Disney's Food and Wine Festival 2013

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN! Covering Disney's Food and Wine Festival is becoming one of the most fun and intensive traditions I have on this blog. Saying I look forward to this event every year is an understatement. I love trying new foods from other countries. I am a foodie at heart, despite not cooking much myself. So I love running around from booth to booth, trying new dishes and skulking around the Festival Center to spy on chef demonstrations. 

In past years, I've seen Robert Irvine and dozed in top-secret lounges, but I always try to trump myself. So here we go. 

If you're participating in the Food and Wine Festival, you can pick up free Discovery Passports. The passports are incredibly useful and small enough to tuck in your pocket. You will find the menus from each country's booth, along with a spot for stamps. I've never collected the stamps in previous years (usually because of laziness and forgetfulness), I decided to go for it this time. 

And, that means that I cheated.

Although most of the booths are countries, others are kind of random with no geographical home (like the Cheese Booth, Refreshment Port, and Desserts & Champagne). I don't drink... not really, no, so I wouldn't actually buy anything from the booths focused on alcohol. And even though I try new foods, I don't have enough time or money to conquer the whole circuit in one year. So what I did was get on line at each booth and patiently waited to collect the stamps. Fair enough, right? The weird part was that I wasn't the only one doing this. Other people - grown adults - were racing between booths, passports flapping in their hands. It was invigorating to see, haha. 

The ultimate prize is getting the Stamp of Completion from the Festival Center. Hoo-rah. You don't even know how proud I was to show the passport at the front desk. And, ironically, the cast member working the desk didn't even check to see if I got them all. I guess I look like a trustworthy person. Here they are anyway:

Food I Ate: 

In a nutshell, I must say that everything I've eaten this year was fantastic. You'll notice that I had a lot more dessert; that's basically because it's October and still extremely hot. More hot than previous years. So the weather has made the festival less leisurely and more... like a lot of work. To stay hydrated, I stopped at water fountains and kept ordering dessert. The silk ice cream ribbon (kind of like Ninja Ice's ice cream) and lychee aerated water from the China Booth basically saved my hide during a very cloudless midday heat wave. Florida, man. 

Lobster and Seafood Fisherman's Pie

Ireland Booth

Potato & Leek Waffle with Braised Beef

Belgium Booth

Kielbasa & Potato Pierogi with Caramelized Onions & Sour Cream

Poland Booth

Vegetarian Haggis with Neeps and Tatties

Scotland Booth

*My Favorite*

Trick'n Chick'n Curry with Basmati Rice

Terra Booth (Vegan)

Chili Colorado with House-made Chips & Cashew Cheese

Terra Booth (Vegan)

Youki Tofu

Japan Booth

Mango-Flavored Silk Ice Cream Ribbon

China Booth

*My Favorite* 

Lychee Aerated Water

China Booth 

Pavlova 

Australia Booth

Frozen Smores 

Desserts & Champagne

Guylian Belgian Chocolate Seashell Truffles

Desserts & Champagne

*My Favorite*

Little German Village:

Sorry guys! I wasn't able to update this section this year because, even though I've been a few times, it's still early in the festival for the train village to be updated. So, to make up for it, I have pictures of the new chocolate sculptures from the Chocolate Experience: From Bean to the Bar!

Later in the month, I'm going to put together another post about the Boardwalk, including some adorable ducks taking over the swimming pool at the Dolphin and my spending the majority of the night listening to some awesome music at Jellyrolls, the dueling piano bar.

Deathless Press: Summer 2013 Review

Do you know what's more delicious than dipping your toes in the ocean or going parasailing? Indulging in Deathless Press's summer released chapbooks:

I've never considered myself an eloquent reviewer, but I want to make reviewing Deathless Press chapbooks a tradition. There are never, ever enough fairy tales in the world - and I've been enjoying the ones coming from this press.

Considering that my own chapbook POCKET FOREST was released in this bunch, I'm going to skip over it (of course) and focus on the other two chapbooks.


