Chris Howard's Writing & Art

Sick...

Four years of blogging and I have never done a cat or sick post.  I'ts about time.  Here's our cat Niki, with our German Shepherd, Keia.  She's the coolest cat.  I'm sick as a dog, a bit of the flu.  We're talking about full on...no, not going to go there.

Before it set in, I was having one of the best times I have ever had at a con.  Speaking from my fairly newby con-going experience (World Fantasy, Boskone, commercial pub cons like BEA, and now WisCon).  This is my first WisCon, and I will be back next year, on some panels, doing a reading or two.  Here's me and Kathy Sedia (Secret History of Moscow).  I'm in other pictures, just not on my camera.  Will post when I get them!

This year, we’re pushing Argon

Argon’s the element with the atomic number 18.  18 is the only number that equals twice the sum of its decimal digits (I'm not counting zero).  18 is a wonderful number, the Hebrew word for "life" is חי (chai), which has a numerical value of 18.  (Amazing what you can learn from Wikipedia).

18 is the number of years Alice and I have been married. 

It sure doesn’t seem that long—nearly two decades—a beautiful April day in Morgan Hill, California.  We were married in an old two-room school house with a bell, Machado School. 

I love you, Alice. Here’s to eighteen more!

(btw, this is my 1000th blog post on http://theophrast.us )

Arthur C. Clarke

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) -- Arthur C. Clarke, a visionary science fiction writer who won worldwide acclaim with more than 100 books on space, science and the future, died Wednesday in his adopted home of Sri Lanka, an aide said. He was 90...more from The New York Times

Sad.  I saw him at the Heinlein Centennial last summer, live from Sri Lanka, and he joked and told old stories.  Brilliant. 

My favorite couple lines from the AP article at NYT:

He moved there [Sri Lanka] in 1956, lured by his interest in marine diving which, he said, was as close as he could get to the weightless feeling of space.

"I'm perfectly operational underwater," he once said.

Links

http://www.clarkefoundation.org

WWKW (What Would Kassandra Wear?)

Chloe (my daughter) and I created some cool stuff with the theme, What Would Kassandra Wear (for jewelry).  Kassandra's one of the main characters in SEABORN and the sequel.  We hit the Michael's beading section, going a bit overboard. 

Chloe's also created a new kind of accessory that she's going to market test with a couple friends who have hair long enough to braid.  More on this when she has some results. 

I'm also putting together a contest on the idea making Seaborn jewelry.  More on that when I've got it together. 

Speaking of contests...the Seaborn sequel title contest is going to wrap up soon--in the next couple weeks.  The titles are with the people who will make it happen, along with my own favorites identified (I'm only one of the judges).  Hoping to announce the winner soon.

Here are a few of our creations:

What's going on?

I'm heads down on Seaborn's sequel, even starting to look forward to the next book.  (Alice will be thrilled).

I haven't been checking MySpace, and just did, to find out that after accepting some libraries as friends, I'm up over a 1000...uh...friends!  Crazy.  I know there are many many authors and publishing industry people on MySpace, and I think it's worth it to keep a profile there.   Facebook is looking like the new new thing for editors, agents, and authors.

http://www.myspace.com/the0phrastus
http://www.facebook.com/p/Chris_Howard/605431666

If you haven't been here in a while--actually visited my blog (http://theophrast.us) if you're using a reader, then click by and check out the new extreme makeover.  I'm still tweaking, but all the dust has nearly settled.  Let me know what you think of it.

I've been posting (mostly cross-posting) stuff over on the Juno Books authors blog, Fiction Beyond the Ordinary.  Go check it out.

And I vote

Not just in the general election, but in the New Hampshire primary.  It's almost like getting two chances to make a difference.

Here's a scan of my sticker--they hand them out at the exit.

The Wolf

Here's Alice and Lykeia --"Keia," our 12-week old German Shepherd.

Making Mayhem, and then napping

Here's a video of Penny (Jack Russell / Australian Herder) making mayhem with Lykeia ("keia"), our new German Shepherd puppy.  Plus some pics of Keia resting after endless days and nights of rough housing.

The famous Penny:
http://the0phrastus.typepad.com/the0phrastus/2005/06/mans_best_frien_1.html
http://the0phrastus.typepad.com/the0phrastus/2007/09/make-him-squeal.html
http://the0phrastus.typepad.com/the0phrastus/2007/06/doggies_gone_wi.html

"I have no recollection of remembering that recollection..."

I really wanted to say that , and then cover the microphone to discuss my next brilliant response with my legal team.  Okay, that's just my imagination.  But I was there yesterday, in that very room where people have been known to say things like that. 

We met in the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing Room--you know, you've seen it on TV, newspapers, C-SPAN.  I was in Washington D.C. yesterday with a couple colleagues meeting with staff from members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the House Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property of the House Judiciary Committee, the Library of Congress, and the U.S. Copyright Office.   Washington is such a cool place. 

Here's a pic of me standing behind the chair of Senator Leahy of Vermont (Majority Leader)--because if you're the chairman, you get the cool chair right in the center.

 

http://www.c-span.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_Committee_on_the_Judiciary
http://www.uscourts.gov/ttb/dec05ttb/legislationwaits/index3.html

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What's up?

Got some painting done this weekend, what promises to be the first of a six part set, one for each of the kings, queens, nutjobs inside Kassandra's head.

I ordered some prints of Tim Lantz's cover for Seaborn through deviantArt.  Get yours!  (Link)

Got a start on a Seaborn web site--SaltwaterWitch.com and some feedback from Carole (Wind Follower) and Tia from Fantasy Debut over on Fiction beyond the ordinary.

After several weeks revising, taking in a bunch of edits, errors, suggestions from my agent and early readers, I'm going to print out the manuscript for SALTWATER WITCH (YA fantasy) and send it back to my agent. 

I was up early writing a scene for The New Sirens--current WIP.  This story is really rolling along.

• http://the0phrastus.typepad.com/the0phrastus/2007/11/king-eupheron.html
• http://archeon.deviantart.com/art/seaborn-MP-69033797

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