Catch-Up Saturday

You know what? When you don't host Thanksgiving dinner, you get to start decorating for Christmas early, something that, given the schedule of daily life right now, is a small blessing.

I love Christmas, but it's startling to think that it's so close. Out and about today, I saw garland and nativity scenes going up, and just as I was thinking it was way too soon to be prepping, I remembered that it's November 22nd. Wow.

Today was one of those catch-up Saturdays, the kind where you catch up on everything you overlooked during the week. It was time for another hay run. A semi came up alongside us and we lost two bales to the highway. In case you ever wondered, hay bales explode on impact when they hit the pavement. It's, "Oh shiiiii...." And whoosh, they're gone. I saw the one come off my mom's truck in front of me, and was so glad I was the one behind her, dodging the explosion, rather than someone in a sedan who might go careening off the road. But then I got home, and saw that a bale was missing off my truck too. Oops.

I got to do some house cleaning that I'd been wanting/needing to do. I'm crabby when my personal space is disorganized.

Writing is coming right along. Without spoiling anything for anyone who hasn't read Part III, I've never been three-quarters into a book and had the characters in this particular situation before. It's fun. I'm getting to explore whole different aspects of the relationship. That's important for me, as a writer, to get to do something a little different with each book. It's not fun if I'm not growing and stretching.

Also in the spirit of catching up, I mentioned earlier in the week that I wanted to talk more about Only Lovers Left Alive. To keep it short and sweet: this is the answer to the sparkly vampire trends of late. It's a vampire film, yes, but vampirism is not the theme, but a framework, an eternal credibility for the two central characters, whose story is a love story that has endured centuries and retained its sweet, sensual romance. I love its subtlety: the way the scenes are framed as art photography, the clutter, the dirt, the extreme attention to visual detail, and the contrast between the characters: his despair (his hipster contempt is plausible given he's been alive forever; he has something to be disgusted about) and her easy, charming enjoyment of life, and the way she pulls him out of the darkness. Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton are fabulous as Adam and Eve. Fantastic chemistry, wonderful performances. It's a slow-paced, artsy film, not for everyone, I grant, but I'm a big Tom fan, and I loved it. So if you're looking for a vamp movie in the Anne Rice tradition, it's a good pick.

 

Okay, I'm going to spend the rest of my night writing, making up for the day's lack of writing. I want to say a huge thank you to my readers, and reviewers, my emailers, my fans, all the people who are making Fearless such a rewarding project. I appreciate you all more than you know. You make me want to write, and write, and write for you.