Writing Update

It's been a while since I've posted about my books or anything. So here's my status, all the way around...

New Release!

This novella came out in six e-book formats last weekend. It's one of my favorite short pieces ever because it's about SethandJulian, the lead singer and keyboardist from the Blue Silver stories we did last summer.

(Check out www.bluesilverpax.com and the new story here.)


Blurb:

It’s been a year since Blue Silver’s lead singer Seth Graham convinced his ex-wife Cassie to reconcile. But as the date of their second wedding approaches and Blue Silver’s success skyrockets, old problems between Seth and Cassie are twisted by new realities that threaten the fragile relationship they have rebuilt—

Especially when Seth’s fears manifest in sexual dreams...about his fellow rocker and best mate, Blue Silver’s keyboardist Julian Manchester...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book on the Way
The book my agent, Nephele Tempest, will soon be shopping around is called The Color of Courage. It's a superhero book, but not in a comic book way. These superheroes don't have secret identities and bright fancy costumes. But they do have a nemesis, one determined to see them destroyed. And my heroine is caught between a man who doesn't want to love her, and one she probably can't trust.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Books in the Works
Under the Moon is ready to go. The heroine is a modern-day goddess who gets her power from the moon. When it's full, she can do nearly anything, within the limits of her body's ability to channel the energy. When it's new, she is unable to access it and therefore vulnerable. Enter her protector, a man she's spent a week with every month for fifteen years, and her assistant, who keeps her on track in both her business and her personal life. The three band together against the leech who is stealing goddess power and who has made her his next target.

Unbreakable is nearly done. It needs one final read-through. This one is a bit more straightforward romance, but also mucho adventure. For nineteen years, the heroine has been trying to keep her daughter safe from the unknown enemy that killed the child's father. Now, just when she's finally letting down her guard, thinking maybe the threat is no longer there, it resurfaces. And the only person she can trust may be working for her enemy.

My newest book is called Hummingbird, which is a security company "so large, successful, and secret that everyone knew about them." The hero gets a brief mention in The Color of Courage and he captured my imagination. After nearly being killed on a job, he is the recipient of new medical technology that can revolutionize the industry. That makes him a target, as it does the boss's daughter, who is responsible for find one of the compounds that remade him. It's in the early stages, but I'm having fun with it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the "don't worry, you'll never run out of ideas" department, I have percolating a sequel to the superhero book, a sequel to the goddess book, and a stand-alone novel with a husband and wife who have to learn to live together for the first time during their marriage.

Wheeeeeeee! :)

Random Friday, with a Tag

I just read a Google Alert that revealed that one of my books is being sold on eBay! I always tell people to hold on to them, one day they might get a lot of money on eBay for it. I didn't mean $3.38. That's for the trade paperback of Against the Rules, AUTOGRAPHED, and that's not even the book someone said is the WORST BOOK EVER on Amazon. I'm very curious who got rid of it. The seller appears to be a dealer of some kind in Arkansas. I've never been to Arkansas.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saw Pirates last night. 11:30 show, with four of my friends and some of their friends/family. I tell ya, seeing a movie with an extremely hunky, all-grown-up Orlando Bloom with Misty is an experience. She had the row of teenyboppers behind us cracking up.

I won't go into a full-blown review. I loved the movie. It was surprisingly dark and rich and deep. One of the women I was with heard someone coming out of an earlier show saying, "Did you have any idea what was going on?" I can understand that, a bit. First, because all the movies have kind of had that element. They deliberately made them events that are better the more you see them. And also, there was betrayal upon betrayal as everyone struggled to stay on top and achieve their ends, both noble and not.

Some of my friends were less than thrilled with a specific plot element, and I know my daughter will hate it, but I thought it was perfectly done and you'll all be surprised that I think so, once you see it yourselves. :)

I will say, I do not advise anyone to take young children to see it. It was much more violent and dark than the previous two. It depends on the kid, and I know I'm more conservative than many on this issue, but my recommendation is no younger than 10. The opening sequence is pretty disturbing, the fight scenes are a bit more graphic, there are multiple sword run-throughs (with accompanying squishy noises) and one really horrible death by Davy Jones late in the movie. (Not OF Davy, BY him--I'm not spoiling anything, honest. :) ) If Number One had not been totally obsessed with POTC for the last year and matured a lot over the same amount of time, I wouldn't let her see it--I'm still feeling like I shouldn't. She's been warned when not to watch and her father will be standing guard to make sure she doesn't.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have I mentioned we need a new A/C unit? The thousands of dollars it will cost make me choke. They have a financing program, but that's really just forestalling the pain. But we can't survive without A/C. It will be bad enough this weekend, as temps go to 88 and beyond. Luckily, they got us on the schedule for Tuesday. The guy kind of pointedly said something to me about trying to get people to schedule their service in March (it was during routine maintenance that he discovered lots of problems not worth fixing, on this very old unit). I was annoyed, since I paid the service contract on April 2 and they didn't call me to schedule until five weeks later. Anyway, it could be worse. It could be August.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MaryF tagged me! Okay, it was Tuesday. I didn't know until Wednesday, maybe Thursday, and my week has been weird. So I'm just now getting to it.

The Little-Known Favorites Meme Rules:

List and describe three of your favorite books that other people might not be familiar with. Then tag five people. See, easy!


Ha. Not so easy. I don't really have favorites that I go back to read again. Harry Potter is the only one anymore, and obviously that's not little-known. I was going to list three of my "rated 10" books from this year, but they're Jim Butcher, CE Murphy, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, JD Robb--not exactly wallowing in obscurity.

I could name some of my friends' books, because a lot of really talented writers haven't yet built names for themselves. But if I do that, someone I don't name (I only have three slots!) might be hurt. I really hate to hurt people's feelings.

So I thought back to childhood. Even then, the books that stand out most in my head aren't little-known: I read over and over all the Nancy Drews, the Hardy Boys, the Sweet Valley Highs--Carolyn Keene and Beverly Cleary. Robert Heinlein and Douglas Adams. Nora Roberts and Dean Koontz. Piers Anthony and Sandra Brown. Not an obscure author among them.

Okay, I thought of one. I read most of the Silhouette young adult romances. There was one with a heroine named Mariah and a hero named Brian (I think) and I found it heartbreaking and uplifting. No idea what the title was, but the cover was orange dominant.

There was a Silhouette Romance (purple border) book by Dixie Browning back in the early 80s, when I wasn't supposed to be reading adult romances. It was an old-fashioned plot: Domineering businessman and pregnant secretary, marriage of convenience (necessity?). One of those where both characters thought the other disliked them, but both loved deeply. Another heartbreaker, and probably one I would hate nowadays. For some reason, it sticks in my head 20 years later.

