The Land Of Wind And Ghosts

...when I saw it on catephoenix's blog.




Why, is that... my name I see on there??

Apparently, Sean Wallace is taking these to Readercon.

I think I need to get me ahold of one of them.

Issue 2 of Alternative Coordinates has just been published, and includes my story "The Heart Of The Dragon".   Yes, this is my second published story with a dragon in it - the first was "The Dragon Path" (in issue 5 of the lamented Fictitious Force) and this is, in fact, the same dragon.   He'll appear again, since these are Land Of Wind And Ghosts stories in continuity terms, and the dragon is Important in that milieu...

Also featured: Z. S Adani's (alaneer ) "The Tomb", Jennifer R Povey's "The London Incident", Frances Pauli's "The Alien Embrace (part 1)", Neil James Hudson's "A Hissing Sound" and Benjamin Farthing's "Atlantic In Shadow".

Go check it out.

Well, no.

But I saw my first tarantula yesterday, crossing the street about a hundred yards down the road.

Moved with clockwork precision until it got to the rough ground of someone's yard, then moved ohhhh so very, very slowly and carefully, presumably hoping to creep up on helpless prey.

Impressive beastie.   Sadly, no pics (didn't have camera with me).   Hopefully I'll bump into another one sometime.

"Following the news of his death, the singer's albums are currently occupying the top 15 slots of online music retailer Amazon.com's best-seller chart, led by his 1982 smash hit Thriller. "

These are already some of the best-selling albums of all time.   Surely if you like his music, you've already got the albums?   There can't, really, be millions of people going "oh, yeah, I'd forgotten about Michael Jackson, yeah, his stuff was cool, think I'll buy everything he ever recorded ever because there isn't going to be any more".   Can there?

Went to Denver for the weekend, as you do.   Drove up Friday night/Saturday morning, with an overnight stop in Santa Fe (the most annoying city in New Mexico, for refusing to allow useful things like motels, restaurants and gas stations to be built by the interstate - the signs tell you what's "available" at the next exit and then when you turn off say things like "five miles north to Denny's!").   Rain on Saturday gave way to a hot Sunday, so we sat and watched three rugby matches at the Dick's Sporting Goods Stadium.   Which, as these things are, is all about the gouging.   No drinks or food of your own allowed in the stadium (except unlabelled bottles of water), and no leaving-and-returning, even for the rugby finals, which means you get to be in your seats on a hot day for seven hours.   And a beer costs $6.50 for a bottle, $7.25 draft.   Just absurd.   The rugby was fun, though.   

We also indulged in some clothes shoppping, for me, which was both unexpected and successful.   Four pairs of trousers and six shirts for a massive $72.50.   One pair of jeans had originally been priced, I kid you not, at $195.   They were on sale at $6.99.   I would never pay $195 for a pair of jeans under any circumstances but at 93% off the chance to get a genuinely skinny-legged rockstar-style pair of black jeans... no contest.   Having saved huge amounts on those, we went to Shepler's westernwear, and I am now the proud owner of a pair of Tony Lama genuine leather cowboy boots.   Yee-ha!   They're pointy.

For good measure, we also bought four bookcases and stuffed them (and cases of beer, and a coolbox full of meat, and many other items) into the back of our Pilot.   And then for good measure strapped a barbecue to the roof, as you do.  

So now we have both charcoal and gas barbecues here, so I have a choice of fire.   

Life is good.

Poll #1418226 Elephants, steam, or water wheels?
This poll is closed.
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

So, how should I power the giant clockwork mechanism (the size of a large building) at the climax of The Knights Invisible?

...played tennis for the first time in a few years last night.

I'm not very good.

But it's good exercise (we played for over 1.5 hours) and judging by the aches this morning it (and swimming, which we did the day before) are using different muscles from the hiking and gym work.   So that's good; all helps the all-round fitness and attempts to lose weight.

On the writing front - I'm woefully behind on LH's Midsomer Madness novel-outlining work, in particular I'm behind on critiquing.   And I'm going to be away this coming weekend (off up to Denver for family and shopping purposes, plus watching the Churchill Cup (rugby) finals).   But my own novel is still bubbling around constantly in my head, which is a Good Thing.   I'll post more on the Knights Invisible (working title) at the end of the month, when Midsomer Madness is over.

Especially when they pose nicely.

This morning's vermilion flycatcher shot:



As always, click through for a clearer view.

Jason Waltz, of Rogue Blades ENtertainment, informs me that he will be purchasing "The First League Out From Land" for the forthcoming "Demons" anthology.

