December the First

Damn that came around fast!

Twenty-five days until Christmas.
Twelve days until my birthday.
Five days until Breezy's birthday.
Four days until Bon Jovi in Wellington.
Three days until K's birthday.
Two days until Chrissy arrives for four days.
One day until the All-day school trip with Squealers class.

So I guess today is the day.

Today I need to bake for Breezy's birthday  -and because I actually want cupcakes etc for her birthday - I'm going to freeze them. I have accepted that when it comes to rice bubble cakes I will need to make double - because the chances of keeping everyone away from them - as they sit and taunt them from the fridge - is nil.

I'm not entirely sure what else I need to do today - I shall refer to my list!

Was planning on having the icing picture made for Breezy's cake - but she's changed her mind about what she wants. So I'm rather glad I didn't take the pic up to the printer yesterday. I have time to get the icing printed so will discuss this further with her.

That's all from me - a million things await me and it's not even 7 a.m. yet!

Ohhh and one last thing.

The Ellie Conway Christmas story is up on the short story page or you can click here. Please heed the warning (unless you have read terrorbyte!)  If tomorrow never comes 

Me being sneaky

Just quietly - between us - all right?

If you'd like a sneak peek at the first exacerbyte trailer this is how you can go about it...

Sign into YouTube and subscribe to my channel (Otherwisecat) or add me as a friend on YouTube. I will then be able to hook you up with the link!

This is the first trailer - a much longer more involved one will follow sometime in the next month!

Heading into the silly season...

From here on in it starts to get crazy busy for me. Which of course is the appropriate time for me to decide to learn something new and reacquaint myself with an early love. That's right, because I am already stupidly busy - let's add more?

At the moment I am resisting the urge to go dig my guitar out of the closet. (It's in the girls room, I think - not exactly easy to get too.) Ya see, every now and then the urge to play comes over me. I can feel it simmering away. It might have to simmer some more yet! (Not sure I have the strength to move furniture today.)

Then there was the weekend dalliance into decoupage. Which was fun, and possibly just a little bit mad. But the upshot was a cool pair of sneakers... which will probably last the Bon Jovi concert (If I don't wear my boots... and quite frankly I LOVE my boots) before they crack completely and the front falls away to reveal plain white underneath.

So that was the weekend.

Today I finished a Christmas story which will be available here next week. (Yes you are lucky, and you're welcome!)

I'm starting to get organised for Breezy's 5th birthday party/BBQ.

Lot's to do between now and then though: Squealer has her big assessment on Friday - we may finally figure out how she thinks. I get to catch up with an old friend - (I'm not gonna tell you when I last saw him, let's just say it's been a long time since high school). Then we have house guests arriving, and the Wellington Bon Jovi concert, more house guests arriving, Breezy's birthday, and over the few days after that people start heading home! Whew!!

So, it's Wednesday. Yep, another Human Target free Wednesday. I'm not liking it. Not at all. Wednesday was my night, ya know? I got to lie on the sofa (with my laptop, cos let's face it, it's always close by and most always on.) and watch Castle then Human Target. My night.
Now it's Castle... sigh. It's good an 'all but I really loved Human Target. I'm an action kinda girl. (no kidding! lol) What's more, Mark Valley isn't exactly hard on the eyes, ya know?

Oh I did this... it's kinda funky.

Ignore the tape - the silly picture wants to fall off the door. (It's stubborn but has met its match!)

The excerpts you see (click on the picture and you should be able to see it in HUGE) are taken from the earthquake scene in EXACERBYTE which never made it into the original...a large chunk of the book is set in Christchurch, and when I wrote the scene it was insane to have a large earthquake happen there - I was toying with moving the location to Wellington so my earthquake scene worked... but then the unthinkable happened, and now putting it in just seems wrong!! The other excerpt that was chopped up for this crazy picture is a scene from the 4th book, FLASHBYTE. Good luck in figuring out which is which and what's really going on. :)
Go nuts!

