Oh my goodness.

College decisions later...I don't think I'm going to be able to focus much on writing today.

Let's talk about reading instead. Namely, a certain author recently discovered who I like. Brandon Sanderson.

I really like epic fantasy. To be fair, I also really like regular fantasy and urban fantasy and some science fiction and also a whole bunch of other kinds of books. But I really, really like epic fantasy. And I like the way Brandon Sanderson writes. I read Warbreaker, which is a stand-alone, and LOVED it. Loved it. The magic system is so cool, the characters are interesting, the plot is full of twists, and the world is just completely and utterly fascinating. So now I'm headed to the library to get the first book in the Mistborn trilogy.

That's it. Although, before I go, I will mention that Brandon has posted the entire text of Warbreaker as a PDF on his website, as well as sample chapters for his other books. That link goes directly to the PDF, or you can click here to go to his website.

My New Idea Which Will Give Me Another Excuse to Procrastinate

Ok. Enough's enough. I am going to make myself write a blog post every day if it kills me.

Yeah, yeah, you say. I've heard this before. Well, don't believe it until you see it.

What's new in my life? Still working on the novel...well, procrastinating on the novel. I'm also writing several scripts in prep for Screnzy, and, as always there are little bits of about a dozen stories floating around in my head demanding to be worked on. Sigh.

Since I've been neglecting you all, my now surely imaginary audience, I think I will give you a little treat.

            The girl was young, barely eighteen. Her long, blond hair was dirty from the alley’s ground, and her bright blue eyes stared out unseeing. She was covered in bite marks and blood.

            “Damn.”  It was always tough, with kids. Mallory turned to the uniform who had found the girl. “Any ID?”

            “No, ma’am.” He fidgeted nervously. Mallory frowned. He was young too; this was probably his first SCU case. They were always nervous the first time. “You’ve never seen a biter before, kid?” It wasn’t really a question.

            “No, ma’am.”

            “Don’t ‘ma’am’ me, this isn’t the academy.”

            “Yes, ma’am – I mean…”

            Mallory sighed. “Any witnesses?”

            “No, no one saw or heard anything.”

            “With a biter, I’m not surprised.” Cory had arrived. “Searched the area, but didn’t find a purse.”

            “Hm. Robbery? After the fact, of course.”

            “Maybe.”

Mallory bent down next to the girl. “What were you doing out here, all alone? A pretty girl like you doesn’t belong in a place like this.”

            The rookie looked more uncomfortable, if that were even possible. “Don’t mind her,” Mallory could hear Cory reassuring him. “She does this all the time.” Somehow Mallory didn’t think that made the kid feel any better.

            “Hey Cory,” she interrupted, “there’s something in her hand.”

            Cory crouched down beside her. Mallory gently uncurled the girl’s fingers and pulled out a slip of paper. Gently, she lowered her hand to the ground and uncurled her find.

            “What the Hell?”

            Cory shrugged. “Bunch of numbers. Beats me what they mean.” Suddenly he picked up the girl’s hand again. “Jones. Do you see something there?” He indicated the back of the girl’s hand, where Mallory could just make out some kind of a stamp. It appeared to be an ornate letter P, with what looked like a snake twined around it.

            “Club stamp, maybe?”

            “Yeah, maybe. Hey, isn’t Pandemonium around here?”

            “Huh. Biggest sucker club in the city. Yeah, it’s just a few blocks away. What do you say we pay them a visit?”

            “Let’s go.”

            “You mean, a…vampire club?” The rookie had overheard.

            Mallory raised an eyebrow. “You really are new. Look, kid. You see those bite marks? Sucker bites. That’s why you called us. So yeah, we’re going to the sucker club. Because this girl was killed by vampires. And we’re going to catch them.”

            They walked out of the alley past the stunned rookie, on their way to a nightclub owned and operated by creatures whose natural instinct was to hunt and kill their kind. Mallory grinned. It was just another day for the Supernatural Crimes Unit.