Something old...something new...and Second Life!

The old first...which isn't so very old...I have been working on a sequel to Secret Submission. When I first concieved the novel, I had a much larger story in mind. One that went all the way to Sarah and Phillip's wedding. I pitched it to Ellora's Cave as a two-novel set, but since I was an untried (an as yet, un-pubbed) author, they would only buy the first book, since it was finished and the second part existed only in my mind. Wise choice on their part.

Over the past few years, I set the story of Sarah and Phillip aside as I worked on other projects. But every time I opened the story starts folder I have tucked away on my computer...the file of bits and pieces would stare at me...accusing me of abandoning them. This past fall, I gave into the guilt and pulled the pieces out.

Tentatively titled, Submission Revealed, the story has flowed quickly. There is but one scene left to finish (and it's a doozy of a sex scene!) and I can send it in to my editor. I have hopes to have it done by the first of the year which, by the calendar on the wall beside me, says I'd better get to it! I wrote 3000 words in the last two days...another 3000 or so ought to finish everything off.

Something new...I have my first Exotica novel debuting in January! Mostly, as you know, I write erotic romances. A New York Moment is my first that is more erotic and less romantic...although there is a romantic element to it. It's a Quickie...just a short story, as befits the title!

and Second Life.

When I originally started in Second Life, it was to explore the online possibilities of a place for my readers to visit with me. I'd heard of the colleges that were conducting online classes and the big businesses that were getting into the SL market for their products (like Toyota and Ford!). I figured there had to be a place for an erotic romance author with a small following to find a pleasant place to chat with one another in a real-time environment much more pleasant than an online chat room.

With that vision in mind, I started my Second Life exploration. What I discovered along the way were casinos galore and entrepreneurs every other person...places of education and BDSM clubs as well. I also discovered a sim full of friends and soon-to-be neighbors. While I currently have a few places open where people can download excerpts from my books, by the end of January I hope to have that place I originally envisioned...a permanant spot with lots of comfy couches where readers can come to download excerpts and talk about books, erotica, and life in general. The spot is already reserved...the building has begun! Soon, you will be able to sit and chat with Diana Hunter (as Diana Allandale, my SL avatar) in a marvelous new way!

Till then,
play safe!

Diana

I haven't blogged much because of two happenings in my life that have been keeping me busy. The first is a new story (yay!)...and no, I'm not going to spill the beans till it's done and into my editor (which, if all goes well, should be in the next week or two).

The second, appropriately enough, is Second Life. I know I asked before if there were any SLers out here, and I did discover a few (waving hi to Montecore). Well, recently I rented space at the Nantucket sim and have put up a few of my book covers. More will be coming soon. I'm also trying to figure out how to create notecards so that when you click on a cover, you get a card with an excerpt from the book as well as purchasing information. Actually, I've created the cards...just have to try and figure out how to attach them to the posters!

The entire idea of Second Life is intriguing...at first I thought of it as just a giant chat room with avatars. But it really is a lot more than that. Sometimes, I will admit, I feel a bit like I'm playing with my Barbies again...every time I change my avatar's clothes. And believe me, Diana Allandale (my avatar on SL) likes to change into appropriate clothing for the sim she's in! Guess I miss playing Barbies more than I thought!

I have met some wonderful people there...from all over the world. A few days ago I visited a BDSM spot and the place was taking a long time to "rez" (sometimes the resolution of a site takes a bit of time). Several people stood nearby, carrying on a conversation and I eavesdropped as I rezzed. Being me, I couldn't resist going over when my avatar was finally fully pictured and joining in. The conversation revolved around Real Life issues of real Master/slave relationships. What an opportunity to talk to people about a subject near and dear to my heart...with no sideways glances, with no disapproving looks, with no concerns about what people might think!

LOL I could go on and on...but I'd better get back to writing this story.

Play safe!
Diana

Any Second Lifers out there?

I sent this out to my fans via newsletter...then realized that perhaps this is the better home for it.

My new obsession (besides writing, of course!). If you haven't heard of Second Life, you will. It's the next MySpace. Place has been around for about five years, but is just now coming into it's own.

What's the difference you ask? Well, Second Life (SL) uses avatars that you can customize to the nth degree. Make it look like you...make it look like Catherine Zeta-Jones...your choice. No one uses their RL (Real Life) names...although I do use my first name. You choose your last name from a list, so I'm Diana Allandale on SL. There's a real economy and you can buy and sell cyber stuff...or real stuff. Toyota has a dealership out there and Reuters just put a real-life reporter "on the scene" to report on SL happenings. Go to concerts...take a class...gamble...the whole world is recreated.

