On February 18, 2011, after multiple rounds of revisions and editor submissions, I self-published my first novel, THE CLEARING.

And on February 18, 2012, I will pull it from publication.

I never set out to be a self-published author. In fact, when I put THE CLEARING up for sale, I only expected close friends and family to buy it. My financial investment was minimal, and Release Day consisted of nothing but a blog post and a Facebook status.

“Hey, THE CLEARING is available now! Here’s the link! Woohoo!”

That was the extent of my advertising. I didn’t have a marketing plan because I wasn’t planning to market anything. I didn’t do blog tours. I only did interviews for people who asked for them–I never approached anyone for publicity (not that I remember, anyway).

The only things I did in the way of active marketing were the Daytime Alabama TV interview and the speaking engagements.

That was it.

So it’s no surprise that my sales numbers don’t match those who are more proactive with their marketing. I never expected them to. And this is where the problem lies.

If I’m not going to do this for real, I shouldn’t be doing it at all.

My goal is still to be traditionally published; not because it’s better than self or indie publishing, but because it’s my particular dream. I want the big pub house, the big marketing budget, the book tours, the fancy cover (that I don’t have to pay out of pocket for!). I want all of it, and I’m willing to keep working for it.

I started THE CLEARING in August 2008. That’s 3 1/2 years ago, people. I went through multiple rounds of edits with my agent, who sent it on submission to editors three times.

Our last round of submissions was Fall 2010. And because I’d been through all that Submission Purgatory, I couldn’t face the possibility that  NO ONE would ever read the book. I wanted people to at least have a chance to see what I’d been talking about for the past year. What I’d spent so much time working on.

My agent and I talked, and after that conversation, I decided to publish it myself. People bought it. More people than I expected. And it was all very bittersweet. People were reading it, which was great, but I was still very sad that it hadn’t sold to a publishing house.

A few months after I published the book, I tried to read it again.

Key word: TRIED.

I have grown so much as a writer that I don’t even recognize myself in THE CLEARING anymore. If I were to write it now, it would be a totally different book. And when people tell me they’re reading it, I have this weird compulsion to apologize for the things I don’t like about it anymore. I don’t ACTUALLY apologize, but I have to bite my lip to keep from doing so.

Am I proud of the story? Oh, yes. I absolutely ADORE the plot and the characters. Sure, they have their flaws, but they’re MY characters and I love them. Honestly, I think the storyline is brilliant. It’s the writing that isn’t representative of me anymore, and that bothers me.

A lot.

It had a good run. One year of limited publication, and if I ever want to put it back up for sale, I can; but that would require hours and hours of revisions to make it into something that represents me now, and I don’t think I want to backtrack like that. I have so many new ideas.

I want to move forward.

*          *          *

Thank you to everyone who bought a copy of the book, told a friend about it, blogged about it, emailed / called / texted me to say how much you loved it, lent it to a friend, took the time to review it, asked me to sign it, placed it on your bookshelf, used it as a doorstop, propped up a wobbly table leg with it . . . you get the idea. 

THE CLEARING will still be available until February 18, so if you’ve been meaning to buy a copy, well . . . it’s pretty much now or never, kids. You can find purchase links in the sidebar; it’s available in all the usual places. 

If you do read it, will you leave Mia a comment in lieu of leaving one here? We’d both love to know you stopped by!

And it got me thinking: Why do I blog the way I do? Do I have a specific way I blog? Why are there some blogs I check every day and others I hardly check at all?

Hint: the more cat pictures you post, the more I will LOVE YOUR BLOG.

Now, I don’t know why people read MY blog. My guess is that they stumbled upon it one day (maybe thinking it was a lolcat blog, because given how many lolcat pictures I use, I could totally understand that misconception), and before they could close the window, their computer froze with the arrow on the “refresh” button, and now all they can do on the internet is click “refresh” on my webpage, which means they are now forced to read my blog because the only other choice is NOT TO READ ANYTHING AT ALL.

(I’m not sure why all these people have not called the Geek Squad or whatever. I guess they’re just too busy.)

But I do know why I read the blogs I read. And so I give you:

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Anne Riley’s Guidelines To Having A Great Blog And Also Generally Being Awesome On The Internet

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1. Be funny. 

This one sounds easy, but DO NOT BE FOOLED, GRASSHOPPERS. Being funny is an art. It requires practice.

I have read MANY a blog in which the author tried to be funny, but alas, they failed miserably. And when those bloggers discover that failure, it generally results in a lot of defensive complaining.

