Things That Are Making Me Happy Right Now

But first, I forgot a couple of things that are annoying me. And it's every day, too! I can't believe I forgot.

First is the clumps of hair on the bathroom floor every time I go in there. I eliminate them whenever I see them, even scan the edges for more, and still, every time I go in! More! Maybe we need to shave our heads.

The other thing is the water here. It's town provided, but we border a rural area. I don't want to live in a big city, but when I was in NY, my hair always looked great, and my makeup came off clean with one swipe. Here, my hair looks like it needs brushing two minutes after I brush it, and I have dark smudges under my eyes, even days after I last wore mascara. The skin gets sore from rubbing at it with makeup remover swabs or cloths.

Okay, now the important stuff! What's making me HAPPY right now!

The Kids Being Home All Day
It's really nice to have the dishes always done, and I can assign chores to them every day, taking a couple of items off my shoulders.

I'm sure they aren't so happy about this one. They may even be eager to go back to school by now.

My Loaded TBR Shelf
It was getting very empty before RWA. I had maybe a half dozen books in print and half a dozen on my Kindle. Now I have at least a couple dozen in print, plus the ones I gave Number One to read first and demanded she give back.

Not that I have time to read much right now, but a full shelf makes me happy!

New Jim Butcher Coming
I never have an answer when someone asks my favorite author, but at this time of year, it's easy to say Jim Butcher. It has been way too long since Changes, and I may pull another all-nighter with Ghost Story.

Jason Manns
Jason's finally coming back to the east coast! For a while, he was here quarterly, but it's been over a year since we saw him last. As I mention that every so often, both here and on Twitter/Facebook, you can imagine the glee I feel about being able to see him sing live again. If you've only ever heard his produced albums, or even heard him recorded live, you're missing out. He's amazing in person.

I shouldn't complain that it's been too long since his last gig out here. Every time he announces one, he gets a stream of complaints that he never goes where they live. I'm lucky to live close enough to some major cities!

Captain Jack Harkness
I agonized for months about whether or not to shell out the money for Starz because I didn't want to wait forever for DVDs or streaming. Then my husband sees an ad for Torchwood and says, "This looks interesting." I say, "But it's only on Starz. We'd have to subscribe." He says, "Okay." So I did. And got to watch the premiere live, and it was awesome!

Upcoming Vacation
This has been a work-centric summer, plus the travel for RWA and my chapter retreat. I try to have focused family time, but having a week together in which I will only work when the time becomes organically available will be awesome.

Harry Potter
I guess I should put this on here. The final movie comes out this week, and like my kids, I've grown up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I'm eager to see the final battles portrayed on film. Even if it means three hours of sleep Thursday night, and a houseful of teenage girls, and cleaning, shopping, and chauffeuring. My eagerness to see the movie is tempered by the changes I know they've made and I'm not convinced I'll like. We'll see if the most important line remains, and is attributed to the right person. :)

Each Bit of Work I Finish
Yesterday, I focused on fiction, which felt really good. I'm on track for my deadline, but hadn't touched it since I got back. But my workload is so heavy, progress on Heavy Metal put me behind on editing work. I'll catch up today—at least, that's the plan! But it's been really difficult to balance it all, so I'm happy with every small bit of progress, whether it gives me a praising or scolding note on my tracking spreadsheet. :)

Behind the Scenes in audiobook!
I learned yesterday that my next romantic adventure from Carina Press was picked up by Audible. That will probably come out in October, too.

So what's making you happy this week?

Things That Have Annoyed Me Lately

My Stolen iPod

Yep, my iPod was stolen out of my room at the Marriott Marquis when I was at the RWA conference in New York City. Of course, the hotel denies any responsibility, which I accept. I knew the policy. But it still burns me that it happened in the most expensive hotel I've ever stayed in.

When I got to the train station on Monday, I wrapped the headphones around the iPod in its leather case and stuck it deep in my laptop bag. I never thought about it again, until Friday night. My roommate was gone, and I decided to listen to the iPod while I did my hair and makeup. But I couldn't find it. I dug and searched and emptied the bag. My headphones were coiled up in the bottom, but the iPod wasn't there. I got on the floor to look under the bed, thinking maybe it had fallen out, and spotted the leather case deeeeep under the bed, up against the baseboard. I guess I could tell just by looking at it, because my heart sank even before I reached in there to get it, and yeah, it was empty.

It had to be housekeeping. Who else could have had the time to do all that? I don't get tossing the case. If they'd taken it with them, it could have generated doubt about how it disappeared. It could have maybe fallen out in the train station or the train itself, or I could have decided I didn't remember using it and storing it somewhere else. But the empty case under the bed, that couldn't have gotten there in any manner except deliberately? Total giveaway. And housekeeping is really the only possible thief. They clean with the doors closed. My roommate was in the room most of Wednesday and Thursday, but not Friday. So the evidence is damning.

I hope you enjoy it, Vicki.

My Killer Foot

I pulled a muscle in my foot on Sunday, and it's been killing me. It's the top of my foot, so it's fine when I walk, but hurts most when I'm driving or sitting at my desk--which I do more than half my day, so by the time I go to bed, it's really throbbing. It also made me yell when I bumped it against my chair last night.

This isn't annoying so much because it's an injury, as the way it was injured. I bet this is a new one for you:

Walking too fast in slippery flip-flops.

Stupid People

I think my biggest pet peeve is stupid people. Number One (not the stupid person) is having a slumber party Thursday, and we're going to the midnight premiere of Harry Potter. One of her friends (also not the stupid person) couldn't give us her RSVP until yesterday, and it was late in the day. I tried to get tickets online, and they said there weren't any more, I'd have to try at the theater. So I headed out. And had this exchange with the guy at the box office:

Me: "Are the tickets for the midnight showing of Harry Potter sold out?"

Him: "Just the 3D."

Me: "Oh, good, then I need 6 tickets for the 2D show of the 12:01 a.m. Friday showing."

Him: "That will be $73.50."

Me: O.O

Him: "The 3D tickets have--"

Me: "You said the 3D tickets were sold out. I don't want 3D tickets."

Him: "I said we only had 3D tickets."

Me: "No, I asked if you were sold out, and you said just the 3D."

Him: "Oh, I thought you asked if tickets were available."

Yeah, because "available" and "sold out" sound exactly the same.

Get On With Your Life Already

I read a lot of paranormal young adult fiction, and there's a commonality in some that just doesn't make sense to me.

Why would immortal beings keep going to high school?

The whole "Edward controlling Bella" issue would never have happened if the 90-year-old vampire had actually graduated, like, 72 years ago. Angels who are millennia old and fighting a war shouldn't have to wind up in reform school. That they look young is irrelevant. They need fake IDs anyway, right? So why not make them fake-legally of age and get a job or something?

A mission or destiny that requires them to be in a certain place temporarily makes sense, but to happen across your reincarnated true love in high school without placing yourself there intentionally is hard to swallow.

So any authors out there writing YA with immortal or ancient characters, please consider the motivation a little more thoroughly. :)

So that's it. Tomorrow I think I'll post the things that are making me happy lately.

So Random it's Got a Pattern

An article/blog post about building followers/readership/commenters said to remove the word verification from your blog, because people hate it. Doesn't seem like THAT big a deal to me, but I've never had that much problem with spam, so I removed it yesterday.

Today? Only comment was porn spam. *sigh*
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Back from New York! I'll post some pictures soon. Not ones of Lisa, because last time I said I could post it because she doesn't read my blog...and she read my blog. I room with her at RWA National, y'all, I'm not risking it again. :)

But there will be feet. And maybe some pictures with other people I didn't get permission to post. :)
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I could still use input from people who've read my books. Click here to take survey. I'm leaving the survey open indefinitely, so if you've come across this post months later because, say, I mentioned "Harry Potter," and you want to take the survey, feel free! :)
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Picked up tons of books at the conference. I'll be reading print books for a good long while now! :) Won a couple at the YARWA (YA writers group) meeting, and bought some at the Literacy Booksigning (raised over $46,000 in 2 hours!!!), and scored most at the publisher signings. My TBR pile was getting low; now I have so many choices, I can't pick one!
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Firefly was marathoning yesterday. I am DYING to watch the series straight through. Right this moment. But alas, I have copy edits and client edits and client proofing piling up, and too much responsibility.
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So here we are in July. July is Number One's birthday month, and guess what she got this weekend?

