Katherine Center's Blog, page 7

spoiled goats, fresh cheese: Blue Heron Farm

Over winter break, we went out to the country to visit my childhood friend Christian and his wife Lisa at their farm.  They make  the yummiest goat cheese ever, and I'm completely enchanted by their life.  I'm totally amazed by Lisa, who is always so warm and sweet to us, and who writes a very lovely blog about farm life.

Christian and his brother and sister were big friends of mine when I was little.

(That's Christian and me on the left–circa 1977.)

They lived in our neighborhood.  We...

praise for Get Lucky

"[A:] thoroughly enjoyable girlish romp."

– Library Journal

"Center delivers an original, engaging, and touching novel populated with quirky and lovable characters, and ripe for discovery by readers looking for a cheering read."

- Booklist

"Center has hit a home run with Get Lucky . . . There is no other author out there who does women's fiction better."

- Wendy Robards, book blogger

"Center's prose is charming and funny."

- The Houston Press

"A hilarious and touching take on what it means to be a...

free LUCK for everybody

So we had the book launch party for Get Lucky on Saturday.

I really wasn't sure how many people would show up, but I knew it would be a fun time.  Especially since I'd be reading the first chapter of the book, which is pretty feisty.

The opening paragraph is all about how the main character, who works for an ad agency and has just finished working on a bra campaign, stumbles on a website that gives her a crisis of consciousness.

In truth, the word "boobs" appears in the first chapter many...

the beautiful salad my kids did not eat

Dear Jamie Oliver,

I am enjoying your show.

And while I may never truly recover from watching you make a chicken nugget by putting a carcass in a food processor, bones and all, and then squeezing the goo through a strainer–I do feel like sharing that moment with you somehow made me a better person.

You've re-inspired me to raise the bar on the stuff I'm cooking.

Which is why we went to the farmers' market near our house the other day.  And we bought some strawberries.  And then we did a taste...

radio is an art

I had such a fun time this morning talking with Christopher Gabriel on his radio program at WDAY in Fargo, North Dakota.

Of course, I wasn't in Fargo.  I was home, in my pajamas.  As all writers should be at all times.

We had a great chat, and I found myself thinking, afterwards, about how radio really is an art–how there's a music to it. Christopher Gabriel just has a voice that's fun to listen to–friendly, enthusiastic, funny.  For me, like with a good story on the page, it's a lot about the...

Skype!

Let's video conference on Skype!  It's unbelievably easy–and so fun.

All you have to do is go to the Skype website, download the free software, sign up and get a Skype name.  (Mine–surprise!–is KatherineCenter.)  Then we set a time and you "call" me then, and I sit at my kitchen table and chat with you through the video camera in my computer–possibly with a kid-handprint of spaghetti sauce on my shoulder–while my husband puts the kids to bed.  It's win-win-win!  And every book club I've...

book trailer for Get Lucky

Get Lucky is a novel about many different things, but one of them is sisters.

I have two sisters, myself–I'm the middle one–and so I know a lot about the subject.

Here's a book trailer I made using my mom's Super 8 home movies of us as children.  The redhead who's working so hard on her cartwheels is my big sister.  The blondie scampering all around is me.  And that sweet little baby with those gorgeous big eyes is my little sister.

I cannot watch this video without tears coming to my eyes.

And I...

NEW blog at www.katherinecenter.com !!!

Guess what?  This is my last post on this blog because I've got a gorgeous new website!

Though I can't take credit for the gorgeousness–that's all Adrienne Adair and Lisa Albrecht.

But I can appreciate the gorgeousness.  And so can you!

Just come visit me over there and see all the fun new stuff, like:

•fantastic new buttons for your website or blog!

•audio recordings of me reading (…how long has it been since you were read-to?)

•a fun new author photo by Karen Walrond

•a new Q&A with me from...

it's spring in Texas

And you know what that means.

Kite flying.

Swing sets.

Climbing backwards up the slide.

Picking every flower that dares to blossom.

And miniature fruit kebabs on toothpicks.

In another couple of months, it'll be so hot that "outside" will be something we only want to see through the window.  But right now, the sun is out, the breeze is blowing, and every single minute seems like a miracle.

Filed under: news!

you're invited !!!

Pretty much every book-related thing I do is fun.  But there's something extra-magical about a book launch party.

You'll be there, right?  Even if you're in New York, say, or Canada?  Git yourself down here and let's kick this thing off right!

(And PS: You can pre-0rder books from Brazos and I'll sign them beforehand so you don't have to wait in line!)

Filed under: events, Get Lucky, katherine's books, upcoming events Tagged: book launch party, Brazos Bookstore, Get Lucky, launch party