The Death Goddess Diaries

recently I've been working on some book sites/sections. I just finished these three:

http://www.blackholly.com/kith.html

http://www.blackholly.com/poisoneaters.html

http://www.philbildner.com/thehallelujahflight/

One of my good friends always ends up with all of her friends posting poetry on her Facebook status'. Don't ask me how, but this is what she gets when I am asked to take it seriously:

The flake hits my tongue,
Melting quickly in the heat.
Wash, rinse and repeat.

Hope everyone's having a great day!

SO IT BEGINS.



Man, the dogs are going to be bored out of their minds cooped up inside today.

Yesterday was so lovely. I asked for a writing buddy, and I got a writing posse! Awesome.

Thanks SO MUCH to:

jenny_moss
annemariepace
arialas
seeyouupside
sachielle
suzdc
slatts
ttrent
lisamantchev
artistq
reallyginnyf
lorrainemt
motherhoodtales
heatherwpetty
edithspage
jongibbs
nandinib
and
Donna Gephart (http://www.donnagephart.blogspot.com)

...for stopping by, giving a cheer and/or working together. That was FANTASTIC. Positive peer pressure at its finest. Yes indeed. :-) I revised 6 chapters!

I'm working now until 2:00 if anyone wants to join me.

Thanks again you guys!!!! xoxoxoxoxoxo

The thing you have to understand about snow panic in Alabama is that it's not about the snow. Mostly, it's about us not being prepared for snow; a meager two inches is considered an epic blizzard. It's also about the side effects of snow--I live in a heavily-wooded suburban area full of giant, beautiful, old trees. Very old trees. And they all have dead branches here and there hanging on by a shred of bark, so when you have just enough snow to weigh them down, they break off and fall onto the power lines. Or worse, the entire tree is mostly dead and it falls across the road or onto (and usually through) your house. There was one Epic Two-Inch Snow that ended up with a three-foot-thick, forty-foot-long pine lying across our street (and in what used to be someone's sun room), while live power lines were sparking in the road. In fact, my mother reported last night that, as she was driving home, she saw a number of official-looking trucks on the side of the road, presumably stationed for speedy tree removal.

It's also about the ice. None of us know how to drive on it, because we don't get it often enough to figure out how and then retain that knowledge. One time there was a Special News Report on Safe Winter Weather Driving, and I am serious, it was, in its entirety, "Drive slow." And now, over to Jim with the sports! So basically, entire schools, businesses, and highways will be shut down for safety reasons while all of Chicago points and laughs. I am not even kidding: my sister may not be able to get to work on Friday--

Oh God. I just realized that if we are all iced in together for the next four days, a remake of The Shining is going to break out.


While we're here, a teensy bit of Twi-spam, because I am getting a lot of email about this, and also, I enjoy the progression of the headlines:

Attn. Jackson Rathbone: Missing something?

'Eclipse' Script Wasn't Leaked, Says Summit. 

Nikki Finke: Yes, That Leaked Movie Script Is 'Eclipse.' 

1. I don't want to read it. I'm to a point where I don't even watch clips of movies I know I want to see anymore. I get so bored in the theater if I feel like I've already seen the movie. 2. I suspect the wink emoticon in the script (as seen at the first link) is forced product-placement sarcasm from screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg. 3. My dazzle is somewhat chagrined that (people tell me) the werewolf-vampire nose-fist bump is not in this version of the script, because, quite honestly, the Edward/Seth stuff is the only thing I find remotely likeable about Book!Edward. Also: COME ON! WEREWOLF-VAMPIRE NOSE-FIST BUMP! If there is anything funnier than that, I can't think of it right now.

Meanwhile, I am trying to work--I got a good bit of novel note-sorting and categorizing done yesterday--but am having a hell of a time. Lots of interruptions, and I can't concentrate for shit. Also, my new calendars (50% off!) came in from Amazon yesterday, but without the books I had bought for research, and then I realized I had forgotten to order a couple of other researchy things anyway, fnarr. Also-also, I bought another pair of fingerless gloves because I was concerned that my homemade recycled ones were fraying a bit from being worn so much, and I am really hoping they arrive before the cold snap is over. This is Alabama, after all.


OH OH OH I ALMOST FORGOT I have two questions to ask you:

1) How do we get e-books from my stepfather's Kindle onto my parents' computer? They can't figure out how.

2) Those identity protection/theft-prevention services, are any of them actually any good?

So… after almost two SOLID months of editing… I’ve sent out my revised manuscript (vibes of any kind would be appreciated) and I’m trying to figure out how to bide my time while I wait. I don’t want to stare at my inbox and wind up looking like this…

 

Of course I need to spend time with my wife and daughters. (Last night we played ‘Trouble’… my middle daughter won, but it’s fun to play. No one gets angry about losing.) And we’ve been playing Rock Band 2 (I played Foo Fighters ‘Everlong’ on expert (guitar) and made it through (73%) not bad).

But what about writing? That’s where I’m stuck. I hate NOT having a project to focus/work on… I feel like I’m going nowhere… moving backwards.

Since it’s been two months since I’ve written a word on my WIP… I forget where I left off. I forget the character motivations and emotions. I suppose the best thing to do would be to read through the 24 chaps I have written and pick up after that.

But…

I have this other idea I’d LOVE to start writing.

Questions:

1. Why does the new idea ALWAYS seem better/shinier than the WIP?

2. How do you deal with this conundrum?

 

 

Anyone out there want to write with me today? I could really use a swift kick to help me stay focused.

Just leave a comment and we'll check in every half hour or so.

Pretty please???

There is a reason people like me end up grabbing the mouse and telling other people to move over.

It’s a new year! A new month! A new everything! That means a new vote incentive! Get KT into the top 100 at Top Web Comics, and there will be a bonus comic January 25.

KT Voting Portal
KimonosTownhouse.com

Of course, in my book even properly chilled tuna fish sandwiches are the lowest of all lunch possibilities. If you ever see me eating one, you'll know it was my only other choice besides chewing on my own foot.

I forgot to mention! New episode of Made of Fail is up. "It's like... fudge... made of out PEANUT BUTTER."

Meanwhile! Right after I posted that last entry--seriously, I hit "post" while putting on my shoes--I went out and saw Sherlock Holmes again, this time with my mother. ( More Holmesian nerditry )

(For those of you wondering when I'll ever shut up about Sherlock Holmes: IT'S NOT TWILIGHT, OKAY? So shut it and count your blessings.)

Meanwhile: omg so cold. I love it. It's already one o'clock, but it's still only 26°F, which means it only gets colder from here. In fact, we've got snow predicted for Thursday. The dogs are bored out of their minds because I won't let them stay outside longer than ten minutes at a time; I'm under a fleece blanket (NOT A SNUGGIE) in the den at my laptop, and I had to put on my huge floor-length coat and my gloves just to take them out front. (I do have a pair of full-coverage gloves, but I put on my favorites just because they are pretty: fingerless gloves recycled from toesocks, because a hole got into one of the toes, and they were too awesome to throw away. Bonus photo feature: My stubby little hobbit hand.)




(Speaking of accessories: the purse I decided on, because it's simple, and the grey-on-black paisley is interesting but casual. I'm going to try to fix my faux Fendi for more stylish occasions, but this looks like a good everyday bag. And it's from Etsy, yay.)

And I think I had something else to mention but I can't remember what but I'm sure I will later. Very busy, tons of work, trying to alternate footnotes with novel-writing, yay.

kellyrfineman gives the advice to start the New Year doing something that makes you happy. Doing something that you hope represents your activity for the rest of the year. I like this.

One of the things I put on my dream list last year was to have more fun. So coming in just under the wire, Peter, E and I went to a party. Not just any party, a theme party at blackholly and theoblack's. This year's theme: Spies.

libba_bray, bgliterary and their son came from NYC to visit us for a couple of days before the party. On this visit, we discovered that E and J are twins separated at birth. They are City Mouse and Country Mouse reunited. They played nonstop and had a blast putting together their own Spy costumes. Here is E incognito (he and J made t-shirts that said, "I Am NOT A Spy" [J] and "There Are No Spies Here" [E]). E had on his Spy sunglasses that let you see behind you. He is blowing on a horn just before midnight:


Peter and I went as Maxwell Smart and agent 99. (I know. I'm totally missing the bangs. Ah well.) I wish I had a better photo of the shoe phone Peter made because it was pretty dang cool.


The best part of the party was seeing friends. I always forget just how lonely I've been until I'm back with kindred spirits. Here is libba_bray, me, robinwasserman (who I didnt know was going to be there!) and blackholly sitting on Holly's HUGE couch. (I am not having 2 drinks, I promise. I was just holding Peter's concoction while he took the photo).


And here's a close-up of Libba, me and Robin, in which I have a bright idea. (Yes, that's a light bulb over my head).


Here is the very sweet and uncommonly warm naked cat, Lily, also in costume--and thus, not really naked.


And here is Theo. He was a fast-moving dancing machine. He was just a blur. In his *ahem* slightly inebriated state, he said some really nice things about my books that meant a lot to me. Thanks Theo!


We stayed at the party until 2:30am. For us, that is crazy. But I can't think of a better way to start the new year. And I'm also going to say new decade. Because I still think of it as one even if technically it is not.

In the past, I've ended up not doing a lot of things because I think they're going to be too hard, too complicated, too expensive, or too uncomfortable. But every time I decide to be brave and just do them, I always have an adventure to remember.

I am declaring 2010 The Year of Being Brave. Because honestly, I could say the same thing above and apply it to so many important aspects of my life, and especially my writing.

Who's with me? Sign up below. :-)

Happy New Year, everyone!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Monday Morning Warm-Up:

Think about some way you could be more brave in your life and in your writing. Write about it privately or on your blog (if you're feeling really brave, heh).

Jake introduced me to a new song tonight which I love and I so helpfully have a link to the official video for it, too: Johnny and June by Heidi Newfield.

There are moments of this video which are breathtaking. (There are also moments which are ridiculous and cheesy, but whatever.) I love Johnny Cash references in general and this song makes me happy. It also makes me want to write, but that's pretty standard.

Mostly I love fire imagery and this video has awesome fire.

I feel like answering questions. I know I have a couple question sets in my inbox, but these from rosepurr were the latest and therefore the most accessible. If you'd like a question set, leave me a comment letting me know. I make no promises, but if I have some interesting questions, I'll ask them of you. Also, if you have questions for me, leave them in a comment and I'll answer, though maybe not all of them publicly. Comments are screened.

1. Are you still considering eventually moving into law librarianship?

Yes, I think so. I think this would be something I'd like to do in my retirement, after I am done practicing law full time. (Like my parents, my idea of retirement includes getting a new career.) I enjoy research a lot and quite liked working at the library during undergrad (which wasn't a law library, I realize, and things are different as an actual librarian). If nothing else, I'd like to take some classes on law librarianship at some point. (There's a year long program I'd adore, but it's not possible for me right now.)

2. You seem very tall in the all of the photos I've seen of you. How tall are you?

I'm just over 5'10" and would love to finally reach 6' but I don't think it will happen. At first I was amused by the fact that I appear very tall in photos, but then I realized most of the photos I've posted here have been me with law school friends who are, as a whole, shorter than me. Photos of me with my family present quite a different picture. Of my siblings, I am the second shortest; only one of my older sisters is shorter than me. Both my parents are shorter, too; you can really tell the kids are adopted when you see us together with them.

3. What's your favorite drink?

My favorite soda is diet Dr. Pepper, though I also drink diet Pepsi and diet Coke depending on availability. I am a big fan of tequila, though I don't drink it as much anymore. I like sweet wines, and my favorite is a Missouri wine called Pink Catawba from St. James Winery. I love peppermint mocha lattes made with skim milk. I drink gallons of iced tea, generally unsweetened these days. Law school has taught me that a good martini is a thing of joy.

4. What was your favorite book before you turned 10?

I'm not sure. I don't remember a lot of my childhood clearly, not for any horrible reason but because if I don't write things down, like in this blog, I simply don't remember them well. I do have some clear memories of Mom reading to me. We read lots of books that way, but I particularly remember her reading the Little House on the Prairie books. She has a very particular way of speaking when she reads aloud, and I can remember watching the precise way her mouth formed the words. I also loved Where the Red Fern Grows, in part because I had a hound dog (or, rather, a mixed mutt that was mostly beagle) and so though the story broke my heart, I loved it all the same.

5. How would you describe your high school experience?

I misread this at first as "How would you describe your best high school experience?" and was stymied with all the choices. I had a wonderful time in high school. I was involved in a variety of great activities, I had interesting groups of friends, and I was pretty successful at everything I did. I get frustrated with the assumption in many of my circles now (law school, geeks, gamers, fandom, etc.) that of course, because we're so smart and created, we had horrible experiences in high school. I wouldn't want to relive it, but then I don't want to relive anything. I'm interested in moving forward with life; there's so much more to live. But high school was fun and enjoyable. I think that's part of why I like writing about it.

Associate Agent Mary Kole of Andrea Brown Literary Agency -- who both reps and writes YA and middle-grade -- is having a contest for the best beginning (500 words) of a YA or middle-grade novel, and she'll give critiques of pages from the winning authors' novels.

