Pick Me Up! Feast of Fools.

Mmmmm. At a certain point of the day I need a quick pick-me-up.

If I'm bad, I'll walk to the local store and get a naughty treat. Somedays it's a Snickers. Somedays it's spicy Doritos. Sometimes it's a fruit smoothie.

Today, it'll be the Feast of Fools podcast. A quick and fun pick-me-up for the ears. Quite a number of fun shows this week, including the always fabulous Miss Ronnie. Check them out.
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Daytime Confidential

OK. Today is a shallow Fred day and entry.

I love daytime dramas. Of course started with grandma watching her shows on ABC, plus Guiding Light, but then switched over to being a CBS fan. Mostly Young and The Restless and Bold and the Beautiful.

I glance at the soap mags while waiting in line at the grocery. When I was a kid I created my own daytime drama scripts... ask my friend Dr. Daryl about "Billionaires." lol. Crazy scripts. Crazy Novak, Callison, and Rockwell families

But I'm just a minute and a half late on this new podcast that I just discovered. Daytime Confidential. They're also on MySpace. I've downloaded most of the shows on my iPod and now the show is my new gym buddy. Totally makes the stairmaster go by fast.

But a couple of little gossipy tidbits I've picked up from listening. Well, if you watch ANY daytime shows, you know many have lost their grand tradition of long-term stories that focus on core families and relationships. Now, it's mostly about stunts and weather catastrophes. Not what got you hooked with your grandma.

Apparently, a couple of major actors are speaking out. One in particular, One Life To Live's Erika Slezak, who gives very upfront opinions about the state of writers on her show in her March 2007 newsletter. If you don't know Erica Slezak's Viki, she IS the show. Very interesting.

Then, if you watch Young and Restless, you know this is Victoria Rowell's last week playing Drucilla Winters on the show. We LOVE Dru, even with the material she's been given lately. And she deserved a daytime Emmy nomination, because her character drove many stories last year and this one too.

There is a very interesting interview in the latest Soap Opera Digest where she gives homage to the Bell family, the original head writers who brought her on the show, and she talks about how the Bell's eye for details, concern for long-term story, and being true to Y&R's African American audience and characters are traits in the Bell family she will be grateful for. Says nothing about the new folks writing the show. If you watch, you know the show hasn't been the same for about a year or so.

Still... I love Daytime Confidential podcast. And I still love my daytime dramas... and hope to get that call to write for one someday!
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Airport transcript: "I expect this from the guy that we get out of the hood."

So a couple things.

One, I'm a little confused as to how I feel about the Republican senator going through the bathroom stall drama. We all know people get entrapped all the time for all sorts of crimes. That's a given.

We all know gay, or sexually undecided folks, in rural areas like Idaho, Wyoming, the deserts of California and Arizona, the OC, small-town America, often don't have outlets or resources or supportive attitudes to help them negotiate sexual orientation issues.

And we know conservatives and Repubs can be a little judgmental on others, not themselves. Well... look at how they went after the Clintons in the late 90s for the BJ allegations.

BUT.

Now that I'm reading the transcript of the interview between Minneapolis police and the Idaho senator over the bathroom incident, I'm a little pissed, no pun intended, at the cop's statement regarding the senator's truthfulness.

To the senator, the cop says, "I'm just gonna say I'm disappointed in you sir. I'm (sic) just really am. I EXPECT THIS FROM THE GUY THAT WE GET OUT OF THE HOOD. I mean people vote for you." Quote on Page 6 of the police interview transcript from MSNBC.com.

I'm sure we can infer what the cop meant by expecting lesser or dishonest behavior from people from "the hood." We know exactly what and who the cop is talking about.

Regardless of your position on the Idaho senator's situation, it shows me one thing I've always been told about police -- by a relative who is a FORMER cop. Cops don't have high esteem or opinions of poor people, people of color, and others they go after in high rates.

Now I wonder if the police will do any "attitude" training for their force based on what's in the airport bathroom transcript. Or is it not a big deal? Just all in a day's work, the beliefs about "people from the hood?"

Good Cop Bad Cop
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Detroit... The Scene, Part 2

This is why I'm hot... ok, maybe simmering on a low flame :-)

So today... I'm in Detroit. Regularly... I check my blog and website stats.

Presently... the most viewed page, due to various search engine searches, is an entry I wrote about a Detroit television tradition from back in the day: The Scene. My blog entry here.

