Cherie Priest's Blog: It's awards season, so here comes the shameless self-promotion, page 18
October 30, 2014
What ever happened to Fay Wray?
Just a quickie this afternoon - for I'm getting ready to (a). meet a friend for brief shenanigans, and (b). then come home and tart myself up for the
Rocky Horror Picture Show event tonight.
But I did want to post a reminder that this is your last day to enter Kevin Hearne's awesome giveaway (re: signed copy of Maplecroft and any book of his, your choice) ... so you'd better get on that. Add me on Twitter before midnight, or before I get home from this thing tonight - whichever comes first.
I've heard a few complaints from folks who don't do Twitter, and I HAVE BEEN LISTENING. So after Halloween, I'll see about giving away one of my own copies - to folks who comment here, or something. I'll work out the details over the weekend, eh?
ANYHOW.
Here's recent progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 1595
Present total word count: 45,718
Things accomplished in fiction: Everybody's got a ghost problem - even the dude who has been steadfastly insisting he hasn't got a ghost problem. Liarpants, he is.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunt with dog; minor housework; costume prep for tonight; some prep for tomorrow; lunch with husband; a few important emails with nice people.
Other: It was great when it all began...
Number of fiction words so far this year: 197,099
Kittygram.
But I did want to post a reminder that this is your last day to enter Kevin Hearne's awesome giveaway (re: signed copy of Maplecroft and any book of his, your choice) ... so you'd better get on that. Add me on Twitter before midnight, or before I get home from this thing tonight - whichever comes first.
I've heard a few complaints from folks who don't do Twitter, and I HAVE BEEN LISTENING. So after Halloween, I'll see about giving away one of my own copies - to folks who comment here, or something. I'll work out the details over the weekend, eh?
ANYHOW.
Here's recent progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 1595
Present total word count: 45,718
Things accomplished in fiction: Everybody's got a ghost problem - even the dude who has been steadfastly insisting he hasn't got a ghost problem. Liarpants, he is.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunt with dog; minor housework; costume prep for tonight; some prep for tomorrow; lunch with husband; a few important emails with nice people.
Other: It was great when it all began...
Number of fiction words so far this year: 197,099
Kittygram.
October 29, 2014
Hot patootie, bless my soul!
As you may recall, the marvelous Kevin Hearne was my houseguest for a few days, quite recently; and have I mentioned lately that I adore him? Well, for the record, there it is. Again, probably. Because he is highly adorable.
At any rate, this exceptional gentleman may have hypothetically absconded from my home bearing a signed copy of Maplecroft ... which he is now prepared to give away - along with a signed copy of any one of his books that you like .
Basically, all you have to do is follow me on Twitter before the stroke of midnight on October 30th - because we're spooky like that. A winner will be randomly selected from these new followers, and announced on Halloween.
Again, for the spook-factor.
So click that-there link in the paragraph above for details, or just add me on Twitter for a chance to win . Everybody likes winning things, right? I know I do.
* * *
In other news, tomorrow night there's a red-hot Rocky Horror Picture Show event here in Chattanooga. What's got two thumbs, a French maid costume, and tickets to rock out with her frock out? THIS GIRL.
The show starts at 9:00 p.m. at Rhythm 'N Brews.
Order tickets on line, or get 'em at the door!
* * *
Halloween is almost upon us, and I, for one, am ready as hell! Got my purple porch lights, my giant spiderweb, my fog machine, my Lady Frankenstein garb, and about 30 pounds of candy plus non-food treats for the kids with allergies .
Yes, I said thirty pounds of goodies.
Last year we went through twenty pounds in ninety minutes - and I'd prefer not to send any of the grown-ups on another Hail Mary run to Walgreen's while the kids swarm the house like so many sugar-fiending zombies.
My neighborhood does not half-ass Halloween, and the whole city knows it. Parents bring their kids to our district to check out the lights and decorations, and churches/youth groups send their kids here by the bus-load - because every house REALLY gets into the swing of it. No Halloween Scrooges to be found! It's absolutely one of my favorite things about living here.
Next year, we might have to get off our duffs and throw an official Halloween party. As it is, our front porch is becoming the holiday lint-trap for all our adult friends with no kids but a desire to watch approximately one zillion trick-or-treaters come around; and that makes me happy - except that I have no actual party stuff going on. I suppose we'll scare up some creepy music, and today I stocked up on booze.