Her AAA card.

Ack!

So, yeah, getting her permit will be the big thing. Second only to a weekend at the beach and the last Harry Potter movie. She is very, very sad that it's almost over. I'm not, because I went through it with the last book. THAT was when it was all over for me. :( Anyway, I guess we're doing the midnight show and a sleepover, and she's marathoning the previous movies right before that. So it's a big month.
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Stay tuned for announcements about The Goddess Society and The Film Crew, celebrations of my fall releases, Under the Moon and Behind the Scenes.

Championship Round

I am totally blown away.

MALCOLM REYNOLDS LOST!!!!!!!!!??????????

Never saw that one coming.

AAAAAAAANNNNDDDD...

Wait for it...

You sitting down?

Dean and Raylan TIED! And they beat Harry Potter!

So we have three entries in the final round. And since this is my blog and I'm doing all this work, I have a case to make. *VBG* Sure, Booth is appealing. And I get that Raylan is the flavor of the month. He's all new and stuff, and that blush of first love is upon us.

But think about this. Which hero has taken on the biggest burden? Which has made the greatest personal sacrifices? Who is determined to save the world, and has died trying? More than once?

Now, have at it. Poll closes at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, and I'll post the winner sometime Saturday, depending on my family schedule. Have fun! :)

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

The Courage of Harry Potter

Today, MJ gets to talk about one of MY favorite heroes, Harry Potter! Go over to help us dissect all the ways he showed why he belongs in Gryffindor. I say "help us" because I don't think I'll stop myself from filling up the comments with my own thoughts. LOL

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Buy Road Signs, MJ's newest release from Carina Press.
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Harry's Best Mate

This week’s trait is loyalty, and to me, one of the most loyal characters in literature is Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter series.

Of course, Ron isn’t a “romance” hero in the classic sense. It’s not until Deathly Hallows that he gets enough of a clue (read: emotional maturity) to be worthy of Hermione. But the trait that tells us from the beginning that he’s heroic is his loyalty.

You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left—Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first.

First, is loyalty to his family. As the youngest son and second-youngest child of seven, he’s got a lot to gripe about. But let anyone else ever say a negative thing against any of his siblings or his parents, and Ron’s ready to make them eat slugs. Literally! :)

In Sorceror’s Stone, during the final series of obstacles, Ron takes over a living chess match and sacrifices himself so Harry can go on and Hermione will be safe. He’s injured in the doing, but never wavers from the course he knows he has to take.

In Chamber of Secrets, he doesn’t hesitate to descend deep below the school to save his sister, even knowing how deadly a creature awaits them. For countless adventures, he’s along for the ride with Harry, even when he thinks Harry’s opinions are daft.

Ron’s loyalty gets tested twice in the series. First in Goblet of Fire, when he thinks Harry lied to him about entering the Tri-Wizard Tournament. It’s not a simple cause-and-effect, though. Hermione points out to Harry that he’s always the center of attention, and Ron gets very little, especially in combination with his brothers, who always overshadow Ron in one way or another. Ron’s feelings of resentment and low self-worth come to a head when it looks like Harry just left him behind. He holds on to his anger until Harry undergoes the first task, and by that point, it can’t hold up under reality. Plus, he misses Harry, and just needs something to trigger an acceptable change in his attitude.

Ron never doubts when Harry says Voldemort is back. In Order of the Phoenix, when Harry’s pain and frustration and fear manifest in anger, making him lash out even at his closest friends, Ron stands by his side. He believes Voldemort’s “kidnapping” of Sirius is a trick, but still follows Harry into battle.

The second, much bigger test comes in Deathly Hallows, when the horcrux feeds Ron’s doubts and fears enough to make him leave. Once outside of its influence, he immediately changes his mind, but it’s too late. He can’t come back until Hermione is ready for him to, and the deluminator leads him to the right place. He doesn’t hesitate to dive into freezing water to save Harry and the sword of Gryffindor, and manages to overcome his weaknesses to destroy the horcrux.

"We wouldn't last two days without her. ... Don't tell her I said that."

That moment is when Ron becomes worthy of Hermione, though she’s pretty tough and makes him suffer a little longer. His loyalty to her is almost as strong as his loyalty to Harry. You could argue that it’s stronger because he’s in love with her. When Bellatrix tortures Hermione about the sword, her screams incite Ron to madness, well beyond what he’d feel if it was Harry in pain. When Ron leaves, it’s Hermione who ignites the light that will bring him back.

Alfonso Cuarón, who directed Prisoner of Azkaban, said in an interview that, narratively speaking, he thought it would fantastic if Ron betrayed Harry. He would have loved to explore the relationships if that happened. As an author, I can understand that interest. But as a reader, I’m really glad Rowling never took it that far, and I never thought it fit Ron’s character. I think Ron epitomizes the trait of loyalty.

What do you think? Is Ron the Loyalty Poster Child? Or are you like Cuarón, interested in a storyline where Ron Goes Bad? Every commenter goes into a random drawing for a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble. And don’t forget, all of the heroes you mention will be added to the showdown at the end of the month.
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First Thoughts on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I

No spoilers! :)

I took Number One to the midnight premiere of Harry Potter Thursday night. Yes, it was a school night for her and a work night for me. She was dying to go, so a couple of weeks before, I told her that if she could get all her teachers to certify that she had no tests or quizzes and would not suffer academic deficits, I'd take her.

To my amazement, they all signed. Most with laughter. One said he was proud of me. (I think the same one who ended up giving her a quiz anyway, but at least they could use their notes.)

So we left the house at 10:30 and headed over.

My Brain is Weird

The dream started with me getting into an elevator. There was one other person, plus a courier with his bike, and we had to maneuver a little to all fit. He pressed 4. We pressed 2. The elevator went to 4. We pressed 2 again. It went to 1. We pressed 2 again. The elevator went sideways.

Then it went up on a diagonal and left the building, and we were climbing over the city, as if we were still in an elevator shaft. But there was no structure around it, and in fact no elevator, I suppose, since I could see everything around me (I think London). So I decided it was magic.

Books to Film

I just finished reading the first book in the Sookie Stackhouse series, curious after watching True Blood how close it came. I liked it enough that I plan to get the second book, because I'm still curious, though not enough to run right out and get it.

I'm not exactly sure why that is. It may be because the show was amazingly close to the tone of the book, overall, as well as to the events. I felt like I'd been watching the show, not reading. Unfortunately, while I really liked Anna Paquin's Sookie and Sam Trammell's Sam, I didn't care for Bill at all, and that carried over to the book. I can't tell if I'd feel any differently if I hadn't watched the show first.

So I can't say I liked one better than the other (book versus movie), which is a rarity.

