Author: Jonathon

By 3:30 this afternoon I had done thirty minutes on the treadmill (some of it actually running, not just walking with attitude), finished twelve pages of THE HARLEQUIN (the climatic fight scene is well under way, yea!), and was in the shower. The shower I’d promised myself this morning if I got the writing and the exercise done. Jon likes his showers in the morning before the day begins, I’m a clean up at the end of the day person. I’ll make an exception depending on the schedule, but end of the day also ups your chance of a long soaky bath. One of my favorite things. No time for that today though, and no patience. The kiddo to be taken care of, dinner to be done, and we are picking up our friend, Richard (no, not that Richard), at the airport. He’s back from Italy for awhile. Anyway, the dogs are letting us know that they also need to eat. Lots to do before we pick Richard up. Anyway, a good, productive day. I listened to the new Evanescence album on the treadmill and continued with headphones and music to the afternoon session of writing. Strangely, I never seem to be able to listen to Evanescence at the beginning of an Anita book, but there’s something about the end of one that the music just fits. Good they brought out the second album, at long last.

My goal is to do a new blog every day. I won’t make that, most likely, but heck, you guys got two blogs last night. We’ll see how it goes. I wrote mostly long hand today. I have been having fits with this plot climax. Finally, today I meditated and took this particular problem into meditation with me. I couldn’t clear my head enough to meditate, so I finally said, okay, then look at what’s bothering you. Why couldn’t I get this scene done? I think I know. I have pages in my notebook to transcribe to computer tomorrow. I hope that that will get me over the hump. I think I know what’s happening in the finale. I think I know, but I also know that something will surprise me. Some character, or plot point, or event will come out of left field and take my breath away, or reduce me to tears. Sometimes it’s tears of frustration, sometimes it’s tears of a different kind. There are so many characters on stage for the final show down that that alone will be a challenge to me as a writer. Jon and I saw more covers this week for the comic book. Soooo cool. The new Anita cover, and the Edward cover, are entirely too cool. The other cover I’ll let you wait to see, and see how many of you spot who it is right away. Those who are new to the books entirely, and have just been introduced to the comic book, well, if you guys are reading this blog, welcome. Sorry, if much of what I write assumes a certain intimacy with my world and my characters. To write the blog any other way would be like trying to explain who all my friends and family are every time I mention them. Sorry if it’s confusing. I hope not too confusing. Again, welcome aboard, hope you enjoy the ride.

We’ve done the traditional, for us, Halloween. Trinity and I did one half of our neighborhood on foot, both sides of the street. We came back to the house, had a quick dinner, then Jon takes her to the other half of the neighborhood. He’s taking the car. It’s turned colder, and she’s wearing small heels tonight. Ah, the joys of girl shoes. She requested the car. I think more for the shoes than the cold. As she put it, “This dress is actually quite warm.” I am manning, or womaning, the candy. I’m beginning to be concerned we won’t have enough. Usually, we have tons left over, but I think the effort to not have tons left over may backfire, and make us have not enough. EEK! Nothing to be done about it, I guess.
I’m making tea. Then I’ll do what I usually do while Jon and Trin are out finishing the trick or treating. I will work on the current book, make notes where I can see the front window, and be sure to hear the doorbell. Some Halloweens I get quite a bit done, sometimes not. It depends on the frequency of visitors. What you thought we’d be having a wild Halloween party? We have a child that is young enough to still think trick or treating is cool. We are enjoying it while we can. When she gets older then we’ll still be giving out candy to the neighborhood kids. How do other Wiccans manage to have time for a major ritual on Samhain? I guess you opt out of the whole commercialization of the holiday, or do it late like midnight mass for Christmas. Hmm. Well, a few years to go before we’re not doing the kid thing. Years to think about how to fit in everything in the holiday. Isn’t that always the way with holidays?

Happy Halloween. Happy Samhain. It’s a harvest festival and a festival when the veil is thin between this world and the next. Traditionally a time to say good-bye to the dear departed. I’ve got to go get ready to take Trinity trick or treating. I’m trying to decide if it’s too cold for my costume. I’ve got a cape. Jon and I will probably take turns taking her out and serving candy. We usually do. The pumpkins are lit. The excitement runs high, and all I can think of is that I didn’t get my minim pages today. This is a high holy day for our faith. An important day, but I just haven’t been able to get into the spirit of things this year. It is the end of our year, because it is the end of the harvest. Now’s the time to prepare for winter in a serious way. To make sure you have enough food stored away, and fuel to keep you warm. The seasons don’t mean much when you have central heating and central air, and grocery stores, but the rhythm’s of the earth are still there, still waiting to be felt. It’s going to be a chilly Samhain here. One year in Indiana we had snow on Halloween. I’m off to either put on make-up for the costume, or help with the last two pumpkins still to be carved. Happy holiday to everyone. Be safe out there.

