10 Random Facts: I've Been Tagged!

I was tagged by author pal, Samantha Warren, in a fun blogging game where we each have to list 10 random facts, and then tag four other bloggers :).

Who am I to deny some bloggy fun times?

So, here goes!  10 random things about me that you never wanted to know but are going to read anyway:

10)  I used to fell trees with my ex-lumberjack grandpa!  We live in the Pacific Northwest, and our house was overshadowed by some creaky, terrifyingly large trees that threatened to fall on us during every storm.  So, of course, like any normal family, grandpa decided to enlist my 12 year old self to help him take them down.  To this day I remember his shouts of "run for your life!" and "watch out for the power lines!" echoing through our neighborhood of track houses.  Good times, Grandpa.  Good times.

9)  I met my husband through Craigslist.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Some girlfriends of mine were posting ads during college so I posted a joke one that said "Two Headed Girl Seeks Friendship, Maybe More" to see if anyone would respond.  My husband's roommate forwarded him my ad, and the rest is history.  Random, no?  Obviously, 'twas destiny.

8)  I hate fruity, sugary booze, and love whiskey straight up.  Apparently, I am a 1890s cowboy.

7)  Once I discovered Ru Paul's Drag Race on Netflix, I couldn't stop watching it.  I seriously marathoned this show.  Ru Paul presents hilarious challenges to young drag queens, says "Don't fuck it up" as encouragement, and then ends it with "Shasay.... away.." when someone is eliminated.  Tell me this isn't the best reality show of ALL TIME.

6)  I named my kitty Fawkes after the phoenix in Harry Potter :3.  He's orange.

5)  I'm a pretty good shot with a bow and arrow.

4)  On a related note, I hit my mom in the eye once with a tiny arrow from my Lord of the Rings Aragorn action figure's wee plastic bow.  Luckily, she was wearing glasses, and it deflected the blow.  I was 20 at the time.

3)  I karaoke to "Bohemian Rhapsody" without feeling shame.

2)  As soon as I get home from work, even if it's early, I change into pajamas.  Pajamas are my natural state. Right now, because it's summer, I'm in a wifebeater and boxers.  Yes.  I am a classy lady ;).

1)  One of my favorite movies is Rambo, First Blood.  I'll tell people that I love oscar winners, but I seriously love terrible 80s action movies.  Favorite genre, hands down.

So, now it's time to pick some of you!  I want to know your 10 darkest secrets.... or at least 10 random facts :).

I'm tagging:

Tere Kirkland
Abby Annis
Christine Fonseca
Michelle McLean

Let's hope they spill some juicy facts! ;)

What about you?  What's a random fact about YOU, dear followers?  I'd love to know!

LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS Launch Day Giveaway!

LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS is finally for sale in the Kindle Store, and I'm celebrating by holding my biggest contest yet!

There will be 5 total winners with one GRAND PRIZE:  A $25 Amazon Giftcard!


The next three runners-up will receive either FIRE, RAMPANT, or SOULLESS (in honor of fantasy novels with strong heroines), an e-copy of LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS, and a bar of delicious Ghirardelli chocolate.  Look at those bars sparkling at you in the photo... you know you want them!


The Grand Prize winner and last winner also get a free e-copy of LEGACY, of course :).  


So, ready to play?  Who wants to win a gift card or some great reads??


Here's how it works.  Each time you do one of the following, you get a certain number of entries.  Leave what you've done in the comments below, and I'll tally them all up when the contest ends and pick our winners!


How to get entries:

• Be a follower of this blog:  Old followers get 1 entry, and New followers get 2 entries!
• Tweet about this giveaway:  1 entry per tweet (as many as you'd like)
• Link this giveaway on Facebook:  1 entry per link!
• Review the book on Amazon or on your blog:  5 entries!
• Talk about this giveaway on your blog:  2 entries!
• Tell me who your favorite Fantasy character is in the comments:  1 entry
• "Like" my book on Amazon: 1 entry
• Link a picture of you brandishing a sword: 3 entries! (cause seriously... that's cool)
• Interview me on your blog:  5 entries!
• Tell a friend about my book : 1 entry each time! (honor system, yo)

This contest will run through 6/31 to give you time to star racking up entries!