It's always more straightforward when things go the other way, and I read the book before seeing the movie.

~~~~~~~~SPOILER ALERT FOR HALF-BLOOD PRINCE MOVIE~~~~~~~~

A true Harry Potter fan has to have certain expectations going into a Harry Potter movie:

1. The casting will be mostly great.
2. The atmosphere will be awesome (kudos to cinematography, set dressing, props, costuming, makeup, etc.).
3. The quality of the acting will have improved (for the young ones, anyway--the older ones are mostly awesome, too).
4. The script will suck.

We all understand--intellectually, anyway--the difficulties inherent in condensing these very chock-full books into a 2-and-a-half-hour film. But some things are just incomprehensible to us. As a writer, I get putting your own stamp, your own twist, on an adaptation. But you don't f*** with Harry Potter.

For the most part, Half-Blood Prince is very well done. I found it to be the best of the six movies, overall. I was so pleased with the smooth editing, a huge improvement over the jerking around of Order of the Phoenix. I also--after the initial moment of disapproval--liked the way they incorporated Draco's thread into the film. It couldn't have been handled the way it was in the book, it just wouldn't have worked. And to see his desperation, his intensity, was a treat. Tom Felton did a fabulous job.

There was a ton of humor in this film, too, more than most. Ron and Harry under the influence of their various potions were delightful breaks of normal character. (One fave moment was "and the pincers" with the little hand gestures and clicking.) Through the bulk of the film, I was okay with how they'd "outed" the Harry/Ginny feelings for each other and the Hermione feelings for Ron, all of which were much more obvious than in the book. Since the movie gives us more than one point of view, that was realistic and fun. And it helped solidify Harry and Hermione's sibling-type friendship, which will hold them in good stead for the final movie(s).

But it all kind of fell apart at the end. There were some elements that worked, but they were among others that, for me, didn't work at all, and left me dissatisfied.

1. That kiss. In the book, Ginny gives Harry a hard, blazing look and runs to him, throwing her arms around him, and he kisses her deeply. It's TOTALLY a movie kiss. In the movie, it's gentle, he doesn't know it's coming...and they completely drop the entire thing until the very end, capping it with a tossaway "Ron's okay with it." With what?! There's nothing going on!

So okay, big deal, at least they're together, right? But then...

2. The kiss happens while Ginny is guiding Harry to hide the potions book in the room of requirement. Grrr, because only Harry has been in there, alone, when it's a hiding warehouse, but never mind. And the changing of the reason he's hiding it cuts a lot of pages and it's believable, it fits the movie story, so okay. But she has him close his eyes so he doesn't even know where it is. This shreds any hope I have for the final movie(s). (In the book, Harry marks the book's location with a bust, wig, and tarnished tiara that turns out to be the diadem of Ravenclaw, one of Voldemort's horcruxes. Without that, there's no reason to return to Hogwarts, where the epic final battle takes place.)

And hey, while we're on the topic of horcruxes...

3. They dropped a lot of the Dumbledore/Harry discussions and exposition. Sure, it would be slightly tedious and drag out the movie, but please. Take five minutes to lay out how many horcruxes there are left and what they are likely to be, so Harry's not working completely blind. (On the other hand, nice little touch with the ring and the flash and Dumbledore's dawning expression as he realizes what it means.)

Then we get to the very end. The inciting event that puts Harry on his path to death and Voldemort's defeat. Aaaaannnnndddd...WTF?

4. Why not have Dumbledore freeze Harry under the cloak, as in the book? I found it impossible to suspend disbelief that Harry would stand by like that, or that Draco could disarm Dumbledore without the distraction he had in the book. Snape knowing Harry was there feels wrong, though I don't think that change has a huge impact. I understand why they dropped the battle scene, though I lament the loss of the connection with the other DA members. They don't want to detract from the last movie(s), and it would have been expensive and add length they didn't want to add (though I don't think a three-hour movie would be a problem; it never is!).

BUT!

5. Harry's confrontation with Snape left me wanting, too. Some of it was spot on, like "Fight back, you coward!" and "Don't you call me coward!" But the "Until you learn to keep your mouth closed and your mind shut..." line was highly significant. And I was completely distracted by Hagrid's hut being aflame and Harry not at all concerned that Hagrid might be burning alive. (In the book, Hagrid is outside after the Deatheaters come past, and it's Fang inside, with Hagrid battling.)

Bottom line:

The end result is a strange mix. Every other HP movie, I've had to see multiple times. The first time is to get through the "they changed that...they changed that..." compulsion. The second time is usually a lot better than the first, and I often see them a third time, just to absorb the whole thing or catch details I missed.

This time, I feel more satisfied with the movie as a whole. It engaged me fully, so I wasn't muttering mentally all the way through. Yet I'm unhappy enough that I don't want to see it again and feel even more dissatisfied.

The one thing that hasn't changed, though, is that it made me want to read the books again, despite having just done so a couple of months ago. :)

Taking a Breath

I finally have a moment to do so!

*inhales deep*

Wanna see what I've been doing around the web?

At Supernatural Sisters, I explained why I love the classic episode "Roadkill." (Classic as in "prior to season 4")

At the Gabwagon, I expressed my disappointment at how the RWA annual general meeting proceeded last Thursday.

Coming up, I get to be a guest at the fabulous Magical Musings, talking about how evolution of a career often brings you back to basics. And about how I type with my cat stretched across my wrists. That will be on Thursday, but check out their other great posts in the meantime. I love reading what those smart ladies have to say, though I confess to rarely having comments.

So. Taking a breath? Last week was of the "incredible that I made it through" variety.

Monday
I already posted about this. It was slightly better on Friday. I also have to work a couple of days this week, and I'm feeling more confident. Though the file I couldn't find was apparently where it was supposed to be, which made me feel dumb.

Tuesday
Harry Potter was excellent. Mostly. I'll do another post later that has spoilers, but don't want to bury them here. I think it was the most well done of all the movies, and so much better than the last one as far as cohesiveness and narrative flow. Most of the things they changed, I understood and thought they did well. A few didn't make sense why they changed them, and two big things bothered me a lot and made me afraid for the last movie(s). But, as I said, more later.

Wednesday
Tuesday, of course, ran into Wednesday. When teenagers go to sleep at 4:30 a.m. (ish), they don't really want to get up in the morning. I was aiming for home at noon, but got them all delivered by 1:00. Then I barely had time to get some work done before I drove to DC with Number One, who got to go to her first booksigning ever and meet authors who write the stuff she reads, not just people who are her mother's friends first, authors second. We had a nice dinner and some great conversation, and got home about 10:00 p.m.

Thursday
Up at 6 to drive back to DC with Misty Simon and Vicki Smith. It was a pretty smooth ride into DC, despite being rush hour (and just after) and we got to the hotel in plenty of time for the main meeting, which was half fiasco (see Gabwagon post). The rest of the day was awesome, though. I got to see a bunch of people (though not as many as I would have seen if I'd been attending the actual conference, which makes me sad, but maybe next year I can make it work!) and spend quality time with Agent Awesome. Cathy McDavid and Libby ICanNeverRememberHerLastName had their second annual wine party, which was tons of fun. I didn't want to leave, but finally forced myself to. We got home about 2:45 a.m.

Friday
More freelance work in a.m., outside work in p.m., birthday cake shopping that failed, birthday dinner that did not.

Saturday
Sleeping IN. More freelance work. Soccer game beach party.

Sunday
Two people ended up dropping by, one foreseen, one a pleasant surprise. I had a very nice visit, but spent so much time trying to get Number One's birthday present to work right that the freelance work delayed grocery shopping, which I now I have to do tonight while Number Two is at soccer practice. But the good thing is that, despite some running around and the tightness of scheduling that working outside causes, this week should be MUCH more breathable than last. :)

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Funny Story of the Week:

I took my husband's car to DC, because it's a hybrid and bigger than mine, so more comfortable for passengers. The speedometer is lined up differently than mine is--that's my only explanation, unless it's flat-out wrong, because I had it on cruise and I never set it that high. Then there's the fluctuating speed limit on route 15. Not excuses--I deserved to be pulled over. Just reasons.

