Keris Stainton's Blog, page 87

Falling in love with your characters

I'm always falling in love with characters in books. I fell so in love with Peekay, the main character in my favourite book of all time, Bryce Courtenay's The Power of One, that I dreamed about him and lay on the bed crying when I finished the book.

Lots of people seem to have fallen in love with Dan from my book and I must admit I had a bit of a crush on him myself when I was writing, but Finn – one of the two main characters in my new book (Jessie ♥ NYC) is actually more my type. I love him rather a lot.

I actually think it's really important to fall in love with your characters (and not just the hot boys) because if you don't fall in love with them, how do you expect anyone else to?

But it's not just the hot boys. The thing that I found so surprising about Michael Tolliver Lives, Armistead Maupin's first Tales of the City book for years, was how happy I was to be catching up with the characters. I felt like I knew them and I was overwhelmed with how fond I felt. It's a cliche, but it really was like catching up with old friends. Really.

Do you have book character crushes?

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Me vs Michael Chabon

First up for my new New Yorkiness posts I'm featuring my book cover along with the cover for Michael Chabon's fabulous The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.

I read Kavalier & Clay (with this cover) during our big trip to the US in 2001 and absolutely loved it, but I just re-read Nora Ephron's I Feel Bad About My Neck, in which she raves about it so I decided it was about time for a reread. And all of Chabon's books have been given these gorgeous new covers (I'm not ashamed to say I bought Wonder Boys for the new cover alone).

So what do you think? His book is thicker, but my cover's much shinier.

She wrote stories…

I love this so much. From here via here.

Cheers, Dad

It's Dad's "send-off" today – he didn't want a funeral so we're going to the pub instead.

I'll certainly be having a drink on his behalf. If you'd like to join me, his tipple was Southern Comfort.

Love these prints

I could not love these prints – by vol25 on Etsy – more. Aren't they gorgeous? I must buy them.

I *heart* me

Love Yourself by jenzet on etsy

This year is a big year for me. As I've already mentioned, I turn 40 this year and so I've been thinking about… not resolutions (I don't do resolutions), but about an intention for the year. What do I want out of this landmark year?

And then I saw this post on not your average ordinary and I thought… yes.

Brandi says, "My new year's resolution is an easy one: love myself." This includes "…exercising regularly, eating better than ever before, doing things that I love, being with friends."

I'd already decided I wanted to do all of those things, but I hadn't managed to think of them collectively as loving myself.

And I know it sounds kind of wanky. But I don't care. Bring it on.

New Year… New York

Photo: Mary Altaffer

I am obsessed with New York at the best of times and this year I'm sure I'm going to be more obsessed than ever. Not only is my second book, due out in July, set in New York, but I also turn 40 this year and I'm determined to turn 40 in Manhattan.

So I'm starting a new regular feature: I *heart* New York.

Tune in every Monday for the most fabulous New Yorkiness I can find.

Happy New Year

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2010: thank you

I've been struggling for what to write as my final post of 2010. It's been a brilliant year in a lot of ways – I had a book published, I had two fabulous launch parties, I spent a lot of time with my lovely family and we had a blissful summer holiday – but of course right at the end there me and my sister lost our dad.

But since dad died, I've had so many lovely comments and felt so much love from real world friends and online friends and I'm so grateful. So thank you seems appropriate.

Thank you for reading my blog. Thank you for buying my book (assuming you did – you did, didn't you?!). Thank you for your support, encouragement and sympathy and for making me laugh. A lot.

Here's to 2011.

[Library card thank you card by Simple Song Design]

"My Blackberry Is Not Working"

Love this sketch from The One Ronnie (such a sad title). Didn't see the show, but Christopher Fowler featured this one on his (rather wonderful) blog.