Martha O'Connor

Three of Three: Literary Enemies

2007-07-09T15:57:00.000-07:00

At last, here is the promised third installment to my series on "The Literary Life." Previously I blogged about genres and about literary friendships. Interestingly, the official news just came through the pipeline that an old writing pal of mine, Sara Gruen, just had her book, Water for Elephants, optioned for a film! And her new book, Ape House, should be a smash hit as well. I belonged to a small critique group with Sara long before either of us had a book published. I didn't even have an agent and Sara was still on her first agent and crossing fingers for a book sale. I got to meet Sara in person, in Chicago, from whence I hail and where Sara still lives. What a treat that was!

The members of the group have all drifted off their separate ways, but some of us still remain in touch. Now, years later Sara has published three terrific novels about animals, the latest a New York Times #1 bestseller. How proud I am of her! One thing that impressed me was that Sara made sure the film contract specified the animals would be treated humanely during the filming of Water for Elephants. A class act 100%!

At any rate, I am now going to post the third of my series about the Literary Life. It's a topic not many people like to discuss: "literary enemies."

People have asked me if I have any literary enemies. I find this question quite funny. Maybe that is because to me, the concept of a literary feud is quite absurd. We are all vessels for the Spirit. That's what we touch when we write. There is plenty for everyone. No one is going to write in the same way, just as no two singers will sing in quite the same way. I heard three awesome soloists at Glide the other day. They all moved me in very different ways, but the Spirit sang through them all. I didn't see any them feuding over singing styles after the service. How silly would that be?

Not everyone agrees with me though. For instance, there's an infamous feud between Bret Harte and Mark Twain. Mary McCarthy and Lillian Helman had a longstanding literary feud. Leo Tolstoy threatened to shoot his neighbor, Ivan Turgenev. After Colson Whitehead gave a bad review to Richard Ford, Ford spit on him at a party. And heavens knows what Melissa Banks thinks of Curtis Sittenfeld.

I don't have any enemies I am aware of. But that is because I think you need two people to have a conflict, and I am in a position where I cannot afford any resentments. Resentments for me lead right down the road to a drink. And for me or any alcoholic, to drink is to die.

So I practice peace, forgiveness (of myself and others), and letting go. I read a book recently that said all people on earth, including me, are to some degree spiritually ill as well as frequently wrong. This includes me. (Imagine!) Learning this is what has given me the gifts of goodwill and tolerance toward myself and others.

Have I had differences with people? Yes. Were some heated? Yes, especially before I quit drinking. Did I say things I regretted? Oh boy. You bet. But the important thing is I made my amends for those things and then let them go into the Universe. There are people to whom I was once close, who refuse to talk to me now due to some things I did and said when I was still drinking. But that is OK. Everyone doesn't have to talk to me. It would be awfully noisy if they did!

I notice sometimes new authors deciding that they are only going to be friends with authors who write the same type of books they do or that they are going to separate themselves from authors of other genres. In my not-so-humble opinion, you are really selling yourself short by doing that. You have an opportunity to build a real support network among those who understand--other writers. Why sacrifice that just due to some misplaced sense of pride? As I said, none of us is better than any other. There's also an unfortunate one-upsmanship going on between literary and genre writers that I really try to avoid. I would urge writers, especially new writers, to open your arms wide. You never know from where your support might come.

One other thing I would caution new writers against is dissing other writers in public. There was one time I gave an off-the-cuff jab at a very successful author when I was in conversation with an LA Times reporter. I immediately felt terrible and begged him not to print it. Fortunately, he agreed to my request.

What you write on the internet is permanent. Google can find it even if you take it down. And from what I have seen, authors (even the famous ones) spend an obscene amount of time looking themselves up on Google, Technorati, Blogpulse and everything else. There is a very real chance they'll find your post.

Awhile back on the blog I mentioned a book I wanted to throw across the room. I won't be mentioning that author's name here (though my close author friends may know to whom I refer). I really don't see a reason to drag this writer to the carpet in public for a book I happened not to like. Tons of people loved it. Who is to say I am right and others are wrong?

Besides, why be mean? What good is it to hurt someone? Maybe I am wishy-washy, but aren't we all part of the same whole? What hurts one hurts all. That's what I believe in my heart of hearts. As Shakespeare said, "The play's the thing..."

I'm Still Here

2007-07-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
You may or may not have noticed, I took a lengthy hiatus from blogging. There are a few reasons. First of all, summertime is always crazy for us, with odd and unpredictable schedules. Second, I have been busily doing a second draft of TINK. And third, I have been dealing with some personal issues which simply take TIME. Honestly, I'm not sure how often I'll be blogging in the near future.

On Monday I'll post the final installment of my "Literary Life" ponderings. Just wanted you all to know I am still around! My son won a giant "Bearack Obama" bear at the county fair on the 4th... that was the highlight of the week. There is nothing funnier than a 10 year old answering the phone, holding her hand over the receiver, gesturing at her brother, and wih great puzzlement saying: "It's the Barack Obama campaign... for YOU????" Bearack comes home today.

The Story of Dolores Ibarruri

2007-06-06T18:33:00.001-07:00

Hi, I know I've been absent for a while, but I am still ALIVE. I am very busy, but staying healthy, sane, and continuing to reach toward that wonderful state of: Happy, Joyous, and Free. It's hard work sometimes, you know?

One person that has inspired me lately is Dolores Ibarruri "La Pasionaria" of Spain.

Being a Spanish Civil War buff, I am quite inspired by this courageous woman. I have a friend who is a Spanish Civil War vet. He got blacklisted when he returned, and wasn't permitted to fight in WWII as he wanted because he was labelled a "Premature Anti-Fascist." Good God. And, he lost his teaching job and subsisted on pay from pushing a broom. His wife blacklisted as well.

Here is Dolores Ibarruri, the gifted speaker who inspired men like my friend, as well as Spain struggling under Franco. Her most famous quote is: “Better to die on one's feet than to live on one's knees.” Isn't that beautiful? And so true. We really need to value ourselves in order to be happy, joyous and free. Dolores was a strong strong woman who was unafraid to take a bold stand for her beliefs.

Here is a great article about the Passion Flower where you can read to find more about this impassioned woman who is so inspiring to me and countless others.

“No pasarán!” (“They shall not pass!”)

Graffiti Girl

2007-05-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

Have you ever sprayed graffiti? I am not telling whether I have or not. Some of my oldest, closest friends know the truth. What is cool about the best graffiti is that it is truly art. The artists are anonymous because, of course, defacing property is illegal. The graffiti created by me was never exactly beautiful, so I have a bit of an inferiority complex that way. Oops, I think I just told on myself.

Anyway, I was thrilled to hear that Young Adult author Kelly Parra had written a new book titled GRAFFITI GIRL. I must say I love the title. It is published by MTV Books. How cool is that? It is just the type of thing I would have picked up as a teen, so I was excited to find out I would get to host her as part of my blog co-op, The Girlfriends Cyber Circuit.

THE AUTHOR

Kelly Parra lives in a diverse agricultural farm town in Central Coast California with her loving husband and two beautiful children. When not at work on her current novel, she spends her free time roaming book stores, surfing the blogosphere, and watching reality TV. Look for her first novel, GRAFFITI GIRL, with MTV/Pocket Books scheduled for May 2007.

THE BOOK

Graffiti art. It's bold. It's thrilling. And it can get a girl into serious trouble...

Raised by her single mom (who's always dating the wrong kind of man) in a struggling California neighborhood, Angel Rodriguez is a headstrong, independent young woman who channels her hopes and dreams for the future into her painting. But when her entry for a community mural doesn't rate, she's heartbroken. Even with winning artist Nathan Ramos--a senior track star and Angel's secret crush--taking a sudden interest in Angel and her art, she's angry and hurt. She's determined to find her own place in the art world, her own way.

That's when Miguel Badalin--from the notorious graffiti crew Reyes Del Norte--opens her eyes to an underground world of graf tags and turf wars. She's blown away by this bad boy's fantastic work and finds herself drawn to his dangerous charm. Soon she's running with Miguel's crew, pushing her skills to the limit and beginning to emerge as the artist she always dreamed she could be. But Nathan and Miguel are bitter enemies with a shared past, and choosing between them and their wildly different approaches to life and art means that Angel must decide what matters most before the artist inside of her can truly break free.

THE PRAISE

"With characters as bold and exciting as the art they love, and an honesty that keeps them raw and real, Graffiti Girl shows us that the only thing better than discovering your talent is finding yourself along the way."
~ Jenny O'Connell, author of Plan B and The Book of Luke

"Graffiti Girl is a fast-paced story that boldly looks dreams and temptations in the eye. 16 year-old Angel Rodriguez steals your heart as she tries to find her place in the world--artistically, socially, and even inside her own family. Don't miss this one!"
~ Tina Ferraro, author of Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress

"Breaking into the YA market with the edgy debut novel Graffiti Girl, Kelly Parra will surprise readers with her hip yet mature voice."
~ RITA Award-winning author, Dianna Love Snell

"This book blew me away. Kelly Parra writes with the keen eye of an artist. Graffiti Girl is warm, gutsy, and true-to-life -- an unflinching, honest portrayal of young adults. A seamless and impressive debut."
~ Anne Frasier, USA Today bestselling author of Pale Immortal

THE INTERVIEW

1. How did you get this idea for this book? Please describe how the book grew from a glimmer of an idea into a whole novel.

KP: Basically my love for art in high school and my friends who were into Graffiti art inspired me to write Graffiti Girl. When I was sixteen, I tried my hand at graffiti designs in what is called a "piecebook" but could never really do justice to the bold style. When I decided to write YA fiction, graffiti was the first idea to pop for me since I was familiar with art. However, I did have to do a lot of research on graffiti. From there it was an uphill battle to find the right voice and tone I wanted to write for teens. Once I was comfortable, I just wrote. I wish there was some formula I followed that I could pass along, but by the time I have finished the book I am in awe that I actually wrote it and that all those words came from my head. I really think it's a gift writers have to tell stories.

2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

KP: My advice is to read. Read the genre you would like to write in, but also outside your genre. Take on-line writing courses or classes whenever you can manage it. There is always room for learning and growing. And when you feel your book is at its best and ready to be read by agents or editors, learn as much as you can about the publishing industry and the dos and don'ts of the submission process.

3. What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?

KP: My typical day is to get up and ready my kids for school and get them out the door. Then when I return home, I refuel, check email and my numerous blogs, and that takes at least an hour. I can then settle into where I left off with my current book. I usually read the prior chapter to get back into the tone and scene, and that goes on with breaks until it's time to pick up the kids. Sadly, I wish I was more organized and just had more space in general to spread out. The only thing I often do, is right down a list of the things I must get finished that day. Otherwise who knows when I'll remember to get it done. :)

4. What's been the most exciting thing about publishing? The most frustrating?

KP: The most exciting part of writing a novel is that after all the hard work you put into a book, you get to finally have the finished product in your hands. There is nothing like holding your own published book, knowing you created these characters from your head, that these are the words you wrote. :) The most frustrating for me is outlining a novel in advance. I'd rather work with the story as I go along. If I write to an outline sometimes that doesn't leave room for much creativity.

5. Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not, what else is in the works?

KP: There are no plans to write a follow-up to Graffiti Girl. My next novel in the works is another YA about a girl who can see psychic images or signs on her peers, and pieces the signs together in order to save them from unfortunate fates. It's going to be a fun project to finish!

6. Who are your favorite authors in the genre you write?

KP: My favorite YA authors are Sarah Dessen, Ann Brashares, and Laurie Halse Anderson. And the list is growing every time I discover a new author!

7. Music while you write or silence?

KP: I read a lot about writers working to music. I just can't. Good music is so distracting. Half the time I want to sing along or dance when I hear a great song. I work best in silence so that I can focus on the character and try to get better into her head.

8. Favorite drink while writing?

KP: It's usually water, unless I have to stay up late writing. If that is the case it's a cup of French Vanilla Cafe to keep me awake. :)

Thank you so much, Kelly! Check out her book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local indy.

Tragedy Close To Home

2007-05-22T10:27:00.001-07:00

Today I had planned to post another Girlfriends interview, maybe some photos of the puppy, but some horrible news from my friend Barb Marche (she's the Canadian who wrote the essay on Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes for this blog... scroll through the archives if you're curious) has absolutely paralyzed me. As many of you know, my son was diagnosed with Type 1 in July of 2004. It has altered our lives forever.

Just over a week ago, Paul Beckwith, known as "Pumper Paul" to the diabetes community, went to bed along with his family. There was no one around to see or hear him as he slept. He suffered an extreme low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and fell into a coma. His wife discovered him the next morning, unable to rouse him.

Paul hung on in a comatose state for several days before he became yet another victim of this horrible disease.

In Barb's words: "He was an absolutely incredible human being who was looking forward to restarting his life with a new pancreas. He didn't wait for life to happen however. For close to 20 years Paul advocated for insulin pumps. Paul's legacy is the insulin pump bill in Ontario and the provinces that have followed."

Paul was 53 years old with two teenaged daughters. he had been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age 14. He said insulin pumping had given him his life back.

The scenario that killed Paul is known as Dead in Bed. Yes, this disease can kill those who use cutting-edge technology, who take vigilant care of their diabetes. It is my nightly terror. That cure can't come soon enough. INSULIN IS NOT A CURE!

You can send a notice to the family here.

Tribute to Paul Beckwith

They have also requested donations be sent to either the Canadian
Diabetes Association or Trinity Community Church in lieu of flowers.

The oher stuff goes in the blog tomorrow. I'm numb.

Sorry for My Absence...

2007-05-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

But the puppy has come home! She is an adorable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Just coming up on 9 weeks old, tomorrow. One big ball of energy, fur, kisses, and oh yeah, puppy accidents. As you can imagine, she has happily consumed all our time since we got her one week ago! I will post some pictures when I get the chance. They are the BEST dog breed EVER!

It is with embarrassment that I post this overdue Girlfriends Cyber Circuit blog tour from Jennifer O'Connell. Interestingly, I just ran into one of Jennifer's novels at the bookstore the other day. Jennifer's new book is titled INSIDER DATING and has just been published!

THE AUTHOR

Although she’s written about a reality dating show, a prescient pastry chef, and a woman who inspired an 80’s rock hit, Jennifer has not spent hours dissecting The Bachelor, she can barely follow the directions on the back of a Betty Crocker box, and she can only dream of a long-haired, guitar-thrashing rocker even giving her a second glance.

While she cringes at the thought of being called Jenny again after all these years, her teen books, PLAN B and THE BOOK OF LUKE, are published under Jenny O’Connell by MTV Books (March 2006).

Her days as a high school senior may be long behind her, but Jennifer did receive her B.A. from Smith College and her M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. A market strategy consultant, she lives outside Boston.

THE BOOK

Recently divorced, top financial analyst Abby Dunn has learned the hard way that when it comes to relationships, there's no sure thing. But now Abby's decided to use her knack for risk management to change all that - and give a whole new meaning to mergers and acquisitions. She's creating a members-only club where women share the inside information on the opposite sex they need to invest their greatest assets: themselves. And she's got underperforming men running scared.

Only while Abby's busy hedging bets, someone is skewing her data and threatening to ruin her model. And Abby's about to find out that sometimes even the savviest market wizards can be headed for a crash.
While it may be perfectly legal, nothing good can come from insider dating...

THE PRAISE

Alison Pace, author of PUG HILL and IF ANDY WARHOL HAD A GIRLFRIEND
"What if a database could tell you everything you might need to know about someone before you even met? INSIDER DATING asks just that with results that are both very funny and surprisingly heartfelt. I laughed out loud, I pondered, and I was ultimately thankful that such a database doesn't exist. Jennifer O'Connell's best book yet!"

Melissa Senate, author, SEE JANE DATE and LOVE YOU TO DEATH
"I'm crazy about Jennifer O'Connell's novels, and INSIDER DATING is another fun, smart and insightful treat!"

THE INTERVIEW

1. How did you get this idea for this book? Please describe how the book grew from a glimmer of an idea into a whole novel.

I was finishing my third novel and knew I had to begin thinking about what I’d do next. Everything I saw or heard was fodder for a new idea. I had a bunch of ideas but no big “a-ha” moments. One summer afternoon I was out on our deck, flipping through People magazine. One of those blow-ins for the Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes fell onto my lap and I thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool if there was a clearinghouse for men.” The idea for INSIDER DATING came immediately, that a woman could create a sort of clearinghouse that allowed women to share information in a members-only club. I mentioned the idea to my agent but we’d begun talking about writing YA, and so I focused on writing that proposal for a YA book and it sold. INSIDER DATING didn’t have a synopsis or anything for almost another year.

2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

I’m not a good one to ask for advice, as I never really aspired to be a writer. I just enjoyed writing and happened to sell a book. Given that, I guess what I’d say is, write what you enjoy, know the business of publishing inside and out, and grow a thick skin.

3. What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?

No tricks. No typical day. I have a “real job” that takes up about 50 hours of my week, so I write when I can – but I always have a notebook to take down notes in. It can be ideas for scenes, dialog I hear, or anything. This way even if I can’t write, I can give myself what I need to jumpstart the process when I have time to sit down at my laptop.

4. What's been the most exciting thing about publishing? The most frustrating?

The most existing for me is coming up with an idea that I love, that gets me (and my agent) excited. But even more exciting than that is getting the call that there’s an editor (or more!) who want the book. I only wish I’d realized that the thrill that comes from finishing a manuscript lasts approximately 32 seconds – and then the reality sets in: you need to come up with another book idea to do it all over again.

5. Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not, what else is in the works?

No follow-up to this. None of my books so far were conceived to last beyond the last page. I edited an anthology of essays by some fun, funny women writers, EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT BEING A GIRL I LEARNED FROM JUDY BLUME, and that comes out in June so I’m doing promotional stuff for that. Then I have a non-fiction book about divorce, THE DIVORCED GIRLS SOCIETY coming out in October, and in between those I need to find the time to write the first book in my new teen series that’s being published by MTV/Pocket. No name yet, but it takes place on Martha’s Vineyard during the summer.

6. Would you ever belong to a secret society where women share information about the men they’ve dated?

That’s a tough one. On the one hand, it would save a lot of wasted energy on someone who is incompatible. On the other hand, I probably wouldn’t be married to my husband. Some other woman he’d dated would have let me know that he gets up way too early (I’m not a morning person), he hates to travel (I love to get away), he can’t type (I have a laptop perma-glued to my thighs), he recites lines to cheesy movies (if I hear one more line from Fletch I’ll break out into hives), and he doesn’t take advantage of airline miles when charging things to a credit card, instead choosing to earn “Red Sox points” on a card with his favorite team’s logo (I’m a “free” mile junky who can justify any charge because I know I’m earning a flight somewhere). Maybe it’s the things you can’t itemize that end up being the things that matter.

7. Who did you dedicate this book to and why?

This book is dedicated to my two best friends, Vicki and Vangie. We’ve been best friends since we met our first day of college, and when I was writing this book they were both going through divorces. Here I was writing about a woman who was divorced and my friends were going through it for real. Their circumstances were completely different from Abby’s in the book, but the idea that your friends are the ones who are always there for you is in the book, and in our real lives as well.

8. What was the most surprising thing that's happened to you since your book's been published?

I met Kevin Bacon when I was on a morning show in NYC. He was on for his band, and we were in dressing rooms next to each other. He was in there doing scales with his voice, or whatever it is they do, all serious and self-important. We stood right next to each other in the hall and he acted like he was Pavarotti. I was like, “Dude, you danced in a barn in Footloose, get over yourself.” So now I’m 1 degree from Kevin Bacon.

Thank you so much, Jennifer! Check out Jennifer's book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your best choice, your local indy.

Secrets and More Secrets

2007-05-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

Looks as if I'm going to have to put a little hold on my discussion of the literary life, because the literary life has come up and bit me in the tail! I'm a bit overdue in welcoming fellow GCCer Lauren Barnholdt to the blog! Lauren is the author of the new novel for "tweens," THE SECRET IDENTITY OF DEVON DELANEY.

THE AUTHOR

The Official:

Lauren Barnholdt is a twenty--six-old writer who was born and raised in Syracuse, NY. Her articles and short stories have appeared in Elements magazine, Girls Life, and on mensclick. com. Lauren is currently under
contract with Simon Pulse for her young adult novels, having set an unprecedented sale when she was signed for her first two book deal on
just three chapters and a synopsis. Her

first book for young adults, REALITY CHICK, will be released on June 27, 2006. Lauren currently teaches a popular online course called How to Write and Sell the YA Chick-lit Novel. She is also co-author of the book HOW TO WRITE AND SELL THE YA NOVEL, which will be released by Writer's Digest Books in December of 2006. Lauren now resides in Central Connecticut, and when she's not writing, she spends most of her time reading and watching lots and lots of reality TV.

What You Really Want To Know:

Hi. I’m Lauren. I tried writing this bio in third person, but it
seemed weird. I’m twenty-six. I write books. Here are some things
about me:

* My favorite reality show is Newlyweds. I know, Nick and Jessica broke
up, whatever. I still love the show.

*One time I tried out for a reality TV show, and I didn’t make it.

* When I told my boyfriend I was writing a section of my website that was
“what you really want to know” he was like, I CAN WRITE IT! Um, no.

*My favorite book is CATCHER IN THE RYE.

* I say the word “scandalous” a lot. It appears all over the place in
REALITY CHICK, and my editor made me cut a lot of them.

* In real life, I am not scandalous at all.

* I have two sisters. I’m the oldest.

* My favorite drink is Diet Coke with Lime.

* My favorite color is pink.

* I love the New York Yankees. I plan on marrying Derek Jeter. As soon
as I have the chance to meet him, this plan will be put into action.

* I love college basketball. The Syracuse Orangemen are my favorite
team.

* I love pop music. I don’t care if this makes me a dork. I also love
Gavin DeGraw, Vertical Horizon, Nine Days, Matchbox Twenty, Lifehouse,
and The Goo Goo Dolls.

* I refuse to dance in public, but sometimes I have dance parties in my
room, by myself, while listening to previously mentioned pop music.
Destiny’s Child and Christina Aguilera are favorites.

* If you want to know anything else, you can email me and I’ll probably tell you.

THE BOOK

Launching the new Simon and Schuster MIX line for tweens comes THE SECRET IDENTITY OF DEVON DELANEY by Lauren Barnholdt….

Mom says karma always comes around to get you, and I guess it's true. Because last summer I was a total liar, and now, right in the middle of Mr. Pritchard's third-period math class, my whole world is about to come crashing down…..

That's because while Devon was living with her grandmother for the summer, she told her "summer friend," Lexi, that she was really popular back home and dating Jared Bentley, only the most popular guy at school. Harmless lies, right? Wrong. Not when Lexi is standing at the front of Devon's class, having just moved to Devon's town. Uh-oh.

Devon knows there's only one way to handle this -- she'll just have to become popular! But how is Devon supposed to accomplish that when she's never even talked to Jared, much less dated him?! And it seems the more Devon tries to keep up her "image," the more things go wrong. Her family thinks she's nuts, her best friend won't speak to her, and, as if it's not all complicated enough, Jared starts crushing on Lexi and Devon starts crushing on Jared's best friend, Luke. It all has Devon wondering -- who is the real Devon Delaney?

THE INTERVIEW

1. How did you get this idea for this book? Please describe how the book grew from a glimmer of an idea into a whole novel.

When my friends and I were in junior high, we were dating this group of guys from another school. So we made it seem like we were super popular at our school, and that all the boys wanted us. Which wasn’t even close to being true. One night some of the guys we lied to played basketball against some of the boys from our school who supposedly wanted us, and I just kept thinking, God, I hope none of them talk. And that was the inspiration for THE SECRET IDENTITY OF DEVON DELANEY. Only, unlike in my situation, poor Devon’s lies catch up with her.

2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Here are my top three tips for aspiring writers: 1. Don’t give up. 2. Don’t compare yourself to other writers – everyone’s path to publication is different, and what happens to one person is not necessarily going to happen to you. Don’t worry, you’ll get there. 3. Enjoy the process. Sometimes it’s so hard to enjoy writing when you’re getting rejections or things aren’t going well. But remember that you’re working toward a goal, one that’s worth it. And be thankful that you’ve found what it is you’re passionate about – not everyone can say that.

3. What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?
I try to get up early, because I find it’s easier for me to be productive if I feel like I’m getting a jump on the day.

4. What's been the most exciting thing about publishing? The most frustrating?
The most exciting thing is definitely seeing my book on the shelves. It’s definitely surreal. Also hearing from people who have read and enjoyed my books. The most frustrating is probably learning to let go of the things you can’t control – the rejections, the negative reviews, etc.

5. Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not, what else is in the works?
I would love to write a follow-up to Devon Delaney! Right now, though, my latest YA book, TWO-WAY STREET, will be out in June, and I’m working on a new tween book that will be out next year.

Thank you, Lauren! Please take a moment to check out Lauren's book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your bestest bet, the local indy retailer near you.

The Literary Life Continued: Writing Friendships

2007-05-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

This is a continuation from the blog post from the other day. I think non-writers, or new writers, might erroneously think I hang out with ONLY authors of dark, edgy fiction. I may look down my nose at authors of chicklit, YA, picture books, or genre romance. That may be true of other authors; I don't know. But for me, as my literary life has evolved, that simply hasn't been the case.

Interestingly enough, I have author friends who write ALL DIFFERENT genres. Because guess what? Our struggles are pretty much the same. Getting a book done, finding an agent, selling a book, surviving the angst until the book hits the shelves, all of that. Getting stuck with a cover you hate, or learning your book will come out in trade paper when they promised you hardback. Or your agent taking too long to read your book, or a promised blurb not coming through. Hearing that your genre is oversaturated right now (which has happened to chicklit authors lately). Or whatever! This is the life of an author, and it is pretty similar whether you write chicklit, military thrillers, or haute literature.

There are authors to whom I owe a lot of my career who write in a different genre than myself. The aforementioned Becky Motew and Melanie Lynne Hauser, Elizabeth Graham, Jill Morrow, Karen Abbott, Danielle Schaaf, Elizabeth Letts, Carrie Kabak, Kristy Kiernan, Karen Dionne and Sara Gruen are published writers who, when we all started out, weren't even published. Time has gone on and NOW--all of them have books out (Elizabeth Graham and both of the Karens have coming out very soon). Some have multiple publications--Sara Gruen's latest, Water for Elephants was ever a bestseller, and she just made the most gigantic deal I ever heard of for her newest book, Ape House. I met all of these women online, and I have had the pleasure of meeting both Sara and Melanie in person. I hope to meet more of them someday!

What I want to emphasize is, these are all very different writers. They all explore a variety of different topics. Yet along the way, all of these wonderful women offered me a variety of support.

I'm just looking at the list now and I see several chicklit authors in the list, some authors of women's fiction, a pair of authors of nonfiction (one about nuns, the other about whores--no kidding), some of literary fiction, the author of a thriller, and some authors who write in a combination of these genres. Current author friends whom I see in person quite a bit include Cornelia Read (mysteries), Rebecca del Rio (poetry and literary fiction), and Diane Conway (nonfiction/inspirational).

Did I chose this lengthy list of women as author friends/support because of their genres? NO! Yet I would go to the mat for any of them. I don't really give a sweet damn if they write chicklit or cookbooks or erotica.

From providing critiques to standing in the cheering section, these authors have enriched my life in so many ways. Though I'm far from the perfect author friend, I hope I've been of service to them as well.

The Literary Life: Reading Relationships

2007-05-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

Great news! Blogger tells me I can blog in Hindi now. This should DEFINITELY be useful! All I have to do is learn Hindi and I'll go from there!

I was thinking about something lately: the literary life. As I am wont to do, I began typing and typing and typing and well... what I wrote turned into something far too long for one blog post. So I've broken these ponderings into a 3-part series, to be posted over the next several days.

Do you remember awhile back there were some very angry words flying between women writers of "chicklit" and women writers of books that were not "chicklit"? I am pretty sure this was around the time Curtis Sittenfeld, when reviewing Melissa Bank for The New York Times, said that calling a woman a "chicklit" writer was like calling her a slut. Then, Sittenfeld proceeded to call Bank's book chicklit (therefore, I guess, calling Bank a slut). This is intriguing since I have heard Sittenfeld's books (PREP and THE MAN OF MY DREAMS) described as a variety of things, including: literary, coming-of-age, Young Adult, and yes, chicklit.

Chicklit, what is it? Ah, the eternal question.

Over the years, I have gotten to know a lot of writers of what's known as "chicklit" (a term which covers an ever-broadening range of books, I think, though they do tend to be light and entertaining). Some of them I know rather well and got to know them before our literary careers even began. Some of them I met via my blog touring co-op, The Girlfriends Cyber Circuit. You'll often see these gals buzz through here with interviews when their books come out. Many (though not all) of the Girlfriends write "chicklit" or its older cousin,"momlit."

I sometimes wonder what these women thought when they heard I was a member--the author of the book pegged as "anti-chicklit." (!) However, since I am not sure what "chicklit" is, I am not quite sure what "anti-chicklit" is either. Silly me, I thought I had written a literary thriller with a sexy edge! Still, this wouldn't be the first time an author didn't know what she had written, at least in the publisher's eyes. I have a friend who thought she had written a work of urban fantasy and it got tagged as paranormal romance!

Anyhow, when my book was published, my publisher floated a few notions by me. The first one was that they wanted to pitch me as Chuck Palahnuik for the ladies. While I respect the man's writing and found the comparison flattering, I wasn't nuts about that idea. Does any woman really want to be known as the "female" version of ANYTHING, no matter how good? I'll bet Margaret Thatcher did not want to be known as the chick version of Winston Churchill. And I am sure Cecilia Bartoli does not care to be considered Luciano Pavarotti for girls. How about Nancy Pelosi; do you think she sees herself as the female reply to Tip O'Neill?

I don't think so.

As discussions went on, my publisher decided to package my book as the "anti-chicklit." At this I only shrugged. I definitely believe my book is more than just NOT something else, but I accepted that in the big bad publishing world, a book has to stand out. The Bitch Posse had to be packaged as SOMETHING, and I preferred "the anti-chicklit" than to be known as the girl version of a lone male author.

Despite this anti-chicklit banner I seem to have tied to my arm, I have actually enjoyed a variety of chicklit books. Oh, sure, not all of them. There are a lot of copycat chicklit books out there, and those bother me. And for awhile, it seemed every publisher wanted nothing but chicklit, 24/7. My character Rennie, also a writer, expresses this frustration throughout The Bitch Posse. (From what I hear, though, publishers' love affair with chicklit is cooling.) But I'm willing to give almost any type of book a go because to me, books are like food. And I looovvvee to eat.

There used to be a restaurant at the corner of 19th Avenue and Golden Gate Park that had dim sum. The menu was printed entirely in Chinese characters. And the waiters never, EVER translated the menu. They just looked at you expectantly and, if you a dolt who couldn't read the menu (like myself), patiently waited for you to point to it. Whatever you got would surprise and delight you, but it always would be totally different and unique. You might be presented with a many tentacled sea creature, or it might be some kind of dish made with, no kidding, tree moss. Then again, it might be a puffy pork dumpling, or some kind of dessert. You just never knew what you would get. Once in awhile I would get the mood to go there and be surprised.

So my reading life is like this restaurant. I will point to different spots in the menu and get completely different things, but I will enjoy them all for different reasons (even the moss). Sometimes I want to have my head opened up and put back together in an odd and interesting way. At those times I may pick up the work of the late, great Kurt Vonnegut. Sometimes I want to be disturbed and that's when I will reach for something by Mary Gaitskill or Jon Clinch. At other times I'm yearning for an edge-of-your seat thriller, and I'll grab a book by Lee Child or Donna Tartt. And once in awhile I want to do some great reading on spirituality and recovery and that's when Anne Lamott's latest or a classic by Melody Beattie fits the bill.

But sometimes, I want a light read for the bathtub or airplane. And that is when I may reach for chicklit. Some chicklit authors I have enjoyed include Becky Motew, Helen Fielding, Melissa Bank, Melanie Lynne Hauser, and Lauren Baratz-Logsted. These books are enjoyable. FUNNY as all get-out, mainly. Often the heroines are likeable fuckups. This reminds me of me. At least I hope I am likeable. Mostly. I have torn through these women's books at breakneck speed. Sometimes they even save me from having to consume extra chocolate. They're fun.

My Reading Life is like the rest of my life: varied. My moods are in every color, and that's true of the books I read, too.

It's GCC Time Again! Welcome, Shanna Swedson!

2007-04-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

Hello, blog readers. Today I'm glad to welcome a member of the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit to my blog. Shanna Swendson is the author of the magical chicklit series beginning with Enchanted, Inc. She is also a client of the amazing Kristin Nelson (yeahhh!) and is a kind and talented individual herself!

I am often asked why I belong to a blog co-op with so many women who write chicklit when my first novel, THE BITCH POSSE, was presented as "the anti-chicklit." That's an interesting question, and I'll try to shine a light on that this week. The condensed version is... we're all in this together. Boy, it took me a long time to learn that! I am one of life's classic slow learners. But y'all already knew THAT! Besides, I am not always in the mood for the next Don Delillo tome. Sometimes you want a fun novel to entertain you, something that will make you laugh out loud. And if that's the case, check out Shanna's latest book, DAMSEL UNDER STRESS, a book that comes out tomorrow and is already attracting a bunch of praise.

