.

2011-12-09T22:52:00.001-06:00

I am trying to decide if it's worth getting up at 4 am to see the Blood Red Moon.

The answer is probably yes.

Twittering

2010-08-11T08:54:00.001-06:00

The blog isn't dead, but my twittering has taken over.

@crackpothall

I'm pleased to announce that FLORA'S FURY is on track for a fall 2011 publication date. The final draft is done and the tweaking phase has begun. I promise you that Flora has managed to really get herself into a jam this time; lucky for her that she has some help getting out of it. New friends, old friends, and an adversary that makes a giant loliga seem like a lollypop.

Kindling!

2009-04-27T10:10:00.001-06:00

Article yesterday in the NYT about the Kindle...while there may be some legitimate debates about how Kindle will change publishing--and some of those changes maybe not so much the better for authors--the NYT hand-wringing seemed to be mostly over the fact that books on Kindle can't be used as status signifiers (tho' the Kindle itself, of course, it somewhat a status signifier since it ain't cheap)...after all, how will people know you are so cool and read Melville or Sartre if there's no book cover to inform them of such? It's true that as far as being used as a wing-book, the Kindle is useless...but...full disclosure:

Devilman got me a Kindle and it's pretty cool. Actually, Devilman got US a Kindle, and although I was skeptical at first, he's now not been able to pry it out of my hot little hands. I'm pretty smitten. Now, I wouldn't want to read every book on the Kindle, and I wouldn't buy a book on the Kindle that I had any expectation of wanting to add to my library, but for a swift read it's pretty sweet how you can download a book in seconds from wherever you are and begin reading instantly. This has caused me to buy books that I might not have otherwise, based on the instant gratification principle. If I had to write the title down and go to the bookstore I might have lost interest in the book before I even got out the front door.

I particularly like reading the newspapers on the Kindle. We used to take the NYT, the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal, but we only ever read the FT weekend edition, and the newsprint did add up. It seemed as though I was always carrying scads of paper to the recycling, or stumbling over pilesin the living room. Now, we are paper free, and don't have to deal with spreading out huge pages on the breakfast table or the living room. Plus, I tend to do most of my reading now whilst satisfying the voracious appetite of the Captain and his grabby hands make books and newspapers problematic. But I can easily hold the Kindle out of his reach and turn the page with one hand, and that works great. You don't get the easy browsing function you do with the physical paper, and the Kindle editions don't have the entire content of the paper edition but it's good enough for casual reading.

A couple of drawbacks: firstly, the Kindle ain't cheap, as mentioned before. I'm sure the price will come down and by the time Captain Jenks is old enough to read Gogol he'll probably wonder why anyone would read books printed on paper, oh those silly old folks. By then, maybe they'll be giving Kindles out in cereal boxes. (I am ancient enough to remember when digital watches cost over $100 bucks and were giant clunky things; you could order them out of the Sears catalog--if you were rich!). But right now it's an investment.

Another drawback: you lose the lovely physical quality of a book. No graphics, and if the book had pictures in it, usually they are ommited from the Kindle edition. I just finished GO DOWN TOGETHER, a bio of Bonnie and Clyde (what absolute pathetic losers--so sad), and I would have liked pictures to go with my text. Luckily, google pics provided illustrations but that's not the same as flipping to the middle of the book. Plus, no cover art, or interesting fonts, etc. Just stripped down utilitarian text. For those of us who like books as objects, that's a drag. But as I said, if I really want to keep a book, then I'll buy it for real.

Last drawback--which could be a MAJOR one for those of us with no self-control. To buy books you set up an automatic account. This means when you click buy on the Kindle, the credit card information is already in the system--which makes book buying SEEM easy and almost FREE. If you aren't careful, you can rack up some serious charges quickly just by hitting BUY BUY BUY. This may be great for the publishers and impulse buying but can get you into fiscal hot water rather quickly. Like with donuts, one must learn to exercise restraint.

However, over-all I am pretty happy to be Kindling...

Andre Norton Award!

2009-04-26T19:20:00.003-06:00

Woo! Last night, FLORA'S DARE won the Andre Norton Award...

Thrilled, excited, stunned, amazed, wah-wah, all of those things. Sad that I wasn't there to woo in person, but the Amazing Dave Schwartz did the honours for me, and even sent me a text pic of the thing itself. It was hard to see details on the small screen, but still it looked grand!

But I am sad that Dave's SUPERPOWERS did not win the Nebula for Best Novel. It's a great novel, and he's a great writer, and I am very very sure that this Nebula nomination will be the first of many nominations for many different awards.

I was in bed when the news came through; the Captain has been restless at night recently and as soon as he hits the rack I do too, as I know I might be up again soon enough. Of course, I am delighted to win, but I'd also like to exert my new found award winning power (yah right!) to remind everyone of the other Norton nominees, worthy books all.Viz.,

GRACELING by Kristen Cashore.
LAMPLIGHTER, by D.M. Cornish.
SAVVY by Ingrid Law.
THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX by Mary Pearson.

I am also super happy that John Kessel's "Pride and Prometheus" won the Nebula for Best Novelette. I read this story in draft form the year I went to Sycamore Hill; to describe it as a mash up of FRANKENSTEIN and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (what if Victor Frankensteins had been a pal of Mr. Darcy?) is accurate, but the story is oh so much more. It is worth seeking out.

It's unspeakably gratifying to be honoured by one's peers in this fashion, of course, and hopefully the unspeakable gratification will give my current writing a bit of a boost. I'm still hacking away at FLORA'S FURY. I had to ditch the first 35K words that I spent three months working on and start over again--off to the wrong start--and now feel back into the scheme of things, but juggling a baby and a book ain't no joke, as I have discovered.

But that's tomorrow. Today is woot!

Flora takes the Omnibus

2009-04-06T18:18:00.004-06:00

I have heard that FLORA'S DARE and FLORA SEGUNDA is going to be published in an omnibus edition by Science Fiction Book Club. I am a huge fan of omnibus editions. When you are reading a series, and really enjoy book 1 it is oh so nice to have book 2 between the same boards, ready and waiting to keep you going. I am always looking for omnibuses (omnibii?) but they are, for rather obvious reasons, confined to book clubs usually, and I'm not currently a member of any book club. I know from a collectible stand-point book club editions are valueless, but I've always liked them. They often have cool cover art, and many times are the only way to get books otherwise published as mass markets in hard back form. I have many Tanith Lee books from the 80s and early 90s in book club editions, and I treasure my book club edition of Gene Wolfe's SHADOW OF THE TORTURER and the other volumes in that series. And great cover art, too. I have seen a prelim of the cover art for FLORA FYRDRAACA (as the omni will be called) and it's pretty nifty. When I get the okay, I will post.

The only sad thing is that FLORA'S FURY will then be a little stand-alone, or no edition at all. Unless, she says, laughing diabolically, there is a fourth book...hmm...there's an idea...

Excuses

2009-04-04T08:51:00.002-06:00

Is it April already? How did that happen? The long long winter is suddenly over, and now, from this side, it don't seem so long. Although, I have to admit that the Captain and I spent six weeks of it in warmer climes (Arizona and Tejas), so we can hardly complain about the winter being so darn long.

And now the little spring buds are budding, and the flowers are flowering, and all will be green again soon.

In other news, once again I am honoured to be on the ballot for the Andre Norton Award, this time for FLORA'S DARE. I guess that's the good thing about publishing a book a year, three years running. If you lose one year, there's always next year. As always, the rest of the ballot is mighty tasty so who knows what my chances are, but at least I ain't up against the JK Rowling juggernaut this time. So there's hope.

Which reminds me, if you haven't read D.M. Cornish's books, you should. LAMPLIGHTER is up for the Norton too, and while I haven't read it, MONSTER BLOOD TATTOO was delicious and contained some of the best world building I've come across in a mule's age. (That's longer than a donkey's age, twice as mean and will wait for years for the chance to kill you.) Also, I'm jealous of the website. It's full of super cool flash, and D.M. Cornish can actually draw so he can do his VERY OWN COVERS. She sighs with jealousy.

In yet other news, I am pleased to say that FLORA'S FURY is finally moving at a steady clip. Now that I've said that no doubt I'll get stymied again, just for spite, but for the moment I am making progress. I had to cut almost 30K words--OUCH--but I have managed to replace almost all of them with better longer and more descriptive words, so it's all copacetic now. I might be over 1/3 of the way done. Woo!

King Baby continues to hold the entire household in thrall. Only Bothwell is immune to his charms. Bothwell knows full well that *he* is the cutest thing in the house. The Captain is merely an upstart.

But I haven't gotten around to watching the final season of BSG. I think I am afraid.

Oh, and The Science Fiction Bookclub is publishing an omnibus edition of FLORA SEGUNDA AND FLORA'S DARE. I love omnibus editions, so I'm super pleased about this. You only seem to get them through book clubs but they are a great way to get a nice hardback chock-a-block with good stuff, to make the reading pleasure last a little longer. Since I can burn through a book very quickly, I am always pleased to have another one waiting in the wings.

Steampunk Jewelry

2009-04-04T08:48:00.000-06:00

My super cool ancient friend Lisby (ancient in the sense that we have known each other for a mule's age, not in the sense that we are both ancient although we might be that too--happy to be crone-like and wise) has been making jewelry for also a mule's age, and very pretty lovely jewelry it is.

Now she and her jewelry making cohorts have branched out and are making pretty lovely super fantastically cool steampunk jewelry which you can drool over at her etsy shop Big Circle Designs and Steampunk Emporium.

I quoth from her own words, for she has said it better than I can: "Big Circle designs are diverse, encompassing the funky, the tribal, the mystical, the spiritual, the powerful, the serene, and the steampunk. Perfect for both the Venus of Willendorf and Romanadvratrelundar--and everyone in between!"

The pieces are lovely meldings of delicate chains and jewels with bits of the mechanical past. They would be sure to make any member of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen drool. Also, each piece has a very cool name, such as Chrononaut Badge of Meritorius Service; Time Machine Key; and Weeping Angels.

Who doesn't want a time machine key?

2009-01-04T22:11:00.002-06:00

Thanks to the Wall Street Journal (of all venues), I have discovered Amanda Palmer, one half of the Dresden Dolls,* who has just struck out on her own with a solo effort. Somehow I had not really noticed the Dresden Dolls before, tho', of course, any band that bills itself as "Brechtian Punk Cabaret" seems exactly up my alley.** So I'm not sure how they remained off my radar for so long. I guess I've been too immersed in sea shanties and the 97th Regimental String Band these last few years.

Anyway, so I've been listening to Madama Palmer's album, Who Killed Amanda Palmer, and enjoying it tremendously. She has a very large range--both in vocal quality, subject matter, and tone. But I haven't listened much recently to contemporary music, and so I'm really enjoying it. Several of the songs have operatic qualities to them that are quite appealing. There were videos, but they got caught in the Warner's youtube malarky and are no longer available. However, here's a video of her song "What's the Use of Wondering."

What's the Use of Won'drin'? -Amanda Palmer & Vermilion Lies- from Amanda Palmer on Vimeo.

You can see why I like her! Apparently, Madama Palmer's label has not been particularly supportive of her album--something I can quite relate to--so I urge you to check it out. She's also working on a book in conjunction with Neil Gaiman, also called "Who Killed Amanda Palmer" which consists of photographs of Madama Palmer posing as a glamourous corpse. I wish I had Madama Palmer's fashion sense.

In other news, my lovely and talented agent sent me a box of Rivera pears for the holiday. At first I was slightly skeptical, as pears can be so hard and grainy...but these pears are soft and delicious and I have gobbled my way through almost the entire box already. In fact, I ordered another box.

In other other news, Devilman, Captain Jenks and I just finished watching "The Golden Compass" on telly. I hated hated hated HATED the books (don't get me started!), and while the movie looked stunning, we were underwhelmed at the plot. At least they managed to cut out most of the stuff I hated about the book, so that was a positive.

And it rained here today.

Goodbye, Richard Stark

2009-01-02T18:05:00.000-06:00

Alas, Donald E. Westlake has died. I just read the first Parker book, The Hunter, (which was published under the name Richard Stark), over the summer and it was terrific. Hard boiled enough to make egg salad with, but with that wonderful noir style--terse, tense and utterly stripped to the bone. The main character, Parker, is a true anti-hero, tough and unsympathetic, but the people in his sights are so much worse than he is that its easy to cheer him on. Plus, there is something intriguing about such single-mindedness. Parker has been wronged--he's going to set that wrong right and nothing will stop him. There is a bit of a cultural artifact about The Hunter, because it so clearly takes place in the early 1960s, but that context only makes the book more intriguing, I think. It's always interesting to read books that were contemporary when they came out, but today are pretty much historical. There is a lack of artifice in such books that you just don't find in historical novels.

Of course Mr. Westlake wrote many many other mysteries, under his own name and others. He was the kind of writer the market just doesn't support anymore, and he was prolific without being a hack. We should all be so lucky.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T17:52:00.001-06:00

So once again it is that time to consider old bad habits and try to discard them for new (good) habits. Resolutions rarely end up lasting much past February, but still, if you don't resolve to do anything then you'll do nothing.

Hence, my resolutions for this year:

Get back into the bloggy habit--at least twice a week
Learn military time
Finish Flora's Fury
Write at least two short stories
Clean out my closet
Go to Sweden to visit my darling friend Lilla My
Take my vitamins every day
Get my website cleaned up

Not particularly lofty goals, but sometimes it is better to strive small with hopes of achieving than to reach for the stars and end up flaming out. I'm already working on goal number 2, by switching most of my clocks to military time, thus forcing me to work a conversion before I know what time it is. And this blog post is also a start.

Of such small steps are mighty journeys made.

What about you?

Flora and Paimon

2008-12-21T16:38:00.003-06:00

The fabulous graphic artist Madama Lea Hernandez has turned her pen to the illustrating of Flora Segunda and Paimon...and kindly allowed me to post said portrait here.

Since I was purposely vague in my description about Paimon (focusing on parts instead of a whole) it is always interesting to see how other see him...And I love Flora's furious fan!

Madama Hernandez writes graphic novels. More of her work can be found here. (How can you not like texas steampunk?) And she has a few other sketches of Flora et al. here. (I like that we are sharing a page with Iggy Pop!).

