Tag: novels

The beauty of trees

In spring of 2004, when James found out that Tim and I were making a research trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast for THREE FORTUNES, among the things he told us to do was visit the Friendship Oak on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi-Gulf Coast in Long Beach. Legend has it that friends who stand together under the oak will remain friends for life.

The live oaks of the coast, including Friendship, became part of the story in our novel, and after Katrina, I knew some of them must have sustained terrible damage and others would be gone. In attempting to get photographic details of the coastal towns, I found Shawn Lea’s blog, Everything and Nothing. (Shawn’s family’s homes in Gulfport and Waveland were among those destroyed.)

This “bliendship,” as bloggers call the friends they make through their blogs, has progressed beyond just getting my Mississippi updates. I enjoy Shawn’s selections of poetry, photos, cultural events, T-shirts, family news, travel accounts, recipes, and oh, the many cool gadgets and products she finds.

Yesterday, she linked to a Sun Herald article on “Before and After,” which includes the paper’s photos of specific sites, buildings, and homes before and after Katrina. The paper has compiled them into a book that can be purchased, but they are also available to see individually online.

Of course, the photos are heartbreaking, but many of the articles that accompany them present the stoic attitude of coastal residents and their determination to rebuild what has been lost.

But you can’t rebuild a tree, and when I saw an “after” photo of Counselor, a famous Biloxi oak, my heart sank. I had very little hope for Friendship, because I knew the college campus was badly damaged.

Then, down the list of photos, I saw Friendship Oak in Long Beach. According to the article, calls asking about Friendship are the first they get after any hurricane.

Here are photos from the trip I took with Tim. I read that although the tree has been damaged, it still stands. I dream of the day when Friendship’s limbs will once again be hidden by a rich profusion of leaves; its acorns sent into the world to replenish the tree population; and beneath its branches, friends will whisper secrets and vow their lifelong loyalty.
see photos

The End of an Era

Things have changed here at the Home Office.

When Tim first moved to Houston (just after IT HAD TO BE YOU was published), he accessed the Internet via dial-up in his apartment. In the Big House, we’d recently made the transition from dial-up to cable modem, and we had a couple of computers linked in a network. Tim frequently used the second computer to write (mainly to keep documents software compatible), then permanently after his Mac died. We sat face to face, but we couldn’t see each other because one of the desks had a high back with shelving on it. That was the situation when we worked on HE’S THE ONE and THE DEAL.

When Tim got his new Mac, he used dial-up in his apartment for a while, and I’M YOUR MAN was finished during that time. Then we needed the Home Office for temporary housing for my mother, so the cable modem was moved to Tim’s apartment. For a while, we worked side by side upstairs, but our hours weren’t compatible, which meant I was often interfering with Tim’s sleep. So we dropped a line downstairs, and we finished writing SOMEONE LIKE YOU and THREE FORTUNES IN ONE COOKIE on different floors in the same building.

After my mother moved out, we set up the Home Office in a way much more conducive to two work spaces, and Tim and I have sat side by side for about a year and a half. We changed to wireless (secured, you Stalkers!), which means my laptop often serves as a guest computer, but Tim’s Mac didn’t have wireless capability.

Now we’re working on TJB FIVE, and Tom and I just gave Tim an early birthday gift–whatever thingie (I don’t do geek talk) he needed for his Mac to be wireless. The wireless signal is more than strong enough to reach the apartment, so Tim can now office in his own space.

It remains to be seen how this will affect progress on TJB FIVE. I’m sure Tim will be happy not to deal with the ten million questions I ask him a day (his brain is like my encyclopedia), and Rex and the girls will get some time apart, which should help their socialization issues.

But this is the first day, and it’s kind of lonely over here.

Why not…

I’m taking it from scottynola, who took it from docbrite…

Five things I did for the first time this year:

got a two-book contract on my own
evacuated for a hurricane
sold a short story
talked to Greg Herren on the phone
met five new (to me) authors in person

Five things I’m looking forward to in ’06

the release of Someone Like You
the release of my first solo novel
Saints and Sinners
two new great-nieces and/or -nephews
more rest, less stress

Best household additions in ’05

River
digital camera
wireless
little couch in office
wooden blinds

Five things within my grasp that delight me

Margot and Guinness
coffee
mouse & keyboard
Another Janet Evanovich mystery
photo of Timmy, Jim, and Tim

Five things I lost in ’05

sleep
five more pounds
hope for a certain manuscript
the setting for Three Fortunes in One Cookie
red reflector on my car bumper

Six people who really had my back this year

Tom, as always, but there is no way I can limit this to six. My support system is phenomenal.

