"Bringing Back the Light" online!

Looking for a sexy and heartwarming read to get you in the holiday spirit? Then head on over to Fishnet and read the Sophie Mouette story "Bringing Back the Light".

Happy holidays!

California dreamin' on such a winter's day

Words Written: damned if I know
Writing Stats: see below
Exercise: dancing to Alice Cooper, walking briskly through airports

Sale! “From Bitter to Sweet,” a funky little artsy erotic piece I wrote years ago, has been accepted for the Got a Minute anthology. Ah, that feels good.

And, another interview! The lovely and talented Vera Nazarian interviewed me as part of her Author Stop Tour series. (Check out the other interviews, too—she’s lined up an impressive set of excellent writers!)

<>-<>-<>

We’re in the Phoenix airport, soon to fly to LA, have dinner at The Encounter (that funky restaurant in the middle of LAX, that looks like one of John Christopher’s Tripods or something) with Tani before heading home. We’ve been visiting the fabulous Helen, which included going to the annual Alice Cooper’s Christmas Pudding benefit show. Six hours of music and comedy! The highlight (for us, anyway) was Tommy Shaw and Jack Blades together again. They’ve got a CD of 60s and 70s covers coming out next year, so three of their four songs were from that, including “California Dreamin’” for which they had an all-star backup chorus (Stephen Stills, Don Felder, etc.). Wow. Those boys have the most amazing harmonies…

Anyway, we managed to get into second row pit seats for their performance, and we wandered up to stand against the stage for Alice Cooper’s performance (with his original band, save the deceased member) and the finale. When that ended, Tommy came along the edge of the stage shaking attendees hands. When he got to us, his face lit up in recognition and appreciation at our presence. “Hi girls!” he said. Hee. Girls. So we chatted with him for a few moments, and I got him to pose with Santa for a great picture (Helen took the actual photo, above). Because nothing puts you in the holiday spirit like watching Santa rock out.

<>-<>-<>

Home now. The Encounter is a truly trippy restaurant. 60’s space theme—I kept expecting to see The Jetsons. I took a bunch of pictures with the camera on my phone, so if I ever figure out how to download pictures from my phone… The food was pricey, but excellent—I had duck, and will spend the next week eating no fat to compensate.

A busy-ish week ahead. Most of the presents are bought, wrapped, and mailed, but a few are still pending in each category. We need to get our various ducks in their rows (and if they don't stay there, we will eat them) before we leave for the holidays in the Adirondacks of upstate New York. That means finishing a story, editing two stories, reading all work submissions to date, dealing with various Styxfest stuff, and finishing all the shopping and wrapping, along with chiropractic appointments, exercise, a visit from the cleaning lady, and gods know what else. So I should probably stop rambling here and get to some of it!

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Currently Reading: Paloma, Kristine Kathryn Rusch; Wings to the Kingdom, Cherie Priest
Lately Listened To: 6 hours of music and comedy at the Alice Cooper Christmas Pudding benefit
Recently Watched: One With Everything: Styx and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra DVD

Ummm...

Could the person who set up a syndicated feed for this journal in LJ please e-mail me privately? Thanks!

A Little Night Music on amazon!

A Little Night Music has been listed on amazon.com!

And remember, if you want a taste of the novel well before its July 2007 release date, pick up a copy of Sex and Music. The Sarah Dale story "Are You Ready for Me?" is a hot scene from the novel!

Did you miss me?

Words Written: yeah, ha, no…
Writing Stats: Rejection from Aberrant Dreams for “Matchmaker”
Exercise: not likely when it sounds like I’m hacking up a lung

Back from Vegas. Note to self: Always stay at the hotel where the band is. It makes for many amusing run-ins and conversations. Corollary note to self: Never, ever, leave hotel room without makeup on. Ever.

<>-<>-<>

The picture above is of a ceramic jar Ken bought me at the Calico Ghost Town (pictures of the town will be uploaded later). It’s purple, and it has a spiral on it, and he simply decided it must be mine.

