back in the ussr

So, I have tentative permission to share the news that I was so cryptic about a couple of weeks ago - I'm still not broadcasting it amongst the writing communities I'm part of, since the contract hasn't been signed, but my agent said it was okay to share. We sold Russian rights to my first book!!! That means it will be translated into Russian (and likely retitled), and will come out in paperback there in the next 12-18 months. It wasn't for a lot of money, so I'm not quite at the point where I can run away and buy a dacha on the Black Sea, but obviously it's quite exciting (and somehow perfect/surreal that my first 'traditional' print deal is in Russian, not English).

So yay to that. If I didn't have that news to share, this would be an utterly sad and depressing blog. My neck still hurts, I have a smashing headache, and I also had stomach problems all afternoon/evening, which made me a v. unhappy camper. It's not lost on me that it's probably at least half related to the stress of Nick and Ellie's book, since I've hit a bit of a wall with them -- and I don't have time to hit walls. Bleh.

I wrote a bit, but I didn't hit my word goal before I ultimately decided that today was fruitless and I'd be better off taking a break and hitting it again in the morning. So I started to read a book...a different book than the one I started to read yesterday, but I'm not really enchanted by it either, which is a shame since I was actually looking forward to this one. I also watched a bit of the US Open with Terry, and then we watched some "Say Yes To The Dress" (always guaranteed to either make you feel totally wonderful or completely miserable about your life decisions), and then watched a movie: "Saving Grace", starring a younger Craig Ferguson, about a woman whose husband commits suicide and leaves her massively in debt, and Craig helps her grow pot to pay off her debt. It was all v. charming and entertaining, and I do love Craig, so I'm glad I watched it.

But now, I must go to sleep; I have to write a million pages and also run an errand in Oakland tomorrow, so I should really get off the laptop. Goodnight!