Tea and a book . . . DOUBLE FEATURE

April turned out to be a very busy month, and thus no "Tea and a book" post. I'd still like to briefly mention my April recommendation, but I'll compress the details into a visual:


If this photo gives you a happy tingle, then you certainly must read Claire B. Dunkle's 2006 YA novel, The Hollow Kingdom. It's an excellent book in its own right, but methinks those who pined for David Bowie as the Goblin King in Labyrinth might find it especially satisfying. Dunkle (author of one of my favorite ghostly books, The House of Dead Maids) somehow manages to make an impossible romance not only believable but very poignant.

And check this out: a Goblin tea blend from Adagio!

And just for fun, here's the As the World Falls Down clip from Labyrinth.

(You know you want to click that link!)

*****

Now on to the May book recommendation!


The Secret Hum of a Daisy, by Tracy Holczer

I've been waiting to read this book for years! I met Tracy Holczer at my first LA SCBWI conference way back in 2008. She's one of those enviably beautiful and talented people who's also so warm and kind and totally real that you just fall in love with her. Shortly thereafter she let me read the first fifty pages of this story (which had already won Tracy the Sue Alexander Award), and I marveled at her lyrical writing and deft characterization. I also gave some feedback, which no doubt was tragically (or laughably?) unhelpful. I was very green back then. Fortunately, Tracy didn't hold it against me. She went on to finish the book and sell it to Penguin, and now it's on shelves everywhere. And what splendid reviews it has received!

I could babble on forever, but for the sake of brevity I will tell you that it's a book about grief and love and healing and creativity that will bring laughter and tears to readers of all ages. Read a more detailed summary and the first chapter at Tracy's gorgeous webpage.

On to the nom noms . . . in the book the characters enjoy brownies and cookies, and I found myself wondering "is there such a thing as a brownie cookie?" THERE IS! I found this recipe at homecooking.com and went to work. (Keep in mind that my batch only yielded 38 small cookies, not the 70 advertised by the recipe. Also, you will get quite a workout for your right arm as you stir this batter! Maybe I was just doing it wrong, but the cookies turned out quite tasty, so the warning stands.)

Now for tea . . . there is at least one mention in Secret Hum of Earl Grey tea with lemon and honey, which sounds scrumptious. For such a potently chocolate cookie, however, I wanted something strong that would complement rather than compete with the flavor. So I chose Adagio's Assam Melody, a "solid, 'friendly' Assam" that I like to imagine would get nods of approval from both Grace and her grandmother.


And if you were admiring the adorable teacup in the above photo, I can tell you that it's part of the Kelly Rae Roberts collection, and if you click that link I'm sure you'll see some familiar artwork. Go here to shop for a Kelly Rae Roberts product of your own!

And look! Here's another blog post with a tasty recipe to go along with The Secret Hum of a Daisy. Yay!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Focus objects and written intentions

Last week I experienced Kindling Words West in Breckenridge, CO.


As you can see, our surroundings were sublime.

Our first evening together, all the attendees stated their intentions for the retreat. The mornings that followed began with yoga (optional), a fortifying breakfast (so necessary and appreciated), and an inspiring hour-long talk from Laurie Halse Anderson (brilliant). At the start of each talk, Laurie focused us with a writing prompt, usually about significant objects from our past or present.

When she asked us to journal about an object in our lives that helped us refocus into our writing, I wrote about the various inspirational doodads I've collected or been gifted since I got serious about writing. That was fun, but then I remembered the Brontë poster I brought back from the Parsonage Museum -- Branwell's portrait of Anne, Emily, and Charlotte. As you may know, this painting originally featured the artist standing at the center, but now all that remains of him is the golden column where he later effaced himself.


I face the poster when I'm sitting at my desk, and it's the perfect focus point for a little informal meditation. When I look at that painting, I think of the sisters rambling the moors and scribbling at the kitchen table. I imagine them burning up with a story fever that poverty and loss couldn't extinguish. And as for Branwell -- his tragic self-loathing is a good reminder to be kinder to myself. (The muse responds to deadlines, but not so well to disparagement.)

So, inspired by Kindling Words and Laurie Halse Anderson, I've identified a focus object and pledge to list intentions at the start of each writing day. I hope it becomes a habit.

How about you? What would you choose as your focus object?

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Writing Process Blog Hop

My fabulous friend and critique partner Brandi Barnett invited me to join her in blogging about the Writing Process. Brandi is the author of YA novel Glamour, and she blogs about the magic of everyday life at brandibarnett.blogspot.com. Thank you, Brandi, for inviting me to join the fun!

Now to the questions . . .

What are you working on?
I just finished a middle grade contemporary ghost story. Now I'm in the planning stages for a couple of Young Adult novels--both mysteries, one contemporary and the other historical. Each has its own little bit of metaphysical/paranormal flair, of course.

How does your work differ from other of its genre?
This is a tough one, so I'll focus on process rather than content. I don't know how other writers of ghostly mysteries get their ideas, but with me it almost always starts with place rather than character or plot. When I discover an out-of-the-ordinary setting, I start to wonder what sort of people might have inhabited it, and what kind of joys and trials they might have experienced. The story takes off from there.

Why do you write what you do?
Simply put, I try to write the kind of books I want to read. I love mysteries and historicals. I love Gothic settings. I can't get enough of characters who are haunted in some way -- by an actual ghost, by the past, by a loss, or perhaps by some trespass they've committed. I collect favorite (& sometimes random) story elements like a magpie, with the goal of mixing them up into something new. Something me.

