Although you couldn’t tell from the home page of SWEETSMOKE, I did, in fact, put up the new UK cover the last couple of days.  To see it, you’ll need to jump to the BLOG page.  Oh, go ahead.  Do it now. 

Coming July 2010 in the UK, a new edition of SWEETSMOKE. 

As reported today, Jan 10, 2010, in the Wichita Eagle

Watermark best- sellers

1. “Get Over Yourself; God’s Here!” by Kate Moorehead

2. “Sunflower Sampler” by the Junior League of Wichita

3. “Wichita Art Museum: 75 Years of American Art” by Novelene Ross and Stephen Gleissner

4. “Stitches” by David Small

5. “Sweetsmoke” by David Fuller

6. “Olive Kitteridge” by Elizabeth Strout

7. “Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual” by Michael Pollan

8. “Women of Great Taste” by the Junior League of Wichita

9. “Half Broke Horses” by Jeannette Walls

10. “Shades of Grey” by Jasper Fforde

Source: Watermark Books & Cafe

Holy cow it’s baseball season again.  We just had our tryouts, as they are redrafting the entire league and everyone gets to try out again.  Hey, it’s only 72 degrees out there today.  I’m not ready! 

It took a few days.  Two days to work on the outline.  Another day to begin to lay down words, finding them slack and rushed… and then the following day you begin to work them, mold them, trust them and the section takes shape and you’re in motion, working, writing, pages beginning to add up.  As you always knew they would, but those moments of uncertainty just seem to be unavoidable.  You know better, but you live through them anyway. 

Nice to have found a rhythm. 

Today, if you’re keeping score, Gustavo Santaolalla’s score for The Motorcycle Diaries, which will be followed by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra doing Mozart’s Serenade K.361, Gran Partita, then a little Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields (how can you not love that name?) conducted by Sir Neville Marriner doing Mozart symphonies 33, 34 and 35.  After that, who knows.  Maybe we’ll get wild and spin a little Roy Hargrove.

Music while writing.  When I’m moving along, a lot of classical music, sometimes Gregorian chants or Buddhist chants.  But I’m working on the outline right now, and so there is eclecticism in the air. 

Yesterday the odd choices were Hayden String Quartets, Faure’s Requiem and (what?) Moby.  Today we’re odder, late Garbage (not swell like the earlier stuff), late Tom Waits (up and down, but mostly up) and early Goldfrapp (just to mix it up).  Now we’re moving into Neil Young and early Thomas Dolby.  Should be an interesting book, eh, what? 

Ah, finally.  Roll up the sleeves, you will now have days on end laid out in front of you, so that you can get on a roll and pile up the pages.  I have been looking forward to this time and am champing at the bit.  Have to get my car in for its 6 month (warranty required) check-up.  Wonder when that will happen.  Sneak in a yoga class here and there.  Work work work work work.  I can’t wait. 

Happy New Year to all.

My brother and his family have gone back to Petaluma, and with all the excitement, we have decided on a quiet New Year celebration, meaning just the four of us.  Couldn’t quite get our acts together after the riotous time with young and younger cousins, Disneyland (you mean you went to Disneyland the week between Christmas and New Years???  Are you nuts?!?), ice skating in Santa Monica twice (it was only 70 degrees), and football on the beach.  One of my sons is currently at the surf store, hanging out and helping them move.  Maybe we’ll try to catch one of the new movies out there.  Our time is our own.