Greetings from MO

I bought internet time to check my email and have some money left in my account. I have no idea if it will eat my money or give me change, but I decided to go ahead try to use some of it by creating a blog entry. RT is crazy, fabulous but crazy. Hey, they give books away for free here!!! I'm taking a break from the masquerade ball. My costume? An author who didn't bring a costume. Heh. In other words, boring black dress.

But I've met all sorts of cool people and I will, of course, be putting together a full entry on it when I get back. Or maybe tomorrow if my money holds out!

Writers are some of the best, nicest people in the world and to quote Forrest Gump, that's about all I have to say about that : )

On my way to St.Louis...

Just a reminder...I'm away for the rest of this week at the Romantic Times Booklover's Convention in St. Louis. Seriously, it's shaping up to be "Convention of Stacey's Favorite Authors." Laurell K. Hamilton, Linnea Sinclair, Kelley Armstrong, Denise Swanson, MaryJanice Davidson, Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison and probably more than I'm forgetting! The best, and worst, part is that I'll be sitting at a book fair with all of these people. Oh, yeah. Someone's going to stop by my little table when all of THESE people are there!!!

Anyway, I will endeavor to take good notes as it's fun to relay all the wild and somewhat wacky stuff that happens at conventions like these. And this one looks wilder and wackier than the rest...after all, there are romance novel cover models (the male kind) roaming the halls freely, only half-dressed, or so I hear. I plan to watch from a distance...a very safe distance.

The whole idea of this convention is making me feel very much like I'm back in high school. I only know a few people and not very well. I'm worried about finding people to eat with--something I haven't worried about since about my sophomore year of high school. I'm worried about clinging too much to the few people I do know as I don't want to be one of those loser-y people who doesn't know when to leave off or strike off on her own. I'm worried about making an ass of myself in front of these people that I respect. I'm also worried about making no impression at all, since networking is probably half the reason people go to these things. I'm also suffering from a massive inferiority complex--there are some huge names/authors attending this convention. So, take note, any aspiring authors out there--the anxiety doesn't go away once you're published. It just mutates into something equally soul-destroying.

All right. Well. After that pep talk, I think I'm ready to go. : ) Wish me luck with the whole throwing-up-from-nerves thing!

Worst Weekend Ever

The danger, of course, in stating that I've had the worst weekend ever is that I'm offering up the possibility that a worse one will come along, bumping this one up to "not-so-bad."

When I went to bed on Friday, I was looking forward to sleeping in. My husband was out of town, so no one coming in to say, "You're still sleeping? It's 10:30." But no, it was simply not to be. Around 6:45, Saturday morning, I awoke a strange sound. At first, I thought it was just the wind. We live in a new house without many trees, so sometimes, when the wind gets really going, it makes the house creak and rattle. But no. When I listened closely, I determined I was hearing the scampering of little feet, back and forth, and NOT THE GOOD KIND. I jumped right out of bed, totally freaking out. An animal seemed to be running back and forth, right behind my head. Of course, our bed backs up to a wall so...yeah, you know where this is going. I had an undentified type of animal taking up residence in my freaking bedroom wall. Of course, this happens when my husband--males have the gene that allow them to be non-squicked out by such things--is out of town.

I grabbed my pillows and the dogs and headed downstairs. The dogs, by the way, showed absolutely no interest in this creature running merrily back and forth with only an inch or two of drywall between it and me. I began calling animal control people, but of course, no one's working at 6:45 on a Saturday morning. I left messages and finally laid down on the couch to try to get more sleep while endeavoring not to imagine that every little thing I felt was an animal crawling over me. *full body shudder*

Someone called me back at around 9:00 and arranged to come out and have a look, but the earliest time was for Monday, today. I agreed.

Saturday night I slept on the couch. Worst night of sleep. Dogs, confused by our unusual sleeping location, kept pacing the floor. I kept thinking that they were going to pee in a corner or something, thereby making my weekend even worse. They behaved themselves in that regard, but the pacing kept me awake. As most of you know, I'm not a morning person and with little sleep, I'm not a DAY person. Period. So, Sunday I woke up on the wrong side of the couch. A little crabby, a little reactionary. I explain this so you'll understand what remarkable restraint I showed later in the day.

