EXHAUSTED

Okay, I'm pooped. Really, seriously, oh BOOOOOOY am I pooped.

BUT, the draft of the website is done. There will be tweaking. Of course there will be tweaking. I mean, I didn't have a list of all of our short stories and anthologies in front of me and I KNOW there are more of them. I know we want to add some just for the website short stories as well. And I didn't have on hand the first chapter of either the upcoming book in February for the sample chapter, or for the Tony book coming out in August. Oh, and if we're going to use the new covers on the Sazi books I need to add those too. But the pages, and the subpages and the links are DONE. I worked my fuzzy little TAIL off. The animals are being raging pains in the patootie because all I've done all day is sit at the computer and not pay attention to them. But it is DONE.

I'd done a lot of it before, had the basic format done. BUT there was a lot more left than I thought, and it became a sequential vortex as I went along. But, I am NOT going to give myself a hard time. I am just going to put the silly files onto a jump drive so that Cathy can look at them and make changes. (Her internet provider is down AGAIN). Then I am going to my well deserved rest. I will clean my drains, my house, and color my hair in the morning. For tonight I'm SOOOOOOOO done.

Let's just hope the whole thing uploads properly and I don't have to convert it to another kind of software.

No. I won't think of that. THAT is the stuff of nightmares.


Bestest.

Cie

Stuff to Do

Hi all!

Just taking a minute out to update the blog. Thing is, there isn't all that much to say. Need to write. Need to get the house clean (it's disgusting). Need to get my budget balanced and all of my paperwork sorted. Need to get the revised website to Cathy so we can make revisions and get the @&#$*$@# thing up.

Ah, the website. If you've been following the blog for about a YEAR now, you know that it is an ongoing issue. You see, like virtually every other author we know who has tried to get their website worked by an outside source, we got burned a bit. Not a LOT, and I'm not even sure it was the guy's fault. His life fell apart. And YES I know there are LOTS of reputable people who do that sort of thing, but they're hard to find, and they're BUSY. It's time consuming. And, more likely than not, more expensive than I can afford right now. And now it needs to happen NOW. So I'm going to try again.

Wish me luck.

Cie

Thanks to All

Thanks to all who responded to the post -- and HI YO!!!

Okay, with that said, I am not really ready for Christmas. Yes, I've done my shopping (but no wrapping or mailing, which I've GOT to do). But the real thing is that I'm NOT READY for it to BE Christmas. As in, "Holy CRAP, it's DECEMBER, I mean MID-DECEMBER? What happened to summer, and fall and all those months since, I dunno MARCH?"

Panic. Utter panic. I must be over the hill because I'm definitely gaining momentum!

Today the animals have been a pain in the patootie. I love 'em, but they are SERIOUSLY getting into mischief, causing messes, interfering with anything even remotely resembling work. UGH.

Speaking of which. Lucky the Wonder Dog wants back in. NOW.

Gotta run.

Cie

Business as Unusual

Hi Guys! Thanks for stopping by and please keep posting comments.

I'm very slowly getting back up to strength and speed. Starting to be able to think creatively again. Staying up past 7:00 or 8:00 p.m. (Yeah, you read that right. When I've got symptoms I sleep. When it was bad a few years ago I wound up out for 18-20 hours and couldn't work. It isn't that bad any more [Thank God -- REALLY], but part of that is because I know the lead-in symptoms now and try to nip it in the bud.)

This is a VERY good thing. Aside from the obvious (I mean, who really wants to be sick, right?), I'm able to get back to doing more than just the day job. Since we just got offered a wonderful deal that involves me -- well -- um -- actually WRITING BOOKS this is a very good thing indeed.

I made a somewhat momentous decision (I think. But understand that I could always change my mind.) If I'm going to get everything I need to get done, done, and Cathy is going to get everything SHE needs to get done, done (which wouldn't happen if she was trying to cover for me because I'm not completely back up to speed), we are going to need some part-time help. So I contacted someone I know and trust, who was in search of a little bit of part-time work, and tentatively hired him on as my personal assistant. I told him on the phone the job description involved "shovelling all of the crap that keeps me from being able to actually write." In follow up e-mails (two, because Inkspot the Infamous decided he wanted to lay on the keyboard and send the first before I was done.) I explained in more detail.

