Colleen Houck's Blog, page 66
October 6, 2010
Thank You
Thank you all for your kind thoughts and sentiments regarding the passing of Prissy. The poetry you sent was lovely and your support helps more than you know.
I wanted to do another poll contest before I leave for New York so our new contest is regarding gifts. Both Ren and Kishan are great gift givers but I think the worst gift stories would be more interesting. If you haven't seen "In the Doghouse" you should watch it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmV-Nd...
Some of you already know my Christmas present story but I'll share mine again. We were snowed in a year ago or so and could only make it to Costco for our Christmas shopping. I, of course, didn't need to do much since all my shopping is done online now except for stocking stuffers. Brad hadn't done anything so he took his time. He showed up with only one present that he wrapped in his jacket so I couldn't see it and we paid and left the store. On Christmas morning, there was nothing under the tree for me. He opened his gifts and we went through our stockings and then when everything was done he said, "I'm going to go get your gift. It's in the freezer in the garage."
Freezer? I thought. Out of all the things available in Costco he got me something edible? Then I thought maybe it was a cheesecake or a special holiday treat and I could live with that. He wrapped his jacket around it again rather than wrapping it and handed the cold bundle over to me. I pushed aside the layers of coat and found a giant box of corn dogs. "What is this?" I asked.
"Your Christmas present. I know you like corn dogs so I got you a whole box."
"Out of all the things available in Costco you settled on a twelve dollar box of corn dogs?"
"But you like them."
Needless to say, he was in the doghouse.
Send your best worst gift stories to me as soon as possible and I'll put them up as a poll on my website. Then you can all vote for the worst. The winner will get a really great gift! A signed copy of the old hardbacks, a t-shirt, and some custom designed Ren or Kishan M & M's.
Thanks to Alison Franklin for the worst gift contest idea.
Colleen
I wanted to do another poll contest before I leave for New York so our new contest is regarding gifts. Both Ren and Kishan are great gift givers but I think the worst gift stories would be more interesting. If you haven't seen "In the Doghouse" you should watch it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmV-Nd...
Some of you already know my Christmas present story but I'll share mine again. We were snowed in a year ago or so and could only make it to Costco for our Christmas shopping. I, of course, didn't need to do much since all my shopping is done online now except for stocking stuffers. Brad hadn't done anything so he took his time. He showed up with only one present that he wrapped in his jacket so I couldn't see it and we paid and left the store. On Christmas morning, there was nothing under the tree for me. He opened his gifts and we went through our stockings and then when everything was done he said, "I'm going to go get your gift. It's in the freezer in the garage."
Freezer? I thought. Out of all the things available in Costco he got me something edible? Then I thought maybe it was a cheesecake or a special holiday treat and I could live with that. He wrapped his jacket around it again rather than wrapping it and handed the cold bundle over to me. I pushed aside the layers of coat and found a giant box of corn dogs. "What is this?" I asked.
"Your Christmas present. I know you like corn dogs so I got you a whole box."
"Out of all the things available in Costco you settled on a twelve dollar box of corn dogs?"
"But you like them."
Needless to say, he was in the doghouse.
Send your best worst gift stories to me as soon as possible and I'll put them up as a poll on my website. Then you can all vote for the worst. The winner will get a really great gift! A signed copy of the old hardbacks, a t-shirt, and some custom designed Ren or Kishan M & M's.
Thanks to Alison Franklin for the worst gift contest idea.
Colleen
October 4, 2010
Grief
Grief is perhaps one of the most complex of human emotions. It’s a thick, almost tangible feeling that runs from the back of your throat down to the pit of your stomach. It’s a kind of pain that’s wrapped in layers. On the surface, its sadness at the loss of the loved one, but it’s much more than that. It’s a hole that gets punched right in the center of your life. It’s trying to redirect your vision of the future to no longer include your loved one. Sometimes, it’s anger that they left unexpectedly.
There’s also a natural cringing, a trembling that comes when staring at death. It’s something I don’t even like to admit. When a loved one dies, I’m not supposed to feel scared for myself, but I do. I can feel the inevitability of my own mortality whisper in my mind, and I wonder how it will feel when death comes for me. Will I be brave? Will I wish for it? Will I want to comfort those I leave behind?
I’ve cried before. I’ve been sad and in pain. But grief is an abrasive, bloated emotion. It cuts you with guilty “what if’s” and rubs the heart raw with “could have said’s” and “should have done’s”. Grief stings the back of your eyes and clouds your vision, showing you just the images of your loved one in pain and suffering. The only touch you remember is the hand slipping out of yours or the feel of skin that’s lost its warmth. The vibrancy, the spirit, the essence of the person we loved departs, and we are alone, left behind.
Only later, when grief becomes a shared thing, does it start to change. We gather and comfort and reminisce. We tell stories and remember laughter. Our minds can start to compartmentalize dying and put it in its proper place. We can then look back and remember everything. Not just the end. Not just the sadness.
This is the time when gratitude replaces grief. We recall the warmth and happiness we felt when we were together. We are thankful for the time we had and make promises to work harder at being a little more loving. A little more kind. And to enjoy the people in our lives.
My little dog died last night. My husband was out of town and as I watched her tiny body suffer, my only prayer was that she would live long enough so that he could come home and say goodbye. I sat down beside her and cried and told her that she was such a good dog and that I loved her. She stumbled a few steps closer and put her head under my hand so I could pet her one last time. She looked at me for a long minute and I knew she was saying goodbye.
I made her comfortable on her soft pillows and her breathing relaxed and she slept. I fell asleep for a few hours but at around two am I suddenly woke and listened. I couldn’t hear her. After turning on some lights, I sank down next to her and stroked her soft head. She was gone. I said her name quietly and as tears rolled down my face, I said, “I’m so sorry.”
I’m not sure what I was sorry for. Sorry that she was gone. Sorry that Brad missed her. Sorry that she’d suffered. Sorry that I hadn’t done more, hadn’t played with her as often as she wanted to, hadn’t cuddled with her enough, or spent more time petting her.
It was hard taking care of her by myself and having no one to talk to. I spent the night on my computer, writing instead of sleeping. My husband rushed home and did get to see her and hug her before her body was taken away. We cried together and shared our happy memories of her.