Many thanks to Madama Hernandez for taking the time to illustrate Flora and her friends, and to allowing me to post the fruits of her labour!

In what distant realm

2008-12-19T15:17:00.001-06:00

has she been loitering? Well, I shall tell it: I have been in that undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler ever returns, tho' occasional messages do get through (such as this one).

That is to say: the Country of Motherhood.

A stork flew over my house back in October (just after my last blog post) and off-loaded a package marked "KING BABY." Suckered as I was by a pair of bright blue eyes, a red furred noggin and two giant purple feet, I took possession of said package and have been dancing attendance ever-since. To the detriment of blog, book, Bothwell and hair-care regime. Of course, the time hasn't been completely wasted--I certainly have new opinion on Buck's mothering strategies, as well as lots of material gathered should I ever want to write a book on the glories of the modern nappy (as earth-killing as it may be, it sure as heck can contain a vertiable shite-load of shite).

But I haven't gotten much writing done--here, or anywhere.

Come January (two weeks from now) that will be changing, as I shall be setting myself the task of getting back into the swing of things. I had completed about 1/3 of FLORA'S FURY before UPStork package arrived, and I have had plenty of time to consider how far I'd gotten and changing things around and new plot-lines and etc. But I fear this blog will remain somewhat sporadic. Intermitent but not fully forgotten.

In the meantime, FLORA'S DARE continues to rack up pretty good reviews, including this one which was just posted Eva's Book Addiction. It's a great review--not just because the reviewer loved the book--but it's a fabulous example of how to write a really consise thoughtful review that imparts the flavour of the book without giving away any spoilers. I have to say I'd rather have no review at all than one that happily ruins almost all the plot-points--as a writer it is very aggravating to spend lots of time coming up with great plot twists and then have them all be rendered moot by a reviewer who could think of no other way to review the book than to recount the plot. Reviewing is tricky, I know--which is why I leave it to others.

In the meantime, to all those who have added me as a friend, or asked to join my mailing list, thank you...it is nice to know that, tho' I might currently toil in the soggy nappie mines, I am not forgotten.

And for those who have emailed me--I am slowly making my way through through my inbox, so please forgive me if I take some time to respond directly. But respond I will, as King Baby (aka Captain Jenks) allows.

An Explanation...

2008-10-15T10:19:00.003-06:00

I've noticed recently that my blog view numbers are steadily going up. Of course, this is fantastic, and I really appreciate all those who have decided to waste a few minutes of their time checking The CPG out.

But I'm sure everyone has noticed that I've gotten rather bad at posting regularly here. There's a fairly decent reason for that, which it feels only fair to share. I've recently developed a pretty bad case of carpal tunnel syndrome--the bete noir of all writers--and thus am having to limit my typing/writing time. Alas that most of my efforts have been focused on working on the final book in the Flora trilogy--(currently called) Flora's Fury and thus blogging has taken a bit hit.

For all who continue to check in, I will try to keep posting but my posts will be intermitent until this horrible tingly condition clears up. Thanks to everyone who is checking in/hanging in/patiently.

Help Save Ratchet!

2008-10-15T10:00:00.004-06:00

I would be very sad if I had to leave Bothwell anywhere. Who would take care of him? Who would feed him? Who would love him? But I would feel even worse if I had to leave him in a war zone.

Sgt. Gwen Beberg has been in Iraq 15 months past her out-date (boo for stop-loss). In that time, she rescued a cute little pup who she named Ratchet, and who helped her get through her time in the war-zone. Now Sgt. Beberg is going home but the War Department is telling her that Ratchet must stay in Iraq--an almost certain death sentence for the poor pup. You can read more details at the link above, which is to article on CNN.

It's against Army Regs for soldiers to adopt dogs, but, of course, the Army dog is a long long tradition--both with war dogs official and dogs unofficial. And needless to say, Sgt. Beberg is distraught at the thought of losing her precious pup--and he is precious, isn't he?

You can help Sgt. Beberg and Ratchet by signing a petition asking that Ratchet be allowed to leave Iraq with her. You can also donate money to the SPCA sponsored organization Baghdad Pups, which is dedicated to helping soldiers like Sgt. Beberg get their buddies home. Please consider adding your voice, and possibly a few bucks, to this worthy cause. It's a small cause, true, but such small causes are the grace notes of our humanity. Sgt. Beberg has served her country well--her country should be willing to return the favour, particularly when the favour she asks is so very small. And cute, and fuzzy, and lovable.

Please help Ratchet!

Another Fine Review...

2008-09-30T22:01:00.004-06:00

Another great review of FLORA'S Dare, this time from Wordcandy.

There's no higher praise that a writer can receive, IMHO, then that the reviewer thought the middle book of a trilogy was not just a middle book of a trilogy. It's so hard to get that bridge right--you aren't starting the story (Book I) , and you aren't finishing the story (Book 3), so the temptation to make Book 2 just filler is pretty strong. I tried super hard to make Book 2 not just filler, but rather to give it a heft and importance of its own. So, I'm very happy that, as far as this reviewer was concerned, I succeeded!

Also, also, I was super pleased that to see that Wordcandy's "Author of the day" was one of my own personal favorites, the now oft' overlooked Mary Stewart. In my salad days, I loved her books--so gothic, so atmospheric, and so proto-feminist!--and even tho' my salad is slightly wilted now, I love her still. Wordcandy recommends NINE COACHES WAITING but my favorite Stewart book is THE GABRIEL HOUNDS. Tho' her most famous series is probably the Merlin trilogy, I never quite got into those books. With the exception of THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING (ranked among my biggest influences) and LE MORT D'ARTHUR, Arthurian legends never really did much for me. I was much more interested in gothic melodrama--and unsurprisingly, still am!

Got Evil?

2008-09-29T09:22:00.001-06:00

If you think you are pretty bad--not just bad, but actually Bad, and can run with the Really Bad Boys, er, Horses, er Supervillains then here's your chance.

The Evil League of Evil is recruiting.

Yes, Bad Horse, the Thoroughbred of Sin, Doctor Horrible, and their evil compatriots are looking for some evil company to round out their league of rogues.

Come on, don't you want to help them sow discord and trouble everywhere, not to mention kick Captain Hammer right in the middle of his carpenter's pants?

You know you do. So hop right on it. If I were in any position to hop, you can bet I sure would.

True Blood

2008-09-28T10:46:00.004-06:00

Last night Devilman and I watched the first three episodes of TRUE BLOOD, HBO's new series based on Charlene Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novels. I've never read any of the Sookie books (tho' I've always admired their covers--very American comic book primitive), but judging from the tv show they are very Southern Fried Gothic. You know--moonlight, magnolias, psychobilly, snake-charmers, rednecks and vampires.

The show takes place in the Deep South and follows Sookie, a telepathic waitress, as she slowly becomes involved with Bill Compton, a 200 plus-year-old veteran of the War Between The States, who owes his longivity to his habit of drinking human blood. A habit that he is able to now break free of thanks the Japanese invention True Blood, a synthetic blood that fulfills all vampiric nutritional needs. Thanks to True Blood, vampires no longer need to hide in the shadows; they've 'come out of the coffin' and are now demanding equal rights with humans. (The show clearly wants to sorta kinda explore the issue of racism in America substituting vampires for other minority groups, but so far that trope has taken second fiddle to Sookie's growing desire for Bill, and that's probably just as well--that sort of substitution can become pretty heavy handed pretty quickly.)

TRUE BLOOD has been getting mixed reviews, but I rather liked it. Anna Paquin, who plays Sookie, does an excellent job of imbuing the character with just the right amount of Southern sass, steel magnolia and naivite. Stephen Moyer, who plays Bill, does a pretty good job of brooding and looking romantically old timey and inscrutable.

I also appreciated that the writers did attempt to inject some sort of historical perspective to people's reactions to the vampire. For example, when Sookie's grandma finds out how old Bill is, she asks if he'll come speak to the local chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy--that would be my exact reaction if I ever ran into a vampire who had fought in the Civil War. Well, not the Daughters of the Confederacy part, but wanting to hear a first hand account of the war--definitely yes! And Bill does seem like the kind of guy who could have been born in the 19th century--he still retains some of those old timey qualities, whereas most tv vampires seem utterly contemporary (Angel & Spike--I'm looking at you!)

And I really like the theme song, Jace Everett's Bad Things. Very psychobilly swamp-grass--one of my favorite genres of music. The credits are also way cool--HBO shows always have great credits even when the shows themselves are awful. (Now I'm looking at you, Carnivale)

Devilman pointed out that the writers have, at times, sacrificed plot continuity for melodramic moments, which is true, but then it wouldn't be a gothic if there wasn't quite a bit of melodrama, so that's okay with me. The first two eps mostly set up backstory and character dynamics; the plot points don't really start rolling until ep three, so if you are tempted to watch, I'd give it at least that long before giving up on the show, should you be leaning that way.

For the moment, I think I'll stick with the show.

Flora's Dare hits the Big Time!

2008-09-27T00:01:00.001-06:00

Speaking of reviews, FLORA'S DARE hits the big-time with a shout-out in Salon.

To wit:

"Flora's Dare" by Ysabeau S. Wilce

Flora Fyrdraaca, the teenage heroine of Ysabeau Wilce's spirited young-adult novels, comes from an eminent military/political family but aspires to be a ranger, which in her imaginary land resembles a cross between a musketeer and a wizard. Like the first book in the series, "Flora Segunda," "Flora's Dare" features the pacing of a madcap farce, the intrigues of a Dorothy Dunnett novel and a Wonderland version of San Francisco in which the human residents are the colonial subjects of some vaguely Aztec-bird-headed overlords. Weird in the best possible way, Wilce's novels are what girl readers graduating from the Harry Potter books ought to be reading instead of the insipid "Twilight" series. The author's Web site is fun, too. -- Laura Miller

I'd be a total liar if I said I wasn't tickled shocking pink to be proffered as a much better alternative to the Twilight books, which IMHO deserve a epithet a bit stronger than "insipid".

Still Flora and I are both pleased and honoured at the attention.

To job or not to job

2008-09-26T23:59:00.001-06:00

In the New York Times today, David Gessner muses on trying to balance the writing life with the working life. He's trying to do both, though teaching creative writing may not be as detrimental to the writing life as say, working as an insurance agent.

Certainly, Sieur Gessner makes an excellent point when he says: "After all, there’s something basically insane about sitting at a desk and talking to yourself all day, and there’s a reason that writers are second only to medical students in instances of hypochondria. In isolation, our minds turn on us pretty quickly."

On the other hand, descending into this sort of insanity is a necessary part of the creative process (so believe I), so if one does not have the luxury of disappearing into one's work, it can be difficult to make progress. As many others have pointed out, writing is the act narcissistic act, the act of a megalomaniac, and neither of those qualities tend to be conducive to being a good employee.

Yet, most writers do need to work just to eat, and to get out into the real world to avoid disappearing into their imaginary worlds, and that's not a bad thing. Believing that one is too focused and tormented to hold down a job is not necessarily the best way to approach one's discipline. And in the end, being a successful writer (published or not) is all about the discipline. It is discipline that turns a scribbler into a writer.

I've had jobs and written at the same time, but my out-put is better when I'm only working on books. Currently, I'm lucky, as writing is my only job. That's about to change, and I'm worried about being able to do big jobs at the same time. But one thing about discipline--it can be cultivated, so right now I'm trying like mad to grow some!

More Reviews!

2008-09-24T23:56:00.000-06:00

Reviews of FLORA'S DARE are starting to trickle in, and I'm tickled to say that they are so far pretty positive.

I'm particularly pleased that several of these reviews have picked up on aspects of the book not normally commented on by readers--world-building, or the characterization of Flora's parents, etc. Of course it's lovely when people love the story, but even more lovely when they notice all the nit-picky stuff you really sweated over, but which often recedes into the background--and you can't tell if anyone noticed at all.

Anyway, here are two reviews to wet your whistle:

The Rush that Speaks LJ

SCI FI.Com

Now in Stores!

2008-09-01T00:04:00.001-06:00

So, FLORA'S DARE is finally available in fine bookstores near you, as well on Amazon.

I would be remiss if I didn't point out that this fine book would make an excellent house-warming, birthday, anniversary, get-well, graduation, or baby gift.

Buy soon and buy often!

First Official Review of FLORA'S DARE

2008-07-19T23:47:00.000-06:00

Just in:

KIRKUS REVIEWS

August 1, 2008 issue

FLORA’S DARE: How a Girl of Spirit Gambles All to Expand Her Vocabulary, Confront a Bouncing Boy Terror, and Try to Save Califa from a Shaky Doom (Despite Being Confined to Her Room)

"Fourteen-year-old Flora Nemain Fyrdraaca ov Fyrdraaca thought everything would get better when her father’s sanity returned after her adventures in Flora Segunda (2007). Instead, he’s turned into a slave driver, making Flora wash dishes, dust her bedroom and study, study, study. Flora wants to find someone who can teach her magical Gramatica, but when an enormous tentacle attacks her out of a dance-club toilet, she’s drawn back into her city’s intrigues. Earthquakes, rebellion and a giant squid threaten Flora’s home, best friend Udo has been possessed and perfect sister Idden has gone AWOL. Flora and Udo are hilarious protagonists in a crackpot setting: While Udo zombifies bandits while wearing lip rouge and frock coats, Flora swims through the magical Current with sexy Lord Axacaya. Many fantasy novels have spunky heroines who challenge traditional gender roles; Flora’s world doesn’t so much subvert gender as find our received notions completely irrelevant to its own society’s complex mores and culture. This fresh and funky setting is rich with glorious costumes, innovative language and tantalizing glimpses of history. (Fantasy. 12-15)"

WOO! I love being fresh and funky--much better than being stale and funky, that's for darn tootin'. Also, always happen to make received notions completely irrelevant!

Flora's Dare

2008-04-22T22:17:00.007-06:00

So about a month ago, I finally finished reviewing the galley's of FLORA'S DARE, the next segment of Flora Fyrdraaca's big adventure. Galleys are now gone to the place there galleys go to grow into real books, and so officially FLORA'S DARE is done. Finito. Finished. Over. Done.

