Here you come again (and here I go)

So we’re only 3 days out from NaNoWriMo 2011 and the excitement’s building! I’ve been pinning one-pot and slow-cooker recipes like mad on Pinterest, and last night I did my shopping for ingredients and, I think it’s fair to say, a truckload of Diet Vanilla Coke to fuel me up. I’ve pretty much eliminated soda from my diet, except for November, when I make up for the rest of the year. Bring it on!

The other thing I’ve been doing is building my playlist. I don’t have it all, but I know the main track is The Heavy’s “How You Like Me Now?” And that could only be settled on once I knew which of the 5 ideas bouncing around my head I'd be working on. Would it be the one set in NYC/Paris? How about Seattle or Oregon or San Francisco? Nope, L.A. got the jump on everyone, and I can see the scene with “How You Like Me Now” just like a movie running in my head, along with tight shots and pans. I can see the hazy purple  light as night falls over the Griffith Observatory, illegal taco stands by the side of the road, the Vista Theater in Los Feliz, those awesome bridges that lead into Pasadena. Apart from that, I only have a rough idea of the first 3 chapters and the end, but that's all I ever really have going in and I seem to find a whole plot every time, so once again: bring it on!

Slight problem: there’s a bit of mystery to this one, but what that is is a mystery to me. Part of the fun, but will require some research—which will have to be done after NaNo, or at least during those times when I don’t have Freedom disabling my internet access. Swear to God, I’m like a bower bird, seeking out shiny pins and Facebook updates. Robyn has already vowed to kick my ass if I try to use her WiFi. To that I say: bring it!

Are you in this year? What are you working on?

Today’s list

Listening: to 94.7 The Wave.

Eating:

Drinking: New England Blueberry Cobbler coffee

Wearing: BBW's Pomegranate Citrus body splash

Feeling: that I don't want to go to work tomorrow. Comme normale for a Sunday after a lovely weekend

Wanting: to go to this:

Not just because it's in magical Topanga, but because maybe former local Kyle Chandler will show up with his award-winning chili. Yep, Coach Taylor kicks ass in the chili stakes. But somehow you knew he would, right?

Needing: the people who are moving into the top apartment to shut the hell up!

Thinking: of my friend Lisa and her sister Maria, who are participating in today's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, in honor of their mother, whose birthday it would have been today.

Watching: Person of Interest. Not yet sold on it but, hey, Jim Caviezel… Interesting thing from this week's episode: my parents disagreed over what my name should be. My father wanted "Megan" but obviously my mother won. Years later, she ran into her first serious boyfriend, who had 2 daughters: Megan and Gabrielle. And this week's Person of Interest was about 2 sisters. Yep, Megan and Gabrielle

Enjoying: how delicious my kitchen smells after making a batch of themed candles (each layer is a different scent)

From L to R: Breakfast in Paris, Summer Citrus, Island Sunset, Exotic Escape, Café Blend, and Holidazzle. Coming soon to a Christmas near you!

All right, who’s with me?!

Awwwww yeaaaaaah, it's that time of year again! Or, will be in 17 days–and November 1st happens to be a holiday here, so…score! Now, the question is: New York/Paris book or Seattle book?

So, who's with me?

The Great Blog Restart!

Hi there. Yes, I've missed you, too! The thing is, I want to blog but I can't think about what, so until my mojo kicks back in, I'm taking the easy way out and use a journaling idea I saw on Pinterest, from whence everything good comes.

Here goes.

1. Listening: to Secrets of the Bestselling Sisterhood, from the RWA 2011 Conference CDs. As usual, JAK & SEP (now known as JAXEP) tell it like it is.

2. Eating: not crab, which is making me cranky–oh wait, crabby (sorry)–because I reaaaalllyyyyy want crab. Crab cakes, crab dip, crab linguine. I can see a trip to Costco in my near future.

3. Drinking: Limeade

4. Wearing: jackets, still! But tomorrow's promising to be warmer. All I'm askin' for is 26C. Enough to bring out the dragonflies and heat up the lavender.

5. Feeling: melancholy over Steve Jobs's death. My first ever computer was an LCII and it–and every other Mac I've had since–helped bring my writing to life, it was so much fun, so easy to use. I loved turning it on and hear a woman's dulcet voice say "Welcome to Macintosh." The creations Jobs helped bring to the world not only sparked my imagination and worked painlessly, they're beautiful pieces of design. I'm going to miss him.

6. Wanting: this poster:

Needing: some kind of contraption that fits around my front door frame and sucks every bit of cat hair off my clothing before I appear in public.

Thinking: of course, now I can't think.