Okay, one more...here we go. The Fluffy Duck. Which apparently is no longer being sold, at least that I can find. It was a children's e-book written by a child, and very cute.

Whew, that was tough. I won't tag anyone in particular--go ahead if you think you can show me up. :)

Last TV Post (This Season)

I still have some Dresden Files and Raines recorded to watch, and I'll have some TV on DVD this summer from Netflix, but I don't expect to really post about them. I won't PROMISE, though. :)

Hopefully I can come up with other things to talk about.

The Internet is good and bad. Good because I have a place where I can vent all my thoughts and feelings about something and have the illusion that it's a conversation (my husband sure appreciates it). Bad because I start thinking about what Internet Peoples will be saying about something I loved, and then I start nitpicking it to death. Usually in the shower. Like today, with Lost.

Lost had, by far, the best finale of the season (of the shows I watched, of course, but I would be willing to bet it beat everything else, too). Yes, it even beat Supernatural, as awesome as that was. If I could only have one I'd choose SPN, but...wow.

My nitpicking was mainly about Charlie, which is amusing because his performance was second only to Jack's. How heroic can a guy be? (We'll get to Hurley in a moment. *g*) I loved his wisecracks to the tough chicks (sorry to see them die, I liked them--they can show up on SPN next season plzkthnx). I loved his willingness to die, a willingness that led him to do it even if he really didn't have to.

Here's where the nitpicking came in. I think he COULD have left the control room and secured it from outside. But then, he didn't know how much damage the grenade would do, and he didn't know how much time he had--much faster to close it from the inside and save Des so he could save the others. That was the whole point of him being there, after all. Saving the others. And then, his whole focus after that was on making sure Des knew it wasn't Penny's boat (Ben told the truth?!), not on escape.

However, I don't think he's dead. They showed us his acceptance, his giving up of the fight, but they DIDN'T show the moment where self-preservation kicks in, where he realizes, "Hey. I'm a little guy. I can fit through that window and swim to the surface." So that's what happened. He'll be back.

Shut up. He will.

So many great moments, great lines.

"I didn't believe him." I liked Tom, but I didn't believe him, either, Sawyer. Good job.

Juliette kissing Jack. I LOVE that woman. I love the lines written for her, I love her determination and implacability, I love her acting. I think she's so much better for Jack than Kate is, and I think he knows it.

Walt! I never look at the credits, so I rarely know when people are coming back. But I suspected he'd show up somehow. Very excellent that he was what pulled Locke back, whether it was the smoke monster manifesting (as implied in "The Answers" last week) or something in John's mind.

Hurley and his bus! I want to poke an in-your-face finger at all the people who whined about filler episodes back when Hurley found the bus and talked about hope. Not only was the bus tied in a very important way to Ben, it was Hurley's redemption. It broke my heart when both Charlie and Sawyer shredded his feelings to keep him safe, but he found a way, anyway. Woooo hooooo! He plowed that guy down! And Jin/Sawyer/Bernard lived!

Okay, now for the game-changer. They did that so well. I noticed that Jack's cell phone was far too new for the flashback and was disappointed in the show people's lack of attention to detail. I tried to think it meant that Jack's bottom point wasn't too long before he went to Sydney, but it didn't quite work. Still, I didn't figure out it was the future until he called Kate at the end. Actually, until we could see it was her.

So what does it mean? Why did Locke tell Jack he wasn't supposed to do this? Is the future irrevocable? It got me thinking about them maybe staying on the island. Does anyone have that compelling a reason to leave? They have resources, though now that the EMP took out the beacon, they can't get off the island and come back, and can't get resources in.

Is Dharma coming back? Is that who's on the boat? If so, will the 815ers and the Others band together against them? If Dharma's been looking for the island and hadn't been able to find it, how the hell was there a supply drop? Is it NOT Dharma? Someone else?

Ben is the most awesomest villain. His willingness to go along when he's losing is so refreshing. "Alex, this is your mother." Yet he says it with absolutely no defeat in his voice. And his hair rocks. :)

I know people get tired of getting more questions even as we get answers, but that's what a serial show IS. You can have your neatly wrapped CSI and Law and Order clones and I'll keep being excited every week, instead.

Well, come February, anyway.

Well, Okay Then

SPOILER ALERT

According to Ask Ausiello, not only will Peter and Nathan be back on Heroes next year (I have mixed feelings, but that makes me less likely to drop it from the TiVo), Colby will still be a regular on Numb3rs, as will Megan.

Whew.

Now, if only Santos would magically rise from the dead, and send the ridiculous Bradford/Wilhelmina subplot in his place...

I'm torn. I really, really want to watch Lost tonight. But it's not on until 10. I've been really tired, and tomorrow night I'm going to be up until well after 3:00 Friday morning.

Ah, hell, I'll watch. I'll just nap all day tomorrow. Shh. Don't tell my husband.

WTF?

What is up with these friggin' season finales?

Supernatural is the only one that's done it right.

All the others were either:

• Boring (Heroes, Scrubs)
• Rehashing old stories (Scrubs, Supernatural)
• Killing off (literally or effectively) beloved characters (Numb3rs, Heroes, Smallville, Ugly Betty)
• Turning people we love into people not worthy of that love (Veronica Mars, Heroes)

Did I miss anything?

Seriously! I watched the very last two eps of Veronica Mars tonight. Veronica single-mindedly pursuing her own ends without regard for those she cares about is par for the course. But to end the show on such a downer does a huge disservice to all the fans who fought so hard to make the show survive.

I watched Ugly Betty, too. Not only is Henry out of her life under false (and clichéd!) pretenses, a character that has been fast growing on me was murdered. Poor Kevin Alejandro! Losing both his shows! I hope he gets something really good next year. He's a very talented guy. I know this show is supposed to be a soap, but the soapy stuff is just stupid.

I can't believe they killed Santos!!!!!

A Really Long Post

I have so much to say!

Retreat
I got to the retreat in time for dinner on Thursday. The facility now has wireless Internet, which is my downfall, but not as much of a downfall as it was for SOME people. I didn't do any work Thursday night, but I did check my e-mail and found a message from Nephele Tempest, who wanted to call me about The Color of Courage.

She's three hours earlier than I am, so I managed to stay calm all morning, knowing she wouldn't be calling. I think I wrote 35 pages on Friday. Not my best day, but at about 3:30, after my focus had shifted from the phone to how much I could get done before dinner, she called. My friends hung around outside my room for an hour, like waiting for a baby to be born. LOL Nephele offered me representation, and I sent the agency agreement yesterday, so I am now a very pleased client of the The Knight Agency. There couldn't have been any better timing, than to be surrounded by friends, and the people who have been most supportive of me in a million different ways.

