The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Friday, December 21, 2012

Sioux Sans Swimsuit Top



        On March 26, 2013 the next collection of stories from Publishing Syndicate will debut.

         In it will be one of my stories, "Half Right."

         It's a tale of me--topless--in France. Ooh-la-la! Isn't that scary enough to compel you to buy the book?

         Or do I have to take my shirt off and beat you upside the head with it until you order it?

         And here, in case you've never heard Regina Spektor sing, is a video of one of my favorite songs of hers, as I bid adieu for a week...(I'll be in Florida in Granddaughterland until the 31st.)



Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Wow in More Ways Than One

   I thought I was doing well having purchased a couple of boxes of Christmas cards from Target. No, they're not sent yet nor are they even addressed yet, but it's more progress than I've made, compared to some years. They are not spectacular, but they are real...

     However, today I got a handmade card  from Lynn that made me want to pitch my two boxes of cards into the trash. The photo does not do it justice, but understand--it is made from tiny strips of paper, some sparkly, and there are a couple of decorative brads to augment it, and holding the strips into the tree shape, Lynn has sewn them on--via a sewing machine--using gold thread and a zigzag stitch.



      She even numbered and signed them, and made 150 of them! Wow!  I got number 71. If I had made those cards, I would have been into the eggnog and by the end, they would not resemble Christmas trees in any way.

      The other "wow" comes from the Women On Writing site. Check out the Muffin on Friday. I'm doing a guest post (the "Friday Speak Out"), and after reading it, you might be able to get a fresh start on a piece that's being persnickety.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Val the Victorian and Validation and Value...Oh, My!

      On Saturday we had a bookstore-hoppin', Chicken Soup Signin' and canned good collectin' gala affair. If you brought in a canned good, you got a great discount on your book purchases. This is the value part of this blog...

      Eleven local authors appeared at three different independent bookstores. Beth M. Wood, Donna Volkenannt and I appeared at The Book House.  They sell used as well as new books, and were delightful, hospitable, and accomodating hosts.

     



This is The Book House. It's on Manchester, 3/10 of a mile west of McKnight, and is betweenTitle Max and
a Computer Resale shop. It's easy to miss, because it's set far back from the road, but well worth the screeching of brakes
to make the sharp turn to ensure you don't miss it. Three floors of books, each floor covered--floor to ceiling--with books. And...it's haunted!

 



Here are the four writers who appeared at All On the Same Page--a Creve Coeur bookstore. From left to right is
Nina Miller, Patt Pickett, T'Mara Goodsell and Theresa Sanders.





This is T'Mara Goodsell. She not only signed books, she entertained multiple suitors (they were like bees after honey, there was such a flurry of activity and attention from Tammy's male groupies), and she also chatted with fellow WWWPs. T'Mara and Theresa Sanders did the behind-the-scenes work that made the day run smoothly--the press releases, the emails bouncing back and forth, the "drive bys" to ensure the directions were right and all the other tasks they handled with efficiency and grace.




Here are three of the authors who appeared at Main Street Books. From left to right is Linda O'Connell, Cathi LaMarche and Pat Wahler. Not pictured is Lynn Cahoon, the 4th author who signed at this St. Charles book shop.


T''Mara Goodsell, Theresa Sanders, Pat Wahler (working the crowd) and Donna Volkenannt (her gorgeous hair serving as her only calling card, from this angle) at Main Street Books

 

Linda O'Connell, one of the WWWPs, is not new to Chicken Soup nor is she new to book signings. I think this was her
8th signing...this week.




Donna Volkenannt was one of the three writers signing at The Book House. She generously shares calls for submissions,
she's a wonderful friend and critique-er AND she's the most recent winner of the international Erma Bombeck humor writing competition.




Beth M. Wood is the other writer who signed books with Donna and me. She is one of the five founding
members of the notorious writing critique group, the WWWP.
           The validation part came with the friends and family and community members who showed up to chat and mingle as they got their books signed. Lynn Obermoeller, a fellow WWWP, came to each of the book shops, but was mum when asked about the details regarding her upcoming reading. Lynn was one of only 12 writers who were accepted into the Fifty Shades of Santa anthology (Donna, Pat and Marcia Gaye are also among the twelve talented authors whose stories are part of this much-touted collection.) If you're in St. Louis, keep the evening of December 17th open. The gelato shop at the corner of Grand and Wyoming will be the place, and although Lynn is keeping the other details a secret, there was whisper of a disco ball being installed to add to the ambience... 


