Julia London's Blog, page 79
March 5, 2011
The countdown has begun!
In just over three weeks, on March 29th, my next book, It Happened One Season, will be hitting the shelves.
It's a Regency-era historical anthology, with novellas by Stephanie Laurens, Mary Balogh, me, and Candice Hern. The stories we wrote were the result of nationwide contest where readers submitted the plot points they wanted us to write. How did this all come about? Well, back in 2007, Mary, Candice and I were on a book tour together and we bonded like glue to paper. We decided that since we all wrote Regency-era historicals, it would be fun to write an anthology together. Mary had an idea for one that Candice and I fell in love with: what would happen if you gave a group of authors the same exact plot to write? Would they all write the same story? We brainstormed a very simple plot with three key elements: 1) The hero and heroine knew each other, but hadn't seen each other for a decade, 2) they meet up ten years later at an inn, and 3) the story had to take place in a 24 hour period.
The book that started it all
We decided that it would be fun to include a fourth author in the anthology so that each of us could have our story take place in a different season of the year. We asked Stephanie if she'd like to participate and she said yes! Avon loved the idea, and the following year It Happened One Night was published. The four of us didn't collaborate at all during the writing process and didn't read each others' stories until after each was edited and copyedited. The book went on to be a New York Times and USA Today bestseller and Stephanie won a RITA award for her novella.
Me with Stephanie Laurens and her RITA award
Because the book was so much fun to write, the four of us decided we'd like to do it again, only this time we wanted our readers to decide the three plot points. Avon sponsored the contest which drew more than 2,000 entries. The four of us narrowed those entries down to a final four (no easy task, let me tell you!) then the readers voted on which one they wanted us to write. The winning entry was: The hero is a battle-scarred and world-weary recluse, 2) the shy heroine is facing yet another season without a suitor, and 3) the hero's older brother who has only daughters requests that the hero marry to carry on the family title.
Once again, the four of us wrote the exact same plot. Did we write the same story? I hope you'll pick up a copy of It Happened One Season on March 29th and find out!
In the meantime, what are you reading now? Hope you're enjoying your weekend!
March 4, 2011
Going around in circles
Atop the construction debris! Queens of the hill!
Recently, my kids and I went out to brave the undeveloped land near our house. We grabbed waterbottles, put on reasonably sensible shoes, and headed off.
It was great! We discovered the lots where the construction crew dumps their debris (presumably to clean up later, as these lots will be developed someday, deer paths, and lots of strange plants. And despite starting to get tired, the little ones wanted to follow a set of car tracks that circled around the property.
Okay, sure. So off we went. Except when we were behind the properties the path petered out, and there we were in the middle of a cactus filled field, no longer in among the surveyed lots and such. We were, as the kids said, "in the wild." (Wild, of course being a relative term.)
Behind our neighborhood
The path was curving and we figured that if we followed it, we'd end up behind their friend's house who lives at the edge of the development. We did…and never saw our neighborhood just fields and fields and then, after a bit, in the distance a street–that I recognized as in our old neighborhood, and probably a mile from where we now live.
Ack! Out comes the iPhone and the GPS map. Yup. We were a looooong way from any street (including the one I could see as it was behind barbed wire and then people's backyards).
So we cut across. Plowing through the waisthigh grasses, avoiding cactus (except when Catherine squatted to see a flower and got some prickles in her rear….but shhhhh. I'm not supposed to talk about that!). And that little red dot kept moving closer and closer until, finally, we could see familiar construction!
Yay! We headed home and reported to DH about our adventure, and they'd had such fun that they wanted another.
So that weekend we headed to Lake Georgetown and walked about 1/2 the trail and then returned, this time with the whole family. Also great fun. DH took his walking stick, which he told the kids was the wizard's staff and we were trying to find the wizard's cavern, which resulted in lots of squealing and searching and debating about whether his staff was magical or if the large sticks they found were the real wizard staffs.
