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Friday Miscellany: Merry Cthulhumas!
Dec. 23rd, 2011 09:31 am
And, you know, seasons greetings and whatever.
Random Monday: Link Soup
Dec. 19th, 2011 11:05 amSo many things! Let us start with the promo-ish things:
WILD is free for Amazon Prime members right now. Free stuff is awesome. Free stuff about werewolves and drugs is especially awesome. So if you want to enjoy some awesome free stuff, WILD might be right for you!
Ethan Banning is here to save your Christmas (should it need saving). ICE, ICE BABY is my Ethan Christmas Special, in which he almost has a completely nice Christmas Eve, marred only slightly by a corpse. Like my other two Ethan short stories, you can read this without having read AFTERLIFE or DEMONISED.
I've read some really amazing books recently and you should read them too! Carolyn Crane's Disillusionist trilogy is definitely one of my top picks for the year. I adore Jusine, the heroine, and the concept is very fresh, very dark, and very cool. If you like PI books, you might also try LM Pruitt's Taken, There's a touch of the supernatural, but this is mostly a straight-up crime novel, and I loved it.
If, like me, you've heard of SOPA but didn't really know anything about it, you might want to check this video out from TotalBiscuit, and enjoy his strangely sexy voice telling you how we're all doomed if this passes.
Kit Whitfield has been analysing opening sentences of classic books. Her blog is worth reading anyway, because she's very smart and very funny, but this series has been really fascinating.
Laura Bickle is counting down the Twelve Days of Nerdmas, which involves steampunk corsets and Cthulhu sweaters, and is therefore amazing.
And that's it! Happy Monday!
WILD is free for Amazon Prime members right now. Free stuff is awesome. Free stuff about werewolves and drugs is especially awesome. So if you want to enjoy some awesome free stuff, WILD might be right for you!
Ethan Banning is here to save your Christmas (should it need saving). ICE, ICE BABY is my Ethan Christmas Special, in which he almost has a completely nice Christmas Eve, marred only slightly by a corpse. Like my other two Ethan short stories, you can read this without having read AFTERLIFE or DEMONISED.
I've read some really amazing books recently and you should read them too! Carolyn Crane's Disillusionist trilogy is definitely one of my top picks for the year. I adore Jusine, the heroine, and the concept is very fresh, very dark, and very cool. If you like PI books, you might also try LM Pruitt's Taken, There's a touch of the supernatural, but this is mostly a straight-up crime novel, and I loved it.
If, like me, you've heard of SOPA but didn't really know anything about it, you might want to check this video out from TotalBiscuit, and enjoy his strangely sexy voice telling you how we're all doomed if this passes.
Kit Whitfield has been analysing opening sentences of classic books. Her blog is worth reading anyway, because she's very smart and very funny, but this series has been really fascinating.
Laura Bickle is counting down the Twelve Days of Nerdmas, which involves steampunk corsets and Cthulhu sweaters, and is therefore amazing.
And that's it! Happy Monday!
Friday Miscellany: Saturday Edition
Dec. 17th, 2011 12:16 pmSo yeah, I've been having sleep troubles lately, which is why I didn't post yesterday. I was too busy at work all day fixing a massive grant proposal, which somehow the person who was supposed to be an expert in such matters cocked up completely, leaving me (who's never done this before) to sort it out. What? I don't know. It was horrible. I had to calculate inflation rates for PCR machines and I don't even know what that means.
Anyway. I came home and was all, "Friday night! Yeah! Let's watch Dr Who from the 80s and eat fish and chips and then I'll totally write loads!" And what actually happened was that I ate fish and chips and fell asleep on the sofa. This is turning into a habit. For the past two or so months, my sleep has been utterly unrefreshing. I go to bed exhausted and wake up equally tired. I'm tired all day and work and then in the evenings too. At the weekends I dream of sleeping all day and then get up around 8-9am because I wake up and can't get back to sleep. I wake up once or twice each night too, and it takes me forever to get back to sleep again. It's driving me crazy because I'm starting to get too tired to do things I want to do, like write or watch films or go out in the evenings.
So, because I'm a bit like this, I spent about an hour last night (after I woke up from my surprise!nap) looking up sleep disorders online. I'm sure what I actually have is plain old insomnia and a bit of stress, but it doesn't hurt to rule out advanced sleep phase syndrome, right?
And that's when I found out Exploding Head Syndrome is a Real Thing.
You guys.
How much do I love the human brain right now?
Actually, I'm fairly sure I did used to suffer from this - I can distinctly recall dozens of occasions where I woke up panicked in the night because I'd heard a loud, inexplicable noise. I always heard it as a scream.
Anyway. I don't know. I'm tempted to start trying sleeping pills, but when I used them as a student, I just ended up foggy and grumpy for hours the next day. I don't know if I'm suffering from lack of sunlight - my desk at work is more or less in a black hole and I see no natural light all day. So...Anyone got an good natural insomnia remedies?
Anyway. I came home and was all, "Friday night! Yeah! Let's watch Dr Who from the 80s and eat fish and chips and then I'll totally write loads!" And what actually happened was that I ate fish and chips and fell asleep on the sofa. This is turning into a habit. For the past two or so months, my sleep has been utterly unrefreshing. I go to bed exhausted and wake up equally tired. I'm tired all day and work and then in the evenings too. At the weekends I dream of sleeping all day and then get up around 8-9am because I wake up and can't get back to sleep. I wake up once or twice each night too, and it takes me forever to get back to sleep again. It's driving me crazy because I'm starting to get too tired to do things I want to do, like write or watch films or go out in the evenings.
So, because I'm a bit like this, I spent about an hour last night (after I woke up from my surprise!nap) looking up sleep disorders online. I'm sure what I actually have is plain old insomnia and a bit of stress, but it doesn't hurt to rule out advanced sleep phase syndrome, right?
And that's when I found out Exploding Head Syndrome is a Real Thing.
You guys.
How much do I love the human brain right now?
Actually, I'm fairly sure I did used to suffer from this - I can distinctly recall dozens of occasions where I woke up panicked in the night because I'd heard a loud, inexplicable noise. I always heard it as a scream.
Anyway. I don't know. I'm tempted to start trying sleeping pills, but when I used them as a student, I just ended up foggy and grumpy for hours the next day. I don't know if I'm suffering from lack of sunlight - my desk at work is more or less in a black hole and I see no natural light all day. So...Anyone got an good natural insomnia remedies?
