Jo's Journal [entries|friends|calendar] Jo [ website | My Website ] [ userinfo | livejournal userinfo ] [ calendar | livejournal calendar ]

Of Hair Choppage and Public Speaking [16 May 2008|08:20am] [ mood | nervous ] Hello, dahlings! Long time, no talk!  The day job has kept me busy/travelling the last few weeks, so *yay!* for everyone's successes and *hugs* for any sadness. Tonight, I go to Avant Salon to lop off my locks. I'm going for a hairstyle that ends at chin level, which is the shortest I've gone since "Mmm Bop" was popular.  Yeah. It's been a while.  Hopefully, the stylist will take into account the waviness of my hair, the laziness of my person to style said hair, and... my over-the-top fear of catching head lice in a hair salon. I'm sorry, but if I don't see those scissors soaking in that jar of blue liquid, I get a little nervous. Then, tomorrow at 11:00 am, I'll be giving a talk at the Westlake Barnes & Noble on The Great Agent Hunt.  I'll be covering the entire process from query letters to choosing an agent that's right for you. I'll even be critiquing query letters sent in by real live people!! If you'll be in the Austin area, consider swinging by. I may need hugs if this haircut goes awry. 8 comments|post comment

Guess Who's Back...Back Again [27 Apr 2008|04:08pm] [ mood | busy ] Hello, guyeeees!  I just flew back from Rochester, NY (and boy are my arms tired! Ba-dum-bum) It was a nice little getaway and a great chance to see people I hadn't in ~3 years (hi, Ian and Marcus!) and see people I'd only talked to over the phone (hi, lovely ladies of MKS Rochester!) AND to see an LJ friend (hi, Deena!). Deena is a cutie, and she's going to do awesome things for her library, I have no doubt. The lovely ladies of MKS Rochester were very sweet to me and did their best to make me feel at home. One of them (who is made of fabulous and awesome and everything in between) even went with me to Niagara Falls! Hi, Amy! And what trip to Niagara wouldn't be complete without a little of this? That's right, boys and girls. Jo drove to Niagara Falls to see the sights and play the slots. So I wouldn't forget them, the lovely ladies of MKS Rochester sent me home with Chester (Ro-chester. Get it?): That same night I returned (Friday, the 25th), I mosey-ed over to the home of Greg and Cynthia Leitich Smith for a pre-conference faculty get-together. If you know me, you know I love food, and the Leitich Smiths never disappoint: While there, I ran into Alvina Ling and we played a miniature version of "Guess the Asian": And yes, some people at the conference the next day thought I was Alvina Ling.  (Oh, and Alvina, FYI, you agreed to publish a picture book entitled Pipe Cleaners are People, too) The conference the next day was excellent. Kudos to Tim Crow, our Regional Advisor, who managed to make the conference a SOLD OUT event. The schwanky affair was held at the UT Club and included special guests Alvina Ling with Little, Brown; agent Erin Murphy (who is hilarious, Elizabeth!), and Deborah Wayshack with Candlewick. I did manuscript critiques for part of the time (very good concepts, everyone!) and participated on a success panel with Brian Yansky, April Lurie, Helen Hemphill, and Varian Johnson (who just sold a book to Delacorte! You go, boy!) Now, it's back to work on my middle grade contemporary project, IS, the first 5 chapters of which I owe to my crit partners AND my agent by month end. Good to be back, guys! 22 comments|post comment

Rochester, New York? [11 Apr 2008|09:42am] [ mood | curious ] Is anyone familiar with Rochester, New York? Is there good food there? Good book stores? Are YOU there? I'll be in Rochester starting on Monday (if American Airlines is actually flying) for the next two weeks. 15 comments|post comment

