My epic fantasy infidelity story "Over There" is online at the Intergalactic Medicine Show! If you like adulterous English professors and supernatural weirdness, give it a try.

The past couple of days have been, shall we say, eventful. The PrattShaw household suffered a sudden economic setback (reduction of work hours) that led to conversations like "So, should we pay rent next month, or eat food next month? Because we cannot afford to do both." Much frantic scrambling for freelance work to cover the shortfall ensued, with both Heather and I reaching out to most everyone we know for advice -- and many, many thanks to everyone who sent us leads and, in one case, hooked us up with an immediate paying job! We'll be pursuing various possibilities.

I wrote my agent to see if she could expedite any of my pending payments, and she shook some trees (with help from some wonderful associates in Germany and Switzerland) and got in touch yesterday morning to tell me the signing payment for my recent sales to Germany will be in my mailbox by month's end. That money will keep us afloat for a few months, and, with luck, our circumstances will be improved by the time that money runs out.

Alas, we can't really justify the expense of going to Wiscon now, so we must with great sadness cancel that trip. We haven't missed a Wiscon since we first started going in 2001, and we hate to start now, but needs must. If anyone wants to buy our memberships, drop us a note.