S.L. Gray's Blog, page 2
May 4, 2012
Things To Be Done
It is shaping up to be a somewhat busy weekend, here. No, not just because tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, though there may be a refreshing adult beverage or two consumed, just because we can.
No, because there are Things To Be Done.
We still need to find a new place to live.
There is a Renaissance Fair Symposium about ten minutes away.
There is a visit to a llama farm on Sunday.
Some gaming would be nice.
As would going to see the horses in their new digs. (There are sheep there, too. Bonus!)
I could stand to do some dyeing.
And the kitchen floor needs washing.
And The Avengers, of course. Worth the crowds? It just might be!
Only some of which will happen, I'm sure, but that seems like Pretty Busy to me.
And you know what? My writing looks about that busy. Not as busy as some of course, but, there are Things To Be Done there, too.
Finish revising The Dragon Undone.
Finish transitioning Of Shadow Born to this side of urban fantasy rather than that side of paranormal romance.
I really should write the second book I proposed to that e-publisher...
Format Immortal Lies for indie release.
Check my inboxes eagerly for cover art news.
Figure out an anthology story.
Gear up for the Month of Writing with Catie (You're not going to want to miss this. June is going to be epic.)
Complete Songmaker
...
So what am I doing today? Well. I was productive this morning. I was! Now, I am spinning and watching things on Hulu and Netflix. Yep, I know. Pass the popcorn.
What do you have planned for the weekend? Whatever it is, I hope it goes as you expected, or even a little better. "See" you Monday!
No, because there are Things To Be Done.
We still need to find a new place to live.
There is a Renaissance Fair Symposium about ten minutes away.
There is a visit to a llama farm on Sunday.
Some gaming would be nice.
As would going to see the horses in their new digs. (There are sheep there, too. Bonus!)
I could stand to do some dyeing.
And the kitchen floor needs washing.
And The Avengers, of course. Worth the crowds? It just might be!
Only some of which will happen, I'm sure, but that seems like Pretty Busy to me.
And you know what? My writing looks about that busy. Not as busy as some of course, but, there are Things To Be Done there, too.
Finish revising The Dragon Undone.
Finish transitioning Of Shadow Born to this side of urban fantasy rather than that side of paranormal romance.
I really should write the second book I proposed to that e-publisher...
Format Immortal Lies for indie release.
Check my inboxes eagerly for cover art news.
Figure out an anthology story.
Gear up for the Month of Writing with Catie (You're not going to want to miss this. June is going to be epic.)
Complete Songmaker
...
So what am I doing today? Well. I was productive this morning. I was! Now, I am spinning and watching things on Hulu and Netflix. Yep, I know. Pass the popcorn.
What do you have planned for the weekend? Whatever it is, I hope it goes as you expected, or even a little better. "See" you Monday!
May 2, 2012
A confoundingly busy day. (And The Skies Fell #8)
Despite the fact that I haven't done much out of the house today, it's been pretty busy, at least in my head. I have also been having with my twitter account (I'm wordsofgray over there, too, if you want to follow me but are not yet -- I'm one follower away from 100 at the moment!) so in addition to being "busy", I have felt very disconnected from my virtual peeps.
And sometimes that is okay too. Sometimes social, borrowing from Monday's post, is really not vital.
That said, it's Wednesday and that means there are words to be shared on the other blog. Enjoy!
And sometimes that is okay too. Sometimes social, borrowing from Monday's post, is really not vital.
That said, it's Wednesday and that means there are words to be shared on the other blog. Enjoy!
April 30, 2012
Sometimes, social is good.
It should come as no surprise that I am not a very social being. I'm a writer. We can be very solitary beasts.
There was a time, Once Upon, when I was in my twenties (...and how much did I never think I would write things like this, then) that I was relatively popular. Friends would often come to visit, even from out of state. I went and did things. It was fun and sometimes overwhelming. No, I was never Popular Girl in High School popular -- despite doing the morning announcements senior year. Everyone knew who I was, by voice, at least. Did this score me extra party invites? No, it did not.
