S.L. Viehl's Blog, page 116

Off Dancing with Wolves

Today I'm unplugging so I can finish up the last buff and polish of The Clockwork Wolf, but so that your stop here was not entirely wasted, I have a photo to share:



I've been photographing spiders in the back yard for years, but this little one caught the sunlight so beautifully I was enchanted. Of course the wind was blowing, and the web and the spider were floating up and down, and the only angle I could get on it meant shooting directly into the sun. So as always, I just crossed my fingers, pointed the camera and clicked (and you can see a larger version here.)

I'm calling it Writing Light. :)

Over on the Toriana Blog

Today I'm over at Disenchanted & Co. while we steampunk author Jeff Somers. Stop in, tell us in comments the author you'd most like to spend the day with, and you could win this giveaway of Jeff's books, a brand new O'Neill backpack and other geeky fun stuff.

First Look & Winner

Before I announce the winner of the big giveaway, I have some new art to show you:



This will be the cover for The Clockwork Wolf, due out in late February 2014.

I asked my editor, Adam Wilson, to take over the magic hat this week. Since Adam made publishing my 50th novel possible I thought he should have the honors (and if it were left up to me everyone would win, which simply wasn't possible with this giveaway.)

Adam has made his choice, and the winner of the 50th Novel Giveaway is:

Raine Weaver

Raine, when you have a chance please e-mail me at LynnViehl@aol.com. My deepest thanks to everyone for helping me celebrate the release of Her Ladyship's Curse.

Fifty Things

To wrap up my 50th novel party week, I thought I'd hunt through the archives and find some interesting links. This resulted in a list of:

50 of My Favorite PBW Links

25 Reasons to Keep Writing ~ I can probably add another 25 to the list now, but the original is fun.
750 words ~ my thoughts on the daily writing motivation site.
Art vs. Life ~ a virtual workshop on keeping both of your lives in balance.
Becoming (an official) NYT bestseller ~ was it really back in 2008? Doesn't seem that long ago.
Bookmarks from Hell ~ where my joke about mixing Tylenol and wine originated.
Butterfly People ~ why can't I be more like the ladies in the art mags? This is why.
Cafe Temptation ~ more real than you would imagine.
Character Cards ~ a fun way to catalog your characters.
Chloroform + Arsenic + Hydroxide = Love ~ my kid's hilarious poem.
Character Palettes ~ how to use color to inspire your character construction.
Courage ~ on being a writer -- and valiant.
Da Winchy Code ~ the NYT doesn't mean to be funny, but . . .
Disenchanted & Co. ~ the blog I created for my new steampunk urban fantasy novel series for Pocket Star.
Domain Explained ~ who you have to talk to if you want my blog title for yourself.
Dream Called Time ~ the day I finished the StarDoc series.
Freebies ~ all my favorite free stuff on the internet.
Grill Babies ~ why you should always look inside first before you fire up the grill.
Hiveword ~ my thoughts on the online story organizer site.
Inconveniences ~ how to write, even when you can't.
Index Card Journal ~ how I turned a pack of ordinary index cards into a very different kind of journal.
John and Marcia ~ the adventures of my novel crash test dummies.
Left Behind & Loving It 2005 - 2009 ~ the online writing workshops I held every summer for four years.
Make Me a Supernovelist ~ writers on reality TV.
Mary Sue Anonymous ~ Genre vs. Literati via 12 step programs.
Mawked by Dawkness ~ brand name dropping in vampire novels.
Moon Called ~ another novel that I predicted would be a blockbuster (and then it was).
NaNoWriMo 2009 ~ this was the year I wrote the first draft of Disenchanted & Co.
Novel Outlining 101 ~ the most popular post of all time on PBW.
Past Perfection ~ the pasta sauce of writing.
PBWindow ~ my art experiment that turned into a blog (currently on hiatus, but soon to return)
Persuasion 101 ~ my daughter tries to persuade me to let her have the internet on her computer.
Pink ~ I'm over it now. Mostly.
Publishing 911 ~ the post that went so quickly viral we had to notify the CDC.
Reinventing the Bookmark ~ where my BookLoop originated.
Runaway Trains Part 1 and Part 2 ~ how to deal with those story ideas that hit you like a freight train.
Scene Focus ~ includes the luckiest photo shot I ever took in my life.
Seventh Sanctum ~ my favorite online writing generator site
Southern Fried Chicas ~ my favorite author group blog
Start to Finish ~ why I don't give up, even when I should.
Ten Things Authors Don't Want to Hear (But Frequently Do) ~ all true, sad to say.
Ten Things That May Indicate You're Writing a McNovel ~ another post that went viral on me.
The Devil's Publishing Dictionary Part 1 and Part 2 ~ the second most popular pair of posts on PBW.
The Friday 20 ~ the years I spent answering questions every Friday on the blog.
The Last Samurai Agent ~ if you want to make your agent laugh, show them this.
The Paranormal Romance Novelist's Exam ~ funny because it is true.
The Presurfer ~ my favorite internet surfer's blog
The Third and the Seventh ~ my favorite video of all time.
The Year of Writing Dangerously, my resolution from 2008 which resulted in me writing Master of Shadows, for which I also designed the cover art.
Wordle ~ my favorite online word toy

