YA Fiction and What I've Been Reading Lately

Lately I've been reading a lot of young adult fiction as research for a possible novel. Prior to getting this idea in my head a few months ago that I might want to try my hand at writing for the YA crowd, I hadn't really ready any books intended for that audience in ages--more like not since I was a YA.

What I remember of YA books from the late 1980s was that they were generally poorly written and were usually set in Sweet Valley, which was not my cup of tea at all. I didn't care about those Sweet Valley High teens with their perfect suburban lives. I wanted gritty fiction back then but it wasn't very easy to find. So I abandoned the notion of reading YA books pretty early and focused on horror fiction, mystery novels, anything I could get my hands on....and then one day I read Milan Kundera and I forgot all about the other books for a while. I had a holy trinity of writers back then: Milan Kundera -- Toni Morrison -- Ernest Hemingway. Actually, it was more a Holy Rectangle if you added Gabriel Garcia Marquez to the mix. So, my path to literary fiction was set and I turned into a literary snob (though I read frothy romance novels and chick lit in "secret").

And then one day, I sat trying to read a new Milan Kundera novel and the unthinkable happened--I was bored. I tried to read a Toni Morrison novel and couldn't get past the fourth chapter. I tried to read True at First Light (the "lost" Hemingway novel that his son edited and finished) and it did nothing for me. The only member of the Holy Rectangle who still swayed me was Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and I started wondering if it was only because he looks a little like my dad--now that's a weird notion. But I began reading more and more "pop fiction" and realized I preferred it to literary fiction and I abandoned my Holy Rectangle for a time.

Nowadays, I read everything. And this foray into reading contemporary YA fiction has been enlightening. Some of it is really good. Courtney Summers' Some Girls Are was one of those books that I couldn't stop reading. Maybe it was because it reminded me too much of how awful being a teenager can sometimes be. Jacqueline Woodson's If You Come Softly is also great. I loved how she portrayed the main characters, Jeremiah and Ellie, and their struggle to deal with their feelings for one another and how it affects the people around them.

I also read Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series but I just wasn't that impressed. I thought Bella was whiny and annoying. I thought Edward was a control freak with issues. I thought Jacob was snarky. I only went to see the movie because I figured it would be interesting to see if the characters were less annoying. The only thing I can say is Rob Pattinson is fit. I understand why girls scream for him. I know a lot of people try to say Twilight is a take on Wuthering Heights but I don't see that. And I don't buy glittering vampires nor stupid names for kids like Renesmee. I think Stephenie Meyer's The Host is a much better novel, though it drags at times. Still, I enjoyed it more than the entire Twilight series.

But back to YA fiction, I noticed that nearly all the YA fiction geared at black and Latino teenagers dealt with what are perceived as urban issues: teen pregnancy, drugs, gang violence, being abandoned by a parent. And this made me wonder just how many black and Latino teens really want to read about those issues. When I was a teen living in West Philadelphia/University City, I wasn't that interested in reading about drugs when I could see evidence of drug abuse around me--crack addicts were everywhere, all you had to do was take a walk along 40th Street and you'd inevitably see a few. Even though I wanted something gritty, I didn't want to be reminded of what was already around me. And it made me feel like publishing companies assume that all black and Latino kids live in big cities and are only interested in books warning us of the dangers of drugs, gangs, etc.

How about a book about a black kid trying to get into college? That was my teen experience. I lived a few blocks from my dream school and did everything I could to be accepted there but received a rejection letter anyway. I wasn't interested in what was going on around me in my neighborhood--I lived there but I knew I was going to leave there. So I have been looking for a YA novel that speaks to that teen experience but I haven't seen anything yet. I'll keep looking. Maybe I just have to write that book myself.

It's also interesting how few YA novels deal with interracial relationships, which is surprising considering that these relationships seem more prevalent (and accepted) among teenagers than adults. Is it because many authors are afraid of taking on the issue for fear of negative criticism? Or are the publishing companies playing it too safe? Or have I just simply not been looking in the right places?Well, maybe I will have to write one of these books myself.

I just have to finish writing the book I am working on at the moment before I launch into another project. But I do think that my next writing project will be a YA novel. I already have an idea forming and I've taken some notes. Who knows where it will lead me but I am glad that I found some YA novels that proved we've moved beyond Sweet Valley Hell when it comes to what teens are reading.

