Angie's Write

Hello 30

2011-04-23T10:08:00.000-07:00

It took me awhile to get this post up (surprise, surprise), but I turned 30 three weeks ago. (!) Starting a new decade has made me quite introspective, but for my birthday, I just wanted to do something fun. So that's what I did.

(L: The whole group near Fort Mason; M: The bridge on a stunning day; R: Me making the trek across)

Ten of my favorite people accompanied me on a bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge. My mom, youngest sister, and three friends drove the nine hours down from Oregon, and two other friends drove over from Sacramento--all to celebrate with me. (They are awesome!)

This was the perfect way to begin my 30s in style. We grabbed coffees at my favorite joint in the city, rented bikes near Fisherman's Wharf, and took off on an adventure through the city--riding past Fort Mason, along the water at Crissy Fields, and up some gnarly SF hills to reach the bridge itself. The view from up top was unbelievable, and despite the fact that the bridge is often socked in fog, we were blessed with glorious sunshine.

(L: The Marin Headlands; M: Looking back toward the bridge from Sausalito; R: The Sausalito waterfront)

(L: The view of SF from Sausalito; M: Me and Mr. Darcy, hehe; R: Drinking wine while waiting for our table at Albona)

Once we reached the other side, it was (thankfully) all downhill until we reached the charming town of Sausalito, where we took a sun break--complete with wine juice boxes and Maynard's wine gums--while waiting for our ferry back to the city.

After returning our bikes (and a quick costume change), we walked over to North Beach where we had the most amazing dinner at Albona, an Istrian restaurant there. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

Cheers to a new Decade!

To Wolf Hall We Go

2011-04-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Set in Tudor England during the reign of Henry VIII--and at the rise of Anne Boleyn within the court--Hilary Mantel's story is a captivating read, detailing not only Henry's infamous divorce and break from the Roman Catholic Church, but also the growing shift in public opinion toward the church and the religious fervor that inspired on both sides of the issue. Told in the engaging voice of Thomas Cromwell, a fascinating man, this novel views the infamous time period from a new angle, through the captivating lens of a man at the heart of the story. There is love, terror, political intrigue, and biting wit. At turns funny, thoughtful, and on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspenseful, this novel will have you looking at these characters in a new light, even if you're familiar with the history.

View all my reviews

Taking Stock

2011-03-30T23:24:00.000-07:00

This post has been a long time in coming. (I'm sure we'll all be sad to see Harry's face leave the masthead, but it must be done.)

In the past few months, so much has happened in my life--weddings, birthdays, a funeral, and travel travel travel--that every time I come here to write about it, there's too much to share. I don't know where to start.

There was the amazing trip to Greece in September (Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, and Crete. Le sigh.). My grandma's sudden and unexpected passing. A best friend's 30th birthday spent in a treehouse hotel. A January luau-themed surprise party in celebration of my mom's 50th. My darling niece's 1st birthday. My father-in-law's re-marriage, as well as a best friend's wedding. When you put it all together, I spent over seven weeks away from home in the last eight months. (Don't get me started on the nine-hour drive home. Ugh.)

And on top of all that, I fell off the blogwagon last summer when I suffered the worst migraine period of my life--having migraines three weeks out of every month from about May to September.

I began this blog to reach out to other writers and to talk about my own writing journey, but with my current focus on finding an agent (and my reluctance to discuss that publicly on the interwebs) I'm finding it hard to think about anything else. (Suffice it to say, it has been both encouraging and discouraging all in one, and I've never checked my email more!)

The reason all this has been on my mind? This is the last week of my twenties(!), and I feel I ought to take stock of my life to date. There are so many things I'm proud to have done in my twenties--finishing college (and more recently, paying it off), writing (and rewriting and rewriting) my novel, running a marathon, skydiving, training my cute puppy into a (mostly) well-behaved dog, traveling abroad alone, getting a tattoo--but there is so much more I want to do and accomplish in the next decade. I'm starting off my thirties with another adventure--friends and family are joining me on a bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge, something I've wanted to do since we moved here seven years ago. I'm also working my butt off toward my biggest goal--making my novel the best it can be (even if that means more revision) and securing an agent. And this summer, husband and I will celebrate our 10th anniversary (yes, we married young) and commemorate it with a return to England, my favorite place to travel.

So in sum, hello again. (*waves*) I will try to check in more frequently with what's certain to be an interesting year. Oh, and HUZZAH to 30!

HARRY!

2010-10-27T15:51:00.000-07:00

22 days and counting...

I am such a dork, but this makes me almost tear up. Nine years ago I made Husband take me to the midnight showing of the very first movie, which just happened to fall on our three-month anniversary of marriage. At that time there were only four books, and I'd re-read them I don't know how many times. The years have flown by, and still I eagerly await each new Harry Potter release. These books and films have marked important milestones in my life over the years--getting engaged the summer I started reading the books; the release of book 5 while I lived in London; speculating over the details of the final book with two best friends, while secretly setting them up using their shared love for all things Harry (they later married, btw!). I will be so sad to see it end, but what a ride it has been!

Beautiful Malice

2010-09-07T09:27:00.000-07:00

Having met Rebecca James through the wonderful world of writing blogs, I was more than a little excited to get my hands on a copy of her book. It didn't disappoint. James kept me turning the pages from the beginning. She had an interesting premise, peopled with unique characters who jumped off the page.

Katherine Patterson's secret lies at the heart of this story. She buries her past and begins anew by changing her name and moving to a new city, but eventually her past catches up with her. Her baby sister, Rachel, was tragically and violently murdered, and Katherine bears the burden of guilt, believing it was her fault. When Alice--beautiful and popular--befriends Katherine, she starts to think life can be normal and lets her guard down. But Alice has a secret too.

The story unfolds in terrifying ways, and although I guessed Alice's secret halfway through, it didn't deter me from reading faster to find out how it all ended.

Beautiful Malice explores the dark side of friendship, and although I haven't experienced a relationship this toxic, I could definitely identify with the familiar feeling of unease that Alice creates throughout. I highly recommend this psychological thriller. You can pick up a copy of Beautiful Malice in hardback on Amazon or in paperback here. Enjoy!

Reading Bees

2010-08-18T16:44:00.000-07:00

Caroline Smailes' Like Bees to Honey was a haunting, thought-provoking look at one mother's struggle with the loss of her child. The book follows Nina Robinson, a woman born in Malta, who left to attend college in England, where she found love, but also loss. Nina falls pregnant while unmarried and in college, disgracing her traditional Maltese Catholic family, so her father shuns her. When she returns years later with her husband and young son, hoping for a reprieve, the family disowns her, unable to forgive her for shaming them.

After years of estrangement from her family, Nina returns to the island to deal with the recent death of her mother and to finally release her dead son, Christopher. Feeling like she has lost everything--her son, her mother, her culture--she almost loses herself to the vivid spirit world surrounding her. In a hilarious and refreshing turn, Jesus arrives--in the form of a beer-swilling, toenail-painting island rockstar--and guides her back from the brink by helping her understand her guilt over Christopher's death so she can forgive herself. A colorful cast of characters from the spirit world support Jesus in this mission to save Nina, including my favorites: Tilly, an angry, foul-mouthed ghost with unresolved issues, and Elena, Nina's aunt who also left the island for love.

As in previous novels, Smailes plays around with language and visual text to good effect. Rather than distracting, these elements add to the building narrative.

Reading Like Bees to Honey was like a magical trip to an exotic world where the curtain between this world and the next is lifted and what you discover is both familiar and remarkably new. In Smailes' Malta, spirits flock to the island to heal; it is a magical place teeming with centuries of tradition and culture, where the bridge between past, present, and the future beyond intertwine.

Pile of Books

2010-08-01T13:13:00.000-07:00

I received more fun mail!

Rebecca James is a very lovely blogging friend, and her debut novel released in May in Australia. Unfortunately, I couldn't get my hands on a copy of the Australian version, so I have been waiting ever so patiently for Rebecca's book to release in the UK. (The US version released later and in hardback.) Lookey what I received:

Huzzah! Isn't it pretty?

While I delved into my final edits, I fell behind on my reading, and now I have a stack to dig into this week, starting with sweet Caroline's Like Bees to Honey and lovely Rebecca's Beautiful Malice. After that, I may have to dive back into the world of Sookie Stackhouse.

This summer is shaping up to be great.
(Psst. Please don't mention that it's already August! *Sticks fingers in ears* Lalala. Argh.)

Near-Death Experience

2010-07-29T17:13:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I experienced my worst nightmare.

Try not to laugh. My husband couldn't help himself though, even when he realized the seriousness of the situation.

Have I previously mentioned my extreme arachnophobia? Well. I'm generally a rather brave person. Blood, vomit, dirty diapers? No problem. Bring it! Skydiving, marathoning, parasailing? Yes, please. Even my other deep-seated, slightly irrational fear of serial killers has nothing on this. I have convinced myself that I would fight back using the mad skills I learned from self-defense classes, kickboxing, and Oprah specials (oh, yes). However, there is no fighting spiders. Something to do with all the legs. *shivers*

My big fear? Having a spider crawl on or in front of me while driving.

(Are you laughing yet? Pfft.)

The problem is, when it comes to spiders, I become a completely irrational, screeching, jumping freak. It's like a nerve damage problem. No matter how much I try to control the flailing and screaming, put an eight-legged monster in front of me, and I lose control. I've always been afraid that if a spider got to me in a car, I might cause a freeway pileup.

So there I was, minding my own business, chatting to my husband on my (hands-free!) cell, when a spider appeared on the INSIDE of my windshield. Cue MAJOR panic attack. Thankfully, I was sitting at a stop light, so I didn't crash into anyone. There was a gas station just before the light, so I was praying the spider wouldn't move before I could get to it and jump out. No such luck. The fat little beasty started opening and closing it's mouth at me in an attempt to hiss (spiders DO hiss, don't argue!), and then started crawling up the windshield closer to my face. At this point I'm sure all my husband heard on the other end of the line was high pitched squealing and hyperventilation. Luckily, the light changed, so I drove with my head cocked to the side and as far back as possible. Just in case. Pulled into a no parking zone, jumped out and proceeded to scream and flail, before removing my sandal and dealing the hideous monster a death blow. (Followed, of course, by more squealing.)

Husband's biggest concern during this interaction? That I would make a fool of myself. Ha! Not scared of that, clearly. Done and done! (Psh. Called my sister while still shaking afterward since her irrational fear of moths makes her much more sympathetic!)

I survived this round. However, husband has a major spider hunting task in my car tonight, as I may not be so lucky next time.

EURGH!

Oregon

2010-07-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

After I finished my final revision, I decided to take a trip home for a little rest and rejuvenation. Before I left, I started querying agents; I thought the break might help me avoid obsessive email checking as well. (Grins) A week home in beautiful central Oregon with my mom, sisters, and friends seemed like the perfect respite. (I think Drew liked it too!)

I did relax a little, but the trip turned out a bit different than predicted. I received some quick and positive responses from agents (EEK!), so I had to attend to that. (Great problem to have, but I spent more time working than expected.)

On top of that, half my family got sick, all with different, non-infectious problems--from cysts bursting to an IBS flare-up to a kidney infection requiring hospitalization to a double-ear-infection in my niece--thwarting our winetasting plans and making my niece a bit tired and fussy for her first birthday party. (Although, that didn't stop her from enjoying her first taste of cake!)

Needless to say, things did not go according to plan. Thankfully, it wasn't all illness and work. I did get in a nice hike along the river, saw Paula Cole perform at a free concert in the annual summer Munch N' Music festival (LOVE her and she didn't fail to meet expectations!), and taught Drew to swim in my mom's pond. My youngest sister and I failed to float the river since every store in town ran out of floaties, but we had a blast trying. It felt wonderful to get outdoors and soak up some Vitamin D.

Secret Agent

2010-07-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I couldn't type that title and not share this song, could I? Good stuff.

Today I have some exciting things happening. Over at Miss Snark's First Victim the first 250(ish) words of my novel--along with 49 others--will be posted anonymously for critique by this month's secret agent, as well as other writers. If you haven't checked out the Secret Agent contests or Authoress's blog yet, it's well worth a look.

