Hi folks. So for my German publishers, I had to do a new author photo and this is the result. In case you want to see my in living color:

I’m running a fever. Have been for a couple of days. Makes me cranky, makes me unable to sleep well, and makes working hard. Don’t. Need. This.

I also find myself with little to blog about because of it. Mostly I’m dazing and feel like him stewing in my own juices, except the fever makes feel frozen. Frozen stew juice.

I wasn’t able to watch the Obama speech tonight, but I read it, and frankly I found it reassuring, and I found it to be rational and balanced. I hope that there’s health reform. Goodness knows we need it. Goodness knows I do. I still have major concerns about what the final product will look like–I am very much hoping the rational, public service side wins out. I just wish the Congress Critters had to have ordinary insurance and deal with all the hassles. They’d certainly move more quickly and sensibly. One thing the speech said that I agree with totally as that the last few months have made me despise our congressmen and women more than usual. They have acted badly and I hope they straighten up and fly right. Joe Wilson would be my top example of poor behavior. Simple civility is the least of what he and everyone else in this debate should offer. I wonder when we started electing children and spoiled brats to lead us.

Here is also where I start calling attention to the fact that Bitter Night will release in just over a month and I’m asking you to preorder and tell your friends. Get the word out for me if you would. I’ll be posting chapters soon. Look for an ARC giveaway next week. I figured out what the contest will be. Start thinking about it. I am going to need a title for the next book. No, you don’t get to know anything about it. But it should be something of the same flavor of Bitter Night–dark and gritty, possibly heroic and powerful. I want a two word name. So be thinking about that. I’ll be opening up the contest very soon. Soooooo . . . . think.

This weekend is the big weekend in this town. There’s the fair, the carnival, the big rodeo and concert, a parade, the fire department pancake breakfast fundraiser, the big craftsfair in the park, the university’s football game, and of course the karaoke. We’ve participated in some of it and will in some more. But the karaoke. It’s outside at the fairgrounds and usually starts around 8 at night or so. It goes . . . late. There are a few good performances, but also a great many people who have been drinking. And others who are apparently deaf. Since we live right near the fairgrounds, we can hear it all very well.

I found a recipe I must make. Next week.

Writing-wise, I’ve been getting some work done, but not enough. It’s two weeks into the new semester and one and a half weeks left of the first block. I have stacks of papers to grade and a bunch of reading to do. Wow. I’ve been working so hard on the day to day that it’s hard to get perspective. And the block goes so damned fast. Wow.

Been walking the puppy by way of rehabbing him. Next week I’ll try running him a little bit and see how he does. He’s got a frankenstein scar going down his hip with staples in it. I need to uploads some pics. What’s funny is he’s also got a whole lot of attitude. So here he is with half his butt shaved, weighing only 28 pounds and with and threatening this big lab mix that lives behind us.

I want to take a family vacation. The kind that requires saving up for and cool stuff to do. I’ve always wanted to go to Belize. And I’d like to go to Costa Rica and Hawaii. The kids probably want to go to Disneyland. And I’d like to take them to the San Diego Zoo. No money for any of it, of course. But I still want to start figuring it out and planning for it and trying to make it happen.

Yep, we got back from Oregon a little earlier today. Kids and dogs are quite relieved. The puppies did very well on their first long journey, though the return trip had them looking very despondent. At least until they got home. For those interested, here’s a report of the trip, as best as I can recall.

Read the rest of this entry »

So first, last night we went to a friend’s house and ate ribs cooked in a smoker. Delicious. And excellent company and the kids had huge fun. But my husband baked one of his specialties. He invented the recipe. It was dubbed Chocolate Peanut Butter Orgasm by a friend and so that is its name. Anyhow, the bottom is a peanut butter chocolate cookie thing with a layer of brownie on top with cinnamon chips. It’s soooooo good.

Today I went into physical therapy. She prodded my trigger points and made me hurt a lot. But it was amazing how the pain let up after awhile of the prodding. Then we did some traction. She loaned me a home traction machine thing which I will be trying out shortly. Unfortunately, the afternoon was full of pain. So I’m still eating lots of pain pills and still not getting a lot of writing done. Slid write into a coma this afternoon for awhile. Bleh. Hopefully the traction helps. I go back to PT on Thursday.

I’m also currently without wheels. The truck went into the shop for some repair work today and so I am walking. Which I was doing anyhow since, oh, there’s that whole don’t operate heavy machinery caveat on my drug bottles.

Also watched the made for TV “Impact.” Putting aside all the problems and badness of the movie, in the end the moon was split into two pieces. One was about 2/3 the original moon, the other was the other 1/3. Now here’s my question for any of you who know of science at all. What would happen if our moon was split into pieces? Would they move apart? Would one move closer to the earth or the sun? What would happen to tidal pulls? Other stuff? Anybody know?

So some of you know that my favorite uncle died a few days ago. Thanks for all your condolences. It means a lot.

My inlaws come and visit in a few days for just a few days. This means I’ll miss Miscon, which saddens me. I ordered a furminator. This apparently is an super special dog comb. I’m hoping it works as advertised. Also, what sort of an idiot delivers the new telephone book by dropping it over the fence onto the ground into a yard of two puppies? They weren’t hiding. So today I had a confetti party. It looks like the government is going to pass some controls on the credit card companies. I have to admit, I’m fairly happy with most of these controls. I do have to say–how the hell did the carry concealed weapons in state parks bit get added to a credit card bill? This folks, is one thing that’s wrong with lawmaking. You shouldn’t be able to tack on odd things to a bill. It should be considered separately.

Now for a bit of braggery and happy dancing.

First, Faith Hunter, (also Gwen Hunter), who writes the Rogue Mage novels, likes Bitter Night! She says:

“In Bitter Night, Diana Pharaoh Francis has created a dark, unique, and electrifying world in the Urban Fantasy Genre… Max is a Shadowblade warrior to die for!”

And Rob Thurman, who writes the Cal Leandros books, says:

“Maximum supernatural ass kicking, maximum attitude, maximum action. Who can deliver all that and more? Max to the max, that’s who!”

AND a couple of great reviews of The Black Ship:

First one from Errant Dreams Reviews and the second from a reader on Chapters.

Also, a review on The Turning Tide, which includes spoilers. And you should know Jess is a friend of mine, but I think if you want to talk about spoilery things, it could be a great place to have a discussion.

So far I’m not nearly as far along on the revisions for Bitter Night as I should be, but I am making progress. What’s interesting is that I’ve cut at least 6K words out (and I’m not quite a third through the revisions–I did say they were going slow). I say at least because though I keep a snippet file of bigger chunks I’ve cut, I don’t include single sentences or phrases or words in there and there’s been a lot of those and trust me, they add up. Anyhow, I’ve got a file of around 6K, and the novel is about 2K longer than it started out.

So that means I’ve probably cut closer to 8K and put 2 K back in. But really, I’ve probably cut more like 12K and added back in about 4K. I’m still chopping–trying to make it lean and not saggy–and also I know of at least two scenes I need to add, and maybe a third, depending. I also have a scene I plan to cut. I’ve added one large scene already.

My goal is to make this novel about the same length as I first submitted it. That’s not arbitrary. Well, yeah, to an extent it is. But I do believe I’ve been a bit wordy and in making those cuts, I’m trying to force myself to really pay attention and streamline the prose so it’s a really good, sharp read.

Here are the two family additions. Took the pics by phone, so the quality isn’t great.

First up is Voodoo:

Second up is Viggo: