Blog crush

Oh my gosh, can this woman be my best friend? Too bad (for me) that she's moving to Austin.

- L'Editrice

My extracurricular activities are also literary

Here's a little plug for my upcoming performance as "Beth" in "Little Women: The Musical"--on the off chance that any of you reading this are close enough to come.

- L'Editrice

Your February must-read

Looking for a trenchant, imaginative, beautifully written novel to read this month? Look no further: it's The Scourge, by A. G. Henley. 

Both Stephanie and I worked on this novel, and when the author said she had no formal writing experience, I almost couldn’t believe it—this definitely does not read like a first novel, this reads like the work of a talented, long-published author. Her use of language is beautiful, the world she's created so detailed and fascinating and consistent, and the personal story of protagonist Fenn is just wonderful. I love all the characters—especially the star-crossed lovers at the heart of this dystopian YA (though definitely ageless) novel.

Honestly, when a manuscript is this strong, what I end up having to do is nitpick in the hopes of helping an author make it even more perfect. Now it is ready for all readers to enjoy, so don't wait--download it now!


Congratulations, Aimee!


- L'Editrice

Dear Houston

Here's a link to a fabulous post from one of my new favorite blogs.

- L'Editrice

A cupcake of a quandary

So, I'm  heading to Austin this weekend for a little getaway, and the last time I was there I bought enough cupcakes (for the whole family, I promise!) from Hey Cupcake! to get a 40%-off coupon for any of their merch. I thought I'd take a look at their site just now to see if I want to go buy anything there on this trip . . . and of course I have come upon my usual (oh-so-tragic-and-important) quandary of loving everything!

I'm only going to buy one thing (for now), so I thought I'd see if any of my readers want to help me choose. Right now I'm waffling between T-shirt or hat, in either classic trailer (that's really what the trailers look like!), whale, or breakfast. (Don't even get me started on all the gifts that I now want to get the men, babies, and kids in my life.)

. . . Ugh, though now I see that all the T-shirts are made by American Apparel (which I never have and never will buy from, ever), so I guess my decision may have been made for me. . . . Still, your thoughts on the cutest design you would vote for in a perfect world in which our sweatshop-free clothes also came misogyny free?

- L'Editrice

A feather in Heather's cap

Rekha and I edited Heather Lyons's amazing fantasy/magical-realism YA novel, and now she has a cool website up for the series. I know exploring it will make you as impatient as I am for her to release the first book, A Matter of Fate, in a couple of months.

Heather has also created a great author site for herself and her books. On it you will find her blog, which explores her super-coolness as related to her love of indie music, among other things.

Keep up the awesome marketing and writing work, Heather!

- L'Editrice

On the 12th day of Christmas

Despite certain people who shall not be named making fun of me for continuing with this Christmas thread till the 13th day of January, here I am! Thanks for holding out with me.

Here are some last gifts:

1) I can totally relate.

2) Still have yet to watch this, but here's yet another motivation for me. I love being absorbed in a new world in all my media forms.

3) Some long-needed progress. We can only hope societal attitudes begin to catch up.

- L'Editrice

On the 11th day of Christmas

Appropriately enough, my BFF sent me the link to this. It sounds just like my friend-seeking experiences as an adult, so maybe I'll learn from it. Or at least commiserate long distance in my misanthropy/despair.

Melodramatically,
L'Editrice 

Out with the old, in with the new, I suppose

But this still made me kind of sad.

On the 10th day of Christmas,
L'Editrice

On the 9th day of Christmas

It looks like several of my authors have already accomplished their New Year's publication resolutions! The latest is Mindy Hardwick:

You can buy her wonderful middle-grade novel Stained-Glass Summer through these links, or on Smashwords. (The Barnes and Noble link will be working soon. They take a little longer to upload the books into their system.)

Congratulations, Mindy! And happy Three Kings' Day to all!

- L'Editrice

On the 8th day of Christmas

Since this time of year always has many thinking about resolutions, and many of those resolutions have to do with weight/getting "in shape" (which I put in quotation marks for a reason), I thought sharing this article with you (if you haven't already read it) would be appropriate.

Then read the author's follow-up article, which has many important takeaways, such as:

- "I think it’s important to tell people that while it’s certainly possible to lose weight, a number of biological factors that have nothing to do with character or willpower can make it extraordinarily difficult."

