A) People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blogs & replace any question that they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.

B) Tag 8 people to do this quiz & those who are tagged cannot refuse! (Whatevs; yes, you can.) These people must state who they were tagged by & cannot tag the person whom they were tagged by. Continue this game by sending it to other people.

carriejones, you’ve probably been tagged by now, since you were longing for a meme. If not, consider yourself tagged.

I annoy tag:
mistful
soniag
dampscribbler
medwriter
deenaml
sookie06
phoebe_k
and of course: lisa_schroeder


rusalkatrix set me on this course. Yet she has been known to ignore my taggings!


1. What are your nicknames?

Mom.
Honey.
Peeps.
Hell-hound. Wait, no … that’s my dog’s nickname.


2. What do you do before bedtime?

I get all Tom’s of Maine on my teeth with the SoniCare.

Then I remove the everyday spackle.

Lastly I climb into my beloved bed, grab the book on top of the TBR pile, and read until I get sleepy. If I don’t read … sleep will not come.


3. What fandom(s) are you most into at the moment?

The Feast of Awesome.


4. What is your favorite scent?

Freshly-mown grass.
Jasmine.
Pumpkin pie.


5. What videogames are you playing at the moment? Replaced by: What TV show are you addicted to at the moment?

Project Runway.


6. What is your theme song?

“I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl,” by Nina Simone.

Actually, I just scrolled about halfway down my iTunes library and picked one at random. Cuz how can you really pick ONE theme song?


7. Do you trust easily?

Not so much.


8. Do you generally think before you act, or act before you think?

I’m better at thinking before I ACT, but not before I SPEAK.


9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?

Don’t get me started. I’m trying to keep this blog a politics-free zone.


10. Do you have a good body-image?

Eh. It’s not a bad body.


11. Is being tagged fun?

And how!


12. What websites do you visit daily?

Livejournal, evil Facebook from hell with its Word Twist crack, and Joshilyn Jackson’s site: http://www.joshilynjackson.com/mt/


13. What have you been seriously addicted to lately?

DebsChat.


14. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?

rusalkatrix is made of win, wit, and white-hotness.


15. What’s the last song that got stuck in your head?

The Get Smart theme song.


16. What’s your favorite item of clothing?

My ridiculously comfy jeans. And they are not Mom-jeans, they are CUTE.


17. Do you think Rice Crispies are yummy?

No, they are filling-removers. EDITED TO ADD: Haha! I thought the question was about Rick Krispy Treats!


18. What would you do if you saw $100 lying on the ground?

Leave it.

(Phhft. Of course I would gasp and pick it up joyfully.)


19. What items could you not go without during the day?

Air, water, and coffee.


20. What should you be doing right now?

Back to the WIP!

I am thankful that my first day back at taekwondo did not result in any more broken bones.

And I’m thankful to Maureen Johnson for reducing world suck with her ranty post about teen pregnancy, because we all come “pre-installed with hormones and squishy bits:”

http://maureenjohnson.blogspot.com/2008/09/free-bristol-palin.html

And extra-special thanks to fabulousfrock for playing Word Twist with me during Sarah Palin’s speech, which kept my hands busy so I couldn’t tear out my hair.

And OMG, big feet!!!! Be careful!!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7585607.stm

(I got this from Cute Overload.)

Photo behind the cut.
( Read more... )

1




Looking forward to reading this next!


2
I was just about to go to bed the other night when I noticed a spider spying on me from the place where the wall meets the ceiling.

I am a big spider-releaser, except when I find them in my bedroom at bedtime. Then I am a spider-killer, because they should not have invaded my sanctuary. But I was feeling non-murderous, and besides, this guy was still in the bathroom. He had not crossed the boundary into my insect-intolerant zone.

I grabbed my son’s drinking cup and a clothes hanger, and I knocked him to the floor (the spider, not my son, hee!), then I trapped him under the cup, prior to relocation.

To my horror, I saw that my attempt at saving his life had resulted in a loss of limb! He was now a septopod instead of an octopod. Ack! His poor amputated leg lay pinned under the rim of the cup.

