Marching toward 2008

If you celebrate Christmas, I hope yours was a great one! Mine was...interesting. We had a series of small disasters around our house that kept us all on our toes. However, with 2008 just around the corner, I can't help but feel this is going to be a fabulous year! I'm determined to be optimistic, even if it kills me LOL.

I just found out that Remains of the Dead was nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice award for best mystery *yay* It's a great way to wind up 2007.

I'm off on a short vacation and will return end of next week. Hope you ring in the New Year surrounded by those you love. Can't wait to compare New Year's resolutions!

From My House to Yours!

Meet our Hamster, Hammy.

Once I was under deadline and had dragged my Alphasmart to a Cub Scout meeting. I sat in a corner of the room away from the crowd and was busily writing. Somebody's little brother, a boy about four, kept running over to visit me and to get my attention he'd touch a key on my keyboard and run off. After a couple of these interruptions I told him quite sternly that he couldn't do that since I was working.

"What job do you do?" asked the four year old.
"I'm a writer. I write books," I replied.
"I know who you are!" he exclaimed, his eyes growing wide.
"You do?" I smiled thinking perhaps his parents were fans.
"Yes. You're Dr. Seuss!" he announced solemnly.

Kids keep me humble.

So I'm shutting down the ol' blog for a few days to wrap up my wrapping and bake up some baking. I'll leave you with this from the master himself:

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more? Dr. Seuss

May the joy of the holidays fill your home and your heart enough to last you the entire year!

Merry Christmas to Me

I bought myself a present. A shiny new computer. I put it on a shiny new corner computer desk. Because I am a techno-dummy I had someone else come and get it all set up. I ooohed and ahhhed as its beautiful screen glowed and all the little icons popped up.

Now, only a few days later, I'm no longer ooohing or ahhhing. The sounds I am making are loud colorful curses. My computer announced it needed to reboot because of an update. After it rebooted it wouldn't let me open emails and wouldn't communicate with my printer. Then the keyboard shelf under the desk fell off in protest. I think the entire thing is cursed. I'm now sitting at my old computer. I stroke the keyboard and its smaller screen and call it nice things, telling it how sorry I am that I ever thought it was slow.

Computer guy will, hopefully, make it over to fix new computer before Christmas. Or maybe not.

How's your week going?

Why do you love what you love?

I love Licorice Allsorts. An entire bag isn't safe in my presence. Nobody else in my house finds them appealing. That's a bonus. Yesterday when I bought a bag it was mine, all mine! Sometimes I need to be in touch with my inner selfish non-sharing child :)

My youngest child just shook his head. "Why do you like them?"

"They taste good," I said, popping one of the round pink ones in my mouth.

That's only partially true. I love them because my dad loves them. I can't see them on the shelf without thinking of my dad. I can't smell or taste them without thinking of my dad. They're sweet but not in a sickening sugary way. Like my dad.

Is there a particular treat that brings back memories for you?

Seattle

What a great weekend! Signing at the Seattle Mystery Bookshop was an absolute thrill! The staff there are the best.
I was greeted by this poster of my book right at the front door. It's a little blurry 'cause I was trying to hold still in a gale like wind at the same time.

I got to hear all about their resident bowler hat ghost, however, he never made an appearance while I was there. Darn!

While I was there I couldn't resist shopping for my own stack of books. I picked up six books, two new-to-me authors recommended by the wise and knowledgeable Fran.

I visited Pioneer Square around the corner and they had an ice sculpture contest. This is just one of the fab displays. The ice was melting as I looked at it and that was a surprise because it was COLD brrrr.

Thanks to all who came to visit and buy books! That was the last of my signings until next month. Now I have to put pedal to the metal and get ready for the holidays. Are you ready?

Winners & Signings

ANISSA!!! You won my Spot the book contest. Check your email for your $50 Amazon gift card and CONGRATULATIONS!!

Today I'm blogging over at Love is an Exploding Cigar about living and writing in the cracks.

Tomorrow I'll be signing books at The Seattle Mystery Bookshop starting at noon. I'd love to see your smiling face so come on dooowwwnn!!

I'm blogging today over at MURDER SHE WRITES!

