Dear Christina

This is not a love letter. It is not a manifestation of a new personality. In fact, Christina happens to be the lovely receptionist at Fred Astaire Manasquan, where I learn dance moves with fancy names like “twinkle to grapevine” (I’m dead serious; that’s a move).

Entrant 302
Look! It’s me!

Dear Christina: the other day you told me you weren’t sure what to write in a blog, asked me what I write about, and how often I update my blog. I’m not sure I answered very well. Then I told myself I simply had to post something today, as I haven’t in some time, and I found that I, too, have no idea what to write.

I could babble about my experience at the Snowflake Showdown, which was both terrifying and exhilarating (wink wink, Christina: there’s a blog topic for you); perhaps readers might want to hear how I leveled up Agnès in Bravely Default to a level ten White Mage (highly, highly doubtful). I might also divulge that the increasing muscle mass on my calves has caused me to split a pair of trousers (pictures forthcoming).

On a more grounded note — this is where I use the blog for its intended purpose of progress updates (Christina!) — I am mentally prepared to finish up Apprentice so it looks we’re still cruising along the track toward a summer release, though not May, as was the case with the first novel. I just really have to buckle down and write the heck out of a few scenes. I think a trip to the pub is in order.

Ultimately, though, Christina, my muse of the day, when you feel like you have to blog but don’t have much to say, just post a picture of a cat like the rest of the internet.

Our Time Has Come

Love Smells of Bacon and Overdue Blogging

Happy Valentine’s Day!

A lot of people hate the commercialization of the holiday — or the fact that it’s a holiday at all — but I still like the idea that there’s a day where we’re forced to stop and think about the people we love, even if those people aren’t necessarily romantic interests, but friends, family, and woofers too (though romantic interests are wonderful for obvious reasons).

Lurve is Like a Red, Red Rose
Somekitteh lurves me!

My scent du jour is BACON, as in BACON BROWNIES, which I’ll be happily distributing to the super friendly staff at my dance studio, Fred Astaire Manasquan. Sorry for anyone who isn’t in close physical proximity to taste these curious nibbles, but I do have another treat in store!

FIVE CODES THAT ARE REDEEMABLE AT AUDIBLE.COM FOR A DIGITAL EDITION OF THE AUDIOBOOK OF LIBRARIAN!

First-come, first-serve basis, so snatch ’em up and please leave a review/share with a friend!

1. Visit http://www.audible.com/at/redeem
2. Enter the download code into the “Redeem Your Promotional Code” field and click “Redeem”.
3. If you’re not an Audible customer you’ll need to create a new Audible.com account. Don’t worry, you can use your Amazon account to do this.
4. Follow the instructions. You’ll have 1 credit applied to your account.
5. Go to Librarian‘s Audible page.
6. Add it to your cart. When you check out you’ll see an option to apply the free credit.

And, without further ado, here are the five codes. If one of them doesn’t work, it means someone beat you to it (so read my blog earlier). 😉

T9BKPAL2LCWCH
5EHDF37CZ6WN5
5CFQ84MRKZDZJ
YCFDFR4YB35EZ
USKCMNDUEGKQK

Happy Valentine’s Day!

xoxo

Bao’s Book of Medicine

Those who are lucky enough to bask in the gloriousness that is my company know that seldom am I taken ill. Colds, cough, flu, even TB (much to my dismay: I planned on going out, hacking and sputtering, with the consumption for some time now) bounce off, though this past weekend left me in bed sneezing my brains out. I even rescheduled a dance lesson. Gasp.

Perhaps I wasn’t prescribing to my own advice: drink a cold away. Yes, rule number one, if you feel sick, take a suitable amount of vodka to sterilize and kill all those bacteria/germs. This has the wonderful side effect of making you feel good as well. And for those of you worried about reactions like the so-called “hangover” — worry not; just start from step one and soon you’ll be feeling fine again. Forever.

Shining Armor and Bao's Magical Mystery Cure
Shining Armor doesn’t just prescribe… he DIVES into Bao Medicine!

In any case, I spent most of the weekend feeling like something Elvira would watch (and, probably, looking not far removed from it, too). I think I got zero work done, which means this week — the week where I seem to have something to do every night — I really have to pick up the pace and sort out Apprentice. That book needs finishin’!

Fingers crossed, we’ll have something rough-and-tumble by the end of February. Hopefully.

Snowed… Out?

I’m the first one to say, “YES, SNOW! YES! SNOW MORE! SNOW HARDER!” (much to the dismay of those around me), but now that my flight is canceled I’ll be forced to enjoy the nice SF weather for another two days! *gasp*

Up yours, winter; while you’ll be harassing my loved ones back home, I’ll be enjoying this:

In the meantime, I’m off to eat curry, visit museums, and then (maybe) tomorrow get some work done.

Remember to register for my upcoming library talk at the Toms River branch of the Ocean County Library on Tuesday, 28 January at 7:00 pm, and if you haven’t entered the Audible audiobook giveaway for Librarian yet, you should totally join the contest!

Nothing Wrong with Eight Inches

Fenceland in Wintertime
Fenceland in Wintertime

I love a good snowstorm, the kind that forces you to sit inside and… do some work. Don’t worry; I am actually working on Apprentice, though we’re mucking about a bit in a wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey scene at the moment and I require lots of irrelevant snippets of paper, thumbtacks, and, very soon, the OLD SCHOOL CORK BOARD SHALL RETURN.

The audiobook version of Librarian is complete and as soon as it hits the distributors, I’ll let you know. I’ll also, similarly to my first run of hardcover/paperbacks of the novel, offer signed audio CDs with a special message from me exclusively for sale on my website. Stay tuned for details. 😀

Also, don’t forget! I’m giving an amazing, socially-relevant talk at the Toms River branch of the Ocean County Library on Tuesday, 28 January at 19:00 EST! Sign up here!

Pre-Christmas Moment

Sublimely enjoyable Christmas parties this past weekend and today.

It’s very weird to get mixed up in family politics, and no doubt, I shall be flamed or ridiculed by the masses (aka: the two members of my family who read my blog) for even posting such nonsense, but I’m really confused by the general concern of humans. And I have a voice.

I can go out with friends, loved ones, even strangers, and everything is okay. We stumble and fall; sometimes, someone pisses us off. But we know there are certain things that are important, things both ineffable and necessary to society, so strong that we should be able to rise up against conflict and better ourselves as humans when all is said and done. But some people don’t realize that. Some people don’t choose to realize that. And isn’t that sad?

I’ve spent the past, oh, six months, maybe longer, surrounding myself with good people and celebrating life and all it has to offer. I’ve failed sometimes. I watched others fail. But I am always me.

I have deliberately not involved myself with juvenile behavior and, rather, reached out with arms in embrace despite knowing there were no arms offering embrace in return.

Why hurt your parents? Why hurt your children? The only ones suffering are them, not me, whom you intend to punish. I feel the pain only because I see how the cruelty affects my loved ones, and that, in the spirit of the holidays, is just inhuman, and solidifies everything I’ve thought of you in the past two years. It’s a shame, because growing up, I always named heroes in my RPGs after you.

This is my blog; I choose to love.

Happy (almost) Christmas, everyone! Again, decide to love; it’s the best way to live.

x

The Christmas Fez

A Christmas fez!

Birds, Booze, and Bondage

Happy Thanksgiving! I’ve a lot to be thankful for this year: I’ve learned how amazing and strong my support network can be; it is through the caring and kindness of my loved ones that I’ve been able to pull off a lot of things I never thought myself capable of doing. Hell, I published a book! 😀

I’ve managed to reconnect with some people whom I’d thought were lost to me, and I’ve met and made a huge collection of new friends. For these things, I’m truly thankful. I certainly know I wouldn’t be as inspired to keep writing/cooking/waking up without you guys.

Turkey 2013
All lubed and tied up. Sexy.

On that note, cheers to everyone, wherever (or whenever, if you happen to be a time traveler or dead), you happen to be! It’s time to tie one on, nom some good food, and appreciate the love of those around you.

By the way, yesterday, I found out I was out of eggs, and had to make an emergency trip to the grocery store. Unshowered. Still in PJs. >:( UNHAPPINESS WAS EVERYWHERE.

GRR! Bao!

The Day Draws NEEIIIIGH

I’ve been in freaking-out geek mode for several weeks now. The stars have all aligned to give me the most powerful weekend of fandom in all of history; the only way it could get ANY more insane for me was if something Sailor Moon came out tomorrow, too.

So, tonight, I’ve got J-Law in CATCHING FIRE, woot-woot, then tomorrow, a MLP marathon, Equestria Girls TV premiere, THE FIRST TWO EPISODES OF SERIES FOUR OF MLP, then the Food Network’s Thanksgiving Live with (hopefully drunken) Ina Garten, and then the DAY OF THE DOCTOR! I am beginning to feel the blood trickle from my nose as I type.

I will be in my knickers, with a bow tie, and a fez. A sonic screwdriver and perhaps a liquid Screwdriver in each hand. Such excitement. Such excitement this blog post hasn’t been constructed very well at all. Or informative.

But here, I’ll add something deep. Life feels oppressively long sometimes, so much so that we don’t always realize [that] we’re all living on borrowed time, and even human relationships — family, friends, lovers — are fleeting. So find a pony, have some wine with a friend, and smile; and as my mother would say, inhale the moment. Find those fhets and make yourself enjoy every bit of happiness life affords. Sparkle.

xoxo

bao

 

My Drink of the Day…

Magnesium Citrate

…is pasteurized sparkling saline laxative! Huzzah for magnesium citrate! I get to quaff this entire bottle at 16:00 EDT today in prep for the wonderful exploration of my innards tomorrow. Don’t worry; I have another one tomorrow morning as well, in addition to some pills. WEE! Or the opposite thereof.

At least my gastroenterologist has promised not to write bad things on my bum. Since he has me on a clear liquid diet until 15:00-ish tomorrow, I’m wondering if I should mix the cherry-flavored fizzy citrate with vodka and make a fancy cocktail called “Brian’s Royal Flush.”

Okay, enough with the digestive humor. Getting ready to release the dramatic conclusion (ooooh…) to “The Eighth Bible of New Egypt,” and unlike previous installments this one will be released on Halloween (Thursday), which is only a few days. Get excited, and worry not: the growling you hear is not a monster; it’s my stomach. *whimper*

 

FLUTTERBRI

As I type this update, I am currently wearing a pair of pegasus wings and My Little Pony ears. Yes, I’m pretending to be Fluttershy. I have a shirt and a long pink tail to pin to my bum, but I’m saving that for Halloween.

Flutterbri

Part four of “The Eighth Bible of New Egypt” has been released, leading up to its conclusion next week on the 31st. Spoooooooky! Be sure to check it out and give it a share. 🙂 Word of mouth is how I roll, kiddos, so, uh… roll with me and tell your friends!

Speaking of sharing, my friend Chris has started a freelance typography business, and having sampled his work, he knows his stuff! Be sure to check it out at palermo-stone.com.