Eilis O'Neal's Blog, page 5
December 5, 2011
Terri Windling Benefit Auction
Until December 15th, there will be an online auction going on to benefit wonderful fantasy author and editor Terri Windling. Terri was, among other things and along with Ellen Datlow, the editor of a series of fairy tale retellings (Black Thorn, White Rose and Snow White, Blood Red, to name just two) that, in large part, introduced me to the genre of fairy tale retellings. They're great books, and books that reordered the way that I thought about fairy tales, making them into stories that were still living instead of things that were set in stone.
And so, I'm offering a signed copy of the audio CD version of The False Princess for the auction, which I'll personalize for whoever wins. The audio version of the book is really great--reader Mandy Williams does a fabulous job. And the bidding starts at just $15, which is a steal!
And speaking of steals, there are some seriously mind-blowing things being offered as part of the auction. A few of the ones that caught my eye:
Having your name/description included in a novel by Holly BlackA signed watercolor by Brian FroudAn original poem by Charles de LintA personalized letter from Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stervermer's Sorcery and Cecilia's CecyA handwritten poem from Patricia A. McKillipDinner with Tamora PierceCustomized short fiction by Cassandra ClareAnd there's ton's more! So check it out . . . .and bid on something!
And so, I'm offering a signed copy of the audio CD version of The False Princess for the auction, which I'll personalize for whoever wins. The audio version of the book is really great--reader Mandy Williams does a fabulous job. And the bidding starts at just $15, which is a steal!
And speaking of steals, there are some seriously mind-blowing things being offered as part of the auction. A few of the ones that caught my eye:
Having your name/description included in a novel by Holly BlackA signed watercolor by Brian FroudAn original poem by Charles de LintA personalized letter from Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stervermer's Sorcery and Cecilia's CecyA handwritten poem from Patricia A. McKillipDinner with Tamora PierceCustomized short fiction by Cassandra ClareAnd there's ton's more! So check it out . . . .and bid on something!
November 29, 2011
New Book Recs
A few books I've liked recently . . . .
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
I loved this book. Really loved it. On her website, Stiefvater talks about writing The Scorpio Races as a way to put on the shelf the book she always wanted to read and couldn’t ever find. And I have to say that I think she did that, because it’s very, very different than most other YA out there at the moment.
It’s hard to describe The Scorpio Races exactly; rather, I can tell you a few of the ingredients. Dangerous, beautiful water horses. Hints of Celtic magical folklore. The tension and deep connection of family. A strange island set just a bit apart from the regular world. A cautious romance between two people who are themselves set apart from the rest of the island. The excitement and thrill of horse racing.
The overall feeling that I got while reading the book was of reading something by Madeleine L’Engle (A Ring of Endless Light comes most to mind). And if that’s not high praise from me, I don’t know what is.
Across the Great Barrier by Patricia C. Wrede
Eff is an unlucky thirteenth child - her twin brother, Lan, is a powerful seventh son of a seventh son. And yet, Eff is the one who saved the day for the settlements west of the Great Barrier. Her unique ways of doing magic and seeing the world, and her fascination with the magical creatures and land in the Great Plains push Eff to work toward joining an expedition heading west. But things are changing on the frontier.
There are new professors of magic for Eff and Lan to learn to work with. There's tension between William and his father. And there are new threats on the frontier and at home. To help, Eff must travel beyond the Barrier, and come to terms with her magical abilities--and those of her brother, to stop the newest threat encroaching on the settlers.
With wit, magic, and a touch of good pioneer sense, Patricia C. Wrede weaves a fantastic tale of the very wild west.
Across the Great Barrier is the sequel to Thirteenth Child, and a sequel that holds up nicely to the first book. Both take place in an alternate America, one where magic exists and a magical barrier runs down the length of the Mammoth (or, unless my geography is off, Mississippi) River. The Great Barrier keeps all manner of creatures—from magical steam dragons to wooly mammoths—out of the more populated areas of the country. We mainly heard about the wilds beyond the Great Barrier in the first book, but in this one, quite a bit of the book is spent across it.
In full disclosure, I must say that I’ve never been a huge American history buff (my heart lies in England). But Wrede’s version of American completely engrossed me. Partially because of the twists she creates in actual history, botany, and zoology, but also because Eff, her heroine, is just so compelling. Stubborn, plain-spoken, finally starting to realize that she has great magic—I love Eff. And I can’t wait to find out what happens to her next, because the book ends with some seriously creepy magical threat looming on the horizon.
The Apothecary by Maile Meloy
It’s 1952 and the Scott family has just moved from Los Angeles to London. There, fourteen-year-old Janie meets a mysterious apothecary and becomes fascinated by his son, Benjamin Burrows—a boy who isn’t afraid to stand up to authority and who dreams of becoming a spy. When Benjamin’s father disappears, Janie and Benjamin must uncover the secrets of the apothecary’s ancient book, the Pharmacopoeia, in order to find him, all while keeping those secrets out of the hands of Russian spies. Discovering transformative elixirs they never believed could exist, Janie and Benjamin embark on a dangerous race to save the apothecary and prevent impending nuclear disaster.
I was initially reluctant to read The Apothecary. I read a few reviews, and even though they were all positive, I kept shrugging it off, mainly because of my general non-interest in work centering around the Cold War. But I kept seeing mentions of the book, all very favorable, so I thought I’d take the advice that I always give aspiring writers and read outside my comfort zone.
And I’m really glad I did, because The Apothecary is a charming book, full of likable characters, an interesting magic system, and a fun take on a particular historical period, one that made me warm up to Cold War a bit. Meloy gives all of her characters—even the more minor figures—a spark that makes them unique, interesting, and easy to visualize. And the book as a whole has a lovely . . . air to it, a slightly nostalgic feel, one that reminded me a little of Susan Cooper’s The Dark Is Rising series. Add in a lot of adventure and a few close calls, and you’ve got a winner.
