mary e. pearson

The last several days have been crazy busy (aren't they always?) but I've been meaning to get this picture up ever since my sister sent it to me. As some of you know, I have peacocks in my neighborhood, so pictures and sightings of them always catch my interest.

But none of them in my neighborhood strut around like this guy (yes, it is a guy--the injustice of nature) and I almost didn't think this was a photo when I saw it--it looked like a drawing:


I am not much of a photographer. For me it is point and shoot and hope I don't cut someone's head off, so photos like this blow me away. Just so you can see, here is another shot where you can tell more that it is a photo. She used a "high contrast" (?) filter which is why the color stands out so brilliantly.



Pretty cool, huh?  I think NBC needs to go back to their "living color" logo (does that date me? Yep.)

In other news, my publisher created a page at Facebook  for The Adoration of Jenna Fox (with the new cover!) so come on over and "friend" me and Jenna if you are Facebook inclined.

Oh!  And very soon I will have fun news to share for THE MILES BETWEEN.  Stay tuned.

1. Holding the sun. My sister forwarded me some "sun" pictures that were fun and beautiful. Next time I am at the beach, I may try shooting one of my own.


2. Flying Lessons. Why does a mother bird think my backyard is a good place to teach baby to fly? My dog Hunter is aptly named. He is a retriever, after all. I have spent the past two days shooing this impossibly slow baby bird into the trees before I let Hunter outside. And of course, he is on the scent of this bird and now he always wants out.

3. ALA in two weeks. I received my itinerary yesterday. Busy, but some open times for browsing, chatting. Anyone else going?

Hope you all had a great Mother's Day yesterday. My kid's made an awesome Sunday Brunch and we sat on our daughter's patio and watched enormous red tailed hawks gliding over the meadow behind her house, occasionally landing on a tree to survey the meadow for their own brunch. I don't think their brunch was nearly as yummy as mine--and I know it didn't include champagne!

I am getting ready to hit the road on the first of many stops on my book tour. The first stops are this afternoon and this evening in San Diego at:

College Rolando Library at 4pm
6600 Montezuma Rd, San Diego

Rancho Bernardo Library at 6pm
13330 Salmon River Rd, San Diego

Stop by if you're in San Diego!

Then tomorrow morning I am off to several cities in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Ohio for various visits at bookstores and schools. My first visit is with a Mother-Daughter book club that I am really looking forward to. I will also be visiting several middle and high schools to talk about The Adoration of Jenna Fox I think it's going to be a lot of fun to hear teen's thoughts about this book.

The public visits on the tour are:

May 14, 7 pm
Harry Schwartz Bookstore
10976 N. Port Washington Rd.
Mequon, WI 53092

May 16, 7 pm
Books & Co
Dayton Town & Country Shopping Center
350 East Stroop Road
Dayton (Kettering), Ohio

So if you live anywhere nearby I hope you'll come. I'll post pictures when I return!

1. Some of you may remember my flower pot dilemma. Well I am happy to report that watering hasn't been a problem, and besides laying a fourth egg, we now have babies! They are so tiny they are not even poking their heads above the nest yet. Hunter has taken to being the "bird guardian" standing below the flower pot, which is fine with me because he keeps the ravens away.

2. Speaking of ravens, they are creating a racket outside even as I type and the kids in the neighborhood are cawing right back at them. Why do I find the kid's cawing cute and the raven's annoying?

3. A Publishers Weekly blog ran a piece that Erma Bombeck wrote years ago titled If I had My Life to Live Over. It concluded with: "Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the 'Titanic' who waved off the dessert cart."

Good advice, Erma.

This weekend, don't wave off your dessert. I'm not. I might even have two.

More writing thoughts.

Things are not always what they seem:



Sometimes a flower pot is not just a flower pot and if you hang around long enough you will discover its true purpose. When I was working on my last manuscript there was a scene where I wanted to bring out the vulnerability and hidden tender side of my tough cookie MC. And so upon visiting her home where she hadn’t been in several years, she would discover that her doll collection was gone from the shelf where she had displayed them–and have a bit of a meltdown. I assumed the dolls were discarded and I would never see them again–just as my MC thought. But we were both wrong. Later I discovered a deeper purpose to the dolls--that this impromptu detail would be pivotal in revealing a secret later on. I love those surprising moments in writing. If you hang in there long enough, they are bound to come.
On Sunday when I was toting that barge and lifting that bale in the yard, I noticed some small birds and their preoccupation with a hanging pot on my patio. I thought they were just taking moss for a nest somewhere, but this went on all day long so I finally got curious and peeked . . .



oh boy.
Not what I expected to see at all.
It is more than a flower pot now.
It is their home sweet home . . .



with triplets on the way! A nice surprise. Needless to say, I didn’t trim off the old flowers or add water to the pot, although before I knew they were there, I was probably drenching the poor darlings on an almost daily basis and it didn’t seem to deter them from moving in. On the other hand, I don’t want all the leaves to shrivel up and die and stop providing protection.

