Qualtiy time with my two elder daughters
Or, me scouting out the other moms in the "O.C."
I took the girls on Friday afternoon to a book signing by Gail Carson Levine. She is the author of Ella Enchanted, Dave at night, and several other great books. We traveled to near-by Newport Beach to see her and while there I thought I would notice what the cool moms in Newport Beach were wearing this season. Um, it wasn't what I was wearing...I am reporting that most of the moms sported expensive looking jeans with various styles of shirts and flip-flops. And tans, they were all tanned...
Gail Carson Levine was wonderful to all of the kids, all girls-actually. She was warm, encouraging, real and very open. She shared with us a rejection letter from a publisher she had kept (for 9 years, if I recall correctly) and read it out loud to us. She spent the majority of her time fielding questions from the girls, and moms alike. She discussed her feelings on the Ella Enchanted movie, (she liked it-so did I, ) what project she is working on next and read to us a portion of her newest book-"Fairest". She also read a few excerpts from her book on writing called "Writing Magic: Creating stories that fly". She was so encouraging to the girls about writing.
If you haven't read "Ella Enchanted", it is a great book, very much different than the movie-which was good if you don't try to confuse the two, they were almost different stories. I am reading "Fairest" right now, and it is a page turner...I am enjoying it thoroughly. Brought it home last night, and I am already half-way through it!
All in all, we had a wonderful mother/daughter time and I was so pleased at how wonderful Gail Levine was and how warm and encouraging she was with her admirers. I think it was a really good experience for my girls, I am so glad we took the time to go.