Green Goo Supervillain!

Hi wonderful readers,

Since I usually focus on good stuff in this blog, you may not know that I was plagued by terrible headaches this winter.  Here is what I looked like much of the time (um, around my house and trailer, that is...):


I'm wearing my cold headache pack full of delightfully fluorescent green goo (which makes Lil Dude compare me to his favorite supervillain from a Backyardigans episode.)  And, paired with my green goo mask are my grubby hot rice pack booties:

They also function as mops, collecting dust and dirt as I shuffle around the house. 

I read that heat on the feet and cold on the head is good treatment for migraines and headaches, and it actually is (for me, at least)! (And believe-you-me, I've tried nearly everything.)

Another thing that worked well was reducing my stress, which had sky-rocketed.  Here's one thing that brought my stress level down to a non-headache-inducing level:  the completed manuscript of THE JADE NOTEBOOK!  I finished it in January, got it in to my editor, she liked it, sent it back with revision comments.... and now here it is, all ready for me to dive back into. 

I'm actually really excited (and *not* stressed) about revising it! I don't even need my booties and goo mask to tackle it!

In all fairness, I should mention the other things that helped my headaches go away: this brand-spankin new ergonomic monitor that helps my neck stay stretched out;  the *necksercise* my massage therapist friend Paul showed me how to do to prevent migraines; massages; biofeedback (this really works!); awareness of breathing, visualizations... Whew!  That sounds like a lot of stuff, but actually, it's all pretty peacefully manageable.

I guess I'm telling you this to balance out all the good news about THE QUEEN OF WATER that I've been posting lately... so you know that despite a lot of extreme happiness, I still have struggles to deal with...

(but that you shouldn't worry about me, since it's nothing Green Goo Supervillain can't handle!) 

xo,
Laura

My Horoscope...

Hello dearest readers!
 
I wanted to share with you my uncannily accurate horoscope from the Lincoln Journal Star that my parents picked up as they were driving here (Colorado) from Michigan last week:

Cancer (June 22-July 22)-- You almost see the finish line for a writing project.  The editing process presents difficulties.  Enlist the help of an older, more objective person.

Hehehe!  Needless to say, the writing project is THE JADE NOTEBOOK, which I must finish by Jan 1.  And um, yes... "presents difficulties" is a nice way of saying "is utterly grueling at the moment."  And the older person?  My mom, of course.  In my NaNoWriMo-esque plan, I'm trying to get this latest revision to her by the end of November.

Speaking of which, thanks to everyone who came to my novel-writing tips event at Barnes and Noble yesterday-- you guys were great!  I have to say, you probably inspired me more than I inspired you.  (And as you probably saw on the handout, I meant to hold a fun little contest to come up with a snazzier title for the workshop, but I got caught up in the excitement of talking to you all, and it completely slipped my mind... sorry!)

A nice bit o' news: THE RUBY NOTEBOOK just got a Flamingnet Top Choices Award!  This is a really cool teen blogger award... all the reviews are done by teens, who designate their favorites as Top Choices.

Here's a piece of the review:

"The Ruby Notebook is a lovely tale of a girl who is lost in her own world, as most of us are. The reader follows Zeeta on her path to finding herself, perhaps learning more about themselves as well. The concept of the book lies in the mysteries of the fountain of eternal youth, which I find interesting. It was very easy for me to get immersed in the book and not want to stop reading. There were many plots and subplots that were all very well tied up by the end of the novel, but they kept you guessing the entire way through. I would recommend it to anyone who loves both mystery and romance genres." -- a 17-year-old Flamingnet Reviewer

Thanks-- I'm honored-- it's always extra-meaningful to get a good review from a teen reviewer! 

Speaking of reviews, the Denver Post featured THE RUBY NOTEBOOK in the Sunday book section.  Here's a quote from reviewer Claire Martin: "As always, Resau's narrative is lush, evoking Provence with grace and precision."  (Merci,  Claire!)  She also reviewed my friend Lauren Myracle's latest book, Violet in Bloom.... it sounds really good-- I'm eager to read it. 

On a side note, Lauren and I will be at the NCTE conference (ALAN workshops) in *Orlando* next week, along with a bunch of breath-takingly amazing authors. So thrilling to be in their midst... Just before that conference, I'll be at the International Children's Literature Festival in Madison, also in the midst of fabulous authors. 

