The end draws nigh

Things are winding down in Oxford. :(

Tonight is our closing dinner, final exams are Thurs-Sat, and we leave Sunday. Can't believe how this summer has flown. This probably will be my last post from England.

That means MORE PHOTOS!


Click here for photos taken in and around Henley-on-Thames (including Greys Court -- those of you who've read bits of my twin story may recognize this place.)


Click here for a small batch of photos from Stratford-upon-Avon, including Anne Hathaway's Cottage (where we spent a magical morning).

Apologies to everyone whom I owe an email -- I hope to pull myself together once we get home.

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Wales is in my blood...metaphorically at least

This past weekend Steve and I celebrated our 21st anniversary in Powys, Wales near the Brecon Beacons National Park.


We stayed at the Gliffaes Country House Hotel, which was surrounded by dense forest and had splendid views of the Usk River.


On our first day of walking, we took the Usk Valley path. Here's a shot of me as we walked along the canal tow path. (Still trying to get the hang of the automatic functions of this camera. *sigh*)

For more photos from that day (including CHICKENS, RIVERS, CUDDLING SHEEP & more!), check out my Flickr set for Friday.


On Saturday we took the Beacons Way walk, which gave us spectacular views but muddy terrain.


It was worth falling in a mud bog to see views like this!

For more photos from Saturday (including PONIES, LAMBS & CASTLES!), check out this Flickr set.

As far as I know, I don't have a drop of Welsh blood, but Wales always feels like home to me -- it's so green and gorgeously rugged, with friendly people who really know how to feed you up. I can't wait to explore more of this fine country!

ALSO, if you want to see a few photos of Thursday's climb to the top of Magdalen Tower in Oxford, during which I had a few minor panic attacks, check out this quick photo set.

And thus ends the photo spamming. How are you, my friends?

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Cambridge weekend

Well guys, it rains and rains and rains.

That didn't stop us, however, from making our way to Cambridge this weekend. It was a sopping wet getaway, but there were many highlights.


After a 3+ hour bus ride, we arrived to lovely late afternoon weather. I took this shot of King's College from the Backs.


Steve enjoyed steak and ale pie at The Eagle on Saturday. Though you can't really get a sense of how cute it was from the picture, I loved sitting in this little snug. Maybe you get a better feel from this murky shot?

(Random factoid -- apparently the discovery of DNA was first announced in The Eagle. Sorta fun to imagine how that all played out, eh?)


The Cambridge Shakespeare festival was going on while we were there, and both Friday and Saturday nights we attempted to see plays. It rained so hard Friday night that Julius Caesar was cancelled after the interval. Saturday night the players continued the second half of Merry Wives of Windsor in the rain, but we were weenies and left.


Caught this interesting photo Sunday morning. (I've been using my new Canon Rebel DSLR, and my photos are still mostly crap. Must take lessons, or read the handbook...or something.)


The sun made another brief appearance during our time at Newnham College, which is the main setting of my next novel (renamed Summerfield to protect the innocent, heh). This trip was all about last minute fact-checking, and boy was it worth the trouble!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Glorying in the chilly damp

I recently exchanged the 95-105 degree temps in Oklahoma for 55-65 degrees and rain in Oxford. If you know me at all, you know I LOVE THIS.

(I feel guilty celebrating, however, because of all the people suffering from heat and lack of power on the East Coast. I well remember our loss of power in Alexandria, VA after Hurricane Isabel, but it was nowhere near as hot as it is now. My heart goes out to you guys.)

Today I took a few iPhone shots and glammed them up with Camera Awesome:


Umbrellas along Broad Street.


My window view of Lincoln College as I sit at my desk. (We have new digs this year!)

This is Steve's first year as director of the OU Law program at Brasenose College in Oxford. So far, everything is going well. It's been a pretty mellow start to the summer -- how nice!

[cross-posted at Livejournal]

Nice things

-- First, I wish to link you to Caroline Starr Rose's blog series on Navigating a Debut Year. I freely admit that I went a little wacko (okay, a lot wacko) during the debut of The Revenant, and thus her resolutions resonated quite powerfully with me. (And her gorgeous novel May B. is such a favorite of mine.)

-- Tuesday before last, I spoke at the SCBWIOK Schmooze in Tulsa. A lovely group of writers attended, and they listened patiently as I babbled on about turning points in my writing journey. Thank you for the invite Helen Newton!

-- Thursday before last, I visited the Catoosa Public Library. (Interestingly enough, Duran Duran will be performing at the Hard Rock Cafe in Catoosa later this year, but that's a story I'll be telling in August.) I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the crowd (Librarian Kathy Willis must have HUSTLED to get them there), and I had a great time answering questions and signing books.

-- On the drive back to Norman I learned from my editor that The Revenant had won a 2012 Parent's Choice Silver Award. I was over the moon! The accompanying review was particularly delightful.

-- This past Thursday I visited the John F. Henderson library in GORGEOUS Westville, Oklahoma. It was a very "intimate" gathering, as they say -- a woman, her two granddaughters and JFH librarian Sue Ann Ghormley -- but it was perfectly wonderful. They had heaps of great questions, and I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with them.

-- But the big event of last week was my gig in Tahlequah with the Cherokee Nation Foundation and their Cherokee Teacher Enrichment program. I've met monthly with the teachers since March, and from Sunday to Friday we worked 10 hour days as they wrote, revised, and illustrated their own books for children.

It was a life-changing experience. It's impossible to adequately describe how inspiring it was for me, but I can share a few photos:


Here is a scene from Glenda Deatherage's Spirit Defenders of Nikwasi, featuring a grandmother and grandchild contemplating a sacred mound against the backdrop of the Smoky Mountains. The cut paper is exquisite, isn't it? Learn more about the Nikwasi Indian Mound here.


A river scene from Terri Martindale's Galilo Gets Married (based on the traditional story The Owl Gets Married.)


A scene from Susan Cox's How the Quail Lost Its Voice, illustrated by her granddaughter.


A stunning diaorama of the stomp dance from Emily Thompson's The Daughter of the Sun. (See traditional myth here.) My inner child wanted to play with this so badly.

All the author/illustrators did a wonderful job, and it was an honor to be a part of this project.

And now, believe it or not, we're 10 days away from our departure for the UK. So much to do and no rest for the weary!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]