Mario Acevedo's Blog, page 34

Not as Lucky as Mario...

But there was lots of news floating around this week. I'm not even going to touch the Barnes and Noble debacle. You're all probably sick of it by now. B & N is supposed to be going into a new local shopping mall at Southglenn but I think that project is on hold.

Writer's Digest is hosting their popular short story competition. There are five categories:

• Romance
• Mystery/Crime Fiction
• Science Fiction/Fantasy
• Thriller/Suspense
• Horror

The Grand Prize-Winner will receive a trip to the Writer's...

Who got lucky? I got lucky.

Mario here:
Lots of book news to cover.

But first, can a Sunday morning get any better than zombies at the coffee shop?  These undead beauties from the Denver Roller Dolls were on their way to a publicity shoot and obliged me a photo before they tried to eat my brains.







We'll start with Ernest Hogan, the most unknown Chicano author.  Hogan was "discovered" by acclaimed science-fiction author Ben Bova and started out with his cultural mosaic futuristic novel that mis-mashed border Spanish with...

Reflections

Writing is a crazy business. It's fraught with anxiety and self-doubt and stomach-turning worry about how your new book will be accepted. Sales-figures turn your hair gray. Reviews (or lack of them) turn you into a raving lunatic. Your family and friends learn to tiptoe around you in the weeks before a release.

Then you have an evening like last night.

Good friend Pat Andreatta hooked me up with aspiring writer Rhonda Skallan. The three of us met for drinks and conversation at YaYa's-- a great ...

Words for the dog days of summer

Mario here:

You'd think that with all the free time we writers have--breakfast in bed, three martini lunches, afternoons at the spa, working on our tans, evening cocktails, the occasional public brawl--we'd have plenty of time to read.  Especially during the summer.  But no.  We have to carve our spare minutes out of the clock.  Each of us has a TBR stack tall enough to kill if it toppled over at the wrong moment.  
This last month I played a little hooky from my deadlines to attack that pile...

Countdown to Publication

As it gets closer to the publication date of Chosen, I'll be posting more links to interviews and contests with the aim of promoting the new release. It's not my favorite thing to do, but necessary if I hope to sell books. And believe me, in this business, that's what it's all about. But this week, it's really something fun. Bitten By Books has a poll up where you get to choose your two favorite UF covers of 2010. Chosen was nominated! So take a minute, go here and vote--hopefully one of ...

An RT Top Pick, proof that our vampires don't suck

Mario here:
First, the big news.  Our own Jeanne's next Anna Strong book, Chosen, is an RT Top Pick for September!  Buy many copies or Anna will poke you with her big sharp stick.





And Biting-Edge ex-pat Marta Acosta's book, Happy Hour at Casa Dracula, is the August pick by The Dirty Sexy Book Club.










For a sneak peak at smokin' science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, horror, and paranormal fiction from Eos HarperCollins, check out their 2010 Eos Reader for exciting excerpts from such hot authors ...

If it's Thursday, it must be Jeanne...

Before we get to the blog part of the blog, a few paid political announcements. New books just released by pals Kelly Meding:



Stacia Kane:




and Molly Harper (something chick-litish from her):



All worthy of your consideration and $ so check them out.

Also, good news for fans of Jeff Shelby's Noah Braddock series. From Publishers Marketplace:

Jeff Shelby's LIQUID SMOKE, the third in the LA Times and Denver Post bestselling Noah Braddock series, (sold) to Benjamin LeRoy and Alison Janssen at Tyrus Boo...

OMFG! Comic-Con

Mario here:

This last weekend, Jeanne and I deployed to the mother of all fantasy cons: Comic-Con in San Diego.  Ginormous.  And overwhelming.

I kept hearing that attendance was upward of 150 thousand, which sounds right.  This picture is about one twentieth of the exhibition floor, plus there was more on the mezzanine, the second floor, and outside.

It was geek eye-candy HQ for all costume persuasions.

We had super heros, space villains, cartoon confections, but really, what's a fantasy con...

Charlaine at ComicCon

Since many of you are fans (like me) of Charlaine Harris thought you might like this :

Welcome to io9

Will True Blood's Sookie ever become a vampire? Charlaine Harris has the answer.

ComicCon here we come!

Really short today...first full day of ComicCon. Yesterday went to pick up my badge and who should I run into but three leaguers: Jackie Kessler, Caitlin Kittredge and Diana Rowland. Loitering on the steps of the convention center watching the world go by. I wish I'd had my camera.

Anyway, off to the con today. Will bring my camera and see what comes up (or passes by).

PS Been here three days already and no sun!! Course coming from Denver, I love it!!
Here's the view from my friend's condo and t...