Five for Friday plus queso

Last Friday in January! How did that happen?

1. Have the Super Bowl menu planned out because this is the hubs' favorite thing in the universe. So queso it is. And meatballs and guac for me because what is a festive occasion without guacamole? Does anyone remember Oz on an old BTVS episode, parsing the difference between party/shindig/hootenany? I think they were prepping for a Buffy birthday surprise party and Cordelia was in charge of dip… Buffy's birthdays were always tragic, btw. Especially in season 2. And in January, I do believe. Oh, and also little pigs in blankets. Because, yeah.

2. Somewhere today I will also: finish another 50 pages of FINDING PARIS revisions, finish critiquing a manuscript for a friend, and create some curriculum for an ed consulting job I've taken on. I believe coffee needs to be involved.

3. Reading OUTLANDER. Loving it. Claire doesn't seem to miss her husband much now that she's been tossed into 18th century Scotland, but what the heck there's Jamie. Oh Jamie. You wild, kilted Scotsman, you.

4. Kick-butt time last weekend at YAK FEST in Keller, Tx, which is west of Ft. Worth. Great panel mates: Heather Reid, Tara Hudson, Mary Lindsey, Victoria Scott, and panel moderator Lindsey Cummings. Awesome fans and librarians! Amazing organizers! And I got to meet and hang out with some authors I have fan-girled for a while now, including WINGER author Andrew Smith and the fabulous maker of dragons, Julie Kagawa and of course our keynote Neal Schusterman (I have never gotten over that unwind scene in UNWIND, Neal! Never!) And of course my other Texas author buddies including the delightful Sophie Jordan (her launch of UNINVITED was last night at Murder by the Book and it was packed!) and Mari Mancusi and many, many more.

5. Other stuff, too, but why bore you? I know what you really want is my super secret queso recipe. One block of Velveeta. One can of Rotel. Microwave til melty. Put out some cut up veggies for show. Then grab the bag of tortilla chips and dip away.

(Also, fun fact and absolutely true story: It was Super Bowl Sunday in 2006 when I queried agents during half time about Dreaming Anastasia. 1 rejected me before half time was over. 1 never responded. 2 responded almost immediately and wanted partials and then fulls. One of those was Laura Rennert of ABLA, who said she was passing the manuscript on to a new agent who she thought would be a good match. That agent was Michelle Andelman, who sold my first book to Sourcebooks. And when she left ABLA, I landed with the brilliant Jen Rofe who has been my business partner to this very day. The lesson here: A LOT CAN HAPPEN while you're eating queso and quac!!)