I’m back, she says, and all cabled up with Intarweb access – totally of the good.

Celebrate Banned Books Week – why don’t you buy one of these listed or check it out of the library?

ETA: Oh yeah, a really good article by the author of The Geography Club, a lovely YA novel about gay teens.

For Rocky Horror cultists and aficionados: Shock Treatment is being released on DVD!

I spent most of Saturday musing on where Book 2 (now officially Blood Bargain) is going and will need to go to make it work. Also read more in the Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold. Why the heck hadn’t I discovered these already?

I managed to catch Studio 60‘s premier episode and am loving it so far. <3s Aaron Sorkin.

My DVD set of The Book of Daniel just shipped! (again, of the very good!)

Alas, I will not be at Bouchercon with my mystery peeps this year. (of the sad)

SG1 – haven’t seen the ep

SGA – yes, more, please. I’m not liking the hiatus thing at all, but am pleased to know that there are ways of not waiting.

Eureka – very glad they’ve been putting the episodes on iTunes – just caught up last night through last week.

A bit of medical news – not bad

The Grand Verizon DSL experiment was a complete and utter bust.

Signal to my modem craps out nearly every single day, and it’s really tough to get back. When it worked, it worked fine. Thing is, over the last 2 weeks, I’ve been losing signal regularly. And don’t even talk to me about trying to get through to tech support – it’s a never-ending battle of wills with the automated system. Speaking “connection problems” to a computer and being routed out to various non-useful options is not fun. Dudes, really, I’ve *tried* rebooting the modem, rebooting the computer. It rarely works.

So this morning, I sucked it up and called Verizon’s sales office and canceled the account. Since it’s within the 30 days, I can return the equipment for free and they will refund me the fees I’ve already paid.

I had to call Comcast and get them to set up a re-connect appointment. Can I tell you how much I hate to capitulate on this? At least they are coming on Sunday.

And since they’re coming out, they’re going to set up basic digital for me.

Damn.

Shucking the yoke of the oppressor is not as easy as it seemed.

ETA: Oh yeah, and my nifty new specs that were supposedly ready last night? Not so much. They did something funky to them, so when I tried them on, the view was horribly distorted. Pair #2 weren’t even ready, b/c they cut the left lens too small. Le sigh.

Okay, so over on her LJ, truepenny talks about how Felix (one of her main characters in her series) is David Bowie.

This all stems from matociquala‘s link to this YouTube video.

As wicked_wish states in the comments, and I seconded.

Surrender to the Bowie.

I think I now need a David Bowie icon…and perhaps some tunes.

(of course, I’m old enough to remember the Bowie before the Ziggy Stardust phase)

Can pirates kvell?

beledibabe asked me that today when I kvelled in her general direction.

“Why?” you ask, is chickwriter kvelling?

Mostly because:
(a) The check really was in the mail (my advance check)
(b) Was IMing with my editor and was told that
— (1) My book is considered the “A” list book for first quarter 2007
— (2) They plan to send out between 100 and 200 ARCs*

EEEEeeeeEEEE!!!

Do any of you all know good romance review venues other than Romantic Times magazine? They’d like to send out ARC to good romance venues, but since the Juno imprint is fairly new, my publisher is collecting lists. Any help appreciated!

And I now need to do an updated author photo – eep!

* ARC: advance reader copy

To isiscolo!!

To think we only met at Con.txt! I feel like I’ve known you for-fannish-ever. ::g::

ETA: and that would be in a good way!

Many happy returns of the day…

::chickwriter goes back to working @ home because of the power outage at office::

It’s Callum Keith Rennie’s birthday.

the hot and the pretty (beware, large pics)

There are many wonderful things in the world.

• NaomiNovik‘s books were optioned by Peter Jackson (read Naomi’s post) There is not enough squee in the world to describe how happy I am about this. Yes, I know that “option” does not equal “movie”, however, if anyone has the desire, the tech, the cred to get this done, it’s Peter Jackson.
• David Hewlett is incredibly awesome – as a person, as a forum mod, and as a fellow geek. Thanks, David, for being so freaking cool.
• I’m moderating a panel, entitled “We Write Dead People” at first ever MWA Mid-Atlantic writing workshop. (scroll down on the page – it’s the 2nd event listed). I’m debating how to approach the topic – my copanelists are: another writer, a forensic taphonomist, and the funeral home director. I’m really psyched, though – I’m begining to re-discover the joy of being a writer. Maybe even getting back the mojo.
• Fandom really is a cool place, because: Ponies!
• SihayaB and I got some lovely feedback on a story we wrote together (and by that I mean SB did most of the writing part. It’s a couple of years old, so fun to get f/b.
• I just ordered the Elgato EyeTV Hybrid – so I will be able to hook up my region-free DVD player to Priscilla and get TV signals via the device, too. Since I no longer have cable and they finally turned off the cable signal. Basically, this means that my TV will be obsolete.
• I’ll be in Boston in October for a work thing. I’ve got possibly one night free. So, Boston area peeps? You game for dinner somewhere? (I’m not sure which night yet, either Sunday, October 8 or Monday, October 9)

.

