I said "Snow Party," not "No Party."

(Here's what you get when you google "Snow Party")

The meteorological mavens are all quacking about snow today in Portland. Those of you who live in true wintry climes will all laugh when I tell you that the city comes to a juddering halt if more than an inch of snow falls. It is truly apocalyptic. Highways are jammed for HOURS (thank God you and I live on the information super highway!) Schools are shuttered. The airport is a barren wasteland. [UPDATE: The mavens were right. An inch of the white stuff has fallen overnight. No school. No peace.]

But we at the YOWD are chill. We can hardly get chiller. So, in that spirit, who is your favorite author writing today? For whom would you stand for hours in snow, ice, or freezing rain to inscribe the fly-leaf on your recently purchased book? (That's yet another thing I'll miss when "real" books are no more, and it's all e-books all the time: having an author inscribe.)

Today's Prize: A comment gets you the chance to win "The Pocket Muse," by Monica Wood:

From the review on Amazon:

According to Monica Wood, every writer needs two critics: one who offers unconditional praise and another who tells only truth. Wood's Pocket Muse does both--"on some pages you get a pat on the head, on others a kick in the seat"--and more. Every page of this pretty little book is devoted to helping you "jumpstart a writing session, inspire confidence, or strengthen your resolve." There are intriguing writing exercises, thought-provoking photographs, offbeat quotations from writers, enticing unfinished sentences, mini writing lessons, quirky word lists, stories from the writing trenches, and a generous dose of encouragement. "Write about a noise--or a silence--that won't go away," Wood suggests. "Someone has left a note on a car windshield," she offers. Books of this sort are often forced, or cute, or more about spirituality than writing. Not The Pocket Muse. It is a lively, appealing companion for a writer in need of a good nudge. --Jane Steinberg

(Today's usual "Craft Book of the Month" will post on Saturday, as I've been too busy partying the week away.)