My dear friend Lani Diane Rich's new book will be out February 5th, and it's simply beautiful. Lani and I and a small group of friends have been in this writing thing together since nearly the very beginning of our publishing careers, and it's so important to have people you can turn to in the hard times -- and share news with in the good times. She's good people, and this is an amazing book. I thought I'd interview her for my blog and tempt you to check out her book. If you like funny, intelligent, heart-warming women's fiction, you'll love A LITTLE RAY OF SUNSHINE.
Alyssa: A LITTLE RAY OF SUNSHINE is a departure for you – you’re known for madcap comedy and snarky, fast-paced women’s fiction. But this book is deeper, quieter, and simply lovely. What made you want to move in this direction?
Lani: You know, it's funny, because a few people have seen it as a departure, and I didn't notice! I think it's just a matter of giving the story what it needs. I've always had emotion in my books, but usually used it to flavor the funny. Here I swapped that balance, because that's what this story needed. I had a good time, too, really swinging for the fences with the emotion and not holding back.
Alyssa: No spoilers, of course, but what will surprise readers to learn about EJ as the book progresses?
Lani: That she's not near as tough as she seems. In the opening, EJ has really shut herself off to people, and is in no hurry to reconnect. As the story progresses, she's gradually forced to face everything she'd run away from, and I had a great time writing that transformation.
Alyssa: The theme of mothers and daughters is one you often explore in your books, in myriad intriguing ways. What is it about this often-fraught relationship that fascinates you?
Lani: I think all family relationships fascinate me, but this one especially because it's about women at different stages in their lives, and how those stages conflict. I love writing women past the age of fifty who are still vibrant and flawed and struggling and dangerous and conflicted, and I love writing the daughter who watches this woman in horror and thinks, "How am I going to sit across the table from that?" There are so many levels of subtlety in female relationships, but the mother-daughter relationship is the most fraught with landmines and just fun to write.
Alyssa: What do you WISH someone would ask you about A LITTLE RAY OF SUNSHINE?
Lani: I wish they'd ask about the jokes. I thought, when I went into it, that using jokes as a way for EJ to communicate with Luke was such a great idea - so much opportunity for subtext and humor, and it showed how hard it was for her to be straightforward when it came to what was really important to her. I still like that element, but I didn't realize how hard writing the jokes would be! For the rough draft, I used placeholder jokes just to see if it worked, but when I got to the final draft - because I'm not a fan of stealing someone else's work and it's impossible to find and properly attribute the original writer of a joke - I had to write them myself. I spent a lot of time studying jokes, learning structure, thinking, trying them out on friends. I thought that because I'm a funny girl, writing jokes would be easy, but in order to be good, jokes have to do a lot of heavy lifting in very few words, and it's hard! I want someone to ask me about that so that the next time they hear a good joke, they realize that someone worked hard on that and got no credit and probably no pay. It's an art form, seriously, and it should be appreciated! I finally had to have EJ acknowledge that the jokes she loved best were the bad ones, because I couldn't make them as good as I wanted them!
Alyssa: Okay, this is totally frivolous, but what movie have you seen lately that you love? What movie have you seen lately that I can add to my much-updated WORST MOVIES IN THE WORLD list?
Lani: Oh, man, I don't see a lot of movies; I'm a TV girl, myself. I have gotten into documentaries lately. I really enjoyed Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollock?, a doc about a female truck driver in her seventies who bought a $5 painting at a thrift store and forensically proved it was by Jackson Pollock, but the snooty art community came back with, "What are zees fingerprints! Zis is art, not science!" They actually found an acknowledged and provenanced piece by Jackson Pollack with paint dribbles that matched up to her painting, as if he had done them both at the same time, side by side. And still, the art community turned up their noses to her. The woman was offered millions of dollars for it, but she won't sell the piece until the art community admits it's Jackson Pollock, and they never will. I think this movie is great for writers to watch, because the characters are so strong, and what they want is so clear. It's a real-life example of what stories need in order to work; it's just fabulous.
Now for your Worst Movies list... hmmm. I can't think of any off the top of my head. Like I said, I don't see many movies!
Be sure to pop by Lani's website and check out the excerpt for A LITTLE RAY OF SUNSHINE - you'll be glad you did!!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Help a fellow author
Patry Francis is a talented author whose debut novel THE LIAR'S DIARY came out in hardcover from Dutton last spring. The trade paper release is today, January 29th, but a few weeks ago, Patry was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. She's had several surgeries, and her prognosis is good, but given that Patry won't have much energy for promoting, a number of bloggers are banding together to do it for her.
