Superbowl and writing stuff

The Eagles (our randomly appointed team to root for) didn’t win, but it was a close game, which is more than can be said about the last several Superbowls I’ve watched.

dude_the is recuperating from all the shouting at the screen from yesterday’s game, Matthew is sleeping the early morning nigh-unto-death coma of the unabashedly nocturnal, and Hobkin is curled up under the hutch wrapped in his new blankie. I, however, am awake. I’m also sick, as in sinuses filled with phlegm, head stuffed with mucus sick. My throat feels like a small feral cat used it as a scratching post. Ouch.


Writing Stuff

C. Dennis Moore asked me to write blurbage for the back cover of his collection of vampire stories, Icons to Ashes. I’m being solicited to write blurbage! Cool.

Sent a copy of this month’s issue of Cricket with “Razi and the Sunbird” to my in-laws, and my mom-in-law liked it so much, she’s reading it to her second graders. They also contacted their local paper who are sending a press team to cover it. More coolness.

Mailed a “your terms are spiffy” letter to my Cricket editor, as well as a couple lines of requested clarification for “The Tanuki-Kettle,” and also included a line letting her know I hadn’t received my check for “Razi” yet. If the universe conforms to expected form, the check will cross paths with my letter en route.

mroctober wants an “author’s note” paragraph or so to accompany “Year of the Fox.” On today’s agenda: dwell on that. Hmm. Perhaps not the cleverest of ideas for me to attempt to me insightful and/or witty through a noggin full of mucus.

Woohoo! So Fey sale!

I just got off the phone with mroctober. He said he loved my huli jing story, “Year of the Fox,” and wants it for his So Fey anthology. Not only did he fill my ear with glowing words of praise that made me all squeaky and gleeful, but he’s officially fulfilled another writerly milestone. He’s the first editor to call me to tell me they want to buy a story!

Happy happy happy happy happy!!

Busy busy busy

Eep! dude_the is flying down today for Superbowl festivities and the house looks like a dozen skunks have been running amok through it. Must clean.

And I think I’m getting another cold. My sinuses feel baked, and my head is on the verge of little men hammering on the inside of it. Right now, I think they’re just hefting their pickaxes and stomping around in their hob-nailed boots, but there’s the impending threat of ruckus and pain hovering overhead.



Writing Stuff:

Found another nice review that spotlights “Running on Two Legs” in issue #40 of TTA at SF Crowsnest:

“Issue 40 has fiction from Steve Mohn, Paul Meloy, David J Schwartz, Darren Speegle, Melanie Fazi, Vandana Singh and Eugie Foster. My favourites were ‘Thirst’ by Singh and a curious tale of a gifted child, ‘Running On Two Legs’ by Foster.”
–Rod MacDonal

– Re-write of the huli jing tale almost done.
– Wrote a critters critique (for your story nmsunbear)
– Started on this week’s Sci-Fiction review for Tangent. Tangent is devouring my soul. But actually, I don’t mind. I kinda like it. Nice little soul devourer.

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Imbolic/Candlemas

Happy Candlemas to one and all! Hope everyone had a fun and festive Imbolic.

Matthew regaled me with stories of his adventures in Utah. He got in to see Neil Gaimen’s Mirror Mask at SunDance, and then went up to talk to him and get his contact information. He got to rub elbows with celebrities; I got iced in with a skunk by a freak winter storm. Humph.



Writing Stuff:

Received an 11-day “nice writing here but . . . ” from JJA of F&SF. Sigh. Once upon a time I got alases from GVG.

Also received my corrected honorable mention certificate for “Gifts Not Asked For” from the WoTF folks.

Re-writing commences apace on the huli jing tale. Two passes. Good progress. Ready to send it out to mroctober in a couple days, I believe. And it made britzkrieg and aimeepoynter cry, woohoo! Actually, I’m gratified to hear that it elicited that response from several critters. Always love it when I wrench an emotional response from my readers.

Been doing a lot of Tangent stuff. I assume it’ll be less time intensive down the road, but right now it’s taking up most of my free waking hours.

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Not lonely anymore

Matthew’s home! Matthew’s home! Yippee!

Good thing too. I don’t think I could deal with another night like Sunday’s. Had a difficult time falling asleep, and then Hobkin woke me up at midnight-thirty for his snack. I dozed for twenty minutes while he snarfed it down, then woke up to find him running amok. He pried at the entertainment center doors, popping off the child lock holding them shut (I’m not impressed with that child lock), dug under the computer desk, and knocked everything he could reach–which fortunately was mostly junk mail–off the coffee table so he could investigate and shred choice pieces. He didn’t settle until I got up and did a half-dozen “skunk laps” around the living room with him. Then he crawled up beside me and we fell asleep . . . until 5AM, at which point he decided that it was the best time to bound about on me, and then pace in the kitchen impatiently awaiting his breakfast.

It was not the most restful of nights.

But Matthew’s home now. Yay!



Writing Stuff:

Did a pair of passes on the huli jing story. I’m logging progress on Club 100, but I’m not getting in my 500. Well, crap. I’ve been busy with Tangent stuff, and getting my groove back after the rejection from Wednesday. So, yeah.

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More productive non-fiction writing

“Through rain, sleet, and snow” my ass. No mail service yesterday. I put a Netflix DVD in the box and they never picked it up, much less delivered anything. Fooie.