Hiding

2010-07-09T12:41:00.000-07:00

Hello?

Anyone out there?

It appears the blog needs another good dust-off since I last wrote.

I spent the past month in my editing hidey-hole, but I finished the *final* revision this week! I am beyond excited, but also mildly terrified, because that means I have to take the next step on this journey.

I wrote my query letter, made my list of preliminary agents, and now it's go time.

*Eek*

I plan to start sketching and outlining book 2 soon, but could use a small break in between. Meanwhile, I have a pile of books to read, a synopsis to write (just in case), and a pool to visit for some vitamin D time, but I would like to avoid the obsessive email-check-itis.

So. Any ideas for distraction while I wade into query territory?

Note to self...

2010-06-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

In the future, don't edit the intimate scenes at public coffeeshops!

Yesterday I spent a few of my holiday hours working on the novel revisions. Somehow I didn't realize just what chapter I was on, until I was stuck there, peeking over my shoulder every five seconds to make sure know one could read my writing! So embarrassing. Although, it did increase my editing speed immensely! *giggles*

Do you ever find yourself looking over your shoulder when you read or write romantic scenes?

Royal Mail

2010-05-25T14:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a package arrived via Royal Mail:

Ooh, I love receiving mail approved by Her Majesty! I waited all week for this package, hoping it would arrive. Look what I found inside:

Lovely Caroline's newest book, Like Bees to Honey. Isn't it beautiful? I adore the cover. Last week I hosted a sneak preview, but I've been waiting for the real deal. There's something about holding a book in your hands, isn't there? I'm excited to dig in, now I just have to get through some Sookie books fast, since I'm on book three!

Surprise!

2010-05-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

I awoke this morning to a lovely surprise:

(With flowers he brought me yesterday!)

Husband left a present for me, and it's not even my birthday, Christmas, or our anniversary! A rare treat.

This weekend I told him I felt petulant about my work. I'm tired of editing, tired of reading the same words over and over and over and tired of endlessly streamlining my novel. I suppose anyone who has revisited a project 50 million times would want to stomp their feet and throw it out the window. The chapter that induced this irritation wasn't even a difficult edit, in fact, it's in pretty good shape, but I'm ready to move on already. New characters and story ideas are clamoring for my attention, trying to lure me away with their newness. Of course, I'm ignoring them until I'm done going through this manuscript with a fine-tooth comb, but not without a little teeth-gnashing. *grins*

Being a native Pacific Northwesterner, I love me some fleeces, and I've wanted a lightweight North Face fleece for some time. Inside the bag, I found this:

Rockin' a fierce myspace pose in my pretty blue. ;)

A gorgeous light blue (my favorite color!) North Face fleece. He said he's proud of what I've accomplished and wanted to cheer me up in face of the petulant chapters. (Ah! At this point, I teared up a bit. Ahem.) However, it made me giggle to think of my chapters being petulant--stomping around the office, pouting like naughty children. The best part is that, with all the weird cold spring weather we've had this year, I could actually wear it today!

Feeling less petulant as I approach the page in my pretty blue fleece this evening...

The Bee's Knees

2010-05-20T01:59:00.000-07:00

Today I'm taking part in a special one-day blog tour. Lovely Caroline's newest book releases next week, and hopefully readers will be flocking to it like bees to honey. *Grins*

Each chapter of her book is featured on one blog today. To begin the tour, start here and follow the links. I'm hosting Chapter 22, and the tour continues on Liz Fenwick's blog.

UK readers can order a copy of Like Bees to Honey on Amazon UK, while reader elsewhere can purchase it from The Book Depository, which offers free worldwide shipping.

Without further adieu, here is Chapter 22. Enjoy!

Open publication - Free publishing

Busy Bee

2010-05-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

Just checking in to say hi since it's been awhile.

*Waves hello*

I'm keeping myself quite busy adding my final revisions, and my perfectionist tendencies mean added time editing every last line of every last chapter again, but I'm so excited to be near the end! Light. End. Tunnel. After I finish, I'm going to bed early and sleeping in late. (Party, party!) No more of this going to bed in the early morning business. (At least for a short time. Once a night owl...)

Since I'm working (nearly) around the clock, I haven't had time for much else, but I'm a sap, so Husband took me to see Letters to Juliet tonight after I squealed over every preview for the last few months. It lived up to my expectations and was the perfect romantic fix. I loved the leading ladies--Vanessa Redgrave was radiant and Amanda Seyfried was adorable. Unfortunately, it made us want to return to Italy. Now that's an idea! In addition, I finally got around to reading the Sookie Stackhouse series, and even though I'm only sneaking in a few pages here and there, I'm on book two, Living Dead in Dallas, and loving it.

Oh, and speaking of Bees, come back on Thursday for a sneak peek at Caroline's fabulous new novel! I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

Reading and Spamming

2010-04-19T10:03:00.001-07:00

If you haven't already picked up a copy of Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, I can't recommend it enough. I finished reading last night, and immediately wanted to share it with friends who haven't read it.

For some reason, this book kept bringing to mind Portnoy's Complaint, one of my faves, and another story about growing up on the fringe of American society. The books are very distinct--the narrators are from different ethnic backgrounds and come from disparate socioeconomic groups--and yet they still speak to universal truths. Love, acceptance, loss, coming of age. This book made me laugh and cry within the span of a page. Junior encounters so much heartbreak, but at the end he holds on to hope and humor. Although categorized as YA, Alexie's book will entertain and charm young and old alike.

This morning I sat down to start work on editing (and to post this blog), and was greeted with a spam message in my personal email account...sent from my general email account. Apparently I wanted to share viagra and cheap prescription meds from Canada with every single person I've ever had email contact with. Aren't I lovely?

I use a mac, so I haven't dealt with viruses and other garbage for the last few years, but this one worried me. My virus scan came up clean, which is good, but I don't know whether my account was hacked or whether a spammer stole my address and made it look like the emails were sent from me (though they were in my sent mail...). Still feeling a little on edge. Technology can be so cool, but it sucks that someone can access so much personal information like that.

Where in the world is...

2010-04-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

Drew's chewie?

The bookshelf is his favorite hiding spot, much to my consternation. Perhaps because mama keeps her favorite things there too? I had to crack up when I was walking to the couch and saw this. He may need to learn better hiding skills if any other dogs come over, though.

Writing and Running

2010-04-06T16:18:00.000-07:00

Writing is a lot like running. Both require stamina and vision, and a wealth of patience. When people compare writing a novel to giving birth, it gives me pause. They're so different. Perhaps if a couple is battling infertility and has to hold on to hope and patience in order to have a baby, then it is similar, but for most couples, it involves the initial action, followed by nine months of waiting. Now before you start throwing things at the blog, I'm not saying it isn't difficult to carry a baby. I have the utmost respect for mothers, however, you don't have to continually work at it. You take care of yourself, visit the doctor regularly, and make sure to follow a set of guidelines.

In my opinion, writing a novel is more like running a marathon. You put in months--sometimes even years--of training, wake up early on weekend mornings to run for hours, run in the evening after work or during lunch breaks in an effort to get in the miles. Your diet and sleep schedule revolve around your runs. (Trust me, you don't want to eat or drink the wrong thing before a long run!) You have little time for friends, other than running buddies. And when the big race day finally arrives, you fight not only a physical battle to reach the finish line, but more importantly, you fight a mental battle to convince yourself that you can indeed keep running, even though it's already been 20 miles and your knee hurts and your feet are swelling and you're not entirely convinced that you can even lift your feet on your own accord to run 6.2 more! That is how writing a novel feels to me at times. I spent two years researching and writing the first draft, and at the end felt such a rush of accomplishment, until I realized I had only completed the first 20 miles; I still had editing and revisions, and major plot holes, and could I really do this what the heck was I thinking?!

I feel like I'm on mile 25.2 right now. Only one mile to go...but what a long mile it seems!

Beer at 30...

2010-03-31T19:14:00.000-07:00

It's been busy around here the last two weeks. Last Wednesday was husband's 30th birthday (yay!), so I spent my time planning, cooking, and shopping. I was exhausted by Saturday, but the outcome was fantastic--we celebrated his birthday with a 'Tarts & Vicars' Dirty Thirty Party over the weekend. Here's a sample of what I've been doing:

(Top: Making Czech Goulash and bread dumplings.)

(Bottom: In honor of Husband's dual love for beer and jelly beans, I etched pub glasses and filled them with jelly beans for the party favors.)

Husband and I grew up in the Pacific Northwest--arguably the center of craft microbrewing in the United States. Portland, OR has more breweries per capita than any other city, and we grew up in a town with one of the best and most-well known microbreweries in the country: Deschutes Brewery. In college husband and I studied abroad in London, where he was introduced to traditional English beer and grew to love it above all but his PacNW microbrews. We stayed with a host family, and the dad was an avid 'Real Ale' fan (introduced us to CAMRA, and etc.). The very first night there, he took Husband out to the garage to make his first beer. Adam's Ale. Then he took him to the pub and gave him an education in cask-conditioned real ale. It's no wonder husband became such a beer lover. So for Christmas I got him his first beer-making kit. His second batch was finished just in time for the party this weekend.

A friend hosted the party at his house--his built-in bar and back yard were much more fun than our tiny condo. We ate and drank 'around the world' with food and beer samplings from various locales. The original menu included most of the major beer countries, but we had to whittle it down to avoid drowning in food and beer, so instead we sampled the following: England, the Czech Republic, Belgium, the Pacific NW, California, and India (random, but our friend makes a mean curry, and wanted some Maharaja).The end result was quite a blast. Any guesses on my costume? Here's a hint: I went with a bookish stereotype, while Husband--standing next to me--decided that as the birthday boy he should be the pope. :)

The Future of Publishing?

2010-03-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

I saw this video on Powell's Book Blog and had to share it:

The Opening

2010-03-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

I spent most of the day rewriting my novel's opening scene for the 500 millionth time! Okay, so I might be exaggerating slightly, but because I have rewritten it dozens of times over the last four years, it feels like the bazillionth time.

My novel didn't come to me as a fully-formed story. It came to me in flashes of scenes, glimpses of characters, and small notions. It only grew into a developed story after a lot of planning and even more writing. I envy writers who approach the page with a full-fledged idea. Even in these final revisions, I've added new scenes and storylines (albeit minor ones that complement the whole). Last year when I worked on the rewrite, I cut out major scenes and changed whole storylines. I'm an organized planner, but my writing style seems to be more chaotic. As frustrating as that is for me, nothing feels more satisfactory than finally nailing that troublesome scene.

I'm off to celebrate with some Red Velvet Cake frozen yogurt. Oh yes, it does exist!

FINAL Final?

2010-03-12T09:09:00.000-08:00

I'm working through the last revisions on my novel. My husband and mom worry that I'm endlessly nitpicking and will never finish to my satisfaction. I do have a tendency to obsess over details (ahem), thus my editorial past, but I'm trying to view my work objectively, with an editorial eye. I have a list of items that need to be addressed, and I know the novel won't be strong enough until I attend to them. I can't help but wonder though, how do you know when you've finally reached The End?

Jamie Ford, author of my favorite book from 2009, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, wrote an interesting post about this recently. By his description, I'm the type of writer who slooooows the whole process to a near crawl. If I'm not careful, I might look up one day to discover my husband has grayed on me overnight! I'm simultaneously excited and terrified to reach the finish line. I want everything to be just right when I send the manuscript to agents. I only have one shot at this, after all. How do others get past this fear and cross the finish line?

Shaping Up

2010-03-10T08:08:00.000-08:00

This blog needs a good exercise plan. Perhaps Jillian Michaels could put it on the 30-Day Shred and give it a nice kick in the bum? It sits here, gathering dust, with only the occasional post, but no longer--it's time for a shape up!

The past year I've worked hard to get back into running shape. I struggled for a few years to get my thyroid under control, and during that time I couldn't maintain the energy to run, but now I'm energized and more grateful than ever that I'm able to hit the pavement. I run every other day, and I've worked up my mileage to train for a half marathon in June. It's been almost five years (!) since I ran the marathon, and it's about time I did another long race. However, when I manage to improve one part of my life, I seem to lag in another...