So it's 1:30 in the morning, three women in a car, all dressed up. He asks where we're coming from, I say DC. Asks if I'd had anything to drink. I said about "this much" wine, showing a couple of inches, a few hours before. It was actually that much twice, but in a small plastic cup--really less than a full glass overall, and I finished the last bit about...I don't know, 10:30? But of course he wouldn't take my word (and rightfully so) so guess what?

I got to do my first ever field sobriety test and Breathalyzer^TM! Of course, I passed with flying colors. And get this--he gave me a warning for the speeding. That has NEVER happened to me before in my life.

Misty said it was the cleavage shirt.

We Now Welcome You to the Survival Portion of Our Summer

My former boss called me on Friday in a panic. She needed me to fill in while a former colleague was on leave. I worked all day yesterday, and...yeah. After three years, I don't remember anything. Especially stuff I never did. It was quite a challenge. Looking forward to Friday. Right.

I currently have five animated teenagers playing Wii while they wait to leave for the midnight showing of Harry Potter. We found out that the theater had sold out theaters 1 through 9 by 6 this evening. That line will be fun. Right.

Tomorrow I have to get 5 kids to different locations, four of them after they were up past 3:00 a.m. Then I have to try to finish a formatting job before I drive to DC, mainly because I'll be in DC all day Thursday, too, and much of the night. Which will be awesome while I'm there, I'm not complaining, but oy.

I'm just hangin' on, taking everything one minute at a time. I don't know how the heck other people manage even busier schedules. I guess they just do it.

Right.

RWA Day WhateverTheHeckItWas Plus Every Day Since

My five-and-a-half-year-old laptop was very uncooperative with e-mail the last time I used it, so I stopped trying. Plus, I got busier. And more tired. So that explains the gap in posts.

I'm home now, but way behind, of course, and suddenly SF seems long ago and far away.

Saturday...hmmm...Saturday. I think I got more books at signings. Thought about attending workshops, but didn't. Had lunch with Cathy McDavid, which was great because we caught up on all the stuff that we didn't talk about when others were around because they already knew it. Shipped my two boxes of books and goodies. Spent some time editing in the afternoon. Went out to dinner with friends again before the award ceremony, which was as awesome as always.

Oh, I keep forgetting to mention...I have got to stop listening to people. It's not that they were wrong, just that I know myself and I'm different than the norm. I know, big surprise. Anyway, all the talk was about how cold SF is, and how I would need long sleeves for the duration, and the hotels are always cold, etc. So I listened, though I knew I'm almost never cold in the hotels so I mostly refrained from bringing really thick shirts and sweaters. But I did have a long-sleeved shirt for sightseeing Wednesday, and the only time I wasn't FREAKING HOT (and therefore obnoxiously complaining) was when we were actually on the wharf with the wind in our faces. The hotel was so hot, we had our room AC set at 66, and even 64 the last 24 hours. I couldn't stop sweating and was really unhappy about that.

But did I mention the elevators? They were awesome. Amazingly fast the entire time. I also found the room to be wonderful (really comfy beds) and the service to be efficient and very personable.

Okay, Sunday. Sunday Tracy Madison (who was not responsible for keeping us up late on Tuesday, only an innocent bystander, I swear) let us leave our stuff in her room as we had to check out but not leave until 4, and she stayed until Monday. That gave us a little more time to visit with her and her lovely daughter.

Sunday I spent mostly by myself. Lisa Mondello, my roommate, was meeting cousins she hadn't seen in years. Libby and Cathy invited me to lunch, but they had earlier flights and I really wanted to see the Golden Gate Bridge, especially since I missed Alcatraz. So I went off on my own for five hours. In the interest of keeping this blog post shorter than Breaking Dawn (which is apparently only 7 pages shorter than Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, according to Number One), let me sum up:

*Took the 30 bus to the 28 bus
*30 bus didn't go to end of line, so got off early
*Hey, I'm really near the crookedest street! I wanna see it up close.
*Hike up Lombard 4 blocks. And by "up" I mean "80 degrees up." Stop every half block to take pictures to disguise windedness.
*See crookedest street up close. Very pretty and kind of cool, but wouldn't want to sit in traffic waiting to go down it.
*Hike back down to 28 bus.
*Take 28 bus to GGB.

I loved the GGB area. It's so different from the rest of the city, with the cliffs and the look of the bay and the vegetation. It was foggy, so the tops of the towers were in the clouds, but the view was still spectacular.

*Walk partway across bridge. Take lots of pictures of self on bridge that all suck and shall not be shared on this blog. Buy souvenirs.
*Take bus back to Ghirardhelli Square.
*Walk around Hyde Pier and The Cannery, eat ice cream, listen to guitarist apparently inspired by August Rush music. He was good. Az Samad. His album Acoustic Gestures is available on iTunes.
*Stand in line for cable car for an hour.

I was absolutely determined to ride a real cable car. I rode the street car on Wednesday, as well as a wheeled cable car-like trolley for the tour, and the bus (the 30 went through Chinatown). But I had to ride a real cable car. It was cool. 120 years old and well cared for. Gleaming wood, signature bell, and unique operation. No cables, though. Kind of weird, unless the rails have cables inside them. I'm too tired to go look that up, and I didn't have time to get off and see the Cable Car Museum, which would have been interesting.

17 hours of travel, no sleep on plane, a little Buffy on the layovers, home with the kids Monday afternoon, shared photos of Holland and SF, got up to date on their activities. Napped, but only for an hour, not nearly helpful.

Number One and I went to see the Mummy movie last night. It wasn't disappointing only because my expectations were low. To wit:

*I've seen what kind of writing the writers had come up with for Smallville two seasons ago. They lived up to that. Plot was fine, but the dialogue didn't match the previous two movies, and either the story itself or the editing was erratic.
*Maria Bello is a wonderful actress, but she is not Rachel Weisz. I'm not saying she's worse than RW, she's just not her. There was no chemistry with Brendan Fraser, she was very stiff and missing the spark and joy of life that Evie is supposed to have.
*The guy playing the son wasn't as geeky and idiotic as I expected, but he wasn't written very sympathetically and I'm sorry, while an American accent isn't out of the question (he has an American father, even if he's been raised in England), he sounded like he came from Brooklyn by way of New Jersey. Or something like that.
*Rick O'Connell was gorgeous and well-acted, but again, poorly written. His exuberance was gone, too. And I sorely missed Oded Fehr.

I wouldn't say my money was wasted. The effects were cool, the acting fine even if not what I was looking for, and I had a good time watching it with my daughter. But it was very definitely a second sequel in the old tradition.

Okay, almost done.

Besides wanting to spend the day with my family, I couldn't face the pile, both literal and digital, that waited for me in my office. Today I spent the morning sleeping (ref. 3 hours sleep over 36 hours, + 17 hours of traveling) and then getting my kids to Camp Nana and running errands. After that, I think it took me 3 hours to get the paper stuff organized, the balky computer working adequately, and my e-mail read. I got some business out of the way, but still have 43 out of the original 198 e-mails to address. (That tally doesn't include the 151 spam messages, and that's all just from four days. Imagine if I hadn't checked the three days before that!)

Some cool things today...

I got my cover for my September release:



I also found out that Renegade was #9 on the Amber Heat Bestseller list for July!

And I got a nice review for Renegade from Book Utopia.

So now we're on the downside of the summer. Even though we passed the halfway mark some time ago, getting ready for Holland and San Francisco was still climbing up to the high points of the season. Now we have doctor and car appointments, soccer practices, school open houses, and tournaments before the start of school on August 25.

And you know what? I'm sad about that.

An Easy One, and Total Vindication!!!

I had a weird dream this morning. It was very vivid, and very intense, and I remembered all of it but couldn't post until now. Let's see if I still remember.

I was an employee for a pipe fittings company, and Joss Whedon was the owner. He was very particular about his molds, and there was one size we just couldn't find anywhere. Then we got married. I wasn't really myself in this part of the dream, I was an unmarried younger woman.

Then it changed. I had a flat tire. Since my friend Megan also had a flat tire (on her flatbed truck) and the repair person was supposed to go fix hers first, I went over there. But I didn't call first, and she had company. No, not that kind of company, it was a female friend hanging out. I was all embarrassed and stuff and insisted on not intruding, and went outside to wait. From that point on, Number Two was with me, and she kept asking why we had to wait, how much longer, etc.