(Don’t worry, I’m probably not talking about you. Really. I can’t even think of a specific example right now. This is a massive generality. BREATHE, PEOPLE.)

*

2. Present yourself in a cheerful way. 

OH, we all have bad days. Remember when I suddenly lost my agent mere hours before I planned to send her the full manuscript of PULL? That wasn’t fun, and I definitely talked about how un-fun it was, but mostly I try to keep things pretty upbeat around here because “upbeat” is what I look for when I read someone else’s blog.

I’ve never enjoyed a blog in which the author complains about writing, editing, peer review, sales, bad reviews, rejections, etc. on a CONSISTENT basis.

Pointing out something difficult that you’re dealing with every once in a while? Totally cool. Makes you seem more human, in fact. But constant comments about how terrible your life is as a writer and how you never have time to do anything and how no one is reading your book–well, it makes me think perhaps you’ve chosen the wrong profession.

But I’ll never know if you choose a new one because I’ll stop reading.

*

3. Keep (most) of your opinions to yourself. 

This one goes back to the old “don’t talk politics or religion” idea. Now, I occasionally mention something about my faith, because it’s a huge part of my life. But I don’t talk about it much because most of my blog readers don’t share my beliefs, and I don’t want them to feel cyber-bullied because they don’t believe what I believe.

If you have very strong convictions about something–whether it’s self-pub vs. traditional pub, cats vs. dogs, Mohawks vs. buzz cuts, epidural vs. unmedicated, Democrat vs. Republican–I advise you to save your opinions for the times when you are around like-minded individuals, in real life, where nobody can screenshot your comments and plaster them all over Twitter.

Opinions are opinions, and lots of people might disagree with you.

*

4. Don’t be passive-aggressive. 

First things first: I’d like to report on my latest Small Adventure.

I’ve never been a Nail Person. Fingernails, I mean, not the kind you put on a block of wood right before smashing your thumb with a hammer. In my opinion, fingernails are on my hands for two reasons: 1) So that I have something to bite when I get nervous, and 2) to give the phrase “my claws are coming out” a bit more weight.

Wow, this looks JUST LIKE my hand! Except my fur is more on the brown side. 

So anyway, I’m not really into Nail Care, as it were. But last night, while Rob and I were out partying like animals (read: walking around a shopping center), we happened upon a store called . . . well, I can’t remember exactly, but it was something about Christmas, and then we looked in the windows and Rob said, “Oh, it’s one of those Flags And Useless Seasonal Crap stores.” And then we thought that was so funny, we had to go in.

As it turned out, they had quite  a selection of Seasonal Crap–and also a lot of super fun nail polish. Remembering my vow to be adventurous in the small things, I spent, oh, the better part of ten minutes picking out a polish to try.

(What did Rob do for those ten minutes, you ask? Well, mostly, he watched me pick up bottle after bottle and say, “Meh,” which is a tribute to his Longsuffering Husband Spirit. But he also picked out some body lotion for me that smells like vanilla cupcakes. Yes, he IS the best, thank you for pointing that out!)

Finally I chose my nail polish and gave myself a manicure when we got home last night. And here you have it:

Well, okay, you can’t really see the color. It’s a deep reddish brown and it’s sparkly. The brand is Sinful Colors (yes, really) and the color is Mercury Rising, which I basically bought just for the name, but I ended up really liking the color, so it was a win.

By the way, taking a decent picture of your fingernails? NOT EASY. But seeing as this was my first manicure since I got married in 2008 (and that was my first manicure since, um, ever), I figure the struggle was worth it.

So anyway, HOORAY for small adventures.

Now, for the moment you’ve been (probably not) waiting for:

CREEPY FACES HAS A REAL TITLE!

But before I reveal it, let me say this: The manuscript and I? We’re in a fight. I’ve got a rough draft of 17 chapters so far, but I’ve hit the wall and have no choice but to go back to the beginning. The plot just isn’t focused enough and I need to see what sort of loose ends I’ve left untied plot-wise in the beginning.

Spoiler: There are several of them.

Also, my MC’s voice is supposed to be on the dark and serious side, but in this most recent chapter I found that she was starting to sound a little too much like ME, so I’ve got to make sure I’m keeping that consistent, too.

Serious=not easy for moi.

ANYWAY.

Okay, so the Real Title At Least For Now for the book formerly known as CREEPY FACES is . . .

Are you ready?

No, ARE YOU?

