I survived...

But mostly because I slept for nine hours on Tuesday, and because I came home early on Wednesday and cried on Mate...

*whinge* "You're going to cancel soccer practice, right? And come get the kids? Because it's two o'clock and a hundred and five fucking degrees outside and if I have to get in that fucking car again I will never stop crying!"

Mate replied, "yeah-- but could you call the parents for me?"

And I did. And then got my own two phone calls, because it really was that hot, and I wasn't being a total baby, and EVERYBODY canceled soccer practice. So I got some more sleep. And then i came home today and slept some more. And it's like my body's going, "All that writing you've been doing because you've stayed up late because you've been anxious because you've got writing coming out? Yeah. That's got to stop for a while because you're making yourself psychotic."

And so I've gotten some sleep. It's been swell. Makes me feel like writing some more! (Except now that i'm no longer crazy, I need to clean the house!)

Anyway, that picture above the blog is from Talker, and it's captured some attention because the airbrushed tattoos make people think, "Hey! Airbrushed tattoos!" but I'm actually happy about it. The tattoos are important--and really hard to do, and it's a small but powerful novella, and I'm still impressed enough to get a professional cover to be very very pleased. And the blond guy who is supposed to be Brian is SO SO SO SO SO SO Brian-- right down to the gray shirt (which I also suspect is airbrushed, and don't care.)

So I love Talker. I really love it. You guys know how I feel about the kids that nobody wants--well, nobody wanted Talker, but Brian did, and this story really does it for me. I hope people like it--I'm much more nervous about this one than I was about Bella. I loved Bella-- Sebastian was a sweetie, I wanted people to like him--but I want people to be MOVED by Talker, and that's so much harder.

And it's coming out next Tuesday, right here.

Oh yeah... and I did a thing... an interview on the internet... which, i maintain, makes it an e-terview but that's just me. Anyway, I'm boring. And silly. And a total dork. Those of you who've been around for a while, back me up on this!

Off to be a mama now... it turns out, I've got kids!