Julia London's Blog, page 42

Shared Attributes

Today is my father's birthday.  A date that I suppose will live in my heart forever, even though my dad is no longer here to celebrate with me.   With the passing of time, the pain has faded a little bit.  But the memories are always there.  All the more precious because they're all that I have left of him.

Well, that and his eyebrows.   My father had these amazing eyebrows.  Thick and bushy and with a complete mind of their own.  They would often just stray off in directions eyebrows weren't supposed to go.  And nothing anyone tried to do could tame them.   After my father died, I often wished he'd reach out from wherever he'd landed.  Let me know he was okay—and that he still was out there somewhere, watching over me.

Be careful what you pray for.   One morning not long after my fervent wishing, I awoke to find that my eyebrows had turned into my father's.  I kid you not, they are more wiry, thicker and most definitely more unruly.  They tend to point straight out and due north at the most inopportune moments.  Like say, right before I have to give a speech or make a public appearance or maybe meet up with someone who hasn't seen me in say the last ten years.

It's not a pretty picture.  And I know that some people would tell you that it's just because I'm getting older and going through hormonal changes.  But I know different.  And to be honest, I wouldn't change it for the world.

Happy Birthday, Daddy.

What about you?  Every look in the mirror and see one of your parents?

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Tuesday's Forecast: Smiling Through the Rain

Today I SO wanted to blog politics, because things are finally getting comedy-worthy, but I know that's never a good idea, and it's supposed to be rainy today, and Mom taught me never to talk politics when it rains, so I scoured the Net to find all the news that's fit to put a smile on my face, which isn't a lot, but here goes:

I remember the days when my kids were this young, and they would tromp through the dirt without any concern of conserving laundry water, or saving Mommy time, or what a mess it would make in the house….  I do like how Mommy gives in and starts making a mess herself, probably some sort of elephant spa treatment.

From cracked.com, here's an article on six terrifying new creatures that were just discovered.

There is the Darwin bark spider that builds a web that's uh, eighty-two feet across.  I like that.  I can see Mommy Darwin bark spider looking at the neighbor kid's web, then looking at her own kid's web, and telling him, "You want to get into Harvard?  Eighty-two feet just isn't going to cut it anymore.  Now, WEAVE!"

I will not comment on the picture of the devil worm and what as  a Harlequin Blaze writer IMMEDIATELY leapt into my brain, but if someday, you read the words "devil worm digging deeper inside her, deeper than any man had ever dug before.." then you'll know where I get my inspiration from.

Before reading the following article, I had considered myself to be fairly Internet saavy, but yes, my fellow sisters in whine, I had never encountered a rage face.  The comic faces started on 4chan, which probably explains much why I never wandered among their native habitat, because 4chan is where the evil-doers of the Internet Empire unite and plot to bring down the Empire, George Lucas, and My Little Pony, preferably at the same time.  However, apparently these comics are –uh-hem, all the rage.  And then after I read the article, I ventured over (oh so gingerly) into the dark waters of 4chan.  I poked on the "Science and Math" boards and had to agree to a disclaimer that this section of the website were for "mature viewers only and might not be suitable for minors"  AND THIS WAS IN THE SCIENCE AND MATH???!!  HolyEuclidsPenis, Batman!  OMG.

Okay, so back to the arstechnica site…

Kathleen's Early Morning Face

I think my favorite was the troll face.  Oh, man, I've met some marketing people that remind me of that one.  And I would like Me Gusta face on a t-shirt.

And lastly, this one just cracked me up…

And there you have it, my day's work to make you smile.

So, how about it?  Any funnies to share today, any jokes or stories, or 4chan faces that you think are the bomb?

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Part Two–My Latest Adventure

Last week I posted about the first leg of our recent Arizona adventure which took place in sunny Scottsdale where my DH had conference.  When the conference ended,we rented a car and began the four hour drive to the Grand Canyon–a place we've both always wanted to visit.  We broke up the trip by stopping for some sightseeing and a late lunch in Sedona, home of the gorgeous red rocks.  Lunch was great and we had another first–cactus fries!  Yes, they're really made from cactus.  And they tasted like fried zucchini.

Red rocks of Sedona

 

cactus fries

We the next two hours of driving involved a crazy mountain road.  This is what it looked like on the GPS:

Holy Mountain Road, Batman!

And there was snow.  Lots of snow.  Which meant it was cold.  Really cold.  We checked into our hotel just outside Grand Canyon National Park around 9pm and prepared to wake up early.  Well, when we woke up the next morning it was 10 degrees.  That's freakin' cold.  So the first thing we did was go to the hotel gift shop and buy some hats and gloves.  Good thing we'd brought our ski silks!  By the time we arrived at the park around 10am it had warmed up to a balmy 34 degrees.  But dressed in our layers we were warm.  Our first view of the canyon stole our breath.  The vastness of it is impossible to imagine, and photos simply don't do it justice.

