Always Remember

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Well. This Sucks: Part Two

I think the month of May hates me.

I came home from the RT convention and immediately got sick. I got over the cold, only to hurt my back.

Now I'm about to go on antibiotics because I'm sick as a dog. It may (or may not) be strep throat. The lab culture hasn't come back yet, but I feel even worse than I did yesterday, and my voice is completely gone, so Dana gets antibiotics as a precaution...and no Enbrel shot on Monday. You can't take it when you're sick and on antibiotics, even if you're feeling better.

Okay, May. I've got your message. I'm going to go lay down now, m'kay?

Good news: I've broken the 75% mark on The Wizard King. Despite my ass being kicked by this bitchy month (I think she's jealous of my fabulousness), I've managed to nearly finish the book. I should be putting it in the first round of the Meat Grinder by June 3rd, and off to my betas June 4th.

Bad News: I'm feeling pretty icky, so it's slowed me down. I should  have the rough draft done well before I leave for Lori Foster's RAGT. I'm hoping to hand it off to my beta readers before I head for the con. If I don't, I may need to work on it at the con. A feat any author will tell you is nearly impossible, unless you hide in your room and, well, skip the con.

Con News: I'm giving away a Nook and a print copy of Cynful at the Reader-Author raffle, so if you're attending, look for my bag! It will be a clear tote bag with black straps and a black paw print on the front. Oh, and a freakin' Nook inside.

Now to go drink some hot tea and pretend I don't feel like hammered death.

Well. This Sucks.

I managed to hurt myself yesterday. I was napping on the sofa, minding my own business, when someone ( a salesmen, Dusty told me this morning) rang the doorbell. The dog, who'd been napping as well, jumped up and barked so loudly she startled me awake. I jumped, twisted just the wrong way, and managed to hurt my back, causing my AS to flare up.

Oops.

I did heat therapy last night, went to bed early, got plenty of rest and took my pain meds. And after all of that, I can barely walk today. The pain is doing that shooting down my leg thing, and it's sharp and hard. Moving the ten feet to the fridge is a huge production as I shuffle my way to my diet cherry Pepsi stash.

So it's with a great deal of regret (and some guilt) that I bow out of the Frederick Book Festival. 

Damn it. I was looking forward to that, too. I had plans to see Carrie Ann Ryan and PJ Schnyder. I'm even on a panel! I feel awful about it. This is the first time my AS has forced me to bow out of something I'd given my word on, and I feel awful about it.

Stupid doorbell.

Dusty's all, "You can't feel guilty over something like this," but I'm going to do it anyway. I'm really sorry, but there's little I can do but continue the heat therapy and pray I'm better before I have to head to Lori Foster's RAGT. For everyone who was hoping to see me at the book festival, my apologies. There are still a lot of really good authors who will be there, and I'm aware of at least one raffle, so please go and enjoy. Heck, post pictures so I can pretend I actually got to go.

And I'm putting the damn No Soliciting sign back on my front door.

CONTEST: Throne of Oak

Today is Enbrel Monday, but before I give myself my injection and take a sofa dive for the day, I'd like to let you know about the ARC contest for Throne of Oak.

Release Date: June 10, 2013

Publisher: Carina Press

ISBN: 978-1-42689-561-6

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Length: Novel

Formats: Mobi, aka Kindle (.prc) and Nook (.epub)

His past could end their future.

Vampire Dragos Ibanescu, Mayor of Maggie's Grove, is about to lose his mind. His mate, the dryad queen Mina Chainey, refuses to have anything to do with him after her ordeal at the hands of an evil witch. If he doesn't mate with her soon, he may lose control of the beast within him—a force far more dangerous than anyone in town knows…

Mina's nightmares of her time with the witch haunt her. The Queen of the Forest can't muster the strength needed to fight her terror. Unable to leave the Throne, she vows she will not accept Dragos until she can stand at his side as an equal. But the nightmares are only growing in strength, and soon she realizes that there's more to her pain than simple fear.

Dark forces are converging on Maggie's Grove, and a horde of hunters stalk supernaturals from the shadows. Only by uniting in body and mind will Mina and Dragos find the strength to defend their home.

Warning: This book contains explicit sex and graphic language.

To enter, go to my Write to Dana page and send me your name (or nickname, if you don't want your name on the web), your email address and your preferred eBook format. That's it! If you win, I'll send your book to your email address.

NOTE: Only one entry per person. Any entry missing one of the three pieces of information (name/nickname, email address, format) will be deleted without being entered. However, if you hit SEND and realize you forgot something, send it to me again, and you'll be entered.

The winner will be announced here and on my website.

Just A Quickie

I came home from the RT Convention yesterday and woke up this morning with a fever.

Blargh.

So. Just a couple of quick announcements before I go back to hugging my orange juice bottle and moaning piteously:

1. The winner of the Cynful print book has been emailed!

Congratulations, Jennifer!

2. The RT Convention was fantastic. I'll post on that when I stop sniffling. (I rocked the kitty ears at the Samhain Safari!)

3. I has cover pretties! Throne of Oak's cover arrived my first day at RT:

4. And Bear Naked has been contracted! No release date yet, but I'm betting very early 2014.

And now, pardon me while I go hug my Dayquil and my blankie.