Now what?

Submitted Manticore. Yay etc. Coming out late next year. Awww etc. Also, in the space of an hour last evening, wrote and sent poem for kiddies bedtime collection, the first six thingies of which i will post here:

Midnight. I was fast asleep and was dreaming

Of flying in night skies, my eyes bright and gleaming

When back in my bedroom, a thunderous thump

Woke me up. I switched on the light. And I jumped.

A weird little monster lay flat by my bed

Ears stuck out like great wings from his green head

A sign on his tail read ‘Kids scream when I roar!’

He’d tripped on my toy train, ker-splat! on the floor

He bounced up and said ‘Ha! Tremble in fear!

‘I’m not scared,’ I said, ‘but why are you here?

‘Rubbish!’ he cried, ‘I see you a-shivering!

Your heart is a-thumping! Your legs are a-quivering!’

‘Your teeth are a-chattering! Your stomach is jelly!’

‘I’m NOT scared,’ I said. ‘You’re just small and smelly.’

‘Why aren’t you scared?’ he cried. I said ‘Don’t stress,

But we modern kids are real tough to impress.

We’ve seen all the movies. We’ve heard all the stories.

We’ve played video games far more violent and gory

Than anything you could dream up.’ ‘That’s not true!’

‘It is! I’ve seen movies where monsters like you

Have to quit scaring children and start acting funny!

So go get a costume and start being a bunny!

You think you’re scary? Please! Give me a break!

You have no idea how much I have to take!

Yeah. Well, the only thing happening in the world right now is the tsunami…and i didnt even know about it for so long. only found out when a friend called to tell me she was ok, and then i felt terrible. this kind of isolation v scary.

Diya is back from Paris, bearing many envy-creating stories of sunshine, trees, cafes, artists, photographers, wine and the smell of bread. She also bore news of Sarnath – apparently the man is now in Antwerp, no doubt having a ball. His incredible capacity to find a good time never ceases to amaze me. Id tell the story of the Punjabi-Canadian model here, but children read this blog.

Jabberwock has a nice year-end books list, which Im linking to only after confirming that he read an advance copy of my book in 2003, heh heh. Delhi has made me so much more upfront about these things.

Its my sisters anniversary today – 3 years theyve been married, and what an earth-shattering wedding it was – my house is still quivering gently. called her, to find that the aunt brigade has been calling since 6, as is their wont. Fond memories of two weeks ago, when they all sang to me at 6 – memories would have been fonder if id had more than 2 hours of sleep.

And now, the really scary question – what do i now do with my life?