In my last post--way, way back, over a month ago--I mentioned my bout of homesickness. The truth is I started writing that post three weeks before I published it. I couldn't find the right words. Ironically, I finally managed to communicate my thoughts on the subject while home on a visit. I caved and went home for a week to spend time with my family; I also used it as a personal/writing retreat. I took a 'break' from running over the holidays, which extended a bit further than I meant it to, and I was finding the final novel revisions excruciating. The trip home worked: I managed to get in some refreshing runs by my lovely Deschutes River, and I spent time reading my manuscript and making progress on changes. (I also visited my favorite restaurants and coffeeshops, which may have counteracted the running, but it was well worth it!)

I'm still battling the revision demons, so by the time I start to write a post, all my energy is used up. I have ideas, but when I sit down at the laptop - POOF - all gone. Last week I received a wonderful award from the lovely JJ at Tea Stains, which made me feel particularly undeserving because it is The Prolific Blogger Award. I hung my head in shame for a moment at how unprolific my blog has become of late, but then I decided to buck up and get to work. I've been writing this blog for over four years--and I'm nearing the 400 post mark!--so it's only natural for my motivation to come and go. However, I can't let that stop me. When I write, run, and blog regularly, I feel in balance. My life has been out of balance for ages, and it's time I began a training plan, like I did with running. Baby steps for now, but expect to see me around more often. Besides, an Angie training plan can't be nearly as painful as the 30-Day Shred, right?

Nostalgia

2010-02-09T13:51:00.000-08:00

Nostalgia is the scent of winter firewood lightly perfuming the dry high desert air. It is the crisp blue skies of morning, the swirling pink sunsets of twilight, and the inky black nights with a sparkling display of stars. It's the majestic view of mountains covered in snow, and the less charming sight of roadside snow colored deep red by the local cinders which provide traction against the ice. It is tall magnificent trees, mountain lakes, buttes, and the sparse high desert landscape of pine, juniper, and sage.
I am suffering from homesickness more and more lately. Bouts of crippling nostalgia overwhelm me at times, and I can hardly explain where they come from or why. I traveled home to Oregon five times last year--a record since we moved south--and that certainly hasn't helped matters. Although California is now my home, I don't always feel at home. I like living here. There are many great things about it, not least the mild climate and the wealth of activities and culture in the bay area. But sometimes I just miss the familiar:
I love the snow in winter, the dry heat, the unpredictable weather. Gorgeous mountain views greet you every morning. People are friendly and life is an adventure, not a race. Most importantly for me, I have a network of family and friends. I have a group of best friends--girls who have been there for me, whether near or far, for over a decade. You can't build that kind of life in six years, no matter how hard you try. I do love my little life here, but that's how it feels sometimes: little.

Attention Span

2010-01-14T00:13:00.000-08:00

My reading attention span has been low the past few months. Blame it on holiday busyness, distraction with the novel, and the small pile of research books on my bedside table. Whatever the cause, it bothers me. I go through ebbs and flows in my reading life. Sometimes I devour books, while at others I read slow and steady, but every once in a while I barely read a book a month and even if I love the book, my attention is focused elsewhere. The only way out of this hole--and it is a hole, not reading makes me depressed--is to pick up an absolute page-turner, preferably part of a series so I'm hooked and must continue reading. In the past I've turned to the well-worn pages of familiar books (Harry Potter reengages me every time), but this time I decided to pick up something new.

Last year I received a full series off my wishlist--Philip Pullman's Sally Lockhart Mysteries. I knew a YA book would be an easy read, and having discovered the first book from the BBC's adaptation with Billie Piper, I knew I would enjoy it.

I was looking for a fun, fast read and Philip Pullman provides that in The Ruby in the Smoke, along with an engaging, clever female lead and a cast of quirky and interesting characters. Set in grimy Victorian London, the book follows Sally Lockhart as she unravels a mystery involving the recent death of her father, the opium trade, the truth of her birth, and the famed Ruby of Agrapur. This is the first book in the series, and I'm eager to see where Pullman takes Sally next. This series isn't as well known as Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, which is a shame, and it didn't come to my attention until I saw the adaptation, but I'm glad it did.

It seems to have done the trick. I've started the second book, The Shadow in the North, and I'm reading on full steam to kick this funk to the curb. If you like light mysteries with a historical setting and a strong female lead, I highly recommend this series.

Keep those pages turning!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and...

2010-01-06T13:24:00.000-08:00

...finally a new post!

I meant to write a Christmas post, and then again a New Year's post, but the best laid plans and all that. We had a nice relaxing Christmas here, which was a pleasant change from our usual shuttling between families at the holidays, but I missed my family immensely. Thank goodness for technology though! I chatted with my mom, sisters, and new little niece over Skype, which was lovely. My niece, who is five months old, got quite upset after awhile when she discovered she couldn't reach me. So adorable.

The cutest niece ever in her bear jammies.

I'm excited for the new year and a new decade, but I'm not one for New Year's resolutions. They always feel too forced. I'm much more likely to keep a birthday resolution or meet a writing goal that has some time and planning to support it. However, despite my lack of official resolutions, I am working toward a goal: I want to finish my final revisions and manuscript tweaks--the technical definition--and get my novel query into the hands of agents soon. I haven't set an exact goal date yet, as I'm reviewing my list of revisions to do, but I'm shooting for the next month or two. (Eek!)

Here's to a bright and shiny 2010, and best wishes to all the other writers and dreamers out there!

Christmas Countdown...

2009-12-10T16:06:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again. Only 15 days until Christmas! *SQUEEEE* (Ahem, I get a bit overexcited this time of year.) I cannot believe this will be our sixth Christmas living in California. I still can't get used to the differences in climate. On my daily run I pass the typical Northern California mix of palm, pine, and deciduous trees, but it always catches my breath when I see roses, lemons, and oranges in full winter bloom!

This year we traveled to our hometown for Thanksgiving, where we received a chilly greeting and gorgeous fluffy wet flakes. I participated in a 5k fun run on Thanksgiving morning with my bestie, and it was the first time in years I've had to wear gloves while running. We're staying here for Christmas, so we'll have to forgo a white one. It doesn't snow here. Occasionally it snows in the foothills, but never here, though apparently it did once. Before I was born. And yet, I'm keeping my fingers crossed. (Always hopeful!) It's bound to happen again and this year is our best chance so far since the temperature dipped below freezing at night this week--a very rare occurrence! However, my Oregon-girl-self is ashamed to admit how cold I've been this week, especially since the cold snap at home has left my mom with ice inside her windows--the highs only reached the single digits and the lows went down to about -13F!

Anyway, Christmas preparations are in full swing. We did the decorating last weekend, and now we're finishing our homemade gifts and preparing to wrap and ship! Our place looks like a cross between Santa's workshop and a publishing office what with Christmas crafts covering the table and encroaching my desk along with my scattered books and manuscript pages covering the remainder of the desk and coffee table! Festive and depressing all at once.

Sala

2009-11-17T11:56:00.000-08:00

Last night Husband took me to San Francisco to attend an event at the Jewish Community Center there. Ann Kirschner spoke about her book, Sala's Gift (which I mentioned a few weeks ago), and the Center had the accompanying traveling exhibit on display.

The book details the story of how Ann discovered her mother's hidden Holocaust past, but it also tells her mother's story through the over 300 letters and postcards she hid during the war.

This book piqued my interest, in particular, because it is the story of a 'silent' survivor. We hear about the survivors who share their stories, but so many more kept them hidden for years, even from their own children. In my novel I write about a silent survivor and the effect of that silence on her relationship with her daughter; I also explore how the revelation of her secret affects her daughter. It was great to discover a real life equivalent with such a hopeful ending.

For more about Sala's story, see the page for Sala's Gift here.

On a related note, when we arrived at the Center it saddened me to discover that they must search the trunk of every car entering the parking garage, because anti-semitism is still a very real threat, even in cosmopolitan San Francisco. I cannot understand how there are still people in the world who hate others just because they were born different than them. We've come a long way, but we still have so far to go.

Eventful

2009-11-04T12:05:00.000-08:00

I feel like I'm trying to keep up with the pace of life these past few months. A niece, reunions, bridal showers and weddings, a final draft, trips home, and a new hard drive are keeping me busy!

Two weekends ago my best friend got married. Eight years ago she was my maid of honor, and it was great to finally repay the favor. I spent the week leading up to her wedding at home in Oregon--throwing a bridal shower, celebrating with a bachelorette party (perhaps a few too many margaritas...), and rehearsing ("Please, please, don't fall down the stairs, Angie!"). The wedding went well, I didn't trip, and the bride was gorgeous!

Once I got home, I had to catch up on work and start retrieving what files I could. I found most of my music, with the exception of a few CDs. Thankfully, I always backup our pictures on our desktop, although I know I need to backup the last two or three years on disk now. Just in case. I lost a lot of my documents, but with the old backup version of my writing file I found, I am able to partially reconstruct my data.

However, I had to go back to the Apple store this week because the new battery they gave me was not working. It could not hold a charge at all, so any time I knocked my cord loose, the computer died. They replaced the battery and the battery connector (which was also new), and now it finally seems to be back up and running.

On a more exciting note, Husband took me up to San Fran for the Jewish BookFest on Sunday, where I heard Anita Diamant read from her new book, Day After Night, which looks amazing. It follows a group of young, female Holocaust survivors in the postwar period as they struggle to create a new life in Palestine, but they run into obstacles with the British Mandate and are imprisoned in camps on arrival. When I did research for my book, I learned about these incidents and was fascinated that I'd never heard more about it. I thought it would make an interesting book, and with Diamant's immense talents, I think it will be an excellent read. I also got my copy of The Red Tent signed. *squeals*

Now I'm turning my focus to my final revisions. I've received two of the reader reports back on my manuscript, and I need to make a plan for my final edits. I can do this, I can do this, I can do this....

Recovery

2009-10-26T15:30:00.000-07:00

After a surge in posting, things have been quiet on here lately.

I'm in recovery mode.

I took my laptop to Apple two weeks ago to fix a few minor things: the case had developed two cracks--after being fixed a year before--and after that repair, my screen also developed an annoying and persistent flicker. Although my warranty ran out, Apple kindly agreed to fix these problems free of charge. I was delighted...until I went to pick up my laptop.

Apparently Apple's policy is to fix any problems that they find, regardless of the scheduled repairs, so it leaves Apple with their stamp of approval. A commendable policy. Unless, of course, they replace the hard drive without alerting you, dispose of it, and you lose everything.

*sigh*

I did a partial backup before the repairs. I saved my novel, of course, and some other stories, but I lost loads of research and music, and other files because I didn't have time or space to back up. Lesson learned for the future! Invest in a $40 flash disk, even if you only have a minor repair. It will save a lot of time and tears.

Thankfully, I found an old flash disk with an older backup version of my writing file, so I recovered some of the files I was fretting over. Now I'm trying to find all my old bookmarks--agents, writing friends and websites: all gone--and slowly setting up my laptop again.

It may be quiet around here as I continue to revamp and personalize my laptop.

Holocaust Stories: Reading, Watching, Writing

2009-10-08T15:38:00.000-07:00

There is something so compelling to me about stories from the Holocaust. It was an event that affected millions of lives, and yet every story is different. Some are stories of survival, many are stories of loss, others tell stories of hope and an unexpected spark of kindness encountered during that dark moment in history. I think what draws me most is the intrinsic humanity of these stories. Love is universal. We have mothers, fathers, family, friends. We live in communities that are tenuously bound together by an adherence to certain commonalities, certain common rights; these stories look at what happens when those ties are severed, when rights are revoked, when humanity is lost.

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. Not only am I writing a Holocaust story, but during the past three years I have constantly immersed myself in them in order to research my novel and create a tapestry of life during that period. I go through waves of reading only WWII-era books and watching WWII-era movies. I take a break from time to time since the stories are fraught with emotion, but I still find myself drawn to them. (A good thing since I've invested so much time in this novel!)

