*glee*

Four star review for The Dragon Undone from Romantic Times? Why yes, thank you. :)

Congratulations to my fellow Cobblestone authors for their reviews as well. :)

Happy Holidays

Happy holidays to everyone. I hope you're all enjoying peaceful times with friends and families, good food, and entertaining yourselves as you choose.

We did not travel to the in-laws, so we're having an *extremely* quiet Christmas this year. We will open presents when the Engineer gets up. P'raps we'll see a movie today. It's one of those years. Quiet. Just us. With him constantly working and me constantly writing, we don't always get the chance to connect, so this is a good break.

I turned in the first round edits on the Cerridwen book. I turned in a proposal for my alter-ego. I got a request for the full of a book from a NY house.

It's been a good year, but I kind of want to slack and *read* for a while. :) I have not read nearly as much as I'd like, but I haven't stopped buying books. Bad me. It's a weakness. I also know an awful lot of authors and I always feel like I should support my friends...

Right. So. Maybe tapering off the mad writing for the last week of the year and just enjoying life some. There's a whole new year around the corner and I'll be back at it, and then some.

All good wishes and hopes for you and yours!

Forward motion!

I heard back from my Fox contact, which surprised me given how close it is to the holidays, but hey, I'm grateful for any crumbs I get, so I happy danced a while.

I'd turned in some very sketchy ideas and he came back and told me the sorts of things they were looking for. Also that one of my ideas seemed to fit the bill nicely, so I'll run with that one for a while. If that doesn't work, well, it's on to the next, but at least I have more of an idea of what I'm aiming for.

Sent off the contract for the Cerridwen book. Yay! Need to write the synopsis for another project so I can get that turned in at the end of the week. Busy busy.

And, it seems that I may not get to spend a quiet Christmas at home after all. The Engineer's family has requested our presence. Anyone down in the southern California area want to try to meet up for a save-me-from-my-inlaws meal? ;) More about it over at The Novelty Girls today.

The cool kids' club refunded my money.

As I have related, both to the Engineer and to my pal, I had a very vivid dream last night, in which I was possessed by the spirit of Anton Chekov.

It involved attempting to convince a classroom of people, after said possession, that I had indeed *been* possessed and was not just being dramatic. Mr. Chekov got very offended at this questioning, ranted at the classroom for a while, then left me passed out on the floor.

Needless to say, the dramatic collapse did not a) convince anyone or b) make me friends.

Yes, it's true, even in my dreams, I'm a hugerageous geek.

*sigh*

:)

Finally "real"!

News news, more news.

I'm finally "real". Meaning, I've finally made a sale to a publishing house that RWA National considers valid. I'll get a First Sale ribbon in Dallas. I can brag about my sale in the RWR. And, really, this is for the first book I wrote, so I guess it's only fair.

It's tentatively titled No Accounting For Chase (I love that title), it's a romantic suspense, and it sold to Cerridwen Press. No idea on release date or anything else, but whoohoo!

I thought I was going to be able to wiggle out of the Four Things meme, as I'd done it in April, but no, I was wrong! (Thanks Tessa ;)). The questions have changed. So, without further ado:

Four jobs I've had:
Telemarketer (I have such sympathy for these people, but I still hang up on them.)
Veterinary technician
Technical support rep (for many companies at many levels for many years)
Writer!

Four favorite foods:

Jicama and vegetable dip. (Yes, it's weird.)
Macaroni and cheese.
Tempura.
New England clam chowder.

Four movies I could (and do) watch over and over:

Thunderheart
Constantine (this one would probably rotate out, but for now, yes)
Boondock Saints
The Three Musketeers (Disney version. Mmn, Oliver.)

Four TV shows I enjoy watching:

I should not confess to watching as little tv as I do, but my favorites?

Supernatural
Heroes
Lost
House

Four places I've traveled:

Bermuda
Ensenada
Tokyo
Jackson Hole, WY

Four websites I visit (almost) daily:

Romancing the Blog
Romance Divas
BPAL.org (beware the perfume addiction)
Pub Rants

Four people I'm tagging to do this:

I'm not, because most people I know have already done this. If you haven't, consider this your invitation. :)

Rainy day blahs

Does rain make anyone else want to curl up and go to sleep? I think it stems from rainy Sundays as a kid. I'd go to church with dad, come home and take a bath, and then curl up in his humongous bed watching old movies and fall asleep.

I always want to watch movies and nap when it rains. Fortunately, I can do that. Unfortunately, it rains a lot in Northern California in the winter. A lot.

But I'm still making progress on my writing projects, so I spose that I can't really complain.

How surreal is it, to take a tangent, to have a conversation with someone that goes: I'm on location in Miami right now, but I'll be back in LA at the end of the week. Yes, that was from my Fox contact. No, I don't have exciting news. Still stepping slowly through the process. Still, on location in Miami. How wild!

This is not the season for fast forward movement in tv land. As anyone who watches a show regularly knows, everything's (well, most things) have gone into holiday hiatus. Studios are madly trying to use up the last of their 2006 money on the productions already running. New pilot season happens in the spring. I expect (hope!) to be extremely busy then.

Which means that I need to get my writing done now. Wheee.

I am not out of promo yet. (Told you I've been slacking for a while.) This is a review on my first published book, Fortune's Fool. Brenda at The Romance Studio gave it 5 Hearts and said: "This book is a tremendous success! I loved all of it; it was one of those books I feel lucky to have read. It moved so well, with rocky paths, and it was impossible to put down. I read through as quickly as I could because I was impatient to find out the outcome of the story." She's got it marked as explicit, which it isn't, but don't let that stop you. ;)

It's a Monday

It's definitely a Monday.

