It's Christmas Time (Oh, Yeah!)

It's the hap-happiest time of the year! Hooray! I love Christmas! The food is better, the weather is my favorite (let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!), you get presents, the decorations are so pretty, you get to buy other people presents. . . . It's wonderful. Of course, it's also a bit hectic, especially around here when we have, get this, FOUR birthdays going on: my dad's, the Boy's, my sister-in-law Katie's, and my sister's (ordered by date, not importance, thank you).

But relax and enjoy, and here's a little piece of advice for you, as well. If you're feeling too hectic, and like you have waaay too much to do: just say no to something. This is my new motto after last year. I was so busy with signings and parties for church and book clubs and friends and work and family, and singing in choirs and on and on, that I was never home! NEVER! Christmas came and went and I realized that Boy had never played in the snow, let alone gone sledding, that he could sing the songs from a dozen tv shows, but didn't know Rudolph or Frosty. I'd made gingerbread men three times, but not for my own family. SHOCKING. So I said, Next year, I'm going to pick the thing that I will enjoy least (I won't tell you what it is), and say, No, thank you. Of course, having a new baby, I've said no to a lot of things this year. . . .

But here, as always, are the Christmas recommends:

To read:
Miracle and Other Christmas Stories by Connie Willis
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Sammy Keyes and the Runaway Elf by Wendelin van Draanen
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
Miss Davenport's Christmas by Marion Chesney
The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan
Picture books: Olive the Other Reindeer, Santa Calls, The Polar Express, The Christmas Tapestry, Sabuda's Christmas Pop-ups, Olivia Helps with Christmas, A Wish for Wings that Work, Red Ranger Came Calling, The Polar Express.

To watch:
Elf, Miracle on 34th Street (the original, black and white), Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Muppet Christmas Carol, A Christmas Story.

And in other news:
I will be at the Jordan Landing Barnes & Noble December 13th for the Christmas Authorpalooza! It's from 2-4, I will probably be late. But there will be other cool people there: Nathan Hale, James Dashner, J. Scott Savage, Mark and Caralyn Buehner. . . . Come and get some Christmas gifts signed!

And more knitting patterns are up! Check on the Princess of the Midnight Ball page for the rest of the knitting patterns. Coming soon: pictures of the knitwear, also the rose pattern for the shawl. Promise.

DRAGON SPEAR

Yes, it's time for the big reveal!

The third book about Creel and the dragons will be called:

DRAGON SPEAR

Coming in April, 2009!

What's a dragon spear? you ask.  "TELL ME MORE!"

NO!  NEVER!

I am pure and dedicated to my art, and shall not sully this final book in the trilogy by giving away any secrets! So do me a favor: don't email me and ask me to tell "just you" the whole plot, or asking if you can read the manuscript because you are my biggest fan.  I get a lot of these requests, and I'm sorry but I just CAN'T!

I will tell you two things, though.  First of all, yes, this is the last book about Creel and Shardas and the rest of their cohorts.  After Dragon Spear, they get to rest.  I may write other books set in Feravel, but not about these particular characters.  Sorry, but them's the breaks.

And the second detail?  Fainting goats!  I love fainting goats, so I decided that they should make an appearance.  Don't know about the fainting goats?  Check them out:



Fainting goats, one of nature's wonders!

I don't have any cover art yet, but it's coming, and I'll post it as soon as I get it.  It's once again drawn by Brandon Dorman, who has done the paperback cover of DRAGON SLIPPERS and the cover of DRAGON FLIGHT.

Well, it's 9:30 in the morning and I'm still in my PJ's and trying to type with a baby clad in nothing but a diaper and a flannel blanket in my lap, so I think I'll leave you all to mull over this information while I get dressed.  But first a shout-out to the wonderful Guy Gavriel Kay, whose book YSABEL just won the World Fantasy Award.  It's a great, great book, and Guy deserves the award (and more)!

Three cheers for Guy and YSABEL!