I actually cried out, “Oh no!” I carefully slid an envelope between the floor and the cup, so I could transport him downstairs and outside, but he was scrabbling around madly, and I think I probably injured him some more. When I lifted the cup with its paper cap, a sliver of space opened up and he fell out, fleeing on his remaining legs.

I put the cup over him again, and … well, there were no more tiny body parts as testament to my Brobdingnagian bumbling, but I have a feeling he was wondering how much longer I planned to torture him.

At this point I considered the squashing option.

But we had come so far, and suffered so much together, that I became fired with the determination to SAVE HIM.

And I did.

But I wonder if he got out into the wilds of my front yard and longed for death.


3
I’m working on two books at the same time. (Not the SAME same time, you know what I mean. Alternately.)

I’ve never done it before, and in fact, always believed that would be impossible for me. But I have two main characters demanding my attention, so what else could I do? I remembered castellucci’s writing-advice-in-five-words-or-less: “Don’t be precious.” And since I have an abhorrence of preciousness, I have knuckled down to the task.

I thought it would be really difficult to distinguish between the two voices. But it’s not. They are completely distinct. And in fact, when I get stuck on one manuscript, I switch to the other one. One is a rewrite of an old manuscript, so maybe that’s easier than working on two brand new ideas from scratch.


4
I haven’t been able to watch all the Olympics, but it was a joy to see Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Frazer run.

And what a tragedy about BOTH the U.S. men’s and women’s 4 x 100 relay teams bobbling the baton!! Wouldn’t you just kick yourself forever?


5
I have a MySpace page now and I’m slowly trying to figure it out. There are so veryvery many networking sites I feel quite faint.

Friend a sistah? http://www.myspace.com/lkmadigan.

1
Before I go any further, I would just like to thank Michael Phelps for being the lean, clean, swimming machine that he is … all sculpted and intense and mantastic and beautiful and meriting a lot of Internet research in my spare time.





2
I officially hate Kenley. How mean to laugh at Daniel while he was being eviscerated by the judges! Whatever you think about his taste, or lack thereof, she didn’t need to kick him when he was down.


3
My baby niece is adorable, and divides her time between eating, sleeping, and studying faces with almost unnerving calm. She tried to tell me things about her land, but I don’t speak New-on-Earth, so her secrets must remain with her. And like all babies, by the time she speaks our language, she will have forgotten the secrets.


4
My toddler nephew is golden and smart and certain. He likes “deez daysa-deeyas” (cheese quesadillas) and “yuv-yee nacks” (lovely snacks). We went to the San Francisco Zoo, just the two of us, and had a terrific time. The “deem enden” (steam engine) was his favorite part of the experience … bubbles came out near the end of the ride. It was Big Righty’s first time in a pair of tennis shoes in three weeks. He did okay, but he was happy to get home and go commando.


5
This is for my land-locked friends.

This was the section of beach outside my window while I visited my sister. They’re renting a beach house for the last few months before they move to South Dakota, which made my visit that much more awesome. I filmed a couple minutes of pure ocean to last me awhile, because who knows when I will get back to Half Moon Bay?

1
I’m off to the Bay area tomorrow to cuddle my new niece and play with my adorable nephew. Yay!


2
Big Righty has an appointment at the Fracture Clinic this morning. He wishes to comment:

The Dreaded Boot, Day Eighteen:
Perhaps I will be allowed to return to regular footwear today, but I fear not. I still feel twinges of discomfort; I suppose that bones don’t fully heal in eighteen days. I do not look forward to stumping through the airport tomorrow.


3
Don’t you wish “Project Runway” was on every day? I love hammy Suede, and Stella with her heavy New Yawk accent, and toast-colored Blayne who says plaintively, “I just want to go tanning. Please.” He’s 23 now … in ten years he’s going to look like Stella’s “leathuh.”


4



I finished Fingersmith, by Sarah Waters, a couple of days ago. This one is definitely going on my Top Ten List at the end of the year. The book has been sitting on my shelf for months! fabulousfrock and rusalkatrix have raved about it before, but I didn't realize I should have DROPPED EVERYTHING to read it! It’s the perfect book for me: orphans and thieves! … a scoundrel and a creepy country estate! … burning desires and cruel greed! And did I mention that it’s set in Victorian England?! Sarah Waters is like a brilliant mix of Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins, except she’s alive now, and can write more books for me her fans!


