Deck the Truck with “Hello Kitty!”

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Among the more obvious loot (argyle socks (traditional), an umbrella with the handle of a katana, rc helicopter), my wife got me a “Hello Kitty” steering wheel cover for my truck. The really funny thing was, she got me this one to replace the one that had worn out. My wife has an odd sense of humor, and she got me the first one as a joke, and was a little surprised when I called her bluff and used it. So in Mississippi, the heart of the redneck belt, I had the only light truck in the state with a pink “Hello Kitty” steering wheel cover. I used it until the thing fell to shreds.

And nobody ever said a darn thing about it.

So now I have a new one, which I plan to display proudly until it in turn falls to tatters, or the truck does. Even money on that one.

So happy holidays, everyone! May your days be full of joy and delightful incongruity.

Not a Review – Of a Book I Will Not Name

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 I used to review books. That is to say, I used to do it regularly. Back when SF Age of late lamented memory was still around, I even got paid for doing them. As a kid who grew up as a voracious reader that’s the sort of gig you wonder who you have to bribe or murder to get. I mean, paid to read books? Does it get any better than that? Yet by the time SF Age was coming to the end of its run, I was pretty much burned out on the whole idea. Not because I was forced to read books I wasn’t interested in. The esteemed editor, Scott Edelman, would always ask first and if the book didn’t interest me, I didn’t have to take the assignment. I can only think of one such case when I actually did turn one down, but it was always an option, and the books usually had something going for them that piqued my interest. I read a lot of good books in that time.

No, I burned out because the job eventually got too hard. Seriously. Continue reading →

What’s the Worst That Could Happen?

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When you’re trying to get into the head of a character, there are some easy questions to ask that might help. Questions such as: “What do they want?” “Why?” “What’s preventing them from getting it?” “What will happen if they do get it?”

Good, basic, and often useful, but to my mind the question that yields the most bang for your pluck is simply “What are they afraid of?” I admit that this is standard operating procedure if you’re talking about suspense/horror, but that’s too limiting. Even a comedy works best when fear is in the mix, and I submit that no writer really understands their characters if they don’t know what gives them the night sweats. Continue reading →

Going, Going…Gone

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Back in November I posted an alert that PS Publishing was having a “Last Chance” sale on some items, including the few remaining copies of the non-jacketed edition of Hereafter, and After. Well, they’re all gone now. There are Kindle and Nook editions, but now the only people who have physical copies for sale are the dealers. Also gone is the 100 copy signed limited edition run of The Heavenly Fox. The only one left is the non-jacketed edition, and there can’t be very many of those, either, since it was only a 300 copy run. Personally, I love it when a limited edition sells out. It means there are people who actually want to read it (they can’t ALL be collectors). Probably not so good for the people who may have waited too long.

Just sayin’.

Ebook Reviewing – Nice Hammer. Too Bad This Isn’t a Nail

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Not too long ago I was listening to a podcast where the guest was a well-known critic/reviewer in the sf and fantasy field. I was especially struck by an exchange during the interview where the reviewer mentioned owning a Kindle and how much he was enjoying it. So the host asked him how owning the ebook reader had affected his reviewing habits. To which the reviewer replied that it hadn’t affected them at all, because he didn’t usually review books on the Kindle. There’s a reason for that, of course, and that reason—at least in theory—has nothing to do with being prejudiced against ebooks. Continue reading →