To water or not to water, that is the question. My writing metaphor doesn’t seem to be helping me anymore. Maybe if I hang in there long enough I will figure it out . . . or I will get some great advice from friends?

. . . before I settle down to work.

Today was the first time I have gone out in my yard in weeks. This is unusual for me because I like working in the yard, but I have just been too busy. It seems that spring has sprung. So I went out and fertilized the whole yard--pansies, geraniums, bird of paradise, hydrangea--you name it. The pansies of course are in their full glory already, but a lot of the other flowers need a little blooming nudge.



As I was walking around throwing out the fertilizer, I was dive-bombed. It sounded like a whole squadron around my head instead of just this one tiny bird. Talk about attitude. Seems she had built a nest and preferred me to stay out of her yard. I am sure it won't be long before I see little beaks poking above the rim ala newport2newport but don't expect amazing photos from me like hers.


I love the enormous attitude of these birds. If they had hands they'd be waving them at you or pulling you by the ear.

So most of the day I took care of a few spring chores and also those deadly boring routine ones like grocery shopping. If we could just give up eating . . .

Thanks for all the nice comments yesterday about the book trailer. If I put all your comments together it would be something like Excellent Freaky Shivers. : ) Yeah, me too.

So now I am settling down to do a little writing. It seems like lately my best writing time is in the early evening. Twilight has always been my favorite time of day. What's yours? Twilight always seems quieter, calmer, like you are between acts of a play and can take a little intermission and just take in the whole stage. I'm looking out my window right now doing that. A few long arms of sunset are hitting the houses across the street and not a leaf on a tree is twitching. I love it.

I wish "intermission" could last like, all night long, so I could get this book done. I am close, but impatient.

I thought I wouldn’t have to get a flu shot now. Wrong. Doctor called yesterday and said this was not “the” flu. That one was even worse. Huh? How is that possible? Five days of chills, raw runny nose, balloon head, and hacking and sore throat? Does “the” flu include oozing boils too?

Anyway, just beginning to emerge from my balloon head existence. A word of warning first: If you see someone sniffling or hacking–stop breathing and run the other direction.

Actually, I got mine from my husband. So I couldn’t stop breathing for that long. No doubt that he was the culprit. And we think he got it somewhere between San Diego and Venice, Italy. Airports and planes are prime suspects. My god, in Rome we must have gone through six checkpoints, passing our passports back and forth while we were scrambling to put shoes back on and make our gate. No time to worry about who or what you’ve touched. All I can say is thank goodness we got sick coming back and not going.

On to happier matters . . .

My daughter and I went to Paris before meeting my husband in Rome. Three days, two women, Paris, and credit cards. Dangerous and fun.

Jess knows a great shopping street when she sees one. We had a great time eating and browsing our way along the Champs-Elysees.

A new perspective of Versailles:

I had been to Versailles before, but I had never ventured out to the outer boundaries where Marie Antoinette had a little “farm village” created for her by Louis. For me, it was even more impressive than the palace. Absolutely gorgeous. But it is a long walk. Not too many people make it out that far–but it is worth it. If you’ve seen the Marie Antoinette movie, this is the farm area where part of the movie takes place. There are ponds everywhere with catfish the size of small cars.

From Paris we went to Italy. First Rome, then Florence, then Venice. I had never been to Venice before and I realized it is the perfect city for someone like me:

Yes, this is a street--not an alley--with a good and proper name. There are a million narrow streets to explore in Venice and it is okay to get lost, because it is an island and you can’t get too lost. Sometimes I am directionally challenged (at least that is what my husband claims. Hmph) but I had a great time exploring these tiny streets and taking at least a zillion pictures. I am known to take pictures of doors, windows, hinges, knockers–you name it. I like remembering the details and textures. And who knows, some of that will surely end up in a book someday.

There are thousands of lions in Venice.

Not the real kind, though I am told at one time Venetians did keep them in their yards. They had a thing for them. But the winged lion is their mascot of sorts. The city was built around St. Mark’s square and the winged lion is the traditional symbol for the apostle.

And then there were the real live winged creatures:

Dennis and Jess at first said, no way. They weren’t going to feed the birds. But you can’t go to St. Mark’s square and not feed the pigeons. Be brave! What harm can a little pigeon poop do? Once they saw me being attacked, they gave it a shot. One bird got very comfy on hubby’s head. Mine too.

And we all came out poop free.

I always enjoy researching for my books, but sometimes it reaches new heights--or should I say colors? For my current WIP there is a scene with peacocks. I did some online research, including listening to a video clip of their call. I concluded it sounded something like
"Ya-ooooooooffff!"
I also learned that peacocks begin losing their feathers in June. It was about this time I remembered that the nearby Leo Carillo Ranch had peacocks and I figured since this is May, they might be in their full splendor about now. I was right. I love research.