- " 'A society that stigmatizes people for a physical attribute that they can’t change is the real fat trap we ought to be trying to escape.' ”

- "But the best and most surprising responses I have received are from several readers who start by telling me that they don’t have a weight problem, but they now have a better understanding of the challenges overweight people face. 'I don’t think I’ll look at an overweight person in the same way again,' one reader wrote ‘You made some part of the world a more compassionate place with this article.' ”

I agree, and hope that this can once and for all stop us from being so fat-phobic and judgmental toward other people and ourselves. I really think it's one of the last accepted forms of discrimination in our society, especially since people now have the convenient excuse of "fighting the war on obesity" or worrying about "health" to mask their lookism, classism, self-loathing beneath.

Wishing you a strong, successful 2012 on *your* terms,
L'Editrice




.

On the 7th day of Christmas

Happy New Year, all! So far my 2012 is going great, and I hope yours is, too. Its wonderful start began on New Year's Eve, when my disco pants (see below) received much acclaim at the downtown celebration I attended. Someone asked to take my picture, some others asked to touch them, and others said, "Sweet pants!" So what if they were all preteens or stoner kids?  ( : P )

I also have an update from my author Eric Robespierre: The price on Amazon.com for the Kindle edition of Cracking the Walnut: How Being a Little Nuts Helped Me to Beat Prostate Cancer is now a measly $0.99. Why don't you download it right now?

- L'Editrice

On the 6th day of Christmas

The good news just keeps on coming from Miranda Kenneally: Another of her manuscripts that Rekha and I edited, The Girl I Used to Be, will be published October 2012!

Congratulations, Miranda!

- L'Editrice

On the 5th day of Christmas . . .

. . . I received an update from Catherine Stine:

Fireseed One has gone live on B&N for the Nook.

And on iBook for iPads, iPod Touch and iPhone.

Finally, the Amazon link from yesterday is good for the Kindle edition as well.

- L'Editrice

12 days of Christmas: Day number 4

(Yes, I am aware that Christmas day has passed, but I like to celebrate the Christmas season till Three Kings' Day (January 6 in my family), as much of the world does.)

I’m excited to announce that Fireseed One, a futuristic YA thriller by Catherine Stine, is out, with nine of her own illustrations. It’s a journey into a tricked-out near future. Watch out for invasive hybrid vines, a menacing desert cult, odd birds that just won’t stop trailing you, island farms that power up like boats, and a girl who knows way, way too much about things that are none of her business.


Edited by both Rekha and me, it's a great read for the holiday break or to add to your New Year's reading list:
- Paperback on Amazon
- Very, very soon, to be an eBook on B&N Nook, Sony Reader, iBook, and Kindle

What people are saying about Fireseed One:

"Action, adventure, love, and loss plus superb world building all adds up to an incredibly imaginative story - one that should not be missed."
-Carolyn MacCullough, author of Once a Witch and Always a Witch

"Fully imagined, fast-paced, and thoroughly captivating, Catherine Stine's Fireseed One sucks you into its fascinating world on page one and doesn't let go until the very end."
-Dale Peck, award-winning author of Sprout and The Drift House series

"Fireseed One is so full of startling ideas that I couldn't stop reading! Recommended for fans of science fiction, thrillers, or for anyone looking for a story full of big surprises."
-Amy Kathleen Ryan, author of Glow, the first novel in The Sky Chasers series

"Extraordinary thriller with a fascinating setting and rich, engaging characters who feel recognizable and human."
-Katia Lief, international bestselling author of You Are Next and Soul Catcher



Check out www.catherinestine.blogspot.com for interviews, contests and more.

“Like” the Fireseed One book page on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireseed-One/160174947415366

- L'Editrice

12 Days of Christmas: Day number 3

For some reason Blogger is not letting me comment on my own blog, so here's my comment back to Steph:

"Cool!"

Oh, and everyone: and I fixed the link to buy the book, so hopefully it will work now. If it still times out, you can get the book at the Rice University Campus Store (713-348-4052), Picnic Restaurant (http://www.picnicboxlunches.com/), or by calling the Rice Athletics Online Store at 713-348-4052.

Finally, since I've been getting such great author news lately, I thought I'd try to see if I can make 12 days of it--true, I am counting December 1 as the first one, and they're not necessarily going to be consecutive days . . . and it may go a bit past Christmas day . . . but whatevs!

- L'Editrice

RICE'S OWLS come home to roost

If you're still looking for that perfect holiday gift that will thrill everyone on your list, look no further: Rice's Owls is here! To quote the Rice University Athletics Department's press release, "[a] photographic chronicle of the daily life of a family of owls who took up residence on the Rice campus in 2010 has become a unique holiday gift opportunity that will also benefit the student-athletes at Rice University."

