gNat's Notes

Or make that the flu? Never mind. I promise not to hack and sneeze in your general direction if you forgive my lame wit today. Sheesh. Spring arrives and the first thing I do is catch a flu/bad cold.

But I've had a busy few weeks, with stock signing tours up in Washington, D.C., and in the Virginia Beach area. I had a great time, talking to booksellers and readers and signing copies of Pandora's Box. Right now, I'm anticipating my first ever Romantic Times BOOKLOVERS Convention, which is coming up very soon. I'll be signing Pandora's Box at their whopper of a group author signing on April 19. The signing at least is open to the public. Come check it out if you're in the Pittsburgh area.

And, hey, did I show you my new cover yet? It's for my July 29, 2008, release The Druid Made Me Do It, and oooh, baby, is it hot in here? Click here to check it out.

With any luck, I'll kick my spring flu in time to enjoy spring fever. Hope the flowers are blooming riotously in your neighborhood!

Seriously, my original intent in posting today was to tell you about my booksigning tomorrow, but then I got distracted. (That happens? You're kidding.) No, really.

Did you see? Hound dogs rule!! A beagle won the Westminster dog show this weekend for the first time in the contest's over-100-year history. The beagle's name is Uno and as soon as he was declared, he did a happy scamper dance and proceeded to howl and bay for several minutes<g>. I love it. Naturally, my four-legged howler Max takes all the credit for the rise of the hound dog. Ahem. Not that he's fit for polite company, much less a dog competition. But that big heart he has was so obvious in Uno. Made me all melty. Congrats, Uno!

So the booksigning. (Honestly, Natale, where are your priorities?) Yep. Actually, I'm really excited about this one. I don't have reason to be downtown much, so I had never seen the Fountain Bookstore until a few weeks ago. Very cool place and I'm thrilled to be signing Pandora's Box there tomorrow. Yes, signing my romance novel on Valentine's Day. Does it get any better? I'm psyched. The details:

12:30-2 pm on February 14, 2008
Fountain Bookstore
Historic Shockoe Slip
1312 Cary Street
Richmond, Va. 23219

I hope to see you there! And, if fate steps in and prevents you, despite heroic effort, from attending . . . please don't forget your sweetie tomorrow. It is Valentine's Day after all. Hope yours is lovely.

Yay!! It's release day at long last! Pandora's Box is officially on bookstore shelves even as I type this! (In case you're wondering, this feels just a little like being naked in public, which naturally leads the prurient mind along less than wholesome paths, but, well, maybe we should just end that little trail of thought . . .)

To celebrate, I'll be giving away four brand new copies of Pandora's Box. Two copies will go to commenters on Deadline Hellions and the other two copies will go to two members of my e-newsletter mailing list. If you'd like to double your chances to win, you can comment on the blog and join my newsletter list (check out the link for Yahoo groups on the right below, or go to my contest page for the same link and details). I'll announce winners via newsletter, website and blog at 4 pm, eastern time, on Wednesday, January 30.

Yay, it's out! It's finally out! (And now I'm happy dancing, too, so . . . No, not going there.)

If I think about it for too long, my brain cells begin imploding, one by one. Only two weeks until Pandora's Box makes its debut!! (Pop. Yep, there went another one.)

Oooh, and that's not all. I'll be undertaking my first speaking engagement. (Notice the fun word choice -- undertaking -- like dead bodies and funeral homes and joyful things like that.) I'll be speaking to Virginia Romance Writers, my home chapter and a great group of women who support the genre and each other. They assure me -- speaking phobe that I am -- that they're friendly writers and do not bite their speakers. I'm taking them at their word. The details:

When: 10 am - 12 noon, February 9, 2008
Where: Gayton Library, Richmond, Va.
What: Debunking the Fairytale, a career talk with Natale Stenzel and Jenny Gardiner

And later that same day, a group booksigning with several Virginia romance authors:
4 to 6 pm on February 9, 2008
Barnes and Noble
Short Pump Mall
Richmond, Va.