But here’s my question: What should I store in it? (It’s about 2 inches high without the top and 3 inches in diameter, BTW.) I’m looking for any and all suggestions. Really, post your responses in the comments. I’ll think up some suitable way to reward anyone who give me an idea I actually use!

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Currently Reading: Jade Tiger, Jenn Reese
Lately Listened To: mostly Styx, and lots of it live; also Queensrÿche (long concert!), Marillion, and Coverdale/Page
Recently Watched: CSI: NY, Bones

And three we've never even heard of

Words Written: “The Witch of Venice,” 1500 words; edited two stories
Writing Stats: Got three stories in the mail, despite the cold, since they all had an 11/30 or 12/1 deadline and I’ll be away then. Go me!
Exercise: yeah, right. [sniffle, kaff]

I forgot to mention in the last entry that I’d come down with a cold, as has Ken (poor thing, his is on the heels of a bad cold he had a couple weeks ago). Up until a couple of days ago, it was just some minor throat stuff and general weariness, so between Nyquil and Dayquil, I wasn’t really slowed down too much.

Then I tempted fate, and before I turned off the light one night, I commented to Ken that it was nice these colds weren’t really bad.

What woke me up the next morning was the pain in my throat when I swallowed.

So I’ve been in a complete fog, exhausted (despite the Nyquil-drugged sleep of the damned) and braindead, and now the nasal spray isn’t really working anymore, so I can’t breathe. Blah. This thing better clear up before the Styx concert on Friday night, or I’m likely to fall over in the middle of the show. (Ideally it will clear up before the Queensryche show Thursday night…)

But let’s talk about the good, happy things:

• Ken fixed the DVR.
  
• We had a lovely Thanksgiving with friends and family.
  
• I have the new Loreena McKennitt album! The one from B&N with the bonus track!
  
• Ken brought me matzo ball soup from Roxsbury Deli.
  
• I get to work at home.
  
• We’re off to Vegas tomorrow to visit Julie and Jim and to see Queensryche and Styx (twice!).
  
• We made really good curry last night.
  
• I’m writing again, despite the lurgy.
  
• I’ve mostly cleared out my e-mail In Box, and I’m caught up on work stuff.
  

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Currently Reading: Jade Tiger, Jenn Reese
Lately Listened To: An Ancient Muse, Loreena McKennitt
Recently Watched: Medium, Lost

Book signing

I will be doing a book signing at Borders Books in Tempe (Phoenix), Arizona, on December 16th, starting at 2 p.m.

Please spread the word, and join me if you're in the area!

Everything, all the time

Words Written: editing, actually
Writing Stats: Came home to three rejections (one because the magazine is folding) and copy edits for one story. Also declined a novella contract because the publisher was unwilling to negotiate certain crucial terms.
Exercise: dancin’, baybee!

Whoops! Wrote the first few paragraphs of this a few days ago, then forgot to post it…

Home from Baltimore and NYC! Woo!

It was a great trip! Oh, fraught with the usual mayhem and cat-herding of 2-4 women (depending on the time and place) by our Heaux Security Guard (that would be Ken), but it involved two fabulous Styx shows, getting backstage briefly to give JY his birthday present and cards, an extremely brief exchange with Lawrence, way too much food (crab dip! wine! seared ahi!), and an abundance of laughter. The discovery that people in Brooklyn can be exceptionally nice. One 3 a.m. hotel evacuation due to someone’s inability to microwave popcorn (not anybody in our party, I hasten to note).

We picked up the new DVD from KC (the band’s merchandise guy) and watched it on the flight home. We’d seen pieces of it while waiting in line for the shows (someone brought a portable DVD player) and I joked that I’m visible enough that I could be my own drinking game. Having watched the whole thing more carefully, I’m amending that to only when I’m visible from the front. If you include all the shots of the back of my head, you’d be drunk by the end of the first song! (It helps that I’m the tallest of everyone in the row, so I stand out.)

Seeing it again reminded me just how amazing that particular concert was. How enthusiastic and energetic the kids in the orchestra and chorus were. How electric it all was. How amazing the music sounds when done by a full orchestra. I miss my French horn, dammit, and suddenly I’m wanting to take piano lessons again….

