Abriendo Puertas

One of those moments that pushes you closer to becoming an adult

2008-05-14T00:54:22Z

I just heard from an old friend today. My old housemate, actually. Someone I've known for over twenty years, which in and of itself, seems impossible. It can't possibly have been that long since we shared a house and took road trips to St. George's Island and tried to make ten bucks buy a week's worth of groceries. There was a larger group of us—all band kids, of course—and to a greater or lesser degree, we've stayed in touch. Lesser on my part, a bit because of my introvert nature and a bit because I didn't stay in Florida after we all eventually left college. But still—when something big happens, we all find our way back to each other.

That happened tonight.

One of the many couples from those days, a couple who were quietly devoted to each other and to their family, who had made a lovely, stable life for themselves and their two children, suffered every parent's worst nightmare today when they lost their beautiful little girl. A little girl who had defied odds by surviving a premature birth and turning into a lovely, healthy child. But one of those evil specters from that early fight for survival returned to haunt her and just like that, in a matter of two days, she was gone.

It's at moments like these that I wish I had the beautiful, graceful eloquence of Barbara Samuel. She'd know just the right thing to say and would craft it in lovely, fitting language, while all I can do is sit here, stunned, angry, and utterly unable to comprehend how my old friends must be feeling. Wishing that there was something—anything—I could do, because even though I haven't spoken with them in probably four years, they're still part of the tapestry of those days that so clearly defined my life and who I ultimately became, and as such, still in some way, a part of me, even today.

I haven't locked them in some time capsule. We've all had lives that are hopefully, every bit as rich and vibrant as that part of the tapestry that was our late adolescence/early adulthood, but it's because of that evolution we've all gone through that we still have a touchstone with which to connect.

So tonight, I think of them not as my old friends from university, or the young newlyweds we were within a couple of years of each other. Tonight, they're my friends who are also parents and who are dealing with the worst possible thing they can deal with. And while I'm not a religious woman, I am, hopefully, a spiritual one and tonight, I'll be thinking of them and their daughter and their young son and lighting a candle.

Holding them close.

I'd hate to be sitting behind her in the theatre

2008-05-12T20:27:26Z

Otherwise known as "what in good hell was she thinking?"

Pity, since the dress is actually quite lovely. And she's considered a style icon again, why?

And yes, I know it's for the Sex and the City movie premiere and she's just channeling Carrie Bradshaw, but honey, there just comes a point where you have to draw a line and say, "This is simply ridiculous."

Cabana Boys, BBC Style & Guest blogging

2008-05-12T12:48:34Z

More than a couple of people have mentioned that I should do Cabana Boys from across the pond, specifically from the various BBC shows. Now, I don't pretend to know all of the shows, but I have a more than passing familiarity with a few and with the lovely boys who populate said shows, so, why not?

One of my first favorites was lovely, lovely Lloyd Owen. I first decided I loved the gorgeous eyes and equally gorgeous speaking voice when he played Young Indy's father on The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Imagine my glee when he showed up on BBC Scotland's Monarch of the Glen as long-lost bastard brother Paul. Seemed like people were mostly hot for Archie (Alastair Mackenzie) but oh no, I liked Paul. What's not to like?

As Henry Jones, Sr. & a shot from Monarch.

I haven't seen this show yet, but I've heard it's a lot of fun. The new BBC Robin Hood. Jonas Armstrong does make a fetching Robin of Locksley.

And thanks to carrielofty she alerted me to the very lovely Richard Armitage, who portrays Guy of Gisborne. Mmmm... makes a girl go "Robin Who?"

I first saw this guy on the Fox/BBC hybrid show, Fast Eddie. I don't even like redheads and overall, he's kind of goofy looking, but OMG, the speaking voice just makes me go... GUH (No surprise he does a lot of voiceover work, no?) And his character, Monty, was absolutely incorrigible and really brilliant, in a subversive, dry English humor sort of way. Plus, he is cute, in a very pale, redhead manner.

Julian Rhind- Tutt

We'll start with the current Doctor, David Tennant, who reminds me of an oversized elf. In Chucks and with a really absurd dress sense. Seriously, he's worn some of the butt-ugliest outfits on the red carpet I can ever recall seeing. And that's saying something. But he's sooooo adorable and funny. And with a beard, surprisingly rough and tumble sexy. What can I say? I have odd taste.

Then there's Torchy and OMG, what a pretty cast top to bottom, women included. (Although, wahhhhhhh *viewers will know what I'm wailing about*) But look at them, they're gorgeous and unique, every last one of them.

But this is about the boys, and the boys, they are pretty. Burn Gorman and his cheekbones:

Gareth David-Lloyd of the pretty, pretty eyes. He makes a lovely Boy, no?

And of course, the Head Boy in Charge at Torchwood, the sublime and completely inappropriate John Barrowman.

And just to leave you with one of my favorite shots of pretty... John and James.

ION, I'm guest blogging today over at Romancing the Blog on how a book's birth can be compared to the gestation period of the elephant. Seriously. No, I'm not just a little loopy these days.

Kind of a surprise.

2008-05-12T02:19:38Z

I would've thought Much Ado, but I'll take Midsummer. *g*

Your Score: Midsummer Night's...

You scored 26% = Tragic, 51% = Comic, 41% = Romantic, 36% = Historic

You are A Midsummer Night's Dream. Blending elements of comedy and romance, A Midsummer Night's Dream tells the story of mischievous fairies who conspire to make everyone fall in love with everyone else, often with disastrous, yet humorous consequences. You are most likely haphazard in love, but good natured and friendly. While you may also have a mischievous side to you, it is most likely all in good fun. We have no doubt that you are an outgoing person, who may also be a bit of a klutz. And while you may not always get it right, you always try to do the right thing. We applaud you!

