No Angels at Victoria's Secret

I guess it's officially the holiday season. I was at Victoria's Secret on Tuesday night shopping for some new things (nope, no details on what I bought... LOL) and I saw some crazy shit going on at the registers. There were three girls waiting on customers and while I was next in line two or the three girls were dealing with women trying to scam the store.

One woman was trying to return some shower gel and other stuff that wasn't even from the store. I heard the manager tell her "This, this, and this isn't even from our store and this is, but it's from a gift box and you don't have the other items or the box."

The other sales clerk was waiting on a woman who was trying to return bras with a receipt, but the bras weren't from VS either. "I have a receipt," the woman kept saying to the girl. "Yeah, but this receipt isn't for these. These aren't Victoria's Secret bras."

I'm standing there watching both conversations like I'm watching a tennis match, amazed at the balls these people have. I guess at Christmas time people get all desperate trying to get money by pulling one over on a store. When it was finally my turn I was glad to pay for my purchase and get out of there... tis the season for Xmas stealing...

Hump Day AND a Full Moon!! Video...

Now I would think that this combination can only lead to trouble... Still a few hours left to the day so we'll see... Though I will admit I seem to have found a bit of trouble already tonight without trying... LOL And nope, I'm not saying anything more. Enjoy the video below...

Me? Wonder Woman?

Today was day two of running the Holiday Gift Shop at school. It's been a lot of fun watching the kids shopping for Christmas presents for friends and family, but at the same time it has been A LOT of work. This morning while I was checking stock and filling shelves (yep... we have actual shelves. This is a serious event at our school) a mom asked me how I do all that I do. She actually made the comparison of me to Wonder Woman and it made me laugh. She started listing things that she knows I do... volunteering at school and running big events, writing books, taking care of two kids and a dog, taking care of a house, taking one son to tutoring twice a week, all my online stuff for school and myself, the occasional modeling gig...

And I was like yeah... AND I do laundry almost every day, cook dinner almost every night, do all my political protesting, and still find time to have some kind of social life. By the time we were done talking I was thinking damn, I DO do an awful lot... LOL But I guess I just believe in living life to the fullest and do as much as you can while you can... Because in this world there are absolutely NO guarantees. I admit there are some times I just kind of make it up as I go along and wing it... (Like with the gift shop. I've never done this before.) But I think things always turn out well for me in the end because I do everything 100% and put my heart into everything I do. It's my style. It's me. It's who I am. I guess I am Wonder Woman. Just not with the spiffy outfit.

Book Signings For 2010

I am happy to announce that my cousin Kim Garland and I have two confirmed book signings for 2010 so far. Our appearances will be in Joliet, Illinois and Deerfield, Illinois. When the dates get closer I will post more information. Kim and I will be signing our new co release titled "Medieval Menage" which will be available in print soon from Resplendence Publishing. (Marianne LaCroix is the third author of this book... Can't forget her!! She will be in from Georgia for the Deerfield signing.)

An Early X Mas Present

Free ebook, Christmas Magic. 

"A delightful and whimsical fantasy romance." --Harriet Klausner


From my bestie writer friend, Marianne LaCroix...

David Bradley was a successful internet businessman. Once his business ventures soared, his own marriage became victim to his job. He considered divorcing Mary, but the thought of her with another man was unthinkable.

Mary longed for David, but he always seemed so busy with his work. She had only one Christmas wish: David to realize he still loved her, and that she wanted him to possess her completely, heart, body and soul.

While working on Christmas Eve, David came face-to-face with St. Nick. With a little Christmas magic, David got a glimpse of just how much Mary influenced his entire life.

As David searched for purpose, Mary learned the ways of a seductress with the help of a very naughty Mrs. Claus and her bagful of toys.

From Mari... Just For Me!!

A hot man for me... LOL Mari knows I luvs Ryan Reynolds. :) I liked her note to me at the bottom too. Thanks!!

Hey AM! Here's a man that can make you smile!

Thanks Kate!!

Thanks so much to Kate for an awesome day today in Naperville. I had so much fun as usual. (And I loved the wind machine.) Thanks too to the awesome staff at the Benefit in downtown Naperville! U all rock! You have a fantastic store and are so much fun to talk to.

If you are interested in a photo shoot with Kate, check out the link in the post below for Capture His Heart Again.

Naperville Part Two

Kate from "Capture His Heart Again" photography called me last night and asked me to go for a photo shoot today. Since I had such a great time last time I immediately agreed. I'm about to hit the road for Naperville and I should have new pictures by tonight. And of course, like always, I'll share here... :)

If you are looking for a really unique gift for the holidays, you should consider purchasing a photo session with Kate. She does prints and a little black book of photos any man would love to get for the holidays. You can check out her website at Capture His Heart Again.com

Dead Girl Talking Now at Fictionwise!

