Up early to prepare our personal Thanksgiving Day, just me, the resident of the back bedroom and the hubby. Green bean casserole, fresh (and sugar fee) cranberry sauce, turkey, mashed potatoes. Nothing fancy--just comfort holiday food and a chance for us to share a quiet meal. Now the resident is making a sandwich (we ate at lunch, another tradition) and hubby is working a dit-dot contest (he is a ham radio operator) and Scout is sleeping off his share of the turkey. Me? I read a book for a VOYA review called UNDEAD MUCH? by Stacey Jay. Think of it as Gossip Girls meet Thriller. Basic plot: one of the pom squad is a zombie fighter at her high school. Lots of blood and gore combined with make up, hairdos, and making out scenes in the back seat of the car. Should be immensely popular. Here is the cover:






Now it is time for some down time in front of the TV.

I slip easily back into this house, this house where I lived for ten years. The people are the same. Well, they are different, but same enough. Predictable enough. My sisters seem more grown up without me, my dad's health seems worse, and when I get a glass of water from the kitchen, Jersey doesn't run over and beg for an ice cube. The furniture has been rearranged. I miss having enough furniture to rearrange. There's a new kind of snack in the snack drawer, a new car in the driveway, a new person eligible to drive the cars in the driveway. My car is the same, side mirror still duct taped.

I'm probably different too, but in a same enough kind of way. I used to stay up after everyone went to sleep, and now I'm looking for a dark room, any dark room, to lie down in at 11:00 p.m. I'm the first one to bed.

I walked in the door and I don't even remember my apartment in Boston. This is where I belong. I suddenly hate my apartment, for being too small, too empty, for smelling weird and feeling so cold.

The only thing that draws me back to the East Coast is this schoolwork. Grad school stops for no holiday weekend. There are still books to read (seven), tedious papers to write (two), even more tedious pages of assignments (sixteen).

So I read four,

Nation by Terry Pratchett, which was long and interesting but completely devoid of any inspiration for the paperwriting that must ensue today,

Stay! Keeper's Story by Lois Lowry, which was probably one of my favorite Lowry books, strangely enough, being as it is a first person narrative of a dog's life,

Looking Back: A Book of Memories by Lois as well. I found it thoughtful and inspiring and, thankfully, short, and

Gathering Blue. No, it wasn't as good as The Giver, and the threads that join the two companion books seem tenuous.

I've also been drinking energy drinks, which is neither as fun nor as painful as I thought it would be. Eating too much. There are some things that should never be in my kitchen. Most of those things fall under the category of Sour Cream and Cheddar. Sitting. Feeling thankful that, even though I hate my apartment, I get out of the house and walk somewhere almost every day. And that, no matter how much this pains me on some days, there is no convenient place for me to buy canned and bottled beverages on my way to my every day activities.

I have been talking to my grandparents, helping my sister make cookies, unloading the dishwasher, going to the bar, waiting in line outside Target at 4:30 in the morning, taking a guided tour of the old prison, allowing Say Yes to the Dress toy with my emotions, using my sister's laptop, sleeping on the couch, and waking up with a sore neck kind of headache.

Four days is a long time but not long enough.

I've never been about the turkey or the ham at a big holiday meal. Me, I like the side dishes. Mashed potatoes and gravy! Green bean casserole! From-scratch yeast rolls. Scalloped potatoes with cheese! (Have I mentioned how much I love potatoes?)

Just like I like side dishes, I like side projects. I often have a main book I'm working on, plus a little something on the side. I wrote Learning to Fly: A Thriller as a side project. Until then, I had only written series mysteries. It ended up being my best reviewed book to date, and for a long time was my best selling.

I wrote Girl, Stolen, which will be a lead title next fall from Holt, when it seemed possible, even likely, that no one would buy it.

