A Mystery, a Sad Note, and a Blatent Plug

I don't normally post on Tuesday but there are things I need to say today.

First - the mystery:

I did so buy my husband an Anniversary card.  I went to the Hallmark store last week and bought three Mother's Day cards, two birthday cards, and one beautiful "to my husband" anniversary card.  As I usually do, I stashed the bag of cards in a drawer in the china hutch.  On Mother's Day, I took out, signed and gave the three Mother's Day cards and one birthday card to the appropriate people.  (The other birthday card is for later.)

Today is our 42nd anniversary.  This morning, I slipped downstairs early to sign the anniversary card and set it beside my husband's breakfast.  The Hallmark bag was still there.  It contained two lovely little gold crown seals, a receipt for all the cards mentioned above, and one birthday card.  My beautiful anniversary card was missing.

Although I'm quite certain I never removed it from the bag, I began to search all through the hutch.  Lo and behold, I found an anniversary card.  But it didn't look familiar.  I know mine said "to my husband".  This one said...oops, I guess my hubby stashes his cards in the hutch, too.  Sorry, hon.

I've searched every place I can think of and still no card.  So help me out, mystery fans...where's my lovely anniversary card?

The sad note:

Jane Kennedy Sutton's blog Jane's Ride contained the incredibly sad news yesterday that Jane passed away last Friday.  Please keep Jane's family in your thoughts and prayer's.

The blatent plug:

For my friend, Maria Zannini - Maria's latest, Apocalypse Rising, was released yesterday.  I read it.  I loved it. I strongly recommend it.  Actually, I recommend you buy Touch of Fire and Apocalypse Rising and read them in order so you can savor this romantic adventure from its beginning. 

Oh, one other thing I have to do:

To our good friends Jim and Karin, who also just happen to tie the knot 42 years ago today - Happy Anniversary!

No groaner today.  Two days in a row would be too much for some of you to handle.  (You know who you are.)

The Red Headed Nephew

In my quest to take advantage of the information and support available to fledgling authors online, I've join several writer's organizations and support groups.  Not surprisingly, many of these are genre specific, Romance Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, etc., and within these are smaller groups dedicated to specific sub-genres.

My current WIP is a sci fi with a strong romantic element.  It would probably qualify as a sci fi romance.  Except...of all the sub-genres identified under the romance genre - and there are plenty - there doesn't seem to be one for sci fi.  The closest is "Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal."   It's pretty much the same for the mystery sub-genres.  Paranormal, time-travel, futuristic, but no sci fi.

Well, doesn't the F, F & P umbrella cover sci fi?  Not exactly.  Or at least not completely.  Fantasy would be mystical creatures and/or other worlds.  Futuristic would have to be, well, in the future.  Paranormal includes vampires and werewolves and even ghosts.  But not aliens.

My aliens are here.  In this world.  In this time.  Not quite fantasy, not futuristic at all, and, by all the definititions I've come up with, not considered paranormal.  It seems as though non-futuristic sci fi is like the redheaded nephew at the family reunion.  Sure, he's part of the family, but no one wants to claim him.

What is your take on this?  Where do you think the little redhead fits in?  Is there a place in our world for sparkly vampires but not extra-terrestrials?

By the way, I squeaked in just under the wire on my 30,000 Words in February challenge.  30,056 words with 15 minutes to spare.

My current word count: 30,773

I'm currently enjoying: Lion in the Valley by Elizabeth Peters (poor Peabody, I've left her in the desert with no reading time to bring her home)

Groaner of the day: Scientists have announced that we have made contact with an alien race whose planet is entirely covered by one gigantic shopping center.

The sceptical scientists didn't believe it at first, but they've now confirmed...it's a mall world after all.