Irrational fear and the breaking down of sanity

Dammit, why does CB&TL have free wireless now? I come here to escape the temptations of the Internet!

~ ~ ~

I have this urge to run away. Go on a retreat. I wish I had some cottage or cabin where I could gather all my writer friends for a long weekend, to write and read and talk and take long walks. No Internet, no TV, although maybe a DVD player to watch movies while we drink wine and laugh.

I wish I had the money to rent such a place. Of course, the hotel in Oregon is now for just this purpose, but then I’d need the money to fly all my friends there….

~ ~ ~

For now, though, I’m sitting here in CB&TL with Sabrina, and I’m writing, and it’s mostly crap but it’s happening. I’m writing the last scene of Ghosted, because I have to write the last scene in order to figure the rest of it out (or figure the beginning out. Or to move ahead. Or something.). Then maybe I’ll write the next-to-last scene, because I don’t know a lot of it, and the only way I’m going to find out is if I write it.

That probably sounds insane to a non-writer, but there you have it.

~ ~ ~

Ellenie and I had an extremely productive writing day today! I forgot to note my starting wordcount (in part because I’m trying to get away from worry about exact counts and enjoying the process more), but I think I wrote about 1K. Kinda lame for 3.5 hours of work time, but the important thing is that I broke past my irrational fear of…whatever I was irrationally fearing.

Then, because a mom and her small boy plopped down on the couch next to her while she was working on a love scene, Ellenie suggested we go out for an early supper, which we did at Roxsbury Deli.

I may do some more work tonight, since I’m back to being fired up about it and don’t want to lose that, but first I’m going to do some other bits that need doing (e-mail, etc.) and then I think I’m going to indulge in a celebratory bubble bath. Because, among other things, I’ve realized lately that I need to celebrate the small successes!

~ ~ ~

I also stopped stressing about the fact that Ken hasn’t called, because it’s probably due to the fact that he has to buy a new phone charger. He’s set up a tracking device on the motorcycle that occasionally pings my e-mail with a link to a Googlemap that shows me where he is (how cool is that?!), and he was nearly Salt Lake City mid-afternoon today. Since he still had a banquet ticket to the rally he couldn’t run due to the second bike problem (the clutch), he figured he might as well attend, and then continue on to Arkansas. He’ll probably call me from a hotel phone later.

Just. STOP. It!

Today Ken’s computer bag was stolen. Laptop, iPod, passport, work badge, work checkbook, work files, various charging cords, etc.

That’s it, Universe. Cut it out!

Thursday 13: Thirteen Things to Do in September

1. Take a fabulous trip in Utah. We’re going to CCR, our annual BMW motorcycle get-together, staying at the Zermatt Hotel and Spa. (DONE!)
   
2. Fly to Arkansas and meet Ken there, to visit his 95-year-old grandmother. Oh, and to see a Styx concert, too. ;-)
   
3. See Styx in the Bay Area.
   
4. See Styx in Orange County. (Is this a theme or something?) ::gg::
   
5. Celebrate Ken’s birthday! He wants to go out to one of the Channel Islands.
   
6. Celebrate more birthdays: Cat, Fran, Morgana, Lucrezia!
   
7. Start prepping for Great Western War.
   
8. Keep sewing…
   
9. Celebrate the Autumn Equinox.
   
10. Go on the Henry T. Onxard Historic District Annual Home Tour.
    
11. Get my hair done.
    
12. Write like a big ol’ writing fiend.
    
13. Salvage the last threads of my sanity.

Coming Together...At Last press release

Celebrate the Diversity of Desire with Coming Together and Phaze BooksCincinnati, OH – The latest in the critically acclaimed Coming Together anthology series, Coming Together: At Last, will debut in January 2009 from Phaze Books. Due to the overwhelming number and quality of the submissions, it was decided that two volumes of this title would be published simultaneously, both containing the stirring Introduction penned by New York Times bestselling author, L.A. Banks. A complete list of the contents can now be found online at the Coming Together website.

The release of these collections of interracial erotic fiction and poetry will coincide with the celebration of the birth of one of history's most passionate proponents for human rights and equality, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and it is from his famous speech given forty-five years ago on this day that the title words "At Last" are taken. Accordingly, proceeds from sales will benefit Amnesty International.

Having published four of the nine currently available titles in the charitable anthology series, Phaze Books is now poised to release its fifth and sixth. The diverse collections of erotic fiction and poetry feature the work of many well-known authors in addition to fresh new voices in the genre. Previous Phaze titles in the series include Coming Together: For the Cure, Coming Together: Under Fire, Coming Together: Special Hurricane Relief Edition, and Coming Together: With Pride. Each is available in both ebook and print from all major online booksellers.

All proceeds from the sales of Coming Together publications are donated to charity, with the authors and its EPPIE Award-winning editor, Alessia Brio, donating their time and talents.

Coming Together anthologies have received many accolades including the 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Award for Erotica as well as Top Pick and four star reviews from the romance industry's premier publication: Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine. In its most recent review, Romantic Times favorably compared the series to Susie Bright's Best American Erotica series. In addition, the organization was a finalist for the Electronic Published Internet Connection's 2008 Friend of ePublishing Award for what Ms. Brio has termed "erotic altruism."

Phaze Books, the erotic imprint of Mundania Press LLC, is one of the fastest growing and most recognizable publishers in an exploding genre. Its unprecedented support for Coming Together, a voluntary nonprofit association, puts Phaze on the cutting edge of philanthropy in the publishing industry, a commitment that will continue with its upcoming releases in the series. Coming Together: Against the Odds will have a mystery theme and will benefit Autism Speaks, while Coming Together: Into the Light will include stories about the revelation of secrets and will benefit V-Day. Both are currently open for submissions and will see publication in the coming year.

For more information about Coming Together, visit www.EroticAnthology.com or email editor Alessia Brio at alessia@eroticanthology.com. For more information about Phaze Books, visit www.PHAZE.com or contact Promotions Manager Crystal B. Bright at Ecrystal@PHAZE.com.

###

[Note from me: The anthology includes a reprint of my story Just Be, and I'm thrilled to be a part of this amazing series!]

Home…mostly

I’m back home from Utah!

Well…mostly. My heart is largely in the Portland area, as Ken had to go back to work, and my brain…gods know where that is. I’m not unpacked, I haven’t sorted all the mail (most of it, though), and let’s not even talk about e-mail (although I had some access at Zermatt—they claim there’s wireless throughout, but we were at the far end of the chalets, so we had to haul laptops to the main building for access).

But I’m the geekily proud owner of a new iPhone, as well as the recipient of many amazing experiences (hot air ballooning! birds of prey! snorkeling in a crater!). Plus I arrived home to find comp copies of the luscious The Mammoth Book of the Kama Sutra, containing my lead (!!) story (aka “translation”), “The Tale of the Tigress.”

For now, though, I’m headed off for a nice long relaxing sleep…

---

Currently Reading: Nightkeepers, Jessica Anderson (urban fantasy about the Mayan prophecy)
Lately Listened To: potential ringtones
Recently Watched: Eureka

Conjugatin' the verbs

Tomorrow I get up at a disgustingly early hour and fling myself onto a plane (bless Oxnard Airport and its “be there half an hour before the flight” policy) (since there’s only one gate and the plane doesn’t hold more than about 20 people, security is a snap), and a few hours later I’ll be in Utah and with Ken! Six days of conjugating!*

Of course, the best laid plans, and all that. The original plan was that I was flying out tomorrow and returning the following Tuesday. Ken was riding there and running a rally from the following Tuesday, then heading to Arkansas** (which I was then flying to). But the blown clutch on the bike spewed bits of metal everywhere, and it’ll take longer to clean up safely. So now he’s flying to Utah as well, and flying back to Oregon and working for another week before heading to Arkansas. We’re both flying out on Sunday, because while there were interesting things around Salt Lake City to see and do, it wasn’t near the top of our vacation spots, and we’re both better off getting back to work before the next jaunt.

When he called the rally organizer to say he wouldn’t be there, the organizer said “Damn, you were the favorite to win!” Crap.

But, in the overall scheme of things, it’s probably a good thing. The extra time at work for Ken means less craziness later in September, when we Have Plans (Styx shows in Saratoga and Newport Beach, the annual Historic Home Tour, and, oh, his birthday), as well as October (Great Western War and a visit to my parents in NY). The company in Oregon is asking him for more work, and he also has a lead on a regular job down here, so it’ll be an interesting few months!

