Natalie Zaman

A Nice Surprise... GIVEAWAY!

2012-03-03T13:53:00.008-05:00

So yesterday I finally logged back into SCBWI to check mail and stuff and discovered THAT SIRENZ IS A FINALIST FOR THE CRYSTAL KITE AWARD FOR OUR REGION!!! Yowza! Pretty Crystal Kite Sticker! For those not familiar, The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators is an international organization for writers, illustrators, editors, agents and other publishing professionals to connect

Some like it... HAUTE!

2012-03-02T14:15:00.000-05:00

Pretty Sirenz Back In Fashion pins! Do you? >:) Get your Sirenz Back In Fashion bling at PLA--Char and I will be signing advanced copies of Sirenz Back In Fashion on March 15 at 10:00am!

Bye, Davy...

2012-02-29T16:36:00.001-05:00

When I was little, my dad had a news stand in the New Brunswick train station, a well traveled stop en route to New York. One day when I was there, Davy Jones passed through. I didn't recognize the guy in the jeans and grey hoodie... so alas, no autograph, but I have the memory, and that's quite cool. Life is strange. And wonderful. You'll live on in my daydreams, Davy. Safe journey <3

Juicy From The Start... and a last Giveaway for February...

2012-02-28T10:01:00.000-05:00

So the other day I had a chat with fellow writer (and songstress) Mimi Cross and as usual we got to talking about books, works in progress and writing, and landed on the topic of characters. Specifically--as we both have works in various stages of progress--what we liked in a main character--or really any story character, and it was pretty clear: a girl or guy who is "juicy from the start"--

Rough Drafts

2012-02-25T12:26:00.000-05:00

Info dump? Check. Inconsistancies? Check. Holes? Check. Run on sentences? Check. Spelling mistakes? Oh yes. Check. Definitely CHECK. Words of wisdom. Especially the "carry on" part. In case you were wondering, what the above list is referring to, I'm writing struggling wringing bleeding (oh yes--THAT will do) the rough draft of my work in progress. And while I really like this story, in

Short Stack

2012-02-21T13:36:00.001-05:00

It's Shrove Tuesday, dahlinks--so 'fess up and eat some pancakes! I think I shall try these, minus the chips (to start), with a drizzle of maple syrup--the real stuff, or spread with lovely jam, preferably raspberry. What's your favourite pancake? <3 Many thanks to startcooking with kathy and amandine for sharing this video and recipe on flickr! <3

Fashionably Late

2012-02-16T10:16:00.000-05:00

A few months ago I was lucky enough to get the "Versatile Blogger Award" :) See: But horrors, somehow I overlooked an essential aspect--nominating other blogs for the award. Here are the official rules. When you're given this award...you blog about it and you include this lovely badge you share some cool tidbits about your life with your readers and you nominate another 15 blogs for versatile

Happy Valentines! (Giveaway Tuesday!)

2012-02-14T15:47:00.000-05:00

Before you think I'm terribly clever for posting this, know that I stole the idea from the incomparable Kat Yeh, author of such books such as The Magic Brush, and collector of Goreyana (follow her on twitter she is really awesome!)... And why let's not make this a giveaway? Shout out your Valentines salutations and win a copy of Edward Gorey's The Fantod Pack: A random name will be plucked

Anonymous

2012-02-13T20:22:00.005-05:00

At last at last at last I've seen Anonymous. I knew I wanted to see this when I saw that Derek Jacobi was playing a part (have loved him ever since I saw him in I, Claudius). Anyway, I was anxious to see this one, because I've long been fascinated by "the Shakespeare question"--did Willy really write all that good stuff? Anonymous offers IMHO, an interesting, though sometimes eyebrow-raising

Serendipity

2012-02-08T20:28:00.001-05:00

So during a search on steampunk-iffery, I came across this fantastic image: I got this great image of Bessie from danaroc.com <3 You really need to read about Bessie Coleman, she's amazing (not to mention she looks great in goggles!). Remembered three days in that February is Black History Month... am feeling ever so behind already, *but* I like to believe that it's never too late for good

The Woman In Black

2012-02-04T18:39:00.001-05:00

At long last The Woman In Black film finally opened on Friday--and I'm insanely jealous of people who got to go to premiers and get cool stuff and wear veils... sigh! So I'm going to try and do a review without too many spoilers, so proceed with caution whilst reading this... Of all the posters done for the film, I think this one is my favourite. First of all let me say that I absolutely

To Derp Or Not To Derp

2012-02-03T10:33:00.002-05:00

Some randomness... I got into a heated debate, first with my son, and then with my daughter over the use of the word "Derp." It seemed simple enough to me. You screw up, derp. Apparently not. Apparently there is an etiquette to derping that I, being out of the realm of their astuteness (and, you must understand, have absolutely NO hope of ever attaining it) wouldn't understand. In fact, I was

GiveawAY TuesdAY! Do you feel... LUCKY?

