Don't Hunt Horcruxes and Drive

Dear Reader: If you are considering listening to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on audiobook in your car, I must warn you... you should probably not. Especially if you're driving within a city. Let me explain.

If you do, you run a higher risk of getting into accidents. For one thing, your mind tends to be on Voldemort, and what could be more distracting than that high, cold voice? For another thing, your vision is almost always obscured by a thick sheen of tears--if not a veritable waterfall of them. Third, you have to mop yourself up every time you want to get out and go talk to humans (which renders any eye-makeup pointless), and not everyone has a box of Kleenex in their passenger seat. And last of all, if you have to stop at any intersections, you end up getting a lot of curious and worried looks from other drivers, because you look like this:

So, kids? Don't hunt Horcruxes and drive. Be smart. Hunt them in the safety and cry-proof security of your own home. And don't forget to vote: Potter for President.

1 gold flake, 3 Things Thursday, & 1 Hot Dog

Last week, I promised gold nuggets.

But since today is Three Things Thursday (hosted by Amie at i AM alive), today's gold nugget will be more like a gold flake; a teaser, if you will. I promise I'll share more about all the fabulous things I learned at Chautauqua really, really soon. But in the mean-time, let this little kernel of glittery goldness sparkle in your palm for a while:

(This came from writer/editor Patricia Lee Gauch during a general session on Tuesday, July 20.)

"Transcending [in writing] is rising through a mischief of words and hitting your mark."

Isn't that glorious? There's oodles more where that came from. Stay tuned, Dear Reader, because we'll have more golden writerly goodness coming your way before you can say California Prospector. For now, though, let's join Amie in celebrating Three Things Thursday. Today's theme is: three things about your childhood that make you who you are. (If you'd like to participate, go visit Amie's blog and jump in!)

Here are my three things:

1. My imaginary friend was a red squirrel called Chippy. He ran alongside the car everywhere my family went, and entertained me in math class when I was too frustrated with my numerical ineptitude to pay attention anymore. To this day--despite knowing that they are overpopulated, diseased vermin--I have a soft-spot for squirrels.

2. My favorite thing to do in the back-yard was to wander around through our evergreen trees and pick the small, frosty-blue berries so I could combine them with mud, leaves, and crape-myrtle buds in an old bowl to make a magical stew. This gave way to a penchant for weird Celtic mythology.

3. I once led my neighbor friends to the doorstep of an old house that I thought was abandoned, planning to introduce an exciting new place to play. As I reached for the doorknob, the door swung open to reveal a livid old woman I would later swear was a witch, who screeched after us about calling the police even as we sprinted for our lives back down the street. Now, when I walk Ophelia, I hate tiptoeing into people's lawns to pick up after her because I'm afraid they'll come running out, bellowing threats.

That's my three! And speaking of Ophelia, my roommate's friend Adri (who is a fab photographer) took this photo of my little spotty-dotty the other night. Ophie's usually not very photogenic, but I like this one.

Credit Where Credit is Due, or The New House

I don't know where I've been all these months of my blogging existence.  Under a virtual rock, evidently.  Because until last week, I had no idea what Shabby Blogs was.  Had no clue that the entire time I was pulling out my fingernails to get my Blogger template the way I liked it, a site existed just a mouse-click away that offered all the kinds of things I like as blog decoration... FOR FREE.  (Check out their blog, too.  It's as beautiful as everything they offer.)



And, what's more, Shabby Blogs lead me to another site which exists purely for the editing and decorating of photos.  FOR FREE.  Fotoflexer.com.  This was another brilliant revelation for me.  Maybe I'll stop lurking under my rock.  It seems that the virtual world is full of wonders.

After much deliberation over my selections, I have redecorated this place so that it fits my tastes, and feels more like home.  Of course, even moving into a home decorated the way you like it feels strange at first, because nothing is familiar.  So, it will take some getting used to.  But I like the results.  My template is called "French Flea Market".  (Just like when I buy paint, I find it difficult to resist something with a good name.)

So, welcome to my open house!  Have a look around, pour yourself a glass of French wine, and stay awhile.  It's lovely to have you here.  

Under Construction... Come Back Soon!

