Martha Wells's Blog, page 152
July 28, 2012
ArmadilloCon Friday
Here is a sort of pictorial essay on ArmadilloCon Friday, because for once I remembered to put my camera in my bag.
Thursday night I went out with friends AT and Carol and Bill and Judy Crider to Fonda San Miguel.
The restaurant is in a beautiful building and the food is even better than the restaurant looks.
Friday morning I woke up bright and early at 5:30 for no reason. (I think I'm missing Jack, the teenage cat/land piranha) I walked over to L'Madeleine for breakfast and met up with some of the other workshop people. Then we came back and got started:
I was leading a group with Matthew Bey, and we had three great participants with good submissions and some really good discussion.
After eight or so hours of workshopping, I was getting a bit blood-sugar-crashy (conventions do that to me in a way nothing else does. I think it's all the talking). Troyce had arrived by that point so we went to the Zoe's Kitchen next to the hotel and got a snack. I had a panel at 6:00, and we had plans to go out to eat with friends after that.
That's Joe Lansdale, Howard Waldrop, William Browning Spencer, Me, and Neal Barrett, Jr. It was on SF/F in Texas, but after getting interrupted by a fire alarm twice, having to go out the emergency door and stand in the grass, then coming back in and being interrupted by the announcement that the emergency was over, it was mostly talking about everyone's first experiences with fandom and other stories. It was a really funny panel and the audience (and me) were laughing most of the time, including when we had to go stand outside.
After that, we went out to dinner at Z Tejas, which has a great location overlooking the park on the far side of the duck pond. I wish I'd gotten a picture but I was too hungry. (Here's one from their web site).
Then we came back to the convention for the Friday night party, and talked with people a little bit before it was time to collapse.
Thursday night I went out with friends AT and Carol and Bill and Judy Crider to Fonda San Miguel.
The restaurant is in a beautiful building and the food is even better than the restaurant looks.
Friday morning I woke up bright and early at 5:30 for no reason. (I think I'm missing Jack, the teenage cat/land piranha) I walked over to L'Madeleine for breakfast and met up with some of the other workshop people. Then we came back and got started:
I was leading a group with Matthew Bey, and we had three great participants with good submissions and some really good discussion.
After eight or so hours of workshopping, I was getting a bit blood-sugar-crashy (conventions do that to me in a way nothing else does. I think it's all the talking). Troyce had arrived by that point so we went to the Zoe's Kitchen next to the hotel and got a snack. I had a panel at 6:00, and we had plans to go out to eat with friends after that.
That's Joe Lansdale, Howard Waldrop, William Browning Spencer, Me, and Neal Barrett, Jr. It was on SF/F in Texas, but after getting interrupted by a fire alarm twice, having to go out the emergency door and stand in the grass, then coming back in and being interrupted by the announcement that the emergency was over, it was mostly talking about everyone's first experiences with fandom and other stories. It was a really funny panel and the audience (and me) were laughing most of the time, including when we had to go stand outside.
After that, we went out to dinner at Z Tejas, which has a great location overlooking the park on the far side of the duck pond. I wish I'd gotten a picture but I was too hungry. (Here's one from their web site).
Then we came back to the convention for the Friday night party, and talked with people a little bit before it was time to collapse.
July 26, 2012
ArmadilloCon
I'm in Austin a day early so I can be at the ArmadilloCon writers workshop bright and early tomorrow morning.
I'm going to try to do more posting from the con than I normally do, but we'll see. And I'll try to talk more about the con and less about what I have to eat. (I've already had pita chips and hibiscus tea.)
I'm going to try to do more posting from the con than I normally do, but we'll see. And I'll try to talk more about the con and less about what I have to eat. (I've already had pita chips and hibiscus tea.)
July 24, 2012
Sundry and Book Recs
Sundry:
Okay, the ebook of The Element of Fire is now for sale on Kobo (DRM-free) for 2.99. Wheel of the Infinite is also there, but City of Bones is still stuck in their system.
My other books on Kobo (still in print so being sold via the publishers) are here. This includes the Raksura books, the Ile-Rien trilogy, and the Stargate: Atlantis books. (They're also available on Nook, Baen ebook store (Raksura books are DRM-free there), Kindle, iTunes, Waterstones UK, Whitcoulls NZ etc. I try to keep track of all the buy links on my web site here.)
