Lisa Mantchev's Blog, page 26

Legopocalypse

There is a moment after I type "The End" on a draft (or pause to look at it and smile, if I've been revising) that I look up and think "OMGWTFBBQ happened to my house?"

Apparently, there was a Legopocalypse, but I missed the memo. I'm pretty sure the daddy and the child build a full-size functional tank, killed the zombies with Legos to the head (a heretofore undiscovered method of destroying said scourge) then half-dismantled the tank and left bits of it strewn from the foyer to the media room.

S

Peering out the revisions cave

So I'm knee deep in revisions on various projects, but I took five minutes to scroll through my Google reader this morning, and came across a blog post on Editorial Anonymous about series potential.

Pause.

Read.

Ouch.

So I am going to take polite umbrage with certain sections of the post, with the usual disclaimers that internet makes it difficult to infer tone, and perhaps there was sarcasm therein that I missed, but here we go:

The reason editors don't want to hear about the author's thoughts on th

Continuing the cupcake theme

There will be a cupcake page up on the theater website soon... (RUN, sunilsebastian, RUN!)

But, in the meantime, the shiny by Vania:

Happy Birthday, Grim Grinning Ghosts!

Haters, move along. I know there are people out there that despise the movies, the merchandising, the theme parks...

But I'm homesick for Disneyland today something fierce. Via BoingBoing, it's the Haunted Mansion's 40th Birthday.



And OH, I wish I could be there.  Living in Irvine during college years, we had annual passes. I have happy memories of running through the park in the rain, jumping in puddles in the parking lot where California Adventure now resides. The SugarBean has been every year

Overdue for an outing

Having edited the uncontracted not-quite-steampunk book until I need mechanikal eyeballs, I've decided to take the day off to head into Seattle. Plans are to stop by the UBookstore and sign stock before searching out the plushiest* movie theater possible to see Harry Potter.

Child: The bookstore? Can I buy one of your books?
Me: (O_O) Sure.
Child: Will you sign it for me?
Me: (Aaaah, the adorable, it burns!) Absolutely.

Her cuteness practically mandates finding the best cupcake in the city, and buy

Closing one contest to open another

We are in the midst of processing the entries for the Fairies Vs. Demons "Star-Crossed Prophecy" contest, and I'm ready to announce your next way to win something shiny:

EYES LIKE STARS: The Worldwide Glitter Tour
Many of you have asked if Beatrice Shakespeare Smith & Co. would be packing their bags and taking this show on the road anytime soon... so I want you to show me your beautiful town (and convince me I should come visit you!)

Take your hardcover copy of ELS and your camera/videocamera, and

Can you see me now?

I've been using April's concept sketch on The Call Board for some time now, but I got the finished piece last night and wanted to share.  *G*

Lis, if she was part of the Cirque Du Soleil family of performers:




"Eyes Like Stars" (author portrait) by April McGuire
I only wish I could do my eye make-up that well.  Also, luminescent cupcake toppers for the win.

Have I mentioned artists make me giddy-happy? Also musicians. Because apparently my cream filling is groupie-flavored.

Icons and Banners and Wallpaper, oh my!

alaskanmermaid  has created an absolutely gorgeous set of internet-usable ELS-inspired artwork over this-a way.

I am nearly silent with glee. (If you know me, you know just how impressive the silence can be. *G*)

PNWA

I miiiiight have forgotten to mention that I'll be at PNWA (Pacific Northwest Writers Association) Annual Summer Conference this weekend (Saturday only) as an affliliate member of Team Seattle, with a schedule like this:

Tailoring Fantasy & SF to Young Adult Novels
(Richelle Mead, Lisa Mantchev, Cherie Priest, Caitlin Kittredge)
Date/Time: Saturday, August 1, 2009/8:30 – 10:00 a.m.
Location: Emerald Ballroom F
Note: Panel, all ages appropriate.

Steampunk 101
(Caitlin Kittredge, Cheri

Good Things Happen

In threes... ELS has been out for three weeks (yesterday!) and word is that we're now in a third printing.  I got this wonderful news in the best possible way, too... F&F graciously offered me a number of hardcover copies *cough*40*cough* to use over the next few months for contest purposes, then the lovely Allison Remcheck sent me a note that it might take them a bit to get those copies in, as they were waiting for the third printing to be done.

So massive cheers for epic forthcoming contests, c