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!

About to Explode

...because the last time I wrote anything significant it was September.

In other news, the article about me came out in the Highland Villager. I look pretty scary, actually, and not necessarily in a good way. The article itself, however, was very complimentary. I don't know that it will result in any boost in Halloween sales, but one can always hope.