Candycorn and Self-Publishing

The second candycorn is in stores, I have to buy bags of it. It’s sort of like my obsession with Cadbury Eggs at Easter. I see it–and all willpower leaves me. I have to have it. So–two bags of it have disappeared in my house in only a week and a half. And this morning I’ve actually been thinking maybe I should go to the store to buy more before they stop selling it! Do you ever catch yourself having crazy conversations with yourself? Like trying to talk yourself into things–and then realizing that if you have to talk yourself into something, that’s YOU talking to YOU and it’s a little weird. Yeah, it happens to me all the time. Anyway, I love Halloween for the one reason that Candycorn is in stores. We never really celebrated Halloween when I was little. I think I remember trick-or-treating once (Jeff feels like this is a tragedy beyond measure). Anyway, I do know that I want Ashtyn to get to be excited about dressing up and trick-or-treating. I was thinking of taking her this year, then remembered she’s 14 months old and everyone would know that I would be eating the candy, not her. So I’ll wait till next year.

On to self-publishing! Everyone’s been talking about Mike Hyatt’s blog and the announcement that Thomas Nelson’s going to provide an avenue for writers to self-publish. So lots of people are excited, and lots of people think they’re crazy, and lots of people seem to be upset about it (who knows why? Is it really worth getting upset over?). Anyway, I’ve read a few blogs about it. Chip MacGregor has a good posting up (http://www.chipmacgregor.com/). We talked about it last week in our staff meeting and such. I checked out the Westbow website. Here’s what I think: I’ve said it before, publishing is evolving, like everything else. Will this new thing with Tommy Nelson result in scores of great books published? Of course not. Will they make money? Yes. Are they a business? Yes. (This is making sense to me so far.) Will a few good books be published that wouldn’t otherwise? Most likely. Will some awful books be published? Unfortunately. In the end, it’s really NOT the end. Of the world, that is. Or publishing. It’s just something new that Thomas Nelson is trying and I love that they’re being innovative and doing something that’s making everyone take notice.

So, don’t worry. This is not a sign that traditional publishing is over–or that publishers are going crazy or no longer care about quality. It’s just a reality that people are going to find new ways to get published. It’s okay. If you’re really bothered by it, I recommend candycorn.

A Garage Full of Boxes

So it’s been ages since I’ve written. I thought I should tell everyone that we’ve finally moved. Moving is so terrible. Well, packing boxes and moving boxes and furniture and then constantly digging through a sea of boxes in your garage to find your shoes, clothes, towels, etc. is the really terrible part.

My mom flew into town to help, which made all the difference in the world. And some of our friends helped move everything Sunday. We’ve been steadily unpacking and trying to get somewhat organized so Jeff and I don’t kill each other. Neither of us function very well when everything’s a mess.

So leaving the house on Hamilton was a bit emotional for me. I suppose that’s normal. I just started thinking about the first time we walked through the front door with Ashtyn and then I felt like crying.We really were so ready to move–but in the end, driving away and knowing we’ll never be inside that house again was a little sad. Our lives changed in that house. I remember sitting in the bedroom when I started having contractions and knowing that no matter what or how–I’d be coming home with a baby soon.

But letting go is a healthy part of life. I do believe that. If you’re letting go for the right reasons then it can be liberating and exciting. So we’re now in a cute little house with a view of the mountains and tonight we’re supposed to go over to one of our neighbor’s house to meet everyone. Hmm. That probably means I should head toward the garage now to find something to wear tonight.

I just heard the little one cry from her room. I guess I’m still typing too loudly. I must work on that.

Sniffle Sniffle

We’re going today to look,yet again, for a house. As I’ve mentioned, driving with Ash is what some would call   ……what’s the word? Oh, right. NIGHTMARE. I’m attaching a photo of her asleep in the car. Yes, I stopped and took a picture because it was such a rare thing. She won’t look like that today. But that’s how I will look even from the beginning of the trip.

Can I just tell you that there seem to be a lot of people working for oil companies in South Africa? Hmm. That’s what I thought too. Yeah, so I’m finding that lots of the people who post rental houses on Craigslist are shipping off to Africa. Sounds sketchy to me. I’ve been getting those “Send me your deposit and I’ll mail you the key (from Africa) and you’ll get a full refund if you don’t like the house.”  Seriously, would anyone really do that? I hope not. Anyway, so today we’re going to walk through at least three real, yes real, rental homes that are possibilities for us.

