Jury Shmury

So, I have jury duty today. I’m still a bit dizzy today and had to get up at 5:30 this morning so I could brave Phoenix freeways to get here before 8:30. Then they opened the doors late and I really had to pee. So far, the upside to this place, as opposed to the downtown courthouse I had to got to last time, is that parking is nearby and I don’t have to walk six blocks in the summer heat.

Metal detectors. Fun. Just like the airport, only no great destination waiting at the end. And no drinks or food allowed inside the building so my snack and water bottle are in the car. I’m thirsty. Right now, I’m sitting in a small stuffy room with one table in the middle and chairs lining the walls. They do offer water and coffee here but we’re not allowed to take it out of the room. I’m sitting in a corner chair because they have no computer work spaces or wifi in this backward place, either. So, unfortunately, I can’t blog in real time. You’re reading this hours after the fact but I’m writing as much in real time as I can and not get arrested for contempt of court.

Okay, guy with a badge just entered. They need seven jurors. The rest of us will probably go home before noon. Please let that be me. Oh, joy. A video. Okay, he just turned down the lights. Not good for those of us with Meniere’s Disease. But at least he’s leaving so I can keep typing. Can you say death by boredom? I feel like I’m in government 101. Again. I wonder how much they paid these people in the video to say good things about jury duty. No one in this room looks excited to be here. Or maybe it’s just the lighting. Ooh, maybe I should apply as an actress for jury movies. Put all that Hollywood training to work again. Blah, blah, more video talk. I’ve heard all this before. And I could find this info on the net, if they just had wifi. That’s right, they don’t. Do I sound cranky? Well, I’m balancing my computer on my purse because there are no work stations. Hey, video’s over. Oops, guy with a badge coming back in the room. More later.

Okay, well, they got us lined up with numbers and marched us into a courtroom. It’s just before 10. This is a dui case. They don’t usually want people like me on dui cases, not when my teenage nephew was killed by an impaired driver. Questions about work, kids, spouse. The usual. Followed by a series of questions the judge asks and we simply raise our juror number if we qualify. Ooh, I raised my card at least four times. Next, we go back out into the waiting area for another round of sit and wait. Oh, goody. Crap, it’s only 10:30 and I’m hungry. I was queasy this morning so all I had for breakfast was toast. Where’s my snack? Oh, that’s right - I’m not allowed to have any food. Did I bring anything for this headache? Nope. Okay, now the bailiff is calling us in one at a time for more questions, so I don’t have to wait long before I’m back in the courtroom.

This time the judge wants explanations to the questions I raised my juror number for so I tell him what he wants to know. Hmm, the prosecutor and arresting officer look pleased with my answers. Can’t say the same for the defendant and his attorney, though. One final question from the defense. Ah, I’m fairly certain he won’t pick me now. More thank yous and please take a seat outside. Yeah, yeah, I got that part down.

Okay, now I’m back in a chair outside for more waiting. It’s after 11 and I’m really hungry now. I wonder if I have time to go to my car for a snack. Better not risk it. I’ve been trying to work on my editing on these breaks, except I keep reading the same paragraph over and over because of the disruptions. Just too many people talking and moving around. Bailiff calling out names. The guy next to me is coughing. Great, hope he’s not contagious. No time to dwell on that now - Being called in again.

Yea! I’ve been dismissed! It’s 11:30 and I’m starving! Can I go now? No. Have to wait for slip of paper. Of course, I’m one of the last people to get mine. Figures. But, hey, I’ve got a nice little box of snacks and a bottle of water in the car. I’m outa here!

Phantoms and Doors - pt3 of true paranormal stories

Another true-life paranormal story

Phantoms and Doors

By Dana Davis

One night, when I’m about twelve or thirteen years old, I awaken to the feeling of being watched. My room feels eerie, different, like something has changed. I can’t explain it, other than feeling like somebody besides me is there. That’s when I look up to see a black mass of a shadow in my bedroom doorway. Though I can’t see any features, I have a distinct feeling it’s a male presence. It looks like it’s wearing a large hat. I don’t know why I think that because I really can’t see anything distinct, jut a shadow. But I definitely see a hat coming up from what I think is a head. My heart seems to stop in that moment. I can’t breathe.

I try to ignore the feelings and tell myself that I’m just seeing things, that there can’t be a person in my doorway, that it must be a shadow from some strange object in my room. But I still have the distinct feeling I’m being watched and I start to shiver with fright when the shadow remains.

In a panic, I pull the covers over my head and am so scared that I barely hear my own whispers of, “Go away, go away, go away.” Trembling, I peer out from beneath the covers but the black mass is still there.

I hold my breath. My heart starts pounding so hard I think it will pop right out of my chest. I hide under the covers again and utter for it to go away. When I finally get the nerve to look again, whatever it is has disappeared. The room no longer feels different. I no longer feel like I’m being watched. Everything is, well, normal. I want to go to the bathroom but am too scared to get of bed. So I huddle under my covers until I finally go back to sleep.

The next morning I try to figure out what could have made that shadow in my doorway. But everything in my bedroom is in its place, just as always. I’m very good about keeping things in their proper places so I can’t explain the mysterious shadow.

Not long after that incident, I awake one morning and shuffle into the kitchen. My mother is here making coffee or something. My dad and siblings are still in bed. The conversation goes something like this:

My mom turns to me and says in a low voice, “Did you hear the front door last night?”

“No, why?”

“Well, someone knocked in the middle of the night. Woke me up.”

“Really, who?”

“That’s what’s so strange. I went to the door and looked out the peep hole and saw a man in a suit and dress hat standing on the porch. When I opened the door, he was gone. There was no one. I looked for a car or something but it was quiet and I didn’t see anybody anywhere. He was just gone.”

Now if you’re wondering why my mother would open the door to a stranger in the middle of the night, you have to understand this was the 70s in a small town and we had a locked screen door between the inner door and the porch. Even though we kids were taught about stranger-danger, these were the days when people kept their doors unlocked and garage doors open all day so children could come and go as they pleased. The only times my parents locked up was when we all left the house to go someplace or before they went to bed at night.

I study my mother and she seems awed by what she experienced, and maybe even a little spooked. Men don’t wear dress hats anymore, which makes her story all the more fascinating to me. Gooseflesh makes me shiver as I ask, “Who do you think it was?”

“Well, I think it was my grandfather.” The man had died when my mother was around thirteen years old (my age at the time) and she’d been very close to him.

“Really? You think it was him?” I’m actually relieved by this news because it makes the shadow I saw seem less threatening and I move on to curious. “What did he want?”

“I don’t know. Maybe just stopped by to say hi.”

I nod. We don’t say much else about it and she smiles at me as we get breakfast ready.

I’m not sure why, but I didn’t mention the shadow in my doorway to her until many years later. And I still find it strange that my mother would come out of the blue with her story about her dead grandfather who once wore a dress hat, especially after my own experience of the shadow man in the hat. Either way, I never saw that shadow again and, as far as I know, my mother never had another strange night visitor come knocking at the door.

The Medium in My Family - pt2 of true paranormal stories

Here is the second installment in my personal and family real-life paranormal tales. There will be more to come in future posts. Enjoy!

Family Medium

I grew up hearing stories about my great-grandmother (granny) and her sister. The two were born the same month two years apart in the latter part of the nineteenth century and were very close.  According to family legend, when granny and her sister were present, items would sometimes fly across the kitchen and cabinets would open on their own. One particular day the sisters were sitting in their living room when my g-g-aunt’s chair suddenly lifted off the floor, hovered for a moment, then lowered back down to the floor. Interesting, right? I wish I could've been there to see it.

My great-great-aunt was also practicing medium during the early days of the twentieth century.The occult had been enjoying a boon during this period so mediums were accepted in many circles. She would hold séances for family, friends and clients and call on spirits from the other side. During these séances, she would go into a trance in order to communicate with the dead. One night, while in one of her trances, an invisible force grabbed onto her hair and yanked her out of her chair. The incident frightened her so much that she never again performed another séance and all paranormal activity around her stopped.

 The sisters died in the 1970s, two months apart. These and other stories about Granny and her sister are still told in my family today.