Last weekend I finished reading Tatiana de Rosnay's Sarah's Key, which is a beautiful exploration of the importance of remembrance. The novel uses a dual narrative to follow modern day Julia as she uncovers secrets from the past, as well as following young Sarah through her tragic experience of the Holocaust. The aftermath is far-reaching and affects the families of both women. Julia's story could have been a mere sideshow, but she is a fully fleshed character and deals with her own modern issues--a husband gone astray, a pregnancy late in life, and the choices she must make along the way to move forward. I highly recommend it.

And a few weeks ago, we watched Defiance, which is a fascinating look at one small part of Holocaust history. It tells the story of a small partisan group in Poland, which survived the war in hiding, but which also fought back against the Nazis. It is an inspiring story, but I also think it's important to remember that it's one small part of the history. Many people couldn't fight back--children, the elderly--and so many others hoped that it would end soon. They couldn't begin to guess the scale of the Nazi plan or their brutality. However, I definitely recommend the movie.

Next up in the DVD queue: The Reader. I just started reading Sala's Gift, a daughter's true story of the discovery of her mother's Holocaust history. I'm particularly excited about this book because my novel is a mother-daughter story and deals with the daughter's excavation of her mother's hidden past.

To the other writers out there: what stories compel you, and are they the same stories you explore in your own writing?

A Winner

2009-10-06T18:21:00.000-07:00

I am SO excited!

I entered a contest last week. I should mention that I never ever win anything. Ever.

But.

I won!

Over at Women on the Web they are running a contest called Words Move Me. To enter the contest, you have to submit a 'literary moment' that inspired you. The prize? A rose-colored Sony Reader Pocket Edition. (!!)

It looks quite lovely. I can't wait.

Here's the announcement, and my winning entry:

OMG, I won!**

I believe there are two chances left to win...

(**Because I am obsessed with language, I must note that there is a stray comma in my entry that shouldn't be there, but it wasn't in the version I submitted. Grammar Geek out.)

Stats

2009-10-05T21:56:00.000-07:00

3 years of work

4 pounds of paper

39 chapters

361 pages

93,874 words

This, my friends, is the sum total of my novel as it now stands. I have printed it, photocopied it, and passed it off to my beta readers for feedback(!!).

And now I wait.

Falling for Fall

2009-09-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

...all over again.

I love autumn. I think it might be my favorite season. Of course I say that with the advent of spring and summer as well. And Christmas, if it can be considered its own season. (I love the snow of December, not so much February and March, so winter is out of the running.)

With the arrival of fall, all I can think about is pumpkin food!

pumpkins Pumpkins PUMPKINS

Pumpkin scones, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin frozen yogurt and ice cream, pumpkin muffins and bread, pumpkin soup, pumpkin ravioli. Gordon Ramsay made a gorgeous pumpkin risotto the other day that had my mouth watering. (I found the recipe! Yay! Must try that next...)

My friend Kristen made a tasty pumpkin chili last night that was to die for. By the way, she just started a new blog called Frosting and Froth that focuses on food, fitness and books, where she also shares her yummy baking recipes and escapades. Check it out. She promises to try her September muffins with pumpkin puree soon!

The one thing pumpkin I don't like--brace yourself--is pumpkin pie. I didn't realize my love of pumpkins until later in life, because pumpkin pie clouded my judgment. Husband is one of the few others I know who doesn't like pumpkin pie. At Thanksgiving we have the fruit pies and the chocolate pie to ourselves, which is brilliant. However, we've discovered that we love pumpkins in just about every other form.

My love of fall foods doesn't end with pumpkins however. I've also developed a love for gourds. There, I've said it. Gourds. Particularly butternut squash. (And did I mention pumpkins?) And also sweet potatoes. None of these foods graced my family table growing up, so I've discovered them slowly over the years, and it's as if a gorgeous autumnal veil has been lifted from my eyes. Behold baked sweet potatoes (with marshmallows if I'm being naughty)! Butternut squash soup! Sweet potato fries! Butternut squash ravioli!

Oddly enough, despite this obsession with fall (and pumpkins), it's ridiculously hot outside, so I can't dive into the baking. It was 95 here yesterday, and today promises a high of 91. I think the autumn season became confused because it's late. I hope it arrives soon. I can't wait for the changing leaves and the arrival of gorgeous fall bounty at the market.

But while I wait, does anyone have any pumpkin recipes they'd like to share?

Random Assortment

2009-09-21T17:11:00.000-07:00

...of Thoughts

I've been on a cooking kick lately. It happens. Every other month, or thereabout, I'm bombarded with ideas and the inspiration to cook from scratch. (Just to clarify: I do cook dinner every night, but often it's simple, thrown-together meals.) Last night I made a yummy turkey spinach lasagna--although I forgot the olives, which is a cardinal sin in my family! Today I pulled out some (healthy elk) steaks and have been marinating them in red wine and rosemary. I'm brushing them with fresh ground pepper and salt and then broiling them. (That inspiration was weird for me...I rarely eat red meat anymore, and I cook it even less. And yet I already had it once this week! Perhaps all the running has affected my appetite?) Next I want to make something--anything!--pumpkin. I think pumpkin muffins or bread might be just the thing.

I am a consummate night owl. For about two months I have been on a late night bender. I could not fall asleep, so I never went to bed early. Last week I was a bit under the weather, and therefore finally able to sleep at a decent time. I decided to take advantage of that and slowly transition my schedule to a slightly more normal one. I was in bed before 12:30 last night - quite good for me! However, I started a new book: Sarah's Key. It's a page turner, and it's one of those books with super short chapters, so you keep telling yourself, 'just one more'. Next thing I know, it's 1:45am, and I'm still reading. *sigh* So much for my early night. There's always tomorrow right?

Lastly, my brand new cell phone arrived in the post today. Yay! Now if I can figure it out, I will be a messaging, mobile web-browsing master.

Darker Days

2009-09-18T10:19:00.000-07:00

Fall lies just around the corner, tantalizing me with the promise of pumpkins and a painter's landscape of changing and falling leaves in multi-colored hues. Something about fall also draws me to darker stories. Last fall I read the Twilight series and followed with the classic dark tale, Wuthering Heights. In previous years I read The Historian--a new vampire classic, The Thirteenth Tale, and etc. The changing season beckons me to tuck into something with a little more edge, or shall we say a little more bite?

So it's no surprise that I've been tempted by the commercials for a new television series named The Vampire Diaries. I'm not cool enough to have HBO and watch the cult favorite, True Blood, however this new series does have some distinctions of its own. Namely the two main vampire characters: brothers Stefan and Damon, played by Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder respectively. Delicious! It has a bit of the Twilight allure to it as well: pretty, but troubled girl (Elena) attends high school and meets gorgeous Stefan, a good vampire who falls for her. Except in this version, he goes there looking for her. I missed the first episode, and therefore some of the details, but she's a dead ringer for his long lost love, Katherine...cue drama in the future. Brother Damon, the evil vampire, shows up and threatens to ruin everything for Stefan again, including his chances with Elena and her mortality. (Mwah ha ha ha!)

Did I mention Stefan gives Elena a copy of Wuthering Heights by Ellis Bell? As in the original 19th century version published under a pseudonym to hide the fact that she was a woman writer? No? Ah, well, suffice it to say that it's among the many reasons I'm intrigued enough to tune in next week.

Obsession

2009-09-11T09:09:00.000-07:00

WARNING: This video might make you melt and or spontaneously combust. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Ever since I saw James Morrison live earlier this year, I've been obsessed. (The link is from the actual show I went to, but it's not the best quality video...the performance, however, is raw and divine. I was there! I didn't faint! Woot!) Prior to the concert, I loved his music, but he was so amazing live that I fell in love...and his voice was so beautiful it made me want to cry. I think Mr. Morrison secretly wants to be my lover and sing to me every night. Otherwise, why else would he serenade me so?

Driving Mr. George

2009-09-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

One of the organizations I've become involved with since I began the research for my novel is the Holocaust Center of Northern California (HCNC). I volunteer for their Oral History Project (OHP), summarizing and indexing videos of testimonies so that future researchers and students can access them with ease.

Earlier this year I attended HCNC's Day of Learning, which targets high schoolers and educators. It gave me the chance to sit in on panels and hear some of the survivors speak. The lady I work with at the OHP asked if I would be willing to give one of the survivors a ride up to the event. I was nervous to meet George for some reason. I think because I am in awe of the survivors--their courage and the things they saw and faced. Needless to say, George was a remarkable man and we had an interesting conversation. He gave me a copy of his story and two little happy face finger puppets to make me smile and remind me there is always hope. He also made me think a lot about the obstacles that seem so big in my life. When we arrived in San Francisco, the weather was drizzly and miserable, but he said, "I survived Mauthausen, I can handle a little rain!"

Today I gave George a ride to the HCNC's annual Survivor Speakers Bureau and Volunteer Appreciation Lunch. It was great to talk to him again and to see that he always remains positive, despite age, physical limitations and the recent loss of hearing in one ear. As he said, "I arrived in America with only the shirt on my back, two dollars in my pocket, and determination." His story is a constant reminder that you have to look for the best in every situation and make the most out of life.

Tongue Action

2009-09-04T16:52:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to show off a picture of my writing and running buddy all tuckered out. Why, what were you thinking? This is not that kind of blog! Drew is the main reason I work on the couch--I can't resist the adorable snuggle.

The Time Traveler's Wife

2009-09-02T23:14:00.000-07:00

I have been reading this book, and I adore it. The story is quirky, fun, and original; the romance is beautiful, unexpected, and timeless. Husband took me to the movie tonight, which I've been dying to see. I do wish they'd taken more time to develop the early relationship between Clare and Henry, but other than that I loved it...and I only cried a little. Although it diverges from the book slightly--don't all movies?--how could I resist the prospect of seeing Henry traipsing about in the nude, a la Eric Bana. Oo la la! Plus, Rachel McAdams is one of my favorite young actresses, and she was a great fit for the role. If you love a great romance in the vein of The Notebook, I highly recommend this movie. But the book is an absolute must read.

Motivation

2009-08-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

Although my motivation for running is still strong, I cannot seem to garner the same motivation for my writing lately. With running you have instant satisfaction. You see results relatively quickly. It is always satisfying to finish a run, no matter how painful--not to mention the endorphins!

Writing doesn't produce the same results. The work is slow and arduous, and even at the end you don't know if it's any good. There is satisfaction in finishing a writing project, to be sure, but there is also anxiety. I've taken a lot longer than I expected to finish my last bits of work: writing new scenes, cutting scenes that were slowing down the story or unnecessary to its progress, and performing a last read-through.

I am suffering major anxiety as I near the next step. I'm excited to have others read my work, but terrified as well. What if, after all this time and effort, the readers find my novel--as I suspect they will--not quite up to snuff? In reality, it merely means more work, more edits, another revision. I'm more than capable to do that, though I'm sick to death of this novel and ready to move on, no matter how much I love the story. On the other hand--and this is really silly--what if they like it? What if it's ready to go out into the big, wide, scary agent world. Am I ready for that?

Ahh!
(p.s. Thanks for listening to my whinging.)

Score

2009-08-22T12:01:00.000-07:00

Although a play on the title of my previous post, this is in no way related to it.

If you are on my facebook, you may already know that I recently scored two pieces of research-related historical memorabilia. While I was traveling, I took my sister up to Washington (the state, not the city), where we found the most wonderful used bookstore (Comstock's Bindery & Bookshop in Auburn, WA, in case you're ever in the area).

Many beautiful old books fought for my attention, but what caught my eye in the end was the collection of old Life Magazines. They are like a time capsule of days gone by. Advertisements for Goodyear Airships, Pond's ("She's Engaged! She's lovely! She uses Pond's!"), and Nescafe instant coffee with added carbohydrates vie for space with the call to buy war bonds and conserve meat, and etc., for the soldiers.

The first one I chose was released October 10, 1938, the week after the Munich Agreement--the catalyst for the opening scene in my novel. It's unbelievable to read articles written at that time, to see pictures of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain calmly meeting with Hitler and Mussolini, as well as photos of protesters and supporters of the agreement across Europe. Some believed it would bring peace to Europe, others recognized that it would precipitate a second war. No one, of course, could guess the magnitude of that decision.