And I have to say that I feel pretty good about it, over-all. Of course, there are always those moments where you think: I Suck, the Book Sucks, the World Sucks, whydidieverthinkthiswasagoodidea, and then you mope around in woe and trouble deaf heaven with your bootless cries, and etc. I had a few of those moments during the writing of FLORA'S DARE, but they were few, and their memory has now faded, and I am happy with the finished result. I think it is MUCHO MUCHO better than FLORA SEGUNDA, for one thing, which is a great relief. It's always a huge worry that your second book will not be as good as your first, but I'm not worried about that at all. Poor FLORA I really got put through the mill, was rewritten umpteen times, and suffered from being cobbled together--and in places, the scars show. FLORA II came out in a much more cohesive manner, and only had to be revised once, and had no cobbling.

I did end up rewriting the last 50 pages in 36 hours when I had one of those last minute brilliant ideas, but that worked out in the end too, and I'm pretty happy. I hope everyone who reads the final result will be pretty happy too. Book is scheduled for September 1st...

Oh and I can't remember if I ever officially announced the title change, so I shall do so now. For ages, I had been called the book FLORA REDUX, but the Publisher Powers that Be weren't so keen on that title, so I went back to the title board and finally came up with:

Flora's Dare: How a Girl of Spirit Gambles All to Expand Her Vocabulary, Confront a Bouncing Boy Terror, and Try to Save Califa from a Shaky Doom (Despite Being Confined to Her Room)

Nicely long and unwieldy, huh? I aim to please.

Flora's Honours!

2008-04-22T22:17:00.006-06:00

In my long Period of Silence, I have been lax about chortling over two huge honours that FLORA SEGUNDA has recently received.

One, of course, is the nomination for the Andre Norton Award, given out annually by the voting membership of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. I'm in supremely good company here, for the other nominees include Sarah Beth Durst, Steve Berman, Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu, and Rex Adam. The award, which is specifically for young adult fantasy and science fiction, has only been around for two years, but it's the only award out there that targets the YA SF&F audience, so it's a great honour to be nominated.

Also a great honour was FLORA SEGUNDA making the James Tiptree Award Honours List. The Tiptree Award is given out specifically for books that explore or expand our concepts of gender. Since gender is one of my compelling interests, and exploration of gender is one of my driving forces--and an important aspect of my writing. I think about gender construction constantly when I write, and constantly as I world build, and it pleases me greatly that the Tiptree Jury recognized this!

FLORA SHRUNK!

2008-04-22T22:04:00.001-06:00

Finally, FLORA SEGUNDA has been shrunk and rewrapped and is now available in paperback. For reasons that I can't quite determine, it doesn't come up on Amazon if you search under either my name or the book's title, but it's in the great Amazon database somewhere, and so hopefully those who need to find it will find it.

The cover looks much cooler in real life; tho' I liked the hardback cover well enough, I have to admit to some pleasure that Crackpot Hall, rather than Madama Flora, is now the focus, and ever-so gothic-y, too!

I got some super happy blurbs, from super fab people, including Diana Wynne Jones, Kelly Link, Charles de Lint and The New York Times.

Woo!

Punk Houses!

2008-01-04T10:03:00.001-06:00

I've lived in a couple of punk houses in my time, and tho' none of them were quite as punk rock as those l the punk houses described in this New York Times article, they had their charms.

There was the Fortress of Ultimate Darkness, in which we fought a never-ending battle against giant attacking cockroaches, and there were impromptu punk rock jam sessions in the basement. There was a giant Led Zeppelin collage in the bathroom which I guess isn't very punk rock, but was very cool. Also, there were monkeys. At one point we had an infamous punk rockstar living behind a curtain in the laundry room (cheap rent)...

And then there was the All Girl House where no man was allowed to set foot, and no meat was allowed in the kitchen, and we painted Viking runes on the walls of the enclosed porch, and the giant red bathroom which I have written about earlier, and the hallway full of bikes. This house was in such a bad neighbourhood that you could only leave the house at night in groups, which was a super big drag, but the rent was cheap. It also had no heat, and so we used to sit in front of the open oven when it got really cold, which, in retrospect, was probably not so very smart. I was standing in the kitchen of the All Girl House when I heard on the news that Kurt Cobain had killed himself...

Tho' the Times article sticks only to punk houses, of course, there ain't nothing more punk rock than living in a tent. There was the time I lived with various members of the Horses of Instruction, down by the China Basin pig processing plant in a punk shebang made out of flour sacks and a leather duster that I kipped from the cloakroom of the Blue Duck. It's a hard call to say who was grubbier--the pigs or the band, and that part of the basin has a tendency to flood when it rains, so it was awfully damp. The band's drummer finally set the shebang on fire trying to make chile brownies (lesson: clean the soot out of your stove-pipe!). After that, me and the leather duster (I think it might have been an old duster of impenetrability because it didn't burn) moved to a room over the Mono Real where I was working as a pot-girl at the time. This room was small, and smelled of always as coffee, but at least it was dry and it didn't also contain a ten piece band and a praterhuman drummer that spit sewage.

Book Rant...

2008-01-04T10:02:00.003-06:00

Are these two books I see before me...Their spines towards my hand...Come, let me clutch them--

And in clutching them, I become annoyed. Viz.:

So I have two big fat mass market paperback books in front of me. One of them is the UK paperback edition of Devices & Desires by KJ Parker (Published by Orbit). The other shall remain anonymous (because what I am about to complain about is not the author's fault) but it's published by a major US publisher. Both books are approximately the same number of pages: 700 plus.

But there the similarities end.

D&D has a nice matte cover, made of nubby parchment looking paper, mostly covered with words, with a small line drawing to illustrate. In width it's probably about 4-5 inches thick. That's pretty thick, but the paper is nice and sturdy and the spine is good, and so it's easy to open and easy to read.

The US book is also 700 pages, plus, but it's only about two inches thick. This is because the interior pages are so thin they are practically newsprint, and the spine is weak. This book may be the best fantasy novel EVER, and in fact, it was nominated for A Major Award--but I can't read it. I tried, but the paper was so flimsy that it was hard to turn, and the ink smudged. All of these annoyances kept throwing me out of the story--and finally I gave up. Which I realize is dreadfully unfair to the poor writer who had no control over any of these issues...but....

Now I understand that probably there wee some cost issues involved the choices that the US publisher made. The book retailed for 6.99 which is about average for a mass market paperback, and the cover was embossed and foiled, which I guess cost more, and which I suppose is supposed to attract readers--but then what is the point of attracting readers if the book is unreadable?

Well, maybe I'm just dainty in my desire to have non-blurry type and non-flimsy paper, and a binding that won't crack. And willing to pay a dollar or so more to get these luxuries.

Devices & Desires: Book Review

2008-01-04T10:02:00.002-06:00

Speaking of Devices & Desires, the first volume in K.J. Parker's Engineer Trilogy--well, it's really good and I highly recommend it. Paul Witcover recommended it to me months ago; I bought off Amazon UK because it wasn't then available in the US (now there's a very stylish trade paperback out), but it sat in my Pile while I finished FLORA'S DARE.

Now FLORA'S DARE is gone from my hands and I've been making good inroads into the Pile, and Devices & Desires has been devoured, dispatched and much enjoyed. It's high fantasy, but with a twist--instead of being founded on magic, the Obligatory Evil Empire has been founded on a system of technology so arcane and complicated that it might as well be magic, tho' as far as my paltry engineering knowledge tells me, said engineering is all quite real world. There is no magic at all--no wizards, no witches, etc., just artisans, craftsmen, and--hunters. The Non Obligatory Evil Empire is very medieval in tone--or at least, idealized medieval, operating within a chivalric code that probably didn't actually exist outside of literature. At first thought, one would think that pitting these two vastly different societies--one tres gallant, the other very Big Blue, wouldn't work but it does. Very well. Very originally well. Yeah, saying a fantasy book is stunningly original is a bit of a cliche--and hardly ever actually true--but I think that in this case the claim is well made. I've not read such an unfantastic fantasy book in a long time, if possibly ever. And I mean that nicely, as a good thing. High fantasy is not my thing normally but this book--high fantasy--is just my thing.

Clearly the author knows lots about systems engineering and the art of courtly love and makes good use of the details for these two sports. Should you be worried that the characters get lost in this shuffle, no fear. There's lots of shifting points of view, usually coming back to the same five characters. And although none of these characters are instantly compelling, they all quietly grow on you until you find yourself really caring what happens to them. They have a certain modernity to their speech which should be jarring in a high fantasy book--people are told to "buzz off" for example--but somehow that isn't jarring at all. In fact, the casual language is a refreshing change from the normal high-faultin' medievally language usually found in this genre.

In fact, I would say that about the series as a whole--it is deceptively quiet--at first it feels as though maybe not much is happening action-wise and that there's too much introspection and exposition on mechanical matters. You don't feel bored, but you don't feel compelled either--but you keep reading and then suddenly you realize you've been totally sucked in and can't wait to find out what happens next.

I'm in the middle of Evil for Evil, volume 2 of the series, and am trying to pace myself. Each book is 700 pages long--that seems like a LOT but you'd be amazed how quickly those pages fly by. I'm in danger of running out of book before I run out of travel.

Oh, and did I mention one of the most deviously evil bad guys to come along in a long long time...?

Nebula Recommendations...

2007-12-22T17:45:00.000-06:00

So I add my voice to the growing chorus of reminders that Nebula nominations close on the 31st, and for all you SFWAwifians out there--this is your big chance to make your dues seem worthwhile, and also, more importantly, to bring to wider attention the high-lights of your reading year.

It takes ten recommendations to put a work on the preliminary ballot. There's lots of good stuff on the Recommended List that only need a few more nominations to nudge it over that threshold--including, (dare I say), FLORA SEGUNDA, which is currently standing at nine recommendations...(!!)

Check out the report, which is available on the SFWA website, and see if there is anything you feel strongly enough about to put your recommendation behind. The Andre Norton Award in particular could use some love...we are in the middle a golden age of YA books, and not much is ending up on the ballot via the nomination process. I realize I'm as guilty of this as anyone, and I've made it my new year's resolution to rectify that fact. The Norton hasn't been around that long, and is still in the process of sinking into the SFWAian fore-brain--so let's try to see if we can raise the Award's profile a bit...

If you were thinking about nominating anything at all--novel, short story, novella, novelette, young adult--now is the time. After the 31st, it's all shoulda wouda counda. The Nebs are one place that your vote really does count.

Bothwell's Booties

2007-12-22T17:44:00.000-06:00

Now that it is miserable slushy muddy freezy icy outside, Bothwell has to wear his booties when we take long walks. He's not so super keen on these booties, but he's even less keen on slushy muddy freezy icyness getting between his toes, so wear the boots he must. Once he's got them on he usually forgets about them, but while I'm trying to wrestle his limp paw into the boot itself, Bothwell turns up the Misery until it could probably be seen in South Africa.

Life's tough.

Anyway, once we get on the street, so many people stop and ask us where we got the boots, that I feel safe in recommending them now to anyone who might have a dog with delicate paws. The brand is called Neo Paws, and I highly recommend them. The boots are sturdy, and if put on properly impossible for Dog to get off, no matter how high he prances and shakes his legs. The website has instructions on how to measure paws, and they are very easy to deal with--I initially bought the wrong size for Bothwell's back feet, but I had no problem exchanging; in fact, they didn't even wait to receive the old boots before they sent me new ones.

In fact, the boots are so good that they are used by Search and Rescue dogs all over the country. If that's not a recommendation, I don't know what is.

Neo-Paws also has rain-coats, seat-belts, and Doggles. I'm not sure that Bothwell is ready for Doggles, but if he decides to join Devilman on his motorcycle we'll have to talk...

p.s. Speaking of Bothwell, while we were out in the back yard earlier today he sniffing around some trees; when I called him back, he ran towards me joyfully, with the back half of a poor little rabbit hanging out of his mouth. Yuck! He didn't kill it--just found the left-overs, but still, disgusting...

Azul!

2007-12-21T21:00:00.001-06:00

Whoo-hoo--Bilskinir Blue has been named Colour of the Year--2008!

Of course, they don't call this shade Bilskinir Blue; they call it blue iris or shade 18-3943. But we know better, don't we.

That Paimon, he's subtle and behind the scenes, but he's busy.

Catch & Release Books

2007-12-21T20:58:00.000-06:00

Last year Devilman started to leave books that he had finished reading on the El for others to find, hopefully read, and pass on. A stealthy way to encourage reading, plus give a book a second chance at a reader, rather than spending the rest of its life languishing on a book shelf.

Now, according to the NY Times, I see that once again he is an early adopter; whereas Devilman was just doing his book drops with no thought of tracking, members of Bookcrossing register their books before letting them go, and then hope that whoever picks the book up will notice the registration number, and check into the website with their wheres/whens of their findings.

It's a cool idea; even if no one ever acknowledges finding the book, there's always the hope that whoever finds the book will read it and appreciate it. Of course, in today's security paranoid age, you might want to be careful of where you drop your book; it would defeat the purpose if the copy of The Shining ended up triggering a bomb disposal unit. But some things are worth the risk.

The closest I've ever come to giving a book to a stranger was back when I lived in Yerba Buena. I was riding the N-Judah one day, while reading a copy of A Rebours. A kid got on, looked about maybe 16-17 years old. He had long hair, a battered leather messenger bag and was wearing a 1950s suit and a tie. In a sea of track suits and hoodies; he stood out--definitely he was going Against the Grain. I had seen him a couple of times before, and he was always dressed the same. When the street car got to my stop, I shoved the book at him saying: "You should read this." He took it and I jumped off. I have no idea what he thought; probably that I was crazy--but I hope he read the book...I never saw him on the street car again...So that's not quite the same thing as Bookcrossing, but still, my attempt to do my small part in introducing young minds to the decadent movement and Gustave Moreau.

I have sometimes been tempted to sneak small press books onto the shelves of commodity bookstores but never had the nerve to try.

White Space...

2007-12-14T13:04:00.000-06:00

In today's NYT an article about "white space" which is (apparently) the name given to places where people do actual work, as opposed to their desks where they are supposed to be working but can't because their desks are too cluttered with nick-nacky work that is getting in the way of their real work.