It’s strange isn’t it that such a small creature can come to mean so much. She sat next to me every day while I worked on the computer. It’s hard to sit in the room now without her. When we were trying to get pregnant, and I’d return from the doctor emotionally drained and hurting, I’d pick her up and cuddle her and say, “You’re my only baby.” She was our companion and comfort for almost our entire marriage. She was given to me on my birthday fourteen years ago and she waited until my birthday to say goodbye.
She’ll always be a part of our family. My heart is broken at her loss. I think she’s waiting for us somewhere. Maybe she’s watching the door patiently and, someday, she’ll wag her tail and welcome us home.
My husband wrote this poem for a friend who lost their first child just after it had been born. It seemed appropriate to share.
Colleen
Baby, are you sleepy?
Fast the sun falls west,
Darkness is awak’ning,
Close your eyes and rest.
Light is casting shadows
O’er your lovely face,
Emptiness enfolds me
With your lost embrace.
Sleep on, baby, sleep on
Sleep on long and deep.
Loving arms await you,
Angels near you keep.
Sweet and warm your spirit
Like a precious dove,
Though from here you travel ,
Fly home with our love.
Do not weep, my baby,
Only God knows when,
Never I’ll forget you,
We shall meet again.
Sleep on, baby, sleep on
Sleep on long and deep.
Loving arms await you,
Angels near you keep.
--Brad Houck
In memory of Prissy
August 17, 1996-October 3, 2010
There’s also a natural cringing, a trembling that comes when staring at death. It’s something I don’t even like to admit. When a loved one dies, I’m not supposed to feel scared for myself, but I do. I can feel the inevitability of my own mortality whisper in my mind, and I wonder how it will feel when death comes for me. Will I be brave? Will I wish for it? Will I want to comfort those I leave behind?
I’ve cried before. I’ve been sad and in pain. But grief is an abrasive, bloated emotion. It cuts you with guilty “what if’s” and rubs the heart raw with “could have said’s” and “should have done’s”. Grief stings the back of your eyes and clouds your vision, showing you just the images of your loved one in pain and suffering. The only touch you remember is the hand slipping out of yours or the feel of skin that’s lost its warmth. The vibrancy, the spirit, the essence of the person we loved departs, and we are alone, left behind.
Only later, when grief becomes a shared thing, does it start to change. We gather and comfort and reminisce. We tell stories and remember laughter. Our minds can start to compartmentalize dying and put it in its proper place. We can then look back and remember everything. Not just the end. Not just the sadness.
This is the time when gratitude replaces grief. We recall the warmth and happiness we felt when we were together. We are thankful for the time we had and make promises to work harder at being a little more loving. A little more kind. And to enjoy the people in our lives.
My little dog died last night. My husband was out of town and as I watched her tiny body suffer, my only prayer was that she would live long enough so that he could come home and say goodbye. I sat down beside her and cried and told her that she was such a good dog and that I loved her. She stumbled a few steps closer and put her head under my hand so I could pet her one last time. She looked at me for a long minute and I knew she was saying goodbye.
I made her comfortable on her soft pillows and her breathing relaxed and she slept. I fell asleep for a few hours but at around two am I suddenly woke and listened. I couldn’t hear her. After turning on some lights, I sank down next to her and stroked her soft head. She was gone. I said her name quietly and as tears rolled down my face, I said, “I’m so sorry.”
I’m not sure what I was sorry for. Sorry that she was gone. Sorry that Brad missed her. Sorry that she’d suffered. Sorry that I hadn’t done more, hadn’t played with her as often as she wanted to, hadn’t cuddled with her enough, or spent more time petting her.
It was hard taking care of her by myself and having no one to talk to. I spent the night on my computer, writing instead of sleeping. My husband rushed home and did get to see her and hug her before her body was taken away. We cried together and shared our happy memories of her.
It’s strange isn’t it that such a small creature can come to mean so much. She sat next to me every day while I worked on the computer. It’s hard to sit in the room now without her. When we were trying to get pregnant, and I’d return from the doctor emotionally drained and hurting, I’d pick her up and cuddle her and say, “You’re my only baby.” She was our companion and comfort for almost our entire marriage. She was given to me on my birthday fourteen years ago and she waited until my birthday to say goodbye.
She’ll always be a part of our family. My heart is broken at her loss. I think she’s waiting for us somewhere. Maybe she’s watching the door patiently and, someday, she’ll wag her tail and welcome us home.
My husband wrote this poem for a friend who lost their first child just after it had been born. It seemed appropriate to share.
Colleen
Baby, are you sleepy?
Fast the sun falls west,
Darkness is awak’ning,
Close your eyes and rest.
Light is casting shadows
O’er your lovely face,
Emptiness enfolds me
With your lost embrace.
Sleep on, baby, sleep on
Sleep on long and deep.
Loving arms await you,
Angels near you keep.
Sweet and warm your spirit
Like a precious dove,
Though from here you travel ,
Fly home with our love.
Do not weep, my baby,
Only God knows when,
Never I’ll forget you,
We shall meet again.
Sleep on, baby, sleep on
Sleep on long and deep.
Loving arms await you,
Angels near you keep.
--Brad Houck
In memory of Prissy
August 17, 1996-October 3, 2010
October 1, 2010
Website
In the upcoming weeks you will see my website going through some changes. The Future Projects button and the Books button have been closed down for construction. I know its been a long wait for news on the series, but I promise it will all be worth it. I'm heading to New York next Sunday with my husband and my parents. The trip is a little bit vacation mixed with a lot of book stuff. I'll for sure be able to blog about the vacation parts and I'll tell you as much as I can of the other.
Going from a self-published book to a traditionally published one is an interesting and sometimes crazy experience. It's a bit surreal seeing something you've created plucked apart, polished, and put back together again in a tighter, more compact frame, but I expected that. What I didn't expect was the extensive team of experts who have all invested their time, energy, and mental focus on only me and my series.
If you've read the Hunger Games series, you will remember Katniss and her team of experts that made her costumes, organized her appearances, and prepped her for her role in the games. A team getting ready to launch a new series is very similar to that. Editors, artists, marketing people, social media experts, movie producers, screenwriters, statistical analysts, agents, foreign rights representatives, and many more who work behind the scenes are all trying to make my series and, by extension, me successful.
All of us have the goal of giving the fans an experience beyond their expectations. When I was talking about the movie with Raffi I told him that when I'm writing, I want to take the reader on a vacation. I want my fans to taste the chocolate peanut butter cookies, smell the sandalwood, feel Fanindra's skin on their arm, hear the growl of a tiger, and see the vivid colors of India. The artists involved in developing the website, the cover, and the movie images are amazing. I have actually seen Kelsey and her tiger come to life in art and the experience is very emotional.
