Howard Hughes Forgets How to Sleep (and Stuff).

[greygirlbeast]

Last night, just before she fell asleep, Spooky said, "I want a hamster named Bilbo Baggins." And so I blame her for my inability to sleep last night. How is anyone supposed to have a restful night after hearing something like that, I ask you? Anyway, sometime around 3:30 a.m., I finally gave up and took half an Ambien, and about an hour later, I finally dozed off. I slept fitfully, got up at 10:30, and am not even a little bit awake at this moment.

But...

Yesterday, I wrote 1,093 words on "Teratophobia." It will be appearing in the next issue of Sirenia Digest, which happens to be #48.

Ellen Datlow (ellen_datlow) just emailed about a review of Lovecraft Unbound that's gone up at Green Man Review. My story gets a very generous nod:

So with the intriguing setup and impeccable contributor list, the only question remaining is whether the stories can bring it home. The answer is that in some cases, yes, and those that pull it off pull it off very well indeed. Caitlin R. Kiernan's "Houses Under the Sea" is magnificent, a superb evocation of the terrifying unknown peeking from under the surface of the waves that takes on a very human aspect.

Not such a bad way to begin a day, even when you're still asleep.

And I am baffled at people who stop updating their LJs and turn their blogs into a wastebasket of autoforwarded retweets. I'm seeing a lot of this, the last few months. Does anyone really think that a random series of 140-character comments is, in any way, comparable to an actual journal? Ah, well. Maybe those people were never cut out for journalizing in the first place (but I do miss what some of them had to say, back when they were still capable of posting complex, coherent thoughts).

And I should mention again that Subterranean Press is now taking pre-orders for The Ammonite Violin & Others, which will be released in June. Based on past experience, it may sell out before then, especially the leather-bound edition.

Anyway...the big news from yesterday is that Merrilee, my lit agent, is very pleased with the proposal for Blood Oranges (working title) and has forwarded it to my editor at Penguin. I'm hoping to be able to begin writing the book by December first.

Also, we have a copy of The Dry Salvages up on eBay.

And really, I'm far too groggy to say much else right now. Bilbo Baggins the Hamster, indeed.

Comments

[theninth.livejournal.com]

But was she serious about the hamster, or is it one of those situations where she was already starting to dream before being fully asleep?

And I am baffled at people who stop updating their LJs and turn their blogs into a wastebasket of autoforwarded retweets.

I'm guilty of this. Well, I was. They now post as private.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Love the icon!

[theninth.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I've been in a very Oscar Wilde frame of mind. Or possibly been reading too much Stephen Fry. It's a blurry line.

[readingthedark.livejournal.com]

Good to hear on Blood Oranges (working title). I'm joyful for you.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

I'm joyful for you.

Thank you.

[from-ashes.livejournal.com]

The tweets as LJ posts annoy me to no end. I've actually deleted people from my friends' list who consistently do that. This is a "JOURNAL" not a tweet dump. What's really annoying that if they're a LJ friend, I'm probably already following them on Twitter anyway, so it's also redundant.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

I've actually deleted people from my friends' list who consistently do that.

Same here.

[sovay]

Merrilee, my lit agent, is very pleased with the proposal for Blood Oranges (working title) and has forwarded it to my editor at Penguin.

I am very glad. Preliminary congratulations?

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Preliminary congratulations?

Yep.

[thingunderthest.livejournal.com]

A hamster named Bilbo Baggins brings to mind all too readily Lemmiwinks (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBJ3rkNq2ok) from South Park.

[humglum.livejournal.com]

Noooooo!!!!!
eeep.
I had forgotten about that. I am scarred all over again.

[thingunderthest.livejournal.com]

My work here is done.

hamsters

[myownpetard.livejournal.com]

bilbo baggins is actually a really good name for a hamster.

she could pretend to BE a hamster named bilbo baggins:
http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE5AG1QX20091117

also:
we got a kitten on friday. she has yellow eyes, is terribly precocious and seems to know things she shouldn't. so we named her emma jean--been calling her emmie. hope you don't mind!

emmie with eyes closed: http://twitpic.com/ps4yx

Re: hamsters

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

we got a kitten on friday. she has yellow eyes, is terribly precocious and seems to know things she shouldn't. so we named her emma jean--been calling her emmie. hope you don't mind!

