Sunday, October 4, 2009

So Many Books, So Little Time

First of all, let's hear a round of wild applause for Daisy Whitney! She graciously led a beginner's YA class here, and I, for one, am much wiser for it. In addition to her instruction, she sent me five YA books to read:

The Opposite of Love and After You by Julie Bauxbaum; Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott, Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers, and Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler. As soon as I finish Allison Winn Scotch's Time of My Life and my own new YA novel, I'm going to dive in to these tasty gems headfirst.

THIS WEEK:
We actually played two "shows" (and I use the term "show" loosely) this week. The first was at my honey's work, and the second was last night when we had the good fortune to play the Diving Cat Studio & Gallery again. The picture on the left is me waiting for our roadies to come help haul in the equipment where my honey works. Oh, wait! I forgot. We are the roadies!

The other pics are from the Diving Cat. Have I told you how amazing that place is? I haven't? Well, it's amazing! We tried out some new/old songs like "Heaven" by the Psychedelic Furs and "Never Comes the Day" by the Moody Blues. Here I am with my friend, Joanne's cowboy hat. What do you think, should I move to Wyoming and buy a horse? No? You guys are smarter than I give you credit for.

IN OTHER NEWS...
I'm plowing through my YA novel at breakneck speed, however I'm up to a very delicate point in the story. The main character, who has a particular gift/power just found out her boyfriend has a power that could weaken or even kill her. She has to decide whether or not to go forward with the relationship and how to keep his power at bay. Plus, there's the matter of New Year's Eve and the Senior Prom. You have to have a date for things like that, right? Damn, life can get complicated! (Yup, that's my son, Ethan, and his beautiful girlfriend Meghan at their prom in May. Please don't ask me what was up with the Unibomber shades...)

IN EVEN MORE NEWS...
I'm heading to Denver on Tuesday for a whirlwind week with my family. I'll finally get to meet my new niece, Devyn Rae, and fawn all over her. I'm duly prepared with a few choice additions to her already Paris Hilton-rivaling wardrobe. Also, my family and I will be entertaining my parents on Saturday night at a party to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. The theme is the 1950's, so be prepared to see pics of me in a poodle skirt upon my return. (By "prepared," I mean you may want to slip something 40-proof in your coffee before viewing the pics. Don't say I didn't warn you.) I'll also be having lunch with some writing types including the woman who led a workshop at the Backspace Conference in May, my editor on a previous novel, and possibly an agent.

Also, I'm hoping to have another very special guest appearance on my blog in the next week or so, so stay tuned for that...

So, tell me, my friends, what books are you reading or looking forward to reading?

28 comments:

Susan R. Mills said...

Have a great time in Denver!

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

Susan, I'm sure I will. I'll blog about it when I get back. ;-)

Ken Riches said...

Have a great trip. Glad that the YA book is progressing, it must be hard to write something so much different than your usual fare.

Jemi Fraser said...

You are flying through that YA - it must be right up your alley. Enjoy your time in Denver, especially with your neice. Nothing better :)

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

Ken, You know, it's not hard at all! That's the crazy thing. This book is flowing more easily than anything I've ever written. It's a magical process for sure... ;-)

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

Jemi, I can't wait to hold that little butterbean in my arms! I might have to sneak her in my luggage when I return home.

Pen Pen said...

I'm hoping to get a copy of 'The Forest of Hands and Teeth'by Carrie Ryan with this gift card I have and read that in the next couple of days!

That club ya'll played out has the best name EVER!! ...and ur hubs still looks like a college lit professor I know...maybe they're twins!!
Ur son and his girlfriend are cuties! And-I like the uni-bomber glasses! Nobody will mess with you if u look like that! :)

Last thing- Can I come be ur band groupie?! I already have the groupie nickname-Penny Lane! :)

HUG ur niece for me!

Mandy said...

