Something Wicker This Way Comes*

Image © copyright Jim Champion and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons License.
The original was cropped for use in this blog post.

(* Yes, I still have Ray Bradbury on my mind...)

My story "How the Wicker Knight Would Not Move," a somewhat grim tale from the world of Persimmon Gaunt and Imago Bone, is now up at Beneath Ceaseless Skies. It shares issue #99 with a cool-looking Asian-themed fantasy by Alex Dally MacFarlane evocatively titled "Fox Bones. Many Uses."

It's great to see BCS nearing 100 issues, a tribute to the hard work of its staff, Editor Scott H. Andrews and Assistant Editor Kate Marshall. Thanks for making it all happen.

Happy 4th

Image source: National Archives

"Thus the Congress has tied a Gordian knot, which the Parl [iament] will find they can neither cut, nor untie. The thirteen united colonies now rise into an Independent Republic among the kingdoms, states, and empires on earth... And have I lived to see such an important and astonishing revolution?"

-- The Reverend Ezra Stiles, quoted in David McCullough's 1776

New Worlds

A coloring sheet I drew for my last library storytime. The  Muppet lineage is probably obvious...

Although it seems premature to talk about details, things in my writing life have accelerated to the point where my wife and I decided it was time for me to give full-time writing a shot. (Admittedly this is "full time" to the degree I can do it while looking after the kids -- but I'm going to love that aspect of it too.) So, I have left my job as a children's librarian at Campbell Library.

I've been extremely fortunate to have a "day job" I loved, and I can imagine many scenarios where I would return to library work. (In fact, I'm already scheduled to do a little volunteering.) It's been tremendous fun, and very rewarding. There are few things as gratifying as getting the right book into a kid's hands. And then there's storytime, where I got to ham it up while reading picture books, gradually overcoming my stage fright. Plus the way that reference desk time always teaches you something new every day. And then there's all the drawing I got to do...

My library colleagues have been hugely supportive of this change, and I will miss working with them. Thanks, everyone.

I also have to emphasize how much I owe my wife. She has always looked out for me -- all the way back to the '90s when it first started looking like I might get somewhere with writing. That was a lot of typing and coaching and beta-reading and idea-bouncing and hand-holding ago. I think only a writer's partner can fully appreciate how much work that can be. Thank you, Becky.

I hope I can fill this blog with more specific news in the months ahead, but I can say that things look promising from here. Onward!