Link: The Which Shakespeare Play Are You? Test written by macbee on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test
View My Profile(macbee)

I'm a bad mom

2008-05-11T15:33:17Z

Because I'm entirely too amused by this exchange this morning:

The Diva wanders by, singing half under her breath, as she is wont to do. This means that you maybe catch every third word or so. The Hub, who has yet to have his coffee, blearily looks at me and asks, "What is she singing?"

The Diva replies, "It's Butterfly by Jason Mraz, Daddy."

"Uh-huh." The Hub nods and then says, "It sounds nice, but what were those lyrics again?"

The Diva happily obliges and sings:

Butterfly
Well you landed on my mind
Actually landed on my ear but you crawled inside
And now I see you perfectly behind closed eyes
I wanna fly with you
But I don't want to lie to you

The Hub, still sans coffee, looks at me as the Diva wanders off, still happily singing. I shrug and say, "He wanted to write a song a stripper might use for a routine."

"And you think it's okay for your daughter to be warbling this?"

"Well, it's not as if she's using it for a routine for the elementary school talent night."

"You know, if you're trying to comfort me, you're doing a really crappy job of it."

"Look, it's all a matter of perspective, honey. At least these are literate lyrics shrouded in metaphor.
She could be singing 'Hit Me Baby, One More Time' or 'Hollaback Girl.' Or remember the time she got hooked on 'U and Ur Hand?'"

"And again, I repeat, if you're trying to comfort me..."

I've pretty much been grinning and giggling to myself all morning. I'm a bad mommy. Or a bad wife. One or the other.

A Saturday evening meme

2008-05-10T23:44:13Z

My darling Cindy Holby hath tagged me. Six facts. Okay, I'm going to have a hard time coming up with something, but let's see. Oh, and I don't tag, so them's what are interested, consider yourselves tagged. *smoochies*

The rules:

a) Link to the person who tagged you.

b) Post the rules on your blog.

c) Write six random things about yourself.

d) Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.

e) Let each person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on his/her blog.

1. I will take a good, simple creme brulée or a perfect chocolate dipped strawberry over the most elaborate, extravagant dessert.

2. Speaking of dessert, I love strawberry and peach ice creams, but they have to be fresh.

3. I've only dated a man older than me twice. (Not for lack of trying, mind you. Just never worked out for whatever reason.)

4. If I never see another female figure skater grab her skate blade and pull it to or over her head again, it'll be too soon.

5. I've missed most of the cult/watercooler shows of the past fifteen years. But I do have a tendency to know most of the pertinent facts because of my incurable People Magazine habit.

6. I no longer have the natural lenses in my eyes. Eight years ago, my eyesight had worsened to the point where I had to have lensectomies in both eyes—it's essentially cataract surgery.

Anyone who wants to answer, go for it.

So we're back to titles (Poll! Tickyboxes!)

2008-05-10T13:18:14Z

It's proving to be near-impossible for us to come up with a title that has Carmen in the actual title that we really love more than chocolate. So we're going back to the drawing board. We're looking at just coming up with a cool title that reflects the story and then we'll have a subtitle that reflects the Carmen origins.

So, I've compiled some titles that appeal to me. Yes, I'm bogarting from song titles because I SUCK so at coming up with my own. So have at it. And of course, as usual, if you come up with something you think really reflects the story of a dedicated dancer who experiences her first love, joins a drum and bugle corps, suffers devastating loss and betrayal, and maybe in the end really discovers who she is and in the process rediscovers friendship and a possible future love, have at it.

View Poll: Carmen Book Title redux

It is entirely possible I am quite out of my mind

2008-05-10T00:25:52Z

I just emailed about possibly adopting this boy:

His name is Cosmo.

These always seem to pop up at just the right time

2008-05-09T20:13:42Z

Google Alerts popped up with this tidbit from the eharlequin.com site.

Caridad Ferrer, Adios to My Old Life: a young adult novel featuring Ali Montero, a serious teenage guitarist and singer who is chosen for a reality show for Latin pop stars titled Oye Mi Canto. This may sound like a cheesy fluff book, but it wasn't, not at all. I was completely enthralled throughout with Ali's thoughts and dreams, and her first romance. There was one part that so harrowed me that I was still thinking of it the next day, and the ending is completely satisfying. Read this! It's great!

###

Victoria Janssen
The Duchess, Her Maid, The Groom and Their Lover, Harlequin Spice, 12/08
http://www.victoriajanssen.com/

Thank you, Victoria!!

Dig it, Mr. Chabon

2008-05-07T22:00:15Z

Courtesy of Ron Hogan at GalleyCat:

Why Genre Tags Don't Matter

Michael Chabon showed up for the creative writing program at University of California-Irvine in the mid-1980s with a head full of Italo Calvino, Jorge Luis Borges, and Donald Barthelme... but also J.G. Ballard, Michael Moorcock, and Ursula K. LeGuin. The plan, he told me as we chatted in a hotel bar last week, was to write "intensely literary fiction that was equally steeped in genre," but he soon found that his classmates were completely befuddled and unwilling to critique the stories he was submitting. "I didn't want to get into a fight every time I presented a story," he recalled, so he wound up writing The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, which ultimately became his debut novel, as an attempt at working within the traditional coming-of-age genre. "In a way, it was a kind of retreat," he admits, "and I've been... sneaking out at first, but now more clearly into the place I always wanted to be."

*snip*

"I don't know why it's such a big deal," [Jeffrey] Ford said of the genre-straddling, to which Chabon replied, "The people it matters the least to are the ones who are doing it.

I'm sitting here thinking, OMG, he really gets it. He really, really gets it. Which is, why he might not be my favorite author, he's most definitely my favorite writer.

And on a day when I needed to see it and remember what it is I love doing.

Bad nights

2008-05-06T13:22:52Z

Three hours of sleep and four cups of coffee later and I'm in A Mood.

And two of the music releases I was so looking forward to today are actually coming out next week.

