Do I Live Here? (And Why?)

Sometimes I wouldn't be able to find my own a$$ if it wasn't attached. Today, all I really want is an exacto knife. I know Shawn has one. I *thought* she kept it with her scrapbooking stuff, but it's not there (or... I didn't see it.) I want the exacto because I'm working on my Ostara altar cloth. WitchSchool is having a competition and I have never been able to resist competitions. Shawn, being the crafty one, also has a book of Celtic knotwork stencils which I did find, and I discovered an awesome knot of geese which I think would be cool for the border. Now all I need is an exacto. Can I find one? No.

In the why do I live here news, I'm sick of my car. Any day we wake up and it's freezing (as in 32F/0C) or below outside, one or both of the front car doors freeze shut (or won't latch, depending on the whim of whatever demon has bedeviled my car). Do you know how many days are below freezing in Minnesota? A lot. Yesterday (or maybe Tuesday) morning, in fact, I had to do the classic Minnesota winter hairdrier trick before I could even leverage my keys in between the door the frame to pop it open. I was funny the first hundred or so times, but it's becoming an every day thing... and deeply annoying.

What's frustrating is that, honestly, for Minnesota... this isn't that cold. I'm okay with the idea that I might have to run an extension cord from my garage to the street when there are -40F wind chills, but at 32F many Minnesotans start talking about heat waves and we all smile a bit brighter as the icicles start melting in the sunshine. 32F is a good, warm day for March, damn it. I shouldn't have to be standing outside with a hairdrier pointed at my car door lock. That's just... annoying.

Deeply annoying.

Especially since outside of this one quirk, Steve (our car) runs like a dream. It's even vaguely green, since it's flexible fuel and could run Ethenol if any gas station nearby carried it any more. If it wasn't silver -- a color I find very boring, and it seems to be difficult for other motorist to notice -- it'd be fairly perfect. Except the door thing.

At least spring seems to be coming. I mean, hell, it's warm out (32F)!! And I had a gardening dream last night, even.

A Bit of Me Elsewhere

I did an interview about publicity over at Writerly So. Check it out.

On-Line Murder Trial Class

****PERMISSION TO FORWARD GRANTED AND ENCOURAGED!!*****

Announcing the Heart of Carolina Romance Writer's April Online Workshop: April 2009 Workshop
How to Try a Murder
Instructor: Lucinda D. Schroeder
When: April 1-30, 2009
Cost: $20 for HCRW and CRW Members, $25 for All Others

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:
Before your protagonist can break the rules, she has to know them! Learn the facts about legal procedures and how they can go awry. To thicken the drama in your story, stir in entrapment, illegal searches, tainted evidence, tampered juries, and badgered witnesses. Lucinda Schroeder, a career federal agent and author, will give you countless ideas on how to cause trouble before, during and after a murder trial. Don’t be guilty of missing this class!

SPEAKER BIO
Lucinda D. Schroeder has a BA degree in Criminology and is a retired federal agent who worked in the field for 30 years. She is also the author of "A Hunt for Justice," a creative non-fiction based on one her cases. Lucinda uses her writer’s perspective to focus on legal and administrative procedures that writers can best exploit for plot twisters and added tension. She also has a multitude of true stories that are sure to stir your muse.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Cost for the workshop is $20 for HCRW and Carolina Romance Writers members, $25 for all others. All fees payable in US dollars only. The workshop will run from April 1-30. Registration deadline is March 25th 2009. Once registered, you will be subscribed to the workshop loop prior to and for the duration of the class. To register, please visit the HCRW website at: www.heartofcarolina.org and click on the Online Workshops page.

You may pay by check made out to HCRW or by credit card (via Paypal on the site). PLEASE NOTE: You do not need a PayPal account to use PayPal and you may pay by credit card through PayPal. However, if you want to join this class, but prefer to pay by check or money order, please print the registration form and send your check or money order made to payable to HCRW in US funds. The mailing address is:

HCRW Online
PO Box 811
Louisburg, NC 27549

You may contact the coordinator at : HCRWonline@heartofcarolina.org with questions. If you pay for a workshop and do not receive an invitation to join the workshop loop by the first of the month,please contact Elizabeth at HCRWonline@heartofcarolina.org. Cancellation and refund policy: No registration fees will be refunded. All payments for a workshop must be received by the registration cut off date. Late payments can be applied to a future workshop of the applicant's choosing. If a workshop does not have 10 students enrolled by the first of the month, the workshop will be canceled and registration fees will be applied to a future workshop of the applicant's choosing. Hope to see you in class!

Heart of Carolina Romance Writers ~ RWA Chapter 114
Jodie Pearson www.heartofcarolina.org President,
Heart of Carolina Romance Writers RWA® Chapter 114
Raleigh, North Carolina

Oh, hi... How Long Have You Been Standing There?

So, I've actually been busier than you'd think. First of all, I had a lot to say about something someone said at MarsCON both at Wyrdsmiths and on Livejournal.

Then I had a crazy lady show up at my house and either try to scam me or sell me something... I'm still not entirely sure.

Oh, and then Realms of Fantasy magazine was pulled from the ashes of a firey grave... though that has nothing to do with me, it's just cool.

And I wrote a lot.

You?

Sex Scene Writing On-Line Class

**Permission to forward granted and encouraged**

Yosemite Romance Writers is proud to present their online workshop for April.

Date: 4/6 - 5/1/09

Workshop title: Creating Effective Sex Scenes

Writing about sex in our stories is often a literary mine field. You can easily find yourself caught up in clichés, aphorisms, and euphemisms. You might end up romanticizing or depersonalizing sex, or find the genuine emotion connected with it so difficult to capture that you exaggerate or pull away. This four-week course gives you a lot of strategies and tips that make it unnecessary to fade to black. You learn the key elements of a well-crafted sex scene and how sex in your stories can enhance and promote character, plot, and theme. You also learn how to use language that is sensory, specific, and thoughtful to create scenes you love (and others will too). By the end of the course, you have in hand one-to-two new scenes.

About the instructor: Jessica Barksdale Inclán

Jessica Barksdale Inclán's debut novel Her Daughter's Eyes, published in 2001, was the premier novel published under New American Library's new imprint Accent. Her Daughter's Eyes was a final nominee for the YALSA Award for the best books of 2001 and best paperbacks for 2001 and has been published in Dutch and Spanish. Her next novel The Matter of Grace was published in May 2002 and was re-released in a mass market version in May 2004. Her third, When You Go Away, came out April 1, 2003. Her fourth, One Small Thing, was published April 2004, and has been published in Dutch and Spanish. Her fifth, Walking With Her Daughter, was published in April 2005. The Instant When Everything is Perfect was published in February 2006. In June 2006, she published the first in a trilogy from Kensington Books. When You Believe was followed by Reason to Believe and Believe in Me. Being with Him--the first in a second trilogy, was published February 2008 and the second, Intimate Beings, is due out October 2008.. She is a 2002 recipient of the CAC Artist's Fellowship in Literature. Inclán teaches composition, creative writing, mythology, and women's literature at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, California, and on-line creative writing courses for UCLA extension. She has studied with Sharon Olds, Anne Lamott, Kate Braverman, Grace Paley, Marjorie Sandor, and Cristina Garcia. Her short stories and poems have appeared in Rockhurst Review, Hotwired, The Salt Hill Journal, Free Lunch, The West Wind Review, The Prairie Star, Gargoyle and many other journals and newspapers. Her short story Open Eyes was given first prize by Sandra Cisneros for El Andar magazine's 2000 writing contest. She co-edited a women's literature/studies textbook Diverse Voices of Women (Mayfield Publishing, 1995). Ms. Inclán has degrees in sociology and English literature from CSU Stanislaus and a Master's degree in English literature from SFSU. Ms. Inclán lives in Oakland, California and is currently at work on her next novel.

Deadline to register: 4/5/09

Fee: $20 YWR members; $25 non-members. RWA Membership isn't required; Anyone can take our courses.

Where to sign up: You may register online at our website. Please click the Pay Now button and follow the instructions for Paypal, then EMAIL us at Workshops@YosemiteRomanceWrtiers.com to Confirm. You may also YRW at YosemiteRomanceWriters@YosemiteRomanceWriters.com. For any other Questions.

Thank you for considering our workshops!!

Sandra Marlow Vice President, YRW Yosemite Romance Writers http://WWW.yosemiteromancewriters.com

MarsCON Schedule

I'm going to be in attendance (mostly as my alter-go, however,) at MarsCON this weekend. It will be at the Holiday Inn Select in lovely Bloomington, Minnesota, where there is still several inches of snow on the ground.

