Imagine what an awesome day my birthday was. We accepted over $2,000 in supplies and donations from the community today for Ark of Hope and Citizens Animal Rescue, two local no-kill animal shelters.

They were both very impressed by what we managed to do. The donations filled 5 big shopping carts to spill-over!

All this ...and I got birthday wishes from people in over 18 countries! That puts a big smile on your face and is hard to top...

But we're gonna try next year!

Charlene, Andrea, and I got to meet some of the people from Ark of Hope Rescue & Citizens Animals Rescue. We also got to meet some of the animals we were helping. Hopefully, this event will lead to more adoptions and love for these animals. We were also invited to hold more benefit events like this later in the year since it was a huge success, like last december's snowstorm benefit. And we will.

Charlene and I are also on our way soon to a Borders for a signing, and hopefully this summer to BWI to the Borders stores there to sell to the jetset crowd.

Thank you to everyone who helped with this event. It turned out even better than any of us had hoped. Your generous gifts mean life to animals who have no one else to help them.

They thank you and I thank you.

Until next time...Nighty-nightmares,
F~

Good evening, faithful friends.

I've been watching television and I gotta admit I am not so much thrilled with the viewing.

A show I have enjoyed for two previous seasons debuted season 3 and I am less than thrilled. In Plain Sight, a great USA Network show about WitSec--federal marshalls--has beed retooled and the show has suffered for it. Not only have key members of the supporting cast been eliminated--and I have learned the creator and main writer has left the show--the dark humor that defined the show has been removed. All this in favor of greater drama. Didn't work.

And let's chat about V. 8 episodes into a 9 episode season, and the show is moving slower than cooling lava in the arctic. I understand the concept of suspense and revealing things slowly to keep the reader or viewer in suspense, see I told you I understood. But wow. The show is too slow in revealing secrets. We need to care about what is going to happen. This is a show with a definite shelf-life. We know going into it, it probably won't last more than a few seasons. They need to start getting us intrigued if they expect to keep us. I, for one, am done with the show. I remember the original two miniseries and the shortlived series. This new reimagining pales in comparison.

But on a brighter note, Spring has arrived. Tulips are blooming all over my backyard. This means warm weather is here; I can start opening windows. I've been able to start working on my house rebuild again. I painted some in my office, and it is almost done. I have to polyurethene the hardwood floor and it will be done. I have to sand, stain, and poly the living and dining rooms, too, as well as my bedroom. Things are getting done. 28 May 2010 marks the two year anniversary of the arson fire. I think another year or two and I should have it all in place and working well.

Maybe this will be the year I get out into my little backyard and whip it into shape. The flowers are blooming but I need to clean up more of the crap I tore out of the house while working on it last summer. Once it's gone, the yard will be a garden again.

My black cat Baylor had his two-week check up yesterday. He responded to the original steroid shot and the two week course of antibiotics. So the vet gave him another steroid shot and scheduled us for another check-up in two more weeks. Things are looking good. The little guy should be able to go on a steroid regime of a dose every few weeks to keep the painful gingivitis in check. Thank you to everyone who sent emails and messages.

Okay, that pretty much sums it up.

Until next time...

Nighty-nightmares.

Baylor, my black cat, is feeling better so far these days. He hadn't been eating much for a few days and lost weight. I thought he had a cracked tooth or something that made it painful to eat. V et says he has chronic gingivitis, which is an on-going issue that is painful. They can't tell me what caused it, but Baylor was given a steroid injection and put on anitibiotics for two weeks. We go back on the 20th for a check-up. Hopefully, we will only have to have an injection once a month and not have to have any extractions.

My buddies Jim & Jodi went with me to Lair of Dragons BIrd Rescue in Lancaster, PA, today. It was a very nice 3 hour drive up. We had lunch at a cafe called Wish You Were Here. They had great vegan food for us: pancakes, sausage, tofu scramble, bread, & cupcakes. We got chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter icing. Awesome. The food was great and not bad in price at all. We ate for about $10 each, and the amount of food was big; I ended up bring two of my three oatmeal pancakes home with me.

