Author: Jonathon

I’m anxious; why? I think it has something to do with the fact that Pippin is laying at my feet. Well, he’s actually on one foot. He hates storms and we’ve got another round of pouring rain, distant thunder, and even a little lightning. Pip hates it all.
I’m actually beginning to think that I’m picking up on his anxiety. I know, I know, weird, but I’m still beginning to think it’s true. I was fine until the puppy decided to be a canine limpet and attache himself to me. But I can’t in good conscience make him move, because I know that the close proximity makes him feel better.
Earlier today I finely got SWALLOWING DARKNESS back out. It was time. I was all prepared to decide how much to cut. I’d estimated loosing at least forty pages. But strangely, when I reread things, I didn’t need to loose anything. I’m not wrong on where the book needs to go and what needs to happen here. I was wrong about what the outcome will be of the events for the next few books, but I’m not wrong about this fight. We need it, and we need it here.
It’s time for Merry and her guys to show everyone that, they might, just might, be picking more of a fight than they bargained for.
I’m supposed to be working on Anita right now, but my head really isn’t into it. I think I may have a second short piece moving liquid in my head. The idea was that the second writing session of the day was about fun, and working on whatever I wanted to work on, not about deadlines. But I keep falling back into the habit of making it all about work, and not about play.
What do I want to play today? Is it time to actually just open up a blank file and see what my muse is trying to tell me? If I do, then it will be the first time in over ten years, maybe longer, that I’ve given myself that kind of freedom. Hmm, wonder what it will feel like? Best to find out. Maybe it will be another short story, or another novel-lite, or some idea that’s been bubbling around in my imagination, that’s finally ready to talk to me.
I’ll leave Anita, Edward, Olaf, and Bernardo, on the sidewalk in the summer heat. We can question people tomorrow, after I start the big fight at the end of DARKNESS. Fun day tomorrow, but right now, I’m going to go play.

“I don’t want to sound like an ad, a public service ad on TV, but the fact is if you can read, you can walk into a job later on. If you don’t, then you’ve got, the Army, Iraq, I don’t know, something like that. It’s, it’s not as bright. So, that’s my little commercial for that.” -Steven King
When I first heard the unfortunate statement that Stephen King made on Book TV on CSPAN 2, I was angry. I felt that I had to defend the honor of our nation’s military, but you know what? I don’t have to defend their honor because they do a damn good job of defending themselves.
First off, the friend that brought the statement to my attention, Charles, is ex-army. He really enjoys reading. He’s one of the few people, outside my writing group, that knows more esoteric quotes than we do. In fact, when he was stationed in Iraq in a forward area, he joked that he couldn’t get away from me. Why? Because, of the four books available, two of them were mine. When he got back to St. Louis and ended up being assigned to be my security, he told me the story. I loved the idea of my books, set here in the Midwest being out in the sand box for our soldiers to read.
I’ve lost track of the number of military men and women, who have said that reading my books helps them forget where they are, what they’re doing, and how far from home they are. That I help them escape, for a little while. What higher praise is there, than that?
Thanks to Darla, who first brought it to my attention, we’ve been sending books to our military men and women for years. We’ve actually sent to all branches at this point. Libraries on ships; deserts; bases in Europe; anywhere that someone wrote in and asked. But, not just my books, as much as I’d love to think that I’m every one’s cup of tea, I’m not, and also you can’t reread just one series forever. Everyone wants a change, so we send other books, as well. The solider that we just sent a box out to, requested action/adventure, and mysteries. Mine qualify, but we also sent him others. A book can be a very good friend when you’re far from home.
Maybe Mr. King never had the pleasure of being friends with anyone in the military. I have both very good friends, and family that are ex-military. My father-in-law, Art, is one of the most intelligent men I’ve met. He has a master’s degree in Theology; forgive me Art for not remembering the exact degree. He retired as a Major from the Air Guard.
Shawn, who has been my friend for eighteen, or is it nineteen years now, is one of the people that I call for advice. He’s well-read, and thoughtful, though he might deny it. He’s a policeman now, but he was a marine, though I’m not sure past tense actually applies to marines. You never really get it out of your system.
I have had ex-military personnel help me with research over the years. They have been generous with their time, their experiences, and helped add a level of reality to my fantastic fiction, that wouldn’t have been possible without their input. Thanks again, guys.