We’re here in New Orleans, and we have some positive info about NOLA.
We got to see some people tonight at a wine tasting hosted by Suzie Q. and had fun talking with everyone.
Afterwards, we went to a nearby restaurant for food and were amazed.
The Alpine Bistro (620 Rue Chartres) has the best ribs either Laurell or I have had. We’ve had ribs in other places, Including Memphis TN, and St. Louis. These Ribs tonight beat them all hollow, drug them into a Dark Alley, took their loose change , kicked them and made fun of their mammas. Thanks to Holly our waitress for that last little bit. It almost made Charles snort water.
Any who… The food was great, and reasonably priced.
Any who again, were going to sleep now, and plan on seeing even more people tomorrow night at the ball.

Gearing up for another plane flight in a day or so. We’ll be seeing some of you in New Orleans. Earlier today I wasn’t sure I had another flight left in me this year, but I’ll screw my courage to the sticking point, and I’ll go, because I said I’d go. Wish I could finish the book before we go, but it is sooo not happening. I’ll leave you with a quote that I recently found:
“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul . . .”
Henry Ward Beecher 1813-1887

Do you guys remember a few days ago when I said, I wished I could tell you everything that had been going on with the business end of things? I made analogy to making sausage. Well, you don’t get to know everything that went into the making of it, but you do get the warm, crispy finished product. You know how we said that the next Anita book, THE HARLEQUIN, would be in October of ’07, well, it won’t be. Did I hear a despairing wail? Well, don’t despair. THE HARLEQUIN, Anita #15, will be out in June of ’07. You’re getting the book five months earlier than planned. How cool is that? It’s more work for me and my editor and everyone who will be working on the book. We’re the ones that have to make the sausage, but for all of you just on the devouring end, it’s all good news. I’m excited about the book coming out earlier, but being run a little ragged helping make it all happen.

The comic of GUILTY PLEASURES has sold out. We got the news yesterday. I know, it went on sale day before, so it sold out in a day. Is that amazing, or what? Pretty darn cool.
I think I have a beginning to this chapter, finally. It feels right, at long last. I’ve resorted to coffee, that sense memory thing. I haven’t had to do sensory work to get into Anita’s head for years, but it’s working, and that’s what counts. It can’t be flavored coffee either, and it can’t be as weak as I usually drink it. Anyway, I’m back to work, wish me luck. I’m so close to the end, that if I stretch my arms out really far, my fingers can brush it.

As you can see from Jonathon’s post yesterday the comic book is out. It looks great, and the dialogue is dead on. It really, truly is GUILTY PLEASURES, not just based on the characters, or based on the book even, but taking the book and turning it into a comic book. So cool.
On other cool news, STRANGE CANDY, my anthology of short stories is number 8 on the New York times list. It’s number 5 at the Wall Street Journal, and 5 at Publisher’s weekly. STRANGE CANDY was 36 over all in sales at USA Today. Short story collections, especially with only one author doing all the stories is notorious for selling not so well. They can do okay, but they rarely make the list, and if they do, never breaking the top ten. When my agent and then my editor called me back to back to give me the news, it was the most giddy I’ve heard them in awhile, and the most relaxed happy I’ve been, ever, about making the list. Why? I mean I’ve made it higher. But always before I was either in the middle of some big tour or publicity campaign so that I was too tired or too stressed to really enjoy the news. Or, I thought I had a chance to make the list, and was already worrying about where I’d be on the list. Who was coming out that same week? Would they beat me out for number one? But now, with STRANGE CANDY, I didn’t expect to make the list. I had no expectations, so I didn’t worry about it. Hitting the list, and hitting all the lists, in the top ten, was unexpected and delightful, because it was like a surprise present. I hadn’t worried and fretted, or been dragged across the country on this one. Heck it was a short story collection so I haven’t even had to do any interviews, if at all about it. Short story collections are something a publishing house does to make an author happy, that they want to keep happy. One of the V. P.’s of publishing said, she knew it would do well, because my name was on it. Flattering, but I had actually not known what my little collection would do out there in the wide, wide world. The fact that people have responded so nicely, and so enthusiastically is amazing to me. Thank you all for liking my little stories. Thank everyone who gave such nice reviews, and all of you who bought the book. Thank everyone who made this dark horse cross the finish line so high in the lists.

Its out.
Go buy.