Isn’t this one of the most beautiful babies you’ve ever seen? Yeah, I know…most of you that come here see my stuff on Facebook, but I haven’t mentioned Miss Scarlett here yet.

This little darlin’ is my niece, Scarlett Raine, born at Ostara (March 21st for you non-pagans…lol). She was about six weeks early, so she was tiny, only just barely over five pounds. Almost a month later, she’s just over six pounds, and she’s got the strongest neck I’ve ever seen on a little one! We babysat yesterday, and while she was on my chest after a bottle, she lifted her head and looked up at me for a good two minutes, then turned her head to look in the girls’ direction… she’s a little fighter.

I can’t believe it’s been almost a month since I blogged. I’ve been doing a lot of my ‘keeping up’ via Facebook and Twitter these days, as that’s about all I’ve had time for.

And despite best efforts with protein replacements for meals, we’re definitely feeling the effects from the lack of red meat in our diet the past four weeks. It’s probably mostly a mental adjustment, but we’re all a bit down, restless, moody.

Thank goodness for Kick Ass Coffee….

There have been some other, more physical changes as well. For the good, mostly – and the bad? *shrug* Something in our current diet has triggered a release of the swelling in my legs. I think I’ve learned a lesson in trying to get rid of the constant, nagging leg pain that I had pre-swelling. I’d rather live with it, than have legs swollen to twice their normal size, with patchy lumpy things on my shins. My feet, shins and calves are starting to return to normal, and I noticed today that my hands aren’t as swollen and sore as they have been.

And we’re starting to get some exercise again, too, now that the weather is finally cooperating for the most part.

I’ve been working a lot on various edit projects, not only for Belfire but two anthologies for Library of Horror, as well as a novel from another publisher. I’ve also had a few cover projects that are now complete or nearing completion.

Belfire has two titles up for pre-order: Zoe E. Whitten’s contribution to our “Dueling” Novellas line, with The Life & Death of a Sex Doll (contains Adopting a Sex Doll and When a Sex Doll Dies)… this will be a limited edition paperback printing, only 100 copies will be available outside the staff and author comps.

We also have one project that is so near and dear to my heart – The Gazebo by Toni Cantrell. Toni brought The Gazebo to me when I was agenting, and I fell in love with it. This novel not only crosses two genres, but four, and covers everything from the American Revolution to time traveling romance, to the First Law of Robotics. I am so pleased, so awed, to finally see this one come through after so many mis-starts.

It’s just been that busy, that tiring, that…crazy…here, since early March actually. I feel like there’s barely been time to breathe.

So anyway, that’s what I’ve been up to. What about you? Anyone else with a bit of spring fever tickling their feet?