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Monday, August 10, 2009

Coffee, Zombies and Summer's End

Just a couple of quick notes to update everyone:

The coffee packets for the Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew Taste Test were sent out this morning. Many, many thanks to all who joined in. I truly hope you'll have fun giving these a try!! Everyone participating should get their samples of the Colombia and the Italian Roast in the mail this week. (Please email me if you do NOT get them by Saturday.) From August 20th through 26th, I'll have a post up for all of the taste testers. There, thoughts and opinions can be shared and prizes can be won!

Also, congrats to Melanie for winning the copy of Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, as well as an ARC of According to Jane! I sent you an email about mailing... Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Austen + Zombies ;).

Finally, I'm not sure if this is true around the country or around the world for many of you (it's winter in Australia, I know!), but for those of us here in Chicagoland, summer is starting to wind down. Two more weeks and then school will start again for both my teacher-husband and our son. Not that I believe the weather is going to cool significantly anytime soon, but it feels as though we're about to turn a corner... A corner where "fall" is the reality, regardless of any heat or humidity index.

Despite longing for those peaceful hours where I can, at last, concentrate on writing uninterrupted again, I'm going to miss our family summertime. The bike rides (of which I haven't done nearly enough). The pool visits (of which I've done too many, but they're my son's favorite). The late nights and lazy mornings. Sigh. The transition from one season to the next always makes me reflective, a luxury I know I won't have much time for over the next two weeks as we prepare for a new school year and I prepare for my end-of-September book launch.

Anyway, I've always loved fall, and I'm especially looking forward to this one, but I hope all of you will enjoy this summer's end. Anything special left to do before August comes to a close? Any favorite memories from June or July that you'll carry with you into the autumn months?

14 comments:

Melanie said...

Off to check my email! *is excited*

Summer is still going strong, as far as weather goes, in Florida. However, schools starting in a couple weeks! Goodness, life goes by way to fast. Oh well, at least the summer rocked!

Maria Geraci said...

I meant to tell you, I tried the samples you gave me in DC. Delicious!! All my co-workers were jealous when they saw me drinking Starbucks at work. he he...

Anonymous said...

Summer's end means less time mowing lawns and more time writing.

It always reminds me of Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail...the thought of freshly sharpened pencils.

Coffee!!! Let the games begin.

Marilyn Brant said...

Melanie~Yeah, I'd imagine it would still be pretty warm in Florida! But, oh, how I envy all of you down there during winter...

Maria~Awesome! I'm so glad you tried them and liked them, too :).

Tina~Ack! You're so right about the lawn mowing. Of course, next up is leaf-raking followed by snow-shoveling, so it's kind of a never ending time drain!

Pamela Cayne said...

I seem to be hardwired for Autumn, starting with Labor Day/Back to School time. There's just something about me that comes alive now--new, fresh start and all. All of the BTS newspaper ads are like crack to me and I don't even have kids. Yeesh!

Robin said...

Your end of September book launch...yay! I'm so excited it's almost here! Enjoy the final weeks of summer ~ we start school at the end of the month too. Can't. Believe. It. Summer flew by.

erika said...

Summer has been great. July was fairly mild and very tolerable. We had great family time doing out door things. But...I have always loved fall the changing color of the leaves, the friday night footbal games in high school "Look he scored a homerun", crisp sweatshirt weather this is what I am looking forward to. Also looking forward to your book release. Can't wait!!!

Marilyn Brant said...

Pamela~LOL! I *love* those BTS ads :). Right up there with dark chocolate for me!

Robin~You're back! Hope you had a marvelous trip...

Erika~It's the fall leaves, so colorful and, then, crunchy...that make me love autumn so much, too. Looking forward to the beauty of them ;).

L.A. Mitchell said...

Fall is my favorite season, too. One would think I lived in a place like Vermont, but a girl can dream, can't she?

There is something magical about Summer's End though..the transition and change. So much so that it's the time setting in my new project.

Unknown said...

I was so happy to have my son home from his first year of college. I will be so happy to pack him up and send him back next month. He couldn't find a job. He's been great since I'm still recovering from surgery and he's kept me from doing foolish things..like trying to play tennis. Hey it was worth it just to stand on the court for a couple of minutes. Really hot, hot days haven't hit Chicago and I'm wondering if we're going to get it later on. I'm carrying my Starbucks samples around like they're the Precious, the ring from Lord of the Ring.

Judy Croome | @judy_croome said...

Spring is springing here in sunny South Africa, although winter's chill is still nipping at our heels in a last farewell. Been the coldest winter in decades here in Johannesburg, so I for one am very glad to see the end of it (usually I like winter but this one was long and cold and depressing!)

Thought of you twice in the last week - in two of our malls I've seen the Pride &Prejudice & Zombies book clearly displayed. Not sure I would've noticed it if it wasn't for your blog post on it. Made me think how small the world really is today.

Marilyn Brant said...

L.A.~I use fall as a setting in my books more often than any other season. There *is* something special about that time of year, I think...as you said, a magical change ;).

Dorothy~LOL about "the Precious"!! It was great to see you last week and able to get around so well post-surgery. I wanna hear about you on the courts again--but only after you've fully recovered, okay?!

Ann~Happy Spring! And, wow--P&P&Z hit South Africa, who would've thought??? You're right. It's a small, small (and often rather wonderful :) world.

Hope everyone reading this has a great weekend!!

Unknown said...

Just received the coffee. Cannot wait to try it.Thanks again!

Marilyn Brant said...

So glad to hear it got there, Tiffany! Hope you'll like it ;).