some nice news and trying to re-emerge -- sort of

had some nice news a week or so ago.

THE SALT GARDEN was placed on the list of Best Books of 2004 by Library Journal.

and recently, i have news for those wonderful readers who've ask the magic words to any writers ears, "when is your next book coming out?" for nine months, i was without contract and a known writing future. but alas, no more!

i'm signing with WESTBOW PRESS for two novels. the release dates seem far -- jan. '05 and '06 so no book for a while. but i'm very excited and grateful to work with the great bunch at westbow.

and my gratitude to those notes dropped into my self-imposed solitary world lately. i'm trying to re-emerge, but might take some time. truly, it's been such a gift to hear from you. i'll be back to the ole unreliable, busy, stressed, slightly insane me in no time. maybe.

trying to re-emerge as a writer too -- especially this last month has been tough. so what gets us back out? some tips that i'm using on myself:

* reading well-crafted novels (just started A SECRET HISTORY by Donna Tartt for my book club reading. already very intriguing and excellent writing)

* watching a great movie either great in writing, filming, or inspiration (okay, so Neverland made me cry and cry and also want to rush to my desk and work and work)

* revisiting those ole favorite novels and films

* going back to that hemingway "one true sentence" (look in the archives for my blog entry on that)

* getting sleep and eating healthy food instead of no food (sort of helps with all of life)

* holding finished manuscripts or books (some in translations) and remembering that yes, it is possible. yes, you were called to this. no, you can't live without it.

* reading great writing blogs like faith*in*fiction or the master's artists or kelli standish's or so many others that can be found following the trails from one to the other. but don't spend too much time there that you never get motivated back to your work.

* open your old computer files of ideas and books in progress. really awakens the creativity again, or sometimes let's you know how far you've come as a writer.

* reading a quote on your desk left behind by a writer friend. will quote here again for those like me who need it over and over: "planning to write is not writing. outlining a book is not writing. researching is not writing. talking to people about what you're doing, none of that is writing. writing is writing." -- e.l. doctorow

so perhaps that's some encouragement for all of us. taking steps to get strong again as a writer is much like giving up exercise for a year and living on krispy kremes then trying to launch into a fitness program. hard to do, but also can't wait to get into writing shape.

best wishes to each of you.

disney magic

for a while now, i've felt the need to disappear a bit. haven't been the best in friendships, email, correspondences, blogging, writing anything like that. those more difficult times in our lives do different things to us. for me, it makes me tend toward a hermit lifestyle of sorts (like "sophia" in the salt garden). sometimes it's an inner reclusiveness.

but then too, i do love a little excitement. when the air gets too suffocating in life, some excitement can offer a tad of what's really needed -- hope.

so i've spent the last two days at disneyland and california adventure with my seven year old son. whoohooo for mr. walt disney!

last weekend when i didn't want to get out of bed, i remembered an idea i had a year ago. idea was to take each of my children on a trip, just me and them. the recalling and decision was just the hope to get me up and out of the despair that was dragging at me. that despair really does want to eat us up you know. and i was starting to feel a few things eaten clean off. plus a mom and kid getaway was a really great idea, i thought. a memory with each of my children and just me. something just for us.

didn't plan on such spontaneity. but with school out for a few days, it was perfect, had to be done. disneyland being the easiest trip to plan on a short time frame, my youngest got to go first. so off we went days after making the plan. it took 10 hours to drive to LA with the mudslides causing road delays. and even that didn't put a cloud over us. we've been smiling and laughing and having the kind of time only disney magic can provide. even that southern cali sunshine has warmed our days.

my son is 7 years old, and i was 7 years old last time i visited the magical kingdom. boy, it's sure changed. guess that was 27 years ago, gulp. but interesting too, how one man's vision had changed practically every life on the planet. walt disney had a vision. that vision surely exceeded anyone's imagination. but what joy and laughter and wonder the disney legacy has created.

so i'm in my hotel room. we needed a bit breather before heading back, tonight it's downtown disney. dinner at the rainforest cafe hopefully, some shopping, maybe a disney parade -- the electrical parade last night was wonderful.

tomorrow we'll go back to for a few rides before packing up the car. halfway north, we're taking a little detour to monterey and fisherman's wharf for the sunday night, then on back home. the real life challenges are waiting, they don't disappear when you run away. but maybe some laughter and joy will make it easier. maybe not. but at least my son and i have some pixie dust to carry with us -- some things can't be taken away.

god's blessings and some pixie dust to you, wherever you are today.