posted Jul 6, 2011 7:51 PM by Natalie Duvall
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updated Jul 7, 2011 6:27 PM
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1. Purex Fabric Softener Crystals
-- These things make our clothes so soft and lovely-smelling. Best of
all, though, you never have to worry about fabric softener stains! 2. Love in the Wild -- This dating show is on NBC. Though it's a bit formulaic (EW says it's a mix of The Bachelor, The Amazing Race and Survivor), it's full of great characters and makes me think that true love might really blossom on this reality TV show. 3. Turkey Hill's Cherry Fudge Ripple -- You would never believe that this tasty treat is only 80 calories per serving. I love me some ice cream. 4. My Pile of To-Be-Read Regency Romances -- Right now my stack includes When Harry Met Molly, Just Like Heaven, Ravishing in Red and the research book Georgette Heyer's Regency World. I can't wait to read them all!!! 5. Frasier --
Hallmark Channel is rerunning this series like crazy. I didn't
appreciate it the first time around, but now, as an adult, I really find
the humor laugh-out-loud hilarious. |
posted Feb 6, 2011 7:18 PM by Natalie Duvall
Hi, guys, I know it's been awhile... but, you know! I have uploaded some new blogs, they're just at another site. Check out some cooking specials at my baking blog, The Calorie Countess. :-) Natalie |
posted Dec 20, 2009 10:04 PM by Natalie Duvall
And the most wonderful!
It's 1 AM and I just got done writing a batch of Christmas cards. I figured this would be the perfect time to write a little blog on all the craziness that is now my life.
Matt (the hubbs) and I are back in school full time. That made our fall semester very crazy. We're expecting the next year to be even more insane. We've returned to Seton Hill University's writing program to get our MFA degrees. We'll graduate January 2011 (knock on wood).
In addition to that, we've been asked to teach two online workshops this year. Matt and I are really excited about this -- we love teaching together. We're now old hats (is that the expression?) at it, so anytime we get the opportunity to do it again, we jump on it.
We're hoping to add more to that list. I'll post when that happens.
Until then, have a happy, healthy and safe holiday season!
:-) Natalie |
posted Jul 18, 2009 8:22 PM by Natalie Duvall
There are many lovely things I could blog about the last day at RWA National. I could talk about Gwyn Cready winning a Rita for Seducing Mr. Darcy (yay!). I could mention the fire alarm that evacuated the building while everyone was in workshops. You might like to hear about me getting signatures from Jennifer Cruisie and Anne Stuart. Some of you might even like to hear about the great new books I picked up today...
Yet, I can't talk about these. Something more pressing is in my head. Something that will not leave my head till I spit it on this blog.
Want me to go on?
After tonight's awards ceremony, there was a Golden Heart/Rita reception. Think appetizer stations. Think two appetizer stations. Think 3,000+ people at these stations.
Matt and I stood in line for what seemed like forever, only to be the receivers of a master cutter. This woman just siddled up and cut in line. Just like that. Of course, after standing in line for as long as we did, this was quite annoying. But we'll let that slide. What we won't let slide is what happened next.
Since this woman hadn't been in line, she didn't have a plate. She waxed poetic about being so hungry she needed to eat right now, and then she used her bare hand to pick up a cucumber slice. Okay, okay, I'm a germaphobe and think that alone is gross, but okay. Then she dropped a huge dollop of dip on her cucumber slice. Naturally, it spilled out over onto her hands. Which she then licked. Which she then used to grab serving tongs and other slices of food.
Has this woman never heard of Swine Flu? Any kind of flu? Heck, what about diarrhea????? Does this woman not know that she could be transmitting such things as herpes simplex, polio, meningitis and THRUSH?!
Matt and I left the reception and headed to McDonald's, which is the pinnacle of sanitary food preparation. |
posted Jul 16, 2009 6:36 PM by Natalie Duvall
Hi! Matt Duvall here. My wife, Natalie, invited me to write a guest blog for her website. The pay's not great, but she's promised me a drink when I finish. So here I am, blogging away in Washington, D.C.
I am not exaggerating when I say that I've seen four other men attending the actual workshops here. During meals, signings, etc. the number goes up, but there aren't a lot of male writers here. There are two good reasons to attend an RWA conference if you're a man. 1) You're a writer who either writes romance/women's fiction/etc. OR a writer who wants to learn about including romantic elements in your fiction or 2) you're a single guy looking for a place with a favorable male:female ratio. Now, many of these writers are married, but your odds are still better than elsewhere. However, it won't help if you're a jerk, or a dork, or a jerky dork, or a dorky jerk. The only way to cure that is to attend my intensive six week summer program, "Don't Be a Jerk." The dork part, I can't help with. Watch more Chuck Norris movies.
