Time has passed far, far too quickly since my last post. So it is only appropriate that this morning I received an email from my friend Neel (yes, the character in The Cabinet of Wonders is named after him) about the world’s “strangest clock:”

(image taken from the BBC news online)

According to the designer of the clock, John Taylor, the grasshopper is a “chronophage,” or “time-eater,” and moves around the circle of his clock with a tongue hanging out (grasshoppers have tongues?), swallowing each second. The clock was designed in honor of Stephen Hawking. I think it’s stunning. Mikal Kronos would be impressed. 

So what have I been doing with my time? While in Illinois, I met some awesome booksellers at The Book Stall and Anderson’s Bookshop. I also did an interview with Coffee with an Author, and you can listen to it here (just so you know, it’s an hour long). Then I returned to New York for lots of fun socializing. I attended Donna Freitas’s launch party for her extraordinarily funny, romantic, and sweet novel, The Possibilities of Sainthood. It was a costume party, and you were supposed to come as your favorite made-up saint. You can see pictures of some impromptu saints on Elizabeth Bird’s Fuse #8 blog. My husband went as the Patron Saint of Linen, and I was the Patron Saint of Wishes and Wishing (but with a secret twist). The skirt of Lisa Graff (Patron Saint of Book Jackets) was incredible! And The Cabinet of Wonders was on it (though you can’t see it in the picture)! Unfortunately, Thomas and I missed out on the chance to have our pictures taken with a halo. Maybe for the sequel to Possibilities.

In other news, I’m excited to say that I’ll be part of a fantasy book reading with Elise Broach, G.P. Taylor, and B.E. Maxwell at Books of Wonder (New York City) on Saturday, October 4th at noon. You can find more details here.