Whenever I come back from being away from home, (whether it's hours or days doesn't matter) Cassie has to give me the one over with her nose, gathering up all the scents from where I've been. Usually it's a quick sniff because I haven't been gone too long. And of course anything that comes in the house with me needs to be sniffed out as well. Sometimes I'll take an old toy with me and put it in my purse so she can sniff it out and be reunited with an old friend.

She'll be doing her sniffing routine and suddenly smell something that she knows, without a doubt, belongs to her. There's such joy for her those moments. She races to her rug with little yips of excitment and then waits, tail wagging like crazy, for me to give her the toy. Once she has it, whatever it is, she runs off to the library to toss it in the air a few times then pounce on it, pinning it to the ground with her paws.

I have something that belongs to her and she wants it back. She doesn't wonder if it is hers. She KNOWS. And once she has that toy back she gives it all of her attention, lavishes it with loving enthusiasm and then, once that reconnection is confirmed, she gives a loud sigh of contentment, dropping her head to the floor to rest upon the toy.

I just got home from a few days away at an informal writing retreat with a group of woman that have had a tremendous impact on my life. Some of that impact was apparent right away. Other pieces will make themselves known over time. And that's as it should be. Not all gold is mined from veins close to the surface. Sometimes you have to put in the effort to dig it out.

When I came home I had a plush toy waiting to be "reunited" with Cassie. I tucked in the pocket of my sweatshirt before I got out of the car. My husband let Cassie out front to meet me and she did her normal Cassie inspection, sniffing me up and down and all around. Then suddenly, she found the toy in my pocket. When I told her she could have it she gently tugged it free and then carried it back toward the house, her tail held high with pride, as if she had just scored a great kill in the forest.

And I guess she had.

By the time I got into the house she was contentedly resting in the library, one paw over the stuffed toy, the other tucked under her chin. She raised her head as I came in the room and then, in that way that big dogs do, she smiled her thanks to me.

Over the years, pieces of me have gone missing. Confidence has faded around the edges of my dreams. Chunks of self-esteem have been lost on the road to survival. My sense of self has been buried under a mountain of "would-ofs," "could-ofs," and "should-ofs."

I want these pieces of myself back.

But I can't expect to pull them out of my pocket unless I promise that I will accept these pieces of me, (however battered they might be,) with joy, that I will lavish them with love and kindness, that I will believe again, in my right to claim what's mine.

I want to smooth the jagged edges and polish them until they shine. That's where the real joy comes from - taking something not so pretty and believing in it enough that suddenly, it transforms right before your eyes, into a thing of beauty.

So, after an incredibly awful couple of weeks, moving, quitting a job, etc. I was worried that I wouldn't finish my goal. I hadn't written a word in nearly four months, and was having a hard time even sitting down and looking at my WIP.

Then, magic happened. After the dust of my very bad month cleared away, I got my mojo back and finished my goal. I've edited and rewritten over 30,000 words in a few crazy, caffeine-filled days. I am so unbelievably proud of myself and excited to keep moving on. I'm back where I need to be and actually looking forward to my writing time.



So keep up the good work, everyone! I'm sending my mojo out to you, you can do it! :).

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Three eggs for Jabberwock, one caught in Ron's scroll.

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is almost here. I am so not ready.

• 10:24 RT @johannaharness: RT @TwinkleChar: Want to write a novel badly? Heres How. Made me think about my process. bit.ly/558iHJ #
• 10:41 HAIKU FOR TODAY: Thanksgiving is near/ frozen turkeys piled high/Do you have yours yet? #
• 10:43 Writer Frustration: want to write today, but allergies won't go away & medicine makes me sleepy...zzzz #
• 17:03 My dog is too. Isn't it a trip having one? :) RT @jimsissy: Sitting outside with my DogWhoIsAfraidOfTheDark. Brrrr! It's getting chilly. #

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When we last left off, we were in Philadelphia. Home of the Liberty Bell and this creeeeepy/cool place that my friend Carla told me about.

