kate rothwell

and this is the best website ever.

I'm trying NOT TO COUGH, okay? but it's not working, so just stop glaring at me. I learned how to do the int0-the-elbow thing when my kid was in preschool and I'm good at it. I n other coughing news, the cheratussin ac is evil tasting. My chest hurts. and that's the extent of my complaints, which is pretty good for a Complaint Queen such as myself. Because coughing, while it is monotonous and keeps one from sleeping, isn't in the same league as stomach stuff on the pain and suffering index. And I just got a dash of perspective. My P&S index seems pretty minor compared to these people . I was looking up the cough syrup to see if I could add on other meds and found that loop where they discussing getting high or coming off a high using cough syrup. Call me old fashioned, but what's wrong with alcohol if you want a little drug abuse? It has to taste better than cough medicine. Or is there some kind of addiction thing going on? And hey I got to ask after readin...

I've been doing the glom thing lately. . . and have noticed that the first book in a series is best and the rest are written more quickly and so aren't as polished. Except the writing in the Maisie Dobbs series gets better and better with each book, the characters more interesting. Now I need to find another series. I wish that Patricia Briggs woman wrote more quickly.

This is worth reading: Mandy Roth's process Cover art in the smaller presses. The bigger publishers--it's a whole different story. But since I deal with the little guys, lately....I have a strong new opinion and my attitude has changed. A lot. As in I now believe my opinion shouldn't matter at all. Seriously, dudes, what I like isn't relevant and, these days, when I see that form asking me for my preferences, I wonder why do they ask me ? My name might be on the cover, but this is a project involving specialists in all sorts of fields. Do they think I know what sells or doesn't sell? I know the sort of covers I prefer, but I'm too close to the story plus--and this is more important-- my tastes might not match other readers, the people who'll actually buy my book. At that point, once the publisher has acquired my story and used my input to turn the book into something polished [sidenote: BUT HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, NOT JUST MY INPUT PLEASE. Thank you.]Anyway . ...

I'm here, doing nanowrimo at La Paloma . There are about ten of us sitting around in a pleasant coffee house, typing on computers, writing in notebooks. It's very quiet. Shhhh. So why am I blathering on twitter and in my blog? No clue. I think I'll plan Thanksgiving dinner, except, naw. If I get too funky with that, the traditionalists will be crushed and angry. Turkey, and everything I always make, including the sacrificial turnips and brussel sprouts. Okay, maybe I could balance my checkbook. Or curl up on this comfy couch and fall asleep. Or do useless research on the the origin of color names because of Doug. Or go buy coffee from Helder. Or design a page for the getting the book done group because Meetup, bless its easy-to-use self, costs too much. Or go home and harass my family. This laziness is so not my fault. Someone needs to give me a deadline and apparently nanowrimo doesn't cut it. Speaking of deadlines.... segue alert! segue alert! whoopwhoopwhoop .....

and really, I should post links like this everywhere I can. A good review for an old book. She got the hero's name wrong, but ask me if I care. Answer: not even a little bit. I wonder if I can remember how to update my page.

Dear Summer, I really enjoyed your book. Obviously I don't agree with Smart Bitches and I just wish I had the kind of clout they do so I could counterbalance that review. Irrational Arousal was a fun read and I'm going to read more of your stories--I already have them on my computer. I would like to point out that that one phrase that Sarah uses "Vulvan Mind Meld" is awesome and you should take that for your own use. It doesn't look like they've copyrighted it, so you should steal it. Thanks for a great book, and I look forward to reading more! KG That's almost exactly what Toni A. said--I should play that baby up big time. Yeah, I think maybe I'll put somewhere on my Summer Devon site...without actually linking back to that damned review, of course. Vulvan Mind Meld TM is mine. . .

Somewhere online someone is acting like an expert and, because of luck and timing, that person will be right. His/her spouting off will be accurate---this time. How can we know the difference between this coin-flipping clever person and a real expert? (definition of real expert someone who has read articles longer than twitter entries and maybe has been around for a while. And knows the details and isn't just guessing based on sensations emanating from his/her butt. A degree might be in there as well--> his past, not his butt.) So, what's the answer? How do we know? No clue. I don't know the difference and neither does anyone else unless they bother with the research which is tedious and requires some expertise. The world is full of poseurs and it's interesting to discover how easy it is to pull off a convincing act as an authority even in the age of google. I'm thinking of adopting the correct confident attitude and trying for a schtick as an expert myself. F...

I'm tired of long descriptive passages. Maybe it's time for something written by Hemingway. Only I don't think I want one of his stories...sure, all that spare prose fits those narratives about Being a Man, but how about a mystery? That might work. Maybe a Wodehouse mystery too. "I say Tuppy, topping weather. Is that a corpse sprawled on the old chaise lounge?" If I can't have new material, I'll take a retelling of old stuff. At dinner we were explaining O. Henry stories to the sprats and they said, "hey! Now I get that episode of Futurama." The boys attempted to describe the episode in which two characters get hair cuts so they can buy combs and the third shows up with a new wig (their hair) and a lotta combs.....or something. You had to be there and I wasn't. But the gist! The gist! Hey Shakespeare did that retelling schtick and nobody whines about him, much. And some stories just keep popping up like reanimated corpses and no one complai...