Not anything about my books, writing tips, or my thoughts on social justice. The Scene. Jokes on me. lol.

In brief, picture American Bandstand, but with majority black people... who could really, REALLY dance. And really, REALLY dress. Well, for the 80s and 90s. We'd rush home from school, finish homework and chores, so that we could watch The Scene at 6 or 7 on TV62, a black-owned television station at the time.

Anyway, today... curious me YouTube'd The Scene, and found the retrospective from another former tv station here in Detroit, TV50.

These are my roots. These were our free dance lessons (especially check out "The Shake" at 6:14). And this is why I'm... uh, whatever, and the man I am today, lol. (But now, Detroiters, now that you're reading... you can pick up this former Detroiter's novels here and here, lol.)

Fabulous show... that needs to come back to Detroit television. And for you trivia buffs, my very first TV job was on another TV62 show called Teen Profile. I was one of several rotating co-hosts and reporters. That's a whole 'nother story.
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Seeing The World Differently

So today there's a lot on the news regarding the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, commentary on the images, the cleanup, and the state of New Orleans two years after the fact.

Been seeing a lot of the subtle, tinged with racial undertones, critiques of the mayor of the city, who happens to be black. And while I've never lived in New Orleans, and can't comment on the politics of that city, I do know that people of different ethnicities look at black leaders with a an extra eye of scrutiny. Whatever. Most of our parents prepped us for that scrutiny, no matter what level of leadership we take on.

Anyway, one guy with a very good perspective on social justice, ethnicity, and class, is Tim Wise. He's the author of the book, White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son.

I've seen him speak several times around the country. Very dynamic. Happens to be white. And very specific as to what he sees as white people's responsibility to use their (unearned) privilege(s) to make things better for people of color and the poor in the U.S.

And wanted to link up to a few of his writings on Katrina and ethnicity, for you to check out when you have time:

What Kind of Card is Race? The Absurdity (and Consistency) of White Denial.
Katrina, Conservative Myth-Making, and the Media.
Of Disasters, Natural and Otherwise.
Racial Differences Responding to Katrina. (a radio interview)
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Pretty Little Mistakes

Did you ever read those Choose Your Own Adventure books when you were a kid?

You know the books... written in second person, as you're the protagonist, and then you reach a part of the story where you can choose (A) or (B) and then turn to the appropriate page. Some choices lead to a happy ending. Some choices lead to a not-so-happy ending. Kind of like the choices we make in our own lives. I LOVED those books when a kid, and would buy them anytime I had extra money.

Fast forward to 2007. Imagine an adult version of the Choose Your Own Adventure books. Adult as in with grown ups, not THAT way.

Pretty Little Mistakes by Heather McElhatton is one such book bringing the magic back to adults. Except this book isn't about fantasy and adventure. It's about real life choices that you and I make as adults... The things we choose that we enjoy, and the things we do that we wish we could do over.

Do you go home with the one you meet at at the club or stay with your friends?
Do you go to college right away or do you travel?
Do you commit or don't commit to the one you think is 'the one'?
Do you work "here" or work "there"?

I brought this one along with me for this time off because I figured it would be entertaining, and also give me multiple stories in one so that I wouldn't have to bring the whole library on the plane with me.

So far, I'm enjoying it a lot. And seeing how large and small choices we make do affect the direction our lives take.

Fun reading! And fun interviews with the author here!
fs

The $4 Billion Summer

And I think I might have contributed $10 to that total.

That $4 billion figure is the amount of box office sales estimated for Summer 2007 films. Of course the majority of that comes from the summer "blockbusters" that most people attend.

So I sat back and wondered... how is it that the only film I wanted to go see at the movies this summer was Sicko by Michael Moore.

Not that I haven't seen any films this summer. I mostly do Netflix at home -- this summer I've seen Pride, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Chisholm '72, Perfume. Or go to one of the film festivals that take place in L.A. over the summer -- DL Chronicles, Kiss The Bride , and The Believers.

As you can see, I'm more into independent films and documentaries. Not exactly summer movie fare.

But I AM into the fall film releases. And many of those are the films that are more independent and those considered for the major awards during the winter awards season. And I can see a couple others are looking forward to fall films -- Modern Fabulousity and Queering The Apparatus.

