My Weekend: An Epic Journey in Pictures

Okay, "epic" might be a wee bit of an exaggeration. But anyway, I had a great and busy weekend! So I thought I'd take some pics of what I did. :D

Friday night, I went to my tattoo appointment. I've been working on a backpiece for almost a year now--this was my 8th session. We finally finished it! It's a samurai girl in front of a mountain background (which was taken from a Japanese woodblock painting). In the sky is a moon and a phoenix. It took 16 total hours to finish the entire piece, and I couldn't be more thrilled with it.

Saturday morning, I got a spa pedicure, complete with paraffin wax. It was delightful. Seriously, seriously good. My feet felt softer than a baby's butt. I was making everyone touch them. LOL

We watched movies all weekend--Conan was first up on Friday (I love the part where he punches the camel, LOL). On Saturday, the manpanion's parents came over, and we watched Inglourious Basterds with them. On Sunday, we watched Independence Day with the kiddies.

Sunday, first thing I did was rock my super-fab awesome Kenny Rogers shirt. Because ya gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em.

Here's my workspace, AKA my dining room table. I was grading papers in the evening and planning my lessons for the week. See that green plate? It held delicious homemade chocolate chip cookies. Notice I used the past tense of the word.

Last, I colored my hair! It really needed it. I like how it came out--it's a really nice dark shade. Also, notice those eyebrows, yo--I got them waxed while I was at the salon. Cha-ching.

So, what did you do with your weekend? Anything fun? Dish it!

My son, ze master artiste!

My 10-year-old son has been working hard on a picture for two days now...he's drawing it for his sister (who is 13). My son is really into drawing, and I am so proud of him for working hard and staying focused on this one piece. He told me last night that he isn't as good as he wants to be, but he and his friend are working together to help each other improve their art.

How awesome is that? Perfect attitude--I feel the same way about writing. I'm not where I want to be, but I'm working on it! I couldn't be prouder of my son than I am at this moment. :D

Anyway, I'm going to be the gushy mom for a moment and show his artwork...he asked me if I wanted to post it on my blog, so here you go! I hope you enjoy. His sister is the big one, and he's the smaller one (see how they're "ready for battle"?):

Thanks for sharing this with me!

Chat to win a 75-dollar Amazon gift card!

Hi, guys! I'm breaking my haitus briefly to let you know of a cool promotion I'm doing. Fellow YA author Erin Lynn (author of Demon Envy and Speed Demon) and I will be chatting at Bitten By Books tomorrow, in part to celebrate the release of the second book in my trilogy, Flirting With Disaster. RSVP for a chance to win a $75 Amazon gift certificate (This link is for RSVP'ing, not the actual event link--that will be provided on the day of the event): http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=20687

Everybody who comes to the event and RSVP's before the event will get an additional 25 entries into the contest!!

So please, RSVP and pop by tomorrow. I'll see you there! :D Hooray!

SOOOOO busy!!

Hey, guys and gals!

I'm snowed under with lots of stuff (editing, writing, work, etc), so I'll be MIA for a week or so while I catch up on everything and climb my way back to the top o' the mountain. I will be back soon to check in and let you know how things are going. :D

You guys stay out of trouble, and I don't want to see you in the news! Or on Girls Gone Wild. LOLOL

XOXO!

A Day...in the Life...of Rhonda!

Let me take you on a journey, dear Reader, a journey from which you will never recover. Mwahahahaaaaaa...

Seriously, now that I'm done rubbing my hands together evilly, I thought it would be fun to show you how exotic and dream-worthy the life of an author is. To make things easy, I'll just take a typical Monday and describe it for you.

Please fasten your seatbelts in case of a bumpy ride. And try not to be too jealous, okay? LOL

5:45 to 6 am -- alarm goes off. Am half awake. Lungs aren't functioning. Smack the alarm off, pee for like 20 minutes, brush teeth, run comb through hair. Dress in the dark so as not to wake the manpanion or my two dogs. Whoops--accidentally breathed too loud. Insane puppy wakes up and jumps, slathers me with drool, then stands by the door begging to get out. Commence intricate distraction plan and slip out and close the door. The manpanion can deal with her.

6:00 to 6:15 am -- check email. Nope, nothing good. Tired of hearing from the people in Nigeria who want me to share my bank account. Guess what, buddy? Can't squeeze blood from a turnip.

6:15 am to 7:00 am -- drive to school in the freaking dark (I teach freshman comp at a community college). Chug a diet pepsi and turn on some kind of upbeat music in a desperate attempt to wake up and be PERKY! Head to my class--always pass by cafeteria that smells like sauerkraut. I swear, it's a perpetual Oktoberfest in there. Print off material for class.

7:00 am to 8:15 am -- teach class. Try not to be boring. Ignore groans of misery when I hand out yet another depressing classic short story.

