cornerofmadness

It was rather bright and most of the snow melted. My knee doesn't look worse but I did put the brace I'm supposed to wear on it. I hate wearing it all the time. Even though it's a good one it still slides down but I need it today.

I wanted to go to the coffee shop. no parking except across the street and up a block. No problem I can make it down (with my cane) and someone runs out of the smoothie joint next to the coffee shop, nearly plows me over because she's looking at her phone and jumps in her car in the handicapped spot in front of the shops and drives off (no handicapped tags). The coffee shop is packed and I have to sit on the stools in the window (hate them) and I watch three more assholes pull into the handicapped spot, leave their cars running because 'they're just running in and out' Ugh.

I did get a lot of writing done on my Woman of the west story. Only to find out that while it's a 5K max they say (what a lot of them do) the sweet spot is 2K. Then why give us 3K more. Honestly I don't particularly like stories that short. I'm not saying it's impossible to tell a good story in that few words but I am saying it is hard. One of the reasons I write short stories is to get better at writing in general. I do think it's helpful. I do hope that I can tell my story short enough. It'll be over 2K but maybe it won't be right up against the max. It pays pro rates of 10 cents so it's worth the effort.

I need to get off my butt and send in my wedding horror story tomorrow. I also want to send in my colonial horror story to to one that I've submitted to before. I don't remember it saying it wanted pre industrial age so either that's new for this anthology or I'm an idiot.

Also fandomtrumpshate has their browsing link up right here. I'm writing Hazbin Hotel. spikedluv is offering a few fandoms. Anyone else? If you want to help good causes, check the tags for your fandom and when bidding's open go for it.

and I'm in my kitchen making baby food. Oh sure the recipe says it's a sweet potato-banana casserole but I'm pretty sure that's a baby food flavor. Or maybe I have a pie filling....whatever it is it's actually pretty yummy. I also think my food processor is starting to die. It was very...slow to whip up squishy stuff. Also thank god I decided to make this the day ahead because apparently I bought rocks instead of sweet potatoes (no wonder these were like 25 cents/pound) recipe says 45 minutes roasting. I roasted them about 1 1/2 hours and then still had to microwave them...

I struggled getting the pumpkin-ginger-coconut milk soup balanced too. I don't usually use veggie stock but this time I did and everything was so tasteless. I did get it mostly balanced and the sour cream dollop helped at the end.

Today I went insane and went to the store the day before T-day...took me 10 minutes to even get on the highway from my driveway. But oddly almost no one was in Kroger or Wal-Mart, less than usual people (guess people didn't wait til the last minute) I ran out of onions you see and forgot dessert but then there was sweet potato pie for less money than me making it. Mine. Took the shit-ass poster frame back to Wal-Mart. And oh, the exact same size one that cost more at Michael's fit perfectly and now Ozzie and Fizz are suitable for hanging.

And in good news, squeal with me, I FINISHED the novel. That's right. Done! Except for the crying. And the editing. And the begging for beta readers. BBl with a tidbit.

AND I finished posting my Hazbin Hotel wipbigbang and I will say this, it worked as I wanted it to (posting it chapter by chapter vs all at once) Readers weren't overwhelmed and instead of running readers off, Hope Can Be a Cruel Gift is nearly 100 Kudos in a month so I am happy. If you were waiting for me to finish to read it, feel free (It is novel length)

What I Just Finished Reading:

She Hasn't Got a Clue - a mystery arc wow that ending was SO unrealistic.

The Lone Star Lonely Hearts Club - I was not impressed with this one


Paranormal Ranger by Stanley Milford a former Navajo Ranger who's crime fighting beat also including some straight up X-Files i liked this a lot

What I am Currently Reading:

Minstrels in the Galaxy (the SF anthology I'm in)

Devour - a graphic novel using west African folklore in an urban fantasy setting

Wormwood - Susan Albert Witting oddly set in KY instead of TX


What I Plan to Read Next: working thru a bunch of mystery paperbacks to get them out of here.

I sent in the Welsh Spiritual steampunk thing. I want to send in the other Welsh dark steampunk tomorrow. At least I'll have two stories out there running around. I still need to toss the other story toward its beta reader.

I employed my annoying habit of talking plots over with people, listening to their ideas and using none of them. I'm not sure why that gets my mind unstuck but it does. I have a plot for the cli fi story and I think I might put it under my name even though it's a polycule story. I'm on the fence (things with YA weren't as they were a decade ago after all).

My knee is being bitchy lately. It's like a branding iron against the skin. Me and the PT both think a nerve is either trying to wake up or die all the way. Either way I hope it does it fast, this is already old.

The closer I get to August the less I want to go back to work. They've piled so many classes on me I'm not sure how I'm expected to do this.

Mom found two different Godzilla marathons and we've been watching them for days now. She has a scary love for the big lizard but she doesn't remember me having a model with glow in the dark back scales. who knows where that went.

I edited four chapters of my novel These Haunted Hills and I want some help holding my feet to the fire. There is NO reason I can't submit this by the end of the summer. It's been done for months. I have no outside editor at the moment so I'm going it alone but I've not been doing it. I need to get moving because I think this is one of the best novels I've written as Jana and I want it to have a chance.

I'm also thinking of signing up for fandomgiftbox again this year. I miss fandom stocking and this is very similar. I did sign up for the Pson trash server exchange. Also summer_of_giles is running again but I'm taking another pass on it. I have too many irons in the fandom fire.


I forgot to mention the dream I had the night before last. My mother, brother and his wife dropped me off at this hotel because I had a job there and they were going to leave my car down the street for me. Well I was there to assassinate someone in one of the rooms. I managed that (with some difficulty) and as I try to get out of the hotel, I realize Mom never gave me the keys to my car. I'm tearing through my purse to find the keys or my phone. I escape out into the street and there are tons of food trucks around and a street carnival lit with purple lights. I'm trying to call them to come back for me but I don't want to put them in danger as the associates of the dude I just killed were after me. I woke up at that point so I don't know if I lived to be extracted.

Well, not tremendously happy this year. Maybe a Safe Ostara would be better.



There is good news (besides me managing to get my contacts and having enough insulin to last at least another week to give things a tiny bit of time to adjust) I proposed MY plan for MY classes to the Provost and Dean and they said YES!! Yay. I think this is more fair than one big pass fail test. I've put up all my notes on all my classes. Next I'll put up homework online and online tests. They can work at their own pace until the finals week. If they can't be online I'll make up paper packages they can come get and bring back. So far I've had a 90% response rate in the matter of hours (I spent the whole afternoon answering email) I have less than 6 who can't do this online at this point.

I'll be busy fixing this up but at least it's there.

I'm thinking of writing a horror, set here in the Hocking Hills but what. I know I don't want it to be ghosts/werewolves/vampires. I'm not even sure I want it to be supernatural (maybe). I don't want it to be evil hillbillies (overdone) and sure as shit not a virus. ANy thoughts? Anything you might like to see in a horror?

And here are finally my thoughts on this week's Prodigal Son ( spoilers )

I've been rolling it around in my head, that urban fantasy story that woke me at 2 AM earlier this week. I do want to write it (maybe not for nano this year but I think this is getting into my head)

I know the one character is an elf of some sort. So I'm trying to think about how to do this, what should he be?

I could simply make him Daoine Sidhe (the aos sí) which is just a generic term for the fey. It leaves the field wide open but it's hardly unique.

I ran across a certain Irish fey when writing a fandom_stocking story this past Christmas for evil_little_dog, the Gancanagh the love talker. Now there's not much written on this thing and while it's supposed to look like a little leprechaun, I can spin that any way I want. He's supposed to be a bit of sexual creature my character but I'm not sure this is the way I should go or not (maybe he's reformed a bit)

Or I can be very specific and make him Mabon mab Modron who is in the folklore but on the other than there isn't THAT much out there about him but he's prominent in Wales and I was aiming for Ireland.

Thoughts? I'd love some input.

Also I was watching the brand new Ghost Hunters and ran across this hotel in OH Landoll’s Mohican Castle. Gorgeous and haunted, about 3 hours from here unfortunately.

And I did want to boost the signal for startrekholidays (on DW). I know I have Star Trek fans here. I can't do this unfortunately but I told shopfront I'd wave this in front of my friends.

My brother and his wife are back. The cats survived. All is well. My cat is not happy with me but happy I am home. We'll be heading back to OH on monday.

I'm watching Miss Fisher's Mysteries right now. I would love to adopt her looks for that Steamtastic Beasts steampunk n ext year but you know what could not find ONE pattern at Joanne's. Then on AMazon found dozens of beautiful flapper dresses for like 40$. Here's the rub. I Know they'll be shit because I can't even buy the fabric for that. Two, if they don't fit sending them back would be a nightmare. I don't get how anyone prefers to shop this way, paying postage both ways and for what? Clothing I didn't keep. Sigh.

Buying the dresses from more reputable places are close to 100$ and for a dress I couldn't wear anywhere else. I'm still thinking of buying a straightlined dress and just appliqueing it or putting on fringe. I can deal with the hats and headbands. I already own two cloche hats. And man I wish Miss FIsher had more than 3 seasons.


And I came how to see an email to write my blurb. Gah yes, that again. You all know how much I love doing this (I almost wish I DID work for publishing houses that don't have the author do this). So expect to see that. I've got a publication date next May for Modified and Sacred (yeah that surprised me too)

I don't think my Saint Augustine Christmas story will fly. It's due in 10 days. Even if I can finish it, I have no prayer of getting it edited by then. Sigh.

I've finally gotten the snow I hoped for all year, a wet one that sticks and looks pretty. I might get some shots of it if you know I can figure out where my camera went to when I rearranged this place for the plumbers. Yeah I have some in my tablet and my phone but the phone one doesn't take good ones and my tablet is full of books. Oops.

Snow now, gonna be EIGHTY by Thursday. In Ohio. In February. But fuck you Mr. President, there's no such thing as global warming.


I was talking to evil_little_dog last night about Yuri!On Ice and that I was thinking of buying it based on a) my love of figure skating b) I know no one who didn't like it. But I haven't seen it other than a clip or two. I get off the phone and RightStuf! emails me that it's now out of print, the limited edition version that is. Well that's only fifteen dollars more and it has extras like cards and what not. It's the one I wanted (and yes sometimes RIghtStuf! is very expensive but the non-limited edition is the same price there as it is on Amazon and Amazon doesn't have the limited edition). I wanted to use one of the stupid gift cards mom gave me but nope, couldn't make the website take it. Ah well. I bought it with my own money and the gift card can go buy the groceries then.

Here's hoping I actually like it.

I've made progress on my Lost novella but it's going to come down to the line again. I just know it.

Trundled to Athens for the writers group meeting and the three of us were talking about one of my older novels (mostly because Katimac was editing thru chapter one which needs a shit ton of work apparently but not unsurprisingly). Part of the issue was I made a half assed attempt to update it.

So the conversation went like this, SHOULD I update it at all? THis is a novel that's about 16 years old or so. Much of it was conceived while I was still in Madison where it's set. So make that circa 1998-2000. It might work a lot better BEFORE every kid had a damn cellphone.

Think a YA novel that's 20 years retro would be of interest? It would certainly be easier.

I am wondering why people have to be so damn rude and bullying in social media these days. For example, on a GR group I belong to, there's a post about the passing of Ursula K LeGuin and someone was being enthusiastic about an illustrated book and used the common (but unfortunate) phrase to die for and literally the whole threat is 4 dozen people deriding this person and not saying a single word about LeGuin (and in another group on yet another LeGuin post come the people who have to tell everyone how much they hated her work. Oddly NO ONE is deriding them). So strange.

but this happened




I have lots more to say about this but it can wait until tomorrow. It's not done but I'm fairly happy about how it turned out. I do need first readers for it. I'm looking for more than my usual because this one deals with things I have no experience with (loss of child) but also I'm not sure if it's been layered in too heavily (the angst) or if it feels real. Josh is okay I think but I do want some eyes on Brendan to see if it's too much on the angst or if his arc feels real, etc.