News; good, bad, and even more bad

Okay, on Friday we lost our dog, Jimmy. The day before Yesterday we found out that Phouka our ten-year-old pug has a cancerous growth on her leg. The doctor is hoping that once removed it will be fine. It's not the really dangerous kind that Jimmy had, at least that's what the initial needle biopsy showed, but of course they won't really know until they take the growth off and get it tested.

I say all that, to say this. It's put things in perspective for me this week. As most of you know now, we lost Brett Booth as our artist for the comics. I was pretty broken hearted about that. I'd hoped we could all work something out, but it was his choice and it was not to be. I think on a different week, I'd have been more upset, but see first paragraph of this blog to see why I can't let this be the thing that wrecks my week.

We will find another artist. Marvel is in the process of sending us work to look at from other people. Jon and I were the ones who went over every piece of art, script, lettering, that hasn't changed. The comic will continue. You guys will be seeing the second half of THE FIRST DEATH in October. Issue seven of GUILTY PLEASURES is being colored as I write this. Don't worry, guys, you'll get to see it finished. I'm all about goals, and seeing things through to the end. I don't know any other way to be. So, I won't try to be anything else.

I wish Brett the best of luck in whatever he does next. He is still going to be doing images for t-shirts and posters. Please, don't bug Darla or anyone about that, yet. Let me recover from this week before we do anything new, okay? Jon and I will miss working with him on the comic. We'll miss those phone calls where the challenge is to hear over the barking of his dogs. I think he has about thirty of them. I maybe off by a few, but not by many. He and his wife Jess are the only people we talk to you on a regular basis that have more dogs than we do. Way more.

Jess is still going to be doing the script adaptions from the book for the comic, so maybe between the scripts and the merch we'll still have an occasionally dog-filled phone call. So, once we get an artist, it will to a certain extent be business as usual. Except completely different. Every person is unique so business relationships like personal relationships reflect that. It will be interesting.

On one hand I'd have liked not to have all this bad news on one week, but on the other hand truly the whole dog news thing has really made me calmer about the comic. The comic will continue. We just find new people to replace those that have other things they're going to do.

But the comic can be reorganized and continue. I can't reorganize my dogs, and have them continue. I can't bring Jimmy back, and I can't find a new artist to fix Phouka. I have to wait until next week to find out from the doctors how bad it is. God, I wish that I could hire a new artist to paint a new picture and fix this. Wouldn't that be something?

Crossing the Rubicon

I told a friend in explaining how I felt about being upset with someone else, "I wanted to go all Rubicon on their asses." My friend didn't get the reference. In fact, a lot of people that I asked if they understood the comment, didn't get the reference. I think it's a good saying, so, I'll share the reference for those who don't know either. The Rubicon was the river that Jules Cesar crossed, then burned behind him, so his legions had no choice but to fight, for they could not go home. Fight, or die. The term 'burn your bridges behind you' comes from this. People also used to say, "I have crossed the Rubicon," meaning they have made their decision and there is no going back. To me going all Rubicon on their asses means I want to burn my bridges, their houses, and take an axe to the people that are pissing me off. But the few times in my life when I've allowed myself to vent my anger to that degree, I've regretted it eventually. I know that, so I try not to do it.

Mary and Sherry were talking downstairs about the fact that someone has published Mother Theresa's memoirs, or diaries. She requested that her papers be destroyed at her death. Whoever did not obey her wishes, shame on them. But part of the controversy is that the writings show that Mother Theresa wasn't always a saint. That she got angry, and had to work through issues on paper so she could be compassionate in real life to the people who were pissing her off. The people that published the papers against her wishes, thought it would help others to see that even she, such a good person, struggled with internal issues. Maybe. They still should have burned the papers. They were her papers and it was her wish. But, hey, no one asked me.

But it brings up an issue for me. You know how I've said before that bravery isn't done by people who are never afraid. True bravery is doing something even though you are terrified. That's brave. Well, love is like that, too. Love, compassion, whatever word you choose. I guess I'll go with compassion because in America we're very hung up on the idea that love is mostly romantic, and that is not the kind of love I'm talking about. I'm talking about acting with true compassion towards someone when what you really want to do is get a baseball bat and start hitting them until they agree to do what you want them to do. But you don't pick up a weapon, you show them compassion. You try and be generous of spirit when what you want to do is scream and spit and twirl with rage. True compassion is not an act of someone who knows no anger. True compassion is only possible if you fucking hate someone, but you treat them with compassion, then, and only then, are you compassionate.

Compassion, like bravery, is one of the hardest things in the world to do. To act as if you are not righteously pissed. To act as if you are brave when you are so scared you can taste metal on your tongue. To act as if, when the inside of your head is anything but, that is what is separates the grown-ups from the children. (I would have said men from boys, but it sounded too sexist. Though it does have a better ring to it.)

Owed myself one more page

Three pages in the morning. Since four is the minimum for me, I went back after lunch. My goal was just one page, but surprise, surprise, four more. Seven pages. Much happier me.

Still on the Nine Inch Nails for music. And what is it about this group that seems to demand being played loud?

I can be done for the day. Yea!

Get an axe

It's been a Nine Inch Nail kind of day. You either understand what I mean by that, or you don't. I'm not sure I can explain it any more clearly. They were my band of choice yesterday, too.

It's me, of course, so I will now try and explain the very thing I told you I couldn't possibly explain. A Nine Inch Nail day is a day when all my problems seem like very simple, abrupt solutions would work best. You know, abrupt like getting an axe.

Thanks to everyone that's sent in condolences about Jimmy. We really appreciate it.

I can't even tell you half of what's gone on this week. One thing I can share. Jon got tapped for jury duty. He's been gone for two days as if he had an out of the house job. He just called and said that it's over. He and his fellow jurors made their decision. Let's just say that it's been a very frustrating week so far. Wait, it's only Tuesday. Oh, God. The week has got to improve. Hasn't it?

LKH Bit 08/27/07

In this bit:

Midwest Pug Rescue/Comic Charity Auction, Comic News and release dates, A Lick Of Frost, More Shirts



Midwest Pug Rescue/Comic Charity Auction
---------------------------------------------------------------------
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140152124979

Item #: 140152124979 (you can search by this one)

Ends September 3rd.

Laurell K. Hamilton Fan Club Charity Auction


Hi all! We have another item for auction for Midwest Pug Rescue. in our continuing quest to raise funds for them. (Check out Midwest Pug Rescue at http://www.midwestpugrescue.com/).

Laurell has donated a mixed lot of convention goodies!
A signed special pencil edition of First Death #1 issued just for Comic-Con. Only 5,000 of these were printed. Cover by Brett Booth, internal art by Wellington Alves.
A signed poster from Comic-Con 2007 that was in the booth. (We made three of these total and this is the only one we will be auctioning.) Artwork by Brett Booth.
A signed Marvel Sampler.
A signed hardback copy of Guilty Pleasures comic. Issues 1-6 including a special 8 page bonus short story. Artwork by Brett Booth.
A Anita Blake Does Comic-Con 2007 t-shirt. (Winners choice on size from what we have available). Artwork by Brett Booth.
A signed JetPack pencil exclusive of issue #1 of Guilty Pleasures. Artwork by Brett Booth.
A signed Lords Of Avalon - Kinley MacGregor poster from Comic-Con.
As always, the fan club will pick up the shipping for the winning bidder. We reserve the right to ship it how ever is most reasonable.

Winning bidder may pay via check, money order (preferred) or Paypal. Check or money order should be made out directly to Midwest Pug Rescue.

Thanks for looking and happy bidding!


Comic News
The release of First Death issue #2 has been pushed back to 10/03/07. Sorry!

Guilty Pleasures #1 hardcover graphic novel for July:
http://www.newsarama.com/marketreport/july07sales.html

Guilty Pleasures Graphic Novel will be featured on Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/4366/ref=br_bh_1_ch/102-1694024-6554534

Marvel has an Anita Blake page up at Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/anitablakemarvel including a special downloadable issue #1. Release dates, news, press releases and more!