In other news…

Ken fixed the TV (which involved unplugging it for a few minutes and then plugging it back in…go figure), but now the DVR is acting wonky and has to be rebooted repeatedly. So we’re trying to watch as much stuff as we can, and dump some things down to tape, so we can exchange it on Monday.

We had Thanksgiving with Ken’s dad and his wife, and wife’s son and family. We’re having a second Thanksgiving here tomorrow, with Ken’s mom and some local friends. I’m looking forward to hanging out, eating good food, and relaxing with everyone.

Although I’m behind on writing and editing work, so I’ll be busy in the morning before everyone arrives! I’m going to try and make the Sunday writing-fest at Lulu’s Beehive again, too. Ken has to go to Long Beach, so I figured he could drop me there and I could work with Jenn et al. for a few hours before he swung by to pick me up. I have a couple of anthology stories to pound out before the end of the month, and since we’re leaving Wednesday for Vegas, my personal deadline is earlier! I think it comes down to one story a day, so I really have to get cracking….

We saw The Illusionist tonight with Morgana and Brian, and Ken’s mom. Fantastic movie! Edward Norton was excellent, and Rufus Sewell was amazingly and unexpectedly creepy. Now, of course, we have to see The Prestige. Because one movie about Victorian stage magicians is never enough.

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Currently Reading: something by David Baldacci
Lately Listened To: One With Everything, Styx
Recently Watched: gobs of stuff

Help?

Any readers out there in the Bay Area? I want to buy a present for my sister that's sold only locally there. Please let me know if you can help--thanks!

Oh, the guilt!

Words Written: um, nothing today
Writing Stats: Sale! “College Reunion” will appear in C is for Co-Eds. Request for revision for a Wicked Words story. Collated snippets of scenes from Cat Scratch Fever for an erotica contest in a UK magazine.
Exercise: walking

So, one of the journallers I read started a thread on guilty pleasures, and as much as I hate me!me!s, this seemed less of a me!me! and more of a fun thing to ramble about.

I define a guilty pleasure as something I feel a vaguely guilty or embarrassed about liking, or feel I have to defend. Styx, for example, is not a guilty pleasure. Styx kicks ass from here to next Tuesday. This is not for debate.

But for guilty pleasures, I submit to you…

• When nobody is around (including Ken), I sing to the cats. (I talk to them, too, but doesn’t everybody?) So, yeah, I sing. Obvious songs like “Smelly Cat,” but I also essentially filk to them. “Tiny Kittens” to the tune of “Tiny Bubbles.” Etc.
  
• Office supplies. I really have to be good and restrain myself, because I have more Post-It notes already than I could use in a lifetime. But like Pavlov’s Bimbo, I salivate at the sight of an Office Depot truck. I’ve been known to follow them…
  
• Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. If it wouldn’t eventually kill me, I’d probably live on it.
  
• Streets of Fire. It’s not just the Jim Steinman music. I don’t know what it is. It’s a rock-n-roll fantasy, okay?!
  
• Charmed. Especially the season with the entirely unabashed “what excuse can we come up with to put them in a silly skimpy set of outfits” theme. Oh, I miss this show. I miss Holly Marie Combs’ cute nose most of all. Jenny Crusie has a wonderful essay about the show here.
  
• Abba. 'Nuff said.
  
• US magazine and Google Entertainment News and Sky News Showbiz. It’s that whole pop culture trivia thing. I especially love Us’ column about where stars were spotted, and trying to figure out if I’ve been there, and whether I’d’ve recognized the celebrity in question. You can take the girl out of the small upstate NY podunk town, but you can’t make her stop being just the tiniest bit astonished that she lives near celebrities. I can’t explain it. I just accept it.
  
• Bring It On. I’m not so sure I feel guilty about this. Yes, I love it because it’s Eliza Dushku in a skimpy cheerleading outfit (and Kirsten Dunst in a skimpy cheerleading outfit). But it’s surprisingly more intelligent and witty than you’d expect from a cheerleading movie. So.
  
