Oliver's Offerings

A Change of Address

2010-12-16T11:46:00.001-05:00

To streamline my life, which has gotten complicated for some reason, I'm blogging on only one site from this point on - my Jana Oliver blog on the main website. I will continue to check here on LJ to see what you folks are up to, however, and post as needed. Can't miss your exploits.

If you want to follow my doings there are many ways to achieve that:
Twitter (crazyauthorgirl)Facebook.com/JanaOliver
JanaOliver.com
DemonTrappers.com
DemonTrappers.co.uk
TimeRovers.com

Now you know why life has gotten complicated!

Happy Holidays to One and All! Here's hoping 2011 is a WAY better year for all of us.

Jana

Busy, Busy

2010-11-29T09:24:00.000-05:00

Busy, busy. But getting better. That's the weather forecast in Jana's world. The first weekend of the month began in North Carolina. When we were driving out of Atlanta it began to sleet. Yuck. Then we get twenty minutes from home and I realize I didn't pack the camera or (more important) the video projector for my talk in Charlotte. Dumb. So we drive home, get said items, and head back north again and by this time the sucky weather had passed.
The projector and portable screen are merely contingency plans (I've learned the hard way on that score) and definitely not needed at the Hickory Tavern in NW Charlotte. The room was huge, with massive open windows, and there was big projector screen. Unfortunately it was way sunny so some of the images got a bit bleached out, but overall it went really well. The Charlotte folks were so gracious and so many of them were at the beginning of their writer journey. After the event the Spouse and I adjourned to a Panera, commandeered a table and eat bread bowl soup while I edited a non-fiction article. Yum. I love soup this time of year.

Thanksgiving Day went very well. We had a wonderful turkey dinner, just the two of us. The kitchen cabinet painting was in full swing so things were a mess, but I didn't care. It was great to break out the good china, sit in the dining room (the kitchen table was full of stuff from the cabinets) and have a really fine meal.

Many things are In The Works. On the US side, DEMON TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER is garnering reviews. My marketing lady tells me that there will be the first two chapters of the book posted on WordsNStuff .net closer to publication. And there will be special short story about Riley's first solo trapping adventure entitled RETRO DEMONOLOGY.

On the UK side we've created a Google map that shows some of the places used in the series and we're developing a Picasa photo site so folks can check out pictures of those sites. Reviews are rolling in over there as well and the first few on Amazon have been amazing. Another trip to Oakland Cemetery is in the works, but this time it won't be purely for reference. I wanted to give my new camera road test before we go on the road, but the Kitchen Cabinet Painting Project chewed up all of last weekend. And where are you off to now, Ms. Oliver? South Georgia. But I'll tell you more about that later this week.

Wishing all my US friends and readers a belated Happy Thanksgiving. Despite all the gloomy news we are forced to endure 24/7, we have much to be thankful for. And I'm very thankful for all of you.

Temptation on the Doorstep

2010-11-09T20:43:00.000-05:00

A new post on Temptation at my website blog!

http://www.janaoliver.com/blog/

Goodreads Contest

2010-10-07T08:57:00.000-04:00

Hey folks! My US publisher (St. Martin's Press) is running a contest on Goodreads through Dec 1st and the prizes are copies* of THE DEMON TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER. They're giving away 48 copies, so be sure to pop out and register. You do have to be a member of Goodreads, so if you're not be sure to join. It's a great place to connect with other readers.

*Initially I thought these were advanced reader copies, but it appears they're the real deal. That's even better.

Paperback Dolls Interview

2010-09-23T08:45:00.001-04:00

Just a quick post to invite you to Paperback Dolls today. My interview is up and later today they'll be posting my article about Oakland Cemetery. There is a gift basket in the offing! Drop by. Leave a comment. You know you want to!

Zombies, Beaches and Vodka

2010-09-13T14:10:00.001-04:00

Zombies, beaches and vodka. Just what do they have in common? My life (and thanks for asking). The zombies were everywhere in Atlanta over Dragon*Con. They even had a Zombie Ball. No, I have NO pictures of zombies. My husband did take a few (see left for a fine young specimen rifling through the newspaper machines.) So what is it with me and zombies? Why did I hot foot it out of Oakland Cemetery one day when a Zombie Walk invaded the place?

Personal confession: I'm not cool with the undead. Vampires/vampyres (no matter how you spell the word) fall into this category. Whenever I see one I think "You're so dead, dude. Here, let me complete the process with this wooden stake." I know that vamps can be charmingly hypnotic, able to leap tall buildings, seduce virgins and can even sparkle, but THEY'RE DEAD, okay. Zombies are just a lower social class of vamps. The ones with no fashion sense and few social skills. They wear ratty, blood-stained clothes, moan a lot and complain about how they never get enough brains to eat. They shamble or shuffle and are truly grotesque. Hence my dislike of all things Zombie. Movies, comics, TV shows, you name it. And especially Zombie Balls. At least a Vamp Ball would have some class and I bet their mixed drinks would be unforgettable.

Fortunately, a friend of mine knows my desire to Avoid All Things Zombie so she steered me away from the Westin hotel right after my Alternate History panel since that's where that aforementioned ball was being held. I briskly hiked outside (you don't dare run or they'll come after you) only to encounter them on the street in their tattered dresses, their gray and bloody faces and with their pathetic moans. Sigh. Maybe by next year the con goers will fall in love with something less nasty--like werewolves or something. How's about a Werewolf/Lycanthrope Ball for a change? Though they might be shaggy and have raging cases of Full Moon Syndrome, werewolves are cool. Even cooler in a tux or a ball gown. I'd so be there. With a flea collar, of course.

Of course, because I have a thing against Zombies I included a version of them in my Demon Trappers Series. My reanimates (Deaders) don’t eat brains and they dress nice for the recently deceased. Shopping when you're a copse is problematic. They don’t shuffle or shamble and they don’t hold social events. Deaders are kinda sad, actually. They’re not supposed to be above ground so their minds don’t function quite right. Often they go “screensaver mode” and just stop moving. Quite sad. No, these guys will not be trotting off to some ball in downtown Atlanta in the near future. Or if they do, I don’t want to know about it, okay?

But what about the beaches and vodka you ask? Those references are to the delightful news that my Demon Trappers Series has sold in Brazil (for Portuguese translation) and into Mother Russia! Beaches and vodka. I have no idea when those editions will see the light of the day, but I'm still jazzed.

I bet the Brazilians and the Russians know how to handle zombies properly. Just sayin'...

Research Happens

2010-08-26T08:08:00.002-04:00

No matter what, just like death, taxes and manuscript revisions, research is inevitable. Especially when you're a writer. No matter how well you know a subject it's always best to check your sources. So here's what I'm up to nowadays.

First out of the box -- the research for my panels at Dragon*Con. What, you say? Research for a panel? Don't you wing it?" It really depends on the panel. Some I can, others require my nose in a book or some surfing on the Internet. I research the panel topic because I have no desire to look like a complete idiot in front of a roomful of people. Who will tell their friends. And their pets. And all of Facebook that Jana is *cough* dense. Hence the homework.

Currently, I'm collecting data for my Myth and Reality of Victorian London panel, digging through my extensive collection of Victorian tomes to tease out just the right (and hopefully intriguing) facts. The Face of the Demon panel has me scrabbling for all my demon/Fallen angel reference books, along with some of the fiction that has defined demons over the centuries. The other panels require less research, which is a blessing.

And I'm researching tattoos (the history of) for an essay I'm writing for an upcoming BenBella SmartPop anthology on the House of Night series (by my buds P.C. and Kristin Cast). Fascinating subject, tattooing. Now I just have to boil all the info (and the HoN lore) down to less than 5K words.

Finally, there's the history of Lucifer, from the first appearance of hasatan (The Adversary) in the Hebrew Bible all the way through the New Testament and Lucifer's metamorphosis into Satan. That research has me parsing Jewish, Christian and Muslim resources. Some aren't that easy to understand, but as long as I get the drift of the commentary, I'm good.

All of this research will spill over into my writing, of course. Even the Victorian bits though I'm not writing about that time period. There's an "additive" effect when you conduct research -- it sparks the brain cells, gets you thinking in new directions. And more times than not, that leads to a another story idea.

So what are you researching at present? The history of stamp collecting? How to balance a plate on your head? Come on, don't be shy. We really want to know.

Dragon*Con Ahoy!

2010-08-24T11:12:00.000-04:00

As always, I'll be at Dragon*Con over Labor Day weekend. Here's my schedule lest you'd like to encounter me in person, have me sign a book or just bend my ear. It's less intensive than in previous years and I'm glad of that. I might even pop down to the Decatur Book Festival to have a look around. Never been there so that should be fun as long as it's not raining.

Here's the schedule. Hope to see some of you at Dragon!

Friday, Sept. 3rd

Time: 5:30pm

What: Reading

Where: University - Hyatt Regency

I'll be reading from my Demon Trappers Series and from something new.

Time: 8:30pm

What: The Myth and Reality of Victorian London

It's been steampunked, rebooted (in the latest Holmes movie) and time-traveled through...but what was it REALLY like?

Where: International C - Westin

Saturday, Sept. 4th

Time: 1:00pm

What: Steam Queen and Clockwork Hookers: Women in Steampunk

Sprouting from pulp sci-fi and boys' adventure tales, is steampunk then a masculine genre? Panelists debate women's roles in literature & film.

Where: International C - Westin

Time: 2:30pm

What: Critique Groups vs. Beta Readers

Critique Groups/Beta Readers- Is there a place for both? Which is the most effective? What do you look for in each?

Where: Manila/Singapore/Hong Kong - Hyatt Regency

Sunday, Sept. 5th

Time: 10:00am

What: Face of the Demon

Depicting demons in literature; what shapes them, what influences their appearances both physical and behavioral?

Where: Fairlie - Hyatt Regency

Time: 10:00pm

What: Marketing Yourself

Finding effective ways of expanding your fanbase.

Where: Manila/Singapore/Hong Kong - Hyatt Regency

Shifting Gears

2010-08-16T08:38:00.001-04:00

Demon Trappers Book #2 is now in the hands (or at least on the computer) of my editor. It was a difficult book to write because it was an emotional one. I do emo fairly well, but prefer action and mayhem. Combining the two takes some serious effort, but I think I got the balance just right. I'm hoping the readers like the twists and turns because there are quite a few.

Now that the book is gone (at least until the editor sends me revisions) I can revel in the euphoria of another major project off my list. That "Whee! It's outta here!" sort of buzz. It is always tempered by the "What if it really sucks?" Gollum-type murmurings in the back of my mind. Every writer has them. If you don't, I worry about you.

This is why a supportive spouse is very helpful. The convo went like this:

(In the kitchen during one of my caffeine acquisition treks).
Me: I'm not sure if I did everything I wanted in this book. It's good, but... (mumble, mumble)
Him: Is this version better than the one the betas readers read?
Me: Oh hell, yes.
Him: Then your job is done. Here, have some wine.

He also kept me fed, watered, ice-packed (for my neck, wrist and arm) and did all the errands and bought groceries so I could put in my 12 hour days without worrying about anything but The Book. He gets instant sainthood in my book. I think he'd rather have another banjo book instead.

I'm taking a week off before I start Book the Third (due April Fool's Day -- hold the jokes please). This week is promo and marketing. The good folks in the UK would love a playlist for the first book (titled DEMON TRAPPERS: FORSAKEN over there) and I've got Guild patches and a tee shirt to order and other good stuff to happen. All of this is rolling toward those Jan and Feb launch dates when Book the First toddles out in front of the cameras and takes a bow.

But for now it's back to the coffee then I'll cue up Pandora. Life is good here. But then I wouldn't want it any other way.

Time Passes

2010-07-21T13:18:00.001-04:00

It is with deep shame that I realize I've not posted since *cough* May. Lots has been happening in my world, all of it grand. My life is now divided between the books debuting in the US and the UK so we'll do a list so you folks don't have to read a lot:

The United Kingdom:
1) UK cover is live. It rocks! I LOVE the demon wing graphic and the word on the Interwebs is that other folks do too.
2) The UK version of the book (entitled DEMON TRAPPERS: FORSAKEN) is available at various locations, including Book Depository which is selling it at a pre-order price of half-off. (Such a deal)
3) I've completed the copy edit of this book. Next up is the page proofs.

The United States:
1) US cover is still in production, but I've seen an early mock-up and it's way cool. Lots of urban fantasy goodness to it. US title: THE DEMON TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER (no link yet)
3) US copy edit and page proofs have been reviewed and returned. Next stage is Advanced Reading Copies which will be circulated to reviewers, bookstore buyers, etc.

The Work in Progress:
1) Book #2 is due to the US editor mid-August (eep!) After we've completed revisions it will be sent to the UK for their revisions. US version does not have a title yet. UK version: DEMON TRAPPERS: FORBIDDEN

And the now for the really awesome news -- we got publication dates!!!

DEMON TRAPPERS: FORSAKEN (MacMillan's Children's UK) will be published Jan. 7, 2011
THE DEMON TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER (St. Martin's Griffin US) will be published ~~Jan. 13~~ Feb. 1, 2011

January is gonna be one very busy month, folks.

That's the update. Will try not to be so quiet from this point on. And now that obligatory link to something cool on the Web. Check out the photos. Somedays I feel like the croc with the hippos.

The Magic I Love

2010-05-16T18:08:00.003-04:00

Being an author has its disadvantages. One of the issues is that I don't look at a book quite the same way the average reader does. Most folks come to a story with the hope that it will let them "fall through the hole in the page" (as per Stephen King). I expect that as well, but I'm also all about craft, like a pro tennis player watching another pro do his/her thing, constantly analyzing each move to see how it works.

So when I find an author that allows me to switch off the writer brain for a time, I'm ecstatic. Such has been the case with the writing team of Ilona and Gordon Andrews (writing as Ilona Andrews). They have two series now, but by far my most favorite is their Kate Daniels series (MAGIC BITES, MAGIC BURNS, MAGIC STRIKES). Their latest endeavor (MAGIC BLEEDS) is debuting on May 25th and I am all over this book. To the point of knowing that I will devote hours I do not have (because of my own looming deadline*) to reading it because their stories are that compelling. They have hooked me so solidly into their world I must know what happens next.

Does that mean I don't try to figure out how they do the magic they do? Hell no. I've studied their prose, their plotting, the whole works. In the process I've grown a healthy case of envy because they seem to make it look so effortless. I know the process is anything but easy, still I admire pros at the peak of their game. So if you enjoy a top quality urban fantasy I highly recommend the Andrews' work. It's my joy to salute them for another story about the amazing Kate Daniels and the bizarre world in which she operates.

Sometime down the line I'll explain how their work inspired my own Demon Trappers Series and why, in their own way, they helped move my career further down the playing field. For this post, it's all about them.

Thanks for all your hard work, folks. It's mucho appreciated.

*Deadlines either lurk or loom. They don't seem to have any other method of operation and the switch between lurking and looming is sudden and often very ugly.

Another Link in the Chain

2010-05-05T12:22:00.002-04:00

So on Monday evening a heavy package plunked on my doorstep -- the copy edits from my U.S. publisher (St. Martin's Press). I always cringe when I open packages like this as I expect to find the page solidly red with corrections. I'm pleased to say that's not the case. The CE has caught my inconsistencies, taught me that ~~Duffle~~ is actually spelled Duffel (who knew?) and that clearly I have a nasty addiction to ellipses and em dashes.

I'm not alone in this journey. As noted by the photo, a Lego version of Darth Vader is helping me. Once I'm finished with reviewing the manuscript it goes back for another review and then onto typesetting. Then I'll get to see a galley which will be exactly how the final book will look. Soon a book cover will appear in my IN box. When I'm given the greenlight to share it I shall!

The same process plays out for the U.K. version. Somehow I doubt the Germans will be having me check over their copy edit.

On the Consumption of Alcohol

2010-05-02T13:45:00.000-04:00

Because the next few weeks are going to be quite full of work, I was pleased to take some time off and unwind at AnachroCon. I know a great many of the folks that attend this convention and that means I'm hanging with "family." As usual there were unique costumes, amazingly intelligent presentations and some very good food at Giovanni's (the Italian restaurant right next to the hotel). I even had the pleasure of speaking to Thomas Jefferson who is a most delightful fellow.

The con went fine for me except for an odd occurance related to beer and a hangover. As in I got one, but not in the traditional "how many six packs can I chug?" kind. Friday evening I had a glass of wine with my dinner (yum) and then later I repaired to the pool area to enjoy the scent of pipe smoke from my colleagues and to have a Shiner Bock. I like Shiner Bock beer. It's unpretentious and though I might argue about a lot of stuff that Texas does, this beer is one of my favorites. I turn in at a decent hour because at 10:45 the next morning there is An Hour With Jana Oliver, which means the Jana had better have a working brain.

I wake at eight. My stomach rolls over seconds later. As in the "OMG how much did I drink last night?" kind of lurch. But I had been sensible, which my body did not seem to notice. It was acting like I'd consumed my body weight in beer (which is a lot, folks). Food was out of the question so I starting sucking down water as fast as possible. I managed to get a bit of string cheese in place. The nausea persists, along with that spinning head thing. Not good, I think, but at least it's not food poisoning. I do make it to my presentation and did fairly well except for the need to sit down in the middle of it because I was dizzy. Then I went back to my room, took a long nap and starting reintroducing food to the system (along with tons of water).

Not food poisoning. Not alcohol poisoning. All I can think is that I was overly dehydrated on Friday what with rushing around to get to the con and with the obsessively healthy diet I've been eating, the introduction of heavy carb-laden beer was a bad idea. Very bad. Since it's the first I've had in over a month, that might be the case.

I was circumspect and nary a drop of beer passed my lips Saturday night (nor any other alcohol I might add). I am ashamed to admit that I am becoming a Light Weight. Sigh. In future I'll stick to wine and single malt scotch in temperate quantities. But I will remember my former adventures with beer with some fondness.

Next year AnachroCon will be held in late February. Do attend. It's well worth the price of admission.

AnachroCon Approacheth

2010-04-29T08:49:00.000-04:00

It is time for another appearance amongst humanity (writers can be an antisocial lot on occasion). Tomorrow I shall don the ancient garb (in this case Victorian) and send my person toward AnachroCon, our local alternate history/steampunk convention. I have been given a lovely list of tasks to accomplish, will meet up with friends both old and new, and generally have a grand time.

The timing is good. My copy edits shall arrive tomorrow via the Brown Truck and after the con I shall cease to exist on most folks' radar until that task is done. I'll post more on that subject down the line.

My schedule at AnachroCon is thus:
Friday
1:00 p.m. -- Opening Ceremonies1:15 p.m. -- Somewhere in Time: Time Travel Romances
2:30 p.m. -- Victorian Sci-Fi Lit

Saturday
10:45 a.m. -- An Hour with Jana Oliver (I won't just be talking about moi. I'm suspecting some Jack the Ripper might intrude)

So if you're keen for some fun this weekend, drop by and introduce yourself!

New Reads I Recommend

2010-04-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

What with lots of good stuff going on in my world, I thought it only right to share news of others. In particular, friends o'mine. So here's some of the new books just waiting for you to give them a whirl --

Aching to draw cool fantasy pictures but don't know how? Then check out FANTASY ART TEMPLATES by my friend Jean Marie Ward and illustrator Rafi Adrian Zulkarnain. "The author-illustrator team provides templates for more than 50 fantasy types, including wizards, male and female warriors, elves and fairies, giants, pirates, mythical gods, angels and devils, dragons, griffins, ogres, ghouls, goblins, sirens, and many others. Generic templates capture each prototype fantasy figure in a series of action poses that designers can adapt to portray famous characters or invent new ones."

