…or at least Malice will be full of me!
In a few hours I’m driving off to meet the lovely Juliet Blackwell for some serious lady bonding. Note I said bondING, not bondAGE.
For those of you who’ve followed me for a while know I have a bit of a cabal with Juliet, Sophie Littlefield, and Rachael Herron, all of whom live in golden California. I used to flit off to San Francisco two to three times a year to visit them, and there are many pictures of taco trucks on this blog to prove it. Unfortunately, with buying the house last year, and all that sort of adult stuff, I’ve not been able to travel as much this year as I normally do. SO I MISS MY LADY FRIENDS. I’m sad not all of them can be in Bethesda, but having one of them in Bethesda is AWESOME.
So I’m driving out there this afternoon, with my extra liver and a stack of mystery writer fliers from our Writing Popular Fiction program. Sunday I’ll kidnap Juliet back to Pittsburgh, and then she flies out a few days later. I would keep her forever, but apparently the weather is better in Oakland, CA, than Oakland, PA.
IN OTHER NEWS, I’ve turned in my manuscript for my new novel JINN AND JUICE. And yes, I also know that those of you with keen eyes are like, “JESUS, WOMAN, IS THAT THE TITLE OR ISN’T IT.”
Yes, JINN AND JUICE is the official title of the new book, FINALLY. It’s what I’ve been calling it from the beginning, so I’m chuffed that it was finally accepted as the real, for sure title.
I’m also super chuffed to have a book called JINN AND JUICE because hello, being a teenager in the 90s. Hollah!
So lots of great things are happening Casa Peeler. This has been a super whirlwind year for me. We were very sad that our Director of the MFA, the lovely human bean Al Wendland (who has a book release in MAY), was out this semester on medical leave. But co-directing the MFA program with the equally lovely human bean Lee McClain has been such great fun. A lot of hard work, but a lot of fun. It’s definitely pushed me to get better at a few things I’m not naturally adroit in (like having patience), and I’ve really enjoyed the challenge.
But despite all of that, and going up for promotion to Associate Professor, and being on our program review committee, I wrote a book! And I like it! A lot!
Sure hope my editor does, too. 😉
But I’ve gotta go hang some curtains, and go to the gym, and pack up and leave for MD. If you ARE going to Malice, I am NOT going officially, so I’m not on any panels or anything. I’m doing what we call “bar-conning,” which means you can probably find me at the bar. All weekend. Cuz that is how the Peeler do.
Defo hollah at me if you’re there and I can sign whatever. Books, babies, foreheads….. it’s all good.
And have a great weekend for those not at Malice! Go order Jinn and Juice! You know you want to.