And now, if you'll excuse me, I must do some laundry so I have something to wear on these upcoming adventures.  (When I walked out the door with Lil Dude to go to preschool this morning, he said, "Mommy, you can't leave the house in your pajamas."  I ushered him out, assuring him that it's our secret... if I wear a big coat, no one has to know I slept in these clothes...)

Okay, thanks for reading! 

xo
Laura

Starred review for THE RUBY NOTEBOOK!

 Ruby got its first professional review... and it's a starred one from Kirkus!

* "Thoughtful, intense Zeeta and her free-spirited mother return in this follow-up to The Indigo Notebook  (2009). Perennial travelers, the two have now settled in the atmospheric city of Aix-en-Provence. Zeeta eagerly anticipates the arrival of her boyfriend Wendell from Colorado, but when he changes the terms of his visit, Zeeta is hurt and confused. Their relationship is further strained by her involuntary attraction to Jean-Claude, a member of a street dance troupe. At the same time, Zeeta begins to discover strange notes and items left in her bag. Weaving bits of magic, city lore and bittersweet romance into each of the many plot lines, Resau has again crafted a complex and satisfying novel that is both a mystery and a tender, wise meditation on love and self-identity. Characters are rich and vibrant, each of them bringing their own past to bear on the story at hand. Readers will want to read the first before starting this one and will likely be clamoring for the third, the groundwork for which is nicely set up here." (Fiction. 12 & up)

Thank you,  Kirkus!  I have to give you background, though, to my state of mind when I read this review for the first time. I'd been attempting to exist more in the moment, to find joy in simple, immediate sensory pleasures (Lil Dude's laugh, light through leaves, the river, sun-warmed fresh-picked cherries)... instead of fretting about the future or past or things out of my control. 

And as far as reviews specifically,  I'd been telling myself not to pay too much attention to them, because ultimately, they're out of my control.  All I can do is write the best book I can at the time, and then launch it into the world and wish it well.  I shouldn't let any review-- good or bad-- affect my mood too much. If you put too much stock in good reviews, then, when a bad (or even mediocre) one comes along, it can be crushing. 

Anyway, back to the point.  So, that was my philosophical state at the time.  I wasn't expecting Ruby reviews yet (this happened at the end of July, and Ruby comes out in mid-September).  I remember opening my email account and telling myself, okay, Laura.  You won't let any of this affect your mood.  I was thinking my inbox would be full of responsibilities I'd need to attend to... and then I open it and see an email from my editor with the subject heading STARRED REVIEW! 

And I just started laughing.  I didn't let myself open it right away.  I reminded myself that good news comes and goes, just as bad news does, and the things that give me true joy are my family and friends and nature and traveling and creative writing.  Then I opened the email and read the review... and despite myself, I smiled.  I felt happy.  Jubilant! I might have even danced a little jig. 

Ah well, I tried....

A few other newsworthy items:

I broke down and got professional author photos taken for the first time ever!  Well worth it, I think-- Tina Wood (whose studio is just a few blocks away) did a great job disguising my wrinkles and zits.  The photos have special meaning to me because they're taken at one of my favorite places-- Lee Martinez Park, which I walk through daily. I got to scramble around on some river rocks for this one...

Another bit o news: I got the hardcovers of The Ruby Notebook in the mail the other day.  They're beautiful and shiny, and THICK! It's the longest book of mine out there so far at 373 pages (The Queen of Water is a bit longer).  As you'll glean from the acknowledgments, Ruby was a doozy to write!  During one angst-filled revision, my mom came to the rescue and helped me see the big picture and showed me what to prune and expand to make the 373-page story come together. (Her advice for The Jade Notebook?  "Keep it short, Laura!"  Hehehe... I'm trying, but all these intriguing little subplots keep creeping in...)

So, Ian just updated my website with this full summary of Ruby.  I realized I'd only put the short blurb up before.  Here's the whole thing, in case you're curious:

Sixteen-year-old Zeeta and her flighty English-teaching mom, Layla, have traveled the world together, settling in a different country every year, making a whole new set of friends and adopting new customs. This year, they've chosen to live in Aix-en-Provence, France, an enchanting city full of fountains, creamy yellow light, and a fascinating group of scarlet-clad street performers.

