I've just received a contract for my novel, The Lebo Coven, from Five-Star Books. It'll be a hardback release. The publisher specializes in books for libraries -- for you librarians out there -- but it'll be available from all online dealers, such as on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, etc., most major retail chains, and by order from any bookstore. But it's still a long ways off -- could be as much as a year. But anyway, it's going to be a book.

As with most of my novels, there are subtle tributes to DS here and there. If you enjoyed Dreams of the Dark, and/or The Labyrinth of Souls, it's in a comparable vein, with touches of the supernatural and perhaps a dash of romance, though it's a southern gothic -- as opposed to a New England gothic.

--Mark

I assume you're using Internet Explorer? Go to www.panicware.com and download the free version of Pop-Up Stopper. It's a small program and very effective. You might also want to check your system for adware/spyware. You can also get Ad-Aware 6.0 for free at www.lavasoftusa.com. It can find all kinds of advertising nasties crawling around on your computer. If your daughter's been browsing and clicking on things indiscriminately, you've certainly acquired a few.

In addition to your antivirus, it's not a bad idea to have a trojan detector/cleaner. I use The Cleaner (www.moosoft.com); it's free to try for 30 days, then I think it's $29.95. Well worth every penny. There are other anti-trojan programs, such as Tauscan (www.agnitum.com) that are very effective and inexpensive. Check out www.wilders.org for some good security program info.

If your daughter does any file sharing or chatting via IRC, there's an exceptionally high possibility of having picked up a trojan, and your antivirus might not pick it up. Trojans usually give someone else access to your computer and/or sensitive files, such as your passwords.

Are you running a firewall?

--Mark

BTW, for those of you who also love "Columbo", Jourdan made a splendid adversary for my favorite detective in "Murder under Glass".  He plays a murderous, blackmailing restaurant critic with an almost reptilian elegance.  I know that may sound strange,  but that is the description that leaps to mind!

I'm a big fan of Louis Jourdan. I just happened to catch that episode of Columbo quite recently. I'm not much of a Columbo fan, but as I was flipping channels, I saw Louis Jourdan and kept it there. It was quite an entertaining episode, actually.

Jourdan was the saving grace in OCTOPUSSY, one of my least-favorite Bond movies but for his character. There's one scene where he tells Gobinda, his henchman, to "Get Bond!" He delivers that one line with such intensity I can't help but enjoy it.

--Mark

The BBC DRACULA with Louis Jourdan is easily my favorite Drac production. Jourdan doesn't match Stoker's description any better than Bela Lugosi, but his embodiment of the character is probably the best ever. The script is relatively true to the novel, moreso than any other. Frank Finlay is also the best Van Helsing, I think, although I'll always have great fondness for Peter Cushing in the role. The only really bad character is the British fellow who plays Quincy. His Texas accent is beyond a hoot.

The BBC Drac premiered in 1978, I believe, as a two-part mini-series. It showed at Halloween in my area, and nothing could have been more appropriate. The music really builds the creep-out factor. The scene of Dracula bringing a small satchel, in which something is moving, to his brides is wonderfully horrifying -- because there's no mistaking that there's a baby in it.

I've got it on tape, but I believe it's the abridged version that later aired, because it doesn't run a full four hours long.

--Mark

Thanks for posting that, Cheryl. Very astute observations, especially regarding fans. Yep, it's so often the fans who ruin fandom. I see it at many different cons, in many genres, and it all goes back to rampant, unchecked greed and thoughtlessness. I don't enjoy cons as much as I used to because of this very thing, and I attend far fewer than I have in years. I am sorry I missed the Fest, though, since it's the grand finale. Just couldn't swing it this year. I missed seeing so many of you that I've gotten to know in the last few years.

--Mark

Today was intriguing. Power went out entirely for 2 hours in the library. Patrons walked into the pitch black library and kept trying to turn on the computers. . . didn't quite seem to make the connection (pun intended) between no electricity=no computers

Hmm. Dim bulbs.

--Mark

Happy, happy, happy, CrazyJenny!

--Mark[/b][/color]