the wife

The obligatory Turkey Day post

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The pies have been made, the dishwasher has been unloaded, loaded and then run again, the coffee has brewed, and it’s snowing. Thanksgiving! (for Americans, at least) Me, I’m about to go do today’s pages before I get together with the family for cooking, eating and watching some old movie (up this year: Errol Flynn’s THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD–and didn’t my 8yo roll his eyes when he saw that DVD cover.)

But it’s a time to take note of those things we’re thankful for. Me, I’m a guy who thinks about thankfulness and gratitude all year long; in a sense, I obsess over it. I’m always measuring my debt to those who are kind to me or who love me, and I’m constantly trying to pay back. However, today is a day when those feelings are normal, so I’m going to indulge, especially since I have something new to add this year.

First I’m thankful for my family. Nothing is ever going to trump that. If aliens came down in space ships and gave the world free energy machines, pills that heal knee injuries, and cameras that never took a picture of a politician with their mouth closed, I’d still be more amazed that my wife not only puts up with me and all my craziness, but agreed to have our child.

But for the first time I have something new to add to the list. Maybe I should have said this last year, but I was still kinda dizzy from publishing that first novel. I’m thankful for all the folks who read my books, enjoy them, and recommend them to their friends. It’s a tough economy right now, and a lot of new series are struggling or have already been cancelled. The Twenty Palaces books still have a chance to continue, though, and that’s because the readers have been so great.

So thank you for reading and spreading the word.

The menu for today is pretty traditional: Filling but unhealthy breakfast, then cut vegetables with dip, along with pickles and such. For dinner: brined turkey, sausage stuffing (I ground the sausage myself), giblet gravy, mashed potatoes, roast asparagus, cranberry sauce, honey-glazed onions. If I’m lucky, the boy will try–just try–the turkey and cranberry sauce. We also have some nice wines to enjoy after dinner with Errol and sweet potato and/or apple pie.

And finally! I’m am thankful to the guys at Wyrd and all the folks doing great work on the book trailer. And because I can’t resist, one more image. This time, it’s not a photo taken on set; it’s an actual frame grab from one of the shots, showing Ray throwing his ghost knife.

Frame grab--Ray throwing ghost knife

Damn. Now that’s Ray Lilly.

Book trailer wrapup post, snow, and happiness.

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In fact, I returned home yesterday afternoon after picking up my son at my wife’s work. It was snowing then and it’s snowing harder now–it’s not accumulating on concrete but it is on lawns, roofs, cars, etc and it’s really beautiful. I know some of you live in very northern climates and hate the snow–it’s dangerous, too–but I find it gorgeous and peaceful. Later, if it sticks a little more and this cold I seem to be building to goes away, I’ll be heading out with my wife and son to cardboard sled down the hill behind our home. (Yeah, it’s good to see them again.)

As a followup to my Los Angeles trip, there needs to be an English word that means “work that is fun but also satisfying,” because that’s what I did this weekend. The book trailer shoot, (see day one and day two with photos of the main characters from books one and two, as well as the ghost knife prop, sets and production process) was exactly this sort of thing. It was work, it was fun, and it was very satisfying to do. Writing is like this, often.

The guys at Wyrd are doing a great job. Seriously. When they asked me what I wanted in the trailer, I wrote a script that seemed cool and somewhat ambitious. They took that and ran with it, making the shots more complicated, adding effects, motion, conflict, all sorts of things. Honest-to-God, I was amazed at what they’re doing. The actors have been terrific, the footage is beautiful, and the work everyone has been putting in is profoundly humbling.

But! “Fun, satisfying work” needs a word of its own, so we can describe some of the best moments of our lives and better tell young people what they should be striving for.

What should the word be? Is there one in a foreign language we can steal borrow, or do we need a portmaneau?

Added later: To followup on Shecky’s comment on my main blog, I will now be promoting the word “vocate” as a verb form for vocation.

Halloween followup

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Friday night, my wife and son stayed up until midnight listening to L.A. Theater Works’s production of War of the Worlds and Lost World. You can listen at the site, at least for a while. Give it a try. My son rated it “Awesome!”

The awesomeness of my holiday vacation

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You know what’s funny? It’s cheaper to take Amtrak from Seattle to Rochester, NY to visit my in-laws than to fly there. It’s not a lot cheaper, because it costs extra to have a private room for most of that trip, but it’s still cheaper.

And that’s what I’m doing. When I visit my wife’s family for Opressmas this year, I’m going by rail. I leave in the late afternoon of the 20th and arrive on the morning of the 23rd, and I’m taking my son with me.

Yep, my eight-year-old son and I are taking a train ride across the country.

I don’t know how that sounds to you, but I think it’s going to be a fantastic trip. I’m really looking forward to it.