Today sees the launch of BURNED, the eighth book in the wildly popular HOUSE OF NIGHT Series by P.C. Cast and her daughter, Kristin Cast. This series is hitting the top of the New York Times and USA Today lists and has the most dedicated group of fen (plural of fan) imaginable. They so love their HoN!

And on May 4th author Jeri Smith-Ready's debut Young Adult novel (SHADE) will hit the bookstores! I had the joy of reading the first draft of this novel and it's great. A strong heroine paired with a unique story premise and you've got good reading. Jeri's already known for her fantasy novels and her WVMP vampire series. SHADE will introduce her talents to a whole new group of readers.

Of Coming Events

2010-04-17T10:33:00.000-04:00

Breaking my radio silence to announce that the next couple of weeks are packed with event. Actually that should be events. Though my chat with a class at North Springs H.S. has to be rescheduled (they're having a pep rally) I'm on for two conventions back to back. And somewhere in the middle of all that my copy edits will be landing in my IN box. Luckily they're not due back until mid-May. (wipes brow in relief)

Both cons are in Atlanta because this year I'm staying pretty close to home. 2011? Let's not think about that for the moment. With the new series out there I'm going to be all over creation and most of it will involve flying. Ack.

But I digress....here's what's cooking at Convention The First -- JordonCon (Apr 23-25), the annual fan convention honoring the late Robert Jordon, author of the Wheel of Time Series. Why am I there you ask? JordonCon has a new writers track this year and I'm thrilled to be part of it. And as you will see, I have my work cut out for me.

My schedule is thus:

Friday, Apr. 23 (2:30 p.m.)
Ins and Outs of Getting Published
So you've written a book, now what? Jana Oliver explains the ins and outs of taking a finished manuscript and getting it published and into your readers' hands.

Friday, (5:30 p.m.)
Alternative Publishing by Jana Oliver and David Wong
Is your work too weird and wonderful for mainstream? Or do you just like to have control of your stuff? David Wong and Jana Oliver reveal the pros and cons of going it alone.

Saturday, April 24. (10 a.m.)
The Future of Publishing by Brandon Sanderson, Jana Oliver and David Wong
E-publishing, Amazon vs. Macmillan. Blogs and viral marketing. What does this all mean for writers and readers? What can we expect as technology develops and readers desire to interact more with writers?

Sunday, Apr. 25 (10 a.m.)
Book Building by Jana Oliver
Jana Oliver takes you through the process of creating a book from first concept to final edit.

Hope to see some of you this coming weekend. Local cons are more laid back for me (Dragon*Con being the exception) so I'll have time to prop up my feet and chat. For more information on the guests, the schedule and where the con is located please see JordonCon's site.

The weekend after that is AnachroCon, but I'll post more later on.

An Author's Take on Electronic Piracy

2010-02-06T12:24:00.001-05:00

Just read this article by author Jeaniene Frost on e-piracy. It's a good summation of the impact of pirated books, not only on the publisher but what stolen works mean to the author and the reading public.

http://www.deadlinedames.com/?p=2700

*Thanks to Ilona Andrews for linking to this article.

Trapping Demons

2010-01-10T11:34:00.000-05:00

I went to see AVATAR yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed watching someone else's world in action. Loved the detail. I was reminded that dreaming up new worlds and new creatures is an awesome job, but it requires a lot of paperwork.

Paperwork like the Demon Trappers Manual which will eventually be on the website. Trappers are ranked according to their status in the Guild - apprentice, journeyman and master - much like other trades. When an apprentice begins learning how to trap demons they are given a small portion of the manual to keep them from trapping above their abilities. Less dead apprentices that way. When they reach journeyman they get more of the manual and so on.

I included the first couple of pages of the manual (in particular the Demon Identification Guide) with my proposal and my editor loved it. So now I'm fleshing out the whole thing, not only as something my readers might like but also to keep me on the straight and narrow when it comes to Hellspawn. In my world demons are classified by cunning and lethality ranging from Grade Ones to Grade Fives and then on to the Archfiends. (The Fallen Angels are another thing altogether). There are specific ways to trap these fiends, including the use of magical spheres which means the author needs to remember all that. Hence the need for the manual.

An excerpt:

DEMON OVERVIEW
Definition: A demon is any entity who serves Lucifer, the Prince of Hell. (See Section 5:45-52 for a detailed history of Lucifer’s Fall from Heaven. See Section 5:52-53 for Hell’s Organizational Chart.)

Grade One Fiends
Name: Biblio-Fiend
Nickname(s): PITA (pain-in-the-ass) or Little Pisser
Description: Three inches tall with chocolate brown skin and pointed ears.
Demonic Activity: Destroys books, urinates indiscriminately, prone to expletives.

These fiends are commonly found in libraries, bookstores or in book warehouses. They have an affinity for books, but their primary desire is to destroy them. Trapping them takes advantage of their love-hate relation with the written word. Reading from a book, particularly a classic work with dense prose, will cause a temporary paralysis. Once disabled, they can be secured in a closed container for transport.

And so it goes on from there. I have to admit this is pretty much a blast to write. Now if I could only figure out Hell's Organizational Chart. I got the head guy, I just need to figure out the rest.

Self-Publishing: The Good, The Bad, The Expensive

2009-12-11T08:03:00.002-05:00

Author Shiloh Walker invited me to guest blog on self-publishing and subsidy/vanity presses in response to the recent issues with Harlequin and their new pay-to-play subsidiary DellArte. Just click this link to check it out.

There Be Questions (Part 1)

2009-11-29T12:41:00.002-05:00

Recently I made an appearance at the Entertainment Marketing Class at Kennesaw State University. Besides having a grand time with the students, I left with a handful of questions. So I thought I'd answer a few.

D. Howell asks: What are you reading right now?
UGLIES by Scott Westerfeld. Scott has one really unusual imagination (as evidenced by his latest book LEVIATHAN) and I thought I'd check out this series. The premise is that when you turn a certain age you are changed from an Ugly to a Pretty and get to lead the good life. Of course, not all is as it seems and that's why I'm enjoying the book so far.

D. Howell also asks: Are any characters based off of yourself?
Sorta, but not really. Great answer, huh? There are elements of me in all my characters, but if I did a Mary Sue and made the heroine just like me it'd be a darned dull story. So I incorporate some of my traits (usually unwittingly) into my characters. An example is Jacynda Lassiter (my heroine in the Time Rovers Series) who fears tunnels that go underwater. I'm the same. She has a tendency to thump annoying people over the head. I used to do that when I was a kid but gave it up since I don't really need a criminal record. There are other examples, but on the whole I avoid writing my characters based on me because my life is nowhere near exciting as theirs.

J. Smith asks: Iowa being the sprawling metropolis it is, did that help you in your writings or make you depend on your creative side when you were growing up?
I like the idea of Iowa sorta sprawling around, elbowing Minnesota and shoving Missouri further south (grin). Living in Iowa, per se, didn't affect me as much as being an only child. The best way to entertain myself (and not get into trouble with my eagle-eyed mother) was to exercise my imagination. I lived in my own little world (still do most of the time) where I created other people to hang with, talk to and share adventures. Couple that with voracious reading and you've got logical stepping stones to becoming an author.

J. Smith also inquires: What are your single malt recommendations?
Now there's a question close to my liquor cabinet! I choose single malt based on my mood. I usually head toward the peatier (smoky) varieties like Oban, Talisker or Laphroaig. Every now and then I'll try some Abelour A'bunadh. I have some 16 y/o cask strength Abelour right now that is just smoother than anything. Some nights it's a beer. Just depends on where my head is.

I'll tackle a few more questions in the next couple of days. In the meantime enjoy your leftover turkey, folks.

Going Global

2009-11-24T12:13:00.002-05:00

One of the coolest things about being an author is knowing that folks are going to be reading your work. Even better when it's in a different part of the world. I've been sitting on some awesome news and now I can share it!

My Demon Trappers Series has gone international.

The German foreign rights have been sold to Fischer, which means my books will be sitting on shelves in Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich sometime down the line! Wheeee!!!!

And then just last week as we walked off the plane in Las Vegas there was an email from my editor -- Pan MacMillan has purchased the UK rights. Books in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Dublin!

Clearly we have a lot to be thankful for and I'll be making note of all that on Turkey Day. Thanks for sharing the good news. It makes it so much more fun that way. Publishing is a tough profession and it helps to celebrate the good stuff and share the bad. This time around it's the good stuff.

Wishing you all a very wonderful Thanksgiving!

Postcard from the Writer Person

2009-11-10T09:52:00.004-05:00

Manuscript to Editor on Nov. 1st? Check
House tidied? Check.
Twitching to work on next book? Check.

All systems normal here. While I await The Verdict from my editor on the first book in the Demon Trapper's Series (tentatively titled THE DEMON TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER) I've been tidying up my environment in an effort to keep me away from Book #2. I need a break, but the writing virus doesn't believe in time off so I have to trick it into submission by diverting its attention. So far that diversion has been successful.

I've had a couple folks ask how matters will progress from this point forward. It's pretty simple, actually. The process is much like it was for Dragon Moon Press, though on a grander scale. Once I've made any revisions my editor requests and she gives it a thumbs up, the next step is copy editing, wherein some wonderful person fixes my grammatical boo-boos etc. Somewhere along the line I'll get to see the new cover design (can't wait on this one -- St. Martin's has gorgeous covers) and I proof the "galley" for any typesetting issues. Then the book is into the chute and headed for press. ARC (Advance Reading Copies) will come out first and be sent to reviewers, then the real deal will land on my doorstep and in bookstores. There will be champagne flowing on that day, for sure.

I'll start working on Book #2 after our vacation and Thanksgiving. Meanwhile I'm enjoying the time off, while trying to ignore that tiny nagging voice hissing "Must Write! Must....write...now!" Time to clean another closet, me thinks.

Of Vampyres and Friends

2009-10-27T09:15:00.002-04:00

Every now and then I blog about friends of mine, especially when they're doing cool stuff. This post is about P.C. Cast who I met eight years ago at Arcon in St. Louis. Her first small press book had just been published. At the time, P.C. was a schoolteacher in Oklahoma. She was (and still is) a blonde dynamo. We met at a signing and I watched her work the crowd. GODDESS BY MISTAKE was a paranormal romance, but you wouldn't have known it by the line of guys waiting to buy the book. I suspect that might have had something to do with P.C.'s sassy attitude, hot pink sweater (with discrete cleavage) and the miniskirt she was wearing. Savvy woman.

We hit it off immediately and readily shared our dreams of being published by one of the Big Houses. It started to happen for P.C. right off -- her book received a rare 4-1/2 Star Top Pick Gold from Romantic Times. Then it won four major romance awards in one year. P.C. signed with a top NY agent (Meredith Bernstein) and went on to publish both fantasies and paranormal romances for Berkley and Mira. All the while she continued to be a single mother and a schoolteacher struggling to pay the bills. She'd come home from teaching and write until late at night. That's what it took to put food on the table.

Over the years we've shared the joys and heartbreaks. For the first year I kept receiving emails from her with "!!!!!!" in the subject line announcing her book had finaled in one contest after another. Then she won those contests. Then more book contracts came her way. In 2007 I got to retaliate with my own flurry of "!!!!!" emails when one of my books did so well. We also traded rants about this, that or another, the kind of candid emails or phone calls only close friends dare to share. Between the rants and the happy dance emails, time marched on.

P.C.'s career underwent a sea change in 2005 in Reno at a Romance Writers conference. P.C. and Meredith cooked up an idea about a series based on a Vampyre Finishing School and The House of Night concept was born. I remember thinking, "Wow. Cool concept. This will rock." We both joked how awesome it would be if she made the NY Times list with a Young Adult series.

And lo -- The House of Night Series (co-authored with her daughter Kristin and published by St. Martin's Press) did just that. The third book in the series (P.C.'s eighteenth book) made the NY Times list. The series is a MEGA bestseller. P.C. and Kristin have appeared on national TV shows, been on book tours in the U.S. and the U.K. They've camped out on the NY Times list for so many weeks I've lost track at this point. The series is in 30 countries now. I remember her calling me in July 2008 and, in a state of shock, telling me one million copies of her books were in print. We couldn't wrap our minds around that number. Now it's closer to eight million. Still can't fathom it.

I've been blessed with the front row seat to all this wonderfulness. A writer's road is a long and steep one so it is beyond joyous to watch a dear friend make that climb and hit the big time. Especially someone who worked so hard to reach that pinnacle, who paid their dues and got rewarded.

(TEMPTED) P.C. and Kristin's latest book in the series will debut today on the Wendy Williams Show. And even better, their multi-city book tour will bring them to Atlanta on Nov. 2 and 3rd. If you liked to meet my dear friend and her charming (and equally sassy daughter) they'll be signing at these bookstores:

Monday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m.
Barnes & Noble
7660 North Point Parkway
Alpharetta, GA 30022

Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 7p.m.
Borders
4475 Roswell Road - Ave. E Cobb
Marietta, GA

As P.C. said a few months back -- "Now it's your turn, dahling." Who knows, maybe someday she'll be writing a blog like this for me.

NaNoWriMo - Why It's A Good Thing

2009-10-19T13:23:00.001-04:00

Back when I first started writing I would sit in a chair for 10-14 hours per day and bang out my first draft. Those drafts would require a minimum of eight or nine edits to get them passable. As I got older that many hours in a chair became crippling so I slowed down and spent more time on the draft, constantly rewriting. The number of edits required dropped a bit, but so did my productivity. I had to find a happy medium. Then came NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) which is a one-month long event held every November. It has a couple of purposes: collect a group of folks who are dying to put words on page and then entice them to do just that.

To achieve that aim NaNoWriMo creates a huge online community of writers, some published, some not, and coerces them to achieve a certain number of words per day. I participated in NaNoWriMo a few years back and generated a 75k word draft of my third Time Rovers novel in thirty days. Now to do that you have to have one focus: words on page. These are not great words, nor are they printable words. 50K words over 30 days = 1667 words per day. That's manageable. That's how pro authors get their books finished - one word at a time. By committing to those 50K words you are acknowledging that no matter how rough life gets, you will get your word count for the day. At the end of the month you will have a *start* on your novel.

Now no one shows up on your doorstep and points a loaded crossbow at your head to ensure you achieve wordcount. That's up to you. Peer pressure helps, but ultimately it's your fingers on the keyboard, on the typewriter or scribbling on a notepad. Word Count. That's what matters. Some folks meet during NaNo and do group writing events. I'm more of a loner so I type away on my own. Ultimately it's all about getting those words out of my brain.

What NaNo did for me:
1) It broke me of my obsessive editing of the first draft.
2) See #1.

Now I write all my drafts like that, committing to a minimum of # number of words per day according to my writing schedule but not being so stupid as to spend too many hours in the chair. I usually average about 2K (8 pages) but sometimes I roar up to 3K. In the end I have a rough draft. Then I make at least three more passes (sometimes more) through the manuscript before an editor ever sees it. I did exactly that with the first book in my DEMON TRAPPERS Series and will do the same with the next two. Sometimes I plot out a bit ahead, usually I just go where the story takes me. It's the journey that counts.

Because of this I enjoy that first draft stage a lot more, I don't kill my body and I can plan out exactly how long it will take me to produce a book. That last bit is exceptionally important since I sign a contract specifying when I will turn in that manuscript. If you're thinking of giving NaNoWriMo a spin, go for it. It's fun. And at the end of November you can say you've been writing a novel. It's a very nice thing to admit.

A New Release by Ilona Andrews!!

2009-09-24T13:25:00.003-04:00

More than once I've raved about Ilona Andrews' books (in particular the Kate Daniel's Series) and this time I get to tout their newest baby! Ilona and her spouse/co-author Gordon, are launching a new series this week. I've already read the first book (ON THE EDGE) and thoroughly enjoyed it. These authors know how to create real characters, set a page-turning pace and they world build with the best of them. I particularly like the fact they use a rural setting and the magic rocks!

To celebrate their new book launch, the Andrews have teamed up with BittenByBooks.com to give away some really nifty prizes (see above). So drop by that site and Ilona and Gordon's blog to enter the contests and to learn more about these gifted writers. Even Ferret Fred and his gal pal like the book!

Dragon*Con 2009

2009-09-10T16:32:00.007-04:00

2009 Dragon*Con received many thumbs up from me. It's sort of like the Crusades minus all the forced conversions, chopping off of limbs and sacking of cities. Well, maybe a bit of the latter. You should never miss the opportunity to sack a city or two.

Being a guest has its perks -- you get to pick up your badge with minimal hassle. I felt sorry for the folks standing in the hideously long Pre-Reg line and did my best NOT to look smug when I waltzed in and out in record time. Usually there's a bit of a line at Guest Reg, but not when I arrived. That was good as The Spouse was ill. As in perishing from a cold. But more about him later.

My panels went great, I actually had people at my reading (yeah!) and the Hour with Jana Oliver (Time Rovers vs. Jack the Ripper) did not become what I feared. Yes, gentle readers, I have secret fears. In this case it would be the appearance of some person toting a fat notebook filled with JtR facts and figures who intended to grill me about every single suspect and aspect of the crimes. Instead it was a really good group. Not that I mind the folks with the notebooks, it's just that they spook me.

Squee'ing Fan Moment -- I got to meet MAGGIE STIEFVATER!!!! She's a most excellent author (LAMENT, SHIVER, BALLAD) and a bright and snazzy young lady. I wish I was her age and just starting my career, but for all writers there is a season and mine didn't start until a few decades later than Maggie. If you haven't read SHIVER, get it from your library or buy a copy. It's way GOOD. She acknowledged (and didn't appear freaked by) my inner fangirl and all was wonderful.

I also hung with buds. Many buds, actually, which made me realize how many people I know after all these years. Jean Marie Ward allowed me to haul her butt all over Oakland Cemetery, then to lunch at Six Feet Under (yum!) and then over to Little Five Points for some shopping. We ran out of time (bah) but have scheduled a revisit to L5P next year.

Other buds: Theresa Patterson (she who taught me panel manners way back in 2001 when I started this journey), Lee Martindale (ditto), Florence Bradley (a lady fightfighter -- how cool is that? She's my go-to source for all things incendiary). Chris Jackson and his lovely wife, Anne. He launched his first Dragon Moon Press book at the con (SCIMITAR MOON) and sold a lot of them I hear. I did the Friday breakfast gig with Pixie and Blanchard, as is tradition. But I missed the single malt scotch tasting (drat!) There were countless other folks I hung with, but if I try to list them all I'll forget someone and get nailed for it. Happens every time. Thanks ya'll. You made it special.

The new Alternate History programming track ROCKED. The panels very well attended. So glad Dragon decided to finally add this track. The Time Traveler's Ball was SRO. I was very plain compared to all the incredible steampunk and Victorian/Edwardian costumes. Such creativity. I just stared at lot. I couldn't resist taking one of the photos and turning it into a pseudo cartoon (see above).

And finally the husband -- he got his badge Thursday evening and then spiraled into bed until Monday when he came to pick me up. Nasty, nasty cold which was way worse than the one I caught a week before the con. I felt so sorry for him because he missed Dragon. Next year we're both going on serious immune builders in mid-August so we can do our thing without a sniffle.