'THE LIAR'S DIARY blog day' is today. Please pop over to
Patry's website and check it out. In support of Patry Francis and this remarkable blog initiative, Penguin Group USA would like to offer 15% off the paperback edition of The Liar’s Diary when purchased online from the Penguin website until 2/15/2008. On the shopping cart page, enter PATRY in the ‘coupon code’ field and click ‘update cart’ to activate it.
If you have a moment, check out her book. Or send her your thoughts and prayers and healing energy. Thank you!!
hugs,
Alyssa
'THE LIAR'S DIARY blog day' is today. Please pop over to
Patry's website and check it out. In support of Patry Francis and this remarkable blog initiative, Penguin Group USA would like to offer 15% off the paperback edition of The Liar’s Diary when purchased online from the Penguin website until 2/15/2008. On the shopping cart page, enter PATRY in the ‘coupon code’ field and click ‘update cart’ to activate it.
If you have a moment, check out her book. Or send her your thoughts and prayers and healing energy. Thank you!!
hugs,
Alyssa
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Looking beneath the surface
I have a friend, a writer I truly admire, Stephanie Bond, who gave a tip during a workshop to learn to write in small increments. She can set a timer and write for an hour or even 30 minutes, which means she is far more productive than I. I've tried this and I can even do it if I'm at the very end of a book, when every moment, sleeping and waking, is lived in the alternate reality of the novel's universe, and my own world is only viewed dimly through bewildered eyes.
But usually it takes at least an hour to read and re-read, to sit and dream, staring off into space, before I can fall into the place where the words come exactly as I want them. Well, never exactly, because there is always revising and rewriting, but closely enough that I'm satisfied with the words on the page.
Another technique many writers use is the crappy first draft, or don't-look-down first draft. Where you write anything, just to get it on the page, and then worry about revising later. I've never been able to do this, either. It paralyzes me. The Muse works differently in all of us; the Process is something that I've learned should be left alone. It's an arcane mystery in a world of pragmatism, at least for me, how this thing we call Creativity works.
So I let it be, unanalyzed, and try to be grateful that it works at all. Looking beneath the surface, trying to find the words.
But usually it takes at least an hour to read and re-read, to sit and dream, staring off into space, before I can fall into the place where the words come exactly as I want them. Well, never exactly, because there is always revising and rewriting, but closely enough that I'm satisfied with the words on the page.
Another technique many writers use is the crappy first draft, or don't-look-down first draft. Where you write anything, just to get it on the page, and then worry about revising later. I've never been able to do this, either. It paralyzes me. The Muse works differently in all of us; the Process is something that I've learned should be left alone. It's an arcane mystery in a world of pragmatism, at least for me, how this thing we call Creativity works.
So I let it be, unanalyzed, and try to be grateful that it works at all. Looking beneath the surface, trying to find the words.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Okay, it amuses me
I played the "which Battlestar Galactica character are you" game and came up with this, which probably should worry me with insights into my evil nature:
Which character are you? And am I the only one who CAN'T WAIT for the final season??
Which character are you? And am I the only one who CAN'T WAIT for the final season??
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Creativity and depression
I'm sending thoughts and prayers to Heath Ledger's family, especially to his daughter, today. I cannot imagine how difficult this time must be for them, especially with the media furor.
Many of the journalists have commented on the link between creativity and depression. I know that artists, writers, musicians, and actors have a consistently higher -- much higher -- rate of alcoholism, drug abuse, and suicide than the general population. Depression is rampant. Lately, even before this tragedy, I've been wondering what it is about the creative mind that makes us subject to the black pit so much more than "normal" (for want of a better word) folks.
There's a place inside herself where an artist goes - and I include writers and actors and musicians in the word artist, here -- to find the emotion that resonates through our work. Some of us have much darker places than others and must enter those shadowed nooks and corridors of memory and experience in order to create.
Yet others can write/paint/sing about pain from a more surface perspective. They don't have to FEEL the pain to translate it into art. Maybe it's a glib shallowness; maybe it's a healthy way to live and create. Certainly, it's an individual experience.
But for many of us, the experience of channeling creativity invokes the emotion described, and we often feel it at a sharper level than even what we put on the page. The pain informs our work and deepens it; the empathy colors our perspective and point of view. Does it make the work better? It does, or at least we believe it does, to the point of being afraid to seek out medication or therapy with which to better cope with the demons devouring our equilibrium.