And, yes, more news to drag hermit Natale out of her shell! Another booksigning on the best of all days for romance: Valentine's Day! Jenny Gardiner will join me for this signing.
12:30 to 2 pm on February 14, 2008
Fountain Bookstore
Historic Shockoe Slip
1312 Cary Street
Richmond, Va.
(I just visited this bookstore for the first time last weekend. How have I missed this one? Very, very cool. I could live there.)

And last, but certainly not least, we have two winners for my latest contest! Congrats, ladies!

I just finished writing The Druid Made Me Do It (my August 2008 release) -- barely in time to do my Christmas shopping, baking and cards. Yikes! So how did I manage to inhale my weight in Christmas cookies during that short amount of time anyway? Oh, but they were goooooood.

As promised, I'm running a brand new contest, with a drawing on January 15, 2008. (When on earth did it get to be 2008 anyway? Oh, right. It's not yet . . . worried for a minute . . .) For details or to sign up for the contest, click here.

I can't believe it's only one short month until Pandora's Box hits bookstore shelves! I'm busy lining up booksignings and other related events and will post the details when I have them.

Meanwhile, I shall ponder my resolutions for 2008. Guess I should begin by addressing the cookie fallout, huh? Yech. Happy Holidays and enjoy the countdown to the New Year!

Pre-Turkey Day Thankfulness
[gNote from gNat: I originally ran this list on my blog in 2005 but it's still so true . . .]

1. A husband and kids I love who also understand not to speak when my fingers type frantically at . . .

2. A computer with a reasonably crash-free existence, despite my addiction to . . .

4. My writer and reader friends who preserve my sanity, which is threatened by . . .

5. The urge to write, which gives my brain something entertaining to do, like create . . .

6. Stories and characters that move and speak just when I've pathetically convinced myself they have abandoned me.

Right now I'm hard at work on my August 2008 sequel to Pandora's Box, titled The Druid Made Me Do It. Deadline approacheth, but busy feels darn good. I am blessed.

It's official! I sold two sequels for Pandora's Box to Dorchester!! Could be I'm doing just a leetle bit of happy dancing in my office -- with my brand new bookshelves and my gorgeous new cover flats for Pandora and-and-and--

To celebrate, I put up a brand new excerpt from Pandora's Box and -- drum roll, please (hey, I'm in the mood for drama, what can I say?) -- decided to run a contest. For details, click on my contest page.

So here we are. It's not just sort of fall, it's downright technically fall. I should be snuggled up in jeans and a T-shirt, if not a sweater as well. But no. I'm sitting here barefoot, wearing shorts and a tank top with the A/C blowing glacial winds around the house so some tiny little bit of the cool air can waft into my upstairs office. Yech.

Don't get me wrong. I love spring and even anticipate the laziness of summertime, but come on! It's October -- pumpkin spice, cozy quilt and hot chocolate season. And here we are, looking at record-breaking misery continuing for the next week -- I'm talking 90 degrees and wring-your-hair-out humidity. It's just wrong, I tell you. Wrong.

So we shall pretend. I'll even light a candle just to set the mood. Cinnamon apple's good, yes? Never mind that this stupid thing's actually tropical fruit scented. I'm a writer. I'll just use my imagination. So. Cinnamon. Projecting spicy-sweet and warm. (No, not warm. Cold, but with cozy islands of comfort. Yeah, that's good. Liking that.)

I want the leaves to turn colors, the nights to stretch long and chilly, with daylight a little muted but the air crisp and breezy. I love the slanted sunshine, fallen leaves blanketing the ground and whispering around footsteps. Smell the fireplaces and simmering crock pots, flickering candles and sweet, melty treats baking in the oven. Sigh. Soon, right?

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September 24, 2007

Shallow Waters

So my brain is fried and I just wanna talk TV today. Heroes is back tonight! Yes, I've been waiting for this since season one ended. My Monday night indulgence and now I just have to know if they can top season one. That will be tough. I swear every episode left me hanging.

Wednesday (is it this Wed.? I'll have to look it up.) I'll be watching The Bionic Woman. Heh, heh, heh. I loved this show the first time around. Money says she gets her hair messed up a little in this version, though.

