14 posts tagged “book”

Duchess: Mum, can you find me that book that's written in Haiku and is about spring?
Me: Uhhh... we don't even have one of those.
Duchess: Oh.

I am almost sure she expected me to write that book for her, tonight.

Remember way back in December, when I was getting rather romantic (although still confused) about the appearance of ladybugs in the middle of winter?  I got a ton of letters telling me that ladybugs are a symbol of "good luck", which made me happy, even without having any major incidences to prove those old wives right.

So I began to find ladybug items, like magnets and enameled pendants for necklaces.  Queen of Fractal Beauty sent me a note that she wanted to send me a ladybugg'd quilted postcard, which thrilled me, and then she said she loved all the songs I'd posted (skim through here) and that is always a big heart-filler right there.  When I mentioned this to one of my friends she told me it was like getting "your own green flag of sorts!" (double thrilling to even THINK of!) and I've gotta say that personal flag or not, I am quite happy to keep writing music if people like the songs enough send me quilts.

Anyway, last week I'd been walking around the house and singing "Bed's Too Big" and "Forever Live and Die" in a very melancholy voice.  My husband had been in Vegas, so I was doing the single-parent thing, and I got a lot done but it was boring and a bit lonely not having my best bud in the house.  Especially after seeing him beat the crap out of that drum kit the night before he left!  He was awesome!  So I decided to get out and tour around in the car, and I hit the post office on the way back.

QoFB's absolutely gorgeous quilted postcard was waiting for me.

Isn't it awesome?  :)  How cool is THIS!  Note the wee ladybug on the front, and the adorable doodle of herself on the back!  I LOVE this!  And the forget-me-not flowers in the front fabric have a special place in my heart :)  I wish I had photos to show you of the big grin I wore for the next three days!  I can assure you there were no more melancholy songs since then.

Thank you so much, B. :)  What an awesome artist you are.  You did incredible work and I'm so glad you enjoyed the songs.  I've put the wee quilt in the place of honour in my office (right beside my book!) so that I can see it every day.  xo ~M.

Just got a call from the Library.  Sting's waiting for me. 

They're still open for a little while, so I get in the car, alone for the first time in a pearl-string of days, and drive over to pick up the book.  "Broken Music", it's called.

I walk around a bit, browse, nothing new.  It's a crappy library but it's all we've got.  I consider taking out one of the L.M. Montgomery books, but I've got all of them; or getting an Atwood to read for the millionth time.  Books from my childhood.  I like comfortable; I like what fits.

There's nothing, though.  I don't have my kids with me, but I still feel their presence, they want me to hurry up because I take a long time at the Library.  I buy them lots of books, and as yet don't feel the hunger to visit the Library.

I do, though.

I think I might go and get a coffee.  I wander over to the desk, check out the book.  The main foyer of the building is humming with noise and full of boy hockey players and their families: practice night.  I walk out, it's cool out, with a breeze tonight. I open Sting's book and read the inner flap.

I stop dead, in the middle of the boy hockey players.  Their parents maneuver around me.  I flip to the back flap, read.

"This is how you escape.  This is how you escape."

Sting gets it.  *I* finally get it.  I know I get it, because I manage to get into the car and start to cry.  I don't go for a coffee.

What a crazy summer it's been.  It's not yet over.

I think I might have found my way back into my Second Life groove, and the reason is exactly the same as why I first arrived there: to promote my book.

I've gotten rid of all the huge stores I had, I've turned in my Lucky Chair hat, I've deleted tons of things from my inventory that I no longer used or cared about and were just dragging me down.  I've got some new digs at an authors-only island, and within minutes of landing there I made a new contact :)  Once I signed up on board with the management there, I was asked to host an event releated to my book... which shocked me, but there you go.  Having a book event was the original reason I went, and when I found my SL mojo I was able to swing right into some sweet serendipity.

