It's almost Halloween....everyone needs a bit of fright on Halloween night! Shades of Blood and Shadow is just waiting to fill that void! Paperback's on Amazon. Hardback from the publisher.

And, while I'm talking with you...in our adoption news, the next stage of the game we were waiting on, is now past. We received our I-600 application approval this week and are also logged into the National Visa Center! I'm hoping for more good news this week! Now we're waiting on the Korean Emigration Permit and to be logged out of the National Visa Center.

Send those prayers and good thoughts and vibes...we're still hoping to bring Kiddo#3 home in December [earlier would be fabulous!]

In the meantime I got a gig writing non-fiction copy which is doing great things for our Legal savings account for all the things we have to write checks for once we get our little man here! Busy as can be, but very grateful for the opportunity to earn some extra money.

Okay...so we're going to get some coffee and find a birthday gift for Chris's dad...it's a chilly Fall day outside!

PS. Christopher Fulbright announced his latest acceptance on his journal : Bad Moon Books will publish Chris' novella, The Bone Tree, in 2010. Yay!

Okay all of my crazed and fabulous readers! The paperback version of Shades of Blood and Shadow is now available on Amazon! It begins shipping very soon! Fabulous illustrations by the talented Tom Moran and 13 delicious tales of terror to tickle your fancy! JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN and Samhain!  Here's the backcover copy:

The palette of history and horror mingle in the hues of crimson blood and blackest death. The ghosts of the past mourn for lives unfinished, vengeance unfulfilled, and loves lost. The heart beats in a cacophony of anticipation and fear, echoing with the memory of those that once were, once danced, once believed.

Hues of fear, of woe and dying. Shades of death, of blood and shadow. Fallen women, queens, and angels. Angry men, ghosts, and devils. Life is woven in a tapestry of joy and sorrow; painted in the colors of pain, and triumph, and love. What artistry is found within the soul of every man -- some perfection, some wretched -- painted words and pictures of things glorious and of things unspeakable.   Angeline Hawkes writes with the fatalistic poetry of unstoppable history gone disturbingly wrong. -- John Everson, Bram Stoker Award winning author

Shades of Blood and Shadow represents only a taste of the hundreds of short stories penned by Bram Stoker Award nominated writer Angeline Hawkes. From ancient Mayans to the horrors at Chernobyl, she pulls you into the hearts and minds of fiendish creatures and tortured man. History offers up the wayward and the monstrous in this collection of ghoulish hues.

And some general blurbage:

Angeline Hawkes's … imagination seems to tend toward a Lovecraftian-meets-George Romero-in-a-dark-alley sensibility. -- Robert Butterfield, Necropsy: The Review of Horror Fiction

…Angeline Hawkes conducts an orchestra of creatures that are both bloody and sexy. You won’t forget this tour through historical horror; it’s a sumptuous smorgasbord for beasts craving variety. --Gregory Lamberson, author of Johnny Gruesome and Personal Demons

…every story is unique, and every story works. Angeline Hawke's writing is sharp, elegant and satisfying in the most deliciously dark way. -- Jonathan Maberry, Bram Stoker Award winning author of Zombie CSU and Patient Zero

Angeline Hawkes…conjures dark and dangerous experiences, satisfyingly horrorific stories seasoned with sly humor, historical epics slipstreaming into alternate realities… hellishly inspiring, fantastically inventive, a collection of dark fiction impossible to forget! -- C. Dean Andersson, Bram Stoker Award nominated author of I Am Dracula, Raw Pain Max, and the Bloodsong Saga

Here's a sample story and the table of contents and list of illustration.

Other News:

We received our I-600A approval from immigration. We're now waiting on the next necessary approval, our I-600. Also waiting on Emigration Permit aka EP from the Korean end of things. The wheels are moving, slowly, but moving! This week we were surprised with 2 new photos and a medical report. We really hadn't expected any additional photos as we received 3 new ones from his first birthday well child exam...so we were THRILLED to have new photos. Getting new photos is a mixed bag. On one hand, we're elated to have a new look at his little face...heart aching to have him home...on the other hand, we're struck with the poignant reminder of how fast he's growing up without us around! It makes us want the wheels to turn even faster so we can bring him home and start the bonding process.

I got a mold for Sugar Skulls for this Halloween. I also got a mold for the Easter Sugar Eggs...but the skulls are going to be cool. The mold company left out the back of the skull, so I'm waiting for the other half to arrive. Should be fun. Making the skulls and eggs is something I've always wanted to try!

Well, that's my scoop for now.

BIG Congratulations to Christopher aka Christopher Fulbright for his honorable mention in Ellen Datlow's Best Horror of the year 2008, for his story "Mechanix" which appeared in Bound for Evil, from Dead Letter Press.

