Catherine Coulter's Blog: I'm Baaaack!, page 89

December 15, 2016

December 15th -- Thursday -- Can you believe it? 10 days until Christmas. What's really cool is that Christmas falls on Sunday this year -- going to Christmas services is always great and moving, and voices raised singing Christmas carols. There's nothing like it. There are at least 75 poinsettias spreading over the stairs leading to the altar and four huge untrimmed trees behind the altar. It's glorious.
All of you have your trees up and decorated? You have presents under the tree unless you have little kids who will shake them to death or critters who will gnaw on them and bat them around the living room. Lights on outside? All is good? Okay, time to take deep breaths and bask in the beauty that is with us now. I want to know who among you is alone this Christmas and I want to know why.

December 13, 2016

December 13, big beautiful rainy Tuesday -- Last night a grand party -- dessert and Dom Perignon at our house and singing Christmas carol -- a fine tradition.
GUESS WHAT? I was 4-0 on my Football picks for Week 14: Yes, this is amazing and very gratifying and only the second time I've managed it this 2016 season. How did you guys do? To date I'm: 35-21. Not bad. Not great and fantabulous, but not bad.
Today, you get out there and do something that makes you feel warm and fuzzy all over, e.g., donate a kid's present, help someone with packages, offer to drive someone, you get the idea. Little things that mean so much to the receivee.

December 8, 2016

December 8th -- Is everyone reading The Resident Evil at Blackthorn Manor? And loving it? (If you aren't reading it and don't love it then please keep your mouth shut -- that's a major rule.
The visit to Apple yesterday (No, not Google) was great sport. Fun kind people, beginning with Colin, then the marketing team, Kristen, Ian and Koa -- and you know what? The Mexican food was great. Learned a lot and got their slant on the business, with a bit of focus on my books in particular. Fascinating -- so many new ways of approaching publishing and marketing books. So, thank you, Apple (not Google). Also, good store, loaded with friendly people who know everything. The Apple facility is like a small city for those of you who haven't been there --
One of you said standing on the deck of the Arizona at Pearl Harbor was eerie. That's right on, I simply hadn't realized it. It is eerie and you gulp and say thank you a gazillion times. Isn't it interesting that you can now visit the Arizona and stand next to Japanese tourists?
Today is my big author Christmas party. Over a dozen of the funnest, brightest, prettiest women in the business. Yes, I'll post a photo of the crew. Honey-baked ham, oh my. Everything is finished, done, every single present wrapped, in boxes, getting mailed all over the country to family -- Does that feel good!

December 7, 2016

December 7th -- Wednesday -- Take a few moments and remember 1941 was the year we got into the war, and say a big thank you. Without those incredible people, we wouldn't have the life we have today. Who's stood on the deck of the Arizona? It's incredibly moving. Take Kleenex. Did you know that Canada declared war on Japan the 7th? We followed suit on the 8th.
I said I was going with J.T. to Google. Oops! We're going to Apple -- oh my, I sure hope no one down there read the post, I'll get fruit thrown at me. Bad me, bad me.
I'm sure most of you know that the castle shown on The Resident Evil at Blackthorn Manor cover is Castle Eileen Donan located at the entrance to the Isle of Skye. I would like you to know that I'm a MacKinnon, a distant relation of the Isle of Skye MacKinnon's who own Drambuie. As yet, however, I have received no invitations to visit them. The tale is that the head of the MacKinnon clan hid Prince Charles during the uprising of 1745 and Prince Charles gave him the Drambuie recipe to thank him. If you can buy time travel in movies, you can buy this.

December 6, 2016

December 6th -- Really Jazzy Tuesday:
ANNOUNCEMENT: The Resident Evil at Blackthorn Manor is officially out today. Yes, today, not yesterday or tomorrow, and this is exciting. It's Grayson Sherbrooke's second novella. This one's set in Scotland, 1841. Did you read The Heiress Bride? With Sinjun and Colin and Pearlin' Jane and Vere Castle on the Fife Peninsula? If you didn't read the first novella -- The Strange Visitation at Wolffe Hall, do. Prepare to have a blast.
Now, if you pre-ordered Resident Evil -- pay attention: I just heard that Amazon -- only Amazon Kindle -- had a formatting problem and the text is screwed up. It was caught by my incredible people immediately. So, if you're reading and oops! screwed up -- Go to MANAGE YOUR CONTENT AND DEVICES on Amazon and select to UPDATE the file -- and voila, you're good to go again. Everyone apologizes, but these things happen -- happened to me when I was reading a friend's ebook. Easy to fix.
If you haven't entered the drawing to win a Resident Evil poster, DO IT. The cover is amazing and I've seen it -- prepare to be blown away.
J.T. Ellison will come through my door early this afternoon and we'll hit the ground running, well, we have today to ourselves -- We'll talk and laugh and eat Mexican and enjoy each other, then tomorrow the insanity begins with a trip down to Google campus to meet with marketing people at the iStore.

