PLEASE NOTE: This blog contains adult subjects and content, and because of Google/Blogger's recent nonsense, I HAVE MOVED TO WORDPRESS. For my enlightened friends who wish to visit me in my new home, it's https://ericalscott.wordpress.com. Please bookmark it!

The rest of you? Please take your judge-y selves somewhere more wholesome, like here: www.wonderbread.com

Go on.... shoo!



Monday, July 25, 2011

Celebration time!

We have everything we need, right?

An awesome top with a hard hand and a bagful of toys -- check!

A cheeky brat girl -- check!























And champagne -- check!























What are we celebrating, you ask. CreateSpace finally accepted my @#$%ing book cover, that's what!! :-D  Those numbnuts -- gawd, the aggravation they put Zelle and me through!

They rejected the first version with a generic message about "live elements" being outside the image area. No details. Zelle took great pains to make damn sure the second version was even more perfect than the first one... and they rejected it with the same generic message. This time, I was pissed. I knew they were jacking me around, trying to wear me down so I'd order their premium services. Not gonna happen, guys. You're messing with the wrong woman.

I wrote to them and called their 800 number, saying I needed more information, needed them to tell me exactly what needed fixing. This morning, they wrote back to me, and hallelujah, they gave me a precise direction. Itty bitty minor thing. Nitpickers.

Zelle was leaving for vacation tonight, so I didn't want to bug her with this. I figured I'd wait until she was back home. But she wrote to me, asking if they'd OKd it, and I couldn't lie. I told her what was going on and said she should forget about it for now, go have fun and we'd deal with it later. Bless her heart, she insisted that if they did tell me what to fix, I should send it to her immediately.

So I forwarded her their instructions this morning, and within a half-hour, she had it back to me. I not only resubmitted the cover a third time, I called the 800 number again. Told them it was coming and I didn't want another rejection. The guy hemmed and hawed, said they check it thoroughly each time, because Point A could be fixed but in the process, throw Point B off. Fine, whatever... I said OK, but if there IS something wrong with this one, I want specifics right off the bat, no generics. And could they process this faster?

He said he didn't think that could be done, but I'd get my answer within 24-48 hours. But then after our conversation, he wrote to me to follow up (they'd never done that before) and said he'd spoken with the techs. I heard from them in four hours, telling me Congratulations, all looks good and it's time for me to order a proof.

YAHOO!!

I got that message about an hour before New Guy showed up -- how perfect! No fun celebrating alone, is there?

As it happened, a dear friend had given me a bottle of pink champagne a while back, but I rarely drink, so it sat in my fridge waiting for a special occasion. This was it! But first things first, of course.

NG got a brand new Smart Phone, so he was experimenting with taking video on his phone while spanking/strapping me. We got some cute stuff -- it jumps all over the place, but still fun. I guess it takes some superhuman dexterity to hold a cell phone camera steady and whale on someone's a$% at the same time! :-D

Oh, he was in good form tonight, let me tell you. He was strapping me so quickly, I couldn't catch my breath, so I yelped, "Hey! What's your hurry??" He then slowed waaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy dowwwwwwwwwwwnnnnn. "Is that better?"

"No! Why does everything have to be so black or white with you tops?" I snapped.

WHACK!!!!!  "Everything is red with us." (groan)

Once he decided I was well done, it was champagne time. Did I mention that I rarely drink? A few of you have seen me after I have a glass or so of alcohol. It is utterly ridiculous -- I have the tolerance of a three-year-old. I start giggling and stumbling over my words and I get light-headed right away. As I did tonight. Not drunk... it's not enough to get me drunk. Just with a little buzz. Just enough to have lots and lots of fun.

Well, until I laughed at NG and called him silly one too many times.

Wow. Round #2 was something else. It's all a blur, but I know it hurt. I know it was measured and well paced and it went back and forth from tender to tough and back again. I know I took a very long time to come back down to earth.

I know it was completely wonderful.

"Am I still silly?"
"No....."

Interesting... I don't know if it was subspace, or alcohol space, or a combination of the two. It's not something I would want to make a habit of, but for tonight, with my joy over the book cover, it felt just right.

So is my bottom as pink as the champagne? I'd already faded... phooey.


















But I will definitely feel this one tomorrow. Lucky me.

So now, I have ordered a proof. They are shipping it to me this week. I need to review it thoroughly, check all the elements inside and out. And if (I hope I hope I hope, fingers and toes crossed) everything is OK, I let them know, and the book goes on sale.

I'm so close. Can't believe it.

Thank you, Zelle. Thank you, everyone who has been so supportive and encouraging through all this. And thank you, NG. I'm over the moon that I got to celebrate with you. :-)

27 comments:

  1. Wow! I checked mail just one last time before getting on the road to Chicago, Chicago, .. my kinda "spankin" town.. and I saw your blog go up!

    WooHoo! Such a great sigh of relief you must feel about the book! I sure hope that proof is to your liking! (We all know that spanking NG dished out was!)

    Gotta run.. I'm two hours late getting outta here! (grins)

    I love the matching champagne to booty pic! So funny!!

    You and I got lots of lovely comments on the pics we put up of cover over at Fetlife! Off to a great start it appears!

    I'll try to drop ya a line from the CM soire'!

    xoxox
    ~Z

    ReplyDelete
  2. Zelle -- I love you, girl! Have FUN! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Congratulations Erica. Great news, champagne and spanking. Perfect night. :D

    ReplyDelete
  4. Congratulations on the book cover. I can't wait to read what's under it!

