I'm BAAAAAAAAAAAACK

Okay, I think maybe that made me sound like a sheep. OOOPS.

ANYWAY, I am back from visiting the familia in Illinois. It was an excellent trip. I enjoyed seeing everybody. The train ride was very relaxing. I got the editing done, and life was lovely. Unfortunately, as is usually the case when I am around groups of strangers or travelling, I caught a bit of a crud. Not a terrible "OhmiGod I'm DYING" crud, but a crud nonetheless. Still, I'm doing much better today and have hope that tomorrow I'll actually feel like a human being again.

We have turned in the next Sazi book -- Moon's Fury. Cathy was primary on it. It is set in Texas and it ROCKS! Excellent excellent. YAHOO!!!! I am now working on the as yet untitled Sazi book regarding Aspen Monier. It is cruising along nicely. This makes me VERY happy because Cat (Howling Moon) SOOOOOO didn't. That book had been the first one in the world, and it got written and re-written so many times while we were learning our craft, and the world changed so much while it approached print that it was HELL to work through. I think it turned out to be a very good book, but it WASN'T easy! Weirdly though, Touch of Madness (the Kate Reilly sequel to Touch of Evil) WAS. I mean it was like a wild horse that knew exactly where it wanted to go. I just had to hang on and let my fingers let the words out. I will never ever understand why some books just come easy and some just don't.

We've been asked to do a couple of interviews. One of them wants to interview the character of Kate Reilly. I'm really looking forward to that one. :) I've also got the pattern now to do my costume for The Vampire Lestat Ball. I have to get to work on it soon. I want it to look GOOD not cheesy. Or both. Whatever.

Gotta run. Writing to do and life to live. Later kids.

Cie

Headed Out

OK, I'm headed out to visit my folks in Illinois Monday. I'm excited because I haven't seen them in a while and miss them. James is going to take care of the animals for me. (Thank you darlin!) I'm taking the train because it stops right in my hometown, not far from my folks house. That means no renting a car and driving either down from Chicago or up from St. Louis.

Of course this also means I've got a @*#$ load to do before I can go, and I'm so drained from the heat I don't wanna. Ah well. Definitely worth it. Cathy finished the draft of the book she was working on, so I'll edit that on the trip.

I've been really stressed out. One way I can tell, my memory is going. UGH. Of course part of that is that I haven't been able to fill the new Rx. When the thyroid's low I have trouble with memory and concentration. That's always frustrating. Oh well, I'll just have to write notes for a while. (The pharmacist couldn't read the Rx, the doctor was out of the office, and I'll be out of town before they can talk on the phone.)

Anyway, if I'm not around for a while, at least pretend to miss me. :)

Oh, and I'm still debating whether or not to joint RWA. I LOVE LOVE LOVE RWA Online, but the main RWA National.... well, there's all this political stuff that keeps raging that I just am not dispositionally suited to dealing with. The group seems almost split in half between conservatives and liberals. Which means pitched battles over things like romantica/erotica (is it or is it not romance) and defining romance as one man falling in love with one woman and having a happily ever after ending. (As opposed to gays, lesbians, and/or groups.)

Totally off subject -- I didn't always watch Frasier on television, but I saw one that just cracked me up. Niles, the up-tight brother, was explaining that he NEEDED for them to go out for their usual drink because of a misprint on his ad. Instead of printing "Jung" Psychiatrist they put "Hung." Wouldn't have been so bad except for the rest of the ad: Hung Psychiatrist -- Individuals, Couples, Groups. Frasier said, "Surely the people who called knew..., I mean..." The response was. "You have no idea." I laughed so hard!

OK, off to clean house, pack, and finish all the critical stuff! TOODLES! Be good while I'm gone.

Cie

sigh...

Folks, this is going to be an odd post. I've divided it into sections so that it will sort of make sense, but I'm exhausted, my mind is wandering... oh, and I have the hiccups.

******************

OK, I'm not perfect. I'm not even close to perfect. But some days, weeks, well, I'm less perfect than others. It's been a tough week.

First, I believe in spaying and neutering pets. I especially believe in it after living in a small town where a lot of people don't and there are an incredible number of unwanted "strays" that have miserable and short lives. I won't get on my soapbox about this for long, but it breaks my heart. The animals didn't ask to be born, and they don't deserve mistreatment.

