Whew! And last night wraps up book events for now, though I've got a couple of others this fall and winter (and I'm hoping to add another local reading/signing at the utterly fabulous Joseph-Beth soon). (I haven't even really started to think about next year yet…guess I should. Drop me a line if you'd like to invite me somewhere.)
If you want a signed copy of Blackwood, for now the easiest thing is to call or email Morris Book Shop and they can hook you up. If you want it personalized, they can arrange that, too. (The Book Cellar in Chicago, Malaprop's in Asheville, and Downtown Books in Manteo should also have a few on hand.)
Mainly, this post is a thank you–to everyone who came out last night or to any of the events and to all the wonderful booksellers who have hosted events and/or who are handselling the book. To everyone who's buying copies, of course, and to those who're recommending it to others. You are all the best. To say I'm overwhelmed by your support would be to downplay my level of whelmed. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Those of you who've already read the book will understand the significance of this, but for those who haven't: the Monas Hieroglyphica, the alchemical symbol created by John Dee, plays a significant role in Blackwood. So we made one out of cupcakes and donut holes–I like cupcakes, alchemists like donuts–for the launch party:
Apologies to John Dee, but it was delicious. There are a few more photos from the event here.
It was great fun, though a little like being at your own wedding in that I spent the night behind the table signing and chatting (no complaints here on that), so I have no idea how the mingling, eating, and imbibing portions of the evening went. (My elementary school librarian came two hours to the signing! My mom took a cell call during the q&a, but it turned out to be a book request from someone in my hometown! Lovely tweeps came out! Our YA book club finally managed a quorum, even if it wasn't an official meeting!) Hopefully everyone had a good time. And afterward we went for sushi with our dear friend Mandy. Then I ate a cupcake and slept like the dead.
Today I'm feeling like it's time to get back to work. I've got a long to-do list, including a new book that needs revising (not to mention The Woken Gods, which will need revising soon too). You may have noticed I'm not doing an official "blog tour," but just doing things here or there. I'll try to put up a post to collect links to all those things sometime this week so they can live in one central place. In the meantime, a few little links:
- I was over at the Overflowing Library yesterday, showing off our bookshelves on the Bookcase Showcase;
- Also yesterday I was in the Debut Author Spotlight at Book Chick City; and
- New review from Speculating on SpecFic: "Gwenda Bond’s debut novel is an intense read, perfect for YA readers who enjoy a darker kind of Fantasy. Blackwood is a perfect book for those bored with the usual paranormal aspects and want to try something new, and will be enjoyed by a wide audience because of its easily accessible themes."