I am very excited to be heading to the Midwest this week.  I’ll watch my son row, hang out in Indianapolis, and speak the language of flowers at two bookstores:  Barnes & Noble, IUPUI and Bookmamas. Then I’ll head to one of my favorite places in the world for vacation, the Leelanau Peninsula of Michigan. I’ve had enough of this DC heat and humidity and hope my plants will survive without me!

So if you live in Indianapolis or have visited, what should I be sure to do while I’m there? They have to have gardens, right? Should I take my rollerblades?

In other news, I’m thrilled to be a new creative writing instructor at WritopiaLab DC. It’s a fabulously supportive program for budding writers, ages 8 to 18. I wish it was around when I was that age! Fingers crossed we expand into Arlington and McLean soon.

Lastly, if you’re looking for a wonderful, native vine, I just planted some native honeysuckle and it’s so lovely. It will grow up over the chain link fence between my and my neighbor’s house .(see below) And, of course, it’s not invasive and great for birds.

To kick off their summer teen reading program, the Chinn Park Library in Woodbridge, VA, invited me to give my language of flowers presentation this Tuesday at 2 pm. I’m super-excited, because a local gardening group is going to bring flowers and herbs, so everyone can make her own tussie-mussies at the end. I’ll be circulating and helping out too.

In my yard, I have tons of mint (for virtue, and it makes the bouquets smell amazing), sweet basil, rosemary, giant blue hydrangeas, purple coneflowers, butterfly bush, and lots of amazing lace cap hydrangeas. I may have to go scavenge in a few friend’s gardens to find some great flowers for demo tussies….

I’m also thrilled to have a new regular freelancing gig at a new glossy magazine, called Arlington magazine. It’s pretty much a perfect fit for me, and I’ll be writing about lots of fun stuff. Novels take so long to write from conception to sale to shelf that it will be fabulous to write something, get paid, and have it published within months, not years.

There was also a lot of Twitter chat this week about an article by a YA writer that appeared in Slate magazine. In it, the authors basically insult the entire YA reading and writing community as slap dash and not serious about good writing. Aside from the fact that this is just plain wrong, I’m amazed that otherwise respected author Katie Crouch couldn’t see how this would alienate her readers and lots of bloggers and YA consumers. I found myself in a bookstore, holding her book in my hand and thinking I’d have to have a gun to my head to buy it.  Her portrayal of her editor at a major, respected house was also disconcerting. All around — bad form.

I just potted my geraniums and put some new herbs in (more rosemary, lavender, and sweet basil), so summer is here. The pansies are leggy and fading, while my hydrangeas are just opening.

Gardening definitely teaches the virtue of patience. Five years after I put them in, my peonies were finally magnificent this year and will only get better. One of my favorite spring traditions is when my wonderful neighbor, who has scores of peonies which are over 25 years old, brings me a huge handful of pink and white double blooms. Their gently sweet scent fills my house for the week.

I’ve also been very involved with neighborhood invasive species removal.  The stream behind my house is slated for restoration — the erosion is something fierce, as are the invasives that have taken over — so we’re trying to get native species established. One Sunday afternoon in May, about twenty-five neighbors from ages four to seventy-five worked for a few hours to remove the ivy and multiflora rose that had taken over the yard of an elderly neighbor. Then the following week, people kept dropping off wonderful plants — ferns, blue-eyed grass, cardinal flower — in my back yard, so I could replant the cleared space. I feel like I pulled an all-nighter to get all those planted, but it looks great and will only get better. Sharing is another one of the joys of gardening.

I’ve also been revising away. Who was it that said, “There’s no such thing as good writing, only good revision?” That’s definitely true for me. I feel like I finally got all the layers and icing and decorations right on String Theories, so fingers crossed I can share good news soon.

Also, check out my appearances page for some fun new updates. I’m very excited to be back at the U.S. Botanic Garden this fall for a language of flowers workshop! I’ve also had a great time visiting garden clubs and book groups all over the DC area. If you’re local, invite me to come!!

