There wasn’t one word about it on the weather app!

Amazing.

But guess what, gang? I don’t have to go anywhere today, or do anything outdoors, so I don’t care.

But the electrician had to postpone until Thursday, because out where he lives, at the lake, they are getting a ton of unexpected snow, which means no snowplows have been out there yet.

Anyway!

My cold is finally fucking really GONE. And I slept for 7 and a half uninterrupted hours last night, so I woke up in just the best frame of mind today.

And I am just feeling really good about everything.

Let’s start off with this!

Happy Heavenly Birthday, Lou Reed!! A man, songwriter, musician I adored.

And here’s this, to help celebrate the day! “Perfect Day”, Lou Reed, 1972:

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BEFORE I FORGET!!

Again!!

Yesterday, the “Read an eBook Week” Sale over at Smashwords got underway!

For this week only, my THREE eBooks published there are FREE to download! ADUTLS ONLY!!! (“Thank you for your attention to this matter.” – DJT)

The Muse Revisited, Volume One: Early Erotica

The Muse Revisited, Volume Two: Erotic Novellas

The Muse Revisited, Volume Three: More Early Erotica

And the reason I say that only 3 of my eBooks are free over at Smashwords this time is because–

Freak Parade is now back at Kindle! And until Friday, it is free to download, if you are in Kindle Unlimited!!

Download it HERE! (Adults only!!!)

“The Independent Publishers Award-winning erotic novel, Freak Parade. Explicitly erotic and blisteringly hot, written by one of America’s top erotic authors, Freak Parade is also ‘a complex, literary novel, and yet one that is a real page-turner in the best sense. Lewis knows how to create compelling minor characters without wasting the reader’s time with descriptive prose that is too elaborate. Her dialogue is focused and believable, and it fairly sparkles off the page as one reads it. Perhaps best of all, her portrayal of the downtown Manhattan demimonde reveals her knowledge of and love for one of the most exciting periods in the history of the city, and it will appeal to everyone who was there or who wishes they had been there.’ —Ron Bass, In Search of the Wild and Wonderous“

Freak Parade was my first self-published novel, back in 2011, and not only did it win a prestigious publishing award in NYC right off the bat, but many thousands of you have bought and/or downloaded this book since then. Which has meant so much to me.

(Yes, this was the book that the new erotica imprint at Harlequin was set to publish for a six-figure advance at Christmas 2005, when the Editor-in-Chief at the time announced at a staff meeting that he would never publish a piece of filth like Freak Parade, ever, not in a million years… etc., etc.)

But on we went!! I eventually published it myself and it’s still here!

And until Friday, FREE to download at Kindle Unlimited.

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Big City Lit, in NYC, announced that it has a new issue up — the Winter 2026 issue! Poetry, fiction, nonfiction and book reviews.

You can READ IT HERE. FREE!

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And Sandra is calling sometime today.

And in about 15 minutes I have a phone call with my Accountant in NYC, so I gotta get moving here.

And then I will be working on CHECKING OFF more things from my “List of Things To Do Immediately”!!

So here’s this!!

Two photos of Nick Cave!!

Nick with 3 dolls — 2 of them Living Dolls, one doll of “Himself”:

And Nick smiling, young — unusual, in and of itself!! (Not the being young part, the smiling part!):

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And that’s it!!

Enjoy your Monday, wherever you are in the world!!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this!

I’ve posted it here before, but since it’s his birthday!!

One of the many demos I made of my song “Lou”. This one, I made with Peitor Angell and Stephen Blades, in Peitor’s studio apartment on the Upper West Side, back in the late 80s.

Yes, this is the version of “Lou” about which the beloved Bob Cato, who was still at Columbia Records back then and trying hard to get me a record deal, said, “Why are you singing like that? What am I supposed to do with this??”

[A little about Bob Cato: he “…designed and oversaw hundreds of albums for dozens of artists, forging lasting relationships with many, including The Band, Johnny Cash, Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Janis Joplin, and Van Morrison.” You can see why it meant so much to me that Bob thought I had so much songwriting talent. He was such a wonderful human being, too. So kind. Invited me over to his house to meet his wife. Took me to lunch. Took an interest in my whole life.]

Anyway.

For Lou Reed. Enjoy, gang.

LOU

Come watch the rain
Wipe out the ballgame and 
Strike-out the names
Of players who’d gamble
With needles and dreams
In a game that’s as ruthless
as whiskey on speed

Who’ll call the game
On account of the rules being
Too tough to save
Any losers who’d forfeit
In a halo of fear?
Well, shame takes a holiday,
Let’s have a beer

CHORUS:
Fight, and maybe you’ll find
A reason to smile 
At the end of the line
Why don’t you fight?
Maybe you’ll win
And you’ll have some stories to tell 
For trying

Strike up a tune
For those who surrendered
And ducked out too soon;
Vice in the shadow
Was no easy crime
Let’s make it a double
For auld lang sine

You carve your name
In seasons of anger
of laughter and fame
To warn of the dangers
In packaging pain
For lives that get tossed
On account of the rain

© 1984 Marilyn Jaye Lewis
First of May Songs, BMI