Writing the Second Chapter [03 Apr 2008|10:22am] [ mood | thoughtful ] This is in keeping with Lisa Schroeder's post yesterday about getting started when writing.  I don't have a problem getting started.  I don't have a problem with any of chapter one, that marvelous eye-catching, mind-reeling gem. I don't have a problem with chapter three or four or even chapter five million. I have a problem with chapter two.   This is the chapter I often spend the most time on, simply because it tends to be the most boring--full of backfill and character descriptions and transitional dialogue to tone down the dynamic opening.  It's the "So, let's talk about what just happened and plan out how to deal with it!" chapter.  It's the "Let me tell you more about me!" chapter. Remember the Babysitters Club books? That was the point of chapter 2. To describe all the characters and the Babysitters Club. I usually skipped over that chapter. The point of chapter 2 is to let the reader catch a breath but still keep them entertained, informed, and not lose the action of the story.  That's a lot of pressure to put on one chapter. I'm surprised it hasn't taken up smoking. My latest weapon in the fight against Chapter 2 is good dialogue and crit partners who will tell me, "Um...no." when I'm spending too much time describing the wallpaper. So, now let me pick YOUR brain. Is Chapter 2 a tough one for you? How do you handle it?   15 comments|post comment

A Vote for Carrie Jones is a Vote for Awesome!! [31 Mar 2008|08:38am] Carrie Jones is running for the Maine Legislature. Here's why you should vote for her: 1. She's open-minded to people of all race, religion, and sexual orientation. You need someone in office who is willing to listen to ALL the people and meet ALL their needs. 2. She's intelligent. She's achieved a degree in political science (POLITICAL!!) AND a Master's degree in Fine Arts. The woman understands the value of an education, and those degrees show her commitment to a task once she sets her mind to it. 3. She tells stories of her love for John Wayne and her love for Grover. The woman has a sense of humor, and that's necessary in a field as volatile as politics. You need someone who can see the lighter side of a situation and not just focus on the negative.  4. She's compassionate. Carrie Jones cares about those around her and those she doesn't even know (she's a strong supporter of Amnesty International). You need someone in office who cares about the people and not just about the paperwork. 5. A vote for Carrie Jones is a vote for awesome. Check out the LiveJournals of all her friends. We wouldn't steer you wrong. 3 comments|post comment

London, Part 5 [26 Mar 2008|08:25am] As I mentioned in the previous entry, I'd fallen in love with the West End...and so had Hubby. The next morning, we headed BACK to Leicester Square and bought tickets for Spamalot (I'm a big Monty Python fan). Again, good pricing (£30/person) for 5th row seats. Jo was a happy camper. We decided to eat breakfast in the area at a little restaurant called The Stockpot. This place was the definition of "dirt cheap" in London. The prices were so low, there was actually a minimum order amount per table listed on the menu (I believe it was £5). I had buttered toast, tea, cornflakes and a big bowl of honeydew melon, all very good. Hubby had an omelette, French bread, and tea. Are you sensing a trend here with us and the tea? After breakfast we headed to Harrods for that once-in-a-lifetime shopping experience. Note: This isn't my picture. I just think it's fabulous. Sadly, we didn't take any pictures (they yelled at people the instant they saw a camera), but rest assured the inside is amazing. Almost an entire floor devoted to food (and you know what a foodie I am). A hall of meat, a hall of chocolate and coffee, a hall of candy (with a little gelato bar in the center), a hall of fruits and veggies, a hall of cheeses and other fineries. It was teh awesome. We wandered into the pet store, used the washrooms multiple times (complete with washroom attendant and assorted fragrances and lotions), rode the Egyptian escalators, checked out the bookstore (where I learned Holly Black would be signing that Saturday...small world) and looked for copies of my friend's books (I saw a copy of Jen B's Tattoo on the shelf). We also saw something I thought was supercool and space-aged (literally). In the travel section of Harrod's, a video screen display has been set up advertising a flight from London to Sydney in just 30 minutes...by way of outerspace. Yes, in the year 2009, you too can be taking a Virgin Galactic spaceship to the Outback...for only $200,000 a trip! If you wait a little longer and don't want to be one of the first 100 guinea pigs pioneers, you can book a trip for much cheaper...just $20,000. Oddly enough, the phrase, "Oh, the humanity!" keeps ringing in my ears. Hmmm. Despite the price, you have to admit it's a cool idea, and according to Wikipedia (who knows all), "Virgin Galactic already has $30 million in bookings for flights." Plus, you would officially become an astronaut! Something to think about when you make that next book deal. ( MORE PICS AND ADVENTURES HERE! ) 15 comments|post comment

