Journalist Ethan Nahte wrote an awesome article for the Dallas Examiner about my upcoming signing this weekend, July 4, Saturday, 12 pm to 6 pm at Eerie Books & Collectibles in downtown Wylie, Texas.

Thank you Ethan!

I hope to see my faithful minions and potential new minions this weekend...there is always room on the Ghoul Squad for new recruits!

I'm using the Wilmington Tidings & Tales Fairy tale fabric for the focal point. Here's the fabric quilt panel and coordinating fabric:



We have to build a wall and closet yet, but here are the 2 walls I've finished. Beanstalks surround the window. The Rapunzel I modified to make her an Asian Rapunzel gazing into a moonlit night.



And a poorly lit shot at the 2 walls:



The sewing frenzy will commence as soon as the wall is built and all walls are painted. To be sewn are: window valance, diaper stacker, 2 quilts, sheets, wall hanging, dust ruffle, doll crib bedding, [possibly bumper pads], chair pads, closet door curtain, other quilts that don't match the fabric...

In good news, we found out that we've actually BEEN on the referral call list since April. Apparently, when we went to committee and weren't matched with the baby we requested, we were automatically added to the call list. We're still waiting for our paperwork to come in the mail and we'll file our 1600-A form with immigration as soon as we get it.

In the meantime, I'm staying busy with the nursery and the kiddos. My writing hiatus lasts until August...then it'll be back to the novels. Here's the scoop on upcoming book releases:



August 2009: Shades of Blood and Shadow [hor collection] from Dark Regions Press



TBA 2009: Terrible Beauty, Fearful Symmetry [ hor anthology, my story: "Skin Deep"] from Dark Hart Press
Winter Pre-order 2009/10: Inferno: Tales of Hell and Horror [themed 60k word collection] from Dark Regions Press
TBA 2010 Reprinting of The Commandments from Dark Regions Press
June 2010: As of yet Unnamed Robert E Howard/Project Pride Benefit anthology [Howardian genres -- my story -- "Two Dragons Blazing: A Tale of the Barbarian Kabar of El Hazzar"]
2011: [100+k word heroic/barbarian fantasy collection] Out of the Garden and Other Tales of the Barbarian Kabar of El Hazzar from Bad Moon Books

That's my scoop for now!

Updates of a sort...I'm on a writing hiatus...that's not to say the inner workings of the publishing industry aren't still turning in my brief absence, lol...turned in the manuscript for Inferno, so edits will be back on that sometime this summer. Decision is still out on whether or not there will be new stories in the reprinting of The Commandments. I will, of course, write whatever Dark Regions wants. I'm easy like that. You ask, I write. It's an easy job description, lol. Shades of Blood and Shadow is posted on the Dark Regions site, but not order-able yet from the looks of the page.



I imagine that will be posted sooner than later. I have a Fourth of July book signing at Eerie Books and Collectibles in Wylie, Texas set for noon to close [ 6 pm]. Randy [the owner] has stocked copies of Symphony for the Forgotten, and anthologies - Beneath the Surface and Frontier Cthulhu. Should be a busy signing as all sorts of activities will be going on down on the Wylie square. Come in and see me!

So, new projects. As soon as the scrapbooks are finished [photo albums] and the nursery is painted, and sewn for, I'll be back to the grindstone. I really needed a hiatus. I've been writing non-stop since August of 2008. Almost every night. My brain needs a break. When the nursery is finished, I'll rest easier. I'm an avid nester. The nursery MUST be completed. For Kiddo #1 his nursery was finished 4 yrs before he was born...the cat was confused, she thought it was her room. lol.

So....Bad Moon Books has my entire Kabar series coming out in an awesome collection: Out of the Garden and Other Tales of the Barbarian Kabar of El Hazzar in 2011... Inferno: Tales of Hell and Horror will more than likely come out in 2010...so I'm covered. I have handful of anthology stories coming out as well in the meantime, and as soon as the hiatus is over, I'm sure I'll have a plethora of other story announcements. It's all silently churning....