What is happening right now is the construction not just of a website, a book, or a movie, but the construction of an entire world. A world where it's safe to touch a tiger and have a pet cobra. A world of danger and monsters. A world that will sweep us all away into a romantic adventure. A world daring us to explore. Kelsey's future is very exciting and I'm thrilled beyond words when I hear all about the magical and special things that await her and all her fans.
Whenever I'm not editing books or on the phone talking about the books, I'm trying to write. I'm in the middle of chapter 20 of Tiger's Destiny and I'm researching Rakshasa demons, which are kindof like India's version of a vampire only much scarier. My plan for Destiny is 30 chapters but I may end up adding a couple more. It's definitely my longest book of the series.
That's all for now. Happy October! The fall is my favorite time of the year.
Colleen
Going from a self-published book to a traditionally published one is an interesting and sometimes crazy experience. It's a bit surreal seeing something you've created plucked apart, polished, and put back together again in a tighter, more compact frame, but I expected that. What I didn't expect was the extensive team of experts who have all invested their time, energy, and mental focus on only me and my series.
If you've read the Hunger Games series, you will remember Katniss and her team of experts that made her costumes, organized her appearances, and prepped her for her role in the games. A team getting ready to launch a new series is very similar to that. Editors, artists, marketing people, social media experts, movie producers, screenwriters, statistical analysts, agents, foreign rights representatives, and many more who work behind the scenes are all trying to make my series and, by extension, me successful.
All of us have the goal of giving the fans an experience beyond their expectations. When I was talking about the movie with Raffi I told him that when I'm writing, I want to take the reader on a vacation. I want my fans to taste the chocolate peanut butter cookies, smell the sandalwood, feel Fanindra's skin on their arm, hear the growl of a tiger, and see the vivid colors of India. The artists involved in developing the website, the cover, and the movie images are amazing. I have actually seen Kelsey and her tiger come to life in art and the experience is very emotional.
What is happening right now is the construction not just of a website, a book, or a movie, but the construction of an entire world. A world where it's safe to touch a tiger and have a pet cobra. A world of danger and monsters. A world that will sweep us all away into a romantic adventure. A world daring us to explore. Kelsey's future is very exciting and I'm thrilled beyond words when I hear all about the magical and special things that await her and all her fans.
Whenever I'm not editing books or on the phone talking about the books, I'm trying to write. I'm in the middle of chapter 20 of Tiger's Destiny and I'm researching Rakshasa demons, which are kindof like India's version of a vampire only much scarier. My plan for Destiny is 30 chapters but I may end up adding a couple more. It's definitely my longest book of the series.
That's all for now. Happy October! The fall is my favorite time of the year.
Colleen
September 23, 2010
Last Day-Hollywood part 3
Day 3
After a late room service breakfast of French toast with a crispy corn flake topping, we packed up and checked out of our hotel. Raffi picked us up and took us on a tour of his production studio. He has two giant posters of his director idols, Clint Eastwood, and, Alfred Hitchcock. In his office he has an award that looks like an Oscar but he said it was a different type of award given out for commercials. We met up with his brother, Sam, who is his VFX man. He has three giant monitors for his computer plus a couple small ones. He brought up the CGI white tiger he’d been working on. Raffi said for animals you have to build them out; bones first, then muscles, skin, and fur. It even had whiskers.
Next, he showed us his 3-D room and explained how 3-D films are made. There is actually a streaming film for your left eye and an identical one for your right eye. The images are flashed back and forth at an extremely rapid speed and that double vision creates an illusion of depth. He has a huge 3-D television mounted on the wall and has it all hooked up to various computers. My husband and I don’t see 3-D movies because they are never offered with captioning but Raffi pulled up subtitles on the movie and the captions were actually 3-D too. The words hovered in air right in front of you. We both agreed we liked it. Raffi says 3-D televisions are going to take off and that the Discovery channel will be launching their network in 3-D soon.
From there, we moved to his mini theater where he works on color. He showed us a few music videos he made and explained how he does certain shots. On a rap video it looks like it was filmed in downtown NYC where several streets were closed off so the rapper could have a massive outdoor party. Everyone jumps up and down, dancing and singing along. It looks like a very real throng of thousands of people. In reality, there were only 6 people filmed.
After the office tour, we drove to Beverly Hills and had lunch with the family of trainers, Sophia, Irena, and Jackie and their two hugs dogs, a Great Dane, named Odin, and a Doberman named Zeus. We met Raffi’s assistant, Jessica, who brought in lunch and Sprinkles cupcakes. Sam came and showed us his tricked out I-Pad that he refurbished to look like a Star Trek padd with red alert sounds, phaser firing, and torpedoes. Raffi brought along his golden African Ball python, named Fanindra, who I quickly became comfortable with despite my squeamishness. She was quite a lovely snake though when she gets bigger I may have more reservations.
The coolest thing of all though, was when they brought out Zaika. She is a five month old white tiger who is being trained by the team. She loves to jump and play. Under the watchful eyes of her trainers, we were able to take turns feeding her and were even able to pet her back. Her fur is soft, and her tongue is rough like sandpaper. We offered her a sort of raw meatball that she gently took from our hands and then licked our palms for any remaining pieces. She talks in her own way too. She makes different sounds and noises and her trainers are expert at understanding them and sensing her moods.
She took a dip in her tub several times and seems to love splashing water everywhere. She lounged on a large outdoor chaise and jumped around like a newborn as she played with the dogs that treat her as if she’s one of the pack. Raffi’s friend swung by the house with his Porsche and we got some marvelous shots of Zaika in the Porsche, which he’s trying to sell by the way for $30,000, so if anyone is interested, let me know and I’ll pass along the info.
After lunch, we were presented with a special gift, an actual whisker from Geera. The whiskers fall out naturally from time to time but it’s rare to actually find one. The whisker is about six inches long and pointy on one end. It’s very stiff like a thin type of wire and they use them just like house cats. They can stick their heads in a hiding place or a hollowed out tree trunk and if the whiskers don’t come into contact with the sides, then the tiger knows his body will fit. After saying our goodbyes, Raffi took us to the airport and we flew home and spent the entire flight back talking about our adventure.
Pictures on my website.
