Katie Cast

It’s almost upon us, and I hope that every one of you has a delightful, wickedly wonderful 2013. The kind of 2013 where you make everyone pea-green with jealousy because you’re having SO MUCH FUN. A 2013 filled with adventure and excitement and really fabulous sex (assuming you want really fabulous sex). And puppies. Lots of puppies, kittens, and manatees. Because 2013 isn’t a groovy year unless you have your full quota of puppies, kittens, and manatees. BABY manatees.

I wish you all that sort of 2013. Go forth and make it so!

[Kittens sitting on baby manatees are for 2014. Don’t even think of going there for a year]

Happy apocalypse!

Let’s all imagine what sort of mutant survivor we will be if we manage to outlive the Mayans’ prediction.

Dibs being the frisky girl with the open head wound who wants to get it on with everyone regardless of their number of limbs.

Wait…am I thinking of zombies rather than mutant survivors of the
apocalypse? Must go review my end-of-society movie collection…

• Shopping: done (except for my darling Michelle. Am still braining what to get her, other than evidently a new finger to replace the one she broke).
• Cards: sent!
• Tree: up and decorated
• Short story to lead into second book of new series: um…yeah. Moving on…
• Catering for Christmas party: ordered!
• Newsletter: um again. OK, must work on that today. Can’t have everyone spending their holiday without a picture of festive hunky manflesh, now can I?

Newsletter and short story aside, I think I’m officially ready for Christmas.

I’m listening to some Christmas music while packaging up some things to be sent out, including yet more books for the Book For You and a Friend contest. Yup, that’s still going on, and will continue until I run out of excess books to give away.

Now, I love Christmas music. I may not hold with the religious details of the holiday, but man, do I love belting out Oh Holy Night, and any song with the word “hallelujah” in it. And every year, I have a new favorite song. Last year it was Lenka’s All My Bells Are Ringing. This year, it’s Barenaked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan’s rendition of God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings. I could sing it all day, interspersed with my second favorite, the old Eartha Kitt version of Santa Baby.

So what’s your favorite Christmas/holiday song this year?

Book from hell (AKA book written after my husband's death–and truly, I have nothing but massive respect for people who can work during times of adversity, because I sure sucked at it) is now revised, and back with Editor Kate for a pedicure, gentle massage, and aromatherapy. Or at least, that's how I think of the manuscript production process.

And that means that once again I have time to roam unfettered around the Internet, and what did one of my wanderings find but a fabulous repository of very cool stuff over at the National Library of Scotland. My favorite bit of digital fun is the Broadsides collection, which cover everything from popular verses, scandalous happenings of the day, and interesting tidbits (like the mermaid who spoke to a young man, which can be seen here).

You can search the collection, and save the broadsides as PDFs, which is very cool. And now you know what I'll be doing when I should be answering e-mails and such…

It’s Friday, and I have the house to myself today. Which means yay, I may finish the edits on the book due on Monday.

I’ve ordered a treat for myself ahead of time–a Christmas cookie cookbook. And I think I’m going to have to break the piggy bank and get a Kitchenmaid mixer, because I’ve always wanted one, and I hear nothing but good things about them. Except how heavy they are.

Happy Friday, my dumplings!

The painting dudes were supposed to be working today in the attempt to finish the interior of my house (the exterior was painted this summer), but alas, they won't be here until tomorrow. Which means I will continue to live out of boxes that contain all the stuff that's been packed up so the painting could be done.

You do NOT realize how much stuff you have until you have to move it, let me tell you! I've decluttered quite a bit in the last year, but man alive–I still have a ton of things that made the pruning cut. Many of them are books–to the point where I'm dreading the painting of my craft room, which holds my bookcases of research books. That's just going to be painful packing up all of those.

Since I have a reprieve for today, I wanted to point out that I've updated the Dark Ones Connections page. Did you know that there was such a thing? There is, and it shows not only what order the vamp books are in, but who is in each one, and how they interconnect (if they do). Peruse at will.

I mentioned this in the most recent newsletter, but I also wanted to point it out here–the Light Dragons are now accepting applications for honorary membership, should you be interested in joining.

And now I'm off to start mulling over some edits I need to make on the new book…

Due to popular request (and the fact that I finally finished writing Time Thief), I’ve done the necessary work to open up the Light Sept for honorary membership. You can find full information about joining any of the dragon septs on their page.

The fourth quarter wallpaper brings Grayson from the Shades of Gray novella in Undead in My Bed anthology. And his kitty. Who is…well, you have to read the story. The wallpaper is on the wallpaper page. Go figure!

Just recently I’ve made available the e-book versions of both Improper English, and Bird of Paradise, my novella from the long out-of-print Heat Wave anthology. They are in the process of being put back into print as well, but until that time, if you’ve wanted either – or both – you can find them at the usual e-book spots. Excerpts are available on each book’s individual page.