Happy New Year!

Boy do we have big surprises coming over at the Literary Chicks! Also, go here if you want to play my if X, then X, but if not, then X game. (Trust me, it's more fun than it sounds!)
Happy New Year!
hugs,
Alesia

A lovely new review!!

What a nice post-Christmas present - another terrific review for THE NAKED TRUTH! Lovesromances.com had this to say about my story:

The Naked Truth About Guys – Alesia Holliday
CJ is a reporter and a writer of a humorous column. She gets marriage proposals daily and her ‘soul mate’ sends her his lucky socks. Always seen as one of the boys, she is fed up with it all and her friend Paola takes her out for a makeover. What a change. So much so that Hugh, a co-worker who she has been lusting after for five months asks her out. Since she’s become more feminine she has trouble writing her column and she is wondering if Hugh, the ‘serial dater’ is really serious. She wants the ‘Grand Gesture.’

This was for this reviewer, by far the best story in the anthology. It made this reviewer laugh out loud and was so romantic and heart-warming. A little wacky, CJ gives the masculine world a big surprise. Her column is down to earth and hilarious. A little reminiscent of Sex In The City, this story will certainly grab the reader. One of the things that clinched it for this reviewer was…dare this reviewer say it? The hero reminded the heroine of Gerard Butler…swoon! A sexy, sassy read and a wonderful plot, Ms Holliday has written a winner. - Valerie, at Lovesromances.com.

Doesn't that just rock?? I love to be sexy and sassy! LOL. The full text of the review is here.

Happy New Year!
Alesia

SIX OH NINE

Yep, that's what time my adorable son woke us up on Christmas morning. "SANTA CAME!!! SANTA CAME!!"
Me: What time is it?
Him: SIX OH NINE!!! SANTA CAME!! YOU AND DADDY HAVE TO WAKE UP NOW!!!

So we did. And since Santa didn't put together the toys this year, we spent HOURS putting together toys. (When I say "we," I mean Navy Guy, of course.) FOUR HOURS to put together the ESPN sports station (which is, frankly, the most amazing Christmas gift ever - it is currently taking up the entire center of our family room in its 6 sports and 21 electronic game glory).

Four hours. And the instruction manual had 87 steps. EIGHTY-SEVEN.

That's just wrong.

Poor Princess is still really sick, so we're off to the doctor tomorrow. But she's taking comfort in her new American Girl doll, and Daddy's last day of vacation is today, so he's having a tea party with her while I work. hee hee. I made him promise no mutant doll voices - she hates that. :)

I hope your holidays are very merry - whichever flavor you celebrate.
hugs,
Alesia, signing off till the new year

TRACKING SANTA CLAUS!!!

I know many of my readers will be travelling for the holidays - please be safe!! And, before you go, I simply MUST point out one of our favorite family tradtions (the kids love it, too!!) Every year, NORAD uses all of its very sophisticated radar systems to actually TRACK SANTA CLAUS and the reindeer as they travel all over the world carrying presents to all the children.

Starting early on Christmas Eve day, we start checking the computer HERE for updates on where the big guy is!! You can see Rudolph's shiny nose leading Santa around the globe with hourly updates.

Happy holidays to all of you and Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate it from me, Navy Guy, Science Boy, and Princess. Hope you have fun tracking Santa, too!!

hugs,Alesia

Oh, and don't forget . . .

The AMERICAN TITLE competition!! Romantic Times magazine and Dorchester Publishing's annual tradition to look for the next voice of romantic fiction! Please take a moment to go here and vote and help one of the talented finalists in her quest for publication.
A.

How is it December 20th????

AARGHH. But the presents are all wrapped, the decorations are all up, and only one of the kidlets is sick . . . Did I mention I'm not happy with this cold-weather winter thing?? I MISS FLORIDA!

One thing I'd never miss is spam e-mail. Hate it hate it hate it. For a note about just how much, see here.

hugs,
Alesia, off to adjust the thermostat up to 72

On not being a cowboy

See my post over at Lit Chicks today for news of my fun trip to first-grade land to talk about being an author. And wish me luck - it's Navy holiday party evening and, like all business parties, it's either going to be stultifyingly dull or tons of fun. Happy weekend!
A.

