Just Think

I love to think. Some people love to travel, wander around new cities or landscapes, meet new people and let the experiences expand their understanding of life. I do this internally. And if I don't have time for it, I get a little squirrely.

Yesterday was a perfect example: I finished listening to a series of podcasts (8/23-10/11/09 if you're interested). I'd taken tons of notes, and by late afternoon I wanted nothing so much as a half hour to sit down with a cup of coffee to think through the implications (and applications) of what I'd heard. But there were dishes to do. I hadn't been to the gym, or responded to several emails, called my Mom to make plans for her birthday outing this week, or sent out the notifications for my next memoir class at Grub Street to people who've asked to be kept in the loop. I had things to do!

So I found myself caught in one of those tensions, suspended between my tangible to-do list--the one with items I could point to and say, "See...this is how I used my day!"--and my intangible how-real-things-get-done list. The second list features couch sitting, coffee drinking, and staring off into space on a disturbingly regular basis. And there's an asterisk at the bottom reminding me of this: thinking/mulling/wondering/contemplating--exploring what a new addition brings to my internal landscape--is what gives me ideas for books. And talks. And love. And conversations with friends about the way life is and the way we hope it can be. The things I look back on and say, "Well, I didn't make it to the gym, but I made some progress building life..."

I'd love to say that I left all the to-do list items undone, abandoned in a fit of creativity, but that's not true. Instead I scurried, scrubbing dishes and making phone calls. I brewed some coffee...and then remembered that the U.S. Open starts this week!

You'd think that would thwart my thinking, but actually it was the best backdrop possible, especially for contemplating things like pursuing a mission in the swirl of real life. More on why tomorrow. Until then...what helps you clear out space to think? Or avoid thinking, if that's what the day calls for?

Lettuce Entertain You

About once a week, I have dinner with my friend, Super G. She's awesome...you've met her in both of my books...and she astounds me with her many fine qualities: beauty, strength, wisdom...and the ability to eat every single piece of lettuce on a plate, no matter how big a salad she's served. As you might guess by my dedicating an entire blog post to this phenomenon, I'm awed by this last of her superpowers most of all.

Confession: lettuce intimidates me. I don't like it. It feels weird in my mouth, and every stupid piece needs to be tamed into submission--floppily folded, cut (which inevitably knocks some other, more cooperative vegetable off of the plate) or crammed into a portion resembling a bite...and then gnawed endlessly until I can finally choke it down. Every salad contains at least 246 of these culinary wrestling matches. So frustrating. And don't even get me started on Oprah's celebration of lettuce that started a few years back: "Ah, the radicchio!" she'd cry, or "How I love arugula and Swiss chard!" Ugh and ugh. I've tried so hard to join this party, but here's my reality: radicchio has the taste and feel that reminds me of those thin pieces of cardboard the guy at the wine store slides between bottles so they don't bang together. And Swiss chard tastes like a tear gas canister went off in my mouth.

Now you'd think the answer to this would be obvious: Trish, don't order salad.
And you'd be right. But here's the thing: I love the things that go ON the salad. Last night for example, there was chicken, which is no big deal. But there were also little squares of Bartlett pear, pecans, feta, and at least 14 other yummy things. And so I spent the better part of an hour fighting back the lettuce in order to get to the good parts.

But Super G? She calmly ate her salad, lettuce and all. It didn't scare her...I'm sure she went in with a plan (She went to military school, so she's strategic like that) but she won't share. Perhaps she works for the CIA in their vegetable promotion division.

So this is my confession: I'm strong in almost every area of life, but easily felled by a big salad. Help me, friends. What is your lettuce strategy? How to do beat it back away from the finer salad elements without completely losing your hold on the dinner conversation?

(And just to clear: the salad in the picture above is not my salad from last night, but it's a fair representation of the larger problem!)

A fun weekend

My favorite band, Ryanhood, was back in town this past weekend. And while no one was sure when the worst of Hurricane Irene would hit Cambridge, this show was worth braving the elements for.

