Sundry Items

Well, now, wasn’t blogspot a pain in the neck yesterday. It wasn’t just this site; it was the whole system. If you gave up trying to bring up yesterday’s post—yes, we finished the series. You can go back and read the last post now.

Shelley, I couldn’t post an answer to you in the comments yesterday because of the site problems. So, basically, yes, you’re on the right track. Just keep studying--as we’re all doing. It’s the way of life for novelists.

Okay, now for a little of this and that, in no particular order.

1. First—the news here on Monday—those who have landed roles for the Scenes & Beans blog will be announced, along with the latest info on what’s happening with that blog. Those of you who didn’t audition, you can sit back and watch this very public experiment unfold. And you’ll have an opportunity later in the year to send in auditioning posts if you want to. Scenes & Beans is gonna rock the country, by gum!

2. On Tuesday I’m going to tell you about Travis Thrasher’s latest suspense, Admission. The book intrigued me because of the different techniques he used. Then, running Wednesday and probably Thursday, will be an interview with him—including his answers to my questions about why he wrote the book the way he did. This will be an interesting follow-up to the topics we’ve discussed here lately. And I’ll give you a “Sneak Pique” at Travis’s next book. You won’t believe what he’s gonna do in that one. I had to ask him myself--“Are you really going to do that?”

3. Marketing plans are really swingin’ for Violet Dawn now that we’re less than two months from release. On the last Saturday in August the launch party for the book will take place in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I’ll be telling you more about that and other marketing plans in the future.

4. This here blog will soon be sporting its new look. Should be ready sometime next week.

5. By the way, something I should have mentioned a few weeks ago: the entire Hidden Faces series (4 books) is being purchased by a big print publisher. All that murder and mayhem will now be easier on weak eyes.

Weak hearts are another matter. But there’s always the BHCC (Big Honkin’ Chickens’ Club).

6. So what’s the latest on my schnozzola, you ask? The stitching tie-offs were snipped off by the doc on Monday. (The stitches actually in the skin dissolved.) And as of that day, I could stop wearing Band Aids. Yay. I was tired of looking like a war-torn boxer. The ol’ schnoz looks surprisingly good. The corset-like stitches on top? Totally gone. Really amazing. There’s a little ridge going over toward one side, but that’s going to disappear. With make-up over the area, it’s hardly noticeable. That’s awesome considering how many stitches it took, inside and outside, to close that hole.

7. Here’s the funniest part about the schnoz. Through Site Meter, which tracks folks who visit this blog, I can see where people are being referred from. And if they’re finding Forensics and Faith due to a search, the words or phrases they searched show up. So who’s been finding us lately? People searching about MOHs surgery. (The kind I had.) People searching about cauterizing the nose (remember that part about burning skin?) These poor wretches. Terrified souls that they are, searching for serious information about their scheduled surgery—and they stumble onto my story. Ah, the agony and defeat of the Internet. My “tale of woe” is likely doing for MOHs surgeons what Violet Dawn will do for the hot tub industry. My name shall be toast.

Oh, wait. That was my nose.