London, Part 4 [24 Mar 2008|08:19am] Monday morning started at Cyrano for breakfast, and then we were off to Leicester Square to buy our theater tickets. London has a similar version of Broadway known as the West End, and the morning of most shows, you can go to the TKTS booth in Leicester Square and get tickets for half-price. We scored 5th row seats for Avenue Q at £20 a pop (roughly $40 per person). Other random pictures in the area, a casino (CASINO!) wedged between two normal buildings: And me palling around with Charlie Chaplin: After we'd picked our seats (heh heh), we headed over to the British Museum: If you don't recognize the posters by the entrance (DMF should know!), they're advertising the current exhibit, "The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army". If you're unfamiliar with the Terracotta Army, might I suggest you read up on it? The British Museum had some ACTUAL statues from the discovery site. Sadly, that picture was NOT taken by yours truly because the line to get into the exhibit was seriously long: But the entrance hall of the British Museum is amazing, don't you think? That big circular building in the center is a library, and those stairs spiral all the way up to a restaurant on the top. Here's a view from the other (less crowded) side:   Even though I didn't get to see the terracotta army firsthand, there were still hundred of amazing exhibits, ranging from mummy sarcophagi to the Rosetta Stone:   The same information is written on the Rosetta Stone in three different languages: Egyptian hieroglyphs, Egyptian Demotic, and Greek. If you understand Greek (which--who doesn't?), you can compare the letters with those in the hieroglyphs and figure out what's written in Egyptian! This is how a lot of the ancient texts have been translated. I also got a chance to check out the King's Library (different than the one mentioned above), which...WANT! It's this MASSIVE room (60,000 books) with bookshelves that stretch, well...pretty high up: And above the bookshelves is a BALCONY that runs the length of the library. So beautiful and awesome. After the British Museum, we popped in for lunch at Chuen Chung Ku (called CCK by the locals). Here, they're known for their dim sum (over 100 different items), and girls push trolleys past your table, offering various steaming baskets of everything under the sun. We decided to go for something off the menu instead, the Meal for Two (Hot and Sour Soup, Sweet and Sour Pork, Sliced Duck in Chili Black Bean Sauce, Stir Fried Vegetables, Egg Fried Rice). It was all delicious and would have been the perfect meal if it hadn't been for the constant circling of the dim sum trolley girls. It was cute the first twelve times. But after the Jaws music started playing and their pearly teeth kept on shining as they revealed steaming basket after seaming basket...the waiter finally had to come over and put a note on our table letting them know we weren't interested. At dusk, we went to the London Eye to get an aerial view of the city: For those afraid of heights, it's far less scary than it might appear. For starters, you're in these large (each one holds about 25 people) plexi-glass capsules reinforced with steel. One revolution of the wheel (trip to the top and back down) takes about half an hour, so it's very slow and steady. See how happy we are? Safe. (That's Big Ben behind my arm) We dashed back across town to catch Avenue Q: Honestly, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't good. I like Muppets and I like people. But I don't like to see the people operating the Muppets, which is how Avenue Q works. The actors sing and dance while holding Muppets. It kind of shatters the illusion, you know? Plus, one of the characters was the stereotypical Asian woman with a loud voice and bad accent and garbled use of the English language. Every time she came onstage, I cringed. Still, it was live musical theater! With special effects and singing and tickets the normal human being could afford! I'd fallen in love with the West End. Next time, tea at a palace and my guest appearance in Spamalot!  17 comments|post comment

