This is your brain on zombie kittens

A writing friend and I were discussing the difficulties we’ve been having recently when it comes to focusing on writing. She and her husband are dealing with a friend’s estate; I’m dealing with Ken’s accident (among other things). I said something about getting a new brain, and she kindly said that she liked my current brain.

I said, “Most of the time I like my brain, too. Lately, though, she's really been pissing me off!” To which she responded, “My brain keeps shutting me down which is making me mad.”

And as I composed a response, I realized it was really more of a blog post. Have I told ya’ll about popcorn kittens?  ::checks blog::  Okay, not in any detail. This started at an OWN workshop when I said my brain was on popcorn kittens, based on this video. What I meant was sometimes you had so many projects you could potentially work on that your brain just bounced around like crazy. How do you decide what to do? In this new work of publishing, on top of writing duties, I’ve got manuscript design, cover design, uploading, and basic promo (blog, Facebook, Twitter, publisher website) to do. I could work on this novel, or that one, or even that one, or a sequel to that one...! Plus I’ve been doing freelance copyediting for other writers.

When Ken had his accident, all work considerations went out the window. Oh, once he was stable, I was coherent enough to design a few short-story covers and get the stories uploaded, that sort of thing. But it’s been a long haul to getting myself back up to speed, to actually working for 8 hours a day (which hasn't happened yet). Even bribing myself with writing something silly and fun and not-for-public consumption held no joy.

At one point, I researched getting a “real job” again. Considered giving this dream up and going back to employment with a regular paycheck and health care and walking away from my office at the end of the day.

Thankfully, that lowest-of-the-low points passed before I did anything rash. But it was scary.

As I said to my writer friend, “I had so much on my ‘to do’ list that I felt as though the popcorn kittens had turned into zombie kittens and were surrounding me and biting me, so I'd run away screaming.”

So, when my friend said her brain was shutting her off, this is how I responded….

My brain is actively thwarting me:

Me: Okay, time to go to work.

Brain: Ooh, let’s play Marple on your iPad!

Me: No, we have a copyediting job that needs to be finished before we leave for our niece’s wedding in Ohio.

Brain: Facebook! GoogleReader! Shiny!

Me: Dammit, can we at least write the short story that was due two days ago but the anthology editor kindly gave us an extension?

Brain: Niece’s wedding! You haven’t made a packing list! You haven’t bought a skirt for the rehearsal dinner!

Me: Goddammit!  ::manages to get copyediting done before fruitless searching for new skirt::  I fucking hate shopping.

Brain: Marple! And then TV watching with Ken!

Me: Shut. The. Fuck. Up.  ::goes to bed::

Brain: But I thought you wanted to work? Because here’s the first scene of that story….

Me: GODDAMMIT!

Question for my military friends

This is a question for my military friends:

When a single soldier (of any variety) is deployed, what happens to his/her pet(s)? Is there anything set up to take care of them, base/post-wide or military-wide? Or does the deployee rely on friends for help?

Related question: Is there a problem on/around bases/posts with pets being left behind/abandoned/turned in to shelters when people are deployed (or when they're being sent to a new duty station, I suppose)?

This is for a story; I'm not looking to fingerpoint or demean the fine members of our military!

Thanks!

Can sex and politics mix? Oh, yes they can!

"Stuffing the Ballot Box" by Andrea Dale

Successful politician Tabitha is in control in every area of her life—except the bedroom. That’s the only place she can allow herself to let go…and the only way she can let go is with the help of her exceedingly kinky husband. Paddles, clamps, butt plugs, and more give her the painful, orgasmic escape she needs in this short story by legendary erotica heavy-hitter Andrea Dale.

"Andrea Dale’s 'Stuffing the Ballot Box' explores the dichotomy of a woman in complete control in her career who willingly gives that control over to her husband in the bedroom. This lends a balance to the woman’s life and their scene together is highly erotic." (Rainbow Reviews)

“Stuffing the Ballot Box” originally appeared in Bottoms Up: Spanking Good Stories (Cleis Press, 2009).

Available in a variety of electronic formats
Amazon |  Barnes & Noble |  Smashwords

Lustful!

Wooh! I just got word that my story "Steadfast," based on "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," will appear in Cleis Press's Lustfully Ever After: Fairy Tale Erotica, edited by the inestimable Kristina Wright!