We made it to Jo's house where Lair of Dragons operates. She takes great care of these birds, and this is very evident in the rooms she's created for the birds to live in. Rocky, the big blue & gold macaw, loved me; he stepped right up and perched on my shoulder. And PeeWee, the lonely cockatiel, is now also home with me where he can be with his peers--my three other cockatiels.

Ms. Clyde is a fantastic & huge cockatoo I would love to adopt. She sat on both my shoulder and Jodi's and did some headbanging and singing. Houdini sat on our shoulders and gave us both lots of kisses. These birds are so well taken care of, and you can tell Jo loves them all and does what is best for them.

She has thousands invested in cages alone. I understand that. I'll be needing two more cages: one for Chiffon, my Goffin cockatoo, and one for either Ms. Clyde or a scarlet macaw should one become available in the next two months or so. Cages and cages and more cages. Good thing I can find really good deals on them. My goal is to get another bigger one for the cockatiels so they can actually fly around inside it.

Since I got up so early this morning, well before what I normally call the crack of dawn, I am winding down quickly. I had a blast with Jim & Jodi, and I hope we can do it again. Make sure you check out their review of Wish You Were Here on their Vegan Heathen blog.

Until next time...

Nighty-nightmares,
F~

Good evening and welcome back to my lair.

I spent this illustrious day working around my house. Since winter is over--a shame really because I love the cold--and warm weather is here, I can attack more of the reconstruction. I can't paint and varnish and sand and such in the winter because I can't open the windows to air my house out--the animals tend to complain when they get too cold.

My ghosts made themselves known today. Nothing bad. Just a few odd noises and a couple voices chatting away when there was no one else in the house save me and the animals. A couple times my hammer was moved from where I laid it down and I had to go hunt for it. Trust me, it wasn't the cats or the iguana who moved it.

And I made more of the dark chocolate vegan pudding today. It's a cook pudding, not instant, so it tastes like the old-fashioned pudding. I take the organic pudding and add chocolate silk and some dark chocolate syrup. It's great. You have to try it. You can make your own vegan crust.

Speaking of vegan things you don't know are vegan: I have it from several websites that Chocolate Teddy Grahams are a vegan food. I need to figure out how to use these guys in a crust for a chocolate pudding pie. Wouldn't that be awesome? I will keep you updated.

Tonight, I'm going to watch more of Kirstie Alley's Big Life. I am not one for reality shows. Trust me, I much prefer making things up to realty, but I love her and she makes me laugh. Her show makes me happy when I watch it. So I make time to sit and relax while I watch.

As for TV shows, I lasted 7 minutes watching the critically acclaimed Spartacus: Blood and Sand. The use of the F-word every six seconds, just like every other show on every other pay channel, takes any shock-value away and becomes quite monotonous. Such a shame these shows are ruined by the lack of creative language. I love Dexter, but the gratuitous use of the F-word, MF-word, and more every other word is ridiculous and really only serves to take away from shows that would otherwise be really good shows. Spartacus is a prime example.

Only a week to go and Jodi and I will be going to the bird sanctuary to adopt a Blue & Gold macaw, and I will also be giving a home to a cockatiel--who will have friends of his own kind since I already have three of them.

Okay, that's about it for now.

Nighty-nightmares,
F~

Welsome to my Lair, all you sexy people out there in the dark.

Today the kitties got their Ostara/Easter toys: several different sizes of play mice for the to toss around the house. The younger ones chase the toy mice all over the house. The older ones looked at the mice and then looked at me as if if saying, "And you want me to do what exactly?" But they get their little toys and their treats on all the holidays.

My Fan Page has over 700 members now from something like 16 different countries around the world. It's getting bigger and bigger, and I couldn't be happier. Keep going to the Fan Page and hitting the suggest to friends button so you can send invitations to your friends.

After I got my errands run and all the vacuuming done, I took the time to sit down and work on Shadows Amongst the Moonlight some more today. This book is turning into a really good book. Readers who enjoyed Angels of the Seventh Dawn will enjoy this book, too. Of course, how could you not like a book about murder, sex, magic, sex, vampires, sex, and all that supernatural intrigue? Stay tuned for October.

So I am relaxing on the sofa in my blood-red bedroom writing this update for everyone. Next, I'll start watching The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. It's a funny little movie and I suggest you watch it if you've never seen it. The songs in this movie are hysterical, especially the ones by Dom DeLouise and Charles Durning. I got it in the mail today and I am going to say goodnight and start watching it because it has been quite a few years since I've seen it.

Nighty-nightmares,
F~

Good evening, all you sexy people out there in the dark.

I thought it was about time to write another entry in my blog to update everyone. My birthday is coming up in a few months: 5 June. I have plans for that illustrious day, but you'll have to read on to find out exactly what those plans are.

I am making lots of progress with the Fourth Book of the Scarabae Saga: Shadows Amongst the Moonlight. Remember, it debuts in October, so mark your calendars. It's my return to the vampires, the magic, the sex, the serial killer...enjoy. 

And the reissue of the Second Book of the Scarabae Saga: Angels of the Seventh Dawn will also debut later this year as well. Most of you know the cover art will be courtesy of the wonderful Laura Meese, and it wil be as remarkable as her art for the First Book of the Scarabae Saga: Into the Mirror Black and the Third Book of the Scarabae Saga: Angels of the Mourning Light.

Did I manage to plug all my book titles so far in there?

My visit to the bird rescue is scheduled for Sunday 11 April 2010. My friend Jodi & I will be making the trip to meet a beautiful Blue & Gold macaw named Rocky who needs a home. Hopefully we will get along and he can come live with me. We'll see what develops. Maybe I will be bringing a new addition to the family home. And my heart is still set on adopting a Scarlet macaw very soon.

All the boxes from Celebrity Center in Hollywood have arrived; I now have the entire Golden Age of Knowledge at my fingertips and I am using it to help my creative process flow and also to make me a better person so I can do my part in helping create a wonderful world for everyone. So there are quite a few white boxes in my office downstairs, but soon I will have all the shelves bought and put together so my office will be complete. Don't worry, you should be getting the opportunity to see more of my house this year. Only time will tell.

We have a date for the second annual animal benefit for local no-kill animal shelters. It is Saturday 5 June 2010--my birthday! Charlene Haines & I will be there probably from 11 am to 3 pm. So write this on your calendar so you can bring your donation of supplies or money to help the animals who are in need. Last year was such a success even though the storm of over a decade kept us from actually holding the benefit.

And I need to mention my brownie recipe, the one I was so proud to have come up with on my own. I tried it out tonight and it failed all three times. I don't know what I did differently than the two previous times when it worked so perfectly. But never fear, I shall continue in my quest!

I have more news but I cannot discuss it at this time. My co-executive producer Missy and I have a plan in the works and we believe people will enjoy what we have planned. Look for an announcement in the next month or so. Only a couple people other than the two of us know about this because we need some assistance in pulling this off. We're excited. It should be quite the journey and a lot of fun for us as well.

So that is about it for now.

Nighty-nightmares,
F~

I watched Killer Aliens on Animal Planet about the exotic animals people have bought and then these animals were either released or escaped; they are growing exponentially in Florida and could throw off the balance of nature.

This is why the trafficking of exotic animals needs to stop. Burmese pythons and Gambian Pouch rats and other such animals should not be in this country.

Burmese pythons, as one example, can do battle with the biggest alligators in Florida; both are major players in the food chain--players never destined to meet until man stepped in and changed the course of nature. These pythons grow 20 feet long or longer and are using up the resources in the Everglades. Conservative estimate of the population currently in Florida (where there should be none): in the tens of thousands! Native to Asia, they were imported as exotic pets, only to outgrow cages and aquariums and were then released by human.

Take the Gambian Pouch rat. A female can give birth to upwards of 30 babies a year. These 3 feet plus long rats are omnivores and eat any- and everything in sight with a voracious appetite. To have hundreds and thousands of these large rats in an area where they are not supposed to be could lead to a major, disastrous twist in the balance of nature.

Only two examples of invasive species now living in Florida. Another example would be monkeys; escaped or released monkeys are living and thriving in Florida in the wild. They are not supposed to be there, but that didn't stop humans from importing these creatures.