The Interrogation of Lorenza Ponce!

Today boys and girls we have one of my favorite musicians in the hot seat! I’m so excited I almost hit the power switch on the chair prematurely.

Let’s make Lorenza Ponce welcome – everyone comfy? Good. Let’s begin.

 Cat: What’s your favorite type of takeaway? (Yes, that means take-out in NZ speak)

LP: Chinese, Indian, Korean

 Cat: Describe your current mental status.

LP: Happy!

 Cat: I know how I start writing a novel or story – what is it that speaks to you and says this is a song and then goes far enough to say – this is my next single?

LP: I know I have something when it pulls at my heart. Also, snippets that I know are good usually come in a wave, like channeling.  I never know if something is a single. I ask other people and put out the winner of the poll.

Cat: Do you have a preferred coffee? (You may substitute champagne…)

LP: I drink tea. English Breakfast.  I love coffee but it doesn’t love me. It makes me manic!

Cat: Where did the inspiration for Soul Shifter come from?

LP:  From Frank Sinatra. Here’s a quote from my bio: “A ‘Soul Shifter’ is someone who will turn your blue mood into joyand laughter, without you even thinking about it. They are so cool, or funny, or genuine, that you can’t help being drawn into their world. Frank Sinatra was one of these people. Obviously I never met him, but his music, charm, and talent were so significant that to listen to him sing, read his interviews, or watch him performing, is uplifting. He was a Soul Shifter. I also consider Dolly Parton and Keith Richards to be in this group as well.”

 Cat: Walk us through a typical day. (Seriously we’re that nosy, what did you have for breakfast, lunch, dinner?)

LP: My days are so varied. The only thing that is a constant is that I wake up and have a cup of tea with honey and cream every day, and I go to the gym. I also try to get on some sort of social network every day. Either Facebook or Twitter, or if I’m lucky, both.  I may have a recording session, or rehearsal, or soundcheck and show. Then I will come home and try to write something if it isn’t too late.  If I am on the road I will usually try to get out of the hotel and see something interesting… I call it “going in search of beauty.”  It keeps me sane while on the road. Then sound check, dinner, show, then back to the hotel for drinks and snacks at the bar. Bed 3 am ish whether I’m on the road or not. It’s in my blood. I eat really healthy food. No wheat, very little sugar. I eat lots of salmon, steak,  vegetables, fruits,  good cheeses…organic and free range food… Plus local as much as possible. I’m all about it. I think we need to support our local farmers. Processed food is poison and I feel the root of most illnesses. Nothing can guarantee perfect health but I feel good when I eat as clean as possible.   

Cat: Who do you love to listen too?

LP: George Harrison, Leon Russell, Elton John, old Coldplay, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Tears for Fears, Beatles, Paul McCartney, Badfinger, Lyle Lovett, on and on…

Cat: Diamonds, Amethyst or emeralds?

LP: Amethyst or emeralds

Cat: Who are your favorite writers (musically and otherwise)?

LP: I love biographies and autobiographies. They are inspiring to me. I also love David Sedaris, Jane Austin, Oscar Wild, Cat Connor (!), I also love historical novels. See above for favorite music writers.

Cat: Who inspires you to do better?

LP: My family

Cat: Do you ever put pants on your dog, cat or on the small fuzzy critter that hides your suitcase?

LP: No!

Cat: Describe your ultimate day?

LP: I would be in a foreign country exploring, visiting museums, trying to speak with people, looking at a menu in a language I don’t speak, trying something new.

Cat: Do you have a favorite tour moment?

LP:  I said this in another interview but it’s true so I’ll say it again:

For me personally there was a very interesting 48 hour period starting the day we left Perth to when we arrived and then left New Zealand. The day we left Perth, I got up at 6am so I could go visit the Indian Ocean and take a picture of me in it. It wasn’t until I got back in the cab that the driver told me someone had been eaten by a shark in that exact place the week before. Nice… We left Perth that morning to fly to Christchurch, New Zealand. It was a private jet so we had to stop somewhere to re-fuel. Turns out we stopped in Tasmania. That was exciting for all of us. Who the heck has ever been to Tasmania?? We were all on our cell phone calling everyone we could get hold of, just so we could say, “Guess where I am”. We were like a bunch of kids.