As some of you may remember from my 40 Days of Faith blog from a couple of years ago, Ryanhood's music hits right in the sweet spot for me. Somehow, these two guys from Tuscon manage to capture exactly the feeling of stretching for a big dream and existing in that scary place of uncertainty. You know, when you look at things one way and think, "Wow, I could go faster, higher, and farther than anyone ever imagined!" but then consider them from a different perspective and realize, "Ooooor I could lose my balance and tumble, pathetically and in utter shame, to the jagged rocks below..."

When you live in this place, it's nice to have some tunes to keep you company :)

The show was fabulous, and I was inspired. (If you're in the DC area, check them out at Ebenezers on Thursday 9/1. You'll love it.) Then yesterday, in the midst of the wind gushes and rain, Steve and I got to spend the afternoon with half the Ryanhood duo, Ryan, and his wife, Abby. We spent the afternoon in one of those conversations that happens when you've all had FULL lives since you saw each other last: celebrating highs, acknowledging lows. We talked about the constant battle to get from where you are to where you want to be. You'd think this would be tough, but for me at least, it was the opposite. It helps me to know I'm not the only one out here trying things, wondering how they'll go, picking myself up again after setbacks, and then starting again. (We all do it. Some of us just feel a bit more pressure to write books and songs about it ;) ) It was nice to spend time with other folks who are in the battle.

(Special thanks to Abby for reminding me that one doesn't have to wait for BIG, PROFOUND REALIZATIONS ABOUT LIFE to blog. Sometimes it's just, "I went to a concert, then ate cheddar cheese and cashews with my friends," and that's okay.)

If you're in the battle now, click over to Ryanhood's website and check out the video for their new song, Second City. It's about this idea: we survive the wreckage, and what emerges is good.

Summer reading!

I am happily astonished by how many great novels are out this summer. I'm not sure why I feel so much more freedom to read when the temperature rises (you'd think that here in New England the long cold winter would be the best time to read) but like clockwork, each summer my heart turns to the fiction section of the bookstore. So far this year has been one of the best ever.

If you're looking for recommendations, I just updated the book log over at Boston Writing Consultants with my four most recent favorites. Now I'm staring down my TBR pile, exited to open a new story.

Are you reading anything spectacular? If so, please share...summer is just getting started!

Abandonment issues: Reader Edition

Yesterday, I got bogged down in a mediocre novel. I blogged about it here, describing how I made lemonade out of that little lemon, so I won't re-cover that territory. But today, I read a different novel, a story that swept me up into a captivating group of friends and their unfolding lives, leaving me at the end of the book wanting more, and wondering about the characters: how are they doing? where are they now?

I love and hate this feeling of escaping into another world for 300 pages or so, then being jerked back into my real life once I reach the end. (And I like my real life, so it's not as if it's a sacrifice to spend time here.) Good novels make me feel like I've made new friends...and then lost them, forever. It's angsty stuff!

I'm thinking about this because one of my favorite authors, Ann Patchett, is coming to Cambridge tomorrow night to read from her new novel, State of Wonder (Porter Square Books, 7pm) I've read almost everything she's written, including her spectacular memoir. Her writing is brilliant, and so she ALWAYS leaves me in that, "Wait...don't go!" place at the end of every book. I think I'll need to gear up emotionally before I dive into another group of characters with captivating/enthralling/infuriating stories who are certain to abandon me. Still though, I'm willing to assume the risk. It's worth it.

And as I turn the last page, I'll stare at the cover longingly, wishing I was back at the beginning, with this story (and these characters) still ahead of me, waiting to draw me in. Then I'll force myself to move on to the next adventure!

What was the last book you read? How did you feel as you turned the last page?

The Weekend

Hello again! How is everyone doing today? It's Monday, which is usually a little fuzzy for me. And we have TWO dogs this week (dog sitting for friends of ours). So I've spent the past couple of hours watching THAT DOG alternate between having fun with her little buddy and then being horrified by the audacity of it all.

It was a fun weekend. Saturday was a day trip to the beach, which reminded me (again!) that there's nothing like sand, sun & ocean to convince me that life is wonderful, God has a plan, and the earth will continue spinning whether or not I cross off every item on my to-do list.