Sunday afternoon, I went to Target--the best store in the whole world--to pick up a few things. When I came back, I found the neighbor children playing in our backyard. Okay, my first impulse was to go out there and tell them to go play in their yard because 1) my property is my liability suit if they get hurt and 2) it's my yard, damnit, and they're being loud. But I resisted, remembering what it was like on the rare occasions that I would play outside as a child. Someone else's yard is always way more interesting than your own. Plus, I didn't want to get the reputation as the mean lady without any kids.

So, I didn't say anything...at first. Then I heard their ball--a softball-sized tennis ball, never seen such a thing before--hit the house. I calmly proceeded to my sliding glass door and asked them nicely to play away from my yard and house. Because at the time I thought, oh, my husband is going to kill somebody if that ball dented the siding. But wait...it gets better.

I went upstairs to finish working on some writing stuff and the phone rang. I went to pick it up in our bedroom--you know the wild animal-infested one?--and saw that one of my bedroom windows is now cracked. Thank you, softball-sized tennis ball. Great. Great. Great.

So I go downstairs and head out across the yard. Keep in mind I've never seen or even met the adults in this house. The first time I'm meeting them is to tell them that their kids broke something of mine. I feel like that crabby old woman who lives across the street from the Scavos on Desperate Housewives. Though, those children are awful...

As I'm walking to their house, I asked the kids, did you hit the window? No, no, we never touched your window, etc. Of course. So, I asked for the mother of the house and got the babysitter instead. I showed her the crack and gave her my name and number and asked her to please have the parent(s) call me when they return.

Of course, it's now more than 24 hours later and I haven't heard from them. *sigh* That means more confrontation. Ick. I hate that. On top of which, the husband is not happy to hear about the window. And I know he won't be as easily turned away, explanation-wise, as I was. So much for a group sing of "Won't you be my neighbor?"

That was my weekend. How was yours?

Valpo Visit, Part III

On Thursday night, after my reading, I went out to dinner with Professor Byrne, Professor Feaster and Professor Uehling. The little pizza place down near the fraternities (a block away from Sig Tau) is now a nice Mexican Italian restaurant. Of course, I was nervous--I get really jittery around authority figures, for some reason, even if they aren't, technically, in authority over me any longer--plus, I was all keyed up after the reading. So, I know I babbled quite a bit. But it was so much fun!

I discovered that Professor Feaster was responsible for my friend Becky's parents meeting. And because Becky is, in turn, responsible for me meeting my husband (actually, we met and then required additional nudging from her!), we all decided that meant Professor Feaster is actually responsible for my marriage. : ) This silly bit of logic is, in fact, true, in a way. But more important than that, it highlights one of my bigger beliefs about life. Everyone and everything is somehow connected. There are no coincidences. Sometimes things happen and there is no reason for it, at least not one you can see right away. Sometimes you never see the reason, but that doesn't mean it's not there. Anyway, enough with the philosophy... : )

Professor Uehling teased me about always being late to class. It's funny because I don't remember being late to things until I started working. But apparently, tardiness has always been part of who I am! He said that Ayesha, a good friend of mine and fellow English major, and I were always scooting in to class about a minute to a minute and half late. Probably right, though I don't remember it specifically. I love that Professor Uehling remembers it and told me about it.

Professor Byrne told me he remembered where I sat in his short story class. That's funny because I didn't think I made much of an impression in that class at all. I loved it but I was really intimidated about sharing my writing. It's neat to hear that people you respect and admire remember you. Especially when they must meet and see so many other people on a daily basis.

After indulging in a fabulous piece of chocolate cake--the icing was at least an inch thick--I returned to my hotel room. I found some bizarre HBO special with Whoopi Goldberg doing some kind of stand up routine about feminine hygiene products, which kept me entertained until I got sleepy.

Next morning, I got up and headed back over to Huegli to go out to lunch with Professor Uehling. We talked about books and Chicago and all the various former English majors we both knew. It only made me miss Valpo even more. Some of my favorite people live there and I just don't visit often enough. I know it wouldn't be the same to live there now as it was when I was a student, but I'm okay with that. I just have such strong feelings for the town, the university and the people. It's my hometown, as much as anyplace ever was, I guess. My family never lived there, but it's pretty much the longest I've ever lived in one place!

