Monday, Monday

Today may be a holiday, but I'm working. Mostly because Saturday was just too darn warm, sunny, and overall beautiful to stay cooped up inside, hunched over my computer, playing with my imaginary friends. So my husband and I took a little field trip, headed south, and ended up at the Lodge at Torrey Pines in La Jolla. Which, truth be told, actually reminded me a lot of The Montage in Laguna. But still, it wasn't home so it really did feel like a get away.

And even though today really resembles Saturday, at least in the warm (ish), sunny, and beautiful department, I really do have to get back to work, but for those of you who don't, I'll leave you with this, my latest list of obsessions/diversions!

Craving something sweet, pretty, and delicious, with no trans fats? Check out Sprinkles -you'll be glad you did, and FYI- the red velvet is amazing!

Feeling artistic but not sure where to start? Click HERE for a DIY Jackson Pollock.

Feel like taking a field trip of your own and maybe do a little shopping while you're at it?- Cedros Design District totally rocks!


Happy P-day everyone!

All You Need Is . . .

If you woke up this morning aware of the date, your thoughts probably went straight to- Love, romance, chocolates, flowers, jewelery, Hallmark, or maybe just "Wake me when it's February 15."

But having acquired my husband's card and gift well under the V-Day deadline (just before the mall closed last night), my thoughts are on none of those things.

Because when it comes down to it, it's not the heart shaped pendants or velvet boxed samplers that tell us we're loved, it's the small things, the little day to day niceties, the moments that pass with hardly any notice, that tell us what we most want to hear.

Like, when you download "Brandy (you're a fine girl), and then proceed to play it 27 times- in a row- out loud- while singing along- and your husband just smiles and waves as he passes you in the hall.

And when he, after several years of owning the same vacuum, asks you where its power switch is located, and you- just take a deep breath- remain silent- and show him.

Those are the hallmark moments of any good relationship. They are also, strangely enough, the ones you'll never find in any Hallmark card.

Today I plan to memorize the lyrics to "Drops of Jupiter"- but I'll probably only play it 12 times. You know, in light of the holiday, love, romance, tolerance, and all that. . .

Hope your day is sweet!
Alyson

Mental Hopscotch

Yesterday I finished the revision for SAVING ZOE (September '07), allowed myself a ten-minute break (stretch, yawn, roll my neck from side to side), and then got back to book #7, my as of yet untitled WIP.

I guess I can be a little obsessive.

Not in the check the stove twenty times before leaving the house kind of way- more in a- I've created these characters and I need to give them an ending, sort of way.

I'm a method writer. I discovered this over the weekend when I was volunteering alongside Karen Kay for "Ask an Author" at my local RWA meeting. I never really think about how I write, I just sit down and do it. But when a fellow writer broached the topic of "director" versus "method"- I realized I'm the latter.

When I wrote about Rio in Art Geeks and Prom Queens, I was Rio. Same with Alex in Faking 19, Hailey in Fly Me to the Moon, Winter in Kiss & Blog, Echo in Saving Zoe, and Anne, Ellie, Jade, and Lola in Laguna Cove. During the writing of each of those books, I became those characters, experiencing all of their trials and tribulations until the very end.

In the real world this would make me a multiple personality. But in the worlds I create, it's just the way I do it.

So when my mom called yesterday, after finishing her early copy of Kiss & Blog, and said, "Inside, you really are a teenager!"

I thought- Lady, you have no idea!

Mean People Suck

In the February issue of Harper's Bazaar magazine, there's an article about Andy Warhol, a sort of mini retrospective in honor of his unexpected death 20 years ago. In it, Tama Janowitz writes about her friendship with Andy, and how near the end of his life, a lot of people were not so nice to him. She tells about an event, where, while reading a passage from his book America, someone ran up behind him and yanked off his wig-- and all I could think was, why? If you hate Andy that much, why even bother to show up at one of his events? I mean, why waste your energy on something so mean and hurtful?

There are plenty of books I didn't finish, movies that left me mourning the price of admission, but you will never see me write about them here. I just can't see the point of giving them any more of my time.

And I'm reminded of this quote I read recently that I keep close at hand:

"The cheapest way to feel good about yourself, is to feel superior to others."

I know there are no shortage of Andy haters out there, but I like him. I like how he showed the beauty in every day objects, how he made art accessible, available to the masses, much like Emeril has done with cuisine (and yes, I like Emeril too)! I like Andy's affected speech and appearance.

I like his use of the word, "Gee."

Next time I get to Pittsburgh I hope to make two stops- One will be coffee with the amazing Lori Jakiela, and the other is to visit the Andy Warhol museum- he's one of the only American artists to have a museum in his name. And I think that's worth the price of admission.

Aloha!

I just returned from an awesome, week long, much-needed, relaxing trip to Maui (aka- Paradise/site of my fantasy home/family compound!) to a humongo pile of mail, most of which was addressed to "Dear Resident" (who I'm convinced lived here before me and never sent a change of address), a messy house- (who left it in such a state? surely not me!), and a pile of laundry that's gonna take days to sort, fluff, and fold.

Though it's not all guava stained T-shirts and strap marks, as I just found out that FLY ME TO THE MOON will be published in Spain sometime next year- VIVA ESPANA!


And the cover for my September YA novel, Saving Zoe, is in and I love it!





Also, I just did a fun interview over on the awesome site- Romance Divas and it's up now!



And even though this is terribly late- I just want to thank everyone who showed up at my booksigings last month! I had an awesome time, and was thrilled to meet some of my earliest readers, old friends, new friends, family friends- it was great!


Well, that's all for now- laundry calls!

Alyson