Random Bits-o-Blogging

1. In my novel CASKET FOR SALE (ONLY USED ONCE), Andrew Mayhem gets his left pinky chopped off. He goes on to have a wild, action-packed adventure. I slashed my left pinky while opening a stupid self-heating container of cocoa, and it hurts like a sumbitch. You don't realize how much you use your left pinky in the typing process until it's bandaged up.

2. Got my official acceptance for a short story today: "The Apocalypse Ain't So Bad." According to the acceptance letter, one of the slushpile readers' reaction was "Bravo! Now this is dark comedy at its finest." Cool. I'm not allowed to blab the name of the anthology yet, but I will soon. (For those of you in HWA, no, it wasn't BLOOD LITE. I did submit a story to that one, and as of yet I haven't received word that I'm out of the running...)

3. ENCHANTED is a textbook example of a wonderful movie that could have gone terribly, terribly wrong. Handled differently, this could've easily been the worst movie of the year. Instead, it's one of the best. (Though I have yet to see NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN.)

4. Personal note to Jason Lee: If you can't get the "ALVIN!!!" shout right, you shouldn't be playing Dave in the ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS movie. I mean, really.

5. The cover to the new Andrew Mayhem project (not Book #4; more like Book #3.25) is way-cool. Keep watching this space.