London, Part 3 [20 Mar 2008|10:17am] Sunday morning, we have breakfast at a cafe called Cyrano that's down the street from our hotel: It's a little French place that became our breakfast nook while we were in London. It was also where I had my first cup of English tea! That and a piece of pain au chocolat make a great meal. Yum. Of course, Hubby had the less healthy (but more delicious) alternative, the English breakfast: On his plate, that's toast, fried tomato, British bacon, fried mushrooms, a Cumberland sausage and scrambled eggs. From there, we take the Holland Park Tube to Tottenham Court Road and meet up with our tour guide for a Beatles Magical Mystery Tour. Our tour guide is funny and knowledgeable but a bit spittly when it comes to words like "Paul", "performance", or anything containing letters.  He takes us to Trident Studios where the Beatles recorded "Hey, Jude" among a number of other hits: There were several other famous musical artists that recorded there as well (i.e., Carly Simon with "You're So Vain" ): Trident Studios is in Soho, a name which comes from the old ‘soho!’ hunting call. Centuries ago, the area had been a royal park used for fox-hunting. At the corner of Broadwick and Carnaby Street is a mural called The Spirit of Soho, and if you'll notice, the bottom is painted very similarly to look like the cover for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. They do love their Beatles! Our guide also takes us to Savile Row where the Beatles had their Apple Corps offices.  They performed their final live performance on the rooftop of their building. BUT Savile Row is more well-known for their bespoke tailoring for royalty, heads of state, and anyone with a bucket of money. If you notice the crests in the window, they let people know the members of royalty the tailor has worked for.  This tailor, Henry Poole and Company, created clothing for Queen Elizabeth II: And of course, no Beatles tour would be complete without a trip to Abbey Road.  That's our friend, Amy, scurrying across the road. It's actually a fairly busy intersection and on either side of the street, handfuls of people wait to cross Abbey Road to the click of a camera. Some are a bit more maniacal than others. We watched one guy cross the road at least ten times before he realized the Beatles didn't wear shoes in the famous picture. So, he took his shoes and socks off and walked across the road ten more times.  During the walk, it had started to sprinkle, and by the time the tour ended, it was a gentle rain. Still, we pressed on to our next destination, the London Zoo. Here's a fun traveling tip. Don't bother wearing your stylish boots that make you look taller unless you've bothered walking in them for more than a few yards at a time.  We walked a very painful mile, but it stopped raining along the way, and I saw something that really made me fall in love with the city: Beautiful buildings and trees and blue, blue sky. Yes, we have them in Austin, but not so close together! We finally reach the zoo and grab a bite in the snack shop before heading out to explore the exhibits. One of my favorites was the butterfly room, filled with fluttering delicate creatures that would land on your shoulder if you got close enough. Another of my favorites was this: And if you're a devoted fan of Harry Potter, you'll know why. Ta-da!  We walk through the rest of the zoo (well, they walk; I hobble) and finish the night with a delicious dinner at Wagamama, a Japanese noodle house chain. I have the chicken ramen and Roger has the chili chicken ramen. Both delicious, but I liked Roger's more. We follow it up with a bowl of mango and lychee sorbet, then head back to the hotel and hit the sack.  Next time, Museums and Muppets!   15 comments|post comment

London, Part 2 [19 Mar 2008|09:55pm]  Saturday morning, we step off the plane and catch the Gatwick Express to Victoria Station where we buy 7-day Travelcards. If you plan to travel in London, I highly recommend a travelcard. You'll use the Tube for EVERYTHING, and you'll get your money's worth out of a card. As frugal travelers, the four of us had opted out of the taxi alternative and dragged our suitcases and duffle bags from one train to the next (other passengers loved us, I'm sure). When we finally emerged from the Holland Park Underground (the station closest to our hotel), we were ready to drop. Unfortunately, we still had to hoof it the rest of the way to the Hilton.  Our friends had read it was 15 minutes on foot from the Holland Park stop, and I had read it was 5. Had we all been cheetahs or some other swift plains animal, I would have been correct. BUT, we were a party comprised of three fairly strong people and one petite Asian girl dragging a suitcase half her bodyweight/size. Remember this beauty? Hubby tells me we'll be trading her in for a smaller, more maneuverable model. At least, I hope he was talking about the suitcase. When we arrive at the hotel, we drop all our luggage and head out in search of Portobello Road (which is most active on Saturdays). Columbus did a better job finding India. After I get us quite lost ("We were just here!" "How come the sign doesn't say Portobello Road anymore?") we stop at a Starbuck's to revive (yes, we went to England and had Starbuck's). Then, we head back to the room for a rest before dinner. That evening, we wander to Oxford Street for dinner at Brasil by Kilo. Considering the all-you-can eat plates were only £6 per person, it wasn't bad. Still, you had to be careful what you selected because of the warnings posted at each table. If you didn't eat everything on your plate, you would be charged £5 for wasting food.  Stay tuned for the next installment, featuring the Beatles and Harry Potter!   6 comments|post comment

