HOGWARTS SQUARE

It is now Monday morning and not being the voracious speed-reader that my son is (who finished the book late Saturday afternoon and handed it to me with a sly but sad grin) I am only 160 or so pages in. Savoring is my style and so as I trek Southern California on a business/crazy Comic-Con adventure - I am reading and smiling at my own pace.

But FRIDAY NIGHT...ah, what a magical evening my family and I had. Being in Boston we had many choices to make and I had a list of parties to attend, all cross-referenced by time, location and "what if it rains"?

Turns out the evening was beautiful and cool and the choice of where to go was then easy - to Cambridge and their Hogwarts Square party. Yes, the Harvard Yard itself was taken over by muggles, magicians, wizards and curious onlookers. The very spot where even I attended a graduation was decorated in a swirl of twinkled lights and a stage where DRACO AND THE MALFOYS then HARRY AND THE POTTERS played to an enthusiastic, singing dancing fan base.



My 13 yr old son, dressed in Death Eater robes had a blast - singing outloud and even "dancing" (slightly). We didn't know the songs - but it seemed everyone around us did - and all those "Save Ginny Weasly" t-shirts were so cool.

My own favorite song-lette that was repeated often: "Hagrid is fun to hug/ Hagrid is full of love/ Just don't get stuck in Hagrid's beard!"

I know they played all the songs everyone who knows them would want o hear - and the last song had people jumpng up and down and cell phones glowing in the air - the excitement was surreal and wonderful!

10pm then off to get ready for the book release. The Harvard COOP was offering the huge discount - and the line-up was massive. Harvard Square had many great options of booksellers (CURIOUS GEORGE, NEWBERY COMICS, et al) and I mean no slight to any of them by saying we chose the HARVARD BOOK SHOP (I wanted to go independant and our choice couldn't have been better.)



Costumes were everywhere: two of my faves, the Snitch Girl and the giuy who was "Hogwarts".



Inside, my son found a comfy spot to read -


Activitives inside included drawing your own petronus, tarot reading and lots of wonderful store employees with stacks of trivia cards, who seemed to spot groups of bored people and swoop in with questions.



It was orderly (Okay, there was almost one fist fight with some dude who was drunk - but that was it). They had people pre-pay and then as midnight got closer, we were seperated by groups to different locations. Our goodfortune (M-Z) was to have the line outside the store at their "Platform 13 and a half" which meant it was fun to just be able to watch everyone and enjoy the cool air. It was a wonderful, perfect, outdoor magical evening; exactly the memory I wanted to savor and one I hope my son will always remember.

It is a special time growing up with these books - and at the stroke of midnite (well, about half an hour later for us) he eagerly received his piece of History (that's his arm) - then opened the book and started to read.

It could not have been better!

NEVER GIVE UP - NEVER SURRENDER

Do you ever feel like you'll never be able to write a cohesive creative sentence again? Or that it was a fluke - a HUGE mistake that some editor or agent actually liked your work (and maybe even published it!)

Been having a few of those days this week - ready to toss in the towel and see about going into something safe and stable - as soon as my application at Dunkin' Donuts goes through.

So - I'm away from Montreal - in Boston, visiting my wife, who has a summer job here. My son is with me and we enrolled him in a cool cybercamp thing where he's learning FLASH animation and me, I drive him there then sit in Starbucks, or in the wonderful Wellesly town library and fret about being a hack!

This morning I was in Starbucks, actually making a little progress - headphones on, listening to the Garden State soundtrack (again). But two women are talking at a table next to me and the spiteful beast in me wishes they would go away! Go talk somewhere appropriate - not in a coffee shop!

But as soon as the soundtrack ends - I eavesdrop (duh!) - and they are talking children's books. And then I see it - a paperback copy of POND SCUM is on the table. Now, this is too weird, I think. I must say hello to these two perfect people.

Hello, I say. That book there. Pond Scum...I wrote that.

The woman to my right jumps up and says, "I'm Kit Blundo!" (Kit Blundo is the Manager of Individual Giving of REACH OUT AND READ - the organization I donated 300 books to last spring and a person I have never met, but corresponded with. )

A delightful conversation ensued - reminding me that some higher power out there (or up there or in there) wants me to write. I signed the copy of my book to the other woman's son and hugs were shared all around.

If ever I needed a boost - today was that day - and it came so simply and with such humor that I have been smiling all day long.

Note to Higher Power: Thanks for the lift - next time I see you, iced lattes are on me.

BACK TO WORK - A GOOD THING!

That's our dog, Zeus staring out at the view I got to have for seven incredible days... but that was then and now...

I'm home!

I'll admit - its' nice to be back and if I get to post twice this month I will far exceed my expectations! It's Summer and it's Book Two's turn for my as much of my attention as I can give it. In Maine I was able to sit staring at the ocean and feel the cool morning breezes while turning out pages every day! Every day! I love when that happens, when the book takes more than a few tinny baby steps and begins to show off a little leg!

I am dodging bullets in the way of freelance jobs that threaten to bring my crawling book to a halt. But what can we do? Bills need payin' and I do enjoy to eat a meal now and again.

Hey - how many of you zip over to JacketFlap just to see who was "recently on"? Come on? Fess up. I've now added that click to my frequent Amazon, and Google procrastinating clicks. Try it - it's fun. Easy. And then you can go back to work, I promise! And if you haven't signed up - rush right over now and become part of the publishing network.

Speaking of which - I was just over there on JacketFlap and the blog being highlighted at the moment (how come it's never my blog when I click over?) was David Lubar's "Gadfly in the Ointment". He's so funny and his observations...well, very David Lubar.

Last week he linked to a post that all kid writers MUST read - it's from Kate Messner's blog and it's a real pick-me-up from a 7th grade teacher and writer. Go look!

In related news: I got me a new laptop!!! Yay! The black macbook is my companion for my upcoming LA trip. It's so sleek and fun. Apple you have my heart once again.....