Laurell K. Hamilton signing (otherwise known as "a pinnacle moment for me"

I give you fair warning. I'm very tired right now and my arms are aching from holding a bunch of books tonight, so there will likely be a larger than average number of typos in here and I may stop making sense at some point...I'm not sure any of us would notice the difference *grin*

Okay, so, wow! Tonight was unbelievable. Let me start by once again thanking my usual culprit, Stacy G., for coming along for the ride. This girl can talk to anyone about anything and she's a one woman promoting machine! : ) But more on that later...

We get to the BN in Skokie about 5:00 and buy two copies of LKH's latest book, Incubus Dreams. We check in with customer service about where to get our line numbers and where we should wait. The nice gentlemen behind the counter appears slightly bewildered that we would show up more than two hours in advance, but evidently he is not familiar with the dedication of LKH fans. I knew people would be out in droves. He tells us they wouldn't be handing out numbers until 6:00. So, Stacy G. and I head next door to Johnny Rockets, this fake retro diner, for dinner. We come back at a few minutes before six and find that a line for the line numbers had already formed. We get in line and begin the wait to get our numbers. The interesting thing about waiting in line for something like this is that you know you've already got at least one thing in common with just about everyone around you. So, we chat a little bit with the women in front of us (Hi Kristin, if you're reading this!) It's always fascinating to see the different people who are drawn to LKH's work. Men, women, young and old, goth and soccer mom. Everyone turns out for her events.

Finally, we get our numbers (12 and 13) and we are then free to roam about the store until 7:00 when Laurell is to arrive and we are to get in line again. Stacy G. and I head downstairs to where the signing would actually take place and browse around for a bit, pausing by the Halloween book table. There, a woman strikes up a conversation with us about one of the books and as we're talking, Stacy G. finds out that this woman is a reviewer for one of the major sci-fi sites and Midwest Book Review (Hi Alisa, if you're reading this!). She is going to be reviewing LKH's book. Stacy tells her about my book, which she graciously agrees to read. I run out to the car for my very last copy in the car (nearly didn't bring an extra, boy am I glad I did). Yea!!!!

Then it is time to get in line for the books to be signed. Stacy and I head over in the general direction and spend a while standing on the stairs, chatting with those around us, complaining about the heat and the general condition of our feet : ) Remember, by this point, we've been standing, in heels, for a long time, holding books of more than 1,000 pages in length. I also took the opportunity to hand out more of my bookmarks to those standing near me.

Finally, Laurell and her husband, Jon, are spotted coming through the store. It always surprises me how tiny she is. Very petite, shorter than I am, with a mass of curly dark hair, which only makes her seem even smaller. They smile at the crowd, which by now, stretches all the way up the stairs and around the balcony area. At least two hundred people, maybe more, I'd guess, were there. A BN staff woman gets on the mic and tells us that we can shift around a little bit because Laurell's going to take some questions.

This is my favorite part. LKH is an entertainer. She may not think of herself that way, but I love to hear her speak -- she cracks me up! And you don't have to even read her books to enjoy her speaking or what she says. She has great comic timing, knows exactly when to pause to get this huge laugh from the crowd. Never seems to get exasperated by strange quesitons or ones that she's surely heard over and over again. She and her husband are such a perfect team, with him chiming in on answers with her. It's so sweet : ) If you ever have the chance to go somewhere and hear her speak, do it. Even if you've never read her books. It's a fun hour, well spent. I'm not going to go into what was asked and how she answered because there's no way I'll do it justice. : )

So, once the question session is over, everyone gets back in line, according to number. Stacy G. and I wait our turn patiently. By now, I'm really nervous. Palm-sweating and babbling nervous. But Stacy G. understands and doesn't make fun of me for it : ) Finally, we reach the front of the line. Jon takes our books and says, "It's nice to see you again" to me. It amazes me that he remembers me, after all the people they see. But I think that's such a testament to the effort they make to treat every fan, every reader as a person. That or I made such a bad impression the first time - shaking and nervous! This time, I'm much calmer...well, a little calmer : ) Jon, Stacy G. and I make small talk about blogging and politics for a few minutes while Laurell finishes up the book of the person in front of us.

Then she's ready for us. Here it is, the moment of truth. I wait until she's gotten the books in front of her to sign and then I hand her mine. At first, I think she is confused, not sure what I am doing. And then I tell her, that it's my book. That I want her to have a copy for being such an inspiration to me, for saying "when" instead of "if".

Laurell and Jon are both genuinely excited for me -- it is so awesome! I even get a hug from Jon : ) Laurell stops signing for a moment to read what I wrote in my book for her. Stacy G. said that she seemed really touched by it. I hope so. I hope she realizes how much what she does affects other people in a good way. Sometimes we all go through periods in our lives where we doubt ourselves. I don't know if she's ever felt that way, but if so, I wanted to make sure she understood the wonderful impact that she has made with me.

Stacy G. took a picture of me with Laurell and Jon. And then it was time to move on. But as a closing I thought it might be cool to show you guys what she wrote to me as an inscription on her book to me...

"To Stacey, so proud of you! Congrats! Keep on with your dreams, lots and lots of books. Laurell K. Hamilton 9/30/04"

She said she's proud of me. How cool is that?!? I'm actually getting a little teary over it. I'm such a mush!

And thank you to all of you (especially Stacy) for pushing me to give her my book. I'm really glad I did.

Talk to you tomorrow!

Local Author Event in Chicago/Your opinion needed...Inscription for LKH

A quick note...for everyone in the Chicago area, I'm going to be participating in the Local Author Night at the Barnes and Noble in Deer Park on Tuesday, October 5, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. If you have a few minutes that night, please stop by. You don't have to buy my book or anyone else's to be there -- it's a free event, open to the public. Come meet some authors, maybe find a new book or two to read : )

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LKH inscription. So the signing is tomorrow for Laurell's new book. Here's what I'm planning to write in the book I'm giving to her...

To LKH:
Thank you for being an inspiration to me, for creating a first-person heroine who kicks ass instead of taking names. Thank you for saying to me "when you get published" instead of "if." It meant so much to me. Sincerely, Stacey Klemstein

What do you guys think? I know it's short but there's not a whole lot of room there. Anything I should change, add in or leave out. Let me know! Post comments below. I won't be leaving for the signing until late in the afternoon tomorrow.

