... what if it were my husband?

dancingshaman aka Alex, my friend of many years and married to one of my best gal pals of many years, died tonight while I was out.

Thank God, I called him last week. Thank God, he was lucid and laughing and made me laugh, too. We had such a good talk. It wasn't a good-bye talk. It was a "I'll talk to you soon" thing but stuff that needed to be said was said. We had plans to talk next Monday. I was going to teach him to Skype.

I don't know what's going on now with the funeral and stuff. If there is one, I'll be flying down for it.

I'm pretty tore up with conflicting thoughts and out-of-control emotions.

Godspeed, Alex. I'll miss you.

This is the point where I politely announce that Seanan McGuire has joined the TEoP team and I am politely pleased about the whole thing. But I'm not feeling all that polite. In fact, I'm feeling just a wee bit smug because Seanan McGuire is writing for me. Na-na-nana-na!

Abstract Thoughts has been updated with OryCon 2009 Report - What it says. There are some changes coming. Keep your eyes open. ( Read more... )

Abstract Thoughts has been updated with two entries:

19 Nov: Finding My Voice - All about the advice of professionals.

23 Nov: Three Years & Counting - My third year as a full-time author.

I have a couple of stories that are eligible this year:

"Honoring the Dead"; Wily Writers, May 2009 [short story] (This one is my favorite of these stories.)

"Three Flashes of Fang & Fur"; Relief Anthology in "The Fleas They Carried" anthology [short story]

"Nothing Left to Salvage"; Wily Writers, November 2009 (This just came out today!) [short story]

"A Bite to Remember"; Permuted Press in "The World is Dead" anthology [short story]

Volume 47: November 2009

Welcome to the Edge of Propinquity. Volume 47 is now published. The transition from fall into winter is a thrilling time with brisk winds, nosy storms and the portent of dark days to come. In this penultimate volume we have a trap sprung, a victim lead towards an ambush, a lost soul looking for guidance anywhere he can and an attempt to make amends.


Luminations - Sand by Rick Silva AKA shaharazad
Solstice - Autumn, Part Two by Ivan Ewert AKA ivan23
Danyael - Winter's Night by Nick Bergeron
Guest Author - The House of Bad Blood by Robert Mitchell Evans



Have you ever looked over the edge and seen something looking back at you?

Sincerely,
Jennifer Brozek
Editor, The Edge of Propinquity
http://www.edgeofpropinquity.net/default.asp

My Google-fu has failed me.

I am looking for the creator of this image of a destroyed Seattle.

I cannot find out anything about it. On the bottom right corner, it has the word "Scratched" and a second word I cannot make out. I think the second might be "technology" but I'm not sure.

I want to compliment the creator on the image.

I want to buy a hard copy print of it.

Let's make it a contest: The first person who can get me in contact with the creator/owner of this image, will win a copy of my post apocalyptic anthology GRANTS PASS and my sincere appreciation.


NOTE: The creator has been found. Thank you.

I want to help my brother get his love a decent sewing machine for Xmas but I know nothing about sewing machines. Help me LJ seamstresses and tailors, you're my only hope! Please email me about this. It is important.

It does not have to be new. If refurbished is cheaper but you get a better machine, that will do.

My brother's lady friend is an avid seamstress and makes clothing for him to wear "just cause" and you can't tell that they are handmade.

Finally, my brother and his love live in the Bay Area. I was hoping to have someone in the Bay Area pick this sewing machine out and deliver it to him.

I do not fear death itself. It is the journey towards death that affects me on a profound level I cannot explain. Death comes for us all. It comes for our loved ones and for us. How we meet that death is rarely in our hands. It comes sudden or unexpected and there is little time to think of the consequences of that death until after it comes. Sometimes, we see death coming and there is nothing we can do about it except prepare for the inevitable.

A friend of mine is dying of cancer. He is someone I used to game with on a very regular basis before I moved to Seattle. He was and is still a good friend. He has been battling cancer for some time now but, until recently, he's been winning—a pyrrhic victory it seems. Instead of the projected years of life before him, his life is suddenly measured in weeks. Weeks. Months if we are lucky.

We.

I rail at myself because this is not about "we." It is about him and how he will end his life. Yet, it is about "we" because he has affected us all and we have affected him. We will lose something precious when he dies—and he will die—and there is nothing we can do about it except be there for him until the end. Be there and help support his wife who will lose her best friend in the world.

I have not been dealing well with this fact of death lately. I have sent emails expressing my love and care for my dying friend but, really, there is nothing more I can do. I cannot imagine what he is going through. All I can imagine is what it would be like if it were my husband dying instead of my friend.

Abstract Thoughts has been updated with Obscure Celebrity - about people's responses to authors. ( Read more... )

The Little Finance Book That Could has sold to Lean Marketing Press

That makes book #5 coming out in 2010.

1. Shanghai Vampocaplyse - Talisman Studios, lead writer
2. In a Gilded Light: 105 Tales of the Macabre - Dark Quest Books, author
3. The Little Finance Book That Could - Lean Marketing Press, author
4. Close Encounters of the Urban Kind anthology - Apex Publications, editor
5. Beauty Has Her Way anthology - Dark Quest Books, editor

Abstract Thoughts has been updated with The Return of Hunger - which is about my ongoing saga with my lapband and a much needed reminder. ( Read more... )

If I wanted to start recording some of my short stories into MP3s, what software would you recommend? Free or for pay software. Free is better.

I forgot to mention that I am fine with the lapband. It was just too tight and I was having reflux. It's loosened now and all badness has gone away.

I don't really talk too much about what's going on with my physically. I figure that everyone has their own physical woes. Unfortunately, things are getting a bit rough. My knees are bad but getting better with the restriction of limiting the use of stairs along with wearing the high arched shoes. That's gotten to the point where I don't need to see a doctor.

However, I'm having some bad problems with my lapband right now. It's affecting my sleeping to the point that I'm waking up my husband (who sleeps like the dead) with my coughing. I'm going into the doctor's tomorrow to see what's up. The support group thinks either I'm too tight (easily fixed if perplexing) or acid reflux (perplexing due to taking prilosec) or a slipped band (not easily fixed and kind of a pain). The last bit would require surgery. I'm hoping it is not that.

catephoenix and xjenavivex are to credit/blame for this one.

List your most recent search topics related to your writing projects. Keywords only.

Plymouth
The Old Colony Club
Plymouth Rock
Urban legends of Massachusetts
"The Old Coot"
Shanghai architecture
Shanghai population
Shanghai religions
The Philosopher's Stone
Daughters of the Eastern Star

Volume 46: October 2009

Welcome to the Edge of Propinquity. Volume 46 is now published. Fall is a time of introspection and self examination as the body prepares for the cold of winter. This month, we have a fight with a deadly foe, the realization that an ally is not what he seems, an attempt at a new alliance and a betrayal of siblings.


Luminations - Desert by Rick Silva AKA shaharazad
Santa Maria - Connections by James M. Sullivan AKA sylvan
Solstice - Autumn, Part One by Ivan Ewert AKA ivan23
Danyael - Flight by Nick Bergeron
Guest Author - Inspirations by Seanan McGuire AKA seanan_mcguire


Have you ever looked over the edge and seen something looking back at you?

Thanks!
Jennifer Brozek
Editor, The Edge of Propinquity
starkytten@yahoo.com

Abstract Thoughts has been updated with Writer Interrupted - but not for long. Lots about writing. Mostly what I'm doing for the rest of the year.( Read more... )

Not only is Proverbial Monsters live on DriveThruRPG, as of right now, it has the #1 spot! I'm giddy with excitement.

This is my first solo book for White Wolf SAS products.