***
This is really good advice for writers: Sarah Weinman: Life Lessons For and From the Literary World
***
Books recs:
Book I just finished:
Redshirts by John Scalzi - This is described as a story about the lower level crewmembers on a starship not unlike the Enterprise who discover they're the only ones who ever die on away missions, while the main bridge crew are mysteriously immune. That's how it starts, but it's more than that, and I don't want to spoil it by saying more about it. But I enjoyed it a lot, and I think it's particularly resonant for people (like me) who get attached to fictional characters, the ones they created and the ones they didn't, and/or who have always loved SF TV.
Book I'm about to start:
The Shadowed Sun by N. K. Jemisin. I loved the first book in this two-book set (The Killing Moon) and I'm looking forward to this one. They're fantasies, set in a world reminiscent of ancient Egypt.
Book I have which I'll be reading soon:
When Maidens Mourn by C.S. Harris. This is the latest installment in a historical mystery series that I describe as being like a mystery set in a regency romance.
Okay, the ebook of The Element of Fire is now for sale on Kobo (DRM-free) for 2.99. Wheel of the Infinite is also there, but City of Bones is still stuck in their system.
My other books on Kobo (still in print so being sold via the publishers) are here. This includes the Raksura books, the Ile-Rien trilogy, and the Stargate: Atlantis books. (They're also available on Nook, Baen ebook store (Raksura books are DRM-free there), Kindle, iTunes, Waterstones UK, Whitcoulls NZ etc. I try to keep track of all the buy links on my web site here.)
***
This is really good advice for writers: Sarah Weinman: Life Lessons For and From the Literary World
***
Books recs:
Book I just finished:
Redshirts by John Scalzi - This is described as a story about the lower level crewmembers on a starship not unlike the Enterprise who discover they're the only ones who ever die on away missions, while the main bridge crew are mysteriously immune. That's how it starts, but it's more than that, and I don't want to spoil it by saying more about it. But I enjoyed it a lot, and I think it's particularly resonant for people (like me) who get attached to fictional characters, the ones they created and the ones they didn't, and/or who have always loved SF TV.
Book I'm about to start:
The Shadowed Sun by N. K. Jemisin. I loved the first book in this two-book set (The Killing Moon) and I'm looking forward to this one. They're fantasies, set in a world reminiscent of ancient Egypt.
Book I have which I'll be reading soon:
When Maidens Mourn by C.S. Harris. This is the latest installment in a historical mystery series that I describe as being like a mystery set in a regency romance.
July 23, 2012
Weekend
Family came in last night for a quick visit, and we went out to dinner with them and a group of friends, and there was a pitcher of Bellinis, so the weekend finished up slightly drunk. Other than that, I got done most of what I wanted to get done.
I'm going to ArmadilloCon this weekend and among other things need to dye my hair. The gray tends to come in in weird sporadic patches, so I tend to look like Dr. Orpheus (see icon) without the symmetry. I'm going to use the purple dye I tried before that I really loved. It's a subtle purple, so you can only see it in the right light, and it shows up mostly on the gray patches. Cross your fingers for me that it works this time the way it did before.
Hopefully I can do a book recs post this week, too.
***
ArmadilloCon in Austin, Texas, is this coming weekend and my schedule is here. The major guests are: Guest of Honor: Anne Bishop, Special Guest: Chloe Neill, Editor Guest: Liz Gorinsky, Artist Guest: Julie Dillon.
***
Trying to catch up on links:
* Michelle Sagara: In which Michelle has an opinion
If you spend much time on the internet in writers’ circles, you will no doubt have heard about the Stop The Goodreads Bullies web-site. Set up by anonymous bloggers, it purports to be a site created by concerned readers, readers who are dismayed and outraged by the bullies on Goodreads. These so-called bullies are reviewers. They are generally very snarky reviewers.
In order to stop these bullies, our concerned "readers" have gone through the effort of anonymously outing them in public. They have posted their real names, as most of them write pseudonymously. Not only have they posted their real names, but they have also posted their home addresses, their phone numbers, and (some of) the restaurants and parks they frequent.
This is, in my opinion, sick. It is sick, disturbed, harassment.