I have to go to bed. I'm getting loopy. Sorry for the disjointed nature of this entry. I'm more than half asleep : )

Talk to you tomorrow!

Round Trip to Greece and St. Louis for $43

Okay, this is going to be a short one. It's already Wednesday *sigh*

LKH's new book came out today and I mentioned to Stacy G. that I was stopping to pick it up on the way home. She asked me if I'd have it read by tomorrow. I said no, but that I'd have to be careful because once I started it...it would be a slippery slope. I'd still be awake at 4:00 a.m. trying to finish. It's like 1,000 pages -- no kidding. But I'm going to end up putting off for a little while anyway. Because it occurred to me today as I was watching the girl ring up the books that unread books are like the promise of an adventure, a round trip between covers. And even better than a real vacation, you don't have to worry about getting stuck with a lousy seatmate (like that woman who kept touching my leg for the 8 hour flight to Hawaii last year), losing your luggage or even missing your flight. And even better, on book vacations, you get to be someone else. You get to live their problems for awhile instead of your own.

Books have always been an escape for me. Other people drink or workout or shop when they have bad days, I read a book. It's like this marvelous escape hatch that you can open up at any time and disappear into. My husband still makes fun of me for the time in college when I inadvertently brought a book to the grocery store. I was wearing a big coat with big pockets -- hey it was Indiana in the middle of winter...and earmuffs (and books) need to go somewhere. At the time I did it because I had a million books to read for class and seriously not enough hours in the year to accomplish all of it. So, I learned to read anywhere, anytime to squeeze more in. Now, I still do it, but for different reasons. It's rare to catch me someplace without a book, even a back up one, one that I've read before or one that I'm only sort of interested in reading. Because, hey, a trip to someplace sort of boring is better than reality that definitely is boring (i.e. waiting for an oil change or something). The few times that I do go somewhere without a book, I feel naked, exposed. Like I'll be pinned in the corner and forced to socialize. Writers? Sometimes not so good with the chatty part of life : )

So, those unread books still sitting, oh-so-pristine, in the plastic bag hold unknown secrets and adventures for me to discover. Can't help but feeling a little thrill, just imagining all they could hold. *satisified sigh* Is there anything better than the anticipation of a book by a favored author?

As I was imagining what I would tell my husband when I came home from the book store with two (I also bought Maeve Binchy's latest in hardcover *hanging head* I've been so good trying to wait for paperbacks...but today I caved) new hardcover books, I thought, well, really, it's a vacation without having to worry about packing or traveling or finding a dog sitter or losing vacation days or getting sunburned. Round trip to Greece (Maeve Binchy's book) with a looooong layover in St. Louis (LKH's new book) for $43.31...that's not bad at all : )

(And yes, I actually got up from my chair to check the receipt and that was exactly how much it cost! I'm such a geek!!!)

Talk to you tomorrow!

Thank you...

A quick note to say thanks to Stacy G. who got a postcard in the mail announcing local author night at a local Chicago area Barnes and Noble and called me immediately to suggest that I still might be able to be included. The call is in, we'll have to see!!!

And thanks to Becky D., who, despite owning at least two copies (I know of at least a couple of drafts) of The Silver Spoon, went into Borders in her hometown to try to order it : )

Everything helps--thanks so much you guys!

My first review!

My publisher emailed me yesterday to let me know that the first official review of The Silver Spoon is out! 4 Angels from Fallen Angel Reviews!!!

Here's a little bit from the review:

"The character of Zara is interesting in that she suspects she might be going crazy, so her perceptions might not be real. This plot device keeps the reader on the edge of her seat. I thought this was a very intriguing science fiction suspense novel, and found it almost impossible to put down. It’s a satisfying read."


Woo-hooo!! It's always excellent when someone "gets" what you were trying to do and likes it. Yea!! Thanks to Jean at FAR for her time and her review.

Read the full review here.

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In other news...

-check out Meg Cabot's Q&A blog for her ratings of television shows. What she says about Extreme Home Makeover made me laugh out loud!

-LKH also had a good one that made me laugh this morning. She says, "With the construction we almost never park in our own driveway anymore, so I was walking across the yard in high heels in the dark. More adventure than I want before six in the morning." Check out the whole entry by clicking on the quote. Her new book, Incubus Dreams, comes out tomorrow. I'm so stopping by the BN on my way to work! Also, I believe all of you have convinced me to give her one of my books when I see her this week. I'll still be nervous, but whatever. Hopefully, putting her quote in this entry doesn't break like a hundred copyright laws. Oh well, if someone out there thinks that it does, let me know and I'll take the quote out and replace it with just a plain link.

Talk to you tomorrow!

Peoria Adventure -- Part Three

Friday morning came around very early. I had trouble sleeping Thursday night, all keyed up still from the excitement of the signing, I think. That plus I tried reading a book that my sister loaned me and it was scary enough to keep me jumping at every unfamiliar noise. I haven't stayed alone in a room at my parents' house for years, so it was very strange!

After a quick reinvigorating stop at Dunkin Donuts for coffee (Stacy G.), milk (me) and doughnuts (both of us!), we were on our way to the first school. Side note: it was so cool to be out and moving around with purpose on a work day, but still have time to stop for doughnuts. Some of that's Peoria, a slightly slower pace of life, which is a relief sometimes compared to up here. Some of that, I imagine, is the cool part about being a full-time author, or so I imagine!

At the first school, we were going in to talk to the second graders in my mom's music class. But first we had to stop by the office and register ourselves as visitors. Okay, here's the kooky part. When the very nice secretary greeted us and showed us briefly into the principal's office, I was nervous! I've been out of college for seven years, out of high school for 11 and I was nervous about meeting the principal. But she was very nice. Much younger and hipper than I remember any of my principals being. Some of that is probably that she is younger, some of it is that I am older : )

After meeting the principal, we headed off to my mom's music class. She had two groups of second graders in there, some of them who'd just finished music but wanted to stay and others who were just starting their class. The funny part about this was this visit was triggered by just one little boy. My mom had mentioned to them that I would be visiting the fifth graders and one little boy asked why I couldn't visit them too. He wanted me to read the author's page to them (something my mom had already done), which is, of course, the only page guaranteed to be appropriate for this audience! So I did that, which only took a few seconds and that left us plenty of time for questions. Such imagination and good questions! How old were you when you started writing? How long did it take you? Where do you get your ideas? I was really impressed by their questions and their patience with listening. It was a great deal of fun!

