Forgotten Books

Normally, I'd try to have an offering for Patti Abbott's blog but as I am writing this from the comfort of Dundee where I am relaxing, I will just reiterate my birthday wish to request your help in keeping my books from being forgotten by liking, rating and reviewing them on Amazon, Goodreads, Shelfari and so forth. I would be most grateful!

Do it in the name of today's birthday kids, Jane Austen and Philip K. Dick, both of whom have been an influence on me.

This is the first blog post I've written on my phone. Let's see how it goes! 

My Birthday Month Wish

I mentioned this yesterday, but I'll provide helpful links today. I'm claiming the whole of December for my birthday. Why not? I already have to share my birthday month with both Markos, Jane Austen, Hannukah and Xmas, so there's barely any month left for me!

But I'm not demanding to be showered with gifts!

All I want for my birthday is for you to like me -- well, not me really: my books.

The most difficult thing for a writer is not to get published (especially now with ebook publishing) but to get noticed once you are published. People are eager to find new writers they might enjoy, but they are reluctant to try things blind. How do they know my books are great if someone else hasn't read them first and said, yes, these are good? Reviews help with that.

So if you're feeling kindly toward me, head over to my Amazon Author Page and like, rate, tag or review my books. I'd be especially grateful for any attention to Kit Marlowe over at All Romance eBooks (only The Big Splash is on Amazon, though The Mangrove Legacy is supposed to be there soon...), but any help would be appreciated.

I've also got profiles on GoodReads, LibraryThing and Shelfari if you spend some of your time there. Sadly, not all my books are even listed under my name! If you see one missing and feel like adding it, I would be ever so grateful. I've got a new profile on CrimeSpace, too; if you're over there at all, friend me. If you actually do book reviews on your blog or website, let me know: I'll be happy to give you review copies of books you're interested in reading. I have confidence that my words are worth reading. I just need to find ways to let more people know that!

Thank you for your help. I appreciate it greatly! With luck I will have news about It's a Curse later today -- whoohoo! Now I shall get back to dancing.

Know-vember: Frances McCormack

Okay, what're the odds? Oh sure, it is entirely likely that I would get on with the first medievalist I met at NUI Galway. After all, we medievalists have to stick together like all endangered species. But we keep finding amazing things in common like our birthdays (!) and P. G. Wodehouse and the Marx Bros and Tony Hancock. Destiny took a hand in things, I think, when it sent me to Galway. She even invited me to talk to her Old English course so I wouldn't forget entirely what the inside of a classroom looked like. Here's the lovely Frances, award winning lecturer.

1. What's the first thing you do upon waking in the morning?

Let the cats in for a cuddle and go back to sleep, even if only for two minutes. I'm not a fan of sleeping late, but I do like to wake up slowly.

2. What's a song you might be persuaded to dance to?

I'm a trained dancer, but the best songs are those that make me dance like I don't know how! "Come on Eileen," by Dexy's Midnight Runners, has made me jump up and down on ever since I was a bairn in 1982. I remember the first time I heard it: I jumped around the breakfast table with such enthusiasm and abandon that my mum cried with laughter. "Late in the Evening" by Paul Simon makes me do what my husband calls "Muppet Dancing", and it works best when I'm in the passenger seat of the car (although God knows what the people looking in their rear-view mirrors at me are thinking)!

3. Where in the world do you live?

In books. I much prefer stories to real life!

4. What's a great night out for you?

I don't tend to go out. I much prefer 'in'.

5. What's a great night in?

Learning languages, or doing something craftsy. I like to be busy!

6. If you were offered an all expenses paid trip anywhere in the world,where would you go?

Japan, Japan, Japan...or New York! But unfortunately, as I don't really like 'out', traveling is not the easiest thing for me to do!

7. What book do you wish everyone would read so you could talk about it?

The one with the boy with the orange pyjamas...but I can't remember what book it was. I vaguely remember reading it in bed--there was a boy who may have been an orphan; someone (it may have been a man) took him in, and a woman (whose name may have begun with a J) brought him pyjamas in which to sleep. The pyjamas either had oranges on them or orange buttons, and the boy had an aversion to the colour orange, so he slept in his clothes and then crinkled the pyjamas the next morning to make it look like they'd been slept in. I can't remember whether I actually read this book or DREAMT that I had read this book so if it sounds familiar to you, let me know what on earth it is!

