Showing posts with label Jacquelyn Sylvan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jacquelyn Sylvan. Show all posts

Monday, May 18, 2009

Brunching with Readers



Sorry about last week’s interruption in the blogs; sometimes life just isn’t convenient to blogging.
I’m back on track this week, though, and have a very nice author event to tell you about. The slate plaque/pen holder you see above was my gift from the Bangor Public Library, for participating in their biannual Brunch with the Author program.

At times, it can be more uncomfortable to address a small group than a large one, but that certainly wasn’t the case here. I was made very welcome from the start, and there was no “pressure to perform.” It was also very nice to be able to tell the attendees that the book we were discussing was written just a few blocks from where we were sitting, since before moving to Palmerton we lived on the same street as the library. And, ya know, they fed me and gave me presents.


So thanks to Melanie, who set the event up, and the awesome library staff and Friends of the Library members who made me welcome and fed me homemade goodies. I had a great time!



Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Displaced


Dear Diary,

We finally arrived at Koen’s village…or what’s left of it. Koen and the twins thought the Andrians caught wind of the fact that they were helping me, and burned his people out.

I have to call them that, the Andrians, even though they’re ‘my’ people. I can’t align myself with them. All I have in common with them is skin color, and they’re attacking the people I’ve eaten with, slept with (ha, in more ways than one, now), and loved. I hate them. I hate my own people.
We have no idea if any of the Valforte made it out; we haven’t found any bodies, but the village is burned to the ground—

I’m going to try and do a search for them. God, I hope I find something.

--June


Tuesday, April 21, 2009

At Last...

Dear Diary,
“Happiness” is such a limiting word. “Elation,” “ecstasy,”…I could go through the whole thesaurus (if I had one) and not find a word to even approach what I’m feeling right now.

Koen and I are together. He came and found me after the whole Halryan debacle last week and, well, things went from there.

He’s felt about me the same way I’ve been feeling, but the whole societal separation thing kept him from telling me how he felt. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have believed a line like that, but a) it’s Koen, he doesn’t lie, and b) we both got cornered directly after we “came out,” for a lecture on how dangerous our relationship is—for Koen especially.

That knocked me for a loop and made me reconsider everything, but Koen refused to let me back out, and told me I was more important than the threat of—well, let’s not talk about it.

Am I weak and selfish for believing him, for continuing to be with him, when the
consequences could be so severe? Is it naïve to keep thinking, even after all this time and everything we’ve been through, that love could really conquer all?

June

Buy Surviving Serendipity at Amazon or Quake Direct!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Pet Peeves


I've been running dry on 'blog fodder' the past few weeks, and so I've been relying on prompts and memes more and more. One prompt I consistently find concerns people's pet peeves. I have a lot of those, so I didn't think I could really cover it; it would be less of a blog and more of a pamphlet.

However, several patients over the last few days reminded me of, if not my absolute top pet peeve, at least a top three.

See, there are two groups of people I encounter regularly, the "Whistlers," and the "Do-be-doers." They are usually elderly, male men, who whistle or "do-be-do," tunelessly and ceaselessly. They are not whistling or humming any particular song; it's more of a composition in progress, which translates to the same five notes repeated over and over again. The Whistlers especially have a tendency to do it through their teeth, and directly at me, and usually have not brushed their teeth in approximately 24 hours.

I don't know why, but as soon as I hear the sound of whistling or "do-be-do-ing," every muscle in my body seizes up. The blood starts to pound in my ears. I have to force myself to stick the needle in their arm, rather than in their eye, and all I want to do is scream, "Will you PLEASE stop DOING THAT?????"

So, now that we've established that I'm a psycho...any pet peeves you'd like to share?


Buy Surviving Serendipity at Amazon or Quake Direct!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Done


Dear Diary,

I’m done. I can’t do this anymore. I don’t care what happens. I can just sit right here in this little clearing while the world disappears around me.

If whoever’s running this whole little circus is trying to drive me nuts, well, congratulations, you succeeded. I just killed a man, which to me proves I’ve gone right over the deep end.

Someone’s coming.


June



Thursday, April 9, 2009

Reviews, reviews, reviews

Wow, I totally flaked on blogging yesterday. Big duh moment. Anyhoo...