BUT it was probably not the smartest/best plan of action to neuter the cat and spay the puppy the same week. Both surgeries went well, but the recuperation keeping them both inside resting but away from each other has been... tricky. Doing this when I'm getting ready for a visit to my folks AND I've got edits due AND am in the middle of a new book is worse than tricky.

*************

I hate feeling frustrated. It's stupid, of course, because frustration is a part of life. It is PARTICULARLY a part of life for anyone who has children and/or pets, or interacts with other human beings, or... well... it's just inevitable OK. But I'm trying to recover today from a bout of serious frustration.

First, I can't seem to get anything DONE and then have it STAY done. Housework for example, and laundry, dishes. You do all that stuff, and it is undone within minutes. The dishes are washed, dried, even put away, and then you hear someone in the kitchen cooking and see a dirty glass sitting around, and off you go again. You change the litterbox and the cats REJOICE by going in and taking a fresh dump. You're wearing clothes when you do laundry, so there's more laundry. You get the picture.

Yesterday's frustration came early and lasted all day. It was like 95 degrees already at 7:00 a.m. I was taking Lucky to the vet to be spayed. I get her outside, am trying to get her to go into the truck (which she usually LOVES and wants to climb in when she ISN'T supposed to) and she balks. She not only balks, she bolts, slips out of her collar, and starts sprinting down one of the busiest streets in town (which while not up to Denver standards by any stretch, was busy enough during the morning commute to nearly give me a heart attack.) She's a cattle dog breed. They are FAST, can turn on a dime, and well, let's just say I'm not as young and limber as I used to be. I finally caught her parading herself in front of a fence with three unaltered males going nuts behind it. Get the collar on her and tighten it. (Wishing now I had the choke collar, but hadn't thought I needed it because she's normally so good about this shit, and now I don't have time to go get it). Get her back and it happens again! (This time she found an unaltered male dachshund (sp?)whose owner came out to find out what was causing the commotion and wound up laughing fairly hysterically about it. By the time I finally got her loaded into the truck and to the vet I was a wreck, which wouldn't have been so bad, except I was going straight from the vet to my doctor out of town and was now arriving dripping sweat, dischievelled, and smelling very strongly of dog.

Got there late (of course). When they tried to draw blood they couldn't get my body to cooperate. NOPE. All blood was supposed to stay inside, thank you very much! Took them five sticks before they finally got a vein by using my wrist. They were frustrated and embarrassed, and I was running late to my lunch appointment. Tried to call my editor, Anna Genoese on business, but missed her completely. Tried to get my prescription, but the pharmacy couldn't read the writing and the doctor's office was closed, so they're having to call this morning instead. Went to the bank, and for some reason they're getting back my mail. The post office says I don't live here anymore. This confused the heck out of the bank because, well, they're the ones with my home loan.

All day I operated at a dead run, and everything I touched went reverse-Midas on me. I am SOOOOOO glad to start over this morning.

**************************

I am a Catholic Christian. (There are people who say Catholics aren't Christians, which doesn't make a bit of sense to me. Our religion is based around Christ being the savior, so what's up with saying we're not Christian. Makes no sense to me at all.) ANYWAY, I am. I believe in it. I'm not ashamed of it. I try to live my life according to my beliefs. Some days I do better than others, but I try.

BUT I HAVE A BONE TO PICK. What is with all of these "threatening" e-mails. I will get a wonderful, inspirational (in the literal sense) e-mail that will have me smiling, and then we get to the end: THE THREAT. If you don't forward this to everybody and their dog instantly you WILL GO TO HELL, you are ASHAMED OF GOD who will, in turn BE ASHAMED OF YOU (revert back to the YOU WILL GO TO HELL). This paragraph instantly erases every bit of good accomplished in all the other paragraphs. I see red. I snarl. Even if I would've sent it on (because I really think the inspirational part is cool) to people who would appreciate it I stop. The only way I will pass it on now is if I take the time to cut and paste the first part without the last part. NOT BECAUSE I'M ASHAMED but because I don't want to be an emotional bully and ram my attitudes down someone else's throat.

