The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Filed Under: books are awesome

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is about a writer and her growing relationship with the inhabitants of the island of Guernsey after the German occupation, as she searches for subject matter for her next book. The story is told through a series of letters to and from her editor, the members of the Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and some assorted friends and relations.When I realized the entire book was letters, I worried about the way the story would unfold. I thought this method of story telling might make for choppy reading, missing details, or information being … [Read more...]

100 Things – 65-70

Filed Under: 100 Things

65. Spiderman is my favorite superhero. I loved the Spiderman shorts on The Electric Company as a kid (and yes, that's Morgan Freeman as the vampire). Something about his silence is appealing and comforting.66. I don't like chunky peanut butter. J does. I vaguely remember losing a tooth while eating chunky PB as a kid, and I always associate the chunks with teeth. For awhile, I compromised by buying chunky ever other time. Finally, I realized that life is too short to suffer through the chunky stuff, so I buy us separate jars.67. I hated the ending of the series finale of Battlestar … [Read more...]

An Interview with Fiona Robyn

Filed Under: author interviews

I love author blogs. It's so interesting to read about what other writers go through in their process. It's also a great way to find new books to read. If I hadn't stumbled across Fiona Robyn's blog, I might have missed out on reading The Letters and missed the chance to connect with a fellow writer. That would have been a shame. As part of her blog tour, Fiona stopped by to answer some questions. 1. I love your main character in The Letters. She's really not a people person, but she's a very likable character. How did she come to you? In writing the book, did she evolve much from your … [Read more...]

It’s so darn hard.

Filed Under: writing

I went to the library to work today. I needed to get out of the house so very badly. The dogs were driving me nuts and the walls were closing in on me, and the cat was puking in the hallway, and I just had to go. So I packed up and left. I found a yellow vinyl armchair that looked like a prop from That 70's Show at the end of an aisle of books and sat with my headphones on, listening to my Stay playlist and editing. It was sheer bliss. Until school let out and the library flooded with kids. I started off thinking, 'good for their parents taking them to the library after school,' but … [Read more...]

Good Fences . . .

Filed Under: Argo the wonder dog, Mrs. Gnome, STELLA

Well, we got three quotes on a fence, the highest being twice the lowest. We had the same thing happen when we needed a new roof. This is why at least three quotes are a necessity when it comes to hiring someone to do home repairs. I am shocked that the cost can vary so much, especially in this case, when we are talking about the exact same type of fencing. Fortunately, the lowest price was from the person I like the best. He didn't try to talk me into fudging our property lines to put the fence on the drainage easement that's on one side of our property like the other two did. Several … [Read more...]

Here, there, and everywhere

Filed Under: here and there

- I've been busy editing my book as per my amazing editor's suggestions. This doesn't just mean I'm putting commas in the right place. I'm taking my book apart and putting it back together again to make a better book. I really enjoy editing (because I am strange), but it requires me to keep an entire set of "rules" for this story in my head. Move a scene, and you have to remember to adjust the impact it will have throughout the book. For example, you can't have a character drive away in their car if they didn't drive to that destination in the first place. I'm finding that I'm very happy … [Read more...]

100 Things – 56-64

Filed Under: 100 Things

I realized that it's been a long time since I've added to my 100 Things list, so here goes.56. I got tired of being blonde. Now I'm stripey. (And I think this picture is funny, because it looks like I'm slightly annoyed at having my picture taken, but I took the picture).57. I love Reel Big Fish. I realize that listening to Reel Big Fish annoys everyone in my general vicinity, but they have a kick ass horn section and they curse a lot, and when you've had a bad day, it's very satisfying to dance around like an idiot and sing along. Sadly, I realized in 2002, the last time I saw RBF live, … [Read more...]

Backpacking My Way Through Stars Hollow

Filed Under: working out

I haven't been graceful about accepting winter this year. Back in late October/early November, I started feeling this panic about dark, grey days, temperatures that I believe would convince sane people that this area of the country is not inhabitable, and the wonder that is lake effect snow. I felt the weight of impending cabin fever so heavily, that we broke down and bought a treadmill. It was the best damn purchase ever. We trained the dogs how to use the treadmill, and when it's too cold out, or the roads are too messy, they get their morning walk indoors (while I happily read and drink … [Read more...]

Why Can’t You Pee Like A Normal Dog?

Filed Under: STELLA

The Stella Urinary Saga continues. She's gotten a little better, but still, it's a struggle to get her to pee. It's like she needs the right combination of mood lighting and shrubs, and the earth has to be rotating exactly right before she can squat. But I learned last night that all of this can be ignored if Stella has a pee buddy. After dinner, I took her out. She immediately ran over to a stick, started chewing on it and plopped down in the grass. I crouched down to call her over to me to distract her from the stick and hopefully get her back to business. She came over, squatted right … [Read more...]