Not dead

We went on our honeymoon! 10 glorious days in Colorado. I will post pics this week.

XXOO

Julia

we interrupt Snippet Sunday

to say

We got married!

BA and Julia 06/15/2014

wordless wednesday

Missed Snippet sunday

I'm a bad dog. I feel a little disjointed today, a little out of whack. Yesterday was a great day, though. Went to the UU church (my girl asked me to try, for her. Church and I are not mutually exclusive, exactly, but we're not buds) Good service. Then it was off to the garden show, then Chinese for lunch. We got some neat garden ideas. I'll be making my girl a table type bird feeder for the front yard for the quail and doves. We walked the dogs, too, which is always a gamble once it gets hot. Sonny, the boy basset, had a bad vet visit his last time out. Chunky, if you will. After walking daily for 3 weeks, he's back in fighting trim. Boom.

And now, in lieu of content, have a hot guy

Also, Teamwork is out at ARE, Amazon and B&N

More dragons, more Elemental Ops action, more Keon and Ice

Check it out here on ARE

Better day tomorrow

XXOO

Julia

I'm not a joiner- or author promo for introverts

Does this surprise anyone?

When I was in high school I knew to get into the college I wanted, I had to have extra-curricular activities. So I joined the library club. No meetings, just solitary book shelving. When I was in college, I was more likely to be found at midnight with a chosen friend and a bottle of Mad Dog on a playground, talking deep shit or playing Dead Poet's Society.

Lest you think I am woe-is-meing, I love my life. I don't mind being an introvert.

Until it comes time to promote my books.

Ahhhh. Conventions rock, but they're exhausting. I see all these people blog touring and I think wow, go them. How do they have the energy? How do they meet all these people? Grins. Book promo can feel like you're walking uphill both ways to school in the snow. Wahhh.

Okay, that was a little woe-is-me. So how does an introvert learn to market? I try hard to Tweet or like or comment on at least one person I don't really know every day. I try to learn from authors I admire, authors who have this whole promo thing in the bag. I get my Gary Busey on and talk to things, some of which might be people. But mostly I try to write good books.

A good book will get other folks talking for you.

XXOO

Julia

snippet sunday

from my Dawg Days story, upcoming at Torquere

July James aimed his powerful lens at the wolf cavorting in the water. Wolf reintroduction on Grand Mesa was going well, from what he could see. This guy was a huge, healthy male with a glossy gray and black coat. The wet tail waved furiously, the wolf jumping and playing in the cold creek, bouncing as if he was hunting in the snow.

God, that was adorable. July had come to the big flattop mountain in Western Colorado to photograph moose, which were also a successful reintroduction, but this wolf had caught his attention three days ago, and he’d been stalking the silly beast since then.

The only worrisome thing about the big gray was how solitary he seemed. Wolves ran in packs, so why was this one so alone? He didn’t seem to have any rabies symptoms, and God knew he looked healthy. Then again, he wasn’t wearing any kind of radio tag, so maybe he was a wandering male.

Still, the pictures were totally worth the extra time he’d have to spend camping so he could get his moose shots, too. There was something about this animal, something that drew him, made him want to fill a dozen memory cards with images.

He brought the camera around to another angle, his eye at the view instead of watching the digital screen. July froze then, because the wolf stopped its play and turned its head to stare at him, right at him, it seemed. Those golden eyes met his, steady and unafraid, and July felt a lot less like a professional photographer and more like a yummy chew toy for those few moments.

Backing off slowly, he packed his camera away, careful to keep one eye on the wolf. Then he moved carefully toward the main trail, which would have enough foot traffic during these summer months to deter the wolf from following him. His heart slammed against his ribcage. Damn, he was lucky this particular wolf wasn’t running with a pack and had only himself to protect and feed.

That had been entirely too close.