So, I’ve been so preoccupied with my trip to Lubbock and seeing my sister’s first professional production (it was AWESOME by the way) that I haven’t really been keeping y’all up to date with a lot of the really cool things that have been happening lately.
So first, a few pictures from the trip. Lubbock wasn’t quite as awful to me this time around, but I did suffer some nasty hay fever and my friend totally burned the back of my hand with a fresh-out-of-the-oven baking sheet. Thanks, Rachel.
Seeing my sister, though, was absolutely the best!
We caught up on a lot of important issues, like final exams, The Hunger Games, and the new One Direction music video.
There were also several Christmas decorations around, which I loved.
There was also tea and and an awesome Lubbock sunset.
Then I hopped on a plane and flew home. I had a great time, but now that it’s over, I’m so excited for Thanksgiving week, I can’t even tell you!
Okay, finally on to the other cool updates.
First of all, I got to meet one of the most iconic writers of our time and a fellow Texan, Anne Rice!
My friend and fellow writer (soon-to-be published author) Savannah graciously accompanied me and we had a lot of fun browsing old books, enjoying White Rock Coffee, and of course, fangirling over writing. We really lucked out too, because I didn’t realize we needed a ticket to meet Anne Rice. A very kind and thoughtful man overheard our conversation, walked right up to us, and gave me an extra ticket! What a cool guy!
Ms. Rice, in case you were wondering, was very polite and soft-spoken. She signed my copies of The Vampire Chronicles and Prince Lestat, which I am very much looking forward to reading. Then, I gave her a copy of Cemetery Tours. I’m not sure if that was a gutsy move, or a very presumptuous one, but I wanted to give it to her A) because I admire her work and B) as a way of saying thank you. I have no idea if she’ll read it or not, but she was very gracious.
The next cool thing to happen is I finally ordered a dragon from Donna’s Dragons!
This is Simon the NaNo Dragon.
For those who don’t know, Donna is an independent artist who makes polymer clay dragon statues. Ever since I stumbled across her on Facebook, I’ve been in love with her dragons! You can find her on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/DonnasDragons
Cool thing number three is that Cemetery Tours is featured in Pose Magazine’s December Issue as Book of the Month! I am so humbled and honored and I want to send a huge thank you out to editor Tiffany Jones for including my book in this month’s issue!
You can find the issue here: http://www.joomag.com/en/newsstand/pose-magazine-december-2014-pose-magazine/0457396001416541990
Another really, really cool thing is that I recently joined Ancestry.com. I’ve always been curious about my ancestors and where I come from. I have found a lot of Yankees, Sons of the American Revolution, Swiss people, and Scots. It just so happens, however, that one of those Scots is Robert the Bruce.
This is a picture of Robert the Bruce I took at Stirling Castle in Scotland a few years back. I had no idea at the time that he is, in fact, my 22nd Great Grandfather.
It turns out my dad is a direct descendent of Kings Robert I (the Bruce), II, and III of Scotland. This is a really cool thing for me, not only because of how much I love Scotland (I love it a whole lot) and Robert the Bruce is remembered as being one of its greatest heroes, but because growing up, I wanted nothing more in life than to be a Princess. Well, maybe I just have a minuscule fraction of Robert’s DNA swimming around in my veins, but you know what? It still counts. Childhood dream is officially a reality.
Finally, and perhaps this isn’t as cool as all of that, but after taking a few days off, I went back and reread my NaNoWriMo project. Y’all, I really love it. I love Cemetery Tours also and I’m still so excited and proud of it and the third one is definitely coming next year, but I am really enjoying this new book. I can’t wait to finish it and get it out there. Granted, I’m not sure the same crowd that liked Cemetery Tours will be as into this new one as I am, but that’s okay. There are a lot of readers out there. And I love you all.
Enjoy your weekend! Mine is rainy and cold, but that’s okay, because I have warm pajamas and a kitty.
A Platform of Sorts 