Excuses, Excuses

Shadowhunting!

Well, that seemed like a way more exciting post title than Essaying. Though, in fact, I am super-excited to report that Shadowhunters and Downworlders: A Mortal Instruments Reader is officially out today from the very fabulous Smart Pop Books. You can find out more info at that link and read Cassie's introduction online for this entire week.

I was beyond excited to get to contribute an essay for this, given that these are some of my favorite books in the world and considering that the contributors include many of my other favorite writers (in TOC order: Kate Milford, Sarah Cross, Diana Peterfreund, Robin Wasserman, Michelle Hodkin, Kami Garcia, Kendare Blake, Rachel Caine, Sara Ryan, Scott Tracey, Kelly Link, Holly Black, and Sarah Rees Brennan).

The lovely Smart Pop folks are also posting nice pull quote graphics from all our essays over on tumblr. Here's mine:

 

Smartpopfriendquote

Speaking of which (friends, I mean), I'm about to drop off the grid–somewhat–for this year's installment of a magical retreat in Mexico and some major revision time. I may well pop up here or there, but probably not quite as much as usual for the next couple of weeks. But, it's okay, I'll be writing hard and wishing on stars. Promise.

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Friday Nattering Et Hangovers

Helloooo! I didn't meant to go poof vanish-y, but I did. And I'm afraid the next week or two is likely to be more of the same.

However, I didn't want to miss saying that the Bluegrass Writers Studio faculty and students showed Jenn and I a fabulous time last weekend. And it was so nice having her here. If there's any agent on the planet who is more willing to answer questions and be candid and explain how this crazy business we call pub works, well, I don't know them. (And this is just one of the many reasons I feel so lucky she's my agent. And my friend. <3) We also talked about the new secret book, which I'd just sent her to read, and much of my AWOL-ness this week has been because I'm revising (spoiler alert: she likes it; whew). After a bit from Blackwood, I read a little section of it at my reading–audience choice, and in my experience, people always want to hear from the new secret thing–and burbled about it afterward and was very much relieved at how enthusiastic people were. And they sold out of copies of Blackwood after the reading, ever happy-making. My husband, the original Christopher Rowe, is in this program, and so I went back last night to see Justin Cronin read and hang out and people still wanted to talk about the new novel. This is the kind of thing that makes a writer happy.

Having Jenn in town meant I finally got to meet a couple of other local authors previously only known on the twitter machine: Andrew Shaffer and Tiffany Reisz. Not to mention, one of my favorite things in life is taking visitors to our fab local bookstores and favorite restaurants, and I got to do that too. Puck the Dog, who is famously picky and hates everyone, loooooves Jenn. So there. A great weekend.

Anyway, I'm busily trimming away bits of research loveliness that aren't strictly speaking enhancing the story (or unstrictly, let's be honest!), and doing a bazillion other things, and still trying to catch up on reading I owe people and wearing the wrong earrings together by mistake, etc. But I shall return victorious or triumphant or something or other. I also managed to take no pictures, so no pictures to share.

But I do have a few little Friday hangovers:

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Excuse My Dust

Yes, I'm afraid it's that time in revision/deadlineland (swarming deadlineland, really) when I fall off the map. I'm behind on email, and am trying to answer urgent stuff, but may not get caught up until early August when I will have finished/survived for now. Etc.

I might drop in here, but will likely be scarce for the next couple of weeks.

p.s. Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes last week. You are all The Best.

p.p.s. Planning for Blackwood's release proceeds apace. Just added to the events calendar: an epic Angry Robot Author Showcase event on Friday, August 31, at 7 p.m. at one of Chicago's finest indie bookstores, The Book Cellar, with myself, Kim Curran, Adam Christopher, and Chuck Wendig all to be in attendance signing our shiny new September releases. During WorldCon, so come over, or if you're not World Con-ing but are in the vicinity of Chicago, come out!

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Nutso Crazytown Week (With Bunheads Bonus)

Lalala, is my hair on fire or does it just feel that way? It just feels that way, I think. Whew.

Most of my week was spent writing a lengthy essay about one of my favorite book series, about which more once the TOC is public (and I find out if the essay turned out acceptably, of course). This involved much flipping around in copies of said beloved books, and a passel of post-it noting that is going to be a pain to remove when I finally get around to that. I like reading on my Nook fine, but I must admit more than once this week I thought that I couldn't even imagine trying to do the same sort of thing if I didn't have hard copies at hand.

And the rest of the week was eaten by pecking away on the draft of the gods book, which it's my Sworn Intention (before you, my sacred witnesses) to finish next week while Christopher's off in the mountains of North Carolina at Sycamore Hill and I'm a workshop widow. It shall be done, etc. Add to all this a sudden hospitalization in the family and a random act of vandalism last night where some jerk smashed the driver's side window of our car while it was parked on the street across from our house and…this has not been the soothing week of soothingness.

