Dating the Tooth Fairy

On the Writing Front

2012-01-19T19:39:00.005-07:00

I've been working on my current novel today. It's the fourth book in a series about a seventeen-year-old girl who is normal, growing up in a family where everyone has a superpower. I'm really, really close to the climactic midnight scene, but my characters had hours to go until midnight. Now I'm trying to gloss over those hours, but somehow they are having gun safety and a crash course in

The Books I Read in December

2012-01-07T20:54:00.002-07:00

The Intruders, by Michael MarshallMost of the time I was reading this thriller, I had no clue what was going on. And I liked it. The book opens with a hit on an unsuspecting mother and son. Somehow this is related to a child wandering away from her mother, a man who suspects his wife is having an affair, and a super creepy dude posing as an FBI agent. It was a fun ride, but the big reveal was

The Books I Read in September, October, and November

2011-12-04T19:03:00.003-07:00

My sad little neglected blog will be sad and neglected no more! But still probably little . . . Anyway, I do love my blog, and I want to keep it up. I want to jumpstart it now instead of waiting until the first of the year and calling it a resolution. So! To start off the resurgence, it's time to catch up on my book reviews. Don't worry--the fall was kind of lean.A Game of Thrones, George R.R.

The Books I Read in August

2011-09-09T19:13:00.002-06:00

The Blood King, by Gail Z. MartinThe next (and final?) installment in the Chronicles of the Necromancer. It was a good story, culminating in Tris's fight with the sorcerer Foor Arontala, but I think it could have been a lot shorter. A LOT.The Passage, by Justin CroninIt begins with a scientific expedition to South America. The goal is to find a way to extend human life. 100 years later, the U.S.

Books I Read in July

2011-08-03T20:29:00.002-06:00

Full Dark, No Stars, by Stephen KingFour novellas. One was boring, kind of a less fun retread of Thinner (Fair Extension). One was alternately boring and horrid (1922). One was horribly compelling (Big Driver). And I can't remember the other one. :P Goodreads tells me it's A Good Marriage, which was actually pretty good, now that I recall.Favorite Quote: "This was the Darker Life, where every

The Books I Read in June

2011-06-30T16:19:00.000-06:00

The Sherlockian, by Graham Moore This is a novel for true Holmes enthusiasts. It alternates chapters between present-day and Arthur Conan Doyle's time, the years following his killing off of Sherlock Holmes. I would have a read a whole book with just the Arthur Conan Doyle chapters. I didn't need the frame story in the present day. The end was kind of a letdown, and the excessive cussing in the

The Books I Read in June

2011-06-30T15:36:00.000-06:00

The Books I Read in May

2011-06-03T07:22:00.000-06:00

This month looks like another lean one compared to previous months, but I'm still reading about a book a week. Which is more than average for most people. The Cabinet of Curiosities, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child I'm having so much fun reading the Pendergast books in preparation for #11, Cold Vengeance, which comes out in August. I was up until midnight reading the last 30 pages. In this

The Books I Read in April

2011-05-09T11:53:00.000-06:00

It was a leaner month, and there were at least two books I abandoned before finishing. Sing You Home, by Jodi Picoult The central issue in this novel is whether a newly saved former alcoholic or his ex-wife, a newly married lesbian, will receive the embryos they had frozen before the breakdown of their marriage. Gay rights is an enormous part of the book, and I was highly skeptical about whether

The Books I Read in February

2011-02-28T18:32:00.002-07:00

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne CollinsIn post-apocalyptic America, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to participate in the annual Hunger Games so that her young sister doesn't have to when her name is drawn. America had a civil war, and the result was that the country was divided into twelve districts. A boy and girl "tribute" is drawn from each district every year, and those 24 kids must compete in the

Jumping the Spark, Part Two

2011-02-10T23:32:00.002-07:00

Smallville has a wonderful amount of relationship angst, but it is not alone. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel are obvious examples. Every relationship on those shows is fraught with peril, and few of them end well. I’ve boiled some of them down to a simple list:Buffy + Angel: He’s a vampire, she’s a vampire slayer. She dies. She comes back. He goes evil. She kills him a split

Jumping the Spark, Part One

2011-02-09T17:15:00.003-07:00

(Warning: contains spoilers for Smallville)In the TV business, it’s called the Moonlighting Syndrome, or “jumping the spark.” Viewership is high while the two love interests dance around each other in a will-they-or-won’t-they tango. But once they actually get together, interest wanes. TV shows try to solve this by throwing huge, unlikely obstacles in the couple’s path to happiness. Sometimes it