And, as always, I'm in excellent company. Here's the TOC:

Foreword, Sylvia Day

Introduction: They Lived Happily Ever After

Rosa Redford, Anya Richards

Gretel’s Lament, Jeanette Grey

Matches, Anna Meadows

The Beast Within, Emerald

Wolf Moon, Michelle Augello-Page

Mirror Mirror, Shanna Germain

The Last Dance, Kristina Lloyd

Name, A.D.R. Forte

Sensitive Artist, Donna George Storey

You, Charlotte Stein

Kit in Boots, Sacchi Green

The Long Night of Tanya McCray, Michael M. Jones

Shorn, Lisabet Sarai

Real Boy, Evan Mora

Garden Variety, Lynn Townsend

Steadfast, Andrea Dale <-- hey, that's me!

A Sea Change, Kristina Wright

I can't wait to see the cover…and get my comp copies so I can read all the delicious stories!

My first-ever short story collection!

I am beyond delighted to announce my very first short story collection!

Kiss Me Hello is the first collection from legendary erotica heavy-hitter Andrea Dale. Prepare to be both aroused and charmed by these ten tales of lesbian erotic romance, which appeared in such lauded anthologies as The Sweetest Kiss, Lesbian Cowboys, and Best Lesbian Romance. In Kiss Me Hello you’ll find out why Cleis Press calls Andrea Dale one of the best in the genre of lesbian erotica.

Includes the following stories:
• Queens Up
• Just Be
• Subtle
• After the Rain
• Devouring Heart
• From Bitter to Sweet
• I Need a Man
• Finding Perspective
• Your Gift to Me
• In Flight
• Frozen

Available in a variety of electronic formats
Amazon |  Barnes & Noble |  Smashwords

And soon to be in paperback—stay tuned!

Lusting for Steamlust

So, I mentioned earlier that I have a story in the forthcoming steampunk erotic romance anthology, Steamlust. I am so excited to have a story in this, I can barely contain myself. My story, "Lost Souls," is about a inventor who stages séances. But it's okay, she feels bad about it….

So far, RT Book Reviews has given it 4 stars, and Publishers Weekly said, "Wright’s anthology of sizzling steampunk romance is a sensual, passionate, and humorous collection of alternate histories, fantastical worlds, and time travel romps. The heroines are strong-willed, intelligent, technologically savvy, and elegant in their fashionable corsets." (Read the full review here.)

On top of that, there's a scrummy book video for it, with fun animation and a killer soundtrack:

Steamlust comes out next month but is already available for pre-order, just in time for the steampunk Hallowe'en party I'll be attending!

Great review of "Raven's Flight"!

Whipped Cream Reviews reviewed Obsessed: Erotic Romance for Women, and they had nice things to say about my story "Raven's Flight":

Forget the girl next door when you can have the sexy Celtic next door. Ciaran is the type of neighbor we all dream of; sexy, intelligent, and likes to walk around shirtless. I also enjoyed the link the tattoos played in Ciaran and the heroine's journey through life. I appreciate symbolism because I have always felt it adds a touch of depth to a story. The author effectively illustrated that with the use of the tattoos.

::beams::

That's the way I'm playin'

Wooh! On the heels of returning from the first annual Erotica Authors Association conference in Las Vegas (about which I will blog soon), I can announce a new sale!

"Winner Take All" (yes, Styx fans, it's named after the song—because a gajillion of my stories are titled with song titles) will appear in The Harder She Comes: Butch/Femme Erotica, edited by the fabulous DL King and published by Cleis Press.

Here's the delicious cover and TOC:

"Speakeasy" by Evan Mora

"Winner Take All" by Andrea Dale

"It's So Peaceful Out Here" by Elaine Miller

"Manchester, 2000" by Stella Sandberg

"Good Girl, Bad Girl" by Sinclair Sexsmith

"The Bucket List" by Charlotte Dare

"Happy Ending" by Rachel Kramer Bussel

"Tamales" by Kathleen Bradean

"Valentine" by River Light

"Birthday Butch" by Teresa Noelle Roberts

"Born to Ride" by Beth Wylde

"Channeling Charles Bukowski" by Aimee Herman

"Tits Down, Ass Up" by Crystal Barela

"Pound" by Shanna Germain

"Farmhand" by Miel Rose

"A Date With Sharon Tate" by Valerie Alexander

"Bienvenido" by Anna Watson

"This is What I Want" by C S Clark

And it's already available for pre-order….