I approve wholeheartedly. Indeed, I am flattered,

[xjenavivex.livejournal.com]

I am glad you got at least some sleep. That is a wonderful review. I look forward to your entries. I am trying to use Twitter more and I do dump it to facebook. However, I don't bring them over to LJ. LJ was my first social networking home really. This is home to me. I work on making the connections and growing the friendships here.

I will be posting a review of The Red Tree today or tomorrow. If you are interested, I will link you. Some writers would rather not see them. I love the book. I have my best friend hunting for it in Oz now.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

I will be posting a review of The Red Tree today or tomorrow. If you are interested, I will link you.

Sure. I'd love to see it.

[xjenavivex.livejournal.com]

My review is up at my site. (http://wp.me/Pk6cR-3S) I would love to know what you think. The experience was amazing. I am grateful for all of your hard work and effort. Thank you so very much.

[martianmooncrab.livejournal.com]

my kitties used to ask for hamsters or gerbils as pets on a regular basis, promising so very intently that they would take care of it.

[stsisyphus.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping to be able to begin writing the book by December first.

More importantly, I hope you get a check in hand in time for your medical expenses.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

More importantly, I hope you get a check in hand in time for your medical expenses.

It's beginning to look like that may happen.

[martianmooncrab.livejournal.com]

I just read this article about a Hamster Villa...

http://travel.aol.com/travel-ideas/galleries/top-ten-most-unusual-hotels?ncid=AOLCOMMtravdynlprim0683&icid=main|htmlws-main-n|dl1|link6|http%3A%2F%2Ftravel.aol.com%2Ftravel-ideas%2Fgalleries%2Ftop-ten-most-unusual-hotels%3Fncid%3DAOLCOMMtravdynlprim0683

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Whoa.

[seph-ski.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on the good news from your agent. I'm both excited for you, and for far more selfish reasons.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Thanks. The selfish reasons are fine. They tend to flatter me.

[blackestdarkness]

Congratulations on the proposal for Blood Oranges. I retweeted about it when you posted it there. I also am annoyed at LJs that have turned into tweet dumps. I refuse to link mine in such a way. Twitter is for blurbs and it helps me jog my poor memory when I feel up to writing an actual journal entry.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

I also am annoyed at LJs that have turned into tweet dumps.

It's just the strangest thing.

[captaincurt81.livejournal.com]

Very good news re: Blood Oranges proposal. Thanks for the tip about pre-orders for Ammonite Violin. I enjoy your short fiction very much and hope your readership continues to grow.
Re: The Sarah Palin circus. I work for a major book chain. Crazy people are calling up for this book. "Yeah, do you have that new book by Sarah Palin? I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I think she's a crazy, f...ing bitch, but I gotta read this book." Would you read a book by someone you thought was a crazy, f...ing bitch?

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Re: The Sarah Palin circus. I work for a major book chain. Crazy people are calling up for this book. "Yeah, do you have that new book by Sarah Palin? I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I think she's a crazy, f...ing bitch, but I gotta read this book." Would you read a book by someone you thought was a crazy, f...ing bitch?

This is the point, I suppose, assuming these callers are telling you the truth, where morbid curiosity overrides good sense. I don't suppose they pause to consider that the sales help the crazy, fucking bitch, and that they could be spending that money on actual books by actual authors...

...also, in a few months, I expect the hb of the book will be remaindered by the millions and selling wicked cheap.

[captaincurt81.livejournal.com]

The rate of sale on this book is so huge the chain is being replenished with an overnight drop shipment for Thursday delivery. It is unsustainable at this level. I agree, the White House may not be in her future, but remainders certainly are!

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

The rate of sale on this book is so huge the chain is being replenished with an overnight drop shipment for Thursday delivery.

That's just sad.

It is unsustainable at this level. I agree, the White House may not be in her future, but remainders certainly are!

That's not.

[captaincurt81.livejournal.com]

I agree.

[captaincurt81.livejournal.com]

The Ammonite Violin now pre-ordered!

[wolven.livejournal.com]

I miss what some of me had to say, too. I'm still trying to make sure that I write something of substance, here, every few days. Something with a train of thought...

Congrats on the stunning review.