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
I loved this book. Really loved it. On her website, Stiefvater talks about writing The Scorpio Races as a way to put on the shelf the book she always wanted to read and couldn’t ever find. And I have to say that I think she did that, because it’s very, very different than most other YA out there at the moment.
It’s hard to describe The Scorpio Races exactly; rather, I can tell you a few of the ingredients. Dangerous, beautiful water horses. Hints of Celtic magical folklore. The tension and deep connection of family. A strange island set just a bit apart from the regular world. A cautious romance between two people who are themselves set apart from the rest of the island. The excitement and thrill of horse racing.
The overall feeling that I got while reading the book was of reading something by Madeleine L’Engle (A Ring of Endless Light comes most to mind). And if that’s not high praise from me, I don’t know what is.
Across the Great Barrier by Patricia C. Wrede
Eff is an unlucky thirteenth child - her twin brother, Lan, is a powerful seventh son of a seventh son. And yet, Eff is the one who saved the day for the settlements west of the Great Barrier. Her unique ways of doing magic and seeing the world, and her fascination with the magical creatures and land in the Great Plains push Eff to work toward joining an expedition heading west. But things are changing on the frontier.
There are new professors of magic for Eff and Lan to learn to work with. There's tension between William and his father. And there are new threats on the frontier and at home. To help, Eff must travel beyond the Barrier, and come to terms with her magical abilities--and those of her brother, to stop the newest threat encroaching on the settlers.
With wit, magic, and a touch of good pioneer sense, Patricia C. Wrede weaves a fantastic tale of the very wild west.
Across the Great Barrier is the sequel to Thirteenth Child, and a sequel that holds up nicely to the first book. Both take place in an alternate America, one where magic exists and a magical barrier runs down the length of the Mammoth (or, unless my geography is off, Mississippi) River. The Great Barrier keeps all manner of creatures—from magical steam dragons to wooly mammoths—out of the more populated areas of the country. We mainly heard about the wilds beyond the Great Barrier in the first book, but in this one, quite a bit of the book is spent across it.
In full disclosure, I must say that I’ve never been a huge American history buff (my heart lies in England). But Wrede’s version of American completely engrossed me. Partially because of the twists she creates in actual history, botany, and zoology, but also because Eff, her heroine, is just so compelling. Stubborn, plain-spoken, finally starting to realize that she has great magic—I love Eff. And I can’t wait to find out what happens to her next, because the book ends with some seriously creepy magical threat looming on the horizon.
The Apothecary by Maile Meloy
It’s 1952 and the Scott family has just moved from Los Angeles to London. There, fourteen-year-old Janie meets a mysterious apothecary and becomes fascinated by his son, Benjamin Burrows—a boy who isn’t afraid to stand up to authority and who dreams of becoming a spy. When Benjamin’s father disappears, Janie and Benjamin must uncover the secrets of the apothecary’s ancient book, the Pharmacopoeia, in order to find him, all while keeping those secrets out of the hands of Russian spies. Discovering transformative elixirs they never believed could exist, Janie and Benjamin embark on a dangerous race to save the apothecary and prevent impending nuclear disaster.
I was initially reluctant to read The Apothecary. I read a few reviews, and even though they were all positive, I kept shrugging it off, mainly because of my general non-interest in work centering around the Cold War. But I kept seeing mentions of the book, all very favorable, so I thought I’d take the advice that I always give aspiring writers and read outside my comfort zone.
And I’m really glad I did, because The Apothecary is a charming book, full of likable characters, an interesting magic system, and a fun take on a particular historical period, one that made me warm up to Cold War a bit. Meloy gives all of her characters—even the more minor figures—a spark that makes them unique, interesting, and easy to visualize. And the book as a whole has a lovely . . . air to it, a slightly nostalgic feel, one that reminded me a little of Susan Cooper’s The Dark Is Rising series. Add in a lot of adventure and a few close calls, and you’ve got a winner.
November 17, 2011
First Book Milestones
I started reading Locus magazine about 12 years ago. I was thrilled when I discovered it—instead of having to find fantasy and science fiction books all on my own, here was a magazine entirely dedicated to reviewing the kind of books that I love. I would get out my highlighter every month when it arrived, cheerfully marking the books that looked most interesting to me and noting down when my favorite authors’ new books would be out (I still do this). And, I must admit, I would sighingly imagine the day when I might open Locus to see a review of one of my books.
And, last month, that actually happened. I opened my Locus and saw a nice review of The False Princess. (Cue happy screaming and a good measure of jumping up and down, followed by a trip to my parents’ house to show them the issue.) It was a writer milestone for me, one that I had hoped I might someday see for a long time. And that made me start to think about other first book milestones, both those that I’ve experienced and the ones I’m still waiting (or bracing) for.
Milestones Achieved:
Actually seeing my book in a bookstore for the first time. This is, of course, the big one. Even though I got my box of finished copies in the mail about a month before the book came out, even though I knew what it looked like and what felt like to hold it and what the pages smelled like (yes, I smelled the pages), actually seeing The False Princess at the Southroads Barnes and Noble in Tulsa was amazing. It made it real. Not only had I written a book and held it in my hands, but other people could hold it to—and take it home and read it! (Of course, I also learned an important lesson that day. Unless you’re a big-time author, it’s perhaps prudent wait a few hours after the stores open to go searching out your book on the shelf. My husband and I actually had to go back later in the day, because they hadn’t quite gotten all their new stock out at 9 in the morning when we showed up. And so that wasn’t quite the awesome-launch-day-morning-kickstart I was looking for, though it didn’t diminish the awesome that evening when we went back with my mom and did find it out.)
Reading good reviews of my book. Makes such a happy, beamy feeling.