THE AUTHOR

Once upon a time ...

A little girl learned to amuse herself by making up stories in her head. She turned everyday activities into exciting adventures, and she made up new adventures for characters from her favorite movies, TV shows and books. Then one day she realized that if she wrote down those stories, she'd have a book! But that was crazy, she thought. Real people don't become novelists. That was like deciding you were going to be a movie star. You couldn't just go and do it.

But, it turns out, you can, and she did. She realized her dream of becoming a novelist and seeing her stories in bookstores.

And then she started to wig herself out by writing about herself in the third-person.

This is her story.

The Novelist's Journey

As I said above in that bit of silliness, I've always been a writer at heart. My favorite way to play was to create stories and act them out with my Fisher-Price people, my Barbie dolls or myself and a box of play clothes. If none of those things were available, I could just sit and make up stories in my head. I occasionally got into trouble for being a little too creative, such as the time when I embellished a bit on my kindergarten experiences (where's the dramatic hook in coloring, cutting out and pasting?).

When I was in seventh grade and a bit old for Fisher-Price people, Barbie dolls or the dress-up box, I started writing these stories down in spiral notebooks. Later, I found an old manual typewriter, taught myself to type, then wrote a lot of first chapters of novels on it. I still hadn't figured out how to actually be a working novelist who gets paid for writing (finishing a book instead of writing a lot of first chapters might have been a good start), so when it came time to go to college, I went to journalism school at the University of Texas. While getting my degree in broadcast news, I managed to structure a curriculum that might also help me in my real career plans. I took fencing (which I thought would be useful for writing fantasy novels), an astronomy course on the search for extraterrestrial life (in case I wanted to write science fiction), psychology, interpersonal communication, and parageography (the geography of imaginary lands).

I got serious about pursuing my novel-writing ambitions soon after I got my first job in public relations (TV reporting, it turns out, would have taken away from my writing time) when I started joining local writing organizations and reading books on how to write a novel. Then I took the big step of registering for a writing conference. With the registration fee, you could enter two manuscripts in a contest that went with the conference. I figured if I was paying that much money, I'd get the most out of it, so I wrote two entries. At the conference, I met a real, live editor, who encouraged me to submit, and one of my entries won the science fiction/fantasy category of the contest. I hurried to finish the novel the editor had asked for, then mailed a proposal.

She ended up rejecting the book, but encouraged me to keep trying. I ended up selling that novel elsewhere, then sold two more books to that publisher before I had another idea for that original editor. That book ended up selling, and then one more.

And then I hit the wall. Due to a number of circumstances, some of which weren't my fault and some of which were, I didn't sell anything else for eight years. But then I had the idea that became Enchanted, Inc., I wrote it, sold it, and here I am.

Other Life Stuff

I think I need to get a few more hobbies or something else going on in my life that isn't related to reading or writing because currently my bio in my books is shorter than the "about the typeface" section. Yes, a typeface has a more interesting life than I do.

When I'm not writing, I'm most often reading. Otherwise, I enjoy watching science fiction TV shows and then discussing them on the Internet, working crossword puzzles, baking, singing in the church choir, and, when I have the time and money, traveling.

I haven't yet found my prince charming, and I live with a collection of predatory houseplants, including a trained attack bougainvillea, the hibiscus that shares my office, and a Christmas cactus that's stuck with me through four jobs, three homes, and several boyfriends and men who didn't quite make it to boyfriend status.

THE BOOK

To-do: Stop the bad guys. Rescue the wizard. Find the perfect outfit for New Year’s Eve.

At last, Owen Palmer, the dreamboat wizard at Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc., has conjured up the courage to get Katie Chandler under the mistletoe at the office holiday party. But just when it looks like Katie has found her prince, in pops her inept fairy godmother, Ethelinda, to throw a wand into the works. Ehtelinda’s timing couldn’t be worse. A plot hatched by MSI’s rogue ex-employees, Idris and his evil fairy gal pal Ari, threatens to expose the company’s secrets and the very existence of magic itself. Even worse, it could also mean the end of Katie’s happily-ever-after.

Now Katie and Owen must work side by side (but alas, not cheek to cheek) to thwart the villains’ plans. Braving black-magic-wielding sorceresses, subway-dwelling dragons, lovelorn frog princes, and even the dreaded trip to meet Owen’s parents at Christmas, Katie and her beau are in a battle to beat Idris at his own sinister game. All mischief and matters of the heart will come to a head at a big New Year’s Eve gala, when the crystal ball will drop, champagne will pour, and Katie will find herself truly spellbound.

THE PRAISE

The ongoing adventures of Katie Chandler are filled with such magical fun. -- Armchair Interviews

Mayhem at its most enchanting. **** -- Romantic Times Book Reviews

Fans of both chick-lit and Harry Potter should not miss out on this series set in magical modern-day Manhattan. -- Fresh Fiction

Great fun, an amusing romp of a romantic read -- Book Loons

THE INTERVIEW

1. How did you get this idea for this book? Please describe how the book grew from a glimmer of an idea into a whole novel.

Part of the main plot of the book (which I won't give away here as it's a major spoiler) came from brainstorming lists of things that would be utterly impossible to make happen to my main character, and then trying to think of ways to make that happen.

Then the comic subplot, with the wacky fairy godmother, came from my occasional lament about my lack of a love life, in which I claim that it would be so much easier if I had a fairy godmother. I realized that I was writing in a universe in which I could make that happen literally and thought it would be fun to play with.

2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Keep trying. Be persistent. But also know when to give up on a particular project and move on rather than getting stuck in the rut of something that isn't working.

3. What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?

Most of my writing day involves checking e-mail, posting at Television Without Pity, and reading blogs. And then the guilt kicks in and I write about twenty pages. I am the world's least organized person, and every effort I've made to organize myself has failed, so I should not be allowed to give advice on this topic.

4. What's been the most exciting thing about publishing? The most frustrating?

The most exciting thing is hearing from readers who love my books. It's so cool to realize that I've affected someone in some way. The most frustrating thing is how little control I really have over what happens to my book -- things like distribution, print run, publicity, store placement and all that have such a huge impact on a book's prospects, and I have only the teeniest amount of control over that. I have to try not to cringe when I meet someone, tell them about my books, and they say that's exactly the kind of book they're looking for, and they wonder why they never heard of them before.

5. Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not, what else is in the works?

I've already written the next book in the series, and it should be coming out in January. I've got a proposal written for the fifth book, but I don't know yet if I'll get a contract for it. I really want to write it because it closes out the series (for now) in a nice way.

6. Has it been easier or more difficult to write the third book in a series?

This book was the most difficult so far. I had the world so well-established that I was stuck with what I'd already built, even if it did turn out to be inconvenient. I also had a huge cast of characters that had built up since the first book, and I needed to give each of them a role in the story. Meanwhile, I have a lot more voices in my head trying to influence me than I did with that first book. I find myself anticipating what my agent will say, what my editor will say, what the copy-editor will say, what reviewers will say and what readers will think about everything I write. It takes a conscious effort to shut that off and just write.

7. What kind of books do you enjoy reading?

I've been known to say that I like the kind of books that have words in them. To narrow it down a little, I really like chick lit, fantasy, science fiction and mystery, and I've also got a fascination for books set during World War II. Not really the battle and strategy parts of the war, but rather the effect on ordinary people.

8. When you're not writing, what do you do?

I love to sing, and I've been taking a voice class at the community college this spring. That was a real experience because I have terrible stage fright, and the teacher assigned me some pretty difficult opera arias to perform, one in Italian. But I survived, and by the end I'd quit having severe panic attacks about singing. I also had to learn to really dig for the emotion to express it in the song, and I think that's something I can apply to my writing.

Otherwise, I mostly do quiet things like reading, watching TV, and discussing TV on the Internet.

Thank you, Shanna! Check out the new book online at Amazon or Barnes and Noble, or further that "we're all in this together" idea a bit more by stopping in at your LOCAL INDY BOOKSELLER!

So Not The Drama

2007-04-24T10:09:00.000-07:00

I think I've said it elsewhere--I am addicted to Young Adult fiction. Maybe it's because I am a case of arrested development and still haven't quite gotten past high school. As the t-shirt says, you're only young once but you can be immature forever. *sheepish smile* In any case, I am always happy when the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit tour features a YA author. Maybe I'm a bit envious! I, too, would like to claim my hours in front of ZOEY 101 or LIFE WITH DEREK as research....

Anyway, I love to see what is up and coming in this area. To that end, let's welcome Paula Hyman Chase to the blog!

THE AUTHOR

Paula Chase-Hyman doesn't mind being known as a Jane of all trades, Queen of none. But a single theme has followed throughout her career in communications—keeping her finger on the pulse of teen culture. From starting her own mentoring group at Annapolis Senior High School in '94 to coaching her Green Hornet cheerleaders to Grand Champion (ahem, twice), Chase-Hyman refuses to squash her inner teen diva. Luckily, her long memory for all things young led to a career writing young adult novels.

Now, watching an episode of The Hills or Zoey 101 is "research." At least that's what she tells her husband and daughter.

THE BOOK

Hoping Del Rio Bay High will live up to her greatest expectations, Mina has big plans for infiltrating the school's social glitterati. After all, she's been mad popular for as long as she can remember—and she isn't about to go from Middle School Royalty to High School Ambiguity. But Del Rio Bay is a big school, so it'll take some plotting to avoid getting lost in the crowd. Good thing she isn't afraid of a little hard work—and that her playground peeps, Lizzie, Michael, and JZ, have got her back.

But it isn't long before Mina's big plans for securing her social status take a back seat to some drama that was so not expected. Lizzie's scored an invite from the beautiful people that Mina can only dream about, and not only is Michael tripping about being back in school, but now he's beefing with JZ. Worst of all, Mina's sociology class experiment to rid the world—or at least Del Rio Bay High—of prejudice is about to backfire. Because it might just mean she'll have to rid herself of her very best friend...

THE PRAISE

"Contemporary friendship story, which revels in rich diversity of race, color, and class."
—Booklist

"There is plenty here for readers to ponder about race, class and popularity (and lots of material for the next book). "
—Publishers Weekly

THE INTERVIEW

1. How did you get this idea for this book? Please describe how the book grew from a glimmer of an idea into a whole novel.

I’ve always been a “do-er.” If I don’t like the way something is done and I can help improve it or enhance it, I’ll do it. I thought YA fiction was lacking in contemporary stories featuring African American characters. So, I set out to write just that, with one other goal in mine – make the rest of the cast diverse as well. Because many books had either all white casts or all black casts etc… I wanted mine to represent the type of friendship circles my daughter had.

One Saturday, I woke up and had these characters in my head. I knew their names, what they looked like and what town they were from. I ran into my office, outlined it (my first and only outline because I’m total pantser) and began writing it that same day. The words just flowed out of me. I can honestly say the first and second books wrote themselves. This third one…it’s work.

2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Never let the insecurity (is this good enough) stop you. A bad writing day is better than not writing at all. As long as there is something on the paper, it can be tweaked, re-worked and polished.

3. What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?

Organized? Ha. I laugh in the face of organization. Seriously, I’m not one to comment on organization. My entire process is messy from start to finish. I’ve attempted outlining, but never follow. For this third book, I’ve even written the chapters out of sequence as the ideas come to me. Something I didn’t do for the first two. I have about four different notebooks where I scribble thoughts. I’m fairly certain if you look up unorganized, my photo may be beside it.

I work full-time in public relations, so writing is my semi-full-time job. I used to be a night-writer. But for this latest work, I’ve gotten up early each morning to get my writing in. It’s working but kicking my butt. Even though I don’t get to write as long in the morning (90 minutes at best) it’s been amazing to watch the novel grow. I’m almost done.

4. What's been the most exciting thing about publishing? The most frustrating?

The exciting part is having your work validated. Writing is so solitary. It’s like wandering in the desert alone, most days. Finding a publisher who wanted my work was like hitching a ride back into town.

The most frustrating is the mystery. There’s still a lot I don’t get or understand about publishing. And although my agent and editor are very forthright when I ask industry-related questions, the truth is if I asked all the questions I really had they wouldn’t have any time to get work done. I researched as much as I could about the industry, before ever submitting my work. But there’s still so much to learn.

5. Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not, what else is in the works?

So Not The Drama is actually part of a series. Kensington Books has acquired five books. The second, Don’t Get It Twisted, will be released in December. I’m working on the third, That’s What’s Up!, now to be released June ’08. I enjoy series writing. I can see a time where I’d want to untether myself. But for now, I love the comfort zone, series writing affords me. Comfort zones are hard to come by in this industry.

Thank you so much for the interview, Paula! SO NOT THE DRAMA is available at Amazon, as well as Barnes and Noble. But take my advice--the best way to buy books and support your community is to stop in at your local indy bookseller.

Mysterious Moms Getting Mixed Up With Murder

2007-04-13T20:09:00.000-07:00

I feel particularly close to author Sara Rosett this week. Sara writes books about moms who get mixed up with murder mysteries. Sounds all too plausible sometimes, eh?

Yes, you may have surmised that Thing One and Thing Two are on Spring Break, so it is All Mom, All the Time. I spent most of the day with four kids at the pool (because if one has a playdate, the other had better) and then went out to lunch, then ice cream (!!!!!) and then came home to deal with lovely microwerveable dinners (all I could manage, but hey, they were Amy's at least). Wait, aren't we supposed to recuperate on break? The only easy part of it is not having to rush to school in the morning.

However, we get to visit puppies tomorrow!

In the meantime, the book is "on ice," I read a page-turner whose ending made me want to hurl it across the room, then hurl into the nearest trash can. I picked up The English Patient next. I think I'll have better luck with that one.

Anyway, mega-welcomes to Sara! Here's some info on her intriguing book!

THE AUTHOR

(in Sara's own words)

I've always wanted to write novels. During elementary school I started dozens of novels, but never finished them. I loved beginnings and interesting settings, but I was a little short on plot! As a kid, I spent a lot of time trying to describe the world around me. Since I lived in the flat plains of Texas the clouds and sunsets became my first (and most frequent) writing exercises. I loved going to the library with my mom when I was a kid. We'd go almost every Saturday and I still remember walking to the children's mystery section and thinking, "Please let there be a Nancy Drew I haven't read." Obviously, this was in the days before the internet and on-line bookstores. I hadn't heard of Inter-library loan either. Once I transitioned to the adult section in the library, I couldn't quite find my niche. It certainly wasn't romance. I knew I'd never be able to write steamy love scenes and suspense didn't quite fit me either.

In college I majored in English and graduated summa cum laude. That's also were I met my husband, an Air Force pilot, and we've been on the move ever since. We've lived in central and southern California, Washington state, Texas, Oklahoma, and Georgia. Hopscotching around the country gave me a checkered resume. I've been a credit processor, a staff reporter for two Air Force base newspapers, and a researcher/writer for a travel company. As we moved from one Air Force base to another, I'd hit the base library and local libraries, always searching for a good book. I discovered a new type of fiction was emerging, mysteries with female protagonists who lived in America and did everything from kick-butt PI work to catering. This was a type of fiction I could write. And it had a plot so I could finally get past my opening scenes! I'd found my niche, so after years of thinking and dreaming about writing a novel, I finally decided to give it a try. the Mom Zone Mystery series is the result.

THE BOOK

On her way to see her husband who is with the 52nd Air Refueling squadron, stay-at-home mom Ellie Avery meets her daughter's babysitter Penny Follette. Instead of fading into the woodwork, she is all aglow promising to tell Ellie her secret later. She gives Ellie a bag of chocolate covered coffees beans and she promptly sets it down in the area where the squadron has its drinks and food.

Later that day Ellie receives a phone call from a friend saying that Penny committed suicide. When a stunned Ellie listens to her phone messages, Penny's is full of vigor as she informs her that she is pregnant. Ellie is certain that her friend didn't kill herself as the enthusiasm is too great. A tox screen shows she was poisoned. Georgia, who is part of the squadron, drinks the coffee Ellie left behind and is rushed to the hospital because she was poisoned. Ellie soon becomes a suspect as she is the only link between the two women. Things get worse when she finds a third body, the general's wife who was also murdered. In between poisonings, Ellie is the victim of serious malicious pranks by someone who wants her to turn over "it" to him; since she doesn't know what it is, she begins sleuthing in earnest to prevent anyone else especially her and her family from becoming victim number four.
~Plot Summary by Harriet Klausner

THE PRAISE

Publishers Weekly : The author, also the wife of an air force pilot, includes practical tips for organizing closets, but the novel's most valuable insight is its window into women's lives on a military base.

Romantic Times: Thoroughly entertaining. The author's smooth, succinct writing style enables the plot to flow effortlessly until its captivating conclusion. (Four stars)

Please take a look at Sara's latest book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or do what I do, support your local independent bookseller.

Rx for Revisions--Take a Rest

2007-04-09T09:37:00.001-07:00

You've heard it before, I suppose. Between drafts of your novel, it is SOOOO important to "take a rest."

Writers use different terms to describe this. Some liken their novels to loaves of bread. During the drafting or rewriting stage, the writer is pounding, shaping, and generally getting all his or her aggressions out on the page (not that I would know anything about that!) But after the draft is completed, it's time to put that novel in a safe place and let it rest before working through it again. I've also heard writers call this practice "putting the novel on ice." That poor manuscript is probably pretty overheated now, with all that poking, prodding, and wrestling to the ground. The metaphor is different but the concept the same--give the novel a rest.

Well, I'm at that stage now with TINK. I've finished a draft and now it's time to let it rest. It's perfect timing, really; Thing One and Thing Two are on Spring Break this week, so I wouldn't have the time OR concentration to work on it this week. How perfect is it that I can use the vacation just to laze around? I'm reading a lot, too--just filling my head with good stuff.

It is interesting since I began paying a lot of attention to that still, small voice. Lots of fascinating things begin to happen. I've taken to summoning that voice when I sit down to write and that voice seemed to know my schedule and timed everything perfectly. I don't question. I just say Thank You.

For example, in the last several months, we were looking for a specific type of puppy to bring home to our family--a Cavalier King Charles spaniel. We even printed up a picture of this type of dog and pasted it on a money jar to sock away cash to pay for the puppy.

Then, we became quite frustrated with the difficulty in finding a breeder who adhered to the breeding protocols of this breed. This breed tends toward health problems if not bred properly. As a consequence, there is a shortage of this breed. The breeders who also show their dogs have waiting lists of over a year long--that's if they even have time to reply to your emails (many don't; we know, we tried!). Believe me, there are breeders/puppy mills who take advantage of this! Some puppies are even imported from Ireland to fulfil the demands. Can you imagine putting a 7-week-old puppy on a plane from freakin' IRELAND to CALIFORNIA to sell?

Well, long story short, we gave up on finding a breeder of Cavaliers and moved to another breed. We couldn't find a breeder who had THAT breed available right now, either! (There are plenty of sharks in the sea, though... I would not recommend ANYONE buy a dog on the Internet! ALWAYS insist you see where the puppy lives and meet the pup's mom and if possible, dad).

Meanwhile, I had begun spending time quietly meditating each night. I have been practicing prayer to my own Higher Power for some time--as for meditation, I am not sure I knew what it was. I had bought a book which told me I needed to make a sacred, special place to meditate in my house. I could not think of a place. Therefore, I didn't bother.

For some reason, I began using my relaxing bathtime to meditate. I don't do anything special, only lie in my bath and listen to my heart beating in my ears, concentrating only on that. It is amazing how clear the mind becomes when I "clean it out" in this way. Many of my friends talk about "The Committee." The Committee are a set of voices in our heads which tell us (in varying tones) we aren't good enough, those ideas are stupid, we suck in our chosen profession, the world is out to get us, people think we are fat, we ARE fat, we will never succeed, we are just so different and freakish that we are Doomed For Life. And at its most evil and dangerous, The Committee may even mention that we oughtn't even to bother staying clean and sober because we aren't addicts and/or alcoholics after all.

I'm onto The Committtee's game so I know what to do if they start yelling. I use my Phone a Friend card, read some useful publications which I own, go for a walk, et cetera. But here is the interesting part--I have found that The Committee takes a long coffee break when I do things like practice meditation. Sometimes they will even go out for a long lunch--or, if I am supremely lucky, take the whole freakin' day off.

So, this particular evening, The Committee were nowhere to be found--and I wasn't about to go looking for them. That still, small voice informed me that the puppy issue would work itself out if I only did one thing... LISTEN. A few days later, a friend of mine shared the fact that her dog had had puppies! On the long shot I asked her if she was selling any of them, and what breed the dog was.

They were Cavalier King Charles puppies. Both parents free from health problems, and the mom had been bred two years ago and those puppies were all healthy too. Can you believe it? And God willing, we will be bringing one home in about five weeks.

Since I have allowed that still, small voice its time to speak in my life--very fascinating things have begun to happen. I am so very grateful.

Faery Cube

2007-04-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

I thought this was kind of cool. Found it on a Myspace layouts page and customized it with a bunch of faery images in the public domain. We'll call it a celebration for hitting a milestone with TINK. :) Do I love that girl! But she can be soooo obstinate sometimes.... (Hm, reminds me of someone I know)

get your photo cube

You can customize your own cube at the link above.

Happy Easter, all! I love Easter because, of course, Jesus's Resurrection is all about redemption--something in which I definitely believe. I would also like to wish everyone a Happy Passover as well. One of my most treasured memories is attending a Passover Seder with a friend a few years back. It is one of the most beautiful things that ever happened to me, and I'll always be grateful she let me share it. The Israelites' Exodus from Egypt is also a powerful tale about redemption and renewal.

Speaking of which, I saw a guy celebrate 38 years of sobriety the other day. Who says there's no such thing as miracles? xo

Take Him, Why Dontcha?

2007-04-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

I know a teacher who was jilted at the altar. It scarred him permanently. He spent the rest of his life torturing his students and making them cry -- a living example of Melody Beattie's adage, Hurt People Hurt People. I could definitely imagine my former teacher committing crimes due to what happened to him.

Have you ever woken up in a cold sweat wondering if you would experience the same fate? Well, that's just what a fascinating new comic novel explores. Today I have the privilege of hosting the lovely Valerie Frankel, author of the previous hit Hex and the Single Girl, and the brand new novel I Take This Man. Welcome, Valerie!

THE AUTHOR

Valerie Frankel has finally created a website for herself. She certainly took her time about it, but now proudly displays her thoughts, reviews and pictures at www.valeriefrankel.com. Besides writing and getting good use out of her new digital camera, Frankel plays Snood, stares at the wall, goes running and prepares healthy yet satisfying meals for the whole family. She has eight novels to her credit (including Smart vs. Pretty, The Accidental Virgin, and The Not-So-Perfect Man), and four non-fiction books, including 2004's co-authored sex guide, The Best You'll Ever Have: What Every Woman Should Know for Getting and Giving Knock-Your-Socks-Off Sex. Her magazine articles appear in O, Parenting, Self, Glamour, Allure and the New York Times, among others. She continues to live in Brooklyn with her two daughters and two cats, and was recently married to devilishly handsome opera singer Stephen Quint.

THE BOOK

Here comes the bride . . . there goes the groom.

Penny Bracket waited two years to marry dream man Bram Shiraz. Then on the morning of the Big Day, while she's trying on her veil, Penny receives the worst two-line letter of her life: "Penny, I can't go through with it. Sorry, Bram."

Penny's hurt and upset. But Esther, Penny's divorced mom, wants Bram's head on a platter. So Mom ambushes the cold-footed coward before he hot-foots it out of town, bonks him on the head with a champagne bottle, and spirits him away to a hidden room in her gargantuan mansion in Short Hares, New Jersey. Esther doesn't want much. All Bram has to do is write personal, heartfelt apologies to each of the two hundred disappointed wedding guests . . . and eat every mouthful of the very expensive gourmet wedding feast that has gone to waste. Then he'll be free to leave.

Penny doesn't want Bram tortured. She just wants answers to "why" . . . and maybe a little revenge. Will she discover her runaway groom is locked away in the attic? Will Bram's widowed father—handsome tough-guy Keith Shiraz—be able to locate his missing son . . . and maybe seduce Esther Bracket in the bargain? Will Bram be able to maintain his athletic figure after consuming two hundred entrées and thousands of baby quiches? Read on!

THE PRAISE

"Quite simply, Frankel makes reading a blast. No premise is too outlandish and no character is without a set a flaws. The plot is cleverly kooky and not one many authors could realistically pull off. Frankel has an endless bag of tricks that seems to get deeper—and more hilarious—with every novel."—Lauren Spielberg, Romantic Times

"I TAKE THIS MAN is an entertaining portrait of relationship hang-ups, vengeance and one missing groom. Valerie Frankel scores again with a humorous story that had me laughing until my sides hurt. Penny and Bram are a misguided couple that need help in finding their true feelings for one another. Keith and Ester search together to find Bram, even when Ester knows where Bram is hidden. The skewed relationships of all the main characters, Penny, Bram, Ester and Keith are so immensely appealing in depth and characterization. I absolutely adored the antics in this story. Frankel wonderfully explores family relationships with incredible insight, humor, and compassion. Readers will find this a zinger of a story that is a pleasure to read."—Romance Junkies

THE INTERVIEW

1. How did you get this idea for this book? Please describe how the book grew from a glimmer of an idea into a whole novel.

The basic idea for I Take This Man was cranked out on a typical day in the life of a working mother. My daughter came home from school, and announced that some little girl in her first grade class made her cry. A flash of anger flooded my brain. After a minute or two, I calmed myself down. Lucy and I discussed what had happened, and worked out an appropriate response. But that flash of maternal rage got my meat grinder going. Any intense emotion is a kick-start. It made me wonder: What offense against one of my daughters would actually move me to lash out with violence against another human being? I fixated on the question, lay awake in bed, wondering what indeed would make an otherwise controlled, rational woman thirsty for blood? I imagined being the mother of a jilted bride who, in a fit of vengeance, attacks the runaway groom. From there, I asked more questions: "Why did the groom cancel the wedding?" "What did the mother do with the groom after she bashed him?" "How would the bride find out what happened?" Five hours later, at three o'clock in the morning, I had the framework of a plot.

2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Keep moving forward. If you spend too much time backtracking and editing as you go, you might get lost in the middle, and never get to the end. I try to write a first draft, start to finish, and then devote as much energy and time to editing it later.

3. What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?

I drop off my kids at school at 8:30, go to the gym, come home, eat breakfast, shower, write until pick up at 3. Very exciting, right? It's a very boring existence, but I couldn't do anything else. I write fiction as well as magazine articles. So, for me, organization is crucial to prioritize my workload. I divide time by the week. One whole week will be devoted to reporting and writing an article. The next week will be to tie loose ends and edit it before sending to my editor at the magazine. Then, I'll switch back to a novel, write that until revisions come in for something else.

4. What's been the most exciting thing about publishing? The most frustrating?
The most exciting is having books out! Seeing your work on the shelf, or on the front table. Getting reviewed is fun (if the reviews are positive). I love it when someone tells me they saw one of my books in at far-flung airport, or on the hotel borrowing bookshelf at a hotel in Costa Rica. The most frustrating is feeling like a book doesn't reach the target audience despite the hard work or publicists and marketers at your publishing house.

5. Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not, what else is in the works?
I Take This Man is a stand alone. I'm working on the third book in the Fringe Girl series for teens, as well as a memoir about body image. Also, I'm doing a lot of stuff for magazines, too.

Three questions of my own choosing below.
1. Would you prefer to lose ten pounds, or suddenly come into $10,000?
I'll take the money. If it were $5,000, I might take the weight loss.

2. How do you show your kids a good time over spring break?
Well, right now, while I work, the kids are doing the laundry. That's a rocking good time for them, I'm sure.

3. Obama or Clinton?
At this, I'm rooting for Hillary to make history, and to make me proud. Fingers crossed.

Thank you so much, Valerie! Valerie's book can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or the mostest bestest place, your local indie bookseller.

EXCLUSIVE interview with Sopranos star Aida Turturro

2007-04-03T07:41:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of dLife TV, please enjoy this exclusive interview with Sopranos star Aida Turturro. Aida discusses her life with Type 2 Diabetes and how it has impacted her day-to-day living as well as her career! Aida has battled Type 2 for the past four years.

As you probably know, Type 2 Diabetes differs from Type 1, but it is still a very important health concern. Many thanks to Tom Karlya at dLife for providing our network of Diabetes bloggers this EXCLUSIVE online interview. It will not be aired on TV!

Yes DKA Can Kill...

2007-03-28T20:30:00.000-07:00

This story gave me shivers. Yes, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) can kill. My son nearly died from it, and so did Barb Marche's (story below... just scroll a bit).

It's not uncommon for children newly diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes to end up in serious DKA. It's not the norm, but if the child had numerous MISdiagnoses as my son did, it happens. This is how little Jonathan Cooper ended up in a coma where he had a stroke.

The type of story I am about to share is less common. Whenever I read a story like this I wonder if there is something there I don't know. DKA does take awhile to develop.

Woman to serve 5 years in jail in daughter's death
Mom pleaded guilty to felonies in neglect of 11-month-old.

By Katie Merlie
March 28, 2007

NOBLESVILLE -- A former Noblesville woman was sentenced to spend five years in jail Tuesday morning after pleading guilty to charges stemming from the death of her 11-month-old daughter.

Hamilton County Superior Court 2 Judge Daniel Pfleging sentenced Amber Shanklin, 27, to eight years in the Indiana Department of Correction, with one year to be served in the Hamilton County Community Corrections' work-release program and two on probation. She also was credited for 304 days after spending 152 days in jail.

Shanklin, whose most-recent address was in the 90 block of South Brinton Street in Cicero, pleaded guilty on March 7 to neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury, a Class B felony. Another Class A felony of the same charge had been dismissed.

Sentencing for Shanklin's crime was supposed to be April 3, but her attorney, Andy Barker, said the court date was moved up because Shanklin is due to have her third child in two weeks.

In court documents, Noblesville Police Detective Mark Cruea stated that Shanklin's friend called for an ambulance on the morning of May 17, saying she discovered a dead baby girl in a home in the 1500 block of South 16th Street. Shanklin lived in the home with her brother, Jeremy Clonch.

Paramedics found Hallie Shanklin, who was described as lifeless and thin, in her bed.

Cruea said the girl was pronounced dead at Riverview Hospital.

Throughout the investigation, Cruea said, Shanklin and Clonch's friends described frightening scenes at the home on 16th Street.

The infant reportedly was spanked repeatedly and yelled at for screaming and crying. Court documents say Shanklin and Clonch were overheard talking about how they wish they could smother her or that she would just die so they wouldn't "have to put up with this (crying) anymore."

Hallie was diagnosed in December 2005 with Type 1 juvenile diabetes, and doctors ordered her mother to keep daily track of the child's glucose levels, give her insulin and closely watch her food intake.

Friends of the brother and sister told police that on May 16 they saw Shanklin put the crying child to bed. They never saw Hallie alive again.

Shanklin was arrested Oct. 26 on a warrant and has been in the Hamilton County Jail since.

This story is just troubling on so many levels.

The child ended up in serious DKA and starving to death. Just like people did before there was insulin.

There are no words.

I <3 Eddie Izzard

2007-03-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

Just because he is so darned cute.

Well, and the comic genius thing. Yeah, there's that. But at the mo', I love Eddie Izzard because he is bringing to life a forgotten part of our culture--the Travellers who live in the Southern part of the United States. Izzard's new series, "The Riches," is about a group of modern-day Travellers who, well, travel the countryside in a battered RV before settling into a McMansion in suburbia... and taking on the identities of the home's deceased occupants.

I LOVE THIS SERIES. IT IS BLOODY BRILLIANT. WATCH IT. NOW, TONIGHT.

Minnie Driver is also stunning, edgy, and sexy, as the drug-and-Nyquil addicted mum in the series. The kids are great too. The casting in this show is spectacular.

I LOVE THIS PROGRAM!!!

The Travellers featured in the series travel the Louisiana area mainly. They are descended from the Irish Travellers about whom I write in my current novel--the travelling vagabonds who take in the faery changeling, Tink. Travellers are not Gypsies. The Gypsies are of Romany descent and are not Irish. The Travellers are of Irish blood, though some Irish would not have you think so. They are also known, in a somewhat pejorative sense, as Tinkers. There are other names for them that aren't so nice. I won't pollute this blog with this sort of hate speech but if you Google Irish Traveller slang you will find them.

Some of these Irish Travellers came to America during the potato famine. They continued their travelling lifestyle in the USA.

Non-Travellers are "buffers." This is a corruption of the word "buffoon." This makes me a buffer. I'm OK with that. I will forever be a buffer. However, I have IMMENSE respect for the Travellers. I have read quite a bit about the Traveller culture and have studied bits and pieces of their secret language, the Shelta. The Shelta is not Gaelic. The Shelta is a secret "thieves' cant" that is a practically dead language. It took me about a month even to find a source for this language. I am currently inhaling anything to do with Travellers, either in the USA, Ireland or England.

