I'm so bad. But we all love the badies right? Who wants to be the good guy working away to save the world when you could be the evil mastermind mucking up the good guys plans to begin with...you know, and generally not blogging...

Well I'm blaming this leave of absence (haha, see I learned something in college! $116,000-yeah that's how much I spent for four years at TU, thank you financial aide office-officially well spent!) on the fact that I am now working nearly full time! 40-ish hours a week! And who knew it was so dang exhausting? I'm ready to go back to my 25-hour-a-week days where I got plenty of writing and reading done, not didn't home with my legs quaking and not from joy...or walking around in 3 inch heels all day.

But I did have a bit of fun today. Totally had another old guy come in the store to buy a naughty book. The strapping lad of oh, maybe seventy, picked up this lovely little gem all about bondage. And in the ballsy of all ballsy moves, he walked right out of the store without a bag! All the young whipper snappers who come in to the store embarrassed about buying a Playboy obviously need to take a page from this veteran pervs book! If you're gonna buy dirty be proud about it! Hold your head up high as you're walking out with your smut!

Oh, and in totally unrelated news-and because I'm random like that-I found this awesome article from the ladies at Not Your Mother's Bookclub while doing my obligatory daily Google shuffle. It answers a lot of questions that I had about the process of book making after the idealistic making of the deal. Everything from who has to read the manuscript (in short, everyone) to the trying decision of what goes into the decision of whether it will be printed into a hardback/cloth, or a paperback. Very interesting stuff. I just wish they'd reveal who the editor was who participated in the interview. She works with YA which is the genre I writey-do in.

Here are the YA books I've read so far this summer:
The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer (HIGHLY RECOMMEND! This book follows the incidents that took place in Life as We Knew It but can be read without reading LaWKi first. I got five people at work addicted and hand sold all the copies we had in store...waiting for new shipment now.)

Wings by Aprilynne Pike: This was a very interesting story. It's not often I say that I've never read anything like this, but I've never read anything like this. Loved the mix of fantasy and reality in this number.

Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz (HIGHLY RECOMMEND! I've been a fan of Stolarz since Blue is for Nightmares and this book just proves that she is improving even more as a writer. I couldn't put this down! I was left guessing the entire time! Great mix of paranormal and who-done-it-ism! And ended realistically which doesn't happen often in YA so extra kudos. The second book comes out in November. Her book Project 17 just released in paperback and I'm picking that up Wednesday.)

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare: The last part of the Mortal Instruments trilogy. Very enjoyable read and her diction is so lush and smooth that it almost sounds like poetry even when she's writing grotesque descriptions. Yummy yummy yummy.

And of course!
Being Nikki by the fab-u-lous Meg Cabot: Follows the first book Airhead as the main characters gets used to life in the spotlight. This book REALLY picks up the series and gave it a good direction to follow. The last chapters had me squirming and giggling and VERY eager to read more!!! notice the extra exclamation points! Definitely a good beach read.

I know I've read more but can't remember sadly...good thing I graduated because my memory is starting to go. Speaking of which, I've gotta go. My guitar is glaring at me for ignoring it for two days...(I can totally almost play "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz....you know...if "almost play" translated to mean I can play all the chords but my fingers still suck so I have to stop and reposition them each time...because apparently typing an 100,000+ word novel and countless numbers papers is not sufficient enough exercise to make your fingers un-sucky.)

Lots of Love,
Casey

H.A.K.A.S.

P.S. White chocolate Lindor balls are the shiz!

Wow, it has been a minute or two since I've posted. The reason being that I totally fell off of the face of the Earth. Seriously, it was straight Pirates of the Caribbean style. Just floating along in my gigante wooden ship and all of a sudden holy crap, there was this waterfall thing that took me deep into the bowels of...finals week.

And while finals week is not, in fact the face of the Earth, it is-as I learned-the gaping mouth of hell. Complete with all nighters, gratuitous alcohol coffee consumption, books I hadn't touched since the beginning of the semester, and the random late night sobering mind clearing jogs.

But I have come out on the other side of finals week, miraculously victorious! And much more than that, it was my last finals week ever! That's because more than books and coffee and alcohol jogging; I graduated this week! I am now an official diploma wielding alum of the University of Tulsa! (Go c/o 2009!)

And you know what graduation means...
No not tacky polyester caps and gowns and tassels
It means shopping!
Which I have done lots of lately on the tab of all the family members who sent me money! (Thanks you guys! My summer shoes collection is now complete....ish)

It also means reading which I've done a lot of. Just cracked open Kiss the Sky by Farai Chideya. Who doesn't love books about wannabe rock stars? Harvard bound wannabe rock stars? Right... Plus there's a playlist for the book in the very back. What else could you want?

