Here’s today’s progress on the alternate-history battlefield adventure about a widowed nurse from a Confederate hospital aboard a west-bound train pulled by a Union war engine — now with military intrigue, steampunk Texas rangers, undead political separatists, murderous plots, bushwhackers, bandits, sabotage, and epic scenes of mayhem:

Project: Dreadnought
New Words: 3413 (not bad)
Present Total Word Count: 122,181 words
Goal: 140,000 words

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Did day-job work; cleaned house (even the floors); had drinks with Ellen; visited Caitlin’s cats; began work on secret internet project.

Darling du Jour: “The tunnel gaped and yawned, and devoured the great train slowly — incrementally — like one snake swallowing another.”

Reason for Stopping: Time to take a few minutes to work on secret internet project. Shhhh!

What a most excellent day! Not from a word-progress standpoint, though that’s been respectable, if not grandiose; but there was good mail, and money, and helpful information, and professional invitations too.

To give you the highlights reel: (a). I’ve just found out I’ll be attending the Pacific Northwest Bookseller’s Association trade show in Portland come September, which is sure to be a hoot. I’ve done three of these trade shows in the past, and it’s always an awesome, productive time surrounded by books. And then (b). today, at long last, a couple of signed and returned contracts finally made that alchemical transformation into Real Life Money. This resulted in me running around the living room squealing, frightening the cat, and then dashing to the bank with my lovely new check.

Upon depositing same, I (a). set aside a chunk against taxes, and then (b). jumped through the requisite hoops to pay the entirety of my credit card debt.

Yup. That’s right. Killed off every penny.

It feels … strange. I’ve had big fat sums hanging over my head since shortly after college, at which point I found myself without any health insurance and a propensity towards coming down with pneumonia once every few years. Granted, I was also quite simply bad with credit like so many young people are, so I’m not pretending that mine was entirely a virtuous debt; but health issues significantly compounded the problem, taking the figure from being Dumbass Twenty-Something Party-Fund Debt to Serious Crushing Difficulty Debt.

[As a brief aside: Those of you who have recently wondered why it’d been over ten years since I’d been to the dentist … well, there you go. For the last five years I’ve been driving a car with its left headlight held on by packing tape. A routine six-month cleaning was pie in the sky frivolity.]

So yes, this is a momentous day indeed — though to take the edge off my glee, I also got mail reminding me that I still owe over $30,000 in student loan debt (and that’s after spending the last ten years paying on it). So three cheers for two steps forward, and only one step back. :)

And Here’s today’s progress on the alternate-history battlefield adventure about a widowed nurse from a Confederate hospital aboard a west-bound train pulled by a Union war engine — now with military intrigue, steampunk Texas rangers, undead political separatists, murderous plots, bushwhackers, bandits, sabotage, and epic scenes of mayhem:

Project: Dreadnought
New Words: 2391 (not terrible, but meh)
Present Total Word Count: 118,768 words
Goal: 140,000 words

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Did day-job work; went to the bank and spent some time on paperwork and bill-paying; spent awhile in the post office mailing things; visited with Caitlin’s cats; killed my third wasp this week (never mind the two over the weekend, WTF?); ran around the house squealing.

Other: Oh God oh God oh God no more credit card bills. Now I kind of want to go shopping … (but will restrain self. I promise.) Oh well. Fingers crossed and spirits high for now.

Reason for Stopping: Need to run another round of errands before hubs gets home. Am also contemplating supper. Hmmm … supper.

Because every day can’t be a zombie walk picture day.

Here’s today’s progress on the alternate-history battlefield adventure about a widowed nurse from a Confederate hospital aboard a west-bound train pulled by a Union war engine — now with military intrigue, steampunk Texas rangers, undead political separatists, murderous plots, bushwhackers, bandits, sabotage, and epic scenes of mayhem:

Project: Dreadnought
New Words: 5192 (SWEET)
Present Total Word Count: 116,377 words
Goal: 140,000 words

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Did day-job work; went to the post office; exchanged writer-work emails and whatnot; not much else. But in my defense, that’s a pretty bangin’ word count I racked up today. So I don’t apologize for my lack of other activity.

Other: Tonight at the University District Bookstore, Seattle — 7:00 p.m. - Elizabeth Bear will be reading/signing/hanging out. I’ll be there. Not sure who else will put in an appearance, but I highly recommend her to all and sundry.

Reason for Stopping: Need to clean kitchen, maybe take care of utterly filthy floors, consider supper before husband gets home and/or I dash out to the U-district in a couple of hours.

Here’s today’s progress on the alternate-history battlefield adventure about a widowed nurse from a Confederate hospital aboard a west-bound train pulled by a Union war engine — now with military intrigue, steampunk Texas rangers, undead political separatists, murderous plots, bushwhackers, bandits, sabotage, and epic scenes of mayhem:

Project: Dreadnought
New Words: 2717 (meh)
Present Total Word Count: 111,185 words
Goal: 140,000 words

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Did day-job work; partially cleaned house; did some grocery shopping; took a very brief nap due to utter exhaustion following lack of sleep last night (allergies, fan, room temperature, etc.); spent some time with Caitlin’s cats while she’s off doing writer things in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Other: Yup. Definitely going to be closer to 140,000 words. Might as well adjust the word meter bar and admit it to self, universe, et. al.