When all was said and done, I got complimented on my shoes by one little girl and a dandelion as a flower from another. We witnessed the "Freeze Dance" which was hysterical (they all dance around and then freeze in place when the music stops) and the singing of a scary witch song, which I remembered vaguely from my own childhood. It was also kind of fun/strange to see my mom in this role. She was firm with them, very professional, but you could tell that she really loves teaching, wants the kids to learn. I'd never seen my mom teach before and it was worth it to see her in her element!

Then it was off to the second school. These were the older kids, fifth graders. When we got to the school, my mom told me that the teacher had kept it as a surprise for them. When I walked into the library, there was a banner welcoming me and my very tall chair to sit in. It was so cool! Again, so many good questions. What was my favorite book that I'd written? How many pages was my book? What was my favorite book I'd read? Did I know any famous authors? If so, how many and who were they? Kind of funny because I have met at least one famous author, but of course, they're not the right age for LKH! But I did cause a stir when I told them that I was going to a convention in the spring and would likely meet Meg Cabot there. The girls were very excited by this -- who wouldn't be? The author of the Princess Diaries. I can't wait to meet her myself!

One thing I learned from this experience, kids don't have the same sense of humor as adults. I always try to joke in my presentations, little things here and there, mainly self-deprecating. Humor helps warm people up, make them more receptive and likely to listen. Unfortunately, the little things that I said which would have gotten a chuckle out of adults got me blank stares mostly. I'm not sure they're used to hearing adults poke fun at themselves andthat is my particular brand of humor, particularly when I'm speaking in front of others. So, if I'm ever to speak to school children again in a formal setting like this, I'm going to have to do a little more research on their kind of funny! : )

After the q&a was over, a couple of the kids hung around to ask a few questions. One girl asked about how long it would take to write a book. I told her my standard answer, which is, if you write a page a day for a year, then you'll have a book that's 365 pages long, more than long enough to be published. I tried to answer their questions as I would an adults and not patronize them. I hope I didn't scare any of them off. Because really the point for me wanting to do this was to talk to the kids, to tell them that this was something they could do, if they really want to. So, if even just one of those kids hears something that I said and feels encouraged to chase after whatever dream they may have, then I've done something good, right? Given back to the world in the form of encouragement that was given to me, if that makes sense.

One of the fifth grade classes also made me a card (they all signed it!) and the teacher gave me a Willow Tree angel, a beautiful gesture!

Anyway, after the kids went to lunch, Stacy G. and I headed to the teacher's lounge for lunch with my mom and her fellow teachers. Again, so strange to be in this, a forbidden area for students. I even joked about it because it felt so odd. I've only ever been a student in school, never anything else. And another interesting thing, a few of the teachers were younger than Stacy and I. Which was excellent, but disconcerting. Did that mean that teachers were getting younger or we were getting older? I suspect it's both.

After lunch, we hugged my mom good bye and got back on the road. On our way north again, Stacy mentioned how cool it would be if this was what we did all the time. Being a writer, traveling to speaking engagements, etc. I couldn't agree more! But I have to say that it wouldn't have been nearly the fun trip that it was without the company I got to keep. A HUGE thank you to Stacy G. for road-tripping it with me this week -- I had so much fun! Thanks also to my mom and her fellow teachers for setting this up and allowing me to come in and talk to the kids. Honestly, it felt great to be able to do something that might help someone else in a small way to some day achieve a dream.

Okay, I'm exhausted! Talk to you tomorrow!

Peoria Adventure -- Part Two

So, Thursday was looking to be a busy day. I had a corporate outing in the afternoon, from which I needed to leave early to get to Peoria on time. Side note: The outing was a really cool visit to Color Me Mine, this shop where you can paint your own pottery. I painted a coffee mug and put the words "Write a sh*tty first draft" on it. Actually, my friend Karen painted them on there for me (thanks, Karen!) since I had to leave, but it's a quote from Anne Lamott's book, Bird by Bird, which has always been so helpful to me.

So, anyway, I left Color Me Mine a little late, was having too good of a time, but I made it to Corporate America in time to pick up Stacy G. We headed down Interstate 55 singing our little hearts out to "Once More with Feeling," the Buffy Musical Soundtrack (you have to love any musical that has the lyric "his penis got diseases from the Chumash tribe" or at least admire it for the ability to rhyme to that). Stacy G. had never been this far south in Illinois before so I pointed out the important things to notice along the way. Corn fields, bean fields, more cornfields, more bean fields, a really cool old one-room school house like on Little House on the Prairie, an old falling down farmhouse with one glass pane still in place, the five foot tall replica of a spine on the chiropractor's office in Roanoke, the invigorating aroma of cow poop... : )

We arrived in Peoria about 5:30, about an hour and fifteen minutes before we were due at Barnes and Noble. Stopped by my parents' house for a yummy meal of barbecued pork sandwiches (my mom knows how to cook!) and a bit of fun confusion when my mom or sister would start a sentence or question with "Stacy" or "Stacey." Spelled differently, sounds the same. So we landed on my family referring to me as "my Stacey," which was nice : ) After dinner, my mom took my sister to piano lessons, and Stacy and I got ready for the signing.

At this point, my nerves really kicked in. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, if everything would come together. I didn't know if I'd brought everything I would need and how the evening was going to work. With 20 plus authors in one Barnes and Noble, organization would have to be key. Would people buy the book from me? Would they buy the book from Barnes and Noble? Would they have to buy the book and double back to have me sign it or could I sign it for them and then they could check out? I'm a worrier by nature so all of these questions had my stomach a bit twisted up.

After some outfit angst, I decided to wear the Ann Taylor outfit that I bought when my brother and my brother's girlfriend went shopping with us a few weeks ago. I also had what Stacy G. calls my bohemian artist outfit, a ribbed black sweater and cuffed pants -- all I'm missing is the little black beret. But it was still pretty hot outside, so I went for the lighter weight outfit (after taking votes from my mom, sister and Stacy G., of course.)

We were on the road again, this time to the store, by about 6:35. I told Stacy that I was so nervous that I felt like throwing up. She pointed out that vomiting would probably be a big turn-off to any potential book buyers. I agreed and tried to calm down.

