Whenever my hubby, the Geek, goes out of town, the kids and I spend the evenings watching movies I don’t think the Geek would watch. This past week, it was all Jane Austen all the time. (Don’t get me worry, the Geek has a pretty high tolerance for Jane Austen, but we are about fifteen years into my love of Jane Austen movies, and he’s had to watch a lot of Jane Austen. I mean, a lot.)

First on our list was something I’d ordered up from Netflix, Lost in Austen. It was a miniseries from BBC.

It has a great premise: a modern British woman, Amanda, discovers that there’s a door in her flat that leads into the attic of the Bennet household. Lizzie Bennet steps through into modern London and Amanda into Regency England. Without Lizzie there, Amanda pretends to be a friend of Lizzie’s there for a visit. She must find a way to fit into Pride and Prejudice without mucking up the story. Unfortunately, she messes up everything.

The movie was completely delightful. Not only was it just darn good, but it managed to bring new insights to the characters. To me, that’s completely amazing. I’ve always said, I’d watched Pride and Prejuidice if my daughter did it in sock puppets. And that’s completely true. But as familiar as I am with the story, for the writers to bring something new to the table … well, that’s really special. In short, I loved the movie.

So you’re homework for the next week, find Lost in Austen at a Netflix near you and enjoy!

And here’s my totally random observation for the week: We always watched Short Circuit (remember the robot movie from the ’80’s?). In that movie, Fisher Stevens (yes, the white guy) plays an Indian. Bad Apu accent and everything. Very weird. Ah … the world before PC.

Despite my good intentions, I let the week slip away. It’s easy to do with you’ve got a lot of balls in air and projects on the page.

I’ve been wrestling lately with an aspect of my personality. I like to start projects. I’m not so much with the finishing. I know it’s a little late for new years resolutions, but it’s never too late to set goals, right?

So here’s my goal for the year: Finish all the projects I’m currently working. And to keep me honest, here’s the brief (very) rundown of the things I’m working or tweaking.

• a children’s book about a boy discovering the true meaning of Christmas
• a children’s book about a girly dinosaour
• a middle grade mystery set in Victorian England
• a YA project I’m brainstorming with some friends
• a YA dystopic urban fantasty
• a story idea that I loved and keep working on and working on and still don’t know quite what to do with it. Last time I checked, I was describing it as Suz Brockmann meets paranormal.
• And, finally, of course, the two Desires I’m contracted to write.

I should mention that when I say I’m going to “finish” these things, I actually mean I’m going to work on them to the point they can go out into the world to editors/agents, etc.

So now that you’ve had time to settle into the new year, what are your goals?

Why is it so hard for Hollywood to make a great romantic comedy? Sometimes it breaks my heart that no one seems to be making great romances anymore.

A couple of weeks ago, I rented The Ugly Truth, which was certainly cute. The characters were likable, they had plenty of chemistry. I just didn’t believe they’d fallen in love. Would it have killed the writer/director/producer to spend twenty more minutes of movie time to develop the relationship?

Of course, I felt the same way about Avatar. I could have used twenty more minutes of romance. Or maybe just twenty different minutes in which the developing romance was more believably portrayed. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Avatar. I just wanted a little more depth. And frankly, I expected more of James Cameron. He’s one of the great romantic directors of our time. If he could find time for a kick-ass romance in a hundred and eight minute movie about killer robots and the apocalypse, why couldn’t he do better with  Avatar?

I think the last romantic movie I really loved was The Holiday, with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz. What’s the last romantic movie you’ve really loved?

The other day I received my Rita books in the mail. I’m super excited, partly because one is a book I’ve been wanting to read anyway. I’m saving it for the end.

Unfortunately, I can’t talk with anyone about those books that I’m reading, so there’ll be no more “What I’m reading now…” blogs. In lieu of those, I thought over the next couple of weeks, I’d talk about some of the books from my keeper shelf.  Up this week, a book I recently reread. Once a Warrior by Karyn Monk.

Malcolm MacFane is one of my all time favorite heros. He’s tough and vulnerable. He’s a warrior to the core, but a wounded one. Literary. His ass-kicking days are behind him, which makes it tough because the heroine needs to marry a strong Laird who can protect her people.

Okay, this sounds boring when I describe it, but trust me it’s a great book. I loved it when I read it the first time and loved it all over again when I reread it last week. The weird thing is, as much as I loved the book, I wonder if would sell in today’s market. It’s not a particularly sexy book. The romance is strong, but there’s not a lot of sexual tension. Still, it’s a great book. And if you haven’t read it, you should. Give it a try!

Generally, I’m having a great new year, but there are just a few flies in my personal ointment. Okay, that sounded all wrong. What I meant to say was, even though 2010 is shaping up to be a fantastic year, nothing is perfect. So here’s the short list of things annoying me at the moment:

• Every time I turn on the TV, there’s a commercial for Lovely Bones. So unless I watch with the tivo remote in my hand, I’m constantly diving across the room to find it before my young daughter can ask–again–”Mommy, what’s abducted mean?” Yes, yes, we talk about Stranger-danger all the time, but I just don’t think she’s ready for the gory details. Plus, it’s just depressing. Come on, people, this is why I read romance!
• There are currently upwards of fifteen spare socks floating around in my children’s sock drawer. They’re all white, gray and pink. And none of them match each other.
• All day long there’s been something up with Gmail, so I can’t read the emails people send me via my website. And it looks like some of them might actually fan mail and not just the normal Sierra Club/Moveon/Repower America stuff that I normally have to wade through. Actual mail that might actually be for me and I can’t read it! How will my ego survive another day without stroking from fans??? (I’m guessing I’ll pull through, since most days I don’t get fan mail and I survive just fine.)
• And finally, the last of the Christmas cookies have been eaten and we’re almost out of fudge. Soon, very soon, I’ll have to resort to eating only foods that are good for me. Bleck.

