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My good friend John Scalzi believes that we authors should all
own our one-star reviews. I am with him. It is good and wise to toughen up and learn to, if not love them, at least enjoy them. To this day one of my fave punter reviews ever is from the Barnes & Noble site and declares that Magic or Madness is like a bad Australian episode of Charmed. Never fails to make me giggle.
Some days though I find bad reviews of my own work a bit hard to take. When that happens I turn to the
one-star reviews of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice which are the best therapy in the universe and never fail to cheer ...
Posted by Justine at 22:04, March 7th, 2010 under Frippery, Reading, Writing life |
Due to boring circumstances beyond my control, I will not be online much in February. Fortunately I’ve been able to line up a number of stellar guests to fill in for me. Most are writers, but I also thought it would be fun to get some publishing types to explain what it is they do, teach you some more about the industry, and answer your questions, as well as one or two bloggers.
*********
Sarah Cross is the author of Dull Boy, a YA superhero novel. She
blogs intermittently, posts random videos on
tumblr, and is hiding in a unicorn-and-zombie-proof bunker until this whole mess is over.
Sarah says:
You may be wondering where Justine is.
And I am sorry to tell ...
Posted by Justine at 19:59, February 12th, 2010 under Excuses, Frippery, Guest post, Toilets, Unicorns, Viewing, Zombies, Zombies v Unicorns |
Due to boring circumstances beyond my control, I will not be online much in February. Fortunately I’ve been able to line up a number of stellar guests to fill in for me. Most are writers, but I also thought it would be fun to get some publishing types to explain what it is they do, teach you some more about the industry, and answer your questions, as well as one or two bloggers.
Today's guest blogger, Doselle Young, is not only one of my favourite people on the planet, he's also every bit as opinionated as me. (Though frequently wrong, like his love of Madmen and Henry Miller. Ewww.) I enjoy Do holding forth on any subject at all. He's also ...
Posted by Justine at 19:36, February 10th, 2010 under Bloggery, Cons & Other Gatherings, Frippery, Guest post, Ideas, Liar, Reading, Sport, State of the World, Words & Language, Writing life, Zombies v Unicorns |
The first thing that's making me laugh is that Scott is currently making me breakfast. A very happy breakfast:
The next thing is that last night Scott was told about
this gadget and now it is all he wants in the entire world:
The Dyson fan with NO BLADES! But how does it work? Because of AIR MULTIPLIER TECHNOLOGY.
Air multiplier technology. Hahahahaha.
This skit is making me laugh even harder. Via
the fabulous Snazzydee I was introduced to
The Armstrong & Miller Show. Here they are RAF airmen chatting up some fetching gels in Chav speak:
I'm sorry ...
Posted by Justine at 19:37, December 29th, 2009 under Frippery, Viewing |
Mary Kuna bought her copy of Liar at
Westminster Books in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada but only found out about the
Liar contest after she'd already taken the book home. But I decided to relax the contest rules because Liar debuted in Canada first. As you see this is not a photo of Liar in the book shop:
As someone who really hates having my photo taken I admire her strategy here. It's something I've seen lots of people do with the cover of Uglies. In fact most covers that are faces ((Of which there are many in YAland.)) lend themselves to the face swap out photo. I'm sure this is not the last one with ...
Posted by Justine at 12:35, September 19th, 2009 under Frippery, Liar |
T'other day I was gasbagging with John Scalzi as I do when the writing isn't going well and IM calls to me. We got to discussing as how we are frequently annoyed by reviews which dismiss a book because the reviewer did not like it but can give no reasons beyond saying that the book sucked. This is something that annoys many writers. We put in all that hard work agonising over every word and someone dismisses the book like this:
This book is bad. It sucked so much. Don't read it.
Or even more frequently,
This book had golden retrievers in it. I really hate dogs. Also the mother washed her son's mouth out with soap and the book ...
Posted by Justine at 13:12, September 15th, 2009 under Frippery, Whingeing, Writing life |
In addition to my
Melbourne Writers Festival events---first one is
tomorrow with Scott and Isobelle Carmody *squee*---soon I'll be off on my second US tour. Pretty, exciting, eh?
I just added a few events to the
appearances page. So far I have events confirmed (or close to) for Phoenix,
Nashville, Memphis,
Austin, Seattle, Portland and New York City. I'm especially excited about those first three cities as I've never been to any of them before.
Also: Memphis = Gracelands = Justine hyperventilating. For those of who don't know, yes, I am a daggy Elvis fan. Goes back to
when I was very little.
There will be at least one or two more cities on my tour. ...
