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!)

Aloha!

Greetings from the Lahaina Cannery Mall Starbucks! We're just taking our daily email break--yes, I know we're pathetic. But even checking email is pretty cool when you're staring out at the beautiful, purple-y Maui mountains while you do it. ; )

We're having a great time. Last night was the rehearsal dinner at the Old Lahaina Luau, and it was amazing. Also, very cool to be hanging out with people you know in an unfamiliar place, you know? Several Valpo folks here, as expected, for the wedding.

I'm not sunburned yet, but Greg is! We've done lots of shopping for little trinkets here and there. So far my favorite afternoon was when I hauled the computer out to the lanai (aka, the patio) of our cottage and wrote for a little bit while staring out at the mountains and golf course.

The ocean here is, of course, spectacular. I've never seen such a clear shade of blue green. I'm taking pictures to the best of my ability, but they never quite compare to the real thing.

Dogs seem to be doing okay at home from the reports we're getting from our petsitter who is staying with them--they're proably relieved that they don't have to leave the house for the kennel! So that helps me relax too.

I've hit a couple of bookstores here, buying reading material, of course, but also handing out my flyers and such. It is so amazing here. I think I'm going to have to write a book set here, just so I can come back and make sure I get all the detail right! : )

I'm behind, I know, on responding to emails and messages, but I swear, I'll take care of it all when I get back. Internet is very limited here--and for good reason, I guess. : ) So, we pretty much just make a short stop here.

I would soooo love to live here. Even if only for a few months out of the year. The relaxed attitude and the slower pace of life are absolutely wonderful and contagious. It's virtually impossible to be tense here.

Anyway, I will write more later, probably when we get back home. And I'll have pictures to share too.

Aloha and Mahalo!

: )

Things should be calming down here in a day or so, but check this out in the meantime.

Colby Hodge, awesome sci-fi romance author who was on the panel with me at RT (which I haven't told you about yet...I know, bad Stacey!), read my book and wrote about it in her blog.

Check it out here!
http://cindyholby.blogspot.com/

Head spinning

I know, I still owe an update on RT (the best one that I've been to yet), but I'm scrambling here, trying to pull a bunch of things together. I promise I'll be writing a full entry soon. Right now, though, I've just got to keep my head down and keep working. : )