Reason for Stopping: I’m still exhausted, and tonight is Antiques Roadshow and History Detectives (yay, PBS!), so I’m going to wrap up now, take a shower, and settle in for the night.

Long story short — we started out like this (click to view larger):

And ended up like this (click to view larger):

And if you’d like to see more pictures from the big Fremont Zombie Walk ‘09, then you should click the little jump below and oh boy howdy, shall you have more gruesome pictures. This has already cost me about half a dozen followers of this mirror-blog on LiveJournal, but “Go for broke!” That’s what I say.

Click HERE for MAYHEM AND GORE »

We’re not unreasonable.

As I have been freshly informed, both Wings to the Kingdom and Not Flesh Nor Feathers are now available on Kindle as ebooks. Huzzah and hurrah! I’m glad to know they finally landed, and now the folks who’ve demanded those books in this format can be appeased.

Many thanks to everyone who has shown interest, to those who may show interest in the future, and to YogaGrrl for the heads up.

Here’s today’s progress on the alternate-history battlefield adventure about a widowed nurse from a Confederate hospital aboard a west-bound train pulled by a Union war engine — now with military intrigue, steampunk Texas rangers, undead political separatists, murderous plots, bushwhackers, bandits, sabotage, and epic scenes of mayhem:

Project: Dreadnought
New Words: 5203 (a 2-day total, but 4K+ was written today.)
Present Total Word Count: 109,014 words
Goal: 135,000 words

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Managed day-job duties; did laundry; went to lunch with Caitlin; exchanged important writer business emails.

Other: I give up. There’s no way this book is going to come in under 135,000 words. My true guess is 140,000+ but I refuse to give in to the inevitable at this time. I still have 1-1/2 major scenes to write, plus the wind-down once our heroine reaches her destination. Oh well. Better too long than too short, and that’s a fact.

Revenge of Other: I also realized that I need to go back and write a short prologue, perhaps in the form of a news article. (For the sake of symmetry, I think a news article might be a good form for the info to take; after all, Boneshaker opens with a helpful expository chapter from a history book. A sort-of history book, that is. One that is in the process of being written by a character from the first chapter. So yeah. I think a news article. Perhaps.)

Reason for Stopping: It’s nearly 7:00 p.m. and I’m exhausted. I didn’t really get any work underway until well after lunch, and had to fit it around laundry … so I wore myself out late today. Yargh.

I got a little writing done today, though not as much as I would’ve preferred — only about 1200 words (which is better than nothing, but still). I ran into that old quandary of Failure To Plot This Far, and needed to take a few hours to sort out what happens next. I mean, I know what happens next, I’m just not sure how to … erm … get to what happens next. But I think I have it figured out now.

Anyway. After spending all morning doing day-job stuff and spending a bit after lunch doing writer stuff, I then wandered around for a little errand running (visited the bank and got laundry quarters; went to the drug store, yada yada yada), and nabbed myself a bit of bubble tea on Broadway (as you do). So as you can see, it’s been a MONSTER day of productivity (insert eyeroll here).

But speaking of monsters, this Friday I’ll be joining the crew at this fine event, doing my best to help the cause. You may ask, “What cause?” to which I will gleefully tell you that some local organizers are trying to break the world record for a zombie mob. I will be in the crowd, tricked out in my undead finery and trying to learn how to do the “Thriller” dance, for the sake of verisimilitude.

While I’m there, I’ll very likely hit up the reading/event with S.G. Browne (author of Breathers: A Zombie’s Lament). You’ll find him putting on a show at Fremont Place Books at 4:00 — which yes, puts this reading immediately before the Big Shamble. So come on out and join us! At present, we’ll have the entirety of Team Seattle present (I think), plus an assorted representation of the Cap Hill Crew and heaven knows who else (I think Mark Teppo might put in an appearance?).

And speaking of appearances, plans have finally firmed up for a big Team Seattle event in Salem, Oregon on July 18th. There, you can catch Richelle Mead, Mark Henry, Caitlin Kittredge, Kat Richardson, and yours truly — on that fine Saturday at Escape Fiction (3240 Triangle Dr SE), from noon to 2:00 p.m.

So if you’re in the neighborhood and game for a little bit of literary mayhem and whatnot, please, stop by. We’re always happy to talk to readers, book-buyers, and passers-by alike. Yes, well. We’re a chatty bunch. We often come accessorized with dirty jokes, prizes, schwag, and/or party favors — if that helps influence your decision …

Here’s today’s progress on the alternate-history battlefield adventure about a widowed nurse from a Confederate hospital aboard a west-bound train pulled by a Union war engine — now with military intrigue, steampunk Texas rangers, undead political separatists, murderous plots, bushwhackers, bandits, sabotage, and epic scenes of mayhem:

Project: Dreadnought
New Words: 3967 (pretty good!)
Present Total Word Count: 103,811 words
Goal: 120,000 words

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Performed day-job duties but was not very pleased with self - this project seems to be crawling, and I’m not sure why; went to Trader Joe’s and got some daytime lunch food and whatnot; cleaned kitchen except for the floor (which is the bit that needs it most, alas); not much else.

Other: I mentioned over on Twitter that I found nifty steampunk grocery totes at Trader Joe’s, and between Twitter, email, and facebook (where the tweets are cross-posted) I received almost forty demands that I post pictures. So here you go.