2012-01-31T21:37:00.002-05:00

Ha Tuesday! Got you at last! I think I really need to resign myself that things will never be normal (well, that was easy)... and that being the case, well, nothing will really change. But I'm still gonna try to maintain some sort of normalcy for giveaway Tuesday. But don't be surprised if you see this little self chat again. LOL. Now, onto bid'ness... First, how about the winner of the last set

Enter The Dragon... HINT!

2012-01-23T08:39:00.000-05:00

2012 is the Year of the Dragon--the Water Dragon--which, hint hint, is quite significant to me... Chinese culture was quite fashionable in Victorian England, as can be seen in the above photograph. Coincidentally, this picture was taken by none other than Lewis Carroll, and the little girl in the chair is Alice Liddell--the child who inspired Alice In Wonderland. (Lewis Carroll, Photographer:

One more hint...

2012-01-20T14:32:00.000-05:00

...because it's just so perfect. Thank you SHINE! My story has a similar theme to Richard and Mildred's--read their story here. <3 Click HERE for this week's giveaway hint!

GiveawAY TuesdAY... er, tHurSdAy! Hints--Go Ask Alice

2012-01-19T14:49:00.000-05:00

This is getting kind of silly. I always MEAN Giveaway Tuesday and it happens most of the time--but often enough on other days that it kinda doesn't mean anything. I need another meme name *scratches head* But in the mean time, it's time to deal with those hints. First, le mustache... Everyone loves a mustache! As my lovely winner KayaBeck pointed out--it IS Victorian! Alas, Sam Elliott is not

All In All, It Was A Bad Day...

2012-01-18T14:30:00.000-05:00

So much for GiveawAy TuesdAy. Email hacked Monday night. Editing session traded for cleaning up various online accounts. DS home home sick. And when I went to drive DD to the pool for swim practice, I found a screw in my tire--AFTER--I was almost out of the neighborhood. God I needed a cookie. But I can't. &%$#! gluten. Deep breath. I've finally cleaned up my sloppy online bookkeeping.

Wordle. I Just Like Saying That, Don't You? Wordle Wordle Wordle! :)

2012-01-13T20:48:00.000-05:00

I really am a sucker for cute app-gadgety things. And I just discovered wordle. It's fun as heck--but this is the kind of thing that is *REALLY* dangerous and could distract me for hours. Look what I got when I made one for Sirenz... Then I did one for my blog, and for thesirenz.com, and then my Facebook page... this could be a problem. Especially since I'm supposed to be revising. Oops.

GiveawAY TuesdAY... Hints!

2012-01-10T21:41:00.000-05:00

Ha! This post almost turned into Giveaway Wednesday--but thanks to the power of the iPad (!!!) I'm doin' this one on the road (and finishing it at home--still working out the photo thingees...)! So since the middle of last month, I've been hard at work revising my first solo project to go out on sub. As you can imagine, I'm a little excited--and tons terrified--about this. You see, I started

Googley Woogley...

2012-01-07T12:29:00.000-05:00

What is that banner thingy called, the one that google puts up there as a hint to show some fantastical happening that's going on in the world? It's probably just called a banner. Anyway, LOVED today's... Happy Birthday Charles Addams! OK, I looked it up. It's called a Google Doodle... snerk!

GiveAwAY TuesdAY--Gaga for Charity!

2012-01-02T16:18:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year Dahlinks! And I'm determined that it's going to be a good one :) So one of my resolutions is to continue to be regular about my blog, post (hopefully!) useful and fun info and continue my GiveAwAY TuesdAY (does this qualify as a meme? At least for me?). And gark--I realize it's MONDAY--this whole holiday thing has me totally befuddled--so let's just PRETEND that it's Tuesday. Next

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T00:03:00.000-05:00

2012--YAY! But in these final minutes, here's one of the last fun things I managed to squeeze into 2011--a trip to Rhode Island, a place I've always wanted to go. A few pics of Providence... Took this trip with Moo and Vin... Pretty statue, way up high. Purchased very cool "Catechism of the Steam Engine" from 1859. Here. Outside our window, chiming away... Lovely at sunset. Yes, I

Sirenz Book Trailer!

2011-12-27T22:39:00.000-05:00

This, my dahlinks, is the week of Meg and Shar's fateful shopping trip... how fortuitous then that WE NOW HAVE A BOOK TRAILER! LOOK!!! Made by nephew extraordinaire, Jesse :) Methinks Hades will probably have something to say about this. In the mean time, enjoy! And please visit these fabby book bloggers who also posted the trailer on their sites! <3<3<3<3<3 http://bookchicclub.blogspot.com/

By the sea...

2011-12-27T12:43:00.000-05:00

...in Atlantic City--taken with my terrible phone camera. I really need to get Vignette. Why oh why don't they make Instagram for Droid?! And do check out www.alleycat.org--a wonderful organization that takes care of feral cats <3 Happy end of December... :)

Happy Christmas!!!

2011-12-25T10:37:00.000-05:00

...and a 2012 filled with wonders!

Merry Christmas! The Sheep Has Spoken!