The good news is, Lovely Bones will hit theaters soon, so those ads should go away soon. Maybe Gmail will be back up tomorrow and I’ll finally be able to read my mail (and to be brainwashed by Moveon). And, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Sugar cookies here I come. Now if only I could do something about those socks … tiny sock puppets, perhaps?

Watching the Biggest Loser finale. (While, obviously updating my site.)

What do I love about this show?

1. My whole family can watch it
2. It shows people making positive changes in their lives
3. It takes a deep look at the emotional issues people struggle with … and hey, I’m a writer I love those emotional issues.

My only problem is this: is it bad form to watch the Biggest Loser while eating a chocolate peppermint cupcake?

I just found out Romantic Times magazine has nominated me for a Career Achievement award for Series romance. To quote them: “Nominees are authors who have continuously crafted superior books throughout their careers.”

I’m super excited. The other nominees in my category are Jessica Hart, Leslie Kelly, Tanya Michaels, and Karen Whiddon. All fabulous ladies! I’m thrilled to be in such fantastic company. And if that’s not enough to impress you, in other categories, people like Suzanne Brockmann, Jennifer Crusie and Meg Cabot are nominated! The way I see it, any time my name is on the same page and Suz Brockmann, it’s a good day!

I recently read an article from the Wall Street Journal proposing the idea that e-readers may go the way of the 8-track tape. Click here to read it.

With all due respect to the Journal, I disagree. Like any new technology, e-readers are going morph and change in the coming years, but I think they’re here to stay. What’s my evidence? Simply this: I love my Kindle.

Now I have to admit, I’m the last person I would have expected to be on the e-reader bandwagon. In fact, fifteen years or so ago when my husband, the Geek, first started talking about the idea of an e-reader, I swore up and down that they’d never fly. Nothing would replace the paperbacks I’d read with such love all my life.

Then last year I bit the bullet and asked the Geek to get me a Kindle for Christmas. I’ve been a fan since the second I opened that sucker. So what finally won me over?

Here are all the things I love about my Kindle:

• I’ll never have to decide which books to keep and which to give away. Let’s face it, space on my bookshelf. I love being able to just keep everything.
• I love buying books at three in the morning. It’s just divine. Anytime I want to read a book, I can get it in less than a minute.
• It’s super easy to read on.  Just trust me on this. It’s so smooth to read.
• I’m a bit of a nut about the environment and I love that my Kindle is tree-friendly and paperless.
• I read faster on my Kindle. I have no idea why this true, but you’ll have to trust me on this too.

So is there anything I don’t love about my Kindle? Sure, plenty of things.

• Not all the books I want to read are available on Kindle. I’ve been on a YA kick lately and a lot of YA books aren’t available yet. What, do they think teenagers don’t have an extra $250 to spend? Bummer.
• Harry Potter isn’t on Kindle yet. I own all the HP books in hard cover, but they’re so bulky compared to my sleek and sexy Kindle. I’d buy all seven books again in Kindle form if they were there. Sorry JK. You could have had more of money. But maybe it’s for the best. Do I really have to reread those books right now? Probably not. <g>
• Amazon now owns my soul. This is my biggest problem with my Kindle. I’m in bed with Amazon forever now. Which makes me a tad uncomfortable, because I like to think I love all bookstores equally. But I can live with that.

The Wall Street Journal thought people would be better served with a net book or repurposing a laptop as an e-reader. Now I love my Mac, but reading e-books on it is just nothing like reading on my Kindle. And it’s no fun to curl up in bed with a laptop. Besides, I do that all the time when I’m on deadline. I work on my computer all day. I don’t want to “play” on my computer too.

The article also says that e-readers are for people who love techy gadgets, not people who love books. I disagree. I love books. I’d read books on scrolls if I had to. But love my Kindle more than any other gadget I’ve ever owned.

Do any of your own a Kindle or other e-reader? What do you think of it?

I don’t love reading books on the laptop. No laptop, even my beloved Mac, is

In honor of one of my absolute favorite holidays, Thanksgiving Day, I’m sharing with you my famous Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies. I make them every fall when the cranberries first hit the stores. Give it try while the berries are available!

Emily’s Cranberry-Oatmeal Cookies

ingredients

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4  teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups old fashioned Quaker® Oats, uncooked

2 cups or more fresh or frozen crainberries, coarsely chopped

preparation

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat margarine and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt; mix well. Add oats and cranberries; mix well.

2. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Note:  You could use dried cranberries if you needed to, but they’re usually sweetened and think the tartness is what makes the cookie.

Enjoy!

The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series by Michelle Paver.

This Children’s middle-grade series is set in stone age Europe (or a place an awful lot like stone age Europe). The books follow the adventures of an orphaned boy, Torak, who befriends a wolf cub. As the series title suggests, these are light-hearted books … no, just kidding. Torak and Wolf have to work together to face an evil darkness that threatens the forest.

My favorite part of the books are the scenes written in the point of view of Wolf. I don’t know how real wolves think, but she makes it darn believable it sounds like this. If you have a reader in the eleven to thirteen range on your holiday shopping list, you should try these books. I’m four books into the series and can promise it won’t disappoint!