Fudge

I have found a new muse.

Fudge.


I still love my Raisinets, of course, and consider them a vital component in my writing process, as well as my primary source of fruit, but fudge... mmm, fudge...

My husband came home the other day with a little Tiffany-blue box labeled "Sweet Melissa" (the name of the new gourmet candy shop in our town). Inside was a quarter-pound of raspberry-chocolate fudge, a quarter-pound of caramel-chocolate fudge, and a cute little plastic knife so that I could immediately begin slicing my fudge and shoveling it into my mouth (which I did).

I am considering having my husband knighted. (Can you do that? Can you nominate someone for knighthood? I know Sir Nils Olav was knighted a little while ago, and he's a penguin.)

The importance of chocolate in the creative process should not be underestimated. It works as a reward, it works as a break, it works as as a late-night caffeine source... I would eat it in a box. I would eat it with a fox. I would eat it here and there. I would eat it anywhere.

Except maybe for breakfast. I'm not a big chocolate-at-breakfast girl. Except for Nutella. And these churros and chocolate that I had on a trip to Spain. We ate them every single morning -- at least every morning once I realized you were supposed to dip the churros into the cup of liquid chocolate. First time I tried to order "chocolate caliente," I thought the chocolate was really, really thick hot cocoa, and I drank it. Got a few strange looks for drinking the dip. Three years of high school Spanish, and there I was, drinking the dip. Anyway. Fudge...

Oh, fudge, thou art delicious,
I would eat you with the fishes,
I would eat you rain or shine,
if you promise to always be mine.

Anyhoo... In non-fudge-related news, I want to tell you about the great library visit I did last week. I spoke to around twenty teens at the Northport Public Library in Northport, NY, as part of Teen Read Week. I had a fabulous time. Everyone had great questions, plus the wonderful librarians did a fantastic job -- they even decorated with Wild-appropriate vines and served wild-berry Lifesavers! Also, the Northport Library is gorgeous. It has a courtyard, a cafe, art displays... Even though I adore my local library, I still had a wee bit of library envy. Luckily, I had my fudge to console me.

Chocolate-Powered Prose

Today I sent the revised manuscript for book #2 to my editor. Snoopy Dance of Joy!

Now I need a nap. I haven't gone to bed before 2am in... oh, much too long. Been downing lots of Raisinets and Hershey's Kisses and other sugar-and-caffeine-filled chocolate goodies. (I'm not a coffee drinker.) This is what I look like right now:


I desperately wanted to finish this round of revisions before my summer book events started -- which meant today, since my first book event (at least my first one with finished copies of INTO THE WILD) is tomorrow at the Worcester Public Library in Massachusetts. So yesterday, I printed my entire manuscript for book #2 double-sided in an itty-bitty font so that I could stuff the entire thing in my purse and do one final read-through on the train to Manhattan.

Yesterday's Manhattan trip was to attend a going-away party for John Green and Sarah Green, who are moving to Indianapolis very soon. Got to talk with many fabulous people -- Scott Westerfeld ate my fries! -- and the party was a lot of fun. I finished my final read-though on the ride home, so now I'm done! At least until the next round of edits...

Off to Worcester tomorrow morning for my first signing ever!