How on earth could I have been off by a week on two releases?

Bah.

There are writing things that are annoying me.

I'm definitely not fit company for the human race today. I hope to high heaven no one crosses me today.

Nurturing Cabana Boys and what, exactly, do they put in the water in Brazil?

2008-05-05T13:52:43Z

Do you hear that? That... sound? Or lack thereof? For the first time in two weeks I am completely alone in my own home, aside from my pets. The first week was Spring Break, of course, and then the second week was the recovery from Spring Break, whereupon the Diva and the Boy were both sick, the Diva for the whole week, poor lamb.

Didn't stop me from practically shoving them out the door this morning. "No, seriously, you are HEALTHY. Go!"

At any rate, I'm in the mood for nurturing Cabana Boys. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm an animal lover. We have my beautiful dogs, lovely Mooshu and silly Jasmine, and Jack-Jack, the cat.

So what does this have to do with nurturing Cabana Boys? Well, I figure any boy who loves the critters will make a good, nurturing Cabana Boy. Strangely, I couldn't find pictures of Boys with cats. I popped it into a Google Search and this is what I came up with:

Yeah, uh, definitely not what we want.

ETA: Saved by hilleviw Hot guys with kitties do exist! The very lovely banjo virtuoso, Bela Fleck and Animal.

Now, about those puppies...

Look at that—any boy who cuddles a puppy like that...

Then there's Orlando and his pretty puppies on a beach walk. He brought at least one of the puppies home from Morocco, I think it was, when he was filming Kingdom of Heaven.

Jake Gyllenhaal has two dogs with just about the coolest names ever: Boo Radley and Atticus Finch.

Josh named his pup Sweeney. As in Todd. All I can think is that was brave, dude. I firmly believe that what you name your pets can have a profound effect on their personalities. Case in point, I had a friend in college who named his black cat Lucifer. Then was honestly surprised when the cat would pee in the air conditioning vents. (In many apartments in Florida, the vents were in the floors.) Yeah, right. Be careful what you name your pets, folks. But Sweeney looks quite good natured and affable.

Then again... Adrien named his Chihuahua Ceelo Vicious. I... just have nothing to say to that, really. (Other than I prefer my dogs to be larger than NYC subway rats.)

And this just qualifies as one of the cutest pictures EVAR. Adam Sandler, his daughter Sadie and his bulldog Matzo Ball.

And because it's not just about puppies... George and the late, great, Max, the Pot-bellied pig.

And Alejandro with one of his beloved horses.

Now, about those Brazilians...

I've made no secret of my Rodrigo-love. I mean, what's not to love, right? The eyes, the hair, the smile, the fact that he looks amazing lounging in a bathtub...*le sigh*

*ahem* Sorry. Went off to my Happy Place. But I tell you, you'd think that Rodrigo would be an exception, right? I mean, how many men can there be like that? Apparently, in Brazil, they practically grow on trees.

Alberto Guzman. Who knew peppermint stick bathing suits could look so... sweet?

And this guy, Sergio Marone, looks like a Rodrigo clone.

I think this is going to require more research. What do you guys think? Road trip to Ipanema?

Oh Zodiac, don't tease me if you don't mean it...

2008-05-04T16:25:42Z

Because seriously, it would be nice to have a good month, especially creatively/professionally.

Virgo (August 23 - September 22)

Your May Horoscope by Susan Miller

The past few months have been strenuous, but May will be all you want it to be, even exceeding your greatest expectations. It will be chockfull of fabulous opportunities on so many levels that you may be amazed at how things can so dramatically turn to your favor. A "grand trine" - considered the most harmonious, happiest aspect possible - will be shaping up in the heavens, and as a Virgo you will be front and center, perfectly positioned to enjoy all of them.

This golden triangle that will appear in the heavens near May 5 will link the energies of Pluto (transformations), Venus (love, happiness, and fun), and Saturn (stability and longevity). All these planets are in earth signs. The houses that bring you your greatest luck are the ones these planets are visiting. The three planets will form a bond between your fifth house (creativity, love, and children), your ninth house (foreign people / places, study, publishing, and broadcasting), and your first house (ruling the power of your determination and unique personality). All these areas will work together to create a magnificent month of opportunity for you.

The fact that the first house is included in this grand trine signifies that you should feel free to be "you" inside and out. As they say, let you be you. The most unique parts of you will be deeply appreciated now in a very genuine way, and your fresh perspective will be lauded.

If you are in a creative profession (and that would include writing) you should voice your ideas, for they will be heard - they may now bring you through a new door, one that you find infinitely right for you. There will be a sense of freedom and liberation, too, for others are finally "getting" what you are and what you want, and they will want to help you succeed. If you've wondered when to launch a major project, it's now!

I'm serious. Do not toy with me. I will be Most Displeased.

I love this, but alas...

2008-05-04T01:00:44Z

The cut is beautiful, I love the unusual colors which are of the type that tend to look vomitrocious on many, but surprisingly flattering on me and the subtle sexiness. However, the sleeves... *sigh* Those sleeves would no doubt cut my upper arms off in the worst possible place and make my arms look oogy.

Shallow end of vanity pool, party of one.

It's a lazy Saturday—meme time

2008-05-03T17:11:28Z

Although work shall follow soon after. Gakked from debg

Welcome to the 2008 edition of getting to know your Friends! Change all the answers so that they apply to you. ADD ANOTHER QUESTION TO THE LIST.

1. What is your occupation?

Writing, child wrestler, dog petter

2. What color are your socks right now?

White. Cotton, ankle length crew. Yeah, I'm boring.

3. What are you listening to right now?

Kate Voegele's Don't Look Away CD

4. What was the last thing that you ate?

Penne ala Vodka with peas, prosciutto, and shaved Parmesan. Crusty bread. Mint crisp M&Ms

5. Can you drive a stick shift?

Oh yeah.

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone?