GOOD LUCK, and thank you for celebrating this special day with me!

Also, HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!  If there are any troops who read this blog, please email me, and I'll hook you up with a free copy.  Thank you for your service to this country, and God bless!

Guest Post: PJ Jones, Author of ROMANCE NOVEL

Today we have a very special guest poster:  P.J. Jones, author of the twisted spoof ROMANCE NOVEL!  I met P.J. while goofing around on the Kindle Boards talking to other authors, and something about her cover... struck me.... and I just knew I had to hear her story!

So, without further ado, take it away, P.J.!

From Tragedy to Parody, the Birth of ROMANCE NOVEL…by PJ Jones

A little over two years ago I’d become too tired to read, too sick to write and in too much pain to take care of my family. I was worse than a walking zombie. More like a sleeping zombie. Doctors couldn’t figure me out, so they just loaded me up on pain killers and anti-depressants. Whatever was attacking me seemed to come and go, and for a few brief days every month, I’d get these strange bursts of crazed hyperactivity. I was a zombie on speed. And during those short respites of wellness, Romance Novel was born.

It’s amazing how a writer can discover her funny bone when wallowing in self-pity. The first scene came to me when my husband had taken us on a trip to the coast, hoping that a change in environment would improve my condition. I don’t quite remember how it came about, but on the drive down, I frantically wrote a crude love scene on scraps of paper. I had no idea what to do with the scene, but I knew that somehow it had to go in a book.

I showed it to my critique group the following week and they laughed hysterically. They told me I must complete the novel. And so I wrote. By August of ’09, I, not my doctors, discovered the root of my illness, and after finding doctors who actually knew what they were doing, we began successful treatment.

By November of ’09 Romance Novel was finished. The only problem was that no publisher wanted it. Before my illness, I’d already published a few ‘real’ romance novels under other pen-names and thought I still knew the romance industry well. But what I didn’t know was that none of the many agents and editors I’d queried had a twisted enough sense of humor.
So the book sat, and sat, until my critique partners convinced me to self-publish through Kindle and Nook. The self-publishing model is fairly new, especially to someone who hadn’t been keeping up with the market. But I dove in headfirst and haven’t regretted my experience. From day one, I had my fingers crossed that romance readers and writers would ‘get it’. And get it, they have! I’ve already gotten two fabulous reviews from respected romance review sites and many more emails and reviews from readers wanting more from PJ Jones. None of my other published books were this well-received.

I’ve posted the love scene that started it all below. But before you read it, I’d like to leave you with this thought - if ever your life takes a nosedive right into the bottom of the toilet, remember that laughter really IS the best medicine. PJ

Becca:  So true, P.J. :)  I love hearing how your [s]crazy[/s] awesome book came about!  Now, let's get to that love scene....


Smella glared at him while tapping her foot. “Are you going to kiss me passionately or what?”

“Yes, of course.” He sat up and grabbed her in a passionate embrace, thrusting his tongue deep inside her mouth, moving it about for a reasonable amount of time, until his pants felt so tight, he worried he’d bust a seam. Pulling back a few inches, he looked into her heavy lidded eyes, noting with satisfaction how she panted and swooned. “How’s that?” he asked.

She brushed the sleeve of her tweed coat across her passion-soaked lips. “Gawd, did you have onions for dinner?”

“Sorry.” Snake winced, wishing he’d laid off the salsa when he’d eaten those fish tacos. “Do you want me to brush?”