What is the answer? I wish I knew. "Outing" depression as a chemical imbalance instead of stigmatizing it as it was in years past is a beginning. Perhaps studies proving that creativity does not suffer when the lowest of lows can be softened would be another step forward.
As a child, I believed that I must live in a garrett in Paris, freezing and starving but for crusts of bread and sips of wine, in order to be a "real" writer. As an adult, I know that creativity doesn't depend on external trappings. As a writer who wrote an entire chapter once in the midst of the hell that is Chuck E. Cheese, doling out "more tokens, Mommy!" every page or two, I can promise you that surroundings mean nothing when the story has you in its hot and sweaty embrace, urging you to write on, write on, write ON.
But who can prove to us that treatment for depression won't blunt the edges of creativity? And until they do, will we be forced to watch shining talents crash and burn all around us?
I don't know. I don't have any answers, just unanswerable questions. I do urge any of you reading this who have suffered with depression to talk to somebody about it. Get help. We're all in this together, and my thoughts and prayers are with you, too.
hugs,
Alyssa
Many of the journalists have commented on the link between creativity and depression. I know that artists, writers, musicians, and actors have a consistently higher -- much higher -- rate of alcoholism, drug abuse, and suicide than the general population. Depression is rampant. Lately, even before this tragedy, I've been wondering what it is about the creative mind that makes us subject to the black pit so much more than "normal" (for want of a better word) folks.
There's a place inside herself where an artist goes - and I include writers and actors and musicians in the word artist, here -- to find the emotion that resonates through our work. Some of us have much darker places than others and must enter those shadowed nooks and corridors of memory and experience in order to create.
Yet others can write/paint/sing about pain from a more surface perspective. They don't have to FEEL the pain to translate it into art. Maybe it's a glib shallowness; maybe it's a healthy way to live and create. Certainly, it's an individual experience.
But for many of us, the experience of channeling creativity invokes the emotion described, and we often feel it at a sharper level than even what we put on the page. The pain informs our work and deepens it; the empathy colors our perspective and point of view. Does it make the work better? It does, or at least we believe it does, to the point of being afraid to seek out medication or therapy with which to better cope with the demons devouring our equilibrium.
What is the answer? I wish I knew. "Outing" depression as a chemical imbalance instead of stigmatizing it as it was in years past is a beginning. Perhaps studies proving that creativity does not suffer when the lowest of lows can be softened would be another step forward.
As a child, I believed that I must live in a garrett in Paris, freezing and starving but for crusts of bread and sips of wine, in order to be a "real" writer. As an adult, I know that creativity doesn't depend on external trappings. As a writer who wrote an entire chapter once in the midst of the hell that is Chuck E. Cheese, doling out "more tokens, Mommy!" every page or two, I can promise you that surroundings mean nothing when the story has you in its hot and sweaty embrace, urging you to write on, write on, write ON.
But who can prove to us that treatment for depression won't blunt the edges of creativity? And until they do, will we be forced to watch shining talents crash and burn all around us?
I don't know. I don't have any answers, just unanswerable questions. I do urge any of you reading this who have suffered with depression to talk to somebody about it. Get help. We're all in this together, and my thoughts and prayers are with you, too.
hugs,
Alyssa
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
This may be my next car
The Saturn Flextreme
You can read all about it here, but what really snagged my attention was this line:
As early as 2010 or 2011, "Driving range after leaving the house with a fully charged battery pack and a full tank of ultra-low-sulfur diesel is estimated to be 444 miles."
Think about it!! I'm already considering trading in my beloved BMW convertible for a Prius, but maybe I'll hold out for this one. It's so important for me to be eco-friendly and this is just - WOW! Plus it looks like something a space pilot would drive on her day off, which tickles me.
hugs,
Alyssa
Chatting with readers this week
I'll be chatting with readers at the Cherry Forums this week and answering all sorts of questions about ATLANTIS AWAKENING. You do have to register to participate, but it's a fairly painless process.
Also, I'm off to get my hair cut CLEAR OFF today and changed back more toward my natural red. Wish me luck!! Will post pics, I promise!
hugs,
Alyssa
Also, I'm off to get my hair cut CLEAR OFF today and changed back more toward my natural red. Wish me luck!! Will post pics, I promise!
hugs,
Alyssa
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Insomnia really REALLY stinks
Have had 6 hours total sleep in the past 4 days. But I get to do really constructive things, like raise my winning percentage at the Hearts game on my computer to 26% and find little-known internet gems like my new obscure British title:
Post yours here if you're bored! Oh, and any cures for insomnia would be awesome.
hugs,
Alyssa, off to drink more coffee
 | My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Milady the Most Honourable Alesia the Prickly of Biggleswade by Biscuit Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title |
Post yours here if you're bored! Oh, and any cures for insomnia would be awesome.
hugs,
Alyssa, off to drink more coffee
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Happy New Year!!
