Harry Connolly's Blog, page 170

A short, happy story

The tale of my very first book sale is up on Jim C. Hines's blog and LiveJournal. For new readers here, it's not the usual book sale story: It's a tale of quitting and shame.

Of course, I'm typing this on four hours of sleep so 'asli lkasj mnfsi lasl jfasi back to bed. Hope everyone is enjoying their day.

It's one a.m.

In two and a half hours, the shuttle van will be coming to pick up my wife for her week-long trip to Italy. She'll be gone about a week and a half, and I will be staying home with my son.

There will be much writing time claimed, much pizza eaten (and salad) and some small amount of computer games played. I hope to clear the final level of Swordplay Showdown.

By which I mean that I'll be checking email, but not doing a lot of internet reading/socializing. At least, I don't think I will. ...

Randomness for 9/7

1) Author believes publishers ghettoize women readers and writers.

2) The Herald-Sun takes a necessary step. Has there been any doubt that this was coming, and had been coming for a long time?

3) Steam Trek, a parody. Video. Funny and cute. This is what people do when they turn off their TVs.

4) The Book Depository becomes even cooler than you thought possible. Live global tracking of book buying.

5) Common myths about good study habits, and how people (not just kids) learn.

6) Part of...

This is me.

This post by Ally Carter comes at just the right time, because I'm having a bought of the crazies myself. Mine are probably not like yours–I tend to become quiet, lie in darkened bedrooms, and mutter to myself about all the ways I've screwed up.

I'm not fishing for encouragement; I've said before that encouragement makes me uncomfortable. Still, I'm going to have to come to some kind of balance, or work out a way to put marketing and sales out of my mind. I'll find success the way every o...

Storytelling, Heroes, and The Goon.

I just deleted a long post I'd written about The Goon, which was brought on by reading the trades. It was Volume 8: Those That Is Damned.

It was about happiness, and heroism, and how happiness is for people who are too fucking weak to get out into the world and face down evil and misery. It was also about how fundamental this is to so many heroic story structures. It was also about my own need for order and how fucking weak I am that I pursue happiness when I could be doing more and...

On to other things

Game of Cages is officially on the bookstore shelves (or in your hot little hands) and I can move on with my life. Maybe.

For instance, my father-in-law took one glance at the Lego guns my son has been building, and he insisted my wife take photos of them. Like this:

or

There's more at the Flickr set.

Needless to say, I suspect we'll be visiting Brickcon this fall.

Randomness for 9/6

1) While I have pretty much given up on DOCTOR WHO, the chances are you haven't. In recognition of that, a link: Warren Ellis challenges artists to create a photograph/original artwork depicting the 13th (and final) reincarnation of The Doctor. It takes a while for the art to really start coming in, so be sure to skim through the pages to check it out. Some is pretty cool.

2) "Vampire" skull discovered.

3) 600 Hanna Barbera Characters This pretty much has to be viewed at the original...

"Did you think all this up yourself? Out of your head?"

Today was the book signing. What do you mean you don't believe me?! Proof? Here's the proof!

That's me, in case you didn't realize. The white shirt I'm wearing was freshly ironed twenty seconds before that photo was taken, but as soon as I hung it on myself it shriveled like a flower petal dropped into acid. Those are my books, my pens, my individually-wrapped prunes dried plums, and my oh-so-stylish sneakers.

If you're wondering how it went, I sold eight books, four of book 1, four of b...

Book signing rules

Having read the long list of restrictions at Tony Blair's book signing, I've decided to institute my own list of restrictions for tomorrow's signing. Please adhere closely to these rules.

1. No photography. All photographs with cameras or camera phones is strictly prohibited due to the danger of capturing one of The Author's many bad sides. A sketch artist will be provided and pencil sketches will be available for a reasonable price.

2. Backpacks, purses and satchels are allowed, but all f...

Book signing tomorrow

Hey, guys. I will be having a book signing tomorrow afternoon at Magnolia's Bookstore in Seattle. It's easily accessible by the 24 or 31 bus lines, and there's plenty of parking. I'll start things off around 1pm and end about half-past "I don't think anyone else is coming."

Both books should be available and it's a nice little store with a substantial kids/YA section. Please drop by and say hello.