Shutting the Voices Up...and Puking

Do you ever have one of those weeks where you desperately need quiet, but struggle to find it? I'm not talking about external noise...not really. I'm talking about that inner noise that you just can't shut up. Random thoughts about the weather, theme songs that refuse to go away, the voices of characters that you're not currently working with chit-chattering about this and that...

It's unnerving how many sounds we have bouncing around in our skulls.

...or is it just me?

After the exhaustive, blissful, happy news recently (yes, Jacob's adoption, but also The Other Thing--you know, the thing I can't tell you Minions about yet), it's been a challenge to keep my butt in this chair and write. Or rather, to revise NINTH GRADE SUCKS. But I have to do it. After all, you all know my formula. Butt + chair = writing. It's just a little difficult to keep my butt in the chair when I'm floating up by the ceiling...

But something is creeping way too close for my comfort. My deadline. May 15th. So it's time to work, get this story done, so that Vlad can have a break (even though he's been chattering on about his sophomore year quite a bit lately), and so that I can go back to working with Devon. But to do this...I need quiet.

In other news, the planning of the Best Book Launch Party EVER is in full swing, and my now-annual trip to NYC is coming up in just a few short months. Lucky you, you can meet me there! All you have to do is go register for the Backspace Conference. I'm on a panel with Barb Ferrer and our agents. I may puke, but hey, it'll be exciting. :)

Trust Me...You Want To Know Him

Minions, I'd like to introduce you to the coolest kid around. He's been the inspiration for Vlad on more than one occasion, he's a percussionist, an artist, and one hell of a funny guy. He also looks eerily similar to Paul (you'll understand this comment a bit more in a second). His name is Jacob Brewer.

That's right, Jacob's my son. And I'd like to take a moment to tell you about the biggest day in Jacob's life. It took place on February 21, 2007, just a few short days ago.

After years and years of wishing, hoping, dreaming that this day would come, after spending Summer and Winter vacations away from his family in places he didn't want to be, with people he didn't want to be with, doing things he didn't want to do, Jacob has finally been adopted by my husband, Paul. It's a big reason to celebrate, Minions--huge. Jacob has been asking daily about this very event for years, and it's finally come along.

So, to help Jacob celebrate, why don't all you Minions add him as a MySpace friend and give him a hearty congratulatory comment? I'm sure he'll reply...that is, just as soon as he stops floating on the ceiling in bliss...

(Psst! Jacob! Check it out--I think I managed to get through that post without embarassing you once! Of course, there's always tomorrow...and I do have a reputation to uphold...)

Hank's Challenge

Do any of you Minion's follow Brotherhood 2.0 over at John Green's blog? If not, you should. Trust me on this.

Hank, here are my answers to the survey.

1. Your name: Heather Brewer. So basically, I'm a maker of some kind of Scottish weed beer.

2. Your Web page: www.heatherbrewer.com

3. What have you been up to this past year (please be as detailed as possible, because we actually want to know)? Okay, so that would be February 19th, 2006-February 19th, 2007. I learned all about the *ahem* joys of copyediting with my first book, wrote my second, wait....I should go back. I showered, brushed my teeth, flossed, dressed...(are you getting all of this? Never mind, I'll skip ahead) I'm sure there were many interesting thngs along the way, but my mind's a blank. Hmm...maybe I developed amnesia...

4. How much longer do you think you'll be doing what you're doing? I hope for the rest of my lfe.

5. Why are you doing it? Because I love to (besides, the voices just refuse to shut up).

6. What do you want to be doing? At the moment, eating Godivas would be nice.

7. What's next in your life? Working on the revisions for my second book.

8. How You Doin'? Good. Well, pretty good, anyway.

9. What's the best book you read this year? Hmmmm.....that's a toughie.

10. Describe a perfect day? Waking up well-rested to a nice breakfast in bed, going for a hike in the mountains, dining on fruit at the beach after a nice walk during sunset. ...Or winning the lottery...that would be nice too.

11. Assuming that all things come to an end...how do you think humans will go extinct? I think we'll wipe ourselves out and right before the ast of us die out, we'll whine that we never saw it coming.

12. How are you feeling about kids these days? I love kids. We get along great.

13. (- In this space, compose your own question, and answer it -) What question is this? Number 13. My favorite number. :)

14. Ambrozzo tastes better than anything else, what does ambrozzo taste like? WTH is ambrozzo?

15. If you were a cliché, what cliché would you be? Always look on the bright side of life.

16. What is your least favorite part of any given day? 4:30. I don't know why. Just...4:30.

17. Do you enjoy science fiction? Absolutely!

18. Cheese or Chocolate? Chocolate. Who picks cheese over chocolate? That's just sick.

19. Where would you live if you could live anywhere? I don't know, but it's warm there.

20. What was your first concert? Weird Al. I got to go backstage and meet him. He's so cool!

21. If you could start a business that would be instantly successful, what kind of business would it be? Hmmm, can I pick the business of writing, even though I'm already doing it?

