In which we fashion a Mobius strip of blogs

Some time ago I posted a link to Kasmira's fashion blog, What I Wore Today. I love peeking into other people's closets--in a virtual and vicarious manner only, of course. Anyway, several of you followed the link which made her curious about me and mine, and when she saw a recommendation for my novels, she not only went out and got SITG, she based an outfit on it! How fun is that? I swoon.

In which I have made a new friend

Say hello to Szofia, a Eurasian Eagle Owl. She was lovely to meet, very serene and demure, except when she decided to flap her wings and hang upside down from her tether--alarming for me, but routine for her trainer. She's chatty, vocalizing quite a lot if you aren't paying attention to her, but the minute she settles onto your arm, she is quietly assessing. The best part of meeting her was when she swiveled her head around and gave me a long look from those amazing amber eyes.

In which I feel greedy

When I look at a stack of unread and much anticipated books, I feel greedy, like a small child with a whole pie to herself. It seems like just too much good stuff for one person. So I'm sharing the stack--glorious things that I've picked up to enjoy over the summer. There is a slender copy of Isabella Bird on the top, and the bottom is Murder of a Medici Princess, if you can't quite make it out. Yum!

In which I wish I were going to be in Louisville

I've never been to Kentucky, but I hear it is a very nice place and now I am certain of it. The good people of Louisville are holding their 2nd Annual Jane Austen Festival on July 18-19. There will be tea and shopping and period sewing classes, capped off by a ball--what could be finer than that, I ask you? If you're interested, do have a look at the official website.

Also, I am informed that the audiobook versions of ALL three Julia Grey books will be available for re-download with narration by the estimable Ellen Archer beginning June 30 from Audible.com. Believe me when I tell you that I have just told you all that I know, but I am VERY pleased that both my publisher and Audible responded to urgent reader/listener requests that Ms. Archer be brought back to record. I can tell you that I received several e-mails from the recording geniuses when Ms. Archer was recording because she was determined to do a thorough and flawless job, and I have NO doubt she has done so. I am BEYOND happy about this. So, if you downloaded the audio version and were not satisfied with the quality of the narration, do pootle over to Audible and avail yourself of the new downloads.

In which I want poultry

No, REALLY. I am dying for some chickens. So far I've been outvoted--the family stands at 3-2 in favor of NOT having chickens, and until I can sway the other bloc, I'm afraid I shall remain chickenless. Now, let me be clear, I like the IDEA of chickens. The reality might be another thing entirely, and when it was brought to my attention that I travel a bit too much and would have to hire a chicken-sitter, I decided to retreat and do some strategic thinking about my poultry ambitions. All I want is a few little hens for eggs and general cluckery. My husband, who has far more experience with chickens than I, has explained that they are not cute and nice and funny, but rather are dirty, stupid, and a little mean. (I think the fact that he had a few hundred at one time has colored his observations. He still maintains that chicken manure is an appalling smell and until I can find chickens that excrete flower essences, he's not on board.)

Anyway, as part of my strategic planning, I ordered a catalog from Murray McMurray Hatchery, one of the premier hatcheries in the country. (For me this is akin to armchair travel. I may never actually GO to Bali, but I can read about it and that's the next best thing.) I figured I would flip through the catalog and my poultry-longings would be assuaged.

UNTIL I FOUND THE PEACOCKS. That's right--Murray McMurray sells PEACOCKS. For $28 and some change, I could own my very own peacock. Forget the chickens. I'm on to plan B...

As inspiration, I offer you the photo of a Castle Howard peacock, a very noble and quizzical fellow.

In which I made the Hall of Fame!

The Apron Hall of Fame, that is--at horrorhomemakers.com. Please notice I am picking poisonous mushrooms in an evening gown with opera gloves. Because writing is both a glamorous and dangerous occupation...

In which I offer a reminder

Yesterday I did something I do not like to do--I went to the dermatologist for my annual mole patrol. I don't like it because, honestly--who does? But it was over in less than an hour and I have a very thorough and lovely dermie who checked me out and said I'm good for another year. Have you had your full screening yet? I'm not going to squick you out with pictures of melanomas or horror stories of people who were killed by a single rogue freckle gone bad, but IT HAPPENS. Get yourself checked!

