01/31/07 WED:
---Long time no blogmail. There never seemed an ample enough entry to precipitate a sending, plus of course the distractions I have been allowing myself to succumb to.

---A box of books catalogued. Hardcovers:

Anderson, Kevin J.(ed) WAR OF THE WORLDS: Global Dispatches, Spectra. 6/96, 1st,(The Martian invasion of Earth as if witnessed by Jules Verne, Mark Twain, Emily Dickinson, Henry James, Albert Einstein, Rudyard Kipling, Teddy Roosevelt and many other notables worldwide; original stories), vg-f in dj 8.00
Cady, Jack GHOSTS OF YESTERDAY, Night Shade ('03), 1st edn, SIGNED label laid in, (stories), g-vg in dj (some mildewing inside dust jacket) 15.00
Cady, Jack THE THE WELL, Arbor House ('80), 1st, (palpable evil harbored for generations), vg in dj 15.00
Davidson, Avram THE INVESTIGATIONS OF AVRAM DAVIDSON: Collected Mysteries, St. Martin's, 2/99, 1st edn, (unparalleled crime stories collected here for the first time; Grania Davis & Richard A. Lupoff [eds]), vg-f in dj 20.00
Hoffmann, E.T.A. THE BEST TALES OF HOFFMANN, Dover ('67), (one of Horror: 100 Best Books; E.F. Bleiler [ed]), vg in Peter Smith binding 15.00
Onions, Oliver WIDDERSHINS, Arno '78, (facsimile reprint; in Supernatural & Occult Fiction series edited by R.l Reginald), vg no dj (as issued) $26
Purtill, Richard MURDERCON, Doubleday '82, 1st edn, (murder and mayhem at a science fiction convention), vg-f in dj 25.00
Sarban RINGSTONES and Other Curious Tales, Arno '76, (photo-reprint of 1951 Peter Davies edition; in R. Reginald’s Supernatural & Occult Fiction series), vg 25.00
Scott, Justin TREASURE ISLAND, St. Martin's, 12/94, 1st edn, SIGNED, (celebrates the centennial of Robert Louis Stevensn’s death), vg-f in dj $8
Simak, Clifford D. OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN, Putnam '74, (1st), vg+ in dj 15.00
Simak, Clifford D. PROJECT POPE, Del Rey, 3/81, 1st edn, vg in dj 10.00
Simak, Clifford D. THE VISITORS, Del Rey, 1/80, 1st edn, (alien contact SF), vg in dj 15.00
Sloane, William THE EDGE OF RUNNING WATER, Farrar & Rinehart ('39), 1st (publisher’s monogram on copyright page), g (a very decent copy, but no dust jacket) 15.00
Starrett, Vincent THE ESCAPE OF ALICE and Other Fantasies, Battered Silicon Dispatch Box, 12/95, 1st, (Volume Seven in the Vincent Starrett Memorial Library Series; Peter Ruber [ed & intro]), vg+ in dj 25.00
Stern, Philip Van Doren (ed) THE MOONLIGHT TRAVELER: Great Tales of Fantasy and Imagination, Doubleday '43, 1st edn, vg (manufactured under wartime conditions, but a nice copy no less; sans dust jacket) 18.00
Sturgeon, Theodore A TOUCH OF STRANGE, Doubleday '58, 1st edn, g in price-clipped dj (not too bad a copy but shows signs of having been under a thick layer of dust) 15.00

misc. softcovers:

Childress, David Hatcher & Richard Shaver LOST CONTINENTS & THE HOLLOW EARTH: I Remember Lemuria & The Shaver Mystery, Adventures Unlimited, 1/99, 1st, (thorough examination of the early hollow earth stories of Richard Shaver; reprints Shaver’s rare 1948 book I Remember Lemuria in its entirety; packed with illustrations from Ray Palmer’s Amazing Stories issues of the 1940s; a rollicking ride to a world where science-fiction collides head-on with science-fact), f 14.00
Harmon, Jim THE GREAT RADIO HEROES: Revised and Expanded Edition, McFarland ('01), (now illustrated; robust reminiscence takes you back to the heyday of radop drama; Frank Bresee & Richard A. Lupoff forewords), vg-f $16
Salonia, John THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE THING, Scarlet Succubus ('02), 1st, (wildly uninhibited comic thriller chock full of preposterous ingredients; plenty to enjoy in the farce side of science fiction), f 10.00