Pipe fittings company = Don't Look Down by Suzanne Enoch, in which the rich hero was in the middle of acquiring such a thing. I finished reading that last night.

Joss Whedon = Firefly Visual Companion, Volume 2, which I started reading last night after I finished the other book.

Getting married = Hel-lo! He's Joss Whedon!

Flat tire = No idea. Possibly represents feeling stalled.

Megan's house/friend situation = I have ideas but discussing them here would make me too vulnerable and you'd all feel uncomfortable with the view into my psyche. Psychologists among you probably can figure it out. :)

Waiting = Number Two "got" a kitten for Christmas. We went on Monday to pick one, and did, and I filled out the paperwork, but they didn't get back to us until last night, so she was already bummed about waiting. It turns out there was already a hold on that cat, so we have to go back Saturday and see if they have a new crop of kittens. Number Two is not thrilled with the wait.

You know, some night I'd like to just sleep without dreaming.

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

Today, while running all over town doing stupid errands that were only half rewarding, I listened to Pottercast. They got Jo Rowling on the show, and she talked about a lot of great tidbits and factoids. One thing they discussed was whether or not Harry is a horcrux.

She said for convenience, Dumbledore said Harry is the horcrux that Voldemort didn't intend to make, but that the description is not accurate. A horcrux is intentionally made--which is what I've been saying all along! \o/ Vindicated \o/

She also said the process to create a horcrux is a series of spells to prepare a vessel and split the soul. Since Voldemort did not prepare Harry as a vessel to house a piece of his soul, and since the rebound of the avarta kadavra curse tore Voldemort's damaged, vulnerable soul accidentally, and the fragment went to Harry as the nearest place where it would be safe, rather than being placed in him--it all amounts to Harry being something that's never been before, and never had a name, and is therefore NOT a horcrux!

I heartily advise any Harry Potter fan to head over to Pottercast and download a couple of episodes. It's great! 130 and 131 are the ones with Jo.

With the exception of the bank, post office, library, Sears, and grocery store, and checking my e-mail, I have done almost nothing so far today. Starting 2008 off slow, I guess...

Thursday Thirteen #18

Thirteen Random Things From This Week

1. There's been a lot of talk (articles, blog posts, e-mail group discussions) about feeling envy/jealousy for authors who are finding success when we aren't. Everyone is saying envy is okay, that's just wishing you also had that sale or good news or whatever, in addition to being happy for that person. Jealousy is bad, because that's not wanting them to have the good thing they just got.

My question is, if envy is okay and jealousy is not, why is envy one of the seven deadly sins?

2. The gag reel on the Supernatural Season Two DVD is quite possibly the best one I've ever seen. Usually gag reels are people messing up lines or being unable to stop laughing. But this nine-minute-plus video has true gags and some highly entertaining exchanges. Plus boytouching.

3. I'm irritated with the people who mentioned the Jared barefoot kickboxing on the DVD (yes, Gail, I'm looking at you!), because I can't find it. I have some interactive map things to look at still, and didn't finish the webisodes, but if anyone can point me to the barefoot kickboxing, I'll be grateful.

4. I love soccer, but I've been spoiled. The problems we've encountered this season have left me with constant nausea and a strong desire for the season to be over. I hate that!

5. Can the Patriots go 16-0?

6. I listened to last week's Pottercast, and they discussed Dumbledore's plan and how he was a jerk, and how he should have just told Harry that the sword of Gryffindor would destroy the horcruxes. I shouted at my iPod a lot. Dumbledore was dying, yes, but he thought he had a year to live. He didn't expect to be killed on that tower. We could presume that as soon as he and Harry got back to his office with the locket, he would have showed him how to use the sword and explained why it would work. He just never had the chance. He never wrote it down because it was of paramount importance that Voldemort not know they were aware of/were after the horcruxes. Anyone else knowing about it, or documents lying around that mentioned it, could lead to someone telling him, either out of loyalty or fear.

7. Supernatural starts in...*checks ticker*...seven days!

8. I decided to do NaNoWriMo again this year. I hope to finish Hummingbird by October 6 and have the rest of October to revise it, with a final polish in December or January or even after that, as I have other projects that can come first. In the meantime, I've been percolating More Than You Know, about a married couple who has to learn to live together for the first time. I have enough to pound that out in November, I think, the way I did Under the Moon last year.

9. I've had several friends in various levels of stress and/or crisis lately, and I think for that reason I've been nursing anxiety off and on all week. It's not my own anxiety, though it is probably exacerbated by fatigue.

10. I can't complain about being tired as it's all my own fault. I've had a lot of work, which I've been focusing on at night as well as during the day, but I haven't given up my vegging time, nor have I taught myself to watch only two episodes of a TV show on DVD (still Gilmore Girls), even if watching four meant going to bed at 2:00 a.m. when the alarm goes off at 6:11 a.m.

11. Fall TV Premiere Week is filling up my TiVo. I have Prison Break, Eureka, Heroes, Reaper, Private Practice, Bionic Woman, and four hours of Dancing with the Stars. Tonight Smallville and Ugly Betty will join them. And I am not eager to watch anything!

12. Waiting does not ever get any easier in the publishing industry. In fact, as hope increases, for whatever reason, waiting gets much, much harder. That's a no-brainer, I know, but it seems like the waits should be shorter (and may be) but it doesn't matter, because it's still torture every minute that the wait is occurring.

13. Captain Black's Grog-Flavored Pirate Mints are not as gross as they sound.

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Aftermath

My ears hurt.

21 hours of recordings. Completed in 50 hours.

What? I had a FEW other obligations.

It's really, really hard not to say anything about it, but I really, really don't want to spoil it for anyone in even the most minor way.

I'll give you a week. :)

Potterific

I have never attended a bookstore Potter release party before. I'm not very tolerant of crowds or long waits. But because my daughter is nearly as much into Harry Potter as I am, we went to Barnes and Noble last night for the final chance to participate in a release party. I'm glad we did. I'm already on chapter 6 and if I'd waited for this morning, soccer practice and other stuff would have meant I'd just be starting. :)

FYI, I'm on Internet blackout until I'm done. Since I do the audiobook and that's 27 hours, it will be a few days before I read blogs or news or possibly a number of e-mails. I'm terrified of someone saying, "Did you get to the part where..." and spoiling something.

Thank goodness for my friend Lainey. She called me at 4:07 yesterday to share her ridiculousness. She'd been shopping at B&N and saw that they were going to start handing out wristbands at 5:00 (which I knew but foolishly was going to go over at 4:45) so she got in line, even though she hadn't preordered. She said the line was already to the edge of the building. So I sped up there and joined her. Stood in line for an hour and a half. They gave out glow-in-the-dark Harry glasses, tattoos shaped like lightning-bolt 7s, and tassel charms in the Gryffindor colors.

Then Number One and went over at 7:30. We entered the trivia game, checked out the potion tasting (Maria Snyder was there, the author of Poison Study), and wandered around looking at the excellent costumes (Moody, Tonks, the portrait of the fat lady, and Moaning Myrtle were the best ones). Then we sat on the floor with numb butts for three hours. :)

B&N did a great job. We were in letter groups, and I had C. They lined everyone up half an hour early, did a big countdown, had everyone cheering and happy. When they started doing the sales they threw the empty boxes out into the crowd, which made people even MORE happy. We were outside by 12:11.

I listened to chapter one last night and am up to chapter 6 or 7 now. And I'm ridiculously happy that my downstairs bathroom needs cleaning so I can keep listening. I'm not very good at "doing nothing" and listening to audiobooks must be accompanied by productive activity. My house will likely be spotless by the end of the week.

It's all I can do not to comment, even generally, on the book so far, so I shall stop here. Please PLEASE, if you comment to this post, don't say anything spoilery! Even a tiny thing you think I probably already know! I don't want to spoil anyone else who might be busy or slow readers.

Everyone who's as passionate about this as I am--have fun!

Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter Audiobooks

I saw Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at the midnight showing Wednesday, and then again with my daughter and her friends Wednesday night. No matter how good a job they could possibly do with the films, they can't come close to matching the books for richness of detail, emotion, and magic (in all senses). They always make me want to "read" the books again.

