Good news for a change

I have had enough bad news to last me for a while, so this quick post is about good news.

I have a new Brian Keene book to review, his latest horror offering. I reviewed his first book, The Rising. I laid the book down on the night stand (I'd been reading in bed again--no surprise there) and glanced at the back cover. As I read the quotes I realized one of them was very familiar. It should be. If you read the linked review, you'll see the quote: "Keene takes horror to a new level." It's one small piece of a much larger review and the quote is listed as coming from The Celebrity Cafe, but I'm the only reviewer there who reviewed his book. It may not seem like much to some people, but it's a big deal to me. More and more of the books I read, and not just those I review, quote me in print on the backs of the latest by the authors.

This has been a rough four weeks but there have been some bright spots, little dirt covered diamonds in the bloody and ravaged turf that has been my recent life. This is one of them. The other is being offered contracts for two of my novels. I'm still deciding whether the offers are worth taking or if I should wait for the other publishers to weigh in. I'm still treading water, but once in a while I graze the bottom with a toe. That means I'm getting closer to the shore.

It has been hot the past two nights and I'm grateful the landlady had the new ceiling fan installed in the bedroom. I'm looking forward to sleeping once in a while and not feeling like I need to get up and shower halfway through the night. I still have lots of books to put away, books I brought back home with me. I should put away the suitcases and do the laundry, but it's hard to get motivated right now. Whatever bug I caught in Ohio is loosening its grip on me but it still has my lungs feeling a tad weak. Little by little I drag myself back from the abyss and take a deep breath while looking at the Colorado blue sky above me.

The landlady helped me carry the groceries upstairs today. We talked for a few minutes and she told me she had spoken to Psycho Ken before I left. She asked if I had to take the trip back to Ohio. Ken told her that it was necessary and it wasn't going to be easy. She said she decided not to tell me that before I left. I told her I already knew it would be difficult. I didn't need a Psycho to tell me that.

That is all. Disperse.