juliannef

Geeks and Sociopaths

2007-09-23T16:10:24Z

I recently watched the first season of Dexter on DVD. For those not familiar with the show, the main character is a blood spatter forensic expert with the Miami police, who is also a serial killer. His father, a cop who was aware of his sinister proclivities, taught Dexter to only kill those who deserved it: i.e. murderers who had escaped justice. The show is very well-written and acted and darkly funny. One of the interesting things about Dexter is that, because he is a sociopath, he lacks both a conscience and the full range of human emotions and is always having to guess at what the proper responses are in social situations.

Oddly enough, I found myself relating to Dexter as I watched the show. Not the need to inject people with animal tranquilizers and then carve them up with a chain saw, of course. Really not my thing. But the moments where Dexter is trying to guess at how to act in social situations. I can relate. I was a this geeky girl with glasses growing up and all the kids at school seemed to be speaking some strange language of "cool" that I never understood. I'm all grown up now, but I still have my inner geek and she feels awkward and out of place sometimes. Watching Dexter stumble through his interactions with people really hits home.

So now I'm relating to a sociopathic serial killer. Should I be worried? Or should I just get Showtime before the second season starts?

Madeleine L'Engle has died

2007-09-08T00:45:53Z

I saw eternity the other night

Like a great ring of pure and endless light,

All calm as it was bright,

And round beneath it time in hours, days, years,

Driven by the spheres,

Like a vast shadow moved in which the world

And all her train were hurled.

-Henry Vaughn (quoted in A Ring of Endless Light)

I was twelve when I first read that book, A Ring of Endless Light. It made a deep impression upon me, in part because the protagonist, Vicky Austin is dealing with the death or potential death of people in her life. My grandfather had just died when I read that book and I was struggling with the loss. That book articulated a lot of the thoughts that had been swirling through my mind and introduced me to 17th century metaphysical poetry, which I still love to this day. It introduced me to the idea that one can face the reality of death and still enjoy and appreciate life.

Of course, A Wrinkle in Time is my all-time favorite of her works. When I wasn't getting along with my parents, I used to imagine running off to roam the galaxy with Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which and Mrs. Whatsis, not to mention Aunt Beast. L'Engle evokes the battle between good and evil, between the darkness and the light in way that is accessible to younger readers and yet maintains an amazing spiritual depth. I love her liberal take on Christianity. I have never figured out why that book is banned so often.

Now, Ms. L'Engle has herself passed into that eternal light and I cannot help but pray that the Mrs. W's are there with her.

Farewell, Madeleine and happy travels.

In Praise of Harry Potter

2007-07-20T12:43:28Z

I am an avid devotee of the Harry Potter books. I have all the books, both in hardcover and paperback, I have the two related charity booklets R. K. Rowling published, one on "Fantastical Beasts" in the Potterverse and one on Quidditch. I have the first four movies on DVD.

My deepest desire, (and the one I would probably see reflected in the Mirror of Erised) is to go to Hogwarts. Oh yes, I know that, being in my 30's now and married to a Muggle, I am no longer in any position to attend. If only my letter hadn't gotten lost when I was eleven! I am convinced that the owl choked on the L.A. smoke and expired before he could reach my house. Nothing to be done about it now, I suppose.

For adoring fans of the Potterverse, like myself, this month is tantamount to Mardi Gras. First, the film version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released. I saw it (the day it came out, of course) and loved it. It is now my favorite Harry Potter film. I went back to see it again last Friday and will probably see it again a few times before it leaves the theaters.

Tonight, at midnight, I will be at my local bookstore with my husband to get my reserved copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I have done this for the last few Potter book releases and have always had a blast. They put on a whole party every year. The fact that I am vastly outnumbered at these functions by children does not bother me. During the party for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, I found myself engaged in an argument with two twelve year olds over name of the spell used to club the Troll over the head in the first book. I won the argument, naturally, much to their chagrin, proving that they were the most pedestrian of Potter fans. What hardcore Potter fan could forget Wingardium Leviosa?

I will be incommunicado all weekend, obsessively reading the last *sob* Harry Potter adventure. May all other Potter fans be as excited as I am tonight!

