Brief update

Arm still tender, after bruising massage by therapist and adjustment by chiropractor and lots of icing and Advil. Ulna and first rib (where it meets collar bone) both out of whack (well, not anymore).

Car back! I’m just shy of $5000 poorer.

Pirate Tournament tomorrow. Well, Pirate Tournament/Darach Anniversary/Darach Equestrian Championship/Altavia Equestrian Championship. Me, I’m putting on my pirate duds and being Wicked Red. Who is really more purple now, but Wicked Purple just doesn’t scan well.

Potted herb garden is thriving, except for the thyme. Who’d’ve guessed?

Six stories to mail. Then, back to writing and critiquing and novel subs, and…

More when I’ve dug myself out of the pile. Gently, still favoring forearm.

Timing is everything

Oh for the love of all that’s holy…

Ken’s got a bunch of errands to run tomorrow, and today I hammered out the details of a short story I need to submit by the end of the month, so I was looking forward to an all-writing, all-the-time day tomorrow (well, writing, submissions, continuing to read a novel I’m critiquing, updating my mailing list, etc.).

But I’ve apparently been doing too much mouse work of late, because my right forearm is hurting and a wee bit tingly, which means I’m developing tendonitis.

I iced it tonight and just took a bunch of Advil, but I should probably stop typing now. I think I’m just going to limit my computer activities for the next few days to only writing and anything else crucial. I’ll be scarce on Facebook and e-mail; I’ll check e-mail, but if you need me, calling will probably be better.

Of course, Friday is Brian’s day off and it’s our turn to do house stuff (he gets every other Friday off, so he and Ken are switching between houses to work on projects, as are Morgana and I)—and Morgana and I were going to work on curtains for our living room and dining room. Sewing. Not good for arm.

Frak me.

Radio silence: Commencing. Think healing thoughts, please!

Plans for today

Plans for Today:

• meal planning and grocery shopping w/Ken
  
• short story planning and beginning
  
• Waking the Witch submissions
  
• gym
  
• Textile Guild at Morgana’s – assembling the leather bodice
  
• ideally, some e-mail catching up
  

Let’s see how it goes!

Feeling the love...and the pain

We left for Phoenix Thursday last, late morning, stopping in the Valley for lunch at Lulu’s. Half a caprese sandwich and salad, nomnom, plus a mocha to go. It was strange to be there without Christine or Jenn, and without my laptop, though. After a brief stop at a Radio Shack to pick up an auxiliary cord so we could plug in my iPod or Ken’s iPhone for music, we were on our way to Phoenix. We stopped once for gas, as well as some homemade beef jerky to supplement our road food, on the way. Good music, good conversation, good company.

Our friend Sara and her husband Lee had been at their timeshare in Sedona until that afternoon and wanted an evening in, so we picked up coleslaw and BBQ kettle chips to supplement their planned picnic in front of the TV (deli meats and cheeses, etc.). We watched an ep of Castle that Ken and I had missed, plus Nathan Fillion in a leather kilt on a talk show (mmm), and then Sara and I talked late into the night about all things Styx and Ren Faire and goodness knows what else.

The next day we took them out to brunch at The Good Egg and they took us to a fantastic used book store, where I only bought books on my list, I swear….

We’d hoped to meet up with some friends before the show, but none of the arrangements worked out, so the three of us (Lee isn’t into crowds) had dinner at an Irish pub (note to self: fish and chips plus a pint of cider isn’t the best meal before a show) and got to the venue comfortably on time. We had second-row pit seats between JY and Tommy, and it turned out that two of our friends (from LA) were directly in front of us. (Actually, Ken and I had the second-row seats and Sara had a third-row seat a few seats over, but Ken traded tickets with her and then smooshed in behind me.)

Sara had never gotten a “green bag” (the Styx-logoed tote bags that each member tosses to the audience at the end of each show) and this was probably her only show for the year, so she had a sign asking for a bag, and I had a sign asking for her to get a bag. To our delight, Tommy not only saw the signs but made sure his bag got to her. I also managed to duck a security guard to get her a set list after the show was over. :-)

We stayed up far too late playing the “Spot Dayle in the Audience of the One With Everything: Styx With the Contemporary Youth Orchestra DVD Drinking Game,” so peeling ourselves out of bed the next morning wasn’t an easy prospect. But we did, said our sad farewells, and made it home in time to snuggle with the kitties.