In which we are frivolous

Today's re-post is not a single entry, but a few links originally posted on the Blog A Go-Go that I want to be sure we don't lose. First up, Human Shield. If memory serves, I'm only willing to die if I can save twenty people, so if there are only nineteen of you, you're on your own. Next, how many countries can you name in five minutes? (This game is infinitely crueler than the one I posted a few weeks ago--no map as an aide-memoire.) Then it's on to the Cannibalization Quiz for some rather gruesome speculation on how you would fare if your soccer team crashed in the Andes. And finally, check your reaction times by shooting the sheep! (No animated sheep were harmed in the making of this game.)

In which I am not doing recreational drugs

but you'd never know it by my dreams. They have been bizarre this week, very vivid and full of strange details. The oddest moment was perhaps when I found myself playing frisbee with Jennifer Aniston in Central Park. (She kept dropping it, and I kept yelling at her, which is completely off-the-wall because as you know, I am not particularly gifted at the physical coordination, and I'm pretty sure Jennifer Aniston could take me down hard in a frisbee tournament.) Anyway, the best dream I had in the last week was when I was driving a glossy black Aston-Martin at insane speeds down a windy Italian highway. I was wearing a long black scarf and just when I was about to arrive at my destination, the pup barked and woke me up. So now I'll never know how or why I was driving James Bond's car....le sigh.

In which we like verification

Ever wonder if the celebrity you friended on Facebook or follow on Twitter is the real deal? Valebrity knows! Well, I think they know--I haven't actually verified Valebrity. But they SEEM to know, and that's helpful, no? The ever-knowledgeable Kimmy Darling (I really, REALLY wish that was her actual surname, like the family in Peter Pan...) shared this link a bit ago and I just now remembered to pass it along.

In puppy news, the monstrous little scamps have DOUBLED their size since we got them, and in two weeks, when they get their last vaccines, we can finally take them out properly! It's been so difficult to leave them behind when we go out. Sometimes we take them for rides or we coordinate errands so that one person always stays in the car with them while someone else takes care of getting the library books or the stamps, but it will be MUCH more fun when we can walk them like actual grown-up dogs.

And those of you who have been hanging around my little corner of the blogosphere know what July means to me--TOUR DE FRANCE! I am already buzzy, people, and it doesn't even begin until July 4. I cannot wait to see the start in Monaco! Luckily, my July travel will coincide with some flat stages between the mountains, so I won't miss too much of the good stuff, and the day after I get back is a rest day which means LOADS of tivo to catch up on what I missed. Lance Armstrong is in, Tom Boonen is out--it's already shaping up to be a hellaciously good Tour. (Edited to add: I have nothing against Tom Boonen personally except it would be very nice if he stopped testing positive for things for which he ought not to be testing positive. I just meant there's lots to talk about this year.)

In which I have been reading

Ah, summer. Something about hot, lazy days with the buzzing drone of bumblebees and the shimmer of butterfly wings that makes it impossible to do much except lie around, occasionally reaching out a hand to pluck something new from the to-be-read stack. Barbara Holland, in her delicious Endangered Pleasures, laments the loss of "spending the summer"--a philosophy I wholeheartedly endorse. The idea of going away for a month is beyond thrilling. Beyond possible, alas, but beyond thrilling. So in lieu of going away, I read instead and here is where my vicarious travels have taken me:

Sophie Dahl's Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights. If you love Nigella, this book is for you. It manages to be both crisply modern and wonderfully cozy.

Homemade by Ros Badger and Elspeth Thompson. Fabulously retro, with all sorts of suggestions for simple, handmade pleasures. An excellent handbook for days when you might have a little extra time to putter. (Fear not if your summer is hectic. There are suggestions for all four seasons.)

Gerald Durrell's family memoirs. An eccentric English family nesting on Corfu in the 1930s. What's not to love?

