Cherie Priest's Blog: It's awards season, so here comes the shameless self-promotion, page 6

Here's recent progress on my subtropical (art)deco mystery about a friendly medium in a historic spiritualist community teaming up with a WWI shell-shocked haberdasher who's receiving love notes from hell ... as inspired by a real place and a real set of bizarre (otherworldly?) incidents:

Project: Brimstone
Deadline: March 1, 2016
New words written: 1911
Present total word count: 15,124



Things Accomplished in Fiction: Did some more rewriting - but I think I'm done with all that, now. Made the first forward progress of the new year. Or to be more precise ... our heroine passed a very tricky test, almost entirely too well. Then her new boss took her out to lunch.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Neighborhood jaunts with the dog; lots of laundry; lots of housework; went to post office a couple of times; went to Walgreens a couple of times, because husband has been sick; saw SW:TFA for the second time in 3D and loved it all over again; did some yardwork, believe it or not; hosted a dog party or two.

Other: It's not a lot of progress for the New Year, but it's better than nothing. Tonight I'll draw up some notes for the next couple of chapters, which will hopefully make the next few days of work a tad easier. Maybe.

Dog Other: Here's an outtake from Christmas - wherein Greyson's face is the small thing sticking out from underneath the two Great Dane heads.



Cat Other: This thing, who is not yet seven months old - but weighs fully 9 pounds.



Collective Cat Other: These two ladies - who still create problems while I'm trying to make the bed, every single morning.



Plural Dog Other: And in closing, Greyson likes to wear his best friend as a hat. For dog reasons.



Number of fiction words so far this year: 1911

Don't worry, I won't go in-depth. 2015 doesn't bear a dry retelling, though I will say this: It was light-years better than 2014 - which felt like it had a score to settle, or something. I don't even know.

To sum up, good things happened. Chapelwood was published, and I sold another book to Roc. My first young adult project (I Am Princess X) debuted - and I sold another one of those, too (to Scholastic). My husband started a (great) new job. Our friends found a greasy little kitten under the hood of their car, and she joined our family. I sold a couple of short stories (details on those to come). Got nominated for a Philip K. Dick award. Wrote 125,136 words of fiction. Should've been more, but hey. Next year, right?

So here's to 2016. My husband has the flu so we aren't going out tonight, and I guess the champagne will make nice mimosas in the morning. The dog and cats are already asleep, and there's a Drunk History marathon on.

Let's do this.

I've spent my week back from Florida going through my progress on Brimstone and tweaking/amending/revising the chapters set in Cassadaga - to better reflect the reality of the place. I was wrong about a number of important things: the hierarchy/organization, the size of the place, some aspects of the spiritualist faith, etc., and I needed to fix it all before moving forward.

There's plenty I can fudge and fake, but some things I'd rather get right.

Anyway, as of this morning, I'm officially back to square one ... or square whichever ... and I can start moving forward on this again. Of course, this clean slate of sorts falls right in front of Christmas, but such is life. I'll be heading to Kentucky to my dad's place, and Dad lives out in the middle of nowhere. There will be downtime. I will make progress. Maybe not much, but some.

(Meanwhile, back at the ranch - my cousin will be house-sitting for us, keeping Quinn and Spain for the week. Both cats hate riding in a car, and will probably be far happier here on their home turf. Greyson is coming with us.)

With all that said ... here's recent progress on my subtropical (art)deco mystery about a friendly medium in a historic spiritualist community teaming up with a WWI shell-shocked haberdasher who's receiving love notes from hell ... as inspired by a real place and a real set of bizarre (otherworldly?) incidents:

Project: Brimstone
Deadline: March 1, 2016
New words written: A net loss with revision, actually. Oh well.
Present total word count: 13,213



Things Accomplished in Fiction: Got the first few chapters re-jiggered and ready for prime time. I'll give it all one more good read-through before launching back into production, just for the sake of batting cleanup and making sure I didn't miss any little fiddly bits, but the bulk of the heavy lifting has been handled.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Neighborhood jaunts with the dog; Christmas shopping for everyone; Christmas cards this year, hooray! (sometimes I don't get to it); playdates for Greyson with his bestie, Luna; housework; business emails/phone calls/etc; went to bank; went to Walgreens; went grocery shopping; signed some short story contracts and went to the post office; went to the post office again to mail presents; went to post office to return some stuff that didn't work; boxed up some stuff for UPS to return the product of Amazon.com's screwup; ate out for lunch too many times; went lunching/shopping with my cousin; cut off a bunch of hair; had a routine doctor's appointment; more stuff I'm sure, it's been a week or more.