After lunch, we returned to Huegli Hall where I met the Kim Bellware, the arts and entertainment editor for the Torch. Professor Byrne had contacted her to let her know about my visit and she set up an interview. We headed over to the new library where she gave me a tour. The building is gorgeous, you guys. Unbelievable. I feel bad that Moellering library is going to be torn down, but it was so dark and old compared to this new place. (Hey, do you ever wonder if the people who donated money for a building on campus a long time ago (like Moellering) get upset when it's demolished to make way for a new building donated by someone else?)

Kim and I had a very nice chat on the terrace upstairs. It was kind of funny to hear my perspective on writing coming from someone else as she summarized what I said. My favorite moment was, after I explained that I get up in the morning to write so I don't have time or energy to talk myself out of doing it because of self-doubt, when she said something like, "So it's like you have to psych yourself out on writing." She said it much more eloquently than that, but it cracked me up because it's true!!! I do have to psych myself out, all the time, because if I let myself start thinking too much, the paralyzing fear and crippling self-doubt (a paraphrase from The O.C.) start creeping in.

After the interview, I headed home, feeling pretty good, actually. I'd been sort of dreaming of this moment from the time I got the contract from RuneStone, and unlike most of my daydreams, reality turned out to be a pretty close match on this one!

Here's a link to an article about my visit that ran on the VU website, if you want to check it out. It's kind of cool to see my name there!

Oh, I forgot! My book is also on the shelves at the Valpo book center! Woo-hoo, it was so cool to see it there. I would loved to have taken a picture of it but didn't have the camera. I followed author protocol, though, and asked them if I could sign the books and they agreed. So signed copies of my book are now on the shelves and for sale at the Valpo bookstore!!!! Plus, I bought a couple new Valpo sweatshirts, which most of you will probably be seeing over and over again. : )

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Valpo Road Trip, Part II

So, running late, of course, I headed out to my car with about five minutes to go before I was due to meet Professor Byrne. I took his short story class in college--the very first time I ever finished a piece of fiction, which was huge for me. He encouraged me, which gave me first real bit of confidence in writing fiction.

Fortunately, Valpo traffic is nothing like Chicago suburbs traffic, so I didn't have any problem making it to campus on time...or pretty close. I used the Eastgate Entrance and took Chapel Drive to get to Huegli so I'd also get a look at the new library. I was a little worried because I've always loved the look of the Chapel and I thought a new building so nearby might spoil it. But no. The new library is gorgeous and it complements the architecture of the Chapel, in my humble, non-expert opinion.

I parked across the street from Huegli, gathered up all my stuff and walked over. Huegli is exactly the same. It still smells like school to me. Paper, old building, dust. Love that smell.
(Tangent: anybody else remember when Ryan Arnold cracked his head open by hitting it on the low ceiling in Huegli hall stairwell?)

I found Professor Byrne's office without any trouble, and we settled in for a nice chat before the event. It was kind of funny. I've been out of school for almost eight years now, but I still got nervous talking with him and, later, my other former professors. They're still so smart. I feel sometimes like I'm actually losing information as I get older instead of gaining it. Plus, I've always respected them, so their opinion of me and the stuff that I'm writing is really important to me.

But talking first with Professor Byrne in that more casual environment really helped me relax a little. He commented on my confidence, how different that was from when I was in his class. I don't remember going through classes as a quiet or shy person, but knowing me, that's probably how it looked. It also occurred to me how much my day job has changed me in that respect...in a good way. I still get nervous talking to people I don't know, but I can do it. I can present my work in front a crowd and talk them through it. In fact, I do it so often (or used to, but that's a whole other story) that I don't even think about it too much anymore. I've learned a lot in the last eight years, I guess, so maybe then I don't feel so bad about losing the other information!

We headed downstairs after a bit, where some students were already waiting. (They served refreshments--big cookies and punch! Remember the big cookies?) I couldn't help commenting quietly to Professor Byrne on how young all the students looked. They're only a couple of years older than my sister! But I don't feel any older than I did when I sat in those very same chairs.

Professor Byrne introduced me to the group of students, and after a few minutes of shyness, they started asking questions. In the background, I could see a few more professors had joined us, which made me a little jumpy. I was afraid I'd see them wincing at something I said or grimacing at some grammatically incorrect sentence. But it wasn't like that at all. They were very cool! Interestingly enough, they have some new professors that I didn't know--a couple of them probably close to my own age, which was really weird.

