Our Lady of the Banana

Sunny, brilliant day, high minus 9

We now have a nice layer of snow over the grass after last week's annual January thaw, so this is a picture-perfect Canadian winter day. Crystalline and fresh.

We drove in to Montreal for a check-up on Michael's eyes (everything great) then scooted out again as fast as we could. Had to stop to buy bananas, not for ourselves but for our Golden's Maggie and Trudy. If any of you read STILL LIFE you might remember the scene where Peter is feeding Jane's grieving Golden bananas.

'Everyday for Lucy's entire dog life Jane had sliced a banana
for breakfast and had miraculously dropped one of the perfect
disks onto the floor where it sat for an instant before being
gobbled up. Every morning Lucy's prayers were answered
confirming her belief that God was old and clumsy and smelt of
roses and lived in the kitchen.
But no more.
Lucy knew her God was dead. And she now knew the miracle
wasn't the banana, it was the hand that offered the banana.'

Our dogs, especially Bonnie who died two years ago, inspired that passage. They go NUTS for bananas. And when we run out there's a real crisis of faith in this home. We're suddenly gods with feet of clay and empty hands. We slice up cheese, which the dogs accept, but with some disillusionment.

So Michael's eyes and bananas became the priority today. Happily it all worked out. Felt like something out of The Three Stooges. Nyah, nyah, nyah.

Great news yesterday. Germany bought The Cruellest Month and book 4 and are launching the second book Dead Cold (A Fatal Grace) this spring. They've apparently done a pop-up version of Three Pines to go along with the books. Quite looking forward to seeing it.

And a California production company queried about film rights for The Cruelest Month. They sound like a terrific company, so it's fun, but I don't get as excited as I once did. I heard an author describe a film query this way: Optioning your book is to a finished film what a first date is to a wedding day. Clearly, one doesn't happen without the other, but the chances of a happy ending are thin.

We've recently turned down a TV series because we (Agent Teresa Chris and the people who handle the TV/Film rights in London) felt it was too soon, and the production company understandably wanted the rights to the characters, and I wasn't ready to hand those over.

It is exciting, but it also helps that I firmly believe if a film or TV series is meant to be made, the right offer and the right company will come along. Best to wait than accept something that isn't wonderful. Until then, well, Michael's eyes are perfect and the house is filled with bananas. Our life is already divine.

Be well, and we'll talk soon.