In sewing: except for a few Bambino/Bleuette ensembles that I'm sewing while I wait in the soccer mom line at the school, the only other thing I've worked on is the first baby quilt for the nursery. Photos when finished of course.

Photo albums: .I'm up to mid-May in the photo albums now...I predict another week until finished. Then it's on to the nursery painting/mural...then the sewing...

AND I already have 3 tomatoes in the garden and 1 almost ripe jalopeno! Go garden go! The pear trees are doing fabulous as well! We had a minor front tree incident involving Teh Hotness and weed killer, but I think it will hang in there. He's been very diligent about rescuing it. He's rather the green thumb...this was a freak accident!

Adoption news:  We're waiting on copies of our home study from our social worker so we can send in our immigration form and start processing the petition to adopt a foreign orphan. Lots of waiting. I get sad from time to time. I check the baby webpage every morning when I log onto the net...always hoping to find "our baby girl"...we're on the direct call list now...so really, any time we could get a call. This is a lot more difficult than waiting while pregnant. At least then you have a focal point...this is nerve-racking. The not knowing. Once we get a referral it will be easier. We'll have something to focus on and then will just have to wait to bring her home. For now, we just have to wait and hope and pray. We know there's a baby girl out there waiting or perhaps waiting to be born...but she's ours and we pray every night for her birth parents and for her.

That's the scoop for now...school's out tomorrow!! School's out for the summer...air guitar! Woot! Mom Taxi is on vacation!!!

Turned in the last story for SHADES OF BLOOD AND SHADOW, horror collection, coming Spring 2009 from Dark Regions Press.

Should have a url for purchase of SYMPHONY FOR THE FORGOTTEN, horror collection, coming from Daverana Enterprises any moment now! Priced at $6 and some change this will be a great stocking stuffer!! Contains NEW stories and a handful of reprints that are among my favorites.

Working on the super secret ALL NEW horror collection due out apprx Sept 2009....spent all weekend and up til last night  hammering out the table of contents, the intro, and most of the 24 story ideas. Back at work on that tonight.

Super secret novel with awesome prominent horror author also super secret, has been put on hold until the super secret collection is finished...

Are y'all feeling like you need to save your box tops and send off for the super secret decoder ring yet? lol...

Teh Hotness aka Christopher Fulbright has the fantasy/s&s novel we're working on in his pile, then it'll be back to me, hopefully after the holidays, and it will have to wait for the super secret collection to be wrapped up too.

On a non-writing note:

All of our Holiday shopping is finished, finito, and wrapped and under the tree. All of the decorations are up and cards sent. The kids vacations schedule has been established...and we have a turkey [on sale for 30 cents a lb] in the fridge for Christmas...

Yeah, it's a busy life...but you gotta love it!

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!

Yesterday I made fried chicken for dinner. After dishes and all were finished, I went outside to tend my garden. The house windows were open. I could smell chicken wafting on the breeze. I had a flashback of being a kid, running across a field of grass, cornfield swaying behind me, running home in the twilight and smelling my mom's fried chicken on the wind.

Tonight the kids' are actually excited about leftovers. Kiddo#2 said: "I need a t-shirt that says I heart and then there can be a dead chicken on it."

Ah, that's my girl. I heart dead chicken.

Samantha and Nellie, long time American Girl dolls, are being retired after Christmas this year. Thank god I bought all the Samantha and Nellie clothes and items on ebay over the summer before this news hit the airwaves....look out for price gouging! There will be a run on ebay and AG stores nationwide. The ex ran to the AG store near his work and got the Nellie doll he promised the girl child [well, Santa is supposed to be bringing it you know]. So, all is right in the world for Christmas preparations for Kiddo#2.

Kiddo#1, god bless him, has hit that age where he's not quite a child, but he's not quite a teenager yet...so "What do you want for Christmas" becomes a list of PS2, PS3, Wii and computer games....he asked for a new computer package. Which makes it easy for shopping but not so much fun for the unwrapping. But, he's not a child anymore...Mama must let him grow up.