Release dates:
Guilty Pleasures Issue #7 On-Sale 9/19/07
First Death Issue #2 On-Sale 10/03/07
Guilty Pleasures Issue #8 On-Sale 10/10/07
Guilty Pleasures Issue #9 On-Sale 11/21/07


A Lick Of Frost
More of the reading from the Wolf Howl:
http://www.youtube.com/user/jondgreen


More Shirts
--------------------------------------------------------------
I had set aside some shirts for Laurell to look at, and she decided she didn't want them. So those are now available:

http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/Merchandise/SpecialShirts/SpecialShirts.html


That’s it for this bit!

Darla

No violence today, violence tomorrow

Twelve pages yesterday. I was afraid that when I got to the desk this morning that it would read like crap and I'd have to throw it out, but it read just fine. A lot of writers I know say that their emotional state effects the writing. It doesn't seem to matter for me. My friend Sharon, Sharon Shinn, said the same thing. We discovered that we can write a scene that is diametrically opposed to our actual mood and it doesn't seem to impact the writing. Interesting.

Other friends, say, not so for them. Emotional turmoil will slow down the writing, or change it. But, apparently, my internal world is pretty solid. It chugs along no matter what's happening in my own life. It's probably why all the people that try to make analogies between my life and Anita's always amuse, or puzzle, me. For another writer, it might be analogous, but it just isn't for me.

I didn't even kill people on paper yesterday. I did twelve pages of some of the calmest interaction Anita's had in a long time with a big, bad, vampire. Very calm, very well thought out. Very . . . not my mood yesterday.

Pippin slept with Sasquatch on Jimmy's bed yesterday late in the day. It made me want to move him. But the dogs will find their new level within our pack. It's the way of things. I think they're moving on faster than I am. Today Pip came over by himself to the office, but then wanted to go back. He doesn't like to be the only dog. He and Jimmy didn't interact much, but apparently, just having another dog over here makes a difference to him. I know what he means. Jimmy was my most faithful office buddy since we moved to the new addition. He seemed to delight in the new space, the new beds, all the sunlight coming through the banks of windows. Enough, I'll make myself sad again.

Today, I did five pages. I'm happy with it. I'd like more pages, of course, always, but it's past my four page minimum. Good enough. Again, it was calmer than I thought it would be. It looks like the violence won't hit until tomorrow, or later today if I go back for a second session.

Oh, and the exterminator was back again today to do a recheck since the fogging for spiders. They found more brown recluse spiders in the traps, but it's down by more than half. That's good. He was going to do spot spraying today, and I had to tell him, nope. I'm still allergic. It was a different technician than last time. He'd like to spray once a month for awhile. Which would mean five days out of my own house every month. I don't think so. But we are going to have to do a research trip for this book. So we'll probably try and coordinate it so that they can spray again. But instead of three days out of town for research, it will have to be five. Man, this is a pain in the ass, but then so are the spiders. And yes, I know I sound calm. But being hysterical doesn't help. Or maybe Jimmy's passing has just used up all the hysteria I've got for awhile? I do find that after something tragic I am unnatural calm in the face of all sorts of things that would normally have me upset. There just doesn't seem enough emotion left to spread around. It makes me strangely, clear-headed, and very unemotional on decisions. Hmm, sounds a little like being in shock, except I am truly clear-headed. Usually in real shock you only think you're making sense, in reality, you are soooo not making sense. I've got other people working here who are stamping my card on the whole making sense part. So, again, interesting.

Like an actor, I will file all these emotional reactions, or lack, away. You'll see them in the writing, but not when I'm feeling them. When Anita, or Merry, are feeling them.

Trying to work

It's almost four and I'm at work, but I find myself wondering why. Well, I can't settle down to a book to read. Exercise seems senseless. Don't want to go out to a movie and be in a crowd. We have the kiddo this weekend so it severely limits the movies we could watch anyway. We've watched all the television I can stand. It's nothing against the telly or the books of others, it's me. I miss my dog.

I'm sitting in my office, and I'm going to try and work, but Sasquatch is the only dog on the bed that Jimmy loved. Pip was never very fond of that bed. We have four dog beds scattered throughout the room. Phouka is now completely blind so the idea was that she'd have plenty of beds to choose from, but honestly, she doesn't like the new office much. We didn't know she was going to loose her sight in the middle of the big construction project. She knew every inch of the old office -- blind folded. The new one is like a foreign land, and she's uneasy in it. I end up having to carry her, and put her on one of the beds near some of the other dogs. Once she wanders away, she's confused, and starts looking for me again. It makes me sad.

It is especially poignant right now with Jimmy having just passed. Phouka is aging faster than she should, even the vet says so. She's only ten, but she seems much older for a small dog. I doubt seriously that she'll make the ripe old age that Jimmy did. But then I'm not feeling particularly optimistic right now. You can understand why.

At least the book is about to have a fight scene. A fight scene with lots of violence I can handle today. I am way too sad for a sex scene or something soft and romantic. I don't want to look for clues, or solve the msytery today. Killing things on paper sounds about the right speed.

Though, I'm still searching for music. I think I was hoping by not blogging about how sick Jimmy was, it would be better. Superstitious, who me? But also, it gets wearing to talk about what's wrong in your life. I don't find any comfort in venting like most women seem to. To me, it just makes me feel the emotion all over again. The more I repeat it, the worse I feel. I watch other female friends relax as they talk. Venting means letting go for them. It was Jon who pointed out that I don't let go of anything so venting doesn't work for me. How right he is.

So, I'm going to use some of this anger on paper and kill something. If I loose the anger it will just be sorrow, and I don't know what to do with that. Anger, that I understand.

Sad Day

I'm sitting here at my little desk working on the Jason book. I'm making some progress. I'm really glad I had the break through yesterday, because today I've got a legitimate reason to feel like shit.

I feel like this blog is a break for you guys. A little interest or up beat in your day, so I try to avoid things that are too depressing, but today if you get a blog it's going to have to be sad. It's all I got today. Sorry 'bout that.

Our dog, Jimmy, passed away earlier today. He was seventeen, maybe eighteen, so it wasn't unexpected, but . . . he had cancer earlier this year and had to have three quarters of his jaw removed, but they thought they got it all. He was getting a new experimental treatment that caused fewer side effects than Chemo. He was perky again, then he started to fade. It's been gradual over a matter of weeks, but then he started getting sicker. Not with cancer, but with breathing and heart problems. He's been on, or in, oxygen at the Vet's for the last two days. It was helping. We were expecting more test results this afternoon so we could figure out exactly what was wrong. We had an appointment to talk to the vet and pick Jimmy up at 3:00 this afternoon. Minutes from now we were supposed to pick our oldendogger up.

Instead we got an early morning call that is was over. He'd died suddenly and unexpectedly from what they thought was a massive heart attack. It's been a difficult day. Trinity took it hard. I guess we all did.

We went to the vet's and said our good-byes. I held him one last time. One last time for him to shed all over my shirt. One last time to feel the weight of him in my lap. His fur smelled like medicine and not like him.

We're going to have him cremated and sprinkle him in the flower beds where we wouldn't let him dig or pee. And near the hedge row where the rabbits hide. He was always trying to catch them when he was younger.

Since we got him as a rescue when he was estimated to be ten, he wasn't exactly young, but he was game. We got him on his last day at a kill shelter here in Missouri. He got six years with us. Six good years that he wouldn't have had. He came already housebroken, and long past the problems of puppy hood. Jimmy really won me over to the idea of adopting an older dog. His greatest joy was to simply lay near me while I worked, or near Darla in her office. He divided his day between our two offices or the living room couch. Why not Jon's office? Don't know, you'd have to ask Jimmy. I'm sure he had his reasons. Maybe Darla and I were simply a softer touch for treats. Before he got sick he was a serious food hound. Half beagle and half pug; neither is a breed to turn down food.

I managed two pages on the book. Whether they are any good or just gibberish remains to be seen. Why work on a day like this? Because work is my solace, and always has been.

Sometimes you have to give up, to get going

I started the day in a bad mood. I didn't get to my desk until nearly two o'clock in the afternoon. That's never good. Then I sat there and stared at the screen and thought, why isn't this working? Why have I stalled out completely? Then the answer came to me? I had been pushing myself for days to finish a scene, maybe I didn't need the scene.

