MISS DEMEANORS

We’re all ready for our new Christmas Eve tradition tailored after the Icelandic Happy Jolabokafod, the Yule celebration that centers on a generous exchange of books. Treats accompany the gentle celebration that sends everyone off to a cozy bed to read their new books.

He chose the latest John Grisham and I picked the most recent Susan Isaacs novel. These are books by authors whose writing suits the simple elegance of this book feast.

How does a book lover celebrate Christmas? Writers typically avoid crowds, with the exception of an occasional writers’ conference, which can take months to recover from. Noise and throngs of people with dazed expressions filling malls are akin to fingernails on a blackboard. The earworm, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” (and there are far worse), can implant an impossible case of writers’ block excisable only by a merciful turn of the calendar to a new year.

Waiting ends, eventually. Advent becomes Christmas, 2019 becomes 2020. We hope our patience pays off, at the end. We hope that waiting for the Missdemeanors re-vamp pays off with a new, improved, more focused blog.

Waiting requires patience. Some of us do patient better than others. These quotes illustrate different spins on the subject.

It’s hump day. We’ve made it halfway through the week. For a mid-week mood boost, enjoy these photos of sunny, beautiful Guam.

View from Two Lovers’ Point, Guam

Tis the season and I’m looking for favorite holiday books to give and receive. Certainly the classics come to mind, including Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, a whole host of children’s books, such as Rudolph and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. And I must add Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot’s Christmas, a fantastic locked room mystery.

We can’t let Thanksgiving week go by without a nod to gratitude. All of the Miss Demeanors are involved in the writing community in one way or another – officers of regional or national organizations, podcasters, conference faculty/chairs. It’s pretty clear we each enjoy giving back yet we’re all very busy people. How did you get started down that path?

I had the opportunity to meet up with my fabulous agent in real life a couple of weeks ago, along with one of my mentors. Paula Munier and Michael Neff provide coaching and instruction at an annual writers retreat on the West Coast that’s within (relatively) easy driving distance for me. I got a later start than I planned which added an extra 45 minutes or so to the drive. That gave me a lot of time to ruminate.