After a late room service breakfast of French toast with a crispy corn flake topping, we packed up and checked out of our hotel. Raffi picked us up and took us on a tour of his production studio. He has two giant posters of his director idols, Clint Eastwood, and, Alfred Hitchcock. In his office he has an award that looks like an Oscar but he said it was a different type of award given out for commercials. We met up with his brother, Sam, who is his VFX man. He has three giant monitors for his computer plus a couple small ones. He brought up the CGI white tiger he’d been working on. Raffi said for animals you have to build them out; bones first, then muscles, skin, and fur. It even had whiskers.
Next, he showed us his 3-D room and explained how 3-D films are made. There is actually a streaming film for your left eye and an identical one for your right eye. The images are flashed back and forth at an extremely rapid speed and that double vision creates an illusion of depth. He has a huge 3-D television mounted on the wall and has it all hooked up to various computers. My husband and I don’t see 3-D movies because they are never offered with captioning but Raffi pulled up subtitles on the movie and the captions were actually 3-D too. The words hovered in air right in front of you. We both agreed we liked it. Raffi says 3-D televisions are going to take off and that the Discovery channel will be launching their network in 3-D soon.
From there, we moved to his mini theater where he works on color. He showed us a few music videos he made and explained how he does certain shots. On a rap video it looks like it was filmed in downtown NYC where several streets were closed off so the rapper could have a massive outdoor party. Everyone jumps up and down, dancing and singing along. It looks like a very real throng of thousands of people. In reality, there were only 6 people filmed.
After the office tour, we drove to Beverly Hills and had lunch with the family of trainers, Sophia, Irena, and Jackie and their two hugs dogs, a Great Dane, named Odin, and a Doberman named Zeus. We met Raffi’s assistant, Jessica, who brought in lunch and Sprinkles cupcakes. Sam came and showed us his tricked out I-Pad that he refurbished to look like a Star Trek padd with red alert sounds, phaser firing, and torpedoes. Raffi brought along his golden African Ball python, named Fanindra, who I quickly became comfortable with despite my squeamishness. She was quite a lovely snake though when she gets bigger I may have more reservations.
The coolest thing of all though, was when they brought out Zaika. She is a five month old white tiger who is being trained by the team. She loves to jump and play. Under the watchful eyes of her trainers, we were able to take turns feeding her and were even able to pet her back. Her fur is soft, and her tongue is rough like sandpaper. We offered her a sort of raw meatball that she gently took from our hands and then licked our palms for any remaining pieces. She talks in her own way too. She makes different sounds and noises and her trainers are expert at understanding them and sensing her moods.
She took a dip in her tub several times and seems to love splashing water everywhere. She lounged on a large outdoor chaise and jumped around like a newborn as she played with the dogs that treat her as if she’s one of the pack. Raffi’s friend swung by the house with his Porsche and we got some marvelous shots of Zaika in the Porsche, which he’s trying to sell by the way for $30,000, so if anyone is interested, let me know and I’ll pass along the info.
After lunch, we were presented with a special gift, an actual whisker from Geera. The whiskers fall out naturally from time to time but it’s rare to actually find one. The whisker is about six inches long and pointy on one end. It’s very stiff like a thin type of wire and they use them just like house cats. They can stick their heads in a hiding place or a hollowed out tree trunk and if the whiskers don’t come into contact with the sides, then the tiger knows his body will fit. After saying our goodbyes, Raffi took us to the airport and we flew home and spent the entire flight back talking about our adventure.
Pictures on my website.
September 21, 2010
Lions & Tigers & Bears, oh my!-Hollywood Day 2
Hollywood day 2.
The next day we ordered room service for breakfast and my mother marveled at all the little jars of jams and jellies that came with her croissants. There were tiny salt and pepper shakers too. Raffi collected us and the Segway since my husband had drained its batteries whilst touring around Rodeo drive all morning. He took us on a trip to visit Geera, a working white tiger.
She lives alongside other working animals at a big ranch so we also got to meet the monkey that was on Friends, a hyena who was on an American Express commercial with Ellen, the orange tiger that was in the live version of Jungle Book, and the lion who did all the promo shots for The Lion King and Narnia. We didn’t have time to see all the animals because we wanted to spend most of our time with Geera.
We were able to feed her and see her demonstrate behaviors useful whilst on a film set like sitting, laying down, rolling over, sitting up on her haunches, walking on her hind legs, and angling her head in certain positions for film. She’s also been taught to stand on a mark just like an actor does. Hers is a flat rock that gets positioned in different places and then she finds it and holds position. She is greatly loved and maybe even a touch spoiled (grin) receiving hugs and kisses from her trainers Sophia and Irena. She’s a truly remarkable creature and it was a great privilege for me, my husband, and my mom to learn more about her, tigers in general, and about how the animals are cared for and trained for film.
Speaking of her trainers, Irena’s eleven year old daughter, Jackie, was able to be there as well. She is already a very talented tiger trainer, showing us the proper way to feed Geera treats and where we could safely stand but she has also been instrumental in helping the Tiger Series break into the mainstream. She downloaded my self-published books on her Kindle and brought them to the attention of her family which led to Raffi discovering them. Once they were in his hands, they were passed around Hollywood until they landed on the desk of my editor. My mom is especially fond of Jackie and even gave Jackie her own tiger/tiger one of a kind bracelet when she expressed interest. Watching her with her tiger, feeding Geera a bottle, and seeing her massage the tiger’s ruff was almost emotional for me. It was like watching Kelsey. Jackie gets to do something most of us can only dream of doing and thanks to her I was able to experience a little piece of that.
After visiting Geera, we went out to In-N-Out Burger. I’m glad we tried it since I’ve always wanted to but I still like Wendy’s better. We visited with the family of trainers at lunch and talked about the books. Raffi dropped us back at the hotel to rest for a few hours which we spent calling my dad to talk about the amazing things we were getting to see and do and then Raffi returned to pick us up for the evening.
He took us to see the Chinese theater where many movie premieres take place and we strolled along the Hollywood Walk of Fame and took pictures of some of the stars. In front of the theater is where they showcase the hand and footprints and he said the concrete blocks raise up so the different stars can be rotated in. He took pictures of Bing Crosby’s block, John Travolta’s, and Shirley Temple who must have been very young because her footprints were tiny. We also saw the Kodak Theatre where the finale of American Idol is filmed.