• Goth girls. Blue-black hair, pale skin, lots of eyeliner, (hopefully) ripped fishnets. Yum.
  
• Night of the Lepus. Giant killer bunnies. Made to look big by putting the camera thisclose! and filming rabbits hopping through model sets. Oh, the cheesy glory. I swoon just thinking about it.
  
• Chess, the musical. American or British version, who cares. Stuck in the 80s, utterly goopy and over-the-top, and I will sing it at the top of my lungs on my deathbed if I can. If I can’t, I might as well be dead already.
  

So, what are your guilty pleasures? Spill the beans! ‘Fess up!

<>-<>-<>

In other news, Ken’s home!

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Currently Reading: The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
Lately Listened To: tappity tappity tappity…
Recently Watched: kinda hard with no TV… :-(

Bzzzz

Words Written: “The Queen of Christmas”: 907 words
Writing Stats: fighting with contracts
Exercise: erm…

I went to the Valley for the LARA (Los Angeles RWA) meeting today, and thence to an Internet café called Lulu’s Beehive, where Christine and Jenn and I flipped open our Mac laptops (each a different size and kind) and wrote and gabbed about writing and ate and drank caffeinated things. Jenn posted a picture on her website. I got more words done on an erotic Christmas story (private antho call), although I didn’t get ahead on DFL. Still, it was good and productive, and so wonderful to hang out with other writers and bask in the shared creative energy. (The only people I saw in the place the entire time we were there were people with laptops. I felt so…Hollywood.)

I had to leave a little early, though, to make sure I was home in time for a conference chat with the rest of the Styxfest staff. Happily, Jenn is planning this at a regular occurrence, and I’m going to attend whenever I can!

<>-<>-<>

Augh! Our TV died! Not that I need to watch TV every second, but I do like to curl up with something each evening, or while I’m eating lunch—and the DVR’s going to fill up before we can get the TV fixed. Nor can I watch any of the Netflix stuff on tap. Yargh!

<>-<>-<>

Busy week ahead. Tomorrow, chiro appt and a bunch of little errands. Tuesday, dentist appt (bleah). Wednesday, hopefully Ken will arrive home. Thursday, take a red-eye (yuck) to Baltimore. Along with the usual writing, work, and so forth. But no TV-watching, apparently. Mrph.

<>-<>-<>

The picture above is the one I meant to post with the last entry, and managed to forget. It just seemed so apropos. Not only a wonderful Edward Gorey picture for the holidays, but it captured how I’ve been feeling lately—all these people wanting words from me, and me trying to get everything done and flee before they can snatch me down. I mean, I love writing, and I actually like editing (for the most part)—just not all at once!

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Currently Reading: The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner
Lately Listened To: Blowfish podcasts
Recently Watched: Jim Henson’s Storytellers: Greek Myths

Hell and rainbows

Words Written: “The Queen of Christmas”: 700 words
Writing Stats: oh, lots!
Exercise: taking down Halloween decorations

Sorry, pets—didn’t mean to go dark on you. Things got crazy for a while, and then they got draggy, and I’m still trying to find the balance between the two.

So, when we last saw our heroine, she was on her way back from the Book-in-a-Week retreat in Oregon, having added 20K to Designed for Love and crossed over the middle hump of the book. However, since just before she left for Oregon, an agent had requested the first 50 pages of another manuscript, Waking the Witch. The rest of that manuscript needed another strong pass through, so she set aside the last two weeks of Oregon to do just that.

(Okay, abandoning third person now.) I checked e-mail before I got on the plane home; nothing major there. When I got home, I went straight to the chiropractor’s and then picked up some grocery necessities. Then I checked e-mail again. And found a message from the agent’s assistant, saying that the agent wanted to read the full manuscript.

That’s why I promptly disappeared for a week. Not only that, but I had an extra editing job for ABC-CLIO (an absolutely hellish project) due ASAP. I got the e-mail Monday night, and on the following Sunday, I went Halloween shopping with Morgana and Thomasina—and realized that, other than chiro appts and more grocery shopping, it was the first time I’d left the house since Monday. Egads.