The author-photographer, Robert Flatt, has generously funded this project entirely himself and is donating all proceeds to "the Owl Club, which supports the overall goals for the Rice University Athletic Department by generating the funds for scholarships for . . . student-athletes in 16 varsity sports."

And did I mention that I edited the book, giving me the inspiring experience of working alongside the amazing Mr. Flatt on a project that has additional meaning for me, as I'm also a Rice alum, just recently back to my (and Rice's) hometown of Houston? Also, I brought Victoria Jamieson on board to do the design work--it was so fun to work with her again, and she did an amazing job, as always.

- L'Editrice

P.S. Check out these videos to see why Robert says, "Life is good!"

I know it's been over a month since I've posted . . .

. . . but I'm back, with a doubly (times infinity) exciting post!

Author Jen Doktorski just let me know that Simon Pulse has made an offer on her novel Getaway, which both Rekha and I edited! Congratulations, Jen! This is the second book I've worked on with Jen, and now the second one to be published. We're "two for two," as Jen says!

Also, I picked up a very exciting package from my mailroom on Monday: my very own copy of Catching Jordan, by my author Miranda Kenneally! What an amazing day-after-birthday surprise it was for me. Go buy your copy today! (If my recommendation isn't enough, check out all the amazing reviews it already has on Amazon.) Congratulations, Miranda!

Justifiably exclamatory,
L'Editrice

Announcing the virtual launch of MY SUCCESS JOURNAL

I'm excited to announce that a book I edited, My Success Journal, by Jill Hickman, is launching on Wednesday, November 9, at 2pm CST--and you're invited to the party! 

- L'Editrice

All hail Halloween!

My favorite holiday of the year is fast approaching. I already have my costume all planned out (Elle Woods!), but it was--as always--a difficult decision. Let me share my short list with you, in the hopes that it will give someone some last-minute inspiration:

Cheerful
- air hostess (I thought of this long before Pan Am, I'll have you know.)
- Little Red Riding Hood
- cupcake
- Pippa Middleton (I would have put together the outfit myself, but you can "cheat.")
- Amelia Earhart
- T-Mobile spokeswoman (Didn't know about their publicity campaign around her before I googled her image--smart.)
- Morton Salt girl
- Paddington Bear

Scary
- The Black Swan (with the husband as The White Swan)
- A toddler in tiara!

Wishing you only treats,
L'Editrice

Listetrice: Traveler's Edition

Happy October, everyone! I've just returned from a lovely vacation in the UK, which was especially fun given that one of the books I'm currently editing is set in early-20th-century London.

Related to our travels, my husband has finally posted an entry to his blog that we commoners can understand, so I thought I'd share it.

Also, while watching Food Network UK in my hotel, I learned that it was (or had recently been) National Cupcake Week there! You can be sure that my stay in Cardiff thus included a visit to Cupcakery Number 10 on this list.

- L'Editrice

Currently obsessing over . . .

1) "Big Sexy."

2) Mae Whitman's new haircut (so much that I'm considering getting it myself!).

3) Victoria Jamieson's Olympic blog post (I'm finally catching up on my blog reading). For the record, I remember Vicki playing it quite cool when we met Sasha Cohen. However, I cannot say the same for when we met Hayden Panettiere (and unfortunately photos were not allowed).

- L'Editrice

Two for two (for L'Editrice, and for Miranda!)

"My" prolific author Miranda Kenneally strikes again! Congratulations, Miranda!


- L'Editrice

Great news from an author!

Mindy Hardwick, whose middle-grade novel, Stained Glass Summer, I worked on about a year and a half ago, just announced to me that it will be published December 11, 2011, by Musa Publishing! I'll let her tell you all about it.

 

 

Congratulations, Mindy!

 

 

- L'Editrice

You might give some serious thought to thanking your lucky stars you're in Texas

I've been managing to keep busy. . . .

Baba Yega: Where I hosted a very successful surprise birthday brunch for my mother-in-law, if I do say so myself.

