Robin Brande, Author, Dog Lover, Coffee and Chocolate Addict. Living an Interesting Life.

Fiction author Robin Brande talks about writing, reading, and other vital matters

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Archive for July, 2007

Tuesday Book Club

Tuesday, July 31st, 2007

Two books to report:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows–BEST BOOK I’VE EVER READ IN MY LIFE and I’m willing to stand by that no matter which classics you want to throw up in my face. Dickens? Close–very close. East of Eden? Loved it, but no contest. I’m taking a break, […]

“Why would you even have a husband?”

Sunday, July 29th, 2007

Other than the fact that as soon as we came down the mountain from our hike this afternoon we had to walk straight to the grocery store to buy anti-bacterial dish soap, rubber gloves, and paper towels, then ask the hotel if we could use their hose and maybe borrow a wad of rags, then […]

July chocolate winners!!!

Saturday, July 28th, 2007

I don’t know what’s going on, but I had MANY more chocolate entries than ever before this time. Are you all just hot and deprived and chocolate-needy? Seemed like it from reading your essays.
I’m always sorry I can’t solve more of the world’s chocolate problems. It’s why I’ve gradually increased […]

The Friday List (nice things you did for yourself this week)

Friday, July 27th, 2007

I am a notorious vacation-canceller. And yesterday I had a moment–considered the to-do list, thought about all I could get done if I just stayed home, thought very seriously about putting a halt to all this insanity of trying to leave town tomorrow–and then pulled up.
Because I scheduled this vacation on purpose to occur […]

But the relaxation is worth it–right?

Thursday, July 26th, 2007

Having an interesting convergence of the effects of some of my decisions.
Decision #1: To take off two months and just be. Read. Nap when called for. Spend some time getting to know myself and work through some of the lingering issues that may (*cough*) have been causing some slight panic attacks […]

Special book report: Miss Spitfire

Thursday, July 26th, 2007

I decided not to wait until next Tuesday to report on this book. Because there I was, forlorn because my Harry Potter still hadn’t shown up in the mail, and I had all these errands to run and some waiting rooms to sit in, and that just calls for a book.
So I picked out […]

A tale of plagiarism

Wednesday, July 25th, 2007

My friend Hildy Gottlieb had an interesting thing happen to her a while ago: someone lifted one of her entire articles off the internet, and sold it to a journal as his own.
There’s a lot to be learned from her story, including the very useful conclusions she drew from it. Go read Hildy’s […]

Tuesday Book Club

Tuesday, July 24th, 2007

My report should come as no surprise: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
And my new Harry Potter was supposed to arrive yesterday and didn’t! WAH! But the good news is that meant I wrote for an extra few hours, so I’m that […]

Diagnosis: guilt

Monday, July 23rd, 2007

Two things happened yesterday that made me realize this is my next Big Issue to address for myself. Maybe it’s an issue for you, too.
So the first thing was getting a lovely e-mail from one of our blog pals saying she’d be gone for a few days, so if she wasn’t commenting on my […]

Gateway books

Saturday, July 21st, 2007

1. Show of hands: who has the new HP in their hot little hands right now? How many of you picked yours up at midnight?
2. Last night on The Newshour with Jim Lehrer, there was a segment on the phenomenon of Harry Potter–whether it’s created more readers, why the books have […]