* You Tube: Neil deGrasse Tyson at the Starship Smackdown, Comic-Con 2012
* Another Comic-Con related link: Frustrations of an Asian American Whedonite
At San Diego Comic-Con 2012, I finally got to ask the question. The question that’s been burning in my mind for almost ten years now.
* Crossed Genres Magazine is opening for submissions again on August 1, now paying pro rates.
* Facebook: The Jim Henson Company
The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over fifty years and we have notified Chick-Fil-A that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors.
* This is a really excellent article: The Guardian: This is how racism takes root
The different ways the media covered two cases of men grooming children for sex show how shockingly easy it is to demonise a whole community
I'm going to ArmadilloCon this weekend and among other things need to dye my hair. The gray tends to come in in weird sporadic patches, so I tend to look like Dr. Orpheus (see icon) without the symmetry. I'm going to use the purple dye I tried before that I really loved. It's a subtle purple, so you can only see it in the right light, and it shows up mostly on the gray patches. Cross your fingers for me that it works this time the way it did before.
Hopefully I can do a book recs post this week, too.
***
ArmadilloCon in Austin, Texas, is this coming weekend and my schedule is here. The major guests are: Guest of Honor: Anne Bishop, Special Guest: Chloe Neill, Editor Guest: Liz Gorinsky, Artist Guest: Julie Dillon.
***
Trying to catch up on links:
* Michelle Sagara: In which Michelle has an opinion
If you spend much time on the internet in writers’ circles, you will no doubt have heard about the Stop The Goodreads Bullies web-site. Set up by anonymous bloggers, it purports to be a site created by concerned readers, readers who are dismayed and outraged by the bullies on Goodreads. These so-called bullies are reviewers. They are generally very snarky reviewers.
In order to stop these bullies, our concerned "readers" have gone through the effort of anonymously outing them in public. They have posted their real names, as most of them write pseudonymously. Not only have they posted their real names, but they have also posted their home addresses, their phone numbers, and (some of) the restaurants and parks they frequent.
This is, in my opinion, sick. It is sick, disturbed, harassment.
* You Tube: Neil deGrasse Tyson at the Starship Smackdown, Comic-Con 2012
* Another Comic-Con related link: Frustrations of an Asian American Whedonite
At San Diego Comic-Con 2012, I finally got to ask the question. The question that’s been burning in my mind for almost ten years now.
* Crossed Genres Magazine is opening for submissions again on August 1, now paying pro rates.
* Facebook: The Jim Henson Company
The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over fifty years and we have notified Chick-Fil-A that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors.
* This is a really excellent article: The Guardian: This is how racism takes root
The different ways the media covered two cases of men grooming children for sex show how shockingly easy it is to demonise a whole community
July 22, 2012
ArmadilloCon Schedule
ArmadilloCon is next weekend, July 27-29, in Austin, Texas.
The major guests are: Guest of Honor: Anne Bishop, Special Guest: Chloe Neill, Editor Guest: Liz Gorinsky, Artist Guest: Julie Dillon.
I'm one of the teachers for the writers workshop all day Friday, then my schedule is:
Fr1800T Texas is Fantastic
Fri 6:00 PM-7:00 PM Trinity
Neal Barrett, Joe Lansdale, Carrie Richerson, Wen Spencer, Howard Waldrop, Martha Wells
A discussion of fantasy written by Texans and/or set in the Lone Star State.
Sa1400SB SF/F Mysteries
Sat 2:00 PM-3:00 PM Sabine
Scott Cupp, Marshall Maresca, Rob Rogers, Patrice Sarath*, Martha Wells
A discussion of good examples of this mixed subgenre and the special challenges of writing it.
Saturday, 4:30pm Reading
Martha Wells (I'm not sure yet what I'll be reading from. Probably The Siren Depths since my printer is having problems and I can't print anything else out right now.)
Sa1700SB Building a Fictional Society from the Ground Up
Sat 5:00 PM-6:00 PM Sabine
Anne Bishop, Amanda Downum, Abby Goldsmith, Julie Mandala, Jessica Reisman*, Martha Wells
A discussion of worldbuilding in sf/f.
Sa2030SM Reading
Sat 8:30 PM-9:00 PM San Marcos
Aaron de Orive (Aaron will be reading from the unsold MG fantasy we wrote together.)