Nile Monitor lizards, believe it or not, are a huge threat to the animals in the ecosystem. These lizards are very large, dangerous, and have huge appetites. Native to sub-Saharan Africa, there is no reason to have the nearly 7 foot lizards here. These cousins of the Komodo dragon face little to no competition in North America, because what these lizards cannot fit into their mouths to eat, they simply tear apart with their razor sharp teeth.

Animals in the natural ecosystem will potentially be destroyed since these invasive species have been introduced due to both man's ignorance and greed, It's not only a shame these animals were brought here, it's a sin because now to control the destruction of the natural ecosystem, these animals have to be destroyed when they are found.

All creatures are part of a delicately balanced ecosystem. The removal of one species by another--like the Burnese pythons killing off a population--can lead to the destruction of a system.

A ban on importing exotic animals would help keep these animals out of pet stores, but then we will have to contend with the illicit, illegal trafficking of exotic animals.

When will humans realize they have to stop?

Good evening, all you sexy people out there in the dark.

I'm typing this update while my brownies are baking away in the oven. I keep manipulating the recipe to perfect it in the vegan style. So far I am making good brownies, but I want to make them great.

Today I had a lunch date with my friends Jim, Jodi, and Stephanie. We decided upon Chinese. Next time, we'll go to LaVale for Chinese. Finding restaurants around here with vegan food is rather difficult but it can be done. You should check out Jodi & Jim's Vegan Heathen Blog. They have begun to list places & food we vegans can order locally. I can't wait to try the Italian place in Keyser. I love Eggplant Minus-the-Parmesean.

After lunch, my friend Jennifer helped me put together the big cage I ordered for my Goffin Cockatoo, my beloved, demon possessed Chiffon. I knew when I ordered this it was a little larger than most cages in peoples' homes. When we put it together, we were both amazed at exactly how big the monster mansion is: 4 ft wide, 3 ft deep, and over 6 ft tall. A human can literally stand inside the cage, Jodi's eyes got big when she first saw it. Chiffon will love it once she moves in when the weather gets a bit warmer.

Tonight, I'm being lazy. I finished watching season 4 of Babylon 5. Not a bad show, but I have to say I like Farscape better. And I started on season 6 of StarGate. I have quite a few TV series to make my way through and I am enjoying it so far. I was bad the other night and ordered all 7 seasons of Tales from the Crypt--I loved that show and have never seen the HBO episodes, only the edited for regular TV episodes. And I found one of the movies, Bordello of Blood, at Big Lots tonight. So only two more movies and I will have them all. I also ordered the three seasons of Dukes of Hazzard I needed; now I only need the two reunion movies. Quite a few TV series to watch but I am up to the challenge: Dead Zone, the Hitchhiker, StarGate: Atlantis, the rest of Babylon 5 and StarGate, The Pretender, Wonder Woman, the final season of Forever Knight, as well as Highlander: The Raven.

I've made my way through a lot so far, like Six Feet Under, Farscape, and a few others. There are always ones like DuckTales, Tiny Toons, and Animaniacs that I want to watch...and tons of movies.

My sister bought me two of my absolute favorite movies: Clue and Rosemary's Baby. I watched them both the same day she gave them to me. What can I say? I love movies

I gotta get back to writing. Don't forget: Shadows Amongst the Moonlight comes out this October.

And we are still accepting donations of copies of my books for the military personnel. So if you are one of the people who wear a ribbon or have one of the ribbon stickers or bumper stickers on your vehicle, get out there and get some of my books to donate. Show your support for out military men and women.

Sweet & Spicy Chili Doritos are winning praise as the first VEGAN Doritos. They are most excellent. I love using them as the chips in my taco salad. Try them out. Utz Gourmet Medley of Kettle Cooked Dark Russet, Lightly Salted, Blue Potato, & Sweet Potato chips are also vegan, as well as the Thick Cut Sea Salt Lays chips.

By the by: Brownies! You wanna talk about awesome. Jodi & Jim, the egg replacer you gave me did the trick. I also melted some of the Extreme Dark Endangered Species chocolate bar and added it to the mixture. Wow. Of course, I have to make & sample it a few more times before I can officially call it a success. It's very cool; I came up with this recipe all by myself.


