Kristin Cashore's Blog, page 85

Appearances, Business-y Things, and a Spinning Lady

A new link to the left: My appearance schedule.  I'll update as I get more info.

A reminder that there's going to be a conference in Vail, Colorado in October called Sirens, all about women in fantasy -- Tamora Pierce, Sherwood Smith, and I are the guests of honor.  The website is here and the LiveJournal is here.  It's going to be FUN, not to mention gorgeous scenery!
Also, go here to learn more about the Simmons College Summer Institute 2009 in Boston in July, called Crimes and Misdemeanors.  So

"It's such a perfect day... I'm glad I spent it with you"

(Or so sings Lou Reed in one of the best songs ever... except that it sounds so sad when he sings it.  I don't mean it so sadly!)
Last week was a tough one.  You know those times when you're contemplating everything you've done in the past year, and then suddenly you realize you did all that stuff in the past month?

Anyway, Wednesday night, I went to bed completely rattled, burned out, and beat.  Thursday morning, I woke to a phone call from a lady at my credit card company, who was calling to ver

FAQS, Finally!

My FAQ pages are up.  Click on the "Frequently Asked Questions" link on the left, which will bring you to my FAQ Index... or, if you're not actually on my blog at the moment, just go here.
If you've been reading my blog for a while, there won't be anything new, but the questions are more organized now.  And if you're new to my blog and have sent me questions, you'll find a lot of answers there.
In honor of the occasion, I'll answer one new question:
On your "My Books" page, you say that Katsa, Po,

4 FTW

Spanish cover --->  click to enlarge --->

Hi everyone!  What's going on with you these days?  Ready to hear my 4 for the win?
1. TWO OF THE WORLD'S BEST PUBLISNOODSSo, if you've been reading my blog for a while, you may recall my snood-ish battle cries, such as, OUT, DAMN SNOOD!  and SNOOD, BE DAMNED!, invented by my Ladies of the Snood.  Well, those ladies, Barbara Fisch and Sarah Shealy, former Associate Directors of Publicity at Harcourt Children's Books, have launched their own company, Blue S

News (Mine), Failure (Mine), and Cupcakes (Everyone's. The Joy of Cupcakes Is Universal)

A box of French Gracelings appeared on my doorstep on Friday, so either it's out now in France or it will be soon.  yAt!

Also, I'm thrilled to announce that I have a deal with Ediposs Publishing House to publish Graceling in both Czech and Slovak.  Double yAt!
Next, I'd just like to say that I'm way behind in EVERYTHING, especially everything email- and blog-related.  I had hopes of finalizing my FAQ pages this weekend and putting them up for you all, but I failed on that count.  I hope to put the

This Post Is About People

Hellooooooooooo beautiful people!
I'm home.
I'm still processing the last two weeks, so this post might be scattered.
I'll start in Bologna, where I had dinner in a restored medieval tower with my editors / publishers from Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Finland, and Spain (both Castillan and Catalan), not to mention my wonderful agents and scouts from all over Europe.  The dinner took place on the middle floors of the tower, but beforehand, we climbed up the steep (and I think it would be

On My Way (plus, a cover!)

I have officially lost my mind.
But that's okay, because very soon I'll be in an airplane, communing with the gods.  (Who are in the sky, you know.  Airplanes bring you closer to the gods.  And the gods give you back your mind if you've lost it [and if you happen to fly by:].)
Like I said, mind lost, TRUST ME, it's lost; this has been the WEEK OF CRAZY; but: I am on my way.  I leave for Bologna today.  I'm certain that whatever item it's most important I NOT forget is the item I have forgotten.
I wi

A Few Books (And a Few Questions)

I don't know where to start with Melissa Marr's Ink Exchange, and I don't know how to express how much I loved it without giving away spoilers, so I'm not going to say much.  I know there are a lot of mixed reactions to the book out there, and I understand that.  But my experience of reading it was very emotional, and my take is that it's an important, delicate, beautiful book about survival -- about choosing to live after trauma, even though that means choosing to feel the pain you'd rather num

Moses Supposes His Toeses Are Roses (But Moses Supposes Erroneously)

So, my sister (secret code name: Cordelia) and I have a lot of deep and meaningful discussions.  Often, we find ourselves on the same side of the argument.  For example, we've decided that given the choice of living with a whiner, a wino, or a rhino, we would both choose the rhino.  And, the other night, while driving out of the parking lot of the dinner theater, we debated whether it would be worse for us to accidentally run over a patron or a matron.  We agreed that while both would be dreadfu

What must be?: A poll on the topic of our old friend, Ludwig Van

So, I must confess that there are string quartets out there that bore me to tears.  However, as I type this, I'm listening to Beethoven's string quartet No. 16 in F, Opus 135, and it does not bore me to tears.  It's too much fun.
And now, stand back, because I'm going to tell you why.  :o)
At the top of the score of the last movement of this quartet, Beethoven wrote the words "The Difficult Decision" (except he wrote them in German).  Then, he wrote the words, "Muß es sein?"  ("Must it be?").  The