I'm nervous as heck about this. It's a big commitment. But we've got good money coming up next year, and a little bit of it is coming for the on-pub payment for "Magic's Design" in January/February. Yes, there's LOTS of stuff I could spend it on, (and will, including going to RT for those of you who are interested.) but he's working for a VERY reasonable rate, and . . . well, I made the decision damn it, I need to let it go. I'll put a chunk of the money into a new bank account for payroll (enough for his estimated pay for the year and a couple of bonuses, which I can only do because he's being VERY reasonable) and that will be that.

Cathy and I are, indeed going to RT again. I've not been travelling much other than to try to move to Denver and for a family emergency. That has got to change. We need to get out there and actually SEE people. Besides, we're nominated for a couple of BIG awards, and I want to go and show my support. (I also hope we'll win. Keep your toes crossed, fingers are for typing.)

I'm a little bummed about a couple of personal things. First, I'm still in Texas. Texas is lovely country, but I am not cut out for small town living. But the economy does, indeed, sucketh pond scum covered rocks. I'm not giving up, but it's harder than I'd like.

Second, I've lost track of a number of friends. I've tried contacting them and they're not getting back to me. Which means they are probably truly lost. Always sad, that. But true friendship is a bond between two people where they BOTH want it. So there it is. And no, generally speaking, absence does not make the heart grow fonder (at least not if it goes on for very long at all). It tends to make the heart go find somebody to make it feel better. And life truly does go on. It was designed that way so that we could survive death of loved ones and other heartache. My life has gone on too --- which was why I neglected to stay in touch like I should.

Third, I've kind of lost myself. Okay, this is personal stuff, and maybe I shouldn't post it out here at all, but I don't think many people are reading this anyway, and I think at one point or another everybody's been here, or at least will be.

See, when you are in a new place and you obviously DON'T fit, you kind of hide the rough edges. It's the same sort of thing you do on a first date. Yeah, you're "you" but you're not the same "you" you usually are. Maybe you're language is a little better. You're certainly dressed a little better, or have your hair and/or make-up done in a more flattering (and time-consuming) manner. But after a while you start "letting your hair down" and being yourself. Only I haven't. Not really. And the times I've tried haven't gone all that well.

"You have a TATTOO?!!!" (expression of utter horror/disgust).
"Yeah, I got it for my 40th birthday." (which means it wasn't even a youthful indiscretion! Oh, the horror!)

Or the time I wore my leather biker jacket to walk the dog, and the little old man down the street nearly drove his truck into a tree.

Or the sweet, truly lovely and well-meaning, people who have come up to me to say that they are seriously concerned about the state of my soul because of the type of books I write.

Okay guys. It's been almost five years. I'm done. Toasty. Crispy critters done. I've made a few (emphasis on the FEW) friends, but even those I have to be careful around. For me, part of friendship is NOT having to always be so careful any more.

I wanna stop being on my first date. I wanna go home and be ME. ALL of me. I don't always want to be NICE and acceptable. I don't WANT to iron my jeans, and ALWAYS wear make-up. If I want to blast AC/DC "Highway to Hell" on my stereo I want to do it and NOT worry about somebody being mortally offended. I've lost track of big chunks of who I am and I want them back.

Cathy says I should just do it. Be who I am, and to hell with it. But there are consequences to that. And the point is that I want to be ACCEPTED for who I am. I want to RELAX, not have to be watching my back. Which I would. Carefully. Because I'm just a wee bit paranoid by nature.

So I hang on. But I'm REALLY hoping to move back to the city. Sooner is better.

NOTE TO THE WISE -- I just about deleted the rant part of this post. Sanitized it. Because, I don't want to offend anyone who might stop by.

But I'm not going to. Like I said. Crispy critters.

Hi Yolanda! (Waves vigorously)

HI YOLANDA!!

Thanks for popping by. I never hear from anybody any more. My own fault. I've not been online as much and kept in touch. Basically because of deadlines, depression and various other d words. BAAAAAD Cie! Bad girl!

I am back from visiting Denver. The news is, as usual mixed. The semi-bad news is, I turned down the job before it was even offered. It was a "career" not a job. The kind of career that routinely takes 12-14 hour days. If that career is your goal in life, you go for it, because it's a great opportunity. But my writing is my career. So I need a good, solid 8-hour a day job with benefits. With the commute it ends up being between 10-11. Which still gives me a little time to write. 12-14 with commute would be 13-16 hours. I'd be too pooped to even sit at the keyboard. So while the employer was lovely, I had to say no. Which was harder than it sounds because I WANT TO GO BACK TO DENVER!