OKAY STOP SHOUTING JEEZ. The title I’ve chosen is . . .

BENEATH THE DARKNESS

*cue streamers, marching band, small rodents scurrying about and Flappers bursting from cardboard cakes*

What do you think? Love it? Hate it? If you hate it, please don’t tell me, because Lord have mercy it took me forever to come up with. So if you don’t like it, then comment on something else, like the weather or your delight in the lack of actual scurrying rodents and cake-bursting Flappers.

Have a good week, everybody!

J became an Anne Riley Books sensation, attracting a multitude of page hits and comments. People loved it. They wanted more. So I begged asked J to consider watching New Moon and humoring me with another live-tweet event.

And HE AGREED.

So without further delay, I give you:

J THE DUDE’S NEW MOON TWEETS

The following tweets were posted on the evening of January 24, 2012, by one “J the Dude.” All times are accurate so as to preserve the questionable integrity of this post. Comments in parentheses are my own. 

7:37 pm: Obviously, this is a dream. The old woman is terrifying. Wait–that’s her, isn’t it?!? BOOM!

7:41 pm: This long-haired character is a creeper. Why doesn’t the vampire eat him?

(Me to J: Which long-haired character?)

Although J did not respond immediately, I found out who he was talking about soon enough.

7:46 pm: French vampires?!?! Whoaaaaaa. They ripped that vampire apart. Where is all the blood? (I don’t think vampires have blood. That’s part of the reason they’re so cold. That, and they’re, you know, dead.)

7:50 pm: This dialogue is brutal.

7:53 pm: Well, I bet that wasn’t nominated for Best Kiss. (That scene is pretty much the most awkward thing ever. It’ll make you never want to kiss anybody ever again.)

7:57 pm: If I was watching this in a theater, I would be booing. They would have to escort me out. Unless I was on a date . . . then I’d keep it classy.

7:58 pm: Of course, if I was in the theater watching this and not on a date, I would allow (his friend) to punch me in the face.

At this point, one of our mutual friends chimed in to ask if J was, in fact, live-tweeting a Twilight movie . . . again. 

(J to the friend: Yes, @AnneRiley made me do it.)

(Me to both of them: True. This is all my fault.)

(Another friend to me and J: It takes two to tango.)

8:11 pm: The long-haired dude’s name is Jake? Ugh.

At this point I shall reveal that J’s first name is, in fact, Jacob–and he goes by Jake. He gave me his blessing to publish that bit of information about him by saying, “Do whatever you need to do.” Thanks, J. (I guess I can call you Jake now, but for some reason, I prefer to stick with J.)

Anyway, after Jake’s comment about Jake’s name being Jake (because that wasn’t confusing at all), the following exchange took place between us because I had just realized that Jacob was the “long-haired creeper” he referred to at the beginning of the movie.

(Me to J: Do you not remember him from the first movie?)

(J to me: No . . . I tried to repress . . . Oh my gosh he is taking his shirt off. This is pathetic.)

8:15 pm: Friends, if I am ever in the habit of screaming at the top of my lungs in the middle of the night, please check me into a hospital.

8:24 pm: High school date with a third wheel. Been there . . . as the third wheel. LOL at the guys holding their hands out during the movie.

8:32 pm: Jake just pulled the George Costanza “it’s not you it’s me” line. #Plagiarism

8:37 pm: Oh crap. That vampire just scared the heck outta me.

8:40 pm: What the heck?!? That’s a big freaking wolf!

When J and I were at college together, we went to the same church. Our former pastor is on Twitter and was witnessing J’s New Moon tweets in real time. At this point he chimed in with his own comment on the matter, suggesting that as J viewed the movie, he was also “mowing through a tray of pizza bites, half a carton of ice cream, a sleeve of Girl Scout cookies, and crying softly.”

8:44 pm: Please tell this young werewolf gentleman to put a shirt on . . . and Bella is a —-.

(Me to J: I’m gonna have to edit that one.)

(J to me: Pales in comparison to the vulgarities I’m screaming from my couch right now. This movie is crazy.)

9:05 pm: I would like to know who wrote and authenticated the treaty between the werewolves and the vampires. (That’s a good question, actually. Does anyone know the answer?)

9:12 pm: Ah, now I understand the foreshadowing of the Romeo and Juliet stuff at the beginning. Can’t believe I missed that.

9:16 pm: Okay, this is getting intense. #ThingsICantBelieveImSaying

9:21 pm: This Edward/Bella love connection looks like a drunken hookup that you would only find late-night at a college bar. (Klassy.)

