Greg Van Eekhout's Blog: Writing and Snacks - Greg van Eekhout's blog, page 11

Above World

I know people are sometimes suspicious when they see books blurbed by friends of the author. That's understandable. I was in the position with my first book of having to hunt blurbs from friends, and it made me feel squicky.

So, when I have the good fortune to read a great book in ARC form or in manuscript, and I am moved to think complimentary thoughts about said book, and I think a blurb from me might be even remotely, possibly, useful, I don't wait to be asked. I volunteer, preferably directly to the author's agent or editor. I don't even necessarily expect anyone to use my blurbs.

As it turns out, this year begins with three consecutive months in which friends have books coming out bearing my blurbs. Last month, it was Winterling by Sarah Prineas (see what I wrote here). Next month, it'll be Wide Open by Deb Coates.

This month (today, in fact), it's Above World by Jenn Reese.

I wrote Jenn's editor and said, in short, "Hey, I read Jenn's book and I loved it, would you like a blurb?" and Jenn's editor said, in sum, "Sure!" and I wrote a blurb and sent it to her and I was surprised and delighted when I saw it made the back cover. And here it is now in it's original, unedited form:

Jenn Reese's richly imagined future teems with biotech mer people and mighty centaurs, but her characters remain so very human, driven by friendship, love, and courage.  Above World delivers thunderously exciting action worthy of a summer blockbuster, but the battles and perils never get in the way of its universal story about growing up. I'd choose Jenn Reese's characters as my companions on any adventure.

I really do think it's a terrific book. I'm excited for Jenn, and I'm excited for all the readers, both kid and adult, who get to read it for the first time.

Little League

I only discovered Little League, like, seven minutes ago, but it's already my new favorite comic strip. I love the adorabliosity of it, and I love the character designs and tone. The aged newsprint look of the gutters is a particularly nice touch. If DC's smart, they'll pay Yale Stewart to produce more strips and present them in a way that gives him a bigger audience. At the very least, they should leave him alone and let him continue.

See the Little League archive.

 

Con-Dor

Just a quick note: Due to a family commitment that I have failed to weasel my way out of, I won't be able to attend Con-Dor this year as I'd planned. If you were hoping to see me there, I suggest you alter your goals and instead see someone else, such as one of the dozens of guests or hundreds of attendees who actually will be there.

With regrets,

Greg

The Boy at the End of the World makes the Locus Recommended Reading List

The Boy at the End of the World made the Locus 2011 Recommended Reading List in the Young Adult Novel category. Very flattering to be on that list, and particularly nice to see so many friends in the various categories.

A year of Dozer

Exactly a year ago today, I picked Dozer up from the shelter, coaxed him into a crate in the back of the car, and the little sucker's been with us ever since.

Here are some facts about Dozer.

He's about a year and a half. He's some mixture of yorkie, maybe chihuahua, probably Jack Russell, and god knows what. He was in two shelters before he ended up at Helen Woodward Animal Center, which is where we adopted him from. Why wasn't he adopted from his other shelters? It remains a mystery. Of all the dogs at Helen Woodward that day, he was the one who came to the front of his kennel, calmly looked me in the eye, and then, when we test-drove him out in the yard, jumped up on a bench and calmly sat next to us. It was like he was saying, "Yeah, you should probably claim dibs on me." So we did.

The next day, right before the shelter worker handed me his leash, I asked if he ever barked. Because up to that point, he'd been absolutely quiet. And, practically before the question was out of my mouth, he started barking at a fake dog across the room. Then, as I walked him out, he barked at some goats. In the parking lot, he barked at some puppies. Teaching him not to lose his shit during on-leash encounters is an ongoing project, but he's getting better. He tries hard to be a good dog.

He likes to nap.





He particularly likes napping in a spot of sun.

He likes playing with other dogs.

He like a nice shrubbery.

He dislikes the vacuum cleaner and tries to keep his distance.

He enjoys beach walks.

He enjoys putting things in his mouth during beach walks.

He's also a really funny, friendly little dude, and he pretty much owns us. He's my buddy, and he's family.