Here is my annotated schedule:

Friday, March 6
9:00 - 9:45 pm
HOW TO SURVIVE A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE

A small group of people, who have made it be their hobby to think about what to do when zombies infest the world, share their knowledge with those who are willing to accept it. Instructions on locations, weapons, and specific situations will be explained with questioning throughout out the whole thing.
With Brian LaBounty, Jr., Kevin Berg, Erik Pakieser, Lyda Morehouse[1]

Saturday, March 7
Noon - 12:45 pm
BROAD UNIVERSE RAPID-FIRE READING

A series of twelve minute readings by Broad Universe members. BU promotes work of women SF/F/H writers
Catherine Lundoff, hoest: Kimberly Long-Ewing, Lyda Morehouse, Catherine Schaff-Stump[2]

Saturday, March 7
1:00 - 1:45 pm
GOOD THINGS IN SMALL PACKAGES

Small and medium press publishing for sf/f/h writers and readers: what's out there? What are the differences between presses that do POD (print on demand), ebooks, and small print runs? What's in it for writers? For readers?
Catherine Lundoff (mod); Roy C. Booth, Rob Callahan, Lyda Morehouse, Bryan Thao Worra [3]

Saturday, March 7
3:00 - 3:45 pm
TRUE BLOOD TO TWILIGHT

Vampires in literature, films, television, comics, and games (Radio perhaps?)
Cythnia Booth (mod); Jeanne Cavols, Jessie Berg, Roy C. Booth, Lyda Morehouse, Jason D. Wittman. [4]

Saturday, March 7
10:00 - 10:45 pm
THE DAY STAR WARS DIED FOR ME

Come discuss with your fellow panelists the day the Star Wars saga died for you.
With: Ben Ellis, Romeo Azar, Lyda Morehouse, Roy C. Booth, Cynthia Booth. [5]

------

End Notes:

[1] It should be noted that I am not at my best any time after, say, eight at night. Also, I'm not actually a zombie expert at all, and so the "questions" part will probably be me.

[2] I'm currently thinking about reading a short segment of my short story "The VanBuylen Effect" which appeared in the 09 issue of Tales of the Unanticipated because it's, like, the only SF I really have.

[3] I signed up for this panel to get the scoop on the small press deal, since I'm going to have a novel published by a small press for the first time this fall (provided, of course, I finish it on time.) I'm also hoping to provide, if necessary, the counter point of someone who's had years of experience with a New York publisher as well.

[4] Vampires! Finally!

[5] Another late-night-out-of-my-element panel for me, but Romeo is awesome so I may drag myself back to the con in order to have this conversation with him.

Local Announcement -- Copyright Workshop

Tuesday March 10, 2009:
Who Owns What? Learn about permissions and copyright

On Tuesday, March 10 at 1 PM, the Twin Cities chapters of the National Writers Union and the Professional Editors Network will hold a free workshop abou t permissions and copyright and other intellectual property issues concernin g writers and editors.

Location: St. Louis Park Library, 3240 Library Lane, St. Louis Park. Two attorneys—Debra Kass Orenstein and Kenneth Kunkle-- will explain copyright and permissions.

Literary property lawyer Debra Kass Orenstein is in private practice representing writers, publishers, and agents all over the country. She has worked in the legal departments of Harper & Row (now Harper Collins) and McGraw Hill and was General Counsel to the Lazear Agency in Minneapolis. Attorney Kenneth Kunkle’s practice focuses on legal issues affecting creative professionals. He assists his clients with a variety of matters, including copyright, trademarks, licensing and general business issues.

Please join us for this FREE event! For more details about the Twin Cities National Writers Union, visit www.nwu-tc.org For more details about the Professional Editors Network, visit www.pensite.org

TGI-March!!

February 2009 is going to always be remembered in my household as the month everyone was sick. We started off the month quite nicely with a poetry party in honor of Brigid, but after that, everything pretty much went to hell in a hand basket.

The very day of our party, Mason got sick. Turns out he had strep AND what the doctor described as a "macho" cold. That took him (and his mom, Shawn, who is susceptible to ANY virus that comes into the mere vicinity of her) out for at least a week. Then, in my fool hearty way, I mocked the virus's ability to take me down. "Ha," I bragged on my livejournal, "I have the constitution of an ox. It'll never get me!!!"

Famous last words, no?

So I, who so rarely get sick, was completely knocked on my a$$ for a week and a half.

At some point in here, Shawn fell down our stairs, hurt her back (she's always had a bad back -- a herniated disc(k?), and got a migraine that last ten days (the worst she's ever had.

The calendar changed, and POOF! We all got better.

I have never been happier that it's March in all my life.

My project for today is to get back on track, and I can't say it's started out all that well. I headed off to the gym this morning after dropping Mason off at school and discovered that I'd forgotten to repack my tennis shoes. As I didn't think I'd get much of a work out done in snow boots, I gave up and went home.

So now I'm sitting in front of the computer gathering notes for the next book project (Honeymoon of the Dead is in the hands of a beta reader: SMM, whom I hope to get some good advice about ASAP), which is the small press project for my alter ego. I had a brilliant flash about it last night, and that is that I'm planning to try to make it read like a faux memoir. I just read a really great memoir by Patricia Monaghan called RED-HAIRED GIRL FROM THE BOG, which I devoured in three days (very unusual for a slow-reading dyslexic like me) and I thought, "Hmmm, normally I despise the form of memoir, but maybe this is the structure I've been needing. Because then I don't have to tell things in chronological order!"

Wish me luck. This will be the sixth time I've re-started this novel.

How-to Write Pirates! (On-Line Class)

***Permission to Forward***

Class: Bringing Pirates to Life
Instructor: Cindy Vallar
Dates: April - May, 2009
Registration Deadline: April 1, 2009
Fee: $10/HHRW members, $20/others
For Registration Form: http://heartsthroughhistory.com/classreg.htm
FMI: HHRW Campus Coordinator: classes@heartsthroughhistory.com

Class Description: Peter Blood in Captain Blood, Long John Silver in Treasure Island, and Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean conjure up images of buried treasure, black schooners, wooden legs, eye patches, vibrant parrots, walking the plank, and swashbuckling swordsmen. Are these accurate portrayals of pirates? Some are, some aren't. This workshop explores the differences between the reality and mythology of piracy, and how writers can create believable characters that fit within historical parameters. We will look at why individuals became pirates, who's who on a pirate ship, the rules governing pirates, individuals who interacted with or encountered pirates, and other aspects of maritime life an author needs to know to write a pirate romance. Cindy enhances the workshop with a timeline and three resource bibliographies - maritime, storms at sea, and piracy. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to discuss 2 character profiles - one a major character, the other a minor character - and the type of ship the characters might use in the novel. At the end of the workshop, Cindy offers to provide a free edit of a chapter from participants' manuscripts involving pirates.

Bio: A retired librarian, Cindy Vallar began researching pirates in college while working on The Rebel and the Spy, a historical novel about Jean Laffite and the Battle of New Orleans. She is the Editor of Pirates and Privateers, a monthly column on the history of maritime piracy. She also reviews piratical and maritime fiction and non-fiction books, and maintains an annotated list of the best piracy and maritime sites on the web. She is the Associate Editor of Industry for Solander, the magazine of the Historical Novel Society, and writes the "Red Pencil" column where she profiles authors and compares a piece from their published novels with an early draft of that work. She also reviews for their journal, Historical Novels Review. She is a freelance editor and an editor for Wings Press. She belongs to the Historical Novel Society, the Texas Coalition of Authors, the Laffite Society, the Louisiana Historical Society, the National Maritime Historical Society, and the Red River Branch of Clan Cameron. She is the author of The Scottish Thistle, her debut historical novel about Scotland's Rising of 1745, and Odin's Stone, a romantic short story of how the Lord of the Isles settled the medieval feud between the MacKinnons and MacLeans on the Isle of Skye. She invites you to visit her award-winning web site, Thistles & Pirates (http://www.cindyvallar.com/), to learn more.

Past Workshop Participants' Comments:

Your course presented what I as a writer wanted to know about the times-not just straight history. - Judith Hanes

Your course has been extraordinary to say the least. Thank you for the extensive information and feedback you've offered. - Kathleen Kirwood, His Fair Lady (Signet)

Your ability to put a lot of information in a succinct and entertaining fashion is truly amazing. - Elizabeth Bryant

I use a lot of what I learned in your class in pirate history presentations that I give for groups of seniors and at public libraries. - Claire Britton-Warren, Tales of the Seven Seas Pirate Reenactors

This has been one of the most awesome and informative courses I've ever taken. I feel like I could be a pirate. - Judy Soifer

Format: Course is conducted via Yahoo Groups email with lessons and Q&A

Dolly Domestic

This is "Flo" (as in Ice Flo) that Mason and I built in the back yard today. The temperatures were reported to be in the 40s, and I can believe it. So the melty snow was perfect for building this fabulous snow lady. (She's got a GREAT hat, no?)