What I Read This Month

2011-01-29T16:39:00.002-07:00

Thanks, Joy, for this great idea! Much better than a long list at the end of the year that doesn't say much. On Joy's list, she had her favorite quote from each book. I'd like to start doing that, but a good number of these were library books that have already been returned, so quotes for this month will be sparse.I'm using the rating system from Goodreads.com. 1=didn't like it. 2=it was ok. 3=

Books I Read in 2010

2010-12-31T14:06:00.000-07:00

1. The Charnel Prince--Greg Keyes 2. The Book of the Dead--Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (re-read) 3. The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening--L.J. Smith (I have a feeling the TV series is better.) 4. The Wheel of Darkness--Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (re-read) 5. The Scarpetta Factor--Patricia Cornwell 6. Truly, Madly--Heather Webber (An ARC from Goodreads.) *7. Dispatches from the Edge--

2010 Recap of Sorts

2010-12-27T08:25:00.001-07:00

My lovely Mary did this on her blog, which inspired me, although I must say, it was really hard. Some of these lists took me a few days.10 Best (or Most Significant) Events of 20101. CleanPlace Moot2. Living in our new place3. The King Tut exhibit in Denver4. Having Heather here for a week5. Playing "Where Are Your Keys?"6. CleanPlace Moot concert7. Watching Eclipse with Gina8. Seeing the first

The Ultimate Jenny Lemon Playlist

2010-12-03T15:25:00.000-07:00

Jenny Lemon is the lame working title (or appellation in lieu of an actual title) of my YA series. And it will definitely be a series, since I can now see the end of book #3 in sight, which paves the way for a fourth book. The basic premise is about a 16-year-old girl who is the only powerless person in a family where everyone has some kind of superpower. Instead of actually writing last night, I

How Fascinating!

2010-09-03T21:03:00.006-06:00

2010 Moot, Part OneAt the 2010 Moot campfire, I made the comment to someone that I couldn’t imagine dreading the Moot, as several of my teens had mentioned. I really can’t, as a 31-year-old mentor. I look forward to it all year, and not going is not an option for me.But as I write this, I recall my teenage self. Having grown up mostly computer-free, I can’t really say whether or not I would have

Not Growing Up Geek

2010-07-24T12:43:00.004-06:00

I was not born a geek. Does that make me a poser? Or am I just a "johnny-come-lately" (oh, how I hate that phrase) to the land that is Geek? Turning 31 very soon, I am of ripe geek age, on the tail-end of Gen X. My geekstory may shed a little light on my geek vs. wannabe status.I was not born into a geek family. My dad is a carpenter. My mom spent years in Human Resources and is now the

2010-06-14T21:23:00.004-06:00

CrushThere's been a little side discussion on CleanPlace about crushes. Most of the girls (guys noticeably absent) that weighed in have admitted to having crushes, on actors, fictional characters, and real-life guys. What's worse? Having a crush on some famous person you know you'll never have a chance with? Or having a crush on someone who doesn't actually exist?That's about as deep as my

2010-04-25T17:47:00.002-06:00

I'm In Love With Me"To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance." --Oscar WildeI have been posting my current work-in-progress, a novel titled I Am No Hero, in 1000-word chunks on CleanPlace, the site where I mentor teen writers. What is posted online has nearly caught up to what I've written so far.Today I posted the climactic scene from the end of Part One, and I totally fell in

2010-01-20T22:33:00.000-07:00

"It's for some stupid, noble reason, isn't it?"Some days writing novels just doesn't seem like a noble enough pursuit. I watch Fox News as children are pulled from rubble a week after the earthquake in Haiti, and they're still alive, and I watch Anderson Cooper put down his camera to pick up a bleeding boy and carry him away from the looters who had injured him, and I think, "This writing thing--

Update

2009-11-30T18:49:00.000-07:00

That is all I have to say.

The End of the Beginning--Part One

2009-10-28T12:45:00.000-06:00

(This is who I picture in my head when I write about Hereward.) November is fast approaching, and most of you know by now that it's National Novel Writing Month. It will be my sixth year to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Last year I wrote the first draft of a story that's been in my head for ages, one that I had started many times but kept changing things. I'll tell you more about that story in

Quote of the Day

2009-10-13T13:54:00.000-06:00

I LOVED this book. Amazing. The friend who recommended it told me it would cause me to question my faith, but I think it strengthened my faith. What an amazing story of one man, a Jesuit priest, going from an intellectual relationship with God to a personal relationship with God. And written by someone who is not overtly Christian. Awesome. (R-rated, though. FYI.) And did I mention it's science

Stranded

2009-10-11T11:28:00.000-06:00

I missed Great Books Blogging Week, but I like some of the topics, so I thought I'd do them on my own time. The question of which books you'd want if you were stranded on the proverbial desert island is asked often, but how often is it answered honestly? I think a lot of people pick books they've been meaning to read for years but will probably never get around to, or books that they think will

