Big Furry Balls or The Hazards of Holiday Pre-shopping

There I was, minding my own business, walking around a Shall-Remain-Nameless store with my writing pal, enjoying the conversation far more than the red-and-green visual overload, when what to my wandering eyes should appear...but items that sent my overactive imagination into fits of laughter and wicked delight, only to find my mind had gone sprawling down the path of goofiness. Oh wait, that path is well worn. Yup, my mind goes there and back again so much the grass won't grow.

Check this out: Big Furry Balls.


















Available in two sizes, no less. My plaid flannel fashion aside...I can't decide. Do these things need some googly eyes hot-glued on? Or do you think these furballs need to stay on the store shelf in case the werewolves they were snipped from come looking for them?

SQUEE! Good news!

Happy Friday everyone!

I’m so excited—I’ve got TWO big news-bits to tell—and I have to share NOW so I can get back to my “happy dancing” so I can settle in for the java and get to work .

First, I just signed the contract for the fourth installment of Persephone Alcmedi’s story! It will be called Arcane Circle. WOO-HOO!

Second, somehow my publisher Simon & Schuster/Pocket/Juno has acted in that vast labyrinth known as Publishing-Things-that-Happen-though-I-Don’t-Understand-How and sold foreign rights of the first three Persephone books to a German publisher. How do you say “Groovy!” in German?

C’mon, Happy Dance with me! And have a FANTASTIC weekend!

COOKIES!

I received the most adorable invitation in the mail and it is mega-cool in 3 ways--a feat that your average piece of mail simply cannot compete with.

First, this thing was hand made. HAND MADE. Read that again. HAND MADE. Someone, in this busy world of ours, someone with small children, took the time to MAKE this adorable invitation.

Second, this is well done. Did you notice the little cookies? The detail on the gingerbread man? Maybe you can't see it in this picture, but OMG, is he cute! Being totally artsy myself, this is one of those things I can point to and say, "That is awesome," with a certainty that you should all simply accept. :-) For clarity, I have sons, not daughters, so 'scrapbooking' and this kind of craftiness is...well it's not going to happen in my world. So, when I see this, it's special. It's not just a paper card or invitation. It's a show of talent that speaks of time-taking and care. It's technically still just paper and ink, but somehow it's...warmer.

And third, I've been invited to a cookie exchange. I've never been invited to a cookie exchange. I love to bake. Cookies, brownies, cakes, cookies, and oh, did I mention cookies? (Notice pies are not in that list...) I make oatmeal scotchies with chocolate chips and pecans that my kids swear should be sold in stores. And that is high praise coming from the Oreo fiends I'm raising.

But back to the cookie exchange. This is such a no-brainer idea--whoever you are, wherever you are, get your friends together and do this! (That's an order.) You won't have to get the various supplies to make a bunch of different kinds of cookies, and you won't have to go through and clean the mixer and the beaters a dozen times. Once. Once. And then: you get to have a party and see all those friends before the busy-ness of the season sets in, yet you have your snack stash ready whenever anyone comes calling! (Perhaps freeze a variety of cookies is separate baggies and pull out a baggie to thaw when you know someone's coming!) This is one of the most brilliant things ever and I am delighted to have been invited. (Thank you, S!)

Imagine how YOUR friends would feel if you spear-headed such brilliance as this in your circle and invited them? Even if they're not bakers per se, they can do the cookie dough roll from the store and add little candies to the top or something, right? Cookies can be as easy or as involved as you want them to be. You choose. And since the holidays are about spending time with the people who matter to you, combine them.

There you have it, my nudge towards peace and goodwill in the name of cookies.

What I've been working on...

The leaves are raked. Let me say I love my boys, they are typically wonderful helpers. The youngest, we'll call him Future Stunt Man, was up this morning, breakfasted, and ready to rake WAY before I was. But I consented, only half way through my peppermint-choco-java fix . We raked. He's a dandy little fella. Other than taking advantage of this fabulous weather to do the outside work today, I've been deciding on a con schedule for next year, and updating the website for a big reveal late next month to celebrate the coming release of Hallowed Circle. Yes, we're almost there! (It's available for pre-order...as is Fatal Circle, the third installment for the Circle Series.) I'm working on book four...we'll keep the title a secret for now... HA HA! And also doing a little work on a side project-mwahahaha! Yeah, I'm chugging that much coffee.