9:22 pm: Wait, is that the little girl from War of the Worlds? Dakota something? (Fanning, and yes, it’s her. Also? She was on the cover of Cosmo this month. Not sure how I feel about that.)

9:29 pm: Are the werewolves about to show up? That would be awesome! (I don’t know exactly what part you’re at, but if Dakota Fanning is there, then . . . no.)

9:45 pm: Uh oh. Wedding in Part 3? What if there are werewolf wedding crashers, that would be awesome. I see a spinoff . . .

9:46 pm: First half of the movie was terrible. Second half was better. I’m looking forward to Part 3. (So are we, J. So are we.)

*          *          *

Immediately after this last tweet, my phone rang. Given that this was Night #2 of my battle with the WALKIN’ pneumonia, I sort of grumbled “Hello” and basically just listened as he went into further detail about his “Werewolf Wedding Crashers” spinoff idea.

The bottom line? J the Dude is . . .

*IMPORTANT UPDATE* It’s J the Dude’s BIRTHDAY today! Happy birthday, Jake!

By which I mean, we have Walking Pneumonia.

Somewhere in the depths of my lungs, this beautiful yet deadly germ has made itself a cup of tea, kicked back in a recliner, and settled in for the long haul. GET OUT, BEAUTIFUL GERMS, GET OOOOUUUTTT.

What’s really funny about this (actually, the ONLY funny thing about this) is that several weeks ago I was making fun of him for going to the doctor when he CLEARLY had nothing but a cold, and he said (please hear this with an exaggerated southern accent):

“But what if I’ve got the WALKIN’ Pneumonia?”

I wish I had a recording of the way he said it, because it cracked me up to the point that I fell on the floor laughing and could not get up for several minutes.

SEVERAL MINUTES. No lie.

Nothing tickles me more than when my husband plays up his accent.

ANYWAY.

What I’m getting at is that we had a good long laugh about the fact that he DOES have the WALKIN’ Pneumonia this time around, and then we stopped laughing and realized I’d been feeling sick too, so I went to the doctor and had myself a little chest x-ray, and guess what?

It was the WALKIN’ Pneumonia.

Which, if you think about it, is quite inaptly named, because the LAST thing I’ve been doing is walking. They should really call it Consistent Napping Pneumonia, or maybe Can’t Shower Because You WILL Pass Out Pneumonia, or By All Means Do Not Expect To Think Coherently Or Be Productive In Any Way Pneumonia.

But, alas: Walking Pneumonia it is.

So we’ve taken the wee one to her grandparents’ house until Ye Olde Germs can be banished from our bodies and also from the house, and I’ve got big plans to Clorox everything in sight tomorrow as I am staying home from work YET AGAIN.

Whoever made this cartoon, I need you to come to my house and clean All The Things, because I will probably be crawling around with a Clorox wipe in each hand, throwing them in the general direction of the furniture and then sleeping for six hours straight before attempting to clean again.

(Update: the picture came from this blog.)

Since I can’t think of a single relevant or interesting thing to say on the blog today, I thought I’d give you a few things to read by some people who are exponentially more lucid at the moment. I found these posts to be VERY helpful with writing and also very encouraging. Even if you are not a writer, you will enjoy some of these because they relate to all parts of life.

So, here we go. (All posts will open in a new window, so CLICK WITH ABANDON, my friends.)

1. Veronica Roth has this GENIUS post about explanations and writing, and she relates it all back to Project Runway. I *highly* recommend this for any of you who are writers. She hit the nail on the dadgum head.

2. Rachelle Gardner posted about her own struggles with jealousy in the agent world (this is one of those that will be good for everyone to read).

3. Kiersten White shows us how the first section of her manuscript for PARANORMALCY changed from Draft One to Final Draft. It was fascinating for me to see what she changed and why, and I think it’s a great thing for writers at any stage to look at.

4. Aimee Salter has a series of posts up right now about self-editing and how to tighten your writing. This is my favorite because it addresses modifiers. Again, I found it immensely helpful for writers at any stage. If you have time, read the others–she knows what she’s talking about. Which is probably why she runs her own editing business.

And finally,

5. Natalie Whipple wrote about her struggles with comparing herself in every way to others. The idea is similar to Rachelle’s, but she says it in a different way, and I needed to hear it. (Applies to everyone, not just writers!)

Alright y’all, I’m going to go make some mac & cheese, then continue to lie on the couch in my (dirty) pajamas. (Believe me, it’s not as fun as it sounds.) I hope to be back in full force by Thursday!

