Vacation! (and Calendar Events)

I think we were supposed to be shouting "Vacation!" back in June when school let out. But since I leave on mine tomorrow, I get to shout it today. We'll be going on a cruise from New York to Canada, the same cruise we took last summer because my daughter made friends with a girl on the ship, we've seen the family several times since, and so we're going to take the same trip with them all over again.

The other day a writing acquaintance asked if I'd take her manuscript along with me to see what I thought and I said no. I'll gladly read it when I get back, but I try not to do anything that constitutes work anymore on the few vacations I take. I used to take work with me all the time, but since I work seven days a week when I'm home - I'm here now, aren't I? - I just refuse to take anything with me. While on the ship, I will force myself to relax and have a good time...even if it kills me.

Before we had our daughter, we used to travel a lot. Some of my favorite vacations? Scotland, where we did a hiking tour across the country and climbed a mountain. Iceland, which in case you don't know it, is the cheapest way to get from the U.S. to mainland Europe provided you're willing to stop in Iceland, where everyone smokes and uses cell phones like crazy. Israel, which I just love. England, because - my God! - Shakespeare came from there. Seattle, three times, where it's always perfect weather for us while we're there, never raining. And a few other trips, totalling about 30 states and 15 countries.

In terms of calendar events, it looks like the biggies are the two books I have coming out early next year. First up, SCENES OF MY SUBURBAN LIFE, a YA about a girl whose novelist mother is crushed to death by a stack of Harry Potter books. In the aftermath, she and her father move to CT where she becomes involved in a sort-of mystery featuring an online predator. It comes out from Simon & Schuster on January 8.

OK, I keep trying to upload images of the covers, but for whatever reasons, it won't appear on the page. Bleagh. Anyway, the second book is called ME, IN BETWEEN, my first tween book about a precociously well-breasted 12-year-old who feels ambivalent about her endowments.

I'm still bummed about those cover images. Anyhoo, I was thrilled this week to learn that ANGEL'S CHOICE has gone into a second printing. That doesn't happen to me every day, so I am still enjoying the moment. There are plenty of moments in life that suck - might as well enjoy those that don't.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE VACATION AND WHY?

See you when I get back!

P.S. Obviously, I just figured out how to get the images up...but they're all in the wrong places. Honestly. Some of us should *not* be allowed anywhere near modern technology!

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