Apex Digest #9, containing my contest-winning short story “Sufficiently Advanced,” was released over the weekend. I haven’t seen it yet, but the cover is a beauty to behold. It’s one of my few magazine appearances with cover credit, except for those instances where my pseudonym (“and others”) is listed.
Wish I had Joe 90’s BIG RAT went up on Storytellers Unplugged on Saturday. It’s illustrated! Check it out.
The MWA/SW luncheon on Saturday was interesting. The speaker is a former civil attorney who started a jury consulting firm over a decade ago. Her business does mock trials, witness prep and jury deselection. It was good to hear someone talk about these subjects and offer an honest view about what has proven to be significant over the years, and what hasn’t. She’s not a body language or handwriting analyst, but has discovered some indicators about what attributes might indicate a suitable or a dangerous juror, depending on the nature of a particular case.
I didn’t get a lot of writing done this weekend. I proofread a 15-page, 4700-word story that I wanted to submit to a no-entry-fee contest. I really like this story, which was inspired by a Warren Zevon song, but haven’t been very diligent about trying to find a market for it. It was originally written for a Thomas Deja Zevon-themed e-antho that went belly up a few years ago. Off it went this morning. Something else to cross off my schedule board.
I also got my NECON flight booked on the weekend. The way air fares go up and down, I’m always reluctant to push that commit button, sure that something better will come along and I’ll kick myself. I got a decent deal on US Air—I just hope they’re still in business come July. I usually fly Continental but they didn’t have any return flights on the schedule I wanted unless I wanted to pay double the fare.
My lengthy blurb for Robert Weinberg’s The Science of Stephen King: From Carrie to Cell, The Terrifying Truth Behind the Horror Masters Fiction is up on the Amazon web site, just below Peter Straub’s blurb.
I’m 550 pages into Dan Simmons’ The Terror. I’ve been less tempted to put the book down than during my first stab at the book, but I’m still sort of meh about it. Well written, well researched, with some interesting scenes, but not compelling.
Busy making my to-do list for the road trip later this week. I hit the road on Wednesday afternoon and will be back on Friday. I’ll have my computer with me, but won’t be posting much in the usual places. I’ll tell all about it after I get back.
