" White Charles " and "Mongoose" made Locus 's 2009 Recommended Reading List . So did two Shadow Unit stories, " Sugar " by Leah Bobet ( cristalia ) and " Cuckoo " by the Three Bs: Bear,...the rest of the SU arc, with its pointer to the Reading Order put together by the fans on the Shadow Unit wiki . The rest of Locus 's 2009 Recommended Reading is full of wonders and marvels

There's an interview with me about " After the Dragon " (in which I also pimp matociquala and elisem ) up at Fantasy Magazine .

My story, " After the Dragon ," is live at Fantasy Magazine --and also as a podcast , read by Sarah Tolbert. The story comes, in part, from elisem 's sculptural necklace, " After the Dragon, She Learned to Love Her Body ," and that is, in part, why it is dedicated to her, although there are so many other reasons I can't even list them.

90,000 words! 20,000 to go! That February 1st deadline is practically looking, you know, doable . Also, since I observe it's that time of year again, for the benefit of anyone who might be thinking...my ass to the curb), is that I'll be able to start writing and finishing short stories again. Because I really miss the little blighters. Oh, and Friday the Thirteenth comes on a Wednesday this month

Thank you, papersky , for the heads up! The nominees have been announced for the 2009 Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Awards . Many people I know should be congratulated on their nominations...but the hoary old cliché about the honor being in the nomination happens to entirely true. And it makes me very happy. (Psst. Congratulations to all the other nominees, those I know and those I don't.

Journalism it ain't, and it shouldn't even be news, but I'm nonetheless tickled by this update on Sprite and Saffron , the koalas who got frisky on-camera last week during an Andy Roddick interview....it, Petrova got "outplayed, outrun, and out-thought by a 39 year old" (in a sport where the majority of elite players are under 30). Woot! New poem up at Strange Horizons : By Way of Sorrow

Oh... and on side news, I also wanted to tell you that the Undertaker contest I take part in ( with this entry ) is currently on a voting phase. If you want to check the other entries (some of them are lovely!) and, perhaps, even voting (mwahahahah), here's the link with the poll!

This story was performed by Sedge Thomson at Page on Stage's Twisted Christmas 2007 and appeared in the 2007 chapbook The Pugilist’s Holiday and Other Holiday Tales of the Twisted and Grotesque . It is... Be sure to tune in to News at Nine for a complete recap. Good night, good luck, and a Merry Christmas to all. What’s that, Jasper? You say some of these pieces are still moving? end.

This story is a little bit bleak. I consider to be more of a zombie story (with Christmas) than a Christmas story (with zombies). It appeared in the 2007 chapbook The Pugilist’s Holiday and Other Holiday...and Santa falls down, the top of his head blown clean off. You look up at her. “Merry Christmas, kid,” she says. “Thanks for listening.” "Xmas Eve of the Living Dead" © 2009 Ross E. Lockhar

Poll . It's even easier than last week's poll. Do it. You know you want to. In other news, here is a quote from New Moon , by the one and only Steph E nie Meyer: (Context: Edward and Bella are making out in her bed. Edward backs off. Bella says:) "No, I want you to kiss me again." "You're overestimating my self-control." "Which is tempting you more, my blood or my body?" I challenged.