Mondayed (in which there is tiredness and squeeing)

So, like, I still have a cold, and it sucks. Friday night I was feeling better, and in fact didn’t even succumb to the Nyquil-Drugged Sleep of the Damned. Normally the first night I can go w/o Nyquil is a clear sign that I’m on the mend. Not this time. I suppose I could’ve been gentler with myself at Darach Anniversary (which was a lovely, if small, event—the day was beautiful and the friends wonderful), but really, most of what I did was sit in pavilions and chat with the above-mentioned wonderful friends. And eat. Whole wheat artisan bread from Trader Joe’s, Dubliner and Red Dragon cheeses, apples, salami, and then Mongolian BBQ for supper. Nom.

Whereupon Sunday involved me largely lying around moaning, too limp and snozzly to even think very hard. I did manage to do some ebook promo, but that was about it. Oh, and we had to go to Home Depot. It was tiring.

I’ve been pretty draggy today, too, and stressed about all the things that aren’t getting done while I collapse under the weight of icky-sickyness. So, dammit, I’m going to list all the good things that have happened/are happening!

• A friend says she’s snapping up each one of my stories as fast as I’m putting them up. That’s love! I feel all warm and gooey inside. (No, not that way! Or that way, either! Sheez.)
• Kristine Kathryn Rusch, a writer I’m proud to call one of my mentors (and for whom I’ve been a fan-girl reader for years), listed one of my stories in her latest Recommended Reading column. I’m…gobsmacked.
• We got tickets to a taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live, with Nathan Filion as one of the guests!  ::cue running around in small circles, hands flapping excitedly::
• I’ve got not one but two appearances this week! First, visit my booth at Mom’s Nite Out at the Ventura Harbor this Thursday from 4–7 pm. I’ll be doing two readings/discussions at 4:15 pm and 6:30 pm. Focus is on romantic and spicy.  ;-)  Second, I’ll be part of a panel discussion and signing A Little Night Music at the Burbank Book Festival on Saturday at the Buena Vista Branch Library.
• OMG! As I was writing this, I got an email about a story acceptance that made me so excited, I swear to you I clapped both hands over my  mouth and made a noise I don’t think I’ve ever made before. “Lost Souls” will appear in Steamlust: Steampunk Erotic Romance, edited by the inestimable Kristina Wright and coming from Cleis Press. Squee-effing-squee!* (Look at that steamy cover!)
• Even though the last 1/3 of it needs work (mostly to fit the world details), the editor really liked my fantasy work-for-hire story, and I’m looking forward to not only redoing the ending, but sending him more proposals for that world and another one he’s editing for!
• Homemade Greek pizza (pesto, mozzarella, feta, tomato, red onion, whole wheat crust) is in the oven, salads are ready, and we’re having a date night. Bye, ya’ll!

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*(I’m not sure why I’m especially excited about “Lost Souls,” although being in a steampunk antho is pretty exciting on its own. I think I just didn’t have any sense of whether the story hung together or not, so I had no sense of whether it would make the cut. So, yay!)