Here's what I read this week:

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester: Stephenie Meyer called this a cross between "Little House on the Prairie and X-Men," and I couldn't agree more. What a fabulous book. Piper, the only child of a traditional farming couple, isn't what anyone expected. But her wonderful gift and unsinkable attitude land her in a heap of trouble. What at first seems to be the answer to her prayers turns out to be a nightmare, and to save herself and her new friends she must decide between meeting the expectations of others and being true to herself. Middle grade, but I still loved it.

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey: Jessica finds out her strange background is even stranger than she thought, when her vampire fiance, to whom she's been promised since birth, shows up at her school to claim her. This is worth reading just for Lucius's letters home. Very entertaining, although I would have liked a little more explanation on Fantaskey's version of vampirism, and I could have happily throttled her hippy-dippy parents pretty much any time they showed up.


by Carlos Ruiz Zafon: A slow, intricate read, but worth it. Young Daniel's introduction into the secret world of books takes a terrifying turn when he discovers a book called The Shadow of the Wind, by Julian Carax. When he researches the book's origins, he discovers he possesses the only remaining copy of the book-because a mysterious, horribly disfigured man has been traveling Europe, destroying every copy of Carax's books he can find. It isn't long before the scarred man shows up to try and collect Daniel's copy. Daniel has to delve deeply into Carax's past and his own future to find the truth and bring closure to a cycle of hatred and unrequited love spanning two generations.

Impossible, by Nancy Werlin: This was a magical read in every sense of the word. Seventeen year old Lucy Scarborough lives with her fiercely protective foster parents, but their protection isn't enough to save her from rape and subsequent pregnancy. Soon, Lucy discovers that her situation isn't a coincidence; she's the latest victim of a centuries-old curse that leaves each Scarborough woman doomed to give birth and go insane by her eighteenth birthday. The only way to escape her fate is to complete a series of seemingly impossible tasks set forth by a song, passed down from mother to daughter, a strange version of "Scarborough Fair," unknown to folk historians. Time is slowly running out as Lucy races to complete the tasks and save herself and her unborn daughter from the clutches of the curse.

Hope you enjoyed this week's offerings; tune in next Thursday for more quickie book reviews!


Buy Surviving Serendipity at Amazon or Quake Direct!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Gone.


Dear Diary,


Minogan's dead.


Two mornings ago, I woke up with a bad feeling. I couldn't find anything on my out-of-body scan, though, so I chose to ignore it, the decision that cost Minogan his life.


The Eid Gomen came out of the water, like they have the past two times they surprised us. Only this time they weren't aiming to capture; they came to kill. One of them came after me, Minogan tried to stop him...


I feel like the Queen in Macbeth. I tried to stop the bleeding, tried to heal him, like I did with Errigal's arm. But I wasn't fast enough, or strong enough, and now even though I've scrubbed my hands with sand and salt water a million times, I still feel like I can smell his blood. Think I catch a speck of it on my palm or between my fingers if I look at my hand too fast.


The others are all devastated, but Koen is the worst. All I can say is that I'm so grateful they made up, because if they hadn't...


I will never forget the terror in Minogan's eyes as he tried to catch his breath. I've never seen him scared of anything before. And I don't think I'll ever forgive myself.


--June



Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Sunlight At Last


Dear Diary,

Sunlight, at last. For the past, well, I don’t even know how many days, I’ve been held captive in another of the Eid Gomen’s underground lairs. It would have been the most horrible experience of my life, even if I didn’t have a rotting corpse as a roomie. Tamsik died the same night I arrived, but not before she imparted some really weird info and gave me a very strange ‘gift.’

The guys rescued me, even after I expressly told them to go for help if anything happened. This just goes to show you how wonderful democracy is. I was outvoted, and I’ve never been so grateful in my life.

But when Koen came into my cell with the rest of the guys, and I saw his face, after thinking I’d never see him again—I had to face something. This isn’t some crush I have; I’m falling in love with him. Actually falling is wrong, since it would signify that I’m not already there. I love him. And I don’t think he loves me back.

June B



Buy Surviving Serendipity at Amazon or Quake Direct!