Friday night was all about celebration. After dinner we watched Supernatural's season finale (see below). Then about half of us went to Applebee's and had drinks. Saturday was more writing, where I topped out at 81 pages for the weekend so far (added 9 on Sunday, ended 10 short of my goal). Saturday night we played Romance Family Feud, and as always, it was a hilarious blast. This group is excellent for gut-busting, cheek-splitting laughter.

We took some walks, individually and in small groups. There is a cemetery across the road with graves dating back as far as 1744, so we were looking for ghosts. Didn't see any, but we did see a big bare circle a la "Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things" and I said "Bloody Mary" three times while looking through the window of the old school house next to the cemetery, at Vicki Smith looking through an opposite window with her hair over her face. A few minutes later, the wind blew really, really hard. All my fault.

Anyway, fourth year of fabulosity. Can't wait for the fifth.

Season Finales
Smallville sucked as usual, but my expectations are so low, it didn't bother me at all. I am emotionless about that show.

Not thrilled with the Scrubs finale, either. It was okay. Lots of laughs. But I'm really tired of the "woe is me" attitudes and I do not want JD and Elliott back together, sorry. I also thought his supreme superiority and rotten treatment of Kim was out of character.

The Numb3rs finale was so well done, exciting and interesting and wonderful brotherly interaction. And Charlie kicked ass. But then they had to ruin it all by making my FAVORITE team member a traitor. And it looks like Megan is going to leave, too. COLLLLBY. *sob* Why couldn't it be David? Despite that, I loved the way they did it. That he confessed and accepted the consequences of getting caught.

Heroes was just terrible. Total suckage. The episodes leading to it were okay, suspenseful and well acted, but rehashing a lot of stuff. And there was nothing exciting or tense about the finale. Not a single thing happened that we couldn't see coming. They didn't avoid cliché. They killed the best character on the show (my favorite, anyway, I know everyone has their favorites and that's as it should be). I don't want to watch next year without Peter, who is the best character and has the most exciting power. And I don't want Peter without Nathan, assuming they use the "he sends out the blast but it doesn't kill him" and he survives falling, what, eight miles? But Nathan wasn't as heroic as they set out to make him, either. I don't like a character who can think it's OKAY to allow millions of people to die to further his political ambition, even if he changes his mind at the last minute. The final battle was pathetic, a lot of hand wringing and almost no use of power (though I admit I loved Nikki's smackdown on Sylar!). And Sylar slinking away? Cliché. No one noticing it happening? Not a single person saying, "oh, hey, the corpse is moving!"? Or hows about checking it to make sure he's dead, given all the powers he's eaten? All in all, a great disappointment.

One benefit, though, is that I still have Veronica Mars tonight and Lost tomorrow night and they can't possibly be as bad. Can they?

(I didn't have time to watch the Ugly Betty finale yet, either.)

Supernatural
I've watched it twice. I can't say it was perfect, but there's only one thing that leaves me less than delighted, and it's not a big thing. The YED could not cross the iron pentagram, and presumably the demons who escaped from hell could not, either, until it was broken. So how did it get broken? They didn't show it happen, it happened off screen. At first we thought it was one of the demon smokes who did it, but I think they just flowed out after it happened. Was it convenience, or did YED have a helper who could do it? Someone we will see next year? Usually, "convenience" writing is for much smaller things than that on this show.

Other than that, LOVE. The acting was incredible, from Dean's--well, every scene--to Sam's recognition of there being stuff he didn't know, to Bobby's grief and pain, and Ellen's.

I loved the full circle image at the end with Dean closing the trunk and saying they have work to do. I have to check the pilot, but I think it was the same as the end of that episode.

I was sooooo happy they didn't leave Sam in the dark. He's way too smart not to have picked up on the truth, and I would have been disappointed if he hadn't.

They HUGGED. Couldn't get away with no hug after Sam died. Glad they saw that.

Thrilled that Bobby and Ellen appear to be set up as more regular for next season. Even if it's not a foursome all the time (which I don't want), they should have bigger roles, as the only four people who knew what happened.

The demon chick was my favorite one of the season. Others have commented that the "female guest star of the week" has been hit or miss, but I thought she did a good job.

I will really, really miss the YED. I never really understood what "chewed the scenery" meant, but I think he does it. His delivery is awesome. (I keep using present tense because I'll be watching the ep at least three times before September *g*.)

The only problem with this season finale is that it means no show for four months. *sob*
It would be a big letdown to arrive on Thursday this week, except for one thing.

POTC
A bunch of us are going to see Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End this Thursday night, and I can't wait! There are a lot of movies I'm looking forward to, but that's the biggest. Excellent timing, is all I can say.

Okay, there's my very long post. I'm going to go set my new computer up now, and hope it works with my keyboard and mouse and printers and that my settings and files transfer okay and that it is everything I hope it will be.

Wish me luck!

A Roller Coaster Day

The CW Upfronts were announced this morning, and Veronica Mars is completely gone.

I'm bummed.

I watched this week's show today while I wrapped prizes for Saturday night's Romance Family Feud. I liked it, except for Veronica being completely and totally oblivious to Piz's feelings. That makes me not like her as much.

I also watched Lost. It has been a very long time since any show made me really cry. I "awwww"ed at the first, distance shot of Charlie bent over Aaron as Aaron touched his face. Was totally absorbed in the non-Charlie parts of the show, the pacing, the connections to past bits (like the cable) and the interactions of all the characters. ("They already know, Carl. But thanks.") It shows, IMO, that they really DO have a plan and now they're following it.

Actually, this show was so tight and so connected, it made me wonder if they "flounded" in earlier episodes on purpose, to help them in their negotiations with ABC. Would producers deliberately try to lower ratings of their show to put themselves in a more powerful position? I have a feeling they did, and it totally worked.

Anyway, Charlie's flashbacks and the list were so poignant. I knew what the last one would be when he was writing the first one. I started getting teary when he told Aaron he loved him, and knew he was going to give him his ring (I thought Claire would discover it, though), and when he kissed Claire goodbye. I cried when he was mean to Hurley, then harder when he told him he loved him, and I laughed and sobbed simultaneously (truly! it was weird!) at Hurley's response.

GOD, I don't want Charlie to die.

I got to retreat just in time for a delicious dinner and a session on mind-mapping, where I got the title for a future book. I did some brainstorming to help a fellow retreater find her heroine's name, and in the process found my own.

And I got an e-mail that made me scream and drag all my friends into my room to read it. Can't tell you what it was yet. :)

Spent the rest of the evening chatting online with friends instead of writing, which makes it slightly harder to meet my goal, which is an ambitious 100 pages, but I'm confident I can get there. And have fun doing it.

Haven't watched Supernatural yet, of course. I keep saying that so no one accidentally spoils me. Misty was outside my window, though, talking to Vicki about the show after it was over (Misty likes to know what happened) and I heard her say, "So he only has a year?" I told her that had damned well better be a relative. :)

Plan for tomorrow:

Get up early. Go for energetic walk.

