Lou Harper's Blog, page 9

Wednesday Word: Cantrip

cantrip |ˈkantrip|noun Scottish, archaica mischievous or playful act; a trick.ORIGIN late 16th cent. (also in the sense [witch's trick]): of unknown origin.

I came across this word recently in Mike Carey's novel, The Devil You Know . The book was a mixed experience--nice prose, but by Jove, the story moved like molasses. I was listening to the audiobook and my mind kept wandering off. That never happens when the story is interesting.

Vintage Monday: Football

I know football season has started because it's Thanksgiving this week. Yeah, you can guess how much attention I pay to this sport. I once went to a Notre Dame game but left at half time because I was bored out of my skull. Honestly, rugby seems far more exciting. Men in short shorts tackling each other. Mmm....

The Monday After

BentCon was a blast, but now I'm exhausted and have a ton of shit to catch up with. Will try to give a better report later. Roger, out.

Come see me (and other, more interesting authors) at BentCon this weekend!

I'll be at BentCon this weekend. It's my second time at this event, but last year I popped in as a visitor, to test out of the waters. The event is what ComiCon must've been when it just started out--small, loosely but enthusiastically organized. Oh, and bent, of course.

LE Franks and Rhys Ford have taken it upon themselves to present the m/m contingent under the Inkslingers umbrella. We'll have a booth, sell books, participate on panels. I don't envy them for having to herd unruly cats like yours truly. Scroll down this page to see who will be there.

Stop by if you're from LA. It's a cool, informal event and the tickets are dirt cheap.

I'll be womanning the booth at these times:

Friday 3-5pm and 6-7pm
Saturday 5-8 pm
Sunday 2-5 pm

I'll be on the Scify, Fantasy, and Supernatural Panel 5-6 pm on Friday and Surviving Self-Publishing 1-2 pm on Sunday.

I'll be floating about the other times too, but don't try to catch me 12-5pm on Saturday--I'll be going to series of panels during that time.

French Kiss

Mort Sous Le Soleil went live on the sites of various French retailers yesterday, and it's doing rather well on the French Amazon. Briefly it was #1 in the Kindle Fantasy category, and is doing well in the overall fantasy category--#4 at the moment. When I looked at that page I was surprised to find my little book in the company of stockier books by George R.R. Martin, J.R.R Tolkien (what's up with all the Rs?), and Robin Hobb.

Of course, I have no idea what it means in actual sales. For all I know, there are five people in France reading the genre. I don't care. For now I'll just bask.

Wednesday Word: Transplendent

transplendent
(adj) resplendent in the highest degree
resplendent |riˈsplendənt|adjectiveattractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous : she was resplendent in a sea-green dress. See note at bright 

Transplendent is an odd word, not in Merriam-Webster, but in Wiktionary, that identifies the 1913 edition of Webster's as its source. I don't know what to make of it.

Wednesday Word: Rime

rime  |rīm|noun (also rime ice)frost formed on cold objects by the rapid freezing of water vapor in cloud or fog.• poetic/literary hoarfrost.verb [ trans. ] poetic/literarycover (an object) with hoarfrost : he does not brush away the frost that rimes his beard.ORIGIN Old English hrīm, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch rijm. The word became rare in Middle English but was revived in literary use at the end of the 18th cent.

It's that time of the year in many places, not in LA though. Sometime I miss certain sights, smells, and sounds of living in a place with seasons.

Vintage Monday: Kilt Edition

I spent the last week listening to Diana Gabaldon's The Scottish Prisoner. I'm a huge fan of Lord John Gray and both admire and envy Gabaldon's prose. Jamie Frasier and his surliness were rubbing me the wrong way, though, for a large part of the book. He grew on me in the end, once he mellowed out a little. And I'm starting to to develop a thing for Scottish accents--my second favorite after Welsh.

The guy above is I think from the Canadian Highlander regiment, but who gives a damn. Men should wear kilts all the time.

Wednesday Word: Anthropophagy

anthropophagy |ˌanθrəˈpäfəjē|nounthe eating of human flesh by human beings.DERIVATIVESanthropophagous |-gəs| adjectiveORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from Greek anthrōpophagia, from anthrōpophagos (see anthropophagi ).

I had no clue there was a word--in English at least--specifically for human-on-human cannibalism. I think I found this word on Pinterest when I stumbled over the Psoglav, a demonic figure of Slavic lore. However, I don't believe a demon eating is true anthropophagy, even if said demon has a more or less human body.

Wednesday Word: Apotropaic

apotropaic |ˌapətrəˈpā-ik|adjectivesupposedly having the power to avert evil influences or bad luck : apotropaic statues.DERIVATIVESapotropaically |-ik(ə)lē| adverbORIGIN late 19th cent.: from Greek apotropaios‘averting evil,’ from apotrepein ‘turn away or from’+ -ic .

I can't remember where I picked up this word, but I've been reading lots of urban fantasy lately.