It's Janrae Frank's birthday. Happy Birthday to one helluva fighter! She never lets life knock her down. She's one of those people that keep on truckin no matter what. I aspire to be like her.

Chapter 4 on the novel is finished. Chapter 5 is under creation.

A storm is blowing in. I'm worried my tomaters that we FINALLY are going to have [I think the heat was too much during the summer...the plants are really full of tomatoes now!] are going to blow off the vines. I can hear the wind whipping up. My hip hurts so bad, I can't stand on it for more than a few minutes. I didn't take any tylenol or pain meds today because I'm afraid that at any moment my liver is just going to announce that it's terminating its contract with me and isn't going to work anymore. Sometimes I get paranoid.

So, rain rain go away. Cold front blowing in too...looks like fall is finally coming. Dante had the right idea. Hell will be cold. Ice-friggin-cold. If it were toasty and hot, that would be a GOOD thing....but cold....not so much. Cold hurts.

The Star Wars Expo is this weekend. Cool. We're going. Chris can't wait to stand in line and get Bruce Campbell's autograph on his poster.

I looked at my list: I've got 1 collection coming out any day now. I've got stories coming out in 5 anthologies soon....that's a good thing. I've got a handful of stories, a novella [w/Christopher] and a novel-length barbarian collection in the slush piles. I've got 3 novels circulating. And I've got 7 novels [1 going now] on the list...all but 1 outlined, most with at least 1 chapter written....I'll be staying busy.

Well, that is all. I must go warm up the dead chicken.

Ha! Now everyone will have that evil song stuck in their heads! lol...

Thank you to everyone who commented on my depressive journal entry yesterday. Today is much improved.

Chapter 4 begins tonight on the horror novel...yay!

Many Bleuette ensembles and some other assorted stuff listed on ebay: in the continuing Buy the Boy Child A Computer For Christmas Campaign. This is the last of the house clean-out stuff with the exception of books and DVDs/VHS that we're still going through...and of course the doll stuff which goes up year round.

Been re-editing 3 other novels to send out to agents/publishers again. Took a break while I was writing the other Fantasy novel[collaboration with Christopher Fulbright]...now writing new horror novel [also a collaboration but not with Christopher]...need to send out some queries checking on "stuff" that's been out for a while now.

Last night I sewed Scootles aka Snoodles [my Christmas doll that I'm allowed to repair and dress, then must go into Chris's closet til Christmas] combination undergarments in a flocked white dotted pink voile...so cute! Also got a few minutes of sewing in on another Christmas Bleuette ensemble, while waiting for the kiddos at school.

TOMORROW:

I'll be signing books at the grand opening of Eerie Books in Wylie, Texas [205 N. Ballard Street ]  this Saturday, October 18th, from 2 -4 pm. Eerie Books has the distinction of being the only ALL HORROR bookstore in Texas. I will have proofs of my new collection SYMPHONY FOR THE FORGOTTEN which is due out SOON.

The Wylie square has several wonderful cafes and restaurants, as well as an awesome coffee house/antique store...so come on out for lunch and then pop by the bookstore and say hello!

Eerie Books celebrates its grand opening on Saturday, October 18, 2008 by giving away free horror movies and free horror books to the first 100 visitors to the store that day. In addition to horror books, Eerie Books also carries horror movies on DVD (both new and used) and other horror collectibles, like comic books, games, and artwork.

Okay, off to make Halloween ghost cookies for the kidlets...

My FenCon schedule [October 3-5th] Crowne Plaza North Dallas - Addison, Texas Friday  5:00 PM  Oak Ballroom What’s Your Post-Apocalyptic Skill? (M) Description: "The only help you get is what you get right here." Panelists and audience discuss what skills they might have for rebuilding society.

Friday  9:00 PM  Trinity 6 Going all the way - sex in SF Description: How much sex is too much sex in SF, fantasy and horror? How do we keep it real and believable? Are shows such as "Battlestar Galactica" going to far with it, or is it a necessary part of the story?

