Just saw this linked in a tweet from John Green: Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters.

I won't be reading the book, but that's a cute trailer.

Once upon a time a skinny white cat showed up on the back patio of our old house. It spoke to us in a high-pitched, girly meow. At first this cat would spook when we tried to pet it, and thus we called it "ghostie girl." Eventually it let us near and seemed very happy to be fed portions of dry cat food.

It returned again and again. So hungry all the time. Once I fed it twice in a row and still it meowed for more. I looked it in the eye and said "I KNOW you are not hungry! Stop meowing!" The beast proceeded to leap into the air and catch a bird in mid-flght, right before my eyes. Bird in mouth, it glowered at me. I got the telepathic message -- I am STILL hungry! Once the bird was released I put out more food.

( Zoom forward three years )

tinuviellen will be hosting a Veronica Mars co-watch and discussion group! I'll certainly be there. Will you?

Take a stroll down memory lane OR take the plunge and watch the show for the first time. You'll be glad you did!

I have So You Think You Can Dance on the brain, I know. So why not make it the focus of my Friday Five?

Five of my favorite performances from Season 5:
( are under the cut )

Happy weekend, everyone!

Have to be on the road by 7 am tomorrow for the drive to TN. [Please let it be cooler there!] Will be gone a week and still won't see everyone I need to see. I hope to share adorable photos of my nieces when I return.

Mystery! update:
-- Watched Mrs. McGinty's Dead last night and was amused to see the Modernist-style home High & Over once again on Poirot. I think I've seen all the Poirots that have aired in the U.S. and I'm sure they've used this house at least five times (and never the same people living there!). Overall, I liked this episode better than the boarding school one -- perhaps because I didn't have any trouble staying awake? Or does country house kink trump boarding school kink? Not sure.

-- Next week is the new Miss Marple (Julia McKenzie) in A Pocket Full of Rye with Matthew MacFadyen as Inspector Neele and Rupert Graves (hopefully looking very dashing) as Lancelot Fortescue! Having read this one fairly recently I know Miss Marple doesn't come into the story until nearly halfway through, so I'm curious to see how the writers handle her introduction.

The Coolness everyone is talking about:
-- I bet you didn't know that Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver is coming out August 1st. (You did? Well, pretend you didn't.) She made a totally groovy trailer that you'll find here. That Maggie, she is multi-talented!

Saturday was my 5-year LJ Anniversary! Woo hoo!

When I posted about Cherokee Gothic on Saturday I forgot to mention that during the library visit I snagged a copy of The Gothic in Children's Literature. Doesn't it look awesome? Can't wait to dig in!

Continuing in the Gothic vein, I need to update my Bulletproof Kink post -- how could I have forgotten TURN OF THE SCREW when listing favorite governess books?

Saturday night I was looking forward to going out with another couple for a nice meal, but the dinner turned out to be a surprise party -- for ME and the book deal! Totally unexpected and very wonderful. We gorged ourselves on seafood and steak, and later a splinter group went dancing. GOOD TIMES! I can't remember anyone ever throwing a surprise party for me before. *sniffle* This'll probably last me a good long while.

Sunday was a recovery day, capped off nicely with the return of David Suchet as Poirot on Mystery!

And finally . . .

Tidbits from the recent issue of Entertainment Weekly:
-- first of all, THE COVER.

-- Joel McHale's MUST LIST: "Let the Right One In. It is the greatest Swedish vampire children's movie you will ever see. It makes Twilight look like an episode of Saved by the Bell."

I agree, and yet I wonder exactly how many Swedish vampire children's movies are out there? And Twilight has a totally different agenda, so it's rather pointless to compare. STILL, Let the RIght One In was amazing and it haunts me still.

-- What's on Libba Bray's MUST LIST? "Doctor Who and So You Think You Can Dance. That shows range."

I love her more than ever, if that's possible!

I love the term "bulletproof kink."

I first heard it in reference to fanfiction, or maybe tv show storylines, but to me it resonates for all fiction -- what I read, watch, and what I write.

According to Fanlore, "a bulletproof kink is a story element a fanfiction reader likes or is turned on by regardless of poor writing quality, implausibility, or unsavory plot elements. Perhaps suprisingly, given the sexual origin of the word kink, many bulletproof kinks are story tropes unrelated to (or incidental to) sex."

According to writer Nancy Kay Shapiro, it is "a shorthand designation for the kind of narrative, situation, characters, setting, theme that's irresistibly compelling, that makes a story idea go for the writer—and hopefully, the reader too. It's the kind of story you're drawn to, that you want to be immersed in, as writer or reader."

Here are five of my bulletproof kinks:

1. situation -- a character in love with someone who is in love with someone else. (I have three of these in my new story. And one of the someone elses is dead!)--(But NOT a zombie.) Favorite examples: Twelfth Night (which features a perfect love triangle!), Cyrano de Bergerac, Ivanhoe, and lots more I can't think of right now.