Reading bad reviews of my book. Makes a non-happy feeling, even though I know that you can’t please everyone. Additionally, I sometimes have to fight the desire to correct the reviewer who’s gotten something actually wrong or who is irked by something that they just misinterpreted or apparently didn’t notice. (No, I’ve never actually done this.) Actually, I don’t do much searching for reviews at this point. Before the book came out, and right after it did, I did do quite a few internet searches, because I wanted to know what people were saying. And even though most of the reviews I was finding were positive, occasionally I’d run across one that wasn’t. And reading them just wasn’t productive for me as a writer, because you really can’t please everyone, and even if someone pointed out a legitimate flaw in the book, there’s nothing I can do now to correct it. So now, I mainly wait for my agent or publisher to send me reviews. They know if important ones come out, and they’ll let me know if they’re nice.
Getting good fan mail. Opening my email to find a letter from someone who read the book and liked it enough to write to me about it is like someone handing you an unexpected cone of chocolate ice cream. Always appreciated, and always wanted.
Getting weird mail. I don’t get too much of this, but there’s always a feeling of “what do I do?” when I get an email that’s just . . . odd. Like the one where the emailer said they were put off by the amount of chest that was being exposed on the cover of TFP. Which, of course, made me immediately run and grab a copy to see if breasts had somehow exploded onto my book. Of course, the cover looked the same as always, with nothing below the neck showing. I mean, really nothing—you don’t even see past the girl's clavicle. So I didn’t know quite how to respond to that.
Finding out that people have gotten an idea from the book that I never even considered. Like, ever. I’ve actually had quite a few people (and by that I mean more than 6) ask me if a certain character is Sinda’s biological mother. They’re often very excited when they ask, thinking that they’ve figured out a huge secret of the book. And I always feel like a curmudgeon, like I’m intentionally bursting this shiny bubble, when I have to tell them that, not only are they not right, but what they’re suggesting never even crossed my mind until someone brought it up after the book had been published. Obviously, though, I dropped some sort of hint about it in the book without realizing it (and I have to admit that I can see why they’re making the link, even though if you continue on with the thought the logic of it breaks down for me). Still, it make me think of English class, where you’re told that the color of the curtains is Important And Meaningful. And maybe it is, but maybe the author was just staring at some red curtains when she wrote the scene.
Going to a conference/event and getting to actually meet people who’ve read my book. This is just cool.
Getting a royalty statement. I’m not a table/number person, so at first glance my first royalty statement made my head want to explode. (Even though my agent assures me that it was actually a very streamlined statement.) But then Matt helped me make sense of it. Yay for math-science husband! (He also does the taxes . . . .)
Milestones Yet To Come:
Seeing my book in a used bookstore. I realized a while back that I’m actually bracing for this every time I visit my favorite used bookstore in town. I’m not sure how I’ll react, honestly. On the one hand, someone who might not have discovered the book otherwise might get to pick it up. On the other, there was someone out there who didn’t want to keep it. (Though I do realize that some people just don’t keep every book that they buy the way I do.) I think I’ll have to work to leave it there, though. I already have this weird desire to buy books I already own from used bookstores, because I want to make sure that they go to the home of someone who will really appreciate how awesome they are . . . .
Reading a school book report of the book by someone who has obviously not read the book. I have to admit that I hadn’t even considered this as a milestone until Jaclyn Dolamore mentioned it online, but now it’s on the list. And, though it’s not something I recommend, I’m actually kind of interested to see what it would look like.
Seeing someone reading my book in public, like on a train or something. I would probably have to take a picture. Which would be creepy.
And, last month, that actually happened. I opened my Locus and saw a nice review of The False Princess. (Cue happy screaming and a good measure of jumping up and down, followed by a trip to my parents’ house to show them the issue.) It was a writer milestone for me, one that I had hoped I might someday see for a long time. And that made me start to think about other first book milestones, both those that I’ve experienced and the ones I’m still waiting (or bracing) for.
Milestones Achieved:
Actually seeing my book in a bookstore for the first time. This is, of course, the big one. Even though I got my box of finished copies in the mail about a month before the book came out, even though I knew what it looked like and what felt like to hold it and what the pages smelled like (yes, I smelled the pages), actually seeing The False Princess at the Southroads Barnes and Noble in Tulsa was amazing. It made it real. Not only had I written a book and held it in my hands, but other people could hold it to—and take it home and read it! (Of course, I also learned an important lesson that day. Unless you’re a big-time author, it’s perhaps prudent wait a few hours after the stores open to go searching out your book on the shelf. My husband and I actually had to go back later in the day, because they hadn’t quite gotten all their new stock out at 9 in the morning when we showed up. And so that wasn’t quite the awesome-launch-day-morning-kickstart I was looking for, though it didn’t diminish the awesome that evening when we went back with my mom and did find it out.)
Reading good reviews of my book. Makes such a happy, beamy feeling.
Reading bad reviews of my book. Makes a non-happy feeling, even though I know that you can’t please everyone. Additionally, I sometimes have to fight the desire to correct the reviewer who’s gotten something actually wrong or who is irked by something that they just misinterpreted or apparently didn’t notice. (No, I’ve never actually done this.) Actually, I don’t do much searching for reviews at this point. Before the book came out, and right after it did, I did do quite a few internet searches, because I wanted to know what people were saying. And even though most of the reviews I was finding were positive, occasionally I’d run across one that wasn’t. And reading them just wasn’t productive for me as a writer, because you really can’t please everyone, and even if someone pointed out a legitimate flaw in the book, there’s nothing I can do now to correct it. So now, I mainly wait for my agent or publisher to send me reviews. They know if important ones come out, and they’ll let me know if they’re nice.
Getting good fan mail. Opening my email to find a letter from someone who read the book and liked it enough to write to me about it is like someone handing you an unexpected cone of chocolate ice cream. Always appreciated, and always wanted.
Getting weird mail. I don’t get too much of this, but there’s always a feeling of “what do I do?” when I get an email that’s just . . . odd. Like the one where the emailer said they were put off by the amount of chest that was being exposed on the cover of TFP. Which, of course, made me immediately run and grab a copy to see if breasts had somehow exploded onto my book. Of course, the cover looked the same as always, with nothing below the neck showing. I mean, really nothing—you don’t even see past the girl's clavicle. So I didn’t know quite how to respond to that.
Finding out that people have gotten an idea from the book that I never even considered. Like, ever. I’ve actually had quite a few people (and by that I mean more than 6) ask me if a certain character is Sinda’s biological mother. They’re often very excited when they ask, thinking that they’ve figured out a huge secret of the book. And I always feel like a curmudgeon, like I’m intentionally bursting this shiny bubble, when I have to tell them that, not only are they not right, but what they’re suggesting never even crossed my mind until someone brought it up after the book had been published. Obviously, though, I dropped some sort of hint about it in the book without realizing it (and I have to admit that I can see why they’re making the link, even though if you continue on with the thought the logic of it breaks down for me). Still, it make me think of English class, where you’re told that the color of the curtains is Important And Meaningful. And maybe it is, but maybe the author was just staring at some red curtains when she wrote the scene.
Going to a conference/event and getting to actually meet people who’ve read my book. This is just cool.
Getting a royalty statement. I’m not a table/number person, so at first glance my first royalty statement made my head want to explode. (Even though my agent assures me that it was actually a very streamlined statement.) But then Matt helped me make sense of it. Yay for math-science husband! (He also does the taxes . . . .)
Milestones Yet To Come:
Seeing my book in a used bookstore. I realized a while back that I’m actually bracing for this every time I visit my favorite used bookstore in town. I’m not sure how I’ll react, honestly. On the one hand, someone who might not have discovered the book otherwise might get to pick it up. On the other, there was someone out there who didn’t want to keep it. (Though I do realize that some people just don’t keep every book that they buy the way I do.) I think I’ll have to work to leave it there, though. I already have this weird desire to buy books I already own from used bookstores, because I want to make sure that they go to the home of someone who will really appreciate how awesome they are . . . .
Reading a school book report of the book by someone who has obviously not read the book. I have to admit that I hadn’t even considered this as a milestone until Jaclyn Dolamore mentioned it online, but now it’s on the list. And, though it’s not something I recommend, I’m actually kind of interested to see what it would look like.
Seeing someone reading my book in public, like on a train or something. I would probably have to take a picture. Which would be creepy.
November 8, 2011
Shake It Up
Oklahoma is known for a certain type of natural disaster: tornadoes. In fact, that seems to be one of the things that people think of most when they think of Oklahoma. Not that I've ever been in a tornado, or actually ever even seen one. (Though yes, I have had to clamber into the closet on occasion with my water bottle and non-open-toed shoes. Not as often as you might think, though. People who have grown up in Oklahoma tend to ignore the tornado warnings and watches about 90% of the times that they're issued.) In terms of other natural disasters, though, that's about our lot.
Until now. Because 2011 decided right from the start that it was going to be Extreme Weather Year. So far, we've had a huge blizzard that buried the city for a week (and managed to cancel my trip to Washington, DC, and New York City), enough rain in the spring to kill half the new plants I bought for the garden, followed by the hottest summer on record, with over 30 days of 100+ temperatures, and no rain, and now . . . . earthquakes.
I actually missed the first one. Apparently a 4.7 quake was not enough to wake me up at 2:13 on Saturday morning, though it woke Matt up. He even wrote down the time, just to make sure that it really was an earthquake. My mom also felt it, and I was complaining to them about having slept through it. Which was probably not the smartest idea in the world, given my family's history. There was that time that my mom and aunt saw their first tornado dip down out of the clouds in Iowa and my dad missed it entirely, leading to him complaining bitterly about having lived in Oklahoma all his life and never having seen a tornado. That ended with them getting their '56 Chevy surrounded by 4 tornadoes on a deserted Iowa road and my aunt getting sucked out of the car. (She was mainly unhurt, mostly because she's a biologist and knew enough to roll into a ditch and wrap her arms in the weeds with deep root systems.) But anyway, you see why I started feeling nervous about complaining about missing the earthquake.
Luckily, though, it doesn't seem to have set off the New Madrid fault yet. But I did get to feel an earthquake. Two, in fact. The bigger one (a 5.6, the biggest Oklahoma has ever had) came on Saturday night. We were at the house of some friends, and suddenly the wine bottles in the chiller were rattling around and the floor was moving. I was actually surprised at how unnerving it was. Feeling it build up and not knowing if it would just keep on building, and realizing that there wasn't a single thing I could do to stop it. At least with a tornado, even if it hits the house down the street from you, it could leave your house completely intact. But an earthquake hits everyone. Funnily, the third earthquake on Monday (the second that I felt) came about five minutes after I got a text warning from my university about a tornado warning for the area. Good warning, wrong natural disaster.
Still, I'm actually glad to have felt them. It's one of those experiences that you read about and see movies about (and pretend to live through by getting on the simulators in science museums), but actually getting to feel it is something different. I gained some experience points, you could say.
That said, I don't think I need to gain any more of them . . . .
Until now. Because 2011 decided right from the start that it was going to be Extreme Weather Year. So far, we've had a huge blizzard that buried the city for a week (and managed to cancel my trip to Washington, DC, and New York City), enough rain in the spring to kill half the new plants I bought for the garden, followed by the hottest summer on record, with over 30 days of 100+ temperatures, and no rain, and now . . . . earthquakes.
