I'm still playing catch-up from my vacation, and I've been spreading myself around in ways that aren't nearly as filthy as that just sounded.
On Monday, I was thrilled to be part of the Coffee With a Canine blog. Actually, I think I was more of an afterthought. My dog, Bindi, was the real star, so I encourage you to stop by and check out her beautiful doggie smile.
I'm also over at The Debutante Ball today where we've been talking about luck all week. In my post, I talk about the phrase "getting lucky," and invite readers to share their own favorite euphemism for carnal relations.
We try to keep things PG-13 on that blog, but since we have no such restrictions here, I'm curious what you guys can offer up. Do you have a favorite expression for doing the deed? I'll confess, mine is "bumping uglies." I know I used it in at least two of my three contracted novels, and it never fails to make me giggle.
Please share yours! Writing the sort of stories I write, I can never have enough snicker-worthy euphemisms for building the beast with two backs.
Showing posts with label Interviews with me on on other blogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Interviews with me on on other blogs. Show all posts
Friday, March 18, 2011
Friday, December 17, 2010
Go away
As a marketing geek in my other life, I try to be conscious of the saturation point – the moment at which the consumer considers lighting his TV on fire if he hears one more ad about a product.
I try to be aware of that in my author life as well. In the interest of making sure you don't get sick of me just yet, I'm not writing a real blog post today. Instead, I'm sending you to two places you can find such creatures if you so desire.
First up, pay a visit to The Novel Road where Douglas Morrison is devoting the entire month to interviewing authors from different genres. The guests so far have included Brian Haig, Robin Becker, Ken McClure, Peter Ginna, Kennedy Foster, Gary Corby, Sean Ferrell, Brian Russell, Joan Wolf, and now...well, moi. I'm honored just to be included in such an amazing lineup, and encourage you to check out all the other interviews as well as mine.
Second on the agenda is my regular weekly post at The Debutante Ball where we've been blogging about rejection all week. My post is up today, but I should also tell you that you DO NOT WANT TO MISS Saturday's guest post by Laurie Halse Anderson on the subject of rejection. I got a sneak peek, and it's seriously one of the most brilliant pieces I've ever read on this topic.
So there you go. Come back Monday and I'm sure I'll find something else to blather about. Have a great weekend!
I try to be aware of that in my author life as well. In the interest of making sure you don't get sick of me just yet, I'm not writing a real blog post today. Instead, I'm sending you to two places you can find such creatures if you so desire.
First up, pay a visit to The Novel Road where Douglas Morrison is devoting the entire month to interviewing authors from different genres. The guests so far have included Brian Haig, Robin Becker, Ken McClure, Peter Ginna, Kennedy Foster, Gary Corby, Sean Ferrell, Brian Russell, Joan Wolf, and now...well, moi. I'm honored just to be included in such an amazing lineup, and encourage you to check out all the other interviews as well as mine.
Second on the agenda is my regular weekly post at The Debutante Ball where we've been blogging about rejection all week. My post is up today, but I should also tell you that you DO NOT WANT TO MISS Saturday's guest post by Laurie Halse Anderson on the subject of rejection. I got a sneak peek, and it's seriously one of the most brilliant pieces I've ever read on this topic.
So there you go. Come back Monday and I'm sure I'll find something else to blather about. Have a great weekend!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Saying goodbye
This is one of those days where I can't be funny or clever or entertaining.
Right here is where you make a crack about how I've never been any of those things, and we both laugh because it's always possible to laugh.
But it's tougher to do it today because we're having to make the hard decision to say goodbye to our older dog, Ozzy.
You've met Ozzy a couple times before on this blog. He chose the winner in my last blog contest, and I also showed you how our younger dog, Bindi, learned to compensate for Ozzy's deafness by herding him back to us on hikes.
Oz is 15 years old. He's deaf, mostly blind, arthritic, and has a torn ACL, a vestibular disorder, and escalating doggie dementia. Despite all this, his spirits have stayed high, and our vet has continually assured us his quality of life is still good.
But we reached the point this weekend where we aren't sure that's still true.
