Isabelle Drake

 Yes, I stood in line for 47 minutes to get one German pretzel, but I can honestly say it was a good time. As other people came and left (guess not everyone wants to wait that long) the line felt like a party of its own. I met some fun girls who took pictures of me taking pictures of the line. So meta. At the time, it was hilarious.

A few weeks ago, I attended the Association of Writing Programs conference in Philadelphia, PA. For me, the conference was a mix of attending sessions (on poetry! on writing reviews for graphic novels! on new approaches to workshopping!), visiting tables at the book fair, doing work on the room, and walks. I took most of my walking photos on my last day. The center photo in the collection above was my personal favorite. I was walking through the arch surrounding City Hall, snapped the guy walking with his bike, just because I liked the contrast and the colors, and then when we continued through the hall, we came upon the bridal party waiting to be photographed. Like a little story, right? Of course, I took a selfie as well. If I look a tad worn out, or serious, no surprises there. LOL. It was the last day of an academic conference. You can see the collection of postcards I'd made. I picked them up at the conference book fair and sent them to everyone who'd asked for one. If you...

You are an avid traveller, so which is your favourite destination? My favourites are walkable cities or cities with good public transportation: Boston, New Orleans, Washington, DC are some places I love. I like to start in one spot, wander, and see where I end up.  About a week ago I was hanging out with a friend in Boston. We started our day at the Boston Public Library. That library has a gorgeous courtyard. It’s a great place to read, write, or people watch, so go there if you ever have a chance. We spent a couple hours there, then started walking toward The Commons. After we sat on a hill near the carousel, we headed toward Newbury Street. My friend bought a couple pairs of sandals, I read a funny book about cats, and then we ate lunch at an Irish Pub. I love that kind of day, just wandering around, seeing whatever there is to see. Also, I like museums. It might sound strange, but I like to go by myself. That way I can stay as long as I want. Last time I was in New Yor...

This list was first featured in the UK' s awesome online celebrity magazine, Female First . If you haven't already checked it out, after reading this, head straight over.  1. Use social media before you leave. You might be surprised to find a friend who lives there or will be visiting at the same time. 2. Find the used and rare books bookstore. Supporting independent booksellers. 3. Visit historical sites. Learn! 4. Ask the locals where to get the best lunch. Best food, best price. 5. Take that lunch to a local park. People watching is always the best entertainment. 6. Takes snaps of random things. You’ll best surprised how fun they are to show friends. 7. Hunt down resale shops. Better than a tourist shops, you’ll get unique items that reflect the city. 8. Check the newspaper for free festivals or concerts. 9. Check the library for events. A great way to meet authors and hear them read. 10. Check museums for films. Many museums run film festivals...

Piper Trace and me Last Friday I spent the evening in Columbus, Ohio, at the Sexapalooza show. The show featured booths of venders, fashion shows, pole dancers, and a couple bars. The lighting was dim and "moody" as you can see from the picture of Piper and me. I arrived at about 7 pm. My first decision, try one of the custom Sexapalooza Martinis. It came in a fun, line green martini glass, but I asked for mine in a plain plastic cup. Ever try to walk around a trade show holding a full martini glass? I have. Don't try it. There was a pretty good variety of venders. I was disappointed that there wasn't a wig vendor. Wigs are sexy and fun, so why not? With Marchae Grair The EC booth was right across from the stage, so we had a great view of the stage. First up was a fashion show, then burlesque dancers. After the professional dancers, show attendees were invited to come up--my favorite part! The three women who snatched up the opportunity to dance in fro...

I'll be signing in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, February 2 in the late evening at Sexapolooza. It promises to be a hot and sexy time--come check it out if you can. The event will be held at Franklin County Veterans Memorial . Haven't heard of Sexapalooza? Here's a bit from their website: Sexapalooza is a unique, upscale adult consumer show and shopping experience that has been growing and expanding for the past 5 years. Marketed to women and couples, Sexapalooza offers a safe yet titillating environment dedicated to entertaining and educating you on all aspects of sex and sexuality. Enjoy fantastic stage shows and learn new sex ‘how tos’ and tips at our seminars given by professionals in the adult industry. Don’t forget that you’ll be shopping for great deals and the newest, hottest toys and products to continue the Sexapalooza experience.

I was very excited to be awarded the Ellora's Cave Superstar award for Cuckold by Request.  Getting the picture with the EC cavemen was fun too.