So... I've got a ton of work to do, now, because it's all come at me so quickly that I need to get things organized and set up.  This is going to be FUN! :)

 

A few months ago I wrote about my friend Lizzy making me a vector art avatar of myself for the "Dessert Cocktails" book I had just had published.  I was soooo excited, because it was just so darn cool to see the mini preview she sent me for it, and she's really got a talent for art and design.  Vector art graphics are huge right now (just check out any of the retro commercials and ads lately) so I was incredibly thrilled and grateful she agreed to do this for me.

Anyway, she finished the graphic and sent it to me, and it was promptly lost in my inbox because I was offline so much, and meanwhile I was off wondering how she was doing at school and how busy she must be with her photography and her business and work.  But eventually I found it, buried in other email in a very undignified way.  Despite the fact that I dropped the ball on this it was TOTALLY worth the wait!  She made the cocktail girl like a paper doll -- dressable -- and included several different outfits, shoes, and jewellery for her.  So depending on the season (and my mood) the virtual me might be wearing a bikini or even something akin to BDSM or fetish gear.  WOOHOO!

Here's the screen grab of the site, with the inner window full of text:

 

 

And you can see it, in person, at http://dessertcocktails.com

It was a challenge to design, because when I took my new gal and made the site graphic I had to cut it into several slices.  Then some of the slices had to have iframes and other content put into them. And it's much bigger than the original site so I am still adding content -- but I'll be adding recipes and tips and other articles, so please feel free to let me know what you'd like to see on the site so I can make room for it.

How awesome is Elisabeth?  :)  I'm hoping someday some of that talent will rub off onto me :)  THANKS so much for this, Lizzy! xo

No, imitation is NOT the sincerest form of flattery.  If you're ripping off other people's work, it's called theft.

I've been dealing with this crap in one form or another for over a decade now, and it doesn't get any less frustrating.  Even having my work published still means someone's going to take it and try to make their own money from it.  Do I find this flattering?

Absofuckinglutely NOT.

But other than this irritating bullshit, it's been a really great day :)

I bought a huge art print for my quilting studio.  I'm not crazy about the frame but that's not a big deal (or what matters).  The batiks the women are wearing bring a lot of movement, and there is so much inspiration in the print it will be great eye candy as well as heart-and-soul spurring when I'm up there designing.

 

I also got a very cute little plaque for my office, which might be taken the wrong way if you didn't already know that I wrote a book about cocktails:

 

There's a new bottle of vanilla vodka in my cupboard (I've switch from Stoli to Smirnoff now -- the latter makes better chocoloate martinis) and some ice cold Heinies in my fridge.  My husband's been working hard at his office getting ready for a huge open house, so I plan on making some Key Lime Martinis for us tonight, after supper.

I totally lucked out as well when I dropped off some stuff at the second-hand store... I got one of my childhood favourites, "That Scatterbrain Booky", along with "Charlotte's Web" and a vintage, beautiful copy of a Galloping Gourmet recipe book for my husband (I collect vintage and classic cookbooks, but Graham Kerr is his favourite, and reminds him of his childhood).  I also was able to replace my antique rocking chair, once owned by my great-grandmother Alena, but reclaimed by my parents, and while not as pretty or ancient it IS really chic.

So the back house windows are washed, the front garden beds are ready to be sparkled up, the secretary desk we're putting in the front hallway now has new and workable handles, and I've got the paint colour picked out for the downstairs bathroom.  The ingredients are ready for homemade, fresh-churned ice cream and the ice is prepared to make yummy snow cones.  We even have a new s'mores maker for camping.

Somehow, I've managed to get some stuff done, and not let some asshole making trouble for me get in the way. 

This is the kind of day I really live for.

It's been a very long, very strange month :)  It's only half over, too.

The new house, while very lovely, requires a ton of work not only to remodel, but to keep up with.  We're working inside and outside -- the entire yard needs to be overhauled -- and it's so hard to get the regular stuff done when you're busy with the idiotic things like moving piles of giant rocks, or replacing every doorknob in the house because when they don't work it's a huge safety hazard.  We've had to shut off one of the bathrooms again, the one that had been redone before we moved in, to overhaul it.

I'd like a few moments in a dark alley with the previous owners of this house.

