditioning (did I mention it was pretty hot, even at 6pm). So we sit down and quickly discover that this is the kind of rare restaurant that can make even things you don't like taste amazing. Karen is into sharing and she forced me to split a salad that had organic greens and nectarines in it. Ordinarily yuck as I don't like fruit in my food, but this was amazing. The amazingness of the food continued on into the Cornmeal Crusted Scallops and corn succotash (who knew succotash could be good?). I turned the tables on her and made us each order our own desserts. Banana cream pie made with caramelized bananas. Need I say more? After dinner we volunteered to stand out front and direct people to the bistro, so if you want the best meal ever, eat there.

We had to walk off dinner (and wine) before heading for home, so we walked around gaping at all of the cool houses.



Calistoga is the birthplace of soaking in mud, although I don't partake. The thought of sploshing around in warm mud that has been sploshed in by a lot of other people just doesn't appeal. If I were to indulge though, I would go to the delightfully old-fashioned and surprisingly medical facility-looking Dr. Wilkinson's Hot Springs.



On this date: In 1919, Iris Murdoch was born.

The Good and the Bad

So, I got outed. Today is my birthday. It has definitely been a good and a bad day:

Bad: I'm another year older.
Good: Another woman my age thought I was a lot younger than she was. Hee hee.

Bad: I got downsized from my freelance writing job (anybody need articles written about anything?).
Good: Now I have more time to work on my fiction.

Bad: I had to write our plumber a humongous check.
Good: Now the toilet won't fall through the floor the next time someone sits on it.

Bad: The Chinese food we ordered from the new place on the corner was probably the worst food I've ever had.
Good: Because none of us finished dinner, we all got really big pieces of cake.



Bad: Now I feel guilty that DH spent $ on gifts.
Good: I got the heat gun I wanted so now I can strip the baseboards.

Good: My kids made me awesome cards.
There's no bad to that.


On this date: In 19something something, my mom had poison ivy, heat rash from the worst heat wave to hit the East Coast in decades and the end to three days of hard labor. Thanks Mom!

Thanks to flickrers: spritegirl, klsanderson

When Good Chucks Go Bad

Guess which pair the boy wants to wear?

On this date: In 1990, Northern Exposure debuted.