Joining the Fun

2009-01-17T06:52:00.000-07:00

Ten Instant Dopamine Rushes 1. A new Diet Coke in my hands 2. A big twist in a book, movie, or show that I didn't see coming 3. Getting hit by a great story idea 4. Jet Li's smile :P 5. Getting a new sweater 6. Finding a new book 7. Having an epiphany that solves a sticky plot problem 8. Walking into Barnes and Noble or Borders 9. Creating a new character 10. Receiving any kind of gift Ten

Soooooo Many Books

2008-12-31T17:19:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! I finally ready 100 books in a year. Only took me three tries. My last book post took you up to #78. Here's the rest of them. 79. The Host, by Stephenie Meyer--Sci-fi--A little hard to get into, but surprisingly good. I kept getting people mixed up, though, because the descriptions were so vague. 80. Sweetheart, by Chelsea Cain--mystery--Freaky. Twisted. Compelling. 81. Teen Idol, by Meg

2008-11-30T17:40:00.002-07:00

Heavy SighToo bad the story's not quite finished yet.

2008-11-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

Hey! Quit Disturbing My Domestic!So I was in bed last night, reading, minding my own business of course, when my cat sort of went ballistic and ran off. She'd been mashed up against me all evening, but she got spooked and bugged out. About then I realized that the police helicopter, which circles around our neighborhood a lot because we're not far from a couple of high crime areas, was flying way

2008-11-18T19:08:00.002-07:00

Coming Up for AirIt's November again. More than halfway through it, in fact. I'm about 60% closer to my goal of 50,000 words for the month. After a lot of thinking, I chose an idea for my November novel that I have been rolling around like a root beer barrel in my mouth for years. YEARS. I kept changing my mind about important things, like the setting for the story and the age of my heroine. I

2008-11-11T15:27:00.002-07:00

Just Need This PhotoSomeday soon, when I have time, I'll update.

2008-11-07T18:05:00.002-07:00

Inquiring MindsArgh! I have to get off the internet and write! But Sara tagged me and this is a short quiz, so . . . .wine OR beer: Beer STINKS. And wine makes me talk loud and get headaches.coffee OR tea: Tea, please! Although I'd rather have Diet Coke.night gown OR pajamas: Eh. Improvised pj's. Many layers.bath OR shower: Shower for getting cleaning. Bath once in a while for warming up or

Those Pesky Grass Stains

2008-10-28T10:11:00.000-06:00

So I've gotten a little distracted from writing at the moment, because I've decided I need a playlist for my story. I often burn CDs for stories, but I haven't bought enough new music lately, and things are starting to all sound the same. For this story, I decided that my six integral characters each needed a vocal theme song and an instrumental theme song. Figuring that out is a little harder

2008-10-21T09:30:00.003-06:00

100 Books--Third Time's a CharmI think a book update is way past due. I love to see what people are reading. So maybe you'll be interested in seeing what I've read on my way to 100 books this year. I've got 22 left--I'm starting to hunt in the library for short books!1. The Cold Moon, Jeffery Deaver--mystery--pretty good2. Born Standing Up, Steve Martin--memoir--excellent3. Good Omens, Terry

2008-10-09T19:31:00.004-06:00

The Angels Have the Phone BoxSo. I don't know what happened to the frequent updates I promised.Well. Anyway. Life is interesting. Very busy this week. I spent about five hours at the church today, and three hours yesterday. I hope I got everything done. *crossing fingers* I'm sure I did. Everything that I could do, with all the fun and exciting computer issues. Plus, Lydia was gone, and Donna

2008-09-26T08:36:00.002-06:00

The First of Much More Frequent UpdatesI'm going to start trying to update more often, even if it's just a short entry. So here's a short entry. ;)Mom's in Denver this morning, so I'm "baby-sitting." I'm not sure where Pip is at the moment. Probably dozing on Mom and Dad's bed. I'm going to take her for a walk in about 20 minutes. She loves walks. When I get her harness and leash out, she gets

2008-09-06T14:54:00.003-06:00

Dearly Beloved, We Gather Here to Say Our Goodbyes . . .From 1999 through 2001, I had one obsession. The Broadway musical RENT. Someone gave me the highlights CD one Christmas, and I wanted to know the story behind the songs I was hearing. So I got on the internet. Oh, the lovely internet. It's a great thing for us obsessive people. I know pretty much everything there is to know about RENT.Here

2008-08-22T08:09:00.002-06:00

On Tuesday night this week, I went downstairs to put something away before Bible study, and I stepped into a puddle of water. As Dad and I rushed to mop up and call Roto Rooter (while Mom dealt with Bible study), we realized there was water, albeit not much of it, in every room of the basement. As you can imagine, there's a lot of rearranging and chaos in the aftermath of a basement flood, even a