How is it 2008? I remember being a kid and thinking I'd be positively ANCIENT (i.e. older than 30, LOL) at the year 2000! And here we are nearly at the end of the decade.
I don't do resolutions, but I feel like setting some goals. I'm big on career goal-setting, but this year my goals run more toward the personal:
I'd like to achieve balance. I spent so much of 2007 running around like a madwoman; chasing after my own tail much of the time. Stress-induced migraines and stomach ache were my frequent companions.
This year, I want to do things a little differently. BE a little different. My goals are to:
1. do some travelling for pleasure, not just for work.
2. spend more time with the kids doing things they like and simply enjoying them for the fascinating individuals they are.
3. sitting still and living in the present instead of constantly berating myself with "what's next?"
How about you? Care to share any life goals?
hugs and happy New Year's!!
Alyssa
I don't do resolutions, but I feel like setting some goals. I'm big on career goal-setting, but this year my goals run more toward the personal:
I'd like to achieve balance. I spent so much of 2007 running around like a madwoman; chasing after my own tail much of the time. Stress-induced migraines and stomach ache were my frequent companions.
This year, I want to do things a little differently. BE a little different. My goals are to:
1. do some travelling for pleasure, not just for work.
2. spend more time with the kids doing things they like and simply enjoying them for the fascinating individuals they are.
3. sitting still and living in the present instead of constantly berating myself with "what's next?"
How about you? Care to share any life goals?
hugs and happy New Year's!!
Alyssa
Friday, December 28, 2007
Wiinjuries
I'm guessing I'm not alone in experiencing a strange sore achiness the day after Christmas. I woke up to pain in my neck and shoulder, and a certain odd soreness in my right arm.
You guessed it -- I'd been Wii-d.
Countless games of bowling and golf; had to try out the baseball, of course!! Moving my poor body in unusual ways. My poor husband has tennis Wiielbow. . .
Now it's time to pack away all the holiday decorations and tackle the dreaded year-end filing changeover task. I am sitting in my office surrounded by boxes (but rocking out to my new iPod, which I absolutely LOVE, not that I'll ever admit it to all the Apple nuts I happen to know - I watched the first 4 eps of season 1 of Supernatural on it over the past few days. woo hoo!!)
Then it's back to work. How about you? Doing anything fun during the holidays? Any onerous tasks you're taking on now that you'd like a "poor baby" for?
hugs,
Alyssa
You guessed it -- I'd been Wii-d.
Countless games of bowling and golf; had to try out the baseball, of course!! Moving my poor body in unusual ways. My poor husband has tennis Wiielbow. . .
Now it's time to pack away all the holiday decorations and tackle the dreaded year-end filing changeover task. I am sitting in my office surrounded by boxes (but rocking out to my new iPod, which I absolutely LOVE, not that I'll ever admit it to all the Apple nuts I happen to know - I watched the first 4 eps of season 1 of Supernatural on it over the past few days. woo hoo!!)
Then it's back to work. How about you? Doing anything fun during the holidays? Any onerous tasks you're taking on now that you'd like a "poor baby" for?
hugs,
Alyssa
Thursday, December 20, 2007
It's in the genes, evidently
My kids are demonstrating a scary talent for storytelling and sometimes tell me they want to be authors when they grow up. I want to beg them to do something easier, like brain surgery, or rocket science, but I'm also insanely proud (I know, like any mom, right?)
My 10 y.o. son had to write a journal from the point of view of one of the earliest settlers in 1600s Virginia, and he was a young soldier, writing about the shocking lack of harbor smell as his ship approached the "unfettered wilderness." Also, when he saw bears crashing through the wilderness, he grabbed for his "piece."
Me: Your piece? You grabbed your piece?
Him: MOTHER, it was another term for musket in the olden days.
So my husband and I spent a few days rolling around laughing about this. "Quick, the pugs are on a rampage! It's a deadly squirrel in the unfettered wilderness of the back yard! Grab your piece!!"
Of course, we only did this when Science Boy wasn't in the house . . .
Then today, I went to school to hear my 7 y.o. daughter's press conference. The students each had to "discover" a new planet, they all spent a month working on it, and today was her turn to give her press conference about this shocking new discovery.