Come and join in the fun :)

Oh and don't forget to comment or email me about where you've seen Remains of the Dead for my Spot the Book contest. I'll be drawing a name in the morning for that $50 Amazon gift certificate!

Online Shopping Anyone?

This year I was determined to go to the mall as little as possible. I hate the crowds. So I've done an awful lot of shopping online. My feelings have been mixed. About half the time the product I want has been delivered on time and I've been happy. But the other half of the time I'm getting messages saying the item is now back-ordered or unavailable or it'll now be shipped well after Christmas. These messages make me want to punch someone (stand back!) lol.

Are the rest of you doing the online shopping thing or are you braving the malls? If you're online shopping, do you have any favorite stores you'd like to share?

Launch Signing

Saturday was my launch signing at the Chapters store in my home town. The picture is me with my good friend Tracey who helped to keep me organized at the event.

I'm pleased to report that the signing was a rip roaring success! Many books were bought and the manager kept saying over and over that I was doing very well. I did warn her that my friends would come and they'd buy books :) We didn't totally sell out but it was a very close call. She said next year she'd be sure to place a much bigger order of book two.

So what did you do this weekend? Christmas shopping? Book buying ;-)

P.S. Don't forget to tell me where you've spotted Remains of the Dead and you'll be entered to win a $50 Amazon gift card.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

I've spent the last couple days stalking book stores and I'm happy to report that Remains of the Dead has made a showing in all the ones I've poked my head into *yay* Based on the emails and posts I'm getting in the Spot the Book contest, many of you have found the book too so *double yay* and thanks a lot! :)

An update on my life being stinking ... yes, that contest is closed but, hey, that doesn't mean the skunk problem was resolved LOL. After the first skunk was captured in a cage and brought to a land where she can romp freely in tall grasses faaaar away from my home, the exterminator set another trap. Apparently these lil ol' critters don't like to den alone at this time of year. They often have a snuggle buddy. So exterminator set the trap and we caught a ... opossum.

Sorry I was too stunned to get a picture of the guy but you know the look, pointy snout, big beady eyes and long, thick rat tail *shudder* Now my skunk didn't look the type to hunker down with someone out of her species so the exterminator took opossum and delivered him to an area faaaar away from my home. Then set another trap. Sensing a theme here?

Saturday morning I peered out at trap and lo and behold another skunk. This one was huge. Barely fit in the cage and he looked ticked off. One problem. It was snowing. Hard. Where I live things kind of grind to a halt when it snows. People don't drive and we don't shovel either. We just kind of pretend it isn't happening and wait for it to melt. It's denial at a huge level. Anyway it snowed really, really hard and my family was concerned that Mr. Skunky would be buried in snow and die of exposure because exterminator couldn't come for a couple days. Soooo my hubby took a large tarp and tried to sneak up on Mr. Skunky. Not a good idea. Mr. Skunky let him have it. My kids, being compassionate and caring, locked my hubby out of the house 'cause they didn't want him stinking up the place.

Eventually we let hubby inside and he actually didn't get skunked because he was holding the tarp up over his head at the time and Mr. Skunky was well covered and protected until the exterminator could come to get him Monday morning. So on Monday I'm working away at my computer, on the other side of the house from the location of the skunk cage. I knew the exact moment the exterminator arrived to get Mr. Skunky because I could smell it. That skunk sprayed sooo much that the smell permeated both my house and my car. Now, days later, the smell has dissipated a lot thanks to the pineapple express (huge rain showers that arrived from Hawaii--thanks Hawaii!).

So if you come to visit me at my launch signing on Saturday at the Chapters Store out my way and I smell a little ... off. Please try and understand LOL.

P.S. Don't forget to comment or email me the places you've seen Remains to enter to win your chance at a $50 Amazon gift card!

Today is the BIG day!

The Remains of the Dead, hits shelves today! Yay!!

To celebrate, I'm having a Spot the Book contest. Let me know the store & city where you see Remains and I'll enter your name to win a $50 Amazon gift card! You can either comment here on the blog, email me, or contact me through my website. Deadline is December 13th.

Happy hunting!

Contest Winner

Winner of my Life's Messy contest is:

DONICA COVEY

Congratulations Donica! Please email me your mailing address so I can send you your copy of Remains.

Everyone else, another contest starts up on Tuesday :)