Now, is this a good thing or a bad thing? Like anything...it's all in the user. Yes, there are "griefers" who are annoying. Yes, the land is expensive (and no, I can't afford to buy any yet). Yes, gambling and cybersex is VERY available. But then again, so are online courses and some wonderful shops (if you're there, check out Shakespeare & Company!). So, for the most part, asking if Second Life is a good thing or a bad thing, is like asking...is Real Life a good thing or a bad thing?

So if you're out and about in SL, look for me, Diana Allandale! I'm sometimes at the Bondage Cafe (where else?), but I think if you do a search, you'll find me wherever I am (guilty secret...I like to hang out in the chairs that pay you to sit there and fill in to make the place look full. You get paid a minimal amount...but like I said...I don't have many Linden dollars and I'll take what jobs I can! LOL Besides which, I can sit there...and have my file open and be writing away at the same time!).

As always...and whether in real or Second life...PLAY SAFE!

Diana

Read this great article entitled "Are you an Internet Addict?" and had to answer with a resounding, "YES!" I went down through the list of symptoms and know I have five of the eight.

I definitely like having the latest Internet gadgets, even if I don't exactly know how to use them to their fullest capability.

I often wonder if I have email and usually have the window up all the time so I can just maximize and hit "check email" 'cause I don't want to miss something important.

I go online to escape...not to escape problems so much as escaping characters who won't behave!

Disregarding emotional or physical consequences of staring at the computer screen for so long? Heck, I have glasses...and aspirin. What more do I need?

General decrease in physical activity or social life? What's a social life? And I'm pretty sure getting up to use the bathroom or visit the fridge counts as physical activity.

That's the five. So am I an addict? Yeah, I probably am. Especially since I have one more symptom this blogger doesn't mention... I'm sitting here blogging about other people's blogs!


Have fun and play safe,
Diana

The world is shy one deer after this morning I've had. Dark, rainy roads...oncoming traffic. Difficult to see much, so I'm driving under the 55 mph speed limit (admittedly, not by much, but I WAS under it). A deer standing in the middle of the road. Just standing there. Looking at me. Of course, I had about three-quarters of a second to register this fact before the thud came and I saw it flying past my window.

Damn. Not even a year old, either...although in that shortened second between sight and impact it looked huge. I pulled over, the oncoming car pulled over...he got out and pulled the deer from the road and went on. I got out...several yards up the road and watched, pulling my cell phone out as I did so.

I'm fine. The deer has gone to Heaven (yes, I believe animals have souls). The accident has been reported to the police (thank goodness I had my laptop in the car while I waited for the officer to come make a report. Because there were no injuries to anyone except the deer, I wasn't a high priority as I sat in my car waiting for an hour before a member of the K-9 unit came to write it up for me. Got bored, so took out my next story and got to work editing it. Tease, tease!). I've gotten my estimate ($1500 to the front corner of my car...a Hyundai Elantra. Hood's okay...headlight's smashed. Front bumper is only crumpled a little and the side panel has a rip in it). Now I'm home and have decided work can do without me for the day.

I hate the fact that I just killed a deer...and one less than a year old, at that. Seems such a waste. The philosophical part of me keeps looking for the reason behind it, but the practical side of me just says, 'get over it. Accidents happen.' The practical side of me also says, 'Don't waste the day you were given....get writing!'

So I'm off to get a cup of hot chocolate and find a comfortable spot to curl up in. The house is strangely quiet...I'm not used to being home in the middle of the day. But something tells me, I will enjoy the unexpected time alone.

Play safe...and watch for deer!

Diana

I write romances with heavy bondage scenes. In my books, the man is sexually dominant and the woman is always submissive. Often they have issues...troubles...dealing with their sexual preferences. A man who doesn't want to give into the 'cave man' mentality of bossing a woman around...a woman who needs to reconcile her hard-won, feminist independence with a desire to just relax and give all that power to a man. The Dominant/submissive dynamic and the internal struggles that go along with it have always fascinated me.

