Official Website of Holly West | Crime Fiction Writer

50 Author Interviews

For all you writers/aspiring authors/readers out there, I wanted to bring your attention to this link from Online College:

50 Famous Author Interviews That Shouldn't Be Missed

I find there's always something to be learned from reading interviews of authors. And some of my favorites, like Sue Grafton, John Grisham, and Judy Blume are included in this list.

Credit where credit is due: I found this link through @thewritermama on Twitter, via Ask Wendy, the Query Queen.

Cherry Blossom Bridal Shower

This weekend, I hosted a bridal shower for a dear friend. I chose a cherry blossom theme, and it turned out to be the perfect choice, for a lot of reasons. Here are some pictures from the shower and a few tips and tricks to make your next celebration a little more special.

Pick a Theme
The cherry blossom theme was kind of an accident, but a happy one. When I was looking for invites, I found one with white cherry blossoms and I liked the colors on it. After I ordered them I thought "Hey, this has to be my theme!" I already owned a lot of Asian home accessories, and I immediately knew I could create a beautiful party with this theme.

So that's tip #1: When picking a theme/color scheme, think about the decorative accessories you already own and the colors already present in your home:

In this case, I already owned the vase, Buddha, and fan. I just had to get some faux cherry blossoms to make the display complete. And see all that greenery out the window? It's bamboo. Perfect.

Mile 26 LA Marathon

Warning: Turn down the volume on your computer 'cause I am screaming like crazy as my dad runs by.

The LA Marathon was yesterday and what a day. We went early and staked out a spot at the 26 mile mark, which meant the runners had .2 miles left and the finish line was in plain sight. Some of them looked as fresh as mile 1 and others looked as though every step was agony. My dad finished the marathon in 3:51, and 7th in his division.

We saw the elite runners come in and I was so happy to see a woman win the gender challenge. After that, we had about an hour left until my dad came in so we just stood and cheered on all the other runners. Fun! Congratulations to all the runners. You all did a great job!

My Parents Were Awesome!

My dad is running the LA Marathon on Sunday. Running a marathon is a pretty big accomplishment for anyone, but my dad is 69, ran the California International Marathon in December, and four weeks from now will be running the Boston Marathon. Three marathons in four months? Not too shabby.

To honor my father's achievements in running, today I offer you a special edition of "My Parents Were Awesome" based on the blog of the same name. Have you seen it? Seems a lot of us had some pretty awesome parents. Thanks to John & Greg at Orabor for telling me about it.

John O'Neill circa 1963

Sharon Horn circa 1963

John O'Neill circa 1961

Wedding, September 25, 1965

Sharon & John circa 1970

John O'Neill at work at KTTV Los Angeles circa 1970

Sharon, Holly, & John circa 1970

If your parents were awesome and you have a blog, why don't you share a few pics? It's fun!

Blasts from My Past

I'm not sure what caused this, but in trying to figure out what I wanted to write about today, I suddenly thought of Fashion Plates. Remember those? The plastic plates with raised clothing designs so that when you put a paper and rubbed a crayon or pencil over them it transferred the design?

Let me refresh your memory:

Image from Retroland.com

Though I'm by no means a fashionista, and never have been, Fashion Plates was one of my favorite toys of all time.

Ahhh, the memories. Let's continue, shall we?

Someone on my class forum mentioned another favorite the other day: Encyclopedia Brown. These books were actually a part of my brother' collection, but I read them voraciously. Perhaps this is why I love detective fiction so much today?

And that reminds me of another great series: Choose Your Own Adventure. What a great concept. "You're the Star of Your Own Story!" No wonder I want to be a writer today.

Image from Vintage Computing & Gaming

As much as I loved books, I was a girly-girl and loved girly-girl things. Like Barbie. Yes, I loved me some Barbie and still do. Of course, Barbie had some stylin' accessories. This was what I got for Christmas when I was 9:

Remember Dittos? I was obsessed with having a pair of Dittos pants:

 

Image from Retroland.com

All of the coolest girls had them but they were expensive and my wardrobe back then mainly came from K-Mart. One lucky year I did get a pair, they were hunter green and I'm sure I wore them until they were in tatters.

Well, I could go on and on. Thanks for sharing my walk down memory lane. While were at it, why don't you share a few of your favorite childhood items? C'mon, you know you want to.

Confessions of a Potty Mouth

I must confess: I have a potty mouth. I like profanity--I like the harshness of it, sometimes even the shock of it, if it's a particularly vile word. I even like the history of it; some profane words have been around since the beginnings of human language. How can that kind of staying power be wrong?

Now I read this:

California Legislature Considers Adopting a Cuss-Free Week*

I actually kind of agree with what they're trying to do here, although I'm wondering if, given the state of California's budget woes, this is the best use of the legislature's time. In fact, I am, from time to time, tempted to make an effort to quit cursing, though not for altruistic reasons. There is a part of me that knows using profanity is a cop out for not finding a better word--a more appropriate or imaginative word--to express myself. The writer in me wants to do better.