Lake Georgetown...later, we got off the paved path
After hiking dry run number two we decided proper shoes were in order, and we all bought hiking shoes from REI. This weekend, we're going to McKinney falls. It's a 4.5 mile hiking trail around the park, and we're packing a lunch. Wish us luck! I'm excited as I've missed doing stuff like this as we've been in that netherzone of too old for a stroller, but too young to go very far. I think we may have crossed that line! Now if the kids would just turn 12 so I can take them scuba diving….
What's your favorite thing to do as a family?
March 3, 2011
Oscar-alikes and Dislikes
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Sandra Bullock Oscars 2011
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Anne Hathaway (Dress 1- Red Carpet) Oscars 2011
Scarlett at the Golden Globes, 2006
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Jennifer Lawrence, Oscars 2011
Red Dresses on the Red Carpet- Nothing new. Sandra Bullock looked fantastic (Vera Wang), and so did Anne Hathaway(Valentino) Again, nothing new, though Sandra really needed the improvement after the Golden Globes bangs disaster. What is new? Sandra and Anne showing up looking like well-coordinated sisters on the red carpet. But they were both my best dressed favorites (along with a few others, who shall be mentioned later).
Jennifer Lawrence in Calvin Klein is getting all kinds of kudos for keeping it simple, no jewelry or fussy updo, also in red. It didn't hurt that she arrived early, before bigger names could nudge her out of the way to get the attention of Ryan Seacrest's precious E!-cams. What did keep her from getting best dressed honors from me? I already saw that look from Scarlett Johannsen at the Golden Globes in 2006.
Scarlett could have used the reminder to her past success, perhaps, because she showed up in bordello chic (Dolce and Gabbana), pictured with Jeremy Renner:
[image error]The color was okay, but the lace looked sort of cheap to me. Guiliana Rancic speculated that the back was transparent. Not one of my favorites of the night. And then there was Reese Witherspoon, in Armani Prive:[image error]Looking like she was ready to audition for the a capella group at my daughter's high school (JCPenney, off the rack):
Cate Blanchett (Givenchy), Gwyneth Paltrow (Calvin Klein), and Nicole Kidman(Dior) were going for the high fashion nods, clearly. I'm not fond of either choice, but Cate's hair and makeup looked wonderful, and if you're a fan of symmetry and structure, you might appreciate what the designers were going for with their gowns:
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Cate in a futuristic gladiator torso frame (pretty color, though).
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Nicole, with a ribbon-wrapped bottom. Gwyneth, perhaps angling to star in a Barbarella remake.
But if you're me, you prefer to have a strong visceral reaction that says EWW, yuck! or YAY, pretty! In the Ew, yuck category, we have Melissa Leo. I don't know what she was thinking. I can't imagine the design will go down in fashion textbooks. Just yuck. My worst dressed of the evening. Followed closely by Florence (Valentino) of Florence and the Machine (who looked better during performance), Sunrise (Mark Ruffalo's wife), and Rhea (Mark Wahlberg's wife). And maybe Justin Timberlake's mom, who needed a better bra, but I hate to pick on moms.
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Florence in need of a better fashion machine.
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Melissa Leo's decoupage project
My best dressed, besides the aforementioned Sandra Bullock and Anne Hathaway? Haillee Steinfeld, who brought her own design to Marchesa for help with bringing her vision to life. And Halle Berry, also in Marchesa, who somehow almost always manages to get these things right. With that body, it's hard to go wrong. Of course, Natalie Portman (Rodarte) also looked great and collected her Best Actress trophy. And then there's Colin Firth. Sigh. And my favorite of the night, Helena Bonham Carter! (with the help of Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood). Now that's the spirit. 
(I love her, can't help it.)
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Hailee, living the dream.
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Who were your favorites? Least favorites? What did you think of the hosts? Any predictions for next year?
March 2, 2011
Julia London + Susan Mallery = iPad
If you pop over today, we are giving one of my books to Susan's readers, and one of hers to mine. Just comment to be included!
http://www.facebook.com/julialondon
http://www.facebook.com/susanmallery
March 1, 2011
Home from across the seas
Well, I'm back. Jet-lagged. Already behind. And absolutely love Tokyo! Thought I'd share a few highlights of the trip. (And you thought the days of being dragged over to see your neighbors vacation slides were over!)