Bride of Other: Now to answer the other FAQs on this unlikely subject: (1). they cost $1.99 apiece and I bought two, hurrah, (2). I have no idea if this is a local thing or a chain-wide thing, sorry, (3). I am not interested in debating whether or not they are merely vintage or actually steampunk, because if the wacky flying machines and uptight corseted ladies licking plates is neither steamy nor punky enough for you, then we must lovingly agree to disagree.

Reason for Stopping: Husband will be home before terribly long, and I have some errands to run before he gets here. Besides, I reached the end of the chapter, banged out nearly 4000 words in about 2-1/2 hours, and I think that’s all my brain can manage today. [:: crashes now ::]

Here’s today’s progress on the alternate-history battlefield adventure about a widowed nurse from a Confederate hospital aboard a west-bound train pulled by a Union war engine — now with military intrigue, steampunk Texas rangers, undead political separatists, murderous plots, bushwhackers, bandits, sabotage, and epic scenes of mayhem:

Project: Dreadnought
New Words: 3592 (not bad)
Present Total Word Count: 99,844 words
Goal: 120,000 words

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Performed day-job duties; did Monday grocery shopping; did a bunch of dishes; exchanged some important emails. Not much else, I’m afraid.

Other: On Saturday, Caitlin and I went down to the Army Surplus store and yea verily, we did nab a whole bunch of great stuff for future steampunk endeavors.* Then, later that evening, Caitlin and I were joined by Bear, Elaine, Torres, and eventually Ellen too … at the g0thbar, folks. Finally we rendezvoused to the iHop that’s (more or less) across the street, and I ate such food at such an hour that heartburn was pretty much a given. But it was totally worth it.

Other, redux: Yesterday morning I joined Bear again for (yet another go at) the Underground Tour and a jaunt to the aquarium. On our way, we saw a great deal of the PRIDE parade (which was about fifty different kinds of awesome), and lo, we did drink bubble tea and wander around the library and do touristy sort of things for a bit, which was a hoot. Following this, we met up with Mary Kay and did nom upon a very fine Mexican supper.

Other, sum-up: It has been a most excellent weekend, but I am very tired now and working more slowly than usual.

Son of Other: The inimitable Subterranean Press is running a 50% off sale. Details and such right here for your drooling pleasure.

Revenge of Other: My pal Psynde is up to her usual antics again, making gothy bling for Vampire Academy fans and lovers of shiny stuff alike. Behold.

Reason for Stopping: Need to take care of a few things before husband gets home from work. I feel like I should’ve written more today, but I had a hard time getting started; am exhausted from a couple days of non-stop activity, and this morning’s day-job work was a little tricky, so it took me awhile to get through what I wanted to finish. And I don’t sit down for writing work until I’ve finished day-job work.

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

If you and your friend have become separated in a crowded venue, and you see that she is standing on tip-toe, searching for you, and her name happens to be “Bear” … then it is inadvertently hilarious to wave and shout, “Bear!” because people will duck and cover, man.

Also, it turns out that Seattle has a chapter of goth nun drag queens.
There is absolutely nothing I do not like about that.

Here’s today’s progress on the alternate-history battlefield adventure about a widowed nurse from a Confederate hospital aboard a west-bound train pulled by a Union war engine — now with military intrigue, steampunk Texas rangers, undead political separatists, murderous plots, bushwhackers, bandits, sabotage, and epic scenes of mayhem:

Project: Dreadnought
New Words: 1641 (removed some content; but still, net gain.)
Present Total Word Count: 96,252 words
Goal: 120,000 words

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Performed day-job duties; cleaned house except the floors; accidentally overfed the fish then freaked out and cleaned half the tank to keep her from gorging herself; that’s pretty much it.

Other: *pbbbt*

Reason for Stopping: I’m hungry, and it’s Friday. Maybe I’ll get more done later tonight. Tomorrow I probably won’t get much work accomplished, and likely not Sunday either. But you never know. I might surprise myself over the weekend.

I am sad for this boy — the dancing kid with the huge voice and the amazing moves. I am sorry about the childhood he seems to have missed, and the defective wreck of an adult he eventually became.

But damn, he could dance.
And damn, he could sing.

Ah, well.

No, I didn’t get any writing work done yesterday (though I kept up my day-job quota; that was all I had the stamina for). People keep sending me articles about how this is the worst allergy season EVAH in Seattle, but then again people were sending me articles on the subject last year, too — so this is only marginally reassuring.

In short, I’ve been sick as a dog off and on for the last few weeks, and this week has been particularly bad. I’ve nearly lost my voice, I’m permanently congested, and I’ve hardly been sleeping thanks to the ensuing drip-caused sore throat. I’m not trawling for digital pity cuddles or anything; I’m just telling you what’s up.

Anyway, the result has been that I’ve been doing a binge cycle of creative work, either doing nothing or burning myself out writing like crazy all afternoon. Yesterday was one of the former. Today was one of the latter.

So here’s today’s progress on the alternate-history battlefield adventure about a widowed nurse from a Confederate hospital aboard a west-bound train pulled by a Union war engine — now with military intrigue, steampunk Texas rangers, undead political separatists, murderous plots, bushwhackers, bandits, sabotage, and epic scenes of mayhem:

Project: Dreadnought
New Words: 5374 (I’d be happier if yesterday’s count hadn’t been a goose-egg)
Present Total Word Count: 94,611 words
Goal: 120,000 words

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Finished up day-job project and sent it off; exchanged some important writer business emails; did dishes and remade the bed (following a cat barf incident of which we will speak no further); received Boneshaker advance readers’ copies (BOO-YAH).

Other: It looks like the aforementioned Boneshaker is going to be a SciFi Essential selection. Or a SyFy essential selection, which is slightly less cool, but still amounts to some nifty cross-promotion.

Reason for Stopping: I am all typed out, and also I have some errands to run.

Here’s today’s progress on the alternate-history battlefield adventure about a widowed nurse from a Confederate hospital aboard a west-bound train pulled by a Union war engine — now with military intrigue, steampunk Texas rangers, undead political separatists, murderous plots, bushwhackers, bandits, sabotage, and epic scenes of mayhem:

Project: Dreadnought
New Words: 4165 (RAR!)
Present Total Word Count: 89,237 words
Goal: 120,000 words

Things Accomplished in Fiction: STUFF. Also mayhem and wackiness, with side orders of violence, injury, and death.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Started a new day-job project and worked my way through about a third of it; did some dishes; gathered laundry but have not yet found the washers/dryers free so I haven’t yet actually done laundry; exchanged a few important writer-business emails; bemoaned my lack of clean clothes.

Other: In case anyone out there wonders why I’m on such a death march with this book, let me put it this way — Dreadnought is due August 1. My contribution to Fort Freak is due in the middle of October. Then Bloodshot is due at Bantam in the middle of December. It’s a busy schedule, and it’s a doable schedule … but it’s only doable if I keep myself focused and consistently productive.

Other, Part Deux: I’m reasonably certain that Dreadnought is going to wind up closer to 140,000 words. At least. But I refuse to change my word meter yet because I don’t wanna.

Reason for Stopping: I reached the end of chapter 15, and now I need to go run a couple of errands before settling in for laundry and supper-making.

The shitty word count today shall have to stand. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, exactly; maybe my allergies are putting in one last gasp of misery before summer, or maybe I was sick last week after all — and overexerted myself at Deception Pass. I don’t know. But I can’t breathe without two rounds of neti-pot messiness and a few spritzes of Afrin: Sinus*. Combine that with a massive headache and some sleepless nights that resulted in kitten-style nap attacks all day, and I’m sorry to admit that there will be no more words forthcoming tonight.

So here’s today’s progress on the alternate-history battlefield adventure about a widowed nurse from a Confederate hospital aboard a west-bound train pulled by a Union war engine — now with military intrigue, steampunk Texas rangers, undead political separatists, murderous plots, bushwhackers, bandits, sabotage, and epic scenes of mayhem:

Project: Dreadnought
New Words: 2055 (FAIL)
Present Total Word Count: 85,072 words
Goal: 120,000 words

Things Accomplished in Fiction: I don’t even remember. Which means, I’ll likely have to rewrite it later, but whatever.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Grocery shopped at Safeway, then Trader Joe’s; went to Petco, where I ran into Torres and we did verily flounce about discussing fish care; napped and drooled and had very strange dreams on the couch; changed the fish tank to include sweet new rocks from Deception Pass.

Other: I know I’ve been scarce and/or boring here lately. Daily whatnot and miscellany available here for the truly devoted. Or deranged. As the case may be.

Reason for Stopping: I’m going to go take a shower with one of those “Shower Soother” dissolving pucks from Vicks, because it makes my head feel better, that’s why.

I’m not finished writing for the day (I can’t be, given my paltry numbers), but it’s been a few days since I made a proper post, and I feel compelled to rectify that. I’d been meaning to post pictures from Saturday’s jaunt to Deception Pass anyway, so here goes — a brief travelogue of my trip out of town with Caitlin and Kat.

Click the jump to see a few more.

Click here for magical maps, driftwood trees, scenic vistas, and cheeseball self-portraits »

Here’s today’s progress on the alternate-history battlefield adventure about a widowed nurse from a Confederate hospital aboard a west-bound train pulled by a Union war engine — now with military intrigue, steampunk Texas rangers, undead political separatists, murderous plots, bushwhackers, bandits, sabotage, and epic scenes of mayhem:

Project: Dreadnought
New Words: 5575 (RAR! But some of that is from last night.)
Present Total Word Count: 83,017 words
Goal: 120,000 words

Things Accomplished in Fiction: Met and chatted with the two Mexican inspectors who have joined the train; likewise the new doctor, acquired in Topeka; noted distinct friction between the Union captain and the creepy scientist, which is bound to come to a head one of these days; began a major raid on the train — but did not get too far underway with it.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Finished up day-job project of doom; sketched out some notes and thoughts about super awesome idea that I don’t have time to address (because I have zero self-restraint, that’s why); might’ve actually napped this illness right out of me.

Other: My buddy Psynde has more bling available, some related to Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy books, some not. I mention this as a favor to you, my peeps, because last time they did this the whole batch sold out in about 24 hours.

Other, Redux: I learned this morning that the Sacramento Book Review had some great things to say about Those Who Went Remain There Still. Alas, the trade edition has long been sold out; but the special edition (with Bonus! cool chapbook) is still available … barely. This is also sort of a “speak now, or forever hold your peace” offer.