There's another show on Fridays I'll try to catch occasionally. The sexy vamp guy who moonlights (so to speak) as a spy. I need to look up the name of the show and edit this post so I can pretend I know what I'm talking about.

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September 12, 2007

Yes, I'm doing it again. I've been busy with revisions (excuses, excuses), so I've been neglecting my own blog. I did blog at Deadline Hellions today, though. Come check it out if you're curious. First a little preview:

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August 22, 2007

New Blog Post!

No, not here. Why would I blog here? Just because it's my blog? Forgive me. Much brainstorming. I think I broke something. I did, however, blog on Deadline Hellions today, thereby using up the remainder of my working brain cells. Check it out if you're curious.

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August 9, 2007

Have no fear . . .

We saw the movie today -- cute, cute, cute. Hey, my kids insisted. Okay, maybe I encouraged their insistence. I loved that cartoon when I was a kid. Humility plus super powers plus adorable doofus moments. What's not to love?

Maybe it's the masochist in me -- yeah, the same one that decided, heh, she wanted to write and publish books for a living! -- but I love a good underdog story. Try, try, try, regardless of past failures, and even in the face of incredible odds, your own doubts, others' criticism. See? I can identify with the struggle. I only hope my motives are as pure as our fuzzy hero's. Maybe it's desperation, maybe it's sheer bullheadedness, maybe it's blind naivete. Probably a good dollop of insanity in there somewhere, too, right along with blind persistence. But, at the source of it, one likes to think, sloppy idealism and reluctant courage.

(Oh, come on. That wasn't a spoiler. You knew he'd win in the end. He's Underdog.)

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August 1, 2007

My editor just sent it to me yesterday and I couldn't be more thrilled. The tone is absolutely perfect and I get a kick out of the bombs and the (heh, heh) black ribbon.

So, naturally, I had to dress up my myspace page (www.myspace.com/natalestenzel) to show off my new cover, then update my web page to highlight it . . . sigh. Would somebody please swat my butt back to work on my wip? Bad Nat . . .

P.S. I blogged today at www.DeadlineHellions.blogspot.com (Yes, that would be more avoidance of the wip. Incorrigible. But what could I do? I was on the schedule. Obligation, you know. Yes, back to work with me.)

July 25, 2007

A Journey Through Fear

Today I thought I'd blog about fear. Why? Because I'm masochistic that way. Let's bounce all over those painful buttons and see what we produce. I guess that means I'm also deliberately contrary? Okay. That works for me.

So. Fear. Specifically, writer's fears. What does a writer fear? Well, duh, we fear that we suck, just like that certain reviewer or "knowledgeable" critic said we do. But even in our most insane moments, writers acknowledge that fiction writing is seriously subjective. What one reader loves another will hate, and vice versa. Not that writers are impervious to the impact of others' opinions.

A more tangible terror, however, is the writer's (often unspoken) suspicion that the idea well has dried up for good. Or, rather, that the well will only produce really bad ideas from this point onward. Nothing saleable -- all laughable or exclusively pale reproductions of every other story we've written.

A speaker at a long-ago writers' workshop quoted some critic or somesuch (and you know I'd never name this person in public, even if I remembered who it was) as saying that each writer has only eight good stories in him or her. After that . . . all gone. Or, more importantly, all crap.

Naturally, I was immediately endeared to the uninformed and opinionated jerk, but then, after more objective thought, I had to concede that he had a point, if a really obtuse and somewhat unproductive one. (And probably not one he intended to make*g*.) After all, I've mostly been telling the same story over and over: Boy meets girl. Boy and girl have difficulties. Boy and girl overcome difficulties and fall in love. The end. Gosh, I think I just listed spoilers for the entire genre of romance. My bad. Guess we don't need to read any more of those, huh?

To think it's taken me a lifetime of reading romances to realize I've read the same story, over and over again -- and loved it each and every time. Because the journey's always different, even if the destination is predetermined.

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July 11, 2007

Home!