We didn’t have to leave for Fresno on Sunday until just after lunch, so we were able to spend a productive-ish morning at home. We had fourth-row tickets for this show, but snuck up to the first row for the encore. Another great show! but then we had a 3.5-hour drive home… Yawn.

My camera crapped out after the Phoenix show—the pictures looked fine on the camera but wouldn’t download to the computer properly—but I’ll upload the ones from Fresno soon. Really. Honest.

Fast-forward to Thursday, when we hopped on the bike and headed to our friends Nanci and Lenny’s so I could fluff-and-buff before the show. Ken went on to San Bernardino to pick up a couple of vats of gumbo (long story) while I got ready and hung out with Nanci, then we rode with her to the show. Sixth-row seats on Tommy’s side again, but damned if Tommy didn’t spot us in the crowd during the very first song. And Lawrence sang a line of “Come Sail Away” at me, so we were totally feeling the love. :-)

Oh, and much to my great amusement, when we found our seats, we were next to a woman doing kumihimo braiding! She does Ren Faire rather than SCA, but we still had a great chat, and I need to e-mail her with the heart braid pattern I found online.

Friday afternoon Ken headed up to Hanford with the gumbo; I stayed home to try to have some modicum of a productive weekend. Alas, I was suffering from Post-Concert Depression as well as a severe case of I Don’t Give a Sh*t, so I gave myself some time off to regroup. Saturday I went to Morgana’s and we cut out a leather bodice for me for Pirate Tournament—provided I can get the spring steel boning in time, we’re talking three long seams, two shoulder seams, and sewing the boning channels, plus grommets. Piece of cake. Afterwards, she and Brian invited me to dinner. I actually did get some writing done later that evening, and then Ken arrived back home last night from his bike adventures.

Yesterday I went to CB&TL, but I hadn’t seen Ellenie in months, so we spent our time catching up. A good recharge, though, and we have a writing date for Wednesday evening. Plus I got a little writing done yesterday evening.

After I finish the PUM scene on my agenda (it’s written in my head…), and review Teresa’s, and send more Waking the Witch proposals (now that all of the PUM and OOTFP proposals are in the mail save one that was recently returned), and write a short story, and…

Never a dull moment ‘round here!

::guiltily waves hello::

You know you haven’t updated your journal in a while when your mother e-mails to ask if you’re okay.

Sorry, Mom.

I have several updates in the works, but no time to finish them, so here’s the short version: Concerts fabby (Tommy pointed at me in the sixth row!), but all the travel put me behind on work. Combine that with Post-Concert Depression and a serious case of I Don’t Give a Sh*t, I’m still clawing my way back up out of the mire.

So, apologies to all. I have high hopes for getting back on track this week…as long as I can pull a full night’s sleep one of these nights…

For the win!

Okay. We managed to rent a car for a not-hideous price for the next four days, so we don’t have to take the bike to Phoenix in 101° heat. Because the thought of that made me want to weep. We did consider going out at night (leaving in the evening, riding for a few hours, sleeping, riding in the early morning), but in the end, the cost of the car wasn’t much more than the cost of two nights’ motel (assuming we’d stop in both directions). This will also allow me to get some work done in the car. :-)

Ken arrived home yesterday while Morgana and I were on our walk, and had the U-Haul unloaded by the time I got back. We returned the truck and then went out to lunch at Fresh & Fabulous to celebrate their move from the small space in the historic Woolworth’s building annex into the large Woolworth building restaurant space. I hope they do well there. The ambiance is all wrong for their Saturday high teas, but if they’ve been doing well enough to support the move to a much bigger space, that’s fantastic! I had their potato-and-garlic soup and oh my gods it was good! and half a sandwich (turkey, muenster, avocado, and bacon on whole wheat ciabatta with pesto mayo, toasted), also nommy. Ken had pear and walnut salad with champagne dressing, which is funny, because they usually have a small portion of pear and walnut salad with the quiche course for high tea.