Lynn Obermoeller

       Saving the best for last...Val. Val the Victorian, Missouri's own JD Salinger, made a rare appearance. Each of the WWWPs and Donna got a private sitting with Val. This was an unprecedented public appearance, as many expensive arrangements had to be made. The pope-mobile had to be rented for the hour-plus trip (each way)...otherwise, she would have been injured, as her fans were lined along the highways with pens, ready to hurl them at her in their eagerness for her autograph. A sky-writer was hired to scrawl across the skies "Val is coming to The Book House around 5:00" in case there was anyone in the Missouri/Illinois/Iowa area who had missed the earlier blog postings trumpeting her upcoming debut. And two of those giant spotlights were set up, to criss-cross across the night sky, to help the many groupies find the spot.

      We not only got to meet Val, we also got to chat over cocktails and cheese balls with Hick and The Pony. (The Genius was at home. He didn't want to be eclipsed by The Pony, I imagine.) Fudge was offered to her long before Saturday (I made it without nuts--as per her preference, even though it's against my religion to make fudge sans nuts), and since Val's family is the bartering sort, she brought her famed Chex Mix to trade. (It's real and it's spectacular...)

       I got to hook her up with one of my favorite books about writers, Haunted, by Chuck Palahniuk. I hope she enjoys it...it's truly twisted but is--in my opinion--a gem.

Val the Victorian

I apologize for the scads of photos. I usually am not crazy about posts that have nothing but pictures of silly things like vase after vase after vase, but since there are lots of blog friends who were unable to attend, I thought I'd fill this post with pictures...just this once.

And if you were looking for a picture of me, happily, there are none. I am part of the witness protection program, so photographs of moi are not allowed...
         \                                            

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Huey, Hilarity and Hub-bub



        Huey has been with us since the beginning of September. Because he's a senior foster dog, we figured we'd have Huey until he died. After all, it takes special people to take on an elderly dog. You never know if you have weeks...or or months...or years...with an old dog. You just know that whatever time you do have, it will be "golden" time when it comes to that dog's heart. Animals know when they have a second chance at life, and are so grateful...

     It seems a family is interested in Huey. He may be leaving us soon. It will be bittersweet if that happens, because no other dog has gotten along so well with Foley as Huey. Although his picture does not show it, Huey has a lot of life left in him. He plays ball, will even jump up in the air for it, and does an excited series of left turns when it's meal time or when we come home. So, we may have to bid adieu to Huey soon...

     As far as hilarity, last night was our WWWP night. All of us were snorting last night (usually Beth is our prime snorter). Linda O'Connell shared an Alaska story with us; she is writing a series of memoir pieces that is sure to be a blockbuster when she's finished. They are poignant. They are gripping. They are snortingly hilarious. Last time, we critiqued a piece that had us all on the edge of our seats. Imagine a trip in the dark along an ice-covered mountainous area, and having to back up, each time sliding closer and closer to the edge (and the drop off). A can of Coca Cola saved the day. Intrigued? You'll have to wait until the manuscript is finished and published. The story we read last night was about a character who was bigger than life (in more ways than one), and yet Linda swears she was not exaggerating at all.

    Lynn Obermoeller shared a story about boogers. Yep, boogers. It was the kind of story that included a twist--you thought it was about one thing, but then it made a sharp left turn and left us all satisfied. Laughing. Thinking about past relationships. And connecting to our childhood. 

   And this is hot off the press--Lynn is going to read her Fifty Shades of Santa story at a local gelato place on Grand on December 17 in the evening. (It's at the corner of Grand and Wyoming.) The time has not been determined but more details will follow. Lynn was only one of 12 writers who were accepted into this anthology. Linda and I were gnashing our teeth because we did not make the cut All of the WWWPs congratulated her. 

    And what's with all the hub-bub? What's behind the flurry of press releases, and extra police patrols, and security gates being installed? Who is responsible for all this frenzied excitement? Val, of course. Val is supposedly coming to St. Louis on Saturday for a rare appearance. It's for a good cause. You bring a canned good (or two, or a box) and get a discount on your books. And you might get a glimpse of the elusive Val. If you would like more details, go here.     

    

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

The Next Big Thing

Tag! I'm it.   Cathy C. Hall tagged me. She answered these same questions on her blog. I've answered them about my NaNoWriMo, which has crashed and burned (NaNo-wise).  

After you read my answers, hopefully the following bloggers will accept being "it" and will post next Tuesday. Inquiring minds want to know...