Watching: Season 2 of Mad Men and thinking (a-ha!) there's not one character I really like. Except maybe Sterling.

Enjoying: Mel Scott's debut novel, Shadow Kin:

What about you?

I think I need…

one of these:

And one of these:

One each of the pendant and telephone, please:

And one of these fabulous plants for my living room (anyone know what it is?):

Thanks to Keris (*shakesfist*), I also must have one each of these:

Come on! Pink buggy! Who doesn't need one of those?

I'm about a week away from getting my hands on Keris's new book, with its beautiful bling cover:

But until then, and thanks to Amazon UK's excellent deal (spend £25 on selected items and UPS express shipping is free to AU/NZ), I now have this:

Oh my, Redford in the 70s, I don't believe it will ever get any better than that! I'm going to need to curl up in this NYC atrium to do this book justice:

But what I'm supremely happy with:

Guest blogger author Carey Corp!

Last week, 2010 GH finalist (YA category) Carey Corp, released THE GUARDIAN, her first published novel and the first of THE HALO CHRONICLES. Because her e-mail sig file (WRITE! LIVE! LOVE!) always makes me happy, I spoke with her about the things that make her happy when it comes to writing.

We all know that writing is rewarding or we wouldn’t do it, but it can be just a little painful at times. What brings you joy in your writing?

What brings me the most joy in my writing is connecting with teen readers. My neighbor and a few other amazing teens always get an early copy of my manuscript. When they connect to the characters and are moved by the story—there’s no greater feeling in the world. I can’t wait until the day when my own little girl is old enough to read what I create. She’s seven, now.

What are the fun things that you can get away with in the name of research?

I haven’t done anything really fun in the name of research.  My most current book is co-written with Lorie Langdon. It’s set in Scotland and we keep saying we need to go on a research trip. (My note: Yes. You do!)

You’ve gone the indie route with the release of THE GUARDIAN—and that sounds like a lot of work. Did you discover something you enjoyed in the process?

The whole process was enjoyable. I liked being the one making decisions and being responsible for the end result. You so right about it being hard work. I did tons of research and used my inner circle (and their kids) for feedback. They were especially helpful with my cover. The thing I liked best about going indie was being in control of moving my career forward. I’ve been on the bubble for so long, stuck in agent/editor swirl. It’s nice to get beyond that. Trish Millburn talks about being multi-pronged, an author who can leverage the growing indie opportunities as well as trying traditional routes has more options and a better chance at having sustained career momentum. That makes perfect sense to me.

Coolest writer’s tool?

I don’t really have any. Does my pink breast cancer awareness coffee mug count?

 
Ally Carter, Carey and Meg Cabot

Coolest writer’s toy?

No time for toys—seriously. I have a laptop.  But I do have writer souvenirs. My favorite is a picture with me between Meg Cabot and Ally Carter at RWA in Orlando. Of course, I look frightful. I got sunburned at the pool earlier in the day and my smoky makeup looks more powdery Barbie blue—but I love the picture anyways. My second favorite souvenir is my 2010 GH finalist certificate. At the National conference my name was misspelled, so I got the new certificate in the mail a few weeks ago and it has my book THE HALO CHRONICLES: THE GUARDIAN and the author: Shelley Coriell. I laughed so hard when I saw that!!! I loved it so much that I haven’t asked for a corrected version. Besides Shelley’s career is starting to take off.

Any tips for writers going through the blahs on rediscovering the joy?

Write every day. Make it a personal journey. Write for yourself and those you love…the story will follow. For a while I was writing for my agent, for others, and forgetting that the story is my own. Jackson Pearce shared some sage advice about taking the story back and it made all the difference. Telling the stories of my heart keeps me passionate and excited about writing.

 
Thanks for stopping by, Shelley Carey, and here's to a career that brings you much joy! Dear Reader, I've got my copy of THE GUARDIAN all lined up on my Kindle. Here's how to get yours:

Buy THE HALO CHRONICLES: THE GUARDIAN (a 2010 RWA Golden Heart® finalist for young adult fiction) at Amazon, Barnes & Noble & Smashwords. Coming soon to iBookstore.
 
Turn your computer into a free eReader: Kindle for PC; NOOK for PC. 