Another fellow got a little disturbed when I joined him on the patio. Just watching the process of him lifting his feathers made my heart pound (plus I thought he was going to charge me--they have huge claws and beaks) Pretty awesome:



And in case I didn't get the message, he did a little dance and turned around so I could see his backside. It was almost as gorgeous as the front:




Just a short walk away was another fellow who couldn't care less who approached him. He was relaxing in the shade:



The restored rancho of Leo Carillo seems to be the perfect roost for these birds. Lots of room to roam.



Oh. And in person, their call sounds more like "Helllllllllllp!" to me, but I am not sure anyone would believe that.
Reality is stranger than fiction.

. . . music to revise by.



sigh. I love spring.

Happy Friday, all.

After three days of rain, I woke up to sunshine today. And as I was running water for the coffee I looked out my kitchen window and there were sparrows all across the lawn eating the spilled seeds from our liquid amber prickly balls, and one of them had the brightest red breast and even though it is only February 2nd, it felt like a moment of spring and I smiled which is a big deal when I haven’t even had coffee yet.

And now, two cups of coffee later, I think about how a prickly ball is one person’s pain-in-the-barefoot and another’s joyful breakfast. I wish I could post all the bird chatter I hear.

Wishful thinking maybe, but a touch of spring this morning . . .

I almost hate to admit this, since so many folks here in California are miserable with the heat, but weatherwise, this has been the best summer in memory where I live. We’ve had gorgeous clear blue skies and temperatures in high 70's and low 80's. This is unusual for Carlsbad in June and July. Usually about this time we are all lamenting the lack of sunshine. June is our cloudiest month of the year, and July the second cloudiest.

I live up on a hill about a mile from the ocean. Most of the time that means I can escape the marine layer that hugs the coast, but not so in June and July. When the deserts to the east begin heating up, it sucks all the moisture in the entire Pacific Ocean right over most of San Diego County–and then some–so we don’t see sun until two in the afternoon, IF we are lucky. And that lasts only for an hour or two, and then the marine layer creeps right back in.

So being a person who loves heat and sun, these sunny June and July days are unexpected gifts. For my dogs too. I’ve been in the midst of revisions which means I can work with a hard copy so I’ve hauled it out to the patio to work. Hunter especially loves it. He’s an outdoor dog but he sticks to me like glue. So these past days he can stick to me and also be outside--the best of all worlds. He sprawls beside me and keeps an eye on the yard, his favorite pastime. He and the birds have a rollicking good time playing whatever game it is they play. He’s never caught one yet, thank God, and I don’t think he ever will, but it certainly entertains him. Brody, my other golden, has no interest whatsover in wildlife, and I think he actually worries a bit when he sees Hunter getting too close to a dove–the slowest of all the birds that visit our yard.

Lately we have had quite an amusing bird visiting us. At least, I am amused. I don’t think Hunter is. It is a Black Phoebe, the cutest little thing, and it has a lot of chutzpah. It lands on a wire fence that borders the patio, not six feet from where Hunter is lying, and chirps at us, sort of a “catch me if you can” chirp. Hunter has bounded to the challenge many times, but has finally caught on that this bird is playing him for a fool, and now mostly ignores him. So now it is Hunter, Brody, and this curious little bird out on the patio each day as I work my way through this revision. Of course the bird isn’t quite as loyal as Hunter and Brody. He chirps a few times to make his presence known, and then leaves, diving across the lawn to catch his lunch. I wish him well, and hope his favorite entree is mosquitoes.

I will be in Pittsburgh beginning next Friday for the NCTE/ALAN conference. halseanderson assures me that in November I will see red cardinals in PA. I hope they are in downtown Pittsburgh too. I have never seen one other than on a Christmas card. But besides seeing cardinals, I hope I will see some of you out there in LJ Land who might be there.

I will be signing A Room on Lorelei Street at the Henry Holt booth on Saturday (11/19) at 9:30 am . . .

and then speaking on a panel with Caroline Cooney, Carolyn MacCullough, Sharon Flake, and Fiona Rosenbloom on Tuesday morning (I'm really looking forward to meeting these authors!)

But there will be lots of down time inbetween, so hopefully I will spot a cardinal and maybe an LJ'er or two.

is back! I took the dogs out this morning to, well, do their duty, and saw that our hummingbird is back. Well, I don't know for sure if it is the same one, but over on our side patio we have a large laurel tree and every spring we have a hummingbird nest--and babies!
The only problem is that this is also where our bbq is. One year Ms. Hummingbird built her nest right over it. Since we didn't want cooked birds we had to move the bbq until they flew the coop. This year she has kindly taken the southern portion of the tree. I can't wait to see the babies. Every year she has two. Maybe that's standard? They're no bigger than thimbles. When the babies peek their heads out, I'll take another picture. I love spring.