Julia London's Blog, page 87

Pop Culture Round-Up

There has been a cornucopia of pop culture news that we really must review:

1.  First, it was with great sadness that we learned heard Elizabeth Edwards had died from cancer.  Not unexpected, but very sad all the same.  And the news that John Edwards was by her side in the end, and there for his kids, just goes to show that it's really hard to kick the bastard out with the trash when he is the father of your children and you had a long history with him.  I have no doubt that his children needed him, and I am glad he was there for them.  But what a picture that painted.  And I glad Elizabeth is no longer in pain, physically or emotionally.[image error]

2.  The Hoff has lost his mojo.  First, he was kicked off Dancing with the Stars early on (and he always had that look about him like he thought he'd be there for the long haul), and then, his reality show managed two episodes before it was canceled.  Which just goes to show us that America really does have a standard.  When you are filmed lying on the floor drunkenly trying to eat a burger, we don't like it.  Who knew that was our bottom line?[image error]

3.  Miley, Miley, Miley.  So I had this discussion with my nephew.  You are Miley Cyrus.  You are smoking something that even Steve Tyler has never heard of.  You have put yourself out there as the queen of clean teen living.  On what planet do you think it's a good idea for your friend to film you?  Don't you say to her, as she picks up her camera, "That's not a good idea?"  And then, supposedly, they fall asleep and someone steals the video?  All sounds very fishy to me.  [image error]

4.  Justin Bieber is not dating Selena Gomez.  I could not care less about this kid, but the media powers of the world are slowly shoving him down my throat with a sledge hammer in case I have a tween girl at home.  I don't.  I don't want to know anything else about this kid.  He's 16!  How can he have a biography, much less an entire movie about his rise to fame?  What has it covered, about thirty minutes?  Please, please, for all that is good and holy, let Justin Bieber go live in Japan for awhile and give us a break![image error]

Harry on my mind….

[image error]So, I think a while back I mentioned that after seeing Deathly Hallows Part 1, I wanted to re-read all the books. Well, being a freakish little Type A kinda gal, I did that, and I have to say I'm still a big fan of the re-read, especially of these books that are so rife with detail and story threads that are set up in an early book and played out in a later one. (Bravo, JKR!).

The problem, of course, is that little things stand out at you. Now, I accept the fact that I get that "oh, damn, how did that happen" feeling in my stomach when I run across a continuity error in my own books, and I have a personal rule about not reviewing books online because, well, just because. But since the Harry Potter books are essentially iconic, I'm going to bend my own rule, point out something I noticed, and ask any other Harry fans to explain what I see as a continuity error. Did I mis-read? Did I misunderstand? Or did something get past JKR and her copyeditor?

Here's my question (and it's rife with spoilers for Book 7): In Goblet of Fire, Mad Eye Moody (or, at least, his magical eye) sees Harry beneath his cloak, and he tells Harry that, yes, the eye can see under invisibility cloaks. So far so good.[image error]

Then we get to Book 7 and we learn that Harry's particular cloak is actually one of the deathly hallows, and it is THE true invisibility cloak that no one can see under, not even Death.

But Mad Eye's eye can?

What's up with that?

(And, yes, I'm on deadline. And, yes, my brain is fried. But I don't get it. And so I'm putting it out there to the collective wisdom of the universe. Or the blogisphere. Or this blog's readers…. Ideas anyone?)

When Blood Calls

MY VERY EXCELLENT BIG CITY ADVENTURE

Earlier this week I blogged about my upcoming New York City adventures and promised I'd update everyone, so here we go!  My reading and signing at Lady Jane's Salon last Monday was so much fun!  I'm no longer a reading virgin and can't wait to be invited back.  The venue (Madame X in Soho) was SO cool—all red velvet—it looks like a French bordello!  Having Whine Sisters Dee and Kathleen there made the night extra wonderful.

Me with Kathleen and Dee

 

The tree was gorgeous!

 

 Then, on Thursday evening, as an early birthday present, my husband and I took the train into the city to see a Broadway show!  First we walked from Penn station to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree and ice skaters.  It was FREEZING cold, but we were bundled up and had a great time wandering around Times Square.  We bought our favorite sugar nuts and shared a hot pretzel–NYC must-haves for us! 

Gotta have my giant hot NYC pretzel!

 

Then it was on to the Marquis Theatre to see the Donny and Marie Christmas show!  As many of you know, Donny was the first boy I ever loved, and the night we saw the show was his birthday!  The show was really great–very entertaining and we had a wonderful time. 

