I’m coming out of blog-hibernation long enough to post this fabulous interview with Class of 2k8 member Debbie Reed Fischer, ([info]debbierfischer,) author of the recently released young adult novel BRALESS IN WONDERLAND and SWIMMING WITH THE SHARKS, set to come out in September. Why? Dude, she sent photos and you know how much I love posting hair-don’t photos!

Allee Rosen is a lot of things: high school senior, overachiever, feminist, brainiac. The one thing she’s not is super model material. She leaves that to pretty people like her little sister (a.k.a. “The Fluff”). That’s why it’s a complete shock when Allee, not her sister, is the one spotted by modeling scouts at the mall and signed by a major modeling agency in Miami.

It’s classic GEEK-to-CHIC – but it’s not like it’s going to change her right? She’s just doing it for the money that will pay her way through college. Very soon, however, Allee is swept up in the whirlwind of go-sees, designer labels and photo shoots. Will her elusive “It Girl” status lead Allee to drop her dreams and forget who she really is?

Meet Peyton Grady: self-declared president of The Neverhadaboyfriend Club, six feet tall, “freckled and flat as a skateboard,” on financial aid, with only her best friend Maya to rely on. Until now, she hasn’t exactly been the poster child for popularity at her posh private high school, Beachwood Prep. But everything is about to change, because this year, Peyton has a coveted spot on the varsity cheerleading squad. Now she’ll finally have a shot at the life she’s always wanted, complete with membership in the Alpha Clique, the boyfriend of her dreams, and “no more standing on the social sidelines.”

But treasured goals never come easy. When the principal, Dr. Johnson, appoints new student Ellika Grosset, a “squatty stump of a girl” with zero athletic ability as the squad’s newest member, things get complicated. Peyton and the rest of the squad are outraged that this girl has been forced upon them, simply because her parents donated millions for a new athletic facility.
But none are more furious than the queen fly girl herself, charismatic and powerful squad captain, Lexie Court. Ordering Peyton and her team mates to “take initiation rituals to the next level,” Lexie hatches Operation Smellika, a bullying campaign to drive Ellika out. “Do whatever it takes,” she tells them. “It’s for the good of the squad.”

Peyton knows it’s wrong. Horrible, even. She feels sorry for Ellika. But in the end, Peyton participates along with the others. Torn by her conscience, yet seduced by the chance to have everything she wants, she gets further and further involved in Lexie’s sick hazing plan.

Until it goes too far.

Peyton knows she has to stop Lexie.

But how?

Welcome, Debbie! Grab some coffee, get comfy in the beautician’s chair, and let’s get down to the gossip. What’s the most regrettable hairstyle you’ve ever had? Any mullets? Rat tails?

Eighth grade: the So-Feathered-the-Back-of-my-Head-Looks-Like-a-Butt look.

Then there was ninth grade, a perm on top of a perm. Think Chanukah bush meets Pyramid of Brillo.

I’ll spare you the uneven spiked bangs of my Flock-of-Seagulls era.

Aw, man, you know we all want to see that now! But okay, what hair styling product can you not live without?

Carrot oil. It has cured split ends for me. Also the detangler stuff for babies.

(Note to Self: Buy carrot oil. Especially if it makes Debbie’s hair look like this:)

What beauty product can you not live without?

It’s not really a beauty product, but I use it every night: Vaseline. I use it for eye makeup remover, lip moisturizer and under-eye moisturizer. I also use it on my elbows and hands.

(Note to Self: Buy Vaseline, too.) Okay, time for your Hypothetical Questions of the Week:

HQ #1: For one day, time travel is a reality and you have the opportunity to visit any famous deceased author you want. Who do you pick?

Lewis Carroll.

HQ #2: TV execs are offering you a spot on a new reality show for writers. Do you say yes? If so, how would you be portrayed? (i.e. the boss, whiner, bore, paranoid-wreck, etc.?)

Funny you should ask, I often fantasize about this question. I would love to be portrayed as the one everyone underestimates and thinks is a fail-and-fade-quietly type, but who ends up shocking everyone by unexpectedly out-performing others, thus being a contender. I would also be the one crying every night because she misses her family.

HQ #3: You’re a big-time celebrity who just had a baby. If you were competing for the most bizarre celebrity baby name, what would it be?

Ishkabibel or possibly Lily von Shtup.

HQ #4: Paparazzi are stalking you, looking for shots of odd things authors do while writing. What do they catch you doing, hmm?

