The Stalker on Sunday

Whoohoo, Stalker! Probably the last one for ages, since classes start on Monday for me. This is really a round-up of things I meant to get around to talking about before I left…but didn’t. 

The League of Reluctant Adults! Doesn’t that just sound fun?

Drollerie Press’s Deena Fisher was interviewed by Dear Author.

Thursday Thirteen: I’m Really Going To Miss…

1. My parents.

2. Going out with my mom.

3. My mom’s cooking.

4. The not always irritating brothers.

5. Free time. Even during my exams here, I had free time because I didn’t have any chores.

6. My mom’s well-stocked and well-equipped kitchen.

7. Family. Especially the little ones. When I come home, they are going to be all grown-up.

8. My room. It’s much bigger than the one I’ll be squirreled into over there. Actually, I’ve seen apartments with master bedrooms that are smaller than my bedroom, so, yeah. Mine’s quite big.

9. My books.

10. My bed.

11. My cross-stitch stand, which, sadly, isn’t going with me.

12. The clothes that I’m leaving behind. Even though I know I probably wouldn’t wear them even if I had them there.

13. All my little bits and pieces. The things you don’t realise you use every day until they are no longer with you.

I’m not going to be doing the TT rounds today. Running out of time, sadly. Will pick the winners of Jaci and Cheyenne’s contests shortly. 

Wednesday Web Wanderer

Joely Sue Burkhart’s doing a contest for an unsigned copy of Riding The Storm.

Doug Hoffman reviews Jackie Kessler’s The Road To Hell. Jackie’s plans to take over the world are well on their way.

My RTB post. I think this one has the second-longest comment threads of my posts there so far. I thought this one was going to bomb too, actually.

Wanna get your wheels a-turning? Read Is There Anything Good About Men?

Nalini Singh is guestblogging at Bam’s, and doing a giveaway. She told me that “Flattery will get you many things.” If the many things is defined as “an ARC for every book she writes for the rest of her life,” I shall be content. *g*

So in answer to my question about why people are coming to visit this wee blog from a private, SFWA board, Vernieda says it’s because of this post, in which I say stuff like that hooha (doesn’t really matter which one any more, does it?) is why I don’t intend to ever join a writer’s organization. Which makes sense, but who the hell would care about what I say about that? According to the URL, it’s the Ask The President forum.

I think this is hilarious. From FP Passport:

I’m still not sure I trust a guy who uses emoticons to protect us from Russian cyber terrorists.

Wednesday Whine

I know, I know. I said I wouldn’t whine any more on the blog.

But going to the dentist and needing TWO fillings is totally whine-worthy!

Note to self: Never marry a dentist, because he’ll torture any children you might have too.

And even though I had breakfast before going to the dentist, I’m starving and I can’t eat for an hour because of the fillings! Pffffft.

I also need to cut my nails because they are making it harder and harder to type. Nails might not be the right word any more. They are more like claws now.

I shall make up for the Whine by doing a Wednesday Web Wanderer, which will be up sometime in the near future. IOW, it might be up today, or it might not.

PS The Terrible Twosome of Jaci Burton and Cheyenne McCray are doing contests on da blog!

PPS People have been coming to this blog over the past few days from a Private, SFWA board. Anybody want to share with me why? I’m just really curious, and you can email me at miladyinsanity (at) gmail (dot) com if you want to share but want me to keep it between the two of us. Otherwise, comment! Speculate!

Monday Madness

She’s alive and in hiding.

Who knew packing was such a chore? I sure am looking forward to packing and repacking twice a year.

I’m just here to point you to my RTB post.

And to complain about stupid Microsoft. I’m trying to open my copy of Microsoft Office (I like OpenOffice but the formatting disappears when I open it in Microsoft and wouldn’t it just be wonderful if that happened on a paper I needed to turn in?) but the packaging? Requires me to pull at a slippery plastic tag. Grrr!

PS Jaci Burton and Cheyenne McCray brave the madness together tomorrow. Poor Chey. I don’t think Jaci told her what she was getting into.

The Stalker on Sunday

I just deleted my review of Jackie Kessler’s The Road To Hell. Veddy veddy shot pozt becoz I muz pak and do stuff.

Check out this interview with Sylvia Kelso.

