Jo Knowles's Blog, page 28

Thankful Thursday–Libba Love

Today I am extremely thankful for libba_bray :-)

She and her son arrived here on Sunday night. Monday morning, we got up early and started writing and I feel as if we haven't stopped since.

Every morning, our hero Ira has come to pick up the boys and take them off to do fun things, like a day at the pool, the museum, the movies, etc., while we stayed home to work. It has been the ultimate guilt-free retreat. I'm home. The boys are having a great time. And we are getting a TON done.

There is something very special about having a writing partner sitting across from you. She keeps you working and inspired. And during lunch breaks, you can share whatever challenges you're having. Or just commiserate. Or celebrate overcoming a hurdle. Or just talk. Or stuff your face with chips and dip. (Note: Libba makes the most amazing guacamole I have ever had. EVER.)

Today is our last day. The boys are here, so I'm not sure how easy it will be to squeeze in a few more chapters, but we'll try.

For those of you who struggle with getting away on retreats, this has been such an amazing alternative. And much less expensive than staying at a hotel or retreat center. I highly recommend it! :-)

But mostly, thank you, dear Libba. For being such a good friend. For being so supportive and kind. I am incredibly thankful to have you in my life.

xx

Jo

For Jasmine

Recently I received an e-mail from a reader with some very thought-provoking questions about LESSONS FROM A DEAD GIRL. They were so thought-provoking, I wanted to take time to think about how to answer. But when I finally did, my message bounced. So Jasmine, I have no idea if you read my blog, but here you go. And thanks again for your great message.

Hi Jasmine!

Thanks for letting me know your feelings about the book. I'm so glad you liked it! I really love all of your questions, but the truth is, the book belongs to you now, and you have permission to answer all those questions for yourself. Your questions are all wonderful and thought-provoking. This is the best gift a writer could get: To know that your story made someone think deeply about the character's motivations and back-story. But as writers, we are limited to the words we put on paper. Once the book is published, the story doesn't belong to us any more. It belongs to the reader. And the reader gets to decide all the unanswered questions.

I hope you don't find this response frustrating. But it's the truth. I can't answer these for you. But you can.

Thanks for being an amazing reader. Keep it up!

Best,

Jo

Unexpected find at the beach

Today is a raining day but we decided to take a walk on the beach anyway. My sister and her husband were up ahead of us and came across these two baby seals on the beach:



We didn't see any sign of their mom and one of them looked like it had an injury. None of us had a cell phone or camera (I took these later), so I ran back to the house to call for help.

We stayed on the beach to warn people to keep their distance and tell people with dogs to turn back.



It was heartbreaking, waiting for the rescuers to arrive. I admit, I cried.

But finally, help arrived. Here is my new hero:



She asked us to leave because she didn't want to distress the pups any more than they already were. Luckily it's a rainy day so there are very few people out walking on the beach.

I don't know what will happen to the pups. She was honest, and said they had a 50-50 chance. So, I'm saying a prayer for these poor little guys and hope they beat the odds. Hope you will too. Thanks.

Wordless Wednesday-Maine Friends :)

We interrupt this vacation with some happy pub news :)

My first print review is in and it's a good one! From KIRKUS!

*happy dance*

An excerpt:

A touching family melodrama about the corrosive nature of secrets and the cleansing power of honesty...Knowles' fine ear for dialogue and her sensitive, nuanced portrayal of ordinary people's mishandling of complex situations allow her to play with soap-opera conventions without being crushed under their clichéd weight.

Full review HERE</i>.

Day 2 :-)

Yesterday on our early morning walk there were warnings...


More beach art...


Tidal pools to explore...



Full of tiny treasures to rescue...



And not-so-tiny treasures to rescue...



And last night, a parents' night out on the town...



This place was AMAZING. Any of you who live near Portland and haven't been, I highly recommend The Dogfish Cafe. Their link isn't working, but you can find it via Google. Sit outside. It's worth the wait. :-) Thanks Mom and Dad, for the lovely night out. :)

"The Sea The Sea The sea" - Sharon Creech (and me, way too many times)

I'm in Maine with my family for our annual vacation by the sea. We've rented the same house and it's just...

Perfect?

The afternoon we arrived it was high tide and the wind coming off the water was freezing, but the kids insisted on their traditional jump in.


They were the only people on the entire beach who dared to be in the water. :-)

That night, my husband made us some fancy drinks to celebrate being able to all get together another year. One word: YUM.