When I went out to retrieve it, I did note that it’s remarkably beautiful outside. It always is after ice storms, but this is the first one I’ve seen in Georgia. The ornamental horticulture around our front walkway is encased in ice. It’s probably not good for it, but they look so magical, encased in a layer of crystalline translucence. The holly trees also look rather strained. The weight of the ice has bent all of their branches down so they look like “weeping” tress, but they’re really pretty. Not, however, pretty enough to entice me to stay outside for very long. ‘Though at least the air was relatively warm. It’s a-thawing out there.

The folks-in-law called to make sure I was okay. They’d heard on the news of major problems in the area because of the ice storm. Told them I was camped out on the couch with Hobkin and my laptop, and we were fine. They were worried that I might have lost power. Actually, the electricity did flicker several times in the AM yesterday (I need to reset all the clocks in the house . . . again), and I know there are people in the area who are without power. But after the last time, which was the longest and scariest–probably about five minutes although it felt like fifty–it came back and stayed that way.

Matthew also phoned. I reassured him that I was fine. I really miss that hubby of mine. He’ll be back tomorrow, hurray! They were going to try to get into a Sundance showing of Neil Gaimen’s Mirror Mask. I was amused that I’ve been reading about Gaimen’s adventures at Sundance on his officialgaiman blog.

I’ve now seen Eat Drink Man Woman, Mona Lisa Smile, and Rain Main. I’d forgotten that I’ve got very limited appetite for chick flicks. I need something with explosions or vampires in it now.



Writing Stuff:

Did much fiddling with the new Tangent site. The more I play with it, the more impressed I am.

Accomplished:
X – Review written of Scifiction story, “A Man of Light” by Jeffrey Ford, for Tangent
X – Wrote a Critters critiques (for your story, aimeepoynter).

Still to do:
– Write another Critters critique.
– Rewrite of my huli jing story. So far, the Critters commentary has been generally positive. I’m thinking the overhaul process shouldn’t be too onerous.

Writing, but none of it fiction

It is raining ice outside. As in there’s a transparent, treacherous, slippery layer of frigid water coating our walkway and driveway that fell from the sky. It’s frigging Georgia! Ice has no business accumulating outside. It can clink in tall glasses of mint julep, enclose cucumber sandwiches in picnic coolers, and form spheres of fruit-flavored yumminess, but it should NOT shower from the heavens!

What is the world coming to?

But, as the patter of ice hurtles from above and strikes the ground outside, I sit with a warm skunk cuddled at my side, Saturday morning cartoons blaring on the television, and a nice pot of Iron Buddha Oolong brewing. It could be worse. It’s a good day to spend camped out on the couch. I might venture out to check the mail, but then again, maybe I won’t.

I hope Matthew is staying warm in Utah.



Writing Stuff:

Accomplished:
X – Welcome editorial written and published for Tangent.
X – Review written of Scifiction story, “Nocturne” by J.R. Dunn, for Tangent
X – Review written of Scifiction story, “Follow Me Light” by Elizabeth Bear, for Tangent. (I loved, it btw, matociquala).
X – Review written of Scifiction story, The Five Cigars Of Abu Ali” by Eric Schaller, for Tangent

Still to do:
– Write review for Scifiction story, “A Man of Light” by Jeffrey Ford, for Tangent
– Write Critters critiques (for your story, aimeepoynter, and yours nmsunbear).
– Start pondering rewrite of my huli jing story.

Working working . . .


Writing Stuff:

The new Tangent site is up. Content is still sketchy, but I’m so glad the horrible page with all the wonky errors is gone. (If you click on the link and you still get the error page, chances are the new site hasn’t propagated to you yet. Give it another day or two.) I should probably write an editorial. Something to do tomorrow, I think. The new site is very slick. I’m in awe of all the work the webmistress, Jen, put into it.

Also, saw my banner ad for Ascendancy of Blood is up at Lit Haven, courtesy sdowens. I made it all by myself–the banner–when I probably ought to have been writing. Anyway, shiny banner goodness:

Insomnia + Caffeine Withdrawal = Bad

Can’t sleep without Matthew in the house. Cleverly, I did not plan for this when I decided to wean myself off caffeine. Thought to myself the whole morning “Self, I have this terrible headache. I wonder why the Aleve I took isn’t making the pain go away?” Which, of course, illustrates how poorly my brain was functioning. Got some green tea in me after lunch, realized as the first tendrils of caffeinated goodness entered my bloodstream that I needed more and fixed myself an extra-strong cup of coffee. The afternoon was better. Still, thank Jeebus it’s the weekend.

I putzed about customizing my LJ layout when I was tired of lying with my eyes open in the darkness last night/this morning. This whole paid account thing is very seductive with its “lookie, you can make me all shiny and personalized!” and “lookit all the little pictures!” But I’m having issues with my new layout and my iframe setup from my homepage link. Maybe I’ll code my own layout to stick into JavaScript. That should get me through the weekend. Of course, I could be doing something productive with my time instead–like writing. Or sleeping.

Hobkin was at first perplexed as to why we were “sleeping” upright in the computer chair, instead of prone under the covers, but he adapted. When I finally felt tired enough to go lie down, he didn’t even flick his tail when I relocated us.



Writing Stuff:

Addressed the questions/approved the edits of “The King of Rabbits and Moon Lake” and mailed said material to my editor at Cricket. Still no check for “Razi and the Sunbird.” Hmm. Wonder if I should have mentioned that in my letter?

Got a note back from Nathan, my Scrybe Press editor. He said he’d do his best to get Inspirations End/Still My Beating Heart out in time for Fantasm, and maybe even with a full color, glossy cover. Oooo.

Words: 100. Stupid novel.

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