Once we got to New Zealand we had only one day there.  I’m a huge Lord Of The Rings fan. Christchurch, New Zealand is where a lot of the Lord of the Rings scenes from the movies were shot. Jon thought it was so funny that I am such a huge fan of the movies that he actually let me miss sound check to take a day long tour of the movie locations. Normally, the only allowable excuse to miss sound check is death.  

 Cat: Do you have any quirks? 

LP: I tend to worry and can have a little OCD. I make sure the door is locked several times, or make sure the stove is off more than once… those kinds of annoying things.

 Cat: All-time favorite movie and why?

LP: Just ONE? Are you kidding? The Wizard Of Oz, Blazing Saddles, The Shawshank Redemtion, Now Voyager,  Spinal Tap, Pride and Prejudice (The BBC version) If I need to explain why,  then you haven’t seen them.

Cat: What’s your preferred medium when it comes to song writing – pen and paper or computer?

LP: pen & paper

Cat: What drives you?

LP: The music. It comes into my brain and I have to get it out.

Cat: If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?

LP: I travel so much I feel satisfied where I am. I wouldn’t want to be too far from my family.
Cat: What was a highlight from your visit New Zealand?  (And it must be time to come back!)

LP: See “favorite Tour Moment”

Cat: What was the most beautiful thing you saw today?

LP: The colorful dried leaves in piles on the ground.

Cat: You’ve worked with some incredible people in the music industry (Carly Simon, Sheryl Crowe, Dixie Chicks and Bon Jovi to name but a few) how much fun is it to work with such icons or is it totally terrifying?

LP: Not terrifying at all. We are all musicians doing a job.

Cat: How many albums have you released?

LP: 5

Cat: What were you before you became a musician?

LP: A toddler

Cat: What can we expect from you next?

LP: Another album in the spring, and lots of live performances with my amazing new band.

Cat: Do you carry a notebook or keep one by the bed for those sudden brilliant ideas?

LP: I try to have a piece of paper with me. I’m not organized enough to always carry a notebook. Although I love the iPhone ‘notes’

Cat: What is the most random thing you have ever written with and on?

New Zealand!

LP: I’m always writing on some random thing. Gum wrappers, paper bags, restaurant menus,  with lipstick, lip liners, sharpees, singing into recorders. I’m a total embarrassment. I can write a song on a crap $50 Casio keyboard, and I have.

Cat: If you’re not playing or writing, what are you most likely to be doing?

LP: These days, either on the internet, cooking, or hanging with friends or family.

Cat: Breezy loves that you play violin and you are probably best known as a violinist but I know you play more than one instrument. How many do you play? Is the violin your most loved instrument?

LP: I play violin, piano, viola, mandolin, guitar and ukulele, in varying degrees of proficiency. I love playing the piano but get nervous playing it live, therefore don’t play it a lot. The violin is my true voice. I say much more with it than speaking.

 Thank you for coming by Lorenza! Hope the chair wasn't too uncomfortable. :)

You earned a glass of champagne!!

Here are some links - so y'all can catch up with Lorenza.

Twitter

Facebook

Website

YouTube

And I shall leave you with this - Breezy's favorite song. 

Sometimes computers just piss me off

They do!

Yesterday I spent ages trying to get a set of "share" buttons to show up in my blog. You just click the box... well no amount of clicking the stupid box made the slightest bit of difference. (I even cleared my cache etc) NOTHING. Thing still would not show up.
As far as I know it still hasn't.

In the end I gave up. I also had a migraine and still do.

Apart from that annoyance, yesterday was a frustrating day.