2011-12-25T00:39:00.000-05:00

First, the Sheep: <3 Sheep of Destiny <3 And now, the winner! Who is going to get the Dearly Departed and Goodies Giveaway??? !!!Terri Dion!!! Congratulations Terri! More giveaways are coming soon--in fact, there's one going on RIGHT NOW CLICK HERE TO VISIT THAT POST!!! Merry Christmas, and thank you to everyone who visited, followed and left comments. I'm so thankful for each and every one of

A Grand Day Out--Christmas in New York

2011-12-23T20:10:00.000-05:00

A lovely day in New York City, starting at Gaga's Holiday Workshop. They said, "take as many photos as you like," sooooooo... Then off to lunch at Alice's... And to the Cloisters. I love the decorations they put up at this time of year--every item, every berry, every grain has a symbolic meaning. There's a lot of cool stuff in this little museum, but I'm particularly loving the reliquaries..

Hobbit Movie Trailer!

2011-12-21T07:39:00.000-05:00

My kids and I have a standing commitment for this: Day of the film, cut school, gorge on popcorn, repeat. Looks like they incorporated Tolkein's appendices from the end of the Return of the King; the White Council, etc. December 14, 2012. That's what, 357 days or something? I. Can't. Wait.

GiveAwAY TuesdAY--Wolf Pack(age)

2011-12-20T14:07:00.000-05:00

So warm and toasty! Late again... Oh wait. It IS Tuesday! I'm really losing my mind... OK, so today is all about the FUR. Faux Fur, that is. And it *might* be a bit cheeky to do this, as technically this giveaway isn't on "my" blog per say, but... wouldn't you really like to have one of these? Of course you do! Spirit Hoods are awesome. I can tell you from experience that they are incredibly

Life Lessons: What I Learned From Blogging Every Day For A Month... and GiveawAy ThursdAy!

2011-12-15T09:05:00.000-05:00

So I've been blathering for weeks now about my little "experiment" which was to blog every day for a month. I took this on in October for two reasons: a) to prove to myself that I could, indeed, do it, and b) to see if it really made a difference, number wise. A word about numbers. Me no like. I'm not fond of "collecting" things--knick-nacks, shoes (I know, right?) people--and yet, it's something

GiveAwAY TuesdAY--A Load of Rich Creamery Butter

2011-12-13T08:28:00.000-05:00

This is me: Except I'm not Homer Simpson... and I don't speak Spanish--not very well, anyway. Aaaaaaactualllllly... I'm probably more like this: Again, minus the Spanish. The point being (with a large dash of hyperbole)--I HAVE LOST IT! Like Apu (not speaking Spanish) I have turned into a hummingbird--it has been, and continues to be--a real challenge to keep on top of things! And not that I

GiveAwAY TuesdAY! Behold, The Sheep of Destiny!

2011-12-06T15:58:00.000-05:00

Behold the sheep of destiny! Sheep. Of. Destiny. It is from this humble clay vessel that I pluck the winners of my various contests. Actually, she is a yarn bowl, and holds my yarn whilst I'm knitting and/or crocheting. I got her--like so many other cool things--on ETSY from The Little Pig Pottery. She's clever, my sheep; she has a notch in her backside where yarn can pass through so that it

Reflections on NaNoWriMo--and a Winner!

2011-12-01T09:26:00.000-05:00

Goodbye, nebulous November 2011. Ta-ta. You certainly had your moments, but for the most part, I felt like I walked through you in a fog. I'm going to focus specifically NaNo portion of the month... Let's start with saying that I totally cheated. And by the technical definitions of things, there will be no medal for me :( Not the usual badge, but I like! Found HERE. Every year I get myself

GiveAwAY TuesdAY! Movie Lust

2011-11-29T08:09:00.000-05:00

I have to say that I was much disappointed that I never got to see Anonymous. Very disappointed. I mean, look! I just love Derek Jacobi. And it was playing two towns over. TWO TOWNS. And I couldn't get there. It's been a busy month, and December isn't looking any less squeezy. I don't get to the movies that often (or get to watch the one TV show I like--I'm woefully behind on Vampire Diaries..

There's No Place Like Home... and a WINNER!

2011-11-27T16:29:00.000-05:00

Dahlinks, dahlinks dahlinks... JUST back in from magical Salem, Massachusetts--magical for me because I was visiting my very good friends Rebecca and Josh DeVries and the dark fairy Oonah <3 I've always loved New England, it's a special place, that holds many precious memories for me. When I left this morning, the whole town was shrouded in a lovely mist... Angel from a headstone tucked into a

GiveAwAY WednesdAY, Brought To You By The Fine People of GiveAwAY TuesdAY...

2011-11-23T08:05:00.000-05:00

Argh what a week! Yesterday was supposed to be GiveawAY TuesdAY, but of course, bloggity-blog never got posted, so just for this week (barring further insanities) it's GiveawAY WednesdAY... So last week was a lunacy of signings and marketing stuff for Sirenz, and of course, the Mert's birthday (Happy Birthday, Mert!) and Synchronized Swimming show. Only me. In between all of this, it didn't help

Enough Book Stuff! And Now For Something Completely Special!