We took hundreds of pics–each vista was more gasp worthy than the last.  We walked the south rim trail west the first day we were there, then east the second day.  We saw deer and elk, and the sunsets were spectacular.  We didn't venture onto any of the trails leading down into the canyon because they were snowy/icy and if you fall off the trail, well, that first step is a doozy.  Better safe then sorry.  We'll save hiking into the canyon for our next visit–during warmer weather when there's no snow.  Because we'll definitely be going back.

Y'all come back now!

Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon?  What was the most beautiful place you've ever seen?  Any travel destinations on your Bucket List?  Where would you most like to visit? Hope you had a great weekend!

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Touch Me

Pleasing a man is something former mistress Genevieve Ralston does very well. But after her lover callously dumps her, she's definitely off men…until she meets Simon! He's brooding. Sexy. And she can't keep her hands off him…

But Simon Cooperstone, Viscount Kilburn, is a spy. His mission: retrieve a mysterious letter in Genevieve's possession. Intent on seducing her secrets from her, he forgets to guard one thing: his heart.

Each stroke of Genevieve's talented fingers unleashes his deepest desires. Too late, he realizes that while he may be a master of the art of seduction, he's no match for a sensual mistress…

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My Latest Great Adventure

I love to travel.  And lucky for me, my DH recently had a conference in Scottsdale, Arizona–so guess who got to go with him?  (If you guessed moi, you're right! ).  One of the great things about my husband's conferences is that they're always at a swanky resort and this time was no exception.  The Montelucia Resort was absolutely gorgeous, filled with beautiful grounds, flowers, fireplaces, heated pools, hot tubs, fountains, restaurants, and best of all, the Joya Spa.

The beautiful Montelucia resort

I don't often indulge in spa days (it's been 4 years since my last indulgence), but hey, when at the Montelucia…So I booked a facial and a mani/pedi and let me tell you, it was sheer bliss.  Not only the treatments themselves, but the entire experience.  Even though my facial wasn't scheduled until 11am, I checked in at 9 and made a day of it, enjoying all the fab faciilities.  The steam room, the sauna, the hot tubs, the cold deluge (five gallons of icy water poured over you after the steam room–great for the skin AND it burns calories!), a swim in the private outdoor heated pool, healthy nibbles and herb tea. 

Fresh-faced after my facial

But the coolest part was the Whisper Room.  It was filled with queen-sized beds with curtains that could be drawn, enveloping you in your own private sanctuary to read, or nap, or meditate.  I settled myself in, closed my eyes and sipped my orange jasmine tea.  Utter relaxation.  The sort of day every woman deserves.  And one I wish for all of you.  I think as women we spend so much time taking care of other people that we sometimes forget to take care of ourselves. 

The Whisper Room.

The Montelucia was only the first part of our Great Adventure.  I'll blog on Monday about Part 2–the Grand Canyon!

What's your favorite indulgence?  Do you take enough time for yourself?  If you could spend a day doing anything you wanted, what would do?  Hope you have a terrific weekend!

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What I'm Watching, What I'm Waiting For

I don't watch a lot of television, and when I do, I'm usually a number of seasons behind (and, yeah, I re-watch shows once a series has wrapped).

These days, I'm watching The Vampire Diaries and Ringer, both of which I'm enjoying tremendously. I'm rewatching Lost, and I'm waiting for Mad Men (soon!). I've given up on the Real Housewives of Whoville, as I just can't take it anymore (the season's over, but I won't be going back).

We're behind on Vampire Diaries (didn't realize the season had started until several episodes in, and still haven't caught up), but with Ringer, we watch it right after it airs. And I'm loving it. But it worries me, too….

I'm a huge Sarah Michelle Geller fan and was so, so excited when she got a new show…and the truth is that I'm really enjoying Ringer. But at the same time, I'm worried.

Worried that it's going to have what I call the Heroes or Twin Peaks complex: Once they get past The Big Reveal, the show loses steam.

I'm hoping that doesn't happen, so far there have been some twists and turns I wasn't expecting. But there are also some Going Off the Rails signs, including the fact that no one asks follow-up questions. Minor spoiler here, but there was one episode wherein Andrew referenced an earlier conversation with her to Bridget. But did Bridget say, "Uh, dude, we didn't have a convo?" No, she did not…..

Not quite TSTL, but there are just a few too many of those moments starting to crop up. It worries me. Not enough to stop anxiously tuning in, but it worries me.

