Will be going dark for 10 days or so as I road trip down to the F2F. I will have intermittent access to the interwebs per the kindness of friends, but probably won't have time to keep up.

I will be dark from Monday through Friday as I brave the unique experience of camping and rafting with teenaged girls from Los Angeles. Wish me (NO!) monsters. Including the girls.

A tiny piece of the apocalypse has landed in my front yard...or very nearly.

Historic Eastern Market, the heart of my neighborhood and a national treasure was destroyed by fire last night.

Since it is roughly 30 yards from my home, everything smells smoky...my carpet, hair, dog, everything...and I've had little sleep. My prevailing view is one of sad people milling about with tears in their eyes.

By the grace, no one was physically hurt.

I am galvanized in the belief that sometimes destruction IS the healing. The century old building has been pretty scary inside for a very long time, but local infighting and power struggles kept needed renovations from being undertaken. That issue is now moot.

The community is trying to figure out ways to keep the vendors...some of whom where not insured...from going under until the building can be restored.

This is such a huge part of the city...and of my life. I'm sad, and just plain exhausted.

Please. Any spare good thoughts for speedy reconciliation, ample funding, wise planning and ease of transition would be greatly appreciated.

Episode 4 of B-Movie Bastards is on the web now. Our own Miracleman makes a guest appearance. Just click on the Podcast section of the website, or do a search for B-Movie Bastards Podcast on the iTunes store.

Well, my lovely Buffistas. The time has come.

We are about to disassemble the Batcomputer and pack him away in the van.

We are thinking seriously about leaving late tonight so that we can travel through the desert while it's cooler.

Don't know if we'll get internet access along the way, but we'll try.

Think of us over the next five days or so, send out the safe-travel~ma and we'll see you on the flip side.

Los Angeles, I knew you well. I loved you. But it's time our romance ended. It's been a great 10 years. Adios, amigo.

Barely aound at all these days, but there are people I don't see anywhere else, and I know some of them were interested. Besides, quite a few of you were among the 50+ WiP readers and ita is the inspiration and model for one of the main characters.

Sooooooo....

I've just told my agent to go ahead and accept an offer on Rock & Roll Never Forgets, the first book of the Kinkaid Chronicles, from St. Martins Press. Details will be posted in my livejournal when I get them.

For those who know the background, JP and Bree are making it into print, almost certainly in 2008.

Ms Havisham and I will be in the UK, mostly in Scotland, from the 12 to the 21st of this month for our 10th wedding anniversary trip. If anyone wants to say hi, drop us a line.

I'm back from camping, hiking, and whitewater rafting with the kidlets. Much fun was had and only one punctured cornea. Thankfully, not mine.

We arrived safe and sound in Michigan last night around 8pm.

Everyone is well if not very tired of being in the car.

I'm in today's Boston Globe! - [link]