Zeeta soon begins to receive mysterious notes and gifts from someone she calls her fantôme, or ghost. But she is expecting her boyfriend, Wendell - the love of her life, as her friends call him - to arrive in Aix for a summer program very soon. Zeeta brushes off her curiosity about her fantôme, and her simmering attraction to one of the street performers, Jean-Claude, until Wendell arrives and she begins to fear that her feelings for him have truly changed. Perhaps - like Layla - she's simply not made for long-term romance.

As Zeeta tries to draw away from Wendell, however, circumstances seem to force them together. Zeeta's friendship with a local antiques dealer and his reclusive artist friend leads to a dangerous adventure. When Zeeta and Wendell join forces to find a secret underground spring whose water is rumored to bring immortality, they are forced to reconsider their own desires, and their beliefs about true love. Yet as soon as Zeeta decides that her mind has cleared, she's confronted with the biggest shock of her life: the incredible true identity of her fantôme.

Vibrant, warmhearted, and evocative, The Ruby Notebook is a remarkable novel about learning to accept love in all of its wondrous and imperfect forms.

Thanks for reading!  Fort Collins friends-- be sure to check the events section of my website for my upcoming release party on Oct 2 and a fun library presentation on Oct 9!

xoxo
Laura

EMLA retreat!

Ah... Chicago in the springtime... tulips galore!

One of the many amazing things I experienced last week in Chicago was a retreat with the authors of EMLA (which stands for Erin Murphy Literary Agency)-- also called the Gang of Erin. The retreat was my third, and it was truly phenomenal-- three energizing and inspiring days... I learned heaps about everything from the publishing industry to techniques for plotting and revising novels and much more...

The best part, of course, was the people... spending time with my agent, Erin...

 and the agency's other wonderful agent (and author), Ammi-Joan Paquette (here she is in green) with Cate Tiernan (her next book, Immortal Beloved, will be coming out soon!) perusing review copies of other authors' books...

and nearly thirty other fabulous authors...



It was a special opportunity to bond with everyone in person (after months or years of only online conversations.) And what I'm most grateful for is that everyone, whether published or prepublished, was a talented writer with so much to offer in discussions-- and everyone was so warm and gracious and enthusiastic about each other's writing. I love these ladies (and man-- hi Bob!)  Here's Ruth Barshaw, Ammi-Joan, and Audrey Vernick (in the middle-- I can't wait to read her picture book Is your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? with Lil Dude!)

I feel SO lucky to be part of this group, and can't wait for next year's retreat (which will be in Austin next spring). I know I seem overly-gushy and mushy, but I'm not the only one... we all came away from the retreat just spilling over with gratitude.

                        me with Sarah DeFord William

We spent mornings in large-group discussions in a comfy suite on the 19th floor, and then we scattered for the afternoon-- some of us (me) writing in our rooms or at cafes, some sight-seeing, some lounging in the suite and talking.  Then, in the evenings, we gathered in small or large group for dinner.  Delightful! Here I am with Natalie Lorenzi, Liz Garton Scanlon, and Cynthia Omololu-- we're in a pretty little park, waiting for our scrumptious deep dish pizza...

Below, Ruth Barshaw (of Ellie McDoodle fame) never fails to crack me up... and she's one of the warmest, kindest people you'll ever meet.  She carries a wee sketchbook everywhere she goes... I'm sure it's hidden somewhere under her mink...

which brings me to the vintage minks...  they were decorations on our beds in the Whitehall Hotel (a charming place, right down to the tiny old creaky elevators).  Actually, I suspect the furs came from some other animal-- beaver?  Who knows.  But we had fun with them on Saturday night after dinner...

A few people brought along family and friends to participate in some events with us.  Here I am with one author's lovely daughter, Emily, an avid reader and writer who offered us great ideas and insights from a teen perspective...

Here (from the left) is Cynthia Omololu -- author of Dirty Little Secrets-- a teen novel involving hording, which sounds fascinating. In the middle is Natalie Lorenzi, whose pre-published novel about a Japanese-American family sounds really good, and right up my alley... and she has a background in ESL teaching, as do I!  Then there's Sarah DeFord Williams on the right-- her first novel, Palace Beautiful, just came out, and I'm so excited about reading it--there's magic and mystery and secrets in an attic... the kind of story I always adored as a kid (and still do).