How does your writing process work?
I'm a planner. I outline. I fill in character questionnaires. I create index cards for each scene and arrange them on a bulletin board. I love any sort of graphic organizer for planning OR revising a story. It's the drafting that nearly kills me -- seriously, sometimes it's about as painful and ugly as ripping the guts from my body. (Well, not quite, but you know what I mean!) Revision isn't that much easier, but for me it's more fun, partly because the graphic organizers come back into play. I like to chart story elements to identify gaps and redundancies. For instance, when I'd completed a solid draft of my middle grade novel, Steve and I charted each chapter on a huge dry-erase board. So fun!


We spent three full days on this. My husband is a prince, I tell you. (Also, it was OU's semester break.)

Next Monday, April 28th (or in Valerie's case, a little earlier than that), three friends will join the blog hop and give you the deets on their writing process. Do pay them a visit!

Jerry Bennett is an illustrator and pre-published graphic novelist hard at work on his 'underwater western'.
Jerry blogs at Tumblr, and you also can follow him on Facebook.

Mari Farthing is a freelance editor and writer in the OKC area who blogs about family, music, pop culture and just about everything else you could think of at Mari, quite contrary.

Valerie Lawson is a young adult contemporary author who also dabbles in middle grade mysteries. She lives in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, with her husband and two children who suffer through her delusions of grandeur and bouts of madness with grace. Follow her writing journey at Valerie R Lawson: Barbies on Fire.

Have a great week, everyone!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

March Tea and a TV show (or two)

March has come and nearly gone, and what with revision, travel, and friends coming to town, I haven't had much time to read, much less blog. So this very late edition of Tea and a Book will have a slightly different focus.

This past Friday, my dear friend Michelle and I capped off her visit with afternoon tea at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas. The setting was elegant, the food delicious, and the company divine! (Click photos to enlarge)



You can see the actual menu here. Michelle and I both appreciated how the Adolphus emphasized quality over quantity, and how we were allowed to enjoy the experience in a leisurely fashion while still receiving the appropriate amount of attention from the unobtrusive staff. A skilled pianist played familiar classical tunes. Nearby a mother treated her two adorable daughters to a birthday tea. At other tables friends chatted and laughed. It was such a pleasant environment--highly recommended. (Apparently the Adolphus does brisk business at Christmas. Bookings open October 1st and fill fast.)

And now to the TV portion of this blog post . . .


During her visit Michelle introduced me to Hallmark Channel's When Calls the Heart. Many of you know that I'm a total sucker for Hallmark Christmas movies, so when Michelle first mentioned this show I knew I'd be interested, particularly because it's a historical featuring a refined young woman who takes a teaching job in a western mining town. This show was like a soothing hug, especially after all the dark stuff I've been watching lately. (True Detective, Walking Dead, etc.) I loved the strong female characters, the gentle romance, the family themes, and the fact that I could watch the show with no worries that a beloved character would suffer a violent death. (We had a special When Calls the Heart tea while viewing, and of course I used my new red teapot in honor of Mountie Jack.)


Michelle and I also watched Death Comes to Pemberley during her visit. (And I watched a second time with Steve over the weekend.) I read the book as soon as it came out and . . . I actually found it a bit tedious. The mystery was interesting enough, and P.D. James stayed true to Jane Austen's characters, but there was way too much telling and overall I found it hard slog to finish. This BBC adaptation (which comes to PBS in November) breathed new life into the story with its stellar cast and lovely production values. Matthew Rhys was nearly perfect as Darcy, and even though Anna Maxwell Martin (whom I adore) wasn't exactly how I see Lizzie Bennet, she played the part very sympathetically. Jenna Coleman (Doctor Who companion Clara) was excellent as Lydia, but for me the true standout was Matthew Goode. Until now, I've never seen a convincingly dashing Wickham. Goode is physically striking and certainly plays up the selfish and rakish aspects of "wicked Wickham," but he also has quiet moments of sensitivity and vulnerability. He's not a good man, but in this production I certainly see how a woman like Elizabeth Bennet might have found him greatly appealing, at least for a time.

Now back to revisions AND a three-day school visit. I wish you all a wonderful week!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Friday Five: Nice things

I haven't been a very good blogger lately, mostly because I'm desperately trying to finish up a revision. But I did want to check in with five nice things on a Friday:

1. The Dark Between is a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award. It's such an honor to be included in this list along with stellar books like Nugget & Fang by SCBWI Crystal Kite winner Tammi Sauer and Mojo by National Book Award finalist Tim Tharp.

2. The Veronica Mars movie is finally here. (And I'm so proud to be a Kickstarter backer.) It's playing at two locations in OKC. Yippee! Check out the trailer:



3. Feeling grumpy? In desperate need of something to smile about? Well, I recommend you visit Fluffington Post on a regular basis.

4. Speaking of smiles, have you seen these 19 Very Important Photographs of Benedict Cumberbatch with Kittens? Oh go on, check it out AGAIN.

5. I bought a gorgeous red ForLife teapot. I found mine at the Teaoli shop down the street, but they also are available from Amazon.


Mmmmm . . . Notting Hill tea with Dr. Lucy's gluten free sugar cookies!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]