I've also added the last prizes of the week to the Splendor tote:



Along with the Splendor tote, the winner will receive:

-- A signed print galley copy of His Lordship Possessed

-- A special $50.00 BookWish

-- Audio editions of all three of my Lords of the Darkyn novels

-- A pair of romantic black lace gloves from Victorian Trading (which are almost identical to the gloves Kit is wearing on the cover of Her Ladyship's Curse).

-- A signed hardcover copy of my SF standalone, Blade Dancer

-- A gorgeous red journal from Leathersmiths of London

-- A $50.00 e-gift card from Levenger

-- A lovely black and crystal "Make a Wish" pendant from Victorian Trading (very Torian in design, and looks a bit like Kit's pendant, too)

-- Signed copies of all four of my Kyndred novels

-- Signed copies of all seven of my original Darkyn series novels

-- A $50.00 gift certificate from Victorian Trading Co.

-- Signed paperback copies of all ten novels in the complete StarDoc series as well as Bio Rescue and Afterburn. Nearly all of these books are out of print now, and this is the last extra complete set of copies I have. For these reasons this will also be the last time I can sign a full set of StarDoc books for a giveaway.

-- Original steampunk anime artwork by Alaires, aka my daughter Kat, who is also my cover artist/designer for My Lord Mayhem. This is her portrait of Kit, Japanese chibi style, executed in copic marker, and it's really adorable.

-- New! A Lapgear Notebook & Tablet Stand lapdesk, to help keep your favorite device hands-free

-- New! A crystal serpent bracelet from Victorian Trading Co., very much like the one Kit borrows from Bridget in the novel.

If you'd like to win everything I'm giving away this week, all you have to do is help me spread the word about my new series. For details on how to do that, and to officially enter the giveaway, click here.

At the Steampunk Show

Recently I visited a steampunk-themed antique show, and snapped some shots of the most interesting items on display. Here's a slideshow of what I wished I could have brought home with me:


I've also added some more prizes to this week's giveaway:



Along with the Splendor tote, the winner will receive:

-- A signed print galley copy of His Lordship Possessed

-- A special $50.00 BookWish

-- Audio editions of all three of my Lords of the Darkyn novels

-- A pair of romantic black lace gloves from Victorian Trading (which are almost identical to the gloves Kit is wearing on the cover of Her Ladyship's Curse).

-- A signed hardcover copy of my SF standalone, Blade Dancer

-- A gorgeous red journal from Leathersmiths of London

-- A $50.00 e-gift card from Levenger

-- A lovely black and crystal "Make a Wish" pendant from Victorian Trading (very Torian in design, and looks a bit like Kit's pendant, too)

-- Signed copies of all four of my Kyndred novels

-- Signed copies of all seven of my original Darkyn series novels

-- A $50.00 gift certificate from Victorian Trading Co.