Next Other: Power through this one, because it's due in a little more than two months. Oof.

Cat Other: These two maniacs.



Dog Other: And this guy.



Number of fiction words so far this year: 125,136 (Still. Give or take.)

I'm back from Florida! Well, I've been back for a couple of days, but you know how it goes when you're trying to unpack, do laundry, file receipts, and all that jazz. It was a great trip, made easier and better by one of my cousins, Jackie - who put me up at her place for the duration of my stay.

So what was the stay about? It was about Brimstone - a novel I need to write (almost in its entirety) before March 1. I pitched Brimstone as, one part Penny Dreadful and one part American Horror Story, with a splash of tragic romance and a fabulous retro setting. This is the tale of a shell-shocked WWI veteran, a young spiritualist, and the ghost of a vengeful Inquisitor who still has a taste for burning witches.

And it is largely set in Cassadaga, Florida. If you click that link and you wonder if my new tattoo was a deliberate nod, then no - it wasn't. It was ... pure coincidence. I guess.

Anyway, I'd gone past the place a hundred times when I was a kid, but I'd never actually been there for the sake of looking around. It was delightful. Nice people, pretty little community, and a lovely hotel that boasts a very nice restaurant. Jackie and I had a blast. (Yes, I asked permission to take pics inside.) (No, I won't bore you with a thousand vacay shots. Just a few.) (Yes, foxiness DOES run in the family... ;-) )




(The "Devil's Chair" - mwooohahaha. Actually, it's just a brick seat created
for a grieving mother who visited her young son's grave every day. But hey, that's
not a scary story, so that's not the one that people like to repeat.)











Many thanks to Jackie and Jason for the hospitality, and the nice folks in Cassadaga for the easy-going welcome. I have returned home with books, notes, and (many more) pictures to remind and inform me over the next couple of months.

* * *

In dog news, Greyson and Luna had another playdate and it was adorable. It's always adorable. We're always happy to have Luna and her mom (Samantha) come over for the afternoon.





* * *

In cat news, the girls got a new kitty condo. Spain the Cat was having trouble scaling the old one, and it was getting pretty ratty anyway. (It's this one. I left a review.) Quinn is a big fan.





* * *

Anyway, now you're all caught up! Tomorrow will be spent on the weekly house-keeping, and possibly some yard work before it gets too damn cold to take a crack at it. I need to do some weeding and maintenance work before the world freezes over in another couple of weeks, and one of my neighbors has offered to dig up some overenthusiastic flowers that I don't want - because he wants to use them. More power to him, I say.

My point is, word metrics and (near)daily blog posts will resume shortly. Maybe even this week. IT COULD HAPPEN. Wish me luck...

Heads up - I'll be out of town for the next few days, kicking around Florida with some family whilst I do a bit of research for Brimstone. Expect pictures over at Twitter . Otherwise, there shall be radio silence. But I'll be back on Monday! (And my husband will be holding down the critter-fort in the meantime.)

Thanks for reading...
~Cherie

Brace yourself, because this is going to be random. I know it's been a week (and then some) since last I posted, but I've had a lot going on - with time to blog exactly none of it. You know how it goes.

But first! And foremost, for the time being: At long last, I can finally offer you and yours (in time for the holidays!) signed and personalized books - with a little help from local indie Star Line Books . I've written up a "How-To" page here on my website , but to save you a click, here's the gist:Call that fine store at (423) 777-5629. Tell whoever answers the phone:

1. Who you are and what book you want
2. How you’d like it signed (to you, a friend, etc.)
3. Where you live

They’ll take your credit card info, and then they’ll call me. I’ll run down to the shop and sign your stuff according to your preference – and then the shop will ship it to you, ASAP. (On the off chance they don't have the title you want in stock, they'll order it for you.)

Speaking of Star Line Books - on Small Business Saturday I wandered down there, and for an hour or two, I worked the register. (And sipped some truly outstanding chai.) There is photographic evidence of this afternoon , courtesy of the folks at Shelf Awareness.