We have covers for Lilith Saintcrow’s new series starring Jill Kismet, Night Shift! I have The Devil’s Right Hand already, but I’m saving it for my plane trip, together with Sylvia’s Amberlight.

You’ll want to check out my interview with Sydney Croft, as well as the excerpt of Riding The Storm

Tomorrow, we’ll have reviews of Jaci Burton’s Hunting The Demon and Nalini Singh’s Caressed By Ice. Meant to post the latter earlier, but it never went up.

The Day After…we have a Jaci Burton and Cheyenne McCray interview. And I didn’t have to come up with the questions! *g*

Fucked-up Friday

The oatmeal crisps didn’t pan out because my cup of oatmeal was more like 2 and a half cups. That’s what I get for trusting online sources. But hey, it always worked out before!

I forgot to add the butter to the cinnamon cake.

FUCK.

At least the oatmeal crisps problem is fixable: I just need more of the butter/sugar mixture.

I don’t think the cake is fixable–currently in the oven.

At least the meringues worked out. I think the box of Jiffy cornbread mix did too–not sure whether it tastes good, but it baked up fine.

For more interesting content, read my review of Nalini Singh’s Caressed By Ice. It’s down there somewhere.

Tomorrow, I’m posting the Sydney Croft interview. Come by and heckle them.

PS No linkies because I’m in a really pissy mood.

PPS My iPod is keeping company.

PPPS The visa application went through.

Wednesday Web Wanderer

Is no more. At least, mostly no more.

The Stalker is on hiatus. Yeah, the links I mostly stumble across when I read blogs and stuff, but collating them and trying to say something funny/interesting/erudite/intelligent/mocking/sarcastic about them? Not so quick.

I wanted to stalk the Terrible Twosome of Jaci Burton and Cheyenne McCray all over the internets for a special edition, but I kind of think I’m not going to have time for that.

Sigh.

Heads up: I shall interview review Nalini Singh’s Caressed By Ice tomorrow.

In honor of that, we have this:

  Which Psy-Changeling Hero Is For You?

 

Your Psy/Changeling Hero: VaughnProtective, possessive and sensual to the core, Vaughn is a sentinel with the heart of a jaguar. If he decides to make you his, there’s no getting away. So run…or get ready to tangle with the wild fury of a changeling who is more animal than most.Find out more about Vaughn and the series at www.nalinisingh.com
Take this quiz!

PS The Super-Spyish (ish because she’s not really a spy) Sydney Croft. Interview. Friday.

Tuesday To-Do List

The list gets longer.

Longer.

Longer.

Longer.

And longer.

Also, I went to the library, ostensibly just to get my reserved copy of Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home To Yours (I’m in heaven, Jane!). I have already read it, but if I’m going to get a copy, it’s going to be whilst I’m in the UK because I refuse to lug the tome with me there.

But I am a bookaholic, and naturally, I had to get a ton of other books too.

I hit the bookshop, and got Lilith Saintcrow’s The Devil’s Right Hand! Also, reader copies of PBW’s The Steel Caress and The Kissing Blades (the first book my fave of her romantic suspense novels)! Well, the reader copies I have to get my dad to pick them up because I didn’t have enough cash and the truth is I’m very broke.

I’m really just here to tell you that I’ve solved my iPod Nano problem. I shall get an ugly white nano and get this.

PS I guess this isn’t much of a to-do list, but I’m busily writing reviews and such.

PPS Good earphones make a lot of difference when it comes to music.

Thursday Thirteen: Things I’m Definitely Not Packing

1. My books. I’m not taking a single print one with me, no sirree!

2. My cross-stitch stand.

3. My bookmark collection–that probably numbers in the hundreds and deserves better than to be tossed in a box.

4. Most of my stitchy stuff. I’m only packing one pattern…maybe.

5. My sandals. For obvious reasons, that I won’t be wearing them there, and because they are falling apart.

6. My green suede sneakers. At least, I’m trying because I’m not sure where I’m going to find the space. I’m counting at least 4 pairs that will be in the suitcases at this point.