Voices in My Bed - pt1 of true paranormal stories

I've been asked many times about my paranormal experiences, especially now that I'm involved with a paranormal investigative team. So, I've decided to share some of those experiences here on my blog, as well as some of the stories passed down through my family. Though I alter them quite a bit, I tend to use my experiences in my paranormal fantasy novels. Here is the first story of this series. Enjoy!

Voices in My Bed

By Dana Davis

My first experience with the paranormal started when I was about three years old and continued until I was almost seven. We lived in a rental house at the time and my bedroom was a converted garage. Every night when I went to bed, I would hear what sounded like a room full of adults talking. They started out distant and would grow louder within seconds, as though they were coming straight at me. While the voices were going on I always felt strange, like part of me was split or in two places at once. It scared me every time and I would hide under the covers until the voices disappeared and then go to sleep.

I never understood anything that was said because it was like being in a large cafeteria with everyone talking at once, but there were no utensil sounds, only voices. When I was about six, I would listen really hard and try to make out a single voice among the many but never could. I even spoke a couple of times to see if I could get a direct response but I never did.

These voices happened every night for three to four years and only lasted a few seconds. That’s how it always happened. I don’t know why, but I don’t think I ever told my parents about it. The voices stopped when we moved. I tried as a teenager and again as an adult to hear those voices at bedtime but I never heard them again. To this day, I don’t know whether I was having some sort of auditory hallucinations or actually experiencing something paranormal in that house.

Lucky We Went to Egypt in 2010 (with photos)

As you may know, hubby and I were in Egypt about three months ago. We met some wonderful people during our visit and I blogged about the trip. With the internet shut down over there right now, we haven't been able to find out how our guides and drivers and their families are doing. I have to say that the protests don't surprise me because of what we heard when we were there, but I'm disgusted by all the criminals taking advantage of the situation and sacking and looting ancient treasures and businesses. Even King Tut's Exhibit at the Egyptian Antiquities Museum didn't escape damage. Luckily, those pieces can be repaired. I'm sure the same can't be said for other artifacts. We feel extremely lucky that we took our Egypt trip when we did. Who knows how long it will be before normal travel will resume in this troubled country. Cameras are strictly forbidden inside the museum, so I don't have any of photos from there to share with you, but I've included a few from around Egypt that I didn't put into previous blogs.

Enjoy and please keep the Egyptian people in your thoughts.

Putting it in perspective.

I know, I know, I've been lax about posting the past couple of months. I do have an excuse. Well, several actually. No, really, I do. At the beginning of our holiday break, I rear-ended hubby while we were biking and ended up sprawled on the street with several bruises, scrapes and a cracked rib. And I needed to meet my publisher's deadline for my next book and was falling behind. Good news is that because it hurt just to breathe, I couldn't do much of anything but sit and got a lot of writing done.

Then, when I was almost healed, I ended up having two Meniere's attacks in a row. This disease causes severe vertigo and tinnitus during attacks and impedes normal function. I tend to go into denial between attacks and pretend that I'm normal. Then, wham! I get hit with another reminder that I'm, well, just a little bit different than most. Hubby is great to me during these times but it's hard not being able to walk straight for a day or two and then being unstable for another day or two. I sometimes mope.

So, while I was having a pity party, and doing a fine job of it, I got news that my younger brother was diagnosed with severe osteoarthritis. Can you hear the brakes squealing? Yep, that put an instant halt to my party. This is devastating news for anyone, but especially for someone who was a body builder and karate instructor and is still religious about going to the gym. My party was over. My brother lost his only son to an impaired driver three years ago, so he's no stranger to hard times. He's taking this current news with more bravery than I would. We commiserated, with me just trying to keep my mouth shut and listen.

Everyone has challenges in their lives and, thanks to my brother, I've learned that mine are not nearly as severe as I sometimes want to believe. So my pity hat hangs in the closet now and it's time to support my brother again. His disease is progressive, like mine. But unlike mine, his causes a lot of pain, sometimes on a daily basis, and makes it hard for him to do things I take for granted, like walking up a flight of stairs. He was acting all brave and whatnot, so I told him to go ahead and have a pity party, with balloons and a big pity cake. He's earned it. After that, he can be the brave one if he wants. Thanks to him, I have yet a new perspective on life. That mine is pretty great.

Todd Davis Memorial Scholarship

It's the new year and now is a great time to decide on your annual donations. My seventeen-year-old nephew died in 2008 from injuries he sustained in an automobile accident with an impaired driver. My brother and his wife have set up a scholarship in his memory if you wish to donate. Anything is appreciated and is tax deductible.

Todd Davis Memorial Scholarship

The Todd Davis Memorial Scholarship is open to all University of Houston—Clear Lake (UHCL) students who have volunteered their time at UHCL for leadership events such as, but not limited to, the ones mentioned above.

There are three ways in which you can donate in Todd’s memory:

1. www.uhcl.edu under the “give to UHCL” tab.” Just be sure and select “other” in the gift designation box and write “for the Todd Davis Memorial Scholarship” in the memo box just above the “Personal Information” section on the page.

2. or you may call Kim Herhold at UHCL at 281-283-2036 and pay by credit card over the telephone. Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express are accepted.

3. or you may mail your check to: UHCL, Office of University Advancement, Attn: Kim Herhold, 2700 Bay Area Blvd., Box 318, Houston, TX 77058

Note: please write “Todd Davis Memorial Scholarship” in the memo section of your check. And please check with your employer’s HR department to see if they participate in a matching gift program.

New interview and eBook contest!

Time	Thursday, January 6 - January 7
Location	http://moonlightlacemayhem.blogspot.com
Created By	Dana Davis
More Info	Award-winning and SynergE bestselling author Dana Davis will talk about her Teadai Prophecies fantasy trilogy and other goodies at Twilight Thursday at Moonlight, Lace, and Mayhem. Visitors will also have a chance to enter a contest for a free eBook copy of Deadly Fate: Book One of the Teadai Prophecies.

The Bird Who Doesn’t Fly.

If you’ve ever read my bio, you’ve probably seen my crazy parakeets mentioned someplace. Believe it or not, birds have neuroses just like humans. Ours are no exception. Each bird hubby and I have ever had came with its own personality, quirks and prejudices. We currently have two budgies who are mates. The female used to fly all over the place, landing on things she wasn’t supposed to be on. We called her a "naughty birdie" and laughed at her escapades. Once our other birds passed away, she and her mate were left alone. Birds can go into depression when they lose a friend but these two seemed content to be together. Their grieving didn’t take more than a few days and then they were fine, eating their veggies and fruits and playing with their toys again.

After a while, the female began to fly less and less. She seemed content to sit in the cage and have her mate feed and preen her, which is how male budgies get their groove on, if you know what I mean. The vet checked her out and couldn’t find anything wrong with her. We even learned that some birds are content to stay in their cages and refuse to come out. But she’s a bird and birds are supposed to fly, right? That’s what we think, too. But after coaxing without success, we left her alone, figuring she would come out on her own eventually. Everyone once in a while, she would sit in the doorway and get startled by her mate and come out. But she hadn’t flown in so long that she had no strength in her wings and went straight to the floor. Instead of flying back, she would just waddle around – she’d put on a little weight – and sit under the coffee table. Her mate would join her on the floor and they would sit and preen. When she wanted to go back into her cage, she couldn’t get enough height, so she would waddle to me and wait for me to offer my finger as a perch. I would hold her up a few feet from the cage and, when she felt like it, she would fly back.

This was the only exercise our girl was getting. She had turned into a full-on couch potato, complete with waddle weight, and we decided to do an intervention. I began to take her out of the cage, whether she wanted to come out or not, two to three times a day and hold her on my finger until she flew back on her own. Hubby’s afraid he’ll squeeze them too hard, so I do birdie meds and anything else that involves holding them against their will. I don’t mind at all. I got nipped at the first week or so because she didn’t like me taking her out. Yes, it hurt, but after having animals my whole life, I’m used to it. Besides, how would you like a humongous hand reaching in through your front door and grabbing you? I know I would put up a fight, so I certainly can’t blame her for that. Her nips were a warning, not an attack, and she never drew blood.