So maybe the fact that I didn't contribute much to the summer 2007 box office isn't that bad of a thing... since I'll be in line plenty of times this fall.
fs

Chill Town in the D-Town

Home sweet home in Detroit for some days, and I'm just absolutely amazed at the amount of new development -- business, housing, and recreational -- taking place in the downtown area.

Last night went down to the new Detroit River Walk area, slightly modeled after Chicago's lakefront area, but less commercial and more of a nod toward the environmental side. Filled with people enjoying the views of downtown Detroit and Windsor, Canada. Couldn't believe the number of people in downtown Detroit... at NIGHT. It was kinda cool.

Eating good, home-cooked food. Visited my cousin's new church today for the first time. Great service. Ate a White Castle, something I hadn't done in a couple years. Forgot about the FOX 2 News helicopters taking off and landing next door to our house. Nice little wake up call in the morning. Not complaining. At all.

Just enjoying a Chill Town kinda weekend and week. And you?
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:-)

Delicious Hook Ups.

Well... not exactly like that.

More like hooking you up with some of the fun blogs and sites I've discovered lately. Hope you find them just as fun as I do.

OK. So I love celebrity gossip sites. And even if some of the items are rumors, they're still fun to read and ponder. Two celebrity gossip sites I've discovered recently are Sandra Rose News and Media Take Out. This is in addition to getting my fix from Good Day L.A. in the mornings before heading out.

Speaking of L.A. coolness, I've recently discovered the blog by Social Butterfly. It's fun. Positive. And talks about lots of things taking place in L.A. from an L.A. perspective.

I like to travel when I have time. I also book my own travel. My sister hipped me to this travel site: Kayak. It's kinda like all the others, but just a bit hipper and cooler in my opinion. And... there's not all the fees to book from Kayak.

Finally, I love my book industry news. Shelf Awareness gives a daily update on industry and author news. Author Buzz updates you on new books you should know about.

OK. One more. I'm going to Atlanta in a week, once I leave Detroit. Found this restaurant on Sandra Rose News site: Endenu... home of chicken & waffles on a stick! Check out the pics. Imagine that... chicken & waffles on a stick!

Have a nice weekend everyone!
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Watch Out... The Repubs Are Trying To Steal California!

So I assume most of you who check in to my blog are rooting for one of these three for president. At least I hope so.

Well, even though the tide is (and probably will) turn Demo, the Repubs are willing to try just about ANYthing to keep the White House. That means they want to keep one of these three out.

That includes stealing California.

Yeah, that's right. A right-wing Repub group in Cali is funding a California initiative that calls for ending the "winner-takes-all" electoral votes for whoever receives the most votes in California. Read the story here.

That's because Cali is traditionally a Demo and liberal and progressive state. But if the initiative wins, Cali's votes could award a proportional amount of electoral votes to the Dems and Repubs..., even though a Demo has won California in the last four presidential elections.

And that could mean four MORE years of Repubs in D.C. Not cool, says DailyKos, which is trying to mobilize and arm people with knowledge about this.

I guess if you can't win... cheat. Or steal. Didn't their moms teach them better than that?
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The Comfort Zone

Some CDs you never get tired of, even when you have an iPod or rarely see a CD. You can listen to them over and over and over, and it seems just like yesterday they came out.

One of them for me is The Comfort Zone by Vanessa Williams. I think it was out in 92 or 93 because I remember Save The Best For Last was EVERYbody's prom or sweet 16 song at that time. (OK, just checked. It was released in 1991 August... like sweet 16 years ago!!! I'm almost ready for my second sweet 16, plus two!)

But The Comfort Zone was one of those excellently produced music projects. Each song blended well into the next for an overall journey. Each song told a story. And one thing that's important for me, is that all the fast songs and slow songs are grouped together. Preferable the fast at the front, the slow at the back.

Anyway, that's what I'm listening to this afternoon while doing a little writing. Loving this two weeks off thing.

Can we make it a two years off thing? That would be a wonderful comfort zone.
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Annual Trip East... Well, Midwest and South

Getting ready to head out for my annual voyage east... well, more midwest and south. Will be seeing the family in Detroit and Indianapolis for a few days. Then heading down south to Atlanta for the festivities of In The Life Atlanta, including the Literary Cafe on Saturday, September 1.

Luckily I get a few days of down time this week before traveling. Got a lot of laundry and housecleaning and packing to do. But should be good. Why do we spend so much time housecleaning before LEAVING? It's my place... not like anyone will be there. lol.