01/30/07 TUE:
---Word from Ash-Tree:

We hope that news of a new edition of the Ash-Tree Press edition of M. R. James's complete supernatural writings will be of interest to our dealers and friends. Certainly, if we can judge from the number of enquiries we receive for this book, there are a lot of readers out there who will be glad to see its reappearance.

So we are pleased to announce that work is commencing on the new edition, and we emphasise that it will be a NEW edition, and not a straight reprint of the volume issued in 2001. There are some additions we wish to make, some minor errors that we wish to correct, and some design details to which we'll be giving our attention. It is our plan to have the new edition available in time for the Saratoga Springs World Fantasy Convention at the end of October/beginning of November: but there is a lot of work to do yet.

Some of that work involves getting the print run correct, and this is where we need your help: could you please let us know what you think your interest in this new edition might be. We know you will appreciate that A Pleasing Terror is an expensive book to produce: and we don't want to under-produce and fall short of demand. If you could give us an idea of what your provisional order for this title might be, it would be very much appreciated. We do not expect the price of the new edition to be more than the original edition (so you should be looking at a recommended selling price of Cdn$100 / US$75.00 / £50.00). We will also consider the feasibility of a paperback edition in due course, should demand for a lower priced volume prove that worth considering (but, we're sure you will agree, a paperback binding on so large a book is not a particularly attractive idea to us).

Do let your customers know of these plans. News of a new edition of A Pleasing Terror is sure to generate some interest in the period leading up to Christmas, and we need to ensure that you have stocks available in time to be certain that there are no disappointments at Christmas stocking time.

All best regards,
Barbara & Christopher

---Word from Sarob:

NEW SAROB PRESS TITLES FOR LATE SPRING & SUMMER 2007

DEFINING MOMENTS – DAVID NIALL WILSON

(cover art by Don Paresi)

A new collection of novellas, novelettes and stories by the author of This
is My Blood, Deep Blue& The Mote in Andrea’s Eye.

Enter a world of chilling terror and thrilling unease. David Niall Wilson
will be your guide as you meet vampires, werewolves and other things
altogether more terrible. Defining Moments is a representative collection of
this award-winning author’s novellas, novelettes and stories – with three
all new tales (including two lengthy novellas).

Contents: Preface by David Niall Wilson. Defining Moments, The Lost
Wisdom of Instinct, For These Things I Am Truly Thankful, Cockroach
Suckers*, More Than Words, The Call of Farther Shores, Bloody Knife &
Morning Star, The Gentle Brush of Wings*, The Death-Sweet Scent of Lilies,
To Dream of Scheherazade, A Taste of Blood and Roses, The Milk of Paradise,
’Scuse Me While I Kiss the Sky*

All previously published stories have been newly revised by the author for
this collection. *Previously Unpublished.

Available Late May 2007 in two printed case hardcover states:
Limited Edition – case bound with sewn signatures, coloured endpapers and
head/tailbands @ £27-50 / USA $50
Deluxe Edition – adds marbled endpapers, bound-in bookmark and bound-in
signature page (signed by the author & cover artist) and is presented in a
hand-made slipcase @ £65 / $115
Both editions are printed on a fine quality bookwove with full colour
wrap-art laminated cover. Issued without dustjacket.
Print runs for both editions will be based on PRE-PUBLICATION ORDERS
received by 20 April 2007.