After the first week, she stopped nipping at me and allowed me to hold her, knowing I wouldn’t keep her in my hands for long. Birds don’t like their wings held, even if they refuse to fly with them. Our little birdie even began to lose a bit of her waddle weight. I found this encouraging and would take her farther and farther from her cage every three days or so, until she grew more confident and got excited about these short flights. Her mate seemed to enjoy having her out again, so we put their birdie play yard up. This is a wooden platform with ladders, ropes and other toys. We placed the play yard in its previous spot, about ten feet from their cage at a higher elevation. They loved to play on it in the past but hadn’t since our girl decided not to fly any longer. This time when I took her out, I put her on it. She flew back to the cage with no problem at all and even sang a jaunty tune afterwards. Hubby and I did a little happy dance.

Then, yesterday, our girl came out on her own for the first time in months, flew to the play yard and back to the cage. It was just like old times. We did soft cheers of encouragement, and her mate sang his little heart out. After that, she did a half lap around the family room. We will continue to encourage her to fly and cheer her on when she does. She’s no longer “the bird who doesn’t fly”.

Contest winner!

Thanks so much to Clare Dargin and to everyone who stopped by for the interview. Congratulations to Manjiri, who won the eBook contest. Happy New Year!

Interview and eBook contest!

Interview with Dana Davis and free eBook contest! Happy New Year! Family members not eligible for the contest. Wednesday, December 29 at 12:00am - Saturday, January 1, 2011 at 12:00am.

http://theembraced.blogspot.com

Twas the Night Before Deadline

Twas the Night Before Deadline
Adaptation by Dana Davis (my apologies to Clement Clarke Moore)

Twas the night before deadline, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even my mouse.
The sticky notes hung by the computer in rows,
In hopes that my muse soon would make a show.

My characters were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of plotlines danced in my head.
And computer all booted, and hand on my mouse,
I’d just settled my brain for a long writer’s joust.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the desk to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the glass.

The moon on the pool and the landscape lights
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects in sight.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature woman in flowing apparel.

The little odd woman, so lively and loose,
I knew in a moment it must be my muse.
More rapid than eagles her course she came,
And she whistled, and shouted, and called out my game!

"Now Dashes! now, Spaces! now, Paragraphs and Verbs!
On, Comas! On, Clauses! on Headers and Blurbs!
To the top of the page! To the margin and title!
Now type away! Type away! Type away, writer!"

As dry leaves that before the wild monsoon fly,
When she meets with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So into the house the course she flew,
With a bag full of ideas, my lovely muse true.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard in my brain
The prancing and pawing of each little refrain.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Into the office my muse came with a bound.

She was dressed all in letters, from her head to her foot,
And her clothes were all garnished with phrases and words.
A bundle of ideas she had flung on her back,
And she looked like a fairy, as she opened her pack.

Her eyes-how they twinkled! her dimples how merry!
Her cheeks were like roses, her nose like a cherry!
Her droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the skin of her chin was as white as snow.

The stump of a pen she held tight in her teeth,
And the nouns they encircled her head like a wreath.
She had a round face and a little loose bun,
That bobbed when she laughed, like a hummingbird tongue!

She was chubby and plump with ideas for my shelf,
And I laughed when I saw her, in spite of myself!
A wink of her eye and a twist of her head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

She spoke not a word, but went straight to her work,
And filled all my sticky notes, then turned with a jerk.
And laying her finger aside of her nose,
And giving a nod, out the window she rose!

She danced and she laughed, and gave out a whistle,
And away she then flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard her exclaim, ‘ere she flew out of sight,
"Happy writing to all, and to all a good-night!"

Dana's travel pics.

I've had a lot of interest in my world travels so if you'd like to see more photos of places I've been, please visit my facebook album. http://www.facebook.com/danadaviswriting/posts/140198536035063?ref=notif&notif_t=feed_comment#!/album.php?aid=154743&id=591073862

You don't have to be a member of facebook to see the pics but if you are a member, I'd love for you to friend me. And please let me know that you saw this post on my blog. Thanks and enjoy!

Dude, I’m Driving Here!

I’m just guessing, but I think maybe Phoenician driving habits are related to the intense heat frying people’s brains during the long summers. Or perhaps it has to do with the mysterious Phoenix lights in the sky altering people’s interpretation of reality. Or maybe it’s the dust. Whatever the reason, driving here is a test in all the skills they tried to drill into you during driver’s ed class. Remember those old simulators that logged your response times? Remember laughing with relief when the kid chased the ball in front of your fake car because you just barely missed taking him out? While kids chasing something into the street is a fabulous reason for keeping your senses open, its other drivers I tend to worry about most. Thankfully, my horn is in good form, as I tend to use it more here than I ever did while living in Los Angeles.

Now I tend to go about five miles over the speed limit at any given time. Yeah, I’m a rebel. But seriously, I like to arrive at my destination with me and my car in one piece. However, since the freeway cameras were removed here, things have gone back to the way they were before, and driving in Phoenix freeway is tantamount to maneuvering the Indy 500 track with bad drivers behind the wheels. And, for some reason, Arizonans don’t realize what turn signals are for. Or else, they just can’t find them.

Like most of my freeway excursions, I felt lucky to make it home from the last one. So, there I am, driving along in my cute gas sipping car, not talking on a cell phone, not putting on makeup, or eating, or gazing at my GPS map, or any number of things I could do instead of actually driving, when one of these Indy dudes decides to change lanes. With no signal. And straight for me. Now, if I remember a bit of physics, no matter how hard one wishes it, two objects can’t occupy the same space at the same time. Sadly, this basic physics lesson tends to get ignored around here. Quite a bit. So with my heart racing, no escape route in sight, and an awful image of my cute baby’s front end being removed, I pressed the horn, while yelling through my closed window, “Hey, dude! Stay in your own lane!” Luckily for me, the other driver must’ve remembered his simulator training, because he swerved back into his own lane, thus avoiding an increase in both our insurance plans.

But before my heart could get back to a normal rhythm, I spot a huge Indy truck coming up fast in my rearview mirror. This dude seemed to think that tailgating me for several miles would make my car disappear. Um, the left lanes are there for a reason. Really. Anyway, after passing several exits, he gave up on me and merged into the right lane to ride another dude’s bumper. For some reason a lot of drivers have the same misinformation as Indy truck guy and think that tailgating will cause the car ahead of them to evaporate, which explains why freeway accidents here tend to involve three or four or even five vehicles. I’m still trying to find out which page of the driving manual has this information so I can bring it to someone’s attention.

On top of the regular, misinformed dudes on the road, during winter months, like now, the snowbirds flock to town. No, I don’t mean white birds. I’m talking retirees from places where it snows and gets really, really cold and icy and stuff like that. They come here for the winter months to swim, or something they can’t do back home. And let’s face it, no Phoenician in her right mind would go in the water when it’s a freezing 68 degrees outside so they pretty much have poolside to themselves. Now, while I’m a fan of older people - I’m even friends with some - I do wish those unfamiliar with Phoenix driving habits would curb the desire to get behind the wheel if they don’t really have to. Having to break and swerve to avoid some old dude doing 45 on the freeway is a heart-pounder, especially when the Indy vehicles dominate the other lanes, and makes a treacherous drive for the rest of us who try to stay somewhere near the speed limit.

Now, I know what you’re probably thinking, that giving the single finger salute would be a solution to some of these problems, or at least make one feel really, really good. But this is Phoenix. And everyone is packing. And I don’t mean gum. I have enough stress without getting shot and ending up on the six o’clock news. So, dudes, my middle finger is officially on hiatus. At least until I get back home to LA, where I can give it a serious workout without fear of losing it.

Repost of final Egypt blog post from myspace - with photos!

Okay, so this is the last installment of my Egypt trip. I decided to save some fun and interesting stuff for this one. Like Greek and Roman graffiti and artwork on ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. Luckily, the Romans plastered over the hieroglyphics instead of painting or carving directly on them. This actually preserved them so when Egyptologists chipped the plaster off or it crumbled from age, the hieroglyphics were still there.