Why I love "The Riches":

It's sexy. "Fake it like a buffer." Say no more! Eddie Izzard is nice to look at too. It's that bad boy look that captures me.

It is dark and violent. Self explanatory.

It is funny. I mean, c'mon, this is Eddie Izzard here.

It is inspiring. I do not necessarily get a lot of research out of this show since it is about an entirely different era of Travellers, not to mention they are living in a different country. But is it ever hot. When I watch this program, it makes me want to write.

Eddie Izzard is nice to look at.

See, he is going to rip you off, but you won't really care, because of the fact that he is such glorious eye candy.

"The Riches" is on FX at 10 PM PST. *HIGHLY* recommended!

Painful St. Patty's Memory

2007-03-17T15:17:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to Barb Marche of Diabetes Advocacy for this poignant St. Patty's story. Barb does a tremendous of work in the juvenile diabetes community in her native country of Canada. She helps people fight for their children's rights in schools, helps them find information about the disease, and lobbies with politicians. Please stop by her site for more information. Barb also has a store on her site that you can visit.

Barb's son was diagnosed exactly seven years ago. I am pleased to welcome her as my guest today. Her story hits me at the core. Our son, too, was very very ill when he was diagnosed. I truly remember the terror of which Barb speaks. Take it away, Barb.

~~

March 17th , St. Patrick’s Day. A day of green beer and pots of gold. March 17th --the day my son barely clung to life. The day prayers were said from one end of this continent to the other for my baby. He was a baby. He was 2 years old and weighed 11 kg. He was dying and all we could do was watch and will him back to life.

My son hadn’t been hit by a car. He hadn’t fallen in the house. He was hit by something far more fatal. My son had Type 1 diabetes and no one realized it. At that time, his symptoms were attributed to an ear infection, cutting teeth, the flu. I was his mother but they were the doctors. They were the professionals. They knew best.

There are moments in everyone’s lives that you remember every single detail. March 17, 2000 is one of those days. Liam still wasn’t feeling well. He was soaking his diapers as fast as I could put them on him. He was strong enough to open the fridge and drink a litre of apple juice but he couldn’t even talk. All he could do was lay in my arms and sleep. We had an appointment to see our family doctor. We had already been to the ER and were sent home with antibiotics.

Our appointment was in the afternoon. I went and got my hair cut. I stopped by the drug store and bought baby food hoping that he would keep that down. Finally we headed to the doctor’s office. Liam was still asleep. His breathing was raspy. His body was cold. I was getting scared. As we waited in the reception, a woman told the staff to take Liam before anyone. His body was so lifeless. The staff was scared. We were scared.

The doctor came in the room and only looked at Liam. He said words like diabetes, ketoacidosis, chest x-ray and get to the hospital now. They were waiting for us at the hospital. They drew blood from his lifeless form. I held him up as they did a chest x-ray. We went back to our doctor to wait for the results. It didn’t take long.

I was brought into his office and he looked as scared as I felt. He told me to take my son and to get to the hospital in the next town as fast as I could. He told me that they would be waiting for me but there was no time to waste. We wasted no time. There was a snow storm but we were an ad for Jeep. I willed Liam to live the entire one hour trip there. I was dropped at the front door and ran for the reception area. The woman couldn’t do his paperwork fast enough for me. I was terrified.

She finally brought us up to the Peds floor and they looked at him. No one looked positive. They took his little body and put in on a baby scale to weigh him. The doctor arrived and quickly moved him into ICU. We were terrified. We were asked to leave the room as they put a heart line in our baby. Words flew around us but some reverberated-- 12 hours. That was our time frame. If he could make it the next 12 hours without having a heart attack or a brain hemmorage he would live. After 12 hours the doctor would look for brain damage and kidney damage.

I stayed by his side, praying, willing him to live. Liam’s father stayed with our other son on the couch outside. Everyone knew how serious this was. I called one person—my mom. I told her to call anyone else. My sister inlaw called the hospital and found out how serious things were. Our doctor called too--every day we later learnt. The lab people called. Everyone was pulling for my baby.

It took two weeks for him to return to himself. He couldn’t walk. If he fell over, he was too weak to get back up. He was the picture of skin literally hauled over bones. He was my baby but it was the ugliest thing I had ever seen.

To look at him now, you would never know that this had happened. For me it was yesterday. For Liam? It was a lifetime ago. In 7 years he has lanced his finger and tested his blood over 25,550 times. He received over 6180 injections of insulin over a 3 year period and for the past four years has changed his infusion set over 400 times. He has elevated cholesterol at the ripe old age of 9. He has known the word carbohydrate since he was 3. He knows how his body reacts to exercise. He can make his insulin pump sing. He calls it “his life”.

His pump allows him to go to birthday parties on his own and give his own insulin. His pump allows him to graze at events without having a needle every time he opens his mouth.

We have come a long way. When Liam was first diagnosed we used Humalog and HumalinN. We were cutting edge. His meter took 30 seconds to count down and the drop of blood had to be the size of his finger. Seven years later we are blessed to have an insulin pump that offers him his freedom. We have meters that give him a reading in 5 seconds and take a pin drop of blood.

All this has cost us. In dollars and cents…We have spent over $26,000 in test strips, close to $4000 in insulin, $6000 for an insulin pump, $7000 in infusion sets for his pump, $500 in insulin cartridges, and more for things like numbing cream, foods, bandages, tape and glucose tablets. For seven years, we have spent over $44,000 to keep our son alive. In January I will need to purchase a new insulin pump for him. There is no insurance coverage and no provincial help for me. I will look to pay for this myself. His father will help but burdened with such a high cost has asked if it's worth it?

It is worth it--to see my son run and play with others; to see him not have to stop and eat at specific times; to see him not need Mom around for every injection; to see him lead as normal a life as a child with diabetes can is definitely worth it. It's worth not sleeping at night because I have to test his blood glucose levels. It's worth the financial strain. It's worth the emotional turmoil. It's worth the fights to protect his rights. It's worth the time spent educating and advocating. It's worth it all because he is alive today!

Thank you so much, Barb, for your candid story. Comments welcome!

Library Circulation Notice~We Are Now Going To Kill You

2007-03-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

Looks like a job for SUPER MOM!

Unfortunately, I am not her.

Our library sends out these little emails when your books are late. Now that my kids have library cards, and signed on with my email address, I am getting these memoes from the library EVERY DAY about overdue books. We have NO FREAKIN' IDEA where these books are, or who wrote them, or if they even exist.

Lately I have an impending sense of doom when I receive a bulletin titled "Library Circulation Notice." I am afraid to even open them. I suppose the time will soon come to turn the house upside down, find the errant books, then crack into the piggy bank to pay off the fines. ARGH. You would think if I can organize the plot of a book, I could at least keep track of a physical book. NOPE.

Anyway, let's rewelcome the Super Mom who began it all... Melanie Lynne Hauser. Do Super Mom's powers include finding lost library books? Melanie, I sense another sequel...

I hosted Melanie recently when she sent me her delicious ARC, along with some Swiffer stuff. (The Swiffer mop makes a cameo in the book.) Now it is Girlfriends Cyber Circuit time, and that means book image, interview, etcetera!

THE AUTHOR

Hailing from the Hoosier state (where she grew up in the shadow of the Indianapolis 500 racetrack), Melanie Lynne Hauser is a late bloomer who is just now figuring out what she wants to be when she grows up. Having tried her hand at telemarketing, candy striping for a nursing home (where it was suggested she not return, after she mistook the men's plastic urinals for water bottles and put ice in them) and acting under her maiden name, Melanie Miller (Most Academy Award-Worthy Performance: The title role, complete with bear costume, in the gut-wrenching exploration of good touch/bad touch entitled "What's the Matter, Little Bear?"), she put everything on hold in order to marry, have two children, and spend her time making sure they didn't stick their fingers in electrical sockets. (Both the husband, and the children.)

However, the children grew up. (Although occasionally she still has to make sure they don't stick their fingers in electrical sockets. They are, after all, boys.) After moving to the Chicago area, Melanie put in a brave couple of years with the PTA. She drove her sons to soccer practices, track meets, music lessons and orthodontist appointments. In short, she was in training to become Super Mom.

At an age when many women throw themselves back into their careers after raising their children, Melanie looked around and realized she never had one in the first place. After deciding she wasn't creative enough to start her own business (like all those women on Oprah), she turned to the one thing she did know: Books. A bookworm from the time she was able to form words, Melanie realized that what she really wanted to do was write books. So she wrote one. It stank. She buried it out in her backyard, next to the compost heap. She wrote another book. It didn't stink quite so much; in fact it got her not one, but two literary agents. Still, nobody wanted to publish it. She wrote another book. It stank the least of all, and led her to her current, wonderful literary agent, but still it went unpublished. Then she wrote CONFESSIONS OF SUPER MOM. So far, nobody has said that it stinks. In fact, so many people like it that the sequel, SUPER MOM SAVES THE WORLD will published by NAL in early 2007. And finally, at long last, Melanie has a career. (And old men in nursing homes everywhere breathe a huge sigh of relief.)

THE BOOK

At the end of a long day at work, saving the world, you'd think Super Mom would get a break. But no. She still has to do battle with a foe more terrifying than the most dastardly of super villains - teenagers.

It's six months after the Horrible Swiffer Accident that left her a superhero, and Birdie Lee is still adjusting. For starters, she's hearing voices and having lustful thoughts about Mr. Clean. Then there's the fact that her daughter is suddenly sporting a bright pink streak in her hair, courtesy of her new friend Vienna (and if recent history has taught us anything, we all know that a girl named after a foreign city is going to be trouble). Birdie's son is experiencing his first case of puppy love, her nerdy scientist love interest has just proposed marriage, and her annoying ex-husband is suddenly less annoying. Which can only mean he's up to no good.

But things get even more sinister when her hometown of Astro Park gets Little League fever in a big way. Rabid parents, performance-enhancing Gatorade and a domed stadium on shaky - potentially explosive - ground are just the beginning of Super Mom's problems; throw in a ticked off school janitor and a corrupt mayor, and Super Mom has her hands full.

Read SUPER MOM SAVES THE WORLD to find out how one woman - one mother - struggles to keep her teenagers in tow with one hand while saving her hometown from disaster with the other. While trying to find time for herself amidst the very real, very messy job of blending families as she plans her marriage to her very own Super Man.

THE BLURBS

"CONFESSIONS OF SUPER MOM is a delightful read. Smart, zany, and touching, it is the perfect remedy for overwhelmed mothers everywhere."
--Karen Quinn, author of THE IVY CHRONICLES

"Like its title character, this debut novel has a secret identity...it's unexpectedly poignant and packs an emotional punch..."
- Publishers Weekly

"Forget the laundry, forget the dishes. Escape into the world of Super Mom for a few hours…you'll be glad you did. Melanie Lynne Hauser's quirky characters sparkle brightly as a newly Swiffered floor, and her writing shines like freshly polished glass."
--Meg Cabot, author of THE PRINCESS DIARIES and QUEEN OF BABBLE

"Hauser sparkles in her debut...Birdie juggles her home life with her two children, fights crime with Swiffer-like speed and embarks on a new romance."
-- Romantic Times (Four Stars)

"Looking for something TOTALLY different than all the rest of the books on the shelves? This is the perfect escape using romance, laugh out loud moments...!"
-- Madison McGraw, ChicksDigBooks.com

"Who needs the speeding bullets, locomotives, and tall buildings - with wit, humor and some sage motherly advice, Melanie Lynne Hauser finally gives readers a true hero for our time - Super Mom."
--Jennifer O'Connell, author of OFF THE RECORD

"From the book's very first page you find yourself grinning...never has there been a more loveable, down-to-earth superhero...with wit, humor and some age-old motherly advice, this book gives the reader a true-to-life hero, helping every mom find the Super Mom inside!"
--Bookreporter.com

"What a delightful debut! Super Mom is funny, sexy, heroic, and touching. Melanie Lynne Hauser has penned a chic, witty celebration of motherhood, and it moves faster than a speeding bullet. I can't wait for the next adventure..."

-- JA Konrath, author of BLOODY MARY, a Lt. Jack Daniels Thriller

"Never has there been a more appealingly down-to-earth heroine or a superhero with more enviable powers. Moms everywhere will wish they could be like the Super Mom of Melanie Lynne Hauser's charming, funny, and heartfelt novel…and will ultimately realize they already are."

--Pamela Redmond Satran, author of BABES IN CAPTIVITY

"…fun twist on the superhero tale comes packaged with a socially responsible message…"

-- Booklist

"Melanie Lynne Hauser is funny. "Confessions of Super Mom" overflows with laugh-out-loud and read-out-loud moments. Hauser also is an astute critic of our overly high expectations of moms and our abysmally low standards for our culture and its leaders."

-- Knight Ridder

THE INTERVIEW

1. How did you get this idea for this book? Please describe how the book grew from a glimmer of an idea into a whole novel.

This was different for me, in that the sequel was part of the original two-book deal for CONFESSIONS OF SUPER MOM. So I had to write a book, before I had that moment of inspiration for it. It took some false starts, to tell the truth. But in remembering to keep Super Mom's real issues close to home, close to the heart of working women and mothers everywhere, I finally found the inspiration I needed to write this. It's just a continuation of the first book - the next step in her life as a superhero and as a mother. The villains are more trouble - as are the teenagers. And the relationships. And underneath it all is the realization that she's being taken for granted by her family and her town, despite all she does for them. Yet in the end, she learns to rise above it all - metaphorically and maybe literally.

2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Just love the writing, but learn to let go of it when it's finished so you can love the next one, too. The ability to constantly reinvent yourself, continue to think up new stories and write them, is the one thing you really need in this business. You can't get too attached or bogged down in the failure - or success - of any one project.

3. What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?

When I first started writing I felt it was important to always write at the same place, same time, every day. It helped me develop good, strong habits. Now, though, I can write in bits and pieces, anywhere, anytime. And that's important, I think, when you're still raising children or working at a day job. So first - keep to a regular schedule. THEN, you can mix it up.

4. What's been the most exciting thing about publishing? The most frustrating?

Definitely, the first time you hold the finished copy of your book, fresh from the publisher. It's a magical moment, and it should be. The most frustrating? Everything else about publishing! So much of it is out of the author's hands. And there's always rejection, no matter where you are in your career. You have to learn to love it for the writing, and not for the need for validation by an industry that is, I'm afraid, currently very flawed.

5. Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not, what else is in the works?

Probably not another Super Mom book; I love where this book ends, where Birdie and Carl end up. Currently I'm working on something completely different; a World War II spy caper, probably for the young adult audience. I'm loving the espionage angle, but also, I'm so interested in exploring what life was like for the class of '42; one moment planning pep rallies and dances, the next, wondering if they'll join the Marines or Navy. I think roles had to have shifted, dramatically, between girls and boys - because normally in the high school years, it seems that the girls mature faster, have the upper hand socially. Yet how did all that change when it was the boys who were suddenly faced with going off to war? I'm so interesting in exploring all that - and yet, having fun with Nazi spies!

Thank you so much, Melanie! Melanie's book is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local indy bookseller.

Lightly Carbonated

2007-03-07T14:15:00.000-08:00

Thing 1 (looking at fizzy energy drink she is not allowed to have): "Hm, it looks pretty good to me."

Thing 2: "The label says lightly carbonated."

Thing 1 (studies label more): "Yeah, it only has one carb!"

Ah, life as a sibling of a diabetic... :)

A Very Special Place

2007-03-04T18:51:00.000-08:00

I have been blessed to find a very, very special place in the city of San Francisco. Oh, it is a place I have known about for a very long time. They are always in the news for the good, charitable work they do. But for whatever reason, I never walked in the doors until recently.

If you know me, you know I am not a Bible-thumping maniac. Really. However, I do have a Higher Power that works in my life. And I know everyone does, whether they call it God, Allah, Spirit of the Shining Waters, Goddess, Jesus, or even Howard. They do, even if they choose not to acknowledge its presence at all. Still, I do not rush around trying to convert others to my point of view or claiming I have "the one true way." Yet I am a very spiritual person.

Glide Memorial Methodist Church in San Francisco has got to be, for ME, the most amazing place to get in touch with my own Higher Power. Here is a page about all the work Glide does--from housing to food, from health care to counseling, from recovery to family services and employment training.

You might have heard of Glide due to the story of Chris Gardner, portrayed in THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS (Will Smith). Glide was the place that provided housing to Chris and his son. There are scenes shot in Glide during the service.

Although the film is interesting, my son said yesterday: "It wasn't an accurate description of what it's really like at a Glide service." "Why?" I asked. "Because the people in the movie all looked sad. At the real service, everyone is happy." He's right, too. Sunday service is a lot more like this:

Image from Glide's website

Kids are so perceptive! He also said he loves Glide because you can stand up and shout right in the middle of church... and because there's a saxophone player every week as part of the band. (My son plays too.) Yes, Glide is special all right.

Who is welcome at Glide? All are welcome. Rich, poor, white, black, Latino, Asian, Native American, Christian, Muslim, Jew, gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, Democrat, Socialist, Anarchist, the list goes on and on; they will even take Republicans and Athiests!! :) Any and all are welcome at Glide! It is a living embodiment of the quote from Paul's letter to the Galatians:

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Simply put, Glide is an amazing place. It's not just the music, not just the smiles, not just the vibrant preaching by the wonderful pastoral staff-

Rev Cecil Williams

Pastor Douglass Fitch

Rev. Donald Guest (COULD NOT FIND A PHOTO ANYWHERE)

Or the amazing music of the Glide Ensemble (among the best gospel music in the nation):

Or the work done by the amazing foundation...

Janice Mirikitani, President of the Glide Foundation

Or the incredible open arms.

No, there is something even MORE.

Each time I have been to Glide has brought me to tears. Each time! I could go to Glide everyday of the week. It's a wonderful, wonderful place. To me, Glide is a miracle that is all about UNCONDITIONAL LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE. That is not easy to come by in our world!

If you are ever in the Bay Area, please do yourself a favor and check out Glide. (There was a large group yesterday all the way from Hamburg, Germany!) You will have to get there at least 30 minutes early to get a seat. I guarantee you it will be unlike any Sunday service you have ever attended.

Aye... 'Tis True

2007-03-03T15:30:00.000-08:00

I'm very shy lately about this sort of thing (would rather hide in my writing lair with pots of coffee and lavender incense!) but it's been announced on Publishers Marketplace and a bunch of people have asked me about it, so there's no hiding now:

Martha O'Connor's TINK, a reimagining of Tinker Bell from Peter Pan as a fierce Gaelic faerie born as a changeling to a band of 19th-century gypsies, to Peternelle van Arsdale at Putnam, in a pre-empt, for publication in late 2008 or early 2009, by Mary Evans at Mary Evans (NA).

Yes, it is true. My latest book sold! It happened over vacation, four days after my agent submitted the book. I spoke to a number of insightful, enthusiastic editors at great publishers and was really, really flattered by all the interest. Any of these would have presented a wonderful opportunity, but the book could go to only one of them. The way it all ended was, Putnam made a pre-empt and we accepted. :) <--Me

I'm thrilled to be working with the magnificent Peternelle van Arsdale - who completely "gets" this book - and I can't wait to see how this journey unfolds.

More on the genesis of this book later. Do you ever feel as if your characters are speaking to you? This has been more like a haunting. It's a thrill though. Tink is a great gal, and I consider her a dear friend... though she does have lots and lots of dark secrets... almost as many as I do, lol :)

xx

4.2 Near Lafayette

2007-03-02T19:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday evening a 4.2 earthquake struck Lafayette, CA about 35 miles from our house. It was a relatively unknown fault called the Reliez Valley Fault. I was at home and Phil and the kids were in the car, driving home from the bookstore.

As often happens during less intense earthquakes, the people in the car did NOT feel a thing.

However, I was sitting at home, watching The Office. It is my favorite program, even though it was a repeat.

All at once I felt a swoop, like the end of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride (and I oughta know, I rode it twice on our trip).

Just a nice, gentle rock. But the thing was, I was no longer at Disneyland. Hm.

Since a truck had been backing up outside (I heard the beeps) my first thought was that the truck had hit something so hard it had vibrated our house. (I later realized that was sort of a dumb thought since I had not heard a crash at all!) The chandelier waved a bit. Hm. Stranger still. This all happened in about two seconds. Suddenly there was another tremor and I realized: EARTHQUAKE!

I became scared there would be another jolt and so I rushed over to the doorframe between the dining room and kitchen and stood there. I had been told that that is the safest place to stand in a quake.

As it turns out, this was wrong too. Here's a link to an article by builder, Don Pearson, about why the doorway may NOT be the safest place, and may actually put you in MORE peril.

The USGS states in their booklet, "Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country," that this myth originated when many people owned old, unreinforced adobe structures with wooden doorframes. After an earthquake, these doorways were often the only part of the structure left standing. However, this was true back in the early days of our state. This is no longer the case for most of us so the rule of thumb is DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON!

After about thirty seconds, nothing more happened, so I went and sat back down again, feeling stupid and not entirely sure it even WAS a quake until I saw the news.

Not everyone felt a calm, gentle, "ride-like" quake. Lots of people felt jolts and heard 'pops.' As for damages, the worst I heard was some guy's 200-gallon aquarium fell from the wall and shattered, ruining his floor and killing his fish. You know, at least it was not this.

(That, of course, is I-880 after Loma Prieta)

A relatively small quake like this is a great reminder though.

Do you know this "relatively unknown" fault passes right under BART?

Are you prepared for a quake that cuts you off from humanity for an unspecified time?

Are you prepared to be cut off for AT LEAST 72 hours in case of an earthquake?

Do you have a fully stocked kit of survival supplies, food and water?

How about your car? Are both cars stocked with emergency supplies?

If you are like me, you don't like to think about this stuff. You don't really want to go to Target and one by one pick out survival supplies. It's a very freaky feeling. Here is my advice.

Go to Google, look up "earthquake kit," and order a kit for your family. Here is where we got ours. Yes, it will be more expensive. But you will NOT have to worry again. And you will be sure you have all right stuff, like a space blanket, water purifier, and other stuff you are just not going to find at Target.

Then, each time you go to the store for the next three times, pick up two gallons of water and a family pack of granola bars. Put them next to the earthquake kit.

Now you're done.

With one important caveat.

If you have someone in your family with diabetes, keep prescriptions filled at all times. You may want to do what I do. After seeing Katrina I began to hoard expired insulin. I now have a giant Ziploc of expired insulin on my fridge carefully marked when the bottle expired. In a horrid lengthy emergency, we SHOULD have enough insulin to get by... but JUST IN CASE, we have this less-than-potent insulin. While it is not approved for use after it expires, you can bet it would be better than nothing.

Also, please make sure you purchase a Frio kit. We may be without power for 72 hours or more after a major earthquake. Please get a kit to keep your insulin cold. All you need is water to activate the kit. They are great for vacations and car trips too!

Everyone, stay safe and secure! Do what the Girl Scouts do, BE PREPARED!

XO

A Super Mom & Super Product!

2007-03-01T08:45:00.001-08:00

Hi all,
Well, we've returned from our vacation to Disneyland--'twas quite fun. I'll tell you all about it later. For now, though, I wanted to tell you about a book I read in one night--and that was with AMERICAN IDOL in the background competing for my attention, so those of you who know me, know it must have been a really special book.

Melanie Lynne Hauser has been my friend for a long time. She is one of the most caring, understanding, thoughtful and splendid people I know. To add to that, Mel is a really talented writer. Her book CONFESSIONS OF SUPER MOM made a super splash in publishing and was picked up for film as well. In the book, Birdie Lee, an ordinary mom from the Kansas town of Astro Park, has a Horrible Swiffer Accident and becomes a super hero! Have you ever heard such an interesting concept?

Now Melanie's sequel, SUPER MOM SAVES THE WORLD, has come out! Melanie was kind enough to send me a copy of the book as well as a Swiffer Dust Brush.

I'm going to do a full interview with Melanie later in March (she is a member of the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit, too), but I wanted to share a little about it now.

THE BLURB

At the end of a long day at work, saving the world, you'd think Super Mom would get a break. But no. She still has to do battle with a foe more terrifying than the most dastardly of super villains - teenagers.

It's six months after the Horrible Swiffer Accident that left her a superhero, and Birdie Lee is still adjusting. For starters, she's hearing voices and having lustful thoughts about Mr. Clean. Then there's the fact that her daughter is suddenly sporting a bright pink streak in her hair, courtesy of her new friend Vienna (and if recent history has taught us anything, we all know that a girl named after a foreign city is going to be trouble). Birdie's son is experiencing his first case of puppy love, her nerdy scientist love interest has just proposed marriage, and her annoying ex-husband is suddenly less annoying. Which can only mean he's up to no good.

But things get even more sinister when her hometown of Astro Park gets Little League fever in a big way. Rabid parents, performance-enhancing Gatorade and a domed stadium on shaky - potentially explosive - ground are just the beginning of Super Mom's problems; throw in a ticked off school janitor and a corrupt mayor, and Super Mom has her hands full.

Read SUPER MOM SAVES THE WORLD to find out how one woman - one mother - struggles to keep her teenagers in tow with one hand while saving her hometown from disaster with the other. While trying to find time for herself amidst the very real, very messy job of blending families as she plans her marriage to her very own Super Man.

I could not stop turning the pages on this clever book. It's not every day someone can build such a well-paced farce around the ideas of super heroes and cleaning products. I highly recommend you pick up this novel! Watch for special appearances from the Mr. Clean Man and the Brawny Lumberjack. You'll also learn about Batman and Robin's deepest psychological secrets, thanks to Birdie's best friend Carrie, undercover psychiatrist to the superheroes. There is a chuckle a minute in this fun novel and I think anyone who's raised kids will be nodding in sympathy at Birdie's situation.

Read the first chapter here.

As for the product, Melanie sent me the one Swiffer item I do not have--the Swiffer Dust Brush. Swiffer also makes the CarpetFlick-- great for spot cleaning on area rugs or a quick tidying of a mess--and the WetJet, which I use for my regular cleaning.

The WetJet has an ingenious design that allows you to spray just the amount of cleaning fluid that you need onto the floor--then wipe it up with a cleaning pad. This is a great concept and makes cleaning so easy. No big old bucket needed! I must confess that I, myself, risked a Horrible Swiffer Accident by jerry-rigging the WetJet. You see, I prefer to use natural cleaning supplies such as distilled water, vinegar, and essential lemon oil. I am not going to say anything more than the fact that my project involved a drill bit and an old (VERY OLD! hee hee hee) wine cork.

I do not recommend that YOU do this unless you wish to void the warranty and risk turning into a superhero like Birdie did. Still, those of us who are granola-eating, Whole-Foods-Shopping, Birkenstock-wearing, hot-tubbing Marin County types, tend not to care for chemical cleaners like that which is found in the WetJet reservoir. What else are we going to do?

This brings me to my only suggestion to improve this great product--I wish Procter and Gamble would make an alternative Swiffer refill for those of us who do not like chemicals. Maybe they could partner with Mrs. Meyers CLEAN DAY (who makes all my favorite commercial cleaners, biodegradable, cruelty-free, aromatherapeutic, and all-natural) and have her create some all natural refills.

This would be a win-win-win all around. Procter and Gamble makes money off people like me who are now buying refills, Mrs. Meyers makes money with the partnership, and the environment wins too. Procter and Gamble does not even have to pay me for that idea.

As for the Dust Brush!

I have not gotten the chance to use it yet, but I can already see how it will have about 100 uses in my house. I can use it to clean blinds, furniture, the dining room chandelier, on top of the fridge, even silk plants. And... NO HARSH DUSTING CHEMICALS NEEDED!

The dust brushes are disposable, but if you do not like disposable items for environmental reasons, it would not be hard to sew a washable refill. Or, if you are not creative that way, if you go to eBay and type in Swiffer, you will find a lot of washable refills for all the Swiffer products (except the CarpetFlick--that would be hard to make since the refill is basically a sticky piece of plastic tape). And there is another idea for a product Swiffer themselves could make. I am sure they could find a suitable washable cloth that would meet their high standards and still be re-usable. Procter & Gamble creates such great products, I think that if they offered a pro-environment option for people they could really get some even better publicity.

Anyway, this Swiffer duster looks like it will be great for day to day or even weekly dusting. We really don't need to polish furniture more than once a month at the most, unless there is a spill. The best thing to polish wood is a mixture of a few drops of olive oil and about 1/4 cup of vinegar. Soak a cloth with this and polish the furniture. In between--this dust brush might be a good option for you.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, Melanie, for sending me this great and definitely NOT disposable book. :) And thank you to Procter and Gamble for offering me the chance to try their brand new product.

China Dolls

2007-02-19T17:34:00.000-08:00

Hi blogland, and let's welcome Michelle Yu and Blossom Kan to the blog today! Michelle and Blossom are the authors of the new book, CHINA DOLLS.

THE BOOK

With the traditions and family closeness of The Joy Luck Club and the sass, girl friendships and humor of Sex and the City, comes a novel about three Asian-American women balancing life, love and one another in New York City.

CHINA DOLLS [Thomas Dunne Books/ Pub date: FEB 8th, 2007] by Michelle Yu and Blossom Kan is based on personal experience and introduces three remarkable characters named M.J, Alex and Lin.

o M.J is a tomboyish sportswriter struggling to fit into her family’s traditional Chinese culture and the predominantly Caucasian male world of sports.
o Alex is a confident no-nonsense attorney fighting the submissive Asian woman stereotype and the fear of taking risks after a heartbreaking romance.
o Lin is the risk-taking stockbroker trying not to relive her mother's mistakes— that is until she falls for the office playboy.

Authentic, intelligent and funny, CHINA DOLLS explores how culture can affect one’s personal and professional lives. As if dating isn’t hard enough in New York City, these women have to balance the expectations of family and exceed expectations in the workplace, all while looking for Mr. Right. China Dolls embraces the fusion of these two cultures – a phenomenon that will grasp both commercial and young Asian-American readers today.

THE AUTHORS

Michelle Yu

Michelle Yu is currently an on-air sports reporter. A Manhattan College graduate, she resides in New York City.

Sports and writing have always been my twin passions.

When I was seven, I received my very first diary. Sure, my life wasn't very exciting as a second grader, but I still wrote down everything in my Hello Kitty journal - even what I ate for dinner and my musings on my favorite "T.G.I.F" lineup show "Full House."

When I was 8, my parents sent me to take tennis lessons, and I fell in love with the sport immediately. Every night, I would write about who I beat in tennis camp that day and how I would one day hold that shiny trophy at Wimbledon, just like Steffi Graf.

So, obviously Wimbledon didn't happen, but I did end up becoming a TV sports reporter. Most of the time, I cover sports stories in New York City, but I also interview professional athletes - including Wimbledon players. I've also gotten my second dream - writing for an audience beyond my Hello Kitty Journal.

Currently, I live in Manhattan and juggle writing (with my lovely cousin and co-author Blossom) and my day job as one of those TV people.

Blossom Kan

Blossom Kan is an attorney in New York City. She graduated from Yale University where she majored in English.

I’ve always wanted to be a writer. Since I was seven years old, I’ve been writing stories. In fact, in my old room in my parents’ house, there's a desk full of little black and red notebooks filled with stories about these smart, strong girls who ran around saving people (I went through a Nancy Drew phase). Those stories are gathering dust right now, but Michelle and I have tried to keep those girls alive and well - our heroines might not be saving the world but they know how to save themselves.

THE PRAISE

"Asian-nuanced chick lit. Fun."~The New York Daily News

"Imagine The Joy Luck Club, but with less angst and more boytalk."~Publishers Weekly

"Every woman, regardless of race or ethnicity, is able to relate to Alex, M.J. and Lin."~Asiance Magazine

THE INTERVIEW
questions answered by Blossom

1. How did you get this idea for this book? Please describe how the book grew from a glimmer of an idea into a whole novel.

Michelle and I were sitting around talking about how we love reading chick lit, but we felt that we could add something to the genre - a multicultural twist that could enrich the genre. We decided to start writing down some of these stories we had in our head, and somehow, that ended up becoming a whole novel.

2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

- Don't give up. Writing is not an easy process, and getting a book published is a monumental undertaking. There are about a million times when you feel like giving up - and you really just have to resist the temptation and keep pushing forward.

3. What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?

- Michelle and I have to be extremely organized. We both have full-time day jobs, so the only way we can do any writing is by being really disciplined about when we write. You really have to force yourself into a schedule. Even if you would much rather veg and watch TV, make yourself sit down at the computer at whatever the appointed writing time is and just write.

4. What's been the most exciting thing about publishing? The most frustrating?

- The most exciting thing is seeing your book in the bookstore. It really makes the whole writing thing real and tangible for the first time. The most frustrating is dealing with the fact that you often have to rely on others to get things done - and sometimes, those things don't get done.

5. Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not, what else is in the works?

- We're actually under contract for our next two books, so Book #2 is definitely on its way. It will focus on the younger sister of the Lin character who dreams about becoming a soap opera actress.

