Sunday, November 01, 2009

Sunday Salon: The One in Which I've Read Little and Met An Author

It is my husband's fault. Or maybe that woman's at the office. Whomever it was, I ended up sick in bed most of last week. I imagine my workmates who suffered me all Monday appreciated my thoughtfulness, however belated. You would think that would be the perfect opportunity to escape into a book. Not me though. I ended up sleeping most of the time, a blob under the blankets with my two cats and dog nestled in beside me, or else curled up under the afghan on the couch. I remember now why I never much cared for daytime television.

I am still feeling a bit under the weather, although much better than I was. I felt almost human again on Friday. I managed to get out of the house for a bit and realized that maybe one more day in bed wouldn't have been a bad thing. I did not get any reading done that day either though. My new laptop arrived in the mail and, well, like with any new electronic device that enters my home, I had to test it out and personalize it.

Like any good husband whose wife is a bit book obsessed, Anjin didn't make too big of a fuss when I begged him to take me to Borders on Saturday. I had a 40% off coupon after all. Can't let that go to waste. When we arrived, there was a sign on the door advertising a book signing in progress. That big groan you might have heard was, in fact, my husband's. I didn't help matters by pointing out the poster said the book being signed was a thriller, a book that I was sure to want to check out.

After discovering the book I wanted wasn't anywhere to be found and doing my usual reconnaissance of the signing area, I made me way over to the author's table. Stephen Tremp is very tall (at least compared to my 5 feet) and extremely pleasant. We talked about book signings and meeting authors, including his recent opportunity to meet Dean Koontz, one of his writing inspirations. He also told me more about his book and his writing process. He took a couple of years off from work to research and write his book. He draws a lot on his own experiences in writing his novels. His current book, Breakthrough, is the first in a trilogy.

While I may not have found the book I was looking for, I did not walk out of the store empty handed. Stephen Tremp was kind enough to sign a copy of his new book for me, and so I was able to use that coupon after all. Did any new-to-you books enter your home this past week?

Anjin is participating in NaNoWriMo this year. For those who may not know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, in which writers all around the globe hunker down to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. I have noticed that some people put a lot of preparation into getting ready for the event, outlining, developing characters and such. while others just jump right in with no set plans. Are you participating in this year's NaNoWriMo? Do you have a plan going in or prefer to wing it? Best of luck to everyone who is taking part in the event this year!

Enough of this bookish chatter. I need to spend some quality time reading. Maybe now I can make a good dent in Jennifer Fallon's Lion of Senet. The novel has gotten off to a good start. It is set on a planet with two suns, where the rulers use fear and religion to control the people and maintain their power. Only, some of the people are not so accepting and begin to question what they are being told to believe.

How are you spending your Sunday? Are you reading anything interesting at the moment? I hope you all have a great week. Happy Reading!


© 2009, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved.
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29 comments:

  1. I was wondering why you were so quiet this week! I'm sorry you were sick, but glad you're better. :)

    I am doing NaNoWriMo for the first time this year. I had great plans to do a bunch of outlining and character development stuff going in, and then life happened. So, I'll be using the "seat-of-the-pants" method, which so far, today, has included a lot of procrastinating in the form of laundry, football games, and a trip to the gym. :) I'm now loading some appropriate writing music onto my MP3 player, with the plan to start soon. Very soon.

    Have a wonderful Sunday, Wendy!

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  2. I hope you are feeling better. I hate it when I feel too bad to read. It would be the perfect time to get some reading done! I haven't been around the blog world much lately, but I love your new look! Have a better, healthier week!

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  3. So sorry you've been feeling lousy. I usually don't read much when I'm sick either - I'm feeling too sorry for myself to concentrate. At least you got to end the week on a high note and meet an author!

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  4. I think we've all had this stinky flu. It is such a shame to be non-moving for that time and not take advantage to read! How dare our bodies need sleep! I am glad to hear you are up and about now. I've heard of the NaNoWriMo and have seen a few bloggers sign up to participate, and all I have to say is "way to go"! I cannot even imagine, with my life as crazy as it is.

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  5. Glad you are feeling better. There is lots of sickness at school but so far I've avoided getting really sick. It is really hard when you are too sick to feed!

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  6. The best thing I learned from your post today is that we are the same height!! Glad you are feeling better, too!