“No,” Looking like she had her own dirty little secret to share, she toyed her fingers while playfully biting her lower lip. “I haven’t washed my delicate blossoming flower in over a month, so now we’re even.”
“That’s disgusting!” He gagged, releasing Smella’s shoulders. He was so disgusted, that a tiny amount of bile projected into the back of his throat.
She flopped back into her bean bag. “Women hardly bathe in medieval times,” she huffed.
“It’s 2011,” he corrected.
Smella sat up and jammed a finger in his chest. “Are you going to point out every historical inaccuracy in this convoluted story-line?”
“I guess not,” he grimaced while wondering if three condoms would be enough to shield his penis from her skanky crotch.

Grasping his hand, she placed his palm on her ample breast.
That seemed to do the trick, because Snake had already forgotten what had him so grossed out just a few moments earlier. All that mattered was that he had a boob in his hand.

Leaning over, she rasped into his ear in a sultry voice. “I’m going to faint next time you kiss me. That’s your cue to carry me into the bedroom.”

A thing of rare beauty :). 

Click HERE to sample or purchase ROMANCE NOVEL for $0.99, or to get to know P.J. better, check out her blog:  Unicorns, Tampons, and Other Girly Things.

Thanks so much for coming, P.J., and best of luck to you!

What's in a Name?

How do you come up with names for your characters?  And when you come up with them, how do you make them believable?

I recently watched the movie Gentleman Broncos, which I highly recommend to anyone who has ever:

a)  Been homeschooled
b)  Been to a local writer's workshop for young people
c)  Had a Writer in Residence at your school

Seriously.  This shit is so accurate I had tears streaming down my face while I was watching it.

There is a scene pictured above where the famous science fiction author at the writers' workshop, Chevalier, describes to a group of young writers how to create "believable" fantasy/sci fi names.  Chevalier has been lecturing them on how if you add "anous" or "ainous" to any name, it becomes... magical, when one small girl raises her hand.  She says that she has a troll in her book named Teacup, and Chevalier chastises her because it's not believable enough.

"It's just that I'm...as an author, picturing myself as a troll mother. I have just given birth to a litter of troll cubs, they're covered in placentia, pawing at my many teats, for this vital, life giving collostrum... Now I'm not thinking...hmmm...Teacup, am I?!"

Fair enough, Chevalier ;).  Fair enough.

My question to you is:  How do you come up with names for your character, and how do you keep them from edging into the ridiculous, like Harry Manchester, Werewolf Bounty Hunter?

What's your secret formula?

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, Friends!!

In honor of Easter weekend, I'm going to take a break from serious posts about helpful or interesting things, and instead intersperse terrible jokes in between adorable pictures of bunnies.

Hooraaaay! 

Let's begin..

A linguistics professor was lecturing to his English class one day. "In English," he said, "a double negative forms a positive. In some languages, though, such as Russian, a double negative is still a negative. However, there is no language wherein a double positive can form a negative."

A voice from the back of the room piped up, "Yeah, right."



D'awwww... lookit those bunnies :3

 A writer comes home to a burned down house. His sobbing and slightly-singed wife is standing outside. “What happened, honey?” the man asks.



“Oh, John, it was terrible,” she weeps. “I was cooking, the phone rang. It was your agent. Because I was on the phone, I didn’t notice the stove was on fire. It went up in second. Everything is gone. I nearly didn’t make it out of the house. Poor Fluffy is--”


“Wait, wait. Back up a minute,” The man says. “My agent called?”




Even if this bunny ate all of my chocolate, I don't think I could stay mad at it.

 A writer died and was given the option of going to heaven or hell.


She decided to check out each place first. As the writer descended into the fiery pits, she saw row upon row of writers chained to their desks in a steaming sweatshop. As they worked, they were repeatedly whipped with thorny lashes.


"Oh my," said the writer. "Let me see heaven now."
A few moments later, as she ascended into heaven, she saw rows of writers, chained to their desks in a steaming sweatshop. As they worked, they, too, were whipped with thorny lashes.
"Wait a minute," said the writer. "This is just as bad as hell!"
"Oh no, it's not," replied an unseen voice. "Here, your work gets published."





