Vixenwriter

Last night, Lacy Danes and I headed first to Wild Ginger for dinner and then to the Showbox to see Kate Nash.

Wild Ginger is probably one of my favorite restaurants ever. It being a Friday evening there were no reservations available but we sat in the bar and ate and since the bar is just as gorgeous as the rest of the place, that was just fine. The Kung Pao chicken was just amazing, not gloppy, fresh, crispy veg the chicken was so tender - it was seriously delish and I wish I had some right now! I then closed off the meal with coconut gelato. Now up until yesterday, pistachio was my favorite gelato flavor but I think coconut just might give it a run for the money.

Lacy and I talked writing and lives and kids, etc and had a lovely time. I don’t see her as often as I should, which is silly but she and I both are always so totally busy! Anyway, it was great to see her.

We then headed down toward Pike Place for the Showbox The Showbox is a great venue, small but frankly, I wish it was simply 21 and over so I could do without the arm stamps to get into the bar, etc. But it’s a lovely place. Big giant chandelier in the entry, etc. Opening band was meh but they tried hard.

Kate Nash was awesome. I love her. I love her songwriting and I love her voice. She just has a lovely stage presence and her band was awesome too. Wowzers on the drums last night too!

I love live music and I wish I got out to see it more often but the idiotic woman behind us who would NOT SHUT UP reminded me of why I stay in my house so much. Firstly, if all people who cared more about shouting out “KATE WE LOVE YOU! WE LOVE YOU KATE!” and “CAROLINE! CAROLINE’S A VICTIM” to show us how much indie cred than actually you know HEARING the music, were put in a camp deep below the surface of the earth, that would be awesome. Just sayin. I hate you, douchey woman who screamed Kate Nash’s name and CAROLINE through EVERY SONG, over the parts where Kate Nash who you profess to love so much was pretty much begging you, yes you douchey mcdumbass, to shut up. And when you called my friend a “slut” for looking up at you, you should be ashamed of yourself. Seriously. You should have been tased for that and then made to go up on stage and apologize to everyone in that club. I hate you douchey woman because you harshed my experience with your behavior and I had to listen to YOU instead of Kate Nash, who you know, I paid to see. Frankly, another thing that pissed me off was that I had to move so I wasn’t blocking the steps up to the bar (which is fine, I understand why) but this stupid cow was left to scream and hurl epithets at anyone who looked at her twice all night long. The bimbo was standing like right next to the bouncer for the bar for heaven’s sake. Gah! A pox on douchey CAROLINE woman. And seriously, if you can’t hold your liquor, don’t get drunk in public.

Anyway, Kate Nash was so good and so was the company that drunk douchey woman didn’t ruin my time, but seriously, universe, can we think about that camp please?

I’ve spent the better part of my writing time crying lately. Fated is painful in places.

On my tracklist:

Kate Nash - Nicest Thing
Trentmoller - Moan
Ani DiFranco - Grey
Ani DiFranco - Both Hands
Ani DiFranco - 32 Flavors
Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars
Snow Patrol - You’re All I Have
Robin Thicke - Look At Me
Psychedelic Furs - Ghost in You
Fleetwood Mac - Landslide
Yaz - Only You
Liz Phair - Stratford On Guy

Damn it, I’m still sick - gah! I don’t have time to be sick, I’ve got stuff to do. So I took dayquil (one of the nastiest substances on earth) and I’m hoping to forge ahead on some writing.

Three Songs are in my head today so far:

PJ Harvey’s Long Snake Moan (I am such a huge fan of PJ Harvey and I think she’s got an album that will fit any of my given moods)

Pearl Jam - Crown of Thorns and Inside Job

I don’t think there’s a single one of my books without at least one Pearl Jam and/or PJ Harvey song on the tracklist. I tried to find a video of Long Snake Moan at youtube but there were only live shows with bad sound quality. I’ve seen her live and while I adore her, I think her studio stuff is better.

On the other hand, I’ve seen Pearl Jam live, let’s just say a lot of times, and they’re awesome live, in fact, I listen to their live CDs more than their studio albums. I’ve been fortunate to have been at several shows when they played this song, which is a rarity from the pre-Pearl Jam days when a few of the members were in a band called Mother Love Bone (I could so go on and on about this stuff so I’ll spare you). I tried to find a clip from one of the shows I’ve been to but no luck on that. ANYWAY…

Not a good, really clear version of Inside Job live though - so here’s this one from a fan made video

I’ve often spoke about how connected music and my writing process are - well so I’ve found myself listening to all this 80’s rock and I just scrapped what I had for Sensual Magic and started over. And yet, I’m totally cruising with it now. It’s now about Nell - which is what I needed. I knew about William but I didn’t know Nell. She likes buttrock. Score.

