Catching Up, or The Very Snowy Winter

Hello, blog, my old friend. Do you remember all those times I used to post about fun book events I was going to? Or news stories that impacted my life? Or random thoughts that would pop into my head and bring enlightenment to an issue I was deal with? Yeah, I miss those days, too.

There's too much to catch up on all that has happened in my life, so let me sum up.

I was a bit sad (as sad as someone who hates snow can be, anyway) when I got to Vermont for my last winter residency at Vermont College of Fine Arts to find it slushy and brown. But I wasn't there for the weather—I was there to learn and write and have fun, all of which I did. And just as I was ready to head home, the snow fell. After my flight got cancelled, I took the train from Vermont back to DC, only the snow decided to join us on the train, freezing the water in the restrooms and the doors shut, and what should have been an eight-hour train ride stretched into 16 hours. It was quite the adventure.

Back in DC, I got to attend the signing of my friend's second book (Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd), which was a blast. I also might have gone a little fan-girl on Stephanie Perkins—but come on! It was freaking Stephanie Perkins! My leopard gecko Harper thought this was Megan's best book so far.

I celebrated handing in the first packet of my last semester with a quick trip up to New York City for my friend’s book launch. Heather Demetrios (author of Something Real and the upcoming Exquisite Captive) is talented and funny, and I'm so lucky to call her my friend. We had a blast at her party and then spent the night dancing at her favorite club, and there may or may not have been a impromptu performance of "Sisters" from White Christmas at some point. It was a brilliant weekend away.

While I was up in NYC, my good friend's baby boy decided he couldn't wait any longer to meet us all and made an appearance a month and a half early. So the day I got back from NYC and the day my other friend just happened to fly in from Ethiopia (where she's stationed for the next year and a half) for some training, we went to visit Heather and her son. Healther Bingham is an incredibly talented opera singer, and while she's taking a few months to enjoy being a new mom, I look forward to seeing her back on stage soon. (Sorry, no baby pictures as I'm not sure Heather wants her son exposed online just yet.)

And then there was more snow. Six inches of snow between midnight and 5 a.m. meant DC was shut down for the day and I didn’t even bother getting out of my PJs. We've had four snow days this season, with four more delayed starts because of icy conditions. That brings the total snowfall for this season to 23 inches, eight inches above normal. But I could be back in Chicago where that total is 68 inches, which is 42 inches above normal. Small blessings.

So now you're all caught up on my life. Or at least some of the highlights. And only for the next few days until I bury myself in homework once again and forget to blog for awhile.

The Madman's Daughter

My dear friend Megan Shepherd's book The Madman's Daughter just hit bookstores, and I couldn't be more thrilled. Megan gifted me with a read of an early draft, and even when the book wasn't in it's final form, I knew it was going to be big. And now that I've read the final version, I'm even more excited. It's gripping and sexy, dark and mysterious. This is one you won't want to miss.

Juliet Moreau doesn't know who she is anymore. Her mother is dead, her father has disappeared, most of her friends have abandoned her and she has no future prospects. Worst of all, working as a cleaning girl for the medical labs at King's College makes it impossible for her to ignore the unnatural curiosity that hums through her veins. The same unnatural curiosity that got her father labeled a madman for his gruesome experiments on animals and humans alike.

Then a childhood friend turns up in London, and Juliet discovers her father is living on a remote island. Out of options and desperate for answers, she convinces Montgomery to take her to her father. With the help Montgomery and the handsome Edward, Juliet begins to piece together what happened to lead to her father's downfall and also uncovers a mystery in her own blood.

An homage to H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a true Gothic horror that will keep you on the edge of your seat. For the romantic, there's a bit of a love-triangle with the damsel in distress, the boy next door and the mysterious stranger, but that is far from the focus of the story. It's really about a girl discovering that she is not controlled by fate, heritage or circumstance, that she can make her own choices and be the person she wants to be. While this book can easily stand alone, I can't wait to read the next installment.

For those of you in the DC area, Megan will be at Hooray for Books in Alexandria, Virginia, for an author panel on February 7 at 6:30 p.m.