    Hugs,
    Hermione

    ReplyDelete
  5. Fantastic news Erica, congratulations. Can't wait to read it. When will it be available?

    Love,
    Ronnie
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hurray! And yes, getting these automated online publishers to accept a cover can be a nightmare, and glad you got yours sorted.

    Hope the proof turns out okay, and GOOD JOB! :-)

    Hugs,
    Dev

    ReplyDelete
  7. Congratulations, Erica.
    Stamping feet to a publisher won't take you to Court, I'm sure.

    ReplyDelete
  8. joey -- it really was perfect. I was a very happy girl. :-)

    Hermione -- thanks. I hope lots of others feel the same way!

    Ronnie -- well, it depends on when I get the proof and if it's OK. If it is, then it can go on sale immediately. If not, then I have to fix and resubmit... but let's hope not.

    Dev -- oh lord, what a pain! The phone techs were very nice, I have to say, but dealing with that red tape and those generic automated messages telling you nothing is insane. I really do believe they make it as difficult as possible if you don't spend $$$ to use their "services."

    MrJ -- Haha... I was a squeaky wheel, but no foot stamping. Firm and insistent, but polite!

    ReplyDelete
  9. AWESOME news Erica, CONGRATS I can't wait to read it :-) You and Zelle ROCK,I Love You both so VERY much. The first pic of you is so funny hehehe LOL and the second pic of the champagne next to your bum is funny too.I am happy that you got to celebrate it with NG YAY for you, big hug's from your naughty girl Jade xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  10. Jade -- thanks! And I get to celebrate again with John, this weekend. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. NV -- well, it was. Unfortunately, my color fades almost instantly! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Congrats, Erica! I am glad you were able to get that all sorted out.

    BTW, your first picture is at the counter. Is that, by any chance, reminicent of a post you made recently? :-)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Bobbie Jo -- mmmmmm... I can see a certain similarity, with the counter (compared to the bar counter), buuuuuuuuut.... nah, not quite. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  14. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Yay! Whoo Hoo! Yipee! (bree brings out the confetti and noise makers)
    , . , . ' " , .

    , . , . , . , . ' . , . , . , . , . , . , . ' , . ' " , .. , .. , . TOOT!!!!!!! TOOT!!!!!!! TOOT!!!!!!!!!!


    HIC! Excuse me. I don't drink often either Erica. Only on special occasions.

    Yay! For being another step closer.

    OMG! How am I going to Top this when your book is finally published? Hehe.

    (sorry my first post didn't look right graphically. Hopefully this will)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Aaaaaa Phewy! Sorry. It didn't come out right graphically. The confetti was supposed to be more strewn and spaced out in the air. I give up. Sigh.....

    ReplyDelete
  17. bree -- LOL! Not to worry; the thought was fun. Besides, confetti is a bitch to clean up. :-D

    Yeah, when that sucker is finally on sale, I have NO idea what I'm going to do!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Erica,

    I suppose you will enjoy the fact that people will be reading it! After all, you can revel in a job well done.

    So the counter picture had nothing to do with your video post. Hmmm. Ok, NG, how did you miss this one? Hehehe.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Bobbie Jo -- Wellll... you know, in that video clip, what actually happened after the cut-off was that he tore off all her clothes, gave her two swats with his belt and then screwed her brains out over the bar. :-) Hot, to be sure, but not something I'm about to re-enact with anyone but John! LOL

    ReplyDelete
  20. So glad you got the cover worked out and it looks fantastic! Did NG make any comments about making your bottom match the color of the champagne? Seems like a top like comment. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Erica,

    Oh, good grief!!! Since I didn't know what took place in that video after the fact, I had no intention of it being just like the video! It's the counter. Over the counter. A spanking. Over the counter.

    Hey, NG could just have you over the counter and whack your bum and that would do just fine. Looks like he did that already. That is what I was refering to. The counter. A SPANKING over the counter.

    Oh, and did I say counter? LOL

    ReplyDelete
  22. Wow! This is amazing news. I might even crack open my bottle of champagne to celebrate. Ha, any reason works for me and you've just given me a damn good one.

    Congratulations, Erica. And Zelle is fantastic.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Lea -- I do believe it was his idea to compare the colors!

    Bobbie Jo -- (giggling) I know you didn't know. I couldn't resist giving you the business a little.

    Pink -- isn't champagne wonderful stuff? Go for it! And yes, she is.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Pink champagne and pink bunns. These are some of my favorite things....
    Along with you Erica. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  25. Poppa -- ah, you're sweet. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Your top picture (har) might become my new desktop.

    But it is puzzling. One would think with the regular fanny tanning you get...

    Fortunately NG was there for color adjustment. Good job!

    Zelle, you are a mensch!

    And kudos, Erica, for knowing how to deal with knuckleheads and get things done to your satisfaction. See, any fool can scream, curse, and gibber, especially on the phone, but you knew how to be calmly firm and clear and direct things to the proper conclusion. (That's undoubtedly the influence of some of your better Tops. :-D )

    ReplyDelete
  27. Dave -- screaming at people generally gets nothing more than further resistance. It may be satisfying for about two seconds, but that's it. And you're right... I must have learned the calm firmness from my tops. I certainly didn't learn it from my mother! :-)

    ReplyDelete