"Thinking goatish thoughts, dreaming goatish dreams..."

[greygirlbeast]

A cold, clear day here in Providence. The trees are quickly shedding their fall colors. Winter will be coming on, soon. Back in Atlanta, we'd be freezing, and I'd be bitching about the cryosphere in my office. Here in Rhode Island, ironically, we're quite toasty. And, before I forget, happy birthday to Neil, who turns -08 today, and also to Spooky's sister, Steph, in faraway Brooklyn.

I've begun a second LiveJournal account, as of yesterday. It's purpose is to serve as a more stable and accessible archive for the entries from my old Blogger journal, which was begun in November 2001, just before I started writing Low Red Moon (and which I'd originally intended to end when the book was done). As such, it bears the rather unimaginative title crk_blog_vault. Each day, I'll be reposting one to three entries from the old Blogger account, with the original date and time for the entries included as the subject line. Hence, the first entry is "November 24, 2001 (12:40 a.m.)." Anyway, have a look if you're interested. "Low Red Moon Journal" has been orphaned since December 2006, but mostly I'm interested in mirroring those hundreds of entries that were made before I began this LJ in April 2004. I've shut off the comments feature for the new journal, and I'm still fiddling about with the look of the thing.

Yesterday, I did 1,453 words on "The Colliers' Venus (1893)," previously titled "The Automatic Mastodon (1893)." The automatic mastodon still makes a cameo appearance in the story, but I realized yesterday it's not the centerpiece. So, a very good writing day.

And a lot of work besides the new short story. After the writing, while Spooky made a quick trip to the market to get dinner, I went through the ARC for A is for Alien, for the very last time before it goes to press, and found only four problems. I'll send the corrections to Bill at Subterranean Press as soon as I finish this entry. After dinner, Spooky and I began reading through The Red Tree, and managed all of the Preface and Chapter One. Lots of corrections. I think we finished with that just after 10 p.m. Oh, and this weekend Sonya (sovay) and Spooky dad, Richard, both read the ms. And they both loved it, and are helping with the proofreading. Hearing it aloud last night, I remembered again just how much this one means to me. Oh, and I think I'll repost the cover, for anyone who might have missed it on Saturday:







Also, we received the images for the artist interview for Sirenia Digest #36, the interview originally scheduled for #35. My thanks to both Heather Eve and Geoffrey (readingthedark). So, yes, a very busy day yesterday (but it made up for Saturday, which was a bit of a washout). And I fear that it's going to be this busy all the way to December.

I played a couple hours' worth of WoW last night. Back to Shaharrazad, my blood-elf warlock, after three nights playing Mithwen, my night-elf fighter. I fear Shah is much closer to my heart, but I've probably said that already. Spooky ("Suraa") and I did some questing in Hillsbrad and the Alterac Mountains north of Tallin Mills, then slaughtered trolls in the Arathi Highlands, just because. And after WoW, we watched an episode of Firefly (the marvelous "Objects in Space") because I was exhausted and needed "comfort food" before bed.

I'm doing some concerted magickal work for the first time since October, mostly protective spells and wards and such. Getting a little Enochian. Crowley meets Wicca meets the Greek pantheon. Something like that. Nothing I want to go into detail about, just making the walls a little stronger, you might say. Anyway, now the platypus and the coffee are waiting for me. The day lies ahead.

Comments

[derekcfpegritz.livejournal.com]

Ummm...I've generally liked the recent paperback reissue artwork for your work--especially the new covers for SIlk and Threshold. But, uhhh, that cover looks like it should be wrapped around a Laurell K. Hamilton novel. Or some kind of "vampire romance" novel.

I understand the vicissitudes of marketing and the need for a good, eye-catching cover (especially in response to the modern reader's blipvert attention span), but I really don't think that cover does the novel justice....I mean, I haven't read a word of it, but something tells me it's NOT going to be about some hot pseudo-goth chick making out with a thousand-year-old lothario in an abandoned house despite the impression I get from the cover art.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

I understand the vicissitudes of marketing and the need for a good, eye-catching cover (especially in response to the modern reader's blipvert attention span), but I really don't think that cover does the novel justice....I mean, I haven't read a word of it, but something tells me it's NOT going to be about some hot pseudo-goth chick making out with a thousand-year-old lothario in an abandoned house despite the impression I get from the cover art.

