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In March when I was last in Atlanta visiting family, my 13-year-old neice Ana couldn’t stop raving about YA author Stephenie Meyer. At the time, Ana and her friends were eagerly awaiting the third book in Stephenie’s vampire-licious Twilight series. Sweet (and persistent) Ana urged me to finish Book 1 of the series (500+ pages) before I left ATL. “How far did you get?” was the first thing she’d ask me when she stepped off the schoolbus everyday while I was there. She wanted me to share in her obsession. But reading the book not only introduced me to a new author, it helped me connect with Ana on a new level. When I was working at places like Seventeen magazine, Ana was too young to care. But now that she’s of age and a voracious YA fiction reader, our interests are in sync. After reading my novella in HALLWAY DIARIES, Ana called me up and said (in total amazement), “Aunt Debbie, I didn’t know you can write.”
Now as I work on new fiction, Ana’s my go-to girl for feedback. I love that she’s in love with the characters I’m developing. And I also love that she keeps me on my game by asking (in her sweetly persistent way) to see more chapters. Before my husband and I left Dublin, I found out Stephenie Meyer–who’s from the States–was in town. So, I headed to her meet-and-greet, introduced myself to Stephenie, and got the book signed for Ana. Here’s the photo I took with lady Ms. Meyer.

When Stephenie heard about my move into the YA publishing industry, she told me that’s it’s a great market to be in and that I’ll enjoy it. Very encouraging to hear. It was nice meeting her. She’s a pleasant person. And it’s also very cool to know that we already share one faithful reader in common. I think that’s a good sign.
A movie based on the Twilight series hits theaters in ‘08.

For me, a great thing about traveling is the characters you meet. Character and characters in general have been high on my awareness radar for some time. For one thing, in writing proper character development is key to weaving a rich story. I hope the anonymous characters that I mention in this blog from time to time bring inspiration to your writing and/or your everyday life.
LEO
On my first full day in Dublin, I found a nice spot for my solo lunch. As soon as I sat my tray down to eat, the person at the neighboring table struck up a friendly conversation with me. He was an elder, probably in his late 60s or early 70s. With his gray scraggly beard, wiry eyebrows and receding hairline, I thought he looked like Leonardo Da Vinci. Then—I kid you not—he told me that he’s an Italian painter. He was in Dublin to give a lecture at the city museum. A few Italian words were sprinkled into his choppy English as he spoke. Nothing I couldn’t understand—a “si” here and a “buono” there. We started off swapping stories about our experiences in Dublin and then he told me about his travels. He got extra animated when he recalled his two trips to the US.
“Beauuutiful country,” he said over and over. His hands were moving around like he had imaginary paint brushes in them.
“Just one problem you have there,” he leaned in closer with a twinkle in his eye. He didn’t tell me what that problem was. He just looked at me. I took this as a cue to throw out my guess.
“Crime?” I asked, waiting for him to nod in agreement.
“No. You know what the problem is,” he said, nudging me. “Beauuutiful country, but one problem.” Pause, and then an emphatic, “YOU know.”
I couldn’t think of a problem area that a man such as himself would pick up on. I was stumped.
Then he announced it. “Racism!”
I appreciated his candor and the immediate shift it brought to our conversation. We chatted a little more, but this time on a more genuine level. The fluffly niceties were replaced with kind-hearted dialogue. He talked about the fact that his life has been fulfilling and joyous. He even asked me about my mother, crediting her with giving me a “lovely spirit.” Before I left, he wished me a full and happy life.
I walked away from our exchange appreciating both the meal and the unexpected food for thought.

Here are the photos of Dublin I promised–starting with Grafton Street, the shopping area near our hotel:

I love the deep pride the Irish have in their country and in their history. Determined to keep the Gaelic language alive, children are taught to speak it in school, and most of the signs are bilingual. Here’s a pic of a street advistory. Now that’s a very good sign (hee hee).

And finally, I couldn’t resist striking a pose in front of this ad at the Guinness brewery.

I’ve just spent my very first weekend in Ireland! My husband and I flew into Dublin this past Tuesday for a two-week business trip. (Of course, this last-minute trip meant I had to cancel my scooter lesson and postpone taking home my own rental–darn!) The temperature in Dublin is a lot cooler than we’ve gotten used to recently, but it’s nice to be here. A truly metropolitan city, Dublin has a friendly vibe and great energy.
On the plane ride out here (we flew Bermuda to Newark, then Newark to Dublin) my husband and I were focused on one thing—the food court in Newark’s Terminal C. During the flight from Bermuda our mouths were watering at the memory of the spicy chicken and friend plantains we ate there weeks ago. It wasn’t until we arrived (belly full) at the gate where all the Dublin-bound folks gathered, that we realized that we’d be the only Black folks on the flight. Soon after, I found comfort in a flight attendant’s Nuyorican accent every time his announcement was broadcast. Plus there was a friendly traveling group of 60 senior citizens on board. Things have been looking up ever since.
On Friday night, my husband’s work colleague invited us to a rugby game between Dublin’s county team and a team from Wales. Even though locals credit us for bringing the city some sunny weather, we’re now under suspicion for causing that Dublin team’s embarrassing loss. Apparently, they’d been on a winning streak before we arrived here. The team had one of the biggest losses on record as we sat in attendance. It’s probably a coincidence. We’d hate to be the ones that brought bad luck to the Irish.
On Saturday, we did the tourist thing and bought tickets to a sightseeing bus. Those tickets were good for two days, so we visited historical sites and got a great tour all weekend. People strongly suggested we check out the Guinness brewery, so we also did that. We were told that it’s an adult Disneyland—but from the looks of several visiting fanatics, I gather that to some it’s as nothing short of a holy pilgrimage. Neither of us drink (we didn’t bother redeeming our ticket for the free pint), but we still had a great time there. It’s a huge facility and an amazing study on the making of a global dynasty. Plus it’s just a cool place with fun memorabilia through the ages. As soon as the dust clears, I’ll post a few photo highlights. Check back soon!