Julia London's Blog, page 67
July 7, 2011
Rolling Out the Red Carpet
When Julia London, Kathleen O'Reilly and I were in New York City for the Romance Writers of America conference, we attended the red carpet event for the Transformers 3 premiere. No big deal. Shia was there. Director Michael Bay. We even got up close and personal with Patrick Dempsey…[image error]
[image error]Well, okay, from 25 stories up. But hey, we were there! We had an amazing room at the Marriott Marquis hotel that overlooked the big Coca Cola sign (among other big blinking well-lit signs that doubled as nightlights even through thick curtains) and TKTS booth.
Julia kept wondering "Why are there seats there? What are those people doing in the seats?" We never came to a definitive answer, besides sitting there to watch people and be amazed. The area is apparently Duffy Square, named for the most decorated cleric in the history of the US Army, Father Francis Duffy.
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Photo from the official Times Square website.
But one afternoon, Julia looked down and said "Now there's a red carpet." And I looked and saw the Transformers props and Kathleen O'Reilly (our esteemed visitor) and I figured out that it must be the star-studded premiere of Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon. So then, of course, we studied the dots and tried to guess which one was Shia LeBeouf and was that a woman in a gown? His date? His costar? Who knew from way up there. But hey, we were at the premiere.
And I still don't want to see the movie. How about you? Do you love action flicks? Transformers? Did you play with Transformers when you were a kid? Or maybe your kids had Transformers? I preferred ThunderCats and Jem (and the Holograms). Oh and He-man and She-ra. Yes, I was too old for them, too, but I watched with my kid sister (who had the entire She-ra Crystal Castle playset, and Jem and all the Holograms). Fun times. How about a ThunderCats movie? Live action. Starring Matthew McConaughey as Lion-O and Blake Lively as Cheetara?
* A special thank you to the readers who showed up to support us at all our RWA book signings, to the large (trust me, huge) crowd who showed up for Rise and Whine: A Conversation with the Whine Sisters, and very very special thanks to Panel Moderator Extraordinaire Molly Harper (author of fantastic books like And One Last Thing, and How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf) who kept her cool no matter how we acted up, rabble roused, and refused to follow simple orders (like please repeat the questions before answering). Molly is awesome. Please read her books. And ours! But, you know, hers too.
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July 6, 2011
Summertime
[image error]Still in after-conference recovery mode here. So instead of trying to dazzle with words that quite sincerely are probably not worthy of the page, I'm simply going to think about those hazy days of summer and the fond memories I had as a kid.
The cool haven of a swimming pool, the smell of Hawaiian Tropic and chlorine mixing with the sound of children's laughter. The sizzle of grilling hamburgers and hot dogs. The taste of homemade ice cream and watermelon. The staccato sound of blackcats and the stately hiss of roman candles. The sight of fireworks filling the night sky—followed with heat lightning—God's version of fireworks, I suppose.
The sound of cicadas in the trees, and the soft feel of the breeze against my face. BBQ chicken and corn served in the backyard at the picnic table. The sound of ice in glasses and the smell of smoke from the grill. The feel of grass between my toes, and hot asphalt as I hop quickly back to the grass. The soft come-hither glow of fireflies. The warmth of the sun upon my face.
The freedom of a bike ride. The exultation of getting a hit during a softball game. The excitement of summer vacation. The celebration of the cool crisp air of the Colorado mountains. The joys of summer camp. Horses, camp-fires, new friends, and sing-a-longs. The tinkling sound of the ice cream truck turning onto our street. The bowl of pennies meant to pay said ice cream truck.
Days with nothing to do but play and read. Wading in the creek. Swinging on the porch swing. Sipping cold root beer and lemonade. My grandmother's pound cake and peach cobbler. Blueberries and blackberries. Snapdragons and day lilies.
Summertime—pure magic.
So what are some of your favorite summer time memories?
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July 5, 2011
Girl's Night Out!
The book that I've been working on celebrates the power of female friends. It is something that I know a lot about because I have some of the bestest female friends in the world. All of the ladies on this blog stand tall whenever times are tough. Made me laugh. Watched me cry. Saw the joys and the pain of both life and writing, and oh, heck… this is not a sappy blog post. It is a blog post about great girl songs. I'm making a playlist for this book and it's always a fun thing to find songs that represent scenes or themes in the book. Songs like this one:
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Or this one:
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Or this one:
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Or this:
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There's something about girl-power ballads that have always cranked me up. Pink, Pat Benatar, Donna Summer, Aretha Franklin. Women singing about the power of women. Got any suggestions? What do you think are the great girl power ballads?
