Jo Knowles's Blog, page 52

I am not on hiatus

I'm just busy. :-)

A lot of people are pledging to stay away from the Internet this month but not me. I realize that when I don't interact with other people, even if virtually, I get pretty lonely and depressed. So HI! Anyone out there??

This month is pretty crazy since I have a huge freelance project (YAY! WORK!) and I'm trying to revise a novel I set aside when I got my editorial letter for PEARL. Also, I'm trying to read more.

I just finished reading jeannineatkins BORROWED NAMES and let m...

Holden Caulfield

It was my brother's copy. And then it was probably my sister's. And now it is mine. The spine is taped together. Favorite lines are underscored with blue pen. The pages are yellowed and soft.



And here is John Green, reading one of my favorite parts. I cannot read it without crying. And apparently I can't listen, either.


Every year, my church has a series of dinners to raise money. Every year, J.D. Salinger comes. One year, I was lucky enough to serve him coffee. We didn't speak. He probably did...

*breathes*

Nearly nearly DONE!

There is something really anti-climactic about sending a manuscript through cyberspace versus the old, traditional route of driving to the post office full of excitement and fear and angst and then trepidatiously (is that a word?) handing your baby over to the postal worker.

Still, I can't say that I miss the old route much.


:-)

Is it true yet? I sure hope so

This week I'm finishing up revisions for PEARL, my next ya novel. I've gone through the entire manuscript several times now, making changes based on my editor's letter and my own notes. With each pass, I feel more excited and more filled with terror. What if it's not good enough? What if my editor decides she hates the book? What if I blew it? Ugh. *slaps myself*

You know, I've been with the characters for so long. Years and years. Pearl was first born back during my Simmons days when I was wo...

Aw Monday, you were already hard enough to face

It is raining and school was closed and I am supposed to be finishing a big project by Friday and there is this little being in the house who makes it very hard to concentrate.

I just had a heart-to-heart with him (after making him a huge plate of chocolate-chip pancakes) about this being a work day even though he's home, and how I really really really need to work today. And he said, "Don't worry, Mom. I'll go make stuff with my Legos."

Love that boy.

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

Monday Morning Warm-Up:

Desc...

Thank you and finding the dance

This has been a week of highs and lows both personally and in the news. I am so grateful to have this community of supportive friends to get through it all together.

I have just a few hours to write this morning, and then I'll be hitting the trails with my son. He's learning how to cross country ski as well as go downhill.

I grew up skiing but was never really that good. I loved it, but I lacked the grace of my father and brother, who would sail down the hill in effortless arcs, skis close tog...

Yay LJ!

Congratulations to SOOOOO many LiveJournal friends whose wonderful books made the BBYA and/or
Quick Picks!:

Melissa Wyatt melissawyatt , Linda Joy Singleton lindajsingleton , Libba Bray libba_bray , Laurie Halse Anderson halseanderson , Jeannine Garsee onegrapeshy , David Gill thunderchikin , Lisa Madigan lkmadigan , Mary Pearson marypearson , Carrie Ryan carrie_ryan , Maggie Stiefvater m_stiefvater , Siobhan Vivian siobhan_says_so , Sara Zarr sarazarr , and Tanya Lee Stone tanyaleestone I hope I'm not m...

reflections

My friend Cindy took this photo of Kristin Cashore, Gregory Maguire and me talking at the podium before our reading at Simmons last Sunday. I can't remember what was so funny, but I can remember the floaty feeling I had standing there with those two amazing people and wondering how I could be there, too.

I did survive my reading, though I was disappointed that my voice shook a bit. And that I got choked up and teary when I opened with a thank you to Cathie Mercier and Susan Bloom, my heroes. ...

Quieter times

Yesterday was so full of excitement and good cheer.

Today will be a quieter day.

I will get the hurricane lamp I gave to my brother and his partner years ago, but that is now mine.

I will light it and remember.

I will call my parents and sister and tell them I love them.

I will hunker down with PEARL and revise until "it's true."

I will clean the house in anticipation of my dear sweet cousin who is coming for dinner and to spend the night.

I will take joy in the snow that is falling silently outsi...

This has been such a happy day

We love you, Libba!!!