That's a start, right?
Also, I whipped up some hot butter rum mix - to warm our hands and mellow our moods as we sit on the swing and wait for the tiny ghouls and ghosts to arrive. So this year might not be an Official Halloween Event, but it's shaping up to be 6-10 friends, some rum, and a perfectly lovely time all the same.
* * *
I was just about to hit "publish" on this post, when my husband called out, "Guess who's back!" Lo and behold, our old friend Rufus has returned - so you get a canine conclusion to this rambly blog entry. Rufus is a little stinker.
We know who his people are, and will return him shortly. But first? A little play-time with Greyson and some tummy rubs. I mean, since he's come all this way...
At any rate, this exceptional gentleman may have hypothetically absconded from my home bearing a signed copy of Maplecroft ... which he is now prepared to give away - along with a signed copy of any one of his books that you like .
Basically, all you have to do is follow me on Twitter before the stroke of midnight on October 30th - because we're spooky like that. A winner will be randomly selected from these new followers, and announced on Halloween.
Again, for the spook-factor.
So click that-there link in the paragraph above for details, or just add me on Twitter for a chance to win . Everybody likes winning things, right? I know I do.
* * *
In other news, tomorrow night there's a red-hot Rocky Horror Picture Show event here in Chattanooga. What's got two thumbs, a French maid costume, and tickets to rock out with her frock out? THIS GIRL.
The show starts at 9:00 p.m. at Rhythm 'N Brews.
Order tickets on line, or get 'em at the door!
* * *
Halloween is almost upon us, and I, for one, am ready as hell! Got my purple porch lights, my giant spiderweb, my fog machine, my Lady Frankenstein garb, and about 30 pounds of candy plus non-food treats for the kids with allergies .
Yes, I said thirty pounds of goodies.
Last year we went through twenty pounds in ninety minutes - and I'd prefer not to send any of the grown-ups on another Hail Mary run to Walgreen's while the kids swarm the house like so many sugar-fiending zombies.
My neighborhood does not half-ass Halloween, and the whole city knows it. Parents bring their kids to our district to check out the lights and decorations, and churches/youth groups send their kids here by the bus-load - because every house REALLY gets into the swing of it. No Halloween Scrooges to be found! It's absolutely one of my favorite things about living here.
Next year, we might have to get off our duffs and throw an official Halloween party. As it is, our front porch is becoming the holiday lint-trap for all our adult friends with no kids but a desire to watch approximately one zillion trick-or-treaters come around; and that makes me happy - except that I have no actual party stuff going on. I suppose we'll scare up some creepy music, and today I stocked up on booze.
That's a start, right?
Also, I whipped up some hot butter rum mix - to warm our hands and mellow our moods as we sit on the swing and wait for the tiny ghouls and ghosts to arrive. So this year might not be an Official Halloween Event, but it's shaping up to be 6-10 friends, some rum, and a perfectly lovely time all the same.
* * *
I was just about to hit "publish" on this post, when my husband called out, "Guess who's back!" Lo and behold, our old friend Rufus has returned - so you get a canine conclusion to this rambly blog entry. Rufus is a little stinker.
We know who his people are, and will return him shortly. But first? A little play-time with Greyson and some tummy rubs. I mean, since he's come all this way...
October 28, 2014
Stand down or show down, baby let's get this done
Okay! So I've been swamped with house guests/travel/signing/etc. for the last week or two, and things have piled up while my attention was elsewhere. For one thing, I'm way behind on my word metrics; for another, I've been skimping on the Maplecroft news.
People are talking! Here are some highlights!
Maplecroft at Literary Escapism - "The debut novel of Priest’s new Borden Dispatches series is a departure from the post apocalyptic steampunk realm we have come to know her for. Taking off with the infamous Lizzie Borden, Priest creates an amazingly well-written story which takes heavy influence from Lovecraft. Priest captures an eerie reality which Lovecraft fans will adore."
Maplecroft At Bookish Dark - "This was an all-around excellent RIP read!"
Maplecroft at Dab of Darkness - "What I Liked: Everything!; the personal nature of the narration through letters and journals; the main characters know a little and have a vast mystery to sort out; the side romance with a homosexual character; the bioscience built into the story; the excellent use of suspense."