Talking to myself, eating dry Cheerios, singing, pacing, blowing giant bubble gum bubbles

HQ #5: If you followed the career path you chose for yourself in high school, what would you be doing for a living now?

What I’m doing (writing books), teaching (what I did) PLUS (what I didn’t do and often fantasized about): writing screenplays, singing and dancing on Broadway, writing, directing and starring in my own films (and winning Independent Spirit Awards), and being a flight attendant. I can’t explain the last one. It has something to do with demonstrating emergency procedures at the front of the plane while wearing a jaunty hat.

The Lightening Round—no more than two words per answer!

Do you . . .
Outline or wing it? Wing it
Talk about works-in-progress, or keep your trap shut? Trap shut
Sell by proposal or completed draft? Both
Love to edit or cringe at the thought? Both
Prefer writing a new book or marketing the old? Writing new
Write better at home or in a coffee shop? At home
Read your released book or no thanks? No thanks

And finally, what’s your favorite . . .
Time to write? Early morning
Movie? Fame
Book? Author?
Pair of shoes? Flip flops
Guiltiest pleasure? Candy

Awesome, thanks, Debbie, for stopping by and bravely sending those photos! You’ve inspired me to go rent Fame, and I must confess that I, too, have longed to perform a flight attendant’s emergency routine. Just not like Britney Spears did in the video Toxic.

Best of luck with your novels!

Okay, last week I did something that made me feel good by redecorating my dining room/writing area. This week, I’m trying to make life more sane. Between work and my boys’ nonstop baseball and basketball games, my writing is starting to suffer. So, I’m unplugging for the summer by taking a Livejournal, MySpace, Facebook and all things computer break. Our television is going semi-unplugged, too, except for when Project Runway starts up again in July. I gotta have my Tim Gunn fix!

So I hope you have a wonderful, fantastic summer!

Real quick though:

- I totally missed the Top Chef final episode, but yeah to Stephanie for winning!
- LOVED Sex and the City! Poor Bob. He was one of out only eleven men in the packed theater. He did get a kick out of how us ladies gasped, applauded or awwww’d at key moments.
- LOVED the movie Juno! At first, I thought it would be another inflated bomb, like No Country for Old Men, (I can’t believe that was even nominated for an Academy Award.) But it was very sweet.

Okay, I’m done. See you in September!

Yeah, okay, that was confusing.

See, every now and then I get this gigantic hair up my . . . um, I get an urgent desire to redo my writing area. Call it a mindset or clinging to Dumbo’s magic feather, but it always gives my writing a boost. My ‘office’ is actually our dining room. But, it looked and felt like a dining room. So my wild hair screamed out MAKE-OVER!

While listening to Anna Nalick’s Wreck of the Day album, (which is AWESOME,) I stared at our china cabinet. It was full of wedding memorabilia and presents that I never really liked, like pastel photo frames and pink/blue knick-knacks. (If you can’t tell already, I’m not the pastel pink/blue kind of gal.) But I am the kind of gal who feels obligated to never throw out presents given to me, whether I like them or not, so they’ve been there for fifteen years, as well as the dried-out, dusty bouquet from my wedding that someone dried out for me.

I mean, what kind of woman throws away her wedding bouquet, right?

Then there was the framed prints of pastel gardens on the walls that were professionally framed. I mean, if something is professionally framed, you should use it, right?

Wrong.

I decided to reclaim the dining room and turn it into a room I enjoyed working in. So, I stripped the china cabinet of all things that I don’t like, even though I love the people who gave me them. I put in things that made me feel good, like the cool horses my father has been giving me over the years, made of brass, gold or leather. I bought new picture frames and got rid of the pastel ceramic ones. I put in old books for a more office feel, rearranged the rest of the furniture, got rid of the dining room chairs, took a leaf out of the table and brought up a gorgeous recliner that’s been in the basement to make a reading nook. Those pastel garden prints? Gone. I treated myself to some new prints at Michael’s and ripped out the neat professional framing work in exchange for prints that brought me joy.

And my dried-out, dusty bouquet. It took me a while to get up the nerve, but I threw it away. Sorry–the person who dried it out for me was so sweet, but I don’t need it to remind me of my wonderful wedding.

End result? I love the room now. It looks fantastic.

But . . . if the person who gave me the pastel ceramic frame is reading this, please don’t take it personally!

Yeah, okay, that was confusing.