Me, I’m just looking forward to CCR this week. We’re having High Tea, and planning on a hot air balloon ride and snorkeling in crater, and sharing a condo with our friends Ernie and Pauline. Plus there’s all the bike friends we see only once a year, and a banquet, and mountains, and a carousel…

~ ~ ~

At some point I’ll have to find time to talk about my amazing weekend and the cosmic two-by-four, too!

---

*A friend e-mailed me tonight and asked if that was like Schoolhouse Rock, and I said it was—the adult version. Which now has my brain contemplating adult Schoolhouse Rock stories. Maybe an anthology?! (I know, copyright restrictions…but it's fun to contemplate!) Anyway, the Interjections song makes a whole lot more sense now…

**To visit his 95-year-old grandmother and go to a Styx show. We were overdue for a visit, and Styx is playing in her town, and that’s just what we call serendipitous.

---

Currently Reading: Skinny Dipping, Connie Brockway
Lately Listened To: 13th Star, Fish
Recently Watched: Firefly

"What Dragons Prefer" podcast!

I'm delighted to announce my very first podcast publication!

Not only that, but it's a resale (can't call it a reprint, can I?) of my first professionally published story. "What Dragons Prefer" is a short fantasy tale with a wicked twist at the end. It first appeared in Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine in 1996.

You can listen to "What Dragons Prefer" here or download it for future audio pleasure on your computer or iPod.

Because, that's right, it's free! So go forth and enjoy!

My mother never said "If you think too hard, you'll hurt yourself."

So I was just sitting at the computer trying to come up with a short story idea for an anthology, and apparently thinking hard is enough to pop a rib or two out of place. I'm back from the chiropractor now (my regular visit was this morning…), undoubtedly bruised (apparently I have strong muscles that require adjustments to be near violent to actually work) with orders to ice my shoulder for 45 minutes.

No writing. No sewing. No computer work. Sit and ice.

Well, fine then. My writing has been sucking like a 2-ton sucky thing anyway.

Just can't find the words

Ever have one of those days (or several days) where you're afraid to say something or write something because every time you do, your words/intent are misconstrued? Or, I suppose, they're coming out wrong (because you're not blaming the other people for not understanding).

Problem is, I need to deal with certain things today; I can't put them off. Which means everything is going to take 9 times as long as I agonize over every word and phrase to make sure I'm saying what I really mean to be saying.

Sigh. Wish me luck!

Thursday 13: Thirteen Favorite Things

(I’m going to skip the blindingly obvious, like, say, Ken, and my cats, and Styx.)

1. The lace-edged Post-It Notes I keep in my purse.
   
2. Otters.
   
3. PG Tipps tea. It’s my daily tea, so it must be my favorite. The rose tea from the Huntington Library is my favorite “special” tea, and I just got my hands on Glengettie, a Welsh tea (!) (despite the name), and ohmigods is it good! It would be my daily tea if it weren’t a wee bit pricey in comparison to PG Tipps (which, as an import, isn’t exactly cheap-like-Liptons).
   
4. Cheese. A good stinky bleu (I love Trader Joe’s ), a slightly runny Brie, a sharp biting cheddar, a salty mizithra, creamycreamycheeseycreamy cheese… Bring ‘em on!
   
5. Rose-scented anything.
   
6. The sound of running water: a brook, a fountain…
   
7. Pre-Raphaelite artwork.
   
8. The microwave, the rice/veg steamer, and the George Foreman grill. Without those, I’d probably starve to death.
   
9. ICanHasCheezburger.com
   
10. The nesting pair of red-tailed hawks that lives in the high trees by the 1904 church about two blocks away.
    
11. My friends all over the world. I squee every time I get a comment in my journal, or an e-mail, or a phone call….
    
12. Silk.
    
13. Reuben sandwiches. I make ‘em with pastrami or turkey, low-fat Swiss, low-fat Thousand Island dressing, rye (natch), and mounds of sauerkraut, on the aforementioned George Foreman grill. Yum!
    

If you can't laugh, what's the point?

Morgana and Brian came over tonight to watch last week’s episode of Eureka, which they’d forgotten to record and thus had asked me not to delete off the DVR. They then watched the most recent episode, and after I finished talking to Ken (who finally had a U-Haul and was about to drive the rest of the way to Oregon, after many annoyances and further delays), I watched the latter half with them. I’d watched only 40 minutes of it up ‘til then anyway.

If you’re concerned about spoilers, don’t read the next few paragraphs. Skip to the next section.

Dammit! Stupid show! I’m so not happy that they killed off Nathan. (Although, as Morgana said, it’s a time paradox, and you never know…) If they’d done it last season when he was still just a jerk, fine. But he and Jack had a great conflict banter, and he wasn’t a bad guy, even if his ego barely fit in the building. (Oh, his reaction when Jack asked him that…to raise his eyes and gauge whether the building really was big enough. So sardonic. Loved it.)

My favorite interchange between them was, I think, in the first season, when Nathan wouldn’t even say Jack’s name. Jack walked in and Nathan said, “Sheriff.” And Jack replied, “Scientist.” Hee!

But here’s the thing. With Nathan out of the way, once Allison gets over her grief, there’s nothing standing between her and Jack. And that’s not interesting anymore. Love triangles are monumentally more interesting.

So I’m just going to hope for a time paradox tweak.

~ ~ ~

I’m sorry to have been such a slacker about rambling here. I hate not keeping up with things, because it makes the days slip by even faster… Sometimes I’m talking to Ken and I can’t really remember what I’ve been doing. I’ve been doing lots of stuff, but it all blurs together and just fails to be interesting. Even doing a talk at LARA with two other writers, and going out to lunch with a few ladies afterwards. Or lunch with my trainer (Katrina) and my training partner (Jen) (Katrina’s no longer working for the gym, and it’s ugly, and…ugh.) Let’s face it, errands and cat litter scooping and doing dishes just aren’t scintillating conversation. And it’s hard to talk about writing, even with other writers sometimes.

And then I think of other perfect moments. Of doing a full moon ritual with Morgana and Brian and Caterine and Eleanor and Janet, because Morgana was teaching Eleanor and Janet her Wicca 101 class and it was, after all, the full moon. It’s so…so…so uplifting to see their reactions, to know that even if this isn’t the path they eventually follow, they’ll have a broader, more open outlook. And it was so wonderful to spend the day with Caterine (I took her out for sushi, and we talked for hours); I wish she hadn’t had to move just far enough away that it’s not easy to see her, but not really that hard, either, even with gas prices what they are.

I worked out with Jen on Tuesday, and it was the first time I’d been to the gym since coming back from RWA Nationals. I’m grumpy at the gym in general for forcing Katrina out, but so far I haven’t found a decent option to change to (I’ve got one more gym to check out), so I guess I’m here for the count. Jen and I are looking at maybe doing the online training program Katrina offers.

My massage therapist makes me laugh and I make her laugh, and she gives me insight into what it’s like to be cute and single and navigating through a world full of clueless men (not that all men are clueless, mind you. But we agree that many are just as insecure as women are.). All while helping put me back together. I still hurt. But not as much as I used to. We take our successes where we find them.

~ ~ ~

And then there’s the writing. But more about that later. Now it’s time to curl up in bed with a good book, and then sleep…

Because I really should start getting to bed earlier in preparation for my godawful disgustingly early flight this coming Tuesday. Bleargh.

---

Currently Reading: The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes, Jennifer Crusie, Eileen Dreyer, Anne Stuart
Lately Listened To: Hannah Fury, various
Recently Watched: Eureka

...aaaand then you lose a little more

Ken's in Washington, headed back to Oregon.

And the clutch just went on the bike.

Bloody hell.  :-(

You win some, you lose some, but you always learn something in the process

Ken was on a 7-day motorcycle last week, one that took him all over the continental US (there was a bonus location in Alaska, but I don’t think anyone tried for it). He left on a Thursday from Nebraska, and around midnight that night called to tell me that he’d be at Pink’s the next day at 1:30 p.m., and could I meet him there? Well, duh? Given that I hadn’t seen him since July 2, there was no question. Driving 4.5 hours total (abysmal Friday LA traffic) was worth 1.5 hours to stand in a loooong line and eat a hot dog with my beloved. (I had a Rosie O’Donnell Long Island Dog—mustard, onions, chili, and sauerkraut*—yum!)

Of course, to actually get Pink’s as a bonus point, he had to have a hot dog at another deli…in New York City.

Yeah, it’s that crazy.

