And somehow we survived 1200 miles of driving in 2 days, movers who thought they were on strike, rain and construction at night in South Carolina, 120 degree heat unpacking the 2000 pounds of stuff we had in the U-Haul (not exaggerating - we had to weigh it!!) and me nearly having heat stroke (health advisory: when your face turns beet red, your eyes glaze over, and you feel that you're either going to throw up or pass out, it's time to stop humping boxes in the midafternoon sun.)
My darling husband, Navy Guy, spent yesterday and today requalifying on his survival skills, which involved doing fun tasks while they sucked all the oxygen out of the room and then today being belted into a helicopter simulator upside down, blindfolded, and UNDER WATER.
Seriously.
My lovely and talented friend Eileen Rendahl (her new book is out this week, it's splendid!!) said, "But my job is dangerous too!! I could have gotten a paper cut!! It could have gotten infected!!"
We writers tend to be a bit dramatic . . .
House hunting starts tomorrow at 9 - I want a palm tree!! And a house to go with it, I guess. :)
In other news, the talented Marianne Mancusi's first SHOMI book, MOONGAZER, is out today and it's brilliant!! Intense and edgy - give it a try!! (Can you tell I had time to read in the hotel? I am a chronic insomniac and never ever sleep in hotels without pharmaceutical assistance.)
Pictures tomorrow - maybe of palm trees!! And I'm definitely in the south again - there was an ALL YOU CAN EAT - QUAIL special in the restaurant where we had dinner Sunday. It fascinated me. How do you get ALL YOU CAN EAT QUAIL?? Did an entire FLOCK happen to land over the restaurant? Do they send the busboys out back with a rifle???
Okay, I think they had cheesecake. Hmmm. More later . . .
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
A snippet from Atlantis Awakening:
When Ven and Erin are finally alone . . .
# # #
"What if we took a break from being reasonable and rational for a little while?" she whispered. "What would you say if I asked you to hold me – just hold me – until morning?"
Hunger flared inside him, demanding that he conquer, that she surrender. The warrior he'd been born and trained to be wanted to plunder. The man he wanted to be -- for her, just for a little while -- pushed the hunger aside and sought desperately for self-control. "Erin, if you need me to hold you, I would love nothing more. In fact, I've been thinking of nothing else since I first touched you, if you want to know the truth."
She gave him a shaky smile, threw the silken bed coverings aside, and held her arms up to him. "Then hold me, Ven. Make me feel safe again."
Carefully, so carefully, he climbed in the bed next to her and pulled her into his arms, realizing as he did so that he was the one surrendering. When she nestled her head against his chest, her music flared up between them, pulsing hot and insistent. He forced his breathing to slow down, tried to focus on something – anything – other than the urgency of desire clawing at him.
He caught one of her hands in his and considered the rings on her long fingers. "It's the opal, isn't it? The opals and the emeralds that sing when we're together?"
She trembled in his arms and turned her face to his chest. The scent of flowers and springtime from her hair tipped the lid off his sanity just a little bit more, and he couldn't help but inhale her scent. Rub his face in her hair.
Want to mark her, brand her, claim her.
"Yes," she answered, the words muffled by his shirt. "They are . . . yes, it's the emeralds and opals singing."
Her words distracted him a little from the flames searing through his nerve endings. "What does it mean, Erin? Why can I hear them, too? Can everybody hear them?"
She drew a deep breath and looked up at him. "No. In fact, in the ten years since I turned sixteen and my Gift manifested, no person other than you has ever heard my gems sing. And the emeralds – the emeralds have never sung before I met you. Not even to me."
His arms tightened around her. They only sang for him. Like he wanted to make her sing. Something deep inside him raised its head and roared. His breath quickened and he rolled back a couple of inches from her, trying to maintain distance. Trying not to pounce on her like the predator he was.
The gems. We were talking about the gems. Focus.
"What do they sing to you?" he asked. "Do the songs have meanings? Why are they so quiet now? I mean, not to be crude, but this is skin-to-skin contact. I figured they'd be singing up a storm."
She scooted closer to him, and her own breathing quickened, roughened. "We could always experiment a little, with the skin-to-skin thing. Right now, though, I'm focusing on keeping them under control with everything I've got."
His arms tightened around her and he couldn't stop the words from rushing out. Couldn't fight it any longer. "Let it go, Erin. Let it go and see what happens."
Excerpt from Atlantis Awakening, copyright 2007 Alyssa Day/Alesia Holliday
# # #
"What if we took a break from being reasonable and rational for a little while?" she whispered. "What would you say if I asked you to hold me – just hold me – until morning?"