So Many Books, So Little Time

2008-05-24T11:23:00.000-06:00

My blogging has been pretty much non-existent since the April poetry challenge ended. I needed to recuperate. ;-) But I wanted to give an update on the status of the book challenge. As far as I can tell, I'm on track. I've finished 37 books. On our camping trip last weekend, I read two books, started another, and got pretty far into a book on CD. The two books I started and finished were

2008-05-06T19:56:00.003-06:00

The Fascination of the MundaneI've started keeping a writer's journal. Partly because I was inspired by Stephen King--at the end of the 6th Dark Tower book, he included a bunch of journal entries that relate to writing the Dark Tower series. But mostly because I was in a cold, noisy Starbucks and couldn't concentrate on writing anything else.I think it will be fun to look back on later. And it's

Wondering . . .

2008-05-05T09:27:00.000-06:00

This is a question for all my married friends: My grandmother has given me her lovely circa-1950 wedding dress. It's really awesome, and I want to keep it forever and ever. Before I got it, it sat for years on her closet shelf inside a hatbox. Right now, it's in my closet in the same hatbox. I know this is a horrible way to store it, and if I leave it there very long, it will get damaged. So. I'm

Challenge!

2008-04-19T13:01:00.000-06:00

I haven't written yesterday's and today's poems yet, but Andrew's blog made me think, Hey, that's a good idea. So here's a list of what I've read so far in 2008. According to the numbers, I'm right on track. Now if only I could get ahead a little . . . The Cold Moon, by Jeffery Deaver, mystery Born Standing Up, by Steve Martin, memoir Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, fantasy (

2008-04-05T09:13:00.002-06:00

SmileI love my dentist. I really do. How many people can say that? I've been to three dentists in my life. My childhood dentist must have been good because I really don't remember much about my appointments. Must have been routine and unremarkable. The second dentist I went to lectured me and scolded me and made me feel really bad about myself--nobody needs that, especially someone who is already

Mr. Gaiman, Sir, Meet Captain Hook

2008-03-27T06:52:00.000-06:00

I slept in about 45 minutes longer this morning than I usually do, because I was dreaming. The first dream I remember was about Neil Gaiman, ha ha. I was standing outside Media Play (*sigh*), the first person in line for a Neil Gaiman book signing. It was windy and a little cold. I was standing there shivering a bit, and I looked down the sidewalk toward a little knot of people headed in my

A Dinner Invitation

2008-03-16T19:56:00.000-06:00

Note: This week's writing challenge was to write an argument from the point of view of your muse. Some writers' muses are actual people. Some of us are weird and make up our own. Mine is Maynard, a chain-smoking wino, who, as I learned while writing this, is a lot more complicated than he looks. (He's not Columbo. He's younger, but Columbo-esque.) It has already stopped snowing when she remembers

She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain

2008-02-29T06:35:00.000-07:00

I'm reading the most boring Agatha Christie novel I've ever picked up. I guess for a person so prolific, there has to be a stinker every once in a while. It's so slow-moving. I'm trying to decide whether or not to abandon it. But I'm already halfway through it. The best book I've read so far this year is Steve Martin's memoir, Born Standing Up. I haven't yet read a novel that I'm really wild

Score!

2008-02-18T12:53:00.000-07:00

This is how I feel right now. Sort of . . . Okay, this is how I'd feel if I didn't have a cold and a sore back. I finished my novel today!

Be My Muse

2008-02-07T13:47:00.000-07:00

So my friend Sara has been tweaking this lovely poem she wrote in a sweet form I converted her to (ha HA!) called a sestina. Well, talking to her about it really makes me want to write one of my own. I need a mental break anyway, and a sestina is something completely different. Uses different muscles. What I need are nouns. Just throw them out there. Try to be specific. Proper nouns are okay, but

Weekend Update

2008-01-21T15:44:00.000-07:00

Not really a weekend, it being Monday and all. But I have no creativity at the moment. I haven't been up to anything too terribly exciting. Mom and I had plans to grocery shop and run some other errands today, but all of that was put on hold when Grandma went into the hospital yesterday. I think that how a person eats is a good measure of how they're doing, so I'll say this about Grandma--she

Wolves of the Calla

2008-01-14T08:54:00.000-07:00

One of my goals in my reading challenge this year is to finish reading Stephen King's Dark Tower books. I've been on #5 forever, as Andrew can attest, because he bugs me about it all the time. The series follows Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger, on his quest for the Dark Tower. Time is getting wonky, and different worlds are bleeding into each other, because something is wrong at the Dark

2008 Challenge

2008-01-06T13:58:00.000-07:00

Two years ago, I started a goal to read 100 books a year. I haven't hit it yet (86, and then 74), but I'm doing it again this year. And what's different is that a bunch of the teen writers I'm mentoring (and us mentors) are doing it too. Each kid sets his or her own goal, and everyone has a place on the web site to record what they're reading, when they finish, and what they thought of it. I love

I Won!