Eat breakfast. Settle in to write. Goal: 50 pages

Greet friends who aren't coming until tomorrow.

Eat lunch. Write some more.

Eat dinner. Watch Supernatural. Go out and celebrate. Celebrate what? Oh, I'm sure we'll come up with something. :)

Thursday Thirteen #10

Thirteen Reasons I Am Happy Today

1. The funky intestinal pain and lightheadedness last night were the result of monthly hormones, something I ate, and extreme fatigue, not the novovirus my kid had last week.

2. My computer came yesterday! J was appalled and disappointed that I didn't connect it, but I had a ton of freelance work and retreat prep to get done, and my transfer cable didn't come so it would have been an incomplete setup. Plus, I didn't expect it to come until next week, so I didn't prep THIS computer yet (all the backups, etc.)

3. The Upfronts are this week, and so far I've been happy. The CW Upfronts are today (I don't know why I can't find them anywhere, don't they do it at, like, 5:00 in the morning?) but the schedule was leaked and Supernatural seems to be officially renewed.

4. Supernatural is on tonight, even if I don't get to watch it. It's the season finale, which makes me sad (whaaaa, four months with no Sam and Dean!), but Dad is on it and the YED is played by the guy who played the marshall on Lost in the first season, even though it didn't have to be. With luck and the skill and dedication of my most awesomest friend Megan, we should be able to watch it tomorrow.

5. The weather has turned perfect. Earlier this week it was up to 87, which made me grumpy. The A/C doesn't get serviced until Tuesday and I refuse to turn it on this early, anyway. Today is sunny and 68. Okay, it's not supposed to stay perfect, we're expecting rain, which means no writing outside this weekend, but that won't harm anything.

6. I was going to list everyone who is attending the retreat here, but I got to 12 of 15 and wasn't sure who the others were! I think I know, but if I'm wrong, someone will feel bad. So I'll just say, everyone who will be at the retreat this weekend.

7. I'm going on retreat this weekend! Rhodes Grove is the bomb. Tom, the operations manager, is the best retreat facility manager in the world. He moves fridges into our conference room for us, humors attendees who have ghosts in their rooms, and somehow manages to be totally and completely out of sight unless we need him. I haven't met Angie yet, the new reservations person, but I spoke to her on the phone and she seems to be cut of the same cloth as Tom. Excellent meals, comfy accommodations, and "friendly" roosters. What more could you ask for? I was going to link to the rooster story but apparently I didn't blog about the retreat last year (!!!!) so if you want to know the rooster story, which is pretty funny when you add the Fran bit, let me know in the comments and I'll relate it)

8. I have a new book to start writing at the retreat. I timed it that way on purpose, of course, because having new stuff to write at retreat is the best. I can brag about page counts and word counts and feel like I'm getting somewhere I wouldn't be if I hadn't been on retreat.

9. I have Veronica Mars and Lost to watch while I wrap game prizes this morning.

10. I am a genius. I can't make things for shit, but I can figure out HOW to. My other most awesomest friend Cathy gave me the results of her "Romance Family Feud" survey so I didn't have to do that work, but I did have to figure out how to play the game, which I think I did and it will be cool, and I also had to figure out how to make a workable game board, and I did. It looks like crap but it works great.

11, 12, and 13. Because it's a big enough one to take up three numbers.
I am living the life I want to live. With the advantage of experience and a better understanding of who I am and who I want to be, I can look back at my life and see other paths I could have taken and been happy. I might occasionally suffer a wistful "what if" moment. But I don't wish I had those lives. The path I chose brought me to a place where I am the wife of the best husband possible, mother of the best kids I could have hoped to raise, and a full-time author of books I thrill to write. I have more friends than I ever expected to--good friends, real friends, who have formed the net I leaped without nearly a year ago. I have sweet animals, a decent house, and no regrets. What more could I possibly ask for?






Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

I Love Having Hollywood Connections

I don't hang around the eHarlequin boards anymore, since my target line, Bombshell, was closed. But I met some awesome people there, and one of them, Rose, reads my blog once in a while. We bonded a couple of years ago over Alias. She happens to live in LA and has boocoop Hollywood friends.

One of whom was awakened this morning by one of the producers of Supernatural, who got a call late last night that they were BEING RENEWED!!!!!!

The universe loves me us!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In other news, my daughter had her spring concert tonight. She played cello, sang in the chorus, and sang in the special chorus. The boy she has a crush on (I posted about him last fall, I think, when they had their holiday concert) still continues to amaze me.

They had seven sixth grade boys in the special boys chorus. The two on either side of this particular kid were all buttoned up and uncomfortable-looking, like their moms had dressed them and slicked down their hair with spit and a comb. And like they weren't entirely sure they wanted to be up there, singing, in front of hundreds of people.

Not this kid. His shirt was hanging outside his pants, not tucked in, and he had his hands in his pockets. He stood with supreme confidence. Even my husband noticed. It is something I don't really see in the other sixth grade boys. It's not cockiness or anything put on. It's just quiet comfort in his own skin.

I really hope, eventually, he gets with the program and likes my daughter back. LOL

The rest of the concert was excellent, too. They've come a long way from Hot Cross Buns. :)

Happy Mother's Day

I intended to put this up yesterday, so...pretend I did.

My mother died in February 2003. Even though I can no longer thank her in person for her influence, it never ends. So thank you, Mom, for helping to make me the woman I am today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My family always ensures I get treated like a queen on my days (birthday and Mother's Day). I don't have to do any chores and pretty much get to choose our activities, around certain parameters (like my MIL's dinner preference or Number Two's soccer game). Apparently, this is rare, according to what I hear from my friends.

I hereby offer my husband and kids as trainers for your own spouses and children. Here's what they did for me:

Let me sleep late.
I ended up not sleeping as late as I expected, given the non-sleep I got with the sick kid Thursday night. I got up and went for a bike ride and came home to breakfast cooking.

Cleaned the whole house.
I asked for this, not expecting to get any presents as I said I didn't want or need any. I'm going on retreat next weekend, after all. J warned me not to get critical if it wasn't up to my standards, which made me laugh and laugh. It was, like, triple my standards. They not only cleaned very well, they put away all the winter stuff and mopped the kitchen floor. The area where the animal toys are kept hasn't been so clean and uncluttered in five years. J did the laundry, and the kids cleaned the litter box.

Took me to dinner.
We went to dinner with my in-laws after Number Two's soccer game, which her team won, and she even scored a goal for me.

Made/bought me cards.
Including ones from the cats and dog.

Most of all, J had saved all year for a present, and asked the kids what they thought I really wanted. Number One said Nickelback tickets, which wasn't wrong. But Number Two has heard me complain constantly about my computer, which is pretty old and getting worn out. It is very slow and hangs constantly and causes odd growling noises to emit from my office.