However, Peepy and stayed away from creepy stuff and instead hung out with the cool kids. That's cause the place was packed full o' authors! Here are just a few that we ran into/stalked on the floor of the NCTE Convention.

Caldecottian David Wiesner, Baby Mouse's (Mice?) Jenny and Matt Holm(s), plus gadfly David Lubar . . .

(If it looks like David's trying to strangle Peepy, he is. They had a disagreement over apples and oranges.)

While Peeps recovered from her David Lubar encounter, and BTW David, she says you should watch your back and other body parts, we ran into the talented Mr. Greg Neri and also Literature Affectionado/Soon-to-Be-Author Monica Edinger, New York Times Bestselling gal Maggie Stiefvater, multiple award winner Kathryn Lasky and that always awesome Lunch Lady-esque couple, Gina and Jarrett Krosoczka . . .

,

Then Peeps and Moi attended the NCTE Books for Children Luncheon. Everyone at our table got a copy of BOBBY VS. GIRLS (ACCIDENTALLY) . . .


After, it was time for our booksigning. We were thrilled to run into our editor Cheryl Klein, and later we went out to eat (yes, again) . . .


Soon it was time for our rousing Blogging Panel with the gals, Maureen Johnson, Barbara O'Connor, Laurie Halse Anderson, and Justine Larbalestier . . .


(That's Justine on the left in the last photo)

Next, food again! (Oink.) The M.R. Robinson Reception and Dinner, was hosted by Scholastic head honcho Dick Robinson. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving feast for almost 800 guests. Peeps was convinced the dinner was in her honor. However, that's not totally true. This NCTE/Scholastic Thanksgiving tradition has been going on for several decades and is named in honor of Dick's father . . .


Then, to cap off an incredible day, I got to finally meet the amazing Sara Zarr in person!!! We've been corresponding for YEARS, but have never been face-to-face before. I even named a character after Sara . . .


NEXT BLOG: More NCTE Convention. Plus . . . what famous authors are attached to these boots/shoes????

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http://booksinckids.blogspot.com/2009/11/our-favorite-thanskgiving-treat.html

When Arthur is sent out to bring home the family's Thanksgiving turkey, he returns instead with Henrietta -- a 266-pound chicken hell-bent on destruction. This is an absurd and hilarious Thanksgiving story that is sure to make every member of the family crack up.

THE HOBOKEN CHICKEN EMERGENCY by Daniel Pinkwater is at this point a classic, and with good reason. The 30th anniversary edition with cute illustrations by Tony Auth is available at Books Inc. for only $4.99 - you can't beat that for per-laugh value!

If you're feeling nostalgic, check out the kid from Christmas Story trying to teach a ginormous chicken to slide in the 80's movie adaptation... THE BOOK IS BETTER, I promise. ;-)

Current stats:

Words: 5,017.
Total words: 90,318.
Reason for stopping: in the middle of the big boom in chapter twenty-three. BOOM.
Music: this week's episodes of NCIS and Dexter.
Lilly and Alice: taking up a physically improbable amount of space on my feet.

I...um...yeah. So I have this thing where every day, I put any specific writing goals for the day on my to do list. Because the to do list is my lord and master. Right now, every day, I'm putting "2,000 words, DA" on the list, and every day, I'm checking it off before plowing onward for another few thousand words. Why? Because I have hit the point where I literally can't stop. I eat, sleep, breathe, and dream this book. I inhabit this book even when I'm not working on it. I'm spending half my time (or more) in a fictional reality full of madness and monsters and manic dance numbers breaking out in the middle of nowhere. This is normal for me as I approach the end of a first draft. It really is. But it's been a while since I did this part, and it's making my fingers hurt.

90,000 words means that I'm 15,000 words, give or take, from the end of draft one. I realize I've been hitting that data point a lot, but um, holy crap, end of draft one. This is the book I started on a whim. The book I never lost enthusiasm for, but shelved repeatedly while I worked on things that had actual deadlines. The book that, let's be serious here, kicks off a new series. I needed three of those, right? They're like cats. You're not a crazy cat lady until you have more than four (even if Margaret says that by 2014, mathematics prove that 80% of all books will be written by me).

