Hmm. I have serious and silly for you. I think we’ll start with silly.

I found this flow chart, thanks to either Blabbermouth, Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles, or the dudes at Metal Sucks. Don’t remember who and it doesn’t really matter. If you’ve ever wanted to name a heavy metal band (which I do on a regular basis, come to think of it), you NEED this chart.

Check it out.

Kudos to the creative minds behind that.

And kudos to the creative and caring minds behind this, the serious part: The Humane Society in Oshawa, Ontario (that’s Canada for you who might be geographically challenged) burned down last month. One hundred forty animals were killed. The music community is coming together to put on a benefit concert on January 17, so that the shelter can rebuild.

So much for musicians being nothing but uncaring, self-centered jerks.

Read the press release I saw here. It’s the only info I can find; if you hear anything else, let me know. And go here to see the shelter the next morning. Early reports are that the fire was started when mice chewed through electrical wires.

One more thing I’ve found, which is neither serious nor silly. It’s fascinating. Ready? Back around 1990, I discovered this band called The Dan Reed Network. I loved them. I own all three of their albums. And then … they vanished (like many bands do.)

Check out THIS article in BraveWords. I can’t see myself creating a character like the man Dan Reed has become, but he sure has had a cool life.

I think one of my favorite parts of bringing my fictional vision to this blog is the way in which you guys get as caught up in my characters as I do.

Take, for instance, my friend Toni, of It is Nap Time. I’ve known Toni for awhile, first through the now-defunct Thursday Thirteen, and more lately (and perhaps better) through EntreCard. She was the third person to buy an autographed copy of The Demo Tapes from me — and the first to surprise me with the purchase. I hadn’t known she was lurking with that much attention … or love for Trevor and Mitchell.

A week or two ago, she posted an apology on her blog. She’s been in a funk since the holidays. She went on to describe reasons why, and if you read carefully enough, there was the REAL reason: she was (at the time) seven weeks pregnant.

I left her a comment: Congratulations! But… Trevor’s not the father, is he????

She played along, just like any of your more vocal groupies around *coughKotacough*

And today, I’m pleased to be her featured Meet My Friends Monday. Stop in and meet Toni yourself, if you haven’t met her yet. She’s awesome people.

But, be careful, Toni… Trevor’s always wanted to do a pregnant woman!

Here’s the link.

Forgive me while I stir up a relatively dormant hornet’s nest.

However, if you read closely, you’ll see I’m going to talk about a new breed of hornet. I’m not about to rag on the aspiring authors who send out query letters to agents without doing some investigative work. Nope. I’m not a literary agent. That’s not my job.

Rather, there are two breeds of hornets I want to introduce to this nest of Lack of Knowledge: published authors and publishing house publicists, even though literary agent Janet Reid does mention authors at the end of this excellent post.

I’m about to be stung to death. I know this. Oh, well. Someone’s gotta stand up and say it and why the hell not me? Now that I’ve put out The Demo Tapes via Lulu, many in both groups have looked down their noses at me in utter distaste. (Nevermind that conventional wisdom holds that there’s no commercial value in something previously web-published, and nevermind that my readers all but grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me until I consented to give them The Demo Tapes, but that’s another hornet’s nest entirely for another day.)

Here’s the deal: I am getting an increasing amount of e-mail from authors and from publishing house publicists, asking if I’d like a copy of Book X to review on my blog. Maybe I’d even do a giveaway; that would be great.

This e-mail comes to either my personal e-mail account, or to my Win a Book e-mail. It doesn’t matter which; the answer is the same.

Neither blog has ever published full-fledged book reviews. I use Front Street Reviews or Breeni Books for any reviews, and then it’s usually because Barb or Breeni has asked if I’m interested in a particular book. They know that they shouldn’t offer me, whose fiction centers around a fictional rock band and the people who orbit them, a book about a minister in India who wants more children. Let alone the latest offering, a book described as “dreamy and lyrical.”

In my world, Mitchell is dreamy and Lyric takes care of that lyrical part. How on Earth do you think that I’ll be able to relate to your book?

It’s even worse when the approach from the author begins with, “I am an admirer of West of Mars.” Really, now? Is that so? Then why, in the words of Trevor, are you so fucking clueless about what fills these pages? I’m sure this author can’t even tell me if s/he’s a fan of Win a Book or the Meet and Greet. Hell, I doubt they even know that there are two blogs carrying the West of Mars name.

Folks, this is not the way to start off a relationship. You’re lying to me, and if there’s one thing that’ll get you on my shit list without a second thought, it’s being caught in a lie.

Still, I’m trying to be nice. I’ve been writing responses that explain that neither The Meet and Greet nor Win a Book post book reviews, and that any contests I run through The Meet and Greet are few and far between — and initiated by me. I then go on to explain the whole concept of Win a Book, and invite the sender of the mail to submit links, just as the book bloggers do.

The problem of late is that the requests have been picking up. I have things to do in my life. I have books to write, Demo Tapes: Year Two to work on. I have my own publicity to do. I can’t spend twenty minutes a few times a day sending out the same damn e-mail — an e-mail that wouldn’t be necessary if someone had taken just five minutes to look over my blogs. From now on, I’ll be sending out the link to this post as my reply. Heck, I might even get a better response to it than I have been getting to a thoughtfully composed explanation of something that should have been checked out beforehand.