I say "read" because I listen to the performances by Jim Dale on the audiocassettes. I've gushed about him before. He doesn't just read, or raise his voice a little to signify a female speaking. Every character is distinctive and unique, and it's a true performance.

There's a bit of music at the beginning and end of the audiobooks. I'm not sure if it's Listening Library music or unique to the Harry Potter books, but it will always indicate HP to me. When I first hear it, even if it's at the beginning of a book I have listened to half a dozen times, it gives me a little thrill of pleasure. And when I hear it at the end of the book, it brings with it sad satisfaction.

I imagine next week both reactions will be intensified.

So, the movie. I always have to see them a second time, because the first time, no matter how hard I try, I can't help having a running mental commentary about the changes they made and why, and whether or not I like them. In the second viewing, both what they did best and what was flawed are enhanced.

WARNING: There are spoilers to the movie in the next bit.

Spoilers to the book, too, I suppose, but if you haven't read the book by now...

Things I Didn't Like

1. The stripped prophecy

They shortened the prophecy and made it basically say that Harry has to kill or be killed. I know they did it to simplify things. They eliminated the element that meant Neville could have been the Chosen One, which I'm okay with for the movie's sake. You want people to be able to understand what's happening without too much exposition and confusion. But they removed what I felt was one of the most important points about the entire book: It's our choices that define us. They made it so that the prophecy must be fulfilled. Not that Harry has to choose whether or not to fulfill it.

2. The length

The director felt the other movies were too long (which is so not true--ask any true Potter fan, and those are the ones who go see it over and over again, so those are the ones that make up the bulk of the income). He seems to take great pride in making the longest book into the shortest movie. But I think making it even 10 or 20 minutes longer would have made it more satisfying.

They were trying to emphasize the level of fear, but they did it by telling each other all the time that they should be afraid. Adding Molly's scene with the bogart that kept changing into everyone she loved, dead, would have gone a lot further to showing us the stress and strain they were all under.

3. The very, very bad editing

This was more the case in the first half of the movie than in the second half. There was scene after scene that went like this:

• Establishing shot
• Character one, dialogue, one line
• Character two, dialogue, one line
• Transition to new scene

By the end, it left me feeling like I'd satisfied a craving with inferior chocolate.

4. The Melodrama

Sometimes it was musical (during Dumbledore's final words at the weak trial). Sometimes it was acting (Hermione, in several scenes). Sometimes it was dialogue that was trite and dull (Sirius telling Harry he's not a bad person, just a good person bad things have happened to, as if he didn't know that). It wasn't through the whole movie, but when it came up, it was very obvious.

5. Not Enough...

Ginny. Ron. Kreacher. Dursleys. But most especially, Fred and George. That's a minor complaint in the grand scheme, though. Except about Fred and George.

Things I Really Liked a Lot

1. The Casting

Everyone's been saying all along that Imelda Staunton and Evanna Lynch were perfect as Dolores Umbridge and Luna Lovegood, and I totally agree. Some of the description of Umbridge didn't make it to the screen, but the spirit was completely there, and there wasn't anything about Luna that I can think of that was wrong or weak. Comparing to the horrible miscasting that is David Thewlis (a talented actor but SO not Remus Lupin) or the astonishing character assassination that was Michael Gambon's interpretation of Dumbledore, these two performances were inspired.

Bellatrix was slightly over-the-top, I thought, despite her suitability for the role, but that isn't a big thing. It's a matter of degree alone, and Helena Bonham-Carter's treatment is probably more like the author's vision than what I have in my head. I loved Tonks and wished she'd had a bigger role. I hope they keep her in the sixth movie.

2. The DA

The scenes where Harry is teaching the DA were so great. You could see his confidence building, as well as everyone else's, as they learned how to do patronuses and stupefy each other. I found it curious that they put levi corpus in this movie (as one of the things the DA learned--and it wasn't how it works in the book) when we don't see it in the books until book 6, and wonder what that means to the role of the half-blood prince in the script. And I still don't get the central role of "Nigel," who is solely a movie character. But this section was truest to both the spirit and the reality of the book scenes.

3. The Possession

At the end of the battle between Dumbledore and Voldemort, Voldemort possesses Harry. Since in the books we obviously experience this as Harry does, inside, blind and in horrible pain, I knew it would be difficult to express on film. I'm not sure everyone who hasn't read the books will know what's going on, but I thought they did a good job with it.

4. The Atmosphere

The world building in the movie is STELLAR. I suspected that some of the trimming might have been due to budget, and read an article last night that talked about that very aspect. It looked like the majority of their budget went into the sets. Sure, they trimmed out nine-tenths of the Department of Mysteries, but the Hall of Prophecy and the Death Chamber were awesome, as was the rest of the ministry. The Fountain of Magical Brethren was huge and breathtaking, what little we could see. But my favorite was the Black house. It was exactly as I'd pictured it on the inside, right down to the troll-leg umbrella stand that Tonks tripped over.

5. Harry

Let's ignore the hair, which has NEVER been right. I always thought Daniel Radcliffe was well cast, and that when he hit a note ("I can figure out the right sort for myself, thanks"--to Draco in movie 1) it really resonated. When deeper emotion was called for, though, he tended to slide all over it (as in movie 3, when he was supposed to be so upset over Sirius betraying his parents). But it's been a lot of fun watching him improve with each film, and really embody the character so well. He's not perfect, but by the seventh movie I think he will be able to do it complete justice. And judging by the kiss with Cho, his kiss with Ginny will be everything I want it to be.

Thursday Thirteen #13

Thirteen Harry Potter Theories I Don't Like 1. Harry is a Horcrux Harry cannot possibly be a horcrux. Creating a horcrux is heinous, so it can't be simple magic or created by accident. Yes, I think it's logical and even probable that Voldemort intended to create one using Harry's murder. But the creation of a horcrux can only be done after the soul is torn in two, which can only be done after the murder is committed, or at least while the murder is committed, and Harry wasn't murdered. So he can't be a horcrux. Ditto on his scar. I mean, come on. 2. Harry Will Die Okay, I get it. Jo "understands" why certain authors killed their elderly sleuth protagonists when they finished their series. I don't blame her for not wanting anyone else to ever be "able" to use her characters and her world. You know, 75 years after her death (or whatever the British copyright laws are). But the truth is, it doesn't matter if she kills Harry, once the copyright expires there is nothing to stop someone from doing a "what if" (what if Harry didn't die and a new villain came along fifteen years later, when he is a paunchy father of 12 with his wife, Ginny?) or a "reset" (read the final battle the way it could have been!). Anything can happen. And I truly believe that if Harry dies, the story is not served. I don't see Jo's message as "life's a bitch and then, just when you think maybe it's not, it gets worse, and then you die so you never get to to be happy because what's important is the greater good and not one person's life." If her theme was the greater good, she would not have focused so tightly on Harry for six books. Also, 99% of every story is in Harry's point of view. If he dies, it's OVER. Nothing left. Bam, book's done. She could completely change her format, but I don't think that would make for a very good finale. 3. Harry Will Travel Back in Time to the Day His Parents Died So many things wrong with this theory, which is probably borne of the intense need of some fans to know exactly what happened that night 16 years ago. I empathize with that, but I don't think all those details are necessarily so important. First, no one ever said, I don't think, that there was someone else there (there could have been, but we don't know). Second, how could he go back that far? If three turns of the time turner takes them back two hours, how many thousands of turns would be required for 16 years? Plus, she's done the time travel thing, quite well. It would be a cheap way to address that night. 