the SIMMER blog

you know what really burns my bacon?

(Note: no bacon was burned in the making of this post. And thank goodness for that, right?)

So there is a current TV commercial for a pre-made frozen steam-in-bag food product with a sarcastic faceless female voiceover that goes something like this: "Food Myth Number Six: chopping, peeling, and sauteeing can be kind of relaxing at the end of the day. Relaxing for who??"

DIrect response to sarcastic faceless female voiceover: relaxing for ME, that's who, lady.

It's been a crazy weekend into week into weekend into week and not getting any better anytime soon, but even if I have no time for anything else there is something wonderful and relaxing and whole-new-day-making about taking 45 minutes or so out of the evening to put together a corn and tomato saute like this:

and a smoothish guacamole like this:

with a couple paprika-and-chipotle-rubbed steaks like this:

And yes, that's a little time out of my day, but yes, I also find myself refreshed and appreciative and satisfied afterward in a way that steaming something inside the bag it came in doesn't do.

(especially when my husband does the dishes so I can go right back to work.)

what's going on...

In book world: editing ARC cover copy! Looking over copy edits! Getting my author photo taken! Interviewing a fellow author with a September book release, dispensing query advice, and a whole lot of other things! (Of that list, the copy edits are the big one... little nervous about that.)

In food world: ummm... I marinated some cubed lamb in a very tasty packaged shawarma mix from Kalustyan's? Yeah, nothing too world-busting at the moment.

(Though I do owe you a post on my failed experiment with mussels.) 

random monday authorness

One of the things I love about having a book coming out -- and no, I'm still not used to it! -- is that on any random day, at any unanticipated time, something bookish can happen to me, and I get that OMG AM REAL AUTHOR WHOA feeling.

Today, it was the arrival of my draft ARC cover copy.

Wheeeee!

ARC stands for Advance Review Copy, and it's also called "the galley", and it's a preliminary copy of the book (my book!) that goes out to reviewers and media and other folks, so they can have a (pretty) final copy of the book (my book!) six months or so in advance of the book (my book!) coming out.

I've seen other people's, and I assure you, there's a 95 percent chance I will cry tears of joy when I see mine.

We're making a few more tweaks to the ARC cover copy, so I'll share it with you when it's final -- and it's one of those things that feels so, so real.

(It's a book! My book!)

wordless wednesday xlv

multiculti weeknight tacos

Hi all! I've got a great dinner party menu to give you the rundown on, but no time to write it up right now. I think I might finally be getting better at not overdoing the dinner parties -- I did still make six dishes for six people, but at least I bought the ice cream to put on the plum crumble. That's progress, right? Right?

Anyway, on weeknights, I don't go overboard. I go simple.

Here's one of those simple things: hanger steak tacos with muenster and bleu cheese, with a bit of sriracha for spice. Muy multicultural, right?

 

And so pretty!

tv talk on intrepid media

Hey, y'all! Channeling a little Tami Taylor in honor of "Friday Night Lights", part of the inspiration for this month's pop culture column on Intrepid Media. As a major (some would say incurable) fan of television, I'm trying a new tack this month: is it actually better not to watch TV as it happens?

Give it a read and see if you agree:

must see, but not on tv

therese walsh's paperback launch and giveaway!

So for a change, I'm going to talk about someone's book besides mine.

Today, the paperback of Therese Walsh's excellent The Last Will of Moira Leahy is being released. It's a great book, eloquent and arresting, with elements of romance and magic, thrills and emotion, hope and sorrow, and... well, you need to read it to understand. And you should. You should read it.

And to celebrate, Therese is running a HUGE book giveaway! I can't even count how many authors it's up to now. Somewhere in the mid-forties. Anyway, LOTS of authors are giving away LOTS of books to help you celebrate along with Therese, and all you have to do for a chance to win is click "like" and comment. Click and comment. That's all.

For an explanation of the contest: click here.

For Therese's Facebook page: click here.  

Happy launch day, Therese!

(Don't worry, tomorrow I'm back to my usual narcissism.)

research-reader balance today on WU

I'm posting over on Writer Unboxed today about my process for research and writing -- and how to balance the facts in your fiction. Give it a read! Weigh in with a comment! One of the great things about WU is how lively and spirited the discussion gets, and I always enjoy hearing what people have to say, as writers and readers, on the topics there.

Give it a click:

the research or the reader?