There’s no substitute for proper research. There just isn’t. Ask any author of historical fiction if there is. And then duck. Fast.

There’s no substitue particularly when the research I’m talking about is as easy as looking over the front page of someone’s blog before sending out the equivalent of spam.

From 2001 to 2003, I did some volunteer work for Metallica. One thing I learned from the band and their staff is one thing I say to my family all the time: Do it right, or don’t bother doing it.

That holds true no matter what you’re doing.

Someone who shall remain nameless *coughbreenicough* nominated me for a couple of awards over at Preditors and Editors and their annual Best of contest.

I’ve been named in the Author Published in 2008 category, as well as the Anthology Published in 2008 category.

Given some of the powerhouses in those categories, there’s no way I’ll win (although I’d sure love to). I’m just hoping I don’t come in last… Please help.

And please show some love for Breeni, too! She’s been unflagging in her support of me and is the reason I’m not just putting The Demo Tapes out into the world without much of a publicity push behind it. She’s the one who had faith that it can reach beyond my inner circle of faithful groupies — and I’m starting to see that she was right. She’s been nominated in the Review Site category, so please show her your appreciation, too, by voting.

Thanks, guys. And thanks, Breeni. I really didn’t want to have long fingernails or anything… nope, not me…

I often talk to other authors who are trying to promote themselves. Go here, I’ll tell them. My friend Breeni has interviewed a number of book bloggers. You can look through the profiles and choose who to approach about sending out review copies, or doing a guest blog, or an interview, and/or a giveaway. And don’t forget to drop me a note at Win a Book so I can plug it and get you even more attention.

Those authors have a luxury I don’t: they get free copies from their publisher.

Me, I’ve got to pay for each one I send out, so I’m being stingy (that said, if you’d like the .pdf of The Demo Tapes for review, give a yell. Those I don’t have to pay for).

Still, I think I’m doing pretty well. Not only have I done three guest blogs now, I’ve had friends and book bloggers (and both) plug The Demo Tapes. And in J. Kaye’s case, she’s plugged it more than once.

Check ’em out:

J. Kaye
And J. Kaye again.
Three times … a charm, right?
Thomma Lyn
Lakota Phillips
Ashley

And have you seen the front page of Front Street Reviews? Barb has outdone herself this time!

Huge thank yous to these ladies who’ve blogged about The Demo Tapes so far. Huge thank yous to you who’ve opened your wallets in this tight economy and bought copies — especially those of you outside the US. Shipping The Demo Tapes to you isn’t cheap!

Now, if you’ll excuse me (not while I tend to how I feel), I’ve got the rest of the Internet to conquer…

Come join the Trevolution!

For those of you who think the only legacies coming out of Pittsburgh are our Steelers (what a game yesterday!) or steel mills, I’ve found another for you.

I’m talking about it over at Shelley Munro’s blog. Come on over and visit!

One thing I didn’t mention in this guest blog is that sometimes, when you leave a comment, someone who reads that comment will like what you say and ask you to do a guest blog on the subject.

Come join me. We’re talking about using weekly memes as a way to build your blog community.

I’m over at the Erotic Muses today. Come join us!

Don’t let the blog name put you off; while Erotic Muses is a group of very good erotica writers, the content (of my post, at least!) is just fine. Come on by and see.

Traditions are best when they evolve, when they are organic. When they just happen. When someone wakes up one day and realizes that the event didn’t happen and they now miss it.

Or are they?

Two years ago, I created the Musical Hanukkah Celebration for my fictional band ShapeShifter as a way to be different. My readers thought it was a great idea.

Last year, I introduced a character, Springer, who’s shown up a few times since then. The celebration definitely grew, but I was missing one thing I really wanted: a real-life t-shirt. I wanted to raise some funds that I could donate to the real-life charity my fictional characters are claiming to support. I’ve been known to blur the line between reality and fiction here on my blog and this is one way in which I really wanted to do that.

So I’ve added a t-shirt for 2008. Along with the sales of my first book, The Demo Tapes, I’m hoping to have enough of a profit to make a donation to the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, the real-life charity my fictional band is supporting.

This is a tradition that I created because it’s important to me. I may have been a lousy musician, but without the chance to try an instrument or two (or three… or, for that matter, an entire percussion section), I never would have known that. I would have always had the black hole of “I wonder what it would have been like…” or “I wonder if I could…”

Kids all across America deserve the chance to find out. Hopefully we can grow the annual Musical Hanukkah Celebration to include an international focus because it’s not just kids across America who deserve the chance to make music. Every child deserves that, no matter income, no matter location.

So I ask you to join me. Stop back for this year’s posts, which are already shaping up to be a lot of fun. Pick up a t-shirt or a copy of The Demo Tapes. (At this moment, I have copies here if you’d like an autographed one; they make great gifts!) Make a donation on your own. It doesn’t matter.

What matters is that the music we listen to on the radio, over the Internet, or blaring through our TVs via Guitar Hero and Rock Band continue to inspire children … children who find ways to make music, themselves.

I can’t think of many better traditions to be involved with.

This was inspired by this week’s Sunday Scribblings theme: tradition. But it needed to be said, anyway.