Beware the sound of crying children, watch out for the barmaids, and whatever you do, don't let the Pegasus spit on you.
Surviving Serendipity--http://www.sylvaniamania.com

Monday, March 23, 2009

These pets of mine

While reading Iris’s blog last week, I realized something. I talk about my pets an awful lot, but I’ve never formally introduced them. So, for those of you who care:

Sirius: Our 2 ½ year old shepherd/lab/pit bull mix. He suffers from an excess of joie de vivre, and if he had a motto it would be “full speed ahead.” He loves his squeaky ball, hiking, meeting new people and dogs, and the gourmet peanut butter bakery bones from Pride & Passion in town. He hates having his toenails clipped and Mommy’s horn from St. Patty’s Day.





Neville: A seven-year-old domestic shorthair, I found him as a six-week-old kitten under a car in the parking lot of the vet I used to work for. I truly believe he is the reincarnation of Napoleon Bonaparte. This cat knows what he wants, and goes for it. When he was still tiny, we tried to lock him out of the bedroom at night; he bodyslammed the door repeatedly until he popped the lock. He also once took a headlong dive into my husband’s cereal bowl (which was propped in his lap) to snatch a Reese’s Puff. Loves food, and anything that resembles the worship he feels he deserves; he also enjoys terrorizing my other cat, Hermione.




Hermione: About six years old, we think; we rescued her off the street, after the crackheads evicted from the house next door tossed her out. We’re pretty sure she sustained some brain damage through abuse in her former home; she’s never been quite right. The purest soul I’ve ever met, but with some serious balance issues. Last year, she fell off a dresser and broke her leg—fell off as in forgot to stop walking at the edge. Loves catnip and bedtime, when she gets to snuggle with her humans in bed.
Well, that’s the crew. Hope you enjoyed getting to know them!

Buy Surviving Serendipity at Amazon!

Beware the sound of crying children, watch out for the barmaids, and whatever you do, don't let the Pegasus spit on you.
Surviving Serendipity--http://www.sylvaniamania.com

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Three reviews, one blog!

I read four books and one short story in the past week. (Yes, I know, I’m a freak.)
The first book was Sam Morton’s Disavowed.

It’s a crime drama, which is not something I’d usually pick up and stay with, but—I loved it. There was a real humanity in the book which I think is missing from most other books in the genre. The main word I keep thinking of in connection with his book is honest. In addition to having an action-packed plot, it delves really deeply into the racial issues that still plague our country.

Next, I read Regan Black’s Pixie Chicks, a short story only available in eBook format. Now that was a fun read, and the first of hopefully many stories featuring Brianna, Austin, Claire, and Lana, four high school band “geeks” dubbed the Pixie Chicks. I think fans of Libba Bray and Meg Cabot will especially enjoy this series. Click here to download from Fictionwise.

The third was a book called The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins.

I was enthralled by page 19, and by the end, my cheeks were actually flushed. The sequel comes out in September, and I just can’t wait. Katniss is one of those characters you connect with instantly and find yourself thinking about as you try to fall asleep that night.

The fourth—well, we’ll take the old saying, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all,” and apply it here. Major letdown. If you can’t deal with not knowing, though, email me at jacquelynsylvan@sylvaniamaniaDOTcom, and I’ll tell you. Being an author, I just can’t conscience blasting someone’s book publicly.

Here's what's on my upcoming to-read list:

Hunted (House of Night, Book 5) -The fifth enstallment of P.C. and Kristen Cast's House of Night series. Anyone know if this is the last one? Came out March 10.
The Forest of Hands and Teeth -A new novel I've been hearing a lot of buzz about. Post-apocalyptic-zombie novel, but with several plot twists that look like they'll be setting this book apart. Just released last weekend.
City of Glass (Mortal Instruments) -The third book in Cassandra Clare's series. Interestingly enough, she got her start doing Harry Potter fan fic! Releases March 24.
Fell -Second book in David Clement-Davies The Sight series. I got a pleasant shock when I realized I'd picked up one of his books a few years ago in a used bookstore, and loved it. About psychic wolves, from the wolves' perspective.
Exodus -I seem to really be into the post-apocalypse scene (now, if only I could spell 'apocalypse' on the first try!). This is another one, but where the seas rise up and take over the Earth. Recommended by Sam Morton!



And of course, if you’re still looking for something to read, you can check out Surviving Serendipity!


