I'm having one of those depression/anxiety days, so it's ...

I'm having one of those depression/anxiety days, so it's hard to be enthusiastic and optimistic about anything. And I have an appointment for an eye exam today, so we'll see if I need new glasses. I have a feeling I do.

* Photo of me I really like, from a local magazine article.

* The Element of Fire audiobook is now available for preorder and will be released on September 16.

* Also, the Star Wars book Empire and Rebellion: Razor's Edge is coming out September 24. (50 page preview here, under "look inside")

I'm kind of nervous about it, for a number of different reasons.

And I've said this before but it bears repeating: If you like a book and want to help the author, recommend it to people, in person or online. Leave reviews on Amazon, B&N, etc, add the book to your lists on GoodReads, LibraryThing etc. Reviews on Amazon really help, because it takes at least 20 to get the book into Amazon's automatic recommendation systems.

(You see vanity presses tricking people into paying $20,000 or some other huge amount to do a TV commercial for their self-published book; that's money thrown away. The only advertising for books that does any good is word of mouth from readers.)

Also, if you want to read The Cloud Roads, The Serpent Sea or The Siren Depths or Emilie and the Hollow World at your library, and they don't have the books, you can usually request them. Most libraries have a form (written or online) where you can request that they order a book for their collection. If they can't order it, or can't order it right away, they may also be able to get it for you through interlibrary loan.