Here in the states, we’ve seen 19th century graffiti on ancient petroglyphs. In Egypt, you get Greek graffiti on hieroglyphs. But tourists aren’t the only ones to deface ancient property. In Italy, we saw ancient graffiti in Pompeii and other places. The same goes for Egypt. You’ve probably heard of a guy by the name of Rameses/Ramses II. We learned some interesting things about him. Like his name and/or statues and obelisks seem to be everywhere in Egypt. I don’t think we went too many places where we didn’t see something about him. Of course, he was a Pharaoh, but I’m beginning to think he was also a bit full of himself. After all, he scratched out his father’s name to carve his own in its place. And I believe he was the one who surrounded Queen (the only female pharaoh) Hatshepsut’s obelisks in stone so they couldn’t be seen. The men following her reign tried very hard to erase her existence. We were told she stole the throne from her young stepson and it really ticked him off, but I also think the patriarchal society back then had a lot to do with trying to erase her. Luckily for us, Egyptologists rediscovered her and added her back into the history books.

Unfortunately, Rameses’ II tomb in the Valley of the Kings was closed when we were there but we got to see other burial places.

Repost of Egypt trip blog - photos added!

Here is the original post from my old myspace blog about my recent Egypt trip. You may have read these blogs but I'm moving the most recent ones here. I've added photos.

Egypt part 1

Hubby and I just got back from Egypt, a trip we’d been planning for some time and a place both of us had wanted to visit since childhood. But who hasn’t, right? The first thing we noticed in Cairo is the traffic. Lanes are optional, horns mandatory, and accidents minimal to non-existent. We were as likely to see an 18 wheeler as a donkey on the various roads, which consisted of everything from smooth concrete to potholes and speed bumps. While riding with our driver, Mohamed, who enjoyed joking around, I tried my best to decipher the horn signals.

They go something like this:

1. One tap, mainly used for pedestrians – I’m coming, get out of the way.
2. Two taps – look out other cars, buses, donkeys, trucks – I’m coming through.
3. One long blast – hey, buster, look out, you’re drifting into my area.
4. A series of toots – howdy, everyone, how’s it going

After the entertaining ride from the airport to hotel, we were greeted with a nice view of the Nile River from our balcony. Surreal to think we were finally in Egypt, where ancient Pharaohs had once ruled this land. The next morning we drove to Giza to visit to the pyramids and sphinx. Not only is it humbling to stand in the shadows of these massive structures from a 5000 years ago civilization, squatting, hunching and just plain crawling into the hot tombs, is a feat in itself, and one I wouldn’t have missed. Cameras aren’t allowed in the tombs but we got plenty of pics from the outside.

The Egyptian people are friendly and love to chat and after crawling out of one of the ancient pyramid tombs, hubby and I were laughing about something. Don’t remember what. Maybe we were just punchy from the heat. But a man stepped to us and said to my husband, “You have good wife. She worth a million camels.” Now, I wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or insulted, so I chose flattered and laughed all the harder. The man grinned and repeated his statement, patting me on the shoulder.

So, not only did I have an awesome time in Giza, but I’m also worth a million camels. Go figure.

Part 2

We took a day trip to Dendara (Dendera), which is just full of history from ancient Egypt to the ancient Romans and Greeks to Ptolemy, who are said to have made alterations to the temple and even built structures here. We arrived before any tour buses and got a chance to walk around this area while it was quiet. This made the site all the more special for us, especially when gazing up at columns and walls filled with ancient hieroglyphics. You can see some of the original paint color here, too. We even had a chance to walk into some of the underground tunnels. Ancient Egyptians decorated everything with hieroglyphics, one reason I love them so much.

Part 3

While seeing the great pyramids in Egypt was a dream come true for hubby and me and one we’d both been dreaming about since we were kids, I have to admit, the Valley of the Kings in Luxor may have been even better. Various tombs are in this area. Two of the most famous being that of King Tut and Ramses II. The colors in some of the tombs are so well-preserved, you’d think they were painted recently, but some are over 3000 years old. Three-thousand! While that’s a blip in geological time, it’s huge for us mere humans.

And a topper to this marvelous cake is King Tut’s mummy. Yep, his actual mummy is in his tomb. We stood right next to it. The sarcophagus is amazing, but to be right there with the king himself in his own burial chamber, well it’s extremely surreal. While photos are allowed driving up to the Valley of the Kings entrance, cameras are no longer allowed inside. So, I've borrowed some photos from friends who were there a few years ago to share with you, along with the ones I took.

Dana's Blah Blah is moving back to blogspot!

I had moved my blog to myspace because I have a lot of followers there but with the recent changes myspace has made, the site is just not feasible any longer, so I'm coming back here. I am in the process of moving a few entries here but this may take a little time because I have photos posted with many of them. I hope myspace readers will come to blogspot and I will post bulletins whenever I have a new entry. Thanks so much to all my followers for your patience and loyalty.

Happy reading!
Dana

Egypt trip pt 4

Graffiti and other goodies - Egypt trip pt 4 - now at Dana's Blah Blah Blog http://www.myspace.com/danadaviswriting/blog

Living in the Wild, Wild West!

Well the wild ride is over! Read all about it at Dana's Blah Blah blog - Living in the Wild, Wild West http://www.myspace.com/danadaviswriting/blog

Valley of the Kings - Egypt trip pt 3

Valley of the Kings - Egypt trip pt 3 - now at Dana's Blah Blah blog. http://www.myspace.com/danadaviswriting/blog

Egyptians, Romans and Greeks, oh my - Egypt trip pt 2

Egyptians, Romans and Greeks, oh my - Egypt trip pt 2 at Dana's Blah Blah - http://www.myspace.com/danadaviswriting/blog

I’m Worth a Million Camels – Egypt Trip – Pt 1

I’m Worth a Million Camels – Egypt Trip – Pt 1 - new post at Dana's Blah Blah Blog http://www.myspace.com/danadaviswriting/blog

Genealogy and fiction writing.

Genealogy and fiction writing - new post is up at Dana's Blah Blah blog. Enjoy! http://www.myspace.com/danadaviswriting/blog

When a publisher asks for shocking changes

When a publisher asks for shocking changes - now at Dana's Blah Blah blog. http://blog.myspace.com/danadaviswriting

Bisbee Ghost Hunt - #2

Bisbee Ghost Hunt part 2 is now up at Dana's Blah Blah Blog - with photos! http://blog.myspace.com/danadaviswriting

Bisbee Ghost Hunt - #1

Bisbee Ghost Hunt first installment is now up at Dana's Blah Blah Blog - with photos! http://blog.myspace.com/danadaviswriting

Ghost Hunt - most times an orb is just dust.

Ghost Hunt - most times an orb is just dust at Dana's Blah Blah Blog

http://blog.myspace.com/danadaviswriting

Blogger award nomination!

I just received a Creative Writer blogger award nomination. :) To read all about it and see a list of bloggers that I nominated, please visit http://blog.myspace.com/danadaviswriting

Those of you who are unable to post on my myspace blog, please feel free to post here. Or you can visit my facebook page and post at http://www.facebook.com/people/Dana-Davis/591073862

I'll still receive them no matter where you post. :)

Spring Fever in the Valley of the Sun

Spring Fever in the Valley of the Sun blog at Dana's Blah Blah. http://blog.myspace.com/danadaviswriting

Rainbows, Flowers and Allergies, Oh, My

http://blog.myspace.com/danadaviswriting

Writers Have to Do More Than Write in the Digital Age

New blog up at Dana's Blah Blah - Writers Have to Do More Than Write in the Digital Age - plus questions and answers about my personal nook ereader. http://blog.myspace.com/danadaviswriting

Dana's Blah Blah blog - Author bumps in the digital book age!

Dana's Blah Blah blog - Author bumps in the digital book age!

http://blog.myspace.com/danadaviswriting http://blog.myspace.com/danadaviswriting

Dana's blog at myspace

Thanks for stopping by!

New blog - travel for writers series and ghost hunt!

