Great Hits: My Kids' Best One Liners

Sometimes, the words I write are not my own. At the Stiletto Gang today, I share the best one liners my kids delivered during the last year. No writer could make this stuff up.

Who me? Yes. I can focus intermittently.

Seinfeld fans will remember that it was “the show about nothing.” Similarly, this post is my post about everything. I’ll do it in 500 words.

This year I’ve been working hard to make all kinds of changes. Too many to intelligently tackle at one time, but whatever. The things I want are coming into focus and now that I’m seeing them more clearly, I just want to get on with it already.

One of them, of course, has to do with writing more. This change includes the implementation of my new mantra, BICHOC, which other writer-types may recognize as the acronym for Butt In Chair, Hands On Keyboard. It turns out, this really is the only way to get my manuscript to continue growing steadily. I’ve been applying BICHOC for two months and it has not failed.

Sure, I’m a writer and yes, I like to do it. But I’m also a mother, researcher, fitness instructor, runner, internet addict, social butterfly, and leisure reader and I like to do all those things too. Reminding myself to make time for writing is not as natural as one might assume. I put my progress on display for the world to see (left sidebar) and some of you are actually keeping an eye on it (thank you). This accountability is a huge motivator and--knock on wood--the first draft of the next book has been my fastest so far.

It will take one more paragraph before I get to my point.

On a seemingly (but not) unrelated point, I vehemently dislike “stuff.” What is stuff? Put simply, it’s everything around a home or office. Clothes, cooking utensils, staplers, paperwork, shoes, toys, pictures, remote controls, jewelry, CDs, DVDs, knick-knacks (I especially dislike those) and any manner of clutter constitutes “stuff” in my book, and I mightily strive to have as little of it as possible. The problem is that I have three kids, and while clutter is Kryptonite to me, it is oxygen to them. When I pare down the household stuff, my kids act like they’re going to shrivel up and die without it. So the battle between good and evil, or Mom and Stuff, continues always in my house.

Now it all comes together.

I’ve become a fan of a new website. It’s not solving my clutter problem, my parenting anxieties, or making me a better writer, but it sure is helping me get some perspective and focus more on what is important to me.

Shared here, in hopes it helps you with whatever your goals and demons are is Zen Living. And, although I keep finding wonderful stuff in the archives of this site, my latest favorite that I reference often is 20 Strategies to Defeat the Urge to Do Useless Tasks, which I think might possibly have been written especially for me.

If you like my new favorite web site a fraction as much as I do, we’ll all become better people and I will have done a good deed. Marines say, “Semper Fi!” I say, “Simplify!”

Booya!

Book Buzz: Boulevard by Stephen Jay Schwartz

I met Stephen Jay Schwartz at Left Coast Crime, and here I offer further proof that if I ever want to get caught up on my reading stack, I must stop meeting other writers. Because when I like people, the natural extension is to go read their stuff. And without fail, these new novels cut to the front of the line, and the rest of my stack gets dusty.

No matter! Boulevard was totally worth it.

This one blew me away. I was hooked from the start, and then became irritated and grouchy when real-life interruptions got in the way of my read. That's a very good sign. :)

In Boulevard, Schwartz's debut thriller, we're introduced to a troubled protagonist, Hayden Glass, a dedicated and gifted robbery and homicide investigator plagued by a private demon, sex addiction. Slowly, we learn the many facets of Hayden's true self that have been lost to his addiction, but what really brought this character to life for me was the realistic "one step forward, two steps back" portrayal of his continued efforts to heal and recover.

As Hayden works a string of murder cases, he discovers that he is the link connecting them all. While other detectives in his division are headed down the wrong path, Hayden struggles to end a serial killing spree alone, without backing from his comrades or captain. He knows he is a common link to each crime, but can't come forward with full disclosure without essentially ending his career. Worse, he doesn't believe the men left to do the job have the capacity to do it right.

With tight prose, outstanding dialogue, and strong supporting characters, I enjoyed this novel as much for its impressive writing as for its fast-paced and gripping storyline. Highly recommended for thriller fans, readers of police procedurals, and those who like a dark, disturbing read that taps uncomfortable spots in the psyche. This one is definitely an emotional ride.

I'm standing by for the next in the Hayden Glass series, BEAT, coming in September, 2010.

Book Buzz: Gravity by Tess Gerritsen

Imagine that somebody wrote a novel about your workplace and got it right on, and then added a twist, and a turn, a biohazard, some romance, and a smattering of sci-fi. Yeah. That's what I was reading over Memorial Day weekend. Good stuff, right here.

Wow! A friend of mine, both an avid reader and fellow NASA contractor, put this one in my hands. Gravity was published in 1999 so I was late to this party, but it was an amazing read--and I feel safe now in adding that it's timeless. I appreciated Gerritsen's care with technical facts at NASA, as well as her accurate depiction of Johnson Space Center and the Houston area in general. Just a real fun read all-around, close to home for me, and nicely done!

Gerritsen did a remarkable job blurring the line between modern-day science and science fiction. Gravity asks readers to consider the limits of secrecy that are justified in the name of "public safety." It also explores the limits of love and professional duty during times of crisis.

I was delighted to recognize some professional acquaintances in the Acknowledgments, and I was saddened at the mention of Columbia (the novel pre-dated the tragedy). This was a touching read for me as our nation's Space Shuttle program, which is close to my heart, draws to its close. Heartily recommended for fans of medical thrillers or space aficionados. Required reading for JSC contractors and civil servants. :)

Book Buzz: Iron River by T. Jefferson Parker

It occurred to me that I post my impressions of books at Goodreads and sometimes at Amazon, but I've never done it here at the blog. So today I'm going to start. One thing that helps authors is word of mouth, and I want to be a part of encouraging folks to read more.

With that, I'm posting my short review of Iron River, a book I finished yesterday:

This was my first T. Jefferson Parker novel and my introduction to his series character, Charlie Hood, an ATF agent who patrols the "iron river" where illegal guns move from the United States over the Mexican border to the drug cartels. Much of the story's backdrop was new to me, and I appreciated the unique setting and inherent element of danger in Hood's life and in those of his colleagues. What really set Iron River apart for me were its characters. The story is narrated partially from Hood's viewpoint and partially from his adversary's. I liked the way Parker took the time to illustrate the humanness of all his characters, whether they were "good" guys or "bad." A favorite character was the puzzling and seemingly eccentric Mike Finnegan, who seemed to have insider information about a range of past, present, and future events, all from the confined space of his hospital room. Switching between the perspectives of these intriguing characters kept my interest high and made for a very enjoyable read. Recommended for those of you who like bad-ass operatives with a side dish of romantic interest.

Because I Feel Like It

Today at the Stiletto Gang: How my emerging attitude problem is ramping up the word count.

Sixteen Degrees of Separation: When Texas and New Jersey Cohabitate

I had a fabulous time with mystery writers and fans at last weekend's Malice Domestic Mystery Convention in Arlington, Virginia. You can click here to see pictures from the weekend or here to read about the interesting and unexpected thermal issues I encountered in my hotel room. :)