If you present the information to someone, and it is good information, you don't need to hold a gun to their head (figuratively or literally) to get them to believe it. In fact, if you do they're going to be a little distracted (well, more than a LITTLE) and disgruntled (to put it mildly) and miss the point of the information completely and just cut to resentment of the bullying. In my opinion this kind of crap is counterproductive to actually being a positive influence on people, which is the point, I think, of evangelism. (I'm not sure, since I'm not terribly evangelistic.)

BUT there is this vague sense of guilt, like, maybe I'm making excuses. Maybe I should be thinking the way these other people are. What's wrong with me? This is partially a result of a good Catholic upbringing. Guilt is a part of my life. But it is also more pronounced because I've moved into the "bible belt" and I SOOOOOOOO don't fit in. So, to address this issue right now and forever. I'm NOT ASHAMED OF GOD, but I don't forward e-mails with the bullying paragraphs.

AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

OK, for those of you not in the US and/or not paying attention, we've been suffering a heat wave. We're talking the kind of major heat wave that has actually killed people. NOT GOOD STUFF!!! Well, in the middle of this, my trusty air conditioner for the office gave out. Day after day over 100 and no a/c when working on a machine that gives off heat. Needless to say, baby that I am, I haven't been writing much. I had to wait (because of various things that I won't go into in this blog but were circumstances beyond my control) to get a new A/C. Alas, I now have one. James and I installed it this morning. There is much rejoicing at Casa Adams by both human and furry.

Now understand, I have never been a fan of A/C for the most part. I have to be really careful about the filters or my allergies act up. But ever since the spider bite my internal temperature mechanism has been out of whack (I'm going to go to the doctor about it) and I'm not only hot I'm POURING sweat. UGH. At any rate, I'm grateful, REALLY GRATEFUL for the A/C.

Now I can write without worrying about the machine overheating or my passing out from the heat. YIPPEEE. (Or, in the immortal words of Tim Taylor "And the peasants rejoiced!")

*****************

Totally different subject. Online stuff. I LOVE cruising the internet. I've made some awesome friends electronically (Including, but not limited to, our very own Jim and Yo from the blog) But I've discovered something. It's a time killer. It devours HOURS of time that I'm supposed to be writing. So when I'm trying to make deadline I've been cutting myself off. BUT IT SUCKS!! Because by the time I get back to everybody too much has happened that I've missed, AND I've mightily pissed people off who think I'm only coming to sites when we have a book out to "advertise." Sadly, when a book is first released is currently almost the only time we're NOT in a major deadline crunch -- if then.

Also, some of my favorite sites have gotten too big for my comfort. I like small to mid-sized sites where you can get to know people. When it's too big and there are too many topics, I don't even know where to start, so I just "freeze" and only go to the spots where it directly relates to me. SIGH. I definitely have to work on that.

ANYWAY, dog is raising hell. I'd better go see what's up.

Later.

Cie

WHOOO HOOOO!!!!!!

Captive Moon is not only out, but it made the USA Today Bestseller's List at 128!!!!!

That's one book from each series. NOW WE'RE COOKIN'!

YAHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Odd Meandering/Happy Birthday

MTV turned 25, but they aren't going to celebrate because they don't want to draw attention to the fact that they are older than their audience. So VH1 did a salute instead. That says something sad about our youth-obsessed culture doesn't it?

I liked MTV when it was Music Television and they had REAL videos of BANDS. (What a concept.) BUT they discovered there was more money to be had in being cultural icons and did things like launch reality television (from which I will NEVER recover), etc. I really missed videos until my son steered me to Yahoo Music and their video section. They have some classics, and a lot of new music videos that I can watch on my screen. You can rate them if you want them to know that much about you, and they'll play the high rated ones more and screen new ones for you. Now, I'm paranoid, and I don't like people knowing too much about me, BUT I'm willing to risk it on the video front. Because I really don't want to watch Paris Hilton's video, I rated it NEVER EVER EVER AGAIN and I will not have to see it EVER EVER AGAIN. Little things like that please me more than they should. :)

ANYWAY, since my discovery of online music videos I have come across some really visually cool stuff, and just some seriously fun songs. Now, remember from previous posts, I also like BAD songs (the worse the better), we're talking "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" of music, so watch at your own risk:

OK -- Here are FUN ones.

1985 -- This is SOOOOOO me. I actually remember every video it parodies.