Then, um… I don’t remember. He was pretty wiped out. We watched a little TV, and he took a nap, and because we hadn’t gone grocery shopping, we ordered a pizza. Then we toddled off to sewing at Morgana’s, where I finished beading the third of four pieces of Italian sleeves and cut out a bunch of fabric to make into presentation bags. Now, to find people willing to cross-stitch a Caidan cross on one or two of them! :-)

Then it was a little more TV catching up (Castle!) and bed…

Today has been go-go-go, it feels. I had a chiro appt, came home briefly, then had lunch with my friend Janice. She’s someone I never really get around to hanging out with, so I suggested lunch, and we did, and we’ve already made another lunch date in two weeks (since next week’s a little busy for me). Suuuushi, nomnomnom!

Then I got home just in time to grab Ken and go get my blood drawn for some tests—I wanted him to drive me home on the off chance I felt wibby afterwards. They didn’t take much, though, so I was mostly fine, except that it was hot and I hadn’t had any tea yet today, so I was hitting an afternoon slump. We swung by the grocery store to pick up a few essentials an ingredients for supper tonight (sloppy joes with ground turkey, plus salad); we’ll have the leftovers on Saturday when we get home from Phoenix. Convenient, that.

Then I bribed Ken to take Eostre to the vet for her follow-up check on her lip (had to take her in for some granuloma last week), which meant I didn’t have to get in the un-air conditioned car again. (I’ve been borrowing Morgana and Brian’s second car while Ken had mine in AR, and up ‘til now the lack of air conditioning hasn’t been a huge issue…). In return for him taking her in, I said I’d make dinner and do all the dishes. Which I probably would’ve ended up doing anyway (or I would’ve cooked and he would’ve done most of the dishes, more likely). So I see this as a Win on my part! LOL

---

Currently Reading: Morrigan’s Cross, Nora Roberts
Lately Listened To: Styx & REO Speedwagon, “Can’t Stop Rockin’” single
Recently Watched: Dollhouse

Updated

Bigger sigh. The Saab dealer in Scottsdale couldn’t fix the car w/in a week—I’m not clear on whether it’s because they were booked up or because the car is in that bad shape… I suspect the former, really, because Saabs don’t break down like that. They go and go and go until they get old and one day the decide they’re done and just stop.

So Ken rented a U-Haul and car trailer (which necessitated going to two different U-Haul places), returned the bike trailer, bought 2x4s, put the bike in the U-Haul, put all the stuff from the car into the U-Haul, attached the car to the U-Haul, and then he and his dad started the trek back to California. Last I heard, they should make it to dad’s by midnight, and Ken will crash there. In the morning, he’ll drop the car at my Fabulous Swedish Car Guy’s shop, and then we’ll sort out returning the U-Haul.

And then we’ll figure out how to get to Phoenix on Thursday, and Fresno on Sunday…

Meanwhile, I had my annual exam today, and am going back in a few weeks for an ultrasound, and then another test, and then probably an ablation. Since I went off the Pill, my periods have been insane. This solution is way better than the monthly 3-day migraines I was getting on the Pill....

I also updated my website—check it out!

Now I have a headache, so I’m going to take some drugs, sip some wine, watch a little TV, maybe answer e-mail, and wait for Ken to call and say they’ve arrived safely, so I can go to bed!

Home? Not so much.

So, Ken was supposed to be home today. (There was even a slim chance he’d be home last night, but his dad isn’t as big on long haul driving.) Then I got the call yesterday afternoon.

They broke my car.

Not sure what’s up; there was oil everywhere and it was beyond their ability to fix at the side of the road (keeping in mind that Ken’s an engineer and Dad’s a former auto mechanic). Long story short, they got a tow into Flagstaff, and then a tow into Phoenix (Scottsdale, specifically, where there’s a Saab dealership) tonight.

The irony, of course, is that we’re due to drive to Phoenix on Thursday for the Styx show on Friday. Depending on how long it takes my car to get fixed, this could involve some interesting machinations*.

Sigh. This sucks.

Meanwhile, I’ve spent the past two days finishing up my first Custom Erotica Source commission. It was an interesting experience… I’m given to understand it was an unusually detailed request, so I’m even more curious to see what the next job will bring.

Teresa and I had another confab about PUM and I got some work done on my scenes tonight as well. I’ll hammer on those tomorrow (and possibly into Tuesday; I have some errands and appointments tomorrow, too) and get them sent off. Then I have a few short stories to write and send, and some nonfiction proposals to suss out.

Other than that, there’s sewing night at Morgana’s on Tuesday, and lunch with another friend on Wednesday (suuuuushi!), and then it’s off to Phoenix and Styx, baybee!