I got the new Anne Lamott book at the library and had to stop reading it.  I read it at bedtime and just wept.  I got to page 78 and had to pick up my electronic Sudoku puzzle instead... my pillow was a giant puddle of tears, so wet that I had to turn it over.  Anne's so funny, she's such a giant mess, but she tells the truth.  She's honest.  And that might be another version of that old saying, The truth hurts.  Even reading it, not living it or experiencing it personally, really just bores into the core of your being.   I'll pick up that book again, just not before bedtime, and not lying down, as I am not one of those beautiful criers, with pretty silver trails of tears streaming down my soft cheeks.  My eyes swell up and I get blotchy, and sometimes I get these horrible red freckles that are actually burst capilliaries, and look like someone tried to strangle me and almost succeeded. 

I have my business at Second Life, with five shoppes, and a growing catalogue of products.  I got to meet one of my quilting heros there as well (hi, Pat! *grin*) and I'm in a quilt block swap with her, Second Life's first one ever.  I sent her a photo of me with the Sock Monkey I bought, and we chatted about sock monkey fabric, and I sent her the location to get one so she could blog about it.  She's got a new pattern coming out, and if you see a plastic-covered quilting magazine at the store with a bonus pattern included, she's the creator of that one too :)

Although my computer is ready for the junk pile, it's still limping along, and I'm working on moving everything over to the new one.  It's not as easy as you might think, though.  So many of the programs I like to use are as old as Barbie and I can't find what I need to reinstall them.  Sometimes they are so old they aren't even compatible with the new system.  I like low-tech, and I hate change.

My husband calls me a Luddite.  I should probably have been born a Mennonite.  Buttons instead of zippers is right up my alley anyway; also I really like their quilts.

Anyway, I'm working on my book website now.  So far Photoshop has cooperated and hasn't crashed the system.  I really despise working with graphic slices, and they are even more difficult to deal with when you hand-code them into a website.  But I've got the basics now and I'm just adding in the content.  My friend Lizzy gets the credit for making the virtual "me" (she's me but she's not) and when I'm finished, I'll put up a screen grab and URL so you can admire both of our handiwork ;)

Other than that, I'm dealing with the aftermath of a horrendous medication I was taking two years ago, and still having effects from.  It almost killed me twice back then and it's doing a great job of trying to do it now.  Keeping busy is helping.

 

And how are YOU doing? :)

The first seven days in Second Life have just flown by.  Being inworld is, as my friend Darien Kazakov says, "like crack".  It is totally addictive, and there's a huge rush every time you find out something new.  Especially how to make things: I feel lile I'm walking around with a bunch of locks in my brain, and every day I meet someone who has the key to one of them.  They tell me that little bit of info that's lacking, so I can continue on with what I'm making.  Such as the hidden menu (which, if you ask me, is a really dumbass thing to even think of having).

So far, I've had good experiences and some that were laughable.  From my first two minutes inworld when a stranger gave me a fancy new shirt for the club event that night, to hide my newbie-ness, it's been mostly a great time.  My friend Jupiter sent me boxes of new clothes for my inventory, and took me to the best shops where I could find hair.  Even though my computer's new drivers seem to be causing havoc with my screen (making it look like a very scary acid trip -- which brings yet another drug reference to experiencing Second Life) I had a blast at the clubs, events, and malls.  I've met some really incredible people, including one rather annoying fellow who actually made me think twice about a few things.  I've won contests, I've given out tips, I've gotten drunk on mai-tais and fallen on my face (watch out for that third sip!).  I've gone to birthdays, parties, dances, houses, studios, shops, stages, stadiums, and houses that would give any goth a wet dream.  I've given gifts, and I've received them.  I've bought things and sold things and generally had a blast the whole time I've been there.

After only a week there I have about 5000 items in my intventory.  Darien has rented me a small plot of land beside her place, where I have a very low-prim but big house with a bamboo living room lounge set and a purple sequined hot tub.  I love it there: I can change my clothes, decorate the walls with Warhols, put out martinis and my lava lamp, and it's quiet enough for me to design there.