I have a glorious new cover - I love it. It's exactly what I envisaged in my mind. It's like Jacques took the images right out of my head. I saw it for the first time on Tuesday night. It's Thursday now. I'd love to show you but I can't, I haven't heard from the powers-that-be.
There was an argument made, that a particular number is controversial. Well it isn't. It's a number on a door. And so far everyone who has seen it went to the "emergency number" place - once I pushed them past it being a number on a door.
And quite frankly even if it was, so what?
It's a book cover, the entire point is to represent the contents and CATCH people's attention. It does that. In fact it does that in spades.
The cover is dark - a perfect fit for how Ellie is feeling after TERRORBYTE!  And I love the musical notations that become smoky ghostly butterflies.

On to more interesting and less stressful news...
Have you seen this?

Today is Breezy's first school visit. No kindy today. She spends two hours at school in the new entrant class. I'm not sure whether I stay or not. Guess we'll find out. Looks like I'll be reacquainting myself with the graveyard across the road from the school... if I don't need to stay! It's a better option than walking all the way home and back. Notebook, iPod, and a coffee in the graveyard works for me.

Hope y'all are having a good week.

Don't forget tomorrow is interrogation day. And it's a good one too!! :)

A Tuesday surprise.

I suspect the universe decided... why limit surprises to mid-week or Saturday? Because it's Tuesday, a most unsurprising day, usually.

So with the universe mixing it up a little... seems we all should. :)

This is what I found this morning... although found implies I was looking and in fact I let Google do the looking for me. I just click on links it tosses my way. (Passive searching?)

Crime Watch

Of course you aren't obliged to follow that link... but I cannot promise there won't be a pop quiz later. Do you want to be unprepared? Really, you wanna go there?

Other news: I hear (from Jacques himself) that he is working on the EXACERBYTE cover. I know- super exciting. Squeeee!!!

Yesterday a box of body parts arrived. I got Dionne to open it, cos I didn't wanna. They're gross. Truly gross. You'll see when the EXACERBYTE trailer is finished.

Breezy starts school visits this week... no entirely sure what days we're going to do, looks like Thursday and maybe Friday at this stage. I am not sure I like this 'almost ready for school thing'. Seems my days of being the most important and influential person in her life are almost over.
My baby is growing up. I don't much care for it.

But wait there's more....

There really is...

It's Saturday and again not a normal blog day after an interrogation but today - again - is a little different. (When it happens twice is it the beginning of a pattern?)

I woke up to another awesome review, this time in Women24. Seriously, good shit! :)

Also I would like to alert you all to a fabulous interrogation that will take place on my blog on the 20th of Nov.
If you don't know who Lorenza Ponce is, then obviously you have not been paying attention here!! Let me just fill you in... she is the most talented and amazing violinist. And of course Breezy's favorite singer/composer.
So - you can meet Lorenza here next Friday! And she is pure joy.

Breezy wearing one of the new Lorenza Ponce tee shirts.

Breezy with her copy of Soul Shifter.

Now I must go to the stupidmarket before the crypt keeper let's the relics out....

The Interrogation of Joan De La Haye!

 Good morning!! This morning I am delighted to interrogate interview Joan De La Haye, horror author. Hope you're all having a very joyful Friday... let me adjust the heat so Joanie doesn't cook too quick. (You have time to grab a coffee and make yourselves comfortable - so do it now... last chance.)

Everyone settled? Good... let's go.

 Cat: What’s your favorite type of takeaway?

KFC. I love their wraps

 Cat: Describe your current mental status.

A little stressed. Big change usually makes me nervous. And that Glock you have on that table over there doesn't help my nerves.

 Cat: How exhausting is it to be both a Writer and a Publisher?

Pretty exhausting. That's why I've decided to stick to writing. Publishing is a very tough business and sometimes best left to publishers who are only interested in the business of publishing and selling books.

Cat: Do you have a favorite coffee?

I do enjoy a Latte

 Cat: I am almost afraid to ask, because I have read SHADOWS and Jack in one scary son-of-a-bitch – where do your ideas come from?

Shadows was based on a Nightmare. And I often have dreams that I wake up from going: Wow! That would make an amazing book. I try and jot down the basic story outline before I forget it.

 Cat: Walk us through a typical day. (Do you make sure you’re wearing your lucky underpants before you sit down to write, or perhaps you prefer commando? While we’re discussing your underpants, thong, granny pants, boy-leg, something totally sensible in black and cotton?… inquiring minds want to know. (Okay so it was friend Dionne who wanted to know –I think she’s collecting underpants stories.)

Actually I don't wear any, so I go commando. And my day usually starts off with dogs demanding attention, then it's coffee (coffee is very important), I then start up my laptop, check emails, mess around on Facebook and Twitter and then I get down to writing, which often entails just staring at the screen or rereading what I've written and fixing stuff that needs fixing.

Cat: Do you ever see yourself writing a vampire story? (Team Edward or Team Jacob… or are you more likely to join me by stuffing your head into a gas oven than ever going to the Edward or Jacob place?)

I can' believe you asked me that. I'm going to try and forget you did. Mind scrub!

Cat: Who would you turn gay for?

Angelina Jolie

Cat: Who are your favorite writers?

Alexander Dumas, Stephen King, Terry Pratchet

Cat: Who inspires you to do better?

Other Authors. There are so many talented and amazing writers out there that I've had the privilege to get to know over the past two years.

Cat: Do you ever put pants on your dog, cat or budgie?

I think my cat and dogs would probably kill me if I tried something like that.

Cat: Describe your ultimate day?

Hitting number one on the Amazon best seller list.

Cat: Who is your favorite fictitious villain? Or are you all about the hero? Who do you love to hate?

I'm definitely a sucker for a bad boy. And I have to say that Jack is my favorite fictitious villain.
 Cat: Do you have any quirks?(There it is the most dangerous question of all!)

I've got too many to mention. What can I say? I'm quirky.

Cat: All-time favorite movie and why?

That's a tough one! There are so many good movies out there. Asking me to choose one is like asking me to pick a child.

Cat: What’s your preferred medium when it comes to writing – pen and paper, computer, typewriter.

Laptop

Cat: How much do you enjoy being edited? (Bearing in mind we both share the best editor ever!)

I have my moments when I enjoy it and then there are moments when I want to pull my hair out and yell at the computer screen.

Cat: If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?

I love traveling and seeing new places, so at this point in time I wouldn't mind spending a year in a few different places. Starting with Greece, then Japan, central Europe, Canada and end up in New York. There's just something about the Big Apple.
Cat: What is one thing you know about New Zealand? (Do not mention LOTR. I hates it… I hates it my precious, not impressed by hobbits or trolls either.)

My sister lives there, so do my cousins. It's that little Island off the coast of Australia. (My cousins hate it when I say that)

Cat: How many novels have you written, both published and unpublished?

Two. Shadows and Requiem in E-Sharp. I'm busy with my third one. I also wrote a whole bunch of really bad short stories which will never see the light of day.

Cat: What were you before you became a writer/publisher?

I was an ops manager at an Audio and Video conferencing company and before that I was in the hotel industry in some form or another.

Cat: What can we expect from you next?

Shadows is being re-released by Ghostwriter Publications pretty soon and I'm now trying to find a home for Requiem in E Sharp.

Cat: Do you carry a notebook or keep one by the bed for those sudden brilliant ideas?

Yes. I have a habit of getting ideas in the shower and dashing out to jot them down. I think I need to see if I can get a waterproof notepad. Do you even get those?
Cat: What is the most random thing you have ever written with and on?

Sadly, I'm pretty boring on that score. I always have a pen and paper on me.

Cat: If you’re not writing, what are you most likely to be doing?
Messing around on Facebook or Twitter or watching TV. I think I may watch too much TV.

Thank you for coming by today Joanie! Hope you weren't too uncomfortable... 

For those of you who are waiting to be scared shitless - I'll post the new buy links for SHADOWS as soon they're available. :) 

Mid-week excitement

Morning/Evening/Afternoon - pick one.

This morning while I was checking email I saw one headed REVIEW. Funnily enough it immediately got my attention.

And yes I think you should go read it. (What'd you think I was going to say? Damn it's cool but don't read it?? It's me! Jeez.)

So that was cool thing number one for this Wednesday.

Next up was paying for our air tickets. It's kinda exciting knowing that on April 7th I land in Dulles Airport. - Just kinda, let's not get too giggly too quick. :)

Then it was the season finale of Human Target. (First season, don't panic, we're a season behind down here) It was awesome. Love that show. Just love it. Not sure what I'll do on Wednesday nights now... write maybe? No doubt my editor would rather enjoy that.

And that really wraps up the week so far.
I've written about a paragraph... not impressive out put considering how fast I can write - but it was an impressive paragraph. - no way can I deliver that line with a straight face.
I have made a few dolls. It's more fun than I thought it would be. My Ellie doll now has a FBI vest, satchel, and a coffee cup. This could be getting out of hand?

Tonight I'd like to sleep.

Love you long time xx

In the middle of the night

I woke up at 2 a.m. this morning. At 3, I decided to get up and make a hot chocolate. It's now 3:30, and I'm tired but not tired enough to sleep.

What the hell is with that?

Seriously. I'm over it. I just want to go to sleep.

I think we all know I'm going to be tired and shitty come morning if I don't get some sleep soon. And that's not fair on anyone. Certainly not fair on the well rested Breezy... she will not care that I'm exhausted! :)

On the plus side my email is working again now - for how long I do not know, but right now - it's working.

Now go buy my books... maybe that's what's keeping me awake???

Amazon author page

Rebel links for killerbyte

Rebel links for terrorbyte

Surprise!

Usually there isn't a Saturday blog from me - especially after I've run an interrogation on Friday.

But today is different, because I was surprised (in a very good way). I was checking email -as I do, and a Google alert popped up.

AND I followed the link... and I found this: Some Random Mother

Sometimes people surprise me in a good way. Today is one of those days.

I've come over all warm and mushy.

The interrogation of Hagelrat (aka Adele)

I'd like you all to join with me in welcoming UnBound!'s own Hagelrat to our weekly interrogations! I was keen on using rats in the torture  interview but she loves them! Have settled with suspending Cadbury chocolates just out of reach of the wooden chair she's taped too. (Oh, Duct tape how much do I love you?)

 Seems Ms Hagelrat likes snakes too. I wonder if she feeds the rats to the snake...

Sit back and enjoy the interrogation of Hagelrat.

 Cat: What’s your favorite type of takeaway?

Oh that’s too easy. Pizza, pepperoni, deep pan and preferably oozing cheese from the crust. Mmmm. For a really perfect take out, you share the pizza and have an excuse to order loads of sides too. Also, get pudding. Even if you have to wait a few hours before you can cram it in.

 Cat: Describe your current mental status.

Hahahaha. No. Seriously? Umm. Well, I’m doing this just after the gym session so fairly peaceful right now, although the working day is about to start so it won’t last. I will descend quickly into either boredom or madness depending on how the day goes. Madness is preferable.

Cat: Do you have a favorite coffee?

I do. I love any drinkable coffee, but the house blend at the Brahma tea and coffee museum in London has always been my favourite. Although I only get it about once every three or four years but It’s wonderfully rich and strong. My every day instant is Alta Rica, it’s not spectacular but it’s serviceable and there are many worse instant coffees. I love iced coffee and the ridiculously sweet iced latte efforts you get in the franchises. Of the franchises I reckon Nero does the best coffee.

Cat: how did you start reviewing and how much do you love it?