Anyway, the longest rally he’s done so far has been 3 days, I think, so this one was a challenge, one he’d been looking forward to. His ultimate goal is the Iron Butt Rally: essentially 11,000 miles in 11 days (yeah…), and this was a step in proving he could do a real mult-day rally.

He was doing great. A few hiccups that he recovered from (misreading the Martha’s Vineyard ferry schedule, oversleeping by 4 hours), but overall, he had a good sense that he was going to make a podium finish.

Three hours from the end, the rear drive on the bike failed.

Now, with the LT (which he used to ride) this was a know problem, although BMW won’t cop to that. Note that two of his LTs had rear drive failures. They swore, however, that the GT (his bike since last year) didn’t have the same problem. Hah.

The folks in charge of the rally tallied his points, and had he made it in, he would’ve been the clear winner by a buttload of points.

So, yeah.

All things told, Ken’s pretty pragmatic about it. He learned a hell of a lot, including the fact that he could survive a multi-day rally, much less nail one. And the way things worked out, a hell of a lot of people know how things sussed out, too.

And at CCR in a few weeks, he’ll be having a wee talk with a BMW rep. :-)

But can I say that I’m beyond way proud of him?

---

*because a girl’s gotta have her veggies, don’tcha know

Thursday 13: Thirteen Books I Brought Back from RWA Nationals

1. The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes, Jennifer Crusie, Eileen Dryer, Anne Stuart (and signed by the latter two, plus they gave me a Dogs and Goddesses bumper sticker! Squee!)
   
2. Betrayed, Jamie Leigh Hansen
   
3. Night’s Rose, Annaliese Evans (ARC) (a person I was in line with convinced me to get it—all they had to say was “erotic fairy tale” and I was so there!)
   
4. Eve of Darkness, S.J. Day
   
5. Night Keepers, Jessica Anderson (why didn’t I think of writing a contemporary fantasy about the Mayan end of the world in 2012, oh why?!)
   
6. Dark Needs at Night’s Edge, Kresley Cole (yeah, it’s a vampire novel, but it’s also got the ghost of a famous ballerina from the last century)
   
7. A Little Bit Wicked, Victoria Alexander (I don’t “get” Regencies, but I’ve been saying that I’d be willing to read a good one, and this was a freebie, and she was a great speaker)
   
8. What a Lady Wants, Victoria Alexander (see #7)
   
9. Skinny Dipping, Connie Brockway (Phaedra took one look at the title and said “Oh, a book for you!”)
   
10. No One Heard Her Scream, Jordan Dane
    
11. The Undead Next Door, Kerrelyn Sparks (another vampire one, but it looks funny, so I ‘ll give it a try. I know there are good vampire books out there…I just don’t always know how to find them)
    
12. Silent in the Sanctuary, Deanna Raybourn
    
13. The Hollow, Nora Roberts (okay, technically I’m cheating with this one, since I bought it beforehand to read on the trip. But I brought it back with me, too, and this is Thursday Thirteen and I needed a 13th book. ::gg::)
    

If I had more time/energy/wherewithall, I'd post links and covers, but...nah!

July stats

8 stories subbed
8 stories rejected
1 story sold

9 novel submissions (for 2 novels)
2 novel rejections (same novel)

Sale! For a good cause!

It's a reprint sale, but still one to be delighted about! "Just Be" will appear in the Phaze Books charity anthology Coming Together: At Last. All proceeds of the Coming Together anthologies go to a charity or relief fund, including breast cancer research, the 2007 Southern California wildfires, HIV/AIDS, and more. Coming Together: At Last is a collection of interracial erotic fiction and will benefit Amnesty International. I'm proud to be a part of it!

The anthology will be out in 2009; I'll post ordering information when I have it.

* "Sale" is something of a misnomer, as I will only receive some comp copies. Normally I don't write for no pay, but this was for a really good cause!

Photos from RWA Nationals

My photos from RWA Nationals can be viewed here. No telling when I'll have the brainpower to write up the experience (today was mostly a washout) but rest assured it was fabulous!

Writers in some of the photos:

Teresa Noelle Roberts (one of my coauthors and best friends)

Phaedra Weldon (the other half of my brain)

Christine Ashworth (my travel buddy and dear, dear friend)

Portia da Costa

Madelynne Ellis

Eden Bradley

Jax Cassidy

The cat from Wales

Home from RWA Nationals. Dead tired, yet somehow floating. Maybe that's the wine. Or the information and experiences swirling in my brain.

More when I'm coherent again!

All the ways of my life, I'd rather be with you

Ten years ago today, my beloved and I ran off to Gretna Green, Scotland, and eloped.

It wasn’t our first plan, not by far. We’d gotten handfasted in California as an engagement ceremony before we moved to Wales, and intended to move back in a year and plan a big SCA wedding. But the British government had other plans. Apparently my plan to stimulate their economy by being supported by my husband and spending lots of money on tourist travel and antiques and whatnot was only feasible to them if we had this particular piece of paper.

(They lied, by the way. We didn’t have to be married for me to get that damned visa. They lied and took away my lavish ceremony. Two husbands, three ceremonies [four if you count the handfasting], and I still haven’t had what I’d consider the perfect ceremony. I’ve come to terms with that. Goodness knows two of the ceremonies are such great stories, nobody would believe them if I wrote it in a book. Large ceramic ALFs. A drunken Scotsman trying to beat down his new bride's door. That's just the tip of the iceberg.)

But I digress. The point is, if we had to get married, in Britain, this was the place to do it.

Our attendants were Elizabeth and Chris Flagge, SCAdians we’d met only twice before. When they heard at our second meeting that we were running off to elope, they asked who our witness were, and we said, “Erm, we were just going to grab someone out of the chip shop across the street…” They brought something old, etc., as well as a bouquet for me, which was so unexpected and sweet (I still have the pence for my shoe). They also brought Elizabeth’s (I think) mother, who took pictures and was just lovely. (Sadly, we’ve lost touch—if you’re reading this, guys, send me an address or phone number!)

We were married in the Registry Office in the room for 20 people (remember, there were only 5 of us, and 4 of us were standing up) because the room for 8 was already booked. Our Registrar, Donna, had a delightful Scottish accent.

Afterwards, we had our picture taken over the historic anvil, took our entourage out to lunch, then hopped on the bike and spent the weekend in the southwest of Scotland.

It’s strange…we don’t usually celebrate this anniversary, because it’s just not the important one for us. The day we moved in together (February 25, 1996) was really the day we made our commitment to each other. Our handfasting (March 14, 1998) comes a close second. This one, not so much.

Today is our 10th, though, and we have to celebrate it apart, and that’s making me feel maudlin and droopy.

So I’m looking at pictures of that day (except I can’t find the one of us and the anvil), and quietly celebrating that even if we can’t be together, we are together. 983 miles means nothing to the heart.

So tell me something about the person (or persons) of your heart. About your ceremony (any kind) or your favorite memory. Help me celebrate this day….

I broke down...

...and joined Facebook. Drop by and say hi!

(I'm already on MySpace here.)

LoJ 2008 photos!

Labyrinth of Jareth photos finally uploaded—you can view them here!

Submit or perish!

Pooh. Realms of Fantasy passed on “Oroflex (Patent Pending),” saying “this is a cute fairy tale variant, but I’m trying to cut back on those a bit.” Just my luck to get an editor who’s on a literary subgenre diet!

But I had a stack of returned stories to send out today anyway, so here’s what happened:

• “Soulsearching” to Coyote Wild
  
• “Hell’s Belles” (reprint) to Clonepod
  
• “The Queen’s Gardener” to Doorways
  
• “Matchmaker” to Serpentari.us
  
• “A Familiar(’s) Tale” to Renard’s Menagerie
  
• “Oroflex (Patent Pending)” to F&SF
  

I have no idea where to send “A Father’s Blessing” right now, but some markets open up on 8/1, so I can wait a week or so.

---

Currently Reading: Heaven Sent, Christina Jones
Lately Listened To: 7 Deadly Zens, Tommy Shaw
Recently Watched: Graham Norton, The Middleman

Onslaught...brace yourself!

I just added back posts from 7/4, 7/6, 7/7, 7/8, 7/9, and 7/11, in case anyone's interested.

Now I have to catch up about Labyrinth of Jareth, my talk at the Alternative Lifestyles Group, the latest Styx show, Meg's visit…but right now, I'm off to the gym!

Important note to self

It's perfectly acceptable to stay up until 3 a.m. Thursday night when you've gotten home from a Styx show at 1:30 a.m. and you're still buzzed from all the love your boys showered on you (it was, after all, your 75th show. And you did put a light stick in your cleavage.).

