So today is Release Day. Dirty Secret is out to the masses for accolades and rotten tomatoes. Strangely enough, there’s really nothing I can do at this point. I had a small panic attack that I spelled chigae wrong last night but I checked the text and it’s okay. You can also spell it jjigae but that’s a quibble.

Nope, nothing to do but make coffee, bleed the cat so I can see how his levels are and reek of mackerel. It’s what Tam’s decided he wants to eat today. Yoshi is stalking his leftovers and the dogs are patiently waiting to go apeshit over the mail man in a couple of hours.

All in a day.

I keep saying thank you. Well, I mean it. Thank you. Pretty much thank you. Yep, I am a wordsmith.

There are a few giveaways going on. The Novel Approach has one for both ebooks and I’ll be doing a paperback giveaway on Goodreads.

Once again, the word of these getting out to the general m/m reading public has been your doing.

You all are the ones buying and reading the books. I just write them. Dreamspinner has graciously published them… I owe them a huge thank you as well but really when it’s all said and done, these books are yours. You make them happen and I am forever grateful for that.

Now if I could just stop smelling like mackerel, I’d be delighted.

But honestly, I’m working on Dirty Laundry. And a pint of coconut flan ice cream. What are you all doing?

I’ve done multiple blog posts and an interview. I’ve been scheduled for a talk and have had guests at the house for dinners, visiting and coffee. Life’s been full.

But more importantly, I have to remember ONE thing about today…and tomorrow.

To say thank you to everyone here. I owe you everything. Thank you. Many cookies, cupcakes and many cups of love.

Thank you. From the bottom of my heart and the top of my keyboard.

Which has cat hair all over it but it’s the thought that counts.

So… yeah. Four days till Dirty Secret.

I’m the guy tossing my nuts and bolts.

A strange thing happens on the Release Day of a book. That’s when an author realizes absolutely NOTHING is in their control and they begin full scale flailing.

I’m sitting here at a couple of weeks from Dirty Secret’s release and my mind really isn’t on that day. Instead, it’s on chapter five or six of Dirty Laundry and the incoming edits that will be needed for Sinner’s Gin. I’m also thinking about the plotting of Whiskey and Wry and in a few minutes after I’m done with this post, colouring my hair.

My morning was taken up with making coffee and putting Tam Kitteh through the rigours of his new morning. Blood leeching (which is fricking impossible and he hates being held so that doesn’t help one fucking bit), followed by insulin injection, two antibiotics being squirted in his mouth and a saline IV drip. All for some tuna for breakfast. His levels aren’t coming down but the insulin was just raised. It’s a wonder this cat even comes to me any more. But he does. Because he trusts me that I’ll give him some tuna.

I have a friend coming from Singapore on Friday, a coffee date with a very sweet guy friend this afternoon and dim sum with really good friends tomorrow. I have to clean the house and apparently also wash the dogs since the old dog cannot seem to stop bathing his younger brother…which makes younger brother stink to high heaven. Oh…and let’s not forget worshipping and petting the Neko.

And in the midst of this, I have a book coming out.

The book will hit me probably on the day before its release. That’s pretty much how it goes but honestly, I can’t do anything. I can stress that it’s not good, despite what people who have read it already say. I can stress that no one will buy it. And I can REALLY stress out that reviewers will hate it and I will go down in a flaming pile of brown paper bagged dog poo.

But what really matters in this is that Neko needs loving. No really, she just walked across my keyboard to demand a cuddle. Five pounds of furry diva cannot be denied.

So, anxiety will have to wait. I’ll let you know how I am on the 28th. In the meantime, I’m going to continue to wrap Cole’s brain around a mystery he can’t solve and trot a tight-assed Korean boy named Jae in front of him. But ah, I won’t tell you a DAMNED thing about Whiskey and Wry. ‘Cause I’m evil that way.

Sooooo pretty.

Much of my life is spent with coffee. Knowing this, there usually is a toll cat set up in front of the kitchen. Toll must be paid prior to a refill of the cup. Sometimes, the gatekeeper has underestimated the level of my coffee cup and sets up her toll position prior to my finishing my coffee. When this happens, I am sent warning notices that the toll will have to be paid.

Now, after this initial warning flash, a disgruntled siren is emitted, warning me of the impending toll and then the gatekeeper moves the toll belly into full stage collection mode.

Since I still had coffee in my cup, Yoshi, the gatekeeper, decided to hell with it and came over to the couch to demand the toll so she could go sit on the couch in my room to catch sunbeams. I am now clear to retrieve my coffee since I have prepaid the toll.

*Please note, I have not hoovered yet to eliminate the dry leaves and debris the dogs have tramped from yesterday and this morning. The rug by the kitchen door looks like a forest path when they come in sometimes. Luckily for me, the great horned owl that sometimes roosts in our juniper tree has not horfed up mouse bits and fur so my cairn has not come in dressed like the Kurgan this morning.