Christmas 2007--I love funny clothing!

So, apparently family and friends are concerned about my ability to express my true feelings about things...hence the theme in my gifts this year! (Sorry about the rather, uh, chest-y nature of the pictures--that's what happens when you're taking pictures of yourself and you want the funny sayings to actually be readable! So, no comments from the peanut gallery [by which I mean you, Edward. *grin*])

I love the black and white statement of this. Consider yourself warned!

My thoughts exactly!

A gift from my sister--yes, indeedy, we do!

My dad actually has a picture of me holding this sweatshirt and pointing to something in the distance. Yeah, we're weird, but funny. At least to each other!

I hate this time of year...

Just being grumpy today. I'm sick with a cold, and Alvin and The Chipmunks "Christmas Don't Be Late" won't leave my head. Also, I had to go into the office today and found myself to be one of the few people there. Ick.

 

We're also heading to my least favorite holiday of the year, New Year's. I just have no idea what to do with it. I enjoy setting up goals for the coming year and the idea of starting fresh--that's cool. I love, beyond all reasonable measure, buying new calendars. (It's sick, I know.) But it's the celebrating thing that always leaves me shrugging my shoulders. I am well past the age of going to bars and drinking to the point of sickness. My friends with children will be spending their evening out with other friends who have children and celebrating accordingly, with the kids at eight and then again with the grown-ups at midnight. My husband is asking me what our plans are and I have no freaking idea.

 

What is an appropriate celebration? It seems gratitude should be involved, right? We survived another year, had some successes and some losses too. Losing Snostorm, in June, will be the thing I'll remember 2007 for. But it's also the year we went to Hawaii for the second time, reinforcing just how much I love it there. I had my favorite time (so far) at RT in Houston and got to attend Archon in St. Louis. I had the best time visiting my friends at Valpo in October during Homecoming and getting to see my sister as a freshman there.

 

So, hmmm, there should definitely be a toast to 2007 involved. I can do that. What else? Suggestions, thoughts, recriminations? : )

 

I can definitely see that being able to blog more often will be a dangerous thing for me. Also, mental note, no more blogging when sick and blah...everything comes out sounding so dire and depressing! Really, I am okay! Just sick with the nose-blowing and the coughing and the general misery!

 

:  )

 

Chapter Two Now Posted!

Chapter two is up! : )
http://www.staceyklemstein.com/EOBExcerpt.html

You'll have to scroll past Chapter One, unfortunately, because I haven't quite figured out how to make anchor links. Used to know how in my old program, but still learning this one. Also, be on the lookout for another blog or bulletin from me...Eye of the Beholder should be coming available for pre-order on Amazon in the next couple of weeks!!!! I'm so excited.

Test blogging

In looking back over the last year, I realized how much I've missed blogging. Both missing it in the sense of "Oh, I wish I could do that more often" and "damn, people are going to think I dropped off the face of the earth." I used to be able to blog from my old day job over lunch or whatever, but I'm reluctant to do that in this case. So, I'm trying this publish by email thing.

 

Let's give this a whirl, shall we, and see what shows up...

Ad in this month's SciFi Magazine (Feb Issue, technically, but it's on shelves now!)

The latest...

Going a little crazy this time of year, as you can probably tell by thelack of an updated blog. We did move into our new house, but immediatelyfollowing that day (like, three days later) we had our annual holiday party for friends and family. Yes, we are gluttons for punishment. Right now, we are in the midst of buying, wrapping, and sending gifts, preparing to send Christmas cards, making Christmas cookies (my one culinary contribution toour household) and also having our house (the inside) painted. I didn't even plug my computer into the wall--my writing computer, that is--until this morning. I've been making do with the laptop for email and myAlphaSmart for writing...and not much of the latter has been accomplished in the last week and half, I can assure you.

I'm sort of halfway into my new office. I still have boxes everywhere. Most of them sit shunned in the hallway, so I can try to accomplish something. I am excited, though, because this office gets lots and lots of natural light. I just feel so much better and feel like I'm more productive whenthe sun is shining. Though in Illinois in mid-December, that's rare enough as to be unattainable.

There's a boatload of promotional opportunities I need to be following up on and the lack of time is KILLING me. I actually signed up for a free trial offer of Constant Contact (an email program) and I suspect it's going to expire before I ever even get a chance to try it. I'm also due to turn in an interview, information about my covers, and buy some banner ads. I'm also starting some promotion for Bitter Pill and need to make some headwaythere, but I have to find time!!!! This month, you'll find an ad for The Silver Spoon in RT Magazine and a really cool joint ad with Linnea Sinclair in SciFi Magazine (I will try to post a copy here). I'm SO excited. Also, EOB should be up for preorder on Amazon in the next week or so, and I'm due to post a new excerpt from it here on the site. Overdue, actually. Arrrgh.

It's also that time of year when I start to think about my plan for next year. I must admit that my plans usually do not go according to, well, plan. I never know what's going to sell, what I can finish and reasonably polish during the course of the year and what opportunities might fall in my lap.

According to last year's blog, these were my 2007 goals:

So that means for writing projects in 2007, I’ll be:
-finishing edits on the second Zara book (I’m working on those now, and I’m nearly done. Hope to be finished by the middle of January at the latest—yea!).
-editing/revising the second Rennie book.
-writing the third Zara book.
-working on something new!

Well, the second Zara book is done and sold to Echelon, so that's a good thing. Third book, honestly, has not even been started yet because I need a little distance from the second book to see where I'm going next. However, I realized, in discussion with Linnea, that a major character is not going to survive our next outing. That sucks, but the weird thing is, that more than anything else has motivated me to start thinking about how this third (and possibly, final) book is going to come together.

I also sold The Silver Spoon to Echelon this year. Need to cut myself some slack because prior to April or so, I didn't have a publisher for that book, which meant the series was going nowhere, at least temporarily.

Didn't even touch the second Rennie book. However, I did finally drop the vampire mystery that I started, struggled with and ultimately hated. I'm NOT a vampire writer. Very clearly. Lesson learned. *full body shudder* I also wrote a proposal and the first 40 pages for a new book for the Dorchester Shomi line. It didn't go anywhere (at least, not yet), but I'm pleased with the idea and the pages that came from it and I'm definitely going to pursue finishing it. I'm also proud of myself for making time to write those pages instead of sticking so rigidly to my plan as I probably would have in the past. First, because I LOVE what came from it, and second, it was just a really cool opportunity. This was the year of NOW. No Opportunities Wasted, and I like to think I did much better on that than I would have in other years. I think I'm going to make that my permanent motto, actually!

I'm in the midst of working on a shorter SF romance story, probably novella length, though I'm not sure. It leans a little more toward the space opera side, and I'm enjoying the change of pace, both the shorter length and the different twist on things. My goal was to finish the first draft by the end of the year, but I'm going to have to really work hard on letting go and writing a sh*tty first draft if that's going to happen. I'm hanging on just a bit too tight. I know it, and yet, haven't had time to force myself toget over it.

Now, for 2008 goals...I feel like I need a spreadsheet or Microsoft Project or something to try to be more productive and measure out my year in what Iwant to accomplish rather than just making a list and trying to guess at timeframes. I am blessed to be able to work on whatever I feel like instead of obeying set deadlines, which is fortunate, but that also means I can vacillate for days. : ) Anyone have a suggestion on how they make goals and schedule them for completion?

Move is done

Sorry for my absenteeism here. I've been packing boxes in every spare moment. We decided to move on rather short notice! About a month from the time we signed the inital offer to closing. : ) But it's an awesome house, and I love my new office. Everything is a mess right now, but more updates (and possibly photos) to follow soon.

Oops.