After the holidays, I’ll be heading back on the train alone so he can spend a little extra time with the family. Besides, I’m not sure he’s ready for two 64-hour trips; he’ll fly home with his mom. However, that means I’ll have a few internet-less days to do nothing but read, write, and watch the country pass by. It’s going to be amazing.

Plus, I should have a lunch-time layover in Chicago (barring delays). Anyone in the Chicago area want to get together for lunch on 12/28?

The news, it is good

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My copy of Spirit of the Century arrived yesterday. Woo-hoo! Now I need to set aside some time to check it out.

In November if I’m lucky, considering.

How I do my work

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Yeah, that’s me in a funny little video I made about the way I write. My son was behind the camera — and in front of the camera for one shot (he really wanted to be in it) and of course I’m in there, too. If you think it won’t crack your monitor, give it a watch. If you think it’s amusing, please do share it with others.

BTW, I don’t really have all those books stacked everywhere.

In other news, I have an interview at Black Gate today, in which I talk about “black” magic, evil and human motivations, among other things. They also posted a “reprint” of the First Sale essay I wrote for Jim Hines. If you didn’t read it then, you get another chance.

Plus, at some point later this morning I’ll have an expanded essay on vampires and crosses at Bitten by Books. I’ll link to it when it goes live. Update: Here’s the link.

Now I’m off to do some pages. Have a great day!

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My wife and son have gone out without me. Think of it as a date. They’re going to a concert and will maybe get a dessert afterwards.

Meanwhile I’m left at home. I’ve already scrubbed the pots and pans, loaded and run the dishwasher, then vacuumed. Now I’m going to put on some Tom Waits, fire up the writing computer, and revise that essay to acceptability. First, though, I’ll perform the ritual that will summon my guardian angel, Mac Freedomiel.

Woo!

BrickCon 2010!

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I was gone most of the day taking my wife and son to BrickCon (and the library). The displays were, as usual, amazing. The vendor prices were, as usual, appalling. When we left, we were not wearing rain barrels for clothing. I’m calling that a win.

And of course I took pictures: Continue reading

Request for recommendations

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I used to be immersed in paper and dice role playing games, but lately not so much. The social groups I used to play with broke up, then I moved across the country. I expect it would be trivially easy to find a gaming group here in Seattle, but I barely have time to be a writer, husband, and father anymore.

But I’m not looking for help in finding a gaming group. I am looking for help in finding a game. I have the chance to turn some portion of family time to game night. Here are my requirements:

1- Relatively simple game mechanics, esp character creation. If each character has 12 stats and every attack needs six calculations to determine a hit, my 8 yo son (and adult wife) will be bored.

2- Family-friendly. No ultra-violence. No cyborg hookers. No nihilistic grime-topias.

3- It shouldn’t have too much moral ambiguity in the setting. My son, he’s not a fan of that. When he role-plays, he’s the good guy only. His mom will be the same.

4- Nothing too elaborate for the GM, either. I don’t have a lot of time as it is, but it will be difficult for me to work up elaborate scenarios for them.

5- Not too expensive. A $45 sourcebook is like a BMW–it may be gorgeous, functional, sexy, and fun, but I can’t afford it. It’s not a question of value, but one of cost.

Here are my preferences (as in would be nice but not required):

1- Something with monster-hunting or superheroes.

2- Uses lots of different kinds of dice.

3- A setting that is familiar to extremely casual fans of the genre (such as my wife). Modern day, medieval fantasy, old-time space opera will not have a steep learning curve. Fluffy Cthulhu will require a lot of explanation before we start the game.

4- Specifically designed to be played by young kids/newbies.

I wish I could find my old source books for Metagaming’s The Fantasy Trip; that’s what my friends and I played while everyone else was playing AD&D (yes, I’m old). I’m not even sure I still have them. Most of the old game books I have are Champions (too complex), Call of Cthulhu (not newbie-friendly) and the Pacesetter/Mayfair Games versions of Chill. I’ll be using the Pacesetter ed. if I can’t find something else. A previous short runthrough of the Chill 1st ed. went over pretty well.

Any ideas?

“On this planet, we are surrounded by danger and MADNESS!”

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Well, the poll for chapter one of A Glimpse of Darkness has closed, and my favorite choice didn’t win. If this were politics, I’d be looking over Canadian and Australian immigration websites, but there’s no escape for me. I have a chapter to write.

Actually, I’ve already started it. It’ll be pretty damn good, but you know, we always think about the path not taken.

I must say, though, that I got a late start. I woke early this morning and, instead of rushing out to write, hung around the kitchen baking Biscotti di Regina for my wife (no link b/c the recipe I used isn’t online). After her vacation in Italy, this should be a last treat to ease her back into her everyday life. Too bad she woke up before I was finished and accidentally spoiled the surprise.

Now… Back to work!