Archive for March, 2010

We finalled!

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

Hey, Christo here!

Did you hear about the RITA nomination Nat and Anne and I got? Cool, yes?

I didn’t know anything about the RITA contest, and Anne didn’t bother to mention it before she went off to New York. So when a very nice woman began leaving messages on the answering machine, I listened to them, but I didn’t know what she was talking about.

It wasn’t until Anne called home later that night that she told The Prof and he told me. Nat was in NYC with Anne and Nancy the Cat Slayer doing weddings and chocolate tours and whatnot. Girl stuff.

But what I want to know is, how could Anne just go off and not tell me something might happen? How could she FORGET?

Boggles the mind.

She and Nat are home now. Nat brought chocolate and tales of amazing places we need to go next time we’re in New York City. We can do that, but we’re also going to a baseball game or two or maybe a hockey game, depending on the season.

Anne, who is out running errands today, said to tell you that she’s got the blog on the Pink Heart Society for April 1, so if you want to find out what she did in NYC, you should check it out.

She is giving away her favorite chocolate confection there, too. She and Nat brought a bunch home because they think they are the neatest funniest seasonal chocolates ever.

Check ‘em out. Leave a comment. You might win your very own Chirp N Dale!

Christo is a RITA finalist!

Friday, March 26th, 2010


Hi from New York!

We’ve been having a fabulous time, and it isn’t even wedding day yet. That’s Saturday.

In the meantime, though, we’ve been wandering the city, getting reacquainted with old haunts, seeking out a few new ones, and generally enjoying ourselves.

Nancy the Cat Slayer (not!) has joined me for this trip as The Prof is proffing and can’t possibly leave his classes (he did retire, but no one told him that!). NTCS is a good traveling companion and we manage to find fun things to do regularly.

Yesterday we went to the Brooklyn Museum which was wonderful. I’ll tell you about it later, but I have more exciting news to share that I got when we returned.

I had an email from Anne Gracie congratulating Christo on his RITA nomination!

Turns out the RITA finalists we announced yesterday and ONE-NIGHT MISTRESS. . . CONVENIENT WIFE is one of them.

Christo is pleased. Natalie is pleased. I’m thrilled and delighted and honored. Not to mention amazed.

This year there are FOUR (count ‘em) Presents and Presents Extra nominees. Besides Christo’s book, Jane Porter, Jennie Lucas and Kelly Hunter all have finalists in the contemporary series category! It was a huge category — over 250 entries, I’ve heard. So the competition was fierce. And to have so many books from the line is great news.

I’m going to celebrate with Christo today by taking him to the Pierpont Morgan Libary and checking it out. Never been there. I’ve heard it’s wonderful. Natalie is up for the chocolate tour. But it’s drizzling and promising worse, so I’m not sure we’ll make that.

Back home on Wednesday!

NYC, Here I Come!

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010


I’m off to a friend’s wedding in New York City bright and early tomorrow morning. The wedding is Saturday so I get to have some time to enjoy the city first.

I wrote a piece on walking tours in NYC on the Pink Heart blog yesterday in anticipation of what I might be doing. There’re all kinds of tours. I’ve done several, but never the chocolate tour! Or the tea tour! Both of those sound tempting — and pricey. We’ll see what happens.

I’ll try to blog once or twice from there, but I’m not sure how much time I’ll have. I should have more than when I’m home. My mother is staying here! And she’s been, understandably, the focus of a lot of my attention in the past couple of months. I’m thinking of this trip as a bit of a breather.

And when I come home I am starting Yiannis’s book. I need a bit more plot though before I get going on it. Maybe something will occur in New York.

Everyone behave while I’m away!