Green's Hill-Amy Lane's Home - News

Thursday, September 9, 2010

899... License to Thrill!

Seriously! If you add the old blog with this one I'm on post 899--and, like, WOW! I've got a contest in mind--sort of a modest little contest for readers AND knitters, but I'm going to chat a little before I tell ya what it is, 'cause I'm mean like that. (I'm also hella sleep deprived--even my students are telling me I'm pale and sickly--which is teen-speak for, "Gee, Ms. Lane, you look like reconstituted shit in a can!")

Anyway, today was... well... Senior Portraits/ Soccer Pictures/ Senior trips/ Soccer Pictures/ three game schedules splitting up/ giving rides and reading time/ feed the cats and feed the kids/ the dog must pee (again?)/ take a bath/ I love you too/ and really it's already ten?

Yeah-- that was our house, the last two days. *whew* The house itself looks like total shit, and since it was actually CLEAN last week, that's sort of depressing. I mean, really-- THAT didn't last long! And Mate and I are feeling guilty-- we could send Chicken to Australia (via a student loan we are still paying off) but we CAN'T send Big T to Europe (because his program features no low interest student loan) but he doesn't understand-- all he's seeing is, "You love Chicken more!" and we're like, "no, we were just less in debt then!"

Anyway, I do have a happy!

It seems that Dreamspinner Press is going to start an imprint--not another series or publishing house, just a label-- of 'Bittersweet Dreams', in which a HEA is NOT guaranteed. In fact, it's sort of like their own line of guaranteed weepers! I saw that and I was like, "Yippee!!! It's a bona fide license to kill!" And since i saw it at lunch (before Mary, bless her, gave me a stern talking to about who I could not kill--and told me that Littlewitch would agree with her, if LW knew) I went into the staff room (where I RARELY talk about writing business because my work tools are such total and complete fuckwads about it) and I was very excited!

"Yay! My publisher has a new imprint with unhappy endings! It's a like a license to kill!" (Yes--I've been using the line all day-- Chicken loved it, why do you ask?)

Anyway, Mr. Trick looked at me very smugly. "Don't you mean YOU gave yourself permission? Aren't you SELF-published?"

And I answered straight back, "Not for a year now, didn't you know that?"

And even though I'd stand Bitter Moon I and II against anything I've written for quality and complexity, it was still pretty nice to know that I had a year's worth of being published by someone else to back up all of my independent work. It really does help to have someone else say, "Yeah, you're good-- we'll back you!" It certainly gives me a little bit of swagger when i talk about my writing, and those of you who have been here a while and watch me waffle between insecurity, defensiveness and neurosis can certainly testify to the fact that a little bit of confidence was BADLY needed.

I think I've got a little--not enough to poke your eye out with my ego, should we meet in real life (I hope!), but enough to not take any shit from someone about my writing. Go me? Yup. WOOT!

Anyway, on that note... here's the contest!

There are two prizes-- a skein of mystery sock yarn (give me favorite colorways and a brand and I'll go stash diving--and trust me, my stash is pretty luscious!)-- and, (this is the one that'll get people ALL excited) a chance to pick two characters that I will write a short Christmas fiction for. This is for the readers--and there are a few guidelines:

A. No resurrecting the dead or Alternate Universe (i.e., no Adrian, Cory, and Bracken, or Teague and Adrian). BUT there may be flashbacks (Adrian and Green for instance)

B. No Brian and Tate (because Talker's sequel is placed near Christmas) or Jace and Quent (ditto).

C. No spoilers to Quickening or Living Promises (but I may give teasers).

D. No pushing, shoving, biting or kicking! (Okay-- you all know what crappy luck I have with my contests-- that last one is supposed to make you smile!)

To enter, simply post a comment to THIS blog post, and specify: A. Which prize you want, B. If you want the sock yarn, which color and which kind, and C. If you want the fiction prize, which couple (or menage) you want me to write the Christmas story for.

The fiction piece will be posted on Goodreads.com, on my page! (And sent to the winner personally, if they like, so they can read it first!)

Anyway, the posts will be picked via paper-in-a-hat, and Squish will draw one and zoomboy will draw the other, and the deadline is Friday, September 17th, 11 p.m. PDT.

(I covered everything, right Chris? Chris is my go-to-girl for contests--she'll let me know if I blew it or not!)

Anyway... uhm, so that's post 899... Happy 900 to me!

23 comments:

Jambrea said...

Ohhh!! I want to pick characters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pick me! Pick me! Pick me!

Saren Johnson said...