So, as much as I hated to do it, I dropped back nine pages, kissed them good-bye, and started this chapter over. I wasn't sure it was the right thing to do, at first, then I began to pick up steam. I realized that everything I'd been attempting to put on stage could be found out in dialogue, and it moved the plot ahead a lot more quickly. Yea!

You know those nine pages I had to loose? Well, they got replaced by nine more new pages that are exactly what the book needs. The plot is moving forward again. I'm no longer stalled, and I know where I'm going. Hell, I know the rest of the plot to the end of the book almost. The only question is do I dare try to bring Edward on at the very last minute to help out in the fire fight? He'll be so pissed if he misses this one. But, if I bring him on it will slow things down because it's Edward and he demands pages and on screen time. Hmm. We'll see tomorrow.

Rereading

Threw out the two pages from yesterday. Pretty sure what's wrong. Rewrote a page, then spent the rest of the day researching. But not in an outside source. Researching in my own books. You guys reread the books. I do not. Some of you tell me that you reread all the books from the beginning every time a new book comes out. Wow. That is why you will win at Anita Blake trivia and I won't. But when I said in an earlier blog that plot threads from an earlier book are going to be followed up on, I wasn't joking. I had to find scenes from four different books today before I could be prepared to finish the current scene tomorrow.

What books am I having to go back over? Should I tell you? Will it give away too much in this current book? Hmmm.

Okay, here is what I was rereading today: BURNT OFFERINGS, BLUE MOON, NARCISSUS IN CHAINS, and INCUBUS DREAMS. What particular scenes or plot threads was I searching for? That would be over sharing. Sorry.

I'm going to bed now. Tomorrow, as they say, is another day. Hopefully I'll be out of this scene tomorrow. I finally realized late last night that this is the-scene-that-would-not-die. It's the scene that just seems to keep adding to itself so you never get to leave the room. Usually it's a dialogue intensive scene, but sometimes it's action. Once upon a time it was the scene I wrote then cut later. Now, I just seem to recognize it when I am in it, eventually, and try to avoid writing it all together. Every book has a scene like that for me, but usually much earlier in the plot. That means either this is late for the never ending scene, or this book is going to be much, much longer than I thought. God, I hope not.

Lost in the dark

Two pages today. Worse and worse. But in fairness, I had two appointments today and wasn't even able to get to the desk until about two in the afternoon. Unless the book is going great guns I know better than to try and begin so late in the day. But, I've been so frustrated that I simply didn't want to give up without an attempt. So I attempted. I may have figured out the way through this section of the book, or I may get to the desk tomorrow and find that I have to throw out the two pages that I managed to drag out of myself. Damnit.

I listened to some Chopin and it helped. He's not usually a composer I enjoy, but today it was very soothing. But it's not soothing I need, it's inspiration, or at least something to help me get out of my own way. Usually a slow down like this leads to rewrites either now or later. Or sometimes my head just gets ugly, and it's a wait and see game. Wait and see for my mood to change. Artists, whatever flavor we are, are such moody bastards. I try not to be, but we are a high strung lot, all nerve endings and whims. I'm less whimsical than most, but even I have my moments. I just don't usually have a moment this late in a book.

The sense that I'm lost in the plot and my characters are waiting for me to lead them out into the light, but I've dropped my torch in the dark, and don't know which way is out.

The world is always dark when a writer has a book bleeding on the table and can't find where the blood is coming from. You keep searching in the bloody insides, hunting for the source of the problem, but the more you probe, the more normal everything looks. Everything is working fine. Blood pressure normal, heart rate great, everything is peachy, except for that every widening pool of crimson that I can't seem to plug up. The answer, of course, is that there may be nothing wrong with the book, but my mood. The patient reads just fine, so why do I have this horrible feeling that I've missed something vital and, in the end, it will be curtains unless I find the spot I missed.

Confused with my muse

Four pages again today, and it was a hard won four pages. If you read this blog regularly you know that sometimes when the muse is with me I can do twenty pages in four to five hours. Today it took nearly four hours to do four pages. Man.

I know that the threads of the plot are coming together and deciding which way the climax will run. So, I'm having to sort of tip-toe through all the minefields, or should I say, decide which doors to open and which to leave shut. No, it feels like minefields.

I'll tell you how slow it's been; I tried Christmas music. Even that didn't help. I've tried everything from Evanescence, to Destiny's child, to Handel and Bach, and finally to a selection of nature recordings. I typed my best to birds singing in the woods. That's usually a soundtrack for a Merry book, but not today. Today I just couldn't find any music that worked. The specific recording I used today: backyard birds by the Wild Bird Center of St. Louis, Missouri.

I hope by tomorrow I will be back to my usual music. If not I may have to hit the music store and try to find something new. I hate that, but sometimes the right music is absolutely essential for me. Other writers need absolute silence to write. Every one's different, it's part of what makes the whole process so terribly interesting, and so terribly frustrating. One of the reasons that you can't truly teach another person how to be an artist of any kind is that art is like love; what works for one person is a complete disaster for another.

Maybe I'll hit the music store today, so that I'll have a supply of new music just in case the muse and I are still this confused tomorrow.

Also, today is Howard Phillips Lovecraft's Bithday. So happy Lovecraft's Birthday.

Yummy history

We ate lunch at the City Tavern in Philadelphia. Which served food to Washington, Jefferson, well, you get the idea. I had the best pot pie I've ever had. It was from a recipe of Martha Washington's. How cool is that? Jon drank a beer that was based on George Washington's recipe. But there was plenty of things on the menu that weren't directly from the Washington's cupboard. The bread plate was wonderful, Jon and I especially liked the molasses bread. There was a biscuit on it that was a Thomas Jefferson fav, though not our favorite. Trinity had turkey noodle soup and loved it. Jon and I had potato leek soup and loved it. Jon had a homemade sausage platter that was a special, again a hit. Trin finished off with a desert that was once again one of Martha's recipes. A chocolate mousse cake, or did they call it a pie?

Either way, we enjoyed our meal enough to buy the recipe book, and had the chef sign it. The City Tavern is well worth going to, but it is not cheap. It's definitely a good date place, or that special meal for older children and you. There was a coupon in the give away paper you can get at the information center which knocked about twenty or thirty dollars off the price of lunch. Yeah, when a coupon knocks enough off to feed your family at most places, it's pricey. So be warned, but it was like stepping back into history, and you could eat it. Yummy, yummy history.

Four pages today, and I'm done. No matter how fun the vacation, it always seems to take awhile to get back up to speed once you get home. But, strangely, after writing the blog above, I'm reminded that I haven't had lunch.

The King Tut exhibit at the Franklin Institute in Philly was amazing. Trinity has loved Egyptology since she was five, so when she learned that King Tut was coming to the United States she was dieing to go from the beginning. But we waited until it hit the last city on it's stop here. People who went in Los Angeles, the first stop, said it was a mad house. But there was almost no crowd to speak of, and the exhibit was organized so that you had cards at the top of the glass cases and at the bottom so if you had a moment when people did block your view you could still read what was in the case while waiting for your turn to see. You learn a lot about King Tut's family and ancestry, and what led up to him being king in the first third of the exhibit. The artifacts from his grave were as wonderful now as they were when Carter first opened the tomb in 1922. He was the first to see into the tomb, and others impatiently asked if he saw anything. His answer, "Yes, wonderful things." They are still now and will be for all time wonderful things.

We highly recommend you go before the exhibit leaves in September. The last time any of the Tut treasures toured this country was about thirty years ago. Don't wait.

We also saw the Liberty Bell. Which according to the plaques had a hairline crack that ruined the tone of the bell. In trying to fix that small crack they made a much larger one. They did a second attempt to fix it and made an even bigger crack. There's a lesson in there, I think. Maybe that a small imperfection isn't such a big deal, and you should leave well enough alone. The bell is an amazing symbol, but it seems a poor thing with it's huge crack and bolts holding the edges so the crack does not spread. On one hand I was standing next to history. One the other hand I felt like I should have petted the bell and told it to get better. Though, you can't touch the bell, it's roped off, out of reach. But you get the idea.

