Date:	2008-04-29 10:13
Subject:	Dreary
Security:	Public
Mood:	blah

Got another very nice rejection yesterday, on my full manuscript. She praised my characterization and plot, but said she wasn't 100% on it, so was deciding to pass.

Bleh. Still mailing stuff out.

Kaleb sleep-walked for the first time ever last night, freaking out both Jerimiah and I. He knocked really loudly on our door at 2AM and said in an upset voice, "I really, really need FOOD right now."

When questioned later, he didn't remember this at all.

Date:	2008-04-23 10:36
Subject:	Interview - Done!
Security:	Public
Mood:	excited

Yay, done with that! Now, if I can just hear positive news back on my book and hear that we got that house we're waiting on =) Oh yeah, and if this wedding stuff works itself out without me having to plan any of it.

Then life would be perfect!

I think I did pretty well. It wasn't actually as hard as I thought it would be. It wasn't easy, but I think I had good and thorough answers for all the questions.

Date:	2008-04-21 15:17
Subject:	Vacation
Security:	Public
Mood:	excited

Taking a 7-night cruise to Mexico in July. We're planning on doing a little diving while we're down there.

Anything we simply must/must-not do? I'm planning on smuggling my own booze on board. And I've never been to Mexico!

I've stopped the wedding planning for now. Trying to focus on getting an agent and house-buying. Tired of looking at venues and astronomical prices. I might just go ahead and start working on my centerpieces though since we've got our colors worked out.

I cleaned my ring on the weekend, and it's distractingly sparkly. Jerimiah bought me my own ring, so now I, who never wears rings, have two. I never really owned expensive jewelry before, so this is weird (but fun!).

We have an atrium in our rental, so I planted three tomato plants there yesterday. They're potted so I can take them with us when we finally get our house. I'm all excited to have fresh tomatoes. 1000x tastier than grocery store tomatoes.

Saw Forbidden Kingdom last night. Very Karate Kid. It brought back lovely memories of watching an old Chinese television show on the Monkey King. I tried, without success, to find a vhs/dvd online with English subtitles. *sigh*. Teh intarwebz has failed me.

Date:	2008-04-19 05:54
Subject:	Lulz
Security:	Public
Mood:	amused

This photo makes me laugh every time I see it.

When Jerimiah and I were in Thailand, we went to a fish farm. You could pay 5 baht and get a bag of little fish to feed to all the big fishes. 5 baht? With an exchange rate of 35 baht:1 dollar, why not? So I bought a bag of the little stinkies.

In one section of the farm was an enclosure of groupers. I'm not a fish expert; I have no idea what species of grouper this was. But they were big and mean-looking. Big as a coffee table. Jerimiah tried to get a good photograph of one, but they all sat at the bottom of their enclosure.

So I said "Here, let me help!" I took my baggy over, and waved to get one of the grouper's attention. Then I dangled the fish over the enclosure.

The grouper rose from the bottom with all the speed of a bubble in a swamp. Jerimiah snapped this photo:



The grouper slowly opened its mouth, revealing some rather large, rather sharp looking teeth. My brief thought was, it has teeth?, before it jumped out of the water and snatched the fish right out of my fingers.

I think I sat there for about ten seconds or so, too startled to move.

So that's the story of how I exercised the "stupid" part of my brain and nearly lost a finger or two to a grouper.

Date:	2008-04-18 16:21
Subject:	I like living here
Security:	Public
Mood:	energetic

I just rode my bicycle home from work, ~7 miles.

It was nice. I'm thinking about bicycling in on some mornings. There's a locker room and shower at work.

Date:	2008-04-09 14:40
Subject:	Waiting...
Security:	Public
Mood:	creative

So the agent I liked got back to me. She said my edits vastly improved the first few chapters, praised their content, but she wasn't as impressed with the last three. She said I was "close" but was deciding to pass.

Argh!

Well, at least I know the likelihood is that it'll get picked up. At some point in time. I sent out more queries. I'm starting on the paper queries now, since a lot of places don't accept e-queries. I think I'm at the stage where I can feel ok spending postage on it =P

I've written some on book 2, but I think I will simultaneously work on my new idea - Lestoor's Chosen. I'll make the first book self-contained, shorter probably, and it's got some great themes and ideas that I think will catch an agent's eye fairly quickly (I hope?). Have to do some research on imperialism, Aztecs, and Rome. Once I lay out the bones, I think I can bang it out pretty quickly.

Jerimiah's getting ready to start his query process. He's still tweaking his manuscript and working on the letter itself. I think his writing is brilliant, and I'm really excited for him! It's neat that we get to go through this together.

According to our realtor, we should be hearing back from both houses any day now. Jerimiah and I are very excited.

And once we get the house thing rolling, I'm going to get my dog! I bought a bed for my future pup yesterday. If Zorro likes it, I may get one for him too.

P.S. I've been on a reading kick. Read Sputnik Sweetheart, Going Postal, Mort, Frankenstein, and Foundation this past month. There was another book, but I can't seem to remember what it was. Liked Going Postal the best!

