Monday Morning Musings

Hello, Fire Enthusiasts. Since it seems that I am working many holidays while others are blessed with the day off, I will refrain from doing any happy dances today. This is President's Day in America and I do have this day off. We used to only celebrate President Lincoln and Washington's birthdays in February; however, (I suppose) in an effort for every president from the great to the scoundrel to the inept to get some recognition, we now celebrate them all.

I thought I would use this day as an opportunity to touch base with all of you on a variety of issues, ranging from entertainment to my writing.

Writing:

I continue to write for many, including myself. I have the every other Friday slot at Wicked Writers, which I share with the wonderful author, Carole Gill. I assist some other great Vamplit Publishing authors with the Something Wicked This Way Comes blog. There, I recently reviewed the wonderful horror film, Let Me In. If you have yet to see that film, you really ought to give it a chance. I do not really watch horror films anymore, but I'm so glad that I gave this little vampire story a chance. It really is something special. Lastly, I write once a month for a local on-line magazine in my neck of the woods: Kings River Life. I typically write articles or interviews about stories concerning my town.

Books:

I haven't been able to read very much. I work 11 hours a day during the week, and it's all that I can do to keep up with PR for my novel and all of the other writing. The last time that I got any reading done was during the holidays. This weekend is the first time since then that I have even considered reading something, but since I could, I started reading "Cut Short" by Leigh Russell. I do not know Leigh very well, although we have had the opportunity to say hello to one another on occasion along the world wide web. If the rest of this book is as good as what I have read so far, then the hype I have read about this wonderful writer is all true. We faithfully read Patricia Cornwell's Key Scarpetta series in our home. What Leigh is doing with this debut is just as good as that. I have book 2 on my shelf and I understand that book 3 is on the way. With any luck, I'll be reviewing the novel this week.

Music:

A few months ago I discussed what I had been currently listening to. I'd like to do the same now. Unfortunately, things have been rather quiet. I went nuts when The Beatles catalogue was finally available on iTunes, hunting through each and every album for tracks that I just had to have. Hell, I didn't even wait to get home, but was buying the music from trusty iPhone. I continue to listen to the newest releases from 30 Seconds to Mars and My Chemical Romance. Other than that, the only new music that I have discovered is by a newer artist, Lauren Pritchard. Her album is entitled, Wasted in Jackson. I stumbled upon it while surfing around iTunes one day last year and am so glad that I did. As fate would have it, her cd is physically coming out this week in the US. Lauren is being described as an American soul singer and they might be right.

Whatever you are doing today, I hope it is a good day. Take care of yourselves.

We'll talk soon.