~~ "She has so many aliases, you'd think she was a spy!" ~~

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Hello again, Phoenix airport...


Hello, Phoenix airport, once again. This is the fourth time I’ve been here in, um, two weeks. Yeah, I’m kinda crazy. See, Styx was playing here, where my fantastic friend Sara lives, last weekend, so of course I had to come to visit her. But then Florence + the Machine announced a concert here this weekend…

Yes, yes, I know they played Santa Barbara, too. But while the Santa Barbara Bowl is a stunningly beautiful venue, not to mention only an hour away from home, they have a subscription series for tickets, which means the rest of us don’t get great seats. I’m spoiled when it comes to concert seating. I also have abysmal eyesight and if I’m not close to the stage, I can’t see squat. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

Also, I didn’t know anybody who’d go with me to see Florence + the Machine locally, and Sara didn’t have anybody in her area to go, so…

The Styx show was, as usual, stellar. We had sixth-row seats but security had no problem with us standing at the barrier. (Shout-out to John, our fabby security guard!) That way, we didn’t block the people behind our seats because, as you know, sitting down at a Styx concert is like having sex with the lights off.

At one point, Ricky (Styx’s bassist, if you’re new here) tossed a pick in our general direction. Because it was windy, it fell in the grass between the barrier and the stage. John the fabby security guard picked it up and tried to toss it in our direction, but again, wind. This time it went sideways to someone standing sort of to the right of the stage (behind the barrier—they had a pass). That person didn’t want the pick and moved towards us, but I pointed him at a woman in a wheelchair next to me. She was thrilled and thanked me profusely.

Well, Ricky saw all that and gave me a thumbs-up. Then, at the end of the show, he tossed a rolled-up Styx tote bag my way.

Imagine any scene in any movie where someone fumbles a catch, and you’ve got the mental picture of what went down. I fumbled that balled-up bag like I was juggling it, and finally it popped sideways and Sara caught it. I looked up and Ricky had busted out laughing. Honestly? I found it hilarious, too.

My reaction to Florence + the Machine was much like my reaction to seeing Loreena McKennitt live: “She can’t sound that incredible live…holy crap yes she does.” Stunningly incredible. And yes, we got there several hours early so we could be up against the barrier for that show (we had GA pit tickets), too.

Photos for both shows are on my Facebook page; I’ll try to get them up at Flickr, too, when I get the chance.

One thing I’ve discovered during these travels (as well as the trip to Canada earlier this month—have I talked about that? Can’t remember.) is that I get a metric ton of work done in airports and on planes. Clearly I need to travel more.

Except for the fact that I’ve been (and will be) away every weekend this month, and will be every weekend except two next month (and one of those includes Darach Anniversary on Saturday). Next weekend Ken and I are running our first-ever motorcycle rally together! (an 8-hour rally) and the next day he’s taking an advanced rider’s course, during which I will be ensconced in a coffee shop or bookstore working. The weekend after that, we’re doing a 3-state (AZ,* NV, and then CA), 3-day Styx concert trip that will also include an SCA event (Baron’s Feast in Gyldenholt, for those of you who’re going). Then, at the end of May, we’re going back to Phoenix yet again for Phoenix Comicon.

Well, my flight’s boarding soon and I have a few other things to finish up, so time for me to post this….
___
*Yes, I’m coming back to Phoenix. Except we’ll be driving this time. And, er, next time.

Runners/joggers: What music makes you gogogo?

Question for you fellow runner/jogger types (or, I suppose, anyone who works out in a bouncy fashion): What's your favorite workout music? Do you have a playlist and if so, what's on it?

I'm looking for some new tunes to add in to my playlist, just to shake things up a bit (and not hear the same songs every day). What do you recommend? No rap or hip-hop, please, and country will be a very hard sell. Bonus if the song's on iTunes.

I'll show you mine if you show me yours…in fact, I'll go first!

Dayle's Workout Playlist

Can't Get You out of My Head, Kylie Minogue
Dancing With Tears In My Eyes, Ultravox*
Everything, All the Time, Styx
Firework, Katy Perry (Best. Workout. Song. Ever.)**
Follow You, Glen Burtnik
Get the Party Started, P!nk
Girls, Girls, Girls, Mötley Crüe
Hooks in You, Marillion
I Don't Need No Doctor, Styx
I Drove All Night, Cyndi Lauper
I Kissed a Girl, Katy Perry
Intro/Blue Collar Man, Styx (a live bootleg. Sssh!)
Let’s Go Crazy, Prince
Life Is a Highway, Tom Cochrane
Love Is the Ritual, Styx
Love Like a Rocket, Bob Geldof*
Mr. PC, Rick Springfield
No Such Thing, Tommy Shaw*
Nowhere Fast, Fire Inc. (Streets of Fire soundtrack)
Pour Some Sugar On Me, Def Leppard
Renegade, Styx
Shake It Out, Florence + the Machine
Tall Cool One, Robert Plant
Welcome to the Jungle, Guns N' Roses
What the Water Gave Me, Florence + the Machine
What You Waiting For? Gwen Stefani
You Spin Me Round (Like a Record), Dead or Alive
1985, Bowling for Soup 
___
*These have been a part of my workout playlist since at least 1988. I remember having them on my running/workout cassette in my Walkman when I was in law school… The other ones I can remember are Heart’s “Magic Man” and “Crazy on You,” and Kate Bush’s “Cloudbusting” (perfect for an upslope on my daily 3-mile run).
**In fact, I sometimes listen to this one over and over.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Oh. Oh, you silly brain.


Oh.

So I’m putting the finishing touches on a new collection of fantasy stories, Written on the Coast: Thirteen Tales of Magic and Mayhem Written in Lincoln City, Oregon, with a foreword by Dean Wesley Smith, right? The last task I have before sending it to Dean to write his foreword and giving it to Ken for a proofread is to make some tweaks to one of the earliest stories, “Corvus Kidnappus,” which I wrote back in 2003 for the very first Denise Little Workshop.

Meanwhile, the collection also contains “Dyrnwyn’s Fire,” about Vivian and Myrddin and the Thirteen Treasures of Britain during World War II. That story will someday be expanded into a novel.

I just realized that “Corvus Kidnappus,” which is a present-day story (well, set in 2003 specifically), could be part of the same greater story.

It’s not a book. It’s a series spanning as many time periods as I could possibly come up with ancient British magical treasures for.

I also just realized the Council (which is mentioned in "Corvus Kidnappus") is a lot like Torchwood, except with ancient British magical treasures rather than aliens.

Oh. Crap….

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Anthologies, I am in them

Just wanted to give a heads-up about a couple of forthcoming anthologies in which I have stories! Both are available for pre-order.

Suite Encouters: Hotel Sex Stories contains my story "Feel So Dirty," and the title is from a song, even though the song's not in the story and it's not about music. Can you guess what song?

Anyway, the especially groovy thing about this anthology is that the editor, the wonderful Rachel Kramer Bussel, will be giving away a $150 Four Seasons Hotels gift card! She says, "
Anyone who pre-orders the book in any format from any retailer and sends me the receipt by May 15th will be entered to win!" For more details, go here. If I were eligible, I'd be all over this one.

Then there's Bound by Lust: Romantic Stories of Submission and Sensuality, edited by the always amazing Shanna Germain, and my story "A Few Things to Pick Up on Your Way Home." Sometimes my titles are way long. Way, way long.

Anyway, the especially groovy thing about this anthology is that it's got a gorgeous cover and stories by talented authors.


Wait. That's true about both books. What more do you want, really?