The end of the vacation that is. We’ll be heading home shortly. On the positive side, the dog is better. Not totally well, but getting there.

I have a post up on Magical Words today about emotional and physical action. Come on and have a read.

Also, if anybody is in the Roseville, California area, The Barnes and Noble at Creekside has copies of my books signed. I stopped in today and signed some stuff they just got in.

Had a great visit with friends tonight, with good beer and food. It was really cool to talk about very old times and some new.

I really hate the idea of going back to the cold. It’s been bizarrely warm and dry here. I can smell the green grass and the oaks and it’s been so amazing. There really aren’t oaks in Montana and it’s really a trip down memory lane. Usually in winter the smells aren’t really there. I keep stumbling on our walks because I close my eyes and just smell. I’m going to miss walking once I’m home. I’m hoping there’s not a lot of ice and I can get outside.

Today was unpleasant. One of the dogs (Voodoo) had an obstructed colon and had to go to the vet and get cleaned out. Apparently we caught it before it was too terrible, but it’s stunning how fast it came on. Anyhow, he’s home now, groggy, and feeling puny. But hopefully he’s a lot perkier tomorrow. He’s eating a canned food from the vet and some canned pumpkin to help his innards.

So the bad was that it happened, the good was that the vet we found was amazing and wonderful and so it was good to know Voodoo was in really good hands.

In the meantime, I’m still enjoying the weather, though we head home to Montana soon. Which means heading home to cold. Blecho. Though I will really look forward to sleeping in my own bed. The kids are having so much fun here. I know they are looking forward to being back in school, but I also know they will miss their grandparents and the warm and the fun. It’s been a good visit. Wish it could last longer. Isn’t that the way it always goes?

I want to wish you all a most happy New Year. I hope the best of last year is the worst of this year. I hope you find joy, bliss, pleasure, wonder, love, adventure, hope and miracles.

I try not to do a lot of resolutions in general, but for me, I want to continue losing weight and feeling better. I want to sell my house. I want to enjoy life to its fullest extent. I want to spend more time with friends and less time with soul-sucking people. I want to celebrate more and grouse less. I want to write more and better. I want to read more. I want to make more friends and travel more.

What do you want for the new year?

I’m going to be at the B&N coffee area at the Creekside B&N in Roseville at 1:00 today. That’s the one by the Galleria. Come on in and visit if you get the chance and are in the area!

My mom is giving me her entire yarn stash. There’s a lot of it. I’m so happy. I’m such a yarn whore really. Now to start making stuff. A lot of it is pretty ordinary acrylic stuff, but there’s some really cool bits in there too. Now to figure out what to make. I need to learn to make more kinds of things. Though I did figure out fingerless gloves on the way out here.

Shadow City is official!!!!! I’m chewing my nails over it. I sooooo need and want it to do well. Have you told everybody you know about it? Please? It’s a referral business you know

In other news, despite the fact that I’m eating a lot out here in CA, my pants are loosening up. NOt sure what’s up with that. Not unhappy mind you.

One of the puppies got made at me and chewed on mom’s slipper. Luckily, not a great deal of damage was done, but still. And my mom’s corgi keeps instigating mine to bark in the house, something they don’t ordinarily do. Which is terribly annoying also.

I signed books at the Birdcage Barnes and Noble, so you can get signed copies there too.

As for a get together, I’m thinking possibly Friday, sometime like 1 p.m. Anybody up for that? At the Roseville Galleria BN coffeshop. Would anybody be up for that?

Wow. What a lovely Christmas we had. Did you? First we had my in-laws over for a brunch (post stocking opening). It was lovely. They never really have done Christmas, and all their kids have moved out of state. Add into that that my Mother In Law has dementia and is really forgetting a lot. She’s also got diabetes and some other issues. So it was really good for us to all be together and they got to participate in the present opening with the kids, which they really enjoyed. Plus the dogs cuddled up a bunch with my MIL and she was really happy. I think they are going to get another dog soon. They lost theirs awhile ago, but I think T’s dad is thinking it will be good for both of the. I made her a shawl out of very soft yarn and she loved it. She’s cold a lot.