See, every now and then I get this gigantic hair up my . . . um, I get an urgent desire to redo my writing area. Call it a mindset or clinging to Dumbo’s magic feather, but it always gives my writing a boost. My ‘office’ is actually our dining room. But, it looked and felt like a dining room. So my wild hair screamed out MAKE-OVER!

While listening to Anna Nalick’s Wreck of the Day album, (which is AWESOME,) I stared at our china cabinet. It was full of wedding memorabilia and presents that I never really liked, like pastel photo frames and pink/blue knick-knacks. (If you can’t tell already, I’m not the pastel pink/blue kind of gal.) But I am the kind of gal who feels obligated to never throw out presents given to me, whether I like them or not, so they’ve been there for fifteen years, as well as the dried-out, dusty bouquet from my wedding that someone dried out for me.

I mean, what kind of woman throws away her wedding bouquet, right?

Then there was the framed prints of pastel gardens on the walls that were professionally framed. I mean, if something is professionally framed, you should use it, right?

Wrong.

I decided to reclaim the dining room and turn it into a room I enjoyed working in. So, I stripped the china cabinet of all things that I don’t like, even though I love the people who gave me them. I put in things that made me feel good, like the cool horses my father has been giving me over the years, made of brass, gold or leather. I bought new picture frames and got rid of the pastel ceramic ones. I put in old books for a more office feel, rearranged the rest of the furniture, got rid of the dining room chairs, took a leaf out of the table and brought up a gorgeous recliner that’s been in the basement to make a reading nook. Those pastel garden prints? Gone. I treated myself to some new prints at Michael’s and ripped out the neat professional framing work in exchange for prints that brought me joy.

And my dried-out, dusty bouquet. It took me a while to get up the nerve, but I threw it away. Sorry–the person who dried it out for me was so sweet, but I don’t need it to remind me of my wonderful wedding.

End result? I love the room now. It looks fantastic.

But . . . if the person who gave me the pastel ceramic frame is reading this, please don’t take it personally!

In a city that runs on a dwindling supply of magic, a young boy is drawn into a life of wizardry and adventure. Conn should have dropped dead the day he picked Nevery’s pocket and touched the wizard’s locus magicalicus, a stone used to focus magic and work spells. But for some reason he did not. Nevery finds that interesting, and he takes Conn as his apprentice on the provision that the boy find a locus stone of his own. But Conn has little time to search for his stone between wizard lessons and helping Nevery discover who—or what—is stealing the city of Wellmet’s magic.

For ages 10 and up.

So welcome, Sarah! Grab some coffee, and let’s get down to the gossip. When’s the last time you’ve treated yourself to a manicure?
Um….never? This is really sad. The last time I had one…wait, the only time I’ve had one…was when my sister got married four years ago.

What hair styling product can you not live without?

My stylist insists that I use Bumble and Bumble leave-in conditioner. This chair is really comfortable. Do you do manicures here?

Sure, I can’t guarantee a neat job, but I’ll give it a go. I don’t do toes, however. I have issues. Okay, how long have you been with your current stylist and what are your appointment conversations like—chatty and personal, or quiet and professional?
My stylist is an artist! Her name is Soraya and the salon is called Buzz, and it’s way, way too cool for me, but they’re always super nice. We chat. They play weird music. It’s usually French techno-pop, or something, but last time I was there “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” came on and we had a good laugh. I don’t ever tell Soraya what I want, I just sit in the chair and say “Do with me what you will!” When I started out with her five years ago I had short spiky hair with bleachy highlights, and now I have long, dark hair with the “silvers” (as she calls them) dyed out.

Time for your “Hypothetical Questions of the Week:

HQ #1: If you could hit the rewind button, which book published by another author do you wish you could have written? Which movie screenplay?

Because it’s my favorite, I’d be likely to say The Lord of the Rings, but that came out of Tolkien’s years of intensive language study, not to mention his horrible experiences in the trenches of WWI, and I wouldn’t want to endure either of those things in order to write about Hobbits. I would’ve loved to have written the screenplay for the Lord of the Rings movies, along with Peter Jackson and his co-writers.

HQ #2: You’ve been locked in a bank vault with that guy from The Twilight Zone, so you finally have time to read! What’s the first book you crack open? (And don’t worry—no one stepped on your glasses.)
Ingrid Law’s Savvy. I’ve had a copy for weeks and I’ve been too busy to get to it.