London Trip, Part 1 [17 Mar 2008|08:42pm] [ mood | hungry ] My first entry will be about the journey TO London (because getting there is half the fun!). Seriously though, it was more awesome than normal traveling. And apologies if I sound like a naive hillbilly once you read this, but if you've always sat in economy, you'll probably find this cool, too. ( Here we go! )   25 comments|post comment

London [16 Mar 2008|09:27pm] [ mood | sleepy ] Loved it. Will post more tomorrow (with piccies galore!) once I've had some shut-eye. 3 comments|post comment

London Calling [06 Mar 2008|08:44am] [ mood | jubilant ] Tomorrow, Hubby and I (and friends) fly to London! Yay! We bought an impossible amount of entertainment devices (CDs, games, etc) for the flights and also for our train ride to Paris. Yay! My favorite one of the entertainment devices (which I just discovered last night) is this: It's a 20 questions game where YOU think of the answer and the COMPUTER asks the questions and guesses what you're thinking of...in this case something related to Harry Potter. ANYTHING from the 7 books or 5 movies. So far, it's properly guessed: Bubotuber Pus, Bouillabase, Hagrid's pink umbrella, , Quick Quotes Quill, skiving snackboxes, and a bunch of other completely vague things. The only downside is, if you don't know enough about what you're thinking of (Florian Fortescue), you can't answer all the questions right and the computer won't answer correctly (obviously). But it's fun to try and stump it.  So, I'll be going dark for a couple weeks (unless something embarassingly blog-worthy happens), but I wanted to ask my globe-trotting friends: Do you have any last-minute tips about London or Paris? 13 comments|post comment