Then I pretty much did in my entire dolly domestic quotient by baking and decorating spring cookies today as well.

Finally, Waxing Moon!

I've really been feeling the various moon phases in terms of writing this year. Last night, I actually started really thinking about my book again and I realized, looking at the moon calendar in the bathroom, that it was NEW MOON. Weird, huh?

In other news, I swear Hotmail eats my really thoughtful responses to my WitchSchool Study Group questions. One of the mentors on the list asked if there was anything about Wicca that we could change, big or small, what would it be and why. (An excellent, thought-provoking question, IMHO). And as I was falling asleep last night I thought about what I wanted to say. I wrote this wonderful response this morning about how, in the beginning of Silver Ravenwolf's book TO STIR A MAGIC CAUDLRON she tells this story about a guy who phones her and is looking for help with somekind of magical / psychic attack. She asks him what daily devotions he's doing, and he replies with a stunned: uh, none. She's righteously indignant about this, but the story always left me wondering why. It's not like the spiritual aspects of Wicca are emphasized at all -- particularly in the "beginning" or introductory books. In fact, Ravenwolf herself doesn't really bring up the subject until her second big "how-to" book. (TO RIDE A SILVER BROOMSTICK being sort of her first one.) If you skimmed most beginning Wicca books, you'll likely see tons more spells to get you stuff entries than ones on how to live a compassionate, decent life....

So what I said I'd like to change was that sense that Wicca is mostly a "what do I get if I burn this particular color of candle" instead of a "how do I become a better person more in touch with the divine" kind of gig.

It was really nice and thoughtful and...

Hotmail seems to have eaten it.

Grr.

NYT Best Seller!

According to Toni LP Kelner, MANY BLOODY RETURNS has done it again; we debuted at #29 on the NYT Trade Paperback Best Seller List! Go team!

This is one of those successes that I really wish I could say I had more to do with, but I can only hope that half of the people out there who read the book for Charlaine Harris or Jim Butcher or whomever else they really bought the book for reads my story and thinking, "Hmmm, not bad. I'll have to go look for something else by her."

It's Monday...

I managed to blog about writing observations and being sick as a dog over at Something Wicked: Devilish Details.

I also managed to name drop *cough*NeilGaiman*cough* since he's like the most famousest guy I ever interviewed for Science Fiction Chronicle. Still, I get a LOT of milage out of that one interaction.

And I'm still sick as a dog. Did you listen to me on AM 950? I was upright! I said things when asked questions! My fever broke "on air." I'm impressed I made any sense at all (although I'm not sure I did.)

Now I'm off to collapse again. Bye.

Pacing Class On-Line

OKAY TO FORWARD

Online class: March 1-31, 2009
"Pacing: How To Create A Page-Turning Manuscript"
by Mary Buckham
Registration $30 at www.WriterUniv.com/

What keeps a book intriguing enough to have fans turn the pages and not set it down? How can one author's books have you riveted and another's leave you feeling ho-hum? Ever wondered if there are key craft tips and techniques to balance fast-paced conflict, tension, suspense or mystery, action and emotion? In PACING: HOW TO CREATE A PAGE TURNING MANUSCRIPT you'll learn:

* The ingredients of a page-turner
* What hooks are and how to maximize them
* The power of effective scenes: common pacing pitfalls to avoid
* The ten elements of strong pacing
* How to use subplots and secondary characters
* How to avoid a sagging middle
* What a beat is and how to use it
* Great beginnings & endings that have your readers wanting more!

Mary Buckham’s debut Romantic Suspense novel, THE MAKEOVER MISSION, was a Silhouette Intimate Moments release. Her second novel, INVISIBLE RECRUIT, was a May 2006 Silhouette Bombshell. A former magazine editor, she has written hundreds of free-lance articles and a non-fiction book. Currently she is a national writing-workshop presenter, both online and at conferences. Visit www.MaryBuckham.com or www.BreakIntoFiction.com for more information about the release of her Break Into Fiction book coming June 2009.

OKAY TO FORWARD

Chat Tonight

Wednesday, February 11, 2009, I will be taking part in the Valentine Soiree at the Writerspace chatroom from 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm EST. Sign up for the contest and win copies of my newest release! There will be a ton of other writers participating as well. To see a fill list check out: http://www.writerspace.com/valentine

Zero Words

I slept much of yesterday, instead, trying to fight off the inevitability of a cold / strep.

But the funny part was my mind must have felt guilty about it because I had at least two thoughts about the novel hit me while in a fevered state. So I'm hoping -- fingers crossed -- that I'll get some good writing in tonight. I have to say, though, I still don't have a clear vision of my final showdown. Hopefully it'll come to me during the day today.

House of Plague

On Saturday in the middle of our poetry/Imbolc party, Mason started acting sick. In very uncustomary style, he hid upstairs and read quietly to himself while everyone else enjoyed each other's poems, etc. He was very feverish by Sunday, and yesterday we went to the doctors just to rule out anything more serious than a virus.

Turns out that on top of a cold, he has strep throat.

My partner, who will catch anything anyone who even passes her on the street has, instantly also caught the cold. I seem to be the only one in the house left standing...

...so far.

But under the heading "silver lining," because my usually high-energy, high maintenance kid is in the mood for watching TV and reading quietly to himself, I've managed to keep up with the word count (so far!)

Middle Ages Course for Writers (on-line)

***PERMISSION TO FORWARD***

Yellow Rose Romance Writers is proud to launch online workshops for the first time! All workshops are $15 for Yellow Rose members and $25 for non-Yellow Rose members.

In March, Eliza Knight will present A Noble's Life In Medieval Times. This is a 4 week course. To register, go http://yellowroserwa.com/workshops.php and fill in the form. We accept PayPal and check/money order. Registration deadline is February 28, 2009.

Course Description:

Life in medieval times was so much different than the way we live today. When readers sit down with their favorite medieval historical romance, they are taken away to another time and place. For most readers, this is where they learn about medieval times, and it is the duty of the author to be as authentic as possible. That being said, you don't want your book to be a history lecture either, but to just flavor it enough.

This workshop will teach you how people, particularly nobles, lived in medieval times, in order for you to be truer to the era you write about. This is an open discussion workshop, questions and comments are welcome and encouraged. The lessons will be presented as follows:

Lesson One: The Medieval Castle
Lesson Two: Medieval Entertainments
Lesson Three: Day in the Life of a Medieval Lord and Lady
Lesson Four: Medieval Medicine
Lesson Five: Medieval Clothes

Eliza Knight is the author of multiple steamy Regency and erotic Highlander time travel romance novellas published by The Wild Rose Press. She is a freelance copy editor, Newsletter Editor for Hearts Through History Romance Writers, and President of the Celtic Hearts Romance Writers signature chapter of the RWA. She also volunteers her time as moderator of a critique group and contest coordinator. Eliza is the author of the award-winning blog, History Undressed and has published numerous articles in various newsletters. She presents workshops on history, researching techniques and writing craft, to writing groups online. While not writing, reading or researching, she is chasing after her two--soon to be three--children and living with her own knight in shining armor. For more information on Eliza, please visit her website at, www.elizaknight.com, and www.historyundressed.blogspot.com.

On the Radio!

This is subject to change, but yesterday I agreed to be on Radio Cafe with Cathy Hauser on Saturday, February 14, 2009 (yes, Valentine's Day) from 3:00 - 4:00 pm CST on KTNF / AM 950 (that's "Voice of Minnesota," Air America.) If you're out of town and still want to listen in, please go to www.am950ktnf.com. Also, if you wish to harass... er, support me, feel free to call into the studio line at (952) 946-6205. I'm sure Cathy will also announce a 1-800 number if they have one.

Professor X as Heirophant

Here's Professor X as the Heirophant in my continuing Marvel (tm) Tarot pictures. I didn't write anything in my tarot journal after drawing it because it turned into a busy day, but here are my thoughts now.

I picked Professor X to be the Heirophant after reading the section in my WitchSchool.com Tarot 101 course. The instructor talked about the Heirophant as a guardian of arcane knowledge, and in many ways Prof. X is a kind of hero's school for mutants. You really can't be a good guy mutant without getting past the door marked "School of Gifted Students." He is the headmaster of the School, and, in the very beginning when it was just the five X-Men, the sole instructor of everything from math to "Superhero 101."