*

It’s 5:30 pm and I’m late for my date with Harley May. I pull into the Whole Foods parking lot at a reckless speed of 7 miles per hour. Pedestrians dive for the sidewalks, dogs yip in terror, small children wail into their mothers’ legs as my Ford Fiesta cruises each aisle in search of a parking space. Who knew Whole Foods was such a hoppin’ place on a Friday night?

Against all odds, I slip into a space mere dozens of minutes before someone else surely would have stolen it. I barrel-roll out of the driver’s seat and click the “lock” button over my shoulder while doing the Mom Shuffle (a quick walk-run, usually done while crossing a busy street, even when no cars are coming) to the door. 

Harley has invited me to a “Cleanse and Detox” event at the Whole Foods. She’s already in line for some yummy squash-apple-pine nut-cranberry concoction. I spot her quickly because she’s in a super hot red dress with high-heeled boots. She looks amazing. I look sort of like this. 

We get our plates of fiber-rich foods and samples of wine, then sit down on the back row for the presentation. A woman stands in front of us and begins to move her mouth. Either she’s a mime, or there’s some trouble brewing with the acoustics in this place. 

Me: Can you hear what that woman is saying?

Harley: No. The grocery store music is really loud. Also, next to the bathrooms might not have been the greatest location for this.

[We hear a toilet flush as several small children race out of the bathroom, give us a suspicious glance, and run to their parents.]

Me: What does she have in that bucket?

Harley: I think she just said it was some sort of oatmeal.

Me: Oatmeal in a bucket?

Harley: [laughing]

Me: What? What did she say?

Harley: She said our goal should be to “eliminate” three times a day.

Me: …………………..

Harley: Poop.

Me: AH. Well why didn’t she just say “poop”? That reminds me of when I was pregnant and my doctor kept talking about how often I would have the “urge to void.”

Harley: …………………….

Me: Pee.

Harley: Look, she said it again! I think we should take a sip of this wine every time she says the word “eliminate.”

Me: We’re gonna need more, then. Is this even alcoholic? Because this brochure keeps talking about how you shouldn’t drink alcohol. I’m pretty sure this is non-alcoholic wine.

Girl Next To Us: I don’t have any fillings.

Me and Harley: [side eye]

Girl Next To Us: She’s talking about fillings. How toxic they are. Do you have any fillings?

Me: Um, yes. But they’re porcelain.

Harley: [not paying attention to us]

Me: Yep, porcelain fillings. Fancy porcelain fillings.

Girl Next To Us: I never had braces, either.

Me: Really? I had them twice. I hate you.

Girl Next To Us: [frightened look]

Harley: Oh my gosh, she’s talking about the oatmeal in the bucket again. She just said something about how someone had to go to the hospital after they ate that stuff.

Me: What?! Hang on–are they spooning out samples for us? No way, dude. I’m not eating that.

Harley: Oh come on, don’t you want to eat “oatmeal” that came out of a bucket and that might put you in the hospital?

Me: I’m seriously afraid of the elimination possibilities here. Let’s just take a picture and then throw the killer oatmeal away.

After the first speaker, Harley and I “went out to my car to get my phone,” then accidentally got in and drove away. Oops. We decided to walk around the shopping center for a while before meeting our friend E. for yogurt. On our walk, we happened to pass a wedding dress shop with a sign in the window that read, “We have Bella’s wedding dress.”

Harley: [mouth open] I hope you know we have to go in there.

Me: Um . . . yes.

Harley: [as we enter the store] Quick, hide your wedding ring.

Me: What? There’s no time!

Wedding Store Girl: Hello ladies, may I help you?

Harley: Um, no thanks, we’re just looking.

Wedding Store Girl: [eyes our ring fingers]

Me: We’re here to see the Twilight dress.

Wedding Store Girl: Aha. No problem, I just got it off the mannequin for someone else a few minutes ago. [walks over to a counter and picks up the dress] Here you go.

Me: Wow. Thanks.

Wedding Store Girl: You should probably hold it up and take a picture with Edward.

Me and Harley: [slow turn to see a life-sized cardboard cutout of Edward Cullen in his wedding tux]

Me: Yes, you’re probably right about that. Hold on, let me get my Bella face on.

Harley: [as we leave the store] That was amazing.

Me: Mmmmm. We should go on dates more often.

There’s only one way to find out.