The significant part of that sentence is "we aren't sure." Friends have always told us, "you'll know when it's time." The thing is, we don't know. Not for sure. Ozzy still has moments where he's the happiest, spunkiest dog at the park, and we think he might just outlive us all.
But those moments are starting to seem more fleeting. I guess that's as close as we can come to knowing?
We've been braced for this for awhile, and we're frankly surprised he's lasted this long. Still, it's not easy. For childless-by-choice couples like us, your pets become your family. Even when you think you're prepared for the inevitable, you never really are.
Stop by tomorrow and I'll be back to my old self. For now, you can see me being myold self young and vivacious self at author Brenda Sedore's blog, where she interviewed me about books and publication and the fact that I often dress like a homeless hooker when I'm writing. Go here to check that out.
But for now, it's time to say goodbye. We'll miss you, buddy.
Right here is where you make a crack about how I've never been any of those things, and we both laugh because it's always possible to laugh.
But it's tougher to do it today because we're having to make the hard decision to say goodbye to our older dog, Ozzy.
You've met Ozzy a couple times before on this blog. He chose the winner in my last blog contest, and I also showed you how our younger dog, Bindi, learned to compensate for Ozzy's deafness by herding him back to us on hikes.
Oz is 15 years old. He's deaf, mostly blind, arthritic, and has a torn ACL, a vestibular disorder, and escalating doggie dementia. Despite all this, his spirits have stayed high, and our vet has continually assured us his quality of life is still good.
But we reached the point this weekend where we aren't sure that's still true.
The significant part of that sentence is "we aren't sure." Friends have always told us, "you'll know when it's time." The thing is, we don't know. Not for sure. Ozzy still has moments where he's the happiest, spunkiest dog at the park, and we think he might just outlive us all.
But those moments are starting to seem more fleeting. I guess that's as close as we can come to knowing?
We've been braced for this for awhile, and we're frankly surprised he's lasted this long. Still, it's not easy. For childless-by-choice couples like us, your pets become your family. Even when you think you're prepared for the inevitable, you never really are.
Stop by tomorrow and I'll be back to my old self. For now, you can see me being my
But for now, it's time to say goodbye. We'll miss you, buddy.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Getting lipstick on another man's shirt
I had lunch yesterday with a former co-worker I’ve been friendly with for maybe six years.
This is a male friend – someone I’m delighted to catch up with over lunch a couple times a year, but not someone I go out with for girls’ night and spend the evening swapping fashion tips and ass pats.
We met at the door and exchanged the customary hug. One problem – the angle was off. You know those hugs where things don’t line up quite right and you end up with your faced squashed against someone’s shoulder?
Not usually a big deal. Unfortunately, I’d just applied a fresh coat of lipstick and my lunch companion was wearing a light colored dress shirt. As we headed off toward a table, all I could think was, “crap, did I just get lipstick on his shirt?”
By then, he was off and running with the conversation, so I settled for discretely trying to get a look at his right shoulder. Just my luck, he sat down at an angle that made it impossible to inspect him for makeup damage.
At this point, I probably should have said something, right? “Dude, I think I just smeared Créme Sable on you, here’s a Tide Stain Stick.”
But the moment never seemed to present itself. And I wasn’t really sure about the lipstick. Maybe I really didn't get it on him at all. If I could just get a look at—
“So the writing career is going well?”
“Oh, yes,” I replied, tearing my eyes off his shirt. “Very well. Just ten months until the release date. Um, look—”
“Would you excuse me a second?” he asked as he frowned down at his phone. “I have to take this call.”
I tried to get a look at his shirt as he stood up, but no luck. I was staring at my own phone when he returned, so I missed my chance then. We went back to chatting about his kids’ activities, and I was just working up the nerve to say something when I heard a commotion behind me.
I turned in my seat to look. “What is it?”
“Must be a kitchen fire,” he said. And since he’s technically the guy in charge of such incidents, he got up to deal with it.
By the end of lunch, I was exhausted from my covert efforts to look for lipstick, my thwarted efforts to address the issue head-on, and my fretting about the scene that could await him at home later.
“What did you do today, dear?” his wife might ask.
