June 25, 2007

So we had a whirlwind of a trip, leaving last Monday afternoon at around 2 pm and arriving back home Friday night around 10 pm.

Monday, we drove from Michigan through lower Ontario along a pretty two-lane highway, re-entering the US in Buffalo, where we spent the night. The next morning, we got up and drove along the Thru-way across Upstate New York, making many sidetrips in suburbs of Rochester, Utica, and Syracuse to stop and sign books at Barnes & Noble and Borders.

One of the best parts about road-tripping is the sidetrips/stopping to smell the roses part. By the time we got to the Rochester area, we were hungry for breakfast. And after meeting a most helpful woman at the Barnes & Noble in Pittford, New York (she wore really funky glasses and I forgot to write her name down! doh!), we asked her for a breakfast recommendation.

We'd been thinking of an IHOP or Perkins, but asking the locals is always a better way to go, and boy were we right on this time! She directed us into the little village/shopping area of Schoen Place for breakfast, where we found the Coal Tower restaurant and its yummy Belgian waffles. Across the street was a park and boardwalk along the Erie Canal, which I'd never seen, so, voila! Here's proof that I was actually there. (The other picture below shows the cylindrical red Coal House restaurant in the background, in Schoen Place, Pittford, NY.)

Anyway, it was a delightful little area–I highly recommend it if you're traveling through. I would have spent much more time there in the shops (and, ooh! there was a lovely little spa too!) if we hadn't needed to be in Albany by 5pm.

The other odd/cool thing about that day–actually, about the whole trip–is that we realized halfway across New York that we were driving in silence. I mean, no radio or CD. We had occasional conversation when I wasn't dozing or working, but no music. That was…well, to quote Wallace Shawn, "Inconceivable."

Think about this: my husband's moniker is Music Man for a reason. The guy lives for music. He'll spend ten minutes fiddling with the stereo or CD player to get a certain station/track to play in the background for a two-minute task. I'm not kidding.

He'll move an entire stereo system outside for an evening bonfire.

He'll make the entire family wait while he finds a particular CD before we leave to drive to the grocery.

The guy needs music like most of us need water.

And we drove our entire trip–Michigan through Canada, across New York, down to Philadelphia and then to Washington DC, back through Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan without ever turning on the radio once.

And it was lovely.

So, you? Do you road trip in silence or to jams or news? Do you take sidetrips or just want to get there? Best side trip ever?

June 23, 2007

Back and catching up (more later), but here's the winner of the ARC of Unmasqued by Colette Gale:

Christine d'Abo

Christine, you can email me at author at colleengleason dot com and let me know where to send the book.

June 18, 2007

(Quick: what's the song reference?)

I'm off on my little mini book tour to the East Coast. I'll be near Albany NY on Tuesday at Flights of Fantasy Books (in Loudonville) and just outside of Philadelphia (at the Borders in North Wales) on Wednesday. If you're in the area, stop by and see me at the signings!

Jackie Kessler, author of smart, witty, sexy Hell's Belles will be there with me on Tuesday–that's a two-fer-one author-meetup!

I'll be in the Alexandria, VA area on Thursday, visiting bookstores in the area, but I don't have anything formal scheduled. Instead, I'll be hanging out with two of my talented friends Janet Mullany and my lovely hostess and chauffeur Diane Gaston.

Thus I probably will be a bit scarce this week, but never say never…who knows what might happen along the road that I'll have to blog about!

In the meanwhile….don't forget about the two contests I have going on for ARCs of The Bleeding Dusk.  Send me a question for Readers Ask and if your query is chosen, you're in the drawing…or check out Twisted Kingdom's Scavenger Hunt.

I've been hearing about sightings of Rises the Night, in places like Sav-on-Foods, Walgreen's and the airports, so the hunt is on! Send a pic of the book in a place other than a bookstore and be entered to win. (More at T-K.com)

OKAY….here's a little contest to keep you busy while I'm gone. I've been promising to give away a copy of Colette Gale's Unmasqued: An Erotic Novel of the Phantom of the Opera, so here's a good week to do it.

You have until Friday at midnight to post a comment telling me where you've seen or bought Rises the Night. (Store name, city, state/country)

I'll draw a winner when I return on Saturday. Have fun, and check back during the week in case I show up!

June 15, 2007

Janet S. and Ren both had questions about the vis bullae that Venators wear, so I thought I'd tackle those for my first edition of Readers Ask.

Janet asks:

"How did you come up with the idea of a vis bulla? And why does Sebastian always want to touch Victoria's?"

I thought that some sort of amulet that gave or enhanced the power of the Venators would be interesting–first because it would help to sort of identify them to each other, and secondly so that it was also a vulnerability–with the amulet, their speed, strength and fast-healing powers are activated or turned on; without it, they're just normal people. That means they can choose to wear it or not. Or, as we've seen in Rises the Night, it can be a weakness.

So, since vampire hunters have traditionally used silver and crosses to ward off the undead, it made sense for it to be a silver cross–especially in light of my Judas Iscariot mythology. I sort of took that idea of a silver cross and wanted to make it a permanent part of the Venator–hidden, so they wouldn't be noticed, and always touching their skin.

I originally thought of having a ring, and then some kind of chain or belt that they would wear under their clothing; and then I thought it would make better sense to have that strength amulet actually piercing the skin–actually sending the power/strength into the body.

In fact, in the life or death test that non-Gardella Venators (eg, Max) must pass, this is the ultimate moment of truth: when the vis bulla is pierced through the skin, they either die or become a Venator.

So that's how I came up with the idea. 

Oh, and why does Sebastian always want to touch Victoria's vis bulla? Well, I think it's mainly because there aren't too many Regency-era woman with navel rings, and he's fascinated and titillated by it. He knows she has one, because he knows she's a Venator. Also, it gives him perhaps a sense of one-up-manship over her–she being a Venator, and him being…well, conflicted about the whole thing. 

Ren has further questions:

Why do male and female Venators wear their vis bullae in different places? I've searched for a translation for vis bulla but to no avail…care to share?

As far as where the Venators wear their vis bulla…it just depends on the Venator. They can choose to wear them anywhere on their bodies. In fact, in The Bleeding Dusk, you'll meet Brim, a big, dark bald Egyptian Venator who wears his vis bulla in his eyebrow. The location isn't a gender thing, it's a personal thing.

Victoria chose to wear hers in her navel because it was less painful to have it pierced there, and more private than other places. As for Max…well, we already know he's a bit tortured–so what's a little more pain?

…as for a translation of vis bulla…you won't find one anywhere but in my warped brain. I put the Latin for strength and amulet together and came up with vis bulla!

Thanks so much for your questions! It's fun to hear what people want to know.

Since I chose Ren and Janet's questions, they'll both be entered in a drawing to win an ARC of The Bleeding Dusk when I receive them this fall. If you'd like a chance to win, click here for more info.

June 14, 2007

Got any burning questions you'd like me to answer about the Gardella series? Send them to me at questions AT colleengleason DOT com. (Don't post in the comments in case of spoilers.)

If your question is chosen to be answered on my weekly blog feature Readers Ask (to begin tomorrow), you'll be entered in a drawing to win an ARC of The Bleeding Dusk…when it's available (sometime in the fall).

So ask.