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I was SO tempted to put that cardboard Donny under my arm and bring him home!

Have you had any Big Adventures lately?  Who was your first celeb crush? (or your current one?!).  How are your holiday plans shaping up?

Randominity

I can think of a number of things to blog about today, but despite the true, overwhelming brilliance of all those potential blogs (no, really, trust me), I'm in a random kind of mood.

So here are some random thoughts about life, writing, and the whole shebang.

The image up top is for my upcoming Shadow Keepers novella. Beautiful, isn't it? (May 2011, folks!)

White tile with white grout in a kitchen in a house with two kids is (was) probably a mistake. If it's gray after 2 months, think how it'll be after 2 years…..

The iPad rocks (still) and it rocks even more with the upgrade.

Tangled is a lot of fun (although the soundtrack isn't nearly as memorable as other Disney and/or Pixar films). Corollary, John Lasseter is way up there on the list of people I want to meet.

Glee. Much fun. Trust me.

There's a game for the iPad called Pimple Popper. I'm rather grossed out.

Putting lights on a brick house with really high eaves is harder than anticipated.

Saw this today and thought it looked cool:

It is already almost mid-December and I haven't mailed presents yet. ACK.

I'm listening to an EXTREMELY hyped Oprah book, and I'm really not that interested. But not disinterested enough to stop. So I'm listening at 2X speed. (And bummed that I don't like it, but I really, really, really dislike all the characters. Sigh. Four hours left, which at 2X is only 2 hours. Have listened to 20+ hours so far. If it gets way better now, I'm still annoyed).

Actually, it's been a bad few months for me and books. Another book that I was really looking forward to–one in a series I love–left me so frustrated with the rambling plot and historical asides, that I gave up on it about 4/5 of the way through, and I rarely–rarely–do that.

I really want to see Due Date and Burlesque.

I really don't want to see the Justin Bieber film (although hey, more power to him for making his career).

I'm completely enamored with Levenger products, and hate Levenger prices.

I've pulled out all the Christmas dishes, and now are cabinets are so stuffed I fear for the children's lives if they're standing nearby when I open one.

I'm making Christmas fudge this weekend.

Yum.

And, finally, if you'd like a chance to win two complete series thus far (the Demon Hunting Soccer Mom and the Shadow Keepers books), pop over here and check out this post at my Julie Kenner website about my friend who's trying to build a library for the folks in Malawi.



So…

How about y'all? Any rambling Friday ramblings?

Drive-Thru Whine

Misleading title. I'm not actually whining about drive thru windows, or about getting wine at a drive-thru. Which would be an awesome idea for those quick pick-ups when you just need a bottle of wine but don't want to get out of the car– but so wrong for obvious reasons. No, I'm just talking about random driving issues today.

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My, what a big truck you have!

First, men and women are different even in their approach to cars. My stepdad got a new truck. It's a smaller size truck, just perfect for his needs and pretty good on gas. He's very proud of his new truck. My mom loves it, too. She thinks it's adorable, and she kept calling it the "Baby Truck." Until Stepdad finally snapped and told her it is NOT a baby truck! It's a regular truck. Don't call it a baby truck. Tee hee… I know what you're all thinking right now about men and trucks and size issues. It was my thought, too. Women see a truck that's a more compact size than other trucks, and we think "oh how cute!" The man driving that truck wants us to see how manly it is, not how cute. Never tell a man his truck is cute or use diminutive terms in description… just saying. Lesson learned.

Next, I nearly got killed driving home from my lunch date yesterday. Which would have been ironic considering my lunch date was with my 93 year old grandfather on his birthday and as I was driving home, I was thinking about what it takes to make it to 93. Cue oncoming car. Brake screech!

Don't you hate that you can't control other drivers on the road? I was in the passing lane behind a fairly slow moving car (not that slow, he was over the speed limit, just apparently not enough over the speed limit) when two cars sped by us in the other lane. Right after that point, the road becomes two lanes and one lane (the one that was passing lane, which explains why the slow moving car was there and not moving over) goes over the bridge and the other lane goes into a town called Agawam. Apparently, the second car, a black jeep, did not want to go to Agawam. If he wanted to be in the bridge lane, he picked a stupid time to speed by me in the Agawam lane.

