Susan Henderson's LitPark - Latest Comments

Re: Thriller Writers: Dionne, Eisler, Lynds & Morrell

SusanHenderson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:54:26 -0000

He's a compelling writer and a generous man. It was good to have him here. And you, too. Thanks for stopping by!

Re: Thriller Writers: Dionne, Eisler, Lynds & Morrell

ridleyfoxfan — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:39:31 -0000

I loved the post with Barry Eisler. I've read all of his books and I think that he's a very talented author. Fault Line, his stand-alone from the Rain series, is a superb fresh start.

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

SusanHenderson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:50:15 -0000

Comics with dogs are a sure thing. I hope you include that fence-climbing chihuahua in the book.

Your photo's great, Michael!

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

michaelmcintyre — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:04:50 -0000

We had several family dogs through my childhood, but the only one I could say I loved was a black haired mutt named Barney. I didn't know how much until he was gone. He was hit by a car.

We had some strange dogs. My mom had a chihuahua that learned how to climb the chain link fence out of spite, because my brother's dog could jump over it.

Coincidentally, I am working on a comic that features a dog that looks like Barney and the protagonist identifies this dog with a dog from his childhood.

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

SusanHenderson — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:14:47 -0000

I'm doing a regular feature over at The Nervous Breakdown and invite you all to go over there and chime in. This one's about professional jealousy: http://www.thenervousbreakdown.com/shenderson/2...

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

SusanHenderson — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:48:39 -0000

Really? A star on her chest? That's so cool, and that you got her so impulsively.

When do you finish school? Is it this year?

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

djtuffpuppy — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:23:43 -0000

My dog's name is Coco (Star) Tapioca. She is not a family dog. She is MY dog... who just happens to live with my family. I got her impulsively when I walked in to a pet store one labor day weekend. She's all black except she has a white star on her chest. Her favorite hobby is attacking the family dog who does her best to ignore my dog.

I am currently working on a short story for my fiction class (due Tuesday, eep) and when I can squeeze some non-school writing, I work on what I hope to be my first novel.

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

SusanHenderson — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:04:17 -0000

I'm so glad to hear you're showing people that script! How funny to go from a great dane to a chihauhau, but love the stories... and the names!

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

eileen_rita — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:19:06 -0000

We had a Great Dane when I was little called Alphonse who was the kindest, gentlest animal I've ever known. He was extremely protective of little ol' me and my family. It makes me laugh at how completely different he was from our dog now, Phantom the chihuahua/terrier cross. But you can't help but love Phantom, she never stops trying to be a proper dog. She's like the little engine that could :)
My favorite memory of Alphonse is how he used to lie with our cat Bogart by the fire. Occasionally he would, as all animals do, reposition himself to absorb more heat, which usually meant he ended up on top of the Bogart, so there would be a discussion between the two which Bogart always won and he would roll back again.

I'm still working on my script. I have a friend and a writing tutor reading it at the moment. I'm not sure who's feedback I'm more nervous about.
Had a great writing session this morning though. Sat on the deck in the sun, with some Billy Joel drifting out the windows and just put my head down for a couple of hours. I love a creative Sunday!

Congratulations on your progress. Sounds like it's going really well!

Eileen

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

SusanHenderson — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:30:23 -0000

Aww, my kids are little for their age - my 12-year-old is 65#, and his best friend, only a few months apart, is 130# - so I have a soft spot for a story like this.

How funny about the 1960 comment! (Kind of!) It wouldn't have even occurred to me to call a story set in the 60's as a "historical novel".

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

Ric — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:35:24 -0000

I think I was 8 years old or so, looked about 5 (I was very small for my age), and had the voice of an angel - so I was told. I sang all over town, in churches and such, until my voice changed. Then, no one wanted to hear me sing anymore.

The mystery is set in 1960 - one agency intern wrote to tell me I wasn't probably wasn't qualified to write an historical novel. I love it when extremely young people can't do the math to figure out I was actually there.........