I'll give you an example. Last week, Mick and I went to visit a friend at his loft in downtown LA. We'd never seen the place, and I was surprised when we walked up to the door to find to find that the building was a pristine art deco--one of the few remaining examples in LA. My first thought was "Wow, this is fucking awesome!"

I immediately admonished myself. Surely I could find a better way to express how I felt about this beautiful building. "Wow, this is so cool!" Nope. Stephen King, in his book On Writing says people who use that phrase should have to stand in the corner. "Wow, it's so beautiful!" Better, perhaps, but certainly lacking personality. I was stuck with "fucking awesome."

Even now, when I've had ample time to reflect, I still don't have a better phrase. But I am certain the writer in me will find one eventually.

What do you think about profanity? Do you use it? Do you consider it a lower form of communication? Do you strive to improve your language by thinking of more appropriate (and more interesting) words? For my part, I will probably continue to curse, because let's face it, old habits die hard, but I will never give up the search for that perfect word.

* Thanks to my sister-in-law for this link

How Do I Love Thee?

Mick and I met online in December 1996. We met in person on January 1, 1997. The first words I said to him were "Here, drink this quick."

I handed him a plastic cup full of champagne. We've been inseparable ever since.

I don't believe in fate and I don't believe in soul mates. But I do believe in Mick and I. It is all I need.

We Don't Have Cable

I don't mean that the cable went out during a storm or something like that. Mick and I got rid of our cable service about eight months ago, and for the most part, we haven't looked back.

On days like today, though, when a big cultural event like the Superbowl is on (it's sort of a cultural event, isn't it?) it feels kind of weird not to have cable. I don't even like football. But it would be cool to be able to turn it on for awhile, just to see what's going on. It's like that for awards shows, too, or really, any live show we can't watch live on the Internet.

Okay, it's not like I'd be watching it anyway. But I'm reminded of the Superbowl a few years ago when I was working in my bedroom office and turned on the TV just to check out the half-time show. Dude, I got to see Janet Jackson's boob. This year, there will be no such titillation.

Of course, we were invited to watch the Superbowl at a friend's house, and normally, that's where we'd be on this special day. This year, however, Mick and I are both sick and I have an assignment I have to get done by tomorrow. So alas, we will be spending the day at home, Superbowl-less. I don't even have any chips and salsa in the house, and forget the Miller Light.

The only football team I have any feelings for at all is the Philadelphia Eagles. That's because my dad grew up in Philadelphia and I was taught to like them. Since the Eagles are sadly not playing in this year's Superbowl, I am rooting for the New Orleans Saints. Why? Because I remember when I was growing up the Saints were so bad they were nicknamed the Ain'ts, and let's face it, New Orleans is a much cooler city than Indianapolis. I've been to both. I know.

Tomorrow, I will not lament my lack of cable, I will rejoice in it, for it is one less bill we have to pay. But today, I'm feeling a little lonely, a little left out. I think I'll make a run for some chips and Miller Light.

5 Things You Might Not Know About Me

What is a blog for, if not to be self-indulgent? Especially in a weekend post. In this spirit, I present to you: 5 Things You Might Not Know About Me:

1) I have a recurring dream in which I'm friends with Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt.

2) My current TV obsession is watching reruns of the Dick Van Dyke Show.

3) My favorite curse is "mother f*cker." I know it's offensive, but I can't help it.

4) I am fairly certain I don't get the recommended daily allowance of any nutrient or vitamin, pretty much ever.

5) I really like to gamble.

Don't be shy. What 5 things might I not know about you?

Friday Link-O-Rama 9/11

Today is a day of reflection as we look back upon the terrible events of 9/11, eight years ago.

Reading Underground - The subway remains an "unconnected" place. And so, New Yorkers read. via @mitaliperkins

Pug in my Computer - Something happy to remind you how nice life can be (via @ParkerXL)

The Elusive Fifty Percent - In marketing, about 50% of your ad campaign will work. But for an author marketing their own work (now an essential part of the publishing process) how do they know what to concentrate on? (via @jamesscottbell)

Writing with a Knife - A timely post from Copyblogger since I'm currently taking a machete to my manuscript (via @D_E and @thecreativepenn)

North Carolina Writer's Police Academy - One of these days I'll have to go to a writer's police academy. For now it seems unnecessary since my book(s) are set in 1678.

I found this amusing video on Persia Walker's blog. It was made by Brad Meltzer (author of loads of books):

Finally, I'll leave you with this quote from Anne Frank:

"Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart."

Have a reflective day and take the time to do something thoughtful for another or even yourself. Kindness is sometimes in short supply.