Saturday  12:00 noon  Trinity 3 Whose Pantheon is it Anyway? Description: What gods, demi-gods and dieties make good fodder for SF/F? lets talk about how this should be done correctly, when it shouldn't be done, and what source material to consider.

Saturday  3:00 PM  Gallery Autographs

Sunday  11:00 AM  Pecan Room Reading

Sunday  1:00 PM  Addison Lecture Hall Real World Influence on Fictional Worlds Description: Honor Harrington is Admiral Nelson. "Firefly"s civil war is modeled on the American civil war. How do writers use real world history and current events to shape their fictional reality?

 

The Connection Magazine which showcases events, businesses and people in the Wylie, Murphy, and Sachse Texas area has a wonderful article about Christopher and myself smack dab in the middle of it [awesome, the magazine opens right to the article!] as a Halloween feature! Download a copy for free here.

I will also be a featured guest on the Ken Hudnall Show, a radio broadcast out of El Paso, Texas in the near future. More info on that when I get the air date etc.

Writing, continues. Sewing, continues. Bzzz Bzzz Bzzz goes the worker bee...

Quote for the day:

"Some men see things the way they are and ask 'Why?'  I dream things that never were, and ask 'Why not?'"
-George Bernard Shaw

Got word from the publisher that SYMPHONY FOR THE FORGOTTEN is sooooonnnn to be released. Yay. Got the info up on our MySpace page, and it's posted over at HWA now. I'll wait til closer to the release date to do a net sweep, lol. I'm also thinking up some sort of Give Away...can't have a book come out without some sort of fun contest! Some sort of book package maybe. I also have an awesome mini coffin to give away!

Auctions closing soon. So far I've been using the auction money to pay for Christmas gifts. Would be awesome if I could pay for Christmas entirely out of "recycled" money. If you or anyone you know wears a 4 to a 6, I've listed like my whole closet...because, unfortunately, 40 happens. Also still lots of little girl clothes listed. And doll stuff! Don't you need a demon baby for Halloween? Oh, you know you do!!

The sewing of new fall/winter dresses for Kiddo#2 progresses. Had a rough couple of weeks, so slower than anticipated, but it's coming along. Also work on the fantasy novel. I've got 3 chapters to go. Woot!

Okay...I'm off to do laundry and such.

Writing news:
I'm about 20k away from finishing my part of Christopher and my fantasy novel. The next up is a horror novel co-written with a different collaborator. The outline is basically finished for it, the title is being chewed upon. As soon as I finish the fantasy novel, I have some research to delve into then will start the horror.

Symphony for the Forgotten is closer to it's big release date! Here's what others are saying about the collection of 14 horror/cross genre stories:

Symphony for the Forgotten is a greatly entertaining foray into religious and spiritual horror, nicely balancing both sacred and profane in its quest for those universal truths we know are tinted in shades of dark. In this rousing collection, Angeline Hawkes travels time and history to tell sometime ambiguous but always exhilarating tales of sinners and occasional redemption. -- W.D. Gagliani, Author of Wolf's Trap

An entertaining, sweeping set of tales that radiate Angeline's pulse in every story. Be they far away places & times, her grasp of what lurks in the heart is clear...and quite dark at times. Truly, a fine read. -- Steven L. Shrewsbury, author of Hawg and Godforsaken

In Symphony for the Forgotten, 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

From the biblical age to the cyber age, Angeline Hawkes is offering up a sometimes creepy, sometimes thoughtful, but always action-packed symphony that will not soon be forgotten. This is definitely a book you want on your shelf! -- Steven E. Wedel, author of Ulrik and Seven Days in Benevolence

Angeline Hawkes’ Symphony for the Forgotten conjures dark and dangerous experiences, satisfyingly horrorific stories seasoned with sly humor, historical epics slipstreaming into alternate realities mixed with tales modern as an internet killer, hellishly inspiring, fantastically inventive, a collection of dark fiction impossible to forget! -- C. Dean Andersson, Bram Stoker Finalist, author of I Am Dracula, Raw Pain Max, and the Bloodsong Saga

