Shaken... and Stirred

Earthquakes are kinda cool. I don't mean the really big ones that damage things and cause tsunamis and hurt people and stuff, but the little tremors that we feel so much here in Tokyo. They're more like little shudders than quakes, really, and it's interesting to me to feel the differences in each one.

Japan has about 1500 earthquakes a year. I am not kidding. 1500. Not many of them are severe. Some we don't feel at all. For instance, I didn't even know about the recent Hokkaido quake until friends and family from the States wrote to ask if we were OK. Quakes are so commonplace around here that they aren't really a news item. This one hit the wires because a tsunami warning was issued. Nothing happened, though.

Anyway, nature struck again this morning... about 3:30 a.m., I was shaken out of bed by an earthquake. I don't mean literally shaken so I fell out of bed or anything, but it woke me up and once I'm up, I'm up. This one lasted a long time - usually the tremors we feel last only a few seconds. This went on for at least half a minute. I could hear the house creak and doors sway gently on their hinges and could feel a little shaking, like someone was at the foot of the bed, jiggling it. That was about it. Everyone else in the house slept through it.

But for some reason, these occurrences leave me energized. It's like the earth is giving up some of its energy and I am a conduit to receive it. Plus, in my weird mind, it's exciting. I note the unique features of each quake - how long did it last, was it a jolt or a gentle shake, did it move side-to-side or undulate up and down?

I hope to never experience a full-out shake-em down earthquake, but for now... earthquakes are cool.

For Those Who Dream

We honor a great man today. A man who looked for a better world than the one he was faced with. On this day, as we reflect on the dreams that Dr. King dared to articulate, let's take a long, hard look at where we are as a nation and where we need to be.

My challenge for you today is to learn all you can about Dr. King. Listen to his "I have a dream" speech. Take his words and think of what you, as an individual, can do to make this world a better place.

Dare to dream. Then work to make that dream come true.

Big Bunnies

I'm not kidding. These hasenpfeffer are huge! Link to the story in a German newspaper lifted from agent Jenny Rappaport's blog.

Anyone else think it's kind of amusing that these rabbits, which are as big as dogs, are being bred for Korean appetites?

*ggl*

More News

Yes, there is a reason for the long silence. Leaving one agent for another is never an easy thing. Especially when the first agent is responsible for opening the door and letting you into the game. But, as these things go, the time had come to step it up, so, as hard as it was, I had to say sayonara.

However, it is with great pleasure that I announce my new agent: Elaine Spencer with The Knight Agency.

Happy New Year!

NEWS!

Yay! I just got the green light to share the news with you all.

Announcing Wendy Toliver's YA sale to Simon Pulse!!! Her new book is titled "The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren" (working title), about a band geek who turns into a Siren on her sixteenth birthday. It will be published in Simon Pulse's romantic comedy line, fall of 07. Watch for it!

CONGRATULATIONS, WENDY!!!!

HAPPY YEAR OF THE BOAR

Happy New Year, everyone!
According to the Asian Zodiac, 2007 is the Year of the Boar. In Japan, anyway. In China, some translations list it as the Year of the Pig. Kind of the same thing, but kind of... not.




For one thing, pigs are cuter than boars. Cartoon pigs, anyway. And maybe potbellied pigs. Or little baby pigs...

On the other hand, what boars lack in aesthetics, they make up for in brute strength - and wouldn't you rather have your year dedicated to a strong, bold, take-it-to-the-mat kind of animal than your basic ham and bacon variety? I'm just saying...

Whatever your preference, have a great 2007! May it be your best year yet!

Kicking and Screaming - Night at the Museum

Me, again. The book junkie. No surprise that I much prefer reading a book than seeing the movie adaptation of the same.

Case in point, did anyone see Ella Enchanted a couple of years ago? What were they thinking? The book was... well, enchanting. The movie? Not so much.

I really worried that Night at the Museum was going to be the same kind of overstretching, badly-interpreted dreck. I had read the book by Milan Trenc years ago and really enjoyed it so my toes curled when I saw the previews for the movie. The fact that critics seemed to agree with my initial reaction didn't help much.

But, as these things go, the kids wanted to see it, and so I found myself at the theater, an oversized bucket of (ugh!) movie theater popcorn in my lap... laughing. Wow. What a pleasant surprise. They actually did a decent job with this one.

My favorite characters were the cowboy and the roman dude, and of course Robin Williams made a great Teddy Roosevelt. Never did quite get the purpose of the Easter Island head, but the dinosaur bones were great. In all, it wasn't a total waste of celluloid.

I do hope it is not the only movie I get to see while in the States, however...

TBR Piles

Hi. I'm Gerb and I'm a book junkie.

There. I've admitted it. I don't really want to recover, I'm just saying. Some women collect shoes. I collect books - even though I have very little space for storing them all back in Japan. Whenever I come to the States, I end up lugging back a suitcase full of books, and my To-Be-Read pile grows while my bookshelves overflow.

I've been feeding the addiction while on vacation, catching up on finding books by authors from my online groups. In case anyone is looking for great YA reads, let me give you a few titles to check out:

Adios to my Old Life by Barbara Ferrer
I Was a Teenage Popcicle by Bev Rosenbaum
Stake That by Marianne Mancusi (but first you should read Boys that Bite.)
The Salem Witch Tryouts by Kelly McClymer
Golden by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
and definitely
I'd Tell You I Love You, but Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

And when you're done with those, come back here and I'm sure I'll have another list for you in a few weeks! :)

Toliver, Toliver

The fun never ends. On the 19th I met up with Wendy Toliver, who I met on one of my author's online groups. She said my blog entry would sound something like this; "So this Wendy chick yakked my ear off..."

Not even.

I had a great time. Wendy's a fellow author, and you know how I love to talk books. Besides, she's smart and fun and has some great things brewing. That's right! Be watching right here 'cause I'd love to announce some great news for her in the very near future...

Wendy, great meeting you!

Vic and Nikki

No, this is not the title of my next book...

This morning, I met with Vic Method, from Women's Ski Jumping, USA, and Nikki Stone, Olympic Medalist and all-around cool person.





For those of you who are new to the blog, Vic was my contact person from WSJUSA and very helpful in coordinating meetings and invitations and gathering information as I was working on SASS: THE FINNISH LINE. He's been up on the front lines, fighting for a women's ski jump event at the Olympics.

Nikki is working on an exciting book project, which I won't reveal details about at this point, though I will say, it will be worth watching for and grabbing a copy for your bookshelves!