RED GLASS Release Party!

Hi! I had my book release party for RED GLASS last night. I felt overwhelmed with gratitude for all the people who came out to celebrate with me!

A good friend of mine, Gloria, did some amazing dancing and singing. She was raised in Mexico City, and her husband and father and many relatives are from a Mixtec village in rural Oaxaca. She sang a song in Mixteco called Yucu Ninu-- about a sacred mountain-- a hauntingly beautiful melody. Then she sang Paloma Negra, an old Mexican tune full of longing and passion. Then she did a lively, wild traditional Oaxacan dance, swirling her huge skirt all over the place. Her performances gave me goosebumps, they were so stunning.

Three of my brilliant writing group members-- Carrie and Sarah and Lauren-- pitched in to help with the food serving, along with Ian and his sister Stef and brother-in-law Brantley. It was a thrilling experience to have all my favorite people together in one place-- kid friends, grown-up (in theory) friends, students, neighbors, teachers, artists, writers, musicians, the odd computer scientist here and there...

On the big screen there was an ongoing loop of photos of my friends in Mexico who inspired characters in the book and who helped me with different stages of the writing process-- people I wish could have been here to celebrate with us.

I did the reading and managed not to trip over any cords or drop any papers or lose my place in the book... and people laughed at my jokes and asked questions afterward and everything-- what more could I ask for?

My Vintage Trailer Oasis!

I've always been intrigued by vintage trailers-- the small silver fifties kind. Finally, I got one, since I'll soon be booted out of my writing room by my baby, who will be here in November and will want a room of his own. He'll be getting my former writing room. I'll have to paint over the blood red paint currently on the walls, since that's not exactly the most calming color for babies, I hear. I think we'll go with bottle glass green and give the room a coastal Oaxacan village beach treasure theme.

My trailer will be my new writing room, my little casita. It's twelve feet long, which is about two of me lying down stretching out my tippy-toes. I plan to get lots of colorful Thai silk for the curtains and red velvet for the seats and floor. I had a cool red velvet sofa when I lived in Oaxaca, which I had to leave there, and from time to time I remember it wistfully...

When you walk inside the trailer, on the right is a table nook, where I'll bring my laptop. I have a great view of the end of the driveway where I can watch people pass by-- we get lots of nice dog-walkers and bikers on our street. There's a mini stove and fridge and sink just in front of the door, all in working order so I can prepare cups of tea at half hour intervals. On the left is a bed nook, which is going to be my pillow paradise area where I'll lounge around and read (which counts as working, I've decided.)

My trailer is silver colored on the outside, and looks like a large canned ham. I'm going to stencil its name on the back window flap. I have a few ideas of what I might name it, but I'm not telling yet. One thing I've learned about naming things (babies and trailers mainly) is that you need to just pick a name on your own but keep it quiet until you're totally decided. If you tell people what names you're thinking of, then you run the risk of having someone shoot down the name that you love best of all. And it's hard to resist the urge to people-please, for me at least. So, one day soon, I'll announce it, once I've already stenciled it on there. Check back later!

CAPTION TO TRAILER PICS: These pics were not taken in my driveway, in case you're curious, and the trailer is no longer for sale as the sign indicates. I took this pic in Loveland, in the driveway of the nice people I impulsively bought it from. At that time I was snapping photos and trying to decide if I should follow my impulse to get it...

I have no idea how that merry-go-round picture showed up here! I must have posted it accidentally. But that reminds me of some good news-- I just got offered a contract from Delacorte (which I happily accepted) for two more books-- one will be set in Ecuador, and the other in the Southern French town of Aix-en-Provence, which is where this lovely merry-go-round is located. I think I'll mention it in the book, since it seems to want to show itself off...