As I have previously confessed on this blog, I am a baking-challenged person. Today's confession is that I'm also challenged at the visual arts. That means that this time of year, when people are putting cute little decorated vegetables on their doorsteps, shows me for the stick-figure artist I am. Also, I'm a klutz and big knives scare me.
So rather than compete with my mom, who painted her pumpkin as an idyllic, full-color rendition of Bag End, complete with cotton-fluff smoke coming from the chimney...
...or risk chopping off my fingers with a big knife, this year I decided to bring my own branch of art to the pumpkin-decorating frenzy.
Poetry!
This pumpkin is my attempt both to sidestep artistic humiliation and contribute to world literacy levels and cultural awareness. Come on, little Rapunzels and Captain Americas. Have some candy. And some extra brain cells.
These famous opening lines spiral consecutively around the pumpkin, creating both a ghostly ambience and celebrating the beauty of words.
Now, here's the challenge. Using only these snippets of famous opening lines, plus the author's name in the photo below, can you identify this poem? Ten kudos points to whoever gets it right (and no cheating by my friends or family members who've already seen it in person)!
Ever wondered what a day in the life of a published author is like? Does the muse sing gracefully while fingers race on the keyboard to keep up? Or is it more like piles of coffee cups and shredded drafts? Do published authors have second jobs? What are their geeky secrets? And what do they think about e-books vs. paper?
Free image courtesy of stock.xchng and nkzs
Well, today we're lucky enough to find out, because I'm doing my first author interview on this blog! Local author (and my good friend) Angela Wallace has just self-published her 5th title, an urban fantasy called Earth Tones, which is the third in her Elemental Magic series. She is now sitting in my virtual living room, ready to reveal her secrets. Muahaha.
I mean, welcome, Angela.
1. Let's talk about book love (since that's obviously one of my favorite topics). How old were you when you fell in love
with reading? Can you remember what book/ books inspired you?
I fell in love with reading the moment I learned how. I’d
go to every Scholastic book fair and read enough books to get a prize every
time. Some of my favorite books were Tamora Pierce’s quartets Song of the
Lioness and The Immortals. They started with a young child with dreams or
special powers, and the books followed their growth into young adulthood. I
loved the journey. And the fantasy worlds. ;-)
2. What was the first story you ever finished about?
It was a YA sci-fi about a teenage rebel group in a post-apocalyptic United States. I guess the correct term would be dystopian, but it was heavy with space pods and ray guns. I wrote it when I was ten.
3. If you could have lunch with anyone,
living or dead, who would it be and why?
A. W.
Tozer. I love his book, The Pursuit of God, and I imagine it would be an
extraordinary conversation.
4. Juggling jobs is one of my biggest challenges. How does a published author support herself? Is writing your only job?
I’m also a sign language interpreter. I work at a couple
local colleges interpreting classroom lectures. It’s great because I get to
keep learning new subjects, but don’t have to work for a grade!
5. What is the geekiest thing about you? Because we have to know :)
I know how to write a form of Tolkien’s elvish runes. I
used to exchange letters with a friend in high school written in them. It also
makes a very handy code to keep passwords in.
6. What are some of the weirdest
ways you've gotten story ideas?
Dreams, for one. I’ve dreamed a few complete story plots from
beginning to end, though they don’t often get written down. If I could just
dream about the novels I’m actually working on, I could save time!
7. Now that you can look back on the completion of your latest book, Earth Tones, what was your favorite part of writing
this book?
Hm, I think it was getting to
know a new main character, plus getting to play with a new element. There was a
lot more opportunity for Nita to communicate with animals, and the earth
wielding in fight scenes was fun too.
Angela's latest book, Earth Tones, is the third in her Elemental Magic series.
8. You publish both paper books and e-books. As an avid reader yourself, which do you prefer, and why?
It depends. I do like paper books, seeing the cover on the front, seeing my progress as I turn the pages. But some of them are really fat and it hurts my wrist to hold them, lol. Then I like e-books better because it’s much lighter to carry around.
9. Online self-publishing gets a lot of media attention these days. So what do you like about self-publishing?
I like keeping control over my story. (Yes,
I’m a control freak.) I also like working at my own pace. I can be a drill
sergeant on myself, but am well aware that “life happens.” It’s easier to give
myself permission to be flexible than it is to ask for it from someone else.
10. Anything you don't like about it?
The marketing, lol. Though, traditionally published
authors have to do much the same. Putting together this blog tour was a big
step for me!
11. Are there
are any fun scenes in Earth Tones that didn’t end up in the final draft?