Her planet is named Dognonia, and has many fascinating characteristics, including the 1-foot-tall residents who live mainly on a diet of snow crab, bacon, and cheeseburgers. One of their major holidays is "Chase a Cat Day" when the Dognonians all turn invisible and fly over to Earth to chase cats.
Her teacher says, "What do they do when they catch the cats?"
Princess: "They insult them."
Me: [burying my head in my hands trying not to howl in laughter, this is the first I've heard about the insulting]
Teacher: "What kind of insults?"
Princess: "Hey, stinky fish breath cat!"
Student wildly waving hand: "What kind of animals are on Dognonia?"
Princess: "50-foot-tall man-eating Puffballs."
Student: "Why do the Dognonians go to Earth to chase cats?"
Princess, rolling her eyes: "Well they're not going to exactly chase the man-eating Puffballs, are they?"
By this time, I was hurting -- in actual pain -- from holding in the laughter. In a month of prep, I'd never heard about the cat-insulting or the man-eating Puffballs. This was all strictly ad lib.
But I kind of loved her explanation of the motto of the Dognonians: "We all pull together in hard times."
I think those Dognonians have the right idea. Pretty darn brave from a people chased by 50-foot-tall man-eating Puffballs, hmm?
hugs,
Alyssa
My 10 y.o. son had to write a journal from the point of view of one of the earliest settlers in 1600s Virginia, and he was a young soldier, writing about the shocking lack of harbor smell as his ship approached the "unfettered wilderness." Also, when he saw bears crashing through the wilderness, he grabbed for his "piece."
Me: Your piece? You grabbed your piece?
Him: MOTHER, it was another term for musket in the olden days.
So my husband and I spent a few days rolling around laughing about this. "Quick, the pugs are on a rampage! It's a deadly squirrel in the unfettered wilderness of the back yard! Grab your piece!!"
Of course, we only did this when Science Boy wasn't in the house . . .
Then today, I went to school to hear my 7 y.o. daughter's press conference. The students each had to "discover" a new planet, they all spent a month working on it, and today was her turn to give her press conference about this shocking new discovery.
Her planet is named Dognonia, and has many fascinating characteristics, including the 1-foot-tall residents who live mainly on a diet of snow crab, bacon, and cheeseburgers. One of their major holidays is "Chase a Cat Day" when the Dognonians all turn invisible and fly over to Earth to chase cats.
Her teacher says, "What do they do when they catch the cats?"
Princess: "They insult them."
Me: [burying my head in my hands trying not to howl in laughter, this is the first I've heard about the insulting]
Teacher: "What kind of insults?"
Princess: "Hey, stinky fish breath cat!"
Student wildly waving hand: "What kind of animals are on Dognonia?"
Princess: "50-foot-tall man-eating Puffballs."
Student: "Why do the Dognonians go to Earth to chase cats?"
Princess, rolling her eyes: "Well they're not going to exactly chase the man-eating Puffballs, are they?"
By this time, I was hurting -- in actual pain -- from holding in the laughter. In a month of prep, I'd never heard about the cat-insulting or the man-eating Puffballs. This was all strictly ad lib.
But I kind of loved her explanation of the motto of the Dognonians: "We all pull together in hard times."
I think those Dognonians have the right idea. Pretty darn brave from a people chased by 50-foot-tall man-eating Puffballs, hmm?
hugs,
Alyssa
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
The joy of someone who truly knows you
I'm a mad holiday decorator - Halloween and the 8-foot-long spider, and now Christmas and I have enough ornaments to put up 4 trees. And my lovely husband knows me well enough to give me this for an early gift:
The Serenity in Disguise ornament. I won't explain it - either you're a mad Joss Whedon fan like me or you're not. Me, I'm blissed out.
And my darling mother sent me this, from the classic TV end of the spectrum:
And now I don't need anything else for Christmas. Well, maybe some peanut butter dog chews. The economy sized jar . . .
How about you? Shopping almost done? I braved WalMart this morning for Moon Sand, which made me feel like P.T. Barnum was rolling around in his grave laughing. "They spend MONEY for dirt!! BRILLIANT!! Wish I'd thought of that!!"
And I picked up a few stocking stuffers, so I think I might actually be done shopping, yay. Need to inventory the items I've stuffed in various hiding places around the house to be sure . . . but we're still 6 days out!! This is WAY EARLY for me to be done shopping. I'm usually one of the idiots running around on Dec. 24 trying to find last-minute gifts.