7. My Nene Thomas calendar, which is out of date but which I take out every now and then just for inspiration.

8. Any Singapore dollars I might have left when I leave because I’ll need them when I get back home.

9. Most of my f-list and my RSS reader. Sorry peeps, but I’m springcleaning really soon.

10. My mother’s mixer.

11. My cup. But only because I dropped it and it smashed into many little pieces. Sad.

12. My wooden spoon. I call it my wooden spoon because I’m the only one who uses it, and I did consider stealing it and bring it with me…but I was afraid I’d lose it when I get there. Note to self: Tell mom to keep it safe for me.

13. My extra black satchel. I don’t really need it, since I’ve got another black bag, but I might not be able to resist.

Use the linkie thing. Hover on the gray patch just underneath this–it’s not showing for me, and I don’t know why.

Wednesday Web Wanderer

Busy busy busy, busy as a bee I am. This may be the last Wednesday Web Wanderer for awhile…DAMN! Susan, is your thing tomorrow? With my luck, it probably is, so I will be posting tomorrow, but I won’t be here Friday because I need a break. 

Jeaniene Frost is funny! Check out her ode to the Revision Process. I Will Survive Revise!

PBW’s posted a new Darkyn story! Worthy might just tide me over until Evermore’s release. Or not. Probably not. I want it now!

This Saturday, Deborah Grabien will be on radio. Details:

12 noon - 2 p.m. Saturday, 25 August

Pirate Cat Radio 87.9 FM in San Francisco and LA

104.8 in Berlin

Listen online: Pirate Cat Radio

FYI, her interview will be posted on December 10th, not October 15th as originally scheduled. Her release with Drollerie Press, Still Life With Devils, has also been moved to December 10th, so you’ll just have to wait until the end of the year for it, whilst I get my eager hands (figuratively, since it’s an e-copy) on it next week. I’m probably going to hell for taunting you like this, but damn am I enjoying myself!

Whilst I’m enjoying myself, I might as well point you to this post, as I also have a copy of Amberlight, waiting to be read. The lovely author, Sylvia Kelso, is guest blogging for me December 1st, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with because we’ve been chatting back and forth and she seems like a really interesting person. Kinsale fans should probably remember to come back on December 1st. And maybe I should read a Kinsale (for this confession, I may be sent straight to Romancelandia Hell) before the guestblog.

Alison Tyler got spanked. Hmm.. That’s wrong. Go spank Alison Tyler. That’s better! Go spank her and inspire her to write some more.

Last call for entries: win a copy of Heather Brewer’s debut Eighth Grade Bites!

Tuesday To-Do List

I’m slightly less behind than I was yesterday, which doesn’t say much, sadly.

Review Skin To Skin.

Bake.

Review something else.

Read 2 ARCs. And review some more. I’m this close to making it blog policy not to review books that were not given to me.

Interview someone.

Sort out January schedule.

Pack. Pack. Pack.

Stitch up the dragon. Really!

Contemplate brown suede dress. I’m not sure what I need it for (I already have a little black dress that’s never been worn), but I want it. I think I’m going to bring my brown leather jacket with me to see whether it matches before making a decision, except I’ve a terrible feeling it doesn’t. What to do? What if I am forced to get it anyway because I’m a little crazy and currently have moolah?

Oh, and check out Heather Brewer’s interview. She’s giving away a copy of Eighth Grade Bites!

The Stalker on Sunday

This is really quick, and I think I’m going to have to quit doing this because you know, this really needs lots of time and time is an awfully precious commodity–where’s that rich husband so I can sit around all day doing nothing? 

December Quinn interviews Raelene Gorlinsky, Ellora’s Cave Publisher.

Drollerie Press has a new site! And they are doing a chat to celebrate the latest round of releases tonight, 9PM EST! Sadly, I don’t think I can make it–I’ll probably be out the house already.

Jackie Kessler has a new book trailer!

Check out yesterday’s special edition of Stalker: The Dee Dee Is Everywhere! edition.

Coming soon! 

Heather Brewer’s interview tomorrow!

The Stalker on Saturday SPECIAL: The Dee Dee is Everywhere! Edition

Check it out:

She’s on this blog with an excerpt.

She’s on DearAuthor with her First Sale Story.

The WriteMinded babes are brave enough to let her visit.

And the Vamps are such terrible Scamps, they think Bam Bam Galace can’t possibly cause more trouble for them than they do for themselves on a regular basis.