Thirteen things for the return to Thursday Thirteen Hey, there, Thirteeners. Missed me? I know my regulars haven’t; they’ve been here with me. But the rest of you? Man, are you in for a treat. You see, by popular demand, I’ve been busy doing a few things. Let me tell you about them, Thirteen style. 1. I have collected a bunch of the fiction I like to post here. I took it over to Lulu.com and put it into a book. 2. Lookie! 3. The advantage — other than you don’t have to be online to hang with Trevor — is that I’ve put the outtakes in this volume into chronological order. Many of you asked for this, to have a sense of what happens when. 4. Did I mention this makes Trevor portable? He’s MUCH easier to share, and we all know how much Trevor Wolff likes to share and be shared. 5. But there’s more than just a book. 6. Who here remembers the Musical Hanukkah Celebrations I’ve created over the past two years? (the link will take you to the first one) 7. Well, I’m blurring the line between fiction and reality once again. 8. You can now own a piece of fictional history. 9. Yup, if you click on this link, you’ll be magically transported to my new Merchandise Table over at CafePress. 10. There will be more to choose from soon. 11. But for now, there’s a book. And one shirt. In two colors. 12. And darn it, but I forgot the second-best news: at least some of the profits from the book and shirts will go to the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, which is the charity named in this year’s fictional Musical Hanukkah Celebration. 13. You’ve asked for more Trevor for years. I’m glad to be able to oblige. And best of all, we’ll be able to help some kids start realizing the dream of making music. Wha? Huh? You mean you haven’t been hanging out here regularly and don’t know who ShapeShifter is?Click on the link and fix that; you’ll be taken to a bio page of the band. From there, you can click on the names of other characters who populate my fiction and/or this blog and explore my world. Come on. You know you can’t resist.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things.
Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

If you turned all these blog awards into medals and pinned them on me, I’m short enough to be all covered up by them. Possibly head to toe by this point.

Guess you guys agree that the medals are better looking than I am (You think I forgot to put my picture on The Demo Tapes?) ’cause I’ve got a heap more to acknowledge.

Maybe a mountain is more like it.

Let’s start with the always awesome Alice Audrey. Don’t let Chelle get a look at this award; we all know how she is with typos.

The award is the Kreativ Blogger award and misspelled or not, this still makes me smile. I’m doing my best to be creative and make this blog into something so totally unique, you can’t stop talking about it. Seems my efforts are paying off.

I’ve missed my old friend Marcia at MeeAugraphie. And crumb, but I can’t find the post that gave me something or other. But go visit Marcia. She’s amazing.

Another new friend is Daisy Bookworm. Again, I found her through EntreCard. I’ve been finding more than just increased hits and rankings via EntreCard. I’ve found a whole slew of cool folk. Daisy’s a great example of the quality blogger I wouldn’t have found otherwise. She’s given me the I Love Your Blog Award.

(Trevor’s telling me to remind you to use protection when you love my blog… I think he doesn’t want any more baby blogs running around. Win a Book takes up enough of my time as it is!)

Now.

Here is an award that came out of left field. Given who it came from, I’m truly, truly honored. I mean, there are published authors I’ve made friends with (Hello, Amy! Wylie! Shelley! Lisa! Christine!), and there are published authors who I really respect (Hello Lauren! Megan! Anya! Ann!) but am too intimidated by to have a friendship with them (yet), but LA Day falls somewhere between them. Not quite a friend yet not scary in her success, either. But highly, highly respected.

She also loves my blog. It’s mutual, believe me. I want a sidebar full of book titles like LA Day has. I wouldn’t mind the naked men on the book covers, either, but they’d have to all be Mitchell or Daniel. We love Trevor, but it ain’t for that bod of his…

***
It began with Ann. Ann of Fractured Fiction, who I must have broken somehow because she hasn’t been blogging regularly since we met at the Romantic Times Convention last year. Ann, can I fix you, please? I miss your posts!

Anyway, Ann gave me the Lemonade Stand. She gave it to Wylie, who also gave it to me.

So now I have two lemonade stands!

Is this because of Trevor’s ability to make figurative lemonade out of anything? I don’t know. All I know is that I’m immensely flattered.

Wylie gave it to Thomma Lyn, who turned around and gave it to …

Me.

I swear, one of the best things about these awards is seeing the company you guys put me in. Sometimes, I get down and depressed. Most of you are publishing books and I’m not! Yet you don’t care. You hold me up with the some of the best of the best of the blogging writers.

Ultimately, these are silly little awards, given to make each other feel good. I like that idea and that attitude; it’s so nice to see this sort of kindness in a world that’s often snarky and mean.

Yet it’s that comment I just made, that you guys hold me with the best of the best, that tells you why this means so much to me. You don’t care about things like who publishes my books, or if I get an advance against royalties, or that people who self-publish, as I’ve done with The Demo Tapes, clearly aren’t good enough to be published by the better publishers out there.

You care about this world I’ve created. You help inspire it and you help push me to new heights, creatively and in terms of my writing ability.

So… let me share some of the people who make MY day better and brighter:

Gautami deserves an award and lots of notice for resurrecting the Monday Poetry Train. Come jump aboard with us.