I also found a publishing company called Flux that specializes in YA fiction. I've read two books published by Flux, Ballad and Lament by Maggie Stiefvater, and they were riveting. Stiefvater's third book, Shiver, was published by Scholastic Press, which will also be publishing a sequel to Shiver called Linger in July. I loved Shiver. I thought Grace and Sam's story was heartbreaking. I could picture it in my mind and imagined which actors I saw playing the roles. But I am sure if they ever make a movie of it I will be disappointed with whichever actors are chosen--unless of course they are the same ones I imagined. But back to the book, it was so beautifully written, and whenever people try to sing the merits of Twilight to me, I just say one word: Shiver.

So I am anxiously awaiting Linger and trying to finish my own book, which I've decided I will probably self-publish, and trying to keep myself from starting another book. But I am also glad that YA fiction has moved away from the squeaky clean cheerleader type stories of my youth and on to more interesting subjects, even if I am tired of seeing books about black teens affected by gangs (which isn't the only experience black teens have, Mr and Mrs Publisher -- some of us were never affected by gangs at all and would love to read about something other than "urban issues"). At least we're seeing something other than the cookie cutter YA novels of my youth.

Essence and Interracial Relationships...


A few months ago I decided to get a subscription to Essence since my mother always asks me if I've read the same articles she's read. Until recently, Essence wasn't a magazine that was very easy to find in Stockholm, Sweden. Whenever I looked for it on the racks of Pressbyrån in Gallerian on Hamngatan or Västermalms Gallerian at Fridhemsplan, it was either already sold out or never arrived on time. I bit the bullet and ordered a subscription that was more expensive than I would have preferred (expensive thanks to postage + shipping to Europe) and was very happy when I received my first issue two months ago. The articles were well-written and focused on issues that I was interested in: health, how and when we'll overcome the ridiculous "good" hair versus "bad" hair stigma, fashion, education and interviews.

The second issue was also great and featured an interesting, if a little vague, article about Susan Rice, the American Ambassador to the UN. I wanted to know more about her but the article felt a bit more like a teaser rather than the promised in-depth interview that would reveal what made Susan Rice tick.

Then I received my third and fourth issues and suddenly I found myself getting annoyed. The third issue annoyed me more because I felt like every article was flat. But what really rankled me was an article by a woman who was talking about why she gets angry when she sees black men with women of other races. The main point of her article was that black men who were involved with women of other races "didn't have their acts together" or were disrespecting black women. She mentioned black athletes who were together with white women or Asian women and said that their choice of spouse was a sign that "they didn't love or respect the women who raised them". While I could understand where she was coming from, I didn't agree with her and I felt like any good editor would have asked her to interview black men who were in interracial relationships and ask them why they were with their partners instead of basing her entire essay on her experience with men who were either "players" or men whose friends were just out to "hit it and then quit it".

As someone in an interracial relationship, I get very tired of people making assumptions about why I am together with someone of another race. I think a lot of us who are involved in interracial or multicultural relationships have had our share of racist or bigoted comments from the people around us. And while there may be people out there who only date someone of another race so they can have another notch in their bedpost or because they hate their parents or because they are ashamed of their skin color or whatever, I am not one of them and I don't think I am alone.

I am not stupid enough to think that everyone welcomes interracial dating. There are plenty of people who make it clear that they think anyone who dates or marries outside their race is betraying their race. And that was what rankled me most about this article. It repeated the very same racist arguments that used to be used against blacks. It also made it seem like every black man who dates a white woman was essentially saying he hated his mother. And then the writer said that black women had fewer options than white women so black men should show them respect and only date black women. I didn't really follow that logic. The only thing that limits us is ourselves. If we stop behaving as though we cannot look beyond skin color, then of course we are limited. Just because someone is a different ethnicity doesn't mean you won't have some common ground. But using skin color as a justification for not trying to get out there and meet people seems like a sad and lonely life.

There are people out there who think that dating someone white is a status symbol, akin to having the latest Gucci bag or driving a slick new SUV. Anyone who thinks that way obviously has maturity issues. Dating or marrying someone for the supposed status of their skin color is as ridiculous as the "good" hair/"bad" hair debate. And if a black man only dates black women who happen to have long hair or who are light-skinned --isn't that just as bad? He is objectifying the women then in the same way that he is if he exclusively dates someone simply because they are white.

Yes, America has a racist history but we are also a very diverse country. And the only way we can ever come to terms with what our ancestors suffered because of centuries of slavery, is to never let ourselves be enslaved again. But we can't use racism or perceived racism stop us or our children from making friends, from daring to dream of traveling to other countries or even going away to school. We have to accept that slavery will always be a part of our history, but we also we have to move on.

