I got a letter today...from Dean Koontz!!

I couple weeks ago I posted a letter I sent to Dean Koontz for one of my classes, asking for some change. When I wrote the letter I really wasn't expecting any change (I mean, he's been writing books for a LONG time, and I'm just one of his millions of fans) and figured the best reply I'd get from him (if I even got one) would be an automated letter with his signature stamped on it. Today I went out to check the mail and found a package in our mailbox, sent from Dean Koontz. I hurried inside and opened the packed to find a letter and a book! I opened the letter, and although it started out with him apologizing for a less-than-personal reply, it was actually his signature, and on the bottom of the paper he wrote me a note.

I was blown away! I hadn't really expected a reply from him at all, and it turns out that he actually read my letter, and replied to me personally! The book that he included is a memoir about his dog named Trixie, and is called A Big Little Life. I remember when the book came out a few years ago and I even wanted to buy it, but for some reason never did. For those of you who don't know, Dean Koontz LOVED Trixie, and even has a website dedicated to her. I noticed there was a sticky note in the book, so I opened it and this is what I found:

How awesome is that?? I sent a letter to Dean Koontz without a hope of receiving a response to my slightly silly request, and he took the time to let me know he appreciated my kind words about his books. And then he GIVES me a signed copy of one of his books that is not violent or creepy in any way. Wow. I knew I liked him for a good reason. ;) Although I would LOVE to start reading it right away, I will be responsible and hold off until finals are over. Which means I'll probably start reading it on my flight home on Saturday. I can't wait. :D

The Killers

So this weekend had not been the best for me, and tonight some plans fell through so I was in a bad mood. I got in my car and turned on my Killers playlist and just jammed out for about 30 minutes.  Their music is so fantastic! I was still bummed about the plans falling through, but my mood was a lot better. Amazing how music can improve my mood. Especially the Killers. :)

Letter to Dean Koontz

11/27/12

Dear Dean Kootnz,

I have been a fan of your books since my mother introduced me to your book Life Expectancy. I have read many of your books, and love the characters you have created. In one of my college classes we were asked to write a letter to someone in the media, asking for change.

 Now I understand that you will not change your whole writing style because some girl writes you a letter, but I hope you’ll still take the time to read it. I love your books, and have often been inspired by the characters and the difficult decisions they make. The one thing I do not like about your books is how violent or creepy they can be. I know I know, you write horror novels, but there are some of your books that are worse than others.

I love Life Expectancy in particular because of the witty humor, the amazing characters, the intricate plot, and the fact that it isn’t particularly creepy. It is a fantastic book. So thank you for that one. I don’t really expect you to change your writing style, or stop writing horror novels, because you are really good at writing them, but I just wish you could write some books that have the same amazing characters, and a little less violence.

Thank you for your time, and for your amazing books.

                                                Sincerely,

                                                Loreli Baroldy

Running Music

I used to run cross country in high school, and in practice we never listened to music and just talked to each other as we ran. I never thought I liked listening to music while I ran because I thought some of the beats threw off my stride (as I would try to match my stride to the music). My Junior year in HS I stopped running cross country, and really haven't been a big runner since. But lately I've started running again, and found that I LOVE listening to music while I run. I made a great playlist that just pumps me up and makes me excited for the run. I'd say the only downside is that I often want to dance while listening to my running playlist instead of actually running...but that's not all that bad. ;)

Brave (contains spoilers)

I saw Brave this week, and thought it was pretty good. I liked the strong female lead, and I liked that they didn't put a prince charming in there for her to fall in love with. There were some super funny parts, and my friends and I were cracking up at times. And the graphics were FANTASTIC! I thought they did a great job. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that the story reminded me of many that were done before it. The two that came to mind were How to Train Your Dragon, and Brother Bear (both of which are some of my favorites). So it felt a little bit like Pixar was struggling to come up with an original idea. But it was all around pretty good.

Firefly

A few years ago my friend introduced me to a show called Firefly on Netflix. Its basically an awesome story with cowboys in space...with Nathan Fillion as the lead...so immediately amazing. He and I watched all the episodes on Netflix (only 14 because the show was canceled) and then the movie (they made it five years after the show because the show had a huge fan base). Last night my sister and I decided to start watching the show together. I texted my friend to let him know, and he immediately started quoting it. It was pretty funny. I love shows that create forever fans, and love that it will always be something I can watch if I want a good laugh. :)

Spotify

A lot of times on facebook I will see that my friends have listened to certain songs on Spotify. I've had spotify downloaded on my phone for a while, but was never impressed because I could only listen to radio channels. I decided to download it to my computer, and then found out that I can listen to any song I choose! I spent about an hour setting up a music library and making different playlists. It was amazing to try and find songs I haven't heard in a long time, and realizing I remember the lyrics! Although I get frustrated with technology at times, I do love that I can have good music right at my fingertips.