Melissa Marr and Tags

2007-07-16T14:40:20Z

I drove down to San Diego with my husband for Melissa Marr's signing at Mysterious Galaxy. I had a great time. Melissa waxed on about writing, publishing, tattoos and piercings. Then, after I came home, I discovered that Melissa had tagged me in a game with the following rules:

The rules:
* Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
* People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
* At the end of your blog, you need to choose (8) people to get tagged and list their names.
* Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Okay, here goes:

1. I am always obsessively timely. I have been known to arrive a half hour early at appointments. I'm the first one to arrive at parties and wait around awkwardly for the other guests.

2. I carry a book with me wherever I go. I have a couple of books always in my car - one's a Harry Dresden novel and one's a Harry Potter book. I also, usually carry a small paperback in my purse so that if I arrive early somewhere, due to #1, I will never be caught without something to read.

3. I love cemeteries, the older, the better. To me, they're just the most peaceful places on earth. When I'm in a cemetery, I am reminded that though death is inevitable, I need not fear it.

4. Though i was raised Catholic, my father was Jewish and barely escaped the Nazi regime in Austria. My grandmother wasn't so lucky- she died at a death camp near Minsk.

5. I'm a terrible pack rat and have piles of clutter all over my apartment. I also have at least 500 books scattered throughout said apartment. Ever so often, my poor husband will get one of "those looks" on his face, and I will feel compelled to commence a flurry of cleaning, carving out open spaces that are inevitably overwhelmed with clutter again in a few weeks.

6. I have intensely vivid daydreams. Quite often, I drift off into one wherever I am and become completely oblivious to my surroundings. Many people find this disconcerting.

7. My all-time favorite television shows are Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff Angel. I also love Firefly and Serenity. I am a firm believer in the imaginative world of Joss Whedon.

8. As if I needed any more clutter, I also collect snow globes. My favorite is one from the Cirque de Soleil show in Vegas called "O". It has a figure on a white horse emerging from the water. Very surreal.

My taggees are as follows:

aletatela
azahniser
blackaire
faithhunter
johannacarleton
moschus
suricattus
tezmilleroz

Let the tagging commence!

Ode to Ana

2007-06-23T18:46:01Z

My best friend Ana died yesterday. It was very sudden, probably an embolism. I'm told there was no pain, but I wasn't there. She was only 46 years old. She leaves behind a 16-year-old son who has no other blood relatives.

I spent yesterday evening calling people who knew her and giving them the news. Everyone is in shock and most of them are breaking down and crying.  All I feel is empty and angry.

She was the best friend I have ever had in my life. We finished each other's sentences and had revealed all our deep, dark secrets to one another. She was the one person in the world, other than my husband who always understood me and never judged me. I cannot even begin to explain what our friendship has meant to me.

Ana was the finest kind. She had suffered greatly in her life, but rose above the sadness and bitterness and gave compassion and kindness to everyone she knew. We were both only children, so we adopted each other as sisters. We even called each other "SIs."   I miss her so much all ready.

Her son, Jeffrey, is going to need all the love he can get and I've already told him that he has mine. He's feeling lost and overwhelmed. So am I.

So, here's to the magnificent Ana Baca. May she be at God's side even as we speak.

Julianne

Death by Soda and The Magic Castle

2007-06-18T04:06:58Z

Is it possible to keel over from drinking too much diet soda? I'm putting that question to the test. I have discovered these sumptuous flavored Diet Pepsi's. They're called "Jazz" and they come in three flavors: Strawberries & Cream, Caramel Cream & Black Cherry-French Vanilla. I have been drinking massive amounts of them (at least five cans so far today) and my enabling husband is feeding my habit by buying them by the carton. I have three quickly diminishing twelve-packs in the fridge right now. I keep thinking I'm going to dissolve into a puddle of bubbly flavored goo like the Wicked Witch of the West - oh wait - that was water, which is actually healthy. Somebody, save me!

Last night my husband and I went to The Magic Castle. For the uninitiated, The Magic Castle is an old Victorian mansion in Hollywood that's owned by the Academy of Magical Arts, a professional association for magicians. To get in, you have to be either a member of the Academy or be invited by one. It was through an invitation that we were able to go last night . First, we entered the front lobby and confirmed our invitation. Then I was told to turn towards an old bookshelf full of books and say "Open Sesame." The book case opened to reveal the entrance to the castle. It's an amazing place with, among other things, a "haunted" piano, apparently played by a ghost named Irma, a haunted British-style phone booth, oil paintings in which the subjects of the paintings move their eyes to follow you as you pass, and an elegant Victorian style restaurant.