This weekend is once again time for that most fabulous of all conventions, FENCON!! Here's my panel schedule: Friday  6:00 pm  Addison Lecture Hall Love me, love my neck! Description: What is behind the Renaissance of the Vampire? From Novels, to TV & the Movies. Some said it was a fad, but it's still going...

___________________________ Saturday  12:00 noon  Trinity 1/2 Meat And Blood Description: From Zombies and Vampires, people's fascination with the taboo diet in film and print. You might think twice before bringing your lunch with you to this one...

___________________________ Saturday  2:00 pm  Gallery 2:00 pm - Description: Autographs

___________________________ Saturday  6:00 pm  Trinity 3 Zombies. Vs. Werewolves Vs. Vampires:The Cycle of Fads Description: Interest in these paranormal characters seems to wax and wane - not unlike the cycles that seem to rule the habits of these paranormal creatures. What's hot now? What's cooling off, and what's the next hot trend?

___________________________ Sunday  2:00 pm  Pecan Discussion: Adopting an International or Special Needs Child Description: Angeline Hawkes and Christopher Fulbright host a Q&A on the process, the challenges, and rewards of adoption.

I should have copies of Symphony for the Forgotten. [Waiting for them to arrive via the mail] If not, I still have some Advanced Readers Copies that will be $5. We'll also have a few copies of the out of print, Blood Coven, by myself [Angeline Hawkes] and Christopher Fulbright. Our author table will also have copies of Spicy Slipstream Stories, Frontier Cthulhu and a few other books.

I won't have trade paperback copies of Shades of Blood and Shadow yet, but hope to have those next year for ConDFW in Feb.

In writing news: I've been busy querying agents and publishers for 2 novels. I have a 3rd ready to go out too, but I may wait awhile before sending that out as the other 2 are tying up all of the available parties that would also be interested in the 3rd. I'm also soon to be back at writing another novel that's about 1/4 of the way finished.

In adoption news: We're currently waiting on a September update on our kiddo. We're still hoping he'll be home in December. The cogs of the machine move very slowly and the wait is excruciating. Chris and I will have dvds, vhs, books, bunnies and lambs for sale at our author table as part of our fundraising this weekend too!

Some days all it seems like I do is wait...writing and adoption wise. lol.

In sewing news: I listed 2 holiday ensembles on ebay for Bleuette. And don't forget the adoption fundraisers of hearts, bunnies and lambs! I've got a Bambino gown set to list and am nearly finished with a dress from a 1930s McCalls pattern also for Bambino or 10 inch baby doll equivalent.

Yesterday I broke out the Halloween decor and decorated the inside of the house. Last year I was sick and we only really had decorations up for a couple of weeks, so since we got ripped in 08, I decided to start early in 09! lol. That and the end of this month is crazy busy with school and other commitments, so now was the best time!

Kiddo#3's bedroom is now mostly done. We have to do the closet rod/shelf, but for the most part the drawers are full, the toy box is getting filled up, the bookcase is getting stocked, and we can't wait to actually have the kiddo that the room is for!

So, that's my scoop. Come out and see us in Addison this weekend!

BLACK MERCY FALLS Coming in 2010 from Bloodletting Press

 

Christopher Fulbright and Angeline Hawkes are proud to announce that their new horror novella, BLACK MERCY FALLS, has sold to Bloodletting Press for publication under their Morning Star imprint in late 2010.

 

About the book…

 

The small Colorado town of Black Mercy Falls has a ghastly past. 

 

The folks who live there just call it Mercy Falls. And while the “black” part comes from the massive waterfall above the town whose waters run thick with black iron oxide, there are hushed suggestions that something diabolic is responsible. Tense whispers of the locals connect a list of missing children and teens with the old tale of Nehemiah Jacob, a mid-1800s pioneer who threw his deformed inbred children over the falls thinking that their deformities were caused by demonic possession, hoping the waters would cleanse their souls and release them to heaven. When he named the place Mercy Falls all those years ago, some say the waters were crystal clear. And when the darkness came, it came to stay. Is the waterfall haunted?  Possessed? Or is the town cursed with something that stalks its children by night?

 

Now the town’s namesake waterfall and the land that it’s on have been bequeathed to Lance Evans by his estranged uncle. But when Lance brings his pregnant wife and son to explore the inheritance, they scarcely have a chance to marvel at its beauty and settle in to the rustic cabin when good fortune is overshadowed by the dark legacy of Mercy Falls.  Pitting Lance against unknown forces, the truth is even more horrific than the rumors suggest as he fights for the lives of his wife and son, and mists of the past rise as tendrils from the shadow of tragedy that threatens to end it all, and take away once and for all the lives of those he loves. 

 

BLACK MERCY FALLS is the third horror novella by Christopher Fulbright and Angeline Hawkes, authors of BLOOD COVEN, which was released in 2007 from Dead Letter Press, and their 2006 debut novella THEN COMES THE CHILD, which was lauded by Gary Braunbeck, who said “if all extreme horror had this much grace, style, and intelligence, I’d read a hell of a lot more of it”; James Moore, who said it was “beautiful, dark, and disturbing as hell”; and John Everson, who pronounced it a “bloody good read.”  Please visit http://www.fulbrightandhawkes.com and the authors’ blogs for all the latest updates.

 

For more information about Bloodletting Press and all of their titles, please visit http://www.bloodletting-press.com.

 

Bloodletting Press will publish BLACK MERCY FALLS, as part of their Morningstar imprint, in 2010. The horror novella, by Angeline Hawkes and Christopher Fulbright, promises lots of atmosphere, thrills, and mystery as the reader discovers exactly what puts the black in mercy falls.

More info to come!

                

Okay, so I couldn't resist to Squirrelize my photos. I even did Shades of Blood and Squirrel...hmm, Shadow! lol. By the way, have you got your copy of Shades of Blood and Shadow yet? Well....they're selling out fast....you better get you one!  They start shipping next week!




Couldn't resist a Fulbright & Hawkes & Squirrel photo either!

Just listed 51 lots on ebay.

Tons of nonfiction books. History. Excellent resources for writers. Ghosts. Paranormal. Antique/collectible books. Celtic. Druid. Gypsy. Tudors. Various historical periods. I'm still listing books. I ran out of boxes, so today we may go on a box hunt so I can list the rest of the pile. Most of the books are in lots of 3 or more, grouped according to time period, topic, etc.

Also listed are tons of children's clothing. Girls sizes 6-8. TONS of girls shoes sizes 2 - 2.5 youth. Boy's clothing sizes 10-16. And my Bleuette and Bambino ensembles.

Chris is listing DVDS, CDs, VHS, and more collectible/rare horror, sci fi, fantasy, etc books. Check his auctions out here. He has huge lots of thrash, metal, rare metal, christian metal, death metal....keep him bookmarked if you're looking for these types of items because he has a HUGE pile of items he's listing as we get the boxes to pack them in. Seriously, folks....like a whole room full of good stuff.

We're serious about raising funds to bring our baby home from South Korea. If you know anyone who is interested in books and the other...please feel free to share the links!

Yep, that's me...the scandal causing Angeline Hawkes. Apparently, my new book, Shades of Blood and Shadow, coming from Dark Regions Press, and illustrated by the talented artist, Tom Moran...is too hot for MySpace to handle.

The photo of the book cover was deleted and when I inquired as to why, I received a form letter with a link to their terms of service and they told me the photo violated said terms.

I wrote them back to ask HOW it violated their terms of service. I got another form letter telling me that they thanked me for bringing this photo to their attention and that the account was scheduled for deletion.

Sure enough. Account gone. BAM. Just like that the big <insert cuss words here>. So, apparently under the MySpace terms of service a ghoul sitting on a log under a full moon constitutes some sort of lewdness. Next time, I'll be sure to have a big pair of bouncing boobies on my cover that way MySpace will be sure to NOT DELETE THAT photo...naturally, I sent them a scathing "You suck" email back and pointed out the strippers, porn stars, and all around cheap sluts that have everything but their nipple [and some nippluar action has been spotted in the past as well] posted....who knows. Whatever.

MySpace is Teh Suck anyway.

But, hey...I got the street cred now. I'm notorious. The book cover BANNED by friggin MySpace...YOU KNOW I'M BAD...uh-huh...banned by nudie stripper paradise MySpace...go figure!

So go buy a copy of the book [ships in August] as now that it's completely scandalous...I'm sure they'll be selling like hotcakes...flyin' off the shelves the world over.

In other news...we got our appointment to be fingerprinted by Immigration finally!! YayYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!! I'm so excited! One more step in our journey to bring our baby home from South Korea!

Also, BIG NEWS coming about a novella of Christopher and mine that got accepted. More details on that soon.

So, that's my big scoop! Tomorrow I will be spending all day listing stuff on ebay for our fundraising efforts : kids clothes, nonfiction books mostly of horror, paranormal, haunting, history, and other miscellaneous items...I spent 3 days photographing and describing everything! Whew!

Big shout out to Randy Ray at Eerie Books in Wylie, TX too...last week was Steven E Wedel and Gabrielle Faust's Vampire vs Werewolf signing and Teh Hotness aka Christopher Fulbright and I stopped in to chat...Randy took all of the writers and the customers still in the store to eat at Texas Roadhouse and dropped a huge bag o'cash on the dinner. What an unexpected treat! BIG THANK YOU to Randy for his excellent AWESOMENESS...seriously, go check out his store. The ONLY ALL HORROR Bookstore in the state of TEXAS!

Today, Christopher and I spent the morning garage sale-ing. I was actually looking for baby stuff, gear, clothes, etc. You know normally when you pass a garage sale the place is loaded with baby stuff. Everything under the sun. BUT when you WANT to buy baby stuff, the whole baby stuff buying spree is a bust. It's just the general rule of the baby universe.