But I go further than that in my romances. I add in some of the stronger elements of BDSM. She likes being tied..."forced" to do things she would never have dreamed of until meeting a man she calls "Master." Slavery. Sexual slavery that teases...excites...fulfills. I write of our deepest held secrets, of fantasies we only whisper to ourselves on dark nights when no one can hear. I write of snapping whips and chains that bind, of spankings that leave the skin pink, and of hot sex that leaves the reader breathless.

And then a man goes into a schoolroom and tells the boys to leave, keeping the teenagers he then makes sexual advances toward. He takes their freedom...and at least one life. And another man walks into another schoolroom, this one filled with children, and he keeps only the little girls, tying their ankles so they cannot walk. He plans to sexually assault them, but kills them instead.

These men are twisted and sick and they differ from my heroes only in the matter of degree. Bondage, male dominance, the sexual submission of women...these are themes that run through these crimes just as assuredly as they run through my books. Do I bear some of the responsibility for their heinous actions? I don't have an answer to that...and it torments me.

Consent is a big part of the key...my heroes always obtain the consent of the woman they love. They do not push their sexual preferences on those who do not want them. My heroes respect women and love them for their independence, understanding that the power truly lies with the woman in a D/s relationship...for a woman has only to say the word, and the ropes are untied, the bondage gear put away, and the "play" ends.

"Play." Another key element, I suppose. Even among real people who truly live D/s lifestyles, the term "play" is used along with another word to describe the sexual act with all the trimmings: a "scene." Both these terms, derived from the theatre, denote a setting-apart...a definite movement of the action out of real life and into a realm of fantasy.

My husband tells me I cannot be responsible for other's mental illnesses. These men could not see the line between fantasy and reality...a line that is often blurred even by those of us society considers "normal." I understand that. I really do. And yet, a part of me will always wonder when these things happen...where does my responsibility begin? And where does it end.

Please...please...please....ALWAYS remember to
Play Safe.

Diana

Cabin Fever is now on sale! You can buy the print version here at Amazon (although they list it only as presale) or here at EC's home site. Barnes and Noble also still lists it as pre-sale (the 'big boys' need to update their pages!). If you'd like an excerpt...check it out here. Reviews, too!

From its position on the Coming Soon page, I'd say Kara's Captain will be out (ebook format) the first week in October. Don't quote me on that, though. Believe me, when it releases, I'll post the information! Check out my website or the newsletter to get a sneak peek!

And watch for New York Moment and A Devil in Winter...both coming this December!

Till then, play safe!
Diana

Well, it's taken me a while, but I've finally signed up for MySpace. LOL No, not as one of my characters (yes, I know that seems to be a hot new gimmick, but I'd rather write the character's stories than write the character's blog. Call me old fashioned....).

No, I'm there as myself. If you'd like to see my profile, check it out and then add me as a friend. I look forward to seeing you there!

On the writing front, we go from famine to feast. After not having a release since last (gasp!) October, looks like there will be three out at the end of this year. Kara's Captain should be out sometime in October (crossing fingers!), and Devil of a Winter in December (crossing toes!). And of course, there's always the Quickie New York Moment for Ellora's Cave new Exotica line!

How does an author get herself into these situations? For me, it all began last year when I was trying to write a novella for the now-defunct Lady Jaided Magazine. I started two stories, one of which actually went on to become Kara's Captain. But we had a sorrowful spring in our family, with the passing of a beloved great uncle and then the untimely death of my father-in-law. Although I had several stories started at that point, I just couldn't seem to concentrate enough to finish any of them.

But time moves on and so do we. In the space of a few weeks early this summer, I finished all three stories and sent them in. Final edits are now done on all and I can turn my attention to something new...or something started and not yet finished...which is more the case.

So what have I settled on? You may remember Secret Submission (my banned Ebay book...which, by the way, is still banned and no closer to being reinstated. That's okay...give Amazon or Barnes and Noble the business instead). Well, ages ago, I wrote a small scene between Sarah and Phillip that didn't make it into the book. It's been sitting on my computer just begging to have a story written around it. I pulled it out last week and decided to play around with it. I even have a title: Submission Revealed. Looks like a keeper!

I liken choosing a story to work on to throwing spaghetti at the wall to see if it's done. I remember my mother flinging a piece of pasta at the wall behind the stove. If it slid down the wall, she'd get out the cloth and wipe the starch off the wall, pick up the dropped pasta and throw it away. Two minutes later, she'd do it again.