I got the manuscript off to the agent (of course), and now am trying not to think about it. It’s not her top priority; she’ll get to it when she’s cleared her desk of work for her actual clients. But I did dream about it two nights ago, which was a little disturbing. I woke up hoping it would be prescient, but no luck so far.

In other writing news, I…

• Sent all returned stories and followed up on all languishing stories.
  
• Sold, with Teresa, “Bringing Back the Light” to Fishnet
  
• Made another (potentially very exciting!) sale, but I’m not ready to report it until I have more contract info.
  
• Received comp copy of Deathgrip: Exit Laughing, in which my story “Hell’s Belles” appears. I’m particularly fond of this story. It’s all about the nightmare of primadonna debutantes. And it’s funny.
  
• Received payment for Sophie’s story “Rhythm Like a Heartbeat,” to appear in Best Women’s Erotica 2007.
  
• Received contracts for “Just Be,” to appear in Iridescence, and “Always a Bridesmaid,” to appear in Tough Girls 2.
  

Also, between the flurry of new stories and sales this summer, and my back problems this spring, I got very, very behind on my filing. Today I finally (finally!) made sure every story had a file folder (total was 15. I hang my head in shame.) and all paperwork was filed in them. Next step, which will take some time, will be to go through each folder and make sure there’s a clean printout of the story as well as copies of all correspondence (submission cover letter, rejection/acceptance letter, etc.). That’s going to have to go back to the beginning—I’ve been abysmal at printing out cover letters.

<>-<>-<>

Reason #672,439 why I love my husband: “Yes, go to Baltimore and NYC for the Styx shows in mid-November. Hey, they sound like fun. In fact, I want to come! too. But why are we flying out a day early and not going to the Atlantic City show, too?” My husband the instigator. We are not, in fact, going to get off a red-eye flight, drive three hours to Atlantic City and sit in line for a GA show, and then drive back to the hotel in Baltimore. I’m sure I will regret this decision, but I imagine that if we actually tried to do that, I’d regret it even more. Or at least my back would. But, yeah, more Styx in just over a week! Plus I’ll get to see my friend Donna in Baltimore and my friend Brandy in NYC!

The NYC show is actually the release party for Styx’s new DVD, One With Everything: Styx and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra. I had the great fortune of attending that amazing, one-of-a-kind show, and was blown away by the enthusiasm of the kids as well as by how breathtaking the music sounded backed by a full orchestra and chorus.

Oh, yeah, and I’ve seen a couple clips from the DVD. Dudes. I’m on a Styx DVD. And I'm tall.

<>-<>-<>

I forgot to mention the rainbow we saw on our way back from the Oregon Coast last month. An incredible, perfect rainbow, with a full arch. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen one that touched the ground on both ends. It was huge, too. That’s one of the things I love about being on the bike: feeling like a part of things. In a car, it’s like watching TV; there’s glass, a barrier between you and the world. Even with the window open, you’re separated somehow, inside the ride. That day, I could taste the rain in the air, and felt like I could reach out and touch that delicate arch—but knew that if I did, it would shatter like a soap bubble.

<>-<>-<>

So, obviously, we hosted the Halloween party this year. It was small, despite the fact that I talked it up months in advance and changed the date to accommodate one group of people. I now also have a list of people to stop inviting to parties, because they don’t RSVP. Ever. And I’m sick of it. The party was fun, though, and I looked around at one point and decided that all the cool kids were there, the ones I really wanted to hang out with. Hope you enjoyed the pictures… (Did you? Hello? Anyone out there?)