Maplecroft at StellarFour.com - "The whole setting felt claustrophobic as everything came pressing down. Tense, at times heartbreaking, I really fell in love with the mythology here, the historical twist."
Maplecroft at Geek Nerdery - "The cosmic horror is done well and set up nicely, the tension of the various relationships throughout play off nicely, and it definitely was something I was compelled to read in one sitting as the suspense built up. And come on, it's about Lizzie Borden hunting and killing fish people."
Maplecroft at The Paper Rose - [This review is one of my personal aw-shucks favorites, fwiw.] "Cherie Priest clearly understands what it is that made Lovecraft's initial short stories, despite their execrable writing and subsequent bastardizations, catch hold of people's imaginations in the first place: the unshakable belief in the accuracy and reliability of our perceptions despite clear evidence to the contrary; the absolute terror at the thought of that sanctity being violated by outside influences we literally cannot conceive of; the universal fear that those forces might not be external at all, but exist in the form of our own unconscious, only metaphorically represented by the depths of the ocean."
Maplecroft at the Ferrett's place - "The fascinating thing about this book is that it is simultaneously predictable and compelling, which is one of the hardest tricks to pull off..."
If any of these very kind readers/reviewers have piqued your interest, well then, allow me to make it that much easier for you to pick up a copy for yourself:
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
Maplecroft at Goodreads
And in OTHER book news, Publishers Weekly has weighed in on Jacaranda! And I, for one, am relieved/delighted/squeeful. Here's what they had to say:
This gripping postscript to Priest’s Clockwork Century series (which officially concluded with Fiddlehead) takes readers to the titular Galveston, Tex., haunted hotel, in an alternate 1895 seasoned with ghosts and gears. Father Rios is a former gunslinger cursed with second sight and a dark past. When Sister Eileen contacts him about the dozens who have died in the hotel, he visits ahead of an impending hurricane and soon witnesses the horrors firsthand. The hotel’s guests all have dark secrets, and the violence with which the hotel disposes of them is all the more horrifying as it takes place off-page, leaving only the aftermath for the characters to discover. Priest is hardly covering new ground, but the American steampunk setting gives the classic evil haunted house a nice new coat of paint. Rios is a great protagonist, full of conflicts and doubts, and he drives the tale well. While the story stands on its own, it also provides some melancholy closure for fans of Priest’s earlier books.
Click the awesome cover below to visit Subterranean Press for the pre-order info. Because it's more fun to click covers, than to click mere links. In my ridiculous opinion, anyway...
Here's recent progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 1717
Present total word count: 44,123
Things accomplished in fiction: Found some awesome silver casket hardware; argued with cousin; took a break for lunch.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunt with dog; house work; laundry; Walgreens.
Other: I'm starting to think I'm just not quite ready to scare up that third pitch for yet another project ... maybe I should run with the two I've got, and start sample content for one of those instead. I mean, like I'd already planned. But um...failed to get underway.
Number of fiction words so far this year: 195,504
Greysongram.
People are talking! Here are some highlights!
Maplecroft at Literary Escapism - "The debut novel of Priest’s new Borden Dispatches series is a departure from the post apocalyptic steampunk realm we have come to know her for. Taking off with the infamous Lizzie Borden, Priest creates an amazingly well-written story which takes heavy influence from Lovecraft. Priest captures an eerie reality which Lovecraft fans will adore."
Maplecroft At Bookish Dark - "This was an all-around excellent RIP read!"
Maplecroft at Dab of Darkness - "What I Liked: Everything!; the personal nature of the narration through letters and journals; the main characters know a little and have a vast mystery to sort out; the side romance with a homosexual character; the bioscience built into the story; the excellent use of suspense."
Maplecroft at StellarFour.com - "The whole setting felt claustrophobic as everything came pressing down. Tense, at times heartbreaking, I really fell in love with the mythology here, the historical twist."
Maplecroft at Geek Nerdery - "The cosmic horror is done well and set up nicely, the tension of the various relationships throughout play off nicely, and it definitely was something I was compelled to read in one sitting as the suspense built up. And come on, it's about Lizzie Borden hunting and killing fish people."
