It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Phew!

It's taken me this long to recover from Christmas. I wish I was kidding, but I am not.

Landra at Rise of the Slush and I have been busting our butts to ready our new review site. And it's almost complete! *Insert maniacal mad scientist laugh*

Also, I got Batman Arkham City and Assassin's Creed Revelations for Christmas, so y'all might not see me again for a while *j/k, though not really*

How was your Christmas?

Tis the Season!

First of all, hope everyone's having a fantastic holiday season! I know this is the high-stress time of year, when everyone's frantically scurrying around, trying to find that perfect gift for friends, family, and/or that someone special. For your sanity, and for that of your family, friends, and someone special, please take the time out to enjoy the season, because believe me, those same people you're with now may not be around this time next year. Love them while you can.

Second of all, I want to go ahead and let y'all know about some changes coming up. My dear friend Landra at Rise of the Slush and I are starting a review blog at the beginning of the year for books published through a small press or self-published. We're covering EVERYTHING (including YA) as long as it's through a small press or self-pubbed, so keep your eyes open. It's called Indie Books R Us for right now because I suck hardcore at titles, but I'd love it if you guys checked in every-so-often. Landra's already a highly-experienced reviewer and I just like excuses to read. However, this means I'll be blogging even less frequently here (like the 2-3 times a week I manage are really that tough), but I hope to see some familiar names over there :)

Third of all, I'd like to share with you a website that I found via The Bloggess. It's called Wish Upon a Hero and it's an effortless way to change someone's life in time for Christmas. There are a lot of families who won't be able to provide for their families during the holiday season due to unemployment, cutbacks at work, illness, or a variety of other seasons, and this website allows you to chip in to whomever you want. It's. Freaking. Awesome.

I think that's everything. Anyone got some good news to share????

Stuff I learned during Christmas

And now, for your reading pleasure, I present to you "Stuff I learned during Christmas"

• My antagonist isn't as much of a jerk as I've been led to believe. (It's a Christmas miracle!) Totally figured out his backstory and why he's the way he is. PTSD is a mofo, y'all.
  
  
• My mom totally believes in me. She bought me two science fiction/fantasy guide book thingies that I hadn't even picked out, which means that she took the time to sit in Barnes and Noble and thumb through them. Super-cool side note: One of my profs from NKU is an author involved with one of the books (by Orson Scott Card, author of Ender's Game and a crapton of others!). I felt like I'd had a celebrity for 3 classes.
  
  
• Wii is totally overrated, but still fun
  
  
• My sis and her bf are completely annoying, but whatever. They seem pretty happy.
  
  
• Allergies are horrid.
  
  
• Chocolate wine is AMAZING.

Yeah, I think that about sums it up. Hope everyone had happy holidays. Looking forward to a new year!

• 
  

ADD strikes again

hey, all. first and foremost, happy holidays! *finally getting into the Christmas spirit, will be saddened by the Christmas brokeness* hope that anyone who stumbles across ye olde blog here has a wonderful Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or whatever you are celebrating this year. Here's to health, family, and remembering what's important: not giving Celine Dion any more money.

okay, i kid. the most important thing to remember this holiday season is that regardless of your beliefs, this is the season for caring about and for your fellow man. give where you can. doesn't have to be money. it can be time. sometimes time is the most important gift you can give.

didn't mean to go all PSA on you. moving on.

i've started building on what might become my next WIP. not so sure, though. there are a few other irons in the fire right now, but for some reason, this one calls to me. i'm currently developing the religion (i actually told a guest i was trying to create a religion; i'm fairly certain he thought i was nuts.) and using this wonderful book about secret societies through the ages to do it. from the way it's working, i'm using the indoctrination process of the ancient Mysteries to pave the way for what becomes the Imperial religion that antagonizes the spirituality of the northern tribe (and creates the backdrop of Aya and Serené's journey back to the northern lands). there's going to be quite a bit of mythology in this one, where my current project is all science and facts and whatnot. it feels good to get back to my roots.

but i need reading suggestions for SF/F. i'm uber behind because of...well, lack of money for books for one (and lack of money to renew my library card), and also because i've been reading other genres. i think the hunger games series was actually the first fantasy i've read in months. boooo. so if anyone stumbling across ye olde blog has any suggestions, i'm more than willing to take them. i already have a couple by Steven Krane on my list, and I also want to pick up some Piers Anthony. but apart from that, i'm stuck. (i'm thinking it's time i pick up something by that S.L. Farrell guy, considering he taught my novel writing class.) so yes. any suggestions are welcome.

i hate i missed agent appreciation day

and since i don't have an agent, i'll say this: agents are awesome, and after the immense amount of reading i've done concerning them, they're as necessary as water. and even air.

well, getting into the Christmas spirit has proven even more difficult since my dad got laid off yesterday. he and my mother are taking it in stride, more or less because they have to, but considering i'm over 200 miles away from them at this critical time in their lives (and mine, too, don't get me wrong), i'm having difficulty getting into the holiday spirit. it's worse that i just can't be there. my sister and her boyfriend are there, but i'm not. and i'm peeved. but a girl's got to work.

it just blows. i'm sorry, but it does. this whole situation is dumb. he's the best worker they have, but of course he's smarter than them so they're intimidated. whatever. i'm steamed.

2010 needs to hurry up.