Laura Benedict's Blog, page 18
May 27, 2017
Daily Handbasket: Saturday Serendipity, 27 May 17
Random Bits
Of course I have to start with this week’s big news about my next book coming out with Mulholland Books. I’m so excited…Here are the all the details.
Chocolate is good for your heartbeat. Duh.
Italy is giving away castles and other historic buildings for free. There’s a catch or two, of course.
Gorgeous actress Dina Merrill has died. What a life she had!
If you’re into psychedelics, it looks like mushrooms are the way to go.
Books and Things
Have you ever worried th...
May 25, 2017
Daily Handbasket: That Exotic Dancer Dream
(I don’t think exotic dancers like this one are in any mini-mall on the planet.)
This will crack you up.
I know I complain about having horribly prosaic dreams. I wake up counting things, or trying to remember directions to where I was driving in a dream. So many dreams about searching for high school classes I haven’t attended all semester, and math quizzes. It’s like I can’t get enough of real life and so drag it to bed with me. But occasionally I’ll have a dream that is completely orig...
May 24, 2017
Daily Handbasket: Blue Skies and No Snakes in Sight
6:00 and blue skies on the pond
These past few days have been lovely in our little corner of Southern Illinois. The temperature hovered between 65 and 70 degrees today, and last week’s rain made everything explode with life. (I’m sure that includes snakes and spiders, too, but we won’t talk about that.) I feel like I’ve spent months and months inside, but we live in a place that is wonderful for getting outside and…breathing–so I’ve been doing just that. Of course, here in about two weeks i...
May 23, 2017
Daily Handbasket: Stone Angels
Precious and inspiring.
What does a writer do the day after she sells her latest book to a publisher? Why, she gets back to work, of course.
I just finished drafting a 10K word gothic story. (No, I didn’t do it all in a day this time!) The title is Stone Angels. At least it is for now…I actually wrote it in about ten days, which makes it kind of a quick project. Now must edit and polish up.
The photo was taken at the Cincinnati Art Museum, one of my fave travel-to museums. Do you have any t...
Daily Handbasket: Really Big News Edition!
My kind of celebration–books and chocolate and champagne for everyone!
Guess what?!
Don’t worry, I’m not really going to make you guess. I’ve been dying to share the news: One Last Secret, the novel I finished a couple of months ago, has found a home with Mulholland Books in both the US and UK!!!! Emily Giglierano at Mulholland is my new editor in the US, and I can’t wait to work with her. And even before One Last Secret sold here, it was pre-empted by Droemer-Knaur in Germany for the Germa...
May 22, 2017
Daily Handbasket: Finding Work, Finding Myself
Probably time for a trip to the grocery, too.
If you caught my Sunday Instagram, you know I spent lots of time yesterday cleaning my refrigerator. I won’t give you all the gory details, but suffice it to say, I realized it wasn’t clean in hidden (and not so hidden) places. It started with my noticing a nearly empty shelf with frittlins (yes, that’s a word in Laura Speak) on it, so I popped the shelf off and washed it in the sink. It sparkled so, I decided to do another and another. All...
May 20, 2017
Daily Handbasket: Sunday, 21 May 17
Life is not a solo act. It’s a huge collaboration, and we all need to assemble around us the people who care about us and support us in times of strife. —Tim Gunn
Tim Gunn is my favorite fashion wiseman, and this quote speaks volumes about his positive and generous spirit. I’ve been thinking about collaboration and support lately, and how important it is–not just in times of strife–but even when times are good. We are not meant to be alone. More on this later this week.
What are you up...
May 19, 2017
Daily Handbasket: Saturday Serendipity, 20 May 17
The Not-Too-Serious List:
Oh, my. Plants may be able to hear, and can sense water even when it’s behind plastic. Also, they know when they’re being eaten. *shudders*
Soooo, the Dynasty reboot has a trailer. Looks like fun in an over the top evening soap opera way.
The King of the Netherlands has been secretly piloting KLM flights for decades.
Pippa Middleton’s wedding is today. I don’t know about you, but I’m really only interested in seeing pics of those cutie-pies, Prince George and Prin...
The Daily Handbasket: Saturday Serendipity, 20 May 17
The Not-Too-Serious List:
Oh, my. Plants may be able to hear, and can sense water even when it’s behind plastic. Also, they know when they’re being eaten. *shudders*
Soooo, the Dynasty reboot has a trailer. Looks like fun in an over the top evening soap opera way.
The King of the Netherlands has been secretly piloting KLM flights for decades.
Pippa Middleton’s wedding is today. I don’t know about you, but I’m really only interested in seeing pics of those cutie-pies, Prince George and Prin...
Daily Handbasket: The Friday Late Edition
(I don’t buy all my clothes in gas station markets, but if I do, you can bet they’ve got to be pretty darned adorable)
It’s still Friday somewhere, yes?
I was exhausted from sorting and hauling and shopping and laughing and running through the lightning/rain yesterday, and fell asleep in my hotel room in Champaign last night before I could get the blog up. And today there was more of the same, though fortunately little rain. But my daughter has weeded everything out that she could and we t...
