she knew it'd been too long

Sorry, everybody. Life snuck up on me and tackled me to the ground this month. Between freelancing, writing, band, Shadow Unit, having a life, and injuring my ankle last week, plus the intermittent nature of internet at home and the busyness of work, I just haven't managed to be online a whole lot. May will (hopefully) be better, and May 1st I am hoping to take the day off from everything but Shadow Unit and celebrating Beltane. We'll see how that goes.

What else is there to say, really? My band concert is this Saturday. I'm looking forward to it, but I'm also looking forward to having the summer off. To working on some solo pieces instead of band music. Emmelina is plugging along; I haven't added as much as I'd hoped, so far, but there's still a ways to go, so we'll see how my word count ends up. I may take a second pass through it to flesh it out a little more, even. I'm still hoping to fill it out to around 60K words. The superheroes novel . . . I haven't submitted yet. I know, what am I waiting for? I'm sort of dragging my feet. All I need to do is a little more agent research and one more pass over my synopsis, and then I'm ready. I just need to pick a day to stay late at work (better internet at work) and get it out there.

I suppose, in short, what I'm saying is that I have some things to get off my plate. As three different people have pointed out to me, my injured ankle is probably the Universe's way of telling me to slow down. I'm trying, Universe! There are just a few things I have to finish first!

Anyway. Happy Monday, everybody. I'll really make an effort to get back here later this week. I have a book to blog about, after all. Ta!

drive-by blogging

I wish I had more time, but April seems to be packed. Work has picked up, social life is a little ridiculous, there are a number of good readings happening . . . etc. I suppose. All this has left me feeling a little frantic again, but I suppose if I want to keep up all the things I'm juggling in my life, I'll have to learn to be zen with the franticness. Three goals this weekend: Help a friend move. Do my taxes. Submit my Superheroes novel, which I have yet to think of a good title for.

If I have time tomorrow, I'll come back and tell you about my recent dreams.

How's April treating everybody else so far?

it will set you free

It's lovely out this morning, all crisp and cool with the unmistakable feeling of spring in the air. I've got a lot on my to-do list for the day, including taking a long walk by the river. I'm looking forward to that, but there are other things that need to happen first.
Strange dream last night. Not sure if it was one, or three, actually. It all revolved around vacation, though. First I was somewhere on vacation with my partner-in-crime. I walked away from him for a bit to look for someone, I think, when I was approached by an old friend from high school, let's call him A. It was very dim, as though it had suddenly become night, and we were on a series of terraces that were partially enclosed. There were tables with card games and such; maybe it was an outdoor casino? A was leading me around, looking for his friends while trying to convince me to stay out. And then he kissed me, and I was very confused, so I slipped away from him and was trying to find my partner-in-crime again. Then it morphed (or was a different dream), I was on a huge fancy cruise ship full of people. I was wearing a really fancy ballgown. People kept treating me like royalty, and two men kept following me around attempting to woo me. From this one I mostly remember sitting down at what was supposed to be a meal for four, only neither of my suitors would go away so there were five of us, and one suitor (who looked like a very grim Paul Bettany) wasn't dressed appropriately but wouldn't leave. Then another morph (or a different dream), I was on vacation with my younger sister but she had to leave before me, and we were trying to gather her things so she could get to her plane on time. Then I was alone in the motor home we'd rented, and was trying to collect all of my things, and there were all these shopping bags full of stuff and I was overwhelmed.
Very exciting night in my subconscious, eh?
Last Tuesday I went to Catherynne Valente's book release party for Deathless at Madame X, a dimly lit bar with lots of velvet couches and fancy cocktails. There were two musicians, one Russian and one American literary folk, and Cat read for a while. It was a good party, and I got to chat with Cat for a bit, which was lovely. She and I had been talking about getting together for cupcakes and mead while she was in the city, so when she signed my book, she signed it "For my cupcake girl," which I think is adorable! Seriously, people, if you haven't read her books, check her out. I've read four now and they're all just brilliant, with lush writing and great characters and interesting stories.
And speaking of books, I've got four more to report:
17) Room by Emma Donoghue. This is a well-written, well-executed book. The subject matter is intense: a young woman and her five-year-old son, Jack, live in a small room. They are never allowed out, and sometimes after dark the mother is visited by a man who Jack calls Old Nick, who rapes and beats the mother. However, the book is written entirely from Jack's point of view, so the reader doesn't witness the violence. Jack tells the reader about the bruises, about the days his mother doesn't get out of bed, instead. Which just makes it creepier.
I was initially against reading this book, because of the subject matter, but was persuaded to give it a shot. And while I can't say I liked it exactly, I can say that it was better than I thought it was going to be. Things drastically change for Jack and his mother about halfway through, which really saved the book for me, as I couldn't have read a whole book set in the room. I think, without saying anything spoilery, that Emma Donoghue did a great job with the narrative voice, and with the reality of the situation throughout the novel. That said, I don't think this is a book I'll ever reread. It's a little much.
18) The Sherlockian by Graham Moore. This is a fun book. Parallel murder mysteries, one being solved by Arthur Conan Doyle and Bram Stoker, the other by a contemporary Sherlock scholar named Harold White and a journalist named Sarah. This was a quick read, easy and fun. But, as with so many other mysteries, now that I know the ending I don't think I'll reread it. Still, if you enjoy a good mystery, this is worth picking up.
19) Ignore Everybody by Hugh MacLeod is a fun book about creativity, whether or not to sell out, whether or not to quit your day job, etc. I found a lot of his points to be spot on, and his humor is really quirky and entertaining. Hugh MacLeod draws cartoons on the backs of business cards, and these are scattered throughout the book as well. This it a fun little read for anybody who likes reading nonfiction about how to approach creativity. Or, for anybody who just wants to flip through and read Hugh's cartoons.
20) Nomansland by Lesley Hauge. I found this dystopian YA novel interesting. It takes place after some mysterious apocalypse, in a country where men are not allowed and women live in a tightly structured community. Friendship is forbidden, as is vanity, pride, etc. Then several of the more rebellious/unsatisfied young women discover a hidden house from the time before the apocalypse, full of mysterious things like fashion magazines, makeup, and clothing. From there the main character, Keller, gets more and more confused about how she feels and what she wants. I found Hauge's writing to be quite engaging, and will definitely read more by her. I am not sure that I would reread this one. Although I enjoyed it, I'm getting tired of the dystopian fiction.
And now it's eleven o'clock already, and I've barely started my day. Time to get on with it. There's some housework and some writing to be done. Happy Saturday!

