YAHOO!!!!!

I can't believe it!!! I am so thrilled and honored to report that my story, The Naked Truth About Guys, from the anthology THE NAKED TRUTH, finalled in the RITAs!! If you don't recognize the name, the RITA awards are extremely prestigious - sort of the Academy Awards of women's fiction! I am going to buy every other book in my category - there are amazing authors in there! And check us out at Literary Chicks - Lani finaled too!

Send in the elves

How is it March 20th??? I guess two solid weeks of family illness will do that to a person. I have copyedits to do on SEVEN WAYS TO LOSE YOUR LOVER, am three weeks behind on everything else, and must update my website and do my taxes.

In my spare time.

But at least I'm finally free today, because both children are well enough to finally be back in school!!

Today starts Lonely Hearts Week at LC in honor of Susan McBride's rocking new book - check it out!! Oh, and if anybody has any extra office-cleaning elves? Send 'em over.

TO DO lists

I am an insane list-maker. I have lists for everything, and even lists to keep track of my lists, but the worst is my To Do list. It is currently 7 pages long, with 25 items on each of the 7 pages.

I'm resisting page eight.

Now, this is just wrong. Who has time in one lifetime to do everything on a 7-page to do list? Especially since the list keeps growing and pesky things like the flu I've got and my daughter has keep getting in the way. aarghh.

When I checked on Princess last night, after she'd fallen asleep, I noticed she was clutching her journal under one arm. After I gently extricated the book, I read what she'd written, and started laughing. Like Mommy, like daughter. My barely-six-year-old had her own to do list.

TO DO:
1. Eat brekfast
2. Play
3. Blow my nose
4. Eat lunch
5. Play
6. Watch a movie
7. Eat dinner
8. Play
9. Bath
10. Bed.

I want to trade lists. Seriously.

It's RELEASE DAY!!!!

And I'm so excited!!! BLONDES HAVE MORE FELONS is out today in your local bookstore (and at your local online retailer )! And I blogged about my FBI file here, and about my not-so-evil minions here, and I'm just so delirously happy!! Oh, and check out our mostly (yes, I'm working on my part) updated Mystery Chicks website here.

For excerpts, my fab movie trailer, and more, go here. And have a wonderful day!!

I am SO LUCKY to have the best job in the world.
hugs,
me, off to a bookstore to admire my book hee hee

16 BLOCKS

Navy Guy got home from the ship last night (he actually got to stand on the bridge of the Enterprise, how cool is that? I begged him to say, "Beam me up, Scotty!" but he wouldn't. Boring Navy dudes . . .) and today the kidlets were in school so we actually got to play hooky!!

We went to the mall, where it was so weird to be alone without small people asking for things, and to lunch, and to see 16 BLOCKS, the new thriller with Bruce Willis and Mos Def. (Judd's turn to pick the movie.) Bruce Willis was his usual taciturn self, but a little different as a drunk seeking redemption almost in spite of himself. Mos Def was suprising to me because I never expect much out of musicians turned actor, frankly. But he was definitely believable. I'd be surprised if he doesn't get some serious acclaim/bigger and better movies out of this.

It was MUCH better than I expected, very suspenseful, although as a writer I had a few problems with some of the things that happened (can't tell you without giving away spoilers), but the twists were fairly unexpected. Plus, you know, there was POPCORN. And Snickers Popables. This is rarely a bad thing.
Happy weekend, all!

Venting sunshine

I'm finally recovering from the book that would not end, and I actually just sat out in the yard in the sun with the pugs for AN ENTIRE HOUR reading a book simply for pleasure.

Not for research, or because I was judging it for a contest or critiquing it or giving it a blurb, but just a book I bought in the bookstore yesterday because I WANTED TO READ IT.

I know you're shaking your head and saying 'what's the big deal?' but trust me, it was a very big deal to me. Which leads me to the alleged topic (sorry, once a trial lawyer, always a trial lawyer) - venting sunshine.

Lately, I feel like I've only been calling on my friends for help when it's about stress. Or sadness. Or something negative. But it occurred to me - out in the sunshine, which is where much of my inspiration comes from -- that they deserve to hear the good things, too. When I call to "vent" maybe I can vent some sunshine instead of always about the stresses and hard times.

So I'm venting sunshine today. It's going to get up to an unseasonable 70 degrees here in Virginia Beach, my darling children are both healthy at the same time and back in school, I had the day off to have my hair cut, and I read a book for pleasure. Now, I'm going to follow the example set by my wonderful dogs and take a nap. Life is good.
hugs,
Alesia
ps I'm responding to e-mails from my lovely readers and re-enabling comments, so if you have time and feel like it, vent a little sunshine of your own.