Ken was, as evident from said pictures, home for the party. He flew in Friday evening, and we went straight to Pancho’s to see Day After Daze. We were supposed to go to the Saturday night show, too, but another drive to Manhattan Beach and back sounded exhausting. We needed time to curl up and be alone together…so we did. :-)

He then flew to Wales for a few days, for work stuff. He wasn’t there long enough to justify me coming along; I would’ve spent pretty much the whole time in hotel rooms. But he did get to visit our friends Ed & Marian, and Tina/Tanya/Mark. Whirlwind visits. We’re tentatively planning a trip to the UK in April to follow Styx around, but I confess I’m waffling. No, wait, stop gasping in shock and hear me out! They’re opening for Deep Purple, who I don’t care about seeing, and I just found out there may be a second opening band. Which means Styx will be onstage for what? half an hour? Not sure it’s worth waiting in GA lines for that. So we’re discussing other options, including other countries, for a big trip next year. Along with annual CCR, which will be in Missouri. (Near our friends Hope and Bob! Although I confess my first reaction when I heard the announcement of where it would be was, “Hey, wasn’t a Trixie Belden book set there?”)

He’s coming home just before the Baltimore/NYC trip, and will be home for Thanksgiving. Not sure exactly what his schedule will be in December, but he’ll have a good chunk of time at home. We’re flying to upstate NY to visit my family for Xmas.

So. I think that’s gotten you mostly caught up on the last few weeks. Hope it was worth the wait.

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Currently Reading: The Blue Girl, Charles de Lint
Lately Listened To: Grimoire miaowing for attention
Recently Watched: Bones, Northern Exposure

Newport Aquarium

Newport Aquarium photos!

Halloween 2006

Halloween photos!

And more interviews!

Sarah and I, as Sarah Dale, were interviewed by Cheek Books here. Enjoy! Also, if you click on "News" on that website, you'll see a teaser for A Little Night Music!

Interviewed!

Kate Willoughby of the Los Angeles RWA posted a really fun interview with me here in her blog. (Thanks, Kim!)

Enjoy!

Back to the world

Words Written: DFL 20K over the course of 6 days.
Writing Stats: a few acceptances and a few rejections. I’ll update soon.
Exercise: walking on the beach.

I’m back in Hillsboro at Ken’s apartment. Survived the BIAW at the beach. Mostly braindead, but in a good way. Just struggling to get my brain actively working on something other than writing-related stuff.

I fly home tomorrow, and will of course have a ton of stuff to catch up on, but I’ll try to post a summary of the week soon. I thought I’d keep a daily log, but… I’m still not sure why I didn’t. I had so much to say, about what I was learning about my process, and the house, and my fellow writers, but in the end, I kind of didn’t want to. As if it were almost too personal, too private. We’ll see how I feel in a few days.

Once I’m home, I have to dive in to the edits of the rest of Waking the Witch in case the agent wants to see the full manuscript. I need to have that done by the end of the month, since we’re leaving on the 30th or 31st for the UK. (Ken’s buying another machine for the company here, so of course we’re going. We’ll probably have a day or two for sightseeing/fun stuff. If anyone’s in the Newport area and wants to swing by and say hi, let me know!) Anyway, once WtW is done, I’ll get back to DFL. I’d like to finish it by the middle of November, do another pass through, and then get it out to first readers. But other things may change that plan—Teresa and I have a proposal with our Black Lace editor, for example.

Now, however, it’s time for chicken-garlic pizza, and then I have to transfer all my stuff from motorcycle bags to my suitcase…

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Currently Reading: something by Jenny Crusie, but the book’s not close at hand
Lately Listened To: Eurythmics’ Greatest Hits

Coasting

Words Written: “Behind the Masque,” ~1500
Writing Stats: Talking about writing!
Exercise: walking

So, here I am on the Oregon Coast. Ken and I rode out yesterday with Ernie & Pauline, and Jeff, the latter who let us borrow his K1200GT for the ride to Tillamook so we could try it out. (Ken’s thinking of it for his next bike.) Needs a better set and the passenger pegs readjusted for someone with, oh, legs (I’m a passenger, dammit, not a jockey!), but otherwise it’s pretty nice. Still considering. Anyway, we had lunch at the Tillamook Cheese Factory (cheese!), but didn’t have time for the tour because the other folks had places to be, and we were all going to ride to Newport together. Which we did, and then Ken and I split off and went to the Newport Aquarium.