Jill Scott also wrote about "the wince" she feels when she sees what she calls "seemingly together black men" with white women. Sadly, she too seems to think that the only way a black man can have it together is if he is with a black woman. I don't really understand this. If he loves his partner, and she loves him, if they have a successful relationship and mutual respect for one another then isn't that more important than if they have the same skin color?

It's time for us to take our blinders off. It's time to remember what Dr. King said about how we should judge one another. I once said this to a relative whose rebuttal was "I'll bet Dr. King didn't want any of his kids marrying someone white." That might be true--we'll never know since Dr. King is no longer with us. But I have the feeling that, based on all his speeches and his essays, he would not try to stop one of his children from doing so if he felt that it was a relationship based on the principles of love, especially since he fought so hard for minorities to be treated as equals in the eyes of the law and society.

When I was a kid, my mother told me that when I fell in love, I should make sure the person I fell in love with would love and respect me. She told me it didn't matter what whether he was black or white or plaid, all she wanted was that her daughters found men who would be their equals in love. I couldn't have been more than nine years old when my mother told me this but I remembered it. She also used to remind me of Dr. Martin Luther King's words of judging people on the content of their character and not the color of their skin.

Many years later, after kissing a lot of frogs, I found a man who treated me like a queen, who respected my intellect and who loved me as intensely as I loved him. If I'd ignored him simply because he was white, I would have missed out on having a good man in my life.

So now I have to decide....do I keep my subscription to Essence, or do I ask them to cancel it. Well, I don't have to agree with every article but I don't like it when I read articles by people of influence (and let's face it, what we writers write influences others) seem to write without thinking deeper. Especially when the end result is an article that feels shallow and bigoted.

Enough snow already!

We've had snow on the ground in Stockholm--and especially in the suburb where I live--since before Christmas. Back in December it was great. It felt so Christmasy with snow. Tord and I bought pulkas and went sledding non-stop, even on days when it was -15C, -20C. Now it's nearly March and it's still snowing. We've had a few mild days when the snow began to melt and then freeze again at night, which of course inevitably led to sleek ice everywhere and me falling so many times that I may as well scoot to work on my butt if it means I won't fall anymore. Needless to say, I am tired, tired, tired of snow!

Hey Mother Nature--enough already!!!

All I want now is to feel the air change and for spring/summer to come. I am tired of wearing heavy winter clothing. I want to get a pedicure and wear cute sandals. I want to leave my socks at home. I want to take my duffel coat to the dry cleaner's and then hang it in the closet for another season. I want warm evenings scented with blooming lilac and bird-cherry. I want to sit outside in the sun and enjoy a glass of rosé. I want to play boule!

Of course, even if spring were to arrive tomorrow, it would still not be warm enough to do all of these things. Stockholm springs are notorious for being rather rainy and chilly. And you can still have snow in April. Sheesh! But it's the idea of spring I want. And even though I am not one of these willowy girls in a floaty dress and heels (never have been, most likely never will be), I like the idea of me wearing a floaty dress and heels, traipsing along as birds chirp and flowers bloom and the whole world is in love with the idea of being in love.

So I want spring. And I want it now. And when spring finally comes, I'll want summer--especially if it's a nice, dry summer with long, warm evenings. I want a lot of things, don't I?

Let's Dedicate This Post to Ron

Two things happened this week that are of great importance--one is awesome, the other is depressing. Let's take the bad news first. My mother called me on Sunday to tell me that my oldest niece's father had been killed. This is really awful news. Ron was a nice guy and a good father. Unfortunately, most people will always connect him with being the first homicide in Philadelphia in 2010. A homocide investigation is ongoing, but there's been no news I don't really understand how *anyone* justifies killing someone. I hope the police catch the suspect(s) and that justice is served.

This reminds me of a stupid slogan that was bandied around during the late 1980s-early 1990s: "Guns don't kill people, people kill people." Let's ignore the fact that this is a stupid slogan and revise it a bit: "People with guns kill people." Still not great, but it's certainly better than the NRA schpiel about guns not killing people. Every American knows there are too many guns on the streets of our cities. We've all heard the reasons people carry guns: to feel safe, to get respect, to defend their property... None of those reasons are good enough for me. The average person doesn't need a gun unless they hunt. And we know the statistics of how often guns in the home are not used to protect against burglars and home invasions but are used in crimes of "passion" and domestic violence. We also know there are way too many illegal firearms, that in many states it's too easy to gain access to firearms and that some banks are dumb enough to give rifles to new customers (now if that doesn't scream "rob us!" I don't know what does)...

