Got 2500 words of Spectres written yesterday, bringing me to the end of Chapter 15. Next up is the climactic fight scene between Nova and the bad guy, and then the denouement/epilogue.

Spoilery but sweet preview of the soon to be released Middleman book (the one that wraps up the dangling plotlines from the TV series).

FOR SALE - 8GB iPhone 3G, 9/10

Phone is in excellent condition. Screen was replaced last week by Apple, so it is pristine. Back has usual scuffs. Phone is in perfect working condition, and comes with the box, all original accessories, and unopened headphones. Selling because I have switched to a BlackBerry.

Phone is on OS 3.0, locked to Rogers, and can be unlocked at your request, or can come restored to factory settings.

$360 OBO. In-person meetups in Toronto only. Photos after cut.

( Photos )

Finally, a change I think is pretty clever!

http://news.livejournal.com/116661.html

- making virtual notes about friends
- geo location

For today, I'm planning to work on my own writing. I have lots of ideas rattling around and I want to get them down on paper. I'll be making notes, outlining, researching, etc. I know what I want to do first, though. I want to start with the scene I ended with on Thursday (10K Day). I left it hanging so it would be more fun to go back to. :)

I also need to work on the drawing. It's a paid project, so it has to be done.

And I need to make some family tree phone calls. I've got two aunts and a cousin who might have information for me. My dad gave me some more information. No exact dates or anything, but at least it's something to go on. :)

So, I'm off to get something to eat, then I'm going to get to work!

Have a great Sunday! :D

Lois

It's been awhile since I recommended the books I've loved the most recently, so i figured I would catch up with two that I read recently and loved. To make it onto the blog as a recommendation, it has to be something that sticks with me for longer than the amount of time it took me to read it. Or something really different. Sometimes I actually have to read a book twice before I really love it.I'm annoyingly picky, so a lot of times I won't finish books or will like something but not love it enough to gush. These are the gushers.

STITCHES: A MEMOIR, by David Small. (September '09)
I am not going to tell you anything about this book.

I'm sure you're thinking that's an odd way to begin a review, but that's how I went into this book, and it worked for me. I was doing an interview with Booklist last weekend and I asked the interviewer what he thought was the graphic novel of the year so far. Without even having to consider, he said, "STITCHES." My publicist picked an advanced review copy up for me at ALA and I am thrilled that she did. I didn't know anythi...more I am not going to tell you anything about this book.

I'm sure you're thinking that's an odd way to begin a review, but that's how I went into this book, and it worked for me. I was doing an interview with Booklist last weekend and I asked the interviewer what he thought was the graphic novel of the year so far. Without even having to consider, he said, "STITCHES." My publicist picked an advanced review copy up for me at ALA and I am thrilled that she did. I didn't know anything about it except that it was a memoir written as a graphic novel, and that it was supposed to be fabulous (which makes me naturally mistrustful, of course). I didn't even read the back -- just opened it up in the airport and fell in.

So I won't tell you what this book is about. I will tell you this: David Small shines in illustrating the small details that make people real. This is a fairly dark book, but there were parts were I laughed out loud at Small's cunning characterizations. If you read other reviews, you'll see they call the style "cinematic" and "stunning" and it's both of those things. It's also whimsical, sad, and ultimately uplifting. It has possibly the best final line of any book I've read. Definitely one I'll be buying in hardcover and my favorite graphic novel for the past several years. Stunningly done and a good pick for adults who haven't stuck their toe in the graphic novel pool. The water's fine.

HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT, by Natalie Standiford (October 2009).
The best favor I can do to everyone considering reading this book is to tell them that it's not a YA romance. Once you get that out of the way, you can enjoy this book for what it is: a quirky, intelligent YA novel about two lost teens finding their way back to normalcy -- or not.

While the two main characters in this book are earnestly 3D, the real star of this novel is the late night radio program that both of them listen to. The quirky and sincere and bizarre and fascinating calle...more The best favor I can do to everyone considering reading this book is to tell them that it's not a YA romance. Once you get that out of the way, you can enjoy this book for what it is: a quirky, intelligent YA novel about two lost teens finding their way back to normalcy -- or not.

While the two main characters -- nicknamed 'Ghost Boy' & 'Robot Girl' -- in this book are earnestly 3D, the real star of this novel is the late night radio program that both of them listen to. The quirky and sincere and bizarre and fascinating callers enchant both the narrator and the reader, and ultimately, this book ended up on my five star list because the show and the ending remained in my head for longer than it took me to read the book.

I think this one also goes on my top five YAs that ought to be movies list -- I can see it perfectly in my head.


I'm hoping to have more posts up soon once I get through my ARCs for ALA. I'm really looking forward to them . . . don't let me down!

OK, here's my idea. In my novel, Death is not a state of being, or an entity, but a place. I have been editing and adding things in and I have come to an issue where I need to explain what children and babies do in death. See, if you are a normal adult or teenager, you have lived enough of a life that it influences your experience in Death (which is pretty much like a dream but with a collective common place where people can meet). I want to have a special purpose for children in Death though, babies in particular. Do they get to grow up? Do they become guardian angels? Do they get reincarnated? What would become of a baby in Death? I would like some ideas on this because I don't really know what I think becomes of them. I hope this isn't too depressing, the idea is to make it uplifting and comforting because my heroine has a miscarriage at the end of the novel. The baby's father is the God of Death so she is given the choice to stay in death and raise the baby with him or to leave the baby and live her life. I want to give her a reason to live because I think dying would be a cop out. Furthermore, I want to make it so that the God of Death can become human again without feeling guilty about leaving his infant child alone in death. This is complicated, I know and I am sorry. Thanks in advance for any input!

Someone had mentioned, either here or on the dreaded Facebook, that I showed up on the Tom Smith at GaFilk 2001 CD. Could someone please let me know which track? Thanks.

It would be so nice, and so good for me, if I could take today off and spend a second day gathering strength for the week and getting tiny bits done at home, and recovering for pushing a little too hard yesterday. It isn't an option, really, I need the hours, I need to make my presence known in the store, and having been warned how bad yesterday was and how much there is to do today, it would be wrong of me to call someone in when I'm not really sick. I'm just tired and my back aches a bit, but really the only issue is that I don't want to spend the whole day at work again. I'd rather go to Lowes and pick up the digital thermostat I need (got the wrong one before), and spend the rest of the day catching up on laundry, reading, and napping, and resting up so that tomorrow morning I don't start the week by feeling wiped out by noon.

I'm going to be a responsible adult, though, and go get dressed, go shopping for office supplies, and go to work. At least I will be done by 6:30 or 7 and can do another early night.

GA - Strangers mini by ~Nagare-Boshi on deviantART

Remember the 9 year old who was raped by her stepfather until she became pregnant with twins?

Well the Catholic Church has come out with a clarification of her case.

( And it's pretty much what you would expect )

I have a new daniel radcliffe site!
http://radcliffe.atw.hu/