Being in the moment: succeeded

We’re on the plane, headed home. We lucked out: We flew from Boise to SLC, and while we were waiting for our flight to Las Vegas (during a 2.5-hour layover), they asked for a volunteer to give up his/her seat—although that volunteer would get a seat on another flight leaving at the same time. Ken went up and offered to give up both our seats, but apparently there was only one seat available on the other flight. We pondered splitting up, because I’m flying Delta every time I got to Atlanta (which has been every other month since December, with the exception of August—and I’m going out at the end of September), and a free flight would be a nice boon.

But then the gate attendant came back and got our boarding passes and put us in first class…although, he said, hold one, what about a direct flight home? Since we had another 2.5-hour layover in Vegas, we perked up. The result was a direct flight that gets us in at 6 pm instead of nearly 9 pm. So we’ll have more time tonight to unpack, do laundry, sort mail, etc. Oh, and we also got two $10 food vouchers, so we picked up sandwiches for dinner (or perhaps lunch tomorrow, since there’s a scrummy Thai place we like to stop at on our way home from the airport).

Another happy thing today: in Boise, there was a young, pretty wife waiting at our gate for the flight coming in—bringing her husband back from Afghanistan. Her two friends were with her with cameras; she had a big sign. When he came out, she flew into his arms and he picked her right up. We all applauded. Sniffle.

So, let’s see. Yesterday we four went back into downtown Boise in search of tapas, and oh, the tapas we found! Croquetas, meatballs, skewers of cheese/sausage/olives, sandwiches (I had cheese, I forget what kind, and green olive tapanade; Ken’s had ham on it), cold tomato/bread soup, and Ken had the mushroom paté. I did not have fungus smeared on toast, thankyouverymuch. But the rest of it, oh, so good!

We wandered around for a bit—I wanted to check out a bookstore, which was a fantastic little place with both new and used books, and children’s and YA SFF split out into their own sections. Ken and Pauline each bought a book, and I marveled at how many OWNers’ names I saw. At an outdoor-goods store, E&P bought something they needed.

Then we caught a taxi to the nature center, which had these nifty under-stream viewing areas where you could see the fish, etc. Also, there were lots of birds, and inside the building there was an open plastic tub and a handwritten sign explaining that George the snake (who was harmless) had gotten out, and if you find him, please return him to the tub. Heh. Pauline was happy not to encounter George, but I was kinda bummed we didn’t find him.

The nature center borders the riverwalk, and we decided that it was such a beautiful day (sunny, mild, with a breeze that felt soft against my skin) that we’d walk the 3 miles back to the hotel. Along the way we saw ducks and a gorgeous hawk (although, alas, no otters). We pondered stopping at the zoo, but we were all a little too tired for that. We did, however, stop at Joe’s Crab Shack for much-needed margaritas and appetizers.  ;-)  Frozen margaritas = Slushies for adults. Ahhhh…

Back at the hotel, E&P did laundry and we tidied up for the finish banquet, where we drank wine, Ernie won the award for most helpful tech guy (Ken won it a few years ago), and we learned that next year’s CCR would be held in Duluth, MN. A bunch of folks descended upon our groovy 70s suite to behold its groovitude and hang out drinking and laughing for a while, before we all poured ourselves into our respective beds.

I hadn’t realized until I got to Boise how badly I needed a vacation. I thought I’d have more time to get a little work done (if only attacking the email backlog), but I’m okay that I didn’t. I needed to make “I’m on vacation” the priority on my schedule, and between the river, the friends, the new nifty experiences (like the Penitentiary, which did spark a few story ideas), and just walking barefoot in the grass, I succeeded.

Back to work and “normal life” this week (at least for part of it!), but I’m facing it refreshed and recharged.  :-)

Mmm...vacation

It cannot be the first of September already. We will not speak of it.

After sleeping in today, we had a light breakfast (split a Mediterranean scramble with a side of fruit)—but then Ernie and Pauline finished the talk they attended and wanted breakfast. So I went to the dealer room and ordered a present for my niece’s wedding, continued to ponder something for myself (wafflewafflewaffle), and then relaxed in our suite for a bit before they and Ken returned.

We caught the hotel shuttle to the Old Idaho Penitentiary and spent a few hours wandering around. I expected it to be a big building with a courtyard in the center; instead, it was a walled enclave with a variety of buildings, the first of which were built in the late 1800s. (It closed as a prison nearly 100 years later, in the 1970s.) It’s unclear whether the place is haunted, but I felt distinctly unwell in one section (death row—but not the hanging chamber), so who knows?