-- New! Signed paperback copies of all ten novels in the complete StarDoc series as well as Bio Rescue and Afterburn. Nearly all of these books are out of print now, and this is the last extra complete set of copies I have. For these reasons this will also be the last time I can sign a full set of StarDoc books for a giveaway.

-- New! Original steampunk anime artwork by Alaires, aka my daughter Kat, who is also my cover artist/designer for My Lord Mayhem. This is her portrait of Kit, Japanese chibi style, executed in copic marker, and it's really adorable.

If you'd like to win everything I'm giving away this week, all you have to do is help me spread the word about my new series. For details on how to do that, and to officially enter the giveaway, click here.

ID'ing the Dredmore Type

For all of you who might be involved with magical assassins, I have a piece over at Pocket Star's web site, XOXO After Dark, on how to tell if your guy is a deathmage.

I've also got more books and another shopping spree to add today to the Splendor tote:



Along with the Splendor tote, the winner will receive:

-- A signed print galley copy of His Lordship Possessed

-- A special $50.00 BookWish

-- Audio editions of all three of my Lords of the Darkyn novels

-- A pair of romantic black lace gloves from Victorian Trading (which are almost identical to the gloves Kit is wearing on the cover of Her Ladyship's Curse).

-- A signed hardcover copy of my SF standalone, Blade Dancer

-- A gorgeous red journal from Leathersmiths of London

-- A $50.00 e-gift card from Levenger

-- A lovely black and crystal "Make a Wish" pendant from Victorian Trading (very Torian in design, and looks a bit like Kit's pendant, too)

-- Signed copies of all four of my Kyndred novels

-- New! Signed copies of all seven of my original Darkyn series novels

-- New! A $50.00 gift certificate from Victorian Trading Co.

If you'd like to win everything I'm giving away this week, all you have to do is help me spread the word about my new series. For details on how to do that, and to officially enter the giveaway, click here.

Playing Dr. Frankenstein

I was invited by editor and colleague Maria Zannini to contribute an article to the Online Writing Workshop for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror (OWW) monthly newsletter for August about how I build characters, which you can read online here.

Today's additions to the Splendor Tote:



Along with the Splendor tote, the winner will receive:

-- A signed print galley copy of His Lordship Possessed

-- A special $50.00 BookWish

-- Audio editions of all three of my Lords of the Darkyn novels

-- A pair of romantic black lace gloves from Victorian Trading (which are almost identical to the gloves Kit is wearing on the cover of Her Ladyship's Curse).

-- A signed hardcover copy of my SF standalone, Blade Dancer

-- A gorgeous red journal from Leathersmiths of London

-- A $50.00 e-gift card from Levenger

-- New! A lovely black and crystal "Make a Wish" pendant from Victorian Trading (very Torian in design, and looks a bit like Kit's pendant, too)

-- New! Signed copies of all four of my Kyndred novels

If you'd like to win everything I'm giving away this week, all you have to do is help me spread the word about my new series. For details on how to do that, and to officially enter the giveaway, click here.

Free for All

Today I have something over at Disenchanted & Co. free for everyone to enjoy (and it's 192 years old, too), so stop in if you get a chance. I'm also adding more prizes to the Splendor tote:



Along with the Splendor tote, the winner will receive:

-- A signed print galley copy of His Lordship Possessed

-- A special $50.00 BookWish

-- Audio editions of all three of my Lords of the Darkyn novels

-- A pair of romantic black lace gloves from Victorian Trading (which are almost identical to the gloves Kit is wearing on the cover of Her Ladyship's Curse).

-- New! A signed hardcover copy of my SF standalone, Blade Dancer

-- New! A gorgeous red journal from Leathersmiths of London

-- New! a $50.00 e-gift card from Levenger

If you'd like to win everything I'm giving away this week, all you have to do is help me spread the word about my new series. For details on how to do that, and to officially enter the giveaway, click here.

