If I could write in white today, I would.

The world is covered by thick white snow. It started snowing 5 hours ago and it hasn’t stopped yet. I’ve already dragged the gaffer out for a walk in it. Soft, swirling fluffy flakes landing on everything that stands still.  I love these days. The Christmas lights were turned on early (did I mention our tree has been up since November?) and it’s beautiful.

The gaffer is downstairs focusing on Christmas cards for his schoolmates. And I?

I am thinking of Amish Romance again.

I met an old school chum this week as she bought a couple of books and she’s terribly creative and gifted. And as we chatted, I mentionned the change of book audience and she was surprised. We discussed giving up one’s … creativity for the sake of money. Basically, ‘selling-out’.

I have so many ideas for so many different books. I have a picture book idea in mind and I also have the plot line of my amish one.  While I will accept that I was given a pretty good gift of writing, I have no problem writing books I don’t enjoy tremendously on a personal level, provided it brings in money.

Now don’t sound so shocked. My man works two jobs. I work none. Therefore, if I can make enough money that he only needs to work one? Then I’ve done my part. The end.

My greatest joy writing is poetry. And I can do that anywhere at anytime. It only takes five minutes to purge out something fantastic (my opinion anyway) once you have a delicious phrase. And a true joy would be to have my poetry bound properly. I’ve always wanted that. Maybe one day when I have nothing to do with my time and I have the debt thing sorted out. Then I”ll print all of it on yellow paper.

Listening to: Christmas carols and our neighbour chopping wood

Eating: gluten-free pumpkin scones (not bad)

Watching: the gorgeous snow fall

Reading: Desecration and Karen Kingsbury’s book um… something about a line. or something.

Hola~

My younger daughter (10) is an avid reader and really fickle. It takes her hours of picking over titles before she settles on book. She’ll look at the cover, the back cover, the synopsis, the author’s description of herself, and read the first chapter before committing. Once she’s made a decision, it’s best to get out of the way, as she will disappear in her room until the book is done.

Anyway, she picked _Jackson Jones_ last week, and ripped through it. I’ll have to find a place to post the pictures she drew after finishing the book. The sketches will eventually be turned into a shadow box, which is her mission over the Thanksgiving break.

Last night, I spent a couple of hours with her back at the book store looking for something that was worthy of following JJ. No luck. She was in tears about it. (I think that may of had something to do with her dread of having Thanksgiving weekend at her Grandma’s with nothing to read.)

I just wanted you to know you have a rabid fan here in Berkeley. If you are ever in the area for a signing, please let us know.

I hope you have continued success with your writing.

Congrats.

I have decided to buy beautiful stationary and send out thank you notes to fan mail writers. Because 1) mail is almost dead and 2) who doesn’t like getting cards in the mail?

In other news: spent an hour on the phone with lovely Kathleen and must have all edits done by Thursday. Maybe Friday at the latest. Then the book will be finished (being written and awaiting publication) before she’s gone. Here’s praying for an awesome new editor!!!

Eating: salted caramel hot chocolate with soy. oh my good golly it’s gooooood!

Watching: nothing! Are you kidding me? I’m on page 16 of 136!

Listening to: annoying Christmas music. The radio kind, not the soft pretty kind. Must change stations.

Reading: Assassins.  Vogue.

I got to do three presentations at two schools on behalf of the Ottawa Writer’s Festival.

The first school was Robert Bateman and the kids were grades 4-6. There were about 130 of them. The library was packed! And they were so much fun. I had volunteers come up and help act out a story that they made up as we went along. It was fun. The protagonist had the gift of extra smelly farts that melted the jail cell bars that the villain had put him into.

The second school was FJ MacDonald and the first presentation was for the grades 1-3. We only had half an hour so we acted out Jackson Jones. Once the little girl put on the huge wig to be Great Aunt Harriett the kids were killing themselves with laughter. After that presentation was the older kids and we acted out another story. It didn’t go as well as the first but it was still a lot of fun.

At the end of the day, my throat hurt from ‘projecting’, my feet hurt and I had a headache. I honestly don’t know how teachers do it. They are amazing.

*I totally ‘geeked’ (Kathleen’s word) when I saw that my name was in the Ottawa Writer’s Festival brochure on the same line as Charles De Lint!

Tomorrow is another presentation at the Orleans Public Library on Orleans Road at 1pm.

reading: The Bucolic Plague by Josh Kilmer-Purcell  lovin’ it.

eating: tacos! ole!

watching: nothing.

listening to: the boy build lego stairs

You can listen live at http://live885.com/

Reading: Girl in the Arena by Lisa Haines. wow.

Listening to: nothing

Eating: water. am napping soon. have cold.

lalalalalllaaaaaadeeedaaaa!!!

Reading: Pollyanna Grows Up

Eating: chai latte, pita biscuits with cream cheese

Watching: tonight? IronMan 2!

Listening to:  Majic 100 with Codi Jefferies!