We also got some utterly fantastic mug shots of each other. I went for mean, and ended up with insane. Fear me. Pictures to come once Ernie sends ‘em to me.

After that we caught a taxi downtown, where we ate appetizers at a Basque bar, sitting outside and sipping wine and enjoying the mellow weather. Idaho had a big Basque settlement, so there’s a whole district in the city. Ernie and Pauline went to the Basque museum while Ken and I went to a women’s running store so I could try on workout bras. I did indeed buy one, because they were having a First Thursday sale. We wandered back and ended up chatting with the Scottish lady running the Basque Museum about Scotland and Britain and the US and differences and traveling and…well, she liked to chat. And we like to chat about eloping in Gretna Green and riding the bike to Orkney and all that.

Back at the hotel, we went to the group dinner, billed as a luau. The food was mediocre, plus we were still full of Basque appetizers, so we nibbled a bit and then put our bids in at the silent auction. Pauline and I came back to our suite to kick back for a bit, then wandered back down in time to see our friend John propose onstage to his girlfriend. She said yes. Sniffle.

Relaxing with Ken was a perfect way to end the day. Tomorrow, we’re thinking tapas in the Basque district for lunch, a wander through the Morrison Knudsen Nature Center, maybe a walk along the river or a workout, and the CCR final banquet.

Mmmm…vacation.

Best vacation ever

What a lovely, lovely day. We did indeed sleep in, then had brunch (fantastic corned beef hash!) and perused the dealer room (pondering a gift for my niece’s wedding and a purse for me).

Later, I booked my mom’s flight for our trip to Atlanta at the end of September, worked out (20 min elliptical + some floor work), took a walk along the river and molested a bobtailed cat (who molested me right back), saw an otter on the riverbank OMG best vacation ever, and showered.

Then a bunch of us went out to dinner at Joe’s Crab Shack (where we saw an otter swimming in the middle of the river). After a session of tire-kicking, we’ve repaired to our groovy 70s suite (I took some photos today) for wine and relaxation. I’ve also hammered through a bunch of personal email.

Plans for tomorrow: the Old Idaho Penitentiary, the Morrison Knudsen Nature Center, lunch at a Basque market, a luau, and more wine. And I really need to hammer through some work email!

I will no doubt also walk along the river again and stalk my otter.  ;-)

Hellllooooo Boise!

Welcome to CCR (Curve Cowboy Reunion), our not-quite-annual trip to hang out with other BMW bike riders somewhere where there are awesome roads to ride on. We chose to fly this year, because even though Ken’s back on the bike (we had a glorious ride on Sunday up the coast, through Ojai and Santa Paula, and back home again), his stamina still isn’t up to par, plus I couldn’t take the extra days off. This year, CCR is in Boise. A new city, wooh!

We flew LAX --> Las Vegas --> SLC --> Boise, which was the cheapest way to go. On the first leg I wasn’t able to book us seats together, so when we got to the airport I batted my eyelashes and asked if it were possible, and lo! not only was it possible, but it was possibly in an exit row. Proving it can’t hurt to ask.

Also, in SLC, we split a pesto chicken panini, omnomnom.

A biker friend picked us up at the airport; his wife had driven up with another wife while the husbands road here, so thus a car was available. Our friends Ernie & Pauline, with whom we’re sharing a suite, had arrived about an hour and a half earlier, and ensured there was wine waiting. Well, Pauline had already started on the wine….

Somehow we managed to score this totally groovy 70s-themed suite. The main room has a bar with fridge, sofas, desk, chair and tables, and TV, along with posters of Charlie’s Angels, Farrah, and the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. The master bedroom has zebra-print bedding and an en suite bathroom. Ernie & Pauline chose this room because although the other bathroom had a Jacuzzi tub, it appeared to them that it didn’t have a toilet.

The toilet is behind the door. And our bathroom has a KISS shower curtain on the Jacuzzi tub! Hah!

Also, our bedroom has a Star Wars poster. They have only Evel Knievel. Hah!

So after some wine and catching up, we wandered out to the welcome reception, which was being held in the garden with its 50 varieties of roses. Ken of course is something of a minor celebrity, so I hung around being bemused as he chatted with people. We did steal away to peek down at the river and smooch under a big willow tree (not a Whomping Willow, thankfully).

