I’ve been neglecting this blog since the switch from LiveJournal. To be honest, I like LJ’s interface better, even after all this time, but WordPress is better where website-building is concerned, so here we are. I’ve also been insanely busy for the last several months. There is news.

1. My new (co-edited) book, The Queen of Statue Square, is… what’s the correct way to say this? Let’s just put it this way: if you would like to buy a copy, the only way to do so that I know of after Dec. 22 (give or take a couple/few days) will be via the publisher’s website. The e-book distribution partnership between Typhoon Media Ltd and CCCP ends Dec. 31, and I am unsure what their plans are for their e-book program. On the odd chance you’ve been meaning to buy a copy, you might want to go on and do so.

2. I have been keeping a wine blog with a view to establishing a bit of credibility as a wine blogger/reviewer in advance of publishing Murder in the Cabaret Sauvignon. I have decided to discontinue this. There aren’t enough hours in the day to juggle multiple online identities. Reviewing wine is fun, though, so I intend to continue it here.

Leo

3. This is part of a larger decision I have made about this blog: I intend to use it to publish more essays, the occasional bit of fiction, wine reviews, and so on — in addition to news about my writing. The whole “we don’t pay but the exposure will be good for you” thing so prevalent in the media today no longer works for me. Although there are certain places where I still think it would be worthwhile to publish my work (and indeed, what writing career I have now would not have been possible without some of them), I’m being pragmatic. I don’t have endless time to chase publication. I have things to say and would rather do so here.

4. Murder in the Cabaret Sauvignon is with my beta readers now. Feedback on the writing has been positive, and I have already gotten helpful feedback on continuity issues (hey, this is beta after all) and other miscellaneous bits I’ve overlooked or not thought carefully enough about. The current plan is still for publication in early December 2015.

That’s all I can think of for now. But watch this space. It’s coming back to life (inasmuch as it was ever active in the first place)!