One Year

It's my birthday. I love my birthday!

As an August 1 baby, I'm a Leo, which can be good
or bad
It means I love attention, but since I was raised by lovely parents who taught me manners, 364 days out of the year I feel rude and evil if I walk around with "ME! ME! ME!" attitude.

But on my birthday I feel like I get a free pass to say "this is what I want and we're doing it." It's 24 hours of guilt-free selfishness. Hurrah!

Today's agenda - going to Twins game and dinner at my favorite French restaurant in St. Paul. Tomorrow we're heading up North to visit my parents and spend some time on Lake Superior.
This year has given me a lot to reflect on. A year ago I didn't have a book deal. I was on pins and needles while Nightshade was out submission.

This week I received pictures of the photo shoot for the cover of my second book, WOLFSBANE (I'll be posting photos at the end of next week), and got an amazing editorial letter in response to my third book, BLOODROSE.

That all of this has happened in the space of one year is phenomenal. And on my birthday next year, NIGHTSHADE and WOLFSBANE will both be in bookstores!

Most people don't know that August 1 is a holiday. Lughnasadh, or Lammas, is the pagan harvest festival. It's a day to celebrate the bounty of the earth; it's joyful and full of hopeful possibility. I can't think of a more appropriate celebration as I have so much to be thankful for.

Break Out Christmas Hit

For a few days now I've been forecasting Andrea's posts of holiday wacky goodness and now IT'S HERE!!

Today through Christmas Day there will be astonishing lights, sound, sight - all the holiday glitz you can stomach (maybe more if you've been drinking too much nog).

It's kind of a pet peeve of mine that the Sound of Music's "My Favorite Things" has been adopted as a holiday song that plays in the background of malls while you shop. But I've decided to jump on the bandwagon, dedicating these posts to my Favorite Holiday Things.

First up: Fave Holiday Songs

I love holiday soundtracks, but I have a strict rule about not listening to any seasonal songs until we're past Thanksgiving. Hearing "Silver Bells" any sooner than late November is like nails on a chalkboard for me.

Music makes my world go round, so limiting the selection here is tough, to say the least. So I've decided to choose one song from Andrea's new: Key Categories of Holiday Music Bliss Out.

Category: Childhood (I listened to this one on my Grandma Opal's record player, over and over and over)





Category: Kitsch (In case you're wondering 'sori' is sleigh, 'sube' is the sleigh's movement. Side note: I highly recommend all U900's ukelele carols)



Category: Sacred



Category: Muppet (This song always makes me tear up)



Category: NEW FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG

One of the best things about entering the writing world is meeting other writers who really see the world the way you do. Yes, everyone, be very, very afraid. Josh Berk and Kiersten White are geniuses. Soon they will rule the world and I'm hoping they will let me be in their Cabinet, or Inner Circle, or Secret Society - what have you. Here is their amazing contribution to the Holiday Songbook.



What holiday tunes are you spinning this December?