After a hot day of travel, it was exquisite to take off my shoes and wander around in the soft, cool, damp grass, smelling the roses and listening to the frogs in the river.

Today is going to be nice and lazy. Ken is giving his IBR talk at 3, and that’s all we’ve got scheduled. I’m going to get a workout in, lounge by the pool, and generally be decadent. I will probably answer a bunch of email, because that’s the way my brain works. There will be food, and more wine, and a ramble along the river.

Tomorrow’s Goals

• sleep in
• work out
• lounge by pool
• answer some emails
• take pictures of groovy 70s hotel room
• wander along the river walk
• smooch Ken beneath the big weeping willow. Again.

I love vacations.  :-)

(Also, not a goal, but a “I’m opening myself to this”: Start reclaiming my lost creativity.)

Things to Do Before We Fly to Boise Tomorrow: An Ongoing List

Home Stuff

• receipts into Quicken/pay bills/clean off desk
• call sisters (oh. crap.)
• scoop cat litter/clean out fridge/take out trash (Ken, bless him)
• sort pills and protein shakes
• laundry: darks, lights, delicates (Ken has started a second darks load)
• wrap presents/seal boxes
• copy some Slings and Arrows to iPad?
• email, email, email
• change hair appointment
• call newspaper
• copy files to laptop
• shower
• pack…

Errands

• bootcamp
• refill water jugs
• library (Ken, bless him)
• Post Office (Ken, bless him)
• cat füd for both cats + pills for Eostre

Another question for my foodie friends

Okay, I have this here recipe. I've made it before, but a loooong time ago. It was yummy. I want to make it yummier and healthier with more veg.

---
Sarah's Chicken Curry
1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup vinegar (white wine or balsamic)

3 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp cayenne

3 cups water

2 onions, chunked

3 lbs chicken, cubed

Dump all in a pot and simmer ‘til done. Add veggies (asparagus, broccoli, maybe peppers?) about 15 minutes before done-ness.

---

First question: What's a good "simmer 'til done" time?

Second question: What veg would work best? I remember asparagus doing well, but I'm not sure about broccoli. I'm finding it harder to handle some peppers now. I figure some garlic instead of garlic powder. What about cauliflower? Carrots? Cabbage or kale? What fun veg haven't I considered?

Thanks!

Short and sweet

Short and sweet: that's the best way to describe this romance from Soul's Road Press, written as Andrea Loewen.

In "Flowers for Marjory," when Marjory develops an allergy to the thing she loves most, her boyfriend comes up with a creative and romantic way to bring it back into her life.

Available in a variety of electronic formats

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

"Perfect for spanking fans"

"Guarding Her Body" by Andrea Dale
now available from Soul's Road Press!

Catriona’s plans to leave her cheating fiancé are thwarted by Jake, the smoldering bodyguard hired to keep her safe. When Jake learns of her plans, he agrees to help her…for a price. The cost? A blistering spanking…and the promise of more. A steamy hot short story from a legendary erotica heavy-hitter.

“Perfect for spanking fans and features a delicious twist.” (Scarlet magazine)

“Guarding Her Body” (as “Fanning the Flames”) originally appeared in Playing With Fire: Taboo Erotica (Cleis Press, 2009)

Available in a variety of electronic formats
Amazon |  Barnes & Noble |  Smashwords

Trippin'

We have two trips planned in the foreseeable future. Nothing major (sadly, the writers’ cruise to Mexico on which I was to be teaching was cancelled) but we’re really looking forward to both of them. So amidst everything else I’ve got on my plate, I’ve been poking around to make some tentative plans.

That’s where I need your help. If you have suggestions for either of these places, please let me know!

Boise, ID

This is our not-quite-annual motorcycle trip (which this year won’t even be via motorcycle, since Ken’s throttle hand won’t be up to par yet), called Curve Cowboy Reunion. Mostly BMW LTs, with other BMWs and other bikes mixed in for good measure, the point of this rally is a place with a gorgeous locale; pretty, fun roads to ride; good food; and often a whiskey tasting. Ken will be giving a talk on his IBR experiences one day, too.  :-)

Here’s what I’ve found so far: Old Idaho Penitentiary (opened in 1872, and hopefully haunted!), World Center for Birds of Prey, the historic train depot, the Morris-Knudson Nature Center, and maybe tubing down the river.

Is there anything else that’s a must-see/must-do in Boise? How about restaurants?

We’ll be there from Tuesday evening through Saturday morning.

