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Forget Twilight. This is The Movie. It’s been "in development" for at least 15 years. I remember all the Box Office blue sheets from my seven-year stint at The Movies at Polo Road back in the 90s.

Rob sent me this picture today.

The night Max wore his wolf suit
and made mischief of one kind or another…

If you have the opportunity, you need to see Let The Right One In, if only for the scene where Oskar gets Eli to come into his apartment uninvited. A subject that’s not often broached regarding vampires.

The film was dark and subtle, and most of the dialogue was spoken with the eyes, so you had plenty of time to pay attention (when you weren’t reading subtitles). I enjoyed it immensely. But then, I was in the mood for dark and quiet.

I was gazing out the airplane window at this view over the Rockies and thinking: Gee, this looks familiar. Once upon a time, I had never been west of the Mississippi River. This year, I’ve been in the Denver airport (to change planes AND as a destination) so many times I’ve lost count. Now that I’m done traveling for the year, let’s recap.

Conventions, Book Festivals & Workshops attended in 2008: 9

States visited (not including Tennessee): Kentucky, New York, South Carolina (2), Indiana, Florida, Colorado, Georgia, California (2), Oregon, Ohio

And this is a year of me "taking it easy." Right. Apparently, "taking it easy" means "only domestic travel."

"01010100 01110010 01101001 01110101 01101101 01110000 01101000 <3"

I’m only sorry I joined Twitter too late and missed that tweet.
Read more about the Phoenix Lander here.

Via Con Dios, Phoenix

Roller Girls: Missy, Kitti & Lillie

I’m not quite sure what was missing last Thursday night — whatever it was, I certainly didn’t Bring It to the skating rink. My energy was in the toilet. Happily (happily?) I had a manuscript in my bag, so I edited a few pages…and then a few more pages…and then a few more pages…every time I took a break. I finally threw in the towel, putting my shoes back on only for the YMCA and Gloria Gaynor’s "I Will Survive." (The DJ was willing to give Mike’s CD mixes a try. Thank goodness. I’m actually becoming FAMILIAR with Miley Cyrus songs.)

We had a good crew: Me & Tracy & Kitti & Lillie & Missy & Jenny were all in attendance. We haven’t fully decided on our Roller Derby names yet, but worry not. We all love having many names, and we’ll be referring to each other as such soon enough.

I tried out the speed skates…yeah, that didn’t last long. Turns out I actually need the height of the boot-type skate, or the arches of my foot scream at me (thanks, Dad, for those particular genetics). The silver lining there was that I knew exactly what kind of skates I needed! At the end of the night I ordered them: size nine, white, with purple wheels. I can’t WAIT to get them! (Though it’s going to be the 20th, since I’ll be out of town this Thursday…pooh!)

Tracy got some awesome black skates with shiny red wheels — they were made for wider feet, so it was love at first fitting. She hadn’t paid for them yet, but was desperate to take them for a trial run. I asked, since she didn’t want to…and I turned around JUST in time to see her feet fly out from under her and go CRASHING down to the floor. It hurt MY bones to see. Poor Tracy…she had to go to the chiropractor over the weekend, and she’s still feeling it.

But she still bought the skates.
That’s my girl.

Rainbow Wheels of Death, pre-ass-busting.

It’s official — Sherlock’s Books is my new favorite bookstore. It helps that it’s only about 20 miles from my house, a lovely, backwoods, straight-shot, non-interstate drive. And doing it mid-November when all the leaves are changing — well, whichever ones didn’t just turn brown and fall already due to yet another heat-lamp summer — it was a pretty picture regardless. The building is HUGE, the staff is sweet and approachable and NOT annoying, there is a lovely restaurant and coffee shop with plenty of seating, and the theatre room is fabulous. You can even rent it! For $100 you get 3 hours with the projection screen, two homemade pizzas, and 3 2-liter bottles of soda. Birthday Party, Date, or Viva Pinata marathon — your choice. There’s also a nice hoby section in the back for all you guys into model car building.

And did I mention the drag strip being built in the back? And the free wi-fi? And the natural light?? Oh goodness, the natural light…all those windows…swoon…

The signing was wonderful. Thanks to everyone for coming out, and the Music City Romance Writers for being so hospitable to this Little Misfit. I will have to attend one of your meetings soon, so I can get all the books signed that I forgot to bring!

And if you live within a 100-mile radius of Lebanon, TN, you MUSTMUSTMUST check out Sherlock’s Books. I have a feeling I’ll be a frequent visitor on the weekends. Every author needs a bookstore to hide in. I’m so glad I finally have one.

Look at all those windows! It was love at first sight.

Sherrilyn Kenyon, a passel of other authors and I will be doing a local signing (I know, they’re rare…) at Sherlock’s Books (support your local Independent Bookstore!) on Saturday, November 8th.
I’ll have some Beauty & Dynamite on hand!

See you there!

NOV 8,1-5 PM
Lebanon, TN
Booksigning
Sherlock’s Books
200 Maddox-Simpson Parkway
Lebanon, Tennessee 37090
615-449-9807
(Across From Middle TN Electric)

**blue hair not included on all models.

Or: "Capering about in a loose-limbed, vaguely simian manner." Worth every penny.

From Chad: I hope this meets my obligation, and provides three and a half minutes of entertainment to stop you hitting "refresh" on your favorite poll-watching site during election day.

Many thanks to those of you who donated, even if it did force me to make an ass of myself on video. If you haven’t donated, and enjoyed the video, please consider making a contribution.

Because I know all you lovely people have voted already:

It’s time for Apex’s Annual Post-Halloween Raffle!

We’ve pulled from our high-security cellar vaults some the most fiendishly delightful goodies you’ve ever seen, like free fiction critiques, ARCs of as-yet unavailable books signed by the authors, valuable rare books worth more than $50, a steampunk classic with zepplins–REAL ZEPPLINS!–doodled by the author himself, and the only Maurice Broaddus Quintuple Threat Pack in existence!

Don’t waste a minute! Get your raffle tickets now! There’s just too much good stuff to miss out! Happy Post-Halloween!

10% of all proceeds will be donated to Dolly’s Imagination Library

Check out all the items up for raffle here!

Apex Loves You

The November issue of Apex Magazine is live, including the latest Beauty & Dynamite entry entitled: "I Bet You Think This Essay’s About You."

A great artist is an artist who has their own distinct voice. Their “certain something” stands out from the crowd. Certain aficionados can glance at a painting and tell a Renoir from a Picasso or a Van Gogh; they can listen to a stanza and tell Handel from Mozart or Chopin. One of my recent essays was referred to as self-indulgent crap. I could not have been more flattered. Hallelujah, I thought, I’ve finally arrived.

Read the rest of the essay here. And be sure to leave a comment telling me how totally full of crap I am!

I am also a total picture-stealer.
You have been warned.