Events

Busy week coming up – I’m going to be on “The View from the Bay” on Wednesday, Nov 18th.  If you would like to be in the studio audience see the information below:

Meet Spencer Christian and Janelle Wang and get a chance to see the behind the scenes of a live television broadcast. Tickets for the show must be reserved in advance. Audience doors open at 2:15pm with a cut-off time of 2:30pm, the show is live from 3-4pm. 

To reserve your seats please call the ticket request line at (415)-954-7733 or visit www.viewfromthebay.com and click on “be in our audience” and fill out a ticket request form. Or click on the link below to go to our online ticket request form. 

Simplyfill out your information and press submit
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/feature?section=view_from_the_bay&id=6337461

Also will have two signings this week – check my appearance page for details.

Today’s Mama

Am profiled at Today’s Mama – yippee!  Check it out!

http://www.todaysmama.com/dream_big.php

Another chance to win BUNDLE OF TROUBLE

Great review for BUNDLE OF TROUBLE and giveaway at Jumpin-Beans – http://jumpin-beans.blogspot.com/2009/11/bundle-of-trouble-book-review-and.html

I’m still working through some technical issues (read user error here) I have overcome my problems with my recorder – but am now having issues creating the chapter one pdf for MOTHERHOOD IS MURDER to post for you all.  Don’t worry I will perserve and if I can’t do it I’m sure I know someone who most certainly can and I think I can bribe them with some halloween candy.  (Read 6 year-old tech wiz here)

Confessions from a dummy

Okay, I’m feeling a bit technologically STUPID right now.  I have been behind in recording the next chapter installment of Bundle of Trouble for my website. (Many reasons/excuses) but today the house was quite…my husband was running errands, kindergartener in kindergarten, 2 year-old at grandma’s and 9 month-old (Yikes! yes, 9 months already) napping.

I grabbed my M-Audio Microtrack Recorder (Scott Sigler recommended and approved) and was ready to go!  Not only would I record the next chapter installment of Bundle of Trouble but also maybe a promo and the first chapter of Motherhood is Murder to post on my website.  I go to turn on the thing and the message says “Hold switch active” – which I read as “Hold switch to activate” so I keep holding the button and the message just stays the same. I try three different times and figure ”Oh, the battery needs to recharge!”

I’m extremely disappointed – what with the house quite and tons of caffefine coursing throught my veins (I’m out of regular coffe – but I have expresso beans…and a machine…so why not make make a nice double latte. Ooooh but it’s so good – why not have two?) 

I plug the M-Audio recorder into the computer and proceed to slash and hack my way through my to-do list.  Yippee!  Caffefine and quiet do work!  I’m emailing, posting, tweeting, updating and breathing – still breathing – and breasing my way through the morning.

My husband has returned with the kindergartener (now working on a sticker book) and baby is awake and pulling himself up on things. Still some semi-peace as the 2 year-old wrecking machine is still at grandma’s. I re-check my recorder – “Is that battery finally charged?”

Hummm? That message is still on display. Now I re-read the message again…Wait. Hold switch active.  Hold switch active?

The stupid lock thing is on. The battery is not dead at all. Only the locking mechanism was on…ah ya ya – now I feel like a really dummy!

Have you ever had a tech dumb moment?

Great Review and Giveaway

Whee!  Bundle of Trouble got a very nice review from Resourceful Mommy and there’s a giveaway!

http://resourcefulmommy.blogspot.com/2009/10/bundle-of-trouble-book-review-and.html

Guest post at Pens Fatales

Win a copy of BUNDLE OF TROULBE! Guest blog post on Pens Fatales – the topic was Grace – leave a comment and be entered for a chance to win!

 http://pensfatales.com/2009/10/pensfatales-welcome-diana-orgain.html#comments

Interview with Dallas Book Diva

Check out my radio interiview with Dallas Book Diva – the fabulous Cheryl Nason.

http://webtalkradio.net/index.php/show-hosts/3213-inside-the-writers-cafe-hosted-by-cheryl-nason

Top 5 COOL things that happened today (even though it was HOT)

Today was incredible. The weather in San Francisco has been completely out of the ordinary, it was sunny and hot – ice cream weather! I took the kids to the park but we only stayed about 45 minutes because my littlest looked as if we was going to melt.

Aside from the weather some really cool things happened today – here’s my top 5.

Top 5 Cool things that happened today (even though it was HOT):

1. The principal at my daughter’s school allowed me to include a flyer about my upcoming Bundle of Trouble reading. I was super happy about that – talk about community support! My flyer went out to about 400 families!

2. We got to eat ice cream – guilt free. How can you feel guilty when it’s hot?

3. I spoke with my editor – always nice to talk to her!

4. All three kids were sacked out by 8 p.m. How did that happen? Gotta love the heat – it zaps the energy out of…well…out of most, doesn’t it?

5. And – drumroll please – I started Book III – yippee!

Top 5 Reasons I love my little guy.

Why oh why are babies so irresistible? Don’t get me wrong – I love all my babies, no matter how old they are BUT my six month old is so darn cute. Were the other two this cute? (I’m sure they were because actually they all look alike.)

I was staring at the baby this morning and he is so happy and grabby, just wants to grab your face and, of course, all I want to do is study him. So there we are peacefully enjoying ourselves – no complaining, no talking back, no ‘I wants’.

Maybe that’s it – we love babies because they don’t talk back.