Catskin by Sylvia Linsteadt

CATSKIN is a retelling of a the same-named fairy tale, where a princess runs away from home disguised in a coat made of cat skins to avoid being married to her own father. This dark tale is a classic - but if you're not familiar with it, you may have read Donkeyskin, which is the most popular variant (at least, when it come to retellings).

Linsteadt breathes new life into her version of Catskin. The story opens with a girl named You (or Yew, as she prefers), living with her father in a lighthouse that demands time and care. When her father, heavy with drink, considers marrying his daughter, Yew runs away to escape him. Her travels take her into the woods where she meets the Mistress of Bobcats. The Mistress of Bobcats offers Yew a new identity and power, but not without payment.

The Mistress of Bobcats is a fascinating character: incredibly wise, yet untrustworthy. I enjoyed how well Linsteadt described the bobcat-who-is-also-a-woman, with shifting shadows and sharp teeth. When Yew becomes Catskin, she gains freedom from her father, and any other man who threatens her, but she also loses her humanity - which is perhaps a good thing, by the end of the tale. Maybe she becomes the best of herself. CATSKIN reminds me of "The Tiger's Bride" by Angela Carter: lush description, shifty characters, and an unforgettable ending.


Throw Down Your Hair and Then Yourself by A. A. Balaskovits

Rapunzel remains one of my top favorite fairy tales. There's something incredibly relatable to me about being trapped or limited in some way, no matter how much your "jailer" loves you. And then... there's always my favorite part, when Rapunzel's tears bring back the prince's sight (yes... I'm a sap. And proud!). However, Balaskovits's retelling, THROW DOWN YOUR HAIR AND THEN YOURSELF, is probably the most twisted and darkly shocking version I've read so far. And that's what made it so enjoyable, despite my penchant for the happier variants, haha.

Our Rapunzel narrator begins her tale telling us what her auntie has always told her: that she's a sharp thing. She's stuck in a tower, surrounded by soft things to combat her sharpness, until one day when a sweet-talking prince convinces her to leave her auntie and become a queen.

Life as a queen isn't easy, especially when her husband starts ordering the deaths of every citizen with a physical blemish. But as her auntie once said, our narrator is a sharp thing. And boy, does she ever strike back against her husband.

Even though this story started out as a Rapunzel retelling, I felt that by the end, I watched the narrator transform into the Evil Queen from Snow White. Did you ever see the movie Snow White and the Huntsman? Frankly, I dislike that movie, especially when people try to tell me that it was better than Mirror Mirror (weird, right? MM is totally better). BUT Charlize Theron played an amazing Evil Queen and her scary-wrathful beauty is quite like the narrator's transformation. Making, of course, a great ending to this chapbook.

So what are you waiting for? Go read these books! ;)

Crepes, Please. Arigatō: Ninja Ice's Desserts

I watched many cartoons as a kid, but one of them was certainly Sailor Moon. I remember getting home from school, plopping down on the couch, and ignoring my homework in order to watch Serena, Amy, and the other Sailor Scouts kick the Negaverse's butt. That was back when Toonami was a thing and finding manga in stores was impossible (so suck it up and convince your parents to order it on... Amazon.com. What's that?).

I also recall many an episode where the girls chowed down on desserts, including crepes. And man, did they ever look delicious.

The 'rents and I decided to use Labor Day as an excuse to go outside.... temporarily... in order to walk into the Westfield Brandon Mall (and yet I have sunburn. Hmm). While perusing the shops and grabbing lunch, I discovered Ninja Ice.

When I saw that Ninja Ice was selling legit Japanese Desserts, including crepes and kakigori, I had to rub my eyes to know I wasn't dreaming! After scrutinizing the menu, trying to narrow down our order to merely two things (which was hard, because every dessert looked intricate and fun to try), we ended up going with the Orchid Passion kakigori and the Matsuri (festival) crepe.

The Matsuri (festival) crepe was almost like having a meal! The crepe was nice and thick, slightly sweet, and folded snugly within the container. We watched the owner, Ric, make it step by step, and I couldn't help but admire how smoothly he handled crafting the crepe (as a queen of microwaving, I doubt I could ever make a successful crepe).