The wonderful Skyanne at Harmony Book Reviews, the force behind BringYA2PA, has chosen a library to receive my Library Loving Challenge donation. It’s Wyalusing Public Library in Pennsylvania. I’ll be sending them a check for $100 for their young adult book section and a signed copy of Forget-Her-Nots. Overall, through Jenn Hubbard’s efforts, more than $1600 was raised for needy libraries across the country.  Yay, Jenn!!

Also, I will be giving my Philly Flower Show talk on the Language of Flowers at a wonderful new indie bookstore right in my home town.  I’ll be at One More Page Books on April 30th at 2 pm. This great little bookstore has an excellent selection of both adult and kids’ books. Plus they sell wine and cheese! Hope to see you there.

As always, I’m amazed by spring time in Virginia. The dogwoods are so lovely, my little cherry tree is covered with blooms that will turn into yummy cherries, and I have all kinds of cool native plants and ferns opening on my wooded hill. And yes, I am that crazy lady pulling out the invasive garlic mustard along the paths of Arlington. Here’s my cherry:

And my dog got a fro cut too. She has naturally curly hair, so I swear they must have blown it dry. My husband thinks she looks embarrassed.

Today I am thrilled to welcome a Tenner pal (who became an Elevensie), Stephanie Burgis. My daughter and I both read her novel, Kat, Incorrigible, in ARC format and LOVED it! This fun, clever, and fast-paced novel has just released in the U.S. this week. We’re looking forward to the next books in the series. Isn’t that a fun cover? Welcome, Stephanie!

What’s your favorite flower and why?

Lilies of the valley! They used to grow in my parents’ backyard, and not only are they beautiful, they have such an amazing scent. They also have family significance, for me – my great-grandmother, back in Croatia, carried lilies of the valley at her wedding.

Ooo, lilies of the valley are for the return of happiness in the language of flowers.  They also play an important role in FHN. Is there a quotation you live by or have posted at your desk?

“May I have the courage today to live the life that I would love, to postpone my dream no longer, but do at last what I came here for and waste my heart on fear no more.”

–John O’Donohue

Love it! Fear can be so debilitating.  Which book do you wish you could live inside?

Ooh, good question. The problem is, so many of my favorite books would be deeply uncomfortable to actually live inside – as much as I love reading Jane Austen’s novels, I’d hate to live in the real Regency era! (And ditto for Tolkien’s Middle Earth, for different reasons. Dangerous magic is much more fun to read about than it would be to experience! )

I guess I’d have to choose Hilary McKay’s Casson Family series, and Saffy’s Angel in particular. I adore the fun and humor in those books, and the whole family is so eccentric in the most lovable possible way. I’d love to spend time hanging out with all of them!

What book have you read more than any other and why?

Hmm. Probably Elizabeth Peters’s Crocodile on the Sandbank. It’s such a delightful mix of historical mystery, rollicking adventure, and very, very funny romantic comedy, it’s irresistible comfort reading. And I loooove Amelia Peabody, the heroine! Any smart, intellectual Victorian woman who chases mummies, stands off against arrogant Egyptologists, and bashes her enemies with her parasol is definitely My Kind of Girl.

Why did you decide to write about the Regency period in England?

I’ve been obsessed with it ever since I first started reading Jane Austen, at age eight. My dad started me off by reading me Pride and Prejudice, then I devoured the rest of her books and got started on Georgette Heyer…and I’ve never really stopped. It’s just such a fun period to write in, and when you add a fantasy-adventure element, it becomes my perfect playground.

What was the hardest part of writing historical fiction?

Looking up all the zillions of tiny historical details that come up while writing! Oddly enough, the very hardest one to figure out was how exactly someone would light a candle in a room without a fire. That sounds really basic and easy to research, doesn’t it? But the answers I found totally contradicted each other, and there was no way to tell which one was right. In the end, I just had to choose one possible method almost at random and hope (with fingers and toes crossed) that it was the right one.

Funnily enough, soon afterwards I read another Regency-era novel by a big-name author that described the hero as reaching into a drawer and taking out “a candle and the means with which to light it.” I started laughing like crazy as I realized that that author, too, had come up against the candle-lighting problem – and she didn’t know any more than I did exactly what the right answer was! (From now on, keep an eye out as you read any Regency novels, and let me know if you find other writers skating over that particular detail…)

What was your favorite or least favorite scene to write?