Other things that happened during crazy time:
-Broke camera...again
-Lied to mom for a good reason that made her cry tears of happiness on Mother's Day
-rung the Graduate bell in Sharp Plaza four times even though tradition only calls for it once
-Made a lot of cake
-Ate a taco salad and chipped my tooth so bad I have to go to the dentist on Wednesday (shudders)
-Thought I had Swine Flu
-Revised manuscript twice because I realized the first time I was more reading than revising...
-Watched 17 Again and had the earth shattering realization that Zac Efron is, in fact, a hottie
-Read 4 books instead of study
-Got 5 A's (still waiting to hear from last class) to round out my college GPA out to a yummy 3.5!!!
-Meet new baby cousin
-Rocked a fabulous yellow dress

So far the summer has started out pretty good and with the summer goal of getting hired abroad and hopefully getting a lit agent (and not going completely broke in Vegas...), I'm hoping this shall be the best one yet! Wish me luck.

H.A.K.A.S.

Casey

What was your best summer memory?

Song on Repeat in my iPod...because I just found that feature...Pussycat Dolls-Halo

It's been a crazy past couple of weeks.

Work-our evil District Manager is threatening to fire my boss! Which is SO not cool because he's been with the company for like a million years and comes in EVERY SINGLE DAY. Like seriously he's there everyday. I don't know anyone who is more dedicated to that company. If evil biatch lady does get her way, our store is planning a massive walk out 70's style, complete with hip huggers and flowers in the barrels of the AK-47's at our faces. You know...if they bring AK-47's. (Doesn't even know if there were AK-47's in the 70's....)

Fun-HA! That's funny....But I've done a lot of reading which is pretty great.
Books I've read in the last two weeks: City of Ashes, City of Glass, Evermore, Stargazer, and Howl's Moving Castle (Diana Wayne Jones is the shiz...even if I-after reading the book three times and watching the anime a million-STILL don't know what HMC is about...)

Got some more revising done. I'm on a never-ending quest to eliminate 'was' from my manuscript. Down with you 'to be' words! You may be awesome when learning a new language but you are like poison ivy to the written word.

School-It's the last week of classes and that means me=no time for having life. One away from my desk anyway. And apparently me having really bad grammar.

My friends are in the same boat so we decided to spend our last Saturday of sweet sweet freedom by supporting TU theatre and going to their production of Reefer Madness. I don't know if you've seen this but I recommend it if you enjoy the likes of Rocky Horror. It was GREAT. I applaud you TU theatre and I'll be there again next weekend. Assuming my brain hasn't exploded by then.

Gotta go get changed for ballet class. I'm pada-boo-raying myself to a new physique. Wish me luck!
Casey

I just received the shock of my life!

Now I've heard rumors of it before. Email and text message myths mostly, on the same grain as the whole Mentos and coke equals death thing, but I just found out it's really true! Agents are real breathing human beings! By some small miracle we had agents Terry Porter of Agape Productions and Flat Rock Motion Pictures, Nathan Bransford from Curtis Brown Agency, and Morgan Jenness from Abrams Artists Agency here at TU for a series on how to get an agent for all us struggling artists out there.

Naturally I requested off from work and walked my happy butt across campus dreaming of book deals and awesome tips on how to turn my writer title to that of the ever elusive Author. Notice the capital A!

And they were really nice too! While I don't have much history with the film side of things I have written a few (cough) plays so it was really interesting to hear how to about plays being produced. And I was glad to hear that there are apparently more in the works than ever as theaters are starting to present plays as well!

I got to speak briefly with Nathan Bransford who's blog rocks my face off on a regular basis. Definitely check it out if you're thinking about querying an agent. The Essentials List is just that. I'm thinking about pitching to him once I get up the kahunas to do so because he seems like a really good, professional agent and a good person.

There were a lot of folks there so I'm looking forward to the meetings tomorrow where it will be just us students so we have a little more one on one time.
Over all I'd say it was a good day.
Casey

P.S. My besty came up with a name for the two cats I caught getting it on in the shed in my backyard. Really Kitty Porn. Meow chicka meow meow!

I've worked at Borders for about a year and a half now, and before that I worked at Old Navy for two and a half years. In that time I've faced many, many bitchy customers. It's just something that comes with the territory of working in customer service. I typically just throw on my best "F*ck You!" smile, call up a manager, and go about my (un)happy way. My friends call me Teflon Master because they say nothing sticks to me but tonight something finally did and I'm not proud in saying it, but tonight I cried at work, for the first time at any job I've had. And not like pretty movie star tears, either as Meg Cabot would say. There was snot involved.

