My birthday was yesterday.  Please hold your applause.

Every year when my birthday rolls around I feel like crawling under a rock until it blows over.  I get out of sorts in the days prior and breathe a sigh of relief the day after.   It's been like this for a long time, since college at least.

I've been giving some thought to why this is, but haven't come to any conclusions. 

I suppose it could have something to do with being slapped in the head with mortality.  Every year is a reminder that I'm not going to live forever.  And that is not the sort of mentality that inspires joy and celebratory feelings, is it? (Hey!  You're another year closer to dead!  Woo-Hoo!)

Or maybe I suffered psychological trauma in those years when my parents went on their yearly vacation over my birthday, leaving me with my babysitter.  But she made the best cake, so it worked out okay.

I think, though, that it has to do with my Subconscious Response to Things.  I was talking to my husband about this last night over dinner and I couldn't get him to understand what I was trying to say.  He looks at his birthday as a day that he's special, it's "his" day; there's a party in his head.

 

Him

I keep waiting for my birthday to make me feel special, like there's going to be a switch that flicks on, internally.  Almost like it isn't in my control, but it should just happen.  Does that make any sense? 

 

Me

He makes himself feel celebrated; I keep waiting for it to happen to me (I still feel this way even when I am being celebrated by other people, by the way).

It's hard to explain, but in my head it makes sense.

Free Read, Group Discussion, Free Read, Contest

I don't know about you, but the local forecast for tonight is "blizzard." So it only seems fair to apprise you of a free read and some other neat-o stuff.

For Clare's birthday blog, in addition to getting people to post daily, she asked for short stories.  I sadly didn't follow her request to make the theme "New Year's Resolutions" but instead took it as an opportunity to do some blatant self-promo.  I wrote two vignettes from the Back To Normal universe, taking place some months after the events of the book.  It's called Rubbing - The Wrong Way and the Right Way and can be found here at Clare's or at my own live-journal blog (which you may or may not know existed.  I hardly know it exists).


In December, I wrote a short story as a stocking stuffer at the Goodreads M/M Romance Group. One of the perks of doing this was to have one of my books listed as a "Book of the Month" there, so that all the various and sundry people who've read it can discuss the wonderousness of it.  Or, you know, whatever else. So if you want, go over there and say something.  While you're there, pop in and say hi to K. Z. Snow because she's in the Author's Spotlight this month.



Referring back to that live-journal thingie I don't do much with, I've copied my pwp story "Handcuffed Hottie in the Hood" in its entirety here.  Yes, it is here on the blog, but in separate posts.  So if you want a little pwp and want it in one, smooth-flowing presentation, you've got it.

Again with the Goodreads group.  On Friday, February 4, there's going to be an all-day chat and tons of give-aways. Of course, you have to be a member of the group, but that's easy.  If you comment on the chat, your name will go in the hat for prizes.  I've donated a copy of Back To Normal.  The details are here!

That's it for now.  If you're in the path of this storm, get inside and stay warm!  If you're not, well, bully for you!