Anyway! Now that I am older, I am not so social. And really, I tend to like it that way. I embrace my hermitness. And I'm old enough to make up words now, too. I am happy to write and dye at home, alone, for the most part. But sometimes, it's nice to get out and be social, too.
Though I am considering a virtual knit night, I go out to my local yarn shop once a week and knit with friends. We have, as I've mentioned, gone to the local gaming store to play board and/or roleplaying games. And this past weekend, I got to see a friend present a fantastic workshop at my local RWA chapter.
RWA, if you don't know, stands for Romance Writers of America. It is one of the few professional writing organizations out there that allows people without publishing credits to join. It is a fantastic resource for those who are writing or want to write romance, and want pointers, advice, and a shoulder to lean on. I've been a member for many years. When I was crazy, I considered volunteering at the National level. I was on the board of my local chapter for many moons. I got better.
As I am no longer writing pure romance, and I'm in that nebulous space between published and NYT Bestseller, it's not a perfect fit for me any more, but I'm staying. I'm still writing and most importantly, I treasure the people and contacts I've made while a member.
And this was not meant to be a recruitment ad. Organizations are not required and aren't for everyone. But they do give me an excuse to practice being social, and for that, I have all the gratitude in the world.
Oh, and speaking of my chapter: Brenda Novak is one of my chapter mates. As tomorrow is the first of May, her auction fundraiser for diabetes starts tomorrow. There are amazing things up for bid, my friends. If you have never seen it, go take a look. If you have, come back this year and shop again. You won't regret it.
There was a time, Once Upon, when I was in my twenties (...and how much did I never think I would write things like this, then) that I was relatively popular. Friends would often come to visit, even from out of state. I went and did things. It was fun and sometimes overwhelming. No, I was never Popular Girl in High School popular -- despite doing the morning announcements senior year. Everyone knew who I was, by voice, at least. Did this score me extra party invites? No, it did not.
Anyway! Now that I am older, I am not so social. And really, I tend to like it that way. I embrace my hermitness. And I'm old enough to make up words now, too. I am happy to write and dye at home, alone, for the most part. But sometimes, it's nice to get out and be social, too.
Though I am considering a virtual knit night, I go out to my local yarn shop once a week and knit with friends. We have, as I've mentioned, gone to the local gaming store to play board and/or roleplaying games. And this past weekend, I got to see a friend present a fantastic workshop at my local RWA chapter.
RWA, if you don't know, stands for Romance Writers of America. It is one of the few professional writing organizations out there that allows people without publishing credits to join. It is a fantastic resource for those who are writing or want to write romance, and want pointers, advice, and a shoulder to lean on. I've been a member for many years. When I was crazy, I considered volunteering at the National level. I was on the board of my local chapter for many moons. I got better.
As I am no longer writing pure romance, and I'm in that nebulous space between published and NYT Bestseller, it's not a perfect fit for me any more, but I'm staying. I'm still writing and most importantly, I treasure the people and contacts I've made while a member.
And this was not meant to be a recruitment ad. Organizations are not required and aren't for everyone. But they do give me an excuse to practice being social, and for that, I have all the gratitude in the world.
Oh, and speaking of my chapter: Brenda Novak is one of my chapter mates. As tomorrow is the first of May, her auction fundraiser for diabetes starts tomorrow. There are amazing things up for bid, my friends. If you have never seen it, go take a look. If you have, come back this year and shop again. You won't regret it.
April 27, 2012
The Worth of Words
Hey, look at this. I'm being somewhat serious. It does happen on occasion. No need to mark the calendar.
Lately, there's been some great conversation about what books are worth, at least as far as e-books, e-publishing and independent publishing is concerned. I'm not sure whether that's because conference season is upon us again, there are interesting things happening with regards to security and format on electronic books, because there have some hugely successful fiction projects on Kickstarter lately, or phases of the moon. Whatever the reason, lots of people are thinking, talking, and discussing it.