2007-11-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

Now I have to finish the story.

This Is How I Feel About The Golden Compass

2007-11-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

I have been hearing all sorts of stuff from all sides about the upcoming movie The Golden Compass, and as someone who has read the books, I feel that I must speak. 1. This is not a children's movie. The Golden Compass is rated PG-13. The book it is based on is found only in the YA/teen section of most bookstores, as well as the sci-fi/fantasy section, not the children's section. 2. Yes, Philip

Challenge!

2007-10-29T14:59:00.000-06:00

I have been busy with family for the last week, and now I have a cold. I'm also way behind on giving feedback to the teen writers I mentor. And it's almost November 1. You know what that means. National Novel Writing Month is almost upon us! I challenge all of you to join me in this crazy creative endeavor. I know you must balk at writing 50,000 words in 30 days--I do every year, but I still do

Mysterious and Reassuring

2007-10-18T06:03:00.000-06:00

"Guys think I'm hot because I knit." That's the first thing I heard her say, before I'd even opened my eyes. I was huddled in a sleeping bag outside the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, waiting all night and all day for cheap tickets to a show. Early December, and it was freezing. I squirmed out of my cocoon to see who had woken me up. Not the friends I'd come with--I didn't recognize the

A Minorly Injured Teapot

2007-10-12T06:53:00.000-06:00

So with this new mentoring thing I'm doing, there is a new writing challenge every week. I try to do them every week to encourage the kids to do them too. But the new one is really hard. It has to be sci-fi. It has to start with this line: "It was a bright cold day in April, and all the clocks were striking thirteen." It has to end with this line: "Where we're going, we don't need roads." It also

Madeleine L'Engle: 1918-2007

2007-09-11T13:08:00.000-06:00

I've been really busy, and I know Natalie has broken the news on Multiply already, but I can't let the death of Madeleine L'Engle go without saying something. When I was eight or so, I discovered the Baby-Sitter's Club books. Does anyone remember B. Dalton's bookstore in the Citadel Mall? I walked in once, and they were having a contest--all you did was write on the little entry form who your

Missing an E-mail!

2007-09-10T05:20:00.000-06:00

Hey, everyone! I've lost Tammy's e-mail address, and I have some photos I need to send her. Can someone please e-mail me her e-mail address? Thanks! --Sarah

Adventures in House-Sitting

2007-09-01T18:33:00.000-06:00

I've been house-sitting since last Sunday night, and since then I've nearly locked myself out, and the power's gone out. But no fish have died, no plants have died, and the dog hasn't peed in the house yet. I've watched twelve episodes of The Dresden Files, three episodes of Doctor Who, five episodes of Dead Like Me, and movies. Girly movies, creepy movies, freaky futuristic movies. Plus TV. And

Yee-Ha!

2007-08-28T04:49:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time, a little family with just a bit of redneck in them (enough for country music and NASCAR and an old dead car in the front yard) decided to go to the state fair to see Josh Turner. Mostly because I LOVE his song "Would You Go With Me?" (which is now inextricably linked in my mind with Doctor Who) and I play it over and over. When Mom and I heard he'd be at the state fair and

More Fun With Quotes

2007-08-18T11:31:00.000-06:00

Some of my more recent favorites: "She might have looked like a potato, but there was nothing that girl couldn't do, once she put her mind to it." --The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield "You can't throw out the baby with the bathwater . . . because then all you have is a wet, critically injured baby." --For Your Consideration "I tracked you down with this. This is my 'timey-wimey' detector.

2007-08-01T20:27:00.000-06:00

No Pregnant Oscar, SorryAs much as I loathe to bump down yesterday's extremely fascinating post (ooo, look at me! I said "loathe"!!), I have to do it because I have actual news.No, not the blues. I said news. Something has actually for real happened to me.Which do you like best? Pregnancy? (And you thought the Immaculate Conception was the first and last of its kind. Ha!) An Oscar? A job?That's

Once Upon a Time . . .

2007-07-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

"To retreat behind the notion that the audience simply wants to dump its troubles at the door and escape reality is a cowardly abandonment of the artist's responsibility. Story isn't a flight from reality but a vehicle that carries us on our search for reality, our best effort to make sense out of the anarchy of existence." --Story, Robert McKee Last year Andrew gave me a great book for

Sweet!