Anyway, my aspiration for 2008 is peace and happiness and way less stress, so have a happy Wednesday!
hugs,
Alyssa
The Serenity in Disguise ornament. I won't explain it - either you're a mad Joss Whedon fan like me or you're not. Me, I'm blissed out.
And my darling mother sent me this, from the classic TV end of the spectrum:
And now I don't need anything else for Christmas. Well, maybe some peanut butter dog chews. The economy sized jar . . .
How about you? Shopping almost done? I braved WalMart this morning for Moon Sand, which made me feel like P.T. Barnum was rolling around in his grave laughing. "They spend MONEY for dirt!! BRILLIANT!! Wish I'd thought of that!!"
And I picked up a few stocking stuffers, so I think I might actually be done shopping, yay. Need to inventory the items I've stuffed in various hiding places around the house to be sure . . . but we're still 6 days out!! This is WAY EARLY for me to be done shopping. I'm usually one of the idiots running around on Dec. 24 trying to find last-minute gifts.
Anyway, my aspiration for 2008 is peace and happiness and way less stress, so have a happy Wednesday!
hugs,
Alyssa
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Visions of sugar pugs - happy holidays!!
I'm officially a crazy cat lady now, except with dogs. In my defense, all I can say is: SO not my fault.
First we had two pugs, Daisy and Peanut.
Then my darling but crazy friend Jenny Crusie happened to mention she'd adopted another Dachshund. Actually she adopted THREE more Dachshunds, but that's Jenny. Nobody has a bigger heart.
So I was curious about this Pet Finder site (which is wonderful, and has rescue dogs all over the country that you can search by size, gender, breed, location, etc. etc.) and popped over just to look. JUST. TO. LOOK.
Seriously.
Then I encountered the amazing force of nature also known as the president of the Orlando Pug Rescue. Retha (whose full name is an anagram for Heart Pug Love, and she didn't even realize it, how OOOH FATE is that??) called me the second she saw my adoption app. (Evidently humans who work at home and spend much of their lives going for walks and giving treats and cuddles are much in demand.)
The call went by in a blur, she was funny and amazing, and before I knew what hit me, we were packing up the whole family, including the dogs, to take a road trip to Orlando to meet a little boy dog whose owner had let him get so sick he spent several days in the hospital but still nearly died. We were also meeting a little girl pug who had been rescued from a puppy mill where she spent the entire 3 years of her life in a kennel having puppies.
We were supposed to meet them, see if our dogs got along with either of them, and CHOOSE.
CHOOSE. ONE.
Yeah. Right.
So first we met baby girl Precious, who looks a lot like the pug version of Marty Feldman:
She is so happy to have attention and love that her entire body wags, not just her tail. Precious, needless to say, was coming home with us. She has spent much of the past couple of weeks in my lap. She may have the best personality of any dog in the entire universe, ever, which is saying something considering her life. She's just so darn happy and grateful and blissed out from having a family of her own, and sleeps curled up in bed with Princess, my daughter.
Then we met Gizmo, the hyper-exuberant boy. Navy Guy and Science Boy both fell madly in love with him, promptly renamed him Buckeye, and it was all over.
A rare shot of a rare occurrence - Buckeye at rest:
So now we're a 4-pug family. Which, as you may realize, is completely nuts. You should see me walking all 4 of them by myself. I guarantee it's a cure for the grims. Especially the part where I get tangled up about twice every block and nearly land on my butt on the sidewalk.
My office chair has been completely taken over, and Buckeye seems to be part cat, because he always claims the top of the back:
And I am surrounded by the gentle serenade of pug snoring when I work. So as a holiday gift to you, remember this: any time you think your house is all mad chaos and you're losing your mind, just imagine this:
My house when the UPS guy rings the doorbell.
Feel better already, don't you??
hugs,
Alyssa
First we had two pugs, Daisy and Peanut.
Then my darling but crazy friend Jenny Crusie happened to mention she'd adopted another Dachshund. Actually she adopted THREE more Dachshunds, but that's Jenny. Nobody has a bigger heart.
So I was curious about this Pet Finder site (which is wonderful, and has rescue dogs all over the country that you can search by size, gender, breed, location, etc. etc.) and popped over just to look. JUST. TO. LOOK.
Seriously.
Then I encountered the amazing force of nature also known as the president of the Orlando Pug Rescue. Retha (whose full name is an anagram for Heart Pug Love, and she didn't even realize it, how OOOH FATE is that??) called me the second she saw my adoption app. (Evidently humans who work at home and spend much of their lives going for walks and giving treats and cuddles are much in demand.)