After that, the horde that is my family descended and we had a great time. My chocolate bourbon pecan pie was a hit. Yum.

Now the bad news was that in the last couple of days the very very ancient bed we’d been sleeping on broke. The box spring. NOw when I say old, I mean that it was at least 45 years old, possibly older. I am not lying. It is also not comfortable. Wish we’d thought to break it long ago. Anyhow, mom and I went out and shopped for a new spare room bed for us to sleep on and while we were out, went to Barnes and Noble and they had copies of Shadow City already out!!!! So I signed them and my other books (at the Galleria Barnes and NOble in Roseville, folks). Tomorrow I might get to the Birdcage B&N. And any other bookstores I can find.

So now the bed is on order and will arrive about when we leave. Ah well. At least there will be one next year. I’ve been walking a lot. It’s green and warm here. I’m loving it. And so are the dogs and the man and the kids.

Is there any interest in any Roseville/Sacramento local types who might want to come hang out at at Starbucks at B&N or something one day? If there is, I’ll set it up.

Also, tomorrow (Tuesday) I’ve an interview up at the Quillery. It’s a fun one. Questions I haven’t had.

And, once again. please please please spread the word about Shadow City! Tell your friends, write on your blog, post reviews on Amazon or wherever (good or bad, I’ll still love you). And also, I want to hear what you think of the book. Seriously!

To all of you–friends and readers–my wish for you is that you have an absolutely gloriously happy day tomorrow and all through the New Year. May you enjoy your families and friends.

To one all all, present and absent this year, cheers.

Yep, we’ve arrived in CA. Yay! It’s green. There are flowers. I walked the dogs in shirtsleeves and went through this place with a bunch of oaks. It was fabulous.

The trip was long and luckily not a ton of ice, but it was -11 in Idaho the other morning.

We’re having fun. Trying to relax. But the kids of course are bouncing off the walls. Go figure.

Shadow City comes out in just four days. Four days!!! I’m both excited and panicking.

Oh! And here are 10 things Max is getting for Christmas. It’s fun!

The puppies are wildly happy not to be in the truck. One of them chose to sleep in the bed with me and my son in the hotel the other night. He went down to the bottom under the covers, then back up and put his head on my pillow and snuggled up to my back, and then moved around the bed all night. But the boy . . . twitchy kid. Drove me nuts.

So how do you feel about mentioning my books to at least three people in the next day or so? Up for it? Tell the bookstores, tell your blogs and tweet it. I would so appreciate it. Seriously.

Can anyone explain to me who goes door to door at night selling meat? Is this an occupation? How does one get into such a line of work? yes, someone tonight came by our house selling beef, pork and chicken. I was startled, to say the least. I mean, door to door meat?

Which reminds me of Terry Bisson’s They’re Made Out of Meat. You really have to read it if you haven’t. It’s short and one of my favorites. Especially the singing by squirting through meat.

I’ve also been having very strange dreams. Not exactly nightmares, but still the sort of thing that wakes you up and makes you think–WTF just ran over me?

The first reviews are coming in on Shadow City. They are really great. (see author to happy dance!!!) But be warned, there are some spoilers. But if you want to read them anyhow, here you go:

http://www.smexybooks.com/2011/12/review-shadow-city-by-diana-pharaoh-francis.html

http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blogspot.com/2011/12/early-review-shadow-city-by-diana.html

http://addicted2heroines.blogspot.com/2011/12/early-review-shadow-city-horngate.html

http://ziarias.blogspot.com/2011/12/shadow-city-blog-tour-december-19-2011.html

http://www.seducedbyabook.com/2011/12/early-review-of-shadow-city-horngate.html

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/248868766