March 22, 2007
I know it's late in the day for a post, but I've been completely out of synch with my normal schedule. If I even had a normal schedule.
Anyway, I'm feeling cranky today. No particular reason–and really, I shouldn't be, because it feels like spring is here in Michigan. So I'm happy about that. But still cranky.
For example, I called someone today on their cell phone and they had the longest message! Does that make anyone else crazy? Why can't they just say, "Hi, it's Sandra Dee and I can't answer the phone. I'll call you back."
That's really it. This message today was: "Hi, you've reached the voice mail of Benita Benjamin. I'm sorry I can't take your call right now. If you would please leave me your name (pause) number (pause) and a brief message, I will be glad to get back to you. Have a great day!"
Nice and chipper and oh so polite…but please. Do we really need those instructions? I mean, who doesn't know what to do when they get someone's voice mail? Huh? Anyone?
Okay then. So. Homework. Go change your voicemail on your cell phone, home phone, work phone, whatever to the basics: Hi, it's Colleen. Leave a message and I'll call you back.
That's it.
All right…so since I'm feeling cranky, I'd better give away another Advance Review Copy of Rises the Night. Make a comment and you're in the drawing. I'll probably draw on Saturday sometime, so it'll be a short contest.
Oh, by the way, I got my first review for Rises. Here's a snippet:
"Rises the Night deftly portrays the dilemmas, moral,personal and intimate, that Victoria faces as she continues her Venator work.
"Colleen Gleason raises the stakes on this vampire series with a heroine who lets nothing stand in her way, even when the hardest blows are yet to come."
(That's from Sarah at Romance Junkies. Thanks Sarah!)
March 22nd, 2007 at 12:52 pm
I’ve always wanted an ARC!
I stopped by to see if you were Thurs 13 today…
http://jadesymb.livejournal.com/271179.html
March 22nd, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Sigh…no, too cranky to do TT today. But thanks for coming by anyway! And you’re in the drawing!
March 22nd, 2007 at 1:09 pm
No, the worst voicemails are the ones with music that lasts for centuries—usually loud, obnoxious music—and THEN a message saying something like what you just posted. I hate when people put long snippets of music on their voicemails. I remember I had to get on a friend of mine whose voicemail music went on forever! Mine just has an automated computer response which says “You’ve reached…(my phone number)” and then the beep.
March 22nd, 2007 at 1:41 pm
Ugh, I hate that too. Especially when you’re in a hurry or it’s an emergency. Some actually play music for awhile. I just hang up and hope they call back. LOL Thanks for the drawing. Hope to win. I also hope you get to feeling better.
March 22nd, 2007 at 1:47 pm
I had to enter the contest! I never win, but I love entering them! Can’t wait for the new book!
March 22nd, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Oh, it’s never too late in the day for a blog post. As for the crankies… have some chocolate. Chocolate cures all evils. And ills. And makes a good mood brighter.
March 22nd, 2007 at 2:23 pm
I hate too long messages. Just tell me to call you back, and we’re good!
March 22nd, 2007 at 3:05 pm
I have been all of sync with my days lately too. It’s annoying. So, I started a meme to get things rolling. It’s the ten books you can’t live without meme, and in April I am going to put all the lists together and make a list of the books that came up more than once. It’s the bloggers books they cannot live without list. That’s how I got over my out of sync week.
And, winning a free book would also be a good thing. But, people on here should enter this lists for the master list… all you have to do is comment on my blog… if you want, of course (but you should).
March 22nd, 2007 at 3:06 pm
er, should “enter their lists”, not this lists. And you have to post the list on your own blogs and THEN comment on mine. I am sucking at coherency tonight
March 22nd, 2007 at 3:30 pm
I’ve always wanted to read an ARC!
I second the choice of eating chocolate when you are cranky since it’s a great pick me up.
Sorry to hear that you are cranky and I hope you feel better soon!
March 22nd, 2007 at 4:50 pm
OMG this is a pet peeve of mine…along with people who play music on their voice messages or worse yet, let their toddlers record the message or have one of their screams of laughter…can you say sore ears? Mine’s short, polite and to the point!