I completely forgot to mention here that I've posted the entire first chapter of Eye of the Beholder. Prior to this point, I'd only posted the first few pages, which were also used as an excerpt in the back of the new version of The Silver Spoon.

Here's the link:
http://www.staceyklemstein.com/EOBExcerpt.html

I'm thinking it's about eight or more "new" pages. Chapter Two will be posted in December and Chapter Three in January! : )

Other random stuff...

--I'm suffering from major gadget lust, again. I've only just recovered from desperately needing an iPhone, which I still want, and now Amazon has launched the Kindle. I'm not completely convinced it's the best ebook reader or anything, but I LOVE that you can instantly download new books from anywhere. No service plan or monthly fees. Plus, you get to skip the step of downloading to your computer and then your ebook reader. I just WANT it. But I do not have the $399 (!!!) required. Oh, well, the gadget lust will fade (eventually) and maybe the price will drop (a la the iPhone). For that price, I'm not certain it's worth it when I'm not sure I can give up the physical presence of a book. I am one of those (my dad is another I know of) who loves the smell and texture of books, the paper, the ink, the cover. All of it. Guess we'll see...

--Is it just a little bit disturbing that at least one person (possibly more) found my website by searching for the phrase "Nancy Drew bound and gagged" on Google? I have a similar phrase in my mystery bio, where I'm sort of poking fun at the series because Nancy never did seem to learn that going anywhere alone was the surest way to end up in trouble. But in this context, it's just a little...weird. : )

--Took two days off over Thanksgiving and the day after to visit with my family in Peoria. We celebrated my grandmother's eightieth birthday, which is actually tomorrow. Had amazing food, played games and just relaxed. I felt a little guilty about not writing those two days, even though what I was mostly doing was floundering, flopping around on the page like a fish out of water. But I thought about the point at which I was having trouble in the story a lot, working it through from every possible angle. For me, a huge portion of writing takes place in my head, working and reworking, long before I sit at the keyboard. And lo and behold, when I got back yesterday and sat down, the pieces all fell together. I'm sure I'll be back to floundering again soon, but it's nice to feel like I made that little bit of progress. : )

--I'm thinking about adding a page to my site, creating a list of all the stuff I'm reading (and therefore recommending). It would be good to keep track, so I can remember all the authors I want follow. Of course, I could do this just in a word doc for myself for that purpose. But I'm wondering if anyone else would be interested in it? I always like to find out what other people are reading, and except on MySpace (where there's a place to put what you're reading), I always forget to mention it here. Just let me know... : )

Blahbbedy, blah.

I'm suffering writer frustration. Arrggh. I hate this. I want to write. I want to write so much, and yet when I sit down to do so all that comes out is complete and utter crap. I know that it's probably not as bad as it seems. Proof of this is finding old writing and realizing that it's not the gag-fest that I thought it was when I first wrote it. Plus, this is part of the whole "write a sh*tty first draft," a theory I fervently ascribe to. But I can't seem to make myself keep going today for some reason.





Some of this is because I KNOW what happens, but I don't know whose perspective it should be from. I typically don't encounter this problem because I usually write first person, single narrator. But in this case, I'm not and....arrgggh. I guess the worst thing that could happen is that I have to go back and rewrite it from the other perspective. Or maybe I could rough out the scene from both perspectives and see which one feels more right. *pitiful sigh*





Anyway, aside from my whining, here are some things that may or may not entertain you.





First, I've been following along pretty closely with the Writers' Guild strike in California and New York. I didn't quite understand what all the fuss was about, at first. Residuals, which is what you often hear about, are like royalties. They don't get residuals for anything that's downloaded off the internet because the networks, get this, are saying that the internet use is purely promotional. Ha, right. How many of you download shows? I do. And I have to sit through the annoying commercials, too, so somebody somewhere is getting paid on these. Now, they may not be making very much money, but x percent of not very much is still x percent. That's what they're out there fighting for.





Yet I've read many comments in various places bitching about how rich television writers shouldn't be asking for more money. I'll grant you that there are some writers who probably are rich and make a very tidy profit. But I'll bet you there are lots of others who are just barely making it, trying to find a way to keep doing what they love and still pay the bills. I know this because this is how it is for novelists. It's freaking hard to make enough money in this industry. It just is, even for the big press authors. But we do it because we love it, and we fight to make enough to keep doing it. Anyway, check out John August's blog for a first-hand description of the strike and an insightful explanation of the reasons behind it. : )





If I were L.A., I'd be out there handing out doughnuts!





Okay, on to second very important topic. My friend Judy is an awesome photographer. She took a bunch of headshots for me so I'd have something to include in the back cover of my next book, if I wanted to. Here are a couple. I shall call them Photo A and Photo B. What think you, dear reader? You will note that there is no big smile because when I smile like that my eyes squinch up and disappear. So I have to go the more coy and mysterious route...it may, however, look more like I'm squinting at something in the distance, so we'll see!

Photo A

Photo B:

So tired...

What the heck...I'm supposed to be less tired given the sleeping in later that has occurred thanks to bizarre ritual of turning back the clocks. (The Future Anthropologist in my head pops up just long enough to point out that this quaint custom is still upheld in the future but more for tradition's sake as the introduction of electricity to homes made it possible for people to do just about anything they want while the sun is down!)

Let's see...what else?

Working on Zara III and it is slooooow going. I'm wondering if I need to resort to writing a sh*tty first draft. I was trying to be all proactive and plan stuff out as I did when I wrote the second (and only readable) draft of book two, but I'm kind of wondering if I need to get the crappy stuff out of the way first. That's how I did it for books one and two. Not sure why I think changing my process now is going to work! Read Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott for more on the sh*tty first draft phenomenon.

Oh, dude....if only...check these out! Veronica Mars Season 4! Part One and Part Two. Okay, network executives suck. This could have been such a cool show. The writing of Seasons 1-3 was so good. Way better than say, Heroes Season Two. And because I love you, here are bloopers from Season Three of VM. And more bloopery goodness!

I'm going to meet The Highlander!!!!

Many of you have heard me talk over the years about the RT cover model contest (all men, barely clothed, sometimes dressed as incredibly hot angels...and yes, there is something terribly wrong--and right--with that last statement).

Okay, so this year, they've gone all out. The scheduled special guest is going to be...I can't even freaking believe it...Adrian Paul. Star of The Highlander! So, just so we're clear on this...he is not only a good looking man (duh), but he is also The Highlander, immortal until he (or another of his kind) is the last remaining. At least, that was the role he played. In the show, his character, Duncan MacLeod, fell in love with a human woman (actually, more than one over time, I believe) and stayed with her even though she would age and he would not. *Sigh*

This is a double whammy as far as I'm concerned. Not just meeting someone famous (which we all know I'm horribly bad at) but someone who was in a science fiction (well, paranormal, at least) show that I LOVED.

Oh, good God, it's going to take serious strength to maintain some form of dignity and not stutter out a request for a photo at the earliest opportunity.

A moment of silence, if you please...

Our Tivo finally gave up the ghost last week. Apparently, I have very bad hard drive karma as this is the second one (hard drive, not Tivo) that has died in the last month. I guess our Thursday night viewing schedule of My Name is Earl, The Office, Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty and CSI was just too much for it to take.

What's weird, though, is how quickly you prioritize shows when you no longer have the ability to record them. I always thought I watched less television because I was only watching what I wanted rather than what was on. However, what I failed to realize was it was the equivalent of eating at a buffet. It's all stuff you like, so you eat more than you normally would. Or something like that. : )

This week, I have only made time for Cold Case, How I Met Your Mother, Aliens in America, Heroes (but only because it was Kristen Bell's debut and boy, even that can't save this sucky second season, in my opinion), Life (the best show that no one is watching) and The Office. That's probably not even half of my normal viewing schedule. And you know what? I'm getting other stuff done in the evenings. Even though Tivo was supposed to free me to do other things, knowing those shows were up there waiting for me added pressure to my already increased tendency to procrastinate.