#1. If one characterizes chain bookstores as the "Villain", one should expect that people might object or question the wording. That's an emotionally charged word. It's aggressive. And whatever one meant by that particular term really won't matter much. If people misread it, the fault is most likely not in the readers, since the majority of people appear to have taken what was written "the wrong way".

Corollary: I came across the author-in-question's book at a chain bookstore last night. It sounds, by all accounts, like it would be a book I'd like. Given said author's opinion, however, and less than tactful way of dealing with people who don't immediately agree with her, I just couldn't bring myself to pick up the book. Oops.

#2. Ebooks cannot be sold as "used".

#3. Hey look, another review. :) This one covers the entire Vegas Magic series, really, but the book in question is mine. Jennifer at Kwips and ritiques gave Stacking the Deck 5 Klovers and said: "While the books do ask that the reader suspend disbelief a bit, as each of the friends finds true love on the same night and in the same place, the effect of the three perspectives is undeniably fun!"

That's enough for one day, don't you think?

All the things you wanted to know about me and ... okay, more than that.

Not a lot of promo today. Another break from the reviews, because I've been interviewed. Woohoo!

Want to know what the Engineer thinks about me? Or whether my writing space is neat and tidy? Click here for all the dirt. :)

Friday Fun!

It's Friday, it's a week day and it's ... grey and rainy, but hey, two out of three ain't bad.

Nothing exciting to talk about, still. It is hurry up and wait season everywhere, so all the stuff that's out now may not get an answer until after the new year. I'm hopeful for sooner, but, I will not hold my breath. I like blue, but it's not a good color on my skin.

I think that I'll probably go ahead and write up the leavebehinds for my tv ideas anyway. That way, when that next phone call comes, I'll be ready to fax or email them off and won't have to scramble to get it done. I have far too much other stuff to do to have to scramble for anything. I know better. Doesn't keep me out of trouble, but I do know better.

Tomorrow marks the big launch for the Sweeter Romantic Notions authors' blog. This is a spot where those of us who don't write "hot" are hanging out. Stop by, say hi, see what we have to give you. I know there are going to be a lot of prizes, so check it out.

The promo for the day is for a book I rarely talk about. Eye of the Beholder was my contribution to the Freya's Bower line of Bites, two paired short stories. They're futuristics with a teeny bit of spice. Very short. The book's just about 8K in total, so they're quick reads.

Regina at Coffee Time Reviews gave me 4 Cups and said: "Both these stories have edge of your seat action! The author does an excellent job of giving you veiled clues that lead up to the finales where two people discover they are meant for each other. The characters are believable and the world building realistic. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys futuristic love stories."

Tada!

Promo of a different sort

No review today, because I'm giving you different links.

Occasionally, I google myself. It's an ego-stroking sort of thing, but a girl likes to know who's talking about her. After the Fan Lit announcement, my hits increased dramatically. Why? Because of all the press releases that got sent out. They're everywhere! Probably in places where no one really cares, but there they are, proclaiming the news.

So I googled myself yesterday, and in the middle of the press releases, I found this.

Variety! They mentioned me in Variety. Now, y'all might not know much about Variety, but it's a big entertainment magazine/newspaper. It's a trade mag, if you will. And there I am. Okay, so the details are wrong. My name's right, and that's what counts.

Then, this morning, I got notice that I was being featured on the Arts and Literature page at Next Cat, which is sort of like MySpace, without the seizure-inducing blinkies. (I apologize to those of you who like MySpace. I tried. I can't make it work and I get a headache being blinked at every time I try. Not for me.) How cool is that?

Speaking of cool, Ms. Laura T is going to be on Rachel Ray this afternoon. I'm going to try to remember to watch. You should too!

Busy busy busy

How doth the little busy bee
Improve each shining hour...

Yes, I'm shamelessly stealing from Isaac Watts. You know it's a good poem when you can still remember it at random, right?

I'm taking a chance on a book today. It was rejected by one line without comment, but after consideration, it may fit another, so off it goes again. Good luck, little manuscript. Write when you get work!

I'm blogging about promo over at The Novelty Girls today. Yes, I'm obsessed. Go check me out. There's even a helpful link from Cheyenne McCray for those of you who are looking to boost your promotional efforts.

And the review of the day! This one's for Vegas Magic: Stacking the Deck. Jennifer at Rom Rev Today, says, "By itself, or as part of a set, STACKING THE DECK is an enticing short story sure to please." Full review at the link.

Ta!

I'm a big chicken.

That's right, I'm a humongous chicken. Know why? I've been hiding from my own blog.

I should have been posting new reviews as they came in and I always manage to talk myself out of it. Because I'm a chicken. I posted some, back in the day, and now, I feel like I'm beating my own drum too much.

Which is silly, I know. How else do I promote myself if I don't beat my own drum.

(Don't go there. I already went there. Come baaaack.)

So. I will begin beating my own drum again. Y'all can kick me if you can't stand it. Virtual kicking is much easier to withstand. I will only beat my own drum one review per day, though. No need to spam the masses.

First up? A review of The Dragon Undone. Jennifer from Kwips and Kritiques gave it 5 Klovers and said: "I have read and enjoyed several books by various authors in Cobblestone Press’s Shifters series, and this book by Sara Dennis is no exception!...That said, The Dragon Undone is undeniably entertaining."

Which is, of course, excerpted. Read the rest of the review at the link and please, if you've read the book and agree with her comments, don't feel bad. I agree with her issues too. Hindsight is twenty-twenty and there are always going to be things that we'd do differently after the fact, right? Right.

And! I did create a Yahoo!Group. If you are interested in signing up, hearing from me occasionally, talking about whatever happens to strike your fancy, or about my writing, y'all come. Click here to join.

And that's that.