I’ve mentioned my friend L^2 before, but have you seen her CafePress store? Don’t be surprised if you see one of her notecards tucked inside any copy of The Demo Tapes that you buy from me. L is one of the coolest people out there. If you haven’t seen her blog yet, you are missing out. This is one talented photographer.

I’ve made a new friend, Koe, at The Half-Life of Linoleum. What a great blog name, huh?

I was digging this blog, but when she created this post, that sealed the deal. She threw up an unfinished poem and then added to it throughout the day/week until it became what I’ve just linked to. But Koe added … the comments from the comment trail. She told me she’d like to do it again. I hope she does. Stick her in your reader and keep commenting!

There are neat book bloggers out there, and you writers ought to take note (there are lots more neat book bloggers over at Win a Book! Why aren’t you making friends???). One of my absolute favorites is Dawn, at She is Too Fond of Books. And then there’s Anna, whose Diary of an Eccentric is one of my favorite blog names to joke about. Come read Win a Book to see why. And, of course, Serena, of Savvy Verse and Wit.

I’ve had the distinct pleasure of chatting with these three ladies lately, and they are as wonderful as their blogs are. I’m so glad to have you guys in my circle. Even if you hate my own fiction, I’ll still be a fan of you three. Just… not quite as rabidly so.

Have I mentioned J. Kaye lately? Breeni?

My world lately has changed shape, and in a good way. A lot of that is directly due to Breeni, who has decided to throw her considerable passion and efficiency into promoting The Demo Tapes. Beyond me, though, Breeni is every bit as passionate about books as I am — as any of us are, really — and is one of the biggest champions for not caring WHO publishes a book. For Breeni, it’s about the quality between the covers.

May we all learn to be so publisher-blind.

I can’t leave here without one last award. My favorite, and the one you ALL should be giving me. The rock star award!!! What a better award to hand out to a woman who writes about rock stars and the people who orbit them.

It came from April, at My Life as a Mother and Single Parent. We’ve only just met, me and April, but from the first time I saw one of her blogs (she has a few), I really dug her attitude. This woman has a zest for life that rivals Trevor’s. I hope we’re in for a long friendship.

She loved my post about the loss of Pittsburgh legend PittGirl. I worked pretty hard on that post, trying to make it as perfect as I could. Thanks to April, I succeeded, although I’m curious what PittGirl herself thinks of it… In the constant flow of my dreams is one where PittGirl reads my post and decides to come back… as a fictional character.

On I dream.

Come join me.

Usually, if I’m cranky, I channel my fictional character, Trevor. Heck, the other day, one of my online friends was having a hard time with her mother, and Trevor wrote her this gorgeous balm for her wounded soul. It was great therapy for me. And, I hope, for her. The Tour Manager dug it, too.

What you don’t know about me is that in real life, I’m cranky. I’m bitchy. I’m self-centered (as all good writers are supposed to be … or so goes the cliche). I’m frazzled, overwhelmed, and drowning in this life I’ve created. In fact, other than my friend Bridget, I’d be surprised if most of the people (if not all) who I see in my daily, offline life have nice things to say about me. Hell, there are people I’ve only known online who think I’m nothing but the worst kind of bitch.

So maybe this forthcoming rant won’t surprise you guys. You’re smart people and you know that no one can be as perpetually cheery as I try to be on these pages.

Here’s what set me off. One of the local writers I know told me over a year ago about this local, anonymous blogger named PittGirl. “She’s hysterical,” Annette told me.

It took me about two seconds to see the truth of that. And the deeper content swirling under the surface.

Because she was anonymous, PittGirl felt free to rant about the city. The city’s government. The rich and beautiful. PittGirl wasn’t afraid to talk about how bad the Pirates are. Every week, she posted the funniest pictures of the Steelers and gave them the best captions, dialogue that had me howling until the cats got scared. I didn’t always agree with her, but she always made me think about whatever she was talking about. I’d be out with the Tour Manager and suddenly, I’d say, “Oh, did I tell you what PittGirl said today? Man, it was brilliant.”

And did I mention the pictures of shirtless Penguins? Oh, my. That woman provided better eye candy than the numerous romance authors who post Man Meat Mondays.

Yesterday, PittGirl closed up shop. Apparently, someone found out her true identity. The floodgates had been opened, and PittGirl had a choice to make.

She chose real life.

I hate this. I can’t tell you how much I hate this. Even earlier this week (or was it last week?), PittGirl had posted a reminder that if her identity was discovered, she faced being fired from her day job. And yet some dunderhead had to go and pry anyway.

For what? For some bit of useless knowledge?

Look.

It doesn’t matter who is behind the person who became PittGirl. Maybe it was David Conrad, one of her self-united husbands. Maybe it was Ken Rice, a local TV anchor and someone who was long rumored to be PittGirl. Those two men (interesting that I can think of only men when PittGirl was pretty obviously a woman) are who they are… David Conrad and Ken Rice. An actor and a TV newsman.

Likewise, PittGirl was PittGirl.

I mean, heck. When did Marcia Brady stop being Marcia Brady and start being Maureen McCormick? For me, she hasn’t. If I find the Bradys on TV, I’m not looking at Maureen McCormick. I’m looking at Marcia Brady. I don’t need to know any more about her. She’s Marcia. She’s got a mom, two sisters, three brothers, a step-father, and a housekeeper who’s having a thing with the butcher. End of story. What more do I need to know?