After a fourteen hour flight—which is far too long to spend in an airplane no matter how many movies they show—we arrived in Japan tired, but excited. Our hotel, the Prince Park Tower, was lovely. Located in a quiet part of the business district, the hotel is next to a temple and park and across the street from the Tokyo Tower, Japan's answer to the Eiffel tower. (They also have a miniature statue of liberty in their harbor (a cast from the practice version of ours).
The hotel was lovely, with a delightful bakery on the first floor where we had snacks and breakfast almost daily! The room was fabulous and the staff so friendly and helpful. 
The first day we took a tour of the city. With highlights at the Meiji Shrine (Shinto) and the Senso-ji Temple (Buddhist) in Asakusa. The Meiji shrine was one of my favorites. Beautifully situated on parkland, it was peaceful and the perfect place to come to recharge one's batteries. People in Japan often practice both Shinto and Buddhism. In front of Senso-ji is a lively shopping street, lined with booths selling both food and wares. We had great fun trying new things and doing a little shopping. From there we moved on to the Tokyo harbor for a cruise on one of the most luxurious ships I've ever been on. Was great fun to sit by a window and just let the sights go by. That evening we ate Yakitori, skewered meat, grilled and served on a wooded stick. Traditionally chicken, we also had pork, and beef. Also had sashimi which was melt in your mouth fresh and delicious. And then we had a drink at the top of the hotel with an amazing view out over Tokyo and all it's amazing lights. 
Many parts of the city are lit up like Times Square, and the neon is almost overpowering at street level, but magical seen from so high up.
The second day we hit the electronics district. I've never seen so many wires and devices, and tiny little computers. There were also anime stores and bookstores. And a Starbucks –which I admit I ran to, and ordered iced tea. Overall we had great fun exploring and came back with sensory overload! That evening we headed for Disney Tokyo. What can I say, we're Disney nuts. The park was almost an exact copy of the Magic Kingdom (the second half—a sea themed park was closed for the night when we got there). And we hit our favorite rides. But the best part were the teenagers sporting hats and cloaks (it was cold) and anything and everything Disney. It's impossible to fully describe it. But picture hundreds of kids all decked out in furry mouse ear hats, Donald heads, and other character gear. It was amazing. Seriously. Oh and we broke Space Mountain. Well, at least our car. We were scuttled off to a secondary track, unloaded (with a lot of hand gestures and
bowing) and reloaded onto a new car. Never did figure out exactly what happened. But it was an adventure.
The third day we spent the morning being lazy. After a leisurely brunch, we toured the Zojoji temple next to the hotel, even catching the monks in prayer which was really wonderful. And then that afternoon we headed for the Ghibli Museum ( Hayao Miyazaki's world of anime). Miyazaki and friends envisioned and designed the place to house a collection of Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle) art and memorabilia. The only way I can think to 
describe the building is to imagine a mix of Lewis Carroll with a twist of Tim Burton. It was marvelous! I could have spent hours there. After the museum we headed to Shinjuku a wonderful shopping district. And ended the evening with shabu-shabu—a Japanese version of fondue-or do-it-yourself soup. Absolutely the perfect way to spend an evening.
Day four started out wet, but we didn't let that daunt us, heading for the train to Kamakura, a city on the sea with numerous temples and shrines, including the famed Big Buddha at the Kotokuin Temple. It was an adventurous day as we went forth armed only with train tickets and a map. We managed beautifully though (with a few minor missteps—one involving a group of people—none of whom spoke English—who couldn't agree which way we were supposed to go) and saw absolutely beautiful temples and shrines and scenery. The hawks (or possibly falcons) were lazily circling overhead as we
walked up steps amid budding trees and ancient architecture. It was serenely beautiful. We also saw the Hokokuji Temple which has the most marvelous woods filled with bamboo trees. It's a wonderful garden, and off to one side there are the tombs of Ashikagas housed in caves. And after successfully maneuvering our way back to the center of town we even managed to order (point and nod) in a local restaurant with fabulous food. I had a bowl with delicious tempura shrimp and fish and sweet rice.
