Five for Friday and #icebucketchallenge for peace

So much going on: Waiting for arcs of FINDING PARIS! Working on IT WASN'T ALWAYS LIKE THIS! Working on new book ideas. Enjoying the dog days of summer -- particularly because I am also plotting out events straight through next spring and beyond, as one does in publishing. But you know summer is waning when the family has already begun our "Who's hosting Thanksgiving" discussion. Yikes!!

Also keeping the world's craziness firmly on my mind. I wish there was an #icebucketchallenge for peace, you know? Wouldn't that be great and simple? Putin would dump ice on himself and stop invading. Every leader in the Middle East would do the same. And here, too, in Ferguson. Put down the guns and pick up the ice bucket. Done. Then everyone would eat a Klondike bar and just breathe.

But for now I've got my measly five for Friday.

1. So excited that our proposals for AWP have been accepted! Minneapolis here I come! 10,000 writers and writing teachers all in one conference. That's wonderful crazy. And I get to present academic-ish panels with amazing authors: Janet Fox, Geoff Herbach, Nova Ren Suma, Nikki Loftin, Kari Anne Holt, and Laura Ruby! How grand is that?

2. Taking a break from Outlander. 6 books this summer. That is a LOT of Jamie and Claire. But you can't get enough of Jamie, you know? You really can't. Still, the series has jumped the shark more times than I can count and the plot threads whip here and there and sometimes I feel that things are thrown in just to throw them in: Meningitis! Murder! Incest! Adultery! More adultery! Illegitimate children! Rape! More rape! Explosions! More Explosions! Kidnapping! More Kidnapping! Time Travel! Pirates! Executions! Witches! More witches! Sexy Times! Hangings! Missing Limbs! More Missing Limbs! And look! it's John Hancock! And on like that. Still. I will finish the series this year. Just not right this second.

3. Some other grand book events shaping up for next spring which I am very excited about and will tell you about soon. FINDING PARIS is on its way. And soon I can show you the cover. Just a few more weeks…

4. Had an awesome time at Ft. Worth Library Round Up last weekend. Thank you a million times over to Wendy Dunn for inviting me and asking me to moderate the What's Hot in YA panel.

5. And did you know that COVERT AFFAIRS is back for another season? Well it is. Oh Auggie. Oh Annie. Everyone's spying. Everyone's keeping secrets. And I say we need more Eyal Levin. But maybe that's just me.

Monday Musings

Last Monday in July and I am not sure how that is even possible! But I think the swift passage of the summer has a lot to do with releasing a book in mid May while editing another, writing another and revising (more than once) a proposal for a future project. Plus life and some travel and various other stuff both good and bad (I'm looking at you, new AC system. But thanks for cooling us off!) Also it is Houston. And it is currently hitting 97 every day. And even walking the dog sometimes feels like more of an effort than it's worth unless I heave us out into the cooler (ha!) 80 degree air at 7AM.

Anyway.

A few observations on this steamy Monday:

1. It's almost time for SCBWI LA! One of my favorite long weekends of the year! I get to see my lovely agent. This year I get to see one of my fabulous editors! I get to hang out with writerly types and friends old and new, and learn some stuff and fan girl authors whose work I adore and if I'm lucky, drink some wine and hopefully breath in some cooler air and see the ocean. (I can see the Gulf here in Galveston, but we're having a huge seaweed issue this summer and no offense to Texas but it's just not the same as dipping my toes in the icy Pacific. )

2. Still forging through the Outlander series. Just began book 6. (maybe that's where the summer went, too!) It has jumped the shark any number of times, (see: Claire and Bree kill a buffalo with a saw and pretty much everything that happens to Roger Mac: kidnapped by pirates; sold to the Indians; hit on the head numerous times; hung… but not killed) but no matter. I am in it to win it, people. A review when I crawl to the finish line some time this fall.

3. Very much enjoyed teaching my first class this weekend -- on POV this time-- at the new start up, Writespace Houston. I do so love talking about artistic choice, among the many other issues we discussed and worked on. Hooray!