MONSTER BEHIND THE WHEEL – MICHAEL McCARTY & MARK McLAUGHLIN
(cover art by Chad Savage)

A madly insane first novel. Jeremy Carmichael (when a child) falls from a
ferris wheel killing the woman he lands on. As an adult he is involved in a
horrific car crash. Suddenly he begins to find himself transported between
the land of the living and the land of the dead on an all too regular basis.
He strikes a bargain (sexual favours for a reduced payment plan) with an
older woman and purchases her car, a 1970 Barracuda. And then all hell
breaks loose – literally. And we do eventually find out how terrible that
fall from the ferris wheel really was. This novel is a surreal helter
skelter ride of thrills, terror, humour, gut-wrenching horror, sex and
cosmic awe. Wow!

Available Late August 2007 in two printed case hardcover states:
Limited Edition – case bound with sewn signatures, coloured endpapers and
head/tailbands @ £27-50 / USA $50
Deluxe Edition – adds marbled endpapers, bound-in bookmark and bound-in
signature page (signed by the author & cover artist) and is presented in a
hand-made slipcase @ £65 / $115
Both editions are printed on a fine quality bookwove with full colour
wrap-art laminated cover. Issued without dustjacket.
Print runs for both editions will be based on PRE-PUBLICATION ORDERS
received by 20 July 2007.

Cover art is up at our website @ http://home.freeuk.net/sarobpress

Cheers, Rob.

01/29/07 MON:
---Check out the elements added to the bottom of the blog: shared “websightings” (from RSS feeds in my Google Reader) and bookmarks (from My Del.icio.us). I’ve only figured out this stuff lately, so the content is not much, but ongoingly at least it might be something to give the blog a bit more vitality.

01/24/07 WED:
---Here today from Hippocampus:

Lovecraft, H.P> COLLECTED ESSAYS Volume 5: Philosophy; Autobiography & Miscellany, Hippocampus ('06), 1st edn, (fifth and final volume of complete nonfiction; mines a rich vein; S.T. Joshi [ed]; ISBN: 1976159236), new 20.00
---The hc edn is to follow.

Szumskyj, Benjamin(ed) TWO-GUN BOB: A Centennial Study of Robert E. Howard, Hippocampus ('06), 1st edn, (diverse cross-section of critical approaches and a variety of interests, both in the study of Howard himself and of the products of his creative genius; Moorcock foreword; ISBN: 1977173453), new 15.00

---Finally working on getting an order out to the Penguin USA conglomerate. Also, a couple boxes of used books here that need to be catalogued--if I can remember how.

01/19/07 FRI:
---I have now activated my Google Merchant account, so anyone wanting to pay with a credit card, including Discover and Amex, may do so. Just ask me to send you an invoice via their system. If you already have a Google Checkout account we should be in business. I haven’t yet sent any invoices for Google Payment, but I’m hoping it will work well. Since they are waiving fees through the end of 2007, I shouldn’t have to be adding my customary “convenience” surcharge.

01/18/07 THU:
---Here today from Stark House:

Fleischman, A.S. LOOK BEHIND YOU LADY / THE VENETIAN BLONDE, Stark House Mystery Classics, 12/06, 1st edn thus, (reprint of Gold Medal pb originals; noir classics; intros by Steve Lewis and the author), new 19.95

01/15/07 MON:
---Looks like I have finally managed to set myself up with a Google Merchant account, so people can again use their credit cards to pay for books from me. I am still trying to avoid having to resuscitate my own processing terminal. Paypal’s “virtual terminal” was going to cost me $20 a month as well as a hefty skim. Now, if you use your credit card with me, I can send you an invoice through Google. There are also a bunch of website-integration tools I could try to figure out, but for now people who have been paying by credit card and receiving email invoices from me can hopefully do so through my Google Merchant account.

01/13/07 SAT:
---Here today from Ash-Tree:

Kersh, Gerald THE WORLD, THE FLESH, & THE DEVIL: Fantastical Writings Volume 1, Ash-Tree '06, 1st, (includes two stories collected here for the first time; Paul Duncan [ed & intro]), new in dj 47.50

01/10/07 WED:
---Never even checked email today, spending early part of day writing checks for bills that had accrued over past month or so (or in some cases longer), then got started on some physical inventory management (cleaning up) that is hard to sit down at the keyboard after. So there was never any after to sit down after--and that was only the tip of the iceberg of what all needs to be done. One of these days everything should be neat and tidy and in its place, so I can walk around without having to pick my way and slip sideways through too-narrow passageways, and have a nice clean desk area to sit down at. Then I could really get down to business!