Hm... probably the hub last night on his way home from work.

7. How old are you today?

Forty.

8. What is your favorite sport to watch?

On television, college football, figure skating; live, nothing like going to a baseball game.

9. Have you ever dyed your hair?

Yep. Nothing too outlandish although there was that unfortunate experiment with highlights that went brassy.

10. Favorite food?

Cheese.

11. What was the last movie you watched?

Dead Again

12. Favorite day of the week?

Hm... usually Sundays. We've always had a tradition of those being very lazy, do whatever you want sorts of days and there's a certain peacefulness that comes with that.

13. How do you vent anger?

Depends on the circumstance. If it's a "You've annoyed me" sort of sudden anger, I vent with yelling (or ranting on my blog). If it's something that's long fuse oriented, I tend to go cold, the angrier I am, the colder I go.

14. What was your favorite toy as a child?

This electric blue hideous stuffed critter, akin to a hippo that I won at one of the midway games at the Dade County Youth Fair when I was a kid. His name was George.

15. What is your favorite season?

Fall. I like the sense of everything closing down on itself. It's also the season for my sports to begin.

16. Cherries or Blueberries?

Echoing Deb, mmmmm, blueberries....

17. Who is the most likely to respond?

Not a clue

18. Who is least likely to respond?

Ditto.

19. What is on the bottom of your closet? Shoes. The odd skeleton or two.

Sneakers, a stool to help me reach the top shelves of my closet.

20. What did you do last night?

Worked on the new story, played around with the playlist, watched NUMB3RS.

21. Favorite smells?

Vanilla; garlic, onion, green peppers cooking in Spanish olive oil; fresh sea air

22. What inspires you?

Music, my surroundings

23. What are you most afraid of?

Literally? Snakes are NOT on my happy list. Metaphorically, failure, that I won't reach my highest potential, that if I do, I won't be able to enjoy it.

24. Plain cheese, or spicy hamburgers?

Black and bleu. Seared hamburger, medium rare, with bleu cheese and grilled onions.

25. What celebrity would you most like to meet?

Hm... there are a couple I'd love to meet if only so I could smack them upside the head. With a 2x4. Other than that, I don't like meeting celebrities, I like meeting interesting, talented people. And there are quite a few of those who happen to have achieved recognition in their respective fields and whom I'd love to speak to from that standpoint.

26. If you knew you had 30 days to live, what would you do with your time?

Go live in a house on the beach with my family and pets.

27. All-time favorite cartoon?

Animated? Classic WB cartoons. Print comic strip? Bloom County.

28. Favorite spiritual place to go when your soul needs renewal?

Either my bedroom or the beach on the edge of the ocean. One of these days, I'll have a bedroom that opens right onto the ocean.

29. Favorite mode of transportation?

Driving. I like the control and freedom to go where the spirit moves.

30. Instrument(s) you play or wish you could?

I play piano and once upon a time played French horn and trumpet. I also sing. But I always wished I could play classic flamenco/Spanish guitar. No gift for it whatsoever, I'm afraid.

I can haz playlist?

2008-05-03T15:48:12Z

C'mon, you knew it was only a matter of time.

And I'm toying with a new title for the story:

Now or Never

Miss Invisible- Maríe Digby
Now or Never- Josh Groban (w/Imogen Heap)
Only Fooling Myself (Brian Malouf Mix)- Kate Voegele
Mercy- Duffy
Angel- Natasha Bedingfield
All I Got- Newton Faulkner
Lola- Chayanne
No Re Pido Flores- Fanny Lu
Eres- Alejandro Fernández
Glittering Clouds (Locusts)- Imogen Heap
Freckles- Natasha Bedingfield
Butterfly (From the Casa Nova Sessions)- Jason Mraz
Uncomfortably Slow- Newton Faulkner
Kissing a Fool- George Michael
Spell- Maríe Digby
Awake (Live Edit)- Josh Groban

What's kind of fun about this list is that with the exception of Kissing a Fool, this list is all fairly recent music. I don't think anything else predates late 2006. I wonder what the Girls in the Basement are trying to tell me with this? I can tell you that the lizard brain has begun "seeing" the music in terms of skating routines again. I think that's part of the appeal of all of these songs. I can see them as routines as well as seeing them lyrically or musically being relevant to the story.

This is going to be interesting. Especially to see how the list evolves as I get deeper into the story.

Sidenote- the Duffy track, Mercy is the one that actually got me thinking in terms of a skating routine. I can just see this being a song that a team with massively fabulous footwork could just absolutely work to death but it's the kind of song that would send conservative judges into a complete tizzy. *snicker* Or would have, once upon a time. I need to go bone up on the current ice dance rules beyond "Thou shalt complete many unattractive lifts whereupon the female holds her blade to the back of her head."

(If you watch the vid, you might want to let it load completely first. It's a little pokey loading otherwise.)

Man I've been in a cranktastic mood the last couple of days

2008-05-02T13:23:30Z

Everything really was hitting me wrong there, wasn't it? And that's considering I had New Shoes. Ah well, is what it is. Just goes to show that when the writing's a struggle, it has the potential to really color everything else. Not to mention, being cooped up in the house all week with sick children probably didn't do any great wonders for my mood either. *sigh*

And yes, while this new story is right there in my mind and I know exactly how I want it to go, the fact that I'm working in Third Person POV for the first time in years is making this a struggle. One thing I'm finding is that with Third, precise word choice seems to take on even more importance than it does in First. In some ways, there's infinitely more variety because in First, the language, both narrative and dialogue, is pretty firmly informed by the character and their circumstances. (One of my pet peeves in First Person POV YA is when a teen comes off sounding like a thirty-five year old divorcée.)

The pacing and POV shifts are giving me slight fits too, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. I'd really like to get another chunk of this story down over the weekend because I'm expecting a new revision letter for Carmen from Lovely Editor either sometime today or early next week. Yeah, just because I rocked the revisions this time around doesn't mean I don't have some more work to do. I really, really want to take this book to the next level and however many revisions it requires, that's what I'll do.

So let's make this a Good News Friday—tell me good stuff, y'all. I'll start. My darling pix_kristin is finally on the mend after a nasty bout of pneumonia. Now she just needs to take care of herself and not overdo it.

And did I mention I got New Shoes? *g* And I've lost three pounds since coming back from the Vacation of Excess. And this coming Tuesday brings all sorts of new release music including Jason Mraz, Josh Groban, Gavin DeGraw, and Duffy. All Good Things. Oh, and gaelbrady done slain the Class from Hell and got herself an A!! WOOT!

Now tell me more.

May is Latino Books Month

2008-05-02T01:33:51Z

Courtesy of the fabulous monthly newsletter put out by freelance editor Marcela Landres, an interview with Tina Jordan, VP of the Association of American Publishers.

1. Saludos
May is Latino Books Month. While Latino writers should be celebrated every
month of the year, Latino Books Month represents an opportunity to
spotlight the contributions Latinos make to our literary culture at large.
This month, don't just celebrate Latino authors—support them. Read this
month's Q&A with Tina Jordan to learn how.

Helping Latino writers get published,
Marcela Landres
marcelalandres@yahoo.com
http://www.marcelalandres.com/

2. Q&A
Tina Jordan has held the position of Vice President of the Association of
American Publishers since 2006 and resides in the New York office. Among
her responsibilities are the activities of the Trade Publishers Committee,
the Smaller and Independent Publishers Group, Library Marketing, the Get
Caught Reading/Aja Leyendo literacy campaign, diversity in publishing
efforts, and the Association's educational programs. Prior to her position
at the AAP, she held the position of Director of Public Relations and
Special Events for BookExpo America, the national book convention, from
1997-2006. A native of Connecticut and a graduate of Cornell University,
Ms. Jordan is also an avid skier and rock climber. She can be reached at
tjordan@publishers.org.

* For my readers who may not be familiar with the wonderful AAP, could
you briefly describe its mission?
The AAP is the national trade organization for the nation's book publishing
community. Its over 300 members focus on such concerns as copyright
protection; first amendment/freedom of speech; literacy via our Get Caught
Reading web site that features celebrities getting caught reading their
favorite books; hiring and recruiting a diverse publishing workforce to
reflect our culture; educational publishing; and working with booksellers,
librarians, and educators on heightening awareness of the joys of good
books and new and upcoming works, to name just a few!

* What inspired the AAP to launch Latino Books Month?
Latino Books Month was created via the AAP's Publishing Latino Voices of
America subcommittee in its efforts to heighten the richness of works
both in English and Spanish written by those of Hispanic descent. The
breadth and depth of works in fiction and nonfiction, English and Spanish
for adults and children for the Latino community is endless, and we wanted
to ensure that all citizens have access to learn about such fabulous titles
that are available to them, stories with which they can relate, and stories
which inspire.

According to the results of a poll last year commissioned by the National
Council of La Raza, the largest Latino civil rights and advocacy
organization in the U.S., education is the most important issue for
Hispanic voters. 1,026 registered Latino voters polled found that the
high 85% dropout rate among Latino students is the greatest
educational problem for the Latino community in the US. The high
dropout rate concerns more Latino voters than other important problems
like the "poor English-language skills of immigrant students" and the
"poor quality of some teachers." 89% say improving public education
should be a "very important priority" for the next President.

The best way to lobby for improved education starts by encouraging
children to start feeding their brain with books at a young age. How they
are educated early on, and active parental involvement--reading to
children--are clear indicators of future success in school, college, and
careers into adulthood.

Recent census data shows not only does the Latino population continue to
be the fastest growing in the U.S., but there are over 9.5 million Hispanic
families residing in the U.S.--over twenty two percent of all children under
age five in the U.S. are Hispanic. Our goal is to help ensure that the
availability of books by and for Latinos continues to grow so that all
Americans, English and Spanish speaking, Latino and non-Latino, have
access to them.

* How can Latino writers and their fans help support Latino Books Month?
Writers should encourage their publishers to submit their titles for our
recommended reading list, which we develop each May in concert with
Latino Books Month, and in September in conjunction with Hispanic Heritage
Month, a list which we distribute to librarians, booksellers and educators
throughout the nation to share upcoming titles available to the public. We
also have our Aja! Leyendo campaign, a series of posters of celebrities
Getting Caught Reading their favorite books in Spanish, which citizens can
order at no charge via our web site at http://www.getcaughtreading.org/
to complement any book events they may be hosting. They are also
encouraged to contact their local schools to do an author visit, and should
they be interested in partnering with a public high school or elementary
school in New York to speak on a pro bono basis with schoolage children
about the art of writing, please contact me at tjordan@publishers.org.

* Which other programs for Latinos has the AAP created?
The list is long--I hope I can mention them all! We are working with Las
Comadres Para Las Americas, a network of over 7,000 Latinas nationwide in
chapters across the country (visit http://www.lascomadres.org/) in
teleconferences featuring authors being interviewed for their members. We
also hope to launch a live book club with Borders soon.

In addition, we are celebrating the national Dia De Los Ninos on April 30th,
an event produced by the Association for Library Service to Children, a
division of the American Library Association, that brings attention to the
love of books and reading for children of all cultures and in all languages,
intended to be celebrated all month long. Our Latino Voices Group also
published a recommended children's reading list in cooperation with ALSC,
and it can be found on our Get Caught Reading web site at
http://www.getcaughtreading.org/. Events are planned in libraries across
the country and they can be found on the Dia site at
http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/diadelosninos/diadelosninos.cfm

Finally, we also have our Latino Voices Brochure that is hot off the presses
for Latino Books Month with new titles for the 2008-2009, so there is no
shortage of information on new books coming out, both English and
Spanish, for the Latino community of all ages. If readers would like a copy,
please email Katie Ly at kly@publishers.org.