Thank you so much, Blossom and Michelle! You may buy China Dolls at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or the best bet, your indy bookseller.

Know Your Numbers, Control Your Diabetes!

2007-02-09T08:31:00.000-08:00

I first met Amy Tenderich online when she began her now-celebrated diabetes blog, Diabetes Mine. Amy's blog has blossomed since then to the most widely read diabetes blog online. She's landed herself an online column at dLife, and now she has a wonderful new book, co-authored with Dr. Richard Jackson from the world-renowned Joslin Diabetes Center. I'm so thrilled to host Amy on the blog today!

THE AUTHORS

Amy Tenderich

Dr. Richard Jackson

AMY TENDERICH, a professional journalist with an MA in communication studies, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in May 2003. Almost instantly, she began to tell it like it is on her own diabetes blog (www.DiabetesMine.com), for which she recently received the LillyforLife Achievement Award™ for diabetes journalism. Amy now also brings her unique observations on the challenges of living with diabetes to dLife in a monthly column, and does double-duty as a full-time mom. She and her family live just south of San Francisco, California.

DR. RICHARD JACKSON is Medical Director of the Joslin Diabetes Center's DOIT (Diabetes Outpatient Intensive Treatment) Program. Dr. Jackson is a well-known endocrinologist and Harvard Medical School Professor.

THE BOOK

Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes helps you chart and understand the 5 most important values (your personal “Essential Health Factors”) for living a long and healthy life with diabetes (EITHER Type 1 or Type 2). That makes them pretty darn important! They are:

· Hemoglobin A1c—a measure of the average amount of glucose in your blood over the last several months

· Blood Pressure—a quick, painless armband test to determine the force of blood flow through your body

· Lipid Profile—a group of blood tests measuring your cholesterol and triglycerides (another type of fat), which is used to determine your risk of heart attack or stroke

· Microalbumin—a urine test that is an early indicator of kidney damage

· Eye Exam—a yearly exam that consists of dilating your pupil, allowing the doctor to see the back of your eye

Now, be honest. If you have diabetes, or are newly diagnosed, when was the last time you had these tests? Do you know the result numbers? Do you know what they mean? One thing you can be sure of: If everyone tracked and acted on these values regularly, [their lives] would look a lot rosier today.

THE PRAISE

"Cons? There are no cons. It's the perfect diabetes reference handbook... This book is a terrific resource for diabetes management." Deb Manzela, About.com/New York Times

“Even those without diabetes will wish they had it just so they can use this book. Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes is written by two great authors espousing a positive and practical approach to better health. This book allows even the mathematically inept to understand their lab values and what area of their health is most important to work on. Targets for the five critical areas: A1c, blood pressure, lipids, microalbumin, and the eye exam, how to achieve them, and what order is most important to work on are presented.”

— John Walsh, PA, CDE, and Ruth Roberts, MA, authors of Pumping Insulin and Using Insulin

"Diabetes often makes people feel frightened and overwhelmed, but a good understanding of modern management and the goals of treatment are now having major positive impact on quality of life and health outcomes. In the end, the informed patient makes this happen. Richard Jackson and Amy Tenderich have really hit the bull’s eye by focusing on the key things that help people gain control over their diabetes. I expect that many people will find this sensible, easy-to-read new book enormously helpful."

-- Dr. Gordon Weir, former editor of Diabetes, former Medical Director of the Joslin Clinic, and chaired professor at Harvard University.

THE INTERVIEW

1. Please tell the story of how this book came to be.

Dr. Jackson and I were introduced by a mutual friend at the American Diabetes Association’s annual conference a few years ago. We both had a strong sense that a clear-cut patient guidebook for good health with diabetes was sorely missing. We started chatting, and right away it became clear that we both wanted to fill that gap with an upbeat, no-nonsense book. We’re both very happy with the result.

2. Who can benefit from this book? Why?

Know Your Numbers is invaluable for any adult diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes. It’s the first-ever, hands-on guide to proactively preventing “diabetes-related complications,“ meaning the long-term damage the disease can cause (rather than preventing diabetes itself).

Amazingly, the "therapeutic goals" for diabetes patients are well-publicized, but nobody gives most patients much idea how to achieve them. Until now, no useful, practical guide existed to help people with diabetes get a handle on their own health.

3. Please explain a little about each of the five tests in the book. Why are they important?

The five tests are:

· Hemoglobin A1c – a measure of the average amount of glucose in your blood over the last several months

· Blood Pressure – a quick, painless armband test to determine the force of blood flow through your body

· Lipid Profile – a group of blood tests including cholesterol and triglycerides (another type of fat) used to determine your risk of heart attack or stroke

· Microalbumin – a urine test that is the best early indicator of kidney damage

· Eye Exam – a yearly exam that consists of dilating your pupil, allowing the doctor to see the back of your eye

These 5 simple medical tests are the best and ONLY measures currently available that indicate each person’s own individual diabetes health risks. Yet despite being widely accessible and easy to administer, fewer than 42% of adults with diabetes have either had these tests, or understand what the results mean, according to an April 2006 report by USA Today.

Without measuring and controlling these key factors, a great number of people in this country are headed straight down the path towards diabetic complications, including blindness, kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, and limb amputation. This doesn’t have to be the case!

4. What is the biggest obstacle people with diabetes face in attempting to get healthy? How do you recommend they deal with this obstacle?

Actually two: setting priorities and finding motivation.

First, so many people start off with the wrong ideas about diabetes, and they’re quickly overwhelmed. They think they have to do everything at once (overhaul their diet, lose 20 pounds, start a rigorous exercise program, tighten their glucose control, etc, etc.). But doing all that at once is just too difficult. And guess what? It doesn’t even make sense from a health standpoint. Only by knowing what your real health risks are can you take the right actions – ONE or TWO things at a time – to improve or maintain your health.

Secondly, it’s incredibly hard to get and stay motivated, since managing diabetes can be so difficult and frustrating. Many people fall into the trap of thinking, "I feel fine now, so I must be fine" (but diabetes does its damage over the long-term). Or they believe, "I'm doomed anyway, so it doesn't matter what I do" (not true! You can make a significant on your own health and your future).

To find your own motivation, we encourage people to think about what matters most in their life: career, family, hobbies or whatever makes them tick. Whatever it is, you have to be making healthful food and exercise choices and taking your medications not because your doctor said so, or even due to your family’s pestering, but because YOU (the person with diabetes) care about your own health and believe that your actions matter.

5. A very large task like managing one's diabetes health is easier taken in small steps. What are the first and most vital steps a reader can take?

That’s the whole point of our book: taking a step-by-step, positive approach to controlling your own health. Our message is that you don’t have to – and shouldn’t – try to tackle everything at once.

The most important first step to outliving diabetes is finding out where you where you stand with this disease. (By outliving, we mean preventing the long-term complications of diabetes, and finding a way to manage your diabetes every day without going crazy, and without letting it rule your life.) And the best and only way to find out where you stand is by having these 5 tests conducted regularly, obtaining the results, and understanding what the results mean. Then you can use our book to create a do-able action plan to offset on your most critical health risks.

6. As parents, we struggle with how much independence to give our kids vs. micromanaging every moment, test, etc. At some point, our kids will need to flourish on their own. What advice would you give to us parents about getting our kids responsible for their own health without scaring them? How can this book benefit us and them?

As you know, I’m a mother of three myself, and I think if it were my children, I’d want to send them off into the world with the clearest possible strategy for living well with diabetes and avoiding diabetic complications. That means in addition to checking their blood glucose before meals and fine-tuning insulin doses, they need to keep an eye on the “big picture” by monitoring these 5 key health risks regularly.

I hear so many stories of kids that did well under their parents’ care, but then went into serious “neglect mode” for a whole chunk of years during college and young adulthood. As a parent, I would try to drum into their heads that they need to know their A1C, blood pressure, lipid, microalbumin, and eye exam scores at all times, and know what to do about it if something is out of range. Even if complications start to set in, all of the damage is treatable or in many cases reversible if it’s caught early.

7. What’s been the most helpful thing for you personally in dealing with your diabetes every day?

I’d have to say becoming involved with the diabetes community -- because nothing is more helpful than finding others who are living a parallel diabetes life.

I’ve met so many amazing people through my blog (www.diabetesmine.com), who have helped me feel connected and also helped me come to terms with the “forever” of this disease.

To me, getting connected in this way is essential because:

· Having diabetes does not get easier over time…

· New treatments can be hard to get/ hard to adapt to…

· Quirky things happen; often you want to know if other people with diabetes have experienced (not just the doctor’s opinion)

8. Any plans to write more books?

I sure hope so. Nothing concrete just yet.

9. My author friends will want to know how the co-authoring process worked for you. Any tips for working with another party?

You need to like each other! Have a good rapport. Be able to laugh it off when things don’t always go as planned. Have clear-cut roles: Who’s the organizer? i.e. the one who’s keeping track of what’s finished and what still needs revising and what’s on your schedule next? Who’s writing what chapter? At what point does the “buck stop” on niggling with each other’s contributions? If you aren’t clear about these things at the outset, co-authoring could be very messy and unpleasant.

Luckily, Dr. Jackson and I really enjoy each other. He was the content expert/medical authority, and I was the writer/project manager. He even inserted little idiosyncrasies and jokes for me in lots of early drafts. It was my job to catch them. That sure made editing more fun.

Thank you so much, Amy! While I normally link to Amazon, B&N, and indy booksellers (and the book is, of course, available there if you wish), Amy and Dr. Jackson have a special option for you. If you order the book using this link, you will receive 5 free Extend Bars.

Jen Barnes Makes Her Mark with TATTOO

2007-02-06T12:20:00.000-08:00

Hello, everyone! Are you in recovery? Are people continually asking you what you think of San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom's decision to go into rehab for alcoholism? Do these questions bother you? Well, for me the answers are an emphatic YES and YES and Y-E-S!

If you know someone in recovery, PLEASE do not ask them about this. Why? Because the only program they can work is their own. Although I applaud ANYONE'S decision to get sober, gossiping about it can only hurt me.

I do not discuss anyone's recovery but my own. My experience has shown me it is best this way. Sitting around and judging people's motives in going to rehab turns the focus away from where my problems are (inside me) to the outside where my problems are not. It traps me into making a judgment about people I cannot change, and coaxes me away from looking hard at and working on the one and only person I can change--ME. Please do your friends in recovery a favor, and do not ask them about what they think of Gavin Newsom, Lindsay Lohan, Robin Williams, Miss USA or anyone else's decision to seek help for drug or alcohol problems. You may be well intentioned, but it will only hurt us in the end!

Moving on, today I have another fabulous author interview with one of my Girlfriends Cyber Circuit pals, the great Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Welcome, Jen!

THE AUTHOR

Jennifer Lynn Barnes (who mostly goes by Jen) was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has been, in turn, a competitive cheerleader, a volleyball player, a dancer, a debutante, a primate cognition researcher, a teen model, a comic book geek, and a lemur aficionado. She's been writing for as long as she can remember, finished her first full book (which she now refers to as a "practice book" and which none of you will ever see) when she was still in high school, and then wrote Golden the summer after her freshman year in college, when she was nineteen.

Jen graduated high school in 2002, and from Yale University with a degree in cognitive science (the study of the brain and thought) in May of 2006. She'll be spending the 2006-2007 school year abroad, doing autism research at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

THE BOOK

Bailey Morgan isn't the type of girl who shows a lot of skin, but somehow, she ends up in a dressing room at the mall with her friend Delia applying a temporary tattoo to her lower back. Never one to suffer fashion doubt, trendsetter Delia knows exactly where she wants her own tattoo: on her stomach, right where her shirt ends - can you say "midriff"? Annabelle, the quiet one, chooses the back of her neck, and tomboy Zo plasters hers on the top of her foot. The tattoos will last for three days, and Delia's sure that with them, the four friends will absolutely kill at the school dance.

Unfortunately, killing is just what someone has in mind, and Bailey, Delia, Annabelle, and Zo are in for the battle of their lives. Along with her tattoo, each girl receives a gift - a supernatural power to help them in their fight. As Bailey's increasingly frightening dreams reveal the nature of their enemy, it becomes clear to the girls that it's up to them to save the world. And if they can get Delia to stop using her newfound power to turn gum wrappers into Prada pumps, they might actually stand a chance.

THE PRAISE

From Publishers Weekly
"Fun... far-out. The book's best moments may come from ditzy Delia, with the power of transmogrification, who turns a hotel door lock into butterscotch pudding, plus gives the girls Rollerblades when they're on the chase, including a fashionable pair for herself that look like high heels. Delia also delivers the book's best line when facing off against evil Alecca: "You think you're bad?... I'm on the cheerleading squad; I know what real evil looks like." In the end, readers will get a few good laughs from these sassy heroines."

From School Library Journal
"This chick-lit fantasy, similar to though not as dark as Neal Shusterman's fairy-tale retellings, is a fast-paced, fun read for Buffy and Charmed fans."—Sharon Rawlins, NJ Library for the Blind and Handicapped, Trenton

THE INTERVIEW

1. How did you get this idea for this book? Please describe how the book grew from a glimmer of an idea into a whole novel.

For this book, I knew I wanted to write about four best friends who acquire supernatural powers; I just wasn't sure how to give them the powers, until one day, when I found this awesome temporary tattoo. It was sparkly and this unearthly blue-green color, and just looking at it, I couldn't help but think that it looked distinctly like it could have magical powers. My brain connected the dots between this thought and my characters, and the premise for Tattoo- four best friends get psychic powers from temporary tattoos- was born. As I wrote the book, it became far more of an adventure story than I'd originally expected, but despite that, I really consider it to be pretty character-driven, since the girls pretty much dictated what would happen at each point along the way.

2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Never stop writing. When you're submitting one project, start writing another. The book you sell might not be your first or second or third. For me, it was the seventh, so I think it's very important to always spend at least as much time writing new material as submitting the things you've already written.

3. What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?
I'm not a great person to ask about being organized. Organization is definitely not my forte! As for my writing day, it's more of a writing night. I tend to write late at night, after everyone else is asleep. During undergrad, this was usually between two and four in the morning, but now I often start around midnight. I don't do much planning before I start writing, and the stories twists often surprise me along the way.

4. What's been the most exciting thing about publishing? The most frustrating?

I think the frustrating thing- at this point- is that somewhere in the back of my head, I expected the release of my second book to be just like my first, and even though I've had a lot of fun with both books, their releases have been really different. Now, the most frustrating thing is that when I engage in a bout of shameless self-googling, I really want to hear people talking about the new book, but I keep coming across people discussing the old one instead! It sounds like a silly thing to get frustrated about- because I love that people are discussing my books- but I'm really anxious for my readers to catch up!

As for the most exciting thing, hands down it's the fans. Nothing prepared me for hearing from readers. Especially because I write young adult and a lot of my readers are teens, getting emails or messages from them is incredibly rewarding. I even had one girl tell me that she didn't like reading before she read my first book, but that after reading Golden, she's decided that reading can be fun. There are just no words for how amazing that is.

5. Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not, what else is in the works?

There is a sequel planned (due out Fall 2008), but it's actually a couple of books down the line. Between then and now, I have three books coming out- a sequel to my first novel and the first two books in a new series about cheerleading secret agents. Once I finish up with all of the sequels, I'm not sure what I'll do next. Anything is possible!

Thank you so much for appearing on my blog, Jen! Jen's book is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local indy retailer (best choice)!

Welcome Melissa Senate!

2007-02-05T09:07:00.000-08:00

Hello blogland,
I've been on a hiatus due to the advent of AFGO*. It's been interesting... actually, I am quite positive about all of it! Still, I've been a bit overwhelmed and so I must extend my deepest apologies to the Amazing Melissa Senate, of novel-writing fame. Welcome to the blog, Melissa!

Melissa is the author of the new book, LOVE YOU TO DEATH. The woman must breathe novels because she has written so many good ones!

THE AUTHOR

A summer baby born in a Catskills bungalow colony, I lived in New York City as a kid, New Jersey as a teenager, Connecticut for college, Brooklyn for the those first few post-college years (I somehow had a $450 a month studio in primo Park Slope), then the Upper East Side of Manhattan until just two years ago, when I moved to a small coastal town in Maine for a quality of life experiment (for my young son, not for me). I have to admit that the quality of life in Maine is pretty great.

What was I doing in NYC all those years? I worked for Harlequin Books (starting as an editorial assistant and leaving as a senior editor) for ten years, then moved to two young adult book packagers, working on everything from the New Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley ("We'll solve any crime by dinner time!") to Sweet Valley University (Elizabeth and Jessica were in junior high, high school and college simultaneously!).

When I sold my first novel, SEE JANE DATE, in 2001, I took a huge leap of faith to write full time. SEE JANE DATE was made into an adorable TV movie (starring Charisma Carpenter and Holly Marie Combs) for ABC Family and is now on DVD, and it's also the subject of and answer to a question in the 20th Anniversary Edition of Trivial Pursuit (My sister's in-laws were actually playing the game and got the question and knew the answer, which is how I found out about it in the first place). SEE JANE DATE led to THE SOLOMON SISTERS WISE UP (which took me on a 3 city tour of Italy (I've been to Rome twice in the past three years and would happily go every year for the rest of my life); WHOSE WEDDING IS IT ANWAY?, which reunited me with the characters from SEE JANE DATE (it's Eloise's story); THE BREAKUP CLUB, my first novel to include a male main character (there are 4 main characters), and THEODORA TWIST, my debut novel for teens, which Teen magazine hailed "a hot (and fun) summer read.

My sixth novel has just been published. Set in Maine, LOVE YOU TO DEATH is a fun mystery about a young woman whose worst ex-boyfriends are on someone's hit list. The hot Portland police detective investigating is a little suspicious. Also just published is my first essay, The One That Got Away, in the anthology IT'S A WONDERFUL LIE: 26 TRUTHS ABOUT LIFE IN YOUR TWENTIES. In May, another essay of mine (Then Again, Maybe I . . .) will be published in EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT BEING A GIRL I LEARNED FROM JUDY BLUME, a tribute anthology to one of my favorite authors.

I love to hear from readers, so feel free to email me with questions or comments or just to say hello: Melissa@MelissaSenate.com

THE BOOK

Abby's worst ex-boyfriends are on someone's hit list. Friends, familiy, coworkers–and a hot Portland police detective–think that someone is Abby herself!
**********************************************
WHEN DID ABBY FOOTE'S LIFE BECOME AN EPISODE OF LAW & ORDER?
First, a former boyfriend (who dumped Abby in the most humiliating way imaginable) is found murdered the day his engagement is announced.
Then two other ex-boyfriends report attempts made on their lives right after breaking up with her. Coincidence? Detective Benjamin Orr, of the Portland Police Department (and Very Probing Questions and Incredibly Delicious Face), doesn't think so. Neither do Abby's friends, family, coworkers and other exes–who are suddenly shaking in their shoes.
Soon enough, everyone is sucking up to her as though the Abby they know and supposedly love to death is capable of posioninig their drinks….
Is someone trying to frame her? Who? And why? She has to find out fast. Because by-the-book Ben is bound to break her heart. Which makes him next on someone's list.

THE PRAISE

"Melissa Senate is definitely one of my favorite chick lit writers. Her books are funny and fast-paced and always make you feel good!"
–Sarah Mylnowski
**************************
"Readers will cheer Abby every step of the way as she fights to clear her name and find her prince for whom the glass slipper will finally fit."
–Publishers Weekly
***************************
4 stars says RT Bookclub magazine

THE INTERVIEW

1. How did you get this idea for this book? Please describe how the book grew from a glimmer of an idea into a whole novel.

A: Wishful thinking? Just kidding! LOVE YOU TO DEATH is about a woman whose worst ex-boyfriends are on someone's hit list. It's a lighthearted mystery (Publishers Weekly goes so far as to call it a romp). Interestingly, at the same time I was starting the novel, I was writing an essay about a former boyfriend for an anthology (IT'S A WONDERFUL LIE: THE TRUTH ABOUT LIFE IN YOUR TWENTIES), and this essay brought up quite a few of my most obnoxious boyfriends/breakups. The essay was so personal and serious, and I think the novel became a lighthearted way for me to "deal with" these cads! I wish them all well. Really.:)

2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
A: Aside from reading like a madwoman (and/or madman) join online writers' groups, post questions, answer questions, develop a community for yourself. It's a great way to network, both with other aspiring author and published authors, to get info about agents, editors, publishing houses..and to make connections.

3. What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?

A: I do have 5 set writing hours a day while my son is at school, and sometimes I'm very disciplined about writing and sometimes I'm suddenly doing anything but writing. What I've learned, though, in the seven years I've been writing full time is that when I'm NOT writing, I actually AM writing, in my head, in my bones, in every bit of me. I'm seeking answers to emotional threads and connections for my characters, for the plot. Who knew that happened while you ate a bowl of Raisin Bran or furiously cleaned your already clean bedroom?

4. What's been the most exciting thing about publishing? The most frustrating?

A: Two things have consistently been the most exciting: 1) Typing The End when I'm finished with a manuscript and knowing that I'm proud of it, and 2) when a reader emails me or blogs about enjoying my book. Snoopy dance.

5. Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not, what else is in the works?

A: At the very end of LOVE YOU TO DEATH, there's a little blurb that says to look for another Abby Foote mystery next year. But I changed my mind! When I was sitting down to write a proposal about the next Abby Foote mystery, another character, another story had already started to grip me and wouldn't let me go, and I actually tried to make it fit into Abby's world, but of course that was impossible. It's about estranged twin sisters in their late twenties and how they come back together. There's an intervention involved (of the least likely sister) for a bad-for-her engagement, and a road trip that takes them down a bumpy, but fun road. It'll be out in the summer of 2008. Later next year my second young adult novel will be published as well. Love writing for both audiences!

Thank you so much, Melissa! You may purchase Melissa's book at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or the bestest choice, your local indy retailer.

*AFGO=Another Fucking Growth Opportunity :)

Sobering Type 1 Statistic...

2007-01-21T10:04:00.000-08:00

This was sent to me by Jeff Hitchcock at Children With Diabetes (an invaluable resource for those dealing with Type 1):

"Young adults aged 20-29 years with type 1 diabetes are 4 times more likely to die than their peers without diabetes, a rate that is higher than at any other age. These deaths are largely due to preventable causes: diabetic ketoacidosis and suicide."

http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/176/2/212

Boy, oh boy.

I know the excerpt says "preventable," but just how the hell do we prevent the emotional pain that causes this to happen?

As for DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis): When an already diagnosed person goes into DKA, I have to wonder if it was a failure of due diligence during an illness. Surely a depressed young person would have trouble keeping on top of such a thing. Another reason young women (in particular, but not ONLY females) go into DKA is that they are trying to lose weight by skipping insulin doses, making their body burn fat instead of carbs and releasing ketones that in a person with Type 1 Diabetes can turn deadly. I suppose you could count this as a type of eating disorder.

As for suicide, of course that is linked with depression as well.

How do you prevent this excruciating depression? Especially when a big cause is a disease which is chronic, nonpreventable, and noncurable?

Especially at ages 20-29, when they are not living at home with us any longer?

Our kids have to carry so much already. This too? :(

Enough Said...

2007-01-12T08:30:00.000-08:00

Super thanks to Webmilhouse for this valuable link:

Weight Watchers Points Calculator

Link is also going on my sidebar on a permanent basis. No catcalls, please... Like anything else, weight management goes on ONE DAY AT A TIME. :D

Congrats, and Some Diabetes Tips and Tricks for Young and Not So Young

2007-01-10T14:42:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,
I have some great news! A dear friend of mine, Karen Dionne, has sold her book! It is an ecological thriller titled FREEZING POINT and it's just sold to Berkley Books! I simply can't wait for this one. Karen is the proprietor of the Backspace Writers Forums, which has been an immense support to about a jillion writers, including me. When our family lost so many personal items during the New Year's Flood last year, Karen rounded up an effort for people to replace some of the items. I can't think of an author who deserves success more than Karen!

The other two pieces of info are of more help to my friends in the diabetes community. Do you have a son or daughter with Type 1 who uses an insulin pump? Then check your local JC Penney store. They are clearancing a group of sweatshirts made by "Top Heavy" with a "secret compartment" intended for children to sneak their MP3 Players to school. (I mean, c'mon?!??) Like most people I thought these sweatshirts were ridiculous! But guess what? The "secret compartment" is the perfect size for an insulin pump. And behind the compartment is a grommet through which the MP3 cords are to be threaded. Guess where your insulin pump tubing goes! These just couldn't have been more perfect if they had been designed for someone with Type 1 Diabetes. So check them out, we were able to find a few armloads at the Santa Rosa JC Penney for $11.99 a piece!

The other thing I want to share our experiences with is the concept known as "Super Bolus!" Until recently the concepts of advanced insulin pumping were beyond my comprehension. But I had a very patient friend explain the use of the Super Bolus to get rid of postprandial (after meal) highs with a carb laden meal that is high on the glycemic index. For instance, three candy canes. That seems like a good post-holiday meal, LOL.

Normally these 3 candy canes would send my child's blood sugar skyrocketing! But not with the Super Bolus. All I did was give the insulin for the carbs and for any correction we needed to do, and then ADDED UP the basal insulin that my child was going to receive for the next 2 hours. My son gets 0.45 units/hour, and for 2 hours that makes 0.90 units. I gave the 0.90 units as upfront insulin (remember, in addition to, NOT instead of, the insulin I would normally give according to my child's insulin/carb ratio as well as the insulin I would normally give as a high blood sugar correction).

Then I SET A TEMPORARY RATE of ZERO for 2 hours. I was giving the same amount of insulin, just having it "hit" differently so as to attack those spike-causing carbs in the candy canes. 1.5 hours after the candy canes we had a bg of 126, yeahhhhh! And it stayed stable until we checked again around dinnertime!

One thing I made sure to do--use the "fill cannula" feature in order to give the extra upfront insulin. That way, the insulin was NOT figured into insulin onboard. It's not really IOB since it is technically basal insulin that I was giving a different way. I just went to the Load menu, scrolled to Fill Cannula and then scrolled up to the amount of insulin I needed to give. More info on the Super Bolus can be found here!

IMPORTANT! ALTHOUGH WE HAVE HAD LUCK WITH THIS METHOD, I MUST TELL YOU THIS WEBSITE IS NOT INTENDED TO GIVE MEDICAL ADVICE. I AM NOT A DOCTOR NOR A NURSE, PHARMACIST OR OTHER HEALTHCARE PROVIDER AND THEREFORE AM NOT QUALIFIED TO GIVE MEDICAL ADVICE. CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE CHANGING YOUR OR YOUR CHILD'S INSULIN PLAN IN ANY WAY.

The inventor of the Super Bolus (and author of the article linked above) is John Walsh of PUMPING INSULIN fame. Thank you John! Strike the spike!

Googling for a Diagnosis

2007-01-08T18:49:00.000-08:00

I can't help noticing a large increase in my blog traffic since I have begun discussing alcoholism and recovery here. Interestingly, tons of these visitors arrive here via a Google search: "Am I an alcoholic?" "How do I know if I am alcoholic?" "Do I drink too much?" "how to quit drinking" "how to cut down on drinking" And so forth. I think a lot of these people come to take the self-test I posted--which is good.

Are you one of these people?

Did you find me via a Google search trying to figure out if you are alcoholic?

If so, welcome.

Let me just say something. As a recovering alcoholic I will give it to you straight. You can't bullshit a bullshitter. Your excuses are my excuses. Your self-justification is mine. Your denial? I did that, too.

People who do not have a problem with alcohol do not sit around and wonder if they are alcoholic. People who do not have a problem with alcohol do not do Google searches to try and figure out if they are alcoholic. And people who do not have a problem with alcohol? Believe it or not, they can set down a glass at a party, forget about it and not drink anything else for the rest of the night. (I know, what a concept!) They can leave a glass half full at dinner. They can go a week or a month or a year without drinking without it being a big deal.

A fellow recovering alcholic mentioned this simple test by which most people can determine whether they are alcoholic (if the above doesn't convince):

1) Drink one drink and stop quickly. Do not drink any more for the next 24 hours. How'd that go for you?

2) Drink one drink and stop quickly. Do not drink any more for the next week. Now, drink one drink by itself and stop quickly. Do not drink any more for the next 24 hours. How'd that go?

3) Drink one drink and stop quickly. Do not drink any more for the next month. Now, drink one drink by itself and stop quickly. Do not drink any more for the next week. Now, drink one drink and stop quickly. Do not drink any more for the next 24 hours. How'd that go?

If you pass this test, that does not rule out that you have a problem; that's not it's intention. But, if you fail any of these tests, you have a problem with alcohol. Toward the end of my own drinking, I could not even pass #1.

There is a guy I know who drank beer for 15 years since he was 20. That's it, just beer. He went in and out of sobriety and was kind of coasting along thinking he would quit "someday" on a permanent basis. He felt the symptoms of flu and went to his doctor where he learned he has alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. One more drink could kill him. He had no symptoms all this time, until it was too late. It was just "the flu" for a few days and then BAM! he was hit with this horrific diagnosis. At age 35.

I count my blessings I was able to stop drinking before this became my story. The disease of alcoholism is deadly. It's no joke.

Here are some useful links that can tell you a lot more than I can:

Sober Recovery

Alcoholics Anonymous

I wish you well.

Drink and Drug No More

2007-01-04T19:00:00.000-08:00

I hope you all will take a moment to look at this blog--titled Drink and Drug No More. I especially encourage anyone who thinks they might have a problem with alcohol and/or drugs to read it. It gives an excellent picture of one's mans experience of what life was like in the grips of addiction, what happened and what it is like now. So check it out. You won't be sorry.

New Year Wishes

2007-01-01T10:08:00.000-08:00

Just a few I snagged from here & there... Some are specific to those in (or seeking) recovery from substance abuse or other compulsive behavior, others apply to all. I think they're all useful! Peace to everyone this New Year's Day.

Just For Today...
You have to be willing to get rid of the life you have planned, so to have the life that is waiting for you.

No matter what - you don't have to pick up.

Humble people don't think less of themselves, they just think of themselves less.

An alcoholic is an egomaniac with an inferiority complex.

When you point a finger at another, you have three fingers pointing back at you.

May your lost dreams of yesterday become the reality of your tomorrow!

Hit your knees.....
not the bottle!

I can't fix anyone but me,
and that's a full time job!

Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.

If you think handling everything is too much, try letting go.

Happiness is not getting what you want, it is wanting what you get.

Being recovered from alcoholism is like getting a gunshot wound. You can recover from it but it does NOT make you bulletproof. You can recover from alcoholism but it does not make you immune from alcohol.

Thoughts are not things and feelings are not facts; they only have the power we give them.

Looking for God
is like a fish looking for water.

Don't give up five minutes before the miracle.

You can’t change yesterday, but you can ruin today by worrying about tomorrow.

Resentment is a poison I drink to kill the other person.

If I don't change, my sobriety date will!

Don't compare your insides to other people's outsides.

If you're spinning your wheels, try getting out of the driver's seat.

Serenity isn't freedom from the storm; it is peace within the storm.

Do the next right thing.

Happy 2007 all! XO

Blog Meme from Joshilyn Jackson

2006-12-31T13:18:00.000-08:00

This was a fun one! I couldn't resist this blog meme from Joshilyn's "Faster Than Kudzu" blog, quick and easy as brownies from a mix--which is about my speed on New Year's Eve Day--or, what the hell, just go down to Starbuck's and grab some instead.

Here 'tis:
1. Take five books off your bookshelf.
2. Book #1 -- first sentence
3. Book #2 -- last sentence on page fifty
4. Book #3 -- second sentence on page one hundred
5. Book #4 -- next to the last sentence on page one hundred fifty
6. Book #5 -- final sentence of the book
7. Make the five sentences into a paragraph:

And here's my paragraph--an opening to an erotic mystery-thriller, mebbe?

Friday, five o'clock in the afternoon. God, however, did not seem to be on Houser's side, and he grew increasingly agitated. At a track in Arizona a monkey was a popular mascot until he began turning on all the shed-row faucets and tearing the shingles off the roof. His organ sang. THE WHORES ON THE HILL WERE HERE.

1) ONE SHOT by Lee Child
2) SWEET INVISIBLE BODY: REFLECTIONS ON A LIFE WITH DIABETES by Lisa Roney
3) SEABISCUIT by Laura Hillenbrand
4) AFTER by Claire Tristram
5) WHORES ON THE HILL by Colleen Curran

OK... your turn!!

Tagged by a Bookseller

2006-12-22T10:22:00.000-08:00

The Bookseller to the Stars, AKA my friend Mark, tagged me on this one...

By the way, I HATE the new Blogger beta. DO NOT sign up for it. DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT. Especially if you have more than one Gmail account. Especially if you value your sanity. DO NOT SIGN UP FOR IT!!!

