Life and the neat stuff
Current mood: blissful
Category: Life

Hello everyone!

So what the heck have I been doing lately?

Ciani is all better, but surprisingly hasn't learned her lesson about the wild outdoors. Twice now she has tried running outside again.  You'd think the poor dear would get a clue, but...oh well.

School starts soon. I've chosen the classes I will take: Advanced Molecular Biology, and Developmental Biology.  Fun fun fun! I register on the 16th, which means I have to pay tuition by the end of the week. Ack!!

I went up to Sacramento the first weekend of June for my granfather's 80th birthday. It was a catered picnic in the park, but there was so much food left, we all ate chicken, potato salad, rolls, and um, well, I can't remember the beef type... for every meal. I've had my fill of potato salad for the summer, I think.

I also got to spend a bit of time with my niece, who is now 3 1/2 years old, but is tall enough to be a five year old. She is so cute. I will post pictures of the weekend in my photo album.

I also took a side trip down to Volcano, near Jackson, to visit the Black Chasm Cavern. It is an important setting in one of my YA novels, so I wanted to do some research and check it out. The tour can only take you 90 feet down, and the stairs are narrow and steep, but the cavern was very beautiful.

Let's see, what else? Oh!! Of course! Craven Deeds, coming September 8th, has received its first review! The word is good, but I cannot post it all here until they publish it themselves. Here is a blurb:

"Combin[es]  adventure-fantasy with murder mystery in a successful recipe for continual page-turning." - Tom Powers, Small Press Review

Whoopee! Yay! Don't it make you wanna read it now?

Cheers and all that jazz.

Oh, and happy 4th everyone.

Currently watching : Cloverfield Release date: 2008-04-22

2:54 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

That darn ole cat of mine
Category: Pets and Animals

Ciani decided Sunday that I wasn't stressed out enough with everything going on my life.

Okay, so that's not true.  The poor dear gets so excited watching the birds and people outside that she thought it would be an adventure to join them for a day.

My roommate left around 7am that morning, and didn't notice my cat scamper out of the apartment.

I woke up at 8am and went straight to the computer. I had grand and lofty plans of actually getting stuff done - like reading my proof and working on my sequel. It wasn't until about 10am that I noticed that my cat wasn't anywhere near me. I spent the next hour combing the apartment, calling to her, shaking a bag of treats, checking every nook and cranny in my roommate's bedroom. When I finally realized she was truly gone, I started to panic.

I left the apartment, and there was Ciani, downstairs on the front patio, and she was scared. I called to her, and she launched herself at the window of the apartment below ours and took off behind the building. She squeezed through a 3 inch gap between a 6-foot chain-linked fence and the apartment building. Needless to say, I couldn't follow. I called to her, brought out her food, tried to entice her with treats, and all I got was panicked mewling and crying. The undergrowth, trees branches, and vines were so thick I couldn't see her, I didn't know if she was trapped, and if she retreated further down the hill, she could be hit by an SD Trolley.

I cried, I wept, yes, I overreacted. I called 911, and the dispatcher referred me to animal control. I called animal control and the operator gruffly told me that there was nothing they could do and that I should come by on Tuesday and rent a trap. Tuesday! It was Sunday, there was no way in hell I was going to be able to stay sane with her out there in the great unknown for two days. I mean, she isn't vaccinated for the outdoors. If she wasn't going to get hit by a car or the trolley, she could get eaten by the coyotes and bobcats that are prevalent in the canyons of Santee. If I got her back alive, she could have contracted leukemia from other stray cats.

So I wept some more. I had no way to get a hold of my roommate, whom at a nice 5 foot 9 inches could have scaled the fence and flushed Ciani out (I am, sad to say, only 5 foot 2)

Did I mention it was also 97 degrees outside that day?

So I checked up on her every 20-30 minutes to be sure she was still hidden in the undergrowth behind the fence, and anxiously awaited my roommate's return.

At around 2:15, 7 hours after escaping the sanctuary that is our apartment, I found Ciani just on the other side of the fence, in plain view. I called to her and she threw herself at the fence, running in all helter skelter directions because for some reason, though she recognized my voice and was trying to get to it, she couldn't recognize that it was MY BODY on the other side of the fence. She finally managed to squeeze back through the gap, but she took off again.