Bunny:  WHAT IS GOING ON HERE???


I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  Whether you celebrate delicious, chocolatey Easter, or celebrate ressurectiony Easter, I hope you have fun with family and friends.

And while you're doing that, I'll be eating the ears off your choco rabbits...

Bwahahahahahaha.

El Cinco De Mayo Feliz!

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!

Remember the five rules of this holiday:

1) Drink five margaritas

2) Wear sombreros (or lampshades)

3) Drink five glasses of water

4) Eat five handfuls of chips

5) Take six alka seltzers tomorrow!

(I just made those rules up... can you tell?)

HAVE FUN and HAPPY CINCO!

Talk Amongst Yourselves...

Welcome, to Coffee Talk! I'm your host Linda Richman, and I'll be taking over this lovely little blog for Becca today.

She's recovering in Boca Roton for a bit. All of this blogging, writing, working--oy, faggehtabowtit! Let's just say she's more than a little meshuggina, already, and needs some time off. I should be so lucky!

Anywho, last night I was watching the exquisite Ms. Streisand in Funny Girl, and it reminded me of how we all have to be proud of ourselves when reaching for our dreams.. of how we can't let anyone rain on our parades... of how...... oh, Barbra... oh.... *sob!!*

Okay, I'm getting a little verklempt! Please... talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic: Boilerplate contracts are neither boilers, nor plates. Discuss...



And, I'm okay. Whew! I'm sorry. She does that to me every time..

So, anyway, believe in yourselves, believe in Barbra, and hang out here if you'd like while Becca's away. Talk, have some coffee--no big whoop.

Your favorite shiksa will be back blogging away on Monday, May 3rd. Until then, talk amongst yourselves.

Ta!

5 Things Writers Can Learn From Doctor Who

I just finished watching the first season of the new Doctor Who series, and I have to say... I'm in love :).

Not just with the Doctor himself (though, that is also true), but with the whole shebang! It was truly love at first episode.

I tried to analyze why this show enthralled me so much when other shows are constantly disappointing, and came up with a few pearls of wisdom that can help us in our writing as well.

Top 5 Lessons For Writers From Doctor Who:

1) Keep the mystery alive! No one likes a 2 Dimensional protagonist, antagonist, sidekick, you name it. Make sure there is a little mystery in your characters to keep us intrigued. The main character in "Doctor Who" is known simply as The Doctor, and his background unravels piece by piece, keeping us wanting more. The man doesn't even have a name, and we love it!

2) Don't be afraid to get silly! Change things up once in a while by throwing a little humor into your dark, dramatic scenes. What do people do when things get tense? COPE. And they usually do it with a little bit of weirdness, nervous laughter, etc. Don't be afraid to mix up your drama with a splash of humor.

3) Work your villains! So what if your main villains look like a pepper grinder had a baby with R2-D2? Make them scary by adding some motivation--make us feel for the evil pepper grinders, and they'll be all the more terrifying because they remind us of ourselves.

4) Be a tease! Hold out on your audience until the last possible second. Make us beg for a little romance to blossom and then withold it. Make us believe that one character is really truly dead until we give up all possible hope, then wait a little bit longer still before revealing they're okay. We'll thank you for the suspense and come back for more!

5) Don't be afraid to rock a good thing! Doctor Who is the longest running science fiction series ever, and is still going strong. Is there something you're fantastic at writing? Are you amazing at dialogue? Is your worldbuilding extraordinary? Don't be afraid to squeeze every last ounce of that mojo out onto the paper. Keep a good thing going!

What about you guys? Does anyone else love Doctor Who and have any lessons to add?

5 Things Writers Can Learn From Cats

This is my cat, Fawkes (named after the phoenix from Harry Potter (yes, I know I'm a huge geek)).

In this picture, he's on my lap indulging in what looks like an amazing back nap.

What does this have to do with writing you ask?

