Coldsnap!

Wow, I can't even count the twists and turns this story has made in finding a home (including two revisions, the second of which partly removed changes from the first), but it finally has. Reflection's Edge will be publishing "Coldsnap" circa soon, pending ironing out of last editing points.

And ...

That story will be out Thursday! November issue of Byzarium about to air, and "In The Home of The Gods" has a ... home right there. Whoo!

Title Change

Byzarium asked to change "Job Description" to "In The Home of The Gods." Apart from my being completely unable to get the capitalization right there, I decided I was good with this. Names may be important; they are not my skill. Whenever anyone has a better idea, I tend to be happy that they shout out. I'm not sure why this is: when titles hit like a bolt from the blue, they're perfect. ("Lightning Strikes" being one of those, ironically.) When I have to push around for them, they end up mediocre.

For instance, I *really* have to change the title of my story about an assassin and her footware from "In These Shoes?" No, the Kirsty MacColl reference is not appropriate in a high fantasy setting.

(For the record: http://www.asklyrics.com/display/Kirsty_Maccoll/In_These_Shoes%3F_Lyrics/157359.htm)

Places To Be ...

Currently reading "Places To Be, People To Kill." This is actually a pretty satisfying collection, except for one thing ... half of the stories aren't really about people I would consider assassins. A sorceress who has to defend herself against her father; a royal executioner; a summoned shade sent to slaughter a village ... all very intriguing in their own right, but not what I wanted to read about when I picked up a book that billed itself as being very specifically about assassins. Even the fact that most of these are good stories doesn't belay a certain sense of being cheated by the contents. For instance, I really enjoyed "All In The Execution" by Tim Waggoner, the aforementioned executioner story, which portrays an interesting society, an unusual character, and an amusing solution with deft ease ... just not an assassin story.

Job Description

This story, detailing the travails of a god trying to adapt to the times, has just sold to Byzarium! ... more fool they. No, I'm happy for it to have a home, as it's a fun flash piece.

And I'm more tired than I can remember being in eons ...

So ...

If someone has a passionate interest in photography, would they study the Camera Sutra?

A Pun Worse Than Death

This one ... made me facedesk:

http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/840.html

Eep

So, it's been a surprisingly long time since I've posted in here - life has kind of been doing a tumbling act. This quote (my calendar says it's from an athlete in her eighties), amused me:

"You lose a lot of speed between eighty and eighty-six." -- Ruth Rothfarb

I so want to be that kind of old lady, though I truly expect I will be the *other* kind of old lady.

Poetic License

This story has been sold! to Forbidden Speculation, an anthology run by OG's Speculative Fiction. This is also a short story contest with prizes, so more information forthcoming ...

And an obligatory: wheee!

No, Really?

I'm trying a nasal spray as an alternate allergy suppressant. Written on the bottle is: Do not spray into eyes.

... I really wasn't planning on it, thanks.

In other news, I have been counting the days that a specific piece of mine has been at Ideomancer. It's been long enough (and the story is short enough) that it must have garnered a little approval, at least. ... or they're swamped. Never can tell!