Friday, Friday, Give Me Your Answer, Do
It rained a bit last night. The moon was out, behind scudding veils of cloud. I sat on the front step talking to an old friend and smelling autumn in the air. It is spice and leaf mold, wet earth and incipient cold, a faint tang of burning wood in the distance, and above all the sparkle like champagne at the very back of the palate, the earth giving up harvest before the long dreaming sleep of winter.
Now that I am no longer forced to rake leaves, autumn is once more my favorite season. I no longer have blisters from the rake, my hands are no longer bloody when I smell apple and pumpkin riding the air. Strange how it’s taken me almost a decade to stop rubbing my palms together in remembered pain when this scent reaches me. Is scent the most powerful sense? I don’t know, but it certainly has an immediacy rivaled only by touch.
Last night, before the moonwatch, the Selkie and I were in Portland. We dropped by Powell’s for a most enjoyable few hours wandering the bookshelves. (Note to anyone who goes bookstore shopping with me: I do get ridiculously excited over Nabokov and Dumas.) Recently I’ve picked up Sarah Monette’s Melusine and was recommended Steve Erickson (by Saint Peter at the Beaverton Powell’s); I’ve picked up his Deadhouse Gates to try, though it meant I had to put off buying some Jim Butcher. Sigh. Such is life. But I also scored a hardback of Tanith Lee‘s Heart-Beast, one of her best and one of her recurring books about a (sort of) werewolf. Then again, any Lee is good Lee. I buy her books wherever I see them, so I may give them away.
I’m also knocking around Vicki Pettersson‘s The Scent of Shadows. I hear she’s working on the third book now.
This morning I was wandering around the house, picking things up, putting things down. After a while I realized something.
Jason Monroe was speaking to me.
I sat down, and about seven hundred words flew out, the beginning to a short story. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, wanting to hear his side of the story–why he left Danny, what he was thinking his last night with her, what turned him into the man that could win the Nuevo Rio Mob War. It took a bit of doing to coax his distrustful self out of its corner, but now at least he’s talking. I must admit he is my favorite character in the Valentine series, partly because he is so tragic. He really did try his utmost, and it was not enough.
*le sigh*
So I have the first line, and the last line–You’re looking for trouble?
Here I am.
And that just pretty much sums Mr. Monroe up. He won’t start the fight, but by every god there ever was, he’ll finish it. He doesn’t care about much–most people are pretty disposable as far as he’s concerned–but if you touch something he does care about, be prepared for a fight.
But as the Selkie says, “I wouldn’t want to speak for him.” In another time and place I might have been classified as crazy because of the stories and people in my head. I’m just glad I can get them out here and now.
I wonder if the moon didn’t jog something free. She was dancing last night, pulling veils over her orb, letting them slide lovingly aside, fluttering wisps of cloud running through the sky borne by a high wind that only barely touched those of us on the ground. It was the kind of night the fey use for hunting, when you can hear the chillcrystal of hunting horns in the distance, hoofbeats and cruel beautiful laughter. The kind of night where it’s best to sit quietly on the front step and not stir, no matter how wildly your blood cries out to run. No matter how tempting it may be.
When I was younger I might have wanted to take a peek at the hunt. Now I’m content to sit, and listen, and dream. I wonder if that’s better or worse, or just safer?
Lunacy. I’ve been struck moon-mad. Pay no attention to the flight of fancy in the corner. I will not write a fey novel. Such things are dangerous.
Besides, I have plenty of work in front of me right now.
Have a good weekend, Readers. And if you’re out under moonlight, be careful.
You just never know.
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October 6th, 2006 at 12:23 pm
Oh Lil
I loved reading this post. The moon is huge and full and glorious over here at the moment. There is a song that matches it too – it is called The White Hare by a new young artist called Seth Lakeman – this is the link to his site: http://www.sethlakeman.com – I know you like atmospheric music. He is wonderfully folksy and he writes beautiful lyrics.
And I must say, if you digress into Fey writings, I am sure it will be very unique and not at all the bogstandard standard fey writings.
Catch you on the forum.
Regards,
Liz
October 6th, 2006 at 1:07 pm
You have a beautiful way of describing things, did you know, Lilith? It made up, in a way, for not being able to see the moon where I am.
I hope you have a good weekend yourself,
Skarrah.
October 6th, 2006 at 7:04 pm
Lilith,
I’ll be interested in what you think of “Melusine”. I have that as well as her second book, “The Virtu” where the story is continued. I first read a short story of hers in “The Queen in Winter.” anthology. That’s how I first came onto Sarah Monette. Tragic Jace! I have a fondness for him too. I wonder, if he had been able to survive knowing/loving Dante, if he would ever have been able to move on. As for your “lunar madness”, if the fey want to speak to you, poor girl, there is really no way you will be able to stop them! Just make sure to spell their names right. The fey hate it when you get their names wrong:)
October 9th, 2006 at 10:32 am
This isn’t related to your post, except tangentially. I see you’ve mentioned Jace Monroe, so I’ll use that as a segue.
I just finished Working for the Devil. I’m familiar with you via Smart Bitches and oddly enough, my crit partner sent me an email recommending the book because she said the style reminded her of a novel I just finished, only mine is SFR, not paranormal.
Elaine is rather biased about my gifts so what she said about your book was: “She’s the first author I’ve read who could touch you for style, you might want to check her out.” I’ve been meaning to so this weekend I bought your books on my buying trip in LA.
It will take me some time to assimilate everything, but the novel was beautiful, elegant, spare, action-packed, romantic, and lushly tragic. I’m not one to cry over books, but you almost got me with Jaf’s death. I hope you have something up your sleeve there because that relationship was beautiful. I’m about to start on the second book, but I want to pay my respects.
You have an amazing gift. Thank you.
October 10th, 2006 at 8:08 pm
I’ve read most of Steve Erickson’s Malazan books and they are amazing! He is an incredible fantasy author and I constantly recommend him to anyone I can.
October 14th, 2006 at 10:23 pm
I normally never respond to blogs and such but I just had to. First off, I love how you write. The words become pictures in my mind. Second, the minute I saw Jace’s name in the message I wanted to cry. I could not belive what happened to him in Dead Man Rising. I was bawling like a baby when I read that. At the same time I was praying that something would happen maybe in a future book that would have him back on the canvas. Probably not going to happen but one can dream right? Anyway loved the post and just had to add my two cents worth.