Then we did Independence Hall. I kept trying to call it Constitution Hall which is incorrect. But it was the place where our country was born on paper. They have the rooms set up so that there are quills and books, and paper scattered around the tables. The chairs are in some disarray. It all gives the illusion that the founding fathers are just off to lunch and will be back shortly to finish up. I thought it was very well done. Admittedly, I'm a history buff, and colonial history is a personal favorite, but we all got a kick out of walking on the stairs where we knew that George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and so many others had walked. I wanted to touch every piece of wood, as if I could feel the hands of all those people who had passed before us. We're lucky, Trin loves history as much as we do, so we all had a very good time. We could not resist singing a chorus from the musical 1776 on the stairs. The temptation was entirely too overwhelming. We sang it softly.

Back from vacation

We're back from vacation. Yea! Vacation was great, but I've done two plane trips in four days, and after all the traveling I just finished, well, I'm happy to be home. No more plane trips for awhile unless something unexpected comes up. I feel like I've been brave enough for now with my phobia of flying. I am getting better. No hysterics, and I didn't dig my nails into Jon once. Though, that took effort especially when we hit some turbulence that made even Jon (a much better flyer than myself) a little queasy.

Where did we go? Philadelphia. Why didn't we say where we were going? Because, if I tell you guys where we're going some of you try and find me. We did some research, true, but we had Trinity with us. When we travel with the kiddo I prefer to be under the radar not above it. I love meeting all you guys, but I really needed to be Mom, not LAURELL K. HAMILTON. Being "on" is harder than it looks. My sympathy keeps going up for the more public celebrities like actors and singers.

I started to panic about the trip, of course, until I finally chose clothes that I would never, ever wear on tour. It just helped me realize I wasn't on display, but could actually relax. It was the moment when Jon and I were standing on the corner waiting for the phlash bus in Philly and he said, "We are so not on tour." I looked down where he was looking, and realized what he meant. We were both wearing our Mickey and Minnie Mouse socks, respectively, and crocs. Yes, I know the shoes are ugly, but they are eerily comfortable. I also lived in a pair of Jon's cargo shorts with all those lovely deep pockets. I got to leave the purse at home, and the brief case, too. It was very freeing. Put an untucked t-shirt over that, and I was in deep stealth mode. Or at least I didn't look much like me, which was about what we were going for. I didn't get recognized once. Or, if you guys did spot me, you didn't out me, and for that, I'm thankful. Thanks.

Why Philadelphia? The King Tut exhibit, of course. We'll blog about that, and other sights we saw in the fair city of Philly later. We're just all three happy to be home. I will now resist the urge to quote from the movie, THE WIZARD OF OZ.

LKH Bit 08/15/07

SPECIAL T-SHIRTS, CATALOGS, GP COMIC, A LICK OF FROST, SUPPORTING OUR TROOPS KICK-A-THON, NOVEMBER TOUR SCHEDULE, FALL NEWSLETTER,



Special T-Shirts

We have some shirts left over from Comic-Con 2007 and some special orders (hey, I cannot count and over ordered.) available here. This is first come-first served. Once they are gone, we will not be reordering them.

http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/Merchandise/SpecialShirts/SpecialShirts.html

or http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/Goodies.html , Shirts, Special Shirts link

Catalogs
Left over Catalogs have also been put up for sale!
Same link above for Goodies. It is at the top line.

Guilty Pleasures Comic
The Guilty Pleasure Comic Hardback came in at #6 on Publisher’s Weekly. See the whole list here:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6466167.html?industryid=47140

USA Today said it was one of the hottest graphic novels of the summer. Read their article here:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/reviews/2007-08-08-roundup-graphic-novels_N.htm?csp=34

MARVEL AND DABEL BROTHERS CONCLUDE PUBLISHING RELATIONSHIP;
Marvel will assume the rights to create comics from licensed properties

New York, NY (August 13, 2007). Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and Dabel Brothers Productions, LLC announced today that they are mutually ending their publishing relationship. In 2006, Marvel and Dabel Brothers signed an agreement for Marvel to market, print and distribute several limited and ongoing series, in addition to some other dynamic new properties. Founded in 2001, the Dabel Brothers have specialized in creating comic books and graphic novels based on the works of best-selling authors’ series such as Laurell K Hamilton’s Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter; George R. R. Martin’s Hedge Knight; and Orson Scott Card’s Tales Of Alvin Maker and others.

Marvel Entertainment, Inc. President and Publisher Dan Buckley explained, "We have great respect for the Dabel Brothers’ business and the relationships they have generated. Our partnership has been an exciting experience for both companies. We wish the Dabels well in their future publishing endeavors and hope to work with them again, should the opportunity present itself.”

“Working with Marvel was a dream come true for all of us, and we enjoyed the opportunity to learn from the comic book industry’s market leader,” said Ernst Dabel, President of Dabel Brothers Productions. “We’re looking forward to applying those lessons to our business as we resume our status as a self-publisher, and we plan to continue producing top-quality adaptations of best-selling science fiction, fantasy, horror and thriller novels by popular authors.
Going forward, Marvel will continue to publish Anita Blake Vampire Hunter by Laurell K. Hamilton; the Hedge Knight series by George RR Martin; Tales of Alvin Maker and Wyrms by Orson Scott Card; Magician Apprentice by Raymond Feist; Lords of Avalon by Kinley MacGregor; and Highwayman by R.A. Salvatore. Dabel Brothers Productions will begin work on its next wave of books, slated for release in early 2008.
About Marvel Entertainment, Inc.
With a library of over 5,000 characters, Marvel Entertainment, Inc. is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies. Marvel's operations are focused on utilizing its character franchises in licensing, entertainment, publishing and toys. Areas of emphasis include feature films, DVD/home video, consumer products, video games, action figures and role-playing toys, television and promotions. Rooted in the creative success of over sixty years of comic book publishing, Marvel's strategy is to leverage its character franchises in a growing array of opportunities around the world. For more information visit www.marvel.com.



A Lick Of Frost
Read chapter one here:
http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/Merry/ALickOfFrost.html

or hear and see Laurell reading from the Wolf Howl:
http://www.youtube.com/user/jdgreen

We will have arc’s to give away. Don’t email me yet! As soon as I know for certain how many we have we will be doing our traditional auction for charity, giving some to fan club members and have an online drawing for some. So look for that soonest!

Supporting Our Troops Kick-a-thon
Supporting Our Troops
Kick-A-Thon
Saturday, September 29th 2007
2pm-4pm
All funds raised go to send care packages to our troops overseas.
A Kick-A-Thon is an event where kicks are thrown to a hand held target, as many as possible in one minute. Participants get sponsors to donate so much per kick thrown or a flat amount. Prizes will be given out for the most kicks thrown, youngest participant, and more.
You do not have to be a martial artists to participate.
To be held at Martial Arts Training Academy located at
6166 Morganford, St. Louis MO 63116.
Sponsored by Black Dragon Kung Fu, Okinawan Kenpo Karate Kobudo, Wounded Sons, and U.S. Special Operations Association.
For more information and sponsorship information, call Ike Bear at 314-353-8077 (Office) or
314-677-7737 (Cell). Or email at ProfIkeBear@gmail.com


November Tour Schedule
Sorry, we don’t have it yet. But as soon as we do, we will share. The publisher sets the tour schedule of where, not Laurell. As soon as we have the info, it will be posted here:

http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/Laurell/LKHSightings.htm

FALL NEWSLETTER
The fall fan club newsletter will be going out in September. It is also turn over time, so new membership goodies are on order!

Mystery author Mark Kearney will be our featured guest author. (You remember him from Book’ Em, the police run literacy program. Yup, it’s that Mark Kearney.)

As always fan club members will be automatically eligible for the arc drawing for fan club members. They may also enter the online drawing when we have it.

That’s it for this bit!

Darla

Guilty Pleasures Comic #6 at Publishers Weekly

Here is a link to the complete article for those who are interested.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6466167.html?industryid=47140

Almost time to leave for the airport

I just finished four pages. Two of those are notes and outline, which I usually don't count in my page count, but today I'm counting them. Why? Because it makes me feel better. Our daughter, Trinity, got up singing, so cheerful. She's so excited about the trip. She loves to fly. Loves hotels. Loves travel. I have worked very, very hard that she never saw me fearful in front of her on a plane, or on a trip. I have flown with Trin on one side and Jon on the other. To Trin I was cheerful, upbeat, and explaining how the plane works. My other hand was clutching Jon so hard I bled his thigh through his jeans. When Trin is with us, I have to be better, braver. I will not share my fears. My family shared their's in abundance. The buck stops here, with me, no sharing the negative. You can't help but share some negatives with your kids, but I feel it's your duty as a parent to give them the best of yourselves, not the worst. She is one of the most upbeat kids I know. Which means we've done our job. But there's always today to screw up.

One of the scariest things about being a parent is that there is always tomorrow to screw up so badly that the child will never recover. You think I'm exaggerating? I was a child. I remember. Trust me.

I'm off to have lunch before we head for the airport. Aaah! Be brave. I will be brave. I really don't have any choice. Okay, I don't have any choice I'm willing to make. Be brave, because the alternative is unthinkable. I will not fuck up now. I will not fuck up now. I will not fuck up now. You have your mantra's, I have mine.

Wish me luck

Only four pages today, but spent the rest of the morning session in research. Research I needed before I could even know enough to do the next section. I can't even tell you what that research is because it would give away too much. The book is in the end game whether that end game is a hundred pages or three hundred pages. Still not sure on that.

But I'm not going to be able to work on the scene really tomorrow, because tomorrow is our next trip. It's a family vacation/research trip. But for family, research, or tour, tomorrow is still a plane ride and I'm still scared. I'm reading a book on how to conquer your fear of flying, but since part of it's way of reassuring is to point out how dangerous other things are, like cars, it's not really helping. I'm already afraid of riding in cars, I really don't need to know the stats on how very dangerous it is. Life would be simpler if I just had one fear at a time.

And yes, I get in cars all the time. I find though that if I go too many days without riding in a car I start getting more nervous about it, so I just have to make myself do it at least every other day. It would have been so easy with my work to just begin to limit my life so I could avoid what I was afraid of, but that's just not an option. You give an inch to your fears and they take a mile. It's just the way it is.

Anyway, instead of finishing up the next chapter of the Jason book, I'll be getting on a plane with my family. Trinity is very excited. I think Jon would be more excited if I was less nervous. I guess, me too. I'll be okay once we get on the ground safely and can start looking at stuff. But until then . . . I've got to go finish packing. Wish me luck.

If life gives you fear, make pages

You know how I said the book had escaped and was sort of running free plot-wise? Well, I know where it was headed now. I did eight pages today, and either I'm in the end game. Which means about a hundred pages out. Or, I've just added about two hundred pages to the book. If the first, then a little over five hundred pages as I figured. If the second, then about seven hundred pages. I'm through hoping either way. I'm staying out of it. The book will go where the book goes.

Abraham Lincoln was reportedly asked, how long his legs were? His reply, "Long enough to reach the ground." How long will this book be? Long enough to finish the story. Funny, looking back what happened today was set up, mentioned on stage, awhile back. But I had no idea it would be this important. It'll be interesting to see once the book is out there and you guys get to read it, if you come to that clue and go, I knew it, right there, I knew it. If you catch it, and you're right, then you will have figured it out before I did. Weird, huh?

I mean it's my book, you'd think I'd get the clues first, but not always. Part of that is that when I write I am sort of in the book. It's like the difference between living an event and just reading about it. When you're reading you're more separate, the emotions and events more distant. It's easier to see clearly. When it's happening, you miss more, because the life threatening events, or the emotional crushing ones, blind you to nuances like clues.

I've said before, I'm like a method actor, not pure method, but similar school. But every once in awhile I disturb myself. Anita got her arm badly injured in this last scene. I walked out of my office favoring my arm, as if I'd hurt it. Not as badly as she had, but for just a second I thought, how am I going to carry everything over to the house with only one good arm. It was a second, a moment, then my mind went, wait, hold on. Not my arm. Not my injury. I'm all right. But for that split second, I was deep in the book. I've reached that point where the book is very, almost, too real, to me. It's a gift, and a curse. Me and Mr. Monk.

And as often happens we get on a plane on Tuesday. Interrupted when the book is so real, that it wakes me in the morning, chases me through the night, and brings me eager to the computer. Darla has also noticed that I often get more productive just before a trip. I have a theory. Fear. Or almost any strong emotion, really. Fear, anger, sorrow; it all translates into pages. Happiness? Maybe. I spent my childhood sort of unfamiliar with the emotion, so it's not as easily turned into fuel for my imagination. But give me a negative emotion and that fuels me. They say if life gives you lemons make lemonade. Well, if something scares the hell out of you, write it down.

I don't write about what actually scares me, the upcoming plane ride, but the fear, that drives me to my imaginary friends. That drives me to throw myself as far and deep into my imagination as I can manage. Though, sometimes, like today, I find that maybe, just maybe, I've thrown myself a little too deep. Time to grab a rope and crawl back up on shore. To lie wet and shivering, coughing up dark water, trying to catch my breath. Tomorrow's another day. Tomorrow the water will be black and calm, until I dive in, and see what waits below.

A Lick Of Frost Chapter One

Some folks are reporting having difficulty seeing it.

I suspect your browser has cached the previous page without the link. You can try pressing F5 and refreshing the page. Or if you know how, clearing your browser cache.

Either way, here is a direct link to the page for those who are having problems:

http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/Merry/ALickOfFrostChapterOne.html

Darla

Dawn and silence

Up at dawn again, not sure why. No crows or hawks to wake me today. I woke up thinking about the many possibilities of the current scene in the Jason book, but that's not usually enough to wake me just as the sun is cresting. Maybe it's because on the weekends if I get up early enough there's no one up but me. On week days we have employees here pretty early. It means they get to go home early, too. I let them set their hours, so if they want to work seven to fourish, instead of eight to five, it's okay with us. As long as they get their work done. But it does mean that there are other people in the house from almost the moment my feet hit the floor.

Maybe it is as simple as that. This is my only chance to be alone in my house, just me. Well, me, and the dogs. When you own four dogs you are never truly alone. Most of the time I think this is a great thing, but not always. I find that when I come off of tour I am over socialized for awhile. I need more privacy, more quiet. The convention schedule that we just finished was very like tour in the amount of energy and toil it took on us. Again, great seeing everyone, and some wonderful things happened, but still it was pretty exhausting, and it hits a lot of areas that are not my strong suit. I do a lot of things well that I'm not very comfortable with, which is good, but it does mean it takes more energy to do it.

I'm sitting here, blogging, drinking the first cup of tea of the day. The dogs are lying or standing, impatiently, about my chair. Impatient because I haven't fed them yet. When I get up at dawn, I get one cup of tea before I feed them. Seems fair to me. Jimmy is giving me the LOOK. You know the one, most dogs have a version of it. It's that begging look. I am immune to Jimmy's begging look, something about the lake I cleaned up in the living room this morning I think.

Dogs are eating. I'm having a second cup of tea. The house is amazingly quiet. Silence; an underrated pleasure.

Hawk's up and so am I, plus a little about Jason

Saturday and I could have slept in, but I woke up and realized, well, I was awake. I was thinking seriously of trying to go back to sleep, when I heard a noise outside. The first thing I heard was crows. Unhappy crows, after something. After a while you know the sound when they are mobbing something. Then I heard another bird noise. It was a hawk. I heard it crying outside the window. Crying? Yes, crying. It is our second year for an immature red tail hawk to come to our yard in hopes of a meal. I know the wildlife plantings have really brought in the animals, but the young hawks coming to try their luck here is proof that it's a target rich environment.

I got out of bed and started pulling on clothes. I was no longer trying to be stealthy. My plan was to get a camera and try for some pictures. I was so unsteathly that Jon woke and said, "What? What is it?" I told him. He said he'd get up and help get pictures. Then as I was hopping around the bathroom putting on clothes on the run, I saw the hawk fly by the window. Silhouetted against the gold light of dawn, this huge winged shape. God. God, that was pretty.

Not long after that the crows stopped complaining. I told Jon, "Don't get up if it's just for the hawk. I think he's gone." Jon was pretty much comatose by the time I got out of the room. I've always envied him his ability to fall asleep so very quickly. Not one of my skills. Light sleeper, me.