The only grumble I have from the con:

Why in the living hell can't the Hyatt get their wheelchair lift working and keep it working throughout the con? The device is situated between the hotel and the Peachtree Center where the Food Court resides. The stairs between these two places make it impossible to access if you're a wheelie. Why is that important? Peachtree Center is where the reasonably priced food is located during the majority of the hours the con is in session. That is also the best way to get to the Marriott without going out onto the streets. Not all the curb cuts are decent and the advice that anyone in a wheelchair should just tool out there is dumb. Wheelchairs, motorized or not, are white knuckle when you're faced with the significant hills around the con hotels. At present I don't need to use one, but I have friends who do. In years to come I might be the one finding myself stranded. Hyatt, get with it. That thing dies every year. There's no excuse.

Already looking forward to D*C 2010. If the publishing gods favor me, I might even get to launch the first book in my Demon Trappers Series there next year. I would just be so jazzed I probably would explode. Ultimately that decision is not in my hands so I'll put it out to the universe (and my editor) and see what happens. Fingers be crossed.

Glad to see all of you again! Do good things and we'll see you next year.

Bug Photo of the Day

2009-08-29T12:20:00.003-04:00

Little miracles abound around us. Or in this case are hiding in some bushes my husband was dutifully trimming. When something flew out of them, he checked it out, figuring it was a grasshopper.

Nope, something way cooler. There, on his rake handle was the lovely praying mantis. Husband is a bit concerned that the one shorter antenna occurred because of his trimming efforts, but the wee beastie seems to be fine otherwise. Now deposited into our Japanese maple, I'm sure he (or she) is looking for the next meal. It was at least 3-1/2 inches long, if not more. Yet another reason to get a higher quality digital camera than the one I own.

Book Crazy or Why Writing Drives Me Insane

2009-08-27T14:21:00.003-04:00

I'm coasting toward Dragon*Con and hacking my way through Book #2 of the Demon Trappers Series whilst I wait for edits on Book #1. So I thought I'd give you an idea of how my writing process does (or doesn't work).

I start the first book. This is like first love! I discover characters. I realize they're not telling me everything, which means there will be an author gotcha down the line. I pray that said author gotcha doesn't happen after the first book is printed and there is no way to change something I will live to regret.

Finish first book, convinced it rocks. No, it sucks. Rocks. Sucks. Repeat those two in an endless loop until I start Book #2 so I don't go nuts.

Book #2. Yup, I'm working on Book #2. Fingers on keyboard, butt in chair, iced tea at elbow. Long passages of prose will flow any moment now. Any moment now. Hello? Earth to Jana? Why aren't those fingers moving?

(Crickets chirping). Gee, maybe I should clean the catbox. Oh, don't have one since the feline moved onto a new address (points upward).

Okay, then I'll write. (Crickets.)

Maybe the heroine should...ah...do some laundry or something. Yeah, that's it. She's not done washing in Book #1 and is probably low on underwear and jeans. That outta eat up a page or two.

(Crickets.) Let's take her to the hospital to visit "X" (major plot spoiler here if I reveal the name).

Okay now we're visiting "X". This is working. Deep, angsty scene. Cool. Lots of hidden stuff that will be really nifty when it's revealed down the line.

Now a scene with the hunky, mysterious dude. A scene with the one guy who pushes all her buttons, in sequence.

(More crickets.) Okay, how's about the big battle scene?*headdesk* Battle scene is in BOOK NUMBER THREE. So is Big Decision Scene and the Big Emotional Scene, all of which are VERY clear to me at this point in time.

Why am I only getting scenes from Books #3 and beyond when I'm working on #2?

Because that's the way my author mind works. It lives to torture me. Over the years it's gotten quite proficient at it. If you listen closely, you can hear its evil chuckling in the background.

Situation normal. I think I'll go around the neighborhood and find a catbox to clean just for something to do.

(Cue crickets.)

Dragon*Con 2009

2009-08-25T16:00:00.000-04:00

Dragon*Con approacheth and so I thought it might be appropriate to post my schedule for those who truly care. One new thing this year -- "Time Rovers vs. Jack the Ripper: An Hour with Jana Oliver" courtesy of the good folks on the Alternate History Track. This will be fun. And scary. Okay, scary fun. An hour with me? I know two folks who will be there -- me (of course) and my hubby who is always there to support, harass and keep me humble. Hey, what else would you expect of a spouse? I'm hoping to schlep along some of my Victorian goodies (maps, some early Ripper fiction from 1888 and what not.) So drop by and join in the heckling. I'm good for it, trust me.

If you want to chat, buy books, get books signed, find me and we'll do so. I'm also known to wander off to the closest bar and b.s. on a moment's notice, so you've been warned.

Friday

04:00 pm - Williams (Hyatt)
Reading -- I will be reading from the Time Rovers Series and snippets from the new Demon Trappers Series!

08:30 pm - Fairlie (Hyatt)
Small Press or Self Pub? Or Both?
What are the assets and the pitfalls of a small press, of self publishing? Could small press be a better entrance for new writers?

Saturday

05:30 pm - Piedmont (Hyatt)
Alternate History Classics
A look at the periods that are extensively covered in the literature and why these eras are popular, with emphasis on the works of S.M. Stirling and Eric Flint.

Sunday

01:00 pm - Piedmont (Hyatt)
Time Rovers vs. Jack the Ripper: An Hour with Jana Oliver
Come discuss the Time Rovers series, Jack the Ripper, and Victorian London with author Jana Oliver.

04:00 pm - Piedmont (Hyatt)
Sherlock Holmes - Does the Franchise Really Need a Reboot?
A discussion of the upcoming Sherlock Holmes film led by Carole Nelson Douglas, author of the Irene Adler mystery series.

05:30 pm - Fairlie (Hyatt)
My Brain Hurts! Time travel in SF
Writing time travel is hard. Sometimes reading it is just as difficult. Join us in a discussion of both.

10:00 pm - Manila / Singapore / Hong Kong (Hyatt)
Creating a Viable Spiritual Base for Fiction
God, Demons? Where do I start to develop a religion or spiritual base for my books and stories?

Monday

01:00 pm - Piedmont (Hyatt)
Ancestorcide, Paradox, and Navigating the Multiverse
Common pitfalls of time travel, and how to avoid them. A lighthearted look at time travel in literature and popular media.

Cemetery Tales

2009-08-23T13:14:00.006-04:00

The word came down from my editor -- thou shalt provide an author photograph for thy book cover. Cue squee of excitement at the thought of the book cover, followed by "Oh no!" I HATE getting photographed. My bangs have a will of their own and a camera's lens is never kind, adding even more pounds to my well-rounded frame.

However, when one's author photo is at least ten years (and umpty odd pounds lighter) than the real you, it's time to make amends. In my case it'd been six years, lots of pounds and the loss of the long red hair since my last sitting in 2003.

Amends were taken -- as in hauling my behind to my hair stylist, the ever talented Eli Boursarkis (Image Salon). Eli has been instrumental in helping me to go "silver" (as he puts it) and so he was delighted when I told him we could be completely funky this time around. He used semi-permanent color as I still want to gracefully go gray down the line, but kicked it up a notch. So now I'm this lovely chestnut brown with black chunky lowlights and a few blonde highlights on the tips. It rocks. Like. Totally. (Yes, I've been immersed in Y.A. fiction a little too long.) This is close to my original hair color before Nature decided to show me a lesson or two. And it will be perfect for Dragon*Con!!

Off to Oakland Cemetery with more wardrobe changes than Paris Hilton. Well, not quite -- a couple change o' shirts and a couple hats. Matt the Photographer (see above) from One Six Photography met us at the cemetery office and off we went. At six in the evening it's still really light and there was a breeze so we kept wandering around and shooting based on places that had interesting textures, shadows, you name it. I went back and forth between a denim jacket (yes it was hot) and an emerald green shirt. I figure between Matt's talent and Photoshop we'll end up with something that will work quite nicely. Unlike the last couple of weeks, it did not rain and the light wind made the temperature (87 degrees) bearable.

Pluses -- Matt's shot in the cemetery before so he knew cool places to go. There were No Mosquitoes. We're swarmed with the bloodsuckers in our neighborhood, but there were NONE down at the cemetery. The occasional gnat or butterfly, but that's it. I didn't even both to pull out the bug spray. And Matt and I talked cameras cuz, well, ya just got to! He made some recommendations on Canon digitals and I'm doing some serious pondering in that direction.

Now I wait and see what miracles Matt is able to perform. I had tons of fun and have promised myself that in a couple years, I'm doing it all over again. Yes, it was that painless.

MobileMe Fail

2009-08-19T12:03:00.001-04:00

Annoyed, we are. I'm willing to embrace new technology as long as it works. I eagerly embraced MobileMe so that my emails could be "pushed" to my iPhone as compared to going through my regular web address wherein I have to check for new emails or wait for them to be delivered at a particular time. Not that my life is so on the edge that I need to read my emails "instantly" but still, it's way cool, okay? I ran their sixty day trial -- no hassles. A little light on options, but it had possibilities that it might grow into something really nice. I moved my primary business contacts to MobileMe and life was good.

Then Apple changed their software somewhere along the way. So not good.

My agent was the first to point out things were not kosher. My emails to her didn't bother to wrap. Instead, they were one long line disappearing off the end of the page and into infinitely. Gads. So I tested this issue with some friends. Almost all of them had a problem. Drat. Digging through the stacks of info on Apple's website reveals they know of this problem and haven't bothered to correct it. When I go to send an email, part of the time I get an error message that requires me to refresh the MobileMe page, then send the email. What is with that? No formatting options have been added, etc. etc. Did I mention this service costs $99/year? Ah, that got your attention. Inelegantly designed software is tolerable if it's free. It's not when it costs $$, especially for what is to be my business account which is a reflection of "moi" online. (To their credit, Apple offers a refund if you cancel within forty-five days. That date approacheth.)

I'm currently checking out GoDaddy. Their hosted exchange accounts offer Microsoft 2007 software as part of the package. The Alpha Geek tells me that MS Outlook '07 is a good thing (and he's SO not a Microsoft guy). I've be less likely to get caught in a spam trap as compared to using Yahoo or Gmail. I'll need to do some more due diligence. I don't want to keep annoying my contacts by changing email addresses every day or so.

So no gold star for you, Apple. I love your iPhone. Adore it. I can't stand your MobileMe. Fix it and maybe someday I'll give it another try. For now, I'm cozying up to your competitors.

If any of you have experience with GoDaddy or any other service, let me hear your thoughts.

The Wisdom of Others

2009-08-12T12:39:00.002-04:00

The Second Book Saga continues. I'm at about 20K (I need about 85K) and I keep hitting walls. Frankly, the computer crash came at a "good" time since I was still trying to work out the plot for Numero 2. Well, I do know the big stuff that's going to happen in the story, but it's all the rest of it I'm pretty foggy on. Which is par for the course at this point so I'm not freakin'.

Fortunately a fellow writer (the talented Gillian Summers) pointed me toward a review of THE AWAKENENING by Kelly Armstrong. The reviewer is Sarah Rees Brennan the author of THE DEMON'S LEXICON, also a Young Adult author. Sarah wisely explains how she feels a three book set outta play out (and I quote here): "Book 1: set up. Book 2: make out. Book 3: defeat evil!"

Well, there we are. Frankly it makes a great deal of sense and also explains why Book 2 has been kicking my can -- I do have a lot more interaction between Riley (the heroine) and the other folks in her world, in particular Simon (her new boyfriend), Beck (who insists on acting like her annoying big brother) and her best bud Peter. And then there's the mysterious hunky guy who is making her eyes cross cuz he's just so...hunky. Sigh... Much is happening in this book, but on a more intimate, personal level. If I work hard, I'll pull it off.

I also really enjoyed a recent post by Maggie Stiefvater who laid out the basics of how to write a novel. It's completely on target -- no butt in chair, no novel. Even writing a few hours of day will eventually get you a book. She's proof of it. So go forth and procrastinate no more, would-be writers. You have been given your marching orders.

And now back to teasing out the finer points of teen angst with a nice overlay of nasty demons. I've said it before -- my job rocks!

Of Technology & Cranky Computers

2009-08-09T17:31:00.001-04:00

Words you do not want to see on your computer screen:

Operating System Not Found

Sigh. This was not on the 'new' eMachine I bought, but my trusty and deeply cool Dell Mini 9 which I purchased last November. It doesn't have a hard drive, more of a glorified flash drive, which means that full backup I did last week is not going to be able to be reloaded anytime soon. So I called Dell, talked to some delightful East Indian gentlemen, and the computer will be zinging it's way to wherever to be fixed (it's under warranty). When it gets back I am to call them and they will walk me through putting all the goodies back on the machine. Actually, I'll have the spouse do that since he's Alpha Geek of the household.

I find it suspicious that only a few days after the new machine arrives in the house the Dell goes toes up. A fit of pique maybe? Like a cat eying a newborn and knowing it's penultimate place has been usurped? Let's just hope they never make truly sentient computers or they'll spend all their time sulking and plotting unholy revenge for slights imagined and otherwise. So take a few moments and tell your computer you love it. If not, it may find a way to get even.

(For those writers out there who wince at such news, I didn't lose a bit of my work. That automatic full system backup onto the Seagate drive saved my a**. Huzzah!)

Technology Fights Back

2009-08-03T16:34:00.000-04:00

The plan for a fun weekend was thwarted by technology. Or in this case my Dell Inspiron 600m. I've had this computer for six years, written a squillon words on it, toted it all over the planet and now it's finally doing a dying swan routine. (To be honest, it doesn't owe me anything and I've been tickled it's lasted this long.) Husband, an Alpha Geek, recommended I use the spare desktop we have in the basement for the audio equipment. So we toted it upstairs, starting loading software until I tried to put on the MS Home and Office and I got the "Need Service Pack 2" message. So I loaded SP2 and the machine promptly crashed. At which point my beloved spouse says, "You know, I've had troubles like that before." Now he tells me after I've blown hours mussing with this thing.

I must admit that I felt the overwhelming urge to bury his remains in the back garden, but Georgia has a death penalty and I'm not sure that homicide secondary to computer failure is a legal defense. To his credit, he reloaded the system after repartitioning some of the drives. It works okay, but neither of us are convinced it'll behave itself in the future.

Eventually I gave in and ordered a refurbished computer. I don't usually buy used, but I figured I'd give it a shot this time ($199). If it doesn't work, the "No Lemon" clause in the warranty will give me an out if they can't fix it. Meanwhile I'll do ferious backups like I've been doing with the old Dell and use my new(er) Lilliputian Dell as a secondary computer.

The weekend is over. I'm back to the keyboard hammering away on the word count and for some reason I don't remember having much fun. Bah.

Rollin' the Rock

2009-07-28T19:18:00.000-04:00

Second book hell. Or Hades for those of you with gentler sensitivities. First books are always fun to write. I steam right through them, creating worlds and plot and characters like a playful god. Luckily this is my third series so I know the books after #1 get progressively harder. The first time this happened I was sure I couldn't ever write another book. Now I know it's just a b*tch to get into the new book and then it gets better. Even one of my most favorite authors (Ilona Andrews) occasionally blogs about this sorta thing.

Since the first book in my Y.A. series didn't exactly follow the synopsis (do they ever?) I have a new starting point for the second tome. I always get hung up on first and last scenes because if I can see those, then the middle just happens. I don't know the last scene of this book yet, though for some queer reason I do for Book #3 (of course). So I've spent the last couple of days typing out, then rejecting opening scenes. The husband recommended an action scene, but at this point in the story there isn't much action since lots of seriously bad stuff happened at the end of Book #1. Still, I'll keep that suggestion in mind because most of the time the guy's right. As of this afternoon I think I've got something, but it's certainly not set in Jello at this point. Most of my first scenes are rewritten no less than ten to fifteen times so I have a lot more to burn through.

So for you writers out there (yes, this is an interactive blog) how do you get yourself psyched/into the next book in a series? Is there some special way you get into the zone, besides imaging what it would be like to live without the electricity bill being paid? Any special tricks, suggestions? Come on, don't be shy. You know you want to tell us.

What Might Have Been

2009-07-26T16:25:00.002-04:00

Lost in the swirl of news about the health care legislation, etc., is this tidbit in the New York Times. It's for all those who thought some of us were a mite too paranoid about Mr. Bush & Company.

Bush Weighed Using Military in Arrests

No surprise, the Dark Lord was in favor of this. It doesn't matter the political leanings of the people in D.C., you still gotta keep an eye on them. Which reminds me, I really should get up to speed on the health care debate.

In Limbo and Liking It

2009-07-25T17:58:00.000-04:00

It was an excellent week. I submitted the unpublished Maggie Contest entries on time (I was a judge) and sent off a series proposal to my excellent agent. I even got my luggage unpacked. And now I'm in the transitory stage when the manuscript is out being cheerfully ~~savaged~~ edited and so I really can't touch it until it returns. When my beta teen reader/editor sends back The Book With No Name (I'm working on that) I'll be digging in for a rewrite. Then it goes out to my other betas, both teen and adult, for their input. This lull has left me with time on my hands. It's true -- idle hands are the devil's tools so I signed up for Facebook.

I can hear some of you muttering, "Where have you been, girl?" Actively avoiding time suckers, to be honest. However, since my Y.A. book will be of interest to teens (at least that's the cunning plan), I was advised that I should put my toes into the Facebook waters. OMF woodchucks! Just where does FB get those people who want to befriend me? Or more precisely, how do they know I'm buddies with X or Y or Z? Creepy, it is. I didn't realize there would be a wall where my new friends' comments would instantly appear no matter what they're chirping about. That was precisely the reason I have ignored the other Evil called Twitter. I swear that Lucifer is gleefully rubbing his hands together, infinitely pleased he has lured people into the latest time waster. Rather than saving whales, righting wrongs or any of the other noble pursuits, we are happily tweeting and FB'ing our time away into the grave.

By now you've probably pegged me for a fledgling curmudgeon. That's righteous. I'm actually quite social. At least my friends tell me I am when I buy them lots of booze. That being said, I don't think I want to know that my new FB friend, who I have NEVER met, ate a bagel with cream cheese for breakfast. Not unless they ate that breakfast at Buckingham Palace with HRH and the hunky Prince William. Then I want to know. With pictures. Of William. And the corgis cuz they're cool.

Still, FB and MySpace and all the other places are a means to connect with other humans who eat bagels or have corgis or lust after young princes, so maybe this will have some value. The jury is still out. Tweeting probably. And there's a story idea for you writers out there. Court decisions made by Tweeters.

Technology. Not always a good thing. I'm just sayin'...

I Was Promised Pie. And A Cemetery.

2009-07-24T11:48:00.002-04:00

My trip to D.C. and the Romance Writers conference was grand. I just forgot to pack my digital camera. Nothing against iPhones, they're bloody brilliant, but they don't take great pictures indoors, like during parties. So there are a minimum of cool pix to post. But I digress.

I sailed into D.C. on Tuesday the 14th. I had a hangover. This was entirely my own fault. Why I chose to drink to excess the night before I was leaving town is unfathomable. I know better than that, however while I was rereading one of Ilona Andrews’ most excellent novels, I augmented my fluid intake with wine, schnapps and vodka. That made me one unhappy critter the next morning. Much water and Advil later, I still felt awful (as I so richly deserved). I checked into my B&B (Woodley Park Guest House - these guys get a FIVE STAR rating from me) and then met my great author buddy, Jean Marie Ward. Spider lives in the D.C. area so we set off for a walking tour of Adams/Morgan, including a delightful dinner at a Creole restaurant. She was easy on me, knowing that I FLC (felt like crap) and that my right knee can be finicky at times. Since this is a lady who can trot along at an incredible speed in heels, she was very kind.