Six things I should be doing rather than writing this list

Writing
Reconciling my bank statement
Paying bills
Calling my mother
Answering e-mail
Putting decorations away

Huh?

Tim just pointed out that amazon.com is suggesting that readers buy The Communist Manifesto with Three Fortunes in One Cookie.

Now there’s a connection that eludes me. Was Karl Marx gay? Did he develop his philosophy from fortune cookies? Is it because Alyson used red font on our cover?

Going Postal

It’s happy mail day! Mail from Lisa in Iowa, Todd in Wisconsin, George in Ohio, Greg in New Orleans…all full of wonderful comments about THREE FORTUNES, wishes for a happy Halloween, or tasty treats… And no stinky fish treats, heh.

Some days are diamonds. (Who said that? John Denver?)

Oh, P.S. I just remembered. Lisa, I, too, had no idea what a MILF is, so now you know who wrote it. I know now, but I’ll let Tim tell you. =)

And since I’m talking about artists….

….and THREE FORTUNES, a Rothko painting is featured predominantly in our novel. I have a wonderful book full of Rothko’s art that Tom gave me one Christmas, and he has asked which of Mark Rothko’s paintings belongs to the fictitious Godbee family. I have my preferences, but I think every reader should let it be whichever painting he or she imagines.
Continue reading “And since I’m talking about artists….”

Get your photos in!

First it was these two great sports.

Then we did this one when Steve was visiting Houston.

And now it’s been taken to a whole new level.

I’ve been trying to think of something new for my page on Tim’s site. I think reader photos are an excellent idea. Please dust those cameras off, don’t worry if it’s a good hair day (I haven’t had one in years), and send us photos of yourself (or any animal or stranger on the street) reading THREE FORTUNES IN ONE COOKIE.

You’ll be famous! Well, sort of. You won’t be as famous as this guy.

Ruthless Self-Discipline

I need to be organized. I can’t work in clutter. I can’t stand it when I can’t find things. I’m a great filer and organizer (I think The Container Store is a little slice of heaven), but I’ve had too many related things filed in too many different places.

Tim is always (always being an exaggeration of occasionally) nagging me to purge stuff. (Geminis…)
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Mississippi Gulf Coast

Today I am horrified by the images and video I’m seeing from the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Besides the fact that one of our LJ friends lives there, and we are hoping he and his loved ones are okay, this is where Tim and I visited when researching THREE FORTUNES.

The residents were so gracious about answering our questions. They were frank about what was good and what was flawed about their state, but none of them talked about moving away. It’s home. In our acknowledgments, we specifically thank two Visitors’ Centers, two GLBT bars, and a cafe in Pass Christian. I don’t know if those places are even still there.

The houses that play an important role in the novel were inspired by the coast’s beautiful mansions, many of which survived Hurricane Camille. In fact, Camille has a part in shaping one of our characters, and some of our characters do what I did when I was there one morning–go to the Hurricane Camille Memorial in Biloxi. Tim and I made a video record of some of the places we saw so that when we came back to Houston, our writing would be accurate. It’s heartbreaking to think of all that beauty destroyed.

I can’t believe the devastation. I know there is a tremendous loss of property, but even worse, the loss of lives. I worry about the evacuees, the survivors, the displaced animals. I feel so helpless. I wish our book would sell a zillion copies or be optioned for a movie, so I could donate enough money to make a difference. I wish I could help people clean up and get their lives back.

All I can do for the moment is send good thoughts, good energy, to these coastal people who shared themselves and their beautiful surroundings with us for a time. It will be home again.

An Out-of-Compound Experience

Tonight I had to run some errands, so on a whim, and with low expectations, I stopped by our neighborhood Borders. Alas, no copies of THREE FORTUNES were on the shelf. I picked up another of Greg Herren’s mysteries, MURDER IN THE RUE DAUPHINE (New Orleans being on my mind this evening). I also noted that FARB’s TRUST FUND BOYS looks good in its new trade paper release.

As I was leaving, one of the associates asked if he could help me, so I asked if he could look up two books–Lori L Lake’s HAVE GUN WE’LL TRAVEL, which I’ve heard a lot about, and, well… THREE FORTUNES IN ONE COOKIE by Cochrane Lambert.
Continue reading “An Out-of-Compound Experience”