Until recently, I led a pretty normal life. But then I did something that kind of changed things for me: I had a one night stand with a vampire. Things got a little carried away and he bit me, turning me into a vampire too. I guess you can say I learned the hard way that love bites, and once bitten there's no going back. (Published: 2009)

http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b99217/Dead-Girl-Talking/Annmarie-Ortega/?si=0

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful holiday. I especially want to wish my friends Kate, Marianne, Misia, and Catherina a great holiday. And of course to some of my fellow bloggers including the ultra witty folks at Pickled Cupid, the politically astute Amazing Bunny, and the not always politically correct but super sexy Det. SLC. Happy Thanksgiving.

I'll Pass on the Drama, Thanks...

This is a drama free zone. Always has been always will be. I also have a low tolerance for not telling the truth, but that's an entirely different story.

Da Nile

Da Nile is more than a river in Egypt. More later.

My Friend Catherina Makes the News... (Video included)

and not in a good way either. She ended up on MSNBC last night in their "Worst Person" segment. I don't know what to say. I knew Catherina when we went to St Rita together for grammar school and Maria High School. We recently started to talk through Facebook back in April this year. We went to the Tea Party downtown on April 15th and we both were really inspired by it.

Since then she started the Chicago Tea Party Patriots. We had a march against the health care bill on Sept 12 at Millennium Park. We had a pretty good turn out though there has been debate about just how many people were there. (I'd guess close to 1,000). She's organized a few events besides the 9/12 event and always has a decent turn out.

When Catherina went to the Lipinski town hall she'd planned on giving him back a trophy he'd given her for her work down in New Orleans after the hurricane. She did give him back her award and in the process has gotten a crap load of bad press. I really don't want to get into it... You can see a whole bunch of videos on youtube from the Lipinski town hall if you look them up.

In the end they made Cat look like a heartless bitch. She isn't. I think things were misunderstood. I think people thought she was responsible for bringing a lot of the rowdy people there, and she didn't. I don't know if I agree with everything she is quoted with saying, or the way that she said it. Sometimes she rubs people the wrong way, but no one in life is going to be liked by everyone. But despite it all, and her political beliefs, she has been a great friend to me for many years. That's the Cat that I know. The great friend. And I thank her for her friendship. Salute and bow... (a private joke between us...)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Mondays Can Be Sexy Too

And really if you think about it, since it's a short week because of the holiday coming up, it's almost like today is actually Wednesday... So think of this week as having an extra bonus Hump Day! And who doesn't like that, right? LOL I mean you can never have too many Hump Days, can you?

And of course this Susanna Hoffs video goes out to...

Yes Please!

I LOVE this picture of Ryan Reynolds. Thanks to Mari for sending it to me. I think this will be my inspiration for my new WIP, "Cocked and Loaded". How much do you love that title?? LOL

Sugar and Spice Hit Downtown

My cousin Kim and I are spending the night downtown tonight and having an awesome time. We watched the Christmas parade from our windows which was very cool. After the parade we ordered room service (penne pasta with Italian sausage) and called Marianne in Georgia (and laughed alot). My cousin was enthralled with wearing the fluffy white embroidered robe and I had no choice but to call her "Hugh". LOL When we were done with dinner we watched SNL which was pretty good tonight. Right now I am sitting in bed blogging and watching Gone in 60 Seconds. All in all today was a good day.

We Did It!!

Mari and I found out tonight that our word has been approved for admission in the Urban Dictionary. I believe they are going to let us know when it has actually been added. Mari and I were quite pleased, and I admit we laughed that they actually accepted it. Update to come as soon as more info is given...

Ouch!!

So today I walked right into a steel beam at my kid's school. I was under some stairs we use for storage trying to find our Christmas decorations. When my head hit the beam the sound was really loud. (At least it seemed that way in my head.) My first thought was I must be bleeding. (I wasn't.) Then the swearing started like the father from A Christmas Story. LOL I did get dizzy and had a bit of a headache a little later. As of now I can say the experience did not knock any sense into me but now I definitely have a fear of steel beams.

Amuck! Amuck! Amuck!

When you hear the word amuck what do you think of? This is what I think of:



The reason I am bringing up a word you don't hear that often is because Mari and I have actually come up with a word (ok... more like a phrase if you want to get technical) that we use in conversations and isn't in the "Urban Dictionary" yet... We decided we are going to add it ourselves this week. It's kind of cool I think. I've never added a word (or phrase) to a dictionary before. I can't say what it is yet until we add it but I'll be sure to post it once we submit it.

Harlequin Goes All Crazy Like

First of all let me say I had no idea any of this was even going on. I blame this on my blondeness and the PTA. Although I talk to Mari only twenty freaking times a day and this never came up in a conversation with her once. Now that I know what's going on I have to say I think RWA did the right thing by revoking their support for Harlequin and taking away their status. And for those of you who aren't into publishing, what's going on here is FUCKING HUGE. This changes everything.

Read below for posts by Mari. Apparently she knows what's going on. :) Oh... and she made the above graphic. Gotta give credit...


