Long day

Well, phooey. The humorous fairy tale story was rejected. The main editor said the setting made my story stand out from the rest and my “opening line was simply awesome.” However, he basically had an issue with the conflict, which is fair enough, but the conflict is original to the fairy tale and I’m not sure how to get around that. OTOH, the other editor said it was in her top three stories and sent me a separate e-mail saying how much she enjoyed it, and that she hopes I’ll submit to their next anthology. So hey, it didn’t fit there, but it’s a really fun story and will be out in the mail to Realms of Fantasy on Monday.

Also a rejection from Spacesuits & Sixguns for “The Queen’s Gardener.” Drat it, people, don’t you know it’s my birthday weekend?! ::gg:: I have to check my spreadsheet to see where I’ll send that story next.

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Other than that, I’m just bloody exhausted. Got up, went to the chiropractor, came home, went grocery shopping and other errand-ing with Ken, came home, at lunch, poked at e-mail, went to Costco* with Ken. All before my first cup of tea. Oh, and as we were getting ready to leave for Costco, Ken put on a new pair of shoes he bought yesterday, and they were so slick on the bottom that he fell down the stairs. :-( Banged up his elbow and smacked his back, although he says he doesn’t think there’s any major damage. Scared the crap out of me, though!

The first thing we did on the way to Costco was stop at the sporting goods store and return the shoes.  :-S

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A friend e-mailed me privately asking about my tattoo, and I realized I hadn’t rambled about it here yet, so now I shall!

For my 30th birthday I got a Celtic knotwork band around my right ankle. I planned it for two years and while I didn’t design the band per se, I spent a lot of time finding the one I wanted. It has eight connectors, and I always planned to have the phases of the moon hanging down from it like charms…only I couldn’t figure out for the life of me what I wanted the connectors to look like.

I finally decided to go ahead and get the moons done, and decide on the connectors later…but then I needed to find a tattoo artist I was comfortable with. I need someone I trust, someone I click with, because getting work done is not only physical for me, but emotional and spiritual. I’d been looking at Pat Fish’s website for some time, and on our way up to Black Oak Lodge last month, I stopped in and met her, and put down a deposit. (Check out her website—she does amazing Celtic work!)

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Currently Reading: Wicked Lovely, Melissa Marr
Lately Listened To: Holidays in Eden, Marillion
Recently Watched: Battlestar Galactica!

*Which means there is cake! White cake with chocolate mousse filling and buttercream frosting for whomever comes to King’s Hunt!

Almost here...

On Monday, I finally finished and mailed a fantasy short story that I’d been working on for a bit—a humorous take on a fairy tale for an anthology looking for the same. Yesterday I got word that the story’s made the first cut—hoorah!

This also meant that now I can get back to work on Ghosted with my full concentration. Plus Teresa and I have a collab story to write, and she’s already sent me the beginning, but I want to get my head back into the novel before I play with the story. It’s too easy to use stories as an excuse not to work on the novel! And I really do love this novel.

I’ve been spending a little time tweaking my new website, which to you all won’t look appreciably different from my old website, except maybe for the home page. But it’s so much easier to work with (for me to add updates and change things), and I’m excited about it going live soon. My webgoddess has once again done an amazing job!

Today brought a nice present in the mail: a royalty statement from Virgin. Several Wicked Words anthologies have been sold to Germany (including Sex at the Sports Club, which includes the first story Teresa and I wrote for them and which garnered the invitation to write a novel), so I get a percentage of that, plus a bit of royalty money for both novels. With the exchange rate, it’s an even nicer chunk of change—but lest you think I’m suddenly rolling in it, let me say that it’s not enough to cover the Marketing Workshop in May. But it certainly helps.

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I also got a birthday card and check from my parents. Whee! Birthdaybirthdaybirthday! April is Happy Birthday Month!

Although I had a big party for my 40th birthday, it was somewhat lost in a haze of pain and painkillers and muscle relaxants (I spent my actual birthday in the ER). Last year’s birthday was deliberately quiet (although hiring the personal trainer was the best present I’ve ever given myself). So this year I’m feeling a bit obnoxious and all about me. :-) Saturday is King’s Hunt, and we’ll be taking a cake for everyone to share. (“Cake or death?” If I ask you, will you understand?) Sunday, my actual birthday, we’re planning on doing a charity bike ride and visiting the big cat sanctuary, and maybe dinner with Morgana & Brian if we’re all not too exhausted. The next day we’ll be right back to reality with a tax appt, and the following day I have my yearly gyn exam (healthy is good!)…

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Currently Reading: Wicked Lovely, Melissa Marr
Lately Listened To: workout playlist
Recently Watched: Without a Trace; CSI

Thursday 13: Thirteen Things to Do This Month

in no particular order

1. Finish Ghosted.

2. Celebrate my birthday!

3. Write cathedral story with Teresa.

4. Prep for Marketing Workshop (read three assigned books and write proposals for them).

5. Work out 2x/week with trainer and more times on my own!

6. Taxes. Woo.

7. Schedule my birthday tattoo and hopefully get the tattoo (the latter may end up in May, alas).

8. Have my annual gyn appt and mammogram. Healthy is Good.

9. Go to two SCA events and hang out with friends.

10. Attend LARA meeting.

11. Write with fellow author friends in coffee shop 2x, have tea with same 1x.

12. Be very grateful I can’t come up with anything else for this list!

13. Enjoy life!

Owie. But, otters!

Oh ow. Ow ow owie ow. I worked out with my trainer for the first time in about two months yesterday, and today I can barely walk, I hurt so much! It’s my own fault, really; I haven’t been going to the gym nearly as much as I should, even discounting the traveling and cold and hives and so forth. I’ve been reasonable about cardio—Ken and I walked on the beach recently, and we often walk to the P.O. and library. Strength training? Not so much.

I don’t know how I’m going to actually work out with her again tomorrow, seeing as right now I need help getting out of a chair…

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Otter cam! I found an otter cam that’s a widget for my Google home page! I'm not getting any work done, but Ken is amused by my squeals of delight and running commentary. ("Look! Two otters!")

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Currently Reading: Wicked Lovely, Melissa Marr
Lately Listened To: Ghost of a Rose, Blackmore’s Night
Recently Watched: CSI: NY; Ghost Hunters

Fun With Photoshop

Because my first thought on seeing the original picture really was that he should holding his copy of A Little Night Music. I am deeply indebted to my friend Lev for his Photoshop wizardry in bringing my little fantasy to life. (Original photo of Lawrence by Tommy Shaw.)

The end of an era (or, at least, a month)

Holy crap, March is almost over! And not a moment too soon, I say. I don’t know anybody who had a good March this year (although mine started picking up about halfway through).

I’m having my Sunday afternoon ritual at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. I wasn’t going to get a drink, but when I walked in, the place was empty and I felt guilty… No idea if any of my other writer friends are going to show up, but that’s okay. It’s good to get out of the home office once in a while, you know? Ken helped me figure out the final thing that was bugging me about the story I’m working on, so I’ll finish it today.

A girl just sat down on the sofa near me wearing a long blue top with black polka dots and black plastic pearls and a big belt and black capri pants. Except for the fact that her belt is shoved up under her boobs, it’s an outfit straight out of the 80s. I’m pretty sure I wore it.

I think she would not appreciate me pointing out that fact.

I think I don’t want to think about the fact that I want to walk up to people and tell them I wore the same fashions 20 years ago.

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Currently Reading: Tell Me What You See, Zoran Drvenkar
Lately Listened To: Mighty Rearranger, Robert Plant & the Strange Sensation
Recently Watched: Torchwood