Can you top this dinner party?

I haven't had tons of free time lately for blogging (not to mention a brief lag in anything interesting to share). However, I'm currently at the Hawaii Writers Retreat and Conference, and after less than 24 hours surrounded by like-minded people I laughed all the way to my room tonight. You see, a handful of us ate dinner and watched fireworks from the aft of Patricia Wood's boat. There was Pat, her husband, myself, Sue (a writer friend from Australia) and Lucy, an ex-nun whose daughter writes porn! *insert pause so you can read that again* Honestly, folks, I'm not making this up...

Best birthday invitation ever...

Fellow author Patricia Wood emailed me with an invitation I couldn't turn down. You see, Pat's also attending the Hawaii Writers Retreat/Conference (she and her husband live on a boat in the Honolulu harbor) and her husband, whose birthday is in early September, adores jazz singer Norah Jones as much as I do.

(I always listen to the album Feels Like Home when I'm writing -- click on this link and I've no doubt you'll recognize Norah's work, too.) Anyhow... Pat and Gordon have (gasp) invited me to help celebrate Gordon's birthday by going to the concert with them. Thanks, guys. This will make Hawaii equal parts work and play!