Part of the strength of a good character is that they do not exist in real life. They are larger than life because if they were real, they’d be too large to be contained. Could someone real have the freedom to skewer some of the city’s most powerful people the way PittGirl did when details of a society divorce became known?

Hell, no. If she tried, she’d be sued for defamation of character.

And that’s exactly why anonymous characters like PittGirl — and Miss Snark for us writers, and Fake Steve Jobs for you tech heads — are so important. They use their smokescreen to say the things we are thinking. Or maybe the things we ought to be thinking. Miss Snark could shoot idiots with a clue gun. She wasn’t real. Readers knew that they were not in jeopardy of walking down a street and feeling a hard thunk!, only to find they’d been the unwitting recipient of a clue. No matter how badly that clue is needed, it simply isn’t going to happen. The clue gun exists in a fictional world.

If someone — like, say, literary agent Janet Reid, whose prickly online persona is often held as proof that she was Miss Snark — were to offer to shoot you with something like a clue gun, someone else would feel threatened. Hell, I know how creeped out I was for months after someone said to me, “I have a knife in my pocket and I’m not afraid to use it.” That was his opening salvo, too. He went on from there. He claimed he was joking.

Tell that to my nightmares, buddy.

I’ve heard it said that we Pittsburghers take people at face value. Maybe that’s why I’m having such a hard time believing that someone out there (especially someone apparently in Pittsburgh) would want to dig deeper. What’s wrong with face value? What’s wrong with fantasy and mystique?

Why did PittGirl have to become a real person? She was perfect as she was, hating pigeons and giving Steelers such horrid nicknames that you couldn’t help but laugh. (Baby Cici Donna? Skippy Skeeve?)

I’m a writer. I miss Miss Snark but that was an end I saw coming. She’d simply run out of things to teach us.

But PittGirl… in a city like this one, a city that’s constantly evolving and changing, that’s trying so desperately to move forward (*ahem*), we needed her. We needed her as she was: a fictional woman who could point out the good and the bad that fills our Golden Triangle. Through her, I felt a pride in Pittsburgh that I haven’t felt in a long time, and I adore this place. Her love of the city came through in every post, and I’d be surprised if mine wasn’t the only outlook she altered.

Pittsburgh is poorer for her loss. She made this often grey landscape brighter.

I hope the dunderhead who needed to know so desperately who she was can look at him- or herself in the mirror today. Because, dunderhead, you ruined a very very good thing for an awful lot of us.

Maybe you’re the one we should be calling Skippy Skeeve.

So check out this article I came across today. It says that:

Listening to stressful or disturbing music can be bad for the heart, according to a new study. An American investigation found that genres like heavy metal narrowed arteries and made people more anxious, where as “joyful” music improved blood flow.

John Denver-style country music was found to be the most uplifting.

Okay, sure. Pounding drums and throbbing bass and screaming guitars require thicker skin. I can see that.

But John Denver?

Ever seen me twitch when that man’s music comes on? No offense; a lot of it is good stuff. But… I’m a metal head for a reason, folks. It speaks to me. Hell, it soothes me.

(remind me to tell you about the time I was pregnant with #1 and went to the OB right after listening to Ride the Lightning and my heart rate was so LOW, the Tour Manager asked how I was managing to be upright. “I’m mellow,” I told him. And I was.)

Okay, so fine. Whatever. Heavy metal = bad.

Read on, grasshopper:

The study asked the 10 healthy, non-smoking volunteers to avoid listening to their favourite music to minimise “emotional desensitisation”.

Then, after two weeks, when they listened to music they liked “they would get an extra boost of whatever emotion was being generated,” Dr Miller said.

The results found that volunteers’ arteries opened 26% wider on average during music they liked but narrowed by 6% when “anxious” music was played.

Now wait a minute. Wait one cotton-picking minute here.

Notice how we’re not talking about genre anymore, but about what the listener finds enjoyable?

Think we have a scientist who’s making the assumption that no one likes heavy metal, and that everyone on the planet finds metal “anxious” (whatever the hell that means)? Think we have some BIAS going on, boys and girls?

Think.

Don’t let the headline pull you in. Read the details.

Think.

(I saw this study posted here, at BraveWords.com. They quote the source as this place, although I think there ought to be somewhere else… like where the study was originally published.)

Those of you who pick my feed up have seen this get accidentally posted a few times now. Damn Google and their continued insistence on my being a spam blog. Trust me, a fix is in the works.

You’d think I’d just post this already for real, but I keep waiting for the Tour Manager to do my graphics for me. We’ve been swamped, trying to get the Demo Tapes out to you (so much for my projected target of October 1…), so you can imagine that a simple thing like graphics has taken a back seat. Somehow, I don’t think you guys mind all that much.

Anyway, I’ve been stockpiling these awards since back in September. Ready?

Let’s start at the beginning:

Julia at Julia’s Book Corner. She was kind enough to give me the super commentator award. I know I am commenting on many of your blogs less than I used to (see above about time…), but when I do comment, I’m trying to make sure you know that I’m not just typing letters and hoping they make words. Silence from me, btw, doesn’t mean I’m not here. Just that I’m in a quiet mood. I have been lately, and I’m not sure why.

Breeni loves my blog, which is great because I love hers. In fact, I hung out there a few times during October. Did you notice?