Not that I have strong feelings or anything :D

On to the meme--

1. I've come to realize that my ex... was an active drug addict, alcoholic, and criminal. (I hope he has found some help, because there is help out there... I know this for a fact)

2. I am listening to... cars going by outside.

3. I talk... about other people more than myself.

4. I love... my children more than anything in the world.

5. My best friends... are all women, for the first time since about first grade.

7. I lost... seven pounds thanks to the stomach flu.

8. I hate it when people... tell me that my son got diabetes because of what he ate.

9. Love is... complete obliteration of the ego.

10. Marriage is... a partnership between two separate and individually complete persons.

11. Somewhere, someone is thinking... "how much wood could a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"

12. I'll always be... the one whose hair freezes outside on cold days because she is too lazy to blow-dry.

13. I have a crush on... Pablo Neruda (even though he's dead).

14. The last time I cried was because... I was being sick and thought I was going to pass out.

15. My cell phone... has the ugliest picture of me ever (taken by my son, while we were in line at a department store during the holidays), as its background motif.

16. When I wake up in the morning... bring me the coffee!

17. Before I go to sleep at night... I say my prayers. I really do!

18. Right now I am thinking about... my messy house.

19. Babies are... straight from heaven.

20. I get on myspace... and get annoyed.

21. Today I... need to catch up on holiday stuff instead of doing blog memes.

22. Tonight I will... watch a movie and wrap packages.

23. Tomorrow I will... Go to the Dickens Faire at the Cow Palace, I hope, but the plague (see above) in one or more family members may prevent it.

24. I really want... a cure for juvenile diabetes.

25. The person who most likely to repost this is... Becky Motew

Love My Pancreas

2006-12-19T16:51:00.000-08:00

Reminder Weird Al Yankovich? LIKE A SURGEON and... boy, well everything else from the 80s that was crazy and stick-in-your head irritating!!

Well, he's still around making crazy parodies of contemporary songs. This one, called I LOVE MY PANCREAS, is priceless for anyone who is "pancreatically challenged"... or knows someone who is! Boy, before my son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, I don't think I even knew what the pancreas did. Now I love all pancreases... even those stubborn, obstinant ones who do not work properly!!! (But I wish I could fix 'em!!!)

Adam's Routine

2006-12-14T19:17:00.000-08:00

I thought this was really interesting and found it via Diabetes Health online. This is Adam Morrison's daily diabetes routine. Adam of course plays basketball for the Charlotte BOBCATs, and has Type 1 Diabetes.

Lots of you already know that we met Adam personally when he played a game at USF, back when he was still playing NCAA ball for Gonzaga. Adam was so kind and asked our son lots of questions about his pump, answered our questions and offered his encouragement. I'm still a fan!

Game-Day Preparations

A typical game day for Morrison is as follows:

8:45 a.m. Wake up, test and bolus accordingly

9 a.m. “I eat a balanced breakfast—usually cereal and toast. Something where I know the exact number of carbs and how my body reacts to it.”

Mid-morning: Shoot around with teammates

Lunch: Test and bolus accordingly. “Then I’ll eat a foot-long sub sandwich with a lot of meat. Just something that will fill me up without a lot of carbs.”

4:45 p.m: Arrive at the arena. “They’ll have my meal ready for me. I always eat steak and a baked potato before the game.”

Game Time (7 p.m.): Once the game starts, Morrison tests and makes sure he has a suitable BG range.

“I like to have it between 120 and 180 mg/dl. I feel comfortable at that range.”

His trainer makes sure the bench area is stocked with orange juice, apple juice and glucose tabs, as well as Morrison’s meter and insulin. Morrison wears a pump, but must detach before games.

Time Outs: “Pretty much every time out, I test my blood sugar and if I need to take a shot I do. If I need to eat something, I do. I just try to stay on top of it during the games. I’ll usually test up to seven times during a game.”

Halftime: “Throughout the game, my blood sugar usually rises a little bit because of adrenaline. At halftime, I make sure I get it between 120 and 180 mg/dl.”

After the Game: “I try to get my blood sugar to around 120 mg/dl.”

For both his basal and bolus needs, Morrison uses Humalog in his pump.

Of note and perhaps most amazing: Adam has never gone low during a game since high school.

In Memory of Jerry

2006-12-04T09:54:00.000-08:00

Sadly, today I mourn the loss of a young man, just a kid really, who could not stay sober. I didn't know Jerry, but he was the friend of a friend, shall we say.

Jeff has written more about Jerry on his Myspace page. That's how I learned of Jerry's death. Here is a photo of Jerry.

Jerry left behind a girlfriend, friends, parents, and grandparents. Jerry had a future, a whole, long, beautiful life just waiting to unfold in front of him. His addiction killed him. Just took him right off the planet. The end. No more chances. Just... gone.

A few days ago I was saying to a friend and fellow sober alcoholic how we have to remind ourselves that our disease is chronic, incurable... AND FATAL. We must never forget the immensely serious nature of what we are dealing with here. Drug and alcohol addiction will kill you, people. Not today, maybe, maybe not tomorrow... but it is a fatal disease, and you don't know when it will come calling to take its final payment. And Jerry's death just underscores that. People loved this young man, to some he was as dear as life itself.

The tragic waste of life that the disease of addiction leaves in its wake is stunning. Not just overdoses, as was the case with Jerry, but the long slow death of alcoholism and other addictions. And also, many deaths marked down as due to car crashes and suicides are really due to alcoholism or addiction. Meanwhile the disease laughs and strikes another notch in its belt.

Rest in peace, Jerry. Maybe someone will learn from Jerry's death--maybe it will be a wakeup call to someone out there. This disease kills, in all its forms. Blessings to all who knew and loved this irreplaceable young man.

Hooray!

2006-12-03T08:35:00.000-08:00

Of course, it isn't REALLY a novel. It's just 50,000 words. But still... :D

Have a great weekend, all, and CONGRATS to all the NaNoWriMo winners!

It's a Disease, Stupid... Sweetheart

2006-12-01T08:41:00.000-08:00

Hooray! Binky II has arrived from Smiths Medical. After a half hour reprogramming the pump with all my son's rates and ratios, Binky II is up and running. It is SUCH a relief to have that insulin pump working again.

A chronic disease is a chronic disease. It does not represent a character weakness. Would I blame my son for developing Type 1 Diabetes? Of course not.

Today I began thinking about how I finally admitted I was alcoholic and sought out help in managing my disease.

No one wants to be an alcoholic. We like to think we can manage our own affairs. Many of us have been very successful in managing other parts of our lives. So to admit we have a condition which is incurable, chronic, fatal and OUT OF OUR CONTROL is a horrible prospect.

For about two years previous to my seeking out recovery, I knew there was something not quite normal with the way I drank. But I still believed I could control my drinking. So I attempted to moderate. For example, I vowed never to drink hard liquor. I soon learned that wine and beer would get me intoxicated just about as efficiently. Oh, I made all sorts of promises and rules for myself. It's laughable now!

Just to name a few: I vowed never to mix drinks, never to drink at home, never to drink in public, to drink only red wine for the "health benefits," never to keep alcohol in the house, never to drink in front of others, to drink only on weekends, to count drinks and stop at a pre-set number. Near the end I swore off drinking completely for one month. When that worked just fine, I decided I did not have a problem. After all, I figured, an alcoholic would not be able to quit for a month. So I began drinking again... moderately and in a very controlled way... of course!

About one year later I found myself consuming more than I would like. I decided to try another one month quit and didn't worry too much when I only made it 12 days. After all, I had proven to myself I could quit whenever I wanted to. I just didn't WANT to. Why should I have to give up drinking? It was the only thing that got me through most days.

This disease is stunning in its subtlety. The disease lies to you. It tells you that you don't have a problem or that you can control the problem. I was quite surprised to learn that nonalcoholics do not play these little games with themselves to try to cut down on drinks. These very desperate acts I was taking to try to control drinking were themselves the most glaring symptoms of all.

The fact is, NONALCOHOLICS DO NOT NEED TO TRY TO CONTROL THEIR DRINKING. They truly can take it or leave it. Also, NONALCOHOLICS DO NOT WONDER IF THEY ARE ALCOHOLIC. Really. It was hard for me to believe it, but there are people out there who do not sit up and wonder. Actually there are quite a lot of them. I am not one.

Let me repeat it again: NONALCOHOLICS DO NOT NEED TO TRY TO CONTROL THEIR DRINKING.

It's a disease, stupid. We didn't get it on purpose.

Let me edit: It's a disease, sweetheart. And we still didn't get it on purpose.

I used to believe, anyone would drink if they had my life. I drank because of conflicts with loved ones and I drank to celebrate how much I loved them. I drank when I was happy, and I drank when I was sad. I drank when people hassled me about my drinking and I drank because I had suceeded in quitting for a specified period and therefore I didn't have a problem. I drank because I was over excited and I drank because I was bored.

All of the preceding statements are false. I drank because I am alcoholic. That is what alcoholics do. I believed I was different and special and that I could control alcohol. Little did I know, it was already controlling me.

Like many, I did not want help. No one understood me or what I was trying to do. No one understood that I had this "infallible plan" to control my drinking. Yeah, I was doing really well on THAT score. I was what they refer to as "terminally unique."

I have been realizing of late, looking back at my own life I suppose, just how cunning, baffling and powerful alcohol is. It is stunning the capacities of the mind to rationalize away our drinking. If all that brain power was put to good use there would be a cure for cancer in a year. (For juvenile diabetes, too.)

Simply: The disease uses your mind to play games with you so that it can keep killing you. Don't believe everything you think.

I am just one person who found a solution that worked for me. I don't endorse any recovery plan, but there is one that worked for me which I'm glad to further discuss with anyone who reads this blog, whether I know them or not. Hopefully the email link works

Or check out the forums at Sober Recovery and just lurk for awhile and see if anyone is telling your story. You might be surprised.

I used to think being alcoholic was the worst thing that could happen to me. Today I am a grateful, sober alcoholic. Being a recovering alcoholic has given me a purpose in life and has shown me a way to grow into a human being I had never even dreamed of. It is a process and it is not always easy, but it's simple.

No one can control the disease, in themselves or in others. The disease is what it is. Cunning, baffling, powerful, chronic and fatal. That's not changing any time soon.

However, once we have admitted we are not so very special after all, that we are not so very different from those who have gone before us, we come to realize: there are two choices. Be a sober alcoholic, or a drunk alcoholic. And for this alcoholic, it's a great day to be sober. Onward, XO

R.I.P. Binky

2006-11-29T08:58:00.000-08:00

Binky is dead.

Who is Binky, you may ask? Binky is our son's insulin pump, which delivers insulin to his body around the clock and keeps him alive on a daily basis. Among other features on the insulin pump software, one may "name" the insulin pump. For whatever reason, our son elected to call his pump "Binky."

Maybe it was named after his baby blankie, whose name is "Binky" (what he said when he couldn't say blankie). Maybe the pump was named after his sister; one of her many nicknames is "Binky." Could it be a twin thing? I rather doubt that he named his pump after the powerhouse literary agent Binky Urban--but Mommy and Daddy are both writers, so ya never know.

Anyway, all of a sudden yesterday at about 4 PM, our son was trying to give himself insulin for a snack. Binky claimed that the insulin cartridge was removed. Of course, it was not. Then Binky demanded that we confirm the sensor on the insulin pump pushrod by reinstalling the cartridge. Of course this didn't work. We threw out the insulin, filled up a brand new cartridge. Nada. New battery, nada aussi. Binky continued to lie and claim there was no insulin cartridge.

A lengthy phone call to Smiths Medical confirmed that Binky was dead. Or, shall we say, brain dead. In fact, Binky's body is going to be donated to science since the disease which took its life is undiagnosable (at least, via phone from St. Paul.). Of course, it was past 6 in St. Paul. The Fedex had gone. Binky's successor still lay in the warehouse. Unable to be shipped. Binky's carcass remained dead and tragically useless on the counter. We had no time for tears.

After hanging up I immediately called school because that is where our backup insulin pen in kept. We do have syringes at home but only Novolog pen refill cartridges which can be used in a pinch with syringes, but really are best used with a pen if you are going to do more than a couple doses that way.

We had to figure out a solution for school. Fortunately, the school secretaries were still there (bless them). I booked it over to school to get the pen. Then we had to dig all throughout our supply box at home for pen tips. We only had 6 on hand. That really won't get us through the two days we will have to wait for Binky's replacement. So I had to call the pharmacy and get everything refilled.

Moral, always have a backup pen BOTH in the house and at school. Make sure you have more than a pathetic number of pen tips. Really. That was a dumb move of us not to be better stocked with all that stuff. It was a needlessly stressful aspect of the situation. Fortunately the Lantus was available onhand.

The school secretaries looked at me with great pity. I must have looked really stressed. I didn't feel that stressed, just completely "on" and moving quickly to get the problem solved. Our son is OK with the shots for a few days but I had to write a long letter to the teacher describing the mathematical forumala for figuring out a high blood sugar correction and what to do at lunch. I'll bet I will get a call anyway, but that's OK.

I really miss Binky. In Binky's memory and also because it is 38 degrees outside, I am wearing a black down jacket. I can't wait for Binky's replacement to arrive. Maybe the new pump should be named something a little tougher, like Thor.

What about Happy Endings?

2006-11-27T05:29:00.000-08:00

Gotta say, I offically love the title of Kyra Davis's new book, SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING. It's the type of title that makes you just want to grab the book and eat it up!

Kyra is quite a lovely person too. I first heard of Kyra when our books were both featured in an issue of COSMO. I'm sure Kyra remembers (as do I) that this is the issue where Jennifer Lopez's boobs were about to be slingshotted right off the cover of Cosmo and into the grocery store. I emailed Kyra or she emailed me--I don't remember now, but I do remember what a great person she is! She's the author of the SEX, MURDER, AND A DOUBLE LATTE, a hilarious mystery which still may be paired my book at Amazon.

We met for dinner at Opera Plaza awhile back and had a great talk, some of which actually revolved around the topics in Kyra's new book--which looks like a real winner for those of you who like women's fiction with a darker edge. In fact, this interview reminded my that SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING is on my "to-buy" list, and so when I am out holiday shopping later this week, I am going to reward myself by buying and eating up this book.

All in all, what a fun, genuine, multilayered, interesting and kind individual. Twas really my pleasure and therefore, I am thrilled to introduce Kyra to those of you who may not know her or her work.

THE AUTHOR

Kyra Davis is the author of the highly acclaimed books: Sex, Murder And A Double Latte and Passion Betrayal And Killer Highlights. She has spent her life in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area, where she currently lives with her young son. Now a full time parent and writer, Davis previously divided her time between a career in retail fashion and various artistic endeavors. So Much For My Happy Ending is her third novel.

THE BOOK

Kyra Davis, the author of the very successful mystery series that includes SEX, MURDER AND A DOUBLE LATTE, was married to man diagnosed with a bipolar disorder. The symptoms were barely noticeable at first. But as the marriage wore on, her husband’s erratic behavior—his
lies about his job, his extravagant spending sprees using her credit cards that almost resulted in her filing for bankruptcy, his fits of temper and other highly unsettling behavior—led to her divorce.

In her latest book, SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING (MIRA Books, November 15, 2006, $13.95)—a departure from her light-hearted mystery series—Kyra Davis tackles the subject of mental illness. With her usual wit and humor, Kyra probes a very serious subject, and one that is close to her heart: What happens when the man you love and subsequently marry turns out to be someone entirely different from the man you dated? How do you recognize the difference between mental illness and the usual marital problems that afflict all couples? How could a man who was so romantic and loving turn out to be bipolar ?

Kyra explores these questions as she chronicles the relationship between April and her soon-to-be husband, Tad, who is the man of her dreams: romantic, attentive and adoring who holds the promise of a normal, secure life. But on their honeymoon—Tad’s withdrawn behavior, his refusal to leave the hotel room, and other disturbing behavior—are cause for alarm. When they return home, however, and Tad reverts back to the man she knows and loves, April rationalizes his behavior during their honeymoon, but she can’t quite dismiss it. “The warning signs were there,” she later muses. No neon signs, mind you, just little sparks at the end of a very long string. Funny that I could have been blind enough not to realize that the string was a lighted fuse.”
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING chronicles every step of April’s relationship with Tad, from the engagement and subsequent marriage, through the unraveling and finally the turning point. As April tries to cope with what is happening to her husband, Tad is grappling with the demons that are driving him apart from April and threaten to destroy the one stable anchor in his tumultuous life.

In her unique style, Davis examines the disturbing subject of coping with bipolar illness of a loved one with the sensitivity, insight and perspective of one who has been there, and the humor of one who has had to make difficult choices in order to survive and move on.

THE PRAISE

Kyra Davis brings insight and energy to "So Much for My Happy Ending,"…In April, Davis has created a narrator with a sensitive, honest, engaging voice.

--Boston Globe

Davis fuses light-hearted romance with keen domestic suspense, making this an absorbing…read.

--Publisher’s Weekly

Davis' engaging departure from her usual focus is a unique entry in the chick-lit genre and should appeal to those looking to move beyond typical fare.

--Booklist

Davis’ tragicomic tale is both entertaining and horrifying at once….it’s a harrowing account of marriage to a man with bipolar disorder. Still, it’s hopeful and even wildly funny at times.

Four stars

--The Romantic Times

Novelist Kyra Davis spins a chilling tale

-Ebony Magazine

THE INTERVIEW

1. How did you get this idea for this book? Please describe how
the book grew from a glimmer of an idea into a whole novel.

The “glimmer” was actually a rather dark slice of my life. Like my protagonist, I was married to a man who is bipolar. Unfortunately he was unable/unwilling to face his demons and refused treatment. Watching his self-destruction was an incredibly painful experience and I wanted to write a novel that accurately detailed that experience without demonizing anyone or painting an inaccurate portrait of the disease.

2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Hang in there. You can’t be a writer without experiencing rejection---a LOT of rejection. Don’t let the thanks-but-no-thanks letters discourage you and if an editor or agent takes the time to tell you why they don’t want your manuscript pat yourself on the back. Editors/agents don’t bother giving any feedback to authors whose work they think is unpublishable. So keep on writing and eventually you will get a contract.

3. What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?

I’m not organized. Period, end of story. I honestly don’t know how I manage to get through life let alone have a career. So when it comes to writing I simply write when I have time to write (when my son’s at school, when he’s asleep and so on). I do handwrite an outline for each novel I write and sometimes I even manage not to misplace those outlines. But even when I do remember where I put the outline for the book I’m writing I rarely stick to it. I’ve been told that the truly great authors are all addicts, incredibly unhappy or psychologically ill. I would never try to lump myself in with the Sylvia Plaths and Hemingways of the world so I don’t have to resort to such extremes. Still, I like to think of my disorganization as my way of compensating for my overall emotional health.

4. What's been the most exciting thing about publishing? The most frustrating?

The most exciting thing is the feedback I get from readers. Sometimes people write to tell me that my Sophie novels provided them with the emotional escape they needed during a stressful time and sometimes it’s to say that So Much For My Happy Ending gave them a new perspective on a difficult relationship in their lives. Either way, their notes are inspiring and rewarding.

The most frustrating thing is the business end of this industry. Contract negotiations, trying to write a proposal for a book that you want to write that is also “commercial enough” to sell---that kind of stuff can drive you nuts.

5. Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not, what else is in the works?

I would love to continue to write the Sophie books and to also write a stand alone every other year or so. The third Sophie book, Obsession, Deceit And Really Dark Chocolate will be in stores September 07’.

6. You said this book is based on your life. Does that mean that you are your protagonist (April)?

April and I are different people but we do have a lot in common. I’ve never had April’s need to be “normal” and my mother is nowhere near as outrageous as April’s. Still, April’s experiences are very similar to my own.

7. Do you consider So Much For My Happy Ending to be chick lit?

To be honest, I’m not sure I know what “chick lit” means anymore. It seems like any time a female author writes a contemporary novel about a young female protagonist it’s considered to be chick lit. This book does have the “chick lit” protagonist (she’s young and works for a fashion retailer) she has two close friends, one of which is gay and that seems to be very popular in the chick lit genre. On the other hand this isn’t an “urban romance” or any other kind of romance. The issues that are dealt with are serious and the ending isn’t neat or tidy. So either it’s “dark” chick lit or it’s simply women’s fiction. I’ll let the readers decide which.

8. Do you think that the fans of your Sophie Katz mysteries will also enjoy So Much for My Happy Ending or is it meant for an entirely different audience?

So far it seems like my Sophie-readers also like So Much For My Happy Ending. I think publishers often underestimate readers. They assume that a woman who will buy a romance or a chick lit novel won’t buy a nonfiction book about evolution or a novel detailing the horrors of slavery. It’s not true. Sometimes people are in the mood for something lite and sometimes they're in the mood for something else. I think that the Sophie readers' approval of my non-Sophie book is evidence of that.

Thank you so much for this interview, Kyra! Kyra's books are available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local indy bookseller. Huzzah, Kyra!

Am I an Alcoholic?

2006-11-24T06:42:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving, all. I am grateful, first and foremost, for 24 hours of sobriety. Everything else, as they say, is just gravy. Without sobriety, I wouldn't have anything.

As a way of giving back, I'm going to share the questionnaire that I found really useful in assessing my own drinking habits. It tends to lead one into HONESTY--something for which I am also very grateful.

This questionnaire was originally posted on Twelve Step Forums. I hope it can help someone. Pass it on!

The sub-questions are designed to help shed light on the basic question. Read them only if necessary, but don't count them separately. What will eventually happen is that you will have a discussion with yourself; this is only an outline to give your conversation some constructive direction.

This survey was written by recovering people. They had the same questions while they were still drinking or using and probably came up with the same answers. They survived and so will you. But there needs to be a starting point, and question No. 1 is as good a place as any ...

1. Is there some particular reason why you are concerned about your drinking at this time?
* Are you drinking more often that you used to, or greater quantities when you do drink?
* Are you able to drink more without getting drunk?
* Do you sometimes have the shakes or other discomfort the next morning, and does a pick-me-up drink help make you feel better?

2. Is one of the reasons for your concern the fact that some people are getting on your back about your drinking?
* Do close friends say you are acting differently these days, or that you undergo some kind of personality change when you drink?
* Are they suggesting that you cut down or cut it out?

3. Do you have other friends that you prefer to be around these days -- people who don't mind your drinking, or don't mention it?
* Are these new friends that you've recently made?
* Are they fairly good drinkers, also?
* Do you have much else in common with them, or are drinking-related activities your main bond?
* Do you tend to prefer social events where drinking is more readily available?

4. Have you had more than two or three memory lapses (called blackouts) in the past 90 days?
* After an evening or other period of drinking, have you forgotten where you left your car?
* Or how you got home?
* Have you had to call someone the next day to fill you in on what you were doing the night before?

5. Do you sometimes regret things that you may have said or done while you were drinking?
* Are you ever embarrassed to the extent that you want to avoid certain people, or going back to a place where you may have done some foolish things?
* Do you wish that you could undo those things, or ever think that less drinking might help prevent them from happening again?

6. Do you drink more than the people you are with, or do you ever load up your drinks so others don't notice what you are doing?
* Do you order or mix doubles for yourself while others are drinking singles?
* Do you carry an extra supply with you in case the host runs out, or the bar closes before you are ready to quit?
* Is there anything unusual about your drinking habits that might make other people wonder!

7. Have you gotten careless about things that used to be important to you, or have you dropped certain activities from your routine?
* Do you spend less time with your children, spouse, or other family members than you used to?
* Are you less interested in some of your former hobbies or sports or entertainment source?
* Are you reducing outside activities that interfere with your drinking?

8. Have you tried or considered changing things in your life in order to get along better and eliminate some of the problems?
* Have you thought of leaving your spouse, or the family, or going away for a while to give everybody a little extra space?
* Have you thought about changing jobs, or maybe even moving to another part of the country where you could make a clean start, without the hassles and disadvantages from the past?

9. Do you ever wonder if some of the problems that may accompany your drinking would be lessened or go away, if you decided to stop entirely?
* Are there family arguments that might not flare up so often?
* Would work (or school) tardiness or absenteeism be somewhat improved?
* Are there financial or business setbacks that could be reduced? Insurance problems? Checkbook or household budget balancing?
* Difficulties in meeting obligations or paying back loans?

10. Have you ever promised yourself that you would really try to cut down on your drinking without quitting altogether?
* Have you tried skipping certain nights of the week, or hours of the day, when you wouldn't drink at all?
* Have you tried switching brands or type of alcohol in order to keep from getting so drunk or losing control so much?
* Have you tried putting someone else in charge of your drinking to help you cut down?

11. Have you ever tried to quit -- totally -- and not been able to?
* Have you ever set a date or duration when you would actually try to stop?
* Were there reasons why the effort really never took hold, or the timing never seemed right?
* Did your promise to quit seem less important when the deadline to quit rolled around?
* Was it easier to continue drinking than to fight the situation, and are you still drinking at this time?

12. Was it difficult for you to make this self examination, and is this a subject you consider too personal to discuss with others?
* Do you intentionally avoid discussions about your drinking or its complications?
* Do you sometimes have your spouse or other persons intervene for you, or make excuses about your tardiness or other related problems?

SCORING

This is the simplest scoring system in the annals of do-it-yourself testing. Any "YES" answer to a main or sub-question has earned you membership in a not very exclusive population of several million people with drinking or drugging problems. The more "YES's" you toted up, the better off you are. Every "YES" you were able to mentally put down was a striking symbol of personal honesty. It meant that you have begun the process of self-realization -- a principle in which virtually all recovery problems are based. Without personal recognition of your condition, there can be no meaningful recovery.

If you will consider each "YES" to be a minor victory in this same sense, you might want to take the test again and see how many more "YES's" you can identify. The enemies of recovery are guilt, denial and alibis. The allies are acceptance, understanding and honesty.

If the results of the test suggest that you, or whoever you took the test for, are an alcoholic or other chemical dependent, congratulations. Now you're getting somewhere.

Me again.

Alcoholism is a disease. An alcoholic does not drink because he or she has a weak character, is a bad person, or has bad situations in life. An alcoholic drinks because he or she has a compulsive, chronic, progressive and fatal ilness. The illness can be controlled--not cured--by stopping drinking.

Easier said than done. But there is help out there. Your family doctor can direct you, or your local AA meeting has a lot of people who have successfully tackled the drinking problem and can tell you more.

I Must Confess!

2006-11-20T18:42:00.000-08:00

Hello, blog-readers and welcome to Lola Douglas, my Girlfriends Cyber Circuit pal and author of the successful "Hollywood Starlet" series for Young Adults! Superstar Lola took the time out of her busy starlet life to catch up with the paparazzi (that would be me) and answer a few questions! Big movie star air-kisses to Lola!

THE AUTHOR

When she was five, Lola Douglas wanted to be an actress like her then-hero, Drew Barrymore. Instead, she became a supermarket checkout girl, a video store clerk, an administrative assistant, a features reporter and a textbook development editor before deciding that writing teen novels was her real forte. Lola has lived in seven of our great United States, including Indiana, and says that during her five-and-a-half month stint in Fort Wayne no one ever forced her to see the movie Hoosiers. She was, however, coaxed into auditioning for a part as an extra in a Neil LaBute film (Your Friends and Neighbors, to be exact), but was rejected during the first round. When not watching too much reality television, reading Gawker, or obsessing over all things Marc Jacobs, Lola can be found working on her next super secret project, which will be published in 2008.

To this day, she remains fascinated with Drew Barrymore.

THE BOOK

MORE CONFESSIONS OF A HOLLYWOOD STARLET – OUT IN HARDCOVER AS OF 11/2/06

Razorbill/Penguin Young Readers Group

Just when Morgan Carter was falling in love with the simple life she'd built in Fort Wayne, Indiana, her true identity as an infamous Hollywood starlet was exposed. Now Morgan has a choice to make: return to her glamorous movie star existence--or stick with the wholesome life, and the new love, she's found in the Midwest.
In this sequel to True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet, Lola Douglas's heartfelt prose and headstrong heroine return to delight readers.
THE BLOG
THE WEB SITE

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:

Kirkus Reviews
The continuing travails of 17-year-old Morgan … come across with delightful zing, yet address serious subjects. … Douglas manages the lightest of styles while delving into deep issues for adolescents. Fun, breezy entertainment with thoughtful undertones.

KLIATT
More gossipy stuff for all those YA readers who love to think about celebrities and dream about their lives. ... This sequel [is] appealing.

Saving the World Daily Through Information (blog of YA librarian “Cedarlibrarian”)
The sequel does not disappoint. … This book has a lot more serious content than the first, but it's by no means gloom and doom. There's lots of girly brand-dropping, Hollywood gossipy angst, and romance. Verdict: Style and substance.

A Chair, A Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy (blog of YA librarian Liz B.)
If I didn't know better, I'd say Lola is the pseudonym of Drew Barrymore. Maybe someone 'in' the industry would be able to point out howlers and mistakes galore, but the essence is what is important: Lola respects these teens, the Britneys and Lindsays, MaryKates and Ashleys and Mischas. She respects Hollywood and the entertainment industry, yet is not seduced by it. This isn't a rosy picture of tinsel town. But it is a wake up call to the public not to judge teenagers by ridiculously high standards; to the adults in the profession to be adults, not business managers; and to the teens themselves, saying, you have choices.

TRUE CONFESSIONS OF A HOLLYWOOD STARLET – OUT IN PAPERBACK AS OF 11/2/06 (WITH A HOT NEW COVER!)

Razorbill/Penguin Young Readers Group

Teen star Morgan Carter's mom is trying to kill her. At least, that's what Morgan thinks when she's sent to Ft. Wayne, Indiana after a near overdose outside LA's Viper Room.

Morgan's going to recover out of the spotlight. Way out. She's given a major make-under, a new name, and a completely different identity. Morgan's plan? To write a tell-all book about her experience and stage a comeback. But when this LA girl finds love and a new life in Middle America, will she abandon it for another shot at superstardom?

WHAT PEOPLE SAID:

School Library Journal
This tell-all journal-style story is nearly as amusing and compelling as Meg Cabot's "Princess Diaries" and Louise Rennison's "Georgia Nicolson" series.

Kirkus Reviews
Despite the topic's darker subject, since the narrative is in chatty diary form, this is light, breezy and lots of fun, especially for girls with Hollywood fantasies.

KLIATT
(Starred Review) An absorbing read. Who has not imagined themselves in the ranks of the wealthy and famous, the mundane life a mask for the glamorous persona fighting to get out? The themes of finding the joys of the simple life, making true friends, accepting responsibility, and overcoming drug addiction are also well realized.

RomanticTimes Book Club
Told via the heroine's humorous journal entries, this cute tale shows the downside of being a young star. Readers will root for Morgan and yell at her when she veers off track. With a charming ending that leaves a few loose ends for the
book's sequel, due in the fall of '06, this unpredictable tome is pure enjoyment.

TeenReads.com
Morgan is charming (even when she's obnoxious), witty, fun, and most importantly, a multifaceted person who has to overcome a lot of garbage in her life. Meg Cabot fans, this is the book to pick up while you're waiting for the next Princess Diaries installment.

The Tampa Tribune
Written in a confessional journal style, with plenty of real-life name dropping, Lola Douglas' teen novel, "True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet," has mass appeal.

The Des Moines Register
This funny, diary-format novel ... is a satisfying read, with more depth and heart than most chick lit.

Flamingnet.com Teen Review
A great read!! I could not put it down. Morgan told her story through journal entries, and she told it very well. I found myself laughing at her various experiences and firsts as she tried to play the part of an average American girl. I found myself overwrought with sadness and sympathy for "Claudia" with all the secrets she had to keep, and all of her thoughts she had that she didn't belong anywhere. All I can say is, I can't wait until the sequel comes out! Anyone looking for a good book, read "True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet!"

Children's Literature
Morgan's story, told in journal form, is one in which a spoiled Hollywood brat transforms into a charming, at times obnoxious, yet witty and fun character who overcomes a lot of garbage in her life to discover who she really is. Overall, it provides a great read.

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Douglas does a remarkable job of rejecting caricatured stereotypes of either midwestern teens or Hollywood starlets, instead creating realistic, complex characters who just happen to move in worlds so far removed from each other that misunderstandings are inevitable. (Recommended)

VOYA
The first of what will become a popular series. (4Q/4P)

THE INTERVIEW
1. How did you get this idea for this book? Please describe how
the book grew from a glimmer of an idea into a whole novel.

MORE CONFESSIONS OF A HOLLYWOOD STARLET is my second installment in a series about Morgan Carter, who’s loosely based on a young Drew Barrymore. At 16, Morgan OD’s outside of L.A.’s notorious Viper Room and almost dies. So her mother and agent ship her off to rehab for six months. When she emerges, she can’t get any work. So, her agent cooks up this scheme in which Morgan will go live with a family friend in Indiana and attend high school undercover, then emerge a year later and write a tell all novel that will re-launch her career. This is all in the first book, TRUE CONFESSIONS OF A HOLLYWOOD STARLET.

MORE CONFESSIONS … picks up a month after Morgan’s been outed and has decided to stay in Indiana to finish out her school year. Only now, instead of constantly worrying about her secret identity getting exposed, now she’s faced with a whole new set of problems: dodging paparazzi on school grounds, her love interest feeling insecure now that he knows he’s involved with a famous actress, her mother pressuring her to lose weight and clean up her image, and an old co-star claiming to be involved with her because it makes for good press. The same old co-star that’s been haunting Morgan’s dreams since the night he date-raped her several years prior.