It's entirely acceptable to stay up until 3 a.m. Friday night because Meg is visiting and you can't stop talking to each other.

It's not acceptable to stay up until 3 a.m. tonight, because you have to be on the road to the LARA meeting at 8 a.m.

This is your only reminder. Pay attention…

Fabulous Whitby is finally here!

Great news! The anthology Fabulous Whitby, which contains my story "Proof of Devotion" (which I wrote all the way back in 2002 at the Oregon Coast Writers Master Class!), is finally available!  ::squee bouncity::

Right now, amazon doesn't seem to be supporting it well: amazon.com doesn't list it at all, and amazon.co.uk and amazon.ca are listing it as out of stock or whatnot.

The good news is, you can order it from a place called York Publishing Services out of the UK.

The better news is, they charge only $3.99 to deliver to the US, which is the same as what they charge to deliver in the UK (using the current exchange rate). That's right—international shipping is the same as UK shipping!

Click on the link above to go to the Fabulous Whitby order page. I'm soooo excited about this one. I'm in an anthology with Liz Williams and Esther Friesner and Cherith Baldry and Jay Lake andandand…!

Haunted Hearths: more great reviews!

Rainbow Reviews called my story the "the unexpectedly romantic heart-wrenching 'Some Old Lover's Ghost.'"  ::beam::

Queerhorror and Bay Windows also have lovely things to say about the anthology as a whole. Yay!

Everything, all the time

Rejection from Intergalactic Medicine Show for “Matchmaker.” For anyone keeping score, that’s four rejections in six days.

However, I think I forgot to mention a sale! Teresa and I sold “Food for Thought” to Best Lesbian Love Stories 2009. We brainstormed that story on a drive from San Jan Capistrano to Westminster, and first subbed it in 2004.

~ ~ ~

You know you’re an Eddie Izzard fan when all someone has to say is “penne all’arrabiatta” and you start to giggle.

~ ~ ~

I spent almost an hour at the chiropractor’s today, trying to get my body back into alignment because every. single. part. of. me seemed to have gone walkabout. I have to admit, after a few weeks of feeling “energetic” (which I realized really was “normal” for most people), I’ve been rather despondent by this turn of events.

~ ~ ~

Dave arrived safe and sound from the UK, although the shuttle trip that took 1.5 hours in May took 3+ hours today… Then again, it included two cushy gated communities, one of which Britney Spears is allegedly moving to. We went out for dinner at Armando’s because I’ve had no brain or impetus to gather food to actually cook.

~ ~ ~

My faerie skirt is done donity done done done! (Well. Unless I add little flowers to the dags in front. The jury’s still out on that. And bells. It might need bells.) Morgana’s outfit is done. Brian only needed to do his leafy bits, and they’re done. Tomi is still phutzing, but she came into this late—she’s buying Ken’s ticket and is mostly just using her Russian, but she wanted to add to it.

~ ~ ~

Tomorrow we collect 9 sweet kittens and their mama and deliver them to Morgana’s friend Michelle for fixing and shots and whatnot, and then we’ll have dinner before heading off to the Masquerade. Finally! We’ve been wanting to do this for years, and I’m gobsmacked that it’s actually going to happen…

Wait...what day is it?

Apologies for the recent silence. My back has been acting up, resulting in me taking half a muscle relaxant on two separate evenings, which resulted in the day between those pretty much disappearing in a fog. I'm now behind and confused.

Plus, I've been violating my cardinal rule of costuming by working on my Labyrinth of Jareth costume this week—and paying for it. Plus I've been helping Morgana with hers, because it's a project she wouldn't have undertaken (redoing her utterly gorgeous wedding outfit, a cream velvet German) if I hadn't said I would help. The good news is, my skirt is done except for covering the grommets (which isn't required for actual wearing, but is nice and prevents anything getting snagged). The better news is, it looks beyond awesome! But we still have to get together tomorrow night to finish up hers…

Plus our friend Dave from the UK arrives tomorrow, and LoJ is Saturday, and I've got a speaking engagement on Sunday that I'm not yet prepped for and then taking Dave to Pasadena for his conference. Did I mention our cleaning lady has essentially retired to care for her ailing father? And the house is a mess?

Ah well. It's not like anything tragic has happened. And once I have a moment to breathe, I'll finish up all the partial journal entries I have written and inundate you all!

Descent into...meh

A double-whammy of rejections:

• GUD passed on “A Father’s Blessing.”
  
• Podcastle nixed the audio rights to “Hell’s Belles,” which I still think would be great as an audio piece. Hmmm…
  

~ ~ ~

Today was…meh. Whether it was the lingering effects of the muscle relaxant or the precursor of my now-elusive period, all I know is that I was grumpy, tired, unmotivated, unfocused, and still uncomfortable even after my chiro adjustment. My chiro said I could work out, but at a fraction of what I usually do, and it didn’t seem worth the time to drive to Bally’s.

Whee

My back/hip’s been bothering me for a couple of days now, and my massage therapist, who for several weeks has been struggling to fill the time because I’ve been in such good shape, could’ve spent hours on the muscles that were essentially making it hard to find my spine. =8-0 So I popped half a prescription muscle relaxant, took a long bath in Epsom salts, and generally called the day a bust. Hopefully tomorrow the chiropractor will put things back where they ought to be (and the relaxed muscles won’t pull things back out of whack 0.2 seconds later), and all will be well with the world.

For now, though: whee.

You can never have too much glitter and lace

Today Morgana, Tomi, Elizabeth, and I got together for a rare Girls’ Day Out. Elizabeth needed lipstick from The Body Shop, so we all trooped to the mall for lunch (California Pizza Kitchen, where three of us had salads and one of us had a Asian-wrap appetizer) and shopping. (Which is rare because most of us shun the mall for the most part!) Everyone but me bought lipstick (they didn’t have any shades that were good for me, and I like the brand I’m using anyway), and we came away with a few other products as well (moisturizers, under-eye-circle cream, etc.). Then it was off to Hot Topic and Torrid, where I loaded up on purple hair extensions, purple glitter eyeliner, body glitter (silver and a peacock mix), and purple glitter nail polish, all for Labyrinth of Jareth this weekend.

Afterwards, Morgana and I hit a couple of fabric stores and I picked up lace trim for my faerie skirt. I may not have time to put it on before Saturday—the skirt has to be wearable, and can survive without the extra bits if I run out of time. I hate working on any of it this late, but it is what it is. I’ve been so focused on work that costuming has taken a back seat these past few months.

Still, it’s going to look fucking awesome, and yes, there will be pictures!

~ ~ ~

Woo hoo! It’s been confirmed that I’ll be signing at the “Readers for Life” Literacy Autographing at RWA Nationals this year! Last year Teresa and I were there (as Sophie, natch) but our books weren’t. This year I’ll be there as Sarah Dale—fingers crossed that I’ll actually have things to sign this time ‘round!

Glowing

Feh. Rejection from Lace & Blade for “Soulsearching.” And here I thought that was a perfect match. But since I think Lace & Blade is an awesome anthology theme, I’m just going to have to write another story before the deadline!

~ ~ ~

Spa Day was über-fabulouso! We had eight ladies, although two left early due to other commitments or whatnot, so we had two tracks: facial and hand/foot. Plus massages done by my own amazing therapist, Melanie. (Six ladies got massages. I was the floater and ended up passing because Melanie was exhausted…but I was scheduled for my regular massage on Tuesday, so I soldiered on. ::gg::)

For me, I looooved the facial steam. Must do this more often. Perching on the edge of the tub was perhaps not the best thing for my back, but the foot scrub was deliriously wonderful. I put on a lavender nail polish when I got home, which made me even more happy.

So, six months of planning and prep went off famously (Morgana and I were the sole guild members at the first meeting in January and, I believe, for several thereafter; other folks came to later meetings for some prep). Not only did I have a fantastic and restful time, but another friend (not involved in the SCA, much less Spa Day) told me my skin looked good today!

~ ~ ~

Another Sunday, another Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf with the local RWA ladies. Ellenie and I were prolific. Go us!

A supernova born of our bliss

I am still so messed up. I’ve been pretty much a day off in my brain since last Friday when we went to the Fashion Institute. Now today felt like a Saturday, too, because Morgana came over this afternoon and we watched Eddie Izzard’s Definite Article as well as Hunting Venus (gods I love that movie! I miss the 80s! Wah!) and went out for Indian food at Bollywood.

So I keep thinking tomorrow is Sunday and CB&TL with the other writers, when in fact it’s Saturday and Spa Day. Good grief.

