Squeeee!

I quite like the fact that ESS is front and center in the ad. Good choice, promo department!

Heading out tonight to the airport hotel, for an early morning flight to L.A. I've scrounged up some hopefully-appropriate clothing (it's in the 40's-50's here, so finding clothes for 80-plus weather is a challenge) and triple-checked my ticket for the filming. Phones and cameras are a big no-no in the studio, so I won't be live-tweeting the experience, but rest assured that I'll be providing an epic trip report after the fact!

Don't know if I'll actually get to meet Eric, but just seeing him perform live will be fantastic. Have I mentioned I'm a fan? No? Wow, sorry about that. Don't know how it slipped my mind. :) Have a great rest of the week - I know I will!

Welcome 2011!

Wow, that was one crazy year, wasn't it?

It's still hard to believe we've made it past Christmas, let alone all the way into 2011. I'm still working on my to-do list from January of last year!

But it's time to dust off, tidy up, take stock, and start looking forward again.

So without further ado, here's KATE'S 2010 IN REVIEW:

January:
Had letter published in Entertainment Weekly. Who knew that by the end of the year, I'd be *interviewing* the stars of the soaps I'd been fangirling way back then?

February:
Posted a new Current TV Crush, Dennis Grabosch and Igor Dolgatschew. Became known as the Infamous DeRo Pusher.

March:
Went to Hawaii. Whee!

April:
Went to Ohio for the Romantic Times convention, where I received the Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Small Press Romance. Still amazed and thrilled at that one. Met LB Gregg and a host of other fabulous, wonderful writers, and had a great time.

May:
New Current TV Crush: Eric Sheffer Stevens. This is significant, just in case you haven't read the blog/followed me on Twitter/friended me on Facebook/listened to me babble in real life.

June/July:
Sold a new book to Samhain, which comes out in February. Did a lot of camping with the family.

August:
Prepping for new school year, working on new manuscript.

September:
Complained about the ending to As The World Turns. Blog post went minorly viral, which was a bit of a thrill.

October:
Celebrated my birthday by starting a new "career" as interviewer of people in the performing arts. My first interview, with Parrish Hurley, focused on the creative process and his journey to produce a TV pilot, 'the (718)'. It was linked on AfterElton, which was another thrill. I also interviewed James Yaegashi, director of Lefty Loosey Righty Tighty.


November:
Easily my most surreal month. After weeks of biting my tongue to keep from blabbing, I finally got to spill the news - I'd asked Eric Sheffer Stevens for an interview, and he'd said yes! So in six short months, I'd gone from random fangirl to talking on the phone with my favorite actor for almost an hour. It was an amazing experience, and I learned a lot. Plus, that interview went viral too, which was so fantastic!

December:
Got my bookcover, finished final edits, started polishing up a new trilogy idea, and celebrated the holidays with those nearest and dearest.

What's coming up in 2011:
A new book in February. Hopefully, some new manuscripts written and new contracts signed. At least one new interview (yes, it's a definite, no, I'm not telling who it is yet). A new Current TV Crush (if you follow me on Twitter you can guess what show the crush is from - LOL). And, if this year is anything like last year, a whole bunch of experiences I couldn't even begin to imagine now.

Here's wishing you an amazing year ahead as well!

How the Heck Did You Get An Interview with Eric Sheffer Stevens, Anyway?

A couple of months ago, I called into a radio show where Eric Sheffer Stevens, my favorite actor, was being interviewed. Although I was on hold for an hour, they only managed to get five callers on to ask questions, and I wasn't one of them. And, being the calm, rational person that I am, I did what any calm, rational person would do - I complained about it on Twitter.

Almost immediately, I got a private message from a friend. Why didn't I ask him for an actual interview? I shrugged off the suggestion. I'm not a reporter, I'm just a writer and fan. I don't have an outlet to publish an interview other than my blog. I don't know the proper channels to request an interview, anyway. But she persisted. And after some hemming and hawing, I figured I had nothing to lose, so why not? I wrote up an interview request and sent it in.

A week or two later, I got a response - "he said yes."

One minor freak-out later, I decided to keep the news quiet until the details were set. Nothing worse than making a big announcement that then doesn't go through for ages. So there's been a lot of behind-the-scenes schedule-juggling and random cryptic posts from me on Twitter and Facebook along the way. I prepared questions and sent them along, and finally got the word that the date was set.

So a week and a half ago, I chatted with Eric on the phone in a wide-ranging interview that covers everything from his most challenging role, to his favorite episode of the Cartoon Saga, to what the future holds. Don't expect anything about the end of ATWT - one of my promises in the interview request was not to berate him about the ending. :) But there will be lots of stuff you haven't seen anywhere else.

I'll be posting the interview in installments, starting Monday, so be sure to check back every day for a new chapter!

Eric Sheffer Stevens, Part One

Eric Sheffer Stevens, Part Two
Eric Sheffer Stevens, Part Three

Eric Sheffer Stevens, Part Four