And since I'm going down the indie road myself over here, of course I've thought about it too. I have not done a lot of opining on it until, well, today, because there are a lot of things to take in to consideration and a lot of factors to weigh.
For instance: Is it possible to underprice a book in the "new" electronic market? Yes, I think so. Though there's something to be said for free fiction (if I didn't believe this, I wouldn't be offering it) and for the "introductory" price point of $.99 on some of the big book selling sites -- Amazon and Barnes & Noble at least -- I don't think that it's a good idea, personally. Not for a first-time author. Not for a first independent offering.
The argument is that free and low price points get an author's name out there and help to build a readership. I think that those things might help, certainly, but I can't agree that a low price point alone is going to do the trick. If an author writes a crap book and offers it for $.99, it's really not going to benefit them to have a lot of people read it simply because it's cheap.
(I realize that no one thinks that they're offering a crap book to the reading public, but let's face it. No one writes a book that makes people squeal with delight every time. There are good books, better books, books that pale in comparison to others, and crap books. Sorry, but it's true.)
On the flip side, it's also absolutely possible to overprice your book as well. Having read comments and talked to people both on and offline, it is the rare reader who is enthusiastic about paying full paperback (or hardcover) price for an ebook. Though there are still costs and time involved in writing and preparing an ebook for general consumption, the perception is that they don't take nearly as much money to make so they shouldn't be sold for as much.
Fair enough.
I think the solution lies somewhere in the middle. Where, exactly, I'm not sure. There's still a lot of figuring and hashing and thinking to do.
Which clearly I didn't do enough of before typing out this rambly, point-lacking post. If you have thoughts you'd like to share with me, feel free to comment or question. If you don't have thoughts and you just want to doodle smiley faces on your screen where a comment might go? Well. That's okay too.
Happy weekend!
Lately, there's been some great conversation about what books are worth, at least as far as e-books, e-publishing and independent publishing is concerned. I'm not sure whether that's because conference season is upon us again, there are interesting things happening with regards to security and format on electronic books, because there have some hugely successful fiction projects on Kickstarter lately, or phases of the moon. Whatever the reason, lots of people are thinking, talking, and discussing it.
And since I'm going down the indie road myself over here, of course I've thought about it too. I have not done a lot of opining on it until, well, today, because there are a lot of things to take in to consideration and a lot of factors to weigh.
For instance: Is it possible to underprice a book in the "new" electronic market? Yes, I think so. Though there's something to be said for free fiction (if I didn't believe this, I wouldn't be offering it) and for the "introductory" price point of $.99 on some of the big book selling sites -- Amazon and Barnes & Noble at least -- I don't think that it's a good idea, personally. Not for a first-time author. Not for a first independent offering.
The argument is that free and low price points get an author's name out there and help to build a readership. I think that those things might help, certainly, but I can't agree that a low price point alone is going to do the trick. If an author writes a crap book and offers it for $.99, it's really not going to benefit them to have a lot of people read it simply because it's cheap.
(I realize that no one thinks that they're offering a crap book to the reading public, but let's face it. No one writes a book that makes people squeal with delight every time. There are good books, better books, books that pale in comparison to others, and crap books. Sorry, but it's true.)
On the flip side, it's also absolutely possible to overprice your book as well. Having read comments and talked to people both on and offline, it is the rare reader who is enthusiastic about paying full paperback (or hardcover) price for an ebook. Though there are still costs and time involved in writing and preparing an ebook for general consumption, the perception is that they don't take nearly as much money to make so they shouldn't be sold for as much.
Fair enough.
I think the solution lies somewhere in the middle. Where, exactly, I'm not sure. There's still a lot of figuring and hashing and thinking to do.