I’m a bit grumpy because I love the 4th of July and its attendant fireworks, but I end up hating the 4th of July here, because many of the Hispanics feel the need to be setting off illegal fireworks here in the dry desert (Goleta is burning, have you heard?) for days before and after the actual holiday. I’m happy to say that today has been the quietest since we moved here, although a loud bang just startled me so much I jumped. (It’s after midnight as I type this.) Grrr.

~ ~ ~

Oh, and before I forget…June stats:

6 stories subbed
3 stories sold (!!)
10 stories rejected

11 novel submissions (all the same novel, though)
1 full novel subbed by request
2 novel rejections (same novel)

Another exciting evening...

Well, that was interesting!

So I’m sitting here working this evening, and outside I hear a few loud bangs, of the sort that signify that a car has hit something. As we’re along a fairly main drag and at an intersection that really, really, really needs a four-way stop, this is not an uncommon occurrence. Eostre is looking all startled out the window, and I get up to join her. I peered out to my left and saw a red pickup swerving a bit, then picking up speed and racing off down the street.

And, at the same time, the fire hydrant across E Street (the smaller street) shooting water in the air higher than the light pole next to it.

I grabbed my phone and ran downstairs and outside, and dialed 911 for the first time in my life. There was a nice gentleman on the sidewalk (he said we had a beautiful house ::beam::), and between the two of us we were able to describe the make and color of the pickup and the direction it was headed. There didn’t seem to be any other damage, no other cars involved, etc. The spray was strong enough to mist my face as I stood across the street. Cops came, fire trucks came, and it seemed to take forever to turn the water off. The nice gentleman said the truck had blown at least one tire (accounting for one of the bangs I heard) so he shouldn’t have been able to get far. I’ve yet to track down any news about the incident online, which is mildly annoying. I suspect he was drunk, on an illegal substance, or illegal himself.

Such excitement for a Thursday night!

~ ~ ~

Rejection from Fantasy Magazine for “What Price Beauty?” It’ll go out on Monday to Cemetery Dance, since they take only mailed subs. (Is there mail service on Saturday, since it’s a “holiday weekend”? I have no idea.)

Squeak

Rejection from ASIM for “Soulsearching.” Once again, a story there made it through the first two rounds of cuts before not quite squeaking in. Ah well. I wanted to send the story to the Lace and Blade anthology, and if I can’t have a sale at ASIM, at least I got the rejection before the other anthology deadline.

~ ~ ~

Oh, feh. I accidentally put non-dairy creamer in my Earl Grey at Coffee Bean, and now my tea tastes like soap. Bleah!

Kudos!

Not an official review, but it's so incredibly wonderful any time someone takes the time to post a positive comment about something I've written... This is from two folks on Goodreads.com, about my story in Haunted Hearths:

"Some Old Lover’s Ghost by Dayle A. Dermatis – Definitely a light-hearted read – kind of a lesbian Ghostbusters. What makes this story stand out is the strong narrator – she’s smart, funny and definitely opinionated. For some reason or other, the word “sassy” comes to mind when I think of this story - and that’s a good thing."

I was definitely going for voice in this story and this tells me I succeeded!  :-)  Thank you, Megan and Deanne, whoever you are!

(And in case anyone's wondering, although the protagonist is a lesbian, this is a contemporary fantasy story and anthology, not erotica.)

…or not.

The Saratoga Styx show has been postponed. After all that… Sheez.

But, it means that I have two days of my life back, and I really need them right about now. I’ve got a bunch of work (two novels to work on, three novels to send queries for, etc.), plus I’ve barely started my skirt for Labyrinth of Jareth, and I’d like to make a simple mask, too. (No time for a leather one, but I was thinking of buying a basic cloth mask and gluing peacock feathers and other sparklies on it.)

Plus there’s working out, Spa Day on Saturday, and all that fun stuff!

~ ~ ~

Okay, this is just too funny.

Yesterday, Ellenie, Tanya, and I were all lined up on the sofa at the coffee shop, and some other woman was in the chair kitty-corner to us (the chair forms the lower part of the L arrangement). We all had laptops. No fewer than four people commented on us, on how great we looked, stuff like that. Some asked what we were working on. (“Are you all taking the same class?” Why, do we look like students?) Somehow, we’d become the coffee shop’s entertainment.

So I was in the coffee shop today with Ellenie (I was in the chair, she was on the sofa near me) and a young man sitting at the next table suddenly said “I like your shirt.” I was wearing the one that says “Careful or you’ll end up in my novel” (because it’s seems like an appropriate thing to wear while writing in a coffee shop).

But what is it about us sitting here that makes us so interesting and popular to the point that people can’t help but talk to us?

Maybe it’s because we’re so damned hot. And clever. Yeah, that’s got to be it.

Why yes, I am crazy. Why do you ask?

So, this coming Tuesday is my first Styx concert in 5 months, and as you can imagine, I’m a bit twitchy from the lack of Live Stygian Goodness. Not to mention the fact that the Tuesday show is actually a Boston concert with Styx opening, and while I like Boston well enough, I’d rather have it the other way ‘round. (And reports from previous shows indicate that many concert goers have felt the same way after experiencing the show.)

So I was at a point of weakness, you see, when friends posted that they had extra tickets for sale to the show in Saratoga, CA (just south of San Jose), on Wednesday night. Ken’s on his way home now for the Tuesday show, and would be riding back up on Wednesday; thus I had a ride there. All that was left was sorting out a place to stay and a way back home. Amtrak was about $60 door-to-door (the Oxnard station is…counts on fingers…four blocks from our house). Granted, it would be a 9 hour ride, but have laptop, will travel.

Then, serendipitously, another friend posted that she was driving to the Saratoga show and her husband couldn’t make it after all, and she had space in her car… And so it was arranged that I would ride up with Ken, share the hotel room with said friend, and ride back with her on Thursday (a 5.5 hour drive). See, it’s a Styx headlining show, and it will be my 75th Styx show, and…it’s Styx.

All of which made for a crazier-than-expected week for me, what with sorting out appts with my trainer and massage therapist and finalizing products for our Herbal Guild’s Spa Day on Saturday, not to mention, oh, work.

And then tonight it comes through the grapevine that someone talked to Styx’s merch guy last night and he said the Saratoga show was cancelled, although we can’t yet find confirmation of that. Bguh. I try to be organized, and the universe conspires against me.

We’ll see what happens when we call the venue tomorrow.

~ ~ ~

Due to a variety of random reasons, I decided not to join my fellow Herb Guild members in a trip to the Lavender Festival in Ojai yesterday. Instead I focused on various projects and had a reasonably productive day. I’d told Morgana that if folks were going out to dinner, I’d be happy to join, and it ended up being just Morgana and Brian, which was fine. We tried Olive Garden (Brian’s choice) but the wait was too long, so we came back and hit Armando’s, a local Italian place that’s awesome. I had pan-fried ziti with meatballs, and brought half of it home. That was lunch today. Yum!

Today I wrote in a coffee shop with friends (whereupon I hit an annoying road block in the novel, which I have to suss out), worked out, made a lovely cobb salad for dinner, watched the first episode of Xena: Warrior Princess from Netflix, and caught up on e-mail and other various little projects.

~ ~ ~

Well, Ken just called, and he’s about an hour from home, so I can’t go to bed just yet. (Yes, he left Oregon this morning. Yes, he’s at least as crazy as I am. We do make a fine pair, don’t we?)

---

Currently Reading: Circle of the Moon, Barbara Hambly
Lately Listened To: Eurythmics’ Greatest Hits
Recently Watched: Law & Order: SVU

Rock me, baby

Two more rejections, one for a solo story and one for a Sophie story, both from the same best-of anthology. Sounds like editors are cleaning off their desks in preparation for the holiday!

I’m feeling a little confused this evening, since I took most of the day off—thus it feels like it’s Saturday, and I don’t understand why the rest of the world doesn’t agree with me.

After my chiropractor appointment and a fruitless trip to a local fabric store, I trotted over to Morgana’s and she and Brian and Tomi and I headed to downtown LA where the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising was showing “Aesthetes, Bohemians & Craftsmen: Artistic Dress, 1880s-1920s.” Traffic was horrendous (how do people drive in that crap every day?) but we had no set time to be there, so we were still in good spirits. The exhibit was gorgeous, but they didn’t have a book about it nor postcards, which made us pouty.

