I also want you to know that my online presence might be somewhat diminished for the next couple of months. Without disappearing entirely, I am going to be taking a less active role in social media. It's not that I don't love interacting with everyone, but working on three short stories and my novel really made me realize how much I'd missed writing during the months of March and April.

The year 2013 started out with sickness and upheaval in all aspects of my life: the day job and my writing were going through transformations, and my home life was disrupted by my own illnesses. It hasn't been a good year thus far.

The day job still hasn't stabilized; however, my own equilibrium has begun to return. That doesn't mean I am filled with peace and serenity while being tossed by the seas, but it does mean that I am no longer giving other people control of my free time. I want to spend that time reading and writing.

I'm really excited about being a part of two lovely anthologies: Manifesto: UF and The Neverland Library's Fantasy Anthology. Working with the editors and writing stories to specific guidelines has given me the opportunity to flex my writing skills in ways that I hadn't imagined that I could. I am indebted to both Tim Marquitz and to Roger Bellini for inviting me to participate in their respective adventures. I'll be around to promote both of these anthologies when they are available.

I want to tell you about my friend Helen Lowe's novel Heir of Night. I have a partial review written and would like to finish it soon. My friend Alex Bledsoe's newest novel Wisp of a Thing is pre-ordered on my Nook, and I intend to give you a review of that too. I also have an idea for southern gothic short story that I've started to kick around, in addition to working on my novel Cygnet Moon.

I'd like to get all of these projects rolling and finished by the end of the year, and in order to do that, I'm going to have to spend less time on social media and more time doing that writing-thing that I love. I will be popping in on the old blog with my updates, but if you don't see me on Twitter and Facebook as much, it's because I'm writing.

Ya'll carry on ...

Thanks to Kameron Hurley, a Google group was set up and information started to flow. Some of this information was good, some of it was bad, some, well, ugly in that it wasn't what we wanted to hear, but it was the truth.

One of the biggest benefits that I received from being an SFWA member is the ability to participate in the SFWA forum. If you are in utter and complete publisher meltdown, that is the place to go. I received clear-headed assessments of the situation from experienced members. Several kind people emailed me off the grid with details that tipped the balance of my decision.

On the surface, the issue with Night Shade Books appeared as if the SFWA was coddling the publisher. As April progressed, my anonymous email advocates armed me with facts that simply could not be made public for many reasons. Once I possessed all the facts, I realized that the SFWA did the right thing.

Kameron did an awesome job as moderator of the Google group and I thank her and Mary Robinette Kowal, who really spent hours and hours of her personal time going to bat for us. Mary couldn't have done her job without the weight of the SFWA behind her, and for that I am very grateful both to Mary and to the SFWA for taking a part in these negotiations.

For a long time, everyone was between a rock and a hard place, and some authors still are. I am hoping for the best for everyone.

I only the briefest of statements about The Bulletin and the SFWA:

I did finally receive my copy of the Bulletin and I want to say for the record that I found the article very offensive. I have neither the time nor inclination to write a ranty blog post about it; there are plenty of those out there if you want to read one.

The SFWA is taking strides to amend this situation, so I intend to give my membership more time. I want to see what the SFWA does, and I also want to be a part of the solution if I am able. A lot of changes are happening, some of which are too rapid to document. So I'm sticking around for a while longer.

I hope so anyway.

I'll be around and if you don't see me, I'll be writing.

I make no dispute with Tobler's summary of the events leading up to her decision. After reading Tobler's post, I saw another author, who I respect, make the same decision for herself--that she would not renew her membership in the SFWA.

I, the last person on planet earth ever to receive the Bulletin, am still awaiting my copy in the mail. Since I have not read the article in question, I don't intend to make comments based on other people's blog posts--that's another post for another day.

Instead, I'd like to ask that the members who are quitting to please reconsider your decision. Organizations grow and change because the membership grows and changes. A very wise man once told me that the only way to change an institution was from the inside.

I understand your frustration; however, I also understand that a majority of the SFWA membership does NOT endorse Resnick and Malzberg's views. These members are working hard to change attitudes within the organization, and they can't work without us working beside them.

And change, being painful and unfamiliar, is often a long, arduous process.

I'm no stranger to change, pain, or arduous processes, and I'm sure none of you are either. Hence, I would ask that you please reconsider your decision. Whatever you decide, I will back you one hundred percent, but I do ask that you please stay and help us change.

That's all.

This is a crowd-sourced project with a portion of the sales going to First Book, a non-profit organization working to provide educational resources and literature for children in impoverished areas across Canada and the US.

Today is the very last day that you can help contribute to this project. Read more about Neverland's Library Anthology and why they chose Indiegogo to crowd-source right here.

Please help us get the word out.

In the month of May, I completed two different short stories, "Naked the Night Sings," which will appear in the Manifesto: UF Anthology published by Angelic Knight Press (coming in September 2013), and a new story "Love, Crystal and Stone," which I intend to submit for consideration in the Neverland's Library Anthology.

Neverland's Library Anthology is winding into the final hours of its crowdfunding drive, so go right here to help fund this anthology. They have a super line-up of authors who are confirmed participants in the anthology, and none other than Tad Williams will be writing the introduction.

Just so that you know I'm not slacking off here: between these two stories, I wrote approximately 11,900 words, which is about one-quarter of a novel.

Also in May, I finished reading the very well-written Heir of Night by Helen Lowe. I am working on a review for you.

I will be posting at BookSworn later this week with a never-before-seen-authentic-hand-drawn map of Woerld, drawn by ... ahem ... none other than me.

I have several other things in the works, but if I fall silent again, then it's because I've returned to work on my new novel Cygnet Moon.

And that is all that I have for you right now. Stay tuned, I'll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, watch for me ... I'll be around.