HQ #3: If I asked the members of your critique group who you’re most like when critiquing manuscripts, would they choose Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul or Simon Cowell?
Yikes! These are hard questions. I’m going to need another cup of coffee for this one. So my deal is that I don’t have a TV and I’ve never seen an episode of American Idol. But if one of those three gives brutally, ruthlessly honest critiques, that one’s me. No snark, though.

HQ #4: If you followed the career path you chose for yourself in high school, what would you be doing for a living now?
I’d be an English professor. Thank goodness for that fate averted.

HQ #5: If you could go back in time and make changes to any of your published books, would you? If so, which one and why?
Well, there’s got to be a typo somewhere in The Magic Thief, as typos are endemic to publishing. I haven’t found it yet, but when I do, that’s what I’d change.

The Lightening Round—no more than two words per answer!

Do you . . .
Outline or wing it? Binge writer
Talk about works-in-progress, or keep your trap shut? Chatter (w/ friends)
Sell by proposal or completed draft? Both! (trilogy)
Love to edit or cringe at the thought? Love revision
Prefer writing a new book or marketing the old? Writing & touring.
Write better at home or in a coffee shop? Home = cave
Read your released book or no thanks? Typos (argh!!!)

And finally, what’s your favorite . . .

Time to write? Early morning
Movie? Spirited Away
Book? Pride & Prejudice
Author? Too many to name them all.
Song? This week? Tom Sawyer by Rush
Pair of shoes? Black Chuck Taylors
Guiltiest pleasure? Bacon

Thanks for stopping by, Sarah, and best of luck with The Magic Thief! Now go get yourself a manicure as a reward for your release.

Imagine…

You and your best friend head out West on a cross-country bike trek. The two of you get into a fight—and stop riding together. You reach Seattle, go back home, start college. You think your former best friend does too. He doesn’t.

Imagine your world shifting.

“This is a great realistic mystery. Jennifer Bradbury tells a totally believable, totally engrossing story. You will keep the pages turning.” –Chris Crutcher, Margaret A. Edwards Award winning author of Deadline and Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes

Click here for the behind the story scoop on SHIFT!

Welcome, Jennifer! Grab some coffee, get comfy in the beautician’s chair, and let’s get down to the gossip.

When’s the last time you’ve treated yourself to a manicure?
Fall of 2005. We were living in India and you could get a full spa day for about fifteen dollars—including threading (don’t ask), pedicure, skin treatments, massage and manicure. Trouble was, there were only a handful of Caucasian people in the city of almost 1,000,000, so the spa I visited didn’t have any nail polish colors on hand that really went with my skin tone. I had to rush out to the chemist and buy nail polish remover on my walk back to my apartment.

Hey, Jennifer, what’s treading? (Sorry. Couldn’t help it.) Okay, what beauty product can you not live without?
The only thing I wear every day is my Oil of Olay complete moisturizer with sunscreen. I love that stuff. I think I’d put it in my coffee if I thought it would help. Burts Bees lip balm and Clinique mascara are tied for a very close second.

How long have you been with your current stylist and what are your appointment conversations like—chatty and personal, or quiet and professional?

I just started seeing Hilda, my current stylist. I ended up leaving another sylist recently, which always feels weird. But I like Hilda (who talked me into my first highlights!) and she’s a friend from my church home group so we have lots to talk about.

Here’s your Hypothetical Questions of the Week:

HQ #1: You magically find a $100.00 bill in your box of cereal. In what frivolous way would you spend it?
Probably on the pair of NAOT sandals I tried on a couple of days ago, or maybe on a prepaid gift card to my favorite Espresso place. If I were smart, I’d spend it all on more boxes of the same cereal, betting there’s more cash in there. But I’m not. Or I like shoes and coffee too much.

HQ #2: If I asked the members of your critique group who you’re most like when critiquing manuscripts, would they choose Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul or Simon Cowell?
Somehow I ended up in a critique group with two women who do not have televisions either. So they would mostly say “Huh?” in response to this question. But I think I have Simon tendencies when talking about my own work, and a little Randy Jackson when addressing others.

HQ #3: If you followed the career path you chose for yourself in high school, what would you be doing for a living now?
I’d be a journalist, hoping for an assignment with some foreign press bureau. Basically, I wanted to be Rory Gilmore before there was a Rory Gilmore.

The Lightening Round—no more than two words per answer!

Do you . . .
Outline or wing it? OUTLINE!
Talk about works-in-progress, or keep your trap shut? Hint around . . .
Sell by proposal or completed draft? Completed draft.
Love to edit or cringe at the thought? Love it.
Prefer writing a new book or marketing the old? Writing new.
Write better at home or in a coffee shop? Both (I usually write at home, but if I can sneak out . . . )
Read your released book or no thanks? All done.