Luby's: My family used to go here every Sunday after church. I always get the same thing: veggie platter of corn, green beans, and macaroni and cheese, with a clover roll on the side. (And if Mom lets me, Jello for dessert. : P)

Yogurtland: Though I do appreciate the other yogurt places I've discovered, especially as they're native Texans, Yogurtland is my first and true love for serve-it-yourself yogurt spots. Plus they're cheaper. Plus they have this awesome Sanrio promotion going on that totally combines two of my favorite things (froyo and childishly cute characters). I am not ashamed to say that I bought myself a T-shirt with the above logo when I happened into the store last week. Nor am I ashamed to say that I entered their sweepstakes wishing and hoping that I would win a Hello Kitty beach cruiser, despite the fact that I just bought a new bike last weekend. . . .

Boone's: This is the awesome store where I got my bike.

Black Walnut Cafe: Open early on the weekends, this is a great place to just undo all the biking you did by indulging in a delicious Tex-Mex Omelet.

Kuhl-Linscomb: Amazing design and gift store that I can't believe I never entered until the other day. May be coming to close to tying with Liberty of London for my #1 fave store. If I didn't already have two jobs, I definitely would have responded to their "help wanted" ad in the front window.

And because I'm beginning to fear for both my waistline and my wallet, I'll just quickly list the recent rest:

Up: www.uprestaurant.com

Benjy's: www.benjys.com

Crave Cupcakes: www.craveupcakes.com

Straits: www.straitsrestaurants.com

Sweet: www.sweethouston.com (A nice replacement for my Sweet Boston: www.sweetcupcakes.com)

Dessert Gallery: www.dessertgallery.com

Celebrity Cupcakes: www.celebritycupcakes.com

- L'Editrice

Maintenant nous sommes trois Editrices!

Stephanie and I now have a third musketeer to help us--meet Rekha Radhakrishnan! Rekha will be doing mostly developmental editing to start, but may also bring in her copyediting skills at some point soon. Here's a bit about her qualifications in her own words:

"While I've spent the last four years working in communications planning at a global advertising agency in Chicago, my academic background is steeped in the literary arts. I have both a BA and MA in literature, and am incredibly invigorated by the multitude of diverse voices available to readers today. I spent two years teaching rhetoric and composition to undergraduate students at The University of Massachusetts, and have worked with several literacy-oriented non-profit organizations tutoring students of all ages, and encouraging them to express themselves through writing."

It's rad having you join us, Rekha Rad!

. . . Now I really have to update the bio page on the website, huh?

- L'Editrice originale : )

Listetrice

Though the Académie française will think it an abomination, and it sounds a little bit like "Listerine," I've decided to make my made-up Frenglish/Franglais word "Listetrice" the new title of my posts listing yummy or otherwise fun places I go to. Most of them will be in H-town, but as my out-of-town agendas almost always center around food, there will be field trips. . . .

Here are the first honorees:













- What's Up Cupcake? (despite their lack of necessary comma)






- Swirll















- Berripop











- Simone


It is telling to note that I have been back in Houston for less than a month, but have been to all of these places at least once--Swirll twice and Berripop thrice!

Droolingly,
L'Editrice

Fight fat-o-phobia! (I know the "o" isn't really necessary, but I like it.)

As you probably know by now, I'm quite the armchair sociologist--and hey, good writers have a lot in common with sociologists, with their incessant observing and (over-)analyzing--so here's some sociological fodder for ya . . . . I felt this guest post on my favorite blog was too right-on and important not to share.

[I'll wait for you to read it.]

Now, is your interest piqued? Are you as pissed off by those horrible comments (perfectly illustrating the misogny and just downright meanness that Internet anonymity can bring out in people) she received as I am? Or are you still cynical about fat-o-phobia? In any of these cases, I strongly recommend this awesome book to you.

Joyous in July (at any size),
L'Editrice

L'Editrice becomes Les Editrices!

I'm thrilled to announce that my editorial staff is growing--in fact, doubling in size! Stephanie Wardach has joined my team to offer her copyediting expertise (and may be doing developmental editing in the near future as well). Here's what Stephanie has to say about her background:

"While I work full-time as an advertising content manager, I have also done freelance copyediting for nearly 7 years. My experience has encompassed a wide range of topics and genres including scholarly articles and dissertations, technical product manuals, and sci-fi/fantasy novels. My most recent project was copyediting and indexing a collection of essays titled Fashion and Film, published by Indiana University Press. In addition, I am currently enrolled in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at NYU to expand on my current knowledge of copyediting and the publishing process."

So happy to have you aboard, Stephanie!

Sometime soon I will be making further changes to the website to reflect this exciting development . . . and others, so stay tuned.

- L'Editrice originale : )

Are all true bookworms introverts?