And of course, the inevitable happened. Black Jeep realized that he would miss his exit. Unless he slowed down and pulled in behind me, heaven forbid, he was not going to make the bridge exit in time. So what would a reasonable driver do? Duh. Slow down, pull in. But Black Jeep decided to make a spot for himself between me and the slow mover– without using a directional signal. Just plow on in there. I had to slam on my brakes to avoid hitting him as he pulled in, and with enough force to burn rubber. WHY? I ask. Why don't people just use some common sense on the road? Was it worth nearly killing me just to get into that lane in time? When he could have just slowed down and glided right in? Or had an iota of patience and stayed in that lane in the first place? There was no one behind me, thank goodness, or we might have had a major pile-up situation. And the kicker? If he had stayed to Agawam, he would have been able to swing around the traffic circle (we call them rotaries in MA) and take the bridge anyway. UGH. Maniac drivers! Hate them.

As karma would have it, today I became the maniac driver. I was driving along on my way home from dropping my daughter off at school when a squirrel decided to haul his acorn across the street in front of me. He hesitated. I could see the panic in his eyes. I had that split second where I had to decide if I could brake or if braking would cause an accident with the car behind me. I drove on. And predictably, I could hear the poor little squirrel run right into my tire and the crunch as I rolled over him. I looked back in the rearview to see the other driver going around his lifeless little body, the acorn at his side. OH MY! I am a squirrel killer. Sob!

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Please don't hit me! Please!

But I confess that I was feeling pretty mellow. I took my husband's car and he had the classical music station on. I usually change the station, but I kept the classical music and it really does ease the road annoyances. I think it should be a law that maniac drivers and teen drivers (same thing, haha– just kidding teen drivers, kind of) should be required to listen to classical music as they drive. There would be fewer accidents. I really think there would.

Have you encountered any maniac drivers lately? Do you have any ideas to make people less maniacal on the road? Have you ever killed a poor innocent animal and had to live with the guilt? Driving pet peeves? Let's hear your driving stories!

Caroling Caroling now we go…

 

[image error]Okay, we've already established that I'm a sucker for Christmas.   I total and complete sucker.  But besides all the decorations, and egg not, and presents, and TV smaltzy movies… there are the carols.  I love Christmas Carols.  I'm the obnoxious person who switches out her regular CD's for Christmas ones the minute the Thanksgiving dishes have been cleared. 

There are the holy ones… O Holy Night, Oh come Oh Come Emmanuel (Ok that's actually Advent), Silent Night, Angels We have Heard on High (I don't think I'll ever be able to hear that song without hearing Stephen Colbert's version from his Christmas Special), O Come all Ye Faithful and countless others.

There are the ones that remind me of family – namely my father's favorite – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (if I ever get to write another Christmas novella that's going to figure in there somewhere).  Another of my father's favorite's Ave Maria.   And my Mother's love for the entire Messiah.   I still get goose bumps at certain parts.  And a spiritual I love called  Behold That Star.

Then there are the warm and fuzzy ones from TV.   You're a mean one… Mr. Grinch.   Have a Holly Jolly Christmas.   Frosty the Snowman.   We're a Couple of Misfits.  Silver and Gold.   And then there are the old standards.  Jingle Bells.   Santa Clause is Coming to Town.  I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause.  

There are modern rock versions, jazz riffs, operatic arias, country and western swing songs and probably even some rap carols.  And some that I totally missed out on the correct lyrics to.  I thought for years it was "and jelly toast"  rather than "angelic host". 

But there are three that stand out for me.   The first is actually a soundtrack—Vince Guaraldi Trio's A Charlie Brown Christmas.  It is everything I remember childhood holidays being.   The second is even more of a childhood memory.  Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer with a little (okay to my young mind – a lot) of humor (my husabnd actually tracked it down for me and gave me the album as a CD — recorded from the historic archives somewhere in Pennsylvania, and finally my favorite Christmas Carol of all time.   The Carol of the Bells.   

Click here to view the embedded video.

So turn on the disc player and warm up those toes with hot chocolate and a favorite tune.   It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!  What are your favorite holiday songs?

The Wheels on the Bus…..

Yesterday, as our sister in Whine mentioned, I want into the City to listen to the every loverly Jacquie D'Alessandro read from A Harlequin Christmas Carol. First of all, the important things: it's a great story, and Jacquie is a GREAT reader!

Going into Manhattan is usually a big honking adventure for me. My favorite mode of transport is the train, because it rides along the Hudson River and I feel very pampered on the train. However, due to the DH having the misfortune to run the car over a previously unseen curb (and it was a CURB-DOOZY), we are a one-car family this week, ergo, I took the bus.