On the way home, we stopped at Cho Cho San and now I’m stuffed full of sushi. I had, among other things, my absolute favorite: a Rock-and-Roll Handroll (scallops, avocado, and rice with their mayo sauce, wrapped in soy paper), which Tomi also had a pronounced tasty. I tried something new and very nummy, although also not very good for me: the Hot and Creamy Jalapeño Bomb (crab and cream cheese in a jalapeño covered in fried crunchy goodness, in a spicy sauce). Oof. Too much food in the end!

So now I have to somehow wake up enough to work on Ghosted and write a shiny new synopsis for Waking the Witch. There’s a fresh-cut rose in my writing office waiting to inspire me. Wish me luck!

There is no "try"

On the heels of the latest sale, a few rejections:

• “What Price Beauty?” almost made it in to the Terrible Beauty anthology, but didn’t make the final cut.
  
• I’d also sent solo story “The Queen of Christmas” and Sophie story “Don’t Move” to Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica Vol. 8 (both as reprints), and neither of those made the cut. But since they’re reprints, it doesn’t sting nearly as much!
  

And so I sent three stories out today

• “Giving to the Night” to Love Stories Magazine
  
• “What Price Beauty?” to Fantasy
  
• “Heaven Has Eyes” to Baen’s Universe
  

I am nothing if not stubborn.

Mouthwateringly good news!

And another sale! The Sophie story "Behind the Masque" will be in The Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica Vol. 8! It first appeared in the Wicked Words anthology Sex With Strangers.

Oh, it was such a fun story to write. How can you go wrong with jewel thieves?

The Lucchese Star. Sixty carats of sapphire, as big as your fist. Makes your mouth water just looking at it. Makes you think of Caribbean seas, the summer you were ten, the eyes of the lover that got away.

Inside my turquoise doeskin gloves, my palms itched. They didn’t sweat, not a drop; I wasn’t nervous. It was all about the anticipation, baby. The lead-up. The foreplay….

Fly away home

I had the neatest random encounter yesterday.

Despite the fact that the hotel restaurant advertised, on its door and on in-room paperwork, that they were open from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., when I went there at 1:30 p.m. for lunch I was told that no, they were closed. Another woman had stopped there for lunch and was also dismayed, and got directions to the nearby IHOP because she wanted eggs, etc. As she headed to her van, she offered me a ride. Yeah, she could’ve been a serial killer. But I listened to my gut, and my gut didn’t give me any warnings. I knew the IHOP was close enough to walk back from if I needed to, too. So I went.

Kelly turned out to be a delightful, fascinating person and we ended up eating lunch together. She was from Colorado, but in the summer works as a commercial fisherperson, and was on her way to Astoria, OR, to do just that. When I said I was from southern California, north of LA, she hesitated and said, “Oxnard?” Turns out that’s the only place she’s been to in CA (she’d been there for fishing work).

We had such a great conversation. She’s someone I never really would’ve encountered and chatted with in any other circumstance, you know? But we talked about travel and life and writing and motorcycles, and it was just lovely. There are so many horrible, mean, depressing, nasty people in the world. It was a joy to spend time with a random stranger who made the world a more positive place.

Plus I walked nearly a mile back to the hotel, getting my exercise for the day. :-)

~ ~ ~

accomplished yesterday:

• good chunk written on Ghosted
  
• all e-mail (work and personal) answered or deferred to Après Trip folder
  
• new sale info logged in spreadsheet and website updated (had to install Firefox on Afalwen to do it…)
  

~ ~ ~

I’m trying to not be depressed about heading home and missing Ken. I’m just going to focus on hoping he’ll get the time off to come home next week for the Styx/Boston show! So there.

~ ~ ~

Home safe, although I had a particularly horrid homecoming with a dead rat in the garage (which was not the problem—I can deal with a small dead furry thing in a trap) that was infested with maggots (and that was the problem—I cannot deal with maggots, especially giant maggots who squirmed their way back towards the garage after oozing out of the dead rat’s eye sockets when I flung the rat out onto the sidewalk). Thanks to our tenant (who joined me in spraying every household cleaner possible at the maggots as well as bashing them with a shovel) and most especially Morgana (who had no problem picking up the maggot-infested rat carcass and bagging it and depositing it in the garbage), the world is a safer place. Although I took a very, very, very long shower after the incident.

Really, it’s all okay. There are fuzzy cats who want to curl up with me, and all sorts of possibilities awaiting me tomorrow. G'night!

---

Currently Reading: Circle of the Moon, Barbara Hambly
Lately Listened To: I couldn’t decide
Recently Watched: Doctor Who (augh!)

And with a kiss I pass the key

Celebrate! “The Heist” has been approved by Cleis Press and will appear in the anthology Frenzy (formerly entitled Flash Fucking). Oh, I’m so chuffed. I love this fun little story. “And with a kiss I passed the key…”

So, to celebrate, I’m spending the day writing whilst Ken’s off at work. Writing, as well as hitting the gym and doing a few business-related things that writers must do.

(Note to self: Always bring cordless mouse on trips. You will thank me later.)

Yesterday and today

Yesterday we had a leisurely morning in the hotel, then finally dragged ourselves out into the world…straight to The Old Spaghetti Factory, home of pasta with mizithra cheese and browned butter. Oh, they have other dishes, too, but they’re just not worth mentioning.

After that we went to the Pittock Mansion, which we tried to see in late November last year, but they’d closed that day to decorate for the holidays, despite no mention of this closure (on a Saturday, no less) on their website. The place is tremendously wonderful, and I would’ve loved to stay longer and wander the extensive grounds, but (a) it had become hot and muggy outside and I was wearing riding pants that don’t breath, and (b) we had somewhere else to be.

That was visiting Ernie & Pauline, some motorcycle friends. We four went out to dinner at the Stone Cliff Inn, where I had the most amazing salad with assorted baby greens, medium rare steak, locally made bleu cheese, and a vinaigrette good enough to make one moan aloud. We also celebrated Pauline’s first time on a bike after her hip surgery a few weeks ago.

Unfortunately, I’d been fighting off a low-grade headache for most of the afternoon, so we said our farewells and headed back to the hotel for an early night.

I still had a headache this morning (it went away and came back), so I fought it off with Ibuprofen and Drenamin and PG Tipps. I was so successful that I went off to the hotel gym. Half an hour on the elliptical flew by since I was listening to last year’s RWA Nationals session with Nora Roberts, and she’s really funny. On the downside, I saw three spiders in the tiny gym room, and it was stuffy and humid and smelled a wee bit funny. But hey, I worked out, and it chased away my headache for good.

The ride to Lincoln City was gorgeous as usual, and it was fantastic to hang out with everyone at the regular Sunday lunch. Got some good advice from Kris and Dean, and was reminded that I often don’t celebrate the successes nearly enough (not something they said; something I figured out on my own. I love these cosmic two-by-fours!)—I mean, I got a request for a full manuscript, and why did I not jump up and down and eat a nice little square of Green & Blacks? Damned if I know. Anyway. Had some nice little epiphanies on the way home, too (long bike rides are good for that sort of thing).

Back in town, we saw Iron Man because it’s fabulous and Ken absolutely had to see it, and then, because it was just across the street, ate at The Old Spaghetti Factory again. You get one guess what I ate. Only one. Use it wisely.

---

Currently Reading: Circle of the Moon, Barbara Hambly
Lately Listened To: various Styx
Recently Watched: There’s no DVR here. How can I watch live TV? I don’t know when anything is on!

Random bits and bobs

Happily and safely in Oregon, although I got about 4 hours’ sleep last night and actually managed to nap this afternoon (it was a requirement if I was going to make it through dinner and hot tubbing with Lev & Gayle tonight!).

~ ~ ~

I find it rather amazing that my gmail account, which I haven’t given anyone the address for, gets 95% more spam than my regular account (which has an alias link on my website, even). This is not, I must point out, an invitation to spammers.

~ ~ ~

There is a fairly new housing development here called…wait for it…Q Condominiums.

Please tell me I’m not the only one who giggles hysterically about that.

~ ~ ~

I’m happy to report that I did not, in the end, come down with a cold; the sore throat was some temporary fluke that was over by midday. In fact, I feel better right now than I have in a while. On Tuesday my massage therapist had to stretch to fill two hours—she simply couldn’t find problems to work on—and on Wednesday the chiropractor was delighted at how little she had to tweak. All this doesn’t mean I’m not still in constant pain, but I’m clearly stronger and healthier.

~ ~ ~

So Ken picked me up at the airport this morning and we rode out to Hillsboro, and had lunch before he headed off to work for a bit. He came back earlier than I expected, which allowed us some time to frolic in the hotel pool and relax in the spa before showering and heading back out.