Originally posted @ 8:58a on 11/19/2009

What's my take on the latest developments regarding the RWA move and Harlequin?

First, I noticed on the digital only Harlequin epress, Carnia Press, no real mention was made of the connection to Harlequin. Now on the bottom of the site, there is a Harlequin Enterprises copyright notice.

Second, on the Harlequin Horizons website, you now have to dig to find the mention of Harlequin Enterprises. The "About Us" page is buried.

Third, the impact of the RWA's notice to label Harlequin a vanity/subsidy press is going to be huge. Hundreds of authors are affected. None can enter the RITAs. Heck, RITA categories will have to be redone as some were specific to the Harlequin lines.

Harlequin publishes hundreds of books a month. Think about all the lines they publish from Harlequin Blaze to Harlequin Presents to Silhouette Desire to Spice to MIRA to Luna. Many of their lines publish more than one book a month, like Blaze puts out six a month. I think Presents puts out eight and an additional four "Special" Presents, for twelve books a month.

What does it mean for someone like me wanting to break into Harlequin? I am going to continue with the goal to finish my WIP and send the full to Blaze ASAP, but also, I am considering other avenues. I am not happy at this development, not at all.

How many aspiring Harlequin (non vanity aspiring authors) are reconsidering their submissions? How many existing authors are reconsidering their future with the company?

My prediction is Harlequin Horizons will never open. Like Quartet, it will fold before opening. There are millions of dollars at stake (figure the advances for MIRA and HQN books alone). The few thousand to be made offering vanity services is just not worth all the loss.

As a side note, I fully applaud the RWA for stepping up to the plate on this.

--------------------------------------------------

Some informative posts about the web about the Harlequin shake up:

Dear Author
11/18/2009 - Malle Vallik, Harlequin’s Digital Director, Answers Questions on Harlequin Horizons
11/17/2009 - Harlequin Horizons: Shortsighted or Farseeing?

Smart Bitches, Trashy Novels
11/17/2009 - Harlequin Horizons: Want to Self Publish? How about Harlequin?

Writers Beware
11/18/2009 - Harlequin Horizons: Another Major Publisher Adds A Self-Publishing Division



Originally posted 11/18/2009

...with the news they are opening a vanity press, Harlequin Horizons. In other words, this is a self publishing venture. (Think PublishAmerica.) Read about it on the EREC site at http://www.erecsite.com/labels/HARLEQUIN.html%20

I thought it was a joke. Clearly, it is not.


Edited to Add @1:40am on 11/19/2009

RWA revokes publisher status, which ripples down to Harlequin books being ineligible for the RITAs and National conference privileges suspended (no comped expenses for editors, no editor appointments, no publisher highlights, no book signing at the National conference, etc.) That is some major stuff going on as Harlequin is a big draw for the National conference.

I have a feeling the whole Harlequin Horizons deal is going to be rethought on the company's end.

This was sent out as an Alert from the RWA:

RWA Alert: RWA Responds to Harlequin Horizons

Dear Members:

Romance Writers of America was informed of the new venture between Harlequin Enterprises and ASI Solutions to form Harlequin Horizons, a vanity/subsidy press. Many of you have asked the organization to state its position regarding this new development. As a matter of policy, we do not endorse any publisher’s business model. Our mission is the advancement of the professional interests of career-focused romance writers.

One of your member benefits is the annual National Conference. RWA allocates select conference resources to non-subsidy/non-vanity presses that meet the eligibility requirements to obtain those resources. Eligible publishers are provided free meeting space for book signings, are given the opportunity to hold editor appointments, and are allowed to offer spotlights on their programs.

With the launch of Harlequin Horizons, Harlequin Enterprises no longer meets the requirements to be eligible for RWA-provided conference resources. This does not mean that Harlequin Enterprises cannot attend the conference. Like all non-eligible publishers, they are welcome to attend. However, as a non-eligible publisher, they would fund their own conference fees and they would not be provided with conference resources by RWA to publicize or promote the company or its imprints.

Sometimes the wind of change comes swiftly and unexpectedly, leaving an unsettled feeling. RWA takes its role as advocate for its members seriously. The Board is working diligently to address the impact of recent developments on all of RWA's members.

We invite you to attend the annual conference on July 28 - 31, 2010 in Nashville, TN, as we celebrate 30 years of success with keynote speaker Nora Roberts, special luncheon speaker Jayne Ann Krentz, librarian speaker Sherrilyn Kenyon, and awards ceremony emcee Sabrina Jeffries. Please refer to the RWA Web site for conference registration information in late January 2010.

Looking forward to seeing you at the Gaylord Opryland!


Michelle Monkou
RWA President
RWA Alert is a publication of Romance Writers of America®

WTF Was I Thinking?

I can't believe I actually had the 45 for this video below and that I liked it! LOL It is so bad, and not even in a guilty pleasure sort of way. It's just bad. (shudder)