Below (laughing) is Jennifer A. Nielson on the left, whose debut novel Elliott and the Goblin Wars is coming out in October-- this'll be so fun to read aloud with my son in a few years.  And on her right is Susan Vaught (also laughing), author of Trigger and Big Fat Manifesto, among many others-- she creates fantastic voices, and her books deal with timely and important issues (and did I mention she's also a practicing neuropsychologist?)

We spent lots of time in informal small-group conversations-- it's such a delicious feeling to talk with writers who you can really relate to... there were many great bonding experiences throughout each day. Here is super-cute Susan Larsen, pre-published YA author (on the left), Liz Garton Scanlon (in the middle), author of one of my son's favorite picture books-- All the World (and she's just as dazzling in person as I'd imagined she would be after reading her poetic words every night at my Lil Dude's bedtime).  Zu Vincent is on the right-- she's the author of The Lucky Place-- a beautifully written and touching YA novel.

Here are Ruth Barshaw and Jennifer Nielson looking radiant at dinner on Saturday night.

And there were so many more lovely, talented people-- I wish I had the space and time to do all 28 authors justice.  This is just a little smattering, but I hope you enjoyed it!  Lil Dude just woke up from his nap, so I don't have time to link to everyone's individual websites.  If you're interested, you can go here to see a list of Erin's clients and their websites.

In my next posts, I'll give a recap of some super-fun school and library visits I did earlier that week, in Chicago and Michigan.  Thanks for  reading!

xoxo,
Laura

where would I be...

. . . without my beloved writing group?

Sarah Ryan, Molly Reid, Kimberly Srock Fields donning paper crowns that flew out of our exploding golden rocket tubes--
apparently an English tradition (see remnants in lower right corner)

One thing I've discovered in life-- and it's something that I sometimes forget and need to re-discover-- is this: Gratitude and celebration are keys to happiness. Tonight I reveled in both with the brilliant, beautiful women of Old Town Writers Group.

Carrie Visintainer and Leslie Patterson

Look at this scrumptious spread! Leslie outdid herself (and this is just a little fraction of all the food.) We feasted and updated each other about our writing life and did critiques, as we do every two weeks. This special end-of-the-year meeting involved toasting each other's successes... and there were many. The thing we celebrated most of all was the joy and camaraderie of being together in our group.

Leslie is a master mixer of delicious and unusual drinks. I don't even remember what was
in this one, but it was festive and had fresh cranberries and lemon in it. Yum.

Being in a writers' group is a really intimate bonding experience. By sharing your writing-- your innermost thoughts and feelings-- you reveal vulnerable parts of yourself that even your close family and friends might not know about.

Look at these lovely gifts Leslie gave us... a wee journal made of handmade paper, Divine dark chocolate, and my new favorite French liquor (made from elderflowers! I *love* food and drink made from flowers. There's something magical about it.) And best of all, it comes in a teeny tiny bottle which will make a perfect vase for a single wildflower this spring.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Carrie, Sarah, Leslie, Kimberly, and Molly!

If you'd like more details about exactly what we do in our group, click here and scroll down to the question "What exactly do you do in your writers' group?"

On a different note, I have lots more to write about... winners of recent Indigo contests, some lovely Indigo reviews, pics and recap of my Mexico trip, recent good books I've read, good news about Red Glass, some random stuff about The Ruby Notebook... but that will have to wait. I've finished my decaf tea with honey and milk, and I'm ready for bed.

Hope you're having a magical winter... and forgive me if I still haven't responded to your email. I'm slowly making my way through the emails that accumulated as I was wrapped up in the sea and sand and salty breezes last week...

Thanks for reading!

xoxo,
Laura

Johnny Cash and new reviews

Hey everyone,

So, this week was a really good one for my Ruby Notebook revising. It's funny how sometimes listening to certain music over and over and over again as you write can put you in a creative groove. This week I have Johnny Cash to thank.