The phrase is new to me, but not the concept. I find I've been an aficianado of White Space for some time. Despite the fact that my desk is enormous (I inherited it from Devilman who bought it years and years ago from OfficeMax but then abandoned it when the legs broke...I fished the top out of the trash and my pa made new legs out of gas pipes, and aqui, as good as new)...despite my desk's size, I can't seem to get any work done on it. Probably because it's always covered with crap: pens, pencils, notebooks, lamps, stamps, ink wells, cards cases, tape rolls, jewelry boxes, books, dog treats, plastic squids, bottles of black nail polish, pictures of John Bell Hood and U.S. Grant, a holiday Jack Ball, etc..

So I only sit at my desk to web-surf and blog. When I need to write, I go to the dining room table which is blissfully clear of crap, and gets sunlight in the afternoon. (My office has windows facing west so it's pitch black by 2 p.m.) The dining room is where I wrote most of FLORA'S DARE. FLORA SEGUNDA was mostly written in my parent's laundry room in Arivaipa Territory; it's tiny and warm and floods with light in the afternoon.* I find lots of natural light helps with the creativity immensely. Many people go to cafes to write but that doesn't work for me. While there are many nice cafes in Porkopolis, I don't find any of them conducive to lingering in, plus, I personally get really annoyed at people who park in cafes for hours and hours nursing the same cup of coffee, monopolizing all the tables so that those of us who just want to sit for ten minutes to drink our cappuccinos can not. Also, I get distracted by people watching. In my dining room and my parent's laundry room there are no people to distract you, just grunting sleeping dogs, who are easily tuned out.

So those are my current White Spaces, which would more accurately be defined at Dark Green & Gold Lincrusta Space, and Sunlit Laundry Machine Space.

How 'bout you?

Book Reviews...

2007-12-14T13:02:00.000-06:00

A couple of months ago, I was somehow suckered into getting a subscription to The New Republic. I say suckered because I normally don't agree in the slightest with the slant of most of their political coverage, and find their arts reviews to be a bit high faultin' even for me. But in the December 10th issue, I find an editorial I wholeheartedly agree with (with which I wholeheartedly agree).

In The Battle of the Book the TNR editors lament the disappearance of the professional book review from print media. Quoth: "A newspaper discloses its view of the world clearly by what it chooses to cover and not to cover, and with what degree of rigour and pride. When you deprive the coverage of books of adequate space and talent, you are declaring that books are not important, even if you and your wife belong to a book club and your Amazon account is a mile long."

I'm going to breeze right over the TNR's assumption that newspapers are controlled completely by men ("you and your wife"), 'cause now that Katherine Graham is dead, they probably are, and agree with the rest of the article. It's true that we are in a golden age of book reviewing, in terms of what is available on the web, but as web reviewers wax, newspaper reviewers wane, or become increasingly dumbed down, and this is a real pity, I think. Writing an intelligent thoughtful book review which places in the book in question into a historical and artistic context and which sparks readers to consider the book in a new and unexpected way is difficult. (That's why I don't review books myself, except in the most cursory "I like it this is why" fashion.) There should be more challenging book reviews, not less. Newspapers used to pride themselves on supporting this type of book review. With a few exceptions, and growing dimmer every year, no longer.

Recently there has been some controversy over whether or not book bloggers are bringing the reviewing world down; it's not my intent to get pulled into that controversy. In my mind there is room for everyone: amateurs, semi-professionals, professionals. The more book reviews the better--but even today newspapers, for better or for worse, still carry with them an aura of privilege--the attitude that if something is important it will be covered in the newspaper, and if it's not, then it can't really be that important. By dropping book reviews, the newspapers are sending a powerful message--plus, the price point of a newspaper is much lower than a magazine, thus reaching a wider range of people. The TNR has a point, I think, when they argue: "The intelligent discussion of a book has the power to change its reader's ideas about how he votes or who he loves--to furnish nothing less than a 'criticism of life'...Book reviewing is a training for controversy, without which no open society can flourish."

Newspapers & magazines who still maintain vigoruous and challenging interviews, IMHO, include: The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, The New Scientist, The Economist* & The Guardian. Alas, that most of these publications are magazines, not newspapers. I do not care one wit for the reviews in The New York Times, which seem to be written solely for the purpose of shilling "high-brow" fiction and inspirational up-lifting ladies' book club books.**

I leave you with one last quote: "When a book review is done well, it transcends leisure. It inducts its reader into the enchanted circle of those who really live by their minds. It is a small but significant aid to genuine citizenship, to meaningful living."

Hear Hear!

Apres Flora, A New Idea

2007-12-10T13:20:00.001-06:00

The other night I had a new idea for a new novel.

Flora isn't in it. Actually, no one we already know is in it, but it is set in Califa. It's a love story.

High concept: Bluebeard crossed with The Little Mermaid crossed with the Beggar's Opera, lashed with a heavy dose of Goth (the music and the revival.)

Low concept: What if the little Mermaid gave away her voice & tail to marry the Prince only to discover that the Prince was Bluebeard? What would she do then, huh?

Did I mention it was a love story?

Anyway, so the idea just came to me full-form and I've already written the opening. Of course, I'm supposed to be thinking about the further adventures of Flora, but I may well work on this for a time, while I continue doing research for the next Flora book. It's nice to work on something that feels less under the gun. And it's nice to be excited about an idea, too. I've been wanting to write something more explicitly fairy-tale riffing (though there is a fairy tale riff in FLORA'S DARE), and also something more explicitly a girl's first love, but nothing specific had come to my mind previously.

I usually start stories with characters--I can have a vague idea, but if if the idea has no character attached to it, then the idea doesn't go too far. But sometimes a character just springs full formed, a la Athena, from my brain and then its just a matter of listening to what the character has to say. Once the character introduces him/her/itself, the rest is easy. So, I suppose I should really say not that I had an idea for a story, but rather that a character wanting to tell a story--her story--popped in last night. I hope she's gonna stick around for a while, 'cause I think it's a pretty good story.

Paper vs. Plastic, Part II

2007-12-10T13:19:00.001-06:00

(it seems to be Environmental week here at the CPG Society Page--!)

Interesting article at the NYTimes on whether buying local is always good for one's carbon footprint--the equation is slightly more complicated than one might think...About six months ago The Economist ran a similar article, so I'd already been considering most of the points raised in the Times article. I would not by any stretch call myself an environmentalist--maybe barely environmentally conscious, but I suppose it certainly behooves all us to think about our own actions regarding the environmental impact of our choices, and thus am I thinking.

On the other hand, if you think too hard about the various contradictions, trade-offs, conflicting reports, etc., you'll soon find yourself completely paralyzed--crushed with guilt for whatever choices you might make! Have you ever noticed that these days EVERYTHING is Bad for You, Bad for the Country, Bad for the Environment, Bad Bad Bad...?

Good Advice!

2007-12-10T13:18:00.001-06:00

So in prep for decorating the Xmas tree, I was unwrapping the Xmas ornaments, which I inherited from an elderly great uncle who is with us no more...He didn't use this ornaments much in his last years, and so most of them are quite old and fragile. I haven't used them much recently either, so they are still in the old paper in which he wrapped them last, lo those many years ago. And I really do mean old paper, including old paper towels, old Kleenex, and old napkins. The kind of paper that is meant to be disposable, and which doesn't usually survive more than a few weeks, much less forty years.

One of these old napkins appeared to be of the cocktail species; you know the kind, cute little picture on the front, pithy sayings on the back. (Do they make them this way anymore? I'm not sure?) Circa mid-1960s, I'd judge. The cute picture shows an old timey country scene: covered bridge, furry little surrey with a fringe on top, etc. "May all the bridges you cross be covered ones" the napkin says hopefully. On the back, the platitudes continue:

You'ns ain't the only pepples on the peach.
We grow too soon oldt and too late schmardt.
Put your umbrella up. It's making down out.
They looked the window through.
Hope it gives what it looks like for onct.
Run the Alley Up. Jump the Fence Over.
Sorry you don't feel so pretty good.
The coat doesn't fit, not?
Run the steps up.
My, you look good in the face.
Sign: "Keep the Paint Off".

And my favorite:

Don't eat yourself full--there's pie back.

Now I have no idea what any of this means, but some of it sounds like pretty good advice to me, most particularly that last one. There isn't always pie back, but it's worth keeping the space open, just in case.

The Goddess of Love

2007-12-10T13:17:00.000-06:00

I can't help it; I adore Courtney Love. Ayah, so she's done some super crazy things, some of which are horrible and not to be applauded, but, you know, I still love her. She's like the last great rockstar, and her music is incredible. Doll Parts remains one of my favorite songs. She is clearly beset with the same issues as most modern women, including body image, motherhood, money-management, and dating, but she's played out these issues in an incredibly public way in an arena that even today remains pretty male-centric. (Rock and roll). She's a Dionysian gal in an increasingly Apollonian world.

And Madama Love is pretty self-aware too, and amazingly lucid, considering everything, as this interview in the Telegraph attests. Consider this quote: "I used to play up to it a bit when I was on drugs because who cares: sex, drugs, rock?'n'roll, waaaah! I always seem to come number two to Keith Richards in lists of greatest hell-raisers of all time. But if I was a guy, I wouldn't even be on the list! I didn't know it was such a guy's job. It's like playing football in high heels and lipstick; no wonder it smears.'"

Ayah, so.

Plus when was the last time a celebrity blogged so candidly about money? Apparently she's got some ID theft and credit score problems, and she's offering herself up as an example of why women should keep track of their own finances. (You have to click through to get to her blog--her typing is hit or miss but her entries are always interesting.)

That Madama Love is alive today at all is a credit to her survival skills; she seems to be in a up-turn phase right now and I hope it continues. And I'm looking forward to her next album, which is supposed to be out next year.

Hedgie!

2007-12-05T20:18:00.000-06:00

Look at this adorable little white hedgehog...

Fashion Victim

2007-12-05T20:04:00.001-06:00

I love high fashion.

Actually, perhaps I should clarify. I am very interested in fashion--after all, clothes do make the man/woman/child/butler--but I love couture. Fashion is all about creating market frenzy and marketing frenzy, constantly coming up with new things for people (women) to buy, and then denying people (women) the right to buy those things via price, deliberate shortage, or sizing. It is interesting to see how fashion reflects society, etc., but--

Fashion makes women feel bad; bad they can't wear it, bad they love it, bad they can't afford it, wah wah wah. The lady-mags that shill for fashion are full of pernicious articles that kill women's souls, make them feel inadequate and lacking, destroy their self-confidence and I say this woefully because I like some of the lady-mags, but I have sworn off of them because they are poison. (All except for W, which is full of $500 dollar per oz perfumes, and fashion layouts so abstract you can't even tell what the clothes look like--impossible to take seriously.)

For the most part, the lady-mags do not cover couture, because couture is fashion taken to extremes and of no use to the average ladies. You can't afford it and you couldn't wear it if you could.

What exactly is couture? Couture is...well, I'll let the Master of Couture, John Galliano, via an interview with the FT, explain: "I think couture has to be the dream...it is the undiluted, unrestrained idea."

No one expects to wear couture in its purest form. It's too expensive, too cumbersome, too crazy. And because it's divorced from actual market forces, it is fanciful, insane, dreamy, abstract, visionary. Re Dior's 2004 Collection, I again quote the FT: the "Austro-Hungarian Princess collection, where models loomed on 6in platforms complete with crowns, corsets, and fur-and crystal-trimmed exaggerated hourglass figures; and last January's Japan-inspired Origami collection of New Look meets kimono suits and dresses, folded and pleated in ever more elaborate and mind bending constructions." Those aren't the clothes you wear to go to Starbucks; they are clothes that foster revolution. (In the case of the French revolution, literally--more on that in a later post.)

And for those few ladies who can handle modified couture, well, no one expects them to wear it on their own: even today a Dior dress has more scaffolding in it than the Empire State Building.

Couture is the science fiction/fantasy of fashion. Designers are unfettered from reality; they use clothing to create stories, to explore ideas, to imagine new worlds and new civilizations. Couture reflects on history past, and reshapes it into history future. It is no less an art form than painting or sculpture. I find it endlessly fascinating; and consequently, I spend a lot of time thinking about how people in Califa dress. It don't always come across in the text, as not everyone may be interested in reading very detailed descriptions of the beading on Flora's Catorcena dress, or the pattern of frogging on Buck's dress uniform--but I still think about it. Califa is my own version of Couture, I guess. Perhaps not as visionary, but a good deal less expensive!

Anyway, this post was inspired by an article about John Galliano in last week's How to Spend It section of the FT. You can read the article in full here, via some weird pdf-like interface. It starts on page 9 and contains some fantastic pictures of Dior dresses, as well as John Galliano and his do-rag being very thoughtful and passionate.

Where did She Go Again?

2007-12-05T00:39:00.000-06:00

Well, I was finishing FLORA'S DARE, and I have been over at live-journal (yswilce).

I'm thinking about actually switching all the way over to lj; so if you haven't been following me there, and wish to follow me at all, you should try catching me there. I've done some cross-posting but not a lot and am not sure if I'm going to continue here. After being introduced to the lj format earlier this summer, I am finding it to be a lot more friendly than the blogger format. There's something about actually having friends which may be somewhat high-school, but is also rather comforting. (You don't have to have an lj account to read an lj journal)

So that's where I've been.

Tin Man

2007-12-05T00:38:00.000-06:00

Now that FLORA'S DARE has gone to the copy-editor (woo!), I can resume my voyage on the U.S.S.S. Sofa...yesterday's voyage took me to the Outer Zone or the O.Z., via the Sci-Fi Channel's miniseries TIN MAN.

TIN MAN is an up-dating of The Wizard of Oz. Most of all the old favourites are still there, Dorothy, Toto, The Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, but re-imagined--sometimes imaginatively, other times not so much. Dorothy is now a slacker chick with a motorbike named DG; Toto a shape-shifting tutor; The Cowardly Lion a Lion-like empath; the Scarecrow a political prisoner whose brains have been removed as part of a reeducation process; and the Tin Man, a Jimmy Stewart-like sheriff. Like I said, sometimes imaginatively, sometimes not so much.