Reason for Stopping: I’m at a good stopping place and I need to go pick up the hubs before soon (long story). I say “a good stopping place” because I’m right at the start of a huge action scene, and this is the best way for me to pick up and start writing like a fiend in the morning — leave off in the middle of something cool.

Here’s today’s progress on the alternate-history battlefield adventure about a widowed nurse from a Confederate hospital aboard a west-bound train pulled by a Union war engine — now with military intrigue, steampunk Texas rangers, undead political separatists, murderous plots, bushwhackers, bandits, sabotage, and epic scenes of mayhem:

Project: Dreadnought
New Words: 3096 (Meh. Some is from yesterday.)
Present Total Word Count: 77,442 words
Goal: 120,000 words

Things Accomplished in Fiction: Espionage.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Napped some more, due to ongoing sort-of-illness that is sometimes okay, sometimes not; did lots of day-job reading; changed all bedding due to a certain small, black, furry someone who was kind enough to barf all over my new sheets; got hijacked by an AWESOME new idea that I have exactly ZERO time and/or brainpower to address right now — but which prompted some irresistible research that I really should not have done because I could’ve gotten another thousand words written if I’d had any freaking self-restraint.

Reason for Stopping: Suppertime. Though I’m going to try to get some more writing done this evening. What? You don’t know. It could happen.

No, I didn’t do any work on Dreadnought last week. There was a lot of writer-business-stuff going on, and life just got in the way. Tomorrow, more things are likely to get in the way as I have some running around to do, but I’ll try to keep this a priority. I need to keep this a priority if I’m going to finish a draft by August 1, Lord knows. Lord also knows it’s very likely to run well past 120,000 words (at least for a Draft Zero), and I’ll need to spend some time backtracking. But we shall see.

So here’s today’s progress on the alternate-history battlefield adventure about a widowed nurse from a Confederate hospital aboard a west-bound train pulled by a Union war engine — now with military intrigue, steampunk Texas rangers, undead political separatists, murderous plots, bushwhackers, bandits, sabotage, and epic scenes of mayhem:

Project: Dreadnought
New Words: 5084 (HELLS YEAH)
Present Total Word Count: 74,346 words
Goal: 120,000 words

Things Accomplished in Fiction: Coupler broke, and the train has stopped temporarily in Kansas City; sneaking around ensues; spy activities abound; the Texas Ranger lays out what he knows of the missing Mexican legion to Mercy, who finds the whole thing unbelievable … yet strangely familiar.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Changed Merrimack’s tank; went grocery shopping; did oodles of day-job checking/double-checking; napped on the couch following a big fat dose of pills; woke up with a start and started writing like the wind; now have a sore throat again and am on the verge of getting quite whiny.

Reason for Stopping: 5000 words is just about all I’ve got in me, on any given day — much less a given day when I’ve been sick, and got out of bed around 7:15, and spent the morning working on day-job stuff. I wrote most of that in about 2-1/2 hours, which is some kind of land-speed record for me, I think.

And now for the happy tunes mix starter kit. As with the previous, these aren’t necessarily songs that are personal favorites, or are even innately happy — but for some reason they make me happy. So here goes, more than you probably want to know about me, but oh well:

• “Intergalactic” by the Beastie Boys. What’s not to love? Even if you don’t have my mile-wide soft spot for the BBs, this is a fun one. Loud enough to holler along to, bouncy enough to keep you company in traffic. Sample lyrics: If you try to knock me you’ll get mocked / I’ll stir fry you in my wok / Your knees’ll start shaking and your fingers pop / Like a pinch on the neck of Mr. Spock! Does that make a lick of sense? No! Of course not. Damn straight.

• “Rock the Casbah” by the Clash. Because when I was a kid I was convinced they were saying, “Cherie don’t like it … rock the casbah, rock the casbah…” And it makes me want to hop around. A most excellent house-cleaning tune. Sample lyrics: But the bedouin they brought out / the electric camel drum / the local guitar picker got his guitar picking thumb / as soon as the shareef had cleared the square / they began to wail …

• “Severence,” the Bauhaus cover. This one is either utterly sinister or relentlessly optimistic, however you want to read it. Change is in the air, and something new is on the horizon — but God knows what it’ll be. Sample lyrics: Severance / the birds of leaving call to us / yet here we stand / endowed with the fear of flight.

• “Dirt” by Depeche Mode. If there’s a more moodily gleeful declaration of self-loathing evaporating into (undoubtedly) drug-assisted apathy and bliss out there … then I just don’t know what it is. This one’s from the Resident Evil soundtrack, and it’s heavy and sarcastic, and it makes me smile. Sample lyrics: Ooh, I’ve been dirt / and I don’t care / ooh, I’ve been dirt / and I don’t care / ’cause I’m burning inside / ’cause I’m burning inside / I’m the fire of life / yeah alright…

• “Pure” by The Lightning Seeds. If ever a tune was made to spin around the room to, then this is surely it. Unabashedly sweet and thrilled silly with itself, it’s hard to hear this one without wanting an ice cream cone and maybe a puppy. Sample lyrics: Look at me with starry eyes / push me up to starry skies / there’s stardust in my head / pure and simple everytime / fresh and deep as oceans new / shiver at the sight of you …

