Blog A Go-Go

In which the Blog A Go-Go is closed.

Alrighty--we're officially moved over to the blog at the new website, so this is the last post at the Blog A Go-Go. I will keep the archive open for some months to give everyone a chance to pull favorite links or browse previous entries. I have loved having you visit me here, and can't wait to see you over at www.deannaraybourn.com!

In which we have a new home!

The new website is up! The new blog is being hosted at the website, and it's LOVELY! (I can say that because I have no credit whatsoever for the fabulous design.) Let's clear up a few housekeeping details:

*If you're having trouble accessing the new website, it's because the old bookmarks will take you back HERE. You have to type in www.deannaraybourn.com to see the new site.

*There are still one or two details to tweak--mostly ME figuring out how to log in to write my new blog!--but once those are taken care of, the blog will be there, not here. You'll want to reset your bookmarks accordingly. You can also subscribe to the new blog's feed. It is entirely possible that this archive will disappear soon, but I'm still making inquiries on that one...

*And in response to the numerous inquiries I've had, nope, I'm afraid the image on the homepage is NOT me. (But thanks for thinking it might be!) Most of the photographs on the website are the handiwork of an extremely talented Polish photographer. I'll be posting links to her work so you can see the rest of her magic.

Now, as to the REST of this weekend, it was phenomenal! Nora Roberts was supremely gracious, and every member of the bookstore staff was unfailingly kind and helpful. I was also lucky enough to meet Mariah Stewart and Donna Kauffman and an astonishing number of readers. We signed for more than four hours!! I met loads of fantastic people and had an amazing time, and HUGE thanks to everyone who made the weekend such a blast. I'll have more details soon, but I'm writing this Sunday evening and I wanted to make sure to hit the high points!

And if the weekend wasn't fantastic enough, we arrived home this afternoon to SNOW! It only lasted about a quarter of an hour, but the flakes were the fattest I've ever seen--the size of cotton balls. So, I've finally gotten my snowfall, the perfect end to a seriously fantastic weekend.

In which I am outta here!

I'm leaving for Maryland early Friday for my signing with the fabulous Nora Roberts! The signing is Saturday at Turn the Page in Boonsboro, Maryland, from 1-3pm. Also signing are Nora's alter ego, J. D. Robb, Donna Kauffman, and Mariah Stewart, so it promises to be quite the party! This is the first time I get to sign Silent on the Moor, so I am HUGELY excited! (Can you tell from the liberal use of exclamation points?!) Anyway, in order to keep the blog tidy, I'm closing comments for this entry while I'm away. (I have trouble approving them from the BlackBerry of Doom.)

Also, the MUCH anticipated website should be up literally any hour now, so please be sure to reset your bookmarks. You can find me at www.deannaraybourn.com. See you there!

In which we're peeping into other folks' pantries

I love cooking blogs. I read them the way other people read blogs about Arctic exploration or Saharan expeditions. It's something we read of without actually intending to DO. I'm vastly intrigued by what other people keep in their kitchen cupboards, what their fallback comfort foods are, how they approach food. So here are a few of my favorite cooking blogs:

*Poor Girl Eats Well . The name says it all. Good food on a budget, and Poor Girl is VERY mindful of both her palate and her pocketbook.

*Pioneer Woman . Ree Drummond doesn't cook for wimps. Her food looks like it's full of flavor and sass and fat. I say "looks like" because I am too frightened of the cholesterol ramifications to try any of the recipes, but they look GOOD, and everybody I know who has tried out her dishes has raved.

*Chocolate and Zucchini . Clotilde Dusoulier's Parisian blog. I feel like a world traveler just from reading it.

*Traveler's Lunchbox. Melissa Kronenthal's gorgeous blog. I spent a week drooling over the caramels.

So what are you favorite food blogs and do you cook from them or just read them for food porn?

In which I'm wondering, do you feel lucky?