* * *

Links roundup! I'll try to keep it brief.

December's Locus Magazine on Chapelwood - I don't have a link to the actual article, but my marvelous agent was kind enough to pass along the verbiage; and if you're curious, it's been posted on my "Reviews" page.

BookRiot on Maplecroft - Among other Lovecraft-inspired things...

Cannonball Read on Chapelwood - "...A horror, yes, but one very difficult to look away from thanks to Priest’s characterization and amazing descriptions. I can’t recommend the two books strongly enough — especially if one likes horror, or Lovecraft, or dark, skewed, and fantastic history."

The Game Called Revolution - Surprised that I Am Princess X is nothing like Boneshaker...but they like it anyway, so I'll take it.

Lost Inside the Covers - On I Am Princess X. "Lots of danger, intrigue, clue finding, strong female characters and crazy feelings. It is a load of fun and if you like superheroes and comic books, check this story out."

Kimheniadis.com on Chapelwood - "There are many similarities to the first book in regards to the story, but as I mentioned before this one was even more intense. Cherie Priest does a great job in slowly building up to climactic moments. She is also a master at writing in various points of view. Each character whose voice she writes in feels unique, and I was engaged with each character."
* * *

Before the weather went to crap, Greyson enjoyed a couple of great playdates with his bestie, Luna. A good time was had by all.



A whole lot of wrestling occurred - resulting in my new favorite picture of Greyson.



I swear to God, they don't hurt each other. They play rough, but it's all in good fun...just two big ol' goofballs, frolicking in the yard and sharing cookies.



* * *

In feline news, Quinn and Spain continue to more or less get along. Recently, they've developed a new game of patty-paws - which takes place around one of the oversized pillows on the daybed. The game only occasionally devolves into hissy-fits.



And I don't want to blow anybody's mind or anything, but Quinn and Greyson are still the very best of buddies.



She's really getting huge. The other day, I weighed her ... and this little 5-1/2 month old kitten weighs 6.2 pounds. She's going to be a house-leopard.

* * *

Okay, that's all I've got for now. Happy Holidays, everyone. I hope your Thanksgiving was swell, and whatever you celebrate in December (if anything) goes smashingly. Have a good one, in any case. I'll be over here, trying to keep our Christmas tree upright and in one piece.



Wish me luck!

Well, usually you think of spring as kitten season ... but an old friend of mine wound up with a batch of babies that had been deserted(?) by their stray mother. This friend (Amanda) found homes for a couple of the foundlings, but two remain - and I said that I would put out the call. Or raise the Bat-signal. Cat-signal. Whatever.

You know me and kittens, man. Any excuse to help match up small furry things with good homes.

The kittens are both girls - a gold tabby and a tuxedo princess. They're too small to be spayed yet, but they have both received their full vetting otherwise: they've been de-wormed, de-flea'd, and vaccinated - and they both tested negative for FIV/FIP. The vet estimates that they're about 6-7 weeks old.

These two are on solid foods and good terms with the litter box ... so now they're mounting a heavy charm offensive because baby, it's cold outside - and these little ladies need a home of their own. (Their present situation is a tad precarious; foster mom can't keep them.)



But wouldn't YOU like a small furry munchkin for the holidays? Come on - a pair is TWICE the fun!









So! If you would like to open your heart and household to a kitten or two (wouldn't it be nice, to have two?) this holiday season, you can contact my friend/their foster mom, who would love to hear from you if you're anywhere within the greater Chattanooga area - or if you might be willing to drive:

Amanda Dashler: [email protected]
Amanda on FB (where you will find VIDEOS, folks)

Or you can email me if you like, and I can pass along her cell number for texting purposes. Serious inquiries only, natch.

At any rate, thanks for reading! Feel free to share this post around!
And have a good weekend, everyone!
(But wouldn't it be better with KITTENS?)

So I (mostly) cleaned up and handed in the first draft of The Agony House...and you'd think I'd feel more relieved, but you'd be mistaken. I have a short story to (make up and) write before December 1, and a book to write (almost in its entirety) by the first of March - never mind the holidays and/or holiday travel.