Somehow, despite the fact it feels like I've slept for about five minutes total this week, I've managed to have some really vivid, in-depth dreams. One was about playing crazy golf with Bruce Wayne. We had a lovely time! He needs to mow the lawns at Wayne Manor though; they were a mess.
I used to be really big on dream interpretation. Between the ages of about 13-21 I religiously kept a dream diary and looked up the symbolic meanings every day. I did it for other people too on occasion. I stopped at university, after my poetry module required me to keep a dream diary for a term and write a poem based on one of the dreams. Once I had to do it as work, it lost a lot of appeal (although my poem got a first *preen*). I kept all my dream dictionaries, but I never bothered noting down my dreams anymore, and only looked something up if it was really unusual or recurring.
So last night I dreamed I was pregnant. Guys. I am never going to be pregnant in real life, so when it happens in dreams I freak out. Especially since in this dream, I didn't want to be pregnant. Apparently I was going to be a surrogate for a friend? She gave me a Thundercats hoodie and so I carried her baby for her? Dream-logic is...dream-logic. Anyway, the sense of Do Not Want I had in this dream was truly gripping. I was desperate to get rid of the baby, despite my promise to go through with the pregnancy for my friend. I went to a bar and tried to order a load of cocktails but everyone refused to serve me, and I was getting more and more panicked and then... I woke up. Of course.
I can still really feel that sense of growing horror, even now. So I decided to look up pregnancy at this handy online dream-interpretation site. This is the low down:
To dream that you are pregnant symbolizes an aspect of yourself or some aspect of your personal life that is growing and developing. You may not be ready to talk about it or act on it. Being pregnant in your dream may also represent the birth of a new idea, direction, project or goal. Alternatively, if you are trying to get pregnant, then the dream may be a wish fulfillment. If you are not trying to get pregnant, but dream that you are, then it symbolizes fear of new responsibilities.
Um. Well. Yeah. I mean, those who read my other livejournal will know that my personal life is in a rather precarious state right now, so that hit home. New ideas, directions, projects and goals are all looming, both personally and writing-wise, particularly as the New Year approaches and I start thinking seriously about what I want to achieve in 2012. The part about not being ready to talk or act? Yeah, that fits. New responsibilities...well, yeah, that too, at work and home.
Now, even when I was studiously recording my dreams, I didn't take them too literally. I found the symbolism fascinating but I didn't take the interpretations too seriously. But this has resonated with me so much, I'm thinking I might start my dream diary again, just to see what else my subconscious throws at me.
And just for kicks, I also looked up golf:
To dream that you are playing or watching golf signifies pleasant indulgences. It may also indicate that you are idling and wasting time. Alternatively, the dream symbolizes your individual accomplishments and your drive to succeed.
And Batman:
To see Batman in your dream suggests that you need to utilize your wits and resources in order to help yourself or others. Perhaps your are not maximizing your full potential. You need to unleash the power from within. Stop looking for shortcuts to get you where you want. Alternatively, the dream implies that there is some wrongdoing that you need to rectify.
Now I'm off to find some wrongs and rectify them!
I used to be really big on dream interpretation. Between the ages of about 13-21 I religiously kept a dream diary and looked up the symbolic meanings every day. I did it for other people too on occasion. I stopped at university, after my poetry module required me to keep a dream diary for a term and write a poem based on one of the dreams. Once I had to do it as work, it lost a lot of appeal (although my poem got a first *preen*). I kept all my dream dictionaries, but I never bothered noting down my dreams anymore, and only looked something up if it was really unusual or recurring.
So last night I dreamed I was pregnant. Guys. I am never going to be pregnant in real life, so when it happens in dreams I freak out. Especially since in this dream, I didn't want to be pregnant. Apparently I was going to be a surrogate for a friend? She gave me a Thundercats hoodie and so I carried her baby for her? Dream-logic is...dream-logic. Anyway, the sense of Do Not Want I had in this dream was truly gripping. I was desperate to get rid of the baby, despite my promise to go through with the pregnancy for my friend. I went to a bar and tried to order a load of cocktails but everyone refused to serve me, and I was getting more and more panicked and then... I woke up. Of course.
I can still really feel that sense of growing horror, even now. So I decided to look up pregnancy at this handy online dream-interpretation site. This is the low down:
To dream that you are pregnant symbolizes an aspect of yourself or some aspect of your personal life that is growing and developing. You may not be ready to talk about it or act on it. Being pregnant in your dream may also represent the birth of a new idea, direction, project or goal. Alternatively, if you are trying to get pregnant, then the dream may be a wish fulfillment. If you are not trying to get pregnant, but dream that you are, then it symbolizes fear of new responsibilities.
Um. Well. Yeah. I mean, those who read my other livejournal will know that my personal life is in a rather precarious state right now, so that hit home. New ideas, directions, projects and goals are all looming, both personally and writing-wise, particularly as the New Year approaches and I start thinking seriously about what I want to achieve in 2012. The part about not being ready to talk or act? Yeah, that fits. New responsibilities...well, yeah, that too, at work and home.
Now, even when I was studiously recording my dreams, I didn't take them too literally. I found the symbolism fascinating but I didn't take the interpretations too seriously. But this has resonated with me so much, I'm thinking I might start my dream diary again, just to see what else my subconscious throws at me.
And just for kicks, I also looked up golf:
To dream that you are playing or watching golf signifies pleasant indulgences. It may also indicate that you are idling and wasting time. Alternatively, the dream symbolizes your individual accomplishments and your drive to succeed.
And Batman:
To see Batman in your dream suggests that you need to utilize your wits and resources in order to help yourself or others. Perhaps your are not maximizing your full potential. You need to unleash the power from within. Stop looking for shortcuts to get you where you want. Alternatively, the dream implies that there is some wrongdoing that you need to rectify.
Now I'm off to find some wrongs and rectify them!
Random Monday: In Lieu of Content
Nov. 28th, 2011 12:02 pm
So I can't remember how it came up...Possibly we were watching a promo for the new Silent Hill game and I was all,"Pyramid Head, what's his deal? How does he get through doors?" and stuff, and I decided what the world needs is a comic strip of Pyramid Head in the rat race. You know, dealing with bills, taking his cat to the vet, trying to eat his wife's delicious casserole but being unable to so they have a row about how he doesn't appreciate her and is he trying to say her cooking is horrible or something?