Ah down to business. That was sneaky Cat. Ok, I started partly because I wondered how much I read and how many books I’d forgotten ever reading. When I discovered the community of book bloggers (which was somewhat smaller even a couple of years ago) I started to take it more seriously. How much do I love it? With an all consuming passion. J Seriously, I have an obsessive streak and this has tapped right into it. It’s almost a second full time job at times and all my holidays this year have been for events or blog related activities. I do neglect other areas of my life for it, but I’m not sure I can stop.

 Cat: Walk us through a typical day. (Do you make sure you’re wearing your lucky underpants before you sit down to write, or perhaps you prefer commando? While we’re discussing your underpants, thong, granny pants, boy-leg, something totally sensible in black and cotton?… inquiring minds want to know. (Okay so it was friend Dionne who wanted to know –I think she’s quietly collecting underpants stories.)

Typical day? Up at 5:15, gym for 6:30, work for 8ish, do transport stuff till 4pm then head home. Evening, I usually settle in on the sofa with my laptop, cats and a book. If I have a lot to do I retreat to the office/dining room but mostly I work on the sofa. No underpants for reviewing, I tend to change into my PJ’s the minute I get in the house. Enquiring minds will have to call round if they want to know more.

Cat: Who would you turn gay for?

Mostly I lust after Angelina Jolie, but every time I watch an Audrey Hepburn movie I fall in love with her again. My weaknesses are for charismatic women, beautiful men and cadbury’s chocolate, not necessarily in that order.

Cat: Who are your favorite writers?

Favourite as people or favourite as writers? Either way, evil question. I always say Clive Barker because he’s been at the top since I was 13 and discovered NightBreed was a book too! Beyond that it gets much harder. I have particular books or series I love and authors I trust to always deliver, but it’s getting harder to have favourites these days because I am reading so many books that I love. If I name a few who have stood out recently for some reason I will immediately be attacked by guilt for all the awesome people I missed. Cop out I know.

Cat: Most favorite genre of all?

Oh that varies tremendously on mood. I guess I like the books that push a little outside the usual genre tropes and give me something I wasn’t expecting. I’m reading more crime and thriller these days and I’m really enjoying that, but I think I could never give up fantasy.

Cat: Who inspires you to do better?

The blogosphere is full of really good reviewers and the community was always a support and a reason to keep going. Really thought it’s my own team that make me feel I have to do better. As the guys have come on board to help keep Un:Bound busy and fun, I’ve felt that I need up my game. They keep the site from becoming a burden to maintain and they put up fantastic content so I am always trying to keep up and make my own contributions equal theirs in quality and enthusiasm. I love the team, they are all absolutely awesome and brilliant and I’m hugely grateful to the time and energy they invest.

Cat: Do you ever put pants on your cats? (and if so are there pictures?)

*snort* Umm. No. I have never put anything on my cats. Sorry. I do occasionally try to shove books under their paws though. I probably have some photos of that.

Cat: Describe your ultimate day?

That would be the day I take over the world. Seriously? I love the slightly unreal days, the ones you couldn’t live like. Event weekends are like that, manic, long, surreal. Otherwise, mooching about doing very little of anything constructive, watching movies, reading. You know, the lazy Sunday days. I don’t get that many of those but they are bliss.

Cat: Who is your favorite fictitious villain? Or are you all about the hero? Who do you love to hate?

Oh I love a good villain. In film any villain Alan Rickman plays is about my idea of perfect villainy. In books, I always root for the villain if the hero is being wet, so needless to say I was rooting for James in the first Twilight book (I’ve not read the rest). I get frustrated when villains are defeated essentially because they are being idiots, I like a smart villain like Moriarty. 

 Cat: Do you have any quirks? (There it is the most dangerous question of all!)

I expect I have plenty. Can I phone a friend? Actually I’m not sure I want to hear that many. I will own up to snoring. I’ve been accused of being flighty and occasional ridiculous vanity. Oh I talk to myself and my technology and I name all my tech (the present theme is the Alan Moore comics, Top Ten). I used to keep rats and they were mostly named after sci fi shows (Quantum Leap, Flash Gordon, Lexx, Matrix). My cats are named for Joss Whedon characters (Echo & river).