I'm told it will sell books, and I think that's all I should say. Except I love your icon.

[kazdreamer.livejournal.com]

I'm told it will sell books

I firmly believe it will do just that. Which is sort of the point. ;)

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Which is sort of the point.

Yep.

[derekcfpegritz.livejournal.com]

Hey, if it makes the copies fly off of the shelves (and, regardless of cover art, I'll be picking it up the day it's available), then that's all good. I just hope that it doesn't end up causing you bad reviews because of misrepresentation--because, gods know, people get vehement when they pick up a book that looks like it'll be full of Hot Vampire Action and find something of actual literary merit between the lurid covers. But, ultimately, that's nothing you have any control over anyway.

Angel of Death in the hizzy, yo. Have you ever read Wayne Barlowe's God's Demon (http://www.godsdemon.com). A novel of absolutely extraordinary imagery and craft, based on his incredible "Inferno" (http://www.waynebarlowe.com/barlowe_pages/index_inferno.htm) paintings. The Angel of Death is the closest I believe we'll ever come to seeing one of the characters from God's Demon made real.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

because, gods know, people get vehement when they pick up a book that looks like it'll be full of Hot Vampire Action and find something of actual literary merit between the lurid covers.

I've had this concern myself, and voiced it to my agent and editors.

But, ultimately, that's nothing you have any control over anyway.

Exactly.

Have you ever read Wayne Barlowe's God's Demon.

Nope. But I should.

[derekcfpegritz.livejournal.com]

Want a copy of God's Demon? I've got an extra, so I'll hook you up. Email me at the usual address if you want the secret Satanic good.

[sovay]

Yesterday, I did 1,453 words on "The Colliers' Venus (1893)," previously titled "The Automatic Mastodon (1893)."

I totally want to read this.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

I totally want to read this.

I think it will be very you.

[sovay]

Where is it slated to appear?

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Where is it slated to appear?

I'm not yet at liberty to say.

[sovay]

I'm not yet at liberty to say.

Understood. Point me in its direction whenever!

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

'I've shut off the comments feature for the new journal'

Imagine if we left comments in it now, and you got email notifications about them back in 2001.

Or maybe you'll create a third journal in 2015 archiving this journal, and we comment in it and you get email notifications about it now.

And then you step on a butterfly and Ashton Kutcher is president.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Imagine if we left comments in it now, and you got email notifications about them back in 2001.

Or maybe you'll create a third journal in 2015 archiving this journal, and we comment in it and you get email notifications about it now.

Get out of my head. :P

[readingthedark.livejournal.com]

This things are controversial, but I don't think Crowley ever met Wicca.

On the other hand, Wicca, imho and with binding love all around I swear, spent an inordinate amount of time ransacking his work but taking out the scarier bits.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, Wicca, imho and with binding love all around I swear, spent an inordinate amount of time ransacking his work but taking out the scarier bits.

Obviously. And, actually, there's some pretty good evidence that Crowley may have had a hand in the writing of some of Gardner's rituals.

[readingthedark.livejournal.com]

If by "had a hand in" you mean was pestered for pointer and had one specific OTO ritual ripped off near-verbatim without his knowledge, yes. Further, I think Gardner was awesome and I also meant to obliquely refer to how many of the more Pop Wicca books have also plundered people like Crowley and Spare. Finally, Scientology did the same thing and denies it much more fiercely than the average witch, so I truly mean no offense to either Thelemites or Wiccans.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Finally, Scientology did the same thing and denies it much more fiercely than the average witch, so I truly mean no offense to either Thelemites or Wiccans.

Oh, I took no offence. I'm often amused at how many Wiccans, especially the "white light" sort, so vehemently deny the historical connection with Crowley (though it has been quite well documented). And I don't really know enough about Scientology to have made that connection. Interesting.

[readingthedark.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm not worried about offending you with research!

And I should confess that I do not practice these traditions. The only belief structure I actually subscribe to is called The Immaculate Order of the Falling Sky, though I often augment that training with Tibetan Monks because I think they're slightly more organized.

But "Wicca" had a half-Miriam and half-Margot watershed moment on Samhain in 1979. As it has become more and more mainstream, and stores have a shelf or two actually labelled "Wicca," some the teachers who most cling to the idea that the Craft has been passed down for centuries without any gaps or silly made up stuff are so "white lit" that they want nothing to do with forcing people to have sex with goats.

Hubbard was OTO, knew Jack Parsons intimately (most likely in all definitions), and referred to Crowley as a "good friend" for many years after they'd met.

(This link seems to give some of the common background on Crowley and Hubbard but I didn't read it carefully.

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/1896/achubbard.html

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Hubbard was OTO, knew Jack Parsons intimately (most likely in all definitions), and referred to Crowley as a "good friend" for many years after they'd met.

Well, there you go. I am now informed.

As it has become more and more mainstream, and stores have a shelf or two actually labelled "Wicca," some the teachers who most cling to the idea that the Craft has been passed down for centuries without any gaps or silly made up stuff are so "white lit" that they want nothing to do with forcing people to have sex with goats.

I feel like Wiccans have, sadly, become as blind to the origins of their beliefs as, say, Right-Wing Xtians. For my part, I recognize Wicca as something formulated by Gardner, in part from pre-existing traditions, including the Golden Dawn, Freemasonry, Charles Godfrey Leland, and, of course, Crowley. It is most emphatically not some pure and ancient goddess religion passed down across the millennia and rediscovered by Gardner. Old Murray can bite my butt, as can the white lighters/fluffy bunnies who'd rather not let history interfere with their wishful thinking.

Sorry...that was a tirade.

The only belief structure I actually subscribe to is called The Immaculate Order of the Falling Sky,

Ah, the faithful...

[kiaduran.livejournal.com]

Old Murray can bite my butt, as can the white lighters/fluffy bunnies who'd rather not let history interfere with their wishful thinking.

Don't you mean herstory?

*quickly running away*

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Don't you mean herstory?

Where's my riding crop!?

[stsisyphus.livejournal.com]

While it totally adheres to "mysterious girl, vague landscape" tropes which have been dominating genre fiction for the last few years, I least I don't hate this otherwise innocent model for being on your cover. She doesn't look like she's trying too hard, which helps.

The title typeset really does scream bodice-ripper, though. What Tah Fuck?

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

The title typeset really does scream bodice-ripper, though. What Tah Fuck?

Irony?

[stsisyphus.livejournal.com]

Irony?

Hmm. Bait and switch does sound more appeal when you're the one doing the switching.

/doubleentendre

[fornikate.livejournal.com]

I'd do her (cover girl) so I approve. I'm easy.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

I'd do her (cover girl) so I approve. I'm easy.

Now there's an interesting criterion.

Yeah, sure, I'd do her, too...but I'm a woman of easy virtue, as they say (and I can only hope the model isn't reading this).

[stsisyphus.livejournal.com]

At least she looks like someone you could have a nice conversation and a cup of coffee with.

[fornikate.livejournal.com]

Now there's an interesting criterion.
I'm relatively easy to please...hot girls, tentacles or something menacing and I'm happy. Strangely, although I find men attractive as well I don't really like them on book covers unless they are of the metahuman persuasion.

Yeah, sure, I'd do her, too...but I'm a woman of easy virtue, as they say (and I can only hope the model isn't reading this).

Well, if she is reading this, I hope she takes it as a compliment!

[kazdreamer.livejournal.com]

I'm excited about the new LJ - I used to read the Low Red Moon Journal, but that was so long ago now. Well, it seems it... It'll be great to revisit those times.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

I'm excited about the new LJ - I used to read the Low Red Moon Journal, but that was so long ago now. Well, it seems it... It'll be great to revisit those times.

I'm really doing this just for me, for my peace of mind, mostly. But it's cool if other people enjoy seeing those old entries.