Well, I use much the same approach when starting a new story. First I'll read through the half-dozen or so manuscripts that are started. If the characters from any one of them start talking, I'll stay with them a while and see if the story "sticks." If it does...we're off and running. If it doesn't, I clean the starch from my computer and.... No, if the characters are silent, I move on to the next file. And if all of them are silent? I just start a new story with new characters and follow along until either 1) they shut up and I have another unfinished story, or 2) they take me all the way to the end.

Okay, so it's about as organized and scientific as throwing pasta at the wall to see if it's cooked. So far it's worked for me!

(by the way, my mom no longer throws pasta at the wall. She's living in a house where the stove is on an island, okay...a penninsula...and has no wall to use. Now she just tastes it...as I have learned to do as well!).

Off to visit with Sarah and Phillip...and I'll see you on MySpace!

Play safe,
Diana

Susan Gable made a great post regarding buying used vs new books. This is such a touchy subject...and she does a great job explaining why authors tend to push the sales of new books rather than used (bottom line: authors don't get any royalties on the used book). Problem is, explaining that to readers without coming across as capitalistic pigs isn't exactly easy.

That's why I like Susan's post so much. She explains the ins and outs (and freely admits she often buys used or uses the library as well. In the interest of complete disclosure here, I have to admit to the same, although our library doesn't stock erotica titles...!) without coming across as whiny or money-hungry. A fine line to walk...and she manages it quite well.

Hmmm...wonder if subliminal messages would work? Note to self: figure out how to encode BUY MY BOOKS NEW into the text of every email message and posting I make...LOL

In the meantime, Play safe!
Diana

Wow.

Many thanks to Melissa at Paperbacks and Things for a GREAT booksigning experience. She throws quite a party, let me tell you! If you ever get the chance to go to her store, DO IT! She's an incredible lady who makes everyone feel at home. Her store is great, too...with places to sit and chat about books, philosophy, or the kids at home. And believe me, we covered all those bases and more this past Saturday!

Also, I need to send some thanks over to Debbie E for the pictures you can find here. My Dear Heart and I decided to turn this tour into a family vacation, so we went to Cedar Point last Thursday, the booksigning in Cleveland on Friday, Paperbacks and Things on Saturday and Greenfield Village yesterday, the Ford plant and Henry Ford Museum today and home tomorrow. My Internet usage is spotty, so am posting this now while I can. Will post a LOT more when I get home.

till then, play safe!
Diana

For those of you who don't know, my husband is a theatre director...directing several high school plays a year at two different local high schools (he says he likes working with high school kids 'cause they haven't developed any bad habits in acting yet. Gives him a chance to set them on their way with good skills). He also directs one community show in the summer...a big musical that people from all over the Finger Lakes come to see. This past week has been production week, sandwiched in between my own booksignings. LOL A busy time here, that's for sure!

But I do need to share with you a great set of pictures taken at the GreeceRidge Mall Waldenbooks booksigning. Judy Mays is on the left, Jennifer Dunne in the middle and me (in white and red) on the left.

As you can see...Jeanette (the store manager) loves EC books and had us out front and center. We got some strange looks, I can tell you! Especially when Rose and Rick Taubold showed up with their Got Sex T-shirts! Some of you may have met Rick at the RT conference...he was also in Heather Graham's vampire show! But many thanks to both Rick and Rose for creating quite a bit of buzz with those wonderful shirts!

It was also a chance to get to meet a long-time fan...auntcaffey! She's an absolutely charming woman...I only wish we had more of an opportunity to visit.

Don't forget! I'll be in Cleveland, Ohio at the Borders Express and in Westlake, Michigan at Paperbacks and Things this coming weekend. Stop in and say hello!

As always, play safe!

Diana

Quickie reminder...I'll be signing books at the GreeceRidge Waldenbooks from 2:00 - 4:00 pm tomorrow (that's Saturday, July 8th). I'll be joined by Jennifer Dunne, Nikki Soarde and Judy Mays. If you're in the Rochester, NY neighborhood...stop by and say hello!

Play safe,
Diana

One of the questions I'm frequently asked is, "Where do you get your inspiration?" I thought I'd take a moment today and give at least a part of the answer.

The plot lines of my stories are driven by character (those of you who read my blog often already know this...and the troubles I've had when characters choose to act independently of their author!). But those characters must come from somewhere. Some of them are composites of people I actually know...taking a gesture from this person, a phrasing from that...a turn of the head or a favorite activity...and combining them into a unique character that is brought to life only by the words on the page and the workings of our imaginations.