Which clearly I didn't do enough of before typing out this rambly, point-lacking post. If you have thoughts you'd like to share with me, feel free to comment or question. If you don't have thoughts and you just want to doodle smiley faces on your screen where a comment might go? Well. That's okay too.
Happy weekend!
April 25, 2012
Words on Wednesday: And The Skies Fell #7
The weather is back in my world, my friends. Fortuately, it didn't bring thunder with it. Not yet, at any rate, but we went from rainy to quite a lot drier and hotter than anyone wanted, to rainy again, all in the space of, oh, a week or so.
And lo, it does play holy havoc with a girl's motivation.
I have been letting my to-do lists slide a little too much lately, and falling back into some of my old habits. I'm still much better about things than I used to be, but it's time to crack the whip at myself and edge back onto the course of Getting Things Done.
To be fair to myself, actually, I have to back up and say that I haven't been completely idle. I've just been concentrating more on the Other Business than keenly focused on the writing biz. That's the balance I need to find again. That's the thing that keeps knocking me off my author's chair. I'm getting butt glue. Just you wait and see.
You do not, however, have to wait any longer for the next installment of And The Skies Fell. Don't say I never gave you anything. (I was going to type nothing. I couldn't do it. You're welcome.) You can find this week's segment over at the other blog. :)
And remember: If you need to read back to see where we last left off, you can always jump to the webpage and avoid all that pesky rummaging through blogposts. :)
And lo, it does play holy havoc with a girl's motivation.
I have been letting my to-do lists slide a little too much lately, and falling back into some of my old habits. I'm still much better about things than I used to be, but it's time to crack the whip at myself and edge back onto the course of Getting Things Done.
To be fair to myself, actually, I have to back up and say that I haven't been completely idle. I've just been concentrating more on the Other Business than keenly focused on the writing biz. That's the balance I need to find again. That's the thing that keeps knocking me off my author's chair. I'm getting butt glue. Just you wait and see.
You do not, however, have to wait any longer for the next installment of And The Skies Fell. Don't say I never gave you anything. (I was going to type nothing. I couldn't do it. You're welcome.) You can find this week's segment over at the other blog. :)
And remember: If you need to read back to see where we last left off, you can always jump to the webpage and avoid all that pesky rummaging through blogposts. :)
April 23, 2012
International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day!
To state the obvious: House-hunting is often an exercise in frustration and futility.
Hello! Happy Monday! Can you tell what we were doing for a good portion of the weekend? The area we live in is going through some housing market weirdness. Said weirdness makes me a bit grumpy, even while I struggle to be cheerful. Did I mention the weird?
The big news in my corner of the writerly world is, of course, that the Kickstarter for the Dinocalypse Now project ended not only successfully but SUCCESSFULLY. If I could add bells and whistles to that, I would. 1500+ backers, $42K+ in the end. People are getting awesome package deals out of this project and I'm really excited to see everything as it comes out.
I'm also excited to see what we/I can do as Kickstarter continues to grow.
It's a big day for other reasons too. It is, in no particular order:
William Shakespeare's birthday. If you know me, you know I'm a Shakespeare kinda gal. I write my own sonnets, for goodness sakes. Shakespeare and me, we're tight.
World Book and Copyright Day
St. George's Day AND
International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day. It's a wiki page. Go read up about it.
So. Lots and lots of reasons for it to be a good day for writers. Today, I will be a writer and ignore that frustrating house stuff for a bit.
If you are a fan of Jane Austen's works, you should go and read the free story C.E. Murphy has posted to her Livejournal. If you have not yet checked out the free serialized novel that I am posting (there'll be another update on Wednesday!), you should check that out too.
Heck. Cruise the web and find all the free stuff out there today. It's a good day to be a reader, too!
Hello! Happy Monday! Can you tell what we were doing for a good portion of the weekend? The area we live in is going through some housing market weirdness. Said weirdness makes me a bit grumpy, even while I struggle to be cheerful. Did I mention the weird?