Anyway, there's some very cool special effects, tho' it's a huge pity the series is not in HD, and some very cool magic stuff. Like most hero's journey type narratives, the characters spend so much time on the road (when do they eat, when do they sleep, when do they pee?) that the story is more about the journey than about the hero. Also, like many CGI heavy series these days, all the money has gone into the CGI; for example, the Wicked Witch only has one outfit. Now, if you were the wicked witchy overlord of a huge magickal kingdom would you only have one outfit? Naw, I didn't think so...you'd be John Galliano's dream client...Also, losing out to CGI is the plot: clearly they decided not to waste too much money on writers either. The story is riddled with plot-holes the size of black holes. Does the director not notice these holes, wondered Devilman, or does he just not care? Says I: No and yes.

However, Tin Man does have some of my favorite, oft overlocked actors: Alan Cumming, Neal McDonough, and the vastly underated Callum Keith Rennie, who I'm just dying to have play Hotspur in the joint Peter Jackson/Terry Gilliam multi-billion dollar movie version of FLORA SEGUNDA. (Tho' I admit to sometimes having a yearning for Michael Biehn instead.)

The Wicked Witch's thugs have very cool leather trenchcoats. Too bad they don't know how to man a picket line, patrol, or secure a perimeter. Why do Evil Baddies always have such useless goons? Perhaps they can't compete with Blackwater. Maybe they should just hire Blackwater; I'll bet those jerks would jump at the chance to work with flying monkeys and wear ankle-length leather trench-coats.

Anyway, I wouldn't go out of my way to watch Tin Man, but if you happen to catch it, you could probably watch it and read a magazine at the same time, and not be too bored.

Today...

2007-11-22T14:35:00.000-06:00

I give thanks for:

dogs
good friends
hot water
laundry starch
espresso
fountain pens
democracy
pre-made gravy
Turner Classic Movies
my family
antibiotics
the printing press
gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fantastic Potties...

2007-11-20T12:41:00.000-06:00

Ayah, so, it's no secret that I seem to have a weird thing about fabulous bathrooms. Maybe it's because for the last few years I have not had a fabulous bathroom.

Maybe it's because when I was a kid we lived overseas, in countries where, compared to the standard 1960s tiny tub and pink sink, the bathrooms were fabulous indeed--huge deep tubs, bidets (which make perfect Barbie swimming pools don't you know) and towering pedestal sinks.

I vividly remember our first trip to Paris, where we stayed in a tiny hotel that had all the early 20th century mod cons, including a tub the size of a cattle trough, which sat dainty on claw-feet. No shower, of course. I got out of the tub the first day, misjudged the drop to the floor (American tubs always sit square on mother earth), and almost beaned myself on the cast-iron edge.

Then, in my callow youth, I lived in an apartment that had, in addition to a water closet, a bathroom that was the size of a small bedroom. It was big enough to contain a sofa, a chest of drawers, an enormous bathroom, and a small sink. We painted the room blood red, and lit it with candles. The flat had no heat, so during the winter, I would fill the enormous tub with boiling hot water, and lie on the sofa reading by candlelight. That tub was big enough to fit three girls, sitting like peas in a pod, or one girl floating completely stretched out, and, when full of hot water, it generated enough steam to turn the room into a sauna. Ah, that tub...

Anyway, now I have a very un-fantastic bathroom and no tub at all. But I try to make up for this lack in my stories which often contain wish-fulfillment lavs. Or characters, who like me, lack fabulous bathrooms (or fluffy towels) and crave both.

Bringing me to the true point of this post, which is to that the FT has an article about some truly fantastic potties. The article was written by Lucinda Lambton, who also has published a history of fabulous loos called Temples of Convenience, which looks totally awesome. There was a golden age of bathrooms--and we are not now in it.

To paraphrase Tolkien: "Indoor plumbing is a noble thing!"

Viking Rock!

2007-11-20T12:21:00.000-06:00

Over at his lj page, psamphire has the some awesome clips of a Viking heavy metal band called Turisas. Check them out--when was the last time you saw a blood-stained marauder covering Boney M's Rasputin? Or a heavy metal band manly enough to include accordions in their line-up?

I tell ya, Hardhands himself would be jealous.

Reading Counts...

2007-11-19T14:15:00.001-06:00

The New York Times reports that an NEA study show a link between low test stores and reading for pleasure. That is: kids who don't read for fun have lower test scores in reading and writing--and math and science--than those who do read. Kids who grow up in homes that have less than ten books score lower than kids who grow up in homes with more than a hundred books--and this holds true even when the stats are adjusted for income and college degrees.

Somehow this doesn't come as a surprise to me.

Of course, as in all studies, some experts disagree, but still, it seems rather elementary to me that reading does matter--in test scores and in life.

I am glad to report that Bothwell is growing up in a house with many many books. If only he could read.

I am Sad...

2007-11-16T18:35:00.000-06:00

That Heart's Barracuda is now being used to advertise vans.

Flora Segunda on Audio

2007-11-16T15:52:00.000-06:00

Finally, the audio of Flora Segunda has shown up on Amazon.

Perfect for long car trips, or to while away the time while being stuffed into an economy class airline seat, no?

Title Change!

2007-11-16T15:48:00.000-06:00

Well, Flora Redux is no more...

I would like to introduce instead (drumroll please):

Flora's Dare,

How a Girl of Spirit Gambles All to

Expand her Vocabulary,

Confront a Bouncing Boy Terror

And Try to Save Califa from a Shaky Doom

(Despite Being Confined to Her Room.)

WFC Books.

2007-11-16T15:44:00.001-06:00

So, of course at WFC, we got giant goodie bags full of books, and actually I guess I should be saying "duffle bags" of books, because that's actually what the goodie bags were--giant duffle bags. This was a nice change from all the book bags that I have gotten over the years and which I have never had much use for. I would have much use indeed for the duffle bag, except that I couldn't bring it back me and stick to my "carry-on only" policy. So I filled it full of the books that I did not want, and then dropped it off at the Saratoga Library on the way out of town, feeling oh-so-virtuous for recycling.

But the books inside the bag. Some I had no interest in, and promptly put in the give away pile. Others that were intriguing until I got a few pages in. For eg. there was a book (no names please) about a family that could shape-shift into dragons, set in the 18th century. It started out strong, but then it quickly turned into a what I call a "woman-breaking" book. Which is to say, a book about a man takes a strong independent woman and breaks her down into a subservient domestic wife. If you saw this story on American Justice you'd be out-raged at the misogyny of it all--but somehow with dragons and romance, it's okay.

No, it's not.

Jay Lake's Trial of Flowers, with its gorgeous Nightshade Books cover. I've only read a few pages in, but I'll definitely keep going. The City Imperishable is weird and grotesquely wonderful, and full of quirky darkness. Plus, I'm a sucker for Salammbo-esque world, and The Trial of Flowers is decadent all the way. It's crying out to be illustrated by Mahlon Blaine.

Also kept, and now on my stack to read:

The Electric Church by Jeff Somers, which appears to be a dystopian futuristic cyber-hardboiler. Which is the way I like my hard-boilers, for the most part. (See Richard K. Morgan.)

Acacia by David Anthony Durham, whom I had a lovely chat with at the Orbit party. A fantasy set in a sort of pre-Classical world. Looks like some of the standard fantasy tropes--kings, rebellions, revenge--but from the first twenty pages or so, definitely better done than most of this genre. I hope that doesn't sound like damning with faint praise.

Black Ships by Jo Graham. I read this one is one sitting--while deadly ill with a deadly cold--which tells you something about how engrossing it was! A retelling of The Aeneid, with characters that the reader can empathize with, and yet which retain a sense of historical "otherness". This book is set a long long time ago. People were the same then as they are today, but they were also very different. Narrated by Sibyl, a priestess of the dead, the story follows the last survivors of Wilusa (Troy), as they travel through the Mediterranean looking for a new home. Graham mixes legend with history to good effect, and though she adds a dollop of fantasy here and there, for the most part the book is set in the realm of the historical Classical World. Conveying an authentic historical voice without straying into modernism is a hard trick to pull off, but Graham succeeds beautifully. Her characters are compelling, achingly real, and, despite, the horrors they witness, hopeful. She deals with the harsh reality of warfare in the Ancient World directly and without flinching, and yet her story never strays into melodrama or sentimentalism. Graham's handling of some of the more difficult aspects of Classical life--including sex and rape--is deft. The people of the Classical world had dramatically different attitudes towards these things than we do today, and Graham presents these attitudes in a straight-forward way that is neither judgmental nor sleazy. A great book and one that I highly recommend.

Later, books I read last week that did not come out of the Duffle Bag!

Gone & Probably Forgotten.

2007-11-16T15:42:00.000-06:00

Line edits take a long time. Particularly when you are sick and traveling.

I'm just saying.

Saratoga AAR

2007-11-16T15:41:00.000-06:00

WFC was fabulous, as always, though insanely busy, trying to track everyone down that I wanted to track down, and keep up with parties, and panels, and hob-nobbing, and all those other lovely con activities. The hotel was not so great--they seemed ill prepared for a thousand rabid writers and fans descending on them--in fact, it got so overwhelming at the bar, that they actually had to open up another bar in the lobby to handle the overflow. Though the hotel billed itself as a conference center, I'm guessing that conventions of dentists or accountants don't drink as much as writers do. Just a guess, there.

I was on one panel that was interesting, tho' through no fault of mine own: Tolkien as Horror Writer. The other experts had far more to say about Tolkien as Horror Writer than I did, but I hope I lent the appropriate moral support to their arguments just by nodding sagely as they talked. I was put on the panel at the last minute, as a courtesy, which worked out better for me than it did for the audience, I fear. Anyway, if I didn't hold the panel up, at least I didn't send it plummeting to the ground either, so all in all, a success.

I saw many people, all delightful, and none of whom I shall namecheck here, both to protect their innocence, and because I'm too darn lazy to look up all the lj/blogger ids. For me the whole point of WFC is to see people whom I otherwise would never see, and this year was no exception. I'm only sorry that I didn't see half as many people for twice as long as I would have liked.

Many parties, all of which blurred into one another, with the exception the party hosted outside the hotel by Orbit Publishing. It was a polished bash, with an open bar, and yummy canapes, and tho' I never did figure out who was there in the flesh representing the publisher, so as to thank them, I had a lovely time. I hate going to parties and not being able to thank the hosts directly--it feels so rude to eat and drink at someone else's expense and not at least say thanks, but these events are often so crazy that it's impossible to determine who to thank. So, a bit late, but hopefully better than never, Orbit Publishing--thanks for the great time!

I did not win the World Fantasy Award for Best Novella; that honour went to Jeff Ford, who richly deserved it, of course. I didn't expect to win, and was slightly relieved not to do so. In my humble opinion, my story was good, but it wasn't better than the others on the slate, and I will be the first to admit it. It was an honour just to be nominated. No, really, it's true. Hundreds of stories are published each year; to get singled out as being one of the best is fabulous, and more than I could have ever hoped for. I despaired of finishing that story--I never thought I'd do it--the first story I completed after Clarion, and it took me two years. So to have it recognized at all felt pretty darn good. And I can't ask for anything more.

Oh, and I should mention too that Sharyn November read the Best Acceptance Speech Ever as written by Diana Wynne Jones who was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award, but couldn't make it to the con. The combination of Madama Jones's words and Madama November's voice was amusing, and the speech itself was great. I hope it will be published somewhere because it's worth reading if you missed hearing it.

I only went to a two readings, both of them (weird coincidence) by men named Paul, both of whom I rank among my favorite writers, ever.

First: Paul Park, who read an astounding story about events that never happened, characters that never lived Aren't all stories about imaginary events and characters? Oh, I didn't say they were imaginary--only that they never happened, never lived. It's not the same thing, at all. Every time I read or listen to something that Sieur Park has written, I am astounded. Where does he get his ideas? How does he think of this stuff? His work is always revelatory, and I always find myself thinking about his stories for a long time afterward. If you haven't read Celestis or Soldiers of Paradise, you should.

Second: Paul Witcover, who read from his current in-process novel, which is about clockwork, and the Devil, and evil cats. Paul's last book, Tumbling After, was set a psychological drama with fantastic elements, a sort of Gaslight with Gaming. The current work is more traditional fantasy, but definitely is going to get the full Witcover treatment. I'm looking forward to reading the whole thing, so he'd better keep working on it (hint hint.)

What is with these Pauls that they all seem to have such astounding twisty-turny minds? I grow suspicious and wary...

I ended WFC on a low note with an attack of the Saratoga Tum, which had earlier felled others both greater and wiser than me. Still, what is joy without sorrow--the bitter makes the sweet all the sweeter.

Next year, Calgary, brr.

Brains--the Other White(ish) Meat

2007-10-05T14:54:00.001-06:00

If you needed a reason why not to snort lake or well water--here ya go.

Those amoebas will eat anything...

Mall Sweet Mall...

2007-10-03T18:54:00.000-06:00

Devilman once lived in a closet at his university for a semester, but this guy, who built a secret apartment in a mall in Providence, R.I., beats him cold.

Sorry, Devilman!

Deathray--the Magazine!

2007-10-02T18:19:00.000-06:00

So a coupla of weeks ago, Devilman and I were trolling the local mega-book emporium, looking for reading material when we came across Deathray Magazine. What a super fantastic find...

Deathray is a British magazine, now in its sixth issue, that's motto says it all "Where Science Fiction Lives"...and not just SF either, but fantasy, and horror, and manga, and anything that might fall under the super fantastic rubric. But what really makes it stands out is that its a glossy mag, a la Fangoria or Entertainment Weekly that delves deeper than the mega corporate SF/F offerings. By which I'm saying that while it has lots of film, dvd and gaming stuff, it also has lots of book reviews, and author interviews (Ursula K. LeGuin anyone?). In fact, that's a good show right there--when was the last time you saw a cover of a glossy magazine trumpet the fact that it contains an exclusive interview with Ursula K. LeGuin?

Here's another example--Deathray has a feature called Time Trap, where they pick a year gone by (issue 6 this year is 1981) and then do a little retrospective on the various genre stuff that appeared during that year. 1981 happens to have Time Bandits, C.J. Cherryh's Downbelow Station, Excalibur, and Herbert's God Emperor of Dune.

