Gifts For Writers/Agents/Editors

Since I mentioned Christmas shopping yesterday, I thought I should help the cause and offer some ideas for fellow writers, your agent and your editor(s). Let's begin, shall we?

What agent or editor wouldn't love this handy rubber stamp? Think of how quickly they could get through their slush piles!

This one is perfect for that aspiring writer who is just waiting for that big sale to tell their boss adios! Or perhaps this Jane Austen finger puppet would be nice for the historical writers in your circle of five.

Personally, I think this book would make a great gift for any of the strong women in your life. Who wouldn't want to know how to choke a man with their bare thighs or win a catfight? (Feel free to buy this one for me.)

This fabulous board game could be for anyone who loves books. It's an all-purpose writing-related gift. And one you can suck your non-writing friends into playing with you, only to decimate them and laugh while you do it.

Lastly, these PJ's are covered with books (I know it's hard to see in the pic) and would be perfect for anyone, provided you have the kind of relationship that allows for giving sleepwear.

Hope this helps you in your quest for gifts!

S'up

What are you working on in your writing life? Or are you between projects and just whiling away the hours with a good book?

I'm in the throes of some minor revisions. I hope to have them done by the end of the week or middle of next, then they'll need to be proofed. Beyond that, there is one thing hanging over me like a big red and green cloud.

Christmas shopping.

It must be done - actually, it must be finished. I have a few things, but I need to finish soon since we're driving up to my folks this year. I have to have everything for Hotrod's side delivered early and everything for my side ready to go for the trip.

A trip that will include our three furry beasts. Yes, that's right, the kittens are coming with us. My parents have room for them and it's better than leaving them home. Besides all my usual cat sitters are going to be away too.

Should be interesting. I promise to take pics.

If You Can Read This, Thank A Vet

The veteran's in my life include:

- My husband, who retired after serving 21+ years in the Air Force.

- My great uncle, who gave his life on the beaches of Normandy

- My father, who served in the Army

-My brother, who served in the Coast Guard

-My father-in-law, who served in the Navy

- Numerous friends and husbands of friends in the Army and Air Force, several of whom are currently in theater.

Who are the vets in your life? When's the last time you thanked them for their years of service? They deserve our gratitude and for those still serving, they deserve our prayers.

Vegas Report

Hi! We're having fun!

We saw Hung, the winner of Top Chef, in the airport on our way in. I would have gotten my picture taken with him, but he was on the phone. Very cool.


I've been shopping. Lots of shopping. Bought a wicked cool belt and some Betsey Johnson pj's.

Last night, we went to see Spamalot! SO much fun! Really a great production with lots of special effects and singing. Even a singalong at the end.

More later. I have shopping to do.

Viva Las Vegas!

Hey hep cats (that's Vegas-speak for y'all), Hotrod and I are boarding a jet plane for Vegas tomorrow, so try not to miss me too much, ya dig?

We haven't been in a long while, so I'm looking forward to visiting again. Vegas and NYC are tied for first place as my favorite shopping destinations. Seriously. Think about it - NYC has great shopping, I don't deny that for a moment, but Vegas probably has more sparkly things per person than anywhere else on earth. (I'd love to know what that city's annual rhinestone bill is.) Me and sparkly things go together like grilled and cheese. If you know me at all, I'm sure you can see the lure Vegas shopping holds for me.

See, I don't gamble. If I'm going to drop buckets of cash, I want to come home with something. Manolo's or a LV purse or some bling. Something. And there are lots of somethings in Vegas. Pretty, sparkly, shiny somethings.

Sure, I'll be working a little. Might even try to post a few pics. We'll see. Hotrod's there for a conference, so I'll be left to my own devices during the day. I figure work a little/shop a little/see the sights. I also need to do a little research for a book idea I have.

Yeah, that's what I'll be doing...working...

CATURDAY!

Go 'way, Iz sleepin'.

Srsly. Sleepin'. It's Caturday! I doan gotta get up!

Why you wake him up? He's hoggin' my windo.

TBR or Not TBR?

My To Be Read pile is enormous. Ginormous. Ridiculously so. I can't roll my chair back too far for fear of crushing the books that line the wall behind my desk. Book are everywhere. Spilling out of the bookcase (which is packed to within an inch of its life), stacked on the floor in several spots, on my desk, on my nightstand...it's out of control.

I had a good hard think about it yesterday. Am I ever going to read all those books? No. So why do I keep them? There are many answer to that.

1. After a publisher has sent me an ARC to be reviewed on Romance Divas, they will usually send another copy of the book once it's been released. These extras fill my shelves. Some I give to friends, but any that seem like something I might be interested in, I hang on to.

2. Free books from conferences. I have scads of these. I defy you to attend a conference and not come home with a few free books. Unfortunately, many of these aren't something I'd actually read. They end up being giveaways for chapter raffle baskets and such.

3a. Books I spent money on and want to read. These days, that pile is smaller and smaller, because those are *surprise* the books I read. Then they get moved to a different bookshelf with all the other books I've read. Or given to a friend with the demand that they read the book too.

