Oh my.

REVIEWS SCHEDULED FOR THE AUGUST 15 ISSUE OF KIRKUS, AS OF August 1:

....Grabien, Deborah, Cruel Sister

Good thing my brain is completely occupied elsewhere. Opening salvo of the new round of reviews always makes me nervous until I see it.

Gar, that is particularly noteworthy in light of the conversation in Bitches.

What sparked the idea. Deborah, you will get good reviews and the thing you hope for your friend will happen. And the damn publisher will hold the damn meeting next week and accept my book. So mote it be.

And the damn publisher will hold the damn meeting next week and accept my book.

And mine. Ruth has New-Slain Knight on her desk.

Make it so! (Jean-Luc Picard reference)

And mine. Ruth has New-Slain Knight on her desk.

So mote it be.

Deb, I think writing the Kincaids has been prep work for leaving the shadows. You've processed things you might not have otherwise. Plus, research!

Deb, I think writing the Kincaids has been prep work for leaving the shadows. You've processed things you might not have otherwise.

Gods, yes, at least on the processing part. Weirdly, I think the essay I did for the Seal press anthology - Truth, in the Middle - is the real step out of the shadows moment. I don't name names, and I don't need to, but it's all there, all the processing through writing the Kinkaids.

Speaking of which, back to work. I'm up near 81K, about three-quarters of a chapter plus an epilogue with a fairly high HSQ moment for JP, away from finishing Cleveland Rocks.

Okay, after a fierce, drawn-out battle I have lost the high ground and am not avoiding the obvious pun about leaving a new-slain knight lying about on someone's desk. Ew, leaky.

Ew, leaky.

Depends on how you slew him. Unless, of course, you're referring to all the sphincters releasing upon death, in which case: most probably.

Dudes, he's in full armour. Not a problem.

We got John McFee's answering machine. Michelle left him a detailed message ("shit, are the Doobies on the road AGAIN? Where are you?!? Pick up!" and then the explanation).

Also, my invisibility is about to go byebye, because I've just been coopted to working on some sort of memorial gig with the old Family Dog and several Grateful Dead management people.

Ah well. It's been a long spell of "Who? No, sorry, you must have the wrong person, I don't know what you're talking about, go away at once."

Need to know about the piano. Am VERY tempted to go downtown and let juliana make me many bellinis.

And jeepers, just saw the news about JZ. Breathing in relief that she's ok.

let juliana make me many bellinis.

The offer is still good for tomorrow.