Hunger flared inside him, demanding that he conquer, that she surrender. The warrior he'd been born and trained to be wanted to plunder. The man he wanted to be -- for her, just for a little while -- pushed the hunger aside and sought desperately for self-control. "Erin, if you need me to hold you, I would love nothing more. In fact, I've been thinking of nothing else since I first touched you, if you want to know the truth."
She gave him a shaky smile, threw the silken bed coverings aside, and held her arms up to him. "Then hold me, Ven. Make me feel safe again."
Carefully, so carefully, he climbed in the bed next to her and pulled her into his arms, realizing as he did so that he was the one surrendering. When she nestled her head against his chest, her music flared up between them, pulsing hot and insistent. He forced his breathing to slow down, tried to focus on something – anything – other than the urgency of desire clawing at him.
He caught one of her hands in his and considered the rings on her long fingers. "It's the opal, isn't it? The opals and the emeralds that sing when we're together?"
She trembled in his arms and turned her face to his chest. The scent of flowers and springtime from her hair tipped the lid off his sanity just a little bit more, and he couldn't help but inhale her scent. Rub his face in her hair.
Want to mark her, brand her, claim her.
"Yes," she answered, the words muffled by his shirt. "They are . . . yes, it's the emeralds and opals singing."
Her words distracted him a little from the flames searing through his nerve endings. "What does it mean, Erin? Why can I hear them, too? Can everybody hear them?"
She drew a deep breath and looked up at him. "No. In fact, in the ten years since I turned sixteen and my Gift manifested, no person other than you has ever heard my gems sing. And the emeralds – the emeralds have never sung before I met you. Not even to me."
His arms tightened around her. They only sang for him. Like he wanted to make her sing. Something deep inside him raised its head and roared. His breath quickened and he rolled back a couple of inches from her, trying to maintain distance. Trying not to pounce on her like the predator he was.
The gems. We were talking about the gems. Focus.
"What do they sing to you?" he asked. "Do the songs have meanings? Why are they so quiet now? I mean, not to be crude, but this is skin-to-skin contact. I figured they'd be singing up a storm."
She scooted closer to him, and her own breathing quickened, roughened. "We could always experiment a little, with the skin-to-skin thing. Right now, though, I'm focusing on keeping them under control with everything I've got."
His arms tightened around her and he couldn't stop the words from rushing out. Couldn't fight it any longer. "Let it go, Erin. Let it go and see what happens."
Excerpt from Atlantis Awakening, copyright 2007 Alyssa Day/Alesia Holliday
A picture's worth a thousand boxes . . .
And ziploc storage bags are the greatest invention EVER for moving. The Cox cable guy is due to show up any second to rip my internet connection from my clutching hands, so the next installment will be from the road. Have a great weekend, everybody!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Moving tips from the veteran of 6 moves in 11 years:
1. If you haven't used it, worn it, or taken it out of a box in a year or more, give it to charity. Somebody out there needs that purple velvet miniskirt way more than you do.
2. If it's covered in an inch of dust, #1 probably applies. If it has "sentimental" value, take a picture of it for the scrapbook and then get rid of it.
3. Really, who needs 72 pairs of shoes? I'm not admitting anything here . . .
4. If the moving company only sends TWO PEOPLE to pack up FOURTEEN THOUSAND pounds of household goods, TRY NOT TO PANIC. Calling the company and shouting words like "asswipe" will probably not help. As much as you may be tempted to.
5. Whoever invents chocolate-covered valium will make a zillion dollars.
2. If it's covered in an inch of dust, #1 probably applies. If it has "sentimental" value, take a picture of it for the scrapbook and then get rid of it.
3. Really, who needs 72 pairs of shoes? I'm not admitting anything here . . .
4. If the moving company only sends TWO PEOPLE to pack up FOURTEEN THOUSAND pounds of household goods, TRY NOT TO PANIC. Calling the company and shouting words like "asswipe" will probably not help. As much as you may be tempted to.
5. Whoever invents chocolate-covered valium will make a zillion dollars.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Public Service Announcement . . .
Brought to you from your friendly local author. :) Be sure to periodically check the expiration dates on the medicines in your cabinets. We move so often I do this at least every two years, but tonight I still threw out a small waste bin full of cold medicines for the kids that expired sometime last year or earlier this year.