I had an idea for a book the other day. But it involved a paranormal element (not werewolves, vampires, fairies, or fallen angels. More of a special power). My agent and YA editor agree that I should be building my brand as a YA thriller author. And they are right. So I prepared to shelve my cool book idea.

But you know what? I decided this morning I'm going to keep it as a side project and work on it here and there. It might take me a long time to write a book that way, especially since I'm also working on one adult mystery and one YA thriller a year, but there's no hurry.

Besides, I like side dishes.

Originally published at Jon Skovron. You can comment here or there.

Well, we’re winding down on the debut YA author blog tour. On this, our second-to-last entry, we have The Espressologist by Kristina Springer.

About The Espressologist

What’s your drink of choice? Is it a small pumpkin spice latte? Then you’re lots of fun and a bit sassy. Or a medium americano? You prefer simplicity in life. Or perhaps it’s a small decaf soy sugar-free hazelnut caffe latte? Some might call you a yuppie. Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has this theory that you can tell a lot about a person by their regular coffee drink. She scribbles it all down in a notebook and calls it Espressology. So it’s not a totally crazy idea when Jane starts hooking up some of her friends based on their coffee orders. Like her best friend, Em, a medium hot chocolate, and Cam, a toffee nut latte. But when her boss, Derek, gets wind of Jane’s Espressology, he makes it an in-store holiday promotion, promising customers their perfect matches for the price of their favorite coffee. Things are going better than Derek could ever have hoped, so why is Jane so freaked out? Does it have anything to do with Em dating Cam? She’s the one who set them up! She should be happy for them, right?

About Kristina Springer

Kristina Springer has a Bachelor of Arts in English Education from Illinois State University and a Master of Arts in Writing from DePaul University. Her first novel, THE ESPRESSOLOGIST, was published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux on October 27, 2009. Her second novel, MY FAKE BOYFRIEND IS BETTER THAN YOURS, also from FSG, will be published in the fall of 2010. She lives in a suburb of Chicago, IL with her husband Athens and their four small children Teegan, Maya, London, and Gavin.

My probing an insightful questions

What is your favorite part of the writing process? Least favorite?

Favorite: Writing the first draft
Least Favorite: Line edits

What writing “gear” do you like (could be anything from your favorite tool to your favorite tchotchke).

I have to be at a cafe (usually Starbucks) with my laptop and a yummy coffee drink. Typically a bag of Trader Joe’s low-fat honey wheat pretzels are present as well.

Zombie, Pirate, Robot, or Ninja…you must chose one.

Zombie

Buy This book!

Originally published at Karen Kincy. You can comment here or there.

You may have already heard of the 2010 Debut Author Challenge by The Story Siren. If not, definitely check it out! More info, snatched from Kristi:

What will be happening during the challenge?

This year I’ve planned ways to get more “interactive” participation.

• I’ll have a post every month were participants can enter links to their reviews to gain entries for some fantastic prizes.
• I’ll be spotlighting authors, with interviews and guest posts throughout the month. If you comment on any of these posts you will also gain you an entry into the monthly prize packs!
• I’ll be featuring a list of 2010 debut novels each month, for their releases. 
• And of course I’ll be posting reviews of my own for the challenge. If you comment on any of these you can also gain an extra entry into the monthly prize packs!

I’m seeing my debut Other on quite a few lists so far…  from Tattooed Books to Mindful Musings to Black and Blue Ink, to name a few. Thanks so much, guys!

I haven't taken an extended break from Internetty networky things since summer 08. I am ready! I was thinking December, generally, but since tomorrow is the first Sunday in Advent, it seems a good time to start. And Epiphany, January 6, seems like a good time to stop.

All social networking notifications will be off. If you need or want to reach me and are used to doing it via Facebook or Twitter or the like, I'll be available via email. The address is easily found on this site. If you have my phone number, you could even call me! (gasp!) I'll keep updating my calendar if a new appearance comes up. It's not like I'll be on another planet or even going offline---just not living through the o'sphere for awhile. (After, perhaps, a frenzy of activity today!)

