All Hail Merrilee the Cool Too!

All hail Merrilee the Cool Too!!

Our agent is so cool! When she read the e-mail about re-stickering the goodies we're handing out for the conference she offered to pitch in too. So we may just wind up with this huge wine and sticker party in the hotel.

I find it really amazing and flattering that we have such great people in our corner! I mean, seriously -- people with that much prestige who are willing to chip in are worth their weight in gold!

So again -- All Hail Merrilee, All Hail Anna!!

WHOOO HOOO!

Good GRIEF Charlie Brown

It's Friday again! WOW. OK. I'm feeling much better this morning. I may actually be able to act and think like a normal human (or as close as I ever get -- grin).

Next week is the conference, so I probably won't post (or not much). I've missed you guys, so I'm hoping you'll hang in there and I can get back in the swing of things.

On the weird book news front -- they're changing the cover art for Moon's Web. Buyers didn't like it. Something about "movement"? Their reasoning didn't make a lot of sense to me, but I'm obviously not a marketing guru AND I'm getting the info secondhand. But since they were going to cut their order in half (which they didn't when they heard the cover art would change -- and they indicated they might actually up their order) the Sales and Marketing Department at Tor decided to make the change. It's a good business decision. We have no objections. But it's frustrating since we did up a bunch of promotional items based on the old cover. (Anybody want a BUNCH of limited edition post cards? They're really quite beautiful.) We're going to be spending time at the hotel with our editor putting stickers over the unusable art work so that we can salvage the notebooks we did up for the conference. And just to show how cool a person our editor is, she's agreed to help! And we didn't even have to ply her with liquor. (Although we still might [grin]).

ANYWAY, I have to start packing. I'm excited about seeing my folks, even if it is for a very short visit! I love 'em and I miss 'em.


Well, I gotta get ready for work and pre-trip nonsense. But let's give three cheers for the editor -- HIP HIP HOORAY! HIP HIP HOORAY! HIP HIP HOORAY! ALL HAIL ANNA THE COOL!

Up Early

Hi!

I've missed posting a lot, so I got up early this morning so I could talk to you guys. It's wild. My symptoms have been back, so I've been sleeping a lot, and things have been very stressful and busy. (Generally in a good way, but still stressful) Most of my non online friends have been going "are you out there?" as well. I've even pissed off a few people because I've not gotten them information quickly enough or sound tired and grumpy. It's crazy. I'm doing the best I can, but right now that isn't all that great. Hopefully I'll get a little rest on the way to and from the conference. Then maybe I won't have to lean quite so hard on Cathy to get some of the business things done. Keep your fingers crossed. I really do want to pull my share of the responsibilities, but right now I'm just not.

Before I forget -- Yolanda, the pack mule is swimming. I hope you like it when you get it.

Jim -- I hope you like it. Still don't know about Lestat. Life is being... awkward. But I'll keep in touch.

On the good news front -- we're up for a BUNCH of awards for Hunter. Some are big, some are small. All are flattering.

We came up with a complete idea for a chick lit book at our signing. Cathy's already worked up a proposal for it. Frankly, I'm dropping it on the back burner until we can get Catherine, Antoine, the re-write on Kate and the line edits on Moon's Web out of my head. I generally can only have two active books in my head at one time -- particularly when I'm tired. I was very proud of myself to be able to deal with Catherine, Antoine and Kate at the same time. Adding in the line edits and the Chick Lit -- plus the daily dose of story ideas, I got a serious brain fry and so now I need to back off just a little. I wish I could multi-task like I used to -- and like a lot of other folks, but I just can't. All I can do is the best I can do.

St. Louis will be my first conference since we got published. (Went to a nice little writer's conference a number of years ago [a LARGE number] and learned a lot of nice things which I promptly forgot). I'm excited. I get to meet a couple of my favorite authors, and finally meet our agent and editor in real live person (as opposed to zombie I suppose). Going to meet a lot of folks I've only met online as well.

One day I'm trekking up to see my folks in central Illinois. I'd like a longer trip, but I just started my new job a few months ago, and I don't have a lot of vacation time. All that I have is being tied up with the two conferences. So I'm fitting in visits as best I can. I miss them.

Well, gotta run. Everybody have a great day. Wish us luck with the contests.

Cie

HI GUYS

Hi -- hope you're still coming by. It's been a frantic couple of weeks. My health has been a bit iffy, work has been insane, and we're getting ready for the big conference in St. Louis. Then, when I get back James is moving and we're getting ready for that too.

The signing went well! Figarou came by and filmed it, I think Cathy's putting up a link on the website so you can all see it. I, of course, hate the way I look on film, but I ALWAYS hate the way I look in pictures and video, so no big surprise.

Well, I'd love to chat, but back to the insanity!

Cie

Happy Friday

Hi Guys!

Yolanda, are you ok? You've written a couple of times about being tired and having tests done. I'm a little worried. If you don't want to talk about it in the comments, drop me a line privately. Please?

Good news -- One of the bigger checks from the publisher is making its way here. Should arrive Monday(ish). (Sing with me folks "Happy days are here again..." or if you prefer "HAllelujah, HAllelujah, hallelujah, HA LE LU JAH! For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth...") Not that I was looking for it or anything. (Grin).

Jim, hope you're Dad's still doing OK. I know you told us, but when is his next surgery due? Is your car running OK?

And folks, nobody ever answered my question WAY back when of what animal/Sazi they thought they'd be. Don't be shy. This inquiring mind wants to know.

Gotta get to work.

Cie

Is it Really Thursday Again?

Holy CRAP Batman -- it's already Thursday again!

Hi guys! Hope everybody's been having a great week. Mine's been insane busy but more the kind where you're running around like a wild (wo)man and not accomlishing anything.

Work has been utterly INSANE, but the good news is today my boss is in Court practically all day so I can catch up on things. The skunk smell is SLOWLY wearing off, but at least my eyes aren't watering all day at work any more.

We have a signing Saturday, which I'm really looking forward to (the reschedule of the San Antonio Waldenbooks signing). So I don't want to be sick and exhausted. A slow day is exactly what I need.

Got a good review for Road to Riches (the western which was our first book). It's fun to still get good news after all this time.

Well, gotta run. Everybody have a great day.

Cie

Good Morning

Work still smells like skunk. It's bad enough in the kitchen area to make your eyes water. What can I say... I just have the most interesting luck.

Touch of Evil revisions are going well for Cathy. Since we're adding a lot more emphasis on the love interest we've had to explore the pack in more detail. The werewolves in this have a matriarchal society and the change is not lunar linked, but a genetic trait that is linked to adrenaline. We're going over details of how this would affect people, what kind of pack structure would result, etc.

I'm making arrangements to visit my family during the conference. I miss them and will be glad to see them, although it will be a visit on the run since I have such a short period of time. I'm stretching my good will and vacation time at work to the limit as it is. New jobs = not a lot of vacation time.

Insurance situation still sucks.

James is in the process of getting ready to move. He's tense, but excited.

Well, gotta run. I'll write more if I get a chance.

Guten Morning, Fraus en Hommes

(Probably got that wrong, but it's the thought that counts right? :D)

It's Monday, and the day job is showing all signs of being completely INSANE. The boss has court all morning and asked me to come in early. It's OK. He's a great guy, and I don't really mind. Could live without the stress though.

For the record, I hate most insurance companies. The feeling is decidedly mutual. I am an underwriter's worst nightmare. I have all of these weird-assed ongoing things. Which is why group insurance is a must for me. (They'd never take me on an individual policy -- and the high risk pool is too cost-prohibitive). It is almost impossible to get group health insurance in Texas. Which, by the way, is a serious drag. I have been TRYING to deal with these issues for weeks which has been part of what is making me so blasted grumpy! Thing is, still no real progress. UGH!

Writing, however, is going OK. Since the books are a big source of happiness for me, I'm getting by pretty darn well. Now if only....

Everybody have a great day!


Cie

Sometimes you Win

Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Sometimes it's better to just pack up your toys and go home.

Welcome to the weekend.

I got up WAAAAAY early this morning determined (determined I say) to write. Walked out the door and found -- A FLAT TIRE. Now this is not normally a big deal. Really. I HAVE changed more than one tire in my life. BUT I just GOT the blasted thing fixed yesterday morning. AND I've not been feeling all that hot, certainly not up to changing tires in the dark at 5:00 in the morning. Particularly not tires that SHOULD NOT FREAKING BE FLAT DAG NABBIT. (Every time I say Dag Nabbit I feel like Elmer Fudd with hair). So I cheated. I bought "Fix a Flat" and got it inflated enough to put air in it and then drove it back to the tire place. They don't open until about 8:00, so I decided, FINE, I'll go write at the office.

I walked the block from the tire place to the office and sat down to the computer and realized... I DON'T HAVE MY GLASSES. Now I can see distance without them just fine. But reading... uh... not so much. So I've set the computer to a larger view and am making do.

I am telling myself that this is God's way of telling me to SLOW DOWN. So I am taking a deep breath, and remembering the Zen Washing Machine.

I may have already told this story (Pardon me if I have), but the Zen washer came with a previous residence. It was old (VERY), but it ran well enough, and it was placed directly under the furnace venting system for the house. So when it ran, the sound came through every vent in every room. The cool part was the TYPE of sound.

"OOOHHHMMMMMMM. OOOHHHHHMMMMMM. Woogita woogita woogita. THUNK! OOOOHHHHMMMMM."

Which is why my dear son (who was very small at the time) named it "The Zen Washer."

I kid you not, it was SOOTHING hearing that washer doing it's thing. Which was why when it broke down my son and I agreed to at least TRY to get it fixed. Alas, it was old enough that parts were no longer available.

So I sit in my office, waiting to call the mechanic, remembering the Zen washer instead of working on my book. I'll get to the writing. But writing when I'm stressed doesn't produce a good product. So I'll remember and try to calm down.

Repeat after me:

"OOOHHHMMMMMMM. OOOHHHHHMMMMMM. Woogita woogita woogita. THUNK! OOOOHHHHMMMMM."

My life is good. I have so many things to be thankful for.

"OOOHHHMMMMMMM. OOOHHHHHMMMMMM. Woogita woogita woogita. THUNK! OOOOHHHHMMMMM."

OO! That reminds me!!! I DO have some good news. (See, it works!)

Midwest Book Reviews reviewed Secrets: Fact or Fiction (mystery anthology Cathy and I are in and I told you about a while back). There are 9 short stories in the book. Some are true. Some aren't. There's a contest to guess which are which. ANYWAY, we got reviewed. Midwest Book Reviews is prestigious too. And THEY LIKED MY STORY. :)

"The collection gains momentum with “The Apple Doesn’t Fall ...” deliciously written by C.T. Adams. This was one of my favorites for its flow, conversation, characters, and how the plot unraveled. It truly made for excellence in storytelling."

They said this about Cathy's entry:

“'A Matter of Taste' was charmingly written by Cathy Clamp, and between the sensible character bantering, and a few hidden goodies, this is a delight to savor. For more reasons than one."

WHOO HOOO to Cathy and I! We both like writing in more than one genre and it's cool that the mystery stuff is working out too. (Yes, it's on a small scale right now, but from small seeds....)

Okay, I'm in a better mood now. Should be able to write without it being total dreck.

Thanks for popping by guys!


Cie

THANKS GUYS

I just wanted to thank you guys for being so supportive when I'm down. It really does help.

Things are going a bit better today. (WHOO HOO!)

Hi

Apparently there was a very unhappy skunk just outside my office. It has made working today... shall we say... CHALLENGING.

Sometimes luck is simply not with you. Or if it is, it's the wrong kind. Things like, having a flat tire, having a skunk stink up the workplace you'll be sitting at for at least 8 hours, etc. Nothing earth-shattering, actually small enough that you feel silly whining about it, but ANNOYING!

Cathy and I are trying to get ready for our trip to St. Louis for the RT convention. It's wild, we haven't even arrived yet and we've already got so much stuff scheduled I can't keep track of it all without my conference planner. (That was our goodie for handout -- a conference planner so people can schedule things and take notes. We're hoping it will be a hit with folks, and it has pictures and information on the books on the front and back cover).

We have a rescheduled San Antonio signing coming up too.

So, busy times.

Well, I'd better get back to it. Have a GREAT day.

Cie

Hi Guys

Hi guys, I'm back.

I'm kind of blue right now. (No, I'm not holding my breath). I just had somebody acting all snarky about something because they took my meaning completely wrong. I know it happens. It particularly happens to me. For somebody who works with words as much as I do, you'd think I'd always find the right thing to say. But you get to EDIT the written word. Verbal stuff just doesn't work that way. Since there's some other stuff going on in my life right now too (nothing serious, just... awkward) I feel kinda bad about myself. So I'm posting this "Gee I'm feeling sorry for myself" post before eating a nice lunch, maybe having a little chocolate, and then writing so that I can escape reality for a little bit and feel better.

Tuesday Again

Hi guys!

Blogger seems to be working well again, so I've decided to stay put.

James is getting ready for his move back to Denver. He's nervous and excited about it. So am I. I will miss him dreadfully, but Denver is is home and while he thinks the small town where I live is OK, there's really no future for him here and he knows it. And, truthfully, we keep such different hours that I will sleep better physically when I have the house to myself again. (As to not sleeping from worrying -- every mother does that. Completely unavoidable).

Complete book plot that has nothing to do with the Sazi is running through my head -- characters and all. I'm going to stop long enough to write a bare bones description so I don't lose it, then back to Catherine. It's coming along nicely (now that I worked out the connections to the other books in my head) and I'm eager to get back to it.

I'm due to go walking with Cathy, so I have to run. Everybody have a great day.

Cie

Monday Morning

Hi guys!

OK First things first. My son tells me that I may have offended any number of people with the previous post. I didn't mean to. My apologies if I did. I would go on, but then I'd probably just put my foot further in my mouth as is my wont. Let it suffice to say that I believe the world has lost a great man and I believe he's moved on to something better.

Got LOTS accomplished this weekend, which makes me feel a little less bad about myself. The book I'm working on (Catherine) starts after Hunter's Moon, before Moon's Web (but overlaps it so that it ends AFTER Moon's Web). No big deal, right? WELL... not so much. I wound up having to do a time line because I didn't want the full moon to fall on the wrong date based on when it hit in the other two. (which are already in publication) Then there is the old "OK, if Lucas is in Chicago on THIS morning he CAN'T be in Boulder at the same time." I know, doesn't seem like a big deal to you, but it's so EASY to screw up and we SOOOOO don't want to. I mean, we're readers. We both get annoyed when a mistake like that pulls us out of a story we're reading, so we don't want to do that to the folks who are kind enough to pick up what we've written.

Work is INSANE right now, so I have toget back to it. But best wishes to you all. And, again, if I offended anyone, I apologize.

Cie

Good Morning

Hi! It's Saturday. I'm plugging away on the book this morning. I've been kind of slacking in that real life keeps interfering. But Cathy and I have talked out all these cool things that I don't want to "lose" in my head. (I sometimes have memory problems when I'm tired). So I need to get to it! I've cranked up the AC/DC and am moving on it. I'm writing at the office because (a) the boss said I can anytime I need to and (b) I don't want to wake up James on his day off by cranking the stereo because I would end up not writing again.

In the news, it appears the Pope is dying. As a Catholic I (Cie) am very sad about it in one way, and not in another. I know this sounds peculiar to most people. (Most people seem to be saying "I want to go to heaven, but not NOW!") But for a person with as much faith as he must have, it's simply moving from one room in another in your eternal life. I mean, you don't screech in terror about "OH MY GOD I HAVE TO GO TO THE KITCHEN!!!!" Death is a part of life, inevitable from birth. And going quietly at the end of a long and productive life just doesn't seem so terrible to me. In part, no doubt, because I really, truly believe there's an eternal life that is better. I realize that this is a VERY unusual view, and I don't expect any of you to share it, but I thought I'd just state my POV. I do worry about who they will choose as his replacement. The wrong person at the head of a church can be a disaster. But this, like most things, is something completely beyond my control.

Alas, talking to y'all is NOT getting my pages out. So, I'm off for now. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I certainly intend to!


Cie

HAPPY WEEKEND

And OH BOY do I need one!

Guys, I'm considering changing this to another site and would like your thoughts. I really like it here, but lately (since they've upgraded, or since my blog has gotten so big, I'm not sure which) it seems to be acting up a lot. Since this is a participation blog, I'd like input as to whether (A) I should leave well enough alone; (B) Move it, and if so (C) where?

This is a 1 week response time (because I won't get to it before then anyway) and because I do LIKE it here....


Cie