If you're going to be in Atlanta, drop me a line. Would love to meet up with you. Will be staying with my writer friend Fiona Zedde's house.
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Finding A Literary Agent

(Re-running this entry from a couple years ago. I get a lot of questions about this subject. Hope it's a start.)

So you want to be a published author? You've written your novel first. You've workshopped it with writers groups, classes, and others who have an eye for story, grammar, and commercial appeal. Then... and only then... are you ready to shop your work out to an agent. A literary agent.

This is a person who, upon looking at your query letter and maybe the first five pages of your manuscript, will decide whether or not to read your entire manuscript. Once they read it, they will decide whether they are enthusiastic enough to represent it... enthusiastic enough to sell it to a publisher... enthusiastic enough to stick with you through rounds of rejection until the magic moment when you get an editor at a publishing house willing to take a chance on your manuscript.

There are good agents and bad agents. Agents with good reputations and bad. Agents with strong clout with publishers. Agents still establishing clout. It's good to do research when you're at the agent-hunting stage.

And one more thing... you NEVER have to pay an agent. Not for reading your manuscript. Not for calls. Not for postage. Not for (for you wannabe models) photos. Agents get paid only when they sell your work... and they get paid AFTER that happens. Usually it's a 15-20% cut of what your work earned in the sale... and that amount for the rest of the book's life -- the book they sell.

My agent is great. Smart. Funny. Around the same age. Very ambitious. Confident. And what made me go with him compared with others who were considering me at the time was that our conversations about my work and my goals in publishing were comfortable. I felt like I was talking with a brother/cousin/friend with business savvy. And he was enthusiastic about Down For Whatever (though at the time, it was originally titled Same Script, Different Cast). One agent, who is one of the most sought after -- a lot of people want this company to agent them -- talked to me like I was in third grade. That was weird. I found my agent because I had finished reading A Love Noire by Erica Simone Turnipseed, and since I liked the book, wanted to see who represented it. That's how I found Nicholas.

So... for homework. Take a look at some of your favorite books. See who is the agent. Most writers thank their agents in the acknowledgements. Start making a list. When you're ready to agent shop, you'll be ready.

Free Within Ourselves

So every once in a while, people ask me for my opinion on books and resources they should consider for their writing process. I always feel weird, because it's not like I'm an expert, per se.

But.

One of the earliest books I picked up along the way was Free Within Ourselves: Fiction Lessons for Black Authors by Jewell Parker Rhodes.

The book shows, through examples by many black authors past and present, how tone, character, plot, dialogue, and viewpoint can be developed by writers. Throughout, the book emphasises the storytelling tradition of past and present black people in the U.S. And it goes without saying, the book is a great resource for people of all backgrounds.

Jewell Parker Rhodes is professor of Creative Writing and American Literature and former Director of the MFA program in Creative Writing at Arizona State University. She's written several fiction and non-fiction books. Received many awards and honors for her work.

One nice bit of trivia I discovered about Free Within Ourselves... one of our favorites, Tayari Jones, worked as a research assistant on the book while doing graduate work at Arizona State University.
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A Daytime TV First. Man Kiss.

So As The World Turns may have been your grandma's soap opera back in the day, but it's definitely a show of the times today... as the show featured the first ever man-on-man kiss on daytime television. Except these men are young men... just out of high school, about to start college.

The story has been building slowly all summer. Some backstory...

Luke is openly gay. His parents and grandparents accept him. He's the blonde guy.

Noah is... not sure. But he is sure. He's the brown haired guy.

Noah has been kinda dating Luke's best female friend all summer, one of their mutual friends, though he's always held back his true feelings for her best friend. Noah also has a dad who is NOT feeling Noah hanging with openly gay Luke (Dad's always know). And the Dad is threatening to send his son Noah away to keep Noah and Luke apart.

OK. For those of you sitting in front of the computer all day with nothing to do, you can catch up on all the week's episodes of As The World Turns to see if this is yet another show to add to your TiVo. Besides, Young and the Restless hasn't been at its best since all the Bell-era writers were let go about a year ago for the new regime.

And if you're hoping for more open representation like this, send the producers of ATWT a note of appreciation for daring to be the first to air a storyline that may help thousands of teens and their parents this summer.
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Kicks. Camp. Music. Drama. Oh My!

Yay! It's Friday.