And Sunday I read Sarah Dessen's latest Young Adult novel, What Happened to Goodbye. It's vintage Dessen: well thought-out characters, interesting setting, challenges and life struggles that drew me in. I love reading her stuff. And the timing was interesting, given the HUGE dust-up in YA circles over this article from the Wall Street Journal. Twitter was ABLAZE with fury over this reviewer's suggestion that YA books are trending toward dark themes in a way we might want to be careful with.

So pretty things to look at, deep issues to contemplate, and a well written story to provide a bit of fun escape. What did you do this weekend?

Like a reunion :)

Hi All,
It's been awhile! Am feeling a bit choked up as I type this, thinking of how so many of you emailed to check to see if I was okay, letting me know you still stop by from time to time to see if I've posted something new. Thank you!

Please forgive me for disappearing. I didn't plan it. But life got a little un-bloggable there for awhile. Not because it was horrifying or anything like that. It was just...dull. I was frozen, and feeling numb from writing, truth be told. Sometimes you just need a break to let the creative reserves build up again.

The good news is, I'm thawed! And I wanted to let you know of a couple of other places where we can connect online.

First, some author friends and I have a fun new project, Boston Writing Consultants. Here's a secret I've discovered: when I'm between books, I still like helping other people with their writing...I just can't think about my own stuff for awhile. So at BWC, we coach new writers, helping them build momentum, complete projects, and navigate the business side of publishing.
We blog! And recommend books! So if you're inspired/amused/entertained/motivated by thoughts on writing, check it out.

We also Tweet, so come follow us...we can hang out together :)

Speaking of twitter, most of my thoughts on life, love, THAT DOG, and various episodes of The Real Housewives of Wherever now land on my Trishryan twitter account. All the same stuff as Trish's Dishes, just more succinct :)

Here's to an amazing summer of great reads, inspired writing, and goals met, one by one :)

Mission Accomplished (Sort of...)

I'm off to a hilariously good start in my determined efforts to fail more as a path to life fulfillment. After my last post (a mere 15 days ago), I decided that I was getting back on the blogging horse, and would post faithfully at least three times a week.

You can see how that went.

WHEN will I learn that these sorts of DEFINITE DECISIONS WITH CLEAR GOALS ATTACHED always, always (always...) mean failure for me? And yet the promise--the idea that by setting the goal I am somehow requiring myself to follow through--is so alluring, I get sucked in, again and again.

I'm reading HAMLET'S BLACKBERRY, a book about finding a balance between the extreme connectedness the internet makes possible, and the private mental space required for happiness, creativity, and general well-being. I'm thinking of going offline for the month of November (which almost guarantees you'll see a post from me here on November 3rd, 11th & 22nd...), to see if it will help me pin down some of the writing ideas that have been floating around in my head eluding capture. I'm wondering if less time with my internet connections might give me more mental space to build the relationships that go into writing a book--with ideas, characters, and points that come together only when there's some room to move things around.

(Hey--Maybe someday I'll write a book about how writing is like interior decorating...for your brain!) (And that idea, my friends, is utterly representative of why I'm not posting more frequently...)

Have you ever taken a vacation from online connection? If so, how'd it go?
Did it help you maintain real-life connection with people in person?
Just curious :)

Failure, Fun & What's the next step?

It's been a great weekend. Steve and I spent the better part of it talking/thinking/planning/hoping/scheming/praying about new possibilities & adventures. I'm a total sucker for this kind of big-vision stuff, but I've noticed that it's only fun for me if, at the end of the conversation, I have some sense of what the next step is. I might or might not take that step...but to feel like an idea is anything more than a pipe dream, there has to be a tangible next thing that can be done.

For instance, earlier this year, some friends and I were dreaming about building a cultural center here in Boston (like the 92nd St. Y in Manhattan, only with more Red Sox paraphernalia). I even met with some folks involved in various artistic non-profits in our city to get the lay of the land. But after that, the next step was: Raise $5 million dollars so we could afford a space. Um...okay... Now, one high-faith friend put out a request for funding, but after that we sort of lost steam.

