Congrats and Merry belated Christmas to you too! any cool toys?

I'm looking forward to A Box of Matches!

ana | December 26, 2006 6:00 PM

Thanks, Ana! No cool toys here, except for the kid. My half brother, who is nine, got an Xbox 360 and it seemed like there was no end to talking about it. We had to take him out last night to pick up another game.

I finally had a chance to read your entire comment on the thread about reading. It's interesting to think about what motivates us to pick up a book.

marydell | December 27, 2006 8:42 AM

Hi Mary,

Congratulations!!! I just finished reading your story, it was really sad, but very good.

I liked the q&a question part as well, I agree that inspiration is everywhere, I just wish west Texas got a little more snow during Christmas. I think it's been about 10 years since we got snow that didn't melt before daylight.

I also wanted to thank you for posting the contest information. I got into the spirit of Christmas and decided to write a story and sent it in. I got 10th place so I was tickled pink on Christmas Eve.

Well, I hope you keep writing and manage to make some snow angels this year (I've always wanted to do that!) The cabin by the lake sounds like a beautiful place to write.

Cynthia | December 28, 2006 2:41 AM

Happy (belated) Christmas, Marydell. Congratulations on managing the gathering, and even more congratulations for the second prize. That's a great achivement. (Having just judged a short story competition, I can imagine how hard it is to be placed -- you must have real talent.)

Maxine | December 28, 2006 12:33 PM

Thanks and congratulations to you, too, Cynthia! I'm looking forward to reading your story when it's posted on AuthorStore.

Our wintry weather hasn't been cooperating so far this season. It's been amazingly dry and warm, which has been confusing the heck out of my garden. Spring bulbs are already trying to bloom. If it ever does snow, I will make an angel for you. :)

Maxine, thank you, and to you as well. From looking over your site, it seems Petrona Towers has been having a fine holiday.

marydell | December 30, 2006 10:56 AM

i like how the snow metaphor drifts from purity and (re)birth to despair and death. i hate snow.

i wonder why the author chose a drunk driver as the cause of the event instead of a patch of ice...

eddie | January 2, 2007 7:01 PM

Considering that I'm the author, I can tell you. If her family is killed because she hits a patch of ice while driving, their deaths would be her fault. She'd have felt guilt rather than sorrow and probably would have walked into traffic years before becoming an old woman suffering from a bad memory.

Thank you for reading my story. And I almost believed that you didn't care.

marydell | January 2, 2007 8:29 PM

i think if ice had caused the accident, it would have added some irony--that this beautiful snow/ice would cause suffering so acutely. on the other hand, maybe you wanted to exude some sense of social responibility by pointing out how drinking and driving can turn (has turned?) someone's winter heaven into a winter hell.

eddie | January 3, 2007 7:54 PM