Posted by Justine at 21:58, August 21st, 2009 under Book tour, First Kiss, Frippery, How To Ditch Your Fairy, Liar, New York City/USA |
Our study is being painted so we had to move the furniture out. This particular couch is a millions years old chesterfield that used to belong to my parents. I grew up with this couch. Curled up on it to read, tormented my sister on it, watched tellie from it, and apparently played jacks on it.
Here's what fell out when we moved it:
I'd forgotten I ever played jacks. Now I'm remembering being a wee bit obsessed with the game. But a Marlon Brando in The Wild One badge? Really?
Update: The hair bobble was my sister's. Sorry,
Niki for forgetting to mention that.
Posted by Justine at 19:18, August 13th, 2009 under Frippery, Sydney/Australia |
Sydney winters are not particularly harsh. But in the spirit of doing things properly, we do what we can to make them seem colder. Hence the lack of heating to be found in so many Sydney homes.
Last night I was toasty warm in bed but my nose was ice cold and getting up to go to the loo was an ordeal. The temperature? 10C or 50F. Go ahead, laugh. But in a flat that's got no heating and more importantly that's been designed to stay cool, that's cold. My nose turned red. It could have fallen off!
I could solve this problem by getting a gas heater but perversely I enjoy it. The days are warm, the nights are cold. ...
Posted by Justine at 5:03, July 30th, 2009 under Frippery, Sydney/Australia |
One of the hardest things for me in the US of A is getting a glass of water (or any other not hot beverage) without ice. The default, even in the very depths of winter, is a glass that's at least half ice, half water.
They even put ice in orange juice! In bubbly water! It's INSANE!
I do not get it. Why so much ice? Why do USians want to have their teeth painfully assaulted with sub-arctic temperature liquids?
Is that truly what they want?
I will never understand it.
Posted by Justine at 13:28, June 28th, 2009 under Frippery, New York City/USA, Whingeing |
Most politicians and journalists would rather spend time arguing about total trivialities than important stuff. No, I do not care about
ute-gate. Not any of it. Could you please get back to governing and how about actually doing something about climate change?
In the Heights is every bit as wonderful and entertaining as people have been saying. Especially when seen with Robin Wasserman. Musicals make me so happy!
Never go anywhere with Maureen Johnson where cockroaches may show up. She
told a story about dining with me and Scott and our good friend Alaya Johnson. The way she tells it is very operatic and entertaining but not exactly how I remember it. A cockroach landed on Scott's ...
Posted by Justine at 11:13, June 25th, 2009 under Frippery |
Posted by Justine at 0:20, June 3rd, 2009 under Frippery |
Posted by Justine at 0:26, May 28th, 2009 under Frippery, Words & Language |
Posted by Justine at 14:30, May 22nd, 2009 under Basketball, Frippery, New York City/USA |
Posted by Justine at 9:53, May 16th, 2009 under Frippery |
I think the most important thing you can do
today other than, you know, getting the workers' revolution going is to buy a copy of Maureen Johnson's
Suite Scarlett. It's Maureen Johnson's funniest book to date and is now appearing in the eminently affordable paperback edition.
Highlights include:
A most appealing heroine: I hug Scarlett to my chest!
Romance!
Romance gone wrong!
Romance gone right!
Romance gone in between!
New York City as you've never seen it before!
The shabby gentility of a crumbling hotel!
A crazy Broadway lady!
A unicycle-riding, prat-falling, seriously hot older brother, Spencer! ((I know he's fictional and much younger than me but I can't help it I really heart Spencer.))
Many!
Other!
Wonderful!
Things!
I urge you all to go forth and buy it! If you're broke ...
Posted by Justine at 13:07, May 1st, 2009 under Frippery, New York City/USA |
Posted by Justine at 16:08, April 15th, 2009 under Bloggery, Frippery, Young Adult literature |
Posted by Justine at 0:02, April 15th, 2009 under Frippery, Liar |
Posted by Justine at 12:02, April 14th, 2009 under Frippery, Liar |
Some of my writer friends are going barking mad waiting for their books to come out. Especially the newbies. I have decided the only solution is for the world's mad scientists to drop whatever they're working on ((Turning us all into twitttering pod people, taking over the world's supply of mangosteens, turning the lakes of Canada purple etc. etc.)) and instead invent a brain patch that stops the thinking-bout-next-book-coming-out part of the brain.
Could you do it now-ish, please? Some of my friends are OUT OF CONTROL.
I, of course, am completely sane and rational as I wait for Liar to come out.
