My Recent Comments

Hey Amy--if you don't like the review will you kickbox them?

Heh heh.

Iowa, huh? Have fun!

Writer Ellen 

Hi Christyne,

Thanks for sharing my celebration. When I sent the book in, I mentioned in the cover letter that I was pretty nervous. I bet they get that a lot. I just read the excerpt for Reilly's Promise on your website, though, and I don't think you have anything to worry about.

Amy--The Good, The Bad, and The Unread reviewed The Boy Next Door yesterday--did you see that? I have to see if I can get my hands on it. It sounds great and I'm sorry I missed it.

Well, it's after 10 so I can start hitting refresh on iTunes to see the instant Supernatural is available.

I'm reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry out loud to the kids. One chapter of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and then straight into Roll of Thunder. What a weird combo. It's a tough read-a-loud, but what a great book. Mr. W.E. is as mesmerized as the kids. This is my own copy that I got when I was 12 and read and reread so many times. I have such good book memories.

Have a happy Friday!

Writer Ellen

Heh--I just like writing stuff in the subject line like that.

Wow, people are nuts, huh?

Ronda--I'd totally be tempted by that pool across the street. You could get the other neighbors in cahoots and have a private swim club. Do they also have a nice grill or outdoor bar? Your club needs ambiance beyond the whole breaking and entering vibe.

I had a great neighbor experience in Seattle. I lived in one of the few buildings I'd found that didn't have a weight limit for dogs. That meant most of the people living there had dogs (big ones) and they all stuck around for a long time. I'll never forget my immediate neighbor whose name was Alex and whose dog was also named Alex. He said it was easy to remember. I used that apartment for Nathan in Wanted Man.

I'm so thrilled about my Dear Author review that I have to mention it. I've been waiting on pins and needles to see what they'd say. I feel like I'm back in grade school and got a good report card. In fact, later tonight I'm going to show my review to my dad so it's almost exactly like grade school. Hmm. I wonder if he'll give me a dollar?

Sam--congrats on getting that proposal finished. I always think a final check after the final check is a good idea. It's when the final check takes more than a week or so that it becomes problematic!

Thanks for all the good wishes for my sister and Kate. The baby is doing great. Her big brother is in love (so far), and my sis is itching to get home. Good work all around, I must say!

(I've decided the quilt will make a nice Christening gift so the pressure is off on that front.)

Cheers,

Writer Ellen

Hi All,

I have to run because I'm late for work, but baby Kate was born last night!

My sis is fine; she was smiling for the first time in a week! The baby is wonderful. I got to hold her, so tiny and perfect and cuddly. (Then I got to give her back while I went to my critique group which made her even more perfect.)

My cellist had his first concert last night and it was amazing. Such a happy coincidence that my folks are in town to help care for my nephew so they got to see the concert.

The birth stories are too much! You people are astounding. (I keep saying this.)

I may not be around consistently until next week. I'm behind at work, have this new neice to welcome, and I'm heading out of town for a dinner with my high school friends this weekend. Plus Victoria is expecting a book from me at the end of June!

Thanks for all the good wishes for my sister and her baby. It's just wonderful to know all that goodwill is flowing their way!

Writer Ellen

Hey Kay! Congrats!!

Wanted Man is a finalist in the same contest. When the coordinator called on Sunday night I was lying between the boys on the air bed in the living room reading Harry Potter. (My offspring now live on the air bed in the living room. It's like we're squatters! In our own home!) I was irritated and tired and wearing the top and bottom from two different sets of flannel pajamas. (Now that's a fashion statement!)

I was thrilled about the contest but then she said there is a champagne and chocolate reception in San Fran at RWA. That's a prize worth winning! I was so ready to leave my life and head immediately for the champagne and chocolate.

See you there, Kay!

Still no baby. On the up side I haven't finished the baby quilt I was supposed to be making so maybe one more day will get me to the goal line on that project. DO NOT tell my sister I said that. She's approaching homicidal levels of mean.

Have a great night!

Writer Ellen

Hi,

My sister remains pregnant. She's more terrifiying than ever. Tomorrow should be the last day of my her torment. Thanks for asking, guys!

Ithaca is granola central so I know lots of moms who had homebirths. I don't know any who were told to deliver their own child without some advance warning. Good job, Rae and definitely put that on your resume!

One friend was laboring at home and having trouble getting in touch with her midwife. This was her third kid so she pretty much knew the time was near. She crawled to the top of the stairs and yelled to her hubby to use his cell phone to call the emergency number for the midwife. He did, but then he came back to the bottom of the stairs and yelled up, "You want to make me some eggs while you're waiting?"

How about that for someone who should be dead but isn't?

Hugs on the weather emergencies. I hope you're all safe and that the roofer shows up, Amy!

