amazing segue from Baltimore to Omaha

My days in Baltimore were spent among Ivy League people, the type who discuss the intricacies of Middle Eastern politics and America's foreign policy with good humor and intelligence.  The sort who spend more time reading more books and articles than watching reality television.  It was a real shot in the arm for me because most people where I live don't know Assad from Gilani.  I think I could easily become a city girl, in the right kind of city--I dig the old architecture, the history, the rich culture and funky neighborhood restaurants.

One of the things my writer pals are big into is research.  Lauren is extensively researching Romanian history and the one of America's earliest psychiatrists, a man who revolutionized treatment of the mentally ill.  Mariana has read up on Wilfred Owen, the great WWI poet.  Nina is submerged in the Boxer Rebellion.  And M.K. meticulously examines English life and criminal behavior.

M.K.'s attention to detail is part of what makes The Green Remains a pleasure to read.  (The title and cover are green!  But that's not the only reason why I loved this book.)  From the foliage in bloom outside Clarendon Hall to the police procedure that follows the discovery of a body (washed up on the shore of Lake Windermere), The Green Remains rings true.  No fine point misses M.K.'s eye, and if it somehow does, her fine crew of editors (including yours truly) picks it up.





(Need another review convincing you to read this book?  Click here!)

I'm a fan of a great murder mystery, but it's even better if while reading I feel like I'm on tour in a fresh location.  The Green Remains is just like a vacation to England's Lake District.  For any Anglophile, this is a must-read.

I'm giving away an autographed copy to one lucky name drawn out of my comment box.  This contest is open all week--all you have to do is leave a comment, each comment through the weekend is a chance to win.

And speaking of winners, Mr. D was in Omaha while I went to Baltimore.  I marinated in the company of writer types while he soaked up all the glory of the College World Series.  He came home all revved up about new strategies and drills and baseballbaseballbaseball.  Mr. D loves reliving his college baseball days and this is his new favorite, incidentally starring an Ivy League baseball team:



Spill it, reader. What green thing makes you happy?

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back from baltimore

I'm loaded down with work to do on my manuscript--plots to thread together, characters to scratch, sentences to recalibrate, nouns to modify, adjectives to fix.  Evidently I was quite fond of making my main character "tremble" each time the object of her adoration walked through the door.  TREMBLE!  Of all the sissified reactions to a man!  Funny to discover you've written in an action so consistently, too.  It's a tough thing to return home after a writing workshop with no time to write.  As usual, the Screw Iowa gals helped me immeasurably and I am refreshed from both their company and the infusion of estrogen.

Wine was drunk (but we weren't--haha!).  Museums were toured.  Laughter erupted.  We talked about politics, economics, literature, history and art.  Lauren and her husband were wonderful hosts.  And there was hugging.  Lots of hugging.

Re-entry is tough--Team Testosterone had a good week, but they've become soft and spoiled in my absence.  I've got to crack a whip over their heads, replenish the pantry and pull eleventy billion weeds that flourished in drought-like conditions while I was out of town.  You have to respect stuff like button weed, not only does it manage to firmly root itself in the most unwelcoming locations, it grows tall, mighty and GREEN without water or encouragement.  Everything else here is crispy brown at the edges, but the weeds somehow stay verdant and lush.  Perhaps I should re-think my garden plans--a flower bed of Queen Anne's Lace and Stinging Nettle would never need weeding.  Or watering or any other kind of attention.

But I digress--one of the Screw Iowa Gals, MK Graff, has a new Nora Tierney mystery recently published!  It's wonderful and I'll talk more about it tomorrow, but I'll leave you with this review and a giveaway.  Next Monday I'll pick one lucky winner from the comment box and mail them an autographed copy of The Green Remains.



Isn't that cover FABULOUS?
 
So spill it, reader.  A free book is at play.  What's growing unwanted in your garden?  (Non-gardeners can answer metaphorically, of course.)

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off to the mountains

My bags are packed--only bringing the carry-on this time around, and woe to the bulky business traveler who thinks he can hog all the space in the overhead bin. This time I'm claiming my 36 square inches of free cargo room!

I always get a little heady when I leave--the sweet freedom of being around 4 of my favorite women for 6 days of discussing books, writing and everything deep in-between. Did I mention this comes with a mountain view, Nina Romano's divine cooking, a case of wine, a private bedroom and bathroom and all the cheese I care (or dare!) to eat? I can't wait to hear about Lauren Small's newest work in progress and dish about the newest Nora Tierney mystery with MK Graff. And help Mariana Damon revise a book for a YA audience. I'm terribly excited.

And equally morose--what if my plane crashes? I insist to Mr. D that he find a suitable wife STAT--my sons need a good mother. He assures me he'll never remarry and and gives me a brisk, worried kiss. I place my hands on Mr. G's sweet cheeks and tweak his freckled nose. I give my skinny Mr. B a good hug and rub my chin against his silky-soft hair. I wrap my arms around Mr. T, who always takes my absence the hardest, and inhale his sweet scent to memorize it. Home is where my heart is and I've become rooted to one place.

I'll be back in June--with DOUBLE FABULOUS because May got away from me!

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