But I digress...my sister Lisa and her daughter Mecca are in mourning. Ron's wife and family are in mourning. No one knows the motive for Ron's murder. But this is just another instance of the violence that has become a part of life in the US. I hate the fact that Ron's children have lost their father. I hate the fact that Ron is dead and he was only 42. I hate the fact that the person or people who did this are probably hanging out somewhere bragging about what they did.

So Ron...may you rest in peace, and may the person or person who ended your life be caught, tried and serve their time. And may they feel remorse for their actions.

Now...what was the other thing that happened? I turned 40, which according to some magazines is the new 30. All I know is that I am fantabulous.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

I wouldn't go as far as saying the weather is frightful--it's a little below 0C and there's a layer of snow on the ground--and I don't have a fire that I could say was delightful, but it's definitely beginning to feel a lot like Christmas here in Stockholm.

Of course, with the snow comes the usual problems of icy sidewalks--especially in downtown Stockholm where the snow has already melted and now frozen all over again. One of my colleagues fell yesterday on an icy Stockholm sidewalk and I nearly fell on my way to work. Yup, I alone found that perfect patch of ice hidden under a dusting of snow. But I was lucky--somehow I managed to stay on my feet despite looking like I was doing a slapstick routine for a few minutes. My colleague wasn't so lucky and now has a sore back and a big bruise. I've given her the link to Naprapathögskolan's student clinic--they really helped me the last time I hurt my hip and lower back so I think they'll be able to help her too.

According to the weather reports, we're in for a white Christmas--I hope this is true. We haven't had proper snow on Christmas Eve (at least in Stockholm) for at least four years. Last year was a boring snow-free Christmas. I want to go sledding...I want to make snow lanterns...I want to make snow angels and pelt Tord with snowballs.

I wonder if anyone else is dreaming of a white Christmas...

Final Nanowrimo Update

Well, alas, another year of Nanowrimo and my brilliant plan for finishing on time went to hell in a hand-basket the moment I left for the US.  I ended up with 35,000 words written. I am still working on the first draft because I want to finish something this year. Luckily, I really like the story even if it doesn't make much sense right now. I figure it will become sensible once I've finished the first draft and revised it.

Don't know when it will be finished,  but I hope I am done with it by the end of December. My goal is to finish it by Christmas Eve. Then I can begin revising it during the new year. 

That's it for now! 

And today...

...I passed the 25000-word mark in Nanowrimo. And my story suddenly shifted from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, which I hadn't expected since I am not particularly fond of LA. But then again, my experience with LA is over twenty years old...

So yes, my main character, Kyra, is now in LA, getting ready to interview the man who was once the love of her life. She is not sure how she feels about it. She wonders if seeing him again will rekindle the spark between them or if they've both changed so much they won't remember why they once loved one another.

We'll see where the story goes...

And now at the start of week two...

...I have made it to 15000 words of my 50000 word "opus". I am pretty pleased though I still don't really know where my story will go. I am just enjoying the ride--a ride that is taking me from Philly now back to Philly in the 1980s. I have to rummage through my brain for some memories of what happened back in the mid to late 1980s. I remember the MOVE siege and the destruction of an entire neighborhood, Mayor Goode...Bill Greene figures in there somewhere too. Zipperhead... Tower Records opening on South Street... Abe's...yes, that must be there too... Rock Against Racism show on Penn's Campus... Spring Fling....hmm... a lot to add. 

So if anyone else from Philly is reading this, drop a line about your memories of Philly from the 80s. Remind me of things as I take a stroll down that lane called Memory.

By the way, there are many Smiths references in this book. Who knew my main characters would be such Morrissey lovers?

Yet Another Short Update...

As of now, I have 11,500 words. If I make it to 15,000 today I will be pleased, but I can settle for 13,500 too. It all depends on if my wrists start hurting. Plus, I need to check in with my mom, part of my Sunday ritual. I am sure I will hear lots about the transit strike in Philly. I wonder if it will be like last time--Philadelphians got so used to the strike that people didn't seem to care anymore that SEPTA was no longer available. I was there for about a week of the strike. My hubby and I would walk into town from 40th Street every day (which we always do anyway when we're in Philly) and muse over how many others were out walking and seeming to enjoy it.

Time to get back to my Nanowrimo masterpiece. So to the rest of the Nanowrimers out there: yay us! Let's keep the words flowing! :)

Another short update...