Shauney loves my blog, too. Shauney is an old friend from back before my blogging days, when I hung around a really cool book lover’s community. More on that below; right now, it’s all about awards.

Especially because I’ve been handed this one a THIRD time this go-around. Three, folks. Wow.

Florinda, at The 3 R’s: Reading, ‘Riting, and Randomness, also saw fit to pass this along. Florinda and I met years ago through BookCrossing when we exchanged books. Years later, she recognized me. Because, you know, I have a distinctive name and how many other women run around bragging about being from West of Mars?

Lisa, at Minds Alive on the Shelves, also gave me this award, but more for Win a Book than this joint. Still, I’ll acknowledge it here while I’m on a roll. Besides, Lisa doesn’t live that far from me (or you, Spy) and so she’s worth mentioning here. She says she often comes out this way, so let’s see if we ever meet in person. Could be scary; I’m SO much better here on the blog.

The cool gang over at Booklorn (who just got added to my reader for handing out this award!) ALSO gave this one to Win a Book. Even on the days lately when I’ve been overwhelmed and have really relied on Breeni and Bridget to post things for me, having the Win a Book blog has been a great source of FUN. Yes, it’s a ton of work. Yes, it’s a ton of energy that maybe ought to be spent on my fiction. But I’ve met so many cool people through Win a Book that it’s all worth it. Keep those e-mails coming to the handy-dandy Win a Book e-mail, gang. There’s a community being built over there, just as there is one here. Join them both.

On to another award… (I said I was feeling loved!)

Carol over at She Lives and Bass-ically Speaking. Man, I love Carol. I want to be Carol’s real-life friend. She comes across as so steady and cool; she’d be a very good influence on flighty and emotional you-know-who.

This is that Portuguese Award that makes me wish I knew Portuguese. The Proximidade Award.

Here’s the stuff that comes with it:

This is a very cool Portuguese Award and it means this blog invests in and believes that blogging makes us close. Proximidade translated to English means vicinity, or neighbourhood.

Here is the statement I am supposed to post…

“They all are charmed with the blogs, where in the majority of its aims are to show the marvels and to do friendship; there are persons who are not interested when we give them a prize and then they help to cut these bows; do we want that they are cut or that they propagate? Then let’s try to give more attention to them! So with this prize we must deliver it to 8 bloggers that in turn must make the same thing and put this text.”

Yeah. I don’t know about that deliver it to 8 bloggers thing, but the rest sure sounds good.

My new friends over at The Virtual Dime Museum honored me before I could honor them. This is one of those blogs I love to stop by every day and linger over. There’s always something new and neat here.

And wow. I am very overwhelmed by all this (and I think I’ve missed an award or two; if I have, please let me know!). I wish I could tell you how much I appreciate it, but I’m lousy at this sort of thing. Thanks seems inadequate when I think of how much you guys impact my own self-worth (which, because I’m a writer is always a hairy thing) in a good way. When my real life blows up, I know that I’ve always got you guys and this place to hang onto. Probably because you don’t have to deal with my artistic temperament (ahem) the way people in my face do.

So… if all of these cool award-granters aren’t enough in terms of cool people for you to meet, I’ve got some more, of course.

There is my friend Carmi, over at Written, Inc. Carmi’s actually inspired a character you guys haven’t met yet (but will, I promise. Know how I’ve been a little more absent lately? This is why.), and when I am inspired by who you are, rather than something you say, that is high praise. Needless to say, Shaun is a good guy. You’ll like him when you meet him.

Anyway, this is about Carmi. The post I’ve linked to struck me as something so utterly gorgeous, it took my breath away. And yet, this is business as usual for him; he’s the host of thematic photographs, he runs cool caption contests… his range of topics is varied and while you never know what’s on his mind from day to day, one thing remains steady: his photography.

Now, enough Carmi. On to the sister blog of The Virtual Dime Museum, Kitchen Retro. Again, I love to sit and read these retro sites; there’s so much to be learned. It’s such a neat look at who our society was — and how we’ve changed.

More history? Really? I like history? When it’s this cool, yes, I do. The site is The Modern Historian and I love to see what happened on this date. You should, too.

Another new favorite is Dirty Shanks. These snarky greeting cards make me spit water all over my keyboard on a daily basis. My keys have never been so clean. (You’d think I’d learn, huh?)

Laughing has been a priority lately because I’m feeling so swamped with everything. Another of my favorite stops, thanks to Bunnygirl and Thomma Lyn, is It’s Lovely! I’ll Take it! Yeah, okay, some of these real estate listings make me realize what a spoiled, sheltered princess I am. Some of them depress me. But mostly, they make me howl. The Tour Manager and I spent hours a week or so ago, going through the site. I’m sure their site meter loved us. (As mine loves you!)

Believe it or not, but I’ve actually been finding more cool blogs — but sadly, some of them don’t have their feeds on. So, gentle reader, I am asking humbly that you check your feed. Is it on? Does it work? I know I’m not the only blogger out there who won’t read a blog unless it’s through her reader. (Well, other than those EntreCard people, but that’s another creature)

I’ll be back with more, I’m sure. In the meantime, I hope you meet some new friends.

So you went and voted today. I’m pretty certain you waited in line longer than I did: the kids and I pretty much walked right on up.