Top 5 Reasons I love my little guy:

1. He’s cute.

2. He doesn’t talk back.

3. I could be a hormone thing.

4. He loves me back (I can think that anyway).

5. He doesn’t care if all I do all day is stare at him.

Here’s a couple photos of my bundles of trouble – I’ll do a list for the other two soon.

Tommy and Bobby

Carmen surpervises bath time

Cruising, Book Grouping and Giveaways too

I had a fabulous weekend.  Date night was so much fun we went on a bay cruise – the weather was absolutely NOT usual.  There was no wind on the bay at all. It was sunny and calm and fantastic.  We cruised alongside Alcatraz and then underneath the Golden Gate Bridge and then stayed in a cove for a while to enjoy some pesto dip and red wine.  I’ve got pictures, but they are still in the camera – so I’ll have to post them later.

On Sunday, I spoke at a book group. They choose Bundle of Trouble for their read and invited me to meet with them. They’ve been meeting for 10 years and were a fantastic group of women. We got some video and photos too – but alas, I’ll have to update that later too. (Believe me, this is not some lame ploy to get you to come back – it is purely user ineptness)

Today Bundle of Trouble got several more great reviews and there are giveaways too – so if you would like to enter to win a copy of Bundle of Trouble – follow either or both links below!

http://ittybittybookworms.blogspot.com/2009/08/bundle-of-trouble.html

http://www.lattesandlife.com/2009/08/bundle-of-trouble-giveaway.html

Top 5 Favorite Things about Date Night

I’d like to list “No Kids” five times and although that might be true, it would be a kind of like cheating – so here goes:

1. Time with Hubby (sort of a no-brainer as that is the whole point) but I have to list it.

2. No kids (of course, right up there with number 1).

3. Get to wear “grown up” shoes, becasue I won’t have to chase anyone unexpectly!

4. Can wear a “grown up” blouse or dress – because the only spit up I’ll have to worry about is my own!

5. I can bring a small tiny-teeny cocktail purse!  All I need is my phone – you know, so the babysitter can reach me and lipstick and maybe a little compact so I can put the lipstick on (although I usually use the bathroom mirror – but tonight we are going on a bay cruise) – oh – hey – here is a product idea for you – when are they going to make phones where the screen can light up as a mirror?  Hmmm.

Oh and I forgot I won’t miss the noise. I love just being with my husband and hanging out and being able to enjoy SILENCE!

What about you? What are you favorite things about date night?

Top 5 Fabulous Things about the First day of Kindergarten

Carmen’s first day of school!  Kindergarten – Yippee, I mean Boo-Hoo, I mean Yippee. So many emotions!  How did the time go by so fast?  I’m about to break into tears right now just writing this post.

The Top 5 Most Fabulous Things about the first day of kindergarten:

1. The uniform!  Yippee – we know EXACTLY what to wear everyday! What a relief!

2. The Boo-Hoo Breakfast or Welcome Coffee Social. Met so many wonderful parents and families.

3. The monsters…er…I mean boys stayed home with dad, so I got to focus on my little princess. 

4. The teacher. So nice – just a lovely lady- the perfect kindergarten teacher – the kind that will ease the kids right in!

5. New friends.  Carmen was so excited that she made so many friends and then on the way home I asked her to name them – she could only name one – well, okay, that’s a start!

Top 5 Favorite Things at the Fair

Today we went to the San Mateo County Fair.  I did a reading on Bundle of Trouble and then we took the kids on the rides they wanted to go on (or better put – all the rides they were tall enough for).

Below are my top 5 favorite things:

1. Free Parking!  Becuase I was hosted by the Creative Arts department we got a parking pass – who doesn’t love that?

2. My reading went well (sigh of relief) and Carmen my 5 yr old got to sit beside me during it!

3. Hot dogs on a stick (always a crowd pleaser).

4. Bobby was happy in the stroller for the majority of the time.

5. Carmen and Tommy got to ride the train together!

Launch Party Recap

Thank you to all you came out to support me at the launch of Bundle of Trouble. Special Thanks to Sprout San Francisco for hosting us and providing a giveaway and to LibraKnits for the giveaway.

Below are a few pictures for you to enjoy.

Sprout San Francisco

 The beautiful store Sprout.  They were such gracious hosts for us, they have a beutiful garden area and a nice playarea. If you haven’t yet been to the store - you’re in for a treat!

Signing Bundle of Trouble

Inside the store

Group of friends inside the store.

Outside of the store

Friends enjoying the outdoor patio. We were fortunate to have good weather that evening.

Tommy Jr.

One of my favorite little guys enjoying the play area. Actually, he never left the train station!

Tom Sr. and Bobby

Another picture of some of my favorite guys, my darling husband and our 6 month old! In fact, the only one missing in these photos is Carmen. She was whipping around the store greeting everyone and being a perfect little hostess, maybe someone took a picture of her and can send it my way.  Next time, I’ll be sure to snap one of the family together!

Release Day

Today is a huge milestone day for my family. My littlest is 6 months old today and Bundle of Trouble: A Maternal Instincts Mystery is finally available for purchase.  You can buy it here through this web-site or at your local bookstore.

I’m celebrating by doing a couple guest blogs – you’ll find me discussing Time Management (or lack thereof) on The Working Stiffs and in conversation with another “Berkley Babe” Jennie Bentley author of the Do-It-Yourself Mystery Series over at The Thrill Begins.

Hope you enjoy the book – I’d love to hear from you.