Things I Have

1. My copy of Magic Bleeds. Yes!!!

2. A new pink swath in my hair, thanks to Margot, who now disappears for maternity leave for three months.

3. 1001 errands to run before I get home tonight.

4. One car, instead of two, because the other car needs a new engine cooling fan. Which is why you should note number 3.

5. A stack of papers to check at or on the way to Wiscon. :/

6. My books to take to A Room of One’s Own to sell at the convention.

7. An easy Wii workout tonight (it’s balance night).

And now, I have to go. See you out there, soon.

Catherine

Intuitive Eating: Rejecting the Diet Mentality

Last week during my day off, in addition to writing, I sucked it up and went to a dietitian. Our local grocery store chain now has dietitians on staff, so it was a matter of a modest fee for a consultation.

My regret, perhaps a mistake that has cost me any chance at metabolism I might have had, is that I didn’t do this younger and sooner. Perhaps some readers could benefit from my example.

And mind, I’m not talking about any sort of diet that needs to be controlled by you and a physician, for example, if you have dangerously high cholesterol, or diabetes, or heart disease. My goal now is to go as healthfully into my retirement as possible.

I know, I know, I have 10-20 years before I retire. BUT I haven’t mastered the habits of health, exercise, and diet yet, so I figured I’d need a little lead time.

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Variety

Not too sure about the new schedule yet. It’s only a day old, but the rhythm doesn’t seem good. Only wrote for 45 minutes yesterday.

Okay, sure, I had to do some author business with my writer time, but I’m not wild about it yet.

This morning was also author business. You may remember that Kirkwood paid for my release time to write Hulk Hercules, so there were visits to the library and the faculty center, and books sent to the president’s office. I almost have all the in-house credits in order. Next up–I have to track down some wrestler’s addresses for thank you books. Then, we can start the critiques and school library things in earnest.

I bought some lovely gel pens for autographs too. I enjoy that. I also sent out the first of the Morty Moose game tokens, to Michael Jasper’s kids.

***

It has gone from being about 40 at night to about 70 at night. The humidity outside is like August. Unpleasant dog day August. I’d love a change before the weekend. I bought spring clothes, shopping gods! Not summer! Spring!

***

It does not make me happy that Iowa writer Sarah Prineas is suffering under the same heat wave. Rather, today is the release day of The Magic Thief: Found. Looking forward to that one!

***

All right, so my tai chi instructor is drawing the time to my attention, and then there’s some teaching and you know, work, so I’d better close this down. Stay cool. Drink a lot.

Catherine

Link to Interview about Me; A VP’er Short Story, First Day

I have been interviewed about Hulk Hercules, and it’s posted at Broad Universe. Thanks to Jane Hunter for the spotlight!

Also, Ferret Steinmetz has another story for you to check out: Dead Prophecies appearing in The Three-Lobe Burning Eye, which is totally a name I wish I’d thought of.

Not much else to give you guys. First day of summer school looms like a heavy-handed dream-sequence end to a popular series. Soon, though, my plan for taking over the world.

Catherine

Thanks

You have all been very generous with your suggestions about book promotion. I begin to formulate a variety of plans, and I’ll keep you posted as we experiment.

I appreciate the support. It’s good to learn from the collective best.

Catherine

VP Profile #1: Sean Craven

Happy to finally get the first of these finished! Presenting my fellow VP XIII’er and the maker of the famed chili dog casserole:

Sean Craven

“I’m a compulsively creative person. I make music and pictures, I’m the kind of cook that friends and family casually refer to as the best in the world (there are untold millions of us…), I’ve even dabbled in sculpture and film when I was a kid. And whenever I’ve seen or heard or tasted anything that I’ve loved or admired I’ve wished that I’d created it myself.”

Sean Craven has a case of the jitters. Sometimes when you watch him, he jitters out of focus. Because he oscillates, there are moments when he is sharp against the background, so sharp you almost forget about the background. I met Sean at a week-long writer’s workshop where I watched him weave around and through reality. I wish I could do that.

This excerpt is from an essay that Sean wrote in 2007. When I talk to Sean, I can see the truth of this in him. Many of us creators have been saved by our art.

“Art has given me strength and comfort and refuge. It has challenged me and angered me and changed the way that I looked at myself and at the world around me. It has shown me the crystalline beauty of purely rational thought and the deeply knotted torment of madness and it has allowed me to accept and value these things in myself.”

Sean’s story Tourists introduced me to Sean’s writing. It is a unique blend of horror and humor, a little bit of an emotional roller coaster. What makes “Tourists” work for me isn’t only that juxtaposition, but it’s also the realism of the story. Sean is a master of inserting the odd into the common.

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Books: I Haz Them

There should be pictures here, but it was a long day at work yesterday. So close your eyes and imagine…two large cardboard boxes from UPS. Using a box cutter to open them…Look, the box is filled to the rim with copies of Hulk Hercules: Professional Wrestler! And so is the other box.

Mmmm, fresh book smell. Look, Bastet is rubbing her cheeks on the boxes, claiming them as her own. Well, I guess I know who gets to keep those books now.

***

Some really good news about Hulk Hercules. The book has been picked up for distribution by Follett Library Resources, Inc. and Book Wholesalers, Inc., Those are the two biggest library wholesalers in the country. Not too shabby.

If you want your kid to read Hulk Hercules, and you don’t want to buy it, ask your school librarian or public librarian to order a copy. Maybe two. They’re small.

Now, here’s another part of writing I haven’t experienced. What do I do with these wonderful books?

I’m not clueless entirely. I have to send out some thank you gifts to the wonderful folks who have helped me out, who have let me interview them, or have made plastic coins for me. Yeah, there’s some gifting to do. And I know there are some interested other parties.

I want to keep some in reserve for the book readings and signings I’ll do this year. That still leaves me with a few books.

I figure I can do some good by sending some out to librarians and reviewers. I need to educate myself about places that review middle grade books and reach those audiences. Any ideas you have are appreciated.

I figure I’ll contact local schools as well.

One thing I’m very wary about is coming across as “that guy.” (which I think is copyrighted by Jim Hines). I don’t want to sound schmoozy, like I’m trying to get *my* book in your library. I truly want to share this book with kids because I think they’ll have fun with it. And I want to spread the love of wrestling. You betcha.

So, please, offer up your suggestions. Teach me about promotion, but help me to keep from sounding, I dunno, slimy.

Or send me a publicist. If you include a self-addressed envelop, I promise to return them.

Catherine

What I’ll Be Doing at Wiscon

This is pretty much it for my con, this year. I’m writing more fiction and less professorial things. Many thanks to my esteemed spouse Bryon who navigated the thornier aspects of our ancient Photoshop program.

I’ll also be at the sign out on Monday. If you have kids and you buy a book, I’ll be sure to send a Morty Moose token for them. It’s the Hulk Hercules exclusive for the con.

I just need to think of something punchy to write for kids that sounds like wrestling. Or mythology. Or wrestling and mythology. Together again.

Catherine