Can I also just tell you that Ashtyn and I are in this sick cycle? She has a cold that won’t go away and I keep catching it. Cold medicine is becoming a part of my daily routine, like Diet Dr Pepper or something. If you were here, you’d hear me sniffling.

So, the house hunt continues. Oh! Jeff’s birthday was this week. I made him this reeses peanut butter cup cheesecake that was, I must say, fantastic. I think I’ll post a picture and the recipe later. I tried to make it once before and it just didn’t turn out right. But this time, it turned out just as I ‘d hoped.

Okay, I’m feeling cloudy and Ashtyn’s lullaby music is actually putting me to sleep now. Gotta run.

Packing and such

I should have titled this ‘not packing and such.’ Much more appropriate. Anyway, so the move is still supposedly happening. We had the appraisal Friday and are awaiting the scary results now. And we’re looking at a few more rentals today (which reminds me that I should be getting ready right now). I keep looking around our house and being more aware of how much stuff we have. And I’m wondering when I’m going to have time to pack all of it. Or where I’m going to find boxes in which to pack all of it. Time is getting away from me.

So–this week was Ashtyn’s first in daycare. I think it went really well. They give you these ‘family communication’ sheets everyday so you know what she did, ate, etc. So cute. Yesterday, her sheet said that she ate a muffin with jelly. And that she pushed the big cars around and played on the slide. Yes, I’m a mom so yes, I thought that was adorable. Yet even though she’s now in daycare (part-time), I don’t seem to have any more time than I did before. I’m hoping this changes after the move. If not, I’m going to need to invest in some sort of major caffeine supplement. (Which is rather ironic since the book I’m currently editing is all about the importance of sleep!)

Speaking of books, well, the fantastic fantasy series that Sara and I are supposed to be creating has been on hold. She’s run into all kinds of difficulty with a ridiculous computer company. But soon we should be up and running again. I can’t wait for this first book to come together! We’ve got a pretty good mental picture of books one and four–books two and three, well, we’ll get to those. Like I said, we’re planning to self-publish rather than wait for a publisher to discover its brilliance. I think she and I may start a blog about it once we enter that process. Of course, that would mean the book was finished. And that, as we know, is somewhere in the not-too-distant future (we hope).

Have you ever tried to type quietly? It’s so hard. Our office is right next to Ash’s room and I seem to only have time to be in here when she’s napping (like now). And I must type really loudly or something because when I get going, she starts stirring. So I try to type quietly and it almost never works but still, I try. Typing slower than usual sort of helps, but not really.

Anyway, I heard some movement coming from the room next door and I really must get ready so I’m off for now. More later.

Spiders and Mr. Darcy

So listen, I just finished reading this book (below) called Mr. Darcy, Vampyre. No, I did not find this on my own. My very adorable husband saw it and, knowing that this involved two genres I love, bought it for me for my birthday. I will admit it: I liked it. It does seem a bit crazy to go so far as to merge Jane Austen with Dracula and such—but, well, there you have it. I liked the book.

It’s pretty interesting that so many people take Jane Austen’s characters and write their own novels about them. How would you feel if you were the author? And suddenly your hero is one of the undead? I’m not sure how Jane would feel. Probably furious. One of the editors I work with told me about this website where fans have written their own fiction about Harry Potter (www.harrypotterfanfiction.com). Does this sound a bit crazy to you? I know. It is a bit crazy. But have you ever finished a book, only to be desperate for more? Or furious at the ending? Consider a story like Little Women, where Laurie and Jo SHOULD have ended up together. Jo was too interesting to get stuck with the professor, and Amy was too self-obsessed and selfish to get Laurie.  Do you ever find yourself creating scenes (composed of your favorite characters) in your head? Just sort of playing the ‘what if’ game and taking the story down different roads? Maybe you haven’t. I have. But think about this. Usually, authors give us the details we need about scenes, but leave  room for our own imaginations to visualize exactly what we think a character looks like or how she dresses or what her voice sounds like. We know the basic elements of the setting, but we flesh out the rest on our own. Of course there are those authors who try to give us every detail of every aspect of the story (but that often just ends up being an overly detailed book).