By Wednesday I was human again. We started off at ten in the morning and I didn't get home until near eleven that night. Since I was packing the portable cane, I didn't need it once. And for some odd reason, the walking eased up the knee beautifully. We toured Lafayette Square, the Renwick Gallery, visited Black Aggie, the Freer and the Sackler Galleries, and the Library of Congress. As to the latter, this is where our books go when they get copyrighted. I didn't visit my tomes but we did take in the magnificent architecture. Built in the late 19th century, the place has all the Victorian excesses I love. Guilded everything. I could easily see some of the influence from the 1893 Columbian Exposition. We visited Thomas Jefferson's library collection (lord, did that guy love to read) and in between all our trudging we indulged in some of the most marvelous food imaginable. The Eastern Market is home to Monmartre, a French restaurant with some excellent delicacies. The gazpacho was unreal. For dinner we ate at RT's, a Creole restaurant and a long time favorite of my hostess. Then we did the Alexandria ghost tour which ended in a very old and cool cemetery.

But what about the the baked goods, you ask?Jean Marie took me home to meet her hubby, Greg (a cartoonist in his own right) and to indulge in homemade berry pie. Okay, I was spoiled. Big time. She's coming to Atlanta for Dragon*Con and I'm going to have to hustle to match her incredible hospitality. I think we'll start with the cemetery, move onto the pub and then settle in for some Jonesy Port. Yeah, that's the plan. No pie. I'm not that good at making crusts.

The rest of the conference was a blur. Thursday I attended a few panels and then the Prism Awards ceremony. I took Third Place, while Colby Hodge won the Prism for Time Travel. Colby (aka Cindy) and I found out we share the same agent, the truly amazing Meredith Bernstein. Another writer friend of mine won the Prism for Light Paranormal. Jeri Smith-Ready has been nominated for the award a couple times before, so it was awesome to see her win her very own pyramid for WICKED GAME. Very cool.

I slipped into the Kiss of Death (Daphne Awards) but the room was so crowded I retired to the bar with Jean Marie where we chatting about writing and politics while I enjoyed a modest amount of single malt (remembering my indiscretion earlier in the week).

Friday was more panels and then one of the moments I'd been waiting for: the St. Martin's Press cocktail party. I got to catch up with my dear friend P.C. Cast, whose House of Night vampire series is kicking serious butt. I think she has seven million books in print now. OMG. She and Meredith introduced me to the movers and shakers at St. Martin's. It was good to meet the folks I'll be working with. Alas, my editor wasn't there so I'll have to save that meeting for down the line. But gee, that means I just might have to fly to NYC. Darn, that would be such a penance (not).

After that party, we moved onto the Harlequin bash, which is always a blow out. P.C.'s dad (Dick) held his own with the ladies. Lord, can that man dance! I did a little dancing, but not much as the knee was bitching up a storm if I moved wrong and since it’s healing I really didn’t want to piss it off further. Jean Marie and I called it an early night about ten as we took the Metro to our respective homes. Kennedy Center was just getting out so the Metro was packed. I blended right in. For some reason I was starved, so I stopped at the McDonald's down the street from the B&B. Mind you, it's now eleven at night and I'm dressed to the nines. No one batted an eye. (And to those concerned about my safety, I’d already stripped off my costume jewelry before leaving the party and I pack a LOT of attitude).

Saturday (more panels) including one with agents Denise Marcil and Meredith Bernstein entitled The Secrets of Authors with Long Careers and How They Sustain Creativity and Success. They conducted interviews with successful authors who've stayed the course and listed out a series of traits these authors possess. Very interesting information. A few authors in the audience shared horror stories (they were truly horrific) about the uglier side of publishing. As this was a PAN workshop (part of the Published Authors Network) there were no editors present so candor was rampant. That’s a good thing. You need to know where the bodies are buried.

Though Meredith and I really wanted to go to a particularly well-recommended restaurant, they had a forty-five minute wait. We chose an Indian buffet instead and spent most of the time deep in conversation. The relationship between an agent and a client is much like a Victorian marriage at first – arranged because it suits both partners’ career and financial goals. It’s what happens after that “marriage” that counts. This was the first time I really got a chance to chat with Meredith and we made the most of it. She’s fun, intelligent, and very savvy. I sincerely respect that. In return, she respects my opinion and together we can make sound decisions as to my career. A partnership. That’s the way it should be.

I returned home to find my house clean and that my dearest spouse (sincere brownie points for this) had cleaned out the refrigerator. Wow. I should go away more often. Now that I’m over the trip lag, I’m working on projects that I’ve ignored while finishing the second draft of the manuscript. Next convention: Dragon*Con. And it's not that far away, folks!

Shifting Gears

2009-07-13T10:07:00.000-04:00

Today is the transition day between family and profession as I wash clothes, pack and get ready to head for Washington, D.C. tomorrow. But more on that later. This last weekend it was all about family as the husband and I flew to Iowa to celebrate his mom's 90th birthday. She had been quite ill earlier in the year and we weren't particularly sure she'd make this milestone, but she did. And in great shape. Her health has improved greatly and she was in high spirits. Once we convinced her that tooling around in a wheelchair made it easier on all of us, we schlepped her around for food and some sightseeing. On Sunday my husband's uncle (Mel) and his wife (Wanda) drove down to the Quad Cities and we shared a lunch of KFC and a gorgeous birthday cake with the mum-in-law. I know there are wives out there who can't stand their m-i-l. I adore mine. Probably because she's a lot like me, which is scary. So the weekend was very good on many levels and I'm glad she was around to share it.

Today I'm gearing up for the Romance Writers annual convention (which moves cities every year). This year it's in D.C. and that means I get to hang with my writing buddy and occasional roomie, Jean Marie Ward. We're going to spend some time wandering around the big city since the last time (my birthday last November) I was quite ill with a cold. This time I'm in fine shape so there will be considerable walking. I'm packing my Tevas. Mrs. Ward is a consummate hiker, even in heels, and she knows the city intimately. There'll be some research stuff, some good food and lots of fun. The conference starts (for me) on Thursday and goes through Saturday. Lots of panels caught my eye. I need to meet with my fabulous agent and the Prism Award ceremony is Thurs. evening. (MADMAN'S DANCE is up for one of those little beauties in the time travel category.) After that is the Death by Chocolate Party hosted by the Kiss of Death Chapter of RWA. One of the highlights of my trip: my first official St. Martin's Press publisher party is Friday evening. I admit, there has been some fussing around as to what to wear since the Powers That Be will be in residence. Over the course of the convention I'm hoping to catch up with a lot of author buddies and have a grand time. It's back home on Sunday. I'll try to do a recap on Monday once I sort out the brain.

The fact that I've not been doing so many conventions this year has made me majorly productive (the first draft of the first book in the Demon Trappers Series is already done) and I'm not so wasted. So it's all good. More later. Have a great week. I know I will.

On Learning New Stuff

2009-06-17T08:24:00.003-04:00

I swear if anyone says, "How hard can it be to write a kid story?" I will not be responsible for the harm they incur. Writing Young Adult is an adventure! It's definitely different than what I've done before. And here's why:

My previous books ran about 125K words. This first book in the Demon Trappers Series (yet untitled) needs to be about 90K. So where's the problem, you ask? I didn't see any issues when I started writing the book. I've never had problems with coming up with enough words. I did know that I had to de-complex the story since I don't have enough real estate for complicated interlaced subplots and raft of secondary characters. But other than a short story and a non-fiction piece, I've never had to write to a specific word count before.

So my plan was: Stick to two or three main points of view. Riley (the teen heroine), Denver Beck (the twenty-two y/o Demon Trapper) and a third, yet to be revealed character. So this should be way easier, right?

Wrong. I'm now having to concentrate on the internal emotions, thoughts, etc. of my two/three main characters rather than a grand over arching plot. In other words, this story is more character driven than plot driven. I can write deep, internal thoughts/emotions, but not usually this much in one book. I know I'll meet that challenge, but it's stretching me in ways I'd not anticipated. Part of that is scary for an author, but it's also exhilarating. You can get too complacent. By shaking up the mix every now and then, you stretch yourself in new and fun ways.

Or at least that's what I'm telling myself. I've completed my first rough draft (74K) which you note is considerably shorter than the 90K I need. That's okay because I write tight and need to expand out scenes, put in new ones, etc. But with the book not having that arcane complexity, that's proving a bit harder than I planned.

So I've fallen back and regrouped as I start my second draft. The two main characters (Riley & Beck) are what the readers are going to care about (hopefully). How are Riley and Beck going to cope with her new life-changing situation? (avoiding spoilers here) How can I show more of this unique dystopian Atlanta I've created? And what about those demons? (grin).

As a wise friend of mine put it, "I have only three words for you, Grasshopper: subplot, subplot, subplot."

So the rock is slowly being pushed up the hill, one inch at a time. I really love the characters and the story is starting to cook. The rest will come. And at the same, I'm having an adventure!!!

If She Was Only a Dude Part Two

2009-05-30T09:51:00.003-04:00

The Sotomayor flap just keeps growing. The sensible Republicans (yes, there are a great many of them) are dismayed at their lunatic fringe who insist on pushing the message that a brown, Latino woman on the Supreme Court is the end of America as we know it.

But it gets worse.

G. Gordon Liddy, of Watergate fame, spouts off on his radio show:

LIDDY: Let’s hope that the key conferences aren’t when she’s menstruating or something, or just before she’s going to menstruate. That would really be bad. Lord knows what we would get then.

I just can't freakin' believe it. Aren't we past this kind of bullsh*t? We have a woman two steps away from the Oval Office, we've been in space, and died on the battlefields of Iraq. But it always comes back to the "curse" as if that somehow renders our brains into lumpy pudding. Or worse yet, homicidal maniacs.

It would be easy to taint all men for this moron's misogynistic views, but that's not fair. The majority of the guys I've met are intelligent, thoughtful and cool. Unfortunately, they don't tend to the ones with the national radio shows or looking to curry favor with the far right (Newt) and their voices are being drowned out by the nutters.

If Only She was a Dude

2009-05-27T08:50:00.003-04:00

President Obama nominates a Hispanic woman for the Supreme Court. One definitely suited for the job. So what does one of our Republican politicians have to say?

"Of primary concern to me is whether or not Judge Sotomayor follows the proper role of judges and refrains from legislating from the bench. Some of her recent comments on this matter have given me cause for great concern. In the months ahead, it will be important for those of us in the U.S. Senate to weigh her qualifications and character as well as her ability to rule fairly without undue influence from her own personal race, gender, or political preferences." (emphasis mine). - Senator Imhofe (R - Oklahoma)

So apparently if you're one of the dudes on the court we don't have to worry you'll rule in favor of other dudes, be they white or black, or be they Republican or Democrat? I'm surprised Imhofe didn't mention her religion (Catholic) but then he's treading on thin ground with the gender and race thing as it is. He's known for such bonehead comments, just like his counterpart in Iowa, Rep. King.

She's qualified to be on the court. Period. The fact she's Hispanic and female shouldn't matter. But to these guys, it does.

A Nice Way to End May

2009-05-25T11:14:00.005-04:00

Just back from TimeGate. I'll do a full report very soon, including a report about "the bra" incident during the production of THE HAUNTED CHICKEN TRUCK OF LAKE LANIER skit, hopefully with photos. Quite amusing and something I'll not probably live down.

I've received some delightful news! MADMAN'S DANCE received a Silver Medal in the Science Fiction category of the Independent Publisher Awards (smile). And the book is a Prism finalist for time travel. You may remember my blog about the Prism awards a couple years back when SOJOURN took home one of their nifty glass pyramids. Here's hoping lightning strikes twice!

Three other buddies finaled for the Prism - P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast's CHOSEN (House of Night Series) in Young Adult and Jeri Smith-Ready's WICKED GAME in Light Paranormal. Just like in 2007, we'll be sitting together and fidgeting.

More later once a bit of the con lag clears.

TimeGate 2009

2009-05-19T19:01:00.005-04:00

While other author buddies are at Balticon this weekend, I'm staying in Atlanta for our local time travel convention - TimeGate. TimeGate showcases Dr. Who, StarGate and other time travel media. Check out their guest list -- it's way good. I never got hooked on StarGate, but I'm a Dr. Who fan from the 1980's so besides doing a guest gig, it's fun to listen to sit in on the panels.

I've coerced other authors to join me in the fun. In specific, Gillian Summers (the writing duo of Michelle Roper and Berta Platas) who pen really cool young adult books published by Flux. Bes sure to check them out.

So if you're in Atlanta this weekend, drop by. My schedule is as follows:

Friday, May 22
6:00 pm -- Guest Reception in the Consuite
8:00 pm -- Jasper Fforde Panel (Panel Room 1)

Saturday, May 23
12 noon -- Reading in the Consuite (The reading will include some bits from MADMAN'S DANCE (Time Rovers - Book 2) and a taste of my new young adult DEMON TRAPPERS novel. Maybe you can help me title the book!)

2:00 pm -- Fantasy Literature (Panel Room 2)

9:00 pm - TimeGate Cabaret (Panel Rooms 1 & 2) wherein guests and attendees perform various skits, music, etc. to benefit the Red Cross and the Fulton County Animal Shelter. I am taking part in Michelle & Berta's THE HAUNTED CHICKEN TRUCK OF LAKE LANIER radio show. Knowing these two, it'll be a hoot.

Sunday, May 24
5:00 pm -- Y.A. Literature (Panel Room 2)
6:00 pm -- Paranormal Romance Literature (Panel Room 1)

Jana On The Air

2009-05-18T09:29:00.004-04:00

Besides slaving away on the Work In Progress, I've been out and about interviewing! I thought it was high time I posted those links so you can listen in. I love doing podcasts and radio interviews because they're just SO MUCH FUN.

The first comes via Edge Publishing and Marie Bilodeau. Marie is vivacious French Canadian lady who interviewed me in the dealer's room at World Fantasy last October in Calgary. It's a rollicking interview, so be sure to check it out here.

I also was interviewed for Gail Martin's The Ghost in the Machine podcast. Gail was great fun and as you can see by her webpage, she interviews lots of cool folks.

And as mentioned in an earlier posting, I was on Fran Stewart's Mystery Matters podcast on Voice America. Here's the link to the archive.

And now back to the little demons and their exploits. These wee guys are fun! Well, only because they don't really exist. I can't imagine what life would be like with Biblio-Fiends running amok.

Of Projects & Moons

2009-05-11T09:05:00.006-04:00

Our jaunt to Chicago for some R&R went quite well. We wandered around the Windy City using buses, El and other trains. This time around we stayed north of the Chicago River, a few blocks from Michigan Avenue. Unfortunately my right knee has been bugging me recently so I had to resort to alternate support--yeah, I had to buy one of those nifty collapsible canes. Worked great. The Chicago bus drivers would wait until I almost got to the nearest handicapped seat before they floored it as compared to when I wasn't toting the cane. Now that I'm home the knee is improving, but still not enough to do Tai Chi. Disclaimer: this ouchie wasn't because of that wonderful martial art, but something I did on the drive home from Orlando. Go figure.

Last Monday I began my new job, i.e. the work I owe to my editor at St. Martin's. As hubby put it, "You're not longer on the dole." Not that I wasn't earning $$ with my small press publisher, but this time around there is an advance and I need to earn that money back or there will be Complications.

I spent a few days doing some series planning and then dug into the first book. I had about 40% of it written earlier this year, then had to do a rewrite for another editor (that publishing company ultimately did not pick up the series) so now I'm having to get back up to speed as many of the scenes have changed or are totally useless. I need to get a pretty good idea of where the story arcs end for each book, some of the key elements of those arcs, etc. I didn't do any of this for the Rover Series which led to a lot of bottles of Advil and wine being consumed. Learned, we have.

I'll keep you posted on my progress. Oh, and I need to think up a title for each of the books, including Book the First--BLACKTHORNE'S DAUGHTER didn't fly with my editor. I have to agree that it does sound like a pirate novel. Probably with a clinch cover, which is so not Young Adult or Urban Fantasy.

How's about POTATO MOON? Nyah, that's already taken. If you want to read this parody on RUSSET MOON (the totally illegal sequel to Stephanie Meyer's TWLIGHT series) start reading near the bottom of this page. Just make sure your keyboard is waterproofed. If I wasn't so engrossed in my project, I'd love to add to the madness just to say I was part of it.

Mystery Matters Interview

2009-04-30T12:16:00.002-04:00

As a nice balance to the euphoria I've been experiencing (see yesterday's post) I'm now back into my routine. As in: trudge into the Super Target at 8:47 a.m., buy food, retreat home. I did a lot of grinning in the process, which made the employees nervous, but other than that it's a normal day here. I've found that zooming over and buying sustenance at an early hour allows you to pretty much have the store to yourself, with the exception of those stocking the shelves. Once home, I logged in to watch the stock market and see if I'm making any money. Today I am. Other days I don't. Such is life.

Tomorrow, however, will be great fun. At 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time I will be on the Mystery Matters: Where Murder is an Open Book podcast with Fran Stewart. Fran writes cozy mysteries and we've known each other for a long time. In fact, I interviewed her for one of my podcasts a few years back.

If you wish to send interview questions (and you know you do): mysterymatters@earthlink.net

To listen to the interview, click here - select channel home page on the left of the screen to turn on the Internet radio.

Fran kindly supplied the following details:

Mystery Matters airs live Friday mornings at 10 Eastern/ 7 Pacific.
The one-hour interview is re-broadcast 12 hours later.
All shows are archived on her host web page for 24/7 access and MP3 downloads

She also hosts a blog about what happens behind-the-scenes of a radio show: http://.mystery-matters.blogspot.com

If you want to learn more about Fran and her books, here's the link.

This is your opportunity to ask why it is I alphabetize my spices and how I come up with those really complex mysteries. There will no stock tips, however. I don't need the guilt when you lose your shirt.

A Dream Realized

2009-04-29T09:13:00.000-04:00

One of the traits of a successful author is that you just have to believe in yourself enough to keep rolling that rock up that mountain. You receive a rejection, you keep going forward. Lather, Rinse, Repeat. More times than not that dogged persistence pays off in the end. And so it has in my world.

I'm thrilled to announce that St. Martin's Press has purchased the first three books of my DEMON TRAPPERS Series, a Young Adult Urban Fantasy set in a dystopian Atlanta. My agent believed in this series as much as I did and found it a wonderful home at SMP. She rocks! I don't have publication dates yet, but I'll keep you posted as to when you can find my first NY-pubbed book in the stores.

As you can guess, there is much rejoicing in this household. The reality of this big step will come home to roost soon enough. Right now, I'm just glowing with the news.

So for all those writers who are aiming for this moment, keep trudging up the mountain. The view is breathtaking.

Romantic Times Orlando

2009-04-26T09:25:00.002-04:00

While my other buddies are at RavenCon in Richmond, VA I was in Orlando at the Romantic Times convention. This is a nearly week long blow out. Unlike the Romance Writers of America annual convention, which tends toward business, this one is fun. Think stag party for women. It was smaller than in previous years due to the economy sucking, but being held in Orlando certainly didn't hurt.

Melody (a dear friend of mine) and I motored down to Florida on Monday. It was an eight-hour trip. Tuesday we were off to Universal City to plough around and try some of the rides. I can recommend the Terminator show. Way cool. Unfortunately some of the rides had specific warnings about those of us with head/neck issues so I didn't get to give some of them a try. Bah. From that point on Melody went on a crusade for beads for her art projects and I dove head first into RT.

Wednesday I attended a few panels with one of my writing buddies, Jeri Smith-Ready who writes that fab WVMP "Lifeblood of Rock n Roll" vampire series.) We'd met earlier in the day and she was kind enough to introduce me to Rachel Vincent and (squeeee!!!!) Ilona Andrews. I've made no secret of my adoration of Ilona's most excellent Kate Daniels Series. So I gave her fair warning, went momentarily fangirl, and then chilled back out. I even got my copy of MAGIC STRIKES signed at the book fair. Grin. I have also made a note to read Rachel's new Y.A. book that should be out soon -- teenage banshees. Should be a kick.