HERE'S the cool thing, though, which I discovered last week in a post by the awesome writer/runner/blogger Kristin Armstrong: Research has shown that one of the benchmarks for a motivated and challenged life is when you're failing to meet your goals approximately half the time. In which case, I AM A SUPERHERO!!! :) Seriously...on these terms, I'm living the dream...

It makes sense, right? It means you're taking risks and exploring possibilities, and 50% the time you're arriving somewhere near the place you set out for. Those are pretty great odds, statistically speaking (higher than MLB batting averages, for example). And constant success (aside from being unattainable) would be as dull as unrelenting failure. It's the balance that keeps us motivated and challenged, so we circle back to conversations like the ones Steve and I have been in all weekend.

Okay, that's WAY more than Kristin drew from this little tidbit of encouragement, but I'll take it. Here's to trying stuff! Viva la fail!



And now, as I talk/think/plan/hope/scheme/pray about new things to try, I keep the "What's the next step?" question more toward the front...turns out it's best when "Raise $5 million" isn't first or second on the list :)

How's your failure rate this year?

Updates on Minneapolis, NYC, Cambridge...

Hi All! It's been awhile. I took September off from, well, pretty much everything. I needed some time to regroup after a tough year, and to figure out what's next. And I've learned that when I'm in one of these seasons, the less said the better.

It makes sense, right? We all have times when we need to try on ideas...and then have the freedom to discard them immediately (because no, we really don't want to move to Montana and open up a bowling alley...) In the midst of this, the larger hope is that one of these little ideas will take root, and grow into something viable while under the protection of me not saying very much about it. Not sure if that's happened yet, but I have some seeds I'm keeping my eye on :)

In the meantime, what's been going on? Here's an update:

1. Steve and I spent the weekend in Minneapolis (my first time--very cool city) speaking at a retreat for leaders from the Mercy Vineyard. Ever have those times where things come together and you suddenly have all kinds of exciting vision for what's next in life? The weekend was full of those for us. You can hear me rhapsodizing over the experience (and sharing some thoughts about finding your life purpose) here.

2. I'm hopping a train to NYC next week, which is my idea of creative nirvana. I'll be doing an event on Wednesday night, October 13th. It will be a fun wine & snacks party, and I'll be giving a talk about navigating big changes in life (and my secret hope of becoming a superhero). If you're in the city and want to join us, email me at Trishryanonline AT gmail DOT com and I'll send you my friend's address.

3. And last, but certainly not least, I had lunch with the lovely Stacy yesterday. She was one of my first blog friends and always makes me laugh when we talk about the care & maintenance of minions (and ponder how imaginary Ukrainian minions might be deployed to take over the world). Check out her blog...you'll be glad you did.

More soon, I hope. Until then, be well :)

The Video!?!

Today's news: A friend emailed me a review of MAZE, and lo and behold, there was the video I filmed at my publisher's office back in the Spring. I was surprised (enough so that I had that drop-jaw "Huh?" face for a full 30 seconds) but in a good way. I'll post it here, if you want to check it out. I like part 2 the best, so I'm putting it first):



And yes, that's the awesome Ryanhood signing Around The Sun in the background.

Here's Part 1...in which the still frame looks like I'm about to sneeze/just won the lottery/ate 14 lemons and am about to throw up with great force and enthusiasm... (I'm adding this to the "I feel pretty" files):



Not a bad way to start the day :)

Moose, blue eyeshadow, and getting to work

I was on vacation last week, our fourth year renting a house deep in the north woods on Lake Mooselookmeguntic, in the Western side of my great home state of Maine (can you tell I'm a little partial?) There's something so powerful about going off the grid for a bit, recalibrating my days so that I can only check email on my phone once every couple of days while sitting in the IGA parking lot (the only place I had reception.)

We saw several moose (and almost hit one with our car--man, those suckers are huge...and fast!)

We celebrated my niece SPARKLE GIRL's 7th birthday. I gave her one of those kits with a makeup in every color, which meant she and I went around for the next four days decked out in blue eye shadow and great gobs of hot pink lip gloss (I think that's how we avoided hitting the moose...he saw my lips coming and swerved...)