The other one I chose was dated May 7, 1945, a week after the death of Hitler and the liberation of Dachau, which is also a key moment in my book. It contains some of the first images released to the public showcasing the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps. It also has features on everyday people in post-war Germany and France, as well as coverage of the homage paid to Roosevelt worldwide after his death.

For me, these are priceless artifacts. An illuminating and remarkable peek into the past.

Goal

2009-08-20T14:47:00.000-07:00

I have officially begun running again.

(Yay!)

The last few years have been very on again/off again. I wanted to run more, I started multiple times, but each time I tried, I couldn't maintain my energy and didn't have the motivation to push forward.

It's been nearly four years since I ran the marathon, and I'm eager to be a runner again. My thyroid has stabilized (finally!), and I feel energized and motivated. I'm making a goal to train for a race--not a marathon this time--but a half-marathon sounds like a good goal. I haven't decided on a date or a particular race yet--I'm taking the new venture slowly--but I'm shooting for winter or early spring. I think this time it's sticking.

Only in the Pacific Northwest

2009-08-12T09:14:00.000-07:00

Oh how I miss thee.

Auntie on Hiatus

2009-08-08T22:48:00.000-07:00

I should have announced an official hiatus since I've neglected this blog so much. I've been away. For the past three weeks I've been home in Oregon or traveling up to Washington with my sisters.

But.

I'm an auntie!
Little--or rather big (she was 9lb 1oz!)--Jacey Liliana was born on the 26th, and I've had the best time hanging out with her. Sadly, I'm going home tomorrow, and my sister and brother in law moved today, so I won't see her again until October. Sometimes being an auntie is hard work!

Footloose and...Appendix Free

2009-07-07T15:27:00.000-07:00

I planned to write a post this past weekend about my fabulous celebration dinner with husband. We went up to San Francisco and enjoyed a dinner at the hip Absinthe Brasserie & Bar--much fancier than our usual fare. I even took pictures to share. However, that evening I developed a stomachache, which progressed as the weekend went on, until I ended up in the ER Sunday afternoon. Appendicitis. Eight hours later and I finally made it into the OR for an emergency appendectomy. Needless to say, I haven't gotten around to uploading my pictures!

I'm at home now, recovering. I was planning to finish my last tweaks to the final draft over the next two weeks before I head home--I have a little niece on the way--but I think that will be delayed another week now.

In other news, I finally sent out my Pay It Forward gifts after a very long delay. I really enjoyed participating and hope everyone else has fun as it goes forward.

Thanks for all the comments over on Facebook. You are all lovely!

Moving On

2009-06-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

I wish I knew how established writers do it. Every time I finish part of the novel--say the first draft, or completing a revision--I have to begin again. I never know where to start. Each time I try to establish a new work plan, but I flounder until eventually I happen upon something that works for me. Do others struggle with this?

I think, in truth, the next step should be easy. Right now I have to focus on writing the new scenes I need and cutting old ones I flagged. (Plus, I'm doing some research hole-filling reading.) But I'm worrying ahead of myself, thinking of the step after that. The one where people read my full novel. I'm trying to decide who and when, and it's all a little terrifying. At times like this, I think I might be insane. Why did I decide to write a novel, again?

Surfacing

2009-06-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

I'm surfacing from my editing cave, covered in red ink, and thrilled to see those two little words, like a beacon of light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.

The End. Though it's not really. The end, that is. Characters still clamor for attention. I have new scenes to write, and scenes to surgically cut from the opening chapters. But I couldn't be more thrilled! I reached my goal, and now THE END is in sight.

I want to shout out thanks to blog readers who visited with words of encouragement during my period of silence. They fueled and motivated me. You are all lovely!

Bam!

2009-05-29T16:44:00.001-07:00

Quick update: I finished my revision!

(At 4am last night/this morning, if you must know.)

Huzzah!

Sadly, I'm not celebrating yet, because I have to finish typing in the edits, and I fell behind a few chapters in order to keep my editing pace. (For some ridiculous reason, I can only do small edits on the screen. For large revisions I need good old-fashioned (red) pen and paper.)

I'm running low on fuel after weeks of late nights and little sleep, but I have to hold on a bit longer. Next week we drive home for graduation/baby shower madness, so my deadline is firm.

See you this side of next week, gin in hand.

Offline

2009-05-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

I'm a bad blogger. I keep meaning to post writing updates; I often have random ideas and think, "Hey, that would be a good post." But I don't get around to it.

We entered our 'busy season' early last month, and I'm trying to keep my head above water. We made it through the spring birthday season (Husband and I, plus two parents, a grandma, a brother-in-law, and numerous friends) and mother's day. On the writing front, I submitted short pieces to four separate journals and attended two events in San Francisco by the HCNC for my research. (At the second event I chaperoned a survivor, which was an honor and a great experience. A story I wanted to share, but alas, the moment is gone.)

But soon we enter the real pandemonium.

In three weeks we're heading home for a long weekend, which will include sister C's 18th birthday, sister A's baby shower (which I'm helping to plan), a graduation and graduation party. When we return, we have a wedding and baby shower the same afternoon. July brings my baby niece, a wedding and sister B's birthday (on the same day, incidentally), as well as my ten-year school reunion, which I may or may not attend.

For some reason I thought this would finally be our quiet summer. Ha!

On top of all that, Husband and I devised a new work schedule for me. I was struggling with my edits, so he created a goal-oriented incentive program to keep me on track. I work well on a deadline. My aggressive goal is to finish this revision by the end of May. (For which I will receive a nice dinner, a pair of shoes, AND a new outfit!) If I reach this goal, I will have revised over 130 pages in May. Suffice it to say, I have not slept much the past two weeks.

All of this is to tell you I am sorry for being a bad blogger, and I promise to return to some kind of regular schedule after I finish this draft. Also, I have not forgotten my pay-it-forward recipients. I am almost finished with the gifts and will have them in the mail shortly! I'm signing off for now, but hope to see everyone in blogland again soon.

p.s.

2009-04-13T12:10:00.000-07:00

I'm finalizing my gifts for the Pay It Forward participants and I still have one spot open. I would love it if three people participated. All you have to do is repay the gift to three new people on your own blog. If you'd like to join, leave a comment and send me an email with your mailing address (and favorite color). Don't be shy, it's fun!

Question Time

2009-04-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

For a bit of fun, fellow blogger Alisia tagged me for a meme. Here are the guidelines:

1. Answer the questions on your blog, replace one question you dislike with a question of your own invention; add a question of your own.

2. Tag eight other un-tagged people.

Here we go...

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT OBSESSION? Finishing the second draft of my novel. At this moment, it feels like an impossible feat!

GOOD COFFEE PLACE? My locals - Coffee Society or Orchard Valley Coffee, both of which are funky. They also have good coffee and a great environment to relax with friends, or buckle down to write.

DO YOU NAP A LOT? Never. I can't nap and never could. The few times I tried, I walked around like a zombie the rest of the evening, which felt like a waste. (Power napping baffles me. Two of my friends are expert powernappers, but I can't fall asleep before the fifteen minutes is up!)

WHAT'S FOR DINNER? Probably hotdogs...I'm taking husband to a baseball game for his birthday: Red Sox vs. A's. (Go Sox!)

WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT? Beautiful new clothes and a pair of sassy red espadrilles with my birthday money.

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? My iTunes mix. Current song: "The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WEATHER? The warming days of late spring and early fall and warm and breezy summer evenings.

WHAT'S ON YOUR BEDSIDE TABLE? A lamp, writing notebook and pen (for those pesky middle-of-the-night ideas), and whatever I'm reading at the moment.

FAVORITE VACATION SPOT? It's difficult to pick one since I like to see new places when I travel, but I'd have to go with London. However, a white sandy beach and Prague tie for a close second.

NAME THE THINGS YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT. My family, books, chapstick, and coffee.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE IN YOUR HANDS RIGHT NOW? My first published novel.

IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD FOR THE NEXT HOUR, WHERE WOULD YOU GO? Tea at The Orangery in Kensington (sans jetlag).

WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BECOME AS A CHILD? A writer and a teacher.

WHAT ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW? The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg. (I finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Saturday and fell in love with it.)

WHAT DO YOU FEAR THE MOST? Losing those I love, and spiders.

FAVORITE BOOKS YOU'VE READ THIS YEAR? Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates, Disraeli Avenue by Caroline Smailes, and Wuthering Heights by Charlotte Bronte.

MOVIES THAT MAKE YOU CRY? The Notebook gets me every time, but I finally caught P.S. I Love You this weekend, and I'm glad husband was the only witness, because I was an embarrassing wreck. Good stuff.

I won't tag anyone, but feel free to continue this meme if you're interested.

Spring

2009-04-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

April showers bring May flowers, or so 'they' say. Our flowers began blooming last weekend when it was gloriously sunny, but spring showers followed nonetheless, bringing along overcast skies and darkened mornings.

Husband's jasmine is blooming on the patio, leaving a gorgeous aroma outside, and I've put a cluster of daffies on the table to brighten up my writing area. I love daffodils. They add a small dose of sunshine and cheer.

We spent last weekend in a flurry of spring cleaning, and since we didn't finish, the remnants are piled here and there, disrupting our space and forcing us to attack the remainder of the cleaning next weekend. I finally worked up the stamina to clear my closet, dresser, and even (*gasp*) my shoe and bag collections. I come from a family of hoarders, so I always feel satisfied when I remove unnecessary clutter.

Speaking of unnecessary clutter, I'm making progress (however slowly) through my edit. I'm on chapter 10 of 15, and I distilled the first three pages of this chapter into three post-it notes, which was satisfying. I also cut a few pages entirely. The pages look like a bloody mess, but hopefully the aggressive cuts will improve the writing and the story.

Rattled

2009-03-30T23:15:00.000-07:00

Headlines have been dire. In the bay area alone there were four police officers killed last week, followed by another family murder-suicide this week. (Not to mention the surge in violence across the country or the ever-present economic woes.) Today I experienced my third minor quake! Imagine a giant stomping on the floor above you whilst moving giant-sized furniture, because that's how it felt.

Amongst all the bad news lately, I've found solace in a book. Where else? I just finished reading Jamie Ford's Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.

I adored it!

It was a beautiful, heartfelt story of family and first love. As the title suggests, the story is bittersweet, but although it's heartbreaking, it's ultimately redemptive. Ford paints a picture of life in WWII-era Seattle and touches on the tragedy of the Japanese internment camps as well as the rampant prejudice and discrimination during that time. He handles these difficult topics delicately and captures a pivotal moment in American history. The underlying story of Seattle's jazz movement adds depth and breathes life into a little-known world.

Jamie Ford is a writer to watch. Grab a copy of the book; you won't regret it!

Finally, I have two people signed up for the Pay It Forward gesture. There's an opening for one more. Go on, you know you want to join...

Woeful Winces

2009-03-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

I'm wincing at the stupidity of publicly pronouncing my goal completion date for this draft. I'm woefully behind, and although I thought it was a realistic goal, I have yet to meet my targeted number of pages for the day. I am making progress, but it's been painfully slow. I linger over sentences for ages--dwelling on each word--maybe finishing a page an hour at the most. I wish I could work faster, but I suppose this is my process. Any advice from the cheering section? I need a little shove, but please don't be too hard on me if I miss my mark.

I don't have any volunteers for the Pay it Forward gesture yet, so I'm making one final plea. I would love to put together parcels for three participants, and I swear it's fun and inspirational! If you want to participate, leave a comment on my post. By volunteering you agree to pay it forward to three more people on your own blog once you receive your package.

Sensory delights

2009-03-05T12:13:00.000-08:00

The roundup:

Watching - I've been eager to see Slumdog Millionaire since I read an enthusiastic review over Thanksgiving, and Husband and I finally caught it last weekend. It was well worth the wait and definitely lived up to all the hype. It was touching, funny, sweet, sad, and beautiful.

I just found the new trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I can't wait for July!