5
I’m reading Savvy, by Ingrid Law, right now. Isn’t this a great first line?

“When my brother Fish turned thirteen, we moved to the deepest part of inland because of the hurricane and, of course, the fact that he’d caused it."

Bonus track 6
I started writing a new book ... so I'd better get back to it! Happy weekend, everyone!

I found this video yesterday, when I visited Laurie R. King’s blog (she linked to it). At first I thought, “What’s so funny about a Joe Cocker performance?”

Ahhh … sub-titles.

It’s four minutes long, but even if you only watch part of it, you’ll get a chuckle:


http://meggardiner.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/man-scream-part-2/

I have been meaning to do this for weeks, but finally I saw jenlibrarian's roundup of birthday flowers this morning and went, "Ack! I'm late I'm late I'm late!"

1
Don’t you wish you could have your mailman … sorry, postal carrier pre-sort your mail before it ever hits your mailbox? Kind of like recycling bins. I would want things sorted this way:

Real mail that I want to read, i.e. postcards, actual hand-addressed letters, and envelopes containing checks! (green bin)
Bills, bank statements, report cards, and NY Times Book Reviews. (yellow bin)
Everything else. (red bin)

2
I just finished Skin Hunger.




WOW.

When is the second book coming out?! Do I have to order it from England?!

This book is told in alternating voices. Sadima is a young woman born during a time when magic has been banned. Two hundred years later, magic is alive again, but only available to the wealthy. Hahp is the second son of a heartless father. He has been sent to learn magic at a school for wizards, mostly because his father wants to get rid of him. Sadima’s and Hahp’s stories are separated by centuries, but closely entwined.

If you are envisioning kindly Dumbledore and homey Hogwarts, you could not be more mistaken. Whether or not Hahp will even survive his horrifying education is in doubt through the whole book. Sadima leaves home to find love, but at what expense?

This is a dark and compelling read. Now I must track down the second book!


3
I miss tae kwon do.

4
Hey, Crackulous, I mean Scrabulous players! Did you know that a new game has taken its place on Facebook? It’s called Wordscraper, and I started a game with susanwrites. The board looks wacky, but we’ll figure it out, and she will beat me, like she always does. ☺ What’s that you say? I should be working on Book 2? What?? I’m sorry. I can’t heeear you …

5
Actually, I do feel like writing. Bye! Happy SCBWI-LA to those attending, and happy general weekend to everyone else.

I got to hang out with the cool kids Tuesday evening - literaticat and Sara Ryan, thisisnotanlj.

We met for cocktails at the brand new Secret Society Lounge.

I felt very hip.

Then we ate lots of lovely tapas at Toro Bravo.

I felt very full.

It was fun to meet another local YA writer!

And really fun to look my agent in the eye and thank her in person for selling my book.

1)
Never fear, I have no plans to stick Big Righty in your face today. But if you’re jonesing for some digits, click for a large handful:

( Read more... )

Big Righty asked to address his readers, the hammy phalange. I fear I’ve created a navel-gazing toe. I include his thoughts here:

I’m currently purple, black, and yellow, thanks for asking. I need a pedicure, but I don’t want anyone to touch me. Yesterday, even though Lisa was wearing her rigid shoe-thing, she bumped into her son, and when I made contact with his sneaker, she screamed for both of us.

It’s those graceful motor skills that landed me in this velcroed contraption.

Lisa has been doing a lot of lolling lately. Not by choice, of course, but she doesn’t need to combine the lolling with bowls of Love Potion #31, does she? Someone needs to remind her that hobbling doesn’t burn that many calories, so she should ease up on the groceries.

2)
I am the proud auntie of a brand new niece. Welcome to the world, sweet baby B. I get to meet her in 15 days, yay! Mother and baby are doing very well. YAY!

3)
See my icon? The Simpsons have already thought of everything, haven’t they? In FLASH BURNOUT, my main character’s dog is named The Dog Formerly Known as Prince. Now I see that I’m not as clever as I thought I was. (I re-learn that all the dang time.) I swear I never saw that Simpsons’ episode. But I’m not changing it, no way!