Val--You're tagged! http://unbaggingthecats.blogspot.com
Lynn--You're tagged! http://lynnobermoeller.blogspot.com

And without further ado ("Wake up!") here are my answers:

What is your working title of your book? The WWWP Critique Group and SD Society 

Where did the idea come from for the book? The idea came from the pee-in-your-pants fun we have in our writing critique group...and the support and encouragement that flows like the Mississippi River--without the nasty sludge that comes with river water.
What genre does your book fall under? Chick lit, I suppose. Although for anyone blind enough or addled enough to think of me as a young "chick," all I have to say is, "I have a slightly used, like-new, chewed-by-a-dog size 11 pair of Crocs I'd like to sell you. And they're tres chic."
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? Meryl Streep, Kathy Bates, Anne Lamott, Hillary Swank and---negotiations are still taking place over the fifth role. 
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? Five women begin by supporting each other's writing but their camaraderie eventually turns to committing a felony.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? That's putting the cart out before the horse is even out of the barn. I don't think I would be the type to go the self-publishing route, and yet I'm too smart to never say "never." I've known some impressive writers who publish their own books, so it would something I might consider... 
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? We're still in present-tense land, not past tense. I'm about 30,000 words into it. I was doing well with NaNo, and then this little cherub (my granddaughter) came into town from Florida for a two-week visit. The writing had to be put aside so the spoiling could commence...So, even though NaNoWriMo is not over yet, I am surrendering to NaNo but I'm not giving up on this novel. In fact, the more I work on it, the more I'm enjoying it.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? That is a tough one. Maybe Sandra Dallas' Persian Pickle Club? She so deftly paints the strength of the women in that novel, and I definitely want to showcase the power of my characters. 
Who or what inspired you to write this book? Lynn Obermoeller. She wrote a book for NaNoWriMo and it's incredible. But beyond the engaging story is the way she's stuck with it.  When it's gotten hard or frustrating, she feels compelled to continue with the revision process because the manuscript is insisting...it's whispering to her. I really admire (and envy) that.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? Well, here is the opening, which will hopefully intrigue a few people:


         All five of them were hot. Well actually, four of them were sweating and beet-red and fanning their necklines open because of the hot flashes that plagued them. They had passed up their hottie phase decades ago and were now dragging it behind their cellulite-ridden rump like a rusty red wagon.

            The fifth member of the group—Bri—would make most men and all women strap on their drool buckets. Men who saw her drank in the slender legs that never stopped, the long, ash-blond hair, and the confident, come-take-me way she had of striding across the room. Women envied the casual but chic way she wore her clothes, her flawlessly-lovely legs, and the fact that not one ounce of fat had the guts to land onto her frame and take up permanent residence.


Sunday, November 25, 2012

Chicken Soupers Are Signing Books

    A whole flock of St. Louis/St. Charles Chicken Soup writers are signing books on December 8. Bring in some canned goods, get your books signed, chat with some witty women and get a discount on your purchases. It's a win-win situation.

     See the schedule below:
    
 
10-12 AM, All on the Same Page

11052 Olive Blvd., Creve Coeur, Missouri, 314-567-4144 http://www.allonthesamepagebookstore.com/

 Nina Miller, Theresa Sanders and T’Mara Goodsell will be the featured authors. (Tammy is a founding member of the notorious WWWP writing critique group.)

 
Have a quick lunch and then head to St. Charles--just barely over the bridge...
 
 
1-3 PM, Main Street Books

307 South Main Street, St. Charles, MO 63301, 636-949-0105 http://www.mainstreetbooks.net/
 

Cathi LaMarche, Linda O'Connell, Lynn Cahoon and Pat Wahler will be available for conversation, and they'll be thrilled to sign your books. (Linda is one of the 5 founding members of the famed WWWPs.)
 
Buy some fudge (for medicinal purposes only)  on Main Street, and then head to The Book House... 

4-6 PM, The Book House

9719 Manchester Rd., St. Louis, MO 314-968-4491 http://www.bookhousestl.com/


Beth M. Wood, Donna Duly Volkenannt and Sioux Roslawski (me)will be busy fending off our frothing-at-the-mouth fans as we collect canned goods and sign books. (Beth and I are also founding members of the infamous St. Louis writing critique group, the WWWPs.)
And if you're as reclusive a writer as J.D. Salinger (Val? Are you listening?), you can come and chat, and you'll know who we are but we won't know who you are. You'll be able to see us in a captive setting...