2. setting -- boarding schools, particularly of the 19th century finishing school variety (as in A Great and Terrible Beauty). But I also love fantasy versions (Harry Potter), and contemporary versions (Jellicoe Road, Looking for Alaska, and Prep.) For me, you can't go wrong when you pile a bunch of kids together in a faraway school and replace the parents with a small group of disgruntled teachers.

3. setting -- English country houses. Whether pristine or crumbling, the remote country house is the perfect setting for romance, mystery, and murder. Think Jane Eyre, Rebecca, Fingersmith, and all those gothic romances you used to devour when you should have been doing your homework/housework. A recent YA favorite of mine is Linda Newbery's Set in Stone.

4. character -- the governess. Whether she's demonized, marginalized, or eroticized, I just love a governess. Not really a servant, but certainly not part of the family, she's caught in between and this makes for great conflict! Favorites: Jane Eyre, Agnes Grey, Turn of the Screw (Why can't I think of more books? Help!), films like The Governess and Firelight.

5. theme -- hauntings (or would you say "hauntedness"?). I love everything from hauntings by ghosts to characters who are haunted by dark secrets, evil deeds, unrequited loves, etc. A great example is Sarah Waters' latest, The Little Stranger. What exactly is haunting Hundreds Hall? (I hope someone will discuss this with me soon, before I forget the details of the story!)

Most of these kinks can be tied into my obsession with Gothic, of course.

So . . . what are your kinks? Share one!

Cynthea Liu, author of the just-released Paris Pan Takes the Dare, is raising money for a Title I school in Oklahoma. I'm all about getting more books in the hands of kids, and being an Okie myself it's particularly exciting to help get books to at-risk Oklahoma kids!

Wanna help? Click the banner for more information!



Fun, prizes, great critiques, and the opportunity to help kids become READERS!

My brain didn't want to settle down to sleep last night. So I'm not in the best shape for Friday Five this morning.

Quickie version:

1. *yawn*

2. last night's SYTYCD = perfect outcome

3. this morning's tea, oatmeal, bacon & juice = happy tummy

4. today's workout with trainer (only my 2nd) = certain torture and possible death

5. the final installment of England pics = click link below!



Day trip to Hampton Court Palace

And that's all, folks! Thanks so much for your comments along the way -- it's been fun for me to relive the experience through these posts.

I pledged to get massive amounts of work done this week, and so far . . . not so good. But I hope to buckle down and make progress today. Also need to get the house ready for a visit from the in-laws on Monday.

Methinks a very detailed checklist is in order.

After a brief hiatus, I bring you England pics, Part V:



A birthday celebration in London

[34 photos, with lots of afternoon tea pics from my iPhone. Only one more installment to go!]

For those interested in Tom Stoppard's Arcadia: ( reviews and my own shallow thoughts under the cut )

And finally, SYTYCD was pretty amazing last night. What a marvelous group of dancers -- I can't even imagine which girl they're going to cut. (As for the boys, I'm thinking Tony. And yet, he has lots of fangirls to call in for him. What do you think?) Anyway, WOW! What a great start!

I can finally tell you my writing news!

I have a book deal! With Michelle Frey at Knopf!!!

Check the second listing here at Publishers Weekly for a few more details.

Egads, there were many weeks of waiting, worrying, having minor breakdowns, driving my agent nuts, etc., before all this was official. From the bottom of my heart I want to thank Jennifer Laughran (our dear literaticat) for doing AMAZING work and putting up with me so patiently -- AND for having such cool & supportive clients! (When I grow up I want to be just like her/them.)

There are so many other people who have my eternal gratitude and deserve to be recognized, but for now I'll just offer a general "THANKS!" to anyone and everyone who believed in me, encouraged me, gave me feedback or just took the time to share a "path to publication" story on LJ. I've learned so much from the writers and readers on my f-list and this wouldn't have happened without you.

*hugs you all*

Monday pledge: this week I will get MASSIVE amounts of work done!

Had a great visit with friends in Tahlequah this past weekend. Maybe I'll share a couple of photos tomorrow.

But for now, the Englandy pics continue:



Darwin and Newnham Colleges, and later . . . Hyde Park

Only 21 photos! Easy peasy.

1. Though my jetlag hasn't been terrible, it did leave me with a woolly brain and the desire to go to bed at 8:00 p.m. I think I'm mostly recovered now, though.

2. Last night I had one of those nightmares where I'm back in high school and haven't gone to a certain class for weeks -- and finals are coming up. It's ALWAYS a math class in these dreams. Do math folks dream about forgetting to go to English class? What's really interesting is that Steve had a similar dream two nights ago, only it was a college class. Being gone for 8 days takes it toll on the subconscious, I guess.

