(cereal: Holli, have you been to the Writers House imprint yet, and met Kerry? She's an ex- professor/workshop-leader of mine. I'd love to come visit both of you sometime.)

Kerry Wright? She's actually one of my teachers. I have her on Tuesday.

She was Kerry Sherin as I knew her, but I guess she's using her husband's name now.

What's the class? I hope she's not the genre-hating cw professor....

That's her, Liz. The class is called Writers In Community-- she is *definitely* not the genre-hater-- and from the first class last week it looked really fun. You should totally come visit!

(banging head rhythmically against desk)

The publishing industry is driving me batshit.

That is all.

(returns to banging head rhythmically against desk)

What happened, Deb?

Back and forthing; basically, nothing I didn't know already, but it's still driving me batshit.

From Ruth to Jenn, this morning (keeping in mind that Ruth and I spent Thursday and a chunk of Friday morning brainstorming on a teaser blurb for the jacket because, and I quote, we can't use 'The Ringan and Penny Mysteries' because this is the first of a series and the reader doesn't know who Ringan and Penny are, yet:)

As far as a decision about the second one -- I've read the secondone and like it very much. I'm not holding off because of the book itself, I'm waiting until we see at least some indication of how the series will be received, because it's so very offbeat. We should have galleys next month, and I will send them around; we should get some worthwhile reactions from certain people to whom I will send the book for blurbs or just for their reaction, and that will tell me whether the book is too far out for most mystery readers or whether they embrace it with joy, or something in between. I just need more readings before committing to a series.

And Jenn says, she suspects some of the email is just agent-editor double-talk:

They're not ready to make an offer, which was what the subtext of my message was about. Until then, they're going to continue to have such reasons, regardless of their intentions.

Good news is that she's got the list of people she wants to send Still Life With Devils off to, and it's a damned good list. I added Linda Marrow, the woman to whom one of my books is dedicated because she suggested it when she was an editor at Pocket, and who loved my stuff; she's now Ruth's equivalent at Random House, an executive publisher. She may not be acquiring, though.

And I'm grieving for the loss of a brilliant man. Warren Zevon's ride finally showed up.

This week already sucks.

Deb, you'll hurt yourself if you don't stop doing that.

Ugh. Limbo sucks.

Very good list for initial sendout of Still Life. Slightly happier.

Susan, Are you there? I have an agent who wants to see your book,