So I have a new computer being built! I'm so excited I can't contain myself.

But it's not just the materialistic happiness. It's not just the relief of not having to clean my house for a week. It's the thoughtfulness that precipitates them. True, I asked for the housecleaning, but they went above and beyond, without complaint. My seven-year-old knows me well enough to know the one gift that would make me happier than anything. And my husband planned five-plus months ahead to make sure I had a great Mother's Day. I don't think I've ever felt more appreciated.

Now the challenge is to give him as good a Father's Day. :(

Catching Up

Sorry I didn't blog yesterday for two days. I know you were all waiting sooooo eagerly to see what my Thursday Thirteen would be, and/or what I had to say about Lost and Supernatural.

Just so you know, I was going to do 13 thoughts about Lost. What? I told you I had a theme this week. ;)

So ABC gave in and gave Damon Lindelhof and Carlton Cuse what they wanted, and I'm thrilled. A finite end date for a show that absolutely had to have one. I'm glad they had the foresight to recognize it and semi-abandon the greedy need to suck any show for every ounce of ratings it can provide.

Of course, Darlton also gave in, and ABC is getting three more seasons, instead of the 1.5 that would serve the show best. But that's okay. 48 episodes is easier to work with than "indefinite," and the show will end the way it's supposed to, helmed by the people who are supposed to helm it. (If people are complaining now, just imagine how horrible it would be if they left it.)

I'm not crazy about the schedule. Having to wait until January February is annoying, and 16 eps at a time is barely momentum-building before we break again for, you know, way too long. But compromise means no one is completely happy, right?

Damon Lindelhof said there was a game-changer coming, and that we would know it when we saw it. Was it Locke getting shot? He wasn't dead when we panned back. It's not a wound anyone would survive without immediate and extensive surgery, but it's also not a wound that kills quickly. We know Jack can do it, and that the Others have the faciliities, but no one knows where Locke is.

If they kill Charlie, I'm done.

And really, what more is there to say than that?

Okay, I'll say more. But not much. I've talked about it before. Not as awesome as season 1, but excellently done nonetheless, managing to hold me on the edge of my seat each week and intrigue me more every episode. I trust Jack and I like Juliet and hope she's double-crossing Ben.

How the hell old is Richard? He looked the same when he appeared to young!?Ben as when he appeared to WorkMan!Ben as when he recruited Juliet as when he talked to Locke.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~INTERLUDE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nickelback, Staind, and Daughtry are coming to Hershey this summer. I would say a pair of tickets would make an awesome Mother's Day gift, but a) I told him no gifts and b) he doesn't have time to read my blog anymore. Hints work better if they know about them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~END INTERLUDE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I finished watching Supernatural at about 1:00 a.m Friday, because Number Two had a stomach ache that, alas, was not simply the bad gas I was hoping for. I slept on the couch, getting up with her every twenty minutes to half hour and/or being awakened by the animals, who have quite an active night life, apparently.

Anyway, I can comment on Smallville and Supernatural, but have not yet watched Scrubs or Ugly Betty from Thursday, and we're two weeks behind on Numb3ers.

Not that there's ever anything to say about Numb3rs. It's an enjoyable show, very smart, with cases that might change twice during the course of the show (same case, non-linear method of solving it). And I love all the characters (especially Colby!). But it's not exciting, I often wait a long time to watch it, and I would shrug if it was canceled.

(I ask you, is it better to have a show a lot of people watch but don't care about at all, or a show fewer people watch, but are very passionate about?)

There won't be anything to say about Scrubs, either. It's funny, probably the funniest comedy on TV, I can't believe it's beat out by dreck like Fat Lazy Husband with Hot Put-Upon Wife and Bratty Kids. But thought I want another season, I admit I'm getting tired of it being unchanging. There's been some growth in Jordan and Dr. Cox, but when you're watching an episode and can't tell which of the past five seasons it comes from,..

I'm not sure I'll bother watching Smallville next year. I watched the first five seasons on DVD and this season "live," and I hate Lana. If they kill her and launch an even more bitter and heated rivalry between Clark and Lex, I'll watch next year. But I am done with the Lana-centric, Clark-deficient storylines. DONE, I say!

Ugly Betty is like Numb3rs to me. I love that they manage to make even the most caricaturish characters complex. But I'm really not enamored with the Mead/Wilhelmina/Alex storylines. I prefer anything to do with Daniel, Betty, Henry, Amanda, and Marc. The best episodes are the ones that take the character out of their main role--chief among them, when Marc came out to his mom and defended Betty and her family.

Okay, now for the Big One. Supernatural.

"When All Hell Breaks Loose, Part I," does not rival my favorite episodes. I liked it. A lot of it was well done. But it was one too many episodes with Sam and Dean apart, I think, and a little too much walking around apprehensively.

I don't have the same complaints as my friends. The exposition was fine, and Ava's "bad acting" will prove (as we discussed yesterday during my Boot Squad lunch) upon repeated viewing to be really good acting, as she was "faking" all along. Her not being as likeable as in her first appearance wasn't a bad choice, because we then didn't mind Jake killing her. If she'd been less fake, though, and if our love of her had been preserved, her death would have been more shocking, like Andy's. (Nooooooooooo! Andyyyyyyyyyy!)

One thing I absolutely loved was that even though Sam liked Ava and had thought the best of her, he had no problem switching gears when he found Andy dead. He knew right away that she was responsible, and didn't let her tears throw him off. That's the Sammy we know nad love. And the Sammy who couldn't kill Jake, even knowing Jake would never stop trying to kill him.

His "death" scene was amazing, too. Just draining away, no struggle, no communication, no goodbyes or anything. God, DEAN. I can't wait for next week's episode.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have to take a moment to publicly laud my husband. I had plans yesterday that were easy to break, but that I really needed. He offered to stay en he went to pickh phe sick kid sofI could. Then he went to pick up work at the office to do at home this weekend, took Number One and her friend to see Spider-Man 3 last night, and drove probably close to 200 miles today to cover Number One's two soccer games while I stood in line for an hour and fifteen minutes to purchase dance tickets, then worked while the sick kid got better. And Mother's Day isn't even here yet, never mind my retreat next weekend! The man deserves...I don't know what, but he deserves a lot of it. Thank you, sweetie. :*

Veronica Mars

I started watching VM on DVD in the fall, catching up to season three early-mid season. Watching it all at once gives a very different perspective on a show than watching on a TV schedule does.

I admit, at first, I didn't love it. Some of my comments at the time:

It began with a huge, huge, annoying cliché (people you love always let you down). And PUH-LEEZE! It wasn't enough that her boyfriend dumped her without reason, her best friend was murdered, her father lost his job, her spoiled, stupid friends ostracized her and her mother left. No, she has to be date-raped, too. Toooo much.