The hawk was indeed gone. By the time I got the dogs outside, the yard was quiet. Too quiet, as the saying goes. All the small animals and birds were still in hiding. Nothing like something large and predatory going through to make the neighborhood very quiet. There were a few squirrels hiding in the bushes giving alarm calls, and I heard one of our chipmunks in deep cover doing the same, but otherwise you would have thought the only thing we had in our yard was plants.

I've seen the hawk a few times before this. Once a flock of small birds alerted me to it, before it flew huge and close by my office windows. I saw it twice more, winging around the yard, tyring it's luck in the last week and half. It's a very big red-tail, especially as an immature, so that probably means it's a girl. Last year's baby was smaller than the mother so we called him Junior. I don't know if we'll see the girl enough to give her a pet name, but we'll see, or we won't. Either way, it's very cool.

So I'm up on one of the few days I could sleep in, typing this to you guys. But I don't mind. One of the phrases that will get Jon, Darla, and me out on a work day with binoculars or cameras, is, "Hawk's up." Which means one of us has seen some sort of hawk. Then we all try and see it, though if I'm on a roll, they know not to interrupt me even for that. Sigh.

Did ten pages yesterday on the Jason book. I thought this book was going to be like MICAH, but it's more like OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY. What do I mean by that? I thought the book was going to be a small book about Jason's background, with a small mystery. Instead the book is going to be large, and though we're getting a lot of Jason's background, we have a large mystery, and just as OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY gave you a new view of who Edward was, and wasn't, so, I think, this book will do the same for Jason. I always find it interesting when a character decides it's time to do something different. Interesting and frustrating, because now I'm looking at my remaining plot points and wondering if any of them are actually going to make it into this book, at all. Oh, well, I just have to trust that Jason knows what he's doing and where he's going. Edward did in OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY. Trusting your characters is like trusting your real life friends; they're your friends and you trust them, because they're your friends. Jason has been my friend for nearly thirteen years. He's earned a little trust.

Wolf Howl Reading

So the first part of the wolf howl reading of A Lick of Frost is up at YouTube. Go, watch and enjoy. Some of you already know that it's up, some of you don't. Those of you with YouTube accounts (which are free, so there's nothing stopping you from getting one) can subscribe to my channel, and get a notice on the YouTube homepage when I post something new.

Also, for those of you that haven't noticed, the links to the right of the posts on the blog page have changed. There are links to our MySpace pages, and to the Marvel Catalogue of Anita Blake related Comics. Just below that are links to some of our favorite WebComics. This is stuff we read daily. Below that is the archive links.

Anyway, enjoy.

LKH Bit 08/08/07

A Lick Of Frost Chapter One, USA TODAY Graphic Picks, Kick-A-Thon, WolfQuest, T-Shirts and stuff, Convention Photos and videos



A Lick Of Frost Chapter One
-----------------------------------------------------
Read chapter one here:

http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/Merry/ALickOfFrost.html

As an aside, I still don't know when or where the tour will be. But I will share when I have it.


USA TODAY GRAPHIC PICS
----------------------------------------------------
USA Today named Guilty Pleasures Graphic Novel one of the hottest of the summer!
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/reviews/2007-08-08-roundup-graphic-novels_N.htm?csp=34

Kick-A-Thon
-------------------------------------------------------------
Supporting Our Troops
Kick-A-Thon
Saturday, September 29th 2007
2pm-4pm
All funds raised go to send care packages to our troops overseas.
A Kick-A-Thon is an event where kicks are thrown to a hand held target, as many as possible in one minute. Participants get sponsors to donate so much per kick thrown or a flat amount. Prizes will be given out for the most kicks thrown, youngest participant, and more.
You do not have to be a martial artists to participate.
To be held at Martial Arts Training Academy located at
6166 Morganford, St. Louis MO 63116.
Sponsored by Black Dragon Kung Fu, Okinawan Kenpo Karate Kobudo, Wounded Sons, and U.S. Special Operations Association.
For more information and sponsorship information, call Ike Bear at 314-353-8077 (Office) or
314-677-7737 (Cell). Or email at ProfIkeBear@gmail.com


Wolf Quest
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Here is a really nifty game from the Minnesota Zoo. Join a wolf pack! Even if you don't like to game, it is still fun.

http://www.wolfquest.org/index.html

Thanks to Kristie Bigler for sending me a link!


T-Shirts and Stuff
-------------------------------------------------------------
Finally all the stuff is back from Comic-Con. It will take me a bit to sort it through. But I will announce when I put it up. We are going to offer the remainders of the Comic-Con shirts, catalogs and some left over special orders (comic shirts). I hope to have it up next week but don't hold me to that. Depends how long it takes me to sort it all back out. We weren't the neatest packers there at the end. :)

Con Pictures
---------------------------------------------------------------
If you have pics or videos you would like to share from Conestoga, Comic-Con, or Nasfic you can send them to me at: accounts@laurellkhamilton.org.

Also we got a special request for pictures of the Del Rey Booth. Specifically the Manga side of the booth. If anyone has some they would be willing to send along, we are being asked about them. So please email me if you do!

That's it for this bit!

Darla

Muse-driven

Just got up from the other desk where I've been working on the Jason book. I was frantic to work, and had to tell both Jon and Darla that I did not want lunch, that I had to work. Muse-driven, frantic to finish the scene. I knew it was intense, but I just printed out twenty-five pages. Twenty-five pages at a sitting. Twenty-five pages in about two and a half hours. Wow. Even for me, wow.

I've got an adrenalin rush like you wouldn't believe. A writer's high, but it will fade, and when it does it will be like all adrenalin highs, it will leave me tired. While it's here the world is brighter, harder edged, crystalline, almost like that adrenaline buzz you get in an emergency when your senses heighten. The higher the high, the lower the low. I know that after all these years of writing. God, it feels like I could fly, but I'm already growing tired as I type this. Which means it's going to hit me soon. That also means the crash will be pretty harsh. Oh, well, twenty-five pages, and we're over four hundred pages in. Muse-driven, baby, oh, yeah!

USA Today mentions Anita Blake Graphic Novel

Check it out:

http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/reviews/2007-08-08-roundup-graphic-novels_N.htm

pretty cool, huh?

What happens next?

Eight pages on the Jason book today. Wish I could share with you, because the book has done a runner. What does that mean? It means I am so far off the plot that I had planned for this book that all bets are off. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I mean I had plotted out a two hundred, or less, page book, and am now on page three hundred and something, nearly four hundred. It's at least a five hundred page book, and maybe six. It's all good stuff. It picks back up some minor plot points in earlier books and proves that there really isn't any such thing as a minor plot point when it comes to my books. My subconscious is always ahead of me. Sometimes I can run and keep up, but today I got left so far in the dust that all I could do was go, well, damn.

I can't share because it is like a major plot surprise. Does this constitute teasing? Maybe. But it was either this or nothing. I've tried to write about other things today for the blog, but the twist the book has taken is pretty much what is on my mind.

Again, apologies for not being able to share more in depth details, but even if I could, I can't tell you how it turns out. Why not? Because thanks to the turn the plot has taken I no longer know.

This isn't the first time a book has done this to me. Narcissus in Chains did it. Obsidian Butterfly did it. Heck, Guilty Pleasures did it. Though the mystery never changed in that first Anita book. Has Merry surprised me this badly? Yes. I didn't expect Doyle to be a major player for her heart, only the throne. Some people that I thought would be villains just won't do it. A Lick of Frost surprised me, again, like Guilty Pleasures, the main plot remained the same, but some major points didn't go as planned.

I guess if I was one of those writers that outline extensively this would stop happening. If I was one of those writers that has to control their world and their characters I could beat them into the shape, and plot, I wanted. But, come on, where would be the fun in that?

I can hardly wait to get to work tomorrow and find out what happens next.

Lessons

I did fifteen pages today on the Jason book. I was pretty happy with that, because it came in a rush, and I know exactly what I'm doing tomorrow. Always a good sign.