Find out more here: http://kidlit.com/kidlit-contest/

Good luck! Happy New Year!

I just wanted to share a bit about my eldest daughters. Twins. They're really good kids, honest, trustworthy, helpful, smart, pretty. I'm very proud of them.

It wasn't an easy birth for my wife. Baby Girl 'A' came out just fine, weighing in at 4-1/2 pounds. But baby girl 'B' was VERY different. Her ambilical cord was prolapsed. Not good. The room burst open with doctors and nurses and lots of other techs (I think I saw the janitor) and they performed and emergency C-section. I watched... most of it. And Baby Girl 'B' was born, weighing in at 5 pounds 3 ounces.

My wife's recovery wasn't very pleasant. It was almost 24 hours before she even got to see the babies. Both were placed in ICU and remained there until they were able to take 4 ounces a formula at one feeding.

It was amazing and stressful. I still can't believe I have twins. They are very much alike... yet can be very different. It's fun to watch.

Here is a picture of them just after their birth.

( The doctor presenting our babies! )

As a follow-up to the Sherlock Holmes movie discussion entry, I feel like I should clarify that I don't actually think Holmes and Watson were doing it although I can absolutely see why you might. (And the movie might agree with you. Commenters pointed out that there were lines from Irene in the trailer ("They've been flirting for hours" and "Will you two just kiss and make up?") that got cut from the movie, as well as a line in the original script where Mary tells Holmes that Watson's "heart is generous. He has room for both of us." Also, Robert Downey Jr. apparently pissed off Doyle's estate by suggesting that Holmes might be "a very butch homosexual.") I am simply saying that they are in love, love, looooooove. It is not for me to specify the nature of that love; I can only point to the GIGANTIC BLATANT IMMENSITY of it.

(I should also note that the words "Satan," "Satanic," and "devil" are never mentioned in the movie, as far as I remember. ( Spoilers? )

I also spent a good bit of yesterday afternoon rereading the first two Holmes novels, A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of the Four. ( Reading recommendations )

( Back to the movie )

If you like historical adventure, mystical treasure and star-crossed romance you will love Angie Frazier's YA debut,  Everlasting, which comes out in June.  And she's giving away a signed ARC! All you have to do is head over and comment at  angie_frazier  How cool is that?

Happy 2010! 

'The end of 2009 already happened' you may justifiably and accusingly say unto me. True!

But the end of 2009 was exceedingly busy, so I only have the chance to tell you about it now.

Not busy in a GLAMOROUS way, let me hasten to assure you. Being glamorous is not really my style. I have just had piles of stuff to do! Also there was the Christmas Day Disaster.

So I awoke on Christmas Day alone in the Cherry Bomb, as my housemates Jennet Wilde the DJ and the Durham Lass the Dead Bodies and Old Stuff Specialist were at their homes over Christmas.

Later I was picked up and brought to my family homestead for dinner by my uncle, who is an opera-fan piano-playing diplomat, and my aunt, who lives in Australia among oranges and silversmiths. We had a most delightful Christmas Day, and then it was time to return to the Cherry Bomb. I cannot stay at the family homestead, as they have turned my room into a gym.

This is not the act of wanton, daughter-hating cruelty it might appear at first: the gym still has my bed and books in it. But waking in the dead of night, I find it very disquieting to have gym equipment strewn about the room. They are dark menacing shapes.

SARAH (waking confused): Oh God what is that looming over my bed? Is it a wildebeest?
SARAH (calming): No, it is an exercycle.
SARAH (collapsing back on the bed): I would prefer a wildebeest.

So home I went, shivering in my crimson party frock, to a dark chilly house. Immediately I turned on both lights and kettle.

Then I was plunged into dark and bitter cold.

SARAH (calls the Durham Lass): The curse has fallen upon me.
DURHAM LASS: Explain with real people speech.
SARAH: Where do we keep our fuse box?
DURHAM LASS: Up... high... somewhere. In the hall.
SARAH: OKAY. I'm going to climb up on a chair.
DURHAM LASS: Stay on the phone, you have to stay on the phone! What if you fall off the chair and bump your noggin and we find you four days later? DEAD.
SARAH: OKAY. I'm going to stay on the phone. Oh, oh, going over sideways - feeling for box. Oh no, going over sideways.
DURHAM LASS: Why do you keep falling down?
SARAH: This isn't easy to do in the dark and high heels.
DURHAM LASS: Why are you still wearing your heels?
SARAH: ... I have a perfectly good reason for that.
DURHAM LASS: What is it?
SARAH (with dignity): I cannot tell you that at this time.