*C’mon, isn’t that a great word?!

---

Currently Reading: er, various things I can't put my hands on right now
Lately Listened To: the purring of contented cats
Recently Watched: Thriller, a rather odd series from the 1970s that I saw as a child and which completely freaked me out. Thanks a lot, Mom.

Not to mention the disco version

[In falsetto, everybody!]

What you doin' on the 'net, ahh

What you doin' on the 'net, ahh

You should be writing, yeah,

Writing, yea-eh-ah!

(Damn you, Bee Gees!)

Filk, to the tune of "Guerilla Soldier" (Gowan)

In another thousand words
Will it all be over
And another thousand words
Is the story done?
In another thousand words
Will it all make history
And another thousand words
Will the book be done...?

(It's kind of a curse, really...)

The jury's still out

I got, like, four inches cut off my hair today.

This is what I get for going to my Fabulous Gay Hairdresser while stressed, grumpy, and way too hot. (In other words, get the hair off my neck. Now.)

I think I like it. Really, I think I do. Or my brain may be faking me out into believing I like it so I don’t have a freaking nervous breakdown and lock myself in my admittedly enormous closet (it has a window!) for the rest of the year.

The gods of travel, they are capricious

I’m headed home from Arkansas. The trip out there was a bit of an adventure: the LAX-DFW flight left 2.5 hours late due to weather at DFW (and we sat on the plane at the gate for about 2 of those hours), then the DFW-LIT flight was also delayed due to weather, and then the flight itself detoured to go around the storm. Instead of arriving at 8 p.m., I got in at 1:30 p.m., and then we had to get to Hot Springs Village in the thunderstorm. But the bottom line was, I made it!

Ken was in the middle of a 24-hour rally, so the next morning his dad and I went to the historic Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs to meet up with him. We (rally people) had a private room and indulged in the amazing Sunday buffet (caviar! Seafood Newburg! cheese plate! nomnomnom), and then we got to celebrate because Ken won! Yay! *\o/*

After that we headed up to Little Rock for his grandmother’s 95th birthday party. She was so delighted while I was there, and I spent most of the party at her side, helping her out (getting her punch, reading her cards to her and telling her about her presents as I opened them, etc.). She can barely see, and her hearing’s not great, but she’s sharp as a tack. Meanwhile, the blue dye in the cake frosting turned everyone’s tongues and lips bright blue.

Ken and I slept hard last night….

Today’s travel has thus far been smooth, thank the gods. We got to LIT comfortably early and Ken had an early lunch with me (I had lemon-and-herb grilled chicken with brie and caramelized onions on a ciabatta roll, nom!). I had just enough time in DFW to switch terminals, have a brisk walk to my new gate, and hit a bathroom before it was time to board.

Ken may be home this weekend, or he may head straight to Oregon to do some work. I have a bit of a busy work week because I have to catch up on some things, plus we’re off to Phoenix and Fresno the weekend after this one for Styx shows.

~ ~ ~

Made it home, safe and sound. The travel gods made up for Saturday by smiling upon me today. Traffic on the 405 backed up just at the point where I peeled off to the 10. As I hit Pacific Coast Highway, the radio played Styx. There was little traffic up the coast, the air was cool, the sun was bright, the ocean was dazzling.

It's the lusty month of May!

Blessed Beltaine!

Went out for high tea with Morgana and Brian today to celebrate May Day. We tried out Tranquility Tea Room in Thousand Oaks. I found it online recently (although I can’t for the life of me remember how). It was a bit pricy, but overall quite good. I tried Lover’s Leap tea from Sri Lanka, and although it’s a black tea, it wasn’t very dark and it didn’t have any discernible flavor. It was worth the experiment, though! They had fun hats, but I’d brought my own. We all took them off before tea even arrived, however, because it was a wee bit too warm.

After we returned home, I grabbed novel subs to mail and jumped in the car (I’m borrowing Morgana and Brian’s second car since mine is in Arkansas). Alas, although my phone showed I had three minutes to spare, the PO was closing. I went off to the chiropractor to pick up some supplements, and when I got out of the car, I heard a nasty accident on the main street. (The building blocked my view.) It occurred to me that if I’d left earlier and made it to the PO, I might’ve been done at the chiropractor’s and turning onto that very street at that very moment. So I’m quite okay with everything getting mailed on Tuesday…

Now, though, I’m tired, and I still have much to do: writing, packing, cat box scooping… The Oak Leaf just isn’t going to get done before I leave. Nobody will suggest topics for the history of the Shire column (even though people requested the articles be run), and I didn’t come up with an idea for this issue until late yesterday. Sigh.