I was also pissed that Troy turned evil out of the blue. But I loved the smartness of the writing and repartee, the fearlessness of the main character, and all of the supporting cast. By the time Logan fell for Veronica, I was totally hooked. I marveled that someone so loathsome in the first half of the season could have become so redeemable.

One good thing about not being joining a show's cult is that it is much less likely to disappoint you in the third season. I've enjoyed it almost as much this season. It wobbled at first--making Veronica stupid when it suited the plot, and marginalizing Wallace and Mac way too far--but found its legs eventually. The last two episodes since it returned from a way-too-long hiatus were excellent.

I'll admit it--I love Piz. I love Logan, too, but it was getting repetitive. And I'm not thrilled that they are doing this whole "did Veronica cheat on me when we were together?" thing because whether it's because he wants to feel less guilty or because he's a hypocrite, it sucks. Please just continue making them comfortable with each other as friends, and move on.

But back to Piz. I love nice guys. I know that's odd for me to say after I gushed about bad-ass Peter yesterday, but I like non-badass Peter, too. And Piz is just a wonderful blend. He's a nice guy but not a dork. He's cute but not too much so (wouldn't mind seeing the abs he flashed in Grey's 2.0, man!). He likes Veronica but doesn't pine over her, and acts normally around her. He's confident in himself, which is so sexy. The best line last night was when he called her and she stumbled over her "I know I kissed you--a lot--the other night but let's just be friends" speech and his response was a slightly acidic "I know, I got that. Not why I'm calling." LOVE!

So this show is not only on the bubble, it's been on the verge of popping for months. But Gilmore Girls is officially ending and the PTB reportedly loved the trailer the producers showed them for their proposed fourth season. Rumors about about what's going to happen. I'll be happy if it comes back no matter what the incarnation, but...

They said they might change the title. I don't get that. Do they want to eliminate all their casual viewers who don't read Ask Ausiello and start from scratch? That doesn't seem smart.

Rumor is that they are definitely flashing forward post college and sticking VM in the FBI. I'm unsure if that means she'll be a trainee or a full-fledged agent. Either way is fine. I don't need the college years. The premise retains the brilliance and cleverness of the character while pitting her against new challenges (hopefully not in the wobbly way of early this season, though).

My biggest concern is that they will do away with ALL the current characters surrounding La Veronica. Okay, they can replace Cliff and Vinnie and Weevil with similar amusing/appealing characters (Cliff and Weevil haven't been around in a while, anyway). They can PROBABLY find decent new characters to fill holes left by Mac and Piz and even Logan and Wallace.

BUT DON'T GET RID OF DAD.

There is no TV father cooler than Keith Mars. If he goes, I will have very low expectations for the revamped series. But I guess we'll just have to see.

Heroes

Warning: I will likely blog about television every day this week. Just sayin'.

I watched last week's Heroes (the future ep) on Friday night and last night's Heroes actually last night. And it's really weird. I enjoy the show a lot while I'm watching it. I like when they surprise me (REALLY should have seen it coming that Sylar was the president) and love the knots and circles and constant intrigue (solving the Walker problem to save Matt and Ted and HRG means eliminating the little girl who can find anyone, anywhere, who can also find Sylar so they can stop him except she can't use her ability because she's sick but wait Saresh can save her and does).

But once I'm done watching it, I'm meh on it. If I start talking about it, it's complaints, or what I don't like. The seven-week hiatus didn't bother me at all, and I'd be fine with cancellation.

I was disappointed with it early on. The mythology was all over the place. All these people seem to have just discovered their powers all at once with no explanation (the promos, to me, implied that the eclipse did it, but some of them had powers before the eclipse). They're all different ages, live in different places, have different kinds of powers, but they all came into them in a short period of time. To make things worse, this isn't new. Other people have had powers in the past and for longer than the current crop. So the genetic anomaly makes no sense to me. Oh, and now all of a sudden DL and Jessica/Nikki were CREATED? I don't get that.

The serial killer plot was way too conventional and annoying, very dichotomous from the rest of the story threads, until they explained how it was connected to the powers. Then it was fine. But Clea Duvall has disappeared off the face of the earth. Speaking of which, what happened to the wireless woman? Did I miss something? She came and got Ted to kill everyone, and we never saw her again? What was the point of that?

Matt was hearing people's thoughts before the Haitian tagged him. But then he was saying that the Haitian had given him his powers. I don't know if they were trying to make us believe he got confused after his abduction and didn't remember having them before, but if so, it was clumsily done.

Too many of the characters whine too much. Claire drives me INSANE. After eight months and understanding that New York City was going to go nuclear, you'd think she'd get over herself. People keep telling me she's only a teenager, and her attitude is normal. Well, then, give me a non-normal teenager, one who thinks it rocks the world that she can't be killed. Give me a Kim Possible wannabe. That's what I'm trying to raise my girls to be.

Nikki/Jessica is the other one I can do without. I was so happy when I thought she was dead. (I know, I'm terrible.) I don't mind moral ambiguity at all, but they have to have some better developed motivation or redeeming qualities.

Okay, enough complaining. If I don't like the show, why watch it?

Because I do like it. I love Peter (and OMG, Future!Peter is so freakin' badass HOT) and I like Nathan and his struggle between ambition and ethics. Hiro and Ando are awesome, HRG is compelling, and the Petrelli matriarch is deliciously awful and not at the same time.

Sylar having a line he didn't want to cross was perfect. Finding a way to make it beneficial to him was essential, with a backstory motivation that didn't feel contrived (though mommy issues can be considered cliché, it wasn't overdone). A villain who is more than pure evil always enhances a story.

I mentioned the twists and the connections. Cleverness always appeals to me, even when it's heavy-handed, and in this show, it's not.

So, two episodes left. You can see how it is likely to end, and yet, you have no idea. There is a TON of information they have hinted at and don't seem to have enough space/time to provide, but we'll see. I suppose that even though they're supposed to wrap up this story and start anew in the fall, they can hold back a few things for later.

Bottom line: Heroes will stay on the TiVo list for the fall, though it will never be among my favorites.

Goals Check, April

We're not even going to mention the weight goal from now on, m'kay?

Exercise
Only skipped three days in April. Added a little bike-riding to my repertoire, and increased weight on most machines, especially for lower body. Still not getting sore ever, so will be increasing weight even more.

Writing
1655 words, almost all copywriting. Total for the year is 92,984, which is now behind. I should have 116,668. But I'm starting a new book this month and plan to finish it, so I'll be back on track at the end of May.

Reading
I was at 36 books at the end of April, two behind. So I'm catching up!

No progress on the House goals. We did that whole room-swap thing for the girls' bedrooms, so I did bring home some paint chips. I guess that actually counts as progress.

