It's just the kind of day to leave myself behind...

So as I said, Julie's on spring break this week but took off to be with her boyfriend on a really cool trip to New Hope, PA...and woo hoo she's coming back here on Wednesday just in time to do taxes and college FAFSA forms with me. Gah. But before she left, she made me this awesome salad for lunch and I just had to take a picture of it. Julie makes Martha Stewart look like Paris Hilton.

Eww...that's some analogy. I get the creeps thinking of either of them let alone both.

Oh no, now I just got a gruesome mental image of the two of them mud wrestling.

Help me. Please. Make it go away.

Sigh...I am just not normal.

So I got some awesome news today - Borders Books will be carrying Three Days in New York City in their bookstores nationwide and this bodes very well for the soon-to-be released sequel. I'm so psyched!

Also, yeah, yeah, make fun of me for my Google addiction all you like, but today I found an interview I did last year that's just been published. It's full of fun facts as usual but I have to be honest, I did this so long ago I don't even remember saying half those things. But I must have, huh. Anyway, the interview was conducted by a pretty cool author "in her own write" (What's this? Now I'm plugging the blog? I'm so shameless, aren't I?)...Glenda Woodrum.. Oh, and I can't help but notice that the interview says she's interviewing someone else -- Charlotte Boyette Compo. I wonder if that's a pen name I used while writing erotica intoxicated one evening? Hahahaha - nah, mine were usually funny, like "Cliff Rigid". This is probably just a webmaster cut and paste error. Though I really do like the name Charlotte...

Last night I dug deep into the archives and pulled out some Graham Parker. Stuff I hadn't listened to in a long time, like Don't Ask Me Questions and Soul on Ice. I forgot how fucking awesome he is. Only problem was I had my journal open and ended up using my pen as a drumstick instead of writing but oh well.

So as I mentioned yesterday, in May I'll be signing books at the RT Convention. Last year it was held in St. Louis and it poured rain for all four days so I was basically confined to the hotel and pretty shell-shocked because unless you've been to an RT Convention or done a lot of research before attending the first time -- which of course I never bothered to do -- nothing prepares you for the "experience". As I reported last year, authors and fans alike attend and dress in costume...in fact, that's what you do there...bring as many costumes as you can and they can't just be on the order of dressing all in black and merely wearing a black mask like I'd be inclined to do...this is like a major and I mean major gay Halloween bash. And RT is a mish-mosh of writers - Chick Lit, Romance, Erotica, and Paranormal (vampires)...so the costumes reflect that. Hmm...maybe I'll just go as different Chick Lit book covers.

Right.

This year I got really lucky. The convention is being held in Florida and I get to stay at this gorgeous beach front hotel!. So I'm pretty thrilled about that. It's been a long, long winter.

Anyway, the costumes really come into play at the various parties thrown by different publishers each evening. So I thought I'd list the parties which I'm expected to attend and the theme...and while I am going to come up with costumes for each on my own, you can let your own imaginations wander as to what you would do if you were me...

Ellora's Cave Fantasy Party
Wednesday, May 16, 2006
9pm to Midnight
Ballroom

This is the opportunity to live the dream
and dress up as your most bewitching,
outrageous and alluring “secret” self!
Anything goes … and an EC party will be wild!

Okay, this is obviously my favorite party theme. Any guesses as to my alluring secret self? Ha!

Now this next one is a little dicey...

Vampire Caribbean Ball
Thursday, May 17, 2006
9pm to Midnight
Ballroom

Come as your favorite pirate, serving wench, vampire, or swashbuckling hero

I'm thinking serving wench. Oh god help me. This is when I really need to be twenty years old again. I know. I'll be a swashbuckling heroine -- Groupie Mom!

Oy.

Oh, by the way, you do these things (costumes, party) to sell books. The convention culminates on the fourth day with a huge book signing/sale so you go to the parties all week and mingle. Last year, I didn't figure that out until the last day when I sat by myself wondering why other new and fairly unknown authors had long lines in front of their tables and others did not.


Okay, moving right along to the next party...and don't hold this against me, but I'm liking this one more and more:

Faery Ball
Friday, May 19, 2006
8pm to Midnight
Ballroom

At the Faery Ball you’ll find ferns and wildflowers covered with dew, essential for drinking and strengthening fae creatures’ magic, and traces of pixie dust all about.

Faeries are drawn to toads and frogs, dragonflies and bugs. They are each other’s companions. Flowers and herbs, thyme, foxglove, bluebells and fern, all assist them in moving between the Land of Fairy and the human world. The three-leaf clover is especially cherished by Fae…but not the four! It is said that to keep a four-leaf clover yourself, will give you the faery sight, as will the sipping of calendula tea.

In the world of the ancient Celts, people believed the world of the living and the world of the dead exist side by side. Only a thin veil separated them. One night in all the year, the veil is lifted. We can suddenly “see” that we are standing right at the edge, where the two worlds meet. And on that night, souls can cross over, go back and forth across the threshold. So brush off your wings, polish your wands and collect some Faery Dust and start creating your costumes for an unforgettable night of magic.

For costumes and accessories visit conniescostumes.com or email Connie at: connieperry@cox-internet.com

Holy shit...for this one you need a professional costume person? And I was just going to don a set of wings...

Now the following is the one that really scares the crap out of me the most and by the title, you'd think it would be the one I'd be most looking forward to, but, um...NO.

Dorchester Publishing's Racy Rock and Roll Party
Saturday, May 20, 2006
9pm to Midnight
Ballroom

This year’s theme for Dorchester’s annual RT party is “Biker’s Race Into The ’60s.” Think “Leader of the Pack” by the Shangri-las meets the Daytona 500 Speedway! Decor will include checkered flag table cloths and pitstop centerpieces plus a bevy of surprises. A DJ will spin ’60s, ’70s and ’80s tunes for non stop dancing! As always, Dorchester will be giving away great free gifts for all attendees and a fun food spread for all to enjoy. Prizes will be given away for the “Best Biker” costume, the “Best ’60s” costume, the “Best Speed Racer” costume and a few others we’re still working on. Let your imaginations go wild … as only a real Romance Reader can. So get your black leather and your tie-dyes dusted off … it’s time to party. Several Cover Models and 14 gorgeous Mr. Romance Pageant contestants, as well as the newly crowned 2006 Mr. Romance winner will join in the fun for a night of pure fantasy!

Oh. I'm in serious pain over the above, and the Saturday night party is the biggie so there's no way I'm getting out of it. Can you say "massive doses of Valium"?

And finally we end with...

Wait. I changed my mind. This one is my favorite:

New Concepts Publishing, Inc.
Sunday, May 20, 2006
7pm to 11pm
Dream Lovers Pajama Party
Ballroom

Come as your favorite dream

This would be a good time for my daily Neil Gaiman mention, huh. And ooh ooh, I got the mirrored glasses photo when I just went to his site to collect the link.

Sigh...

Later,
xo