Happy 900!! I swear you don't look a day over 750. =^.^=

Sock yarn (purples or blues) and you'll need to write about Jeff & Lisa's college romance.

Anonymous said...

good morning...I am excited...do I have to pick couple????Bracken and Adrian in the past would be my desire

grammy

roxie said...

I'm having a senior moment. What's the name of that ever-so-sexy hispanic vampire king in San Francisco? And Cory.

Yay Amy! Happy 900!!!

Hugs to Big T. Sometimes, shit happens. And life just ain't fair.

LindaC said...

Oh wow, I want the fiction option. If I must pick, I want to visit with Joel and Ian again.

Jennifer Duffy said...

I'd like a Marcus and Phillip flashback. I love those two!!

Congrats on the license to kill and Happy 900!!!!! :)

Catie said...

Hi Amy -

I haven't been commenting much, but I've been reading - promise! I seem to have fallen off of the blogging wagon - school and life got a hold of me I suppose. Congratulations on 900 posts and (because I don't think I've mentioned it before - see comment about lack of commenting) congratulations on the publishing front.

Sock yarn - green or jewel tones - brand - any - I haven't used enough brands of sock yarn to form a preference.

Katy Sones said...

No to sock yarn, yes to the fiction! I would love something on Renny and Mitch or, or, maybe someone from Katy's past!!! Or maybe someone from Adrian's past, right after his first death??

Unknown said...

Ooh, what fun.
I'd love to read about Bethen and Lane. I so much enjoyed the Bitter Moon world and people.

Louiz said...

Oh my!

I'd like a Rennie and Max story, because they're mostly support characters who should have their own story:)

And hugs to Big T, I know the feeling

Michelle said...

YAY to Amy..Happy 900! Get snarkey on 'em..they deserve it. Hugs to T. The perils of not being born first are endless. I would like a story with Andres and Bracken AND Cory. Maybe Adrian can peek? hehehe Any story would be good though. (I didn't kick or bite , so, pretty please?)

Anonymous said...

Oh this is great! I would sooooooooooo like to read a Nicky- Eric- Story! :-)

Christina

marcieo said...

Dang, that's a hard choice!! I would LOVE to see another story with Whim and his kitty. There is something lovable about him. :D

DecRainK said...

WooHoo on the huge umber of blogs - thanks for the countless amount of entertainment in them!!!!


I want the fiction prize, and I would love a story about Ian and Joel ( I really LOVED If I Must lol)

OR..... I liked Louiz's idea of Rennie and Max because those two REALLY need a story of their own.
Seriously, either would be great. I had my own idea (Ian and Joel) picked until I read everyone else comments and went 'Oh yeah, Rennie and Max need one too!' and now I cant pick which one I would like more! lol

Anonymous said...

I didn't know who I'd pick until I saw Renny and Max, but then there was Marcus and Phillip, then Adrian and Bracken AND then there all of your other wonderful characters so now I think my head will just explode cause I still just don't know.......

Littlewitch said...

I can get onboard with Andres and Bracken...Marcus and Phillip...or Adrian and Bracken...or Eric and Nicky...but...you don't really need to be told who I really want. DEACON & DEK! OK...Crick but he was still Dek when I met him.

And Mary's right. Watch the thin ice. I still haven't forgiven you for killing Adrian *sniffle*

BellaM54 said...

I've always been a...the more the merrier kind of gal myself. I would have to be selfish and say: Cory, Green, Andres, Bracken and Nicky and Eric.

Will you sign the copy?

A very merry 899 post day to you!

Thanks much,
BellaM54

BellaM54 said...

I've always been a "the more the merrier" kind of gal myself. I would have to be greedy and say: Cory, Green, Bracken, Andres and Nicky and Eric.

Will you sign the copy?

A very merry 899 day to you!

Thanks!
BellaM54

Mary M. said...

ooooh! What a good contest idea! I don't know what I'd do with the yarn since I already have a good amount and no time at all to knit, but if I won could I have a little vignette with Torrant and Aylan giving each other a little comfort? Please please pleeez? *batting eyelashes*

Unknown said...

I got behind reading the blog and almost missed this!

Sock yarn, please in blues and/ or Purples.

But I's also love to see a Christmas story about Sebastian & Asa (& Jordan).

molli said...

Sock yarn! In purple hues. (Do you know HOW HARD it is to find purple sock yarn?) Wildfoot is nice. As for characters, I love them all and you want me to PICK!?
hugs,
molli

Galad said...

I'm with Roxie - I'd have to say Andres and Cory :-)

Unknown said...

I dunno; I think a Lambent piece set in England would provide some good back story.