4)
I finished N.A. Nelson’s book, BRINGING THE BOY HOME, and loved it! Now my son is reading it. I’m afraid he’s becoming a “reluctant reader,” so I’m thrilled whenever he gets captivated by a book.

5)
“Mom, can I ask you something?”

My son always sounds very serious when he poses that question. I always say, “Of course,” while mentally gearing up to address something like “Why is there cruelty in the world?”

But so far, they have always been questions along the lines of: “Which rap group came first? Grandmaster Flash, The Sugarhill Gang, or Run DMC?”

Whew!

I hope when the hard questions come along that I’m up to the challenge.


Special note to lisa_schroeder: Lisa, they had LP #31 at Baskin-Robbins in pre-packed quarts!!!!

I’m not a cute little piggy, anymore.

I’ve cheerfully borne Lisa’s weight since she took her first toddling steps. As she grew up, she learned to jump, skip, and run. During her teen years, she went through a dancing phase. Thank God she wasn’t ever good enough to take her ballet lessons to the Dark Side: “toe shoes.” (Shudder.) I didn’t mind those jazz shoes … they looked kind of cool, and didn’t pinch me too much.

As an adult, I’ve spent time standing, walking, pivoting, and running. I didn’t mind the years she spent doing yoga – that was more about balance than fast motion. I’m good at balance. You tell me to grip the ground and I will do it for days.

I’ve minced in high heels and shuffled in slippers. I stride in black boots and run in athletic shoes. I get to come out in warm weather. I got my first pedicure just a couple of years ago!

She has stubbed me more times than I can count. A few years ago she even broke one of my smaller colleagues during a run on the beach, when her little boy plowed into her. Man, that hurt like a [expletive deleted]. But my colleague did not require special treatment to repair himself.

When she decided to take up tae kwon do last year, I was leery. Especially when I saw the way she threw herself into it, like she was 20, instead of … MUCH OLDER.

“Take it easy,” I cautioned her. “Okay, you can kick really high. Good for you. But there’s no need to fling me into the air so recklessly.”

She didn’t listen. She was drunk on endorphins. Several months ago, she wrenched one of the smaller Lefty colleagues. “See?” I warned. He turned a furious purple, but wasn’t badly injured.

“Who are you trying to impress?” I asked. “Your tae kwon do instructor is always pleased with you … he won’t mind if you dial it down a notch. You have to be careful of that squishy floor mat.”

Last night she was the only one at class. Lots of people on vacation. Her tae kwon do instructor had her punching the bag, then kicking it. YES. We love kicking the bag, as long as she does it right. It’s very satisfying. Then he taught her the next series of moves she needed to memorize for her belt test.

She was getting tired.

“Okay, good job, slow down a little,” I advised. “Wait … I’m caught on the mat … OW! Oh, &*$#!!!! I’m not supposed to roll under like that! Oh, ^%*+&!!!! Did you hear that popping sound?”

Even the instructor heard it. “Do you want to ice that?” he asked, worried.

She said no, and finished the class.

What a dumbass.

By the time she got home, I was twice the size of Big Lefty and turning colors. Her husband got her the ice pack and some arnica gel. Did you guys know how awesome arnica gel is? It helps with swelling like MAGIC.

She felt bad enough; I didn’t have the heart to berate her. She was already thinking she might have to give up tae kwon do. Heck, maybe she should. I would prefer to go back to yoga, or non-impact swimming.

I hurt so much that even the sheet lying on top of me last night kinda hurt. This morning her husband took her to the doctor, where she eventually got an x-ray.

Yep, I’m broken. There’s a little crack in my bone, and she’s going to be wearing a rigid blue shoe-thingie for the next four weeks while I heal. Attractive.


( My LJ debut: )

1) I'm going to start off the list with maximum excitement, so get ready: I tried a new shampoo.




At first I was hesitant to try it, because I don't like fennel.

Um, hi? Like I was gonna drink it?

But it smells really good, and will apparently help KEEP my color.


2) I got Nina Nelson's - lucky_life - book! I can't wait to read it. I paged through the first chapter and got sucked right in. But I had to set it aside ... I'm looking forward to getting back to it.





3) A girl from Portland is on Project Runway! Here's her bio.