The good news is that Tor made us a lovely contract offer. We are accepting it. And I need to get started. Deadlines loom, etc. The money is such that I am feeling actually fairly secure. A very good thing.

I would write more, but Inkspot the infamous is doing his "oooh, it clicks" thing about the keyboard along with the "PET me, you KNOW you love me, PURRRRRR." It makes typing . . . awkward. So I'll move on. Best always. Please stop by again, and leave comments. I get lonely.

:)

Trip to Denver

Hello!

I'm in the process of getting ready to go to Denver for a job interview. Yes, a DAY job. While I love the writing, and it is actually pretty well paying, the money comes in big lumps at odd intervals and there is NO insurance, NO retirement, NO security, and NO PERSONAL INPUT. This is bad, very bad.

So, I am trying to relocate back to Denver and to get a house (which I need to have the animals, and I'm not giving them up) I need verifiable steady employment, i.e., a job. And I have an interview. A good prospect even.

WOOT!

Wish me good luck.

Down in the dumps.

I'm down in the dumps. No real reason for it. Just am.

This weekend was cool. Saturday was my birthday. There are folks that don't celebrate getting older at my age. I'm not one of them. I had a very close call (actually, SOME very close calls) when I was young, so I actually CELEBRATE the fact that WHOO HOO! I MADE IT THROUGH ANOTHER YEAR!!! WOOT!!

In fact, I offended a few people last year when I said -- "Holy crap, I'm (INSERT AGE HERE). I may actually survive long enough to get old. I should probably think about retirement." The people I was talking to were very offended, because apparently you're not supposed to think that you might not get old. But, I looked at my track record and I mean, come ON:
1) Struck by lightning
2) Pneumonia multiple times (we're talking double digits folks);
3) Bronchitis literally more times than I can count;
4) Removal of one necrotic kidney;
5) Thyroid problems;
6) A pituitary adenoma;
7) A couple of car wrecks and close calls;
8) Bit by a black widow spider.

I mean, would YOU think I'd get old? Really? Boy are you the optimist. But apparently you're right. So WOOT!

SO, this year I got the big mailing from . . . AARP! ALL RIGHT!!

Now so many people I know would be going -- "Oh No, I'm OOOOOOOOOLD."

My first reaction?

HOT DAMN! COOL BEANS -- DO you think they have health insurance? Do I have to prequalify!

Okay, so now, oddly, I'm feeling better.

Keep rooting for me to get employment and make it back to Denver. I wanna go home.

Hello -- or is it Oh Hell?

Hello:

It's been a few days (maybe a couple weeks. I haven't looked). Life has been . . . interesting. I'm sure it's going to be wonderful, eventually, but right now it's a bit of a slog.

In the good news front, saw the cover of the new Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance. It's beautiful! And it's got a lot of the biggest names in Paranormal Romance writing short stories in it. Which, of course, makes me nervous as hell that mine won't stack up. Ugh. Really ugh. Oh crap ugh. I mean, **I** like it, but well, um . . . crap.

The other day on my lunch hour a puppy (who should have been in a fence or on a lead, one of my big worries in this town since hardly anybody seems to bother and most of the dogs run loose) dashed under my moving truck. I hit him/her -- hard. I love animals (more than most people, which I probably shouldn't say, but there you go). She wasn't killed, but it wasn't good. She was rushed to the vet and had a broken front and back leg, one of which was going to require surgery and bolts. Because our vet was out of town, they had to take her to a vet in the larger city.

I felt and feel like CRAP. It wasn't my fault. But tell that to the pup. And the owners. And me a few more times. I mean I KNOW it wasn't my fault. But again, I feel like CRAP.

Another joyous event was a PHOTO SHOOT.

Okay, for those of you who look terrific, this doesn't sound so bad. For those of us who really REALLY don't look the way we'd like, (which actually is probably most people come to think of it) it's awful. Don is a great photographer. Don't get me wrong. But he can't change my weight, or my height or my "thyroid face and neck" (I have that lovely moonface and swollen neck thing going -- on top of the weight that we don't really want to discuss) or the fact that the camera is . . . well . . . accurate, damn it.

