Thursday, December 30, 2010

Farewell 2010, You Awesome Year, You!

This has been, for the most part, an all around awesome year. In 2010, I:

Wrote three books (220,000 finished words!)
Completed and sold my first YA
Had my first official book tour
Read 68 books
Wrote 152 blog entries (here, Shrinking Violets, Enchanted Inkpot, and GeekMom)
Got into the Twitter groove
Met some amazing people online (yes, that means YOU!)

I realized that, compared to some, I am a bit of a slacker. But I also realize that compared to others, I’m an overachiever. I can live with being somewhere in the middle. The truth is, someone will outperform you no matter the field and the sooner accepted, the sooner gotten over. Plus? This is not a competition. ::she reminds herself::

Also:

One son graduated from college and began building a life he loves
Another son found his passion—which is a huge step in one’s life

All in all, a very good year. Of course, there were several stresses, too. The family juggled a number of health issues early in the year. Honestly—it felt as if we were being hit with the ten plagues of Egypt, but modern style. That was a long few months, happily behind us, with no lingering or lasting effects.

It also makes the victories accomplished just that much sweeter.

As I review the year, I am also forcibly reminded of the old adage Everything in good time. I turned in my revision of DARK MERCY at 4 pm on Dec 23, then had exactly 24 hours to get ready for Christmas, including a Christmas Eve dinner at my house. I got about zero Christmas shopping done (more traumatic for me than anyone else) but it was a brilliant reminder that I could not easily have juggled my career and family much earlier in my life. The conflicting needs would have been too much for me to handle gracefully, or even sanely. So if any of you young’uns out there are feeling frustrated, you might consider that the timing might be working to your advantage in some way you can’t even begin to see yet.

I am giving myself the next week off, which is just as well as ever since I finished DARK MERCY my brain has been flat out empty. Just. Empty. It is eerily quiet in there; no random thoughts, no story snippets swirling around, or random chatter. It would be nice to think I’ve achieved a new level of personal Zen, but honesty compels me to admit it is pretty much just empty. Which is very restful, if a bit unnerving. I am worried that it will stay this way longer than I’d like, especially since I must start DARK JUSTICE soon. Even so, I must need the break so I will try to revel in the quiet of the now and not worry about next week.

Here's wishing you all a festive-but-quiet New Year!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Happy Holidays!

Well, Eldest Son is home, safe and sound, so my Christmas is complete. :-)

When I was young, my very favorite Christmas carol was The Little Drummer Boy. In fact, I'm pretty sure I drove everyone around me crazy with my constant refrain of pa rum pum pum pum. One of the things I loved most about the song was the story it told, that a small, poor boy still had gifts he could give that had value. That no matter how poor or young or powerless, we still have something to contribute. Our gifts don't need to be shiny or expensive or perfect.


In celebration of the holidays, I want to share this video of The Little Drummer Boy. This version speaks to me especially because of the wonderful contrast between the innocence of the song and the rough, dissipated voice of Shane Macgowan...




Whichever holiday you celebrate, I'm wishing you much peace, light, and joy!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

And Speaking Of Theodosia Four . . .



I've got a sneak peek of the first chapter of THEODOSIA AND THE LAST PHARAOH up over on the Theodosia site, if anyone is pining for a Theodosia fix...

Monday, December 20, 2010

And The Winner Is . . .



D. M. Cunningham (#4) and Liz from Goodreads (#23)!

Email me with your addresses and I will get those out to you in tomorrow's mail. If you need it by Christmas, let me know and I'll overnight it to you!

Thanks for playing! And check back in a couple of weeks because rumor has it I may have Theodosia Four ARCs then...









My methodology: I numbered all the blogger comments 1-22, then the four comments I received over on Goodreads 23-27, then hit the ol' Random Number Genetator. (And yes, I included those of you who skated in under the wire this morning and no one got entered twice.)

Monday, December 13, 2010

Tis the Season--For an ARC Giveaway!

I am in possession of a couple of Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: The Unicorn's Tale  arcs and thought I'd have a drawing, just in time for the holidays!


Is there no rest for the travel worn and weary? Not if you’re Nathaniel Fludd, the world’s youngest beastologist-in-training! All Nate really wants is to track down his missing parents, but when a unicorn falls mysteriously ill, Nate’s Aunt Phil makes it clear where a beastologist’s duty lies: to the beasts.

And if taking care of the world’s beasts isn’t difficult enough, Nate and Aunt Phil must also keep them safe from the villainous Obediah Fludd, who intends to do them harm. With all this taking up every last bit of his energy and time, will Nate ever find the parents he is so absolutely convinced are alive?


For a chance to win, just leave a comment on this post. Next Monday morning (Dec. 20) at 9:00 a.m. PST I will draw two names from the comments for winners. I will even, if you need, get it shipped to you in time for Christmas in case  you have any young readers pining for the next adventure.

Good luck!

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Inspiration

I have been meaning to blog for ages but I am so consumed by my revisions it just ain't gonna happen til I'm done. Well, nothing substantial written by me, anyway.

However I saw this amazing YouTube via Brene Brown on Twitter today and HAD to share it. It speaks to me on so many levels, the parent level, the achieving our dreams no matter what level, the different paths heroes take. Such an amazing life lesson--for all of us. Have a Kleenex handy!





Wishing you all tons of inspiration and an awesome finish line in your future--however you cross it!