Ming the Merciless
On Thursday a friend of mine who volunteers at the local cat rescue and shelter emailed me to ask if I could foster a kitten. I’ve always said I would never have a kitten again. They’re so much work to take care of, and they make messes, and they climb things they shouldn’t, etc. But this little kitty was scheduled to be euthanized on Saturday if they couldn’t find someone to take him for a month. Of course I said yes.
I brought him home yesterday and he is scared spitless. My two older girl cats are scared even more spitless. Somehow this 1.75 pound kitten has managed to dominate the other two. I’ve named him Ming the Merciless. If you’re a Flash Gordon fan you’ll recognize the name.
It’s a male domestic shorthair with a cream colored belly, a gray and black tabby back, mittens on his front paws and boots on his hind paws. He’s probably about 12 weeks old and he was in the pound for a week, several days past the “Must Terminate” date.
Now that he’s getting a little more used to his new (TEMPORARY) home, he’s learning to play. He still won’t let me touch him, though. That might take time. Meanwhile, he has claimed the top of the armchair as his throne and likes to sneer at the world in general while looking around with a regal air. Meanwhile, the other two cats cower in the bedroom and hurl outraged insults at him from under the bed.
I was told I would have him for about 3 to 4 weeks while he had his shots and worming, etc. Kittens usually get adopted pretty quickly. He’s fairly well behaved. He’s used his box (and kicked sand all over the bathroom!) Since kittens don’t come with an Off switch, I’m looking forward to passing him on to his furrever home.
I do think that with a little time and love he’ll make someone a wonderful feline friend.
Winners!
Thanks, everyone, for playing! The two winners are DarinP. and MyGirls01. I have emailed the winners. I think I need to do this more often! 🙂
Congrats!
The Reader & Author Get Together 2013
It was a long drive from North Dakota to Ohio, but I hate to fly, so it was worth it. My friend Jessica went with me again this year. I had a fantastic time at the RAGT, as I always do. And as I always do, I forgot to take many pictures. I always have such good intentions but you know what they say about the paving on the road to that hot place 🙂
We arrived on Thursday in the late afternoon and one of the first people I saw was Paige Tyler. She and her hubby Paul have been super nice to me each of the three times I’ve gone to the RAGT. They saved a spot for us at their table and we sat with them for every meal. I didn’t get a pic of them (darn it!) but here is one of me and Paige and Brenda Wheeler, a member of Paige’s street team. Brenda was a fun lady and I’m glad I had a chance to get to know her. Her husband Don joined us, and I have to say, he’s a great guy to accompany his wife to a romance readers convention. That’s true love!
On Friday morning I went down to the Liquid Silver Books Boardroom to meet Monette Michaels and Linda Eberhart from my publishers, and then Paige grabbed me to help stuff the 500+ goodie bags. It was surprisingly hard work, but it was fun. Here is a pic of my friend Jessica with a bag. isn’t that pink leopard print cute?
the goody bag
That evening I was one of the authors signing. I’m not including that pic, because I look as dumpy as an overweight hippo stuffed into a blouse that showed every bulge. But I had fun! I sat beside Anara Bella, who was so friendly she helped settle my nerves. I got to see Robyn Bachar and her friend Diana. They are so much fun!
And I got to meet up with Jessica Bowes, who had won the shawl I knit for a blog hop prize. Isn’t that cute on her? She and her mom look like sisters, not mother and daughter.
I also got to have a 20 minute met and greet in the LSB boardroom.
Jessica and I both won two raffle baskets, which rocked, because Jessica and pretty much stuffed one bag with her name. She REALLY wanted that set of books!
On Saturday I got to hang out with writing partners Christine Lawrence and Steph Smith. Since they live a couple of hours away from each other they don’t get the chance to actually sit down together in person. They were kind enough to let me interrupt their work for me to visit with them.
There were so many other people I enjoyed seeing and talking to, but of course, I didn’t get pics.
It was a busy, busy, fun, fun weekend! Jessica and I got home around suppertime on Monday. I’m already looking forward to next year!
Tuesday Teaser 4/2/13 Quill & Ellie’s Wedding Night
There. That got your attention, didn’t it? 😉
Here is a scene from Quill and Ellie’s wedding night. They’ve consumated their marriage and are lying side by side in bed. He’s been telling her what he and Sky have been doing in Omaha. This scene may be changed significantly or even cut entirely from the book. I haven’t even re-read it yet so it probably has awkward moments and goofs.
“Omaha sounds awful.” Ellie shivered against him. “I don’t understand why the women allow themselves to made into prostitutes. Can’t their families protect them?”
That very question had driven his wolf insane for six years. “The city guard is like an army, and the mayor is its commander. People don’t have much choice. If they are wealthy, they can pay the tax to keep their daughters at home or to find them a husband and pay the marriage fee. Poor families who try to resist find their homes burned.” Quill had to make an effrot to keep his wolf from howling his rage. “And a lot of women like being prostitutes. They have independence and money, and a lot of them like having sex.”