“Oh, I had lunch with an old friend.”
“I see,” she’ll say, folding her arms over her chest and narrowing her eyes at his shirt. “Was this a female friend?”
Sadly, I’ll never know. And since he was hopping on a plane last night for two weeks of travel– followed by the inevitable six-month gap that always occurs between our lunch dates – the odds are slim I’ll ever find out.
Have you ever been in a situation like that? You want to say something, but you’re not sure you should, and then when the opportunity presents itself things don’t quite work out? Feel free to share. Or feel free to tell me what I should have done differently. There’s always that.
By the way, there’s still time to weigh in on the “favorite place to be kissed” poll at the top right of this page. I’m pulling it down at 7 p.m. PST Thursday evening, and yes, it will all make sense tomorrow. Sort of.
Also, I was thrilled recently to be interviewed by Gabriela Lessa as part of a series for Women’s Fiction Month. She kicked off her interview series chatting with Jodi Picoult and concluded with me, interviewing a lot of other fabulous authors in between. That probably makes me sound way cooler than I am. Never mind, no it doesn’t. You guys know better. Anyway, go check it out here.
This is a male friend – someone I’m delighted to catch up with over lunch a couple times a year, but not someone I go out with for girls’ night and spend the evening swapping fashion tips and ass pats.
We met at the door and exchanged the customary hug. One problem – the angle was off. You know those hugs where things don’t line up quite right and you end up with your faced squashed against someone’s shoulder?
Not usually a big deal. Unfortunately, I’d just applied a fresh coat of lipstick and my lunch companion was wearing a light colored dress shirt. As we headed off toward a table, all I could think was, “crap, did I just get lipstick on his shirt?”
By then, he was off and running with the conversation, so I settled for discretely trying to get a look at his right shoulder. Just my luck, he sat down at an angle that made it impossible to inspect him for makeup damage.
At this point, I probably should have said something, right? “Dude, I think I just smeared Créme Sable on you, here’s a Tide Stain Stick.”
But the moment never seemed to present itself. And I wasn’t really sure about the lipstick. Maybe I really didn't get it on him at all. If I could just get a look at—
“So the writing career is going well?”
“Oh, yes,” I replied, tearing my eyes off his shirt. “Very well. Just ten months until the release date. Um, look—”
“Would you excuse me a second?” he asked as he frowned down at his phone. “I have to take this call.”
I tried to get a look at his shirt as he stood up, but no luck. I was staring at my own phone when he returned, so I missed my chance then. We went back to chatting about his kids’ activities, and I was just working up the nerve to say something when I heard a commotion behind me.
I turned in my seat to look. “What is it?”
“Must be a kitchen fire,” he said. And since he’s technically the guy in charge of such incidents, he got up to deal with it.
By the end of lunch, I was exhausted from my covert efforts to look for lipstick, my thwarted efforts to address the issue head-on, and my fretting about the scene that could await him at home later.
“What did you do today, dear?” his wife might ask.
“Oh, I had lunch with an old friend.”
“I see,” she’ll say, folding her arms over her chest and narrowing her eyes at his shirt. “Was this a female friend?”
Sadly, I’ll never know. And since he was hopping on a plane last night for two weeks of travel– followed by the inevitable six-month gap that always occurs between our lunch dates – the odds are slim I’ll ever find out.
Have you ever been in a situation like that? You want to say something, but you’re not sure you should, and then when the opportunity presents itself things don’t quite work out? Feel free to share. Or feel free to tell me what I should have done differently. There’s always that.
By the way, there’s still time to weigh in on the “favorite place to be kissed” poll at the top right of this page. I’m pulling it down at 7 p.m. PST Thursday evening, and yes, it will all make sense tomorrow. Sort of.
Also, I was thrilled recently to be interviewed by Gabriela Lessa as part of a series for Women’s Fiction Month. She kicked off her interview series chatting with Jodi Picoult and concluded with me, interviewing a lot of other fabulous authors in between. That probably makes me sound way cooler than I am. Never mind, no it doesn’t. You guys know better. Anyway, go check it out here.
