Marjorie M. Liu

I haven’t looked at my horoscope for awhile, but I checked out Astrostyle just now, and found this ‘scope for Monday:

Did you know that the electromagnetic field of the heart extends up to eight feet outside the body? That’s scientific proof that the power of love is mighty—especially unconditional love. Today, allow your heart chakra to open wide. You’ll not only deliver incredible healing energy to the planet, but you’ll attract a sense of security, love, and inspiration in return. That’s karma worth paying forward!

I think that’s good advice for everyone, really.

Congratulations!  The winners of a signed Dirk & Steele novel are (via random.org):

Mary Hay
Jenelle O’Neill
Terri

Contact me at marjoriemliu@gowebway.com with your mailing address, and I’ll get those right out to you!

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As I write this, I’m 30,000 feet in the air, using Delta’s inflight wireless.  I love technology!

The reason I’m on a plane?  I took another impromptu trip to Boston last Friday (totally unexpected, but hey, last minute adventures are the best kind), except this time I brought Daisy with me.  She’s such a good little traveler — no fuss, no mess, no noise — and she loves going places, and checking out new things.  This time was no different.

Of course, I also gave her a “little something” to help her sleep on the flight.  Here she is, just this morning at the airport in Boston — very, very, relaxed.

Also, CABIN IN THE WOODS — Joss Whedon’s new horror flick.  I typically hate horror films, but I went to see this one — and I’m so glad I did.  It was hilarious, brilliant — and you’ll never think about scary movies in the same way again.  Go check it out if you can.

A year or two ago, PassionFruit Games released a hidden object game based off my first novel, Tiger Eye.

Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box was one of the first romance-themed games of its kind, and much to our pleasure, it seemed to strike a chord with players.

I’m very happy to announce that TODAY at 5 PM PST, the sequel is being released at Big Fish Games!  UPDATED:  Sorry!  I was mistaken.  The game is being released at the PassionFruit website!

Tiger Eye: The Sacrifice directly follows the events of the first game, and finds Hari and Dela battling an evil magician and violent mobsters, all while trying to break a magical curse…with nothing but the power of their love!

Yay!

Here’s the trailer and press release (Tiger Eye Sacrifice Press Release 4_12_12).  And to celebrate, I’m giving away three copies of my Dirk & Steele novels to three lucky winners.  Leave your name in the comments to enter!

I spent Monday and Tuesday in Milwaukee, attending Barbara Vey’s Reader Appreciation Luncheon.  It was one of the best events I’ve ever gone to as a writer — and as a reader, I also thought that it hit every mark.  Great conversation, a thoughtful set-up (for example: getting to sit at tables with your favorite authors), tote bags full of books and goodies, tasty food, and an atmosphere that was warm, energetic, and incredibly good-humored.  Basically, an off-shoot of Barbara Vey’s incredible spirit and energy.  I would attend again in a heartbeat.

You can read Barbara’s version of events at her blog. 

Tuesday morning, the lovely Heather Graham and I went to the local NBC station to sit down with the hosts from The Morning Blend to discuss the luncheon and our books.  It was a lot of fun, for a variety of reasons, not least of which was the Elvis impersonator who came on right after us.

If you want to watch the interview, head on over to The Morning Blend website. 

On our way out, we met this ADORABLE little guy — Mister Scrappy Adams — who was left in a dumpster (a DUMPSTER).  Volunteers from the Humane Society were going to do a segment with him on The Morning Blend, in an attempt to find him a home.  He was so incredibly sweet.  Just the nicest little puppy ever.  Heather and I would have adopted him, if we could have.  I’m happy to report, however, that two hours after the segment aired, he found a family.

Next stop, Mary (a lovely woman, a retired police officer who volunteered to drive us to our appointment at the television station) brought us to Alterra, a local Milwaukee coffee shop that I wish was in every city.  This place was wild, and so good.  I got a warm oatmeal raisin cookie that made me want to curl up in front of a fire and make funny noises.

Ah, but finally we reached the luncheon!  A dear friend from law school was there, but all the people who sat at my table were so wonderful and warm, and it was simply the best experience ever, talking and just hanging out.

All credit for the success of this event goes to Barbara Vey (and her small army of volunteers), whose passion for books and people made this happen; and turned this event into something useful, and incredibly fun.

Speaking of fun: Heather Graham, who gave the keynote.  Love her.  She’s one of the nicest people, hands down.

And there you have it.  I’m back home for a bit, and settling in for a writing marathon.  Poodle and cats at my side, as always!

Our flight home was cancelled yesterday afternoon, so we decided to make the best of it with some more sightseeing in the Honolulu area.  The delay also gave us time to check out a gun range that we’d seen advertised (specifically to Japanese tourists).  We found the Royal Hawaiian Shooting Club on the fourth floor of a mall in Waikiki, and then went to town.

I have a lot of respect for guns — they are dangerous, and nothing anyone should fool around with.  But having said that…I had some crazy, craaazy, fun.  I love the rifle, which might be my favorite weapon.  After that, the semi-automatic, and then the 38.  When I get home, I’m planning on going to a range on a regular basis.

The rest of the day was beautiful — dinner at Yuzu, a quick run to one of the best Barnes & Nobles we’ve ever seen, and then a gorgeous sunset from our balcony.  This morning we’ve been taking it easy, and in a couple of hours we’ll head to the airport.  Hopefully, no big delays once we’re there.

Be safe, everyone!   And, if you happen to live in the upper Midwest and feel like spending time with writers, I’ll be attending Barbara Vey’s Reader Appreciation Luncheon next week on April 10th.  Tickets at my table are still available, I think.

Our last full day in Hawaii, and we spent it driving around the island.  Also, we had some remarkable dim sum, and later, the “love child of ice cream and shave ice.”  For dinner, Yuzu.  Which is now one of my favorite restaurants, ever.  Yes, it was that good.

And now I’m off to bed!

We hit the road yesterday and drove to Hilo!  Found jungle!  Waterfalls!  Stopped at Donna’s Cookies on the way (where the wonderful women inside were baking up a storm), and ran amok amongst all the wonderful independent bookstores in Hilo!  Had lunch at the Hilo Burger Joint (where I had a spectacular burger with goat cheese and roasted beets) and then kept driving the full Saddle Road circuit, with a pit stop at the visitor center at the Mauna Kea Observatory.  The original plan was to actually make it to the observatory (which rests at more than 13,000 feet above sea level), but let’s just say that I don’t handle high altitudes all that well, and so we stopped at 9000 feet, admired the view, and then headed back down the mountain.

The rainbow is from this morning.  It was dazzling.

I’ve always loved the ocean, but the waters and beaches I’m used to are cold, stormy — Pacific Northwest seas, or the icy Atlantic.  I’ve never been in a place where the waters are warm, and you can wade out and dig your feet into soft sand, and just sway with the waves without feeling as though you’re going to die from the cold.  It’s wonderful.  It’s peaceful.  Sublime, even, especially when you’re on the beach in Pololu Valley, which is never crowded.  I know I keep talking about this place, but I can’t help myself!

Work continues.  And I’ll say this again, too: what a wonderful place to find inspiration.