And to kick it off, how about a few high kicks, splits, and energy action from Miss Tandi Iman Dupree, via YouTube, which a friend emailed to me earlier this week.

So, High School Musical 2 kicks off today. All the tweens are excited. All those former tweens who did high school musicals are looking forward to it too.

Actually, I never saw the first one, but somehow, the magic of marketing etched it in my mind as something I might want to see. Do I really want to? Or did the marketing work? Or am I just a former tween who liked and still likes musicals? lol.

OK. True story. I did plays, skits, musicals, dance routines, and lip syncs in college. Thought I wanted to be an actor, as well as a newscaster. While I was in rehearsals for a show, Reckless, I met the lead of another show, Grease, that was also in rehearsal at the same time. Just ran into each other like "your chocolate is in my peanut butter/your peanut butter is in my chocolate" ran into each other. We really dug each other. I went to grad school in Chicago because of him. We didn't live happily ever after. Cool guy, though. That's a whole 'nother story.

Back to the blog, one band camp musical film I really enjoyed is Camp. Some of the students from the Performing Arts High School on my campus are in it. Really fun film!

Well, here's to some low-drama, low-angst action this weekend. I gotta do some writing... because this week has not been very productive in that department!
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Ho Hum

I'm such a Charlotte... a Sex and The City Charlotte.

Found myself clutching the imaginary pearls several times this weekend. Funny... but ho hum. The lgbt world's not necessarily made for Charlottes.
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For The GBM In Your Life

Just found out about this cool site: GBM News.

Lots of good information for/about gay black men and their allies. And for writers looking to get published, the staff is looking for news stories, opinion pieces, maybe even some creative pieces. Check within the site for that information.

This is for the gay black man in your life!
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Jameka. Big Brother 8.

So yes, there are WAY more important things than reality television to write about. I just don't feel like discussing those things today :-) It's Friday, ya know?

OK. So, I'll go on a limb here. I'm a Big Brother fan. I'm also liking this season's show. And I also like Jameka. This photo is from the official Big Brother site.

OK. There. No, I don't know her. She's a friend in my imagination, though. That's enough, right. So there.

I say it like that because there's a lot of people -- who may find their way to this site -- who are using her faith, prayer, and higher power against her. If you watch the show -- and the live feeds at night on Showtime -- you see Jameka has been nothing but nice, sweet, kind, quiet, and very patient in putting up with some not-so-nice people in the house.

And she's the ONLY black person in the house this year. And we know how black people on reality tv fare when they're not buffooning themselves... or even when they do. Not always a good situation.

But last night, if you watched the live feed, one of the older, white guys in the house -- they call him Evil (and for a good reason -- he yells and berates everyone in the house) -- went off on Jameka. Called her every kind of name in the book... because of her faith, prayer, and belief in higher power... and I wonder if he was THIS close to pulling a Don Imus choice of words out of his mouth.

I mean, white man talking down to a black woman. You can imagine what thoughts were there in his mind. And what censors and restraint he may have shown, knowing cameras were on him. Especially when he pulled the "you're 30 and no man will want you" card. Sensitive topic for black women... men too, considering how our community pairs off in and out the community, often leaving black women single.

But Jameka held her own. But I know it's hard when you're the only one. We ALL know.

If you get to see the show on CBS, or the live feeds on Showtime after midnite (I kinda like those better -- live and uncensored), check it out.

It's only reality tv, I know. But it's kinda like real life. And just like real life, if a sista comes under attack, the community (and you know who I mean) gotta come to her defense.
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A Writer's Life Can Be Like Fiction

There are friends who say I should roll with an entourage, use whatever privileges come with being a semi-public person, be arrogant, and all that jazz. Totally not me. My parents raised me a certain kind of way, and it wasn't to be a jerk or arrogant.

And I've often heard Oprah say on her show that the public figures who have always had a strong sense of self and don't let the "being public" go to their head... Something like that, I think.

I always joke that authors are on the bottom rung of the entertainment industry ladder, and since most people don't read, most people don't really care about writers or whatever perceived fame they may have.

Many authors, in fact, are very private people. Work in solitude. Don't seek tons of spotlight on themselves as individuals, but maybe will seek attention for their work.

Very few Lohans, and Ritchies, and Hiltons among the author community. Well, there was that public breakup of one of our favorites last summer... made ALL the news.

Then... found this truth is like fiction piece, courtesy of my friend Noel Alumit's blog. Literary Tabloid.