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  7. Happy to hear you are on the mend!
    I love meeting authors that way. I met Carla Neggers when I happened to be in the bookstore when she was there. She was so sweet and I'd never heard of her even though she's a bestselling author!
    I hope Tremp's book is a good one :)

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  8. Glad to see you are feeling better! I'm sure the fur babies were glad to have you home. Good luck to your husband (and you) for NaNoWriMo.

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  9. Glad that you are feeling better and able to pop out for some bookish fun. I went to see David Wrobleski earlier this week and I really enjoyed listening to his experience with reading the book.

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  10. Sorry to hear you weren't feeling well, and glad to hear you're on the mend. Sometimes I manage to read a lot when I'm sick, and sometimes I just can't manage it. Weird how that works, isn't it?

    Plenty more new to me books than should have arrived at my house this week did. *guilty face* Oh well, books make me feel good (well, until they sit here for years unread making me feel guilty, but who needs to think about that now?).

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  11. Oh I'm sorry to hear you weren't feeling well, Wendy. But good thing you were feeling much better by the weekend and you got to use your Border's coupon! I'm hoping to still go there this evening so we'll see if I find a good book :)

    Take care!

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  12. Glad you're starting to feel better, Wendy! I know when I'm really feeling under the weather I'm not usually up to reading either - it takes too much energy. I'd rather sleep - especially considering that you're right about daytime TV!

    Sounds like you lucked out again in stumbling on an author signing. Glad you enjoyed it!

    Good luck with the new computer. Hope that the combination of that and feeling better means you'll be around more this week :-).

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  13. Hope you feel better soon and will enjoy reading again!

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  14. I hope you get better soon, Wendy! It definitely sucks not being able to do anything but lie in bed all the time.

    The author signing sounds fun to me! I hope you've a great week ahead! :)

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  15. I understand how you feel, I've been in bed (when I can) for 3 days sick, like th flu...not pleasant.

    Do get better Wendy :D

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  16. Boo for illness. But hooray for the new laptop! Hope you're enjoying it and feeling better soon.

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  17. How sad that you were too sick to even read, since that's the only thing that being sick is good for! Glad you are feeling better though.

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  18. Carrie (B&M) - Thanks! Good luck with NaNoWriMo! I think this is my husband's second time doing it. He pretty much has waited until tonight to start too, so you aren't the only one procrastinating. :-)

    Kristy - I am feeling much better, thank you. My husband still has lingering symptoms, which doesn't make me happy. I hope that doesn't prove true for me too.

    Kathy - You'd think we'd be able to take advantage of the extra time to read while we are sick, but it never works out that way. :-( I'm just not a sick-time reader, I guess.

    Sandy - It sure seems to be going around, doesn't it? I'll be glad when it's completely behind me.

    I'm with you when it comes to NaNoWriMo. I wish all those who are participating the best of luck. I'm not quite so brave or willing to make the time for it right now. Maybe someday!

    Gavin - Thank you. I thought I was doing so well avoiding getting sick this season. Something had been going around my office for weeks now. I guess I couldn't avoid it once my husband brought it home.

    Laura - Haha! Short people of the world, unite!

    Stacy - Thank you, Stacy.
    How neat that you got to meet Carla Neggers! Most of the book signings I attend seem to be ones I stumble upon. I always mean to keep better track of who is going to be where, but I rarely check the bookstore websites to see.

    Janel - Thanks! Yes, the furkids were thrilled to have me home with them. That was the only plus of my being sick, being able to spend extra time with them. :-)

    My husband says thank you for the good luck wishes! (I appreciate them too--he's going to be a bit grumpy on occasion until it's over. LOL).

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  19. Nicole - Thank you. I enjoy hearing authors' stories about their writing experience. I am sure they get tired of telling the story over and over again. LOL

    Megan - Thanks, Megan. Hopefully now that I am feeling better I'll be able to settle in with a book again. I hate not feeling well enough to read.

    We won't talk about the books I ordered online Friday when I was feeling up to getting on the computer again. LOL You'd think with the books that already have been sitting in my TBR room for awhile, I'd refrain from bringing more in because of the guilt, but it doesn't seem to work that way, does it?

    Iliana - I probably should have stayed home all weekend too, but I was really anxious to get out of the house.