I'd brought with me samples of a query letter, a synopsis, a rejection letter and an acceptance letter. So I passed those around the room so people could see. The rejection letter was kind of hard, as it was one of the more detailed ones I ever recieved. But rejection is a part of the process, ugly as it is, I thought it was important for them to know that getting rejected doesn't kill you...it just feels like it. : )

We took a small break between the question and answer session and the reading. My advisor, Professor Feaster, came up to say hello, and I saw Dr. Uehling, too. Two very scary-smart people. I learned so much from both of them while I was in school. Dr. Uehling is the one I called when I finished my first book (before The Silver Spoon) and didn't know what to do with it next. He introduced me to the idea of literary agents, and it's all history and a bunch of query letters from there.

After the break, I told them I'd read a chapter from The Silver Spoon and also a chapter from Bitter Pill, my work in progress. I'd been invited by Professor Byrne to bring a work in progress, which I thought was so cool. It's interesting to get that live feedback particularly with something you can still make changes to.

So I read the first chapter of The Silver Spoon and by that time, I'd relaxed enough to have some fun with it, drawing more on Zara's voice instead of just reading the pages. When I finished, I asked them if they wanted to hear chapter two or if I should move on to Bitter Pill. Someone in the back, I'm not sure who, requested that I keep going. That was so neat!

So I read chapter two and switched to Bitter Pill. With Bitter Pill, I was a little worried. I'd never read it out loud before, not even to myself, I don't think. So, I knew I'd be stumbling a little more than I had with my other excerpt. But, oh, it was so wonderful! Yeah, I tripped over some places and actually stopped to scribble a note at one point. But hearing the words out loud, feeling the rhythm of the sentences again...it made me remember how much I loved writing that story. Bitter Pill has, unfortunately, been languishing lately on the side as I don't know what to do with it. It's too short really, as it is, and I've been loathe to add another subplot in (a paranormal element) as I think it will change the tone too much. But reading it aloud and hearing people's reaction to it (they laughed in all the right places!) gave me such motivation. I want to see it published in some fashion because it was so much fun to write! I decided right then that I'd try revising it to make it longer (adding in the subplot) but if that changed it too much, I'd make a serious effort to getting it published as is.

Okay, this is going to have to be another "to be continued" because this entry is already HUGE...Three parts to this story, I guess!

Anniversary Flowers...

Just had to share. My 6th wedding anniversary was on Sunday and my husband brought me TWO kinds of flowers. On top of which, he took a picture of one of them (tulips, like we had on our wedding day) at my request so I could post it here. Isn't he nice? : )

I know it's a huge picture, but I have no clue how to change that. I'll try to hide it behind a link so it won't take over your screen!



Anniversary%20flowers.jpg

Valpo Road Trip

I left work on Thursday a little later than I wanted to, no surprise there, but I still made it out way ahead of traffic. I was a little nervous about driving to Valpo as I'd never done it before from either home or work. My husband normally drives when we go, and if I'm not driving, I have no chance of remembering how to get there.

I celebrated when I saw the Welcome to Indiana sign. Still gives me the same thrill it did when I saw it almost twelve years ago on my way to becoming a freshman. Also, this time it meant that I was nearly out of the construction on 294--yea!

I came into town on Route Two, I think. It brought me by the new part of town with the Pier One, Barnes and Noble and Culvers. These kids have it so lucky. So many fast food restaurants now within walking distance. When I was there, it was either Subway, McDonalds or, in later years, taking your life in your own hands to cross Rt.30 by foot to the Taco Bell. Anybody else remember Miller's Mart? Ick.

First campus building I saw was Wehrenberg, the dorm where I lived my junior and senior year. My eye immediately found Becky's old room. Top floor, second window from the end. I know for sure because mine was directly across the hall, facing out across campus instead of the parking lot. A wave of homesickness washed over me because the building looks exactly the same. Like if I pulled into the parking lot and found my way to the top floor, Becky might still be there and my room would still be my room across the hall. Nobody ever tells you the downside of having great friends from college is that you miss them constantly when you no longer see them every day.

I passed what used to be called the Eastgate Entrance for campus, I don't know if it still is, and then the field where much beer and some blood is spilled every year in the Sig Tau alumni/active football game.

