In non-shocking news, my baby continues to be adorable (those links go to the latest two Flickr sets).

Last night I started writing a short story -- call it the Troublesolver story -- which appears to want to be a Christmas story, or at least a story set at Christmas. (Why? Well, it's Xmas now, and I was dipping into Connie Willis's collection Miracle as I usually do this time of year, and thinking about what makes a Christmas story good, and it just... happened.) I'm only a couple of pages in, but it's starting to feel like something potentially good. Maybe I'll even finish it in 2008.

I also cooked a loaf of cranberry-applesauce bread, and did a giant yummy stir-fry (with rice noodles!) for dinner. Cooking + writing = creative fulfillment.

I bloviate a bit about my favorite books and such of 2008 over at Fantasy Book Critic.

Some links to things: Dead Reign is the subject of a Page 69 test (follow the link to see what that means; it's nothing dirty.)

Here's a review of the Mammoth Book of Best New Horror which says nice things about my story "From Around Here."

Dead Reign will be one of the featured books at the Barnes & Noble Paranormal Book Club in January, as announced here. Do please join in the conversation.

Marla Mason continues to Twitter her holiday adventures, aided now by Donner, the patron reindeer saint of thunder and cannibals.