01/09/07 TUE:
---Word from Necro:

AVAILABLE NOW!!!

H E R E S Y
By Charlee Jacob
An all new collection of 25 of the darkest poems you'll ever read from Charlee Jacob, the 2005 Bram Stoker Award winner for best poetry collection.

First edition chapbook
Only 150 numbered copies available
signed by the author
ISBN: 1-889186-69-4
$10.00

01/08/07 MON:
---Here today from Small Beer:

LADY CHURCHILL'S ROSEBUD WRISTLET #19, 11/06, Small Beer, (their 10th Anniversary Issue and it features their cocktail party mix of authors well-known [Carol Emshwiller, Ray Vuckevich] and new [Daniel Rabuzzi, Katharine Beutner] as well as advice from Dear Aunt Gwenda, and a few other small things), new 5.00

01/05/07 FRI:
---I have been spending way too much time trying to sign up as a Google Merchant, so people can use their credit cards to pay invoices from me. I am trying to avoid having to get a new creditcard terminal. There seems to be a glitch on their sign-up page. Hopefully I can get it figured out before I tear out what’s left of my hair.

01/03/07 WED:
---Here today from PS Publishing:

Reed, Robert FLAVORS OF MY GENIUS, PS, 11/06, 1st edn, one of 800 SIGNED copies, (novella; James Patrick Kelly intro; 89 pp), {hc in dj avail. @ $45}, new 18.00

Roberson, Chris THE VOYAGE OF NIGHT SHINING WHITE, PS, 12/06, 1st edn (pb variant), one of 800 SIGNED copies, (John Meaney intro; 84 pages), new $18
---This has a hc edition too (comprising 300 of the total). If interested let me know.

---Back in stock:

Samuels, Mark THE FACE OF TWILIGHT, PS, 2/06, 1st edn, one of 800 SIGNED copies, (bizarre; Mark Morris intro), {trade pb still avail. @ $18}, new in dj 45.00

---Need to get back on track after holidays. It didn’t help getting an iPod for xMas, although it did bring back the old joy of gift getting lost since childhood: an excellent toy to play with. To get it to work required installation of an iTunes update, which in turn required an operating system update. With my puny dial-up connection that would have been a daunting prospect, but fortunately our son Neil was home and was able to mooch off the neighbor’s wi-fi and get the needed updates on his computer by holding it up in the air out on the sun room. Anyway, I can see how this iPod might prove to be quite a diversion.
---I know I have a whole slew of emails I haven’t answered. I hope to get to them presently. Another diversion during the holiday was caused by my AOL software apparently going bad. It couldn’t load the tool “Mail” (error = -39), so I was unable to write email, access my address book, view stored mail sent or received, etc. But I was able to get on the Internet and get to my email through aol.com. Now I think I have fixed the problem by installing a whole new version of AOL, getting rid of all the old that could be found. This has caused all my saved mail and mail signatures to be lost, but I had been keeping most incoming emails in a word processing file, so that should be okay. I just won’t be able to revisit old sent and received emails in my AOL filing cabinet, as I would sometimes find need to do. Ironic that the -39 error code, which I looked up, means “End of File”. These crazy computers--drives me crazy. But it's fun when they work, with what they can do, if you can figure out how to make them do it.
---If you have sent me something and are waiting on me for a reply, it wouldn’t hurt to give me another checking in. Chances are I am already getting ready to finally get back to you, but I did notice lately that AOL had my spam filter automatically set at medium and there were a few real messages in the spam folder when I checked it. I went a long time not even knowing to check there, so that is probably what happened to messages I know of that were lost. No telling how many there might have been that I don’t know about.