Maybe such a comic strip already exists. I don't know. If not, it should. Of course, this picture does not depict Pyramid Head, but Cthulhu. However, the potential for a cross-over where Cthulhu is Pyramid Head's impossible-to-please boss is highly appealing.
This post was brought to you by two hours' sleep. Don't try to understand it, okay?
Random Monday: Aquatic Sloth
Nov. 21st, 2011 10:14 amSo I was reading this news article this morning about prehistoric whale fossils in the Atacama desert (which is cool enough all by itself) and I happened upon this line:
Other unusual creatures found elsewhere in the fossil-rich Atacama Desert include an extinct aquatic sloth.
Guys! An aquatic sloth! You don't even know how much I love that idea. Here are two things you may not know about me:
1. If I were to be an animal, it would probably be a sloth because they are adorable, they sleep for about ten hours a day, and they have an "arboreal browsing lifestyle." You tell me anything that's better than living your life in a tree sleeping and eating. Because I can't think of it.
Adorable!
2. I love the TV show Walking with Beasts. I watch it every time it's on and I especially love the episodes that focus on aquatic prehistoric animals and giant animals. You know, like giant rhinos and giant ponies and giant sloths, say (you may now also understand why I love films where giant things fight other giant things. I just love it when animals are giant).
So, with my established love of sea monsters and sloths, obviously the aquatic sloth is the animal made for me. It's a sloth, it's marine, and it's prehistoric. It's my spirit animal, guys.
Other unusual creatures found elsewhere in the fossil-rich Atacama Desert include an extinct aquatic sloth.
Guys! An aquatic sloth! You don't even know how much I love that idea. Here are two things you may not know about me:
1. If I were to be an animal, it would probably be a sloth because they are adorable, they sleep for about ten hours a day, and they have an "arboreal browsing lifestyle." You tell me anything that's better than living your life in a tree sleeping and eating. Because I can't think of it.
Adorable!
2. I love the TV show Walking with Beasts. I watch it every time it's on and I especially love the episodes that focus on aquatic prehistoric animals and giant animals. You know, like giant rhinos and giant ponies and giant sloths, say (you may now also understand why I love films where giant things fight other giant things. I just love it when animals are giant).
So, with my established love of sea monsters and sloths, obviously the aquatic sloth is the animal made for me. It's a sloth, it's marine, and it's prehistoric. It's my spirit animal, guys.
Look, I know raptors are cool and all, but if we're going to bring back any extinct animals, I think it should be the aquatic sloth. Who's with me?
Friday Miscellany: Link Soup
Nov. 18th, 2011 09:45 amIn lieu of actual contant because I am tired, here's some interesting/fun/self-promo stuff I've found this week.
First up, Bastard Books reviews DEMONISED. I really enjoy Bastard's reviews as they always give me something to think about. But I really, really enjoy this review because he says:
"The book is quite twisted, has plenty of disturbing scenes, some that I'm sure won't sit well with more sensitive readers. Some are just plain gross."
"Just plain gross" may go on my business cards from now on.
Over at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
seanan_mcguire's livejournal, I found a couple of interesting articles; one on rape culture in YA, looking particularly at Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, a book I've been toying with buying for some time now. Now I've read the article, I think it would make me pretty furious, so I'm sticking with James Ellroy for now (because all that racism and sexism is much more tolerable coming from a man...Oh wait...)
The other article is about the recent trend of dead girls on YA book covers (or as I'd been thinking of it "girls in inappropriate dresses in the woods," because really? That's what you wear to go hiking?). There's a lot of subtext to unpack here and I'm not up for it right now, but suffice to say, the glamorisation of death is a big topic and you can pull in a lot of Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet for starters), and even classics from the Romantic era (when romance meant "adventure and fantasy" rather than "relationships" in literary terms), like Wuthering Heights and Tess of the D'urbervilles. Incidentally, Kit Whitfield has a great article on how people misremember Wuthering Heights here.
And now something fun (for me,anyway). Despite being a massive AFI fangirl, I had managed to remain ignorant of Davey and Jade's side project, Blaqk Audio. How? Why? I don't know. But now I've discovered them and fallen wildly in love with Davey's voice all over again. So this is my weekend soundtrack. Enjoy!
First up, Bastard Books reviews DEMONISED. I really enjoy Bastard's reviews as they always give me something to think about. But I really, really enjoy this review because he says:
"The book is quite twisted, has plenty of disturbing scenes, some that I'm sure won't sit well with more sensitive readers. Some are just plain gross."
"Just plain gross" may go on my business cards from now on.
Over at
seanan_mcguire's livejournal, I found a couple of interesting articles; one on rape culture in YA, looking particularly at Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, a book I've been toying with buying for some time now. Now I've read the article, I think it would make me pretty furious, so I'm sticking with James Ellroy for now (because all that racism and sexism is much more tolerable coming from a man...Oh wait...)The other article is about the recent trend of dead girls on YA book covers (or as I'd been thinking of it "girls in inappropriate dresses in the woods," because really? That's what you wear to go hiking?). There's a lot of subtext to unpack here and I'm not up for it right now, but suffice to say, the glamorisation of death is a big topic and you can pull in a lot of Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet for starters), and even classics from the Romantic era (when romance meant "adventure and fantasy" rather than "relationships" in literary terms), like Wuthering Heights and Tess of the D'urbervilles. Incidentally, Kit Whitfield has a great article on how people misremember Wuthering Heights here.
And now something fun (for me,anyway). Despite being a massive AFI fangirl, I had managed to remain ignorant of Davey and Jade's side project, Blaqk Audio. How? Why? I don't know. But now I've discovered them and fallen wildly in love with Davey's voice all over again. So this is my weekend soundtrack. Enjoy!
Friday Miscellany: It's Not Really Friday
Nov. 5th, 2011 03:20 pmAs the sharp-eyed amongst you will have already realised. Yesterday was manic at work. Boss is travelling next week and she always goes into panic-mode beforehand, so I spent a lot of the day reassuring her that things had been done/would be done. And then in the evening it was D&D. I'm deeply, deeply disappointed with my menfolk. They can't go anywhere in this fantasy world without inciting a riot, destroying a civilisation, or wiping out a town. And we're the good guys. My God. My druid and her crocodile are thinking of dumping them and running off with the Pirate King. It's complicated.
Anyway! I'm gearing up for the release of THE NECROMANCER'S APPRENTICE on Monday so in lieu of actual content, here are two pictures which have made me smile this weekend.
This is Fergus watching us play D&D. He was halfway through washing, saw dice rolling, and forgot what he was doing.
