Friskbiskit

Introducing Apple's Latest Product...

...the iDog.

Actually, that's Ruthie wearing her Tagg gps tracking device. We got this for her just before we went up north. She didn't run off, so we didn't need it, thank goodness, but it was still fun to follow her around on the map when we took walks.

The First Emancipated Duel

Found this like to a Tumblr post about a duel between Princess Pauline Metternich and the Countess Kielmannsegg, in Lichtenstein, in 1892. They were topless due to the forward-thinking infection concerns of Barnoness Lubinska. Seriously. Read this.

Madame, your floral arrangments apall me. I demand satisfaction!

 

Wordle Fun

I'd forgotten all about wordle until Saladin Ahmed posted one for his upcoming book.

This one is for my new release coming out from Loose Id in January, Dharma Café. Click on the pic to see the full sized version. :)

And in celebration of my failing NaNoWriMo for another year, here's one for the undersize but overwrought first draft of my WIP:

 

Aural Intrigue

I got the following email the other day from a company called Aural Intrigue. They make erotic "3D" audio fiction. I went to the link below and listened with headphones, with my eyes closed, and it was pretty cool. I swear I could feel the narrator's breath in my ear.  Pretty trippy and reasonably hot. Not m/m of course, but still, worth checking out if you have the time.

 

Aural Intrigue leads the world in erotic audio

The reasons to know more about Aural Intrigue are growing by the day...

Last week the BBC announced that the future of radio was in 3D.

"It's vital that we plug radio into the landscape of innovation"   BBC Head of Audio and Music  Daily Telegraph 16th December

Ah.  But we're already there and several years ahead of the BBC it seems.  This is from a review of our 'other' company 3D Horrrorfi and written by a UK drama producer

“Just finished listening to Blood & Stone.  Wow!  That was as close to movie quality audio production that I've heard in a long time. The actors were spot-on, a smooth script, and some genuine scares. Your production is kinda like the Blu-ray of audio  drama."

And, we're pleased to say, the 3D Horrorfi Collection became an Amazon best seller last month

The latest Aural Intrigue recording - 'The Dominated Man'  - was released this week and it's probably the closest you can get to having lovers in the bed with you.  If you listen to the link then you must wear headphones and listen in the dark!

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1778741/Aural%20Intrigue/Dominated%20Man.mp3

Gilbert and Sullivan meets NaNoWriMo

World Fantasy Convention, Columbus, OH, Oct. 28-31

WFC is right around the corner, and I can't wait. Looks like Steve and I will be getting in late Thursday evening, after the con has already started, which can't be helped, because he has class. On Friday, I have a reading at 4:30 pm. I'm excited. I imagine I'll be reading from one or both of the other projects.

This WFC marks a major milestone for me. One of my books will be in the freebie bags! So will a postcard for its sequel, which comes out just a few days after the con. Woo hoo! I can remember going to WFC and eating my heart out with envy for the authors who had books in the freebie bags. Now, I will be the source of someone else's soul-devouring jealousy. Ah, life's little rewards. :)

Actually, the whole promo thing still feels awkward to me, despite the fact that I've been doing it since the Nature of Smoke came out in 1996. I was just out the other day talking to some book store owners and I always get nervous, even though I generally wind up having a good time.

The best part about WFC is seeing all my friends. There are going to be a ton of fun people at this con. SHU peeps will be out in full force and Whiskerbisketry is already afoot, not to mention the fact that Tim Powers, Kathe Koja, Kay Kenyon, and a whole raft of other great authors will be there as well. On top of everything else, my nephew and his wife live in Columbus and she's expecting their second baby right around that time. So I get to see them too and potentially my new grandniece/nephew. How much fun can one woman stand, I ask you?

 

Good Morning Hair!

Some cases of bed hair are so extraordinary they demand to be documented.

(And yeah, I know my camera comes with that flip around feature for self portraits, but I couldn't get the angle right with it. And with bed hair, angle is everything.)

Ladies Night Out in Royal Oak

Tonight the downtown merchants hosted a strolling party with all kinds of goodies. My friend Carol and I had a nice time. And leave it to the queer shop to come across with the best treats.

More kayaking pics, now with balloons!