I've been scowled at, nose turned up to, outright ignored a few times but never has anyone called me the n-word. I grew up around people who just didn't do that, you know. So honestly, when I was having trouble locating a book (and a children's book at that! I really feel sorry for her kids...) for a customer today and heard her mumble it under her breath, I was stunned to the point of disbelief. I just stared at her as she stomped away claiming she would "find someone who could really help her."

I tried to shake it off, blame it on something, I hadn't cleaned out my ears today so maybe I hadn't heard her right or she was referring to the country in Africa that is sometimes mispronounced. I didn't WANT to believe that someone would seriously say that and I didn't want to seem like I was playing the race card.

She went up to the registers and continued to complain to the guy working the register. After she'd left (which thank sweet Jesus was shortly there after) I went up to talk and you know, complain about what a complete biatch she had been in normal "lets talk about our crazy customers behind their backs" fashion but the guy looked almost livid when he looked back at me. He said that she had been racial slurs and he had wanted to punch her in the face.

It wasn't until after we'd closed and I told my manager what had happened that the water works began. My manager was just as angry as I was and asked why I hadn't told her before and I said I hadn't wanted to make a scene. She and my store's GM said that if I ever saw her again to let them know and they would kindly escort her out and tell her to never darken our giant vestibule again but I couldn't help but wonder why I hadn't told them when it happened. Then I realized that I didn't want to offend her! Which had made the water works start again.

Luckily I have amazing managers at the store who were very kind and supportive and had ample tissues (Kleenex really are best!). I've heard that word hundreds of times, squirmed uncomfortably in class while we were reading Mark Twain, and seen hundreds of movies with the word being thrown around like confetti but I've never realized how truly hurtful one word can be. And not just to black people but all minorities, be that in race, age, sex, sexuality, or religion. That one word promotes hate and ignorance towards all people and it's just not right! And it's my right not to be called that! If I'm a sucky sales person, say I'm a sucky sales person.
Leave the racism out of it because my being white wouldn't have made the book magically appear!

Sadly I know that there are always going to be people out there like my crazy Bitch Lady customer. Barack Obama being elected prez didn't wave a magic racism flag over the country to make it all go away, if anything it just made those people in our country that much more aggressive but there are good people out there too and I'm going to pray for crazy Bitch Lady and focus on the positive people in my life. I've also decided that I'm going to get a back bone about these things (wonder if they have those at Wal-mart...) because by not standing up for my rights I was just proving that what she said was okay, and while I don't know what Bitch Lady had been through, I do know that what she said is absolutely anything but okay.

Casey

Is it possible to feel home sick for a place that was never really your home?

I've been researching schools in Japan and Seoul to apply to for next year and just realized how much I miss Seoul! And I found I missed the little funny things I never thought I'd miss, like the sound that the trains made when we were approaching a station and the automated voice announcing the name came on. Or the mountainous piles of umbrellas that would block the stairs outside the goshiwon I stayed in whenever it was raining. Or walking into the Coffee Prince cafe and trying not to squeal because it looks JUST like the cafe in the drama. Or even watching episode after episode of 우리 결혼했어요 (We Got Married) and being like "WHAT ARE THEY SAYING?....AND WHY AREN'T CROWN J AND IN SEO IN YOUNG A COUPLE IN REAL LIFE?" I miss eating too spicy dokbogi and not knowing how to order pizza. Cute, old ajumas whispering like little giggling school girls on the train, crazy permed hair and all. And most of all I miss being folded and tucked away in a crowd and knowing I didn't fit in with everyone else but knowing that was okay and that people would be that much more welcoming because I didn't.

I really hope to go back to Seoul soon. I was there for seven weeks but there's still so much more to see and experience there. I've researched working at SMOE the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education but we'll see what's the right fit. Gotta crank out a resume too, but I already have some references lined up. It's coming along one step at a time.

Last week was a week from Hades with a crazy art project and two projects for my communications class. Then we had a freak one day snow storm but I got a lot of reading and writing done, which is always good. About 45 pages into second book in Calling You series.

6 weeks until graduation!
1st woman's detective agency is super cute! I didn't know Jill Scott was such a good actress!

I picked up a new book at work the other day. College Girl by Patricia Weitz and I've got to admit...the whole thing is like a massive case of deja vu! Because while I may be in the mid/southwest and not the northeast, or still living in the dorms at TU (thank god) this is totally my life! The story follows senior history major Natalie Bloom through her trials of love, confusion about still growing up when you're supposed to already be grown, and facing the harsh reality of graduating from college and not really feeling like you've gained much of anything (other than copious amounts of alcohol in your system and student loans). I'm only about a third of the way through but it's definitely good already. A Face Out in my opinion.

