I think I'm being stalked...

Once again I've made the front page of Karen Scott's blog. This is what, the fourth time in two weeks?

Karen, I had no idea you cared so much. :)

I'm not pressed about making front page news, let's face it - as a writer any publicity it good as long as they spell your name right. What concerns me more is the REASON why I'm front page news.

Once again, for the second or third time, one of my fellow authors is trying to give me the put down for writing my experiences on RT. (go to Karen's blog as she has a link, I'm not going to give this person any publicity) She has deemed it necessary to attack me for using multiple pen names and / or alias' in her words.

What pains me more than anything else is that said author cannot see what damage she's doing to herself and her credibility. The entire reason she is attacking me is because I wrote my thoughts on the latest RT conference and she felt that a) I showed her publisher in a bad light (ignoring the fact that I never mentioned any publisher until SHE did on my blog) and b) that I work for another publishing house under another name (this hasn't been a secret for the past year as I introduced myself in early 2007 as this publisher's representative.)

She's made her point (right or wrong) and yet she insists upon beating this into the ground over and over again as if she was three years old.

Guess what, author - we get it - you don't like me. You've made your point now leave it alone and try to salvage what little credibility you have left.

P.S. - you might want to remove my link from your blog Friends list - it looks a little whack that you list me a friend while you're attacking me.

Wednesday Morning Shout Out!

I want to give a shout out to my local Starbucks. This morning has been *so* hectic that I forgot to put my wallet back in my purse. (how stupid can I be???) When I went to order my vanilla latte and Low Fat Cranberry Oat Bran muffin...I had no way to pay for it. I finally managed to scrounge up 2.00 in stray change and they gave me my coffee for free.

Guess I should've ordered a bigger one, huh? :)

Thanks, Ladies!!!

Recommended Read

It's rare that I recommend a book - mainly because I read so little anymore. Last year I think I might've read 8 books - used to be I'd read that much in a week. :)

But I did manage to devour Shadow Magic by Cheyenne McCray and I LOVED it.

Here is the blurb:

THE SINS OF THE PAST
When Hannah Wentworth temporarily flees her life in San Francisco to join her sister D’Anu witches in Otherworld, she vows to help them conquer the evil bent on destroying the human realm. But the only one who can help her happens to be the king of the Dark Elves. The father to her nemesis, Rhiannon of the D’Anu. And the one man Hannah can never, ever trust...especially because of her dangerous attraction to him.
ARE COMING TO LIGHT…
Garran knows that the beautiful, headstrong Hannah is wary of him for having banished his people to a life underground. But now Garran can right that wrong by helping her and the other gray witches in their dangerous battle in San Francisco—even if doing so means sacrificing the passion he’s found only in Hannah’s arms…

The art of the snark & maintaining your composure as the cabin decompresses...

At a young age I'd already perfected the snark though back then it wasn't called that. My father used the term 'smart ass' or 'wise ass'. My question for you - is your ass really wise or smart? I mean, it kinda just sits there...pardon the pun.

"Ewww...you're adopted...your parents didn't want you..."
"Oh yeah? Well my parents chose me and yours were stuck with you."

But I digress. I was adopted at an early age and back in the (koff) early seventies (koff) it was unusual to be adopted let alone admit it. Somehow it had become a topic of conversation at school and the kids began to tease me about it and this was when the snark spirit came alive in me.

"Damn, did you see how fat she is?"
"Fat can be cured, stupid can't."

Mean people, you know, the ones that say nasty things behind your back - in general they're wimps. If they had the balls God gave them, when they had an issue they'd say it to your face. But we all know people like that - who bend with the breeze of the climate of their friends. In general they will just suck the life out of you. All it takes is a little face to face action and they'll back down like cotton candy in the rain.

"I heard she blew the gym teacher to get an A."
"Who told you this?"
"The gym teacher."
"And you were dumb enough to believe him?"

Tyler Perry (Director, Actor, Playwright - I HIGHLY recommend checking out his plays, they are hilarious) put it best when he said there were three kinds of people in the world. Leaves, branches and roots. The leaves are the friends that are only there for a good time - can't depend upon them but they are amusing for the moment.

"She could sell advertising on an ass that size..."
"You could too if you'd quit shoving your finger down your throat..."

The branches are the friends that want to be dependable but just don't have the backbone to do it. In order to be a good friend, it takes effort on all parts and these guys are in it for the short run. Put too much pressure on them and they snap.

