Yeah, so...

Unemployment. Day 180.

Withdrawal. Pain. Agony.

The Displaced Vampire all but forgotten.

How can i fix any of this?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

I know this is a bit late, but it's Halloween once again, the time for ghosts, ghouls and other nasties, but more specifically it's a time of vampires. And this year, let's celebrate the vampire hunters, the slayers of the undead Children of the Night in film and television and literature. And considering I've recently attened the Theater of the Vampires Ball in New Orleans with special guest Laurell K Hamilton, let's celebrate her very own slayer: Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter.

I've just finished reading the fifth book in her very long running series, Bloody Bones, and honestly I was hooked again. Serephina, the town's master vampire, is described so beautifully and wonderfully spooky that the book's weaknesses disappeared for me completely. Reading a captivating chapter like that is the kind of stuff that inspires me most to continue to write, even when I'm in hopeless despair. But Anita Blake is a richly deep and complex character, and after hearing Laurell at the ball, it's easy to understand where this character has come from.

Well Halloween is officially over by now, but I'm already looking forward to the next Coven Ball in New Orleans, and catching up with the Anita Blake series... Oh, and special shout out to those wonderful folks that made the Theater of the Vampires ball the success it was. Without them, we vampire/Lestat/Anne Rice fans would have nowhere to go once a year and celebrate our love of the undead. So thank you very much.

Theatre of the Vampires Ball

The Theatre of the Vampires Ball. We had originally planned to attend the ball as the hooded-cloaked vampires of the theatre as seen in Interview with the Vampire, but the trip was nearly in jeapordy, so costumes were out of the question until last night. I need help finding a costume, quickly. Laurell K. Hamilton is one of the guests this year, but I'm having a hard time coming up with a suitable Anita Blake-inspired costume. I'm not exactly Jean-Claude material. I just don't have the hair for it...

My Dog's Licking My Leg

I lost my job as I was hospitalized with atrial fibrillation. Interesting, huh? I was in shock for quite a while, and then I realized I hated the job anyway. So I'm a statistic again and proud of it. Power to the People!

We're headed to New Orleans in a few days, and I swear I need this. Granted, while the heart issues were giving me non-stop grief the past month, my doc gave me a clean bill of health, so I eliminated quite a bit of depression. So I plan on just living life. Me and my dog chillen at home and I'll continue to write. God, I thank you for the faith and the good heart, but I wish I could consistently write and finish this book and get it published. My attention span has to focus...

There's so much more I should add, considering the length of time that I've been away from this diary, but I want to chill. I want to think about another ARVLFC vampire ball again and beignets and cafe au lait and Bourbon St music.

Tomorrow: MNF and Baltimore Ravens.

WTF

What do you do when you realize that everything that you've written is a mish-mash of everything that you've read? I went to bed the other night, after several plot-altering editions to the first book, and blushed, turned red all over, and realized that the changes were way too similar to my favorite vampire series! Seriously, I'm shell-shocked and completely feeling helplessness right now...

I'm Back

I have no idea why I keep avoiding this blog. I haven't written in months, but yesterday, or the day before that, I opened book two up and jumped right into a new chapter. After an incredibly painful Orioles loss last night, it's easy to avoiding watching them the next day, and I find myself needing to write only when this happens. I'll be back later to summarize the new chapter, which I'm finding very fun to write.

Birdland, baby. It's a bitch...

Girlfriend's Critique

My girlfriend spent most of Tuesday reading UNIQUE. She helped me to find about five holes in the plot, so I'm glad for her time. This has coerced me into hiring a book doctor, if anything. Plus, she kinda got off on it...

Ugh

Perhaps my anticipation got the better of me, but after submitting my email to Angry Robot Books this morning, I reread the synopsis I provided, and blushed. It was just not a very good indicator of my writing, I fear. It told the story in a very abridged and rigid way. I'm not proud.

Excitement turned to defeat. I'd better get started on another two-page synopsis and hit the agents again...

Angry Robot(s) rock!

Angry Robot Books are having an open submission month all this March, and I'm elbow deep in polish at the moment. I've been writing the two-page synopsis the past night or two, and I'm happy with it so far. I've even contacted David Frankland with a cover art query, as I've become a big fan of his colorful work.

Fingers crossed. Angry Robot looks very promising and feels like the perfect publisher for UNIQUE. I have hope, dear online diary, that this story will take it to 11 all night long...!

Revelations

Revelations are fun. And usually they come out of nowhere. I was in the shower this morning, and I realized how I could bring a character from book 1 full-circle in the ending. He's the protagonist's dad, duh! Needless to say I didn't want to leave for work. So tonight I'll open the story and fix three big holes that have left a void in my gut.