And this is something I found on Cambridge market this morning. You're welcome.
Anyway! I'm gearing up for the release of THE NECROMANCER'S APPRENTICE on Monday so in lieu of actual content, here are two pictures which have made me smile this weekend.
This is Fergus watching us play D&D. He was halfway through washing, saw dice rolling, and forgot what he was doing.
And this is something I found on Cambridge market this morning. You're welcome.
Writerly Wednesday: Ethan v Shannon*
Oct. 26th, 2011 08:22 pm*It's like Mega Shark v Giant Octopus but with fewer tentacles.
I have a real thing about private eyes. I even considered being one for a while as a teenager, but then I realised it might involve some degree of physical fitness and decided to stick with the writing plan. But my obsession didn't stop. If anything, it was exacerbated by the discovery of my older brother's computer game, Under A Killing Moon, featuring post-apocalyptic PI, Tex Murphy.
I played this computer game repeatedly until our computer broke (not because of me, probably). And that pretty much did it for me. PIs were awesome forever and if I couldn't be one, I'd write about one.
And this is where Ethan Banning and Shannon Ryan come into it. They're both private eyes but they're very different sorts of private eye. Observe:
Ethan is my personal stereotypical idea of a PI. He's always broke, he drinks and smokes way too much, he's usually in some terrible scrape, and he badly needs to shave some time. He's hopeless with women. His cases are gritty - murder, missing persons, drugs. He's full of (what he thinks is) witty banter. He occupies a depressed city where something seedy is always going on. He's not unlike Tex, actually - down and out but desperately trying to get lucky.
Shannon, on the other hand, is probably closer to the reality. She works on cheating spouses, tax evasion, corporate and legal matters. Unlike Ethan, she lives a pretty clean life and about gets by financially. She's essentially a nosy character - show her a closed door and she'll have to know what's on the other side. She's also the kind of person who always needs an answer. If you ask her something and she doesn't know the answer, she'll go find it. Ethan would probably just make something up.
Which is not to say Ethan is lazy or stupid, because he's not. He's just used to being the underdog (as opposed to living with the underdog, like Shannon). And he also just likes messing with people if he can get away with it. Keeps them guessing and assuming he's...well, stupid and lazy. Whereas Shannon likes people to know exactly how clever and competent she is, as it usually pulls the rug out from under them.
They're both pretty pragmatic people at heart, and neither is afraid to make tough decisions. I think Ethan's a lot more pessimistic than Shannon though, and more than likely hungover 90% of the time. Honestly, if I was going to hire one of them to work a case for me, it would be Shannon. If I just wanted to hang out with someone and get into some wacky scrapes, I'd pick Ethan.
So, this post isn't part of the DARK HUNT blog tour, but let's have some fun anyway! Tell me who'd you rather have on your case - Ethan or Shannon, and I'll send you an ebook featuring the character of your choice.
I have a real thing about private eyes. I even considered being one for a while as a teenager, but then I realised it might involve some degree of physical fitness and decided to stick with the writing plan. But my obsession didn't stop. If anything, it was exacerbated by the discovery of my older brother's computer game, Under A Killing Moon, featuring post-apocalyptic PI, Tex Murphy.
Look at Tex. I loved Tex. I wanted to be his long-suffering dame.
I played this computer game repeatedly until our computer broke (not because of me, probably). And that pretty much did it for me. PIs were awesome forever and if I couldn't be one, I'd write about one.
And this is where Ethan Banning and Shannon Ryan come into it. They're both private eyes but they're very different sorts of private eye. Observe:
Ethan is my personal stereotypical idea of a PI. He's always broke, he drinks and smokes way too much, he's usually in some terrible scrape, and he badly needs to shave some time. He's hopeless with women. His cases are gritty - murder, missing persons, drugs. He's full of (what he thinks is) witty banter. He occupies a depressed city where something seedy is always going on. He's not unlike Tex, actually - down and out but desperately trying to get lucky.
Shannon, on the other hand, is probably closer to the reality. She works on cheating spouses, tax evasion, corporate and legal matters. Unlike Ethan, she lives a pretty clean life and about gets by financially. She's essentially a nosy character - show her a closed door and she'll have to know what's on the other side. She's also the kind of person who always needs an answer. If you ask her something and she doesn't know the answer, she'll go find it. Ethan would probably just make something up.
Which is not to say Ethan is lazy or stupid, because he's not. He's just used to being the underdog (as opposed to living with the underdog, like Shannon). And he also just likes messing with people if he can get away with it. Keeps them guessing and assuming he's...well, stupid and lazy. Whereas Shannon likes people to know exactly how clever and competent she is, as it usually pulls the rug out from under them.
They're both pretty pragmatic people at heart, and neither is afraid to make tough decisions. I think Ethan's a lot more pessimistic than Shannon though, and more than likely hungover 90% of the time. Honestly, if I was going to hire one of them to work a case for me, it would be Shannon. If I just wanted to hang out with someone and get into some wacky scrapes, I'd pick Ethan.
So, this post isn't part of the DARK HUNT blog tour, but let's have some fun anyway! Tell me who'd you rather have on your case - Ethan or Shannon, and I'll send you an ebook featuring the character of your choice.
It was a good week for:
Cryptozoology! A paleontologist in Massachusetts thinks he's found the lair of the kraken. Interesting side note - Lovecraft's Arkham is in Massachusetts, and the kraken is estimated to be at least 100 feet long. Is it too great a leap to assume this kraken is Cthulhu and this paleontologist is somehow involved in a cult dedicated to rising Cthulhu from R'lyeh?
Probably!
Also, Siberian officials confirm the existence of the Yeti. They've found his supposed bed and stuff he uses to mark his territory. See, this is why we've had no luck finding them in the Himalayas. They all moved to Siberia. If they do actually create a centre dedicated to Yeti science, I am so signing up.
Bad week for:
Women. Topeka, Kansas decriminalised misdemeanor domestic violence this week, due to budget cuts apparently. Nice to know you can put a value on human life... And then there's Personhood USA's attempts to get the Personhood Amendment passed in Mississippi, which would effectively ban abortion and most forms of birth control, and make women who miscarry liable to criminal investigation. Wow. I don't even know what to say. This is just all so disturbing.
ETA - Topeka DA says he will prosecute domestic violence cases after all.
Next week:
So let's end on a light note, shall we? As you may have detected if you saw my earlier blog post, Monday 17th October is the release date for DARK HUNT! OMG! We're planning a whole ton of fun stuff for the next few weeks, so stay tuned! But in the mean time, here's the cover and blurb to get you all excited.