Other things I did that hindered the above:

6+ hours of copyediting and proofreading.

13+ hours of medical transcription.

Part of a critique for one of my CPs.

Research and compilation of an agent list.

Submission of 14 partials and queries for Under the Moon.

Complete edit of Unbreakable.

Read three Entertainment Weekly and a couple of People and two RWRs.

How are you doing with your annual goal?

Random Stuff

I just picked up the first issue of Supernatural: Origins, the comic book prequel to the show that picks up right after Mary's death. It also has a short vignette, a piece of the boys' lives as they are a bit older.

It was okay. The art is fine, but doesn't look like the actors at all. The story doesn't go very far or tell us much we didn't already know. I'll still be getting the second issue, of course. I don't know how many they'll be, ultimately.

The surprising thing is that there was only one copy on the shelf! I'm sorry Misty and Vicki. I ordered three more copies and will go get yours when they come in, if they do. If not, I'll give you your money back and we'll just circulate my copy. :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today was free comic book day. I've never seen the place so packed. Some idiots were standing in front of the "free comic" counter READING the damn things, blocking them so Number Two and all the rest of the kids there couldn't see what was available. Jerks.

And did I mention they were SOLD OUT of Supernatural: Origins?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Went to see Spider-Man 3 yesterday. I liked it a lot, and even convinced myself I liked the things I didn't really like. I laughed at them, some really hard, so I figured I liked them. But...

What I loved, though:

Harry's arc

The bookending action sequences with Peter and Harry, at the beginning and ending of the film.

The acting, all around, but especially J. Jonah Jamison's scenes. Topher Grace was excellent, Thomas Haden Church was complex and poignant, and Bryce Dallas Howard needs to do more good movies because she's my favorite actress. She was so different than she was in The Village. I was disappointed she didn't have a bigger role.

I won't say the one thing I was much less happy with here, but will advise to avoid the comments if anyone doesn't want spoilers, because I will say it there, should it come up.

All in all, a good start to a potentially exciting summer movie season.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Trish posted, in her 8 things from yesterday's tagging, that she's never had a ticket. I will admit that I have had more than one. None from age 17 (when I got my license) to about age 22, 23. And none for the last eight years. But I think I've had three speeding tickets, one for rolling through a stop sign, and a warning for running a red light. I don't know if I've gotten better as I aged, or luckier.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One thing I was going to post yesterday but forgot was that when I am not writing something new, my dreams are affected. It's worst when I'm not working on any writing at all, but it happens when I'm editing, too. They are rich, deep, eventful, vivid, epic in scope, and very, very active. I wake up feeling like I lived everything that happened. Quite often something that has a powerful effect on me, usually TV or a movie, will infiltrate the dream, but not always. Details are very strong, and I can often (but not always) remember everything that happened.

When I am writing something new, my dreams are "normal." Superficial stuff drifting through, barely touching me, quite often related to something in my life rather than my imagination.

So the best thing for me is to never stop writing. Otherwise, the creativity gets all backed up. :)

Tagged!

I really got tagged this time! Blame ML Rhodes for this. :)

Here are the rules:

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

8 random facts/habits about me ...

1. I am a popcorn fanatic and eat it a few times a week. Fresh popped on the stove (I used to use an air popper but got tired of the hard centers) in canola oil, coated in real butter and salt.

2. I hate artificial sweeteners. I can taste any kind, in any thing, and I won't eat or drink it if I detect it...well, unless it would be really rude not to. But never ever ever diet soda.

3. When I was pregnant with Number Two, I didn't have any real cravings, but I HAD to use full-fat products: half-and-half in my tea, butter instead of margarine. And I never went back. I still drink skim milk, though.

4. When I eat ice cream, I feel compelled to even off the top of the container, which would make for some unacceptable portions if I didn't fight the compulsion.

Hmmm...how about some non-food facts/habits?

5. I read pleasure books fast, and I edit my own work fast, but I can't critique fast to save my life--or please my crit partners, no matter what they might say. :)

6. Speaking of speed, I love roller coasters. And heights. In the RWA conference hotel in Atlanta last year, I went to the top and took photos down 42 floors through the open center of the atrium. Which necessitated leaning out over the railing and making my roommates barf.

Okay, that last part isn't true. They weren't with me when I did it. But it would have freaked them the hell OUT.

7. I never had much of a fantasy life until I met Megan. She has corrupted me forever. The unfair thing is, when I start fantasizing at night, it puts me to sleep in 6.2 seconds and doesn't get very far. :(

8. I can walk on the treadmill reading a hardcover novel, holding in open with my left hand. My left pinky is exceptionally strong.

The people I tag are ... Megan, Jody, Misty, Vicki, Vicky, Mary, Trish, and Erica

Supernatural Squee

Okay, let me just get this off my chest.

Sam in a warmup jacket WTF! LOL He looked so dorky in those jackets.

I know the fandom will be in an uproar. Dean hugged every-friggin-one except Sam.

I LOVED that he bodyslammed Jessica, he was so happy that Sam had her. It made him happier than anything for his mom to be alive and his brother to have the life Dean feels he was supposed to have.

Soooo many funny moments. Jensen Ackles has amazing skill with expression. When Carmen came out of the bedroom and tried to get him to go back to bed and he was all horny!Dean but only for a second, because confused!Dean wouldn't let go, even for long enough to have sex.

There were certainly enough tear-inducing moments, but the one that really got me was after Dean stole that one knife (yeah, that will get him out of debt!) and left Sam behind, and Sam got in the car, willing to go with him, to try to help him, despite their estrangement.

I was expecting, in the "intervention" where they were all begging him to stay, and he said he'd die, for him to point out that if he dies, Sam is alone and vulnerable to whatever is coming. I've decided that I'm glad he didn't. WE know, and HE knew, and that's enough.

I loved that it was so sunny and light through most of the episode. Dean's even more handsome in the sunshine. They somehow made Sam seem smaller. The warmup jackets helped, I think. LOL But he was more the boy he was at the beginning of last season, much less the big, hulking, confident, intimidating man he's become. Kind of amazing, since it's not like they pad his jackets or anything.

I loved that they both wore short-sleeved shirts a lot, and tight long-sleeved shirts, and the jackets only sometimes, and we even got a moment of shirtless!Dean. The episode would, of course, have been awesome without that, but it's like the flowers on the icing on the cake. :)

The writing was so good, with so much subtext. Despite his frequent protestations that he doesn't want to be a hero, that he hates the sacrifices they've made, that he wants a real life--everything in his wish was about others. Sam was getting his law degree and was engaged to the woman he loved and oblivious to the darkness. His mother was alive and loved and happy. Interesting that his father was still dead, like he can't erase the bitterness and anger he has so he left him dead, but made it a peaceful, painless death. But Dean himself--thief, slacker, self-centered...he made himself unworthy of the happiness he wants. How much more heartbreaking can that be? In the wish-world he created, he remained aware of the consequences of that alternate life, and he believes those people deserve life more than he deserves happiness.