Symphony for the Forgotten is one of those rare collections where every story is unique, and every story works. Angeline Hawkes' 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

A wonderful collection. Most interesting are the unusual combinations of genres and story devices, such as historical literature combined with comedic splatter, the battle against Satan waged as a military operation, and a gore-drenched version of the David & Goliath tale. There's humor, sorrow, magic, and even a one-eyed Chihuahua. Very highly recommended. --Jeff Strand, author of Pressure and The Sinister Mr. Corpse

From a modern chatroom dangerous liaison with a snakewoman to a ghastly scene of bewitched decay in revolutionary France; from a Civil War run-in with a hellhound to a retelling of the biblical David and Goliath story with a zombie chaser, in Symphony for the Forgotten, Angeline Hawkes takes her readers on a tour of commingled history and horror, usually wrapped in one neatly coiffed, if bloody package. Time travelers beware! -- John Everson, Bram Stoker Award winning author of Needles & Sins and Covenant

In other writing news, I have submitted a novel-length collection with awesome cover art by Stacy Crum [Cemetery Dance, etc]entitled, Out of the Garden and Other Tales of the Barbarian Kabar of El Hazzar to a publisher.

I've taken a break from short stories while I finish the novels I have lined up.

Sewing News:
Working on jumpers/pinafores and dresses, and some rumba jeans for Kiddo#2. Her birthday is coming up on September 2 too, so have finished buying her bday gifts. Now I'm working on her Christmas. She's made it so much easier now! She wanted the Felicity American Girl stuff for birthday, and the Samantha American Girl stuff for Christmas! Ebay is a godsend!

Other Stuff:
Not feeling good today. Lots of pain. We've had a storm system or two hanging over us for an entire week now and sometimes the pain seems unbearable. I muddle through as best as I can. Keeping busy helps. Once in a while, being busy gets undermined by excruciating pain and I'm forced to lay down and read or hand sew. Always seems to strike when I have a lot to get finished elsewhere that doesn't involve lying flat. Grumble, grumble.

School starts on Monday. Christopher and the kiddos will be heading back to the grindstone. My taxi service will be pressed into service once again. This year it's 2nd grade and 6th grade. Kiddo #1's last year in elementary school. Where does time go?

Well, time to fix lunch and auctions are closing on ebay...if you have a girl child sizes 4 through 7...there are a TON of awesome clothes lots closing within the hour.

Angie's Easy Salsa

1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 can diced tomatoes
1 TBS chopped fresh Cilantro [y'all above the mason dixon might call this Chinese Parsley]
1 TBS sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp red pepper
1/4 tsp Cayene pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
2-3 TBS chopped jalopenos [I use fresh that I've pickled in vinegar & salt, but you can use jarred or canned]
2-3 cloves chopped fresh garlic [can be frozen or thawed]
1 squirt lime juice [optional]
1 qt Mason jar or other recycled jar [glass keeps the strong odor out of your fridge]
* optional - 1/4 cup chopped green pepper

Drain both cans of tomatoes. Add the tomatoes w/green chilies to the jar. Add all chopped products and spices. Add the other can of diced tomatoes. Screw on lid. Shake until well blended. Chill for at least 2 hours. Keeps up to 2 wks in fridge [maybe longer but in our house it only lasts tops 4-5 days til it's all eaten] The salsa's hotness will get stronger the longer it is in the jar/refrigerated.

Writing News:
30k from finishing fantasy novel. Next up: horror novel.

Sewing News:
Finished another Bleuette ensemble and need to list on ebay. Will be listing another Alien baby doll as the other one got himself adopted. Yay. Currently the red demon baby in the vintage black velvet christening gown has been bid on and will be going to his/her new home in a few days! Currently working on beautiful and darling pink felt, embroidered baby booties [for real or loved like they're real babies]. Will be sewing for Kiddo#2 shortly. Have fabric, buttons, patterns, etc. Most auctions closing in next 24 hrs, go here to bid:

Doll News: I'm so excited. I have a new Bambino who is going to be a Bambina for me [Bleuette's little sister] doll coming home to me soon. She's been on layaway. I also have on layaway a Daisyette [the American version of Bleuette] and a reproduction of an antique Japanese doll. Yay! Also, I won an AMAZING auction on ebay this past week. A Patsy doll [circa 1930s] and her travel trunk and matching smaller trunk! Got an amazing deal on it. Nearly was outbid in the last seconds of the auction, but I managed to snipe it back and my computer didn't freeze up as it normally does when I don't want it to! lol. So, sewing up a storm! Expecting some repro patterns for the Patsy doll so I can sew for her too!

