Would-be Wayfarer

Fantastic Faces of ApolloCon 2010

Any time someone invites me to wear a boa and a tiara to a reader tea, I'm there! This event which was sponsored by the Dallas-Fort Worth Readers Group was held in Richardson, Texas at the Chocolate Angel. It Was Fabulous!

When I left for the airport on Friday, I never expected to start my vacation weekend by eavesdropping on a U.S. Marshall. In my defense, there can't really an expectation of privacy in a crowded airport, can there? Particularly when there are very few open seats at the gate. But if the marshall hadn't been talking about something that interested me, I suppose I would've put in my foam earplugs before I boarded rather than after. A South Florida sting operation, local cops who weren't as tech-savvy as the marshall thought they should have been, a judge who's routinely too lenient, some colorful turns of phrase... fun & fascinating. Probably somebody should warn people with secrets that writers may be lurking in the next seat, but that somebody won't be me. ;) My friend's jewel of an apartment, which was built in the 1920s, is gorgeous (ghost Edie would definitely approve). The place was decorated so cute, I just wanted to put in my pocket and keep it for ...

I like historical fiction and the 1920s is a favorite time period of mine (hence flapper ghost Edie in my Southern Witch books), so I was delighted to recently discover a charming series by mystery author Rhys Bowen. Here's the Blurb from Ms. Bowen's website: If you liked Bridget Jones... If you adore royal scandals... If you loved Charade and a touch of danger... A sexy hero who is not quite trustworthy... And you love to laugh... Then you’ll want to read Rhys’s new venture: Her Royal Spyness Georgie, aka Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, cousin of King George V of England, is penniless and trying to survive on her own as an ordinary person in London in 1932. So far she has managed to light a fire and boil an egg... She’s gate-crashed a wedding... She’s making money by secretly cleaning houses... And she’s been asked to spy for Her Majesty the Queen. Everything seems to be going swimmingly until she finds a body in her bathtub and someone is definitely trying to kill...

Duvall, Texas. A small town that’s about to be in some big trouble. Pastry-chef-turned-unexpected-action/adventure heroine Tammy Jo Trask is finally ready to embrace her mixed-up and often malfunctioning magic. Too bad not everyone wants her to become all the witch she can be. First, there are the local residents who form a scripture-spouting posse and kidnap Tammy to “defend” Duvall against witchcraft. Next, someone saddles her with a secret package chock full of dangerous visions, just as the president of WAM—the World Association of Magic—arrives with his entourage to investigate her. And who worse to examine Tammy’s entanglement with off-limits and drop-dead gorgeous wizard Bryn Lyons than his ex-girlfriend? Not to mention that the clash between the locals and the magical visitors leads to a series of unnatural disasters that may doom them all. Will Tammy Jo's magical synergy with Bryn be enough to help her save the town or will her enemies succeed in putting Tammy ou...

From now on, when in doubt of what photo to post... Henry Cavill. ;) The editing of Halfway Hexed progresses. I have been living at coffee shops and cafes for the past week and was concerned that one Starbucks might actually start to charge me rent. To which pals quickly offered location suggestions so I could spread my loitering around. :) Thanks, guys! Favorite Quotes from friends on Facebook this week: from Laura M to me: "You can do it! Search for the spa at the end of the tunnel." from Anna E in her profile update: "intergalactic war has broken out, I'm being tailed by two alien fighters with lasers and my shields are down!!!" Followed by this in comments: "all while making spaghetti". And an old one that I love... I was lamenting that I hadn't checked the care instructions on a blanket and had inadvertently washed it when it should've been dry-cleaned. To which Jennifer PJ (who is always hilarious) said she doesn't worry about care ...

So I recently had a jam-packed visit to Dallas, Texas. I stayed with some friends of mine who are fantastic hosts, the kind of people who make a houseguest feel as though she'd like to move in. ;) (Thanks, Larry & Jane!) In addition to visiting my friends, I spoke to a creative writing class at a Dallas high school, which I think was as energizing for me as it was for the kids. I also had lunch with a friend who's an aspiring author. This is Peaches, the FreshFiction mascot. Also while in Dallas, I visited a FreshFiction readers' tea as a guest author. They are a fabulous group of women who read tons and have wonderful and entertaining insights on lots of topics, not just books. They make me wish I lived in Dallas, so I could become a regular reader member. Overall, January's been terrific for connecting with old friends and making new ones.