Nasfic was interesting. I have learned many things from it. Lesson number one; try to never ever do three conventions in three weeks back to back. Especially, if one of them is a very large convention like San Diego Comicon. Lesson number two; no more late night panels. Both Friday and Saturday night at Nasfic my panels ended at midnight. I could have said no, and in future I will. I write about vampires, I am not one, myself. It was especially difficult because we were beat from Comicon only four days before. Even Charles, who is much more social and much better at going on little, or no, sleep, than we are, was beat by Friday night. When Charles begins to wind down, Jon and I are way past our expiration date.

We had some good panels. This was Jon's first con where he got an author badge. He was pretty pleased, and that is an understatement. Elizabeth Moon and I had just been on panels at Tulsa's Conestoga about three weeks before. She was even more fun and more articulate at Nasfic, which I didn't think possible. Mark Tiedemann said one of the sweetest things on a panel. An audience member had asked the question I get often, something to the effect that lately I'm choosing sex over plot. Mark spoke next and pointed out that sex is part of the plot. He gave an example from his own writing, where he used a sex scene to show the dysfunction of a couple's relationship. Sex is part of the plot, and I use it to show character and build relationships in ways that wouldn't be possible without the sex. Sex is one of the most intimate things we do, why isn't it logical that it shows things about us as people that it would be difficult, if not impossible to reveal otherwise? Next time I get that question I'm not just going to agree, but ask them why isn't sex plot, too? I actually sometimes leave clues to the mystery, the magic system, or other parts of the storyline in the sex scenes. For me, it is part of the plot. Thanks to Mark for making me see that I could say that without feeling apologetic.

Another nice think an audience member said, was that by writing mixed genre and making it popular, I, and other writers, have changed the way people use the bookstore. Now, if you want urban fantasy you don't know whether to go to horror, science fiction, fantasy, or romance, or even, mainstream fiction. You never know where you'll find us. One writer said that a friend of his had been told to pick a pseudonym that would be shelved next to me alphabetically, so the friend chose something, then ended up shelved in romance. I'm shelved in horror most of the time, so the pseudonym didn't help that particular writer. But the fans that want urban fantasy and paranormal romance, again pick a title for the genre, have to search the bookstore to find people. By helping make mixed genre popular I'm helping break down the genre barriers. I thought that was a really cool concept. Mixed genre is helping get people to go to parts of the bookstore they might never have visited before.

Like I said, the Nasfic panels that I was on, were good. Good discussions, and interesting points raised. When you've just done three conventions back to back, that so much new stuff was raised is pretty impressive.

I got to have a panel with my writing group, then we all got to have tea with them. We, being, Jon, Charles, and myself. Deborah Millitello, Debbie, bought real china for us to use. She also baked cookies. Debbie's homemade baked goods are amazing. The writing group can't seem to decide which of her specialties are our favorites. Mine would have to be the pies, or the jellies. But her sugar cookies make everyone else's sugar cookies pretty wimpy by comparison.

The tea party let me know that it isn't that I'm socialized out, so much as publicly socialized out. Behind closed doors with friends that I can be myself with, it is refreshing, not stressful. As much as I love meeting everyone in public, I'm still 'on' in that everyone watching, having to watch what you say and do sort of way. With friends you don't have be worried about being scrutinized, because you're with friends. Marella Sands made scones, though her oven misbehaved, and there were fewer scones that might be. But what we had were delicious. She also made sure there were pictures of the writing group, and examples of our work for the panel we all shared. She commented that the last time she did this we could fit everything we'd ever written on a small table. Now, even a large table couldn't hold everything. We made a loose count, and between us all we have over sixty books, and over forty short stories. Not bad for a group that began with nothing sold.

I think Sharon Shinn was the only member of our group to be a selling writer before she joined.

One of the true treats of Nasfic was that Janni Lee Simner was up for it. She was a member of our group, The Alternate Historians, years ago, as in fifteen years ago. She had the audacity to move to Arizona. Where she continued to write, but without us. I hadn't seen her in ten years. Mark Sumner hadn't seen her in fifteen. Jon had never met Janni. She stayed over a couple of extra days so we could have a JanniQ, sort of like a barbecue, but with the main plan to be to see Janni more.

We held it at our house last night, Monday. The group was afraid that Jon and I would be too tired from all the travel, but we said, come. They came, and a good time was had by all. Jon burned meat. Everyone brought something, and we visited. Trinity got to visit with Sue's son, Jared. Trin was worried that she'd have nothing in common with a boy, but once they found out that they were both huge Bionicle fans, they had a great time. They got to watch Bionicle movies, and eat on trays in the living room. Though Sue warned us that that might end in a spill. We chanced it, and there was no spills at all. The adults sat in the dining room and we all just barely fit around the table. There are seven of us in the group and most of us brought spouses, so it was a lot. Though Rett MacPherson and her family weren't able to make it.

When Darla got to work this morning she remarked that we seemed more relaxed. We were. Lesson number three of Nasfic: spending time with friends is relaxing and renewing, and we need to do more of it. Lesson number four of this entire three week period: that we need more down time.

To try and put some of these lessons to work: I did my fifteen pages this morning, then Jon, Richard, and I, took Trin to see the Harry Potter movie. A good time was had by all.

Tired, but more relaxed.

I'm sitting in my office in a fall of sunlight. Just sitting here and typing and I can feel the stress letting go, my body relaxing. It's good to be home.

I probably won't work today. Jon and I are beat. It was lovely seeing everyone, and hopefully latter in the week I'll talk about Nasfic and the people we met there, the things we did, but not today. Today I just wanted you guys to know we're home, and safe. I'm not even going to try and write on the new book today. All work will be phone calls or e-mails that have accumulated through the last very busy two weeks. I'll probably meditate and finally call that yoga instructor that my therapist recommended. I used what little yoga and stretching exercises I knew on Sunday in the hotel room and it helped, a lot. So, yoga it is.

If not today, then tomorrow I will call the martial arts studio for Jon and I. It's time to find a way to exercise that doesn't feel like boring punishment. I love the results of the weights, and frankly, I enjoy the repetition some days, but Jon does not. We may actually have to keep me on the weights and just add other stuff for him. Exercise is about finding what works for you.

I digress, stay on target, stay on target. Jon usually says that to me, but I've started actually saying it in my own head to help me focus. Ooh, shiny. Just kidding. Anyway, we're home, I think later in the day we're going to do something with our kiddo. We've missed her. Speaking of which I'm going over to the main part of the house to check and see if her father has dropped her off, yet. Talk to you guys tomorrow.

Panel

I guess I'm going to make that 11:00 pm panel after all.

Time with friends has helped renew me.

see you at the scary late night panel.

Tired

People wonder why I have such a good work ethic. Well, here's one reason. When everything goes to shit the writing sustains me. I can always say no matter how awful things get the books are waiting, and I write. I wrote through my divorce. I wrote through my grandmother's dying. I write, and as things get worse I fall into my writing like a safety net, or a haven.

Right now I am so tired I'm weepy. But I sit here and I write. I do work. It's what I do, and it brings a measure of calm. Just the process of typing on the keyboard and watching words form helps me feel better. Hopefully, this maudlin mood will pass when I get some food in me, and some hot tea. Jon and I love seeing all you guys at the cons but three of them in less than two weeks, one of them being San Diego comiccon, has just wiped us out. I wouldn't have missed any of it for the world, but damn we are tired. I'm actually thinking something I've never done before. I'm thinking about refusing a panel. It's at 11:00 at night to midnight. Yesterday's panels ended at midnight for me, too. I think I need more sleep. I just don't think I can face another midnight run. If I still feel this way I'll tell everyone at the panels and signings today that I won't be doing the late-late panel. Sigh.

Oh, and we're at Nasfic, the North American con when World con is out of the country. It's here in Collinsville, Illinois. At least we didn't have to get on a plane. That was a mercy.

Rumors

There have been some rumors that have been brought to our attention.

For the record: The rights to the Anita Blake series have not been licensed for Movies or TV of any kind.

Period.

End of Paragraph.

Full Stop.

See everyone at Nasfic tomorrow

I had one last blog about comicon planned, but I'll try tomorrow morning. Because by afternoon we'll be at Nasfic. Another con, only four days after comicon. Not that I'm not looking forward to seeing everyone, but four days is so not enough time to recover from the spectacle that was San Diego.