I like this story and am very glad it's found a home - it's in a milieu currently of its own, but one that I hope to use again for rattling good fantasy yarns.

Fifth sale this year, against 12 rejections - a very good percentage, though it's mostly because I've hardly been submitting anything!   And my 30th story to sell.   That feels kind of like a milestone.   50 is the next target, though, and that's a long way off... achieve one target, set another.   That's the way to progress.

Sufficiently busy after the roadtrip last month that I really haven't caught up on things.

Work has been... interesting... this week (for certain values of interesting), which hasn't helped.   And life, well, life is just busy.   Last weekend, for example, we hiked up Signal Peak on Saturday morning.   Signal Peak is 8920' high (though the trailhead starts around 7200' so only 1700' of climb - but in 2.5 miles, that's a fairly significant incline).   Lovely walk, some great views to be had, and lots of horned lizards on the trail (amazingly well camouflaged against the soil).   We then discovered that some friends here were planning to do the walk on Sunday morning... so we did it again.   This time we got to go up the fire observation tower at the top (which set off my vertigo... open metal stairs and metal lattice walkway...), from which point the over-treetop views are breathtaking.   Well worth doing.

I've also been back at the gym again, cranking out the calories on the elliptical (my record currently is 560 calories expended in 30 minutes; yesterday I managed a mere 510, but I think because I didn't increase the resistance, or it would have been more).   The Silver City pool is now open, so we need to go try that out (when it isnt full of kids) and we also seem to have acquired a pair of tennis rackets.   And then there's birding to be done - I'm still chalking up lifetimes firsts most weeks.   And there are some gorgeous little birds to be had around here, such as this fellow, seen at the foot of the Signal Peak trail:



Given how much these small warblers flit back and forth, amongst twigs and trees, I am exceptionally pleased with that picture - as always click through a couple of times for full effect.


And as if all this weren't enough, I've slunk shamefacedly back to Liberty Hall to join the Midsommer Madness - basically a novel-planning exercise.   And it's been marvelous; I may be behind on posting but I find that the novel I've chosen to work on is frequently at the forefront of my mind, so at any odd moment of the day I am enhancing some plot element, or pondering character, or something related to it... yesterday I was coming up with an idea for the setting of the grand climax, and it's an absolute peach.   More on that later.

But I'll try and get better at blogging.   And, oh yeah, I've changed my userpic again.   I may settle on one soon...

$300 award for best heroic fantasy/sword-and-sorcery story published in 2009 (but hopefully an annual award).

Go check out the rules, and consider your nominations...

How come no-one told me about this?!


Six volumes. $29 apiece.


*wants*

Yes, isn't my life exciting?

Going to try using this userpic for a while, see how I feel.   At some point I will actually get a genuine Yi Qin userpic, rather than borrowing this, which is from the best wuxia movie EVAR, "Hero".

Now THAT'S what I call a dream!

...if you're dumb enough to fall for the Nigerian scam, I guess they think you are also dumb enough to fall for this:

"THE IMF HAS APPROVED YOUR ATM CARD FOR DELIVERY (FBI)

Attn: Beneficiary,

I am Dr Donald Moore, the personal secretary to the FBI Director; Robert S.Mueller III. After proper investigations, we discovered that your impending payment that have been withheld by imposters, claiming to be Professor Charles Soludo (Governor of the Central bank of Nigeria), Mr. Patrick Aziza, Mr. Frank Nweke, None existing officials of the Oceanic Bank of Nigeria and Zenith Bank, UK winning Lottery, Andy Lear of Hsbc bank, Coca-Cola winning lottery and among a list of others is now under our custody with the help of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Local Police Force.

Investigations revealed that you have spent a lot on your personal earned money just to conclude the successful transfer of your funds to your nominated bank account by obtaining transfer documents as requested by the imposters, costing you a lot of money but all to no avail.

The FBI had to send some financial crime investigators from our head quarters in Washington DC to Africa in other to carry out proper investigation, after receiving series of other reports similar to yours as you are not the only person awaiting the legal transfer of funds from Africa.

The FBI has giving authority to the International Monetary Funds (IMF) to assist the Federal Ministry of Finance and all the organization involved; such as the Central Bank, Zenith Bank, and Legit lottery organizations to immediately commence with the compensation of all the beneficiaries awaiting the successful transfer of their funds.

With the help of some of the best Internet investigators attached to the FBI, we traced your information from the Internet as one of the beneficiaries awaiting the successful transfer of funds to your nominated account.

