What a time this past week has been. Between all our computers getting hit with the LoveSan virus, our phone lines going down, and then the blackout, it makes me wonder about the wisdom of writing a book called Spirits in the Wires because the Pixel Pixies have certainly been in our wires of late.

But we have power now, our computers are clean, the phone lines are steady, and we're about to head off to Bubonicon in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on the weekend. And with Spirits in the Wires finally out, I have a book tour starting in Santa Fe on August 29th, followed by events at various stops up the West Coast. Details can be found at this link on my Web site:
http://www.charlesdelint.com/faq-appearances.htm

And before any of you ask, I don't decide where these tours take me. Tor, along with H.B. Fenn in Canada, set the itinerary and for some reason, they never seem to choose locales along the East Coast.

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The last bit of news is that two of my books made the Final Ballot for this year's World Fantasy Awards (being presented in November). Seven Wild Sisters is a finalist in the Novella category and Waifs and Strays, made it into Collections. Needless to say, I'm very pleased.

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MaryAnn and I were quite taken by the performance of Robert Randolph & the Family Band at the Bluesfest here in Ottawa this summer and it turns out that their albums are almost as much fun. (Live is always better.) They're rockin' and funky, with a real groove.

That's it for now. If you were hit by the blackout, I hope that it didn't have too much of a negative impact on your lives. We went down to our old street in Ottawa South and hung out on porches with our friends, marvelling at being able to see the stars and at how quiet it was. And then there were the bobbing lights constantly coming down the street: people out for walks with their flashlights. I don't know why they needed them—it wasn't that dark with an almost full moon hanging up above. Maybe it was just for the fun of it.

I hope to see some of you during the tour.

Hope to see some of you in the next few weeks.