2011-11-21T07:15:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was the Mert's birthday--and also the weekend of her synchro show. Mert is on a competitive synchronized swim team--I'll let this video of the intro to their show speak for itself. Go ducks! Fab, right? Oh! And don't forget to enter the $100 at Clinton Books giveaway--only four days left!

A Mad Tea Party--and a WINNER!

2011-11-18T14:56:00.000-05:00

I really don't know how rock stars do it--flying around, performing, rinse, repeat. This month-weekish, Char and I have done a small--let me repeat that--SMALL number of signings, and I'm, like, spent. Gaaaa! But they are alot of fun, especially when you get to spend some time with people. Last night we were at Books of Wonder in New York (Oh. My. Gaaawwwd next GiveawAY TuesdAY is gonna be SO.

GiveAwAY TuesdAY! Whose Shoes Are Whose... ?

2011-11-15T08:53:00.000-05:00

I know, I know--two giveaways in one week? Yesterday's was an unexpected surprise. This one was planned--but hey, the more the merrier, right? So Saturday, Kristi Cook, Kathy McCullough, Alissa Grosso, Amy Holder, Char and I were at the Clinton Book Shop for... It was quite the time--but don't take my word for it... Awesome kids and awesome grownups having an awesome time. Awesome. What's

Steampunk, Surprises, Advice for Writers and a Giveaway!

2011-11-14T10:22:00.000-05:00

OK, so I finally did one of the things I'd been meaning to do for some time--join Romance Writers of America (Write and/or read romance, YA or otherwise? You need to be a part of this group). Marlo Berliner of Blame it on the Muse (RWA authors blog you should really check out) suggested that I meet up with writer/actress/maven/fabperson Leanna Renee Hieber, who described herself as wanting to be

Visit Meg and Shar at their OWN website! thesirenz.com!!!

2011-11-11T14:53:00.000-05:00

Sirenz has taken on a life of it's own... Visit Meg and Shar at www.thesirenz.com! Come and visit Meg and Shar--comment, visit and share (please!!!). Hades might show up, and some other deities too. thesirenz.com <3 Love you!

GiveawAY TuesdAY! Unmask The Writer Winner!

2011-11-08T13:07:00.000-05:00

Drumroll... The winner of the Unmask the Writer drawing is... !!!NICOLE!!! Congrats, Nicole! Enjoy a little shopping spree at Mysteries on Main Street! Now, how a 'lil unmaskin': 1. Mary Reed McCall, author of, like a bajillion books including the Templars series! 2. Alexandra Diaz, author of Of All the Stupid Things 3. Amalie Howard, author of Bloodspell--the only one I caught in a blink! 4

I won I won I won!!!

2011-11-07T16:43:00.000-05:00

Yes--I'm excited. BECAUSE I WON. WON! * blushes * blushes * blushes * !ME! * blushes * blushes * blushes * What did I win, you ask? Allow me to show you: The Versatile Blogger Award! I was given this honor by author of fabulousness C. Lee McKenzie. I also must say that she has excellent taste :) Am going to celebrate now... by finishing this chunk pass on my WIP. Like C. Lee, I'm not the

YAPalooza!

2011-11-03T07:19:00.000-04:00

Pictures are worth, like, a thousand words, right? Then I will let this talk... Me, Char, Alissa Grosso, Kathy McCullough, Kristi Cook and Amy Holder. Food. Prizes. Books. I think you need to be there. (If you can, of course!). Love you! Oh yeah--rumor has it that there just MAY be a divine presence about. Just sayin'.

GiveawAY TuesdAY! Unmask This Writer!

2011-11-01T10:20:00.000-04:00

YAY! I managed to blog once a day for an ENTIRE month! Go me! For those who know me--this is quite the accomplishment. I have some thoughts on that, which I'll deal with in another post (another post--who woulda thunk, huh?), but in the name of timlienss and November, I think a giveaway is in order, and I think I came up with something pretty neat... So this past weekend, Char and I participated

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #31 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

2011-10-31T13:51:00.000-04:00

Yay! I did it! 31 days! Perhaps not "a" book a day, but I think I did 31 books :) So I have a fun contest to post tomorrow, but first, I want to do a wrap up of the Creepy Cake N Bake--the winners are posted at Stacey Jay's blog, but here's a little pic of all of them together: Happy Halloween!

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #30... Unmask The Writer Within!

2011-10-30T17:37:00.000-04:00

Char and I had a blast at Unmask the Writer Within--a fab author event sponsored by Mysteries on Main Street to benefit the Friends of the Johnstown Library--a great time for a great cause! Look! Upstate NY is a gorgeous place--look at the waterfall near our hotel! Shannon Delany's World Buildin' Workshop--AND she levitates! Cool! Kristi Cook and Amalie Howard's excellent workshop on

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #29... UNMASKED!