For our final day, we headed for Mt. Fuji (which we actually saw—a rarity) and the first station. The view was amazing, although we didn't get to go as high as usually allowed because of snow. Afterwards we stopped for a traditional Japanese bento box, which came full of artfully arranged food I never would have recognized except for the English cheat sheet provided. Suffice it to say there was some very odd stuff – but most of it was quite tasty. From Mt. Fuji we headed south to Hakone where we headed up the mountain on a gondola to Owakudani, meaning the Great Boiling Valley. Once there we climbed up to the hot springs (sulphuric geysers) to eat black eggs. Legend has it that by eating a black egg (so called because the eggs are boiled in the sulfur springs and the shells turn black) you add seven years to your life. They're really very good! After our hike, we headed down again to Lake Ashi for a cruise in what was outfitted to look like a pirate ship. We amused other passengers by singing "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirates life for me," perhaps a little too enthusiastically.
For our last dinner we headed to Roppongi—which is a district renowned for nightlife. We settled into a lovely Korean Barbeque place and ate fabulous short ribs that we cooked ourselves at the open fire at our table. Great fun. And absolutely my favorite meal of the trip.
Two wonderful side notes about Tokyo: First, they are mad for their vending machines. They boast the most of any city in the world, and I 
totally believe it. And if you can imagine it, it's probably available—hot or cold—from a machine on some street in Tokyo. We played pick and taste daily (some of which was quite good, some of which was surprising, and some of which hit the recycling barrel almost immediately). Corn soup was a definite surprise. As was a Gatorade like drink called Pocari Sweat. The ice cream in a squeeze tube was great fun. And the myriad coffee drinks both hot and cold had my husband happily caffeinated the whole trip.
The second side note involves the Japanese fascination with the do it all toilet (and more). The one in our hotel – named Harry the Happy Ultra Toilet—was pretty impressive. When you open the door to the toilet, he turns on the lights, pops open the lid, and warms the seat. (He'll do a lot more for you if you're interested. Including all sorts of washing options, and even creating fake flushing noises— a feature which was most interesting in public restrooms).
When you leave, he flushes for you, turns off the lights and lowers the lid. It's really quite addicting. Although I had the urge to say hello to him every time I went in.
So all in all—a wonderful trip. The Japanese people we met were so warm and welcoming. And the city is so beautiful and clean. The trains and buses all run on time—literally. And I did manage to learn to say "good morning", "good afternoon", "thank-you very much" and "yes"—which is "hi" which made it difficult for me since this is my usual form of greeting. Anyway, I can't wait to go back. So much more to do and see. But it's also nice to be home. And to share 
the trip with all of you.
Anyone else have favorite spots in Japan you especially enjoyed? Remember by commenting you're entered to win a Nook. (I took mine on the trip and one charge lasted the whole fourteen hours).
Out of the Mouths of Crazy People
Yesterday — after I zipped off my manuscript to my editor – YIPPEE! – I went to the gym and spent some time on the hamster wheel, doing the miles and enjoying the TV with the sound off. Watching the news crawls and videos without getting any context is a surreal experience, and provides much entertainment fodder, of which I will share with you in today's Whine Sister's edition of Out of the Mouths of Crazy People.
Yesterday was a red letter day for crazy people. Up first, our favorite cocaine-i-nated crazy. Sheen is now suing CBS for 'mental anguish' and said he deserves a 50% raise.
Oh, Charlie. Of course you deserve a raise, because not only are the highest paid man on TV, you are also the highest man on TV, and we would love to pay you more money. Other crazy-isms: "You have the right to kill me, but you do not have the right to judge me. Boom. That's the whole movie. That's life." Also, "I am on a drug. It's called Charlie Sheen." All over East LA, drug dealers are whispering to each other, "Dude. I'm looking to score some Charlie Sheen. You got any?" Every family has the crazy aunt in the attic.