We did manage some good scores. One guy had closed a smoothie shop and I got a whole box of like 1000 condiment cups and lids [those little 1-2 oz ones] that I use for Chris's salad dressing in his lunch for $5. Awesome. I got a computer printer paper box full of nice doll & build a bear clothes to wash and use as chore prizes/payments for Kiddo#2. I got 2 dresses and a pair of jeans. One of the dress was new with tags for $2. Never pay retail!! I got a handful of clothes for the girl child and a couple of dresses for future Kiddo #3. 
Found a cute wood doll bed to be repainted for Kiddo #3's room. I found an entire baby nursery set in red/white check for $5. That really rocked because all of the nursery items I'm sewing are red and white. Awesome! And, got a few baby Fisher Price toys. Oh, and we got one of those thingys you roll your hose around inside, a rubbermaid box thing that goes outside...hose storage? lol. Chris found some awesome computer thingys, cords and drivers and man stuff.

Then we stopped off at Paperbacks Plus in Mesquite and used some of our store credit. I got 2 adoption books and Chris got some books off his Master List that lives in his wallet.

Overall, it was a good garage sale day.

No scrapbooking today because I'm waiting on the last of the photos to arrive in the mail. Totally done with up to the last week of May. I'm waiting on 6th grade graduation photos and then I'll be finished scrapbooking until NEXT summer. Yay! It's an arduous process that takes a good 3 weeks, and a big explosion of paper and gluesticks and scissors and scrap pile in the formal dining room...but it's good to get a full year's worth of photos scrapbooked until the next year.

As soon as that is all cleaned up, the next project on the list is painting the nursery. Sky blue with white clouds, and select re-created scenes from the Fairy Tale fabric I'm using for the quilts, etc etc. Then the nursery gets put together. I have to sew the curtains, etc.

So, for today, I'm piddling about doing housework while Chris edits his new book. I'm still on the writing hiatus. Once the nursery is completed, the writing will be back on track.

So, that's my big scoop. It was sunny and blue, but now is looking a bit like rain. Weird weather.

New Ebay auctions listed here.

New interview of me by Gabrielle Faust for the Austin Literary Examiner here.

Thank you to Gabrielle for the interview opportunity. :)

In writing news: Inferno: Tales of Hell and Horror is finished and sent to Joe at Dark Regions Press.  Robert Weinberg will be writing the foreword for the collection. I'm happy with the manuscript...here's hoping Joe is too!

In adoption news: We received word that our homestudy is finished and being sent on to our agency. We hope to be declared "Official" by the end of next week. We're now gearing up for the next big payment [hence the ebay auctions and more to come...Chris will be listing books, dvds and vhs soon] to the Immigrations services for our petition to adopt a foreign orphan.

In sewing news: finished several Bleuette or Bambino ensembles. Will get them up on ebay soonish.

In other news: Teh Hotness is finished with school for the semester. Yay! I get him for the whole summer! The kids are itching to be out of school too...they still have a few weeks however.

We purchased the boxed set of Full Moon Picture's SUBSPECIES series at Texas Frightmare Weekend a couple weekends past...and we had a full week of Subspecies! I LOVE this series. However, we're at odds with the director for his offing of Radu. The poor guy got the short end of the stick in every way imaginable. I mean...he was simply a product of his parents and environment...all he wanted was LOVE! I really think the director should bring him back in Subspecies V and get Michelle to fall in love with him.  Maybe his puddle of goo around his flaming body can grow him a new head...maybe a little younger looking...who knows what the shallow broad might need to make her see that Radu truly loves and adores her! Anyway....Radu would have had me at the awesome castle and the poufy black dresses and the jewels...but women these days! There's no pleasing them! Anyway, Ted! Contact me...I've got some great ideas for a spin-off Radu novel series!

I'm gearing up for my beginning of the summer, annual, scrapbooking/photo album marathon. I save all our photos from June to June and spend a couple of weeks doing the photo albums. I found it easier to do a marathon scrapbooking feat every year then hauling all the supplies out every so often throughout the year. And, it's fun to spend time with the year's photos!

This summer the plans are: photo albums, paint baby's room, sew baby's bedding/curtains, etc, sew a few dresses for the girl child, sew fundraising sachets and misc, sew quilts, and horror dresses projects...much sewing!

That's about it. Our anniversary is on Tuesday, May 19th, so we're going out to eat tonight to celebrate. Easier than doing it on Tuesday when we'd need a baby sitter. I feel like I've been in love with Teh Hotness all of my life...I fall in love with him all over again every day. God has blessed me so much with Christopher and his love. I can't imagine my life without him. I love you, bebe!

