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On June 16th, the Many Shades blog will be closed.
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Showing posts with label las vegas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label las vegas. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

The Singles Travel Club


Alright, I finally have something to rival AJ in the weird and different department. But I digress; I need to start from the beginning.

Those of you, who know me, know I do way, way too much. I volunteer for many functions within my writers groups to which I belong. Take this week and month for instance. Last year, I volunteered to chair the EPICon conference right here in Las Vegas, Nevada.

And yes, that means lots and lots of work. I have to help in every aspect of the con. That means PR, picking the venue, food…you name it and it has my signature on it somewhere.

So while we're all working on putting more 'umff' in this blog, in the back of my mind is this conference and what I need to do for it. Never mind that I have a couple of books due and two talks that I'm giving on Saturday. This conference is a big deal and this is a very, very bad year to do it for a variety of reasons. One, people are financially strapped and two, things I thought were being done, weren't.

So all this weekend, actually beginning late last week, my mind has been flurry of activity. In other words, I'm scattered right now. BUT I can usually get on track with a list of things to do. But never mind all that…I can deal with those…it just means I've got to hustle my butt and go to some of those local writers meetings. While there I've got to do the smoozing thing, pass out brochures and let everyone know just how wonderful EPICon is.

And for those of you who've never gone, here's my shameless plug. EPICon 2009 is happening this year at the beautiful Tuscan village of MonteLago Resort in Lake Las Vegas, Nevada. That’s a picture of it at the top. While there, an author can learn everything, well, almost everything, about the epublishing world. Along with that, we have a kick-ass keynote speaker in one Penny Sansevieri, author of 'Red Hot Internet Publicity' and man, does this woman know her stuff! Penny is absolutely great! The conference is March 5-8, 2009 and you can learn more about it at http://www.epic-conference.com/. Since, we're all green authors, we should attend if possible. If nothing else, to smooze and visit with each other. I love meeting and hanging out with my fellow authors and frankly, what better place to do it?

Again, I digress. Sorry. Anyway, on my list were three writers meetings this week to attend in hopes I could entice someone to attend EPICon. They are the Las Vegas Writers Meeting, Las Vegas Screenwriters Meeting and my RWA meeting. I just found out about a fourth meeting on Sunday, a Sisters in Crime chapter meeting that I've decided I'll invade as well.

So tonight I get it together, I make some brochures, get all my regular work done and make sure the DH knows where I'm going so he won't worry. I also mention to CR that I'm going to this meeting and she says, "Isn't that on Thursday?"

"Nope," I say, "it is tonight and I've got to get my butt in gear." So I take a nap, take a shower and get it together so I'm out the door by 5:45 which just gives me enough time to get there and get comfortable. One the way I talk on my hands free phone to a friend and in no time I arrive. Grabbing my stuff, I'm dismayed to note that I am actually a few minutes late but no matter, I've been with these people before and usually enjoy myself.

I go in and don't recognize anyone but this group is rather large and I can see this is a big gathering tonight. I get a name tag and listen to the speaker who's talking about doing a reading. She's going over the important of the details she needs in order to give you a correct one. All interesting stuff. The sign-in person tells me to fill out the forms and bring them back at the end.
No problem. I can do that.

I go sit down and scan the room. Not one familiar face. That's odd, I'm not so far gone that I can't recognize any one. I flip through my brochures about to take them out and decide I should really listen to the speaker. So, I scan the room again and nada. Surely, not every person I know is gone today?

Mentally, shaking myself. I pull out the form. Maybe I should fill this out because the speaker is now getting on familiar territory and it's not so interesting any more. I glance down once, then up. That can't be right. I look down again. Hmm. The dues aren't the right amount. No one every lowers their dues. I look up a little more and see the name of the group: Singles Travel Club of Las Vegas.

I shake my head and rest my chin on my hand. Okay, so maybe I need to do a little observation for my books, you never know what you'll see, right? I really begin to look at the people and by this time, I am trying to hold it in. At first I think, if this is the best that Vegas has to offer, there's a problem. Then I look at the form again. It's the over 60 Singles Travel Club of Las Vegas.

Oookkkaaayyy. Even a little old for me right now. I quietly pick up my stuff and go back to the sign-in table. I give the paper back and tell them to mark my name off because I've come to the wrong meeting. Sigh. Once in my car, I call the dear husband and let him know. What started as a snicker became a laugh. He couldn't believe it. I told him to make sure I really had a writers meeting before I went to the next one and started home. The trip is 45 minutes and the whole time I reflect on just why I was so gung-ho that the meeting was tonight.

I get home and email CR. Know what she says to me, "I can just see your face when you discover the mistake." The exact same first words out of the DH's mouth. Geez, are they in cahoots? LOL!

Sigh. Just chalk one up for the dodo who definitely needs to volunteer less and sleep more.

See ya next week! Or my new partner in crime…it'll be a surprise!


Lynn

Monday, September 22, 2008

Wonderful news ~ from C.R. Moss

Hello everyone from sunny Las Vegas, where it’s promising to be a beautiful day in the high eighties. And, not only is the weather making the day wonderful but I have fantastic news as well. I’m proud to announce that my first print book is now available on amazon.com. Yea!
The book is called The Mystics and is comprised of my Si’Ludo Sisters trilogy and a fourth story, The Redeemer, only to be found in the print version. For more information about the book(s) feel free to visit my website: http://home.earthlink.net/~cr_moss/
To buy a copy click on this link: The Mystics at Amazon.com
(If the link doesn’t work, go to amazon.com – books – advanced search. In the author field type in C.R. Moss then click search.)
Thank you for your readership!
P.S. The third book in the trilogy is available in e-book format. An announcement was not sent out about the release at the beginning of September because it would soon be available in the print format as well. Should you wish to buy an electronic version of the third book of the trilogy – Atonement – you may at: www.extasybooks.com
Excerpt:
The encroaching twilight once more drew her focus to the landscape. Above the mountain stars appeared in the dusky thistle colored sky and the quiet voice within her mind recalled the names of the three closest and largest ones—Alco, Miza and Mizu. The innate knowledge informed her that the star Alio, The Signifier, would also grace the sky that night, indicating change was on the way. The bright orb would remind them all that the process had begun. The great planet Si’Ludo would rise. Pwu Ihu, The One, their Messiah, would come. The rift caused by the Great Divide would be healed. All would be as it once was.
A deep pang of longing for all of it to come to pass settled in her core. She put her hand to her mouth and stuck her forefinger’s knuckles between her teeth so as not to cry out. How could she know these things? How come she felt such intense yearning for everything her inner voice, her voice, she realized, had mentioned? She wasn’t a part of this world. She shouldn’t know anything about it!
Behind her, the huge wooden door creaked open and, in the reflection of the window, she watched Hawk-man enter. A toga like outfit adorned his tall, lean body, the white cloth glaringly bright against the dark room and held close to him at the waist by a wide gold belt. Leather boots fit snug along his calves.
Casually he came up behind her, put an arm around her waist and positioned her to face him. With his free hand, he captured her chin in a vice like grip and tilted her head up. The dark beady eyes gazed down at her. A chill streaked down her spine, sending zings of ice along her peripheral nerves.
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