Posted by Justine at 17:15, April 8th, 2009 under Frippery, Liar, Science |
Posted by Justine at 9:14, April 6th, 2009 under Bloggery, Frippery |
Went shopping today with my friend
Alaya who knows where to buy good, cheap hair accessories in New York City. I made out like a bandit:
Thanks, Alaya! (Happy birthday for Monday!)
Posted by Justine at 0:31, March 25th, 2009 under Fashion, Frippery |
I mentioned recently that
my big goal for 2009 is to learn to tie a full windsor really well.
This is my first attempt:
Perhaps, I need a longer tie. Yes, um, that's what's wrong with it.
Herewith my second attempt:
Okay, I didn't need a longer tie. This one's an improvement but it's still not triangle-shaped enough. More work needed.
No criticisms of the photos please. Is very hard to photograph your own tie when you're wearing it. Or it was for me, anyways. Stupid camera.
By year's end my double windsor will be perfect and my life will be complete!
Posted by Justine at 0:42, March 20th, 2009 under Frippery |
Posted by Justine at 0:59, February 27th, 2009 under Bloggery, Frippery, Writing life |
Brekkie and lunch in Sydney and now dinner in Melbourne. What a jetsetter I am!
Why, yes, it's less than an hour flight time from Sydney to Melbourne, what of it?
It's thirteen hours on a bus, but. I have it on good authority from
Mr Paul Kelly.
Posted by Justine at 3:34, February 20th, 2009 under Frippery, Sydney/Australia, Travelling |
It's raining and grey but warm. How about where you are?
Posted by Justine at 16:03, December 11th, 2008 under Frippery |
Posted by Justine at 14:35, December 6th, 2008 under Admin, Bloggery, Excuses, Food, Frippery, New York City/USA, Sydney/Australia |
Posted by Justine at 16:33, November 15th, 2008 under Frippery, New York City/USA, Praising |
Posted by Justine at 0:00, November 2nd, 2008 under Bloggery, Excuses, Frippery |
Some of the folks on the
not-driving thread seem to think that driving a car is an essential skill come the apocalypse. I think they are wrong. Even if the apocalypse isn't caused by a petrol-eating bacteria, the days of oil-fuled cars are numbered. And once civilization breaks down there will be no more drilling for the little oil that's left. Cars will only be useful to sleep in or to scavenge for spare parts to make something that's actually useful.
I reckon genuine survival skills include:
Being fit and strong
Knowing first aid and/or being a doctor
Knowing how to find food (i.e. knowing what's edible) and water in even the least promising circumstances
Being good at making and fixing stuff
I'm also unconvinced ...
Posted by Justine at 12:23, June 23rd, 2008 under Frippery |
I was just reading
Meg Cabot's blog. You know as you do when you have a deadline and you're worried that it may defeat you. Because Meg Cabot writes around four thousand books a year and never misses a deadline. So I figured reading her blog might make her productivity and non-lateness rub off on me, who has never written more than one book a year. Fingers crossed.
And what did I discover? Meg Cabot doesn't drive either! Doesn't have a license. I am not alone.
Well, actually I know that because
I live with someone who doesn't have a license and hasn't driven a car since 1988. But he knows how to drive. Whereas I do not. I ...
Posted by Justine at 0:28, June 21st, 2008 under Frippery |
Posted by Justine at 8:27, June 19th, 2008 under Bloggery, Frippery, Liar |
I had an argument with a friend recently, you know, cause I'm an argumentative kind of a gal, about whether he's an extrovert or not. He's an extremely social, bubbly, chatty guy. He denied that he is an extrovert on the grounds that he'd be just as happy to stay at home, that he likes being on his own and therefore is fairly introverted.
I called rubbish and said that he is, in fact, a lazy extrovert.
Just like me. I loves hanging out and chatting with the peoples. I also love being at home in my pjs, reading and hanging out and not going nowhere. Because I am lazy and when I'm home I just want to stay there. Getting ...
Posted by Justine at 0:18, June 4th, 2008 under Frippery |
I can't believe no one's voted against gypsy skirts either. Mis-matched flaps of coloured cotton (or worse synthethic) piled layer on top of layer in an unholy mess. What's to like, people?
Also the next person who writes to me defending their hideous taste in liking ballet flats/espadrilles/formal shorts/shrugs/other fashion atrocity will be hit with a bad fashion curse. That's right I will hex you so you never look good in clothes again. EVER.
Though, come to think of it, perhaps you're all writing to me to defend these fashion atrocities because you've already been hit with the bad fashion curse. Hmmm. I will have to think further on a better punishment . . .
And for those who seem unable to find ...
