Time To Crawl Off My Fainting Couch

I spent last weekend at EPICon and had a fantastic time. Finally got to meet Emily Veinglory - worth the price of admission and then some. I adore smart women. Also hooked up again with Jolie Du Pre - always a real pleasure. (another smart women) And spent tons of time - but not enough - with Helen Madden, who was nice enough to retrieve me from and take me back to the airport. In LA, that's a sign ofcommitment, baby! One of the most spirited conversations I had was with Laura Baumbach. Finally, a co-conspirator for an erotica writer's conference. By sheer force of willpower, Laura can make things happen.

My plane landed back in LA 40 minutes early, shoved here all the way from
Chicago by a strong tailwind. That's great news when you want to get
home more than anything on earth, but not so great when you're allergic
to everything that gets carried on the Santa Ana winds. Thus the long
swoon into my aubergene crushed velvet fainting couch. I needed a Diva moment. I thought I was soldiering on pretty well until Tuesday, when, in the middle of a due diligence meeting, the client's lawyer looked across the table at me and said, "Are you sure you don't want to continue this another day?"

*Hack. Wheeze.* "No, I'm fine, really. It's just allergies." *gasp for breath. dab watering eyes.*

Last night, the winds changed. Once the onshore flow cleared out the air, it only took about two hours to feel slightly human again. Every time I cough though, I feel like my ribs are broken.

But enough whining. I'm off the couch and my Diva moment is over.

The great thing about travelling is the chance to read. I read M.
Christian's new collection of short stories, Filthy, which I'll be
reviewing very soon, on the flight out to Virginia. I watched the
sunrise over the Atlantic two mornings in a row as I read Love, Bourbon
Street (review pending) and on the way back I read most of Nobody
Passes (I would have finished if I would have had the extra 40 minutes). So - reviews coming soon, and I promise no more blabbing about my sinuses or ribs.