The big news in my corner of the writerly world is, of course, that the Kickstarter for the Dinocalypse Now project ended not only successfully but SUCCESSFULLY. If I could add bells and whistles to that, I would. 1500+ backers, $42K+ in the end. People are getting awesome package deals out of this project and I'm really excited to see everything as it comes out.
I'm also excited to see what we/I can do as Kickstarter continues to grow.
It's a big day for other reasons too. It is, in no particular order:
William Shakespeare's birthday. If you know me, you know I'm a Shakespeare kinda gal. I write my own sonnets, for goodness sakes. Shakespeare and me, we're tight.
World Book and Copyright Day
St. George's Day AND
International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day. It's a wiki page. Go read up about it.
So. Lots and lots of reasons for it to be a good day for writers. Today, I will be a writer and ignore that frustrating house stuff for a bit.
If you are a fan of Jane Austen's works, you should go and read the free story C.E. Murphy has posted to her Livejournal. If you have not yet checked out the free serialized novel that I am posting (there'll be another update on Wednesday!), you should check that out too.
Heck. Cruise the web and find all the free stuff out there today. It's a good day to be a reader, too!
April 20, 2012
Pretty fly for a Friday!
Despite that I have been living by To-Do list for the last six weeks or so, today, I decided that I could let myself slack, just a little bit. It's Friday. There are things to be done this weekend so I'll take my free time where I can get it.
And I'm not being entirely lazy. Not entirely. I did wash the latest yarn I spun up. I am skeining stuff I dyed so I can put it in the shop. I am spinning other things like mad. See, Jodi Meadows, you are not the only spinning writer out here! (She knows she isn't. I tease because she's Pretty Dang Cool.)
Know what else is pretty dang cool? Kicktraq. Yes, my friends, there is a way to look at your projects or projects you're interested in and see how their climb toward funding is progressing. Pretty interesting stuff, I think. When I have a new project up on Kickstarter, rest assured that I will be watching my trends obsessively very closely.
Speaking of friends: Catie more or less officially spread the word that she and I will eventually be Kicking a project together, to get Legion new airtime and new eyes. As she mentioned on Livejournal, this is a project that she and I came up with more than a decade ago when we amusingly thought that two nobodies lacking connections could get a tv show made. We were so young and naive. We have since considered new ways to get the story told because it is an amazing world and concept and we think people should love it as much as we do. Hold on to your butts, because when it arrives, it will rock your toe socks.
And if you happened by this blog because of hers, hey there! Nice to see you! Stick around.
Because there are other Projects and more Stuff. Too much to sum up. One day, I will essplain. (Points for getting the ref.)
But for now, I have more not-slacking to do. Hope the weekend is kind and only eventful in good ways.
And I'm not being entirely lazy. Not entirely. I did wash the latest yarn I spun up. I am skeining stuff I dyed so I can put it in the shop. I am spinning other things like mad. See, Jodi Meadows, you are not the only spinning writer out here! (She knows she isn't. I tease because she's Pretty Dang Cool.)
Know what else is pretty dang cool? Kicktraq. Yes, my friends, there is a way to look at your projects or projects you're interested in and see how their climb toward funding is progressing. Pretty interesting stuff, I think. When I have a new project up on Kickstarter, rest assured that I will be watching my trends obsessively very closely.
Speaking of friends: Catie more or less officially spread the word that she and I will eventually be Kicking a project together, to get Legion new airtime and new eyes. As she mentioned on Livejournal, this is a project that she and I came up with more than a decade ago when we amusingly thought that two nobodies lacking connections could get a tv show made. We were so young and naive. We have since considered new ways to get the story told because it is an amazing world and concept and we think people should love it as much as we do. Hold on to your butts, because when it arrives, it will rock your toe socks.
And if you happened by this blog because of hers, hey there! Nice to see you! Stick around.
Because there are other Projects and more Stuff. Too much to sum up. One day, I will essplain. (Points for getting the ref.)