Tasha--your family sounds delightful! How's the clean bedroom campaign going? I love the pretend name thing. I'm a fan of giving people power in areas I don't care about in order to maintain the power over things that matter. Very sneaky!

I have a lot of work deadlines and a personal writing deadline so I have to rush off! Thanks for thinking of my sis.

Writer Ellen

Hi,

In case anyone is interested, The Good, the Bad, and The Unread blog is doing a spotlight on Supers this month. Wendy (from the blog) wrote a great introduction to the line, there are reviews, interviews (Kathy Shay is up and I think Deb is coming later this month), and I'm doing a guest blog about why I love Supers. (Highlights are when I mention this thread and also suck up to the editors. It won't be up until the 19th.) The spotlight is here: Super Spotlight.

Carrie--good luck with the job. I always hated those writing test things for jobs. Aren't my samples enough??? I had to do one about carrots one time. I felt like I was in third grade.

Maureen--I joke about my poor, detested technical writing job a lot but it's an excellent way to get paid to write. Tech writing jobs have a better than average chance of allowing flexible work arrangements, a lot of freelance opportunities, pretty decent salaries, and are not always as boring as they sound. (Were you reading the thread when I found out how much energy it would take to boil the oceans? Could a job be more interesting? )

Ooh. I forgot Ira Sleeps Over. I love the snarky sister. My younger son isn't much of a reader so I leave stacks of picture books around the house to sucker him into injesting text every day. I love rereading those old gems.

Cheers,

Writer Ellen

Tasha,

Here's how much I like homemade gnocchi. My best friend Stephanie, makes the world's best gnocchi. So I:

1. Wrote a book using gnocchi as a plot point.
2. Asked her if she wanted to have a character named after her.
3. Let her pick out her fictional husband's fictional name and made her fictional self three inches taller.
4. Dedicated the book to her.

I'm seeing her this weekend. Do you think she'll take the hint and make me some gnocchi? She's actually not much on subtext so I don't think she's going to have picked up on my machinations. If I'd just asked her to make some she would have done it.

I did actually make homemade gnocchi a few weeks ago. There was a fairly easy recipe in Gourmet. It was the ricotta style, though, and I like the potato kind. Still, better than nothing!

Ronda--hugs to you. The outgrown clothing is even more bittersweet when you're thinking about people having troubles. Take care.

Rae--hugs to you on the Mother's Day cooking. We had french toast and bacon for dinner. I wish we'd thought of ice cream sundaes. Next year!

Take care,

Writer Ellen

Kay--I keep thinking about Another Man's Baby and how my sister's pregnancy is nothing anyone would include in a romance. She's having terrible back pain and is just a mess. I have to believe the 18 children lady would have chosen differently if her pregnancies were anything like this one.

I have a plan to meet up with my high school friends in Scranton for dinner this weekend. I hope the baby is here before then--otherwise I'll be too nervous to enjoy myself!

All this Battlestar talk is making me curious but I'm resisting. I can't handle any additional distractions in my life. Susan--do you still write fanfic? I had no idea that even existed until about 3 years ago. Some people write amazing stuff.

Have a good Monday! (Holly--I didn't even grit my teeth. I'm not sure I'm entirely sincere, but it's progress! )

Cheers,

Writer Ellen

So I finally saw Supernatural. No one mentioned that the Winchesters were in Erie. Holly? Susan? How did you miss the hotness? Or the tallness? Man, I could have driven down.

Shelley--no cable for your either? I much prefer watching TV on DVD anyway--no waiting. I think the episodes are more effective too because they can build on each other emotionally.

Kay--we took the kids to Iron Man tonight. Lots of fun! (Although I thought the pre-Iron section was a little long. Victoria would have cut a bunch of that stuff.)

When we bought our house 2 years ago, there was a whole pack of 5th grade boys living on the street. Those boys were all at the movie tonight. I was looking from them--alone, messing around at the mall on a Saturday night--to my 5th grader--sharing my popcorn and covering his eyes during a scary preview. Two years and he'll be at the movies on his own? And I'll be where? Home by myself? Sob.

My guest blog on Cigars was about the first romance you ever read. Kathleen Woodiwiss came up in a bunch of responses. I've never read her. I was thinking about that and I realized it's because my mom wouldn't let me read her books when I was a kid and I never got over thinking I wasn't allowed. I think I just may put her on my list to check out this year. Have you all read her?

Have a great relaxing Sunday!

Writer Ellen

P.S. Kim--I'm glad the check thing is working out. Money anxiety is so hard to deal with. You don't need any extra worries at this point! We filed an extension on our taxes so no windfall for us yet. I'm sure I'll have mentally spent it six hundred different ways before we finally see it.