Giovanni for Kindle!

It’s been way too long since I’ve blogged, and lots of fun stuff has been happening in my life, so this is basically a catch-up post. Let’s get rollin’!

1. First and foremost (just in time to treat yourself to a Christmas gift) my short story collection Giovanni’s Tree: New Italian Folktales is now available for Kindle.

2. I’ve sold a new short story titled “The Curious Incident of the Waffles in the Nighttime” to The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The story is an absurdist tale about a man who wakes up to a world that has no waffles. But wait, things get worse from there! (No pub date yet.)

3. This past October, the folks at my local Rochester science fiction convention Astronomicon celebrated my birthday with a giant cake bearing the image of my book cover. I was shocked, grateful, and touched by their thoughtfulness and generosity — and their voices! Their rendition of “Happy Birthday” was nothing short of masterful.

4. I went to the Ithaca Book Sale in September. I’ve been hearing about the sale for years, but it’s one of those things I never got around to doing until now. My friends and I spent two glorious hours poking around the stacks. I found a number of rare treasures, including titles by Angela Carter, Robert Sheckley, Italo Calvino, Julio Cortazar, and William Kotzwinkle, among others. Book lovers take note. You should go if you can swing it. The sale is held twice a year. (See their website for details.)

5. My two great nieces (my godchild’s daughters), the most adorable twins ever, just turned the ripe old age of one. They’re growing fast and will soon be scampering around on their little legs, driving their parents crazy, no doubt. I’ve enjoyed watching them grow and seeing their personalities emerge. (Christmas this year should be a blast!)

That’s about it for now. Wishing everyone happy holidays and a joyful New Year.

Check out the pic of me and my dad. He turned 86 in March!

Thanks for popping in and reading.