The two figures in the front take the place of the kneeling monks. I didn't intend them to be any particular characters, though I considered Jean (Phoenix) and Scott (Cyclops), though they will be making an appearance in the LOVERS card. I decided that the figures should remain sketchy and naked to represent the "anyone" aspect, though I did make them white/Caucasian, which given the diversity of the school kind of limits the characters. I suppose I could have colored them purple and green, also given the nature of the characters that are often admitted to the School of Gifted Students. :-)

The Point of No Return... Or Something Like That

I FINALLY past the half-way mark for me, 40,000 words yesterday. Although this has been a very messy process give how quickly I've been writing. I've been doing a lot of "ah-ha!"s and realizing what I SHOULD have written, and going back and layering in a lot of that. For instance, yesterday, though I ended up writing nearly 2,000 words (which is my daily goal,) most of those where a paragraph here or a couple of lines there. And I realized last night that there's a scene I've worked on maybe three times since I wrote it that STILL needs some massaging to get right.

Happy Imbolc!

Yesterday, my family and I did our usual Imbolc ritual where we added beads to our charm/magical necklaces. Mason really enjoys this one, and he always ends up doing an extra project. This time it was making a necklace to ward off the monsters under the bed.

I also have a new Tarot card I need to post. Maybe tomorrow.

Hope you all are keeping warm as February returns to Minnesota with a vengeance.

X-Posted Cat Blog

Normally, on Fridays over at Wyrdsmiths' blog, Kelly McCullough posts pictures of his cats along with silly captions. He's out of town today, so I decided to step in. I think this one kind of makes for a nice "story arc" (that's Mason, obviously, MUCH younger...)

Mz. Peep sez: "What the frak?"

Mz. Ball sez: "What the frak?"

Kittez sez: "OMG, there's a baby in teh condo!"

How I Spend My Free Time

Here's what me and my family does on the weekends:

Many Bloody Returns... in Polish!

Here's the Polish version of MANY BLOODY RETURNS, the anthology my story "Fire and Ice and Linguini for Two" appeared in -- somehow I neglected to post this here when I first found out about it. Cool, huh?

Realms Closing!

I heard about this through a list I'm on: http://sfscope.com/2009/01/realms-of-fantasy-closing.html. This is bad news for fantasy writers everywhere.

Hopefully, I'm the Tortoise

As I've reported here before, my friend and fellow writer Kelly McCullough and I are racing to each finish our novels by the end of February, as we have other irons in the fire. I've been keeping a tally of my progress in the sidebar of the Wyrdsmith's website: http://wyrdsmiths.blogspot.com. Kelly is currently handing me my a$$ on a plate.

The worse part is that I've been writing and working non-stop on this novel. I just don't have anything to show for it because I realized that I needed to do some massaging of the first 2/3rds in order to write the last bit. Yesterday alone, I probably cut 3,000 words. Yet miraculously, today my word count is still in the positive, which means I must have seriously kicked butt.

Not that you can tell just by looking at the word count.

I comfort myself by telling myself that winning is good, but having a good novel at the end is my actual goal.

The News!

I'm happy to announce that my agent brokered a three-book deal with Penguin for a new series! I'll be writing an YA (young adult) about a fifteen year-old girl living in Saint Paul, Minnesota who has a vampire prince for a father and a mother who's a real Witch.

The only draw back is that I agreed to write this book by October of '09, and, as you know, Bob, I already have two books with deadlines this year. So... if I come and go on the blogisphere, that's the dealio.

Anyway, whoot! Many whoots!

Argh! I'm Sitting on a Great, Big Secret

And I'm just about ready to explode. All I can say (as a great, big TEASE) is that it involves more books, my agent, and my editor.

And I'm really, really happy!!!!!!

Mason and Obama

I wish I'd had my camera last night as we were all watching the inauguration speech I'd taped. In the middle of it, while Shawn and I had tears streaming down our faces, Mason hopped up and gave the TV (which showed a close-up of President Obama's face) and gave him a big hug and a kiss. It was SUPER cute.

I managed to get some writing done yesterday, even though I was very distracted by an overwhelming feeling of joy. The biggest problem with having written this novel so fast is that I find I've gotten sooner to the point in the novel where I wonder if a huge revision is in order. A lot has happened in this novel, but there's no clear villain or tah-dah to head for and I'm feeling a tad lost. I may have to take part of today to do a little thinking and re-reading.

It's okay. It's part of my process and part of what seems to happen to me during these waning moon periods, you know?

As a friend texted me yesterday, "Happy Obama Day!"

Life Interruptus

I've been doing PRETTY well with this writing competition that I have going with fellow Wyrdsmith, Kelly McCullough. But, yesterday, life happened.

I had way too many errands to do. I panicked about it for a while, but then I called my partner Shawn. She said, "You know what? Sometimes you have to do other things. It's OKAY."

And it was.

So I only got 461 words written. It's still 461 closer to "THE END." Some days, that's the best you can hope for.

Uh....Thanks?

Google Alerts found this gem for me: Review: Tall, Dark & Dead and Dead Sexy.

The last line made me laugh out loud. Though written by an Australian, it could have been written by a Minnesotan: "you could certainly do worse [than read these books]."

Uh... wow. I feel extra warm and fuzzy now. Although to be fair, the review, up to that point, is really quite nice. And, in context, the whole bit about doing worse is really quite positive. Still...I feel like calling my publicist and yelling, "Stop the presses! I need that tag line on the cover my next book: 'Could do worse!'"

Medusa as Empress

According to my tarot journal, I drew this card on January 3, 2009. It's the first image in my new tarot journal for 2009, which I got from Shawn for Solstice. Anyway, here's my "mystical rambling" about why I drew it the way I did:

Here's Medusa, Queen of the Inhumans as the Empress. It's not totally rocking awesome, but there are still things about it that I like. One of the things I was fascinated by in the Rider-Waite version of this card was how the Empress seemed to be sitting at the boundary between civilization and wilderness. I really wanted that idea reflected in my own version, thus Medusa sits on a cushioned chaise lounge in front of a window that looks out on the moonscape (because, as you know, Bob, the Inhumans are currently based on the moon.)

I gave her the Venus shield and an orb with the equal armed cross because otherwise this card is devoid of the usual symbolism. You'd have to know me to know that I've always been fond of the Inhumans, particularly of Black Bolt, Medusa's consort/husband/king. He might have made a good Emperor card because responsibility is certainly his watch word given that he only has to utter a single whisper to destroy worlds. But, the relationship between Medusa and Black Bolt has also always fascinated me because, thanks to his awesome sonic power, she speaks for him. (She may be telepathic or, I don't know, they've maybe just been married that long.)Either way, there's got to be a lot of trust there, don't you think? Plus, if you like the Grail interpretation of the Empress and Emperor cards this makes her the "kingmaker," without her Black Bolt could not rule (as he could never make his wishes known.)

She's always seemed sexy to me, too, and -- though I can't point to any particular issue that makes me believe this -- I've always thought that she and Black Bolt had good sex and had a very sensual, loving relationship.

I feel like she's someone's mother, too, though I was corrected on LJ that she's Crystal's sister, not mother. Anyway, she seemed a good fit: mother, lover, ruler.

Getting my Butt Kicked

Yesterday was not a GREAT writing day for me. I only managed to get just over a 1,000 words written, though I did have a nice visit from a friend I hadn't seen in some time. So, there was that social upside thing. (Damn my need for friendship! How will I ever crush the competition if I keep having friends!!!)

Oh, and I should have a Marvel Tarot (tm) up tomorrow, as I took a picture yesterday. I'd get it up today, but I'm already late to start writing.

Wicked Cold

It's seriously ARCTIC outside today. Wind chills make the air feel -36 F, which is just... well, polar.

Mason, of course, was super excited. I think he was hoping to see my face ACTUALLY freeze off.

Meanwhile, yesterday was a good day for the race of words between me and Kelly. I wrote nearly 2,000 words (actually 1,784,) and am now at 26,220 words total. However, today has started out rough and I'm expecting a guest this afternoon which is going to completely derail me.

This is the problem with competition. There's no accounting for life.

Well, now that it seems the race is on, I'm going to be very motivated to keep my word count running. Have I mentioned that I'm very much motivated by competition? Well, it's true. I like to win. Or, really, I like to race, I'm not all that motivated by winning. I just just like the elbow jostling of a good competition.

Oh, and my digital camera seems to be working again thanks to the brilliant and technical mind of Shawn, my partner.

What else? I worked out today. My muscles ache.

Oh, and it's snowing, like really awesome, huge, white flakes. I kind of wish I had time to go for a nice long walk in it.

Other People's Tarot

I got a great email from a reader in Des Moines who has been following my Marvel (tm) Tarot (and has also read my books), and she sent a long an awesome link to her sister's Stick Figure Thoth Tarot Parody. These are quite charming. You should check them out.

In the meantime, as I think I reported, my digital camera has decided to freak out so I haven't been able to post my Empress card. Since I've done Iron Man as the Emperor, it's time to start Professor X as the Heirophant.

My other big hold up drawing mor cards is that I've been writing HONEYMOON OF THE DEAD like a squirrel on crack. In the past seven days I've averaged 1,300 words, and in a caffeine induced haze last night at Wyrdsmiths I challenged fellow writer Kelly McCullough to a duel of words. We're each going to try to finish our novels by the end of Feburary. Once we work out the "rules," we're going to post results/updates/etc. over on the Wyrdsmith's blog. So if you're interested to see how competition motivates me, check over there periodically.

It should be noted that as a Scorpio competition is my lifeblood.

Numberology and Years

So, ever since I first discovered Tarot, I've been keeping a journal of the various readings I've done for myself. It was an idea I got from Mary Greer's influencial books TAROT FOR YOURSELF, which I love deeply. One of the things she has students do is some numerology stuff for each year that corresponds to one of the Major Arcana.

This year, my card is: DEATH.

And, I want to be honest: I'm completely freaked out. It's not that I'm expecting to physically die, but there are so many ways to DIE in the publishing industry that I'm on pins and needles.

Not to mention that word... DEADlines. Of which I have two this year (so far.)

Maybe that's it. Maybe this is the year of the DEADlines....

Okay. That's a little less scary and a lot more positive.

I can LIVE with that.

Out of the Broom Closet!

There's no keeping secrets if you have a five year old.

I was waiting for Mason to make sure he had something with him at school today and his teacher pulled me aside to tell me a funny story. Apparently, while they were sharing stories about things people did over the holiday, Mason piped up with, "I went sledding with Barb and Gerriann. Well, actually, I went with Barb. Ima and Gerriann stayed at home because they're practicing to be Witches, but that's another story."

Oh, isn't it just? :-)

Once is Spooky, but Twice...?

Okay, the Universe is really, really trying to make sure that I understand that part of how I practice Witchcraft is through writing because...

So there I am at the keyboard yesterday afternoon writing the bit in HONEYMOON OF THE DEAD where Sebastian explains that, well, see, he's got this stalker who's convinced that he's part of the Illuminati because he's rich (at least that was my original idea, anyway).

Just guess where the historical Illuminati started?

That's right, Bavaria, which at various points of its history mingled with what is now Austria.

Is it just me, or is it magic in here?

Resolved: Write Every Day

That was my blog title over at Something Wicked this morning, and it pretty much sums up everything I really ought to have said on the subject (but, of course, I blathered on for several paragraphs.)

In other news, I finally decided on a character to be my Empress card for my Marvel (tm) tarot. Medusa, Queen of the Inhumans (and mother of Crystal, I believe.) She seemed like a good pick. I drew out the card, but my digital camera has now decided to go on the fritz. Hopefully, I can get it taken care of in a few days. In the meantime, enjoy this picture of Medusa, which I cribbed from that Internets all you kids are using.

I need to search for one of those graphic/bar thingies that shows my daily progress on the novel. It might be a good kick in the pants to have to upload my word count every day.

Did I mention I have a lot of writing to do this year??

Bringing in the New Year Right

I faxed off the corrections for DEAD IF I DO today, and, last night, as I was reading them I had an epiphany about the book I'm working on now, HONEYMOON OF THE DEAD. I realized that, in many ways DEAD IF I DO is about the trauma of GETTING married, and that HONEYMOON OF THE DEAD should be about the trauma of BEING married.

Except, of course, with ghouls and goblins and zombies, as usual.

Cap as Justice

I'll be honest. I'm not terribly happy with this one which is why it's still in sketch form. After the cool action-y pose of Iron Man, Cap is kind of a let down (and you KNOW he's my favorite Marvel superhero these days.)

But, technically, Justice is the 11th card and so I kind of skipped ahead mostly because, after drawing Iron Man, my fingers itched to do Captain America.

I think I may have settled on a subject for the Empress card, however. Medusa, Queen of the Inhumans. She's both sexy and a mother, and she rules over more than just a family (as Sue Richards does for the FF.) Plus, there's something in the Rider-Waite deck that I noticed that I'd love to include in my own... that is that the Empress sits at the edge of a cultivated field and the wilderness can be seen behind her, as though she marks or defends the end of civilization. As the Inhumans are on the moon, it would be easy to show Medusa sitting somewhere near a window that shows the moonscape behind her. Just a thought. I'll see how it all works out when I actually try to sketch it.

Do You Believe In Magic?

I was once on a panel with Neil Gaiman about... actually I can't remember what it was about exactly because I was awfully busy being awed by being in the presence of Neil, but I do remember that we touched on the fact that sometimes writers access synchronicity with a skill that's akin to magic. For example, you start thinking about a certain subject, say, alchemy and you decide -- totally randomly -- to make your vampire an alchemist from Vienna, Austria, then later, say, like yesterday, you're at Border's and you see a "Idiot's Guide to Alchemy" and you think, "Damn, you know, I know almost nothing about alchemy really, I should buy that so I can do some research and make Sebastian's alchemy more 'real.'"

So you open the book up to the introduction this morning over your bowl of Corn Flakes, and read this:

"Four hundred years earlier, Vienna and nearby Prague were the heart of European alchemy, and hundreds of alchemists flocked to the area to study."

Hairs rise on the back of your neck, and you say, "Holy coincidence, Batman. That's freaky."

I can't remember entirely the story that Neil told about his magical moment of research other than it had to do with his book American Gods, which at the time he hadn't quite finished. I just know that it's absolutely true. This isn't the first time something like this has happened to me, but it's still always so startling.

It's a Monday

Made obvious by the fact that a few seconds ago I posted a blank blog. WTF? Somehow I fumbled the keyboard. Yeah, it's Monday, all right.

Plus, as I wrote over at the Something Wicked Blog, I woke up this morning with a headache and an impending sense of doom. The headache I mostly blame on the weather. Here in Minnesota it's been warmish (for winter, with temps in the 20s and 30s F), which always gives my sinuses a workout. The impending sense of doom, however, has more to do with the fact that APPARENTLY 2008 is almost over.

How did that happen?

I feel like this entire year has been moving at super-sonic speeds. I have no idea where all my time went, though at least I appear to have some things to show for it. ROMANCING THE DEAD came out this year, and I finished DEAD IF I DO at some point. I'm only certain of this because I'm looking at a set of reader's proofs that are due back at the publisher at the beginning of next year --- a matter of days, actually. The good news there is that I'm half way done reviewing it, and I can fax back the pages that need corrections.

But what the hey? Why do I only have fifty pages on the next book done? What have I been doing with my time?

Oh, yeah, watching HELLBOY 2 and drawing Marvel (tm) tarot cards. I should really try to develop a bit more focus for the new year. Ah! A resolution! Hooray, something accomplished already.

Iron Man as Emperor

This one may look a little blurry, but that's because I decided to do it all in colored pencil without any "inking." I should note that I stole/redesigned the pose from the cover of IRON MAN CIVIL WAR.

Here's what I said about it in my tarot journal:

I skipped the Empress because I'm not quite sure who best fits that card in the Marvel Universe (tm). I'd originally thought Sue Richards/Invisible Woman because she is one of the few heroes who is actually also a mother, but, after meditating on the card, I'm not sure she's quite sexy enough.

The Emperor as Iron Man seemed a much more obvious choice. In this card, I put him in a "ready for action" pose, and in full armor because the Emperor shows no mercy to his enemies (even if they were once friends, ala Cap and the Civil War storyline.)

He is ready to lead and shoulder all the responsibility that entails. He follows the law. As Emperor Iron Man is the apologist for his government. He will explain the law to his subjects and lead those who enforce it. He will, in effect, represent the law (regardless of any misgivings.)

The only nods I gave to the traditional images (besides the armor) is the bleak, orange background and the ram's head on the gargoyle.

Happy Yule

My family and I had a wonderful Yule. I wrote a little about it over at Something Wicked, but I just wanted to wish everyone out here a happy return of the Sun.

Storm as High Priestess

So in my continued Marvel (tm) super-hero tarot deck, I have this new beauty to add:

Here's what I wrote about it in my tarot journal:

I'm pleased with this one, even though it ended up quite differently from my original vision. Though I always pictured Storm sitting much as she is, I'd initially thought to show her inside a ruined/collapsed Egyptian tomb (even though she's claustrophobic) -- I'd been planning to show an opening above, symbolizing salvation, "reaching beyond the veil," etc.

But this image, with the open air and pyramid behind her, just sort of came out instead, as did the finger to her lips -- as if she's saying "no talking. Time to listen to your heart." or "I've got a secret." Both of which I feel suit this card pretty well.

