Lovely, Jilli, and I like Amy and Robin's suggestions.

I've been told I write good men. Thing is, I don't really give it a lot of thought. But I've always tended to have more men friends than women, and at family gatherings would rather be in the living room talking football than in the kitchen talking shopping, so maybe it's just a side effect of tomboyishness.

Most of my close friends, historically, have been women.Lately, I've added in more men, but the need to write men came from necessity than from "Wow, new creative challenge." I have to laugh at the Dispensing of Wisdom because my strongest male character is very much an Idealized Father Figure. I hope he comes out like a real guy, too.

Jilli, shiny!

For a total feminist who really can't claim to understand the Y chromosome at all, I've been weirdly testo-heavy in the last two series. I'm just as comfortable writing Ringan as I am writing Penny, but I've found that, oddly enough, a lot of readers and reviewers see Haunted Ballads as just as much Penny's thing as Ringan's, and I honestly don't see it that way.

The Kinkaid Chronicles - well. Very different. First person male POV, but John Kinkaid is based on a real male, a cornerstone of who and what I am, and it's really all about seeing out of his eyes and staying true to his voice.

Kalshane, one thing about women versus men, and this is 50 years experience talking: Men, in my experience, fight to show off. They scrabble for position. When women are pissed off enough to actually fight?

We're out to fucking kill. The last time I lost my temper, all I remember is a red mist and putting the woman in question in the ER. That was a good long time ago, but honestly, if we're that pissed, we're not playing barnyard games. We want nuts or ovaries as earrings.

No more baby talk from me, yo. Said my piece. However, courtesy of Brenda, who has friends in high places, I finally got my hands on the Booklist review for "Matty Groves":

Ringan Laine, leader of the British band Broomfield Hill, is thrilled to be invited to perform at the prestigious Callowen House Arts Festival. He has second thoughts when he learns that the house is haunted. He and his lover, Penny Wintercraft-Hawkes, have dealt with ghosts on two previous occasions, and they do not want to meet any more. Miles Leight-Arnold, the festival's patron, is proud of his family ghost, boasting that Winston Churchill met the spirit. When Ringan and his colleagues arrive at the estate, they discover another evil ghost lurking there. This one seeks revenge for a lost lover who happens to resemble Jane Castle, the ensemble's flautist. Ringan, Penny, and the band have their hands full trying to sort out the events that led to the haunting. Grabien (The Famous Flower of Serving Men, 2004) weaves folklore, history, and mystery into an intriguing tale with supernatural overtones. Readers who enjoy a good ghost story will find this one most satisfying.

Another excellent review, Deb. I'm really looking forward to reading it! Like a doofus, though, I didn't think to preorder on Amazon and if I order now, it won't come before I leave on vacation. I'll have to scarf up a copy out your way, so I can get you to sign it.

Jilli, that is definitely a lovely fairy tale. It made me sniffly.

Oh, and speaking as a female with a bit of a temper, I throw, thump and bash things when severly peeved. I've left scars on myself from some of my tantrums. Nothing to brag about, but men are not the only ones who can get physical out of anger/frustration.

Sail, you're going to be in the Twin Cities for the Halloween event, right? Get a copy at Once Upon A Crime, and support your local indy bookstore.

That's actually probably the best idea, Deb, thanks. I won't have to worry about overweight bags (and with all the birthdays and gifties I'm bringing to Denver and SF, I just might have to worry) or having it get lost or forgetting it. I will do that!

I actually didn't start editing on Tuesday. Giving myself permission killed the urge, so I kicked back for a few more days. But now it's been a full week since I finished the draft. I've given myself a deadline by entering the Golden Heart. I've printed a working copy of the manuscript.

By rights I should be sailing in on my first quick read. (I'm thinking one quick read over 2 days, three at most, then dive into the serious editing.) But now I'm looking at the manuscript askance, because it's so big and there's going to be so much work.

Moral of the story: If you want to take time off, just set yourself a deadline.

But how do you know there's going to be a lot of work? There might not be! Read it through first, then see.

Oh, I'm going to start as soon as I hand off Annabel to Dylan for bath and bedtime. But I do know there will be a lot of work. Something hasn't been coming through right in Anna's characterization; that much is clear, because practically all my CPs have trouble understanding her--though some think she's too daring/brazen, while others want her to change in the opposite direction and be more of a sexy merry widow type. And I think I used too many pages on the first two acts and not enough on the third.

Almost all women I know throw things when in a temper. I tend to, if there's nothing for me to kick. I don't tend to slam my hands down on things. Less of a good thump or shatter that way.

I've found that, oddly enough, a lot of readers and reviewers see Haunted Ballads as just as much Penny's thing as Ringan's, and I honestly don't see it that way.

Penny's voice in the Haunted Ballads is actually stronger, IMO, than Ringan's. She comes through more clearly, and sticks in my memory more than he does. If they were real, and I was talking about them to someone, I'd describe them as Penny and Ringan rather than Ringan and Penny.

Jilli, that's lovely. (Though I keep picturing the groom in his zombie gear when reading that. Braaaaaaaaaaains.)