I checked under the cars, I panicked some more, afraid she ran into the street. I found her upstairs throwing herself at our closed and unopenable living room window. I managed to catch her and bring her inside. She was a wreck. She was breathing heavily, her eyes were wide as saucers, she was shaking, and she stank to high heaven.

I made my roommate give her the bath.

She also got a nice traumatic trip to the vet. She got a shot that will hopefully prevent her from getting sick. And a couple days later she was back to her old playful talkative self.

So, now I hope she has learned her lesson and will be content with watching the birdies from the safety of our window ledges.

7:53 AM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Craven Update
Current mood: busy
Category: Writing and Poetry

Hello Everyone,

Well, my roommate and I finally got ourselves moved into the new apartment, though I can't say I've completely unpacked yet... I now live closer to SDSU, where I will start classes this September.  YIKES!

I received my advance reading copies a few weeks ago sans cover art because of a miscommunication with the publisher, and then I come to realize that they also spelled my name wrong! I had to rip the covers off to send back to the publisher, and eagerly await the new shipment, only to discover last week that they shipped it to my OLD address (even though I had given them my new one). Thankfully the box hadn't been stolen and I was able to mail the ARC press packets on Saturday to everyone on my mailing list.

That brings me to the 20 some odd advance copies of my novel, Craven Deeds that are now front cover-less. They are now just sitting in a box.

So...

Please email me through myspace if you would like to receive a coverless ARC of Craven Deeds, along with your address. In exchange for this ARC, you promise to write a review of the novel on Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, Borders.com, etc.

As for those who want the real deal, cover art and all, Craven Deeds will be officially published and available to purchase on September 8th, 2008 at any of these venues, as well as www.buybooksontheweb.com (www.bbotw.com). I highly recommend the bbotw website, which will offer a less than 48 hour turnaround on your order.

Cheers and all that jazz.

2:25 PM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Out of touch - sorry
Current mood: hopeful
Category: Life

Hello everyone!

Sorry I have been out of touch for awhile.  Things have been PRETTY busy ’round here.

My job is still great, I love the people I work with, and I enjoy the research I am doing.

My cat, Ciani, is a never-ending source of entertainment and comic relief. She talks to me all the time, and I only wish I knew what the heck she is saying. She has a penchant for those tiny purple foam earplugs that my roommate has.  We are always having to chase her around the apartment, trying to get them away from her, since they are a choking hazard.

My roommate’s cat, Mo, is also an interesting character. She enjoys baths, er, well, OUR baths. Once she hears the water running, she has to be in the bathroom. If I am taking a bath, she absolutely must drink from the tub, while I’m in it. If I take a shower, she likes to jump in the tub afterwards and lick the walls, and lay down in the puddles of water- soaking her belly, paws, and tail. Once she actually jumped into the tub while I was taking a shower. It didn’t take her long to realize she was getting wet and hightailed it out of there as quicky as her legs would let her.

On the publishing front: I have submitted my book to the publisher and am waiting to receive my first proofs. I will also be receiving my Advance Reading Copies (ARCs) at this time, so I am trying to compile a mailing list. I also need to make up a press release and since I am not a member of the media, I have no clue where to begin. On the bright side, it turns out that my book is not considered "self-published" like I originally thought. It will be bona-fide published by a publisher with distribution, and will be available to wholesalers such as Ingram and Baker & Taylor. This means that more reviewers are open for me to mail my ARCs to - such as the New York Times, LA Times, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, etc.  Does anyone know if I have to write to these major hitters first and ask if they are interested, or is it okay to just send them an ARC with my press release and pray??

Because I want to throw my hat in with the big fellas and see if anything might happen (nothing ventured, nothing gained, eh?) that means I have to push the publishing date back a bit.  I have decided to make my publishing debut in September. It will not be pushed back further, so don’t worry! Those who would like to purchase my book, Craven Deeds, will be able to do so from any major online arena, such as B & N, Borders, Amazon, etc, but if you’d really like to help me pay for college, then order my book from www.booksontheweb.com, where I can get 30% royalties. Just click on the category: science fiction and fantasy. Again, the book will be available to purchase on September.

If you know anyone who would like to review my book, let me know.