But for now, I have more not-slacking to do. Hope the weekend is kind and only eventful in good ways.
April 18, 2012
End of an Era (And The Skies Fell #6)
(I'm not going to post the cross-post mentions anymore. You know I'm cross-posting. I do too. Good enough for me.)
The big news today, for me at least, is that Dick Clark passed away. I am not old enough, obviously, to be of the same generation, but I did grow up watching his New Year's Eve celebrations. I used to watch American Bandstand. I cheered for him when he came back after his stroke. And yes, I had some very amusing and entertaining conversations about whether he was actually a vampire or a demon. I liked the guy and he will be sorely missed.
Rest in peace, Mr. Clark.
In personal writing news, another chapter on a mystery chapter is finished. Go me! This is a collaborative project, so that means I'm off the hook on it, for a little while. Doesn't mean I'm done writing though. I have more stuff in the pipes. Don't we all? More stories, more books, and more ideas than most of us will ever, ever commit to the page.
But let's not dwell on that. Let's dwell on the words that exist, shall we? :) There they are, on the other blog.
The big news today, for me at least, is that Dick Clark passed away. I am not old enough, obviously, to be of the same generation, but I did grow up watching his New Year's Eve celebrations. I used to watch American Bandstand. I cheered for him when he came back after his stroke. And yes, I had some very amusing and entertaining conversations about whether he was actually a vampire or a demon. I liked the guy and he will be sorely missed.
Rest in peace, Mr. Clark.
In personal writing news, another chapter on a mystery chapter is finished. Go me! This is a collaborative project, so that means I'm off the hook on it, for a little while. Doesn't mean I'm done writing though. I have more stuff in the pipes. Don't we all? More stories, more books, and more ideas than most of us will ever, ever commit to the page.
But let's not dwell on that. Let's dwell on the words that exist, shall we? :) There they are, on the other blog.
April 16, 2012
Oh to have a thought.
(Cross-posted at Words Of Gray)
Sometimes, this word thing, she is hard.
Coming up with words, that is. In writing on a project or just, well, having something clever to talk about on a Monday.
One thing I can tell you: my pal Anna has a new Kickstarter project to fund a pair of urban fantasy novels. The cover art so far is really nicelay drawn and promises to be even better when completed. Check it out, if you're so inclined.
And speaking of Kickstarter, it seems to me (and some other people, obviously) that pulling together and doing group/collaborative projects is the way to go. Oh sure, there's nothing wrong with doing an individual project. Many people manage it with grace and skill, but there's a whole lot to be said about combining forces and fanbases and helping everybody involved get a little boost, you know? I fully expect that my next go will be of a collaborative nature. I just haven't worked out what exactly. It'll come and I will post about it, have no fear.
In the meantime, I have started a new week's routine and plug new stuff into my to-do list as it comes up and needs to get done. Very shortly, I need to make sure I include extra dyeing time, as I have a couple of fiber festivals to do to later this year and I want to have plenty o stock. And to build some displays. And and and.
Things to do. Projects to type on. Houses to be found. Life as I know it, currently.
Happy Monday!
Sometimes, this word thing, she is hard.
Coming up with words, that is. In writing on a project or just, well, having something clever to talk about on a Monday.
One thing I can tell you: my pal Anna has a new Kickstarter project to fund a pair of urban fantasy novels. The cover art so far is really nicelay drawn and promises to be even better when completed. Check it out, if you're so inclined.
And speaking of Kickstarter, it seems to me (and some other people, obviously) that pulling together and doing group/collaborative projects is the way to go. Oh sure, there's nothing wrong with doing an individual project. Many people manage it with grace and skill, but there's a whole lot to be said about combining forces and fanbases and helping everybody involved get a little boost, you know? I fully expect that my next go will be of a collaborative nature. I just haven't worked out what exactly. It'll come and I will post about it, have no fear.