And we won't even mention the can of soup in the cupboard that had an expiration date of January, 2003. It must have moved with us from Seattle to Florida and then from Florida here to Virginia. Sadly, its interstate journey is over. FAREWELL, ANCIENT MINESTRONE!!
Hmmm. Good possibility I'm getting punchy ...
And we won't even mention the can of soup in the cupboard that had an expiration date of January, 2003. It must have moved with us from Seattle to Florida and then from Florida here to Virginia. Sadly, its interstate journey is over. FAREWELL, ANCIENT MINESTRONE!!
Hmmm. Good possibility I'm getting punchy ...
Monday, July 23, 2007
One more day . . .
until the packers come to pack up my life for my move. Blogging and internet will be sporadic for a while. I finished the galleys for ATLANTIS AWAKENING today and am shipping those corrections off to NY in the morning so the book is done and ready to go to printing!! Yippee!! I also ran off some copies of the galleys for reviewers and will be getting those out in the mail, too.
Progressing on Ethan, too - I hope to email his story (Shifter's Lady) to my editor by the beginning of the week. He's so fascinating and his interaction with Marie is so much fun to write. I think I'm in another - "Wow, I wish this were a full book, instead of only a novella" mode on him!!
Justice's life is getting more and more dark and complicated so his book, ATLANTIS UNLEASHED, is looking to come in fairly long. I am so deeply into the Warriors' world right now that moving is a terrible inconvenience. Sigh. Not to mention the whole house hunt thing. But lovely Navy Guy spoiled me with a saphire "I appreciate you for going through yet another household move with me" ring tonight, so I'm feeling fairly happy in spite of the stress. :)
And of course if the insomnia gets too bad, I have a certain 7th book about a boy wizard on reserve . . .
hugs,
Alyssa
Progressing on Ethan, too - I hope to email his story (Shifter's Lady) to my editor by the beginning of the week. He's so fascinating and his interaction with Marie is so much fun to write. I think I'm in another - "Wow, I wish this were a full book, instead of only a novella" mode on him!!
Justice's life is getting more and more dark and complicated so his book, ATLANTIS UNLEASHED, is looking to come in fairly long. I am so deeply into the Warriors' world right now that moving is a terrible inconvenience. Sigh. Not to mention the whole house hunt thing. But lovely Navy Guy spoiled me with a saphire "I appreciate you for going through yet another household move with me" ring tonight, so I'm feeling fairly happy in spite of the stress. :)
And of course if the insomnia gets too bad, I have a certain 7th book about a boy wizard on reserve . . .
hugs,
Alyssa
Friday, July 20, 2007
Mummificatio-Phobia?
MOVING MISADVENTURES: Clearly I have mummificationphobia, fear of death by dry skin. I'm packing up the bathroom and I have TWENTY-SEVEN different jars, tubes, and bottles of various moisturizer, lotion, moisturizing mask, creams, you name it. All tools in the desperate fight to battle the dry and arid climate of . . . VIRGINIA??? FLORIDA??? Two of the most humid climates on the planet, if you don't live in an actual rainforest.
What was I THINKING???? ::headdesk::
Of course, our power went out last night after a particularly exciting wind and thunderstorm, so I was trying to go through the galley pages of ATLANTIS AWAKENING by lantern light. VERY VERY exciting. This is how cavewomen authors had to do it. Or something. Frankly, I'm on the second handful of dark-chocolate covered espresso beans, and I can't be counted on to be coherent in any way.
At least I'm well moisturized. Oh, and the blue hair is gone, sadly. Thought I should look a little less fringe-of-society dealing with realtors and etc. Plus I got layers, finally giving up and letting all the natural curl come through. Anybody who makes any Farrah Fawcett cracks can rest assured that I've already thought of them. LOL.
What was I THINKING???? ::headdesk::
Of course, our power went out last night after a particularly exciting wind and thunderstorm, so I was trying to go through the galley pages of ATLANTIS AWAKENING by lantern light. VERY VERY exciting. This is how cavewomen authors had to do it. Or something. Frankly, I'm on the second handful of dark-chocolate covered espresso beans, and I can't be counted on to be coherent in any way.
At least I'm well moisturized. Oh, and the blue hair is gone, sadly. Thought I should look a little less fringe-of-society dealing with realtors and etc. Plus I got layers, finally giving up and letting all the natural curl come through. Anybody who makes any Farrah Fawcett cracks can rest assured that I've already thought of them. LOL.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
The Norwegian basketball team rides again . . .
Me, Kathy Caskie, and Sophia Nash, with new member Kresley Cole and our self-appointed mascot, Julia Quinn, holding her new RITA!!!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Justice has art!!!!