I listened to the album (I think it's a "Best of" album) all week long. At times I felt embarrassed (even though I had no witnesses) and I tried to switch to something more fitting... like French music, since the book is set in France... but my creative unconscious would have none of that. It wanted Johnny Cash, even though Johnny Cash tunes would be the absolute last thing you'd think of for a soundtrack to this book.

Hmmm... I did just make a connection as I wrote this... several of the main characters have the initials J.C.-- and those initials are actually a part of the plot. Verrrrry interesting...

Anyway, on to other things... some reviews that made me smile. Marjolein of Marjolein's YA Book Blog wrote a lovely review of Red Glass, which she calls "a book you want to read over again many times!" Thanks, Marjolein!

I also came across a Flamingnet review of The Indigo Notebook that I loved-- and best of all, it was written by a teen! Those reviews are especially meaningful to me. (Flamingnet.com features teen reviews.) Here's an excerpt:

"Full of stunning details, whimsical characters, and tropical air, The Indigo Notebook was exciting to read and has become a favorite that I will enjoy reading again... Zeeta’s quest for Handsome Magazine Dad and Wendell’s shocking discovery about his parents is enough give you the night owl bug and keep you reading nonstop. I really enjoyed reading something that was set somewhere besides high school and be able to travel through a book.

The Indigo Notebook is a great book for teens not only because of its lovable characters or its excitingly exotic backdrop, but for the sense of life it gives to its message of being content and pursing your dreams. Overall, I loved the colorful and refreshing story of understanding your heart that The Indigo Notebook had to offer. I hope you get a chance to read it soon!"

Thank you, Flamingnet reviewer!

I'm in my favorite cafe now, and the sunset out the window is spectacular-- pink and orange clouds... and the traffic lights have that surreal glow that they get near dusk. Toddler enjoys discussing dusk. "Mommy! Mommy! Almost dusk! Pretty clouds! Pink! Look, Mommy! Moon!" He also enjoys observing dawn, which he calls "yawn." "Mommy! Mommy! Almost yawn!" (We are always up well before dawn, especially after the time change last week.)

Okay, thanks for reading!!

xoxo
Laura

First STAR IN THE FOREST review!

Hey everyone!

Slowly but surely, I'm recovering from this flu. No fever now, but a lingering cough which kept waking me up last night. I might have to resort to the oregano-garlic-honey-chamomile tea that my Oaxacan friends recommend... of course then, I'd smell like a walking head of garlic at my book release tomorrow. Hmm.

Today I'm going to go out and buy a bunch of food and some supplies for little party favors I want to make. I'm so excited!!


Today and tomorrow, The Indigo Notebook is featured on Athena's Book Review, a great young adult blog by Minnie-- a very cool educator and writer and avid reader living in south Texas. She asked excellent questions for today's interview, plus a bunch of fun fact questions at the end (in which you can learn about how disgusting the inside of my car is and other random things...)

I'm excited that the first review of Star in the Forest has come in... and I'm so grateful that it's a good one. This is my first foray into middle grade fiction (ages 8-11) AND my first book that's set in my home state of Colorado (although there are some flashbacks to a Nahuatl village in Puebla, Mexico). This is a very special book to me-- it was inspired by some wonderful kids I know on both sides of the border.


As I wrote it, I was wrapped up in this intense feeling, utterly absorbed in the story the entire time... I don't know how to explain it-- I felt this sense of urgency. It's rare for me to feel that way throughout the entire writing process of a book-- with my other books, there have always been days when the writing was a bit torturous. But with Star, I felt completely swept away in the flow (and was sweating profusely much of the time... which to me is a good sign... it means I'm absolutely THERE inside the story.)



Here's an excerpt of the review, from the highly-respected librarian Richie Partington of Richie's Picks:



"One of the coolest things readers will take away from STAR IN THE FOREST has to do with giving someone the benefit of the doubt. I don't want to give the story away, but I'll say that the author sets it up so perfectly that when we meet a particular character far into the book, he is definitely and immediately the object of our anger. How could he do what he's done? But then we hear his side of things and find that we are totally wrong about him. Don't you totally hate it when someone treats you that way? And isn't that how prejudice and intolerance spreads -- we make judgements before really getting to know someone -- or a group of someones, like Mexican immigrants who are in our country without proper paperwork?