“Ew,” Ellie shuddered.
Horrified, he lifted his head to stare at her. She hadn’t seeemed unhappy a few mintues ago. “Don’t you like sex?”
“With you. Not just any stranger off the street.”
That laid a sheet of soothing warmth over his heart. “Well, some of the women do. The ones who don’t, try to come to Ms. Mary’s house. We arrange some domestic work for them and pay their city tax out of the house’s cut.”
Ellie leaned up on one elbow, trying to see him in the scant moonlight. “How can the house make a profit?”
“It doesn’t. Ms. Mary made Sky her partner, and all they want is enough to keep things going until they …” He trailed off, debating whether or not to tell her the whole truth. He tugged her face to his and sunk his voice to the barest whisper in her ear. “Until they are able to get rid of the mayor. Don’t tell anyone. If the mayor somehow heard that, he would have Sky killed.”
“Sky should come home!”
“But then who would take care of the ladies at Ms. Mary’s house? They’re his Pack”
Her small fist thumped lightly on his shoulder. “I don’t advocate violence, but why doesn’t he just kill the mayor?”
The thought of the chaos that would erupt as various factions fought for power in Omaha made him cringe. “Too many innocent people would die unless there was someone strong enough to take control.”
“Is that what Sky wants? To be the next mayor?”
“No.” He and Sky had talked that over several times. Sky didn’t want to stay in Omaha; he wanted the plains and the hills and his mate. “He wants a strong and fair government in place in Omaha. He’ll be back when he has that. He wants his mate. I can’t tell you how many nights he and I stayed up ’til dawn talking about you and Rose and how much our wolves needed you.”
She gave a lady-like grunt. “He could bring Rose to Omaha.”
“No.” That was definite. “Omaha is an evil place. I wouldn’t want my mate there. I hope you never want to go to Omaha. It would half-kill me to deny you anything, but–”
She laid her head on his shoulder, snugglingclose. “Aren’t you lucky? I’m right here.” A shadow of a laugh shook her voice. “Why don’t you show me what else you learned while you were guarding ladies in Omaha?”
Relief shook him. She didn’t hold his days in an Omaha whorehouse against him.
Steampunk!
My one and (so far) only steampunk outfit.
What do you think?
Eddie’s Prize Ready for Pre-Order
Eddie’s Prize will be released on March 18, 2013, for $5.99, but if you Pre-Order it from the publisher it will be 20% off. Go here and scroll down to Eddie’s Prize.
Blizzard Warning!
Yay for being inside! This is our first blizzard in a couple of years. The blizzard wrning extends until noon tomorrow. Boy, I hope they cancel work tomorrow. I REALLY don’t want to have to go out in that. I want to stay home and knit, and read, and (maybe, if all goes well) write the first love scene for Quill and Ellie. That man is about to lose his patience with me!
Tuesday Truth February 5, 2013: I’m busy!
Ack!!! I’m busy!
First, I’m buried in edits again. These are tough, and I have some re-writing to do, but I think Eddie’s Prize will be a far better book in the end.
Second, I am in the beginning stages of organizing an SCA event called Silks & Needles. It will be a day of classes on embroidery, weaving, spinning, etc. Tomorrow night is the Shire meeting where I need to present my budget. So, I guess I better get my budget smoothed out.
Third, my brother is coming to stay for the weekend. He’ll be here Friday. That means I need to CLEAN! He’s coming because …
Fourth, it’s my mom’s birthday party on Saturday night.
Did I mention I was busy?
Do I Look Innocent?
Do I Look Innocent?
This afternoon I spent a half hour in the billing office of the local mega-hospital/clinic conglomerate explaining to the woman (who was extremely unhelpful in the politest possible way) why I believe I had over-paid my bill by several hundred dollars and should have a refund. After about twenty minutes of going over all my receipts with them and showing them my itemized Health Spending Account (HSA) expenditures, I finally got the woman to admit, that, yes, I had over paid. The issue stemmed from the fact that they switched billing software in June. No, I couldn’t have a refund. Their policy was that they would apply any excess funds to my next bill.
Does she realize that I plan to NEVER see any doctor at their facility again? My regular doctor had left the clinic to move to a distant city and their billing practices have convinced me that I don’t want to use their services again.
Grrr! See the image above? Yeah, lady, you are about to become a minor character in Wolf’s Prize, and you are going down. Buh-bye.
No, I never did get my money, but I’m not giving up. I don’t know what i’ll do yet, but I have a bottle of wine and a pound of fudge. Soemthing will come to me.
Reading Weekend
I’m re-reading Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series. Just finished Regin and Declan’s story and am about to plunge into Lothaire. I inhaled it when it first came out. Now I want to savor it. I should be writing or knitting or doing something productive, but you know how it is when you are into a series? Everything else can go hang. So I’m sitting here, sipping tea and reading.
Anyone else ever get like that?