I gave her a crystal ball, but she's not gazing into it. This high priestess has access to divinary power, but doesn't need to use it. Similarly the "Tora" scroll is there, but not in her lap. She already has that information -- hence the slight smile that says she knows it too.

My other nods to tradition are the black and white columns. I made these Egyptian with the lotus blossom motif to reflect the general setting.

I also gave Storm her punk outfit and hair because, IMHO, she really came into her own during those (Chris Claremont?) years. She lost her elemental powers, but gained belief in her own, inner strength. Her fierce independence during this era seems, to me, to fit this card very well.

Here's a close-up:

Dash, dot, dot,dash!

"Dash, dot, dot, dash. Ampersand!" is how my son Mason swears. He gets it from comic strips mostly, where the author/artist will replace choice words with dingbats. But, since he likes the sound of dash and dot, it sounds a bit like he's cursing in Morse code. (Although I have no idea what "dash, dot, dot, dash." would work out to be.)

Today, I am swearing because my dash-dot-dot car is on the blink. Actually, it decided to throw a starter wire, which is, at least, blessedly simple (I hope) to fix. It's at the garage right now, though it took some monumental effort to get it there last night. (Many calls to Triple-A, much waiting and pacing in the 4 degree weather, lots and lots of "dash, dot, dot"s from me.)

Also because Minneapolis/St. Paul has a pretty lame public transportation system, I walked about three miles this morning (uphill both ways!) But seriously, after one of Mason's school friend's parents dropped me off at my coffee shop this morning, I decided to start hoofing it down Grand toward our service station. I'm glad I did, because I was able to show the mechanic exactly which wire was the problem. As I jostled the wire, a big chunk of it actually broke off. We looked at each other for a moment. Then the mechanic says (completely deadpan,) "Yeah, that could be a problem."

Sometimes I love Minnesotans.

More Tarot Images

I ended up not very happy with my first attempt, which you can see here. Though the image remains much the same in the second attempt (below). Here's what I wrote in my tarot journal after I finished this:

"I'm not sure how much I like it, because I'd originally imagined the lab/background a lot more science-y and full of tools the Adept had already brought into fruition. I changed Reed's costume somewhat because I wanted the symbolism of white/the uncarved block/limitless potential in the Magician's hands. There is nothing this guy can't build or produce; his understanding of physics, engineering, and mechanics is so powerful. He has so conquered the intellectual world, he doesn't even notice he's casually defying the laws of physics by levitating the gizmo/wand."

"That's not the usual image (levitating), and goes a bit against the idea of the Magician as firmly grasping the wand/his tools, but he is still the conduit of the creative force, the lightening bolt of higher consciousness."

"Reed gazes at the tools of the magical realm with a cool, logical, dispassionate eye. He hasn't quite mastered magic yet, so it needs further study. All the colors (except those of the tools themselves) are "cold" colors, because I wanted to make the connection that the Magician is incomplete -- he is too much intellect and not enough heart."

"The spiral shaped doo-hickey behind Reed's right, downward pointing shoulder is meant to be the closed portal to the Negative Zone. If the card were reversed, the Negative Zone would be in the foreground, replacing the Arcane tools. To me, the Negative Zone represents genius in the service of darkness -- Reed's intellectual folly/moral blindness, intellect misused. Because Reed allowed (encouraged?) Stark Industries to imprison heroes in the Negative Zone during the Civil War (which he did because of a social political formula which predicted the future), it symbolizes genius without heart -- with dark, perhaps even evil, intent -- even though it might appear to have the best intentions."

"If I re-drew this, I might try putting Reed in a lab coat and obscuring his role as a hero, because in his lab -- Reed focuses solely on creation rather than being part of a team. Also, I am considering choosing the title ADEPT instead of MAGICIAN because Mr. Fantastic more fully embodies that term, IMHO."

And here's my second attempt:

I like this one a little better, but I'm still not fully satisfied. I do like that the infinity symbol is now part of the machinery that Mr. Fantastic has built and is almost unnoticeable, as is the fact that he's defied gravity with the gizmo. I added more cool colors to the Arcane symbols on the table as well, and this time the Negative Zone is shown open.

What do you think?

What's on Your List?

My family celebrates both the pagan/Wiccan Yule/Solstice and Christmas. On Yule, we traditionally give each other gifts that are sentimental in value, rather than commercial. It's the time for handmade gifts or coupons that say, "Good for one day to sleep in until 10 am!"

This year, the present I'm MOST hoping for for Yule is a new journal. I'm one of those writers who LOVES all the accouterments that go along with being a writer... I love pens with smooth action, notebooks without lines (so I can sketch and doodle), and anything like that. I would probably be happiest if all I got for Yule/Christmas was six or seven different kinds of pens and notebooks and journals and colored pencils. (I'm also pretty fond of crayons, too, but I currently have a lot in the house thanks to having a five year old at home.)

So what about you? What present are you most hoping for this season (and, yes, feel free to say more books by your favorite author!!)

In Support of "Day Without A Gay"

In support of yesterday's "Day Without a Gay," I didn't write. That hurt you, didn't it?

Uh, hello?

Honestly, I have to say I love this idea, but it does have some obvious drawbacks. For one, no one even noticed my feeble attempt to strike a blow for my GLBT brothers and sisters. Secondly, in this economy? Seems a bit risky to "call in gay" to work. The unemployment line looms large for many of us.

In other news, I got an "A" on my tarot test for "Tarot 101" at WitchSchool.com. So that's something positive, at least.

Plus our plumber came right on time day-before-yesterday and the water is back on to our house. I shall now repeat this mantra: "Never try to fix plumbing yourself... always hire a professional. Never try to fix plumbing yourself...."

Tarot 101 Test Today...

Today, the test for Tarot 101 opened up. I'm going to review my materials and take it. Given that I've started drawing my own Tarot, you'd think I'd get an "A," but that's the biggest draw back of doing all this stuff on-line. It's not terribly easy to contact the instructor and get a sense of what anyone else might be doing. Ah well. I'll let you know how it goes. Personally, I expect it'll be yet another "B."

Also, does anyone out there know if Mercury is retrograde? There've been a number of minor breakages/emergencies in my family as well as with other people I know. Seems like there may be an astrological cause looming out there!

Spidey-Fool Card

Well, I found some time to draw my vision for the Spider-Man as Fool card last night after all. I apologize that the photograph is a bit dark. My scanner died sometime ago and I've been compensating by taking digital pictures of my artwork. When the light is good, that works. When it's not....

Anyway, here's Spidey as the Fool (please note, any Marvel representatives out there, this is not intended for sale, only for personal pleasure.) I've drawn him leaping off to some new "cosmic fiesta," but with one foot still safely on the window ledge of his Manhattan apartment. On the ledge is a potted plant (the white rose of innocence, which he leaves blithely behind) in Mary Jane's care. She replaces the loyal faithful canine companion (no literary illusion implied.) Her expression is a bit wistful, because she worries that Peter has too much confidence in the face of adversary.

The cityscape is obviously an imaginary New York, with the Hudson River running through it. The river is there to symbolize the unconscious and the city scape itself is dark (though it grows lighter) to represent the subconscious. The sun is shown rising on a new day, a new adventure.

Peter is still unmasked because the Fool is not YET a full hero. He's not gone through his initiation yet, but is ready to. Peter's hand is reaching to pull on his mask (his persona). His other fingers lightly touch the fire escape, which replaces the wand (and because of that I've colored it brown, for wood, and added an ivy vine to show that the wood is living/imbued with magical energy.)

I colored the interior of the apartment black for balance, though I considered leaving it white for innocence and an unpainted canvass, which is left behind in the search for the higher self. The pot the rose grows in is lavender-purple, for psychic energy.

It's been a LONG time since I've done any real drawing, so please excuse my clumsy sense of perspective, etc. But otherwise, what do you think?

Marvel (tm) Tarot

I started thinking about how easily some Marvel (tm) superheroes would work as archtypes for the Major Arcana of the Tarot, and Shawn and I even started assigning roles for each of the 22 cards. I wrote a long, involved post about my picks at my alter-ego's livejournal. I even started drawing THE FOOL card this morning (Spider-Man, of course). When I finish the first image, I'll post it here for your amusement.

Now, after a quick, little lunch, I'm off to go write. I fell behind again because I got stymied by a sex scene in HONEYMOON OF THE DEAD. I had to... ehm, do a little research first. :-)

An Aquarists Nightmare...

My partner found this article over at Boing-Boing, but it made me laugh out loud:

Bored Octopus Wrecks Havoc

My favorite quote? "Once we found him juggling the hermit crabs..."