Gayle made turkey and veggies and salad with a dressing from a local Japanese restaurant, and we provided chocolate cake that made us all go nomnomnom. We ended up not sitting in the hot tub because it was pretty warm out, but we had an utterly delightful evening just hanging out. And watching “Once More, With Feeling” (aka the Buffy musical episode). In English; then in French, for one song, just to be silly; then in Spanish, but it kept flipping back to English…

~ ~ ~

I have to say, it’s interesting to get a form rejection and a request for a full manuscript on the same day. For the same novel. :-)

~ ~ ~

Blessed Solstice, everyone!

---

Currently Reading: Circle of the Moon, Barbara Hambly
Lately Listened To: Jay Leno in the background
Recently Watched: Ghost Hunters

Oh for crying out loud…

One thing I haven’t had the chance to mention is that Ken’s doing a “rush” job in Oregon—he dashed out to Korea to broker the deal for the machine in May (arriving a few days late at my parents’ as a result) and he’s been in Oregon since the beginning of the month (although he rode back down for the Fish show and will do the same for two Styx shows and Labyrinth of Jareth next month). And I’m going up to visit him for a few days, leaving this Friday and returning a week from today.

So what did I wake up with this morning?

A sore throat.

I know just who gave me this cold, and I’m going to have to hurt her…

Hopefully I can pop enough Echinacea and chewable vitamin C and sweat it out at the gym before I fly north!

---

Currently Reading: Just finished One for the Money (the first Stephanie Plum book), Janet Evanovich; not sure what I’m grabbing off the stack next; will probably take Barbara Hambly’s Circle of the Moon to Oregon with me, since I reread the first book in NY in preparation for reading this one.
Lately Listened To: "A Gentleman's Excuse Me" by Fish, obsessively, over and over…
Recently Watched: Inside the Actor’s Studio with Matt Damon (great source of inspiration and commentary about the creative process)

Because you've waited so patiently...

...tattoo pictures!

Happy Father's Day, Dad

I wish I'd thought of doing this for Mother's Day!  ::kicks self::

I note that I don't have nearly enough recent pictures of my father and I together. Must rectify this.

If you want to read "The Sultan's Sons"...

...then let me be the first to tell you that Carnifex Press is having a Clash of Steel Deal: you can buy all three volumes for a mere $14! That's right, three anthologies of fantasy stories for less than $5 apeice! And my story "The Sultan's Sons" is in volume 2, Clash of Steel: Assassin.

I'm telling you, it's going to be a collector's item someday. Strike while the iron's hot!

Okay, shamless promotional efforts are over. Thanks for listening.  ::gg::

The work thing

Hey, I made a sale without doing a darn thing!

Alison Tyler remembered a story I’d submitted to her ages ago that she rejected for whatever project I’d subbed it for, and asked if she could include it in an upcoming anthology (pending publisher approval) and also excerpt it in a nonfiction book she’s writing (I’d get some compensation and a credit). Plus she wants to quote a comment I made on a Lust Bites post eons ago!

Acceptances are always fantastic. But there’s something a little extra when an editor approaches you, remembering something they saw from you a year or more ago.

So, things are finally settling out into normalcy again after me being away from home for more than half of May. I’ve got tons of things to talk about, so let’s make this the writing post, and catch up by theme.

This past weekend was a writers' fest! On Saturday, the local RWA ladies and I got together for high tea (5 out of 6 of us! a record!), and then three came over so I could show off the house, and we chatted for another few hours. After that, Ellenie and I grabbed our laptops and went to a local coffee shop and wrote for a couple more hours.

The next day was practically more of the same! Ellenie and I carpooled to the LARA meeting, where Sylvia Day and HelenKay Dimon spoke about the fears that keep us from writing. After that, five of us (including Christine, whom I hadn’t seen in ages—we couldn’t stop hugging!) went to Versailles and moaned our way through Cuban food, and then some of us repaired to Lulu’s for an afternoon of writing.

There’s been a fair amount of ins and outs over the past few weeks, including…

• A sale! My story “In Flight” will be reprinted in Best Lesbian Romance 2009! It’s a fun story. It’s got birds of prey in it! What’s not to love?
  
• I received, signed, and returned the contract for Flash Fucking, which will include (pending publisher approval) my story “The Heist.” The story is one of my personal favorites, so I’m quite chuffed!
  
• I also received my comp copies of Rubber Sex.
  
• Alas, I also received a rejection from Bane’s Universe for “Berengere.” It’s already been resubbed, of course.
  
• Alas, also a rejection from Clarkesworld for “Dreamseer,” which promptly got turned around to Æon.
  

My overall stats for April and May look like this:

Novel rejections = 3 (for 2 different novel ms)
Novel submissions = 3 (for 1 novel ms)

Short story submissions = 15
Short story rejections = 12
Short story sales = 1
Short story publications = 1

And that’s about it. This weekend I’m spending most of Saturday working, and Sunday I’m hitting the coffee shop early with Ellenie because of a birthday tea for two friends in the afternoon. It’s always an adventure!

Fish photos

Tuesday night we saw Fish (former lead singer of Marillion) at the House of Blues Sunset Strip with Fran & Thom and Nanci & Lenny and Mario. It was hard to get good photos, but here are a few from the evening. Enjoy!

Cover deliciousness!

Omigods this is so fabulous and I'm thrilled to be in this anthology! (Our contribution is a Sophie Mouette novella, "Hidden Treasure.") Swoon!

Minor rant

What is it with musicians these days not making lyrics easily available? I long for the days of albums with sleeves containing all the lyrics and info my little anal-retentive, trivia-loving heart.

I downloaded one…what do you call a collection of music that isn’t in a hard form? We’ll call it a CD for discussion purposes…one CD for which the band didn’t have lyrics available anywhere. Now, I’m listening to the new Fish CD (in preparation for Tuesday’s show!) and while the lyrics are available on his website, each song’s lyrics are in a pop-up box that goes away if you click on it. Well, what I’d like to do is copy them into a single Word file so I can print them out and read them whilst I’m listening to the bloody music! (Also, I can’t bump up the View size on the pop-up box, which would be helpful for my dreadful eyesight.)

Remember when we were teenagers and had the time to just listen to music? To buy a new album and sit with headphones on and read the lyrics and maybe start singing along by the third or fourth listen?

What was the last CD you did that with? (Seriously, I'm curious.) For me, it might have been Styx's Edge of the Century in (eep) 1990....

Too good not to share

JK Rowling's Harvard Commencement Address.

New publication!

I was delighted to arrive home from the trip and find comp copies of Rubber Sex, containing my story "Bathing Beauty," in my pile of mail.

You know, it's funny how easy it is to forget what I've written. I kicked back and read a couple of the stories, then flipped to mine. I remembered the basics (heck, part of the inspiration was a Penthouse Variations letter I read in the 1980s that somehow stuck with me), but I was surprised at what a sweet story it is. Pretty damn romantic—which most of my stories are, actually.

Another funny note: My mother actually did own the bathing cap described in the story. I had a different reaction to it, though…especially when I was once forced to wear the hideous thing!

Anyway, the anthology was edited by cupcake-cute Rachel Kramer Bussel and I'm in fine company, as there are stories by Teresa, Shanna Germain, and Alison Tyler, among many others. Rachel has set up a blog for the anthology as well—if you're interested, check it out!

Almost home

BTV airport has free wireless so I have a few minutes to check e-mail and whatnot before we board. I've had a lovely trip, spending a lot of time with my parents and seeing a few old friends as well. My wrist is feeling lots better; I worked some on a short story but otherwise iced my forearm a few times and played with a squeezy ball. I also ate way too much and got a bit of reading done.

Tomorrow I've got an appt with my trainer and Ken leaves for a rally. Friday I've got a chiro appt, the cleaning lady, and a friend from the UK arriving to spend the weekend. I swear I'll get caught up soon!

Hope everyone's been having fun whilst I've been away. Tell me stories—what have you all been up to?!

Off again

Right, so I'm off tomorrow to upstate NY to visit my parents for a week. Ken's currently in Korea but will fly to NY on Saturday. Whew!

My apologies for being so quiet since I got back from the workshop in Oregon. After typing 67 single-spaced pages of notes, plus assignments, I came home and worked out with my trainer using TRX bands, and the result of all of that was that my right wrist has been feeling wonky. Some tingling, some minor pain. So I've been trying to rest it and ice it as much as possible…which isn't easy when typing is one's job. Everything else has had to take a back seat.