My Doctor's Excuse...

Word of the Day: remissness. "Negligence in the performance of work or duty." I, people, have been remiss with my duty to this blog. I can't believe it's been over 3 weeks since I posted something. YIKES. Here's my Official Doctor's excuse:

So. Deadlines are met, for now. Book four is being plotted, titles bandied about, and --doctor's orders-- I purchased a new pouch of Millstone or Mills Brothers or whatever coffee Kroger carries. Chocolate Velvet. Mmmm. Ever have a piece of Red Velvet Cake? YUM! My ma makes the BEST. I make 'em quite good myself. But this java, with my usual additions, OMG! Tasty.

Speaking of coffee...I have a funny story to share:

Long ago, when I attended OSU Mansfield, my afternoon classes were in--gasp--English. Specifically creative writing. (Another gasp, huh?) And though I enjoyed the classes, I also enjoyed good java. So I always brought my own cup from home. Now, granted, I'm a mom of four and not your 'traditional' student at this time. Meaning I'm not a twenty-something. One day, as one of these nice young girls held her paper coffee-machine cup in her hand, she asked me, "Why do you bring coffee from home? I mean, there's a coffee machine downstairs in the cafeteria. It's hot and it's cheap. Doesn't that get cold?"

My answer: "Yeah, but honey the coffee machine downstairs doesn't add a splash of Kahlua." I take a drink and 'ahhh' appropriately.

That's me being a Rock & Roll Bad Influence. In my own little way.

I'm Bad. Again.

I should be posting more. I know. I should finish up th Tarot thing I started. I know. But I have really good excuses. Not only did I have to recoup from Dragon Con, I was hit with an allergy attack, and I have a major deadline. But this past weekend rocked, got over 6,000 words written and am ready to wrap up book three, FATAL CIRCLE and have time to tidy it up nicely so the wonderful editor won't knock me over the head for using certain words too many times. :-) And stuff like that.

I'll be back to the Tarot as a Story Prompt thing soon!

Things I Heard at Dragon Con...

Finally recouping from the event, I am able to blog about it and I must say...I had an absolute BLAST (no Star Wars/Star Trek pun intended) at my first ever Dragon Con. As the picture below may show, my grin couldn't be stopped. That's my writing-group pal Laura Bickle in the white wig--her fabulous book EMBERS will be out next spring. Conan the Barbarian didn't know how close to doom he truly was with a giddy writer on each arm.















This is a list of phrases I randomly heard in wandering amid the 20,000+ folks at Dragon Con:


"Respect the Codpiece." (Okay, so this one wasn't actually random. Gary of the Ambiguously Gay Duo --SNL-- said this to me.)

"You sooo wouldn't look gay in that shirt."

"I love seeing celebrities. It makes me feel like I'm somewhere important."

"I found Jesus. Twice! And he's a mean drunk."

"Was it good for you, or not?"

"F**k Delta Airlines."

"If you cut the zombie penguins, I quit."

"These panels always make me feel dumb and inobservant."

"I haven't been dumpster diving since college."

"Let me exterminate you with my love."

"No matter what it looks like, it's not a hangover. It's con fatigue."

**Mumbled by man taking photo of man in Alien costume: "I bet his nuts are sweatier than mine."



This was Dracula, a dream come true meeting (please just ignore the mood-killing restroom sign over our heads). Allow me to clarify, that is not camera shake creating that blurriness. There was something mystical and dreamy about the experience. I felt blurry in Vlad's presence and it had nothing to do with the margarita.

And here is the Holy Grail of Pirates...Captain Hook.

And last but not least, Davy Jones, who--as fate would have it, shares his name with one of the Monkees. He is, if you recall the movie, a musician as well. Not recognizing my groupie attitude, he politely reminded me that he could move each of his tentacles individually, as if I didn't know he's wicked awesome on the pipe organ. (That was not intended as a smutty reference but as I type it, yeah, I find myself venturing there...).