Good morning--

So, you loyal readers of this blog are probably wondering whether I fell off the side of the planet or what. The answer is: something close. My computer crashed. Kaput. Nada. Nothing. I pushed the power button and got a big fat zero in response. I have never had this happen before, not in all my years of working with computers. Now, as we know, I am no techie, but I can use a danged computer, and as you all know, I've been sort of getting into this blogging, and then suddenly I'm out in the cold. :( It was terrible. Technicians had to come in to try and retrieve information, and then I had to do the research to purchase a new one. Yikes. Time of my life simply lost. But the good news is, I'm back and up and running. And just in time, too, because in about a week, I'm headed back to Hawaii for a few months.

But here's what happened in the interim. First and foremost, my friend Kim Fisk sold her first romance manuscript. This was an incredibly exciting day for me. It really brought back a lot of memories of what it was like all those years ago, to get The Call from a publishers. It remains one of the best days of my life, right up there with getting married and having my son. Like those events, selling your first book is a tentpole moment in your life. The day you know that all your hard work, insane hope, and fervent desperation is going to pay off. Once, at least. For the whole of this career, you never know for sure if there's a second act, but it means the world to simply be allowed to begin. And all of that reminded me how important it is for all of us to keep dreaming, keep reaching, keep believing in ourselves and the impossible. Your life can literally change in a day. So, way to go, Kim!

How about you guys? Does anyone have a dream they're striving for? Something that keeps you reaching for the stars? Tell us about it and let us cheer you on...

And now, on to the movie casting, as promised. But let me say first that you guys had some killer and surprising ideas. Clive Owen!! Excellent. And I never thought of him. I loved the Julia Roberts/Emma Roberts idea so much I passed it along to my agent. So keep your fingers crossed.

To be honest, when I'm writing characters, I don't actually picture them. They're not firmly physical beings to me; I'm much more concerned with their inner lives, their psychological makeup. That being said, here are my pie in the sky casting ideas based on how I imagined the characters. Julia Roberts or Angelina Jolie for Tully. Kate Winslet or Jodie Foster for Kate. Johnny Depp or Patrick Dempsey for Johnny. But I know there are a lot of actresses that could do really well with the role. I just hope they get the chance. Write to Lifetime and let them know you want to see it!

And now, a quick update on tv. Kudos to seeing Michael coming on Lost!!

How about some topics for discussion? Does anyone have something they'd like to talk about? I'm totally open. Just throw something out...

Talk to you all again soon,

aloha,
Kristin

Good afternoon, one and all--


Sorry that it's been a while since my last post, but things have been a bit crazy at the Hannah homestead. I've got family visiting from Los Angeles, and a book that needs editing, and I've gotten the flu that's going around. Sounds pretty much like all of our lives at some point, doesn't it? We working women have much too little time...

Anyway, enough with the excuses and on to the content. First on my mind is the fabulous Dance for a Wish live auction and party which I attended last week. It's an annual event, sponsored by the Kitsap County chapter of Make a Wish. I was especially pleased to be a part of it because my husband and I have very good friends whose lives were touched by that organization. When their young son was battling leukemia, Make a Wish gave their whole family the trip of a lifetime. It might not seem like much, given the gravity of the situation which precedes it, but that vacation really meant a lot to them. The video record of their trip made me weep like a baby.

That was pretty much the high point of the month so far for me. As I've mentioned before, I'm editing the final draft of the book for next year, and as much as I love editing, it can get a little exhausting. Especially when you realize--as I did this week--that the entire timeline is wrong. Yikes. Next time I'm writing a book that takes place in a week. Then I can keep track of the days. :)

Oh, wait. I'm forgetting my last booksigning. Last week I had a signing at Village Books in Bellingham, and two very talented authors showed up to support me: Christina Dodd and Lisa Kleypas. Both have superb books out right now, and it really meant a lot to me that they took time from their busy writing schedules to visit the bookstore. In fact, one of the best things about this career is the friends. I have to say, a lot of us have been friends forever, and we're always there for each other--to toast a book hitting the list, or to drink in consolation of a book not hitting the list. Either way, year in and year out, we help each other through the rough times. I first met Christina about twenty years ago, when we were both finalists in a contest for unpublished writers. And here we are, still friends--still crazy--after all these years. That's a real gift. Maybe sometime I can get Christina or Lisa to guest blog on this site so you can meet them. And that brings me back to Firefly Lane, because, as you know...it's about the friends...

So thank you all for your continuing support of this book. It's currently on its sixth week on the New York Times list, and I know that's because people like you are buying it and talking about it. Believe me, I've been in the business long enough to genuinely, deeply appreciate that kind of enthusiasm from readers.

A few final tidbits. I am getting emails that ask for specific information. The most often repeated question is about sequels. Apparently many of you want Firefly Lane to go on. All I can say is that I'd love to come back to these characters at some point, but I have to have a really first rate story. If and when I find one, I'll be back. Also, several of you asked about my signoff line of "aloha." I use this because I spend about half of the year in Hawaii, and it has become more than a second home to me; it's almost a way of life. It's who I'm becoming, if that makes sense. I want to be a woman who runs in the morning and works in the afternoon and sits on the beach, reading, on the weekends. I also want to learn to kayak and kite surf (okay, that second part is never going to happen--but let me dream), and to hula. But for now, I'll settle for spending a few months over there every year, making a killer pina colada, and signing my correspondence with "aloha."

I'm also getting a lot of contest entries, and we're closing in on the deadline, so any of you who are on the fence, please jump in! Write a short bit about your best friend. I've had a ball reading them, and who knows? You might win the Nordstrom gift certificate.

Well, that's it for now. I'm going to go back downstairs to hang out with my beautiful sister, cooler-than-cool brother, and the rest of the fam. When they leave and the house is quiet again, you can count on hearing from me again.

Aloha,
Kristin

Good evening--

Well, much has been going on this week, I have to say. I should have posted a new blog entry a few days ago, but things have been so crazy I haven't had time. And what am I doing, you ask? Going on another grand and exciting tour? Celebrating the best selling success of Firefly Lane? Sitting on the beach with a good book?

None of the above. I've been revising next year's book during the day, and...watching all my television shows at night! Lost! American Idol! (Go David!) Project Runway (yay Christian!!), Prison Break. It's been a veritable bonanza after the tundra of the writer's strike. So, anyone who wants to float some LOST theories my way, they will be put to good use. :)

Also, I finally got around to watching Across the Universe, and I have to say, I was totally blown away by this creative, innovative, stunning movie. The performances were simply heartbreaking and the music rocked. How can you go wrong with the Beatles? It's got some crazy, someone-took-too-many-drugs parts, but the whole was better than the sum of some of those parts. I'd love to hear if other people liked it as well as I did. Especially because my husband picked the last five movies--all dark, depressing, shoot-before-talking downers. So ATU was a breath of fresh air.

And speaking of movies, I spoke with my agent today and we had an interesting talk that you all might enjoy. Movie casting. My film agent for Firefly Lane is out talking to actors and actresses and producers about making the novel into a film, and the question keeps coming up: who should we cast?



So, I'm asking you for help. Those of you who have read Firefly, who would you cast in the lead roles? Please, I'm really interested in your answers...



I know you'll wonder who I think is right, and I promise I'll tell you. As soon as I hear from you.

Thanks for the spoilers input, too. The answer is in: no spoilers for now. So if one of your posts isn't up, that's probably the reason. Please don't hesitate to try again, though; we'd all love to hear from you.



Aloha, and bye for now...it's time for Idol...


Kristin