Cherie Priest's Blog: It's awards season, so here comes the shameless self-promotion, page 82

Questionland

Originally I was slated to begin chatting at Questionland on November 1st, but like the City Arts piece said: Full Steam Ahead, yo. Therefore, starting tomorrow October 30th I will officially be taking … well … questions. They can be about anything, really, but I'm hypothetically there to talk about books and stuff.

So! Just click this Questionland link, or go to my website and poke at the handy-dandy widget I've tossed onto the right sidebar. POKE IT GENTLY.

So far as I know – and I might be wrong – you can start posting questions any time; but you might not get any replies until tomorrow. This is partly because I'm going to a Halloween party tonight, for I deserve ONE EVENING OFF after writing a 115,000 word book in about three months, yes I freaking do.

[Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Wiktory Post

It is with great pleasure that I announce I've emailed off Draft One of Ganymede to my editor (who is at WFC right now, but hey – it's offa my plate, and that's the important bit). I have absolutely no idea how to feel about the manuscript, except that I wish I could've had another month or two to poke at it, but such is life – and I hope that Liz will read it and like it, and not wonder what toads I've been licking for the last three months.

I hope it isn't terrible. I'm a little afraid that it might be.

But then again, Draft Ones are always a little terrible, and I probably shouldn't worry about it too much, just yet. I still have too many other things to fret over – including, but not limited to, such diverse elements as a convention in Madison, Wisconsin; a trip to Richmond, Virginia; a convention here at Seatac; and a total of four additional readings/signings here, there, and everywhere before the end of November.

Never mind that rewrites on Hellbent are due at the end of November, and I'm still struggling to keep my head above water with my day-job. Yes, that's right. No rest for the wicked, etc. Too many projects are on the line for me to crash and burn just yet, so I'll keep on keepin' on. And now for a couple of notes, real quick:

My "Appearances" page has been updated – If you scroll down to November, you'll see that I've added two new reading/signings – both in Madison, Wisconsin. They've been arranged around my appearance at TeslaCon – and though I agreed to them some time ago, I only just today found out the details.

City Arts Magazine talks steampunk – This piece interviews a good number of local (Seattle-area) steampunks and enthusiasts, including yours truly and scads of others.

[Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Today on the Clockwork Century Channel

Very quickly! For there is still much work to be done over here before the day is finished:

Kitties everywhere love Dreadnought* – (* when they need a comfy place to sit.) These two in particular are Lulu and Chester, and they belong to my sister in Connecticut.

I love the SLOG – And I appreciate that they "got" the funny. Actually, I appreciate that the vast majority of you recognize a tongue-in-cheek when you see it. I'd expected a lot more real backlash to my faux indignant backlash than I received. (It's just so hard to judge/convey tone over the internet, you know?)

Boneshaker goes everywhere you go – Because sometimes having a scheduled c-section for a breech baby just ISN'T EXCITING ENOUGH and only zombies can help you through those dull stretches.

Dreadnought creates new converts to zombies and steampunk – Or at least, ThoughtsOnTheArts blog professes to have appreciated neither of these things – but liked Dreadnought well enough to say so. Hey, I'll take it!

[Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Can't Stop the Signal

Win a copy of Clementine from BookSwim – Bookaways giveaway ends in three days and change, so click through to enter while the clicking through is still good. (Choose "Clementine" from the sidebar at the right.)

"(Steam)Punk as Fuck" -via The Stranger – Courtesy of the perennially awesome Paul Constant, a piece re: yours truly, Dreadnought, and the Wonder Woman tee shirt I wear when I need to kick ass. I can't thank Paul enough – he is marvelous, and I am nerdily guilty as charged.

Bitten by Books reviews Boneshaker – Much to my personal glee! I love this site – great stuff, great reviewers, great books. Nice folks all around.

Seattle Geekly takes on Dreadnought – Speaking of reviewers who are nice folks all around, Matt and Shannon have been exceedingly kind to me over the last couple of years. Many thanks to them for taking the time to tackle my newest, and you should all totally go check out their site/podcast/reviews on general principle.

VampireBookClub.net is taking votes – In an attempt to decide what to read/review/discuss next, the VampireBookClub is taking a poll. As a matter of full disclosure, there are no vampires in Boneshaker. But why should that stop them? Vote away, I say. Vote away!

[Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

But seriously, folks …

I think it's time to update my Frequently Asked Questions vis-a-vis the Clockwork Century books. Why? Because Dreadnought has been out nearly a month, and the questions are beginning to accumulate – both in my email inbox, and in the search terms leading to my website. To wit:

Is Dreadnought suitable for young adults? I think so, yeah – but obviously this will vary from young person to young person. There's no sex in Dreadnought and the language is kept to a minimum*, but there's some violence and gruesomeness. Judge the constitution of your young person accordingly.

But wasn't Boneshaker a young adult book? Technically no, but that didn't stop it from getting a great deal of very awesome young adult crossover, for which I am immensely grateful. There is, however, a (specifically) young adult book called The Boneshaker (note article) which came out right around the same time. It's by a really neat woman named Kate Milford, it's 100% fantastic, and no, there are no hard feelings about the title overlap.

Is Dreadnought the sequel to Boneshaker? More or less. It happens after Boneshaker, and some of the same characters swing by. (You'll find out what happened to Briar and Ezekiel, if that's what you're wondering.) Of course, by this rationale Clementine is a sequel too, because it also happens after Boneshaker and features some of the same characters. (In that one, you'll learn what happened to Croggon Hainey and the crew of the Free Crow.)

Do I have to read these books in order? No, I don't think so. It's probably helpful if you read Boneshaker first – but it's not a deal-breaker. And yes, I'm aware that Clementine is hard to come by these days. You definitely don't have to read it before reading either of the other two books. It was deliberately written as an independent one-off.

What's the deal with Clementine, anyway? Why is it short/out of print/with a different publisher? Subterranean Press wanted to produce a one-off set in the Clockwork Century universe, and I wanted to let them. However, I have a first-refusal clause in my contract with Tor – which stipulates that Tor gets first look/first pass on anything over X amount of words. Therefore, I had to keep Clementine under that word count, in order to make sure that no noses were tweaked.

Clementine initially came out in a hardback limited edition, which sold out very quickly. This is why it has become rather difficult to track down. However, it will be released in trade paperback sometime in the fall of 2011, and it is in the process of becoming available in ebook form as well. Kindle is already cleared and ready for take-off – offering Clementine at the whopping great price of $2.99.

Bonus Clementine update: Audible has picked up the rights, so Clementine will also be released as an audiobook one of these days. I'll keep you posted!

Will there be any more books set in this universe? Yes. At least two – Ganymede (scheduled for next year), and a second title that we're still fiddling with a bit. Tentatively, we're talking Inexplicable in 2012.

Are there any other Clockwork Century stories of which we should be made aware? Yes, there are two others at the moment: the novelette Tanglefoot (which has been reprinted in Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded), and the short story "Reluctance" (which can be found in The Living Dead II anthology). "Tanglefoot" ties loosely into Clementine, and "Reluctance" ties loosely into Dreadnought.

Did you really once say that "Steampunk is what happens when goths discover brown"? Yes, but only because I was quoting my friend Jess Nevins, who said it first.

* And, like Boneshaker, this minimal swearing is relegated to variations on the word "damn" and the occasional four-letter word for poo, because let's be honest, that word has been in use for a really, really long time (as have other, more ire-raising words, but those do not appear).

[Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

A Zombie Lament

OMG YOU GUYS it has come to my attention that SOMEONE on the internet is pointing out that my fictional 19th century zombies are NOT SCIENTIFICALLY SOUND. Naturally, I am crushed. To think, IF ONLY I'd consulted with a zombologist or two before sitting down to write, I could've avoided ALL THIS EMBARRASSMENT.

If you've been heretofore unaware of my EGREGIOUS CRIMES against reason and scientific probability, but you would like to hop on the bandwagon criticizing my technique when it comes to MAKING SHIT UP about the pretend undead … then boy, have I got a proposal for YOU!

It turns out, that there is a SEQUEL to the outstanding MOCKERY OF LOGIC which was the steampunk pulp adventure Boneshaker. And you can get it – right now! – in an assortment of handy-dandy ways. In fact, I invite you to BUY it, READ it, and SUBMIT YOUR LETTERS OF CONCERN so that I can take them under advisement as I write TWO MORE SEQUELS which are likewise doomed to HIDEOUS INACCURACY without your assistance in this matter.

HELP ME, INTERNET.

How will I ever get my zombie science right without you?

Where to Get Dreadnought:Search for an independent bookstore near you

Find Dreadnought at Amazon.com

Find Dreadnought at Barnes & Noble

Find Dreadnought at Powell's

Find Dreadnought at Borders.com

Order signed copies of Dreadnought through the University Book Store in Seattle

Ebook Editions: Visit Dreadnought's listing here at Macmillan and you'll find digital editions suitable for the iPad, Kobo, Nook, and Sony eReader. Click here for Dreadnought on the Kindle.

Audio Book: Courtesy of Macmillan Audio and Audible, you can pick up the audio book of Dreadnought right here.

Sample Content: Scroll down at the Macmillan listing and you'll find excerpts, reviews, and other useful things that might give you a better idea of what you're in for.

General Information: For general information regarding the world-setting of Boneshaker and Dreadnought, visit The Clockwork Century and take a poke around.

Stay Connected: Join the Clockwork Century's fan page on Facebook.

[Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

October 26, 2010

No stats to report, today – only the give-and-take of editorial work as I try to bang Ganymede into a serviceable draft. It doesn't have to be perfect; but it does need to be complete. When I am finished, and ready to punt this onto Liz's desk, this book should require no more than minor Narrative Spackle combined with the general clean-up that comes in the wake of putting a project down for a few weeks.

I hope. I pray. And I cross all suitable appendages.

(I do try to put a project down for a few weeks before wrestling it into a Draft One, but I am not always fortunate enough to have that option. Like now, for example. However, it will take Liz some time to read Ganymede and get back to me with feedback. Therefore, that intervening period between Draft One and Draft Two must suffice. It is essentially the only "away time" I will get on this manuscript. Let us hope it is enough…)

Anyway. Galloping toward a deadline is no excuse to drop the ball on the Dreadnought channel:

Literati reviews Dreadnought – This groovy book blog whacks Dreadnought with the stick of literary pokiness, and appreciates the zombie-flavored candy that comes out.

Questionland – That's where I'll be digitally camping out for a few days, beginning November 1. You can ask about anything you want, of course, but since I was helpfully goaded into this as a run-up to my Final Bookstore Event this year (Third Place Books, on November 3) … I suspect many of the queries will have to do with my books.

Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded – Available now, and including a reprint of "Tanglefoot," the Clockwork Century novelette published through SubterraneanPress.com last year.

Spinecracker book chat and give-away – They're discussing Boneshaker, but participants can chime in for a chance to win a copy of Dreadnought.



All right, everyone. It's back-to-work time for me, as I have much reading/editing/stick-poking to accomplish on Ganymede before this evening. Why's that, you ask? Because tonight I'm heading up to Tacoma for the Northwest College Bookstore Association conference – where I will be through tomorrow. So if I'm inordinately quiet for the next day or two, well, there you go.


Have a good one!

[Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Bonus! Dreadnought Channel News

Perhaps I should just fold this into the previous post, but (a). I didn't see it in time to include it in the previous entry in the first place, and (b). it delights me too much – it simply must get its own entry.

So here goes: Courtesy of the fine folks at Authors After Dark … Dreadnought has been nominated for a Bookie Award for Best Steampunk Novel! Many, many thanks to the readers and proprietors of that site, for I am tickled beyond words – particularly considering that Dreadnought hasn't even been out for a month.

It seriously makes my Monday to know that people are out there picking it up and reading it, and liking it well enough to recommend it for things like this. You guys are the best, and without you, none of this would be possible.

I never forget that, and I send the whole lot of you Epic Warm Fuzzies from the bottom of my heart.

<3

[Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Dreadnought Channel: Ahoy!

First of all, I'd like to say thanks to everyone who came out on Saturday to see me at B&N – and send thanks also to the bookstore staff, particularly Covagin* and John, who always go out of their way to be so freaking awesome. The B&N at Northgate has been hugely supportive, and I just can't thank the folks there enough.

So! With that mentioned/lauded/gratefully acknowledged, now on to the Dreadnought and Dreadnought-adjacent news that accumulated over the weekend:

German! I don't speak it! – But that didn't prevent me from doing an interview about steampunk in general and Dreadnought in particular with this fine German publication. I hope the translation is cool, and I'm not talking about all the ways in which I like to stick objects up my nose, or something.

Awesome Dreadnought review at the BirdBrain[ed] book blog – Many thanks to the fine reviewers there, for their hearty enthusiasm on the subject. Fave excerpt: "What's good about it? Lemme list it for ya: zombies! trains! airships! mecha! big action sequences! a strong, independent female lead! (with guns!) a dashingly gruff Texan ranger! soldiers and spies and mad scientists!" Nicely summed up there – thanks again :)

Dreadnought is Pulp Of The Week over at Savage Tales – And huzzah for that! Doc gives this one an 8 out of 10 and is kind enough to recommend it.

Steampunk definitions over at the Mad Hatter Blog – Coming at you with Words of Wisdom (or Dorkdom) from yours truly and a whole host of other genre-appropriate people, including Jess Nevins, Scott Westerfeld, George Mann, my editor Liz Gorinsky, and many others.

* Whose name I am probably misspelling, despite her patient efforts to get me to do it right.*sigh*

[Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

October 24, 2010

Here's today's progress on my Hunley version 4.0 submarine book about Andan Cly and his crew having a damp misadventure in a Texian-occupied New Orleans, plus Bonus! guerrilla warfare, other assorted historic pirates, and an octoroon madam who moonlights as a Union spy.

Project: Ganymede

Deadline: November 1, 2010

New words written: 5535 (IT'LL DO.)

Present total word count: 118,648 words

Hot damn, y'all. I believe that's a Draft Zero. Sure, the last line might be, "Rocks fall, everyone dies" … but I'll change it later. All things being equal, this thing is more or less complete. Now it does not need to be constructed any further. It just needs to be fixed.

Total Official Word Count of 2010: 247,239 words

Dies: And is ded.

[Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]