Caroline started taking down Christmas today, which is a funny phrase, like she brought out the boxes with the intention of stripping our house of spirit. That’s just silly, of course, since we all know the only thing that can strip the spirit out of you is writing a YA manuscript, but that’s another story (and a bit of an exaggeration, but only a bit).  The truth is, I love Christmas, the sparkly lights, the gift giving, even the rapid weight gain and sugar migraines hold a soft spot in my heart and aching brain pan.

This holiday season was especially fun, despite that pesky manuscript that so desperately needed to be off to my agent by the end of December and is still stuck in my hard drive (though the momentum is building, oh yes it is).  Spent tons of time with family and friends and Caroline got me one of the most awesome gifts ever, if you don’t think so, just take a peek…

She zombified me!!! Who wouldn’t love that? The artist’s name is Robert Elrod and I’m all kinds of grateful for the hard work he put into the piece. I ran right out and got a nice frame for the art and stare at it everyday while I’m writing. Well not everyday. That’d be creepy.  Feel free to pop on over to Elrod’s site and get yourself monsterized.

Next best thing about the holidays? Snarktrip!

Our good friend Heather showed up out of the blue and demanded we take her to Forks for a sparklevamp pilgrimage. The whole trip is pretty much over-documented on Twitter (it’s true, try a search on #forksyeah and see if I’m lying). Richelle and Heather even talked Caroline and I into reinacting scenes from the movie. They’re atrocious and we’ll cherish them forever. Take this little wonder…

I was shooting for angsty and ended up just looking old, oh well. Luckily I don’t give a shit. It was a great day. Full of torrential rain, a horrifying Taco Bell that catered more to its extensive insect customers than the fifteen or so horny mormon guys rearin’ to go on their missions (I just hope they were carrying Tums in their backpacks), and a side trip to La Push (home of shirtless werewolf boy bands). It could only be described one way: sparkly.

Getting back to this post’s cranky opening. I thought I’d just make it clear that it’s not a natural thing for me to filter my imagination for a less mature audience. I’ve been watching my language so much in my recent writing that the adult urban fantasy I’ve been planning to tackle next is bound to be drenched in piss. It’s like meth labs, close one down and two pop up, or that saying about gray hair, pull one and ten come to its funeral. It’s definitely an interesting dynamic and I’m happy with the results in the YA. My self restraint seems to be bringing back all that teen angst. So in the end it’s a good thing.

So what’s next. Well. The Amanda Feral series is still in trouble and just about the only thing that is going to save it is a good showing on sales for the reissue of Happy Hour of the Damned. So, I’m doing a virtual author even on January 26th through the University Bookstore in Seattle.  I’m still figuring out the details, but for sure you’ll be able to order the mass market paperback with a personalized (read nasty as hell) inscription and I’ll be doing various things that day, including a video reading and a live twitter. So stay tuned for more on that!

And that’s all I got, except to say Happy New Year. May it be prosperous and filled with whatever it is makes you happy, whether that’s money or promiscuous sex or fart jokes, whatever. I’m not doing any formal resolutions this year, other than I’m writing everyday before I do anything else.

What’s in store for you?