So I'm rather enjoying my freedom. And I, one of the first and most vociferous advocates of Tivo, am actually considering not replacing it. (Also because it costs soooo much right now.)

Cover is done!

Isn't it beautiful? I love it!

Sex and Marriage with Robots by 2050?

Okay, so am I wrong that I find this article (and idea) completely fascinating? The author has all kinds of parallels to how our society has changed in the past to accept relationships that were previously socially unacceptable, and he thinks robots are next.

I don't know. Can you truly love someone who's programmed to love you? Would it be easier or harder than the real thing? I think the love and marriage portion of it, quite frankly, would be more difficult than the sex aspect. Although, again, if you tell your significant other, robotic or otherwise, to please take out the trash, who is more likely to get the chore done? But then again, is a surprise dinner out really a surprise if you have to tell the robot you like surprises and this is your favorite restaurant? Then again, perhaps the technology will have advanced so that the robot learns about you over the years, just as a person would? But will that robot change and develop also? Would he/she have a favorite food, color, piece of music?

And if they become that developed, in terms of humanity, isn't there something wrong with buying or selling them for the purposes of marriage and sex without their consent or agreement? And can you rely on consent from one who has been programmed to serve?

I just think it's fascinating. : )

Homecoming/Birthday Weekend 2007

Me, at my signing table.

Though, I stood next to it most of the time instead of sitting behind it!

Becky taking a rest, Julie and Heidi chatting.

Susan and Maggie (sitting on the floor), hanging out with me at the bookstore, waiting for lunch!

Becky, Stacey and Julie

A close-up photo, just like the one we took at Ed and Deb's wedding...Eight years ago!

Becky, me and Julie...chilling at the union, waiting for the reunion event to start

Ryan and Julie chatting, Beck and Clint in the background to the left,

Heather and Kathy in the background to the right.

Debbie, Me, Becky and Julie at the 10 Year Reunion Event at Buffalo Wild Wings (Saturday)

The Best Weekend!

This weekend....
Friday
5:45 pm: Got to Valpo on Friday in time to hang out with Susan for a bit in her dorm. Met her friend, Tabbi (Hi Tabbi) and then went back to the hotel to meet up with Julie!

7:30: Nostalgic dinner with Julie and Susan at the Subway right across from our old (and Susan's current) dorm. Becky and I celebrated completing our first week of classes there about 14 years ago and one month. : )

8:45: Fireworks!!! And a brief tour of the campus for Julie who hadn't been back in about twelve years. Got to see the really cool book storage system in the library that involves big metal boxes and crane-type things to grab them off shelves. Didn't get to see it in action, but Susan works there now, so I've got an in for the next visit!

9:30: Swimming back at the hotel. Staying up, talking, and drinking with Julie (Susan not of age yet!)

Saturday
8:00 a.m.: Shoe emergency! I packed a black outfit for my signing and forgot the black shirt. Nothing else would go with the pants and the shoes and I had no other shoes except for tennis shoes. So, Julie and I left at 9:15 and stopped by Kohl's for a quick shoe shopping excursion. I got very adorable Skechers slip-ons, but they did cause blisters later in the day.

9:45: Setting up at the bookstore for the signing. Julie helped me get all the books counted and she was as patient as a saint, keeping me company during the whole event. Becky and Clint came by and stayed for quite awhile as did Susan. Heidi, who I haven't seen in a few years, found us as well! It was very cool to see so many people from our class. Everyone is still recognizable as themselves, but we all look soooo much older and more mature. Funny I still feel the same on the inside!

One of my professors stopped by to say hello, too, which was really nice. I wish we would have had a chance to chat more, but things were quite busy. I sold 14 books in just over two hours--pretty darn good!

1:00 p.m.: Lunch at Panera, by Susan's request, with almost everyone. Greg was off with his fraternity brothers preparing for their annual alumni vs. active touch-football game.

2:30: Met up with Greg and Ed, Deb and the kids and Heather and Rob at the football field. Game was already over! Alumni won. : ) Hung out with Becky, Clint, and Julie at the union until it was time for our 10 year reunion event.

3:30: Buffalo Wild Wings for free food, cash bar and a class picture! We met up with everyone there, including Ryan and his wife. Julie, Becky and I were all friends with Ryan our freshman year and we hadn't talked with him in years! It was so much fun hanging out and chatting with him and his wife, Kathy.

6:00: Picked up Susan, Tabbi, Maggie and Tim(my) at the dorms and took them to dinner with all of us at Chili's. Um, yeah, party of twelve on homecoming weekend? Ha! It took them a bit, but we got in! I had possibly one too many Cosmos and handed over the car keys to Susan. : ) After dinner, we made a quick trip to Target so the kids could get whatever was too heavy or cumbersome for them to buy and carry back while walking. Target is pretty far for them to walk very easily.

10:00: Back at my old dorm and Susan's current one, we headed to the cafeteria, the only room with air conditioning, for my cake! The VU Guild makes cakes for parents to send to students and my mom paid for an extra one to be sent to my sister's room for my birthday! Chocolate with chocolate icing--so good.

10:45: Down for a quick trip to Greg's fraternity house to see the place for old times' sake. Then, Julie and I, never the big partiers of the bunch, headed back to hang out with Susan and Tim(my) in Susan's dorm before going back to our hotel for some girl talk and more wine coolers. : )

3:00 a.m.: To bed, finally!!!

Sunday
9:30 a.m.: Dragged self out of bed. Cried that it was my last day with my friends at Valpo, even though it was my birthday. : (

10:45: Got packed up and checked out of the hotel. Said bye to Greg, who drove separately. Went with Julie to Target to get bandaids caused by my new shoes (see above) and we hung out and talked at the Barnes and Noble with our coffee/hot chocolate. None of these stores even existed when we went to school there!

12:00 pm: Stopped by Susan's dorm to say goodbye. : ( It was so much fun spending time with her. The cool part is that because of the age gap between us, she knows many of my friends already and has hung out with them over the years repeatedly. She's included as one no different than us, despite the years between us, and I loved having her with us this weekend. She's my sister and my friend, and I count myself incredibly lucky in that! : )

1:00: To Chesterton for Becky's baby shower at the cutest little restaurant with the most awesome french fries I've ever had! I've eaten more calories this weekend than probably in the entire week. Heather, Julie and I entertained ourselves, chatting and being silly while we watched Becky open her gifts. I'm so excited for Becky and Clint about BG (their nickname for the baby to be born in Jan/Feb of 2008) and it was really neat to see all the lovely things they received to welcome their baby.

3:30: This was the hard part. I was tearing up before I left the restaurant, leaving Beck and Clint behind. Then Julie and I left separately in the parking lot...by the time I reached the first ticket booth on the toll road, I was a big sloppy, red-eyed, crying mess. I miss my friends, but more I just miss that life with them. Being together with them just makes me feel more...whole somehow. Like I'm a small part of this big, warm comfortable group, and I miss feeling that connected.

We've all grown up now and moved on, but it doesn't feel all that long ago that we were making group excursions to Burger King to eat together or braving the trip across the highway to get to Walmart for supplies for our rooms or a party. And I just miss all of it...even the crappy tiny little dorm rooms. Okay, well, maybe not that part! : )

Pictures to follow...

Extras/Television Update/Early Birthday presents!

At the Great Lakes Booksellers convention this last weekend, I was lucky enough to score ARCs (Advance Review Copies) on several books I've been wanting, none more than Extras, the fourth book in Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series. It's what I would classify as YA sci-fi, and I've loved all the books. I think it's some spectacular world-building, not to mention some really cool (and creepy) ideas.