You are welcome to join me in this break. Think about it.

I love you! I'll miss you! Happy, blessed holidays, secular and sacred. See you in 2010.

Welcome to the 2009 Stupid Prada Summer Van Tour! We know you’re asking yourself, “What the heck is a Stupid Prada Summer Van Tour?” Well, three debut authors–Saundra Mitchell (author of Shadowed Summer), Mandy Hubbard (author of Prada and Prejudice), and Rhonda Stapleton (author of Stupid Cupid), decided to do a super-awesome 9-day United States virtual van tour and hit some rather high-falutin important sites, as well as lesser-known locales.

See the map below to find out where we’re gonna be each day starting Monday, November 30, and drop by all of our blogs daily to get the scoop on how the tour progresses! We’ll be offering prizes throughout the tour, so make sure you follow us each day for your chance to win copies of our books, gift certificates, and other fun gifts!

Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you there!

Saundra Mitchell ~ http://www.saundramitchell.com
Mandy Hubbard ~ http://www.mandyhubbard.com
Rhonda Stapleton ~ http://www.rhondastapleton.com

Originally published at MSUFaL. You can comment here or there.

I will start blogging again. Soon! Really!!!!

Having a lovely time with my folks in Huntington Beach, CA. Bob made Thanksgiving dinner! MMmmm!

Things I am thankful for...

I didn't have to go with my wife and daughter to watch New Moon.

Hmmm. Let's see. Everything else sort of pales in comparison with that.

I'm getting ready to catch the 8:40 train to Grand Central, then off to the Holiday Market at Union Square, 14th and Broadway.
I'll be at the Shenanigan Books Booth today signing Star of the Show from 10:30 to 3:00. Can't wait to meet Mary Watson, Creative Director of Shenanigan Books. If you're up for some cool shopping, and don't mind braving the wind, stop by Union Square, and say hi!

Here's a sneak peek at Shenanigan Books stall:



~Della

I don't know who coined the term "Black Friday," but it's a sinister name for a bad idea. I mean, it might just mean that the stores are going into the black after the Friday, but I tend to think more along the lines of stormy weather and the amount of ink used to write in one's checkbook.

Pretty much every year I've chosen to not participate.  At least not in person. Oh, I sometimes buy something online because someone waved a coupon under my nose, but more often than not, I was planning on buying the item and decided to wait to see if I could get it at a discount.  This year I got my Christmas shopping done by October. I've done that in previous years and it's a good thing.

To be honest with you, I should be working towards making more money and not spending money. I've got plenty of work to get done and I've been slacking because of the season being what it is.  With the various vet bills and whatnot, the work is welcomed. But things get busy and I don't get quite as many articles written, and so, I try to ramp up.  I feel pretty good when I get 3 articles done a day until I hear about those who do close to 10 a day and make a ridiculous amount of money.  Then, I sigh and realize that even though I am prolific, I'm nowhere near as prolific as they are.  I figure I write about 30 to 40 short articles a month, on top of the other work I do. Not bad, but then, just when you think you're prolific, someone shows you up.

It is the way of things.

Current work:

10 articles for various clients
Finish Editing Samurai Son
Evaluate 3 pet books
Work on Siberian Husky Book
Restart working on WolfSongs 2
Finish writing Exiles of the Chi'lan

Hmm, I guess I am busy. 

On this, day 27 of NaNoWriMo (don't let the date fool you, I haven't gone to bed yet so I maintain that it is still Friday in Drafting Zone), I have become a word whore.

I started this post at the LJ NaNo community. It's blatant word whoring AND I'M NOT ALONE.