Ayla Hammond is taking on Paris.
Hoping for a romantic getaway in the City of Lights with her girlfriend, Shannon, she finds a city under the dark thrall of Le Monstre.
Getting caught up in mystery and murder was the last thing Ayla and Shannon expected in the City of Love, but as the body count grows and tension rises between Parisian werewolves and humans they find themselves stalked by an unknown terror.
What is Le Monstre and why does it make Ayla's wolf want to turn tail and run? Can it be stopped before they become its next victims?
Cryptozoology! A paleontologist in Massachusetts thinks he's found the lair of the kraken. Interesting side note - Lovecraft's Arkham is in Massachusetts, and the kraken is estimated to be at least 100 feet long. Is it too great a leap to assume this kraken is Cthulhu and this paleontologist is somehow involved in a cult dedicated to rising Cthulhu from R'lyeh?
Probably!
Also, Siberian officials confirm the existence of the Yeti. They've found his supposed bed and stuff he uses to mark his territory. See, this is why we've had no luck finding them in the Himalayas. They all moved to Siberia. If they do actually create a centre dedicated to Yeti science, I am so signing up.
Bad week for:
Women. Topeka, Kansas decriminalised misdemeanor domestic violence this week, due to budget cuts apparently. Nice to know you can put a value on human life... And then there's Personhood USA's attempts to get the Personhood Amendment passed in Mississippi, which would effectively ban abortion and most forms of birth control, and make women who miscarry liable to criminal investigation. Wow. I don't even know what to say. This is just all so disturbing.
ETA - Topeka DA says he will prosecute domestic violence cases after all.
Next week:
So let's end on a light note, shall we? As you may have detected if you saw my earlier blog post, Monday 17th October is the release date for DARK HUNT! OMG! We're planning a whole ton of fun stuff for the next few weeks, so stay tuned! But in the mean time, here's the cover and blurb to get you all excited.
Ayla Hammond is taking on Paris.
Hoping for a romantic getaway in the City of Lights with her girlfriend, Shannon, she finds a city under the dark thrall of Le Monstre.
Getting caught up in mystery and murder was the last thing Ayla and Shannon expected in the City of Love, but as the body count grows and tension rises between Parisian werewolves and humans they find themselves stalked by an unknown terror.
What is Le Monstre and why does it make Ayla's wolf want to turn tail and run? Can it be stopped before they become its next victims?
(I never promised these blogs would be intellectual.)
1. What if Dr Suess wrote The Call of Cthulhu? Dude. I would have been all over this as a kid. I'm pretty much all over it as an adult.
2. Katy Perry - ET
I don't care for much of her music, but I love this song. I especially love this remix:
And, I don't know, there's just something I really like about Katy Perry. She's like a cartoon character.
3. The Yogscast. I don't play Minecraft, but Kyle does and therefore I blame him entirely for my current obsession with the Yogscasts. We spent all day yesterday watching this, and then we went to bed and watched some more like the freaking grownups we are.
4. Toffee apple cider.
I don't like cider when it tastes like cider. I love it when it tastes like toffee apples (although carbonated drinks don't agree with me, so I can only manage about one bottle a week, which is frankly probably more than enough given the amount of sugar in the stuff).
5. Editing! I edited an upcoming novella for Damnation Books called The Noctuary and it was amazing! I got in a bit of a fit over the weekend about writers who want to be published, rather than wanting to write, but The Noctuary helped me get over that. It's a haunting, atmospheric beauty, and when it's available to buy, I will be pimping the hell out of it.
1. What if Dr Suess wrote The Call of Cthulhu? Dude. I would have been all over this as a kid. I'm pretty much all over it as an adult.
2. Katy Perry - ET
I don't care for much of her music, but I love this song. I especially love this remix:
And, I don't know, there's just something I really like about Katy Perry. She's like a cartoon character.
3. The Yogscast. I don't play Minecraft, but Kyle does and therefore I blame him entirely for my current obsession with the Yogscasts. We spent all day yesterday watching this, and then we went to bed and watched some more like the freaking grownups we are.
4. Toffee apple cider.
I don't like cider when it tastes like cider. I love it when it tastes like toffee apples (although carbonated drinks don't agree with me, so I can only manage about one bottle a week, which is frankly probably more than enough given the amount of sugar in the stuff).
5. Editing! I edited an upcoming novella for Damnation Books called The Noctuary and it was amazing! I got in a bit of a fit over the weekend about writers who want to be published, rather than wanting to write, but The Noctuary helped me get over that. It's a haunting, atmospheric beauty, and when it's available to buy, I will be pimping the hell out of it.
So I've been washing my face with honey this week. I know! I would never have thought of it if Stacia Kane hadn't tweeted a link to Crunchy Betty's website. Now I'm obsessed. Seriously! My skin is already so much better than it was on Monday. I haven't had to use any mosturizer or other skin products, and my skin is all soft and healthy-looking. I've just been doing it in the mornings so far, as you're not supposed to use it on dirty/made-up skin. I don't wear much make-up, but I prefer to take it off with a cleansing wipe, so. I'm considering picking up some baking soda, as you can use that with honey as make-up remover. I'm spending way too much time on the Crunchy Betty site now. I'm getting a real interest in the whole sustainable living/natural beauty stuff, and her articles are just right for me - simple, inexpensive, and involving a minimum of effort. So yeah! I absolutely recommend washing your face with honey. I've struggled for years to find the right combination of goopy products to keep my skin looking nice and healthy, and all I had to do was slather myself in honey.
In other news, like all the best people this week, I have made myself a squid!
His name is Squamous and he just escaped a killer whale, apparently. Good for him!
In other other news, The Human Centipede 2 has had it's UK ban rescinded. It'll be classified as an 18 after 2 minutes and 37 seconds of cuts. I'm really enjoying the review that claims it's ban would have saved UK viewers from "a shockingly boring film" and that "nobody outside of a world-class psychiatrist could explain what Human Centipede 2 is." Of course, I am reserving judgement until I've seen it (our friend James is over in the UK at the end of October and we've decided since we watched the original with him last year, we should save the sequel for him too. Because we care), but based on the reviews I've read, it seems like the problems of the original are still present here: namely, all Tom Six has is his central concept and he lacks the balls to actually deliver the grossness and ick factor he purports to be presenting. We shall see.
In other news, like all the best people this week, I have made myself a squid!
His name is Squamous and he just escaped a killer whale, apparently. Good for him!
In other other news, The Human Centipede 2 has had it's UK ban rescinded. It'll be classified as an 18 after 2 minutes and 37 seconds of cuts. I'm really enjoying the review that claims it's ban would have saved UK viewers from "a shockingly boring film" and that "nobody outside of a world-class psychiatrist could explain what Human Centipede 2 is." Of course, I am reserving judgement until I've seen it (our friend James is over in the UK at the end of October and we've decided since we watched the original with him last year, we should save the sequel for him too. Because we care), but based on the reviews I've read, it seems like the problems of the original are still present here: namely, all Tom Six has is his central concept and he lacks the balls to actually deliver the grossness and ick factor he purports to be presenting. We shall see.
Writerly Wednesday: Surfacing
Oct. 5th, 2011 10:14 am
This picture is a pretty accurate representation of how I felt on Sunday when I finished Night Breed's first draft. It clocked in at just over 72k, which means between September 1st and October 2nd I wrote just over 60k. Oh man. I don't want to do that again. I mean, it's nice to know I can, but forget that. I want to be able to sleep and watch Thundercats too.
I've sent the draft to my editor at QueeredFiction and am looking forwards to not thinking about it for a while. I'm not sure how well I've pulled off what I wanted, and I already know the emotional intensity needs amping up, especially towards the end. But it's a book, dammit, and it wasn't a book a month ago, so that's something.
(By the way, I do need beta readers, so if anyone's up for reading through, drop me a line. No pressure, no hurry).
So! What's next? Well, Anti-Nano sign-up has begun. If you're interested, go take a look and join thecult fun. I loved doing this last year and it spawned a year-round write-a-thon which has been awesome to be part of. In a change from last year, when I ran Anti-Nano from my LJ, I'm going to start a master community this year, which will incorporate Anti-Nano, Winter-Write-a-Thon, and Springathon. So if you want to join in one or any of those things, stay tuned!
In other news, Fictional Candy has reviewed AFTERLIFE and given Nicomedes some love. He needs the most love. I decided last week that since I'll be working on Halflife for Anti-Nano, I'd try to garner some fresh reviews for AFTERLIFE. You know, so people know what I'm talking about and stuff. And maybe buy AFTERLIFE and get excited about Halflife. So hopefully there'll be some more nice reviews coming soon!
In other other news, it's a little over a month until THE NECROMANCER'S APPRENTICE is released! Eep. I'm working on some promo ideas for this. I'm a bit worried it'll be an odd one to work with. It's a short novella (just over 20k), it's a sweet romance (kissing but nothing more), and I haven't found many review sites that will look at sweet romances, especially sweet paranormals. I did find quite a mighty list of review sites here, though, so I'll plough through and see what comes up. I'd like to do some giveaways and prizes and fun stuff, too, possibly involving Bud Ducks. I just like Bud Ducks, okay? And you should like them too. Look at them!
I've sent the draft to my editor at QueeredFiction and am looking forwards to not thinking about it for a while. I'm not sure how well I've pulled off what I wanted, and I already know the emotional intensity needs amping up, especially towards the end. But it's a book, dammit, and it wasn't a book a month ago, so that's something.
(By the way, I do need beta readers, so if anyone's up for reading through, drop me a line. No pressure, no hurry).
So! What's next? Well, Anti-Nano sign-up has begun. If you're interested, go take a look and join the
In other news, Fictional Candy has reviewed AFTERLIFE and given Nicomedes some love. He needs the most love. I decided last week that since I'll be working on Halflife for Anti-Nano, I'd try to garner some fresh reviews for AFTERLIFE. You know, so people know what I'm talking about and stuff. And maybe buy AFTERLIFE and get excited about Halflife. So hopefully there'll be some more nice reviews coming soon!
In other other news, it's a little over a month until THE NECROMANCER'S APPRENTICE is released! Eep. I'm working on some promo ideas for this. I'm a bit worried it'll be an odd one to work with. It's a short novella (just over 20k), it's a sweet romance (kissing but nothing more), and I haven't found many review sites that will look at sweet romances, especially sweet paranormals. I did find quite a mighty list of review sites here, though, so I'll plough through and see what comes up. I'd like to do some giveaways and prizes and fun stuff, too, possibly involving Bud Ducks. I just like Bud Ducks, okay? And you should like them too. Look at them!
Random Monday: Escher Lego!
Oct. 3rd, 2011 01:46 pmSo I ate a tub of Phish Food last night to celebrate finishing Night Breed, and now I'm off work sick. Coincidence? I think not. Anyway, this means Fergus and I have lots of time to scour the internet for stuff, and this is what I found:
It's Escher! In Lego! For comparison, here's the original:
I think that's pretty damn awesome. It makes me feel slightly better about the whole ice cream thing.
It's Escher! In Lego! For comparison, here's the original:
I think that's pretty damn awesome. It makes me feel slightly better about the whole ice cream thing.
But I like to express my thoughts in blog form.
So I've been mulling over the idea of having a blogging schedule, but I've struggled to come up with anything other than Wednesday = Writerly stuff because I enjoy alliteration. Then I panicked over not being able to think of cool alliterative things for the rest of the week. Then I decided I was overthinking it and that normal people probably don't worry about whether things fit rhetorical arrangements.
Anyway. So I think I'm going to experiment with this in October and see if I like it. So here's what I came up with:
Random Monday. Sometimes I find things, like Lovecraft ambigrams or pictures of wrestlers elbow-dropping Jesus and I just feel like everyone else needs to see them too. Mondays are going to be those days. So for those of you who keep finding things to do with The Human Centipede to show me, you will now have a dedicated day for those things.
Writerly Wednesday. Sometimes this is going to be snippets of work, reviews for my books if I have any, sometimes just general writerly updates on what I'm doing and how it's going, and sometimes I might get off my ass and write some intellectual stuff. Who knows?
Friday Miscellany. Don't be fooled! It's not like Random Monday. It happens on Fridays. Basically this'll be a catch-up blog for the week and will cover anything I feel is important, like hilarious things the snakes have done (like fall out of their tanks) or whatever.
I didn't think of anything satisfactory or worthwhile for Tuesday and Thursdays. If I'm doing blog tours, guest posts, etc, I might post them as and when they arise, but otherwise I'm going to try this scheduling business for a while.