Now, though, you’ve juiced up those voting fingers (hey, we’ve got the touch screens here now. Fancy living, West of Mars) and … what are you going to do?

Well, vote for me!

It’s all Breeni‘s fault. She was nominated for a Weblog award and turned around and nominated me.

There are really good people in the same category. I see a number of blogs I know from my Win a Book blog, and of course, there’s Breeni. To be honest, I’ll be glad if I don’t finish dead last, but … every now and then, it’s fun to think about being first.

Check it out. Nominate someone, even if it’s not me. You’ve got this voting thing down pat now, right? Exercise your choice and your rights some more!

Now, it stands to reason that anyone who grew up the way I did loves great music. That I love to throb with music. (Oh, shut up, you gutter brains!)

When I was little, my sister played the flute and piccolo. She’d practice for hours. Thus, music is something that’s always been a part of me, something I miss when it’s not around and like many musicians, something I hear in the oddest of places.

Too bad I can’t play it worth a damn.

So of course I fell in love with the absolute brilliance that is Apocalyptica. A four-man cello band from Finland who got their start playing Metallica??

Man, that start was only the tip of the iceberg for those boys. I can not listen to the song Burn from their newest album without humming and thrumming along. Sheer brilliance. Sometimes, depending on where I am and how sunk into listening I am, it brings tears to my eyes. (That link’ll take you to a live version)

That’s why, when #1 brought home a note from the school orchestra teacher inviting the kids to a free concert by cello rock group CelloFourte, I figured they’d have to call the cops to get me out of that auditorium. Live music? Good live music? I am so there.

Turns out it wasn’t an issue. Heck, with that large number of kids from third grade on up, the powers that be at the school were probably quite glad to see us parents sprinkled in among the students.

CelloFourte only played for an hour, which was about right for those of us with younger kids. #1 sat a row in front of me with three of his friends, transfixed. Me, I fought the urge to go stand up somewhere. It’s been way too long since I’ve seen live music and the sound of those cellos… oh, man. Soulful. Different from Apocalyptica, and different is good. These three men and one woman can certainly put their own stamp on the cello rock genre.

Afterward, #1 and his friend wanted copies of the newest CelloFourte CD. And this is when the Pittsburgh connection kicked in.

Turns out that the very coolly named Tate (uhh, he’d be the cello player in the band) works for a friend of mine. And when he’s not doing that, he’s playing with a band you might have heard of… Skillet.

My jaw dropped. Skillet? The same Skillet I hear (not often enough) on Squizz? The same Skillet who does the amazingly moving The Last Night?

Tate, dude, we gotta be friends. My living room makes a great practice space, ya know…

My new bud, Beaded Tail, tagged me for that seven things meme. The last time I did it, Trevor took over. (Read it here.) Okay, he does a lot of my memes for me. He did this one, too.

Given that the Sunday Scribblings prompt this week is all about bragging, it seems natural to let Trevor do this one, too. No one loves to brag like Trevor Fucking Wolff.

But… I like being as unpredictable as my Trevor. And I got lots to brag about.

So I’m stuffing Trevor back into the tour bus and taking a rare spin at this blogging about myself stuff. (Although I suspect I do it more than I’m willing to admit! Do I?)

Know why?

Because I’m about to give you guys something many of you have asked for. Nope, not the novel you’ve been longing for. Not quite yet.

I’ve been playing with this idea for a year and a half now. I was advised to hold off doing it by a literary agent who offered representation … and then disappeared.

Sometimes, things happen for the best. ‘Cause there’s not a person involved in the big business of books who’d tell you that what I’m doing has ANY commercial value. Let’s prove them wrong.

What I’ve done is taken ALL the ShapeShifter fiction (minus anything Chelle wrote) from my blog’s first year. I’ve organized it into chronological order, like you’ve asked for. I’ve edited each piece, more than once.

And I’ve uploaded it to Lulu.com.

Nope, you can’t buy it YET. Know why?

The first copy I made had some odd layout issues. And the font was too small. And it needed another edit.

The second copy I made had two Tables of Contents.

And you know what? I have a whole new, healthy appreciation for people who do this stuff for a living. Sheesh, we’ve learned a lot, the Tour Manager and me.

It’ll be soon, though. As soon as I let the Tour Manager have the laptop back so he can finish whatever tech stuff it is he’s got to do. Believe me, I’ll let you know.

Now, because I’m doing this myself, that means I don’t get any free copies that’ll show up on my doorstep for people to promo and review, like most authors get. And while most of you groupies deserve your own free copy, you might change your mind when I spring this fact on you:

Most of my expenses after profits will go to various charities, hopefully a different one every three months.

I say “most” simply so I have some wiggle room. If I say “I’m giving ALL my profits to charity,” I won’t feel right about holding back money for expenses I know are upcoming. I’m not doing this to make a profit. I’m doing this for these reasons:

1. I have something you guys have said you want.

2. No one else seems overly willing to help me get it to you (“No one else” meaning any of the people in publishing I’ve approached over the years, except for the one agent who went poof.)

3. I can.

4. I’ve always wanted to be a great philanthropist. Growing up in the shadow of Andrew Carnegie will do that to you, I suppose. Or all those lessons from the rabbis about the importance of tzedakah — charity — sunk in. You pick.