But many come from art. Yes, you heard me. There are some magnificent BDSM artists out there painting, drawing, sketching some wonderful works of art. The Drunna series by Serpieri, the pin-ups of Greg Hildebrandt, the work of Ken Marcus and Eric Stanton, and then a site I found most recently: some wonderful photographs by William are among the many I have used as inspiration over the past few years.

(sidenote on the Hildebrandt brothers: they are perhaps most famous for their Tolkien artworks, however, stop by their website and you will see they have incredibly eclectic tastes!)

In any case, feel free to visit the galleries of the above artists...and email me with artists you've found. If I get enough, I'll add a page to my website in the future...a listing of great BDSM art!

Play safe,
Diana

If you haven't gone over to the website in a while, check it out: www.dianahunter.net. Mirus Group did a great job with a redesign...one that was sorely needed. The previous one had been done by yours truly and looked it. While I was quite proud of what I did (and AM proud of it), the reality was that it looked like it had been designed by someone who didn't know much about webdesign. And since my forte is in storytelling and NOT webdesign...well...let's just say it was time.

I am running a contest comparing the old and new designs. If you want to get in on that (free download or print book of any of my current releases is the prize), head on over to my newsletter and get the details.

On the story front, New York Oasis is now renamed A New York Moment...a much better title, I think. And it looks like EC will not be publishing it under that imprint. My editor thinks it might be better placed with EC's as-yet-unnamed erotica line, since the romance in this little Quickie is not as important as the sexual activity. Not too hot for EC, but not romantic enough. But I had fun with it, and may write some more in this vein just to explore the dynamics between the hero and heroine. Will keep you posted as to when it might be available for purchase!

Frankenstein's Captain, a novella-length paranormal, should be finished by the end of June...and back to my editor. She told me it needed more...and as usual, she was right. It needs an entire chapter! (Was going to tell you what I was writing, but don't want to spoil the story...not really trying to be a tease. Well, okay, maybe a little one... ). Am working on that and hope to get the story completed and out to the public by autumn.

Stop by my website and let me know what you think of the changes!

Play safe,
Diana

A great article on Rodney Chatman here. Scroll down to see his picture and read why we all love him so much.

Gonna keep this short today...will be blogging about my new website design shortly, though....

Play safe,
Diana

Haven't tried this before, but here goes! I'm trying to include a picture of Rodney Chatman...Mr. Romance 2006! I do wish I'd gotten a pic of him without his hat. He looked dashing in it, but this picture doesn't do him justice. And I should've let my hair down...ah well...there's always next year!

Play safe!

Diana 

Reading back through my RT posts, I realized I never talked about the food at the Hilton. I've told you their service was great, even if they couldn't figure out the Internet problem. And the beds! Holy moley...wish I could take one of those beds home with me!

But their food? What we had wasn't awful, but it was rather plain. And not nearly enough of it. At the convention we're given one large luncheon a day and the rest is made up of mixers where food and drink is readily available. At the nighttime parties there are usually nosh-type food. The breakfast mixers weren't bad, with plenty of coffee for those who drink it, but rarely juice. And usually only one type of danish. I know that's partly the decision of the sponsor so let me tell you now...the 10 of us who are members of the Fantasy Club are planning to sponsor a breakfast next year...and we'll have juice and muffins and cinnamon rolls...and lots and lots of coffee!

So I get to the airport yesterday, go through security (the security guard got a good chuckle over my shirt. Yes, I was wearing my "Got Sex?" T-shirt. On the back it says "We do. Ellora's Cave Publishing"), and make my way to my gate. I'm taking what I expect will be a puddle jumper from Daytona to Atlanta and then home from there.

Cheyenne McCray is already waiting at the gate. So is Jory Strong. Shortly Lynn La Fleur joins us as well as Cricket Starr, Mardi Ballou and Mackenzie McKade. I think there were more, but I can't remember (I was working on only about 4 hrs sleep). If you were there, let me know and I'll add you in! And if I have you as being on that plane and you weren't...well, it's amazing what a little sleep deprivation will do to you!