Okay, so I totally left the house this morning intending to just get my paycheck from work...and I kinda came back with a new laptop. Which, you know, happens sometimes. I still have my old one but it was on its last legs. Okay, it was down to nubs by now but she was trying. Like the little search engine that could. I'm thinking about holding a funeral service for it. Maybe a wake, really short, intimate. Only a couple of friends to properly celebrate the life and times of a good little soldier. However, this new laptop also meant that I got the full Vista experience for the first time...not much more that needs to be said about that...

After playing around with my laptop for a while I went to the zoo today with my best friend in search of hippos (come on, big bodies and cute little bear ears it doesn't get much better than that...okay I obviously watched Fantasia one too many times as a child) but no such luck. We did see the flamingos though, and as everyone knows, pink trumps all.

Naturally after a day on safari, and generally walking around in the Oklahoma sun, we decided to hit up McNeille's (awesome bar with about a million different kinds of beer) afterwards but it only made me sadder because I had been there only a few days earlier for another friend's going away dinner party.

He and his girlfriend-who totally hooked up at my 21st birthday party, you know, in between all the Cuervo shots they made me do-are moving to Palo Alto,CA because he got a job at Facebook. Which, the last I checked, was supposed to BRING friends together and not TEAR them apart. Haha, but alas, it's an awesome opportunity and I'm just sour grapes because I'd love to move to Cali.

Talked a bit about next year and now my friend and I are thinking about teaching in South Korea instead of Japan depending on the job market. We both have lots of love for both cultures-and their foods-so it's really a win-win. I just can't wait to get back to Asia. Night markets are an amazing trend that America really needs to pick up on.

So are 24 hour karaoke rooms/norebang.

And Soju.

Listening to the new Wonder Girls trilogy album. So cute! I could listen to the song Nobody forever. Or until it made my most played list on my iPod. Whichever came first...
Love,
Casey

So I'm a little bummed that Spring Break is next week and the only destination I'm setting out to is work (sadly where there will be no gratuitous consumption of alcohol, half naked guys, or consequentially creepers walking around with cameras and promising free t-shirts for a peek at a certain part of my anatomy that guys seem to find very interesting....actually, maybe there might be alcohol...) but I did get a call today that made me hopeful that my summer might just be salvaged. Some friends of mine from elementary/middle school are trying to have a reunion of sorts...in the city of sin!

Because there's nothing quite like seeing the girls you were in scouts with, running around a foam bath...we were taught to leave places cleaner than we found them you know! Next week we'll be buying our plane tickets and sadly we won't be going until August but hopefully it'll be a great way to say sayonara to the US before me and my friend Jen head out for a year of teaching, fun, and culture not of the American sort.

In literary land, I was reading a YA forum and realized that I had never read a Judy Blume book before. So at work the other day I picked up Forever and all I've got to say is hot damn.

I'm beginning edit draft number 1,000 5 of my manuscript for Calling You: Sealed. It's sitting comfortably at a little less than 107,000 words but I'm really happy at where it is. My mom and english prof are editing it again and I'm hoping to start the query process soon, along with the other million or so novelist hopefuls out there.

Le sigh, but it'll happen. Here's draft number 2,000 of my query letter:



Before 17-year-old Samantha Grace met worldly and irresistible Liam Miliankos, her biggest challenge was getting the hell out of her small Oklahoma town, preferably to a place that wasn’t completely obsessed with football. That ambition changes the day Liam reveals that her unusually bright eyes, once the source of town gossip, are a sign that she is an immortal.

She is a Mara, a being descended from a troupe of gypsies who stumbled upon the Fountain of Youth nearly eight hundred years ago and have been living their frivolous lives in secret ever since.

And more than that, the brother she didn’t even know she had is claiming to be the source of the rage inducing virus that’s sweeping the nation. The virus she is the real source of, and now he’s wasting away in a research facility while scientists strive to find a cure.

Guilt ridden but determined, Samantha must find a way to save her brother’s life without screwing up the future she and Liam could have together or being caught by the group of Mara who want her dead for unknowingly endangering their secret. She has one hope, Calling, a rare, dangerous power that one day will allow her to control the other Mara. She just has to put her lifetime of perpetual wallflower-ism aside and gain the confidence to master the power before it masters her and everything she loves.



Still have a few more tweaks I know, until then I shall be Twittering away. US Cellular will be very happy with my phone bill, I'm sure, unlike my father.

Casey

P.S. Anthony Bourdain doesn't know but he's been married to me for a few months now. I can't get enough of No Reservations.

P.P.S. My cat really has a Television problem. She's supposed to be addicted to catnip, not Animal Planet...