Otters! Otters otters otters. One, who I believe was female, curled up against the glass and kept pressing her nose against the glass every time Ken looked at her. I’m sure if the glass hadn’t been there, she would have been trying to rub noses with him. Too adorable—I hope my photos come out. And there were moon jellies, and regular jellyfish smaller than my thumbnail, and an octopus, and purple starfish… The place was smaller than I expected, but no matter. There were otters!

We repaired to our hotel, whereupon Ken collapsed into a nearly two-hour nap. I napped a bit, checked e-mail, gazed at the gorgeous ocean view out our window. Now, while we were at the aquarium, I was looking at the salmon and insisting they should be pinky-orange on the outside, and Ken said, “Ooh, sushi for dinner?” But by the time we were ready for dinner, we were so hungry we hit the hotel restaurant, and ended up having a stellar meal. (Cajun garlic prawns and a glass of Chardonnay for me, salmon and zin for him.) Then it was back to the room for lounging and a loooong night’s sleep.

We got up here in time for the weekly writerly lunch, which was fun, and then we were able to get into our beach house. I chose the smallest room because it has the best view of the ocean. :-) That’s worth having to go downstairs for the bathroom. There are five of us; two people I’ve been in workshops with before and two I met for the first time today. All at different places in our careers, all with different projects to work on. Should be fun! We nipped out for food and supplies, ate dinner, and then sat around rambling about writing. The biggest distraction here won’t be TV (there are four in the house. Four!) or even the ocean, but the company.

But now it’s just about 11 p.m., and I’m going to work on a story collab with Teresa, then curl up in bed with the notes for DFL and refamliarize myself with the novel. Tomorrow, the fun really starts!

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Currently Reading: Mystic and Rider, Sharon Shinn
Lately Listened To: random Cyndi Lauper from iTunes

Well, that's encouraging!

Words Written: “Behind the Masque,” ~500
Writing Stats: Received payments for “Subtle” (Secret Slaves) and “Busted” (Caught Looking)
Exercise: walking

About an hour and a half before I was set to walk out the door and catch my plane to Portland, I got an e-mail from the assistant to my top choice of agents, asking me to send the first 50 pp. of the manuscript for which I’d sent a query and synopsis almost two months ago! Stop the presses! So it’s printed and I’m slapping stamps on the envelope. Don’t want to wait almost a week and a half to send it…

So, yeah, off to Portland again. Ken left yesterday on the bike and will be there in a few hours; I arrive via plane a bit later. Tomorrow morning, we’re off to the coast for a mini-vacation (the Newport Aquarium and the Tillamook Cheese Factory, among other things!). Sunday afternoon we’ll meet with Kris & Dean and Chris & Steve and the other usual suspects for lunch, and then I’ll toddle off to a beach house with five other writers to embark on a Book-in-a-Week retreat. I’ll walk out of there next Sunday with a completed draft of Designed for Love, come hell or high water. (And, knowing the Oregon Coast, there’s a good chance of high water!)

That’s about it for news. Been catching up on writing and editing since Ken left. I’m mostly packed, except for a few things in the wash, and I need to change my shirt. I won’t have easy Internet access while I’m there—I’ll pop out to the charming Internet café once or twice to drink rose-flavored white tea and do a quick check of e-mail to make sure there are no emergencies, but I probably won’t have time to post here.

See you on the flip side!

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Currently Reading: Mystic and Rider, Sharon Shinn
Lately Listened To: random and various
Recently Watched: Dr Who, CSI

Help!

In a particularly spectacular boneheaded maneuver, I managed to not record the first new Dr. Who episode, although I do have the second one. Since I was to watch them in order...does anyone local possibly still have a copy of "The Christmas Invasion" that I could borrow?

On another note, I managed to buy myself a second copy of Bring It On, the suprisingly funny cheerleader movie starring Kirsten Dunst and (more importantly) Eliza Dushku. (Mmmm, Eliza in a cheerleading outfit...) So, if anyone would like a DVD, I'd be happy to pass it on.