In conclusion…my new cover art for the re-issue of Matters of the Blood (incomplete – just the art part without the text) The book is still scheduled for March 2007 release.

Behind the cut

She’s here. Finally.

After several days of OMGWTFiMAC!!??!! I finally went out and got her.

Meet Priscilla, Queen of the Desktops

Thanks to lamardeuse, who pointed me to David Hewlett’s site, I was able to request a screening of A Dog’s Breakfast in my area.

So, DC area fans, how about filling out the form? I said I was in the DC metro area and that there were several theatres, but no matter which they chose, we’d all show up.

Request form is here

Yes, such a fangrrl!

More fun on the giftie front – the exact wording on my PoTC figure cards: Captain Jack Sparrow with sword slashing action! Will Turner with sword thrusting action!

…’nuff said. ::g::

Also in the loot:
- lovely window cling bats, which now grace my office window
- Anne Taintor magnets:
— Has anyone seen my hormones?
— Honey, you couldn’t *pay* me to be twenty.
— I’m having a senior moment.
— An iPod beanbag
- a gorgeous green & gold notebook
- A set of audio CDs, The Creative Fire by Carola Pinkola Estes
- A $50 gift cert from birki_lib, which purchased my new ergonomic keyboard for my Mac

The celebration continues!

Oh, and btw, I’ve restored my official writer blog and removed my old Web site: Find me at www.thelima.com

I’m buying a new IMac for myself as a birthday pressie to me.

Thing is, that until yesterday, I knew what I wanted – 20″ iMac with max RAM. But yesterday, Steve Jobs pulled a fast one and released the *new* iMacs, with Core 2 duo processors and wait, there’s more, a 24″ screen. Yipes!

Honestly, I did try to order one yesterday, but the online store was giving me grief – some sort of bizarre checkout loop. After I got home, I measured my desk (beledibabe, you remember the desk you helped me put together?) – it’s got a nice little shelf across the top, which means the 24″ iMac would be too large for the desk.

That said, my enabler at work, J, reminded me that I could always figure out a way to use the 24″ – plus, if I get this piece of hardware, it negates the need for a TV entirely. And considering that Comcast has neglected to turn off cable access, even though I returned the digital box to them and canceled my account, I’m figuring it’s fair game.

In any case, it’s a thought – so I ran over to the Pentagon City store at lunch to look at the machine in person and buy one. The answer: “They’re in the back but haven’t been unpacked.” No matter how I tried, salesguy was totally not interested in going back to get me one, not even if I was to pay Right Then. I called the Clarendon store once I got back to the office – they have the 17s and 20s in, but no 24s yet, and the others won’t be out on the shelves until morning.

In other news, my birthday weekend was fab! Started off Saturday with a gathering at beledibabe‘s – there was yummy food and brilliant company, including bheerfan and several non-LJ folks. Pressies ranged from the sublime (Anne Taintor calendar for ’07; 2 bottles of Chimay), to the ridiculous and so appropriate – PotC action figures with sword slashing action(tm)!…and the requisite bottle of stage blood, black roses and teeny prop coffins. ::g:: There was a lot more loot, but it’s at home and I’m not.

Sunday was quiet – spent the day resting…and by that I mean sleeping.

Monday, the day of the natal anniversary was quiet. Phone calls from mom and sister, relaxing with books and just being alone and quite happy about it.

Speaking of natal days, today marks the birthday of dear cousin Jeffy, best know the world as Jeff Mariotte – author of a zillion tie-in novels and some really excellent fiction! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CUZ!

The work week has been insane and the month may be more of the same. I’m trying to not freak out about it.

Today I got the Best Buy Supernatural DVDs, because thanks to my f’list, I learned that there was a bonus disk, which yay! Also, my Oz Season 6 set arrived, again with the yay!

Segueing back to the original thought – should I splurge and get the 24″ iMac and figure out where to put it later? Or get the 20″ machine, which will fit – sort of. (In actuality, the 17″ fits perfectly on the desk, the 20 will be a close fit, too.)

I wait with bated breath for your thoughts (since obviously, my purchase is going to have to wait). ::g::