"Passionate Plotting"

The Book Case, which is the blog for The Book Page (a huge book review site), kindly hosted a guest blog I wrote about incorporating issues important to me in my book plots.

Click HERE for the full rant.
 

Hey! Calm down!

Free is a very good price!

Faithful reader,

Here is your chance at a reward. Hie thee to Goodreads (a fine site for sharing information about books you've read) and enter the drawing to win a free copy--hard cover no less, signed even--of Endangered, which will be delivered to the address of your choice by a uniformed representative of the US Government.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Endangered

by Ann Littlewood

Giveaway ends July 30, 2012.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Endangered Flies Free!

Yes, Endangered is now Officially Released. I am thrilled, exhausted, slightly delirious.

I've been neglecting this blog in favor of guest blogs. Here's one that went up today, Jenny Milchman's "Made It Moment" blog. I got lots of  those moments!

And heads up--there will be contests to win free books. Watch this blog.

An early reader--Major loved it, I'm told.

Littlewood 1: Facebook 0

I went mano a mano with Facebook and won, sort of. Here's the link to my new Author Page HERE.

Take a look. Leave a comment letting me know what you think. Click the "Like" button please, so I don't feel I've blown an entire evening for nothing.

And why did I bother? So that I could keep you up to date on Endangered, which is garnering some nice reviews and is set to come out about July 10.

More on that soon! Right now, I need an adult beverage.

Not yet an adult, but still....

Judging the American Cuddle Dog: Clarifications

Dear Readers of This Blog: The following came to my attention recently and should be of interest to many of you.  A. Littlewood

Dear ACD Judges,

The ACD board is hearing way too many complaints about judging at the American Cuddle Dog trials. If we are ever to get the same respect as the agility and herding events, we absolutely have to have consistency in our judging. I know you all do your best to be fair and impartial, but it’s time we upped our game.

The American Cuddle Dog is judged on performance. [This cannot be repeated too often.] Here are the standards with my comments (the ACD board’s comments) in brackets. Read them carefully and follow them to the letter!

1. The show ring is prepared with one sofa per contestant. Dogs enter with their handlers and stand by their assigned sofa. Handlers sit down and wait for the judge’s command “Lap your dog”. [This part is working fine—no problems.]

2. The Cuddle Dog is to wait quietly for the handler’s signal. Eagerness is desirable, but jumping before the command, pawing the sofa, and loud whining are penalized. When the handler signals by voice or hand, the ACD should immediately jump up. [If the ACD needs handler help to get on the sofa, this is permitted, but the handler can’t just haul the ACD up there—the dog has to be trying. Most of you judges understand this.]

On the lap, the Cuddle Dog is judged as follows:

3. The dog’s speed in assuming the “boneless” posture is crucial. The Cuddle Dog may be on its belly or its back—relaxation is the primary criterion. Circling and pawing to improve the lap are penalized.
[Judges, this is a performance competition. One of you recently disqualified a St. Bernard on grounds “he was just too damn big” and another disqualified a greyhound (“all bones and joints”). This is not a conformation class! Any dog can enter!]

4. The Cuddle Dog is judged by its degree of immobility, although gentle nudging of the handler to elicit stroking is permitted.

5. Thermal transfer is evaluated by thermometer inserted at the handler’s thigh. Thermally neutral dogs are disqualified. Warmth is essential to Cuddle Dog performance. [Judges, wait four minutes before the thermometer test.]

6. Flatulence (by the ACD) is cause for immediate disqualification. [Handlers often try to hide this defect. Watch closely for grimacing, blowing, or breathing to the side.]

7. The Cuddle Dog’s coat should be tactically pleasing. [Judges are allowed leeway in this necessarily subjective evaluation, but do not abuse this. An older Golden Retriever, otherwise very well qualified, was rejected for “shedding like Aunt Maggie’s raccoon jacket.” The ACD board will consider whether to declare excessive shedding as a defect, but it is not one now so don’t use it!]

8. Steadiness in the face of distractions is tested by waving ordinary dog kibble 12” from the dog’s nose. The Cuddle Dog should respond by no more than one briefly opened eye. [Judges, You may not use dried liver bits, venison jerky, or decaying chicken bones for this test. There is only so much you can expect of any dog, even a Champion ACD.]

I’m sure we can avoid future brouhahas by consistent judging. Owners of ACD’s are by nature sedentary, peaceful people. As long as they think their dogs are being evaluated fairly, we should see no more acrimonious charges that “only King Charles Spaniels and miniature poodles have a chance,” and so on.

Thank you for your careful attention.

Fannie Sitwell, President, Board of ACD Society

 Champion Littlewood’s Scourge O’Squirrels ‘Murphy’ showing excellent form.

Ashland, Oregon Mystery Author Series

Here's a size-large THANK YOU to Maureen Flanagan, Ed Battistella, Michael Niemann, and Carl Hilton for a blow-out weekend in Ashland, Oregon.

Ashland is a smallish town in a remote corner of a small state. Yet it hosts a fabulous, famous Shakespeare series and--it turns out--a terrific mystery author series. And my very own self was invited as one of this year's Ashland Mystery Readers Group. The kick-off event for the weekend was a reading Friday April 13  at Bookwagon at 6:00 PM.

So off we went, the spousal unit and myself, in the trusty Honda, with suitcases, a projector, and a screen rattling away in the back, in plenty of time to drive the 300 or so miles to Ashland. We made it 15 miles down I-5 and then...

It's run fine for 14 years. Why die now??

But the local Honda dealership saved us with a rental. I told the Ashland folks we left in a '98 Honda CRV and arrived in a 2011 Honda CRV. And best of all, We Were Not Late. Didn't even have to break any speed laws.

Here I am being introduced at Bookwagon by Michael Niemann.

A fine bookstore

My new/used projector worked perfectly and my how-I-came-to-write-zoo-mysteries slide show went over well. We sold all the books and had some great conversations with the people who braved a downpour to show up.

The next day kicked off with my first television experience (not counting watching my son at age 6 on Rambling Rod's set). Maureen, an old hand at this, shepherded me through. I walked into the community access TV lab, and Maureen called to the staff, "Talent on the set!" They all applauded at me. I almost fell over. This was an all-volunteer crew that soldiered through the technical difficulties of brand-new cameras while Michael Niemann, a mystery author himself, and I chatted about southern Africa. Then Michael used his radio experience to conduct an excellent interview (his part, at least). What a great introduction to TV!

Scary new cameras

Prepping the set

Afterward, spouse and I met with old friends who live in the area, wandered the charming streets of downtown Ashland, and watched a fine production of Romeo and Juliet. Doesn't get much better than that! We spent Sunday night at the wonderful Wolf Creek Inn near Grants Pass (a historic inn with genuine bullet holes and great food) and cruised on in to pick up the now-fixed Honda. What a great weekend!

You knew I'd find wildlife somewhere along the way:

Romeo seeks Juliet: object--long walks, conversation, wild sex

Left Coast Crime

Well lookit thet! I'm on video HERE.

This is from Left Coast Crime mystery conference, held in Sacramento this March. Lorie Ham of Kings River Life stalked the halls, interviewing mystery authors.  Thank you, Lorie!

Always weird to see myself on film/video. Do I sound British? What's with all the head movement? Is it OK???? [spasm of self-consciousnesses] Did you think I was young and blond and gorgeous? Now you know the truth. If only I had a camel to distract you...

Relax! We have other things on our mind.