I love Laura Resau's RED GLASS, which was on my Best of 2007 list. (I was delighted to see that it has since made Oprah's list for 12-and-up kids, and has been winning all sorts of state awards.) But I think Resau has done something even bigger here. I find it a much rarer discovery to come across such an important-yet-sweet book that will be embraced by third, fourth, fifth and even sixth graders, one that deals so incredibly well -- on a level appropriate for younger readers -- with issues of friendship and poverty and borders and of not making assumptions about people you don't really know." -- Richie Partington



You can read the entire review here. Thank you, Richie!

It's interesting-- several of the things Richie likes best about the story are things that were developed after my editor Stephanie, and her assistant, Krista, gave me their suggestions. They were relatively minor suggestions, but they really added depth and tied together the storylines to bring out the themes. Thanks, Stephanie and Krista! (And if I'm thanking them, I can't leave out my mom and my writing group, who helped me take my editors' suggestions and run with them...)

Thanks for reading!

Laura

Welcome to the world, Indigo!!

Hello, beloved readers!

Well, it's official-- today The Indigo Notebook is here! In theory, you can find it in any bookstore and library in North America (in reality, you might need to order it from your favorite bookseller or librarian... sometimes they need a little gentle nudging.)


Or, if you feel inspired, you can go ahead and order your copy through indiebound or amazon.

Today I have a guest post on the readergirlz blog, and if you leave a comment, you'll have a chance of winning a free, signed and personalized hardcover of Indigo!

And remember, you can also enter my creative writing contest and have a chance to win the book, too! (Just click on the link, then scroll down to Fall Contest.)

I stumbled across this video of Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) giving a talk about creativity. I whole-heartedly agree with her... and I'm planning on expanding on her ideas a little in a blog post about shamans and writers ... which I have yet to write! If you're a writer who thinks a lot about the mysteries of creativity (as I do), I recommend spending 20 minutes watching this. It's fascinating and funny.

Okay, must tend to sick Toddler now... Thanks for celebrating with me today!

xoxo
Laura

Dreaming of a massage and tamales...

Hi, everyone!

I'm happy-- I just finished the latest revision of The Ruby Notebook, and spent the morning orchestrating book events to celebrate the release of The Indigo Notebook this fall-- October 13 to be exact-- less than 2 months away! (You can check out the events section of my website to see what's coming up... and I still have more events that I haven't posted yet (Boulder Bookstore and Tattered Cover in Denver. They're joint events with Victoria Hanley, and I'm excited because our book titles both involve purply colors in the rainbow:


I'm also happy because I'm getting a MUCH-needed massage this afternoon. The revision has wreaked havoc on my neck and shoulders... that's what happens when I'm writing under pressure, I've discovered.

Some good news! Red Glass was just selected as an Honorable Book for the Ohio James Cook Book Award for diversity in teen literature. Thank you, library lovers of Ohio!!! It's cool-- Red Glass is right alongside Sherman Alexie's book, which I absolutely loved (and which won the National Book Award for Young People's Lit-- very well-deservevd):


Here's an excerpt of a new review of Red Glass that I really love, posted by Minne of Athena's YA Book Review.

"... what I really enjoyed the most was all the cultural flavor...the description of boys selling tiny packs of chicles, the sounds of the cumbia, and the assembly line of tamale making. Now, for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about...chicles refer to gum, the cumbia is a rythmic style of music, and tamales....mmmmm...you've got to eat them! Tamale making is a Mexican tradition still alive here in South Texas. Of course, many of us buy them by the dozen, but even I know exactly what the tamale assembly line is all about. Basically, a bunch of women (the grandmas, aunts, etc.) get together, especially during the holidays, and make loads of tamales for all to share and take home. It's quite an elaborate process of kneading, spreading, and boiling, but it does provide a pleasant time of sisterhood, laughter, and fellowship with all the comadres (close, female friends and relatives). Ok. l'll admit a little gossip probably takes place, too, but it's all in good fun. And, Laura describes it right on. It's been a while since I've done the whole tamale thing...I have to plan better this Christmas and get over to my Mom's whenever she gets the tamale making bug!

Read it! It'll get you in the mood for some awesome, home-made Mexican food. A road trip, yummy food, romance, true-to-life descriptions, and Laura's beautiful imagery...can't go wrong with it. You'll love it! Hmmm...I think I'll make some real tortillas sometime this week."