"Here it Goes Again" by OK Go -- I LOVE the choreography and wonder how many times they had to practice this before they stopped hurting themselves and got it right.

"Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley -- What these people can do with Rorsach blots!

"Beverly Hills" and "Hash Pipe" by Weezer. (Look at the Sumo Wrestlers walking the walk in Hash Pipe and think of me with the black widow bite)

"Secret Agent Man" by David (hey he's big in Germany) Hasselhoff -- see if you can
name all of the spy movies and television shows this spoofs.

"Jump in my car" (Hasselhoff again) -- The highlight of this is that it spoofs KITT his car in Knightrider.


NOW for AMAZING ONES -- well, there are LOTS of these, too many to list really, and I'm in more of a fun/Dropkick Murphys kind of mood, but I'll give you 1.

"Bring Me Some Water" by Melissa Etheridge.


ANYWAY, I'm becoming an "old fart" but I refuse to grow up. "I want my MTV" I'll just have to get it from somebody else, online.

Captive Moon is Out!!!

Good News! Captive Moon is out! We have another book on the shelves! This is the first of the Sazi books done in third person. It features Antoine Monier. There are wonderful things about this book, but I'm nervous. Why? Because it's third person. I LIKE first person books. It's so EASY to get into the character's head and understand their perspective. Third person is just not "natural" for me. I can do it, but while I can get a first person book out right away, third person HURTS. It's like pulling teeth. But there are people who won't read first person. Cathy does not have this problem. But I am not Cathy. SOOOOOOO not.

I haven't been writing much. This is not a good thing. But it is a third person book and, as I said, pulling teeth. UGH. It will be all right. I know it will. But UGH.

For entertainment James and I have been watching The West Wing (seasons 1-4 on DVD) and 6 Feet Under (Season 1 on VHS). Extremely good shows! I am definitely going to want the rest. Both are very smart and very clever with people who screw up occasionally, but try hard. Six Feet Under is amazing at capturing the awkwardness of not being "normal." It sometimes HURTS it's so on target. I'm hoping that I can capture just a little of that same feel for the heroine I'm working on now. I want people to relate to Aspen, not write her off as a nutjob. I LIKE her.

Was reading the LKH blog the other day. (I do this). Two of the entries hit home. Then again, a lot of them do. (1) Was about people's expectations of her behavior based on her books, (They expect her to be Morticia Addams in her everyday life and are disappointed that she's too normal.); and (2) It freaks her sometimes that her characters are so real to her that it sometimes spills into real life.

Well, I was going to rant, but I don't have the energy to do that and get the pages out. So pages first. If I feel better after (usually I do) I'll come back and finish. Otherwise, see you tomorrow.

All the best.

Cie

Live and Learn

Tried a new dog food as a treat for Lucky. Live and learn. We will NOT be using that one again. It's taken me quite a while to clean up the mess. NOT the way I want to start a brand new day. Sigh! I'm sure it was worse for her!

Okay, on a totally different subject, I just read that groups doing work on a project do best if there is a really smart person in the room and everybody has reasonably equal social skills, and that these "committees" work better than if people work on the project individually (even part of the time).

I understand that. BUT, maybe I'm in the minority, but I have seldom (if ever) done well in working in groups because (a) We're all supposed to have social skills (yeah right); (b) We're all supposed to be motivated to get the result (it happens, not often, but it happens); and (c) Willing to work, work together, share credit and have time at the same time. This has never, in my wildest dreams, been possible for me. Then again, I have never claimed to have wonderful group problem-solving skills. I'm an individual kind of gal.

Now you say "But wait, Cie, you work with a co-author. What is that but small group work?" Not the way we do it. We talk it out, sure. Then we write individually. Then we edit each other, pass it back, argue some more. (Sorry, did I say argue? I meant DISCUSS [LOL]) When we have a final product we send it in.

I hated group work in school. I detested group projects in the workplace. It never failed that one or two people wound up doing the bulk of the work. If it went well the credit was shared through the group. If it went badly, the blame went on the one or two people willing to even try because they "took it over and wouldn't accept input." Nope. NOPE NOPE NOPE. Not for me. My teachers will no doubt scold me (but vouch for my veracity) for not ever having learned how to do this and my poor attitude. (Not, may I say, for the first time.)