I'd taken the bus across the river before, but I'd never taken the bus from our little hamlet directly into the city . The bus stops about five minutes from our house, but the DH was very sweet and he parked the car and waited until the bus came to pick me up. About two minutes into the wait, while I'm sitting at the little bus shelter, I get a text: YOU HAVE TO STAND UP WHEN THE BUS COMES OR HE WON'T STOP. Glad to get that key piece of information.

Not wanting to miss my bus, I stood.

Sure enough, right on schedule the bus pulled up and I hopped on.

One warm, comfortable, stress-free hour later, we were pulling into the George Washington Bridge. The ride was not nearly as scenic as the river, but hey, I was out of the freezing cold, so I was happy.

From the GW, I took the subway down to 42nd street. There's a rhythm to the subway cars, much like a boat, but the passengers are very un-boat-like. We had a lot of texters in my car, and one dude in a big silver parka with shades. I wondered about the shades. Why sunglasses? Was he vampyre? I chose not to ask.

From the A line, I took the shuttle from Times Square to Grand Central, very sardine-esque (it was 4:30). People kept stuffing in the car, and the doors kept on trying to close, but then someone would hold the door open, and people were getting very annoyed. Eventually, the subway announcer got on the loudspeaker and said something completely unintelligible. I always wondered why they even bother.

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At last I met up with my sister in Whine, Dee, and then we rode down to Soho where we promptly got lost, but eventually, we hooked up Jacquie and made our way to Lady Jane's.

So, that was the night's adventure. One Fun, Frenzied, Freezing evening in NYC.

What's your favorite mode of mass transit? Least favorite? Don't forget to comment, for your chance to win the Kindle!

EXCITING AND NEW THINGS

I'll be spending today in New York City on a whirlwind adventure.  First up is lunch with my editor and agent.  I'm always happy to see both of them, but am especially excited for this meeting as we'll be discussing strategies and plans for my upcoming contemporary single title book, Summer at Seaside Cove.

the cover for Summer at Seaside Cove

My editor read the manuscript a few weeks ago and called me around seven p.m. and said, "I couldn't wait until morning to tell you that I just finished the book and I LOVED it!  You hit it out of the park!"  Needless to say I was thrilled! The book comes out in May and is a new direction for me–a mix of contemporary romance and women's fiction.  I'm really looking forward to talking to her and my agent about the plans for the book as well as the sequel that I'll be starting right after the holidays.

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mulling various bright ideas for sequel

After lunch I'm planning to do some holiday shopping, followed by drinks with fellow Whine Sisters Dee and Kathleen!  I'll only be drinking sparkling water, however, because at 7 o'clock I'll be attending Lady Jane's Salon at Madame X (94 West Houston Street).  I'm both excited and nervous because I'm a guest speaker at the event and will be doing a reading from my current release (A Harlequin Christmas Carol)–something I've never done before!  I don't mind speaking in front of crowds, but there's something intimidating about reading words I've written out loud to an audience.  Two other authors will also be reading (Hope Tarr and Lauren Willig), then we'll all be signing books.  My husband and sister-in-law will be attending the event which will make it even more special.

I'll be reading from my story, Today's Longing

So–a big day for me!  Unfortunately it means that I won't be able to check in here during the day, but I'll leave an update of how it all went when I get back home and have internet access.  And if you're in the NYC area, I hope you'll stop by Lady Jane's.  For info check out www.Ladyjanesalon.com

 What exciting and/or new things have you experienced lately or have coming up?  Are you all ready for the upcoming holidays–or are you still in the midst of your shopping like I am?  Don't forget–leaving a comment enters you in our contest to win a Kindle and a gift card!   

Book of the Week

Just in time for your holiday reading pleasure, Pocket has re-released this anthology of regency holiday stories.  Mine is Snowy Night with a Highlander, which was a RITA finalist for best novella in 2009.  It's about a woman who has to hitch a ride with a mysterious highlander around Christmas to reach her brother.  Little does she know that she not only knows him, but she doesn't like him…until they are trapped in the snow and the Scottish wilds together.  And how appropriate this book is, since all of Europe has been blanketed by a freak snow storm!  This book is available wherever books are sold.

The great thing about anthologies is the stories are short but satisfying, and you get three historical authors for the price of one!  Jane Feather and Sabrina Jeffries penned stories set in England and Wales around Christmas, so you get a complete trip to the British Isles.

One more thing I should mention–my story is tied to my Scandalous Series.  So if you enjoyed that series, you will be right at home with this story.

Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!