The call went by in a blur, she was funny and amazing, and before I knew what hit me, we were packing up the whole family, including the dogs, to take a road trip to Orlando to meet a little boy dog whose owner had let him get so sick he spent several days in the hospital but still nearly died. We were also meeting a little girl pug who had been rescued from a puppy mill where she spent the entire 3 years of her life in a kennel having puppies.
We were supposed to meet them, see if our dogs got along with either of them, and CHOOSE.
CHOOSE. ONE.
Yeah. Right.
So first we met baby girl Precious, who looks a lot like the pug version of Marty Feldman:
She is so happy to have attention and love that her entire body wags, not just her tail. Precious, needless to say, was coming home with us. She has spent much of the past couple of weeks in my lap. She may have the best personality of any dog in the entire universe, ever, which is saying something considering her life. She's just so darn happy and grateful and blissed out from having a family of her own, and sleeps curled up in bed with Princess, my daughter.
Then we met Gizmo, the hyper-exuberant boy. Navy Guy and Science Boy both fell madly in love with him, promptly renamed him Buckeye, and it was all over.
A rare shot of a rare occurrence - Buckeye at rest:
So now we're a 4-pug family. Which, as you may realize, is completely nuts. You should see me walking all 4 of them by myself. I guarantee it's a cure for the grims. Especially the part where I get tangled up about twice every block and nearly land on my butt on the sidewalk.
My office chair has been completely taken over, and Buckeye seems to be part cat, because he always claims the top of the back:
And I am surrounded by the gentle serenade of pug snoring when I work. So as a holiday gift to you, remember this: any time you think your house is all mad chaos and you're losing your mind, just imagine this:
My house when the UPS guy rings the doorbell.
Feel better already, don't you??
hugs,
Alyssa
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Very bad day
Migraine. Book not going well. And when I went outside to take the kids to school, I see that some rotten kids in the neighborhood have moved my light-up Santa in my front yard so he looks like he's acting quite lasciviously and possibly illegally toward my light-up polar bear.
They broke the leg off the polar bear, too, which REALLY ticked me off. On the walk around the neighborhood with dogs, we notice that ALL of the yards have been punked. Every light-up reindeer in the neighborhood is mounting another reindeer, for example. Seems like there was a time that I would have found that funny. Not today. Did I mention bad day?
Rotten little turds. Is there a law against duct taping Santa-defiling kids to each other and dragging them home to their parents? I mean, this was SANTA. Grr.
Send some cheerful vibes my way, okay?
They broke the leg off the polar bear, too, which REALLY ticked me off. On the walk around the neighborhood with dogs, we notice that ALL of the yards have been punked. Every light-up reindeer in the neighborhood is mounting another reindeer, for example. Seems like there was a time that I would have found that funny. Not today. Did I mention bad day?
Rotten little turds. Is there a law against duct taping Santa-defiling kids to each other and dragging them home to their parents? I mean, this was SANTA. Grr.
Send some cheerful vibes my way, okay?
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
QUINN IS NOT A VAMPIRE!!!!
I'm getting all sorts of reader mail from people who are annoyed that Quinn is a vampire - she is totally NOT a vampire!! The blood bond is only the first step toward that process. So if you were worried - rest assured!
Oh, and you're going to find out something very surprising about the Atlantean priesthood in Justice's book.
hugs,
Alyssa, diving back into the book
Oh, and you're going to find out something very surprising about the Atlantean priesthood in Justice's book.
hugs,
Alyssa, diving back into the book
Monday, November 19, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving!
If you're here in the U.S. and happy holiday shopping season
I'm going under for the next couple of weeks to finish the book, so wish me luck!!
hugs,
Alyssa
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Huh.
If you're in the mood for nonstop ego stroking, check out this horoscope site. LOL. It doesn't mention the downside of my Scorpio-isms, like the fly-off-the-handle anger, inability to remain calm and Zen for more than 30 minutes at a time, seriously addictive personality . . . did I mention the always-empty bowl of peanut M&Ms on my desk?? Although it does say "The Addict" - hmm. Cue Twilight Zone music. And who wouldn't mind being called extremely adorable?? lololol.
Friday, November 16, 2007
I like Chuck!
And, seriously, any show with Jayne from Firefly, the ever-hilarious Adam Baldwin, had me at "Let's be bad guys." heh.