Things are getting scary and it's all the economy's fault. Alright so I've never been a fan of economics. I took macro in high school and then again my sophomore year in college and barely scrapped by with a C in both semesters (though in my defense the sophomore year one wasn't really my fault as my professor barely spoke English and now the advisors won't even let Arts and Science majors enroll in her class, which would have, you know, been really good to know two years ago...) but I think all the complaining I did about supply-demand charts and fiscal policy have come back to bite me. As an English major there are pretty much two fields open to me in the future aka, two months from now when I graduate. Anything involving books-since I can obviously read them-and education.

According to a Reuters list I read, these are industries that shouldn't be hurt too badly by the recession but in the past week I've had proof suggesting otherwise. The first came in my small group communications class where I learned that my prof's position will be frozen. Aka, won't be there next semester. Which means that he won't have a job (on the other hand we will have a freakishly green U. What's having teachers and getting an education-you know, that thing we're paying $20,000+ a year for, in comparison to unnaturally green grass?)

The second came yesterday when I got to work and found out that not one but two people from our store had been let go (Borders as a company let go of some 750 employees a few days ago.) This was very saddening and definitely didn't help in store morale because they were both employees that we cared about and were hard workers. Honestly I've never really thought about the recession. It always seemed so far away, trapped in bigger cities and newspaper headlines, but now reality and settling in and I can't help but be worried for my own future.

Things like these doesn't really register until they come close to you and you can see that these are real people who are trying to support their families. Times are hard and I can only send my love, thoughts, and prayers out to everyone who is touched by the recession. We as a nation have a lot of healing and learning to do but I have faith that we can do it. As they say in the Korean dramas I can't seem to get enough of. Aja Aja, fighting!

Alright so for a couple of hours now my computer has been freezing up on one website and one website only: Youtube. Unfortunately, that just so happens to be one of my biggest addictions! How will I live without my extensive favorites list? And my K-pop. Everyone knows my life isn't complete without watching people attempting to do the Wonder Girls 'Tell Me' dance until I'm blue in the face! (And secretly know the dance too!) The knock offs: Hulu, Crunchyroll, Daily Motion etc. aren't doing it for me and I'm starting to have withdrawal symptoms. Seriously! I've totally got the shakes (or maybe that was the shot of espresso I had just before close...)!

So, I've been reduced to watching actual TV and I've got to say it pretty much sucks. Except King of the Hill, of course. As a dweller of the sort of southwestern area I can attest that there are some people like that who live here. I had a prime example of such characters earlier today as I was at the register, checking people out.

At Borders we have to ask every customer if they have a Border's Rewards Card-it's free and there are no forms to fill out so why not, right?-Well I was doing as my job dictated and asked this shining gem of a customer if they would like a Rewards card when they said they didn't have one, and I received this gracious, unbelievably eloquent reply: "No, I ain't got no cable."

I kid you not!

What do CABLE and a REWARDS card have in common? Your guess is as good as mine but this is the type of thing I get on a fairly regular basis. Now, I won't say that ALL okies are like this. I mean, there are some of us out there who consider ourselves reasonably intelligent, and you know, able to recognize the difference between a customer savings card and a bundle of wires wrapped in a plastic protective coating that transmits information, but then occasionally you find the "I ain't got no cable" type too.

Note to self: Get the hell out of here as soon as humanly possible-aka after graduation on May 9th.

Casey


P.S. My independent study prof-the head of the English department here at TU-has deemed my manuscript "readable". This is a good thing right? He's reading the latest edit now. Crossing fingers...now!

Alright, so I've worked at a Borders store here in Tulsa for a little over and year and a half and I'll come right out and say it, the main reason I applied was the discount. I had flitted my life away in a retail job before(I'm a proud survivor of two and a half years at Old Navy thank you very much!) and after my cushy stint as a Resident Advisor at the freshman dorm resident hall at my college (Trust me, after two years of having psycho moms yelling at you for over charging her twenty cents for her baby socks, having a drunk frat bro in training lob a DVD of Jenna Jamison's finest work from the second floor landing during the Beer Olympics is nothing...true story) I wasn't too warm to the idea of trotting back into retail hell.

But it was books so it wasn't like I didn't spend all my time there anyway. Unfortunately I quickly discovered that those same moms who were yelling about their baby socks yelled about the coupon they left at home that you can't let her use anyway because it's against company policy and could get you fired. However, amongst the bowing and scraping, and the spit up on your favorite jeans from the genius mother who let her five year old drink an entire caramel mocha by herself, there come these shining gem moments. Today just so happened to have one of them.

So I was putting away some reshelves and trying not to laugh at the 80+ year old couple who were looking at Karma Sutra books, and you know, worrying that grandma there could break a hip or dislocate something vital if they were seriously thinking of trying page 55 of the Position of the Day book, when I happened to stumble upon Drink, Play, F@#k by Andrew Gottlieb.