The major guests are: Guest of Honor: Anne Bishop, Special Guest: Chloe Neill, Editor Guest: Liz Gorinsky, Artist Guest: Julie Dillon.
I'm one of the teachers for the writers workshop all day Friday, then my schedule is:
Fr1800T Texas is Fantastic
Fri 6:00 PM-7:00 PM Trinity
Neal Barrett, Joe Lansdale, Carrie Richerson, Wen Spencer, Howard Waldrop, Martha Wells
A discussion of fantasy written by Texans and/or set in the Lone Star State.
Sa1400SB SF/F Mysteries
Sat 2:00 PM-3:00 PM Sabine
Scott Cupp, Marshall Maresca, Rob Rogers, Patrice Sarath*, Martha Wells
A discussion of good examples of this mixed subgenre and the special challenges of writing it.
Saturday, 4:30pm Reading
Martha Wells (I'm not sure yet what I'll be reading from. Probably The Siren Depths since my printer is having problems and I can't print anything else out right now.)
Sa1700SB Building a Fictional Society from the Ground Up
Sat 5:00 PM-6:00 PM Sabine
Anne Bishop, Amanda Downum, Abby Goldsmith, Julie Mandala, Jessica Reisman*, Martha Wells
A discussion of worldbuilding in sf/f.
Sa2030SM Reading
Sat 8:30 PM-9:00 PM San Marcos
Aaron de Orive (Aaron will be reading from the unsold MG fantasy we wrote together.)
July 20, 2012
Quick Note and Trip Report
Quick Note:
My reprint of Wheel of the Infinite is now available in Kobo ebook. It should be DRM-free, and it's only $2.99.
The Element of Fire and City of Bones are going to be up there soon, once I can check to make sure the epub files are okay. My other books currently on Kobo here.
Trip report:
So Monday evening I drove to Conroe with a friend, spent the night, picked up another friend in Houston Tuesday morning, and then drove down to Galveston.
Despite all the rain we've been having lately, the weather was gorgeous. We got there about lunchtime, and went to The Spot, which is on the Seawall. It's a weird little bar/food place that's been there a long time and has expanded over the years, so you get there, park in the back, walk past the bar, walk between the other two bars, walk past the ice cream/cake counter, then finally find the food counter. We sat on an outdoor upper floor balcony with a great view of the beach.
Then we went to The Strand, which was the sort of main street, financial center of the town before the 1900 hurricane. Now a lot of the Victorian buildings have been restored and are all restaurants and shops. (And there's the Moody Building at the far end, which is in a gorgeous white Art Deco style, which is still an office building.) (On one of my earlier trips, I posted a picture of the hurricane Ike high water line, which would have been two feet over my head, even standing on the sidewalks which are two feet or so above street level.) We shopped a lot.
We also stopped at LaKings Confectionery, which is an old fashioned candy factory and soda fountain (and a new fashioned coffee bar) and I had a chocolate soda. I wish I had taken a picture, because it looked as good as it tasted. (When they put it on the counter, a small crowd gathered behind me wanting to know what it was.) Every place else I've ordered chocolate soda, it's been made wrong. (Places seem to put it on their menus but don't know how to make it. The most common way I've had it made wrong is that they mix the chocolate ice cream with the soda, which gives you a glass of mush. You're supposed to mix chocolate syrup with the soda, then float the scoops of either chocolate or vanilla ice cream on top. If a place doesn't ask you if you want chocolate or vanilla ice cream when you order a chocolate soda, it usually means they're about to make it wrong.) Anyway, they used a very dark chocolate, and it was incredible.
Then we went to our hotel, which was Gaido's Seaside Inn, which is cheap but nice. We walked across the street to the beach and went swimming, and the water was very warm. We usually go in the offseason in September, when it's still warm enough to go swimming, but not quite this warm.
Then we went to dinner at Rudi and Paco's next to the restored Victorian Opera House on Post Office Street, which is a couple of streets down from the Strand, and has more shopping, mostly art galleries. We were standing outside looking at the menu, and the owner, Paco, was out there and sort of shooed us in and seated us himself , which did cause waiters to materialize even faster than they normally would. It's a very small place but with a really pretty Art Deco style interior. Dinner was excellent.
