Calontir's New Crown

Long Live the King!

Long Live the Queen!

Long Live Calontir!!!

On Saturday, I spent the day in the Middle Ages. Time travel was not involved, I simply drove to an SCA event being held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (aka Deodar).

I haven't been real active in the SCA for a few years, but when the knight (now King) in the picture above, won Crown Tournament this year I decided it was time to start playing again. Yes, he's cute but why else was I so inspired? Well, he was the first King I remember well after I joined the SCA slightly more than ten years ago. You always remember your first King and Queen with the greatest fondness, or so I am told, and it's definitely been true for me. Through the years I have grown better acquainted with him and have always find him to be a genuinely good guy and very gracious.

The other cool thing about Saturday is that I saw SO many people I've known and been friends with through the years that I was reminded why I had joined in the first place. It felt good to get hugs from friends and to know they had missed seeing me. So for now, they are stuck with me again. I'll do my best to get to events when I can and support the Kingdom I love and the Crown I respect.

To check out a local SCA group near you, visit http://www.sca.org then click on the link to the right that says, "Find your local group." I look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

One week and counting....

Greetings all,
One week and counting then yes, I get a vacation. Or in my case a "staycation." I'm not financially set enough to go anywhere, but my plan is to stay home, sleep in, and write...write...write.

I have a ton of ideas and I'm rarin' to go. So keep your fingers crossed that the stars align and I have a great week of writing!

Jon Stewart from The Daily Show

This was on The Daily Show last night. I'll let him speak for himself.

Happy Labor Day 2008!

Celebrate the working man!

Have a happy and safe Labor Day!

Barack Obama at the 2008 DNC

Okay, normally I don't get political, but in a week of super speeches (by Hillary and Bill Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, Al Gore, and John Kerry) this was the most inspiring political speech I've witnessed in my adult life. It gave me chills.

Best Moment of the Olympics

This was the most incredible thing I have EVER seen in sports. Jason Lezak's come from behind win was totally amazing. Wow!!!

Follow the link and enjoy.

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/share.html?videoid=0811_HD_SWB_HL_L0194

OMG, I sold!

Major Announcement. I sold. Film at 11...

Remember I told you all about going to RWA national conference last year and pitching Crime of Passion to Raelene Gorlinsky of Ellora's Cave? She liked my idea and told me to submit it for consideration.

I sent it last October. In January I received a request for a full. In April I received a contract offer. Since then I've worked with a super literary lawyer, Elaine English, to get a contract that both EC and I like. We got it. I received the new contract on Monday and mailed the signed copy to them this week. I know they received it (thank God for USPS delivery confirmation). I may be a bit premature announcing it because I'm still waiting to receive the countersigned copy from them, but I'm so excited I want to shout to the world. So I'm gonna.

I sold! I sold! I sold!!!!!

Wooo Hoooo! Well, Crime of Passion has been renamed too. Evidently, passion is an overused word as a title. Who knew? The new title is....drum roll, please.....Protect and Defend. The short description for Protect and Defend is CSI meets shapeshifters.

The long version? To whet your appetite, here is the blurb as it currently stands...

Mikaela Laughlin discovers a whole new world, and an entirely new species, when she tours the crime lab to meet Lieutenant Diarmid Redwolf while researching her next book. She's lusted after "Delicious Diarmid" from afar for a long time, but meeting him sets her body on fire. It doesn't take long for Mikaela to discover there's more to him than meets the eye. Diarmid is far more delicious up close than she ever dreamed.

Diarmid has bad guys to catch, but one look at the voluptuous writer has him wanting to catch her instead. His shapeshifter blood recognizes his True Mate and he wants her naked body arching beneath his. Now. But with a cold-blooded serial killer on the loose, Diarmid has one shot at his future and he will not fail. Because this time, the killer wants Mikaela.