I may have gone completely mad.

Yesterday I agreed to be the editor-agent chair for my RWA chapter's annual conference. The madness part is that for now I'm really excited about it. Basically, the job is to track down an appropriate and varied assortment of editors and agents (ideally 3 apiece), get them to agree to participate, and be their liaison throughout the process. Unfortunately I'm not allowed to stack the panel only with people interested in purchasing historicals that are non-fluffy, even slightly dark, but I'ma do my best to get at least one or two from my target list.

Go, Susan, with the mad networking skilz!

New drabble topic, delayed 1 day due to excessive holiday family-ness! (Sorry.)

Challenge #37 (talismans) is now closed.

Challenge #38 is falling. Take that any way you like -- falling off a log, falling in love, even those old "Fall into the Gap" commercials.

Panic Attack (falling drabble: 100 words):

When it grips me, it is sudden and total. One moment I am feeling fine--a bit off, maybe, but fine--and the next I am plummeting down hard and fast. My heart rate soars, my palms sweat, I lose my breath and my ability to reason and rationalize--I am swept down on waves of panic, of fear, of loss, of utter helplessness. My body is still, my hands clenched futilely in the blankets, but my mind is falling, falling, falling, and the only thing I fear more than the falling is the sweaty-toothed terrors waiting on the bottom.

At first, I felt bad that my article might be late, right? But I'm now upset with the editor because what part of "You sent it, but somehow I don't have it, so couldn't read and follow comments I couldn't open?" is hard to understand? Hello?

Brynn, got it - thanks! And Susan, you're going to wind up with a huge list of names. Have you checked out some of the livejournal agents links?

Quickie lookin from a machine at the local Kinkos, because our #%%#$ DSL is down again. And right now, feverish and aching and dizzy so I'm going home to bed, shortly.

Kristin, that's exactly how I felt, Christmas day. Worse one I've ever had, right here in my house.

Thanks, Cindy, and I'm so sorry. I think it's really hard to understand how terrible panic attacks are for people who haven't had them. I'm so grateful I haven't had one since last year. Before I was treated, I would go through periods where I had them frequently. It was the closest to hell on earth I hope to ever be.

Deb, I'm waiting till I'm home to start work in earnest, since that's where my market info all is. Plus, the conference chair has given me some basic parameters--one publishing house that must be represented this year if humanly possible, another we'd really like to have, one West Coast agent, etc.

That was amazing, Kristin...I wish I didn't know exactly about every bit of it, but I do, and you've described it accurately, precisely, and beautifully.

Cindy, I'm sorry you know what she's talking about.