8:15 am to 8:45 am -- drive to my day job. Chug more diet pepsi. Whee! Arrive at work without wanting to kill too many drivers, pull into one of the last parking spots available, and wave to the smokers on my way in the office.

8:45 am to 5:00 pm -- ride high on the caffeine rush for 10 more minutes, then crash into work coma. Work. Email. Check Amazon rank status. Work. Email. Check Amazon rank status. Yap with coworkers. Check Goodreads status to see if I got any new reviews. Blog. Talk on forums. Work. Email. Inhale lunch. Look down and realize I am either wearing mismatched socks, my shirt is on backwards, or my underpants are inside out. Yap with coworkers. Visit every online bookstore known to mankind to see who is stocking my book, if they're in stores, and if their ranks have changed when applicable. Check Amazon rank status. Cry on the inside because the stupid numbers are going up, not down. Get mad, close browser, try to focus on work. Lather, rinse, repeat.

5:00 pm to 5:30 pm -- attempt to drive home while surrounded by total morons who should never have been given a license. Start prepping brain for writing tonight. Mentally flip off jerk who cuts me off. Then physically flip off jerk.

5:30 pm to 7:30 pm -- eat dinner. Check email. Nag kids about chores and homework. Do editing for Carina. Nag kids some more. Check email. Talk on forums. Review my critique partner's material. Come on, kids--do those freaking chores already! Shove son into shower. Daughter won't stop talking. OMG please stop talking.

7:30 to 10:30 pm -- sit down to write. Son finishes shower and stares over my shoulder. Ask him kindly to find something to do, to which he tells me there's a 25-minute youtube video he wants me to watch. Sigh, close writing document, and watch the video. Then wish I could get those 25 minutes back. Shove son into kitchen for him to make lunch. Pay bills and balance budget spreadsheet. Daughter comes back downstairs and talks some more about her love life. Wish I could gouge my eyes out. Pull wood chips out of slobbering puppy's mouth. Finally, kids entertain each other. Open manuscript back up and get pages done. Then open fav online game-of-the-week and play for a while. Kids return and mock me for being an addict. Shove them off to bed. Pour a glass of wine. Oh heck, let's make it another. Drag my sorry, tired self into a shower and then to bed.

There ya go, kids. See, if you work hard, you too can lead a glamorous life! Seriously though, I know there are TONS of other authors who fit writing in between parenting, working, etc. Kudos to us working folk who make it happen! :D

Blog Tour 2010--Kristin Walker!!

My next blog tour guest is Kristin Walker, whose book A Match Made in High School came out on February 4. I can't even tell you guys how freaking HILARIOUS this book is. Seriously, you have to read it!

Here's a summary of A Match Made in High School:

When a mandatory marriage education course forces Fiona to “try the knot” with super-jock Todd Harding, she’s convinced life could not possibly get any worse. Until moments later, when her long-time crush is paired with her arch-enemy (otherwise known as Todd’s obscenely hot, slightly sadistic girlfriend). But that’s nothing compared to her best friend’s fate – a year with the very shy, very goofy, very big Johnny Mercer.

A series of hilarious pranks and misunderstandings leave Fiona wondering: is there something her supposed “best friend” hasn’t told her? Could there be more to Johnny Mercer than a deep voice and an awesome music collection? And perhaps most intriguing of all, is it possible that Todd Harding could actually have a heart – and a brain – beneath his pretty-boy exterior?

And here are Kristin's answers to my three goofy questions:

1) What was the spark of inspiration for this story? Tell us what event, or idea, or dream got this book started.

-I was looking for a topic for a funny young adult novel, and the idea of a marriage education class popped up as I woke one morning. And if "write what you know" is really a mantra for writers, then I thought this idea could work, since I have many years of experience with marriage.

2) What food did you looooove getting from the cafeteria at lunch in high school, and why? (or if you didn't eat cafeteria food, what was your favorite brown-bag lunch?)

-As I remember, every day I ate an iceberg salad with ranch dressing and saltines crumbled on top. I don't remember loving it though, and I can't think of anything else I ever ate. My friend Anita and I were perpetually on a string of bizarre diets. One time we ate nothing but Jell-O for days.

3) What is your absolute favorite part of being a writer?

-Honestly, the very best part of it has been making friends with other authors, especially the Debs. I can't even put into words how much it has meant to me to laugh, discuss things, learn, commiserate, and go through our authorial debuts together. A very close second is getting good reviews. Those are fab.

You can snag a copy of A Match Made in High School at Amazon HERE. Best of luck, Kristin!

Flirting With Disaster contest--winner!