I am pleased to inform you that a meeting was held as regards the best way to carry out with the compensation exercise for transparency and most especially to avoid reoccurrence of the delay in transferring your funds and the high cost of procuring transfer documents and came to a final conclusion as all head of organizations involved was duly represented.

It was approved to be issued to you as a valid international ATM card cashable at any ATM machine designation in the world. The ATM account has already being credited with Five Million Five Hundred thousand United States dollars. ($5,5000, 000.00 USD) , with a daily Limit of withdrawal of Fiftheen thousand United States Dollars. ($15,000, 00USD).The ATM card has already being packaged and approved to be delivered to your door step via express courier delivery service.

Contact Dr Donald Moore {Our FBI ATM Rep.} at the ATM PAYMENT CENTER and reconfirm your delivery information as stated below and your security code with five digit (24006) number has to be submitted alongside with your delivery information for security reasons.

DELIVERY INFROMATION:
FULL NAME:
DELIVERY ADDRESS:
CELLPHONE NUMBER:
CURRENT OCCUPATION
CONTACT INFORMATION:

NAME: Dr Donald Moore
EMAIL: donaldmoore039@sbcglobal.net
PHONE: +234-806-691-7298

NOTE: Under normal circumstances you are suppose to come and collect your ATM CARD in person and sign some documents as proof of the collection of your ATM CARD but the IMF and the Finance Ministry insisted that you pay  for the delivery charges of your ATM CARD via western union money transfer, which will cost you only  $450.00USD to cut down travel expenses in other for the western union payment receipt and the receipt of payment of $450.00 USD  to the nominated courier company that will carry out with the delivery to your door step  to be  documented in your file as proof your collection.

We hope that is very clear.

A receipt to this effect will be sent to you and a copy kept in your file for future documentation.

We also advise that you stop further communications with these imposters and forward any correspondence / proposal you receive from them to Mr. Kelvin Williams in other for the FBI to bring justice to does still at large.

Mr. Dr Donald Moore.
For: Mr. Robert S.Mueller III
FBI DIRECTOR"

PS -  "Does still at large?"   So not only have deer tried to eat our tomato plants, they're beind Nigerian email scams as well!

Missed it while I was away, but "This Corruption" is out at Three Crow Press so you can go read that, too.

I'm running out of things that are waiting to be published.   Must finish some more, sub some more, and above all SELL some more...

The audio of "The Sacrifice Pit" is now available.   Go here for an MP3.   It's also available through iTunes (a fact which continues to make me smile), via the BCS store here.

Human sacrifice!   Squirming thoravids!   Quey-drinking!   How can you resist?

Will post updates on the trip over the next few days.   It was busy: Beveryley Hills/Hollywood, Griffith Park Observatory, Palm Springs Air Museum, Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Joshue Tree National Monument, Prescott, Jerome, Verde Canyon Railroad, Valle Air Museum, Grand Canyon, Wupatki National Monument, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Pima Air and Space Museum, AMARG, all inside seven days.   Well over 2000 miles of driving.

No sales while I was away.   Am building more and more ideas for a whole weird western milieu, characters, stories, etc.   Nicely, it probably fits in with my present-day Ash/Cottonwood/Beech stories ("The Unicorn Hunter" as published in OG's Speculative Fiction, and "When The Arizona Moon Meets The Arizona Sun", unsold as yet).   But no actual writing - no time, no time.

 

Update me in comments if anything happened on the interwebs (or even outside the interwebs)  that I need to know about...
 

...Shrek and donkey, off on another adventure!


Actually, it's road trip time; we're heading out to LA where, on Monday, we'll pick my Dad up from the airport and then bring him over to New Mexico, by a roundabout route including some place called the Grand Canyon.   I doubt I'll be blogging while I'm out, but expect pictures when I'm back here in Silver City.

Have fun and play nice, y'all.

Issue 16 of the ever-wonderful Beneath Ceaseless Skies is out, and features "The Sacrifice Pit", by someone called Brian Dolton.   So go read it, and then wait for the podcasted version, which will be out in an issue or two's time.   The BCS podcasts are, as it happens, available on iTunes.   Yes, I am going to be available through iTunes, to every iPod in the world, a fact that makes me inordinately happy (even though only a tiny fraction of those iPods will ever download the story, I still think of this as a Really Cool Thing).   Anyway, go read, and comment, either on the BCS forums, or here.

Also go read today's Every Day Fiction offering, "The Otter", by mariness .   An utterly beautiful tale, about which I shall say nothing yet, so as not to offer any spoilage.