suricattus

FLESH AND FIRE is on Library Journal's "Best Books of 2009" list!


(thanks to Moshe F for the heads-up)

Jackie Kessler breaks it down for you, so I don't have to


SFWA's response:

http://www.sfwa.org/2009/11/sfwa-statement-on-harlequins-self-publishing-imprint/

RWA and MWR comments, via Pub Rants:

http://pubrants.blogspot.com/2009/11/harlequin-news-flash.html

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As a Harlequin author and a SFWA member, I agree with my association's position on this. The establishment of a "pay-to-play" imprint damages the standing of the entire company in the eyes of both writers and readers, and cannot be condoned.

I hate this. I hated it when my then-employer did something business-wise I strongly disagreed with, and I hate it when a company I publish with does the same. It doesn't affect how I feel about my tiny corner of Luna, but... I'm really uncomfortable, all the same.

I love my editor and the rest of the folk on the front lines, and I understand that they are required to walk the company line -- been there, empathize with that. My complaint is not with them, but with the Corporate decision-makers who a) thought this would be a marvelous idea and b) don't see/care what this is doing to the reputation of a company that, until now, had the respect of many of us for doing a difficult job, well.

Well, I managed to get my minimum word count today, mainly by sneaking up on it. Stealth writing FTW. But minimum is not much to crow about. It was a good and useful transition scene, though, and got me through to the 10,000 point. I'm not displeased.

I also took possession of the last shipment of wine from California. And yet, I still need to buy wine for Thanksgiving. I'm thinking something South American.

I had thoughts about something I wanted to blog about...but I don't remember what it was. Am working on the agent-and-neurosis blog, though.

Nothing to say about the "Harlequin Horizons" set-up that I haven't already said elsewhere, mainly "RUFKM? Srsly?" If everyone's lucky, they'll find the coffers not filling up, and will shut this disaster down with a minimum of time and fuss. I feel bad for the legit authors who are caught up in the RWA shunning, and for all the folk who work at Harlequin who have to deal, once again, with Corporate asshattery they had nothing to do with. Walking the company line is hard; I remember and empathize.

Other than that... my brain is either broken, or it's working really hard on something it hasn't shared with me yet. No idea which.

Maybe I need to go cook something. And pick a caption contest winner...


EtA: opened a bottle of the Papapietro Perry 2006 Zin. Oh. Yeah. That's what I'm talking about! A nose of faint violets and pepper, the color of black cherries, and a clear, supple flavor of blackberry and plum jam without the thickness of said jam, the front and back taste bringing forward more of the cracked white pepper to liven it up. You can tell what they did with this wine, making it in the Pinot Noir style, and I think it really paid off.

I need, hrm, two or three beta readers, willing to look over a short story and tell me if a certain something in it works.

Familiarity with the Cosa Nostradamus useful but not essential. Members of Tabula Rasa willing to look at it again, also welcome.

You do, however, have to be able to read and respond within 24 hours....

volunteers rounded up, thanks!

author w/ story -->

Wanted veggies for dinner tonight, but not a salad, so I heated a pan w/ black sesame, caraway and 2 cloves sliced garlic, chopped some sweet peppers and shredded some red cabbage, quick-cooked them in pan until they were softened, then finished with a sprinkling of Vegeta, and served warm with crumbled feta. Colorful and tasty, quite filling, and except for the bit of Vegeta, all-healthy.

Next time might try adding bits of shredded pork. hrm. Or maybe duck....

Today, after spending much of the morning dealing with paperwork, virtual and otherwise, I got another 2,000 words done on PSI #3. And then, realizing that I was starting to feel a little "woe and teh sad" about the state of pretty much everything, shut down the electronics and went for a nice long city-hike through what turned out to be a nearly perfect autumn afternoon.

My knee's killing me, but everything else is much more settled.