I'm groggy and creaky but mostly present after an extended vacation with family in St. Louis. My brain is still languishing due to neglect and exhaustion, but I did blog at Deadline Hellions this morning. Check it out if you're curious. (Just click quietly so you don't wake me up on your way out . . .)

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June 28, 2007

For real? No, actually, I'm whining. I finished a proposal yesterday after imbibing enough Diet Coke to render my future embalmment completely redundant. Hmm. That's really disgusting now that I reread it.

So this morning I'm riding the post-proposal euphoria, marred only by a headache and crossed eyes, but it's all good. The project's off my plate for now, leaving me a little free time to decompress, after which I can cheerfully dive into a brand new project. That's the theory anyway.

Reality? Give me a day or two (maybe even just a few hours) and I won't be able to help myself. I'll go back and reread the chapters I just sent to my agent and, now that it's too late to make changes before she sees them, find the most horrific typos imaginable. And then I'll ponder ways I could have done such and such better or punched up that plot point just a little more . . .

June 20, 2007

I'm blogging today over at Deadline Hellions (yes, where I regularly cheat on my own blog, mostly because it's illogical). I could copy and paste over here, but that just seems so rude.

June 11, 2007

Um, no, I think not. Sigh. I was going to be witty about this, but my heart's just not in funny right now. We buried a guinea pig yesterday. Or, rather, since dh was out of town, I had the grisly joy of digging the grave (this would be the career I will not be pursuing) and comforting devastated kids.

Poor Buddy. He was pretty cool for a guinea pig -- long-haired, black and white, endearingly curious about everything. He licked his human friends like a puppy would and attacked his food like a starving . . . er . . . rodent. We saw him as the slob half of our very own guinea pig Odd Couple. Henry, the tortoise-shell-colored fuzzy, was Buddy's finicky counterpart. Henry's still alive and kicking, though. Heck, that boy's just plain bullet proof. He's outlasted two other guinea pigs now. No wonder he's so neurotic. Rodents keep dropping like flies around him. Long live Henry. Grave digging sucks.

May 10, 2007

I've been dying to plant flowers in my yard for weeks now but have postponed it, first to ride out freaky weather and then to fulfill some writing goals. To kick my writer's butt into gear, I promised myself I could buy a ton of flowers -- but only after I finished the proposal and the synopsis. So I finished them. And sent them. Then I set off with great exuberance to buy all my lovely flowers. I think it's a sign if you fill the car from driver's seat to rear bumper with flowers . . . and then go back for more. The sign? Too many flowers. Another sign of same? Five hours in the back yard planting. Hence, the broken writer.

And broken pots, too. Max (50 lbs. worth of brainless hound) was outside with me, on a long lead attached to a stake in the ground since we lack a fence. (He's hardheaded enough to find his way past a fence anyway, so no lack, frankly.) I have a lot of clay flowerpots -- some of them very large. To make the process of filling them more efficient, I arranged them all in one spot and left them there while I finished planting my flower beds (a lot of flowers). Well, Max was investigating the pots when I loaded up my stuff and set out for the back of my yard. Anxious to see what I was doing, Max leapt up from behind the group of pots and dashed off to follow me.

When Max made his eager leap to follow, his lead caught on and tugged over a pot, which startled him. Demonstrating his superior intelligence, he proceeded to run in panic-stricken circles. Around the pots, trailing his lead behind him. He hog-tied them, causing them to clank up against each other, shooting off shards of broken pottery in scattered directions, thus inspiring yet more panic and even faster canine circles. . .

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May 04, 2007

I'm so excited I can hardly stand to be in the same room with myself. (All the bouncing around and giggling. It's obscene, I tell you. And noisy.) Not only did I go from category to single title, but now I'm living every writer's dream. I'm writing exactly what I want to write: Paranormal romantic comedy. (More giggling. It's just shameless.)