Ah well. My position is, that some people can do group work. They are extroverts. They are socially skilled (at least moderately). Some people are not meant for group work. That doesn't mean they're not bright, nice, hardworking people. I don't think you should force people into things they're REALLY not built for. We are, after all, individuals living IN a group. Then again, I'm not a corporate type.

I'm Grateful

Hi Guys! I did a list of 50 things I'm grateful for. My son saw it and said I should post it on the blog. Now some of this is personal, but what the heck, I don't appear to have attracted any stalking types to my life at this point. So here goes.

1) My parents. They’re great!
2) My son. I love him. I’m proud of him.
3) The mass. You forgave (and keep forgiving) me. This is huge. REALLY HUGE.
4) Every pet I’ve ever had, even the ones I screwed up with. They’ve made a huge positive impact on my life. If I named them individually and what they’ve done for me I’d be here for the next couple of years. Thank you so much for giving me my pets.
5) My homes. I’ve had several now. It’s a big deal owning a home. I hope that I can get to the point where I pay for it and own it outright. I know, ephemeral stuff. But here on earth, it’s a big deal.
6) Diane and Jeff, Tim and Sharon, Sarah, John, Jodi and all the rest.
7) Camilla and Bill. They’ve been like a second set of parents. I’m amazed at how supportive they are.
8) The rest of the relatives. They all have their quirks, but they are amazing people.
9) The teachers I’ve had. Some of them were jerks. But I learned things that have helped me with my life. Amazing stuff.
10) The taste of chocolate
11) Pepsi
12) The stars at night, the sun and the moon.
13) The beauty and order of the world and the universe.
14) Sex.
15) Men in general.
16) My health. Oh, it isn’t perfect, but I still get to do almost everything I love. That’s great shit. (But if you could help me to be active and get fit (and my weight down) I sure would appreciate it!)
17) My possessions.
18) My talents, particularly writing.
19) Empathy and understanding for and of others.
20) The ability to imagine.
21) The ability to forgive and actually forget.
22) Steak, hamburger, the fact that this world can grow food.
23) Books.
24) Friendship. I have and have had the best friends anybody could hope for. Amazing people. It is SO COOL.
25) Laughter.
26) Movies, television shows and the kind of entertainment that makes you happy, but gives you real insights into life.
27) Indoor plumbing.
28) The fact that I live in a free country and can choose my own path as far as religion, politics, and pretty much everything.
29) Music, politics and pretty much everything.
30) Individual snowflakes
31) Claw footed tubs.
32) The rosary.
33) Beauty.
34) The smell of baking bread.
35) The food you give me and mine.
36) That there are people out there who actually TRY to help others and understand me.
37) Habitat for Humanity
38) That I didn’t die from the spider bite or any of those bouts of pneumonia or anything.
39) Other people’s babies.
40) The computer.
41) Prayer.
42) Antibiotics, immunization and modern medicine in general.
43) Breath mints and dental care stuff.
44) Cat whiskers and purrs.
45) The wagging tail of a dog, (particularly mine) and getting licked because they love you.
46) Bird song.
47) Music in general.
48) MILK with or without brownies and chocolate chip cookies.
49) Editors (particularly ours.)
50) All of the wonderful folks (and the not-so-wonderful but heck, I got to know them and work with them and none of us are perfect) who I’ve gotten to work with over the years. I’ve learned all kinds of lessons in tolerance and kindness from them. Sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad way, but hey… it works.

Sorry it's been a while.

Hi Guys! Sorry it's been a while, but I've been in the kind of mood that is best not shared. I've pulled back from pretty much everything and everybody. You REALLY didn't want to hear anything I had to say. Let it suffice to say that I ran head first into corporate America and came away bloodied and crazed. I will be dealing with the aftershocks for months most likely.

On a different and (bound to be) happier note, I am writing. I have set aside the mysteries for a bit. (Sorry Mom) and am working on the Sazi story we are contracted for. This one is going to be about Aspen Monier (the seer afflicted with both foresight and hindsight) and a former Wolven Agent who everyone believed was dead (he staged his death with the help of Lucas because of serious burnout). It is coming along nicely. I had run into a snag (usually happens at the beginning of the book) in the plot, but I think I've found my solution. See, I had my characters down cold, I had the romance figured out, I had the points I wanted to make emotionally (what's driving the characters). But the plot wasn't working. Now I've added a couple of characters and it's actually making sense. YAHOOO! I love it when it starts coming together. The writing goes so much faster. Instead of getting maybe a thousand words out, you get these huge heaping chunks of writing done and it WORKS. I love that.

