For me, a physical distraction is a good one. While my body is busy, my mind is free and floating around thinking about things I don’t know yet. A walk is particularly good for solving problems. You just walk until your brain is relaxed, then come back and work. It’s amazing how easily problems are solved after a walk. It works to a lesser degree with other physical things.

There is one big distraction that gets me off track and that’s doing my watercolor. My watercolor wants the same part of my brain as my writing, but it doesn’t like to share – and vice versa. So, that’s my problem today. I really want to do a little watercolor, but I know that once I get started it won’t be just a little. It will be a big, lovely, wonderful experience and leave me drained for writing.

So, today, I would send you off on a silly hunt for art. If you have any interest in art, check out WetCanvas.com [wetcanvas-newsletter@fwpubs.com]. Today’s newsletter has an article about photographing lightning. Did you know there’s a bit of math that will help you catch the picture? See, I’ve been distracted already. Maybe catching up on the wash will help free my mind a little.

Back to the adventures of Maxie, Jason, Su Lin, Ma and the Chinese smugglers.

Marilynne

It’s mysterious the way ideas come to an author when she’s writing a book. Today, I took a nap and woke up thinking about Jason, Maxie’s boyfriend. She didn’t tell him about her inheritance, or where she was going, she simply told him she was going away to think. Jason puzzled over it, but accepted her reason for wanting to do it.

It was a chicken way out, but Maxie wasn’t sure of her own feelings and felt it better to think things through first. Jason is so literal, and he’ll take her word for everything as told to him. Maxie is more the emotional sort. They are whole grain wheat bread and chocolate croissant – with almonds. They are sun and moon different from each other. Part of Maxie finds this intriguing, and part of it worries her. What to do?

So the earthquake finds Maxie just entering the beach house, and Jason working late on a Saturday night in Santa Monica. The earthquake is stronger in Santa Monica, and Jason gets quite a ride on the 12th floor of his office building.

Unknown to either to them, the earthquake triggers a landslide on the Pacific Coast Highway (the highway that runs along the edge of the ocean) and cuts them off from each other. Maxie is cut off from everything. She was going up the stairs with a flashlight in her hand, when the earthquake hit. Jason was working on his laptop in his office with the gorgeous view. not that he ever takes the time to appreciate it, but Maxie has told him it’s gorgeous, so he knows.

Here is where we leave them for the moment. Maxie in the dark on the stairs and Jason suddenly disturbed in his work by his building shaking.

What happens next? I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for another update.

Marilynne

Here’s what’s been going on:

Maxie put herself through college the hard way and is now supporting herself as a graphic artist, something she’s very good at.  However, her finances led her to take the first job that came along and she really needs to expand her talents and look for another job.

She’s living with three roommates in a two-bedroom apartment so she can afford the car of her dreams – a Lincoln Navigator.  I have some problems with that, but Maxie insists that’s what she wants.

By pinching her pennies Maxie finally buys the car of her dreams, but on her first long drive in the NAV someone hits her from behind in a cop-like move and sends her NAV spinning towards the ocean with Maxie helpless  inside.

Why?  Well, it might have something to do with the fact that her Aunt Maxine has made her a wealthy woman, but Maxie doesn’t know it yet.  Aunt Maxine’s lawyer has been suspiciously slow at finding Maxie and letting her know, but he finally gets the job done?

Along with a lot of money, Maxie has inherited a beach house in Malibu.  When Maxie decides to spend her recovery at the beach house, things begin to happen.

What?  I’m not going to tell you, but I will tell you that Maxie doesn’t have the quiet time she’s been planning on.

Marilynne