OMG. I bet they wish they'd gotten a shot of that for YouTube, eh?

The House is a Mess

And I'm probably about to get up and take care of that... yeah, any moment now.

My Life and Stuff

By chance today I was looking through my electronic copy of Gila Queen's Guide to Markets, and I stumbled across an anthology that's looking for Biblically themed horror. When I saw that, I was so excited, I nearly peed. Thing is, I've got this "trunk" story called "Jawbone of an Ass." It's a story I wrote many years ago specifically for a Biblical horror anthology, which for reasons yet unknown to me (the fools!), they passed on it.

I love this story, though. I chose the topic by thumbing through the Old Testament and randomly putting my finger down on a passage. No, surprise, it's a bit obscure. I ended up in a story I knew only a little about, that is Samson. Not the more famous one of Samson and Delilah, but of Samson's first wife, a woman from the rival tribe that really kind of gets screwed by Samson and his people. Anyway, I thought that story would make a great horror story if you made it from her perspective, rather than that of Samson's.

I also ended up making other changes. "Jawbone" is completely removed from ancient Israel. I thought it would have more modern resonnance if it were retold in a similar kind of religoius battleground, so I set it in 1980s Northern Ireland. Samson is now an IRA man (with God on his side) and the unnammed wife a Protestant.

And then her life just sort of unravels, as told in the Bible. I actually follow the scripture's plot (which, honestly, makes it that much more surreal) up to the point Samson ties a bunch of foxes together and lights their tails on fire -- I made that a dream. But, if I do say so myself, I always thought that successful or not in terms of a Biblical retelling, the story is one of the most poetic/literary/atmospheric stories I've ever written, and thus I've always wanted a bigger audience for it.

But try selling an obscure Biblical retelling to a mundane audience. Suffice to say, the only place it ever saw print was in the Wyrdsmith's chapbook. I came clean about that pub to the editor of this new anthology, but I hope he won't hold that against the story.

Cross your fingers. Wish me luck!

Dead If I Do Available for Pre-Order

Just in time for Solstice! You can now pre-order your very own copy of DEAD IF I DO from Amazon.com. The book isn't out until May, but I have recently updated my web site so that you can read an excerpt of the first chapter. Try before you buy! Satisfaction guaranteed.

Twenty-Three Years and Still Counting...

Believe it or not, today is the twenty-third anniversary for my partner and me. We've been together more than half my life, as we met when I was seventeen (though I turned eighteeen that year. I'll save you the math: I'm 41.)

In other news, I have to laugh... in a sort of "ugh" sort of way. So, you know I'm taking all these courses via WitchSchool.com. Well, as part of my Tarot class I decided it would be smart to take a class in Kabballah. So, I'm taking "Introduction to the Tree of Life" or something like that. Anyway, the funny part is really only funny if you know that I used to write about Judeo-Christian religion despite being raised a secular humanist. I have tried and tried to "escape" the whole Judeo-Christian thing... though every time I take one of those "what religion are you?" quizes on Belief.net, I always end up as a Unitarian Universalist, despite TRYING to weigh my questions so I'll turn out a pagan/Wicca. Okay, so you know how I've been getting all "B"s on my witchy classes, well guess what?

I frigging Aced the Kabbalah test, without even using open book.

I can not escape. My brain is wired toward the whole Judeo-Christian thing. I even remembered which passage in the Bible/Torah the charoit of fire vision is in...

Sigh.

It's Monday...

...So, you can find me over at Something Wicked confessing that I didn't write much over my extended birthday week celebration.

Part of the problem is that Mason is still on vacation from school. I always have a heckuva time getting any writing done while the little one is constantly at my elbow asking me for attention. Plus, when I do have a spare minute or two, what I really want to do is read my "homework" for WitchSchool.com. I'm so easily distracted. It's a wonder I ever get any real writing done. Interestingly enough, my subconscious really wants me to get working on my Tate novel because last night I actually dreamed I was a vampire.

It was a very sexual dream, too. Not surprisingly, I suppose.

As supplimental reading to my Dreams 102 class, I'm reading DREAM SOURCEBOOK AND JOURNAL by a whole bevy of authors: Phyllis R. Koch-Sheras, Amy Lemley, and Peter L. Sheras. Also I decided to finally read a book Shawn bought me many years ago as a birthday present, which is Rachel Pollack's SEVENTY-EIGHT DEGREES OF WISDOM: A BOOK OF TAROT. (The new edition).

Anyway, I promised Mason I'd be off-line soon so I can play "Mastermind" with him, so I should go make good on that promise.

Once a "B" Student, Always...

I just took my first few on-line tests through WitchSchool.com, and life repeats itself. I was always a "B" student -- both in high school and in college. Apparently, this is a trend destined to continue.

Raising Energy and Sleeping Through Meditations

One of the big things about witchcraft that I've always struggled with is meditation and visualization. Fellow writer friend Naomi Kritzer and I often talked about our various failures meditating -- falling asleep, getting leg cramps, etc. She even wrote a scene in one of her novles where one of her main characters struggles rather humorously with the whole meditation thing.

Last night, however, I had a kind of break through. I did a "psychic shield" meditation that was suggested in the on-line materials for the First Degree course, and when it came time to ground my energy, I actually would swear I felt a kind of light "whoosh" from the souls of my feet. It was cool. And I can honestly say I've never experienced anything even remotely like this before. I think it might have been that I have always grounded in the past using the "tap root" image because it was the first one I came across, many years ago, from a book called TAROT FOR YOURSELF by Mary Greer. The materials from WitchSchool.com suggested a number of new ones and the image I really resonated with was one of laying in a stream and imagining the water washing away your excess energy. I've always been very attracted to streams and rivers, having grown up in a place where three rivers meet (LaCrosse, Wisconsin). And, of course, one of Mason and my favorite hang out spots is the Minnehaha Creek.

Anyway, it worked! I consider that an awesome step forward on my whole witchy education.

Time Suck

As I wrote over at Something Wicked this morning, my biggest concern right now with WitchSchool.com is how much of my brain it's going to take over. As part of the first degree program I signed up for a mentor and a study group. Lots of emails, lots of on-line chats, lots of communicating with my mentor. Currently, I'm totally up for it, although with two books to write, I'm going to have to really be careful about how I manage my time.

Plus, studying for me is ALWAYS more fun than writing, which could be a big problem. :-)

Speaking of studying, I've been keeping a dream journal as part of my "Intro to Dreams" class. I've always been pretty good at remembering my dreams because Shawn and I have long been in the habit of asking each other about our dreams when we wake up in the morning. It's different, though, when it's this intentional. I find I'm a bit lazy about jumping up to jot things down and try to say things to myself like, "Remember the LEGO thing later." Which, mostly works, though I need to just grab the pen and scrawl something. I remember, on average, four dreams a night this way. So far, most of my dreams are exactly as they've always been: strange nonsensical stories about things that are only connected to my mundane life by a feeling.

Like, last night I dreamed I was a half-Cherokee man (modern day) who became, through various bits of dream logic, the lynchpin in a war between whites and Natives. There was a lot of running around through a forest/small town trying to talk people out of this war. My sense is that my subconscious is a bit nervous about the cultural appropriation issues in taking part in a tradition like the Correllians who are a blend of Cherokee and European Wicca.

My subconscious is rarely subtle.

Life's a Witch!

I mostly practice the Craft as a Solitary, but every once and a while I get a yen to have a teacher of some kind. I've had some pretty disastrous experiences when I've joined local groups (I tend to question authority too much), so this time I've decided to try an on-line course at WitchSchool.com.

The tradition WitchSchool is in is Correllian, which, admittedly, when I signed up thought was perhaps in the flavor of Han Solo ;-), but as you can see by following the link, it's a blend between Cherokee and European Wicca.

There are a number of ways to sign up, but since I'm new to this Tradition (and the whole once bitten twice shy thing) I've decided to only attend on a month-by-month basis, until I'm sure I want to stick with it.

As a paying member (the price is minimal, $5 a month), you are allowed to sign up for as many as eight courses at a time. So I'm taking:

Tarot 101
Intro to Dreams
Russian Paganism
First Degree Training

I've started everything except the Degree Training, and so far it's working for me. I'm particularly enjoying "Intro to Dreams," because I've always had a number of reoccurring dreams that I've wanted to explore further. Plus, dreams fascinate me generally.

But, anyway, I mention this here because I'm thinking that I may start devoting some of this blog to my personal experiences with WitchSchool and the things I'm learning.

Stuff Going On This Weekend

And, damn, there's a lot.

If you're local to the Twin Cities, this is one seriously happenin' town, because on Saturday, November 15 (3 days before my birthday) you lucky souls can first march against Prop 8 and other anti-human rights issues starting at 12:30 pm at the Minneapolis City Hall.