So my friend Barb aka Caridad Ferrer told me about a fab organization called Clothes off our Backs, that makes good uses of all those celebrity cast-offs and goody bag loot. (There's a great NY Times article, quoting Barb, who wore an Oscar dress to win the RITA, here).
And I peeked over to take a look, natch. Now the girls have not fit in a size 34B since junior high, because I have my Italian-Irish curves, so the corset auction was out. But I surfed around a little, and there was Chuck. The adorable Zachary Levi, to be precise, who is totally a cutie but somehow manages to pull off the role of a total nerd, in spite of the muscles. Hee.
So I had to bid. On the pink boxing glove, which of course I need like, well, like . . . okay. I totally don't need it. But it was my birthday and, well, I won. So coming soon to a place of honor in my office: a pink boxing glove autographed by Chuck. I'll probably display it next to the 3 foot tall horse statue (see above re: things I never really NEEDED).
Anybody else a Chuck fan? A Jayne fan? Going to see the magic toy store movie this weekend from sheer child-sized person pressure?
hugs,
Alyssa
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Me and Stephen King!!!!!
Hee.
So it has been a crazy, happy, floating on air kind of week here (other than the hideous root canal, but we won't go there).
ATLANTIS AWAKENING has been blasting its way up all the bestseller lists and it even broke into the Top 100 at the USA Today bestseller list at 97!!!!!
..> 97. Atlantis Awakening
Alyssa Day, Berkley
Romance: Warrior tries to resist the beauty chose to work with him (F) (P) $6.99
..> Weeks in Top 150: 1 Last week: -- Entered Top 150: 11/15/2007 Peak: 97 ..>
..>
To put this in perspective, guess who was at 97 last week?? That would be my childhood HERO, STEPHEN FREAKING KING!!!!!!!! (With THE MIST, his movie tie-in book)
The USA Today bestseller list tracks all genres of books, so fiction, nonfiction, children's books, you name it - it's all on there. And my little second book in my series broke into the top 100 - even though the holiday books all started hitting the shelves November 1st!!
The bottom line here? It's all about YOU. My wonderful, brilliant, kind (and surely gorgeous) readers, who remembered me from 8 loooong months ago or took a chance for the first time. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.
And as a true gesture of my appreciation?? You asked for him -- you're going to get him. Alaric's book. No making you wait years - Alaric will be in stores near you in early 2009!!!!! (trust me, in publishing terms, that's like the day after tomorrow)
I ADORE you. Thank you!! I'm drinking a champagne toast to you all.
hugs,
alyssa
So it has been a crazy, happy, floating on air kind of week here (other than the hideous root canal, but we won't go there).
ATLANTIS AWAKENING has been blasting its way up all the bestseller lists and it even broke into the Top 100 at the USA Today bestseller list at 97!!!!!
..> 97. Atlantis Awakening
Alyssa Day, Berkley
Romance: Warrior tries to resist the beauty chose to work with him (F) (P) $6.99
..> Weeks in Top 150: 1 Last week: -- Entered Top 150: 11/15/2007 Peak: 97 ..>
..>
To put this in perspective, guess who was at 97 last week?? That would be my childhood HERO, STEPHEN FREAKING KING!!!!!!!! (With THE MIST, his movie tie-in book)
The USA Today bestseller list tracks all genres of books, so fiction, nonfiction, children's books, you name it - it's all on there. And my little second book in my series broke into the top 100 - even though the holiday books all started hitting the shelves November 1st!!
The bottom line here? It's all about YOU. My wonderful, brilliant, kind (and surely gorgeous) readers, who remembered me from 8 loooong months ago or took a chance for the first time. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.
And as a true gesture of my appreciation?? You asked for him -- you're going to get him. Alaric's book. No making you wait years - Alaric will be in stores near you in early 2009!!!!! (trust me, in publishing terms, that's like the day after tomorrow)
I ADORE you. Thank you!! I'm drinking a champagne toast to you all.
hugs,
alyssa
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
WONDERFUL WEEKEND!!
Wow!! I love Boston!! I had the BEST time in Marlborough on Thursday. First the lovely Carla Victor and friends Steff and Liz picked me up at the airport and gave me a tour - so so SO beautiful. I can't believe it took me so long to get to Boston! I'm definitely going back for a family vacation.
They took me out to the Longfellow Grist Mill:
And we had a lovely dinner and then a very fun booksigning and chat.
Then I had a terrific time catching up with friends in Boston, and flew home Friday for a birthday celebration. Thank you again, Marlborough Borders Books & Music paranormal book club!! You ROCK!!!
Hugs,
Alyssa
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