• “God’s Gonna Cut You Down,” by Johnny Cash. Sure, it’s all about righteous vengeance and the inevitability of divine retribution, but hearing this song makes me want to wring my hands and go, “MWOO HAHA HAHA HAH” real loud as I think of the people who’ve wronged me. Sample lyrics: Well you may throw your rock and hide your hand / workin’ in the dark against your fellow man / but as sure as God made black and white / what’s done in the dark will be brought to the light …

• “Albert Goes West” by Nick Cave. A weird, bouncy, and satisfying song about someone who watches everybody go off looking for happiness, and generally fail to find it when they could’ve just stayed put and had a lovely time. Favorite lyrics: Me, I ain’t going anywhere / just sit and watch the sun come up, I like it here / I watch the people go ticking past, go hey hey hey / you know I gotta say I like it here…

• “Dragula” by Rob Zombie. YES MR. ZOMBIE I WOULD IN FACT VERY MUCH LOVE TO DIG THROUGH THE DITCHES, ETCETERA. I dunno why. He just makes it sound like so much fun. Sample lyrics: Dead I am the dog / hound of hell you cry / devil on your back / I can never die … (See also, Zombie’s cover of “Boogieman.”)

• “Vision Thing” by Sisters of Mercy. Because you know what? It IS a small world, and it DOES smell bad. Or I don’t know. Maybe the unbridled cynicism and aggression are just what the doctor ordered, once in awhile. Makes me want to thrash around and hit bad things while smiling, real big. Sample lyrics: Its a small world and it smells funny / I’d buy another if it wasnt for the money / take back what I paid / for another motherfucker in a motorcade …

• “Optimissed” by Skinny Puppy. Kicky modern goth (shuddup, I know) sound, growly and fast, insistent and none too sweet. The lyrics are virtually impossible to understand, and even if you’re reading them, they are hopelessly pointless. Don’t care! Sample lyrics: Get out, get out, get out, get out, get out ….

• “Never Been to Spain” by Three Dog Night. I have never been to Spain either. I’m sure it’s lovely. But this is a weird little un-travelogue of a piece that crests merrily and throws a big ol’ party in its wake. Now I love it all the more since I did, in fact, head out for Las Vegas this year (though I made it well past Needles). Sample lyrics: Well I never been to Heaven / but I been to Oklahoma / well they tell me I was born there / but I really don’t remember…

• “American Music” by the Violent Femmes. If you can listen to this song and not feel joy, then surely you have no soul. This is a driving song, written to compel your hand to reach out for the knob, crank it up, and sing along regardless of who’s in the vehicle with you. Sample lyrics: I need a date to the prom / would you like to come along? / but nobody would go to the prom with me baby / they didnt like American music / they never heard American music / they didn’t know the music was in my soul baby ….

• “Science Fiction, Double Feature” by Richard O’Brien. Well, since I closed the last list with the Rocky Horror Picture Show, I’ll do likewise here. I love the opener, not just for the lips. It makes me want to load up on cheap wine and black-and-white movies, and sit around munching popcorn while cross-dressing. Sing it with me, virgins … “Michael Rennie was ill The Day the Earth Stood Still / But he told us where we stand / and Flash Gordon was there in silver underwear / Claude Rains was The Invisible Man …”
  

As my pal Caitlin mentioned over on her page, she and I got into a conversation about depressing music — and her recommendations have been posted for your reading pleasure. Or sorrow, as the case may be. I realize that creating a definitive list would be an exercise in futility that would lead to internet bickering through all the years to come; and I furthermore realize that some of the songs I’d choose aren’t necessarily regarded as Grade A tear-jerkers by all and sundry.

I shall consider it a personal challenge to avoid the obvious offenders (Smiths, Cure, Peter Murphy, Sisters of Mercy, Depeche Mode,* etc.). So here goes, my own humbly submitted suggestions for a Suicide Watch mix:

• The Big Parade, by 10,000 Maniacs. An invalid (perhaps dying) woman sends her youngest son to the Vietnam memorial to deposit some of his dead older brother’s personal items. Sample lyric: He’ll go live his mother’s dream / join the slowest parade he’ll ever see / Her weight of sorrows carried long and carried far / “Take these, Tommy, to The Wall.”

• Fancy, by Bobbie Gentry (originally). A poverty-stricken, terminally ill woman sells her teenage daughter into prostitution in the hopes that she’ll one day have a better life. Some people would argue that this one ends on a somewhat uplifting note, to which I say, “So what?” Sample lyric: It sounded like somebody else was talkin’ / askin’, “Momma what do I do?” / She said, “Just be nice to the gentlemen, Fancy / They’ll be nice to you.”

• Over and Out, by Alkaline Trio. No, not my favorite band or anything, but this song is on the soundtrack to Underworld 3: Rise of the Lycans; and contextually it’s a sniffler — scenario after scenario of people dying, and leaving loved ones behind. Sample lyrics: “Over and out”, she said / From a hospital bed / “For what it’s worth / It doesn’t hurt, don’t cry…”

• Tomorrow Wendy, by Concrete Blonde. A woman is dying (of AIDS, I believe), and a loved one struggles through the stages of grief. Sample lyrics: Underneath the chilly gray November sky / we can make believe that Kennedy is still alive and / we’re shooting for the moon and smiling Jackie’s driving by / but they say, “Good-bye. Tomorrow Wendy you’re going to die.”