There are also magic shows going on constantly. We saw three shows while we were there and they were all great. One was a show by a math professor named who can multiple large figures in his head and come up with all sorts of fascinating patterns based on your date of birth. Then we saw a classic carnival side-show, in which the participants did weird, occasionally disgusting and always painful things to each other's bodies. At the end of that one, they invited members of the audience to staple bills to their unclothed torsos. They got to keep the money, of course. Finally, we saw the "big" show which included performances from a comedian-magician who emceed, a guy who swallowed flames and a magnificent magician who did the best sleight of hand tricks I've ever seen. All in all, it was a wonderful evening.

Julianne

Urban Faeries

2007-06-15T16:27:22Z

I have just finished Melissa Marr's eagerly anticipated new novel Wicked Lovely and am entranced. The prose style is almost impossibly elegant for a young adult novel. I wish we had YA books like this when I was a teenager. Actually, I don't think of it as a YA novel - though it's being marketed that way. For me, it's just wonderful fantasy literature, pure and simple. I don't want to give away any spoilers - so I'll just be vague and say that the depiction of the faeries and their victims are depicted with mixture of beauty and tragedy with a side helping of terror. It reminds me of those classic faerie tales that are especially haunting, where every action has unexpected consequences and good intentions are no guarantee that things will turn out well. Charles de Lint has good taste (read the July issue of F&SF magazine)!

Actually, there are a lot of interesting literary takes on faerie lore out there, notably, Holly Black's work. Her books Tithe, Valiant and Ironside, like Wicked Lovely, take a somewhat sinister view of the faerie world, which fits in nicely with their depictions of angst-ridden adolescense. I know my adolescence was pretty angsty - so I can relate to these characters very well. The best fantasy, I think, uses the supernatural as a metaphor for the real life issues. I think both Marr's and Black's writing does this well.

Then there is the adult urban fantasy take on faeries: Marc Del Franco's Unshapely Things (also has a Druid detective and a dwarf mafia - hee, hee), Rob Thurman's Nightlife (up there with Valiant re: scariest scenes invloving trolls in NYC) and Moonshine, Elaine Cunningham's Shadows in the Darkness and Shadows in the Starlight and, to name an old classic, Emma Bull's War for the Oaks. All these novels have new and intriguing takes on faerie lore (okay, Cunningham writes about elves - but still) that have influenced me greatly in my own writing.

The heroine of my novel, which will probably turn out to be YA because of her age is half faeire. Her mother is a faerie and her father is a Sorcerer and she lives in present day Los Angeles. Of course, that presents all sort of possibilities. (Dark chuckle). I hope that by the time I'm finished with it, everyone isn't tired of faeires and urban fantasy!!!! Slight hyperventilation. Okay ... calming down.

Lovable Protagonists

2007-06-14T03:47:21Z

I'm immersed in writing my YA fantasy novel and I'm totally loving my protagonist. She's much like I was at that age - shy, unpopular, morbidly witty, lousy home life. Except she can do magic. Hee hee. I'm writing a chapter in which she accidentally stops time. I used to dream I had powers like that.

There are actually many wonderful novels in which the protagonist is not likable at all. The narrator of Vladimir's Nabokov's Lolita, for example, is a pedophile. Yet, it's one of my favorite novels, containing moments of breathtaking lyrical beauty and devastating irony. There are some protagonists that other people like, but who leave me cold. Many people love Anita Blake from Laurell K. Hamilton's novels. I really enjoyed the earlier Anita Blake novels, but I've never warmed up to Anita herself. I love kick-ass heroines from Buffy to Rachel Morgan to Thorn St. Croix, but what I love about those characters is how they go through hell and fight back, yet still have a touching vulnerability. I don't get that from Anita Blake, although I acknowledge that Laurell K. Hamilton is an excellent writer.

