Lori Devoti, paranormal romance and urban fantasy author

My friend, Eve Silver, is having a contest to countdown to the release of her book Seduced by a Stranger. Stop by her site and check it out!

In October I think…this is the collection of Bites that came out in trade paperback this spring. The mass market version will have the same cover, but there is also going to be a U.K. version with this…

Which do you like better?

Anyone else feel like they are chasing life down the street? That it’s moving ahead of you a bit more every day?

I didn’t used to feel this way. I think it’s the kids…who knew they came with such increased chaos?

Anyway, this week I could maybe should be at the RWA National Conference in D.C., but I chose to stay home…second year in a row staying home. And, I have to say, I don’t regret it, because this darn life of mine is hard enough to keep under control without me trying to chomp out five days (plus shopping) for a conference.

What am I doing/done? (warning it doesn’t sound like that much…)

1. Edits on February 2010 Nocturne x 7 because it’s an every day thing this week
2. Housework…not much because I’m trying to be honest here…
3. Took kid #1 to Doctor (three hour visit)
4. Took kids to county fair
5. Blogging…here
6. Emailed and twittered (following RWA National…hmm, maybe this has something to do with out-of-control life…)
7. Updated web site…And it is still seriously not up-to-date
8. Entered receipts/paid bills…another seriously waited-too-long task
9. Fish shopping…TWICE because first one died same day!
10. Interview with and conversing with Husky Rescue people about adopting a new dog…
11. Preparing kids for next week’s camp AND house in general for potential new dog
12. Driving five hours to see potential new dog…and back…
13. Jogging, but not enough…it could be worse, I could be at National sucking down daiquiris…
14. 5,000 other little things I have now forgotten

So, there’s my list…do I deserve to feel out of control? Probably not…sigh.
p.s. Here’s a picture of the dog we are thinking of adopting… How freaking cute is he? (and yeah, one of his eyes is half brown and half blue!)

I did a panel a few months back about animals in fiction…or something like that. It was a surprisingly full room with surprisingly lively interaction between panel and attendees.

But then again, maybe it wasn’t surprising. We humans as a rule are quite geeky about our animals. And animals are a very popular theme in books. It starts when we are kids…classics like Black Beauty, The Call of the Wild and Misty to more modern tales like Hoot, The Tale of Despereaux and the Geronimo Stilton series. But animals aren’t just in kids’ fiction. We adults love them too. Look at the success of Marley and Me. How about Lillian Jackson Braun’s Cat Who series? Or even the George R.R. Martin books with his dire wolves?

Let’s face it we love animals, especially animals the characters in the book love, and frequently are willing to risk a lot to save.

Why is it? On the panel I argued it was the love we feel and have felt for our own animals that attracts us to these books. We understand the emotions the characters feel, the desperation they go through when the animal is threatened. It’s primal and universal. We get it.

We also frequently see animals we have loved and lost in these fictional creatures. I for one ADORE Susan Conant’s malamute mystery series, because I owned and adored my own malamute. Reading her stories reminds me of him, takes me back to the time I had him. What more can I ask for?

What about you? Do you love books with animals? What are some of your favorites? Why do you think they speak to you?

This year we decided to go old school and actually bought some fireworks. My kids were excited until I told my daughter a few of the horror stories of my youth including the kid I actually knew who got his eye shot out with a bottle rocket. Daughter asks, “Did we get any of the kind you described?” Hmmm. Not sure.

Our favorites were sparklers and snakes. Do you remember the snakes? They were I’m guessing one of the safer choices. If there are anything like sparklers in our package my kids will be out there with safety goggles. Better humiliated for life than blind, right?

So, that is on the plan for later today. I already made a couple of dishes for our dinner. Cole slaw I made last night, because it really is better after it sits. This morning I started the pasta salad. I also made a version of this… So, I am definitely not going old school on the menu. The hub is cooking a rotisserie chicken. He’s a complete geek about that rotisserie on the barbecue. Actually, he’s a complete geek about a lot of kitchen gadgets even though he doesn’t do a lot of cooking. My grandfather was like that too…Is it a Y chromosome thing?

Last night we did the big fireworks and the mosquitoes were HORRIBLE. My son looks like he has the chicken pox. I was sure people would avoid him a the fire engine/bike parade this morning, but then I saw a few similarly decorated kids. The joys of summer!

Speaking of the fire engine parade, that was fun. But kids crack me up. This one little boy probably five, kept falling. He was a trooper though and never cried. One time his parents weren’t around so I helped him pick up his bike and then walked off. When I looked back, he was back on the ground. I go back, help him pick it up again and he says, “You made me…” evil/exasperated look “You have to hold on to it!” Unspoken…YOU IDIOT!!

Cracked me up.

So, it’s a great holiday so far here–hope yours is fab too!!

And if you have a great holiday recipe…share!

I was a big fan of the 4th of July growing up. It meant family barbecues and fireworks. We did our own and for the most part managed to make it through without any crazy damage. I do remember my cousin fainting when she got a spark from a sparkler in her eye. Then another year my other cousin (boy) brought a smoke bomb into the house and set it on our TV. He burned both the TV and a painted bust of I think Geronimo, but both survived…as did the house.

The 4th was also one of my friend’s birthdays…Happy Birthday, Jeanine! So we had cake and such. Yeah, the 4th was a big deal at our house…or at least to me.

Now we have new traditions. Most fireworks are illegal in Madison. So, no shooting them off ourselves. But we do trot to a nearby park every year and watch the big display. It isn’t the 4th I remember with lots of family and fun, but it’s become important to my kids…and will be the tradition they remember. Funny how that happens.

This year we are trying for something a little more special too. We’re getting out the lawn games…boccie ball, badminton and croquet. You can’t miss with that! I think I’m going to pull out some of the old favorite barbecue recipes too–baked beans, corn, coleslaw…and even dessert.

How about you? What do you have planned?

p.s. On memorial day I mentioned Watergate Salad and had requests for the recipe…here it is. It’s a perfect 4th of July dish.

Paula talks about the transition from Juno, small press, to Juno, new line for Pocket. If you are thinking of submitting or just interested in how this came about, check out the interview.