After that, you can go see one of science fiction's most promenient gay authors Samuel Delaney at the Walker Arts Center from 2:00 - 4:00 pm for FREE.

And then, if you're me, you can entertain a couple of out-of-town visitors from the fine city of New York. Catch a few winks of sleep, and then...

...on Sunday, Novemver 16 (2 days until my birthday), you can get on the waiting list for the sold-out show of "Meet the Wyrdsmiths" sponsored by MinnSpec Meet-up which is taking place from 12:00 - 1:30 at the Uptown Lund's meeting room.

And then, apparently, I will collapse in a heap.

Got any plans this weekend yourself?

Good Morning, Class!

Actually, it's almost afternoon, but that's what happens these days when I go work out right after dropping Mason off at school.

So, since it's Monday, you might feel so inclined to check out what I have to say over at Something Wicked... where I whine (as usual) about the problem of titles.

Simiarly, my alter ego is somewhat misrepresented in an article over at the Pioneer Press about Kindle. The quote is spot on, but the bit about "not wanting" Kindle sounds more universal than I intended it. I meant, "for myself" (and that's sort of there, but...) Anyway, I totally get how other people might like it, though I have to admit I am one of those people who reads in the bath -- which is not terribly well suited for Kindle. ZZZAPPP!

I've got a lot of housework I should be doing -- we started baking Christmas cookies this weekend, so there are more than the usual share of pots and baking pans and such like in the sink (like Garnet, I don't have a dishwasher besides myself.)

And my birthday is coming up... I'll be 41. Yikes! Although as my eye doctor is fond of saying, "Growing older is better than the alternative!"

It's Snowing!

We woke up this morning to snow.

I LOVE living in Minnesota. (Seriously.) It's beautiful. And, since it's Novemember, it's not too cold.

The Morning After the Morning After

I apparently forgot to blog yesterday... but, honestly, the whole day was kind of a blur.

My partner and I were invited to a returns party at the house of a rather promenent Democratic family here in Saint Paul. We went for a little while, but, since it was sort of spur of the moment and we didn't have a babysitter, we left well before the returns really started coming in. In fact, when I left the party the electoral college score was McCain 13, Obama 3.

It was my turn to put Mason to sleep and I think the stress of the day go to me. I fell sound asleep at 8:00 pm (CST), when many of the Western polls hadn't even closed.

Somewhere around midnight, a cat puked in the sun room. I stumbled out of bed to clean it up, and heard fireworks going off. I looked up and over our Capitol someone was shooting off big huge fireworks, and I just KNEW. We'd done it. Obama had won.

I ran to the computer room and logged on. Believe it or not, I still have only dial-up, and while I was waiting for the electoral college map to come up a headline slowly materialized. It read: HISTORY IS MADE. I ran to tell Shawn. Who startled awake at my exicted news, "Shawn, Shawn," I said: "Barack Obama is president of the United States!" She murmurred, "Wha..?" Then, more awake, "Seriously??"

Yes, I told her. We did.

You KNOW What You Need to Do Today...

VOTE.

My family and I were up at the crack of dawn (actually, it was still dark out, thanks to daylight savings time,) and at our polling place by 6:30 am. I'm happy to say there was already a long line forming.

However, Minnesota is pretty practiced at this high turn out thing (we routinely get 75-80% voter turn out), so once the doors actually opened, we probably only had to wait about fifteen minutes tops. For some reason, it took Shawn a lot longer (more people with last names that start with "S"?), but, even so, we were on the road to work by 7:30 am, an hour later.

The other nice thing about Minnesota is that we vote on paper. We don't have to wait for people in booths or at machines. At our polling place, if we were okay with not having a privacy screen, they let us vote sitting on the floor using clip boards and a ball point pen. Our ballots look a lot like those SAT tests you took in school, except instead of using a number two pencil, they have special markers for you to fill in your circles with. I think that also helped with the expediency, because most of us would sacrifice a little privacy for maximum efficency.

Can I just say, I'm really proud that I'm going to be able to tell my grandchildren that I voted for Obama.

We're All Fine Here... How Are You?

It's Monday, so I'm blogging over at Something Wicked, of course, but I'm not going to give you the link to that today, because I'm basically going to repeat here what I said there.

Over at Wyrdsmiths, it's traditional on Monday morning to ask the readers of our blog what they're working on today (and for the week.) So, what are you doing today? What's on your agenda for the week? It doesn't have to be writing related, just tell me what you're up to!

For myself, I'm at home today watching over a sick kid. Mason had the stomach bug again this weekend, complete with a LOT of trips to the bathroom. So, even though he seems recovered, we're keeping him home from school just to make sure. He's watching (rewatching) EMPIRE STRIKES BACK at the moment, and I'm going to join him on the couch in a moment. After that, I have a ton of stuff I need to do to get ready for the week. I have to blurb two different books: one romance (for me) and one science fiction book (for my alter ego). On Wednesday, I have my class at the Loft and I need to read and comment on my student's submission as well as come up with something clever (and hopefully useful) to lecture about for an hour. Thursday is Wyrdsmiths, so I have to read my peers' work as well as get my own submission ready to be handed out.

Plus, there's a ton of yard work that still needs doing, although we did manage to get all the Halloween decorations in over the weekend. I woke up this morning with a bit of a sore back thanks to all the raking I did on Sunday. We have two ginormous maple trees -- one in front, and one in back -- which dropped all their leaves quite suddenly, and the neighbors two oaks shed everything, plus the silver maple on the boulevard. Rake, rake, rake... that's kind of all I did. And there still more to do! I'm going to put up the Christmas lights on the lilac bushes and maybe try to trim the hedges.

You?

All These Internets

I just realized that I haven't updated anything on my MySpace page in about two months. I'm geeking out right now, even as I type, and using my laptop to upload the new cover picture to my site. (I'm writing to you on the "big" computer. I'm totally multi-processing. Cool, huh?

There's just far too much to do in any given day, though. Especially since all I want to do is sleep. I taught class last night, and I think that went pretty well, though I didn't end up revealing anything terribly ground-shaking about the writing process or craft, we had fun. Or, at least, I did. Zach, one of my students, came up with a fun writing exercise for all of us to try. It's a progressive story, where each person writes a line of the story, folds the paper over, and hands it to the next person. So, because you can't see what the last person wrote, it can be VERY strange. Here's how mine turned out (I wrote the first line, those that follow are my students'):

On a dark and stormy night, he danced the rumba.

He fell down the stairs.

She stopped trusting her sister after the melted crayon incident.

Thinking the bottle was empty, I forgot to screw the cap on tightly; as a result, my skin is covered in permanent purple ink.

He realized there was a problem when his mother, glazed eyes, crumbled dried worms into the children's salads.

Her boyfriend had an "in" with the guys at the organ market; she could get hearts for cheap.

Loose objects floated around the room -- magazines, chairs, lamps-- all headed towards the newly opened vortex.

The walls seemed to resonate with the emotion Bill was transmitting. Could it be possible?

Me, Every OTHER Day

I think I finally have a writing system that's working for the two books I have under contract this year. I've been working on one book a day. So, today, is HONEYMOON OF THE DEAD's turn, and tomorrow is my alter-ego's prequel day. I figure that way I'll actually make forward progress on each book during the week.

Clever, no?

Unfortunately for HONEYMOON OF THE DEAD, my writing time is going to be shorter than usual because Mason has an early release day. We're planning a nature hike at the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge again. He so loved the "road of smooshed grasshoppers" that we're going to check it out again. On the flipside, I decided that an afternoon hike was the same as a work out at the gym, so I skipped that this morning. After I finish updating this and my livejournal, I hope to get a few minutes of writing time in before it's time to go pick him up.

Also, I have class tonight. I'm supposed to be lecturing on "Show, Don't Tell" the great myth, but I think it may morph into something else. We'll see. I do need to get some photocopying done before tonight. I suppose I should head down to the basement and look for that sooner rather than later.

In other news, the election continues to make me jittery. Hope is a scary thing.

Baking and the Apocalpyse

The closer we get to election day, the more I've been baking.

I know there's much talk about a landslide for the good guys (as my son says: Vote Obama!), but I'm still scared. If only the otherside hadn't stolen elections before, then I could probably stop cooking.

If I get fat, I'm blaming it on McCain.

Me, Elsewhere

What, you expect me to post here?

Dude, it's Monday. So, that means you can find me over at Something Wicked talking about how cool it is that reading made my son cry, and then over at Wyrdsmiths giving a half-a$$ed apology to George Lucas. What, you expected more? One word, my friend: midiclorians.

Hey, and I'm back to my regularly scheduled routine. Hooray!