I actually missed the first one. Apparently a 4.7 quake was not enough to wake me up at 2:13 on Saturday morning, though it woke Matt up. He even wrote down the time, just to make sure that it really was an earthquake. My mom also felt it, and I was complaining to them about having slept through it. Which was probably not the smartest idea in the world, given my family's history. There was that time that my mom and aunt saw their first tornado dip down out of the clouds in Iowa and my dad missed it entirely, leading to him complaining bitterly about having lived in Oklahoma all his life and never having seen a tornado. That ended with them getting their '56 Chevy surrounded by 4 tornadoes on a deserted Iowa road and my aunt getting sucked out of the car. (She was mainly unhurt, mostly because she's a biologist and knew enough to roll into a ditch and wrap her arms in the weeds with deep root systems.) But anyway, you see why I started feeling nervous about complaining about missing the earthquake.
Luckily, though, it doesn't seem to have set off the New Madrid fault yet. But I did get to feel an earthquake. Two, in fact. The bigger one (a 5.6, the biggest Oklahoma has ever had) came on Saturday night. We were at the house of some friends, and suddenly the wine bottles in the chiller were rattling around and the floor was moving. I was actually surprised at how unnerving it was. Feeling it build up and not knowing if it would just keep on building, and realizing that there wasn't a single thing I could do to stop it. At least with a tornado, even if it hits the house down the street from you, it could leave your house completely intact. But an earthquake hits everyone. Funnily, the third earthquake on Monday (the second that I felt) came about five minutes after I got a text warning from my university about a tornado warning for the area. Good warning, wrong natural disaster.
Still, I'm actually glad to have felt them. It's one of those experiences that you read about and see movies about (and pretend to live through by getting on the simulators in science museums), but actually getting to feel it is something different. I gained some experience points, you could say.
That said, I don't think I need to gain any more of them . . . .
October 31, 2011
Halloween Treat
You know how we all have alternative universe careers? Unlike dream careers, which we might actually have someday if we work hard enough and get lucky enough, alterative universe careers are careers that we’ll never actually have and that we don’t make any effort to have. As in, in some alternative universe, there’s an Eilis who is a world-famous Egyptian archeologist. In another there’s an Eilis who’s the curator of New York’s Natural History museum. Alternative universe careers are the careers revolving around things that we have a fascination with, but never actually pursue or even seriously consider pursuing (though maybe in that other universe we did).
One of my other alternative universe careers is being a voice actress. As a kid, I desperately wanted to voice a Disney heroine, and if I had watched anime as a child I would have wanted to do voices for that, too. Well, I still haven’t gotten to do the voice for an animated character, but it seems that a little of the alternate universe where I do get to is seeping into our universe. Because I can now say that I’ve at least done the voice for a radio play. I’m Margaret Lawson in:
“In the Dark: Deadly Fortune,” the second part of an awesome 1940s-radio-style double feature podcast presented by my friend, Tony Frazier, on his website, herogohome.com. There are two stories in the podcast, both of them creepy Halloween goodness. (And if you aren’t following his serialized superhero novel on the same site, you should be.)
This project was tons of fun to do, and it’s an absolute blast to listen to. (Especially if you turn out the lights.) Tony did a fantastic job replicating an old-fashioned radio play, from the hisses and pops on the recording to creating sound effects from everything from candelabras falling over to demons screaming. So check it out!
Added bonus: To get my screams right (yes, I have to give a full-on scream at one point), I had to have my husband, Matt, tickle me. Without that, the screams just sounded flat and fake. I only got about three screams in, though, before Nemo came charging into the room, barking his head off and bent on protecting me. To my everlasting amusement, Tony was able to find a way to use Nemo’s barks in the first part of the double feature, “The April Fool.” See if you can figure out where . . . . and if you do, come back here before November 7th and leave a comment letting me know where you heard the barks. I’ll give a Halloween treat to one of the people who finds them.
One of my other alternative universe careers is being a voice actress. As a kid, I desperately wanted to voice a Disney heroine, and if I had watched anime as a child I would have wanted to do voices for that, too. Well, I still haven’t gotten to do the voice for an animated character, but it seems that a little of the alternate universe where I do get to is seeping into our universe. Because I can now say that I’ve at least done the voice for a radio play. I’m Margaret Lawson in:
“In the Dark: Deadly Fortune,” the second part of an awesome 1940s-radio-style double feature podcast presented by my friend, Tony Frazier, on his website, herogohome.com. There are two stories in the podcast, both of them creepy Halloween goodness. (And if you aren’t following his serialized superhero novel on the same site, you should be.)
This project was tons of fun to do, and it’s an absolute blast to listen to. (Especially if you turn out the lights.) Tony did a fantastic job replicating an old-fashioned radio play, from the hisses and pops on the recording to creating sound effects from everything from candelabras falling over to demons screaming. So check it out!
Added bonus: To get my screams right (yes, I have to give a full-on scream at one point), I had to have my husband, Matt, tickle me. Without that, the screams just sounded flat and fake. I only got about three screams in, though, before Nemo came charging into the room, barking his head off and bent on protecting me. To my everlasting amusement, Tony was able to find a way to use Nemo’s barks in the first part of the double feature, “The April Fool.” See if you can figure out where . . . . and if you do, come back here before November 7th and leave a comment letting me know where you heard the barks. I’ll give a Halloween treat to one of the people who finds them.
October 17, 2011
Nimrod Journal's Writing Conference
On Saturday, October 22nd, I'll be taking part in Nimrod International Journal's Conference for Readers and Writers. Actually, I'll be coordinating it, but I'm also moderating a panel for the first time. In any case, if you're a writer in the Oklahoma area, this is a wonderful conference, and one that will be helpful to all sorts of writers, from fledgling writers to the more experienced. It's very laid back and very fun. One of my favorite memories of past conferences is seeing a group of writers sitting on the floor in the lobby with Colum McCann (who's won the National Book Award) and several other famous authors, all of them laughing and talking away. There's something for just about everyone here, with classes in YA fantasy, general fiction, historical fiction, poetry, memoir, finding an agent, and more. And we have some really great guests this year as well: Patricia C. Wrede, Amy Bloom, Linda Pastan, Ron Hansen, Nikky Finney (who was nominated for the National Book Award just last week), and more. A few of the things I'm most looking forward to are:The Panel Discussion I'm moderating, "Q&A: Editing and Publishing: Why? How? What? When?". This is going to be all Q&A, so if you have questions, bring them!Patricia C. Wrede's class on rooting your YA fantasy in history. I've loved her work since I first read Mairelon The Magician, which is set in an alternate Regency England. I'm totally going to sneak away for a bit to listen in on her class.Sultana Banulescu and Kellie Well's class on writing from the perspective of a child narrator. Probably won't get to sneak away for this one, which makes me sad, because it looks awesome.You can still register for the conference all through this week, and from 9:30 to 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The cost is $50, but there are also scholarships available for those who need them, which reduces the cost to $10.