Short on time...will give in depth details of Texas Frightmare Weekend when get opportunity...until then, here's links to my Public Viewable Facebook albums

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=107372&id=635769041&l=f0f4da641f

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=107379&id=635769041&l=c2b0154970

We spent the day putting in the garden, planting wildflowers and zinnias, and planting two 7-8 feet Barlett Pear trees. In the garden I put in strawberries, Jalopenos, Roma tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, and am going to start cucumbers inside before transferring them. Both Chris and I are afraid our bodies are going to freeze up at any moment! lol...

Been busy editing/rewriting on Inferno:Tales of Hell and  Horror. Coming along nicely. I should make my June deadline with no troubles. Knock on wood. Then it's on to new stories to add to the deluxe edition of my 2006 Bram Stoker nominated collection, The Commandments. So glad, TC is getting another run.

Been busy washing and folding baby clothes to put away upstairs. On the adoption front we got WONDERFUL news. We have a committee date set for Thursday, April 23. That means the committee that decides on the baby/family matches will be meeting and deciding if the baby girl we've fallen in love with becomes "ours" or one of the other 2 families [that we know about, there might be more in the hat]. If we're matched, our baby girl would most likely be home in December or January. If we aren't matched, then she goes to another family and we return to square one waiting for the right baby girl. It's going to be a very very long week. Please send prayers and good thoughts our way that this is our baby girl. We've tried very hard to stay distant and not get attached, but we've fallen in love with her little face and it will be so hard to hear we didn't get the match.

Okay...so I'm off to eat some chocolate cake and watch a movie. Here's a great old recipe orginally given to my grandmother by a very elderly Seventh Day Adventist woman in Loma Linda, Ca. This has been a family favorite for 4 generations and is simple and hearty.

Heart Throb

1 pkg frozen or 1 can [14-16 oz] corn
1-2 lbs hamburger [or whatever you have, I've used as little as 1/2 lb before]
1 14-16 oz can tomato sauce
1 large chopped onion
1- 1 lb [16 oz] pkg egg noodes [can be used with elbow macaroni, but I prefer the egg noodles]
1 3/4 cup ketchup [Heinz is our preferred]

Boil water for noodles. In a large skillet, brown onion and hamburger. While hamburger/onion browns, boil noodles.Drain excess grease. Add corn, tomato sauce and ketchup. Stir well. Allow to simmer while finishing up noodles. Drain noodles and return to large pot. Add hamburger mixture to finished noodles and mix well.

I usually serve with 2 cans of french style green beans [mixed with dried minced onions and 1 tsp bacon grease, salt & pepper] and bread [home made is best!] and butter.

This is great because there's usually enough leftovers for another meal or lunches to go...it never lasts long though...everyone loves it!

Christopher Fulbright and I [Angeline Hawkes] will be attending ConDFW 8 as guests and panelists this year. We will be arriving in the afternoon tomorrow. This year we have a light schedule which is good because we're wiped out from various commitments. I will have Advanced Reading Copies of Symphony for the Forgotten available for purchase at my panels and signing and reading. I will be reading one of my new stories from the collection during my reading time.

Saturday

Both of us:
3 pm DFW HWA Afternoon Lunch-Dinner Thing

Christopher Fulbright:
Panel Room 2 (Manchester)
5 pm Fools! I will destroy you all! - Creating Believable Villains

Angeline Hawkes:
Panel Room 4 (Churchill)
5 pm WWDD - What Would Dracula Do? - Horror in Modern Times

Reading Room (Winston)
6 pm Reading from the soon to be released horror collection from Daverana Enterprises, Symphony for the Forgotten

SUNDAY

Angeline Hawkes:
1 pm Autographs

The convention is being held in Crowne Plaza Suites Hotel, Dallas-Park Central at 7800 ALPHA ROAD in DALLAS, TX 75240. For more info and ticket prices, etc visit the ConDFW VIII website at http://www.condfw.org

Hope to see you there!

I didn't realize it would be so impossible to find solid red switch plate and outlet covers...good grief! I had to go to 3 different online places in order to find everything I needed for my kitchen...and still didn't find a red phone jack cover...crazy!

Writing News: still pounding away at my Inferno: Tales of Hell and Horror [Dark Regions Press, Fall 2009] collection...I'm in the next to deepest level of hell right now...which speaking of, if I don't go get a coke soon, I'll actually be there...uhm, and some chocolate. lol.

Simian Press bit the dust. Twilight Temptations will not be coming out. That story has been submitted elsewhere now. Crapola. Christopher and I both had stories scheduled for publication in TT. Sad days for the publishing industry as a whole.

Symphony for the Forgotten [Daverana Enterprises] is coming out SOON. The company is restructuring after some staff shake-outs. Stay posted.

Shades of Blood and Shadow [Dark Regions Press] is still scheduled for Spring 2009. [Horror collection].