For some authors, they write out pages of notes (just for themselves) describing a character. They do this to get to know the character. I was watching this documentary the other day about a TV show. One of the actors was explaining that every ‘extra’ in the background had his or her own story. The director would tell them exactly where they were going and why. Isn’t that interesting? I wonder why the director did that? Maybe just to help everyone immerse themselves in the scene? I don’t know. After I heard that, I was watching one of the episodes and suddenly thinking that the nameless guy in the back who was walking on the street actually wasn’t nameless and was going somewhere, and I wondered what his particular story was.  

Think about your own novel for a moment. You’ve got the plot, you know your characters and you know what happens, but you probably know lots about the characters that no one else will ever know. Because YOU see their history. I sometimes think it would be interesting if writers would elaborate in this way for readers. Maybe on their websites or something. Post ‘behind the scenes’ material–the way we get extras on DVDs. Maybe we could see deleted scenes that editors, like myself, had to cut out for one reason or another. I’m sure some writers do this but I think it should become a bit more common. I know, at least, it would be great for those die-hard fans like the 28,000 writers on that HP website.

You might be wondering when we’re going to talk about spiders. That would be now. So listen to what happened to me yesterday. Jeff was not around so I was left to clean the litter box and sweep the basement bathroom floor. As I’m doing this, I see a terrifying spider. I’m jumping back and trying to think of what to do. Husbands are great for handling these unpleasant things. So anyway, I take the dustpan, hold my breath, jump forward and slam the dustpan down on the spider as hard as I can and then jump back again as fast as I can. I’m breathing hard and doing that weird sort of dance you do when you suddenly feel like bugs are on you and you’re freaking out. Then I realize that the spider, which should be dead, is nowhere to be found. You probably know the sinking feeling I had, knowing it was alive somewhere. (Even though I’m still not convinced I didn’t kill it!) I felt a twitch on my arm and nearly screamed, slapping myself instantly. Then I felt a twitch on my other arm and again, hit myself wildly. I remembered that there was bug spray in the cupboard and grabbed that, and unleashed about half the can on the floor, drenching a trash bag that was caught in the middle of everything and which was now flattened by my slamming the dustpan down on it several more times. Afterward, I reminded myself that Jeff wasn’t going to be around anytime soon and I needed to find a way to take the three steps past the pond of bug spray to get out of the bathroom. I used the broom to pick up the trash bag. Yes, imagine me with a long broom, a small trash bag dangling from the very end. I came upstairs and turned down the air conditioner because I was exhausted and sweating from the ordeal.

It’s moments like these when I appreciate Jeff so much. Well, of course, and the fact that he buys me books about Mr. Darcy and vampyres.

The Great Search

So it looks like we’re moving. I’m glad about this for lots of reasons. The only problem is how terrible the actual ‘moving’ part is. Packing and loading and unloading and unpacking and all the sweating that goes with those things. Today Jeff and I are actually going to go househunting. This sounds fun but it won’t be because we have a one year old who hates being in the car and makes it her ambition to make sure everyone knows how unhappy she is while she’s in the car. I know there are some kids who fall asleep as soon as they’re in the driveway. Ashtyn is not one of those kids. And we haven’t quite mastered the art of tuning out all the screaming, but I think we’re getting there. We’re most likely going to rent a place for a while. Jeff thinks not having to do any yardwork for a long time sounds like a positive thing. My main concern is the garage issue. That’s non-negotiable for me. We must have one. Not only b/c we have a ton of stuff–but it’ll be winter in Colorado pretty soon and rushing out the door in the mornings, only to stand in the snow for an hour and scrape snow off the car windows, is tragic. Too many times I have been that person driving around with only a tiny circle to see through b/c I just didn’t have time (or motivation) to do more. And Jeff’s all about warming the car up before I leave–and he thinks that takes more than two minutes. Anyway, so a garage is a must.

But you know what I really want? A fantastic kitchen. That’s what I’ll be looking for (second to garage). I’m slightly sad that Ashtyn will not be able to appreciate the wonderful nursery Jeff and I have made for her. I’ll just have to re-create it in the next house.