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July 4, 2011
Shoved off the Grid
Jacquie is at her parent's house this week. They have dial-up internet access. Yes, you read that right: Dial-up. This is the kind of car Jacquie was driving when dial-up was invented:
These are the kind of clothes she was wearing when dial-up was invented:
Chances are she used one of these phones to call her parents and tell them that this cool new thing, the internet, had been invented, and all they had to do was call it:
Jacquie's parents got so excited they rushed right out, paid a bunch for an extra phone line, then had the phone guy come out and install another phone jack just for the internet, and he'd heard about this thing, too, but predicted it wouldn't last because people would have to get two phone lines and the system couldn't handle it, and besides, who were they going to talk to, but Jacquie's parents signed up anyway, because they are eternal optimists, which, in this case, backfired because now they've been using their brand-new call-the-internet system for one thousand years and while it doesn't work too well anymore, they are optimistic that it will someday because they don't see any need to spend any money on a new computer that doesn't need a phone line because there is absolutely nothing wrong with the one they have.
Jacquie can't get online. She has officially been shoved off the grid.
So while we wait for Jacquie to crawl back onto the grid, tell us what technology you never had before, but have now, and cannot live without? What technology did you keep hanging on to until it was pried out of your hands?
Happy 4th of July, Whiners!
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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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July 2, 2011
Miss Fortune…she looks like me, she smells like me :-)
I am so close to posting the Lear Sisters trilogy as digital reissues, and I can hardly wait. Miss Fortune is the last book in the Lear Sisters Trilogy. She is a little on the chubby side, is a perpetual student, and has some self-esteem issues. Of the three heroines in these books, I think she most resembles me in these books.
When one is writing characters, it is impossible, I think, to keep yourself out of them. But my experience has been that it's just bits and pieces of me, and none of my female or male characters actually becomes me. But Rachel Lear, whose high school moniker was Miss Fortune and loves brownies has more bits and pieces of me than others.
I remember when this book came out, some reviewer said she found the character implausible, and gave the example of how Rachel ate a pan of brownies one night when she was feeling sorry for herself. Her comment was, "no one would ever eat an entire pan of brownies."
Au contraire, mes amis. 
I made Rachel a little chubby, but the French version made her heavy. And I have no idea what Jesus is doing on the cover. The original cover is the girl in the skirt. And my new cover, the girl in the dress.
Here is a description of the book:
Rachel is the baby of the Lear family–the dreamer, the one who always has her nose in a romance novel, likes yoga and astrology and counts Ben and Jerry among her closest friends. When her father cuts her off in an effort to launch her into the real world, Rachel is forced to concoct a plan, including losing a few pounds, getting a job…and, with the help of her best friend, a witch, conjuring up a knight in shining armor complete with a British accent and a James Bond look.
Suddenly fate starts putting Flynn Oliver in Rachel's path. Handsome and charming, he's like the romance heroes she's always read about. Rachel can't believe her luch. Flynn seems like a dream come true…until a series of crimes reveals the real Flynn Oliver–and startles Rachel from her dream of happily ever after.
If you would like to know when the Lear Sisters trilogy will be available, please sign up for my newsletter at http://www.julialondon.com
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July 1, 2011
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
The good news is that I'm in New York for the Romance Writers of America conference and everything is going fabulously well. The bad news is that I forgot to bring the wire-thingy that allows me to download the pictures from my digital camera. So I can't show you the fun pics I've taken of all the delicious meals I've eaten, the good times I've had with the Whine Sisters and tons of other author friends and readers, the wonderful madness that was the Literacy For Life book signing, and incredible extravaganza of outrageous fun of the Harlequin Black and White Ball at the Waldorf Astoria. All I can say to all of you is, "I wish you were here." And for those of you who are—I'm so glad you are!
So what have you been up to this week? Working? Having fun? Seen any good movies, read any good books? What are you plans for the weekend? Oh—and here's one complaint—PLEASE no more scheduling RWA during Wimbledon!!!