I chose green tea ice cream for the filling - a-mazing. Ric said that his green tea ice cream was made locally; it had a strong flavor, much tastier than any other green tea ice cream I've had in the past. The crepe also had a kind of vanilla custardy filling drizzled in (as you can see by the photo), along with mochi balls and strawberries. The combination of flavors was excellent!

The other item we ordered was the Orchid Passion kakigori. Sorry for the photo - we already tucked into it before I fumbled for my camera, haha. Image that it was a lot rounder, with many little Mochi balls (pounded sticky rice) around the outside.

Ninja Ice uses a shaved ice machine that hails straight from Japan, so you'll notice that the texture is a lot different. It almost looks like cotton candy.

The best part about this treat was the syrup flavor: as the name implies, it's a orchid vanilla cream syrup! Exciting, right? Sure beats the usual cherry or lime flavors. You know that I've been on a huge flower-flavored foods kick, so this discovery was very exciting, haha. Because the syrup is made with a dairy component, the syrup tastes milky and delicate. The mochi balls have a dull sweetness that complimented the syrup.

Eating at Ninja Ice was a great experience. I loved watching the desserts being made, as well as listening to Ric tell us about the different ingredients, machines, and methods that work together to create authentic and tasty Japanese desserts. I wish all the best to Ninja Ice - I hope they'll be sticking around for a long time!

I feel energized to continue working on my revisions and plotting out my next writing project (My lips are sealed, mwahaha). Good dessert will do that for you!

I think Tuxedo Mask would agree.

Pocket Forest's B-Day!

This calls for a metaphor.

Yesterday, my book b-day, was like a whirlwind. Or rather, a massive, apocalyptic storm. I had front row seats, drinking a mint julep and taking pictures, while Deathless Press frantically boarded up the shop.

And why would I use that metaphor?

Tis true. Late Thursday night, when I received an email from Deathless Press about the books' imminent release, I stayed up late and started spreading the word. A few good friends kept me awake past my self-prescribed bedtime. By Friday morning, I woke tired, but practically electric with anticipation. If I could have worn a party hat to work, I would have (so I'm opting for hanging a hat on today's banner instead).

In my past blog posts, I've said that Deathless Press makes handmade one-of-a-kind books. You can tell that a lot of love has gone into making each one. Reading the Spring 2013 books had been a real treat and I was so excited about having Deathless Press as the publisher of my first book.

POCKET FOREST shares a birthday with two more Deathless Press originals: CATSKIN by Sylvia Linstead and THROW DOWN YOU HAIR AND THEN YOURSELF by A. A. Balaskovits.

I ordered both books. Can't wait to read them!

So, while I was at my day job, I couldn't help but check Deathless Press's Etsy shop, where the books are being sold. And it seemed as if the amount of copies dwindled whenever I refreshed the page. By midday on Friday, the last copy sold - and Deathless Press and I emailed back in forth, wondering what do to! It's a good kind of problem, haha.

To Those Who Didn't Get A Copy Yet:

The first edition of POCKET FOREST may be sold out, but there is more on the way. Deathless Press announced that my book will be back in stock on September 1st. Keeping in mind that each book is handmade, I highly suggest that you contact Deathless Press with your interest to make sure you get a copy when the next batch comes in.

Email editor [at] deathlesspress.com to be notified of availability. 

Where do you go to buy a copy? Deathless Press only sells books through Etsy - and there are so many ways to get to the shop. A simple Google search will get you there. I've also included a link on the side bar of my blog (you can also click on the cover on my Books page) and on the Goodreads page.

Hang in there!

While you wait, you can take a peek at the book! A small teaser of POCKET FOREST is available to read exclusively on Figment.com. Hopefully this will hold you over... (or make you more eager for a copy, mwahaha).

To Those of You Who Did Get a Copy:

Congratulations! *tosses confetti*

In order to have snagged a copy, you must have quick reflexes, haha. I can't wait for your copy to arrive. Harriet and Stig's story has existed for quite some time and I'm thrilled that you'll now have the chance to read about them.