In this world, everyone is ranked based on fame. Your life is better the more famous you are. However, everyone is competing for that fame so getting it is a bit tricky. Aya, our heroine, wants nothing more than to be someone. Because in this world, you're no one if you're not famous. And she's not. But what is she willing to do to be famous? How far is she willing to go?

I liked the reflection back on our culture and our obsession with fame, not to mention our obsession with people who are famous for being famous (Paris Hilton, as one example). It's always interesting to see ourselves in something else, just a little removed.

Because I got quite a few books for free this weekend, watch here for additional info and reviews. It's my little way of trying to pay it forward. The publishers were kind enough to give me the books, the least I can do is tell people about them if I like them!

_____________________

Second random thing...

First casualty of the fall season at my house? Journeyman. Watched the first episode last week, but couldn't summon enough interest to even hit the record button this week.

First season pass awarded? Aliens in America. Traditional midwestern family (the actress who plays the mom does a kickass Wisconsin/Minnesota accent) signs up for an exchange student to help their nerdy son have a friend at school. But instead of getting a young, confident European blonde guy, they end up with Raja, a sweet boy from Pakistan. I can't even describe how funny it is and yet it has really sweet moments, and somehow manages to balance both deftly. It's on Monday nights at 7:30 p.m.

_______________________

And finally, with my birthday coming up this weekend, among other things (you all are coming to see me at the Valpo Book Center on Saturday right? ), Stacy G. and I met for lunch. And she has such a knack for finding cool gifts. This year, I got a mug with one of those older photos (from the fifites or sixties) with a woman all done up, her hair pulled back and big smile on her face and it says "'High Maintenance' doesn't begin to cover it." And I also got two AWESOME t-shirts form her. The first is red and it says in big white letters across the front, "Please remain calm." And then under that in smaller letters, it says, "It's no use both of us being hysterical at the same time." I laughed so loud and hard at this when I opened it, I think I scared the hell out of people at the restaurant.

Second shirt is black and in old timey letters, it says, "Lead me not into temptation..." And beneath that it says, "especially bookstores."

How freaking perfect is that? I'm planning to wear them this weekend and will try to take pictures!

Thanks, Stacy G.!

Snostorm

Don't know what my problem is, but I've really been missing my baby quite a lot lately. I think about her everyday, of course, but for some reason, the last couple of days have been a little harder.

I dreamed about her last night, that somebody found her somewhere and brought her back to us. Her leg, the one we had to amputate because of the cancer, had somehow grown back, though not completely. Her fur had that weird ripply coarseness that it did after it was shaved off her for her surgery. I woke up this morning still vividly remembering the feel of it under my fingers, like I'd just touched her.

It'll be four months tomorrow. God, this still sucks. I also just recently realized that I lost a lot of my pictures of her because I had them on this computer and not anywhere else. I do have prints of them--thank goodness--but that's it.

I just still miss her. I thought it was getting easier, but not so much. : (

TV Smorgasboard!

Not sure I spelled that right and yes, I'm too lazy at the moment to look it up. But can we get a celebratory, "Yea!" for the start of the fall television season?

True, this means that I'll spend more time in front of the so-called idiot box instead of behind the computer...but I can't help it. For a self-proclaimed sci-fi geek, this year has so many delights to offer. I don't know what to watch first.

Chuck, which I've seen, is silly and cute. Completely unbelievable and totally camp, but fun.

Of course, Heroes is returning and from the first episode it looks like the second season is going to be pretty good too.

Journeyman...eh. I'm withholding judgment.

But tomorrow is Reaper, which looks to hold great potential. And I can't wait to see the new Bionic Woman. Though, I've been hearing less than stellar reviews, but here's hoping they get it sorted out. I don't remember the original, except in a vague way. But it's a cool concept, if done well. And Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck from BSG) can kick ass like no other, though she happens to be the villain (villainess?) in this particular outing instead.

And woo and hoo, Stargate Atlantis returns this Friday. Don't know how I feel about Carter moving to this show. I feel like they've just gotten the chemistry sorted and while I like the character (and the actress), I don't want it to be off-balance again.

But we'll see. I'm just happy to have new shows to watch!

I'm back, baby!

My computer crashed last weekend. As in, it couldn't have hit bottom any harder than if I dropped it off a cliff. All new hard drive required. *sigh* It's taken me most of this week to get it fixed and get it back up and running again.

Fortunately, most of my stuff was backed up, but now I've got to figure out how to get some things back on here. Like, iTunes. *groan*

Okay, so other news...

--I'm working on Zara III, at least trying to get an idea of how and where things start and how they progress. I've never been much an outliner, but I did a rough one for EOB and found that it helped. So, I'm trying to do the same thing here. We'll see. I may end up taking the leap and writing that draft without any solid idea of how we're going to get to the end. I did that with EOB and ended up with something awful for a first draft. It was only after I worked through an outline of what needed to happen and when that I was able to get something workable.

--Look for my debut author ad in RT Bookreviews Magazine's December issue. I'll get it and scan it in here, if I can. : )

--On a purely personal level, I'm very proud to announce that I've lost fifteen pounds since May!

Okay, that's probably all for now. More to come and hopefully sooner rather than later if I can keep my computer all in one piece!

Eyewitness Testimony is unreliable...especially from yours truly.

I'm a terrible eye witness. You have to understand this realization wounds me more than it probably should. I always get angry at the television when people on various crime shows can't remember stuff about the crime or the criminal in question. "Duh," I cry at the screen, "his shirt was green! How did you miss that?" And then you've got the requisite cop or lawyer pointing out how unreliable eye witness testimony is.

And so I've discovered, damn, I'm worse than the stupid people on television (at least they're following a script) and I shudder at the idea of someone being convicted or set free based on what someone else "saw."

Here's the story:
I went to the grocery store the other day to pick up a few essentials, and when I came out with my cart, I heard some yelling on the other end of the parking lot. I looked over, sooo very nosy I am, and saw this guy yelling at a woman. He appeared to be waving his fist in the air and saying something threatening ("Do you want me to lay you down, bitch?" I believe is what I heard him saying) and the woman was backing off with her hands up in the air. I watched for another second, not quite believing what I was seeing, and then I saw her approach him again. And...I just wasn't sure what I was seeing. Were they joking around? I hesitated, and then decided maybe I should call it in. Problem? No cell phone. I left in the charger at home.

So, I left and went straight home (two minutes tops) and called the police. The very nice officer on the other end of the line explained that cars were already in route (which meant, yea, I'd done the right thing by calling, albeit belatedly). Then he asked me some very basic questions about what the man looked like and what he was wearing.

And...I was stuck. I remembered hair color and I thought I remembered shirt color but what I said was evidently different from what other callers had said. Oddly enough, I remembered more what the poor woman was wearing than the scary, threatening dude.

Ugh. I couldn't believe it! My chance to be an eyewitness (not that I wanted to be or that I wanted anything harmful to happen but more to prove that people are smarter than what they depict on crime shows), and I was completely pathetic at it! And you'd think I'd be better with details or more observant, except, hell, I think I make stuff up too often to be relied on for an accurate retelling of just about anything! : ) There are very good reasons why I never attempted journalism.

Woo Hoo!!!

Eye of the Beholder, the second book in the Zara Mitchell series, is officially with the publisher as of about 10:00 pm tonight!!!! Celebrate with me! : )

Hope to have a cover to share soon as well as more excerpts!

Down Home Zombie Blues

Just a short little fan squee here....I was lucky enough to read a copy of Linnea's upcoming book, Down Home Zombie Blues, and oh, my gosh, I loved it!

