Lisa Mantchev's Blog, page 10

Come and get me, Jareth

Gothic Masquerade Ball tomorrow night!



(Hair is more burgundy than picture, but yes, that's silver flair. *Real Housewife of Sparkletown*)

Metrics of triumph (and evil!)

One week into NaNo, and I've got 15,477 words down on virtual paper.

In the realm of Don't Eat That and Keep Moving, I have lost a total of 17 pounds.

Both are for happy making (although I really miss candy. And by candy, I mean shoving my head in the bowl.)

The New Regimen

Get up at five. Sneak out of bed so as not to wake the baby, who has migrated from the cosleeper and into my armpit because he's sick. Throw on clothes and furry boot-slippers. Take the dogs downstairs and let them out. Boot up the computer and make tea (Mango Ceylon, right now.) Let the dogs in and settle down with my open Word windows and Write or Die.

Do not check email.
Do not check Facebook.
Do not look at the bowl of Halloween candy.

Write 1500 words in an hour.

Spend the rest of the day futzing with said words and plotting out what I'll write tomorrow at the crack of dawn.

Also: cook, clean, chase the baby.

#

Day 3, and it's working. I have almost 5K of new material, and I get to spend today pulling bits from the previous draft and shoving them in, in slices and chunks of varying sizes.

It's also Day 31 of Don't Eat That and Keep Moving. I have lost 14 pounds. This is also for happy making. My goal is to be back in my slinky clothes by NorwesCon.

Super Happy Author Announcement

I am pleased as anything to announce that my literary interests and I are now represented by Laura Rennert at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

As the fairies bring in the cake (and pie, and ice cream, and Nutella-filled doughnuts) I would also like to say thank you to all the people I spoke with in emails regarding representation. The YA crowd in an awesome group of people I want to hug and make a giant, Guinness Book of World Records-size cheesecake.

Writing Life, with family

Welcome to my insanity.

I have unofficially entered in to NaNoWriMo, because I am determined to get a new draft of the steampunk book done by the end of the year. Keeping the characters, setting, and gadgets, I am gutting and rebooting it from scratch. That meant this morning, of my own volition, I got up at five. Stumbled downstairs, let out the dogs, made a cup of tea.

And managed 1400 words in just under an hour an a half. Which is the most New Words I've managed in one sitting in more than a year.

Thus energized, I woke up the family, made breakfast, started cooking food for us and the dog with allergies, washed dishes, made the bed, got the baby dressed...!

The plan is to round out the word count over the course of the day, inserting things that need to be researched or pulled from an old draft, polish a tiny bit, and plan for tomorrow morning. I figure if I can wake up with a mini outline of What Needs To Be Written staring me in the face, I will be able to blunder and bluster and bluff my way through this.

Keep me honest, will ya?

I am the shadow on the moon at night

Costumes! Candy! Tender lumplings! What's not to like???

Everything's ready... I just need to run four thousand loads of laundry and work on my outline before the festivities begin this afternoon.

Why, hello there

Box from VistaPrint. Mind if I slash you open with a knife? It IS almost Halloween, after all. Nope? Great! And I'm going to rummage in your guts as well! MWAHAHAHAH.

Why, look what I found! Magnets! They have arriveth! (Would that maketh them Magneths?)


You know what this means... THERE SHALL BE A CONTEST SOON!

Good Reviews Mean Pie For Everyone!

Just got a note from Lizzy at F&F that the series got a lovely write-up in the Oct/Nov issue of Justine Magazine:

"Open the door to your imagination and set all reality aside when you dive into this glittering and magical fantasy series…There’s something so optimistic and light about these books that it just makes us feel good."

And the Mythopoeic Society has one up for Perchance To Dream:

"Sparkling, witty, warm, literate, and offbeat, Perchance to Dream continues the mix of whimsy and wonder that made Eyes Like Stars a success (and a 2010 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award finalist). Bertie’s quest to balance autonomy and love may strike a chord with many adolescents—and not a few adults."

The fairies are baking... note in the comments what flavor you want, and with or without ice cream!!

Moar Wallpapers!

As promised, here are two more Bertie-costumed wallpapers to say thanks to my readers! Sketches by the awesome Jason Chan, manipulations by alaskanmermaid . Click through for full-sized pics:

First, Ninja Bertie:



and Harajuku Bertie:

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and Steampunk Bertie:

Check out the rack... cards

Boy, that was bad. I expect the internet police to mosey through and write me a ticket any second now!

ANYWAY... two hours fiddling on Vistaprint, and came up with this design. Rack cards are like super-tall postcards, meant for tourist centers. Yes, I went big! Needed to get all three covers on there.

Fingers crossed, they will be here in time for SteamCon. Yes, I will autograph them for you if you wander past me.