But we needed publicity shots of Cathy and I individually and together as a writing team. SOOOOOOO the morning was spent in front of the camera. The shots are as good as it gets for me in front of the camera. But it was not happytime. I am glad the results are good. And I am very, VERY glad it is over.

Also, I am a dinosaur. I accept this. Everyone who knows me accepts this. It is fine. BUT I had a mishap. Since I don't use a phone much, I only use a cell phone. Since I don't use the cell phone much, I use a Tracfone. One of those lovely buy your minutes and just use what you buy phones. I really like it too. Okay. I had a phone that was just that. A phone. Period. End of story. We even got it loaded for double minutes for the life of the phone and (WOOT) 800 minutes, which would last me a WHILE barring familial disasters (which eat telephone time). SO, I'm doing great. I have the minutes for all of WHOOO HOO, three whole days when I . . . wait for it . . . LOSE THE FRICKING PHONE.

Gone. Absolutely gone. Can't find it to save my life. Suspect some kid or teenybopper is now using it to call Taiwan or text their long lost boyfriend. (Or just threw it out in disgust because it's JUST a phone. [OHMIGAWD AN ANTIQUE!!!]) Whatever.

SO, I go to replace my phone and THEY DON'T EVEN MAKE THAT KIND ANY MORE. Nope. So, I get a phone that is a phone, a camera, can get me on the internet, and in all likelihood (assuming I could find the right button) tap dance and/or do the Macarena (which of course nobody does any more, but BY GOD my phone probably can). And the nice people at Tracfone replace the minutes, give me double minutes (came with the phone this time), and I get to keep my old phone number. BUT I have no idea how to use it. I mean, I'm learning. I'm literate. I can read directions. But JEEZ I keep hitting the @*#($& button that is supposed to link me to the internet (and going "NOOOOOOOOOOO stop it. I just want to make a CALL.")

I will learn. I have actually even successfully taken 1 picture. But this is not a good time for me.

SO, for those of you who know me. If you call and I do not answer, or you get cut off. Relax. I still like/love (depending and you know which category you fall into) you. It's just the freaking phone.

Cie

Hello Again.

See, I really AM starting to come here regularly. Honest.

Let's see. Today was a much better day. In part because I spent most of it asleep. (OOPS). Seriously, I'm on a new prescription, and it's making me very tired. I'm HOPING I'll get used to it in a few days.

Sent off the bags to the Vampire Lestat Ball charity auction. The proceeds are going to Habitat for Humanity for New Orleans.

Inkspot the infamous has joined me yet again. He is fascinated with the keyboard. Lots of edges to rub against AND it makes clicky noises. OOOOOOOOOh.

Lucky the Wonder Dog is gnawing on a bone at my feet. Ink is the only one of the cats who'll come in and play with her when I'm here, but I have caught the others sneaking in when they think I don't know.

I need to get back to my writing, but I honestly haven't felt well enough for a while. I'm getting better, so I think I'm going to give it a try tonight and tomorrow.

I'm hopeful again on the moving front. A miracle would be nice that got me there tomorrow, but I don't see it in the cards. Soon, I hope. Soon. This is my mantra.

Work has been quiet this week. The boss and his wife went on vacation. The rest of us got down to business and kept busy on old stuff, the kind of stuff you don't get to with the interruptions of new work coming in. [PARAGRAPH EDITED OUT]

I probably shouldn't post that in public. So I won't.

Well, I need to get food, and get to my writing. Wish me luck.


Cie

Stuff

Okay, this is a bummer blog, so if you don't want to be bummed, you probably should skip it.

Oh hell. I don't particularly want to be bummed either.

I think I'll just shut up and go to bed.

Maybe tomorrow will be better.


Cie

Updates

Okay, this is another quickie.

I've been applying like crazy for day jobs in Denver and it looks like MAAAAAYBE things are starting to come together. WOO HOO!!

Got the birthday package sent to my mum. She was a Halloween baby. I am periodically a Thanksgiving baby. (Since the holiday floats a bit, I'm not ALWAYS on the holiday, but frequently enough for it to count in my book.) The man I was absolutely nuts about in high school (and beyond for quite a while -- but I blew it badly enough that it's painful to even think about it) was a Christmas baby. The problem with that was, he wound up with "combined" presents and not having his day be special. Ouch!

Got another package sent off to my son. In it was Dublin Dr. Pepper (the special kind made with real cane sugar rather than the corn syrup. You can really taste the difference! But they only ship it out of Texas if you order online. It's available locally here. So I send him some periodically.) and a bunch of DVDs. I buy used from the video rental store. Does this make me a cheapskate? Probably. But I've never been burned that way, and the savings is significant.

Yeah, I guess I AM a cheapskate. So be it. I guess I spent too many years being broke to not watch it. Things are better now, but I still have times when I've overextended myself -- like right after I had to make a big payment to the IRS (with another one due VERY shortly UGH).

BUT I do not begrudge the IRS their money. Yes, I think they are unfair to the self-employed, but I LIKE having public roads, and bridges, and clean water, and Social Security and Medicaid available to those who need it. So I'm willing to pay for them.

UGH. Inkspot the infamous is making his presence known on the keyboard again.

I'd better go, or I'll wind up grumpy.

Toodles.

Getting Things Done

Okay, I'm going to try to post again. Wish me luck. Inkspot the infamous (my black kitty with extra toes) has decided that it's fun to lay on the keyboard when mom's typing. Oy!

Yesterday was BUSY. I'm pooped. But we did good work.

First, megacudos to Joan who got me information quickly so that I could send promo materials to Mile Hi Con in Denver in time for them to make it to the goodie table. LOOK FOR IT! And go to the con. It's a blast. In fact, I'm hoping to sneak in as a civilian, if I can figure out a way to manage the trip, not miss too much work, and have the critters taken care of. We'll see. I want to go SOOOO badly. And I need to get up to Denver anyway for a couple of interviews and to look at a house I've been talking to a real estate agent about. Keep your toes crossed. (Fingers are for typing---assuming the cat lets me.) Besides, I want to meet up with Jim and Shannon Butcher and a bunch of friends who are going to the con. AND I want to see my son.

ANYWAY -- we got all of the stuff done for the bags for the Vampire Lestat Ball in New Orleans. They will be mailed tomorrow after I get Cathy's signature on the books in the bags.

AND we saw the new covers on the new books -- They look great! :)

AND we sent off said promo materials to Mile Hi Con from San Angelo (because they wouldn't arrive on time from the small town I live in . . . don't get me started.);

AND we had a signing at the Waldenbooks in the Sunset Mall in San Angelo. (If you ever want signed copies, call them and see if you can work out getting them by mail. Not that I'm trying to sell books or anything. No, not me. That would be someone else, maybe my evil twin? LOL).

AND I bought props for the photo shoot for the other website I'm building for the mystery, speculative fiction I'm writing under a different pen name.

MORE TOO, too much more for me to even coherently discuss. I was so exhausted after all of it that I slept 4 more hours than I usually do! OY

Today I finished putting together the bags for Lestat (You should go, it sounds like it'll be a blast -- and Susie is wonderful. I can't, because I'm in the throes of the move/non-move stuff. But still.) I organized my 2008 tax receipts, I am looking into MySace Advertising, and trying to deal with the website stuff (Caliban, Caliban, wherefore art thou Caliban -- our website designer, who I'm actually quite worried about).

I'm also going to go onto some of the old websites and forums I used to visit. I'd fallen off of the map because of: time constraints, illness, tech problems, and depression.

ANYWAY, wish me luck getting all of that done. Oh, and the laundry, AND the housework, AND, you know, WRITING. ARGH.

Gotta go.

Cie

STUFF/WRITING/MORE STUFF

Greetings and salutations:

Let's see.

May have a job in Denver. May have a house in Denver. Not the house of my dreams, but a fixer upper that I can afford as I transition into my new life. SO, good things coming soon to a writer near you.

I don't have a lot of time so I'll have to make this fast.

First -- We have the new name coming out and are introducing it to the world.
Second -- We're looking into advertising on MySpace. I'll let you know how that works out.
Third -- We're donating baskets to the Ann Rice Vampire Lestat Ball (Still can't go. UGH).
Fourth -- Sending stuff to Mile Hi Con in Denver next week. I may go as a civilian, depending on my schedule. I need to go up to Denver anyway to look at said house and interview for said job. We shall see.
Fifth - the re-issue of the first four books with the SERIOUSLY COOL new covers is out. My nephew says that they were in the Kroger where he works, which means that THEY ARE IN THE SECONDARY MARKETS -- WOOT!
Sixth -- Contract negotiations are proceeding apace. Will keep you advised, but I'm excited.
Seventh -- First book of new series is going well. I'm very excited. The heroine thought she was full human, but when she got attacked by a vampire she wound up with her siren heritage coming to the fore. Now she has to deal with the results of the attack, the people who set her up, and. . . oh yeah, learn how to deal with her new powers. LOTSA fun. Particularly since she is SOOOO sarcastic in my head. I LIKE sarcastic people.

Crap, gotta run. Time's up. And I actually had more to say. UGH!

Cie

NEWS

Hi!

Well, I'm actually back within a week. Don't all keel over from the shock now.

Anyway, the asthma is still a pain, but I'm getting better . . . SLOWLY.

I'm still in Texas, but I think it's going to work out . . . SLOWLY.

Our website guru has had his life implode and has vanished. I am concerned about him personally, and frustrated professionally. But there you go.

Cathy is busy on the edits to the next Tony book. WOOT. I got the paranormal romance short story out for the Mammoth Book anthology (European). I like it. It came in a little bit under word count, but I was actually fairly happy with it. Funny, I had intended just to re-do a short story that I'd done up years ago, but I couldn't find it on the computer. So I thought, "well, I'll just do a quick re-write." Hah! Wound up with a completely different story altogether. But there you go. If I ever DO find the original version, I can re-use it with different names.

I'm in the process of writing a "nice little murder" mystery for my mom. I promised. And I'm trying to deliver. We'll see if I can get it published. I actually got my tax information off to my accountant (GASP/SHUDDER) ON TIME. This is a big thing folks. A BIG thing. Not only did I get that done, I ACTUALLY ORGANIZED ALL OF THE INFORMATION AND RECEIPTS FOR THIS YEAR TO DATE. In file folders. Named. Ordered alphabetically and everything.

I had disconnected the internet thinking I was moving. Since I haven't actually moved, I'm reconnecting it next week. I need it for job hunting, research and the like. It will also allow me to do little things like, oh, I dunno, BLOG, on a more regular basis.

We haven't heard back from the editor on the proposals. We are out of contract at this point. I'm hopeful, but would like to know what to be working on soon. I don't want to end up in a huge time crunch. At any rate, good things are happening. Maybe we'll hear next week.

Gotta run.

Later.

Cie

THEY'RE OUT

WOOT WHOO HOO!!!

The re-issue of the first four Sazi books with the new covers are out. They look GREAT! YOWZA. Cathy picked me up a set yesterday. I didn't get to see them myself because I'm still trying to rest and get well. Stupid bronchitis.

UGH.

Oh, and the Cubs folded. Again. Ah well, there's always next year.

Cie

Still Down for the Count

Ugh. Still fighting the bronchitis. Mostly gone thanks to heavy duty prescriptions, but the asthma aftermath KEEPS hanging on, as does the exhaustion. So, while I have a list of things to do that is several miles long, I am, in fact, resting. Yes, ME resting. I'm a little surprised myself. But I know that if I don't take care of this and RIGHT NOW, I will be fighting it for weeks upon weeks.

So, a couple of lines in the blog. A quick check of e-mails, then down again for the count.

Oh, and if you hear of any spectacularly good jobs with benefits in Denver, let me know. :)

LEVY TOUR/MEIJER STORES

WOOO HOOO!!!

The tour was a tremendous success. I met the most amazing people! So much fun---and such hard work! I am so incredibly impressed by the efficiency the Levy staff showed in "herding cats", i.e., keeping 27(!!!) authors on time and on task. WHEW!

The staff at all of the Meijer stores were wonderful. The set up was great, and the staff made sure that we had drinks (and in some cases snacks and home made cookies) available.

It was a whirlwhind tour over very few days with a lot of stops, but somehow or another they managed to pack in enough amazing food to pack back on some of the poundage I'd managed to shed pre-tour. But WHAT A WAY TO GO!

I'll try to write a longer post later, but I can't now. I'm still recovering because on the last day I caught the crud, which, as usual, dropped immediately into bronchitis. UGH! Still, I got the short story off to the editor and am now caught up on my deadlines (for about ten minutes). I'd celebrate, but most of what I'd celebrate with would either be fattening, or won't mix with the meds the doctor has me on. Ah well! Raise a glass in toast to good friends, good food, and a well-run, successful enterprise.

Utter Exhaustion

Just finished the Levy tour in Detroit. Detroit readers ROCK!