Fumbling and flailing in the night, I eventually got the lights back on. Then I tottered over to the kettle.

It had stopped working.

I gestured with my kettle, a kettle of despair and not tea. Then I trailed sadly to my bed, where I created a fort of blankets. I succumbed to illness and stayed in the blanket fort for many days.

Until it was time to get on a flight to Boston! The grumpy Frenchman on the plane seat beside me seemed annoyed by how sickly I was

When I arrived, I overcame illness by force of will! And then there was a party with rhinestone eyepatches, bald cats in tuxedoes, and assorted weaponry. I wore my crimson party dress and a pink wig. I am so tasteful. Tasteful like a disco ball.

The next day 2010 started off with a bang. I was in the cellar helping sweep up.

HOLLY: Sarah, come up here.
SARAH: No, I wish to help! There is glitter everywhere Holly - it is like a vampire exploded down here.
HOLLY: Sarah COME HERE.
SARAH: I am here.
HOLLY: Congratulations. You are a Cybils finalist!

Every year a community of bloggers puts out a list of finalists for Cybils awards, awards given out for lit'rary merit! I am extremely complimented to be a finalist, and to be a finalist in such great company!

Now as you may all know (because I never stop talking about it!) 2009 is the year my first book came out.

Having a book out, it is the weirdest thing! For of course I have spent years and years and yeeeeears (nineteen years, to be precise) writing books, hoping one day people would read them and tell me what they thought about them and hopefully they would like them and and and...

It makes one a Crazy Person, as I have often mentioned, and perhaps too often given practical demonstrations of. For you are now obsessively anxious about whether people will read this book, and what they will think.

And then things like starred reviews, and the Carnegie nomination, and now being a Cybils finalist happen, and it is glorious. Because you did what you always wanted to do, and other people saw what you were doing, and said that you did it well.

Fame, you glittering bauble, now you are mine!

... Oh, not really? Oh, well.

2009 was both glorious and incredibly nerve-wracking for me. Lots of unpleasant stuff happened which I am truly glad to have over with. Lots of truly amazing things happened, and all my favourites had to do with my book: the book came out, I got to meet lots of you blog readers, Scott Westerfeld and I travelled about America facing fiery and icy danger, my first anthology The Eternal Kiss came out, I dyed my hair pink and... wait, that was a terrible thing. With a story attached to it that one day I will tell you.

In 2010 the paperback of Demon's Lexicon will come out in the US (meaning with luck: more people reading it!) and Demon's Covenant will come out. (Also, at least one other anthology.) Second books, so nerve-wracking! Will people like it as well as the first? Will I wear my pink wig to events? So many QUESTIONS!

And I have lots of things to work on: Demon's Talisman to finish, short stories to write, a new book to write, a couple of secret things to write! I have my December book to give away, which I will do very shortly. And I have many more adventures to have.

Every day of 2010 so far, I have had good news! I wish you all the same.

Hope everyone had a fantastic New Year's Eve and that you're looking forward to 2010 as much as I am. Last night, we had a spy-themed New Year's party. Here's a picture of me, Libba, Jo, and Robin in our costumes:



Jo also took a picture of the cat, looking dapper:



2009 was a pretty crazy year. I had three books come out in hardcover.

The second book in the Good Neighbors graphic novel series:



The first anthology I've ever edited (I actually co-edited it with Cecil Castellucci):



And the last Spiderwick book:



The first Good Neighbors book came out in paperback:



...and was nominated for an Eisner.

I finished White Cat, the first novel in a new series and part of Red Glove.

I also wrote the script for the third and final book in the Good Neighbors series, called Kind.

I co-edited the anthology Zombies vs. Unicorns with Justine Larbalestier. I started co-editing the Bordertown anthology with Ellen Kushner. I wish I could give you more details about both, but I am forbidden from saying anything more than that I am absolutely loving both projects.

And I wrote several stories for my first short story collection, The Poison Eaters, which comes out in February:



This year marks exactly a decade of my being in the book business. Although Tithe didn't come out until 2002, I actually sold it in the year 2000. So, looking forward to 2010, I am eager to see what the next ten years are going to be like. As Scalzi said when posting about his own publishing anniversary, I really can't consider myself a new kid anymore. And, like him, I feel really lucky to have this job. It's pretty great.