1. I'm all about the numbers. 2. and the tangents.

1. I think I lied when I said I wasn't going to do a Maisy Dobbs glom. There are habits I want broken--like I wish the characters didn't do that repeat a phrase thing and keep saying each other's names (eg "That they do, Billy, that they certainly do.") and honestly, Pilates? But I'm growing fonder of them, and that's a sign of danger ahead. Growth and change in familiar characters is worse than salty nuts when it comes to that old addictive quality. I wonder when TPTB figured out that it can't all be same old, same old. We have a buncha Perry Masons on tape and there's no change or soap opera building from week to week. No way you could get away with that now. All those evil publishers/producers know about helpless readers/viewers trapped by helpless addiction to changing character arc. 2. Also more Wodehouse because they're all free on Kindle. Early Wodehouse is better than no Wodehouse. 3. Here's what I'm not going to read: Going R...

1. The theme from Arthur is jammed in my head. Thanks a lot, Ryan. Your video is cute, but the song! THE SONG. 2. This is the biggie for me: a semi-possible offer from a dreamy fabu publisher is not going to happen. 3. Christmas. I'm getting worse at that holiday, or rather the season. I should have been trained in it better. 4. Rain, rain, more rain. 5. The house smells like an old damp ex-fire because the old fire went out. 6. Nekkid trees. 7. In the rain. Except my husband just told me out of the blue that he loves me, so okay. And also someone invented Pandora so I can drive out Christopher Cross. Currently my "Old White Guys" station is playing Steely Dan and Bruuuuuuuuce is up next. Another also? If there is some scurrying and hue and crying going on in the internettty world or politics or publishing, I'm not there. I've checked out. Unless you know something about it....and it's potentially interesting? Well? Hmm? Anyone? Gossip?

I had a run on the YA Historical Mystery stuff. I read: 1. a couple of Maisie Dobbs books....The history part is fun. She did her homework and uses the research for details that make the story richer instead of smacking us longside the head with Facts (well, occasionally there's a teeny tiny head-smack) . Maisie herself isn't impressing me all the time. She's too perfect and the way she tells people what to do in a rhhather pompous manner is rhather annoying. And there isn't a sense that she questions herself and the Great Blanche's methods--not enough self-awareness. Plus those methods. Nope, I'm not sure they are presented so that I'd believe them. So that bit above sounds whiny, but I like the books just fine. The author knows her pre-WWII world. Overall grade: fun stuff. OH! And there's the big secret about the man Maisie had loved at the end of the first book and that made me like her more. She became slightly more human. More flawed = human. But...

No, I refuse to believe it's all coincidental: Twice in the last few months, I've change the course of the publisher. Right after one of my books came out, they basically discontinued the line. Right after I made a lot of fuss and bother (well, mostly just snickered) they changed the way they do covers. They are sick and tired of authors complaining the cover doesn't reflect the story. . .Hmmm I didn't have that complaint. And really, they didn't say that--they do professional communication. I'm reading between the lines the official statements. They just said something along the lines of nope, sorry. We are now making covers that we think will sell the book. The covers don't necessarily have to reflect the actual characters. I hope they won't start putting tall leggy blondes on stories featuring midget brunettes. Since we're talking hot contents, at least the covers won't be entirely Kilgore Trout.

I want to post Halloween pictures of aya and tom, but I can't because I don't have any. I need my pix of butterflies and h1n1. Here's Alex from a gazillion years ago. My boy: VERY SAD BABY Pretty happy teenager. I don't get it but I'll take it, thanks. I realize the reason we're doing well here is that we're incredibly lucky with the kids, the health, the ability to laugh at the same stupid crap etc. The basics are better than anyone could hope for. That means any whining? Details and blips. I should probably knock wood 24/7 ....spit over my left shoulder . . .light candles of gratitude to the gods . . . maybe clean the place up a little? Some recognition of the bounty. Maybe I'll whine creatively just to disguise the situation so the eye of chaos won't fall upon this house.

There are some authors one should only read a book then take a break. No glomming for them. Right now I'm letting myself listen to my every-couple-of-months Carl Hiassen. His basic characters and his plots are repeats but I love them so much, I don't mind. I did the mistake of reading a couple in a row and getting annoyed by the repetition factor. But after a while I want to go back. I love the nasty pasty city villains, the crazy bad guys--especially the ones that are redeemed. And the crazies who're hanging around the everglades. In the familiar mix there is always something new and interesting--and usually something so funny I'll laugh enough to wake up the dog.