There is no law that says that protagonists or narrators have to sympathetic, and sometimes unsympathetic narrators tell a fascinating story. But I find myself glad that my heroine is, indeed, to me at least, likable and sympathetic. She starts off the novel as an unhappy, neglected teenager, goes through hell and back and manages to pick herself up again and even prevail. That's the kind of story I've always loved to read and, indeed, mirrors my own life rather closely. So it's no surprise that I'm writing that story.

In my own personal fantasy's I am the storyteller of the neglected, picked on, and abused children of the world. But, then, I have delusions of grandeur.

Oh, well, back to the writing!

Julianne

Cats & Birds, Predator & Prey

2007-06-08T13:05:38Z

This morning, I was awakened by the most God awful screeching. I hoped it was outside, but no such luck. The inhuman screeching was coming from inside my bedroom.

Now, in my dreams, I am Buffy, I am Thorn St. Croix, I am Rachel Morgan, perhaps even Anita Blake with a much less confusing sex life. In REAL LIFE, however, I gently shake my husband. "Honey, there's something in the bedroom." My husband, has heard the God awful screeching, but has been trying to ignore it. Good luck. You may as well try to ignore a car alarm going off in your bedroom. My Noble Husband gets up, turns the light on, and I see my adorable cat, Sparky, "playing" with a terrified little bird. That a noise so deafening can come from a bird so tiny must be one of God's little jokes. Maybe it's compensation for his size.

Hubby halfheartedly stares at cat. "Take it outside." he says. No reaction. He makes a move to pick up the bird, when Sparky grabs it in his mouth and makes a run for it. Hubby shrugs at me. What is he supposed to do.? Deciding that I am a can-do fantasy heroine, after all, I chase Sparky and finally corner him in the living room. I grab the bird and take it outside and place it in a tree. Sparky may still get to it, but I don't think so. He's not much of a tree-climber, for which I am deeply grateful. Sparky roams around after that, looking under chairs to discover where the birdie is. Sorry, Sparky.

I'm not really a believer in reincarnation (too many years of Catholic school), but I think that a particularly creative punishment for really bad sinners would be to come back as a bird who is caught and killed by a cat. Just imagine - the freedom of flight suddenly and cruelly torn away from you by a fluffy orange fur-ball. Here's hoping George W. Bush comes back as a sparrow.

The Pull of Fantasy

2007-06-05T19:21:24Z

I love fantasy novels - especially dark or urban fantasy. I guess I just get way too much reality in my real life. I mean, I'm a pension analyst, for God's sake. My day at work consists of putting together pension plan documents, reviewing calculations and figures and making sure we stay on the right side of federal government. Not that I don't like my job - actually I do. After I get out of work, though, don't give me anything to read that is too close to my daily routine.

I've loved fantasy since I was a kid. I started out on the usual - C.S. Lewis, Tolkein, Madelaine L'Engle, Piers Anthony's Xanth books, Lewis Carroll, George Macdonald (anyone who hasn't read The Princess and the Goblins and The Princess and Curdie is really missing out). Later, I graduated to Ray Bradbury, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Ursula K. LeGuin, Clive Barker, Stephen King, Charles deLint, Kurt Vonnegut.

Not surprisingly, I write fantasy as well. I am currently working on a fantasy novel that is definitely in the YA realm due to the heroine's age. However, the plot is going to get pretty dark. Oh well, YA fiction has been getting pretty edgy, so I won't worry about that yet.

Oh, well, back to the grindstone!

The Joys of Writing

2007-06-01T11:53:48Z

I love Friday, Yes, even though I have been spoiled by a three-day weekend and ergo, a four-day work week, still Friday is still an eagerly awaited event.

More time for writing! My writing is like a relationship with an illicit lover. During the week, there are stolen moments: a few lines here, a revised sentence there. But, come the weekend, I lavish my attention upon it with fervor. Such is the life of one who makes a living as a pension analyst. I have a "real" job that requires my undivided attention. I have nine hour days and a one hour commute to work each way. That's at least eleven hours per day taken away from writing. Oh, well. The weekend is almost here and I can't wait.

I know where my story is going, which is great. The only question is - how do I get there? I am about to post my second chapter at the on-line critique group to which I belong. I am nervous. That's okay. I was nervous about posting the first chapter, but I got uniformly positive responses and some tips on revision that proved very useful.

Soldier on !

