Hello Friends,







  When I'm deep inside my drafting cave I often go into a 'method acting' mental place, whereby I am IN the world and AM the characters. Sometimes to the point of total immersion, wearing the clothes that the characters might wear, decorating my writing cave in a way that evokes the setting, and drinking and/or eating the kinds of food they'd be eating. I surround my space with tokens and images and languages and smells and sounds that ground me to my WIP's world. (needless to say, I have a uniquely odd collection of...random stuff.)


  Music, in particular, inspires me. 

(That moment when a song is so powerful it gives me goosebumps? Damn, I love that.)


  Music helps me 'get in character', in the mood/mindset I need to sink into to write a particular scene. Especially the moody, sad scenes. I'm sure many of you do this, too.


  I am always searching searching searching (these days, usually on Spotify. the 'related artists' feature is very useful.) for new songs. And I thought you might too.


 And, since I am currently in drafting mode (a YA magical realism), I thought I'd share a few of the songs on my current repeat playlist. 
Perhaps they will inspire you, as well.


**So, let me start by saying anything by Fink or Civil Twilight is a big YES for me.


Letters From The Sky by Civil Twilight:





In My Veins by Andrew Belle:





All This Could Have Been Yours by Shooter Jennings:





Cannonball by Damien Rice:





Breathe Me by Sia:





Yet by Switchfoot:







Okay, I'll stop now, because I could go on and on and on. 


Oh, and because I think this is boss and I want it and hey, DMX, yo:





I'd love to hear about the songs inspire YOU the most. 


**Please remember to buy songs responsibly, ethically, legally...the same way you wish your book(s) to be purchased.




Love,
Lola 




"No days, perhaps, of all our childhood are ever so fully lived as those that we had regarded as not being lived at all; days spent wholly with a favorite book"  ~Marcel Proust

Hello Friends,


*crawls out of cave* *blink blinks* *eyes adjusting to the light*


How are all of you? How were your holidays?
I've missed you. 
I've especially missed those of you who don't habit The Twitter. (I love The Twitter for its ease of popping in to say hello and/or responding to any @mentions quickly and then popping off. I can keep in touch with so many quickly, of which I am quite fond.)


Anyway, I'm sorry I have not been around the blogosphere in a very long time. (Thus, my missing you.) I long to know how you are, in what creative endeavors you are ensconced.


I've been rather isolated in my writing cave, drafting a new WiP. Honestly, I've done little else since the bustle of the holidays ended. This novel is beyond atmospheric (and a bit complicated) and I find it hard to leave its world without losing my groove. 


I haven't even been reading. It's difficult for me to read when I'm deep into drafting a world like this.
(But I'd totally make an exception if someone wants to share an ARC of BITTERBLUE or FROI OF THE EXILES with me.) (was that not subtle?) (am I abusing parentheses again today?)


The few moments I have emerged from my cave it's been to spend time with my (neglected) family. They like me to make actual eye contact with them once in a while, so they tell me. 


Truly, I hope you'll forgive my many and long absences of late. 






Okay, your turn...tell me ALL The Things--> GO!




Love,
Lola 

Hello Friends,



Happy Holidays, my beautiful friends!


I'm sorry I've not been around lately (except for the briefest of pop-ins on The Twitter). I've been beyond busy, as I am sure you've been as well.






Still...
I have missed you. 

book trees make me happy :)

So. I've been busy.




After completing Nano, I donned my elf hat and commenced with getting my  badass festive on. 






I finished all my Christmas decorating by the first week of December (I only did 5 trees this year, but still, I decorate THE ENTIRE HOUSE, inside and out, front and back, upstairs and down, bathrooms, hallways, bedrooms, even the garage.). And, last week I finished gift shopping and card writing and card sending! Not bad, yeah? 

yes, this is our main tree this year.

Not everything is wrapped yet, but some things have made it under the tree (as you can see above). (true, more things in bags than wrapped, but hey, a girl needs time to party, too, right?)
(And there has been much partying on the weekends! And much more to come.)


Oh, that reminds me! This:




Lola's Grinch Punch

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons water
• 1/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 15 drops neon green food coloring
• 1 liter bottle lemon-lime soda, chilled
• 1 bottle of sparkling wine, chilled
• 2 cups of vodka, chilled
• 2 pints vanilla ice cream
• 
  
• Directions: 
• (do step 1 the night before)

• 1) In a large saucepan, combine sugar and water. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved; remove from the heat. Stir in milk and extract. Transfer to a bowl; cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
• 2) Just before serving, transfer milk mixture to a punch bowl. Stir in the food coloring, soda, sparkling wine, and vodka. Top with scoops of ice cream. Serves: 15-20 drinks
• 
  

Yesterday, whilst wrangling dust bunnies and pine needles in preparation for our up-coming Whoville Whobilation complete with Roast Beast (aka prime rib), I found myself doing what I oft do when doing such unfortunate chores: 
losing myself in various nooks and crannies of my grey matter, pondering sundry thoughts of a meaningful and meaningless nature.

As my brain in December is wont to do, I began thinking about the last 12 
months and my dreams for the next 12 months...


Man, I am blessed. However awful my childhood was, the universe sure made up for it. My little fam is healthy, happy and financially stable even in this economy. We've given generously to charities we feel passionate about, and I love that we are consistently able to do so. 
The house is festive and sparkly, the liquor cabinet is well stocked, and Santa's bag is chock full of wish list goodies for all. 
And, most important, our home is love-filled. Somehow my husband puts up with me and loves me. Like, LOVES me.

And, damn, I love him, too.


2012 is the year I will finally query. 
FIVE novels and I've yet to query.
But, I felt no need to rush. I wanted to work on my craft. I wanted to let each story have the time to be told the way I wanted to tell it. 


Finally, finally, finally, as of this month, my asthma is under control.
Oh, I need to pick up my refill of asthma meds at the CVS.
And maybe I should pick up another bottle of scotch, just in case. So many of our friends drink scotch. And vodka goes fast too. 
I like vodka.
I love champagne.
Oh, I better get more champagne for New Year's Day.
NY's Day is also my husband's birthday.
Do I have enough gifts for his birthday? Yes, I think I do.
I always worry about that, because, you know, people with birthdays near Christmas always get gypped. 


Then somewhere between scooping the cat box and rearranging faux snow around a tablescape, my thoughts took a random and weird turn, as thoughts often do...


I love my cat. Which makes me a cliche of a writer.
I really do love her though. But, dude, her cat box reeks. 
And she's fat. Maybe if she ate less she'd make less stinky stuff.
She needs to get on that.

I really need to get a pedicure, this polish has been on since Halloween.

Silly dogs want to go outside again. I know they only want to go out so they can come back in therefore earning a treat. They've trained me well.

And so my thoughts go.


One minute you're scooping cat poop and the next you have a spark-- an idea waiting for you to wrap words around it, make it breathe, live. Suddenly you are scurrying for a pen and paper, or your laptop, the need to write urgent.


Twisty magic, that. 




Note, this is my last post until after the new year. Thus, no matter the holiday(s) you celebrate, I wish you all the very merriest. 


(saying 'merriest' reminds me of this beloved quote: "of all the Charlie Browns, 
you're the Charlie Browniest." :)






I wish you much peace, happiness and love!







Love,
Lola 

Hello Friends,








Happy Thanksgiving!


To ALL of you, American and otherwise, I am sincerely grateful for YOU.


To those of you doing Nano and still aiming for your 50k, YOU CAN DO THIS. It's not too late to put up epic word counts and finish.

And for those of you/us who've crossed the finish line, CONGRATS!  




Love,
Lola