My soundtrack:

Rock You Like A Hurricane - Scorpions
No One Like you - Scorpions
She Sells Sanctuary - Cult
Hot Rockin - Judas Priest
Mr. Brownstone - Guns N Roses
Patience - Guns N Roses
Round and Round - Ratt
Live Wire - Motley Crue
Too Young To Fall In Love - Motley Crue
Livin After Midnight - Judas Priest
Shout At the Devil - Motley Crue
You’ve Got Another Thing Coming - Judas Priest
Paradise City - GNR
Welcome to the Jungle - GNR
Snowblind - Ozzy (technically a 70’s song but still, totally buttrock)
Close My Eyes - Ozzy and Lita Ford
Crazy Train - Ozzy

lml Wheee! lml

I was chatting with Megan about theme songs for books earlier yesterday and she was telling me she’d found the one for her newest WIP and I was telling her that Dave Matthews Band - Crash was the theme song for Dirty/Bad/Wrong - my half of our jointly written novel - Taking Care of Business.

For those who’ve never heard the song, the video is a few blog entries below this one. The line “I’m bareboned and crazy is like a touchpoint of how Dix feels for her.

See, we started off pitching it as a dual author anthology with two side by side category novels taking place at the same event. Our heroines are best friends and there’d be some interweaving of storylines, dialog, etc. But a few editors mentioned wanting to make it one novel with alternating chapters and hey, well okay then.

So anyway, my part of the book was originally entitled Dirty/Bad/Wrong and it’s about Katherine Edwards, a contracts attorney who’s having a secret scorching hot affair with the in house counsel for a corporation she’s doing work for. The two are both at a conference and sure yes, hot sexin ensues but she’s now living in the same state he is and he wants more from her than just hanging out and having sex whenever it suits them. They get to each other in different ways but he’s surer of it, of himself. She lives a very bifurcated life - her private life is not something she lives during the day but he challenges that.

So as I began to plot the book I thought about who my hero was.

Oh Dr. Troy. He’s got some of Christian Troy from Nip/Tuck in him. But he’s not as selfish, not as wounded. But he’s still just naughty. I love that about him.

As for Kate, she lives in my head. I don’t see her face as clearly as I see Dix’s face. But I know her heart, I know her mind and I understand her. She doesn’t hate sex or men, she’s just careful. She makes the RIGHT CHOICES. And the right choices are very important to her. The right choices keep her safe. But Dix is sooo the wrong choice, but you know what? Sometimes you have to make the wrong choice just to know you’re alive. And sometimes making the wrong choice is actually the right one. But it’s going to take her a while to figure it out.

Anyway - that’s a little bit about my process, about my part in Taking Care of Business - it’s been really fun to work with Megan on this project. It’s a hoot to write about friends with your friend and the jointly written scenes with their back and forth dialog always makes me laugh. I hope people like it when it comes out late this year.

I talk about music a lot, probably as much as I talk about books. I love music. But sometimes a certain artist or song really hits me and stays with me. A month ago I heard Foundations by Kate Nash and followed up, finding several other songs like Birds and Mouthwash and I just grabbed the whole CD because it’s so good. This song, Nicest Thing, makes me cry when I hear it because which one of us hasn’t felt this way? Hasn’t wished we were unforgettable?

I really can’t say enough about how much I love Kate Nash’s music. I love her lyrical style, conversational, sharp, clever, and this one is very, so achingly beautiful. Made of Bricks is her new CD and it’s now available here in the US. It’s so good, I promise.

All I know is that you’re so nice,
You’re the nicest thing I’ve seen.
I wish that we could give it a go,
See if we could be something.

I wish I was your favourite girl,
I wish you thought I was the reason you are in the world.
I wish I was your favourite smile,
I wish the way that I dressed was your favourite kind of style.

I wish you couldn’t figure me out,
But you always wanna know what I was about.
I wish you’d hold my hand when I was upset,
I wish you’d never forget the look on my face when we first met.

I wish you had a favourite beauty spot that you loved secretly,
‘Cos it was on a hidden bit that nobody else could see.
Basically, I wish that you loved me,
I wish that you needed me,
I wish that you knew when I said two sugars, actually I meant three.

I wish that without me your heart would break,
I wish that without me you’d be spending the rest of your nights awake.
I wish that without me you couldn’t eat,
I wish I was the last thing on your mind before you went to sleep.

