While Spooky and I were proofing Chapter One of Daughter of Hounds, a UPS truck pulled up and the delivery guy hurled a package from the sidewalk onto our front porch. Honestly, I think our UPS dude is convinced that some terrible curse will befall him if ever he dares to step a foot upon our porch. Spooky says he's scared of the gargoyles. I think he's a big pussy. Or just lazy. Anyway, within the somewhat battered envelope were two copies of Alabaster. And I must say, I do believe it is the most beautiful edition anyone has ever produced of any of my books. I called Bill at Subterranean Press immediately and told him how much I loved it and thanked him. Of course, I owe a great debt to Ted Naifeh, without whom the book would not have been one half so wonderful. So, yes, I am very, very happy with Alabaster. It helps to make up for a lot of the dren that so defiled August and our trip to New England. After all those years of writing and work, all the hundreds of hours spent with Dancy, I am holding the book in my hands and it is real and I am pleased. If you haven't yet gotten a copy, I urge you to do so. At this point, though, the limited edition (350 copies, increased from the original 250) has entirely sold out and only the trade hardcover remains.

During the long trip, we incurred a number of unexpected and unbudgeted expenses — a parking ticket in Cambridge, allowing .mac to renew my account for another year when I'd intended to cancel the account, an over-priced hotel room in Virginia, etc. To wit, I'm running a round of eBay auctions to help make up the difference. When I got home on Tuesday, there was a package from subpress waiting for me, four PC copies of the traycased and lettered leather-bound edition of Low Red Moon (being a PC, this copy is unlettered). I'd not ever expected to be able to offer this edition on eBay. However, now that I have four additional copies, I shall part with two and pack the other two safely away until some distant, future date. This edition was sold out on publication in 2004, and the only hardcover edition of LRM is the subpress edition, with cover and endpaper illustrations by the superb Ryan Obermeyer. Our starting bid is well below the original retail price. Anyway, please do have a look at the auctions. There's also a copy of The Five of Cups and the trade hardback edition of The Dry Salvages.

Thanks!