In the Sheen family, they have the crazy actor trashing the hotel room with hookers. And now, breaking news, Mel Gibson has called Charlie to offer his backing — and also an invitation for the two men to party together.
In a posh prison interview from his cell in Butner, NC, Bernie Madoff, who is flagellating (not a dirty word!) himself on a daily basis, is still reeling from his guilt:
"The fraud was a nightmare for me. It was only a nightmare for me. It's horrible. When I say nightmare, imagine carrying this secret. Look, imagine going home every night not being able to tell your wife, living with this ax over your head, not telling your sons, my brother, seeing them every day in the business and not being able to confide in them."
Ah, yes, Bernie. I have those nightmares and I wake up screaming. I am living in a billion dollar penthouse in New York, dealing with the agonized stress of "Woo, boo-hoo, where shall I spent my money today??" My heart grieves for you, Bernie.
Oh, Ahmi, Ahmi, Ahmi, Pardon my ignorant and familiar shortening of your Ahmadinejad name, but you have too many syllables and too many vowels, spell-checker doesn't like it, and it confuses me.
Seven days ago, you were flying the flag, wearing your tri-corn hat, and humming songs from Le Miz. Oh, Ahmi. I had thought you felt the stirrings of liberty and freedom, when you said "Instead of killing people, listen to them." You said that governments should join the movement of the revolution. Hearing the words, seeing the fervor of freedom in your beady little eyes, I was moved. I was convinced that Iran would be next. They would be having those things we call elections.
And then today, I learn that Iran has arrested two former presidential challengers who led demonstrations against Ahmi. Yes, the truth path to freedom is best travelled by jailing your opponents. Ahmi, I had great hopes for you and this thing you called freedom.
Lastly, the crazy Moammar from Libya. Yes, you Gadhafi with your funny hats and your sunglasses and your flying all those American singers out to birthday parties and paying them millions of dollars. You were a partying dude, but then, you know, the people of Libya didn't get the invite and they were pissed, dude, and so now there's trouble. But not in Moammar-land. Nope. Gadhafi says: "They love me. All my people are with me. They love me all. They will die to protect me, my people."
That's love in Libya. And we Americans, we loved those Brits back in 1776. We loved them to death, and we would have died to protect them… and uh, and yeah, that whole life, liberty, freedom of the press, guns, no taxation without representation, and whatever else those old dudes wrote. Yeah, that's love.
So, that's the report from Crazy-ville today. Heard any good crazy-isms lately? And who is the craziest of all?
February 28, 2011
STUFF I WANT TO DO
I blogged last week about some things I've been doing–things that were on my Stuff I Want To Do List, aka my Bucket List. Well, even though I've knocked off a few things, there are still a lot on there. And while perusing my list, I've noted that even though I'm not normally an adrenaline-junkie, there are some sort of risky things on my list. For instance, zip lining.
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All I'd have to do is sit there--how hard can it be??
I just think this looks like a lot of fun–zooming along a little wire, hundreds of feet in the air. I'm not sure where I'm going to zip line–but it's going to happen. And I know I'll be screaming the entire way.
Something else I'd like to do is take a hot air balloon ride. I can't figure out why because I don't really like heights. But something about it just appeals to me. I'd like to take my balloon ride over the wine country in California. Hopefully in a spot where there aren't any power lines.
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Not a power line in sight. Whew!
I'd also like to try parasailing. Again, I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because I know it would leave me breathless, and there's a saying about how life shouldn't be measured by how many breaths you take but by the moments that leave you breathless. I envision my future parasailing adventure taking place over warm, Caribbean waters. Yes, I can see it now…
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I can almost feel the wind in my hair...
On a tamer note, I'd also like ride on the Orient Express, cruise the Mediterranean, and attend a tennis match at all four of the Grand Slam events.
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Tennis, anyone?
So tell me–what are some things that you'd like to do? What if time and money were unlimited? How about something you know you wouldn't do in a million years? (you'll never see me jump out of plane!)
