Peeking Out of the Cave

The last two weeks have just flown by, and I truly cannot believe it's already August 11th. What's happening to my summer????

I'm all moved into the new apartment. There were only three casualties on moving day - two glass tumblers and the carafe of my big coffee pot (the little one survived). The apartment is just as spacious as I remember, and except for a few minor tweaks here and there, all decorated. Kitteh is settling in, as well. We're settling into a routine, and the new place is starting to feel like home.

So here's the laundry list of stuff to catch y'all up on....

BOOK SIGNINGS - I have two events coming up.

Saturday, August 14th, 1-3 pm
Borders
Camp Hill, PA

Saturday, September 11th, 4-7pm
Barnes & Noble, Christiana Mall
Newark, DE

Following that is the sad news that I'm no longer able to attend Dragon*Con this year. Something came up, and it was a hard decision to make, but it had to be made. However, I have every intention of being there next year (and some other cons/events, as well).

I'm thrilled to say that AS LIE THE DEAD is an August Pick for the Barnes & Noble Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Book Club. It's easy to become a member and join in the discussion.

Reviews for AS LIE THE DEAD have been popping up on various sites and blogs.

The wonderful Carol, at Bitten By Books, had some lovely things to say. On Evy's emotional journey:

Evy’s struggle to accept and embrace the melding of her former identity with that of Chalice’s memories, emotions, and physical reality results in confusion and pain, but she never doubts that her purpose remains the same – to fight to protect the innocent and those unable to defend themselves.

ALTD also received 4.25/5 stars at Nite Owl Reviews. Among the lovely comments was this gem that just made me squee for joy:

But it did bring Phineas to the forefront so, there you go. If there was going to be teams, I would so be Team Phineas!

*loves*

We'll see what happens, shall we?

Now it's time to go back to my cave. I have Dreg City 3 edits due back in two weeks, plus Dreg City 4 due to my editor by October 1 (and hoo-boy, is this one going places I didn't expect...).

The End is Nigh!

Well, the end of living in this lovely old house with my roommate of seven years. Tomorrow, I'll be packing up my stuff (way too many boxes of books, God help us), and Saturday, moving into my new apartment with Kitteh. I'm both excited and terrified.

Preparing for the move is one of the reasons the blog has been kind of boring lately (huge apologies for that). But once I get settled in, I hope to post more regularly again. My brain can't seem to concentrate on much besides the move, and trying to write Dreg City #4.

So the internet goes out tomorrow night, and it won't be back at my new place until Monday afternoon. Until them, my lovelies, happy reading!

Release Day: As Lie the Dead

It's here! It's here! I'm a multi-published author!



AS LIE THE DEAD is now available for purchase from Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble, Powell's, Book-A-Million, and other retailers nation-wide, in both paperback and e-book formats. It's a HUGE release day for urban fantasy, with new titles from Stacia Kane, Jeaniene Frost, Jeri Smith-Ready, Seressia Glass, Marjorie M. Liu, Kelley Armstrong, Jocelynn Drake, and Mark Del Franco, so I hope you've been saving those pennies!

Two new interviews are available for your perusal.

At Larissa's Bookish Life, I'm chatting about Urban Fantasy, writing, and my favorite characters. I'm also giving away a signed copy of AS LIE THE DEAD.

At Writer's Grove, I'm chatting about superheroes, comics, coffee versus tea, and vampire trends. Stop by and say hello!

I'll also be doing an event at Bitten by Books tomorrow, with a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card. RSVP for extra contest entries!

***

I can't quite believe I'm moving in four days. The house is mostly packed, and I have a list. I'd be lost without my lists.

Reading, Reviewing, and Ranting (just a little)

So people who aren't me, my agent, or my editor are reading AS LIE THE DEAD and liking it. Larissa's Bookish Life has a lovely ARC review posted here.

A favorite quote:

If you haven't checked out Kelly Meding’s Dreg City series yet, you don’t know what you’re missing. There are so many Urban Fantasy novels and series out there, it’s great to read something that at the same time is faithful to the classics and brings something fresh to the table.

AS LIE THE DEAD was also reviewed in the August '10 issue of "Romantic Times Book Reviews," and received a 4-star rating!

The reviewer had some super-cool things to say:

Solving her own murder was just the warm-up for newly resurrected dreg hunter Evy Stone. Rising star Meding returns to the ominous world and gutsy heroine first introduced in her exceptional debut. Menace oozes from the pages, as Meding places her heroine in the middle of a maze where deceit and betrayal run rampant. Evy is an unforgettable heroine and Meding an author to watch!

Yay!

It certainly balances out the craziness that was this past weekend. I supposedly had an apartment all lined up, move-in ready on July 31. I even put a $100 GOOD FAITH deposit down on the apartment on June 25. The leasing agent called me July 3 and said the current tenants were no longer vacating, so the apartment was no longer available. So sorry, and by the way, we only have two other empty units for $200 more a month than what we promised you.

Er...uh...?

Alas, I'm a non-confrontation person, so I didn't give this guy hell on the phone. I hung up and cried (yes, I'm that person). I got really, really mad. It pretty much ruined my weekend.

I'm better now that I'm distanced from it. I'm looking at a place tomorrow, and I have a good feeling about it. I'll still be writing some very angry letters to this other management company, but overall, I'm over it. Stay tuned...

Moving Again...plus other stuff

So anyone who follows me on Twitter might have seen my hashtag #inpackinghell. What does this mean? It means I'm moving house again.

No, it's not a false alarm like last summer. Nor is it a move across state lines like the summer before. It will be a move up the highway, to a town closer to my day job, my sister and her family, and to more than one grocery store (ah, bliss!). While I will miss the small, historic town I've made my home for the last two years (neighborhood dogs who come up to your door, a mailman who knows my name, antique shops right around the corner), I'm looking forward to the change.

This move will also mark the first time I'll be living completely alone (not counting my kitty). I've always had a roommate (or several, counting college), so having a place of my own will be quite the change. I've already found a nice, affordable apartment in a quiet complex, complete with a pool and weight room (the complex, not the apartment). The biggest task now is sorting all of my stuff, boxing up things that I can temporarily store at my parents house, and packing the stuff that's coming with me.

Have you ever divided up a household that's been together for seven years? Minus the emotional angst, it feels a bit like a divorce. Yes, my current roomie and I have lived together for seven years. I made a long list of things that I have, things that I don't have, and it's a strange and scary list. For example, I have two coffee makers, but I don't own a vacuum cleaner. I have a tool box full of stuff, but no phone for land lines.

Also? I have a lot of books. A lot. I've already packed up nine banana boxes worth, and I could probably fill at least five more. My arms hurt just thinking about carrying those up two flights of stairs....

All this doesn't happen until July 31. And between now and then, I have to launch AS LIE THE DEAD (five more weeks, my pretties!), which will include a lineup of guest blogs, interviews, and giveaways. I also have to pack and clean the house, and keep working on Evy #4. And we're reorganizing the stock room at the day job next week, so that's going to be exhausting.

Busy, busy, busy.

But I'm enjoying it. I'd much rather have Teh Busy than Teh Bored.

What else? For anyone in the Baltimore area, I'll be at Shore Leave, July 9-11, so if you see me be sure to say hello.

I've also committed to Dragon*Con again this year. Four words: Jim Butcher, Sam Trammell.



Yum.

Check back later this week for a new giveaway to celebrate the release of AS LIE THE DEAD, and to mourn my birthday and the loss of my twenties!