ANYWAY, I have to go, writing to do, things to accomplish. Hope you haven't all stopped coming by, but I wouldn't blame you if you did.

Have a great day!

Cie

Patience is a Virtue

Patience is a virtue. I know this. I am not, however, particularly virtuous, at least as far as that goes. The dog is barking her head off at the construction workers next door. It is driving me wooka wooka. I have a bunch of checks due to me that are "in process" but haven't arrived yet. In short. I am being taught patience by force. And like all lessons learned by force, it is being learned with more than the fair share of resentment.

Worrisome

I wonder sometimes if other writers worry about some of the same things I do. For example, having seen other authors get raked over the coals over things their characters have said and done, I worry. Or will, because my characters, for the most part, have really dysfunctional families, people think that mine was/is? I had a great family growing up. Blue collar/middle class, happy, with lots of love and laughter. Oh, there were arguments, problems and misunderstandings, but everybody worked hard and -- for the most part -- we got along really well.

But happy families are boring to read. They just are. No conflict=DULL reading. So I take the sibling rivalry and amp it up through the roof, or make the parent controlling as hell, or emotionally distant and cold and imagine what life would be like growing up that way. I've explained that to my sister, my brother, my son and my mother (I don't generally talk much about writing fiction with my Dad). But that doesn't mean they aren't going to cringe if people start thinking that they're like these fictional characters I've made up. I mean... EWWWWWW.

Another problem, prejudices. Everybody has some, whether they know it or not. So, how do you make sure you're not unintentionally offensive? I mean, you can have characters who are offensive -- racist, sexist, or whatever -- people like that exist in real life, and if your world is going to be believable, there should be some in it too. But I'm talking the actual meat of the book. How do you make sure that you haven't been insensitive when you don't even KNOW you are because the prejudice is so ingrained? For example (and it is JUST an example), I've been told, a little bit to my dismay, that some people have a hard time relating to some of my heroines because they're TOO strong and kick ass. They don't show enough vulnerability to suit a lot of readers. I'm advised that a lot of readers really still do want the hero to do the rescuing and be just a little bit stronger than the heroine. Now this hasn't been conscious on my part -- but I AM a single mother. I HAVE dealt with most of the issues in my life without having to consult somebody else. So I just don't "see" that I've short-changed the males in my books. Now that I know, I have to look for it. I also have to make sure that, while I keep my men strong and believable, I don't eviscerate my females and make them wimpy whiny types either. OY! This is harder than it looks folks!

I want my characters to be well rounded. I want them to be believable enough that people feel like they KNOW them -- that maybe they live right down the street. But I don't want people to think that *I* know them because they're friends, or relatives, or whatever. In a weird way, I suppose it's a compliment that people find what you've imagined so believable that they can't believe you just imagined it. But hey folks I can REALLY imagine some weird shit.

Anyway, I gotta go. The mystery awaits.

Life, the Universe, and Everything

Hi Guys!

I've been depressed. Really, seriously depressed. Don't worry. It's mostly due to having worn myself out. That and having a REALLY frustrating time with beating my head against the brick walls built by corporate America. No, I don't think I'll talk about that. It would just make me cranky when I'm finally starting to cheer up.

Why, you ask? Because I'm finally catching my rhythm on the mystery. It's a very different "flavor" from what I usually write. But writing it, and writing in general, is a true joy for me. It makes me happier than just about anything. So, even if this book doesn't wind up being "right" for the publishing world, it will be right for me.

I've been reading a bit. Read a new book that was compelling, but odd. I couldn't put it down, but I swear that as much as I liked all the politics and the magic (not so fond of the sex stuff, but hey, whatever), I really didn't see that there was all that much plot. I'm a big fan of plot. I love for a book I read to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. But I liked it anyway. Go figure.

Well, my train of thought derailed. I think I need to get back to the book anyway. Thanks everybody for stopping by.

I stand corrected...

The correct term is apparently "HIMbo." Also, a spelling note. Apparently if you have a second g in giggolo (as opposed to gigolo) you have a HIMbo with the giggles. Good to know. I'd want my HIMbo to be cheerful.

