Saturday, April 28, 2007

some news

In other news, the sequel to DIRTY GIRLS SOCIAL CLUB, officially named DIRTY GIRLS ON TOP, is getting everyone at St. Martin's Press excited. Er, that didn't sound right, did it? Gulp.

Anyway, I've got a few finishing touches to put on it, and then it's off to the copy edit phase. I absolutely love this part of the process, when all the hard work is starting to take shape. It's like Braxton Hicks contractions.

Expect DIRTY GIRLS ON TOP to hit shelves next Spring or early summer '08.

I had a very productive meeting in LA last week with Debra Martin Chase, a well-known movie producer who is coming on board with me and Nely Galan to make DIRTY GIRLS SOCIAL CLUB a film. I feel so good about this team of people! A perfect match.

On the health front, I am doing better with medication, and have tentatively scheduled a surgery for this summer to help deal with the issue.

What else is new? I am gearing up for my weeklong novel-organizing seminar at the Taos Summer Writer's Conference. I think it's going to be fun. I stand in awe of Sharon Oard Warner, the director of the conference and the creative writing MFA program at UNM, for her boundless energy and organizational skills. Of the many things I am thankful for in my life, Sharon is at the top of the list.

LA! I love lose angeles

I know, I know. It was New York a while back. A lot has changed since then. Now? I am absolutely moving - to Phoenix, Arizona.

The big reason for the move is that my son Alexander has qualified for and been admitted to an excellent school for gifted children there. As much as we love Albuquerque and all of our family and friends here, we realized the schools in town simply could not meet his needs. APS is cutting the full-time gifted program at schools like Bandelier because of a lack of qualified students. Sad, but true. If we were to stay here, Alexander would continue to languish.

I've sold my house in Albuquerque, and have reserved an apartment in Phoenix. I plan to live in the apartment - in a complex that is like a fine resort - for about a year, as I get to know the area and figure out where I'd like to buy. I'm told the real estate market is going to bottom out sometime next year, so I will wait for the crash before buying, and just park the money I make on the house in stocks and bonds.