Wednesday afternoon was the e-pub, small press booksigning. I handed out sample copies of SOJOURN, which I term a "gateway drug". If folks like the first three chapters, they're back buying the series. Which they were on Saturday during the big signing (see more later).

Thursday morning was the Mystery Chix and Dix breakfast. We had a blast! Lots of readers and booksellers showed up to nosh their way through the food and listen to us talk about our mysteries. Great fun. Later in the morning I was on my only panel for RT: How to Write A Mystery. It went very well. I also got to catch up with Carole Nelson Douglas. Later in the afternoon I attended the Y.A. panel Robbing the Cradle: How YA is Taking Urban Fantasy By Storm. It was very informative, especially since my agent is currently shopping my Young Adult Urban Fantasy in The Big Apple(TM). It was great to finally meet some of the big name authors who pen Y.A. Nice folks.

Friday I hob-knobbed with a few of my readers at the Club RT function, then sat in on Alex Sokoloff's Screenwriting Tips and Tricks for Novelists and Screenwriters. Alex(andra) is a screenwriter and novelist, so she knows her stuff. We met at Left Coast Con (a mystery convention) a few years back. It was grand to run into her again.

Later Friday afternoon I got to attend another panel I'd been anticipating: The Good, Bad and The Paranormal which Ilona moderated. The ladies (and one gent - Mark Del Franco) discussed kick butt heroines in Urban Fantasy. It was a fun panel!

Now for those of you who have attended RT you will have noted that I didn't mention the evening's festivities such as the Ellora's Cave Party (billed as for adults only), the Faery Ball or the Vampire Ball. I blew all those off. My roomie and I would go out to eat, then come back to the room and settle in. I know others had a lot of fun at those events, but I was just happier to chill out with a good book (in this case it was WHITE WITCH, BLACK CURSE which is Kim Harrison's latest).

Saturday was my final day at the convention. The big booksigning was from 11-2 and I sold a LOT of books. 15 to be exact, which is pretty awesome given my books retail for $19.95. Folks who had read the sampler came back for the series. WOW. I bought Melissa Marr's latest (FRAGILE ETERNITY) and chatted with Ilona for a time before we hit the road. My roomie, who is a thoughtful sweetie, handed me a bag full of munchies the moment I got in the car. She knew that I'd be wasted from 1) no lunch and 2) schmoozing with the fen. So she fed me. I love friends like that.

We had such a fine time we're thinking of hitting RT in Columbus, OH next year. Great town. And maybe by then I'll have a vampire costume worked up. Who knows?

Off the road for a week and then hubby and I are vacationing in Chicago. Wheee!!! And then it's back to work on the Y.A. book. Must get some words on page just in case someone buys the critter.

Of Weekends & Wildlife

2009-04-12T10:02:00.000-04:00

Ah, what a lovely weekend. Hubby is visiting his mum in scenic Iowa so I've had three days to myself. Usually I'm on deadline for my next book, but right now I'm not under contract so I decided to kick back and enjoy my time off. Besides spending some time in the basement Friday evening (Atlanta got some nasty weather) reading another one of Artemis Fowl's adventures, I've putzed around the house, watched movies and cleaned. Movies, you ask?

Okay, I admit it, I finally broke down and watched TWILIGHT. I wasn't a fan of the book. It just didn't do it for me, but the movie worked. The pacing might have been a bit slow, but the movie corrected some of the characterization issues I had with the original source material. In particular, Bella (Isabella Swan the heroine) came across as far more with it and than in the book. The Book Bella was wimpy. The Movie Bella had some stones. The vampires were suitably creepy and the visuals nice.

But I think the highlight of the weekend were the foxes. Hubby spied a red fox on our porch the other morning. What he didn't realize is that she came equipped with four kits. ADORABLE critters. Why they're living under our porch (we're in suburbia) I have no idea, but watching the little guys bounce around and rough house is really great fun. I have pictures, but can't edit them until I get my other computer running again. I will attempt to get a video and post it. I am worried some neighbor will get upset about the critters and call someone to dispose of them. Then there's the dogs and the coyotes. Since foxes eat all sorts of annoying things, I'm fine if they stay. They're a lot cooler than possums and far more tolerable than skunks. And the little ones are just so darned cute. Here's a UK link about urban foxes and how they're thriving.

So how goes your weekend?

David B. Coe on Characterization

2009-04-01T10:01:00.007-04:00

As promised, today my guest is David B. Coe and we are going to savor his wisdom regarding characterization. It seems I've known David forever, though it's only been a few years. We don't get to see each other at the conventions very often, but when we do it's always a pleasure to catch up on what's new in our respective lives. Since David has plenty of experience creating memorable characters, he is the perfect candidate to tell us how he goes about one of the trickiest aspects of novel writing.

Hi. I’m David B. Coe. Jana invited me here today to discuss my approach to developing characters for my books. Thanks, for the invite, Jana. It’s good to be here.

Let me begin by telling you a bit about myself: I’m the author of ten published fantasy novels including the LonTobyn Chronicle, Winds of the Forelands, and Blood of the Southlands. My most recent novel, The Horsemen’s Gambit, the second book in my Southlands trilogy, came out in January. The final Southlands book, The Dark-Eyes’ War, will be out early next year. You can find sample chapters of all my books, as well as contests, world maps, and other information at my website, www.DavidBCoe.com.

In many ways, Jana asked me the $64,000.00 question (actually that’s been devalued a bit over the years -- let’s go $64,000,000.00). To me character is the key to a successful novel or story. Worldbuilding and plotting are important, but to my mind really interesting characters can overcome flawed worldbuilding and a lackluster plot. But if your characters are flat, boring, or unsympathetic, no amount of fancy worldbuilding or plot complexity will save your book. That’s my opinion anyway.

So how do I develop my characters? What I’ll outline here applies mostly to lead and major secondary characters, though the differences between what I do with them and how I handle the minor characters are more differences of degree than of fundamental approach.

Step 1 -- Inspiration: I’m often asked where I get my ideas for my books and stories, and it’s a question I kind of hate. The reason is I can’t answer it. My ideas come from all over, they come from everything I experience, every conversation I have, every emotion I feel. They come from that part of my brain that is constantly asking “What if?” But though one book idea might begin with a scene, and another with a magic system, and yet another some aspect of worldbuilding, those initial ideas are always followed closely by the first glimpse of my main character. I won’t get much from this initial inspiration -- a name might come to mind, or some key trait, or perhaps an important detail from his or her past. Just enough to make me realize that a) this is the lead character in my new project, and b) I need to get to know this person better.

Step 2 -- The Interview: All right, I know that sounds weird. I’m going to interview a character I’m making up in my head? Well, yeah, I am. The interview consists of taking that kernel of an idea from step 1 and turning it into a living, breathing person. So I begin to ask questions. Sometimes that’s literally what I do. I open a blank word file and begin to brainstorm by asking myself questions about this person and typing out answers. (For the sake of simplicity in this post and to avoid the “he or she” thing, I’ll assume it’s a man, as it is in my latest work) Where is he from? Who were his parents and what were they like? Does he have siblings? What was his childhood like? What are his best traits? His worst? What does he look like? What does he do for a living? What has been his romantic history? Is he outgoing or a loner? Where has life taken him thus far?

There’s really no end to the questions one can ask, and to be honest, the answer to one quite often leads directly to the next, so that I usually stop “asking” questions fairly early in the process and just let his life story flow. The important thing for me is to get all the background that I need before I begin to write.

Step 3 -- Finding the Voice: More often than not, my lead character will also be my point of view character -- my narrator, in a sense. In my multi-strand novels, several of my major characters will be point of view characters. So the next thing I like to do is begin writing scenes and short stories from the viewpoint of the character I’ve created. Some of these might find their way into the book and in fact at times I merely begin work on the early chapters, though they usually wind up being reworked considerably. At other times, I’ll write a short piece that will have nothing to do with the book but that I might try to sell as a stand alone short story. The primary point of this is to take all that information I’ve gathered in the “Interview” and turn it into a unique and compelling voice for writing the novel. It’s not enough for a character to have a detailed and distinct personal history. He also has to have a personality, and that comes out in the way he tells his story.

Step 4 -- The Quickening: The verb “quicken” can mean, in its more obscure usage, the act of coming to life, and people have often referred to the quickening of a pregnancy as the time when a child is first felt to move. That’s exactly how I mean the word here. There comes a time in my writing when my character(s) begin to act on his (their) own, when I find myself surprised by some of the things they do and say. It’s a wonderful feeling, almost like when one of my daughters expressed her first truly original thought or first said something truly, creatively funny. That moment in a character’s development when he begins to take on the traits of a living, breathing person who is as independent of me as any creature of my imagination can be -- that’s the moment when I know that steps 1-3 have worked. At its best, character development is the creation of people who are capable of interacting freely with each other and with the world I’ve shaped for them. When my work is flowing well, when the characters are fully realized, when they’ve “quickened,” I become little more than a chronicler of their actions and a stenographer keeping track of their conversations. The growth of my characters and the development of my narrative become linked at an organic level so that it seems that the characters are driving the plot.

There’s really no secret to creating good characters, and it may be that your approach is nothing like mine but achieves results that are just as good or better. This is the process that works for me, and if you’ve been struggling with your character development recently you may find that adopting some or all of my method will help. In any case, happy writing!

What a Character!

2009-03-29T09:20:00.001-04:00

It's been over a month since I last posted. Life has been full and that's been the reason for the radio silence. Good things may be in the works, but none have come to fruition so I'll keep them under my hat at the moment. Should one of them blossom, you'll hear it pronto.

In the meantime I've been mussing around with characterization, my personal project for 2009. I've invited a few of my fellow authors to blog about characterization and the first of those posts will appear next Wednesday (April 1) courtesy of David B. Coe. David's an accomplished author who crafts the most fantastic, vivid and entertaining fantasy worlds. But for all that, if his characters didn't ring true the stories wouldn't be worth reading. David knows the ropes, so be sure to stop back and see what tips he has to offer on the subject.

To help me figure out the characters in my current urban fantasy project, I created a Character Dossier for the really important characters. For example, my heroine's dossier includes information such as:

Full Name: Riley Anora Blackthorne
Name Means: Riley - “Valiant” Anora - “Light”
Age: 17-1/2
Birth Date: (to be determined)
Location: Chicago
Birth Order: Only child
Parents: Paul & Miriam (Henley) Blackthorne

Riley hasn't told me when she was born (yet) and when she does that will give me additional clues to her personality when I correlate her birth date with the Zodiac signs. Being an only child is something I can relate to. I've been to Chicago and love the area so I sorta have a sense of what Riley's life was like until they moved to Atlanta. I also have a photo of Riley (to me she looks like Emma Roberts). Taking this information, I've extrapolated where Riley is at the start of the series, where she should be at the end of the series, and the life-changing events that occur to her in the meantime.

Sounds good, right? It is. I know this character fairly well despite the fact she's *cough* a number of years younger than me. I have more of a sense of Riley than I do most of my heroines at the beginning of a book, and I can see where the story arc is headed. I have come over to the Darkside (sort of) as there will be less fog walking through this series than, let's say, the Time Rovers, which originally was a standalone book (SOJOURN) that grew into a series. For me to have this much information going into a book/series is unheard of. That tells me this one is really going to rock.

Fine and good, you say. You got what you need. So write the books. The issue is transferring the intimate knowledge of any given character into the story. How do I layer in those details over the course of the books and how to I show Riley's growth as the stories spin out?That's where it gets tricky.

I think part of that issue is already taken care of by the mere fact I have that character dossier. I've been referring back to it as I write, checking off the various aspects of Riley's hellish life as I complete each chapter. But lest you think I'm hewing strictly to this dossier, I'm also correcting and changing it as I go. The further I trudge into the story the more I know each character so I'm reflecting that in the dossiers. So it's a dynamic process.

So how do you deal with characterization in your books? Any tips on how to coerce recalcitrant characters to reveal their innermost souls?

Be sure to stop back Wednesday for David's wisdom. It'll be about the only thing on April Fool's Day we can take as kosher.

2009's Writing Challenge

2009-02-08T10:27:00.000-05:00

Every year I try to tackle another aspect of the craft that I know needs work. In years past I've confronted my point-of-view problem and now I don't head hop anymore. Back when I began I told a story rather than showed it through action or dialog. I don't do that now unless it's for effect. So what's my challenge for this year?

Characterization. I recently submitted a Young Adult Urban Fantasy series proposal to my agent. We discussed the sample chapters and she mentioned she felt my characterization wasn't up to the same level as the worldbuilding or the plotting. My agent is right on the money. Luckily, it's a fixable problem.

This isn't new for me. I don't usually layer in the deep characterization until the last pass through the novel. In the case of my Time Rovers' books that was because my editor was pushing me to get inside the characters in each scene. Once she asked me "Why is Cynda doing this here? What is she feeling?" I could pour those emotions out on the page. For those of you who are authors you're probably thinking, "Ah, babe, you really outta have that stuff in there earlier." And I should.

So I decided that this year it was time for me to attack the issue of characterization. I need to learn how to layer in those cool character tags, emotions, etc. way before the editor has to slap me on the head with a rolled up newspaper. I conquered POV, I can do this.

So I've found an image of a young girl who looks like my 17 y/o heroine, I'm building a music playlist and I'm starting to write her diary so I can understand how she feels about the death of her mother, the fact that her life is going to hell on a slippery slope and her fears about the future. I'm doing roughly the same with some of the other major characters, trying to build up my understanding of each of them before I get too far into the book.

After the rough draft, I'm going to go back through each scene and layer in the setting and the characterization at the same time. I'll let you know how my quest for character goes over the year. I'm sure I'm not the only author fighting this particular demon and so I'm going to invite some of my fellow scribblers to my blog to have their say on characterization. Should be both entertaining and enlightening.

Books In Our Future

2009-01-03T12:29:00.019-05:00

The few months of 2009 are brimming with a bumper crop of new books so I figured I'd let you have a peek at some of the ones I'm looking forward to. Since I'm very fussy about what books I read, these are the series that I've consistently enjoyed. I also introduce a new pair of authors who hold great promise!

** I updated the list to include David Coe's latest book. Purely an oversight on my part and now that's corrected.

The Horsemen's Gambit by David B. Coe
(Hardcover - Jan 20, 2009)
I'm not much of a fantasy reader. Urban Fantasy, sure, but pure fantasy is usually too boring to slog through. David's book are just the opposite. The complexity of the characters, the depth of the plot and the overall story arcs keep me coming back. Always worth the read and the latest looks no different.

Bone Crossed (Mercy Thompson, Book 4
by Patricia Briggs (Hardcover - Feb 3, 2009)
Auto mechanic, shape-shifter Mercy Thompson always gets into a load of trouble, but she has the realistic spark I find compelling. After the last book, which contained some seriously personal devastating events for our heroine, I'm curious how Briggs will help Mercy move on in her life.

White Witch, Black Curse (The Hollows, Book 7) by Kim Harrison
Hardcover - Feb 24, 2009)
Okay, I admit I was steamed at Kim for a time after she offed Rachel Morgan's hunky vampire lover. But I've gotten over that. Well, sort of. As the author, she calls the shots (sigh) but that hasn't stopped me from looking forward to the next in the series with great anticipation. Kim is a master at setting scenes and penning believable characters. Much like many of the others on this page, I read her not only for enjoyment but to study the craft.

Hunted (House of Night, Book 5) by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast
(Hardcover - Mar 10, 2009)
The next installment of this incredibly popular Young Adult vampyre series is due out in March and I'm eager to see how the story plays out. Think "Hogwarts Meets Dark Shadows." Too young to know the Dark Shadows reference? Click here.

Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels, Book 3) by Ilona Andrews
(Mass Market Paperback - Mar 31, 2009)
Ilona (actually Ilona and her husband Gordon) set their Urban Fantasy in a dystopian Atlanta. Magic runs amok and they have a really cool twist on how vampires work. This series always surprises me. I recently reread the first two books (Magic Bites & Magic Burns) to ramp up for the next one. Yeah, I'm a fan.

The Unincorporated Man by Dani Kollin and Eytan Kollin
(Hardcover - Mar 31, 2009)
These are the two newcomers I was speaking of. I met these gents at WorldCon in Denver and just by talking to them I can tell this book is going to be dynamite. I'll be queuing up to buy a copy as soon as it's available.

Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, Book 11) by Jim Butcher
(Hardcover - April 7, 2009)
Any guy who can spin out a series over twenty (20!) books and keep it on the rails has my unabashed admiration. Each of these books deepens the mystery, deepens our understanding of Harry and his continually messed up life. Pity these only come out once a year.

The Plan for 2009

2009-01-02T08:54:00.005-05:00

A new year is much like a fresh sheet of paper in a typewriter or a blank screen on your monitor. You can make of it what you will. Well, sort of. External forces to do apply, but a fair amount is in your control. At least that's my delusion and I'm sticking with it.

Personally, things are going well. Husband is gainfully employed, house is super clean due to Annual Decompression Party yesterday (attendees are more inclined toward intelligent discussion than heavy duty partying) and I have story ideas to play with. So what is on my plate for 2009? Lots of good things, I hope.

I am continuing to play with a Young Adult Urban Fantasy story set in 2018 Atlanta about a young girl working as an apprentice to her father, a legendary demon hunter. Demons have been done to death so I'm trying a "twist" to the standard tropes that will hopefully prove an interesting read. It helps that I really like the heroine! Because this is set in a dystopian Atlanta, I've actually had to do some research about The Athens of the South. I plan to do some exploring when it stops raining every weekend. (Not really complaining -- we're still in a drought here and the lakes need water.) However trudging around historic Oakland Cemetery in a downpour, while picturesque, is not ideal.

I'm also playing with that paranormal historical set in 1902 Chicago, which is equally revving my creative juices. I have two paranormal romances already written that need some editing and there's that self-pubbed Fantasy series that demands a final book. So this year will be full.

Since 2001 I've been doing the "Jana Oliver Roadshow" at conventions so potential readers will get to know me and potentially buy my books. That's actually worked rather well so now it's time to settle back, finish maybe a book and a half in a year rather than the usual one, and not crisp myself around the edges as much as I have the last three years. Since 2001, when I started this journey, I've lost count of how many conventions I've attended. I do know that since 2005 I've attended 30. Wow.

So the plan is for this year to be much more focused on the writing and not the schmoozing. I'll still be out there (4 conventions) but not as much as before. It feels right. When I sign with a NY publishing house I'll be back on the road, but the earliest that would be is 2010. For now I get a breather from the airports, the con food and the hectic schedule. I'll miss the fen, but I am available by email so it's not like I'm totally running under the radar.

So what's your plan for 2009? Any new directions or goals? Or are you just going to crawl into your cave, order in a stock of double pepperoni pizza and ride it all out?

News Article of the Day

2009-01-02T07:30:00.003-05:00

Couldn't pass up commenting on this news article. For those of you concerned that all the Muslims in the world are going to blow up your airplane, here's a few tips. Bad guys come in all shapes, sizes, colors and religions. Just because the lady next to you on the plane wears a hijab doesn't mean she's looking to kill you. Would you have raised the alarm for a good old boy (Tim McVey)? Yet he killed a lot of folks, including leveling a daycare.

