Tag Archives: 2013

As 2014 Looms (Looming Edition)

The minivan’s A/C died just in time for the Christmas heatwave of 85+ degrees. As I ferried us home from a visit to the ocean’s cool and calming vastness (all windows dooooown), I remembered my one and only Christmas poem, which includes … Continue reading

Posted in Children's Books, Faction, Fiction, Poetry, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

December Whinny

Sitting on the patio at Peddler’s Fork, alone out here as it’s a SoCal pre-Christmas bit of chilly, i.e., 60 degrees, way too cold for the cycling clan packing the tables indoors, brrr, but perfect for me as I’m the … Continue reading

Posted in books, Children's Books, Faction, Fiction, Poetry, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Kickstarted (Coffee Blend Edition)

Back again—homing pigeon style—at Peddler’s Fork, I ordered a cup of the restaurant’s Kickstand Blend and a macadamia nut infused scone that tastes more like somebody’s gourmet birthday cake than scone, which is why I ordered it, and carted my … Continue reading

Posted in books, Fiction, Poetry, Writer's Angst, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bathroom Reading (Scouring Edition)

While holiday cleansing the bathroom, on my knees scrubbing corners usually in my blind spot, I glance up and notice books also, apparently, usually in my blind spot. I have no idea when Dylan Thomas arrived. Definitely wasn’t me who … Continue reading

Posted in books, Children's Books, dog, middle grade, Poetry, Writer's Angst, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Handy Resources

Brainpickings has compiled a nice list of 9 writing resources. Some are oh so familiar, perhaps all are to you. But I’m glad to be reminded of them. And quotes such as this one by Kurt Vonnegut, which you’ve probably … Continue reading

Posted in Fiction, Quotes, Writer quotes, Writer's Angst, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Food Glorious Food

Speaking of bon bons, I think I’ll switch to madeleines. But stick with coffee, not tea. For now. Coffee served in a teacup? Even better. The Telegraph is featuring 10 Great Meals in Literature. A fun little slideshow. Especially the Dickens … Continue reading

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Children's Books, Fiction, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Gobbling Towards Vegetarianism

It became November. Day Two, I said: OMG THE TURKEY! Because this year, we’re hosting the beloved horde. I navigated to the Whole Foods website. During the Diestel ordering process I was asked to choose: Hen or Tom. My bedroom … Continue reading

Posted in books, Children's Books, Faction, Fiction, Writing, WTF | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Truth Is…(Maintenance Edition)

The truth is, I’m way too busy to blog—sprawling on the couch eating bonbons takes up a lot of time. And let me make this extremely clear: NOT milk chocolate bonbons with cherries tucked inside them. If I was even … Continue reading

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Pets, Poetry, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Appreciation (pre-Dinner Edition)

Recently my husband and I listened politely to a woman with green fingernails and an iphone with a ringtone that sounds like something Michael Flatley would raise his knees to—listened as this lady (dressed in a tunic the distracting green of fairy-forest canopy) told us … Continue reading

Posted in Children's Books, Me and Us, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

3 Cubs & Dodgers

Father/Son Dodgers Game!, the elementary school flyer stated, producing an amendment a week later: Due to unprecedented interest in attendance by moms, grandmothers, grandfathers and 3rd cousins twice removed, Father/Son is expanded to Family Dodgers Game! So we all went to … Continue reading

Posted in Fiction, Me and Us, Writing, WTF | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

On Roald Dahl’s Birthday

Sometimes I let the agent I’m querying know who my literary heroes are. Only ‘sometimes’ as my query letters tend to change. Evolve? Products of endless, restless experimentation…On Roald Dahl’s birthday I was thinking: I always forget to put Roald … Continue reading

Posted in Children's Books, Faction, Fiction, Writing, WTF | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Quote For The Week: Diana Nyad (Butterscotch Cookies Edition)

Find a way. —Diana Nyad I briefly interrupt evening reading time to announce I’m zooming to Albertson’s for eggs for tomorrow’s scrambled egg jamboree and ask my spouse if he needs anything from the store. In the Daffy Duck brogue he utilizes when … Continue reading

Posted in Faction, Writer's Angst, Writing, WTF | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Secret Equestrienne (Before Morning Coffee Edition)

$300 boots in the local saddlery. Gorgeous. And nothing a budget-minded, secret equestrienne would ride in. So the Amazon dot coms that arrived by mail shocked me. At $94+change, they looked way too regal for the price. I was expecting spray-painted cardboard. … Continue reading

