8 Things I Must Tell You!

Since nothing! slips past me, I noticed today that I have not updated this blog since… um…. November.

And there are things I must tell you–8 of them!

So here goes:

1.  Sorry, no, still no release date for Goldzilla, Esther Diamond #8. This is on me, not my publisher, as I am running well behind schedule. No, I have not quit the series, forsaken writing, been dumped by DAW Books, or any of the other things people have anxiously asked me. I’m just tardy.

2.  A couple of new interviews with me have been posted online.

       (1) Raymond Bolton interviewed me at The Write Stuff. We talked about writing and publishing: http://www.raymondbolton.com/tag/laura-resnick/

       (2) Carl Slaughter at SF Signal interviewed me about the Esther Diamond series: http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2016/03/guest-interview-laura-resnick-esther-diamond-series/

 3.  I’ve sold a short story to Galaxy’s Edge, which online magazine is edited by some guy named Mike Resnick. The story will be released in a few weeks or months (actually, it’s possible the old man has told me when and I’ve forgotten…). I’ll post a link when it goes live. The story is called “Achilles Piquant and the Elsinore Vacillation.” It’s the product of my love of Agatha Christie’s Hercules Poirot, and also of a few paragraphs I read by the late Christopher Hitchens; he wrote about a conversation in which he and his friends came up with Robert Ludlum-style titles for Shakespeare’s plays.

4. I’ve also sold a short story called “The ∏ Files” (aka “The Pi Files”) to Unidentified Funny Objects, coming out later this year from UFO Publshing. Agents Mully and Scalder investigate a UFO sighting in which they encounter characters you may recognize from some of your favorite sf movies or TV shows (as well as from my favorite movie, which is not sf/f, Casablanca).

5.  I’ve got a reprint story in a just-released anthology called Funny Fantasy, also from UFO Publishing. The story is “Dave the Mighty Steel-Thewed Avenger.” Here’s the cover:

6. I’ve also got more foster kittens in the house! I volunteer with the Cat Adoption Team (C.A.T.), which is where I adopted my 3 cats, the infamous Hector, the mighty Achilles, and the elusive Poe. Last year the organization adopted out some 350 cats and kittens. It’s a small all-volunteer group run entirely on donations, so if you’d like to donate to a good cause, check out the website. Anyhow, I’ve currently got 5 fosters in residence: the notorious Airy, who has been here a few months, and the French girls (Piaf, Chanel, Simone, and Colette). The French girls are still babies, but they’ll be available for adoption in about a month. Airy, who was rescued from the street as a feral kitten, covered in flea bites, survived surgery in December to remove an ear polyp (which caused disorientation, pain, and recurrent infections, and would probably have led to deafness). He is 9-10 months old now and has grown into a handsome, healthy, and very mischievous lad. Some photos:

All 5 kittens will be at C.A.T.’s next adoption event, which is on Saturday, May 21, at the Wags To Riches  in Blue Ash, OH, on Kenwood Road, right next to Marx’s Bagels. Wags To Riches is a consignment shop that benefits the United Coalition for Animals, a high-volume, low-cost spay/neuter clinic for animals here in the greater Cincinnati area.

7.  And I’ve taken a part-time job as a historic walking-tour guide. I’ve finished training and start work this weekend. The company, American Legacy Tours, does a number of tours. I’m starting out guiding the Queen City Underground Tour, in which we explore some 19th century subterrean tunnels, as well as a crypt.

8. Finally, I’m ambling slowly through an overdue update of this website. In particular, if you’re interested in the Writers Resources page, I’m adding a lot of new links to that page, so have a look.