The good news is, I've just finished a women's adventure fiction novel called Out of Leglock. It's the story of Candy Cane, a female pro wrestler who accidentally gets pregnant. While I'm shopping that one around, I'm working on a second book set in the same universe, titled Pyle's Driver. One thing I was worried about getting right was that feeling of being in the minority in an industry traditionally dominated by the opposite gender. If only there were a way I could experience that for myself...
So, following those navel-gazing comments, here are some highlights from today's programming:
Janet Evanovitch spoke at the kick-off this morning, and was very entertaining. She did an unscripted Q&A, and achieved the right tone of humor and seriousness and inspiration.
The general meeting was today. I was psyched that I got to vote, even though I'm not a member of RWA (I'm just attending the conference). However, when we got in we found out there was nothing to vote on! Oh well. I did get a balance sheet example that I can use for my day job as a high school teacher. There was some debate about e-publishing versus traditional publishing and the definition of "published." I have strong opinions on this but it would be a whole separate blog, so I'll save it until my wife asks me to guest blog again.
At the lunch, Linda Howard gave the keynote speech. She had some funny anecdotes. It wasn't a traditional keynote speech, so I don't know how it was received. The ladies at our table found it highly amusing, though. I had my eye on the extra salads and desserts (two of them), but some latecomers swooped in and spoiled my plans.
The workshops started in the afternoon, plus the Avon open house. I thought there had to be some catch to these "open houses," but it turns out there's not. You show up, go to the tables of the writers you like (and even those you don't like, if there are any), and they will sign a copy of their book(s). For free. My wife and I currently have fifty books in our room. There are two days left of the conference. I did not bring my weight lifting belt, so I will have to make sure to use perfect form--legs, not back--when carrying them out to the car.
Natalie volunteered to introduce Brenda Hiatt's workshop about publishing figures (advance amounts, sell through, etc.). This means she is now in a drawing for a free conference next year. Hopefully she wins, because then I can go too! We've decided we can only afford to send one of us next year, unless I get more hours at my part-time job as a chainsaw juggler. I feel I'm already better at it than my mentor, Three Fingered Terry, but the public doesn't seem to agree.
The last workshop we went to was presented by Lauren Willig, about authenticity in historical romances. Not much there for me, although I did write a great question for her. I think Natalie got some good information from it, though. I was hoping for more information about the 1970's, since I have some flashbacks set in that time era, but no go.
Oh, and we went to an Italian place across the street and I realized that the tax rate in D.C. is 10%! Taxation without representation, indeed.
Off to the gym, then to bed, then back to the grind tomorrow. I wish you all a good night, god speed, and good luck finding a men's room.
|
posted Jul 15, 2009 9:33 PM by Natalie Duvall
It's 12:34 (love the time), and I feel like I need to put in a quick blog update. Matt and I are here in DC for our very first RWA National Conference. We're slowly acclimating ourselves to the hullabaloo. It's been a long day, though, and I'm spent.
Our GPS doesn't seem to like DC, so it was a bit interesting driving here while it kept trying to recalculate. We made it though, just in time to find out that we'd have to wait a couple hours for a room. No problem, since they could check our luggage.
Once that was taken care of, we hit up the International Spy Museum, where we played spy (their Spy in the City prgoram), by trekking through the city (or a few blocks) looking for clues. It was okay. I guess I was hoping for more real spy stuff. You know, ordering martinis, talking into my collar, getting shot at while jumping into a cab... The worst part was that it was so hot under the bright sun that it was more like Sweaty in the City.
We made it back to the hotel about a half hour before the big book signing. While we were checking in, Matt got interviewed by the Washington Post. It seems he's one of the few men registered for the conference. He's gotten a lot of double takes when he's told people that he's a writer, too.
After checking in, without having time for dinner, we had to hunt down our luggage. This made us a bit late for the book signing, but it was okay. I got in line for Julia Quinn just in time to beat out the big crowd. We bought too many books (at least that's what our debit card told us) and met many wonderful authors. Debbie Macomber and Victoria Alexander were by far the nicest, most fun ladies to get signed books from. And they sure do know how to write, too.
Next came the first timers' orientation, then (FINALLY) dinner time. Chipotle is one of our favorite places to go when we're in cities since they don't have any around us. I couldn't finish my burrito because it was so huge, but somehow managed to find room for a dish of Baskin Robbins. :-D
Well, the wake up call is going to come toooooo soon, so I'll wrap this up. Hopefully I'll post more from the conference, although I'm angry that we have to pay for internet access! Bleck.