I'm so glad you asked! :)

Here are 5 Things Writers Can Learn From Their Cats:

1) Enjoy the journey. Fawkes will get incredibly excited when I wave one of his toys around, but when I actually toss it to him, he sniffs it for two seconds, and sits on it. Yeah. For him, it's all about the anticipation. Lesson: Don't get so focused on your end goals, that you forget to enjoy yourself along the way!

2) Don't get your back up over the small stuff. My cat will sit patiently on the couch as my husband and I blare heavy metal, play Rock Band, or sodder things in his near vacinity. He's relaxed about the small things that would spook many a lesser creature. Lesson: Chill out! Let go of the small annoyances and save your anxiety for when it really matters (Ex: lightning storms, or when someone turns the vacuum on.)

3) Waiting is an opportunity. When he's in between dinner time and when I turn on the sink for him to drink from (I'm cat whipped), he doesn't get restless or bitch and moan about how long everything takes. What does he do? Something awesome! He chases twist ties, bites things he shouldn't be biting, and, of course, naps. Sweet, sweet naps. Lesson: When the waiting seems endless, treat it as an opportunity and spend time on the things you enjoy!

4) Be an astute observer. Have you ever noticed how cats will often sit up at full attention and stare at something for minutes on end? And then eventually you realize it's a dust mite, or a single dot of paper on the floor? Lesson: As writers, we can't miss the opportunities to be observers of life. We are the ones who take the seemingly insignificant and make it beautiful.

5) Napping is mandatory. Enough said. Lesson: Seriously. We all need to take time for ourselves. Cut yourself some slack once in a while and take some time to relax :).

What do you think? Are there any lessons I missed?

That's a lovely shade of blue you're wearing

There are so many things I wanted to blog about today, but my husband surprised me and is taking me on a date to see Avatar again in the theaters--YAY!

So, I'm shirking my duties and watching a 3D movie instead :D.

However, I do have a burning question for all of you: If you could trade in your crappy human body for an awesome, 15 foot tall, blue cat body.... would you?

Inquiring minds need to know!

(I totally would. I mean, come ON.)

Have a good night!

Who Wants Cake?

This Sunday is my BIRTHDAY!

In honor of this glorious event, I'd like to party like Bilbo Baggins, and present presents to all of you, my esteemed guests :).

Please enjoy some of my favorite things:

Fully committed geeks!

Epic facepalms!

Wolverine with corndogs for claws!

(Yes, I made this. No, I'm not ashamed. Okay, maybe a little.)

Starbuck being awesome!

Babies eating kittens!

Hilarious heavy metal fashion!


Neil Patrick Harris!





Adorable baby hedgehogs!

This.

I hope you all have a great weekend! :D Party on!

Book Love: Do You Haz It?

Oh, snap!


Check out this picture of this book I bought today because I am brimming over with Book Love! (Well, and, arguably, because I have some kind of book addiction--whatever.)


My glasses are almost as excited about reading SOULLESS by Gail Carriger as I am!


How about you?


Thinking about buying any good books? Remember to take a picture of yourself doing that very thing to get 5 POINTS in my fabulous Book Love Contest!


After that, you can take that book to the zoo and pose with it while flirting with the monitor lizards! 5 MORE POINTS!


If you love it, why not write the author and tell them? POINTS, BABY!


If you haven't gotten in on this action yet, please do. Share the Book Love, and get a chance to win a $25 giftcard (for books, of course!), a copy of SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater, or a Synopsis Critique! Also chocolate, coffee, and fancy bookmarks--it's good times all around!


Please tweet or blog about this, and let me know in the comments to This Post, and you'll get extra chances to win as well.


This contest ends on Valentine's Day, so let's get this party started!




*Also, for those interested in my Deal With the Universe--it's official. When I get a book deal, I will be dressing up as the Mad Hatter for a day and taking pics. Thank you for your votes!

Belated Blog Party: Let's Mingle!

May I get you some tea?