New blog posts are up. Check out my travel places series for writers and read about my first paranormal investigation at http://blogs.myspace.com/danadaviswriting

I still haven't figured out how to link this old blog with the new one on myspace. Or how to get my myspace blog to appear as an RSS feed.

New Blog posts are up!

New blog entry available but I apologize for the underlining. Not sure how that got there since I didn't hit that icon. http://blog.myspace.com/danadaviswriting

Dana's Blah Blah moving to myspace!

More desert drama.

This will be a short post today. My family lost a good friend on Saturday and one of my aunts died this morning. The aunt who was in ICU had another surgery on Saturday and is back in ICU.

Desert Magick: Dream Catcher is finished and on to my editor. I'll make the final revision after I get her comments. I'm starting on the next novel in the series.

Thanks to everyone who has been sending well wishes to my family.

Drama in the desert.

The past couple of weeks have been busy, as well as a bit stressful. My aunt has been in the hospital twice for internal bleeding and is still in ICU. Please send out good wishes to her. She could really use them.

In more upbeat news, our pool is getting a waterfall installed today, after 3 days of spraying the pool's shotcrete down several times a day in 100 degree heat. Of course, this is extremely wet work, what with all the extra holes in our water hose. Somehow it got trampled or axed during pool construction and now we get a shower every time we use it. The supervisor has promised to deliver a new one soon. LOL

I've finished another chapter in Desert Magick: Dream Catcher and am fairly certain I will have the manuscript to my editor by the end of June. And in case you missed my previous blogs, the first book, Desert Magick: Superstitions took Finalist award in the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. I'm thrilled to receive this honor. And a big woohoo goes out to friend and fellow writer Fairlee for winning first prize! You go girl!

If you're in the Phoenix area, I'll be doing a Literary Tea at the English Rose Tea Room in Carefree on September 20th. Everyone attending will get a signed copy of Desert Magick: Superstitions. We will have a formal tea together and they have asked me to read and do a Q&A session. I will also present tasty tidbits about witches, ghosts and other paranormal phenomena in the book to add to the fun. For more info and to make reservations, please visit www.carefreetea.com.

Happy Reading!

Oops, publishing correction!

Well, in all my speedy typing to get social networks and blog updated, I put the wrong publication month for Breach of Worlds. It's scheduled for July not June. Yes, writers make mistakes. About a gazillion of them. LOL

Boy, this week we've reached 107! Nearly toppling records. We'll see what today brings but it's already warm. Last night we had a bit of rain around the valley and lots of wind and lightening. Monsoon like weather and it's only May!

Appts today then back to work on Desert Magick: Dream Catcher. Ah, my glamorous life!

Happy reading.

Desert Magick: Superstitions Honored!

Well, I'm excited today because I just found out that Desert Magick: Superstions has been named a Finalist in the Fantasy category of the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Hubby is taking me out to my favorite Mexican restaurant to celebrate!

Happy Reading!

The Heat is On in the Valley of the Sun!

Yikes, it's been 100 degrees for a week now! Hubby and I are putting in a new pool and we were hoping to have it finished before the triple digit heat. Ah, well. At least, we'll have water soon.

I'm very distracted and working hard on getting my writing done, what with all the jackhammer noise and the mini-bobcat that rolls past my office window every few minutes. Another day of this and they should have the hole finished. One more day, only one more day...

Meanwhile, Desert Magick: Dream Catcher is coming along. I hope to be finished with the draft for my editor by the end of June. Breach of Worlds is scheduled for release in June so I'll keep posting updates on that. The heat is on!

Happy reading!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Well, it's Cinco de Mayo. Hope you're planning for some yummy Mexican food today! It's a Southwest favorite around these parts.

I'm plugging away on the Desert Magick sequel and also planning ahead for the 3rd book in the series. Each book stands alone but the characters return in subsequent books, along with new characters, to kick evil's butt in the Valley of the Sun. Of course, today, they're taking a break for some yummy enchiladas.

And if you're wondering just how glamorous a writer's life is, I'm headed to a dentist appointment then to the eye doc. Yes, I'm an insane writer, but I'm also human. At least, last time I checked. Now go get some tacos!

Happy reading!

Monday crazy in the desert!

Okay, so it's Monday and I'm waiting on yet another service guy to show up so I can get to my exercise class on time. At this point, looks like I may have to skip it today. Sigh.

Meanwhile, kudos to my niece, Sky, who won 4 first place trophies at her dance competition! You rock, cutie! Okay, so I'm a bit proud. After all, her auntie here started out life as a dancer, then migrated to theater and film/TV, before focusing on writing. Boy, do I have some stories to tell about that former life. Uh-hum. Well, that's another story for another time. Preferably when all my nieces and nephews are grandparents!

So this week I'll be writing, while trying to organize workers and get our new pool installed. Noise, dust and frustrations can make me one crazy in the desert. At least it's in the 80s today so that's a boon. Back to work on Desert Magick series.

Happy reading!

Grand Desert Days!

Well, I had a blast Saturday at the Grand Desert Days in Morristown, AZ. I enjoyed reading to an audience and answering questions about my books and about publishing. If you were there, thanks so much for stopping by. While there, I was asked to speak to a local writers group this summer and am looking forward to that, as well. And we had nice weather too, so a big thanks goes out to Mother Nature! Especially since we're supposed to reach 100 today. Early even for us. My a/c kicked on a while ago.

I took the morning to work out and run some much-needed errands. Now that all that is done, I can get to some serious work on the next Desert Magick book. Had several requests on Saturday for a sneak preview, as well as a publication date. Trying very hard to get finish so my editor can go over it this summer. Goal is to have it published before the end of this year.

Also, I heard from my publisher that my young adult fantasy Breach of Worlds is scheduled for release this summer, and my adult Teadai Prophecies fantasy trilogy should follow soon afterward. I'll post when those ebooks are available and in what formats as soon as I know.

Happy reading!

Grand Desert Days and NASA!

I've been gearing up for the 2nd Annual Grand Desert Days Festival and Charity Event this Saturday, April 18th. I'll be reading from my new novel Desert Magick: Superstitions and, boy, has it been a challenge finding an excerpt tame enough for any junior ears that may wander in. But I found one! I'm scheduled to read at 1:15pm but will be signing books from 10am - 2pm. If you're in the Phoenix area, please come out and join the fun. More info on the appearances page of my website www.danadaviswriting.com

Meanwhile, while recently going over some old family photos, I was reminded of my kid-dom days when I used to stomp around NASA's Johnson Space Center. My brother and I used to walk around the grounds and the buildings back in the day. We really loved that and eating at the cafe with the workers. Our grandfather was an engineer for NASA at Cape Canaveral and Huntsville in the 70s, and I remember watching the Apollo-Soyuz launch from the beach with the other families. Yep, I'm dating myself here. But, hey, I'm younger than the Brady kids. Grandpa told us he launched the rocket by pressing the button with his right index finger. Of course, we kids believed him. Grandpa was a storyteller as well as an engineer. One of my nieces now works at NASA, so guess we're keepin' it in the family! I told her when she finishes her astronomy degree, I get to pick her brain for my sci-fi novels.

Well, back to rehearsing that excerpt.

Happy reading!

Allergy season in the Valley of the Sun!

Well, hubby and I have been dealing with seasonal allergies the past couple of weeks. Difficult to write when your eyes are watering and you keep sneezing every few minutes. Sheesh! You wouldn't think allergies exist in the desert, but let me tell you, they hit here with a vengeance. I read and article today that said we get a triple whammy because everything pollinates at once around here. Even so, I still love having the windows open. It's in the 80s today and I can't imagine not having that fresh air in my home.

My over-the-counter meds kicked in and I finally stopped all the allergy stuff, so I can now concentrate on Desert Magick: Dream Catcher novel. Am working hard to get it finished and published by the end of the year. My electronic novels, Breach of Worlds and the Teadai Prophecies trilogy for adults, are scheduled for release this year. I'll post when I have a set publication date. Meanwhile, Daisy, Bridgette and Noah are kicking butt in my newest novel, along with a new character, so I'd better get back to them. Yes, characters take on a life of their own and boy do they let me know when I'm ignoring them. Hm, maybe I should give one of them a few allergies just for bugging me today.