the end so fastly approaches

The end of the month, that is. Where does the time go? I mean, wasn't my birthday practically yesterday?
Well, I'm on track to finish editing my superheroes novel this weekend. That allows a few days to work on the query letter and synopsis, and then it's submission time. I'm excited to get this one out there; it's a stronger piece than the first one I submitted, and I got a good response to that one, so we'll see how it goes this time.
More books:
14) The Drowning City by Amanda Downum. This is the second fantasy novel this year to really draw me in. I love the writing, and I love the world that she created. The characters are gritty and real and make mistakes. The culture of Symir is different, lush, and draws you in. I really enjoyed the religion that Downum built for this series. And Isyllt is a unique character, a force to be reckoned with, a strong woman but a flawed one. I liked this so much that I bought the sequel last week, and will be reading it soon. If you like fantasy, or good writing, check out Amanda Downum's work!
15) Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. This YA novel is a Groundhog Day scenario: The main character, Samantha Kingston, has seven tries to get one particular day right. It's not a bad premise, and a lot of what happens over the course of those seven days is interesting. One day is downright funny. I had a hard time moving past the cliches, though. Wildly popular but secretly insecure girl with shallow friends and a boyfriend she's not happy with even though she liked him for years slowly learns that there is more to life than she knows, that her friends and boyfriend are not who she thought, that the geeky boy in the corner is actually adorable and her soulmate, and that everything we do or don't do affects the world around us. I feel like that's been written any number of times before, which is fine, but I didn't feel that this version stood out from the crowd. I also had a hard time with the overt drinking and smoking throughout the story. Yes, I know that some kids do that. But I had a hard time with the fact that the parents seemed to either not notice or not care about the substance abuse running rampant in their childrens' social circle. Anyway, I enjoyed the read, once it got into the meat of the story, but this is not a keeper for me.
16) Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff. I loved this biography. Schiff approaches Cleopatra carefully, stripping away the mythologizing of the last two thousand years and presenting Cleopatra as a woman with a lot of responsibility on her shoulders, whose life was entwined with that of two famous Roman men: Caesar, and Mark Antony. Schiff presents a factual account of what happened throughout Cleopatra's life, and also discusses what previous people have written about it. I found this to be an engrossing read. It's a great book for anybody interested in history, or Egyptology, or just wants to know what really went on with Cleopatra. Definitely a keeper.
So here's a question for you, readers: What would you like to see more of on this blog? More discussion about writing, in terms of process and ideas and such? More fiction writing? Lengthier book reviews? More dreams? Other things entirely? I'm wide open to suggestion, and want to take my online presence up a notch, so any input in terms of making my blog more interesting/fun is greatly appreciated.
On that note, I'm off. My partner-in-crime has to work all day today, so I'm going to take full advantage of the alone time. Some editing, some exercise, watch a movie, etc.
Happy Saturday!

Happy Ostara

Well, a day late, but better than not at all. Happy Ostara, everyone! This is a time of renewal and rebirth, and heralds the beginning of spring. It's a good time to plan your garden.

We didn't do a ritual this year. Instead, we gave ourselves a nice mellow Sunday with a fancy dinner to celebrate, since I had to work Monday. I hope everyone is enjoying the feeling of spring that is in the air!

Goodbye, Roman

At about 12:35 PST this morning, Roman passed peacefully away, cradled in my sister's arms. He was a gentleman cat, with a big voice and a kind but fierce heart. He was my sister's best friend and companion for fourteen years, and there will never be a cat like him again.

Wherever you are, Roman, know that you are loved and missed tremendously. You will always be in our hearts.

not a lot and too much all at once

I wish I could say that something crazy exciting has been going on, but it wouldn't be true. I've been quite social over the last couple weeks, and really need to cut back on that, for my pocketbook as well as my writing time and my sanity. I am freelance-free for this month, which is exciting, partially just for less to do and partially for having time to finish editing Superheroes, which I'm taking WAY too long to get through. Ah, well. March = birthday and book submission this year. It's cool. and then, because I'm crazy, I'm going to try to novelize Emmelina in April. That's right. One month. Then May is research, and then June is the beginning of writing book one in my witch/ghost series. It'll be a good writing year, if I can make it all work somewhere close to that timeline.

In other news, I'm sick again. Second time this year. The big symptom for this one seems to be total exhaustion and weakness. NOT FUN. But it's slowly getting better. Today is day number three of it, and I think I'll make it through a whole day at work today.

A couple more books to report:

10) Clementine by Cherie Priest. Loved it! This is the third book in her Clockwork Century series that I have read, and they are just solid fun. Alternative Civil war history, spies, mad scientists, stolen airships . . . The action just kept coming. Maria Isabella Boyd is a fabulously tough heroine, and I liked Hainey the first time I read about him. This series is great American steampunk, and I highly recommend it.

11) Titania's Magical Compendium by Titania Hardie. This was a fun book of magick based on the full moons throughout the year. I read it as research for an upcoming series I'm going to write, and while there were some interesting tidbits in it, I don't know that it'll be a keeper once I'm done working on that series. I don't see myself revisiting it. It was fun to read, though.

12) Huntress by Malinda Lo. This is a companion of sorts to Ash, which I read last year. It takes place in the same world, but several hundred years earlier. I enjoyed the characters and the writing and the quest, but (without giving anything away, since this hasn't been released yet!) there's one section at the end that felt rushed to me. Overall though, fun book, a keeper, and I recommend it.

13) The Dust of 100 Dogs by A. S. King. I love the concept of this book. Seventeenth-century girl pirate gets killed and cursed to be reincarnated as a dog one hundred times before finally coming back as a human again, with all her memories intact. I love the dual unfurling of Saffron's story (our twentieth-century heroine) and Emer's (Irish pirate girl). I love the grand love between Emer and Seanie, and the contrast of Saffron's total lack of anything like that. I love the tragic ending to Emer's story, even. But . . . I had some qualms with this one. And no, surprisingly, it wasn't the violence or the rape that bothered me. I mean, those things aren't fun, but they were pretty correct and appropriate for the time that the story was happening in. My qualms were more story related. Here's my big one: Fred Livingstone. He's the crazy guy who owns large swaths of Jamaica, where Emer buried her treasure. Fred turned the corner from unhappy to crazy very quickly. But still just seemed crazy. Then, when he encountered Saffron while she was digging up Emer's buried treasure, all of a sudden he's the reincarnation of the Frenchman who raped Emer. I really didn't feel like there was any foreshadowing of that at all, which frustrated me. And then, what was the deal with Fred's live-in handyman/lover, Winston? I never really understood what he was doing there. Also, I was never really clear if Saffron WAS Emer, or if they were separate entities sharing a body, or what. Both were implied over the course of the book. So, there's that. I enjoyed reading this, and would be willing to pick up something else by this author, but this isn't a keeper for me.

And with that, I should go get some work done. Happy Tuesday, everybody!