Memorial Day Musings

2007-05-28T03:34:55Z

Virgil sang of "arms and the man." I sing of the three day weekend.

It is Sunday evening and I have realized, much to my joy, that I DON'T HAVE TO GO TO WORK TOMORROW! Since I have been writing feverishly all weekend, I have one more day left. Will I take a break and enjoy the day, see a movie perhaps? Or will I keep writing? I'm guessing .. mostly writing. Oh sure, I could spend Memorial Day like the vast majority of other Americans, but where would be the fun in that?

Of course, there is a serious side to this. Memorial Day is in honor of American soldiers who have died in military service. WIth the insanity currently going on in Iraq, the holiday is given a new urgency for many families. Nobody in my immediate family died in combat, although my father served in the Army in WWII. Yeah, that's right. WWII. I had an older father. He was almost sixty when I was born. He was in his eighties when he died, ten years ago.

I have two Great-Uncles on my mother's side who died in France during World War I. The American Legion in Beverly, Massachusetts is named after one of them. It's called the Michael J. Cadigan American Legion. Apparently my mother's Irish-Catholic family had a corner of the living room dedicated to a shrine to them, with black bordered photographs on end tables covered in white lace. It was still that way in the 90's until my Great Aunt Mary died. I guess she still missed her brothers.

Writing, critique groups, husbands and cats

2007-05-26T13:22:39Z

I love it when the words just flow. My novel is shaping up quite nicely, and I even wrote a little short story on the side. Praise be, the Goddess Muse.! the main character is a shy, unpopular girl who always gets picked on. Then she discovers she has magical powers. Having been one of those shy girls myself once, I 'm getting a real kick out of my protagonist's development.

I've discovered a great on-line critique group. I submitted my first chapter, and so far the response has been very encouraging. It needs work, which I expected, but people seem to want to read more. Yea!!! My writing does NOT suck! Of course, my husband thinks it's great and doesn't understand why I doubt myself. He's great., but he's biased. At least he's supportive. My cat, Sparky, on the other hand, is really annoyed by the times I'm spending on the computer. He attached himself to my legs and meows furiously. Sorry, Sparky. Oh, now he's playing hard ball. He's looking adorable and letting out a plaintive kitty aria. Now, I must remain resolute. Must obey the Muse!

Great Urban Fantasy Reading

2007-05-23T13:12:03Z

Well, I finished Justine Musk's Bloodangel and really enjoyed it. It reminds me a little of The Stand in the sense of the apocalyptic theme and an evil force drawing people together. The villain, Asha is this demonic, ravaging force contained in a beautiful, blonde rock singer. The idea of a rock star literally devouring her fans gave me some grim chuckles.

I've also read the first two books of Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampire series for young adults. The characters are so well drawn - which is hard to do in a story with four main characters. The situation - a small college town run by vampires is so intriguing. They're very well-written and, though I've actually never read Caine's Weather Wardern series, I now feel compelled to do so. The same friend that recommended the Morganville Vampire series as well as Bloodangel has also recommended the Weather Warden series and I've yet to be disappointed by anything she recommends.

Well, off to work. The caffeine is starting to kick in.

Working Life

2007-05-21T20:00:41Z

I am caught up in my work and having my lunch. More importantly, GOD (otherwise known as my boss) has left the building. In naming my boss GOD, I am not offering my estimate of him, but his own. He strides into the office everyday like Caesar surveying his troops before an important battle. GOD speaks in overly formal language and calls all women "love" even though he is not British.

For me to actually feel "loved", they would have to pay me considerably more. GOD is actually only one of three partners at my firm, but he is by far the most arrogant and patronizing. I have fantasized about cutting off his head and using said body part as a bowling ball. Not that I'm much of a bowler, it just sounds fun. i actually went so far as to mention this to one of my colleagues who paused thoughtfully and asked, "So would you use the eyes as holes?" I assured her I would.

GOD is a hunter. His office is filled with the stuffed heads of animals he has killed. When you enter his office, I swear, their eyes follow you. He goes on and on about the merits of hunting in the wilderness. I told him, "Why go to the wilderness, why not just hunt here?" He looked at me, puzzled, "You can't really hunt in Los Angeles." "What," I say, "Doesn't road kill count?"

