New Fall Shows

New fall TV shows! It's great timing that the networks put on a bunch of new shows every year just when the weather's turning cold and we're looking for an excuse to stay inside for the next six months.

Every year there are some new shows that I love and add to my must-see list. And if I'm lucky, at least a couple of them survive and aren't immediately cancelled. There's nothing more frustrating than a great show that doesn't even survive an entire season. Firefly and Moonlight come to mind and still hurt every time I think of them.

The 2011/12 season offered a bunch of fun new shows, and some of them are still around. Some of last year's favorites are Grimm, Person of Interest, Once Upon a Time, Alphas, Veep, and Girls. I had high hopes for Grimm from the beginning, but Person of Interest and Alphas were awesome surprises. And I resisted Once Upon a Time for months until my mom talked me into giving it a chance. Other good shows didn't the year, and I'm left without closure. Those include The Finder, Ringer, Off the Map, and The River.

This year, I'm looking forward to checking out a whole new batch of new shows. Premier episodes for these are on my DVR so I can check them out and see if they're worth continuing: Arrow, Elementary, Go On, 666 Park Avenue, Beauty and the Beast, and Revolution. I've already seen Revolution and Go On, and they were pretty good. I'm not sure what to expect with Beauty and the Beast because I loved the old show by that name that starred Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman. 666 Park Avenue looks cool, but if it's too scary, then I'll have to turn it off because otherwise I won't be able to sleep ever again.

So I'm hoping for a good TV season and that my favorite new shows don't get cancelled. Of course, some have to be cancelled, otherwise I won't have time to do anything but watch television. And, frankly, what would be so bad about that?

OK, I've got to go and set up my DVR. Happy TV viewing!

Goodbye, Summer! Hello, New Book!

This summer, we had multiple 100+ degree days in northern Illinois, but I enjoyed soaking up the heat and loved every minute of it. Just as long as my air conditioning continued to work, that is. But now there's only one more week of summer until autumn officially starts, and it's pretty depressing. Autumn is beautiful, but it inevitably leads to winter, and winter in northern Illinois isn't a thing I'd wish on anyone.

Have you ever put on an extra pair of pants and an ankle-length parka just to walk down to the mailbox? Have you ever climbed into your car through the hatchback because the other doors were frozen shut?  Have you ever found a mole in your basement, but you felt sorry for him because it was so cold outside, so you dug a cozy nest for him in a pile of leaves in the yard? No? Then you've never lived here. I know, right now all you hardcore residents of Minnesota and North Dakota are laughing at the wimpy Illinoisan (or Flatlander, as Wisconsin residents call us), but all this flat land really allows the wind to work up a head of steam, and it gets miserable.

Anyway, needless to say, I don't want winter to come, but this year it's not as simple as all that. This year, a part of me actually wants winter to come because I'm eager for the January 8, 2013 release of my book I SAW YOUR FUTURE AND HE'S NOT IT: A PSYCHIC'S GUIDE TO TRUE LOVE. Would I be less conflicted if it came out in June or July, so I could just wish for summer? Sure, but in this case, this book is scheduled for January because it's right before Valentine's Day.

The thinking is that I SAW YOUR FUTURE would make a great Valentine's gift to give your friend who's overdue to get rid of her creepy boyfriend. (Subtle hints often don't work because they're too subtle.) It's also a book a woman can pick up for herself in an effort to find a new guy to spend Valentine's Day with. This is also just a funny, interesting read for somebody who would like entertaining stories about other women's successes and failures in the romance department. So, yes, a wintertime release is the best timing, but it still leaves me clinging desperately to summer – together with my shorts, sandals, and tomato vines – while looking forward to an exciting event in January.

In fact, a January release might be the best timing of all. January and February are usually miserable in this part of the world, with dark, cold days and nothing fun to look forward to, but in 2013 that won't be the case. Book promotion activities and the excitement of the new release should brighten up those two months.

That's it, I'm convinced. This year, bring on winter! But let's make it a mild one, OK? Oh, and those Mayans better be wrong about the world ending on December 22, because if that happens only two weeks before my release date, someone's getting an angry letter from yours truly.

Aurora Library Author Fair

What are you doing Saturday, September 8? You say you're standing up in your sister's wedding? Skip it and do something fun instead! Admit it, you never liked that clown she's marrying, anyway. Instead, come on down to the Aurora Public Library for their Third Annual Catch a Bunch of Authors Fair. Meet authors, see the latest books, and get your copies signed. What a great way to spend a Saturday! It's way better than having to make small talk with distant cousins while doing the Chicken Dance.

The event is scheduled for 1 to 3 p.m. in the Prisco Community Center (attached to the library) at 150 W. Illinois Ave., Aurora, IL. Lots of Chicago-area authors will be there with a wide range of books. Fiction and nonfiction for adults and kids of all ages will be available. And I guarantee no one will corner you and ask the uncomfortable questions you'd get at a family wedding. You won't have to think up good responses to, "Why aren't you married yet?" or "When are you going to start a family?" or "Do you think I ought to have this mole checked out?"

So, I'm looking forward to seeing you at the Aurora Author Fair. Make sure to stop by my table where I'll be signing copies of my Abraxas YA fantasy novels and my brand-new-hot-off-the-presses-the ink's-still-wet YA novel My Life as an Earthworm. We'll have a few laughs, chat about books, and, what the heck, maybe do the hokey pokey in honor of your sister's special day.