Friday funk and other junk

It was a grey January day in "sunny" California. I had a horrible day to end a lousy week. But why dwell? Let's wallow, shall we?

I just read over at Locus that Internet Review of Science Fiction is folding after its February issue. So sad. Here's the story.

On the trying to make it as a SF author front, here are some recent posts about why editors and agents say "no":

• Janet Reid, Literary Agent reveals the reasons why she rejected the manuscripts that she did in 2009.
  
  
• Thanks, but no thanks from Betsy Mitchell of Del Rey.
  
  
• Dealing with Rejection (letters) by Jennifer Jensen
  
  
• Just for fun - this is from 2008 but worthwhile: Rotten Rejections - The Letters that Publishers Wish they'd never Sent
  
  
• And here is an NPR story you can listen to about the rejection letters uncovered that were sent to since famous authors by Alfred A. Knopf publishing house.
  
  
• Remember, you're not alone. Literary Rejections on Display. You can post yours anonymously.
  

My novel, Awesome Lavratt, is supposed to now be available through Baker and Taylor, Ingrams, etc. Please let me know of sightings in bookstores. Meantime, buy one straight from me and I'll even sign it and ship it for free. See my website for details. I'm sure a book sale or two would cheer me up. We writers are really a sad, validation-seeking bunch, aren't we?

I just watched the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still again. It certainly wasn't better the second time. I do like the whole step-mom thing, though, being one myself. And of course, Keanu Reeves saying, "Your planet?" And Kathy Bates. Gotta love her! Even when she's the bad guy.

I had a dream several days ago that we had a cage that had these outside branches like bird perches. Inside the cage were are pet miniature dinosaurs. On the branches were other dinosaurs that looked like tree frogs with brontosaurus necks. One got out, bit my husband and I was trying to track it down. Talk about saved by the bell! I was never so glad to wake up! I'll stick with my 2 dogs and a cat any day. I wonder if there's a story in there somewhere?

And I solved a nagging mystery. That thing that Dr. Who says is allons y. It's "let's go" in French. What would we do without the internet?

This weekend will find Horace Whistlestop (of Awesome Lavratt fame) enslaved by a 7' lizard and fighting off aliens in search of Aranna. I must get a healthy chunk completed for my crit group, the Speculative Fictionators.


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