A few minutes later, the EC staff shows up...Cindy and Brian and Jeania and Kelly. And all the cover models...CJ and Rodney and all the rest. All on one plane to Atlanta! As we started to board someone said, "This plane better not go down! Erotic romance will never be the same!" LOL

Now, you would think a plane filled with these party animals would be lively and loud. Had it been 8:00 at night that probably would be true. But I think every one of us fell asleep as the plane flew us to our next destination. We parted ways in Atlanta, each going off to different gates and different parts of the country. Next year -- Houston!

I had over two hours till my next flight, so decided to walk the tunnel rather than take the subway. Besides, I only had to go from Gate E to C this time. C24 -- which is down in a hole, and looks it. The seats were all cracked, boards were over the video terminals that told what flights were coming and going. There was one toilet shared by men and women. I took some comfort from the sign that said the entire C wing was undergoing an upgrade.

It gets close to the time I know we should begin boarding and the announcement comes over the loudspeaker, "We are now boarding for Ottawa, Canada. Please have your passports ready."

One problem: I'm not going to Ottawa. I have a passport, but not with me. Because I'm going to Rochester, NY, not Canada.

So I go up to the desk and inquire politely if the gate for my flight has been changed (it hadn't when I went down into the hole two hours earlier, but there was no working video monitor down there). I was supposed to be at Gate 36 now.

I hauled it down to the other gate and got there just two minutes before they began boarding. Talk about a close call! The flight home was fine until just before landing. There was a storm over Rochester, with 20-30 mile an hour winds. We came in over the Lilac Festival and it was very cool to see Highland Park from the air with all the lilacs in bloom. Looked like a Monet painting with dollops of purple and white and lavender on the hillside.

So the landing was a bit bumpy, but certainly not anything to worry about. My family took me out to Friday's for supper (love that Jack Daniel's shrimp!) and then home. And bed!

Now it's back to writing for a living...need to put my feet back on the ground, both literally and figuratively...and get those stories done!

Play safe,
Diana

It’s hard to believe the RT convention is over. Well, over for me. It’s 12:08 am on Sunday morning and I have to be up at 5:30 to catch my flight home. Yes, 5:30 in the morning.

I’d like to send a very big hello to Robin! She’s been reading my books and is my biggest fan. Tonight we got out on the dance floor and cut the rug some, let me tell you! Robin, you are the greatest!

I’ve met so many wonderful people that to list them would create a post longer than my arm! But special hellos must also be given to Sunny, Deborah and Kendra…it was so much fun meeting each one of you!

And a special congratulations to our own Rodney Chatman…the new Mr. Romance! I’m so proud of him!! If you’ve never had the opportunity to meet him, let me tell you…he’s the nicest, politest, sweetest man you’ll ever meet. And, of course, he’s gorgeous. And I can say, “I knew him when!” Congratulations, Rodney!

This has been the best RT ever…okay, the best of the three I’ve gone to. So many good things have happened this week. From the people I’ve met, to the awards won by authors and my very own cover model (Rodney’s on the cover of Tales from the Temple III, just in case you aren’t sure which one he is) to getting my hand slapped at the bookfair today by a woman who told me, “Secret Submission is the dirtiest book I’ve ever read.” Slap. “And I’ve read it several times.”

Things like that make my day. As a author, I tend to stay in my own little world, writing stories that haunt my thoughts. Sometimes I forget that people are actually out there reading them. Days like these past few make me realize my books touch people in ways I have never imagined. Thank you to all of you for sharing your experiences with me. You give me reason to keep writing.

Play safe,

Diana

EC has the Tales from the Oasis series...I have my Tales from RT!

Let's see...there was no hotel shuttle on Wednesday (despite my standing in front of an ad that said there was, the hotel denied having any such service and told me to take a taxi. I did.). Ruby and I were going to meet, but hadn't set up a time or place. We figured we'd just find each other once we were here. That was before we knew the RT convention space was spread all over the hotel and that it was a quarter mile hike between the two main venues.

But we found each other at last...in fact, yesterday (Thursday) Ruby, Lynn LaFleur, Nikki Soarde and I walked down the boardwalk to get pizza. We were joined by Ruby's sister, mother and daughter (these women are a kick!) and later by two reviewers from FAR! But again, I'm jumping ahead...

Back to Rodney. He's so sweet. If you've forgotten, Rodney is the cover model on the Tales From the Temple III that I have a short story in. Did you know he's competing for the Mr. Romance title this year? He has MY vote, that's for sure!