On and off

I’m soon off to Arkansas on Saturday for a madcap 3-day trip to attend Ken’s grandmother’s 95th birthday party. (Go Grandma!) Ken is already on his way there, in my car, no less. We have a bunch of stuff to bring home—Ken and his dad moved Grandma into a home last month (her choice, and she’s really happy there, yay!), and we’re acquiring some silver, crystal, china tea cups (yeah, like we need more tea cups…but it’ll be so cool to mix hers with my grandmother’s, you know?), that sort of thing. The original plan had been for Ken and I to drove out together, but because Grimoire needs subcutaneous fluids on a regular basis (every day is recommended, but skipping a day or two is okay), I couldn’t take the time.  :-(  Would've been fun.

On top of that, there’s a rally in Arkansas this weekend, so Ken’s bike is actually on a trailer that he and his dad are pulling behind my car. I get to attend the awards banquet with Ken on Sunday morning. Fingers crossed that he wins!

Meanwhile, Part II of Being an Adult Sucks: Our friend Donna was in town, and we so wanted to see her, but there was no way we could pull it off on Monday because on Tuesday, we had to deliver my car to Ken’s dad’s—2 hours away. (I would drive the car, Ken would ride the bike, and we’d ride the bike home together, after which he would head back out to his dad’s, running some errands along the way.) I couldn’t take Monday evening off if I was going to lose 4–5 work hours on Tuesday.

Sigh. As it turned out, it was a good call, because we were gone pretty much all day Tuesday. We hit traffic on the way out, so much so that all the errands Ken had to run wouldn’t be possible in the order he’d planned. So he had to run them in the opposite direction; i.e., on the way home. On the plus side, I had a yummy gyro for lunch and Ken picked up Baja Fresh for dinner, and I got to have dinner with him. On the negative side, he left soon after dinner.

I’m still bummed I didn’t get to see Donna (and Gillian, and Jen, and everyone else…).

Meanwhile…I don’t know. Just trying to keep up with everything. Morgana and I are walking, I’m hitting the gym, The Oak Leaf May issue is in progress, and story sales and rejections continue apace. I’d like to finish the OOTFP subs before I leave, too. We shall see.

Onwards!

Sale the second!

I heard about Peep Show last night, and then today got another acceptance!

My vampire story "Devouring Heart" will be published in The Sweetest Kiss: Ravishing Vampire Erotica on October 1, 2009, also by Cleis Press and edited by D.L. King (also edited Where the Girls Are... It's all one big pyjama party, really!).

I wrote "Devouring Heart" five years ago, so I'm especially chuffed it found such a wonderful home!

And Teresa's got a story in this one, too!

The TOC:

Midnight at Sheremetyevo by Remittance Girl
Wait Until Dark, Montresor by Thomas S. Roche
The Temptation of Mlle. Marielle Doucette by Anna Black
Kiss and Make Up by Lisette Ashton
The Student by Sommer Marsden
Red By Any Other Name by Kathleen Bradean
Enlightenment by Amber Hipple
Blood and Bootleg by Teresa Noelle Roberts
Fair Play by G. B. Kensington
Advantage by Ciara Finn
The Communion of Blood and Semen by Maxim Jakubowski
Nightlife by Madeleine Oh
Takeout or Delivery? by Evan Mora
Devouring Heart by Andrea Dale
Wicked Kisses by Michelle Belanger
Fourth World by Lisabet Sarai
Turn by Nikki Magennis
Cutter by Kristina Wright
Once An Addict... by A.D.R. Forte

Sale the first!

A new sale! My story "Now You See Her" will appear in Peep Show: Tales of Voyeurs and Exhibitionists, coming in November 2009 from Cleis Press, edited by the yummy Rachel Kramer Bussel!

"Now You See Her" is a companion story to "Come to My Window" in Where the Girls Are, due out July 1, 2009, also from Cleis Press. I hadn't planned on writing a related story when I wrote "Come to My Window," but the theme of Peep Show spoke to a related, very cool idea...

Anyway. Peep Show is available on amazon for pre-order already, and here's the full table of contents!

Introduction: Hungry Eyes and Sensual Show-Offs
Showtime by Susan St. Aubin
Clean and Pretty by Donna George Storey
Superior by Monica Shores
People in Glass Hotels by Jennifer Peters
Indecent by Lolita Lopez
Ownership by Craig J. Sorensen
Audience Participation by Elizabeth Coldwell
Now You See Her by Andrea Dale
Watcher in the Shadows by Cheyenne Blue
Glass by Nobilis Reed
Sleeping Beauty by Malcolm Ross
The Theory of Orchids by L. A. Mistral
Missing Michael by M. March
Busted by Kissa Starling
Satisfaction Guaranteed by Sommer Marsden
Rosse Buurt by Geneva King
I’ve Only Got Eyes for You by Rachel Kramer Bussel
Calendar Girl by Angela Caperton

Nice review!

A terrific mention of Teresa's and my story in The Pagan Anthology of Short Fiction:

"'Under a Double Rainbow' by Sophie Mouette: Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, shows up at a women’s spirituality festival. Love, healing, and a healthy dose of sex ensue. A lovely tale with just the right amount of mild erotica, and a great weaving together of several subplots."

From Pagan Book Reviews. The full review is here.

Yay Ken!

Self-righteously, I did get a lot of work done yesterday, and today I smoothed over two chapters and some notes and got them all sent off to Teresa. I also ran some errands and went to the gym, and came home and showered, and joined Twitter (as cyvarwydd—feel free to follow me, even though I currently haven't a clue what I'm supposed to be doing with it).

And then things went a wee bit pear-shaped. Due to some health issues, I went all wibbly. I was all set to work on my first CES assignment when…no. No brain, no energy, no nothin’. I did take Afalwen with me as I sat on the sofa and watched reruns of NCIS (which I recorded so I could still blast through commercials), but our Internet access gets wonky in the evenings, so I only got a limited amount of useful stuff done. In between lying down on the sofa….

Then I got the call: Ken won the rally! And he was going to try and make it home tonight! I called him a bit later to request In-n-Out (because I needed red meat in a bad way), and it turned out he had a flat tire. He was unable to get hold of his mom or brother in Orange County, so he ended up calling AAA, and getting home around 1:30 a.m. But he’s home! And he won!

Now I shall wibble my wibbly self off to bed…

The truth is...

I’d like to be all self-righteous and say I didn’t go to the Queensrÿche show with Ken tonight because I had work to do. But I can’t. The truth is, I didn’t go because I have defective eyeballs.

See, there’s a rally in San Diego tomorrow morning, and it made no sense for us to drive to Hollywood, drive home, and then have Ken need to turn around and leave four hours later. The only other option was to take two vehicles, and have him head south after the show while I came back home.

Except I can’t drive at night.

I mean, I can. Nobody’s told me I can’t. But I know just how poor my vision is at night (and at twilight, when it’s almost worse), how lights cause huge halos and half-blind me. It’s not just a case of not being able to read street signs. It’s a case of not being able to see if someone walked in front of the car. Coming home from the show Wednesday night, I couldn’t see the cement barrier in the middle of the freeway due to the oncoming headlights. (Oh, I knew it was there, and I could drive without hitting it, but still.)

So, I did the mature, adult thing and stayed home. Ken managed to sell my ticket, so at least we didn’t eat that cost.

But I hate doing the mature, adult thing. It sucks. Don’t wanna. ::stamps feet::

Now I should get some more work done, because then I can at least pretend to be a little self-righteous...

Want me to write you a story...?

I mentioned a while back that I’d signed a contract for a freelance gig, and I just got my first assignment as well as confirmation that I can advertise the site and my involvement.

I’m writing for Custom Erotica Source, which supplies customized erotica stories for clients. In other words, you send in the type of story you want, the characters (you’re the star, generally), and any specifics you want mentioned, and one of the writers writes you a story It can be romantic or steamy, short or long, etc. CES binds the stories into pretty handmade booklets.

I’ll be writing under the name Kendra Wayne, to keep these stories separate from my other erotica/erotic romance work. Yes, another pen name! (One can never have too many, you know.) So if you ever want to order a story, ask for me!