    I hope you found a great book to use your coupon on!

    Florinda - Thank you, Florinda. I definitely got plenty of sleep while I was ill last week. That's about all I felt like doing.

    I figure these local author signings are good practice for breaking out of my shy shell. ;-)

    Kathleen - Thank you, Kathleen!

    Melody - Thanks, Melody! I'm feeling much better than I was. I hope you have a great week too!

    Sylvie - Thank you! I hate being stuck in bed sick. I don't do well in situations like that, and so it's got to be pretty bad to actually keep me in bed the entire time.

    Jill - Thanks! I'm really enjoying the new laptop. :-)

    Suey - It really sucks when I am too sick to read. All that extra reading time wasted . . . Thank you!

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  20. I'm sorry that you've not been well but I'm glad you're OK now.

    Oh yes, can't let that 40% off coupon go to waste! I'm so with you on this one. I dare not step into a bookstore for fear of losing control (my BBB, my BBB).

    I'm not participating in NanoWriMo.

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  21. Alice - Thanks, Alice. It was a rough week last week, but I'm glad to finally feel like myself again.

    The lower percentage coupons I can pass on now and then, but not the 40% ones. :-) I really should adopt a BBB too.

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  22. I'm glad you're feeling better now - being sick enough to not feel like reading is terrible! It always feels like you should be taking advantage of all that extra time in bed, but it just doesn't work out.

    I am doing Nanowrimo - I think it's a little crazy, but fun so far!

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  23. So glad to hear you're feeling better. And what a nice way to re-enter the world of the living by going to Border's and meeting an author.

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  24. I hope you're feeling better! I'm sorry to hear you were sick all week. It does sound like you had some good company when in bed :o)
    I think a trip to the bookstore was a perfect antidote to being ill all week! It sounds like you went on a good day, too. I hope you enjoy Stephen Tremp's book and look forward to your thoughts on it. (By the way, he would have completely dwarfed me as I'm not even quite your height. My smaller friends love hanging out with me as I make them feel tall!)

    Have fun with your new laptop! My husband and I are looking at new computers, do you mind if I ask which kind you decided to buy?

    ~ Amy

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  25. Glad to hear you are feeling better! I don't like daytime TV either. I'd rather stare at the wall ;o)

    I'm currently reading The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig. Kinda like a swashbuckling novel for girls, and nice and easy to read. My brain won't deal with anything too deep right now.

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  26. Sorry to hear you weren't feeling well! I thought maybe you were under the weather when it was quiet in your neck of the woods and you had mentioned you weren't feeling well. Glad to hear you a lot of relaxing in! I have been experiencing terrible nausea for the past 2 days and am not sure why... but I'm the same way... I can't read either when I am sick!

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  27. Sorry to read that you've been sick. Hopefully all the yuckies are behind you now. :) How exciting to meet an author unexpectedly. I'm curious as to how you like his book. I'm going to look it up now.

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  28. Since I'm so late in reading this I hope you are feeling much better!

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  29. Meghan - You are so right! You'd think being home sick would be the perfect time to catch up on reading and yet it so rarely is.

    My husband's shifted his goal with NaNoWriMo. At this point, he still wants to be writing by the end, he isn't going to concern himself with the word count. He's having a hard time sticking to his goal so far, poor guy.

    Ingrid - Thank you. A bookstore visit is a great way to re-enter the world of the healthy. :-)

    Amy - I am feeling better, thank you, Amy. The animals were so sad when I had to go back to work. They really enjoyed having me home.

    Another shorty! We have to stick together. :-)

    The new computer is great. I got a Sony Vaio FW series. It's one of the higher rated by Consumer Reports and came highly recommended by several of my friends. My husband inherited by Dell and is getting great use out of it. So far it hasn't caused him any of the problems it was causing me.

    Terri - Thanks! There really isn't much good TV on during the day. I'm not really into the talk shows or the soaps. Well, except for one, but that's more for nostalgia sake.

    I understand the not being able to deal with anything too deep right now reading wise. I'm not sure I can either.

    Kristie - Oh no, Kristie! I hope you are feeling better. :-(

    Joy - Thanks. They seem to be. At least the yuckies of the flu variety.

    Melissa - I am feeling much better, thank you. :-)

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