Finishing move

I forgot to post this last month, but I'd had this post-it stuck to my desk lamp for a long time last year. When I turned the book in to my editor, I finally got to cross it out.

And, yes, I did hear it in this tone of voice.

 

Santa Fe road trip

There's nothing quite like a solitary road trip. Scenery, truck stops, miles and time … I've taken a few such journeys at critical junctions in my life, and while some of those hours on the road were lonely, they delivered me to places I was glad to arrive at. And I'm not necessarily talking about the Comfort Inn in Parowan, Utah. The expansive landscapes and travel free from the dictates of schedule and clock invariably change one's perspective and invite introspection. On a road trip, movement equals change.

The road trip I took with Lisa last week to New Mexico, on the other hand, was basically an excuse to eat red chili.

Just an hour outside San Diego, the scenery was already nice and not at all beach-y.

Our first stop was in Tempe, Arizona, where we were joined by a large gathering of friends and former colleagues at Four Peaks, my dearly missed stand-by brewpub and home of my beloved Eight Street Ale. Had a great 4.5-hour hangout with awesome food, outstanding beer, and fine company.

Next day, it was off to Albuquerque. The higher elevations had snow, which was nice of them, because snow in the desert is awful purty. Much purtier than this pic out the car window captures.

In Albuquerque, we ate food. Here're some burritos. This one was dinner, from Mary and Tito's. Carne adovada inside.

This one was breakfast, from Perea's. Eggs and hashed browns inside.

But as delicious as the food was, the best thing about the several hours in Albuquerque was visiting Alamosa Books. They specialize in children's and YA, but they also have a great stock of adult books in all their fiction sections, which are mixed by genre rather than age. So you'll find middle-grade, YA, and adult science fiction all in the same section, which strikes me as sensible and useful. I loved that place and want to go back.

From there, it was up to Santa Fe, where things were seen and food was eaten. Here are some of the things.

Stained glass reflected on a pew at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi:

R2-D2:

Smiles a lot and loves wine:

Beverage:

Snow:

And many other things, besides.

From Santa Fe, it was back to San Diego, with a brief return stop in Tempe. There are things I miss about living near Phoenix. One of them is Carlsbad Tavern, home of the phenomenal green chili carne adovada burrito, which is my favorite thing to eat, ever.

Also, it being a road trip, there were random things. Like the central message of this mural at the Sky City truck stop:

And there were profound things, like the Bass Pro Shop next to one of our hotels. I'd never been inside a Bass Pro Shop. It was the size of a zeppelin hangar and the ceiling was eight miles high and they stocked pink pellet guns for girls and there were live fish and taxidermy and a fudge shop.

And that was the road trip. It was great. I hope I get to do another one soon.

Reader art: Jelly Boys, Made with Real Sea Creatures

Check out this art sent by the mom of a second-grade reader who chose Kid vs. Squid for his first "real" book report project. The assignment was to design a breakfast cereal based on the book. I love his rendition of Tommy and Dickie, the jellyfish boys. "Made with real Sea Creatures." Is this not AWESOME?!?

To spy the sand kraken

I'm in a hotel in the desert with portholes. They don't open, which is probably a good thing.

Winterling

I'm really excited about this one. I'm a huge fan of my friend Sarah's Magic Thief books. Winterling is even better. These are my more or less official thoughts about Winterling, from the blurb I volunteered:

Sarah Prineas conjures a world of frost and snow and magic and peril. At the core of a story that doesn't skimp on thrilling chases and dangerous secrets, we have Fer, a compelling hero readers will care about and root for. Joining Fer is a fascinating cast of allies and enemies, from grouchy Rook to snarling wolf people. Winterling captures the best elements of classic fantasy tales and puts them in a fresh, electric new context. What a marvelous book!

Here are my less official but nonetheless heartfelt thoughts: Hooboy, do I love this kickass book!

I'm heading out on a trip early tomorrow morning, but I'm going to make a point of hitting a bookstore on the road, because I want this thing in my hands on opening day. I humbly suggest you consider doing the same. You won't regret it.