Today, I gave my MC Leah's dad a drinking problem in addition to his smoking habit, because scenes where Leah covers up her dad's drinking or complain about him smoking boost my word count without actually being all that relevant to the plot. I made Miles' drink of choice bourbon. Then there was the question of what type of bourbon-- Crown Royal, my personal favorite? Nope, too expensive-- the Williamses live in the ghetto, after all. Jim Beam? More likely. But that's only two words. Because of it's ridiculously long name, Miles Williams drinks Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve. That's twice as many words as any bourbon I've actually heard of. Booyah.

Current word count: 26,500. The Nanolyser says I'll be finished on Christmas Eve.

• 15:20 New Freaky Friday interview with Mary Ann Scott kimberlysabatini.blogspot.com/2009/11/freaky-friday-interview-with-aspiring_27.html #
• 16:25 #ff-@Mike_Jung @ghostgirlwrites @JessieHarrel @JeffieLibrarian @jeniw #

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We've had satellite for yonks, which was great in Ohio, spotty here in NE Florida, but still a better alternative than cable 'round these parts. We're trying to decide which way to go in Seattle-- we love satellite, but HATE the current DVR we have from Dish. (Still miss my Tivo... *sob*)

So a few questions:

1) If you have satellite, does the cloud cover interfere a lot with reception?

2) Does anyone have a Tivo Series 3 and if you're using it with Comcast how much are you being charged for the cable cards? (Comcast here wanted to charge us way too much for the second card)

There might be more, but that's just to start. If you want, email answers to Fashionista35@comcast.net

I went to L'Occitane, Staples and after work, Dave and I went to Old Navy. Nothing big. Nothing too fancy. I'm now the proud owner of a webcam and have a healthy supply of shea butter handcream. Plus, a few new t-shirts & pajama pants. I also picked up part of my mom's present and can't wait to get the rest. I know I'm picking some Lush goodies for her. I'm going to do a UK order, so I can get the Retro Christmas goodies. Hooray Eggsnog! The majority of shopping this year may be done via Amazon. Less time out & about and more time staying warm and drinking hot chocolate (with & without peppermint schnapps).

Two canvases, work in progress...........



Friday five---
1. family
2. friends
3. art
4. writing.
5 jewelry.

: )

This is Bridget. Three things happened to Bridget in February:
1. She got an agent for her young adult novel.
2. She got married.
3. She found out she has Stage Four colon cancer.

I met Bridget nearly two years ago at an Oregon SWCBI event. She had just moved to Portland from Wisconsin, where she was a teen librarian. She is a beautiful person, inside and out. When she found out she had an agent, she was just glowing. A few days later she went to a naturopath for headaches and vision problems. She ended up in the ER – and learned very quickly that she had cancer. Big, bad cancer. The kind of cancer that is not supposed to go after 31 year old slender vegans. The kind of cancer that costs a lot to treat. Bridget's "healthy young person between jobs" health insurance does not cover many of her expenses. Some painkillers and anti-nausea meds cost hundreds of dollars for a single dose. Read Bridget's blog at http://www.bridgetzinn.com/blog for more information.

To help defray some of the costs, authors and artists all over the US have banded together to offer goods and services in an online auction. Browse, bid, and win for a good cause at this online auction. Many authors – Bridget’s friends and acquaintances – have donated signed copies of their books; there are also a number of manuscript critiques and proofreading services for authors. But that’s not all – there’s something for everyone! They also have works of art, food and drink, baby gifts, jewelry, and more. Many of the items would make lovely gifts, just in time for your holiday shopping. Take a look – you may find just the thing you’re looking for! [Full disclosure: including a 5,000 word manuscript evaluation from the lovely moi!]

Auction items can be viewed at http://www.32auctions.com/view_auction?id=bridget&pwd=rules - or just go to www.32auctions.com and use the Auction ID: bridget and Password: rules (as in: Bridget rules!!) to view the auction. You will need to create an account on the site in order to bid on auction items. (Creating an account simply requires your name, email address, and a password, and it is required so that you can be contacted if you win an item.)

Bidding will begin on Nov. 27 and continue through 9 p.m. Central time on Dec. 11.