Reading - In need of a light, humorous read, I picked up a copy of An Arsonist's Guide to Writer's Homes in New England, which fits the bill so far. The narrator is a self-deluded, quirky character who accidentally burned down Emily Dickinson's home and many years later inadvertently sets himself up to be blamed for other fires. At first it was a page turner, but now that I'm halfway through it, I'm struggling to empathize with the character. I find myself simultaneously laughing at him, while constantly feeling the urge to smack some sense into him. I'll report back when I finish the book to let you know if it's a recommended read.

Listening - I picked up the new album by The Fray just before my holiday and I've been listening to it on repeat (as I do when I'm obsessed with a new CD). The only competition right now is the rain pouring down outside in sheets. The sound is soothing, until Drew needs to go out for a pee, and then it sounds like the soundtrack for a horror film!

Eating - I've been cooking from scratch a lot lately, which is unusual for me. I cook probably 5-6 nights a week, but I usually make simple dishes that require little planning and work. Last week I prepared five homemade meals as well as a batch of no pudge fudge (box) brownies! I felt inspired to be creative with the ingredients sitting in our cupboards and here's what I came up with:

*Spicy Thai coconut chicken noodle soup
*Coconut macadamia pancakes (I made these in honor of pancake day, which I've never celebrated, but all day the news talked about pancakes and it made me hungry for them!)
*Crustless Quiche with red pepper, tomato, cheese, and basil
*Whole wheat pizza with prosciutto, roma tomato, and basil
*Baked (Light!) Macaroni and Cheese with sweet peas

Not to brag (too much), but they all turned out really well, which is not the case for all of my kitchen experiments. Tonight I plan to try a Thai-inspired stir fry with the remaining coconut milk.

So. What have you been watching, reading, listening to, and eating lately?

The Horror

2009-03-02T11:40:00.000-08:00

...and some nice things.

We really know how to live it up here. We spent a wild and crazy Saturday night attempting to pull two ticks from Drew's belly. Unsuccessfully. Eurgh! It's no secret that I have severe arachnophobia, and that includes all the other nasty critters with creepy wiggly legs. I was a very brave mama holding the Drewser while Husband attempted the impossible feat, and I was bitten at least five times for it! (By Drew, not the critters!) If only Drew knew how much I love him in order to actually look at those nasty beasties. I nearly jumped out of my skin. *Shudders*
First thing Sunday morning we visited the vet, who pulled the buggers out and tested for Lyme Disease. All clear, thank goodness.

Now if I haven't already scared you away with my nasty tale, I do have something more positive to share. A "Love Ya" blog award from Aspiring Writer, Joanne. Here's a description of the award:"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers."

I don't feel like I deserve an award since I've been neglecting my blog lately, but I'm thankful for the acknowledgment, so this award means a lot to me. Cheers!

Like Joanne, I'm going to pass this award on to three lovely writing bloggers:

JJ over at Tea Stains has the most excellent taste in brew and is a lovely, supportive friend too. (Oh, I rhymed!)

Marmite & Tea has blogged about books for some time, but began the novel-writing journey last year and is a cheerful and enthusiastic blog chum.

I began blogging around the same time as Yvonne at It Had Better Be Good and we've been buds ever since. She recently finished the second draft of her first novel and is always an inspiration.

Love ya, ladies!

February Ups and Downs

2009-02-25T14:46:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been feeling a bit down, but I'm chalking it up to the February Blues. This is my least favorite month. It's cold without the benefit of Christmas or New Years, and with the dreaded Valentine's Day thrown in, it always seems to go awry. Thankfully it will be over soon.

I tend to blog less during these periods because I hate writing depressing posts. In fact, I think I'll add pictures from my recent trip to Maui to cheer things up:
Top Left: Chang Beach in Wailea, the site of the wedding. Top Right: Sunset from Haleakala. (Incidentally, the temperature dropped 40 degrees as we drove up Haleakala, which is at 10,000 feet elevation.) Bottom Left: A Humpback Whale slapping its tail, as seen on our snorkeling cruise. Bottom Right: Entrance to the Bamboo Forest where we hiked on the road to Hana.

Anyway, the editing has been a roller coaster ride lately. Some days I inch along and feel like my book will never meet it's full potential, while other days I'm excited about my story and get pages and pages done. I think I pulled myself out of the dumps by creating a new 'plan' for the second draft completion, although it doesn't scare all the bad editing days away. I shy away from announcing my goals so loudly, but I think it might motivate me if I share it with you. I'm aiming to complete the second draft on April 3rd, which just happens to be the day after my birthday. Hopefully I'll be celebrating double that weekend. I am planning a third draft, but hopefully it won't take nearly as long as the first or second.

On another note, I still have slots open for the Pay It Forward gesture and would love to have people participate. The first three who agree to 'pay it forward' and sign up in the comments on that post will receive a gift from me.

Pay It Forward

2009-02-17T12:21:00.000-08:00

Back in January JJ over at Tea Stains was involved in a Pay It Forward gesture. She received a gift and was offering to pay that act of kindness forward to three people. I joined in because I love receiving packages and thought it was a neat idea. When I arrived home from Maui (more on that later), I received a lovely package from Thailand containing a writing notebook, a traditional Thai embroidered purse, a silver necklace made in the Karen Hill tribes, and a cute orange elephant.JJ is wonderful and I love everything!

I am now appealing for three people who’d like to receive a gift from me. You’ll owe me nothing. If you join you only have to agree to pay it forward, link back to me, and blog about it. What you send is up to you. The gifts don’t have to cost much--and can in fact be handmade--but should be fun, inspiring or uplifting.

Like JJ, I’m happy to send the package anywhere in the world. If you’d like to be one of three recipients for my Pay it Forward, then please leave a message in the comments. The first three to indicate that they’d like to join in will be the winners. And then I’ll need your postal addresses.

Best of luck!

Cheerful news in publishing:

2009-02-03T12:53:00.000-08:00

A Long Winter

Recap in Five

2009-02-02T10:45:00.000-08:00

I notice whenever life gets busy I neglect the blog and blog reading. (Sorry.) In two days I'm leaving for Maui to spend a week with family to celebrate my little sister's wedding. (Yay!)

So.

I've spent the last few weeks finalizing plans for the bridal shower, which is surprisingly difficult to plan from afar. I'm a perfectionist. I like things organized, so it's killing me to plan from here and hope everything I need is available when I get there.

Naturally last week was full of events that kept us from preparing to leave. On Thursday we went to an Adele concert in San Francisco with friends. She was amazing live and more adorable than you can imagine. Two days before the concert we discovered that James Morrison was opening for her, which was fabulous - two of my faves in one concert! His album does not do him justice. I had chills almost the entire time he sang. (Sadly, I forgot my camera.)

We spent Friday and Saturday in Sacramento with friends who recently returned from India and shared lots of lovely pictures and tasty food.

And finally, we returned home to begin the laundry and packing and last minute planning. Maui, here we come!

Revolutionary Road

2009-01-26T19:51:00.000-08:00

I finally finished reading Revolutionary Road yesterday and immediately made Husband take me to the movie, which I've been dying to see.

I loved both.

Kate and Leo were fantastic, of course, and the other actors filled their roles perfectly.

Yates delicately portrayed the complications and nuances of human relations, which the movie managed to reflect. In the book he also captured the interplay between character and circumstance as well as the experience of encountering the dissipating dreams of youth. I'm not sure I can write a review that will do the book justice, so let me just say that I highly recommend it to everyone.

Um...

2009-01-19T10:38:00.000-08:00

How have I not mentioned the return of 24?

I heart Jack. And Tony! (How I love his growling whisper...)

I'm looking forward to another adrenaline-filled, addictive season of Bauer and the return of his intrepid manbag.

Unexpected

2009-01-14T22:50:00.000-08:00

I forgot that I participated in a survey for St. Martin's Reading Group Gold after I volunteered at Book Group Expo back in October. The survey mentioned a complimentary book, but somehow that escaped my memory, so it came as an unexpected surprise when a package arrived in the mail today bearing a free book. Huzzah! That is always a good thing. I hadn't heard of the book, Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah, but it looks intriguing and has a lovely cover, not to mention that it takes place in the Pacific Northwest, my home.

In other unexpected news...
I noticed today that the pages weren't numbered in the last two chapters I worked on. When I inserted them, I discovered I'm on page 298. (OMG!) Tomorrow I will breach 300 manuscript pages, and I still have three chapters to read through. Oh dear. I fear I'm going to have to cut at least 50 pages from the manuscript when I finish this draft, although given some of the drivel I've been reading, that may not be too hard. I may cut half that number in adverbs alone!

Disraeli Avenue

2009-01-07T23:32:00.000-08:00

Disraeli Avenue by Caroline Smailes

In this touching novella, Caroline Smailes provides fascinating glimpses into the lives of the 32 residents of Disraeli Avenue--the location of her first novel, In Search of Adam. She displays a strong grasp of the regional dialect and social mores of her characters.

Disraeli Avenue expands upon the characters and events that Jude mentions in In Search of Adam. I nearly cried when I read Crystal Williams’ chapter reflecting on Jude, her older sister, and I found myself getting angry while reading Aunty Maggie's reflections. However, ending the collection with Jude’s father somehow made the story feel resolved, and although he doesn't redeem himself completely, he does bring the story full circle.

If you want a copy of this limited edition book, head on over to Caroline's website, and donate to a worthy cause while you're at it.

The S List

2008-12-30T12:31:00.000-08:00

I love memes and this one is from JJ at Tea Stains . If you want to do it, leave me a comment saying so, and I'll give you a letter. JJ has given me the letter S and the meme is my list of ten things I love beginning with S.

Sense and Sensibility - one of my top three Jane Austen novels. The other two are Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion.

Sisters - I have three awesome younger sisters, but I have to shout out to the youngest whose name starts with an S, Stephanie.

Shepherds - As in toy Australian Shepherds, as in Drewser.

Santa and stockings and snow - I love all things Christmas.

Stephenie Meyer - I love her fun romantic vampires. And her website, which has some great playlists.

Semi-sweet chocolate - no Angie favorites list is complete without a mention of chocolate, and as far as I'm concerned, the darker the better.

Starbucks - I heart coffee, but skinny lattes are my weakness.

Strawberries - Is any explanation needed for this most wonderful fruit?

San Francisco - I love living in the bay area and visiting this beautiful city regularly, but my favorite section is North Beach, otherwise known as Little Italy.

SW1 - I couldn't figure out how to squeeze London in to this tops list, but never fear, I found a way via this prestigious postcode.

Shakespeare - Anyone writing in the English language owes a lot to the great grandad of English lit. To be [a writer] or not to be? That is the question.

Silver - I've never been a gold girl, but I love all things silver, including my jewelry, my car, and my first teddybear, who bears the name.

Strongbow - I discovered dry English cider while living in London, and I've never turned back.

Singing, swimming, surprises, and sassy red nail polish - These round out the list of my favorite things starting with S.

Okay, so I have a bit over ten, but it was too fun...

Signing off for 2008. Have a safe and Happy New Year all!

My Holiday Formula Broken Down

2008-12-30T12:14:00.000-08:00

Racing the rain to replace windows and a sliding glass door
+

two cars breaking down in two days
+
another car break in
=
Pre-Holiday Madness and no blogging

~~~

Five bottles of wine
+
Five best friends
+
Husband's wonderful cooking
=
A perfect holiday party

~~~

Twelve books
+
Husband
+
Boxcutters, Exacto knifes, glue and a paintbrush
=
My most difficult Christmas craft to date
(Secret book boxes)

~~~

Nine hours of driving (one way)
+
One foot of snow
+
Bald California Tires
+
One Crazy Dog
+
Three Families
=
A Wild White Christmas with Chains

~~~

On Balance

2008-12-29T13:54:00.000-08:00

I received two rejection letters in the last two days, but I also returned home to my lovely signed and personalized copy of Caroline's Disraeli Avenue, an Amazon giftcard, and my beautiful present from husband, which I had to leave behind while we traveled to Oregon for Christmas last week:

I was also somewhat heartened to learn that the finalists and runner's up in the contest where I submitted one piece, included not only well-published writers, but also tenured writing professors.

I had a lovely time with family and friends, and we enjoyed a white Christmas, but I'm glad to be back in my own space with a return to 60-degree weather in California. (I think Drew would love to be a snow dog though.)

