snow gods, inadvertant invocation of same

I would simply like to note for the record that if one is newly arrived from California, it is an extremely bad idea to look at the clear, temperate skies, and note how one's new boots are currently going to waste, as there has been no snow to speak of this winter. Now, someone with the initials leighdb may attempt to claim that her statement to that effect and the copious snowfall which immediately followed were coincidental, but we New Yorkers know better: do not tempt the weather gods. leighdb learned this the hard way, so you don't have to.

Roy Scheider, RIP

Rest in peace, Roy Scheider. (I chatted with him for a few minutes at a premiere once; it turns out that the "Bye Bye, Life" number from All That Jazz was shot in an auditorium on my college campus. A lovely, gracious man, and an underrated actor; in addition to Jaws and All That Jazz, he was in such classics as Klute, Loving and Sorcerer.)

ZOMBIES!

Finally, a literary contest I simply can't refuse, courtesy of Maureen Johnson. I quote with delight:

It’s time to give away the VERY LAST SUITE SCARLETT ARC. I get no more copies until the real book comes out. This is it.

And this contest? It’s big. And it’s awesome.

Here’s the challenge: take one paragraph of a book that you feel can be improved by zombies . . . and PUT THAT ZOMBIE IN THERE. (Need an example? See the previous entry!)

Keep it to one paragraph. (250 words or less. Less is better.)
1. Make sure to give the title and author, so we can know whose work is being zombified. If these are not given, the zombified work will not be considered!

2. E-mail the much-improved work to me at maureen@maureenjohnsonbooks.com. Please use the subject line: ZOMBIE INSIDE! You may enter as many times as you like. (So, if you want to zombify 30 stories, you can! But they must be different ones each time.) The deadline is February 14th. You can go right up to midnight (US, east coast time).

3. All of these wonderful entries will be read by me and some of my zombie expert friends.* Five finalists will be chosen. On February 15th, these five entries will be posted. And then, the madness begins. Because . . .

4. You know who picks the winner? YOU DO! It’s like ZOMBIE IDOL!

(ETA: Damn it- *I* was gonna do Austen! No fair!)