Vegas, baybee!

The first annual Erotica Authors Association conference will be held in Sin City, as appropriate. We’ll be driving out there on Thursday—the conference is Friday and Saturday—and staying through Monday morning, since driving back from Vegas on a Sunday involves just sitting in traffic forever.

So that gives us Thursday evening (although we may hook up with other conference attendees) and all day and night Sunday for Fun Stuff.

We’ve seen the lions at the MGM multiple times, been to The Secret Garden to see the white tigers and the dolphins andandand!, and seen Bite (erotic vampire show set to 70s and 80s rock). We have no interest in gambling. So what would you suggest?

Possibilities are

• a nice dinner somewhere (Aureole at Mandalay Bay has a certain groovitude given that a faux version of it appears in A Little Night Music, but they appear to be booked and might be a little rich for our tastes anyway). So.
• a show. Morgana recommends Love; I’m curious about O (but holy moly, the price!). I have once again missed the Lipizzan stallions, snarfleblast! Any other recommended shows?
• the Mandalay Bay Aquarium
• the rides at the top of the Stratosphere. We stayed here a couple of years ago and bought the package for the rides, but I ended up with a migraine….
• The Secret Garden again. Because white tigers and lions and dolphins andandand!
• Hoover Dam. I’ve never been there!

We are weird, esoteric, geeky, and random. Onetwothreego!

Mystery fruit

Someone wonderful and lovely sent us another Edible Arrangement! But all the card says is "Get well soon we miss you"!

I know all of my readers are wonderful and lovely…but which one of you sent this? I can't send every one of you a thank-you card!

Soooo…spill!

Argh!

So, I’ve been terrible about keeping up with my Done lists. They seem to end up on my To Do lists, which I’m kinda not supposed to be keeping. But if I don’t, I forget stuff. Oh, the things that fall out of my brain….

Here's this weekend:

Saturday’s Done List

• put away four loads of laundry (one previous load plus three today)
• washed four loads of laundry (darks, lights, hoodies, and delicates)
• dishes
• swept and mopped kitchen
• took out trash and recycling
• put away stuff from Pirate Tourney (or at least put it in the sewing/garb room)
• made dinner (seasoned and heated a chicken dish from a friend)
• watched the second ep of Masterpiece Mysteries “Zen” as well as an ep of “Alphas” with Ken
• worked on lesbian romance collection  (pondered cover art, mocked up sample cover for ebook; finished writing notes for each story; made full document with intro, stories, about the author, etc.) 

Sunday’s Done List

• delivered message to tenant and arranged taking her shopping next week
• went out to lunch with Ken
• went grocery shopping with Ken
• did dishes. twice.
• scooped three litterboxes and refilled the Kitling’s food and water
• did paperwork with Ken
• did 13K words of a copyediting job
• made dinner (stuffed Monterey sole from grocery store, corn on the cob, brown rice)
• answered a bunch of email
• designed a thank-you card for the woman who found Ken after the accident and called 911 and stayed there until emergency services arrived (this involved photopaper, note card stock, and a glue stick, among other things. Fear my crafty power!)
• dealt with a few work-related emails

Meanwhile, tomorrow’s going to be a busy one:

• someone’s coming to replace the windshield on my car. Ken’s dealing with that. Which is a good thing, because they could arrive as early as 8 am
• our cleaning lady is coming to do windows and scrub out our fireplace
• Ken has his first therapy appointment for his hand and shoulder
• we’re having dinner with a friend

Somewhere in there, I have to…wait. I’m not supposed to be making To Do lists. ARGH!

Ken update: Hand, hand, fingers, thumb!

Sorry for the lack of Ken updates…it’s just that there hasn’t been much of anything to update. Until today, that is.

Rejoice! for Ken no longer has pins sticking out of his knuckles and a big clunky thing immobilizing his hand and wrist!  *\o/*

The pins themselves were almost anticlimactic—they just slid right out. He said it felt a little weird, but there was no pain. His hand’s swollen still, the skin is peeling, and the fingers are still stiff. He has his first therapy appointment on Monday, for both his hand and his shoulder. Twice a week for six weeks, and then we’ll see, I guess. He just wants his throttle hand back.  ;-)

Other than that, he still tires easily. For example, Tuesday we went to the Styx/Yes show at The Greek Theatre in Hollywood. We left at about 2:45 to miss traffic, and did so with such competence that we got there half an hour early, so we killed some time drinking tea at Starbuck’s. Styx went on first, so we ditched Yes (sorry…) but ended up going out for a late dinner with friends, so we didn’t get home ’til about 1 am.