2011-10-29T18:48:00.000-04:00

Today Char and I are appearing at Unmask the Writer Within, a fab event featuring us and SEVEN other amazing authors: Kristi Cook Amalie Howard Selene Castrovilla Alexandra Diaz Mary Reed McCall Jason Barret Shannon Delany If you find yourself in Johnstown New York, stop in and say hello! The story, in pictures tomorrow!

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #28... A little Poe...

2011-10-28T13:17:00.000-04:00

Off to upstate New York today for Unmask the Writer Within. Speaking of Masks... how about this classic for a Halloween read... The Masque of Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe Poe IS Halloween. And while The Masque of Red Death is quite the story, my fave is The Fall of the House of Usher. Years ago I went to the Cranbury Inn (haunted!) over here in New Jersey where a dramatization was presented

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #27... What Are you Gonna Be?

2011-10-27T12:03:00.000-04:00

...for Halloween that is! By now everyone's picked out their costumes--but if you're still stumped, consider making your costume this year. And why not take it a step further and make it COMPLETELY out of recycled materials! Have a look at this: This fabby fabby FAB Marie Antoinette costume was done a couple of years ago by the Sustainable Sirens (I admit I have a soft spot for Sirens!), a part

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #26... Back to the Bones

2011-10-26T09:33:00.000-04:00

Enough gross pumpkins. It got cold yesterday, so Fail Whale is hanging on for just a bit longer. Still don't know if he'll make it to Halloween--fingers crossed that he will. In the mean time, it's still all about the bones here. Bones and skeletons have fascinated people for centuries--but don't take my word for it: The Dance of Death by Hans Holbein One of the things I love about Dover

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #25... A Little Poem For You :)

2011-10-25T15:22:00.000-04:00

Meet Fail, the whale. He's a pumpkin for the pail. Poor whale. He used to be smiling. Now he looks like an angry shark... He was carved too soon, so I'm afraid he's doomed. Ick. Just... ick. Will he make it to Halloween? At my house, Halloween begins October 1st. Due to schedule juggling and other stuff, we ended up carving our pumpkins mid-month. Under normal Fall circumstances, this

Creepy Cake N Bake: Welcome to the Ossuary...

2011-10-24T09:06:00.000-04:00

Yay! It's my turn to present an offering for the Creepy Cake and Bake! I love being in the kitchen, and between schedules and deadlines and stuff, I don't get there as often as I'd like. This little event made me make time to bake again. Vin, the Mert and I had a blast making... The Catacomb Cake! When I first signed up, I batted some ideas around: an alien, Miss Havisham's cake--OMGosh, that

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #23... Hints

2011-10-23T08:56:00.000-04:00

What would happen if Martha Stewart... Halloween: The Best of Martha Stewart Living ...found this book... Fashionable Mourning Jewelry, Clothing and Customs by Mary Brett ...took it here... Photo by martinc @Flickr ...and then decided to bake a cake? The answer tomorrow, if all goes well!

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #22... A Last Triumvirate--Of Creatures!

2011-10-22T12:58:00.000-04:00

Only EIGHT more days until Halloween! I think we need to have at least one more triumvirate--and this last I want to dedicate to creatures. Not the scary kind, because Halloween isn't all about the scary (though that certainly is a component, and that comes from our own imaginations, IMHO). Halloween is about spirit and magic, and is embodied just in fantastical creatures of light just as much as

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #21... The Creature Feature Continues...

2011-10-21T08:45:00.000-04:00

Methinks it's time for another crafty book . I LOVE crafty books. And in particular, those that feature projects that require few materials, or materials where you can improvise--use whatever you have on hand. Origami is such a craft... Mythical Beings by Jay Ansill No need for expensive paper when you can use recycled magazines and catalogs--good for me as it usually takes me, oh, lets say

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #20... More monsters...

2011-10-20T08:02:00.000-04:00

It's time for a reread... First, the classic: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Who to pity? Monster, man, or both? ...and then continue the saga: Frankenstein's Monster A Novel by Susan Heyboer O'Keefe Same question, a short time later... Frankenstein's Monster picks up where Mary Shelley left off--but from the monster's point of view. I love stories like this (Think Beowulf, and the John

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #19... Everything's better with tentacles!

2011-10-19T18:39:00.000-04:00

I find it hard to believe that I've just started reading this... The Call of Cthulhu and Other Stories by H.P. Lovecraft Of course I've been listening to it in the car--but that counts right? Think I want some octopus sashimi for dinner tonight... You know, there really should be a picture of him, don't you think? I tend to go for the cute when it comes to Cthulhu... :)

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #18... At Last... A Triumvirate of Ghosts!

2011-10-18T08:26:00.000-04:00

See--I keep my promises >:) Three ghostly reads--the first, in my to-be-read pile, recommended by my agent, the fabulous Natalie Lakosil: The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade To quote Natalie on why you should read this (this being said about the sequel, Queen of the Dead)... "Whenever I dive into this series I am always struck by how smart the heroine is. She’s the stereotypical blond

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #17... OMG!!! And a winner!