In the meantime, I have started a new week's routine and plug new stuff into my to-do list as it comes up and needs to get done. Very shortly, I need to make sure I include extra dyeing time, as I have a couple of fiber festivals to do to later this year and I want to have plenty o stock. And to build some displays. And and and.
Things to do. Projects to type on. Houses to be found. Life as I know it, currently.
Happy Monday!
April 13, 2012
My very own Friday Five
(Cross-posted at Words Of Gray)
Because five things make a post, right? Right.
1. It's Friday the 13. You are all well aware, I know. I am a superstitious person, but not really about the 13th. I have a cousin who was born on the 13th, and occasionally, as it will, that means his birthday lands on a Friday. So it's just another day, for me, but if you're fearing, hang on, the weekend's coming. The 13th will pass soon! And if you're celebrating, party on!
2. Those of you who live in parts of the world for which 'April showers bring May flowers' was meant will not understand why the Californians in your life are fussing over rain, I'm sure, but for us, this is -weird-. We don't get rain in April. More, we don't get thunderstorms, funnel clouds and copious amounts of hail in April. Weird, weird and weirder.
3. One of my cats is deaf. Well. Mostly deaf. This does not stop her from occasionally rolling around with the kitten (who will be a year old this weekend!). Because she's deaf, however, she doesn't make a lot of noise. What's the point if you can't hear it, right? So I have started to call their wrestling matches "Silent Titan Fights". It really is sort of like watching a black and white Mothra vs. Godzilla movie with the sound turned off. Hilariously entertaining.
4. I have a copy of Ann Aguirre's Devil's Punch, latest in the Corine Solomon series. She sent it to me. From Mexico. I am ridiculously excited about this. Ridiculously. No joke. Ridic--okay, you get it.
5. And The Skies Fell is now live on Web Fiction Guide, which is a great place to go if you are looking for/are curious about/would like to read what's out there in terms of web and serialized fiction of all flavors. As with any site, read knowing that there are writers of all levels and I cannot guarantee that you will enjoy everything you happen across, but go poke around a while. It's pretty cool.
And that's five! Now that I've started I could probably ramble on, but I think I'll save some for the next time I need help.
Happy weekend!
Because five things make a post, right? Right.
1. It's Friday the 13. You are all well aware, I know. I am a superstitious person, but not really about the 13th. I have a cousin who was born on the 13th, and occasionally, as it will, that means his birthday lands on a Friday. So it's just another day, for me, but if you're fearing, hang on, the weekend's coming. The 13th will pass soon! And if you're celebrating, party on!
2. Those of you who live in parts of the world for which 'April showers bring May flowers' was meant will not understand why the Californians in your life are fussing over rain, I'm sure, but for us, this is -weird-. We don't get rain in April. More, we don't get thunderstorms, funnel clouds and copious amounts of hail in April. Weird, weird and weirder.
3. One of my cats is deaf. Well. Mostly deaf. This does not stop her from occasionally rolling around with the kitten (who will be a year old this weekend!). Because she's deaf, however, she doesn't make a lot of noise. What's the point if you can't hear it, right? So I have started to call their wrestling matches "Silent Titan Fights". It really is sort of like watching a black and white Mothra vs. Godzilla movie with the sound turned off. Hilariously entertaining.
4. I have a copy of Ann Aguirre's Devil's Punch, latest in the Corine Solomon series. She sent it to me. From Mexico. I am ridiculously excited about this. Ridiculously. No joke. Ridic--okay, you get it.
5. And The Skies Fell is now live on Web Fiction Guide, which is a great place to go if you are looking for/are curious about/would like to read what's out there in terms of web and serialized fiction of all flavors. As with any site, read knowing that there are writers of all levels and I cannot guarantee that you will enjoy everything you happen across, but go poke around a while. It's pretty cool.
And that's five! Now that I've started I could probably ramble on, but I think I'll save some for the next time I need help.
Happy weekend!