Christmas attitude adjustment

I see from blogger that today is my 100th post, and as usual, I'm wondering what I ever found to write about. My life is way not interesting enough for 100 posts . . .

Okay, as I was fairly grinchy yesterday over at the Lit Chicks, I'm determined to do my Christmas attitude adjustment. So now I'm all about happy, happy, and POSITIVE THINKING!!

Good stuff:

• Finally got my license plates for my car so I can drive it (legally)!
• Went out and nearly finished my Christmas shopping (I usually do it sometime after December 20th)!
• After my trip to NYC last week, I have two new book offers in the works!!
• Chocolate. One should always be thankful for chocolate.
• I'm going to learn to knit. My friend Lani wore some gorgeous mittens with a scarf and a hat in NY that she'd knitted herself, and I so want to try it. If I end up able to make nothing but toilet paper roll covers, guess what I'll give away as website contest prizes?
• The book is going well
• Just finished page proofs on BLONDES HAVE MORE FELONS and I LOVE it again!! I tend to go through phases where I hate all my books, then I get a little distance and read them again with fresh eyes and things are all better. I'm really THRILLED with how this one turned out. And the advance reviews are pretty great, so I'm tickled to the cockles of my little heart. (Whatever cockles are.)

Only 11 days till Christmas! I hope we get snow.

Alesia

Gone for four days, behind by eight . . .

How does that happen?? Was going to post more NY details, but Barb has them here, so I'll leave it to her! Amazing, amazing trip, but now I'm so far behind on everything. Sigh. Totally worth it, though! My best advice to anyone who is newly pubbed is to try to save money and find a way to go to NY to meet your editor and the wonderful people at your publisher in person. Because, well, just because! Editors are terrific people! Plus, you know, it's New York.
Back to work . . .

From NY and the ZONE OF STING . . .

OH. MY. GOD. It's going to be hard to top my first day in NY. My friend Barb gave Lani and me a present of our first jazz club experience - the incredible Blue Note Club. Jazz musician extraordinaire Chris Botti and his band were playing (I'd never heard him before; was looking forward to it, but the cold from HELL was weighing me down and I almost begged off and went back to the hotel to sulk with Nyquil).

OH. MY. GOD. We freaked out a bit when Sting and his wife walked RIGHT BY US, but then Chris called him up on stage and he SANG TWO SONGS. FIVE FEET AWAY FROM ME.

He walked right by me.

Then he SANG MY FUNNY VALENTINE DIRECTLY TO ME!!!!! (Seriously, there was eye contact.) Lani thinks he sang to her, too, but there was enough of him to go around. I mean, we were five feet away from STING. AND HE WAS SINGING TO ME!!!!!!

Life is GREAT. Even on cold meds. (See our updates at the Literary Chicks for more details as the week progresses.) But - SERIOUSLY. What could surpass THE ZONE OF STING???

Off to NY!!

I've posted the winners at Literary Chicks, and we'll be posting fun pics from the city, so be sure to stop by over there during the week. I'm going to see Avenue Q with my editors, which from what I can tell is like a raunchy version of the Muppets. Should be a blast! Or at least really, really weird. Will let you know either way.
hugs,
Alesia, who needs to, well, pack

Shopping and a new review

Okay, it IS possible to spend $500 in Target in a single hour. Don't ask; don't even ask. But on the plus side, lots of the Christmas shopping is officially done . . .

Just found a lovely new review for The Naked Truth! Look here for the whole thing. Here's what had to say about my story, The Naked Truth About Guys:

Alesia Holliday's "The Naked Truth About Guys" is a captivating story that revolves around columnist C.J. Murphy who writes a famous column called 'The Naked Truth About Guys." Its success has gained her many devoted fans who shower her with unusual fan mail. But there is one whose attention she has yet to gain, Investigator Report Hugh. He only sees her as one of the guys and never at her true potential as a woman. She decides to undergo a makeover in hopes of changing his mind. Will it be enough to make him see what he has been missing?