The next day we went to breakfast at Miller's Grill, which is a small Victorian style house on the Sea Wall which serves incredible French toast. Then we checked out of the hotel and went to Moody Gardens, to the newly remodeled rain forest pyramid exhibit. (Here's some photos online of the outside)
Then we went to a new place I had heard about but never been before. It's towards the West end of the island, on one of the bays, and was called the Waterman. It's one of those places where you can drive up in your boat, tie off, and then go eat, so it's right on the water. The restaurant on the second floor only opened for dinner, but the bar on the first floor served lunch, so we sat there and looked at the water and had really good food. It was basically a room with a roof and two walls, and one whole side open to the bay.
Then we did a bit more shopping, then started for home, because we were dead tired. (We didn't get a lot of sleep due to an allergic reaction, a car alarm in the parking lot, and me not understanding how to make the air conditioner stay on until the middle of the night.) But it was a great trip.
My reprint of Wheel of the Infinite is now available in Kobo ebook. It should be DRM-free, and it's only $2.99.
The Element of Fire and City of Bones are going to be up there soon, once I can check to make sure the epub files are okay. My other books currently on Kobo here.
Trip report:
So Monday evening I drove to Conroe with a friend, spent the night, picked up another friend in Houston Tuesday morning, and then drove down to Galveston.
Despite all the rain we've been having lately, the weather was gorgeous. We got there about lunchtime, and went to The Spot, which is on the Seawall. It's a weird little bar/food place that's been there a long time and has expanded over the years, so you get there, park in the back, walk past the bar, walk between the other two bars, walk past the ice cream/cake counter, then finally find the food counter. We sat on an outdoor upper floor balcony with a great view of the beach.
Then we went to The Strand, which was the sort of main street, financial center of the town before the 1900 hurricane. Now a lot of the Victorian buildings have been restored and are all restaurants and shops. (And there's the Moody Building at the far end, which is in a gorgeous white Art Deco style, which is still an office building.) (On one of my earlier trips, I posted a picture of the hurricane Ike high water line, which would have been two feet over my head, even standing on the sidewalks which are two feet or so above street level.) We shopped a lot.
We also stopped at LaKings Confectionery, which is an old fashioned candy factory and soda fountain (and a new fashioned coffee bar) and I had a chocolate soda. I wish I had taken a picture, because it looked as good as it tasted. (When they put it on the counter, a small crowd gathered behind me wanting to know what it was.) Every place else I've ordered chocolate soda, it's been made wrong. (Places seem to put it on their menus but don't know how to make it. The most common way I've had it made wrong is that they mix the chocolate ice cream with the soda, which gives you a glass of mush. You're supposed to mix chocolate syrup with the soda, then float the scoops of either chocolate or vanilla ice cream on top. If a place doesn't ask you if you want chocolate or vanilla ice cream when you order a chocolate soda, it usually means they're about to make it wrong.) Anyway, they used a very dark chocolate, and it was incredible.
Then we went to our hotel, which was Gaido's Seaside Inn, which is cheap but nice. We walked across the street to the beach and went swimming, and the water was very warm. We usually go in the offseason in September, when it's still warm enough to go swimming, but not quite this warm.
Then we went to dinner at Rudi and Paco's next to the restored Victorian Opera House on Post Office Street, which is a couple of streets down from the Strand, and has more shopping, mostly art galleries. We were standing outside looking at the menu, and the owner, Paco, was out there and sort of shooed us in and seated us himself , which did cause waiters to materialize even faster than they normally would. It's a very small place but with a really pretty Art Deco style interior. Dinner was excellent.
The next day we went to breakfast at Miller's Grill, which is a small Victorian style house on the Sea Wall which serves incredible French toast. Then we checked out of the hotel and went to Moody Gardens, to the newly remodeled rain forest pyramid exhibit. (Here's some photos online of the outside)
Then we went to a new place I had heard about but never been before. It's towards the West end of the island, on one of the bays, and was called the Waterman. It's one of those places where you can drive up in your boat, tie off, and then go eat, so it's right on the water. The restaurant on the second floor only opened for dinner, but the bar on the first floor served lunch, so we sat there and looked at the water and had really good food. It was basically a room with a roof and two walls, and one whole side open to the bay.