Beware the sound of crying children, watch out for the barmaids, and whatever you do, don't let the Pegasus spit on you.
Surviving Serendipity--http://www.sylvaniamania.com

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Way to Focus


Dear Diary,

We may have escaped capture from the Eid Gomen, but, of course, having one enemy would be too simple. The Sidhe may have sold us out to them, we’re not sure—it’s complicated. Plus, we found out this week, through a chance encounter with an Andrian, that the Sorcerer’s Guild, or whoever’s passing for government these days, is looking for us, too. And there’s a price on our heads. Aren’t these the people who are supposed to be on our side?

So we’re going to keep going as we have been, keeping off the roads, slowly starving to death, since we can’t trade for food. We can’t even risk a fire to cook meat, most of the time.

I’ve lost my entire life on Earth, we’re starving, we’re being pursued, we could be killed or captured at any moment, which would lead to the end of the world, but is that what occupies my mind most? Nope. It’s Koen. Did he laugh at my joke, what did that look mean, what’s he thinking, blah, blah, blah. I’m in the middle of a life and death situation and I have caught my first crush since high school. Brilliant, June. Way to focus.

--June



Buy Surviving Serendipity and find out how it ends! And don't forget to follow June on Twitter!

Beware the sound of crying children, watch out for the barmaids, and whatever you do, don't let the Pegasus spit on you.
Surviving Serendipity--http://www.sylvaniamania.com

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

As the world turns


Dear Diary,

Well, I thought the excreta had already hit the fan, when, ya know, I was kidnapped to another world, but I was so wrong. Turns out my stay here in Prendawr is permanent. Well, I guess I could go back, but since everyone I know on Earth was already eighty years old a few days ago and are by now probably dead, there doesn’t really seem to be a point, does there?

I guess there was this whole for-the-greater-good point to sending me to Earth, but I don’t care. All I care about right now is that I’ve lost everything. I’ve been lied to and cheated out of everything I had, everything I’ve known. Every memory of my life before coming here is going to carry a taint.

And as for the people that lied to me…they still get what they want, that’s what makes me the maddest. I still have to save their stupid world for them, because if I don’t, innocent people like Koen and the rest of the Valforte are going to die. If it weren’t for them, honestly, I’d just sit down and wait for it all to blow up.

And I’m going to make sure that, if I do manage to keep the world from ending, everyone knows that if it weren’t for the Valforte, they’d all be dead.

--June


You do realize you're going to have to wait a whole 'nother week to find out what happens, right? Not if you order Surviving Serendipity now on Amazon.com or Quake Direct! And don't forget, you can follow June on Twitter!


Beware the sound of crying children, watch out for the barmaids, and whatever you do, don't let the Pegasus spit on you.
Surviving Serendipity--http://www.sylvaniamania.com

Monday, March 2, 2009

You might be in South Carolina if:


I spent the weekend at a fabulous event in Columbia, SC; the South Carolina Book Festival. If you’d like to know more about my time at the actual festival, head on over to Quake’s Teen Seen blog, where I give an illustrated summary of the weekend.

But what I really wanted to talk about are the cultural differences between South Carolina and Pennsylvania, which is where I live. So I’ve compiled this brief list:

You might be in South Carolina if:

-Someone asks you if you’d like a cola (as opposed to a soda).
-Immediately upon entering a restaurant, you become the waitress’s “baby”.
-“Y’all” is more than just a conjunction, it’s a cultural phenomenon.
-In Walmart, there’s beer in the cooler and wine on the endcaps.
-If you are a female over the age of twelve, you are known to strangers as “ma’am”.
-General Sherman stayed in your hotel in 1865.
-There are three inches of snow in the forecast, and the news anchor asks the sheriff he’s interviewing if there are plans to open shelters.

I hope this doesn’t come across as snide, because it’s certainly not meant that way—I love every minute of my time here, even if they are insisting on having their first snow storm in two years. I simply find it fascinating, what a difference six hundred miles makes. They must think I’m pretty weird, too!


Click the cover to buy Surviving Serendipity!

Beware the sound of crying children, watch out for the barmaids, and whatever you do, don't let the Pegasus spit on you.
Surviving Serendipity--http://www.sylvaniamania.com

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Surviving Serendipity-the book trailer!

I am crazy excited about this! My friend, April, talented SIMS director extraordinaire, surprised me by making a book trailer for Surviving Serendipity! Check it out!

