When worlds collide

Sometimes my lawyering and writing worlds mesh.

For example, I contribute articles to a website entitled Living Las Vegas. So I decided to do an article on a just-opened restaurant/lounge/nightclub here in Vegas, called Lavo.

How does someone like me know about Lavo, the coolest place in town, created by the same group that owns Tao Las Vegas, the other coolest place in town? Simple -- because my firm represents that group in some ongoing litigation. In fact, one of my very best briefs came out of that bit of representation.

And so, last night I found myself venturing into the domain of the beautiful people. Hey, I was “on the list!” Plus, I have the stamp on my wrist (didn’t wash off!) and the plastic bracelet to prove it.

Okay, let’s be real. I don’t drink, can’t dance, and abhor crowds. Nor am I in my twenties, blonde, or suited to wearing anything with spaghetti straps or four inch heels. So I won’t be imposing on my clients to get on that list very often. But it was fun to be among the cool crowd for the night.

The more adventurous among you will love it, though.

A bad week coming up

This week is going to be bad for fiction writing. I've several briefs coming due in the next ten days or so, so my creative energies will be focused on legal issues.

The good news? I passed the 200 page mark on My Dog Carries a Knife.

Oh - and I'm being interviewed on the radio tomorrow with Lisa McLaun, who blogs at
http://compassionate-news.blogspot.com/ We talking about blogging!

Monday, August 25th at 10:00am on KNPR 88.9FM,

I've been playing with Facebook. I've much to learn when it comes to that stuff!

I'm baaaackkk

It's been awhile. Day job has been busy. But I'm back. Since I last posted, I've written about 50 pages in My Dog Carries a Knife. Slowly, but surely....

Sunday progress

Note the increase of 8 pages in my progress list. It's not much, but it's something.

Getting copies of my own books

I never thought this would be a problem.
Or, at least, not for what I refer to a “the Archetype book” – The Complete Writers Guide to Heroes and Heroines: Sixteen Master Archetypes. Back when I was on the writing conference circuit, I would order box after box of these things, usually by letting my editor at Lone Eagle know I needed them. That worked until about 2005 or so, when Lone Eagle, which had previously been sold to IFilm, was sold to a new company.
But by then, I was working full time as a lawyer again, and had stopped going to so many workshops. I was no longer selling the books myself. I had a case or two left from conference days, and occasionally dragged a few along when I spoke locally. And every now and again, someone would decide that paying full price for the book with autograph was better than the steep discount Amazon offers. [I’m flattered!]
But in April, just before the Las Vegas Writers Conference, I discovered (or perhaps was reminded?) at the last minute that I need to bring my own books. And AACK – I only had 11 left. Well, those went quickly.
And then there were none. I mean –I do not even have a copy for myself, other than a manuscript copy. And I am speaking at a few writing venues in the coming months.
Well, I can, of course, just buy it at the store like everyone else. In fact, I could buy a bunch a copies at Amazon for that nice discount. Amazon’s good, but hey – I can get it half price!
If, that is, I just figure out who is selling them days. Seems Lone Eagle keeps getting passed along to bigger and bigger publishers.
My royalties come from a company called Nielson. But apparently that’s a dead end for buying the books.
After four phone calls, and four emails –all to different people and companies, I finally tracked them down. Turns out that Random House now owns Watson-Guptill, who in turns owns the Lone Eagle imprint. Or so they say.
But, the good news is - my books are on the way.
Whew!