• Mad World, by Tears for Fears (originally). Mad props to the Gary Jules version of this song used in Donnie Darko; it’s got a crushing simplicity to it that is breathtaking if you’re in the right mood or if you’ve had a few drinks. Sample lyrics: And I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad / the dreams in which I’m dying are the best I’ve ever had / I find it hard to tell you ’cause I find it hard to take / When people run in circles it’s a very, very mad world …

• Was It Something I Said, by OMD. A naked and strangely sweet song about someone grieving for a relationship that turned into nasty friends politicking and hard feelings. It’s not a song about death or the end of the world or anything, but there’s always been something about it that makes me a little maudlin. Sample lyrics: Don’t you come around here no more / don’t you waste my time / don’t you dare to phone me / don’t you even have me on your mind …

• Super Heroes, from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Because I’m a giant cheese-monkey, that’s why. If you’ve never heard this one that’s no surprise; it didn’t make it into the main release. But it’s easy to find if you’re curious. This song plays at the very end, as the castle is being beamed up into outer space. It’s a low-key, haunting, mournful little tune wherein Brad and Janet finally realize the extent of what’s been lost, and the cost that is yet to come. Sample Lyrics: I’ve done a lot / God knows I’ve tried / to find the truth / I’ve even lied / but all I know / is down inside / I’m bleeding … (see also, to a lesser extent, Once in Awhile.)
  

Okay, kids. That’s all I’ve got off the top of my head at the moment. Feel free to add your own suggestions or contributions in the comments, here or anyplace else. You never know. There could be somebody out there in desperate need of a downer. So have a good weekend, everyone! Or don’t. Whatever works best for you.

• George R. R. Martin brings the freebies. Sample content from the upcoming Wild Cards book SUICIDE KINGS can be found live and cost-free up at his webage. (Edited to add: I’m contributing to the one after SK, not this one. But that’s no reason you shouldn’t go check it out.)

• Cat Valente brings the YA badassery. The divine Ms. V. will be serializing a young adult novel — The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making over on her website, and you can sign up to read it on an eminently reasonable subscription basis. Go see! It sounds awesome.

• Oooh … shiny! My buddy Psynde is doing a line of jewelry that ties in with Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series … and she has a bunch of other lovely (unrelated) pieces up for sale as well. All hand-made stuff of damn fine quality. I love her work (and I’m not just sayin’ that).

• A Harvard Psychiatrist Explains Zombie Neurobiology. Aw, I liked this. “Through education Dr. Steven C. Schlozman is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a lecturer at the Harvard School of Education. He is also an avid sci-fi and horror fan - and, apparently, the world’s leading authority on the neurobiology of the living dead.”
  

No new words on Dreadnought today, for which you can blame this guy. To sum up the situation, I sat down for a few hours this afternoon and knocked out a full draft of a short story for this project, which will soon be passed along to my collaborative partner-type person for further augmentation and contribution. No, I have no clue what the final product will look/sound/read like. I suppose we’ll have to see.

Hint: Those of you who follow me on Twitter know that a few weeks ago I had a really weird dream about a chaotic-neutral supernatural librarian who feeds evildoers to a set of vampiric reference books. Yes, well. Cheap wine and Pop-Tarts before bed, that’s my secret.

Anyway, I’ve been wanting to do a project aimed at younger readers for some time now, and since my SUPER AWESOME YA novel hasn’t yet found a home [:: fingers still crossed ::], I figured this particular short story would be the perfect opportunity to get that YA urge out of my system. For a bit. So I took a stab at it, and in another few weeks, you’ll get to see the end results — or so I am led to believe.

Whether or not anything ever comes of it, I’m glad to have the story (tentatively called “The Stacks”) down on paper; and despite the fact that Dreadnought’s progress bar didn’t creep forward any farther today, I count a 4000-word horror short to be productivity all the same. Perhaps the brief and temporary change of gears will be good for me. Stay tuned.

Had a busy weekend, wherein I did not get a single bit of writing done. But I have a very good series of excuses — ranging from “I went yardsale-hopping with Caitlin, Psynde, Ellen, and Suezie” to “I went out to Redmond and visited with authors and other cool folks,” and “I dragged the husband back out to the boonies on a hunt for old trains.”

So you see, I have my excuse bases covered.

I also came back from the weekend with many pictures of the aforementioned old trains in varying states of repair, and a large parrot-shaped wicker umbrella stand, the awesomeness of which is frankly not to be believed.

But anyway. Here’s today’s progress on the alternate-history battlefield adventure about a widowed nurse from a Confederate hospital aboard a west-bound train pulled by a Union war engine — now with military intrigue, steampunk Texas rangers, undead political separatists, murderous plots, bushwhackers, bandits, sabotage, and epic scenes of mayhem:

Project: Dreadnought
New Words: 4119 (BOOYAH)
Present Total Word Count: 69,262 words
Goal: 120,000 words

Things Accomplished in Fiction: The train is raided, but the raid is cut inexplicably short and little damage is done; Mercy is outted as a Union war widow, which works out rather well for her (for the time being); a very sweet shot-up Yankee boy gets patched up; the Texian Horatio Korman refrains from making trouble for Mercy, though they know each other’s secrets.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Went to Trader Joe’s hungry; came home with oodles of snack food; sat around and ate; cleaned house a little bit; did lots of day-job reading; sent off Boneshaker proof changes (yesterday).