The story I sold is called PANDORA'S BOX and the release date is February 2008 -- yes, right around the corner! (Mild hyperventilation ensues.) What's it about? Well, I don't have official back-cover copy to share, but I can tell you how I pitched it:

A woman in financial distress could only be grateful for a surprise inheritance -- unless her so-called legacy amounts to a ten-pound rock and guardianship of a horny, shape-shifting puca cursed centuries ago by a vengeful Druid. Add to that an unfaithful ex-boyfriend who wants her back and the romantic attention of a sexy but secretive contractor and suddenly Mina Avery is swimming in exotic possibilities. Unfortunately, all Mina's ever wanted out of life is a chance at lasting love and blessed normalcy.

Let's see . . . I accepted the offer about a month ago. Yes, a full month and I'm only just sharing the news now. Hey, I'm paranoid. I had to wait for it to be and feel real. I can't swear that it does even now.

I did, however, send another proposal to my agent on Wednesday -- so it's been a productive month for me. (Yes, a new agent and a new proposal.) And yesterday and today, I've been brainstorming and working on a synopsis for yet another book . . . Feels like I've earned my Friday.

MARCH 15, 2007

Spring Sprang Sprung

Ah, for a very few days, we had a preview of spring. Unfortunately, it will be over after tonight, but it was lovely to get up and run in shorts and a T-shirt (instead of sweats, mittens and hat -- blech). Then I got to open all the windows, walk the dog in the sunshine without freezing my butt off . . . (blissful) sigh.

I'm just a little punchy this evening. I had one of those wonderful writing days where everything -- but everything -- fit itself together for my story. The synopsis is rough but complete, and now I swear I can sprint through the second half of this manuscript, which has been driving me freaking nuts for the past couple of weeks. One missing piece. That's all it needed. And now I have it. Yeah, it's probably a good thing I have to close windows tomorrow so spring fever doesn't distract me before I'm ready to leave this story . . .

February 01, 2007

Penguin Performs Flying Somersault -- the Encore

Yes, I did it again. Twisted my stooopid ankle while running. Hey, I really have learned over the years how to minimize the damage caused during one of these episodes. You might say I've, uh, learned how to fall. (Thus revealing myself for the klutz that I am.) Basically, if you step on the outside of your foot, instead of putting more pressure on it to try to regain your balance, just go with it and play ragdoll. You'll land on the ground and look pretty stupid, but the recovery's a lot easier. Unfortunately, the ragdoll approach doesn't work well if you're running downhill. I'd rather twist my ankle than smear my face all over the pavement, thanks. So. Ouch.

As a result, however, I made this incredible discovery. Thanks to my beloved husband, who sought only to quiet the restless bitch that I become while not writing, I have discovered the joys of a laptop desk. Yes! It was his idea -- I give him all the credit -- but he found the thing at Staples and I love it! It raises the laptop to a workable level, keeps the heat off my legs, and keeps my laptop computer steady. So I planted my butt on the couch, my ankle on the heating pad, and cheerfully tapped out my pages.

January 25, 2007

Decluttering the Brain

If you have a bridesmaid dress hanging in your closet that's older than your school age children, then yes, it's time to weed out your wardrobe.

Yes, it has been that long, but I have to tell you, as stupid as it sounds, purging the crap from your closet can be a life-altering experience. I removed two leaf bags and one trash bag full of clothing, shoes and purses from my closet. I trashed the unusable and ugly, then donated the salvagable but unloved. Now, I can walk in my closet and actually see all my clothing. Literally half of my shoes are gone now. (I said as much to dh, by the way, and his response, as expected, was: "Did you throw out the left ones or the right ones? So now you hop around and . . ." Har, har.)

Ah, but once I did that, once I could see in my closet . . . the writing's been going like gangbusters ever since, I kid you not. Very likely, as some writing buds pointed out, it was just one more annoyance nagging at the back of my mind. I eliminated the annoyance, thereby freeing up some exhausted brain cells who exuberantly turned their attention away from the closet distraction and devoted themselves exclusively to creativity. Happy day. Happy writer. Ooh, and I rediscovered this really cool purse and forgot I owned those funky capris and . . .

Pre-Turkey Day Thankfulness [gNote from gNat: I originally ran this list on my blog in 2005 but it's still so true . . .]

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