Travel Therapy by Karen Schaler. If you have the time and the means to go away but are lacking for inspiration, this is the book. There are little quizzes to help you focus your travel mojo, and loads of gorgeous photos that will have you running for the phone to make reservations.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Oh, my. I haven't read this one since high school, but it's on my daughter's summer reading list, and we always enjoy it when our reading choices overlap. Bradbury was the only sci-fi author whose work I liked, and I had vague memories of reading the book as a 14-year old and thinking it was interesting. What I hadn't realized on the first reading was how oddly, frighteningly prescient Bradbury was. For a book written in 1950, it is ASTONISHING how many things in Montag's world have come to pass. Not just the obvious, like atomic war, but the more subtle and insidious things--political correctness, cultural obsessions with sex, speed, and violence. Even the Seashell seems alarmingly reminiscent of Bluetooth. *shudder*

And every summer I reread either Cathleen Schine's The Love Letter or Raffaella Barker's Summertime. Both are luscious.

So what are YOU reading this summer?

In which I am born

With apologies to David Copperfield. I'm taking the day off today to welcome 41!

(Huge thanks to all of you who posted and e-mailed your shoe links. Much appreciated!)

In which I need shoes!

Of course I don't NEED shoes. I want them. But when a girl impulse-purchases a stunning peacock blue silk dress with a green-and-blue-beaded neckline and doesn't have a single green shoe in her wardrobe, she might be forgiven for overstating the case just a tad...I happened by the Jones New York outlet--a store I never frequent--and bought said peacock blue dress--a color I never wear. But it was just too pretty to pass up, and even though I stood in the dressing room staring at it and wailing, "But I have no shooooooes!", I succumbed to the lure of the fabric and bought it anyway. So the question is now, where oh where do I find green shoes? (Trust me when I say green is the way to go here--and we're talking GREEN. Like kelly green. I mean, GREEN.) I've checked Zappos and alllllmost found a pair there. (Joan and David with blue trim, but the blue trim means I can't wear them with a black and white dress I would have loved green shoes with.) I've check piperlime too and Nordstrom. So I have to know, what are your favorite online shoe destinations?

In which you may be feeling crafty

In which case, you MUST check out Sis Boom Fabrics--the gorgeous designs of Jennifer Paganelli. I stumbled across her blog last week and was completely enchanted. The designs have a fabulous vintage feel but manage to be completely modern at the same time. I ordered yardage in the aqua colorway of Elizabeth Rose to curtain off an area in my little pink study, and it is even more luscious in the flesh (so to speak) than in pictures. Even if you're not a friend to the sewing needle, go and explore her blog just for some fresh and colorful inspiration.

In which I need some help from the blogosphere

So the puppies are wonderful--really. Twenty pounds of warm, fabulous, fuzzy love. HOWEVER. The one behavior that we're having a bit of trouble redirecting is the occasional gnawing of furniture. Mercifully, most of what they nibble is supposed to look a bit battered (thank God for shabby chic!), but there are a few spots that they seem particularly smitten with. Tabasco was suggested to us, and I applied it LIBERALLY only to watch the dogs lick it off and sit back wagging their tails and waiting for the rest of the Bloody Mary, I presume. Anyway, the Tabasco was a complete joke and the bitter apple spray from the pet store has had only moderate success. Any tried and tested remedies?

In which I am doing a system restore

Of myself. The last year, in particular the last six months, have been challenging and demanding ones. I love my work--LOVE my work--and would never complain about it. But it is also true that having a creative job means that what you take in is just as important and essential as what you put out. It means that sometimes the tank feels empty, and that once in awhile you have to be very, very still and small and quiet and do as little as possible. So a system restore is called for, a return to factory settings, a defragging to smooth out all the rough and jagged edges and wait for serenity to stop by for a visit.

Ideally, a proper system restore would include a "rest cure", the bygone term for vacation, a mental health break in which I would rent a villa in Greece, pack a stack of books and a few sarongs and not come home for a month. Rest cures take time, you know. I had even planned an abbreviated version for the husband and myself--a few days on a Caribbean island. That plan got scuppered between the puppy and my trip to New York, so I am attempting a refurbishment at home with a few things I already had lying around:

*Sally Hansen nail polish in Marine Scene. I swiped it from my daughter. It's insanely tropically turquoise. I may not be swimming in the Caribbean, but my nails at least match the water.