2011-10-17T08:21:00.000-04:00

You may be saying to yourself, Triumvirate of Ghosts? When? But you'll understand I'm sure that I HAD TO DEDICATE TODAY'S ENTRY TO THIS--and after all, it IS a book (and we got the news in October, fall, Autumn... you get the idea!) !!! WE GOT THE COVER FOR SIRENZ BACK IN FASHION!!! It's Shar and Meg!!! This installment of the series will be hitting the shelves in June 2012—but for now, enjoy

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #16... Just in time to lose your head...

2011-10-16T07:29:00.000-04:00

Guess where I'm going today?! The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving Ha! Bet you thought I was going to say the Wool Fest! Well, yes. Going there too--but this evening's activities are all about Ichabod. Have you ever been to Sleepy Hollow? Definitely a treat. The town hops at Halloween, but the quiet cemetery is always there to enjoy. Irving based his story on real people: Behold

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #15... A Triumvirate of Vampires

2011-10-15T19:31:00.000-04:00

I know what you're thinking. Yesterday you said Triumvirate of Ghosts. Yes I did. But you know how some things just fall into place. We still have a Triumvirate, it's just of Vampires, and three very distinct ones at that... The Deluxe Transitive Vampire: The Ultimate Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed by Karen Elizabeth Gordon I dare you to find a funner grammar

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #14... I Lied...

2011-10-14T13:54:00.000-04:00

...because today will NOT be a Triumvirate of Ghosts... not that there WON'T be a Triumvirate of Ghosts, of course there will. I even planned for today to BE a Triumvirate of Ghosts, but then I came home this morning and there was this package... <3 Love me sheep!!! <3 Look! There's my new big rosewood circular needles, my knit out of the box (very pretty brocade yarn holder). My lamb yarn

A Book(s) A Day 'Til Halloween #13... A Triumvirate of Witches

2011-10-13T09:27:00.000-04:00

Season of the Witch? Think so... no doubt you too are craving witchy reads. Today's countdown offering is a three-fer, all about witches, but all very different... The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab "The Near Witch is only and old story to frighten children. If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company... These are the truths that Lexi

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #12... Pie. That is all...

2011-10-12T13:33:00.000-04:00

Because what better way to follow up a "moon" post, then a "pie" post. Pies ARE autumn, don't you agree? Pie by Ken Haedrich Mmmmmm... pie! 300 sweet pie recipes from a pie-expert. Many pages are expended on the making of the perfect crust--cause when it comes to pie-makin', that's the hardest part.

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #11... In honor of today's full moon...

2011-10-11T13:07:00.000-04:00

...because there's no full moon like an autumnal full moon <3 Check out this amazing book of photos of the moon's surface: Full Moon by Andrew Chaikin No title necessary--the photo says it all! To quote John Lawson from the Fairfax County Library in Virginia (from his review for School Library Journal), "A San Francisco artist and photographer has pulled together 129 stunning, black-and-white

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #10... Knock Knock...

2011-10-10T18:42:00.000-04:00

...it's kinda what you wanna do when you have this in front of you: Haunted House by Jan Pienkowski Want to have a look at the fab pop-ups in side? Click the link above! I love me a good pop-up book--and Haunted House has some interesting flaps and pulls. I was introduced to Jan Pienkowski by my pal Emma who grew up with Haunted House, and Meg and Mog. I wish I had. And in case you're

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #9... Time For Some Tea and Sympathy

2011-10-09T20:03:00.000-04:00

So I spent the afternoon in New York, first to catch up with Phyllis Galde, the publisher of Fate Magazine and Graven Images Oracle, and then off to the Lion Brand Yarn Studio to get the materials for a top-secret project >:) It just so happens that a place I've LONG wanted to visit is nearly right around the corner from the yarn studio--so I kept my fingers crossed that there wasn't a wait and

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #8... Written In Stone

2011-10-08T14:33:00.000-04:00

I have this thing about graves of the famous. And graves in general. While my favorite time to visit the cemetery is during the autumn, I'll go anytime. This past summer I was psyched to travel to Seattle--we went for my daughter's swim meet, but guess who's buried there? LOVE Jimi!!! We also visited Bruce and Brandon Lee <3 Jimi Hendrix's tomb is literally a temple. We made rubbings of all

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #7... Gorey gorey gore...

