(Dwayne is here just because he’s pretty.)

This week was chock full of Sam. Well, at least for me. I had a new book video come out. It’s on You Tube, and I posted it at K&T on Tues.

I realized I haven’t been great about posting recent interviews and such. So you can catch one here at Blackraven’s Erotic Cafe, and I guest blogged here at Selena Illyria’s.

I did an interview at the Ellora’s Cave editors blog Redlines and Deadlines. This one is advice for new authors, so all you aspiring writers might want to check it out. It’s the beginning of a series of interviews with authors over there.

I had two wonderful reviews this week. Over at The Romance Studio Play It Again, Sam received five hearts, and was up for Favorite Five Heart Review of the week. And over at Speak It’s Name, Islands received 4 1/2 out of 5. Both are very nicely written reviews.

On top of all that, I’m trying to edit a book, I’m researching my next Brothers In Arms, my computer was upgraded (I just got it back last night. Yay!), my six year old was sick AGAIN, I tried to cook dinner (don’t ask), I did about sixty-five loads of laundry (if I ever miss a blogging day chances are I’m buried alive under a mountain of dirty laundry), my roof is still leaking (need a new one), my espresso machine broke (also need a new one), and the first of several school Thanksgiving feasts is today.

I got a new phrase from lisabea. “Defcon five” now means that state of lapsed grooming writers achieve in the middle of a deadline, or several. Do they have defcon eight? I’m at defcon eight.

Katherine Ashe, who has a new Regency series with Avon debuting next year, sent this around to our RWA chapter loop. It’s how to write a Regency in two minutes. It is hilarious for those of us who write or love Regencies.

I’m on the planning committee  of a very exciting conference next year. The Writers’ Police Academy, the brainchild of writer and police procedure consultant Lee Lofland, is a two-day academy next Sept. 24-25 where writers will be able to take workshops and watch demonstrations with policemen, EMT’s, firemen, forensic specialists, and ATF agents at a public safety training course. It’s hands-on, so that we writers can learn what we need to know to write realistic scenes. This is a great opportunity for anyone who writes mystery, romantic suspense, urban fantasy, thrillers, or horror. The banquet speaker is NYT bestseller Jeffery Deaver, and NYC Chief Medical Examiner and mystery writer Jonathan Hayes will be giving a special presentation as well. Registration opened last week and the spaces are filling up fast! There is limited space available, and the hotel (which is a fantastic deal) has even less space. So go check it out and register now.

Happy Turkey Day (early) for my fellow Americans, and for all my friends around the world I’m sending thoughts of thanks and plenty your way.