This, of course, is no big shock since I love her stuff (Finders Keepers, I'm looking at you most especially!), but I particularly enjoyed this one because it was right up my "earth-based science fiction" alley. I'm not going to give away plot details here as the book is not up for sale until November, but the basic premise is a female (alien) zombie hunter comes to Earth, searching for missing technology and a fellow tracker who has disappeared. She discovers that zombies (which are not, in fact, zombies as we traditionally think of them but machines that have taken on a life of their own, of sorts) are on Earth and threatening the planet. Because the zombies were her people's creation, Jorie feels responsible for hunting them down. Of course, her exploits take her straight into the path of a human policeman, Theo.

I don't want to say much more for fear of giving away pieces of the story that you will delight in discovering for yourselves. However, my favorite parts involved Jorie's observations about human culture and her understanding of certain cultural imperatives (such as stopping for red lights). Linnea excels at something (lots of things, actually *grin*) that I have trouble with as a writer--removing her human and earthly perspective from her characters. How do you think like an alien without making it so alien like as to be be completely foreign to readers who need to understand and relate what you're saying?

When I was contemplating writing a short story (kind of a prequel for TSS) in Asha's perspective, I had the worst time thinking like an alien. Particularly one with no context for the world around her. Asha kept thinking about beating people up--of course--but I would hear about it human terms. Bones breaking like fragile chalk, for example. Well, does a recently awakened alien on earth know about chalk? Maybe, given the downloads they probably received in preparation for missions, but it probably wouldn't be her first choice of wording. And she had no memory of her homeworld so...*throws hands up in the air*

But Linnea is very good at this, and the story is a blast (ha, pun intended!) from beginning to end. As I told her, Theo is my new favorite among her heroes. So mark it down on your calendars, November 27, 2007, Down Home Zombie Blues.

More pictures from ARCHON...BSG Panel

My thanks to Jim Yelton for these photos of our BSG Panel...

Me in the middle there, for once listening quietly instead of yammering away. : )

The panel--from L to R: Mike Brotheron, Doug Ferguson, Jim Yelton, Stacey Klemstein, Jack Snyder

Not pictured here is Heather Urbanski, who was on the earlier BSG panel, and kept me company as the only other female. She's written this really cool book about science fiction and what it means in the larger scheme of things. And I loved listening to what she had to say--it was just like being back in a discussion in one of my college English classes. Awesome!

Lessons learned from ARCHON 31

Just a bit of silliness in the form of a numbered list...

1. SF cons are the place to get your geek on. (Hmm, that sounds vaguely dirty. Not intended that way, but oh, well). I loved it. You can talk Trek or BSG with just about anyone and they all know exactly what you're talking about and can contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way instead ofgetting that vague, glazed over look or fleeing in panic. Science fiction has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and it was so cool to be around a whole bunch of others who are just like me in that respect. Two of my favorite non-writing panels were the two BSG panels I got to participate in. So much fun I could hardly stand it! I got to explain what a "sitrep" was.

2. When driving a PT Cruiser, you must refer to it as "the PT Cruiser" or just "the cruiser." There is no car or rental car in the sentence at all. As in, "I left my sunglasses in the cruiser." Sounds way cooler. : )

3. On a related note, when obtaining a rental car for a long journey, always confirm the existence of cruise control before leaving the rental car place! Five hours is a very long time to hold your foot at a 45 degree angle.

4. There is no substitute for drinking cheap wine coolers (purchased at the Moto Mart around the corner) while hanging out with good friends and enjoying the hell out of each other's company and an episode of Star Trek, the original series. (And my memory was right--the tombstone does say "James R. Kirk." Haven't seen that episode in probably twenty years ormore, but darn if that little production goof didn't stick in my brain. Don't ask me which episode, I can't remember the name but it's got to be one of the first or second ones as Spock is not even in his blue shirt yet. It's the one where the crew member's eyes turn silver and the doctor--not McCoy but a very pretty blonde woman--falls for him.)

5. Brushing your teeth is part of foreplay, evidently. But recycling, while important, is not.
(Links to YouTube, keep volume low but this is a MUST SEE). : )

6. Leave plenty of room in your suitcase for new t-shirts. I LOVE t-shirts, particularly those with funny sayings. Among my favorite purchases this time around? A "Legolas is my house elf" shirt. : ) Perhaps I will wear it and post a picture for you all. Mmmm, Legolas...

7. Don't be afraid. I was very worried that people would not like me or my writing because I blend science fiction with romance. But there were plenty of other genre-crossing authors there (among them, Rachel Caine, Linnea Sinclair, Laurell K. Hamilton, Isabo Kelly, and more!), and not a single person--writer or not--scoffed at my choices. At least not to my face and that, quite frankly, was all I was worried about!

8. You can always learn something new. My very favorite session was the one Linnea and I did together on plot. Not just because it was fun to get up there and talk about these things, but because she and I do things so very differently, I learned some new ways of thinking that will help me in my journey. My new mantra is, "Don't panic! You've just fallen off the conflict line, that's all."

9. Rooming with a buddy is a lot more fun than rooming alone! Isabo Kelly and I had so much fun...just not very much sleep. : ) At least, I had fun.She had to put up with my tendency to spread my possessions over every available flat surface. Next year if we do this, we're going to get room(s) next to Linnea. It'll be just like college. : ) Only with more drinking...

10. I can't wait until next year!

Photos from Archon 31/NASFIC

Me on "The Other SF/F" panel with Rae Morgan (on the right)

Me, with my mouth open (big surprise!) on the "Other SF/F" panel

My favorite picture...Leeloo (The Fifth Element) and me!

Thank you, Linnea, for the photos. I will add more when I have a chance to swipe from her site. : ) Yours truly walked off, leaving her camera at home! Also, I'm also working on a short summary of the con and a lessons learned blog. But it will be a couple of days...unconsciousness is calling! I am so tired...

Update from St. Louis

Just hanging out here with Isabo, taking a bit of rest before we head out for the final night of Archon. It has been sooo much fun! I was very nervous before coming here because I wasn't sure how my books and writing would viewed. Some people don't like romance in their science fiction, just as some people don't like science fiction in their romance. You know, the whole peanut butter in my chocolate thing.

But everyone has been so amazingly warm and welcoming. And you guys, I saw Richard Hatch yesterday! The Richard Hatch, the original Apollo from the original BSG and Tom Zarek from the new version. Seriously. I walked by close enough to pinch him...not that I would have. : ) He looks exactly like he does on television.

Other than that, I've been attending panels, talking to people, learning new things and, of course, chatting and drinking! Hopefully, I will have pictures to share next week. I forgot my camera, believe it or not, and Linnea has been kind enough to take pictures of me so I have some to share. : )

The costumes here are spectacular, by the way. I've seen an entire Stargate team, Leeloo (from The 5th Element), Wesley from the Princess Bride, multiple Harry Potter types, and a couple of superheros I couldn't identify, not because their costumes weren't accurate but because my superhero knowledge is a bit lacking.

Must go now to get ready for dinner. More to come soon...
: )

Meet me in St. Louis...

Tomorrow I'm heading out on a road trip with Isabo Kelly. We're heading down to St. Louis to meet Linnea for Archon 31. This is my first sci-fi con as a published author! I'm excited and nervous. But I'm looking forward to the trip tomorrow and to seeing my friends. : )

I'm on a bunch of panels, including some about BSG--on which I will be only a fan because my sci-fi stuff is NOTHING like BSG. But that's okay. It'll be fun. : ) I'm also on several writing panels. Should be interesting!

Will try to post from the con, but we'll see what internet access and time allows.

Writing by the seat of your pants sometimes leaves you naked! : )

I've been working on my handout for the plot workshop Linnea and I are giving together next week at Archon, and it's fascinating to me how differently we approach writing. Of course, in writing up how I usually work, I can see why I routinely get stuck at various points in a book.