That's the good news. The bad news is that in the US Deathray costs 10 bucks. But in its defence, it's glossy, it's large, there's a lot of info inside, and it's printed in the UK. 10 bucks seems a small price to pay. We got it at a Borders so clearly they have tied in with the big US magazine distributors. In the UK, its supposed to be readily available at WHSmith, Sainsburys and Tesco.

I'd like to see this magazine survive, so I'm gonna do my part and pick it up each month. I suggest you do too....

Flora Redux!

2007-09-29T12:19:00.000-06:00

So, I'm back and happy to announce that FLORA REDUX is done, finito, punto finale, over with, gone baby gone. The only thing left to do now are line-edits, and then off she goes to the copy editor, and then to the typesetter and then beyond my ken, and out of my hands.

Whoo!

It took, quite obviously, longer than I anticipated to get finish. This being my second go-around on the final draft front, I have discovered that, like housing renovations and childbirth, it always takes longer than you expected.

But I'm pretty happy with the end result (will I ever be THRILLED with the end result?--doubtful) and eager to see what everyone thinks. However, I shall have to wait until August of next year to get feed-back because that's what the publishing date has been pushed to. Originally, as ya'll know, REDUX was scheduled for the Spring, but various considerations made the Powers-That-Be decide that summer would be a better slot for it. Sorry, but there it is, and hopefully worth the wait.

Otherwise, I don't want to be spoilery, except to say that just about everyone from SEGUNDA is back, some more than others, there are a few new additions to the mix, a lot more action, some of it death-defying, and, of course, waffles.

Now that that's out of the way, I'll be back to posting semi-regularly. For those who stuck with me during that long blog-silence, thanks! I'll try to be twice as entertaining to make up for being so long completely un-entertaining!

Me, Again!

2007-09-13T22:10:00.001-06:00

I swear I did not immigrate to Outer Plutonium, or remove to a secret location at the bottom of the North Atlantic Trench, or board the Marrakesh Express, next stop LaLa Land.

Rather, I have been diligently hunched over my trusty thinkpad, hacking out the final draft of FLORA REDUX.

Yeah, you've heard that one before, I know. But it's true, and now I can say in all absolute honesty that I am within striking distance of The End. Which means I shall be back to more regular blogging soon--but not quite yet.

Next week, I think. By October 1st at the very latest. I apologize for the blog silence, but please understand it's for a good cause. And, believe me, it's taken superhuman Will to keep from aloof from blogger and livejournal--for we all know, diddling away your time tracking the trivialities of your life is so much more fun than actually writing.

Anyway, I don't know why you'd be wasting time with me, anyway, when Michel Faber has a new one out: Vanilla Bright like Eminem. I haven't read it yet--another feat of super human strength, because my copy is sitting not ten feet from where I am now typing, whispering promises of the fabulousity contained within--but I know it's terrific because everything Sieur Faber writes is terrific. And also, because The New York Times says so. (For once, The NYT is surely right on the mark.)

So get thee out, get the book, and by the time you are done, I'll be back.

Valefor Morado...

2007-08-20T22:33:00.000-06:00

So, the fabulous Ozark Storm has sent me my first ever piece of fan-art--obviously, it's Valefor in all his glory. The artist has perfectly captured Valefor's sly smile, ragged hem and poetically disheveled hair. And Purpleness. Very much with the Purpleness. I think it's a fine portrait, and I think its subject would think so too--he might complain it was a bit small (twenty feet by twenty feet might be too small) but that's all he could complain about. He looks pretty good for a banished denizen.

You should also check out Ozark's weirdly wild Mind Flayed comic strip. To illustrate the coolness of this comic, I need say only one word: tentacles.

Thank you, Ozark!

Check Up on FLORA REDUX!

2007-08-20T18:32:00.000-06:00

More than half-way done--deleted lots of boooring stuff, added cool new stuff, and did I mention doughnuts? I didn't before, but I am sure do now!

ETA: the end of this month. In fact, in two days I am going into a week's seclusion in a place where the Internet don't shine, and there are no distractions. It worked for Thoreau, I'm hoping it will work for me.

Once the summer is done, I promise The CPG will be back to its nefarious informative ways.

Cheerie-bye again!

A Starter Course with Teeth...

2007-08-20T18:31:00.001-06:00

Or a variation of the inedible pursued by the unspeakable. It only needs dressing to add the requisite slime.

An Eclipse in YA Chickie-Lit

2007-08-13T09:31:00.000-06:00

I would like to say: gag.

What Would Nini Mo Do? No gagging for her--she'd kick Edward in the head (the guy has been in high school since 1918--sheesh), send Jacob to the Pound, and give Bella a copy of Delta of Venus.

Ayah, I know you aren't supposed to down books you haven't read. But I have the feeling that this review pretty much says it all, and it really crushes me that in 2007 this kind of pernicious crud can capture so many girlish imaginations.

Sigh.

2006 World Fantasy Award Nominations

2007-08-13T09:08:00.000-06:00

Interrupting blog-silence to share the astounding news that my novella"The Lineaments of Gratified Desire" has been nominated for a World Fantasy Award!

To which I say: Woo!

Once again I find myself in extremely stellar company: Jeff Ford, Mary Rickert, Norman Partridge & Kim Newman.

I know it's an old saw: it's an honour to just be nominated. But hey, you know, it's true. I haven't done much short fiction and have found the medium to be quite a chore. I remember when I was sure that this blasted story would never ever ever be finished. Then once it was finished I was sure it would never sell. Then once it was sold (Yay to Gordon Van Gelder) I thought it would just be a fly-by-month. Instead, it has been included in various Year's Best Anthologies, and now this.

So ayah, it it is honour just to be nominated.

Oh and also, nominated for Best Novel: Ellen Kushner's The Privilege of the Sword, an absolutely divine swash-buckler that absolutely deserves to win, and had better or I'm sure Tremontaine will have something to say. Something very cutting.

If you haven't read The Privilege of the Sword, I suggest you do so now. It's a divine book, engaging, entertaining and clever. Let's face it, the swashbuckler genre is pretty paltry these days. In fact, the only other writer I can think of working in that field is Arturo Perez-Reverte, and while his Captain Alatriste novels are good, they are not nearly so urbane or witty, and they don't have Duke Tremontaine, who is truly one of the Great Ones.

(A dinner party with Tremontaine, Lymond and Hardhards--now that would be either a joy or a bloodbath!)

I dare not offer Madama Kushner a vulgar woo. Instead, I give her a more decorous but no less heart-felt huzza!

Oyez...

2007-08-02T18:17:00.000-06:00

Between the dog days of August and rewrites, etc., The Califa Police Gazette is going to go on holiday, I think, for the next few weeks. I may post sporadically, or maybe not all. Subscribe to the feed if you don't want to miss anything; otherwise, I promise I shall be back fresh-faced and sunny at the end of the month, with a finished book on hand, and a song in my heart.

Do something fun yerself, why don't ya?

Tootle-loo for now...

Ah, Sweetness.

2007-08-01T18:28:00.000-06:00

Heh, heh.

Ikea!

2007-07-31T09:07:00.001-06:00

Although I do love Ikea, I am not sure that I love Ikea this much.

Good Dog Jake!

2007-07-27T10:30:00.000-06:00

911 rescue dog Jake has gone where all good dogs go. Plenty of chicken strip treats in heaven, Jake, and you can get your muddy paws on the sofa all you want.

Hasta la vista, Jake!

The Perils of Chicklit, Averted

2007-07-27T10:01:00.001-06:00

So what authors do the Mrs. Generals of our last dispatch consider appropriately uplifting for the modern girl?

"Among the modern writers," Mrs. Miles continued, "I enjoy Bret Harte, whose stories deal with life on the free Western frontier with which I am so familiar. Then what could be finer than Frances Hodgson Burnett's That Lass o' Lowries? I find Mary Cecil Hay's novels elevating, and so also are some of the works of 'The Duchess', although her books are light and frivolous."

I think I'll stick with pernicious books. Not for me the lilies and languors of virtue when I could be reveling in the roses and raptures of vice.

The Perils of Chicklit, circa 1883

2007-07-26T11:43:00.000-06:00

"There is a great deal of talk just now about the dangers of the immoral French novel and of this paper-backed literature of which the modern girl is so fond. I asked a number of our well-read Washington women what they thought of the present craze and what effect it may have on our daughters.

The question seemed to have considerable interest for Mrs. General Sheridan, who devotes much time to the education of her three girls.

"My own three daughters," she said, "are too young to be allowed to read novels, so the question has not yet been forced upon me. But I do not approve of indiscriminate indulgences in modern novel reading for anyone. It drains and enervates the mind, making it unfit for more solid food. In my opinion, no young girl should be permitted to read such light literature until she has attained the age of eighteen.

"In my youth the unformed mind was not allowed the wide license in reading which is now granted to girls in their teens. George Eliot and Ouida fascinate them by the beauty of their style, veiling evil with a mantle of choice language, and so deceiving the unsuspecting young reader until she cannot tell the good from the bad. The literary merit of George Eliot tempts many to place her works on a footing with the best authors, but her moral influence is corrupting, or at least confusing.

"The writings of Tolstoy, of course, should not be allowed in any decent home." Mrs. Sheridan spoke with strong feeling. "His Kreutzer Sonata was written with no higher aim than to depict vice in alluring colors."

Mrs. General Miles agrees with Mrs. Sheridan on this point. "I think the two worst novels I ever read were Anna Karenina by Tolstoy and The Quick and the Dead by Amelie Rives," she said to me. " "Anna Karenina is without a doubt the most pernicious book on the market. It should never be placed in the hands of any young man or young woman."

From
Chapter XIV--Among the Literati
Carp's Washington
Frank G. Carpenter

Oh Dear...

2007-07-25T18:51:00.000-06:00

I had no idea things were so bad in Japan.

Since I too have been limited to an algorithm-based emotion detection for some time, ever since an unfortunate incident with a hair-dryer and a wormhole, I feel their pain. I hope things improve there soon.

The Congress Remains the Same...

2007-07-24T22:38:00.000-06:00

"How did these men get here? In various ways. Some bought their seats, it is charged, and some hold them through their friendships with great corporations. Some got them by drinking in barrooms to cultivate the slum voters. Some hypocritically slid into them by praying in the churches at the same time. Others hold their places by the favor of certain district rings, and the mainspring which runs the successful machinery of still others is the sending out of seeds and government documents to their farming constituents.

A few members of Congress are really great men, but these I can count on my fingers. A few more are noble and upright, and now and then you will find one who casts his vote for his country's good and not just because it will benefit himself. Most of the others swell about and pose as great men. I suppose they feel great, except at election time when they drink, truckle, and boot-lick to maintain their greatness. Congressional greatness--faugh!"

From Carp's Washington, a collection of the newspaper columns of reporter Frank G. Carpenter, who was reporting in---1883!

Somehow I find this comforting. The men in Washington have always been crooks--even within spitting distance of the creation of Congress. If 19th century America could survive them, and 20th century America could survive them, surely we Americans of the 21st century will survive, as well. She says hopefully.

Various...

2007-07-24T20:10:00.001-06:00

Adios, Harry. Don't let the door hit you on the hinder as you leave.
The Angry Island : Hunting the English, by A.A. Gill. After reading reviews, I expected something a bit angrier. Anecdotal books are always better if they are loaded with anecdotes, even if these anecdotes are totally anecdotal. So it's weird when an anecdotal book doesn't actually contain a lot of anecdotes. The author's photo is pretty angry, tho. (He looks just like Lymond's daddy.)
Pig and I are sick that we missed The Chap & Hendrick's 2007 Olympiad. Pig is sure that he would have won the Martini KnockOut Relay handily. (We hates vermouth.) Next year for sure. Pig has already ordered his plus-fours.
Meadowlands. As reviews have pointed out, the show, which chronicles the lives of a people in witness protection who have been confined to a cheerful British sub-division, is rather Twin Peaks Lite. However, it gets points for some of the best decorator porn I've seen in a while (all the interiors are straight out of Living, Etc.) and I am now seriously considering painting our living room emerald green and replacing our chandelier with a hot pink plastic dome light. Anyway, since there's nothing much else good on TV right now, so we'll probably keep watching the show, and maybe I'll get a few more decorator tips.
Ratatoullie. The rat was cute, and the animation incredible, but the star of the show was Peter O'Toole, whose voice alone should be considered a National Treasure. I suddenly have the urge to go watch Lawrence of Arabia again. O'Toole and Sharif. Deep sigh. "Of course it hurts...the trick is not to mind."
(I don't like rataoullie.)
But I do like Goat's Milk Yoghurt--yummm!

Jon Armstrong's Grey now Podcasting!

2007-07-24T19:37:00.002-06:00

I was lucky enough to read Jon Armstrong's Grey back when it was still a twinkle in his computer, as of yet unpublished and a wee bit unpolished. Then, I got to read the book again in its polished and published form and it was even better than I had remembered it...

Jane Austen meets William Gibson channeling Romeo & Juliet as chronicled by W Magazine, Gray is a futuristic techno-thriller comedy of manners with a fashionable edge. It's less science fiction than science fashion, a sartorial satire of the pret-a-porter future. That's the fun for the fashion geeks. For the tech geeks there is plenty of that too, along with a huge dose of wacky Japanese-style pop culture, and, of course, plenty of dystopia.

Many times you've been told about how original a book is or how its author is a compelling new voice. Usually these proclamations are just PR cant. But this time such sweeping statements are actually true. I can not, off the top of my head, think of one other book I've ever read that was even remotely like Gray. It's original and terrific. If you don't believe me, go to Jon's myspace page where experts agree. Then quit wasting your time and go read the book.

You can purchase Gray directly from the Night Shade Books Boys (their super-huge sale is still going on, too, what a deal) or you can listen to it via podcast, downloadable at Jon's website.

"A couture confection delineating the perils of slack-jawed sportswear and tyrannical parenting styles." The Warlord's Wear Weekly

"Star-crossed love amidst the ashes of corporate globalization and mergers of convenience." The Alta Califa

"Can a man of tasteful sartorial splendor survive and flourish in a world of crass decadence and trashy cultural trends? With style, subtlety and an expert tailor, anything is possible." The Sad Iron: Journal of The International Union of Haberdashers

Sorry...

2007-07-24T19:37:00.001-06:00

I been sick.

I blush...