I checked into my hotel, The Fairfield Inn right there on Rt.30, and promptly started to get nervous. I had a couple hours to kill before I needed to be over at Huegli Hall. I wasn't worried about the talk--most of you know, I can babble on about pretty much anything for an extended period of time--but the reading portion of the program was making me feel a bit queasy. Reading aloud in front of a group is much closer to a performance than I'd like it to be. You can't read flat monotone and you can't bury your head in your pages. You have to make it interesting, without overdoing it. But the worst part is that as you read the pages aloud, you hear bits that clunk. Things you could have fixed or made better...but it's too late now! Aaaaack.

So, I pulled out the first couple chapters of The Silver Spoon and read over them, familiarizing myself with them again, even though, at one point, I would have sworn the words were burned into my brain. Then, because I'd been invited to bring a work in progress, I pulled out the first chapter of Bitter Pill. I'd never read Bitter Pill to anyone out loud before and I was eager, although still nervous, to see what kind of reaction it would receive. In my opinion, it's really different from The Silver Spoon. And it is truly a work in progress, still. So, I hoped the reaction might give me some clue about what parts might still need revision and what parts were okay as is.

I changed my clothes three times before leaving, same outfit but three variations, and ate a package of Hostess Ding Dongs for some chocolate courage.

To be continued tomorrow...

Valpo Road Trip Post

I'm working on an entry to tell you all about my trip to Valpo--in short, it was awesome! But I'm probably not going to get to it today. I've got a few other things that have to be finished first, and with everything blooming, my headache is working its way from "bothersome" to "go lie down in a dark room."

Big Brother is watching me....

Last week in preparation for my trip to Valpo and my upcoming trip to St. Louis, I bought and activated I-Pass for my car. Believe me, I looove the convenience of being able to drive through the millions of toll plazas in Illinois without stopping or fumbling for the right change, but it creeps me out that "someone" can tell where I've been at any given time. When you register for I-pass, you have to give them your name, address, etc, plus the license plate on your car. I would imagine that everytime you pass through the toll booth, a computer somewhere records it. I wonder if the police use it yet to try to track down people.

*shudder* If I were criminally inclined, I'd be very worried right now...

The other foot is now shod...

As you might remember from my post a few weeks ago, I'm a judge for the fiction category of this year's Wordfest at Valpo. This is the second year I've done it, and it's so much fun. However, even I am aware of the irony in this sudden reversal of roles for me. How often have I been the one sending my best effort off in an envelope with one last longing look and a prayer? In this case, I'm the one receiving everyone else's best efforts. So, I want to document the experience (though, not the results, of course) because I want to remember what it feels like the next time I'm cursing under my breath at getting another rejection letter from a faceless agent or editor. They had their reasons, I'm sure, just as I have mine.

The envelopes, plural this year, arrive in our mailbox, thick with entries and promise. I'm excited to see them, eager to begin reading. My heart jumps a little just at finding they've arrived. So many possibilities, so many chances to experience amazing new writing and amazing new writers.

I tear open the envelopes and start flipping through the entries. I will read them all, but I put them in the order in which they catch my attention. It occurs to me that this is probably what agents and editors do as well--that's why it's so important to have a hook in your opening sentence, both in the manuscript and your query letter.

I start reading, marveling at the descriptions and the turns of phrase. So clever, so observant. I hope someone reads my stuff and thinks this same thing sometimes. I'm so impressed by this crop of new writers.

As I make my way through the pile, marking each one in the corner with a dot so I know for certain that I've read the entry, I realize some entries are easier to read than others. Not because of content, though, if honest, we'll all admit that some stories will call more strongly to us than others. But because of little things, proper page set-up (double-spaced and one-sided), correct formatting for dialogue (quotation marks with a comma or period inside of them at the end of the statement), and a normal font size (nothing smaller than 11, I'd guess). I don't knock off "points" or anything because of improper formatting. I judge on the story alone. If it moves me in someway, if I can picture the places and the people contained within, if I know that the story, images or characters will stay with me after I've read other stories. But I notice the formatting and realize that this is probably why all the articles and books exist on formatting your manuscript. Agents and editors are busy. If your manuscript or query letter looks hard to read as it crosses their desk, they probably won't even try. My first query letter was one page, almost entirely solid type. Yeah, I think I know why I garned a bunch of rejections on that one.