Also, at my current rate of speed, you won't be getting these updates for all that much longer. So there's that.

Soon, I hope to explain to the people who've only read Toby why, exactly, I felt the need to spend my time in a universe filled with cryptozoologists in skimpy outfits, asbestos blondes, ketchup milkshakes, ballroom dancing, high heeled shoes, and, of course, talking mice. And my answer to them will be, in no uncertain terms...CHEESE AND CAKE!

Well, November 25 (November 26 in Australia) marks the release of the limited edition hardcover of Vampire Academy. Each time I mention it, I get asked if books #2 and 3 will also be coming out in hardcover, and to be honest, I haven't been told yet. I'm hoping they will, and I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything.

Now, aside from the cover, this edition is special because it's the first book ever to use 'augmented reality.' If you get the book and a webcam, you can go to Penguin's Vampire Academy site and launch their augmented reality program. Hold your book up to the camera, and all sorts of things start happening on your computer screen. The text moves, your picture appears, and more. The instructions are on the link I just listed, and here's a video demonstration:





Cool, huh? I feel like this book could control the world.

Anyway, if you're interested in getting the VA hardcover, it's available at all the usual online retailers (Amazon, BN, and Borders) and 'real' bookstores too. If your local store doesn't have it in stock, they should be able to order it. Australians: your own stores will carry it too, so you don't need to order it from the U.S. Note: some places call this book the 'limited edition.' Some places call it the 'signature edition' because of my silver signature printed on the front. It does NOT come autographed on the inside.

But, if you do want it autographed on the inside, you can order it from University Bookstore in Seattle. I'll come in and sign any of my books you order from them so long as you follow these instructions. It's crucial when you order from them to make sure to write in the comments box that you want the book(s) autographed and say EXACTLY who you want the book autographed to.

Here's the direct link to the VA hardcover at University Bookstore so you don't get it confused with the paperback one. You can also ignore the 2-4 weeks shipping note. The books ship as soon as I autograph them. In fact, I'll be going into University Bookstore on Wednesday to sign so that all orders placed by release day can go out on time.

And lastly, don't forget that the last perk of the hardcover edition of VA is that it's got the first chapter of Spirit Bound in it!

It being Wednesday, it's time for the Bard. And it being the day before Thanksgiving here in the United States, a day known for its feasting and gluttony, it's time for Sonnet 75, in which Shakespeare uses metaphors based in food (and gluttony) and in wealth (the hoarding of) - but more on that after the poem.


Sonnet 75
by William Shakespeare

So are you to my thoughts as food to life,
Or as sweet-seasoned showers are to the ground;
And for the peace of you I hold such strife
As 'twixt a miser and his wealth is found.
Now proud as an enjoyer, and anon
Doubting the filching age will steal his treasure;
Now counting best to be with you alone,
Then bettered that the world may see my pleasure.
Sometime all full with feasting on your sight,
And by and by clean starvèd for a look;
Possessing or pursuing no delight
Save what is had or must from you be took.
  Thus do I pine and surfeit day by day,
  Or gluttoning on all, or all away.

About the form: Why, it's a Shakespearean sonnet of course. Written in iambic pentameter (five iambic feet per line - taDUM taDUM taDUM taDUM taDUM), with the rhyme scheme ABABCDCDEFEFGG, as per usual.

Analysis: In the first four lines, he introduces to us his two metaphors - You're as necessary to me as food is to life or rain is to the earth, and thinking about you is the same sort of peaceless situation as a miser has with his wealth. In the next four, he explains that miser thing more - sometimes a miser enjoys his hoard, but at others, he frets and worries that he'll lose his fortune over time; similarly, he can't decide whether he'd rather keep his beloved at home and to himself, or be seen and admired by the world at large.

