Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!

In Seattle you haven't had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it's running. ~Jeff Bezos

When I told DH my coffee pot was busted (and he tried to fix it, of course -- he's pretty darn handy, but this was beyond even him) he said, "Don't buy any more junk (it was a Target special, lol). Buy what you want and something that's going to last. Merry Christmas."

So... I didn't even stop at Target or WalMart... nope -- I went straight past them and on to Bed, Bath and Beyond. DD kept wanting me to get an espresso machine, lol. I have to admit to being tempted, but just didn't want to go there. Too much of a learning curve *G*.

So, after agonizing (the one thing DH did suggest was that I get something stainless) for quite a long time, and reading all the features (and the warranties!) and touching and caressing all the display models, I selected this (not my picture --it's from Cuisinart.com -- as a side note, does anyone else remember when Cuisinart meant food processor? "Can I use your Cuisinart?"... yanno, like "Kleenex" means facial tissue?):



**sigh** Isn't it beautiful? It grinds my beans (or would, if I had any... I've been grinding at the store because my coffee grinder also broke, some time ago, and I hadn't replaced it), it filters my water, it has a thermal carafe... my new love.

And, even better... it wasn't an arm and a leg. Just an elbow and my left heel.

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Yesterday, my "all promo, all the time" day didn't go as planned. It was DH's fault. And, once I download pictures, I'll tell you why.

*G*

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Coffee (pot) Break

A morning without coffee is like sleep. ~Author Unknown

What do you do when you wake up at the crack of dawn, turn on the coffee pot and... nothing happens?

1. Cry.

2. Try to get your brain to think minus its first jolt of coffee.

3. Boil water on the stove.

4. Ladle boiling water into coffee pot filter basket while balancing it carefully over the carafe.

5. Watch the coffee drip slowly, agonizingly through the filter.

6. Drink.

Ahhhh.....

7. Make plans to go to the store immediately for new coffee pot.

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Pix DD took of the flowers currently blooming outside:

Asters:


Marigolds (I plant them around my veggie garden, and didn't have the heart to pull them up when I took down the garden):


Chrysanthemums (as an aside -- I never understand why people don't actually PLANT the mums in their gardens here... they just plop pots all over the place and then throw them out. Mums DO come back every year -- they're like weeds... ah well, the frugal me will never understand):


Seedum:


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Happy Saturday. I have today set aside for "promo" day -- today I work on all the stuff I need to do for me as an author to get my name out there. I'm going to work on creating bookmarks and possibly a trailer for "Kitchen Matches" and "Stiller Creek", and I might do some loop and blog hopping. We'll see. I don't honestly know how much time I'll have as Judy is going away for the weekend, and I'll have to be both of us at LASR.

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Sunday Stuff

"Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." — Stephen King

I managed to work *a little* on my mystery yesterday and got about 200 words. Not much but certainly better than nothing! According to my word tracker, I need about 450 a day to meet my goal of 65,000 words by the end of February.

I also changed the wallpaper on my computer to the collage for that story, as a reminder and as a way to help focus. Here it is, if you're interested:



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Judy made me some banners for Liv! I'm so excited!! Feel free to steal them if you'd like -- you can link 'em to my Samhain author page: http://samhainpublishing.com/authors/marianne-arkins





Nine days and counting.

Also, I've got the virtual tour schedule here on my site. There are still days open -- feel free to ask me to join you somewhere!

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It's so warm out today (it's already 30 degrees), that the wood stove is keeping it TOO hot. It was nearly 80 degrees in the house this morning. So, I've got the sliding door open and the front door, and this lovely fresh air draft is coming through. I LOVE fresh air. In the summer we never close our windows. We have the kind that open from the top or the bottom, so when it rains, we can keep the tops cracked about six inches. So, I'm thrilled to be able to air out the house. Color me happy.

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Your candy heart is all about communication. If you like someone, and you've been keeping it a secret, Valentine's Day is the perfect time to get a little flirty. This tasty bit of heart-shaped candy reminds you that you don't have to say something in person – it's perfectly acceptable to express your feelings in other ways. The "Call Me" heart is closely related to the bizarre, but equally tasty, "Fax Me" heart. If you're tempted to fax someone special this Valentine's Day, please take our sweet candy advice and call, email, or IM them instead.

Um... I'm not certain how my DH would like people calling me, but HEY. The quiz says to do it.

Ha.

Monday Morning Meme and More!

The way to get good ideas is to get lots of ideas and throw the bad ones away." — Linus Pauling

How's THAT for an alliteration??

Click the picture to play along!

1. What famous person would you most like to have dinner with (living or dead) and what would you ask him/her?

I've never been a fan of this question, because there are SO MANY people. I could be flippant and say "The head of Harlequin, and hit him/her up about publishing my books." -- or I could be political and say "The President." But, if I talked to the current president, or any of our past presidents, the question I'd have to ask would be, "Why would ANYONE want to be president??" because I think it's a rotten job to have. Or I could be current and say, "Heath Ledger -- what really happened on the day you died?" or I could be obvious and say, "Jesus." but, I'd want to talk to Him for a really, really long time.