There was this cute scene I wanted to use, but it just
didn’t fit anywhere in the story. Nita and her boyfriend Keenan are leaving the
house when they find a moose on the porch. I learned that this is a very
dangerous situation and that people are actually trapped in their homes until
the moose decides to leave on its own. Now, Nita could just tell the moose to
get lost with her earth magic, but instead she says they’ll have to put their
plans on hold, and with a suggestive smile, hints that they can figure out
something else to fill their time with.
Thank you for your time and insights, Angela!
If Earth Tones captures your fancy, check it out on Amazon. And watch the book trailer on Youtube (trailers aren't just for movies anymore)! Authors nowadays--especially self-published--are Jacks and Jills of many trades, and Angela turned moviemaker to promote her new book. Check it out.
You can also read the book description:
Nita Young doesn’t know if she has a future with college sweetheart Keenan Donovan—two star-crossed lovers of opposing elements—but she invites him up to Alaska to see if Earth and Water can rekindle their old flame. When a series of wild animal attacks strike the inhabitants of Yakutat, Nita has to put her romantic plans on hold. Mangled bodies are turning up, and a mysterious black panther has been spotted in the woods. Fur, scales, and a venomous bite suggest the cat is supernatural in origin—and evidence indicates that someone not only summoned it, but is using it to target those Nita cares about. It’s the perfect murder weapon: no fingerprints, no evidence. And in a town this small, the killer is someone she knows. Nita’s strength will be put to the test as she faces losing her friends, her town, and the man she loves.
To connect with Angela: Angela Wallace loves gun-toting good boys and could have been a cop in another life except for the unfortunate condition of real blood making her queasy. Good thing writing gun and sword fights isn’t a problem. In her books you’ll find the power of love, magic, and redemption.
Well, I was going to write an elaborate and fascinating post on used bookstores.
Hopefully I still will, at some point. But not today. I've got something else on my mind.
Chocolate chip cookies.
Free image courtesy of Stock.xchng and superfloss
I usually have chocolate chip cookies on the brain in some form or other. Warm on a napkin, with the chocolate just a little bit melty, they make my shoulders unclench any time of day. I'm an absentminded baker who tends to calculate quantities wrong, but for these cookies, I try harder to get them right. They were one of the American delicacies I missed most in Britain. But now they're on my mind for a different reason.
It was Wednesday night, a hard night, a gloomy night. An odometer-raising, package-juggling, asparagus-and-tears-for-dinner night. Grandma's not doing well, and the pressure had me full under its thumb that night. I was supposed to meet a friend for coffee, but though I love talking to her, I just didn't want to on Wednesday. I didn't want to talk. I wanted to sit and watch British TV until my mind melted into oblivion. I texted her.
She came anyway. Showed up on my doorstep, skipped coffee. Carried in her hands a green recyclable grocery bag. Containing chocolate chip cookies.
People say all kinds of things to friends who are hurting. Sometimes they're well-meaning things like Every cloud has a silver lining. Or God works out everything for the good of those who love him. Maybe they're true things. But when the wave of suffering knocks you over from behind and tumbles you on the sand until your skin is scraped raw and you can't remember which way is up, even true things don't help.
Free image courtesy of stock.xchng and storm11080
Suffering is a quiet place, a place where the rules don't work right and you have to reinvent the wheel. Like falling in love, it's a different experience for every person, and it feels like no one has ever experienced it before. That's why platitudes, no matter how true, don't help. They're words. And while I love words dearly, you can't use them to set a shattered arm or leg. Like sticky, cheerful Disney-character band-aids, they're utterly helpless to solve the mystery and horror of bone sticking through skin.
My friend couldn't fix my problems on Wednesday night. She didn't try. Instead, she listened with her full attention (I did end up talking) and gave me a hug (thank you, dear). The chocolate chip cookies she brought said I don't have all the answers. But I love you anyway. And somewhere between soggy Kleenex and melty chocolate pieces, I found the strength to keep going til tomorrow. That's what helps.
Lately music has been helping me where words fall short. So if you're in that quiet place tonight, reinventing the wheel or staring at shattered bone, here's a song that another friend showed me today. It's not a solution. But maybe it'll be like chocolate chip cookies on your doorstep.
If you're not laughing yet, realize that fashion is never a word that has belonged in the same sentence with my name. Maybe I would be at the height of it if I walked into a medieval castle, a Civil War ballroom, or a British tea party--but as for the fashions of today, I've been chronically clueless since I was old enough to dress myself.
That's not to say I don't like to look good in my clothes. Or that I don't have a sense of taste (however eclectic it may be). But I'd consider that more "personal style," a notion of what I like and what looks good on me, than an awareness of what Parisian designers are sending down the runways this season.
However, in the last few months, fashion hasn't been as far away from me as in the past. For one, my mom and I have been faithfully following a BBC show from the '90s, The House of Eliott, which follows a pair of sisters who start their own fashion house in 1920s London. Besides having a great story with compelling characters, the show's costumes are gogglingly gorgeous. And as I learn more about sewing and design, it helps me to better understand an industry that once seemed mysterious and ridiculous.