Now I'm not going to lie. The title is what did it. As a cronic F-bomb dropper I just knew that this was something I needed to check out. Plus the inner annoyed employee (haha, inner...right...) in me was interested in anything parodying Eat, Love, Pray which we were practically slammed with about a year ago when it was featured on Oprah. And I was not disappointed in the least. I laughed out loud-scaring the guy nosing around the register, waiting for the right childless moment to come up and buy his Playboy. And the smile I gave when he was walking away, waving off my "Have a nice evening, sir!!!" was totally real. I couldn't put it down. So while I'm supposed to be finishing off Grotesque, and you know, studying for my Communications test tomorrow, I'm busy laughing along with Mr. Sullivan in his adventures in Ireland.

Well done, sir and I look forward to reading about Vegas next!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHkWv1vHtHk

Funny video I found online.

I recently decided to grow my hair out naturally because I'm going to Japan where finding African American hair care will be like trying to pull fresh catnip from my cat Stinky's clutches. AKA impossible. Well, in my request for non-chemically processed hair, I did my hair in crazy crimpy waves that got many compliments. However, I'm afraid that said fun hair style may be the reason behind a recent visitor I think we've gotten at casa de la home because I'm pretty sure that my friend Hailey's ghost followed me home from Cosmo's last night. No really! We were sitting there, sipping after work cosmopolitans all sophisticated like and we naturally started talking about ghosts and the fact that one is stalking her. I intelligently remarked that she could keep said ghost to herself.

Well I got home last night and locked the door to the garage but when my mom woke up this morning, she said that not only was it unlocked but wide open. AND that she had heard thumping last night, like metal on metal thumping and one of the things that Hailey said she heard with her ghost was thumping and heavy footsteps on the roof.
I'm hoping that if this is the case and Mr. Ghosty-Mc-Ghostalot is hanging around here that he's a hottie like Hector "Jesse" de Silva a la The Mediator, my favorite of Meg Cabot's series. We can only hope. I'll be wearing a cross when I go to sleep tonight just in case.

You know, because ghosts are like vampires right?
Casey

P.S. Why did it get so cold in here all of a sudden?
P.P.S. I just found this on Meg Cabot's website while thinking about Jesse and decided to post it. It'll make you say aww....And then go buy the series because it's one of my favs!

Haha,
So, I love irony, a lot. It tackles my fancy so I was foaming at the mouth when this happened. I'm not sure if anything other than divine intervention (and a call to a local pimp) could have set this up. As I stated in a previous post, I am currently reading Grotesque by Nastuo Kirino-a mystery novel about a girl whose sister is murdered and perhaps how she tracks down the murderer? (I'm only about 200 pages in so I'm not quite sure on that yet...)But anyways, the sister who was murdered was a prostitute and earlier today I had read this long section of the book about the girl and how beautiful she thought she was (she's not a vain or narcissistic character at all as I'm sure you can tell!) and how being a bigger person you couldn't be a prostitute. Well, I had an experience on my V-tines day that might just prove her wrong.

The day started off sluggish-minus the cool trail-so I wasn't expecting much. Went to a play with my best friend (Ibsen's A Doll's House which I think all women-and especially Rihanna right now-should see because if a mother living in the 19th century can walk out on her manipulative, jerk-off of a husband, there's no reason for you to stick with that abusive, judgmental, WoW playing, mooching lump sitting on the end of your couch, eating all your mac-n-cheese ya know what I mean?) and a quick trip to this trend 50's-ish diner called The Brook in the hipster side of town. When my friends and I decided to take a trip to VI-AKA Village Inn which is kinda like Denny's except for in existence.

Now, we've taken our fair share of late night-til-morning trips to VI. Not a weird, or ironic-thing but this time we were shortly joined by who had to be a prostitute. And let me tell you she was NO Julia Roberts.

At least I never saw Vivian pushing 250 in a skin tight dress with diamonds holes cut out in the stomach and absolutely NO VLP or VBL (yes, the girls were NOT contained, which I felt was illegal enough as it is, no offense to the non-bra wearing people in the world. My older sister is one of you. I just feel that there are some people who can get away with letting the girls go free and some of us who cause traffic accidents when they do...)

And then her pimps showed up in all their Sean Jean, spree wheels, and Jose Quervo glory! My friends and I-ever the sleuth's-watched the deal go down. And there was actual face suckage! It was like the skankiest episode of the Discovery Channel ever!

