DIARY OF A GIRL-NEXT-DOOR HEAVY METAL NOVELIST

July 16, 2005
Amidst a bunch of little crappy stuff, I started a complete redesign of this website. Operative word: slim. I also ate some mac & cheese from a box. Operative word: incentive.

July 17, 2005
If I were this productive everyday, I'd be a bazillionaire. It's 3:30 a.m. and I'm finally calling it a night after my complete overhaul of the website. If you want a preview, you can take a look at http://www.kissfiction.com. I hope you like purple. The goal is to look like a real live author instead of a KISS fan who happens to have a book. I want to keep working, but I know at this point, my fatigue will just make me mess stuff up as I'm trying to fix it. I think that by tomorrow, KISSfiction.com will have transformed to ColetteShaw.com, and I will feel legit. If not, I gave myself a pedicure last night, and I had luxuriously foxy hair tonight at karaoke. At some point, that has to be good enough.

July 18, 2005
Here it is. The new look. The new site. My eyes are bugging out, and I paid tribute to Peter Criss by pushing the limits of carpal tunnel hope you like lavender. I hope you find it user friendly. Okay, just love me. It that too much to ask?

July 19, 2005
Guess who's on Amazon! Wonder Woman was an Amazon, and now I'm only one vowel away from her status.

I spent the better part of today sending my publisher stuff to make the listing pretty. Pictures, descriptions, review blurbs, etc. It's going to look snazzy soon.

Tonight's MVP: Curtis Earth. He earned the acknowledgment in Won't Get Fooled Again. Curtis is an old friend who helped inspire the name of WGFA's lead character, Suzanne Curtis. He was up from Florida to host a show, and he super-plugged my book. The sales I made will help pay my allowance for the next week or so.

July 20, 2005
This morning at 11:10 a.m., the phone rings.

Okay, the last line was fictitious (I am a fiction crafter, you know), but it was so cool! I just uploaded that page two days ago. I couldn't believe how well it worked. The dude pretty much followed the script. I'm on the way!

...and did you see my sexy Amazon page, with its beautiful book cover and text? Are you feeling the itch to write a 5-star review? Scratch it, baby.

July 22, 2005
I'm booking shows, I'm writing press releases, I'm delivering Won't Get Fooled Again to newspaper reviewers...But is anything cooler than seeing one of your favorite former students and deciding to collaborate on an anthology called Chicken Soup for the F***ing Soul? I like it because she's a minister, juxtaposing Jesus with naughty words. I'll join her church any f-ing day.

July 24, 2005
I headed to Baltimore overnight and sold 4 books at the party I attended. Thanks go to my friend Antoinette, who had primed everyone ahead of time. If I could clone her, I'd be the next Stephen King.

For the umpteenth time this year, I had allergy-induce loss of voice, so I turned off my car radio (what's the fun if you can't sing along?) and plotted out my next novel. I think it will have something to do with a character having to make a big choice. Yep. That's that plot. In all its glory.

Hey, an hour and a half isn't a very long drive!

July 25, 2005
A movie producer called me today.That was pretty cool. (continue)