On the school front: I have planned a tentative schedule, and will hopefully have my masters degree in May/June of 2010. I will be going part time for the first and third year, but will unfortunately have to take an extra unit both semesters of my second year, forcing me to pay full-time status. I will also apply for the certificate program for community college teaching. Ack! So I will also need to get in some student teaching as well as research and thesis, but it will help me prepare for the teaching world out there, and remove my inner panic button when it comes to my first day on the job in a JC.

Oh, and our lease is ending in April, so my roommate and I are beginning to look for apartments.

Thats about all for now. So much to do, so little time! But it is an exciting and exhilarating time as well.

Cheers and all that jazz.

Currently reading : Beyond the Bookstore: How to Sell More Books Profitably to Non-Bookstore Markets By Brian Jud Release date: November, 2003

2:00 PM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

More good news
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

As if life couldn't get any better, he he

I have just been accepted by San Diego State University for the Masters program. Starting in August I will be back in school.

I will soon be entering into no-sleep-ever-land.

yay

4:22 PM - 4 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

Secrets Revealed
Current mood: accomplished
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

Okay okay, I can't keep silent anymore, and for all of you who know me, you knew I can never keep secrets for long!!!

So, here you go...

"...In my whole life I've only had two dreams..."

Both I wanted to achieve by the age of thirty.

1) Fall in love, get married, and have a daughter.  And since I'm STILL single, and there are only 11 more months until the dreaded 30th birthday, well, I can safely say this one dream ain't gonna happen. New five year plan, anyone?

..Oh, and to all of you expecting me to tell you I'm knocked up...shame shame...

So what was number 2 you ask?

2) Publish my first novel.

DING DING DING!!!!!!

My first novel, Craven Deeds will be available on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, and most other places by this summer!!! Talk about meeting your dream with only "moments to spare"!

Hooray Hooray, me!  Whoo hoo! "I'd like to thank the Academy"

Oh wait, wrong daydream...

So there you have it.  Buy it. Tell me you love it. Tell me you hate it.  It's all good.

Cheers and all that Jazz

Currently reading : Three Ghost Stories [EasyRead Edition] By Charles Dickens Release date: 07 June, 2007

9:41 AM - 4 Comments - 5 Kudos - Add Comment

Big surprise...continued
Current mood: accomplished
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

...My entire life, I've only had two dreams... 

...Both of which I wanted to achieve by the age of thirty...

...one was to fall in love with the right man, marry and become a mother...

....the other one...

Currently watching : Stardust (Widescreen Edition) Release date: 18 December, 2007

11:23 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Big Secret
Current mood: blessed
Category: Life

So, you all know I 've got this big secret, this HUGE bit of news that I brazenly did not tell you about last week.

Well, I'm still not going to divulge, completely...

I'm gonna savor it, draw it out.

So...

...My entire life, I've only had two dreams... 

Currently reading : God Emperor of Dune (Dune Chronicles, Book 4) By Frank Herbert Release date: 15 June, 1987

9:08 PM - 3 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

I have some news
Current mood: sneaky

I have some news.

BIG news

Really BIG BIG news

And I'm not going to tell you right now....


BUT ITS HUGE!

Keep posted, I'll reveal more as time goes on.

Currently reading : The Prestige By Christopher Priest Release date: 03 October, 2006

4:14 PM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Ciani
Current mood: blessed
Category: Pets and Animals

After talking to a good friend of mine I have decided to post this...

Most of you may recall that I adopted my parents cat, WC in July and that I was having problems with her peeing and pooping...on everything...including me.  Well, in September I made the very difficult decision of giving her up.  I hope you will be able to forgive such a decision, and will not label me a kitty-hater.

A short time after WC left, I went to the shelter and adopted another cat, a fully clawed (WC was de-clawed) kitten who is now about 9 months old.  Her name is Ciani (Shee-yawn-ee/See-yawn-ee) and she brightens up my world. She sleeps with me every night, is a VERY big talker, purrs like the dickens, and pees/poops IN the litter box, EVERYTIME.

For some reason I can never get pictures to show up on my blog, so I'll have to post it in my photo album.  Peruse and enjoy.

Happy holidays, Happy New Year, and cheers.

Currently watching : Heroes - Season One Release date: 28 August, 2007

6:59 PM - 1 Comments - 1 Kudos - Add Comment