I made it a bit of a tradition to watch Frozen on Christmas night. That’s all I’m going to say about this one.
Happy Christmas
And for this special day, a Christmas half-succubus.
I’m doing a new Thaumatology story, so I’m working through new character models. This is the new Lily in a silly Christmas outfit. Because… Do I need a reason?
Paperback Writer
There is a new feature on the Amazon KDP system which is, apparently designed to promote their print-on-demand service. As some of you may know, I’ve played with PoD before and I came to the conclusion that, while it’s cool to have a print copy of a book I wrote, the sales aren’t really sufficient to justify the cost of formatting the document for print. It seems that Amazon are attempting to reduce the cost by using the same source file to produce the print copy, but I would need to produce appropriate artwork: the ebook cover would need to be enhanced, basically.
Now, I may try playing with this anyway, just to see what comes out of their new system, but I wanted to do a straw poll and see what people think. Is there an interest in physical copies of my books? Print tends to be more expensive, but it’s all Amazon so if you buy one from them you’d get a discount on the other format.
Your thoughts would be appreciated.
Letters to Santa
Okay, folks, this is… Hmm. Well, I was digging around in my files this evening (damn, it’s almost 11pm) and I found something which I think was supposed to be longer and never got finished. I’m fairly sure it was supposed to be longer and a lot sadder, and maybe one day it will be, but for now there’s about a page of it and I thought I’d share it. It is that time of year…
Uh, also, I updated the What I’m Up To page today. I’m working on getting the next Thaumatology book going, hence me finding this. Here we go. All spelling errors are intended. Hope you’re as amused as I was when I found it.
A Letter to Santa
By Lilith Carpenter, aged 7¾
Dear Santa,
I know I am a half-sucky-bus, but I think I should be allowed to write a letter to you, even if Miriam Wooster says I cant, but everyone says how she smells so I think I can because she smells. So I am writing you this letter so that you will no what I want fro Chissmas.
Mummy says that you only bring presents to good little girls. I am a good little girl even if I am a half-sucklybus. I help my Mummy with the dishes. I dry dishes real good and I have not broken one this month. I have not pulled Miriam Wooster’s hair for a week even if she smells and calls me a big fat demon. I am not a demon. I am a half-sucsybus.
Okay what I would like for Chissmas is a Daddy. I would like a Daddy because all the other children have one, even if they do not all live with them. I dont have a Daddy at all. Well I do but he is in demonland with the other demons and I cant even visit him or call him on the telyphone. I would like a Daddy so I can be like everone else. But most of all I would like a Daddy because my Mummy needs him to. I see her looking sad sometimes and I know having a Daddy to be with would make her happy and I want Mummy to be happy so I would like a Daddy.
And a pony.
Thank you Santa.
Love, Lilith.
~~~
By Lilith Carpenter, aged 8¾
Dear Santa,
Thank you for sending me my Daddy. He is a great Daddy and tells me the best bedtime stories.
My spelling has got a lot better in the last year. I am amazed you could read last year’s letter. I suppose you have a lot of practice reading bad writing.
I have been a really good girl this year. Daddy says I will grow up to be a good little succubus, just like Tef. Mummy says I have to stay a good little girl, otherwise I will be a right little madam. I hope I can be a good little succubus and a good little girl.
Thank you for sending my Daddy.
Please could I have the pony now.
Love, Lilith.
~~~
By Ceridwyn Brent, aged 9
Dear Santa,
Look, I realise you’re a mythical, pseudo-religious character created to Christianise a pagan myth-figure, but our teacher says we have to write a “Letter to Santa” to put up on the pin-board, so here is mine. Don’t get me wrong, I love presents just as much as the next kid, but I know you don’t come down the chimney to deliver them. For one thing, Dad told me years ago you were fictional, and even if my parents wanted to be a bit secretive about putting the presents out, I spotted them sneaking down from the attic last year.
Okay, now we have that out of the way, I guess I should give you the list. I’d like:
A My First Alchemy Set.
A thaumometer of my own. Dad has loads, but I’d like one. A proper one, not a kid’s one.
A copy of the Junior Thaumatologist’s Encyclopaedia.
Oh, and a pet dragon.
Thanks, Ceri.
Status Update
Aka: The Sanity Report.
Sanity Status: Mild hallucination with some delusions of normality.
I am, to some extent, in my new home. I have internet and all my computers are attached to it now (via a 20m CAT5 cable in one case). I’m about in a position to do some more writing, intermixed with continued unpacking of boxes.
I still aim to have Gunwitch: Rebirth out before Christmas. After that… I think I’m going to do the next Thaumatology book. I know, it’s been said before. I’m going to have a good, hard try at it because I think I’m in the mood. Update on whether that’s working once the Gunwitch book is out.
Halloween Witch
It’s that time of year: time for an unconventional witch.
In this case, a Gunwitch in a dress with cobweb patterns on it. More about her when the horror has died down. (Obviously, I mean moving house. Halloween isn’t scary anymore.)
Be My Valentine
Well, not mine, I wouldn’t presume, but Dione’s open to offers.
Valentines Day Officially Moved to October!
Okay, not really.
This is an update on my current entropy level, i.e. how much chaos do I have in my system. Current entropy level is: Imminent universal heat death.
Anyway, Be My Valentine will be officially released on Sunday, that’s the 30th. That’s good: vampires just before Halloween. I’m currently working through the edits and I don’t have cover art yet (such is the state of my life). If I can get everything organised sometime tomorrow, then I’ll put the book up early, but I’m only going to promise it’ll be up before midnight on Sunday. As soon as it’s live, I’ll let you all know.
My house move is progressing to the point where I know I’m going to be largely without internet from November 5th to 11th. If anyone’s trying to contact me during that period… Well, I probably won’t know about it. At least I won’t have any distractions to stop me doing moving stuff. However, expect me to be mildly insane on the 12th.
Valentine
Be My Valentine, the second in my vampire series, is out for proof reading. You should be seeing it in the shops next weekend (unless you buy from B&N or Apple, that takes a bit longer). I’m probably safe saying that, and in saying that Gunwitch: Rebirth will follow in (mid-)December. Everything else is up in the air right now.
I’m trying to organise my tax for the year and move house. I can’t sleep (hence writing this at 03:35) because I’m worrying over tax documents and completion dates. The only times I can sleep without my brain throwing up every problem in the book are when I’m too tired to think. Annoyingly, this tends to be during the day, when I should be getting stuff done. Writing and plotting I can do more or less any time, but calling my accountant needs office hours.
Gives me some binge-watching time, so it’s not all bad, I guess. I did all of Sleepy Hollow seasons 2 and 3 in about four days. I have a horrible feeling that’s going downhill for season 4, but there you go. Then Blindspot turned up for a reasonable price on Amazon, so I blasted through the first season of that. Of course, I’m probably looking at a year before I can get season 2, which is annoying (probably).
So, my life is chaos, TV, and insomnia, but you should get a new book next week.
Posted in Gunwitch, News, Opinion, Princeps Venator
Tagged amazon, Blindspot, insomnia, release date, Sleepy Hollow, TV
Witches and Ray-Guns 