Summer News: The last weeks of summer are winding down. It was 108 here yesterday. School clothes are in the final stages of being purchased. We have new backpacks and shoes and clothes and excitement is building. Class rosters get posted in 2 wks. The kids are already talking about who they might or might not get for a teacher. Christopher heads back to class the same time the kiddos do. Kiddo#2's birthday [Sept 2] gifts have been purchased. She waived the party in favor of more gifts. She wanted the Elizabeth and Felicity American Girl dolls and many ensembles. We've divided the list among the family. She won't be disappointed!

I'm nearly finished with the year's worth of photos in my scrapbooking album.  Whew. Still easier to haul all the stuff and all the photos out every summer and live with the mess for 2 wks then it is to break out the stuff every few months.

Because everyone else is doing it:
First, the rules:

1. You must answer yes or no.
2. You may not explain unless someone asks you to.

Have you ever....

Taken a picture naked? Yes
Made money illegally? No
Had a one-night stand? No
Been in a fistfight? Yes
Slept with your best friend? Yes
Had sex in a public place? Yes
Ditched work to have sex? Yes
Slept with a member of the same sex? No
Seen someone die? No
Run from the police? No
Woke up somewhere and not remember how you got there? Yes
Worn your partner's unmentionables? No
Fallen asleep at work? Yes
Used toys in the bedroom? Yes
Run a red light? Yes
Been fired? No
Been in a car accident? Yes
Pole danced or done a striptease? Yes
Loved someone you shouldn't? No
Sung karaoke? No
Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? Yes
Laughed so hard you peed your pants? Yes
Caught someone having sex? Yes
Kissed a perfect stranger? No
Shaved your partner? Yes
Given your private parts a nickname? Yes
Gone in public without underwear? Yes
Had sex on a rooftop? No
Played chicken? No
Mooned/flashed someone? Yes
Slept naked? Yes
Blacked out from drinking? Yes
Felt like killing someone? Yes
Had sex more than 5 times in one day? Yes
Been with someone because they were in a band? No
Taken 10 shots of liquor in a day? No
Shot a gun? Yes
Gone outside naked? Yes

And that's all folks...lol.

Because I googled...it's sad when a writer has to google a book they have work in, in order to find out SOMETHING about it....but here ya go:

My story: “The Fantastical Acquisition of the Sword of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna”.

This story was so much fun to write. It's a little bit pulpish, a little seductive, a little horror-ish, all wrapped up in a sci-fi sort of package. I'm still waiting for someone to post the entire table of contents for the complete list of authors involved. The book is from Lethe Press, edited by Nick Mamatas and Jay Lake and is now available for pre-order. August 1 is the release date.

Awwww....I'm packing up little Baby Satyr right now to go home to his new daddy. His twin baby Satyr is sad, but happy his brother found a home! I still have others [including demons and aliens] if anyone is interested drop me an email. I'm not listing them again until mid-October, and then it will be whatever is left over from the various conventions and art shows they're all going to. But, they're still for sale [$35 plus $12 s/h].

Busy editing today. Out of the Garden and Other Tales of the Barbarian Kabar of El Hazzar is getting a last run through and I hope to send it off to the publisher on the top of my list today. Christopher and my novella, Black Mercy Falls, is getting the final edit from Christopher and it, too, goes off to the publisher, hopefully before we leave for Tulsa. I'm also finishing up our REHupa zine so that can get mailed tomorrow to Indy Cavalier. I have an introduction to write for Janrae Frank's new book, and my column for FearZone, and THEN I can get back to Ragnar....furiously trying to get Christopher and my fantasy novel wrapped up, as I have a horror novel collaboration that needs to get started. Busy worker bee.

