I know what my true career path should be. Get ready, it’s big.
Sitting on the porch, smoking cigarettes, drinking Corona, and playing air guitar to Stevie Ray Vaughan. Or Clapton. Or Garcia. I’m not picky about that part, really, but I am VERY good at it.
I’m just saying. This could be my job, right? Right?!
My two favorite hobbies!
Seems that whenever I read I get a sever case of the munches…which explains my recent affiliation with Weight Watchers. But that’s okay because I can still munch and read, I just have to exchange baby carrots for Fritos and dip or an apple for a Twinkie. Really miss those Twinkies.
So now my snacking is on a short leash, but back in the day of no taboos I found I ate in relationship to what I read.
For example in reading Sandra Brown’s French Silk I think I ate enough chocolate to put Hershey on double shifts to keep up. Then there’s the Stephanie Plum series and I go on my pizza binge and put Dominoes on speed-dial.
When I wrote The O’Fallon series set in Tennessee on the Mississippi River I think we had barbecue twice a week for months. And when I did Texas Bad Boys I went on a health-food binge because the heroine owns a spa.
So, here’s the question… Have you ever gotten cravings…food cravings here LOL…from a book? A movie? (After watching When Harry Met Sally I ate salad in restaurants for weeks!)
What is you fav book-munchie or drink?
I’ll draw a name from the responses for a The Morgue The Merrier Tote and a pack of M&Ms.
Hugs,
Dianne Castell
DianneCastell.com
The Morgue the Merrier 9/09
Kensington Zebra
I’m Your Santa 10/08
Kensington BRAVA
This is part two of the June Book Club. We went to two books a month in order to give everyone a chance to purchase the selected books.
PERFECT KISSES by Susan Johson, me, and Noelle Mack (now shipping from BN.com and Books-A-Million) – historical anthology
I LOVE YOU TO DEATH by Amy Garvey – (now available in mass market) contemporary/mystery anthology
Questions to keep in mind while chatting about the book club reads:
Favorite line
Favorite scene
And if you haven’t yet, you can sign up to be notified when a Book Club post goes up, by filling out the form below.
Has anyone read either of the two June selections yet? What did you think?
While I’m not planning to load up the SUV and trek to the beach this week, I know thousands of other folks will be making that journey.
Ah, sun, sand, and nice, cold water.
Gotta love the beach.
Especially if you’ve got a great, big umbrella to shade you and an entertaining book to read as you relax on that beautiful, white sand.
So I’d like to know…what book has been your absolute best beach read? One that you couldn’t put down, even when you felt your skin start to prickle from the sun’s harsh rays?
I’ll pick one commenter at random on Thursday (that way, it’ll give folks a chance to post) and that person will receive a $15 Amazon gift certificate. (So you can purchase your next beach read!)
Update! Congratulations to Kim H! Kim, you’re the winner of the $15 Amazon gift certificate.
Thanks for all the wonderful answers!
When you see this, post a couple of quotations from your own favorite writers. These should be people you read over and over again, not people who had one great idea; go ahead and do it from memory, mistakes and all.
Louisa May Alcott, from Little Women:
It wasn’t at all the thing, I’m afraid, but the minute she was fairly married, Meg cried, “The first kiss for Marmee!” and, turning, gave it with her heart on her lips.
Sylvia Plath, from “Morning Song”:
Love set you going like a fat gold watch.
The midwife slapped your footsoles, and your bald cry
Took its place among the elements.
Edith Wharton, from The Age of Innocence:
There was no use in trying to emancipate a wife who had not the dimmest notion that she was not free; and he had long since discovered that May’s only use of the liberty she supposed herself to possess would be to lay it on the altar of her wifely adoration.
Stephen King, from On Writing:
This is a short book because most books about writing are filled with bullshit.
Lorrie Moore, from “How to Beoome a Writer”:
First, try to be something, anything, else. A movie star/astronaut. A movie star/ missionary. A movie star/kindergarten teacher. President of the World. Fail miserably. It is best if you fail at an early age – say, 14. Early, critical disillusionment is necessary so that at 15 you can write long haiku sequences about thwarted desire…This is the required pain and suffering. This is only for starters.
I know, I know, occultishly so isn’t a word. But you get the idea.
I threw a birthday party for my daughter yesterday. She is turning the big 5 on July 5th. And she is way excited. I think the party went well. Her theme? Sesame Street Under the Sea. She tends to be an alternative thinker–a little bit like her mom. 
Which brings me to the real point of this blog entry (yes, there is a method to my ramblings.)
One of my dear writing friend and critique partners came to the party to help me out. Ten young children hopped up on sugar can be a little overwhelming. Anyway, I have known Lisa for, hmm, at least four years now. We talk on the phone, meet a least once a month for crit, we often just got to dinner, we’ve been roommates at conferences. We are close friends. (Obviously, she volunteered to help at a five year old’s birthday party–that is friendship.)
Well, I’m trying to convince her to go to Heather Graham’s conference in New Orleans. She wants to, but may have some family obligations that will prevent the trip. However, she did say to me, “If I do go, there is no way I’m going with you to get my tea leaves read or tarot or whatever weird thing you go do.” (which I do always do down there.) I was stunned. I’ve known Lisa for years, and not once had I realized that the occult bothers her.
When I asked her more about it, she said that she finds all that stuff too strange. Again, I was floored. I didn’t know the paranormal and occult really weirded her out. I guess because she never minded reading my paranormals, I just assumed she was interested in the supernatural. Maybe not as much as I am, but still interested. And while I respect her feelings, I cannot image not finding psychics and ghosts and voodoo and all the cool things about New Orleans infinitely fascinating.
We certainly agreed to disagree, but it stunned me. Do you have a friend that you’ve known for a long time who has surprised you with their beliefs? And do you have friends who don’t get your interest in the occult?
