Hey other parents - if you join Amazon Mom now you get a free membership to Amazon Prime (in exchange for some personal info that I assume will be used for marketing to you).

I think it's likely that Amazon won't be shipping Sam, like, ever. I'm unsure how to resolve the problem. It's just a big failure. I contacted Amazon, and they suggested that I learn more about promotion. I wrote back and suggested that they ship books to people who paid for them. At any rate, I suspect this is a flop. And I'm upset about it, butwhatcanyado? If I can't get Amazon to ship, or bookstores to stock it, the best I can do is roll up my sleeves and write the next thing. But i would like to cry into a glass of wine, first.

My suggestion at this point, if you've purchased it through Amazon, is to cancel. They appear uninterested in stocking it. If you'd like, you can email me, I have twenty copies here and I'd be happy to mail one to you.

Press announcement, to calm the hubbub, bub:

Anyone wishing to buy a copy of Sam right now who doesn't want to deplete Allyson's stock, ping me. The publishers have about a dozen copies on hand right now, and they can get the printer/distributor to spit out as many more copies as are needed. They're also engaged in a highly professional campaign of focused and highly concentrated whoop-ass yelling at Amazon in an effort to straighten everything out.

In the meantime: if you have a pending order in with Amazon and they're not sending Sam, file a complaint. If you don't have one but had been planning on placing one, consider either asking your local indie store to get a copy for you or pinging me. Until it's all settled (and it will be, to our satisfaction, or cities will burn), we will match Amazon's price and ship one hell of a lot faster.

eta: And, ta-dah! Though Amazon can't manage to keep enough copies on hand to cover their own preorders, the publishers have wisely set up their own storefront through Amazon, so feel free to order directly from us. Satisfaction, including cuddly wee bats, motherly barn owls, rodent lullabies, and a bare minimum of one glorious cathedral and three magnificent bridges, guaranteed.

Those participating in the gift exchange, please remember to ask your giftee things on elfster or to get the file of useful information from Deena. Also, it's never too early to send notes.

Hi. I'm going to be reviewing/recapping "The Walking Dead" at least, from the 3rd ep on (I may be going back to do 1 and 2, depending on time)on my new blog: owltlet.wordpress.com

I'll also be reviewing books and movies there, as well as assorted sundry other things. (I'm trying to build a web presence, and well as a slew of writing samples on a variety of issues to build a freelance portfolio.

If you can stop by, thanks. There's not much there yet, but I plan to do a review of "Winter's Bone," the book and movie this week.

Thanks!

I hereby announce the ad-hoc, loosely confederated Onerous Task Support Group Hour.

Basically, we have designated an hour and everybody that wants to play can address that one thing which they have been putting off for too long: Making that phone call, or responding to that email, or canceling that thing, or backing up that system, or debugging that code, writing that documentation, scrubbing that surface, filing those invoices, paying those bills, organizing that closet.

For anybody who is interested our first Onerous Task Support Group Hour will be on:

Thursday, November 18th.
2pm EST / 11am PST

We had our pictures done at Sears and they sent me a coupon for no sitting fee and 40% off a regular priced item that I can forward to friends which expires December 28th. If anyone wants me to forward it to them send me a message at my profile address.

Reporting on behalf of Hec, who is stuck in traffic but hustling home as quick as he can (from completing his first onerous task), I would like to announce that Onerous Task Time commences now! Taskers, meet you in Natter.