Well, after being away from home for a month for the medical emergency, I'm home. And I'm thrilled to report that everything turned out well, even though there were several scares.

Of course, as you can see from the picture, I managed to break myself while I was in Washington/Oregon with my parents. And get this, I did it at my CLASS REUNION. Yep, I'm the dork who went to the class reunion and fell on the dance floor.

I really hope there were no pictures…

So anyway, I did that last Saturday night. Went to the ER on Sunday for X-rays and ultimately, a cast for my broken arm. I also had a migraine from hell. Then I had to fly home Monday night. Can I just say that I DO NOT recommend flying with a broken arm.

It's funny though — the passengers in the airport and on the flights were MUCH more helpful than the airline personnel. Let's just say that I'm impressed with complete strangers in America, and I'm also looking forward to filling out a "How did we do?" survey for U.S. Airways. Ahem.

So…I'm home, typing one-handed and checking into speech-recognition software that can put my words on paper, since my typing has taken a hit.

Ooh, but in the pic above, did you notice the book? Yep, that was yesterday, and I was holding the best birthday present ever — the finished copy of Sin Undone that my awesome publisher sent me!

And hey, this is fun – check out the 4 Horsemen wine!!!! I just had to get a pic with it to celebrate finishing Eternal Rider, the first book in the Lords of Deliverance series. And mmm…it's tasty…

Hope everyone is well! Not long until Sin Undone now!

Hi everyone,

I've been really bad about blogging lately because of deadlines and family medical issues. Things have deteriorated to the point that I have to make an emergency trip home. My father-in-law is coming to stay with my son, and I'm flying out to Oregon.

I don't know when I'll be able to get back online, but my family could really use your prayers right now. It's been a hellish couple of weeks, but it just hit another level.

Thanks in advance, and take care…

hugs,

Larissa

is over at Authors After Dark, where I'm talking about my new Kindle, which will be here tomorrow. I'm so excited!

In other news, our fence is up! It looks awesome, so I'm thrilled. And we've finalized plans and gotten the estimate for finishing our basement, so that will get going sometime in the next two weeks or so.

We also have a nest of baby bunnies in our front yard, which has been cool. Fun to watch the mama rabbit come at dusk to feed and care for them. Of course, it's also made me a nervous wreck that someone is going to trample them if they step into our flower bed for some reason. I was like a hawk while the fence guys were here, because they needed to use the outdoor faucet just feet away from the nest. Eek. Yeah, I'm a worry wart.

So anyway, now I'm finishing up with the deadline for the 6th ACRO book and catching up on stuff that's gotten backed up over the last couple of days due to a major medical issue in the family. Thanks for all the prayers and well-wishes, by the way — it helped.

Okay, off to work! Hope you're all having a great week!

I love shoes. What woman doesn't? Okay, I'll admit, shoes were never a big deal to me in the past — shove on a pair of serviceable sneakers, and I was good to go.

But then something happened. No, I'm not sure what. Just…one day I decided I liked shoes. The problem is that I tend to be a bit of a miser. So I would buy shoes, but heaven forbid they cost more than $30. And even then, I was like, ugh…I want to pay 14.99 or less.

The problem is that cheap shoes, while they might look great, are not usually comfortable (yes, there are exceptions — I have a fairly comfy pair of sandals and flip-flops, but the rest, not so much.) So I have twenty pairs of shoes that look great, but OMG, after an hour of wearing them, I want to die. So I've spent hundreds over the years on shoes that I can't even really wear.

The thing I finally learned is that it is SO worth it to spend the money on good, comfortable shoes. No, spending $300 on a pair of shoes doesn't guarantee that they'll be comfortable. There's only one thing worse than uncomfortable cheap shoes, and that's uncomfortable expensive shoes.

But I've found a few brands that never fail me, and that are worth spending over $100 for — UGG, Born, and Clarks. I have a pair of Clarks ankle boots that feel like freaking tennis shoes. Seriously, I can walk in those things for 12 hours straight. Worth every cent of the $130 I paid. No more carrying around Band-Aids to cover blisters, rubs, and sore spots. No more buying adhesive cushions and crap to put on the inside of shoes to make them less torturous on my sensitive feet. I actually SAVE money by spending more for good shoes.

I just got these Born sandals that are amazingly comfy as well. And adorable! Man, I love shoes (weird, since I only put them on about once a week…I live in sweats and slipper socks.)

I'm dying to try these — and these — and these.

I've also discovered that it's worth it to pay a little more for fabulous service. I could get shoes cheaper at online retailers through Amazon or elsewhere, but NO ONE beats Zappos service. Buying shoes online can be a gamble, because of fit, style, etc., and then there's the hassle of returns. But not with Zappos. Not sure about the size? Order one, and if it's not quite right, they'll have another size to you right away so you can decide. Or order both sizes and return one. They are awesome about that, which is good, because buying shoes is always a pain for me, since about half the time I need a size 8, and the rest of the time I need an 8 1/2. Every once in a while, I even can go with a 7 1/2.

Yep, I sound like a commercial, but I'm just very impressed with how great they are. I can order my shoes and have them on my doorstep the next day…free. LOVE them.

So is there anything that you always splurge on? That's worth it to you to spend the extra money on rather than go cheaper and possibly not be happy or have to keep buying because they break/wear out?

1. It's incredibly easy to tamper with DNA and paternity tests

2. Guilty people never go to jail (or stay there,) but innocent people get arrested all the time

3. If you're a mobster, you can commit all the violent crimes you want, and people will still love you

4. The average person gets married 7 times

5. Condoms break easily

6. No one stays dead

7. All women need to be institutionalized at some point in their lives

8. If you're driving at night, you will get into an accident or run over someone

9. If you sleep with more than one man, you will get pregnant…which will require a paternity test…which can be easily manipulated

10. Children/twin siblings you didn't know you had will come into your life at the worst possible time

11. No matter how badly you're injured or close to dying in a hospital, you won't need machines to keep you alive. All you need is a nasal cannula!

12. Planes are extremely unsafe, and they crash into islands a lot

13. If you're pregnant, you'll give birth under dire circumstances, and most likely, not in a hospital

14. If you need an organ transplant, someone who is your match (and who you know) will conveniently die at the last minute

15. Complete amnesia is really common

What have you learned from watching soaps?

Every year I think back over the new things I fell in love with over the previous twelve months. Past lists have included butter bells, bag balm, frozen pizza, and UGGS. Anyway, here are the things I loved in 2009:

Snuggie – this is a recent acquisition…I just got it for Christmas. But I already love it! It’s surprisingly warm and soft.

iPod Nano – My iPod was on my 2007 list, but this year I got a new one. It’s shiny pink, and the new features like the video camera are just awesome. I LOVE my new iPod!

Sunbeam Electric Blanket – yeah, how sad is it to get excited about a bed blanket, but this is one of the dual control ones, so I can heat up my side of the bed and my husband doesn’t have to die of heat on his side. I love that!

GPS – I kept telling my husband that we didn’t need one. He bought one anyway. And guess what? Yeah, I’m eating crow (tofucrow, cuz of the vegetarian thing,) because I adore the little device. It’s so awesome to enter in an address and have it guide you right to your destination. It’s also great for looking up places to eat and shop, which has come in really handy now that we’re new to the area.

Just The Cheese Chips and Popcorn – OMG, it’s cheese! But crunchy! These little baked cheese rounds and nuggets are pure cheese (some with flavorings) so they’re low-carb and just totally yum. The popcorn cheese is phenomenal.

Okay, so that’s it for this year. Is there anything you got, used, or ate in 2009 that has become a “favorite thing?”

Just wanted to give everyone a wave!  I've been super busy with a deadline for Demonica book 5, page proofs for Ecstasy Unveiled, and getting adjusted to my son's school and after-school activities schedule.  I've got my own activities going on too…I'm taking classes at the YMCA (and they are kicking my butt!) so trying to coordinate everything has been a bit of a challenge.

Anyway, I hope you are all doing well!  Has the change from summer to fall messed with you as much as it has me?

We're here! Seems like it took forever to make the move from Virginia to Wisconsin, but we're finally here, and I have internet again! :)

The new house is gorgeous! My hubby bought it without me ever seeing it, but I have to say, he couldn't have done better. We're in a fabulous location, great neighborhood, and the house itself is just amazing.

Of course, now we have all the unpacking. We're mostly unpacked, but all that means is that stuff is out of boxes. Now it needs to be arranged. The basement is going to be a work-in-progress as we turn it from unfinished to finished.

So anyway, we're here and I'm working on edits for Ecstasy Unveiled, which I'll turn in tomorrow, and then I'll spend the weekend cleaning and setting up the house. Monday I'll start on Demonica book 5 and revisions to Sydney book 5.

Ooh, but speaking of Ecstasy Unveiled…I got back cover copy — and a cover! *g* I'm hoping to be able to show them off soon. But let me just say…YUM! I'm so very happy with Grand Central Publishing's art department!

Hope you have all had a wonderful couple of weeks! I'm off to get to work!

Well, the packers come today, internet is off, and we're heading for Wisconsin (from Virginia) on Saturday. I should be back online around mid-to-late June. I don't like moving — the actual move itself — but once we're in Wisconsin at our new house, I won't mind that part. Unpacking has always been kind of fun.
Also, I wanted to let you know that some very lovely people have started a Larissa Ione/Sydney Croft/Stephanie Tyler fan forum! It officially launches on June 9, but you can sign up anytime. Steph and I will make every effort to stop by regularly, and it all looks really fun! I hope to see you there!

Have a wonderful June, everyone!