Reason for Stopping: I’m starting a new project (a very short project, but one with an imminent deadline) and I need to actually get it underway today if it’s going to be finished in time. Will provide details as they are relevant.

After much delay in the daily progress, here’s today’s forward momentum on the alternate-history battlefield adventure about a widowed nurse from a Confederate hospital aboard a west-bound train pulled by a Union war engine — now with military intrigue, steampunk Texas rangers, undead political separatists, murderous plots, bushwackers, bandits, sabotage, and epic scenes of mayhem:

Project: Dreadnought
New Words: 3475 (pretty good!)
Present Total Word Count: 65,143 words
Goal: 120,000 words (revised goal)

Things Accomplished in Fiction: We’re aboard the big scary train and west of St. Louis, and now the task of introducing the fellow passengers is proving tricky. I get bored with info dumps, but I have to throw these people into the mix somehow. Perhaps the time has already come for a bushwacker attack … that’ll get everyone talking …

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Set up and started a new dayjob project after fighting with work laptop and giving up until husband can get home and sort out the wireless issue (because he’s smrt like that); made Velveeta shells and cheese for lunch just because; did oodles of research on 19th century passenger trains, which took up most of my “writing work” day — and this is why I’m so happy that I knocked out almost 3500 words regardless.

Other: Merrimack the Fish seems to be doing just fine, and Spain the Cat is keeping cool like a champ. Actually, it’s not half so warm today as it has been for the last week or so, much to my chagrin (but probably to the cat’s personal glee … and definitely to the husband’s ecstasy).

Reason for Stopping: Now it’s time to spend an hour or two with the Boneshaker proofs. I’m about halfway through with these things, but they’re due on the ninth so I need to pick up my reading pace over here.

Just got back from a drawn-out luncheon with Psynde and Caitlin (Cap Hill crew represent), and now I ought to be working but it’s lovely warm and I don’t wanna. The wall thermometer in my hanging file* says it’s 84 degrees in here and I, for one, am quite happy about this development. But because I am a loving wife. I suppose I’ll turn on a couple of fans in advance of Aric’s coming home. It won’t change the temperature much, but it’ll get the air moving. Bless his heart.

(For what it’s worth, since people have been asking — the fat little cat seems just fine. She hangs out on the bedspread with a small electric fan ruffling her fur most of the day, and she wanders out to the living room to watch TV with me once in awhile. All is well.)

Anyway. I’m going to log off and be productive (no really). I’m going to sit down with a notebook and plot out some of the Next Important Things in Dreadnought, for I am at a major hinge in the book (if you will) and I need to make sure I do this next chapter or two juuuuuust right if I want the whole thing to hang together. Ergo, still no new word counts — but I’ll fix that tomorrow.

And now I will sign off to a picture of the wee green hummingbird who’s been frequenting the balconette all day. I make a mean sugar solution, that’s for damn sure.

And the winner is … erm … nobody, to date. As sometimes happens, the wee girlie inspired her own name. I was feeding her yesterday, watching her slide around under the surface, and I was struck by the faint silver streaks on her back/sides. So I started mumbling, “Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack, all dressed in black, black, black, with silver buttons, buttons, buttons, on her back, back, back …”*

Then I thought “Merrimack” would be a fun name for a fish, and I can still call her “Mary Mack” and sing schoolyard tunes when I present her with her morning flakes.

So henceforth let it be known that the new girl shall be called “Merrimack the Fish.”

And what of the Boneshaker advance copy giveaway? Upon double-checking my stash, it turns out that I might have two spare copies of the thing hanging around — and what I will likely do is pick a couple of favorites from amongst the nearly 600 suggestions (no kidding) that came pouring in via LJ, CheriePriest.com, Facebook, and Twitter. Thanks to everyone who chimed in. It was a hoot and a half, and I learned the fun way that some of you people are unbalanced.

I’ll try and let folks know within the next day or two.
But for now, I need to get back to work.

(Fish name news must wait for later. Though I’ve heard many things I liked, I’m not 100% sold on anything yet, so the contest shall continue through this afternoon, at least.)

• Road Trip of the Living Dead, by Mark Henry. If you have a wicked sense of humor and a hankering for revoltingly hilarious zombie fiction that’s super-smart and utterly unafraid to cross any line of decency, then start here. Or, for double your pleasure, double your fun, start here.

• Street Magic, by Caitlin Kittredge. Not your run-of-the-mill urban fantasy by a country mile. Grim, sticky, and gutsy mystery/police procedural with Bonus! magic that’ll stand your hair up on end. For bonus mayhem, try her young adult collaborative piece with Jackie Kessler, Black and White, which is a ferociously unexpected superhero fable for the next generation.

• Succubus Heat, by Richelle Mead. Georgina’s at it again, thank God or whoever hangs out at the other end of the cosmos. If you like your modern fantasy hotter than hell, this is the series for you — and it is a damn fine series. And oh yes, if you click that link you’ll note the Vampire Academy books — just the thing for sharp younger readers who are smarter than Twilight and jonesing for something with a little less glitter.

• Greywalker, by Kat Richardon — now out in handy-dandy purse and pocket-sized mass market edition. We’ve got your paranormal noir right here, morally ambiguous, immediate, and dangerous cover to cover. See also, the rest of the titles in this series by the same author — because there’s no reason to stop with just one.