Well, do ya, punk? The reason I ask is that I'm trying to read Richard Wiseman's The Luck Factor. And yes, I deliberately used weak language there because I'm also juggling about seven other books for research purposes right now and Wiseman's book is getting precious little attention. Which is too bad because it's fascinating! Dr. Wiseman is a psychologist studying the question of why some people really are lucky. He also lays out four principles for improving your luck in case you are one of those folks who identify yourself as unlucky. I haven't gotten as far as the principles, but I'd be willing to lay money on the fact that one of them would be to stop identifying yourself as unlucky. And then I'd win that bet. Because I AM lucky. I know Oprah hates the word and doesn't believe in it, but I do because I've been lucky all my life. (I also have lucky friends. The charming Kimmy, known to all and sundry as Kimmy Darling, wins contests CONSTANTLY, and boldly states she is simply oozing luck.)

Prompted by one of the quizzes in Wiseman's book, I started thinking about the specific luck I've had in very significant relationships. Meeting my husband, getting my agent, selling my first book--all of those hinged on a moment of luck where the scales could have tipped the other way. But they didn't. In smaller ways I'm lucky too. I often find money, both on the street and in accounts long-forgotten. When an unexpected bill arrives, the windfall to pay for it is usually not far behind. I win door prizes and blog contests, and I seldom lose the wishbone. But Wiseman would tell you that luck is simply a self-fulfilling prophecy. I believe I am lucky, therefore I am. What about you? Do you consider yourself lucky or unlucky? And do you think you could change that if you tried?

In which I clear a few things up

Alrighty, I'm getting lots of e-mails about a few particular points, so I thought I'd clear them up here. If I haven't already e-mailed you, mea culpa. Things are stacking up in my inbox and I haven't had a chance to get to everybody. I'm tail over teakettle in revisions on The Dead Travel Fast, which are going splendidly, but taking lots of time. I'm also getting ready for this weekend's signing with Nora Roberts (squeeee!!!!) and attending to several other projects. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to juggle fire by the time things settle down! So, in no particular order...

*I touched on this last week, but it bears repeating: Silent on the Moor is not the last Julia Grey book.

*If your book club would like to set up a phone chat for Silent on the Moor or either of the previous books, e-mail me at deannaraybourn(at)yahoo(dot)com to make arrangements.

*Thanks to those of you who were kind enough to write and let me know SOTM was already on the shelves at your local bookstores. (But just a note, I have NO say in whether your personal bookseller puts the book out. It was shipped with a March 1 release date. If your bookseller chooses to put it out early, that is their call. If they choose to wait until March 1, that is their call. Also, I really have no contact with the online retailers, so if you're getting antsy for your Amazon or B&N online shipment, I'm not the best person to ask. This also applies to any questions or comments about production.)

*The Kindle contest got a whole lot better as of last week because I will be giving away a KINDLE 2!! Since I already own a Kindle, I was able to get priority shipping on the new one, and it should be here WELL before the contest closes.

*And to settle some questions about THE KINDLE CONTEST:

1. Do not send your order numbers to me at this time. The contest is not open to receiving entries yet, and when it is open, entries will not be via e-mail.

2. I will announce both here and via Facebook when the contest is open. I will also give instructions on how to enter at that time. (Sorry for the mystery, but we are still feverishly trying to get the new website up and running so we can run the contest from there. If we can't we will run it through this blog.)

3. For now, just hang onto your receipts or pre-order paperwork for Silent on the Moor and I promise all will be revealed soon! (The contest will be open to those who purchase through March 9, so we have oodles of time to make sure everybody gets entered.)

In which I'd love to see the cheerleaders

There is a sporting world cup I've never heard of before, and I'm DYING to see it televised. It's the Rock, Paper, Scissors World Championships. No, really. The competition is being held in Toronto, and this article profiles the Mexican national champion. The prize on the line is $10,000, but I suspect the devotees of the sport would tell you it's all about the glory.

If you're a fan of Facebook, check out the article Help! I'm Addicted To Facebook to see if your usage is still within the realm of "normal". There are ten warning signs, and so far I don't have any. (Phew!)