But alas, the deal transpired and presumably one of the guys went home with a happier ending than finishing his Moon Over My Hammy-you know if it was Denny's, which it wasn't because Denny's isn't in existence anymore, at least not here in Tulsa, Oklahoma. But it just made me think of Grotesque. I'm not sure how things are in Japan (In Korea, you look for the prostitutes in the places with the spinning barber poles) but maybe I can let you know in a few years if ladies of the night there don't get any business if they're over weight.

Considering the new law put in place where Japanese employees get fined for having a waist that's more than 35 inches, I suppose that's not surprising. But as with most things, in America we're more forgiving because this lady didn't look like she'd missed any meals from lack of nourishment.

I'm off to buy bedspreads with my mom now! Not to be used in a prostitution ring unless this whole writing thing falls through,
Much love,
Casey

P.S. Maybe I'll looked at silk sheets just in case...

I send a great bit candy gram to everyone. As I'm sure everyone is aware, today is officially the day of love. Greeting card and chocolate companies everywhere are rejoicing. Boyfriends are buying expensive gifts in hopes of getting out of the dog house. People like me are looking for every shred of black clothing in their closets to boycott the holiday. I decided that I am going to list the things that I love in honor of this most delicious of days.

-chasing my cat around the house then laughing at her TV addiction
-walking around barefoot at work
-listening to k-pop and trying to pick out words I recognize
-the smell of new books
-laughing
-Rain (Bi)-the Korean star
-my new cell phone
-the music trivia game on my iPod
-striking a chord just right on my guitar
-eating the Chuck Norris of all licorice sticks-Red Vines
-using the Chuck Norris of all licorice sticks as a straw to drink cherry Coke
-not catching 5 o'clock traffic on 81st street between Mingo and Memorial
-checking Perezhilton.com more times a day than should be legally allowed
-geeking out and playing drinking games with my friends on Saturday nights
-writing The End at the end of a manuscript
-meaning The End after editing it until your brain starts to numb
-talking to other writers
-watching Transformers with my mom while she points out and names every single Decepticon
-waking up my cat when she's trying to sleep

We weren't too busy today but I did get a book to read for the holiday. It's called Be With You and it's a Japanese novel that was translated. I've got to finish reading Grotesque but hopefully I'll get a review of both of them up soon!

I hope that everyone has a joyous Valentine's Day. Be Safe!
Casey

I just discovered an illustrator who tickles my inner anime loving fancy. Designer Luke Feldman does some truly amazing things. If I ever get published I'd love to have him design my book cover or website. I'm thinking about buying a couple of his prints from Shanalogic. You should definitely check out his stuff!

So I found out my celebrity twin, singer Rihanna, was physically abused by her boyfriend, singer Chris Brown, proving that domestic abuse DOES happen in young couples. SO NOT COOL CHRIS BROWN! You've officially lost me as a fan. Call me old fashioned but I believe that a gentleman should NEVER hit a lady! I wish Rihanna the best and send my prayers to her and her family and I hope she dumps his sorry butt.
Casey

My legs are hurting from my ballet class (or, as as I've come to know it, Ball-oww class)and everyone knows that the best cure for sore legs is reading (IcyHot also doesn't hurt...) So I grabbed a book to procrastinate from doing homework contribute to the weakening economy and settled down with some Red Vines and sweet tea for a nice evening of yummy YA Scifi classical literature. The pick for today was Suzanne Collin's Hunger Games. I was a little skeptical at first because in reading the back of the book, all kinds of alarms went off in my head that this was a rip off of Koushun Takami's Battle Royale, hugely popular novel that has inspired a manga series and two hit live action movies in Japan. But once I put all of these preconceived prejudices aside, I really enjoyed the book.

It follows Katniss-kudos for the cool name-who steps in her sister Prim's place when she is chosen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a battle to the death that only one person can walk away from (the part that shouted Battle Royale). It's the classic man vs. man. vs nature battle with a twist. Katniss was likable, though she did infuriate me at times-hello treating cutie Peeta like a prop-but over all it was a like. The only complaints I had was that the back of the book made it sound like cannibalism is a vital part of the plot and it is not. Not that I'm just this overbearing fan of people eating-unless of course they are of the one eyed, one horned,flying, and purple variety-but I thought this was going to be an a real issue in the book, it being called Hunger Games and all, but it really wasn't. But it wasn't too violent-I see worse in Halo commercials-and you really start to feel for Katniss. And I eagerly await the sequel Catching Fire to come out in September, so I'm going to give this a Face Out.

Well, I must get back to watching What I Like About You doing my forgotten homework. Valentine's Day shall be coming up soon, but I've come to realization that no guy can love me as much as I can love myself and will be spending my evening writing. Lol. It is the one love of my life.

Until next time,
Smooches,
Casey

Seoul I miss you so...