2007-07-19T11:02:00.000-06:00

I have to say, I had a truly awesome day on Monday. Mom had a big long thing to go to up in Denver, and they were taking her out to lunch afterward. So I could either stay home and do whatever I usually do, or I could go up to Denver and have Mom drop me off somewhere. I did a little thinking and a little map hunting and decided I wanted to be dropped off at the LoDo Tattered Cover. (Note for the

Quote of the Day

2007-07-14T12:59:00.000-06:00

From "Wonderfalls": "Strange-looking fella, dressed all in black. I remember thinking that if Johnny Cash had been born an Irishman, the music would have been more lilting."

2007-07-05T19:21:00.000-06:00

All is Right With the WorldI found my book list. It was in my desk. I have no idea why I put it there, when I put there, or why I couldn't find it when I turned my room upside down. But it's back, in all of its scribbled-on glory.So now that I'm in a good mood again (yay!), here are some fun quotes from my new favorite show, Gilmore Girls. Too bad it was already canceled before I started liking

2007-07-02T14:02:00.000-06:00

The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy . . .It is a sad day. I have lost my book list. I still have the file on my computer, but the paper copy I have been carrying around for weeks is gone, along with all of the notations I added of new books I wanted to check out. I lost it sometime between leaving the library on Thursday and Sunday night when I looked for it in my bag and couldn't find it.

Quotes of the Day

2007-06-24T11:00:00.000-06:00

From Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (I promise no spoilers!): "It was an accident, I'm sorry, Demelza, really sorry!" Ron shouted after her as she zigzagged back to the ground, dripping blood everywhere. "I just--" "Panicked," Ginny said angrily, landing next to Demelza and examining her fat lip. "You prat, Ron, look at the state of her!" "I can fix that," said Harry, landing beside the

But don't ever take sides with anyone against the Family again. Ever.

2007-06-05T16:29:00.000-06:00

I'm in the middle of an enormous project. I had no idea what I was signing up for. Okay, I did. But I put it off too long, and now I am scrambling at the last minute. We're having a family reunion on Saturday. My grandma's side of the family, the Karr relatives. There's a lot of them. Nona has two sisters and two brothers. Between them they have 24 kids, 47 grandkids, and God only knows how many

CHEESED

2007-05-31T04:51:00.000-06:00

I am so irritated. I wrote this fairly long-ish entry about the book I'm reading and how you can't separate literary talent from story talent. And. I. Lost. It. It was awesome. I said good stuff. Somewhat deep stuff. And now it's gone. I am not a happy camper. Maybe, if I feel like it, I will try to reproduce it later. On a more shallow note, I had this weird dream last night that Dale Earnhardt

2007-05-22T11:23:00.000-06:00

When I'm finished with you, you're gonna wish that you felt this good again! I just finished watching the season finale of "24." Very awesome! Nobody give anything away because Andrew's only on Season 4. I thought the writing was really starting to suck, and Rena Sofer drives me CRAZY with her overacting. But the last four episodes got a lot better, and the finale was very intense and left some

Don't ever argue with the big dog because the big dog is always right.

2007-05-21T06:03:00.000-06:00

I'm off!Okay, technically, we're not leaving until Thursday evening. But that's just a minor detail.It's time for three full and hopefully glorious days in Chicago. You may remember Chicago from such cinematic delights as Adventures in Babysitting, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and The Fugitive.My agenda is simple: visit the Viacom store, have some Chicago pizza, have a Chicago hotdog. I've also

Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal

2007-05-14T11:15:00.000-06:00

Well, I think if Lindsay goes, I will probably go to the reunion. No way am I going by myself, though. No freaking way.I didn't ever take Fred to school. I just feel compelled to point that out. ;-)Ha! The guy I hit with my locker door is on MySpace. I would love to know if he remembers that I brought the pain freshman year.The one person I really really want to know about isn't on the e-mail

2007-05-10T12:23:00.000-06:00

Pot-o-porridgeMy ten-year high school reunion is coming up. For a long time I've been really adamant about not going, and so have my friends. We figure that we're already in touch with the people we really want to see.And then Lindsay said she wanted to go. It's an excuse for her to come out here from California and see her family too. And I thought, well, if Lindsay went, maybe I might go too.

2007-04-17T10:02:00.000-06:00

FinitoYes, that's right, folks. After reading almost all day yesterday, I sat down at 4:00 and got to work. At 10:45 I had finished my second novel. Woohoo!