Then we did a bit more shopping, then started for home, because we were dead tired. (We didn't get a lot of sleep due to an allergic reaction, a car alarm in the parking lot, and me not understanding how to make the air conditioner stay on until the middle of the night.) But it was a great trip.
July 19, 2012
Mini-Vacation in Galveston
I've been offline since late Monday afternoon, taking a mini-vacation in Galveston. We got back late last night. Here's some photos, and I'll do a bit of a trip report later.
I've taken a lot of pictures of the Victorian houses, the new beachhouses, etc, so this time I was trying to get different things. For previous pictures, check out the Galveston tag below.
This is the view from where we had lunch, at The Spot
Restored Victorian buildings on The Strand
Making saltwater taffy at LaKings Confectionary.
The soda fountain at LaKings
This building is completely full of homemade ice cream and candy.
Trying to get a close-up of another building
Murdoch's and the Amusement Pier - Both are recreations of things that used to be there, though Murdoch's was a bathhouse and is now a shop.
Old style beachhouses behind the Seawall.
Miller's, where we had breakfast.
These next pictures are all from the Moody Gardens Rainforest exhibit, in the glass pyramid, which was rebuilt after hurricane Ike. It's a lot bigger now, with two levels so they can demonstrate the difference between the canopy and the forest floor. You can't tell from these pictures, but it's full of birds and fish and turtles, plus sections for butterflies and bats.
This is the view from where we had lunch at one point, from the Waterman towards the West end of the island. It's one of those places where you can drive up and park your boat and eat.
I've taken a lot of pictures of the Victorian houses, the new beachhouses, etc, so this time I was trying to get different things. For previous pictures, check out the Galveston tag below.
This is the view from where we had lunch, at The Spot
Restored Victorian buildings on The Strand
Making saltwater taffy at LaKings Confectionary.
The soda fountain at LaKings
This building is completely full of homemade ice cream and candy.
Trying to get a close-up of another building
Murdoch's and the Amusement Pier - Both are recreations of things that used to be there, though Murdoch's was a bathhouse and is now a shop.
Old style beachhouses behind the Seawall.
Miller's, where we had breakfast.
These next pictures are all from the Moody Gardens Rainforest exhibit, in the glass pyramid, which was rebuilt after hurricane Ike. It's a lot bigger now, with two levels so they can demonstrate the difference between the canopy and the forest floor. You can't tell from these pictures, but it's full of birds and fish and turtles, plus sections for butterflies and bats.
This is the view from where we had lunch at one point, from the Waterman towards the West end of the island. It's one of those places where you can drive up and park your boat and eat.
July 14, 2012
Okay, had to post this this morning for all of you who li...
Okay, had to post this this morning for all of you who like me are trying to live vicariously through the people at ComicCon:
Zachary Levi and Nathan Fillion kissing for charity at ComicCon! (Yes, each other.)
Zachary Levi and Nathan Fillion kissing for charity at ComicCon! (Yes, each other.)
July 13, 2012
July 12, 2012
Our 16-year-old washing machine died yesterday, so that w...
Our 16-year-old washing machine died yesterday, so that was...not fun.
Catching up on links:
heidi2524′s Not-A-Top-10-List of Website Suggestions
American Prospect: Move Over, Mario Recent sexist spats in the gaming world belie the fact that women are here to stay.
Raising Millions for Marriage: Donation Page Sandy's partner is raising funds to help prevent the recent gay marriage law in Washington State from being overturned. She's set up a Team Donation page in Sandy's honor named "Sandy's People." You can donate anonymously or under your name. Sandy was a fan who passed away before the legislation for marriage equality, but her registered domestic partnership will be converted to a marriage n 2014 if the law is not overturned.
Catching up on links:
heidi2524′s Not-A-Top-10-List of Website Suggestions
American Prospect: Move Over, Mario Recent sexist spats in the gaming world belie the fact that women are here to stay.
Raising Millions for Marriage: Donation Page Sandy's partner is raising funds to help prevent the recent gay marriage law in Washington State from being overturned. She's set up a Team Donation page in Sandy's honor named "Sandy's People." You can donate anonymously or under your name. Sandy was a fan who passed away before the legislation for marriage equality, but her registered domestic partnership will be converted to a marriage n 2014 if the law is not overturned.