4. A little birdie has told me that arcs of FINDING PARIS will be ready some time in September. I can hardly believe it! And did I mention that the book starts in Las Vegas? I'll be talking more about FP very soon.

5. Also, Sharknado 2 is coming! This either thrills you as much as it does me or it doesn't. It the latter, shame on you for not sharing my very lowbrow tastes. In that same vein, let me list some of my current favorite summer TV moments, in no particular order:
 a. the return of Annie Walker  and Covert Affairs. Annie and Auggie. Enough said.
b. the new season of RHONY. More specifically, the final episode. More specifically, Aviva tossing her artificial leg at Le Cirque. Because.. well, do I have to explain it to you?
c. the return of RHONJ. Although the twins aren't doing it for me. But Rino. (or however you spell his name). Yeah. And the return of Dina "nobody's that f-ing zen" Manzo.
d. The Bridge. Dark and sad. But probably a fairly accurate depiction in many regards of life on both sides of the Texas border.

I could keep listing. But then you'd think I never did any work. :)

Til next time...

Grimm is back and other things that make me happy

Grimm is back! (spoiler alert... although not hugely)

And it looks to be a good season, made better only if Portland OR opened up a branch of Wolfram and Hart and Detective Nick Burkhardt had to investigate. Just saying... (and if you weren't a Buffy/Angel fan, well...Google Wolfram and Hart on that funny thing called the Internets...)

Nick has a mother and it looks like she's staying. Plus she cleaned his house, which I thought was rather spiffy of her. Gone 18 years with no contact and there she is dusting and tidying and then killing a few people in between putting a roast in the oven. (I think I made up that last part) And the police chief speaks a strange language that sounds a lot like French. And Monroe still kicks Blutbladt ass. Plus Rosalee knows shit. She knows like every potion and says things like. "Yes. It will work. But it will take 16 hours to cook." Which is this wonderful random amount of time!

Also, Juliette could stay in a coma longer, but maybe that's just my opinion.

And!! I am going to Portland in January for an event at Powell's and one at Annie Blooms and mostly what I'm thinking is, will I run into Nick and Monroe? Cause you never know...

If you have read this blog before or you now me, you know that I'm a shameless TV lover. The trashier, the better. I'm the one with the Housewives habit, after all. I feel bad when Heather is mean to Ramona even if Ramona sometimes, maybe deserves it and what is up with the whole toaster oven thing and Sonja? Can someone explain?

Plus my guiltiest of pleasure, Covert Affairs, with Auggie the blind CIA agent and Annie Walker and her many spy loves... I even adore the opening credits on this one.

What are you watching?
Why should I add it to the DVR list?

Guilty Pleasures and other Things or Occupy Thankfulness

Yes, I am just shallow enough to be thankful for guilty pleasures such as USA network's Covert Affairs which fabulously returned from its summer series status to a fall season as well. If you haven't been watching the saga of Annie Walker, CIA spy, well, you're missing out on huge fluffy sexy fun with not a drop of realism to get in the way. Except maybe tonight when Annie almost got shot. That was sort of real. Or last week when she pretended to love the hot Israeli Mossad agent... except maybe she really does... yeah, that was real. Or anything involving character Auggie Anderson, who lost his sight in Iraq but still manages to be quite the sexy super spy as evidenced by the photo above. Yes, the writers seem to have exponentially increased the opportunities for Auggie to take his shirt off. Smart folks, those writers.

In the real world as I get ready to make spinach dip and pumpkin pies and cranberry sauce and all the other things that I'm bringing to our family/friends who are like family feast tomorrow, I am also thankful for: the aforementioned family and friends, and also my mentors, agent, editors, local booksellers... everyone in my world who laughs with me, nudges me, teaches me, makes my world a fuller and miraculous place. It takes a village and I adore mine!

Eat too much tomorrow if you can. Watch the Macy's parade. Go for a long walk. Hug someone you love. Say thank you early and often. And with all due respect to every righteous protest going on, let's just Occupy Thankfulness. Cause I think we all have a damn lot to be thankful for. Even on days when we think we don't.

Want to tell me something you're especially thankful for? Leave a comment. And then go eat some more pie.