8. What movie makes you cry?

I don't cry at movies...but Graham Greene's books always have me in tears!

9. What makes you laugh?

At the moment, Diary of a Wimpy Kid. But everything in general...I'm a giggler! [Ed: I can attest to this.] Ooh yes, and games where you substitute the word 'goose' for either a noun or a verb in a film title. That one makes me chuckle too!

10. Are there fairies at the bottom of your garden?

Yes! There's actually a special fairy garden in my garden, where the dead trees are and the primrose grows. I don't like to visit it very often, because it's also where the septic tank lives, but the fairies don't seem to mind.

Thank you, Frances, a delight!

Happy Birthday, Joey!

If I had remembered in time, I would have sent a card :-( Without my computer to remind me I remember nothing. Shall I just get you this? Hope your day is wonderful.

Happy Birthday, Miss Wendy!

You'll always be Patsy to my Edina :-) Have a great day whatever you do!

My Birthday / Your Present

I don't have a scanner so this will have to do for now. A photo of a photo on a camera with no view finder. I think this must be the house on Clark Road just after it was finished, because my grandparents house next door (where we had been living) has an alcove by the front door. I'm not yet two according to the Kodacolor date on the back.

So, yes, it's my birthday and a rather intimidating number of them have added up so I will not think about that and instead I'm going to give away a copy of The Mangrove Legacy to someone at random who comments on this post.

Surely someone will want to wish me a happy birthday, right? Well, I shall be off gallivanting. I hope to check in now and then. The definite plans include lunch with Bertie and drinkies with the gang at The Point at the traditional cocktail hour -- there are rumours of cake and the possibility of a ritual from last year being repeated. We shall see.

I must choose the right hat...

Carrot & Stick

I have a favor to ask of you: it's not really much and this time of year, you might be spending a lot of time in the particular location anyway. I have a birthday wish. I realise it's a few weeks away yet, but you need some preparation time. The good news is that it costs you nothing but a small amount of time (otherwise I'd be hitting you up for donations to Heifer International or Kiva for micro-loans).

As you know, there are more places than ever to get the word out on your books and products, and even more people trying to do the same. It's hard to get a signal through all the noise. But there are a few things that will help get the word out on my behalf: tags and reviews.

Over at Amazon, it is possible to tag items so people know this book is in the same category as this other one. The more tags -- and the more agreement about the appropriateness of tags -- the better, as people are more likely to find your book in searches ("if you liked X you may also enjoy Y"). So if you have some time on your hands, I'd love more tags for all my books on Amazon.

And reviews! They needn't be elaborate, but they are helpful to have there so people have some idea what the book is like; be creative. Once you're on a roll, consider adding reviews (they could be the same ones) to places like GoodReads and Library Thing. Be sure to friend me there, too. Most of my Library Thing entries have been done by the lovely grad students (thank you!).

Thanks in advance for your help! It's the best birthday present I could get (other than a big lottery win -- I can hope).

Now the carrot: I hope you've all seen the new series Sherlock which revamped Conan Doyle's stories for the 21st Century. Fun stuff! Sherlocking is a fan site for show and they ran a fan fiction contest recently (no, not the naughty kind). I had been poked on Twitter to submit a story but with one thing and another, I nearly forgot until the last day. So, not my best work, I suppose -- and it may not make much sense to someone who's not seen the show -- but the kind of exercise that can be fun in a thousand words or less. So here it is:

"A Charming Situation": Holmes and Watson visit the London Zoo

Enjoy! If you prefer something less linear, drop by my page at the New Absurdist. Or if steampunk is more your style, drop by the serial. I think I finally figured out where I was going off the rails there: I got sidetracked on Helen's father before I developed her enough. That's the thing with first drafts; they seldom stay that way.