INCREDIBLE transition when he stabbed himself, from wish!Sammy to real!Sam in the warehouse. Sam's relief at Dean coming out of the catatonia. I was thrilled that Sam was going to be the one to kill the bad guy for once, but noooooo, they had to revert to "formula" and let Dean break away to save Sam yet again. I'm not complaining, really, there was nothing wrong with it, but I'd like to see Sam save the day for once (as I typed that I realized he has, more than once--the SWAT guys whose clothes he stole, Gordon--so it's not really formula that he doesn't).

I did wish there'd been a few more minutes available (and actually, there were, the ep finished at about 56 minutes). When the djinn was trying to put his hand on Sam's face, how cool would it have been for him to succeed, just for a moment, and launch Sam into his own wish? A few minutes of contrast between his and Dean's would have been pretty cool.

In an interesting coincidence, I'm on book 3 of Rachel Caine's Weather Warden series, which feature Djinn of all sorts. Very different from the djinn in the show, of course, but the timing is weird.

Okay, what did I forget to mention? Squee along with me!

Thursday Thirteen #9

Thirteen Ways I'm Not Like "Most" Women

1. I hate to shop
I like spending money, and I like having new things. But I hate to shop, running around the mall or a bunch of different stores, trying things on, etc. I never try on stuff I don't intend to buy, and I don't enjoy browsing AT ALL. Online shopping is wonderful, but even then, I dislike the "looking around" part for the item I want or the best price. PIA all the way.

2. I don't have a thing for shoes
I never really did, though when I worked in a shoe store for a couple of years in college, I did buy a lot. They were more appealing when I saw them every day. I worked in a full-service store where they carried quality shoes and fitted them for each customer. But since I've had two kids and my already large and weird feet have gotten even larger and weirder (I used to measure 6EEE but always wore a 9B until the kids, now it's a 9.5D (wide) or a 10, depending on the shoe), I can never find anything to fit. And certainly not anything stylish. Plus, stylish hurts. I had a great-grandmother who used to make shoes (before I was born) and she was adamant about protecting feet, not wearing poor-fitting or painful shoes. So that leaves me with ugly clunkers or stuff that hurts.

3. Fashion is so not my thing
I buy clothes that are comfortable. Period. In addition to weird feet, I have a weird-shaped body and finding stuff that is stylish and comfortable is impossible. I look frumpy or overly casual most of the time (but hey! I work at home! that doesn't matter anymore!) But even if I didn't have a weird-shaped body, I wouldn't be buying trendy clothes or uncomfortable fabrics. Stretch cotton is AWESOME.

4. I don't wear much, if any, makeup anymore
The only time in my life I ever wore foundation was on the stage (yeah, I acted once!). I'm blessed with a good complexion, so all I ever wear is eye makeup, and since becoming a mom, I shun it pretty hard. No time, no caring. I wear contacts and have trouble finding mascara that enhances them enough without flaking all to hell into my eyes (suggestions welcome!). Lipstick feels and tastes weird and makes me hold my mouth funny. So in addition to frumpy clothes and clunky shoes, I adhere to the "washed out" look.

5. I never got the homemaker gene
My mom was good at sewing, haircutting, baking, all of that. I'm a decent cook and I know HOW to sew, but don't do it very well. Never liked it enough to develop the skill, I guess. Never learned how to knit, and my crocheting ability is limited to granny squares. Giant ones, usually.

6. I LOVE football
My husband loves it more long-term than I do. He played since he was a kid, and went to Cleveland Browns games, and had a family really into the sport. He'll watch an occasional college game. I grew up without a dad and with a mother who knew absolutely nothing about the sport (though she tried to learn when I was grown and so into it), so I pretty much watched the Patriots in the playoffs and whomever was in the Superbowl. Now, though, I'm a slight fanatic. I have posters and shirts and hats. I will sacrifice food for my children to keep NFL Sunday Ticket. I listen to podcasts in the off season and I paid attention to the draft. Jim had no interest in who his team acquired. I'm fully up to speed on my team.

7. After sex, I just want to sleep
Jim's the chatty one. I'm Billy Crystal: "Is 30 seconds enough?"

8. I'm not so into "girl" movies
I like romantic comedies, of course, and other "relationship" movies. But I'm not into art-house or foreign films, for the most part, and indies usually bore me to hell, though that's changing. I didn't like Garden State or Sideways, for example. But there are three indies coming up that I'm really eager to see: Waitress, Cake, andTen Inch Hero. What I really like most, though, are the full-blown blockbuster franchises. I've always loved the big action movies, but in the last several years the good ones have been as much about the relationships and emotions as about the explosions and the visual effects.

9. I don't like museums
I go, especially to ones that are appealing to kids (really enjoyed the new space museum in DC a few months ago), but art and history aren't my things. I'd much rather go to a football game or movie than a museum, and on vacation would rather do active things rather than strolling-reading-yawning things.

10. I LOVE gadgets
Supposed to be a guy thing, but if I had plenty of discretionary income, that's what I'd be spending my money on (in addition to books, of course). Even more, I love gadgets for my gadgets: retractable USB cable for my Neo, jump drives, iPod accessories...

11. I am a "fixer" more than a "listener"
"They" (you know, the people who like to generalize this stuff and define men and women by harsh division) say that if you tell a man a problem, he will want to fix it for you, and if you tell a woman a problem, she will commiserate and support you. My friends will tell you, you CANNOT complain to me, or express a dilemma, or relate a situation, without me immediately offering solutions. It drives them insane.

12. Motherhood doesn't fulfill me
I know, that sounds terrible. I love my kids. And I'm a good mother, if the evidence of such a thing is that my kids are happy and healthy, do well in school, choose good kids to be friends with, and are praised by all adults who come in contact with them for their manners and maturity. (Of course, Jim gets credit for all that, too.) And I do find that fulfilling in and of itself. But it does not define me AT ALL, and I don't mind admitting it's as much burden as pleasure, if not more so. Before you ask why I bothered to have children, let me say I didn't know how I'd feel about being a mother until I was one.

13. I'm highly unsentimental
I'm passionate and emotional at times, but I keep a lot of stuff because I "should" and not because I want to. I handled my mother's death a lot easier, IMO, than most people would. I look forward to the day my kids are all grown up and out of the house. I'm so much more about practicality than emotion, and for a long time, that weakened my fiction. I hope that's not the case anymore, as I've been working on it with every book I write. But "not emotionally compelling" was often a reason for rejection, and my old critique partner used to say, "but what is she feeling here?"

So there you go. I'm like an emotional hermaphrodite. :)



Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants