In which I am guest blogging

You can find me over at Dara England's blog, Curiously Twisted, chatting about the Lady Julia series and The Dead Travel Fast. Dara writes historical, paranormal, and fantasy fiction and very kindly invited me to introduce my books to her readers. Take some time to poke around her site and say hi! Many thanks to Dara for the invitation and the warm welcome to her bloggy home.

On a completely unrelated note, the husband leaves town tomorrow for a quick business trip--you Chicagoans give him some nice weather if you can! I do so hate it when he goes away, but at least his trips are of the 48-hour variety. Because they are so short, I decided long ago to treat them as mini-holidays for myself. I pick up a new book or magazine, something splurgy like "Red", and maybe a new nail polish if OPI has done a gorgeous new red. The girlchild and I are taking in a movie this time. I despaired of ever seeing "Young Victoria", but it is finally showing here, and I am vibrating with impatience to see it. Sometimes we make food for dinner that her father doesn't like and pile up in bed with a full season of "Gilmore Girls" to eat it. In all, it's usually a very girlie, modestly indulgent time. And you? What do you do to treat yourself when you're at home and in a holiday mood?

In which we need the silly

Because sometimes one really needs to balance the serious with the frivolous, I give you Shaun the Sheep's website. When I count sheep at night--and this is rare because I am a champion sleeper--they always look like Shaun. And sometimes they have numbers on their sides. And sometimes they have dyed fleeces--red, blue, even plaid...

In which it is Monday

And therefore we are in need of diversion. I know I have posted this link once before, but for the life of me I cannot remember if it was on the old Blog A Go-Go or here, and a reader was kind enough to remind me of it a few weeks ago. It is for a Victorian-themed game and hosted by a museum website, just the thing for a chilly Monday morning when you'd rather be snuggled down under a quilt with a brown pot of tea and a good book than toiling at your labors. (And I do mean chilly--18 degrees here today!)

Also, if you are a fan of all things steampunk, do check out The Steampunk Home, a delicious corner of the blogosphere for all things domestically steampunk. (The kitchen cupboards alone make it worth the visit.)

On the fragrance front, I ordered a sampler set of Olivia Giacobetti scents. (She is the nose who created my beloved Passage d'Enfer for L'Artisan.) I tried Tea for Two, assuming the Lapsang note would be just my thing, but I found it subsided into pure butterscotch pudding. If you enjoy butterscotch pudding, this might be the perfect signature fragrance for you. I, however, moved on to En Passant and nearly swooned. Gorgeous! It's lilacy and heliotropy and I don't even care that I just made up both of those adjectives. It is a trifle green and cool for a winter scent, but still luscious. I always know I've found a winner when I can't keep my nose away from my own arm, and believe me, I nearly devoured it with this one.

In which you might be a slacker too

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, but it takes him a workshop full of elves and a full complement of flying reindeer as well as some bizarre warping of the space-time continuum to get 'er done. The rest of us mortals might need a little help, particularly in sending out holiday greetings. I offer you the Merry Newsinator, a Mad-Libby-version of the holiday newsletter. Answer a few quick details and let the newsinator do the rest. You can send it out directly via email, twitter, or facebook. It's almost as good as having an elf tucked in your pocket.

In which we get ghoulish

My friend--and Official Stalker--Nicole sent me a link yesterday to the best wrapping paper ever. Not very Christmassy, to be sure, but I would swoon to have my presents tucked away in the "Nevermore" raven paper. Delish!

On a terribly unrelated note, yesterday brought a gloomy, rainy morning that demanded a quilt, a mug of Irish breakfast tea, and a book about art theft. I hunkered down with a copy of Stolen: The Gallery of Missing Masterpieces by Jonathan Webb, a great read and a good gift choice for the art lover on your holiday list.

In which I am merely a link in the chain

Reader Ali--well aware of my love for all things "Bohemian Rhapsody"--was kind enough to pass this along to me the other day. My favorite part? Pepe. You?

In which the holidays cometh

And in the interest of being merry, I bring you once more the opportunity to Elf Yourself.

In which you should never feed pigeons

Like EVER.