Andy Martinez, I received your email through my web form on my website about Portals of Terror and Momento Mori. First, let me say, thank you for writing and I'm so glad you enjoyed Eric S Brown and my collection! Second, you didn't include your email, or my form cut it off, so if you'd like to write, hit that web form and send me your email. On Momento Mori
unfortunately, it's out of print, and only available as an e-book. It had been scheduled for reprinting, but the publisher went bye-bye. Thank you so much for your interest in it! If you do get the e-book, be sure to tell me what you think!

I haven't received word from the editors/publishers about Spicy Slipstream Stories, so I don't know if it came out at Readercon or not. I don't have a cover image yet. Will keep you posted with ordering info.

Here's my amended Conestoga convention schedule:

Sat 10:00 AM - Salon F              1.0   Panels            Oh, the horror
Sat 01:00 PM - Salon G              1.0   Writers Workshop Collaborating: The care and feeding of your partner
Sat 03:00 PM - Signing Table        1.0   Signings          Signing
Sat 07:00 PM - Regency              2.0   Special Events    New Release Reception

Auctions closing on the demon and satyr baby dolls. I won't be re-listing whatever is left after the auctions for awhile, as I'm going to be taking them to some conventions and art shows.
Bleuette ensembles closing as well. Still running the buy 2 ensembles get a cute 4 inch jointed doll for free offer. See photo of cute dolly below!




Novel progressing. We're submitting the novella this week, our REHupa zine, and I'm submitting my Kabar collection. Finished the first book in Janrae Frank's Lycan Blood series and it's AWESOME!

We spent our weekend shopping at thrift stores, using our 50% off coupons at all of the area Half Price Bookstores. We had a long lunch with Jim and Charlee Jacob, and then did some more book shopping. We had items at all of the stores that we had our eyes on for a while, so ran to use the 50% off coupons. I got an antique cardboard treasure chest w/20 little books, an awesome 1950s [London Eng publisher] fold around Doll house book ...awesome 50s detailing!, Chris got some cool deals, among them the entire Indiana Jones collection [w/out new one of course] in dvd format, among other things. Scored some nice clothes for Kiddo#1 and myself at the resale shops.

Busy weekend!

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Writing news: Novel progresses. Novella: my part will be finished tonight. New Kabar story: got turned in last week.

Symphony for the Forgotten all but 2 blurbs in. It's moving right along.

Events/Appearances: Myself and Christopher Fulbright will be guests in Tulsa, OK next weekend at Conestoga. I asked to be removed from the reading and added to the 10 am Sat Horror panel...I was removed from the Reading but no word yet on the Horror panel.

Here's my schedule:

Angeline Itinerary:

Sat 11 AM   Salon F               1.0    Panels, Interview        Religion in Fantasy & Horror

Sat 01 PM    Salon G              1.0    Writers Workshop      Collaborating: The care and feeding of your partner

Sat 03 PM    Signing Table    1.0     Signings                     Signing

Here's Christopher's:

Christopher Itinerary:

Sat 10 AM       Salon F       1.0   Panels, Interview Oh, the horror

Sat 11 AM       Chairman    1.0   Reading           Dark Fantasy

Sat 01 PM        Salon G   1.0  Writers Workshop Collaborating: The care & feeding of your partner

Sewing/Doll news: Finished 3 ensembles, soon to be 4. Will list next week. Bought a wholesale lot of matching doll shoes and pink socks, so soon will offer complete Bleuette ensembles at an affordable price!  Hit an awesome sale and got some grab bags of trim and ribbons/lace coming in the mail. Also found an awesome reproduction fabric website, and they also have awesome japanese imported fabric. Bought a few 1/2 yard pieces for Bleuette clothes. Most of the fabric has been accrued for the making of Kiddo#2's dresses/pinafores.