*L'Occitane Rose Incense Cones. They don't burn long, but for the short time they do, they smell delicious. Rose and smoke doesn't sound like a good combination, but there's something oddly summery about it. (I am STILL mourning the fact that Banana Republic discontinued their Presidio incense years ago. Hands down it was the best incense I have ever, ever smelled. It smelled like a eucalyptus grove after a rainstorm, which ordinarily would put me right off, but it was divine.)

*Alba coconut lip balm. It's organic and it smells like Hawaiian Tropic.

*NUMI tea in White Rose and Apricot. Unlike other teas--these are pale and wan and fragile. They are scented rather than flavored, and surprisingly refreshing, even in the heat.

*Yankee Candle company candles in Coconut Bay. More Hawaiian Tropic yumminess.

*Trader Joe's sorbets in lemon and mango-tangerine. Non-fat and so flavorful that a tiny portion is all you need. Much more fun than ice cream.

*Lilies from my garden. My daughter picked some yesterday for us to wear in our hair. We felt very Polynesian.

*Vacation films. Last weekend I watched "Niagara"--very noir, very suspenseful with Marilyn Monroe and Joseph Cotten. Beautiful shots of the falls and I love the idea of renting a tiny cottage and pulling up in front of it in a huge convertible with a scarf tied over my head. ("Shirley Valentine" is good for a dose of Greek escapism.)

*Naps. I find myself dozing on the sofa over my armchair travel books for about twenty minutes each afternoon.

*White cotton. I'm digging every white petticoat out of my closet right now. I think I was inspired by watching "Much Ado About Nothing" a few weeks ago and seeing Emma Thompson and Kate Beckinsale frolicking around in full white skirts and pretty white bodices. It's crisp and cool and there's something terribly Isak Dinesen about it.

So what are YOU doing to refresh and restore right now?

In which I am posting for a friend

For Kim.

Say not in grief that she is no more
but say in thankfulness that she was.
A death is not the extinguishing of a light,
but the putting out of the lamp
because the dawn has come.
--Tagore

In which my thumb is ever so slightly greener

For years I have been a plant-killer. I have the best intentions, of course, but something always intervenes. I remember to feed and water the child and the dog; it's the plants with their mute martyrdom that lose out. Every year I buy packs of herbs, determined to nurse them along, and every year the carnage is unseemly. I finally gave up on buying plants altogether, until now. This past Christmas, we were given a rather sizable arrangement of pothos ivy, nephthytis, and Chinese evergreen. I promised myself that if I could keep them alive, I deserved another chance.

So this weekend, inspired by my dear Sali's gift of The Virgin Gardener (Laetitia Maklouf--go buy it instantly), I treated myself to a few bits of leafy goodness. I bought a tiny, very inexpensive violet--which Maklouf warned would not smell, and it doesn't, because I neglected to find a proper sweet violet. A shame, really, because violet is one of my favorite fragrances. Ah, well. I also bought three herbs--basil, thyme, and rosemary--because I love the smell of all three and thought I would use them the most in the kitchen, and a far too splendid pink phaleonopsis orchid for the bathroom. (I bought a small one because I know an orchid is an ambitious thing for me.)

I am also, at absolutely no expense whatsoever, planting up a lemon tree from seed. I have gone plant-mad.

Also, I have flogged the fabulous A Beautiful Life blog several times because I think Laura is immensely engaging. Not only is she a talented photographer, she draws inspiration from everywhere and she shares her finds. I cannot tell you how many times I have popped over there and come away feeling revved up and ready to work again. To my tremendous delight, she took a quote of mine from this blog and used it to caption a photo of hers that I love. Have a look-see!

In which we get arty

If you're not familiar with the work of Alexia Sinclair, prepare to be dazzled. It's strikingly beautiful and feminine, full of lush details and fantasy scenarios. I am particularly smitten with her Royal Twelve series. (Click on the portfolio, but put aside some time first because you will want to linger with her images.) There is something very grand and over-the-top about her work. When I finished looking at them, I felt as decadent as if I had just eaten an entire bittersweet chocolate mousse by myself.