Date:	2008-03-27 09:58
Subject:	Houses!
Security:	Public
Mood:	excited

As it stands right now, we have two offers in on two houses.

We're not held to the offer on house #1 anymore, since enough time has passed. It's a short sale, and we put in the offer a little over two weeks ago.

We put another offer in on another house yesterday that we also liked a good deal, and we're waiting to hear back from them (according to them, it should take anywhere between 2 days and 2 weeks).

So we're pretty much sitting on our hands right now, hoping that one of them counters reasonably or accepts our offer and we can have our home.

Both are 3bd/2ba, a little over 1600 sq. ft, and both have orange trees in the backyard! They're both a little ways down the street from where we live now, so moving would be convenient.

If it works out...big housewarming party yes/no?

I am waiting to hear back from two agents - one on my full manuscript, one on requested edits. I'd better get off my butt and send out some more queries.

Date:	2008-03-10 15:47
Subject:	Conversations
Security:	Public
Mood:	contemplative

Kristen: i have a favorite seester!
did you guys play more smash bros? :D :D :D
EVIL LINK FTW
Me: YEP, we did! Smash bros ftw!
What are YOU up to?
Kristen: omg i am like at this thing called "work"??
you may have heard of it???
Me: NO WAI!! I thought that was, liek, illegalized a long time ago.
Kristen: hahahahhahahaa
ahahhaahhahhahaha

It is conversations like these that I will miss most dearly when my sister moves to China =(

And she will not be able to help me with my crafty wedding projects. Woe!

In other news, this afternoon we looked at what I am calling our "new future home". We're making an offer tomorrow. It's right down the street from where we live now!

Date:	2008-02-19 15:06
Subject:	Literary Purgatory
Security:	Public
Mood:	anxious

Waiting to hear back on two partials and several query letters. One partial is out to an agent I am enthusiastic about. She made some complimentary comments in her letter.

I wrote back to her, attached the partial, and I hope I didn't blow it. I hate writing letters. I actually ended up writing an addendum letter letting her know that I was not opposed to cutting words - since I didn't include this in my original letter! Plus I had to lubricate the letter-writing part of my brain with a martini, so I'm hoping I didn't come off as too confident.

See all that? Up there? Trying to obtain an agent makes me feel like a high school girl asking out a longtime crush. And the partial + letter? An awkward first date.

All this has reduced me to a nervous wreck who checks her email inbox at night with one eye closed. I'm going to start splitting time between working on book #2 of this series and working on book #1 of the new idea. I'm going to try and keep the word count down and make it more self-contained.

I re-wrote the beginning again, and this is what I'm going to run with for the first draft.

A friend once told me that it is important to know one's origins. She never did tell me why, and even now I am not sure I understand. I am Amarris, daughter of Shion and Calliwen. I was born in midwinter in the year 208, in a well-lit bedroom of my parents' spacious home. I came one month early, and was a small babe, but I gave such a shriek of rage upon entering the world that my father offered up the midwife to Lestoor, right then and there.

Or so I am told. I have no memory of my birth.

My world began with blood and fire, on the moisture-slick steps of the greatest pyramid in Mezare.

( The beginning of Lestoor's Chosen... )

Needs some tweaking, but I think I've got her voice down.

Date:	2008-02-14 15:49
Subject:	Valentine’s Day Appreciation
Security:	Public
Mood:	loved

There are too many things for me to list that I appreciate about Jerimiah. I thought about it – talking about the way the corners of his eyes crinkle when he smiles, how rarely I ever have to ask him for help – he volunteers before I get to it, and maybe even the way he is always the first to leap to my defense. But the list goes on, and knowing his humble nature, I’m sure I would only embarrass him. He’s not perfect, I’m not perfect, our relationship is not perfect. I won’t say that he completes me, that he’s my better half, or that he’s my soulmate.

But, despite his flaws and his weaknesses, I love him just the way he is. And despite my flaws and weaknesses, he loves me just the way I am. If not perfect, I think we certainly come close.

I’m lucky to have found someone who I can not only play with, but work with, someone whose goals and aspirations mirror mine, someone who is as passionate as I am, someone who I can admire for striving to always do better, and someone who makes me feel utterly comfortable being exactly who I am.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! I hope yours is as good as, or better, than mine!

P.S. We are putting an offer in on a house! Wish us luck!

Date:	2008-01-12 16:35
Subject:	One step at a time
Security:	Public
Mood:	bouncy

I've been tentatively sending out a few query letters here and there, and today...

I GOT MY FIRST REQUEST FOR A PARTIAL!

Huzzah! Of course, it is likely this won't amount to anything, but hey, it's one step on the way! I'm excited. Yayz.

Date:	2008-01-11 20:43
Subject:	Wheeee! I'm crazy.
Security:	Public
Mood:	excited

Thanks for all the congrats you guys! Aw shucks! I'm happy as a pig in shit! No foolin'!

I...bought a dress off of ebay. It was too good a deal to resist. It gets here Monday, so we'll see if it fits and looks good. I'm just not the pickiest lady in the world.

