Anya Bast

Okay, I love cats. I could probably even be called a crazy neighborhood cat lady. But this? This is going too far. Too far, people!

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypMl2RFTC9Y]

God, I love this cover.

Lauren Dane’s Fated releases from Samhain today! Nip on over to her blog to read a yummy excerpt.

Cross posted from The Bradford Bunch.

My husband and I just celebrated thirteen years of marriage. I know it doesn’t seem that long to some people, but considering the rate of divorce surrounding us, it feels like an accomplishment to my husband and I.

We are really different, he and I. I’m introverted and quiet. I only speak unless I have something to say. When I make friends, I tend to make them for life–I don’t flit. He’s loud and outgoing and a bit bossy. He has lots of friends, but the relationships are a bit more superficial than mine tend to be. Many are the times he tries to plow over me and tell me what to do, making me dig in my heels and stand my ground (with him, I have to be strong. He keeps me that way.) I love to read, he doesn’t. I love to talk about politics and religion and deeper sorts of issues, he doesn’t.I’m emotional, he’s not. He loves to go out and be around other people, I don’t. We are opposites in lots of different ways.

But we share plenty of common ground, too, and over the years we’ve both grown and changed…together. Like the limbs of a tree growing closer, rather than further apart. Little bit by little bit, the alignment of our personalities has grown stronger.

There were rocky times, times that another couple probably would’ve used to say goodbye, but love kept us together. We worked through the rough spots, coming out the other side of them stronger for it, more in sync, and closer. Yes, we are very different, but we have an understanding of the other person and a genuine appreciation. We give each other the qualities we don’t possess ourselves–two halves of a whole. Over the years I’ve adopted some of the aspects of his personality and he’s adopted some of mine.

Maybe that’s why I tend to pair opposites in my books. I like the idea of two very different people coming together, finding a bit of common ground, finding a deep and abiding love, and building a house with a solid foundation on it. That’s what we’ve done in our marriage, after all.

All I know is that I’m thankful for my husband and I wouldn’t trade his loud, brash, bossy self for anyone. He is my partner through this life, my very best friend and best companion, the one I want to grow old with. Out of anyone in the world, he knows me the best…maybe even better than I think I know myself.

I loved it, of course. Actually, I saw this movie a while ago, right after it came out. Anything with Christian Bale and I’m there in a flash. Christian Bale as Batman? Heaven, peoples, heaven.

Personally, I was very impressed with Heath Ledger portrayal of The Joker. I thought he did a fab job. No huge surprise, since I already knew Ledger was a kick-ass actor. But what do you think? Does he deserve an Oscar? I’ve got my head so buried in work, I’m not sure what his competition might be, so I can’t give an adequate answer.

What say you?

As an aside, mark your calendars for September 10th. That’s when the Book-a-Day extravaganza will start on this blog. I’ll give a new book away every day until shortly after the release of The Chosen Sin on October 7th. Check back every day, answer all my questions and you’ll have a chance to win free books.

Now, back to working on the second draft of Witch Fury.

Of our dog. I snapped it this morning. I think she’s a gorgeous pooch, but I may be a bit biased. I have friends who are doing the 365 Project. You post a photo a day, every day…for a whole year. I can’t commit to that, but I am going to make a point to post more pictures on my blog.

I joined Second Life today. Oy. There’s a learning curve, methinks. It’s going to take me a while to get the hang of it.

I’m working on two projects at once, something that generally drives me nuts. And, yes, it is making me nuts. Big time. Right now I’m working on the second draft of Witch Fury and I’m also writing my novella for the Christmas themed anthology I’m in next year. My story is actually Yuletide themed. This novella kicks off my new fae series and introduces my new world. I don’t want to say much more than that because I’m superstitious.

I hate working on two projects at once because it’s hard for me to disengage from one world and slip into another just like that. I also hate having to head hop between all my main characters. I can head hop between two characters in the same world, no problem, but four across two different worlds is a bigger deal.

As well as making myself nuts, I’m getting ready for the rather large promotion I’ll be hosting on this blog in September/October. I’ll be giving a book away, every day. Sound good? Along with a bunch of my books, here’s a sampling of the titles I’ve selected:

Lora Leigh — Mercury’s War
Lauren Dane — Making Chase (autographed)
Jeri Smith Ready — Wicked Game
Keri Arthur — Embraced by Darkness
Jacqueline Frank — Noah: Nightwalkers, Book 5
Patricia Briggs — Cry Wolf
Megan Hart — Tempted (autographed)

Plus many more. I also plan to give away a signed ARC of Witch Heart (January, 2009)

Now I’m off to take my daughter to the library. It’s actually NOT a bajillion and three degrees today. Yay!

Along with a box of 2500 postcards. Promo materials for Witch Heart and The Chosen Sin. These were waiting for me when I got home from vacation yesterday. (We went up to Minnesota to visit friends)

The bookmarks are lovely. Want to know the scary part? They all have a place to go! I will have about 1k left once my mailings are done. If you’d like a Chosen Sin postcard and/or a Witch Heart bookmark, drop me your mailing address using the contact form on my web site. Don’t worry about a SASE.