Category: General

I’ll announce this later closer to the event, but

I’ll be taking part in the Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading at Convergence on July 5th from 3:30-4:30.

If you’re at the convention, and you want to hear Sister Night, Sister Moon, or rather an excerpt thereof, please come by the lit programming room. I’ll be reading with other fine Broads, including Catherine Lundhoff, Sharon K. Richards, and Ruth Souther.

In other news, living with a sleepwalker certainly makes life entertaining. Sleepless, occasionally, but entertaining. Last night we were haunted by many ghosts. Since my husband is mostly James Randi’s man, I am amused. And tired.

Catherine

ETA: Alexia Paul and Kelly Sonnack sent along rejections

Basic YA outline done for Convergence! But keep those suggestions coming.

And yes, I did find Justine Larbalestier’s blog on the subject. It’s very good.

More?

Catherine

This week’s outs:

Cori Deyoe of 3 Seas
Marcia Wernick of Sheldon Fogelman
Robin Straus of Robin Straus
Matthew Bialer of Sanford J. Greenburger
Jennifer DuVall of Schiavone

This week’s ins:

A request for a full. 🙂

We still have a partial out with Agent C from April. Agent D just had the entirety of Substance sent off today.

So, it’s been a better than average day for the queriverse. Remember, it only takes one yes, and you’ve got an agent.

***

The Japan trip can not stand up to my mighty organizational skills, and slowly I’m packing and making calls. Now I have to organize some things on the domestic front, like cat care and lawn mowing. Ah! how I shall miss lawn mowing. I’m also starting to get things around for Convergence, and here’s where you all can help me out.

I’m on a YA panel. Yup, the obligatory YA panel. I do know some things, but what I’d like are some good recs from y’all, and commentary, so I can do a better than average bout of research as I put my notes together. I’m not the head of this panel, but I want to represent the field in a balanced fashion. I’d like to have this bad boy put to bed before I head out to Japan.

If you have opinions, spill! I will, of course, credit your sage wisdom.

Catherine

That was a lot of organizing.

There are a few odds and ends, but the Japan itinerary is done. I’m waiting for a couple of phone numbers, information on whether or not we score Takarazuka tickets, some information on how late a gathering in Osaka will go, and that’s about it.

Pleased.

Tonight, I’ll start the packing process. I have a master list of what needs to be procured before we go. Sunday looks like a big ole omiyage buying day.

So remember, kiddies, we take the tamago on the road live from June 13th to June 30th.

Catherine

Well, that pretty much says it all.

My week in writing has been getting the series together and the edits for Yellow Cat. I’d like to get the remaining 10 agents queried to before the big trip, so I’ll get right back on the horse Monday.

Jim Hines has a great link to a discussion about writing and depression. I have something to say about this, but that’s for another day.

I’m going home now. Tonight, by gum, I’m going to make some progress on that whole Japan itinerary. And I mean it.

Catherine

We have the names. As soon as I get some details from the convention heads about scheduling, I’ll be sending the letters out, and we’ll be getting people set up to come to Dallas and read.

Overall, we have six writers reading at Portus. I saw the new release from one of them at Barnes and Noble last night, so that was exciting. As soon as I’ve got the schedule confirmed, I’ll post the schedule here. That should be before I head out to Japan on June 13th.

Meanwhile, if you’re not doing anything on July 10-13, and you want to go to a Harry Potter convention in Dallas, talk to me. I’ll get you fixed up.

Catherine

To see (and hear!) the playlist associated with Substance of Shadows visit Julie Rose’s Writers and Soundtracks Blog.

The interview goes up next week.

Catherine

Rejections: Laura Peterson and Jennifer Flannery

That aside, here are the promised notes on the panel Inside the Magic Book Machine.

Panelists: John Klima, Sean Wallace, Shana Cohen, and Kandi Schaefferkoetter

This panel used Sabrina Jaffries online time line of the publishing process as a springboard, but elaborated on the time line.

Above all, the best way to be the kind of author that your production team wants to see is to be friendly, courteous, and available. Nagging is your agent’s job. Keeping that in mind, here’s what you can expect once your book goes into the black box that is the publishing industry, give or take. Remember, this is AFTER your book is accepted, and your contract is signed. You can expect this to start often after six months, although this varies from publisher to publisher.

Continue reading “Notes from Inside the Magic Book Machine”

Meanwhile, in reality reality, I spent the day in meetings. I just now took a little time to do the minimal edits on Yellow Cat and The Man, and sent it back to Michael at the Friends of the Animal Center Foundation.

It’s just as well that I can’t make the reading on June 6th. Even now, I still cry when I read Toby’s story. I can well imagine breaking down in front of the assemblage. Nope, best to visit Aric and Kim as planned, and not think about it.

Tonight, dinner with Greg Frost and Denny Lynch, followed by a reception for Greg. It appears that Wiscon isn’t really over, but has relocated somewhere west for the moment.

Catherine

I decided to come down from the rankled feeling left to me from the Magical Realism panel. Back to the room, I relaxed and finished The Dead Zone, so now we’re ready for June 9’s reading group. Dan came up after the Realism panel, and he told me that I had been right to leave, because things didn’t get a lot better. We tossed around a few ideas that eventually became yesterday’s treatise on the subject.

Of course, the most important piece of the afternoon was the Las Habladoras reading. I spent the rest of that time getting ready. Cat came up to the room and helped me transport the equipment downstairs. While we were waiting in the reading room, we caught Andrea Hairston reading from her work in progress. She was spellbinding, and we were both really interested in the book, and heart broken when she told us it wasn’t out yet. Both of us caught her later in the con, and gave her information on where to find us when the book came out.

The reading went well. Yo’s reading was funny and light, and the audience appreciated the pop culture references. Jenn’s was something to chew on, dense and descriptive. Julie’s was also vivid–not dense like Jenn’s, but each image was a clear snapshot. Cat’s art work off set the work well. I read last, we took some fun pictures and struck set, and then we had celebratory champagne and talked about the Las Habladoras site around drinks. There will be podcasts and goodies up there soon. Soonish.

Continue reading “Wiscon: The Rest”