A little drama to perk up the day

A couple of hours ago DH walked into my office looking decidedly paler than normal.

“Do I look green?” he asked.

“Very.” Well, I was only being honest.

“There’s a reason…” he paused for effect, “… I just saw a snake.”

Now that in my book is reason enough to make anyone green. Turns out the snake was relaxing in our pool filter, warming up near the newly installed solar heating. The little dear was black with a red belly. In short – a red bellied black snake. And yes, it is classified as a venomous snake.

(Photo taken by: Pavel German)

The good news is, it is not known to be lethal to adults. The bad news is, no research exists about children and bites from these snakes.

So how did hubby discover it? He was showing off the new solar heating system to his friend. (Must be a guy thing, because when my girl friends come and visit, we don’t take trips down to check out the pool filter.) Anyway, according to DH, one minute he was pointing out some pipe or another to his mate, and the next his mate was physically hauling him away from said filter. I’d have thanked his friend for saving my husband, but said friend beat such a hasty treat, the pool gate was still clanging into place behind him by the time he’d screeched up the road and around the corner as fast as his car would take him. (He’s requested a snake death certificate before he or his family will ever step foot back on our property. The wuss.)

So, back to the snake. Did you know red bellied black snakes are very interesting by virtue of the fact that they give birth to up to 40 LIVE young at a time? Charming fact. We phoned wild life rescue services immediately. Yes, I am a mother. No, the idea of rearing 40 wee snakelets does not make me clucky or broody in any manner or form.

Peter from Wildlife Services arrived shortly thereafter. He even managed to see the snake – 5 seconds before it disappeared through a hole beneath the filter. In that short time, Peter established the snake was only about 1 meter long, and therefore not of snake bearing age. Thank heavens! We haven’t seen it since. We tried to flood it out. We tried to be dead quiet and lure it out. My 6 year old even tried to charm it out with the didgeridoo. Turns out the six year old is pretty good at the didgeridoo – but snakes don’t have ears. (Otherwise I’m sure that would have done the trick. )

So we did the only thing we could. We sealed up the hole. Peter seems certain there is another hole somewhere that the snake can crawl out of. One that leads into the reserve backing onto onto our property. I hope he’s right. As much as I don’t like the idea of a venomous snake sharing our pool area, I don’t like him being trapped under there either. Poor thing.

Now I pose the question to you: Anyone feel like coming over for a swim?

Jess

One year and sixteen days

Only a year and sixteen days to go until Circle of Three: Only Tyler is released.

LOL, seems like a lifetime until the 20th of Jan, 2009, but that’s the date I’ve been given. I guess that allows me loads of time to get cracking on my next manuscript. Won’t have to worry about edits starting anytime soon.

Just as well, I suppose. I’ve just been in deep edit with Photo Opportunity. Yep, it’s only coming out in May, but Jennifer, my editor, has been a very busy bee. She may live in the States, but I swear every time I take a break from my computer, I hear her whip cracking. Nah. Not really. She’s a doll, and hasn’t worked me hard at all. (Um, gulp, maybe that’s because Photo Op has already been edited once. Wait ’til she gets going on Circle of Three. I fear I will not be able to see the page for the edits.)

So for now, edits aside, I have a few things to look forward to this year:

1) May: the re-release of Photo Opportunity.

2) June (or so I’m guessing, as I don’t have a release date yet): Release of Ask Adam in print. (My first book in print. I cannot WAIT to hold it.)

3) Jan 09: New release – Circle of Three: Only Tyler.

Not a bad future all in all!

Jess

New Year’s resolutions

I can see from the blogs out there that people have buckled down and written out their new year’s resolutions. So I guess it’s time to present mine. Here we go:

1)

2)

3)

4)

…

Oh, I could go on for ages. In fact, seeing as it’s Thursday, I could write a whole Thursday Thirteen list about my new year’s resolutions.

But as the wiser ones amongst you might have guessed – I didn’t make any. C’mon, what’s the point? Every year I vow to lose weight. Sigh, if you could see me, you’d know that every year I fail dismally at that one. Then I could vow to get at least four manuscripts written in 2008.

*ROFLMAO*

I am undoubtedly the slowest writer in the world. I’m a one manuscript a year kind of a gal. Lord knows, I wish I could write faster – but nope. Not I. I’ve come to terms with that.

Then I could vow to be a better mother and spend more quality time with the kids. Hello? It’s all I do. If the kids are not at school, they’re with me. Racing to activities, having friends over, going to the beach/zoo/park etc. How much more time can I spend with them?

See, it’s easier not to make any promises to myself. At least that way I can’t be disappointed. Nevertheless, I applaud those of you who have made your resolutions, and hope they become a reality in 2008!

Now, on a completely different level, the new releases are out at Samhain. The first books of 2008. How cool is that? (And no, I haven’t been posting all the new releases. I’m too lazy. See, I could resolve to post them all, but well, we know by now what would happen to that resolution…)

Wolf Unbound by Lauren Dane $5.50 $4.68	The Seduction of Shamus O’Rourke by N. J. Walters $5.50 $4.68	Shaking Off the Dust by Rhianna Samuels $6.50 $5.53
Noble Hearts of Ellan Vannin by Gloria Wiederhold $6.50 $5.53	Hunter’s Moon by Rose Marie Wolf $5.50 $4.68	Dangerous Grounds by Shelli Stevens $5.50

Have you guessed which one I have marked off on my TBB list? Dangerous Grounds by Shelli Stevens. Sounds fabulous. Besides, I just learned that Shelli took a strippercize class to research this book. I think she deserves to sell 1000s of books based on that alone.

The Seduction of Shamus O’ Rourke sounds good too. Looks like I might have to get the first few books in NJ Walters’ series and do some catching up.

Jess