Then he drove us out to the Santa Monica pier where we strolled a gigantic outdoor mall. All along the walkway are groups performing. Raffi said they have to pay for the space then they collect tips from passersby. We passed breakdancers, singers, musicians, a man with a monkey collecting change, preachers, etc. We ate at Houston’s which had fantastic ribs and fish and walked along the pier talking about movies and actors.
By the time we returned to the hotel, it was midnight and while we sunk gratefully into some kind of body hugging super mattress that I still don’t know the name of yet, Raffi went back to his office to work until 3 AM. The man is a workaholic.
That is the end of day 2. Pictures are on my website.
Colleen
The next day we ordered room service for breakfast and my mother marveled at all the little jars of jams and jellies that came with her croissants. There were tiny salt and pepper shakers too. Raffi collected us and the Segway since my husband had drained its batteries whilst touring around Rodeo drive all morning. He took us on a trip to visit Geera, a working white tiger.
She lives alongside other working animals at a big ranch so we also got to meet the monkey that was on Friends, a hyena who was on an American Express commercial with Ellen, the orange tiger that was in the live version of Jungle Book, and the lion who did all the promo shots for The Lion King and Narnia. We didn’t have time to see all the animals because we wanted to spend most of our time with Geera.
We were able to feed her and see her demonstrate behaviors useful whilst on a film set like sitting, laying down, rolling over, sitting up on her haunches, walking on her hind legs, and angling her head in certain positions for film. She’s also been taught to stand on a mark just like an actor does. Hers is a flat rock that gets positioned in different places and then she finds it and holds position. She is greatly loved and maybe even a touch spoiled (grin) receiving hugs and kisses from her trainers Sophia and Irena. She’s a truly remarkable creature and it was a great privilege for me, my husband, and my mom to learn more about her, tigers in general, and about how the animals are cared for and trained for film.
Speaking of her trainers, Irena’s eleven year old daughter, Jackie, was able to be there as well. She is already a very talented tiger trainer, showing us the proper way to feed Geera treats and where we could safely stand but she has also been instrumental in helping the Tiger Series break into the mainstream. She downloaded my self-published books on her Kindle and brought them to the attention of her family which led to Raffi discovering them. Once they were in his hands, they were passed around Hollywood until they landed on the desk of my editor. My mom is especially fond of Jackie and even gave Jackie her own tiger/tiger one of a kind bracelet when she expressed interest. Watching her with her tiger, feeding Geera a bottle, and seeing her massage the tiger’s ruff was almost emotional for me. It was like watching Kelsey. Jackie gets to do something most of us can only dream of doing and thanks to her I was able to experience a little piece of that.
After visiting Geera, we went out to In-N-Out Burger. I’m glad we tried it since I’ve always wanted to but I still like Wendy’s better. We visited with the family of trainers at lunch and talked about the books. Raffi dropped us back at the hotel to rest for a few hours which we spent calling my dad to talk about the amazing things we were getting to see and do and then Raffi returned to pick us up for the evening.
He took us to see the Chinese theater where many movie premieres take place and we strolled along the Hollywood Walk of Fame and took pictures of some of the stars. In front of the theater is where they showcase the hand and footprints and he said the concrete blocks raise up so the different stars can be rotated in. He took pictures of Bing Crosby’s block, John Travolta’s, and Shirley Temple who must have been very young because her footprints were tiny. We also saw the Kodak Theatre where the finale of American Idol is filmed.
Then he drove us out to the Santa Monica pier where we strolled a gigantic outdoor mall. All along the walkway are groups performing. Raffi said they have to pay for the space then they collect tips from passersby. We passed breakdancers, singers, musicians, a man with a monkey collecting change, preachers, etc. We ate at Houston’s which had fantastic ribs and fish and walked along the pier talking about movies and actors.
By the time we returned to the hotel, it was midnight and while we sunk gratefully into some kind of body hugging super mattress that I still don’t know the name of yet, Raffi went back to his office to work until 3 AM. The man is a workaholic.
That is the end of day 2. Pictures are on my website.
Colleen
September 15, 2010
Rodeo Drive
Rodeo Drive
Hello! I just got back from a whirlwind trip to Hollywood where I was able to meet up with the production team for the Tiger’s Curse movie. Me, my husband, and my mom were flown out from Portland and were picked up by a driver at the airport who took us to our hotel. We had no idea where we’d be staying, and were surprised to discover we’d been booked to stay at the Luxe Hotel on Rodeo Drive, which, we were told, is the most expensive retail property in the United States.
The hotel offered us eucalyptus scented towels as we checked in and had the loveliest live orchids in every room. When I asked about them, the hostess explained that the orchids had to be switched out almost every day so they could be tended to. Inside the room there is a basket of goodies like cookies, candy bars, and nuts, and little mini packs of things you might forget like a shaving kit, a first aid kit, a dental kit, etc. The mini fridge held champagne, Fiji water, sodas, wine, beer, and Pellegrino sparkling water. The glasses were cut crystal, and all the little shampoos and soaps were top of the line.
After checking in we perused shops and bought a cupcake at a place called Crumbs that only sells cupcakes. Raffi, my movie producer, said that there is a cupcake war going on in Los Angeles between three or four retailers. His favorite is Sprinkles Cupcakes, but having tasted both during the weekend, my favorite is Crumbs, sorry Raffi. I think the founder of Sprinkles is the woman who judges the Cupcake Wars on Food Network though.
Just a side note: I had a football party at my house a few weeks ago and we had our own cupcake war. I made vanilla bean/almond cake and cream cheese filling topped with lavender frosting and lavender flowers, and my own version a Ren cupcake which was dark chocolate cake with peanut butter filling, dipped in chocolate ganache and covered with crushed Reese’s peanut butter cups. The winner was a grand slam cupcake with yellow cake, maple icing, and bacon crumbles.
We returned to our hotel and changed for dinner and I geeked out because there was a Michael Kors boutique on the ground floor of the hotel. We love watching Project Runway and he is one of the judges. Rodeo Drive was shut down that afternoon because they were having Fashion Night Out. They had music, fashion videos shown on buildings, beautiful cars, people of all kinds dressed in every kind of outfit you can imagine from regular street clothes to award ceremony type of stuff. There were manikins set out on the street posed in interesting groups, a ferris wheel, paper dresses from Project runway. An army of food trucks selling things like fancy pretzels and gormet grilled cheese. They set up a kind of fashion trivia game show. Store employees stood outside dressed in the finest their stores had to offer and talked with passersby, handed out balloons, and the Gucci guys even danced to get attention. I don’t know all of the names but a few were: Lois Vuitton,Bebe, Jimmy Choo, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, Chistian Dior, Gucci, Guess, Prada, Tiffany & Co., Valentino, and Yves Saint Laurent.
