The Best Day Ever! (That's hyperbole, but it was really, really good!)

Guess where I went on Wednesday!
I'll give you a clue:

Still don't know?
Okay, how about a multiple choice question?
a) A chocolate factory. (Nothing but truffles all day.)
b) A spa. (Nothing but massages all day.)
c) A book store. (Nothing but reading all day.)
d) The offices of Farrar, Straus & Giroux. (Nothing but pinching myself because I'm actually going to be a published author all day.)

And the answer is... (drumroll, please)
D!!!
I had a fabulous lunch with my editor. We talked about books, publishing and life. I came away knowing, even more than I already knew, that my book is in great hands. I also got to meet many other fabulous folks at FSG. And even though none of them had heard of me yet because my first book isn't even out of copy-editing, I still felt quasi-famous as I was introduced around the office! (Which is, by the way, exactly as a publishing house office should look. Books and papers piled everywhere!)

As if my day wasn't already fab enough. Later on, I went to Penelope Cafe:



True or False: Jenny met her fantabulous agent there and they talked so long she almost missed her flight, which in the end didn't matter because the flight was cancelled due to bad weather, and she was told that there were absolutely no flights on any airline from any airport that could get her back to Chicago for at least 24 hours!

The answer is false! There were no flights for 48 hours! ACK!

But all turned out well in the end. United opened up a new flight, and I only had to stay over one night. Phew!

Now I'm home and so motivated to get back to work on my latest WIP. Because I want to have more visits like this one!

Seventeen Year Cicadas and New Books

So here in the north suburbs of Chicago we are enjoying the seventeen year cicadas. (These are bugs that live underground and come out only once every seventeen years to mate.) Since I didn't live in Chicago seventeen years ago, this is my first Cicada adventure. I was all set to be plagued by these critters in a biblical way, you know? Because, most experiences are cool at least once.

However, even though I practically live in the middle of a forest--I really do, it's nearly illegal to cut down trees in my town--i've barely seen a single bug. Nor are my ears vibrating from the cicada's incessant hum. While only a mile away, driveways are coated with these purportedly excellent sources of protein and neigbors are going deaf in their din.



I can't help but wonder, was is something I did? Did word travel through the underground about my evil treatment of cicadas' fourth cousins twice removed, the mosquitos? Ah. I feel left out.

However, soon I will be leaving my town and traveling to New York. (For the day, but still...) There I will have lunch with my editor! Possibly even meeting other wonderful people at FSG. Possibly even discussing revisions of GIRL IN WAITING, which should begin sometime mid-summer.

Then I will meet my agent! (Who I am really looking forward to getting to know!) I recently sent her book number three, a middle-grade comedy about a fourth grade boy.

Now I'm going to get back to book number four. (Which I just started, so the only thing I can tell you about it is that it's written with words.)

May your day be purple!
Jenny