Like I said, it's a great conference. I'll be there all day Saturday, and I hope to see you there!
Like I said, it's a great conference. I'll be there all day Saturday, and I hope to see you there!
October 13, 2011
Run, Digger, Run
Earlier in the week I gave a few new book recommendations. Normally I wouldn’t do another recommendation post so quickly, but there’s a new serialized novel that I want to recommend and I want to do it before it gets too far along in its story. So, without further ado, you should check out . . . . .
Run, Digger, Run, the new novel by Tony Frazier on his website, Hero Go Home.
Run, Digger, Run is an action-packed, often hysterical novel following the superhero Digger. It’s updating five times a week with what Tony's calling mini-chapters, and which I’ve found are perfect for when you need a five-minute break in your day and a giggle to go along with it.
Run, Digger, Run isn’t YA, but it’s not so far out of the ballpark that YA readers wouldn’t enjoy it. Mainly, it’s just good fun, and it’s only about a week into the story, so you don’t have much catching up to do. So, run, Reader, run, and check it out!
Run, Digger, Run, the new novel by Tony Frazier on his website, Hero Go Home.
Run, Digger, Run is an action-packed, often hysterical novel following the superhero Digger. It’s updating five times a week with what Tony's calling mini-chapters, and which I’ve found are perfect for when you need a five-minute break in your day and a giggle to go along with it.
Run, Digger, Run isn’t YA, but it’s not so far out of the ballpark that YA readers wouldn’t enjoy it. Mainly, it’s just good fun, and it’s only about a week into the story, so you don’t have much catching up to do. So, run, Reader, run, and check it out!
October 10, 2011
Book Recs
A few books that I liked recently:
The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children. If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company. And there are no strangers in the town of Near.
These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life. But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.
The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.
As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.
In many ways, The Near Witch reminded me of Erin Bow’s Plain Kate (which I just adored and talk about here). In both books, the language drew me in from the start, and in both books the worldbuilding is done quite delicately, giving you just enough to create a full, rich world without explaining everything to death. The Near Witch isn’t a speedy read, but that's not a bad thing; instead it has a leisurely sort of pace that really lets you sink into the story. The romance is similarly delicate and leisurely—no instantaneous falling in love here, for which I was grateful. In short, I really enjoyed The Near Witch, and I have to say that the description of Schwab's next book, The Archived, sounds fascinating as well.
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris—the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She’s determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.
Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts fiercely alongside her. Now Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves and finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax—but loving him means betraying her sister and has the potential to destroy all they’ve worked for.
In Sisters Red, Jackson Pearce mixes fairy tales and werewolf mythology into a new and satisfying whole. I have to admit that I don’t read as many werewolf (or vampire for that matter) themed books as some do. Not that I have something against them—and there are both werewolf and vampire books that I love—but there’s such a glut of them right now, and wading through them to find the gems is too time consuming for me (and often too disappointing). But I’m really glad I picked up Sisters Red. While I loved how it gives a fresh twist to both “Little Red Riding Hood” and werewolf myths, what I really appreciated is the messy, confusing, real relationship between Rosie and Scarlett, who want very different paths for their lives. Pearce doesn’t pull her punches when it comes to the bond between them—or the strains that that bond often creates for them individually. Plus, it’s hard to go wrong with strong girls with serious weapon skills.
Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
Twelve years ago, Gretchen, her twin sister, and her brother went looking for a witch in the forest. They found something. Maybe it was a witch, maybe a monster, they aren’t sure—they were running too fast to tell. Either way, Gretchen’s twin sister was never seen again.
Years later, after being thrown out of their house, Gretchen and Ansel find themselves in Live Oak, South Carolina, a place on the verge of becoming a ghost town. They move in with Sophia Kelly, a young and beautiful chocolatier owner who opens not only her home, but her heart to Gretchen and Ansel.
Yet the witch isn’t gone—it’s here, lurking in the forests of Live Oak, preying on Live Oak girls every year after Sophia Kelly’s infamous chocolate festival. But Gretchen is determined to stop running from witches in the forest, and start fighting back. Alongside Samuel Reynolds, a boy as quick with a gun as he is a sarcastic remark, Gretchen digs deeper into the mystery of not only what the witch is, but how it chooses its victims. Yet the further she investigates, the more she finds herself wondering who the real monster is, and if love can be as deadly as it is beautiful.
Sweetly is a companion book to Sisters Red (though it takes a while for this to become evident) and a retelling of “Hansel and Gretel.” Though set in the same world, Sweetly has a very different feel than Sisters Red. There’s less action here—but that’s not a bad thing. Instead, Pearce gives us a mystery that is creepy and conflicting—both for Gretchen and the reader. (And, of course, she gives lots and lots of descriptions of chocolate—so getting a box of truffles to have beside you as you read is a really good idea.) As in Sisters Red, however, Pearce explores some of the thornier aspects of love, and what love can drive us to do. There’s the hint that more books could come in this world at the end of Sweetly, and I’d be happy to see them.
The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children. If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company. And there are no strangers in the town of Near.
These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life. But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.
The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.
As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.
In many ways, The Near Witch reminded me of Erin Bow’s Plain Kate (which I just adored and talk about here). In both books, the language drew me in from the start, and in both books the worldbuilding is done quite delicately, giving you just enough to create a full, rich world without explaining everything to death. The Near Witch isn’t a speedy read, but that's not a bad thing; instead it has a leisurely sort of pace that really lets you sink into the story. The romance is similarly delicate and leisurely—no instantaneous falling in love here, for which I was grateful. In short, I really enjoyed The Near Witch, and I have to say that the description of Schwab's next book, The Archived, sounds fascinating as well.
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris—the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She’s determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.
Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts fiercely alongside her. Now Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves and finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax—but loving him means betraying her sister and has the potential to destroy all they’ve worked for.
In Sisters Red, Jackson Pearce mixes fairy tales and werewolf mythology into a new and satisfying whole. I have to admit that I don’t read as many werewolf (or vampire for that matter) themed books as some do. Not that I have something against them—and there are both werewolf and vampire books that I love—but there’s such a glut of them right now, and wading through them to find the gems is too time consuming for me (and often too disappointing). But I’m really glad I picked up Sisters Red. While I loved how it gives a fresh twist to both “Little Red Riding Hood” and werewolf myths, what I really appreciated is the messy, confusing, real relationship between Rosie and Scarlett, who want very different paths for their lives. Pearce doesn’t pull her punches when it comes to the bond between them—or the strains that that bond often creates for them individually. Plus, it’s hard to go wrong with strong girls with serious weapon skills.
Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
Twelve years ago, Gretchen, her twin sister, and her brother went looking for a witch in the forest. They found something. Maybe it was a witch, maybe a monster, they aren’t sure—they were running too fast to tell. Either way, Gretchen’s twin sister was never seen again.
Years later, after being thrown out of their house, Gretchen and Ansel find themselves in Live Oak, South Carolina, a place on the verge of becoming a ghost town. They move in with Sophia Kelly, a young and beautiful chocolatier owner who opens not only her home, but her heart to Gretchen and Ansel.
Yet the witch isn’t gone—it’s here, lurking in the forests of Live Oak, preying on Live Oak girls every year after Sophia Kelly’s infamous chocolate festival. But Gretchen is determined to stop running from witches in the forest, and start fighting back. Alongside Samuel Reynolds, a boy as quick with a gun as he is a sarcastic remark, Gretchen digs deeper into the mystery of not only what the witch is, but how it chooses its victims. Yet the further she investigates, the more she finds herself wondering who the real monster is, and if love can be as deadly as it is beautiful.
Sweetly is a companion book to Sisters Red (though it takes a while for this to become evident) and a retelling of “Hansel and Gretel.” Though set in the same world, Sweetly has a very different feel than Sisters Red. There’s less action here—but that’s not a bad thing. Instead, Pearce gives us a mystery that is creepy and conflicting—both for Gretchen and the reader. (And, of course, she gives lots and lots of descriptions of chocolate—so getting a box of truffles to have beside you as you read is a really good idea.) As in Sisters Red, however, Pearce explores some of the thornier aspects of love, and what love can drive us to do. There’s the hint that more books could come in this world at the end of Sweetly, and I’d be happy to see them.
October 5, 2011
FenCon
The weekend before last, I went to FenCon in Dallas, my first fan convention as a guest author. It wasn’t my first con ever—I volunteered at Conestoga in Tulsa for the (sadly) last few years of its life, and I went to FenCon last year with friends. But this was the first time I’d be on the other side of things. So, what did I l take away from FenCon?
1) Panels aren’t so scary. I was on two panels, one on villains and the other on outlining. I was a bit nervous, especially sitting down for the first time at the first panel, but the other panelists were super-nice and put me right at ease. And I got right into the swing of things once the moderator and audience started asking questions. The top thing I took away from the villains panel is that authors and readers want their villains to have a believable motive. As I put it, I like them with a five-year plan for after the whole taking-over-the-world-thing has succeeded. The top thing I took away from the outlining panel was that, as a writer, you have to do what works for you. It doesn’t matter if that’s making a fifty page outline that tells you where to break every chapter or doing the kind of “big picture” outlining that I do, where you know the big beats you need to hit but not necessarily how to get there. If it works for you, that’s what you need to do. And if something doesn’t, you have to feel free to try new things to find what does.
2) Time your reading beforehand. I read from the same passage of TFP that I did at an event here in Tulsa, but I hadn’t re-timed it for FenCon. I ended up finishing the reading a bit early, though that wasn’t all bad, because it meant that I just took a couple of questions and had a nice chat with the folks there. But next time, I’ll be a bit more diligent in my prep.
3) YA isn’t just for kids. It’s something I already knew (particularly given my own reading habits), but it’s nice to have it confirmed in the real world. About half the people who talked to me were not in the “target age range” of my writing, but they seemed to have enjoyed TFP as much as the kids. The funniest was a dad who said he’d read the book twice and was trying to get his fifteen-year-old to read it—total role reversal.
4) Gail Carriger has amazing style. Gail was the GoH, and I went to several panels that she was on. She’s funny and always interesting, but what I really loved was her fashion sense. I hadn’t realized that she wears vintage clothing almost exclusively. (and I was really sad to have to duck out of her panel great places to find vintage clothes early to get to my signing). She looked awesome, and made me wish that I had the patience to wear stockings on a regular basis. But at least now I know about her vintage fashion blog!
Gail Carriger at FenCon
I want pretty much this whole outfit.
5) And, speaking of clothes, getting to see real Victorian clothes up close and personal is still a treat. I went to the panel on Victorian clothes last year, but this year they had a bigger room and thus more clothing out! So drool-worthy. (Though you have to control that to keep it off the clothes.)
So pretty
Love the beading on the collar.
Apparently, this dress was once eye-blindly lime green,
Wedding dress to die for.