As soon as we pulled in, we noticed that the place really seemed to be jumping. Very full, though parking spaces were still available. Stacy G. helped me lug in a few boxes of books and materials.

Inside, immediately to the right of the door was a long table (actually a bunch of tables all pushed together) with all the authors, right around 20 of them. My spot was toward the far end. I set about pulling books, bookmarks and postcards out. Stacy G. searched out a chair for me. My palms were totally sweating by this point. The event organizer came by and asked me how many books I'd brought in. I had to crawl under to the table to count them all : ) It hadn't occurred to me to count them before coming in! We had 27 in the store and another box in the car. I, of course, also forgot my favorite signing pens in the car, but I had a pretty good one in my purse and I didn't feel like running back outside and Stacy G. was already doing plenty enough for me!

I have no idea when things officially started. There were people already browsing and buying while I was setting up. The authors to my left were twin girls who'd written a book of poetry. The older gentleman to my right, Corky, had written a book about his experiences hitchhiking in the 30's and 40's. Corky was really nice and talked with me occasionally throughout the night. He'd written the book so his children and grandchildren could read about his experiences. He was also working on a book about his naval experiences. He'd been to all 50 states and seven continents. I would have liked to hear him do a reading, but things weren't set up like that, unfortunately. He sold only two books that night, which was a bummer. But as he said, his goal wasn't selling them as much as it was having the stories on paper for future generations of his family. I should have bought one. I thought about it, but I wanted to wait until the end (I needed to pay with credit card and that would have involved leaving my seat at the table.) But by then, he had already turned in his total to the BN staff. I should have done it earlier. If I ever bump into him again, I'll definitely buy one right away : )

All kinds of people started coming in then to see me! People from my dad's church, teachers from my mom's school, even friends of my sister (who brought their parents with them because most of the kids can't drive just yet, so thank you to those moms and dads). I tried to make sure that everyone understood that you don't have to buy my book. Don't get me wrong, we want sales. But if you just stop by the store during the event to say hello, that's really all BN is interested in. Foot traffic, you know? Even still, we sold 21 books on Thursday evening!!!! And the Barnes and Noble kept one signed copy for their shelves : )

So, a huge thank you to everyone who came by!!! You made the night a big success for me and for all the other local authors. I think the Barnes and Noble staff was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people! I have to admit, now I'm a little worried about the Borders signing on October 10 in Peoria. So many people came to this one! : )

I think this blog entry is long enough...tomorrow, Peoria Adventure -- Part Three, my trip to the schools!!!

Talk to you tomorrow!

Peoria Adventure -- Part One

Just wanted to let you know that everything went great last night and today. I'm planning to write a full entry either tonight or tomorrow while it's still fresh in my head. But I have to run now....spending time with the family (lonely husband and two doggies who missed me too!)

Talk to you later!

On the run...

I am running around tonight, as expected, trying to get everything in order for tomorrow. I'm doing laundry, packing and, of course, trying to watch television at the same time. I know, I know, television is not a priority. But that show, Lost, looked so darn good I couldn't stay away from it.

I'm leaving Corporate America tomorrow at 2:00, swinging by to pick up Stacy G. and then we're off! I just trying to remember everything. The most important being the books, of course!

A couple of other things...
-the most helpful thing for The Silver Spoon (at least so far) has been having that short little tag line. You know..."Everybody has bad days. But for Zara Mitchell that means someone's trying to kill her and she's lusting after an alien. And that's just Friday..." It's so nice to be able to summarize the book in a couple of sentences, getting across the scifi, the romance and the humor all at once. Right now, I'm struggling with to come up with one for Bitter Pill. I technically don't need it yet, but how cool would it be to have that to put in query letter? Such a snappy opening might really help. So, since I did the first one for a class assignment, I'm probably going to go back and review the assignment to see exactly how I got there. Once I get a few options, I'll post them here and see what you guys think : )

-newsletter. I haven't forgotten about it!!! For all of you who've joined but haven't gotten one yet, I promise I'm working on it : ) I'm struggling a bit with what the newsletter is about. I'd envisioned being able to share all these great recommendations of movies, books, television, etc with strong heroines. But unfortunately, I'm not finding enough time to read or watch these things to provide recommendations. So, it may change a little bit in the future. But we'll still be offering great guest columns, writing tips, inside information behind The Silver Spoon, hints of what's to come and much more. So, stay tuned!

Okay, I have to go. The laundry needs to go in the dryer. If I don't get a chance to blog tomorrow, please think of me tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. and wish me luck. I feel the ice weasels slithering in... : )

Talk to you tomorrow (I hope!)

I forgot to mention...

A huge thank you to Stacy G. for sitting in a booth with me for most of the day on Saturday, helping me sell The Silver Spoon. Writers, by nature, are not always the most outgoing people, and that is definitely true for me. So, having Stacy there to keep me company, greet people and push me into opening my mouth was invaluable! Thanks, Stacy! And thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth to buy the book or just to say hello!

Also, I wanted to tell you guys that I'm working on updating my website. I should be done with it by this weekend at the latest and I may debut a new look. I've been thinking about changing the look to something a little darker that complements the book cover for The Silver Spoon. But we'll see...if I do this, I'll be asking you guys which look you like better.

In other news...just a reminder, I'll probably miss an entry on Thursday unless I can squeeze one in quickly in the morning as I'll be traveling to Peoria on Thursday afternoon for the signing. Again, if you're in the Peoria-area on Thursday evening, please stop by the Barnes and Noble there from 7:00 to 9:00. This is my first official signing. Though, because it's local author night, there'll be about 25 other authors there! I'm feeling a little unsettled because I'm not sure how everything will come together (how 25 authors are going to discuss their books, answer questions, etc. all at the same time) and as much as I thrive on adventure and not knowing what happens next when I'm writing, I'm not so good with dealing with the unknown in real life. But I'm sure it will all work out fine.

Then, on Friday, I'll be at two schools in the East Peoria school district, talking to kids about writing. My mom teaches at these schools, so she got me set up to come in. I'm actually really excited about this. Kids, I think, sometimes just need encouragement to know that reaching your dream, whatever it may be, is possible. Think about all the things people could do if they'd just heard from someone, anyone, that they could be the person they wanted to be. I know that for years I never thought I could write a book, let alone get one published. Authors were these magical creatures, inhabiting a higher plane of existence that the rest of us couldn't touch. Even now when I communicate with my favorite authors, I have hard time remembering that they're people just like everyone else! But my teachers, friends and family encouraged my writing, supported me, even when it wasn't in anyway certain that I would make it this far. I'm proof that you can have a dream and reach it. Writing makes me happy, makes me feel whole, and if I can help encourage someone else to find that same thing in their life, whether it's writing or not, how cool is that?