At all. But so it goes.

The one bright spot, however, was a sun appearing on the horizon of summer's barren TV landscape: Bunheads. It's early yet, and it could go the path of suck, but I fully loved the first episode. If you haven't heard about this show, it's by Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and it's a major return to form. Yes, it shares commonalities with GG, but one) that's not a bad thing and two) I believe it'll grow into something very much its own. (The Bunheads of the title are ballerinas.)

Anyway, long-time blog readers may remember ye olde Gilmore Gossip Circle, in which we'd gather to gab in the comments after episodes. It was great fun. There have been other attempts made for other shows, but they tended to wane. Karen Meisner and I were chatting about Bunheads on Facebook (as we recently did during the ANTM finale, too) and decided to try and give the old analytical TV stop a revival…but since we've been doing the chats at Facebook and it's so much easier to comment there, I'm thinking that's where they'll be. I'll put up a public post there with a description of the week's episode on Monday evenings and link to it from here. If you're a Facebook hater (smart), then feel free to just comment here, though I suspect it will be rowdier over there.

So, if you're so inclined, join in next week's:

Bunheads-1

CHATTER CHORUS

And if you missed the premiere it's up online.

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Washington, D.C., Baby!

Did all the research (which meant hithering and thithering to doublecheck this and that, mostly), and this trip deserves a proper entry, but probably not until tonight…and maybe not until the end of the week. Tomorrow we head out for BEA in NYC, and a slam-and-jam-packed couple of days. In the meantime, have some goofing off (more SERIOUS photos–and goofing around–at the flickr account):

In Which Our Heroine Rides a Glittery Fantastical Beast

See you in New York? I can't wait.

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Excuse-Making!

Yes, this is one of those posts where I make the Whoops, I Disappeared admission and then admit that I'm probably going to be mostly MIA this week too. And that I'm still behind on email. Deep into this first draft, and juggling all the other things as well.

Also, I really need to get extra words written, because deadline swiftly approacheth and we decided to tack a couple of days of New York and BEA onto next weekend's quick research trip to D.C. for the aforementioned draft-in-progress, because, hey, why not? My editor is coming over from England, so it just makes sense.

Anyway, the plan is to be in NYC Monday and Tuesday, coming back home to rescue the dogs from Dog Jail on Wednesday. So if you're BEA-bound, hope to bump into you there.

And I'll try to manage some actual posts here next week. In the meantime, have a lovely holiday weekend.

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Absentia

I'm off to a secret bat cave for a week with a bunch of fabulous writers to talk about our work and eat cookies and have possibly zany times. I doubt there'll be too much updating here in the meantime. I *might* try to post a photo each day, but that'll probably be the most and I don't promise that.

Just in case I don't get back here until I'm home, I'll be participating in an event at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Malaprop's in Asheville, one of the world's finest indie bookstores. They made this handy page all about it, complete with pretty cover graphic:

Southern_Kidlit_Button

Come and see your favorite authors and meet new favorites you haven't read yet as they answer your burning questions about writing, editing, publishing, and the zombie apocalypse: Alan Gratz, Gwenda Bond, Carrie Ryan, Beth Revis, Megan Shepherd, Megan Miranda, Tiffany Trent, Laurel Snyder, and Kristin Tubb!

So if you're in the area, come out and say hi.

p.s. Unrelated: The Guys Lit Wire book fair for the Ballou High School Library is still on, and could use your support. There are lots of books left to choose from, and it only takes a few minutes and a few dollars to help out (promise!).

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Happiest of New Years

…to you. (Should that be Year's? or is Years okay? the day has passed, so I'm going SANS apostrophe, because I'm a rebel that way.) I am–like everyone else–playing catch-up and swimming as fast as I can coming out of the holiday. But I'm going to go out on a limb and say this year is already looking like it's going to be verrrry interrrrresting.

More soon. *swims*

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Excuses, Excuses: Holiday Edition

Yes, I know I've been MIA. I intended to do a post about books I recommend for gifts this year (just made our list today, figuring out which books to get for who) and about other things, but just haven't had a chance. I also have a million links for a hangovers post, which I'll try to post at some point in the nearish future. For the inevitable gift card frenzy to come, the 2011 reading list is down and to the right.

And here's a teensy reminder that if there's an old-school D&D or gaming fan on your list (or you fit this description), Christopher's Sandstorm makes a lovely gift–the perfect size for a stocking. And too big for a stocking but also a great gift is the Steampunk! anthology, edited by Kelly and Gavin, and filled with fabulous stories, including one by Mr. Rowe.

I could promise I'll try and do some catch up posts, but in all truth I'm probably going to do the sane thing and enjoy the coming time with our family, try and get some more novel written, and otherwise make my best attempt at R&R for the next week and a halfish.

So there. Happy holidays, my lovely ones.

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