Happy Birthday to the Joey Zone

I croak a belated happy birthday! Apologies. :-(

Jane Quiet at Coilhouse

Drop over to Coilhouse.net to see Elizabeth S.'s write up on Jane Quiet; I love the serendipity of the internet! It's what brought this about. Please, leave a comment to let Elizabeth and Coilhouse know you stopped by; this is how we measure success on the 'net.

Back from my travels: Friday I went down to Connecticut for Miss Wendy's birthday and had fun with the whole gang. How gorgeous that giant wolf moon looked hanging over the harbour! If only it hadn't been subzero temps, we could have enjoyed the veranda of the Alumni House a bit more. Fabulous food and lots of laughs: only Perilous Cheryl could have made a remark like that about the centerpieces ;-) It was a distinct pleasure to blast Lady Gaga at the Coast Guard Academy.

All right, yes -- it's true: I accidentally stuck my fingers in the birthday cake while moving it. I was a spaz all night (yes, to beat you to the punch, why should that night be any different than any other?).

Stayed up late watching bad movies, woke up far too early with a sore throat. Just too cold and dry. After a relaxing start to the day -- leftover cheese and cake! -- I headed out because I had another birthday party last night. Didn't Angela look fabulous with her spanking new haircut? Much merriment and fabulous food -- mmm, BBQ. I was feeling a bit poorly though, so I came home for tea and the last episode of North and South. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend the miniseries; you can't go far wrong with Elizabeth Gaskell as your source (though Wives and Daughters remains my fave).

I've got a two volume Faustus book to review, so I better get cracking. I slept until nearly eleven, but I'm still feeling poorly. Sinuses and chest -- no fun. Considering the speed with which this cold has moved, maybe it'll be gone by tomorrow. I can hope.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Miss Wendy -- may your day be happy and bright. See you soon! Happy Birthday, Angela -- you superstar (yeah, the wishes are a bit early)! Happy Birthday, Beex -- may West Ham prove triumphant!*


*Psst, Brad, I didn't really say that; Arsenal all the way!

Ring Ring Goes the Bell

Classes begin tomorrow; as usual, I face that fact with a mixture of anticipation and dread. Just like the students, I prefer to be on holiday. Every new semester makes me wonder if I know what I'm doing.

Birthday boy Robert (Happy Birthday, again!) says the same thing he always says, "Make them stand on their desks and tear pages out of their books," because apparently Dead Poets Society is the only thing teaching means to him (yes, he does work at Bard).

As usual, I regret not making a better use of my time off. I figure there's got to be some way of getting around the whole need for sleep thing; I did find that drinking tea all day while I wrote did lead to not sleeping, but it was not a very productive not sleeping. Some sleep is required.

I have a course release for heading up Women's and Gender Studies; that "free time" will likely be eaten up by preparation for our conference in March. I'm teaching the Medieval Texts on Film class and also our brand new, never-before-taught Writing for New Media class. Another experiment; why do I do this to myself?

Yes, there's a new episode of The Mangrove Legacy: Alice learns the exciting history of the ghost, Miss Wychwood. Drop by and read for yourself. It's a fun Sunday ritual to dive back into the strangely Gothic adventures. I hope you continue to enjoy it (yes, Cranky -- looking in your direction).

Wish me luck -- we all need it on the first day of classes!

A Chilly Birthday

Only one hat will do today: it's the Mad Hatter! During one visit to Adrean in Brussels, I kept walking past the shop window where this hat was displayed and I kept thinking, "Oh, it's too expensive." Then I thought, "You're going to regret not getting that hat. What if you never come back to Brussels?" So I got the hat -- but I've been back to Brussels many times.

No regrets though!

It's supposed to be about 17 degrees today. The hat's not just stylish, but necessary. I have to go grade my sophomores' final presentations on medieval drama, then grade the upper div papers while listening to the Punk Rock Jukebox, then meet pals at the Albany Pump Station. Sounds like a good day, eh?