I'm still not sure when we should have the wedding. I thought fall originally, but it's sort of short to plan, so maybe next spring? And then we can focus on the whole house thing as well.

Anywho, working on a new painting - a fierce moth fairy in acrylics. She's all in reds and browns with teal accents.

Date:	2007-12-28 13:02
Subject:	The Proposal!
Security:	Public
Mood:	loved

Both Jerimiah and I decided to take the day off today to relax and to just enjoy our house and one another's company.

This morning, he got up early and made me breakfast in bed. It was, in short, the best breakfast I have ever had. There were cubed seasoned pan-fried potatoes, these AMAZING eggs (I know it had a couple kinds of cheese, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and spices), and chorizo. And all this was topped with mimosas (something I'd mentioned in passing to him a couple weeks ago). Yum! He came home early from work yesterday, so he must have gone to the grocery store then...I had no idea!

Over breakfast, he said some very sweet things (which I shall keep to myself, thank you very much!), and asked me to marry him.

I said YES.



The photo doesn't do it justice. It sparkles like mad.

Then, like the dorks we are, we celebrated by going to Capitol Aquarium and adding fish/plants to our tanks.

( Clicky to see the fishes! )

I feel like the luckiest lady in the world. =)

Date:	2007-12-28 10:00
Subject:	La dee da!
Security:	Public
Mood:	ecstatic

WE'RE ENGAGED!

More to follow later, we're off and away!

Date:	2007-12-11 15:45
Subject:	Whoa!
Security:	Public
Mood:	excited

Brandon Sanderson, that author I got to meet and ask advice from, has been chosen to finish the Wheel of Time series. He's going to have to get pretty verbose to meet Jordan's style.

P.S. Go read his Mistborn Trilogy. Brandon Sanderson >> Robert Jordan.

Date:	2007-12-09 14:30
Subject:	In Progress...
Security:	Public
Mood:	artistic

Shhhh! It's a (in-progress) surprise! I have to have it finished tonight...wish me luck!

Date:	2007-12-04 10:16
Subject:	Medieval Warfare
Security:	Public
Mood:	contemplative

Writing a small battle scene in my second book.

Say you're on the defending side and you have only about a half a day to plan a defense. You have a plateau to your backs that cannot be reasonably breached. You have approximately sixty men (20 pikemen - also equipped with swords, 20 cavalry, 15 infantry, and five archers). The enemy has one hundred men, and they're better-trained and all on horseback. They've brought 15 archers.

You're going to lose and you're not expecting help to come. But what do you think would be the best battle plan? I'd put the pikemen in the front, the archers in the back - but I wonder what the best place is for the cavalry. I also debate whether or not the pikemen should attempt any sort of offensive - try to split up the attackers at all. I'm getting the feeling there's just too few of them to do any reasonable sort of damage.

Any ideas?

P.S. Look what I found!

BOOK 2 PROGRESS

Date:	2007-11-20 08:54
Subject:	Thanksgiving and Halfplexes!
Security:	Public
Mood:	excited

I'm cooking a Thanksgiving meal for the first time. I'm visiting my parents and my brother on wed-thurs, then I'm coming home and cooking a Thanksgiving meal on Friday. Can't wait to try out my culinary chops!

I'm going to brine the turkey, then bake it with butter, parsley, onion, and garlic. I'm going to stuff it with apple, cranberry, and sausage stuffing. I'm going to make mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and pumpkin pie! Num num num! Jerimiah will probably help a little, but I want to do most of it myself. I really like cooking when I have the spare time.

I bought a Christmas tree to put up after Thanksgiving as well. Living together has been nice - not really different from what we were doing before, except less the travel time. We have a lovely, big office space where we spend most of our time.

We've been looking at some real estate in the area, and it's tough to find something that's in our price range! I found a lovely half-plex that we can afford. We'd prefer a single-family home, but can't find one we can afford. Are half-plexes so bad? I can't find any articles or anything delineating advantages/disadvantages. We are renting a half-plex right now, and it feels like a single-family home. We never hear or see our neighbors. Thoughts?

Date:	2007-11-18 21:48
Subject:	Beowulf
Security:	Public
Mood:	sleepy

I saw Beowulf this afternoon at the IMAX theater. PG-13 rating? Wha...? Well, that's the bloodiest, most violent PG-13 I have EVER seen. Not to give too many spoilers, but pulling beating hearts out of still-living chests and cutting off your own arm? And that's just scratching the surface.

I left the theater highly entertained and mildly disturbed (and not just because of the violence!).

Date:	2007-11-13 22:48
Subject:	Italian Greyhounds!
Security:	Public
Mood:	excited

So I've been doing some doggy research, and I THINK I've settled on adopting an Italian Greyhound. The breed description sounds a lot like Amazu personality-wise. We're not going to get a dog until after we buy a house (insert sad face here), but that's probably for the best.

I'm trying to talk Jerimiah out of a straight-up puppy: they cost more and I'd like to give a homeless animal a home.

Zorro is very lonely. It's driving me a little nuts.