I rely on intuition to write. I don't plot or plan anything out ahead of time...well, not much, anyway. I just listen and watch, much the way Stephen King describes in On Writing. I don't do it that way because that's how he does it but because that's the way it works for me. It's like catching only bits and pieces of a movie and trying to puzzle out what must have happened in between this part and the last little portion you saw.

It works for me because I enjoy finding out what's going on just like a reader. However, I frequently find myself in situations where I don't know what happens to make that next leap. Over the years, I've learned it's usually because I'm missing something. Some major fact I didn't know, some tension-elevating feature that I bypassed accidentally. For example, in The Silver Spoon, it was that if you challenge the leader of this particular group of aliens and you win...you're the new leader. Boom. When that clicked into place, it was HUGE. Changed everything and pulled the story tight again.

And for whatever reason, I find this stumbling block always occurs right near a threshold, or change in the character/situation. I follow Christopher Vogler's idea of the Writer's Journey when I need help and I always find myself referring to that book at the exact same places in every single book--as I'm transitioning into Act II and then again into Act III.

With my current WIP, that's exactly where I'm floundering again. I know some things, but just not the full picture. And it's very frustrating when I want to move forward. I know the hero in my story has some big dangerous mission in the offing or he has some special destiny or both, but I have no idea what it is. Not yet. And though technically I don't need to know at this exact moment--nobody's talking about it or anything--his role/mission is significant in how it causes at least one major character (and possibly more) behaves toward my heroine. Arrgh.
It will work out--I have faith and it always does. But whew, talk about grumpiness and frustration until we get there.

Anyone else out there write this way? If so, what do you do to get past it? I know L would tell me that I've fallen off the conflict line and she's absolutely right. But how to get back on and get us on the right track again...that's the tricky part.

Yea! Thursday Night!

My new favorite show, Burn Notice, is on tonight. First, can I say how much I love cable's recent trend of creating new shows for the summer? A couple of summers ago, I got hooked on The Closer and Psych. Last year, it was Saved, which hasn't returned and I don't know if it will, actually. Which is too bad because...hello, deeply flawed characters everywhere. Loved it. I've kind of fallen off of The Closer--it was more interesting when Brenda's love life was all messed up, in my opinion--and Psych is not as good as it was last season (though still better than the first season, I think). Burn Notice, though, sets my little television-watching heart all apitter-patter.

First, the premise, a spy, though more of a freelance spy than one associated with the CIA or other organization, gets cut loose from his job. No one will take his calls, no one will acknowledge his existence. He has been disavowed, to use M:I language. They, whoever they are, have also frozen his assets, destroyed his credit history and put him on every watch list known to man. But they don't want him dead, at least not yet. He doesn't know why any of this is happening, and, of course, he can't get anyone to tell him. And he finds out at the worst time possible--when he's trying to convince some major bad guy to take an official payout to leave some oil rigs alone. The guy finally gives up his account numbers for the payout and when Michael, the main character, goes to call it in, they tell him he's been burned. No other information available, no help to get him out of a very sticky situation. He has to rely on his own cleverness, which is part of my attraction to the show. He can't really trust or rely on anyone else--even those people who are helping him (his mother, ex-girlfriend and an ex-associate with the FBI who is obligated to inform on Michael's every move) have their own agendas that may or may not work against him.

In writing, it's always best if a character finds him or herself a corner with no way out. That's when things start to get interesting. I love it. Also, Michael's mother, a role played magnificentlyby Sharon Gless (Was she Cagney or Lacey? I can't remember), is amazing. Equal parts manipulative and caring--and impossible to tell which is which until it's too late. Bruce Campell (of Evil Dead fame) plays the ex-associate and does so with great relish. He's fantastic.

The individual episodes focus on odd, private investigator-type jobs he's taking in order to make ends meet while he's searching for who put the burn notice out on him and why. He's so clearly reluctant to get involved onthese cases because they are, in a way, child's play to someone who does the kind of work he does, or did. And yet, he's obligated by the need for money and his sense of morality, oddly enough. In reference to the skills need to catch a particular criminal, I think there's a quote from the show that goes something like this, "Spies are just criminals with a government paycheck."

The writing is pretty snappy. And I'm a sucker for a good voiceover. Can't help it. It's the closest thing in television to first person (which is what I almost always write). Some of his opening lines are good, too, in my opinion. This is a paraphrase, but close to the opening lines of the pilot:
"Covert operations involve a lot of waiting around. You want to know what it's like being a spy? It's like sitting around in your doctor's reception area, 24/7. You sip some coffee, flip through a magazine...and occasionally someone tries to kill you."

Awesome. Follows the writing rule of three, catching you off-guard with the third item in a list.

Or, how about this one, (Thanks to The Watcher Column in the Trib for catching and transcribing this--read her whole article here.):
"Spend a few years as a covert operative, and a sunny beach just looks like a vulnerable tactical position with no decent cover.....I've never found a good way to hide a gun in a bathing suit."

Of course, you're not getting the perfect, dry tone of Jeffrey Donovan by reading it here, so check it out tonight. USA, 9:00, central time. : )

Meez for Zara?

Was having a little fun with Meez. Check this out--does this look like Zara at the diner?
http://images.meez.com/user16/08/06/0806_10019112123.gif

Tempt me...

So, as you've probably guessed, I spend a lot of time in bookstores. It occurred to me recently that there several kinds of books that seem vaguely tempting but I can't get over one obstacle about them that turns me off from buying them. But these books seem to be popular, or else I just notice them more because of my issue with them, so I'm wondering if I'm missing something.

This has nothing to do with the quality of the books--I've never read one, so the writing could be fantastic for all I know. It's just my own personal hang up. So, here's my challenge, if you've read one or more of the books in these categories and highly recommend said books, please let me know which ones to try. I'm up for the experiment!

Here are the "forbidden" categories:

-Books that use Jane Austen's characters (or children of her characters) in adventures taking place before or after the novels she created them for. I'm sorry but I just don't believe that anyone can write like Jane Austen, except for, you know, her. But I'd LOVE to read a book that proves me wrong as I love almost all of J.A.'s novels.

-Books that use Jane Austen as a fictional character--typically, but not always, as a sleuth. Eesh, this one bothers me just because it makes the assumption that you can know someone well enough to write a book with that person as the main character and have it be believable. Not that there's anyone alive who could contradict it, of course. I just don't understand this, though.

-Books, usually mysteries, that revolve around some so-called feminine art. You know which ones I'm talking about, right? They have punny titles that involve cross-stitching or baking or knitting or whatever. I'm always eager to find a new amateur sleuth series, and most of them seem to have this angle built into them. It makes sense. Knitters want to read about knitting or will find it interesting to learn how someone was killed with a particular kind of knitting implement. But is there one out there that doesn't require special knowledge of said hobby to enjoy the book?

-Inspirational romance novels. These, especially with the new covers, catch me by surprise. I'll pick it up based on the cover and start reading the blurb. It'll catch my attention--main character is forced to see her old boyfriend at the high school reunion, now an FBI agent in pursuit of a serial killer, and will things be the same, and will she survive a confrontation with the killer himself?--and then the line about "her faith in God will be tested" is always thrown in there. Here's the thing, I think just about everything bad or scary that happens tests your faith, including being confronted by an ex-boyfriend you still have feelings for and a serial killer. In different ways, of course. But I don't necessarily need it to be shouted at me in this way. But, then again, I've never read the book, so I don't know. Maybe it would seem more organic, more natural, when reading the book instead of reading the back cover blurb.

So, please send me recommendations, suggestions, tell me I'm full of it for not reading these sooner. I'm curious to know what I'm missing, if anything.