Have a...

2008-12-25T10:18:00.000-08:00

“Merry Christmas,” says Drew, “and to all a good chew!”

Scribblings

2008-12-10T17:00:00.000-08:00

Muchas gracias to JJ for the Superior Scribbler Award.

The Rules
1. Every superior scribbler must name five other super scribblers.
2. Link back to the author and the name of the blog that gave you the award.
3. Display the award and link to this post, which explains the award.
4. Add your name to the Mr Linky List, some way down this page, as a record of who the superest scribblers are.

I pass it on to the following deserving super scribblers:

Marmite and Tea for completing the insanely difficult NaNoWriMo!

Paige at The Last Word who also completed crazy NaNoWriMo.

(Can you tell I'm in awe of writing 50,000 words in one month? And perhaps, just a teensy weensy bit jealous?)

Hullaballoo for her thoughtful and entertaining scribblings.

Caroline for being an inspiring writer and sharing her talents with others.

Jen of Spiral Skies for her funny posts, finishing her novel, and keeping up with constant writing (and other creative!) classes.

Enjoy your well deserved award, ladies.
--

I haven't updated here in awhile because I've been busy working on the second draft of my novel. I'm working my way through it--currently on Chapter 10 (out of 15)--despite the fact that the numbers over there haven't increased. ----> I've found it's too difficult to keep an accurate word count because I keep inserting editing comments into my documents, which throws off the numbers. Hey ho. I've also sent off various pieces of writing for contests and things during the past two months, so I'm feeling quite productive. (And terrified. Ahem.)

I'm also keeping busy finishing my crafty Christmas gifts, which proved more difficult than expected. (I'll post pictures and explain later.) We're planning our trip home for Christmas, as well as a trip to Maui in February for my sister's wedding. Phew. I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season.

One Month

2008-11-25T10:17:00.000-08:00

...until Christmas! I'm holding off on decorations until December 1st at the very least, but I'm proud to say that I'm nearly done with my Christmas shopping. I find it so much easier--on my stressload and my wallet--to spread out the shopping and finish early.

This weekend felt like an early Christmas present what with the release of Twilight the movie and the return of Jack Bauer with the 24 'movie'. I also met a friend from my summer online writing class in San Francisco Friday night, which was lovely. We went to hear our instructor read and talk about her book, The Witches Trinity. I was greeted with a fireworks display when I arrived at the Ferry Building, and although I'm still not sure why, it was quite festive.

The Twilight movie was not quite as good as I hoped, but still entertaining, and given their budget constraints it was impressive they were able to capture so much. 24: Redemption also didn't quite live up to the 24 standard, but it was satisfying and I'm eager to begin watching season 7 in January.

As for the shopping I haven't done...I'm off to do some last minute Thanksgiving grocery shopping and desperately hoping I don't get mobbed. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday everyone!

Music in the Silence

2008-11-17T19:17:00.000-08:00

I haven't had much inspiration to blog regularly, so I've been quieter than usual in blogland. However, I thought I'd share something on here. I got the idea from Stephanie Meyer's website. She shares the playlists she listened to while she wrote each of her novels. I thought it was a cool idea, so I spent some time last week creating a playlist of my own for At the End of Silence. Unfortunately a few of my favorite songs weren't on playlist.com--the site where I created my list--but they're listed below, if anyone is interested:

"Prayer to St. Peter" by Edwin McCain
"Life Uncommon" by Jewel
"Jewish Town" by Itzhak Perlman (from the Schindler's List soundtrack)
"I'll Be Seeing You" by Liberace

My playlist has become almost compulsory background noise while I write. It sets the different moods for my story so well, I'm addicted to it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Those Who Save Us

2008-11-11T11:16:00.000-08:00

Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum

Stunning, heartrending, and beautiful.

When I was researching my own novel, I found this book, but I didn't want it to influence me, so while I finished my first draft and began the editing, it sat on the shelf beckoning to me. The wait did not disappoint my expectations. Blum handles a most difficult topic with delicacy and care. The ending made me sad, and at first it felt loose and unresolved, but in reality I think it was true to the characters.

I highly recommend this touching debut.

Drew Got Mail

2008-11-07T17:31:00.000-08:00

Election

2008-11-04T14:41:00.000-08:00

I'm a wreck today, trying to not obsessively check CNN for updates, but I'm thrilled by the higher than normal voter turnout and hoping for good news at the end of the day.

Update: OMG! *Squeals* I'm SO ecstatic right now.

Books and Votes

2008-11-03T21:49:00.000-08:00

Above L: San Jose Convention Center. R: Author Signing Table.
Below L: Wine tasting and marketplace booths. R: Author Salon.
I've been meaning to talk about my wonderful experience at Book Group Expo. On Saturday I worked as a volunteer and spent most of the day helping out in the salons where the book talks took place. The topics varied from "Managing Your Mother" to "Secrets of the Suburbs" to "Short Fiction".

The author book discussions were thought-provoking, and the open forum environment--which mimics a book club discussion--allowed for an engaging question and answer session. I was also particularly interested in hearing about their writing processes.

I met up with Erika Mailman, the Instructor from my Novel Writing Course this summer, which was fun. Erika spoke on a panel called "Which Witch is Which" to talk about her wonderful book, The Witches Trinity, which I highly recommend.

On Sunday I was an attendee and was able to get a few books signed, including a new book I've been wanting. It's called The Little Book by Selden Edwards, who has been working on it on and off for over 30 years before finally publishing it. I read about his story a few months ago and found it inspiring. He was just as inspiring in person, very friendly, and encouraging of fledgling writers. Rabih Alameddine was hilarious so I had to pick up his book The Hakawati. Michelle Richmond's The Year of Fog has been in my TBR list for awhile, so I was thrilled to receive a free copy in my loot bag (see below), and pretty equally excited when she told me she liked my barrette(!).

L: Free Loot. R: Signed Books.

I think it's fair to say I plan to go again next year.

To all the Americans out there: don't forget to VOTE tomorrow!

Finally, The Grapes of Wrath Review

2008-10-30T11:15:00.000-07:00

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

My long awaited review...Ha ha!

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I would give this book 4.5 stars if I could.

I found it surprisingly engaging and beautiful. I know it's a classic, but I put off reading it because Steinbeck's wordy reputation precedes him, and not without reason.

As a writer, I found it fascinating how much a novel's style can change over time. An editor today would probably cut every other chapter since they veer from the main story to take a 'bigger picture' look at the implications of the Great Migration in the Dustbowl era. One whole chapter, for instance, is dedicated to a turtle's attempt to cross a highway.

And yet, the characters were sympathetic and real. The dialogue was perfect, and the ending was moving and unexpected. I'm so glad I didn't read this in high school, because I think the ending would have made me giggle immaturely, but instead it nearly made me cry.

It's a classic for a reason, and I highly recommend it.

View all my Goodreads.

Book Group Expo

2008-10-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

This weekend I'm heading to Book Group Expo in San Jose. I'm volunteering tomorrow and Sunday I'm attending as a regular reader. (Rumor has it they gave out awesome goody bags last year!) I'm super excited. I'll be working in a Salon--where authors discuss their books--to help make sure everything runs smoothly. Hopefully I don't get too starstruck.

If you're in the bay area this weekend, you should check it out. It's a two day event, and there are fabulous Authors, from a range of styles, attending.

Addiction

2008-10-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

I began reading Twilight Thursday night, and with some self-control, I finished it last night. I loved Stephenie Meyer's scintillating vampire romp and never wanted to put it down. After I began, I worried Friday would be a painful day of writing, spent trying to ignore the tempting book lying on the table, but it ended up being a really good motivator. I promised myself that if I finished my daily page count, I could read. I ended up having a great editing day, exceeding my goal.

Sadly, I'm now checking my Amazon order every hour to see when New Moon might arrive.

You may notice that I still have the same four books on my 'currently reading' shelf. I had to begin this book, even though I'm already involved in four others, because I'm excited for the release of the Twilight movie next month, and I began to worry that I would run out of time to read the book first. (You have to read the book first!) I'm also forcing Husband to read the book and wanted to give him time to finish it since he's a slower reader than me.

Check out the movie teasers:

Autumn is the perfect time of year to snuggle up with a good book. Happy reading (and watching)!

Reading, (writing), and watching

2008-10-13T12:38:00.000-07:00

I'm in one of those funks where I'm reading four books at once and all very slowly. I'm still reading The Grapes of Wrath, and in fact still enjoying it, but my attention span is short. I also started Stephen King's On Writing, and since I'm now halfway through, that may have something to do with my slowing progress through TGoW. (I'm also reading I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors as part of my ongoing research, along with The Thyroid Solution for answers to my health questions.) Maybe it's the arrival of autumn. Darkness encroaches earlier in the evening and when I wake the light has not yet filled my room.

Do you find your reading habits change with the seasons?

Perhaps the surfeit of yummy new television shows is related as well. Last year's new fave, Life, has returned in all its quirky entertainment. I'm still testing out 90210 and Lipstick Jungle, and I've added House and Bones to my viewing repertoire. Sheesh. I never used to be such a TV girl, but it's so relaxing in the evening when I'm tired. Hopefully a few shows will fall by the wayside as the season progresses.

This weekend we went to see The Duchess, and I thought it was very well done. I really enjoyed the movie, even if it was a bit sad. I'm endlessly amazed by Ralph Fiennes's ablility to enbody such savage roles, particularly the most evil characters (Voldemort, Red Dragon, Amon Goeth), although this character was complex, awkward, and cruel rather than evil. And Keira Knightley was lovely, as always.

On the writing front I have little to report. The second draft is progressing along at a snail's pace. I've taken a step back to refine a few selected chapters, but I'm inching along with the editing on Chapter 8. I'm hoping to turn the tide this week and find a new reserve of energy to carry me through this edit.

Grrumble

2008-10-08T12:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday started off with a whimper. Literally. The dog woke Husband and I at 5:20am when he jumped on the bed in agitation. He never does that because he knows he's not allowed up there. Husband got up to take Drew potty and to find out what had scared him. Everything appeared normal until Husband noticed Drew's stomach grumbling. As soon as his stomach made a noise, he would jump up and run away from it. He didn't know what it was! Husband filled me in on the details and I happily drifted back to sleep.

It didn't last. When Husband went out to the car to leave for work, he discovered that someone broke into our car and stole the stereo, breaking the air vents in the process. Grr. I've had that car since I graduated high school and it was my first big purchase. Luckily the car suffered little other damage and the windows and door were spared. I feel violated knowing that while we slept someone robbed our car outside our window. Needless to say I woke up every time I heard a noise last night. It didn't help that the police were unwilling to do anything unless we actually saw the robbery. The most we could do was file a police report in order to deal with our insurance. Great. I'm sure those police reports really detour robbers.

After we discovered the robbery, we thought maybe Drew was scared by the burglary outside, but normally when he hears a noise outside, he barks, so I don't think he actually heard it. He confirmed my conclusion yesterday afternoon. His belly began rumbling and grumbling in earnest because he refused to eat his breakfast. With all the squeaks and growls, he started hiding behind my feet! Drew is not naturally timid, tending to be inquisitive and friendly instead, but his reaction gave me the giggles. He stuck close to me all afternoon and jumped up every time his stomach squeeked, which unfortunately for him was every few seconds. I felt sorry for him, but it was so entertaining. Even at two years old, he is such a puppy sometimes. After a bad morning, Drew managed to cheer me up as usual.

With a face like that, how could your spirits not brighten?

Now this looks good

2008-10-07T12:20:00.000-07:00

Revolutionary Road, the novel by Richard Yates, has been on my wish list for awhile, but I think I might have to bump it up in the queue so I can read it before this movie comes out!

Nights in Disappointing Movies

2008-10-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to see Nights in Rodanthe, which as my friend described it, was a bit crummy. Don't get me wrong, Diane Lane and Richard Gere were great, but the storyline veered from romantic and hopeful to melancholy and dreery.