4. Harry Will Go Behind the Veil Of all the theories I don't like, I think this is the one that's most likely to happen. I can't say for sure why I don't like it. Jo said that death is final, but in book 7 we'll come closer to the dead than ever before (or something like that). Going behind the veil is a distinct possibility. But it seems too far of a departure from the world she has created. As fantastic as things are in the magical world, they are still grounded in our reality. The characters are still human. Traveling the path of the dead a la Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is too much for me. 5. Dudley Will Be the One to Discover He Has Magic Apparently, Jo has said at some point that someone who has not displayed a talent for magic before will do so in book 7. As much as it would do for dramatic irony, I don't want it to be Dudley. He doesn't deserve it, and he could wreak slapstick-level havoc if he got it. There are much more important things to deal with in this book, IMO. 6. The Deathly Hallows Refers to Something Holy Alternate translations for books in non-English countries (i.e. Harry Potter and the Relics of Death) have shown this to be pretty solidly untrue. The hallows are objects, not religion. Not that I have anything against religion, but I don't think it has a place in these books, especially given that it never had one before. It wouldn't make sense. 7. Snape is the One "Approaching" in the Prophecy The beginning of the prophecy says "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches" and someone on Mugglecast suggested it referred to Snape, who was approaching the room where the prophecy was being spoken. Clever, but wrong. The end of the prophecy says "...the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies." So there goes that--it refers, without a doubt, to Harry Potter. 8. Voldemort Accidentally Made a Horcrux This is not a repeat of the first one, because some other theories mention the possibility that at some point Voldemort said "whoops! I split my soul, didn't mean to do that." I say again, it is very deliberate and complex magic. It has to be, to do something so unnatural. 9. Ollivander Willingly Went With Voldemort This is a minor theory. But I like him, and hate the idea that he joined the dark side. 10. Harry Having His Mother's Eyes is Important People say this is mentioned so often, it has to refer to some latent magical ability or something else of that nature. I think it's just Jo, poking fun at people's propensity for pointing that stuff out. Every single time there's a baby born, every person who sees it tries to identify the features that are like Mom's and the features that are like Dad's. It's annoying, I hate it, and I do it anyway. So that's all I think it is. 11. James Used a Switching Spell with Remus and is Really Alive This is an old theory, expressed in the book Ultimate Unofficial Guide to the Mysteries of Harry Potter by "Galadriel Waters" assisted by "Prof. Astre Mithrandir." Jo debunked it for the same reason I hated it--James would never sacrifice his friend. Ever. Not solely for the purpose of saving his own life, after which he did nothing noble to make up for it. He also would not have abandoned his son, and since Lupin wasn't around for 12 years, that's what it would have amounted to. So if Jo already debunked it, why did I put it here? Um...I needed a number 11. 12. Any Other Character Has Created a Horcrux (especially a good guy) People just do not seem to grasp the magnitude of the task. Creating a horcrux is not just something a clever witch or wizard can do. Murder is difficult and unredeemable, and someone like Dumbledore would never have done it. Even if he had acceptable enough reason (like killing Voldemort would be, or in self defense, or accidentally) splitting your soul is an even more difficult thing to do. Dumbledore has never feared death, or feared leaving those whom he mentors. Certainly not enough to do something so horrible. Theories list plenty of other possible horcrux-makers, but again, it is very hard to do. I don't think Voldemort would share the secret, I don't think your average witch or wizard has the ability or the fortitude, and I don't think they would be nearly the important things they are if anyone else had made one. 13. Ginny Will Die. Or Ron. Or Hermione. Or Fred and George. Or Any Other Weasley. Death is a part of this book. She has said so, and I believe it. But in saying "one person got a reprieve and two died who weren't originally going to," Jo opened up a world of speculation that led down a road to "everyone will die!!!!" Or a belief that only important people will die. I will be really, really unhappy if any of the above kick it. I do think Hagrid might, though it might be too simplistic. As soon as she said in her interview with Melissa and Emerson that the mentor, aka Dumbledore, had to die, I thought of Hagrid. He is the last direct parental figure to Harry, even if that only lasted so long as partway through the first book. I am pretty sure Snape will die, and one theory I agree with is that he will do so working for the side of good (though I would never call him a good man). Others are up in the air, and I think (as Joss Whedon displayed in Serenity by killing Wash) that the tension of believing anyone can die is worth the reality that anyone can die. That said, the above-listed people are the ones I say can't because they are simply too important. To me.

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Examining the History of [my] Obsessions

Earlier today anteka was pondering "what trips the wire inside my brain and makes me seek out a fandom?" And inspired by that, gailann discussed how she, too, only engages in one fandom at a time. She called her post "Obsessions R Us."

So of course that got me thinking about the subject, and my passions*. I love the comment grrli made on anteka's post, that the trigger is "Epic depth." She went on very eloquently and you should go over there to see what she had to say. She really describes the trigger perfectly, as it applies to everything *I* get passionate about, anyway.

*I joke about "my obsession...I mean, passion" but I really think passion is a better word for it. Something crosses over into obsession when it takes over parts of your life, or when awareness of fantasy blurs and reality becomes skewed. That doesn't happen for most of us, even when confronted in person with the beauty that is [insert fandom target here]. Nevertheless, I'll use the words interchangeably here.

Anyway, I've been a serial obsessive for about seven years now. "Hi, my name is Natalie, and I'm a serial obsessive." What causes my passion to fade is almost always lack of fuel. What triggers it, makes it more than just interest, varies in its method but comes down to what grrli said: Epic depth, which in turn triggers a desire for moremoremore.

I never used to be obsessive. Not until I met Megan. I don't know if I just became more like her or if being around her triggered something dormant in me. But suddenly, when The Mummy Returns came out, I became obsessed with Brendan Fraser.

Yep. Brendan Fraser. I watched or rewatched everything he made that I could get my hands on. I marveled at his acting ability, at his range, at his gorgeous eyes. I saw Monkeybones. In the theater. And Looney Tunes. In the theater. I started frequenting a message board where we talked about when we got hit by the Brendan bus and shared any news about him we could find. Then he had a dry spell broken only by The Quiet American and my obsession faded.

The next big one was Lord of the Rings. I saw Fellowship of the Ring and was blown away. I started reading articles about it, then books, and the more I read, the more impressed I was. I found theonering.net and went multiple times a day. I watched interviews with cast and crew and fell in professional love with Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Phillipa Boyens. That one went on for a long time. There were three movies, and three DVDs, and extended films. More books and making-of documentaries. I had to see every movie made by every cast member. I bought Sean Astin's audiobook. And I set up my husband and friends for life: obsessives are SO easy to buy gifts for. :) Posters and action figures and puzzles and games and trading cards fill my office.

One obsession led to another. I was really impressed by Orlando Bloom's first feature film performance right out of acting school. He didn't appeal to me as a guy then. First, he was too young. Second, he was icky, with the mohawk and everything. But I loved his performance as Legolas, so I watched his career. As LOTR faded from the front of the public consciousness, Orlando took its place, solidified as an obsession when Pirates of the Caribbean came out.

Now, Pirates came at a very good time. Movies for the previous year had pretty much sucked. This one was clever and fun and over-the-top and smart (I didn't quite get it until the second watching) and full of lines to quote ad nauseum (one day I opened the pantry looking for chips or something and didn't find them. I said plaintively, "but why is the rum gone?" and it took me a couple of minutes to realize I'd said it). A few cheek flickers and some swashbuckling, and I was hooked on Orlando. I still love everything he does (he was impressive in Haven even if the movie itself was lacking). I watch orlandomultimedia.net for news of him, and record any talk show he's on. He's way old enough now to be an object of my interest. But my obsession has moved on.

My three biggest current passions/obsessions (besides the New England Patriots--sports are a whole 'nother thing) are:

1. Harry Potter
2. Firefly
3. Supernatural

They kind of intertwine as far as timeline goes.

I started listening to Harry Potter in 2000 when we had a long, late-night trip. Now all of us in my family have listened to the books on tape multiple times. We own the movies (except Chamber) and my kids have plastered their walls with movie images. But I've listened to the books more than anyone else and I'm the only one actively involved in the fandom.