Beatrice and Evangeline Eliott, protagonists of TheHouse of Eliott
Last month I also went with my grandparents to a San Francisco museum exhibition of fashion by Jean Paul Gaultier in San Francisco. Though Gaultier is known as the enfant terrible of French fashion and I would never actually wear any of the outfits I saw on display, it was a fascinating glimpse into fashion as an art and science. The very name haute couture (French, of course) means "high sewing."
Gaultier fashions on mannequins with moving faces!
In addition to the costumes themselves (displayed on mannequins with moving faces!), there was a documentary tracking the last 48 hours leading up to a Gaultier fashion show. Backstage, away from all the paparazzi cameras and snobbish facial expressions, was a busy hive of incredibly talented seamstresses who specialized in turning one man's eye for whimsy into precise creations of stitches and sequins. Every garment for a fashion show is made completely by hand, some of them representing 200 man-hours or more.
A galleon headdress made entirely out of red beads
There's also an enormous amount of creativity involved. Again, while I didn't see any of the garments as really wearable for myself, conceptually I found them very interesting. Gaultier experimented with unexpected materials and combinations: artificial crocodile skin and crochet, knit and tulle, gold lame and seashells, leather and feathers, even human hair. He also chose themes for his fashion shows that tickled my fancy as a writer: mermaids, madonnas, even human body systems.
So, while you may never catch a glimpse of high fashion in my wardrobe, I have gained some respect for the field as a creative art and a highly skilled craft. I do prefer wearing my personal style, though. It's my humble opinion that people always look best wearing what suits them, rather than whatever happens to be trending at the moment.
And now I pass the fashion-commentary baton to those more qualified. For further reading, check out this mash-up:
Here's an unusual factoid about me: I've never had a boyfriend. Yes, you heard me right, 5th-grade girls from summer camp. It IS possible to pass the age of 18 without hunting boys for sport. Promise.
But though I may not have much experience in the area of romantic relationships, it doesn't mean I don't know anything about them. Sometimes a 3rd-party perspective is the most credible, and I certainly have a degree of objectivity. So I'd like to share some things I've learned about relationships...from the process of buying a car.
Free image courtesy of stock.exchange
What do a car and a potential marriage partner have in common, you ask? One is a high-tech metal machine that takes you places, while the other is a human being, full of opinions and dreams, with whom you will spend the rest of your life learning to meld. But both cars and lifelong relationships are huge decisions. And most involved decision-making processes have things in common. So as I was learning about transmission fluid and PSI, the writer in me was noticing things that could be cross-applied.
So here are the results:
1. Don't start test-driving until you're actually in the market to buy.
Though I'd saved enough money to buy a car long before this year, I decided not to start shopping until I knew I had the income to support it (insurance, gas, maintenance, etc.). Now I'm glad I did--because once I put my hands on Baby's wheel, I was so dazzled that it would have been hard to let go, even if I'd been financially unready for her. You kind of have to stay away from Craigslist entirely until you're ready for the possibility that you might buy a car. I think the same goes for dating and marriage. Yes, my dear 11-year-olds--I'm talking to you. Not in the market to buy, don't start shopping.
2. Get plenty of advice from plenty of sources--especially some with credibility.
From the adult friend who coached me on used-car salesmanship techniques to my cousin who listened for rattles in the engine to the fellow Corolla driver who proudly declared that the trunk was large enough to fit 2 bodies...I got lots of advice before making my decision. Almost everyone over 16 has a story about buying, or at least driving, a car. No one person has all the answers, but by talking to lots of people, I got a big picture of some do's and don'ts. Most helpful of all was the advice of my mechanic, a man who has made car health his profession for decades. When I got the go-ahead from him, I knew I could rest easy about buying this car. Similarly, when considering the possibility of a relationship, it seems sound to get all the input and advice you can, especially from those who are experienced judges of character.
3. Know the flaws you're buying.
One of the people I asked for advice told me, "When you buy a used car, you're buying somebody else's problems." Since I didn't want to end up stranded on a highway somewhere, from the moment I saw Baby, I started to look for what those problems might be. Sure, it made me feel like a cynic as I cranked all the knobs, pushed all the buttons, and made sudden sharp turns, but I didn't want to rush into a purchase only to regret it later. Baby (even I will admit) isn't perfect, but her flaws are mostly minor and cosmetic. I can live with those things, knowing I can rely on her to take me places reliably and safely. Likewise, evaluating a potential mate thoroughly at first can help prevent breakdowns on the highway later.