And oh, what lovely art it is!!! I especially like the fishes . . . Here is the art for ATLANTIS UNLEASHED. Yummy. (okay, no snark about the rather . . . interesting . . . position of the sword . . . lol)
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Our lovely RITA winner - Caridad Ferrer!!!
On stage, with her shiny golden girl, and with me, Marianne Mancusi, and Barb's agent, Caren Johnson.
and there were parties!!
I caught Eileen Rendahl in a pensive moment (isn't she gorgeous?) and had a rocking evening catching up with great friends Virginia Kantra and Suz Brockmann!
even crazier . . .
I caught up with so many writer friends, like the always lovely Mary Castillo and the naughty Colby Hodge (Barb is hugging her to celebrate Colby's PRISM win!!)
and more . . .
My agent took me out to lunch at the Dragonfly restaurant (delicious!) at the Zaza hotel, which featured an opium bed in the lobby!! Steve fit right in with his southern gentleman seersucker suit!! Also, I loved the bowling dragon in the courtyard.
Back from Dallas!!
And it was crazy!! But, as always, pictures tell the story best:
Breakfast with Kate Douglas (who managed to take the pictures instead of being in them!), Susan Squires, Jennifer St. Giles, and Barbara "RITA Girl" Ferrer.
Breakfast with Kate Douglas (who managed to take the pictures instead of being in them!), Susan Squires, Jennifer St. Giles, and Barbara "RITA Girl" Ferrer.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Interview
The always-charming Winnie Griggs has posted an interview with me in her Spotlight feature, here.
I read a book this week that really annoyed me. The author was clearly working way too hard to use poetic prose and had a bad case of "metaphor addiction." When the word "like" is in every paragraph, the story itself gets lost, and that is author intrusion to me. It was jarring and threw me out of the book several times. I read as an author -- it's a switch that can't be toggled to OFF once it flips on -- and find examples of what NOT to do as often as I find examples of what TO do these days. Since I am a rank beginner at this storytelling gig, I am constantly seeking to find ways to make each book better than the one before. Frankly, I hope I never lose that.
In sad news of the arts, a classical flutist was arrested in Philadelphia for playing in the streets. PHILADELPHIA, which was at the heart of our early attempts at escaping oppression, is arresting musicians for expressing their souls through their art. Seems like maybe we should consider moving the Liberty Bell.
I read a book this week that really annoyed me. The author was clearly working way too hard to use poetic prose and had a bad case of "metaphor addiction." When the word "like" is in every paragraph, the story itself gets lost, and that is author intrusion to me. It was jarring and threw me out of the book several times. I read as an author -- it's a switch that can't be toggled to OFF once it flips on -- and find examples of what NOT to do as often as I find examples of what TO do these days. Since I am a rank beginner at this storytelling gig, I am constantly seeking to find ways to make each book better than the one before. Frankly, I hope I never lose that.
In sad news of the arts, a classical flutist was arrested in Philadelphia for playing in the streets. PHILADELPHIA, which was at the heart of our early attempts at escaping oppression, is arresting musicians for expressing their souls through their art. Seems like maybe we should consider moving the Liberty Bell.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
In honor of Atlantis
So look for the tall blonde with the blue streaks in her hair in Dallas!! :) I feel very patriotic today. Happy 4th, everyone!!
hugs,
Alyssa
Monday, July 02, 2007
Happy July!!
If you could see my office, you would laugh. I'm sitting surrounded by 8-foot-high stacks of cardboard boxes. The movers are coming to load us up the 25th of this month, which is only (AACKK!!) 3 weeks from now!! So it's going to be a crazy month. Today I'm guest blogging at Romance Bandits, so please drop by and say hi.
Once Upon a Romance just posted their review of WILD THING, and made my story a Featured Review!! Made me feel all warm and fuzzy. :) I'm so happy when people love my characters and stories, too.
For the many of you taking vacation this week, may your days be filled with sunshine and laughter and your picnics ant-free!
hugs,
Alyssa
ps I have a surprise in store for those of you I'll see next week in Dallas!
Once Upon a Romance just posted their review of WILD THING, and made my story a Featured Review!! Made me feel all warm and fuzzy. :) I'm so happy when people love my characters and stories, too.
For the many of you taking vacation this week, may your days be filled with sunshine and laughter and your picnics ant-free!
hugs,
Alyssa
ps I have a surprise in store for those of you I'll see next week in Dallas!
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