Heck, our sleep pattern hasn't even reverted to normal, but since Friday and Saturday night my last panel ends at midnight, I think, it's okay. My sleep pattern is about to be screwed six ways to Sunday anyway. After the one day this week of doing twelve pages on Jason I don't have a single keepable page to my name. My head feels like it's full of cotton wool. My goal, eventually, is to get back on schedule. Silly us we're also trying to find time for a family/research vacation before school starts. Why both? Because we haven't seen much of our kiddo in the last few weeks, also she loves museums. Beyond that the idea involves museums, I'm not sharing. I have to finish the research before I can share, the idea may not pan out, then you guys will feel like I teased and didn't follow through. I never tease unless I mean it.

LKH Bit 08/02/07

We have heard from many folks that they miss the news! So in an attempt to disseminate it as widely as possible. I am going to add the LKH Bits some of you get in your email to the blog as well as the forum and MySpace page. So here it is!


Guilty Pleasures Graphic Novel News, Archon Reminder and news from Conestoga and Comic-Con (including pics and blogs), BEA podcast, First Death issue #2, Too fun not to share


Guilty Pleasures Graphic Novel News
--------------------------------------
Dear Anita Blake Fan,

We at Dabel Brothers Productions are thrilled that you've been a supporter of our official comic book adaptation of Laurell K. Hamilton's ANITA BLAKE:VAMPIRE HUNTER. Whether you know it or not, you've helped make history; we just found out this week that the hardcover edition of ANITA BLAKE: VAMPIRE HUNTER in GUILTY PLEASURES vol. 1 is already sold out in under a month, and has earned the title of bestselling graphic novel of 2007!

That's why I want to extend my sincere apologies about the lateness of our exclusive black and white edition, which we intended to have ready for you by the end of July, but which had several last minute delays that caused it to slip into an August release. We hope that you still will want to order this limited edition book, since it features the pencil artwork of Brett Booth and a cover you won't find anywhere else. We're only printing a fraction of our normal run of these so they'll be worth investing in -- last year's "pencils only" limited edition has sold for $75+ on Ebay!

To make up for our lateness, we're going to give everyone who orders the book a free gift -- our little way of saying "thanks for all the support!"

The black and white edition is available for sale at http://www.dbprostore.com now, so go ahead and head on over and order your copy today. You'll be glad you did!

Thanks again. We can't wait to hear what you think of what we consider the best ANITA BLAKE yet!

Sincerely,

Les Dabel
Vice President, Dabel Brothers Productions http://www.dabelbrothers.com


Con News and Reminder
----------------------------------------------------------
Archon 31-The 9th Nasfic August 2-5 2007
Archon 31 Info
Just Laurell schedule:
Fri, 1:00pm GC - LaSalle Lobby (Autographs) Sara Harvey, John Hemry, Laurell K. Hamilton, Alexis Glynn Latner
Fri, 2:00pm GC - LaSalle One Trick Pony
Fri, 3:00pm GC - Ballroom C3 Workshop - Crossing the Genres Fantastic
Fri, 5:00pm HI - Ballroom B True Grit - Urban Fantasy
Fri, 10:00pm GC - Ballroom D6 Are Vampires Really Socio-pathic Serial Killers?
Fri, 11:00pm GC - Ballroom D6 Censorship Takes a Holiday


Sat, Noon GC - LaSalle Lobby (Autographs) Laurell K. Hamilton, Carl Lundgren, Deborah Millitello, Jody Lynn Nye
Sat, 2:00pm HI - Ballroom B Modern Myths
Sat, 3:00pm GC - Marquette A And Then What?
Sat, 4:00pm HI - Ballroom A The Little Workshop that Could
Sat, 5:00pm GC - Mississippian Are Vampires Really Sociopathic Serial Killers?
Sat, 11:00pm GC - Ballroom C3 Scare Me to Death


Sun, 11:00am HI - Ballroom B Sleuth Facts - Real P.I. Procedures for Your Plot

Link to program for all guests and events:
http://www.archonstl.org/31/pocket_program.html

Pictures from Conestoga and Comic Con San Diego 2007 are up!
http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/
Under Photos
Conventions
Comic-Con San Diego 2007

Also, if you have pictures or video to share send them to: accounts@laurellkhamilton.org

Blogs from Comic Con can be found here:
http://blog.laurellkhamilton.org/

Author Laura Anne Gilman who was on Thursday's fantasy panel, has a blog and some photos up.

http://suricattus.livejournal.com/744936.html

I am going to steal her photos (with her permission) and add them to the gallery.

We did have some Comic-Con shirts left. Once they come back (8-10 days) I will make them available via the website. I will announce it when it goes up!


BEA Podcast
------------------------------------------------------------------
The Upfront and Unscripted podcast with Laurell from BEA is now up!

http://bookexpocast.com/2007/07/17/upfront-and-unscripted-laurell-k-hamilton


First Death issue #2
----------------------------------------------------------------
Will be released August 22nd. Don't forget to reserve yours today at your favorite comic retailer. Don't have one? Try http://www.lightspeedhobbies.com

Looking for back issues that Lightspeed didn't have available? http://www.jetpackcomics.com or http://www.comicfusion.com

Too fun not to share!
-----------------------------------------------------------
Morph yourself in to an animal. Okay, it was plain fun!
http://www.youwild.org/

I do want to say thank you to everyone who stopped by the booth at Comic-Con. It was great to put faces with names I know! I hope to see you again at another con!

Well, that's it for this bit!
Darla

The Q & A at Comicon

Okay, the Q & A at comicon: Usually, when we do a Q & A the room isn't big enough. No matter how many times we tell conventions that we need a big room so that people that want to hear can get into the room, there are always people left outside the room unable to get in, or hear. We hear about it later in e-mails all the time. Well, comicon didn't do that.

I heard the noise, but couldn't see through the curtains they had put up between the door I entered by and the stage. I sort of peeked through and saw the crowd. One glance and I knew it was the largest crowd I'd ever had in one place at one time. I asked for a travel microphone so I could move around the stage. They found me one. Jon and Charles walked across the stage, and left me there with my mic. The room was full, with maybe a chair here and there. I saw a few people come in a little late and take chairs near the back. I estimated a thousand people, but was later told if the room was full, it was more like two thousand people. I think everyone was able to get in that wanted in, I think.

The con had a microphone set up in an isle where people could stand in line and ask their questions. They did, and we were off. The crowd was great. The energy was electric. Thank you to everyone that was there, and participated in the most amazing Q & A I've ever had. You guys were great.

The one moment that almost threw me early on, was the twenty foot, though Jon says, thirty foot screen, of me. They had me on camera so the people in the back of the room could see me. I had never seen myself that big and right beside me. It was a little distracting, no, a lot intimidating. I can't imagine how actors feel all the time. Uuh. I ignored the huge gesturing me, and did my thing.

I pace when I do my 'act'. I pace a lot. I can't do it any other way. I did not mean to drive the videographer crazy trying to follow me. I'm sorry. I didn't know I'd be on camera, and even if I had the best I could have done was warn you ahead of time that I was going to move. I use all the stage, or damn close. Sorry, if it made your job difficult.

People showed pictures from it, and I am a blur. An arm waving, my hair flying, me striding across the stage. I don't know when I started the pacing, the use of the stage, but it has evolved into my style on stage. The energy from the crowd is always interesting, and I have to respond to it. A crowd that large, it felt like I could have flown.

I was pretty impressed with the size of the room and the crowd until I was later informed that either that room opened up, or there was a room that opened up to sit six thousand, or six thousand five hundred. There is also a room in the conference center that sits ten thousand people. Ten-freaking-thousand-people. I can't imagine. Of course, J. K. Rowling on one of her last visits to the states filled one of our larger sports arenas for a reading of her book. A book reading that filled a stadium, how cool is that? It also puts it in perspective nicely. That no matter how well you think you're doing, there is always someone doing better. It's all a matter of perspective, I guess. From my perspective two thousand people, a full room, was pretty damn good. Thanks to everyone who attended. Thanks to comicon for giving me a room big enough to hold everyone. I don't think we'll be hearing anyone complaining that they couldn't get inside the room this time.