Oy, I am totally exhausted, and can't sleep. Just sent out a mass e-mail to the participants. I have to say, it was a seriously cool group of people, and props to the organizers for being such incredibly adept cat herders.

I'm on deadline for a short story, so I have to get to it. Besides, I'm on a laptop that seems to be possessed. (Bad news. You should see Cathy's short story on a similar vein.) ANYWAY, I'll be back, and sooner rather than later. I've made a vow to be better about my web social skills.

Cie

BIG DOINGS

Hi Guys!

I don't know if anyone still comes here. It would serve me right if you didn't. But there you go. I've had a lot going on.

First, good news. The website is SOOOOOOO close to done and I love it. We're hoping to get it posted before we go on the tour.

We have a new pen name -- we're thinking it's for the paranormal romances. Apparently it was an issue with the stores having two names (where do we shelve it?), SO, allow me to introduce ---(INSERT DRUM ROLL)-

CAT ADAMS

Next -- The tour is happening. We are going. Friday, Septem ber 19 we will be in Kalamazoo Michigan from 10:30-11:30; Grand Rapids from 3:00-4:00, and 5:00-6:30 (different Meijer stores); Saturday September 20 we will be in Lansing from 10:30-12:00; Ann Arbor from 3:00-4:30; and Canton from 5:15-6:45; Sunday, September 21 we will be in Rochester Hills from 10:00-11:30, Royal Oak from 12:15-1:45, and Monroe from 3:30-5:00. WHEW!!

Next au deux -- We will be having a re-issue of the first four books with new covers (seriously cool) and a special price coming up soon (I THINK October, but don't hold me to it.)

We have the ARCs of Magic's Design (the stand-alone novel), and they are gorgeous.

Cathy has turned in the draft of the upcoming Tony Giodone book.

We are working on the edits and proposal of the first book in the new series we are proposing. It's urban fantasy. I love it. Let's hope the publisher agrees! It should be going in later this week.

I have a deadline for a short story paranormal romance that I'm cranking on. I've actually got two of them. When they're finished I'll let the editor choose which she wants. Need to get it done before the tour so I'm pumping on it.

There's more, including my continuing attempts to make it to Denver. But that is a saga and best left to another post.

Toodles.

Cie

Trying to Be Patient

Okay, patience isn't my thing. At all. Not even a little. BUT apparently it's time for me to learn some. Because I'm STILL in Texas, even though I've been trying (rather desperately) to relocate to Denver. VERY frustrating.

The website is still with the designers and is running WAY behind. Again, patience needed. Unfortunately the tour is coming up VERY rapidly and we want the site up and running without glitches AND my tickets are out of DIA. ARGH!!!!

Touch of Darkness has been out a while and it didn't make as much of a splash as I would've liked. I'm very proud of the book. The second and third books in this trilogy are so much stronger than the first one. The first one started out as a novella, and I've never been completely happy with the way it expanded. Don't get me wrong, I think it's still a good book, but it doesn't hang together as well as the other two. But it sold the best. UGH. Go figure. ANYWAY, I'm proud of all of them, but I definitely like Touch of Madness and Touch of Darkness best.

We're running up against the deadline on the latest Tony Giodone book. It's very good. (Yes, I'm actually going to toot our own horn, so there). Also, we're getting ready to launch a new "joint" name for the books Cathy and I write together. It's one of the things we want to publicize hard on the website.

The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance is doing well. We have a short story in it. I'm in the middle of writing the short story for the Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance. Deadline is coming up rapidly. I'm actually BEHIND (ARGH!) on the proposal for the new Celia Graves series. The first draft of the first book is actually drafted, but I'm polishing pages to go with the proposal, and I HATE writing proposals. I'm much, much better at writing the actual friggin' book. UGH!! I HAVE to get this done and gone before I get the call and scurry out of Texas. Which means NOW.

Health hasn't been great. I don't want to talk too much about it. No single thing that is terrible, but there are a lot of little things that are adding up. Also, the stress isn't helping. I need to be more Zen. . . Yeah, RIGHT!

And then, of course, there are the individual projects, that all went on the back burner but are still knocking around in my head.

Wish me luck getting this all done. I'm getting exhausted just looking at it, and that doesn't even include "real" life like working the day job, packing, taking care of the animals. . . Have I mentioned I'm tired.

ANYWAY, I've got to scoot. I'm sorry I'm not here more. I will try to do better. I just can't make any promises.


Cie