Friday, September 3, 2010
What the @#$% is that? Tell me and WIN!
Remember last month when I announced I'd been picked as one of five debut authors to blog for the next 12 months at The Debutante Ball?
Well my very first post is up today. Go visit, OK? Pretty please? It's scary being in a new place when you don't know anyone.
To celebrate my foray into the world of The Debutante Ball, we're going to play a game that should be familiar to readers who've been visiting awhile. What the @#$% is that? was born when I decided to share some of the mystery items my absentminded husband leaves lying around the house.
In case you're new, previous games can be found here and here.
So what did I find this time? I thought you'd never ask.
I went out to the garage yesterday in search of a tape measure. Piled on top of Pythagoras' toolbox was this:
That's an item in every man's toolbox, right?
Any idea what it might be? I actually do know, though I was a lot less certain the first time I found it lying in a heap on the bedroom floor.
Give me your best guess – silly or serious – what you think it might be. I'll tally the guesses in the comments at 10 a.m. on Sunday, September 5 and will pick a winner after that.
Oh, and if you're unfamiliar with how we pick winners around here, check out this and this and this.
What does the winner get? Cue lovely spokesdel here...
Crap, there are no lovely spokesmodels available. OK, you're stuck with me:
That's right, you get your very own Willamette Valley Vineyards T-shirt, as featured in yesterday's blog post. They come in a variety of sizes and styles, so the winner can pick what he or she likes.
Ready to guess? Please tell me – What the @#$% is that?
Well my very first post is up today. Go visit, OK? Pretty please? It's scary being in a new place when you don't know anyone.
To celebrate my foray into the world of The Debutante Ball, we're going to play a game that should be familiar to readers who've been visiting awhile. What the @#$% is that? was born when I decided to share some of the mystery items my absentminded husband leaves lying around the house.
In case you're new, previous games can be found here and here.
So what did I find this time? I thought you'd never ask.
I went out to the garage yesterday in search of a tape measure. Piled on top of Pythagoras' toolbox was this:
Any idea what it might be? I actually do know, though I was a lot less certain the first time I found it lying in a heap on the bedroom floor.
Give me your best guess – silly or serious – what you think it might be. I'll tally the guesses in the comments at 10 a.m. on Sunday, September 5 and will pick a winner after that.
Oh, and if you're unfamiliar with how we pick winners around here, check out this and this and this.
What does the winner get? Cue lovely spokesdel here...
Crap, there are no lovely spokesmodels available. OK, you're stuck with me:
That's right, you get your very own Willamette Valley Vineyards T-shirt, as featured in yesterday's blog post. They come in a variety of sizes and styles, so the winner can pick what he or she likes.
Ready to guess? Please tell me – What the @#$% is that?
Friday, July 2, 2010
Sending you away for the holiday
At its best, the publishing industry moves at the speed of a slug on Valium crawling through a puddle of maple syrup.
In mid-summer – particularly around holiday weekends – it gets considerably slower, with many people taking well-deserved vacations and fleeing their offices early to enjoy warmer weather.
That sounds good to me.
In the spirit of fully integrating myself into the publishing biz, I’m not going to write anything witty on the blog today (unless you count the slug thing, in which case that's a bonus).
Instead, I will send you away to go read an interview I just did with Mireyah Wolfe over on her blog.
Check it out here.
Have a fabulous Independence Day weekend for everyone here in the USA. For those of you living elsewhere, feel free to use our country’s holiday as an excuse to eat too many hot dogs and set things on fire.
I know I will.
In mid-summer – particularly around holiday weekends – it gets considerably slower, with many people taking well-deserved vacations and fleeing their offices early to enjoy warmer weather.
That sounds good to me.
In the spirit of fully integrating myself into the publishing biz, I’m not going to write anything witty on the blog today (unless you count the slug thing, in which case that's a bonus).
Instead, I will send you away to go read an interview I just did with Mireyah Wolfe over on her blog.
Check it out here.
Have a fabulous Independence Day weekend for everyone here in the USA. For those of you living elsewhere, feel free to use our country’s holiday as an excuse to eat too many hot dogs and set things on fire.
I know I will.
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