I’ve been a fan of Meg Cabot’s Princess Diaries series since its inception, and I really wanted to try my hand at a diary format novel. So I tried to think of whose diary I’d want to read. Drew was the first person who popped into my mind. I chose Fort Wayne as a setting because I lived there for several months after college and it was a total culture shock. I thought, what better way to throw a teen starlet out of her element than to send her to a mostly land-locked state that’s a good three-hour drive from the nearest big city?

2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Just to keep writing. Have faith in your own words, and don’t give up no matter how many rejections you receive. Work your craft, have patience and perseverance, and it will happen.

3. What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?

*snort* That’s like asking Pig Pen for cleaning tips. I’m totally disorganized and don’t have any kind of set schedule. The only constant I have is that I must consume mass quantities of caffeine when I write.

4. What's been the most exciting thing about publishing? The most
frustrating?

It’s all very exciting, and it’s all very frustrating. Exciting when people read your words and tell you that they made them laugh or cry or think. Frustrating because in this publishing climate, it’s difficult to get your book into readers’ hands.

5. Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not,
what else is in the works?

I’d love to write a third installment – I have the story roughed out and everything. Currently, though, I’m working on a book about a girl named Gretchen and her involvement with a TV show called SILVER SPRING. But that’s about all I can say about that for now!

Thank you so much, Lola! Lola's books are available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your best choice, your indy retailer.

Bleed Like Me

2006-11-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

Hi, blogland, and welcome to another great installment of my women authors' blog co-op, the Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit. Today I am pleased to host Laurie Stolarz, author of the new book BLEED. What a great title! With self-injury as a topic (I haven't read the book, but this is what I am surmising from the press release), this looks like a book to which readers of THE BITCH POSSE may relate. So check it out! It's Young Adult fiction, but as I told you, I am a voracious consumer of YA... It is getting edgier and more daring by the day.

THE AUTHOR

Laurie Faria Stolarz grew up in Salem, MA, attended Merrimack College, and received an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College in Boston. She is currently working on Project 17, the companion novel to Bleed, also for young adults. To learn more about Laurie, please visit her website: www.lauriestolarz.com.

THE BOOK

Ten teens, one unforgettable day

Over the course of a single day, the lives of ten teenagers will intersect in powerful and unexpected ways.

Among them are Nicole, whose decision to betray her best friend will shock everyone, most of all herself; Kelly, who meets the convicted felon she’s been writing to for years; and Maria, whose definition of a true friend is someone who will cut her. Derik discovers his usual good looks and charm won’t help him get the girl he really wants, while Joy, a fifteen year old waitress, hoping for true intimacy, narrowly escapes a very dark fate.

Seamlessly woven together, this collection of interconnected short stories paints an authentic portrait of today’s teen experience that is at once funny, moving, and often very haunting.

THE BLURBS

“Stolarz expertly weaves a combination of stories the reader will remember for a long while.” – Anne Keller, RandomReads

“The reader is swept along in this masterful plotting of characters as their lives intertwine in most unexpected ways. Laurie Faria Stolarz has captured perfectly the angst and folly of the teenage world.” – Teenreads.com

“…a funny, yet poignant book of interconnecting short stories in which the lives of 10 teenagers are seamlessly woven together….The author demonstrates the ability to identify with today’s teen experience…” – School Library Journal

Also Available by Laurie Stolarz:

The Blue is for Nightmares Collection
Llewellyn Publications
0738709883
$29.95
Ages 12+

Nightmares. Dark Secrets. Premonitions of Death.

Welcome to Stacey’s World!

With over 250,000 books sold, the Blue is for Nightmares Collection is now available as a boxed set, including a copy of Stacey’s spell book, filled with some of Stacey’s favorite home remedies.

It begins with the dreams. White lilies, the death flower. Being chased through the woods, knowing she cannot outrun her pursuer forever. Visits from the spirit of a girl who was murdered. Threats and taunts from an unseen assailant.

But that’s only the start. When the dreams begin to spill over into Stacey’s waking life, that’s when the nightmare really begins.

THE INTERVIEW

1. How did you get this idea for this book? Please describe how the book grew from a glimmer of an idea into a whole novel.

I really wanted to explore how the decisions we make everyday – even the smaller ones – can affect others in ways we may never even consider. The decision whether or not to pick up the phone or let the machine get it; the decision of walking to someone’s house versus taking the bus; or of taking a walk by a cemetery rather than at the beach – how the outcome of those decisions can have a domino effect, affecting other people’s lives…even the lives of people we may not even know. The book starts out with one girl (Nicole) grappling with the decision of whether or not to betray her best friend (Kelly) by going after her best friend’s boyfriend (Sean) while the best friend is away. We see how the effect of that decision plays out, affecting all the other characters in the
book.

2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
I would recommend reading what it is you love. Ask yourself why you love it, why you feel it works. What technique does the writer use that works for you? What point-of-view? What do you like about the dialogue? The characters? Do the same for books that don’t appeal to you. Become a better reader. By answering some of these questions, you’ll become one. You’ll be able to identify what works for you as a reader. Then, apply those elements to your writing. Also, consider joining a writers group. I rely heavily on mine. They’re there for inspiration as well as critiques. We support each other through every step of the process – from that first idea to the finished book. And lastly, of course, it goes without saying that before you send anything out, know the market. Know which editors are looking for your type of book, what their policy is on reading unsolicited manuscripts, if you’ll need an agent, and which agents are accepting new clients in your genre. Also, be sure to ask your agent for a client list, check that they’re a member of AAR (http://www.aar-online.org/mc/page.do), and never pay reading fees.

3. What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?
Since I have a toddler, I don’t really have a typical writing day. I write when I can – when he’s in pre-school or napping or sleeping. I’m pretty good about being able to work on demand. When I’m working in the morning, I love a good cup of coffee (black) and I need to shut off my e-mail to resist the urge to procrastinate.

4. What's been the most exciting thing about publishing?

Getting to connect with my readers. I’m lucky to receive between 50-100 reader e-mails per week, telling me how the books have touched them, impacted them, empowered them in some way. It doesn’t get much better than that. Also, I like having an excuse to watch MTV and read Teen Vogue on a regular basis.

The most frustrating?

Writing can be very isolating, which is why it’s so important – for me – to try and connect with other authors, friends, colleagues whenever I can. I love making school visits or attending author events, stepping out of my quiet office to connect with readers and people in the business.

5. Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not, what else is in the works?

I have a companion book to Bleed coming out in the fall of 2007. It’s a really scary novel called Project 17.

Thanks so much, Laurie! Check out her books at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your best choice, your local indy bookseller.

Travelin' through NaNo

2006-11-08T17:14:00.000-08:00

Aye, I'm joining the masses and participating in National Novel Writing Month.

Every year, thousands of new and established writers come together to attempt to do the impossible: write 50,000 words in the month of November. Of course, this is not really a novel--novels are usually at least 75,000 words or so. But it's a great start on a new novel, or, in my case, progress on a WIP (Work-in-Progress).

So I took up the gauntlet and even downloaded an icon to show my progress (or lack thereof...)

Oh, boy. Do you think at the end of the month, there will be a ton of characters suddenly breaking into song at random points in the story, singing things like this ballad (along the themes of what I'm writing today...)

Travellers are Travellers for all eternity. /
Travellers were Travellers in ancient history. /
Travellers, I would say it world wide, /
Travellers are Travellers I will say it with pride. /

They slept in their tents from sun to the snow,/
And on old tattered ass out begging they'd go. /
Wearing old hobnailed boots and blankets for shawls /
They would beg in the farmyards, school kitchens, and halls. /

For meat, flour, cabbage and tea, /
That was the Travellers dinner that day./
Around the fire that night they would tell stories and sing, /
And the old matchmaker a wedding she'd bring. /

When the fire died out the stars would shine bright, /
And the straw was the bed for the Travellers that night. /
An old 'Glathering Box', they would make money from lead, /
And "Many's the farmer was fooled," they said. /

But give it a week and the farmer would know, /
And from an old woody camp the Travellers would go. /
Finding camps on Ireland's muddy back roads, /
Would be a blessing from God to lay down their loads. /

But the farmer would come full of demand, /
In the middle of the night they'd be put off his land. /
So in one place today and another tomorrow, /
There would be camps full of happiness, more full of sorrow. /

From disease and illness some of their children would die, /
For weeks after their mothers would cry. /
When the news was brought back it was the dampness and rats, /
The Travellers were told borrow from the farmer some cats. /

The news they were told was from an old Dr. Ward, /
But the Travellers would say it's the will of our Lord. /
To the Travellers the happiest times of the year, /
Was when they packed up their loads to go to Puck Fair. /

Selling all kinds of things from wagons to swag, /
And a good old Puck Fair the Travellers would have. /
When the fair was over they all would go home, /
To the four corners of Ireland the Travellers would roam. /

They would laugh and think back of who they had met, /
The laughing would fade when they heard of a death. /
Off to Mullingar to bury him low, /
And straight to the pub the Travellers would go. /

Through a few drunken words one of them would say, /
God rest the soul of my cousin today. /
After a while there would be a fight, /
And the Travellers would be barred from another pub that night. /

So when old Travellers tell you of long times past, /
And say that the good times they did go by too fast. /
They might be right in the long lives they had, /
I bet ye some of it was good, more of it bad. /

Travellers are Travellers for all eternity, /
Travellers were Travellers in ancient history,/
Travellers, I would say it world wide, /
Travellers are Travellers I will say it with pride./

~Bernard Power

I've already cast some singers in my novel.... or, at least, it's crossed my mind! Aye, that song would fit several of 'em... :D

Good luck to all my blog readers who are participating in NaNo.

I've Been TAGGED!

2006-11-08T10:33:00.000-08:00

Ryan Bruner has tagged me for a blog meme! He's challenged me to share five little-known facts about me. Hmmm... how much do I want to share?

1. I was Essie, the ballet-dancing sister (the part Ann Miller played in the movie) in a high school production of YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU.

I wore a tiny tutu that I had to get at the last minute from a local costume shop, since the director assumed that every girl had a tutu lying around her bedroom and... did not provide one for me. It was 2 sizes too small for me and I had to pull a "Scarlett O'Hara" to get into the thing, sucking in breath, having a friend work the hook-and-eyes, and having a rib removed.

They had to rewrite my part a little to make me a BAD ballerina who thought she was good... since I was such a colossal klutz. I fell down a lot. It was fun. At performances everyone's eyes were glued to MOI... because my boobs were continually threatening to pop out of the beautiful, whale-bone supported, pale blue satin, tight as all get-out bodice. Did it ever happen? I'll never tell...

2. I am a wild-eyed Chicago Cubs fan. I have been known to go around singing the famous song, "Go Cubs Go!" right here in the middle of California. This DESPITE the following:

"The Cubs were taking batting practice, and the pitching machine threw a no-hitter."--Radio deejay

"The only bad thing about being released by the Cubs is that they made me keep my season tickets."--Ken Rietz, ex-Cub third baseman

"Would the lady who left her nine kids at Wrigley Field please pick them up immediately? They are beating the Cubs 4-0 in the 7th inning."--Radio deejay

Q: Did you hear about the new Cubs soup?

A: Two sips and then you choke.

"The latest diet is better than the Pritikin Diet. You eat only when the Cubs win."--pianist George Shearing

Twenty major events that have occurred since the Chicago Cubs last laid claim to a World Series championship:

1. Radio was invented; Cubs fans got to hear their team lose.

2. TV was invented; Cubs fans got to see their team lose.

3. Baseball added 14 teams; Cubs fans get to see and hear their team lose to more clubs.

4. George Burns celebrated his 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th, 70th, 80th, 90th and 100th birthdays.

5. Haley's comet passed Earth twice.

6. Harry Caray was born....and died. Incredible, but true.

7. The NBA, NHL and NFL were formed, and Chicago teams won championships in each league.

8. Man landed on the moon, as have several home runs given up by Cubs pitchers.

9. Sixteen U.S. presidents were elected.

10. There were 11 amendments added to the Constitution.

11. Prohibition was created and repealed.

12. The Titanic was built, set sail, sank, was discovered and became the subject of major motion pictures, the latest giving Cubs fans hope that something that finishes on the bottom can come out on top.

13. Wrigley Field was built and becomes the oldest park in the National League.

14. Flag poles were erected on Wrigley Field roof to hold all of the team's future World Series pennants. Those flag poles have since rusted and been taken down.

15. A combination of 40 Summer and Winter Olympics have been held.

16. Thirteen baseball players have won the Triple Crown; several thanked Cubs pitchers.

17. Bell-bottoms came in style, went out of style and came back in.

18. The Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and the Florida Marlins have all won the World Series.

19. The Cubs played 14,153 regular-season games; they lost the majority of them.

20. Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Oklahoma and New Mexico were added to the Union.

*me again* - But just wait till next year! :D

3. I pulled the lever (trigger?) for a Republican for the very first time in my life yesterday. But (this said for Mom and Dad's benefit, since their heads are spinning now) I'm still THRILLED the Dems took Congress, and maybe the Senate too.

4. I read the collected stories of Raymond Carver once a year. Boy, does he write well about drunks. Among many other things.

5. I cheat at Candyland to make the game go faster.

OK, now I am supposed to tag others... how about Joshilyn Jackson, Becky Motew, Frankie, Jackie Kessler and Heather Brewer.

The Mishearings of Worried Parents... Ah, What the Brain Can Do

2006-11-07T13:35:00.000-08:00

Today we had our son's yearly opthalmologist visit. As many blog readers know, a yearly exam with an opthalmologist is recommended for people with diabetes to assess whether there is any retinal damage, glaucoma, etc.

As usual, my stress hat is on. It fits me very tightly and gives me headaches. It also has a sensor that shoots lightning bolts of fear down my back at a moment's notice. I don't like wearing my stress hat, but it likes to be on my head during moments like these... moments of WAITING FOR RESULTS AT DOCTOR'S OFFICES. They are very bad moments.

So, she is gazing into his eyes with her little light, and I hear her say, "Well, I'm seeing some DAH..."

I don't even let her full word go into my head. Because I know, in my heart, the word is "damage." I am sure there is "damage" to his retinas. Little bubbles, she will probably describe them as. I know the signs and symptoms of retinopathy all too well. I've memorized them, in fact.

DAH. Damage. My mind is spinning my heart is sick, a million thoughts flood my mind in a millisecond..

Before she finishes her word.

"Dandruff."

THUD.

"There are some flakes of dandruff in your son's eyelashes," she goes on.

Normally I would blush like mad because I don't force him to wash his longish, early-Beatles style hair every day. I would feel like the worst, most neglectful mother in the world. But since juvenile diabetes hit our lives, I have realized there are only so many ditches worth dying in and blood sugar tests and shots are among them, daily hair washing, not so much. I simply nodded and smiled like a maniac.

"Make sure he uses a dandruff shampoo each day because the flakes can go into the eye and cause infection."

Oh, boy!! I have never in all my life been so happy to hear about what a bad mother I am for not forcing him to wash his hair daily. I have never been so happy to hear a diagnosis of DANDRUFF!

No retinal damage. His results were excellent, thank God. The kicker was, at the end of the appointment she told me how "well" both he and I were doing. How "calm" I was compared to most parents of children with diabetes that she sees. If she only knew the inner workings of my brain...

Yes, I am good at this "mishearing" thing. It reminds me of when I was watching Saddam Hussein's trial, and I kept hearing people talking about Saddam's "codependents." Imagine if you were Saddam's codependent. Boy, that'd be a tough row to hoe. It might be even worse than being a co-defendant....

Methinks I have been doing too much reading of the old Melody Beattie... ::)

Have a great day all.

A Lifetime of Diabetes.... Photo Gallery

2006-11-05T19:27:00.000-08:00

This is a beautiful and poignant scrolling photo gallery dedicated to Type 1 Diabetes. Check it out. This one hits home....

Teresa Ollila's photo project

When I view these photos, in my eyes I feel tears, and hammering against my skull are a mad flock of question marks. Why? Why do these children have to go through this? Why did my child end up with this disease? It doesn't run in our family, it came out of the blue. It just hit us like the proverbial ton of bricks. Look at the sweet faces and look what these children have to do, just to stay alive. Why? WHY, GOD, WHY? WHY MY SON? WHY??????

In some ways diabetes is all our son has ever known. He doesn't remember much about life before diabetes. (He was diagnosed at age 7.) But I do.

It's just a tiny thing, but he doesn't sleep over at other children's houses. I wouldn't expect nor trust other parents to test his blood sugar in the middle of the night, or bring down a monster high, or hear the little voice coming from the next room ("I'm low") and rush in to do a test and find a 47 on the meter (for the blessedly uninitiated, normal blood sugars are 80-120... 47 is pretty darned low, in the danger [of seizure, coma, or death] territory) and madly pour juice down his throat. I can't ask them to correctly measure and dose insulin for all he eats.

He has friends sleep over here instead. It's enjoyable but he knows he's different.

Then again, we all have our burdens, don't we? I have friends dealing with children with severe autism, children who need liver transplants, I know families dealing with fatal childhood cancers. So, I guess, in some ways we are lucky. The 354 staring at me from the meter doesn't tell me so. So, it's another one of those nights, bide my time for the next several hours, watch the time tick away and poke, poke, poke into the night, until a realistic bedtime number is reached... I'd be ecstatic with a 180, tell ya the truth. And then, it's that half-sleep where I wonder whether, once again, I'll hear that little peep from next door... "I'm low..." And God bless those two words, because without them, there'd be a seizure, or worst....

Guess I'm not in a very happy mood. But do, go ahead and view those pictures. They say a picture tells a thousand word story-I think that is quite true in this case.

God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The Courage to change the things I can
And the Wisdom to know the difference

:)

Just like brushing my teeth

2006-11-01T19:15:00.000-08:00

Perhaps this blog will make me sound like a big Bible-thumper. Believe me, nothing could be further from the truth. I have always felt, and still feel, that there are many routes to God. Of course, I hadn't found my own until just awhile ago.

Before I got into recovery, I did not see the value of prayer in everyday life. It seemed very mechanical to me. I wasn't grateful for much in life since I saw the world in such a dysfunctional way. So I never prayed in gratitude! I used my Higher Power as a personal Santa Claus. When I wanted something, I selfishly prayed for it. When I didn't get the thing I asked for, I concluded that God did not exist, or, if God DID exist, God just didn't care about me.

So I had pretty much given it up. When I entered recovery, I was so desperate, that I was willing to do whatever that group of alcoholics suggested that I do. Prayer was suggested. I prayed because that was what I was told to do and it seemed to help during those dark, early days when I found myself taking it not just one day at a time, but one moment at a time.

Later, I learned never to pray for selfish ends, only for others. This was the complete opposite of what I had been used to! At the advice of my fellow recovering alcoholics, I only prayed for myself when it came to becoming a person who could be of greater service to others. This included staying clean and sober as well as letting go of my selfishness, self-seeking, dishonesty, and--what for me is the root of everything--fear.

Amazing, this seemed to work as well! I became someone who could accomplish things she had only dreamed of before. Even more importantly, I became a less obsessive, stressed-out, unpleasant person. I began to WANT to do things for others. Dare I say... I became HAPPIER? Instead of putting away chairs after meetings because it was "the right" thing to do, I inherently WANTED to chip in and tidy the room. Actions I used to take with resentfulness, I took gladly and with a song in my heart. It was a song that began very quietly. It was the song of sobriety, no, it was more than that: it was the song of serenity.

Serenity. I had never felt it before. I have never known the meaning of the word peace before. Inner peace has come to me as a gift of my sobriety and the work I have done within my sobriety.

One thing I do to maintain my inner, and outer peace, is daily prayer and meditation. I find a quiet spot, and talk to my Higher Power, which I call God, twice a day. Just in my thoughts of course. I have certain prayers that I pray each time and then I turn over my resentments, fears, and other personal flaws which glom onto me like barnacles each and every day, to my Higher Power. And then, I thank my Higher Power for 24 hours of sobriety, for my recovery, for my family, and for my friends in and out of recovery.

And then, I take my specific concerns for others to my Higher Power. These are usually health-related concerns, as well as people I know are having a hard time with sobriety. Some may be wanting to get sober and not know how, some may be still out drinking and using, but I keep them all in my prayers. And I pray for people who have shown me cruelty. I do this for two reasons: because I know that they are having some kind of troubles right now, or they wouldn't do that-AND, I do it because if I let a hurt turn into a resentment, I am doomed. Resentment is as poisonous to me as alcohol.

Why do I pray, not because I am a particularly pious individual, or because I follow a certain prescribed religion that requires it. No, I pray because by doing so, I am saving my own ass and preserving my sobriety.

You see, if I lose my serenity, I will lose my sobriety. I will drink because of a resentment, because of a fear, because of a stress, jealousy or anything else.

And if I lose my sobriety, I will die.

I love helping other people and I love being in a state of serenity, but at the end of the day, I can't forget that it is a bonus. My primary concern is NOT TO DRINK AND NOT TO USE. Alcoholism and drug addiction are deadly diseases and those of us in recovery must NEVER, NEVER lose sight of that.

With that said I wish everyone an extra big helping of serenity, today, always! XO

Boys, Boys, Boys

2006-10-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Welcome back from my blogging hiatus. I've been doing a lot of work on a new project, so I haven't been here that much. Today, though, I'd like to welcome the fabulous E. Lockhart to the blog!

Now, I haven't read ALL the authors whom I host on this blog. (Though I believe they're all very talented! I just can't always speak from personal experience.) But I HAVE read E. Lockhart's books. Her stuff is JUST the kind of stuff I ADORED as a teenager. Honest, refreshing, funny. (And actually, I guiltily read Young Adult fiction... still.) So if you know a teenager who could use a fun book, or if you haven't quite gotten over the teen years yourself... check out her stuff. Her latest book is titled THE BOY BOOK.

THE BOOK

The Boy Book: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them
is the sequel to The Boyfriend List, which is just out in paperback. The Boy Book is about Ruby, who in the first book plummeted from social butterfly to leper, rebuilding her life junior year of high school -- with the help of a guide to understanding the male sex that she wrote with her ex-friends.

The new, cheaper edition of the first Ruby Oliver book (The Boyfriend List) has a fun author Q&A at the back, plus provocative questions for your book club or reading group.

In The Boy Book, Rub confronts the secret about Noel,
mysterious notes from Jackson,
the interpretation of boy-speak,
the villainy of Cricket,
the horrors of the school retreat,
and the exploitation of hooters everywhere.

There are fruit roll-ups.

There is upper-regioning.
There are so many boys to choose from!
And there are penguins.

THE AUTHOR (in her own words)

I have had nine official boyfriends, if you count the boy who asked me to go with him at a 7th grade dance and then basically never talked to me again. I have never been on a sports team of any kind and got excused from gym class by going to ballet lessons. I have a tattoo, cut my own hair, and have worn the same perfume since high school (Kiehl's Chinese Flowers). In my office is a photo of a particularly fat bull dog, an official business card from “Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective”, and the 1920s flapper dress I wore to the prom

THE PRAISE

"Lockhart achieves the perfect balance of self-deprecating humor and self-pity in Ruby, and thus imbues her with such realism she seems to fly off the page." -- VOYA

"Each chapter begins with an excerpt from 'The Boy Book' which is hilarious...The book not only covers topics teens obsess over, but it helps illustrate the connection Ruby had with her friends, especially Kim, and what a loss she has suffered. Ruby's overanalytical, fast-paced and authentic narration will win over new devotees, while her loyal fans will no doubt hope for more." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

"The story is both humorous and witty, and the language is realistically raw. Sections such as "The Care and Ownership of Boobs" are particularly funny." -- School Library Journal

"[Ruby's] character's strength stems from her earnest search for identity through introspection, sexual experimentation, therapy, and the formation and rehabbing of new and old friendships. Refreshingly honest." -- Kirkus

THE INTERVIEW

1. How did you get this idea for this book? Please describe how the book grew from a glimmer of an idea into a whole novel.

The Boy Book is a sequel. When I was writing The Boyfriend List, I described the way teenage Ruby and her friends kept a notebook for several years in which they detailed everything they knew or suspected about the male animal. Most of it was written in pseudo-scientific jargon, like it was a book about wolverines or something. And as I was describing that notebook, I started to want to WRITE the notebook, which was not at all necessary to the plot of the first book.

So I realized I had a second book in me, and that it would be structured around the entries in that notebook.

2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? 

Like other professions, the writing world often operates on personal connections. If you are young and can hack waiting tables for a bit, I'd recommend coming to New York and getting an internship or entry-level job in publishing. Get a sense of the business. Go to events and meet people. Of course, writers get published without doing these things. I myself did not do these things. But doing them made the road to publication easier for a number of people I know.

3. What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized? 

When I'm in the middle of a project I have a daily word count and I try to meet it. 1000 or 1500 words a day. It is very unpleasant. But I think that finishing that first draft is the most important thing for a writer to do.

 4. What's been the most exciting thing about publishing? The most frustrating? 

Teen Author Drink night! I write for young adults, and in the past year the community of YA writers in the New York City area has started meeting for drinks once a month. We imbibe liquids in a responsible fashion, talk shop, and gossip. It's awesome having a group of people who understand what I do and why I do it -- and to learn from them.

Most frustrating? I still get rejections on a regular basis. They don't cut me to the quick any more, but they're not easy to take, either.

5. Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not, what else is in the works?

Yes! A follow-up! There's going to be a third Ruby Oliver book, tentatively titled A Real Live Boyfriend -- but I haven't begun writing it yet. Next up for me is a book about summer drama camp called Dramarama. You can find out more here.

Thank you so much! Pick up The Boy Book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local indie bookseller.

Say Hey to Babs Boxer & Di Feinstein~Children's Congress 2006

2006-10-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

Do you know about Children's Congress? The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation sponsors a mock Congress every year. Each June, two children from each state get to go to tell members of Congress what it's like to have Type 1 Diabetes. The selection is based on a letter written by the kids. We've been working on ours since AUGUST and finally submitted it yesterday, a couple days shy of the deadline.

My son's chance of getting in is a long shot--California is a big state, and they only pick two children. But to me, the important thing isn't whether he gets the honor of getting this important job. The important thing is that the Senators and Representatives read each and every letter. Also, writing it was a tremendously valuable experience for him. At the end, he was pretty pleased with himself about all he has done.

I'm including his letter here. I think it says it all.

Dear Member of Congress,

Hi! I’m nine years old and I’m writing to you because I would like there to be a cure discovered for Type 1 (Juvenile) Diabetes. I hope you and your fellow Congressmen and Congresswomen can help.

I’ve been living with Type 1 Diabetes for more than two years. I remember when I was diagnosed with diabetes, and it was horrible. I was in the car at 5:30 AM, on the way to the Emergency Room, completely exhausted and empty of all fluids since I had thrown up so much. I was rushing there because earlier that week my doctor had told me I had strep throat. It seemed to be getting worse. I could not walk, stand, or speak. My skin was so dry it was like paper, and I had begun to hyperventilate. My mom and dad thought that my strep throat might be turning into pneumonia, or maybe something else was wrong.

When I got to the hospital, I was wheeled in to see the ER doctor. I was so sick I got to go to the front of the line. I was really out of it, although I know I really had to go to the bathroom, but I had no energy to get there.

They put an oxygen tube in my nose so I could breathe, then brought in a pediatric specialist to test my blood sugars. But I was so dehydrated the meter wouldn’t work. My blood sugars must have been really high because I was in diabetic ketoacidosis and I was almost in a coma. My veins were collapsing, so they had to bring in a doctor who works on premature babies to start a saline IV. Without an IV, I would die of dehydration. Fortunately, she got an IV started. At last, I fell asleep.

When I woke, I was surprised to find myself in an ambulance, along with my new teddy bear, on the way to UCSF Medical Center. My mom rode with me and explained that the ER doctor believed I had Type 1 Diabetes and that’s why I’d been so sick for so long. At UCSF, I got an insulin IV and a potassium IV. That makes three IVs if you’re not counting.

I’d gone to four different doctors before I found out I had Juvenile Diabetes. This is a lot for one person to handle, especially a kid. That’s why I think finding a cure is so important. Kids should be playing sports and hanging out with their friends, not sick in hospitals.

I’ve learned to live with Type 1 Diabetes, but it isn’t always easy. I have to poke myself all the time. At first it hurt, but now it doesn’t hurt much. To get my insulin, I have to put a needle as long as my pinky into the skin on my stomach. Sometimes I miss and hit a painful spot. I worry about what I eat, because if I take too much insulin or too little insulin, I might get Low or High and then I feel sick. Having diabetes is a lot for a kid to take care of.

Promoting diabetes awareness is important to me. The most important thing I did happened a few months after I got diagnosed. There was a proposition on the ballot called Prop 71 that would allow stem cell research in California. I think stem cell research is important for people with diabetes because it might help scientists find a cure. I held a microphone and talked in front of the whole meeting of the Marin County Peace and Justice Coalition in San Rafael. A lot of important people have talked to them before, but this time it was just a kid. Me. It was hard to figure out what to say, and I was a little nervous, but I said it. I showed everyone my meter and talked about what diabetes is like and why I support stem cell research. Prop 71 passed, and I helped.

Along with my friends and family, we did the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Walk for the Cure in 2005 as “The O’Connor Lions” to help raise money for a cure and to promote diabetes awareness. The Walk was fun because I saw a bunch of my friends and they’re more aware of diabetes now. Also, we earned over $5,000 for JDRF! My friend Emma, who is in middle school, even decided to volunteer to help at the Walk in 2006. I’ll bet Emma would not have thought of doing that without walking with me last year. This year, we are walking again to raise a bunch of money.

I’ve also talked to people around my school about diabetes. Kids wonder what my meter is and why I always carry a pack with all my supplies. If kids make fun of me or unzip my diabetes pack, I explain to them what diabetes is and why I need my stuff. I’m really nice, even if they’re mean. My whole class knows about diabetes because my mom and I gave a presentation about it at the beginning of the year.

Another thing I did was diabetes camp. I learned more about how to count carbohydrates and I got to go fishing with other kids with diabetes. Being a kid with diabetes is lonely sometimes, or actually all the time. At camp, I helped newly diagnosed kids learn about diabetes and not feel so alone.

In addition, I’ve been in some focus groups to talk to people about technology for diabetes. These people are trying to make inventions, like the “dream meter” that I want. I had to tell them what is hard and what is easy about diabetes. Trust me, diabetes is not easy! I helped other people with diabetes by doing this because now there will be better meters, thanks to my ideas.

I also donated twelve vials of blood for diabetes research. The doctors put a big needle in my arm and sucked out a lot of blood. I didn’t have to do this, I wanted to. I helped the doctors be more aware of what was in my blood. Maybe this will help find a cure.

I had fun auditioning for a OneTouch blood sugar meter commercial with jazz musician BB King. I’m a jazz musician too. I play the saxophone! Even though I didn’t get the part, many people were curious about what it’s like to audition for a commercial. I was able to tell them a whole lot about diabetes, too.

I hope this letter has shown you a little more about diabetes. Diabetes should be important to you, because some kids can’t handle diabetes, and they want a cure, just like me. I can handle diabetes, but what about the little kids, or the babies? They can’t test their blood sugar and don’t understand what’s happening. I can’t vote for nine more years, but please support diabetes research now and I promise I will vote for you when I turn eighteen.

Sincerely,
[my son's signature]

Rarely Have We Seen a Person Fail Who Has Thoroughly Followed Our Path

2006-10-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling so great this weekend. I got a little present on Friday to remind me of my sobriety. It's a small thing but means so much more than bigger gifts I received when I was still drinking.

I am so grateful today. The miracle of my recovery is shining brightly around me. There so many things I am doing now that I could never have done. There are so many people I am able to love today whom I could not have loved while drinking. "RARELY HAVE WE SEEN A PERSON FAIL WHO HAS THOROUGHLY FOLLOWED OUR PATH." The life I have now, the friends I have, I wouldn't trade them for a million drinks. (Or, for that matter, a million bucks.) It's a great day to be sober...

Applause for the Bottom Dollar Girls

2006-09-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

Are you a big fan of Mark Childress, Fannie Flagg or Margaret Mitchell? Does Southern fiction make you want to curl up with some grits, hominy, and mint juleps? Then check out the work of Karin Gillespie, author of the Southern series about a group of friends called THE BOTTOM DOLLAR GIRLS. Karin is the founder of the Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit and an all-around great gal. She has joined us for an interview today. Welcome, Karin!

THE AUTHOR

My name is Karin (not "Karen") Gillespie and it's pronounced CAR-IN as in, "Is that your CAR-IN the street with its bumper about to fall off?" My mother, who gave me this troublesome moniker, pronounces it CAR-REAN in a lovely lilting Australian accent. My Southern friends sometimes call me "Corn" (as in "children of the"). My last name is pronounced the same as Dizzy's (no relation).

THE BOOK

Karin Gillespie’s Bottom Dollar Girls are back with a sugar-spun vengeance in Dollar Daze: The Bottom Dollar Girls in Love . Broaching the age-old question – Is it ever too late to find one’s heart’s desire? – the feisty ladies of Cayboo Creek are suddenly blindsided by schoolgirl flights of fancy when unexpected romance enters their lives.