All i know is that you’re the nicest thing I’ve ever seen
I wish that we could see if we could be something

Writing Playlist:

Feist: My Moon , My Man
Feist: Inside and Out
LCD Soundsystem: Daft Punk Is Playing At My House
LCD Soundsystem: All My Friends
Sara Barielles: Love Song
Bat for Lashes: What’s a Girl To Do?
Pipettes: Pull Shapes
The Bird and The Bee: Fucking Boyfriend (Peaches cover)
Madonna: Frozen
Natasha Bedingfield: I Wanna Have Your Babies
Kate Nash (And oh my god do I LOVE her): Foundations
Kate Nash: Birds
Kate Nash: Mouthwash
Band of Horses: Is There a Ghost
Band of Horses: No One’s Gonna Love You
Miranda Lambert: Gunpowder and Lead (DUDE, I love this woman. She’s the best thing to come from country music in years)
Amy Winehouse: Tears Dry On Their Own
Plasticines: Loser (don’t know what they’re saying, it’s in French, but I love them)
Psychedelic Furs: Heaven
REM: Strange Currencies
Robin Thicke: Lost Without U
Yin Yang Twins: Salt Shaker
Alice In Chains: Would
Depeche Mode: Walking In My Shoes
Chaka Khan: Ain’t Nobody
Donna Summer: I Feel Love
Echo and The Bunnymen: Lips Like Sugar
Foo Fighters: The Pretender
Goldfrapp: Strict Machine
Gwen Stefani: Yummy
Interpol: Public Pervert
Kelis: In Public
Mazzy Star: Fade Into You
NIN: Closer

Because I love Kate Nash so much..

I’m thinking they’re the patron saints of this book…

Current musical addiction number 12:

The Foo Fighters - The Pretender

Keep you in the dark
You know they all pretend
Keep you in the dark
And so it all began

Send in your skeletons
Sing as their bones go marching in…again
The need you buried deep
The secrets that you keep are at the ready
Are you ready?
I’m finished making sense
Done pleading ignorance
That whole…defense

Spinning infinity, boy
The wheel is spinning me
It’s never-ending, never-ending
Same old story

What if I say I’m not like the others?
What if I say I’m not just another one of your plays
You’re the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

What if I say I’m not like the others?
What if I say I’m not just another one of your plays
You’re the pretender
What if I say that I’ll never surrender?

In time our soul untold
I’m just another soul for sale… oh, well
The page is out of print
We are not permanent
We’re temporary, temporary
Same old story

What if I say I’m not like the others?
What if I say I’m not just another one of your plays
You’re the pretender
What if I say that I’ll never surrender?

What if I say I’m not like the others?
What if I say I’m not just another one of your plays
You’re the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

I’m the voice inside your head
You refuse to hear
I’m the face that you have to face
Mirrored in your stare
I’m what’s left, I’m what’s right
I’m the enemy
I’m the hand that will take you down
Bring you to your knees

So who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?

Keep you in the dark
You know they all pretend

What if I say I’m not like the others?
What if I say I’m not just another one of your plays
You’re the pretender
What if I say that I’ll never surrender?

What if I say I’m not like the others?
What if I say I’m not just another one of your plays
You’re the pretender
What if I say that I’ll never surrender?

What if I say I’m not like the others?
(Keep you in the dark)
What if I say I’m not just another one of your plays
(You know they all… pretend)
You’re the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

What if I say I’m not like the others?
(Keep you in the dark)
What if I say I’m not just another one of your plays
(You know they all… pretend)
You’re the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

So who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?

I’m moderately embarassed to admit I’ve been listening to Evanescence a lot lately. I know. I can totally own my deep love of Justin Timberlake but this sort of Emo isn’t my normal fare, I tend toward harder stuff like Static X and Ministry for my emo needs (nobody does emo better than a junkie, just sayin). I swear Evanescence is like pringles, I can’t stop myself from listening to Fallen over and over. Although I am listening to JT right now, Lovestoned is such a great song to write to. If only I was able to write instead of having to break up fights in the living room and the petite monster didn’t come in here every two minutes to tell me how unhappy she is that she’s not wearing her pink dress today and how much she hates the apple dress (which is actually cherries but all that matters is her discontent dontcha know)

I am however, relieved because apparently “dozens of horny girls in (my town)” want to be my friend. Gosh, isn’t that nice of them? I’m sure my husband would be pleased by that. So friendly they even send me dozens of emails every day about it offering to send me pictures for some low introductory price. If I use that along with the offers to make my penis very large and virile, I’m so money! (well, if only I had a penis)

I have several new pairs of shoes that make me squee every time I see them. I’ve never had strappy stilettos before and these are so ridiculous! I love them in all their totally ridiculous, can only wear them with a few things glory. Also? A pair of bright red patent leather slingback open toed pumps. With, white polka dots on the heel and platform. Totally works with the vintage dress I picked up last month.

Okay, I’m officially rambling and I need to post excerpts up at my messageboard because it is, after all, Titilating Tuesday - actually I’ve already done that part. Sneaky peeks of Reading Between the Lines and Fire and Rain are up and ready to be read.

OH! And speaking of Fire and Rain, I realize I posed the cover all over the place but not here. Duh.

Syneca does it again and it works well with the Ascension cover too! (Which I’ll post too because I lurve it)