You take a deep breath, reach for the handle, and pull. This time, your fingers don’t slip. You’re in the room, and they see you. They’re watching. And there’s no turning back now. 

You focus on walking. That’s it. That’s all you can think about. Just walk to the front of the room like you know what you’re doing. Don’t make eye contact. They can sense fear, and if you come off as anything less than 100% confident, they’ll pounce.

“What is she wearing?” you hear someone whisper.

“Impossible,” they shouted, while making that half-wave gesture that always seems to accompany the word “impossible.”

But I tell you the truth, ladies and gentlemen: Anne Riley has followed through on something she said she would do.

*Cue wild applause, throwing of confetti, prancing Zebras, wand-wielding magicians and cats riding unicycles*

Only three days after declaring to the world my intention of making 2012 a year of adventurous living, I actually went out and had myself an adventure. Can you believe it?

Yeah . . . me neither.

The fam and I packed up and headed down to Point Clear, Alabama, located in a part of the state affectionately known as The Tail.

We stayed right on Mobile Bay, so we spent time watching the boats . . .

and talked to some shockingly uncooperative ducks . . .

and did our best CHiPs impressions . . .

and ate some awesome Cajun food while perusing the local real estate market . . .

and checked out some beautiful artwork.

Of course, these photos are just the tip of the iceberg, but I’m happy to say that 2012: A Year Of Adventurous Living is off to a strong start. We’ve got two more adventures coming up in the next couple months. I won’t say exactly when or where we’re going because I am wary of the potential danger of announcing my whereabouts to the internet (I’m looking at you, Foursquare), but rest assured you’ll hear about it when we return.

Oh, and guess what? I’m going to my second Zumba class tonight. I went last week and didn’t die. Miracles really do happen.

Have a fabulous Tuesday, friends.

1. I’m currently in the midst of my first 2012: A Year Of Adventurous Living adventure. What could it be? Well, that’s under wraps until Tuesday, but I’ll give you a hint:

Swing loooooow, sweet chariot…

What can I say, guys. Sometimes, adventurous living lands you in the big house. Good thing they let me keep my own clothes instead of making me wear those horrible jumpsuits. And it was super nice of them to let me keep my purse. And, um, they have wireless internet that I can use with my mind to telepathically post blog entries from my SERIOUSLY OLD jail cell.

Aaaaaanyway.

2. I haven’t written anything in CREEPY FACES for over 24 hours. And really, after 12 chapters’ worth of writing every single day (AFTER I’ve already worked a full day at school), I needed a break. So I’m excited to say that this is the first time I’ve been on my computer since Friday.

Ahhhhh. Sometimes you just need to unplug. Even if it means getting a little bit behind on your writing schedule.

Don’t be sad, Laptop. We’ll be back to our regular schedule on Tuesday, as soon as they let me out of the slammer. Also, you look like maybe you’re from the year 2001.

3. I want to buy every scarf in the world. I might have a problem.

What I would look like if I had all the scarf money in the world. 

4. I think I’ve chosen the wrong celebrity crush. I know I said I like Drew Brees now, but lately I’ve realized the portion of my heart I reserve for unrealistic and meaningless celeb crushes has become strangely cold toward the “Who Dat” quarterback.

Instead, it’s leaning toward someone I’ve crushed on before. Someone a bit more artsy. Someone who seems to be permanently attached to hats.

Oh, Gav. It’s been so long since that night at Workplay Theatre back in 2003-ish, when our eyes met across the heads of all those other girls–you know, the ones that DIDN’T grab your attention?–and I heard very clearly the words that you didn’t say out loud (because with a connection like ours, who needs to say REAL WORDS?):

Oh, Anne, you telepathed to me. Even though you’re clearly the most beautiful girl in the world and we are destined to be together, it just wouldn’t work. I travel a lot. So we’ll have to settle for being a starcrossed and tragically separated couple.

‘Kay, I thought back at you.

And then I’m pretty sure you winked, and maybe I gave you a thumbs up, and we just knew. 

Oh, Gav. You didn’t have to go and change the title of your song over it.

Seriously, though–and this part isn’t a seekrit–I have rediscovered Gavin’s music and it’s just so awesome. I don’t ever blog about music, so you know this is something special. The songs I’m listening to over and over are from his new album, Sweeter. There are three I can’t quit playing: “Not Over You,” “Candy,” and “Radiation.”

Have a great MLK Day tomorrow, y’all. Hopefully I’ll be out of jail soon, cuz like, I gotta go to work on Tuesday.