Until next time...
Nighty-nightmares.

The group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA) is in fact anything but. Check out this disgusting & disgraceful fact:

PeTA euthanized over 90 percent of the dogs and cats relinquished to its headquarters in Norfolk, Va. In 2009, PETA euthanized 2,301 dogs and cats — 97 percent of those brought in — and adopted only eight, according to Virginia state figures. And the rate of these killings has been increasing. From 2004 to 2008, euthanasia at PETA increased by 10 percent.

So the animals people entrusted to PeTA were put to death. Are you trying to tell me finding 8 homes was the maximum effort? Out of almost TWO AND A HALF THOUSAND animals, every employee and volunteer did their damnedest to find homes for these beautiful animals and 8 was all they could find?!

I tell you BULLSHIT with a capital BULL and a capital SHIT.

In 2009 I. myself & on my own, found homes for OVER TRIPLE the number of animals the Norfolk branch of PeTA did? Wow. I must be f&%$ing amazing to pull that off.

PeTA wants the money, the fame, the celebrity endorsements but doesn't want the responsibilty. Doubt this info? Go Google and discover the facts in cold, hard numbers in the official paperwork of the State of Virginia.

Disgraceful & disgusting.

The new edition of Into the Mirror Black is available to order everywhere books are sold. So be sure to check it out. The new cover art is fantastic and fits the mood of the ghostly tale.

The new ISBNs are:
978-0-595-67650-7 hardcover and 978-0-595-38877-6 tradepaper.

And I have been experimenting with my vegan baking. My quest for brownies continues, I'm almost there and I will make it; I just have to figure out another ingredient or two and all will be well. Vegan cooking is so much healthier for you, it's very easy, and it saves the lives of so many animals.

All the animals are doing very well. Thank you to everyone who has asked about the health of Mr. GreenJeans my iguana. His surgery definitely helped; his jaw is so much better and he is doing great.

I am mourning the loss of one of my birds. Maris, whom I rescued the day after the fire in May 2008, passed away. She lived a good life. As most of you know, Maria lost her legs and most people would have simply done away with her, but I gave her the extra care she needed to live as normal a life as possible. She sang and ate and played like any bird. She will be missed.

Many of you have taken part in the discussion about my Goffin cockatoo Chiffon's new home on Facebook. I do believe I have finally found a huge mansion for her. She will love it.

Macaws have always been one of my favorite birds. I have been in comm with a bird rescue in Lancaster, PA, and we will be discussing the possibility of me adopting two macaws in need. My goal is a Scarlet macaw as well as a Blue & Gold macaw. So keep me in your good thoughts.

Thank you once again to all the wonderful people who made last year's benefit for no-kill animals shelters a big success. Look for me and my buddy Charlene Haines to be at the Waldenbooks in the Country Club Mall in LaVale, MD, this summer--probably June--once again to gather supplies and donations for the animals. I would love for my good friend and fellow author Savannah Russe who is also a grand animal lover and rescuer to be a part of the event. I will extend the invitation and if she is available, perhaps she can make it.

Keep reading and suggesting my Facebook Fan Page to your friends. We have over 600 members from 16 different countries. What a grand beginning. Thank you, Tara, for starting this for me. It's great to know I'm loved in Arizona.

My house is still in progress. I slacked off working on it due to it being winter--having animals, I didn't want any fumes to be in the house when I couldn't open windows due to the cold weather. You know how it is. I have to protect the babies.

Congratulations to my friends Ian and Katrina in Tasmania on their engagement. I love you both and you deserve happiness and a theta marriage. And thanks to them for taking pictures in Hobart, scouting possible sights for our maybe movie of my first novel Into the Mirror Black. I know the cameo role I want to play!

Currently, I'm reading Bunnicula Meets Edgar Allan Crow, the seventh and apparently final book in the Bunnicula series that began back in 1979. I love this series.

That's about it for now. I need to get the latest attempt at brownies out of the oven and sample them.

Nighty-nightmares,
F~

PS...ILIA, I love you, baby!