If it weren’t for all the terrible parts about moving, I would probably be up for it every couple of years. As it is, I’m afraid it will be happening twice for me in the next twelve months. And strange things happen when you move. Unexplainable. Like the last time we moved from our apartment to the house we’re in now–my favorite coffee cups were lost. I REMEMBER packing them. But they were lost and have never been found. They matched my everyday dinnerware and were the cutest cups ever and losing them was awful. I looked everywhere possible at least five times.

I will keep this in mind as I’m packing this time around. There are certain things you just cannot lose. Like photo albums. And books. And china. And college diplomas.

I once left one of my favorite sandals at the YMCA in Estes Park. It was devastating. I loved those sandals and I’m not one to get attached to shoes. I called over and over asking about it and am not convinced anyone actually looked for it. I finally threw the other one away. Since then, I do not allow myself to be overly attached to shoes.

Okay, we’re leaving soon for the househunting excursion. I’ll let you know if we find any acceptable garages and kitchens.

Procrastination. That’s right.

Have you ever heard Ellen Degeneres’s stand-up about procrastination? My sister and I saw it together a few years ago and loved it and took to quoting it to each other all the time. Well, I saw it again on HBO the other night and loved it all over again. She’s hilarious. Right this moment, I’m procrastinating. I’ve been searching for babysitters/daycare for Ashtyn and am taking a small break even though Jeff thinks I’m still searching high and low.

Can I tell you something major? I turned thirty this week. It’s shocking really. THIRTY. Wow. I’m wondering how it is I got this old and still don’t know how to do so many things. Anyway, more on that another time. This week was pretty crazy. I flew home from VA Monday. We had layoffs at my job this week. I turned thirty on Wednesday. Jeff passed his Series 66 today.

I just took about a three-hour break from writing this post b/c my best friend (who is also thirty and knows how it feels) called. We were talking about humiliations from childhood that we didn’t realize were humiliations until now that we can look back on them. I so love talking to someone who can remind me of what we did at camp when we were twelve. Michelle’s one of those soul-mate friends I can’t live without. But it’s so crazy that we’re thirty and now we talk about what our daughters are doing. Somehow it feels just right because we’re both in that place.

I saw that movie Julie and Julia with Sara while I was in Roanoke. It’s really good so you should see it if you’re that person who likes girl movies with hilarious moments that all girls can relate to. Sara and I kept practically crying with laughter. Which was okay because we were two of four people in this fantastic old theater downtown. I really liked that the main girl wanted to start something she actually finished. Because regardless of what it was she did, finishing was an accomplishment. I absolutely love it when one of the books I’ve worked on and edited for months finally comes out and I can see and touch the finished product. I think life without any sense of accomplishment must feel a  bit oppressive. I probably need more accomplishment and less procrastination. Hmm.

Home again

So I took one of those crazy, last-minute sort of trips this past weekend. It was a family thing and I needed to go out to Virginia pretty quickly. Thankfully, the trip went fine. Now I’m home. That was about five days away from Ashtyn. I was so excited to see her at the airport. I have to admit, I was rather hoping she’d missed me terribly and would light up at the sight of me. However, the guy next to her and Jeff (who was holding a sign and waiting to pick someone up) was far more interesting than I was. She did smile at me, but she couldn’t spare much since she really needed to be intently watching this driver-guy. Well, even if she didn’t quite give the reaction I hoped for, I, in turn, was overjoyed to see her and smothered her with hugs and kisses and all that mommy stuff. By the end of the night though, she did reach for me when it was time to do the bedtime thing, which was nice and appreciated. I cannot really tell you how beautiful she is. Words cannot express how cute this little girl of mine is. I am so lucky. 

Anyway, there’s a lot going on with my family at the moment. The weekend was super busy. And now I’m back to work and home, and I’m still super busy. In fact, the foreseeable future is super busy. I may need to start drinking energy drinks.

The drive to the airport was spent with me and Sara brainstorming over this fantasy series we want to write. It’s mostly Sara brimming with ideas, and me occasionally reigning her in or offering a suggestion here or there. Brainstorming ideas, especially for a fantasy book, is just great because the sky is the limit when it comes to plot. Anything is possible when magic is involved.   We did have time this weekend to swing by Given’s books in Lynchburg, the best bookstore ever. I was devastated to find that Osaka has been torn down though. There’s a pile of rubble where it used to be. But Given’s is there. Liberty’s presence in Lynchburg is, mmmm, how shall I say this? Oh, right. OVERWHELMING. The town should be called Liberty. Seriously. It’s everywhere.