On a purely meteorological note, I'm writing this on Sunday evening and crossing my fingers for snow. We have barely had a flake this winter! Now generally I don't approve of complaining about the weather. When I found the south Texas heat unbearable, I moved. But honestly, a person in this latitude has a reasonable expectation of a decent snowfall once or twice a winter. And I'm particularly sulky because I missed last year's only good snowfall because I was in Phoenix. The DESERT. My family sweetly tormented me by e-mailing me pictures of themselves building snowmen and having a snowball fight without me. So just between us, I'm DUE.

And since we're being random today, I've sampled five perfumes lately, none of which are suitable for me, but you might enjoy:
*Pretty by Elizabeth Arden. Over-the-top floral. Not offensive, but it didn't change much on the drydown. Sweet bottle.
*Princess by Vera Wang. Cotton candy drydown with a heavy hit of vanilla. A very youthful perfume.
*Jean Paul Gaultier's Ma Dame. I liked it the first two times, but after that I noticed a VERY strong note of black licorice.
*Lolita Lempicka. After the drydown, I couldn't smell anything but vanilla.
*Cynthia Rowley. I honestly cannot remember what it smelled like. Pretty light, innocuous. Probably suitable for someone young.

I've ordered new samples from www.theperfumedcourt.com to try another half dozen fragrances. Great customer service, and it's an inexpensive way to try new perfumes if you can't get to a really good fragrance counter. (The closest GOOD mall is 60 miles away, so I have to be resourceful.)

ETA: Monday morning. No snow. Bah!

In which you might have a smart girl in your life

If you do, you need to check out Smart Girls at the Party, a fabulous project put together by Amy Poehler, Meredith Walker, and Amy Miles. Their mission is reminding us that smart girls are FABULOUS. They interview young women with purpose and determination, the girls who are going to be running this country in a few years. Check out the webisodes and share them with a smart girl in your life for a little inspiration. Don't forget to drop by the Smart Girls at the Party Blog--just follow the link on the page above and have fun with the special features like the Smart Girls Hall of Fame and the Word of the Week.

In which I give you the cheesiest Valentine EVER

I love this kitten in unholy ways and for many reasons. I love its cheesy charm, it's kitschy lyrics, and the appalling production values. It's PERFECT. I use it to torment my husband and remind him that I love him. I really really do. Send it to someone YOU love today. Happy Valentine's Day!

In which I've been thinking about weak language

So lately I've been pondering the way we use language, not in a writerly sense, but in a people sense. I'm fascinated by how we code our intentions into what we say, sometimes sabotaging ourselves without realizing it. The other day I was watching an episode of "The Dog Whisperer", mostly because I ADORE Daddy the pit bull, and I listened to Cesar Millan talking to an owner who said she thought she could walk her dog properly on the leash under his instruction. He just smiled and said, "Don't think. Just do." I was immediately reminded of Yoda. "Do or do not. There is no try." There's a similar scene in "Dead Again" where Kenneth Branagh's character tells Robin Williams he's trying to quit smoking. And Robin Williams' analyst character responds, "There is no try. You are either a smoker or a non-smoker. Figure out which one you are and BE THAT." I could be paraphrasing on that last one a bit, but you get the point. We are so anxious to hedge our bets that we modify the HELL out of our intentions. We kneecap our own determination by "thinking" we can do it or "trying" to do it or "giving it our best shot" instead of just announcing, firmly and with purpose, I WILL. I AM. I HAVE. I've become much more aware of my own lapses into weak and bloodless language, the words that just lie wanly on the sofa, pallid and undemanding. They have no expectations, those words, and they never inspire any acts of greatness. So I move we banish the think, the try, the might. AND WE DO instead.

And a quick note: I have run across a few mentions on the interwebs lately about Silent on the Moor being the last Julia Grey book. I don't know where that particular bit of misinformation hatched from, but I can promise you, it is NOT. The book I'm working on now is outside of the series, but by this summer I will be hard at work on the fourth Julia Grey. Spread the word!