And finally, what’s your favorite . . .
Time to write? Naptime!
Movie? Rear Window.
Book? Jane Eyre.
Author? Jane Austen.
Song? If I Had a Boat by Lyle Lovett
Pair of shoes? Dansko clogs. (I was a teacher, so yeah . . .)
Guiltiest pleasure? Gummi Sweet Tarts.
Line from a movie? “Step aside, homeschool,” from Blades of Glory, mainly because it’s the only one I can think of that I’ve quoted recently.

Thanks, Jennifer, and best of luck with SHIFT! Around my house, there’s quite a bit of quoting from Will Ferrell movies as well, especially Talledega Nights. Oh, and I still want to know what threading is. Okay, okay, I’ll let it go.

Matisse Osgood is a New York City girl through and through. She buys her clothes at Andy’s Cheapies, watches indie films at The Angelika, and wouldn’t be caught dead on a hay ride. But when her father gets sick and Matisse’s parents decide to leave Manhattan for a small town in upstate New York, her perfect world crumbles.

As Matisse trudges through life in Prague, she dreams of waking up in her apartment on West 78th St. with a father who’s well enough to walk with her in Central Park and a mother who doesn’t pretend that everything is okay. When rumors surround Matisse at school, and her father’s symptoms worsen, Matisse realizes that the friends she’s making in Prague are the kind you can count on. They help Matisse find the strength to reach out to her father, who may not be as far from her as she thought. And one particular farm boy shows Matisse that country living is a lot more magical than she had ever imagined.

“Daphne Grab’s debut novel captures perfectly the pains and joys of a small-town high school, with a wry, observant heroine who learns that true strength must coexist with compassion.” - Catherine Gilbert Murdock, author of DAIRY QUEEN and THE OFF SEASON

Welcome, Daphne! Grab some coffee, get comfy in the beautician’s chair, and let’s get down to the gossip. First off, what’s the most regrettable hairstyle you’ve ever had?

My sister still talks about the perm I had in high school. We’re talking the late eighties so it wasn’t a good time for hair in general, but perms were particularly gruesome. My thin hair was a mass of frizzy clumps that could only be called curls by someone who wanted to be kind and didn’t mind lying. To make it worse I decided I wanted the sides a trimmed a little to get a layered look and for some insane reason I decided to do this myself. Obviously that was about the worst idea ever, so I ended up with a lopsided, fizzy-fest mullet. Those last few months of sophomore year were a dark time for me and I can’t share pictures because I later destroyed all the evidence.

Yeah, I remember my dark years. Cringe. Okay, what hair styling product can you not live without?

This is a tough one because my vanity point is my hair and I have a lot of hair products, but I’m going to go with my Aveda leave-in conditioner.

What beauty product can you not live without?

I’m in love with Jurlique products and their Herbal Recovery Gel is an essential for me.

Time for your “Hypothetical Questions of the Week:

HQ #1: For one day, time travel is a reality and you have the opportunity to visit any famous deceased author you want. Who do you pick?

This is a tough one because Jane Austen is my favorite and I love Dickens too. But I’m going to have to go with Madeleine L’Engle here because I feel like we’d have a great time hanging out. Or at least I know I would- I’d pretty much be fascinated by anything she had to say because (based on her memoirs) I love her spiritual approach to things and her ability to find joy in small things. And her books are still magical to me, even after having read each one at least a million times.

HQ #2: You magically find a $100.00 bill in your box of cereal. In what frivolous way would you spend it?

I’d head out to Silk Day Spa and get one of their massages which have ridiculous names, like Melt off the Table Massage (or something like that), but are completely blissful. The hundred wouldn’t actually cover it but it would be enough that I wouldn’t feel guilty dropping the other fifty.

HQ #3: Paparazzi are stalking you, looking for shots of odd things authors do while writing. What do they catch you doing, hmm?

Singing to my cat- it might not make the best photo but it would be a truly embarrassing video!

HQ #4: You’ve been locked in a bank vault with that guy from The Twilight Zone, so you finally have time to read! What’s the first book you crack open?

I’d go with a classic that I really want to read but never seem to get around to actually starting, like Anna Karenina.

HQ #5: If you followed the career path you chose for yourself in high school, what would you be doing for a living now?

If I followed my career dreams of elementary school I’d be a football player in the day and a ballerina at night, which I think would be a lot of fun, though perhaps tiring. In high school I wanted to travel all over the world and I actually spent my twenties doing just that.

The Lightening Round—no more than two words per answer!

Do you . . .
Outline or wing it? Outline
Talk about works-in-progress, or keep your trap shut? Talk some
Sell by proposal or completed draft? Draft
Love to edit or cringe at the thought? Love it
Prefer writing a new book or marketing the old? Both
Write better at home or in a coffee shop? Home
Read your released book or no, I’ve read it enough? Enough

And finally, what’s your favorite . . .

Time to write? Morning
Movie? Star Wars
Book? The Color Purple
Author? Beverly Cleary
Song? Anything ABBA
Pair of shoes? Flip flops
Guiltiest pleasure? Cheesy 80’s TV
Line from a movie? “Your lack of faith disturbs me, General” – Darth Vader as he’s using the force to strangle the General

Thanks for stopping by, Daphne, and best of luck with your novel! Oh, and I love ABBA! Come on. Sing it with me: There was something in the air that night, the stars were bright, Fernando . . .

You know what’s coming, right?

Yes. On Saturday morning, I realized my wallet was missing. If you’ve never had a panic attack–let me just say right now that they are NOT pleasant. I tore apart my van, my house, my jacket pockets trying to find my wallet. Nothing. I called a convenience store, where I bought Gatorade my kid’s last practice. Nothing. I asked myself a thousand times, why didn’t you make those copies? No clue. There was nothing left to do except go into Bob’s office for my credit card statements, so I could find out if any charges were made.

There was my wallet, on Bob’s desk. Opposite the copier. Thank God. And so, after giving a thousand more thank-yous to God, I thought . . . hmm, maybe I should learn my lesson and make those copies, seeing how I was given a second chance.

Did I?

No.

But this week, I’ll get it done. I mean it this time . . .

Well, except for my son’s, because he’s heard it all before. After his game was rained out, I dragged him along in case no one else showed up. And, yeah, I somehow managed to knock over my book display, then step all over a jacket cover and then knock over a basket full of emery boards and bookmarks, scattering them all over the floor.

2. YEAH DAVID COOK! I broke down and watched the American Idol finale. Good thing, because otherwise, I would have missed that whole boxing theme. Whew! (Insert extreme sarcasm here.)

3. While going through another bout of insomnia last night, (or I should say this morning,) I watched the finale of Flavor of Love 3. I’m telling you, that show is like TV crack to me–hard to walk away from once it’s on. But, it was cool that Flav picked Thing 2. I liked how she stayed true to herself and turned down his offer to stay overnight in his hotel room, and she must be very easy going if she allowed herself to be referred to as Thing 2 all season.

4. I can’t really think of a four, so let’s skip this one.

5. I broke down and got my oil changed yesterday morning and rewarded myself by editing for the rest of the day at Borders. It. Was. Lovely. (Okay, that wasn’t a great topic for #5. But I’m exhausted and couldn’t think of anything clever. See #3 for the reason.)

Have a great weekend!

And when this duffous screws up, she screws up big. In my mad rush to post my Shop Talk interview yesterday before going to the office, I made a HUGE mistake. The author of A DIFFICULT BOY is M.P. Barker, (Michele,) instead of Melissa Barker.

(I know. Don’t say it. I already feel rotten enough as it is.)

Especially when I went on to use the name ‘Melissa’ no less than six times in the interview, that was also posted on my MySpace and website, for a total of eighteen mess-ups that probably had poor Michele absolutely cringing. And, I also forgot to include a picture of Michele’s favorite shoes, these sparkly Dorothy dancing shoes:

Very awesome!

So Michele–please except my apology for messing up your name. I am deeply sorry!

And, I made another screw-up by not confirming with the library I’m giving a presentation at tonight if they have a Power Point projector. They don’t, so now I need to figure out how to put my presentation onto a DVD, if that’s even possible. If not, I need to figure out how I’m going to wing it. Gulp.

Lessons learned so far this week:

1. Always ask what equipment a library has before the day of the presentation.
2. Make sure you get the name right.

So, for those in my area, come out to the Walkersville Public Library tonight at 7:00 for my presentation on . . .

Hair Lessons Learned: How they relate to a writer’s career.

You’ll find out what pixie cuts, perm disasters, horrendous highlights and mullets have to do with my writing career! I hope to see you there!