I'll have news of a new Fantasy/Western/Sword & Sorcery antho that I, Christopher, Robert Weinberg, Mark Finn, Charles Gramlich, and several other writers [I believe James Reasoner as well] have stories appearing in...soon. The anthology will feature a new Kabar of El Hazzar story...Woot! I just love writing in Kabar's world. He goes to ancient China in this tale. Stay tuned for info!

Sewing News:  Finished the 15 white pinafore/aprons for my Valentine Exchange project in the Bleudoor yahoo group. Now I need to sew the vintage mother of pearl buttons, and snaps, and my Made by Angie Fulbright labels into them. Whew! Due to mail out next Thursday!

Other News: Christopher and I made our first payment to get the ball rolling on adopting a baby from Korea. We're very excited. Right now we're leaning toward one baby girl in particular, but waiting to hear one more doctor evaluation on her.

The pirate ship bathroom is nearly finished. After that, I have our master bathroom to finish. It's going to be sort of a light terra cotta color and we have a Tuscany villa mural that goes around the garden tub....should be nice.

Okay...gotta go pay bills, do laundry, edit a manuscript [it's coming Jason :)] and work on the bathroom....writing later tonight!

Busy weekend.

I've told y'all that I've turned in the manuscript for Shades of Blood and Shadow to Dark Regions Press for a Spring 2009 release. I'm very busy writing on Inferno Tales of Hell and Horror now. This is also for Dark Regions Press for a Fall 2009 release. Along with this collection, DRP will be publishing a deluxe or lettered edition and a TPB edition of my out of print, 2006 Bram Stoker Award nominated collection, The Commandments. I've been working my butt off writing on Inferno...I'm a little over 1/4 of the way through. Write, write, write....

Turned in the final manuscript of a new Kabar of El Hazzar story to a super secret as yet to be titled anthology that also comes out this year. More info on that when I get it. Christopher aka Teh Hotness also has a story in the antho, along with Charles Gramlich, Robert Weinberg, Mark Finn, I believe James Reasoner....and many more!

I'm awaiting publication of 3 other anthologies that have horror stories of mine, and of course Symphony for the Forgotten -- horror collection from Daverana Enterprises.

Busy year so far and we're only 5 days in! Yay!

In Sewing news, I'm working on 18 Bleuette pinafores for a Valentine Exchange in the Bleudoor Bleuette yahoo group. So much fun. And of course I've been sewing my fingers off and have a pile of all new ensembles and accessories to list on ebay. I scored an excellent supply of wood and metal sleds for Bleuette in the after holiday sales, and can't wait to create some hats, jackets and scarves sets to go with the little sleds! Also scored some tiny Bleuette kitchen accessories to list with pinafore aprons. I've been a sewing-bot!

This weekend we were busy painting bathrooms. The downstairs 1/2 bath is going to be travel themed, and the upstairs kids bathroom is going to be the inside/and deck of a pirate ship. I'm so hyped about this bathroom! I'm going upstairs to work on it as soon as I'm finished here. I'll post photos when we're finished. I just finished ordering the jolly roger shower curtain and wastepaper basket. Part of the bathroom walls will be the inner ship, and 1 entire wall and the portion over the shower will be the sea view, complete with 3-D deck railing. The kids are sooo excited.

Okay, I'm off to do dishes, laundry, detail painting in bathroom, wallpaper border up in bottom, and finish writing a story. Weather is crappy out and cold!

Fearzone has Symphony for the Forgotten listed as an editor's pick for 2008. Go read the list! Woot!

There has been a delay and Symphony for the Forgotten won't be released until 2009. I have requested the work be removed from the Bram Stoker Recommended work List, the book will be eligible for Stoker consideration in 2009 now. Thank you to those who have recommended the collection. I really appreciate your support. To all those who have emailed asking where to find it or when it will be available...it's coming. I promise!

Meanwhile, work continues on my other collection due out Fall 2009 from Dark Regions Press. This one is not to be confused with Shades of Blood and Shadow, also coming out from Dark Regions Press in Spring 2009. SoBaS has been turned into the publisher and is being illustrated by Tom Moran. I'm VERY excited about these collections, stay tuned for more news with this publisher!

Sewing news: I've been sewing like a crazy person and hope to get the ensembles I've finished over the holidays listed on ebay soon. Right now there are a handful of items listed, and I've removed all of the Christmas/holiday ensembles. If you're a member of ForBleuette, the 3 remaining holiday ensembles have been marked down in my album there, otherwise they'll be held for holiday listing next year.

UGH! I have to go do sales taxes...ugh ugh ugh...fortunately, I'm a meticulous record keeper so the process is always uneventful, but tedious all the same. After that, we have to do the big whammy...Income taxes....[making the very 80s gag me hand to mouth gesture].

No big New Year's Eve/Day plans. Teh Hotness will probably be studying for his Biology test and I'll be writing...I told the kidlets they can attempt to stay up and watch the ball drop on TV if they so desire, but they have to do it in the family room because us old ones will be working downstairs. I'll be surprised if they make it past 9 pm. lol.