Other Stuff: Have most of the kiddos school clothes purchased and either in the mail coming here, or here. Woot. Backpacks and shoes also purchased. School supplies purchased through PTA pre-assembled packages in May. Lunch boxes have been deemed in new condition still and will be reused from last year. I bought 3 double/triple your money new Gymboree lots on ebay for Kiddo#2 and hit the Children's Place 50% off online sale...so woot! Great savings! The shoes were averaging about $4 a pair so I stocked up in the next 2 sizes for Kiddo#2. Nice to get it all done before the soccer mom's lose all shreds of sanity and converge on all shopping places in a mad frenzy. Not for me. Give me the computer, a website or two and the UPS and USPS deliveries!

That's about it! I'm off to do laundry, dishes, make some of my almost perfected rip-off of Starbucks Frappacino, and finish sewing an ensemble. I also promised a game of Spongebob Operation [it's like the buzzerific Operation we played as kids, only they wussed it all up and made it easy and less loud...I guess they determined jolting heart attacks caused by loud-ass vibrating metal wasn't good for kids].

And YAY! We've got 50% off 1/2 Price Bookstore coupons for Sunday so we shall be making runs on all of the 1/2 price bookstores in a 60 mile radius. Quake in our wake!

The introduction by Michael Largo for my collection has been turned in. I love it! I think he really captures the essence of the collection. Have a handful of promotional blurbs, waiting on the others to roll in.

On the sewing front, One of each of the monster baby dolls have been listed on ebay, and a ton of new DARLING Bleuette ensembles. I've kicked the Bleuette sewing into high gear to save for school clothes for the kiddos. I've been making little dresses with poodle fabric, and the dresses come complete with vintage poodle figurine [most are porcelain]...SO CUTE!

Yesterday was a productive day. I felt good and got 4 dozen molasses cookies baked, and 4 dozen Lemon sugar cookies baked. I also made Italian Vegetable Chicken soup and homemade bread. The garden is coming along nicely. We've had green beans, Cilantro and Jalopeno peppers so far, and 2 tomatoes are turning red! Yay!

I'm also busily working on a new Kabar of El Hazzar story for a hush hush anthology. This story takes him to China and involves Chinese mythology. It's been a lot of research, but very intriguing. [You can read the latest Kabar stories in Flashing Sword Magazine and the anthology: The Return of the Sword].

Work on the novel progresses. I've taken about a week break in order to write the new story, but will be back on the horse as soon as I get the new story written and typed up. I hand write my short stories, then type them up, then edit/rewrite on the computer. I don't know why that is, but I can't seem to break the habit. Novellas and Novels I do on the computer, but those short stories have to come out via pen and hand. That's just the way it works for me.

I'm very excited and can't wait for the debut of Spicy Slipstream Stories at Readercon this month. The anthology edited by Jay Lake and Nick Mamatas features some outstanding authors. The story I wrote for the anthology, "The Fantastical Aquisition of the Sword of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna", was one of the most challenging stories I have ever written as I had to figure out exactly WHAT the genre WAS before I could start writing. The story itself was SO much fun to write...like nothing I've ever written and was a rollercoaster of action and surprises. I hope the book does well. No cover image has been released to the authors yet, but I'll post it once I have it.

Okay...whew...I'm off to check the mail!

Doll auctions listed on ebay

For inquiring minds, can still be purchased direct, but the auctions have lower start bids.
Will try to get flesh-toned demon baby in white christening gown and other w/tummy plate and flannel gown listed soon.

Other than sewing on Bleuette ensembles, and working on novel, I'm also writing a new Kabar story for an antho I was invited to submit to...no title yet...started last night and it's going good...back to work for me...

Christopher and I hit a super awesome video store closing sale...we got 25 movies...made a dent in their untouched horror section...we originally had 42 dvds but made ourselves put a lot back. We got some we had on vhs, some we were looking for, some we hadn't seen but wanted to....awesome! So after our writing is finished...it's movie time...for the rest of the summer, lol!

Baby Satyr's auction for his adoption closes in 6 hours....he has 15 watches...he would love to come home with you!!