On Bon Courage and Whether or Not to Kill Off Your Characters

So I spent most of last month in ANOTHER COUNTRY (France)!

It was only my second non-book related trip outside of the US since I first got published. I felt a little guilty about it (proof you are a workaholic: when you feel guilty for taking non-work related trips), butit was for a good cause: to celebrate my mom’s 70th birthday! All she wanted for her birthday was for her loved ones to go to France with her.

My mom is an artist (much like the mom of Mia Thermopolis) and she likes French art,...