I enjoyed my weekend off, but today I’ve got no pages. Sometimes it happens after a weekend off, I just have trouble getting back in the groove. It’s one of the reasons I so seldom take an entire weekend away from work. Sigh.

Jon had a doctor’s appointment this evening, just a check-up, and Trinity and I did errands. By the time we were all back home, it was too late to have the dinner I had planned. As in, dinner would have been at Trinity’s bed time. We have staff to help organize us during the work day, but no one in the evening. At night, it’s just us to do the whole grown-up thing. Some day’s we’re better than others, but today was one of those moments when I thought, wouldn’t it be nice to have a wife? Not a real wife, but that 1950’s ideal that never really existed. Someone that is organized and helps you be organized, and makes sure that we don’t forget that to have dinner before bedtime, we have to start at X o’clock. I ended up going out and bringing in food. It was healthy food, sort of, and we ate. Trinity is now tucked into bed, and we are finishing up so we can go up soon. So we got everything done that needed doing, eventually, but when I realized that I’d missed the window for dinner, I felt like I’d failed.

There are days when I think, wouldn’t it be nice to have that organized grown-up in the house. But it’s not me, and though Jon is more practical than I am, he’s not the most practical person. But, you know what, I’ve never been attracted to anyone that was terribly practical. Even my first husband wasn’t organized or practical. In fact, one of the things that contributed to our divorce was that both of us kept looking at the other person, waiting for them to notice that the lamp shades were dusty, and the dinner needed to be put in the oven, or purchased from the grocery store in time to have for dinner. Now, my Chief of Domestic Operations, Sherry, takes care of the dust, and someone else buys the groceries, after I make the meal plan, so all we have to do is cook it in a timely manner. You’d think we could manage it, and most days we do, but every once in a while the absent-minded professor/artist kicks in, and we just forget. But, in the end, we got dinner, and the kiddo in bed, and it all got done. But it is one of those days when I think longingly of having one extra more practical person in the house, but let’s face it, even if Jon and I could find a third adult that we wanted to cohabitate with, we’d never be attracted to someone organized and practical. When we were both dating, our choices ran high to artist, techies, writers, and scientiests. None of these jobs, or degrees are likely to net you an organized mate. Now, now, I know there are some out there in all those categories that are the exception to the rule. Those professor types that are far from absent-minded, must be out there, but I never dated them, and neither did Jon.

So, even if we added another person to the household, we’d be no better off. We might have fun, but the chance of us bringing someone into the house that would actually help us be better in a practical manner, is slim to none. I think one of the reasons that Nathaniel in the Anita books is so domestically oriented is pure wish fulfillment on my part.

But as one good friend said recently, simple, and well-organized is boring. Well, yeah, but there are days when I wonder what it would be like for someone in the household not to be an artist, or a techie, or both. It wouldn’t work, but the lamp shades would get dusted, and dinner would be on time.

The auctions have ended. The drawings done. Just wanted to give everyone a heads up on how it came out.
Peggye O of Colorado donated $625.00 to Granite City APA!
Rebecca U of New Jersey donated $610.00 to Midwest Pug Rescue!
Thank you both so much for the wonderful bids!
Now to our drawing winners.
The fan club member who was the random drawing was Tammy M of Ohio.
The random email drawing winner was Kristen T of California.
I think this was our biggest drawing yet. We have 14,392 entries. Whoo! That?s a lot!
All the winners have been sent an email.
Thank you to all who entered.

I’m a big one for work, as you guys know, but this weekend has been about fun. I have actually taken the entire weekend off. Trinity is with her father, so Jon and I have been on our own. Friday was socializing with the writing group. Saturday Jon and I watched three hours of Tivo television that we’d been trying to see all week. Since we average about an hour of television a day, three hours was pure indulgence. But I didn’t feel guilty, it was relaxing. Sometimes a little coach potato time is exactly what’s needed, especially when watching with my sweetie beside me.
Saturday night was serious date night and grown-up time. I’d tell you what we did, but then I’d have to kill you. Your clearance is not high enough, yet.
Today, Sunday, we saw Iron man with our friends Mark and Sarah. The movie was way fun, and though I had my doubts about Robert Downey Jr., well, he is Iron Man. We had lunch before the movie at The Blue Owl in Kimmswick. They have great food, and deserts that are so dangerous that just looking at the case gives you a sugar rush. The restaurant has appeared on the food channel, and deservedly so. Sarah and I have been going there for a girl’s lunch for years, but it’s only been in the last few years that we’ve included our husbands and made it a couple thing.
The decision for the evening is do we eat dinner, or do we eat the deserts we got from the restaurant? There’s no way to do both.