Well, I got my response from Maya Rock and that would be no. So after the prerequisite eating of lots of chocolate, listening to Beyonce's B-day album on repeat, and grumbling about if this whole publishing thing is really for me, I got over it, grew a pair, and decided that she was right and one day I shall find the right agent. For now, it's back to the grind. And ice cream. And lots of Gossip Girl. (Dan's hooking up with the teacher le gasp SO saw that one coming...)


And back to lots of reading as well because you can't learn the craft if you don't know the craft. I work at a major chain bookstore so I'm around books all day and have the privilege of seeing what comes out, what sells, and what stays on the shelf for months on end and won't move no matter how much we try to push it. One such example, unfortunately, I saw today. We received The Envy, book three of Anna Godbersen's The Luxe The concept of the story was pretty cool; Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty meets Gossip Girl, but so far the results of such a merger have been pretty meager. I picked up the book and couldn't get into it and all attempts at hand selling it haven't gone over well either. I'm not the only one who apparently thinks so. We have this term at the store called RPL for books that aren't selling well that we have to ship back to the publisher and I have a feeling that this might end up on that list at the end of the year.


On the other hand, I am currently reading Life As We Knew It by Pfeffer. I'd seen more than a few kids coming in to pick it up, so I think it was used as a school title, but so far it's pretty good. Unique concept and a character who is pretty endearing. A little nonchalant at times but what teen isn't? In the store we have a term called a Face Out for books that are selling well that we showcase in the section. I'm going to give this one my Face Out of the week.

Well, time for eating more ice creamdoing homework.
Yawn,laters
Casey

Well I'm going to give this blog thing another go under my new account.

I'm Casey. I'm a writer-hopefully one day a published one-and that's about all I've been doing lately. I'm a senior at the University of Tulsa and completely my first full length novel in 2005 while crammed into my dorm room. It's my last year and I've finally completed me second (Calling You: Sealed) and am started on my third(Calling You: Joined). Calling you is a series that I am working on/have been obsessed with writing. It centers around a girl name Samantha Grace who's adopted and finds out that she isn't normal, in any sense of the word. And if she doesn't screw things up too much, she could get something that most people would kill for: power, love, and eternal youth. Unfortunately, it seems like the person that most people would for it, is her.

It's a very complex story but I have plenty of time to write it this semester as it is my last and my school schedule consists of Ballet, Improv, Communications, Studio Art, European film and Independent Study. And my hours have been cut at work. But I'm not complaining. I like time to breathe. Unfortunately it also means that I have plenty of time to be at home and check my email. Which I have a lot of temptation to do because I sent out a few queries for Calling You: Sealed. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, especially for an agent at Writer's House named Maya Rock. I've heard that she replies quickly, I just hope that I'll get a partial or full request! It's a step in the direction I'm hoping to go. Maybe one day I'll see my dream actualizated and I can walk into the NY public library and sign their copy of my book like in Breakfast At Tiffany's.

Lol.

But thankfully my only difficult-ish class is Small Group Communication. But it's cool. And I found out that Kristin Cast, co-author of the YA series House of Night is in my class. I recently read the series and I must say it's rather good. And it's set in Tulsa so there are landmarks and locations I'm familiar with, which is a lot of fun. I'm starting to think that Oklahoma is the state to write paranormal literature in though. But anyways, you should check it out. House of Night, not Oklahoma...unless you want to see Oklahoma, in which case go ahead but you won't mind much. Except erratic weather.

Ja,
Casey

P.S. Meg Cabot is great. Been reading her blog for years. Maybe one day her blog writing prowess will seep into me. Today is her birthday so Happy B-day to her!!!! And Happy SuperBowl Sunday too...(yea...I don't even know who's playing.)

P.P.S. Been working on getting my writing playlist together for Joined. It's a little darker on one end and near lighthearted on the other than Sealed was so the whole thing is like a roller coaster. I'll be uploading the playlists to my iPod as soon as it stops acting like an idget....

Playlist for Sealed:

Evanesence-Bring Me to Life

The Pierces-Three Wishes

Aqualung-Strange and Beautiful

Britney Spears-Unusual You

Incubus-Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity)

The Veronicas-I Can’t Stay Away

Ryan Cabrera-True

Paramore-Born For This

Muse-Blackout

Jagster-I’m Leavin

Evanesence-Good Enough

Sara Bareilles-Gravity

Leona Lewis-Misses Glass

Origa-Inner Universe

The Pillows-Ride on Shooting Star

Jason Mraz-I’m Yours

All-American Rejects-Gives You Hell

Journey-Don’t Stop Believin’

Marie Digby-Miss Invisible

David Archuleta-Crush

The Veronicas-Mouth Shut