How about you? Do you watch Ringer? What's your current favorite show? And if you're a re-watcher, what blast from the past are you enjoying?

ALSO!!! As a side note, the wonderful Jane Myers Perrine is guestblogging over at JulieKenner.Com — come say hi!

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Welcome Special Guest Blogger: Molly Harper!

Molly writes a wickedly funny series about vampire Jane Jameson, Nice Girls Don't… Her latest Jane book (Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors) just dropped, so I thought it would be a nice time to ask her to come around for another visit. The one in which Molly discusses her process of coming up with titles:

With books like HOW TO FLIRT WITH A NAKED WEREWOLF and THE CARE AND FEEDING OF STRAY VAMPIRES to my credit, I've had some pretty strange title choices over the course of my brief writing career.  In fact, with my most recent manuscript, I tried a simple, two-word name and my new editor said, "Well, that's not exactly in line with your other titles."  

The oddity started with my first book, NICE GIRLS DON'T HAVE FANGS.  I pitched it to my agent as SINGLE UNDEAD FEMALE, a succinct description of my vampire character's unmarried condition.  When Pocket Books picked up the series, my former editor, Jennifer, worried that the title was too another paranormal romance series with the word "Undead" in the titles, which would confuse readers.  There was also the possibility that the readers would erroneously assume my books were about an obsessive vampire roommate who dyes her hair to match her victim's.  So she asked me to come up with a list of alternatives.  I came up with a dozen or so, including SOUTHERN FRIED AND FANGED, which Jennifer did not like.  She came up with a list of suggestions, none of which I liked.  I threw out an off-the-wall, last-minute desperate bid, "How about NICE GIRLS DON'T HAVE FANGS?" based on the lectures my main character, Jane, receives from her mother on how "nice girls" do and do not behave. 

And that was the one Jennifer (and the twenty-something interns working at Pocket) liked.

And so this trend has continued for the duration of my authorly career.  I label my manuscript with a pretty terrible original title.  Despite said terrible title, the publisher agrees to buy the book.  After editing the manuscript, my editor gently suggests a change.  I come with a list of alternatives.  She gently suggests more changes.  I run out of changes.  My editor comes up with a list of more palatable alternatives.  I don't like them.  In a fit of desperation, I throw out the oddball title I've had in my head all along, but have been afraid to suggest out of fear my editor will finally figure out how weird I am, and that's the one she likes enough to put on the cover. 

With the fourth book in the Jane Jameson series, I made a lot of title suggestions in connection with Jane's wedding.  I tried to play off the "I do's." Suggestions included  NICE GIRLS DO TIE THE KNOT and NICE GIRLS DO WEAR WHITE, but we thought breaking the pattern might confuse the readers.  And Jane ended up not wearing a white wedding dress.  (The hussy.)  So I thought about the non-wedding related events in the book, and focused on Jamie, the teenage milkman Jane ends up turning into a vampire after he's struck by car in front of Jane's shop.  And so, after an increasingly despondent back and forth exchange, we eventually arrived at NICE GIRLS DON'T BITE THEIR NEIGHBORS.

It's a strange system, but it works for us.

Sherri adds: Look for Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors in stores, or available for download, now. If you're looking for something new and fun, give Molly Harper's Nice Girls books a try. You can read an excerpt of Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors at Amazon. (And I will forgive Molly for not using Jane Slayre in said excerpt instead of Jane Eyre, because Gabriel seems like a purist who might not get the mash-up concept, though I'm sure Jane has Jane Slayre because she is fun like that).

Say hi to Molly! Feel free to ask questions, I think she will be back to check in. Have you ever wondered how we come up with some of these titles? Do you like vampire books? Do you have a go-to favorite book series?  


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The End

[image error]There is such an amazing feeling finishing a book.   It's mostly elation.  The uncontained joy of realizing that yes, there truly was a beginning, a middle and an end to the story.   (Somewhere in the middle of every book, I start to believe that there isn't,  just ask JK or KO.)  But there's also an element of sadness.  These people that have lived in my mind for the past six or so months—who have kept me from sleep, refused to go the directions I've ordered, who've quite simply maintained minds of their own—these people are gone.  They've had their happy ending.  They're actually quiet.

And so I usually cry, anticipating the loss.  And do the happy dance because with much ado we've finally made it to the finish line all in one piece.   It's time for me to say good-bye (at least until revisions) and let them all go.   Sometimes, that's not such a bad thing, as there are already new people knocking at the door and wanting inside.  Demanding that their stories be told.  But sometimes I have had a particularly close relationship with the characters of a book, and I don't really want to let them go.