So I've been mulling over the idea of having a blogging schedule, but I've struggled to come up with anything other than Wednesday = Writerly stuff because I enjoy alliteration. Then I panicked over not being able to think of cool alliterative things for the rest of the week. Then I decided I was overthinking it and that normal people probably don't worry about whether things fit rhetorical arrangements.
Anyway. So I think I'm going to experiment with this in October and see if I like it. So here's what I came up with:
Random Monday. Sometimes I find things, like Lovecraft ambigrams or pictures of wrestlers elbow-dropping Jesus and I just feel like everyone else needs to see them too. Mondays are going to be those days. So for those of you who keep finding things to do with The Human Centipede to show me, you will now have a dedicated day for those things.
Writerly Wednesday. Sometimes this is going to be snippets of work, reviews for my books if I have any, sometimes just general writerly updates on what I'm doing and how it's going, and sometimes I might get off my ass and write some intellectual stuff. Who knows?
Friday Miscellany. Don't be fooled! It's not like Random Monday. It happens on Fridays. Basically this'll be a catch-up blog for the week and will cover anything I feel is important, like hilarious things the snakes have done (like fall out of their tanks) or whatever.
I didn't think of anything satisfactory or worthwhile for Tuesday and Thursdays. If I'm doing blog tours, guest posts, etc, I might post them as and when they arise, but otherwise I'm going to try this scheduling business for a while.
Daily Lovecraft - ambigrams!
Sep. 28th, 2011 09:56 amHow amazing are these? I found them last night whilst browsing for pictures of Cthulhu. We decided this one should probably be Kyle's next tattoo:
I really love the Azathoth one too:
I really love the Azathoth one too:
Self-publishing doesn't have to be for me
Sep. 20th, 2011 09:57 amSo I'm revisiting the whole decision to self-publish at the moment, for a number of reasons previously discussed. Since June, my indie sales have plummeted and this month I've sold two books so far. That's pretty dismal. Reading about the Kindle Boards, it seems like a lot of people are seeing the same slump, but I don't really find that reassuring so much as depressing.
I already pulled NIGHT AND CHAOS and found a new home for it (I haven't signed the contracts yet, so I won't say much else because... well, there's not much else to say). WILD is probably next. I was determined to stick with self-publishing for the Vargulf Trilogy because WILD has been a tough book to categorise and that's made it a tough sell. It's not quite YA, it's not quite adult, it's not quite a romance but it's not a straight UF. I'd hoped it would find a niche through self-publishing, but I think I lack the marketing muscle to find readers who will love it.
It's currently on submission at two places, and a third has invited me to submit it to one of their lines when they open it for submissions in October. The third place is actually my first choice, so now I'm eagerly counting down to October 1st so I can be all, "hey, remember me?"
I'm glad I tried indie publishing this year but I don't plan to publish any more novels that way for the foreseeable future. Shorter pieces, yes - people are still buying UNGRATEFUL DEAD even though they could have it for free, so that's gratifying. But for me, for now, the future is not indie. I haven't achieved what I wanted to with it, and although I could stick with it and see if the theory of "ebooks are forever so readers will find you" holds true, that's not going to help my career right now.
Instead I want to focus on building on the works I already have out there. I've been pretty unfocused this year writing-wise, because I've spent a lot of time worrying about marketing, promotion, sales figures, and other stuff. Once Night Breed is finished, I'm going back to Shoregrave. I want to finish Halflife by the end of the year and make a start on the next Ethan project, Undertow. I also have plans for a trilogy set in Shoregrave featuring all-new characters.
I'm contracted for two more Urban Wolf books and I'd hope to sign on for more if possible. I want Shoregrave and Urban Wolf to be the focus for the immediate future and since both series already have publishers I'm very happy with, I see no reason not to continue working with them and really building a name for myself. I think I tried to spread myself too thinly this year and I don't need to. 2011 was the year of trying new things. I'd like 2012 to just be the year of Nome.
I already pulled NIGHT AND CHAOS and found a new home for it (I haven't signed the contracts yet, so I won't say much else because... well, there's not much else to say). WILD is probably next. I was determined to stick with self-publishing for the Vargulf Trilogy because WILD has been a tough book to categorise and that's made it a tough sell. It's not quite YA, it's not quite adult, it's not quite a romance but it's not a straight UF. I'd hoped it would find a niche through self-publishing, but I think I lack the marketing muscle to find readers who will love it.
It's currently on submission at two places, and a third has invited me to submit it to one of their lines when they open it for submissions in October. The third place is actually my first choice, so now I'm eagerly counting down to October 1st so I can be all, "hey, remember me?"
I'm glad I tried indie publishing this year but I don't plan to publish any more novels that way for the foreseeable future. Shorter pieces, yes - people are still buying UNGRATEFUL DEAD even though they could have it for free, so that's gratifying. But for me, for now, the future is not indie. I haven't achieved what I wanted to with it, and although I could stick with it and see if the theory of "ebooks are forever so readers will find you" holds true, that's not going to help my career right now.
Instead I want to focus on building on the works I already have out there. I've been pretty unfocused this year writing-wise, because I've spent a lot of time worrying about marketing, promotion, sales figures, and other stuff. Once Night Breed is finished, I'm going back to Shoregrave. I want to finish Halflife by the end of the year and make a start on the next Ethan project, Undertow. I also have plans for a trilogy set in Shoregrave featuring all-new characters.
I'm contracted for two more Urban Wolf books and I'd hope to sign on for more if possible. I want Shoregrave and Urban Wolf to be the focus for the immediate future and since both series already have publishers I'm very happy with, I see no reason not to continue working with them and really building a name for myself. I think I tried to spread myself too thinly this year and I don't need to. 2011 was the year of trying new things. I'd like 2012 to just be the year of Nome.
Stuff and things
Sep. 19th, 2011 03:34 pmSo I'm still hard at work on a million things. Night Breed is coming along nicely, although it feels like a very different book to the other Urban Wolf novels so far. It's a lot more of a slow burn, lots of twisty plot threads, and I'm worried I won't be able to pull it all together. It's not the book I thought it would be, and I don't know yet if that's in a good way or a bad way. Still, I'm on track to have the first draft done by the end of September holy shit is that really only two weeks away? What the hell am I talking about? so then I can send it to my editor and let him tell me whether it works or not.
Speaking of Urban Wolf, we're looking at an October release for DARK HUNT! I've done the blurb and some extra fun bits and pieces, and am pretty excited about the second book being out in the world. It really doesn't seem that long ago that SILVER KISS was released, and now I'm writing book three of the series. Eek!