Surviving Serendipity


If the video won't play for you, you can link to it directly here. And don't forget to order Surviving Serendipity on Amazon or Quake Direct!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

From Bad To Worse:


Dear Diary,

Things are starting to get damn serious. A few days ago, I caught my first glimpse of an Eid Gomen, one of the creatures Halryan says are trying to destroy the world. I can’t even write it down, I’m still so freaked out, but let’s just say that glimpse was a revelation and a half.

There was a really bad accident with Koen, too. One that made me realize just how isolated we are. If someone gets hurt or sick, there isn’t anyone to call for help. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so small or alone.

Also, it seems that Halryan was right. I do have—God, this is so crazy to write!—magical abilities. I can heal myself, move things with my mind, and a bunch of other stuff that’s harder to describe. Like seeing faraway or invisible things, throwing up shields. It’s insane. I really wish I was dreaming all this up, but I have to admit, my mind is not whacked enough to come up with this crap.

So now we’re on our way to meet the faeries. Yes, the faeries, I said faeries, I still can’t believe I’m talking about faeries. And from what I’m getting so far, I have a feeling they’re not going to be buzzing around on cute little butterfly wings.

--June

P.S. Found out my real name. I’d write it here, but then I’d have to burn the page. Absolutely foul. If it wasn’t for bad luck…

Still not enough for you? Order Surviving Serendipity on Amazon.com or Quake Direct! And don't forget to follow June on Twitter!

Beware the sound of crying children, watch out for the barmaids, and whatever you do, don't let the Pegasus spit on you.
Surviving Serendipity--http://www.sylvaniamania.com

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Yeah, It's Real


Dear Diary,

Wow, what a week.

First, I’ve come to the unfortunate conclusion that this is not a hallucination or joke television episode. This is real. I am really on another planet, I’m really speaking a language other than English, and I really look like this. But it’s not all bad, weirdly enough. I’ve stopped freaking out every time a crazy-looking woodland creature jumps out on the path (although freaking isn’t exactly an overreaction, since the first creature I met was the draek, which is this absolutely disgusting creature that lures its human prey by imitating a crying child).

And I actually think I’ve made some friends; the Valforte, who are the blue guys I wrote about last time. They’re nice, they’re down to Earth, and I feel really bad for them. Because, as I found out when we stopped in a village, Halryan isn’t the only one who treats them like dirt. Shame, because I haven’t met a single one of ‘my’ people (Andrians, I guess they’re called) worth the breath insulting them would cost. I understand now why the Valforte were so cautious, when they first met me, though…they probably thought I was a jerk, just like the rest of the people who look like me. But we’re getting along pretty well now. Except for Minogan, but he’s just a little strange, I think.

But now we’re back in the woods, moving on with the quest. I’m starting to get a little performance anxiety here; everyone’s still banking on the fact that I’m a sorceress, and I’m still positive I’m not.

--June

Can't wait to read the rest? Buy Surviving Serendipity on Amazon or Quake Direct! And don't forget to follow along with June on Twitter!

Beware the sound of crying children, watch out for the barmaids, and whatever you do, don't let the Pegasus spit on you.
Surviving Serendipity--http://www.sylvaniamania.com

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Back to Basics


Well, I had kind of hoped to have a completed cross stitch to post a picture of, but…no such luck. Definitely next week, though. I’m almost done.
As for my other adventures this week:

-Thursday, dinner with Emily. I gave her a little bottle of help to get her through her weekend, and she gave me tips on asserting myself.

-Friday, my surprise day off, I took myself on a date to the movies to see The Uninvited. Freaky movie, more so when you’re one of only three people in the movie theater.

-Sunday, Mom’s birthday! Went over and celebrated with her and Dad. Was nearly attacked by a chicken on the way, when I stopped to drop some books off at a friend’s house (yes, that's the chicken, top left). And I launched Project June, where you can follow the main character from my book on Twitter. You can also catch her diary entries every Tuesday right here on Serendipitous Times.

-Monday, got pulled from my usual Monday location to work another one. Of course, this was the day everyone in town decided to get their bloodwork done. I stuck thirty people by lunchtime, but surprisingly was able to be moderately productive when I got home.

This week, I’ve also had to come up with a plan to get more writing done. See, when I started writing Surviving Serendipity, it was in notebooks. Then, my husband got me a laptop. Then I got on MySpace. And Facebook. And now, finally, Twitter. So, I get home, I’ve got emails from Twitter and Facebook, Tweetdeck is chirping at me every thirty seconds…I can’t get anything done. So, I’m going back to the beginning. From now on, when I want to write, the computer goes OFF. And if I need a thinking moment, I can have a thinking moment, not a “well, let me see if anyone posted something interesting on Twitter,” moment. That’s the plan, anyway…let’s see how well it works.


