coldHey there, Caitlin, from down here in the Florida Panhandle!
I just spent my day devouring Alabaster. I found my way to your book a couple of months ago. It was one of those "people who purchased blah-blah usually enjoy blah-blah." The description of a girl on the back roads of Georgia slaying Monsters...with illustrations by Ted...well! That was certainly enough for me to Buy Now with One Click! I'm so glad I did! First and foremost, I loved hearing the names of places and locations very familiar to me. You did an excellent job conjuring up even the smells of this part of the South! Then the added treat of reading a tale partly inspired by Dame Darcy's Murderous Lesbians (I! Have! A! Signed! Print! Of! That! Piece! I L-O-V-E Dame Darcy! As a matter of fact, I was fortunate enough to commission her to do a small piece for me. I would love to share a photo of it with you! Let me know if it is okay if I email you a copy.) I have to admit that I read your book so fast that I want to go back now and take my time to really savor each story. I read the book in order, but now I think I will reread in chronological order. Very vividly written. I really, really enjoyed it.
My partner and I live in Marianna, FL. Do you know of this area? Home of the Florida Caverns? Very Bible -Beltish? We live on a lake that is supposedly haunted by an Indian spirit named White Cloud. All I know is I've never felt safer or more loved than when I'm out on this lake!
I wanted to share a ghost story with you, as you so kindly shared your Spooky Occurrence with all of the readers of your book (THAT was really creeeeeeeeeepy, Caitlin, especially the Floating Blue Light. Or maybe the silver boy eyes. Okay, equally creepy!)
Anyway, I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your writing. Thank you. Have a wonderful week!
One of the few great disappointments about Alabaster was that there was really no way to incorporate Dame Darcy's "lesbian ghoul" illustration (and I can't recall which issue of Meatcake it originally appeared in, argh), as it truly was a such very important source of inspiration for "Les Fleurs Empoisonnées" (i.e., In the Garden of Poisonous Flowers). Anyway, I am very pleased that you enjoyed the book, and few things give me more satisfaction than being told I got the feel of a location right, especially when the person telling me that is a native of the location in question.
Constantine9305 writes:
I just got through reading the Dandrige Cycle in To Charles Fort, With Love. It was by far the best Lovecraftian story I've read in a long time. It actually got me interested enough to look at your website on the internet to see what else you've written and after reading The Dry Salvages also I have decided to email you and attempt to convince you to write a long series of Lovecraft-inspired books with wonderful elements from all of your works I've listed above. Of course, if you don't do that I'll probably read what you decide to write anyway. Now I shall go email another author in hopes of bending them to my will. Hopefully I can convince John Grisham to stop writing all together.
Personally, I think if I could be granted the necessary powers of persuasion to make just one person stop novelising, it would be Dean Koontz. Anyway, though I have to cite many authors as an important source of influence — I mean, it's never just Lovecraft, no matter how Lovecraftian it may seem — you might also have a look at Threshold, Low Red Moon, Tales of Pain and Wonder, and Daughter of Hounds, as Lovecraft was a significant influence on all these books, especially Threshold, Low Red Moon, and Daughter of Hounds. If you liked the Dandridge Cycle, you'll probably be pleased with these as well.
Okay. Two down, all those others to go...
Meanwhile, have a look at Setsuled's latest chapter of The Adventures of Boschen and Nesuko (Chapter 57, "Dame Tossing"). At least, Cey'etliin, my Sept whore/madam counterpart is alive and well and topless...for the time being. I have this fantasy that perhaps she'll get lucky and score with Mitsumi Nevijen and wind up with some wires and cables of her very own. But, hey, I'm like that.