As of 10PM last night, I have written 4088 words. The story is rambling, not very structured but I can see where I want to go so that's a good thing. I have to remind myself to write and not edit. Which is difficult. I usually do both at the same time. Or I try to make it perfect the first time around so that the revision process isn't so time-consuming or painful. 

This time I am just writing and I don't care what it sounds like. I don't even read it after I reach my quota. I keep telling myself I won't read it until 1 December but that sounds rather unrealistic. I will probably begin reading it already this weekend...

A short Nanowrimo update

As of last night, I've written 2500 words. I wanted to write more but my hands and eyes were tired. Going to aim for 2500 more words tonight. 

Not sure where story is headed but I like it so far.

The time is now...

...is the name of my new Nanowrimo novel. I started writing it around an hour ago. I am already at 1000 words so I am off to a good start. Yup, 1000 down, 49000 to go.

Yesterday I wrote a stellar post--I talked about writing and my Nanowrimo soundtrack and then I posted my top ten list of scary films with links to the original trailers--and then my broadband conenction went a bit insane and stopped working for a while and I lost the entire post. I am not going to try to repost it. I should have written it in Word and then cut and pasted it here...but in hindsight everything is apparent....

So now I am in the midst of Nanowrimo. As I said, the word count so far is 1000 words...

Will post another update tomorrow. :)

One week until Nanowrimo starts...

...and I am trying to decide which of the three ideas I've come up with will be the one that is my Nanowrimo novel. I've written one-page synopses for all three but I am still no closer to narrowing it down.

Should it be a screwball romance (aka chick lit with a new name), supernatural romance...or plain old ghost story? I am already working on a ghost story of sorts but it's fun writing creepy stories so maybe I will go with my ghost synopsis since I am already in that state of mind.

On the otherhand, I love writing romantic stories and they are always a good way to forget abotu the winter darkness that has settled over Stockholm. I write this as I look out my window. It's hard to believe that just a few months ago the sun was still up at 8PM. Now it's as dark as midnight. I feel like a zombie. Yeah...I need a romantic story to get me over the November blues--especially since every year it's the same thing: I walk around like I am in a fog from late October until around the second week of December. The only thing that helps me emerge from said fog is chocolate or a trip somewhere south of here (where there are more hours of sunlight).

Since I am going to the US on the 21st of November, I have to try and get as much written as possible beforehand. I can officially begin writing my Nanowrimo novel on the 1st. I will just have to make sure that every day I meet my quota. I didn't manage to do this last year. The year before I came pretty close to it. I resolve to be better this year.

I wonder how many other people will join me in Nanowrimo madness. I already know of two people who will be giving in to the frenzy. Will have to check out the Nanowrimo forums and see how many people are already posting...

 Are you insane, Kim???

Soon it's that time again--comes around once a year--when I "torture" myself by trying to write a 50,000-word manuscript in a month. Yes, it's soon time for Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month for those not in the know) and I have signed up again. I have no clue if I will be successful. I always have good intentions. The first time I tried it I was one day late finishing my manuscript and the end result was actually not that bad. I am in the process of revising it. 

Do I have a plot yet for my new effort? Nope! Any characters? Not yet. But I am sure some will come to me soon. Last year I didn't know what I wanted to write about until a few days before the official start. Let's hope I have better luck this year. Perhaps this year I will have an idea two weeks in advance! 

I'll have a new word-count widget online soon so you can follow my progress if you want. And I will be much better this year at posting a weekly update to let you know how my madwoman's journey is going. 

That's it for now! 

Where in the world has Kim been...? redux...

I know, I know. I promised I would update more often and then I haven't updated since the end of May. All I can say is that I have been busy. I did manage to take ten days of vacation in June, which I definitely needed. We went to Italy to celebrate Tord's birthday. This time, our travels took us to Bologna-Fano-Ravenna.

We started in Bologna and stayed at the wonderful Hotel Porta San Mamola. Our room had a lovely view of the lavender-scented garden, where you could also eat breakfast. If you want a calm place to stay with lots of small restaurants nearby, within walking distance of all the sights without feeling overwhelmed by all the other tourists, then this is the hotel for you. The staff recommended a restaurant called Il Sangiovese to us and we weren't disappointed. This restaurant has a good selection of local specialties and wines. Just thinking about how nice it was there is making me drool. I think I will have to return there soon.