Beware the sound of crying children, watch out for the barmaids, and whatever you do, don't let the Pegasus spit on you.
Surviving Serendipity--http://www.sylvaniamania.com

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Ink in My Hair


Dear Diary,

I honestly don’t even know where to start. I’m still not convinced that somebody didn’t slip me a Roofie or something at the bar—didn’t that used to happen in the sixties? Where people would go on bad trips and just…never come back?

I’m having a hard time deciding which would be worse—lying comatose in a hospital bed somewhere, trapped inside my own brain, or here, in this weird cottage, on this weird planet, with these weird people. Yes, I said planet. As in not Earth.

Aside from Halryan, who is the “sorcerer” (so he says) responsible for getting me here, there are four other guys, Koen, Minogan, Errigal and Feoras. They’re blue. Like Smurfs, but a different shade. Yeah, tell me pharmaceuticals are not involved here.

Oh, and did I mention I’ve changed color, too? I used to be Undead pale, but now I look Hispanic. Also, I’m speaking a different language.

Please, God, let this not be real.

June

P.S. Borrowed dip pen (quill? whatev) ink and paper from Halryan for this. No one tells you how messy these things are. I have ink in my hair.



Get the whole story, and buy Surviving Serendipity at Amazon.com or Quake Direct!

Beware the sound of crying children, watch out for the barmaids, and whatever you do, don't let the Pegasus spit on you.
Surviving Serendipity--http://www.sylvaniamania.com

Monday, February 9, 2009

Intro to June


This week, I’d like to introduce someone very special to me: June, the main character in my YA fantasy novel, Surviving Serendipity.

See, June came home from a lovely twenty-first birthday out, but rather than collapsing in her bed, she found a guy in her apartment, a really weird guy with horrible fashion sense. One minute, she’s running for her life, the next—she’s been kidnapped, pulled through space and time by Mr. Fashion-Don’t to a strange, faraway world.

Now, she’s all alone, stuck with her kidnapper and four oddly-pigmented warrior guys who are insisting they accompany her on a horseback trek across the country to save the world. Oh, yeah, and she’s a sorceress/princess.

Thank God for Twitter, though. She’ll be updating regularly at her new Twitter page, and you can read her diary entries every Tuesday right here. So you can follow her every step of the way and read her reactions to the strange flora and fauna, disastrous toilet-paper replacements, and the unsettling mystery unfolding around her.

Or, if you don’t feel like waiting to find out what happens, you can always buy the book at Amazon.com or at Quake's direct buy page.
Happy reading!


Beware the sound of crying children, watch out for the barmaids, and whatever you do, don't let the Pegasus spit on you.
Surviving Serendipity--http://www.sylvaniamania.com

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

What I'm Up To Wednesday


I probably flatter myself, but it occurred to me that you might want to know something a little more personal about my life than my interest in sled dogs and survival techniques. So, I’ve decided that Wednesdays will be your weekly update into what I’ve been doing. Here’s a rundown:

--Dinner with BFFs Danny and Emily last Thursday. As usual, hilarity ensued, especially in Barnes and Noble, where there was a rather loud scene revolving around the Valentine’s Day book display. Then Danny beat me up in Starbucks.

--Saturday, ran around like a loony after work buying food for pets and various other sundries. Also ordered my bridesmaid dress and tried to talk my husband into getting another dog (so far, fail). Started my new cross stitch project, which should look something like the picture when it’s finished. (If you click on the picture, it’ll take you to the website where I got the pattern; the author has lots of free, printable Harry Potter-themed patterns!)

--Sunday, continued cross stitch, shelved a short story project that simply wasn’t working, reviewed some other writing projects, and went to Em’s for Stupidbowl party to watch overly aggressive Steelers player beat up opposing team’s players. Emily and I mostly sat in a corner and giggled.

--Monday, scored surprise day off for coming Friday. Yay!

So, there you have it…the week in review!


Beware the sound of crying children, watch out for the barmaids, and whatever you do, don't let the Pegasus spit on you.
Surviving Serendipity--http://www.sylvaniamania.com