They parked an actual McLaren on the street and let people sit in it and take pictures. I wore the best fat girl’s version of a little black dress I could find and my leather boots and let me tell you I was seriously underdressed. =)
We met Raffi and his team for dinner at the Cut restaurant on the ground floor of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel which is the hotel where they filmed Pretty Woman. Cut is a Wolfgang Puck Steakhouse and Raffi challenged us to try some things we wouldn’t normally like Tuna tartar which was pretty good. The waiters passed around baskets of gormet breads, my favorite was a pretzel bread. They had Kobe and Wagyu beef which we tried. Very delicious and tender. He ordered side dishes sort of family style so we could try a little of everything and what I thought was mushrooms was actually bone marrow. They have a policy to serve everyone at exactly the same time and I mean exactly. A team of waiters circled our table and placed dishes in front of us touching down perhaps not even a second apart from each other. Dessert was baked alaska, chocolate souffle, banana cream pie with carmel sauce and banana sorbet, raspberry filled donuts, and a blueberry peach cobbler. Crème Fraiche, chocolate sauce, and Gianduja chocolate ice cream were served on the side.
We spent our time getting to know each other and talking about the books and the movies and afterward Raffi took us outside to show us his Segway which is his way to get around town. My husband fell in love with it and Raffi generously loaned it to him overnight. I didn’t see my husband the next morning at all. He rode it all around Beverly Hills until he wore out the battery.
All of this happened on just the first day. Tune in later for day two and day three.
If you want to see the pictures. Visit my website www.colleenhouck.com.
Colleen
Hello! I just got back from a whirlwind trip to Hollywood where I was able to meet up with the production team for the Tiger’s Curse movie. Me, my husband, and my mom were flown out from Portland and were picked up by a driver at the airport who took us to our hotel. We had no idea where we’d be staying, and were surprised to discover we’d been booked to stay at the Luxe Hotel on Rodeo Drive, which, we were told, is the most expensive retail property in the United States.
The hotel offered us eucalyptus scented towels as we checked in and had the loveliest live orchids in every room. When I asked about them, the hostess explained that the orchids had to be switched out almost every day so they could be tended to. Inside the room there is a basket of goodies like cookies, candy bars, and nuts, and little mini packs of things you might forget like a shaving kit, a first aid kit, a dental kit, etc. The mini fridge held champagne, Fiji water, sodas, wine, beer, and Pellegrino sparkling water. The glasses were cut crystal, and all the little shampoos and soaps were top of the line.
After checking in we perused shops and bought a cupcake at a place called Crumbs that only sells cupcakes. Raffi, my movie producer, said that there is a cupcake war going on in Los Angeles between three or four retailers. His favorite is Sprinkles Cupcakes, but having tasted both during the weekend, my favorite is Crumbs, sorry Raffi. I think the founder of Sprinkles is the woman who judges the Cupcake Wars on Food Network though.
Just a side note: I had a football party at my house a few weeks ago and we had our own cupcake war. I made vanilla bean/almond cake and cream cheese filling topped with lavender frosting and lavender flowers, and my own version a Ren cupcake which was dark chocolate cake with peanut butter filling, dipped in chocolate ganache and covered with crushed Reese’s peanut butter cups. The winner was a grand slam cupcake with yellow cake, maple icing, and bacon crumbles.
We returned to our hotel and changed for dinner and I geeked out because there was a Michael Kors boutique on the ground floor of the hotel. We love watching Project Runway and he is one of the judges. Rodeo Drive was shut down that afternoon because they were having Fashion Night Out. They had music, fashion videos shown on buildings, beautiful cars, people of all kinds dressed in every kind of outfit you can imagine from regular street clothes to award ceremony type of stuff. There were manikins set out on the street posed in interesting groups, a ferris wheel, paper dresses from Project runway. An army of food trucks selling things like fancy pretzels and gormet grilled cheese. They set up a kind of fashion trivia game show. Store employees stood outside dressed in the finest their stores had to offer and talked with passersby, handed out balloons, and the Gucci guys even danced to get attention. I don’t know all of the names but a few were: Lois Vuitton,Bebe, Jimmy Choo, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, Chistian Dior, Gucci, Guess, Prada, Tiffany & Co., Valentino, and Yves Saint Laurent.
They parked an actual McLaren on the street and let people sit in it and take pictures. I wore the best fat girl’s version of a little black dress I could find and my leather boots and let me tell you I was seriously underdressed. =)
We met Raffi and his team for dinner at the Cut restaurant on the ground floor of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel which is the hotel where they filmed Pretty Woman. Cut is a Wolfgang Puck Steakhouse and Raffi challenged us to try some things we wouldn’t normally like Tuna tartar which was pretty good. The waiters passed around baskets of gormet breads, my favorite was a pretzel bread. They had Kobe and Wagyu beef which we tried. Very delicious and tender. He ordered side dishes sort of family style so we could try a little of everything and what I thought was mushrooms was actually bone marrow. They have a policy to serve everyone at exactly the same time and I mean exactly. A team of waiters circled our table and placed dishes in front of us touching down perhaps not even a second apart from each other. Dessert was baked alaska, chocolate souffle, banana cream pie with carmel sauce and banana sorbet, raspberry filled donuts, and a blueberry peach cobbler. Crème Fraiche, chocolate sauce, and Gianduja chocolate ice cream were served on the side.
We spent our time getting to know each other and talking about the books and the movies and afterward Raffi took us outside to show us his Segway which is his way to get around town. My husband fell in love with it and Raffi generously loaned it to him overnight. I didn’t see my husband the next morning at all. He rode it all around Beverly Hills until he wore out the battery.
All of this happened on just the first day. Tune in later for day two and day three.
If you want to see the pictures. Visit my website www.colleenhouck.com.
Colleen
September 7, 2010
Other Questions
Hello all,
Congratulations or, I suppose, condolences to our two worst date story winners, Alison and Britnee, who shocked us all with their truly awful dates. Both girls win a tiger/tiger T-shirt. I got some really good questions in response to my top ten so I’ll post those with the answers below. Numbers 1-7 are found in the newsletter issue called "Top Ten."
#8: Will the tigers in the film be real or CGI (Computer Generated Imagery)?
