Katiebabs has just made my day. Wheeee!!! She managed to snag me an advance copy of The Laughter of Dead Kings. I now owe her whatever she wants.

**Snoopy dancing around the office**

**kids looking at me like I'm crazy**

YIPPEEEEE!!!! 

I know lots of people who thought James McAvoy was fabulous (ie, hot) in Atonement. I never saw it (I like happy endings).

And he didn't do much for me as Mr. Tumnus in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe. You?

But, last night I conned the Music Man into taking me to see Wanted by telling him he could watch Angelina Jolie and it was rated R. (His response: "I'd rather look at you." Talk about brownie points!)

He didn't know anything about the movie except that Jolie was in it, and all I knew was that McAvoy played a loser who finds out he's really a skilled assassin.

Lots of blood. Pretty much through the whole movie. Nonstop. (Music Man's first comment to me after it was over: "You probably haven't seen that much blood in a movie ever." He's probably right.)

Some good lines and a couple laughs, especially near the beginning when Fox (Jolie) shows up all hard-ass and shooting things up, and Wesley (McAvoy), who suffers from anxiety attacks, is freaking out during their shoot-em-up car chase.

I'd probably rate the movie a 6 on a scale of 1 to 10. It could have waited for DVD. 

However, my point is: even after he shed the loserishness and became The Man, McAvoy generated absolutely zero quiveration for me. He still looked like a kid.

But on the other hand, Cross (Thomas Kretschmann) totally did it for me. (Check out that gun.)

Anyone else see the movie? What did you think? 

So lots of you have been asking when I'm going to have new t-shirts. Well ask no longer! I'm putting in an order today.

This lot will be either black or dark red or heathered gray shirts. They'll be the baby-doll style, long enough to cover those muffin tops hanging over the low-ride jeans (LOL), and in a fitted style. (sizing info is here)

(I'll also have looser men's-style shirts in black or gray available for anyone who prefers that style).

The print colors (thanks to Lacey at Borders, who helped me decide last night) will be: silver and bloodred. (Will look awesome on the black and gray shirts, no?)

So, looking at the picture: what's lavender now will be silver.

What's gold will be red.

The shirt will be black or dark red or gray–your choice. 

Anyone who's interested in a pre-order (to make sure I get your size and color) should email me at books at colleengleason dot com with your color and size. Cost is $14 plus shipping (depends where you live), paid via Paypal. 

Please put T-SHIRT in the subject header so it doesn't get lost in my inbox. 

(Er…PS. Free t-shirt to whoever hooks me up with The Laughter of Dead Kings before its release.)  

That's me. I'm begging everyone I know for a copy of The Laughter of Dead Kings by Elizabeth Peters.

I'm desperate to get an advance copy of it.

If I were a guy, I'd give my left nut (or right one, 'cause, after all, it really doesn't matter, does it?) for it.

Since I'm me, I'd give a copy of When Twilight Burns and a copy of As Shadows Fade for an ARC of Dead Kings.

As many of you know, the Vicky Bliss books are my all-time favorites. Trojan Gold and Night Train to Memphis are my between-book comfort reads. There are only five Vicky Bliss books, and the last one came out seven years ago.

I've been waiting seven years to see if Peters was going to write another one about Vicky and John Smythe and Schmidt…and then when I found out there was a new book coming out, I was elated.

And then frightened.

I mean, Night Train to Memphis (the last one) was just so brilliant, so wonderful…I was afraid Peters wouldn't be able to do justice to another one. I mean, the storyline, the way the book ended…what could she do next?

But now I'm starting to see reviews. Super-duper positive reviews, and now I'm dying to get my hands on it. So for any of you reviewer-type people who might be lurking around out there, or who know any reviewer-type people…I'm begging for a copy. 

Please and thank you.

Boy, am I excited! I just learned that When Twilight Burns is a Top Pick for Romantic Times BookClub magazine, and the review is wonderful. Yay!

Not only that, but my dear friend Jackie Kessler also claims a Top Pick for August for her third installment in the Hell on Earth Series, Hotter Than Hell! Congrats to Jackie, whose book about His Hotness, the Incubus Daun is one I've been waiting for since first meeting him in Hell's Belles.

Anyway, here's the RT review in its entirety:

Fans of this brilliant series know vampires have met their match in Venator leader Victoria Gardella Grantworth de Lacy and that they're in for a thrilling ride. Gleason draws you into the dark, sensual realm where the lines between good and evil, love and hate blur. Allow yourself to be seduced by the dark side.

It's clear someone has found the formula for a potion that allows vampires to live undetected in the sunlight. Victoria is on the hunt along with her longtime friends and sometimes lovers, Sebastian and Max. Unfortunately, clues point to her as the killer. Other suspects include her deceased husband's American heir, an Italian opera singer and her lover, and even a member of the royal family. Pulled toward an inevitable confrontation with the vampire, Victoria must face her personal demons before the Prince Regent's coronation.

And the best part of all…they didn't give anything away! Yay!