What an exciting week ahead of you! Have a wonderful trip. I can't wait to hear all about it. While you're dancing it up a la Grease style, I'll be up to my elbows in boxes and packing tape. Friday is our moving day. Good luck with your possible agent and in determining the fate of your YA characters. Sounds exciting! Maybe your Denver adventures will inspire you further. I'm hoping my new zip code will kick start my writing. We shall see.... Cheers to you my friend! (p.s. - thanks again for that award you gave me awhile back. I finally passed it on)

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

Pen Pen, You can do whatever you want whenever you want to. I'm in awe of your awesome awesomeness. ;-)))

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

Mandy, Good luck with the move. They say there's nothing more stressful. At least, you're heading for sunshine and surf!! I'll post pics of my trip and especially my new niece upon my return.

Midlife Roadtripper said...

Have a great time in Denver. Seems your life is most full right and the creative juices flowing. YA is not my area so admire that you're tackling something new.

Reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Although it is hard for me to quit a book before I'm finished, I think I pretty much know how this one is headed.

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

MJ, Thanks - Denver will be fun, at least if I don't think about the party preparation part. PP&Z has been flying off the shelves. If you get a chance, let me know what you think.

Ray Veen said...

Hey, that there story sounds pretty interesting. Just like the stuff I usually read (as long as the romanctical parts aren't too mushy).

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

Ray, They're definitely not too mushy. It's more psychological drama than physical. Maybe you could beta read it when I'm done...??

mo.stoneskin said...

Actually my answer was 'yes', as in given the photo 'yes you should move to Wyoming (not that I know where that is) and buy a horse'.

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

mo, Maybe I should reconsider. After all, like Katy Perry, I rode a horse and I liked it... Plus, I do like wearing cowboy hats. Hmmm.

WendyCinNYC said...

Have a great time in Denver! That sounds like a fun party. I love theme parties.

In terms of books, I just finished Sima's Undergarments for Woman, which was so good I blogged about it. Now I'm re-reading Flannery O'Connor and thinking about what novel to tackle next.

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

Wendy, I'm sure Denver will be fun. I'm not normally a theme party kind of gal, but I plan on having as much fun as a person can have wearing a poodle skirt. ;-)

Paul Michael Murphy said...

Blazing through Catching Fire.

I like The Moody Blues.

I also like Wyoming, but in smallish doses. I could never live there. I look stupid in a cowboy hat.

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

Paul, I think you're wrong. I think you'd look great in a cowboy hat.

Vegas Linda Lou said...

OMG, you and Chuck are absolutely ADORABLE! You're so perfect together.

Speaking of perfect, I can't tell you how many times I thought of your kick-ass bod last weekend as my mother was stuffing cake and brownies down my throat. (Okay, she didn't have to twist my arm too much.) You're my inspiration to take off a few pounds. You understand.

Have fun in Denver! XOXO

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

Linda, You are FAR TOO KIND!!! Stop it!!! And, boy do I love my cake, cookies, and brownies! I plan on having a blast in Denver. I will definitely post and give everyone an update. Hugs to you, as always. ;-)

Beth said...

Glad to hear your gig went well! LOL at the pic of you waiting for your roadies!

I'm working on our latest book club offering, The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow. It's slow going, but good...oh, the words I'm learning!! I love a good challenge.

Safe travels! Hugs, Beth

Anita said...

What a fun post...love all the photos! Have a fun time in Denver, and email me if you'll be in CO past the wkend.

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

Beth, You are one of the smartest people I know. Why? Because you have a thirst for knowledge that is unquenchable. Amen to you, sista, for bringing on the issues!

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

Anita, Glad you like the pics. We're there Tues eve - Mon morning. It's a pretty quick trip, otherwise I would have let you know. I truly hope one of these trips we will meet!

Jeannie Campbell, LMFT said...

i'm reading denise hunter's Seaside Letters. just devoured Jenny B. Jones first book breaking out of YA...Just Between You and Me. fantastic reads, both of them!

I wanted to let you know about my blog address change. *sigh* If you're following me, my posts now won't show up in your feed, dashboard, sidebar, whatever. So please forgive me, but you'll have to change the address for my main writing blog, Where Romance Meets Therapy, to http://jeanniecampbell.blogspot.com. To do this, you have to "unfollow" me and follow me again. Sorry for the confusion!

Jeannie
The Character Therapist

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

Jeannie, Thanks for letting me know what you're reading, both books sound interesting. I'll have to check them out. Also, I'll be sure to make the changes for your blog. ;-)

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