I've described it this way to my kids: It's like the big people version of Barbies.  Yes, Mum gets to change the Barbie's clothes, and put different hair on her.  She pretends to walk around and she meets with other people who talk with her.  This is her Barbie's house and her Barbie's things, she listens to the music the other Barbies play for her.  It's just animated Barbies but it's not for anklebiters.

Anyway, I've started a line of purses, backpacks, bags, and briefcases.  I'm hoping that it will make things easier for those people who have to go to meetings in SL -- you just put all of your files, paperwork, scripts, and other inventory you need for the meeting in there, and open it when you need to.  Even with just 5000 bits in my inventory I find it hard to get through sometimes when I need to find something I haven't categorized yet, so I figure this easy alternative will be handy.  They are two-prim accessories, and I can make them with specialized textures or logos, so if you're interested in giving one a go, let me know :)

In the middle of this first week, I was asked to host events, which is interesting because I joined SL to have an event hosted in the first place :)  I'll be DJing, my husband will be DJing, and it will be incredible to find bands or talent who can play live at the clubs.  It's all great fun, and I'm looking forward to it.  I want to wait to start this gig, though, until I've been around a little longer, have a more reliable computer, and have hooked into the streaming music feeds and programs I need to get things going.

The second week I will have an entirely new computer, so I will be concentrating on making prim flexi hair (I can't seem to find a lot of curls available... so that's going to be my first attempt).  I'm also going to work on more scripts, because I really enjoy it and I'm not finding what I want out there.  Then I'll give the 3D modelling thing another shot, designing clothing and accessories and other fun stuff, and if things work out I'll be looking for a shop to see them to.

I've also got to finish the book I've made for the promo event in Second Life... the original reason I'm even there in the first place :)  I'll be contacting my publisher to make sure everything is copacetic, and my publicists for help with the press release, and my editor for tips on the rest :)  Busy week... even busier future.

Wish me luck! :)  And if you're in-world and want to meet up, let me know :)

A few days ago I wrote about an article describing a writer's experience in Second Life.  He called it a "book signing", and he promoted his new novel by creating a character and acting out a murder-mystery in this virtual world.

With my book already released in the US, and the launch date approaching through the rest of the world and here in Canada, I admit that I was drooling over this possibility.  Two incredible Vox people left me messages here filled with hope (one included a HUGE list of places in Second Life I needed to visit) and I was sure that somehow I'd find a way to make this happen... or else someone would take me by the hand to help me make it happen.

Remember I mentioned I'd been part of an online community for about a dozen years now?  I know that seems strange, but we're a close-knit bunch of people, and our site hasn't disappeared so neither have we.  Anyway, SL was brought up by someone who thought she'd been the last one to know about it.  One of my friends there messaged me today... and... she and her honeybunch have a NIGHTCLUB in Second Life. 

Yes, a NIGHTCLUB! 

She's Jupiter Vale in SL, and she offered to host the book signing there.   And this was before she realized it was a cocktail book :)

So it's been serendipity, through and through.  I've got to get my husband to install that video card, and clean off my hard drives, and then write to my publisher and both publicists, and probably write a press release as well.  Lots of work... anyone have any ideas? ;)

Thanks, ya'll... you're making a dream come true :)  Happy Thursday!

Show us something you made yourself.

Do babies count?  I had a little help with those.

 

Here's the book I wrote and illustrated, but the publisher (Collectors Press) actually made it holdable.

 

 

Quilts, quilts, quilts... I didn't make the fabric or the batting or thread, but I designed most of them myself and stitched 'em up.  I've also got it bad for cross stitch and ribbon embroidery.

 

 

Music... I wrote the songs, took the photos, made the cover art, produced, sang, and recorded each CD (sometimes with a little help from my husband the recording engineer and drummer).

 

 

Websites are something I love doing, especially hand-coding from scratch, but this one is my favourite because it's all done in layers ("Layers, Jerry!"). 

 

 

I guess I'm a DIY kind of gal.  Aren't most of us, though?