December 2, 2016

December 2nd -- BIG HUGE FRIDAY, the very first Friday in the last month of 2016 -- it's just starting to get light, the wind is howling outside, no rain -- 49 degrees and Alexa assures me we'll have lots of sun.
The top floor is Christmasized and I'll post a video -- it's pretty cool.
I have Mr. MacClaus standing on my desk, full Scottish regalia with bagpipes, a plaid cap, full white beard -- I'll have to look up the plaid, see what clan it is. Christmas present from nephew Stephen and gorgeous wife Brittany -- they went to all my favorite places -- and he swears they had only one day of rain. Now that's unbelievable. I wonder if he's lying. I can't wait to debrief them at Christmas. Who loves Scotland? Who's been there? And where did you visit? After Italy and England, it's my very favorite country (well, there's Ireland and -- okay, you get the idea, but Italy is first).

December 1, 2016

This is it -- DECEMBER 1st -- and now we mean business. No more procrastination -- you get out there for thirty minutes today -- think about what you want to get for one person and do it.
Isn't the new novella banner on top cool? Actually, I was thinking awesome. The Resident Evil .... will be out the 6th -- there's a drawing coming, should be up with instructions today -- so be sure to tune back in, okay?
The living room is very nearly decorated, in time for guests coming next Tuesday, party on Thursday -- ah, what a glorious season.

November 29, 2016

Beautiful blue sky Tuesday -- the 29th (I'm so glad the date is on my computer or I'd be throwing around wrong dates like popcorn). In the high 40's when I got up -- going to be 69 high. Isn't that amazing?
All of you are doing well with your football picks, unlike yours truly who pretty much sucks. In my defense (which you can laugh at and go blah blah blah) I do pick with my heart and pray for upsets. Are you buying that? Try.
All Christmas presents are wrapped, time for a video of my outrageous office -- will put that up today -- No, I don't know how many presents I wrapped -- yes, I'm truly sick and in need of a present-wrapping intervention.
Work on Enigma today -- thank you for cover ideas -- we'll see what the Simon & Schuster art department comes up with.

November 23, 2016

Day before the big day where you're two pounds lighter and can hit the wonderful meal with enthusiasm and no guilt. November 23rd, Wednesday. A little rain during the night -- that's great -- some of you have snow. Imagine, snow -- that's tough for a Californian to imagine unless skiing at Tahoe.
Company coming in today to begin the festivities -- catching up, lots of hugs, but best, CATERED Thanksgiving -- well, we'll see -- do keep your digits crossed that the meal is excellent -- that would be so incredibly wonderful -- I pick everything up today including the two pies made in my BIG pie pans, with hopefully the artistically applied little leaves on top of the pumpkin.
Most of you really like the cover. And you had a great idea -- make a poster of The Resident Evil at Blackthorn Manor cover -- and use it for giveaways. What do you think? Do you like the picture that much?
Okay, really really hard cardio today and really cut down on the carbs -- and voila, the 2 pounds will be gone in the morning. Tiny dinner --

November 22, 2016

November 22, Tuesday -- chilly, a bit overcast this early, and incredibly beautiful.
FOOTBALL: The Raiders beat the Texans last night in Mexico City so I'm 2-2. Shut up, I know most of you are beating me by yards, maybe even miles. The Cardinals and Ravens let me down -- a big boot in the butt to them. As for the Patriots and the Raiders -- Big Woots! To date: 24-20.
Isn't the cover of The Resident Evil --- amazing? Don't forget now, it's only in ebook, everywhere. When Grayson has three or four otherworldly novella adventures, then we can put them in a paperback. All is good. Do read The Strange Visitation at Wolffe Hall before this one, so you know how it all starts. What fun!
Now, today you're going to cardio your brains out. Why? So you can lose two pounds by Thursday and pig out on Thanksgiving without guilt. Sound like a good plan?
I was thinking -- how about guacamole dressing? Maybe some crushed up chips to give it crunch? Maybe some cranberry sauce on top to add a Christmas theme? What's your opinion?