2011-10-07T16:32:00.000-04:00

How I loveth anything by Edward Gorey. One day I hope I shall own all of the little books that make up these anthologies... Amphigorey by Edward Gorey And then there's "Too" (two), "Also" and Gorey Games. I don't know what I love more, the comic-noir or the wicked little verses--some rhymed, some prosey--that go with them. And for you Teachers of English out there, the stories are a fab

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #6... Something Witchy This Way Comes

2011-10-06T13:58:00.000-04:00

My most treasured Middle Grade read. I love the story of course, but there's something about the title that is magic and cinnamon and woodsmoke and apples, falling leaves and chilly breezes... JENNIFER, HECATE, MACBETH, WILLIAM MCKINLEY, AND ME, ELIZABETHby E.L. Konisburg Jennifer-Hecate has been repackaged a couple of times, but this is the cover that I remember :) I remember this book

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #5... It's In The Cards

2011-10-05T07:21:00.000-04:00

Addmitedly, today's offering is a spot of shameless self promotion--but it gives back. Everyone has moments in their life where they want advice and answers, and sometimes they go for a tarot reading. I've always loved the imagery of tarot cards, and once upon a time, I thought that I could make one of my own... GRAVEN IMAGES ORACLE by Natalie Zaman and Katharine Clark Readings are "eerily

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #4... Have A Seat

2011-10-04T07:29:00.000-04:00

It's pretty hard NOT to love Neil Gaiman (huge thanks to my friend Katie for introducing me to him--well, not him literally, but his work). One of the books I turn to when the leaves start to fall is this little collection of short stories: FRAGILE THINGS by Neil Gaiman My first experience with this book was in audio format, the stories being read by Neil himself (no pun intended on the twitter

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #3... CAUTION: Do Not Read In The Dark

2011-10-03T07:26:00.000-04:00

EXACTLY four more weeks until Halloween! This is, without a doubt, my favourite ghost story... THE WOMAN IN BLACK by Susan Hill Seriously, do not read in the dark... I first saw this as a play in London when I traveled there with students. There were only three actors, and one of them didn't speak--but I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that I had nightmares for months after, any time I

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #2... Hooked on creepy little dolls...

2011-10-02T09:08:00.000-04:00

I have a terrible addiction to crafting books--so today's offering is of that variety. Have a look at... SUPER SCARY CROCHET by Nicki Trench I love the little figures in this book... too bad they didn't feature Phyllis on the cover... As a rule, I like making things that are useful--mitts, sweaters, hats, you get the idea. But there's something about little dolls--especially ones with pins in

A Book A Day 'Til Halloween #1... and a Winner!

2011-10-01T18:49:00.000-04:00

Fall is upon us--really this time. It's the temperature; today we finally dipped into the 60's, so I'm not sloshing through the humidity soup that's been the status quo for the past few days. Just like the turn of the weather, the swirl of falling leaves, and that scent--that unmistakeable scent--a kind of wood-burning, and apples, and baking and candy corn all rolled together, BOOKS bring me

I Heart Book Bloggers

2011-09-14T21:16:00.000-04:00

Book bloggers have made an indelible change on the publishing industry, and their efforts have made it possible for so many writers to have a chance to get their work out there--it's amazing what people can do, isn't it? September 12-16 is/was Book Blogger Appreciation Week: I'm still overwhelmed by the size of the community--not just the bloggers themselves, but the writers, readers, agents

911

2011-09-10T21:09:00.000-04:00

Where were you on September 11, 2001? It's an inevitable question as the date approaches, and one that I really don't like to talk about--probably because it ranks right up there with "Motorcycle Accident" and "The Day Dad Left." I like to refer to instances like these as "rug rippers" you know--when you feel like the rug's been ripped out from underneath you. One moment, all's well, and then

The Insect God

2011-09-08T13:48:00.000-04:00

Outside: Drear Listening To: Queen. Love You Freddie <3 Reading: Beta H.P. Lovecraft The Complete Fiction, Hideous Kinky by Esther Freud Breakfast: Gingerbread Muffin So I had this plan that now that the kids were back in school and things would become "regular" again I would be able to time-box my tasks, become a pillar of uber-effectiveness... starting today. Then as I was going out the

On tour, Part Une...

2011-07-15T10:19:00.000-04:00

Outside: Sunny and Fab Listening To: More like watching--The Ninth Gate playing in the background. Reading: Beta >:) Breakfast: Protien shake. I've become quite good a whipping these up (urgh--bad pun!)! Dear Blog, No, I haven't been neglecting you--I've just been posting... elsewhere. You understand, don't you? Char and I have been "on tour" blog wise for the month! Check us out on

Okay, I was holding out...

2011-06-23T15:15:00.000-04:00

Outside: Muggy Listening To: Depeche Mode The Singles 86-98 Reading: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor Breakfast: Skipped :( ...on posting because we did a guest post over at Eve's Fan Garden! Have a look:

We interrupt this blog to bring you...

2011-04-27T20:48:00.000-04:00

... a preview of Sirenz!

Bad Reviews

2011-04-25T21:00:00.000-04:00

Outside: Gorgeous Listening to: Jane Eyre Soundtrack Reading: XVI by Julia Karr, Beta Breakfast: Oatmeal with brown sugar. And a cup of tea. I miss dairy. Dear Blog: I see I've been slack about posting again, but thanks to the good people behind BWO (Blogging Without Obligation) my conscience is clear. Sort of. Enough to make me keep posting at any rate. So Char and I are waiting for

Dear Blog...