6) Driving to and from Texas is always weird. Top two sights: We passed a pick-up truck with a huge deer head in it. As in, it was staring up at the sky, antlers poking over the sides of the truck. And, on the way back, we stopped in the weirdest rest stop restroom I’ve ever been in. It was disturbingly nice—tiled walls, marble counters, huge stalls. And it had a TV in one of the mirrors. I went to wash my hands and realized that the bottom half of the mirror was a TV with two-way glass over it, so you could see the TV and yourself. And it was playing 80s music videos. I’ve never seen anything that strange in a bathroom before. I mean, how long do they expect people to be washing their hands in Durant, Oklahoma?
7) Any excuse to wear a top hate is a good one.
Sadly, the very pretty wand my friend made is cut off. And I'm doing something weird with my hand. But you get the idea.
So, in short, FenCon was great, and a good way for me to get my feet wet in the con world. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do a more thorough dunking next year!
1) Panels aren’t so scary. I was on two panels, one on villains and the other on outlining. I was a bit nervous, especially sitting down for the first time at the first panel, but the other panelists were super-nice and put me right at ease. And I got right into the swing of things once the moderator and audience started asking questions. The top thing I took away from the villains panel is that authors and readers want their villains to have a believable motive. As I put it, I like them with a five-year plan for after the whole taking-over-the-world-thing has succeeded. The top thing I took away from the outlining panel was that, as a writer, you have to do what works for you. It doesn’t matter if that’s making a fifty page outline that tells you where to break every chapter or doing the kind of “big picture” outlining that I do, where you know the big beats you need to hit but not necessarily how to get there. If it works for you, that’s what you need to do. And if something doesn’t, you have to feel free to try new things to find what does.
2) Time your reading beforehand. I read from the same passage of TFP that I did at an event here in Tulsa, but I hadn’t re-timed it for FenCon. I ended up finishing the reading a bit early, though that wasn’t all bad, because it meant that I just took a couple of questions and had a nice chat with the folks there. But next time, I’ll be a bit more diligent in my prep.
3) YA isn’t just for kids. It’s something I already knew (particularly given my own reading habits), but it’s nice to have it confirmed in the real world. About half the people who talked to me were not in the “target age range” of my writing, but they seemed to have enjoyed TFP as much as the kids. The funniest was a dad who said he’d read the book twice and was trying to get his fifteen-year-old to read it—total role reversal.
4) Gail Carriger has amazing style. Gail was the GoH, and I went to several panels that she was on. She’s funny and always interesting, but what I really loved was her fashion sense. I hadn’t realized that she wears vintage clothing almost exclusively. (and I was really sad to have to duck out of her panel great places to find vintage clothes early to get to my signing). She looked awesome, and made me wish that I had the patience to wear stockings on a regular basis. But at least now I know about her vintage fashion blog!
Gail Carriger at FenCon
I want pretty much this whole outfit.
5) And, speaking of clothes, getting to see real Victorian clothes up close and personal is still a treat. I went to the panel on Victorian clothes last year, but this year they had a bigger room and thus more clothing out! So drool-worthy. (Though you have to control that to keep it off the clothes.)
So pretty
Love the beading on the collar.
Apparently, this dress was once eye-blindly lime green,
Wedding dress to die for.
6) Driving to and from Texas is always weird. Top two sights: We passed a pick-up truck with a huge deer head in it. As in, it was staring up at the sky, antlers poking over the sides of the truck. And, on the way back, we stopped in the weirdest rest stop restroom I’ve ever been in. It was disturbingly nice—tiled walls, marble counters, huge stalls. And it had a TV in one of the mirrors. I went to wash my hands and realized that the bottom half of the mirror was a TV with two-way glass over it, so you could see the TV and yourself. And it was playing 80s music videos. I’ve never seen anything that strange in a bathroom before. I mean, how long do they expect people to be washing their hands in Durant, Oklahoma?
7) Any excuse to wear a top hate is a good one.
Sadly, the very pretty wand my friend made is cut off. And I'm doing something weird with my hand. But you get the idea.
So, in short, FenCon was great, and a good way for me to get my feet wet in the con world. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do a more thorough dunking next year!
October 3, 2011
Almost, Totally, Virtually There
I spent yesterday feeling like I had taken a new step into the 21st century. That is to say, I spent yesterday searching for and buying a webcam. Why? Because I'm going to be part of the Houston Public Library's "Almost, Totally, Virtually Here: Teen Author Visits" at 4:00 p.m. CST on Wednesday, October 12th. With the help of my shiny new webcam, I'll be chatting with readers about The False Princess, writing, books, and (if anyone asks), why there will be a cardboard cutout of Buffy's Spike in the background of my office. (No, I'm not moving him for the webcast. He'd be offended.)
But I'm not in Houston, you cry. No problem! The library's link above gives information on how to view or take part in the virtual chat from anywhere in the world. If you want to just watch, you can watch from the library's website. If you want to ask a question, though, you'll need to register for a free UStream account.
I'm really excited about this, so I hope you'll join me! And make sure to check out the day and times for the library's other guest authors: Holly Black, Lisa McMann, and Adam Rex.
Almost, Totally, Virtually There: Teen Author Visits
Houston Public Library (or anywhere you have a computer)
Wednesday, October 12
4:00 p.m. CST
But I'm not in Houston, you cry. No problem! The library's link above gives information on how to view or take part in the virtual chat from anywhere in the world. If you want to just watch, you can watch from the library's website. If you want to ask a question, though, you'll need to register for a free UStream account.
I'm really excited about this, so I hope you'll join me! And make sure to check out the day and times for the library's other guest authors: Holly Black, Lisa McMann, and Adam Rex.
Almost, Totally, Virtually There: Teen Author Visits
Houston Public Library (or anywhere you have a computer)
Wednesday, October 12
4:00 p.m. CST