My absolute favorite scene to write was the arrival of the (first!) highwayman. I laughed all the way through it!

What’s your #1 piece of advice for aspiring writers?

Have faith in yourself, never give up (even after the umpteenth rejection!), and keep on writing new & better books even while you’re submitting the most recent completed one to agents or editors.

Excellent advice! What do you do when you hit a writing slump? (Other than chocolate which is, of course, a no-brainer

Chocolate is ALWAYS the first port of call! But after that…actually, I wrote a whole blog post on this for the Tenners: my Top 10 Ways to Fight Writer’s Block: http://community.livejournal.com/10_ers/196076.html Some of the strategies include collaging, field trips, and, believe it or not, dish-washing!

Great! Thanks for the link and good luck. We can’t wait to see what’s next for Kat!!

You can find Steph here or follow her fun tweets @stephanieburgis.

Yesterday was one of those random days that only one of my kids is off school, so I took her and two friends down to the DC Mall to see the new Arabia 3D Imax. But it was just too lovely to be inside. So we wandered down to the tidal basin and climbed into the paddleboats. Then we hit the carousel, which surprised me, because any other day they might have claimed to be too old for that. Then lunch at the Native American Museum, and I dragged them into the National Gallery of Art for a glimpse at two of the masterpieces by da Vinci and Rembrandt.

Pretty much a perfect day, yanno? Here are a few cherry tree shots. Enjoy!!

Also, speaking of cherry blossoms, please help KidLit authors help the victims of the Japanese tsunami. I’ve donated a signed copy of FHN, along with a 10-page manuscript critique for two bidders!! Please be generous. Here’s the link.

I’m thrilled that my flower-speaking travels are featured in today’s issue of Shelf Awareness! Now March, please go out like a lamb. Can’t wait for the real spring to emerge.

The wonderful YA author Jenn Hubbard (The Secret Year, 2010) is once again spearheading a fundraiser for libraries across the country. I’ve agreed to donate a dollar for every comment I receive below.

To which library will I donate? I’m lucky enough to live in an area that can still buy books, so I am going to defer to one of my favorite teen activists for libraries:  Skyanne.  She blogs at Harmony Book Reviews and is the organizer of the awesome Bring YA 2 PA. I am totally inspired by Skyanne’s enthusiasm and organizational skills! So this year Skyanne will decide which library gets a signed copy of Forget-Her-Nots and any money your comments earn.  Comment away!

Jenn’s Challenge is here.

Here’s the link to my post on the Greenwillow Blog, Under the Green Willow. So much fun!

So far in my yard, I have forsythia, hellebore, red camellias, some little white flowers I can’t remember the names of, and daffodils. Around D.C., the weeping cherries are magnificent this year, as are the star magnolias and tulip trees. What’s blooming where you are?

I’ve written a piece for the Greenwillow blog on the flower show that I’ll link to later this week, but meanwhile I thought I’d include a few shots that didn’t make the cut.

Here I am with a “blown” tulips, which means one that has opened completely and is past its prime. Don’t I look like I’m reciting Shakespeare to it? How do I love thee …. A red tulip is for a declaration of love, but this one speaks more to the ephemeral quality of blooms. Notice the “mike.” Freaked me out when they first put it on. I’ve never wore one before, but it worked beautifully. Also, there are some lovely rubber bands on my left wrist, which I used later to hold the blooms together before framing them with a doily.

In this one, I’m acting out the shock one would feel in getting a narcissus (for egotism) as Everett did in FHN.  Although he’s so full of himself, so maybe not. I, on the other hand, would be crushed.

And lastly, here’s a good shot of all the flowers I took up with me on the train, because I had to find ust the right blooms and was a little concerned about running around Philly ISO hyacinth, iris, orchids, and lots of herbs. I am pointing to a red camellia (for unpretending excellence) and look like I have a tree growing out of my head.  But I did have a fabulous time and hope to do many many more flowery events. Happy Spring! Hope you danced barefoot like Laurel and Lily.