In which we love to read

but not everyone does, and some of them are terribly creative. Reader Elizabeth sent me a link to this entry from Offbeat Earth that features all sorts of interesting ideas of what to do with your unwanted books. Furniture, sculpture, art--whatever you like, although I have to think the book chair might be the slightest bit uncomfortable and perhaps better suited to viewing than sitting. But it's all impressive, and now I find I'm looking at my stack of books to be donated with different eyes. All I need is an X-acto knife and some glue...

In which I love my readers

Reader Maggie sent along a link to Daily Lit last week--a site that offers e-mail installments of books. In particular, she was directing me to a project that Daily Lit has undertaken with the Victoria and Albert Museum, one of my favorite places in the WORLD. Called Shoes, Bags, and Tiaras, it offers a peek into the superbly extensive V&A collections. I can't think of anything lovelier to get in your email inbox. Big thanks, Maggie!

In which we spend time with Jane Austen

And honestly, that is ALWAYS time well-spent. The Emma Adaptations Pages is a fascinating site devoted to arguably the least-likable of Austen's heroines. (Personally, I find Mansfield Park's Fanny to be almost unbearable, and I have always identified with Emma Woodhouse, perhaps a little TOO much.) Anyway, I love the devotion and tidiness of keeping a site reserved for the adaptations of a single book, and there are all sorts of goodies to while away your time. My favorite is the Austen Heroines Quiz. I ended up as Elizabeth Bennett, which quite surprised me. Who are you?

In which we talk real estate

Or just poke fun at other people's ill-considered real estate listings. I figured after all the Tudor-geek talk I forced on you yesterday, the least I could do was offer some frivolity today.

In which we're skiving off work

Because sometimes it's Friday and you just really, really need to know what your Hawaiian name is.

In which the readers want the shoes

One of the reader questions--I'm wanting to say from Ranger--was about the shoes I wore to RWA. I always travel carry-on, so I have to plan VERY carefully to make sure I'm getting the most out of everything I take. This meant the same evening shoes for three nights in a row, and the pewter snakeskin sandals were just the ticket. (They also saved my bacon when I had to present the RITA award because my evening gown was just the tiniest smidge too long and the sandals have a platform sole which lifted me up just enough. The strap across the top of the foot also makes them fairly easy to walk in without falling out of them--a genuine hazard with strappy evening shoes.) The other pair were purely frivolous, bought to go with a peacock blue silk sheath. I cannot wear them with anything else I own, and they are not remotely comfortable. And yet, I love them simply because they are the MOST perfect shoe with that particular dress.

And to answer reader Jennifer's question about manicures--practice! I've been doing my own nails since I was ten. I don't think I even had a professional manicure until my late twenties, and would still rather do them myself. (I get very tired of having to insist on THIN coats of polish instead of letting the manicurist glop it on and have it stay tacky for hours.) I will have them done professionally before an event because the polish lasts longer if you wrap the topcoat, something I've never mastered! (If you're going to do it yourself, make sure you have the same tools the professional does--orange sticks, cuticle trimmer for hangnails, buffer, and good polishes. I'm a big fan of OPI.)

In which it is time for some frivolity

I am eyebrows-deep into my research at present--India, tea plantations, Darjeeling, women photographers, memoirs of the Raj, and loads of things I can't tell you for fear of spoiling the plot--and every once in awhile, I have to put it aside and look at something intensely silly. So I give you 50 Animals in Fake Beards. (I dearly love that the authors of this felt it necessary to specify that they are FAKE beards. Good to know.)And when you've done with that, have a look at Dogs Looking Like People. I do think it's a cheat to dress your dog up, and one of my firm rules with Deacon is NO clothing except a nice gentlemanly collar and proper leather lead. But if your dog just HAPPENS to look like a person, well, that's entirely fine.

(Why, oh, WHY did this post on Thursday afternoon when it was scheduled for Saturday morning, I have to ask myself? Curious.)

In which everyone needs a little flattery sometime

I firmly concur with Holly Golightly that the best cure for the mean reds is a danish in front of a Tiffany display window. But since I don't live in New York--and seldom find myself wandering around in an evening gown at 7am--the next best thing may be the compliment generator. Go ahead--put in your first name and settle in for a little ego stroking. I'm very sure you deserve it. (I discovered the flattery site via Emily, the unspeakably adorable girl behind the delightful blog, Cupcakes and Cashmere. If you visit her archives, and I strongly suggest you do if you are a girly-girl, please do not miss her Alexander McQueen carry-on bag. I crave.)