As you can see, I'm in the process of giving myself a blog makeover.  More on that later... please come back to see the finished product!

Oh, do come in! Welcome to the Party!

Welcome to the Character Party!  Feel free to mingle with the guests--who include a wide range of folks--and comment on the ones you like.  There is no popularity contest today, but all the same, let these authors know if they've created  a character than grabs you.  And don't forget to visit their blogs!

Cheers!  Let the party begin...

Author's Name: A. Grey
Website: http://greyplaces.blogspot.com/

Book Title and Genre: Evernow, Dystopian YA

Publishing Status:  Looking for representation.
Character

Name: Evernow
Origin: The deep south.
Distinguishing Characteristics: Slow southern drawl which belies her quick temper, dangerous capabilities  and militant stubbornness, auburn hair that grows continually, reaching her knees, metal-splinted fingers and frank honesty about any subject.
Wearing: Moccasins, buckskins, loincloth, and tunic... do weapons count?  Never without a bow and knives.
Beverage of Choice at the Party: Water
Three Favorite Things:  The Wild, the Fey, her own independence. 
Job/Occupation: Staying alive in a post-apocalyptic world where humans and fey are constantly trying to kill each other.
Currently Busy Doing: Struggling for peace between humans, and Fey in the aforementioned post-apocalyptic world, and maybe finding love along the way... 

Author's Name: Amie McCracken
Website: www.iamalivephotos.blogspot.com
Book Title and Genre: Her Daughter, Literature
Publishing Status: Incomplete
Character
Name: Liza
Origin: Caucasian American, New York
Distinguishing Characteristics: Short, quiet, unremarkable for anything and therefore typically not remembered,
Wearing: Baggy jeans and a cute t-shirt covered by a sweatshirt from her college, NYU.
Beverage of Choice at the Party: Coke, she wouldn't touch alcohol unless her parents are around to stress her out.
Three Favorite Things: Reading, Central Park, coffee.
Job/Occupation: Writer.
Currently Busy Doing: School, she usually takes 21 credit hours if not more.

Author's Name: Melissa Gill
Website: http://melissagettingpublished.blogspot.com/
Book Title and Genre: Zombie Rabbit MG Adventure
Publishing Status: Looking for Representation
Character

 
Name: Milo Thimbleberry
Distinguishing Characteristics: One of Milo’s eyeballs is hanging out and he has several large holes on his body. (I hope no one minds a few maggots.)
Wearing: Milo’s a wild rabbit, he’s no Edward Tulane or Peter Cottontail.  He’ll be coming in the all together.
Beverage of Choice at the Party: Dandilion tea would be delightful.
Three Favorite Things: Sleeping, napping, and day dreaming.
Job/Occupation: Milo is a layabout rabbit on a quest to liberate an animal testing lab.
Currently Busy Doing: Just waiting for this party to start. I might need a nap while I’m waiting. It’s been a long day saving the world. 

Author's Name: Nicole
Website: hemingwayheroine.blogspot.com
Book Title and Genre: Anabel & Paul (working)
Publishing Status: Incomplete
Character

Name: Charlie Walsh
Origin: Suburbia Somewhere
Distinguishing Characteristics: Blonde. Short, but well built. Sarcastic and funny, but is too sweet for his own good. Always putting everyone else before himself. The lack of recognition, though, does get to him.
Wearing: Hoodie, torn jeans and converse.
Beverage of Choice at the Party: Beer.
Three Favorite Things: Girls, family, pot.
Job/Occupation: Elementary school teacher; kindergarten.
Currently Busy Doing: Running interference for Ana & Paul. Trying to find his own identity outside of his sister (Ana) & his best friend's (Paul) promising but now doomed relationship that has been a part of his life since they were all kids.
 

Author's Name: A. Grey
Website: http://greyplaces.blogspot.com/

Book Title and Genre: Amarok and the Gone Missing Girl, YA
Publishing Status: First draft finished, transcribing to computer now.

Character

Name: Ansel Eben Whitetree
Origin: Alaskan, Athabaskan Indian
Distinguishing Characteristics:  Most obviously, his albinism, ice blue eyes, hip-length white hair.

