Archives for February 2010

Such news I have for you. Where do I start? Oh, all right, I'll just dive right in.

Big Thing #1: Guess who chose How to Knit a Love Song as a Breakout book for April?

Wait for it….

TARGET!

I'm gonna be in Target! That's right! Boutique Tarjay! DUDE! That's HYOOGE!

I remember, when I first got the book deal, I was wandering the aisles of Target with Lala and I picked up a book and said longingly, "I wonder if I'll ever be here…." I thought maybe, if I ever sold enough books, if I ever did well enough, someday I might break into the sacred aisles located between electronics and toys. But instead, they picked me out of the blue. Why? I have no idea. (It might have everything to do with the fact that it's a GREAT COVER. I love my cover. Thanks, marketing and art department!) But oh, my god! Target! I'm walking on air.

Grin.

Big Thing #2: (of interest to SoCal residents)

I'm going to be reading with Crazy Aunt Purl! March 21st, 2pm, at the Knitter's Studio. Won't that be a hoot? Seriously. I think we'll have a blast, and if you're anywhere in the vicinity, you should come, because we'll tear it up. Either that or we'll both get stage fright and take off and go suitcase shopping together. But I think we'll give a good show.

What, you can't make it to LA? There are other things scheduled!

First,, no matter where you live, I'll be on the radio (listen live via the magic of the internets!) on Book Club Girl on March 17th, 7pm EST.

And then, LOOK AT ALL THIS! (I can hardly believe it myself. This is crazy weird, people. It's not me. I'm going to blush so hard it hurts. I'm blushing looking at it.)

Saturday March 6th – 3:30pm
Caps Restaurant, 144 Oak St, Brentwood, CA   
No reading, just a signing with other fabulous authors.

Tuesday March 16th   7pm
***  LAUNCH PARTY! ***
Bookshop West Portal, 80 West Portal Ave., San Francisco, CA

Sunday March 21nd   2pm
Knitter's Studio, 8118 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, CA
Special appearance with CRAZY AUNT PURL!

Saturday May 1st  11-2
Romantic Times Giant Book Fair ($5 cover)
Hyatt Regency, Columbus OH
SO MANY AUTHORS at this signing! OMG. You will be amazed.

Wednesday July 28th   5:30-7:30
RWA National Literary Signing
Gaylord Opryland Hotel, Nashville TN
Also, SO MANY AUTHORS. I will be a tiny little fish in a big pond. Come by.

Or why, really, I love any e-book reader. This post isn't about why you should or shouldn't buy one reader over another. There are a million posts touting the various pros and cons of various readers over others. (I love the ease of the wireless of my Kindle, the e-ink, and the fact that I can download the book I want to read, from bed, after reading a free sample chapter.)

But what I didn't realize was how amazing it was going to be for the reading of manuscripts.

First: my own. I recently finished editor's revisions on Book Two. Instead of printing out 400 pages, I curled up in bed with my Kindle and read my book in the format I'm used to reading. Every time I found something that needed addressing, I either made myself a note on the Kindle using its little keyboard, or I reached over and pulled my laptop over (if I was feeling energetic) and made the change. This doesn't work, of course, for the editing of a first draft, when you need to mark up every single line, every word. But for this kind of work, it's perfect.

Second: others' manuscripts. I just finished reading a draft of my friend Cari's book. Okay. I've known her for probably seven or eight years, before she got her MFA, before she was a mother, before she moved from Brooklyn across country to the west coast. I knew she was a great writer — I'd seen some of her short work, and I'd read excerpts. I thought I knew her voice.

But people. I knew nothing.

The book hasn't sold quite yet, but it will. And you'll read it someday, and I will jump around and tell everyone, I told you so. Now, I write commercial fiction, but I know from great lit'ture. This will win the big awards. I've never read a book like this before in my life, and while I was huddled over my Kindle, heaving with sobs (and I don't do that while reading — I'm usually a pretty tough cookie, believe it or not), making the occasional note to pass on to her, I thought, "ISN'T THIS AMAZING? Technology has allowed me to receive this manuscript over email and convert it into a readable paperless form." And all this change has happened in the years since I've known Cari.

(Know what else? Cari can write circles around those high-falutin' literary folk who write Literary Stuff that left me cold after I got my MFA, and you know why? She has, along with the literary gorgeous prose, a plot that will blow your socks off. Stuff happens, and I swear I could hear foundations rocking under me as I clicked my little page-turner.)

I know it's awful. I know it's just a tease that you can't read it yet. But I love all this. It's like a miracle. A gol-danged bloody e-miracle. I'm blessed and lucky and if you're a writer, you should get an e-reader.

I want an iPad, too, someday. Ahem.

* Joy reminds me that you can download a PDF or .doc of a knitting pattern to the Kindle (or other devices) and have it right there. Nice.

** and yes, How to Knit a Love Song will be out on Kindle the day it releases, March 3rd. WOOT!

*** because I'm a dork, I'll totally buy it for my own Kindle. Heh.

When in doubt, be nice.

Isn't that all it comes down to? In just about everything? Just be nice. If someone asks you for help, and you can give it, give it. If you can't, you can't. But if you can, do. And ask for help yourself, when you need it (preferably before you really, really need it — I always forget that part and end up asking a little too late. Hysteria never helps).

A reader just asked if I had an extra ball of yarn from an old project and then was surprised when I said yes and that I would mail it off to her (that is, if it IS the right ball of yarn — the ball band is lost forever. Here's hoping). But why not? She can't possibly know the times that Ye Olde Blogge has come through for me and mine, in so many ways, in so many shapes, in so many forms. Just from people Being Nice.

Isn't it lovely?

Speaking of help received from people, the cat is still not trapped in Becca's trap, by the way. I think old damaged Julius Of The Block must have gone on to his next life. Wah. I hope it was quick. I pour some coffee out for the homey and give Willie a kiss. Digit sends a growl.

Today, I'm hoping it stays clear because I have a yen to get down the coast for some beach walking and some clam chowder. Yesterday, I had one of those fine, fine days where everything just worked. I got my taxes done (hooray! refund coming!), and then a surprise coffee with Pen Martha who gave me a writing idea like none before, then a working "nap" during which I figured out a trouble spot in Book Three (I don't like to take breaks between books — I get bored). Then we went to the City and Lala's band (For Fear the Hearts of Men are Failing) played on Pirate Cat Radio, which was great fun (they're playing at the Plough and Stars on Saturday night! You should go even though I won't be there!), and then we got burritos and went home and watched You've Got Mail, which Lala had never seen. 

Just a great, nice day. From start to finish, tip to tail.  

Yay. I plan on having another one of those today. Yep. You have one too, okay?