We got some freaking HILARIOUS entries, as well as some cringe-worthy ones that made me wince. Nice job, you guys!! I feel like I was let into your secrets, and I promise to use that info for good and never for evil. :D

However, there can be only one. One winner. One big kahuna. And here it is, the winning entry:

For some reason the hubs thinks I'm horribly allergic to oven cleaner fumes. I
don't know why he thinks this but I've never corrected the assumption either. I
haven't had to clean an oven in over 10 years! :)

That was by Rhonda Cowsert (what a LOVELY first name, if I may say so! haha)! You won the big prize of a signed copy of my book, plus a $50 bookstore gift certificate to the bookstore of your choice! Please email me at rhonda at rhondastapleton dot com with your snail mail address and choice of bookstore.

I'd like to give a HUGE thanks to everyone who entered. You guys are AWESOME! And don't forget--Flirting With Disaster comes out TOMORROW!! WOO HOOOOOO!!!!!

There's still time to win Flirting With Disaster!

Don't forget--there's still time to win a signed copy of Flirting With Disaster (book 2 in my Stupid Cupid trilogy, releasing March 9), as well as a $50 bookstore gift certificate! Go HERE and give me your best confession. You have until Sunday, March 7 to enter. :D

Blog Tour 2010--Stacey Jay!

My next blog tour guest is Stacey Jay, whose book Undead Much? came out on January 14. I can't wait to read this next installment in the Zombie Settler series!

Here's a summary of Undead Much?:

Even Zombie Settlers with Super Hot Boyfriends get the Blues...

A few months ago I was a normal girl with a normal life. But that was before my power to Settle the Undead returned and someone tried to kill me with zombies.

Now I work magic and practice kicking butt while trying to find time for pom squad and my boyfriend, Ethan, and trying NOT to think about how freaky my life has become. It can be tough. Still…things could be worse…

Oh yeah, right:
1. Feral new super-strong zombies. Check.
2. Undead psychic hottie predicting a zombie apocolypse. Check.
3. Earth-shattering secrets that could land me in Settler prison for life. Check.
4. Cheerleader vs. pom squad turf war threatening the end of the half time as we know it. Check.
I’m going to need therapy (and a cookie) if I live through the week. Unfortunately I’m learning that’s not something Zombie Queens can take for granted.

And here are Stacey's answers to my three goofy questions:

1) Cage match: your main character vs. Urkel. Who would win?

-Megan, hands down. She lays the smack down on zombies on a daily basis. A freakishly annoying nerd doesn't stand a chance.

2) Name 3 things you can't live without.

-Love, laughs, and red wine.

3) What book have you read that you totally wish you'd written?

-"White Oleander" by Janet Fitch. It was a gooood one.

You can snag a copy of Undead Much? at Amazon HERE. Best of luck, Stacey!

Blog tour 2010--Erin Dionne!

Several of the 2009 Debut authors have new books coming out in 2010, and we decided to do a mini-tour! My first blog tour guest is Erin Dionne, whose book The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet came out on January 7. I love Erin's writing, and I bet this book is hilarious!

Here's a summary of The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet:

Hamlet Kennedy just wants to be your average, happy, vanilla eighth grader. But with Shakespearean scholar parents who dress in Elizabethan regalia and generally go about in public as if it were the sixteenth century, that's not terribly easy. It gets worse when they decide that Hamlet's genius sevenyear- old sister will attend middle school with her-- and even worse when the Shakespeare project is announced and her sister is named the new math tutor. By the time an in-class recitation reveals that our heroine is an extraordinary Shakespearean actress, Hamlet can no longer hide from the fact that she--like her family--is anything but average.

And here are Erin's answers to my three goofy questions:

1) Cage match: your main character vs. Urkel. Who would win?

-Hmmm...Hamlet would win, totally. She'd throw out some Shakespeare quotes to stun him, then go for the jugular.

2) Name 3 things you can't live without.

- Ice cream/frozen yogurt
- A book to read
- A pen and notebook. I carry one with me everywhere!

3) What book have you read that you totally wish you'd written?

-*sigh* THE HUNGER GAMES. Suzanne Collins, you rock!!

You can snag a copy of The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet at Indiebound HERE. Good luck, Erin!

Why wasn't I wearing pants?

I tend to have really weird and vivid dreams. Like the other night, I dreamt I was going down a flight of stairs in a hallway and suddenly realized I wasn't wearing pants. People at the bottom of the stairs were staring up at me. So I did the jedi finger-wave mind trick thing on them and said, "You will not remember that I have no pants on."

Yeah, I'm thinking I should stop eating paste before bedtime.

Seriously though, I tend to notice certain themes in my dreams--I have a lot of flying dreams, where I'm soaring from tree to tree, exhilarated and free and light as a feather. I also have frequent dreams about being pregnant. Family factors into my dreams as well--my kids, the manpanion, and my mom/dad/sis make a lot of guest appearances. And I often have dreams where I'm embarrassed about something or another.

I don't know why, but my dreams are sometimes realllllly out there. Do they play into my creativity--are they a cause, or an effect of my writing? Who knows. But they do give me a good chuckle every once in a while.

Anyone else have cracked-out dreams? What's the weirdest dream you've had?