More information at www.careycorp.com

You’re welcome :)

I was obsessively pouring over casually browsing home decorating sites and found what appears to be one kick-ass cupcake, which I'll try once my oven is back in working order. In the meantime, how about you all make them and send me some? And really, who am I to question Bobby Flay, but I think that, while the mango frosting sounds like a deliciously unusual addition, I want to go with something more Christmas in July-ish. How about candy cane? Hmm…

From Style At Home magazine, Bobby Flay's Gingerbread cupcakes:

Cupcakes

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 (2-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
• Cooking spray
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup finely packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons molasses

Caramelized Mango Buttercream

• 2 cups (4 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, slightly softened but still cool, cut into small pieces
• 3 ripe mangos, coarsely chopped
• 6 large egg yolks
• Cooking spray
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup finely diced candied ginger, for garnish

Directions
1. To make the cupcakes, combine the granulated sugar, fresh ginger, and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the sugar has melted and the mixture thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let infuse for 30 minutes. Then strain the ginger syrup before using.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners and spray the liners with cooking spray.

3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves into a medium bowl.

4. Whisk the melted butter, oil, brown sugar, eggs, and molasses together in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth.

5. Fill each paper liner with 1⁄3 cup of the batter, to come about 1/4 -inch below the top of the liner. Bake just until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the tops liberally with the ginger syrup. Let sit in the pan for 5 minutes before removing. Let cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

6. To make the frosting, heat the 2 tablespoons butter in large saute pan over high heat. Add the mangos and cook until caramelized and soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and process until smooth. Pass the mixture through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl. Discard the solids.

7. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks on high speed until creamy and pale yellow, about 5 minutes.

8. Spray a heatproof measuring cup with cooking spray. Combine the sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan and bring to a full rolling boil over medium-high heat. Cook without stirring until the syrup reaches the soft-ball stage, 238° to 242°F on a candy thermometer. Immediately pour it into the measuring cup to halt the cooking.

9. Add a small amount of the syrup to the beaten egg yolks, turn the mixer on to high speed, and beat for about 5 seconds. Continue stopping the mixer, adding syrup, and beating in the same manner until all of the syrup is incorporated. Beat the mixture until it is completely cool.

10. Add the remaining 2 cups butter, a few pieces at a time, beating until incorporated before adding the next pieces. When all of the butter has been blended in, add the vanilla and the mango puree and beat until combined.

11. Frost the top of each cupcake liberally with the buttercream, and garnish with the candied ginger.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Meet the new kids on the block

The common wisdom seems to be that you should wait some time after the death of a pet before introducing a new animal. Get some distance, that kind of sensible stuff. Which is fine, except that within a day of Pumpkin's death, I was feeling anxiety beneath the grief. I needed another longhaired ginger kitty–not to replace him, that can never be possible, but to help me and Kody cope. And so, while my mother bred the loveliest Siamese cats when I was a kid, I turned to the places I always get my kitties from: shelters. Well, the virtual version thereof: www.petrescue.com.au

That's where I found this photo of a little boy named Amal:

  
I decided right there and then he would be mine because a. he was a longhaired ginger kitty and 2. he looked like trouble, and I like that in a cat. I equivocated all day (was I silly to rush in?) then sent off a mail to the foster carer that evening. She sent me back an application form, I filled it in and we agreed to a meet-and-greet the next weekend. Oh, and BTW, the kitten (between 3-4 months, no one knew for sure because the litter had been dumped) had just been neutered that morning and turned out to be Amalie, not Amal–would that be a problem? Although all my cats as an adult had been boys, I figured a little girl might go down better with Kody Cat.

Long story short, I couldn't see the kitten until 2 weeks after, during which time I tried to keep it together while obsessively checking Amalie's page and muttering (ok, yelling) "Give me the kitteh!!" Finally we made the 80KM trip to the rescue place and oh, the kitties! I wanted to take so many, including Amalie, her sister and a lovely longhaired blue cream girl about a year old. I would completely be crazy cat lady if I had the finances to look after them all, but I don't and so Amalie it was.

We put the tiny little thing in a big cat carrier and she curled up in a corner and didn't make a peep until we got her home. More common wisdom is that there's a proper way to introduce cats (keep them separate, let them smell each other under the door, gradually introduce, etc, etc) and I agree with that for adult cats. But I knew Kody Cat wasn't aggressive with other cats, especially not kittens, and so set Amalie on the sofa–where she promptly went stiff with fear at the big white cat watching her from the windowsill, then scooted under the sofa.

 
WTF?! Kitten sees Kody for the first time.

 
Figuring I'd give her some time to get used to her surroundings, I lay down on the sofa to watch some TV. 5 minutes later she jumped up on me and went crazy smooching all up and down my arms and face. Obviously, she'd decided I was her person.

She also decided Kody was her cat. He took a little longer to win over but they were soon cuddling.