He spent most of Wednesday napping as a result.

Thus we’re continuing to lie low and take it easy. Not too many outings, and keeping them short.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, visits are highly recommended to help him from going nuts. We can also go out for lunch or dinner, or the movies, if you’d like to meet up somewhere (provided we don’t have much else scheduled that day). Please. Really. We love our friends and we want to see you!

Busted!

So I was scanning blogs on GoogleReader today and noticed that Rachel Kramer Bussel mentioned an anthology she has a story in…as does Sophie Mouette (my alter ego with Teresa Noelle Roberts). And I thought, did I totally forget I had a story sale? Because I don't remember this one….  O.o

::laughs and laughs::

When I investigated more closely, I realized it wasn't an anthology edited by Rachel. It's Cleis Press's first-ever e-anthology, and they had solicited our story because it was one of their favorites!

So without further ado, may I proudly announced that "Busted" is now available in Soaking Wet: Lesbian Sex Stories!

How does this work again, exactly?

Cassidy, our holistic health coach (hi! We’re Californians!), challenged me today to keep a Done List. Not a To Do list (we’re working on how to suss that out), but a list of what I did today. Because I have a bad habit of ending the day with “crap, I didn’t do shit today,” when in fact I did a lot. Especially given the stresses I’m dealing with right now.

So. I didn’t write them down when I did them (some were before our meeting), but here’s what I remember:

• showered both of us (Ken’s right hand has to be taped up in a bag, etc.)
• took Ken to lunch at Baja Fresh
• bought a pirate hook for Ken for Pirate Tourney tomorrow at the party supply story, a new scale at Bed Bath & Beyond, and an accordion file at Staples for this year’s taxes
• chiro appts for both of us. I’m seriously messed up. The area above my right collarbone is all swollen. WTF?
• met with Cassidy
• went grocery shopping
• put away laundry
• assembled pirate outfits for both of us for tomorrow (Ken assisted)
• sewed lace thingies for my pirate boots (I felt like Ken: let’s wait ‘til the night before an annual event and redo my garb!)
• made dinner (leftover pork chop dish for Ken, whole grain pasta and sauce for me)
• made coleslaw and a pasta dish for the potluck tomorrow (Ken assisted), and printed out ingredients lists
• did dishes
• watched Haven and half of Deadliest Warriors (featuring our SCA friend Virginia!) with Ken
• answered a few emails

The problems here? 1. I didn’t get any work done (save for reading a few emails). 2. I still feel like I didn’t get nearly enough done today. Tons of “to do” things languishing…and it’s just after midnight and I have to get up at 7 am for the event. At which I’m running Gate, because the Exchequer is running Lists, because the Listmistress won’t be there.

My desk is a mess.

I’m going to bed.

Contest winners!

And the winner is…Herman! The story is off to Glimmer Train, and crzydemona, you’ve won the grand prize!

Actually, since there were three runners-up, I’m also going to give prizes to Anonymous (Ernie, is that you?) and Cayswann for Ernie/Ernest. (crzydemona also suggested Clarence, and I’m feeling generous, so she’s going to get two prizes.)

Here’s the deal, folks: Email me (or leave a comment here, but I think you three know my email address, unless Anonymous isn’t who I think he is) and let me know which you’d prefer:

1. An ebook of mine of your choice (I’ll give you a coupon for a free download from Smashwords), or
2. A print book. I have a pile of new or very gently used (as in, I've read them, but they were new when I did) books to give away over the next few months. I don’t have a list pulled together yet, but if you choose this option, I’ll let you know the genres (off the top of my head, I’ve got paranormal romance, erotic anthology, YA, and maybe a literary book or two), and if you pick a genre, I’ll give you the list. Or something. We’ll sort it out.

You have one week (by midnight Monday, August 1) to contact me.

Congratulations!  *\o/*

Let the voting commence!

Thank you to all the people who participated in my naming contest! Dudes, this was a hard one! I think next time I’m going to have to restrict it to one name per entrant.

Because it amuses me, I’m going to share with you my thought processes in narrowing down the field. If you just want to see the top three, skip to the end. But you’ll be missing all the fun.

