OK, one more dash from the Cave of Revision, this time to pick up medicine, dump the tissue-filled trash basket, and proclaim thanks and celebration throughout the Forest because my fundraising goal for the Team in Training Half Marathon has been met. Karen McQuestion, a Wisconsin journalist now working on a novel, put me over the top, and is the happy winner of the audio version of TWISTED. Thank you, Karen! Thank you, everyone who contributed! Because of you, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society can save lives.
But….
…. it’s not over. You see, it’s called the Team in Training. My teammate is my best friend and Beloved Husband, Scot. Since my name is on the books, it’s easy for me to beg for donations. Trust me, my friends, if it were not for this guy, the books would not get written. He keeps me going in more ways than I can count.
Scot is 29% of the way to his goal. Please donate to the hottest bald guy in running shorts! He makes the world a better place.
New Topic: Attention teachers of FEVER 1793! There is a terrible outbreak of yellow fever in Paraguay right now.
One more thing: I stayed up last night to watch the eclipse. We had a foot of snow the night before so the the back meadow was hushed and brilliant with a million moon-filled diamonds sparkling. As the dragon ate the moon, the snow dimmed and fell into shadow. Then the stars came out, exuberantly, like a chorus that’s been impatiently waiting its cue. BH stood with me as the dragon swallowed the moon and her belly lit up red. A dog down the road couldn’t stop howling. We understood what he felt.
I woke up early this morning and watched the moon set, and am now watching a beautiful sunrise. In the middle of all these revisions, with kids home on vacation, plus the hacking, disgusting cough, having these still moments in the real world of moon and stars and sleeping meadows is quite nice.
Back to the Cave. Miles to go before I sleep.
Congratulations on reaching your goal! And thanks for the yellow fever link. My 7th graders read FEVER in the fall, but we just revived the discussion because we’re reading Elisa Carbone’s BLOOD ON THE RIVER right now, and alas, the Jamestown men are complaining of mosquito borne illnesses, too. I’ll share the Paraguay story with the kids when we get back to school after the break.
Thanks for your support and promotion of Team In Training!
You’re a champion!
I am a 7th grade student, doing an author study on you.
At first, I thought “This is going to be so boring- reading books that my teacher chooses for me?”
But as time went on, I realized:
You’re writing is amazing.
It makes me think and opens my eyes to a new light.
When I read your books, I feel like I BECOME the main character.
Your book, SPEAK, reached out to me among all.
I know this is supposed to be a commentary on this entry of yours, but I just wanted to say, thank you.
You’ve inspired me.
Wow…. thank you so much for this! I am honored by your kind words.
You’ve inspired me to get back to work right now. Thank you! I needed that.
eclipse
argh, incredible description about the eclipse. Thank you for making me slow down and enjoy what i missed – the sky was kind of cloudy over here, so all I got was a hazy red.
Congrats for meeting your fundraising goal!
I was browsing through some old journals to try and find the comment where you’d responded no how to book you for tour and I saw this:
I dashed to Simon & Schuster for a meeting with my editor Kevin Lewis. I got to see the cover sketches for CHAINS!!!!!!!!! ::dances around hotel room, stubs toe on heavy suitcase:: I will show you as soon as I am allowed – I am VERY excited.
And it made me wonder…can you show it to us yet :)?