David Tennant to the rescue!
So I’m in Rochester, NY, for the amazing Teen Book Festival (TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!) – I’ve been here since Thursday afternoon because I was scheduled to do a school visit on Friday along with Heather Brewer and Amy King (Jackie waves to the terrific girls at Mercy High). Now, I don’t know about you, but I tend not to sleep too well when I’m away. Just one of those “It’s not my bed” things, I guess. Or maybe I just miss Officekitty waking me up before 6 to feed her. **pauses** No, definitely not that last one.
Anyway. So yesterday I got up at 5 am, for no good reason. Sigh. So I worked out and got ready for the day (with only a slight detour when the water was shut off; all I’ll say is THANK YOU, TBF, FOR THE BOTTLED WATER – which is perfectly serviceable when washing your face), and then Heather, Amy and I went off to the school and talked about bullying. We got back, had lunch, and then by 1:45 pm I had a crushing headache. I guess the whole not-sleeping-well/up-early thing had caught up to me. I decided to take a nap, because there was plenty of time before we had to meet for dinner that evening.
Here’s the David Tennant part. 
First, you have to understand that I am a recent convert to DOCTOR WHO. (For more on this, see my blog post at the League of Reluctant Adults.) The theme from the David Tennant run is my ringtone on my cell phone. (Yes, whenever I watch the show, I have to make sure my ringer is off.) Ten is my favorite Doctor (although to be fair, I still have to catch up on the classic series).
So. Me, sleeping.
I had some wonky dreams (maybe there’s something in the Rochester water — hmm, no, wait, the water had been turned off). There was something about being in a car and having to drive over this rail-thin bridge with no rails, which sort of turned my hair white (not literally). And I think I was in Portugal. So. Anyway. Toward the end of the dream, David Tennant was looking for me. He had something he needed to tell me. It was pretty urgent, and he was striding purposefully, with that I Have Something Important Or Possibly Clever To Say look on his face. (No, I don’t know if he was the Doctor or David Tennant; I didn’t actually hear him speak, so there was no accent to give me a clue. I think he was in Ten’s overcoat, though. Hmm.)
So I finally wake up, wondering why David Tennant had been looking for me. I sort of smile about it. And then it clicks: David Tennant. Doctor Who. My cell phone ring tone.
I grab my phone. And there’s a text message from Heather, saying that we’re all meeting downstairs at 5:30 to get car pooled (what? It’s a verb) to the restaurant for dinner.
I look at the phone. It’s 5:29.
In a truly, spectacularly, impressively fast feat of getting-readiness, I got downstairs only 5 minutes late. If not for the David Tennant dream, I might have missed my ride.
David Tennant to the rescue!
RAGE Blog Tour: Literary Escapism and Indigo Teen Blog
[cross-posted from my alter-ego's blog]
Today we’re kicking off the RAGE Blog Tour! Throughout April, I’ll be visiting blogs and babbling about lots of things (say, Twinkies). And there’s a big tour contest — three people will win copies of HUNGER and RAGE, plus some extra goodies!
Today’s official tour stop is at Literary Escapism. In the spirit of April Fool’s Day, I do a post about my faux memoir, ROAD RAGE. 
Bonus: I was interviewed by Indigo Teen Blog — and Death makes an appearance!
Guest blogging at Dark Faerie Tales
Today, I’m guest blogging at Dark Faerie Tales, where I give a handy, dandy color-coded guide to the Riders of the Apocalypse. And, if you’re going to RT this year, I also posted my convention schedule.
All throughout April, I’ll be doing a blogosphere world tour. Lots of guest posts; lots of interviews. Lots of RAGE reviews, eek!
In other news: I finally got my taxes off to my accountant (rah!!!) and I’m full-speed ahead on LOSS (double rah!!!).
And a reminder: If you’re in the Albany, NY area, I’ll be at the Empire State Book Festival this Saturday for a 2:45 pm panel called “She Blinded Me with Science Fiction,” followed by a Meet & Greet (aka, signing copies of RAGE) at 4:45pm. I’ll also be doing a reading at Flights of Fantasy on Monday, April 4, starting at 7 pm. Hope to see you there!
Upcoming appearances
With RAGE coming out in one week (RAH!), I wanted to post my upcoming appearances:
SAT, APRIL 2:
Panel and signing
Empire State Book Festival, Albany, NY
2:45 pm panel: She Blinded Me With Science Fiction
MON, APRIL 4:
Reading and signing
Flights of Fantasy, Colonie, NY
7 pm
APRIL 5 – APRIL 10:
Romantic Times Booklovers Convention
Los Angeles, CA
WED, APRIL 6:
Panel: Worldbuilding in Urban Fantasy
1 pm
THURS, APRIL 7:
Club RT
9:30 am
FRI, APRIL 8:
Panel: Say Anything? Boundaries In YA
10 am
SAT, APRIL 9:
Book Fair/Teen Day
Time: 11:00 am – 2 pm (Book Fair)
Time: 5 pm (Author Speed-Dating, session 2)
SAT, MAY 14:
Rochester Teen Book Festival
Rochester, NY
A Whole Lot of Hell
First, I’d like to thank everyone who has been downloading HELL TO PAY for the Kindle or the Nook. You guys totally rock, and as soon as I’m done writing LOSS, outlining BREATH, and doing sample chapters for a Sooper Sekrit Project, I will start writing BEFORE THE FALL — basically, Hell 2.0, if you read the author’s note at the end of H2$.
Second, the fabulous Falcata Times did a back-to-back-to-back review of the UK editions of HELL’S BELLES, THE ROAD TO HELL, and HOTTER THAN HELL. Much Hellish love! And they also interviewed me about tons of things — good for readers and writers alike! Thank you, Falcata Times!
Third — and okay, this isn’t Hell-related — one of my local newspapers interviewed me about HUNGER, and then promoted the library event I attended this weekend. Great fun!
And last (for now), I posted over at the Deadline Dames, answering a reader’s question about whether you should take agent rejection letters to heart or not.
And now…back to the WIP!