3. I'm finally caught up with So You Think You Can Dance. This is the first time I've watched the process of narrowing down the final twenty. ( brief thoughts under the cut )

4. Apparently my Welsh name is Lleuu Ringgold. Thank goodness there are Facebook memes to tell me these things! I was especially tickled by this one because 1) I love Wales, 2) I want to be Welsh, and 3) I just finished a really wonderful MG book by Linda Newbery that's set in Hay-on-Wye. (Thanks for Lost Boy, de23!)

5. Finally, here's the next installment of my Englandy pics. I know you're thinking "OMG, stop with the photos!" but there are only a few more sets and I'll give you a break over the weekend, okay?



Newnham, St. John's and Trinity Colleges

Only 25 photos, some of which actually feature people. Heh.

I'd never really thought much about punting in Oxford vs. Cambridge until de23 and tinuviellen raised some questions in their comments on my last post. So I did a little research.

( Cut for rambling discussion of punting and Peter Wimsey )

Now, for more photos! Click the link below for the 2nd installment of Englandy pics.



Botanic Garden & Ely Cathedral

Warning -- 31 photos in this one, with lots of flowers and landscapes.

One of my favorite things about traveling is arranging all the photographs afterwards -- it's a lovely way of reliving the experience. However, I struggled a bit in identifying the colleges pictured in the album linked below. After studying a few maps and websites, I think I got it all figured out. But if you see that I've mislabled something, please let me know!

So without further delay, here's the first intallment of my Englandy picspam:



Click here: Our first day in Cambridge

[Oh, and don't worry, it's only 15 photos -- I mean to post them in small batches!]

BTW, I'm trying Flickr for the first time. Apparently it doesn't show titles and descriptions during the slide show unless you click "show info."

It took 18 hours to get from London to Norman, OK, yesterday.

Yuck.

The flight from LHR to DFW was smooth but looooong (& no good movies to watch). Lots of bumps from Dallas to OKC, but a blessedly short trip.

It was all worth it!

Cedric was very happy to see us. And I came back to find pretty things blooming:


Daylilies!


Hydrangeas!

Beware -- I will be posting lots of Englandy photos in the days to come!

Oh, and I did a very speedy review of 8 days worth of LJ posts early this morning, but no doubt missed a lot. If something amazing happened, be sure to let me know.

I consistently fail at coming up with five interesting things, but here goes . . .

1. Saw Star Trek for the third time last night. It was Steve's first viewing and my first in the luxurious balcony at the Warren Theater. Perfect movie for pizza and beer. The audience cheered at the end and all I could think was "Yay! Now I want to see it AGAIN!" What is happening to me? I feel 12 again. (I still didn't see Greg Grunberg. *checks imdb* Duh, he was the voice of the stepdad!)

2. I missed the premiere of So You Think You Can Dance last night. Was it good? I tend NOT to like the first few shows of this series -- seems better to wait until they've winnowed down the competitors. I really don't enjoy the auditions, particularly when they exploit the weirdos for comic relief. (Or am I confusing this show with Idol?)

3. Leaving for England on Sunday. Still lots of cleaning and packing to do, and yet I sit here and noodle around on LJ. Let's see . . . am taking One Good Turn (2nd Jackson Brodie book) and Wildwood Dancing to read on the plane. dragonlady_gnrd and cyberchezza plan to drive down to Cambridge to meet us for tea on Monday! We'll be in London on the 28th, so if any of you are there and wanna meet for coffee/tea/whatever, let me know. I'll miss some birthdays while I'm gone (*eyes caerwynx and dm_lunsford in particular*), but don't think I've forgotten you, okay?

4. The weekend after we get back in town, I'm heading out to the Murrell Home Lawn Social. (Read more about the Murrell Home here.) Hope to get some good photos to share with you!

5. I have lovely news on the writing front, but can't spill the beans until next week . . .

Happy Friday everyone!

1. I am booked for the SCBWI Summer Conference in LA! Woo hoo!

2. I finally saw the American version of State of Play and found it pretty entertaining, mostly because I'd forgotten the specific details of the original. But why is it that all the women in the film are gorgeous, tiny, and extremely kempt, while Russell Crowe can get away with looking sloppy, bloated, and unhealthy? Phooey once again on Hollywood double standards! It's not so much that I demand RC should be slim and trim for every role he plays -- it's that I'd like to see a variety of body shapes, etc., for his female co-stars. Argh.

3. I have the house to myself until late Sunday night and so far haven't taken great advantage of it. I'd love to marathon some chick flicks -- preferably featuring men in cravats, but I'm open to contemporary movies, too. Nothing is calling out to me so far. Suggestions?

4. Today I plan to start an artsy/right-brainy project for my new story. The wondrous lkmadigan inspired me a while back and now I'm finally going to tackle something wordlessly creative. I plan to post about it at kidlit_central next Friday.

5. I first saw this at bracken's lj, and now it's up at Cynsations -- Lara Zielin's "Editing Letter," to the tune of Corey Hart's "Never Surrender." Funny! ( Video under the cut )