Mavis Loomis, Birdie Purdy, and Gracie Tobias, widows in their mid-sixties are certain their dating days are over until they observe their friend eighty-something Attalee Gaines in tempestuous relationship with Dooley Prichard, a trifocal-wearing charmer. If it’s not too late for Attalee, how can it be too late for them?

Unfortunately the eligible men in Cayboo Creek are as picked over as a garage sale at noontime. Things look discouraging until an old high school heartthrob comes to town and Birdie and Mavis compete for his attentions. In the meantime socialite Gracie Tobias finds unlikely love in the arms of a rugged duct doctor. Can she overlook the vast differences in their backgrounds?

THE BLURBS

"Karin Gillespie has created characters in the "Steel Magnolias" mode. These are warm, wonderful women who love men, love life and definitely love each other. Their stories are universal in nature but told with a southern flavor. If you have never entered the world of Cayboo Creek, pick up DOLLAR DAZE and go there for a visit. You are bound to have a reading experience that will have you laughing, crying and having a high old time."~Jackie Cooper, Author of HALFWAY HOME

“Each character is lovingly crafted in Gillespie's hilarious, heartwarming, and often irreverent look at senior living in small-town America.”— Starred Review Booklist

“A sweet and amusing tale of romance and lust for the older crowd”—Kirkus

“Gillespie writes with such conviction that readers are thrust right into Cayboo Creek and the lives of the Bottom Dollar Girls….charismatic and replete with poignancy, a story to pass on.”---Romantic Times, four and a half stars

“Laugh-out--loud”—Atlanta Magazine Critic’s Pick

THE INTERVIEW

1. How did you get this idea for this book? Please describe how the book grew from a glimmer of an idea into a whole novel.

I was in what I call “the hospice” stage of being single. I was in my mid-40s and after years of being divorced I honestly never thought I’d ever get married again.

There was this fellow named David I’d run into now and again but he could never remember my name and seemed utterly indifferent toward me.

Then I checked out this fabulous book from the library called The Crimson Petal and the White . I devoured the 800-word novel post haste and when I got to the end, I discovered a receipt with the name of the last person who checked it out. It was Mr. Indifference himself!

I ran into him again and mentioned that we’d checked out the same book. For the first time, ever, he finally took notice of me. We chatted enthusiastically, started dating, and yes, dear reader, I married him.

While our courtship was going on I was writing Dollar Daze: Bottom Dollar Girls in Love. My personal life kept bleeding into the manuscript. Everyone in the book was falling in love. It was like Cupid spiked the water of Cayboo Creek S.C. the setting for Dollar Daze. One of my characters, a proper Southern widow named Gracie Tobias, hooks up with the love-of-her-life via a library book.

2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Learn about the business. Read Publisher’s Weekly and Publisher’s Marketplace. Join list serves and forums with other writers. Go to conferences and chat up authors, agents and editors.

3. What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?

I journal in a notebook first thing in the morning. It’s like a warm up for the real writing , and I get out all of the kvetching and set my goals for the day. Then I run because physical activity helps me work out any thorny plot issues I might be having.

Then I get burn incense, chant and perform a top-secret writing ritual that I simply cannot disclose ( hint: It involves diet coke, whiskey and peanut M&Ms.)

All right. I’m lying. I procrastinate by reading other writers’ blogs and then I face the laptop. Every time I manage to eek out a page I get to check my email. After thoroughly perusing all the ads for Ciali in my inbox, I go back to writing. I’m constantly doing a word count check because as soon as I hit 1,000 I’m done for the day. This is usually happens between three and five p.m., hopefully in time to watch for happy hour.

4. What's been the most exciting thing about publishing? The most frustrating?

Getting fan mail is really exciting. Also once James Woods, the actor, called me at home expressing interest in my first novel. That was damned exciting! (He ended up optioning it.) The most frustrating thing is waiting. Waiting to get published, waiting for checks, waiting for the Pulitzer. (Maybe that will be a looong wait!)

5. Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not, what else is in the works?
I co-wrote a novel with Jill Conner Browne (aka the Sweet Potato Queen) called The Sweet Potato Queen’s First Big-Ass Novel: Stuff We Didn’t Actually Do But Could Have and May Yet which will come out in January 2007. Then I have another novel that will be out in 2007 called Earthly Pleasures about a greeter in Heaven who crosses the dimension to be with her lover on Earth. I also have a short story in This Is Chick Lit.

I’m not sure if I’ll write another Bottom Dollar Girl book yet. That question can only be answered by the publishing gods.

Thank you so much, Karin! Karin's book is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your best bet, Booksense.

Super Kids, Super Friends, Super Mom-Stepping Up and Stepping Out

2006-09-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

There are a couple of things I'd like to discuss today. First of all, thanks so much to all who gave comments, both online and privately, about the job sitch (should I, or shouldn't I?). For now, I have put off a decision. I know it is a big step to take, particularly being so new to recovery, as some have mentioned. Still, the money is tempting. We'll see.

I am going to blog more extensively later about this, but as most of you know, my young son (age 9) has had Type 1 (Juvenile) Diabetes for the last two years. These two years have seen him endure over 7,000 blood sugar tests, thousands of insulin shots, and hundreds of insulin pump infusion site changes. And in the future he faces devastating complications, such as blindness, limb amputations, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, and others.

Last year we walked as The O'Connor Lions to support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's search for the cure. We raised over $5,000 and I was really happy and grateful to everyone who was able to donate. Much love.

We're walking again this year and I WILL link up today (each page includes a personal story, and you can donate via ANY of the links below).

Donate to my son's walk
Donate to my daughter's walk
Donate to my husband's walk
Donate to my walk

But I'll wait till later in the week to post the "official" walk notice.

Thing is, I wanted to discuss something that my diabetes support group has been discussing. That is to discuss in a non-whining manner the people who do donate, the people who don't, and why.

We're fortunate in that most, if not all, of our family members understand how vital this issue is to us. Last year we got many donations and I hope to meet or exceed our goal this year. One thing I tend to get now that this is our second year of walking for the cure is "why are you doing this all over again?"

Because there is not a cure yet. My son's life is still in danger. That's why.

We've just started our fundraising and I'm hopeful we'll have a big response, even though it seems a bit slow to get started. However, many people's family and friends just don't seem to get it. They ignore emails or hem and haw about donating. And don't get me wrong, these people aren't strapped. These people COULD donate if they chose to. They just don't. Rather than whingeing and complaining about it, we are all trying to figure out why. Maybe they need to be approached differently. What do you think? Comments are MOST welcome.

Here are a few examples. One man's own brother (who is working a well paying job, takes his family on expensive vacations, etc.) told him he simply "wouldn't be able to support" the team this year, even with a small donation, because he is busy the day of the walk helping someone move. (???) Another woman's brother said he refused to donate because her daughter (with diabetes) wrote the walk letter and did not personalize each and every letter (out of hundreds, I'll bet). His response? "I'll donate when you see fit to send me a personal letter." (!!!!)

And of course, there are the people who just ignore you, don't answer the emails, or whatever. It's their prerogative not to donate, sure. They can spend their money on a pair of Jimmy Choos, or a week's worth of Starbucks, or a new hardcover, or whatever. Free country, right? We parents are NOT resentful, just confused. It just makes us all... wonder. Why stand by at such a crucial time? There is some disconnect here. And we have to figure out a way to get around it, because everyone's donations will suffer. And as a result, all our kids will suffer. What can we do to reach these people?

The consensus among us parents seems to be that many people just DO NOT GET IT. They don't get the seriousness of this disease. They don't realize that insulin is not a cure. They don't get that this is not just a Girl Scout cookie fundraiser, or a wrapping paper sale for school. THIS IS A MATTER OF OUR CHILDREN'S LIVES.

On average, our children's lives will be cut short by FIFTEEN YEARS because of this dreadful disease.

What could you do with fifteen years? How many books could you write? Sunsets could you see? How many symphonies could you hear, children could you push on a swing? How many saxophone solos could you play? With your fifteen years, would you take longer walks?

Fifteen years.

"I'll donate when you see fit to send me a personal letter."
Fifteen years.

"We already donated to your daughter's Girl Scout cookie sale."
Fifteen years.

"Didn't I give to this last year?"
Fifteen years.

What could you do with fifteen years?

Maybe that's the way you need to frame it to people. But I don't know. All our letters are pretty strong. I've read so many. They all break my heart. So where are we going wrong? Why aren't we getting through?

Some people in my support group are quite hurt by the reactions they've received. But how are you going to explain the importance of this issue to people? I think it's hard to know what it's like to live with this disease every day unless you really do it.

Even so, I'm shocked when people's own siblings will not donate, even if they can't build their own walk team. I'm always thrilled when I hear of people building teams of their own to support nieces, nephews, grandchildren, brothers, sisters... Last year my own sister did a Ride for the Cure. That really thrilled me and we were all quite moved.

Yesterday I received a personal letter from an author from one of the writer groups I approached for a donation. She wrote to tell me she couldn't donate... because she was sponsoring her husband's mega-bike ride for the cure. Her sister died at age 40 from complications of Type 1 Diabetes.

Reading her message, I began to cry. I wrote back and told her how grateful I was that she reached out to me. She truly understands the importance of a cure.

Her sister lost around 30 years of a wonderful life due to this dreadful disease. These days, the years of life our children lose are down to 15.

But that's still too many.

What would YOU do with fifteen years?

Then there are the people who really step up to the plate and surprise you. Someone on our list mentioned that her local realtor gave a huge check, even when her close friends didn't donate at all. Thank God for these people.

One such person in our lives has been thriller author Lee Child. Even though I have never met Lee in person, and he does not know our son, he came through with an extremely generous donation.

Why? I don't know because I am not him, but I think Lee understands that this is not just another cookie sale for an arts program, or lemonade stand for extra books for a school library. This is a matter of life and death. Perhaps Lee, as an author, is unusally empathetic and able to put himself in another person's shoes. I don't really know. I'm grateful, either way. MANY big thank yous to Lee and to the people like him in all our lives.

Anyway, I would love to hear from my readers in the comments section. How do you reach out to those who for whatever reason do not seem to be responding to your appeals for a cure?

And now, onto my Girlfriends Cyber Circuit entry!

This entry is about a book that's newly in paperback. It's titled CONFESSIONS OF SUPER MOM and it's by my friend, author Melanie Lynne Hauser. What impresses me about Melanie is not just her generosity. (She has been a great supporter of our Walks and our son's situation in general. A true Super Mom!) But also, Melanie cares about getting her research right. When she decided to write about Type 2 Diabetes, she decided to contact me to find out what the differences are between Type 1 and Type 2. There are too many writers and reporters out there who just don't care to get the facts right. I really appreciated Melanie's efforts on that.

THE BOOK

"Every superhero has an Origin. To tell the truth, it's a little embarrassing. I wasn't put into a rocket and sent to Earth by my parents just as my home planet exploded. I wasn't given a special ring by visiting aliens. I wasn't bitten by a radioactive spider. No, it wasn't anything nearly so glamorous; my beginnings are quite humble. I was merely the innocent victim of a Horrible Swiffer Accident."

Meet Birdie Lee, clerk at Marvel Fine Food and Beverages and an average, middle-aged single mother of two teenagers. Until one ordinary morning when, on the floor of her bathroom, Birdie discovers a Stain of Unknown Origin--a stain so intense that nothing can remove it. When all her attempts fail, Birdie does the unthinkable: She loads her Swiffer with every cleanser she owns, aims, and shoots. Suddenly, Birdie becomes endowed with extraordinary powers. Now Birdie must somehow balance it all--her smug ex and his overachieving new wife; two teenagers and a string of PTA meetings; her own budding romance; and her beloved town of Astro Park, whose very existence is threatened by a mysterious force sneaking its way into every household. A delightful, well-earned escape, Confessions of Super Mom is an amusing vindication of the overlooked everyday heroism that is a woman's life.

THE AUTHOR

"Like its title character, this debut novel has a secret identity...it's unexpectedly poignant and packs an emotional punch despite the cheery veneer..."
-- Publishers Weekly
"…fun twist on the superhero tale comes packaged with a socially responsible message…" -- Booklist

THE INTERVIEW

1. How did you get this idea for this book? Please describe how the book grew from a glimmer of an idea into a whole novel.

I'd written three previous novels; the first one stank, although since it was my first attempt, I cherish it for that. Then I wrote two other novels; they stank less (in fact, both got me literary representation and almost sold, making it to the marketing committee level at major publishers). That was a frustrating time, for sure; so close, yet so far. But I listened to what editors were saying; my books were too quiet, I needed to find that elusive "high concept" needed to break in. So I decided that if they wanted high concept, I'd give them high concept; I'd find a way to write about the issues that were still important to me as a woman and a mother, only I'd write about them somehow larger than life. That kind of thinking - "How far away from 'quiet' can I get?" led me to think about writing women's fiction from a superhero's perspective, and from there it was just one more step to creating Super Mom, giving my protagonist all the powers I really wish that I, as a not-so-super mom, had. Once I got the idea, the book was written fairly quickly; my agent read it, submitted it, and....more rejection. Three months' more, actually (not that I was keeping count!) until I had two offers in one week. Dutton bought the book, in a two-book deal; the sequel, SUPER MOM SAVES THE WORLD, will be out in March.

2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Don't spend too much time on one project; if you're not getting very far with one manuscript, put it away and move on to the next one. When I hear of authors spending years trying to get that first novel published, my heart just breaks; most published authors' "first novels" are anything but, and I don't think people want to hear about that, frankly. And too - if you want to have a career you have got to have more than one novel in you. So you have to learn when to let go of projects and move on to the next one.

3. What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?

I think that in the beginning it's important to keep to a set schedule; mine was from 12-3, every day. I never told myself how many words I had to write; that was too daunting. But I did tell myself I had to write SOMETHING every day. But then, at least for me, once you've been doing this for a while you find that you can jump right into the writing whenever, wherever, and the schedule isn't so regimented. But I think I only got to this point by training myself, in a way, by writing to that precise schedule, early on.

4. What's been the most exciting thing about publishing? The most frustrating?

Oh, definitely - the first time I held a copy of my hardcover. That was magical, and I cried a little, and I remember my editor suggesting that I take that first copy and write in it how I felt when I saw it. (I wish I'd taken her advice! But alas, I didn't.) Frustrating? Well, I think the discovery that I didn't really get to make the decision as to how & when I moved on to the next project. I knew I'd have very little control over the decisions related to the books under contract; I didn't know that I wouldn't be able to submit new work when it suited ME; that there are a lot of other considerations to take into account, from now on.

5. Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not, what else is in the works?

The sequel, called SUPER MOM SAVES THE WORLD, will be published by NAL/Penguin in March 2007. It pickes up about 4 months after the first book ends, and continues the story of Birdie, Carl, the kids - and of course a new menace to the children of Astro Park, this time in the form of organized sports, specifically - Little League Baseball.

And last week I just mailed my next manuscript to my agent; it's a wonderful, magical novel about miracles, Vaudeville and George Burns - with a comatose rock star thrown in for good measure - that I absolutely love! (Of course I love all my novels, but the one that I'm working on is always the one I love best.) And I have an idea for something else brewing in the back of my busy brain.

Congratulations on all the success, Melanie! Look for Melanie's book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local indy, always the best choice.

Should I?

2006-09-12T13:29:00.000-07:00

I've been approached with a really intriguing employment opportunity. I won't say it's an offer because nothing is official. It's not a ton of money, either (it'd be part time), but it's steady money and that's something that a writer rarely sees.

It's work I've done before and really loved.

It's work that is really draining. (People who know me know what type of work I'm discussing... :) ) Really really draining. And I tend to get emotionally wrapped up in this work.

It's work that, even done part-time, might cause me not to be able to do much writing. I would be dog tired at the end of the day, and any extra energy rightly would go to my family. Even part-time, I would get involved in the work dramatics. I know it.

And also, I'm not sure how the inevitable diabetes interruptions (calls for lows and highs) could work with this type of employment.

I'm tempted, though, because I would love to have an income. I've got other irons in the fire but this would be something that would come with a check each month. This is work I know how to do and that I'm good at. The location is very close--almost no commute at all.

I just don't know what to do. Fortunately, I don't have to decide right away.

American Zombies Invade China

2006-09-10T13:04:00.000-07:00

An acquaintance is working teaching English in China and has requested books for the English Language Library. What a great chance for us to filter through our bursting bookcases!

Her request specifically said no religious material. (Interesting in that she is working with a Christian group in China.) It also said to be aware that the students in China will get some of their ideas about America through these books, so select carefully.

I had kind of mixed emotions putting the box together for her. Annoyance prevailed, even though I do want to help her and help the Chinese students, etc. My book collection must be pretty dark, I guess, because I don't know how I can possibly give away ANY of my books now! The Chinese kids will assume that:

Americans are all serial killers

We're all a bunch of sexpots (well, aren't we?)

We're a bunch of child abusing Christian fundamentalists,

or else strung out transvestite child prostitutes (Or else we don't exist--JT LeRoy himself is a fiction, as most of you know and which Laura Albert has finally admitted--That's why I am purging my collection of "his" books)

This left about one book that was able to be donated:

But this also gave a bad impression of American life.... for bunnies.

I just gave up. The Chinese are getting them all. Even the ever-controversial:

HA! It's not America, it's Prince Edward Island! Gotcha...

Books and Gumballs, Dogs and CGMSes, All in a September's Work

2006-09-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

Every parent of a child with diabetes knows when the D-year starts. That's September, when school begins. New teacher to train, new classmates to educate about diabetes. New teasing, new difficulties. Hopefully, more than a few triumphs. More than a little newfound independence.

Parents of children with diabetes know what a new school year means. TIME FOR THE EXPLANATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS, REPAIR WORK AND DIFFICULTIES, TRIUMPHS AND HOPE.

EXPLANATIONS:
Our D-year got off to a bit of a rocky start. Our longtime teacher's aide, who knows our son's diabetes like a nurse's assistant, had a baby and is taking some time off. There's a new school nurse, too. Previously, we had the best school nurse in the universe.

A lot of times, people who do not deal with this disease on a daily basis don't understand that the answer to the question "So, why aren't his blood sugar levels stable yet?" is "Because his pancreas still is broken and his islet cells have all been destroyed."

So far, I have gotten the sense from his teacher that she's not sure why the numbers are fluctuating so much. She is finally getting the idea that we are tweaking the best we can but we are still going to see the number here or there in the 200s, or in the 60s, or even in the 300s or the 50s. And that that doesn't mean we are completely screwing up his insulin dosing.

PRESENTATION:
The 504 meeting went better than expected. (And I recommend that everyone who has a child with diabetes get a 504 plan set in place with school IMMEDIATELY. (Click the link for more info from the ADA.)

Because diabetes is a federally recognized disability, your child is entitled to accommodations for an appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment--and if everything is spelled out, there's less chance of mistreating or not accommodating your child. E-me if you have questions about this, I'm glad to help.)

As it turns out, the new school nurse actually worked with me when I taught at the middle school. This was pre-diabetes of course, but she was at least a friendly face. The aide was one of our son's counselors at his run-around day camp. Since this is our 3rd year with a 504 plan, it was mainly just updating things, anyhow.

REPAIR WORK:
We read a storybook to the class about diabetes and answered some GREAT questions from the kids.

This usually offsets a lot of the teasing, pulling at the insulin pump, etc. But this week, a new kid to the school got angry when our son had to eat crackers at his desk before PE. When our son explained he had diabetes, the kid said "I don't give a shit" to him. That had to be straightened out but hopefully it was a learning experience for him.

DISAPPOINTMENT:
There was a birthday party, too, that I found out at the last minute (AT THE DOOR OF THE PARTY) was a sleepover. Apparently the parents had let their son address the invitations, but had neglected to proofread what he wrote inside them. I wasn't the only surprised parent!

As all the other boys were jumping up and down saying that they are going to sleepover, I made the snap decision to rush home, type up a list of instructions (the mom has had our son over for playdates before and felt comfortable with the diabetes), pack up all kinds of backup supplies and hand him a cellphone for emergencies. I didn't want him to be left out.

It didn't really work out though. At dinner his number was 220. He bolused a correction and bolused for his dinner and cake, which he counted pretty accurately, I believe.

However, after this he was given very sugary gum and didn't give insulin for it, thinking gum has very little carbs.

True, if you're just having a gumball. But when you consume it by the pound, you had better bolus for it. By the time bedtime (10:00) rolled around he hadn't called since dinner, the kids were wrapped up in a movie, and I had to call him 3 times to get him to test for a bedtime number. Finally at 10:30 I got the number; it was 435. He washed his hands to make sure the high wasn't from sugar residue, tested again and hit 419. (Normal blood sugars are 80-120, his bedtime target is 125.)

He had to give a big dose of insulin. Under normal circumstances, I would test him to make sure he was coming down, then test him at 1:30 AM. I would make a decision on whether to test again at 4:30 AM based on that number.

I couldn't ask the mom to do that. And I wouldn't have slept all night for worrying. So I drove over in my pajama and brought him home. I cried the whole way over in the car. Why can't things just be normal for him? Then I thought, he's only 9. This is so much for him to handle. Of course, this made me cry even harder.

I cheered up in time to pick him up and put him to bed. In the morning we got to start our merry diabetes day all over again. It was hard, but I seemed to care about it more than he did.

I talked to my diabetes support group to get some perspective. It's just not the kind of thing "normal" parents can understand, even though all my friends are always so kind.

After talking to other parents, most of them don't let their kids sleep over at all. They can invite other kids over but not the reverse. It's for the same reason which I encountered.

One mom tells her 14 year old that he may go to the party, but may only sleep over if he is willing to set his alarm, test himself, and show her on his meter the next day that he has done so. Otherwise he has to leave at bedtime.

So far, he hasn't taken her up on the offer, but I think this is a good plan. Also, it helps our kids build the independence they will need in the future. No, it doesn't seem fair and it's not. But as they say, it is what it is.

NOT TO SAY THE D YEAR HASN'T WITHOUT ITS PLUSSES...

TRIUMPHS:
Our son learned how to put in his own infusion site without numbing cream, saving 30 minutes of time in a site change.

It's a big needle, so it's a pretty brave thing to do with no anesthetic. HUZZAH!

HOPE:
We have passed the initial application phase of getting a diabetes alert dog. These dogs can sense low blood sugars and alert their owners at any time of the day of night. I have even heard of a diabetes alert dog who called 911 for her owner! It just happened a few weeks ago. Now we have a lengthy application to fill out.

And the continuous blood glucose monitor is a reality (just not one we can afford right now, until insurance covers it as the standard of care--which I have confidence they will do).

Diabetes isn't all bad, I remind myself. I would never have met so many great people without this disease coming into my life. They truly are my friends for life.

Immortally Pimped

2006-09-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I am honored to have been asked to be part of Anne Frasier's 100 Blog pimp-day! Anne has a new book out called PALE IMMORTAL, and it sounds fantastic!

PALE IMMORTAL
SEPTEMBER 5
PENGUIN/NAL/ONYX

Watch the music video, listen to the soundtrack and mp3s, read the
first two chapters, and learn more HERE.

Welcome to Tuonela, a sleepy Wisconsin town haunted by events of 100 years ago, when a man who may have been a vampire slaughtered the town's citizens and drank their blood. Now, another murderer is killing the most vulnerable...and draining their bodies of blood. Evan Stroud lives in darkness. The pale prisoner of a strange disease that prevents him from ever seeing the light of day, he lives in tragic solitude, taunted for being a "vampire." When troubled teenager Graham Stroud appears on Evan's doorstep, claiming to be his long-lost son, Evan's uneasy solitude is shattered. Having escaped Tuonela's mysterious pull for several years, Rachel Burton is now back in town, filling in as coroner. Even as she seeks to identify the killer, and uncover the source of the evil that seems to pervade the town, she is drawn to Evan by a power she's helpless to understand or resist....

As Graham is pulled deeper and deeper into Tuonela's depraved, vampire-obsessed underworld, Rachel and Evan team up to save him. But the force they are fighting is both powerful and elusive...and willing to take them to the very mouth of hell.

anne's website

Desperate Housewives in Applewood!

2006-09-01T20:20:00.000-07:00

All right, I'll confess that I secretly believe that the most "together" women on our local PTA are cocaine addicts. Otherwise, how else could they juggle all the balls they do?

Remember MUSIC FOR TORCHING by AM Homes? (One of my faves of all time. That's the one with the crack-smoking suburban couple.) Well, I'm convinced I'm right. Someone else who's got the goods on the PTA is author Ellen Meister, author of the new and controversial novel, SECRET CONFESSIONS OF THE APPLEWOOD PTA.

THE BOOK

When a Hollywood location scout comes to Applewood, Long Island and announces that the local elementary school might make the perfect backdrop for an upcoming George Clooney movie, the PTA’s decorum crumbles like a cookie from last week's bake sale.

Enter Maddie, Ruth and Lisa, three women who become the glue that holds the project together...and wind up forming a bond of friendship stronger than anyone had imagined.

A good thing, too, because each of them is about to come apart. Maddie Schein, an ex-lawyer trying as hard to fit in as she is to save her marriage, gets knocked off balance by Jack Rose, an old college friend hell bent on seducing her. Ruth Moss—rich, sexy and outspoken—has more to give and less to enjoy than most people think. Indeed, since her husband's stroke left him embarrassingly uninhibited yet completely impotent, she's more of a caretaker than a wife. And modest Lisa Slotnick, a loving parent who wants nothing more than to fade into the scenery as she tends to her children, must deal with the humiliation of being thrust before the spotlight by her scandalous, alcoholic mother.

When these three get together, a powerful alliance is forged. But is it strong enough to overcome the obstacles to getting the movie made in their town? And will their friendship be enough to mend their hearts and homes? Join them as they reach for the stars...and try to pull off a Hollywood ending of their own.

THE AUTHOR

Born in the Bronx, New York, to two devoted readers, Ellen Meister understood from an early age that the best way to get someone's undivided attention was to put words on paper.

And so, after growing up in suburban Long Island with her parents, older brother, and younger sister, she did what any dreamy, unrealistic, word-loving girl of her generation did: She went to college and majored in English.

Ellen graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Buffalo and set off to take the publishing world by storm. Not, however, as a writer. She got a job as a promotion assistant for a small medical publisher with a budget so tight they couldn't afford a trash can for her desk, let alone a living salary. So one year later she left for the glamorous side of publishing and went to work for a giant literary agency.

The job seemed like a dream come true for the 23-year-old Ellen, whose romanticized notion of writers still fueled her passions. But her tender young nature was so ill-suited to the maniacal atmosphere of the place that one co-worker remarked that she looked like Alice in Wonderland sitting at her desk.

A few months later she left for what she thought were earthier pastures, doing publicity and promotion for a trade association. From there she found her way to the marketing departments of various magazines, where she got to hone her copywriting skills. Eventually, Ellen opened her own boutique sales promotion agency.

Several years after marrying Mike, whom she describes as "the smartest, funniest guy on the planet and a hell of a Pictionary partner," Ellen gave birth to her first child and left the business world to be a full-time mother. By the time she finally found the gumption to sit down and write her first novel, she had three kids and was a card-carrying member of the PTA.

Ellen Meister lives in Long Island, New York, with her husband, two sons and one daughter. She writes, she swears, she sings, she dances—all from the front seat of her minivan. And while she wouldn't have it any other way, she still longs for attention.

THE BLURBS

"Meister's debut novel is heartbreakingly funny, her characters facing life's dramas and disappointments head on with wit and spunk." — Library Journal

"A funny and wonderfully irreverent look at the dark underbelly of suburbia." — Lolly Winston, author of Good Grief and Happiness Sold Separately

"It's every woman's fantasy to have a film-location crew select her hometown for the next movie starring a major cinematic sex symbol (in this case, George Clooney), and when Applewood, Long Island's elementary school, is deemed a possible site for Clooney's upcoming flick, the members of the upscale community's PTA go into hyperbolic overdrive to turn fantasy into reality. As members of the PR committee, it will fall to Maddie, Ruth, and Lisa to polish Applewood's somewhat spotty reputation when the producers come to town. Accomplishing such a massive public-relations coup would be difficult enough, but add Maddie's failing marriage, Ruth's clandestine affair (with the school superintendent, no less), and Lisa's alcoholic mother to the mix, and you have women facing challenges that make the typical Saturday morning PTA bake sale look like a piece of cake. With sexy characters, sharp dialogue, and snappy pacing, Meister's sassy, saucy debut novel could well turn into a movie of its own." — Booklist

"Women, hide this book from your husbands and resist the urge to read passages out loud. Ellen Meister knows our secrets, and she tells them in a smart, honest, and very funny voice." — Maryanne Stahl, author of Forgive the Moon and The Opposite Shore

"Three conflicted housewives in Applewood, Long Island, long for something more fulfilling than what their families and their membership in the local PTA offer.... helping each other realize their dreams. Comical yet poignant..."
— Kirkus Reviews

"George Clooney should be proud." — New York Times best selling author, Mark Ebner

"The best time I've had in years. Ellen Meister's characters are so funny, smart, and real, I feel like I've made three new friends!" — Lisa Kudrow

THE INTERVIEW

1. How did you get this idea for this book? Please describe how
the book grew from a glimmer of an idea into a whole novel.

The inspiration came at a PTA meeting. It was the first meeting of the year and, as usual, I was feeling a little self-conscious around the other moms, who seemed so perfect to me. I found myself wishing they knew there was more to me than the smiling PTA face I was presenting. Then it occurred to me that everyone might be feeling something similar. And that's when I knew I had to write about these types of women, to explore their inner lives, and the layers of joy and heartache beneath the surface.

From there I set out to construct a plot around an event that could affect the community as a whole and the women as individuals. Eventually, I got the idea to bring a Hollywood movie studio to their town, and select their schoolyard as a possible location for the filming of a George Clooney movie.

2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Read as much as you can. And remember that every book you read, whether it's something that makes your heart sing or not, has something to teach you. Keep your mind open--there are gifts everywhere.

3. What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?

Trust me, you don't want tips from me on getting organized! My writing day starts at 5 a.m. before the kids wake up. From there on in it's catch as catch can. I squeeze in an hour here or there whenever I can.

4. What's been the most exciting thing about publishing? The most
frustrating?

The most exciting thing has been simply walking into a bookstore and seeing my novel there. The most frustrating thing about publishing a book is all the waiting. It's a Herculean test of patience!

5. Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not,
what else is in the works?

Right now I don't see writing a sequel to Applewood. I'm working on my second novel, THE SMART ONE. It's a story about three sisters who begin a journey of understanding certain truths about their relationship after discovering a dead body in an industrial drum. It will be released July 2007.

Thank you so much, Ellen! Pick up her novel at your localindy bookseller, or try Amazonor Barnes and Noble. Happy Labor Day, all! Don't get in too much trouble, and if you do, DON'T TELL ELLEN!

Could You Do Better?

2006-08-29T10:26:00.000-07:00

What an interesting question! It's exactly that question that Daphne Wells, the heroine of Stephanie Lehmann's brand new novel, YOU COULD DO BETTER, poses to herself. Welcome, Stephanie, and thank you for agreeing to an interview! Stephanie also sent me an advance copy of her book, and it's a lot of fun. We like Stephanie... :)

ABOUT THE BOOK

Daphne Wells tells herself being glued to the TV counts as research for her job at the Museum of Television and Radio. But the truth is, as much as she's looking forward to a future with her fiancé, their sex life just isn't ready for prime time. What if she can do better?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephanie Lehmann is the author of Are You in the Mood?, Thoughts While Having Sex, and The Art of Undressing. Her plays have been produced Off Off Broadway, and she is a contributor to Salon. Originally from San Francisco, she's a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, and has a master's in creative writing from New York University. Lehmann now lives with her husband and two children in Manhattan.

THE PRAISE

"I laughed until my sides ached... Full of unusual and interesting TV trivia, Stephanie Lehmann has a winner on her hands."

-- Contemporaryromancewriters.com

"But things don't sort themselves out the way Daphne wants them to in this very funny tale. And just when it seems that it's all about the laughs, Lehmann switches gears and introduces true poignancy."
--Booklist

“Readers looking for fluffy fare and pleasant, light humor will be sated.”

--Publishers Weekly

YOU COULD DO BETTER is a fine lighthearted romantic romp... filled with amusing asides and entertaining TV trivia footnotes interwoven into the plot.

--TheBestReviews.com

TV trivia and history fans who enjoy summer-style reading will quickly devour this story and its references to TV shows: past, present, and fictional.

--Blogcritics.com

Turn off that TV and pick up this book.”

--Sarah Mlynowski

“Sharp, fresh, and clever… Simply put, it doesn’t get much better than this.”

--Johanna Edwards

“Near the top of my list of favorite writers.”