Talking about the best place to sit on an airplane does not qualify you as a terrorist. Hubby and I have had this same spirited debate and concluded there's no best place because you can't predict if the plane is going to crash and in what manner. An innocent, albeit gruesome conversation. Folks of a terrorist bent do NOT have these kinds of conversations. They blend in by staying very quiet and they don't come in groups of NINE. One or two are plenty to send the plane to Valhalla, folks. In fact, you don't even need a body on the plane anymore. (Technology is not necessarily a wonderful thing). The bad guys have moved onto other "softer" targets. It's only our fellow citizens who are still thinking "hijack airplane." Anybody with a working brain could have ruled these folks out in a heartbeat. Maybe they've been watching a bit too much "24". To their credit, the FBI handled this very well. However...

AirTran didn't. Once the FBI cleared these folks you should have put them on the next plane, then someone should have had a chat with the folks who reported them so they could understand why their worries were groundless so they won't do it in the future.

The terrorist's ultimate weapon is paranoia. It doesn't require any manpower or C4 to pull it off. It's self perpetuating. Next time look past the accents, the skin color and the clothes. If they looked like you would you have called attention to their comments? No? Then sit back and eat your peanuts. Yes? Then talk to the flight attendant pronto.

A History Junkie

2008-12-29T15:12:00.013-05:00

I admit a certain fascination...obsession with history. It fascinates me because I see so many parallels with our era. Very little changes in human nature. I've been merrily immersed in 1880's English history for over six years now. The result is a series primarily set in that time period. Recently another era/place caught my fancy: Chicago in the late 1890's and early 1900's. Just as raw and earthy as London in the same period, Chicago had a certain energy to it. Still does.

This interest in Chicago will hopefully give birth to a couple of books. One will be set at Chicago's Columbian Exposition of 1893 (a future Time Rovers book). Others have tread this way before me and done well by the subject. I also intend to pen a story set in 1902 Chicago, something paranormal me thinks.

So it is like hitting the lottery when I found a CD on Ebay that held thirty-three vintage books about Chicago ranging from the 1876 to 1922. GOLDMINE! Wow. The books have as many as 800 pages in some of them and often include advertisements of the era. Did I mention this a GOLDMINE for a historical author? It saves buying countless old tomes and finding bookshelf for them. Perfect.

It is only a matter of time before I'll be penning a non-fiction account of some person or event. I've been lured that way by the best: Erik Larson (Devil in the White City) and Karen Abbott (Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys and the Battle For America's Soul). As I see it, all this research experience is leading that way and I might as well not fight the undertow. When I finally figure out what the subject might be, I'll let you know.

In the meantime, this CD is a pleasant way to start the New Year -- old books to read and mysteries to discover. Wow, do I have a great life or what?

To Gray or Not to Gray

2008-12-26T19:26:00.004-05:00

Aging gracefully is for the birds. I consider aging a full contact sport requiring a lot of fortitude and an equal amount of attitude. I don't fear it, I'm just not going to let it roll over me.

However, I did decide after my latest birthday to give in just a little in the matter of my hair color. My natural color was brown. I was nearly blonde as a kid, then it got darker and more medium brown. Then darker brown just about the time I started turning gray (age 40). In 2000 I went red. I was tired of brown and red sounded exciting. They got the slogan wrong: it's redheads who have more fun. Redheads can be sassy and no one is surprised. We're not considered dumb, but intelligent and "brassy". So I hung with the "reds" for over eight years, but every time I colored my hair there was more salt and pepper to be covered. Some folks are blessed with that cool silvery gray (like my hubby). You've seen them. I especially admire ladies with that thick silver hair. Mine's not thick, but it is silvery, so this last time to the hair stylist I gave him the word: we're growing out the gray (or grey if you're British). He was surprised, but agreed there were certain things we could do to mitigate the suckiness of the grow out period of approximately one year or so.

So he put in some honey gold auburn highlights to take the color out of the part of the hair that has been dyed and gave me a wonderful cut. And now we grow. It looks kinda funky with the now muted lighter sections of hair and the gray/black growout, but so far it doesn't look like I've spaced off a trip to the salon. It will eventually. My dear stylist said it wasn't usual for a woman to ask to go gray. Most are very keen to cover up the passage of time. But that's my mantra: be unique.

In about a year the gray/black combo will be completely revealed and I'll have to change makeup yet again to accommodate. I have no doubt it'll look great. So I leave the red haircoloring I'm not using to those out there who do (you know who you are!) Red on, ladies!

P.S. This whole thing must be working as the cashier at Fuddruckers gave hubby and I the Senior Discount the other day and neither of us asked. Where I'm tickled to save the two bucks, somehow it's sorta painful to know it was offered in the first place. Had to be because of hubby. Yeah, that's it.

Yet another Postscript: Today is hubby's birthday. We spent it plowing around the mall, picking up some amazing bargains and then a wonderful dinner at P.F. Chang's. Then some video time with our Netflix addiction augmented by his very own Naked Newt wine. He pronounced the day a success. My job is done.

Huzzah!

2008-12-24T21:16:00.004-05:00

The verdict is in: my latest book, MADMAN'S DANCE, made the grade. The previous two books each earned a 4-1/2 Star Top Pick from Romantic Times BOOKreviews and the third has not shirked its duty. I was so hoping I'd see all three receive this top honor and it has come to fruition.

If not for my editor, Adrienne deNoyelles, who works these books over like bread dough I wouldn't have received this score. Ditto with my beta readers -- Ally Reineke and Nanette Littlestone. They both gave me very valuable input as to what worked and what didn't. Luckily I pay attention.

It's grand way to cap off a year.

Let No Man Put Asunder

2008-12-20T08:46:00.005-05:00

When I was growing up there were two ladies who lived behind us. I remember my mom talking to them while we weeded the flower garden. Both were nurses. Years later my parents told me they were lesbians. I had no clue as a kid. I just knew they were nice ladies. It was my first exposure to a relationship that wasn't "traditional" and it was a positive one.

Earlier this year I wrote about a couple of gents I met on the van heading to San Francisco airport. They'd come to California (from NY) to get married. I celebrated their joy because it was clear they were very much in love. Why shouldn't someone else enjoy the same kind of happiness I've found? Well, it seems there are those who would take that happiness away.

In November Proposition 8 passed in California defining marriage as only between a man and a woman. We have the same idiocy here in Georgia. But now the Prop 8 supporters are going one better: they want to nullify all the legal marriages conducted earlier this year before Prop 8 passed. Yup, they want to render those unions null and void.

Now that spooks me. Who has the right to tell me or any one of my fellow citizens that we are no longer legally wed? Those two gents I met jumped through all the hoops, flew all the way to CA to acknowledge before G*d and their fellow humans that they were willing to spend their lives together. And now the Prop 8 folks want to throw that commitment into the trash? It's tantamount to saying, "Yeah, you're third class citizens right behind the immigrants and the Muslims. Life with it. Or better yet, go straight."

WTH? Legally this is on shaky ground. Reversing marriages that were legal at the time sets an ugly precedent. Imagine someone announcing to you that that you're no longer married because someone decided it wasn't kosher after the fact?

In a few decades we'll look back at this mess and be embarrassed. This is much like those laws in the 1950's that wouldn't have allowed our president-elect's parents to be married because they were of different races. Gay and lesbians are our neighbors, our fellow citizens. They work, they pay taxes, they want the same things we want: love and respect. If their co-habitation is a sin, that's for G*d to sort out, not the rest of us.

I have long advocated that marriage should have absolutely nothing to do with the state. Marriage should be a religious entity. The states should provide a civil union ceremony. If the couple wish to take the commitment to the next step, then they marry in their church, synagogue or other religious institution. This "protect the sanctity of marriage" crap is just that. Homosexuals don't threaten my marriage. If anything, when I see their willingness to stay together through all life throws at them, it only reaffirms my own union.

Why Receipts are Like a Time Machine

2008-12-12T14:11:00.005-05:00

What, you say? What do receipts have in common with traveling through the 4th dimension? They remind you of times past. Having done some work on my downstairs office (got a new desk!) and finished the arrangement of my various computers, I'm tapping in the business receipts for this last year while keeping an eye on the stock market. I'm usually a lot better at keeping the receipts up to date, but not this go around. That being said, I'm determined that I'll have the business finances ready for the husband to input into the taxes BEFORE the end of the year. Yeah, I'm dreamin' but at least I'll not be doing them on April 12th or so.

But back to the premise: receipts are like a time machine. I pick up one from the Palamino in Calgary. No, this isn't a strip club, but an awesome restaurant that had some of the most incredible ribs I've ever eaten. Jean Marie Ward and I savored their offerings the night I arrived. Just reading the receipt brings back that moment. Ditto with my three trips to Denver's Corner Bakery for their Berry Almond Swiss Oatmeal. I remember sitting in the back of the restaurant, enjoying my breakfast (any breakfast that costs $6.79 is a blessing) and trying to hack into their website using my iPhone. Finally figured it out. All the while folks from World Fantasy came and went as I enjoyed my moments of solitude.

Receipts from The Rialto Cafe resurrect my conversations with Tony Ruggiero & his lady, Mary. Great couple to hang with. Smart, witty and fun. The receipt helps me remember those times.

Then there's the bill from The Mosser in San Francisco. After my roomie departed, I moved across the street from the Marriott ($225/noc) to The Mosser ($109). It's a boutique hotel built after the great earthquake. Very nifty and clean place. I knew there wasn't a toilet in the room, which was fine by me. I did have a sink and a bed and that's about it. Whenever I travel to Europe I always ask if there is a desk in the room so I can do my writing thing. I failed to do so with this hotel. No desk. A tiny nightstand. The room, tops, was about 10 x 12. I was in the middle of heavy duty, gotta get this stuff done sort of editing and no desk. I talked to the nice people downstairs -- no desks in any of the rooms and they didn't have a library. I was free, however, to use the lobby if I wanted. I passed on that.

I improvised (see above). Necessity is a mother so I pulled out the ironing board, set it up and did my thing.To the left is the door. The seat in front of the ironing board is a stool with a pillow on it. It is butted up against the edge of the bed. Yeah, this room was small. But it worked. On Day #2 I decamped to nearby sandwich shop that had wi-fi and great food. Spent most of the day there eating, editing and using their facilities as needed. Authors write no matter the situation. It's just what he have to do.

So you as seen, receipts help me reconstruct those moments from earlier this year and savor them once again. Who says doing the finances is boring? For me, it's a vacation.

A Hot Button

2008-12-10T20:02:00.001-05:00

Okay, fair warning. This is a hot button with me. A big one. For many years I took birth control pills for two reasons -- not wanting offspring (because I knew I wasn't going to be the kind of mother any kid would want) and for a medical condition (adenomyosis) which is second cousin to endrometrosis. Never once did I ever worry that my pharmacist or my physician would deny me adequate care. Why do I mention this? Recently Mr. Bush has instituted a last minute change that allows pharmacists, doctors, etal. to refuse to supply medications and treatments if they are contrary to the provider's religious beliefs. This will allow a pharmacist to refuse to honor your prescription for contraceptives, emergency or otherwise, and for doctors and nurses to refuse to assist with medical procedures that they deem unacceptable. Now this problem has been growing for years, but now our departing president has made it nationwide.

I was a nurse for about ten years. I would never have thought of telling a patient I would not treat them because of my religious beliefs. It would be the same as informing an African-American or a Native American that I wouldn't treat them because they weren't white. I've taken care of patients who were physically combative, drunk or high on lord knows what. I've been explosed to countless diseases, including those that could have easily killed me. Part of the job. I knew that going in.

So when did it become "me first, then the patient?" You may be against contraception, abortion, etc. I have no objections about that. Still, your beliefs should not become my problem if I'm trying to have a prescription filled while trying to obtain emergency contraception after rape or to prevent another pregnancy. To be blunt, it's none of your damned business.

If this change had occured a few years back, I might have been the one facing a pharmacist who refused to serve me or, worse yet, confiscate my prescription. He or she would be making the decision that I should get pregnant or continue to suffer from my medical condition. WTH? This has gone overboard. I respect your beliefs right up to the point when they infringe on my medical care. If you don't honestly feel you can offer full service to your customers or your patients, get the hell out of the business. (I did mention this was a hot button, right?)

Mr. Obama will overturn this, but that can take months before the changes come into effect. In the meantime people will be playing G*d with other folks' lives. Making decisions as to their care that they are not qualified to make. Since I no longer have the equipment needed for this sort of medication I will not see the day when someone refuses me care. It's probably best. It would have gotten way ugly. Years ago, when I first became a nurse, I would have laughed at anyone who told me this would come to pass. How wrong I was.

Thanks. I needed that.

Of Viruses

2008-12-07T12:36:00.002-05:00

Viruses. Ya gotta love 'em. At least the ones that infect humans. Human viruses are incredibly adaptable critters and I find that fascinating. I'm the kind of person who aced Microbiology in college, okay? My fascination is waning what with my SECOND cold in one month. I was making progress toward full recovery when I got hit again. Now I'm a tidy person. I wash my hands, do all the things one needs to do to miss being infected. Old nursing habits die hard, you see. But I got nailed. Sigh. On the plus side, the hubby is finally getting better after four weeks of coughing at all hours. I am progressing on Cold #2. This all will pass.

And now for the other kind of virus: the computer kind. My main Dell laptop felt sorry for us sick humans and so it decided to download its own virus just to keep us company. Lovely. I run virus software. It quarantined the critter. After it did the damage. Groan. At this moment my husband is on the phone to Norton and their wizards are removing the virus and getting the machine back to functioning (hopefully!). Then they're going to install their virus software on my computer to replace the other competitor's brand.

Which leads to a new form of Jana defense against these assaults. I have long chuckled at the antics of some of my fellow writers who have two computers: one for surfing and email and the other for writing and personal business. Computer A is connected to the Internet (natch). Computer B is not. Ever. I thought that overly paranoid. Nevertheless, if the virus I had downloaded had been the one that turned my computer to a pile of liquid goo, I'd have been devastated at the loss of my research materials (think hundreds of links to cool sites, photos, you name it.) Luckily it was one of the "let's hijack your computer and send your to websites you didn't intend to visit" sort while using the computer for their evil purposes. A plague on your houses! Every one. Get a real job, will you?>

In future my new Dell Mini 9 will handle the email, the surfing. Its bigger Dell cousin will be for writing, finances, etc. and shall be free of contact with the outside world. A recluse. I can transfer files back and forth via the network, after a proper scan. Should a virus attack the Mini, it's not going to take out a big body of my work. And I promise to do more backups. I'm nuts about backing up my writing, but lax about backing up the other important stuff. Nevermore! (quoth the raven).

So that is my New Year's Resolution. Along with the fact that one of these days I'm going to write one of these malware fools into a book and kill them in a most gruesome fashion. Then resurrect them and do it all over again!

The final post about the Chicago trip is forthcoming once I can get back on the main computer. So those of you waiting for closure will have it.

UPDATE: The nice fellow at Norton found the bits o'virus and removed them. It took about an hour and a half, but he was also working with other folks. Yes, he was most likely in India, but we didn't care. He knew exactly where to go to remove this stuff. It had tucked one of its files away in the Drivers file. Amazing. We'd already followed the directions from our previous virus software and tried to track down the bad thing ourselves. No go, even though my husband is an Uber Geek. The upshot is that the bigger Dell is now live and living a hermit-life existence free of I'net contamination.

For those of you who are amateur geeks, I'll share something we did over the weekend lest it be of interest. So that I can flip back and forth between the two machines, we installed something called a KVM switch. What this critter does is allow you to use your keyboard, mouse and monitor for both computers. With a quick tap of a keyboard (two taps actually) you can toggle back and forth between them. Cool. It cost $39.95 (Iogear - item # GCS632U) and I got it at Fry's. So I am now officially set up to work off the Mini for "Accessing the Real World" and the bigger Dell for my work computer. I plink back and forth as I need.

In some ways I owe the *#@$&@#$ who hacked my computer a thanks. He/she/it won't get one.

Chicago Day Three

2008-11-22T09:56:00.000-05:00

Downtown Chicago is buzzing as this evening the Magic Mile parade and Christmas light event is in the offing. Knowing it would be packed and starting to slow down a bit, we opted for another trip to the Museum Campus (as it's called) and a visit to the Adler Planetarium. Much smaller than the two other museums we'd visited, this one was well laid out and quite informative. We got to play with planetary models, watch a couple of the shows and generally muss around.

By early afternoon we were tired and took ourselves to Millennium Park to watch the skaters. After a bit of holiday shopping for friends, we visited the Chicago Architectural Foundation to check on boat tours for Sunday. There are a lot of tours you can take in Chicago, some of which go out into the lake and others that go up the Chicago River. After finding out the info we needed, we crashed at the hotel and then went out for a fabulous Italian meal at the Italian Village. The wait was forty-five minutes, even at eight at night, but it was worth it. I've never had manicotti that literally melted in my mouth. Heaven. The same family has owned the place since 1927. Across from the hotel is a business that has been there for 151 years. Yeah, since 1857. Iwan Reis is a tobacconist and they have the most incredible supply of pipes and pipe tobacco. I loitered there, I admit it. What a wonderful smell.

Because we opted to rest we missed the Magic Mile festivities. Given our colds are still not quite resolved, we thought that best. A quiet evening of reading and recuperating proved to be perfect.

Tomorrow -- the boat tour! Did I mention it's barely going to hit 46 degrees? We Atlantans are in for a treat.

Chicago Day Two

2008-11-21T10:26:00.000-05:00

Day Two in Chicago found us feeling better. Having both acquired colds before our departure from Atlanta, by now we were over the worst. To take advantage of this improvement, we headed off to The Field Museum of Natural History. A few years back I was absolutely convinced that this museum, the Adler Planetarium and the Shedd Aquarium had originally been part of the Exposition. It's only been in the last year or so that I realized my error (they weren't built until the 1930's). Given the grandeur of the buildings I suspect it was a realistic mistake.

The Field is HUGE. Even though we trudged and trudged for a good six hours, we didn't get to see all of it. We especially enjoyed Sue, the T-Rex (see above) and the other dinosaur displays (see below). When you look at the size of Sue and the nasty toothies on the meat eaters, it's pretty obvious humans weren't on the planet at this time, despite what The Creationists might believe. We'd have just been canapes. So I take the view that the seven days mentioned in the Bible were on the Almighty's clock, not ours. Why couldn't the creation of the planet and its life forms taken millions of years? Why would He be in a hurry? If you're The Supreme Being, why not do some experimentation? The point is we're here and that we have this incredible history behind us. Ignoring scientific fact doesn't make religion seem very intelligent, if you get my drift.
Other exhibits portrayed the rise of the Incan, Mayan and Aztec cultures. It was interesting to see how native groups progressed from small settlements to big cities and what that meant in terms of safety, food supply and personal liberties. We definitely will be making a return visit next summer to try to see even more of the exhibits.

Have I mentioned how much I love this town???

Chicago Day One

2008-11-20T19:22:00.001-05:00

The train trip to Chicago went very smoothly. As mentioned in the earlier post, we opted for bedrooms on both trains. Now lest you think these things are huge, they're not. They do include a shower inside the toilet stall, but there was no way that could happen logistically. However, sitting in a comfy seat and watching the world roll by is a very nice way to travel. Once the beds are folded down, let's just say you better not be claustrophobic. The first night it was hard to sleep. My bed was not comfortable and with an existing back problem, it made it worse. However, the second night we were "seasoned" and slept beautifully. We rec'd complimentary meals with the booking and I am happy to report that Amtrak's food was quite tasty. Yum. I think it would have been more fun if the trips had been longer and during more of the daylight hours. That way I could have enjoyed the scenery more. Train travel is definitely on our list of things to do in the future.

