My birthday is exactly three weeks from today, and this year I’m getting a very special present. So special, I’m sharing it with millions and millions of people. Here’s a sneak peek:

Sweeney Todd was originally slated to have a limited release mid-December and then go nationwide in January, but someone must have told Tim and Johnny about my birthday. Isn’t it sweet of them to change the release date just for me?

Normally I wouldn’t be eagerly anticipating a movie about a barber intent on revenge and a woman who makes, shall we say, *interesting* meat pies. But the Broadway version won a Tony for Best Musical in ’79 — there must be a good reason why it’s been around so long.

You did know it’s a musical, right? And that Johnny does his own singing? Yup — the lead guitarist and backup singer from the rock band The Kids sings the lead in a movie based on a Broadway musical. If you didn’t take time to play the video linked above, you’re missing a real treat. (Go on, it’s only a minute six long.) Even in the extras on the DVD for The Corpse Bride we didn’t get to see Johnny in the recording studio. Given what he can do with his speaking voice I figured he’d have a pretty decent singing voice, but my oh my. Oh my.

Ahem.

You say you’re a Johnny Depp fan? Identify the movie that goes with the line(s). (No, none of them are from Pirates – this quiz isn’t for Johnny-come-lately fans. )

1. “You’re out of your tree.”
“It’s not my tree.”

2. “Okay, I’m going to freak right out.”

3. “The only thing that matters is the ending. It’s the most important part of the story. And this one is very good. This one is perfect.”

4. “Did you kill the man who killed you?”
“I’m not dead.”

5. “My dad always said that work was like a hat you put on your head. And even if you didn’t have pants, you didn’t have to walk down the street ashamed of your ass as long as you had a hat.”

6. “You make friends with us, you make enemies of others.”

7. “Any experiment of interest in life will be carried out at your own expense.”

8. “I hear you are good at … getting things out.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

9. “It’s better to run and live than to stay and die.”

10. “Wanna tell me what you really said to the president?”
“Yeah, I thanked him for his call and I asked him what he was wearing. And, uh, he started breathing kinda heavy, made a funny noise, and hung up.”

Bonus for the truly dedicated, devoted fan:
“I didn’t sell my soul, I sold my body, and the church forgives whores for doing that all the time.”

I’ll check in after to lunch to see how you’re doing…

Have you ever Googled yourself? This is something we authors shouldn’t do, but probably end up doing more than we care to admit. All you do is put your name in (I put quotes around it to narrow the search) and hit search. You will be amazed what you’ll come up with. For instance, there are several Jenna Petersen or Jenna Petersons (I have to put in both since people misspell my last name constantly). One is a massage therapist in the Boston area. She’s very nice. When people send her my email because they put in the wrong spelling, she always forwards it.

Then there’s a little girl who plays volleyball in Idaho, which is such a small world since I grew up in Idaho.

There don’t seem to be any other Jess Michaels, though someone did own that domain before I bought it out from under them a few years back. Whoever she is, she isn’t up to much.

So who do you come up with when you Google yourself? Any interesting doubles running around with your name?

You can’t go anywhere these days without hearing bells and seeing Christmas decorations and every other sensory detail that envelopes us in the holiday spirit. I used to be an early shopper. I’d have my list done by early September and begin shopping by the end and I’d be done by Thanksgiving. That doesn’t seem to happen much anymore. Here we are a handful of days after Thanksgiving and I’ve barely begun. Now I could have gone out on Black Friday and fought the crowds and had a panic attack and come home with great deals. But frankly I’d rather poke something sharp in my eyes than go shopping on a day like that. The sales, the good deals, just not worth it to me. I tried it once with my sister (who is a perennial shopper for Black Friday) and it was honestly like the worst shopping experience ever. I ended up humming to myself and rocking gently in the car while she finished her task. For her it’s all about the challenge, the race to find the best deal and if it’s an item everyone wants, all the better.

A few years ago I opted to do most of my shopping on-line, thinking that if I bypassed the crowds all together I could get through the season unscathed. But you know what? It wasn’t any fun. I actually do enjoy Christmas shopping, picking out special gifts for my friends and family and something about browsing the internet isn’t quite the same. So now I just do a little on-line and then I hit stores during what I hope is down time to avoid most of the crowds. It seems to work fairly well and that way I get to keep my sanity while enjoying the actual shopping.

So how about you? Do you have a master plan or do you just hit the malls on Christmas Eve and hope for the best? Who’s your favorite person to shop for?

My Mom sent this to me yesterday. After Margo’s touching post, here’s a little mom humor. Anyone had an experience with this – from either side of the coin? Any particular phrase that is your favorite?