Brownstones on Commonwealth Ave. After looking for zombies in the Boston Public Library, my friend Susan L. and I headed over to Commonwealth Ave where Hayden, the main character in my Undead books from Ellora's Cave, stays. He lives in a borrowed apartment in one of the awesome brownstones that are on both sides of the boulevard that runs down the center of Commonwealth. Boulevard   It was fun imagining Mattie trailing Hayden through the snowstorm, even though as you can see, it was a sunny 80' the day we went out looking for the two of them. Bell tower of The First Baptist Church One building I found that is likely to make its way into a future story is The First Baptist Church. It has a wonderful bell tower covered with ivy. The open windows near the top are inspiring. I can see Mattie perched up there in a snow storm, all covered in ice, her white fingers gripping the ledge. Love it. Yep, these alleys have street signs After walking up and down tha...

Bates Hall A couple days after mailing the contract for Servicing the Undead, book 2 in my zombie series, I took myself and a friend to the Boston Public Library. The first book in the series, free read Undone by the Undead is set in the BPL and the second also has a scene there, so I thought I'd go check the place out, see if I got things right and get some ideas for future books. Good news: I got the details of Bates Hall right. Thank you internet image search. The wood tables where Mattie and Hayden have sex are just as solid and sturdy as they look in the pictures.  One thing that did not come out of the image search was  how incredibly *quiet* it was in there. Insanely quiet. Or rather, I'd go insane if I had to work there. Abbey Hall A fun surprise waited for me outside Bates Hall, The Abbey Room which features a gorgeous mural of  The Quest for the Holy Grail by the American artist, Edwin Austin Abbey.There is also a large fireplace and gold-...

Yes! LA here I come. I love RT as much as anyone else, but I have to admit to sneaking away from conventions from time to time to see some stuff. Don't tell anyone, but this time I plan to sneak out for a minute or two to see a live taping of Bill Maher LIVE. I have to confess, I'm not really a fan. I get mixed notes from people about whether or not I'll think he's funny, but I figure I'm in LA - I should see something TVish. Right?    Did you know all those TV show tapings are free? And you can get tickets easily off the net. Here's one place to check tvtix.com. Last time I looked there were seats available for the Tuesday night taping of Rules of Engagement with David Spade. If you are going to RWA national in New York in June, you can check that site for NY tickets. I was out in LA last month and went to a taping of America's Got Talent. Did you know the clapping is fake? They tape it ahead of the acts. Am I innocent or what? I had no idea. W...

Okay, I exaggerated. RT wasn't all surprises. Thursday there was only one surprise. Except that the EC lunch location was moved, then moved again. Lucky for me I ran into some other people on their way there, so I just ducked in. The lunch was wonderful and EC gave us all gorgeous fleece blankets with the EC logo. Very nice. After the lunch I sent to a couple talks about graphic novels. Very interesting. I'm intrigued by them but haven't done much more than think "hmmm...interesting." After those talks, I went to the agent/editor panels. Most of that was the usual stuff. One thing that did stand out to me was the intense interest in Steam Punk. Message: If you have a steam punk story tucked in a file somewhere GET IT OUT there. Seems like pretty much all the editors are interested. RT ended for me on Thursday as I received the final surprise. Bronchitis. Yuck. And so not fair. My mom, who is awesome, drove me home and put me to bed. RT in LA next year will...

Pretty much everything about this year's RT Booklovers Convention was a surprise. First off, I hadn't planned on going, but thanks to a last minute twist of fate I found myself on the registration list and off shopping for a red dress for the EC party on Wed. That was exciting and fun, but I didn't find a dress. My sister did though, while she was shopping for a dress for her daughter's graduation, so that was great. Because I live in Michigan and RT was in Columbus I drove. My mom came with me; she's also a writer and always happy to go to a different city and see what's going on there. We followed a google map--which is always a bit iffy--and found ourselves weaving through a really weird place outside of Columbus. The sights were interesting (lots of confusing streets and oddly placed stores) but the roads were in really bad condition. I dodged the pot holes as best as I could but eventually one got the best of us and bamm! Flat tire. I pulled over in...

As part of RWA's Published Author Retreat, I attended a talk by Gail Blanke who spoke about embracing change and making it work for you. She highlighted some points from her new book Between Trapezes: Flying into a New Life with the Greatest of Ease . Although she was focusing on career change, the points apply to most every area in life. She emphasised that growth comes from change and that courage comes from action. Tap into the power of vision - personal motivation comes from a vision, not information. Ask yourself, what do you see that is holding you back? Let go of negative voices in your head - including regrets, anger and fear. Ask yourself, does being right matte Own and acknowledge your achievements - look for patterns of courage in your life. Ask yourself, what defining moments can you find in your life? Dust off entrepreneurial spirit - realize you can't grow without change. Know who you are, know who you aren't. Ask yourself, what does your personal ...

