February 28, 2007

Thanks to those of you who emailed me asking if I'd fallen off the face of the earth…nope, I'm still alive and kicking. (Sorry!)

I haven't written a thing except for a few emails since I turned in Gardella Three, and this morning I had a radio interview in preparation for a book signing at a beautiful independent bookstore in Lansing, Michigan, so I've been out and about, plus handling some family stuff (nothing bad, unless you ask my 10 year old daughter who just found out she's not going to the school she wanted to next year).

But I did go see Music & Lyrics last Friday, and I really enjoyed it. Hugh Grant is amazing with deadpan delivery, and Drew is just adorable and so self-assured. She's playing the kind of role Meg Ryan used to play–anyone else see that?

The only thing I didn't like was the cheesy ending–during the big concert. If you've seen it, you know what I mean. All the other parts were great. So go see it, just be ready for a bit of nacho there at the end.And I'd take my 10 year old daughter, too–there's no sex (just implied) and not any bad language or anything like that.

So what did ya'll think of the Oscars? I loved that Helen Mirren won and also Forrest Whitaker and especially Scorcese. I loved Ellen's hostessing of the show too (though I didn't like her red velvet tux in the first part…and absolutely loved her ivory white one later on).

But my favorite part was the performance by Will Ferrell and Jack Black.

February 23, 2007

Finish the sentence:

Never leave home without…

February 22, 2007

Thirteen Things I've Researched for Books I've Written

(both published and unpublished)

1. Tarot Cards–the Major and Minor Arcana and what all the cards mean

2. The Gaia Theory–the theory that the earth is actually one living organism

3. Making rose beads–beads that are made from the stewed petals of roses

4. Indian Vampire mythology

5. What it was like behind the scenes at the Opera Garnier (The Paris Opera House) during the late 19th Century

6. Different types of antique lamps

7. Working at a radio station

8. The oil industry

9. Earthquakes and geological faults

10. The flora, fauna, geology and climate of Siberia 

11. Flying small planes (I didn't actually fly them–just researched!)

12.  Caving and cave rescues

13. Rome in the 19th Century

February 20, 2007

Check out the redesign of my Web site, done by Austin DesignWorks.

I love it. I can't stop staring it at and surfing around in it. 

There's a glitch with the contact form, if you're trying to tell me how much you love the new site (or my book) (or you want to ask me to be a guest on your radio show or TV show) (or you're an old high school friend who's looking me up)(or whatever)…but that should be fixed soon, and other than that, the site is swwwweeeet! as my eight year old son would say.

Dontcha think?

Oh, and by the way, there's an exclusive excerpt on the site for Rises the Night…not the same one in the back of The Rest Falls Away. So now you have another reason to go check it out! 

ETA: The contact form is now working properly. So contact away!

February 19, 2007

Went to see The Bridge to Terabithia last night with my two oldest munchkins (had no idea it was a tear-jerker!), and had this trailer foisted upon me:

Nancy Drew in California??? So does not work for me. 

I want my real Nancy Drew back!