Category Archives: Blog

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Gah! I can’t believe they’re doing it. They’re conference calling me in for a full day’s training session! I thought they’d send me the handouts and maybe a quick synopsis, but no, they’re actually calling me in for the whole day!

My ear’s going to fall off. Even with my handy dandy headset. It’s going to just drop off my head.

Sigh.

I’m debating whether or not I should re-read the Anita Blake series again. To, um, study Laurell K. Hamilton’s technique with actions scenes, and her, um, character development. Yeah.

Oh, who am I kidding with that blatant rationalization? Her books are vacuous, sexy soap opera violence with plenty of goth, BDSM, and erotica to keep it spicy. But damn, I’m so addicted to them. I’m weak. Help.

Do you ever have days when darkly visceral little thoughts and fantasies pop into your head for no good reason?

. . . just me then.

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Decadence is slumping on the couch on a Sunday morning, munching Salt and Vinegar potato chips, while watching people exercise on TV. Hah.

Just finished writing 32 thank you emails to critters for reviewing the stories I had up last month. Gah! But I’m caught up on thank yous now. I know I don’t have to send them, but I think if someone goes to the effort of reading my stories and sending me their feedback, the least I can do is write a quick “thanks!” to them.

And I say “please” and “may I” too.

Also, the chaotic disorder of my Dragon*Con costumes has been neatened up. After a convention, there’s always a disaster area feel to the house with hose, accessories, and rejected ensembles flung helter skelter every which way. But now the black vinyl has been hung up and put away, the corsets neatly stored back in the closet, and the various boots tucked back into their cubby holes. Whew. Life is beginning to return back to normal.

Matthew and I rented Time Machine (the 2001 version) last night and camped out upstairs in front of the 60″ with ice cream, chocolate sauce, and potato chips to watch it. Mmm. Heaven! Although the movie was a bit lame. It was pretty, though.

Or friend Al Cantrell took these pix of me in my chainmail wings on Friday at Dragon*Con.

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Been tipping over on the couch at an ungodly hour early in the evening all week and getting upwards of nine and ten hours of shuteye a night. And I still feel like my head is stuffed with marshmallo goo and that I’m in perpetual need of a nap. Sheesh. Dragon*Con was knock-down drag-out sure ’nuff, but it wasn’t that rough, was it?

As of this morning, “Of Two Minds in Lanais” picked up 25 critiques at Critters. A nice number, one I’m equipped to generate stats for and assimilate without too much fuss. Actually, on this one, I’ve been tweaking as they’ve been coming in, and the re-write is mostly done. I expect to send out the polished version tomorrow–tomorrow just in case another critique or two trickles in tonight.

I got 41 critiques on “It’s Only Springtime When She’s Gone.” Gah! Forty-one! My head’s spinning trying to sort them out. But I think this one is going to require a more extensive re-write. Not yet sure even how to start. Forty-one. That’s a lot of feedback. There may be a too much of a good thing situation happening here.

This weekend, I see myself writing a lot of thank you notes . . .

Here’s me tooting my own horn. TOOT!

Ann gave me printouts of the comments that Victoria Strauss and Kathleen O’Malley made about my story “Running On Two Legs.” I was walking on air after I read them.

From Victoria Strauss:
“It’s a beautiful story–touching without being sentimental, with chracters that come believably to life even in the short space of 7,500 words. It’s very well-written; the narrative flows smoothly throughout, and draws to a perfect close. The animals are wonderful; I was especially struck by how right the animal dialogue was–from Henry the busy greyhound, to weary Mama Skunk, to the birds–which, surely, would talk just this way if they could talk. I don’t have any structural criticisms at all. It seems right to me just as it stands.

“Thanks for giving me the chance to read this lovely story–it’s a privilege to encounter an up-and-coming writer at the start of her career.”

From Kathleen O’Malley:
“Thanks for the opportunity to read this wonderful story.

“It doesn’t need any improvement. It’s just fine. It’s emotionally wrenching, and yet joyful. At 7,341 words it’s longer than the 5,000 magic-word-number most markets like, but I’d send it to them anyway just as it is. It’s a very professional, very well-written story, with good characterizations, even of extremely minor characters, an interesting story-line, and a fine turn-of-phrase. If this writer can keep this up, she shouldn’t have any trouble breaking into pro markets.”

Now if only someone will buy it . . .