In which we are frivolous

Today's re-post is not a single entry, but a few links originally posted on the Blog A Go-Go that I want to be sure we don't lose. First up, Human Shield. If memory serves, I'm only willing to die if I can save twenty people, so if there are only nineteen of you, you're on your own. Next, how many countries can you name in five minutes? (This game is infinitely crueler than the one I posted a few weeks ago--no map as an aide-memoire.) Then it's on to the Cannibalization Quiz for some rather gruesome speculation on how you would fare if your soccer team crashed in the Andes. And finally, check your reaction times by shooting the sheep! (No animated sheep were harmed in the making of this game.)

In which we have Shoe Lust

Because sometimes it really is all about the shoes.

In which we play games

This is evil. Don't say I didn't warn you.

In which you must have seen this

as it was featured on the Today Show, but just in case you were busy doing something terribly important, please do not miss Awkward Family Photos. I would describe it, but really, there are no words.

In my little corner of the world, all is very well. My editor sent along the line edits for The Dead Travel Fast, and the changes are microscopic. I shall be able to take care of all of them this weekend and get the manuscript shipped safely back to the Great White North before BookExpo. (Which is NEXT WEEK. Squeee!) Also, I saw the cover for TDTF yesterday, and it is FABULOUS--lush and mysterious and if I saw it on a newsstand, I would snaffle it up in a heartbeat.

The pups are doing very well, plump and mischievous. We've taken them for rides in the car every day and they are superb little travelers. I hate that we can't let them go in public because of the nastiness of parvo, but no way are we going to risk it.

A reminder--you have until the end of this month to enter the Kindle 2 contest. I cannot WAIT to give this sucker away!

In which we have almost no time

Oh, my dears, HOW did I forget how much work puppies are?!? The first night nearly killed us, but since then they've been sleeping through and doing very nicely. Still, watching their every furry move has kept me too busy to do much else, so I'm thrilled that the ever-fabulous Sal sent me a link to these REALLY condensed books. They are hilarious--and of course, my favorite is the collected works of Jane Austen...

In which tomorrow is Easter

And in honor of the occasion, I was going to post some Easter fun. Then I found the pixelized version of the Stations of the Cross, and I was so gobsmacked, I forgot all about finding something clever and Easterish for your diversion. Honestly. Pixelized. And I couldn't decide if it was offensive or not, and since the LAST thing I want to do here is offend, I decided to leave off the link. (If curiosity is simply consuming you, google the phrase "Easter fun" because that's part of the web address. You'll find it.) Anyway, as I say, copmletely distraction, so I offer you instead something entirely NON-Easter. Queen. Bohemian Rhapsody. In LEGOs. Enjoy!

In which we get frivolous

I need to lighten the mood here, people. I am tail over teakettle right now finishing up the revisions to TDTF, and I am beyond tired. I ferreted out the details of a plot tweak to the ending over the weekend and was dying to get to work on Monday morning--until a tornado warning scuppered that plan and lightning forced me to shut down the computer and do laundry instead. (It only occurred to me after I started my fourth load that the washer could get zapped just as easily as the computer...) I'm at that stage in the book where you are sooooooooo close to the ending, but it seems like there's always just one more scene you need to tuck in before you're there. So many loose ends to tidy up. Yet another point of comparison between knitting and writing. I know several knitters who love the work, stitch by stitch, but loathe the weaving in of the ends, and I know several writers who feel the same way.

Anyway, in spite of the horrendous weather, my trusty postman delivered my spiffy new pewter heels--a very nice bright spot in an otherwise meh day. (I needed silvery shoes, but not bright silver--my dress is silver lace with a smoky charcoal overlay--and it finally occurred to me that pewter was the way to go. I found these and they are perfect, a little darker than in the picture and surprisingly comfortable. I can wear them for evening or even with a black dress earlier in the day. And amazingly enough, I found a small pewter evening bag at Target for $14.99. Rock on, Target.)

So, in the interests of lightness and frivolity, I give you the Steampunk Dressing Game. Enjoy.