And in Kindle 2 contest news, we have a winner! Melissa S. from Oklahoma is the lucky girl. Congratulations to her and many thanks to the literally THOUSANDS of you who entered!

In which I flog a blog

I know I've raved at least once here about A Bloomsbury Life, but it is SO worthy of your time. Lisa Borgnes Giramonte's latest entry (and don't you just LOVE her name?) is about one of my favorite topics: eccentrics. I confess, I come from a long line of them, and you only have to read my novels as far as the Marches to know how much I appreciate a healthy dose of eccentricity. In fact, I believe it ought to be cultivated like a hothouse orchid. To settle for normal is to be content with a black-and-white life, and honestly, who doesn't deserve a glorious, clashing, vibrant, TECHNICOLOR life? My favorite quote from the film "Practical Magic" is the line Aunt Frances delivers with such conviction after her niece Sally pleads for a normal life: "My darling girl, when are you going to realize that being normal is not necessarily a virtue. It rather denotes a lack of courage." Indeed. So pootle over to Lisa's thought-provoking blog and take the eccentricity quiz to see how you fare. (BTW, I passed...but you already knew that, didn't you?)

In which I am assembling the research

for the next Julia Grey book. That entails books, music, scented candles, and tea to set the mood. Where, oh where, could I be sending her next?

In which I adore surprises

And surprise presents are the very best. Today I arrived home to find a box from AmazonUK on my doorstep--very mysterious as I haven't ordered from them for months. I ripped into it to find this, and a note from my darling English friend Sali that said, "Because I know what you like. Love, Sali." I sat right down and opened it up and SWOONED. The Virgin Gardener is a gorgeous book, and I knew I would love the author as soon as I spotted her picture on page six--she is wearing the most adorable dress and her manicure is perfect. Laetitia Maklouf is glamorous and fun and Sali describes her as the Nigella of the gardening set. I cannot WAIT to read the book. I never recommend anything before I've read it, but I had to make an exception as soon as I saw the table of contents and realized one of the chapters is a "Lust List". Huge thanks to the fabulous Sali!

In which I start my summer reading

One of my first stops when I arrived home from BookExpo was the bookstore to stock up on my summer reading. (Remember back in school when you got your summer reading list? I LOVED my summer reading list.) Anyway, I spent so much of the winter and spring working on my research reading that I read very little that was purely for pleasure and nothing that was frivolous. What I did do was compile a list of things I wanted to read when the weather was warm and I had a bit more free time: novels my daughter has to read for HER summer reading list so we can talk about them, a few biographies, some luscious new fiction, and a few classics I've never gotten around to reading before. (I also have a book I'm supposed to read for endorsement purposes, but I have no doubt it's going to be fabulous.) One of my most pleasant discoveries was the re-issue of Georgette Heyer's mysteries. How did I not know she wrote mysteries?! I snapped up both titles my local bookstore had in stock and am just finishing up An Unfinished Clue. If you enjoy Christie and Gladys Mitchell and Josephine Tey, they will be right up your garden path, I promise.

In which I am home!

BookExpo, as usual, was a completely fabulous time! I had a fantastic time signing for readers at three events; I got to attend a swank bash at a SoHo art gallery thrown by my publisher, and I even had a chance to dash into the legendary yarn store, Purl. The Westin in Times Square was wonderful--mostly because they gave me a corner room with a spectacular view of a rooftop garden, and because my agent and I gorged ourselves on steak and crab macaroni and cheese at Shula's. (Cavatappi makes the best mac and cheese, hands-down. And their secret to a seriously creamy dish? Boursin. The chef was nice enough to come out and tell us so.) The weekend wrapped up with a flawless dinner at the Ritz, which I cannot recommend highly enough. (If you go, get the black cod. And don't eat it all because the chocolate souffle tart is HEAVEN.) But with all the fabulosity, the best part by a country mile was meeting so many readers. They were enthusiastic and charming and just forty kinds of wonderful. It will be an absolute pleasure to get to work on the next Julia Grey for y'all! Thank you SO MUCH for stopping by to share your stories and your kindness with me.

The pic is my favorite of the weekend--my agent snapped it just as we were heading into Purl to fondle the yarn.