I was on my way in and I wondered what that noise was. I was hearing the hot air blasters from two big, beautiful
balloons. 'course by the time I got my phone they were much further away.

Oh and here are some mushrooms.

Rubbing Elbows with the Stars

I met Michael Imperioli (Christopher on The Sopranos and now starring in Detroit 1-8-7) today. He was sitting in the Bean and Leaf. I was reading my ms. and I looked up and I'm like, "Wow, that guy looks just like Michael Imperioli."  And then I rememberd that he's in a show set in Detroit and they're starting to film on location now.

I sidled over (of course) and very quietly, cuz I didn't want the poor man to get mobbed, told him I'd enjoyed his work, and he said thank you, and I asked if he was shooting on location and he said yes, and then I said I wouldn't say anything to anyone, and I left.

According to the fabulous Monica, who works at the B&L, he lives somewhere nearby. Probably in one of the condos.

Tee hee!

E-books Article Drinking Game: The Lost Weekend Edition

This article from the NYT offers the perfect opportunity to play the e-books article drinking game. I've added a few of my own alternate rules.

Expert you’ve never heard of before predicting percentages:

By the end of this year, 10.3 million people are expected to own e-readers in the United States, buying about 100 million e-books, the market research company Forrester predicts.

Okay, not quite a percentage, but still a prediction from an expert I've never heard of: 1/2 a drink.

Reminder that some people read in the bathtub or on the beach and assertion that e-readers/physical books are superior in this regard:

Ms. Muskat, 29, bought an iPad for her husband, 33, who works at his family’s shoe business, before their honeymoon in June, but quickly discovered that his electronic reading impinged on her old-fashioned reading.

“I brought a book with me and I barely read it,” said Ms. Muskat, a media consultant. “We used to go to the beach and we’d both take out books, but he had an iPad, and it was almost distracting because it didn’t feel like he was reading with me.”

two drinks + half a bottle of vodka for vague wtfery (see in bold).

1 use of phrase “real book” + “smell of a real book”

“She talks about the smell of the paper and the feeling of holding it in your hands,” said Mr. de Halleux, 32, who says he thinks the substance is the same regardless of medium. He added, sounding mildly piqued, “She uses the word ‘real.’ ”

It's happy hour! One drink + clean out the liquor cabinet, drink until you pass out, wake up next morning, puke, then continue drinking.

Will e-books wipe out/kill/decimate/pulverize/HULKSMASH/angry verb real books?

The trend is wreaking havoc inside the publishing industry, but inside homes, the plot takes a personal twist as couples find themselves torn over the “right way” to read.

One drink, plus super extra bonus points for making it personal: Not only are ebooks WREAKING HAVOK in publishing, they're also tearing families apart! Think of the children! Won't SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHIDLREN?!

Since this is the main thrust of the whole article, don't hold back. After all, civilization is falling down around our ears and nobody can stop reading on their Kindle/Nook/Ipad long enough to care! Quick, rob a pharmacy, hop on a plane, break into Steve Jobs house and leave Jeff Bezos/Hemmingway slash on his iPad. Preferably noncon.

Breaking Cute

Here's an adorable clip of the two principal actors of Breaking Bad in an interview together. There's even a little slash moment:

 

E-book Media Coverage: The Drinking Game

This is so awesome. Bookavore has posted a drinking game to be played whenever reading an article about epublishing. Here are a few highlights:

“Will e-books wipe out/kill/decimate/pulverize/HULKSMASH/angry verb real books?” — one drink

Every use of phrase “real book” — one drink

Passionate defense of DRM — one drink

“too soon to tell” — one drink

“no matter what” — one drink

“game-changer” — one drink

The words “cuddle” or “snuggle” used to describe reading habits — two drinks

“smell of a real book” — clean out the liquor cabinet, drink until you pass out, wake up next morning, puke, then continue drinking

The full rules on Bookavore.

Wondering Which Shows to Netflix?

My pal Carol Pinchefsky provides a very handy reference in 20 Gay Characters We Love from Sci-Fi Movies and TV. Check it out. A fun nostalgia trip plus I found a few things I hadn't seen yet.

Cyrano deBergerac: The True Story

Ganked from LGBT Laughs.