2007-04-16T10:51:00.000-06:00

Kicking My ButtGuilt is a powerful force. Thanks to Jodi Picoult, I am laboring under an enormous amount of guilt. But that's okay because anything that lights a fire under my butt is a good thing. Almost anything. I would not take nicely to an actual fire under my butt.When I went to hear Jodi Picoult read a week ago today, she heaped hot coals on my head. Which is good. I needed some outside

2007-03-19T18:17:00.000-06:00

See ReferencesSo. I had a job interview today. I think it went pretty well. There were a couple of things I wish I'd said, and a few I wish I hadn't, but pretty much every conversation I have is like that. I felt like a poser in my little blazer and my slick shoes. As soon as the interview was over, I changed jackets and shoes. Weenie.These shoes, let me tell you. They are sooo slick. I've almost

2007-01-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

Strangely, No Cabin FeverYou know it's really cold when your footsteps squeak in the snow.I've been pretty much housebound since Friday, and it hasn't been driving me crazy like it did the last time we had a storm. I got out a teeny bit, and I haven't gotten bored. Here's what yesterday looked like. (If you insert the term "cooking show" wherever you see "football," then you'd have a good view of

2006-12-27T10:25:00.000-07:00

Little Green MenI don't scare easily.That's what I tell myself, anyway. I'm a little jumpy about loud noises, and I don't watch a lot of horror movies (mostly because they're gross and dreadfully acted), but I don't really get freaked out over a lot of things.That said, I was so freaked out last night, I was at the hysterical laughter stage, which is one step away from screaming, and two steps

2006-12-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

Let's Eighty-Six This Book ThingNearly a year ago, I decided to make a New Year's resolution, one that I might actually keep. I'd heard on GMA or someplace that the best way to keep your resolution is to make it fun. Kind of stinks if it's quitting smoking or losing weight. Unless it involves bribes. Those are fun.I read a lot. I have no idea how much. A ton. I love to read, and I'm addicted to

2006-12-07T18:01:00.000-07:00

All I Want for Christmas . . .It happens every year. Nona asks me what I want for Christmas and my mind goes blank. Either that or I am so overwhelmed with ideas that my brain implodes. I thought I'd get the jump on her and make a list right away, but I was too late. She caught me off-guard today.So here it is. Maybe a little shameless and materialistic, but when people genuinely want to know and

2006-12-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

And the Award Goes To . . . Thank you. *sniff* Thank you so much. *rustling paper* I'd like to thank, um . . .*Mom, for cooking, doing dishes, enabling my Diet Coke addiction, and not enticing me away from writing too much (and for the pretty, pretty journal she bought me after I won).*Dad, for driving me to events, enabling my Diet Coke addiction, and not getting too riled up if dinner was late

2006-11-07T19:26:00.000-07:00

The Care and Feeding of Your Novelist(The picture is just for me. I've been putting off posting because I knew it would bump down the previous lovely picture.)November is a precarious time for me. Especially in 2006, as there is a wedding smack in the middle of my push to complete a novel in 30 days. Some of my writing compatriots have given their families guidelines as to how they should be

2006-10-27T15:52:00.000-06:00

Crisp With a Chewy CenterI have a problem.I am attracted to older men.Don't worry, Mom. (And other panicking relatives.) Not in real life. On TV.I've only recently noticed this. It slowly became apparent to me, beginning on the night when my friends looked at me askance when I said something about how beautiful Anderson Cooper is.Because he IS, okay?And I was also thinking how interesting it was

2006-10-04T11:58:00.000-06:00

High-Octane RomanceThese days I don't like the news much. It just makes me mad. But last week I happened to see one of those features that comes at the end of the broadcast, and I laughed hard enough to snort.NASCAR has just signed a deal with Harlequin to cross-promote a new crop of NASCAR-based romances. Seriously. Here is a portion of the article on NASCAR.com:"Research shows that of the 75

2006-09-29T13:59:00.000-06:00

The Ruination of MeSo. Every once in a while, I have a crisis of confidence. I guess I was due for another one because in the past few days I have felt wholly inadequate.I hate television. And movies. They ruin me. Just a small moment onscreen, a part of a scene, mere seconds, and most of my confidence as a writer is gone.I was watching TV Wednesday night. For maybe two minutes I was absolutely

2006-09-21T09:55:00.000-06:00

Atomic TwisterI tried posting this yesterday, but Blogger was having issues and it didn't get through. Still, I feel duty-bound to inform the world of the cinematic delights of Atomic Twister.Let me just say a word or two about disaster movies. We all love them. Most of us. Why? Because it's fun to see something blow up when you know it's fake. Because as bad as life can get, you know it will

2006-09-19T15:30:00.000-06:00

On Being FrenchI thought I should inform you all that I have suddenly become French in the last week.I know. It was a shock to me too.Mostly, I put "le" in front of everything and occasionally say "mademoiselle" and "baby" with a really bad accent.I can't stop. I don't know what's wrong with me. Maybe there was a blow to the head that I've forgotten about.Anyway, I thought you should know in case

2006-09-16T21:15:00.000-06:00

When the Sheriff Come Come Come for YouMy grandpa had a gun. This is a fact that apparently no one knew about except Dad. It came to light Thursday night when the cops were searching for a burglar and tromped through the backyard, searching the garage with their guns drawn. Dad thought they should know there was a gun on the premises.It was quite a full night, with the police helicopter circling

2006-09-06T09:10:00.000-06:00

A Tractor Beam of HotnessI can't believe it. The showtunes radio station on AOL is playing "Easter Parade." I can't ever hear that song without thinking of Dad getting lost in the park at the Easter egg hunt when he was 5.This new computer is a little tricky. Things happen and I can't tell if I hit the wrong button or if the computer just did something spontaneously.Ah, lovely. Dean Martin. Dean

2006-08-26T10:23:00.000-06:00

More After These Messages--I'll Mince Your ShallotSo. Rather than update you on my life, which, frankly, is not all that interesting from day to day, I thought I'd update you on TV, which is interesting and educational. Trust me.If you are a young-ish single babe like me (yes, I'm a babe, shut up), and you just want to watch a show where there are lots of pretty things to look at, try Prison

2006-08-15T14:09:00.000-06:00

More SurveysThese were a little different. Looked like fun.5 Things in My Freezer1. mini chocolate chips2. burritos3. coffee beans4. buttermilk waffles5. cut-up bananas5 Things in My Closet1. beads2. witch hat3. plastic sword4. angel wings5. old yearbooks5 Things in My Purse1. Batman watch2. page markers3. electronic dictionary/thesaurus4. baby shower invitation5. eye drops5 Things in My Car1.

2006-08-09T14:07:00.000-06:00

Think of MeI've known since I was 13 that I wanted to be, that I would be, a writer. I wrote a lot of poems, and some short bits of stories that I never finished. Then when I was 14, I wrote a 25-page story. Never finished it. It was about lawyers, started when we were doing mock trials in Civics and I had decided I wanted to be a lawyer. I don't know what I was thinking. As soon as my trial

2006-08-08T21:28:00.000-06:00

Did you vote? I did. I so felt like throwing up, but I stood there and voted anyway. I had gotten really carsick on the way over, so I was all clammy and deeply nauseous. And these little old ladies acted like we were the first people to come in, like they weren't totally sure what to do, as if they hadn't been doing it all day. They'd argue about who was doing what, and they'd pass the book back

2006-07-29T13:20:00.000-06:00

Little Things That Made Me Happy TodayTaking a page out of Gina's book . . .--Buttered toast with orange marmalade--A Diet Coke with lime--Giggling with Mom over the phrase "hot carnuba"--The little boy at the farmers market singing to himself--A church sign showing the hours of services, and then saying "May the bird of paradise fly up your nose!"--Watching Wylie curled up under the piano bench

2006-07-22T13:03:00.000-06:00

A Different Survey--No George Wendt or BeansNOTE: So since I didn't make the finals of Blogging 4 Books (weep weep, gnash teeth), I'm not in the mood to pull a long post out of my brain. Post extraction is a tricky and painful operation. Cutting and pasting is much easier.1. Have you ever been searched by the cops? Ha. Once. She was very polite and mindful of my sunburn.2. What color are your

2006-07-13T12:38:00.000-06:00

Between Suckville and Crap City(Note: This is my entry for Blogging 4 Books. It is a lovely contest. Go to Joshilyn Jackson's blog and scroll down a few entries, and she will tell you all about it. It's fun because it involves writing and reading, my two very favorite things. Well, there is also Gary Sinise, but anyway . . . Ms. Jackson--Joshilyn?--has a new book out which I read in two days,

2006-06-30T22:20:00.000-06:00

Meanwhile on Planet Sarah . . .I don't really have anything to blog about. I just don't have any ideas right now, and up till now I've been too busy. Anyone have any ideas? Yes, Gina, I still want to hear high school girl horror stories.While you're thinking of things, you can go to my book blog. It would make me happy. I was going to quit doing it, until I discovered that two people actually

2006-06-11T15:46:00.000-06:00

And in everything imposingly beautiful, strength has much to do with the magicI was never really into magic. I grew up as an extremely literal child. One of my mom's favorite stories about me is how I used to think our car flew. We would drive north to Denver to visit Grandpa Lynn and Grandma Wanda and everyone a lot, and Mom and Dad would always say, "Let's go UP to Denver." Combine that with

2006-06-03T19:12:00.000-06:00

Kiss My Big White Alien ForeheadYou guys haven't been very forthcoming with your tales of high school torture. Come on. I know not ALL of you could have led a charmed life back then.Fine. I'll come up with a nefarious deed myself. I have something in mind.So . . . I've been Googling an old classmate. I needed someone to base a character's appearance on. I'm not good at just pulling physical