For those in the Phoenix area, I'll be reading from Desert Magick: Superstitions out in Morristown on April 18th at 1:15pm. Info is the appearances page of my website www.danadaviswriting.com

Take care out there and stay away from that pollen.

Happy reading!

Battlestar Galactica - frakking great show!

Well, hubby and I watched the final episodes of Battlestar Galactica over the weekend and we're both sad to see it go. It was one frakking great show, as I'm sure those of you out there who are fans will attest. One hot and adventurous sci-fi series with some great writing and fantastic special effects. I hope the sci-fi channel can come up with another series just at good in the near future. We'll be watching.

Meanwhile, it's back to work on the Desert Magick series, as well as submitting another of my sci-fi books for publication. I'm on hubby's computer this morning as he's in my office telecommuting to France. Poor guy's been up since midnight. But he'll be off soon for a nap and I'll have my office back.

I also finally picked up a copy of Acorna, the Unicorn Girl by Anne McCaffrey and Margaret Ball and am enjoying it. What did you think, we writers read our own stuff for entertainment? No way! First chance I get, I pick up somebody else's book. I usually read three or more at one time. Only three lately, as I'm frakking busy.

Happy reading!

Fountain Hills Book Festival

Thanks to everyone who came out the Fountain Hills Book Festival on Saturday. It was a pleasure to meet with you and sign your books. I really appreciate your coming out and supporting all the local writers and the library. The weather was perfect, if a bit windy at times, but that's FH for you. And the green geyser in honor of St Paddy's Day just added to the friendly ambiance of the day.

I'm back to work today. Doing final edit on 3rd book in trilogy so I can get it to my publisher by the end of the week. Then back to Desert Magick series. We're supposed to hit the 90s by the weekend so get out there and enjoy the cool weather while you can.

Happy reading!

Book Festival and St Paddy's Day fun!

I'm gearing up for the Fountain Hills Book Festival on the 14th. If you're in the Phoenix area, please drop by and say howdie. I'll be signing copies of Desert Magick Superstitions, as well as my award-winning teen novel The Mask of Tamirella, at Gridley's booth just outside the library. And there will be lots and lots of books, as well as speakers and refreshments. A great day for anyone who loves reading and/or writing. Lots of fun in the sun!

And I believe the St Paddy's Day fair is going on near the geyser that same day. I'm thinking I'll wear something green. Well, my eyes are green, so I already have a built-in "Don't pinch me!" excuse. I used it all during school. Hope to see you there.

Well, off to finish up some writing chores.

Happy reading!

Stinging nettles?

Okay, so I went out to get the paper this morning, usually hubby's job, and decided to pull a few weeds while I was there. Hubby and I do this all the time. Yank a few here, a few there as they tend to pop up after rains. Anyway, I spent maybe 3 minutes pulling said weeds when my fingers started to burn and itch. I dropped the weeds into an empty flower pot and went inside to wash my hands. My fingers were turning bright red and starting to swell, so I yanked my rings off and smeared aloe vera on my hands. The burning subsided but the redness and swelling took about 45 minutes to go down. We keep antihistamine in the house for scorpion stings but I don't like taking them because they make me wiggy, so I skipped them.

I've never, ever had a reaction like this and with a little online digging, found that we probably had some stinging nettle weeds in the yard and that's what caused my fingers to go all red and ugly. Yeah, I know, use gloves! Well, we do use gloves when digging around in holes and under plants and rocks, since we have poisonous snakes, spiders and scorpions here. But we don't usually need gloves to pull pesky grass and weeds that like to disrupt our xeriscaped yard. Lesson learned though. I will use gloves next time.

Now to work on my next novel. Have a great weekend and keep away from weeds!

Happy reading!

Valentine's and President's Day!

Hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day and that you got President's Day off. Hubby and I bought each other chocolates and he even got me flowers! He took me to a movie and to one of our fave Mexican restaurants for Valentine's and as a celebration of my new 3-book deal. Gotta love that man of mine!

Of course, by Sunday I had some sort of stomach bug and had to go on a soup and cracker diet. Ho-hum. Well, at least I'm feeling better today, though it will be another soup night. Which is just fine with me since we're cold in the Valley of the Sun--in the 60s today. Even had rain again last night. Supposed to get up to 79 by the weekend. Love the weather this time of year. With all the wetness this winter, we might get some awesome wildflowers in March/April. Keep warm out there tonight!

Happy reading!

New fantasy trilogy!

Well, I'm thrilled because I just signed a publishing contract for my new fantasy trilogy. I'll post updates as we get closer to publication but will probably be at least a year. Meanwhile, I'm working diligently to finish the second book in the Desert Magick series and having a great time.

It's also a good time to sequester myself in my office and write because it's darn chilly here in the Valley of the Sun. Highs only in the 60s this week! I'm psyched about that too because I can wear my new vintage leather jacket without sweating.

It's after work hours for me so I'm off to shower and snuggle with hubby by the fire. A great place to read! Stay warm out there.

Happy reading!

All's well in the Valley of the Sun!

Thanks so much for all the good wishes sent out on behalf of my grandmother. She's home recovering now. We're all very relieved. Last year was tough on my family with the loss of my nephew and my other grandmother, so we're very glad to have good news this time.

On a down note, too bad the Cards lost the Superbowl last night. Ah, well, there's always next year. Was a treat seeing all the locals getting jazzed up about it though. Quite a bit of excitement around these parts the past few weeks. Lots of Cardinals flags flying from my neighbors' homes and car antennae. Can you say obsession? Haha.

I've been getting positive feedback on my new book Desert Magick: Superstitions and am thrilled readers are having a good time in that world. Please be advised that this series is for adults. Teens and tweens can check out The Mask of Tamirella and Quest for Freedom, and the upcoming Breach of Worlds at my website www.danadaviswriting.com

Well, back to the old writing grindstone. Stay safe out there.

Happy reading!

Grams doing well!

Thanks so much to all of you who sent well-wishes. My grandmother is better and they're talking about letting her go home today. Seems the doctor screwed up on her meds and gave her some antidepressants while she was in the hospital. This made her condition worse and left her groggy and disoriented. Once they discovered the error and took her off those meds, she began to get better. We won't know if there's any permanent damage from the stroke but for now we're very relieved. Thanks again to all of you.

I'm working on my futuristic sci-fi this week. A little break from the Desert Magick world will give me a chance to pool my thoughts before I finish it up. Hope to have both novels complete and ready for publication by the end of the year. Have a fantastic week.

Happy reading!

Family ills.

I'm staying close to home today for family news. Please send out your good wishes to my grandmother, who had a stroke yesterday. And to my uncle, who is fighting cancer. Thank you.

Book signing!

My humble thanks to everyone who came out to Pages last Saturday for my Desert Magick book signing. It was great chatting with you and signing your books.

This week, I've been bogged down with classes and getting new pics, and I'm anxious to get back to my regular writing schedule. My brain sometimes gets so overloaded with ideas that I have to put on the brakes and shuffle them into some sort of order before I can continue. I just wish I could write as fast as my brain wants me to.

Anyway, I love my job, uh-hum, my career, I should say. Can't think of anything more satisfying for me, except maybe discovering the oldest known civilization or an unknown planet or star. Ah, yes, I can dream. And we're actually getting some rain here in the valley today. Temps around 70 degrees. A nice day to huddle in front of the computer and pound out those ideas. Stay dry out there.

Happy reading!

New Year in the Valley of the Sun!

Okay, so I can't believe it's January 12th already. Where the heck did the last few weeks go? Guess that's what happens when you take a vacation around the holidays. Anyway, I'm back to work full-steam. I'm writing the second novel in my Desert Magick series and having fun with that. I'm also working on a futuristic dark sci-fi that I hope to have completed by the end of the year. At least the first draft anyway. My new teen fantasy Breach of Worlds is now listed at SynergEbooks with other upcoming novels. I don't have a date for that book's release but it will be a few months, at least.