And, on a serious note, I spent a lot of time staring out at a windy, wavy, crazy lake (I've never seen waves like this before on a lake...my first thought when I saw it was, "Wow, God is pissed...") wondering what comes next and how to build a life that will feel satisfying, fulfilling, or any other of the words I dream of when I wonder what might make me excited to jump out of bed in the morning.

Strangely, the best answer came not from my faith (on my ride home yesterday I saw that author Anne Rice has left Christianity, and thought, "Oh, I know just how she feels...") but from music, specifically the Indigo Girls. I listened to their songs over and over again, marveling at how they combine deep spiritual wondering with a solid message that says, Get off your ass and DO something...don't just sit around thinking. Wise advice.

So today, it's back to work. Not just in my head, but at the keyboard, and at the Blue Ocean Summit 2010, a conference that starts tonight about exploring new ways to think about God, faith, and life. Who knows? Maybe I'll slick on some lip gloss and blue eyeshadow to help maintain my sparkle power :)

A Hug from One of My Heroes

I met one of my heroes yesterday! Jennifer Weiner was here in Cambridge on her "Cupcakes Across America" tour, talking about The Bachelorette, her young daughter's refusal to wear undergarments, and her new book, Fly Away Home. She was hilarious, entertaining...and surprised the $@% out of me when she knew who I was.

One of the perks of writing books is that the author community is SO supportive of each other. After my brief career as an attorney (where, let's just say, that was not the case...) it never ceases to amaze me how writers cheer each other on, promote one another's books, and send waves of Tweets/FB posts/emails saying "Get to work! I want to read your next book, so write it!" when one of us is having an "I should have been an accountant..." kind of day. I know Jen has been uber-supportive of fellow novelists, running contests through her blog to get the word out about debut novels, fighting to get better review coverage for women writers in the New York Times. But our paths have never crossed--I simply admired her from afar.

Back when my writing career was just a dream and I was temping in a venture capital firm that was about to be swallowed in a takeover, I had a lot of time on my hands. I spent that time reading Jen's blog. She was one of the earliest writers to really embrace blogging (the archives go back to 2002, when she was finishing her second book, In Her Shoes) and she was this brilliant combination of hilarious, encouraging, and real that I hadn't seen before--it became like my own soap opera, tuning in each day to see what would happen next.

In the years since, I've kept up with her books, and her blog, and admired something else: how adaptable she is. She takes chances in her writing, trying things: murder mystery, short stories, revisiting characters from a previous book to catch up. It takes guts to do that (and--let's be honest--HUGE book sales so that your publisher will let you take those kinds of risks) because it means she's not just churning out the same book over and over again for the same audience. Not everyone loves everything she writes...but she has something in that will entertain almost any reader. Smart strategy.

So last night...I handed her my book after the girl in front of me had explained the complicated spelling of her name. "Mine is easy," I said. "It's Trish."
She looked at me. "Are you Trish Ryan?" she asked.
"Um, yes..." I muttered, like a complete flabbergasted dork.
"It's so nice to meet you!!!" She got up from her table, ignoring the crush of people waiting for her signature, and gave me a giant hug. She asked how my second book was doing, and when I'd be going on tour.
Again, being the brilliant on-the-spot conversationalist that I am, said something about how we'd pushed the tour to September because only Jennifer Weiner can tour in July (which is true, but still...who says that?) She was funny and gracious and said that July is hotter than $#@$ and September would be better anyway.
Then, as I was walking away, she said to the crowd, "You guys: She's an author, too!" She didn't have to do that...it was just an act of huge generosity, sharing her spotlight with someone who occupies an much (much) lower spot on the literary ladder. A reporter from the Boston Globe came over to take my name. It was all surreal, and (I'll admit) wonderful. It gave me a nudge to keep writing, because I want to be part of this amazingly supportive world.

So thanks, Jen...for the untold hours of entertainment and encouragement, and also for knowing how much a moment like that can mean to another writer. Your generosity rocks :)

Behind the Scenes w/ (Emergency Backup) Steve

A new "behind the scenes" video, starring a 2-D approximation of my (video-averse) (spectacularly wonderful/hot/handsome) husband, and his thoughts on having a wife who writes candidly about, well...everything. Ladies & gentlemen, meet Steve!