Mama's got a new pair o'shoes, baby!

2008-04-30T11:38:55Z

Remember? If the revisions didn't suck? These?

As for your Carmen revision, you've done such a great job this time around! There were so many instances when I literally exclaimed out loud: "Yes!"

*preens*

Heh. Heh heh heh heh heh.

And debg, be on notice, I will be on the lookout for anything that may potentially bop me over the head. And those shoes may just be Super Glued onto my feet. :-P

Teaser Tuesday—something new

2008-04-29T19:17:56Z

Some of you will immediately recognize what this is from. It's the very beginning and it's kind of an odd beginning.

It's called

Say it Again

Compulsory Dance

"And we're back in five… four… three… two…."

"Hello, everyone. This is Rich Gavin coming to you, live, from the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships, alongside my broadcast partner, former National, World, and Olympic champ, Christian Scherer and where we've just witnessed an amazing performance by up and coming ice dancers, Nara de la Cruz and Misha Namekov. Holy cow, Christian, in all my years covering the sport I can honestly say I’ve never seen a team come out of the gate like that. And the crowd is still going insane. Could it be we have a new, very unexpected National Champion in the Ice Dance?"

"Uh, you know, I honestly don’t know, Rich. Technically, I can’t deny that Cruz and Namekov are surprisingly head and shoulders above even the defending champs and the other more experienced couples out there but there’s something about them, some intangible I can’t quite put my finger on that keeps me from completely agreeing with you."

"Well, for our television audience, you think you can use all those years of experience and that Stanford magna to maybe try to articulate that intangible?"

"Oh, man… putting me on the spot are you? Well, if I have to point at something—or rather, someone—it’s Nara de la Cruz. Misha, is clearly a product of that classic school of Russian ice dance, full of passion and fire to go along with the technical expertise, and again, while she’s technically his equal, in all other aspects of the performance, I didn't feel as if she was on the same level. Maybe it's because of her age, I don't know."

"Ageism? From you, Chris—that's surprising given that you won your first Nationals at sixteen and your Olympic gold two years later."

"Different ball of wax, Rich. Singles and Dance are such different disciplines. More than any of the others, Dance requires a certain… shall we say, probationary period. Working your way up that competitive food chain and paying your dues. Especially if you're from a country lacking a strong history in the discipline. Ice dance judges, more than any other do not like having their worlds rocked."

"Wow—almost sorry I asked there, Chris. And I have to say, seems like this still raucous crowd and those stodgy judges are disagreeing with you or at least, aren't seeing the same deficiencies you are."

"That's why they judge and I just sit up and the booth and comment, Rich. And you're right—in what can only be termed an upset, it would appear that sixteen year-old Nara de la Cruz and twenty-one year old Misha Namekov have just rocked our worlds. They are the new American Ice Dance champions."

**

"Bronze medal for Cruz and Namekov at their first Worlds, Chris. Would you have ever predicted this?"

"Well, Rich, before last month's Nationals, I would have said no way, no how, but now, all bets are off. It's going to be interesting to see where they go from here."

"Have you changed your opinion any about them?"

"Me? No. Takes more than a couple of medals for me. I'll have to see proof of real growth on their part."

"Especially Cruz, right?"

"They have to grow as a pair, Rich, but yeah. I'm waiting to see more from her."

**

"Three-time National champions and now, for the first time, World Champions, Nara de la Cruz and brand new American citizen, Misha Namekov. Chris, do you think the fact that they're also newlyweds might have something to do with their taking that final step onto the top of the podium?"

"Honestly? I don't know Rich. What I do know is that I don't think there's anyone who can unseat them before next year's Olympics."

"Finally a believer?"

"Didn't say that now, did I? I'm just not stupid enough to argue with the inevitable."

"Sure you are."

"Nice show of faith there, Rich."

"Just callin' 'em like I see 'em, buddy."

**

"Wow, Chris. Can you believe that we're seeing Cruz and Namekov's last performance as professionals? It was surprising enough that they went pro after winning Olympic gold, especially given that they could have easily dominated for another four years, but to be retiring after only three years as professionals?"

"You never know what drives people to make these decisions, Rich. A lot of people criticized me for only touring for one year after my Olympic win, then leaving the sport to finish college."

"Do you regret it?"

"Not usually, no. I think I made the right choice for me. I can only hope that Nara and Misha feel the same way."

Cross pimping and a poll!

2008-04-29T12:29:14Z

My lovely, darling, and occasionally cranky CP, Selah is pimping my National Reader's Choice Awards final over on her blog today, God love her, as well as pimping herself in a rare show of promotion type effort. (I'm proud of you, pet.) Turns out her long novella, Hardcore has been nominated for the the "Best Other Works" category of the Gaylactic Spectrum Awards which honor outstanding works of science fiction, fantasy and horror which include significant positive explorations of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered characters, themes, or issues.

In addition, she's been receiving good reviews out the wazoo, not just for one but two different stories. By my count, that's three different stories that have received some sort of recent notice and if that don't rock, I don't know what does. Seriously. Go, read, check it out, especially since rumor has it, she may actually be running *gasp* a contest for her next release, There Came a Killing Frost, due out in June. (She's a machine, I tell you.)

In other pimpish news, my lovely and incredibly talented agency-mate and buddy, Carrie Lofty, has written a kick ass review of It's Not About the Accent. Although it would appear I've now promised to write her a non-slimy frat boy. *g* I'll do that in my spare time, between the Big Plans our Lovely Agent has for us.

(Seriously. She really does have Big Plans. Long-term Plans. Kind of makes you wanna do the five year-old potty dance Plans. Carrie and I will no doubt have matching ulcers and Xanax prescriptions before this is all over.)

Finally, a poll! There's going to be a new Chica Lit blog tour in May! *pauses for whistles and stomping to die down*

This is my question for y'all. We don't really have a theme for this tour and in fact, some of the participants may be writing non-fiction type pieces. However, if there's something you'd rather see from me, let me know. I'm easy. (You know what I mean! Pervs)

View Poll: Chica Lit Blog Tour Poll

And next question...

View Poll: Chica Lit Blog Tour Poll

Cabana Boy randomness

2008-04-28T13:21:21Z

Just sort of all over the place... because I can. Perhaps next week I'll have a theme again but right now, I'm too tired and just wanna admire the pretty.

Lessee... People en Español's 50 Más Bellos issue just came out and there are some nice specimens in there and some that were omitted. This one, William Levy, caught my eye. Nice Cuban boy...

And Cristián made the list this year

Of course, being me, I wouldn't mind if there were certain repeats every year. Like Chayanne

Jaime Camil

Alejandro Fernández...

Yeah... sorry... went off into my Happy Place.

Hm... let's move on, shall we?

A few of us were talking skaters and these two names came up...

Alexei Yagudin

And the flamboyant Frenchman, Philippe Candeloro (Sorry, debg he's clothed, but I did like this pose...)

Continuing on with the randomness, I'm so happy there are new episodes of Bones on. I was never a huge David Boreanaz as Angel fan. But man, I adore him as Seeley Booth and I love David with a few years on him. Now he's hawt.

And not to neglect my other lovely Boy from Bones. TJ Thyne and his mesmerizing blue eyes. Love me some Hodgins and his conspiracy theories.

Admittedly, I have not yet watched this latest installment of Vampire Shows of Pretty, but the lead, Alex O'Loughlin, yes, he is Quite a Pretty Boy.

And I have no idea who this is, outside of his name, Alejandro López, but I will be finding out more. Oh yes, I will... Oh, I found out one other fact. He's my age. Oh my.

Didja miss me?

2008-04-27T14:47:18Z

Presuming, of course, that you even noticed I wasn't about and posting on Various and Sundry.

It's been the rugrats' Spring Break and after I did some recovery from Revisions Hell, I dove straight into laundry and preparing for our trip to Disney. We last went to Disney about three years ago and had a great time, but realized that it was a bit exhausting with the kids at the ages they were. But three years makes a huge difference when you're talking about schlepping about the vastness that Disney has become and so we finally went ahead and bought the annual park passes. This is great on a lot of levels: for one thing, the cost is ridiculously cheap, compared to what one three day pass costs, and maybe even more importantly, it gave us the freedom to not feel as if we had to do everything. Being only two hours away from Lake Buena Vista means that if we even want to go down for a day, it's certainly doable.

But this was a vacation with a capital Vacay and so we decided to do it up right. We stayed at the Beach Club Resort

It's literally a five minute walk from Epcot, which is my favorite of the parks (yes, I'm a big geek) and just a quick ferry ride from the Hollywood Studios which we hadn't gone to on our last visit and to which I hadn't been since they first opened. Beach Club was a great choice for us because it was so completely kid friendly and casual, but without being juvenile. Its theme is that of a Jersey Shore resort at the turn of the century and it has that breezy, carefree feel to it.

We hit all the parks and I'm absolutely exhausted (As are the rugrats. They are being SO quiet right now, you have no idea). But we didn't kill ourselves. Our M.O. became park in the morning until about one or two in the afternoon, come back to the resort, grab some lunch and either hit the Very Elaborate and Fun pool known as Stormalong Bay or simply take naps and grab downtime. Then after dinner, either walk over to Epcot or over to the Boardwalk. Worked well for all of us—we did what we wanted, yet didn't kill ourselves and we have plenty left to do for the next visit.

My personal highlight however, came on Wednesday night. When I was in college I participated in that rite of passage that so many Florida college kids go through, by spending a summer working at Disney. I was at the Magic Kingdom in the Character Department the year they were celebrating Mickey's 60th birthday. They had built a new pavilion, at the time called Mickey's Birthdayland (now, it's Mickey's Toon Town) and I was in the show. (I was Dale, as in Chip and Dale and I was a righteous chipmunk, thankyouverramuch.) It was a cool summer in that both Magic Kingdom and Epcot were my playground and I got to see a lot of projects up close and personal. They were building Studios at that time and were in the finishing stages of the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, the first new resort hotel since the original ones that had opened along with the park in 1971. Being a lover of all things Victorian, I was absolutely entranced with the Grand Floridan, with its white clapboard sides and fretwork and the beautiful bright red conical roofs.

And I was especially enamored with the idea of Victoria and Albert's, the most ambitious restaurant project ever undertaken at Disney. A small, intimate area where the service and food would be on par with any restaurant in the world and in fact, would be a throwback to an earlier era of dining. Formal, leisurely, with multiple courses, prepared and plated exquisitely and presented in fine, Old World style. (Let's put it this way—I never once even put my own napkin on my lap, 'k?) Since the day they first took the employees through a tour of the hotel prior to the soft opening, I wanted to dine at Victoria and Albert's. Big time.

Flash forward twenty years later, since it was the summer of '88 I spent working at Disney, and I finally had a reservation at V&A's. (Yep, pix_kristin, noisedesign, cupcake_goth, & stroppy_baggage, we finally did it!)

About a week before our reserved night, they called to not only confirm, but to make certain if there were any food allergies or preferences that needed to be noted, since the menus would be personalized. Since the Hub is a heathen and won't eat shellfish, I made a point of mentioning this. Good thing, since there were a few things that were very shellfish oriented. Basically, there are seven courses and 3-4 selections per course. Remember that whole diet thing? Yeah, I have to start all over, but it was sooooo worth it.