Anyway, I was reminded that I just love Virginia. It’s so, so green and beautiful. And I miss it. But I really missed Jeff and Ashtyn like crazy the last few days. So it’s good to be home. But I suppose Lynchburg will always be a tiny bit like home to me too. You know, something about Candler’s Mountain and Movies 10 just stays with LU students.

Reading list

Hmm. So yesterday I was reading my friend Melanie’s blog and she’s got this list on there of one hundred books (you’re supposed to see how many of them you’ve read). So I was going through the list and having a hard time remembering exactly what I’ve read. I know that if I read it, and then forgot it, it probably didn’t do all that much for me. But I had these huge reading lists in college and there were those times when I ended up just renting the movie for lack of time or motivation–and so I was trying to separate those that have been read from those that have been watched. (Terrible, I know, and I shouldn’t really admit to that, but there you have it.) So I was chastising myself and deciding instantly to read all the books on the list that definitely should be read (except for books like Kite Runner–seriously, I just can’t bring myself to choose to be depressed for hours.). Anyway, later on I was considering just how long it’s going to take me to read all those books that I’m not dying to read and I started to feel like maybe reading all those books is not in my immediate future. There are some books that I want to read because I’m interested (like The Shack) and then there are books I want to read because I just really want to read them. I’ve said before that I’m a fan of YA literature. So lately I’ve been reading the Blue Bloods series. It’s fabulous. Vampires and reincarnation and angels–who knows why I love it but I do. I’m also reading a nonfiction book at the moment called The Christian Imagination and it’s great so far. (I do try to intake more than just vampire stories ). I’m also one of those people who likes to reread her favorite books. And if I’m arguing with myself about reading something I feel I should read or reading something like, I don’t know, Harry Potter–Harry Potter would usually win. 

 Check out Mel’s blog and see just how well-read you are. http://melanieandmatt.blogspot.com/

The Escape of Literature

Okay, so if you know me, you know I’m a Harry Potter fan. I saw the latest movie for the second time today and I loved it all over again. My sister and I were talking the other day about the HP series and what exactly is the appeal for us. We both mentioned the incredible storytelling, the satisfactory ending, the humor, and so on. I think people read for three reasons: it’s required; to learn something; or to escape (or be entertained, which can be the same thing). I know I’ve read for all those reasons. I was forced to read books I would never really care to read while in college. I read books about pregnancy while I was pregnant to try to understand that mirace of life (and what I should expect during that traumatizing moment of labor). And I love to read Harry Potter whenever I need to just be entertained for a while. I think these can all intersect, of course. You can learn things from fiction. You can be entertained even by required reading. It’s part of what makes reading so worthwhile.  

I’m reading this fantastic book called The Christian Imagination, which is where I found this great quote by G.K.Chesterton: “Human beings cannot be human without some field of fancy or imagination; some vague idea of the romance of life and even some holiday of the mind in a romance that is a refuge from life.” I love that: holiday of the mind in a romance that is a refuge from life. Do we need a refuge from life? Um, I’m just speaking for me here but I say yes. If you don’t think so, then your life is more perfect than mine or you’re just better at coping than I am. (Both of which are fine.)

Remember Anne of Green Gables? I can hear Anne telling Marilla (in regard to Marilla’s lack of imagination), “Oh, Marilla, how much you miss.” Now I know that not everyone is a Harry Potter fan, and that’s okay. We can all enjoy different styles and genres of books. But, for me, the escape of that kind of reading is something I would not want to miss. I am certain that I  could never be as creative as J.K.Rowling, but I can enjoy her creativity as much as I want.

Perhaps literature isn’t always designed to be an escape. I’m thinking of some of those very boring books which feel more like a life sentence, rather than an escape. But then there are those moments when you find some piece of literature that turns out to be just what you needed. Maybe you connect with the message. Maybe you just love the story. Maybe it challenged and amazed you. If you haven’t found that lately, you might consider taking a quick trip to Barnes & Noble.