Summer Part I – Ocelot Kittens, Seattleites in the sun, and Book Promos Going Out

The first day in nine months with temperatures over 70 degrees, a cloudless blue sky…and with my grades turned in…Glenn and I took a trip to the Woodland Park Zoo, which we knew was going to be super crowded, but I really wanted to see the new ocelot kitten, (http://www.king5.com/news/local/Woodland-Park-Zoo-ocelot-kitten-to-greet-the-public-121275484.html) who was out and sleeping peacefully, unlike the poor snow leopard, who was panting in the 80+ degree heat, and the jaguar, who was the happiest and most active that I have ever seen. We also enjoyed the snuffling of the arctic fox and red pandas – I wish I could adopt both! I swear, if I ever become a super-rich supervillainess, I am totally going with a wildlife-preserve-for-giant-cats hideout, with foxes and red pandas. Having already made the trip across town, we also made the trek to the super-crowded Golden Gardens park and beach, where many people of various shapes and sizes were walking around without shirts (ah, Seattleites! No California-esque body consciousness for them!) and the brisk wind made the milder seaside temperatures feel even better. I wanted to snuffle around in the grass myself, but it was too crowded to do much more than walk up and down the marina and sidewalk. Then it took us a million hours to get home, because every single person who lives in Seattle was on the street, driving five miles an hour, dazed from the appearance of our giant mountain in the sky and drunk from sunshine. All told, we spent four hours outdoors, which I think is more than we’ve been outside total since we moved back to the Northwest.

Yesterday Kitsune Books sent out little press releases for my new book, which is supposed to be available for pre-order now at Kitsune Books’ web site, and should show up on Amazon next week. I guess this book is really happening! I’m starting to get some readings and visits booked and looking at my travel budget for next year (well, no mystery really, it’s quite small!) I got invited to read in NYC and I would love to go, but a trip out there is $$$. Maybe I will have a grant or a wealthy mystery donor come my aid! A girl (or-supervillainess-in-the-making) can dream, can’t she?