I have three children. The eldest – my daughter – was nearly two when her brother was born and four years old when her youngest brother came along. Being so near in age, the three of them have always been very close. We raised them in a small urban community where they knew everyone and everyone knew them. I worked as a nurse while they were growing up, and my husband’s job was a 60 minute commute from home. My kids played in sports, participated in musical bands, and were involved in civic activities. It was busy, wildly busy, at times.

I was sure the hardest thing I would ever experience was my daughter’s first day of kindergarten. Turns out I was happy about it. I had two little boys still at home, and there was a lot going on with them. By the time the third one started kindergarten, I thought that would be cause for weeping. But no … I had a newfound sense of freedom. I had less childcare to deal with, and they were happy with school and all that went with it.

Fast forward to college. High school graduations were cause for happiness and celebrations, no crying then. My daughter had been accepted to every college she’d applied to, and she chose one that’s 90 miles from home. Her brothers followed suit (which seems to be a recurring theme in our family) and are still students there.

My daughter graduated and stayed in her college town for several months, working at an internship. Then she broke up with her college boyfriend, moved back home and started her first real job. It didn’t pay very well, so she stayed at home and saved as much money as she could. Then came the big change. About two months ago, she accepted a job in Chicago, nearly 400 miles from home. She has a nice little apartment that she shares with her cat, Louie, a wonderful job that she loves, and an urban environment that suits her well.

For the first time since moving away, she came home (for Thanksgiving) and stayed for five days – with Louie. Of course, the boys were home, too. We hosted two big family parties while she was here, with aunts, uncles and cousins. We went out to breakfast, and did some shopping together.

And this morning, she left. This is the hardest thing. Knowing she’s making a life elsewhere. Knowing it’s more than likely she’ll find her life’s mate far away from home, and will never come back. That if she has children, my husband and I will be the out-of-town grandparents. For the first time I can remember, I found myself shedding a tear over a milestone in one of my children’s lives.

And wondering if my sons will follow this path, too.

And the winner is…Taryn R! Congrats to you, Taryn. Just e-mail me with your choice of one of my first four books and your snail mail addy, and I’ll get your prize mailed out sometime next week. Thanks to everyone who commented. May you all receive everything on your Christmas list.

And don’t forget to scroll down to check out Cindy’s post for today.

As I sit here, I wonder to blog about. Something writing related? Something personal? Something about pets (as you know I’m a huge animal lover)? Something more introspective?

Nothing strikes me as just right. Of course, I’m someone who overpacks because I’m not sure what I’ll be “feeling” like wearing on any given day….so it shouldn’t be a surprise that nothing feels quite right to me.

What would you like to talk about today? Shall we just do a free for all?

I’m babysitting my grandogs this weekend so I’ll be around to respond.

Let me know what’s on your mind

I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling pretty stressed out right about now. I barely made it through Thanksgiving, and here comes a huge round of parties and events. Where do I find the time for all the shopping, baking, wrapping, decorating, mailing, and—oh, yeah—partying?

Every year I make a commitment to really enjoy the holiday season, and every year I get pretty stressed. So this year I did a bit of research and found these tips, which I’ll pass on to you.

1. Take a day off work in early December. Everyone knows that the weekdays are the best time to shop because we’re all working then. So take a day off from work and shop without the crowds and the traffic. Maybe this year shopping will be fun.

2. Treat yourself. I’m really into this one. Take a bubble bath or watch a movie or have a piece of chocolate.

3. Exercise. You won’t feel so guilty about all the extra calories and it helps reduce stress.

4. Skip it. You don’t have to do everything. Maybe you can skip the office party this year. Do you really need to see The Nutcracker one more time? Don’t worry. It’ll be back next year.

5. Remember the reason for the season.

So what are your tips to reduce holiday stress?

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

With the holidays drawing ever closer, it’s that time of year once again to start making out those lists so that the jolly guy in red will know just what you’d like to find under your tree come Christmas morning. I already received my big ticket item this past weekend when my family gifted me with a Playstation 3 as an early present. (Of course, they totally ignored my request for Hugh Jackman to be delivered to my front door, complete with a big red bow. Sigh. Somehow that request gets overlooked every year…) There are a few other small things on my list. Some books and CDs and DVDs. And yes, joy, peace, and good will toward man are pretty high up there as well. Just so you know I’m not totally mercenary.

So, do you have your lists ready? Do you know what you would like for Christmas? What about your fantasy Christmas list? What would you like to receive if you could have anything and money was no object?

Just to add a little fun to the sharing, all of those who comment before midnight on Friday, November 23rd will be entered into a random drawing for a chance to win a signed cover flat of my upcoming release, Seduced By Sin, along with their choice of a signed copy of one of my first four books. (You can mull over your choices at my website.) I will announce the winner on Saturday, November 24th.

Have a very happy Thanksgiving!