Let’s just get right into it, shall we?

Lock and load, faithful Terribleminds readers.

It’s time to unload a bucket of double-barrel watercolor in your general direction.

• Some of you may remember that I was on the Great American Agent Hunt, ’09. Well, no longer! I am now a represented man! Huzzah, hoo-rah, and all that. I won’t officially say who the agent is or for what agency she works for — I’ll wait for a more formal announcement (I’ve signed the contract and am sending it in today). I will say that, how incredible would it be to be a part of the same agency that represents my favorite writer? Wouldn’t that be crazy fortuitous? I’m just throwing that out there. Point is, that task is complete. I’ve leveled up. Ding. I am represented by a diligent, awesome, attentive agent who already has great ideas. I am geeked. I also now have to tell other agents that, so sorry, I’m a taken man. I did not expect to be in this situation so soon.
• I suspect the way I achieved this was entirely through supernatural favor. I mean, c’mon, I’m a talentless hack. I can barely string together two words, much less a whole dang book of ‘em. I’m like a drunk driver on the page, wildly veering this way and that, I’m on the shoulder, tires growling on gravel — it’s dangerous. So, I assume that some supernatural agency is responsible, so I’d like to thank whatever gods my wife and I appeased this week by sacrificing animals to your altars. She hit a deer, I… er, “hit” pheasants (literally painting with shotguns! uh, nevermind), and the blood runneth over. Cernunnos and the spirit of my father and… I dunno, fuckin’ Zeus or Artemis or whoever, they were all really pleased. Thanks, magical thinking!
• Let me tell you how I prepared the pheasant this week, in case you care:
  • Brown a pan full of thighs and breasts in a lot of butter.
  • When browned, cover with a cup and a half of heavy cream, heat to low.
  • Cook for an hour-ish. Stir. Make sure nothing sticks to the pan overmuch.
  • Hour complete, then take a cup of milk and stir in two TBsp of flour, then pour that biznatch right into the creamy pheasanty sauce.
  • Stir in a 1/2 cup of Your Favorite Grated Cheese. May I recommend Prima Donna? Make sure it melts well.
  • Toss in one TBsp of a good vinegar — a malt would work, I used a white pear balsamic because it’s a tart balsamic with cider-y overtones.
  • Coat the meat with the sauce, and serve.
  • Do not expect to lose weight eating this meal. The pheasant isn’t that fattening (they run like mad little fuckers, so they’re lean), and it’s a mild bird as long as you’ve leeched all the blood out.
• Quick pimpage: with Chapter 23 (“Let’s Learn Some Shit“), and Chapter 24 (“New World Order“), Shadowstories: The Infi-Net Revolution has taken a new turn. We’re rounding the bend into what a more robust second act. So. Go. Heap laurels. Breathe in our ecstatic vapors.
• I love Abduzeedo, and further, I love their Friday Fresh Free Fonts. You should love them, too. Become a font whore, like I. Let’s all get t-shirts made that say, “I Suck Dick For Fonts.” C’mon, designers! Get on board!
• Also on Abduzeedo: Papercraft Head!
• Also on Abduzeedo: Super Cute Star Wars!
• Holy Crap! Deadly Leopard Seal Attack!
• Modern Warfare 2‘s main single-player story was pretty glorious. It’s also way over the top and at times somewhat incomprehensible, but because you’re a soldier in the thick of it and not a Grand Strategist Plotting International Moves, I actually kind of like that. I like being half-ignorant as people are shooting at me. It’s action-movie awesome. Be aware, though, that the game is positively in love with killing your character off and knocking his ass unconscious.
• Dragon Age is where I’m at, now, and will move back to MW2′s multiplayer when I need a break from the droning British sleepytime voices. The game’s story is getting better, but… still, sometimes I feel like I’m jogging through mud over here. All that being said, Filamena writes about Dragon Age and women-in-games over yonder. Check it! (Light spoiler warning.)
• Guy LeCharles Gonzalez. Loudpoet. Deep thoughts and ideas about the publishing industry, about poetry and new media, about all kinds of things.
• The Devin’s Advocate: The Tyranny of Realism. Devin Faraci speaks wisdom there, and speaks strongly toward my beliefs that what’s important in your fiction is authenticity, not fact. Authenticity and verisimilitude are beholden to your world, your subject, your genre — truth is a more slippery thing than fact when it comes to fiction.
• Doyce speaks troof: There’s Always A Conflict.
• Please tell me you’re watching both Community and Modern Family? Keep these shows alive. Oooh, also, Chuck is back Jan 10th, and Lost is back Feb 2nd.
• Finally, D. Travis North was awesome enough to do a little profile of me and my macro photography over at Shutter Photo. Go and check it out, if you care! Thanks to Travis for doing that.