The menu, from my standpoint:

Amuse Bouche (A small starter trio compliments of the chef)
Lobster bisque (sex in a demitasse); lobster medallion with vanilla foam; lobster mousse

First:
Jumbo Lump and Peeky Toe Crab with Zuckerman's Farm Asparagus Salad

Second:
Pan Roasted Foie Gras with Fuji Apple Bread Pudding and Mostarda di Cremona
(Should be illegal in many states. The bread pudding alone was a thing of Great Beauty and the foie gras was enough to make grown men weep.)

It should be noted around here that the waitstaff circulated occasionally with baskets of fresh bread, including a multigrain roll, a miniature sourdough baguette, and a brioche with the most delicate, flaky crust that was brushed with a truffle oil and absolutely melted in the mouth. Fresh Vermont butter on the table.

Fish:
Alaskan King Salmon with Petite French Lentils, Florida Corn and Saffron Foam

Main:
Australian "Kobe" Beef Tenderloin with Smoked Garlic Puree
(Guh. Just... guh. The beef was a free-range Kobe-style as opposed to being actual Kobe and it was divine. And the chef had taken the short ribs and braised, then shredded a small amount of the meat over the garlic puree and it was... guh. Basically, I felt like I'd died and gone to carnivore heaven.)

Intermezzo:
Colston Bassett Stilton, Pierre Robert, and Monte Enebro
(Chose a cheese course as opposed to a gelato and it was To Die For. The Monte Enebro was a triple créme brie style that was practically running off the plate and the plate as a whole was served with a walnut date bread that was dark and dense and the perfect accompaniment.)

Dessert:
Vanilla Bean Créme Brûlée
(This was so hard to choose but as much as I'm a chocaholic, I'm an absolute sucker for a good brûlée. This didn't disappoint, served with a hazlenut tuille and perfectly caramelized across the top. Also should be illegal in many states. Or at least should come served with a side of birth control.)

Coffee:
Many selections to choose from and again, very tough, especially since there was an organic Sumatra, but ultimately went with the Organic Kona, brewed right at the table. And again, I didn't even prepare my own cup, but rather our waiter asked how I would like it and added the sugar and cream to my liking.

But wait—that's not all. Then, there was, compliments of the pastry chef, an afterward—three petite sweets with which to finish off our meal. A dark chocolate filled with a caramel spiked with Meyer's Dark rum; an apricot candy; and a lemon shortbread cookie that was one of the most delicate, divine things I've ever tasted. And at the very end of the meal, I was presented with a lovely, red rose. (The only thing that would have made it even better would have been if it had been a Sterling rose, but that's just because I love them so.)

It's astounding to believe that there was once a class of people for whom dining like this was the norm, rather than the exception. Frankly, I like that it's an exception. It was a moment in time, almost a wayback machine, if you will, where time ceased to exist and the most important thing was savoring the company, the conversation, and the sheer, visceral beauty of the food.

Why yes, I'm a bit of a hedonistic sensualist, why do you ask?

I suppose it was only a matter of time, really & random things that suck

2008-04-21T19:10:35Z

Children's:
Young Adult

Temple Matthews's THE NEW KID, the first title in The New Kid series, described as Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Supernatural, to Glenn Yeffeth at BenBella Books, for publication in January 2009

Things that suck:

A librarian who gets their rocks off mocking titles. And thinks they're being funny in the process.

Why yes, the individual in question mocked my title. I don't know whether to be offended because this person mocked my title or because a librarian won't bother to look beyond a title to see the potential worth in a book.

ETA: Google Cache is a beautiful thing:

Title of blog post in question:

Romance friendly librarian seeks same

Today I received an unsolicited promotional package announcing the 2008 Romance Writers of America Conference and Librarians’ Day. It doesn’t surprise me that the literary romance genre has a big professional organization and events like this. After all, romance novels are a HUGE business:

* $1.4 billion in romance sales each year
* 26.4% of all popular mass-market fiction sold is romance
* More than a quarter of all books sold is romance (Source: RWA)

But, why did they feel compelled to tell me about all this? I guess it’s because I live in the area and have a library degree.

However, please allow me to clarify something. Am I a romance-friendly librarian? Yes. Am I a romance novel-friendly librarian? Not so much.

Perhaps you are wondering why I posted this on a humor blog. Look no further than the list of 2007 RITA Award winners in categories like “Best Paranormal Romance” and “Best Novel With Strong Romantic Elements.” Here are some of my favorite titles:

* The Husband Trap
* Adiós To My Old Life
* “Tis the Silly Season” in A NASCAR Holiday

View the whole list of 2007 winners here. And see you at the Marriott!

And again, I'm wondering, where's the funny?

Cabana Boys- Spring Break

2008-04-21T12:40:49Z

Yeah, we're just pretty much going to go for straight up, random pretty that I found in my forays around the 'net.

Wonder what Jude's been up to?

So I'm being shameless—sue me. Whatever anyone may think, the boy's cut.

And has pretty...

EYES.

Pervs. I knew what you were thinking. But tell me it's not true.

Pretty, pretty Christián

Have y'all seen the trailers for Prince Caspian? Holy moly, what a pretty prince! Ben Barnes:

Dude, this feels so wrong, but the eyes—they're soooo pretty. I mean, I know he's legal and all, but if only he were, you know, fifteen or so years older so I didn't feel like quite so much of a chickenhawk.

This has a nice, Spring Break vibe to it—pretty Colombian actor named Roberto Plantier

And Sebastián has the Spring Break thing going too...

sartorias, I think he knows you're here...

Finally, for my darling Cindy who sent me a gigantic all caps sort of email, this lovely Boy, Chris Winters, won the Mr. Romance 2008 at Romantic Times this past week. Cindy was especially thrilled since during the reenactment of romance novel covers, he was her cover model, depicting her hero. So she kind of had a personal investment—besides, she said he was just plain nice. If Cindy says you're nice, Chris, then you're okay by us around these parts.

*sigh*

Now more laundry. If only the boyz were around to help with that...