On my Books page here on the blog, I've posted a playlist to go along with POCKET FOREST. These were the songs I listened to while writing the manuscript. I arranged them in narrative order too, so you could almost do a read-along if you want, haha.

There's also a link to the POCKET FOREST Pinterest board, so you can check out some inspiring images.

Once you've read the book, please take the time to leave a review. Whether you love the book or think it's drivel, I'd be incredibly grateful if you share your opinion. The best place to do this is on Goodreads.com. If you don't already have an account, you really should make one. It's a great way to keep track of the books you read, check out reviews of books you plan to read, and stay connected to the going-ons of the book world.

Click on the grungy Polaroid to go to Goodread's POCKET FOREST page.

 

I've also got some fun games in the works, but more on that later. For now, keep watching your mailboxes. POCKET FOREST will be arriving soon :D

It's an Update, Old Sport!

Ack! It's been entirely too long since I last blogged. July ended with a whimper; I barely knew that the month had changed until August's extreme heat finally hit. Everyone's getting ready for a new school year. My MFA friends finishing their last years are preparing to teach new sets of students. Theses need to get written. And I'm out of school. Done. Fin.

I feel like an explorer reporting back to academia. "It's strange out here," I'd shout into my walkie-talkie. "The sky's brighter, but I don't have a way to measure my life now."

Which is true. No more essays, pop quizzes, workshops, final exams. No more measuring sticks. It's freeing in the kind of way learning to fly for the first time must be for baby birds. A scary, exhilarating free fall.

Still, things haven't changed too much. So here's an update on what's been going on between the last post and now.

If you've been keeping up with my Twitter, you've probably noticed the steady influx of Gatsby nonsense. I've always enjoyed The Great Gatsby, but I guess the DVD release of the new movie has gotten me excited about it again. I've reread the book, gushing over some incredible lines I didn't notice the first time around. I also rewatched the Robert Redford version (fun) and started the Toby Stephens one (but I'm having a hard time, because I think that Stephens is too adorable to pull off Gatsby).

Meanwhile, I seem to be the only one half in love with the little book right now. My coworkers are like:

And I'm like:

Writing-wise, I've been busy with projects, as usual. After wrestling with Tread Softly for a long time, I've finally finished the complete draft. Right now, I'm going through each chapter one more time, fixing issues that some of my Figment readers have pointed out. It's been a lot of fun revising the chapters now that Merry and Hue's journey is complete. Have you been checking your mirrors at home for ensnared boys? Just asking! 

Speaking of Figment, I might as well say here that I will be taking down TS when my revision is done. I found a great press to query. Also, I will be taking Olivia down - but not because I've magically finished it. Far from it. My Toads & Diamonds retelling has stalled and I'm not sure what to do with it for now. A new setting may be in order (but don't worry - Ernie, Grendel, and the gang will still be there).

So, with TS and Olivia on their way out, it sounds like my Figment page will be barren. Well, never fear. 

my evil writer smirk

I will be back to writing Boys & Bees. Lorabeth is showing up in my daydreams, begging to get on with her story. You can imagine how tough that call is to ignore, considering her ability to control bees. 

My brain's stuffed with ideas for a new project too. I'm trying to stay focused on one project at a time, but I'm also eager to share a new story with Figment. So many things to look forward to. 

And then there's Pocket Forest. Only a few days ago, I received word from Goodreads that I was clear to have an author profile. It feels very surreal. I've been filling in the Pocket Forest page with information as I've been getting it from my editor. When she sent me the proof to look over, I pretty much had this reaction:

The book's innards look great. I got a little choked up when I saw it (and then wiped my eyes so I could hunt for typos). 

OH. And one more thing. I want to thank you (my lovely readers) for leaving wonderful comments about Birdcage Girl; your support means a lot to me as I continue to query. My feelings about the agent search are clear. Just replace "senpai" with "agent."

Publication News: Pocket Forest!

Guys, I have a job. I've been scuttling through security doors, arranging and rearranging the pens on my desk, and becoming engrossed in projects. There's even a break area with a hot water machine! Be still my tea-loving heart.

