Last Monday I met with my writers' group, the Blind Orphan Ponies (or BOP, for short). The core group consists of Helen Foster James (who shared news of a new award and newer book contract), Paul Brewer (with a new joke book), Kathleen Krull (with F&Gs of her book, Fartiste! [co-written with husband Paul Brewer]), Jean Ferris (an amazing YA author), Pam Muñoz Ryan (with tales of NCTE), and moi (although, I don't get to as many BOP lunches as I'd like since giving up San Diego for Tucson). The company was grand; the Delmar restaurant was a bust. Really, we should have had a clue when we discovered only four other people in the entire place. Now it's home, prepping for Christmas, slipping out of the country, and going to Alabama in the new year to research a book project.

Happy Holidays!