We had a brief layover in D.C. The DC train station was designed by Daniel Hudson Burnham, a name that will crop up later in my posts. Burnham was one of the key Chicago architects in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Union Station (see above) is an example of his incredible work. Right now the station is decked out for Christmas and quite festive.

We were met by my good friend and traveling buddy Jean Marie Ward. JMW took us on a mini tour so my husband could get an idea of what the town felt like. Fortunately, she took pity on us as we were still suffering from our colds so there was walking, then resting. In the Capitol picture, if your eyesight is good, you'll pick out the reviewing stands being built for the Inauguration. We dined at an incredible restaurant that served succulent crab cakes resting on top of field greens topped with mango salsa. WOW. Then we were back on the train and on the way to Chicago. I admit, I took a nap after we boarded. I hadn't quite realized how run down I was before we reached DC.

We arrived at our hotel far too early for check-in and so we checked our bags with the friendly porter. The Silversmith Hotel is housed in a building designed by, no surprise, Daniel Burnham. It was created for the silver and jewelry trade and there are still a number of jewelers on the street. Our accommodations are as huge as the train car was compact. Two rooms, massive bathroom and it overlooks the "El" the elevated train system that runs Chicago's Loop. No doubt some might object to the noise of the El as it pulls out of the station below our window, but after the other trains we hardly noticed.

Burnham, along with his partner John Root, were involved in the design and execution of the World's Columbian Exposition (1893) . This fair was a wonder and if I could go back in time I'd be there in a flash. All that is left of the 600 acre Jackson Park complex, besides the park, is the building that now houses the Museum of Science and Industry. Originally serving as the Palace of Fine Arts, it was designed by Charles B. Atwood of New York. Unlike almost all of the fair buildings, which were of a temporary, yet ornate nature, this behemoth was permanent and fireproof because of the valuable art treasures it displayed during the fair. Atwood's design is classic Greek and at the time it cost $541,795 to build. The main part of the building is 320 x 500 foot but included two 120 x 200 foot wings. Fortunately this beauty is still with us, teasing us as to what the entire 600 acres of statues, massive buildings, ponds, fountains, etc. would have looked like. Like I said earlier -- give me a time machine and I'm there. According to those in the know, it took over THREE weeks to see every exhibit at the fair. Unreal.

We immediately set off like a local: we took the bus. A tourist pass got us on and off and it was a easy trip. We thoroughly enjoyed the museum, geeks that we are. Harold's favorite was the Pioneer Zephr (see the webpage link above.)

We took our evening meal at a pub up the street. I didn't realize how packed Chicago eating places could be at seven in the evening. It was like Friday or Saturday evening in Atlanta. We waited about a half an hour for a table, polished off a fine meal and a couple beers each. Then we crashed, literally and figuratively.

Of Birthdays & Doing Something Cool

2008-11-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Birthdays are a mixed blessing. You can't celebrate one if you're dead, but it's still a day where you have to slow down long enough to go, "Hum, another year. How many more?" When I turned 45 I was in India. I'd spent the night before in intestinal distress, though certainly not because of the inattentiveness of our Indian hosts. They were fastidious about what we Westerners ate. The spices finally caught up with me so I did not come close to getting a good night's sleep as it became my birthday. I finally dozed off and at sometime after five in the morning the call to prayer began in the minaret nearby. On a loudspeaker. I lay in my bed thinking how cool it was that I was in here, on my forty-fifth year of life. That contuining desire To Do Something Cool on My Birthday is what inspired me to take a trip.

As you read this we are on an adventure. The house sitter in is place, the mail on hold, the luggage stowed and we're heading north. On. A. Train. I suspect at this point Stephen W. who posts comments to this blog just spit coffee all over his keyboard. Yes, we're on a train. Why? Well, why not?

Friends of ours have been waxing enthusiastic about the wonders of train travel for quite some time (Stephen included) so we decided to give it a try. In honor of my *mumble-mumble* birthday, we're taking Amtrak and in particular, the Crescent to Washington, DC. We have about a six hour layover so we're meeting my buddy and frequent roomie (Jean Marie Ward) who lives in a suburb of DC. I was last there in 1964 (when racial tensions were high) and the spouse has never been to the Nation's Capitol. Our brief layover is only going to allow time for a quick spin down by the Mall and some lunch, but I figure that will whet his appetite for a lengthier trip next year.

Later that afternoon we will board the Capitol Limited to Chicago. We're due to spend four full days in the Windy City and I'm looking forward to it. I hope to set a future Time Rovers book there, I adore the architecture and I want to hit the museums. And have a genuine Chicago hot dog. YUM.

It's about 13 hours to DC and then 17 to the Windy City so we reserved ourselves bedrooms on both trains because no matter how comfy a couch seat, they don't beat your own bed. We'll be on two different kinds of trains so it will be fun to compare them. I'll be sure and blog as we travel.

We finally end our trip in Iowa with the family and then back home via a plane to Atlanta. Husband has two weeks' vacation and he's so ready for this trip. I have to admit it, so am I.

Proud to be an American

2008-11-05T00:24:00.006-05:00

There are certain landmark moments in one's life. The election of JFK. His assassination. The death of RFK. The loss of Martin Luther King, Jr. The moon landing. 9/11. I remember them all very vividly.

Last night I witnessed another incredible American moment -- the election of Barack Obama as our next president. Now whether you are Democrat, Republican or Independent, this election has had considerable meaning to you. According to the numbers, 130 million Americans voted, the most to ever vote in a presidential election. Give yourself a High Five.

You went to the polls to tell Washington and the world what you wanted. This incredible nation is in turmoil. We have our soldiers dying on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. Our financial future is murky. Over 40 million of us do not have basic health insurance. We have slid so far away from the American ideal and the basic tenets of our Constitution. Now we, as a nation, have a chance to recapture what makes us grand.

I had hopes that this election would bring us a leader who might see beyond politics, who had vision, much like FDR did in 1932 during some of our nation's darkest hours. I do believe that our next president has that spark, that intelligence, that empathy to bring us out of this black moment and set us on a new path. He may not have the track record of Mr. McCain, but he has the good sense to seek sound advice, to weigh it and then move forward. The nation didn't need a maverick. It needs a statesman with deft hand at building consensus. Mr. Biden will serve as a bridge between our new leader and his fellows in Congress. That was something Ms. Palin would never have accomplished.

Now in the past I have always held John McCain in high regard. Something happened to him during the campaign that damaged his reputation in my eyes. I began to take notice of this campaign the moment he chose Sarah Palin as his running mate. Her narrow minded, Us vs. Them, provincial view of America was profoundly disturbing. Rather than being inclusive, she was divisive. Her knowledge of the world scene was woefully inadequate. Unfortunately, Mr. McCain went for the lowest common denominator who proceeded to question not only their challengers' patriotism, but mine.

So here's my advice for the governor. Go home to Alaska, Sarah. Learn something about this great country before you come back to run for 2012. Learn about the world. And know one thing for certain: people who don't agree with you aren't any less patriotic than those who do.

Last night I saw a glimpse of the Mr. McCain I once admired. He delivered a profoundly moving concession speech. It was full of honor, of love for this country. You regained a lot of respect, sir, and I thank you for that.

I'll admit it -- I haven't been very proud of my country in the last eight years. Some would say that is not being patriotic, but I disagree. That's honesty. We aren't always proud of our children when they make mistakes, but we still love them. I had never believed that an African-American could rise to such high office. The American ideal holds. Anyone can become president. This morning I can see lots of mothers eying their kids over the cereal bowl. "See?" they'll say. "You can do anything!" And those moms would be right.

Our citizens have spoken. What a remarkable testimony to this great and democratic nation. Let's heal the divide, roll up our sleeves and get the work done. That's what Americans do. We need to become that beacon of hope, like we once were.

G*d Bless America! And may G*d bless our new president and vice-president. They're going to need every bit of help they can get.

World Fantasy

2008-11-04T11:15:00.007-05:00

I went north, to Canada, and it was good. Calgary is a delightful city that reminded me a lot of Denver. They understand the concept of closing off streets during the day so we bipeds can wander around without fear of vehicular traffic. The shops were eclectic, ranging from the tourist places to the high end boutiques. And the food was nummy. The weather was very nice for Calgary this time of year and one of the surprises was this magnificent "clockwork" horse sculpture. So steampunk.

My advance scout for this trip was Jean Marie Ward who can scout with the best of them. She arrived a few days earlier and immediately began to map the environs. By the time I arrived Wed afternoon, she knew where to find the restaurants, the pubs and the shops. We grabbed a quick bite of food and then headed back to the hotel for the Hades Publications party. I'm published by Dragon Moon Press, which is a Hades imprint, so I was eager to be there. They served delightful munchies, had a cash bar and entertained us with The Plaid Tongued Devils. I've never seen a band that could mesh Roma, Klezmer, Middle Eastern and Celtic music like they did. It was a rousing time. Their fiddlers were incredible!

Now I'm usually pretty stupid after any plane trip and Wed noc was no exception. I've never met my publisher and have seen only one photo of her. So Jean Marie and I are chatting away while I enjoy some rum on the rocks and this lady walks up. I give her a smile and then turn back to Jean Marie. I look back and see this impish smile on the lady's face. Then I see her name tag. Gwen Gades. My publisher. I felt like an idiot. We hugged, repeatedly, and then starting catching on on all the stuff you don't put in an email.

Thursday morning was open for us so Jean Marie and I did some trekking around. I figured out how to get to my emails via the iPhone without roaming (Starbucks) and we bought some wine and champagne to celebrate the launch of my new book. I did make it on a panel (Adding Mystery to Your Fiction) which went very well. After some time signing at the Hades booth (lots of folks bought Sojourn) I popped off to lunch with the roomie, the publisher and Christine, a friend of Gwen's. We went to one of the highly recommended Chinese places and the food was awesome. Way too much of it.

Saturday involved a book launch party in the afternoon courtesy of Hades and that went very well. Lots of excellent chocolate. And to celebrate, Jean Marie, Maggie Bonham (her book Lachlei debuted this weekend) and new author Lizzy Shannon joined me for a trip to the James Joyce (pub) which Lizzy proclaimed to be truly Irish. She would know. She comes from Northern Ireland. So after some Irish Stew, lots of grand gabbing, a couple of pints and a quaff of Aberlour (single malt) and I headed for my room. And crashed. The rest of the evening was spent reading and relaxing.

Sunday involved more time at the booth, which was a kick. Lots of folks came over to talk to me about my panel (thank you programming coordinators for adding me to it, by the way) and to buy books. LOTS of books. I was thrilled to see so many readers coming back for the later books in the series or taking that brave first step with Sojourn.

Which leads me to Josh Langston. Mr. Langston was on both my planes from Atlanta to Calgary. I noted him because of the steel gray piping on his shirt. (What can I say?) We met again at the Hades party and then he surprised me with something so cool I still can't believe it. Josh and I had never met before, but he created a book trailer for Madman's Dance. It is awesome. What's even more awesome is that he'd never read the series! That's being remedied at the moment. So here's this gent who spent at least 14 hours of his life creating a book trailer for some author he's never met. What a lovely gesture. He's making a few changes to it as I type, especially since he read the first book over the weekend (I did warn him it was addictive). From what I gather there may be a book with Hades in his future. Wishing you all the best Josh! I'll be sure to post the trailer once it's available.

Coming home wasn't as much fun. Delta had screwed around with my reservations since I booked them last December. I think there were at last four or five schedule changes, many of which involving a number of hours later than the original booking. I checked in online Sunday night, but couldn't print a boarding pass without a printer. I called Northwest (they were code sharing the first flight out of Calgary) and verified I was confirmed. Fine and good. I arrived at the airport at 5:06 a.m. because it's Monday morning and I know that's always busy. To make this adventure as painless as possible for you, dear reader, here is the sequence of events.
1) Go to Delta counter. They can't check me in.
2) Try to find NWA counter. No can find. The counters change as needed per airline.
3) Back to Delta counter. They tell me NWA's counter doesn't open until about 6 a.m.
4) 5:45 and the NWA counter opens. Try to check in using kiosk. No good. Try again. Ditto. Reach representative who asks why I haven't checked in and then asks if I did it right (grrrr).
5) Return to Delta counter as NWA says I need a printed ticket. Delta rep says they've "closed out" the counter and they can't help me. Points to 800 number of my itinerary. "Call them."
6) 800 number is for flight status. Sigh. Call husband, get actual number.
7) Res line rep TICKETS the NWA flight. Apparently the ticket had never been issued even though I had a seat assignment. (oy!)
8) Stand in line (again). NWA takes pity on me and pulls me forward, prints the ticket and sends me into the long Customs & Immigration Line.

One hour later, after clearing US Customs (in Calgary!) I grabbed a sandwich and hotfooted it to the plane. I did snag an exit row seat with no one in the middle, so I spread out and read all the way home. Heaven.

And my final words?

GO VOTE PEOPLE!

Madman's Dance Excerpt Three

2008-10-29T08:00:00.004-04:00

Chapter One (Continued)

Satyr was uncharacteristically late for the breakfast appointment with his superior. That made him irritable. He grumbled at the hansom driver for the length of time it took the man to make change, and then stalked into the dining room on Rose Street, the usual meeting place. The staff immediately gave way as he entered the private room in the back. To his annoyance, the Ascendant was already well into his meal, a newspaper open at his elbow.

He noted without amusement that the leader of the Transitives still insisted upon the same “presentation,” as they called it. Satyr had repeatedly suggested that he shift form. What was the point of going en mirage if you did not alter your appearance every now and then? Changing some slight aspect kept your enemies off guard. Satyr employed that strategy, shifting hairstyle or eye color at whim. You did not become Lead Assassin by being lazy.

His superior looked up. “Ah, there you are, Mr. S.” He gestured with a fork toward the newsprint. “It appears you had an eventful evening, so I will forgive your tardiness.”

Better that you do. Satyr removed his hat and coat, placing them on the chair nearest the door. He rang the bell near his plate. A deferential waiter appeared instantly.

“More sausages, please.” The Ascendant had eaten the majority of them, and the remainder would not be hot. Sausages had to be the proper temperature or there was no reason to consume them.

His superior was studying the newsprint again. That was just as well. Satyr was not in the mood for light conversation. Where once there had been a respectful give-and-take between them, he’d noted a change in his leader’s recent behavior. More authoritative, with an inclination to meddle.

“Your sausages, sir,” the waiter announced, setting a colorful Majolica bowl in front of him.

“Thank you. That will be all.” The door closed behind the servant as the mouth watering aroma of spiced meat filled the air. Satyr repressed a sigh of appreciation.

“Well?” the Ascendant inquired, looking up from his paper.

Satyr ignored him, forking three links onto his plate and then carefully replacing the lid on the bowl.

“You are very subdued this morning,” the Ascendant probed. “Did something go wrong?”

Satyr paused in his precise dissection of a sausage. “No, matters went very well. I dispatched Effington inside one of his warehouses and then burnt it to the ground. Very satisfactory.”

“Yes, so I see,” the Ascendant replied, gesturing at the paper. “There is a particularly lengthy article about the fire and the discovery of the corpse.”

Satyr did not reply, savoring the taste of the hot pork. He knew what was coming.

“I trust there will be no repercussions of last night’s activities?”

“None.”

“No witnesses?”

Satyr’s hand tightened on the knife. “No.”

“What of Miss Lassiter? I do not note an article regarding her demise.”

“That situation is under control.”

“Is she alive or dead?”

“Depends on how you look at it.”

A grunt of disapproval. “Satyr, you are my Lead Assassin. I would expect such distraction from one of your juniors. I have repeatedly asked you to remove this person, and you are ignoring my orders.”

“I am not distracted, sir. Miss Lassiter is dead, at least in the mental sense.”

“I am not in the mood for cryptic games!” the Ascendant snapped.

Satyr deliberately placed his knife on the table to avoid employing it on something other than the food. Then he looked deep into the Ascendant’s eyes. To the man’s credit, he didn’t look away. His predecessor had always blinked. That one hadn’t lasted long.

“At present, Miss Lassiter’s mental capacity is that of a child,” Satyr explained, holding his irritation in check. “She has no memory to speak of. She doesn’t even know her own name.”

The Ascendant settled back with a frown. “How did you accomplish this?”

“I do not reveal my techniques, sir. You know that.”

The frown deepened. “You assure me that she is no longer a threat.”

“No threat at all.”

“Why didn’t you just kill her?” his superior demanded.

“This seemed a better solution.”

“Where is she now?”

“In Bedlam.”

“Under her own name?”

“I am not stupid, sir,” Satyr hissed.

“Well, of course not. What if she regains her memories?”

“Highly unlikely.” He snatched up his knife and attacked the links with considerable annoyance. “If she does, I’ll promptly cut her throat.”

“No need to be petulant. My concern lies with the safety of my plan.”

“Your plan, as much of it as I am able to fathom, is on track, sir. Effington is dead. By serendipity, Detective-Sergeant Keats is the lead suspect in Nicci Hallcox’s murder, and the explosives are secure. I’d say you’re worrying too much.”

The Ascendant tossed his napkin on the table and rose. “I sense you are going to be difficult this morning, Mr. S., so I shall take the remainder of my breakfast at my club. When you cease being so tedious, feel free to join me again.”

The moment his superior was out the door and on the street, Satyr felt his appetite fade. In the end, he couldn’t cut Miss Lassiter’s throat or pierce her heart like he had Effington. That killing had been righteous; hers would have been heinous. It would have been like crushing a rare butterfly just to know what it felt like.

His hand sank into a pocket and retrieved the silver tube, the device he’d used to render her a huddled, blank-faced bundle of humanity. He turned it, studying how the light from the gas lamps glinted off the shining surface.

Such a simple instrument to cause such destruction.

An odd sensation stirred within him. Remorse? He doubted it, yet there was a tight band around his throat just the same.

Today I'm on my way to Calgary and World Fantasy for the launch of this book. I can't wait!

Madman's Dance Excerpt Two

2008-10-28T08:00:00.005-04:00

Chapter One (continued)

Dr. Alastair Montrose gingerly splashed his face with cool water from the basin, cleansing away the soot. Then he leaned closer to the mirror, studying the effects of the warehouse fire. His eyes were puffy and bloodshot; his nostrils stung with every breath and his cheeks were splotched with red where falling embers had scorched them. The suit was ruined, the shirt as well. There were even abrasions on his palms, courtesy of his dive for safety when the rum barrels exploded.

Given the magnitude of the blaze, he’d gotten off lucky.

But what of Jacynda?

Even now, he could still hear her frantic cries from inside that warehouse as he fought to tear open the locked doors. Hours later, when the fire had died down, he and Reuben Bishop had found a charred corpse amongst the ruins. It was not that of a slender female: a fact that gave Alastair cause for rejoicing, although it felt heartless.

The question remained—what of Jacynda?

Reuben observed him from a nearby chair, his feet propped on another.

“At least your eyebrows are still there,” he commented casually. “I think your moustache took the worst of it.”

Alastair studied his reflection again. “Indeed.” It was a measure of his mentor’s decency that he was trying to lighten the moment.

“Personally, I would be devastated if anything happened to mine,” Reuben joked, running a finger along his upper lip. That was a given. Reuben sported a moustache that would turn any woman’s head, along with sandy hair that made Alastair’s brown hair seem dull by comparison. He cut quite a figure for a man who spent most of his time conducting post-mortems.

“I’ll loan you one of my suits,” Reuben offered. “It won’t fit, but at least you’ll not smell like one of those fellows in the Fire Brigade.”

Alastair delivered a wan smile. “I appreciate that.”