2007-07-19T09:00:00.000-06:00

An Amazon review, via Bluejack:

Is the world ready for Wilce?, July 13, 2007
By Bluejack (Seattle, WA)

Here's a fact: Ysabeau S. Wilce is profoundly original. If you read all the customer reviews here, you'll get the sense that this is not your formula fantasy. But let's make that point more clearly--you will never read another story like this one (unless, possibly, it's her next one, which we all eagerly anticipate).

This is the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of what could, and certainly should, be the next story franchise that graduates from cult status to mainstream blockbuster. Wilce doesn't sugar coat the risks of adolescence: she dips them in ice cream, lights them on fire, and serves the reader a flaming torch of strange wonder.

Laughter and thrilling excitement are delightful companions all through this romp. The subtitle gives a sense of the former, but don't underestimate Wilce's storytelling: great characters in real trouble make for great reading, and Flora is a heroine who speaks equally to the reality as well as the ambitions of young people.

Oh yes, and while this is not specifically a unique observation, I'd also like to note that it is always refreshing to find a fantasy that does not take place in something that could pass for Northern Europe."

Thank you, Sieur Bluejack!

Even Austen Can't Get out of the Slush Pile!

2007-07-19T08:51:00.001-06:00

The Guardian reports that David Lassen, the director of the Jane Austen Festival in Bath, decided to see if Madama Austen could get out of the slush pile. Under a fake name, Sieur Lassen submitted the first paragraphs of her most famous novels to a whole slew of British publishers. Though he did change the titles and the character names, the text remained the same.

He was rejected by all 19 UK publishers and only one of them noticed the startling similarities between the submission and Pride and Prejudice. This may only say something about the speed-reading qualities of the average slush pile reader, or that tastes change, but it certainly can be disheartening. If Madama Austen can't get interest today, what hope do the rest of us today have?

This reminds of me of a few years ago, when someone (it might have been the ACLU, I don't remember) retyped the Bill of Rights into a petition and stood on a street-corner, trying to get people to sign it. Most would not, saying that it was far too radical and revolutionary. No one actually recognized it.

Yep.

(via Galleycat)

Night Shade Books & Eclipse

2007-07-18T12:49:00.001-06:00

So, Night Shade Books is running a super smoking sale right now: if you use the coupon code NSB0750 and order at least four books you'll get 50 percent off. Considering we are talking beautifully designed books by such luminaries as Kage Baker, Lucius Shepard, Glen Cook, and Clark Ashton Smith, this is a deal indeed. I've already placed my big fat order--maybe you should go do the same. Let's do our part and keep the gentlemen in zoot suits.

Which brings me to the fact that Eclipse, the anthology in which Quartermaster Returns will be appearing, is now available for pre-order. So don't you think you should be doing that, too?

1st Annual Kidlitosphere Conference!

2007-07-18T12:41:00.001-06:00

Gwenda has turned me on to the 1st Annual Kidlitosphere Conference, which is being organized by Robin Brande, and which will take place here in Chicago the weekend of October 6-7, 2007.

The conference contents are still being discussed; the whole thing started out as an informal get-together but so many people were interested in something more that the dinner turned into a conference. Kidlit bloggers and authors are welcome, and the attendance list so far sounds pretty stellar. I'm excited because not much happens in Chicago, lit-wise, and this sounds as though its going to be a lot fun.

Robin has set up a yahoo group for convos and discussion. If you are interested in attending, shoot her an email and she'll add you to the list.

And spread the word--the more the merrier!

Happy Birthday!

2007-07-16T12:51:00.001-06:00

Today is Barbara Stanwyck's 100th birthday!

Of all the leading ladies of the Hollywood's Golden Age, Barbara Stanwyck is definitely my favorite. She could play tough and tender, slapstick and woe--heck, in The Lady Ev e she even fooled Henry Fonda into thinking she was two entirely different dames. She could sing and dance; she had legs so long they went all the way up to her waist, and even when playing the matriarch of a Western ranch family she sizzled--she made Linda Evans, years younger, look jejune and boring in comparison.

My favorite Stanwyck film remains Ball of Fire, where as Sugarpuss O'Shea she turns linguist Gary Cooper into her tongue-tied slavering love-slave. Stanwyck's rendition of Drum-Boogie (with Gene Krupa on match-box) puts all other versions, including Judy Garland's, to shame.

Second favorite: Lady of Burlesque, based upon a novel by Gypsy Rose Lee. Singing, dancing, murder--what's not to love?

But it's impossible to pick the definitive Standwyck performance. Glamorous murderous in Double Indemnity? Proto-Martha Stewart in Christmas in Connecticut? Neurotic bedridden murder victim in Sorry Wrong Number? Scheming slum girl in Baby Face? Perky idealistic newspaperwoman in Meet John Doe? She was in 106 films and she never gave a bad performance.

Happy Birthday, Madama Stanwyck!

Working...

2007-07-15T16:31:00.000-06:00

I am actually working very hard on my rewrite, hence my less than entertaining bloggy posts recently. I beg your humble pardon, but hope that once you get a chance to read FLORA REDUX, you'll think my efforts well placed...And will forgive my lapses...

Thank you...

A Match Made in Heaven...

2007-07-15T16:08:00.000-06:00

Quick--name the two best foods ever--

Yep, that's right: chocolate and bacon.

Oh the dark smoky deliciousness of chocolate and the fatty salty pork-y goodness of bacon. Two taste sensations that no one could ever grow tired of...but which until now had to be savored individually, alone.

Well, no more.

Devilman and I happened to be strolling by the Vosges Chocolate boutique in Lincoln Square when we saw a tantalizing sign advertising Bacon and Chocolate. Of course, we had to investigate, and once lured inside we discovered the Vosges has hit pure genius with its newest offering: Mo's Bacon Bar, a lip-smacking combo of applewood smoked bacon, alder wood smoked salt and deep milk chocolate.

Even Willy Wonka was never this inspired.

Needless to say, Devilman and I immediately snatched up a Bacon Bar and crammed it into our yawning maws like starved animals--and I have pleased to report that it is pretty darn good. The chocolate is only 41 percent, which is usually much too light-weight for me (I prefer 65 and above)--but the darkness of the salt and the bacon really need the sweet smoothness of milk chocolate. Tho' I'd probably have been happy to gobble down an entire slice of bacon dipped in chocolate (and I'm wondering why I never thought of this before), the bacon in the Bacon Bar has been pulverized, so it adds just a touch of porky crunch to each bite--an accent that is not over-powering at all. If you didn't know the nuggets were bacon, you might not recognize the flavour at first--it's subtle. But delicious.

I have to say that Vosges truffles are not my favorite, and, of their other exotic bars, only the Barcelona Bar really tempts me, but the Bacon Bar is so genius that it has already jumped to the top of my chocolate bar list. Of course, such genius is not cheap: the Bacon Bar is 7 bucks for 3 ounces. But such deliciousness really should be savoured, not gobbled (our first taste test not withstanding). I can make those 3 ounces last three or four days, so I don't really find the price that objectionable. Besides which, chocolate (like coffee) truly is one of those you get what you pay for delicacies. There's a reason why a Hersheys chocolate bar is only 75 cents: wax is cheap.

For those worried about their sugar intake, Vosges has also introduced a sugar-free version of their Red Fire Bar. I'm not sure what the sweetener in this bar is, nor did I get a chance to taste it, as Devilman ate the whole bar last night--but clearly it must have been pretty good.

But I think I'll stick with bacon.

Yum!

2007-07-12T18:25:00.001-06:00

Because not only do you not know where street food has been--but you don't know what it is in it, either.

Loliga!

2007-07-11T18:37:00.000-06:00

Giant Loliga washes up on beach in Australia.

Poor thing.

ps. Yes, I realize that technically, this squid is a member of the Family Architeuthidae, not the Family Loliginidae....

Flora Invades Leeds!

2007-07-11T14:21:00.000-06:00

William the Bastard and Haraldr Hardhands have got nada on Flora--they never made it anywhere near Leeds, but Flora's campaign to conquer England is already well in-hand, viz. this picture, kindly supplied to me by the Fellow Clarionite & Border Collie Mamma Stephanie Burgis. As you can see, Flora is front and center, on a table, with many other books, tho' none, if I may say so myself, have quite such a striking cover. Madama Burgis assures me that more copies of Flora Segunda were to be found in the stacks, as well..So Borders was well-stocked. Here's hoping that Flora's 2007 makes William's 1066 look just like all that!

And muchas gracias to Madama Burgis for the pics!

PS. Nini Mo says never leave your armour in the boats, no matter how hot the day.

Aristos...and Ludwig Bemelmans...

2007-07-11T13:26:00.001-06:00

Last week's obituary of the last of the rakehells, Prince Otto von Bismarck, brought to mind my favorite opening paragraphs of any novel ever.

I refer, of course, to the beginning of Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep by Ludwig Bemelmans. Today, Sieur Bemelmans is remembered chiefly as the creator of that most Parisian of all children, Madeline, but in his time, he was also the author of many adult novels, travelogues, and other non-fiction, all of which showed him to be a man of culture, wit, and melancholy disposition--in other words, exactly my literary type!

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep tells the story of the aristocratic lay-about General Leonidas Erosas, who finds his luxuriously sleepy lifestyle in the South of France suddenly interrupted by a bunch of tiresome bureaucrats--the Nazis. General Estes decides to return to his estates in South America. Accompanied by his suicidal English governess, his illiterate Indian manservant, his valet, his doctor, his cook, his beautiful Spanish mistress, a scrapbook of menus, sixteen carpets, his portrait, several boxes of cigars, six jars of pate, and three Great Danes, the General sets off...but 1942 is not a good year for travel...

Chapter 1: Biarritz

In the days when the King of Spain's only concern was that no one should clip a second off his record run from San Sebastian to Biarritz...

Amidst the boom-tara of unending fiestas, of gala dinners in blossom-lined ballrooms in which a thousand songbirds were released, half of them to be swept out the next day...

In the good old days when the amateur mechanic, the Marques Ricardo Soreano, amused himself himself by pushing a button under his table that ingeniously released a menagerie of tigers, lions, and crocodiles, which suddenly stared into the dining room through the large plate glass windows and frightened his guests to death...

When the young and radiant Natasha Brailovski shot herself through the heart over her father's grave with a ridiculously small jeweled revolver that was practically made by Cartier...

...and the handsome, immaculately groomed Antonio de Portago, dream man of the American debutantes, married, had all his debts paid, and later died for Franco...

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.
Ludwig Bemelmans
New York: Viking Press, 1942.

If you only know Sieur Bemelmans via Madeline, I urge you to check out his other fiction; he's a master at characterization, and his books very much capture the frantic sadness of the years between the Great War and the World War, and the rich aristos that were about to find themselves as out-dated as the dodo, refugees of a flood they contributed to but could not control. There's a bit of a faery-tale quality to Sieur Bemelman's novels, despite that they are set in our own world. His characters live in a sort of faeryland dreamland, and when they are forced to confront the decidedly unfaeryland-like real world--they are bewildered and lost--but their very obliviousness allows them to survive. Poor Prince von Bismarck reminds me very much of a character in a Bemelman novel...

If you live in New York City (or just visit) and haven't been to the Bemelmans Bar at the Hotel Carlyle, you must do so ASAP. An Art-Deco treasure, the bar features a mural by Sieur Bemelmans, and fantastic cocktails . Its one of the few places in New York you can get a proper Pisco Sour, which makes sense as the bar has been presided over by the same gentleman since the Truman Administration.

Look out Harry Potter--there's a New Hero in Town!

2007-07-10T09:31:00.001-06:00

At long last I'm pleased to announce that Flora Segunda of Crackpot Hall is now available across in the U.K.

Though the novel's text remains the same, Flora Segunda of CH does have some supplemental material, including Nini Mo's Tips for Rangers, a Cast of Characters, a short bio of yours truly and a few other little treats. Plus, the cover is terrific--the image on Amazon really does not do it justice at all. The book's a paperback, so there's no dust-jacket, but it does have a double cover that opens up to a series of portraits by Finnish artist Heli Heita--we've got Flynn, and Mamma, Poppy (looking slightly Uncle Fester-y, alas), Udo and Valefor, and a lovely full portrait of our hero, Flora, looking mighty heroic in her redingote, The Eschatanomicon tucked under her arm. Really really cool.

Woo!

Ikea...

2007-07-10T09:13:00.000-06:00

I love Ikea.

Visiting Ikea is like journeying to a strange foreign land where everyone lives happy organized lives with furniture named after streams and places in Denmark. Oh, how happy and organized I would be if I lived in an Ikea-display home...

The smell of their cinnamon rolls reminds me of when I visited Sweden and got motion sick on the bus trip to Stockholm, and thought my Dramamine was in my checked luggage, when it was actually in my carry-on, as we found out when we stopped for gas, and my Furious Friend made the driver open the hold to get my luggage so we could get my Dramamine, and then discovered I had had it all the time. There was a lady on the bus selling cinnamon rolls, and now every time I smell them, I get sort of nausous in a nostalgic way.

Ikea is great for site-seeing, and great for shopping for some stuff, but the quality isn't always there. You get what you pay for, eh? Anyway, here comes Ikea Hack, which argues that you can take mass-produced Swedish furniture and re-purpose it as needed. What a fab idea! Hack away...

Alas, Poor Gottfried...

2007-07-06T09:44:00.000-06:00

I had no idea they made 'em like Prince Gottfried von Bismarck anymore...He was a true thr0wback to another, more decadent, time. And now he is gone, alas...

If only my obituary shall contain the words "flamboyant waster" and "gilded aimlessness"...I would die happy. Also, I long some day to misbehave and be summoned home to my family's castle for a stern talking to...And the dinner party with pig's heads--brilliant! Next party...

Goodnight sweet prince, Oscar, Piers, Monsieur, and Ziggy are waiting to sing you to your rest.

Final Edit!

2007-07-03T08:58:00.000-06:00

At long last I have begun the final edit of FLORA REDUX, aiming to have it finished by the middle of August, if not earlier...

Consequently, my blogging may be a bit light for the foreseeable future, or perhaps not as informative and entertaining as usual. Just so you know...

I'm very excited about FLORA REDUX--I had a much easier time writing it than I did FLORA SEGUNDA, and I think its a much more thrilling and exciting yarn. New perils, old troubles, and, of course, waffles...