I hope to be able to share more information on the movie soon. Right now all I can say is the movie is in the works.
#9: When will Tiger’s Curse the movie be released?
No one knows at this point.
#10: Is your husband anything like Ren?
Ren and my husband Brad have several things in common. The asking-permission-to-kiss scene is from true life. My husband asked permission to kiss me the first time and I really did say if you have to ask then the answer is no. He set up dating rules like Ren did because we agreed that we wanted to remain chaste until marriage. If I remember correctly, our rules were: Midnight was pumpkin time, meaning the date was over when the clock struck twelve, no kissing in a horizontal position which he later amended to no kissing past a forty-five degree angle, and no chapstick because he could never resist my lips when I used chapstick. I broke that one a lot just to unnerve him. My husband also writes poetry, loves Shakespeare and musicals, and gives great massages. He’s a terrible gift-giver though so that’s one thing Ren has that my husband doesn’t.
#11: What is the hardest “thing” you face as a writer?
Editing is by far the most difficult thing I have to do. It’s about as painful to cut away pieces of your work as it is to go to the dentist. I don’t think anyone likes the process but we all agree it’s necessary.
#12: What is your biggest writing challenge?
Forcing myself to sit down and get it done.
# 13: Do you still ask family to edit and give feedback?
Yes. But not as many of them as before.
#14: What inspires you to write?
Dreams mostly. Almost all my ideas for books come during the night. Sometimes ideas keep me awake.
#15: How far ahead to you plan in writing the books?
I plan out the basic plot for the whole series then do a rough outline of chapters but the story takes me where it wants to go.
#16: What time of day do you write?
I started writing after work in the afternoons and I’ve kept to that schedule. I’m most likely to write creatively during the hours of 1pm-5pm.
#17: How do you keep the story going when you get writer’s block?
I don’t really get writer’s block. I either feel like writing or don’t. Even when I don’t, I force myself sometimes because I can get lazy and I really like it once I start. Most of the time I just have to open the document and reread the part where I stopped, then the ideas start coming.
#18: How many times did you start writing only to toss it away because you didn’t like it?
I don’t throw out anything. I don’t think you can have a bad idea. Even if you don’t like it right away you might want to use it later. If I have a concept or an element or a line I like, I keep it in a database for later use and find a way to plug it in. I pretty much write a book straight through. The only time I make cuts is when working with the editor and then she has to pry the paragraphs from my desperately grasping fingers.
#19: How accurate is the background history of the Indian gods?
The mythology of India is very complex and layered. I sift through information and pick and choose what I like and how I want to represent Durga, Indra, Hanuman, and Shiva. I give them traits that align more with cultural elements that I understand and that are meaningful to me. As a result, all of the mythology is westernized and therefore not really all that accurate. I try to remain true to the basic stories but I put my own spin on everything. Bottom line-don’t try to pass a test on Indian mythology using my books.
#20: Does the Dalai Lama have an Ocean Teacher? If not, what made you create him?
The Dalai Lama is also called the Ocean Teacher. In the original version of the book I used the actual Dalai Lama but my advisor from India said that to use him would be controversial. To avoid controversy and to show respect, I decided to create another lama—a teacher for the teacher. It makes sense to me that as the Dalai Lama is found usually at a very young age that he would have a teacher to instruct him. It’s been fascinating to study Tibet and its culture.
Congratulations or, I suppose, condolences to our two worst date story winners, Alison and Britnee, who shocked us all with their truly awful dates. Both girls win a tiger/tiger T-shirt. I got some really good questions in response to my top ten so I’ll post those with the answers below. Numbers 1-7 are found in the newsletter issue called "Top Ten."
#8: Will the tigers in the film be real or CGI (Computer Generated Imagery)?
I hope to be able to share more information on the movie soon. Right now all I can say is the movie is in the works.
#9: When will Tiger’s Curse the movie be released?
No one knows at this point.
#10: Is your husband anything like Ren?
Ren and my husband Brad have several things in common. The asking-permission-to-kiss scene is from true life. My husband asked permission to kiss me the first time and I really did say if you have to ask then the answer is no. He set up dating rules like Ren did because we agreed that we wanted to remain chaste until marriage. If I remember correctly, our rules were: Midnight was pumpkin time, meaning the date was over when the clock struck twelve, no kissing in a horizontal position which he later amended to no kissing past a forty-five degree angle, and no chapstick because he could never resist my lips when I used chapstick. I broke that one a lot just to unnerve him. My husband also writes poetry, loves Shakespeare and musicals, and gives great massages. He’s a terrible gift-giver though so that’s one thing Ren has that my husband doesn’t.
#11: What is the hardest “thing” you face as a writer?
Editing is by far the most difficult thing I have to do. It’s about as painful to cut away pieces of your work as it is to go to the dentist. I don’t think anyone likes the process but we all agree it’s necessary.
#12: What is your biggest writing challenge?
Forcing myself to sit down and get it done.
# 13: Do you still ask family to edit and give feedback?
Yes. But not as many of them as before.
#14: What inspires you to write?
Dreams mostly. Almost all my ideas for books come during the night. Sometimes ideas keep me awake.
#15: How far ahead to you plan in writing the books?
I plan out the basic plot for the whole series then do a rough outline of chapters but the story takes me where it wants to go.
#16: What time of day do you write?
I started writing after work in the afternoons and I’ve kept to that schedule. I’m most likely to write creatively during the hours of 1pm-5pm.
#17: How do you keep the story going when you get writer’s block?
I don’t really get writer’s block. I either feel like writing or don’t. Even when I don’t, I force myself sometimes because I can get lazy and I really like it once I start. Most of the time I just have to open the document and reread the part where I stopped, then the ideas start coming.
#18: How many times did you start writing only to toss it away because you didn’t like it?
I don’t throw out anything. I don’t think you can have a bad idea. Even if you don’t like it right away you might want to use it later. If I have a concept or an element or a line I like, I keep it in a database for later use and find a way to plug it in. I pretty much write a book straight through. The only time I make cuts is when working with the editor and then she has to pry the paragraphs from my desperately grasping fingers.
#19: How accurate is the background history of the Indian gods?
The mythology of India is very complex and layered. I sift through information and pick and choose what I like and how I want to represent Durga, Indra, Hanuman, and Shiva. I give them traits that align more with cultural elements that I understand and that are meaningful to me. As a result, all of the mythology is westernized and therefore not really all that accurate. I try to remain true to the basic stories but I put my own spin on everything. Bottom line-don’t try to pass a test on Indian mythology using my books.