3b. Books I spent money on and don't want/intend/have time to read. These are usually books bought at a signing to support the author because they're a friend or sometimes, in the case of the RWA Literacy signing, they look so sad and alone that I feel compelled to buy their book and make them smile. Yes, I'm soft like that. Deal with it.

These books are hard to part with because 99.999% of them are personally inscribed to me. My name is on the title page. How do you get rid of a book autographed to you? I know it can be done, but it seems...wrong.

*sigh*

I have to weed through these books or I will be forced to move out of my office. I think it's time to get serious about what I want to read and what I don't want to read. How do you whittle your pile down? What do you do with the books you don't want? (I don't believe there's a used book store in our area.) Help! I need suggestions/advice/answers.

And The Winner Is...

No one, unfortunately - I should have given clues. My fault for not helping you out more! However, I'm awarding the prize anyway to Celia Kyle for her answer "Kit Cat" since it's a food product and closest to what Scooter was:

A DOUBLE-STUFF OREO!

He didn't mind wearing the little ribbon belt I made for him at all. He wasn't nearly as patient with the vet, though, and the shots she had to give him. When it was over she replied, "Well, at least no one lost a finger." That Scooter - he's a handful. And nearly 18 pounds if the vet's scale is to be believed.

In other news, I want to give a birthday shout-out to my friend Carolyn O'Neil. Her birthday's not until the 3rd, but close enough.

And lastly, have you been to the party on Gena Showalter's blog? You really ought to go. See you there!

Happy Halloween!

I have to take Scooter to the vet today for his yearly check-up. Of course, being Halloween and all, he's going in costume. (What kind of cat mother do you think I am?) If you can guess Scooter's costume, you'll win a hardback copy of ...

Last Rituals is an Icelandic novel of secret symbols, medieval witchcraft, and modern murder. Perfect for Halloween, don't you think?

Contest winner will be announced tomorrow, along with pictures of Scooter in his costume!

Put Your Party Hat On!

When a bad boy grows up to be a deliciously bad man...

Tall, Dark and Filthy Rich

By Jill Monroe
Out November 1st from Harlequin Blaze!

What would you do if you hit the jackpot?

Private investigator Jessie Huell has always eschewed girlie things for the tools of her trade. She'd swap Jimmy Choos for a nightscope any day. But when she arrives as a guest on a popular Atlanta sex show, Jessie is unexpectedly reunited with high school crush and producer Cole Crawford—multi-million dollar lottery winner, igniter of panties...and bad, bad news for her.

Now Jessie is the official spokesperson for fling-havers everywhere—Cole and Jessie are doing hot, naughty things in the very same places she swore she'd avoid. As each incredible second explodes by, Jessie finds herself in deep trouble: if she's not careful she'll break the first rule of flingdom and it'll turn serious…which means she'll have to find the real dirt on Cole Crawford...because this man's too good to be true!

What Others Are Saying About Jill Monroe

" Monroe is an author discerning romance readers will appreciate for the lack or artifice, contrivance, and cliché in her narration." from Paperbackreader.net
Contest

I didn't write the phrase panty igniter, but I have more people comment about it, so I'll go ahead and take credit. Actually, I'm hosting a contest with that phrase in mind. If you e-mail one of the color of panties mentioned in the book (and there's more than 1 to choose from) by December 31, 2007 - you'll be entered into a drawing for a $25.00 Victoria 's Secret Gift Certificate. Winner announced the first week of 2008 - good luck!

Tall, Dark and Filthy Rich can be purchased wherever Harlequins books are sold or at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and eharlequin.com

And don’t miss the blog party at Gena Showalter’s blog where we’re celebrating the release of Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night by Kresley Cole and Holidays are Hell by Marjorie Liu!

Reasons People Stumble Upon My Blog

10 34.48% kristen
5 17.24% halloween funnies
3 10.34% vomit pumpkin
2 6.90% alan rickman blogspot
2 6.90% kristen florida erotica writer
1 3.45% angela james rejection letter
1 3.45% where to buy coconut chocolate in hawaii
1 3.45% painters that changed their name
1 3.45% buy hershey's kisses filled with cherry cordial cream
1 3.45% airtran sucks
1 3.45% kristin
1 3.45% janet reid miss snark

29 Entries = 100%
_____________________


What does this teach us? If you want more traffic to your blog, blog about me. LOL - Seriously though, discuss.

My Brain Has Betrayed Me

I have a rather active imagination. I am a writer, after all. It's what we do, this active imagining. However, there is no off switch. I wish there was. I'm mentioned this before. See, when I go to sleep, I lose control of my brain and it does whatever it wants, regardless of what I might enjoy.

Take last night for example. I dreamed...it's so hard for me to put this into words...I dreamed I was in some sort of a sad, dramatic movie. I was a Hooter's waitress (not such a stretch, I know) struggling to make ends meet to finance my way through college or dental hygienist school or something like that, in love with a widower who had some sort of degenerative bone disease as played by Tom Cruise (you do realize in real life the top of his head wouldn't pass my sternum?) Tom's son from his late wife was played by that kid from Jerry Maguire, oddly enough. This kid and his coke-bottle glasses came into Hooter's to tell me his father was in the hospital. His bones were crumbling. Cue dramatic music and tears.