Guten Morgen Fraus, Frauleins and Hommes

Okay, maybe I got that wrong, but you get the idea.


What do you want? If you could have pretty much anything you wanted, what would you want? Money? Fame? The world's greatest courtesan (or giggolo) in your bed? Now I'm talking personal here. Peace on Earth and Goodwill Toward Men is a really great idea, and totally selfless. I admire you for bringing it up. BUT we're talking personal gratification. So leave the squishies for next time and go for the GUSTO.

I want --

To lead a mostly quiet life with plenty of money to get me out of debt and pay for everything I need and most of what I want.

I want my son, my friends and family to be healthy, happy and prosperous. (What, you say that isn't selfish? You are SOOOOOO wrong. I mean, how can I enjoy my prosperity if everybody else is resenting the hell out of it. Nope. Totally selfish. I want them content and happy so they leave me be. RIGHT. You believe that. Of COURSE you do.)

If I have any enemies (and I hope I won't but, let's get real. It's me.) I wish them all the happiness in the world -- somewhere ELSE. It can even be somewhere NICE. Not selfish? WRONG AGAIN! If they are utterly happy they'll be too preoccupied with their pina coladas and bikini clad bimbos (or thong clad bimbas, this is an equal opportunity blog) to harrass me.

To be a financially successful, multi-published, award winning, best-selling author of book-length fiction.

Oh, and just occasionally, I wouldn't mind a thong clad bimba to provide distraction -- in the name of research for those obligatory steamy scenes. (RESEARCH. I SAID IT'S FOR RESEARCH. GEEZ, you guys are SOOOOOO cynical.)


Your turn. What do you want?

I Don't Get It

Hi!

I just was reading another blog and found out that yet another of my writing acquaintances is having to deal with "trolls" attacking her and her work.

I don't get it.

I simply do not understand why people feel that they have a right to attack someone simply because their art/product isn't exactly to the viewer's taste. Okay, facts are facts. I am not a big Picasso fan. I get that other people are. I mean, they're willing to pay millions of dollars for his work. More power to them. I have yet to see a piece of his work that I'd want in my living room. Go figure. I also find a lot of the formal literary fiction... dull. And I'm not positive, but I think I might prefer a case of hives over having to read anything by Nathaniel Hawthorne ever again. That doesn't mean it's not brilliant. It is simply not to my taste.

I think part of the problem is that so many people believe REALLY believe that if you can read, you can write. To some degree that's true. Anyone who is literate can, and probably does write to make themselves understood. (Went to the store to buy milk. Call me on the cell if you think of anything we need.) But that is not the same thing at all as creating a believable world and peopling it with memorable characters. That, my friends, is hard work and *difficult* work. So even if I disagree with a direction an author is taking a series, I respect the amount of effort they put into it. I may choose not to buy or read the book, but I hope I would never attack the author, or confuse the beliefs and actions of the characters with those of the author.

We have (to my knowledge) only gotten one extremely unhappy letter. (Although we've gotten some really nasty comments in Amazon reviews. Some people hated the world of the Thrall. Some people loved it. But there weren't many people in the middle. That's OK. If they don't like it, they shouldn't read that particular series. I don't like beets. So I don't eat them. Easy. Nothing personal against beet growers.

Best wishes.

Cie

Hi Guys!

Hi Guys!

[WARNING--PERSONAL POLITICAL OPINIONS THAT BELONG TO CIE AND DO NOT REFLECT THE OPINIONS OF ANYONE ELSE, INCLUDING CATHY.]

Hope everybody had a happy 4th of July. Happy Independence Day for all the citizens of the good ol' USA. I hate that we're in the middle of a war. Then again, I have never truly understood politics. I think the reason I have such a hard time with it and get so frustrated is that frequently there are no clear-cut "right" answers. I absolutely support our servicemen (and women). I am horrified by the things I'm hearing are being done to our troops -- but I am also appalled at some of the things I'm hearing are being done by people representing my country right now. In my opinion, if you lose track of those standards of behavior and freedoms that set you apart, you become the enemy and have already LOST more than the battle. I am horrified by what our troops are facing. But I am also horrified by the thought that my own government may have authorized torture, and unjust imprisonment in Guantanimo. The point is that this government was set up on the principles of freedom: Freedom of religion, free speech, the right to bear arms, no taxation without representation. It is what makes us who we are. If we sell off the Bill of Rights in the name of safety, we are selling off the very soul of our country. War is hell, and we are at war. It frightens and saddens me.