Of course with a series, like A-Tac, the beauty is that I don't actually have to.  I can visit them again as I travel the familiar roads in telling a new story.  They can make appearances, offer wisdom, or in some

DD and JK many moons ago

cases, mess things up a bit.  And they're still with me, at least in a small way.  In my life at least, I've never had quite the relationship with a project that I do in writing a book.  It's as if these people, at least in the moment, are my friends.

All of which makes me sound a bit crazy, I know.  But then I've been making up stories since I was a little girl and my father and I sat in the mall and made things up about the people passing by.  It was a wonderful game, and I've somehow managed to turn it into a career.  Not bad for an old girl with a tendency to exaggerate.

So join me for my happy, happy dance.  I'm DONE!  (My mother is saying, right now, that I am not a turkey and that the word I meant to use is finished –not done.)

How about you?  Do you have projects that seem to take on a life of their own?  Things that you think you'll never finish, but that when you do overwhelms you with relief, excitement and pride?  That term paper, that new kitchen, the scrapbook, the birthday cake, the party, the garden…so many opportunities—so little time.

 

 

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That's a Lot of Doughnuts

This article caught my eye because someone near and dear to me is in this school district.

Below is an excerpt, but you can read the full article here):

At Elgin Middle School , there is what's called the "MS Miscellaneous Account." It gets its money from a variety of sources, including concession-stand revenue, campus fundraisers and from students going door-to-door.

But at Elgin Middle School, much of the money in the account is used to feed the principal and her staff.

By the numbers

$2,840.91 — Catered holiday parties
$1,340. 66 — Faculty lounge supplies
$1,102.04 — Breakfast tacos.
$424.26 — Super Donuts
$4,591.13 — Other expenses



$10,299 — Miscellaneous Account total

According to a KXAN investigation, thousands of dollars from the fund were spent by Middle School Principal Riza Cooper on her staff for breakfast tacos, doughnuts, barbecue lunches and other meals.

The investigation, which used Elgin school district financial records from the past 14 months, uncovered checks totaling $3,014 earmarked for "faculty meetings" spent to buy food. Those faculty meetings include meat trays, fruit assortments and salads. The staff has gobbled-up ice cream with chocolate syrup, sprinkles and cherries.

In the full article, it is explained that what they have done is legal.  It may be legal, but it smells a little fishy.  I am not suggesting that staff should not eat.  But should they use funds the kids and their parents raise to help fund school activities?  Should the activities not include students (and none of these did)?  And should they spend $400 bucks on donuts?  I don't know which bothers me more–that they spent $10k to feed themselves, or that what they fed themselves was not particularly healthy.  Doughnuts and ice cream with sprinkles?? Who eats that a faculty meetings and manages to stay awake for the rest of the day?  I have sat through many working lunches in my day, and we never had ice cream with sprinkles.

I rate this action by this school as bone-headed.  I realize that in the greater scheme of things it is not the most egregious thing that ever happened, but still, I think the principal should be sentenced to buy Girl Scout cookies for staff meetings by the crate for the next ten years.  What do you think of this accounting?  What bone-headed things have schools done that you're aware of? 

 

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The Revenge of Lord Eberlin

Lily Boudine was a girl the last time she was at the English estate of Ashwood, the ward of her Aunt Althea, the countess of Ashwood.  Her memory of that time is dominated by a singular event:  the theft of the famous ruby jewels that had been given by King Henry VIII to the first earl of Ashwood.  Lily happened to see the woodcarver, Mr. Scott, riding away the night the jewels went missing, and only eight years old, testified to that.  Mr. Scott was hanged and Lily was sent to Ireland.  Weeks later, Lily learned that her Aunt Althea had drowned in a lake behind the house.  When news came fifteen years later that Lily had inherited the estate, she couldn't face her memories of that time and sent Keira in her stead.  But when Lily finally arrived at Ashwood, it was to a mess that her cousin Keira had created.  Keira had impersonated her to save the failing estate, and moreover, had discovered things that suggested Mr. Scott had died an innocent man. Lily finds herself battling the neighboring Tiber Park and Count Eberlin for control of Ashwood.  In a remarkable turn of events, he reveals himself to be Tobin, the son of Mr. Scott, and he is bent on revenge for his father's unjust death.  He has focused his revenge on Lily and tells her he will ruin Ashwood, or her.  The choice is hers.  Does Lily allow him to ruin Ashwood and put many people out of work?  Or does she choose herself and hope that she can outwit him?  As the battle between Lily and Tobin plays out, more secrets are revealed that lead to a shocking revelation.

"London's story builds on the excellent chemistry of the leads, gracefully unfolding with the perfect amount of tension."  Publisher's Weekly on The Revenge of Lord Eberlin

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