There is a party going on over at author extraordinarre Nicola Morgan's blog! It started yesterday, so we are fashionably late, but please stop on by today if you can. You don't want to miss it!

There are tons of wonderful commenters over there who are opening their blogs up for us to wander through. Please go check it out! It's a wonderful community of authors and aspiring authors with tons of great wit and advice to share.

Blog followers: Please tell us a bit about yourselves and your blog right here! If you post, please go check out the blogs of others and comment on them. Sharing is caring. Also, I find more cool blogs that way--go check them out!

If you're wandering over from Nicola's--welcome! We're happy to have you :). Please stay a while and help yourself to some cake. We always enjoy meeting new writers/readers/bloggers!

Have fun!

What I Learned This Week!

1) I love baby animals to a sickening degree. I've been playing around on a site called www.zooborns.com, and discovered that I think even baby cobras and vultures are cute. I think there is something wrong with me.

2) The book HEAT WAVE by Richard Castle (from the show Castle on ABC) is all I hoped it would be, and yet... still kind of dull. It's fun, and reads exactly like an episode of Castle, with a fast talking reporter, witty lady detective, and hijinx. However, it's not written like someone who writes great novels. So fun, but... yeah. I'm excited to finish and read other things in my book pile. I don't know, maybe I've just been spoiled by Kristin Cashore.

3) I have a ridiculous amount of books piled by my side of the couch and my side of the bed. It has become a tripping hazard. And yet, I can't bring myself to get rid of any of them :P. I LOVE THEM ALL!

4) I am ready to get my ass kicked. I bought this DVD so I can be yelled at and brutalized by trainer Jillian Michaels. Oy vey. I love the show The Biggest Loser, so I'm ready to face the pain! I'll let you guys know how that goes in a few days ;). Hopefully I'm not so crippled that I can no longer type.

5) When I reach 100 followers I'm going to do something AWESOME! I couldn't help but notice that I was nearing that fancy pants milestone of 100 blog followers and got to thinking. Maybe a contest would be in order in celebration of hitting that mark :D! I'm excited. Are you?

What have you guys learned this week?

See You on the Other Side!

Thank you all for such an amazing year :). I feel so blessed to have gotten to know more about each of you, visit your blogs, and hear your comments. YOU GUYS ROCK! This blog wouldn't be possible without you!

I'll be taking a break from blogging* until the New Year, so I will see you then (*if I can stay away--no promises!)

May you all be blessed and keep safe and warm. Happy Holidays and have a great New Year!

-Becca

Christmas Cheer!

Happy Christmas Eve, Eve, Eve, folks!



I hope you had a great Chanukah, my Jewish friends!



Happy almost Kwanzaa to those who celebrate!


For all you non-religious folk, happy party-going and vacationing from work (wooot!!!!) :). The vacation part is my favorite part, too! (Well, that and the baked goods.)

*I feel like I'm missing some holidays here, so please feel free if you celebrate something else during this season :). I like learning.


In celebration of the holidays fast approaching, I thought I'd forfit a fancy or informative blog post today, and instead provide you with some Christmas/holiday cheer!





"Santa Claus wears a Red Suit, He must be a communist. And a beard and long hair, Must be a pacifist. What's in that pipe that he's smoking?"

--Arlo Guthrie




"Dear Lord, I've been asked, nay commanded, to thank Thee for the Christmas turkey before us... a turkey which was no doubt a lively, intelligent bird... a social being... capable of actual affection... nuzzling its young with almost human- like compassion. Anyway, it's dead and we're gonna eat it. Please give our respects to its family... "

--Berke Breathed




"Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people once a year."

--Victor Borge



"Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall."

--Larry Wilde




"I heard the bells on Christmas Day, their old familiar carols play, and wild and sweet the words repeat of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow



I feel very blessed by you all this year, and want to thank you for being a part of this blog :). You guys are all what make it work, and make this a joy to do, every day, every week.


Happy Holidays to all of you!