The next day we departed for Fano, where we stayed at Villa Giulia, a cozy and romantic place in the hills above the city center. We booked a ground-floor suite that was set up like a mini-apartment. We even had our own little garden outside of our room where we could eat lunch in the sun and enjoy the scent of honeysuckle every afternoon. Our hostess Anna was a dog lover and all of her dogs were friendly. Our personal favorite was Lola, a shy black dog with lopsided ears who loved eating breakfast with us in the mornings and lunch with us when we returned from an afternoon spent at the pool or beach. We spent five days in Fano, enjoying the local seafood, the calm (it was still low-season for them) and the fantastic weather. One of our favorite activities was sitting on the terrace in the evenings, sipping limoncello and talking about everything and nothing. We were surprised we had very few mosquito bites by the end of our stay--maybe all the cute lizards running around ate them all.

Our next stop was Ravenna. We stayed at a fantastic bed and breakfast called M Club in Ravenna's historical center. Our room was large, airy and comfortable. It was so cozy we felt like it was our new second home and we're already talking about returning to Ravenna to stay there again. While in Ravenna, we quickly found a restaurant that became our favorite: Locanda del Melarancio. The food here was divine. If you're ever in Ravenna, you must go there. But we didn't just eat while we were there. We also toured many of the UNESCO World Heritage sites in Ravenna and marvelled at the beauty of the mosaics. They really have to be seen...what an incredible sense of history you get when you walk the streets of Ravenna and wander in its many beautiful churches...

So that was June... July was spent working, working, working. August has also been busy--though I did attend the Oriflame Gold Conference in Rome, which was pretty cool. Now summer feels like it's leaving Stockholm and we've already planned our next weekend trip: London (again) to see another musical ("The Lion King"). I can't wait! :)

Totally Wicked...

Last week Tord and I celebrated ten years of being married and we celebrated this week by going to London to see the musical, Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. What? You never heard of Wicked? Well, crawl from under that rock and rush to your nearest box office and find out if it's playing in a city near you. This musical was fantastic...it was totally wicked!

Based on the Gregory Maguire novel of the same name, Wicked tells the behind-the-scenes story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and how she went from being your average green-skinned girl to the most feared woman in Oz. Along the way, we find out about the Wizard and his true intentions and whether Glinda is as good as she seems.

I liked it so much, I could see it again... Tord and I have now decided that we want to go to London again and see another musical. We're veering towards The Lion King. We're not sure when will do this again but I think it will be sooner rather than later.

So we were in London and we stayed at the Rockwell in Kensington, which was a very nice neighborhood to be in. Our room faced busy Cromwell Road but with triple-plated windows we didn't hear any traffic at all. Perfect! My only complaint about the hotel is that I wish there'd been a thick mattress pad on the bed since the mattress itself was a bit too firm. Our hotel was a short walk from the Hummingbird Bakery (such yummy cakes there!) and Harrods. Yes, we were touristy and went to Harrods--but only to buy tea for my father-in-law and Bendicks Bittermints. And we had a great pub, the King's Head, just around the corner. They had great burgers there...and the London Pride I drank was perfect...

We were supposed to cap off our belated anniversary festivities with dinner at Quaglino's. It's been ten years since the last time we were there and we thought it would be nice to go there and eat their infamous saddle of lamb--sans the annoying people who were with us the last time we were there. Unfortunately, Fate (or maybe someone famous, who knows?) stepped in and--when we arrived at the restaurant, there was a sign on the door stating the restaurant was closed "due to unforeseen maintenance issues". Sounds cryptic, right? Now, we started wondering...why such a cryptic sign? Why didn't the restaurant call us since they had Tord's cell phone number to let us know they wouldn't be open? Interestingly enough, on the same day, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin, announced his retirement following the big MP greed scandal. We started wondering if this had something to do with it...then we wondered if some Royal was having a "do" there... then again, maybe there was a maintenance issue--but we could see the staff in the restaurant and they were putting up what appeared to be decorations...hmmm...

In the end, we went back to our hotel. We ate at the restaurant there and the lamb rack and minty potatoes I had were fantastic. Tord had fish and chips that were also yummy. So the day was saved by the Rockwell's restaurant and yummy food, and we went back to our hotel room feeling sated and happy.

And if you're on the King's Road in Chelsea and you like ballerina flats and beer, then here are two places you should visit: for the ballerina flats go to French Sole and for the beer go to the Cadogan Arms and have a pint of Broadside.

And now when it's cloudy in Stockholm...man, I wish I were back in London...

Where in the world is Kim...?