22. Invisibility or Time Travel? Invisibility--we learned through the Back to the Future movies that time travel is a bad thing.

23. What's wrong with the world? Calories. 'Nuff said.

You Can't Make Me!

Stupid Blogger. Always trying to force me to switch to the new Blogger. Well, I won't do it, I tell you! I won't! Why should I change my Blogger when it works perfectly fine as it is? Damn you, Blogger...damn you.

Actually, I'll probably hang on to the last minute, when they're threatening to shut down all original Blogger accounts, and then switch. I'd use my usual mantra of "I fear change", but it's just not true about me. I live for change...

...I'm just stubborn.

I'm also terrible at keeping secrets--thus the reason I haven't been blogging much lately. I can't trust myself not to spill my guts over something truly wonderful hat's happened, so I've been avoiding you, my Minions. *hangs head in shame* I still can't tell you what it is, but I can tell you that Operation Plan Uber Cool Book Launch Party is in full swing. The guest list is growing (hoo boy, is it growing), the menu is set, the location has been chosen, and the date has been picked. I couldn't be more excited. Six months from now, on August 18th, the celebration begins! (More on this later)

Today I'm trying to focus on the revisions for NGS--as well as work on a certain list for NGS that I'm also not telling you about. GEEZ. Why am I blogging today anyway?

Oh yeah. Cuz I miss you. And I love you. And you're my faithful Minion Horde--I owe you that much, at least.

For now, I'd better get out of here...before I spill my guts.

Vacation Over

Wow...that was quick.

And what did Auntie Heather do on her vacation, you ask? She lounged around in comfy yoga pants and watched zombies die (Paul's playing Dead Rising on XBox 360. Note to Minions: buy one. It's awesome.). She also realized that there is little sense in putting off NGS revisions. They have to be done, and no one is going to do them for me.

Lesson #463 of being a writer: The work never goes away, might as well tighten the straps on your jacket and face it.

So now I'm three chapters in and the concerns I had about the revisions are looking pretty silly. This book blows me away. I'd thought the best that I culd write was all encased in EGB's story, but...nope.

Lesson #527 of being a writer: You can always do better--the key is to keep writing.

I'm also rather obsessed with grapefruit at the moment, and daydreaming of warm weather. But then, who isn't? (The warmth thing, not the grapefruit thing) Oh! Before I forget, all of you Minions better click on "Win Things!" at the top of this page and enter, because you can win an autographed ARC of EIGHTH GRADE BITES! Plus a cool coffin clock! And a gift card to Hot Topic! Plus, I'll even send along my undying love and affection. Okay, so you won't be able to see it exactly, but trust me...it's there.

For now, it's back to revising NGS.

Lesson #1 of being a writer: Never, ever, ever give up.

I Quit

Seriously. I quit. I just spent much of my morning staring at NINTH GRADE SUCKS. Not doing anything to it. Just staring at it.

I've determined that I need a vacation.

Because soon, my Minions...soon Auntie Heather's first book (Yay, EIGHTH GRADE BITES!)will debut and then Auntie Heather won't have time for a vacation. So she's taking one now. And then again this summer. Why? 'Cuz she can.

See, Auntie Heather's brain feels like it's going to EXPLODE. And if that happens, well, apart from Auntie Heather being forced to live in a room with nice, cushy padded walls, Vlad's story will never be told (never mind Stephen's or Ash's). So...I need some sanity time. I'm going to spend the rest of the week and weekend answering email, drinking caffeine-free Diet Pepsi, and not working. Because the mental cobwebs are in dire need of a good cleaning.

Be well--big news announcement coming soon!

Stop Me Before I Kill Again!

To quote The Fairly Odd Parents: "EVERYTHING I TOUCH DIES!!!"

I've killed. Again. Yep, yet another houseplant has been subjected to my tormenting. Er, I mean, love. I love plants. But my thumb is as brown as they come. I either overwater them or underwater them, and they DIE. *sigh* Ah well, Rest In Peace, palm-plant-in-the-corner.

Aside from mourning the loss of palm-plant-in-the-corner, I'm celebrating some HUGENORMOUS (yeah, it's a word now) news that I can't share with you minions just yet. So, hold tight, keep those fingers crossed...and somebody pinch me!