“Put some ointment on those palms,” Reuben advised. “They look rather nasty. I’d offer you some, but I don’t have any. The dead don’t seem to require that kind of care,” he added with a wink.

“No, I suppose they don’t,” Alastair replied, betraying a hint of a smile at his boss’ characteristic black humor. He took his time patting his face dry with the cloth. He knew Reuben wanted the whole story, but he didn’t know where to start. He dropped into the chair near the kitchen stove. The room was chilly, lit by a single gas lamp on the wall. He took a sip of brandy. The liquor burned his raw throat, making his eyes water. He blinked to clear them.

“In the past,” he began slowly, “I’ve spoken to you of Jacynda Lassiter.”

Reuben nodded, his face brightening. “Ah, yes, the adventurous American who has captured your heart.” His jubilance instantly withered. “Good God, she wasn’t in that blaze, was she? Was that why you were so keen to ensure the corpse was a male?”

Alastair nodded, shifting his attention back to the brandy. “The last I saw her she was inside the warehouse, near the doors. We’d discovered a body and I had gone for a constable.” He put the glass down, struggling to keep his voice from breaking. “I should never have left her alone.”

“You did everything humanly possible to save her. Your injuries attest to your courage.”

Alastair was not so sure.

“How did the fire start?” Reuben asked.

“I have no notion,” Alastair replied with a distracted shake of his head.

“There was a lantern in there, maybe it tipped over.”

His host put down his glass, then tented his fingers in thought.

“Hmm…Tell me more about the corpse you found.”

Alastair took a deep breath. “His name was Hugo Effington, a warehouse owner who lived in Mayfair. He’d been stabbed, a single thrust between the ribs that must have nicked the heart. When I returned with the constable, the doors were locked and the building ablaze.” He added, “Jacynda has been investigating Effington for some time.”

“Why would she do that?” Reuben asked.

“It all began with an attempted assassination at a dinner party earlier this month. Effington was the host.”

“Who was the intended target?”

“It’s hard to tell. The Prime Minister was in attendance as well as the Prince of Wales, amongst other dignitaries.”

“Why in heavens were they there?”

Alastair’s eyebrow rose. “I don’t follow.”

“You say this Effington chap was a warehouse owner, no doubt a prosperous one to live in Mayfair. While I understand that the prince loves a party as much as anyone, still it’s a bit…down market.”

“I hadn’t thought about that.”

Reuben chortled. “Of course, if Effington has a wife or daughter who’s a beauty that would explain it. The prince is always looking for a new conquest.”

Reuben tended to view most matters in terms of human frailty. “Mrs. Effington is quite handsome,” Alastair allowed.

“Aha!” his mentor exclaimed. “I knew it.”

“Jacynda foiled the assassin. From what Chief Inspector Fisher told me afterward, she just leapt on him before he could shoot. Knocked him to the floor. She has been involved in the case ever since.”

“You make her sound like a professional sleuth.”

“In many ways, she is. She told me that she works for the Pinkerton National Detective Agency.”

It was a passable fib, one that he knew Jacynda used with others. Far better than attempting to explain to his mentor that she was a time traveler from the future.

“How did you meet this remarkable person?” Reuben quizzed.

“She was rooming at the boarding house for a time. I treated her for an illness. I found her quite…unique.” Irrepressible, quick-witted, and prone to occasional oaths.

Reuben’s face burst into a smile. “I must meet this woman. What verve!”

Then the smile dimmed as he added, “Of course, her boldness is what put

her in the middle of that fire.”

She’s not dead. She can’t be.

“I haven’t seen any mention of this botched assassination in the newspapers. Certainly such an event would have been hounded into the dirt by the Fourth Estate.”

“It was kept very quiet.”

“It won’t be when the fellow is brought to trial.”

“That may not happen. He…vanished from his jail cell the same night he was arrested.”

Reuben snorted. “Now you’re sounding like a Penny Dreadful.”

Alastair looked away, unable to explain further. He had no idea if his friend knew about the Transitives, the shape-shifters who could mimic any form. Or the Virtuals, who seemed invisible. How easy it would be to shift into nothingness, wait for the cell door to open, and take a quick stroll to freedom…

“What sort of man was this Effington?” Reuben quizzed.

“He was an arrogant bully, one of Nicci Hallcox’s paramours. From what I gather, he was being blackmailed by her.”

“Like most of London, it seems. She had a vast number of men in her bed. If the calling cards we found in her room are any indication, she was well connected in society.”

“No doubt blackmailing every one of the men she’d seduced,” Alastair added darkly.

Reuben shook his head. “I still do not understand why Chief Inspector Fisher summoned us to the murder scene rather than one of the Home Office coroners.”

“Sheltering my friend Keats, no doubt. He’s very fond of him. Fisher hopes that he will someday take his place at the Yard.”

“Well, that’s not likely to happen now,” Reuben mused. “Even if your friend comes forward and is found innocent, his behavior has tainted his reputation.”

Unfortunately, Reuben was correct. Keats’ decision to remain on the run was at odds with what was expected of a detective-sergeant of Scotland Yard.

“I am astounded at how his life imploded,” Alastair observed. “One

moment he’s a rising star, and then the next a wanted man.”

“Fate can be very cruel to the best of us,” Reuben observed.

Alastair had been so proud of his friend that night in Green Dragon Place. Keats’ daring attempt to arrest a dangerous Fenian anarchist had resulted in his recovery of a wagonload of stolen gunpowder. The papers had lauded his triumph. Now he was known as the Mayfair Slayer.

How quickly they’ll turn on you.

“It’s pure fiction to believe that he would spend a night in sexual congress with that Hallcox woman and then strangle her in an insane rage,” Alastair protested. “Keats would never do such a thing.”

There was the creak of the kitchen door. A woman in a navy blue dressing gown entered the room, her hair lying across a shoulder in a long black braid.

“Reuben?” she said. “I didn’t hear you come in.” Then she stared at Alastair, mouth agape. From what he’d just seen in the mirror, he couldn’t fault her.

“I’m sorry we woke you. Sometimes I forget how loud I am.” Reuben gestured toward Alastair. “This is Dr. Montrose, my new assistant, the fellow I’ve been telling you about. Alastair, this is Mrs. Henrietta Forrest, my housekeeper.”

“Madam,” Alastair replied politely, rising, though it wasn’t required. The housekeeper quickly regained her composure.

“Dr. Bishop has spoken very highly of you, sir.” Before Alastair could respond, she asked her master, “Do you wish me to light a fire? Perhaps some tea?”

“No, I think we’re just fine. The brandy is sufficient to cure our ills.” He turned his attention to Alastair. “You, however, are running on sheer nerves. I prescribe rest and a good meal. I have a comfortable guest room that you are welcome to use. When you rise, we will have a hot breakfast. Henrietta is an excellent cook.”

“I don’t wish to be a burden,” Alastair began, touched by the offer.

“If you were, I’d just chuck you out the back door. Besides, my guess is your day is going to be a full one. If you return to your boarding house now, you will get no peace until the coppers have asked every question they can put to you.”

“I suspect you are correct.”

Reuben clapped his hands together. “So that’s the plan. Henrietta, please light a fire in the guest room and, ah, leave him one of my suits, will you? His appears to be a loss.”

“Certainly, sir.” Then she was gone.

Alastair opted for praise. “A very handsome woman,” he remarked.

Reuben stared into his drink, his expression melancholy. “She is.” He blurted, “We are lovers. Does that arrangement shock you?”

Alastair finished off the liquor before answering, taken aback at Reuben’s personal confession. “I had a similar arrangement when I was in medical school, though we were not in love. We saw it as being to our mutual benefit.”

“Precisely! Unfortunately, being smitten complicates the issue.” Reuben rose in a fluid motion. “Now come along. I’ll show you the way. Sleep as long as you like. I’m sure if the coppers want to find you, they’ll pound on my door.”

Madman's Dance Excerpt

2008-10-27T08:00:00.009-04:00

As a lead up to the launch of Madman's Dance, I'll be posting excerpts from Chapter One through Wednesday. Enjoy!

CHAPTER ONE

Wednesday, 24 October 1888

London

Even emptiness has an echo.

She heard it in her mind, fighting for primacy. As time passed and the fire in her head dimmed, she became aware of movement. Creaking leather, the sharp click of horses’ hooves. Each jolt of the carriage set off new reverberations in her head, causing her stomach to churn. Someone was talking. It only made the echo worse.

An eternity. The movement stopped. More voices. She felt someone help her to the ground and then walk her forward. Each step felt as tenuous as the last. She kept her eyes jammed shut. It hurt less that way.

“Stairs here,” a deep voice warned.

She forced open her eyelids to find herself dwarfed by an immense stone building. Huge alabaster columns loomed upward into the night, so tall she couldn’t see the tops of them. The columns spoke of strength, of permanence.

She pulled free, wanting to touch one. It was cool. She laid her left temple against it, relishing the sensation. It numbed the pain.

“Miss?”

“Leave her be for the moment,” a voice commanded. It was the one that had been with her since the emptiness began.

Eventually, she straightened. The inferno between her eyes reignited, causing her stomach to heave. She vomited near the base of the column.Couldn’t they hear the roaring? Why didn’t it hurt them like it did her?

Someone handed her a piece of cloth, a handkerchief. She wiped her face with it and then clutched it to her chest as she was led inside.

There were more voices. They rose and fell like the wind on a winter’s night.

As they talked, she tied the handkerchief into knots. Knots were real.

Brain fever. Laudanum. Papers. Committal.

She bowed over, the storm in her head raging anew.

“Name?” an older woman asked, looking down at her like she was a lost child.

“Doe…Jane Doe,” her companion replied.

Clothes Make the Woman?

2008-10-23T11:36:00.007-04:00

I'm not a clothes horse. Somehow I didn't inherit that gene. I wear nice clothes every now and then for business, but for the most part I'm very happy in a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. But even I know there are times you just gotta look good.

So where I agree that Ms. Palin needed to doll up a bit from her Alaska "chic" to take on the national stage, I do feel her handlers didn't do her any favors. $150K? WTH? That's over four times the average U.S. salary ($720/week according to the Bureau of Labor). Even in good times it would be excessive. With things going south, it reeks of eating cake while folks lose their houses and their jobs. Worse yet, it goes against The Brand (hockey mom who shops at Wal-Mart.)

No I don't completely fault Ms. Palin for this, though some of the onus should fall on her. Where she might not have known exactly how much all those high end clothes cost, questions should have been asked. I know I would have asked when something from Neiman Marcus landed in my lap. When she did find out about the prices, she should have shook her head and demanded a trip to J. C. Penneys or Dillards. They sell business clothes. Nice business clothes, and the purchases would have reinforced Palin's image of the average mom.

You don't go against the brand (unless you're Madonna who can get away with it). You can't claim to be for the little guys if you're wearing shoes that cost as much as their paycheck. Just don't fly.

So what would I have recommended? Well, the suit at the top of this blog costs $59.99, not counting shipping. I picked a red one as I know that's what the Gov favors. Add a lace top underneath to counter all those folks bitching about showing a little cleavage and she's got it. $60, not $2000 and above. (Note to all those who are combat shoppers -- I know you folks woulda got better deals at Neiman Marcus and Saks.)

So to all those handlers who did the actual shopping: what were you thinking? Are you that out of touch with the message that you just fly on autopilot? Apparently so. That seems to be the case with the entire McCain/Palin campaign. How sad.

Why Bigotry Has No Future

2008-10-19T16:10:00.006-04:00

I admit to reading many of the more right wing blogs. I like to know what people are thinking, even if I can't agree with them. Over and over these blogs continue to invoke Barack Obama's middle name (Hussein) as if it were a curse, because that means he HAS to be a terrorist bent on destroying this country.

I finally snapped the other day and replied in the comments field on one of these blogs, politely but firmly pointing out that in the Middle East Hussein is as common a name as Sarah, Joe or John is here in America. Not surprisingly, my comment was never posted on the blog. Go figure. It's easier to shovel the red meat to the bigots than actually use one's brain.

So to you folks who insist on hammering home the fact Obama's family has Muslim antecedents, are you going to tell this mother her son was a terrorist just because his name is different?

Such a loss. I know I'll remember this young man's sacrifice for a very long time, if nothing more than to honor his memory. The only thing a bigot sacrifices is their heart.

Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan

Potpourri

2008-10-19T09:31:00.006-04:00

Thursday evening found me at a comedy club, of all things. The Funny Farm was hosting Gary Gulman and one of the warm-up comedians was a friend of mine (and a fellow Ripperologist) from Scotland. So journeyed over to cheer Alan on. And it went well! Stand up comedy takes a lot of guts. I don't think I'm made that way. Cheers, my friend, for taking on America!

I had the opportunity to be a guest blogger at Pink Fuzzy Slippers on Oct. 16th. It was fun and interesting to find out how many former nurses there are out there. I give a shout to to Mary for inviting me over! I'll be blogging at a couple more sites in the coming weeks and will let you know when that occurs.

Spent part of yesterday at the Gwinnett Reading Festival. It was very well attended and best of all, it was free! I got to talk to all sorts of folks, both readers and authors, and we sold a few books. The longest lines were for the kids to get their faces painted or to get a balloon sculpture. I picked up some tips for new authors to read and had a good time in the process.

And right now I'm on a reading marathon. I zipped through C.E. Murphy's two gargoyle Urban Fantasies, Jim Butcher & Kim Harrison's latest offerings and then took a step back to the Victorian Era with a couple of Anne Perry's works. The first was The Cater Street Hangman, the debut novel in the Charlotte & Thomas Pitt Series. I always wanted to read how the two of them met. Then I popped over to the Monk Series (also set in Victorian London) for a couple of reads (Shifting Tide and Dark Assassin).

Anne Perry is the reason I first became interested in the Victorian Era, besides Jack the Ripper. Her books are very heavily grounded in the social world of the time period. Some of that I do not find interesting, so often I do a bit of skimming until I reach the action. Other readers adore that kind of in depth worldbuilding. Each to his own. I still do like to pop back every now and then and see how the books are progressing. I think she's somewhere near 40 novels over her multiple series. Incredible.

To probe an idea I have for an Urban Fantasy, I've begun some research into Atlanta's history. I know, I live in a town full of monumental events, but when you live somewhere famous you sorta go "meh." Hubby suggested that it might be a lot cheaper if I set a few books here rather than across the pond (ever sensible, the husband) so I decided to see what might fascinate me about Hot*Lanta. I do know that Ilona Andrews has an Urban Fantasy series set here, so I'm trying very hard not to inadvertently duplicate any of her & co-author Gordon's themes. Still, the town does offer some plotting options.

Many things under the dough hook. Hopefully something will come of it. Only one thing matters right now -- getting past the election. This one is way ugly folks. But that's another post down the line.

Deadline? What Deadline?

2008-10-17T11:24:00.005-04:00

It's been a fun few weeks as I come off the high of finishing Madman's Dance. As I immerse myself completely in a book, it's also a lot like coming off a drug. Withdrawal is always ugly. So to get myself out of deadline mode and into real life, I took a trip to Kentucky.

Bowling Green is home to Western Kentucky University. There an author friend of mine, Dr. Sandra Wales, teaches a Creative Writing class. Given her background in the publishing world, these kids get a dose of reality. So I popped up to teach a class on Genre Fiction and whether it's truly formulaic or not. It was fun. They asked all sorts of probing questions and I had a blast. That night I conducted a reading courtesy of the university, and was surprised to have about twenty people there, especially since Obama and McCain were due to have Debate #2 later in the evening and it was raining. Lots more probing questions, which I enjoyed.

Usually I bitch up a storm about I-75 (which heads north out of Atlanta to Chattanooga). It's always jammed bumper to bumper and is my least favorite route out of the city. Not now. The gas prices have truly cut down on the amount of traffic and I found it a joy to make the trip up in the sunny weather.

The trip home wasn't that much fun as it was raining. Now KY sorely needed the rain (and so did Atlanta) but what was supposed to be a 5-1/2 hour trip went an additional 2 hours. Wisely I bailed off Interstate 75 as soon as I reached Atlanta and took one of the state highways. I got lucky as the heaviest rain hit after I'd taken that route. I wouldn't have been able to see a thing on the interstate.

The rest of the time has been spent mucking out the house and doing a lot of vegging. I've managed to watch the entire first season of The Tudors. I was a history major way back when and I spent a lot of time studying Tudor and Elizabethan England. The show did a pretty good job, though they mucked around with characters and events quite a bit. I'm not used to see that much sex in a TV series, however, but that just shows I don't watch much TV. Though sometimes the sex seemed a bit gratuitous, it wasn't over the top and certainly would fit into the one track mind of the times. Eat, drink, fornicate. Oh, and try to get the best of those French and Spanish bastards.

I've also been reading like a fiend. I'll talk more about one particular book (The Ghost Map) in another post because the book had some interesting insights about our time vs. 1854.

Starting to gear up for my trip to Calgary and World Fantasy. I'll finally get to meet my publisher, Gwen Gades, and launch the new book into the world, and get into some mischief with my roomie, Jean Marie Ward. She is always known for mischief. I'll be sure to do a full post on the con when I return. Not taking my computer this time. This would be the computer that contains detailed info on Irish anarchists, gunpowder and nitroglycerin manufacturing, the layout of London's Docklands, etc. Until our 4th Amendment Rights (see below) are back on track, I have no desire for Customs to go through that puppy. I suppose I could just hand them a copy of Madman's Dance. Or better yet, show them the copy of the Constitution on my iPhone. Yeah, I know. Then they'd have to read it.

Amendment 4 - Search and Seizure. Ratified 12/15/1791.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

The End Game

2008-09-29T21:35:00.003-04:00

Galley. This can be a number of things, but in the publisher world it is your book, typeset, awaiting your careful scrutiny. In the Big Apple they often send their galleys out in printed form. For my publisher, who does use technology based in the 21st century, the galley is a PDF. Jana then goes through said galley, line by line, page by page, making notes if something is amiss.

Every now and then I catch a sentence that just doesn't make sense. Annoying that it made it this far in all the editing process, but it happens. So I ask my publisher to change it along with a contrite "author boo-boo" notation.

The end result is that after I've proofed this puppy one last time, it goes back, the errors are corrected, I take another quick look at it and then Madman's Dance is ON PRESS. Which is a good thing as new story ideas are already starting to pester me.

I will, however, take Thursday night off to listen the VP's debate. Note to self: buy more popcorn.

And There Was Much Rejoicing

2008-09-23T12:53:00.003-04:00

The third book in the Time Rovers Series has winged its electronic way to Canada and my publisher's "In Box." There is much rejoicing here as Madman's Dance is a big mother, some 152.5K words. For comparison, Sojourn was about 123K. This is Sojourn on steroids. All total, the three books in the series add up to almost 400K words. Them be a lot of words.

It's my hope that some of those words will resonate with the readers. I'm taking a much deserved sabbatical as I muck out the house (dynamite and a scoop shovel seem to work very nicely) and then it's back to work. As Madman's Dance is my last contractual agreement with Dragon Moon Press, I'm turning my eyes toward a paranormal romance I've been screwing around with for over a decade and then to a quick polish of the fantasy series I self-pubbed in 2001 & 2002. Yes, those lovers of the DragonFire Fantasy Series may yet see Book #3 and the resolution of Morwyn & Belywn's saga. In the short term, however, it's up to me and my agent to get these in shape and in front of (hopefully) interested editorial type people in The Big Apple. Then, as they say, the rest is history.

Thanks for joining me on the ride. There will be more Rover books down the line, just not in the short term. And now where are those matches? I think the living room is ripe for detonation.