2. What do you enjoy blogging about the most?

I love to stay in touch with my "virtual" friends-- it's a bit like writing a letter to someone you care about who is far away. I only hope I don't bore you to tears with my gabbing :-)

3. What is your favorite kind of candy?

Super-duper dark chocolate with nothing at all adulterating the taste. Don't put nuts, or fruit, or nugat in it! NONONONO! Just deep, dark chocolate so bitter it makes you pucker. Oh. Yum.

4. Which sibling or relative are you closest to? What makes you close? Similar interests? Or are you completely opposite?

This one is easy: My Mom. I suspect we ended up being close because I was the baby of the family and my brothers and sisters were quite a bit older than I was -- so they were out of the house, and I was raised as *almost* an only child. Plus, my mom and I have a lot of the same interests, and we like much of the same stuff. And, we both like being alone so respect that in each other. We can talk about anything. Really, my mom is less a "mom" than a "best friend".

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So... can I just say that setting up promotions is a stinker? Judy, bless her little heart, has been helping me but GAH!! There is so much to do, so little time, and I know I'm going to forget something. There are loops to post to on certain days, with specific rules about how and what to post. There are blog posts to be written. Interviews to do. Contests to set up. Banners to create (actually Judy has already done this for me, I just can't show you because my cover hasn't been officially approved yet! ACK!), trailers to make (THANK YOU ALLIE!!! If you need a book trailer, go see the marvelous Allie B. She's the bomb!)...

I'm pooped.

I don't even want to think about when this is out in print and I have to do things like set up book signings. Holy Jamoley.

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The Daily Dakota:

Um... did someone say they needed toilet paper? I'm helping... no really... why don't you believe me?



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Today's random quiz:

You Are 22% Evil

A bit of evil lurks in your heart, but you hide it well. In some ways, you are the most dangerous kind of evil.

How Evil Are You?

This and That For Saturday

"To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time." -- Leonard Bernstein

Next week is gonna be a busy one for me. Because launching the website for LASR wasn't enough -- with all the contests, author interviews, and more -- I signed up to be the guest moderator at The Wild Rose Press author/reader loop. At the time, that move made sense... it's one year since I signed my first contract with them so I figured it was a great time to celebrate, and we hadn't even come up with the idea for LASR.

Now? Not so much. I need a daily question to post -- seven in total -- and I have three. Any ideas? They can be related to writing, or not. Serious or funny. Some ladies have asked about phobias, or most exotic place you've lived. I could use some help, folks!

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Hey, all. If you've happened to read my latest stories, Pregnancy Cravings and Magic (and heck, even if you've read my earlier work) and haven't left feedback/comments at TWRP, why haven't you? Did you like it? Then go tell someone :-)

C'mon, please?

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The official end of Pillar Place: Monarch came yesterday, with the hatching of Clarisse. She had some issues, didn't cling very well and fell a couple of times -- this was one of those cases where I wonder if she would have survived had she been in the wild. Regardless, she DID survive and flew off in the early afternoon. Gorgeous.

Pillar Place: Swallowtail ends on a cliffhanger -- is Jill still alive in her pupa? Will she hatch in the spring? Or is it all a cruel hoax, and she died at some point in her development? Stay tuned for next May... the season premier of Pillar Place: Swallowtail.

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This one's for Judy, who says I'm a "Type A++" ---

You Have A Type A Personality

You are hyper, energetic, and always on the mood You tend to succeed at everything you attempt And if you don't succeed at first, you quickly climb your way to the top! You could be called a workaholic, but you also make time for fun As long as it's high energy and competitive, you're interested You have the perfect personality for business and athletic success

Do You Have a Type A Personality?

In The Pink... Not.

“Pink is the color of romance and a friend tells me that the girl with the pink dress at the party is the one who is selected for each dance” - Alfred Carl Hottes

Is it possible that I am the only living person who wants to print something on pink card stock?? Because I have looked and looked, and can't find pink card stock anywhere -- except in a set of four other colors (green, blue, yellow and white) I don't want.

Pink isn't that uncommon a color, is it? I think pink is lovely. Quiet. Romantic. Pink, in various shades, is my favorite color for my flowers. Pink is nice. I have many shirts in pink. My bathroom is pink (well "rose" technically).

So, why can't I find pink card stock? Staples doesn't have it. Neither does Office Max or Office Depot. I have to admit, I've come close with Office Depot -- they have "salmon" which is oh-so-very-close. I may end up with salmon.

Does pink offend people? Does it make them violent? Ill? Hungry? Tired?

Why is there no pink out there?

I'm looking for pink business card stock as well. Does it exist? Apparently not. I found "butterflies & roses" which happen to be printed on pink business card stock... but PLAIN pink? Nope. Not there.

ARGH!!

I don't have the time to waste on this. It's absurd.