I'm not opposed to heart-rending romances, but there has to be some sense of reality to justify the gloomy tone. The Notebook, for example, was fantastic even though the ending made me weep. (No laughing!) Titanic and Romeo & Juliet are also obvious choices. My favorite is Love, Actually. Husband and I rewatched it last night and it's not all sappy, happy love, though there is some of that. Andrew Lincoln's character falls in love with his best friend's wife. Alan Rickman's character strays from his wife, Emma Thompson, and jeopardizes their history and their marriage. My own novel is sad, but it's a story set amidst the chaos of the Holocaust, so any rampant gaiety would be artificial.

*Spoiler Alert*

Basically, I didn't see why Richard Gere's character died. It did nothing to advance the story or the plot. And even more importantly, it seemed far-fetched that there would be two natural disasters in one movie. A hurricane in North Carolina, I buy, but the same man getting stuck in a mudslide in South America months later? Nope, doesn't work for me. Finally, wild horses are NOT a suitable replacement for Richard Gere. Was that supposed to be the redemption for Diane Lane? She tells him she'll never see the horses in Rodanthe, but as he promised, she does. Pah! At the very least she could've met a substitute Gere, say Pierce Brosnan or Harrison Ford.

Writing for a Living

2008-10-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Quote from Narrative Magazine's "Reflections on How Writers Make a Living":

"Few occupations require so many hours of work from one person to produce the marketable good. Some simple math: This summer saw the U. S. federal minimum wage rise to $6.55 an hour, a figure somewhat increased in certain states. Let us imagine a writer who spends two years writing a first novel, working full-time—quite a clip for a first book—and sells the novel for an excellent advance of $25,000. In every state, she would have found a counter job at McDonald’s more lucrative."

And this fact is what I've been stressing about for weeks--okay, months and months. However, it pleases me to read that finishing a first novel in two years, writing full-time, is considered possible, but difficult. (I am nearing the two year mark and am feeling uncertain about it.)

Woo hoo!

2008-09-25T21:28:00.000-07:00

Penn State may have whooped our butts.

But.

We BEAT the number one ranked team tonight.

Go Beavs!

p.s. Did this distract you from the largest U.S. bank failure ever or the ongoing economic meltdown? No? Me neither. One can try.

Swoon

2008-09-22T23:31:00.001-07:00

I was catching up on blog reading tonight, when I got a little distracted over at JJ's. She mentioned her admiration of a certain lovely film star, who happens to be one of my faves, and I found myself looking at my desktop wistfully.

Wait, what was I saying?

Farewell

2008-09-18T23:50:00.001-07:00

Last night we enjoyed a proper farewell to summer.

We spent the evening picnicking on the grass at a local amphitheater, before being entertained by Augustana, a band I love, who opened for Maroon 5 (*swoon*) and Counting Crows.

The crisp evening signaled the coming season, but it wasn't too chilly to enjoy the open night air.

Amusingly, the moment the lights went down, puffs of smoke went up across the amphitheater. (And drunken dancing **COUGH-swaying** ensued.) Young techies--on the opposite end of the Bay Area spectrum--sat in front of us and entertained us with their 'social' interaction - they enjoyed the show together through the medium of videocameras and smartphone screens.

Augustana didn't play as many songs as I would have liked, but they played my favorite--Boston--and did it well. Maroon 5 performed perfectly live. I've lost respect for many bands who can't hash it out on stage, but they rocked. No wonder Adam Levine gets all the girls. Adam Duritz had a completely different stage presence, and as my friend commented, it almost felt like musical theater because he was so expressive and dramatic. They mostly sang songs from their new album--very angsty folk (or is it folksy angst?)--and Husband was bummed to miss the Shrek song, aka, Accidentally in Love.

All in all, a beautiful end to summer.

R.I.P

2008-09-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

You served me well* for the past four years, waking me with hot** coffee each and every morning. Sadly, another year was not to be. You couldn't compete with the brutally hard water conditions.1

I will not mourn you as you move on to appliance heaven.2

*Okay
**That's true
1That's why your replacement has a fancy decalcification indicator and a charcoal water filter.
2And it has nothing to do with the fact that I ordered a better spiffier model--which includes brew-pause for a quick pour and a gold-tone filter--the moment you were cold on the counter.

The shiny new and improved model is whinging it's way here soon, but until then, it's gritty French press coffee or Starbucks. But for a model like this, I can wait:

Why?

2008-09-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to stress less and stop being such a worrywart, but what's a 4-cup-a-day-girl to do when her coffeemaker goes on the fritz?

I only discovered that coffeemakers require 'descaling' a few weeks ago when my espresso machine began sputtering and I turned to the user's manual to find the answers. I grew up in a soft-water area, so this ultra-hard-water nonsense is frustrating.

I'm currently "running" descaling solution through both the espresso maker and the coffeepot, unfortunately my 12-cup coffeemaker has only made it halfway to the 10-cup line in an hour.
(A kind Starbucks barrista took pity on my decaff-induced glassy eyes and gave me a packet of solution this morning when I left the apartment to purchase a cup.)

It might be a slight understatement to say that panic has set in.

Spring Cleaning

2008-09-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

...in the Fall.

I've felt stressed lately, which is why I've been so quiet on here. I have stories about my trip to share. I want to talk more about my writing course, which ended this past week, but I'm feeling shy and unsure.

Anxieties overwhelmed me the past few weeks, so this weekend I turned to my favorite stress reliever: organizing. Nothing like cleaning out an old filing cabinet to distract me from worrying. It's amazing the things you keep.

My writing course ended this week, with the result that nearly half of my novel was workshopped. That's 145 pages or 41,998 words! I'm excited by the feedback and eager to begin rewriting.

But.

I feel crippled with anxieties about the process. I worry I can't do it, that it won't live up to my expectations.

I'm trying hard to change my thinking, but sometimes it's an uphill battle. Until then, I think that hall closet could use a good scouring.

Off to Penn

2008-09-03T19:17:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow morning we leave bright and disgustingly early for Penn State. We're meeting Husband's family to watch the football game against our alma mater, Oregon State (Go Beavers!). We might venture to Amish country on Friday or to the Hershey's factory. It should be fun. Tomorrow will not be fun though. We will be traveling for 13 hours! I could be in London with a layover in that time. United kindly changed our itinerary and added a second layover to our flight, which puts us there 5 hours(!) later than we expected, which also means I will be missing the last chat for my writing course. Grr. I love United so much. Anyway, I just started Grapes of Wrath, so it's a great excuse to read most of the day. Here's to a long weekend!

Friendship

2008-09-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

Lovely Alix of Marmite and Tea gave me this Friendship Award, which made my day:I can't imagine a prettier award.

Since it cheered me so much, I want to pass it along to a few of my special blogfriends.

JJ over at Tea Stains is a wonderfully supportive fellow writer and tea lover. Sending you pretty teacups for the perfect cuppa PG Tips (my fave too), JJ.

Yvonne over at It Had Better Be Good is a kindred writing soul whose sheer determination and upbeat spirit always inspire me.

Caroline of In Search of Adam fame, writes a popular blog and lovely books, but is always generous with her time and encouragement to new writers.

Hullaballoo over at Hullabrouhaha always cheers me with her sunny and cheeky posts. Hope these pretty teacups add to her new places in blogland and Scotterland.

Lane over at Lane's Write first caught my attention with her cleverly named blog. Her posts always make me giggle, and she is a supportive writerly friend. These teacups should fit well with her little teacup family.

Lifting my cuppa up to these lovely blog friends, whose friendship I greatly appreciate, as well as the many others I didn't mention. Cheers!

Ho ho ho and Oh oh oh!

2008-08-27T15:33:00.001-07:00

It's Christmas over at Caroline's. Copies of her novella, Disraeli Avenue, are now available for pre-order. The proceeds benefit the charity One in Four. The limited edition signed and numbered copies will make a lovely addition to your shelves, so hurry up and get your copy! I've already ordered mine.

In other news, I've cut my hair. Again. I'm not quite sure what all the fuss was about, because these are real bangs (fringe for all the UK readers):
Oh yes, and did I mention I cut off all of my hair? Oh dear, oh dear. (Okay, actually it's fun and requires hardly any effort, but I realize some people just don't like short hair on girls, and I feel slightly self-conscious.)

I've been out with a migraine most of this week, so I'm struggling to keep pace with everything, but hopefully things will be back to normal soon. I'm almost to the halfway mark with my editing, which is exciting. It only hit me how far along I've gotten on Monday when I noticed I was on manuscript page 128! I'll give another writing update soon after I catch up with everything.

Oh, and did I mention tennis? First the Olympics, and now the US Open. Sport is taking over our Tivo!

Summer in the City

2008-08-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

We celebrated our anniversary with a day in the city, and the old adage proved true: "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."
Luckily, I've lived here long enough to know to be prepared. I started off with a lovely new summer dress and strappy sandals and ended covering up with a sweater and boots.
I took a few pictures for lovely Caroline's competition, but the Golden Gate Bridge did not cooperate and kept hiding in the fog. Ah well, I suppose it's a more accurate portrayal of San Francisco in August. A friend pointed out that the wind gave me "cartoon hair" in that picture, and I admit I was impressed with the volume and curl since I left home with straight hair.
Since there was a good chill in the air, we were able to enjoy clam chowder bread bowls at the touristy Pier 39 before ending the night at a hilarious local musical, Insignificant Others, which is about a group of midwesterners who move to the city and embark on amorous adventures there. If you're ever in San Francisco, I highly recommend it.
All in all, it was an excellent celebration.

Seven

2008-08-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

Darling Husband spoiled me this year.

Not that I'm complaining.

The Line

2008-08-13T16:20:00.000-07:00

I've been a bit remiss lately about posting, but I'm feeling buried under work and class and everyday life. Oh okay, and the Olympics. Michael Phelps is amazing! Plus today I learned my thyroid has still not stabilized and my level has been steadily creeping up, which explains the overwhelming tiredness.

I'm enjoying my writing course and I'm getting more out of it than I expected, but I'm struggling to draw the line between my work life and my personal life. During the day I work on the novel, and in the evening I work on my coursework, which consists of editing the next section of my novel for submission, and reading pieces by other students and giving feedback. I haven't gone to bed at a decent hour for weeks--I'm averaging a 1:00am bedtime--and on Saturday night when I have to finish my submission it's even worse, averaging around 3:00am. I have about four more weeks of class, so I suspect blog service will be light until then. I should emphasize how much I'm enjoying this class though. The feedback is phenomenal and I really know what I need to do to shape up the novel after the course ends.

This is an example of the edits I've been doing for my class:Apparently, according to Husband, this is not a light edit. Pah, what does he know, he's an engineer! But look at that pile of edited paper steadily growing. Hurrah!

Black Boxes

2008-08-04T22:53:00.000-07:00

All is busy and quiet around here. I'm trying hard to keep from sinking below the load of my novel class and editing schedule. I just popped in to say hello, and share my pictures for Caroline's competition:
Pop by her blog to check out the fierce competition, and enter a photo if you dare, though do try to not best me, I really want to win her book!

Dust off

2008-07-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

I'm picking myself up and dusting myself off. This weekend I learned that a journal rejected the short story I submitted for a contest. Sadly, they don't even send form rejection letters. I found out by checking my submission status online - my status changed from "In process - we are reading your submission" to "Complete - we finished reading your story and will not be publishing it." Sweet. Two years ago I would have cried about the rejection, but I finally seem to be developing a thicker skin. I immediately began searching for a new place to submit. C'est la vie.

It sucks to be a writer sometimes. I spend my time researching (aka, reading books and traveling to cool archival libraries in the city) and creating new worlds (albeit out of old ones). I work at home and wear my favorite jeans, tshirt, and flip flops, and my assistant requires constant attention and the occasional walk or tug.

Drew, the writer dog and assistant extraordinaire.

It's a rough life. Can I please trade it all in for the cubicle and the office sludge, er, coffee?

p.s. Since my humor doesn't always come through, I am being completely sarcastic. (Well about the last bit anyway, I really did get rejected, and the pay really does suck.)

An Organized Mind

2008-07-24T20:04:00.001-07:00

Research should help organize your mind and solidify the details of your story and its setting. I spent all day yesterday researching and instead of clarity I end up with this:

Pah! I have enough to do already, thank you very much, and this does not fit into the world of Angie, where everything has its place.