Fifteen for Team [28 Feb 2008|10:15am] That subject title is actually one of the yells that Aggies do during yell practice, but I felt it was fitting for this blog entry. I've been tagged by the unparalleled Cynthia Leitich Smith to offer up "15 weird, random things, facts, habits, or goals" about myself. She included pictures, so I thought I'd do the same. Here we go. 1. I have a freakish obsession with miniature ANYTHING.  It can be dollhouse furniture (those little tiny Life magazines! Squeee!) or those tiny bottles of ketchup you get at fancy restaurants.                                2. I fear anything vomit-related (with one exception). I will actually flee from a loved one if I sense they are going to be sick. I'm not proud of it, but there you go. Oh, and the one exception is drunk people throwing up. It always amuses me.   Note: This is not me running away, but Brendan Fraser is spicy, don't you think? Hooray for another Mummy movie! 3. When I was a kid, I used to make tapes of myself laughing and play them back for my own amusement. At first, the laughter would be that canned, forced giggle, but after you do it enough, it actually turns into real laughter. Try it some time. 4. When I was in junior high/high school, I performed scenes from Fiddler on the Roof (complete with song) for my parents. Usually, I performed "Tevye's Dream".   "A blessing on your head-Mazel Tov! Mazel Tov!"  My Fruma Sarah was probably the best. 5. I'm afraid of the dark. We always keep at least one lamp on somewhere upstairs so I know there's light in the darkness. My main reasoning is that anything coming for me probably has infrared vision, so I'd be at a disadvantage. Note: "Are You Afraid of the Dark" was actually a very creepy, very cool show for kids. My favorite episode was probably the ghost in the school swimming pool. 6. In junior high, me, my sister and our two best friends decided that we'd become a New Kids on The Block cover band. Unfortunately, there are really only three cool New Kids (Danny, Jordan and Joe).Despite the fact that my name is also Jo, I was forced to play the dual role of monkey-faced Danny and boring Jon. My friends told me I was lucky because I actually got to play two parts, but I knew better.                                    7. I was an Awana Spark. If you were/are a church-goer, you might know about Awana. It was a Christian organization to help teach youth about God. Based on your age, you were either Cubbies, Sparks, Pals/Pioneers (for boys), Chums/Guards (for girls..my sister was a Chum), Jr. Varsity (JV), or Varsity. As you completed sections of the curriculum (which included memorizing verses), you attained new patches and jewels for your pin-on crown. I reached the level of Hiker (the mid-level for Sparks) and had gotten most of the jewels on my silver crown. 8. I prefer guys with colored eyes and girls with brown eyes. I don't know why and am probably offending many people on either side. I think it probably has something to do with reflections of who I am. I trust girls with brown eyes because I am one, and I'm interested in guys with colored eyes because they're so different than me.                                                                            9. I make a mean cheese tortellini soup. Hint: Add pesto. 10. I still sleep with a stuffed animal. It's a Pooh bear (he's my fave) that I got in Disneyland when Hubby and I took our first trip as a couple in 2000. Here's a disgusting fact...I have never washed him in 7 years (despite the fact that I hold him closest when I'm sick). 11. From high school to college, I worked as a Pizza Hut employee, a Renaissance Festival chinese food vendor, a Wendy's employee, a Chinese restaurant hostess/waitress, a Cutco knife salesgirl, a city desk reporter for my college paper, a bus driver, a Swensen's server, and a Comfort Inn clerk. Note: The buses I drove were NOT this nice. We drove old Bluebirds and Thomases without air conditioning. 12. I love airline food. Everyone else hates it, but I love it. To me, it's a perk of flying. I just love how everything is packaged together, and I don't think it tastes bad at all.  13. One dream I have is to fly first class somewhere long distance. Those chairs look so big, and I bet you get DOUBLE pretzels. 14. When I was a kid, my romantic crushes were on cartoon characters. The big ones? Flint and Duke from G.I. Joe, Liono from Thundercats, and He-Man. I would create imaginary scenarios of me in the cartoon with them, kissing. In actuality, I was probably just crushing on the guys who did the voices. Creepy.      15. I'm a serious Foodie. I get excited just thinking about what I'll eat for dinner, and I go practically mental thinking about special celebration meals (usually, it means uber-deliciousness). When Hubby and I plan our trips, one of the most important planning points is what we're going to eat. So, that's my list (long, right?).  So, I'm tagging out, but I'm changing the rule to 10 strange things, accompanied by pictures.  Nothing personal if I didn't tag you. I just know some people are way too busy or posted a strange things list not too long ago. Tag! You're it, saraclaradara, d_michiko_f, kellyrfineman, watchmebe, ravelda, parkerpeevy, elizabethcbunce, faerie_writer, bluemalibu, sharonskinner 34 comments|post comment

Teaser Tuesday [26 Feb 2008|03:11pm] [ mood | artistic ] I've never done one of these, but I have serious vacay brain (London next week!), so I thought I'd give it a go. How exciting! This is from my latest bebeh, codenamed IS, an MG contemporary piece. And this is actually where I'm at right now in the manuscript. The MC's stepfather, Deangelis (who's also the school principal), has just been arrested. MC is talking with her best friend, Jenner. ( Read more... )     13 comments|post comment

Day Trippin' to China [12 Feb 2008|11:45am] [ mood | ecstatic ]  What's a Jo to do when she misses a fabulous chance to win Debbi Michiko Florence's new China activity book from Kaleidoscope Kids?  She orders her own.  It just came today!! DMF, the book is sooo purty and full of awesome! And yes, I'm at work in my cube farm. Mooo. 11 comments|post comment