Sorry, didn't mean to get all sermon-esque on you, though I come by it naturally enough! (Some of you will get that joke *grin*) I have to go now and try to find what I'm going to wear for Thursday and Friday so I can get it washed and packed.

Talk to you tomorrow!

Homesick...

Over the last few days, I've realized something...I'm homesick for Morrisville. Not so strange until you consider that Morrisville is the fictional small town setting in the Rennie Harlow series. It's such a fun quirky little town. People keep dying all the time, but it's such a cozy atmosphere filled with eccentric and lovable (at least in my opinion) characters. Morrisville is fictional but its geography is, to some extent, based on a real small town I lived in when I was a kid, Hillsboro, IL.

I think some of it's in reaction to getting close to finishing my current project. The end of this project is rather violent, scary and stressful, for me and the characters. So, I think the desire to go back to Morrisville is more of a desire for a different kind of life for the moment, something a little less tense and hectic, which is sort of surprising given, if things keep going the way they are, Morrisville will be the murder capital of the state. That's something no one ever thinks about when writing cozy mysteries all set in the same town! So, now I'm actually contemplating returning to the Rennie series for another project, but something a little different than the two books I've written in that series already. I'll keep you posted if I decide to go forward with it...

But here's what I'm wondering...have any of you ever been homesick for a fictional location? When I was younger, I used to long to be on the starship Enterprise NCC-1701 D because yes, they kept almost getting blown up or taken over, but everyone belonged and had a place and it felt safer than high school. If I were a kid now, I'd probably be homesick, longing to be at Hogwarts (love those books!)

So, where have you wished that you lived? Tattoine. The Millenium Falcon. Genovia. Sunnydale. The O.C. Stargate Command. Perhaps, the attic above Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies? Whose palace/house/moisture farm/ship's quarters/etc, have you ever wished you live in? Post comments below...I'd love to hear your answers!!!

BTW, major bonus points for the person/people who can identify all the movies/television shows/books that the locations named above come from. Ed, are you up to the challenge? : )

Talk to you tomorrow!

More good news...

Gottawritenetwork.com posted my interview on Friday. Here's the link if you'd like to check it out. Dee did such a great job of asking fun questions. Some of them were really hard for me to answer. Like, "Which of your characters is your favorite and why?" I felt like no matter how I answered that question I'd be hurting somebody's feelings (of course, some of them wouldn't care anyway). But I love all of them, even the stubborn and difficult ones, so choosing (and I did choose) was difficult. So, check out the interview if you want to find out who I chose and how I answered the always tricky question of "Where do you get your ideas?"

Also, I've just received confirmation of a few more book signings. Yea!!!

• September 23, 7:00 p.m.: I'll be at Local Author Night at the Peoria, IL Barnes and Noble.
• October 9, 1:00 p.m.: Signing/event at the Champaign, IL, Borders store.
• October 9, 7:00 p.m.: Signing/event at the Normal, IL, Borders store.
• October 10, 3:00 p.m.: Signing/event at the Peoria, IL, Borders store.

If you're going to be near any of these stores, please stop by to say hello!

Talk to you tomorrow!

A fleeting moment...check this out today!

We've broken 100,000!!!! Not book sales (though that would be awesome *grin*), but in the sales rank on barnesandnoble.com. Last week, you may recall that I mentioned my book had finally gotten to about 142,000 on the sales rank listed on my entry at barnesandnoble.com. I mentioned how I thought it would be cool to break 100,000 (especially considering it was in the 500,000 area at one point).

Well, today...The Silver Spoon is listed at 77,111. Woohooooooo!!! Again, this number doesn't even take into account the sales taking place through other retailers and the publisher. This is excellent! So please, stop by my entry at barnesandnoble.com and see the number for yourself -- witness this wonderful moment that has happened only because of all of you out there. Thank you so much!!! For spreading the word, posting reviews, and, yes, buying the book. None of this would be happening without you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Now...is it greedy to think about breaking 50,000? : )

The Best Convention Ever

You know how when you were about thirteen you suffered these horrible/wonderful fantasies about how Kirk Cameron, if he were to meet you, would love you and want to "go out" with you? Okay, well, hopefully that wasn't just me. Though I realize that some of you were far more likely to fantasize about Alyssa Milano or some other eighties hot chick than Kirk Cameron. But you get the idea.

Now, as a grown-up, these little day dream type things have changed. It's no longer about meeting television or movie stars...at least, not as much : ) (Yes, I am addicted to the entire cast of the SG-1 *hanging head in shame*) But now it's about writers. Actually for a long time, it's been about writers. It's just that I think it took me awhile to realize that authors were people too, out and about in the world and capable of being met, if that makes sense. Ever since the moment that I realized this, I've longed to meet the authors of my favorite books. Writing is such a personal and powerful form of communication. When you read something that someone has written, you feel like you know them or at least some part of who they are.

Laura Ingalls Wilder, my favorite childhood author, died in 1957. I remember this because my mom (sorry, Mom, if I'm revealing something you didn't want known) was born before that year. I always asked her, if LIW was still alive then, why didn't you go meet her? To me, this would have been the coolest thing ever. I remember my mom explaining that no one knew who LIW was then, or at least my mom as a very young child did not.

A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to meet one of my favorite authors. And let me preface this story by saying it's a darn good thing that I don't live in CA because I suck at meeting famous people. Laurell K. Hamilton was at a sci-fi convention near my house and I went, hoping perhaps the crowds would part long enough to maybe allow me to see her close up for a few seconds. She's an awesome writer and a huge inspiration to me. Turns out, writer conventions are not like rock concerts. The famous writers actually walk around among you. I did not know this at first, so when I got there and saw that I'd have an opportunity to speak to LKH in person, I did so. Immediately. Not realizing that there would be multiple chances all weekend. And I sounded like a big idiot, tripping all over myself and shaking, sick with nerves. She and her husband were really cool about it. She told me that for her writers were like rock stars and that she'd behaved (not that she said exactly this way) pretty much the way I did at her first convention. I pretty much grinned like a doofus the whole time and said a few incoherent things. But I've seen her a few times since then at various signings (hers, obviously, not mine!) and she and her husband both have usually remembered me, which is the coolest feeling in the whole world : ) (They've said it's because I have a unique hair color -- I think that could be part of it and the fact that I made a memorable idiot of myself that first time probably doesn't hurt!)