:-) Natalie |
posted Jul 6, 2009 8:44 PM by Natalie Duvall
A little bit ago, I asked for some of the ways you feel you don't match up with stereotypes. Here are two of the most intriguing responses. Enjoy!
Mike wrote --
Read your blog about stereotypes and how you hate cooking. I feel the same way about fixing things. I feel as a man I should be able to find out why my car doesn't start or why my dishwasher gets stuck on the rinse cycle or, gosh, I don't know maybe have a clue what a miter saw is and how to use it!
My father is a briliant man. Part mechanic, electrician, engineer. He has every tool and even knows how to use them. When he can't find the right part for the job he designs and makes his own. He knows what's wrong with a car or air conditioner or lawn mower just by the sound it's making.
His father, my grandfather, owned an electric motor repair shop in town. It was passed to him by his father.
Why? Why God did you curse me by allowing the 'man gene' to pass from me??
C.G. wrote --
But I can probably top it with, I don't like kids. End of discussion. Until they hit grad school age, young people hold no fascination for me at all. I see all these women who love babies, love being pregnant, hold endless discussions on children and families and balancing their lives, and I space out. I simply cannot relate and have no interest in trying.
So I missed that chromosome. |
posted Apr 13, 2009 8:08 PM by Natalie Duvall
I hate to cook. Really. Seriously. Loathe it. I find no enjoyment in cooking (though every now and then I will bake something), and I'm pretty terrible at it when I try. One or two times a year, I'll think cooking sounds like something exciting to do, and I'll pick up a recipe and some ingredients. That's when it all falls apart, and I realize -- again -- how much I hate to cook. In fact, other than breakfast (!) there is only one time per year whenI will cook. I will make baked corn every Christmas season for my annual Girls' Night Christmas Party. And that's it.
Reading recipes makes my head hurt. I don't understand pinches or dashes or minces or "1 1/2 cups sugar divided" (What?!?! How do you divide sugar? Am I supposed to act like Moses?). Making anything with more than five ingredients and two dishes is equatable to brain surgery in my mind.
The worst part of it is that I love to eat. Wouldn't it be great if I could make my own food? I could cut out the middle man. Yeah, doesn't work that way. The best part is that my mom, knowing that Matt (the hubbs) and I are always looking for low calorie dinners (that's a story for another day), loves to pass on low cal recipes to me. And they look so good. But I hate to cook, and I'm no good at it!
My mom's a great cook. My sister is, too. Heck, most of my female friends are. Yet, I can't stand it. Sometimes this makes me feel like I'm not a real woman. Aren't woman supposed to enjoy cooking? Didn't we get that gene at the same time we got the PMS gene?
Sometimes when I'm sitting with a group of women and I tell them that Matt does all the cooking, they'll give me this look that says, "Even though we act all jealous that your husband does that duty, in reality we think you're missing one of your X chromosomes." Then I shut up and pretend to act like I know how to use a garlic press or even a cheese grater.
My husband doesn't watch Monday Night Football. I'll pause for your shock. He enjoys sports (loves MMA) and will abandon me when we're at my parents and a game is on, but in general, he doesn't watch sports on TV 24/7.
One time, when we were at my college roommate's wedding, a friend's date tried to bond with Matt by saying, "So, you hear any good scores lately?" That friendship never took off. I feel that football following is to Matt what cooking is to me. It's that one thing that separates us from the rest of our gender.
Do you have something like that? Something that you feel defies the stereotypes we think exist? Email me at natalie@natalieduvall.com, and I'll post the best ones in a future blog.
:-) Natalie |
posted Mar 28, 2009 7:57 PM by Natalie Duvall
Well, I was sitting here thinking of a great way to start the new blog on my website. I tossed around the idea of writing about my current massive revision (which I should be doing instead of blogging). Then I thought about talking about the book I'm currently reading (An Assembly Such as This -- a retelling of Pride and Prejudice from Darcy's POV). Neither of these took. During this time, I had a Facebook conversation with Alison MS (I'll give her a semblance of privacy). Inevitably, our conversation turned to a shared guilty obsession -- the TV show "Little Miss Perfect." Have you seen it?
The show follows around two different little girls each week. These girls compete in the Little Miss Perfect beauty pageant. The show is... well, it's just plain old creepy! Once I get past the fact that these moms spend thousands of dollars on costumes for a possible payout of $1000 (just for the winner), I run into the pageant host/director. Don't get me wrong, he seems like a nice enough guy. However, at the end of every pageant, he sings to these girls and the audiece of about 10 people. It's very odd. I don't think I can explain it well enough. You just have to watch.
:-) Natalie |
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