I’ll pick the contest winner tomorrow.

PS Linkies mostly courtesy of Dionne, her very own Bam Bam self. I wonder why I keep wanting to type Bambi?

Thursday Thirteen: The Story of Today

1. It was a dark and stormy night morning when I left the house.
2. I spent the entire train trip in a daze even though I planned to do a lot of stuff on the train on my trusty PDA.
3. My heart started thumping once I got off the train.
4. When the admin person was searching for my transcript, the thumping became almost painful.
5. And it was all over when I got the Alphabet.
6. I was greatly depressed and despondent and I’ve run out of D-words.
7. People tried to cheer me up.
8. People tried to dissuade me from retaking again–which would mean another year here.
9. People mostly dissuaded me from retaking again, and to accept my second choice if my appeal didn’t go through.
10. I went home.
11. I began to write my appeal letter.
12. But thankfully I decided to check the applications website first.
13. And wahoo, I got in!!!!!

Wednesday I Whine Some More

I’m going crazy.

It’s 10 hours until I get my exam results, you see.

Remember that trip I took over the weekend?

Well, that has been adding to the pressure.

It’s like this. My aunts and uncles (and they are Legion–sorry, vestiges of Bible class) have been giving me money.

Normally, this is a cause for celebration. Except that it always comes with “spend it when you get to the UK” and it’s not even confirmed that I’m going yet!

And it’s nearly 4am here, so I can’t even SCREAM because it would wake up the entire house and my little brother has Important Exams and Mustn’t Be Woken Up except on The Pain of Death.

To Jaci Burton who says I should get other people to make my cake:

I bake a mean cake. Meaner than most other people, and miladyinsanity needs a good dose of mean in her cake.

Though, what really chaps my ass (I like this phrase) is that I’ve eaten a lot of sucky chocolate cake (wasting a ton of Valrhona cocoa powder and chocolate in the process) this year to find the cake I was going to use for my birthday cake and now it’s going to be a very belated birthday cake.

And I had grand plans for this cake. A pistachio dacquoise layer, Dorie Greenspan’s Devil’s Food Cake, with dark chocolate ganache filling and fluffy meringue covering the chocolatey-ness. Happiness in a Slice–if you own a bakery/patisserie/something like that and would like to trademark that, email me and we can discuss my cut.

So you see, I should bake my own cake instead of having somebody bake it for me and not have enough Marvellous Edibility And Nuttiness–MEANess for short.

I hereby promise to stop whining on this blog from Friday onwards. From Friday onwards, I shall be a happy, cheerful and optimistic person, whether or not I am going to my dream school or not.

I shall now go back to whining and dying of my cold and stress. The only thing that’s stopping me from dying is thinking about cake, so thanks be to Jane and Jaci who gave me the opportunity to talk about cake.

PS If you’d like to feel better after I’ve depressed you thoroughly, please read this.

Wednesday Whine Again

I forgot to add something to today’s Wednesday Whine: I’m not getting to celebrate my birthday tomorrow because I’m only Mostly Well and not Entirely Well.

That’s just wrong, isn’t it?

Plus I’m not getting a birthday cake because I’m not yet well enough to bake something.

I shall now go off and cry into my pillow.

Wednesday Whine

This is just to say: Yes I am Still Alive.

That is all.

Miserable Monday

I’m miserable because I’ve a terrible cold, my throat feels like someone scrubbed it with sandpaper and poured a glass of acid down it and I’m very behind.

I’m going to respond to emails and then I’m going back to bed.

If you want anything from me, email me. I’m not checking blogs, and if I ever read yours, it’s probably about to be removed from my Google Reader because I just don’t have time any more.

Wednesday Web Wanderer

Damn Spam indeed. The Viagra statistic scares me.

I cannot decide: Do I love Jezebel more or my Inner Demon more? How about you?

Hit The Road with Kessler and Jezebel…or WIN STUFF!

Charlene Teglia’s defending her pink cover for Wild Wild West. The contest ends right before I go to bed, which will be in 3 hours, tops. Enter now!

I’m flying off tomorrow, so emails and such probably won’t get responses until Sunday. 

On Friday, Portia Da Costa heats up the blog! The winner will be posted on Sunday, when I get home.