Now that the kids are bigger, everyone has their own adult-sized lawn chair. With ten of us on the beach, it looks like quite a crew.


At low tide, we take long walks on the beach searching for treasures. Yesterday, I found a real beauty. Since I'm going to be seeing Cindy Lord soon, this was especially fitting. It is the first time I've ever found blue sea glass.


My sister and I thought the patterns in the sand looked like graceful trees. Isn't it pretty?


But one of our favorite things to do is watch the beach dogs stroll, skip, jump, and prance past our beach chairs all day.






My favorite was a tiny little dog with a pink bathing suit. But she moved so fast, I couldn't get a pic!

This morning we're up early, sitting on the porch with our coffee and books. I have some interview questions due tomorrow so I keep sneaking off to work on those. But mostly we are just resting. Relaxing. And breathing in that magical sea air.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Monday Morning Warm-Up:

What memory comes up when you hear the words "salt water"?

"Service is Love Made Visible"-Stephen Colbert

Funny, touching, profound in it's simple but true message. You should watch this one. Or at least skip to the last 5 minutes.

:-)



Have a great weekend!

xx

PEARL Surprises :)

Many years ago, I was getting ready for my first bookstore event with literaticat back when she ran Not Your Mother's Book Club in San Francisco.

A few weeks before the event, Jenn e-mailed to ask for an author photo.

The only photo I had was several years old and didn't look anything like me anymore. So, in a panic, I shoved the camera in my then 8-year-old's hands and said, "I have a job for you."

We went up to my office and he took a few photos. I sent the one we liked best to Jenn, and she used it for the poster.

Since then, every so often I'm asked to provide a high-resolution photo, and since the only photos I have of myself are taken on the little PhotoBooth thing on my Mac, I send the one E took.

So last night, when the final sample cover for PEARL came, I surprised E with this:



That is his photo credit along the side of the frame for the inside jacket flap. :-)

His reaction? "Cool."

Oh man, he is turning into such a little pre-teen. But I could tell he really did think it was cool. And later he said, "That was a funny day." And it was. I think I was wearing pajama bottoms in that pic. heh

Other surprises on the jacket were the back:



An oyster shell! I love it. :-) And the image is embossed. Is that the right word? Anyway, fun!

And the inside jacket copy is new to me, too. But I'm not going to share it here because it has a big spoiler. ;-P

I can't believe the book comes out in one month and 2 days. Not that I'm counting. Well yes. Yes I am.

Have a great weekend, everyone! We're heading to Maine tomorrow for our annual family vacation. Hopefully the cats will be kind to our very kind house sitter.

xx

Life is like a box of...

No.

No, sorry, Forrest, but I really do cringe when I hear that phrase. True, you never know you're gonna get in life. But rarely are those surprises surrounded by something resembling chocolatey goodness.

Not my life:


Alas.

Anyway.

In my neck of the woods, life is more like a truckload of cord wood.

Sometimes it will be a true cord. Sometimes it'll be short. Sometimes (happiness), it'll be generous.

And sometimes, since it mostly gets delivered in spring and early summer...



It gets stuck in the mud.

Not only that.

It gets stuck several yards away from its destination so that you have to get warmed by it...

not once (stacking it)...

not twice (hauling it to the house)...

not three times (burning it)...

But four:



Lugging it all the way to the dang shed.

But the thing is (I will grudgingly admit) that first fire in the wood stove in late OctoberSeptember (dang it), feels pretty nice.

Two days ago, I received revision notes on my newest manuscript. What I love about my crit partners is that they aren't afraid to be honest with me. And we can still be friends! :-) In fact, I think it makes us even better friends.

Anyway. I knew this manuscript was rough but not quite as rough as it actually is.

It's pretty much yards from the shed, if you know what I mean.

And it's pretty much stuck in the mud.

I have a lot of hauling to do.

At the same time, I know what the end result needs to look like. I know how the scenes need to be stacked. I know how much the work will cause my body to ache.

Not once.

Not twice.

Not three times.

But maybe (please pretty please with a box of chocolates on top) four.

A sweet friend reminded me that I have a rough draft. Yay! Now comes the fun part! And she's right. It WILL be fun. When you have a big job to do, griping isn't going to get it done any faster. You've just gotta embrace it and try to have some fun.

Sometimes though, as they say in our business, you have to let things sit for a while.

And since we leave for vacation the day after tomorrow, that old pile is just going to have to wait til we get back.

:-)