"Hey babe, you look like you need to get lucky..."
"Why, are you leaving soon?"

Then there are the roots. The roots are the ones who are with you for the long haul. They've seen your stretch marks and heard about your hemorroids and love you anyway. They help you hide the bodies and know where your secret chocolate stash is - they let you rant and rave about your significant other (or insignificant other depending upon your mood) and they don't think you're nuts to stay with him/her. They're the ones who have your back in a dog fight...or a white sale - whichever comes first.

So what is the point of this blog?

Say what you mean and mean what you say. People may (will) try to twist it but if you're honest, there's nothing about that which can be twisted. When people draw erroneous conclusions about you, your person or your spirit, it only reflects badly upon them. Chances are they are feeling unhappy or threatened by you in some way - that's when the bitch comes out.

Don't ever dull your shine to make someone else feel better about themselves - they won't appreciate it.

ROCK ON!

Current Obsessions

I'm like most Americans in that we all have our obsessions be they life long or momentary. My life long obsessions include:

Reese's Big Cup - I'm all about the peanut butter and this candy gives the proper amount. Big peanut butter, little chocolate. I'm all about that.

500 thread count sheets - once you sleep on them you'll give up your cable tv to pay for them.

gardening - Mom started me off with playing in the mud and I haven't stopped yet. The only difference now is I do hire someone for the heavy lifting.

Movies - I grew up watching musicals from the forties and fifties. On saturday afternoon I could usually be found in front of the television watching old Bob Hope or Fred Astaire movies.

My dogs - I've had dogs all my life and now I have three. I'd have three more if I didn't think it would send mom off the deep end. :)

Then we all have momentary obsessions -

Big Brother - I was obsessed until James was kicked off. It just wasn't any more fun without him.

America's Next Top Model - I love this show and I never miss it, even when they have the day long marathons.

Swimming - I love to swim and when I'm not traveling I hit the pool about four times a week.

Cooking - I love to cook but I usually lie down and wait until the urge passes. (It isn't the cooking, its the cleaning up I hate)

Driving - This is a new obsession with me. In the last 6 years I've put about 80k miles on my car just flitting from place to place. A six hour drive to Nashville is just getting warmed up for me. :)

So what are some of your favorite obsessions?

The current kerfuffle...

Once again I have made Karen Scott's blog though this time it wasn't for anything I said. It was because a fellow author felt it necessary to point out my 'lack of professionalism' by coming to my blog and posting her thoughts. Then, on her blog, said author posted my URL in conjunction with vultures and the tabloid press.

Tabloid? Not even...

This is going to be my last comment on all of this silliness. I wrote about the conference because I always write about the cons that I attend during the year. At no point in time did I poke fingers at a publisher, a particular cover model, author or reader. People have put so many words in my mouth that any minute I expect to get credit for the Gettysburg Address.

Go read my blog and you will see that commentors outted some people (including said author above, she actually mentioned the publisher by name) and I never did. My posts were a report of what I experienced and overheard at the conference, no more no less.

I realize that some are trying to assign a motive to my 'embellished' (as mentioned by said author above) tales and yes, I do have one. I want the conference to be about romance novels and the people who love them, not chocolate penis' and gropping (be it by the models or attendees). I made my first complaints about the behavior of some models back in 2005 (yes, 2005 - 3 conferences ago) and their behavior has only gotten worse each year. Though why some blogs picked up on my blog this year I have no idea as my reporting was no different than it had been in the past.

As someone so kindly mentioned, yes, I do work as the marketing person for a small press, I also work as the marketing person for about 35 independent authors from small press to NYTers. I am a contractor for all of these businesses and I am paid to be impartial. Almost everyone I know has multiple hats they wear, mother, wife, writer, accountant, teacher etc - and they balance their lives successfully and I'm no different. I worked in the corporate world for 12 years, I know how to keep secrets. If I spill something about one business to another, do you really think that second business would recommend me to anyone else?

Uh, no. When you work in marketing, you're only as good as your last client thinks you are.

As for one of my publishers tossing me off their chat loops, yes they did. But I was the only one they removed. Seeing that they have other authors who also work for other publishers, I find this to be an interesting development as those authors are still on the loops.

So for those who are trying to hint that I was a 'spy' or up to no good, shame on you. Just because you're paranoid and suspicious doesn't mean the rest of us live by that code. I am who I am and if you want to assign some sort of motive to anything I've said or did, go for it. Just because you 'believe' it doesn't mean its true.

I'm so over all of this.