February 26, 2011
A Light at Winter's End
The third book in the Cedar Springs, Texas series, A Light at Winter's End is now on sale! 
Whose baby is he?
Hannah has always done everything right: getting married, having a baby, caring for her mother in her final days, all the while performing impeccably in a high-level job. Her sister Holly is the college dropout, the one who works at a coffee shop and wants to be a songwriter. Then one day perfect Hannah suddenly—without explanation—leaves her baby with Holly and disappears. Holly takes little Mason to the empty family homestead, where she can stay while she figures out how to take care of a baby and what to do with this sudden change in her life. It is there she meets Wyatt Clark, a close-mouthed, handsome cowboy who is mysteriously good with babies. And then, just as Holly can no longer imagine her life without either Mason or Wyatt, Hannah returns for her son…
Have you read the two previous books in this series? Check out Summer of Two Wishes (and learn how Wyatt came to be on that ranch) and One Season of Sunshine
February 25, 2011
WHAT I'M LOVING RIGHT NOW
Since I was such a whiner the last time I blogged, I wanted to use this post to share with you some of the fun things I've been doing the past few weeks. Where have I been? No where. What have I done? Nothing extraordinary. Just simple stuff that I'm absolutely loving! First, there's the sewing class I started taking. So much fun! I've made pillow cases, and the cutest make-up bag (with a matching credit card bag!) and next week we're making a gorgeous tote bag. Hope my mom isn't reading this, because she's getting one for Christmas, LOL!
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the tote I'll attempt to make will look sort of like this, but in different colors. Wish me luck!
Another thing I'm loving right now is my son's band, Personal Favorite. He's the drummer, and even though y'all will think I'm just saying this because I'm his mom, he really is an excellent drummer. The other two boys in the band are also extremely talented. They played their first gig last week at a bar in their college town. Me, my DH, and my two BFF's were on hand to cheer them on during their hour-long set. The place was packed! They played great songs (everything from the Beatles to Maroon 5) and were just so good!
Something else I've been doing that's so much fun is line dancing. The DH and I lead a class in our neighborhood once a week. We get a great turnout and everyone has a great time dancing (with the added benefit of burning lots of calories! A win-win!). Also enjoyable have been the tennis and pickleball matches we've played while enjoying the lovely weather. And can I just say how much of a kick we get tooling around the neighborhood in our bright red golf cart, appropriately decorated with University of Georgia banners?! Such a blast!
All decked out for the start of college football season (fall 2010)
And of course, in between all the fun, I've been working on a new book. The beginnings are always the slowest part for me, when I'm learning about the characters, feeling them out. They're starting to fall into place—and I'm also loving that.
What have you been up to lately? Have you seen any signs of spring where you live, or are you still bogged down in winter weather? What's going on with you this weekend? Hope it's a great one for you!
February 24, 2011
Out of the mouths of babes
Really Silly Girls
My littlest girl, age seven, loves to "have conversations." She'll announce that she and her daddy are going to have one, and then they'll just sit and talk. It's always a treat when I overhear these and she doesn't realize I'm around.
The other day, Isabella and Daddy were talking near my office. I wanted to work, but of course I had to listen. They covered all sorts of topics, from her favorite cereal to her chores to her allowance. Eventually, the conversation came around to the new house, and I listened even more closely. The girls loved our old house–the trees, the nature, the solitude–but the benefit of having their own rooms and having friends nearby seems to have finally erased the coolness of having tarantulas and snakes in the yard.
Isabella went through all the things she likes: the game room, not having to share with her sister, having a Wii upstairs.
Then came the P question:
"Will we get a swimming pool?" (I'm with her–I miss the pool).
"When we can afford it."
"Oh. How much is a pool?"
"Expensive."
Without missing a beat: "You can have my twenty. Can we get it now?"
We have lots of Isabella-isms, and I'm a bad mommy for not writing each and every one down. I need to film the interior of our house and edit it for future viewing!
Got any kid funnies to share? Like they say, kids say the darnedest things!
