Re-Naming a character

Okay, at least three people have told me they dislike my female protagonist's last name, which sounds like a "German charlady," says one friend. I need to come up with a different name now while I still have time to save her. The name Anna is a keeper. It's "Diehl" that's the bad deal (sorry).

Maybe Ryan? Or Slade or Shaw? McKensie, McKinnon, McPherson, McMaster?
Fury, Bartholomew, Bevin-Evans, LaRouche?
Higgenbottom, West, Dean, Romero? I don't know. I'll sleep on it.

Okay, I slept on it. Anna Merino. Spanish (not Mexican) surname with no charwoman overtones.

Patience is a Virtue

Whether you're waiting to hear back from a publisher, agent, magazine, contest, everything(one) takes FORever. Getting published requires far more patience than writing (or even editing). I am convinced, though...once you get that one break....

Maybe I should have been a stripper in my prior life instead of an anthropologist (as in Diablo Cody?). . .No, that wouldn't have worked for me, I don't have the necessary ah, um, fortitude, that's it, fortitude. :-)

Kill and Be Killed

I was reading through the NY Times Book Review section today (it's Sunday afternoon after all), and ran across "Kill and Be Killed," the title of the Crime novel reviews. I know it's a cute title describing the books but it seemed an equally fitting description for the plight of the authors whose books were under review.

I could feel the pain and I haven't been there. How about this one—"For all her impressive command of the action...April Smith couldn't write a stock thriller if she tried." I read the review three times and still couldn't figure out whether the statement was meant as a compliment.

Oh well, I can't feel too sorry, even a bad review in the NY Times substantially increases book sales. Or, so I've read. . .

CATS (are good for your health)

Today's paper carried an article about the health benefits of cats. A study by University of Minnesota researchers collected data on over 4,000 people and found that cat owners were less likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke. Those who lacked a feline for company were 30 to 40% more likely to die of cardiovascular disease.

Dogs? They don't count.

Jerry and I should be in good shape with our four cats: Savannah, Samantha, Polska (aka Eightball) and Sprinkles (aka Badass).

Breakthrough

Today's a good day! I've finally finished working out the plot for book number three, titled: In the Arms of Santa Muerte.

I have the first four chapters written (based on a sketchy plot outline), but reached the point where I had to finalize the plot and subplot before I could go on. After a poor night's sleep tossing and turning, I finally got up around 5:00 and put the petal to the metal. Early morning is a good time for thinking....it's dark and quiet, except for the purring motor running on my cat Samantha who wants to sit in my lap as soon as I park myself in front of the computer in the morning. After five or ten minutes, if I've petted her to her satisfaction, she leaves and I can get down to business.

Sue Grafton & Harol, er rather, Hairl

I'm reading Sue Grafton's "S is for Silence" currently, and noticed a character's name is Hairl (p. 72, paperback), the 'Hairl' being a homonym of my name. In the acknowledgments, Grafton thanks Hairl Wilson for the use of his name.

When I told my husband, he said the names aren't homonyms, and he's correct if you have a mid-Atlantic accent like his, which distinguishes the 'a' sound in these two words: marry and merry. In my northern NY accent, I pronounce these words the same.

So, to him my name sounds as though it's spelled: Hah-role (like the ahhh sound in the dentist's office) and I pronounce it: Hair-role, or Hairl. (If you're wondering, my father named me after his oldest brother.)

My British grandmother (you have to roll your r's or your dees on this) pronounced it: Hah-d(roll)ul, which fascinated me when I was young. I tolerate almost all pronunciations except the one that puts a 'd' on the end...in the fashion of at least one of my in-laws (I won't say who).

Grafton has a very funny Author's Note in this book. After reading it, I've decided to appoint myself Tlaxcala Planning Commissioner. BTW, Grafton has a great website!

More About Huitlacoche

Also known as the Mexican Corn Truffle, cuitlacoche is a delicious smoky fungus as versatile as the mushroom (maybe more so). For more information, visit the Gourmet Sleuth website:

http://gourmetsleuth.com/huitlacoche.htm

You also can purchase canned Huitlacoche online from Gourmet Sleuth, at:

http://gourmetsleuth.com/pdetail.asp?i=2&p=248&s=1&price=5.85

And here's another great site with LOTS of recipes--"The Sweet Corn Disease Nursery" website. They even have a recipe for cuitlacoche ice cream!! (What do you say to that, Pattie?)

http://www.sweetcorn.uiuc.edu/Common-smut/Recipes.htm

Border Fence

I have to comment on this....the silliness of the U.S. government constructing a 'fence' along the border with Mexico. Read Michelle Roberts' (AP) article about the impact of this decision on the neighboring towns of Eagle Pass, Texas, and Piedras Negras, Mexico at:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080205/ap_on_re_us/border_fence

I agree with John Stockley. . ." a 74-year-old native of Eagle Pass. 'I keep thinking if we took this money that's going to be spent not just here, but all along the border, and put it into the Mexican economy, we'd probably have people going back the other way.'"

What if, in fact, we had taken the trillions of dollars spent to protect oil company profits (Exxon profits set a new record this quarter at $44 billion) in our war with Iraq, and instead invested it in both Mexico's and our own economy?

Finally, when we're bemoaning the number of Mexican immigrants (legal or illegal) in the country, let's remind ourselves that our whole country is composed of illegal immigrants who stole this land from native inhabitants. For a further reality check, how about the U.S. war with Mexico in which our "Manifest Destiny" policy led us to steal from Mexico most of what is now the U.S. southwest? A quick and dirty summary of that war, can be found on wikipedia at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican%E2%80%93American_War