Elsewhere with My Secret Life

Today I'm over visiting The Good, the Bad and the Unread to talk about my secret life (not the one related to the bat cave; the other secret life.) Stop in if you get a chance and enter to win this giveaway tote filled with signed galley copies of Her Ladyship's Curse and His Lordship Possessed along with some other lovely goodies.













I'm also adding some new prizes today to my 50th Novel giveaway tote:



Along with the Splendor tote, the winner will receive:

-- A signed print galley copy of His Lordship Possessed

-- A special $50.00 BookWish

-- New! Audio editions of all three of my Lords of the Darkyn novels

-- New! A pair of romantic black lace gloves from Victorian Trading (which are almost identical to the gloves Kit is wearing on the cover of Her Ladyship's Curse).

If you'd like to win everything I'm giving away this week, all you have to do is help me spread the word about my new series. For details on how to do that, and to officially enter the giveaway, click here.

Some readers have asked for better pics of the tote, so here's a slideshow with pics of the front and back as well as more details about the work I did on it:


The tote took about 100 hours to make, and features tons of glass and stone beads, freshwater and faux pearls, Swarovski crystals, holographic threads, vintage metal pendants and antique lace and trims. I used some of my more elaborate crazy quilt embellishment designs to make it, including an emerald bead spider hanging from a golden holographic thread web. All the beading and quilting is completely hand-worked, primarily on silk patchwork, and the three vintage brooches on the blue velvet ribbon on the back of the tote are removable so the owner can wear them separately.

50th Novel Release Party

Today is the release day for Her Ladyship's Curse, the first book in my new Disenchanted & Co. steampunk urban fantasy series for Pocket Star. I never imagined I'd have the chance to publish fifty books, so reaching this point in my writing life is pretty magical for me.

My family and friends have always been there to help me along with way, as have my publishers and editors, but it's really all of you who are my steadfast, loyal readers who made this day possible. Every one of you have done something to bring me here; you've talked about my books, shared them with friends, blogged about them, recommended them to your readers and spread the word about my work in countless other ways. I would never have reached this landmark without your generosity, support and encouragement. Thank you so much.

To launch my new series and my 50th published book I've been working on a very special giveaway, all of which will be packed in my crazy quilted and beaded Splendor tote, handmade by Yours Truly and inspired by Kathy Uhrig. Kathy is the proprietor of Strange Notions on Etsy, and not only sells the most fabulous vintage goods but hand-selected most of the materials that went into this project. Each day I'll also be adding some new prizes to the tote, which will include signed books, shopping sprees, and some very special gifts inspired by Disenchanted & Co.

To start off the giveaway today I have a signed, bound print galley of His Lordship Possessed, Disenchanted & Co. Part 2, which will not be released until October. The Publishing Fairy has also added a special BookWish: $50.00 for the winner to spend on books at the online bookseller of their choice (we'll throw in whatever shipping is involved.)

If you'd like a chance to win my Splendor tote along with all the prizes I'll be heaping into it this week, all you have to do is help me spread the word about the release of Her Ladyship Curse. There is no one mandatory thing you have to do; I want you to feel free to be as creative as you like. You can put out the word online and link to this post on your web site, blog, Twitter account, Facebook or Tumblr page; or by posting about it on your favorite book discussion site. If you read the book this week and would like to write up a review of Her Ladyship's Curse, that will also qualify (and if you don't have a web site or blog, you can post it on B&N.com, Amazon.com or your favorite bookseller site, or any book review or discussion site.) If you're looking for additional content to post, over on the Toriana blog you can find excerpts, the official series trailer and my free e-book, My Lord Mayhem.

Tell me whatever you do to help spread the word about my 50th novel in comments to this post by midnight EST on Sunday, August 18th, 2013. On Monday, 8/19, my editor Adam Wilson (who very kindly agreed to man the magic hat this time around) will select one name at random from all the entries as the giveaway winner. My 50th novel giveaway is open to everyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.