Cool Friends

Have I got cool friends or what? As many of you know, tomorrow is my birthday (yes, during finals week -- sigh!), but the gifts have already begun rolling in. Pictured is the book from my friend Alessandra in Rome, who knows well my obsession with Wombats and found the perfect book to appease that. Simons' tome addresses "Pre-Raphaelites and Australian Animals in in Victorian London" and is chock full of wonderful illustrations. I love it!

Not to be outdone, the Boojums sent a lovely package -- those of you who've received such packages know that the outside is every bit as lovely as the contents -- with a fantastic map of London, a jar of Marmite and the most amazing card with a photograph of a magpie quill pen.

Big smiles here, as you can imagine! Besides, when I got home a few minutes ago I had another package: pecan chocolates from New Mexico. Thanks, Mom and Dad!

BitchBuzz: Jingle Freakin' Bells

My latest BitchBuzz column takes time out for a humorous holiday grumble. Of course I lie -- there's all kinds of Xmas music I like including Vince Guaraldi's soundtrack for A Charlie Brown Christmas, Joey Ramone and yes, I just bought the new Tori CD, too. But the omnipresence of the jingle of the bells when Halloween hasn't even finished? Grrr.

I'll say it loud and say it proud: oh god, how I hate Christmas music!

I hate it even more when it starts up at inappropriate times. What is inappropriate? Any day other than Christmas or Christmas Eve. That is my rule. So naturally I am irked annually that shops of seemingly all kinds and even some radio stations begin playing yuletide music while Halloween decorations are still in the stores.

I admit it; Halloween is my fave holiday. Unsentimental, spooky, a tad bit dangerous— what's not to love? What is Christmas but an all-out assault of guilt, competition, and forced jollity? People expect you to be nice just because of the season, even though they'll use every opportunity to take advantage of that niceness to wangle whatever it is they need out of you...

As always, read the rest at BB HQ and pass it along on Facebook, Twitter and whatnot.

Contrasts

So, my day started by waking up to this disturbing sight:



because I had stayed at Jenise's after celebrating her birthday with Cary Grant movies and some wine -- and then a little Hennessey. Yum! Of course it was more relaxing to know I didn't have to drive home that night and her guest room is quite comfortable and, as you can see, guests are carefully watched over.

Nonetheless I was up early to join friends for a day's retreat to relax and recharge at Universal Pathways. The lovely Mary Browne has created a gorgeous sanctuary in Berne, NY with acres and acres of countryside and forests, streams and a cave. We all wandered about in various locations then met up at the main building for lunch, then wandered off again, though many of us gravitated toward the cave for a little music.



While wandering through the woods I came across this tree that had been uprooted probably by high winds. There are ravens, turkeys, elk and more in the woods around Mary's. Pheasants too, I guess, though the only one we saw had been hit by a car on the road!



After wandering through the woods I came out into a wide field, still green, though the leaves have begun to change. I could see where the elk or deer had lain in the field, so with the midday sun shining bright I decided to do the same. There was hardly a cloud in the sky anywhere as I gazed up, and though the wind was cold, the sun was quite warm. It was like being ten again. Big smiles. Good day.

Happy Birthday, Joan Jett

Yes, LOL -- thin on content yet again: tenure package is coming together, but I forgot that the reassigned time and professional grant requests are due Friday and must be signed by my department chair and dean before being submitted. Soon, soon, I will be able to breathe again. Two other non-fiction projects due this week as well, and as they are paid gigs, so they can't be set aside. Somehow it will all get done, right?

Some good news: a short story inspired by a chance remark from a pal has already been accepted for an anthology. The story is "A Case of Dead Faces" and is a mash-up of jazz, argot, tarot and the Buddha.

And I wonder why it's so hard to place my stories...

Happy Birthday, Steve!

Happy Birthday, Cheryl and Birdie!

Okay, Birdie's is actually the 29th, but there isn't one this year! Have a great time, gals, wherever you may go. May everything go your way today.

Happy Birthday, George

And everywhere gnomes drinking their wine raise a glass to the gardener.

Happy Happy!

Happy Birthday, Elena! Happy Birthday, Gene Sr (a day late!)


And Happy Anniversary, Gene and Jane! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!