I'm still adjusting to having a full schedule and making the most of my time once I'm home. And despite all this excitement, there's something even more wonderful I'm about to share.

Come September, my chapbook, Pocket Forest, is going to be published.

The publisher is Deathless Press, focused on spreading the fairy tale love with handmade chapbooks. You may remember that I wrote a review about the first three books back in May; check it out to get a feel for the kinds of chapbooks Deathless Press publishes.

Pocket Forest will be sold through Etsy with a limited number of copies for the first print run. Get 'em while they're hot!

So what is Pocket Forest about, anyway?

Weeeeeell...

There's a terrible boarding school, ghostly hunting dogs, trains, themed cafes, photographs, mori girl fashion, city life, death, rubies, stealing, a porcelain deer, and a girl who dreams of exploring the forest while a boy tries desperately to escape it.

In anticipation of Pocket Forest's upcoming release, I'll be working on posting some fun stuff, including a Pinterest board, playlist, and site.

I can't wait for you guys to read this chapbook!

Reading Machine

Ever had that moment when you come home with  new book swaddled inside a plastic bag, begging for a prime spot on your bookshelf... and then you stare in horror as the packed shelves, some even piled up with books squished between each other? Yep, that's me.

I know I've mentioned my lack of shelf space before, but summer's a great time to make a dent in your reading list - and donate whatever books don't meet your fancy.

If anyone's keeping tabs on my Goodreads account, you'll see that I've been serious about reading and clearing space on my bookshelves. I feel like I'm holding a new book every day, sniffing the pages and admiring the fonts. After writing for so hard and long in grad school, it's been a wonderful experience to put reading first for a while, allowing myself to explore other enchanting and dangerous worlds, fall in love with dashing boys, and cheer on smart, brave heroines.

But with a lot of reading comes the (often hilarious) hazards. Especially when you're adopting new books while clearing out the old ones.

I tweeted about this a few days ago, but I had a funny experience at a local store that sells used books. After scanning their dusty shelves, I found five books that I'd either been meaning to take out of the library (for years... yeah, I'm lazy) or that I've pined for my own copy of.

So I gathered these books up, stood in line, and met a big non-reader manning the cash register.

I put my books down and fished through my wallet for some dollars. And the lady working the register looked at my books with a mixture on confusion and disgust.

Cashier: "What are you gonna do with these?"
Me:...
Me:...
Me...
Me: ... read them.

What. For a second there, my brain stalled and wondered what exactly you could use a book for besides reading. I've heard of people (surely mustache-twirling villains) who tear up books for craft projects. If you're buying books to give to other people for gifts, that's surely good, though the books will eventually be read - if not by you, then by someone else.

My stunned response must have sparked something in her. The cashier started studying my books, examining each cover. Among the other books, I had found a baby names book. I already have one, and in a pinch, am guilty of using online databases when I'm not near my bookshelf. However, it's been years since I got a new baby names book, so I chose this one (get ready for future awesomely-named characters, guys). She picked up the baby names book, looked pointedly at my stomach, and asked me why I was buying it.

Did that just happen? My stomach is as flat as a board (Thank you, Wii Fit Plus), so her confusion only mounted.

Me: I'm a writer. I need this book to find names for my characters.
Cashier: ... *raises eyebrow*
Me: ...
Cashier:...
Me: ...
Cashier... that'll be $8.03

I left the store feeling a little shaken, a laugh bubbling up in my throat. As much as people talk about the loss of readers these days, I've never really believed it. Everyone reads something - even if it's just Sports Illustrated or the back of a cereal box - and every once in a while a book will come along that they'll want to bring home. It happens. My aunt reads only best sellers. My dad browses business books an biographies. But I haven't met a real non-reader in a long time. It's like meeting an alien from another planet.

So here I am, trying to read a book a day, and squeezing in writing time when I can. I've been utterly delighted by some of these books, while others had won my heart until they gutted it on the very last page (the WORST!). With each page I read, I feel more refreshed, and the blank document that blinks its ugly one-eyed cursor at me becomes friendly and a little playful.

I may not have traveled to England this summer, but I've been a great many magical places via my bursting bookcase.