Which requires me to back up. For six years, my interest in HP was only in the books, with a tangential interest in the movies. Then Serenity came out.

I saw the first episode of Firefly on TV, but back then I wasn't that into television, and though I thought the show was okay and worth watching, I had trouble finding it after that and never saw it on TV again. I had great interest in the movie when it approached, and SciFi started showing episodes again. I saw one more but wanted to wait and Netflix the series to watch in order. But I bought the DVD set the day after we saw the movie instead. I watched it straight through, loaned it to a friend, and immediately wanted it back.

That was a first. I've gone through other TV shows on DVD pretty quickly: Alias and Smallville and Entourage and Arrested Development. And by then, I was mildly obsessed with Lost, enough to go to The Fuselage (which I only started reading because JJ Abrams started it) and I watched a few of those episodes twice to try to see the connections I sometimes missed the first time around. But Firefly was the only TV show I wanted to watch over and over and over.

Until now. But that's jumping ahead.

So I saw Serenity in the theater three times before it was gone, and I watched Firefly over and over. When the movie came out on DVD I bought 9 copies for holiday gifts. And I wanted more. I Googled Firefly/Serenity and found The Signal, a podcast dedicated to bringing back Firefly. And there was born my connection to "fandom."

Now, anything can have fans. Some fans can be intense in their appreciation for a show. But it takes something more to be a "fandom." Fanfic and filk and art. Message boards and dissection and shouting from every possible forum to draw more people into it. I'm a peripheral fan in these communities, kind of on the edge, interested in but not really part of, for the most part. But I have to admit, I love them.

So okay, I started listening to The Signal. And I was all caught up and wanted more podcasts. I realized The Leaky Cauldron had to have one, and found Pottercast only a few weeks after it launched. (I tried Mugglecast [of MuggleNet], too, and I love the boys of Mugglecast, but the format and content of Pottercast grabbed me more.) Pottercast is up to 86 podcasts now, and I've listened to every single one. I love hearing the speculation and debate about what's coming in the final book, and what certain things mean. I am fascinated by discourse by really smart people about the stuff I love. I also enjoy yelling at them in my car. But I don't ever write to them, or participate in the message boards. I'm an observer in that fandom only, except for the stuff I post here on this blog.

Then came Supernatural. I Netflixed the DVDs when I caught up on Smallville. It was a show my husband was interested in last year, and one I would have watched, except we didn't get the WB. There was no local affiliate, and the Philly affiliate offered by Comcast was not also offered by DirecTV. But a few minutes into the pilot I was hooked (luckily, we did have a local UPN affiliate, which is now a CW affiliate). I have used my copies of the DVDs to hook other people, and every week we squee together over the show and make constant references to it and to Sam and Dean. I set up Google alerts for the show so I can read news stories about it, and for the actors so I can watch other things they do going forward (FYI, Cry Wolf is a better movie than Devour, but Jensen is better in Devour--and there's more of him--than Jared in Cry Wolf). Because of these Google alerts, I wound up reading ignipes's "10 things I love" about each episode and friended her on LJ because what she says about the show is so great. Because of my friends who also love the show, I have a series of YouTube videos in my favorites and I found my way to anteka's blog to read her Plastic!Winchester Theater and ended up friending her, too, because I thought what she says about the show is also great. I've friended a couple of other people who showed incredible insight and wit along the way. So I am more of a participant in this fandom than any other--though I don't read or write fanfic about the show, or decorate my blog with Sam and Dean (though Dean does tell me when my cell phone is ringing), and I don't participate in any message boards or communities.

Man, this is long and rambly. If you've made it this far, I apologize. :)

My point is, different things have brought me into fandoms. It usually starts as a driving need for more--the sorrow over the end of Firefly, the long distance between Harry Potter books, the more difficult though much shorter gaps between Supernatural episodes--and grows because of some emotional reaction to what I find out there in the fandom.

What I chose to obsess over, always, is something that has that "epic depth" described by grrli waayyyyy back at the beginning of this stupidly long blog post. Always, there is a world distinct from ours, ripe with relationships and emotion, big stakes, personal and physical journeys, and great wit as well as great drama. They enrich my life, make me dig dipper into the human psyche than day-to-day living does, and I hope that when these fade, there will always be something new to replace them.

I'm interested in hearing how other people feel about this stuff. If, like I was, you've been inspired to explore your own level of obsession in depth, please leave a link in the comments so I can go read it. :) Thanks!

Harry Potter Dissers

Even if you're not a Harry Potter fan or casual reader of the books, you know by now that the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is due to be released on July 21 of this year.

First, let's take a moment to say YAY!

Yay!

I saw a quote recently from a story in a UK newspaper, The Herald, by Melanie Reid. She said:

Is it too presumptuous to suggest that everyone creative connected with Harry has been imprisoned for too long in an immense money-making machine; one which has come close to crushing the original joy of an adequate story? I don't think so.

Hell, yes, it's too presumptuous. Just like it would be too presumptuous of me to assume Melanie Reid is a frustrated novelist who can't sell a book, never mind come within a tenth of J.K. Rowling's success, and is therefore speaking from a position of jealousy.

Let's look at the Harry Potter phenomenon:

J.K. Rowling, poor and in fairly dire straits, writes the first book out of love for the story that has erupted in her mind and heart. She plans a seven-book series, planting clues in book one that will connect to all seven books. It is doubtful she is thinking, "Boy, this will make me richer than the queen!"

Ms. Rowling manages to sell it to an editor who is very excited about the story. This UK-based editor tells a US-based editor about it. He reads it and is likewise excited. Because he is working for a corporation, he probably does think there's a chance the property will sell well. He is not likely, however, to think, "Boy, my publisher will make a third of its total income off this series."

[In other words, book seven would have been written, and would have been written the way it has been, whether HP became an "immense money-making machine" or not.]

For a few years, there is some moderate success. Then some idiots decide this book is the work of the devil. Some other idiots, and plenty of people who are not idiots, take up the cry, bringing attention to the books.

Millions of readers perk up and say, "what's all the fuss?" They read the books and like them. They talk about elements of the story, from global themes to tiny details. As a result, worldwide communities of people who would otherwise never have found each other grow. Each new book is anticipated and welcomed with a passion unprecedented in the book world.

Why does the fact that it results in profit render irrelevant all of the good that comes of it, in the mind of someone like Melanie Reid? Why does profit from anything make it less valuable? I have never understood that.

I've read a lot of interviews with J.K. Rowling, and read the journal entries and answers to questions she's posted on her web site. I've listened to interviews with her American editors and even after six books, the passion and joy all of them still feel is obvious. To say they are all imprisoned is to misunderstand the process that takes a book from idea to shelf. Creating a book is work, just like accounting is work and lawyering is work and garbage collecting is work. There is pleasure and frustration in anything, even creativity.

I'm not sure where she sees nearly crushed joy. The readers are certainly as joyful that book seven is coming out as they were about book six and book five. There is sadness that it's the last book, of course, but nothing goes on forever, and we all knew it was coming. Perhaps she is acquainted with the editors personally and intimately and knows something that I cannot. If they are happy it is almost over, I am sad for them, but it has nothing to do with the rest of us.

I'm also not sure how she connects "original joy" with "adequate story." If the story was only adequate, there is no way it would have reached even half the level of success it has. Like The Da Vinci Code (but to a far lesser extent, in my opinion), the writing might be improvable. But the magic of the story transcends mechanics and technical skill.

And maybe that's the problem with the people who deride the phenomenon of Harry Potter or anything else that inspires that level of passion and pride, like Lord of the Rings or Firefly/Serenity or sports or American Idol: Their lives lack magic.

And that's the saddest thing of all.