I narrow down the entries, rereading the ones that I've decided against to make sure my choice wasn't due to distraction or misunderstanding of the larger concept. This is the hard part. I know that every story here belongs to a writer out there. I'm one of those writers, in the larger sense, so I try to make sure I know why I'm chosing what I've chosen. Still, there will be people upset and disappointed. The most difficult thing is that none of the stories are bad. Every single one of them holds promise because of the effort put into to writing it down. But I know that the writers whose stories aren't chosen won't see it that way. I wouldn't. I'd see it as rejection. From this side of things, I can see why it just isn't so. Your story isn't bad. It just doesn't resonate with me. How often have I heard that?

I manage to get it down to seven entries. Always seven. I can only have six with First, Second and Third place and three honorable mentions. One will have to be left out. This kills me because in this situation, it's not about one being better than another. They're all good.

I haven't made my final decision yet. I'm going to have to sleep on it and re-read them all one more time. All I can say is this experience gives me new respect for the agents and editors who make these choices everyday.

The nicest thing you can say...

I nearly forgot to tell you this. Yesterday, I met with the women's group from my old church at their newly merged church for a book discussion on The Silver Spoon. I was a little nervous as my book contains some not-church-appropriate material, but it was all good. I had a lot of fun talking with them, and I think they enjoyed the discussion. At least, I hope so!

A couple people mentioned that they read this blog -- yea!! (Jan, was that you? If so, hi! And thanks for reading.) And one woman also told me one of the nicest things you can ever tell an author. She said that she'd sit down to read just a few pages with her coffee in the morning, but she'd get so into reading, she'd lose track of the time and nearly be late for work. Wow! I love that.

As a reader, I love falling so deeply into a world that I can almost forget any other world exists. As a writer, that's a huge compliment. All we want to do is show you that world from inside our heads, make it as real to you as it is to us. To be able to do that for someone is a huge honor. It's not just about writing then, but about trust. I think we buy books and read stories by the same authors over and over again because they've shown they can be trusted. They're not going to leave us hanging or let us down. So for someone to trust me, not just with their money or their time, but also with their imagination...wow. Huge, huge honor. : )

Washing Machine Incident and other stuff...

I missed blogging on Friday. Our washing machine went into melt-down mode while washing a load of much-needed laundry. So, I stayed home and argued with the Sears folks about the machine still being under warranty. Still, the earliest they can get someone out here is April 18. Aaack!

In other news, I put in five or six hours of writing on Friday and another five or six on Saturday and finished a rough draft of my current project! This is not a Zara Mitchell or Rennie Harlow story, but something completely unrelated to either of them. I'll put together some more details as I work through revisions. Actually, I have to figure out what needs to be fixed before I can work on revisions, but you get the idea! I'm really excited about it.

As a reward for finishing the draft, I vegged on Saturday and watched a lot of Tivo'd television. Apparently, it was a Roswell Friday on Sci-Fi, so Tivo picked up five of those episodes for me. I watched a couple of those and re-watched Veronica Mars. I want to know who killed Lilly Kane, darn it! The clues are coming fast and furious these days, and I have the feeling I'm just not seeing it.

I'm trying to read The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It's funny, laugh-out-loud funny, but sometimes I feel like I'm missing stuff or my brain has to work too hard. The Improbability Drive, for example. Huuuh, what? I know, it's supposed to be funny, but as many people will tell you, including my husband, I'm very a literal thinker. I find myself stopping to try to reason through things in this book that, I have the feeling, aren't supposed to be reason-able. But it's definitely made me laugh, so it's been worth it for that!

And finally, for my fellow CSI fans, I found this Slate article that attempts to explain Grissom's appeal to female viewers. Obviously, Warrick and Nick are nothing to sneeze at, but apparently, there's a huge female Grissom following. I have to confess...something about the character is extremely appealing. His intellect, his passion for his work...his obssession with bugs. Hey, everybody needs a hobby! Anyway, check it out and see what you think : )

So easily amused...

I work in a large department for my dayjob, but only a few of us sit in a particular area, geographically. One of my teammembers is currently out of state on a project. She had to take a large number of materials with her, and she has since shipped the extras back. So, her cube is now full of unopened boxes. I have not seen this level of interest in anything since the last time someone brought in free doughnuts. I'm NOT kidding. People are stopping by on a regular basis to marvel at the collection of boxes. And then they have to ASK anyone who is nearby, what's going on with these boxes? I feel like I've explained it a million times already--need I say that the cube in question is right next to mine?!? It's funny to listen to other people explain it too. They always say something like, "Well, I heard that it's extra materials from the xyz project." The cube full of boxes has now become urban legend!!!