4) The other morning my kid told me he was trying to “normalize” his hair. :-)


5) Summer is officially here. I made potato salad for the 4th of July … I’ve made my first blueberry cobbler … and I can’t wait for watermelon!


Have a nice weekend, everyone. I'm planning to finish my revisions!

sookie06 tagged me for the hate meme originated by brian_ohio a few days ago, and I haven't had time to do it. But I love memes, and I hate that I don't have time to write up a Hawaii post, so here goes:

1. I hate the color ... grayish brown. That’s not a color, you say. Oh, but it is, and someone painted their house that color on purpose, and every time I drive past the house, I think, “Why? Oh God WHY?”

2. I hate the TV show ... where they make people answer horribly personal and humiliating questions, I don’t even know the name of it. I’ve only seen the previews and it makes me want to weep for humanity.

3. I hate the taste of ... mushrooms. I know, I know! They’re a much-beloved fungus, but I can’t stand them.

4. I hate the smell of ... my dog’s gaseous emissions.

5.I hate the word ... hate.

6. I hate the sound of ... oh, let me count the ways! So many things offend my auditory space. But I don’t have time to rant on and on, more’s the pity, so here’s one: unmuffled Harleys going down my block.

7. I hate the song ... “My Humps.” Okay, I don’t really hate it, but I’ve got to list something, and I just heard it the other day and thought, “Really? ‘My lovely lady lumps?’ Fergie, you’re such a poet.”

Feel free to gank this meme and hate on some stuff on your own blog!

Aloha!

I am sooooooo happy to say that tomorrow my family and I leave for ten days in Hawaii. We haven't had a vacation since last August, and that one involved barfing, so it wasn't the most enjoyable time ever.

And although we lovedlovedloved our trip to Great Britain last June, that was a very busy, time-changing, continent-hopping, distance-covering adventure.

This one is going to involve lazing, lounging, relaxing, and hanging out. Oh, and some snorkeling.

I'm not going to do any writing, or take my laptop. It will be good to take a real break and come back with a fresh head. But I might take along a very small notebook ...

See you July 1.

xo

Lisa

Welcome to the last Authorial Intrusion before summer hiatus. I’ve conducted more than thirty intrusions since last August, and it’s time for a break. I’m going on vacation in less than two weeks – yay! And when I get back, I'll be immersing myself in revisions again, so it would be hard to find time to intrude on people, anyway.

To read any of the previous interviews, just click on the tag “authorial intrusion” on the left side of the page.

For those just tuning in, here’s the history behind these posts:

I love reading about the Publishing Journeys of my favorite writers.

I love the long, soul-searching interviews that reveal every obstacle and triumph: the author whose agent made her do three revisions before signing her … the author who gets up at 4:30 a.m. to write, because it’s the only time she has to herself … the critically acclaimed author who spent nine years trying to get published … I never tire of this stuff!

Long, luxurious interviews aside, don’t you sometimes find yourself wondering: “But do you like Thai or Chinese food better?”

Reader, I asked them.

I assembled a grab-bag full of random questions and emailed them to some of my favorite writers.

They answered!

And now, without further ado, please welcome Varian Johnson!
( Read more... )

Welcome to Authorial Intrusion. To read any of the previous interviews, just click on the tag “authorial intrusion” on the left side of the page.

For those just tuning in, here’s the history behind these posts:

I love reading about the Publishing Journeys of my favorite writers.

I love the long, soul-searching interviews that reveal every obstacle and triumph: the author whose agent made her do three revisions before signing her … the author who gets up at 4:30 a.m. to write, because it’s the only time she has to herself … the critically acclaimed author who spent nine years trying to get published … I never tire of this stuff!

Long, luxurious interviews aside, don’t you sometimes find yourself wondering: “But do you like Thai or Chinese food better?”

Reader, I asked them.

I assembled a grab-bag full of random questions and emailed them to some of my favorite writers.

They answered!

And now, without further ado, please welcome Robin Benway!

( Read more... )

To my amazement, people want me to answer questions now.

Whoa.

Tara Kelly - tlcadence - (an agent-mate who is destined to be a star in the YA world, I predict) has posted an interview with me on her blog:

http://thetaratracks.com/blog/

Hop in, and we'll take the convertible on the road trip.

:-)