5. I’m curious to know how many copies of this little book I’ll sell.

6. It’s not always easy to search a blog’s archives. This way, you’ll have at least a third (or so) of the ShapeShifter fiction that’ll be easier to refer back to.

7. I have lots more outtakes we can do this with… Year 2 wrapped up last April, and we’re in the middle of year 3 now.

So… there you go. Much better than listening to me rave about how actor Shemar Moore was featured in this month’s Bicycling Magazine, right?

(btw, this is only the beginning… look for some fun stuff to wear and a few other surprises in the next few months, given the speed at which the Tour Manager and I move lately. If you have an idea for a t-shirt, give a holler! I’m sure we can work something out…)

The cool thing about EntreCard is that I’m meeting some extremely cool artists who use their blogs to advertise their Etsy shop and their handmade goods. (And frequently, the handmade goodies of others, too.) I found a great bracelet from The Beaded Tail that I’ve added to the stack on my right forearm. It looks perfect.

The bad thing about Etsy is finding this. I don’t wear a lot of rings, usually just my bridal set and either a pinky ring that began life as my baby ring or else my Mommy ring. But that? I’d make an exception. Whoo boy, that’s for me.

The price is great, too. I can’t say as much for the next line of clothing I found. Remember how we thought $67 for a hoodie was too much money?

Then do not — DO NOT, I say click on this link for Yellowman clothing.

Yeah. You’re as sorry as I am.

Hey, Yellowman people? Total Skull people? If you’ll be so kind as to send me some clothes, I’ll go have an author picture taken in them. The Tour Manager and I are revamping my website; we’ll make the picture look good. We’ll give you credit. Lots of it.

C’mon… publicity for the cost of a shirt. You know you want to!

I’m so sick of Blogger refusing to acknowledge that I’m not a spammer (I’ve filled out their “take another look and convince yourself I’m right” form six times now. SIX.) that I’ve escaped and gone to visit other spots on the Web.

First off is a visit to my good friend Breeni. She decided to do a bunch of Halloween-themed books and like the usual non-traditional thinker that I am, I stumbled onto something pretty horrific. Go check it out.

And secondly is an interview I did with J. Kaye at her Book Blog. It started to be about my Win a Book blog, but I mentioned something that I probably should have shared with you guys first. And that’s that I’ve got a neat little book coming your way. Go read all about Win a Book (and add it to your reader!) — and my neat little book. After all, you guys asked for it.

There will, of course, be more about it soon. A LOT more. Breeni’s so excited about it, she’s decided to be my publicist. I hope you guys share her excitement.

So that’s the news. I’ll resume my mantle of Queen of the Not Spam Blog soon; Trevor needs to have his say about Banned Book Week, don’t you think?

(oh, and do I have some cool shit to share!)

I know I’ve mentioned here before how much I have come to adore Winter.

It seems the feeling is mutual, because she’s now given me the Beary Best Award.

Here are the rules:

1. The Beary Best Award is given to those people who we want to know we care… just because
2. See rule #1

Don’t forget that the bear award should link back to Dawg. If you need the code click here.

On the other end of the spectrum is Toni, from It Is Nap Time. Not that I don’t love her, but that she doesn’t show up in my comment trail nearly as often as Winter does. Comments, though, don’t indicate who’s reading or else I wouldn’t be on Toni’s mind.

She’s given me the Kick-Ass Blogger award, which might be like the Rockin’ Wench blogger award Rhian gave me back when she was still around (how I miss Rhian). Regardless, it’s always nice to see that you guys love me.

Next on the list is the awesome Maunie, who I mostly know because we’re both Blue Ribbon Bloggers together.

She’s created a new award, and I’m special enough to be one of the first people who gets to paste it on her blog. Check it here: It’s the Purr-fect Blog award. Wow. Man, that makes me feel good, especially on those dark nights when throwing in the towel seems like the world’s best idea.

I’ve made a new friend, too. Dori, who blogs From a Yellow House in England. Dori’s cool; if you haven’t met her yet, please do. She’s given me the Gold Card, the BFF Gold Card to be more specific. We’re new friends, so this is also special.

So… let me pass these babies on…

… but for a change, my mind draws a blank. Completely.

Ouch.

If you ever need inspiration, check out Frigga’s two blogs: Any Apples and Through Frigga’s Eyes. This woman has a talent with the camera.

So does Janet, at Fond of Snape.

A new friend is over at Writing to Survive. Want to read some fabulous writing? Here’s your place to do it.

More good writing can be found both at Alice Audrey‘s place and at the Romance Roundtable. (and not just because Alice posts links to my own stuff at the Roundtable.)

… and yet more great writing. Penelope Anne, aka Sassy Mama Bear. She’s got multiple blogs, but here’s her writing blog.

Into reading fiction (other than mine) online? Check out Steal Tomorrow, my friend Ann’s serial. If you get hooked on the thrice-weekly posts and need to read more, you can buy a copy of the book and be a know-it-all.

And for some really achingly beautiful poetry, try Black Tie and Sneakers. With a blog name like that, you know it’s up my alley.

So there you go. New faces, new friends. Pick your award and display it proudly. In the meantime, this is apparently only part one of this post… part two will show up … uh… one day. I promise!