BLOGGIE DIGEST- Good friend and amazing author Catherine Ryan Hyde has redesigned her personal website, adding podcasts, a new blog, and many other great features.  Visit her and leave some comments!

Best-selling author John Connolly has an excellent post about writers and insecurity titled On Starting Again.

Friend and excellent fantasy author Carol Berg has an always-informative blog called Text Crumbs. I learn something new about the writing process every time I visit.

For you fellow dog-lovers, my UK blogger friends have a wonderful site called Out and About with Your Dog Blog. It’s always good for a smile!

Love love love Pat Rothfuss’s blog. Author of one of my recent favorite (and best-selling) books, The Name of the Wind, he is always hilarious, often informative, and never imitated (well, except for that one time I tried to imitate him in front of friends and they thought I was trying to imitate Samwise Gamgee).

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS – Recently, Yaz has decided that I’m spending too much time at the computer.  And why wouldn’t I?  I just purchased a second 24″ wide screen to add to the first one I bought several months ago, creating a wide screen vista across the surface of my desk to rival Imax.  Not that I really needed a reason to spend more time on the computer.  But I figure if I’m going to spend so much time there, it might as well be totally awesome.

Yes, my name is Christian and I’m a computer-holic.

<insert resounding chorus of “Hi Christian!”’s from like-minded individuals here>

So Yaz, in her infinite doggie wisdom, sneaks up to the back of my office chair, lays her snout on the head rest (yes, she’s that tall), and exhales loudly at the back of my head.  Usually I jump and yelp and spray tea out of my nose when she does that, but now I find it incredibly endearing. When I turn to look at her, she’s smiling and wagging her tail so hard she nearly falls over.

I love that about her.   She’s always ready to play, always ready to please, and incredibly CUTE.  How can I — or anyone — resist?

AGENTA UPDATA – Yes, Nathan Bransford did not feel my novel Throwing Rocks at God was something he could connect with, and therefore, represent.  When I tell my non-writer friends this, they console me as if my best friend just died in a horrible accident.  Really.

Their reaction is validation for how far I’ve come internally on the process of publishing.  Years ago, I might have been devastated by the rejection, depressed for weeks perhaps.  No longer.  His personal note on my manuscript was an exciting first step in a process I’m eager to begin.

Many current authors log numerous “rejection” letters on their journey to publication.  Why would I be any different?  It’s not about me.  It’s purely a business decision on the part of the potential agent.  Would I want Bransford to rep my novel if he didn’t truly feel a connection with it?

Hell no.

And thank goodness he had the huevos to say it straight out.  I’ve had other writer friends obtain agents only to have their work languish for years because the agent wasn’t sure how to sell it, or to whom. When I connect with the right agent for my work, I want him or her working their ass off to sell my novel or screenplay.  I also want a personal connection with my agent so that the work has the best possible opportunity to thrive.

And of course, I will do whatever I can to insure its – and my – success.

TIME FOR A NEW DESK – I didn’t know one could wear out a desk.  Apparently so.  I inherited the current one about eight years ago from one of my tenants when I was doing property management.  It’s really a beautiful piece, multi-level with plenty of storage.

Lately, though, the drawer facings have worked loose and no matter how much Liquid Nails I apply, they pop off every time I try to open them.  And now that I’ve recreated the Imax experience on my desktop, I need more surface space to operate.  Perhaps this would be a good way to break in all the new credit cards companies insist on giving to me now that I own a home.

Woo hoo!  Time to go shopping!