Hmmmm...waffles...

Ex Libris...

2007-07-01T22:35:00.001-06:00

This week I read:

The Proud Villeins & The Ruthless Yeoman, both by Valerie Anand. Excellent historical fiction tracing the fortunes of one family from 1066 onward. Sadly out of print, but readily available on Amazon. I've got the next book in the series (there are six total) on order, and hope it comes soon...I've read the entire series before, and it is excellent.
Through A Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen. Historical romance set in 1720's. I read this when it first came out (in the '80s) and thought it was pretty good. Now I'm not sure why I thought that. It's adequate as love-story, mostly adequate as history, but nothing special.
The Diana Chronicles by Tina Brown. What a ripping yarn! The mating patterns of the British aristocracy are as fascinating and arcane as those of any primitive tribe. (You think the Hadraada Family is bad!) Plus, Tina's got a flair for devastatingly hilarious description. Accuracy aside (who knows?), a thoroughly delicious book.
Through Europe on Two Dollars a Day by Frank Schoonmaker. Alas, the day which Sieur Schoonmaker was alluding was in 1927, but it's always interesting to read old travel books. European travel books from this period are particularly poignant as many of the sites our intrepid author describes were fifteen years away from being bombed into oblivion.
Night of the Jaguar & Valley of Bones by Michael Gruber. Excellent mystery thrillers set in Miami. Those who liked Silence of the Lambs and other ilk of its kind will enjoy all of Michael Gruber's novels. Who says beach reads have to be completely trashy and horribly written?
Crazy like a Fox by S.J. Perelman. Oh how Sieur Perelman can crack me up. If he was funny enough for the Marx Brothers, he's funny enough for the rest of us too. No one has better caught the idiocies of youth than Perelman's Cloudland Revisited pieces. They are the proverbial riot. Why is he so forgotten today?
The first six pages of Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor. Think Gone with the Wind (only racer--for the time that is) set in Restoration England. It's a pretty good book, and I've read it several times before; I finally picked up an old hardback, and I had to test it out, but I wasn't in the mood to go all the way through.
Halfway through My Brother Michael and The Moonspinners by Mary Stewart. Pretty good late '50s early 60s gothic romances. Stewart's heroines are usually pretty capable, and almost always career women of some kind. Her settings (in this case Greece) are quite vivid; I've always envied her ease with physical description. But neither book is my favorite Mary Stewart (that would be The Gabriel Hounds) so I've been rather slow about finishing.
Also, this week's New Yorker, The Economist, The New Scientist, the Sunday Times, The New Republic, July's Cookie, Blueprint, W, and a bunch of old Atlantics my brother had lying around.

It was a rather slow week.

Yummy, Part III..

2007-07-01T22:26:00.000-06:00

Details (and the truth) can be so tedious, no?

But in the interests of fairness, I feel I must report that there was more to the Weinermobile traffic stop than originally met The Arizona Republic's eye. The AP elaborates with details that make the DPS officer look a wee bit less of a Barney Fife, exonerates Wisconsin completely, and puts Missouri firmly in the dog-house. The Weiner remains, as before, blameless.

Yummy, Part II...

2007-07-01T22:23:00.000-06:00

Well.

Sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you.

Help?

2007-06-29T16:02:00.000-06:00

Can someone please tell me how to insert a picture that is also a hyperlink? For the life of me I can not figure out how to do it...

Thank you....thank you...

Cowboy Up!

2007-06-29T12:15:00.001-06:00

I thought it was common knowledge that cowboys only wear Wrangler jeans.

Apparently the NYT only just got the memo last week.

Still, their survey of the history of Wrangler jeans is interesting; I still find it amazing that a garment that was once both ulitatarian and low-class has now become a uniform. I was recently in downtown Chicago, and I stood on a street counter and counted the number of people who walked crossed the street during the green light NOT wearing jeans. Of about forty people, the non-jeans tally was three.

I hate jeans, and I never wear them. There are no jeans in Califa, because it's my made-up world and I hate jeans. I'd rather wear a corset than wear jeans--a corset is more comfortable. I understand that if you are driving cattle, or riding bulls that jeans probably offer the best comfort and protection. But I am not driving cattle, nor riding bulls, nor are most of the people I see wearing jeans. I think for jeans to look good they require a certain type of figure--the male figure. Girls who are built like men (or twelve year old boys) look fine in jeans. A woman not built like a man (or a twelve year old boy) looks terrible in jeans. Ladies, invest in a nice linen skirt and throw off your denim shackles! Unless, of course, you are driving cattle or riding bulls, in which case I say: by all means, wear jeans. Just make sure you cowboy up and wear Wranglers.

(Also--please don't tuck your jeans into your boots. Where I come from that's a hanging offense.)

Yummy!

2007-06-29T11:50:00.000-06:00

Now who would be dumb enough to steal the Wienermobile? How far would a car thief think he could get in a giant hotdog shaped vehicle whose license plate reads YUMMY and which plays the Oscar Meyer theme song as it drives along?

There are some dumb criminals out there, but it's hard to believe that any car thief would be that dumb. But the cop who stopped the Wienermobile as it drove through Arizona thought he'd hit the dumb criminal jackpot.

I'd really like to know more about this cop, the one that that ran the Wienermobile's plates. How bored was he? He had nothing else to do but check out a suspicious hot-dog car? I know the stretch of I-10 where the Wienermobile was nabbed very well. The average speed is 95 mph and, that close to the Border, you see some pretty questionable vehicles. Surely the Wienermobile was probably the least suspicious thing on the road that day.

Add to the hilarity the fact that the Wisconsin police had accidentally logged the Wiener's plates as stolen--oops. The cops thought they had made the arrest of the century and would surely be rewarded by a grateful Oscar Meyer with free tubesteaks for the rest of their lives. The rubbernecker whizzing by the traffic stop at 95 mph were probably thinking, boy I'm glad I'm not an Oscar Meyer Wiener. And our poor sausage: I'll bet he had a hot minute or two while he was being grilled by DPS...

(Sorry, I couldn't resist!)

Anyway, mistake was cleared up, and the Wiener was released to continue spreading heart-stopping porky goodness across the country, sorry for the trouble, sir, enjoy your stay in Arizona and drive safely.

Happy ending, yay!

Hmmm...That Looks Familiar!

2007-06-28T15:38:00.000-06:00

Ever look at a book cover and think...haven't I seen that picture somewhere before?

Well, you probably have.

Considering all the artwork out there in the world, it really seems sloppy to reuse the same images over and over---and in the case of Emma Hamilton--over and over and over again.

Even if all the books shown are about Emma Hamilton, more than one image of her does exist. Be creative, for heaven's sake!

The worst offender shown, I think, has got to be HarperCollins. In the very same year--2006--they used the exact same girl on John Crowley's Little, Big and Pearl Luke's Madam Zee. Did the HarperCollins art directors never compare notes? Apparently not. The same Chickie also appeared on two other covers that year. She's cute, but she ain't that cute.

And this is not the first time that Sieur Crowley has gotten shafted with over-exposed cover art. The painting used used on the hardback of Lord Byron's Novel--Wanderer above a Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich--can also be seen on at least two other books. Of course I can't remember the names of the other books, but trust me on this one. In this case, at least the publisher came to its senses; the cover was redone when the book went into paperback.

Since people really do often shop via dust jacket, it must be infuriating to have your book so closely resemble someone else's. Yet another sling and arrow that the poor writer is subject to, with no control.

I'm guessing that all the various cover designers are getting their images out of the same image library; still, one would think that library would be big enough not to stifle creativity. Perhaps not. Or maybe great minds think alike.

ALA AAR!

2007-06-28T12:06:00.000-06:00

Back from Washington City...by the skin of my airplane's teeth--we landed about two hours before a HORRIFIC Midwestern thunderstorm. A slight delay and no doubt we would have been blown to Boise, or someplace equally mysterious and distant. As it was, by the time my ride got me home, the roads were flooded, the airports closed, and tree branches were flying everywhere.

The ALA was humongous and full of Librarians, most of whom did not fit the stereotype, some of whom did, and proudly. I signed some books, talked to people waiting in line to see Judy Blume, attended a reception, and did other conference-y things I omit here for interest's sake.

Washington City, good heavens how she has changed. All that I remembered from my punk rock salad days is now gone gone gone, subsumed in a tidal wave of Disneyfication. While it was disgraceful to have our nation's capitol looking like a bombed out city, I'm not sure turning it into a historical theme park is an improvement. Particularly irksome was how the developers kept the 1860s facades of four story buildings, then built ten story glass towers behind. The result is like Main Street USA gone horribly awry. Ah poor Columbia, the British tried, the French tried, the Confederates tried, but it took developers to ruin you.

The highlight of my trip was soft-shell crabs, of course, how lucky the ALA took place in the middle of the season. Also, my three trips to Wawa, as memorialized in the previous posting. Two days were marvelous weather-wise and then the Southern Miasma descended, humidity 90 percent, sky white as paper--an weather phenom that I do not care for at all. The sky should be blue, darn it, or fluffy with clouds, or scudding grey--not whitewhitewhite!

And now I'm home, and must get onto my thank you notes...

WaWa!

2007-06-25T19:21:00.001-06:00

Wawa is the greatest convenience store in the World.

Their fountain soda selection is unparalleled, and they have a machine that will squirt vanilla or cherry flavouring right into your cup, should your pop need a bit more pop. They usually have at least ten kinds of coffee brewing, and a fabulous fake latte/mocha machine that dispenses fabulously fake foamy drinks--for the same price as the coffee, so you can mix and match if you want: a pour of Hazelnut coffee, a swirl of Mocha-milk, a dash of Amaretto half-and-half, with some whole milk to cut the sugar. They have half and half, skim, 2 percent AND whole milk, served out of cartons on ice, none of those stupid little moo-moo creamers that you invariably break a finger-nail opening. They have an ice coffee dispenser and the most fantastic do-it-yourself milkshake machine. Plus a huge array of bottled water, juice and soda-and not brand specific either (i.e. only Coke products or only Pepsi products.) Also fresh brewed non-sweetened ice tea.

Their food selection is fantastic. In addition to ready-made sandies, they also have a great deli counter with a tasty array of hot and cold sandies; pre-made salads; several kinds of fruit salad; cheese cups; deli salads; yogurt; and carrot cups. A fine mixture of the deliciously junky and--if you are trying to be good--the actually healthy. Turn-over is high and everything is always fresh. They also have hot pretzels, breakfast sandies, donuts, and, of course, the usual array of candy and snacks. And gas. And clean bathrooms.

Alas that Wawa exists only in PA, VA, MD, DE and NJ, and in the wider states clings to the Eastern seaboard. The chain was founded over a hundred years ago in PA as a dairy, and, I guess, like Culver's Butterburgers and In & Out Burgers, staying local has allowed them to keep control and maintain high standards.

But I don't understand why other convenience stores and stop and shops don't follow the Wawa model. I've never been in a Wawa when it wasn't busy, even in the middle of the night. It's the kind of place you want to stop in because you know that if you don't want crap you can actually get something healthy. I've driven literally thousands of miles back and forth this extremely large country, and let me tell you, nothing makes you feel more behemoth than sitting in a car all day long, eating crappy fast food. But when you are trying to make it from Phoenix to Washington City in two and a half days you don't have the time to seek out Whole Foods. You are thrilled to see a prepackaged salad that looks edible or a fresh fruit cup. You do not see these things very often--if at all.

I'm not the only one who loves Wawa. There are actually TWO myspace communities devoted to Wawa-Luve: I Love Wawa and Gotta Have Wawa. Back in '06, the New York Times did a piece on the Cult of Wawa. If you live in Wawa Territory and have never been, I urge you--next time you see the yellow and red Wawa duck, screech into the parking lot and take a gander--I promise you'll never look happily at a 711, White Hen, or Circle K again. You'll wonder why they can't all be like Wawa.

(Wawa's one flaw is that it doesn't have decent popcorn, a staple of most Wisconsin stop and go's, the best of which is probably PDQ--another local chain.)

(I've heard the Japanese convenience stores are fabulous too, but then everything in Japan seems to be more fabulous than anywhere else so I'm not terribly surprised.)

I miss Wawa!

Califa, Shaken & Stirred...

2007-06-25T06:51:00.000-06:00

My last Summer Blog Blast Interview is with The Ultimate Bond Girl Gwenda at Shaken & Stirred.

Last week was so exciting--interviews, ALA, etc.---this week is going to be a let-down, for sure. Ah well. It's the lows that make the highs high. If everything was exciting all the time then the excitement would soon enough seem mundane.

Another View of Boots

2007-06-23T17:02:00.000-06:00

Cake here. Madama Wilce's post about boots got me about one domain of human activity where boots are almost a life-or-death requirement: motorcycles. Madama Wilce's litany of perilous situations faced by the young lady of adventure is indeed imposing, but none of them match up to watching your foot get crushed under hundreds of pounds of iron and chrome because of a lack of sensible footwear.

Given that the motorcycle world is as much about style as it is about speed, the variety of choices are quite impressive.

For the cruiser crowd, the Frye-style engineer boots are a popular default choice, especially with a little Harley style encrusted on them.

These are what I have: Sidi On-Road. They're a sensible choice, somewhat subtle, and comfortable to walk in. Madama Wilce even accepts them as sensible business footwear during CPG staff meetings.

However, the most interesting boots are the ones targeted at racing and motorcross. For such specialized activities, walking isn't a big issue, and so boots can rise to levels of S&M-meets-Power Rangers glory like this pair, or shoot for a "feminine-friendly" approach like this pair (it's girls only!) and even incorporate a near-Mr. Yuck face like this pair.

More on Eclipse!

2007-06-22T20:01:00.000-06:00

Over at Coode Street, Jonathan Strahan has posted the table of content s for Eclipse, the anthology he's editing for Night Shade Books.

Wow!

Get a load of those names! I knew the big guns were coming out for this one (and me a teeny tiny pearl handled derringer), but I didn't realize exactly how big the guns were. I know I've said before how delighted I am to be included in this project--but it bears saying again.

Me, delighted. Very very delighted. And excited to read every single story listed. Eclipse should be out in the fall; more information coming shortly.