Well, I think that's enough to keep me busy for a while. I have a slew of other novels-to-be waiting for my attention, but I can only work on so many projects at one time and keep my sanity. I hope everyone has a prosperous 2009. May the force be with you this year.

Happy reading!

Vacation over!

Happy New Year! I'm always amazed at how fast two weeks vacation can zip by. Hubby and I had a relaxing time but now, it's back to the writing grindstone. I have two novels screaming for my attention and a gazillion emails to get through. Ah, gotta love Mondays after vacation. To top it off, we actually got fog this morning in the Valley of the Sun. That doesn't happen often around here. Sun is out now and our brilliant blue sky is showing off again.

If you're in the Phoenix area, I'll be signing copies of my new book Desert Magick: Superstitions on January 17th at Pages in Cave Creek. Check out my appearances page at www.danadaviswriting.com for more info.

Happy reading!

Happy New Year!

I'm still on vacation but wanted to pop on to wish everyone a Happy New Year! And if you're in the Phoenix area, please stop by Pages in Cave Creek on January 17th to visit with me. I'll be signing copies of my new paranormal fantasy, Desert Magick: Superstitions. Hope to see you there.

Happy reading!

Happy Holidays from the Valley of the Sun!

Well, this might be my last blog until the new year. I'm taking off a couple of weeks with hubby to play around the Valley of the Sun. Lots of local fun stuff that we never seem to get around to doing.

It's been cold and wet here the past few days. Highs in the 50s and lows near freezing. We don't usually get this cold until January so it's a real treat. And there's more of the wet stuff predicted for next week. We're turning on the fireplace this weekend.

Have a wonderful holiday season. Drink lots of cocoa.

Happy New Year and happy reading!

Desert Magick: Superstitions Available!

Well, after a delay, Desert Magick: Superstitions is now available for purchase! Where: www.barnesandnoble.com, www.amazon.com, as well as many other online book stores now have it. You can also order it from the large brick and mortar stores in your neighborhood, such as Barnes and Noble, Borders, Waldenbooks, etc.... I'm so relieved my publisher got this one out before the holidays. You can always pop over to my website www.danadaviswriting.com for more info and to watch the video.

So now, I'm on the marketing boat for Desert Magick, in addition to working on other books. I got a little behind on the synopsis for my adult sci-fi but should have the final draft completed by the end of December. That's the goal anyway. Might not complete it since hubby and I are taking off 2 weeks. We plan to stick close to home and do some stuff around the Valley of the Sun, like local museums, movies, hiking, biking, stuff like that. Yeah, I've told you before, writers aren't usually the most exciting people.

I'll post updates on the new teen fantasy ebook as I get them. That one will probably be out in about a year. My publisher for this one (SynerbEbooks) will let me know a publication date as it gets closer.

Meanwhile, I'm reorganizing my office. Hubby bought me a new desk for the holidays and we spent the weekend setting it up. I have more work space and more places to hide stuff. My office seems larger with the new layout too. I'm almost done putting things away. Just a couple more adjustments and I'll be done! Well, that's it for now. Get out there and finish your shopping.

Happy reading!

Buy Local Week in Phoenix!

Well, I just heard that the mayor of Phoenix has declared Dec. 8-14, 2008 Buy Local Week. So get out there and spend money in your community. Hubby and I will be purchasing the masa for our holiday green corn tamales this week. Tamales are a holiday staple around these parts. If you don't want to, or are just too darned busy to make your own, check out the local stores and farmers' markets. They usually carry several varieties.

On the publishing front, Desert Magick: Superstitions is getting closer to being available for purchase. Thanks so much for your patience this last month. I should receive my sample copy for approval in a few days. If it looks good, then we're set. Check back for more info.

Happy reading!

Desert Magick Update

Well, I promised to keep readers apprised of Desert Magick Superstitions. It went to print yesterday. So, there is still hope it will be available for purchase before the holidays. Check back here or on my website www.danadaviswriting.com for more news.

And congrats to my brother, who's work is being published again in his university magazine. You go, bro!

Happy reading!

Winter in the Valley of the Sun

I hope those of you in the U.S. had a nice Thanksgiving. Unfortunately for my family, my grandmother died the day before Thanksgiving. She was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's and I think was ready to leave this existence. That day was also my nephew's birthday, the first after his recent death, so we had a bit of an emotional weekend. This has been a trying year for my family but we're doing well and looking forward to the new year.

Desert Magick: Superstitions has had a delay in publishing, as I'm sure most of you who've been following my blog already know. The publisher made a few mistakes so we're working to get those fixed before it goes to print. Yeah, it happens and I just have to roll with it. For those of you who have been inquiring, I will post as soon as the book is available for purchase. I hope those who took the National Novel Writing Month challenge at least got a good start on your novel. I finished editing two last month--is it December already?-- and got several chapters written on a first draft. I feel good about that.

I'm also feeling good about the weather. It's finally winter in the Valley of the Sun and time to break out those sweaters and jackets. And by that, I mean highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s. Those of you in snow country are probably laughing your butts off right about now. But hey, when you get 7 months of 100 plus degrees, 70 is darn cold! We love it and are outside in droves walking and biking, grateful to be able to flaunt those colorful exercise pants we bought three months ago but couldn't wear and thankful they still fit after all that food we just ate. Now, where is that last slice of pumpkin pie?

Happy reading!

Meniere's woes!

Well, I've been getting questions about my plight with Meniere's Disease from several people lately and thought I'd post here. The disease (vertigo, dizziness, tinnitus, fluctuating hearing loss and other symptoms) is acting up again. About a year ago, after I had gone a year without a major vertigo attack, my ENT (ear/nose/throat doc) informed me that I might be in remission. This doesn't mean the disease goes away--It just means the vertigo that kept me in bed for hours at a time had disappeared. Remission can last a few weeks to a few years to forever and I was thrilled. So I began to live normally again and not worry about stress or my salt, caffeine and sugar intake. Basically living like a normal person, eating like a normal person, pretending to be a normal person. (Though I certainly can't travel or go on roller coasters without meds.)

Anyway, this whole behaving like I was normal was probably a bad move on my part. The past week, I've been experiencing what I call mini-attacks, vertigo that lasts a few seconds, accompanied by hours or days of the crooked, or fun-house, effect. So, I've been napping more, trying to cut down on stress and have given up caffeine again. This is major since I love coffee and chocolate! I've been adding more sweat-inducing workouts to my schedule and getting on the trampoline again. Jumping helps me with the dizziness for some reason.

I can't complain too much as I'm one of the lucky ones. Some Meniere's sufferers I know can't even get out of bed, much less drive, work, go to classes, movies, dinners, etc....

Though this blog will remain focused on writing/reading/publishing, I'll post my plight with Meniere's from time to time.

Happy writing!
And Happy Thanksgiving to my US readers!

Desert Magick: Superstitions Delayed

Okay, so I had to cancel an upcoming appearance at the local ArtFest because of Desert Magick Superstitions delays in printing. Ah, so goes the biz. I'm not worried. Just a few minor corrections and we'll be on our way. Hopefully before the holidays. Also, I've got a nibble from another publisher on another novel. I made it to round two. Which basically means they liked the initial submission, synopsis and first 3 chapters. I've been here before so not getting excited.

Meanwhile, I'm still writing other stuff, as it's still National Novel Writing Month, for a couple of weeks anyway, and submitting other work to publishers. It's a never ending process of submissions, rejections, and occasional acceptances. Those are the best, of course. I'll post more on my publishing adventures as I go along.

Happy reading and writing!

Get your pen on! It's National Novel Writing Month!

November is National Novel Writing Month. If you've been writing that book in your head but just haven't gotten it in the computer or ever read a book and thought, gee, I can write better than that, now is your chance. Experienced writers and novices all over the country are accepting the challenge to get started on that novel they've been putting off for whatever reason.

Okay, so what am I doing about it, you ask? Well, I'm editing two novels and writing another two. Light a fire under your butt yet? Yeah, that's a glove to your face.

I challenge those in the Valley of the Sun and around the country to get to that computer or get out that pen and paper and write that novel! If you need more of a challenge than me and my glove, or some loving inspiration, visit http://www.nanowrimo.org/ and get your pen on!