#20: Does the Dalai Lama have an Ocean Teacher? If not, what made you create him?
The Dalai Lama is also called the Ocean Teacher. In the original version of the book I used the actual Dalai Lama but my advisor from India said that to use him would be controversial. To avoid controversy and to show respect, I decided to create another lama—a teacher for the teacher. It makes sense to me that as the Dalai Lama is found usually at a very young age that he would have a teacher to instruct him. It’s been fascinating to study Tibet and its culture.
September 5, 2010
Time to Vote
Go to my website www.colleenhouck.com and vote on your favorite worst date story. You can vote for one from each group so we have two winners. Keep hanging in there for the announcement on the Tiger Series. It won't be long now.
Colleen
Colleen
September 2, 2010
Contest
Contest!
Describe your worst date (think Artie). Prize: A tiger/tiger T-shirt. I'd like to post the winners dates so no names please. Let's hear your worst! Email your story to contactme@colleenhouck.com
Colleen
Describe your worst date (think Artie). Prize: A tiger/tiger T-shirt. I'd like to post the winners dates so no names please. Let's hear your worst! Email your story to contactme@colleenhouck.com
Colleen
August 26, 2010
Top Ten
I was asked to prepare a list of the top ten questions I get asked and their answers. I'm going to list some of my favorites and then I'll need your help to make sure I get the ten most relevant questions with the most interesting answers. Here we go.
#1-When is Tiger's Voyage going to be released?
Answer: The answer to this is boring-I still can't tell you. Besides this question will only be pertinent until we do the big announcement.
#2-Are any of your characters based on real people?
Answer: Kelsey's grandmother is modeled after my own. She made me a special quilt and loved making biscuits and gravy. Kelsey's date with Artie is based on one of my own dates. I really walked into town with him in his bowtie and sweater vest while he delivered a package to a girl, and then we watched Brigadoon in the library media center while he tried to put his arm around me. Also Li's friends come from my brother's group of friends. When my brother got married, they dressed up in black suits with dark sunglasses and handcuffed a briefcase full of money to his wrist as he stood in line. My dad thought that was the coolest thing ever and loved to count the money while my brother was gone on his honeymoon.
#3-How did you come up with the idea for the series?
Answer: I knew I wanted to write a shifter story and played with using different animals until I settled on a tiger. Then I thought I'd set the book in Russia because I thought that's where white tigers come from. I found out I was wrong, studied India instead, and found the mythology so rich and fascinating that I never looked back.
#4-Did you always want to be a writer?
Answer: No. I wanted to be a teacher in a Deaf school and ended up being an interpreter instead but I always loved literature, English class, and creative writing. I'm an avid reader and love romance, sci-fi, fantasy, and young adult.
#5-How did you get an agent/get published?
Answer: I failed to get an agent after I was finished with Tiger's Curse and Tiger's Quest so I decided to self-publish. I offered a Kindle version of the book and due to tremendous support from the Kindle readers, Tiger's Curse shot into the top 25 ranking on Amazon in January of 2010. My agent, Alex, found the book and called me. Within a few days, I'd signed on with him and then with my new publishing company a few weeks later.
#6-Can you cast me in your movie?
Answer: I have absolutely no power to make those kinds of choices. I've also been asked if I would do a cameo myself and my gut feeling is no. I don't want to be a distraction in the film.
#7-What is the double chocolate chip peanut butter cookie recipe?
Answer: I got this recipe from a Martha Stewart show and I love them. The recipe is found here. http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/p.... I've had fans bring these cookies to two of my book signings now and they are always wonderful.
These are my top questions. If you have any idea for more questions that new fans might want to know, add them here on my website so I can create a good list.
You might have noticed that many questions on my FAQ list have disappeared. This is because we don't want to have spoilers up for the new readers. The picture galleries may be hidden soon as well.
Have a great week and thanks for your help!
Colleen Houck
#1-When is Tiger's Voyage going to be released?
Answer: The answer to this is boring-I still can't tell you. Besides this question will only be pertinent until we do the big announcement.
#2-Are any of your characters based on real people?
Answer: Kelsey's grandmother is modeled after my own. She made me a special quilt and loved making biscuits and gravy. Kelsey's date with Artie is based on one of my own dates. I really walked into town with him in his bowtie and sweater vest while he delivered a package to a girl, and then we watched Brigadoon in the library media center while he tried to put his arm around me. Also Li's friends come from my brother's group of friends. When my brother got married, they dressed up in black suits with dark sunglasses and handcuffed a briefcase full of money to his wrist as he stood in line. My dad thought that was the coolest thing ever and loved to count the money while my brother was gone on his honeymoon.
#3-How did you come up with the idea for the series?
Answer: I knew I wanted to write a shifter story and played with using different animals until I settled on a tiger. Then I thought I'd set the book in Russia because I thought that's where white tigers come from. I found out I was wrong, studied India instead, and found the mythology so rich and fascinating that I never looked back.
#4-Did you always want to be a writer?
Answer: No. I wanted to be a teacher in a Deaf school and ended up being an interpreter instead but I always loved literature, English class, and creative writing. I'm an avid reader and love romance, sci-fi, fantasy, and young adult.
#5-How did you get an agent/get published?
Answer: I failed to get an agent after I was finished with Tiger's Curse and Tiger's Quest so I decided to self-publish. I offered a Kindle version of the book and due to tremendous support from the Kindle readers, Tiger's Curse shot into the top 25 ranking on Amazon in January of 2010. My agent, Alex, found the book and called me. Within a few days, I'd signed on with him and then with my new publishing company a few weeks later.
#6-Can you cast me in your movie?
Answer: I have absolutely no power to make those kinds of choices. I've also been asked if I would do a cameo myself and my gut feeling is no. I don't want to be a distraction in the film.
#7-What is the double chocolate chip peanut butter cookie recipe?
Answer: I got this recipe from a Martha Stewart show and I love them. The recipe is found here. http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/p.... I've had fans bring these cookies to two of my book signings now and they are always wonderful.
These are my top questions. If you have any idea for more questions that new fans might want to know, add them here on my website so I can create a good list.
You might have noticed that many questions on my FAQ list have disappeared. This is because we don't want to have spoilers up for the new readers. The picture galleries may be hidden soon as well.
Have a great week and thanks for your help!
Colleen Houck
