Sunburst

The candidates for the Sunburst award are out (find them here). There are some amazing books on that list, some few I’ve read, and more I’m going to have to have a look at.

Karate

It’s one of those expensive hobbies, where you need all kinds of equipment and the right space and the right clothes, witness:

Worked  bo kata this morning, then did 1/2 hr on the stationary bike, 1/2 hr on the eliptical. Pooped now.

How it Looks from Here

The exam I deferred in karate is about to be rescheduled. This is great, because instead of being wracked with nerves about the exam, I actually feel like if I just get my cardio up, everything should go moderately well. I’ve been practicing my kata a lot, even trying to keep my weapons work up, despite having dropped out of kobudo. I think my mind is in the right spot too; sometime last month I realized it was OK if I was someone other people looked at when they were practicing. It sounds cheesy, but I did, in fact, give myself permission to go for the rank.

My reasons for avoiding the test were legion, but I think the cornerstone of all of them was that I think sempai is the first part of the big transition to sensei, and I can’t commit to karate the way my betters can. I can’t always turn up, I can’t be relied upon to teach in a pinch. I take a lot of time off, I slack and I only train when I want to. I felt like going for the rank meant no longer training the way I train. I’m told this is not the case.

That’s likely happening in August. So too, are the regionals, which include a tasting competition, for which I am all ready training. I decided to so the competition because I thought it would be a laugh, and the minute I made my mind up, I suddenly became very serious about winning. I’ve never been competitive before (I don’t think), but all of a sudden I’ve come over quite intense. I want to win.

So August is shaping up to be quite a… quite a… well, a busy month. I certainly hope my other work, the whole writing gig, won’t ask too much of me, or I might need to spend all of September lying in a dark room with a flannel over my eyes.

Point Form Updatery

Arg! So busy! Must go to karate (I’ll miss on Friday, so have to go today)

Things that have occurred in the last 24 hrs:

-Worked
-Learned that a guinea pig of my acquaintance is named Rambo
-Saw JC for coffee
-Learned what not to say in prison
-Scored 6/8 and then 8/8 on a tasting test (two x eight flights of three cups)
-Practiced escrima drills with discarded broken broom handles
-Started reading The Diamond Throne (anyone else find it a little creepy that Sparhawk raises the woman who will be his wife? How very Aristotelian).
-Made pasta twice

All quiet

Sorry it’s all quiet tonight. I’m writing. Hard.

Have given up on D Gray Man and am now seeking new manga to read. Suggestions?

P&E under threat

Preditors and Editors is being sued. This is probably because they are the most up-to-date and most comprehensive listing and ranking of genre publishers in the US. This makes them the bane of sharks and scammers and incredibly valuable to writers who don’t want to be taken to the cleaners. Here’s what they say:

Unfortunately, there are those who do not like P&E or its editor because we give out information that they would prefer remain hidden from writers. Usually, they slink away, but not this time. P&E is being sued and we are asking for donations to mount a legal defense in court.

P&E is a resource I recommend to people all the time. If you’ve used it and you can send them a little cheddah, please do. If you’re skint but you want to help, pass the word along.

Calgary Children’s Book Fair

The Calgary Children’s Book Fair is running a fiction contest for folks 8-15. The best part of the whole thing is that they actually welcome SF, fantasy and mystery submissions. The folks who’ve put this together are after my own heart.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Sveltdreams, who won a package of good stuff, including my book, from the genrereviews giveaway.
I hope you enjoy the book!