Happy reading and writing!

President-Elect!

Congratulations to President-Elect Barack Obama! Good luck with your term.

Halloween scare!

What would Halloween be without something a little scary? In my case, it's the delay of my new book Desert Magick: Superstitions. Which will not be available for purchase at my November 1st book signing. Talk about scary! I was sooo hoping my publisher would have it ready but it just wasn't to happen. I am disappointed but have been assured I will have it by my next signing, scheduled for November 22nd. What's that saying? Oh, yeah. "Stuff Happens" Well, that's the G-Rated wording.

Ah, well, onto other scary things. Hubby and I have decided to go as vamps for the big day, or rather, night. I even found some really cool Hollywood style pointy-teeth caps that we can wear even when we eat and drink. Can't wait to try them out. I'll try not to stay out too late. Don't want to be bleary-eyed come Saturday morning when I'm greeting readers. For all of you celebrating tomorrow night, have a safe and spooky Halloween!

Happy reading!

The Heat is On!

Well, I'm still waiting for my galleys (proofs) of Desert Magick: Superstitions. I've been told by my publisher that I'll receive them any day now. I'm excited, I can tell you, really excited about this new series, and have been approached by so many people wanting to know when they can buy a copy. So not only is the heat on here in the valley--we're topping at 107 this week--but the pressure's on to get the book out to all you wonderful readers. So please check here or my website www.danadaviswriting.com for progress.

Again, I would like to thank all of you who sent me wonderful emails concerning my family. They're going to be fine. My aunt in Galveston still hasn't been home to check on her place but I looked her up on the city's aerial web views and the house is still there. Whether it's still livable or not well....

While you're waiting for my new paranormal fantasy book, please pop on over to www.podiobooks.com/title/quest-for-freedom and check out that sci-fi audio book. Yes, it's for teens but adults enjoy it too. And there are about 30 chapters out of 46 that are live.

Happy reading!

Houston/Galveston family okay!

Well, I'm not posting about writing today. I would like to thank everyone who sent their good thoughts out for my family living in the Galveston/Houston area as Ike roared through. I spoke with my mom this morning and everyone is okay, but those who had to evacuate can't get home and we have no idea what kind of damage they will find. My aunt, who lives on Galveston Island, probably won't be home for a while. My brother and his family have some damage to their home but they got lucky that the neighbor's tree missed the house and cars when it toppled. My brother really doesn't need this added stress, since he lost his son in April, so your continued good thoughts are appreciated.

I'll be back on my blog later in the week when I have more information.

My best to all those who were in Ike's path.

Audio books, dust storms, and cable outages, oh my!

Sheesh, this is turning out to be one active week. For all those following my Quest for Freedom teen audio book, I just submitted chapter 23. That's the half-way mark! Woohoo! It should be posted in a day or so at www.podiobooks.com/title/quest-for-freedom, so pop on over there and sign up for your downloads. Three chapters went live last week and I was scrambling to get as much up as possible before tomorrow. My cable company is updating my neighborhood so I will get knocked off Tues/Wed and may not get the chance to post anything. I should be up and running again by Thursday/Friday. Thanks for your patience.

While we're getting nothing more than a dust storm around here, I have family in the Houston/Galveston area watching out for hurricane Ike. I know they would appreciate your good thoughts that Ike winds down before it hits.

Happy reading!

The Big Monsoon!

OMG, just when I thought monsoon season was winding down, we get the monster storm. The lightening storm that accompanied it was very much like being inside a strobe light. It just didn't quit. For about three hours! Wind, rain, hail and lightening. The biggest monsoon I've ever experienced. Some areas got hurricane force gusts that ripped stuff up and tossed it around. Wild weather all around. It may sound selfish, but I'm so glad Gustav missed the Texas coast as I have family there. My best goes out to all those who weren't so lucky.

The weather's not the only thing that's wild around here. I'm wild with anticipation about my Desert Magick series. So many people have been asking when they can purchase the first book. Another couple of months. I'm as anxious as anyone.

Happy reading!

Desert Magick Closer to Publication!

Okay, so I've been a bit remiss in blogging this month. I'm uber-busy. My teen audio book Quest for Freedom now has 17 chapters live. My goal is to get at least one chapter per week uploaded, and I'm on schedule with that. This is a long book and each chapter takes some time to record and edit, so please be patient.

And the much-anticipated paranormal fantasy novel Desert Magick: Superstitions is getting closer and we're still a go for the October/November release. I'm just waiting on the galleys (proofs) so I can okay them. Once that's done, we'll be go for publication. I've had a lot of people ask me about this series and I'm very excited that so many of you are interested. Please keep checking back for updates. I'll send out a blast when the book is available for purchase.

Happy reading!

Moving and shaking!

In case you haven't heard, yet, the LA area had a pretty good shake, rattle and roll today. Hubby and I have several family members who live there and I'm glad to report that everyone is just fine. I must admit, I kinda miss the earthquakes. Well, the little ones. My last significant one was the Northridge quake back in the early 90s. Tossed us right out of bed. If you've ever tried to make it down a flight of stairs while your home is moving, it's quite an adventure. Sure, they're scary when they're happening, and I certainly wouldn't want to be on the epicenter of a huge one, but the smaller ones are quite the heart booster. Better than a whole pot of coffee. I even guessed the magnitude range on the Northridge one when it happened!

And speaking of moving and shaking, I'm getting more and more excited about Desert Magick: Superstitions moving into book form. I'm working with my publisher now and we're pushing for an October release. So, be sure and check out my blog for updates. Meanwhile, get on over to my website at www.danadaviswriting.com and check out my latest teen audio book. It's not just for teens!

Happy Reading!

Monsoon hits Valley of the Sun!

Well, the monsoon season is in full gear here in the Valley of the Sun. Guess we should now call it the Valley of the Rain and Humidity for the next two months. To quote one of our weather guys last night was "a real gully washer!"

The weather isn't the only thing running around here. I just saw my first glimpse of the cover for Desert Magick: Superstitions and I'm thrilled. The artist still has some work to do but she's doing a fine job. I'm excited to share this new series with readers and can't wait for the finished copies to be available. And since it takes place here in the valley, those who live here might recognize a few things.

Have a wonderful weekend and stay dry out there!

Happy reading!

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July to all my American readers! Have a safe holiday weekend. And for those of you in the Valley of the Sun, it's going to be another scorcher so stay cool, drink lots of water, and keep that sunscreen on.

Desert Magick Getting Artwork!

Well, my adult series Desert Magick is finally in the works. The first book is getting the cover artwork done as I write this. I can't wait to see the final product. The book will go into production after that and I'm hoping to have it available before the holidays. Please check back for progress.

Also, Quest for Freedom, my 2nd teen podiobook, now has 8 chapters live. Be sure and get to podiobooks.com/title/quest-for-freedom to download them to your MP3 player or computer.

I'm not sure I'll be blogging next week so to all my U.S. readers, have a wonderful Fourth of July!

Happy Reading!

Dana Davis is now on Mars!

I'm on Mars! Yep, you read that right. My name, along with hubby's, was burned onto the Messages from Earth Phoenix DVD that launched with NASA's Phoenix Mars Mission. Complements of The Planetary Society. The rover landed on the Mars surface May 25, 2008.

For news and updates on the Phoenix Mars Mission please visit http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/

For more on The Planetary Society please visit http://planetary.org/special/messages

And for those of you waiting for the Quest for Freedom podiobook, it's coming soon. I'm hoping to have the first chapters submitted by next week. Finally, I know! Thanks tfor your patience while my family dealt with the death a fine 17 year old young man.

The Mask of Tamirella wins 3rd award!

Well, readers, The Mask of Tamirella has just one the Indie Excellence Finalist Book Award. This makes 3 awards! I'm absolutely thrilled by the news. For more information on this book please visit my website at www.danadaviswriting.com

Happy Reading!

Back in desert action!

Thanks so much to everyone who sent their sympathies regarding my nephew's tragic death.

That said, I will be back at my desk tomorrow and getting on with recording the Quest for Freedom podiobook. Thanks for your patience during this trying time.

Happy reading!