Also, feel free to share books in categories you won't read. Maybe someone will make a suggestion that will open up a whole new "okay" category for you.

: )

Living Dangerously

I think I'm the only person in the whole country who has NOT pre-ordered a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Don't get me wrong--I'm buying a copy...somewhere. Wherever I can find one, if I can find one, on Saturday. But I held off on ordering one, even when BN.com sent me a warning on my last day to pre-buy, because I just feel like I'm rushing for it to be over with. And it's the last book. I've enjoyed this series since my little sister, who is not so little anymore, introduced me to it. I think she was ten, possibly younger. (Sus, do you remember?) It may have been the first time she made a book recommendation to me instead of the other way around, given the difference in our ages.

By the time I caught on to the magic that is Harry Potter, books 1-3 were already out. I promptly bought 2 and 3. And when Goblet of Fire came out, I pre-ordered two copies and took Susan to the midnight bookstore opening--the first time they ever did that--as she happened to be visiting us at the time. The guy at the store gave Susan free Hogwarts stickers with the house banners on them and included a set for "Mom and Dad," meaning Greg and me as we were the adults present at the time. I don't think we corrected him, but we laughed later. It's not the first time that has happened to me and Susan, being mistaken as mother and daughter, but it was the first time Greg got dragged into the mix. For the record, at the time, I was twenty three, maybe twenty four, and she was ten or eleven. But then again we both look young for our age and Greg looks older, so hey, it wasn't that far off base for the guy to assume what he did. I mean, who else would have a kid out at midnight?

It's a fun memory.

For book five, my brother and I stayed up until 2:00 am to get our pre-ordered copies at the bookstore because of rumors of a shortage. Greg goodnaturedly teased us the next day when we saw piles of the book everywhere. Oh, well. It was an event, and Michael and I had fun hanging out, waiting. But because of that, I didn't pre-order book 6 and still managed to get it the next day.

For this, the last Harry Potter book, I hope I get it on Saturday, somewhere, but I know if I do, I'll be done with the book and the series by Sunday afternoon...at the latest. And that's just sad. No more anticipation, no more wondering what happens. So, maybe it's okay not to get caught up in the rush, to have those couple extra days of anticipation and eagerness to find out, to contemplate all the possibilities and things that I want to have happen. (Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, the twins, and their parents must survive or I'm not a happy camper. Also, Ginny and Harry must end up together. If you know anything on either of these fronts--DON'T TELL ME). The end is there waiting, but I want to make sure I enjoy the last leg of the journey too, you know?

P.S. I say all of this now, but watch for the crazied entry on Saturday when I can't find a copy anywhere and every television station and internet site is blasting spoilers...then we'll see how philosophical I am! "Who cares about the stupid journey, just get me a copy of that book!" : )

Finished 30 pages!

Last weekend, things came together on the proposal I've been working on. Once I got out of my own way (worrying about whether it was any good and if it would work), I finished three chapters. Then I finished the fourth one this weekend, which gives me about thirty pages, enough to be considered a proposal. Of course, I still have to write the synopsis, which for me is the hardest part.

The thing I'm struggling with the most on this one is that I'm really enjoying myself, letting my hair done and writing a shitty first draft (as Anne Lamott suggests). But I'm scared to pull everything together and send it in for official consideration because if it doesn't work for this particular opportunity (the reason I pushed this idea to the front of the development line, so to speak), I'm afraid I'll lose my passion and interest in it. I'll be too down on myself and the particular idea to keep going. I don't know...does that make sense?

That's why I prefer to finish the whole thing--or at least more than the first few chapters--before letting it go. When I've got the full book, I know that it's come together and I feel good about it, confident. If it doesn't meet specific needs, that's okay, but I've learned that doesn't necessarily speak to the quality of the story or writing.

But this...only a few chapters to stand for the whole thing. Eeeek. It just makes me a nervous wreck. Mainly because I'm acting on faith that it will all come together, just as it has in the past for other books. And yet, most books (other than the first few by an author) are sold on proposal versus the whole book being written (that's called writing on spec). So it's something I probably need to get used to.

Writing is, more than anything, an act of faith for me. And every time I think I've got it mastered--faith to write the next scene even if I don't know exactly what happens, faith to know that there's an ending for it even if I don't know it yet, faith to send it out, faith that I'm doing what I'm meant to do--there's another leap waiting for me. : )

So, okay, this is just the next leap. Time to close my eyes, take a deep breath and make the jump.

Here are things that you should not do when in a coffeeshop or the cafe section of a bookstore:

Talk loudly on your cell phone in an extended conversation about how you're not qualified for a job because managers need to know how to re-key locks.

Tap your empty cup on the table in a rhythm matching a song only you can hear...in your own head.

Flip through magazines with your best friend and complain loudly how everything in there "sucks" "is so stupid" and "completely ugly."

Let your cell phone ring multiple times on different calls at the highest volume possible even though it's sitting right there next to you on the table.

Stand there, debating your coffee selection endlessly, while the line piles up behind you.

Sit next to me and do any of the above things when there are any number of empty tables near far less irritable people. : )

***
As you can probably tell, I spend a decent amount of time in the Barnes and Noble cafe. Even with the minor irritations, it does afford some awesome people-watching. Once I sat there and listened to a teenage boy on cell call swear up and down to his mother that he was filling out a job application at said Barnes and Noble for summer work, while he was actually thumbing through FHM and Maxim and the like. Too funny.

Fictionwise eBook Bestseller

Holy crap. Sorry, I’m just a little stunned…but in a good way! The Silver Spoon is #10 on the Fictionwise e-book bestseller list. I’ve never been on a best seller list of any kind before. This is so cool!!!

#3 on the list is Stephen King’s book, Blaze. I can’t believe my book is on the same list! : )

Thank you to everyone who has purchased a copy of my book, whether in print or e-book. I really appreciate it! And thank you to fellow Echelon author, J.R. Turner, for the heads up about Fictionwise.

So, here, look quickly before it changes…*grin*

http://www.fictionwise.com/topstories.htm

Guest blogging this week

Hey guys, just a quick note to let you know I guest-blogged this week at Alien Romances. I wrote about creating new words in world-building. "Shiny" from Firefly was my example of this concept done well.

Check it out here!

Where to Begin?

Working on my current WIP, and this is a weird one for me. Normally, I have a very clear idea of what the beginning and end should be. Now, that doesn't mean that they both turn out that way. But I can see an initial version. With this one, I can see more of the middle and the beginning...is not clear. I've got several scenes, each one would start the book one scene earlier.

They aren't competing ideas in the sense that it would be one or the other, but that very first scene, the one that kicks everything off can start either pretty close to the main "everything changes" event or a little farther back.

The advantage of the farther back approach is the chance to give more context so readers understand why certain events are significant without me having to spell it out. That's a good thing to avoid--the info dump or the telling versus showing.

But starting closer to the "everything changes" scene means you don't have to wait so long for something to happen.

With The Silver Spoon, I start with the diner explosion pretty much right off. It works in that case because an explosion is pretty self-explanatory. But the opening situation I'm working with here--someone waking up from cyrogenic freezing is a little more complicated. Also, it's a future setting slightly, which requires some context.

If I follow the Writer's Journey, I need the ordinary world first, which means I'd have to back up even farther, and I've got part of that scene written too. But does that go too far back? I don't know...

Just need to think more, I think.

Snostorm

Emerald Snostorm

July 27, 1996 - June 4, 2007

I've been avoiding blogging for awhile, as you probably noticed, because I haven't really been sure how to deal with this. I know I don't need to write about it, but it will feel Not Right if I don't.