I do plan to get some writing done in NY, but the rest of the time, I'll be icing my wrist, playing with my squeezy ball (no, that's not a euphemism!), and generally resting and relaxing so I can hit the ground running when I return.

Have a fabby Memorial Day Weekend!

Sale!

Sale! Just got confirmation that my story "Tigress" will appear in The Mammoth Book of the Kama Sutra, edited by the inestimable Maxim Jakubowski. It'll be out in September!

This one was a strangely fun story to write. Authors had to pick a position from the Kama Sutra and write a sexy "origin story" that explained why the position came to be known by that name.

From the book's description, it sounds like the volume is going to be utterly gorgeous!

Photos

Photos from the workshop.

More re: workshop

Dean and Kris talk about the Marketing Workshop in their blogs, if you're interested.

And we're home

It went something like this:

Sunday, 4 May 2008

Beach today! Walked with Brenda, whom I hadn’t met in a previous workshop. There’s huge chunks of driftwood everywhere—giant trees, some imbedded in the sand. It looks like an alien landscape. I imagine it was what a shipwreck looked like. It gave me so much energy, and Brenda and I had a fabulous conversation.

Monday, 5 May 2008

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Okay, it’s 2 p.m. I have two assignments to finish—both are close to completion, although one I’ll review again a bit later—before dinner at 5 p.m. with Karen and Brenda, and our next meeting at 7 p.m. So I’m going to work on a short story, too. I also have a story to submit now that the magazine’s reading period has opened back up. Not sure if a walk on the beach or some floor/band work is in my future; I really want to get the story done.

Oh, and note to self: Bring a hat next time. The wind and greater moisture in the air is giving me an unattractive explosion of frizz.

Rejection from Abyss & Apex for “Seeds of Hope,” which they said “was very well-received here, but…”

Tuesday, 6 May 2008

My friend Chris York just made a three-book deal with Berkley Prime Crime! WaHOO! Go Chris!

Wednesday, 7 May 2008

Meltdown.

Thursday, 8 May 2008

Better.

Friday, 9 May 2008

Mistakes happen. You learn from them, then get over them and move forward.

Went for a glorious beach walk today with Leslie; we also ran into Matt who walked the rest of the way with us. We saw baby seals and a bald eagle! It was just sitting out there on a log near the seals on a spit of land, and then it flew low over the water looking for fish, and then it perched again. And I didn’t have my camera. ::pounds head on desk::

Anyway, it was a beautiful day, cool and sunny, and I wish I’d had more time to spend down there.

Saturday, 10 May 2008

So Dean’s talking about his process and his blocks, which are much like mine, and he tells us his crazy plan for overcoming the problem, and I think “Holy crap, that’s exactly what I need to do,” and then there was this big sneaker wave of fear crashing over me as I then thought stupid things like “But I can’t” and “What if I fail?”

A better question is, “What if I succeed?”

A better response is, “When I succeed…”

Sunday, 11 May 2008

On the plane home. Um. Wow. After the Master Class (March 2002), this is by far the most valuable, most amazing, and most life- and career-changing workshops I’ve taken with Kris & Dean. (And I counted: including novel workshops, I’ve now taken 9.) I…I… Yeah, it’s going to take me a little while to process all this.

On Saturday, I think, Kris asked how we slept the night before and we all said “Awful.” She laughed and explained: They’d had us in critical brain up ‘til Friday, and Friday night our brains frantically downloaded all the new information into our subconscious before we lost anything. Devious. Effective, but devious.

So now I have to find a balance of recovery (tonight’s plan: wine, TV, and Ken. Not necessarily in that order) and getting back to work with new ideas, fresh energy, and an astonishing amount of new information to put into practice. Although this was a business workshop (about marketing, editors, the publishing industry and how it’s changed, and, um, a gazillion other things), I’ve come away with three new novel ideas in proposal form. One of which caused Kris to swear and say, twice, that she wished she’d come up with the idea. Bwahaha.

Plane descending. Must turn off laptop before it adversely affects that.

Oh, wait, one more thing. New sticky on Afalwen desktop:

It's okay to be afraid.

It's not okay to let the fear stop me.

On the coast again

So I’m happily and safely here on the Oregon Coast again, this time for a workshop on marketing and agents and synopses and all that fun stuff. We’ll be doing this for a week. You won’t hear much from me this week, though, because not only am I having trouble getting decent wireless in my room (I’m in kitschy cabin #5, and there will be pictures), but also because Kris & Dean have laid down the law:

First rule of Workshop: You don’t blog about Workshop.

I’m still frantically trying to finish one of the assignments we were given ahead of time, and I also need to hammer out a short story today… An editor I’ve worked with before is doing a sequel to an anthology I was in, and asked for stories on the theme ASAP to include in the proposal to the publisher. I don’t know if turning in the story tonight will be too late (I got her e-mail either late Thursday night or Friday morning, and she hasn’t responded to my query), but I figure, better to go ahead and write the story.

It’s 1 p.m. now. Dinner (optional, but I’ll be there) is at 5 p.m.; the workshop starts at 7 p.m. I have an assigment, a story, and a walk to the beach to add in there…

Later…Assignment done. Dinner greatly enjoyed. More work to do now. Kthnxbai.

Goodness and busy-ness

Another Sunday, another Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf writing afternoon. My last one until June! since I’ll be out of town three out of four Sundays in May, and Albra’s having her annual garden tea on the only Sunday I’ll be in town.

It’s been a busy few days… Thursday we had dinner with Morgana & Brian because our mutual friend Lev was in town (staying with M&B), and ended up staying rather late, watching the final ep of the Torchwood season (again for us, first time for M&B) and generally just enjoying good company.

Friday we headed up to Santa Barbara early to miss the weekend traffic. We wandered up and down State Street and had dinner at a hole-in-the-wall Greek place (nummy lemon chicken souvlaki!) before heading to the tattoo artist’s…only to find out I’d had my appointment time wrong by an hour. So we shared a chocolate shake at Coldstone Creamery, then strolled down to the beach, heading back via the Moreton Bay Fig Tree, the largest in North America. (The sapling was brought from Australia by a sailor in the 1870s and given to a girl… There’s a great romance story in there!)

Then I got my tattoo! Or, rather, I finished my 30th birthday tattoo! It was a different experience this time…different and in some ways the same. It was less of a major emotional/spiritual thing, and more of a peaceful thing. No stress, no great thought, just experience. The moment. I’m not explaining this well at all, but so be it!

Saturday we gathered up Morgana and went to Mission Park in Ventura, where Lev was playing concertina for his Morris Dance side. (A group of Morris Dancers is a side. A side of Morris Dancers. Don’t say I never taught you anything.) There were sides from all over, including one from England! We bought presents for my sister and Ken’s mom. We tried to follow Lev et al. to Channel Islands for their next performance, but we never managed to figure out where they were, so we headed off to Camarillo for their Celtic Fair. Our SCA group was doing a demo, so we ended up helping with that for a bit, and Ken and I shared a grape shave ice and I bought a silver spiral ring that’s actually appropriate for my 7th-C Welsh persona.

(Oh, and I’d like to put this out into the universe: I’ve misplaced my grandmother’s silver-and-diamond ring and my silver spiral ring from Avebury. Please think positive thoughts for me to find them!)

Anyway, then we went to the Victoria Pub because the dancers were there. We had dinner there, and I indulged in a cider and some vinegar-soaked chips for the first time in forever. Oh, Thomasina had joined us by then (we’d run into her at the Celtic Fair), so it was all quite pleasant. Then we came home and I took a much-needed shower because it had been bloody hot all day and I was a mess of sunscreen and sweat.

Tonight we’re going out to dinner with M&B&Lev, and having lemon cake and fresh strawberries afterwards, and I am greatly looking forward to it.

So now I’ve got to hit the ground running this week, because I have a ton to do before I leave for the Marketing Workshop in Oregon on Friday:

• finish a short story with Teresa
  
• finish three synopses for the workshop (I’ve read two of the three books and started the first synopsis)
  
• get as much done as Ghosted as I can
  
• pack for the workshop (printer, lap desk, and jacket already shipped)
  
• get a massage
  
• get my hair done
  
• work out with my trainer 2x
  
• lots of miscellaneous little fiddly stuff, like answering e-mail and cleaning off my desk and dealing with various SCA bits and bobs and mailing my sister’s present and buying contact solution and…
  

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Currently Reading: Mélusine, Sarah Monette
Lately Listened To: Ghosted playlist
Recently Watched: Lost; Battlestar Galactica