And yes, I am getting to my point...Next spring is the annual (I think?) Romantic Times Convention in St. Louis, Missouri. Not only does it look like a really cool convention, but almost every single one of my favorite authors will be there!!! Kelley Armstrong, Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, Meg Cabot (whose blog I refer you to frequently), and Linnea Sinclair. And I get to be there too!!! Hopefully all my interactions with them will have a little more dignity this time : ) But here's the best part: I'm participating in a book fair while I'm there, which is basically like a big book sale, I think. So, they've listed all the authors participating on the convention page. Check it out here, click on the "Book Fair" link on the left hand side of the page and scroll down to the "K's."

I'm there! I'm listed on the same page as Kelley Armstrong, Meg Cabot, Laurell Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, Linnea Sinclair, and a whole bunch of fantastic authors. Wooohoooo!!!!!

I just had to share : ) Stay tuned tomorrow for "Obssessing over the Other Shoe."

Talk to you tomorrow!

P.S. Laurell Hamilton is going to be at a book store in the area in the next couple of weeks for a signing. I'm going to be attending, of course. Stacy G. thinks I should give her one of my books as she has been a huge inspiration to me. Which is true, she has. However, Stacy G. is a lot braver than I am and even contemplating this makes me feel all squeamy (my own made-up word) inside. Laurell does know about the book (I doubt she remembers with all the people she meets, but that's okay) and she's offered me some good advice in the quick casual conversations we've had. Not to mention that she once said "when" you get published, instead of "if" to me, right when I was first starting out. That was huge for me. What do you guys think? Should I bring a book for Laurell or not? Let me know!

A quick note of thanks...

The chat at Writer's Red Room was great tonight -- thank you to everyone who stopped by to ask questions or just hung out to hear the answers : ) I had a lot of fun. Ingrl did a great job of organizing everything and keeping things moving. I'll definitely be going back to chat, both as a writer and a reader. It's such a good deal. In addition to great "conversation," you can win a copy of the books being discussed, and you can enter in a contest to win a book from all the authors featured through the year!

Talk to you tomorrow!

Chat Tonight!

Don't forget...stop by the chat at Writer's Red Room tonight. I'll be there from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Bring all your questions/comments/random thoughts! To quote one of my favorite writers, Laurell K. Hamilton, "Questions answered, mysteries solved." Course, she could have been quoting from someone else...I'm not sure : )

Tomorrow (or possibly later tonight)...look for blog entries here on "The Best Convention Ever!" and "Obssessing over the Other Shoe." I'd write them now, but I have to run home in time to be there for the start of the chat. Well, not "run" but you get the idea!

Talk to you tomorrow (or later tonight!)

Chatting tomorrow!

Forgot to mention...I will be chatting tomorrow at Writer's Red Room at yahoo groups from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Central Standard Time. Fellow RuneStone author, Shannon Devlyn, will be there as well. It's an email chat, which I've never done before, but I'm looking forward to. Basically, instead of chatting live, we'll be exchanging emails during the set period of time. This is great for me, someone who always forgets to get a drink or go to the bathroom BEFORE the chat starts. And you know how it is in a chat room, you're gone for five minutes and you miss a whole bunch!

If you want to come chat with me (oh, please do!!!), it's easy. Just join Writer's Red Room, a yahoo group, by sending a blank email to Writersredroom-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit their site. They have weekly chats and books are given away for free to a couple of lucky chat participants every time. (Unsubscribing is easy too, if you should feel the need to, though this looks like a great deal of fun! For details, see their site at yahoo groups.)

Hope to see you there!

Talk to you tomorrow : )

From the department of utterly random thoughts...

Is "hello" the new "duh"? I'm thinking this as I drove home yesterday listening to the Buffy musical soundtrack (an absolute must-have for all Buffy addicts like myself). In the duet with Anya and Xander, she cuts in on him singing and he says, "This is my verse, hello?" And with that I started trying to remember when I started saying stuff like that. You know, to express outrage--"This guy totally cut right in front me, like I wasn't even there. I was like, hello?" Or disbelief, when somebody does something utterly imbecilic. "He told his boss that he was looking for another job. I mean, hello? How stupid is that?"

I never really thought about it until yesterday. And it is generational, I believe. I don't hear people of my parents' generation talking like this...though that would be really funny -- "Hello? Did we not tell you that you're grounded?" Is it something that started with Buffy? Buffy has had a definite effect on the English language. There's a book about it and everything. I don't have the book. I haven't read the book. But I know it exists. Stacy G. has it, I think. Pretty much you can take noun and "age" at the end of it for a Buffy effect. "Major fun-age ahead." Or add "-y" to a noun. "Don't get all slayer-y on me."

Does anyone else recall the beginning of the "hello" phenomenon? I realize now that I hardly ever say "duh" anymore -- not a huge loss, I know. But I'm truly curious. The English language is this wonderful, ever-changing thing. I mean, where else do you have verbs cropping up based on product names? How many of you "Swiffer" your floors or "Tivo" your favorite shows? I do. Now, we just have to wait for Webster's to catch up with us. : )

Okay, the URT Deparment is now closed. I'm tired and my headache has returned. #$%**$@ barometric pressure!

Talk to you tomorrow!

I forgot to mention...

I've been trying very hard not to pay attention the sales rank on barnesandnoble.com because it doesn't accurately reflect my sales at all because there are so many places where people can buy the book. But I noticed something very cool today (and no, I don't check it every day...okay, I do, but I don't obssess over it...oh, who am I kidding?!?). Today my sales rank was 142,664. Not too bad, considering it was more than twice that a week ago -- woohooo!!!! It would be freaking awesome to break 100,000, but one step at a time. Small victories, folks, it's all about small victories and you guys are making it happen -- thank you! : ) And the reviews that you guys are posting are awesome -- thank you so much : )

(Incidentally, RuneStone [www.runestonepublishing.com] is still your best bet for ordering the book. It's faster and a little cheaper. But if you're more comfortable with barnesandnoble.com, go for it : ) )

Talk to you tomorrow!