It's pink, office supply people... it's not a crime to like pink. Or is it?

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Charity is finally dishing on the Super Secret Hot Dish Project at her blog and congratulations are in order. Go give this MOST talented author the congrats she deserves.

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In Pillar Place: Monarch -- Otto is definitely a goner. He turned black and fell off the roof :-(

We moved Curly (of the black chrysalis) into his own abode (aka GladWare) just in case he, too, is stricken with the Black Death. All the other chrysaliseseseseses are a nice, healthy green color -- so, so far, so good. Fingers crossed for a huge crop of pretty butterflies.

It does make me wonder how they ever survive in the wild. Geez.

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Tomorrow is the big day! I have TWO stories coming out with The Wild Rose Press!! It's been tough -- I've been so wrapped up in the LASR site, that I haven't been in the least bit prepared to really promote these stories, and I LOVE THEM. I still haven't a clue what I'm going to do. I always have some sort of contest... any thoughts? What can I do to induce each of my readers to post about my stories on their blogs and get the word out? You decide what my contest should be.

Here are the stories:

"Pregnancy Cravings" (Coming August 15th)
Patrice would do anything for her pregnant friend, Cathy, even if "anything" includes running to the convenience store on a daily basis to indulge her cravings. On one of her excursions, Patrice meets Joey Sousa, the cashier at the store. Their attraction is undeniable, but awkward: he thinks she's pregnant, she thinks he's dating someone else. Will the misunderstandings keep them apart, or will their chance meeting give birth to happy ever after?


"Magic" (coming August 15th)
For fifteen years, seven friends have gathered for a vacation at Lake Wentworth, NH. This year is no different -- except this time, Cass Edwards has trouble looking at her best-friend-since-forever Ben Wilson as just a friend. Can two people in search of a future find it in a mutual past? Will love strengthen the bonds of their friendship or destroy them?

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You Are Expressionism

Moody, emotional, and even a bit angsty... you certainly know how to express your emotions. At times, you tend to lack perspective on your life, probably as a result of looking inward too much. This introspection does give you a flair for the dramatic. And it's even maybe made you cultivate some artistic talents! You have a true artist's temperament... which is a blessing and a curse.

What Art Movement Are You?

New Contract, New Group, and Just News

"Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results." - Willie Nelson

I just heard back from an editor at The Wild Rose Press , Champagne Rose line -- they've accepted another of my stories! I was beginning to get worried about this one... they've had it for quite a long time, had requested a rewrite (from first person POV to third) and I was afraid I'd done an awful job with the change.

But the editor loves the changes and offered me a contract for my story, "Pregnancy Cravings". It's more lighthearted than any of my others. Honestly, I'm surprised this is my first funnier one that's being published, because that's my favorite kind of writing to create and to read.

It was a good way to end my weekend. Yesterday was a l-o-n-g day. Aside from the fact I was sleep deprived, my DD was very needy. She is apparently coming down with a cold (her first one all season -- and immediately after her vaccination for chicken pox at the Doctor's office... coincidence? I think not) and was clingy. I got no writing done at all, because DH got up at the same time as me in the morning as well...

In other news, I'm signing up with a few other Wild Rose Press authors for MayNoWriMo (it will probably actually start a few days into May and end a few days into June). I think I may be crazy. It's a slightly altered version of NaNo, but should give me my fix until November (I really like doing NaNo). The rules are 30,000 words in thirty days -- and you can work on an existing project if you want. The idea is to finish something - a novella, the rest of a novel that's been languishing, or whatever. Anyone else want to join? I'll send you the Yahoo group address if you're that crazy :-)

Oh... I nominated this post of Allie's for "best blog post" over at Write From Karen. If you like the post as much as I did, go vote for it!

I've been thinking a lot about promotion lately... it was a comment from my DH that made me realize I should do a little bit more, even if it's "only" short stories that I'm promoting. I mentioned that I was making us millionaires one dollar at a time, and he said, "Just sell a hundred thousand of your stories, and we'll be on our way."

The Wild Rose author who started the WriMo group, above, has fifteen reviews on Fictionwise for her story. I have a total of seven between both... based on what I sold over there, and the percentage of people who left reviews, she sold A LOT more than I did. Not a few, a lot. So, I know it can be done. Of course, she's writing paranormal, and it may be that there is a larger audience for vampires than for "sweet" romance, but still... Any thoughts?

I was going to end this with a meme, but the Monday's a Bitch meme is all about video-gaming. The first question is about your favorite system... Um... I don't have one? We have, in fact, been told that we are abusing our DD because we don't have a gaming system. In all seriousness.

So instead, I'll give you this:

You Are a Plain Ole Cup of Joe

But don't think plain - instead think, uncomplicated You're a low maintenance kind of girl... who can hang with the guys Down to earth, easy going, and fun! Yup, that's you: the friend everyone invites. And your dependable too. Both for a laugh and a sympathetic ear.

What Kind of Coffee Are You?