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June 30, 2011
Breaking news
Got the e-postcard that's pictured the other day from my 9 yo daughter, which goes a long way to explaining just why I so very, very, very much need the vacation I'm currently on (writing this early–I'm actually in a car on my way back from what I'm quite confident was a fabulous time at the Kemah boardwalk, the Houston museums and the very fine Murder By the Book bookstore, the beach in Galveston, and Moody Gardens. I also imagine that I read a lot of great books (deets possibly to follow) and did not a lick of work (except possibly in the car on Sunday because as I type this I'm running behind….).
So what did y'all do this week?
And for those of you at RWA, don't forget that the Whine Sisters (sans moi) are doing a panel there. So be sure to go and heckle them (ah, um, ask many deep and probing questions. Yeah. That's what I meant). Date and time, you ask? I have no clue…someone post in the comments and help me out.
(Wait! Even more breaking news! You don't have to post in the comments because the ever-fabulous Sherri came through and looked it up for me!
Thursday June 30 9:45 to 10:45: Rise and Whine: a Conversation with the Whine Sisters (CAREER) Sherri Browning Erwin, Jacquie D'Alessandro, Dee Davis, Julia London, and Kathleen O'Reilly
A group of authors will provide a frank discussion on group blogging, the ups and downs of writing, and friendship amidst the thrills and spills of a publishing career that collectively spans more years than they will admit.
There. So be there, or be square! (And pppssssst…somebody report back to me what they say!)
Vacation Ho!
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June 29, 2011
Erwin Open House
*Reporting on Sunday, June 26 before leaving for RWA. At time of reading, I will be in NYC meeting with the Whine Sisters (minus Julie Kenner/JK Beck *sniff*) in preparation for our workshop on June 30 at 9:45 a.m at the Marriott Marquis. Come see us!.
Just out of the hot tub, super relaxed, and ready to show you around. Grab a glass of bubbly and join me for the grand tour of my new house. 
Not pictured, the music room (between the family room and the living room, still lacking piano- coming on July 1), plus the half bath and kids bathroom (basic bathrooms, you can imagine). Yes, we have the furniture (check), the boxes stored in the garage ready to be unpacked (ugh), and we still need artwork, pictures, and decorative touches around the house. Curtains! I need curtains! But otherwise, it really feels like home. And I'm very happy here.
Most of all, I need to find a place to put the monkey! That special monkey that was a present from Grandma long ago (as known by longtime Whine friends). Any suggestions?
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June 28, 2011
It's all in the Attitude
[image error]Was thinking about J. London's fall last week and my considerable klutziness and then moved on to embarrassing moments in general. I've had more than my fair share—in part because I'm (as my brother declares) 'spacey', but also in part because I'm not a fade into the background king of girl. Anyway, one of my favorite mishaps occurred on my honeymoon—oh sooooo many years ago.
We were touring Europe (which sounds rather grand) but was in actuality "If This is Tuesday it must be Belgium". Anyway, I'd planned for the trip with all the strategizing of a military assault. I had fabulous clothes that when rolled properly into a suitcase never wrinkled. Wonderful shoes that were actually comfortable to wear. The perfect jewelry and accessories. A fabulous all weather coat. And of course, since it was my honeymoon, underthings made for a princess (after all I was sharing said underthings for the first time with my new husband—okay if you believe that….)
So we stopped somewhere (in London if I remember right) and disembarked from the bus for a rest stop. The group disbursed into the food shops and the souvenir places. And of course a good number of us headed for the 'facilities'. For reasons I can't remember, but that probably involved the word 'shopping', I was one of the last in line. And so when I emerged again, I had to hurry to get back to the already loaded bus.
It was parked across a busy street. So I stood at the curb waiting for the traffic to thin enough to cross. I was dressed in my honeymoon best—a wonderful Geoffrey Beene skirt, full and swirly at the ankles (that I still have somewhere—probably in Queens) and a fabulous vee-neck three-quarter-length sleeve shirt that put me in mind of an Audrey Hepburn movie.
And I must have looked the part because everyone was waving at me. Passersby. The people on the bus, even people in passing cars. I flipped my hair back, feeling particularly sexy and when the opening came, crossed the street, head held high, people still noticing how fabulous I looked.
As I climbed onto the bus my new husband rushed forward to help me, and I held out my hand like a queen—while he explained that the hem of my swirly skirt was caught in the top of my beautiful new panties…
All those people had been trying to tell me that my ass was on display for all of London to see.
So much for Audrey Hepburn.
How about you? Any embarrassing moments to share?
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