Wearing: Comfortable jeans and a flannel.
Beverage of Choice at the Party: Milk.
Three Favorite Things: Restoring books, fairy tales, Catskin, the girl he knows nothing about and loves anyway.
Job/Occupation:  Restoring old books, helping out behind the scenes at his parents' bookstore, Pipe Dream.
Currently Busy Doing:  Trying to help Catskin recover mentally and emotionally from a trauma he doesn't understand because she won't tell him anything about herself, like what happened, where she came from, and what her real name is.
 

Author's Name: Hanna C. Howard
Website: http://lunathetypewriter.blogspot.com/

Book Title and Genre: Beautiful Monster, formerly known as Ephemeral. YA fairy tale.
Publishing Status: Seeking representation.

Character

 
Name: Yseult
Origin: The countryside of 1890s France.
Distinguishing Characteristics: Her waist-length dark ringlets, sapphire-blue eyes, porcelain complexion... in short, her absolute physical perfection, which she would rather people didn't notice.  She'd much rather them notice her wit, or her sarcasm, or her loyalty.  Anything that would make them see her as a living, breathing person---and not a decoration.
Beverage of Choice at the Party: Red wine, from a glass goblet.
Three Favorite Things: Books, gardens, and the enchanted diary a gypsy once gave her.
Job/Occupation:  Trying to keep up the facade to her family that she is dead (while she lives on in a strange utopia with a cursed, beastly-looking young man) so that her ex-betrothed won't come blundering around to find her.
Currently Busy Doing:  Trying to unpuzzle the many enigmatic details of Rene's (the cursed young man) past, while she also attempts to work out the meaning of the strange diary--and simultaneously wrestles with feelings she never intended to have for the persistently mysterious, disfigured Rene.

 

Hurry, Hurry! There's Still a Spot for You!

This is just a friendly, neighborhood reminder that the deadline to RSVP for tomorrow's (fabulous) Character Party is tonight at 11:59 pm.  If you missed the invitation the first time around, you can scroll down, or just click on this link for all the information you need.

I hope to see you--and your Main Character--there!

You (And Your Main Character) Are Invited to a Party!

Guess where I've been?

(Okay, this doesn't account for an entire month's lull in my blogging endeavors, but it does explain a good deal of it.)

I've been in Chautauqua, NY at the Highlights Foundation 2010 Writer's Workshop!

Yeah, it was super fun. And also brimming with glittering gold-nuggets of information. After I've processed and organized all those gold-nuggets, I intend to share them with you. One by one, nugget by brilliant nugget.

But not yet.

Because just now I want to invite you to a Character Party.

What the bloody blazes, you may ask, is a Character Party? I'm glad you asked. A Character Party is sort of like a Blogfest, except that the sharing happens on this blog--prepared in advance--rather than everywhere at once. It is a virtual cocktail party for book characters. In short, it is an opportunity for you to shamelessly pimp your novel.

If you'd like to participate, here's what you should do:

Copy and paste the following questions into your email, along with whatever answers are appropriate to the character you are sending to the party. (Main Characters are anticipated, but if you'd rather send a supporting or minor character, you're welcome to do that as well.) Then email your answers, along with a picture you think represents your character, to hanna.c.howard(at)gmail.com.

CHARACTER PARTY FORM:
Author's Name:
Website:
Book Title and Genre:
Status (Ie., Published, Agented, Looking for Representation, Incomplete, etc.):

(Character)
Name:
Origin:
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Wearing:
Beverage of Choice at the Party:
Three Favorite Things:
Job/Occupation:
Currently Busy Doing:

I will post all the participating characters in an entry on Thursday, 7/29. Then, you can come mingle with other characters and and authors at the party!

But don't forget to comment on the characters you like--either here, or on the authors' respective blogs. That's the only rule. Because we want to know when our characters are well-received. They are, after all, very like our children.


If you'd like to participate, please send your character information to me no later than Wednesday 7/28 at 11:59 pm. (Okay, I'd accept midnight, too. But you get the idea.)
Oh, and one other thing. If you decide to come to the party, spread the invitation around. You don't get bonus points or lots of free drinks if you Tweet or Blog about it, but you will receive my sincerest e-love.

See you on Thursday! (Any questions? Leave them in the comments.)