The turn, or volta, turns up in the third set of four lines (beginning with "Sometime all full with feasting on your sight"), where he returns to his food analogy: Sometimes I'm glutted with you, sometimes I'm starved (i.e., sometimes I see you a lot and/or get a lot of attention from you, and othertimes, not so much); either way, the poet has no delight except what is given to him by his beloved. It's not much of a turn, really - in some ways, it's just a further expansion of his earlier topics. That said, he does switch from simply saying "it's like food, or rain, or miserliness" and starts to talk about it on a far more personal level, and in a way that explores various degrees of love, longing or obsession (depending on how you want to read the poem).

The closing couplet takes the turn that much further (or harder, if you prefer), saying, in essence, "because of you I take turns missing you or having too much of you all day, depending on whether you are here or gone". Only he has, of course, returned to his food metaphor with his use of the idea of gluttony.

Between the tradition of spending time with family - and perhaps too much time with at least some family - on Thanksgiving and the tradition of eating (or in many cases, overeating), this poem seemed just right to me today. That said, I hope you'll all remember this old adage: "All things in moderation." Then again, perhaps you prefer its opposite: "Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess." (That last one is from Oscar Wilde.)

I've been trying for days to decide how I was going to spend a $75 gift card I had at Overstock.com.

In the end, I bought 10 books. All MG/YA. For me.

Yep. I'm a book junkie.

http://www.fearzone.com/blog/exclusive-satan

Exclusive firt review, before Fango or any of the rest.

What I saw of V tonight blew. Check, please!

Water on my basement floor again, and a "Check engine soon" light in my vehicle. It's getting a little difficult to stay upbeat for the holidays.

Right now my schedule seems to be: go to work and angst about the book for eight hours; come home and despair; make tea; stop despairing and start writing. I would like to skip the despairing bit and move straight into the writing.

96300 / 100000 words. 96% done!

Darling: "We are darkness and dust. It may be our nature to hunger for warmth and light, but we must extinguish them or be seared." Yeah, yeah, vampires are cheesy.
Tyop: lunched instead of lunged. A common typo when I'm hungry.
Mean things: Punch in the jaw; watching someone die, even if he was an asshole.
Deaths: Yes!

One death out of a handful accomplished. Too bad I still haven't written any of the bits leading up to it. :P

The combination of a deadline, Black Friday week, and PMS is definitely against the Geneva conventions.

Tweets from @Rob_Thurman (probably of a useless and irrelevant nature. Beware.)

17:53 don't give yourself a hernia carrying that thing around @mark_henry My copy of Under the Dome arrived from @ScribnerBooks #

17:54 I say, two bottles of wine! @JackieKessler What's a vegetarian to bring to a Thanksgiving dinner? (Besides a great bottle of wine?) #

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OK, using the magic of Random.org, I have a list of numbers, which equals a list of winners for the Pizza Party invite! Yay!
Jeo
Ross
Robyn
Tara
and Alexandria!

Evites will be going out to the luckies in a few minutes! Congrats and looking forward to seeing you at the party! If for some reason you can no longer attend, please let me know and I'll pick another winner.

Just got this in the mail.

"Come! celebrate Hanukkah and enjoy good food, fun and fellowship together with local Jewish and Gentile people. Come learn more about this festive and joyous Jewish holiday and its connection to the Jewish Messiah! Come learn more about Hanukkah and celebrate with us at Calvary Baptist Church"
( my rantings )

Jumping in where I left off...

Day Two. Saturday. I woke up bright and early and attended Laurie Halse Anderson's talk. It was A-mazing. She was funny and clever and the whole time she was up there, I kept thinking, "I will never be this entertaining." She talked about not taking negative reviews personally, and censorship, and how she's learned to cope with both. She was halfway through a story about TWISTED, when my cell phone started ringing. I should probably explain that I don't actually have a cell phone. I have a Tracfone, to which I add minutes when I go on these trips, as a way of fooling my editor and publisher into thinking I'm a savvy, professional, up-to-date author. Anyway, the cell started ringing, and the number was coming from a 702 area code. I don't even know which city has an area code of 702, so I was pretty much positive I didn't know the caller either. The thing was, since I don't own a cell phone, I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to turn the stupid thing off. So I bolted out of my chair and started for the doors. About halfway there, I was hit by the bright idea to JUST HANG UP ON THE CALLER. I promptly did so, but by that time, I was through the doors and too embarrassed to go back in. I'd just walked out of Laurie Halse Anderson's talk to answer my cell. *headslap*

Hoping to escape my embarrassment, I wandered around the hotel until it was time to meet up with Jenn and Rebecca, the masterminds behind the HUSH, HUSH fansite, FallenArchangel.com. We'd been planning this meet-up for months, and it was absolutely, one hundred percent AWESOME. I always get a little jittery meeting new people, especially when there's the pressure of knowing, no matter what, you have to like these people, but HELLO! Yes, HELLO! They were awesome and by the end of the morning, I felt a lot like we were old high school buddies getting back together for a reunion. They are so fantastic! I'm often asked what has changed the most in my life since HUSH, HUSH was published, and I'll tell you what. It's all the awesome, awesome people who have come into my life because of the book. Rebecca and Jenn are on that list. (Love you guys!)

Here's a pic of the three of us:

This is it. Last performances before TOP TEN. That means that if they don't make it, I won't be able to remember them when you ask me next year.

Top four this very second are:
Jakob, Ashleigh, Ryan, and Ellenore (in no particular order)

Seriously, Ryleigh is going to have some freaky talented offspring, people.

We often see ballroom and hip hop smooze their way through contemporary, but ballroom is NOT easy! Jakob was sooooo cool with the cha cha!

Mollee and NAthan should still eek into the top ten, and I think it will be interesting to see them with other partners. I love that their young. I write YA! How am I NOT going to love them?

Russell and Noell have their moments but that Samba or Salsa or whatever was rough.

Legacy, even with the tears (ahhh!) is going to find himself with a little trouble me thinks.

Karen and Victor are in for it, too.

Who will go home? That's not my problem. But as long as my top six are in, I'm cool.

Another fun night. Interesting season. My favs have snuck up on me.

Wildly good talent though. Top Ten is going to be HOT!!


Monica

PS MJ's blog recap is up- vids will be added.

http://mjsbigblog.com/so-you-think-you-can-dance-6-top-12-performance.htm#more-12535

Okay, so I still have a cough. I'm on the "strong stuff" I've gotten nothing done for Thanksgiving (which is two days away). I have a million things to do around here. I'm off for 11 days starting tomorrow at 4:00 (HALLELUJAH!). Holiday, vacation, two weekends, and my last unpaid week off. I plan on getting lots done.

My Tastefully Simple party is still open if you're interested, let me know.

2010 signups have started over at the birthday_blocks community. I'm swapmom this year, so if you quilt, drop over and check it out!! Sign up! :)


And life may get interesting here in the next couple of days. or maybe not. All I know is say a prayer around 9 am tomorrow morning (no. I'm not pregnant.) If all goes well, I'll fill ya in. If not, then thank you for the prayer.

:)

Happy Thanksgiving!

When family visits, I don't get much writing done. This is bad. Especially given my deadlines. I've got a bad feeling about December and January.

On the other hand, today I laughed a lot. I also was introduced to the drink Golden Cadillac (OMG it's good) and then there was red champagne, and we made cheese and beer soup, which is soooooooooooo good. i love this stuff. Tomorrow we go to the hot springs and it's always fun to swim in hot water in the freezing cold.

Now there is a fire, I'm listening to the male folk play parcheesi (or however you spell it) and they are loud. And they discuss the rules all the time. And they smell bad.

No deer were harvested. sigh. The season ends on Sunday.

thanksgiving a.m. we will go shooting. Rednecks anyone?

ETA:

Gold Cadillac:

1 oz Galliano
2 oz Creme de White Cocoa
1 oz 1/2 and 1/2
1/2 cup ice
Blend in a blender and serve
sprinkle cinnamon or cocoa over the top for garnish if you want.