Book Signing(s)!

Okay, it's now confirmed. I'll be taking part in Local Author Night at the Peoria Barnes and Noble on Thursday, September 23rd!!!! Yea! Thanks to my mom and dad and everyone else in Peoria who helped make this a possibility.

I'll be there starting at 7:00 on the 23rd. If you're going to be in the Peoria area at all (or you don't mind a drive!), please stop by. Because that's my next fear...I finally get in and no one shows up!

Stacy G. will be coming with me too -- so nice of her. So those faithful readers who've been hearing about her for so long will finally get to meet her : ) My husband will be working, unfortunately, and not able to attend.

I'm also working right now with the Borders in Peoria, with the possibility of signings in Champaign and Normal as well. I'm hoping that success in some of these locations will make it easier to get signings in the Chicago area as well!

Talk to you tomorrow!

It's out in the open.../The best part

Wow, an email was sent out at my work, announcing the debut of my book. Thanks to everyone who wrote me or stopped by to say congratulations!

The best part...
I was thinking yesterday that the best part of writing is not actually the writing at all. At least not for me. For me, the best part is the anticipation. The vision in your head, the scenes playing out before you ever put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. Once you actually start writing, it's then always a struggle (albeit a wonderful one!) to convey what's in your head to the page -- making it as beautiful or tragic or funny as what you see in your head. I have to remember not to rush this part of it. The eagerness to get started, to delve into the new world of a new project is almost overwhelming at times. In fact, it does usually overwhelm me, which is when I start on something new. So, maybe I don't need to be in such a hurry to start things. Then again, maybe that's part of the fun. Rushing in, headlong into the unknown...yeah, I'm not sure I can give that up for a more measured approach!

Have a great weekend. Talk to you tomorrow!

Vacation...

This morning on my way into work, I passed a car going the other way with what looked like a surfboard on the roof. As you know, I live and work in Illinois, so either that guy was commuting a heck of a long way for a good swell or I saw what I wanted to see. Clearly, I need a vacation and it needs to be somewhere warm. (I checked on Hawaii vacations this afternoon -- a great Maui deal! I think I'm addicted.)

All of this made me think...Have you ever sat a stoplight next to or been behind another car where the people are obviously having a great time or off to do something fun? Haven't you ever wondered what it would be like to be in their car instead of yours? I don't mean in the creepy stalker way but to belong there. Or to tag along invisibly. I usually notice this kind of thing when I'm having a crappy day and want to be anywhere else but where I am. Wouldn't that be a cool power? To jump into someone else's life at any given moment. To see what their closets looked like, how they talked to their mother/husband/children, to discover all the deeper stuff about someone that you never learn from a strictly superficial meeting, to deal with someone else's (seemingly) minor problems instead of your own. And hey, you could have a computer-generated hologram for company and...oh, wait. (For those of you not up on your late eighties, early nineties Sci-fi, that's a reference to the show Quantam Leap, which pretty much did what I just described). Except no solving problems or righting wrongs, it would just be fun to see someone else's life from the inside. One of my favorite books as a kid was Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. If you haven't read it, it's hysterical. All about a little girl who..well, spies on people. But in doing so, she becomes a part of their lives and their problems. And Harriet has her own problems as well (if you couldn't have guessed that by the fact that she's SPYING on people.)

But, I'm guessing, that no matter how much fun those people in the other car at the stoplight are having, it's the whole greener grass syndrome. Everyone has problems and craptastic moments in their lives. They just don't happen to be experiencing one at the moment. Probably all of us are the envy of someone else at a stoplight at one point or another. But because we're having a good day, we aren't thinking about it.

This occurs to me now, as I routinely battle envy for those authors whose books have sold more copies or faster or have gained shelf space in bookstores without a battle. (Tangent: But I will learn from my struggles, at least that's what I tell myself. That was always my theory with selling manuscripts too. It scared the #$%^ out of me to think about selling The Silver Spoon with the first query letter I sent out [even though that's every writer's fantasy] because that kind of enthusiasm would automatically make me worry that I couldn't do it again. And how disheartening would it be to sell your first book on your first try and then with your second book have it take year[s]? Talk about self-doubt -- eek!) I mean, even J.K. Rowling or Laurell K. Hamilton or Kelley Armstrong or Linnea Sinclair have bad days. At least, I'm pretty sure they do -- not that I would wish it on them, definitely not! (BTW, I read the prologue to Kelley's fifth book Haunted, which looks completely awesome. It's narrated by the ghost of a dead witch -- how about that for paranormal!)

As I'm writing this, it occurs to me that the urge to jump into someone else's life is probably a lot of what motivates writers to write. To me that's one of the best parts of writing, "meeting" new characters. Learning about them. "Hearing" them tell me about their lives. I love it! : )

This blog is long enough so...Tomorrow I have a question for you guys...more like an opinion poll than a trivia question -- just so you're not disappointed. (Though, trivia-wise, here's one that struck me today, when people say, "he got caught red-handed." Where did that phrase "red-handed" come from? If anyone knows off-hand -- ha! -- let me know.)

Also, as a note to those who might be interested, the Original Series Star Trek Season One DVD Collection came out last Tuesday, the day before my book was released, I might add. Considering the original Star Trek is what started me on sci-fi, I feel pretty good about that coincidence. : )

Talk to you tomorrow!

So, I took a little vacation...

Caught up in the excitement of a long weekend, I neglected to blog on Friday (and yesterday). Actually, I neglected to do a lot of things this weekend that I'd intended to do. Like update my website to show Barnesandnoble.com as second choice behind RuneStone for buying my book instead of Amazon. Amazon has this quirky thing listed about my book that it takes extra time and charges to get it. So not true, my friends! Go to Runestone Publishing to get it within a few days and much cheaper. Barnes and Noble has it as well.