-- Minerva Vasquez, Athena's YA Book Review

Thanks, Minnie!!! I love reviews that have a personal touch like this one... and I REALLY love reviews that talk about food like tamales and make my mouth water. And the best news: I'll be visiting Minnie's school in south Texas next year! Can't wait... I'm already dreaming of tamales... Check out her blog-- Minnie gives really thorough reviews that give you a distinct *flavor* of the book.

Finally, another piece of good news: My fellow Old Town Writers Group member, Molly Reid, WON the NPR Three-minute story contest!!! This is huge-- there were over 5000 entries, and they picked HERS! I was alone in the car on the way home from the Denver airport when I heard them announce it on NPR. I was screaming and smiling and laughing and nearly had to pull over to calm down. You can listen to it here.

Okay, time to walk Luli-- she's making all kinds of weird noises and pacing the floor, giving me some not-so-subtle hints.

Thanks for reading!

Laura

between retreats

Hey everybody,

While Toddler is eating pizza and watching Sillyville on TV, I'll take a moment to fill you in on last weekend's writing retreat since I'm going to another one next weekend! (In the meantime, I'm revising like a madwoman. My deadline is in a week!!!)

So, my writing retreat was in Angelfire, New Mexico. Angelfire has to be the most gorgeous town name ever. It makes me think of fiery orange-pink sunsets that look like gates to heaven. Here we are, from front to back: Leslie, Sarah, me, Molly, Kimberly, and Carrie. They are all BRILLIANT and HILARIOUS. We're on the deck of Sarah's parents' cabin, which overlooks the Sangre de Cristo mountains. So breathtakingly beautiful.


Here's the hot tub where we hung out in the evenings. Nothing like looking at a zillion stars through steam.


Here's Carrie reading The Girl in the Flammable Skirt (Aimee Bender, adult book), which we passed around. I learned more about the different kinds of magical realism out there.



There were masses of hummingbirds on the deck, attracted by the many hummingbird feeders. I have to say, these creatures can be scary when their pointy little beaks are headed straight for your eyeball, and don't veer away until the last second. (I kept envisioning the ending of a creepy hummingbird-attack story by Molly that we critiqued a few months earlier.)


Here are Molly, Leslie, Carrie, and Sarah (clockwise from top). They're doing what writers do on a retreat between reading, writing, and hot-tubbing... a heated game of Scrabble! It's so hard to find people who are not just willing to play Scrabble, but wildly enthusiastic about it... and dang good at it, too!


Sarah's ENORMOUS dog who protected us from the hummingbirds.


Goldilocks and the bears and some other creature... a wolf? I don't remember what role that other creature plays. Anyway, there were cool little folk artsy surprises hidden in corners of the cabin.



Every day, we each did whatever we felt like... some of us (me) slept late, blissfully enjoying the lack of a Toddler yelling "MOMMY!" at six a.m. Others got up at five a.m. to hike up a mountain and watch the sunrise and get an early start to writing. The cabin was gigantic, so each of us could find a little nook in which to read or write. In the evenings we gathered for yummy food like melon ball-chevre salad and basil-lemon salmon and mint-chocolate-chip-ice-cream-rice-krispy-pie. After three days together, we all left on a high from so much writing and bonding. Very rejuvenating!

On a different note, here I am with my step-cousin-in-law, Lauren, who I met via my books! One of the loveliest things about having my books out there in the world is that I get to connect with very cool relatives who I didn't even know I had. Lauren is an amazing writer. She's fifteen and is in the midst of writing a number of novels (and they're deliciously good so far!) We had lunch in Loveland a couple weeks ago. She heard an earful about my revision angst. And as she talked about her own writing, I was reminded of all the mesmerizing things about writing (which are easy to overlook when you're sweating under a looming deadline.) Lots of fun!


Speaking of revision angst (and an antidote to it), I stumbled across Cheryl Klein's blog.
She's an editor with Scholastic and full of great revision advice.


I just have to share a couple new reviews of Red Glass that I love. Kathy from Literary Livewire says this:



"Reading this book is biting into a big, juicy guava. It tastes amazing and is the most wonderful thing ever, the sticky juice starts trickling down your chin, and you realize that it’s better that way."





