Positive development

Got a reply from a fantasy magazine that only accepts excerpts as submissions, they said they wanted to see the whole story. I sent it to them.

Also, an anthology is having a slush pile reading party this weekend, and I have a story in there.

Right now in a lull after four fast publications durig the spring, but things are simmering.

Still happy to have new glasses.

I can see clearly now...

Got my new glasses yesterday, what a relief. I have put off doing some things until I got them back. I was without reading glasses for two weeks.

Resting

Patricia and I were not able to attend Easter Services today. Friday Patricia didn't have to work, and I went home for lunch. Millie, our yellow labrador, had hopped in her wading pool and came in the house dripping wet. While we were in the kitchen, Patricia slipped on a wet spot in her sandals and fell down, hard, spraining her knee.

We waited for 24 hours to see whether the swelling would subside, which it did. She's been kept the leg up all weekend. Starting Monday she's been assigned to sub every day for four weeks, basically the home stretch of the school year. I suppose we were lucky she had her accident on a Friday so she could recover all weekend.

We watched a local church service on streaming video this morning as a replacement.

Meanwhile tomorrow will mark two weeks that I haven't had my glasses. I went to the optometrist April 11, and apparently we don't have a lab to make lenses in this town, so my prescription was sent away. I've used a pair of prescription sunglasses as a stopgap in the meanwhile.

Last week the doctor's office called and said the lab had broken my old frames. I really didn't trust that they hadn't done that to try to get me to buy frames from them, so I took my prescription and went to the eye store at Walmart. Since this was the first time since we were married that I was getting new frames (I think the old ones went back to 1995, at least), Patricia came along as my fashion consultant. We both agreed on a nice-looking frame, and the new glasses should be back by Wednesday at the latest.

It's good that my eyesight isn't so bad I can't get by without the glasses, especially since I work at a newspaper. I only had one fleeting headache on Friday when I had to sit down and read a 1,600 word story. But I will be relieved when I get the new glasses.

Little problem

Still working on my beta reading. Went through another story tonight. It was also very good. So far I've enjoyed reading these stories on the private forum. Seems to be intellectually stimulating.

Hard to read without my normal glasses, however, I'm running the stories off on hard copy so I can hold right up to my face. I want my glasses!

Reading

Got back from the family trip to the East Coast early Tuesday morning.

Spent most of the night dining out and at eye shop getting new glasses. After a recent visit to an optometrist, they sent my old frames out to be fitted with new lenses. They called a week later and said the old frames broke. I think they were just trying to sell me expensive frames, so I took my prescription someplace else.

Did a stint tonight doing a beta read for Buzzy Mags. Story was fun and enjoyable.

Out of pocket

I am in Great Falls, Virginia, until Tuesday for the celebration of my mother's 80th birthday. She lives with my sister outside Washington, D.C. Right now, Sunday afternoon, I am baking a lasagna.

Surprised

I was surprised to get a story back in the mail today. The New Yorker held onto "Great White Ship" over six months before turning it loose. I assume that's a positive sign, since rejections are fast and acceptances come slowly. I assumed about a month ago I screwed up my submission log, and I sent them a query letter.
I don't mind waiting six months to hear from a mag like The New Yorker. Gardner was taking five months to get back to me towards his reign at Asimov's, but it was worth it. I've gotten handwritten notes back twice from The New Yorker.

"Irredenta" rated

Over at the Free SF Reader blog, Blue Tyson gave "Irredenta" - my story published on the World SF Blog March 15 - 3.5 stars out of five; not bad.

"The Centurion and the Rainman" has already been read by a couple of people over at Buzzy mag. They made some very good comments; overall the story seems very well received.

Magic, the Titanic, et al

My story "The Centurion and the Rainman" has been posted on a private beta reading board with the publication that's accepted it. I think this is the first time I've done this. I can see the usefulness of a beta reading group, as opposed to say, a critique group.

The story is set in a future world where magic has emerged but is suppressed by the existing technological order. The comparisons to the former apartheid regime in South Africa are obvious and even a part of the story's world; the ruling government is referred to as the "Apartech Regime".

Heard from David Gray at 4 Star Stories. He's received a tale I've sent him for his second issue. Like "Meet Me at the Grassy Knoll", this one is also set at a great disaster of the 20th century, in this case, the sinking of the Titanic. "Mak Siccar" also involves time travel, but with my usual Texas twist.

I'm sending "Tell Gilgamesh I'm Sorry" to the New Yorker. It didn't get picked up by the genre mag I sent it to. I've gotten a few notes back with some recent rejections from The New Yorker, it would be a great market to crack. "Centurion" was a story that came back from The New Yorker with a note from the reader.

New collection, new story, new cover

Got confirmation that the publisher got my latest collection I'm trying to peddle. The title - for now - is "Bend it Like Bradbury". Title says pretty much where I'm coming from. Had a little interaction with artist for the cover of "Music for Four Hands". I had floated a suggestion for the design - they (meaning the artist and the publisher) thought it was too busy, they came up with another idea, and I have no objection. Although I got off to a 1,200 word start a few days ago with "Going After Bozo", I decided today to set off on "Davis Ex Machina", and banged out 3,200 words this afternoon and evening. They are both in my so-called Rebuild series. "Davis" is probably 3/4ths done.

Working on collection

I got those two stories I wanted in the email Friday - thanks to Katherine Patterson, who was editor of the late Alienskin magazine - and so I am in the process of knitting together this next collection proposal. It will be about the same size as "Fantastic Texas" and include stories from my 'very first' - the first story I wrote, the first story published, and the first story accepted - which have never been reprinted, up to my very latest. Except for one, none are in "Fantastic Texas" and/or "Texas & Other Planets".

Edited and submitted

I finished up my re-edit of "Pirates of the Ozarks" and it will be going off to an anthology in tomorrow's mail. Despite the supposedly finished state of the tale, it contracted another 100 words on this review - a good sign. I got a start on my next story in the Rebuild series, 1,200 words on "Going After Bozo". I was able to get a hold of the editor of the defunct ezine that published a story I want to include in my next collection proposal, and she promised to get the story for me.

Hack, slash, scribble

I spent this evening doing an edit on my alternate history "Pirate of the Ozarks" with the goal of sending it off to an anthology. I also shot off an email to the former editor of a former ezine that published a couple of stories that I would like to include in my next collection. Unfortunately, for some reason I can't find either the original or backup of the two stories.

Another publication, another invite

The debut issue of Shadowgate science fiction is available as a pdf. It features my short story "Hopscotch and Hottentots". This is my fourth story published this year, my 54th overall. Today I received my invite to be a panelist at this year's ArmadilloCon. I will be attending.

Another sale

Just received work that my story "The Centurion and the Rainman" has been accepted by a new outfit, Buzzy Mag. The first issue is scheduled to debut Jan. 2, 2012. Although the magazine is new, it is part of a larger outfit, Buzzy Multimedia Publishing. I will have to go through a Beta reading process.