OK -- time to move on. If you don't have answers, you don't get to bitch. I don't have the answers when it comes to politics. I'm not sure there even ARE answers. So I pray for our service people and I pray for peace.

The leg is better. The asthma is getting better. (It kicked in with the reaction to the spider bite). The writing is going slowly. No real surprise there. First, this is a different genre. My mysteries to this point have always been short stories. Secondly, I was completely burnt out and sick, so it's taking me a while to recover. But I've given myself the whole month of July to play with this, so I should be OK.

Hoping to visit my folks at the end of the month. I'll probably take the train as it goes right to their town. Flying would mean coming in to either Chicago or St. Louis, renting a car and driving. I'm not up to driving either the whole trip from Texas or possibly even the couple of hours from Chicago right now. It'll get better, but I'm not there yet. So I plan to take the train, barring disasters.

We switched my thyroid meds and it appears to be helping. WHOO HOOO!!!! This is a GOOD thing. I'm not back to normal yet, but at least I'm in the mammals.

(Note of explanation -- first medicine, I was a snail. Second medicine, a turtle. While we have not reached the rabbit/hare stage yet, I am at least in the mammal category.)

(Joke of the day -- What did the snail say on the turtle's back?


Answer: "WHEEEEEE!!!!")

Hola, que tal?

Hi guys!

Okay, I have a weird thing that is bugging me.

I have always wanted to be a writer. Ever since I can remember. So I'm living my dream and it is SOOOO cool. It really is. But something has happened that is bothering me. Some of my old friends and acquaintances are acting very, very weird nwo that we're starting to have some success. Some of it could be that time and distance have taken a toll, but it's like the success has triggered a breaking point for some of these folks. I don't get it. I'm still me. Still have health problems and worry about the kid, the cats and the bills. Still can't quite stay on top of everything I need to do. Still love horrible puns and the world's worst songs. (I like really good BAD songs. Think Tequila Sheila, Let's Do Something Cheap and Superficial, or Brad Paisley's Alcohol.) I want to stay friends with my friends. I don't want them to weird out. But what can I say? I can't MAKE them like me. But it hurts.

All the News That's Fit to Print

Hi Guys! Going to the doctor this afternoon for a follow-up. The wound has healed, but I've still got other symptoms. Still, I'm healing and doing much better.

Got the edits on Touch of Madness and turned them around, so the book is IN. :) It wound up being a very intense book. I'm really proud of it. Now resting prior to moving on to a murder mystery. I'm doing it for fun, and because my mother desperately wants me to write something without monsters and without sex. LOL.

Anyway, puppy is healthy and happy. Cats and James are doing fine. Life is pretty damned good. We've been getting good book news. So I'm just going to keep plugging along.

Take care of yourselves.

Cie

Better.

Hi Guys! LOTS better, but not quite well yet. But today I woke up actually feeling like I might seriously GET well in a day or three.

I don't know if any of you out there have had that sensation before and know what I mean. But for me at least, when I am well and truly sick to the point of "Oh shit, this could kill me" and I've been slogging through it there is one point where all the sudden it's just... better. The meds kick in, the immune system kicks in and, while you still feel bad you know that, if you do what you're supposed to, you're actually, eventually going to feel GOOD again. Not just less crappy, really, seriously GOOD. Today has that kind of promise. The trick, of course, is not to let up my guard, to still REST and do all the things I'm supposed to do. But, ahem, WHOO HOOO.

Still thinking I'm going to go to Vampire Lestat Ball. Have to work out the logistics of that and a trip to visit the family. I'm thinking that my costume will be a long black dress and cloak(usually available from any costume shop) that I will bead and decorate. The biggest beading will be a red hourglass on the abdomen of the dress and a silver spiderweb on the back of the cloak. I may also make a silver "web" veil. Sort of a salute, as it were, to the little nemesis who brought me so low. Yeah, I know, I'm weird. Live with it. LOL

Well, back to bed. I'm pooped.

Cie