First a few catch-up details, then pictures of my fridge, which has caused me a sad. 🙁
1. 
If you like women’s fiction with a literary bent, psychological mysteries, and an entrancing lyrical voice that’s particularly thrilling since it’s her debut, I’d like to recommend Therese Walsh’s The Last Will of Moira Leahy. A story about grief and the special entanglement of twins, it has been nominated for a RITA. (The romance world’s equivalent of the Academy awards). It’s also a Target Breakout Book and I’m making special mention of it here because it emerges in trade paperback, with new cover art, on August 3.
2. If you write Women’s Fiction — that is to say, stories that deal about issues that impact women, which may or may not involve a romance, and which may or may not end with a Happy Ever After — there is a very active Women’s Fiction chapter of the Romance Writers of America. I only recently discovered it myself and figured a few of you may be in the dark about its existence. Website is here.
I’m mentioning it now because said chapter is having its first meeting at the Orlando Nationals. There are over sixty attendees coming already, Donald Maass will address the group after the inaugural meeting, and the opportunity to mix will occur thereafter. 😀 Only a few spots remain, so if you’re interested, register here. You do not need to be a member to attend.
ETA: Even as I typed this, the event has sold out. Sorry, peeps!
3. My fridge: some of you heard me moaning about my kitchen yesterday.
The reason? Our twenty-two year-old fridge has been giving us trouble of late. The ToolMaster measured, we shopped, fell in love with an LG model we could afford, and waited almost a month for its delivery.
Yes, P had informed me it would “stick out a few inches”. Yes, I should know to be suspicious of those kinds of description, especially when uttered by someone of the male persuasion. Yes, I love the fridge itself.
But…
I do not love the aesthetic. It goes without saying that the ToolMaster and Frank see “no problem whatsoever” and since Molly’s away with a friend and the fridge works… Let’s just say I am at the point of laughing rather than lamenting. By the time events make it to a blog post, I’ve usually got them back into perspective.
But man, what an effing big perspective.
If my calculations are correct, my fridge iz a year older than your deceased model!! Amusingly enough we completely redid our kitchen in 1987, moving appliances to different spots in our compact, 11×11 foot kitchen BECAUSE the fridge ALWAYS seemed to *stick out* in its former place. Now, we are looking to redo the kitchen once more and sadly must either dump all the solid cherrywood cabinets,that I love (they won’t accommodate a side-by-side, ice-in-the-door fridge) or select another woosie fridge of dimensions, similar to the 23 yr. old one. Of course we could move the whopper fridge back to the sticking-out location of old. And the wheels churn on…..
That would drive me up the wall too. But it does look like a lovely fridge.
I had to buy a fridge for the first time in my life, just this past year. The landlords here don’t have to provide them, and I needed one, but fortunately I didn’t have any space issues (just money ones! LOL) Sorry it’s driving you nuts — I understand completely. 🙂
Beki, it’s so weird. I know you commented, but I can’t see it from this view and I swear I didn’t delete it. Huh. 0.0
CBlaire, there’s no way to move our fridge around unless we do a complete remodel. The ToolMaster has offered, because of course he’s in love with the capacity to cool his pop, but I don’t think I could handle the several months of chaos that would be involved. He does fantastic work, but not particularly fast. Sorry to hear you’re facing a similar dilemma. 🙁
Amy, it is lovely. Hee. Thanks.
Donna, thanks. Unless we all have homes the size of football fields, I think the space/money competition will always be there. Oh well. It’s still better than the alternative. 😉
Jan,
Exciting news about Therese Walsh’s book in paperback! I love her novel. And, thanks for sharing the link to RWA’s Women’s Fiction chapter. There’s much for me to learn in browsing around that site.
As for the fridge – what you have there is a magnet collector’s dream! 🙂
Christi, that Chapter seems to be very supportive and lively, and I’m not saying that just because Therese heads it and Barbara O’Neal is their Wise Woman. (How cool is that position, anyway?)
As for the magnets, they don’t stick to the front. (Stainless steel.) As it happens, though, I have a HUGE amount of side to cover. 😮
I haven’t seen this book before. I will look into The Last Will of Moira Leahy.
I’ve never thought about kitchen decor before, probably because I barely use mine–I believe in takeout, not cooking. 😉
Ooh, “entrancing.” Thank you, Jan, for profiling LWML with such fab adjectives and also for pointing writers toward the WF chapter. I love the chapter — a great group of ladies. And thank you, too, Christi, for your kind words!
Medeia, really? I have no idea why, but I pegged you for the slow-cooker type. Ha! That’ll show me.
Therese, you are welcome. It’s easy to provide compliments when they are believed. 🙂
Wow! Yeah. That’s, um, a big Icebox.
I think our fridge sticks out that much and I never really even noticed, as it’s been like that since we moved in…I think you’ll like the extra room.
At least you’ve GOT a kitchen!! (I’ll say no more.)
And thanks for the great advice about the Women’s Fiction site.
Lisa, I know. It gives me a headache.
Hart, I think you’d notice if you’d had a generous-sized kitchen for 18 years, then had it narrowed by a foot. Happily, the ToolMaster thinks he can do some minor renovations to make its appearance more acceptable to me.
Sharon, ugh! You win. And you’re welcome. Hope to see you there!
Thanks for info on women’s fiction. I know I am going to check it out. Plus I understand about faulty kitchens. My side-by-side fridge – my dream appliance – was the totally wrong choice for my kitchen. But I still love it!!!
Karyn, yes, do check out that link. Hope to see you in the chapter. As for the fridge, my eyes are growing used to seeing it. Now it’s only our house guests that will be shocked.
Thanks for the link! I will definitely check it out — it sounds very helpful. And I love Therese’s book — especially the new cover. It is so fabulous!
Liz/Phoenix
Liz, hope to see you at the WF Chapter. It’s dynamic and has some very nice members.