I know, I know...it's been a while. And what have I been up to since I last posted? Well, I went to Madrid for a long weekend. Madrid was great--I have fallen in love with Valencian paella and jamón ibérico de bellota...I still dream of it...ooooh it was so good...:9 I think I will have to make another trip to Madrid soon...

I also moved from Vasastan to Frösunda. A lot of people thought I would not like living in Frösunda since it's not "in town". Apparently there is this assumption about me that I will melt or self-destruct if I don't live in a downtown area. I guess it's because almost everything I like is in town or because--until recently--all of my friends lived in town. Or maybe it's because they know that when I lived in the US I lived within walking distance of Center City in Philly and I lived in downtown Richmond.

What most people forget is that the majority of the time I've spent in Sweden has been spent living outside of Stockholm's downtown area. When I moved here in 1995, I lived in Norsborg. After a year, Tord and I moved to a sublet in Bagarmossen, and we loved it there. It was close enough to town (within 15 minutes you were at T-Centralen) and we had Nacka Nature Reserve just around the corner from our apartment. Our apartment in Bagarmossen was well-planned and was in a quiet area that was just a five-minute walk from the subway. We had three great years there and then the lease on our sublet was terminated. From 1999 to 2002 we lived in Storvreten in Tumba. In fact, we moved into our apartment a month before we got married. [By the way, my 10th wedding anniversary is on the 12th so feel free to send presents...;)] We didn't love Storvreten but it was nice until we started having problems with insane neighbors and crime. We were also tired of dealing with commuter train delays, falling on icy hills that were never sanded during the winter and having to spend oodles of money on taxis when we missed the last train home.

So it wasn't until May 2002 that we moved to Vasastan. We loved Vasastan--it had (and still does) everything we liked. The only thing Vasastan didn't have was a two-bedroom apartment we could afford. We settled for a one-bedroom that was fine initially. It was in a good location on Västmannagatan, had lovely crab apple trees in the garden and was in close proximity to my favorite cafés, my job and my friends. What it didn't have was closet space or a room where I could write. Eventually we decided we needed to move but we couldn't afford anything in Vasastan since the prices had skyrocketed to the point of insanity.

We decided to check out Frösunda, and we both fell in love with the area. We have a nice-sized 2-bedroom apartment with a large balcony and it's just a 5-minute walk from Hagaparken, which is quickly becoming my favorite place in Stockholm. And we have found a café called Sjöstugan (Thanks, Marti, for introducing me to this place when you had all of us writers at your house for a retreat!) where we love sitting outdoors in the shade of a lovely old tree while Brunnsviken's lapping waves lull us. They make yummy cinnamon buns...

So have I gone insane because I no longer live in town? Nope. On the contrary, I think I have become much calmer. And both Tord and I agree that we can see ourselves living here for a long time. We've even said that--should we ever decide that we need a new apartment--we want to find one here in Frösunda. So I think it's safe to say that we found our happy place.

But there is one thing that I will miss and that is New York Stories. Sadly, my favorite bookstore (owned by my friend Margaret) is closing. Today the shop is closing its doors for good. This saddens me because I know how much of Margaret's heart and soul went into the store. I know that those of us who were regulars mourn the closing of NYS but we wish Margaret well. And I have the feeling that sooner or later she'll have something new planned for us...at least, I hope she will. But I will miss sitting outside NYS during the summer and eating icecream, and I will miss taking care of the shop when Margaret had to go out of town or had something else planned. And I'll miss gossiping with Margaret across the counter. But I think we'll just move the gossiping to Caffé Como.

Where have you been, Kim?

Well, the answer to that question is very simple: I've been preparing to move.
In two weeks, Tord and I will be leaving Vasastan for Frösunda. A few weeks ago, we sold our two-room apartment for a good price. Preparing for the openh ouse was insane. Our real estate agent told us to remove as much clutter and personal items as possible--which sounds simple enough until you're actually in the midst of it and you feel like you're having a nervous breakdown.

It started off with getting rid of lots of old magazines and books I hadn't read in ages. That part was not so difficult. It didn't take longer than an hour and it was cathartic to send them to the recycling bin.

Then came step two: going through old clothing and letting go of things you know you'll never wear again but just can't seem to get rid of...somehow in the midst of this I lost one of my favorite ballerina flats--yes, I have one shoe left. I don't know where the other one is. This veered me off track for over an hour as I went through all the bags looking for the missing shoe. Did I find it? No. Do I think I'll find it once I've given up and thrown away the other shoe? Yes. Most likely.