Be Like Penny!

I'm low on lofty thoughts of deep import these days, just enjoying the mellow decisions of summer...such as whether to wear shorts or a flowy skirt, or how many trips to the beach I can sneak in around life's obligations.

But this post by my friend Amy Julia stopped me in my tracks...and made me smile. It's a snapshot of how her 4 year old daughter Penny is responding to her first tennis lessons. Penny has Down Syndrome, so athletic adventures are a bit of a risk for her. But I love, love, love her perspective. She's not focused on how her peers (all taller & more agile, not to mention more experienced) are doing. She delights in her own accomplishments. "I hit the ball!" she told her Mom. "I was a good listener!" Her overall summary of the lesson? "I did a great job!"

That child is brilliant. She gets it. She showed up, tried something beyond her ability, and did a few things better than ever before. That's what it means to meet the goal. She did a great job!

I can't remember the last thing I attempted and then debriefed from this perspective. Today, that's going to change. A few years back Gatorade ran a commercial with Michael Jordan and the tag line, "Be like Mike." My mission for this summer... Be Like Penny :)

The Big Swim

I went swimming yesterday! In the ocean! In big waves! I'm feeling rather proud of myself :)

I was visiting my hometown, about two hours north of Cambridge. As you may know, the water along the Maine Coast is majestic and inspiring...and insanely cold. For most of the summer, it's impossible to swim for more than a minute or two unless you're under the age of 10, over the age of 60...or wearing a wetsuit. (A childhood of swimming in that ocean is how I know you can get ice cream headache with no dairy products in sight.) But There are 3-4 magical days each year where the water is so warm you can stay in all day. Yesterday was the day after one of those magical days.

So yes, the water was cold, and the air was breezy, and each time I went in I came out looking like a freshly plucked chicken with frozen blue lips (It was a sexy sight, let me tell you.) But I decided I didn't care. The waves were perfect, and I can't remember the last time I swam in the ocean with full commitment (arms in the water, feet off the ground). So I pushed away the niggling thoughts about how silly I looked in my gigantic floral bathing suit, how cold the water was, and how I'd have no way to drive home if a wave pulled me under and I lost a contact lens, and I went for it. And it was SO MUCH FUN.

This summer's motto: Do it anyway. You'll be glad you did.

My sister has photographic evidence of my little head bobbing in the waves...I'll post here as soon as she sends it to me.

Here's to a summer of looking ridiculous :)

Conversations & Complexity

Last week I recorded a podcast interview with the fabulous Christy Tennant of the International Arts Movement in NYC. Oh how I love her! And as someone with dreams of building a cultural center (like NY's 92nd Street Y) here in Boston, I was so excited to learn about IAM and the things they're doing.

Conversations like this are one of my favorite parts of launching a new book out into the world. We authors joke about how we only want to hear great reviews and cringe at words of criticism, and with my first book, I was right there with them. After all, that book was very much my story, my romantic and spiritual ups and downs in all their vulnerable, pathetic, yet somehow-it-miraculously-all-worked-out glory. (To this day, when I see that book on a bookstore shelf, I feel like a part of me is sitting there, hoping to be taken home and loved. Pitiful!)

The new book is different. It's about my story, but in a larger sense this time. There's more reflection, and I had a bit more room to observe the world around me and say, "Um, I think some things are crazy here..." I have some opinions. I knew, even when writing, that not every reader would agree with me. That was exciting, truth be told. Because as long as we're not attacking each other, or criticizing who we are as people, disagreeing about ideas can lead to amazing things--solutions, possibilities, even (dare we hope?) that elusive collective genius we hope for whenever we gather together to try to solve a problem.

In grad school, my favorite book was a science book called COMPLEXITY. It was the story of a revolutionary gathering of scientists from all different disciplines--biology, chemistry, economics, psychology--looking at complexity theory through the lenses of their different fields to see if their collective knowledge would lead to new understanding. I love the idea of these sorts of gatherings, even with all their messy, ego-filled personality clashes. I like interesting conversations with people who have thought hard about what they think and why.

If you like these sorts of (complex) conversations, I have a couple of cool invitations for you!