Thursday I was up at 7am to drink Starbucks, eat yummy pastries and attend The Official Conference Kickoff. After that I did some meetings, then went and collected some books and fun promo stuff from the goodie room. By 12:30 I needed to get out of the hotel (I know, already?) so when a couple friends asked if I wanted to walk down to the Pier for lunch you know what I said. We walked down Market Street all the way to the end, then went along the water until we got to Pier 39 (or is it 29?). Whichever it was, it was jam! packed! with people from everywhere. If you’ve never been there, but you have been to Disney, the Pier pretty much looks like that. The shops are small, filled with souvenirs, and everything is colorful and carefully put-together. So carefully, that it looks fake. Like Disney. It’s still a fun place though, just don’t try to get anywhere in a hurry. Anyway, while we were there we did the usual touristy stuff, like look at the seals, buy over-priced cameras to take p...

First thing Wednesday morning I found out the hard way that the airlines weren’t kidding about that extra charge for the second bag. That’s right; I paid an extra $25 bucks to transport my bag of hair spray, make-up, safety pins, and misc. girly stuff. Apparently it costs money to live ‘n learn. Okay, lesson learned. It was noon when I landed; I had lunch at a place near the hotel: kung-pow chicken. Yum. After lunch, I checked into my room, did a bunch of businessy stuff, then headed to the hotel bar to chat with whoever was there and have a nice glass of red wine before the RWA Literacy signing. While at the bar I met Meredith Duran who could not be any cuter. (!) She flattered me by asking my advice for newly published authors; I asked her did she want serious advice? She assured me serious advice would be fine. I think I said something to the effect that 1) authors should not take themselves too seriously and in support of # 1 is 1B) authors should not be too worried about foll...

Later this week I'll be headed to San Francisco for the Romance Writers of America national conference. Workshops, editors, book people - all the usual great stuff. As always, I'll take time away from all the conference stuff to see what's what. Cool things about San Fran. 1) It has the world's curviest street - Lombard . Cute guy in the YouTube clip is a bonus. 2) The world's tallest trees are nearby. If you've ever seen them, you know looking up at them can make you dizzy. 3) Hot clam chowder and cold beer by the bay. 4) Alcatraz. Hmm... 5) Great weather - forecast for my arrival day is 70' and sunny. More later--

The first ever conventions for Ellora's Cave, Cerridwen Press, and Lotus Circle authors and readers will be held in Akron, Ohio in 2009. Here are the dates being considered (all Friday-Sunday): September 18th - 20th September 25th-27th October 2nd – 4th If you are interested in the convention, respond with name, address, and phone number (optional) via email to Ellora's Cave Conventions! Tentative schedule: Friday Night – EC/CP/TLC Celebration Party Saturday Morning – Continental Breakfast then Workshops Saturday Night – Awards Banquet **The city is working on something fun to do (if interested and thirsty) after the Awards Banquet.** Sunday Morning – Continental Breakfast Sunday Afternoon – Book Fair Sunday Evening – An author sponsored event. If you want to participate or have a suggestion please include that information in your email. Once EC has an idea of the number of interested people (authors, readers, book stores, models), and they dec...

I know its pretty impossible to see this, but trust me when I tell you - this is a taping of the Sarah Conner Chronicles. If you look really, really closely maybe you can see the non-trailor worthy actors waiting under the tree for their next scene. Do you suppose that water bottle on the front corner is part of the set? As with the other sets, all the buildings are exterior only the backside is either a completely different looking building or blank cement or metal.. On our way out of the lot we saw another part of the taping, a bunch of fire trucks and ambulances lined up. After the director gave the cue, people started milling around and pretending to talk to each other. Apparently, the sound people but the sounds in later and if the actors make any actual sounds those sounds will get in the way or the added in sounds. Makes sense in a movie making sort of way.

Fan of ER? This is the outside set of the hospital. The bags of trash are actually stuffed with newspaper, not smelly garbage, guess that keeps it from smelling. The bricks and cement siding are actually plastic. Because there are no rooms behind the windows, the lighting comes from outside the building in the form of giant spot lights that can be dimmed or brightened according to the time of day.  Have you ever seen the emergency doors slide open? They'll pulled open by people (one on each side) not electricity. The emergency room is there, we went in and admired the fake foods in the vending machines. I find all this stuff fascinating.

I got off the plane, rented a convertible (yum), and headed--of course--to Hollywood. My plan, see what there was to see there and then go to Warner Brothers Studios and get into one of the studio tours. As someone who loves movies, a studio tour was a must. The drive started out great, even though I couldn't quite read the map with the wind blowing it around. Got lost. Got found. Got confused. Finally got onto Santa Monica Blvd. in Beverly Hills. It's beautiful, and I had plenty of time to admire the lush gorgeousness while parked in Friday afternoon traffic. No problem, I turned the music up and crept along. Once I got started again, the thing that struck me was that many things in LA look vaguely familiar. From movies, perhaps? But sometimes that is a problem, because you think you know where you are when of course you don't. Funny. Sort of. I finally did get to WB Studios and saw lots of cool stuff. Including: The original costumes from the Matrix movies ...