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Meanwhile, the foul matter for FLESH AND FIRE has been delivered. I know some folk keep it, but that's just not an option for me. Some folk donate it, but I can't imagine anyone, in this day and budget, wanting my stuff taking up valuable storage space.

Anyone want shredding manuscript for the discerning literary gerbil's bed-fodder?

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And, in parting: a favor. If you've read FLESH AND FIRE and thought it was Just Swell, could you pass word along? In your blog, in your reader' group, in your annual holiday letter to the cousins you want to impress... share the excitement, and help spread the viral word to everyone. Sort of like the literary H1N1!

(or, y'know, not like it at all.)

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That is all.

There is something surreal about discovering that someone you've known for a decade has known someone else for a decade+ who knows someone you've known for a decade+...and none of those circles ever intersected until tonight.

Ah, NYC, how I do love you so.

Caption at-will. As always, best entry wins their choice of my backlist*










*(FLESH AND FIRE not included in that offer yet, since it's still frontlist. Sorry!)

"Pandora, just smite him. You don't have to snarl at him."

It's my sad news to report that the Waldenbooks in the Oakdale Mall (Binghamton NY) is on the list of stores to be closed at the beginning of the new year. This is sad in more than one way--everyone hates to see a bookstore close--because this particular bookstore manager, April, has treated me and my fellow authors with both respect and fan-glee. She has supported us by making certain that our books are on the shelf at the store AND, perhaps more importantly, talking the books up to her customers and making certain that they are in the hands of potential readers out there. I honestly can't believe the bookstore is closing.

However, before the news of the closing hit the airwaves, we'd arranged for a holiday signing at the store. It's now become a "last hurrah!" signing, and we're hoping to make it a huge send-off not only for April but for all of the employees at the store who've helped push our books in the past. So if you're in the Binghamton area--or even within a reasonable driving distance--come by on December 5th from Noon-4pm and help us let April and the other employees know how much we appreciate all of their efforts over the years. We'd like this signing to be a huge success! In addition to having our books there to sign for either you OR as gifts for all of your friends, we'll be wrapping the books you intend to use as gifts as well. FREE GIFT WRAPPING!! By authors who may (or may not) know anything about gift wrapping!! That, in and of itself, will be a blast. *grin* I'm sure we'll also have some candy and other freebies to give away.

We realize that not everyone is within even an unreasonable driving distance of Binghamton, NY. If you can't make it for whatever reason, you can still help us celebrate and thank April and the other bookstore employees by buying the books through the store and having them shipped to you (or someone else). April has graciously agreed to handle ordered copies in two different ways: you can either have the signed books shipped to a local Waldenbooks in your area so you can pick them up there, or April can ship them directly to you. For the second option, there will be no shipping cost (for shipments in the US), April will simply charge you for the books. For either of these options, send an email to fireun3@gmail.com with either the name of the town or city where the local Waldenbooks is located OR with where you'd like the books shipped. You should include what books you'd like by what author, how you want them signed, and (if they're shipping directly to you) if you want them wrapped.

Here are the details of the signing if you think you can make it. Keep in mind that the various holidays are inching ever closer. Ask yourself who on your gift list might enjoy some great fantasy novels! Signed even!



And if you aren't certain what books are up for grabs, here's a list of all of our books in print and available through the store:

Patricia Bray: The Sword of Change series: Devlin's Luck, Devlin's Honor, Devlin's Justice; The Chronicles of Josan series: The First Betrayal, The Sea Change, The Final Sacrifice

S.C. Butler: The Stoneways Trilogy: Reiffen's Choice, Queen Ferris, The Magicians' Daughter

Barbara Campbell: The Trickster's Game series: Heartwood, Bloodstone, Foxfire

Laura Anne Gilman: The Retrievers series: Staying Dead, Curse the Dark, Bring It On, Burning Bridges, Free Fall, Blood From Stone; The Vineart War series: Flesh and Fire

Jackie Kessler: Hell on Earth series: Hell's Belles, The Road to Hell, Hotter Than Hell; Black and White (with Caitlin Kittredge)

Joshua Palmatier: The Throne of Amenkor Trilogy: The Skewed Throne, The Cracked Throne, The Vacant Throne

Anton Strout: The Simon Canderous series: Dead To Me, Deader Still

And there you go! A long list of great books to browse from. I hope to see you at the signing, but if you can't make it, definitely send April a message with what books you'd be interested in. Help support good booksellers! Us authors can't survive without them!