But last night, the husband and I went out to supper with old friends - and yea verily, we stuffed ourselves silly. Good times. Tomorrow, I'm doing lunch and shopping with my cousin. So it's not like I'm not trying to take a tiny bit of a break.

I am finding it difficult to recharge, but that doesn't really matter. I have to recharge anyway.

* * *

Speaking of getting out with friends - on Saturday I drove down to Kennesaw with a different old friend, to visit the marvelous writer and inkmaster James R. Tuck. My friend needed a cover-up. I needed new ink altogether. This picture doesn't really do it justice; the low light and my wobbly arm make it look a tad grainy - but it's lovely, rich, and sharp ... and just as soon as it stops peeling, I'll get my husband (or someone) to take a better shot.



I've been telling people that I'm going to turn my body into a Victorian book of flowers, and I'm not exactly joking. That said, all of the flowers so far have been important (to me) apart from and/or in addition to their traditional meanings.

Not that every tattoo has to have meaning. Body mod is a personal thing, and "because I thought it was cool" is entirely fair. Follow your bliss, I say.

Anyway. The sunflower is mostly finished peeling, but it's still very tender and a little swollen; and it's centered right on that bone at the bottom of my neck, so I haven't really been able to keep it covered with a bandage. I swear, I've smeared A&D ointment all over the damn house.

* * *

The Elder Statescat had a vet check-up yesterday, and the news was mixed - but largely good. In short, she's losing weight again ... but as far as we can tell, she's perfectly healthy. Her bloodwork came up entirely clean; her appetite and energy levels are both normal; and she's full of vim and vigor. As they say.

The fact is, she's just getting old.
(She's at least 15-16 years of age, and likely somewhat older.)

But hey, she still more or less gets along with Quinn, at least until Quinn enters MANIAC KITTEN mode. The poor little girl is only five months old, and although she's "leveling out" a bit (especially since the spay operation) sometimes she still goes bananas and drives her big sister crazy.

Don't worry. They always work it out by naptime.

>

And never mind my zombie slippers with the dangling eyeballs. They are comfy - for people-feet, and for kitten-snuggling. As it turns out.

* * *

Greyson is doing well, too. He loves fall weather - the chillier and more blustery the better. So I'll sign off with a pic of the big guy, and his big grin. Have a good rest-of-the-week, everyone. I'll catch you all later.

>

Here's recent progress on my young adult haunted house story about a long-lost adventure pulp comic manuscript that's guarded by a good ghost and a bad ghost; now with Bonus! gentrifying drama, golden-age mystery, Hollywood intrigue, fallout from The Storm, and an agent who's just trying to do the right thing, goddammit:

Project: The Agony House
Deadline: November 16, 2015
New words written: 3285
Present total word count: 69,148 [Draft Zero, y'all]



Things Accomplished in Fiction: Wind-down/wrap-up scene, and behold, we have a DRAFT ZERO. [:: throws confetti ::]

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Neighborhood jaunt with the dog; lunch with husband; not much else.

Book Other: Now I get to spend this weekend reading through/cleaning up so that I can hand it in on Monday as a decent Draft 0.5 (if not Draft One). This one had to come together quickly, but it's only intended to be a starter draft; the final one isn't due until fall of next year. But yes, I have to give this complete - if preliminary - version of the tale to my editor on Monday.

Next Other: Next, I have to write a short story for an anthology. It's due December 1. After that, I get started (or pick up where I left off) on Brimstone, a draft of which is due March 1.

Critter Other: The beautiful kitten is growing into a beautiful cat. But such is the way of things.



Number of fiction words so far this year: 125,136

Here's recent progress on my young adult haunted house story about a long-lost adventure pulp comic manuscript that's guarded by a good ghost and a bad ghost; now with Bonus! gentrifying drama, golden-age mystery, Hollywood intrigue, fallout from The Storm, and an agent who's just trying to do the right thing, goddammit:

Project: The Agony House
Deadline: November 16, 2015
New words written: 4180 (today, yay!)
Present total word count: 65,863



Things Accomplished in Fiction: Closing in on The End. Vagueness, vagueness, vagueness. Ahem.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Neighborhood jaunt with the dog; went and got my hair did; grabbed lunch; did laundry.

Critter Other: The bathroom attendants sometimes go on break, and then you just have to use the other bathroom. For cat reasons.



Number of fiction words so far this year: 121,851