First, the Blue Ocean Summit here in Cambridge, MA, August 2-4. This will be the third year for this conference, which is the most provocative, inspiring gathering I know for people who are thinking about questions of faith within a city culture. I'll be speaking, which of course makes it extra exciting, right? ;)

Second, I'm working on a series of workshops (tentatively called "Creativity: Behind the Scenes") to take on the road this Fall and Winter, based on the fun experience sharing a stage with the guys in Ryanhood at my launch party. There's something about "nerding out" with other artists across genres that is surprisingly motivational, and I'd like to create more of that. If this sounds like something you and your friends would be interested in hosting, drop me an email and let's talk.

And for now, tell me: What do you like/not like/hope for/fear from complex conversations?

Oh Happy Day!

Last night's party was amazing: 100+ of my favorite people, fun sharing the ups and downs of the writing process, musical accompaniment from the guys of Ryanhood (it's so much less scary to be onstage when you're up there with friends & having a conversation...although I had to put down the mic and sit down while they played so I didn't ruin the moment w/accidental backup vocals :) ), and some of the most amazing food ever. Even the wine tasted extra special. It was a good, good night.

I'll have more details and pictures up soon. But until then, check out the other highlight of my week: my interview with Gretchen Rubin, author of THE HAPPINESS PROJECT, on what makes me happy.

Launch Day!

It's book launch day today! I've been up since 4:00am (THAT DOG doesn't want to miss a minute of summer, apparently) so right now I feel almost exactly the way I did the morning of my wedding: thrilled and amazed that this day has finally arrived, excited about the party...and so exhausted I barely know my name. My lone goal for tomorrow's celebration is for my hair to look slightly better than it did on my wedding day (a hungover hairdresser wound my hair into a peculiar little bun that made me look like a lost extra from Little House on the Prairie). It's all about small, achievable goals right now. I'm off to heat up the flatiron...

But first: if you're one of the people who has cheered me up and on during the crazy process of writing/editing/waiting for publication of this book...thank you. I appreciate every comment and word of encouragement. And for those of you who have taken an hour or two out of your busy lives to read my books? A huge, awkward cyber hug for you!!!

Take Action!

Like the rest of the world, I was captivated by Greg Mortenson's tales of courage and determination in his memoir, Three Cups of Tea. It was one of the best books I read last year (I've been saving the sequel, Stones Into Schools for my vacation next month).

One of the things I admire about Greg is the bold way he admits that we authors need help. In the back of both his books he includes a section entitled, "Take Action." It's a list of things you can do to spread the word about his books, his work, and the causes he cares and writes about. It's both candid and helpful.

Today, I'm re-creating a version of it here. As someone with a new book "officially" launching tomorrow, I'd be SO grateful if you did any of these things to help spread the word. And as a lover of books, I'd be elated if you picked a book you've enjoyed and applied these steps to help that author, too. Here's the list of how you can TAKE ACTION! to put A Maze of Grace on the map:

1. Visit www.Trishryanonline.com for more information. I'll be updating this week with links to the organizations I mention in the book, pictures, and events.

2. Suggest A Maze of Grace to a friend; colleague; book club; women's group; church; civic group; university creative writing class; pre-marital class...or any person or gathering interested in memoir/questions of dating and marriage/spiritual exploration/women's issues/faith and politics.

3. Check if A Maze of Grace is in your local library. If not, either donate a copy or suggest to the library that they add A Maze of Grace to their collection. Ask your friends and family in other states to do this also.

4. Encourage your local independent or chain bookstore to carry this book if they do not have it.

5. Write a book review of A Maze of Grace for Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, or a blog. Your candid comments will help bring awareness of this (or any) book.

6. Ask the book editor of your local newspaper or radio station to consider letting you review the book.

7. And finally, a fun, personal step particular to today: click over to The Divining Wand to see a review of A Maze of Grace and leave a comment for a chance to win a copy!

Thanks for reading, and for helping. It really (really) makes a difference in a world where every copy sold counts!

And I'd love to hear: Do you have other suggestions for spreading the word about books you love? Start here, leaving a note in the comment about a great title, so we can read it too!