sorry for the delay

Argh! All day on the train, home from Bouchercon!
NO WIFI on the train!!!!

Wifi on the train TO Raleigh of course,
but not on the way back.

Will try to be back on track tomorrow.

Week in Review delayed; also Monday's post

Monday update:
oof!
I'm back in NYC but oh man, the traveling and conference have really caught up with me.
I've got a bunch of work I need to attend to before getting back to blog posts,
so I'll probably not have a new post ready till Tuesday.

I will say that the highlight of the conference for me was getting to meet several
of the blog readers in person.

Now, off to work, and see you back here with fresh rantings on the morrow.


Sunday post:
I've been traveling today.
The WIR is delayed.
 

Contest results...well, not so much

Contest results?
What contest results?
Ok, I'm still working on them.
I got sidetracked yesterday working on the queries for MidWest Writers.

Look for them later today or tonight.

WIR will be delayed today

comment column is open. Speak very softly, please.

Contest results delayed

Contest results are now up!
Thanks for all the good wishes, and the pictures!

Still reading!

So, are you done reading my manuscript yet?

Sorry, no blog post today. 

I'm reading requested mss.

"They are future ninjas for Christ."

John Scalzi with some Script Notes on The Birth of Jesus


I'm posting this today because several people are getting responses to their requested fulls from me today.  This blog post is to say "hey, at least I don't want you to include ninjas for Christ in those revisions. Or product placement!"

Winter has me on my asterisk

more snow and ice today.
Remember when we were complaining about the heat?
Yea, me either.

(I didn't finish the blog post for today, sorry)

out sick

blog to resume when I'm back from the dead.

Vacation till 9/3!

Gone Fishin'!

Vacation till 9/3.

Blog dark, twitter unplugged!

Going dark

I'm going to take a couple days now for the holiday week.
No work, just the occasional tweet or blog post, no replying to queries or email. I'll be reading when I'm not going for a train ride.

THE CAT WHO WAS VERY VERY SAD

Lilian Jackson Braun who wrote the delightful, whimsical "CAT WHO" mystery novels has died.

She had a long life, was loved by many, and will be missed by all of us who know who Koko and Yum-Yum are.  And what pasties aren't.

Her obituary is here.

Query update!

We're going to quit reading queries on 12/24!

You're welcome to send queries but you won't hear back from us between 12/24 and 1/3/11.

Back from CrimeBake

A good time was had by all!

I am closing to queries from 8/1/2010 to 8/31/2010

This is an experiment to see if I can get get current with my requested full manuscript backlog.

Queries are closed from 8/1/2010 to 8/31/2010.

I will send replies to people who query telling them the query won't be considered.

If I can get caught up, there are going to be some mighty happy folks, particularly the ones who have been waiting since...January. I hang my head in shame at the SEVEN MONTHS I've had their work.

New Query Requirements

Heck with email, all queries must now be audio, and sent by Batman. Here's the template

Some very welcome news today!

The fate of Curbstone Press has been in some doubt since the death of Sandy Taylor two years ago. I was a casual friend and devoted admirer of Mr. Taylor (and his lovely company.) I'd had many phone chats with him, but only met him once at a book party for Marnie Mueller, author of MY MOTHER'S ISLAND (Curbstone: 2002).

Now comes word that Northwestern University Press and stalwart knight-editor Henry Carrigan will acquire Curbstone and the backlist.

Huzzahs all around!

Huzzah for Henry!
Huzzah for Sandy Taylor, may he rest in peace!
And mostly Huzzah for being able to read more good books from Curbstone!

We're BAAAACK!!!

A week of isolation in the wilderness, made less isolated by the 100 or so souls who found the new blog, but now we're back.

Thanks to everyone who sounded the horn over at BloggerHelp to get this fixed!

Thanks to everyone who migrated over! (and now, please will come back!)

The posts at the now old new blog will get pasted over here. (I was in a REAL mood last week, some of them are pretty spitfire!)

Glad to be home!

Justin Case-geeze you guys

Ok, I'm reading the comments section on the blog post and I'm getting worried about y'all. First, I didn't mean to imply that you take the accoutrements of your writing life on vacation, and that you be ready to spring into action at the beck and call of an agent.

I just took a week's vacation, turned off the phone, didn't look at the email, and let me tell you it was GREAT.

Writers should do that too.

Nor do I suggest that you hover at your inbox waiting for a reply for months on end.

Clearly I need to work on my writing skills if that was what I conveyed!

First, if you go on vacation and an email arrives, just let it sit there. You don't need to tell me you'll get back to me after a sundrenched spin around the Caribbean. (in fact, if I know which ship, I may come down and get the manuscript in person---you booked a big cabin right?)

Second, if you know you are going on vacation (and you SHOULD!! go on vacation) just send your queries out afterwards.

Third, don't pack your USB drive in your luggage which the airline will lose. That is, in fact, what happened to the last querier who sent me an email saying she'd get back to me later. We had a laugh over that, she'll send the ms when she gets back, and life will go on.

Now, I'm off to remedial writing school for a quick brush up on clarity. The rest of you go look at Travelzoo.com that lists last minute travel deals, and take what appears to be a MUCH NEEDED chill out!