Read the story. I'm not all about putting my business out there. But for some... that's how they roll I guess.
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Want To Be A Published Author? Here's A Link.

I get a few emails a week from people who want to be a published author.

I think this article from mystery author Marcus Sakey can help. Here's the link.

Happy Tuesday. Hope it's a drama-free one!
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Once Upon a Nervous Breakdown

So my friend and fellow Kensington label mate, Patrick Sanchez, has a new book out.

Once Upon a Nervous Breakdown.

It's a really good book. A few months back, he asked me to read a copy for a blurb. Loved it.

In fact, I wrote: “Once Upon a Nervous Breakdown reels you in with a vivid picture of thirty-something life — fun, frenzied, and feverishly juggling love, family, friends, and career. Patrick Sanchez is a great storyteller who, once again, has created a world of witty, smart, and identifiable women who jump off the page.”
Frederick Smith, Author of Down for Whatever

Hope you will give it a try. Oh, and check out the fun video montage he put together for the book. Quite fun!
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Friday Pick Me Ups

For the ears... Feast of Fools podcast. Check it out this weekend if you can.

For the eyes... Hoodsworld... or I don't watch a lot of football, but Will Demps is kinda...

Hmmmm.

Or maybe for the mouth... a good old fashioned Bomb Pop will do on a hot weekend like this.

Happy Friday!
fs
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Good Cop. Bad Cop.

So a really great discussion on this morning's Front Page radio show hosted by Dominique DiPrima. Continued when Stevie Wonder's morning show started after Front Page.

Police brutality in Los Angeles, and related subjects.

An attorney from The Cochran Firm, founded by the late Johnnie Cochran, summarized cop stops as this: if you're young, if you're male, if you're black or latino, just answer the questions simply, no drama, or you'll be shot by police.

His rationale: there's no accountability or consequences for police who shoot civilians in California during cop stops.

Lots of discussion, experiences, callers calling in with their own personal encounters during cop stops. Of course, a few cops called in to defend the profession. Very good community discussion.

This all reminded me of something a cousin of mine, a former football player, a former cop, and now a minister in Michigan, told me when I moved away to college many years ago. His words -- cops are crazy and paranoid, I'm one, I work with them; if you're stopped or questioned, just sit there, answer yes or no, don't do anything crazy, and then get on with your business... then call me.

I think most black or latino families have had that talk with their young sons. Just a part of raising boys of color. Or is it?

The other day I led an exercise in class where students reflected on their attitudes and beliefs around various ethnicity, class, and gender issues. When the topic of cops and military came up, most, who are students of color and working class, had negative views and perceptions of both cops and military. Many commented there were more military recruiters than college recruiters in their high schools in L.A. That's a whole other subject.

When probed further, most of the students said their parents had had "the talk" with them regarding police interactions. Many had seen members of their families or neighborhoods affected negatively by law enforcement encounters for both large and small issues. Funny, how in East or South L.A., crack can get you tons of harassment and years in the system, but our neighbors in Beverly Hills or L.A. celebrities get probation and bad publicity for a lot more. That's a whole other subject.

But the topic then turned to people of color who choose to become part of law enforcement profession. Are they potential helpers in the community? Are they able to change the law enforcement system? Or is the brother/sister-hood of law enforcement too strong to overcome personal desires to change the system?

All interesting. Personally, I think there are other ways to make change in society other than joining law enforcement or even military. But I know sometimes people are drawn to particular professions for who knows what reasons.

Still, the words of my cousin are always in my mind. And I'm always prepared just in case.
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Galley Cat Reader

So the past couple mornings and nights I've been reading the "final galley" of my book before it goes into production. And I gotta admit, I'm kinda liking it.

What I mean is... in the "final galley" editing stage, all you're reading for is change of names, dates, obvious mis-spellings/grammar that didn't get caught in previous editing stages, and pop culture references. No major changes allowed -- dialogue, plot, adding text -- at this stage. Everything due to my publisher August 8.

So I'm reading. Much like a reader would. And I'm liking what I'm reading. Sooooo can't wait for Right Side of the Wrong Bed to be out in just a couple months. Finding a few small things -- pop culture references primarily -- that I'm updating to make the novel more up-to-date/current, than when I finished it over a year ago.

Seeing the almost done version is very rewarding. Makes all those solo days and nights in front of a computer screen worthwhile.
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