But anyway, sometimes, I think you just need to take a break. Which is what I did. I kept writing, of course. But other than that, I didn't do anything else. I watched the Monk marathon on USA. Gotta love his quirks. That show wouldn't exist if Adrian Monk could touch anything without a paper napkin and a wet wipe afterward. (Okay, that sounds kind of gross, but you know what I mean : ) )

Let's see...what else? Kerry of New Zealand, the person who won the ARC in the contest last month, posted an absolutely lovely review of my book on amazon.com. You can check it out here. My friend (and technical advisor), Ed, also posted a great review on Barnes and Noble's website, which you can read here. Thanks so much you guys, I really appreciate it!!! If anyone else has read and liked the book, please think about posting a review or comment on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Or, you can send me an email *grin*. I'm thinking about putting together a page for my website called "What People are Saying" or something like that. I'll only use first names and city identifiers -- you know, Stacey K. from Chicago or whatever.

So, I've also been thinking about other website stuff. It was so much fun for me to post the first three chapters of The Silver Spoon. I'm thinking about doing something similar. I just don't know what. I could post an excerpt of my mystery, Bitter Pill. It's not under contract anywhere (yet!) -- actually, it's not quite finished yet (still fact-checking and making minor edits). But I'm pretty comfortable with the first three chapters.

Kelley Armstrong does an eserial, where she writes a novella with new chapters twice a month. That would be a lot of fun, and I'd LOVE to do that. But I'm working a full-time day job yet and also working on my current project. Plus, whatever I'd write would likely not be in the Zara/Caelan-universe unless I:

1. first checked with RuneStone (which probably wouldn't be a big deal, I don't think) and
2. I wrote the whole thing ahead of time and posted it little bit by little bit.

The reason is when I write for Zara and Caelan, I write whatever they "tell" me, whatever shows up in my head and I do my very best not to question or analyze it any more than you would do any of those things in the middle of a friend telling you a story. Sometimes that results in some odd things, things that are usually cleaned up after a first draft. But in this case, I'd be essentially "publishing" my first draft. I don't know how I feel about that. And, it would have to be a prequel to The Silver Spoon, which means Zara and Caelan would not be in the story together. I don't know how I feel about that either! : ) Kelley, I think, gives people options about where they want the story to start and stop and then, based on how everyone votes, works from there.

Oddly enough, I'd feel okay with doing a prequel -- which is what it would have to be -- for Bitter Pill, a book most of you haven't even read yet! Perhaps her first meeting with Bristol? It would likely be the assistant swim coach dead in the pool story. I don't know. But then again, maybe it would just be better to post the first three chapters of Bitter Pill.

These are just things I'm mulling over. With time constraints and my weird paranoia/quirks about showing stuff to people before it's done (Adrian Monk's got NOTHING on me when it comes to this), writing something new specifically for my site may not be a practical option. But we'll see.

All right, I've rambled on long enough for today : ) Oh, one more thing, a HUGE thank you to my mom and all various people involved with getting me an invite to the BN in Peoria! I hope to be able to make there on September 23 for Local Author Night!!!

Hope you all had a great long weekend.

Talk to you tomorrow!

A quick note...

Sorry, today will be a short entry. I'm battling a fierce sinus headache and will be turning in shortly. I'm working on getting events set up in various places in Illinois, including my high school hometown of Mt. Zion and my parents' home town of Peoria. I've been having a difficult time so far because bookstores seem to be very reluctant to take books that have been produced by a print on demand method, even though the books are returnable. What that means is that they can return the books if they don't sell, which is exactly what happens with other big, non print on demand publishers. So, I'm not sure what the problem is, but I'm still working on it. People seem very interested in getting the book (someone actually even dropped off a copy of the article about my book that ran in the Journal Star a couple weeks ago to the Borders in Peoria), so I'll get it out there, one way or another. I'm also working on getting into libraries to speak and various author/reader chatrooms. So stay tuned (does anything actually even require tuning anymore?) for more details on upcoming events.

I'm planning to update my site sometime this weekend as well!

Talk to you tomorrow!

More Book Launch Party Photos...

Thanks to my friends Heather and Rob who took these great photos and posted them for all to view. If you'd like to see them, just follow this link.

Borrowing Trouble/Book Release

As usual, when worrying about the meeting I had today, I was worrying about something that didn't even turn out to be the main issue. So, the discussion of part time or no part time didn't even come up. However after all the angst I've generated in myself about this topic, I may think about mentioning the idea to the appropriate parties at my six month review. Thank you to everyone who wrote to me to offer support or advice. I appreciate it. We'll see what happens...

On to more cheerful topics! Today is the day I've been waiting for since February of this year. The Silver Spoon is officially released. I'm so excited! You can now purchase the book in ebook or paperback forms through RuneStone and all the usual online booksellers. I recommend RuneStone, if you're comfortable ordering online, because it's a little cheaper and faster, I think. However, you can also order this through any "bricks and mortar" bookstore as well. Another funny typo...I wrote "mortal" first instead of "mortar." Bricks and Mortal...sounds like a band of some kind!

Speaking of which, I had the fabulous opportunity to attend a Sarah MacLachlan concert last night. She has the most beautiful voice and she sounds just as amazing in person as she does on cd. And humble! She managed to speak to a crowd of thousands and still make you feel like she was talking directly to you. And she told us how the best part of all of this was getting to do what she loves (exactly how I feel about writing stories!) and how she was grateful that after such a long time between tours that we all still wanted to hear it. How could you not want to hear her is what I want to know? : ) I, of course, got all teary-eyed at "Hold On" and "Answer." And I got chills when I heard "Fear," my absolute favorite song of hers. We all got to sing along to "Ice Cream," just like the crowd on the Mirrorball cd. The only song (s) that I wish I could have heard were "Time,"#8 on her new cd and "Prayer of St. Francis," which is on Radio Sunnydale Buffy cd. But those would have been "nice to haves." I heard all of the ones I "needed" to hear. : )

Also, in my latest shameless self-promotion attempt, I handed out bookmarks to the two women who were sitting next to us (I went with Stacy G.). They were very nice and we were chatting before the concert. So, I decided to chance it : ) I didn't catch their names, but it was a great deal of fun talking with them! It's always so chancey, who you end up sitting next to at a concert. You could get someone who hogs the armrest, coughs all over you, or talks loudly on their cellphone. But they were none of these things at all!

One last thing...getting to this point in book publication and just starting on the publication leg of the journey has given me some ups and downs. But I want to thank everyone who is doing so much to help me. People who are telling their friends, writing reviews online or writing me emails to say how much they liked the book. I can't tell you how much that means to me. How much I cling to these good things when I have bad days. So thank you!

Talk to you tomorrow!