EC decided to offer pictures with the cover models at the party this year with the proceeds going to the Montel Williams MS Foundation. I went over to get my pic taken with Rodney and found poor Kelly and Cindy going crazy. The line got long VERY fast and they hadn't expected the volume of sales, so they were short-staffed. I volunteered to run the printer so they could do the selling and photography, respectively. LOL That was at 9: 30. At 11:30 I was still at the printer, getting pics out to people. Amazng response!

So no dancing for me Wednesday night. Missed the cover models, who did a solo performance in the middle of the evening. But then again, I sat and watched all the pics being taken of them and saw all the prints. Terrible job, to have to look at them all night long...but then again...I don't mind sacrificing myself.

But yes, I got my pic with Rodney!

Yesterday (Thursday) was a busy day as well...and finally got to dance last night some. OH!!! There will be some REALLY, REALLY good news coming soon! Only telling you it's coming right now...am going to wait until it's official to actually announce. But it's WONDERFUL! (tease, tease!).

Am off to lunch now...will write more later!
Play safe,
Diana

Internet access! Finally!!!

A special thanks to the staff at the Hilton, Daytona Beach Ocean Walk Village! I had troubles all day with getting onto the Internet (proved to be an easy fix...which I accidently found tonight...after the hotel tech spent much time and effort trying to deal with this afternoon. And it isn't his fault he couldn't find it...but I discovered the hotel's system just wouldn't deal with more than one day at a time. Wait...let me tell this right...)

I tried to log in this morning (costs $10.00/day for access...same as several other hotels I've been in), and it would go through the entire process, but then tell me I didn't exist and therefore, couldn't have access. Drove all of us crazy till the tech finally threw in the towel and gave me free breakfast coupons as compensation for his not being able to fix the problem.

But I miss the internet...and knew my mail was piling up. So when I got back from "dinner" (more on that in a bit), I decided to give it one more go. This time, however, instead of trying to get access for my entire stay, I tried just for tonight. Voila! I'm here! Will I be here tomorrow? Who knows? Maybe tomorrow their system will decide I don't exist again! LOL

But I'm here now...and finally taking a breath. Talk about an exciting two days!

Yesterday I was up for 22 hours. Rose at 3:00 AM and left the house at 3:30 to go to the airport. May I say I have the most wonderful husband on earth? He never complained once about the awful hour, but got up with me and drove the two-hour round trip to drop me at the airport, then came home, got the kids up (I have teenagers...you may know what fun it is to get that age up and out the door in the morning) and off to school before heading off for his own classes (he's a college professor).

Flight took off on time; we were three minutes early landing in Atlanta. Good thing. We disembarked at gate A3. My connecting flight left from gate E31. Now I've been in a few airports before...that's not a long haul.

Except in Atlanta. I swear the airport must be laid out in one mile-long building. And no, I'm not exaggerating. You walk underground to get from gate to gate and beside the walkway (parts of which are moving sidewalks...thank the Good Lord above for those! You'll see why in a minute)...but beside the walkway is a gul-derned TRAIN! I'm not kidding. It's a self-contained subway system that simply runs from one end of the airport to the other and back again. And how long is the rail line? One mile!!!

Now I can walk a mile. Do it in 15 minutes on a good day and barely work up a sweat. Except there are only 25 minutes between the time I land and the time boarding begins for the next flight. I know what you're thinking. "Okay, Diana...that gives you a buffer of 10 minutes...what's the big deal?"

Remember I said "good day." I was so excited Tuesday night, I didn't get to sleep until 1:00AM. We got up at three to go to the airport, so I'm working on two hours of sleep in a 30-hour period. Add to that the fact that I'm carrying 40 pounds of luggage in one suitcase (filled with promo items, of course...the airline can lose my clothes and I'll just buy new ones. But my promo comes with ME!), and another 20 pounds (including this laptop) in my backpack. AND the fact that I had no idea the walk was that long until I was about halfway to my gate and I'd been walking for ten minutes already, so I wasn't rushing. That ten-minute buffer? Shot!

Thank goodness I got to the gate and found out that, while I was treking the bowels of the Atlanta airport, my flight was delayed fifteen minutes. Thank you, Lord! I sat down, took three breaths and then was up and getting on board.

And of course, hit the ground running! Will write more later tonight with stories about getting to the hotel (nothing could be easy, could it?) finding Ruby Storm (Ruby! Where are you?), and getting my picture taken with Rodney Chatman (could any man be sweeter?).


Until then, Play safe!

Diana