This is re-posted [with modifications] from a blog I read (whose author re-posted it from someone else's blog . . . so who knows what the original source is), but I thought it articulated a lot of my personality well. Good to know there are others out there like me (though I guess we're all reading at home instead of going out and that's why we don't find each other)!


"Myth #1 – Introverts don’t like to talk.
This is not true. Introverts just don’t talk unless they have something to say. They hate small talk. Get an introvert talking about something they are interested in, and they won’t shut up for days.

"Myth #2 – Introverts are shy.
Shyness has nothing to do with being an Introvert. Introverts are not necessarily afraid of people. What they need is a reason to interact. They don’t interact for the sake of interacting. If you want to talk to an Introvert, just start talking. Don’t worry about being polite.

"Myth #3 – Introverts are rude.
Introverts often don’t see a reason for beating around the bush with social pleasantries. They want everyone to just be real and honest. Unfortunately, this is not acceptable in most settings, so Introverts can feel a lot of pressure to fit in, which they find exhausting.

"Myth #4 – Introverts don’t like people.
On the contrary, Introverts intensely value the few friends they have. They can count their close friends on one hand. If you are lucky enough for an introvert to consider you a friend, you probably have a loyal ally for life. Once you have earned their respect as being a person of substance, you’re in.

"Myth #5 – Introverts don’t like to go out in public.
Nonsense. Introverts just don’t like to go out in public FOR AS LONG. They also like to avoid the complications that are involved in public activities. They take in data and experiences very quickly, and as a result, don’t need to be there for long to 'get it.' They’re ready to go home, recharge, and process it all. In fact, recharging is absolutely crucial for Introverts."

[Note from L'Editrice: Actually, I really love going out and doing things, they're just not the things that most social people are interested in--and I'm perfectly happy being on my own or with just one other person when I'm out and about.]

"Myth #6 – Introverts always want to be alone.
Introverts are perfectly comfortable with their own thoughts. They think a lot. They daydream. They like to have problems to work on, puzzles to solve. But they can also get incredibly lonely if they don’t have anyone to share their discoveries with. They crave an authentic and sincere connection with ONE PERSON at a time.

"Myth #7 – Introverts are weird.
Introverts are often individualists. They don’t follow the crowd. They’d prefer to be valued for their novel ways of living. They think for themselves and because of that, they often challenge the norm. They don’t make most decisions based on what is popular or trendy.

"Myth #8 – Introverts are aloof nerds.
Introverts are people who primarily look inward, paying close attention to their thoughts and emotions. It’s not that they are incapable of paying attention to what is going on around them, it’s just that their inner world is much more stimulating and rewarding to them.

"Myth #9 – Introverts don’t know how to relax and have fun.
Introverts typically relax at home or in nature, not in busy public places. Introverts are not thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies. If there is too much talking and noise going on, they shut down. Their brains are too sensitive to the neurotransmitter called Dopamine. Introverts and Extroverts have different dominant neuro-pathways. Just look it up.

"Myth #10 – Introverts can fix themselves and become Extroverts.
A world without Introverts would be a world with few scientists, musicians, artists, poets, filmmakers, doctors, mathematicians, writers, and philosophers. That being said, there are still plenty of techniques an Extrovert can learn in order to interact with Introverts. (Yes, I reversed these two terms on purpose to show you how biased our society is.) Introverts cannot 'fix themselves' and deserve respect for their natural temperament and contributions to the human race. In fact, one study (Silverman, 1986) showed that the percentage of Introverts increases with IQ."


Openly,
L'Editrice

May day!

Somehow it's almost June, and I've yet to publish up a single post for May . . . until now.

In my busyness, I'll make this a quick linky-love post:

1) Often I roll my eyes at the NYT Styles section, but sometimes they have an article that I'm totally in sync with. Here's one of them. (And it explains one of the reasons I don't have my birthday up on FB.)

2) An awesome slideshow that reminds me of the project my mom and I dreamed up when we were in India a year and a half ago--I want to photograph libraries around the world, and my mom wants research/explore houseboats.

Finally, I'm going to put a little something out there for all 5 of you who read this: I've recently been thinking of adding another editor to my little freelance business, as I am fortunate to have so many awesome writers asking to work with me, and not enough time to help all of them by their desired deadlines. Anyone interested in talking to me about the possibility of joining my team? If so, shoot me an email. (Look at me--using cheesy business jargon like a true entrepreneur. : P)

- L'Editrice