First I had to take off the people I actually knew in high school, since this story is set at my high school (it came out of a writing exercise at the Short Story Workshop in June): Dwayne, Thaddius/Tad, Vernon, Joel (really? Teri, what’s wrong with Joel?), Maurice/Maury (well, I knew him when I was younger, but close enough).

Jeffery had to go because I have a relative named Jeffery, plus I think Jeffery/Jeff is a perfectly fine name. I also think that Joel and Drew are great names. I waffled a little on Spencer; I like it but I could see where it might be borderline. Theodore was close, but I think Ted isn’t bad. This whole process made me realize another criteria: If the bad name has a decent nickname, it doesn’t count. I know a lot of Bruces, and while they’re geeks in a good sense (SCA folks, etc.), I don’t think it’s a name kids would point and laugh at.

Then there’s Clancy. Are you kidding? What about Clancy Motherf*cking Brown?! Now I’m scared that Clancy Motherf*cking Brown will read this blog and come after me. (Morgana, of course, hopes she’s in the vicinity so she can tell him he’s her pagan lust god. Maybe that will keep Clancy Motherf*cking Brown from killing me.)

I voted against Sheldon and Howard simply because of The Big Bang Theory. Too obviously and currently nerdy!

Also, I’d said “not unrealistic names like Mortimer or Englebert.” Now, both of those are actual names, but in my mind it’s unrealistic that someone would saddle their child with that name nowadays. Not impossible, but pretty damn unlikely. So despite them being real names, I dropped Zephyr, Ignotz, Egbert, and Robespierre.

Besides, Zephyr is clearly homeschooled by his hippie parents (or is the long-lost son of Frank Zappa. Zephyr Zappa is such a freaking awesome name that I’m going to use it someday, I swear), and Ignotz is the weird kid everybody secretly likes because he has access to drugs and knows how to blow up the school in a way nobody would ever be able to trace back to him. Ignotz grows up to be Jackie Earl Haley’s character in Human Target, basically. Robespierre is an exchange student. Egbert…I just don’t know about poor Egbert. Which is why nobody names their child Egbert unless they live in the 9^th century.

I was leaning towards Eugene, but then pondered that it could be shortened to Gene, which isn’t as bad.

So that left me with the following:

• Alvin
• Clarence
• Claude
• Erin (for Aaron)
• Ernie/Ernest
• Francis
• Gilbert
• Godfrey
• Herbert
• Herman
• Lewis
• Norton
• Oswald
• Rupert
• Seymour
• Stuart/Stewart

I’m favoring Ernest, because I think Ernie’s just as bad (::waves hi to our friend Ernie::), but Ken doesn’t think Ernie’s that bad. Ken’s favorite is Clarence. But I confess there’s something about Herman that fits the bill pretty well, too.

So I’m going to toss it back out to the masses: Vote for your favorite of those three. One vote per entrant. Vote here at Enchantments, not on Facebook/Twitter. Use the little voting thingie below instead of leaving a comment (but you are welcome to leave a comment to discuss the reason for your choice). Voting will close on Sunday at midnight Pacific time.

New Andrea Dale story available from Soul's Road Press

"Now You See Her"

A city couple finds erotic inspiration in high-rise voyeurism by spying on the woman’s old college roommate dominating her latest naïve assistant. A short story of sex in the city, complete with cameras and a dollop of humiliation and kink, from a legendary erotica heavy-hitter.

“Now You See Her” is a companion story to “Come to my Window,” also available from Soul’s Road Press.

To read an interview with Andrea Dale about “Now You See Here,” click here!

“Now You See Her” originally appeared in Peep Show: Tales of Voyeurs and Exhibitionists (Cleis Press, 2009).

Available in a variety of electronic formats
Amazon |  Barnes & Noble |  Smashwords

Naming help needed

Okay, I need a name. A somewhat nebbish male name. A not unrealistic name (e.g, Mortimer or Englebert), but a name that a geeky high school kid should never have been saddled with, that just cements his unpopularity.

The story is modern (literary mystery).

"Who are we playing against?" I asked X who, despite having lived here his whole life (and his father is one of the janitors, because name your kid "X" and then kick him while he's down), cares even less about the [football] game than I do.

Please leave suggestions here (on the blog) rather than FB/Twitter, so I have 'em all in one place. The person who suggests the name I use gets a free book.  :-)

More Scary Kisses ebook

More Scary Kisses, an anthology of paranormal romances that includes my story "Matchmaker," is now available as an ebook! So if you've been waiting to read it on your Kindle, now's your chance!