In other news, as October is rapidly approaching, let's talk Anti-Nano. I'm hoping/assuming everyone who's doing![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
springathonwill be up for it, and maybe some of the people who did wwathonlast year too. I'm planning to throw open my blog in October for signing up - both for returners and any newcomers that might have found their way here since last November, so there'll be an inaugral blog post about that soon.
In other other news, I think I mentioned before I've been thinking about implementing a blogging schedule, like Writerly Wednesday (so I could finally get round to those short story posts), Random Monday... I don't know. I like the idea of it, because as much as I just like blogging random crap as it comes to me, I think I need to get more structure into my writing career instead of just flailing wildly and hoping for the best, and this might be a step in that direction. I'm interested in whether people like that approach from writers or if they don't care either way?
Speaking of Urban Wolf, we're looking at an October release for DARK HUNT! I've done the blurb and some extra fun bits and pieces, and am pretty excited about the second book being out in the world. It really doesn't seem that long ago that SILVER KISS was released, and now I'm writing book three of the series. Eek!
In other news, as October is rapidly approaching, let's talk Anti-Nano. I'm hoping/assuming everyone who's doing
springathonwill be up for it, and maybe some of the people who did wwathonlast year too. I'm planning to throw open my blog in October for signing up - both for returners and any newcomers that might have found their way here since last November, so there'll be an inaugral blog post about that soon.In other other news, I think I mentioned before I've been thinking about implementing a blogging schedule, like Writerly Wednesday (so I could finally get round to those short story posts), Random Monday... I don't know. I like the idea of it, because as much as I just like blogging random crap as it comes to me, I think I need to get more structure into my writing career instead of just flailing wildly and hoping for the best, and this might be a step in that direction. I'm interested in whether people like that approach from writers or if they don't care either way?
Achievements achieved: an achievable day
Aug. 11th, 2011 04:13 pmI just sent the edits for A Fear Unnatural back to the author! Yay! Or at least, yay if he's happy about them... It was a very good book, but it needed lots of fine-tuning, so I hope he doesn't hate me... Anyway, First editing assignment complete. Huzzahs!
In other news, I went to a local wildlife park this morning with Pip as a pre-birthday treat for her. We got there very early, so a lot of the animals were actually still dozing, but we got to see tigers and meerkats, and adorable otters! They sneezed! It terrified Pip. I'm not sure why. Then we headed into Cambridge for brunch and shopping and I managed to achieve the one thing I've been determined to do all summer: buy a maxi dress. I found a gorgeous blue one on sale, so I snapped it up. Now, obviously, it's pouring with rain, but the point is I found the dress, dammit.
I also finished reading this:
I love this story, and it actually suits the graphic novel format really well. I have it on audiobook too, so I might listen to it tomorrow and see how they all compare. I'm slacking off for the rest of today because my belovedchaostheory is on her way over, possibly for more Lovecraft-related activities, but there is still some stuff I want to get done before the week is over, so let's have a list!
1. Edits for DARK HUNT.
2. Finish a short story about Ayla and Shannon, for DARK HUNT promotional purposes
3. Sort out my books and take a load to charity (to make room for all the new books I want)
4. Get back to work on Night Breed
5. Start the next freelance editing job
Will I achieve any of these things? Stay tuned for my next adventure...
In other news, I went to a local wildlife park this morning with Pip as a pre-birthday treat for her. We got there very early, so a lot of the animals were actually still dozing, but we got to see tigers and meerkats, and adorable otters! They sneezed! It terrified Pip. I'm not sure why. Then we headed into Cambridge for brunch and shopping and I managed to achieve the one thing I've been determined to do all summer: buy a maxi dress. I found a gorgeous blue one on sale, so I snapped it up. Now, obviously, it's pouring with rain, but the point is I found the dress, dammit.
I also finished reading this:
I love this story, and it actually suits the graphic novel format really well. I have it on audiobook too, so I might listen to it tomorrow and see how they all compare. I'm slacking off for the rest of today because my beloved
chaostheory is on her way over, possibly for more Lovecraft-related activities, but there is still some stuff I want to get done before the week is over, so let's have a list!1. Edits for DARK HUNT.
2. Finish a short story about Ayla and Shannon, for DARK HUNT promotional purposes
3. Sort out my books and take a load to charity (to make room for all the new books I want)
4. Get back to work on Night Breed
5. Start the next freelance editing job
Will I achieve any of these things? Stay tuned for my next adventure...
I would rather be doing anything else right now than making a list of gene mutations. Honestly.
Anyway, some bits and pieces, which is all I really seem to have to blog about lately, as so much of my time is being eaten by great big projects.
1. Remember UNGRATEFUL DEAD? The story where Ethan spends the night at a haunted morgue and almost nothing bad happens? It's now also going to feature in Static Movement's anthology The Morgue, as this seems fitting. It'll still be available for the Kindle and for free if you email me, but I like the idea of getting the word about Ethan out to as many places as possible, so that's that. (I cannot tell you how excited I am about my ideas for the next Ethan novella-possibly-novel. Like, seriously. I can't wait to get started on it).
2. In Shoregrave-related news, whilst trying to cram one more book onto my sagging bookshelves last night, I discovered I have an extra copy of AFTERLIFE. So, if you'd like a signed copy of my debut novel (wherein Ethan first appears), how about you leave me a comment here before Monday 8th August? I'll draw someone at random to receive it and maybe I'll throw in something else cool as well. Maybe. No promises.
Anyway, some bits and pieces, which is all I really seem to have to blog about lately, as so much of my time is being eaten by great big projects.
1. Remember UNGRATEFUL DEAD? The story where Ethan spends the night at a haunted morgue and almost nothing bad happens? It's now also going to feature in Static Movement's anthology The Morgue, as this seems fitting. It'll still be available for the Kindle and for free if you email me, but I like the idea of getting the word about Ethan out to as many places as possible, so that's that. (I cannot tell you how excited I am about my ideas for the next Ethan novella-possibly-novel. Like, seriously. I can't wait to get started on it).
2. In Shoregrave-related news, whilst trying to cram one more book onto my sagging bookshelves last night, I discovered I have an extra copy of AFTERLIFE. So, if you'd like a signed copy of my debut novel (wherein Ethan first appears), how about you leave me a comment here before Monday 8th August? I'll draw someone at random to receive it and maybe I'll throw in something else cool as well. Maybe. No promises.