Posted by Justine at 13:52, May 13th, 2008 under Fashion, Frippery |
Posted by Justine at 12:05, May 12th, 2008 under Bloggery, Fashion, Frippery, Vainglory, Writing goals & milestones |
Maureen,
BUY THE DRESS!!!
xox
Justine
PS You should all go to
her blog and tell her to buy it. She looked divine. Even more divine than
her new website.
Posted by Justine at 5:17, March 28th, 2008 under Bloggery, Fashion, Frippery |
That's right
us judges have done decided and now you get to choose which is the bestest.
And if that isn't enough on Monday you get to choose between the winner of round one and the winner of round two for the utlimate uber-winner of Zombie Idol 2008.
Go, zombies!
Posted by Justine at 14:23, February 22nd, 2008 under Frippery, Zombies |
Posted by Justine at 0:54, February 14th, 2008 under Frippery, New York City/USA, Writing life |
So, the whole Maureen Johnson stick a zombie into a novel thing has just gotten heaps bigger. Like heaps. You need to
go over there to check out the extent of the bigness. I heard a rumour that there are more than a gazillion entries already! A bazillion gazillion trabillion! So many that's she's extended the competition.
And gotten some judges in. Stellar judges such as Meg Cabot, John Green, E. Lockhart, and, um, me.
I'm excited and delighted and slightly nervous. How long does it take to read a bazillion gazillion trabillion entries? Also---Oh. My. God.---I'm a judge with Meg Cabot. I think I'm going to faint.
To forestall the fainting fit here is my little take on the whole thing:
I ...
Posted by Justine at 0:00, February 12th, 2008 under Frippery, Young Adult literature, Zombies |
Posted by Justine at 0:00, February 5th, 2008 under Frippery, Reading |
Thanks to, Mr Moles, for
suggesting that what I really wanted to know was which supernatural creature are we most sick of. You're a genius, Moles!
I will make no attempt to guide your voting since I failed so abysmally to get
ghouls over the top in the last poll. Though I will say that I'm sick to death of vampire love stories. Not vampires, just them as an object of desire. They're dead, people. Their flesh is cold. If vampires were realistically portrayed they'd be forever flicking maggots off themselves. Ewwww!
For those not quick of eye---the poll is in the sidebar to your right.
Posted by Justine at 15:35, February 2nd, 2008 under Frippery |
Posted by Justine at 10:01, February 2nd, 2008 under Frippery, How To Ditch Your Fairy, Research, Words & Language, Young Adult literature |
I'm hurting and upset on behalf of ghouls everywhere. Surely someone can find it in their heart to vote for them?
Yes, in the poll on your right.
Posted by Justine at 11:20, January 30th, 2008 under Frippery |
Me and Scott did not have a proper wedding on account of eloping but I'd like to think that if we had done the full-blown thing we'd've got our shit together to pull off the now traditional surprise wedding dance a la:
or
But I suspect not. I'd settle for attending a wedding where the couple pulled off something like it. How very fabulous.
I never get tired of these vids. I love youtube.
Posted by Justine at 10:58, January 27th, 2008 under Frippery, Viewing |
Posted by Justine at 11:55, January 26th, 2008 under Frippery, New York City/USA, Praising |
Because we're on a juvenilia panel at
ConFusion, Scott is in the next room making strange noises. Some of it is laughter, most of it is groans. He's reading through stuff he wrote when he was a teenager.
Because all my juvenilia is back in Sydney, my wonderful mother transcribed some of the earliest stuff to send me. Bless you, Jan. I just read through it.
Oh, dear.
Sad to say, but there is not an inkling of genius in either of our earliest writings. Wow. We must have worked pretty hard in the intervening years learning how to, you know, construct a sentence or two that don't completely suck.
I might put some of it up on our sites to ...
Posted by Justine at 8:46, January 17th, 2008 under Bloggery, Cons & Other Gatherings, Frippery, Travelling |
Posted by Justine at 0:00, January 15th, 2008 under Frippery, How To Ditch Your Fairy, Ideas, Writing life |
Posted by Justine at 10:59, January 8th, 2008 under Bloggery, Excuses, Frippery, Writing life |
On New Year's Eve, thanks to regular reader, Marrije, I was surrounded by palm trees. Okay, just the one palm tree. A palm tree that required a certain amount of assemblage:
before it was fully grown:
How can it be cold when there's a palm tree in the house?
Thanks, Marrije!
Posted by Justine at 0:14, January 5th, 2008 under Frippery, New York City/USA |
This is couch:
Is noice couch.
Posted by Justine at 0:10, November 17th, 2007 under Frippery |