Maplecroft at The Paper Rose - [This review is one of my personal aw-shucks favorites, fwiw.] "Cherie Priest clearly understands what it is that made Lovecraft's initial short stories, despite their execrable writing and subsequent bastardizations, catch hold of people's imaginations in the first place: the unshakable belief in the accuracy and reliability of our perceptions despite clear evidence to the contrary; the absolute terror at the thought of that sanctity being violated by outside influences we literally cannot conceive of; the universal fear that those forces might not be external at all, but exist in the form of our own unconscious, only metaphorically represented by the depths of the ocean."
Maplecroft at the Ferrett's place - "The fascinating thing about this book is that it is simultaneously predictable and compelling, which is one of the hardest tricks to pull off..."
If any of these very kind readers/reviewers have piqued your interest, well then, allow me to make it that much easier for you to pick up a copy for yourself:
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
Maplecroft at Goodreads
And in OTHER book news, Publishers Weekly has weighed in on Jacaranda! And I, for one, am relieved/delighted/squeeful. Here's what they had to say:
This gripping postscript to Priest’s Clockwork Century series (which officially concluded with Fiddlehead) takes readers to the titular Galveston, Tex., haunted hotel, in an alternate 1895 seasoned with ghosts and gears. Father Rios is a former gunslinger cursed with second sight and a dark past. When Sister Eileen contacts him about the dozens who have died in the hotel, he visits ahead of an impending hurricane and soon witnesses the horrors firsthand. The hotel’s guests all have dark secrets, and the violence with which the hotel disposes of them is all the more horrifying as it takes place off-page, leaving only the aftermath for the characters to discover. Priest is hardly covering new ground, but the American steampunk setting gives the classic evil haunted house a nice new coat of paint. Rios is a great protagonist, full of conflicts and doubts, and he drives the tale well. While the story stands on its own, it also provides some melancholy closure for fans of Priest’s earlier books.
Click the awesome cover below to visit Subterranean Press for the pre-order info. Because it's more fun to click covers, than to click mere links. In my ridiculous opinion, anyway...
Here's recent progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 1717
Present total word count: 44,123
Things accomplished in fiction: Found some awesome silver casket hardware; argued with cousin; took a break for lunch.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunt with dog; house work; laundry; Walgreens.
Other: I'm starting to think I'm just not quite ready to scare up that third pitch for yet another project ... maybe I should run with the two I've got, and start sample content for one of those instead. I mean, like I'd already planned. But um...failed to get underway.
Number of fiction words so far this year: 195,504
Greysongram.
October 27, 2014
Fox Tales, Whiskey, Books, Friends, Dogs
So I was about 2/3 of the way through a post about this past weekend, and Wordpress freaking ATE IT and I'm not exactly thrilled about that. So you'll have to pardon me if this runs a little less chatty than the original version. I'll try to make it up to you with pictures. Everyone likes pictures, right?
RIGHT.
So. The event at the Fox Tale Book Shoppe was a delight! It was magnificent to see Delilah and Kevin again, of course; and I was happy to meet Molly Harper - who actually hails from Kentucky, so we had plenty of gabbing to do. Maybe one day we'll collide at an event in the Bluegrass State, eh?
Anyway - pictures! Bear in mind that we are SERIOUS PROFESSIONALS, GODDAMMIT. See?
Serious. Professionals.
Serious....professionals.
You heard me.
AT ANY RATE. If you'd like to see a few more shots, all EQUALLY PROFESSIONAL AND SANE, then you can click over to the book shoppe's FB page and gawk at the monkeys in the zoo. By which I mean ... us.
After the event, we got tacos with Delilah and her family - then Kevin came back to Chattanooga with me and my husband. Tourist-times ensued! We ate at many awesome places (bbq, burgers, pizza, etc.), kicked around a few historic sites, jaunted through a foggy cemetery, and swung by The Book Rack for Kevin to sign some books.
Also, there were dogs. Check out Kevin's Twitter feed for the full scoop (I was usually driving, so he took all the pics) ... or scroll down for a few highlights.
And that about sums it up :)
But now Kevin's headed back to Colorado, I'm doing laundry, and normal life has resumed. I'm grateful and happy that the last few days occurred, for I was truly getting into a rut - and now, having had a couple of days to chat with writer friends and get out of the office, I'm ready to get back to work.
More or less.
So in closing, lots of love to everyone who joined us at the Fox Tale, and to Delilah and Molly, and to Kevin (who is a most excellent guest). But the dryer just buzzed at me, and the dog needs a walk, and I'll need to make myself some supper soon (or maybe just a drink). Have an excellent evening, y'all - and I'll be back with word metrics tomorrow.
I bet.
RIGHT.
So. The event at the Fox Tale Book Shoppe was a delight! It was magnificent to see Delilah and Kevin again, of course; and I was happy to meet Molly Harper - who actually hails from Kentucky, so we had plenty of gabbing to do. Maybe one day we'll collide at an event in the Bluegrass State, eh?
Anyway - pictures! Bear in mind that we are SERIOUS PROFESSIONALS, GODDAMMIT. See?
Serious. Professionals.
Serious....professionals.
You heard me.
AT ANY RATE. If you'd like to see a few more shots, all EQUALLY PROFESSIONAL AND SANE, then you can click over to the book shoppe's FB page and gawk at the monkeys in the zoo. By which I mean ... us.
After the event, we got tacos with Delilah and her family - then Kevin came back to Chattanooga with me and my husband. Tourist-times ensued! We ate at many awesome places (bbq, burgers, pizza, etc.), kicked around a few historic sites, jaunted through a foggy cemetery, and swung by The Book Rack for Kevin to sign some books.
Also, there were dogs. Check out Kevin's Twitter feed for the full scoop (I was usually driving, so he took all the pics) ... or scroll down for a few highlights.
And that about sums it up :)
But now Kevin's headed back to Colorado, I'm doing laundry, and normal life has resumed. I'm grateful and happy that the last few days occurred, for I was truly getting into a rut - and now, having had a couple of days to chat with writer friends and get out of the office, I'm ready to get back to work.
More or less.
So in closing, lots of love to everyone who joined us at the Fox Tale, and to Delilah and Molly, and to Kevin (who is a most excellent guest). But the dryer just buzzed at me, and the dog needs a walk, and I'll need to make myself some supper soon (or maybe just a drink). Have an excellent evening, y'all - and I'll be back with word metrics tomorrow.
I bet.
October 24, 2014
At the Fox Tale Tomorrow
No new word metrics today, just housework and a Target run. I'm now equipped with 20+ pounds of Halloween candy and a bunch of non-food (toy-type) treats for kids with allergies; and if the last couple of years can be any gauge, this ought to keep us going for maybe 3 hours. So...we might be forced to send out a search party for more, but if that happens, c'est la vie.
After all, Halloween comes but once a year!
UNRELATED, but also happening only once this year - tomorrow you can catch me with Delilah Dawson, Kevin Hearne, and Molly Harper at the Fox Tale Book Shoppe in Woodstock, Georgia. One o'clock.
Shenanigans will ensue, you can COUNT ON IT.
Also, you have until tomorrow around lunchtime to call this fine store and order signed, personalized books from any of us. Just call 770-516-9989 and make your wishes known!
After all, Halloween comes but once a year!
UNRELATED, but also happening only once this year - tomorrow you can catch me with Delilah Dawson, Kevin Hearne, and Molly Harper at the Fox Tale Book Shoppe in Woodstock, Georgia. One o'clock.
Shenanigans will ensue, you can COUNT ON IT.
Also, you have until tomorrow around lunchtime to call this fine store and order signed, personalized books from any of us. Just call 770-516-9989 and make your wishes known!
October 23, 2014
You got to pick up every stitch
Here's recent progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 4357 (2-day total)
Present total word count: 42,406
Things accomplished in fiction: Had a nice(?) chat with a nice(?) old lady, who obliquely explains what the hell might be going on; started breaking down the barn, and found an old hearse for goth reasons.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunts with dog; went to the grocery store; handed in guest blog post; laundered all our bedding because the time had simply come; sat down with my white board and markers and actually figured out what the hell I'm doing with other projects right now, because I've gotten pretty scattered when it comes to what comes next. So to speak.
Other: I got about one paragraph deep into sample content on that pitch I nailed down last week - before I got hijacked by another idea, and a grain of yet another one. So here's my new plan. First, I'm going to create two more pitches - for a total of three. Then I'll give all three to my agent and/or editors and/or whoever and see what sounds coolest to a third party. Finally, I'll begin work on sample content accordingly. Eventually, perhaps by the end of the year, I'd like to have three strong proposals and three strong correlating chunks of sample content.
Bonus! Other: Of course, I also have to finish writing The Family Plot by New Year's(ish), so we'll see how this goes. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...or I'd damn well better, anyway. I only have one more book to write (under contract) after this one - so that old "anxiety re: being footloose and fancy free and also paycheck free" is starting to poke me with a stick.
Number of fiction words so far this year: 193,787
Canine footnote.
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 4357 (2-day total)
Present total word count: 42,406
Things accomplished in fiction: Had a nice(?) chat with a nice(?) old lady, who obliquely explains what the hell might be going on; started breaking down the barn, and found an old hearse for goth reasons.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunts with dog; went to the grocery store; handed in guest blog post; laundered all our bedding because the time had simply come; sat down with my white board and markers and actually figured out what the hell I'm doing with other projects right now, because I've gotten pretty scattered when it comes to what comes next. So to speak.
Other: I got about one paragraph deep into sample content on that pitch I nailed down last week - before I got hijacked by another idea, and a grain of yet another one. So here's my new plan. First, I'm going to create two more pitches - for a total of three. Then I'll give all three to my agent and/or editors and/or whoever and see what sounds coolest to a third party. Finally, I'll begin work on sample content accordingly. Eventually, perhaps by the end of the year, I'd like to have three strong proposals and three strong correlating chunks of sample content.
Bonus! Other: Of course, I also have to finish writing The Family Plot by New Year's(ish), so we'll see how this goes. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...or I'd damn well better, anyway. I only have one more book to write (under contract) after this one - so that old "anxiety re: being footloose and fancy free and also paycheck free" is starting to poke me with a stick.
Number of fiction words so far this year: 193,787
Canine footnote.
October 21, 2014
The fires found a home in me
Hey everyone who's been asking me about signed/personalized copies of books: This coming Saturday, you can catch me at the FoxTale Book Shoppe in Woodstock, Georgia (near Atlanta) - along with some other fine folks. And the FoxTale is taking orders! Just call 770-516-9989 to have a little word with them, and make your requests.
Did I mention that they ship?
WELL THEY DO.
So even if you can't attend the event in person, you can still get signed books from me, Delilah Dawson, Kevin Hearne, and Molly Harper.
Here's today's progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 2264
Present total word count: 38,049
Things accomplished in fiction: Started work on the second floor of the carriage house; got a visit from a nice old lady who smells like smoke and roses; realized that a door was open and there are handprints on the stair rail.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunt with dog; packed up a bunch of stuff my mom left, and let the husband run it to the post office while he did other errands; started a guest blog post that's due tomorrow and I really MUST finish it because I'm a loser who spaced on it the first time around.
Other: Still haven't managed to start any sample content for my fledgling proposal on another project. Well, I've had company over. And other work to do. And also, I suck. But I hope to get it started...um...soon. I'll be gone for an afternoon one of these next couple of days, and then there's the event in Georgia on Saturday, and then I'll have Kevin visiting for a couple of days, and then it's Halloween but SOON. I promise, soon.
Number of fiction words so far this year: 189,130
Did I mention that they ship?
WELL THEY DO.
So even if you can't attend the event in person, you can still get signed books from me, Delilah Dawson, Kevin Hearne, and Molly Harper.
Here's today's progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 2264
Present total word count: 38,049
Things accomplished in fiction: Started work on the second floor of the carriage house; got a visit from a nice old lady who smells like smoke and roses; realized that a door was open and there are handprints on the stair rail.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunt with dog; packed up a bunch of stuff my mom left, and let the husband run it to the post office while he did other errands; started a guest blog post that's due tomorrow and I really MUST finish it because I'm a loser who spaced on it the first time around.
Other: Still haven't managed to start any sample content for my fledgling proposal on another project. Well, I've had company over. And other work to do. And also, I suck. But I hope to get it started...um...soon. I'll be gone for an afternoon one of these next couple of days, and then there's the event in Georgia on Saturday, and then I'll have Kevin visiting for a couple of days, and then it's Halloween but SOON. I promise, soon.
Number of fiction words so far this year: 189,130
October 20, 2014
Like smoke I hung around
Any chance...? And I PROMISE I'll stop asking after Halloween. That's my cutoff. I swear.
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
Maplecroft at Goodreads Here's recent progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 2070
Present total word count: 35,785
Things accomplished in fiction: Had a nice cup of coffee and brought one back for a friend; learned that maybe everyone is seeing things; everybody has a ghost story; someone proposed a chain saw.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunts with dog; weekend+ visit with mom; much eating at various assorted restaurants because I don't cook; some shopping here, there, and everywhere; lots of laundry; transplanted a lovely gift into one of the outdoor planters, for it should probably be just fine over the winter; went to the grocery store.
Yardwork Other: Got basically all the last stuff DONE. I could stand to do some weeding, but that's about it. I finished edging/trimming all the things, did some pruning, and so forth...and now it's basically as ready for winter as it's going to get.
Number of fiction words so far this year: 186,866
Bonus: ZenCat is hella-zen.
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
Maplecroft at Goodreads Here's recent progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 2070
Present total word count: 35,785
Things accomplished in fiction: Had a nice cup of coffee and brought one back for a friend; learned that maybe everyone is seeing things; everybody has a ghost story; someone proposed a chain saw.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunts with dog; weekend+ visit with mom; much eating at various assorted restaurants because I don't cook; some shopping here, there, and everywhere; lots of laundry; transplanted a lovely gift into one of the outdoor planters, for it should probably be just fine over the winter; went to the grocery store.
Yardwork Other: Got basically all the last stuff DONE. I could stand to do some weeding, but that's about it. I finished edging/trimming all the things, did some pruning, and so forth...and now it's basically as ready for winter as it's going to get.
Number of fiction words so far this year: 186,866
Bonus: ZenCat is hella-zen.
October 15, 2014
I gazed a gazely stare at all the millions here
Here's recent progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 1941 (2-day total)
Present total word count: 33,715
Things accomplished in fiction: Found a cool old photo album; got breakfast; took a phone call; learned that spooky things have long been afoot at the old Withrow place.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunts with dog; ALL THE LAUNDRY; another trip to Walgreens; grocery store run; went to the bank; went to the liquor store; did oodles of yardwork.
Yardwork Other: FINALLY. After a crappy start, yesterday turned out to be quite nice. I got almost the entire back yard shut down for winter, thank God. Still have a little bit of work to do, but it's gonna have to wait. Accomplished: pruned the old rose tree back down to the basics (ouch); cleared out dead/dying container garden annuals; transplanted six (count 'em, SIX) new canna lilies to spots around the yard, where they'll have room to grow and sprawl next year (they started as one, in a container - but it sent out offshoots); hosed down all the things; swept out all the things; cut the weird privet out of the holly at the side yard; cleared massive vines out of same; pulled vines out of HedgeHenge but didn't get them all.
Maplecroft Random Other: I've been quite restrained about posting reviews and such, because I know it gets tedious; but this one from Colleen Mondor (over at Chasing Ray) really put a smile on my face - so here you go!
Number of fiction words so far this year: 184,796 * * *
Yes, I'm still trawling for reviews. Reviews are important! Seriously, they're digital word-of-mouth. So if any of you have finished Maplecroft and thought to yourself, "Self, I should totally go post a few stars for this bad-boy..." then let this be your handy-dandy reminder. Please?
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
Maplecroft at Goodreads
* * *
No, I didn't do all the yardwork alone. I had help. Dog help.
Sort of.
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 1941 (2-day total)
Present total word count: 33,715
Things accomplished in fiction: Found a cool old photo album; got breakfast; took a phone call; learned that spooky things have long been afoot at the old Withrow place.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunts with dog; ALL THE LAUNDRY; another trip to Walgreens; grocery store run; went to the bank; went to the liquor store; did oodles of yardwork.
Yardwork Other: FINALLY. After a crappy start, yesterday turned out to be quite nice. I got almost the entire back yard shut down for winter, thank God. Still have a little bit of work to do, but it's gonna have to wait. Accomplished: pruned the old rose tree back down to the basics (ouch); cleared out dead/dying container garden annuals; transplanted six (count 'em, SIX) new canna lilies to spots around the yard, where they'll have room to grow and sprawl next year (they started as one, in a container - but it sent out offshoots); hosed down all the things; swept out all the things; cut the weird privet out of the holly at the side yard; cleared massive vines out of same; pulled vines out of HedgeHenge but didn't get them all.
Maplecroft Random Other: I've been quite restrained about posting reviews and such, because I know it gets tedious; but this one from Colleen Mondor (over at Chasing Ray) really put a smile on my face - so here you go!
Number of fiction words so far this year: 184,796 * * *
Yes, I'm still trawling for reviews. Reviews are important! Seriously, they're digital word-of-mouth. So if any of you have finished Maplecroft and thought to yourself, "Self, I should totally go post a few stars for this bad-boy..." then let this be your handy-dandy reminder. Please?
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
Maplecroft at Goodreads
* * *
No, I didn't do all the yardwork alone. I had help. Dog help.
Sort of.
October 13, 2014
The night so black that the darkness hummed
GUESS WHAT YOU GUYS - I have wonderful news! We have a Final And Official cover for January's
Jacaranda
from Subterranean Press!
The artwork is by the marvelous Jon Foster , who likewise provided the cover art for Boneshaker, Dreadnought, Ganymede, and Clementine. (In case the style looks familiar.)
AND. If you CLICK THAT-THERE COVER IMAGE, you can do a few really cool things, if you're so inclined: (1). learn more about this sweet little swan song for the Clockwork Century, (2). pre-order it, and/or (3). read a lengthy excerpt from it.
That's right. FREE READING.
So by all mean, go check it out!
* * *
Here's recent progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 4106 (2-day total)
Present total word count: 31,774
Things accomplished in fiction: Got scared half to death; finished a bottle of bourbon; got up early and went out for coffee.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunts with dog; housework all over the place; trip to the bank; trip to Walgreens; grocery shopping; sent off some emails; made some phone calls.
Yardwork Other: Still zilch. It's been raining and/or storming pretty much every day - and tonight it's supposed to get really bad. Maybe the yard can just look like hell for the rest of the year. I'm starting to think that'd be okay.
Other Other: Sent off the cleaned-up pitch to my agent. I renamed it, as part of the refining process. We'll see what she says. Maybe I'll tell you more about it; maybe I won't. Haven't decided yet.
Utterly Random Other: My mom's coming to stay with us for a few days this weekend. I'm sure no one will kill anyone, and everything will be fine.
Number of fiction words so far this year: 182,855 * * *
Yes, I realize I've been a bad blogger, as of late. But here's a picture of the world's handsomest puppy ... and that makes up for everything, right? I'm pretty sure it does.
The artwork is by the marvelous Jon Foster , who likewise provided the cover art for Boneshaker, Dreadnought, Ganymede, and Clementine. (In case the style looks familiar.)
AND. If you CLICK THAT-THERE COVER IMAGE, you can do a few really cool things, if you're so inclined: (1). learn more about this sweet little swan song for the Clockwork Century, (2). pre-order it, and/or (3). read a lengthy excerpt from it.
That's right. FREE READING.
So by all mean, go check it out!
* * *
Here's recent progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 4106 (2-day total)
Present total word count: 31,774
Things accomplished in fiction: Got scared half to death; finished a bottle of bourbon; got up early and went out for coffee.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunts with dog; housework all over the place; trip to the bank; trip to Walgreens; grocery shopping; sent off some emails; made some phone calls.
Yardwork Other: Still zilch. It's been raining and/or storming pretty much every day - and tonight it's supposed to get really bad. Maybe the yard can just look like hell for the rest of the year. I'm starting to think that'd be okay.
Other Other: Sent off the cleaned-up pitch to my agent. I renamed it, as part of the refining process. We'll see what she says. Maybe I'll tell you more about it; maybe I won't. Haven't decided yet.
Utterly Random Other: My mom's coming to stay with us for a few days this weekend. I'm sure no one will kill anyone, and everything will be fine.
Number of fiction words so far this year: 182,855 * * *
Yes, I realize I've been a bad blogger, as of late. But here's a picture of the world's handsomest puppy ... and that makes up for everything, right? I'm pretty sure it does.
It's awards season, so here comes the shameless self-promotion
Hello everyone! It's awards season and this is my job, so please click through and take a peek if you are so inclined. Don't worry - it's short! I only published a couple of things this year, and I in
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