Check It!!! -- Eve

I’m a simple person. It doesn’t take much to excite me. Little things that make me incredibly happy are: Fetching the new People magazine from the mailbox, mounds of whipped cream on my morning café mocha, unexpected emails from old friends, an accidental extra jelly doughnut in my box of “dozen assorted” from Stan’s in Westwood.

Seriously, no joke, these are the things I revel in. One new comment on my Facebook page can get my heart pumping, my endorphins flowing, and instantly make me ecstatic to be alive. Told you. I’m simple.

With my excitement threshold still being that of a six-year-old (remember when finding a ladybug on your sleeve was like the best thing ever?) you can imagine how I felt when I ran into Borders Bookstore a few days ago to check out the Writing/Publishing section (which I often do, just to see if there’s anything on the planet about this business I haven’t read yet) and saw this!!


The New Writer’s Handbook, Vol. 2 is an all-new collection of articles to refresh and upgrade any writer's skills, with tons of advice on craft and career development. It delivers an eclectic mix of expert how-tos, stimulating pieces on creativity and professional issues, and broad encouragement for aspiring and experienced writers alike.

Why the heart attack inducing freak out session? Because I flipped to page 33 and saw this!

“SOCK MONKEYS AND STEGOSAURUSES” BY EVE PORINCHAK

Originally written as a post on this blog, the lovely editor, Philip Martin, had read it and contacted me about turning it into an article for the anthology.

There’s nothing like the thrill of seeing one’s name in print. In a real book. In a real bookstore. When I spied the book, I was alone in the aisle (sweats-clad and greasy-haired, by the way…not my best look) except for the scruffy, bespectacled young book-stacker a couple shelves down. I could not contain my enthusiasm. I flipped to page 33, jumped up and down, squealed a bit, then decided I needed to share the moment with someone. It went something like this:

ME: (pokes scruffy young book stacker in the arm) Hey…Hey!
HIM: Yes.
ME: Look! (points to page 33) That’s me!
HIM: Uh-huh.
ME: Me! In the book. My name. Me!
HIM: Mm-hmm.
ME: I wrote this.
HIM: (finally looks up from his book stacking) Oh.
ME: I’m a writer…
HIM: (finally stops book stacking) Yeah? Like JK Rowling??
ME: (walks away hugging book to chest) Yes. Just like JK Rowling.

Amazon blurb:

The 60-plus articles are chosen from best pieces of advice published in books, magazines, and online. Contributors include Tess Gerritsen, Lois Lowry, Ira Glass, and other bestselling and award-winning authors, plus leading journalists, writing teachers, editors, agents, and literary bloggers…(LIKE EVIE P!)

- Eve