Saturday, May 28, 2011

Cover for Pyxis: The Discovery

Cover for Pyxis: The Discovery
Ta-da! Claudia at Phatpuppy Art created the awesome artwork for this cover. She's incredibly talented and so professional - working with her was a pleasure, and I can't wait to see what she does for the next two books in the series. Aaron Patterson contributed a lot of feedback that helped guide the design, advised me on what approach to take for titling the books in the series, and created the cover text. And what did I do? Um... I told Aaron how to spell "pyxis."

Look for Pyxis: The Discovery (Pyxis series, Book 1) in digital format in early fall!

Corinne Finley hangs out with her best friend Anjelika, bakes recipes her grandmother taught her, and works shifts at her dad’s cafĂ© in the small town of Tapestry. Her life changes when she accidentally doses most of the student body with her grandmother’s potions, and discovers she’s haunted by the same nightmares as her friend Mason. As Corinne and Mason search for answers, she tries to ignore the sparks igniting between them, but she can’t deny she feels truly safe only when he's nearby. The one person who can prepare them to face their destiny is lost in a fog of dementia. Will they find help before their nightmares break free?

Friday, May 13, 2011

7 Random Things (I feel so exposed!)

Because there's no Lazy Blogger Award, Angeline Kace tagged me for this meme. Heart you, Angeline!

Here's how it goes:

1. Thank and link the person who nominated you.
2. Share seven random facts about yourself.
3. Pass the award on to five new-found blogging buddies.
4. Contact the winners to congratulate them.

Okay, here goes.....

1. I have a phobia of driving.
Not many people know this. I can't think of any explanation for this phobia, but it goes way back. Like, as far back as I can remember. As a little kid, I used to have recurring dreams about being in a car, urgently needing to drive somewhere, but having no clue how to operate the car. Once I got my license, I stopped having the dreams. But the phobia didn't go away.

And btw, having a phobia about something I have to do every day? AWESOME. Just imagine if you had to pet tarantulas (or whatever your phobia is) every day. Yeah. I deal with it by playing music really loud, singing along, and going to great lengths to avoid having passengers in the car with me. So please, if you know me IRL, offer to do the driving and save me a few panic attacks. If you do, I promise I won't sing.

2. I don't like chocolate.
Never have. I'll eat it once in a while if I want something sweet, but I just don't get the passion people have for it. My husband doesn't like chocolate, either. We're obviously meant for each other.

3. I don't mind public speaking.
Speaking in front of a group - if I've had time to prepare - doesn't bother me. But being forced to make small talk with a stranger 1-on-1? Now THAT freaks me the eff out.

4. I frequently get accused of "laughing at everything."
And I also get told - sometimes by the same people - that I'm way too serious. Conflicting messages, people!

5. I'd stopped growing by age 13.
I was a freakishly tall child, then I just stopped growing around 6th or 7th grade. I was terrible at basketball, which made it all the worse, but redeemed myself when I started playing softball and became an an outstanding 1st baseperson. I hit leadoff, btw; highest OBP. (Bonus random fact: I am ridiculously knowledgeable about baseball. Not current teams and players - who has time for that? - but the game itself.)  

At 5'6"-ish (ok, 5'5.5" to get really accurate) I'm not a freakishly tall adult by any means, but still do a mental "whatever" when someone calls me petite. I guess in my mind I'm still half a foot taller than everyone else.

6. I want to write science fiction.
I think the best writers are science fiction writers. I don't think I'm good enough to do it. But someday I'll write a sci fi novel, someday....

7. I want to be a drummer in a rock band.
Yeah, I want to be a published author and make a million dollars off my novels, blah, blah, blah. But my REAL fantasy is to play drums in a band. I started learning to play drums last year. I love it. LOVE. My husband is a songwriter, singer, and plays pretty much everything. He says I'm a natural, and I'm about 95% sure he's not just saying it to be nice. Back when I actually had some time to practice, we used to jam once in a while. It was every bit as awesome as it sounds like it would be. I haven't practiced once this year. Sad face. I'll return to it at some point.

That's 7. That was kind of fun.

Tag, you're it: