Gosh, I never post here anymore, but since I made the decision to try to fit writing back into my schedule, here's as good a place.*

This morning, I sent off two of the last stories I wrote.  Scary stuff, starting over again.  

I also read over the beginning of the last novel I tried to write.  It's good, so I think I'm going to start working on it again. One thing, though: I came across a passage about a "black plastic contraption" with a strap that made a "loud, scratching noise" when pulled apart.  It also had a digital readout that reset to "0:00:00".  The character inspecting this thing had no idea what it was, and it's his POV, so he didn't know exactly what it was.  Turned out I didn't either.

I swear, it took me three hours to figure out that I was talking about a pedometer with a Velcro strap.

I think I need better notes.

Happy Easter, everyone!  And congrats to all of ya'll who've had sales.  Sorry I couldn't get by personally with the congrats. :)

*The art's still going well.  Still selling like crazy at the gallery, and I just got a consignment deal for LE prints at a very cool online boutique.  But I'm missing the writing too much now.

 Too mean? I think I'm more worried about the little legless boy than the dark stranger, although that's not going to stop me from taking them to the gallery today.

Does anyone know what you have to do to submit your illustrations to publishing houses?  Like, for consideration for illustrating books?  I know it used to be easier and different for children's books, but... I don't think my style jibes quite well with cutesy and safe.

 "Gratia Placenti" is on the preliminary ballot of the Stoker Awards, nominated for Superior Achievement in an Anthology.  Wahoo!  I'll be rooting for it, although it seems there's some big name competition there.

And in case I never posted it, my story, "Follow the Canary" is the second story in the book.  Been getting some really good reviews for it, which floors me.  Writing most of that was like pulling teeth, I was so out of practice.

From the Apex Digest LJ:

"So I'll make an open pitch to any active members of the HWA who would like a review copy (or pdf) of Gratia Placenti for award consideration to email me at  jason@apexdigest.com.  I'll be happy to send one along."

Go to it!  My favorite stories from the antho were David Niall Wilson's and Bev Vincent's.

***

In other good news, I am  no longer a Brace Face.  I am a Retainer Face.  Got the braces off on Tuesday. Getting the glue scraped off my teeth was one of the most hellish experiences of my life- I'm not 100% sure, but I might have rather gone through an hour or two of labor than that.

Anyway, my teeth looked supremely weird for the first few hours, like they didn't belong in my head, but then I got used to them.  They're very purty.  

The only downside is that my husband has gotten into teasing me, asking me to say things like, "chicken chow mein", and constantly making me repeat myself.  Oh, har, har, har.

 Six days late, but Happy New Year, everyone!  

May everyone have a better year than the last...

May all you writers get great reviews and mucho readers...

May my friggin' printer get replaced so I can get back to my artwork...

And may my daughters always sit still once in awhile so their mom can practice her Mad Pitcher-Takin' Skilz on 'em.

 We got OD Rock Band for Christmas, for Playstation 2.  Played a little yesterday- the guitar for "In Bloom".  I think I got 74% on my second go-round.  The biggest laughs of the day came when both girls played: OD on guitar and YD on drums.  YD kept playing the guitar part with the drums and died about a minute in.

I got a Polaroid!  I've never had a Polaroid before.  Instant pictures- fun, fun!

OD quit her job at a Game Stop on Friday.  They hadn't given her any work at all since the week before we left for vacation.  Strange, how they couldn't give her any hours, yet they hired on more part-timers for the holiday season, let go a few, and hired some more.  Strange, when she has more systems than anyone else who worked there and is very knowledgable, has a good work record, but admits to an "average" sales record (they have to push products).

I told her a couple of weeks ago that I thought it was because she is a girl.  Seriously.  I'm not the only one who thinks it, when I mentioned it to a few other people.  She was the only girl working there, and it's no secret to me that the gaming industry is heavily geared toward boys/men.  Of course, we couldn't prove a thing, and it may turn out to be something else, but a chain of stores shouldn't have the appearance of discriminating.  I have half a mind to write them and let them know that.  Not so she can get her job back- she quit willingly- but just so I can make a point.

I finally got paid for an art show.  Still waiting on payment for my sold stuff here in town.  I have two commissions that I need to get started on.  I had to shut down my shops until after the new year because my printer's paper sensor died, and there's a backorder on replacements.  Lovely HP.

I'm really at the point where I need to keep a big board on it, write down a daily schedule, and adhere to it.

Hope everyone had a lovely holiday!

 

I think out of everything I've tried to photograph, cats are the hardest.  I had an easier time getting pictures of the hawks and woodpeckers that were in the trees around our house.  Macro photography's the worst, and especially with our Ollie.  If he's not sniffing the camera he's fidgeting, or outright walking away.  To my amazement, I managed to get a terrific picture of him yesterday:



Isn't  he the cutest?  And his nose isn't dirty- those are "freckles".

 Hey, we've been back since Saturday night.  It was a pretty good trip to WDW.  Love the Christmas decorations and all that; not so sure I'm wild about the resort we stayed at (mo' money, mo' problems?)-- too friggin' busy, what with families clomping around constantly and housekeeping carts outside our room from 8-5.  None of the other places we've stayed at seemed that way.  And oh!  How lovely were the designated smoking areas. ;)  Actually, I met people from Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Virginia, so that was fun.

Actually, we did have a really good time.  I think next time I'll go in January or early February, when it's truly cooler.

Now I'm back, and trying to get paid for my artwork.  Definitely a different monster than writing.  Showing in galleries, at least the ones I'm in, seems to be, "I'll pay you when I get to it", which is very frustrating.  I shouldn't have to feel like I'm begging.  I should have a shitload of money for Christmas, and I'm broke.

I leave you with a lovely picture of Cinderella's Castle:

 Fuckin' allergies.  

They've been at their worst this year.  I can't even say how many times I've begun sneezing, felt the telltale swelling begin in the soft tissue at the back of my throat, and run for the loratadine.  Nothin' like livin' in a bowl.

One week!  One week, folks, and I'm sittin' in Polynesia.  Floridian Polynesia, but still.

This morning, I ran outside and watched a murder of crows chase a huge owl from tree to tree.  I KNEW we had an owl-- but this morning, I finally got to see him!  As big as two crows, grey, with beautiful white-ringed eyes.  Poor thing.  He was probably just looking for moles, but those crows are so damn territorial.

(hey, I got to write "murder of crows".  Cool.)

Nerves, nerves.  I just submitted to an artists' rep and gallery. IhopetheylikemeIhopetheylikeme...

It turned cold here last night, with lots of wind and rain, and the trees are dying in a splendid fashion.

Oh, just remembered I have to go proofread my story.

I leave you with a pretty picture.

Wow, what a bust.  I arrived at my gallery shift yesterday to find that the three pictures that sold the first night of the Day of the Dead show were the only ones to sell.  And there was only one customer during my entire shift.  She looked at everything and used the restroom. I remembered her; she was the flake who wanted to do a trade at an art show I was in over the summer.  I wrote her, never heard back.  Maybe she didn't like it that I didn't want any of her flower photographs, but one of Edinburgh at night.  Or maybe she'd been drunk (most likely) and didn't remember what the hell I was writing about.

Oh, well.  Anywya.  As I discussed with another artist who came to pick up his art, at least now we have more artwork for our walls.  Mine's already in the living room.  I dropped the new art off at A&I after my shift.  While I was signing in my stuff, a customer was nonchalantly talking about her modeling work, and jetting back and forth to New York.  I snuck a peek.  Hrm??  I kept my face neutral and went back to scribbling.  I may be frumpy, but I'm taller than she is.  Heh.

I learned how to splatter paint.  God, who knew it was so easy??  And FUN??? Of course, in all my fun, I splattered everything else on my desk... and my pants... and my shirt.  But I plan to splatter more in the future.  Wearing an apron.

I really need to get started on the pieces for my one-artist show.  With the rate in which I work, if I don't get started soon I won't have anything.  People would walk in and see blank walls.  Ooo-- I could call it Invisible Art!!  Wonder how much I could sell that for??

It's the new rage!!  Invisible Art!!  It's anything you want it to be!!