Bouncing off the Walls [29 Jan 2008|09:22am] [ mood | working ]  I literally did that last night when I got up mid-slumber to go to the bathroom. It's actually how I redirect myself when I'm sleepy. Instead of executing a full turn, I collide (softly) with the wall and let the impact spin me in the correct direction. Has anyone else ever done that? *crickets chirping* In other news, ASDH is still out and about, so I'm working on a new project while I wait, codenamed IS (I've decided to write the YA murder mystery after this). My plan is to get two new manuscripts written this year, and Thursday, I send the first three chapters of IS to agent. Hopefully, she will love? I'll be sending it to my crit sistahs at any rate to see what they think. Surprise, S & C! In other other news, I've been watching Futurama (my favorite show) with French subtitles in preparation for the March trip. I have also started speaking Spanish with a guttural French "r". Example: Buhr-hhito. On top of that, I'm combining French and Spanish when I don't know the word in either language. Example: Je voudrais un lapiz. I'll be booed out of the country,  but at least I'll understand it when I hear it. :o) 16 comments|post comment

Poor Heath Ledger [22 Jan 2008|04:31pm] [ mood | surprised ] That was a really scary headline to read. I really really hope it wasn't an OD because it angers me when celebrities throw their lives away like that. RIP, buddy. 2 comments|post comment

Ooh-La-La! [15 Jan 2008|10:08am] [ mood | cheerful ] Last night, I checked the mail and amidst the pile of magazines was an envelope from Llewellyn Worldwide, the publisher of my first three novels (The Silverskin Legacy trilogy). The window of the envelope said: PAY TO THE ORDER OF My brain: "Money!" But I'm confused. It's not yet time for a royalty check. Why are they sending me money?  I open the envelope and find a check for a very nice chunk of change. My brain: "Holy *%#@!" Behind the check are three notes, one for each novel. Do you know what they say? "Dear Ms. Joanne Whittemore, Congratulations! We are happy to inform you that we have sold foreign reprint rights to your book." My brain: "Aaiiiiiiiieeee!" Escape from Arylon, Curse of Arastold, AND Onaj's Horn are all being published in Canada in French! I'm going international, people! Say it with me: "C'est magnifique!" 63 comments|post comment

I'm Totally Reading Your Blogs [05 Jan 2008|11:31pm] [ mood | thoughtful ] I promise! And I really really want to comment BUT My home computer is dying and has decided to freeze up whenever I go to the "add comment" section of people's blogs. I'm only able to comment from work or on some certain blog entries. So.. Elizabeth B., I'm so glad we were able to connect again last year, and I can't wait for your book to come out! Melissa M., congrats on your 9th printing of WL! Liz S., I think it would be cool if Hugo Cabret won a Caldecott, but do they even award those to longer books? California people, I'm sorry for the power outages and snow and rain! Sending virtual glow-in-the-dark ponchos! Jody F., woohoo for your launch date! Start planning that release party! Tiffany T., on writing for young people, I think it's important to explain the difference between MG and YA. Olugbemisola, congrats on the book sale! Jen B., I'm sorry about your eyeball ulcer. And congrats to everyone on those Lion award thingies!    17 comments|post comment

Here's to a Great 2008! [01 Jan 2008|02:54pm] [ mood | determined ] Happy New Year, everyone! FYI, ASDH is still doing its thing (slowed down a bit with holidays), so unfortunately, no news to report, but here's how the rest of last year turned out:   The Highlights: 1. Third book, Onaj's Horn, was released! 2. I got an agent! 3. The birth of my niece!  4. Getting to see everyone at the SCBWI Summer conference! 5. Getting to hang out with DMF in NorCal! 6. Getting to hang out with my family at Disneyland! 7. Stardust and Legally Blonde: The Musical! 8. All the fabulous people who helped me celebrate turning 30! And my 2008 theme?  Do It Now Resolutions: 1. Read 15 MG books 2. Read 15 YA books 3. Complete a new manuscript 4. Learn enough French to get by in Paris 5. Impress the new boss (at the day job)  6. Don't let the little things slow me down 7. Focus 8. Spend more time with friends   Wishing you all the best of luck for 2008!! 11 comments|post comment

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