 
She was good for him, making him perk up. He followed her around, eager to see what she was up to next. Toward the end, though, she (now named Libellule, French for "dragonfly" because 1. I love the way it sounds, 2. she has markings on her back that remind me of dragonfly wings, and 3. her coat shone in the sunlight like dragonfly wings) was too rambunctuous for him. Three days before he died, she disconnected from him–his breath smelled bad and she knew something was wrong. Instead of cuddling, she just watched him. If she missed him after he died, I didn't see any signs of it.

Why I got a plastic tree and ornaments last year.

Still, I knew she wouldn't be happy on her own, so I was back on www.petrescue.com.au the next day, this time looking for a deaf white cat. Yep, definitely a case of "Hey! Let's get the old gang back together!" but also because some people are reluctant to take on deaf cats. I figured, since I'd raised 2 of them to 17 and 18 years of age, I had some experience and would take on a cat that might be overlooked. I didn't find any deaf white cats. Instead I found this:

Pumpkin anyone? I know I'll spend the rest of my life trying to find that cat again.

 

I called the rescuer and we agreed to a meet-and-greet the next day. Armed once more with the carrier, we hit the road, though this time to a suburb in Melbourne's east where Alex told us Mr. Kitty's tale of misery. He'd belonged to a family a few doors down, a rather loud, dysfunctional family with several cats (some produced by Mr. Kitty himself), who'd moved out about a month earlier. Mr. Kitty had been in hiding that day, so the neighbor had asked Alex and his father to throw some food out for him and they'd come back in a few days. Except they never did, and so for the past weeks, Alex had been slowly convincing this outdoor cat to come in, then whisked him off to the vet to make sure he could no longer reproduce.

 
He was a friendly cat, Alex said, but very wary of strangers. I could hear him from where he was contained in the bathroom, crying to get out, so we sat still while Alex brought him out. I fell in love with his wide eyes and big lion head immediately, but didn't want to rush anything so settled in for a chat and to watch him. He made himself comfortable about ten feet away and I kept an eye on him while not making direct eye contact so as not to threaten him. He was such a big cat–and only recently de-tommed–that I was a little concerned about how he and Kitten would get on. But he was very much a presence and very much in need of a permament home, so into the carrier he went.

Well! What fun we had. I did the common sense thing this time, putting Mr. Kitty (who I quickly named Redford because he looks and moves like a lion and Robert Redford is a Leo, so…) in the bathroom and closed the door. I left him with some food and came back later to find him with his face buried in the corner, where he stayed all day–a very sad "If I don't look at you, maybe you'll forget I'm here" boy. That night when I took him into the bedroom, he dove beneath the bed and stayed there for the next week, courtesy of Libellule Kitten, who stalked him constantly. Except at night. Then he, outdoor cat that he'd been, prowled through the apartment, crying and whining while the kitten craned to watch him from the bed. After a few sleepless nights, I stocked up on the Feliway and shut the place down so it was as dark as possible, and Redford began settling in.

  
He still is. He went from beneath the bed to into a little shelter I made him at the end of the bed to guiltily perching on the bed to hanging out on the windowsill behind the bed to (now that it's cooler) sleeping near my legs. It took him probably a month before he'd come into the living room (but only if the French doors were closed) then another month or so to come in when the doors were open. Then he sat by the door then he stepped out (but ran back inside the instant he heard a noise) and now he loves to be out there–but only if Kitten or I am.

 
 He freaked out every time he saw me with the broom (until I left it beside his food bowl and he started to associate it with nicer things–now I can sweep right under him), freaks out when I use the vaccuum cleaner and dives beneath the bed whenever someone buzzes the front door (while Kitten dives under the sofa). He stays under there until they've gone, too, even if it's a 5-hour visit. The only time he didn't was when Jenny came to stay for a few days and he had to come out for food–then he figured she probably wasn't going to hurt him and curled up on the bed.

 
 It still surprises me that such a massive cat (he's so solid that he almost sounds like a person walking on the wooden floor) is such a big sookie-la-la. He's relaxed with me, except if I move too quickly, but he's dead scared of strangers and noise. It's a real change from 2 very confident, relaxed, people-friendly cats that I didn't have to worry about to 2 scaredy cats who freeze when they hear people in the stairwell. They're very bonded to me, so I'm concerned at how they'll deal when I (finally) go on vacation. I knew with Pumpkin & Kody that they'd be pissed but got used to it and glommed onto whoever was feeding them. Still, it makes for some funny moments, like the time I emptied ice cubes into the tray: Libellule jumped, Redford jumped over her and they ended up leap-frogging their way along the corridor, while I was doubled up with laughter.

 
 Speaking of bonding, I decided to get an older cat after Kody died, in the hopes that if something happened to one, the other wouldn't go downhill so rapidly. And while Libellule made Redford's first 2 weeks in residence hell, judging by the way their tails intertwine as they head for their bowls each morning, that plan has backfired. They don't do a lot of cuddling–yet–but they play-fight-play-fight, and the only time I've ever heard a full-throated cry from Redford was when he realized Libellule had "abandoned" him by escaping the courtyard.

 
 Bring it!

 

And speaking of cuddling, I've never met a bigger cuddle cat than Libellule Kitten. As soon as I sit down at my desk, she's curling up in my arms, inviting me to rub her belly and making her funny little "buk!" sound when I don't pay her enough attention. And if I *really* don't pay her enough attention, she puts her little face right up in mine and either frowns at me or paws at my chest or gives me kitten kisses by rubbing her nose over mine. She is, in a word, adorable.

She's also very, very busy–in fact, I've never met a busier cat. Her little bell jingles as she makes her way from one curiosity to the next. And I've long stopped worrying about her being smaller then Redford. Any time he nips her, she gives him a "what the hell?!" biff–same with me when I tease her. She screams like a stuck pig when he jumps on her–then two seconds later is back for more. She's clever and sweet and such a baby. Last week, I accidentally closed the front door on her, leaving her in the building foyer, and a few minutes later I hear tiny, quavering "Hello? Is anyone there?" calls, that turned into "Why, hello!" when I opened the door.

 
Redford is just as lovable but more complicated. He grumbles under his breath a lot–almost as though he's always been told to shut up, and is scared to be any louder. Or maybe he just likes to whine. He's the champion of low-decibel, highly annoying whining; he also makes broughing sounds, like a big cat.

More and more lately, he's indulging in manic playfulness, leaping into the air with his favorite toy. He's a nipper, too–whether it's little love bites for me after a good cuddle session or nipping at Kitten's heels when a. she's pissing him off or b. she's snuggled up with me and he wants his turn. He's still an outdoor cat at heart, which is okay now that it's colder weather and the apartment's closed up, but I suspect will become a problem next summer when I like to open the french doors on warm evenings and he's feeling bolder about his environment. The territorial wars are already under way. The night I moved into the apartment, Kody was out in the courtyard and the cat next door (named The Kitty), obviously not used to cats on my side of the building, leapt the fence. He and Kody crept up to each other, sniffed noses then The Kitty backed down and hasn't been to visit since. When the new crew arrived, The Kitty spent a lot of time outside my glass back door, just watching. Then he peed against the door, which prompted Redford to smack the wooden blinds and scare the hell out of him. I haven't seen him at the door since. Now, during morning romps in the common courtyard area, Redford likes to walk up to The Kitty's back door and smack it, just to let him know it's still on.

 

Freaky thing? I see Pumpkin in Redford's reflection.

 

Now that the introductions have been made and I feel like I'm caught up, it's back to your regularly scheduled programming, with little or no cat posts.

Heh! Sometimes I amuse myself no end

 

 

Have you ever seen anything more precious?

No, sir, you have not!

Wait, what about this:

I'd just love to know the story behind this little meerkat pose.

Peace out,

the Crazy Cat Lady

Small/cool + not-so-small/extremely cool

Ever since living in a 375-foot apartment, I've been hooked on Apartment Therapy's annual Small/Cool contest, garnering ideas on how to best trick out my place. Even though now I'm living in an apartment with a living room that's almost the same size of my place in Paris, I still love pouring over entries–and I still get jealous, because how is it that even the smalled apartments in the US seem to have decent kitchens, while I had a bar fridge and one of those toaster oven things with hotplates on top? (OTOH, I had a balcony with the best view of the city you'd ever get. Seriously.)

Here are a few of my faves from this year's entries:

What a stunning view!

A completely different view but once again I love it~plus there's something about the light that reminds me of my friend Lisa's place in NYC.

This place in Sausalito ranks right up there on the awesomeness scales, and reminds me of a houseboat–which reminded me that I had photos I hadn't shared of my last night in Paris, when Pamela and her husband invited Sophie, Jenny and I to dine on a converted barge on the Seine, near the Bois de Boulogne.

We arrived at the boat on a gloriously balmy late-spring evening and were greeted by a colorful entry way:

I instantly fell in love with the interior, which was a lot bigger than I'd pictured:

Books books books

At the opposite end of the top floor was a big office area:

And in between was a good sized kitchen:

We ate dinner out on the deck, of course:

The biggest surprise was the workshop, below where we'd been eating and the opposite end of the bedrooms:

Of course, the best part was spending those precious few final hours with my Paris soul sisters, Sophie and Jenny (and Pamela, whose photo I can't believe I didn't take that night):

What a perfect night it was. Thank you