BOLO

BOLO being cop-speak for "Be On The Lookout."

The official release date isn't until May 5th, but guess what Terri Clark spotted in a Colorado Barnes & Noble?



Breaking Up (Is Hard To Do) is showing up in stores! I've also had reports of sightings in California and around Seattle, and the book is now listed as shipping from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble online, Books-A-Million, and dozens of great independent booksellers.

Breaking Up features stories from Terri Clark, Ellen Hopkins, and Lynda Sandoval, along with yours truly. You can get more info and read an excerpt of my contribution, "Last Stand", right here.

We just learned that the April 15 issue of Kirkus gave the book a fabulous review. It's long, but here's a highlight:

"Although the focus is breakups, each (story) leaves protagonists and readers with the hope of a new and better relationship to come...Often frankly sexy and peppered with teen-friendly references (hip slang, IM conversations), this box of candy for the lovelorn satisfies."

Nifty, eh?

In other good news, the paperback edition of Goddess Games is going to be hitting the stores any day. It has a new, bright blue cover I adore, so again, BOLO!




As always, all the details (a quickie blurb, an excerpt, and some fun behind the scenes info) are right here, on the official Niki site.

And if you see either book in a store, snap a pic on your cell phone and send it in. ( Just be sure to use a good subject line in your e-mail so it doesn't end up in the spam folder, and let me know where your shot was taken.) Your photo might show up here on the blog!

The Secret to Productivity

Any writer with a new baby understands that their productivity takes a nosedive as the diaper pail fills. However, what (dumb, dumb) people often don't realize is that the same thing happens when you bring a puppy into your house.

I knew a puppy would be a distraction when I brought Tipper home last summer. I just didn't grasp how much. Not only will she chew shoes, she chews door frames, the stairs, cupboard knobs, and even the WINDOWS. No, not the window frames, but she actually tries to chew the flat glass. Don't ask me why.

The upshot is that I'm constantly distracted. Today, however, I found the secret to increasing my productivity:



Yep. Bribery in the form of a meaty bone. Trust me, it works. (At least for dogs. I don't recommend you try this with an infant.) The new bed and the meaty bone are presents she received for her first birthday last week. Turns out they were gifts for me! She even cast aside her favorite donut toy (on the right side of the picture), which NEVER happens.

However, once you give your pup that treat, don't try to take it away. This is the look you will get:



It says, "Don't. You. Dare."

Foolishness

I have a serious Diet Cherry Coke addiction. (One I've blogged about before.) Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper is a close second as far as writing fuel goes. Since I learned (to my dismay) that both of these are seasonal items, I have been scouring the store shelves, waiting for one or both to reappear. I finally found a twelve-pack of Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper on the store shelf a few days ago. ONE. Of course, I bought it. Then next to it, I noticed two twelve-packs of this:



I stared at it longer than anyone should stare at soda, thinking, This could be hideous...but what if it's not?

Since I might never see it on a shelf again (a lesson learned when the Diet Cherry Coke disappeared), and I have no idea when I might be able to replenish my Diet Cherry Coke/Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper stash, I grabbed both.

Utter foolishness. It is NASTY.

Anyone want 23 cans? This has to be an April Fool's Day joke.

Opening Day

Most MLB teams play their opening day games today. Anyone else in the mood to sing a little Take Me Out To The Ball Game?

After watching the Nationals game (and oohing and ahhing over their new stadium), I celebrated the beginning of the 2008 season by joining ESPN's Baseball Challenge. If you like the idea of playing fantasy baseball, but don't have the time to commit to a draft or following stats/trading players each day, this is a great way to go. Join up and see how you do...it's not too late, and it's very easy. You get $50 million to spend on a team, then you pick and choose from a list of available players. The pitching staff is something you select in its entirety...instead of picking individual pitchers, you would, for instance, nab the Tampa Bay pitching staff for one low (low, low) price. I opted to go for the Tigers pitchers. Let's hope they were a good buy.

(And no, I did not create an all-Rockies and Red Sox roster of position players, though I did snag Matt Holliday for center field.)


Let's hope my Baseball Challenge team fares better than my Geek Pool entry for the NCAA tourney. I'm now in 20th and 24th place with my two entries. Talk about sheer suckage. I don't think even a Kansas-Memphis final could pull me out of the basement now. So if anyone has tips on creating a first place baseball lineup--under that $50 million salary cap, of course--please let me know. I need to redeem myself!

Easter Brackets

Happy Easter to all! I'm spending mine inspecting/picking up the yard, doing a bit of housecleaning (Easter is all about renewal, right?) and enjoying the bright spring sunshine.

Of course, I also have a stash of Dove chocolate at the ready, most likely to be consumed while watching the NCAA basketball tourney. For the last twelve years or thereabouts, I've participated in what my husband calls the "Geek Pool." A group of around 40 - 50 of us make our selections every year, but instead of making out brackets, we number each of the tourney teams from 1 - 64. You put 64 on the team you think will win it all, and a one on the team you feel is most likely to go out in the first round. From there, it's all a bunch of spreadsheet fun. For the first time EVER, I'm leading the pack (thank you San Diego and Siena!) It's unlikely to hold up past the first round, but I'm going to enjoy being in first place while it lasts. (In the interest of full disclosure: I submitted two entries this year. Nic #1 is in first place, Nic #2 is in 40th. Out of 45. That's far more indicative of both my college basketball expertise and my math abilities.) If Kansas wins it all, taking out Memphis in the final, I might actually have a shot at the whole thing. But I'm not holding my breath.

In the meantime, I'm celebrating another rite of spring. The Sox are about to play their season opener! They're taking on the Oakland A's in Japan after both teams play exhibition games against the Hanshin Tigers and the Yomiuri Giants. (Wouldn't it be a blast to attend a game in Japan? Kick back with some sushi, listen to the fans singing songs for their teams and going nuts when a ball makes it over the wall...whoo-hoo! Going to see baseball in Japan is on my must-do-before-I-die list.)

Back in the USA, our group ticket draft is tonight--we split our season tix six ways, and have a "draft night" once a year to determine who gets to attend which games--and I can't wait. Fenway, here I come!

Have a wonderful Easter holiday, first week of spring, MLB opening week, and NCAA Tourney! (And gooooo Jayhawks!)