Okay...off to do taxes. Coffee...need coffee....

Some days odd things happen. On the way home from the school, the pick up truck in front of us had a big magnetic sign on the back that read: CRIME SCENE CLEAN UP BLOOD MURDER SUICIDE phone number xxxx.....as the girl child sang the 85th verse of On the Twelve Days of Christmas, I read the sign to the elder boy child. Wryly, the boy child remarked, "Well, I guess someone's got to do it."

I've decided that when I launch my MMA career, my name is going to be Angeline "The Skull Hammer" Hawkes....I can hear Bruce Buffer saying it now...and  I'm not going to be like Faber and shear my locks ala Samson style and lose my belt...not me. Christopher aka Teh Hotness and I are still reeling from the brutal beat down Faber took from Brown. Sheesh Louise! We were beginning to believe Faber would be the ruling champ for a very long time, when this sinewy wirey guy comes bounding out of his "corner" and starts banging...then boom, Faber throws an elbow, and in the process ran straight into Brown's glove...BOOM...Faber on the ground, and Brown beat the flippin' crap out of the guy boom boom boom and it was over....CRAZY!!!

We somehow managed to miss the smack down of Brian Stann....man, what's this world coming to? Who the hell beats the Marines? Not a good thing. Here we were all excited about Stann winning and then before he even got to hold the title for very long, he gets stomped. Maaaannnn [said with a Texas accent that adds like 5 syllables].

And while I'm whining, what's with the UFC girls? I swear they robbed an elementary school somewhere.

Now if someone will take down The Spider Anderson I'd be a happy camper. He's whipped up on too many of my favorites. I want to see him go down. This December 27th ticket is going to be CRAZY WICKED....have you checked out the names on the ticket? Rampage, Mir, Minotauro, Forrest, Silva, Sugar Rashad, Kongo....they got that nancy-boy CB Dolloway fighting...I don't recognize the dude he's fighting with, but you can bet your boots, I'll be rootin' for this Massenzio guy. Can't STAND that Dolloway dude. And I'm rootin for Forrest...Sugar's an amazing fighter [has a bit too much rage] but he took down my man, Liddell...that's a big BAD in my fighting book. Don't mess with the Iceman, man!

Anyway, so it looks like Chris Teh Hotness Fulbright and I will be heading on over to our local Buffalo Wildwings [which sucks by the way] to watch UFC 92...man...too many GREAT fights all in one night to miss!!

Okay...off to quiz the boy child on Olde English spelling words. He is his class representative in the school spelling bee this year.
Tonight: More writing.

*Still waiting on word of linkage for purchasing of Symphony for the Forgotten...the book's a bit delayed, but hold tight, it's coming!!!

*Tomorrow we're putting the tree up, apple cider, Christmas tunes on, the whole 9 yds...yay! I'm also baking pies!

*It'll just be me and Chris for Thanksgiving. Kids are going to their Grandma's, all our guests were ill or had prior engagements. It'll be a quiet holiday. We rented movies, and got a smaller turkey.

*Still can't tell the super secret awesome book news...but here's a hint: It involves 4 books from 1 publisher.

*Gotta start addressing Holiday cards...got the family newsletters printed off, just waiting on the family photo copies for insertion. Unless snapfish hurries up, I might miss my self-imposed annual card mailing date of December 1.

*Tomatoes are just about ready to turn red on the vines...warm snap....Hold out! No jack frost yet! Composting has been working well. I can already tell a difference in the soil quality. Plan to continue throughout the winter and into the Spring when I'll be planting. We never got the temporary greenhouse up. lol. Sigh.

*Have to wrap gifts tomorrow so can put them under the tree. Yay!

*Writing night...my magic time machine is in 1849...Hangtown, California! Yeehaw!

*That's the scoop. Chili is nearly done cookin' and table is set. Need to go rustle up the munchkins and have them wash up. My Hotness called and is on his way home! Yay!

*5 days of NO SCHOOL which means NO DRIVING!!! I'm as happy as a bug in a rug!

Went to dr today. Good news: hip sockets not as bad as first thought. Arthritis is there of course. Cortizone shot in hip. Bad news: x-ray series revealed a lower curvature of the spine where I never had one before [my 63 degree curvature was in the upper back. Stainless steel rods go to mid-spine with fusion stopping above last 2 vertebrae]....so of course, surgery was discussed. Old drugs refilled, new drugs prescribed, new drugs to play with to see if will have prescription....X-rays were mostly hell. Basically, conclusion is the warranty is running out and things are falling apart as predicted...from here on out, there will be more drugs, surgeries, and, oh, yeah, more drugs. I'm in agony right now...will have to try to do my chapter tomorrow. Scheduled writing tonight is not going to happen.

Other bad news for the day: my youngest brother, the prison guard [also in Texas Guard--the one deployed during the hurricanes], got in a fight with an inmate and said brother's foot got broke. Ended up in surgery with 9 pins and a metal plate. Texting fury erupted between mother [in Indiana] and other brother [at hospital] and I think sister-in-law [with mother]. News was delivered in rapid text style. In true cop's sister mode, I texted back that I hoped after they dragged my brother out of the foray, that the rest of the guards rushed in and delivered a beat down on the inmate in true Texas style. Yee Haw! Anyway, prayers requested for brother.

Good news: Christopher's illness turned out to be severe allergies...if that is good news. He got a shot and a new prescription too...see, it was a family affair!

Sean Sullivan if you're reading this, I have NOT forgotten about your books! The box is on on my table packed and ready to give to my mail lady tomorrow. Sorry about the delay. I REALLY meant to mail it out Monday morning, but, well, you understand about the back and the pain and all that. It's COMING! Don't worry :) Smiles.

Okay...in other news, I found some awesome free Kimono patterns online that I think I have sized perfectly to fit my new Momo doll that I've had on lay away with Sue Wing, master doll maker...I mailed my last payment yesterday, YAY! Momo is Bleuette's Japanese friend. I've been stockpiling small pieces of kimono fabrics, asian prints, asian dyed fabrics, and satins to use in Momo's kimonos. Can't wait to have her here to perfect the patterns.

That's it for the big Day O'Doctor. I'm off for some tea and to read in bed on my heating pad like the 90-year-old-woman I feel like!

We went to the Star Wars Expo yesterday  where I scored some awesome Barbies for myself and the girl child. Christopher has been sick all weekend, so we didn't stay long, but caught up with friend Jim Jacob [the other half of Charlee Jacob]. We came home and I made some chicken vegetable soup, and we watched Nobody Loves Alice --which was absolutely awesome!

Then we watched The Orphanage...another awesome movie[that we are still discussing today...a couple plot holes that have nagged at us, but there were no deleted scenes on the DVD so we don't know if the holes ended up on the cutting room floor or if they were inherent to the script], and then made a late night run to the store to get cold medicine.

Today we slept in. Poor Chris is reading on the couch in between bouts of coughing. I made a pear & apple pie, churned the new scraps into the compost in the garden, and tidied up.

My hip has been killing me, as well as lower back, so not staying on "the puter" long. Have some sewing to do. Tomorrow is grocery store and kid school activity day, plus Chris is going to doctor....so full day.

2 tomatoes look like they're going red soon...there are about 20 others in various stages of green. Yay! Didn't have to cover the garden last night as it didn't get too cold, and it's 86 out there today [and sunny]...I've been keeping tabs on the lows for each night and covering the tomatoes,peppers, and cucumbers when it gets too cold. The carrots are out now, so been composting in that spot too.

New plan is to build a compost box as well as the temporary greenhouse. We shall see if that happens!

The last Baby Satyr is closing on ebay today...I probably won't make any more for at least a year. It was a summer whim sort of thing. They were fun to make, and it was fun being artistic in a different way, but man, were they time consuming! I have one more alien baby too, but I need to take new photos as this one has different hands than the others did.

Finally dressed Scootles [aka Snoodles] and she is now in Christopher's Man Room closet. I'm still trying to find shoes that fit her...it's turned into a bit of a Cinderella-Glass-Slipper game as her foot is oddly shaped. It would really be cool to find some original shoes on ebay, but so far no such luck. In the meantime, the girl child's Chore Prize Box is filling up with assorted doll shoes in the wrong size for Scootles, lol. [Chore Prize Box definition: In lieu of money, that my kiddos get plenty of from various relatives and their dad, I have a box for each child containing dollar store items, comic booksmagazines/books of interests to them we get at half price and conventions, etc, doll items, barbie items, handmade doll dresses that don't turn out "perfect enough for ebay", etc etc...each chore = 1 prize box prize. I have a separate stash of "nicer" items that I pick up at after christmas/holiday sales, online clearance sales, garage sales, consignment/thrift/resell shops, conventions, etc that are worth 5 chores. They have the choice to be instantly paid for their chore, or save up 5 chores. So far, I've found this box system works better than the money system...though they DO have the option of trading a "pick" from the box for a Quarter, or 4 chores = $1....they rarely take that option].

Okay...I've got 4 Roses in December Round Robin [from my BleuDoor Bleuette group] ensembles, plus 1 for me and 1 to sell to work on so I better go sew...nearly finished, but the hand-beading on the dresses takes a little more time.

And, the pie is cooling...Chris is trying to stay awake for pie!

Just a reminder: Christopher and I [Angeline Hawkes] will be at Texas A&M University -Commerce this Saturday, November 1, from 11 am til about 2 ish signing books on the West Lawn with the Book Signing and Art Show as part of the annual Homecoming Events. We'd love to see you there!