Yum. Thank you, Kathy!



Here's another fun review I came across recently from Pages Blog, entitled "Red Glass: Better than Twilight" (... don't you love it?!)



"Twilight sucks so bad compared to this, no offense Stephanie Meyer."



Hee hee! Okay, forgive me, but I couldn't resist quoting the Twilight comparison. (And I'm happy that Angel is deemed better boyfriend material than Edward...) Thanks so much, Kiki and Nathan! You made my day...



I also have to say that it was especially fun to read that review since every time I get together with a bunch of writers, we try to figure out exactly why the Twilight series has become such a phenomenon. As we all know, Stephenie Meyers breaks lots of the classic "rules of good writing" that have been pounded into our writers' brains. (For example, if you can say something in 10 words instead of 100, do it.) Yet her books are utterly addictive to millions. (That was one of our topics of conversation at our retreat, of course...) Intriguing.




Okay, time to go for an evening walk/bike ride with Toddler.




'Night! Thanks for reading!

Laura

Thanks, Nebraska! And thanks, my dear writing group!

Hi, everyone!

I'm going to squeeze in a post here before I go to my NIA class in 20 minutes. (NIA is a dance fusion thing with dance moves from different cultures, along with elements of yoga, tai chi, martial arts, you name it... it's the only organized form of exercise I'll do, since it involves cool music and feels more like dancing than exercise.)


So, first I want to thank the kids/teens of Nebraska, who nominated RED GLASS to the Golden Sower Award! It's one of ten nominated books, and they'll be gathering votes later this year and early next year. Last year's winner was Twilight... wouldn't it be cool if RED GLASS won the same award as Twilight?!

Last night my writing group-- Old Town Writers Group-- did a reading at Old Firehouse Books for Independents' Day, to encourage people to support their local indie bookstores. We had a blast! I cannot tell you how incredibly brilliant and fun the women in my group are, but I will attempt to here:



This is Sarah Ryan (on the right), who, in her spare time, flies (as in, she's a pilot!) little planes in places like the wilds of Alaska and Africa... she wrote a fabulous camping guide to Colorado, and now she has a hilarious, touching, insightful, juicy memoir represented by a great agent. She read an excerpt from it last night (about a revelation she had upon discovering a stash of Glamour mags from the eighties when she was about thirteen). She had the audience in stitches.

Kimberly Fields is on the left, and she read a very funny piece set in a coffee shop about trying to feel better about herself after a breakup... she should be a standup comedian, I've decided. AND she's great at writing about serious stuff, too-- like her experience with surviving leukemia last year. I'd link to a beautiful This I Believe essay she wrote, but the website is having issues. (Go to thisibelieve.org, and then do an author search).


Above is Carrie Visintainer, who's always hopping off to some cool locale, whether it be a pirate ship off the coast of Turkey or the used car lot scene in Thermopolis, Wyoming or a monastary filled with black-hooded monks in middle-of-nowhere, New Mexico. She's done a bunch of travel writing (she read a side-splitting piece about her experience in German sauna last night). Ever the adventurer, she's now embarking on writing a beautiful novel.


Above is Leslie Patterson, and she's published her delightfully bizzare historical fiction pieces and witty, deep personal essays in many literary journals. Now she's working on a dark and twisted novel loosely based on some really weird historical stuff involving body-snatching in 19th century London.


Molly Reid came on the scene after I took these pics (in a pizzeria after our reading last night), so I'll offer an illustration from an ancient bestiary in lieu of her photo. She's blond and pretty and always wears interesting jewelry, oftentimes featuring birds. She wore hummingbird earrings last night to fit with her sensual, haunting story involving hummingbirds. She's working on a bestiary of sorts-- a collection of short (often very short) stories in which animals reflect human emotions and relationships. So intriguing.


This is moi, who should be working right now on her/my latest revision of The Ruby Notebook. I'm on a tight deadline. Real quick, I'll tell you that last night I read a fun travel piece called "Naked in Oaxaca", which was published a few years ago in a Lonely Planet anthology.


If you came to our reading last night, THANK YOU! Having a super-enthusiastic audience made the event so much fun for us!

Okay, no more dilly-dallying for me! Off to my trailer to revise!

xoxo
Laura