(portions of the text were lifted from jpsorrow's LJ and amended to reflect my holiday preferences)

My S&S Author Info is finally up. Me, in my own words, more or less.

In February 2010, Burning Bridges, Free Fall and Blood From Stone will be available in mass market editions. Pre-order 'em now!

After that, the publication schedule looks like this:

Paranormal Scene Investigations
Hard Magic May 2010
Pack of Lies February 2011
Tricks of the Trade December 2011

(they want to tighten the time between titles. All depends on my ability to write faster. Um... yeah.)

also, The Hunted ("Anna's" selkie-featuring paranormal romance) will be out in April 2010). No firm date on Mustang yet.

Weight of Stone: The Vineart War, Book 2, is currently penciled in for October 2010. I am hoping the mass market edition of Flesh and Fire will be out just prior, but no word on that yet.

Oh, and the audiobook edition of Flesh and Fire (featuring the lovely-voice'd Anne Flosnik) will be available December 2009!

And you guys know about >Defiance, right?


I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired now, just reading all that. For the record, Tricks of the Trade is not yet written, Pack of Lies and Weight of Stone still need massive revisions. Working on the revisions for Mustang now. I need to start thinking about what's next... (Vineart 3, and then, hopefully, either Something New or Retrievers 7....)

EtA: the short story "apple: not a fairy tale" is still supposed to come out sometime this year, although the editor's gone silent again, and likewise "Fairy Dusted" (A Cosa Nostradamus story) will be out... sometimes soonish. I think those're the only short fiction works I have forthcoming.

(I'm not giving links -- you guys know how to type in bn.com or amazon.com or whatnot, right?)

MorningFail -- I guess I needed 8 full hours of sleep? No gym today, but running to catch up almost as good exercise. Gah, the to-do board overflows...


( My Philcon schedule, for those interested in such things )

No reading. Apparently, I don't rate. :-(

For those who asked: no signings have been set up yet, so just find me in the bar. Or check Larry Smith's table -- I was told to present myself there to sign stock at some point, so....

And now, must go forth, cafFiend in hand, and slay that damned to-do list. Wish me cunning, strength, and endurance.

EtA: speaking of which, I have been contemplating a post on Having An Agent, the Neurosis Iteration. Idea of Interest, Y/N?

I have had Al nassma chocolate, and you (probably) have not.


Probably, because unless you were a) at NYC's Chocolate Show last month, b) have contacts in the chocolate business or c) were at the AMNH's opening of the Silk Road exhibit Friday night, you can't get hold of it in North America (or the UK, I suspect). Not yet, anyway.

Camel's milk chocolate. All sorts of health claims for it, most of which I suspect don't carry over into chocolate anyway, but whatever the gimmick, I give it thumbs up.

People, this stuff is good. I didn't like all the flavors (and the "milk chocolate" was actually a bittersweet 70% cocoa) but the texture was smooth, the taste a splendid mixture of sweet and salty, and it was rich enough to leave me satisfied after only a few small pieces at a time (starting Friday night, finishing my last bit this afternoon).

Except, of course, that I know I will want more, and I don't have any. *sads*


disclaimer: I am a bit of a chocolate snob -- not because I think Expensive = Better, but because most mass-produced chocolates (yes, including the UK brands) taste more like wax than chocolate. I would rather spend more money to get something with all-natural ingredients that satisfies, than spend less and leave my tastebuds unsatisfied. Your mileage may vary.