Good rules for any new endeavor. I drove off to do errands. The Foose is a car that encourages you to find excuses to drive. I’m a little rough going from first to second gear, but I’m smooth the rest of the way up. I muttered under my breath, “Easy off the clutch. Don’t stab at it. Give it gas, but not too much.” Once I got up to speed, I was able to drive like a sane person and not talk to myself, but any stop light, or sign, was met with a litany of out loud advice to myself. It helps me concentrate.

I no longer break into a cold sweat when I see a light turning red. I fear no stop sign. Though a downward slope does still give me pause, if it’s behind me. But I’m working on it. The other goal was that next writing group, I drive the Foose. Well, it’s tonight, and guess what? The Baby and I are driving.

Brenda Novak?s Auction for Juvenile Diabetes Research is up and running today!
General info on auction:
Click Here: Auction Info
http://www.brendanovak.com/auction_index.php
Auction Items:
Click Here: Auction Items
http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/
Stuff donated by Laurell:
Click Here: Laurell’s Basket
http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=989584&_UserReference=D1D0771246B6C686C8FE8378EB654819DFA7
In this fabulous Laurell K. Hamilton Goody Box, you’ll receive an Anita Blake Hunter Series sterling silver chain necklace with a set of vampire teeth
An Anita Blake Hunter Series chain pull
An autographed copy of ANITA BLAKE VAMPIRE HUNTER GUILTY PLEASURES Comic Book, Volume 1
Autographed copy of STRANGE CANDY, a collection of short stories by Laurell K. Hamilton
Autographed copy of A LICK OF FROST (Hardcover)
“I LOVE SIGMUND” stuffed penguin
“I LOVE NATHANIEL” stuffed bear
Winner’s choice of one T-shirt from the Laurell K. Hamilton Fan Club Brochure
Autographed copy of THE FIRST DEATH (Anita Blake Vampire Hunter) Comic
Unabridged MP3-CD Audio Version of MISTRAL’S KISS (Autographed on cover)
Danse Macabre coaster
A LICK OF FROST magnet
“Anita Blake was here” sticker
Complimentary one-year membership to Laurell K. Hamilton Fan Club
Laurell K. Hamilton CD (Center for the Book)
“Asher Slept Here” Night-shirt
Fanged rubber ducky
INCUBUS DREAMS on Compact Disc (Autographed on cover)

The HARLEQUIN came out in paperback yesterday. It’s Anita #15. Just writing that seems odd. BLOOD NOIR will be #16, and I’m two hundred pages into #17. We are so closing in on #20. I’ve no idea why, but that is a magic number for me in a series. The concept that I could have twenty books in one series is entirely too cool.
I think I am so enamoured of the idea because my first series that began with NIGHTSEER died a tragic and abortive death. Because my first series never got a chance to live beyond one book, makes the success of Anita and Merry all the sweeter.
Interestingly, THE HARLEQUIN has chapters from BLOOD NOIR in the back. A little preview for those of you who don’t want to wait until the new book comes out. The truly interesting part is that it’s taken Jon awhile to get the tech in line, and we’ve only just this week gotten the video up on You Tube and My Space, of me reading the first three chapters of BLOOD NOIR. The reading was originally at the last Wolf Howl at the Wild Canid Research Center. We read inside either because it was cold, or raining. I can’t remember which now, but inclement weather put us inside. Many of you have complained that you only have the first three chapters on the video, and you can’t wait. Well, in the paperback of HARLEQUIN are four more chapters that you wouldn’t have to wait for. Between the video of the reading and the preview in the paperback, you’ve got almost the first ten chapters.
Oh, and BLOOD NOIR breaks a rule that I’ve had for years. I put the first sex scene in a book more than sixty pages in, because most readings last about an hour. I read about a page a minute. So if the sex is more than sixty pages in, then I never have to read the scene in public. Well, it just worked out that the first sex scene is very close to the beginning of the book. Close enough that I’m reading it on the video, and you can hear the crowd reaction.
Why did I decide to break my rule after so many books? Because I realized the rule was about being embarrassed. I just realized one day that I’m not embarrassed about what I write, so why should I be embarrassed about reading it aloud? The result is the beginning of BLOOD NOIR. I hope everyone enjoys hearing, and reading the opening, as much as I enjoyed writing it. Go team.