Hrm. Just learned that they’re re-imaging our computers at work tomorrow. Making backups now…
Available
Short Story Collections
-
Short Fiction eBooks
Fiction
Nonfiction
Noteworthy
Search
Category Archives: LJ
LouiseMarley.com Now Live and an Avalanche of Hamsters
The website I’ve been working on went live this week: LouiseMarley.com. Check out the shiny! Louise is a talented writer and musician, and it was a pleasure working with her.
One hamster down, but several scampered in to replace it. Jeff VanderMeer invited me to be a guest blogger while he’s doing his whirlwind book tour, Jeremy Tolbert asked if I’d like to narrate a story for Escape Pod, and I’ve had a couple folks approach me about contributing some nonfiction pieces.
My hamsters, once again (eternally), overfloweth.
“Gifts Not Asked For” reprint sale to Bardic Tales and Sage Advice: Vol II
Got a note from the editor of Bards and Sages Quarterly with two pieces of very sweet news. The first I’m holding off on sharing until they announce it, but the second is that they want to reprint “Gifts Not Asked For” in their forthcoming anthology, Bardic Tales and Sage Advice: Vol II. Sweet!
Novel Progress and Dwelling upon NaNoWriMo
Stupid Novel progress: halfway through editing pass of part 3 and 360 new words. And lo, there was less sucking. Less, that is, but there is, verily, still sucking. Take what I can get.
I never do NaNoWriMo, but I was thinking of dedicating November to the “finish The Stupid Novel” effort as sort of a kindred endeavor.
It’s all about the goals…
Dragon and the Stars ToC and Story Synopses
Received from the editors, Eric Choi and Derwin Mak, the table of contents for the forthcoming The Dragon and the Stars anthology, due out from DAW Books next year—the first anthology of fantasy and science fiction stories by ethnic Chinese outside China:
• Introduction by Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling novelist.
• “The Character of the Hound” by Tony Pi (Canada)
During the war between the Southern Song and the Jin Dynasties, a soldier allows a spirit to possess his body so he can solve a murder.
• “The Fortunes of Mrs. Yu” by Charles Tan (Philippines)
A Filipino Chinese woman is horrified that each of her fortune cookies has a blank strip of paper inside it.
• “Goin Down to Anglotown” by William F. Wu (U.S.A.)
In an alternate America that is dominated by Asians, three young Asian men go out for a night of intrigue in exotic “Anglotown.”
• “The Polar Bear Carries the Mail” by Derwin Mak (Canada)
Chinese investors and a Chinese Canadian pilot try to start a space tourism business in northern Canada. Unfortunately, they have bad feng shui at their spaceport.
• “Lips of Ash” by Emery Huang (U.S.A.)
During the time of a historical dynasty, a cosmetics artist uses dark magic to help the ambitious mistress of a nobleman.
• “The Man on the Moon” by Crystal Gail Shangkuan Koo (Hong Kong)
Yue Lao, the Man on the Moon, hosts a beauty pageant to find a bride.
• “Across the Sea” by Emily Mah (U.S.A.)
A Tlingowa Native American woman’s aunt tells a legend about mysterious visitors who came to America hundreds of years ago.
• “Mortal Clay, Stone Heart” by Eugie Foster (U.S.A.)
During the reign of the First Emperor, a clay sculptor finds love and tragedy with a soldier.
• “Dancers with Red Shoes” by Melissa Yuan-Innes (Canada)
In Montréal, magical red shoes dance by themselves.
• “Intelligent Truth” by Shelly Li (U.S.A.)
A young Chinese American woman discovers truths about herself and her mother’s intelligent robotic servant.
• “Bargains” by Gabriela Lee (Singapore)
A young woman meets a strange shopkeeper in Chinatown. The shopkeeper sells success as a writer – but with a terrible price.
• “Threes” by E.L. Chen (Canada)
A Canadian man thinks his dead wife has become a Chinese dragon in Lake Ontario.
• “The Son of Heaven” by Eric Choi (Canada)
The Chinese rocket scientist Tsien Hsue-shen is persecuted during the Red Scare in America in the 1950s.
• “Shadow City” by Susan Ee (U.S.A.)
In a fantasy universe, a gatekeeper must stop people from leaving an evil place called Shadow City.
• “The Water Weapon” by Brenda W. Clough (U.S.A.)
The British police are suspicious of a talking Chinese dragon and a Chinese princess who appear at the Great Exposition of 1851 in London.
• “The Right to Eat Decent Food” by Urania Fung (U.S.A.)
Two American English teachers in China will do anything to get decent food during the SARS epidemic.
• “Papa and Mama” by Wen Y Phua (Singapore)
A Chinese daughter struggles to remain dutiful to her late parents, who are inconveniently reincarnated as a fish and a bird.
• “Beidou” by Ken Liu (U.S.A.)
In the Ming war against Japan, an ingenious Chinese army officer invents new weapons to defeat the Japanese.
• Afterword by Derwin Mak and Eric Choi.
It promises to be an awesome anthology!
Sucking Progress Update on My Sucking Stupid Novel
Novel progress: editing pass over parts 1 and 2, and a total of 30 new words. Yes, 30.
Stupid Novel! Why will you not be done already? Do I need to bash my head against my monitor until the words come out (and no longer suck)? Wah!
Too Much Excitement on a Friday Morning
Fire drill this morning. Glargh. At least we had enough warning so I could pack up my computer. And I did discover that the capitol’s wi-fi does reach as far as the parking lot. But it sorta kills the writing flow to have an alarm go off and then be forced to mill about outside, y’know?
Taking Stock, Regrouping, and Skunks in the News
Spent the last several weeks working on a website commission. Paying work comes first and all. But it’s almost at wrap-up and launch.
Time to break out The Stupid Novel again, I think. I just want to finish the damn thing before 2010!
In other news, Slate.com did an article on skunks with some excellent links, including to this BBC video on YouTube:
And I have the urge to write another skunk story.
Four-day Weekend: Hobkin and Housewarming
Back from a four-day weekend with less to show for it than I would’ve liked.
Went to check out elemess‘s new house on Saturday and worked on a website commission, but otherwise the last four days were decidedly unproductive.
Results came back from the vet’s and they found white blood cells but no bacteria from Hobkin’s urine sample. The lil guy is on Amoxycillan—which when given with a dollop of whipped cream is, thankfully, a nummy treat—and is on the mend. I think we caught his UTI much earlier this time around than the one last February. He never really got sick this time, just out of sorts. Wish I knew what was causing these, though.
He is also a very silly beastie. When he sleeps with me, sometimes his fangs puncture the blanket where he’s resting his head. His fangs are quite pointy; they’re long and protrude from his mouth, so when he lays his head flat, they dig into whatever surface he’s resting on (which I experience first-hand when he uses me as a pillow). Last night, they pierced the blanket (again) but in his half-asleep state, he thought the blanket had trapped him.
I woke up to a flailing fuzzy animal at my side, pawing at the blanket attached to his tooth. Bemused, I tugged the blanket off his fang, freeing him from the scary blanket-monster. Was Hobkin grateful? Of course not. He huffed at me and trundled off as though it were my fault.
I tell myself he probably felt embarrassed.
Houseful of Sickies
On my day off, taking Hobkin to the vet. Think he has another UTI. fosteronfilm has been fighting minor flu-like symptoms all week. And I’ve been achy and generally feeling blah. Seems like everyone in the house is under the weather. Sigh.