--Rian Montgomery, Chicklitbooks.com

THE INTERVIEW

Q: How did you get the idea for this book?
A: I was trying to think up a book idea, and I wanted the main character to do something different, something I’d never read about, and something I would enjoy researching. I hit on the idea of setting the novel at The Museum of Television and Radio. There actually is such a museum in New York, and I’ve been to it many times. (I’ve always been a TV watcher, still am -- even my own daughter sometimes tells me to “get a life.”) The first time I went to the museum because I was trying to get a job writing for ALL MY CHILDREN and wanted to watch old episodes. They had some from the 60s and the 70s with the original ads still in. I was hooked. (Didn’t get the job, though.) I thought the place was a great discovery, though. They have and incredibly large collection of shows to watch dating from 1947 to now. So I made my heroine a curator there. (I love it that you could “curate” at a museum that “collects” TV shows!) This character loves the history of television, so I read every book I could find on the subject and spent lots of afternoons going there watching old shows. Not that it really became necessary that I view old episodes of, oh, say Bachelor Father, but it was fun…

Q: Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
A: Give your writing to people who will tell you it’s good and encourage you. There’s a lot of critics in the world, and it’s important to feel supported!

Q: What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?
A: My typical writing day. It’s usually the weekend, as I get most of my work done then. So… get out of bed thinking about that first cup of coffee. Leave the apartment before seeing children, who thank god are now old enough to sleep late. (Husband has already left to go exercise.) Get to coffee shop at undisclosed location where no one in my family can find me. Order that cup of coffee I’ve been thinking about, along with a whole wheat bagel with butter and marmalade. Sit down with coffee and bagel and read something for awhile (newspaper, magazine, book for research, novel for fun) and procrastinate turning on laptop. Sometime around when finishing that cup of coffee, force myself to turn on laptop. Read over what I’ve already written, hopefully not from first page. Rewrite obsessively until I get mad at myself for not writing anything new. Get more coffee. Eat one more bite of (now cold) bagel. Actually write something new. Start worrying that I should be getting home. Continue to write. Feel more pressure to get home. Try to squeeze more writing in. Perhaps get second cup of coffee. Squeeze in more writing. Realize that two hours has gone by, maybe three. Perhaps get call on cell phone from daughter, who is now up and wants me to bring home a muffin. Tell her I’ll be home soon. Squeeze in one more half hour. Leave for home. Hopefully remember to get muffin for daughter and one for son too, just in case. Once home, present muffins, hope that earns me points as a good mom, set up laptop on kitchen table, put on a pot of coffee, and basically begin cycle again.

Q: What's been the most exciting thing about publishing? The most
frustrating?
A:The first time seeing your published novel on the shelf at the bookstore./Not being able to find your published novel on the shelf at the bookstore.

Q: Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not,
what else is in the works?
A: I’ve thought about it, but no plans at the moment. I’m on to something else that I can’t talk about yet!

Q: Do you eat when you write?
A: Yes, it's absolutely necessary for me to begin with a cup of coffee and something sweet.

Q: Do you need it to be neat and organized where you write?
A: No, it can be (and is) a total mess on my desk. My motto is messy house, clean manuscript.

Q: Do you need it to be quiet when you write?
A: No, I can write at the kitchen table with my entire family around me talking and getting food. The key thing is that they are getting the food.

Many thanks once again, Stephanie! You can find Stephanie's book at your local indy (THE BEST CHOICE), or at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

How Do You Squeeze in the Time?

2006-08-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

This week the kids are off school. And the to-do list (see post below) is a mile long... As a consequence, it's been near impossible to find the time to write. Or has it?

Here are some ideas for "found" time that may help you find the time to write:

a) My son sees a tutor in the library for an hour twice a week, and during that time my daughter knows she is "required" to find a book and read it, or work on some math pages. She and I find conjoining "study carrels" in the back of the library and do our work side-by-side. It's quiet and the children aren't likely to run anywhere and make a huge mess. Even if your child doesn't see a tutor, how about a day at the library with your kids? They can read or do some reviewing of key math/science/etc concepts before school starts, and you can take an hour and work. (Incentives work well with my kids... ie, read for an hour and we can watch a movie tonight!)

b) I cannot get up early and work. I just cannot, cannot, in a boat. However, it IS possible for me to sit up late and work. A lap top or Alphasmart is very portable, and I often bring it up to bed with me to catch up a bit.

c) I've had success bringing the laptop and/or Alphasmart to the playground or pool. My kids are old enough where I don't need to be completely engaged in their play all the time. Of course, I feel more comfortable with the Alphasmart at these places. If it gets stolen, it's worth a lot less than my laptop... and if it gets wet, it might actually survive!

d) Just cut things out. Hell's Kitchen is over and Big Brother All-Stars is an absolute insult to my intelligence, and I am NOT the most intelligent TV watcher, to which anyone can attest. Why not put on some Life With Derek or That's So Raven, cuddle up with the kids, and edit a scene or sketch out a new one?

e) Waiting rooms. We have a lot of doctor's appointments as school begins. That's just our time of year when we catch up on these things. Don't forget your writing bag. It may contain a chapter to mark up, it may contain a laptop, it may contain a boook and some notecards for research... but just don't forget it. Otherwise, you will be stuck for an hour reading DOG FANCY magazine and articles about healthy pregnancies, while your novel is in the car. This has happened to me. I don't recommend it.

f) They read, you write. We have a rule at home--you MUST read for at least a half an hour before the TV goes on in the evening. Usually, I read too. But sometimes I'll make that reading Chapter 5 of the novel-in-progress... etc.

g) Just read whenever you can. Read good stuff. I just finished Joshilyn Jackson's BETWEEN, GEORGIA the other night. IT MADE ME WANT TO WRITE. Next up is COMPANY by Max Barry. Of course, I am also constantly reading about the Irish Tinkers and Travelling People, but that's research. if you're an author who has a lot of research-related reading, make sure to add in some pleasure reading, too. It'll inspire you. And if you WANT to write... you will.

More later... I have some writing to do!

Inspiration for the Day

2006-08-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

Lots of things to do today. It's the kids' last day of day camp before one week of "pure-bred" vacation, to be filled with Marine World, parks, pools, the City, and... basically, we're going to pack in everything we can before school starts.

Sometimes I get really overwhelmed with the amount of things there are to do by the end of the day. Tidying up for the housecleaner, running to the post office, folding laundry, dealing with the back deck (still covered with flood-soaked boxes filled with things we just haven't been able to part with yet), doing SOMETHING about my hideous office... I'm tired just thinking about it.

I even feel this way about writing sometimes. How is this blank screen, I ask myself, ever going to turn into a chapter, or, God forbid, a BOOK? Sometimes, as for The Bitch Posse and my recently-completed nonfiction book, the words just flow, tumbling out so quickly I can hardly jot them down quickly enough. But I would be a liar if I told you that was the case all the time.

In the past, I've kept lists. Huge, long lists that cover one side of a page and go over to the back of the page. Someone once told me to write down things I knew I'd be able to cross off, so I'd feel better if I didn't complete the list. So I'd put things on the list like "take shower," "eat lunch."

It didn't help me feel better, really. First of all, I NEVER completed the list. EVER. And some days, I didn't even get to "take shower," "eat lunch." Leaning somewhat to the obsessive end of things (all addicts do, probably), I felt like complete shit if I didn't finish. And as far as writing... I might put "write 1000 words" on the list, and yes, I'd do them... but I don't like writing to feel like a task on par with my laundry and my shithole office. I really don't.

Yesterday, I got a great little trick from an recovery-based email list to which I subscribe. Using this trick makes you look at the big picture and then focus down to what you can do TODAY to work toward your big goal. I suppose it's a twist on the One Day At A Time thing. What you do is, write down your Large Goals. Each morning. (And yes, I need to do this. As they say, if I fail to plan, I plan to fail.) Here's a Large Goal for me: Keep office a tidy place where it is pleasant to work. Here's another: Complete a publishable novel. Just for thrills and giggles let's write down another lifelong goal, which really, when you think about it, ought to be first on my list: Stay sober.

All right, let's stop there. All of those are HUGE prospects if taken in and of themselves. However, step two of this trick has you write down ONE SIMPLE THING you can do TODAY to work toward that goal. Let's call my first goal Goal A. It would be impossible to clean the whole office today. But one simple thing I can do TODAY toward that goal is bring a big trash bag into the office and tidy up the floor so I can actually see it. THAT'S what I write down next to my Large Goal A. As for Goal B, I can TODAY revise and edit the next 25 pages of the opening 125 pages of the novel. That's what I write down next to Goal B. As for Goal C? I'll write down three things, just because I know I'll do them today: Stay away from the first drink, attend a recovery group meeting, email my mentor in recovery.

The beauty of this plan is that you don't lose sight of the overall picture. The items on the list are not mere tasks to be checked off, but are intrinsically related to one's lifelong goals. They're intertwined. So because these tasks are related to your goals and dreams... they don't even feel like work.

Even if you aren't in recovery, you can use these principles to help you reach your goals. It's working for me!

Welcome to a Secret Society Girl~Diana Peterfreund!

2006-08-17T11:16:00.001-07:00

Hello, blogland! I have been doing that thing lately where you staple your ass to a chair and put yourself in a soundproof room and... oh, WRITE a little? So I haven't been around lately. I'm 125 pages into a new book and have taken the time to go back and rework some things based on some new historical information I've found about the subject. And that's all I'm sayin!

However, let me introduce you to exciting new author, Diana Peterfreund. Diana is the author of the brand new novel SECRET SOCIETY GIRL, which is getting all kinds of buzz. Here's a snippet about the book itself:

THE BOOK

Secret Society Girl takes us into the heart of the Ivy League’s ultra-exclusive secret societies when a young woman is invited to join as one of their first female members.

Elite Eli University junior Amy Haskel never expected to be tapped into Rose & Grave, the country’s most powerful–and notorious–secret society. She isn’t rich, politically connected, or…well, male.

So when Amy receives the distinctive black-lined invitation with the Rose & Grave seal, she’s blown away. Could they really mean her?

Whisked off into an initiation rite that’s a blend of Harry Potter and Alfred Hitchcock, Amy awakens the next day to a new reality and a whole new set of “friends”–from the gorgeous son of a conservative governor to an Afrocentric lesbian activist whose society name is Thorndike. And that’s when Amy starts to discover the truth about getting what you wish for. Because Rose & Grave is quickly taking her away from her familiar world of classes and keggers, fueling a feud, and undermining a very promising friendship with benefits. And that’s before Amy finds out that her first duty as a member of Rose & Grave is to take on a conspiracy of money and power that could, quite possibly, ruin her whole life.

A smart, sexy introduction to the life and times of a young woman in way over her head, Secret Society Girl is a charming and witty debut from a writer who knows her turf–and isn’t afraid to tell all....

THE AUTHOR

Diana Peterfreund has been a costume designer, a cover model, and a food critic. Her travels have taken her from the cloud forests of Costa Rica to the underground caverns of New Zealand (and as far as she's concerned, she's just getting started). Diana graduated from Yale University in 2001 with dual degrees in Literature and Geology, which her family claimed would only come in handy if she wrote books about rocks. Now, this Florida girl lives in Washington D.C., and writes books that rock. Her first novel, Secret Society Girl, is a hardcover debut from in July 2006. The second book in the Secret Society Girl series will be published by Bantam Dell in 2007.

THE BLURBS

"Ms. Peterfreund’s descriptions of the ambitious Amy Haskel’s collegial life are both vivid and amusing ... Amy's story is both witty and endearing, peppered as it is with rhetorical questions and moments when she emphatically addresses the reader as “dude.” As she discusses her
dorm-room drama, her study sessions at the library, and the awkward interactions she shares at the lit-mag office with her “friend with bennies,” Amy proves herself a rather appealing girl. To top it off, Amy knows about Said and Lévi-Strauss."
- The New York Observer

"Amy Haskel is a studious junior at elite Eli University (read Yale)
when she's tapped for Rose & Grave (read Skull & Bones) and finds
herself anointed as one of the social elite -- a frothy summer read for
anyone interested in the collegiate antics of the secret rulers of the
world."
- Edward Nawotka, Bloomberg News

"Peterfreund leaves some loose ends to entice readers to pick up her next installment...the story is...fun to read--full of quirky characters and situations. It's bound to appeal to readers looking for entertaining escape and college humor."
- Booklist

" Absolutely captivating, Secret Society Girl takes us into the mysterious, rarified, and delicious world of an Ivy League secret society--but even more, into the life of a fascinating and dauntless young woman. Diana Peterfreund has such a bright, original voice, and she has written an unforgettable novel."
- New York Times Bestelling Author Luanne Rice

"A warning label should be put on the cover of this book: Get comfortable, because once you pick it up, you won't be able to put it down. Secret Society Girl has it all: razor-sharp wit, nail-biting suspense, and pitch-perfect storytelling that will leave you begging for more... The Ivy League has never been this fun."
- Cara Lockwood, bestselling author of I Do (But I Don't)

"Chick lit heads off to the Ivy League in Diana Peterfreund’s superfun, supercool debut novel, Secret Society Girl. Of course, I’d like to tell you all the reasons why I loved it, but then I’d have to kill you...”
- Lauren Baratz-Logsted, author of The Thin Pink Line

THE INTERVIEW

Q:How did you get this idea for this book? Please describe how the book grew from a glimmer of an idea into a whole novel.

A: I was watching the movie THE SKULLS on TV and thought it was about time that someone wrote a secret society story that described them the way they really were. From there, it was a matter of finding the right facet of the long collegiate secret society history to use as a framework for the story. It was very important for me to make the story as accurate as possible, which is why most of the events in the story are based on things that happened in real life. So the tricky part was finding a story that accurately portrayed society life without being too boring to write about.

I usually write a few chapters of a book before I tell anyone about it, just to make sure there's "there" there. As soon as Amy came to life for me, I realized that I had a character that could support the weight of a novel or two on her back.

Q: Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

A: Write a whole book. Don't worry about the industry until you have a full manuscript. None of that stuff means anything until you have a huge pile of paper with Chapter One on top and The End at the bottom. Once you have done this, learn everything you can about the industry, agents, editors, everything. But write a book first.

My favorite advice that others have given me: "Love the book, not the scene." "Get in late, get out early." "Don't write the parts people skip." "Once you have the right project, getting an agent and a publisher is pretty straightforward, so don't worry about tricks to get in. Just concentrate on writing your best book."

Q: What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?

A: Yes, if you have some tips, I'd really appreciate it. My days are an endless struggle to avoid distractions and get BICHOK (butt in chair, hands on keyboard). (From Martha--Oh, a variation on the staple your ass to the chair thing!)

As far as organizing my writing (as opposed ot my writing time) I'm a very intense plotter, so I do have several techniques to keep my story in line. When I first plot, I write a sort of free-form outline,w hich I later bang into shape as a synopsis. I refer to it throughout the writing of the book. I also have an excel file that tracks word count per chapter and turning point so I can track my pacing and make sure the book doesn't drag. Finally, I have a large plotting board covered in post it notes (one square for each scene) that are color coded according to plot thread so that I can make sure I haven't dropped any.

Q: What's been the most exciting thing about publishing? The most frustrating?

A: Everything about publishing my first book has been exciting! Meeting my edtior, having professional input on my edits, seeing my cover, seeing my books on shelves, hearing from people who have it, doing the publicity... I love it all. The most frustrating thing, perhaps, has been coming into contact with people who don't "get" what I'm trying to say with my book. I knew that would happen, since I used to enter writing contests and saw the range of reaction from judges, but it's still difficult. Whenever you write comedy, there's going to be a certain population whose humor doesn't match yours.

Q: Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not, what else is in the works?

A: I'm working on a sequel to Secret Society Girl now. It takes place during the first semester in Amy's senior year, and deals with the responsibilities that come with being the caretaker of a centuries-long tradition like Rose & Grave.

Q: What was your favorite scene to write in this book?

A: Probably the scene at the library. (I know, I'm supposed to say "the initiation" but that was probably one of the trickier scenes since there was so much true-to-life detail that I had to make sure I was following.) Since I do so much planning ahead of time, it's always interesting to see characters I've invented come to life. I knew that Malcolm and Clarissa were going to be important characters in the book, but I was nervous to see how their chemistry worked with Amy on the page. And they instantly clicked. I think it was then that I knew I had a whole book on my hands.

Q: Are you Amy?

A: I get this question a lot. NO, this book is a work of fiction. Amy and I actually have very little in common, other than the obvious educational similarities. We also each have a smart mouth, but every character I've ever written shares that trait with me. Amy is a pretty serious student, with a focused plan for her future. That would not have described me in college.

Q: Your book touches on issues of feminism. Do you think that it's an important issue in this day and age?

A: Ironically, it wasn't something I spent a lot of time thinking of when I was in college, because I was surrounded by feminists. But as soon as we exited our ivory tower and got out in the real world I realized that this was an ongoing battle. Right now, it's a battle that is raging on college campuses, as certain academics have stated that women have less aptitude for hard sciences, and we've seen a recent upswing in the "MRS" myth. I think that the way women's rights become an issue for the characters is a very realistic one. It's not women who are campaigning to be let INTO this all-male's society. It's a few men in the society who, believing in equality, choose to tap a few qualified women, and others object. The real battle in the book is a defensive one; the female characters are defending the right of their male forebears to choose women as well as men.

Thanks so much, Martha!

Thank YOU, Diana, for visiting us! You can buy Diana's book at any good local indy (the bestest choice), or at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Virtual Paperback Tour!

2006-08-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

As I collapse in front of my computer, having been walked by the dog for 3 miles (I am sooooo out of shape, it's not funny), I am barely able to hold my head up. However, I am THRILLED to link a few blog interviews for you--these are some of my stops on the Virtual Book Tour for THE BITCH POSSE paperback release (available now at stores everywhere, 3 for 2 at Borders, yadda yadda):

Joshilyn Jackson (gods in Alabama; Between, Georgia) does her trademark Three Question Interview and gives me a BIG compliment... and did I mention Joshilyn is pretty? :0)
I take The Bad Boy Quiz with Tanya Lee Stone (A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl). Now, was this one made for me, or what?
Natalie R. Collins (Wives and Sisters) and I talk about being "Trapped"
Sara Rossett (Moving is Murder) does a quick-n-dirty interview wherein you will learn the secret of the Grand Tarino named "Tacky"
I tell Ellen Meister (Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA) about my Hollywood version of The Bitch Posse
I take The Fly on the Wall Survey with E. Lockhart (Fly on the Wall) so you can find out about my superhero fantasies
Nichelle Tramble (The Dying Ground) reveals the secrets lurking on my desk
Laurie Stolarz (Blue is for Nightmares) does a Quick Quiz
Michelle Richmond (Dream of the Blue Room) reveals my musical sensibilities
Julie Kenner (Carpe Demon, The Givenchy Code, and sooo many others) does a detailed interview
Kelly Parra (Deadly Adam) gives a behind the scenes look at my writing life (very glamorous indeed... note, you may have to scroll down)
Stephanie Lehmann (You Could Do Better) and I have a discussion about everyone's favorite vice--television. Note--it involves Vyvyan from The Young Ones!
The inimitable Karin Gillespie, Queen of the Girlfriends (Dollar Daze and other Bottom Dollar Girl books) finds out what you always wanted to know about The Bitch Posse, but were afraid to ask

Thanks so much to all these lovely, intelligent, witty women for interviewing me in so many creative ways. I'm also grateful to my fellow members of the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit who included mentions, write-ups, and reviews on their blogs (Megan Crane, Melissa Senate, Sheila Curran, Johanna Edwards, Melanie Lynne Hauser, Cindy Cruiger, Lauren Barnholdt, Shanna Swendson, Anne Frasier, Alana Morales, Diana Peterfreund, Jennifer Barnes, Alison Pace, Jennifer O'Connell, Lara Zeises, Deborah LeBlanc, and Kyra Davis). Hope I didn't miss anyone~you all are great! Kisses!

The Chance To Make a Difference~and Jennifer Barnes

2006-08-03T09:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I hope you will excuse my absence once again! I've been so wrapped up in this new puppy, Shana. (See below.) It's not exactly like having a new baby, but it's close.

Before I get started with the events of the day, let me tell you about my friend EJ Knapp.

EJ is a writer (his best known book is THE GREAT GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE TRIVIA BOOK, published by Chronicle Books) who has been through the wringer in life. One year ago, after 25 years of addiction, EJ hit a wall and lost everything. From EJ's blog:

When it all hit the wall a year ago, when the drinking and the stress and the hatred of life I’d accumulated all came together in a cataclysmic explosion, when I spent that month in rehab, when I lost my job, I came out of it all with such hope. Can you believe that? Hope. What a fool I was. And, fool that I am, dreamer, I pursued that hope. I was sober after what, 25 years? I had hope. A new life. I would pursue my dreams. I would write. I had my pension money. I had the house. I had a good car. And I was sober. Really sober. For the first time in years. And I wanted to be sober. It felt good. To see the birds fly. To see life without the amber haze.

Those of us who have battled addictions, myself included, know EJ's feelings precisely.

Now EJ's pension money is gone and for the lack of $2600, he may lose his car. This may not seem like much to those of us who take our wheels for granted. However, EJ has hit another wall, this one of desperation:

A .38 comes to mind but I sold my guns long ago. So I guess I’ll just have to get past this and carry on. Not sure where that’s going to take me, hence this letter.

All my life I’ve run way, leaving nothing behind, no forwarding address, no explanation, just a mystery for others to ponder, if they even took the time to bother. I don’t want to do that this time. (emphasis mine)

Instead of drinking, EJ has decided to do something positive. I'm so pleased because everyone who has dealt with addiction knows how easy it is to just turn to the drug of choice again.

Instead of drinking, EJ reached out for a helping hand. And many many hands have reached back in return. EJ's friends in recovery and friends in the writing world have banded together to rally around our friend for the first ever (that I know of) writing fundraiser. It was EJ's brainchild. We can't take any of the credit except for rounding up donations!

Donations of what, you may ask? OF WORDS. Yes, EJ's friends have donated their hitherto unseen work. At the rate of $2.00 per story or group of poems, you may download some of the following works, from published and unpublished authors. If the blogosphere helps to spread the word, perhaps enough money will be raised to pay off the car. Authors include:

Jon Clinch, author of FINN (forthcoming, Random House, lead title Spring 07)
Jackie Kessler, author of HELL'S BELLES (forthcoming, Kensington)
Lauren Baratz-Logsted, author of VERTIGO (Bantam) and others
Karen Dionne, proprietor of literary site Backspace and science thriller author
Heather Brewer, author of EIGHTH GRADE SUCKS (Dutton/Penguin)
Lori Weinrott, co-author of THE ULTIMATE BAR/BAT MITZVAH BOOK (Random House)

This authors join many other agented and SOON TO BE PUBLISHED authors in helping out a friend in need. I've donated five poems, which should be at EJ's donations site shortly if they aren't already there.

Please go check EJ's 1500 Story Sales in 20 days website in order to learn more, to purchase a story or two, and to help a fellow who is reaching out for help instead of acquiescing. Go, EJ!

Now, onto the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit and my guest, Jennifer Barnes!

Jennifer is busy on booktour and wasn't yet available for interview, so keep an eye out for one in the next little while. However, I didn't want to waste any time in telling you all about her new YA book, GOLDEN.

ABOUT THE BOOK

At Emory High, there are two kinds of people: those who matter, and those who don’t.

When Lissy James moves from California to Oklahoma, she finds herself in the middle of a teenage nightmare: a social scene to rival a Hollywood movie. And if understanding the hierarchy of the Goldens vs. the Nons isn’t hard enough, Lissy’s ever growing Aura Vision is getting harder and harder to hide, and if she’s not careful, she’s going to become a Non faster than you can say “freak.”

But it’s becoming clear that Emory High has a few secrets of its own. Around the halls, the term “special powers” goes way beyond one’s ability to attract the opposite sex, and there may be something more evil than the A-crowd lurking in the classrooms. Lissy can see a lot more than the average girl, but she’s about to learn the hard way that things aren’t always as they appear and you can’t always judge a girl by her lip gloss.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

“…A well-balanced blend of fast-moving fantasy and light, playful chick lit.”

–Kirkus Reviews

“Golden glows with the spot-on  insights and pitch-perfect prose of someone whose knowledge of adolescence is absolutely fresh… Golden is a captivating mix of everyday teen terrors and supernatural suspense."

-Borders Online, July Newsletter

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A Native Oklahoman, Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a recent graduate of Yale University, where she studied cognitive science (the study of the brain and thought). Her research on animal and child cognition has been featured on ABC’s World News Tonight, Animal Planet, and The New York Times, and Jennifer will be spending the 2006/2007 school year abroad, doing autism research at the University of Cambridge.

Jennifer wrote Golden at the age of nineteen, and her second book, Tattoo, will be available in January of 2007.

Check out Jennifer's website for more, and buy her book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or the best choice, your local indy bookseller.

And BLOGGERS, PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD on EJ's fundraiser. PLEASE!

Puppy Power! AND, GCC~Lauren Barnholdt!

2006-07-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

Please forgive the absence! I have been puppified. Take a look at the photos of the new member of the family, Shana the German Shorthair Pointer-Australian Shepherd-Labrador Retriever Mix.

We got Shana from a puppy rescue shelter near Sacramento. If anyone in the area is interested in adopting a puppy, shoot me an email. They have a ton of puppies there eager for good homes. :o)

Shana's fun, but a real handful! They aren't kidding when they say a puppy is like adding a new baby to your home. However, having had twins... one new puppy seems fairly easy to me!

And onto the Amazing Lauren Barnholdt! Lauren's amazing for all kinds of reasons, but one of the most amazing things I found out about her is she got her first novel published at age TWENTY-SIX. At age twenty-six, I was changing stinky diapers every other moment, pushing a double stroller around, and deflecting continual TWIN QUESTIONS. (See bottom of this entry for details!) At the time I didn't think I would ever write again... and I didn't much care!

Lauren also sold her book on a PARTIAL. Do you know how rare that is for a new author? I only know of one other debut author who's ever done that... and I know a bunch of authors. Kudos to Lauren for following her publishing dream!

ABOUT LAUREN

Lauren Barnholdt is a twenty-six-old writer who was born and raised in Syracuse, NY. Her articles and short stories have appeared in Elements magazine, Girls Life, and on mensclick.com. Lauren is currently under contract with Simon Pulse for her young adult novels, having set an unprecedented sale when she was signed for her first two book deal on just three chapters and a synopsis. Her first book for young adults, REALITY CHICK, will be released on June 27, 2006. Lauren currently teaches a popular online course called How to Write and Sell the YA Chick-lit Novel. She is also co-author of the book HOW TO WRITE AND SELL THE YA NOVEL, which will be released by Writer's Digest Books in December of 2006. Lauren now resides in Central Connecticut, and when she's not writing, she spends most of her time reading and watching lots and lots of reality TV.

ABOUT THE BOOK

All hour study fests.....all-night parties....

Going away to college means total independence and freedom. Unless of course your freshman year is taped and televised for all the world to watch. On uncensored cable.

Sweet and normal Ally Cavanaugh is one of five freshpeople shacking up on In the House, a reality show filmed on her college campus. (As if school isn't panic-inducing enough!) The cameras stalk her like paparazzi, but they also capture the fun that is new friends, old crushes, and learning to live on your own. Sure, the camera adds ten pounds, but with the freshman fifteen a given anyway, who cares? Ally's got bigger issues -- like how her long-distance bf can watch her loopy late-night "episode" with a certain housemate...

Freshman year on film.

It's outrageous.

It's juicy.

And like all good reality TV, it's impossible to turn off.

THE PRAISE

"I could not put this book down -- it was hilarious! Barnholdt is a fresh new voice in teen fiction."

-- Sarah Mlynowski, author of Milkrun and As Seen on TV

THE INTERVIEW

1. How did you get this idea for this book? Please describe how the book grew from a glimmer of an idea into a whole novel.

I tried out for THE REAL WORLD once. I didn't make it, and all my friends were like, "It's because you're too normal!" And I was like, "That's exactly why they should pick me!" I thought it would be cool to see how a "normal" person does on one of those shows. So I decided to write a book about it. (A lot of the stuff that happens during Ally's audition in REALITY CHICK actually happened at my REAL WORLD audition. But I won't tell you exactly what, haha.)

2. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? Don't give up! If you want it bad enough, you'll get there. The trick really is to keep writing.

3. What's your writing day like? Any tips or tricks for getting organized?

I tend to do better if I get an early start, so lately I've been trying to get up on the early side. I usually write with Diet Coke with Lime, or chocolate coffee. Caffeine keeps me inspired ;) Also, sometimes I let myself watch one episode of Sex and the City or some other show on DVD after I write a certain number of words.

4. What's been the most exciting thing about publishing? The most frustrating?

The most exciting thing is definitely getting to see my book on the shelves! It's the most surreal feeling, this thing that was just a bunch of pages and words on a computer getting turned into a book and sent into the world. The most frustrating has been learning that you can't control every single thing about the process.

5. Do you think you might write a follow-up to this book? If not,what else is in the works?

I'm not sure! I think it would be fun to write about what happens to Ally once the show is over. But we'll see. In the meantime, my first novel for tweens, DEVON DELANEY’S SECRET IDENTITY, will be out in May of 2007. It’s about a thirteen-year-old girl who goes away for the summer and lies to the local girls about how popular she is. She then has to scramble to recreate her “secret identity” when one of the girls shows up at her school. My second YA novel, ROAD TRIP, will be out next summer, and it’s about a girl who gets stuck driving cross country to college with the boy who just broke up with her.

Thanks so much, Lauren! Please buy her book at your local indy bookseller, or if you MUST betray your local business and the heart of bookselling in America, then try Amazon or Barnes and Noble. ***GGG*** I forgot to ask who Shana's pick to win Hell's Kitchen is... mine's Heather!

By the way, Lauren also teaches an online class on writing for teens. Check it out!

*As promised, here are a few of the twin-related q&a's I received at the time, and comebacks of the type you only think of a few days later... (thanks to the Cordes family for the reminders)

Are they Twins? (while looking at the babies)

No, they were just born at the same time.
No, they're monkeys.
One is a twin, and one isn't.
Yes they are.
- "Oh, I didn't realize we had twins in the area." (A proposed California Law will require the parents of twins to put a 4 ft. high by 6 ft. wide sign in the front yard, warning the neighbors of the presence of twins in the area.)
- How many are there? (My husband and I are each holding a baby)
- They can't be twins, they aren't dressed alike.
- Oh, how lucky and blessed you are!
  - Yes, I am really lucky.
    Response: I hope I don't get lucky and blessed!

Twins? What are they?

Human.
Babies.
$5100 in tax deductions.

Are they identical?

Yes. (followed by rolling your eyes and walking away)
Yes, until we change their diapers.
They used to be, but they're getting over it.
Not below the waist!
No, but they have identical parents.

Are they Siamese?

No, we left the cats at home.
???

Can you tell them apart?

No.
Sure, the girl is an inch longer than the boy.

How do you tell them apart?

We used to paint thier names on the bottom of their feet. But since that kept wearing off, we weighed them and found out that the boy is a pound heavier than the girl.
We call the Psychic HotLine and they can tell us.
Parents can always tell. At least that's what we delude ourselves into believing.
We're not sure yet.
They LOOK different!
It's easy, they have different names.
I don't know who is who, but I love them the same.

How do you KNOW they are twins?

I gave birth to them.
They aren't twins. They were born 3 months apart (its a scientific miracle)
No, they are not twins. One was born by my wife. The other by my girlfriend. Go figure - everyone gets along so well.

"You really have a great figure for triplets.

What's that supposed to mean? Is it good, period, or is it only acceptable when considering the fact that I gave birth to "triplets"? (Where'd the other baby go?)

How were your babies conceived?

Sex. Lots and Lots of Sex.
How did you conceive yours?
it was buy one, get one free day
I ate a lot of broccoli.
(look both ways, lean forward, and whisper in their ear) "Turkey Baster"

Did you have help conceiving them?

Yes, God.
no, my hubby just threw his pants on the bed....
Yes, but we promised them that we would keep their names out of the paper.

I heard you are having twins. I don't know whether to offer my congratulations or my condolences.

Congratulations would be prefered.
Congratulations for the twins, and condolences for the loss of your common sense.

Wow, Double Trouble (while first noticing the twins)

Nope, Double the smiles, hugs, laughs, and joy.
They are Angels. Why were your children trouble?
Double the Pleasure, Double the Fun, with the Doublemint Twins.

I don't know how you manage

Like we have a choice?
We manage just fine.
I don't know how you can call yourself a real parent, raising only one at a time.
We're not wimps, like all those parents of singles.

Do twins run in your family?

They are only 20 weeks old, they can't even sit up yet.
They do now!
Yes, they run up the stairs and down the halls!
First time blessing.
These two do!

You must have had those two very close together

Yes, try two minutes.

Were you taking fertility drugs?

If you'll forgive me for not answering, I'll forgive you for asking.

Boy, I'm glad that happened to you and not me.

We're glad it happened to us, and not you, also.

Twins! You sure must have your hands full!

Yes, we sure do, but better full than empty.
Yes, but not as full as our hearts.

Then there's the ones you never hear enough of...

How nice you were Double Blessed.
How precious, you must be very happy.
What a lovely family, you must be very pleased.
What Beautiful Babies, I'm so jealous...