Snostorm, my baby, died on June 4. To be fair, we ended her life, and God, that was the worst thing I've ever had to do. To make that decision for another living being. But after an incident on Memorial Day weekend when she couldn't stop crying in pain, things didn't get better, only worse. She was on constant pain meds again, after being off them for almost two months after her surgery. Then, toward the end of that week, she couldn't walk properly--dragging her right rear leg--and some of her basic bodily functions started to fail. We suspect that either the cancer spread to her spine or internal organs, or she might have even had a minor stroke.

I stayed with her to the end. That was something I wasn't sure I could do. But after they administered the sedative, I tried to get up and she opened her eyes and looked at me. So, I stayed. As difficult as that was, I'm glad I did. I didn't want her to be alone or afraid in a room of strangers. Life had already been hard on her. She didn't need that at the end.

I loved her. She was my baby. And I miss her so much every day. She used to wait for me to come home. She'd get up in the morning and come and lay in my writing room, even after her surgery when she had to hop there. Her fur was the softest I've ever felt on a dog, and she always smelled sort of sticky sweet, like day old syrup or something.

I taught her to sit and shake. Greg carried her down the stairs when, on her first day with us, she was brave enough to go up but not back down. When we first met her, she rolled over on her back in her crate at the kennel, begging for a tummy rub. She was the only dog there who didn't bark when we came in, which was important as we were living in a tiny condo at the time.

She lived with us for eight years, joining our family only a few months after we were married. We were so hoping she would make it to her eleventh birthday next month.

There are so many things I want to say, little moments I want to remember, but I don't feel up to writing it all down just yet. Hurts a little too much right now, the wound is still too raw.

It sounds weird and completely superficial, but one thing I'm really glad of is that Bitter Pill will be making it to print, as Rennie's greyhound, Fritzy, is based on her. In that little way, Snostorm will live forever, you know? I'm just sad that she can't be here to come with me to the book release party next spring. She would have loved all the attention.

Oh, no--BSG is ending!

No, no, no! The best sci-fi show on television, Battlestar Galactica, is ending. Producers announced that next season, the 4th season, will be the last.

Of course, I'm disappointed. And yet, here's the thing. So many television shows just...linger. Replacing characters when actors want to leave, convoluting storylines to come up with something, anything new, slowly degenerating into crap.

What makes BSG different is the producers' willingness to take risks to tell good stories. I've said recently that most shows fall apart during or just after their third season (see Grey's Anatomy, IMO) because they're trying so hard to keep things the same in order to maintain popularity but also to keep things changing and different to elevate interest level. BSG has taken some HUGE risks in the last three seasons, and those risks worked. It kept the show fresh and sharp.

So as much as I love that, I respect the fact that it's impossible to keep that up forever. It would be like writing the middle of a book...forever. Ever notice how many shows get more interesting once they have an end date? They no longer have to worry about taking dramatic action that might or might not close off possible future episode ideas. It's okay that so and so dies or gets married or finally admits her love for her fellow Viper pilot (yeah, okay, so I have my own ideas about how it should all end) because the writers don't have to worry about backing out of that commitment later.

Battlestar Galactica, thanks for showing us all how it's done. I look forward to your last 22 eps with great anticipation and more than a little sadness.

Mosquito Bites, Books and More

Somehow, don't ask me how, a mosquito made its way under my shirt, and I now have bites where it is completely impolite to scratch. *rolls eyes* We live near enough to a lake to have the mass mosquito population...though not close enough to have a water view. They are everywhere, and I take a perverse delight in striking them down whenever I can. : )

Heading into the weekend now, I'm planning to get my synopsis finished up. It's a strange thing. Normally, I know the beginning and the end of a story and the middle is the hardest part. Now, I've pretty much got the middle, but the end and the beginning are unclear. This is why I usually have to write the book first! I mean, I have an idea for the opening scene, but I need the details in order for the end to have resonance. When you're looking for character development, you're trying to see how the character changes through the course of events. How is the character different at the end? What flaw is he/she trying to overcome? So maybe my problem is that I don't know my heroine very well yet. Hmm.

Tomorrow I may also head out and meet up with some libraries and bookstores in the area. Start my promotion push for The Silver Spoon. And hey, just a reminder, I'll be in Chicago (as opposed to the far, far northern suburbs) next weekend for Printers Row!

Second Book in Zara Mitchell Series

Eye of the Beholder, the second book in my sci-fi romance series, will be released in February 2008 from Echelon Press. I'm so excited! I know it's been a long time coming and for those of you who have been waiting, I really appreciate your patience.

I'll be putting up an excerpt as soon as the manuscript is finalized. You can read the first three chapters from the first book, The Silver Spoon, at my website, http://www.staceyklemstein.com/SilverSpoonExcerpt.html. The Silver Spoon is being re-released next month by Echelon Press. It will include an excerpt from Eye of the Beholder in the back.

Yea!

: )

New contract! And a general update...

When I got back home from Hawaii, I found an envelope from Echelon--a contract for the second Zara book, Eye of the Beholder! Also, the re-release of The Silver Spoon will have an excerpt from the second book at the back. : )

I've been a little behind in updating the blog. We got back from Maui last Friday and then turned around on Saturday to drive down to Peoria for my sister's high school graduation. Unfortunately, when I woke up on Sunday, I had the stomach flu. I haven't had that in years. Greg was sick with it earlier this year, just before RT. I was worried I'd get sick before leaving, but I was okay then. But it was just lying in wait.

Actually, I'm pretty sure a woman on the flight back between Maui and Los Angeles last week was sick. She kept getting up to go to the bathroom and taking blankets off all the empty seats until she had, like, eight of them. Clearly, she had a fever or something, just as I did. Damn that airplane recycled air! : )

So, I missed Susan's graduation, and I feel so bad about that. I know she's been eagerly looking forward to this event, and I so wanted to see her graduate. I've been there for most, if not all, the major events in her life, and I'm bummed that I missed this one.

I started feeling better slowly on Sunday night and we spent another night at my parents' house before leaving early Monday morning.

Other Stuff:
Before leaving for Hawaii, I sent out a proposal for a new project and I'm waiting to hear back on that. This weekend, I'm working on a different proposal and having a blast with it too.

Unfortunately, I spent most of yesterday at the doctor's office and then the hospital. My right shoulder and arm have been bothering me since we got back from the trip. They were getting better, but I decided to make an appointment, just to make sure everything was okay. I've always been able to pop my shoulder out of place at will, so I figured hauling things around (including my freaking laptop, which, hello!?!, it was vacation and should have been left at home) probably just stretched or pulled something.

Well, when the doctor was having me rotate it around, he kept hearing it click. Which is not good. So he sent me to the hospital for x-rays. And by the time, I was done with all that, my whole arm was throbbing and aching from being pulled and prodded. The part that weirds me out is that my shoulder on that side feels out of place or something, like it's lower or something, but the x-rays will show it if something's out of whack. At least, I hope so.

But because it's the long weekend, I have to wait until early next week to hear the results. Ugh.

I also picked up a new ergonomic keyboard (with money I don't have!) because my wrist has been bothering me. That seems to help.

As my friend Stacy G. says, I'm now banned from vacation. Clearly, my body can't handle that much relaxation. : )

P.S. Also, Nathan Fillion accepted my friend request--hee! Yep, I know he's got thousands of friends on MySpace, but I don't care. It's still cool.

Hawaii Photos

View from Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurant in Lahaina, Maui.

My one attempt at an "artistic" photo--the morning light came in so brightly and lit up these red flowers so beautifully, I couldn't resist.

Cool tree on resort grounds (I don't know how to switch to be right side up--sorry!)

The view from our lanai.

Kaanapali beach, right near our resort.

See how blue the water is--I love it!

At the rehearsal dinner (and yep, I've got my eyes closed, as usual!)