It is a good thing that I am very good at my job. At least I have my own office with a door that actually closes :-)

juliannef @ 2007-05-20T11:17:00

2007-05-20T18:30:38Z

The story I'm writing is looking like it's going to be a young adult novel, primarily because the main character is fifteen (tentative age). I started out with her being older - but that didn't work. Once I made her a teenager the character and the story fell into place.

I was a little worried, because the story I'm telling is quite dark and edgy. However after reading a fairly wide sampling of YA fantasy literature including Holly Black, Scott Westfeld, Justine Larbalestier,Cassandra Clare, Robin McKinley and Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampire series and many others, I feel more comfortable in the genre. YA lit is a lot different from I was a kid.

So I'll just stay true to my character's voice and try to tell an interesting story and I won't worry about whether anything I'm writing is "appropriate" for that age group. At least, that's what's working for me.

Outline & Advice

2007-05-19T04:55:10Z

I recently joined Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld Writing forum and I'm glad I did. Kelley has posted a whole series of "workshops" on how to write an outline and do the planning for a novel. I've already been writing mine - but after doing all her homework assignments, I feel I have a much better grasp on where the story is going.

I've divided my novel into three acts - summarizing each act and I was startled by what I came up with. The plot feels much more solid now. Also she has these assignments that help you flesh out your characters - I'm working on those right now and getting a lot out of it.

Here's the link, if anyone is interested: http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=17;t=14816

Well, back to the creative grindstone!

Writing

2007-05-17T03:14:28Z

Sometimes I am just overjoyed to read my writing and think to myself "This does NOT suck. Cool!" Sometimes, I stare at the words on the screen and feel none of them will ever be good enough.

Do all writers have low self-confidence - or is it just me? I know the story I want to tell - basically. It's just a matter of creating the words to convey it. Last weekend they just flowed out me like a stream of energy. Now it's like dragging my cat to the vet to get the words out. I hate that.

Nothing for it but to keep my nose to the grindstone. Nobody ever finished a novel by waiting for inspiration to hit them - I have to track down the inspiration myself.

And try to keep from banging my head against something.

Writing & Signings

2007-05-13T16:53:53Z

I've been a book-signing groupie of late. Well, not exactly. It's not like I wear fan T-shirts or giggle adoringly at whatever the writer says. I'm in my 30's, so - kind of past that point in my literary appreciation. But I have been to 3 in the last monthm, all for writers whose work I love.

I'm an urban fantasy junkie, and the writers whose signings I've been to are all in that genre, more or less. The first was Jim Butcher's signing on Good Friday. He is such a great guy. I love the way he talks about wariting. Apparently his way of researching Harry Dresden's magic is by watching movies and TV and reading fantasy books and thinking "Oh, that looks cool." and then using it. He said he realized not long ago that something he used in one of his books actually came from the Johnny Quest show. Hee, hee.

Then, about a week ago, I went to a signing for Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. That one was smaller and more intimate, even though it was at the same place as the Butcher signing; Mystery and Imagination Bookshop in Glendale, CA. Holly and Cassie had this great little double act going - they talked about their work and urban fantasy in general and were both funny as hell. When Holly signed my copies of all her faeries books, I told her that I was writing a novel with faeries in it. I'm pretty shy about talking about my writing. I'm a pension analyst by day and I've never had anything published - so I don't feel like a real writer, even though I devote so much of my free time to writing that I don't have much free time anymore. Holly was very encouraging, though. She's a sweetheart. Her book, Valiant, is like a study guide in how to write a young adult urban fantasy novel.

Cassie Clare was also very nice and witty. I liked her a lot. Her book, City of Bones is very good. I also really like her on-line stuff . The Very Secret Diaries is my favorite. It's a parody of Lord of the Rings and it's hysterical.

But the most intimate signing I went to was last Friday at Dark Delacacies in Burbank, CA for Charlaine Harris. She kindly signed all the books I had brought (I have almost all her books and she's written a lot). About fourteen or fifteen in all. Then, because there were so few people, those of us that came sat around and talked with her for the rest of the hour. She is one of the most genuinely nice people I've ever met. After that signing I came home and wrote thirteen pages of my novel - which is the most I've ever written in one sitting. And best of all, it's pretty good. At least I don't want to shoot myself when I read it - which is always a good sign.