Cat: All-time favorite movie and why?

The Princess Bride. Seriously do I even need to explain that choice? It’s brilliant.

Cat: If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?

Boringly I quite like living in the UK. I’m not sure I would want to move anywhere else permanently. NZ always sounds good, lots of open space appeals. 

Cat: What is one thing you know about New Zealand?  (Do not mention LOTR. I hates it… I hates it my precious, not impressed by hobbits or trolls either.)

I know most of Xena was filmed there. Can I mention sheep? Obviously I know everything you know now because I have been bugging your home for months.

 Cat: What’s the worst book you have ever read

Probably something dreadful they made us read for school. Z for Zachariah perhaps. That was dreary and fairly poor.

Cat: Name a book you’ve read more than five times.

Just one? Weaveworld, Clive Barker.

Cat: Any books you just couldn’t finish? Do you toss them or hand them on to others? (I confess to having thrown a few across the room because they were so awful!)

Ha, well, if I’m not enjoying it I don’t finish it, so loads. Not always because they are bad, but just that they don’t do anything for me. Sometimes I pass them on, sometimes they go in the charity bag. I couldn’t finish Half the Yellow Sun which was a book group choice and I didn’t even get as far as starting The Old Man and the sea. You won’t see many negative reviews from me for the simple reason that my TBR pile occupies two sets of bookshelves so if I’m not enjoying it I move on.

Cat: What was your favorite book from childhood?

Fantastic Mr Fox. I shouldn’t love it so much, being a farm girl and well aware of the destruction they cause, but I love that book. I love the humour in it. I still have the same copy, now coverless and somewhat old and weary but I still read it from time to time.

Cat: How many books do you read a month?

Varies wildly. Some months I will read ten to fifteen, others three or four. Just depends what I’m reading and what else is going on. I read just over 100 books last year so it evens out.

Cat: What is the most random thing you have ever read and reviewed? (cereal box perhaps?)

A book of football photography for Leicester City Football Club. It’s by a friend of mine and he takes gorgeous pictures so I couldn’t resist. Honestly I couldn’t be less interested in football but the images are incredible. Plumb is a very talented guy and I think I was as excited about him having a book out as he was.

Cat: If you’re not reading, what are you most likely to be doing?

Tweeting. If I’m not reading it’s because I’m too busy talking (in person, online, whatever), or sleeping, driving or dead. Oh I suppose the day job gets in the way too.

Thanks for having me. J

Thank you,  for being such a good sport... now, if I cut the tape and let you free do you think you will save me any chocolates?? 

Living on a Prayer - killing on a whim

Got your attention now?
Awesome.
Thought I might.

So anyway welcome to Wednesday. My Wednesday.

It's been pretty good... yesterday Dionne and I made the creepy freaky funny dolls. (And that sparked a horrid book idea, and yeah, it's gotta be another Ellie Conway book!)

In case you missed the dolls let me snap a pic for ya.

Creepy Cute enough for ya?

As I was saying Dionne and I made them. Breezy immediately claimed Jovi. And then asked if I could make a Lorenza doll. I told her she'd have to wait for the doll making book to arrive. Cos, well, Lorenza needs to be beautiful and not creepy scary. She agreed, whew!

The book arrived in today's mail.

I want to make an Ellie Conway doll... but I think I have to make Lorenza first or small person will be come small nagging person.

So enough with the creepy dolls.

Am reading through EXACERBYTE to check I got everything before I send the ms back to my editor. Woot!!

Gotta say this week feels a bit weird, (not doll weird), with Joanie gone from Rebel everything feels a bit up in the air. I know there is no reason for it to, but it just does.

My shoulder has thrown a fit. It's a tad annoying. It happens every now and then. Blaming the Ab King Pro - or Squealer.

Apart from the reading of EXACERBYTE. I'm working on the second draft (big fat fallacy) of FLASHBYTE. And I'm loving it. It's so much fun it should be illegal. :)