2011-04-07T13:39:00.000-04:00

Outside: Cold and rainy... but at least no snow. Listening to: Florence and the Machine Lungs Reading: XVI by Julia Karr, Beta, Contest Entries Breakfast: Plum Dear Blog: What a horrible blogger I am. I haven't visited you for... three weeks! Shameful, that's what it is. But the truth is I've been so busy. It's a lame excuse, I know, because blogging is supposed to be one of those things

Help Japan, Dystopian Lit, and What's Next, Maybe.

2011-03-17T11:48:00.000-04:00

Outside: A balmy 46, but headed to 52 Listening to: Big in Japan, Alphaville. Want to take a trip back to the 80's? Click the picture to watch the official video on youtube :) Am so digging their hair. Reading: XVI by Julia Karr and Fingerprints of the Gods by Graham Hancock Breakfast: Oh feta omlette, how I have missed you! Japan is one of those places that's been on my list of destinations

Maurissa Guibord's WARPED!

2011-03-13T13:27:00.000-04:00

OUTSIDE: Warmer... Spring's coming, thank goodness. LISTENING TO: Love's Illusion, Anonymous 4 READING: XVI by Julia Karr BREAKFAST: Egg sandwich and Vitamin water. Walked to bagel shop one mile from house, nice to be out in the fresh air. I remember when I first read the description of Maurissa Guibord's WARPED (from the trade paperback edition): "Tessa doesn't believe in magic. Or Fate.

I may not be a smart bird... but I know what love is!

2011-03-02T11:04:00.000-05:00

OUTSIDE: SUNNY! LISTENING TO: Elton John READING: XVI by Julia Karr, and THICK FACE, BLACK HEART by Chin-Ning Chu (research!) BREAKFAST: Not yet. Made tea and forgot about it. Hate when that happens. Like I needed reasons to go and see Gnomeo and Juliet... now having seen it, here's my rationalization for pulling Vin (youngest son) out of school so that we could stuff our faces with pancakes

Signs

2011-02-20T20:01:00.000-05:00

OUTSIDE: Windy!LISTENING TO: Muse, The ResistanceREADING: Warped, by Maurissa GuibordBREAKFAST: Blueberry Muffin and Yogurt Parfait--unusual because I got this at Cracker Barrel. Thinking I should have done the pancakes. Yeah. So my husband follows this blog by economist George Ure, and sometimes passes posts on to me. I'm sure economics is a worthwhile topic to read up on, but it's not one

You're Jealous because I WON!

2011-02-09T13:33:00.000-05:00

OUTSIDE: Bright and cold. Important--NO SNOW.LISTENING TO: White Stripes on shuffle. So bummed that they are parting ways.READING: Warped by Maurissa GuibordBREAKFAST: a cocktail of Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey. And vitamins. Yuck. At last (told you it takes me forever to do anything), I'm posting my first 2011 Debut Author Challenge review! I actually won a copy of this book through a contest

Revelations--a short rant...

2011-02-01T12:06:00.000-05:00

OUTSIDE: Wet. Cold. Dreary. Perfect. LISTENING TO: shuffling Beatles on iPod READING: The Latte Rebellion by SJS with a side of Horrible Histories, The Villainous Victorians by Terry Deary BREAKFAST: Hot Chocolate Don't fight the universe. Those are my husband's comforting words when I find myself faced with writer's block. But what am I supposed to do? For the discipline portion of our program

Third Time's the Charm

2011-01-26T10:29:00.000-05:00

OUTSIDE: Snow. Again.LISTENING TO: The Beatles, LOVEREADING: The Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila StevensonBREAKFAST: Cuppa tea, Lady Gray This isn't the first time I'm giving this blogging thing a shot. (If you take a look at the entry before this one, you'll see it's from June of 2010--oh dear!). Part of it's a discipline/taking on too much kind of thing, but more than that, I don't think I was

2010-06-24T09:51:00.000-04:00

Today I'm... Reflecting on a high school graduation... My oldest son graduated high school yesterday... Here he is, isn't he cute? The whole experience is kind of surreal. It's been a while since my own high school era--but there are days where it doesn't seem like such a distant time. Moo's graduation brought a few philosophical points to mind: First, we skipped the actual graduation

Now THAT'S a Cabbage!

2010-06-15T07:51:00.000-04:00

Today, I'm... ...working in the garden. Last night Vincent and I spent time weeding. The little buggers were threatening to take over, a sad result of too much running around on my part. Hopefully maintenance will be a little easier in July, but my oh my, what a good year we're having! Last year blight took all of my potatoes and squash, but we were able to harvest a glut of toms, onions and

Hazy Impressions of BEA 2010

2010-05-30T11:57:00.000-04:00

When I saw the following Tweet from flux, I immediately called Char--we had to go to this: "If you're at BEA10, don't forget to stop by the Flux booth #3576 to see our Fall lineup!" Thus started the following mini adventure which I have attempted to capture in pictures courtesy of my faithful Droid, which I am still learning to use, and coincidentally, was responsible for delivering the