While I was making a huge mess that eventually had to be cleaned up, Tord was trudging up and down the stairs to our storage unit in the attic. I don't know how many trips he made, but at one point he said,"I am NOT going back up there again..." I knew from the stern expression on his face not to press my luck.

Now while all of this was going on, I was also attempting to paint the hall white. When it was done, I wanted to cry. It's such a boring color--can you even really call white a color when it is so god-awful bland? Even now, a month later, I still walk into the hall and think, "Usch...white."

But even with all the sneezing from dust and sore muscles from lifting heavy boxes and grumbling about how all of this was the world's biggest pain in the ass, it's amazing how different our apartment looks. I would take a picture and post it if I knew where my digital camera was. It feels like a completely different place and I think the new owners will be very happy here.

And the great thing was that we didn't even have an open house--the couple who bought our apartment requested a private viewing and the deal was done within a matter of hours! This pleased me immensely. I wasn't looking forward to the open house and the usual crowd who turn up. I've been to enough open houses in Stockholm to know how little regard most people show for your furniture, etc when they're there. They cock their feet up on your coffee table, sit on the arm of your sofa, lounge around like they own your place and it annoys me. Granted, I am easily annoyed but bad behavior is not something I can stomach.

I will miss living in Vasastan--it's a fantastic place to be, but the real estate prices were just too high when we decided we wanted a larger apartment. But every time I go to my soon-to-be-home of Frösunda I get a good vibe from it. I think we'll be happy there and I can't wait to finally have a room where I can write...

And, by the way, I was too busy in November to even come close to finishing Nanowrimo. Maybe next time...

Time to Nanowrimo

Every year it sneaks up on us--the first day of Nanowrimo (or National Novel Writing Month to the uninitiated). I signed up for it weeks ago and then got so busy at work and getting my submission packages ready for agents that I forgot all about sitting down and thinking up a plot. Pretty smart, right?

Well, this morning I woke up at six and was unable to return to dreamland. Suddenly I realized I'd dreamed the plot of my novel--my Nanowrimo bonanza! I got up, pulled out a notebook and began scribbling down a synopsis of the first three chapters. Then I turned on my moody computer (it's been moody since I went to Matera with it--I forgot lock my hard drive and it keeps beeping at me now when I turn it on or it takes forever to get going) and wrote 1500 words. Yay me!

So now I shall keep chugging along with my Nanowrimo novel, which will be called Be Mine. I've got my iPod playlist ready for when I am writing and it features Robyn, Kate Nash, Maria Mena, the Whitest Boy Alive and Moloko, just to name a few. :)

Now the question is will I be able to write 50,000 words by November 30? I don't know but I will damn sure try.

The rest of you can follow my progress if you like. I am going to put a widget on my blog with a word count update. I'll fix it either today or tomorrow.

Of course, you could always sign up now and try Nanowrimo yourself....

Catching up...

I haven't posted in ages--partly because I have been very busy but als0 because I just wasn't in the mood.

Since I last posted, I have started a new job, attended the Women's Fiction Festival in Matera where I met a lot of new people like Brenda, Aleka, Cassy, Lori, Sarah Jane, Cynthia and Regina--just to name a few. I've also started outlining what may be my Nanowrimo 2008 novel. I need to tweak the outline a bit, but it has a good feel to it.

So where do I work now? I work for a cosmetics firm called Oriflame as the copywriter for the fragrances section. I started in September so now I've been working there for a little over a month. It's a great place to work and I really like my colleagues. Annika Shelly, a former member of SWG, told me about the position and really rallied on my behalf. I think I owe her loads of Belgian beer for that. :) Now Karin, who is also an SWG member and my writing buddy, has joined the team as the copywriter for the accessories line.

Now while I was in Matera I met Lori Avocato, who writes romance and mysteries, and her cousin Alice. We had dinner together the first night I was in Matera. She's such a nice person so I urge anyone who reads my blog to check out her website and blog! One of the other writers I met while in Matera was Aleka Nakis, who is just too funny. :) We enjoyed many meals, glasses of wine and loads of coffee at Bar Sedile (aka Franco's) together. Visit her website and get to know her!

Finally, I pitched my novels to agents and editors while I was in Matera. Several requested partials from me, which I will be sending out this week. One agent, Sarah Jane Freymann didn't request my work but we had a great time chatting and I hope we can meet when I am in the US in December for coffee-talk.

That's it for now. I need to get back to writing.

P.S.
Maria Mena has a new album out. You should buy it.