4. Take time to make your decision.
Since Baby used to be a rental car, the company let me rent her for the weekend to do an "extended test drive." Lesson learned: extended test drives are really, really good. I had time to discover Baby's strengths and weaknesses, imagine myself driving her everywhere, and sleep on the decision before entering negotiations. I loved not being rushed or put on the spot. And I've had almost no buyers' remorse. If taking time to make a wise decision is so important for a car that will last 8-10 years, how much more important is it for a marriage that will last a lifetime!
5. Sometimes you do buy the first car you test-drive.
People told me to expect to drive 10-12 used cars before finding "the one," and to be ready to walk away if a car wasn't right. I was ready to walk away. I honestly didn't expect to find the ideal car the first time I called about a Craigslist ad. But all my prerequisites were in place: I was in a position to buy, I had lots of advice, and thanks to the extended test drive, I had a pretty good idea of what flaws I was facing. So when the first car that zipped into my life turned out to be perfect for me, I was ready to make an offer. It felt weird that I hadn't experienced more options, but I know I would have been crazy to turn Baby down. Maybe it's not necessarily about how many people you date, but about being ready when the right one comes along.
Free image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono and Freedigitalphotos.net
All right, laugh, my friends in the Pacific Northwest. Here in California, it doesn't just rain all the time. It isn't something to be taken for granted. And not just if you work for the Water Department.
This morning's rain only lasted a few minutes, just barely wet the ground, but it was special. Have you ever really watched it rain before? It's magical.
It's the first silver puddles of the season.
It's dusty dribbles on Baby's windshield that make me glad I didn't wash her yesterday.
It's dark thunderheads gilded with bright edges by a sun that's there, but that you can't see.
It's sharp contrasts in the sky and wet asphalt on the ground.
It's a fine veil sewn all over with silver stitches.
It's an eager rustle, like the crinkle of a safe blanket coming up to your chin, like the whisper of a fairy godmother's skirts.
It's a soft, growing smell, a smell of motion and of rising, a halfway dusty smell, like the pages of an old book.
And it's a cool breeze blowing through your house, straight through open windows, sweeping away the stagnant heat of a long, hot summer. It's ushering in something new, an anticipation of what may be.
Fall is just around the corner! What do you look forward to about this new season?
This Saturday, September 1st, marks a very special occasion.
It's my first blogiversary!
Twelve months of blogging, oh my. It gives me cause to look back and trace the journey.
Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Anusorn P. Nachol
Twelve months ago, I was fresh out of college, sitting down at my computer to start a career as a freelance writer/editor. I was finishing up the messy first draft of a 100,000-word children's novel. Since then, I've picked up work as a tutor in addition to accepting freelance projects. The novel is now in its 3rd draft and is 25,000 words shorter. I've made new friends in the blogosphere and learned to use Twitter and Goodreads. In the last 12 eventful, rocky, sometimes nail-biting months, I've also learned a few things.
I remember rewriting my first blog post probably ten times. I was too nervous to share an imperfect work with the world. Now, whether I like it or not, I don't have time to make each post perfect. Aunt Josephine tries to make sure my content is grammatically error-free, but sometimes my ideas come out half-baked. I guess that's part of growth--admitting that not everything you do is perfect.
My first batch of blog posts were mostly academic. I stuck to writing about books, teaching, and the employment crisis of twenty-somethings. I thought I could only contribute what I knew. In December, though, I took a leap of faith and wrote about grieving during the holidays. Since then, a friend pointed out, I've invested more of myself into my posts. Books, Reading, and Writing are still some of my biggest labels, but if you read the sidebar, you'll now notice topics like Caregiving, Conflict, and Singleness joining the repertoire. These posts, while sometimes raw, challenge me to honesty in my writing.
It's also nice to get read. While it's not something I have total control over, it's nice to know that this blog isn't a total waste of space on the Internet. Thanks to you, Best Beloved Readers, this blog has gone from 250 readers a month last September, to nearly 1000 this month. Over 8000 people have visited this blog in the last year! That's exciting to me, and I'm grateful to you for continuing to read faithfully. A writer without readers may become, in Shakespeare's words, "a tale / told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / signifying nothing." (Macbeth V.5)
Thankfully, that doesn't appear to be the case. I've recently been honored to receive 2 blogging awards: One Lovely Blog and Very Inspiring Blogger. Many thanks to my friend Ellen V. Gregory, an Aussie writer who muses about books, writing, and occasionally cats, for passing them on.
I was supposed to share 7 things about myself in order to receive this award, but I think reviewing 12 months of blogging kind of covers my bases :)
And now I must nominate 15 other lovely bloggers for these awards. I'm going to break the rules again. I'll give a shout-out to a few blogs I've especially enjoyed reading lately, but if you want to play, leave me a comment! I think you deserve the chance.