Um...I don't even like Mr. Crazy Couch Jumping, Aliens-Among-Us, I Know Everything There Is To Know About Postpartum Depression. I'd actually prefer to squash him like a bug. And yet, my brain decides to play fast and lose with my dreams and that's where he ends up. Gag.

Is there any hope for me? Will my brain continue to torture me this way? Stay tuned for the next episode of..."The Brain That Dreamed Too Much!"

Please Turn Off Your Cellphones

Hotrod and I plan to see a movie today or tomorrow, but honestly, nothing that's showing is really grabbing us. Have you been to see anything good lately?

In other news, I'm reading Peter Dunne's Emotional Structure and it's pretty good. If I were the highlighting type, I'd be highlighting big sections of every page. It's infinitely quotable. A group of Romance Diva members are reading this book and we plan to start discussing it on Nov. 1st. If you're interested, there's still time to read it!

And lastly, today is the first "cool" day we've had in Florida. I think it's about 69 degrees. I spent this morning opening up the house to let fresh air in. SO nice! This is my idea of fall. lol

What's new with you?

Should I? Or Shouldn't I?

I have a workshop idea for Nationals and the clock on getting that submitted is ticking. I was gungho on doing this, but now I'm not sure. Should I submit it or not? Here's the general blurb:

Romancing The Stones: Using the history, mystery and mythology of gemstones and jewelry to make your stories shine.

What do you think? Would you attend that workshop? Give me your honest opinion! I'd hate to submit something, get it accepted, then have zero attendance. Ugh. Help!

And The Winner Is...

Ciar Cullen! Send me your mailing address at kristen (at) romancedivas (dot) com and I'll get your book out to you!

Congrats!! And thanks to everyone who played. It was hard to chose. There were so many good ones!

Happy Friday!

For all of you cat owners (or those of you owned by cats), wouldn't this be a handy sign to have? Just drop it over the offending mess until a more convenient time for clean-up arrives. Sweet! Add that to my Christmas list.

Thanks to everyone who commented on my blog post at the Knight Agency blog yesterday! Much appreciated.

I'm off to my chapter's retreat this weekend, so y'all will have to amuse yourselves. One of the ways you can do that is entering my caption contest a few posts below. Go ahead, it's fun!

Have a great weekend!

Shout Out!

I'm blogging at the Knight Agency blog today - stop by and say hi, would ya? I wouldn't my agent to think I'm a loser. *wink*

Caption Contest!

The best caption for this photo of Max (also known as Omniscient Cat) will win a copy of:

Supernatural seduction from the bestselling author of Touched by Darkness.

Since a brutal attack on her sister eleven years ago, Marla Reynolds has been emotionally frozen. But the passion of one man-a member of an ancient superhuman race-could melt her defenses.

This is a great series by Cathering Spangler - you won't be disappointed! Captions must be in by Sunday night. I'll announce the winner Monday morning! Get your thinking cogs oiled up!

Things You Can't Live Without

It's Monday. We need a little nonsense, don't you think? There's plenty of time for serious tomorrow. Enjoy!

1. How To Get Along With Boys Book - There's also one on how to get along with girls, but honestly, who would really need that?

2. Bacon-flavored Mints - Now that's fresh breath!

3. Giant Ear - never be accused of not listening again.

4. The Illustrated Librarian Tattoos - I'm especially fond of the one that says, "Born To Read."

5. Librarian Action Figure - you can't have 4 without 5. Really.

6. Albino Bowler Action Figure - I'm thinking he'd make a great date for the Librarian.

7. Sushi Bandages - When doesn't slapping raw fish on a wound make it feel better?

8. How To Keep Your Husband Apron - Perfect for the bride, don't you think?

9. Cowboy Boot Sideburns - Perfect for making an impression at your next writer's conference.

10. Itty Bitty Rubber Chickens - Seriously, 144 of them for $35? How can you say no?

Now I Know Why They Mow Lawns

Living where we do in Florida, we have a plethora of wildlife that hangs out around our house. Lizards, turtles, the occasional gator and a variety of bird life that would make Audubon jealous - roseate spoonbills, golden hawks, herons, even a bald eagle once. Among this group is perhaps our most frequent and dear visitors, the sandhill cranes.

They have become so comfortable with Hotrod that they eat out of his hand. I've started calling him "the bird whisperer" - funny, aren't I?

Anyway, when he's away, which is often, they barely tolerate my presence when I bring them seed, eyeing me like I'm somehow responsible for Hotrod's absence. Usually I end up dumping the seed, then going inside to watch them. Yesterday as I was doing this, our next door neighbor's yard guys stopped their mowing and edging for a moment.

The edger pointed at the sandhills and proudly proclaimed (with great seriousness and wonder) to the guy on the mower, "Look! Pterodactyls!"

Um...I think even the sandhills started laughing.