As Halloween approaches...

...these are a few of the things we've learned recently.

This Blake M. Petit guy is more popular than we are. After we chatted with him (here), traffic to the Blog-O-Rama jumped by a factor of three. So, Blake, big guy? Next time you need a plug, you just let us know, you Louisiana wildcat. We've got your back.

To our surprise, After Things Went Bad floats in and out of the top 100 of Amazon's paid s-f short stories section.  For the last couple of weeks, it's been ranked just below an Arthur C. Clarke collection and somewhat higher than H.P. Lovecraft's 99-center, At the Mountains of Madness.  We're surprised because, like Arthur and Howard Phillip, we haven't done any marketing on the title in a long time. 

The price of an Atheist's Daughter e-book on the Zimbabwe black market? It's $100,000,000,000,000 – or, with less zeroes, 100 trillion dollars (plus shipping).  Zimbabwe has struggled with mega-inflation for years and, in 2006, the country's Reserve Bank flooded the country with money. If you, too, would like to be a 100 trillionaire, hit eBay, where you'll find the currency going for a sweet $2.99. But you've gotta shop. Some of those sellers are asking $3.99 and $4.99, and that's simply too much for 100 trillion dollars.

It ain't easy to get a Candy Butler. After our recent family reunion, Renee stopped at a California pharmacy and discovered the fellow on your left, whom she immediately named, 'Buntley'. When her writing partner expressed some concern that (1) the airlines would charge greatly to carry a Buntley-sized box in cargo; and (2) $50 was too much to pay for a Candy Butler, she left her prize behind. Upon returning home, she discovered that Arizona is bereft of Candy Butlers – although a few enterprising internet marketers did offer this 36" marvel for the bargain price of $100 and up.  Relatives were called, a box was shipped at no small expense, and if you ring our bell on Hallow's Eve, Buntley will greet you at the door. Yes, he will, because Buntley is a