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

SusanHenderson — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:52:24 -0000

Someone's very lovely agent is interviewed right here: http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/Agent...

Hope you get a chance to read it!

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

SusanHenderson — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:51:02 -0000

Yeah, that's whose couch I'm planning to crash on.

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

SusanHenderson — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:30:23 -0000

Now that is going to stick with me forever, you holding a cat and singing Irish Lullaby in front of the Woman's Club!

Your mystery will take as long as it needs to take. Just enjoy writing it. And if it has farm/country school/small town living in it, then every time you write a column for the paper, you're growing your audience for your book.

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

Aurelio — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:42:10 -0000

Really??? If you do go, you'll have to report back to me all about it, and please tell the Learys hello for me.

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

Ric — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:45:32 -0000

I grew up on a farm, so there were always animals around. Horses that I was afraid of, cows, calves, Mike - our border collie, and lots and lots of cats. The earliest pet I remember was Caramel - a light orange, long haired kitten I called my own.
I recall my mother's bi-annual hosting of the Woman's Club and being asked to perform. I was very nervous, so I held my kitten and sang Irish Lullaby to her. We were never allowed to have animals in the house so Caramel became a barn cat, who had many litters of kittens and I loved them all.

Working on Blink - about the young wife who disappears repeatedly - which is taking way longer than it should. And a cozy mystery which actually includes the Woman's Club. Negotiating with a local chain of newspapers to carry a column about growing up on the farm and country school and small town living. (After reading some of the comments, I realize my childhood was something special and the columns are a good way to share that magic.)

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

SusanHenderson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:52:04 -0000

Sounds like you're already in good shape. Just know, if you get stuck, there are a horse and dressage people floating around these parts. How amazing to have horses congregating outside your window... pure heaven!

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

Jimnichols — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:20:54 -0000

We should be so lucky!

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

billiehinton — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:03:26 -0000

Thanks - for now, I'm awaiting quotes from folks I know through my own riding and study of dressage (non-competitively) but if anyone is interested, definitely let me know.

At the moment all my horses have congregated outside my window and are whinnying loudly so I think I'd best go see what's going on out there! :)

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

SusanHenderson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:32:47 -0000

Oh, that's awful. If Gay Walker's around these parts, she's a real dressage expert, and Tish Cohen, I think, is working on a dressage-related book. If you need interviews with folks in the community for your piece, let me know.

Middle grade novels are big now, so that's a good place to be!

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

SusanHenderson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:27:35 -0000

PhD it is. And a medal of courage, too.

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

SusanHenderson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:26:20 -0000

I will go to Shanghai to see it!

Maybe your next film could feature lab rats... not a bad idea.

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

SusanHenderson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:23:02 -0000

I sure hope I get sent there on my book tour.

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

Aurelio — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:05:11 -0000

If my memory is correct, my sister volunteered to adopt her school's lab rats at the end of the school year.

The World's Fair film is about everything positive the USA stands for and how wonderful we all are here - what else? It's presented in a more poetic way than that (we hope) and that's all I can say. You'll just have to go to Shanghai and see it. ;-)

Re: litpark » Question of the Month: Pet

billiehinton — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:53:00 -0000

A big orange tabby cat named Freckles. The beginning of a lifelong love of animals. The other night I was reading in bed and suddenly realized I was wedged in by 4 cats and 1 Corgi. Books read better when there are animals in the bed!

Last week I was working on a middle grade novel, a new genre for me. I had the first page for the past two years and finally got the time and space to let the entire story open up. This week I've been sidetracked writing blog posts and press releases having to do with a video recently aired by Epona TV, showing a World Cup rider using rollkur, a highly controversial training method used in dressage (and other horse sports, but not called rollkur). In this video the horse's muzzle is bent to chest and his tongue, which has lost blood supply due to the harshness of the bits and the extreme flexion of the head/neck, is hanging out of his mouth, blue and limp. There's a huge outcry going on, and I'm compelled to contribute.