March 22nd, 2007 at 5:21 pm
You need a relaxing bubble bath and some truffles.
March 22nd, 2007 at 5:25 pm
Can I be cranky too? Work was the worst this morning. SO busy. And some guy brought in moldy mildewy books that set off my allergies and gave me the worst headache and since my stomach was already not feeling the best, I ended up going home early. Not a happy camper am I.
And yes, I hate the long messages. Just let me know that I reached the right person. That’s all I need to know.
March 22nd, 2007 at 8:11 pm
The long messages only get better when you find the ones where you just press 1 and it skips right to the leaving of the message portion!
I can’t wait to read your new book and hope that you feel better cause it is gettin’ warm up here in these northern states 
(Wisconsin ugh)
~Mariah
March 22nd, 2007 at 11:03 pm
I’m with you sister! I hate when the message tells you what information that you need to leave. I think we can figure it out. It’s kind of like the warning on my new iron that says: “Please remove clothing from body before ironing.” Really? Well, thank goodness they warned me, since I just had the urge to run a scorching hot iron over my body lol. Who is this warning for? Hmm, I guess I’m being cranky too.
On a positive note, I absolutely love The Rest Falls Away! I am eagerly awaiting Rises The Night, so please enter me in the draw. Do we find out what happened to Sebastion? I guess I’ll have to wait to find out, but I had to ask lol.
Hugs, Zara
March 23rd, 2007 at 2:48 am
Hey, everyone needs to be cranky once in a while. I’d say get a good book and sit down and read it, but with kids I understand that can be hard. Oh well, that’s what husbands are for…use him to play bodyguard! Or maybe you’ve got cabin fever, which always hits me around this time of year. Go outside for a nice long walk!
And now that I’ve given you tons of advice you don’t particularly want, and has probably made you crankier, I’ll go.
Good luck getting out of the doldrums!
March 23rd, 2007 at 5:49 am
Congrats on the great review, Colleen!
March 23rd, 2007 at 6:03 am
I’ve been feeling cranky too. Could it be PMS? Could it be that I have 3 too many children? Or could it be that my husband sprained his ankle and now I have to get up at 4:15 am to take him to the bus everyday? Nah. It must be the change in weather.
Congratulations on the great review. I am so glad it is spring. If I see one more **** snowflake….
March 23rd, 2007 at 6:57 am
Hope your Friday is going better than your Thursday did. I can’t wait for “Rises the Night” to come out. Please enter me in the drawing. J
March 23rd, 2007 at 7:35 am
I feel your pain. I’ve been cranky all week.
On a side note, I recently did the voicemail message for our new restaurant and I sound SO professional. It makes me giggle every time I hear it.
March 23rd, 2007 at 8:01 am
Congrats on the great review!!!
March 23rd, 2007 at 8:29 am
Well, I’m happy it’s Friday! And going to be a gorgeous weekend!
Oh, and I want an ARC too!
March 23rd, 2007 at 8:44 am
aww! I was so with you- last week! Dark chocolate helps alot!
March 23rd, 2007 at 8:50 am
My home phone message is short and sweet, but the one at work . . . There’s a policy that tells me what to say and how to say it. Thank goodness I don’t speak Spanish or else the person listening would be on the phone forever just waiting to leave a message. I think most people know to press 5 now to avoid all that. I wish that worked in situations like you described.
The Rest Falls Away is on my Spring Challenge list and I am determined to make time for it. It’s been too long between vampire visits. Congratulations ont he praise for your new book! I’m so happy for you!
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:29 am
I hate answering machines so that would make me cranky too.
Would love to be entered in the drawing for and ARC!
March 23rd, 2007 at 2:56 pm
I know someone who’s voicemail contains at least three expletives. I don’t know how he gets away with it
March 23rd, 2007 at 5:13 pm
I prefer a short, to the point message. Congrats on the great review. Love your blog and books.
March 23rd, 2007 at 7:08 pm
Oh baby I’ve love an ARC! I’ll still buy a copy but I need to know what happens…. HUGS!!
March 24th, 2007 at 2:39 am
Sorry that you had a cranky Thursday. Hope that you have a extra wonderful weekend to make up for it. Thanks for the contest!