Posted in books, Fiction, Poetry, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Quote For The Weekend (RIP Edition)

I have learned that particularly clever ideas do not always stand up under close scrutiny. Elizabeth Peters, The Hippopotamus Pool Ah, but the above author’s ideas stood up and have never stood down. Armed in 2 pen names (Elizabeth Peters being my personal … Continue reading

Posted in books, Fiction, Quotes, Writer quotes, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Chirp

The colony of house finches thriving in the trees outside our bedroom windows begins the chirping frenzy around 530/6am and they never fail to wake me up—but I beat them to their cacophony this morning, fueled into consciousness by thoughts of Big … Continue reading

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Poetry, Writing, WTF | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In the Wake of a Rejection

The last day of July hurtles into focus as I prepare for mini-break #4: single-mommying 3 kids for 3 days. Will be intriguing to see how I fit in writing time. I’m thinking between breakfast and the day’s planned outing, all outings … Continue reading

Posted in books, Fiction, middle grade, ocean related, Poetry, Santa Barbara, Writer's Angst, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Mini-Break 4: Summer Flu (Mr. Darcy Would Not Approve)

I see from Facebook that those of us women afflicted turned to the BBC’s 1995 Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. No coincidence. Those empire-waist dresses (so cheerful) and perpetually bouncing ringlets, lush countryside and obvious magnetism help … Continue reading

Posted in books, Children's Books, Fiction, Poetry, Writer's Angst, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Mini-Break 3: There and Back Again

The doctor said a slight fever would come. “Reaction” to a shot. He was feverish for a day. The next, he sneezed and went a little hoarse. But the fever was gone and he was uber-perky and when I meekly told him that maybe … Continue reading

Posted in Children's Books, Faction, Fiction, ocean related, Poetry, Santa Barbara, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Mini-Break 2: Undertow (with Wheels)

Children blinking through binoculars, squealing at scuttling lizards, swinging very, very high on playground swings, holding hands, but running too fast towards crosswalks, scaling small boulders, building sandcastles for naked Barbies and a collection of Skylander figurines that should never … Continue reading

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Poetry, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Tips | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Mini-Break 1: Sun Rays In Fog

“Brooklyn!” the mom on the Los Angeles playground called out to her child swinging from primary colored monkey bars. “Careful!” “Chicago!” a nearby dad called to his daughter. “Hold London’s hand, please!” “China and Thai,” cried another parent. “Play nicely!” … Continue reading

Posted in books, Children's Books, Fiction, ocean related, Poetry, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Angst (Cheese & Strawberries Edition)

When you man your bookshelves for hours, reading first pages because you are maddened by your own first pages and can’t recall how to begin a story or a novel without every palabra jumping out at you with a buzzer sound … Continue reading

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Children's Books, Fiction, Me and Us, middle grade, Poetry, Writer's Angst, Writing, WTF | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Heat Talk (107 Degrees Edition)

Everyone in prone positions, some bodies perpendicular to others, some just out there on their own, spanning that one corner of living room rug, some sprawling underneath the chaise longue I try to endure as my son makes mud pies, the … Continue reading

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Children's Books, dog, Faction, Fiction, Writer's Angst, Writing, WTF | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Rukeyser, Hawks, Super Moon

Odd and disconcerting to write poetry and yet be totally unfamiliar with  Muriel Rukeyser’s The Life of Poetry until yesterday, though no alien to M.R.’s poetry and not completely in-the-dark to her biographies and interest in connecting science and poetry, scientific … Continue reading

Posted in Fiction, Me and Us, Poetry, Writer's Angst, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Adventures in Rejection (Snailmail Edition)

I don’t like rejection, but I like this rejection letter even if it is: a rejection letter. So, thank you, rejection writer, for taking the time to read my submission and respond in such a gratifyingly (for me) thorough manner. You are … Continue reading

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, ocean related, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Poetry Reading (Sunday Edition w/Planet)

As I rifle/riffle through poems I’ve written, partially written, not written, but loaded into memory banks with lightly trembling girders—as I search personal archives for something embodying ‘concrete visual imagery’, I am reminded of what a narrative poet I am. … Continue reading

Posted in Fiction, Pets, Poetry, poetry reading, Steps In Promotion, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments