Reality Bites

Last week:

This week:

The one bright spot:

10 Random Facts

Alz and fellow Campaigner Cheryl Reif  tagged me, though I'm not sure what more I can share that you don't already know from this list of cool experiences from Harvard and Hollywood and this list of weird health ailments :D

1) I'm trained as both a life coach and a woo-woo therapist

2) Yes, I once danced with one of Britney Spears' back-up dancers at a club so exclusive it was inside another club.

3) I adopted my dog by accident.  At the shelter, I'd put a hold on both him and this chihuahua (I know, right) and I was going to cancel his hold and go with the little yapper, but they didn't spay her in time (a harder procedure for females) and neutered him instead.  So I brought Terry home and now he's my son.

4) Before Terry, we fostered MANY dogs from pugs to chis.  My favorite breed is still pit bulls, like Manny.

5) I love handmaking cards

6) I find everything in restaurants too sweet and too salty.

7) Two words: neti pot.  (After blogging about my daily headaches, Suz suggested this cure.)

8) I hate anime.  I'm sorry!  Those squeaky pedophiliac girl voices freak me out.

9) I'm a cry-baby.  I cried twice during Encino Man.

10) One last time: TEAM JACOB!  Vote for your team here.

Wordless Wednesday: Bliss Rest

Blog about your Dog Monday!

Lindsay at Lindsay Writes started a new series. Show us your dog or other pet on Mondays. Include lots of photos, please.

Last summer at the Long Beach Dog Zone

This is Terry, my 2-year-old-ish shelter rescue.  After scouring the internet, I found ONE dog that looks kinda like him who's a Dachshund and Fox Terrier mix.  So we're going with that.

He's not a fan of water and won't go into the ocean, but he's completely obsessed with being around other dogs, whether they want him around or not.

And yes, sometimes I call him Jacob.

In My Mailbox

Last month I had no idea how people did In My Mailbox, started by the Story Siren.  How did everyone get so many hard copies of books?  (Yes, I've now realized that book bloggers get ARCs.)

This month I can finally participate - I won not 1 but 3 contests!  Since I have to save every penny for an impending move, I can't spend any more on books so I was deathly thrilled to win these:

Elliot and the Goblin War (MG)
by Jennifer A. Nielsen from First Page Panda

Brooklyn Story (Memoir)
by Suzanne Corso from Guide to Literary Agents Blog

Across the Universe (YA)
by Beth Revis from L.H. Walker (a fellow writer I hope to eventually meet in person at a local SCBWI event)

Story about this last one:

Beth Revis is a testimony to good networking.  I heard of her through other blogs and friended her on Goodreads after reading the first chapter of ATU and wanting to know more more more.  She was amiable and sweet, and because of her great attitude, I was absolutely committed to reading the rest of ATU.  I just had to figure out how I could get my hands on a copy of it...

My funds are so tight now so I started entering every ATU giveaway I found.  Lo and behold, Lori wrote me saying I'd won it!  Not only that, she had done the drawing twice at different times and my number came up each time.  It was meant to be!


THANK YOU so much to Jennifer, Suzanne and Beth and to the websites that facilitated these gracious giveaways.  Can't wait to read these!