Next time someone stops by and asks, I'm tempted to charge them an admission fee to view the exhibit. Not much. Just a couple bucks. I figure I rate it as the only docent around to give the "what's going on with these boxes" speech.

I've also considered alternate explanations to the question, "What's going on with these boxes?":
-"Jane" went crazy on eBay. Boy, is she going to be in trouble when she gets back.
-I don't know, but that one seems to be leaking blood.
-"Jane" no longer works here. This is the new storage area. Have you seen her red stapler?*
-What boxes?
-So much for the secret crystal meth lab...
-*rolls eyes* Have you no appreciation for modern art? Clearly, "Jane" is making a statement about the ludicrous command we are all given on a daily basis to think outside the box when, in fact, we live and work inside large boxes. Boxes within another larger box. It's a metaphor for modern life, darling.

*Yes, that was a reference to Milton. If you don't know who that is or if you think I'm referring to Paradise Lost, you are not, nor have you ever been a corporate drone. Lucky you.

Once again, running late...

I'm supposed to be leaving right NOW for kickboxing. I'll be late...again. Oh, well. Thanks to everyone for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy information. I'm going to pick it up next time I'm in the bookstore. It sounds like it has this kind of bizarre sense of humor to it, which I'll probably like : )

In the spirit of learning, I thought I'd pass along something I learned this week. A condition known as MarySue-ism. This is when either a) a character is so transparently a shell/stand-in for the author in that the character has no depth or personality, or b) a character has become so over the top (everyone loves her, she has no annoying qualities, she's unbelievably self-sacrificing, etc.) that no human being can relate to the character anymore.

Someone in one of the loops sent me a link to a whole page defining this condition. You can check it out here. Interesting, no? One of the television characters I've heard people talking about as being afflicted with MarySue-ism is Kate on Lost. I'm not sure I agree with that, though she does seem to have an inordinate amount of men lusting after her. Course, the male/female ration on that island might be to blame for that. What do you think? Has anyone else heard of this MarySue syndrome? I was surprised to learn about how long it's been around (since the early days of Star Trek.)

On the run today...

Sorry, short entry. I have to run and vote for a referendum in my school district so the children can have silly things like art and music. Seriously, when did we become a society that looked on the arts as OPTIONAL? Without music, art, writing, whatever, you miss out on the beauty of life.

Okay, enough ranting. Here's an interesting article on the probablity of finding other "Earths." Wouldn't that be cool? We won't develop the technology to reach them for who knows how long, but they're hoping to have the equipment to see earth-sized planets by the end of this decade. Woo-hoo, five more years to go!

Also, can someone (Ed or Rob) please explain the premise of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? I know very little about this franchise and am starting to feel like someone left a chapter out of my Geek Handbook : ) My chapters on Star Wars and Star Trek, however, are very thick!

This is torture...

I hate Daylight Savings Time. Spring forward, my ass. It's like "stumble forward, groggy from the lack of sleep." But I guess that wouldn't fit very well on the little calendar square. : ) I always stay up too late on Sundays as it is and last night because of the time change was even worse. Most people kind of pooh-pooh the idea that it makes that big of a difference, but I think I once read an article, like a million years ago, that said more car accidents take place the week following a time change. I miss Indiana : ) For those who don't know, Indiana, or parts of it, stubbornly refuses to cave to peer pressure from all the "cooler" states who do this arbitrary loss/gain of an hour. *sigh* But at least this means it will still be light by the time I get home!

Other stuff:

-Weird thing happened to me on the way home from work on Friday. Sitting at an intersection, I saw sparks falling from a power line across the street. Eeek. I thought about calling someone, but I had one bar of battery left on my cell and I didn't know the direct number for the power company. And I'm extremely leery of calling the police on something like that. I don't want them ticked at me for calling them on something that's not really their territory. But then, as I'm driving on, feeling guilty about not doing SOMETHING, I realize that I have an old ComEd bill in my car. The very bill I used to jot down ideas for this blog. So, I did have their direct number. How weird is that?!? So, I made the call and the woman said they'd send trucks.

-I should never, ever read reviews for The Silver Spoon when I'm writing new stuff. Not everybody's going to like my book or the way I write, and I'm good with that. There are some very popular authors that I don't like to read. Doesn't mean they're bad, just not my style. It's all just opinion. And yet, it causes a major crisis of self-esteem and writing ability when I stumble across one of these reviews directed at my book. Ick. But here's the thing. I have to remember I'm writing for myself, first. Everybody else comes second to that. Sounds selfish, right? Except if I'm not entertained by what I'm doing, then I have the hunch that no one else will be, especially any potential critics. I do it for myself, because I love it. And that's the best reason : )

-April is going to be an insanely busy month. I'm going to speak to a church group about my book this coming Sunday. I'm a little nervous about this, as some parts of my book are possibly not really church-friendly, depending on how you look at it. My theory has always been God knows exactly what's going on anyway, so why do we try to pretend?

Then this week, I expect to get the short fiction entries for Valpo's Wordfest literary contest. I'm a judge again this year! I'm so excited to get the packet and start reading. It's so interesting to see what they've come up with, creatively.

On April 14, I'm speaking at Valpo to a group of Creative Writing students and then doing a reading to a larger audience, I believe. Here's a link to check it out. Kind of fun to see my book featured like this!

Then starting on April 26, I'm beginning my roadtrip down to St. Louis for the Romantic Times Booklovers' Convention. Dude. So many of my favorite authors are going to be there! Laurell K. Hamilton, Kelley Armstrong, MaryJanice Davidson, Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, M. J. Rose, and Linnea Sinclair. And that's just a few! I'll be participating in the book fair, which I think is open to the public. Basically, fans can come in and buy books and get them signed. So there will be little old me, sitting with all these famous authors. Oh, yeah, I already feel like throwing up. Plus, the convention runs for nearly a week. And it's rumored to be...wild. Costume balls, theme parties...so not my thing. I'm just such a darn introvert. But I'll bring a couple of my basic black dresses and then maybe I can go to the costume ball as "the quiet one nobody knows"! I will provide you guys with a full and accurate travel report, I promise. Here's a link if you want to see all the names of the authors attending the book fair.

Guess that's about it except...
-Season finale of Battlestar Galactica had a major "holy sh*t" moment in the last five minutes. Now I have to wait until July to find out what happens next!!! No more Battlestar Galactica Fridays for three months--that sucks! On the other hand, they will, I believe, be rerunning the mini-series that started the new series sometime this month on SciFi Channel. So be sure to check it out, if you want to know why I'm always freaking babbling about this show. It's SOOOO good. : )

-Read an excellent book this weekend, The 37th hour by Jodi Compton. One of the best books I've read this year. Okay, as I was getting the link for you guys, I happened to notice that not all the reviewers agreed with me. Some even gave it one star. So, you'll have to check it out for yourselves. There's a sample chapter, if you follow the link I gave you. (Beck, I think this is one you would enjoy.)

But I really, really liked it. Some of the writing was a little rough in some spots. Mainly when she was trying to attribute a thought to the main character. Instead of just doing it this way: "He was handsome in that nerdy, Bill Gates-sort of way." (Italics usually indicate interior thought in modern novels). The author did it this way: "He was handsome in that nerdy, Bill Gates-sort of way, I thought." The "I thought" is kind of bumpy and unnecessary, but a minor sin all things considering. By the way, that is not a real quote from the book. I made it up to illustrate my point, so don't hold that against the book! This was the first book in a long time where I immediately wanted the next book in the series. In fact, I went out and bought it today at lunch. Hardcover and everything. Actually, it kind of makes me feel better to see those one-star reviews on a book I enjoyed, reminds me that what I wrote above is true!

No joke.

I'm leery of writing anything in here today for fear that people will not take it seriously. Usually, a good bet, most of the time! : ) This made me start wondering about April Fool's Day and its origin. So here's the scoop, in case you're like me and find these little bizarre questions popping into your head all the time.

According to the all-knowing internet, April Fool's Day came about when they changed to the Gregorian calendar in 1582. Previous to that point, the New Year was celebrated on April 1. With the Gregorian calendar, the same one we use now, I think, the New Year is celebrated on January 1. Some people clung stubbornly to the old tradition of starting the new year on April 1 and were teased about it by their more forward-thinking peers. Apparently, that's how April Fool's Day came about.

Here's an article if you want to read more about it. : )

I've never really taken part in April Fool's. First, because I'm not very good at keeping a straight face, which is extremely important in this type of thing. And second, because I don't like to look, well, foolish. I do it well enough on my own, I don't need help from anyone else : )