(Also, "Let's be naughty and save Santa the trip" --Gary Allan) ;)

The winners and deciders of my fate are.......

Lisa & Laura!



Congratulations on sealing my fate, ladies!

You have destined me to spend the day as a literary character and document the hilarity with photo evidence to be posted on this blog! I love and hate you right now, so yeah. Good times!



Thank you all for your great suggestions on what kind of Deal With the Universe I should make in exchange for a book deal.


Now, all I have to do is actually get the book deal, and it will fun times had by all ;).


In the meantime, I promised many of you that if this *deal* won, I'd let you guys pick the literary character I have to dress up as.


So, just for funsies, YOU TELL ME! What character do you want to see me humilia... uh, I mean... dressed up as when/if I get my book deal?


I can't wait to hear what you have in store for me! ;)

To Buy or Not To Buy: HEAT WAVE by Richard Castle

I've been a fangirl of ABC's show CASTLE since last season :). For those of you who haven't seen it, it's a witty/fun show about a mystery writer working with (and getting in the way of) the NYPD as "research" for his next best seller.

And now, the most interesting part (besides Nathan Fillion), is that the show actually produced a book from the fictitious Richard Castle, based on the one he "wrote" last season!

It even comes complete with famous author blurbs jealously exclaiming Castle's brilliance in his latest novel. They really went for it... and it's hilarious.

My question for you is: Would you ever buy a book based on a TV show?

I've never bought any kind of adaptation novel, but think I may have to shell out for this bit of entertainment :).

What are your thoughts?

What I've Learned This Week

As a couple of you know, I've been at home from work healing up from an illness for the past week, and have been taking some to relax (Feeling much better now, btw!)

Over the course of this relaxation, I learned a few things:

1) Netflix is the best invention ever. Sanitation? Not that important. The wheel? PAH! Let's see "the wheel" get me instantly streaming dating reality tv shows. Yeah, that's what I thought. I love you, Netflix.

2) Taking an icy beverage with you into the shower is fun! Seriously, try it. It feels so wrong, yet so right. Pure home alone awesomeness.

3) GRACELING, by Kristin Gashore, is one of my new favorite novels! It's fresh traditional fantasy, if that makes any sense, and I LOVED this book. It's been awhile since a novel made me as happy as Hunger Games, and this one did it :). If you love Fantasy, I highly recommend it.

4) My internet friends are the best. I mean, okay, I already pretty much knew this. But I love you guys! I got a couple of emails from my writing buddies just checking in, and it completely made my week.

5) Agents are hilarious. I tentatively got back online today and almost fainted when I saw how behind I am on reading blogs, but came across a few gems as I was surfing. This post from Janet Reid (the Query Shark) made me laugh out loud. I missed this stuff, man.

6) The odds of getting published are awesome if you are an awesome writer! Yes, if you don't totally suck, the odds go from 1/100,000 to something much more manageable. Just take Lisa & Laura (ooh, and go enter their Kindle contest before it's too late!) and Christine Fonseca who got publishing contracts (YAAAY!), and Elana Johnson, who just got an agent! WOOT!

Just like the picture of the afro duck above, this week has been a very pleasant surprise.

How are you guys doing? Anything you've learned? ;)

Work In Progress Wednesday: Halloween Costume!

This week, my only work in progress is my Halloween costume (okay, okay.. and some editing.)

I'm going this year as Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica! It will be awesome. SO SAY WE ALL!

I have a short blonde wig, pants, boots, bottom tank top, and the beginnings of a huge "Top Gun" beer stein that I'll be carrying around. I'm going to be authentic down to the anger issues (well, as authentic as one can be on a budget.)

The funny thing is, I'm not even going anywhere. I'm going to work this way, and then answering the door and traumatizing young children all night long. I just wouldn't feel right doing it without a costume. This is definitely one of my all time favorite holidays.

So, I ask you, gentle readers:

What are you being/doing for Halloween??

Bonus points for showing us pictures of your costume!